Indiana’s Cannabidiol Crackdown

By Terry Lassitenaz
Source: hempgazette.com

In the U.S. state of Indiana, stores have been given 60 days to clear their shelves of cannabidiol products, particularly those containing THC.

“Applicable law and opinions guide me to direct the Excise Police to perform normal, periodic regulatory spot checks of CBD oil products, focusing on those products which contain any level of THC,” said Indiana’s Governor, Eric Holcomb.

“Because CBD oil has been sold in Indiana for several years, the excise police will use at least 60 days to educate, inform and issue warnings to retailers so there is a reasonable period of time for them to remove products that contain THC.”

The announcement follows an opinion published last week by the state’s Attorney General, Curtis Hill last week, which read in part:

“As the analysis represented by this opinion has shown, the legal conclusion is that cannabidiol is illegal to buy, sell, possess or use in the State of Indiana.”

The opinion states cannabidiol is a Schedule I substance as marijuana is Schedule I substance.*

While acknowledging there is an exception for properly-registered patients and caregivers in relation to treatment-resistant epilepsy, the AG warned those people would still be at risk from federal prosecution.

While taking a hard line, AG Hill does appear to be sympathetic towards patients.

“We understand that cannabidiol is a substance about which we know very little, and about which many hold out a good deal of hope that it may be that elusive cure for any number and kind of disease. One hopes, for the sake of those who are suffering any of these maladies, that it can be so.”

Governor Holcomb says during the 60-day period, Indiana’s General Assembly will have the opportunity to review existing CBD oil laws.

State Rep. Jim Lucas, who we’ve mentioned previously, says he is working on a medical cannabis bill that will include legalising cananbidiol in Indiana.

“We have a substance in CBD oil that we know is considerably less toxic to their bodies, significantly less side-effects, and it works,” he said last week.

Indiana’s state elections are still a year away, but it’s shaping up that medical cannabis may be a hot topic that could sway voters.

* HG note: cannabidiol can also be be extracted from industrial hemp, which is *not* marijuana but is still legally considered as such in some parts of the world.

Hearty hemp: growing awareness around plant protein

By Sonia Sharma
Source: foodprocessing-technology.com

In recent years, the awareness around hemp has steadily grown. Derived from the plant cannabis sativa, hemp has received skepticism due to the association with another derivative from the same plant – marijuana. However, hemp lacks the psychoactive ingredient THC, which is found in marijuana. Used within a wide range of products, including foods and beverages, cosmetics and personal care products, nutritional supplements, fabrics and textiles, yarns and spun fibres, paper, construction and insulation materials, and other manufactured goods, hemp can be grown as a fibre or seed.

However, due to the close association with marijuana, it is illegal for farmers to grow hemp in the US. Renée Johnson, specialist in agricultural policy and author of a paper titled ‘Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity’, published earlier this year, states: “As production in the United States is restricted due to hemp’s association with marijuana, and the US market is largely dependent on imports, both as finished hemp-containing products and as ingredients for use in further processing (mostly from Canada and China). Current industry estimates report US hemp sales at nearly $600 million annually.”

Today, 30 countries around the world allow farmers to grow industrial hemp, with China being the largest producer and exporter, and Canada legalising the crop in 1996. To find out more about the crop we spoke to Tony Reeves, managing director at Hempco Europe Ltd.

Sonia Sharma: How did PlanetHemp start?

Tony Reeves: PlanetHemp is the retail brand of Hempco Canada. Hempco Canada was established by the Holmes family 15 years ago, effectively facilitating the Canadian hemp seed industry. They have been key innovators in terms of process and product, creating many ‘world first’ concepts including cold-pressed hemp seed oil, hemp protein powder, protein concentrate, hemp milk, yoghurt and ice cream and even a biodiesel lubricant named Hemphuel. Having established a strong position as an international supplier of high quality bulk hemp products (seed, oil, protein powders), the next step was to create a retail brand ‘PlanetHemp’ and develop a range of hemp based ingredients and added value products.

SS: How do you produce your hemp? What is the process behind it and where is it sourced from?

TR: We have a fully integrated ‘seed to shelf’ model whereby we grow our own hemp in several regions of Western Canada and once harvested, we utilise a bespoke processing stage incorporating five dedicated steps (generic practice comprises two stages) of clean-up and pressing, which removes the majority of the shell from the seed for a much better taste. The Hempco method also ensures that the delicate seed is protected, maximising nutritional content and preserving the chlorophyll (an excellent source of magnesium) naturally present in the seed to deliver probably the highest quality hemp seed oil on the market.

SS: How did you come up with the product range – from protein powder to the fruit bites? Has any particular product proved more popular?

