Cannabis World Journals Editorial and Journalistic Team
Cannabis World Journals is a bi-weekly publication that discusses the latest trends in the cannabis industry.
Content Management:
Alibert Flores Anne Graham Escobar
Graphic Design and Conceptualization:
Katerin Osuna Robles Jannina Mejía Diaz
Research, Journalistic, and Editorial Team: CannaGrow: Daniela Montaña and William González CannaCountry: Sandra Loaiza CannaLaw: Anne Marie Graham, Alibert Flores, and Caterina Lomoro CannaTrade: Jennifer Simbaña, Lorena Díaz, Verónica Hernández, and Rosangel Andrades CannaMed: Jennifer Salguero CannaGraphics: Alibert Flores Translation: English: Nicole Gómez, Verónica Hernández, and Andrés Sawyer Arabic: Menna Ghazal and Oraib Albashiti Portuguese: Marcia Lorenzen Italian: Caterina Lomoro and Karen Bermúdez Collaborators in this edition: Llactacunga Cannábica Activismo Cannábico Chile Copa Cannábica del Plata Alpha Academy of Science
Subscribe at cannabisworldjournals.com Info@cannabisworldjournals.com
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EDITORIAL: - No Fear for the Cannabis Cause: Leaders and Advocates. Pg. 4
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OP-ED COLUMN: - Cannabis and Young People. Pg. 5
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CANNAGRAPHICS: - Activismo Cannábico Chile (Cannabis Activism Chile). Pg. 7 - Copa Cannábica del Plata (Plata’s Cannabis Cup). Pg. 7 - Alpha Academy of Science. Pg. 7
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CANNAGROW - Mike Tyson: A Cultivation and Cannabis Business Groundbreaker. Pg. 8
Our Magazines CannaMed and CannaLaw, each dedicated to the therapeutic and the legal regulation areas of the cannabis industry, have decided to join forces and offer a new and more complete bi-weekly magazine: Cannabis World Journals. CannaMed and CannaLaw are now sections of Cannabis World Journals. Along with them, we have created two new sections to offer a global look at the plant's market: we are talking about CannaTrade and CannaGrow. The objective with CannaTrade is to reveal the rhythm of the businesses established around cannabis. Lastly, CannaGrow is a section dedicated to the botany and cultivation of the cannabis plant. Cannabis World Journals is the most comprehensive cannabis magazine for discerning readers like you. Without further ado, we extend a warm welcome.
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IN THE EXPERT'S ROOM: - Raquel Peyraube. Pg. 10
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CANNACOUNTRY: - Denmark. Pg. 15
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CANNALAW - JustMary: The First Legal Cannabis E-commerce in Italy. Pg. 17 - Germany: Cannabis Groundbreaker in Europe. Pg. 19 PERSON OF THE MONTH - Interview with Tommy Chong. Pg. 21
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CANNATRADE - Trailblazing Products in the Cannabis Industry. Pg. 27 - Trendsetter Industry Segments. Pg. 29 - Mold-Breakers and Disruptors Lead the Cannabis Industry into the Future. Pg. 31 - A Basic Cannabis Investing Guide. Pg. 35
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CANNAMED - Cannahaler: The Revolutionary Cannabis Inhalers. Pg. 38 - Cristina Sánchez: A Leading Cannabis Researcher and Educator. Pg. 41
EDITORIAL
No Fear for the Cannabis Cause
Leaders and Advocates There are situations in life that make us see things differently or with a different perspective. Situations that make us break the mold (as our grandparents used to say). Where the before and the now become clear. Before, there was a false belief that cannabis was only for adult use, that it was just another plant. It was even scary to talk about it. Now, after years of struggle, patience, and demonstrating and talking about its healing and exceptional properties, it is time to act. It is time to fight, take advantage, and make known this avalanche of successes of the cannabis plant and present it to the world, its inhabitants, and its people. Don't be afraid. Take on the world. Put on your cannabis armor, and defend your right to live. Raise your voice and let it become the echo of hope to support and fight the battle for the total legalization of the plant. Follow the examples of great industry leaders like Steve DeAngelo and Tommy Chong, who marked a before and
after, so that now the new generations can set a new path for cannabis. Join this cause fearlessly and courageously and let nothing stop you. Do not let anything disturb your decision. Face the consequences and look the world directly in the eye, with your cannabis banner. Fight for your plant! You will always find detractors and those misinformed, your weapon of choice to defeat them is the raison d'être of the cannabis plant. Destroy with facts and words the media's blind refusal to pay attention to irrefutable reasoning. Follow the Uruguayan lead. A nation that, without unfounded fears by third parties, legalized this outstanding plant, demonstrating that even though they are a small country, they have a huge heart. So, do not let anything stop you, do not be afraid. Don't be scared to scream: "I am a cannabis advocate!" Alibert Flores Editorial Team Cannabis World Journals
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OP-ED COLUMN
Cannabis and Young People Today's society has become so globalized and digitized that young people find information easily. Precisely, it is during this stage of life when experimenting and learning become part of everyday nature. For several decades, we have observed in different media how the world has opened up to the cannabis plant. Medicinally, a field where there is still research to endorse and discover new therapeutic properties, or in the industrialization of crops and hemp exploitation from where dozens of innovative products can be obtained. We have seen many countries regulate cannabis use and adult cultivation, fostering a culture, or rather a society, with fewer consumption and acquisition risks, a determining factor in the war against drug trafficking.
Behind these significant advances, society around the globe has lived for nearly 100 years surrounded by misinformation and prohibitionism. It caused decades of living in fear to use the plant in any form (medicinal, industrial, adult-use), generating a setback in research and support from institutions and and companies. To this day, we cannot hide that many countries have not yet changed their laws and regulations on cannabis.
In this way, many young people have changed the erroneous and generalized view they had about the cannabis plant. They have focused on using their potential, both educational and available resources, to generate ideas and objectives aimed at cultivation projects and their use taking advantage of this shift.
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OP-ED COLUMN
Thus, countries commonly referred to as underdeveloped can be included in the list of nations that already have well-defined agroindustries and are a reference in job creation and profitable economic generators. Of course, there are still many challenges along the way. Information, training, and demystification of this issue in various sectors of society have become infallible actions to publicize the medicinal, therapeutic, and industrial benefits that cannabis and hemp crops can bring. Other actions include legislative and regulatory changes to avoid unconscious and unjustified persecution, and promoting investment and research necessary to develop stabilized
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genetics in different regions with great agro-diversity such as the Latin American countries. Surely, our generation will be responsible for making the necessary changes, facing and assuming competencies, inside and outside society, to develop a cannabis industry with high levels of production and exportation. After all, we are talking about a self-sustainable and efficient plant.
Jeanpierre Romo - Cannabis Activist Llactacunga Cannábica’s Member
CannaGraphics Activismo Cannábico Chile (Cannabis Activism Chile) This is a popular non-partisan organization driven by a comprehensive regulation of cannabis and entheogens, respect for personal sovereignty, and human rights. To contribute to the collective knowledge of cannabis, ACC carries out several workshops (self-cultivation, self-care, medical cannabis, the endocannabinoid system, among others), citizens' meetings, and entrepreneurship fairs. ACC proposes citizen action as a necessary path to push for a new drug policy, such as presenting a “Popular Norm Initiative” (Iniciativa Popular de Norma) to the Constitutional Convention to protect personal sovereignty and spirituality in Chile's new Constitution.
La Copa Cannábica del Plata (Plata’s Cannabis Cup) This event originated from meetings between grower friends who sought to create a space for knowledge and networking with other growers with the creation of different workshops on cultivation techniques and lectures on legal aspects. In 2002, the first cup took place, which was very small. However, over the years, it expanded in the midst of paranoia and persecution; it was clear that the event was clandestine and illegal. It is an event for experienced growers. It is the most prized award in the region, the Cup that everyone wants to have on their shelf, because they have competed against the best. Its next date is August 14, it will be its 20th edition with the expo, talks, and advanced workshops that characterize the event and a fierce competition.
