CannaBis

nn A bis

Legalizing cannabis

After 50 years, Congress gets serious about changing the law, but won’t vote before the election by Ken Magri

A historic vote in the U.S. House on the The MORE Act also includes several federal legalization of cannabis has been criminal justice reforms: making it easier delayed until after the Nov. 3 election. to expunge federal cannabis convictions,

House Resolution 3884, also allowing a review of federal prison known as the Marijuana Opportunity, sentences involving cannabis, mandating Reinvestment and Expungement that juvenile convictions be sealed and (MORE) Act, had been scheduled for a barring the use of cannabis convictions floor vote in late September. Introduced to discriminate in job hiring or immigrain 2019 by Rep. Jerry Nadler of New tion matters. York, the MORE Act removes cannabis “The MORE Act is a huge step in from a federal list of illegal the right direction and has the drugs, creates a potential to help right mechanism for many wrongs that expunging past cannabis “The MORE Act have occurred over the last several convictions is a huge step in the decades in the and offers assistance to right direction, and has war on drugs,” said Manndie traditionally shut-out entrepreneurs the potential to help right many wrongs that have Tingler, co-owner of Sacramento’s seeking to enter the occurred over the last Khemia Manufacturing industry. several decades in the and a board While the bill has bipartisan war on drugs.” member of the National Cannabis support and was Industry Association. expected to pass, By imposing a Majority Leader Steny federal cannabis tax of 5%, Hoyer told reporters that with so the MORE Act would also create little time left in the legislative session, an “opportunity trust fund” to support other issues were more important. those who have been hurt by the “war on

A recent survey conducted by the drugs” with grants for job training, reenJustice Collaborative Institute found that try services, legal aid, literacy programs, 59% of Americans support the MORE substance abuse treatment, health educaAct, whereas only 20% oppose the bill. tion and youth mentoring.

When President Nixon signed the Another important provision of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, MORE Act is to give legal cannabis cannabis was put on the list of Schedule businesses access to banking services and 1 drugs, those with no accepted medical Small Business Administration loans and uses, but a high potential for abuse. By also allow businesses to deduct normal removing cannabis from the same operating expenses from their taxes. classification as LSD and heroin, the While cannabis banking is technically MORE Act allows state and local legal now, the Department of Justice governments to establish their own holds banks criminally responsible for cannabis policies in a manner similar to any violations by their cannabis business alcohol regulation. clients. “Most [small-sized] cannabis businesses lose several bank accounts a year,” said George Mull, a Sacramento attorney and executive director of the California Cannabis Association.

The MORE Act will treat cannabis more like other businesses. “Not only will it encourage financial institutions to move in that direction, it will also take care of other issues, such as not having access to major credit cards,” said Sundie Seefried, CEO of Safe Harbor Banking, a subsidiary of Partner Credit Union in Denver.

Seefried manages more than 500 cannabis business accounts worth more than $3 billion, including several multistate operators. “California is a great market,” she said.

While most House Democrats support the MORE Act, including all Sacramento-area representatives, the floor vote was likely delayed until after the election to take pressure off moderate Democrats from more conservative districts whose constituents may not favor cannabis legalization.

House support is being called “bipartisan” because of backing from three Republicans, including Tom McClintock, whose district includes El Dorado, Placer and other foothill counties. In early September, McClintock told Politico,

Manndie Tingler, co-owner of Sacramento’s Khemia Manufacturing

Photo courtesy of khemia manufacturing

“With respect to timing, I do find it ironic that the only small businesses the Democrats seem to be worried about is cannabis shops, but I would support this bill whenever it is brought to a vote.”

But if it passes the House, the bill has no chance of even coming up for a vote in the Senate under the current Republican leadership. If Democrats win a Senate majority in November, however, that dynamic immediately changes in the next Congress. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, has already introduced the Senate version, which has seven co-sponsors.

Could cannabis be legalized on the federal level in 2021?

“I don’t have a great deal of confidence,” said Seefried. “But six years ago they were laughing us out of the room, didn’t want to talk about legislation. Now, they’re voting on federal legality.”

“I see it as a social justice issue and I am hopeful the Senate will, too, especially given the current climate in our country around social justice movements,” said Tingler. “It would show good faith on the part of the Senate toward righting generational wrongs.” Ω

CC cannabis

Discreet & Professional full service cleanuP

We hope you never have to call us.

Family owned and operated 916.812.2010 or 707.548.9384 Follow us on Instagram for all the gory details

Award-winning journalism, straight to your inbox every week.

Scan code and hit send. Wildfire ash, mold and oversupply—what’s a cannabis grower to do?

By Ngaio Bealum

ask420@newsreview.com

Hey, so I’m just about to harvest my little backyard Humidity is also an issue. Allow too much moisture in your jar and you end up with mold. Too little, and your cannabis gets all dry and terrible grow. The thing is, there’s some ash on my plants from tasting. Keeping the humidity at the right level used to be a bigger challenge, but companies including Boveda (formerly Humidipak) make great little all the wildfires. What should packets that you can put in your storage jars, and these packs will keep your medicine at an optimal I do? level. Find a nice cool clean dark space for your Climate change sucks, and not in a good way. I cannabis to rest peacefully before you call it into am sending good energy to all of the people service. Keep your buds well, and your buds will who have lost their homes, wineries keep you well. and cannabis farms. We have got to find a way to keep this from My homie has a nice happening every year. outdoor grow, but As to the ash on your plants, my farmer homies Don’t smoke I have noticed recommend using a leaf blower to get rid of the ash, or a makeup brush if you don’t have that many plants to deal with. Some folks say you can rinse them with fresh water (THC does not dissolve in mold. Ever. Mold and fungus are no bueno. some mold on his plants. If his cannabis is moldy, can we still smoke it? water), but too much moisture Don’t smoke mold. Ever. Mold can lead to mold problems if you and fungus are no bueno. You are aren’t careful. Good luck, and let me just asking for a nasty lung infection know if you need any help trimming and by smoking moldy weed. Molds and taste-testing. fungi love warm, moist, dark spaces. Guess where I seriously grew a lot of weed your lungs. Throw that weed out and try again next this year. How do I store it? year. Ω Avoiding heat and light are the two biggest things. Keep your meds in an airtight container. Some people like Tupperware, and there are many companies such as 420science.com that make really nice glass jars just for storing cannabis. If you have Ngaio Bealum is a Sacramento comedian, a cooler area of your house (like a wine cellar), activist and marijuana expert. Email him store your buds there. You can also keep them in the questions at ask420@newsreview.com. fridge. Hell, it won’t be long until someone invents a portable “weed cellar,” you know like a wine cellar but for weed. Anyway, properly stored cannabis will @Ngaio420 last for months, maybe even a year or so. you have a warm, moist space? I am talking about