TR: Our initial range was developed to supply the needs of several consumer segments: those looking for a versatile and healthy ingredient to add to their salads, soups or smoothies, hemp seed or the ideal finishing and nutritional oil – hemp seed oil (the only oil with the ideal Omega 3 & 6 balance); those looking for a great protein shake; and finally consumers seeking a tasty, healthy snack – our Cacao and fruit bites. We are now working on new concepts based on key trends such as ‘food on the go’ and developing exciting new offers to deliver innovation across a range of categories.

SS: Do you think hemp will become more mainstream in the future as awareness around it grows?

TR: Definitely yes. Indeed the move from niche to mainstream is already in progress and we are playing a major role in driving the process. I have had many, many conversations with consumers, NGOs, private and public sector organisations, and in every case, once the full benefits of hemp are communicated the interest in this amazing plant is substantial. For example, we are in active discussions with major multiples to explore how a high quality plant protein such as hemp can enhance virtually any category by addition or substitution.

By way of background, it is forecast that the market value of plant protein will increase by almost 30% by 2020, from around $7.7bn today to over $10bn. The main consumer drivers centre around an increasing level of health consciousness combined with growing concerns around the environmental and sustainability issues of meat production and indeed animal welfare matters. Food retailers and manufacturers are helping this growth by developing new and interesting products that incorporate plant protein to offer a great eating experience without asking the consumer to compromise on taste and enjoyment to gain a health benefit.

This trend towards plant protein is the foundation of a hemp ‘renaissance’ as hemp has more to offer than virtually any other plant protein source, coming in at 33% in comparison to 26%, 25% and 23.6% for fava beans, lentils and kidney beans, respectively. Uniquely, hempseed protein is 65% ‘globulin edistin.’ This closely resembles the globulin in blood plasma, actively supports our immune system and is extremely compatible with the human digestive system, making hemp protein easier to digest than many other plant proteins. Hemp protein and hempseed oil have been found to be a factor in DNA repair.

However, in addition to offering an excellent plant protein source, hemp offers many additional benefits to the environment and from an agricultural perspective represents a crop with probably the greatest number of commercial applications of any plant.

Hemp is one of the fastest growing plants and was first spun into usable fibre some 10,000 years ago. Hemp seed production is ‘carbon negative’ as it absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere whilst growing than the equipment used to harvest, process and transport it. By comparison, soya bean production to ‘farm gate’ equates to 642 CO2eq/kg. Hemp can be refined into a vast and diverse range of commercial products including paper, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food, and animal feed.

Czech hemp craft beer leaves the nest

Source: hemptoday.net


Brewing partners Robert Maglen and Jan Srb

Owners of the Czech hemp beer brand Kanar (“Canary”) say their brew will soar higher over the next year as they ramp up output at Falkenštejn Brewery, a craft brewing plant in the small Bohemian town of Krásná Lípa in the northern Czech Republic.

Partners Jan Srb and Robert Maglen say the brewery has expanded its capacity and can now dedicate 1,000 hectoliters of hemp beer production per year from its total brewing capacity of 3,500.

Targeting hipsters

After three years of bottling small quantities of the brand and serving it in local pubs – including a company pub on the site of the Falkenštejn Brewery — Kanar is just getting started expanding distribution and promotion of the beer, targeting the hipster market, organic shops and vegan and vegetarian Horeca outlets, said Maglen, who handles the company’s marketing.

Srb and Maglen met through a mutual friend after Maglen, a graphic designer, noticed the brand identity lacking when he encountered Kanar during a trip to a local pub. “The graphics definitely needed help,” said Maglen. The friend introduced him to Srb, who’d just fired his graphic designer – and the partnership was born.

Top beer at Cannafest, twice

“Kanar is our baby, so we’re very focused on quality,” said Srb, who serves the company as business and finance manager. That seems to be working as Kanar was just last month named the best hemp beer at Cannafest 2017, the cannabis expo held in Prague each November. Srb estimates there may be as many as 10 hemp beer brands on the market. The company also picked up the Cannafest award the year of the brand’s debut, in 2015.

“Our brewmaster is really interested in hemp, and he developed a truly original recipe,” Srb said.

The hemp in Kanar beer is made from fully organic pellets and hemp flowers supplied by Hempoint of Jhilava, Czech Republic. The brew, made of 60% hemp and 40% hops, is in bottles, which Srb says results in a serving price cheaper than if it came from a keg.

India: Reviving Old Hemp History by Making Way for New Hemp Industry

Source: ccgdirectory.com

India, a place where anyone who cultivates Cannabis invites a prison term of up to 10 years.  For over half a century now, Indian hemp or cannabis has been outlawed in India because of the intoxication substances contained in the plant's flowers and resin.  Some of the world's most fables hashish and ganja were said to be found in India.

In an article published by Scroll, it seems that India may soon turn over a new leaf and allow farmers to grow hemp.  It aims to encourage the use of hemp to produce paper, rope, clothing - and even be eaten as a crunchy snack.