In conjunction with the Technological University of Bolivar (UTB) in Colombia, Alpha Academy of Science launches a certified course in innovation and entrepreneurship to train leaders in the cannabis industry. The Alpha Academy of Science and the Technological University of Bolivar have made available the II edition of a certificate course that will take entrepreneurs to the next level. This educational program focuses on Cannabis innovation and entrepreneurship, providing the student with different and effective marketing strategies to take their product or service to various geographical areas and achieve success in the industry. The program starts on May 27th and has an intensity of 100 hours.
Information and enrollment:
https://www.utb.edu.co/curso-diplomadotall/diplomado-innovacion-emprendimiento-delcannabis/?fbclid=IwAR2Y84_HxWRzUyPbsvJACo WdStYIDAIfa0H8cME0v4soIcphFSlY04L6vmE
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CannaGrow
Mike Tyson: A Cultivation and Cannabis Business Groundbreaker We all know who Mike Tyson is, and for those who don't, he is one of the most recognized boxers and dominator of the heavyweights during the nineties. He was born in the United States in 1966 and began his career as an athlete at 20 years old, a career that led him to fame. Currently, at 55 years old, he is an entrepreneur in the cannabis industry. He began building his company called Tyson Ranch, a farm with 40 hectares located in the Mojave Desert, California. Its location is strategic because the use of medical, industrial, and adult-use cannabis is legal in that state. He was inspired in the process of his career, as he used cannabis to alleviate different discomforts caused after his fights. In Tyson's words, "cannabis has always played an important role in my life. It has changed me for the better both mentally and physically, and I want to share that gift with others who are also seeking relief." According to Cheat Sheet statistics, he has done so well in the business that Tyson Ranch sells more than $500,000 worth of cannabis per month. Today, his company offers three lines of flowers: greenhouse and sun-grown flowers with slightly lower potency, higher potency indoor flowers, and the unique "Toad" line of premium strains inspired by Tyson's CANNABIS WORLD JOURNALS | EDITION NO. 22 |
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psychedelic "toad licking" experiences. The company has grown so much that it has expanded to other states like Nevada and Colorado, where cannabis is also legal. In these states, he offers unique cannabis strains such as Desert Toad, West Coast Toad, Kronocain, The Toad, Sonoran, Toad, Southern Toad, Intergalactic Toad, West Coast Toad, Knockout OG, Lemonade, Billy White, Knockout OG, Haymaker, Blue Snow, Lemon Pie, Pineapple Punch, Pound for Pound, and Purple Glove. People can find all these varieties on their website (tyson20.com/), where they also show the location where you can go to buy them.
CannaGrow
It is essential to recognize that Tyson has done everything to do things legally and grow in the industry. Despite his various past situations, where he had many problems and almost lost everything, was even accused of several crimes and almost ending in the street, he saw in the cannabis plant the opportunity to improve as a human being and bring welfare to different people. His company has evolved, and today, Tyson 2.0 is launching new products derived from the plant. His most recent product are gummies infused with CBD (Cannabidiol - one of the most abundant phytocannabinoids in cannabis and nonpsychoactive) with an eye-catching shape, "a bitten ear." It alludes to his fight with Holyfield in 1997. In that fight, he bit his opponent and tore off a piece of his ear. He is a true groundbreaker in the industry, who has encouraged the use of cannabis while combating the stigma in the sports community, where it has been so complex and difficult to accept its use. CANNABIS WORLD JOURNALS | EDITION NO. 22 |
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Raquel Peyraube was an ad hoc advisor to Uruguay's National Drug Secretariat on public drug policy reform and the Institute for Regulation and Control of Cannabis. She is also a clinical researcher and member of research teams for monitoring the law in Uruguay. She is a member of several international scientific committees and is an active member of the IACM (International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines).
CWJ: Thank you very much, Raquel, for giving us this space for Cannabis World Journals. To begin with, how did Dr. Peyraube become a scientific advisor to policymakers in different Latin American and European countries, especially in those that are arguably difficult?
In the
Expert’s Room: Interview with
Raquel Peyraube
Raquel Peyraube: I have been working for many years, insisting on the need to legalize, at least cannabis. I am one of those who want to legalize all drugs because if they are risky substances, the best thing that can happen is that they are produced with quality control, knowing what people are producing, how much they are making, and who does it. But the truth is that, concerning cannabis, almost immediately when I started working with people who use drugs, I realized that it was necessary to legalize it to separate the markets. I realized that, in some circumstances, more than a entrance drug to the drug problem, it was an exit drug. So I worked for many years in what was and still is called the Hemp Reduction Policy, in drug policies in general, and I insisted on this issue of legalization. When Uruguay legalized it, not everybody was very convinced whether to do it or not. But when they did, I was one of the people advising the law in this country. That does not mean they listened to everything I thought, but it was a good enough law. Being a woman today and being in a place of leadership somehow, accompanying the management that Uruguay had in this history, made other countries start calling me. Being the academic director somehow also positions you in the vision where we will make public policy, but with the needed bases. We will legalize, but taking into account rigorous information, not fanaticism for or against, because there is fanaticism on both sides and many myths against cannabis that are absurd. But there are also some dangerous ones in favor, such as the one that says it is a harmless substance. There is nothing harmless, nor is water harmless. One can make osmotic dehydration by drinking water from the tap at home. In subjects with arrhythmia or rhythm disorders, give them THC, and we will see them in emergency rooms. We need education, and this is why I take this opportunity to tell those interested, whether they are health professionals or
chemists, biochemists, molecular biologists, or anyone interested in prescribing, research, or product development, to take the diploma course because it is unique. This said by the greats of the world, the names we all love and admire, who are my colleagues, Lumír Hanus, Mahmud ElSohly, Suman Chandra, Manuel Guzmán. They all say that there is no other educational experience in the world that is so integrative and consistent, and Latin America is doing it. That is another of the visions I have, to end colonialism through cannabis. It seems that everything from Canada and the United States is terrific, and it is not true. They are neither the best regulations nor necessarily the best products, but Latin America seems to be unaware of this, and everything from the first world seems to be better. And in reality, Latin America is the continent with the most legalized countries and where we can be a trend. As I say, I prefer to be the head and not the animal's tail. And Latin America, through rigorous training, can do it and avoid these colonialisms where then they are going to sell us the expensive products that they produce with our cannabis. So I am very hard on this, and very defensive of the freedom of Latin America to be able to think critically and not keep repeating many barbarities that people say in the cannabis culture. I want cannabis to come to stay and that we can consolidate more and more an industry at the service of public policy. I believe that this, the political vision, is part of what makes them invite me. CWJ: You mentioned earlier that there is a big difference in cannabis legalization between Latin America, Canada, the U.S. What would be the most significant difference between these places? Raquel Peyraube: Excellent question. I think that, basically, Canada wanted to make a hybrid, and it didn't work out. When Trudeau said he was going to legalize, he said he would be far away from the United States and close to Uruguay, remember? Because Uruguay had already legalized. However, he came up with a model closer to that of the United States than that of
Uruguay. Why? Because the industry dominates the scene. It is not the public policy that tells the industry what place it will occupy, but the industry that tells the policy what it wants to do. That is the most significant difference between the United States and Latin American countries. In Latin America, rightly or wrongly, the public health perspective has been predominant in the vision first and then the place of the industry as the business, as the policy’s executing arm, but guided by the political picture. Not the industry telling the policy what to do. And that is the main difference. CWJ: Raquel, you are constantly working on developing new models of regulation of medical cannabis, either by advising drug policies or evaluating laws that could legalize the plant. Is this the same or necessary in every country you visit, either as a consultant or lecturer? Raquel Peyraube: Look, I think that there are some axes, which is what David Nutt's work proposes and what several of us have been saying. Some axes have to be even, and we have to include them in all regulatory models. Security: with security, I mean separating what is licit from what is illicit, starting to protect the states from being controlled by the drug trafficking mafias. Reducing the criminality linked to this, that is security. The other issue is the aspect. The pillars of the laws will define an approach that has to do with the vision of public health, respecting human rights, which is the right of people to choose their private behaviors. And also the right to health, of access to health. So these three pillars are fundamental for me. To this, we must add that they are supported by sustainable development as a basis for all of them. Care for the environment. Because everybody talks about cannabis, but nobody is willing to evaluate the environmental impact of the uncontrolled production of it. It has a very high water consumption. It has a waste that people are not channeling correctly. So we also have to see that it is sustainable development, that is, environmentally friendly.
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CWJ: You talked about the properties of cannabis and how we can legalize it in every way. Many countries, unfortunately, are unaware of these properties and therapeutic benefits. Would there be a possibility at some point that you could visit them as a speaker or as a cannabis advocate to open the eyes of its inhabitants? Especially people from the government. Raquel Peyraube: I did it a long time ago, and whenever they invite me, or there is a proposal, I will go. For example, with the Open Society Foundation, I visited several countries in Latin America. Between 2012, 2013, and 2014, until 2015, they supported me to go country by country, giving lectures from various points of view. In your question, it is implicit that politicians do not legalize because they do not know the benefits of cannabis. It is possible. At this point, I think there are many diffusions, and they intuit it. But curiously, they still don't legalize, because the reasons to legalize are not only scientific. In fact, they are more political than scientific. So I would love to have some institution or organization that would support me, that would give me the plan to sit down with the different politicians of the different countries. I spoke with Podemos in Spain, I was in the Catalan Parliament, and Catalonia legalized it effectively. In Catalonia, they said to me, "but why do you say things that all those who want to legalize don't say? Why didn't they tell us all this before?" And I think there is a difficulty of activism. Activism focuses only on talking about the benefits of cannabis. And there is one clear thing; I do not believe that we should legalize cannabis just because it is good. First, because of what I said initially, there is nothing good ideally. The most important reason to legalize is the political reason, not the scientific one. CWJ: This is when we ask ourselves the question, taking into account the scientific, economic evidence, which is so latent today, of how extraordinary cannabis is, what else do we need to legalize cannabis worldwide? What do we need, after so many activists like you fighting for it to happen? After so much
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information that is out there around the world on the Internet, in so many places. What more could it take for cannabis to have the voice it deserves in the world? Raquel Peyraube: We need political will and service vocation for politicians and also producers. Let's be clear, more than half of the cannabis producers in California do not want legalization. So it is not only about knowing the benefits; it is about political will and political service to public health and general welfare. When you have a vision of public policy and political will, you will legalize it without any doubt, sooner or later. At this moment, Spain, prohibitionist as it is, has called experts to start discussing it. I made a report two years ago, in March 2020, for Podemos, to two of their bills. So, it is a matter of political will. The arguments that have to do with goodness and health, some politicians find it sympathetic. Others say, "no, because my advisors tell me that it fries your brain, and if you legalize it, teenagers will get high." No, that will depend on how they regulate it. CWJ: Now that we are talking about legalization, how would you define the movement in Uruguay at the time of legalizing the cannabis plant? What was that process like? Raquel Peyraube: When people talked about legalization and the models in 2013, 2014, 2015, they spoke about top-bottom or bottom-top models. They said that the United States had been bottom-top because it had been the industry and the people, the ones who had voted and demanded and had made the bills to legalize and that, in Uruguay, they had been top-bottom. The president had said, "we have to legalize", and it had been top-bottom. The truth is that President Mujica understood that it was necessary to legalize because there was, for many years, a social movement that differed from the United States and also because it was not businesscentered. In the United States, the strength was the industry and the producers who at that time were illegal, who appealed to illegality. In Uruguay, it was a social movement.
CWJ: Taking into account that Uruguay is the pioneer country and with the progress made by other Latin American countries, do you think that soon, throughout the American continent, cannabis will be legalized? Or there is still a long way to go to reach the goal? Raquel Peyraube: Note that every year two or three countries join. In 2021, Costa Rica joined the group with observations and vetoes, but they did it. The domino effect that Uruguay generated in Latin America was crucial, and I think it was important for the barriers to fall. Then, Colombia joined. Then Peru, Chile, Mexico, and so on. Even Mexico, with a bill to legalize medicinal use and adult use. It has to do with the fact that The United Nations did not sanction Uruguay for legalization. Everyone said, "no, you are out of the conventions." And it was not true, because the countries that prohibit it are actually violating the Human Rights Convention and the Human Rights Conventions are hierarchically superior to those on drugs, which was one of Uruguay's main arguments at the United Nations. If you, respecting drug laws, as happens in countries that incarcerate and all this, violate human rights, you violate human rights conventions. With Uruguay, that was the argument. It got two very separate models of cannabis legalization, very different from cannabis for medicinal use and cannabis for adult use, so we were not sanctioned. Not only were we not sanctioned, but Uruguay is also one of the countries part of the commission that discusses cannabis, cannabis legalization, regulation, and adjustment of the drug conventions. Nobody sanctioned us, and I think that was evidence for the most fearful governments, which was not the case of Uruguay, that we could actually legalize, that nothing was going to happen, especially if you did it right. For example, Canada is having observations from the United Nations because of its regulatory model. Everything is mixed up, medicinal use, adult use. There is no safety of the productions; there are a lot of industries in lawsuits because they do not comply with the safety guidelines of the products. But above all, medicinal use is intertwined with adult use, as in the United States. Nothing happened to us. Nobody came to us to object to anything. So, the regulatory model is also essential to avoid having problems with the international regulatory authorities.
CWJ: How do you see the future for cannabis in the short term? Would you consider that we are on the verge of a green revolution?
Raquel Peyraube: The green revolution is already happening, to the extent that it has been assumed by the general populations, the ones who vote. The green revolution is already underway. They say to me, "and how long will it take to legalize in all the countries?" and it's going to depend on how many more deaths and how many more prisoners and how many more sick people the politicians want there to be. But it is inevitably going to happen. Today we are no longer discussing whether to legalize or not; now, we are talking about how to legalize, not whether to legalize. So the green revolution is already here. CWJ: To close this wonderful interview, what message do you have for the activists, doctors, patients, lawyers, growers, and especially the people unfortunately forgotten in prisons just for growing the medicinal plant? What message do you have for them? Raquel Peyraube: My message to physicians is that ignorance is no longer a justification, that they should not forget that our ethical mandate is to study to accompany patients better. One of the moral mandates is to seek new solutions for patients. When colleagues say to me, "well, what happens is that I don't believe in this", I always tell them that this is not a religion to believe or not. You lack study. That's the answer. Go and study, get a diploma, and get together with heavy scientists as there are in other areas of medicine because there are also serious scientists in this one. And here too there is a lot of science and much already advanced. In 2021 alone, with all the budget cuts and in the middle of a pandemic, there were 4000 scientific publications on cannabis. It's brutal. So, yes, there is scientific production.
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What are we also lacking? We lack support, and it is also the industry that we have to talk to, not only to patients. The industry has to support those who cannot afford training of an excellent academic standard and research development, because they end up being the great beneficiaries. I advise patients to be active patients, not passive ones, but neither inactive patients of the physicians nor the producers. I suggest they respect their right to be patients, and I tell them to fight and claim their right to access good medicine from their politicians. To the producers: Whoever is in this, not for greed or for lucrative interest, which can be legitimate, not greed, but if they want to have a business, let them do it responsibly because they impact people's health. Products have to be made with consistency, stability, known composition, and quality control to declare certificates of analysis. I want an industry committed to responsibility. Many of the people who today have a cannabis industry were activists and militated against Big Pharma. Today, much of the cannabis industry behaves with the same greed as the pharmaceutical industry, with one difference: the pharmaceutical industry has a quality control obligation, and the producers and responsible people do not. So my messages are these. We are all called to exercise the right to production, health, the right to practice good medicine. But let's do it well, let's do it with respect. So that's my message. CWJ: Well, Raquel, it has been a really enriching interview, with a wonderful message and vision. There should be more people like you in this fight and I am sure that the new generations will follow your example, the example of Uruguay and the other countries that follow. The important thing is that our voice is heard and that cannabis has the place it deserves in the world. We thank you again on behalf of our Cannabis World Journals team for agreeing to this interview and for giving us a bit of your time. Thank you very much. Raquel Peyraube: Thank you. And well, thank you for bringing information to the population.