“For the last 50 years, the government has looked at cannabis cultivation only from the narcotic angle due to the rising pressure on global war on drugs,” said Avnish Pandya, the head of research and development of hemp at Bombay Hemp Company, which has been lobbying for industrial cultivation of hemp in India. But, says Pandya, “there is another side to cannabis which is harmless and of high economic value, lying untapped. Why not legalise that?”

International hemp production is at an estimated $1.5 trillion per year and is currently dominated by China, France and Germany.  Allowing Indian farmers to cultivate hemp could create an industrial hemp textile market in India that could be valued at an estimated Rs 240 million (about $ 3.7 million), according to the central government’s Ministry of Textiles.

Hemp fibre, along with banana fibre, pineapple fibre, flax, sisal, and nettle was identified by the textile ministry's 2010 Natural Fiber Policy and it recommended special policies to encourage development of these natural fibres.  Due to its tradition of growing hemp, Uttarakhand, has been declared a nodal state for nettle and hemp promotion by the ministry.

Though there is a growing advocacy all over the world to decriminalise cannabis for recreational and medical use, BOHECO (Bombay Hemp Company) made it clear that its efforts are focused solely on cannabis sativa.  This strain of Hemp is mostly used for industrial purposes as this cannot be misused as a narcotic due to the small portion of the substances that causes intoxication.

In 1985, under the pressure from the US (Single convention on narcotic drugs),  a new bill has been passed, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and signed by the then President  Giani Zail Singh on 16 September 1985, and came into force on 14 November 1985, India banned the consumption, production and cultivation of Cannabis though it does permit the cultivation of hemp for horticulture and industrial purposes. However, no licences have been issued to farmers since the act was passed. Adding to the confusion, each of the states in India prohibits cannabis cultivation under their Excise Acts.

Currently, India is the world’s largest producer of legal opium for medical and scientific purposes, however, it has had no legal hemp cultivation.  Despite this, significant numbers of villagers in Uttarakhand, Kashmir and Kerala Travancore grow hemp to obtain fibre from the stems and oil from the seeds. Some even roast the seeds to eat as food or use them as religious offerings. But their crops are frequently destroyed by the police, who confuse this strain of hemp with the narcotic variety.

Since 2013, BOHECO, which works out of Mumbai, has been lobbying the textile ministry to create a regulatory framework for industrial hemp cultivation and draft an industrial hemp policy.  It is also aiming to develop a germ hemp seed suitable for Indian climatic and soil conditions. The firm is working in collaboration with the GB Pant Agriculture and Technology University in Uttarakhand to synthesise seeds that have less than 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis. They hope to have the first batches of seed ready early in 2016.

Hemp plant grows between 6 feet-16 feet in a period of four months. The plant does not require chemical fertilisers and captures large quantities of carbon, yield eight-ten tonnes for fibre and up to two tonnes of seed per acre.

Chirag Tekchandaney, director of sales and marketing at BOHECO said “There are over 25,000 end products of hemp. Internationally its fame is rising as an organic and eco-friendly plant, with hemp shirts and clothing being very popular. We are already flooded with queries and orders about hemp textile.” The firm is already selling hemp seeds sourced from Australia, hempcrete (hemp fiber blended with lime to make strong and lightweight concrete used in construction) and hemp fibre sourced from the farmers of Uttarakhand through its online portal.

The firm has been generating enthusiasm for hemp fabric by giving presentations at the Lakme Fashion Week in March and the INK/TED conference in February. “Hemp is a super crop and versatile,” said Yash Kotak, BOHECO’s marketing officer. “It’s a shame we banned its use due to ignorance and confusion with marijuana. We want to make hemp farming a sexy option for the younger generation while also uplifting local farmers and industry to produce cool hemp products.’’

CBD oil containing THC must be removed from Indiana stores in 60 days, Gov. Holcomb says

By Tony Cook and Kaitlin L. Lange
Source: indystar.com

Gov. Eric Holcomb is directing state excise police to resume checking stores for cannabidiol, or CBD, products after Attorney General Curtis Hill issued an opinion declaring them illegal in Indiana.

Stores will have 60 days to either sell or pull products from their shelves. 

In a statement, Holcomb said excise police will "perform normal, periodic regulatory spot checks of CBD oil products."

Those checks will focus on CBD products that contain any THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, regardless of the amount. Most of the CBD products being sold in Indiana contain less than .3 percent THC, meaning they can't produce a "high." 

"Because CBD oil has been sold in Indiana for several years," Holcomb said, "the excise police will use the next 60 days to educate, inform and issue warnings to retailers so there is a reasonable period of time for them to remove products that contain THC."