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CannaCountry
DENMARK Being a leader does not necessarily mean being the first at something. On many occasions, leadership relates to seeking and perpetuating initiatives for the welfare of a group of people. That is something the Danish government understands clearly. That is why they have allowed one of its pilot programs to continue in the interest of their people’s health. Stay and learn a little bit more about this beautiful northern European country.
REGULATION
Like many countries in the world, cannabis is still considered illegal for adult use in Denmark. However, medicinal use, and purchase and sale of seeds are allowed. If any person is found with cannabis, the penalty can range from a fine to imprisonment, depending on the amount they carried. The government stipulated it in the Consolidated Controlled Substances Act of 2016.
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CannaCountry
PIONEERING PROGRAMS
2018 was a decisive year for the plant's legalization due to the creation of the Medical Cannabis Program through the Danish Medicines Agency. It was a four-year pilot scheme under which 12 companies were granted permission to grow and distribute medical cannabis in the country. The purpose of this trial was explicitly for herbal cannabis/cannabis plant (plant material). Therefore, it is different from cannabinoidbased medicines. In addition, in the middle of the same year, they legalized the possession and sale of CBD oil with 0.2% THC or less.
NEWS AND PROJECTIONS
The Danish Ministry of Health had great news for those who use cannabis to treat their various conditions. They announced that the medical cannabis testing program will become permanent and will not end after the initially agreed four years which would be at the end of 2021. Due to this decision, as of 2022, physicians will continue to have the authority to prescribe cannabis to their patients. At the same time, thanks to an agreement of the majority of the parliamentary parties, authorized companies will be able to continue growing and distributing cannabis for medicinal use.
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CannaLaw
The cannabis industry is constantly growing and progressing. Thanks to that, more and more companies have the opportunity to become protagonists and leaders due to their ability to innovate and achieve significant changes in the way the market works.
The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 hit many businesses hard, but it represented significant growth for those in the home delivery sector. People were confined to their homes and forced to do most of their shopping online, including their cannabis purchases.
One Italian company that has undoubtedly achieved this is JustMary, founded by two young people from Milan in 2018. Their goal was to conquer the world of legal light cannabis delivery and be the first Italian company to venture into virtual sales. The idea had a wide consumer receptivity, which allowed the company to generate a turnover of more than 100,000 euros in the same year of its launch.
For these consumers, JustMary was the ideal solution. Through its e-commerce, they could purchase what they needed relating to cannabis. In a very short time, JustMary went from having a presence only in Milan to offering its delivery service to other Italian cities such as Rome, Florence, Turin, Monza, Catania, Bologna, and others.
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CannaLaw
The company has its own website and mobile application for users to conveniently place their orders. JustMary was the first Italian cannabis company to have a presence in the App Store and the Play Store. Achieving this was not easy due to all difficulties selling cannabis online carries. In the beginning, they had to deal with Google taking down their app because it allegedly "facilitated the sale and purchase of illegal or prescription drugs." The company hired a lawyer and sent Google a warning. That warning was withdrawn before the case went to court. Once they clarified the situation, and JustMary proved that the cannabis it offers is fully legally sourced, its app was listed again and is still available today.
Now, in Italy, the issue of cannabis legality is not entirely black and white. Thanks to the Italian law 242/16, JustMary can legally market its products and services as long as they do not exceed the percentage of THC (the active ingredient allowed in inflorescences) which must be minimal; between 0.2% and 0.5% (with a tolerance of up to 0.6%).
A critical factor that allowed JustMary to lead in the cannabis delivery market is that it offers its customers absolute anonymity when making deliveries. So much so, that its delivery drivers do not wear anything associating them with the brand nor cannabis; they make the deliveries in civilian clothes. This is crucial since the Italian population is conservative and has reservations about the plant’s consumption. Understanding this reality, and being able to adapt to the needs of their consumers made JustMary the preferred E-commerce in the country to purchase cannabis. This is how new companies manage to position themselves and expand, thanks to the approval of new laws that allow legal incursion in this industry.
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CannaLaw
GERMANY:
Cannabis Trendsetter
in Europe
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CannaLaw
resulting from the reduction in the prosecution of crimes related to cannabis sales and purchases by the justice system and the police. It would also create 27,000 new jobs.
It is well known that, in Europe, several countries are currently fighting for the legalization of cannabis, either for the medical field or for adult use. However, one of them has managed to make a difference, thus leading the way for many others: Germany.
Finn Hänsel, CEO of Sanity Group, a Berlinbased cannabis company, commented: "The parties in the new German government have already laid the groundwork, but we still need to work out the details. We need clear legislation and regulation to define, among other things, conditions for cultivation, processing, logistics, and authorized distribution. We can learn from Canada or the United States’ experiences. We are clearly in favor of revenues from a possible tax on the medicinal plant to protect young people and group-specific educational measures." At the same time, Germany's Social Democrats, Greens, and Liberals agree that the controlled sale of cannabis would eliminate crime and the black market.
In 2021, Germans witnessed the negotiation to legitimize the sale of cannabis for adult use, making the European nation the third country in the world to legalize adult-use sales. They followed the example of countries such as Uruguay and Canada, while in the United States, it is only authorized in 18 of its 50 states (for adult use). The regularized sale of the medicinal plant intends to control its quality, prevent the product from containing impure substances, and protect minors. Notably, this will yield great results and profits, such as more than 4.7 billion euros per year to be paid into the German public treasury. The amount includes new labor contracts, business taxes, and savings
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Finn Hänsel, CEO of Sanity Group, a Berlin-based cannabis company
Person of the Month
Interview with
Tommy Chong
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Person of the Month
Thomas B. Kin Chong is a Canadian American actor, comedian, musician, and activist. He is known for his cannabis-themed comedy albums and movies with Cheech Marin, as well as playing the character Leo on Fox's That '70s Show. He became a naturalized United States citizen in the late 1980s. Tommy Chong has become a cannabis activist and supports legalizing the plant's use. He also sits on the NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) advisory board. CWJ: My name is Maria José. I'm the director of the company. Thank you so much, Mr. Chong, for taking this interview with us. How are you today and what is new with you? Tommy Chong: Yeah, my pleasure. I really enjoy this. I really like this method of communication. Well with Cheech and Chong, we just came up with a hemp cigarette, which is not only legal but is considered as a medicine so that it escapes taxes. It's a legal cigarette that won't harm you. It's made from hemp, and it has trace amounts of THC, but nothing enough to make it illegal. And so, we're going to have dispensaries or like cigarette vending machines, Cheech, and Chong vending machines. CWJ: Why don’t you tell us a little bit about that key moment where you decided to get into cannabis? It's been years, but do you have any defining moments?
Tommy Chong: I started smoking when I was 17 years old. It was a gift from a jazz musician club owner in Calgary. He had been in Los Angeles, and he brought back a present for me, which was a Lenny Bruce comedy record and a cannabis cigarette. Of course, I put the cigarette in my pocket right away and he lit up his own. And so, my first toke was at Raymond Mars jazz club, and it changed my life. I heard music really for the first time. When you're high and you hear music is like you were born again with some incredible ears. On the serious side though, soon as I smoked up, I realized I was wasting everybody's time at school. Because school was for people that wanted to be there. And because I was showing real early in my life that I wasn't gifted in mathematics, that was one of my weak subjects. I was a perfect fodder for the pick and shovel game, the laborers. So, I eventually ended up being a laborer, but also a musician. That was one of the unwritten laws of being a musician. If you're going to be a musician, you either must have rich parents or a really understanding girlfriend with her own place, and a side job that you can do when you're not playing music, which I did, right up until I was in my 20s. CWJ: You've always stated that you are interested in giving a platform for minorities, especially in America where laws are so hard against minorities, tell us about that. Tommy Chong: Minorities were the easy ones to blame problems on. Dictators, emperors, or kings always must have an enemy to blame their problems on. They could never take responsibility for their own actions. I've been studying wars during this lockdown. Especially
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Person of the Month
the Second World War, because I was born right at the beginning of it. I'm a pacifist, but I know how to fight, and I know why violence is not the answer to evolution, it is part of the process because you can't build anything unless you tear down the old thing first. And that's what we're going through now, because we're finding out what the Chinese knew thousands of years ago, that cannabis is a medicine. What we found out with cannabis, is such a gift from God that it will grow anywhere, for anybody, under almost any condition and that says a lot about that plant. Because anywhere you go in the world, you'll find a version of the cannabis plant. Now, we're just realizing, we're waking up and we're beginning to see the good things that cannabis can do. CWJ: You had your run-ins with the law a bit too. Can you tell us about that experience and how the perception changed over the years Tommy Chong: I've always had a love-hate thing with the law, going all the way back to Vancouver, Canada. Because when I started in Canada, our band, we tried to go legal, with the nightclubs. But, it wasn't until we found an empty steakhouse, in a nice part of Vancouver that we could. The owner of the building was a big fan. He let us have the club rent-free for almost six months. And, in that time, we built up a place where we could play music. The only problem was we couldn't afford a liquor license. It was a bottle club, but that was cool. We still made a load of money. Then, instead of drinking, people eventually started using cannabis. CWJ: The laws have changed today to a point where everything is legal, and everything is just so easy to access. But, at some point, you were impacted by these laws, and this affected you somehow within the world of cannabis and everything that you've done. Do you think when the criminalization of cannabis impacted you, it made you fight more for legalization? Or did it give you the drive to change your plans? Tommy Chong: I learned early. You don't fight. I'm a musician, and when you play the music that is the epitome of getting along with somebody else, you must be sensitive to the other people in the band. You must be a cohesive team. What happened when I was incarcerated, at first, I was amused.
They're putting me in jail for a bong, for a water pipe. To have a SWAT team come up to the house and go through it and go to our factory and literally smash all the bongs they could find, break them as if they were the enemy. Then they had all these law allies that were saying that we were making billions of dollars with the bong company, and we were giving money to terrorists to attack America. When I went to court, they even sentenced me on 09/11, and they put the sentencing trial in the large courtroom because they expected a big protest thing. But it was a big failure on the government's part because more than protesting, people were disgusted. I was not a vocal critic of anybody. I was just a comedian. CWJ: But you still are a big voice for the cannabis industry. The change in the rhetoric where the user was not the criminal, but instead, it was the main character. You have given a voice to cannabis. Tommy Chong: That's why they incarcerated me. But they made a big mistake, you see, because like I said, I am such a pacifist, but I'm a militant pacifist. In other words, I have military training. I know what the other side is. When you first go in there, they attack you because you are new people. But, after I was there for a while, I found the people that I related to, which were very spiritual. I turned it into a spiritual retreat, to the point where we had a sweat lodge. I would be at the sweat lodge as much as I could. It was in the garden, faced away from the prison. It was minimum security. And because I was old enough, I never had to work unless I wanted to. A friend of mine had a garden growing in the garden area. He fixed it so I could come down to the garden every day. I read all my books and I did I-Ching, and I helped other prisoners. And I counseled a lot of people. Then the prison itself, they called me one time and they said, because of you, our visiting staff is being overworked. I did the I-Ching, it said “you were in jail for a reason.” Jails are corrective institutions where you go to change your behavior. My behavior was just doing what we're doing now. And so, it wasn't me that had to change the behavior, it
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Person of the Month
was the police. But I had to change my attitude toward the police because I was treating them like they were right, and I was wrong, it's the other way around. They were wrong and I was right. CWJ: Mr. Chong, you were talking about your experience in prison, this is still an issue nowadays, a lot of people in prison do not come from privileged backgrounds and are the most affected ones. In the United States, even if it's legalized in a state, it doesn't automatically free the people imprisoned. The rest of the world's international criminal law works that if something stops being illegal, you are immediately released, and your record expunged. However, this is not the case in America. One of the things that we want is an industry that favors those who have had it rough, do you think this is going to be a reality soon? Tommy Chong: Well, you've got to remember the American laws were written by racists. There were a lot of loopholes that they put in there where they would say, “Okay, cannabis isn't as harmful as we said it was. But, to this day, it's still illegal federally. It hasn’t been changed into the federal laws.” The cannabis prisoners, they're stuck, especially if they're poor and black. When I was in Taft, there was, I would say, over 40 percent, that should not have been in jail. And they're in jail for a couple of reasons. They're private prisons, these prisons are owned by private companies, and they treat them like hotels. In every prison, you can make a profit, just by charging the government too much money to house each prisoner in there. It's very expensive to house a prisoner. I think it's around $50,000 a year. Therefore, the cannabis prisoners are not getting out that easily. They won't change until we legalize weed federally and take it away from that Schedule 1 nonsense. Schedule 1 says it has no medical use whatsoever. The only reason we got it legalized medically was that we proved it worked. And by the way, when I get rich, which I'm going to do because now we have hemp cigarettes, that won't kill you, they won't hurt you, and you can buy them anywhere. That's going to make me wealthy. CANNABIS WORLD JOURNALS | EDITION NO. 22 | 24
But, when I get as wealthy as I can get, I'm going to create a movie company. I want to do a series that goes for 20 years and I'm going to hire every marcher. I want to hire every person that marched from South America to America. I'm going to find out who they are. I'm going to hire them as actors, and I'm going to bring them to America with their families, and I'm going to help them and take care of them as actors. If you're young, you must go to school. If you're sick, you must be treated. If you're mentally ill, you must be treated. If you have any problems, you must be taken care of. We’ll house, feed, and clothe you. Much like a prison does. The only difference is that you're an actor and you're working for me in one form or another. Because with the movie company, there's always something for everybody. No one goes out of work because if you don't do anything if all you do is lie as a warm body, we will get you to work with the extras, we will have you paid to the next year. I have a plan. I'm not just smoking dope and making necklaces and making cigarette holders like this here. I am planning on how to save the planet with art and how to save the planet with a movie company and give everybody a job and legal residents and make Earth fun. CWJ: When you were a user of recreational cannabis, how did it mix during your creative process? Was it something that helped you along with your career? Because everything was just a hit. Tommy Chong: That's totally cannabis. Cannabis connects you to your real self. Now, who is your real self? Well, we are eternal beings. We've always been here in one form or another. And the reason we're here is to learn. You see, our spirits are eternal. And when you think about it scientifically, the human body is made up of 90 percent water. Scientists have proven that every drop of water that is here on Earth has been there since Earth’s creation. It's an eternal substance, in the physical world. Now, our spirits, reside in the spiritual world, as well as the physical world. This is our physical being. Now as we evolved, we evolved both physically, and spiritually. What we must do as intelligent beings, which we are, is to help those who ask for help and to let those who don't ask for help learn the hard way, because it's up to them. To me, it's like when you get
Person of the Month
something from Amazon, a toy for your house, or a new computer or something, and you're putting it together. There are instructions that if you read and listen to them, you will have it all together within minutes. But most of us refuse to read instructions. A lot of times we don't get it done at all because we didn't read the instructions. There have been so many spiritual books written since the beginning of time, since the beginning of man's ability to communicate with other men. There's always been this search for our purpose. Why are we here? What are we? Why is this? Why is that? And we're here to learn and as we learn, we evolve. There's no end to how much we evolved because if you read the spiritual books, especially the King James Bible, in the beginning, they say there was really no beginning. There is Alpha and Omega, there's no beginning and no end. We've always been here.
but, where we are going now, we're in a good space, let's put it that way. With our products, we're evolving, and as we do, we have more leisure time. I'm so glad to be in this space that we're in right now.