He said that timeline will provide state lawmakers an opportunity to review existing CBD oil laws, including labeling requirements, before product confiscations begin.

Nathan Renschler, the owner of two stores that sell CBD near Evansville and wholesaler kyhempgoods.com based in Kentucky, said CBD can exist without THC, however the product also doesn't contain other beneficial cannabinoids. 

A law passed in April 2017 allowed for patient possession of CBD but didn’t outline how people could acquire products. Nate Chute/IndyStar

Advocates of CBD oil say those products don't have as many benefits as full spectrum CBD oil products. 

Sen. Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville, plans to file legislation expanding who can have CBD oil under state law. He said he's received calls from people who've used the product to treat arthritis, Parkinson disease and mental illnesses. 

"I just don’t understand why is there such a resistance to allow people to get this product here," Tomes said. "You can't abuse it. It either works or it doesn’t."

Last week, Hill deemed CBD illegal in an official opinion, regardless of the amount of THC in the product. 

Hill said the only condition under which using CBD oil is legal in the state is if an epileptic patient is on the state's CBD registry that lawmakers created earlier this year. However, it is unclear how those patients would obtain the oil since it would be illegal to sell it in the state, under Hill's interpretation.

"Simply put," Hill said, "cannabidiol is a Schedule 1 controlled substance because marijuana is a schedule 1 controlled substance." 

Renschler worried that Hill's personal stance against medicinal marijuana, clouded his ability to offer an opinon solely based on the law.

Confusion over current law emerged almost immediately after Holcomb signed the bill creating the CBD oil registry for epileptic patients.

Indiana State Excise Police quickly confiscated the product from nearly 60 stores, arguing the law only allowed those on the registry to have CBD.

 That, however, seemed to contradict a 2014 industrial hemp law that Indiana State Police and advocates of CBD said legalized the substance as long as it contains less than 0.3 percent of THC. 

State excise police stopped seizing products but waited to return any products until "results of further lab testing are received and the legal analysis pursuant to Indiana law is complete." 

Many stores, selling the product for general use, lost hundreds of dollars worth of inventory. But some stores already put the products back on their shelves prior to Hill's statement, and now could once again have their products confiscated by excise police.

Renschler said he isn't backing down, at least not yet. He said he'll at least keep his products on the shelf during the 60-day period Holcomb has promised to only issue warnings.

He said the industry will likely need to lobby at the Statehouse the next legislative session, which starts in January. 

"We’re not going to go out easily," Renschler said. "We’re going to drag our heels and see what we can accomplish in those 60 days to get the governor's office and the attorney general to wake up."

Major Industrial Hemp Conference For Australia

Hemp Event
By Steven Gothrinet
Source: hempgazette.com

Australia’s CSIRO will be hosting the Australian Industrial Hemp Conference in the Victorian city of Geelong between 28th February to 2nd March 2018.

It’s an exciting time for the hemp industry in Australia, particularly with the recent lifting of a ban on the sale of hemp seeds for food.

The conference is being held to promote networking, collaboration and a better understanding of Australian research initiatives and those overseas relating to industrial hemp production, processes and products.

The CSIRO’s Dr. Stuart Gordon is heavily involved in the conference. Dr. Gordon is a Principal Research Scientist in CSIRO Manufacturing’s Advanced Fibre and Chemical Industries Program and leads a Victorian initiative to raise the profile of industrial hemp production and processing.

The CSIRO has put out a call for interested parties to get involved in the event, which it says is perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity to help build the foundations of Australia’s industrial hemp industry.

“We need your help, by participating in the event, either as a sponsor, presenter (sessions will be based around crop production, seed processing and products, and fibre and hurd processing and products), exhibitor and/or attendee. This conference is an opportunity to present your research and experience in industrial hemp production, product processing or business planning.”

A venue for the event is yet to be announced. More details can be viewed here.

Another big hemp-related event to occur in Australia very soon is the Hemp, Health & Innovation (HHI) Expo, to be held on the second and third of December in in Melbourne.

The availability of hemp seed foods in Australia earlier this month caused quite a stir in the media, with announcements of all sorts of products being available, from beer to bread. Seeds being sold at a retail level must be non-viable and had their outer coating removed (hulled).

Industrial hemp’s potential extends far beyond food applications – it can be used in myriad applications, including textiles, biofuels, building materials and cosmetics. It’s also a source of cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound prized for its potential medical benefits.

As industrial hemp is very low in the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol, regulatory issues really shouldn’t be such an issue – but hemp is still unjustly linked to marijuana, which creates regulatory barriers.

Marijuana Company of America Provides Update on 30,000 Sq. Ft. Cultivation Facility in Washington State

Press Release
Source: digitaljournal.com

ESCONDIDO, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 28, 2017) - MARIJUANA COMPANY OF AMERICA INC. ("MCOA" or the "Company") (OTC: MCOA), an innovative hemp and cannabis corporation, is pleased to announce that it's joint venture partner, Bougainville Ventures, Inc., initiated construction on a 30,000 square foot cultivation facility in Washington state. The delivery of the first pre-designed greenhouses, with full tracking and reporting protocols, is expected to be completed this week for the I-502 facility. The site will eventually consist of 6 greenhouses providing a total of 30,000 sq. ft., of cultivation area. The construction is expected to be completed in February of 2018.

This one acre footprint of greenhouse is anticipated to be a technologically advanced and predominantly automated cannabis production facility. The Company also has an option to purchase additional contiguous acreage and so may choose to expand its leasehold in the area. Bougainville Ventures, Inc. anticipates the facility to be capable of producing in excess of 12,000 lbs. of high quality cannabis annually once the cultivation area is fully built out. The location of the new facility provides access to transportation, industrial infrastructure, power, water, gas, and courier services.

Donald Steinberg, CEO of the Company, observed: "We have raised eight hundred thousand dollars and have issued fifteen million shares of the Company's common stock, per the revised agreement with Bougainville Ventures, Inc. The tenant is in the process of obtaining approval of plans and issuance of permits from Okanogan County and Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) to authorize construction on the first phase of the project. This transaction enables the joint venture to install 4 of the 6 design automated greenhouse systems." Mr. Steinberg also added "The attainable goal for the joint venture is to deliver the finished project early in Q1 2018 so that our tenant can begin producing revenues shortly thereafter."

Additional details on this specific project will be announced in the coming weeks. MCOA continues to be a company pursuing aggrotech, cannabis, and advanced organic greenhouse farming assets. Meanwhile, for more information on this project including images of the jobsite, please visit: http://marijuanacompanyofamerica.com/

About Bougainville Ventures, Inc. Bougainville Venture Inc. is in the core business of converting irrigated farmland that was traditionally used to grow marginally profitable feed crops, to greenhouse-equipped farmland used to grow luxury crops with a primary focus on marijuana. Bougainville is an agricultural services company that focuses on providing growers with state-of-the-art computer controlled greenhouses and processing facilities. Bougainville offers fully built out turnkey solutions to licensed I-502 tenant-growers and luxury crop growers who will lease the facilities for production and processing. MCOA does not "touch the plant" and only provides growing infrastructure as a landlord for licensed marijuana growers in the state of Washington. Bougainville has a strong management team with relevant experience and education in place with a focus on build-out and occupancy of its planned greenhouses in Oroville, WA. Strategic plans to expand its land bank, greenhouse campus and I-502 tenant-grower clients are scheduled for expanding operations.

About Marijuana Company of America, Inc.MCOA is a corporation which participates in: (1) product research and development of legal hemp-based consumer products under the brand name "hempSMART™", that targets general health and well-being; (2) an affiliate marketing program to promote and sell its legal hemp-based consumer products containing CBD; (3) leasing of real property to separate business entities engaged in the growth and sale of cannabis in those states and jurisdictions where cannabis has been legalized and properly regulated for medicinal and recreations use; and, (4) the expansion of its business into ancillary areas of the legalized cannabis and hemp industry, as the legalized markets and opportunities in this segment mature and develop.

Forward Looking StatementsThis news release contains "forward-looking statements" which are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities and words such as "anticipate", "seek", intend", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "project", "plan", or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based products. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-12G, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, please visit www.sec.gov.

For more information, please visit the Company's websites at:
MarijuanaCompanyofAmerica.com
hempSMART.com
agoracom.com/ir/MarijuanaCompanyofAmerica

Marijuana Company of America, Inc.
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Email Contact

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Medical Marijuana, Inc. Subsidiary HempMeds® Sponsors International Medical Cannabis Expo in Colombia

Hemp Event
Press Release
Source: prnewswire.com


Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA), the first publicly traded cannabis company in the U.S., announced today that subsidiary HempMeds® was a Gold Sponsor of EXPO MEDE Weed, the second International Fair of Medical Cannabis, which took place in Medellín, Colombia on November 24-27, 2017.

This conference is organized annually to discuss the legality of medical cannabis globally. Currently in Colombia, non-psychotropic Cannabis (Hemp) is legal to grow if it contains less than 1% THC.

HempMeds in Colombia

At the conference, executives from the Medical Marijuana, Inc. portfolio of companies spoke to hundreds of patients and doctors at the event about CBD and shared stories of previous international successes in Mexico, Brazil and Paraguay. Speakers included Dr. Stuart Titus, CEO of Medical Marijuana, Inc., and Raul Elizalde, President of HempMeds® Mexico.

"We are proud to sponsor this global event and speak with an international audience about our products and the benefits of CBD," said Medical Marijuana, Inc. CEO Dr. Stuart Titus. "We are working to bring HempMeds® to Colombia in 2018."