CWJ: When we come to people who started with cannabis as recreational users then turned into comedy and filmmaking, it seems the road to go on is creating cannabis products. So how did you come about that? How did you form your company?
When people ask me, “what should I do? Should I do that?” I said, “Well, you have to do your own research.” I don't know what's happening to you. You asked me a while back about how cannabis helped my sickness.What cannabis does, it puts you in a very brilliant state of mind. And so, whatever you focus on, the answers will come so fast that you don't have time to almost write them down. The purpose of the sweat lodge itself was to raise your body temperature so hot, like a fever. Whatever is ailing you, will disappear; any problem you have. So, the sweat and the ego are
Tommy Chong: Because of my reputation and my activism and my podcast. The fact that “Up in Smoke” really opened the doors for everybody. It opened the doors for the Latinos, Chicanos, for black people, and for guys like me, half-Chinese,
CWJ: Do you have any concrete plans for 2022 within the industry? Tommy Chong: We're going to save the world with hemp. I see so many great opportunities on the horizon. It's like they're being planted. All our problems today are caused by those people who made cannabis a racist law because that set off this whole hate thing. CWJ: Do you have any message for our readers who are just starting in the industry and are looking to have some guidance into what road that should take?
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Person of the Month
really a false sense of who you think you must be to be around whoever you are, around whoever you hang with. It eliminates the rubbish in your life. It'll give you a clear head and the clear head will take you wherever you want to go. Because the trick of our life is our connection with God. To this day, what I'm trying to talk people into is acknowledging that you are an eternal being with a direct line to call God, and all God is right now. God is only a thought away. If you keep your thoughts on God, if you go to God first. When you say, “God, what should I do?” Right away, you're going to get an answer. All you need is faith. The way you connect to God is with the faith in your heart. Everybody's here for a reason. When you contact me, why do you want to talk to Tommy Chong? I'll tell you why, to hear exactly what I'm saying, I will teach everybody. That's what I did in prison. You know, I would have I-Ching readings for everybody. When I got incarcerated, I was taken to the mountaintop, and I was told “keep doing what you're doing. Help when you can and enjoy your
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senior years.” There is no shame in getting old. None. None whatsoever. Getting old is nature's telling you to sit down, shut the heck up, and just relax and enjoy your life. I won't argue with anybody. When they say, “Oh, I don't believe in God. -OK, bye. See you later.” Because you're not ready. Because, when you do, you become enlightened. I've got one rule: ask and I will answer. If you want to know something, you'll ask me. I will give you an honest answer because I've got no other incentive other than to try to tell the truth. They say the truth will set you free. If you deal with the truth, it can be harsh, but it can be so rewarding. And that's what we're finding out. CWJ: It's been a pleasure having you. We've enjoyed it very much and it has been an honor, thank you for your time. Tommy Chong: Anytime you want a Tommy Chong pep talk, you know. CWJ: We love that. Tommy Chong: Thank you pretty, ladies.
CannaTrade
Trailblazing Products in the Cannabis Industry The diversity of industry products is getting broader every day. Innovation has become one of the fundamental requirements to position a new product in places such as the United States and Canada, countries where the offer is vast and standing out has become complicated but not impossible. Undoubtedly, consumer market preferences vary depending on the market, age, legal restrictions, and accessibility. For example, in the United States, in 2021, flowers and concentrates were the most sold products by dispensaries. In contrast, in Canada, the size of the flower market has steadily declined over the past two years.
New Products Leading the Market Edibles: During the past year, edibles ranked third among the top-selling products in the United States. Based on figures from previous years, edible sales show a clear upward trend. This increase in sales is probably due to an improvement in production processes, and in distribution and supply compared to previous years.
Drinks: This industry sector was one of the most profitable during 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. This year, infused drinks sales are estimated at $799.8 million. The reported analysis of beverage sales during 2021 and 2022 shows a growth trend estimated to reach $2 billion by 2026.
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Tinctures and Sublinguals: This method of consumption has gained greater acceptance, and sales, in Canada. As demand for flowers has declined, the need for other approaches such as sublingual has increased. Specifically, sublingual strips drive significant growth in Canada's tincture and sublingual category.
Skin Care: Although these products are not new to the market, the supply and the number of people choosing to use cannabis-infused products as part of their daily routine are increasing. The popularity of these products in the media has caused their demand and sales to grow exponentially in 2021-2022. In Europe, flowers held the largest market share during 2019. However, the concentrates segment is expected to witness the highest growth during 2020-2027. Meanwhile, in Latin America, CBD products continue to find themselves as market leaders. Consumption of other derivatives, such as drinks and edibles, is expected to take over the market in 2022 and the next few years.
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CannaTrade
Trendsetter Segments in the Industry Currently, the cannabis industry has very defined segments that have had significant growth in recent years and different regions that have marked a change in this market. They will be considered leaders, not only for their extension but also for their impact on this issue. This data is vital for all those who wish to start a cannabis business. It helps them evaluate the success in certain areas, taking the triumphs, mistakes, and results into account.
Which segment leads the industry? While there is no doubt that recreational cannabis is a large part of this market, the medical cannabis segment is a critical player in the expansion and growth process. It has not only been favored by legal actions but also by scientific research driving the development, approval, and sale of various medicines. However, this is not the only sector leading the industry.
According to the Fortune Business Insights report, medical cannabis is the segment with the most extensive application, mainly driven by health and wellness trends influenced by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. CBD has been a front runner in this growth, widely used in various product forms ranging from medical and therapeutic to cosmetic.
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Now, which regions have positioned themselves as market leaders? Many authors agree that North America is the giant of this industry, with a value reaching $19.78 billion in 2020. The region includes Canada, the United States, and Mexico, with the fastest growth. In second place is Europe, its cannabis market reached $230 million in 2020. However, Africa and South America are also present. They have great potential and are expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.
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CannaTrade
Mold-Breakers and Disruptors Lead the Cannabis Industry
into the Future
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2022, two years have passed since the pandemic began, the cannabis industry is starting to recover from it. Slowly, but surely, the industry is getting back on track. The signs are clear, at least to the analytics firm BDSA, 2021 saw 41% year-over-year growth in global sales ($31 billion) and 38% growth from 2020 in the United States ($24 billion). Cannabis is no longer limited to one or two continents. Legalization has become a global trend, especially with Malta, Germany, and Mexico getting into the business. Everyone’s expectations are high concerning which countries will be decriminalizing the plant, expanding market availability and opportunities.
The professionalization of more elements of the supply chain and the surge of non-planttouching businesses are clear signs of a robust and evolving industry. Nonetheless, it is a young industry with an auspicious future that needs direction and leadership. Who will shape it and give it form during this new phase? Given the plant’s history, it seems somewhat obvious that those conducting the industry into the future are individuals that set themselves apart from the pack, with emerging
With the industry's new momentum, we witness how a young industry blooms not only at its core. Every day e-commerce, automation, delivery, direct-to-consumer sales become intrinsic to the cannabis buying experience. CANNABIS WORLD JOURNALS | EDITION NO. 22 | 32
business models and breakthrough ideas and the capacity to take the industry to a new level.
What must these new business leaders consider to give the industry an advantageous position? There seems to be a consensus among the industry players regarding the importance of Diversity in a global market context.
CannaTrade
Everyone must have a place at the table under equal conditions. This will breed innovation, new perspectives, and more opportunities for connection for everyone involved. The Gap Between Legacy and Legal must be addressed through unity, making it possible for both ends of the specter to maximize opportunities and generate profit. The new market must embrace the legacy market and allow minorities to thrive. The philosophy surrounding the plant is one of cooperation and connection, it is how cannabis expands and grows. Therefore, it is not so strange that businesses that welcome Networking with LikeMinded Leaders in the cannabis space bring forth a more just culture. A personal relationship can often lead to a new business or new partners. It is up to those involved to deepen the industry through strong connections.