Those interested in learning more about HempMeds® and its products are encouraged to visit https://hempmedspx.com.

About Medical Marijuana, Inc.
We are a company of firsts®. Our mission is to be the premier cannabis and hemp industry innovators, leveraging our team of professionals to source, evaluate and purchase value-added companies and products, while allowing them to keep their integrity and entrepreneurial spirit. We strive to create awareness within our industry, develop environmentally-friendly, economically sustainable businesses, while increasing shareholder value. For details on Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s portfolio and investment companies, visit www.medicalmarijuanainc.com.

To see Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s corporate video, click here.

Shareholders are also encouraged to visit the Medical Marijuana, Inc. Shop for discounted products.

FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER AND DISCLOSURES. This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties. The statements in this press release have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. The Company does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act. The Company does sell and distribute hemp-based products.

CONTACT:
Public Relations Contact:
Andrew Hard
Chief Executive Officer
CMW Media
P. 888-829- 0070
andrew.hard@cmwmedia.com
www.cmwmedia.com

NC Industrial Hemp Economics Workshop is Dec. 2

Hemp Event
By Kay Whatley
Source: greyareanews.com

The Hemp Money event, presented by Hemp Inc. University, is holding a one-day workshop to educate on NC’s Young Industrial Hemp Industry. “The Hemp Money Event – Economics, Lessons and Planning for 2018″ is scheduled for Saturday, December 2, 2017, 8:30am-5pm, at the Shrine Club, 320 Airport Road, Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

This workshop is presented by the same company that began offering Farming Hemp for Profit training in Spring 2017. This last event of the year includes a strong line-up of speakers seeking to prepare industrial hemp industry producers, farmers, and investors for the 2018 growing season.

The workshop is broken into three parts:

• POD Training Sessions #1. Economics — Involvement in the Industrial Hemp movement often boils down to economics. One of the most common questions asked is, “How Much Money Can I Make?” This session provides an Industrial Hemp Economic Blueprint.

• POD Training Sessions #2. Lessons — Hear directly from growers and farmers who now have a season under their belt. They will share with you their experiences and growing strategies/techniques, in addition to their mistakes.

• POD Training Sessions #3. 2018 Preparation — Learn how to prepare and capitalize for the 2018 Industrial Hemp growing season in NC. Now is the time to start planning and developing your strategy for the 2018 Industrial Hemp growing season.

Speakers include:

• David Schmitt, COO of Industrial Hemp Manufacturing, LLC.
• Erik Larson, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Product Developer
• Preston Gardner, Market Research Analyst
• Dr. Robert Bruck, Dean of STEM and Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science at Louisburg College
• Jermyn Shannon-El, Founder of the Cannabis Kollective Inc.
• Bruce Perlowin, CEO and President of Hemp, Inc.

Workshop details, registration link, and a discount code may be found on this EventBrite page. The workshop fee is $299; however, a discount code provided on that page lowers the price to $99.

CBD From High-Grade Hemp Is Big Business In Switzerland

By 

Jack WoodhouseSource: cbdtesters.co



Hemp and high-CBD plants are growing in interest in Switzerland, and rapidly becoming big business there

A brand new cannabis industry is exploding right now in Switzerland. However, it’s rather different than its U.S counterpart.

Rather than growers and customers chasing the strongest strains, the Swiss legal cannabis industry is centred on strains with negligible levels of THC but high levels of CBD – otherwise known as hemp.

Expertly grown in hydroponic grow houses throughout the mountainous country, high-grade hemp is proving to be extremely popular among the Swiss population, despite its lack of psychoactive effects.

Is Cannabis Legal In Switzerland?

Whilst cannabis with THC content above 1% is still illegal – although minor possession (up to 10 grams) was decriminalized to a fine in 2012 – legal, over-the-counter sales of high-CBD cannabis are exploding, with more and more clean and bright dispensaries popping up in Zurich, Basel, Geneva, and beyond, as well as spreading to nearby Austria.

The legal cannabis boom is a result of an amendment to the Swiss Narcotics Act in 2011 that allowed cannabis with an average THC content of less than 1% to be grown. This amendment initially came about to loosen restrictions on the hemp fabric and cosmetic industries. The amendment went rather unnoticed for a number of years until, in 2016, a campaign from the customs office to collect tax on the small amounts of low-potency cannabis that was being sold served as a reminder to businesses that the government was condoning the sale of cannabis.

Big Business

Subsequently, the number of retailers selling low-THC cannabis has risen to more than 140 from just a handful last year, with the customs office expecting revenue of around $25 million on legal sales of $100 million from cannabis in 2017, although the figure could be far higher if the boom continues.

“It started gradually last year, and then suddenly things went crazy in December 2016 and in 2017,” a spokesman for Switzerland’s Customs Agency in Berne told Reuters.

CBD-Rich Hemp As A Tobacco Substitute

The hemp buds – which are indistinguishable in sight and smell from ‘the real thing’ – are being given names like “Sweet Indoor Royal Flush” and “Tropical Forest”, packaged in aesthetically pleasing pouches and marketed as a tobacco substitute.

Although the carcinogenic risks associated with inhaling combusted plant material remains an issue, substituting tobacco, along with its myriad of added chemicals, for organically grown CBD-rich cannabis is undoubtedly a healthier option. And given the fact that, as is the case throughout much of Europe, many Swiss cannabis users smoke their herb alongside tobacco in the form of joints, the use of hemp as a tobacco substitute may well prove to significantly lower cannabis users’ exposure to tobacco. Add to that the results of a small study that took place in 2013 which found that CBD reduces the consumption of cigarettes in smokers by up to 40%, and it seems that high-CBD hemp may also have some value in the cessation of tobacco use.

The Health Benefits of CBD

Then there are the many proven health benefits of CBD itself. The non-psychoactive cannabis derivative is known to be anti-inflammatory, analgesic (pain-relieving), anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), neuroprotective, antipsychotic, and antiemetic (anti-nausea), antispasmodic (suppresses muscle spasms), and antiproliferative (prevents spread of malignant cells). This has seen it used in the treatment of a wide range of conditions, such as:

• Depression
• Epilepsy
• MS
• Schizophrenia
• PTSD
• Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Diabetes
• Addiction
• Acne

The substantial research on CBD also makes it a prime candidate to replace, or be used in conjunction with, a number of pharmaceutical drugs. A recent projection estimated that the pharmaceutical industry stands to lose $5 billion should cannabis be legalized across the U.S. Although this estimation does include high-THC varieties being legalized, there may well be implications for the Swiss pharmaceutical industry of a legal cannabis market.

High-THC Strains and Mental Health

While there is a great amount of research on the therapeutic effects of cannabis, there are also a number of studies that have linked consumption of high-THC cannabis to mental health problems such as schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. No matter your stance on this controversial subject, the fact that potent strains of cannabis can lead to anxiety and paranoia is far from a contentious position. However, CBD has also been shown to reduce the negative effects associated with THC.

With that being the case, the legal cannabis industry in Switzerland may also be inadvertently helping cannabis users to negate the unwanted effects of consuming high amounts of THC. It is yet to be seen whether the widespread availability of CBD-rich cannabis will indeed have a noticeable effect on the mental health of those who use it.

A World’s First

The burgeoning legal cannabis industry in Switzerland is a first-of-its-kind anywhere in the world. Although hemp cultivation (with less than 0.2% THC) is legal just about everywhere in Europe, only EU-certified seeds are permitted to be grown in most countries. These seeds are primarily grown for industrial purposes, and more recently for making CBD products such as oils and supplements.

Switzerland is breaking new ground, however, and it remains to be seen what effects the industry will have; whether it’s negative repercussions on an already shrinking tobacco industry, less reliance on pharmaceuticals, or even a reduction in mental health issues. What we do know is that high-grade hemp is very popular and sales are predicted to increase.

If anything, the growing trend in Switzerland for high-CBD strains does shine a light on a whole other side of cannabis – one devoid of stereotypes and accusations that users are merely chasing a ‘high’. It also gives credence to the medicinal uses of cannabis and, if all goes well, could trailblaze the way for other countries to implement legal cannabis industries of their own.

Conway CBD company claims to be first to air national ads

By  Nicholas Papantonis
Source: wpde.com

Conway, S.C. (WPDE) — Palmetto Harmony started as a last resort for Janel Ralph's daughter, who was having hundreds of seizures per day, caused by a rare genetic disorder.

Today, Ms. Ralph claims to be leading the way in cannabidiol (CBD) oil manufacturing, as she celebrates her company's first national TV advertisement, which she says is the first national CBD oil advertisement to get approved.

CBD oil is made from the hemp plant's flowers and stems, which does not have the chemical found in marijuana that creates a high.

Advocates of CBD oil say it helps control seizures and inflammation from a variety of medical causes.

"I really feel like we're pushing American hemp into the mainstream," Ralph, the CEO and Founder of Palmetto Harmony, said.

When ABC15 checked in on the company in 2015, Palmetto Harmony's products were sold in three South Carolina stores.

That's grown to more than 15 today. She said she has about 400 nation-wide, and four international distributors.

Guy Majewski's daughter suffers from seizures caused by a medication that helps her with her autism. When he first heard about CBD oil, he thought it was "snake oil", but decided to give it a try.

"We started this back in June, and within two weeks her seizures went down from about 30 per day to maybe two mild ones," Majewski said, explaining that he's been paying for the $160 per month bottles ever since.