The new industry leaders must acknowledge how cannabis culture has changed, how far the industry has evolved towards mainstream society. This is essential as newcomers keep working to remove the stigma that surrounds cannabis.
These are a few examples of the new industry leaders:
Dani Walton Co-founder at Nxtlvl Delivery and High Kitty
Dani Walton worked her way up from budtender to Steve DeAngelo’s assistant and manager of wholesale and distribution operations at Harborside. Her experience with operations and networking gave her the knowhow to effectively set up a cannabis transport business and a premium indoor flower brand in the San Francisco Bay Area. “I wanted to market to more of the heavy cannabis users, and I knew there was a big market for us,” Walton said.
Tre'Von Dorsey Founder, CEED
A US Marine Corps veteran, Tre'Von Dorsey entered the legal cannabis industry in late 2017, as an employee at a medical cannabis dispensary in Maryland. When he left the dispensary, Dorsey encountered a lot of entrepreneurs trying to break into the industry, “There’s a lot that goes into having a cannabis business. You’ve got to build a team from scratch. You’ve got to trust them.” He founded an app to help other online cannabis entrepreneurs get the connections to grow their businesses. The application is called the Society of Entrepreneurs Involved in Development, or CEED for short, “Going into the industry and seeing what was going on – what it lacked, what was good, what was bad – was critical for me,” Dorsey said. CANNABIS WORLD JOURNALS | EDITION NO. 22 |
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Victor Pinho Founder and CEO, Emerald Farm Tours
Victor Pinho got an opportunity to meld his career with his passion for cannabis in 2014, when he secured a job as marketing director at Berkeley Patients Group (BPG), a dispensary in Berkeley, California. It led him to found his own company, Emerald Farm Tours, just before California's recreational market launched in January 2018. During his time at BPG, Pinho learned the industry “end-to-end”: “I did get a chance to do some very unique things with BPG.” These experiences taught him how to adapt and foster connections for Emerald Farm Tours, a service that provides guided tours of California cannabis businesses.
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When the cannabis tourism business ground to a halt in 2020, Pinho returned to cannabis retail: “I fell back on those skills I learned at BPG, to go back into the industry.” Sources: https://mjbizdaily.com/new-generation-of-marijuanaentrepreneurs-is-making-its-mark https://www.rollingstone.com/culturecouncil/articles/cannabis-leaders-look-future-1262764/ https://mgretailer.com/business/22-cannabis-leaders-whowill-shape-the-industry-in-2022/
CannaTrade
A Basic Guide to Invest in Cannabis Investments, brokers, traders, markets, stocks are words that may scare you if you have little experience in the stock market. You are not alone!
How does it work? In the simplest terms, a share is an ownership interest in a company, i.e., if you purchase a share, you would be buying a small part of it. As an investor, you acquire shares to increase their value over time, and the company sells to raise money to grow its business. The stock market exchanges stock (such as the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq) by trading stock, which can be bought and sold only and exclusively through authorized intermediaries, such as stockbrokers. The brokers provide the platform and guarantee the market's correct functioning; traders operate on the brokers' platform and analyze everything to determine when to buy or sell shares. In other words, public companies can sell their shares on the stock exchanges; to buy them, you must do so through authorized intermediaries, who are in charge of carrying out the operations on their behalf.
How do you make a profit? In two ways:
1. When the price of a stock you bought goes up while you hold it and you sell it for more than you paid. 2. Through dividends, which are paid periodically to shareholders. NOT all shares pay dividends, but those that do, usually do so every three months.
The Risks Let's face it, investing in the stock market involves risks, but what kind of investments don't? If it were not profitable, no one would invest. The biggest asset for the average person is a house, but for those who decided to take a risk in the stock market, their biggest asset is their stocks. The inherent risk resides when companies lose their value or close down completely. If you buy shares, then buy them in different companies and not focus on just one is the specialists' recommendation. CANNABIS WORLD JOURNALS | EDITION NO. 22 |
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HOW DOES CANNABIS FIT IN THE STOCK MARKET?
Cannabis finds its place through companies dedicated to cultivation, development, and supply.
Types of cannabis stocks There are three types of companies that are part of the stock market.
Cannabis Growers and Retailers: They are those that grow, sell and distribute cannabis. Examples of these companies: Curaleaf Holdings (OTC: CURLF):
USD 9.8 trillions
Canopy Growth Corporation (NASDAQ:CGC)
USD 8.6 trillions
Green Thumb Industries (OTC:GTBIF)
USD 7.4 trillions
Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY)
USD 7.1 trillions
Trulieve Cannabis (OTC:TCNNF)
USD 6.6 trillions
HEXO (NASDAQ:HEXO) (TSX:HEXO)
USD 770 millions
Charlotte's Web (OTC:CWBHF)
USD 472 millions
Biotechnology companies: Developers of new products such as pharmaceuticals, food, beverages, industrial products, etc. Some examples of this type of company are: Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:JAZZ)
USD 11.2 billions
Cara Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CARA)
USD 704 millions
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CannaTrade
Suppliers and ancillary Services:
Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG)
USD 10.1 billions
They support the industry through products such as lighting systems, fertilizers, packaging for distribution, education, information, among others. Some of these types of companies are:
Innovative Industrial Properties (NYSE:IIPR)
USD 4.9 billions
GrowGeneration (NASDAQ:GRWG)
USD 2.7 billions
3. To open an account you must fill in the form, you will have to provide information such as name and surname (they must be as they appear in your documents), country (there is no geographical limitation), address, date of birth, financial information. Some brokers might ask you to attach documents and proof of residence. You should make sure they accept documentation in languages other than English.
How to invest in cannabis? 1. Identify and select a broker or digital platform, such as: TD Ameritrade: One of the most recognized brokers in North American markets. The minimum deposit is USD 400. Tradeking: Known as one of the safest. Minimum deposit of USD 500. E-trade: An easy-to-use platform, especially for those starting in the investment world. Minimum deposit of USD 500. 2. After selecting a broker, go to their website, check the different types of accounts offered, choose the one that best suits you (usually an individual account) and open your account.
4. After you complete the process to open your account, it may take a few days to receive its confirmation. 5. Once your account is open, most brokers ask you to make a wire transfer. 6. Now, you must select the market to trade.
7.Confirm what your trade request is: buy or sell. 8.You are done. As you can see, buying shares is not as complicated as it seems. However, it is pertinent to research and learn the language before making your first investment. Important: The information must be truthful. There is no risk of rejection due to lack of an American visa or if the financial information seems too small.
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CannaMed
Cannahaler:
The Revolutionary Cannabis Inhalers
O
ver the years, advances in medical research have led to an accelerated increase in the average human lifespan. This historical milestone changed the course of modern societies and allowed us to live longer in this world; in 1930, the average life expectancy was 35 years, while in 2019, it had reached about 72 years. Today, it seems unbelievable that people lived such short lives and died so young. What drove this increase in longevity? Mainly, the ability to operate and heal allowed life expectancy to double in less than a hundred years. Each year there are millions of surgeries performed worldwide, and there is some degree of postoperative pain associated with most surgical procedures. Once the body is at rest, there is intense pain. Generally, the sensation improves within the first three days after the procedure. However, after major surgeries, such as open-heart surgery or fracture healing, the pain can last months. The drugs commonly used to treat these disorders are insufficient when administered individually and often are combined, such as opioids, acetaminophen, or anti-inflammatory drugs. CANNABIS WORLD JOURNALS | EDITION NO. 22 | 38
The unwanted side effects of such drug combinations have led to the development of analgesic products. All thanks to a better understanding of the neurochemical systems which process pain, such as the endocannabinoid system. Some scientific studies have shown that cannabinoids suppress nociceptive transmission in the spinal cord, which is responsible for producing acute pain sensation in the body. Within this context, mixtures of cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) offer a possibility for postoperative pain management due to their analgesic and anti-inflammatory qualities without causing adverse effects such as renal and respiratory failure or gastrointestinal ulceration. In the city of Haifa in Israel, the surgical department of the Rambam Health Care Campus wanted to develop a novel small, battery-operated thermal inhaler designed to vaporize up to 80 doses of cannabis. The CannaHaler© is capable of heating cannabis flowers up to 190°C to 200°C to vaporize the cannabinoids and thus avoid the respiratory hazards of smoking.
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The first stage of testing this product consisted of a study with 12 healthy adult volunteers who consumed the vaporized plant material of the Alaskan cannabis strain, containing 20 to 22% THC and 0% CBD.
However, to measure possible mental impairment after inhalation, a cognitive test determined that CannaHaler© produced minimal cognitive impairment that was reversible and faded quickly, without major complications. There were no clinically significant changes in blood pressure, heart rate, or blood oxygen saturation. Compared to other inhalers available, the CannaHaler© produced the highest increase in THC concentration in the blood (17 to 18 ng/ml of blood), even when compared to other products developed by the Israeli industry, such as the Syqe Inhaler (12.3 ng/ml) and the Volcano vaporizer (3.9 to 9 ng/ml). This study also wanted to determine the appropriate dose of cannabis delivery and tested dosages ranging from 5 mg to 25 mg of dried flower. Using the CannaHaler© for the consumption of vaporized and dosed medical cannabis is a promising therapy for future second-phase clinical trials to treat acute postoperative pain in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.
Participants were between 30 and 70 years old with no known medical problems or history of a psychotic or anxiety disorder, a history of drug addiction, or being pregnant. Each volunteer inhaled a single dose of cannabis for 3 seconds, monitoring THC levels with blood samples taken afterward. This clinical trial is disruptive because it uses a cannabis strain with a far higher THC content than most laws allow in all countries. Thus, breaking the stigma that this cannabinoid is exclusively psychoactive; on the contrary, it has many medicinal properties to offer.
CannaHaler© vs. Syqe Inhaler ® vs. Volcano ®.
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Currently, the CannaHaler© is the most versatile inhaler in the market. If its testing phases continue to advance, it could become the optimal device for dosing medical cannabis, making it the conduit for more and more people to access the wonderful benefits of this plant. Getting closer to making cannabis a right for all, and a medical promise that will revolutionize the way we process pain after invasive surgical treatment.
By: Natalia Cárdenas Barragán.
Sources: https://www.cannabeta.eu/es/2020/03/12/somministrazione-di-cannabis-medica-per-viainalatoria-e-dispositivi-medici-per-lavaporizzazione/ https://www.syqe.com/en/ Ben-Ishay, O., Bar-On, O. & Kluger, Y. Smokeless consumption of medical cannabis pharmacokinetics, safety and feasibility of the CannaHALER© a phase 1a study. J Cannabis Res 2, 15 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-020-00022-4 CANNABIS WORLD JOURNALS | EDITION NO. 22 | 40
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A Leading Cannabis Researcher and Educator
Cristina Sanchez, co-author of the book titled "medicinal uses of cannabis what do we know about its healing properties?", is a full professor of molecular biology at the Complutense University of Madrid. For 22 years, she has focused her efforts and studies analyzing cannabinoids in cellular energy metabolism and their behavior in eliminating cancer cells. This trajectory granted her a keynote presentation before the Society of Cannabis Clinicians (SCC) in 2018. During their preclinical studies, Cristina and her team of researchers demonstrated that using cannabinoids such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) exerts an antitumor effect in breast cancer models. Synthetic cannabinoids such as JWH-133 slow down tumor growth. These chemical molecules in cannabis reduce the proliferative activity of cancer cells, thus increasing the number of positive cells within tumors and inducing the death of these malignant bodies.
Cancer vascularization is also affected by the administration of cannabinoids. They significantly decrease the number of blood vessels in tumors and help reduce metastasis of compromised organs such as the lungs due to the cancerous tumor. How do these responses happen in cancer cells when using cannabinoids? The human endocannabinoid system (ECS) is composed of receptors, ligands (cannabinoids), degradative enzymes, and biological signal transporters. Cristina discovered that when the secondary metabolite THC comes into contact with cancer cells, binds to CB1 and CB2 receptors. It causes irregularities in cell survival by changing the levels and activities of their proteins, so they collapse and induce their death to avoid being a problem for the rest of the organism.
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These changes inactivate a protein called AKT, which regulates cell survival, triggering a programmed cell death process called apoptosis. THC's mechanism of action reduces the formation and growth of blood vessels in tumors, thanks to the blocking of HIF-1 and VEGF proteins, thus preventing the migration and invasion of these foreign bodies to other organs, reducing metastasis by up to 20%.
In the case of CBD, scientists identified that apoptosis occurs by generating reactive oxygen species and the inactivation of the enzyme lipoxygenase. Made possible by binding the compound with cannabinoid receptors, activating the stress response of the endoplasmic reticulum by inhibiting the AKT protein. This compound prevents the migration of cancer cells by regulating the main gene that controls the expressions of pro-migratory and invasive proteins. Therefore, by decreasing the levels of these proteins, the tumor's ability to expand and metastasize to other organs is hindered.
These results imply that Cannabis could be an alternative therapy for the control and management of breast cancer or glioblastoma; however, Cristina assures that it is also possible to use cannabinoids in other types of malignant tumors: "We have been working on breast cancer for many years. We have seen that there are similarities between breast cancer and glioblastoma. Specifically, cannabinoids induce cancer cell death and inhibit tumor progression. This is something that many types of tumors share, such as brain tumors, breast tumors, pancreatic tumors, in other words, all the classifications that we have been able to analyze, not only ourselves but also other research groups around the world. We know that the action mechanisms are different but there is the same response with antitumor cannabinoids," mentions Christina. She adds that the main difference between chemotherapy and medical cannabis CANNABIS WORLD JOURNALS | EDITION NO. 22 | 42
therapy is that chemotherapy targets any proliferating cell in the body, while the use of cannabinoids focuses on attacking only tumor cells. Although there is only preclinical evidence, Cristina Sanchez is almost certain it could work perfectly well in people because cannabinoids have worked very well in models based on cell cultures and animal
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models. Hopefully, the cannabis legalization processes will continue to develop, setting aside discriminatory views regarding the plant's compounds. "In my opinion, there are no bad cannabinoids, but good and bad uses; when we talk about cannabis' therapeutic application, we are talking about all molecules. As with any other substance, you have to be aware of the possible side effects, but it applies to any medicine or substance, even water. For example, if you drink too much water, you can have problems. If you use too much THC at a given moment, unwanted effects may appear. Although in no case does that mean that cannabis cannot have therapeutic responses to control different diseases", concludes Cristina Sánchez.
By: Vanessa Pachón. Sources: 1- Sánchez, C. (2018). Phytocannabinoids as an antitumor tool. Biochem Pharmacol, 13-15. https://beyondthc.com/wpcontent/uploads/2019/06/San chez%E2%80%94Phytocannabinoids-vs-Cancer.pdf. 2- Velasco, G., Sánchez, C., Guzmán, M. (2015). Endocannabinoids and Cancer. Handb exp pharmacol, 231:449-72. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-208251_16 Diaz, B. (3 de junio de 2021). 3- Entrevista a Cristina Sanchez. CANNABIS.es. https://www.cannabis.es/pw/2021/06/03/cristinasanchez-vamos-a-la-cabeza-en-investigacion-y-a-lacola-en-la-aplicacion-de-los-resultados-del-cannabisterapeutico/.
Dr. Cristina Sánchez Source: https://www.cannabis.es/pw/2021/06/03/cristina-sanchez-vamos-a-la-cabeza-en-investigaciony-a-la-cola-en-la-aplicacion-de-los-resultados-del-cannabis-terapeutico/
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Disclaimer: Cannabis World Journals from its position as a purely educational journal is not responsible for the issuance of personal opinions for informational purposes. For the proper, responsible, and safe use and handling of cannabis, consult the laws of your country and/or your family doctor or specialist.