Currently, Palmetto Harmony sources hemp and manufactures the oil in Kentucky, which industry insiders say is a leader in hemp cultivation, before sending it to be bottled in Conway.

But the company is preparing for next year, when industrial hemp farming is expected to undergo a test in South Carolina.

Nearly 10,000 square feet of manufacturing and greenhouse space is being built outside of Conway, which Ralph hopes will be done by the time the state's first hemp harvest takes place next year.

Ralph said Palmetto Harmony has applied for a cultivation permit and has signed letters of intent to purchase other hopeful farmer's crops.

Ralph's goal for the facility is to be the largest hemp processor in South Carolina, both for her company and for others seeking to turn the crop into products.

"We definitely want it done and ready to start processing all of the hemp, any hemp, that comes out of South Carolina by the time that the crops come down," she said.

Palmetto Harmony needs to have full control over every step of the process to produce CBD oil, Ralph explained, because of the sensitivity of the patients who use this product.

Ralph said the hemp she buys is organic, one of the more prominent requirements.

Environmental Activist Starts Industrial Hemp Farm to Heal the Earth

By Erin Mundahl
Source: insidesources.com


Winona La Duke and hemp plants, in a promotional image.

Winona La Duke believes strongly in the need to return to a greener way of living. An environmental activist, she has been a vocal and visible protester for a variety of pipeline projects, including Enbridge 3 and the Dakota Access Pipeline. For her most recent project, however, she wants to protect water by changing the way we farm. La Duke just concluded a month-long online crowdfunding campaign to fund a 40-acre industrial hemp farm in northeastern Minnesota, having raised more than $130,000. La Duke’s project is a mix of environmentalism and native rights activism.

“I am going to work with my community and allies, to make jobs which are local jobs, non toxic jobs, and jobs which will change our world. My interest is in farming, reduced petroleum economies, and hemp. I am interested in [cannabinoids], some of the healthy magic of the plant and I am interested in fiber for clothing and houses,” she wrote in an Instagram post thanking donors for pushing her project over its goal.

La Duke sees hemp cultivation as a way to strike back against industrialized agriculture by turning down the green path and away from “the scorched path of fossil fuels and GMO’s.” She plans to work the hemp farm using only horse-drawn implements and two horses.

“I have farmed small plots with my two percheron mares for years, and I plan to expand this work. I want to scale up and join the 400,000 other horse powered farming operations in North America, understanding the sacred relationship between life, power and the future,” La Duke writes on her Kickstarter page. “I would like to live well, I am interested in decoupling food and hemp from fossil fuels, and I am also interested in the quality of life which small scale farming creates.”

La Duke believes that working the land with horses changes her relationship with the land. Furthermore, she views any use of fossil fuels as inherently destructive. She is hopeful that her small-scale hemp farm will help to reintroduce horses into agriculture.

Whether that will be economically feasible is another question. Prices for industrial hemp still lag behind other commodities. Her hemp farm plans to raise the fiber for cloth and paper. Right now, industrial hemp growers primarily sell the seeds for food or oil, both of which are more profitable than selling the fibers. Since industrial hemp was illegal for so long, the U.S. lags behind Canada in terms of processing facilities.

La Duke’s project is a boutique version of broader agricultural research. Industrial hemp was grown in Minnesota through the 1950s, when farmers switched away from it in favor of more profitable cash crops. For decades afterward, the cultivation of industrial hemp was banned under federal law because of its similarity to cannabis. Industrial hemp is defined as a strain of cannabis sativa that contains no more than 0.3% THC, the intoxicating ingredient in marijuana. In 2014, the federal farm bill was amended to define industrial hemp as separate from recreation or medical cannabis and to allow state agricultural departments the authority to regulate its cultivation.

Minnesota began a hemp cultivation pilot project in 2015. That year, about 40 acres of industrial hemp were cultivated in the state by six different growers. In 2017, there were 42 applicants for the pilot program and 2,200 acres of industrial hemp under cultivation. With the increase in industrial hemp growers, the state is also adding processing facilities.

Earlier this year, a processing facility for industrial hemp was established in the small town of Olivia, in west-central Minnesota. The processing plant will make items including roasted hemp hearts (a snack food), cold-pressed hemp seed oil, and hemp flour. State officials are encouraging industrial hemp production, explaining that Canada currently has an edge on the U.S. in the hemp production and processing market. Since the Olivia plant will not process hemp for fiber, a local economic development council is exploring options to bring in a second processing plant.

For La Duke, the goals of the project are many. Her social media describes how hemp can heal the earth, help the tribal economy, and serve as a medical remedy, the latter a stretch given industrial hemp’s low THC levels. It seems that the post-industrial future is starting small, with 40 acres and two mares.