LOCAL NEWS

Springfield company Silo Wellness has developed a micro-delivery system for a psilocybin nasal spray. Founder Mike Arnold teamed up with Michael Hartman of Mystabis (a hemp-based inhaler) to create MycoDose. OREGON COMPANY CREATES PSILOCYBIN MICRO-DELIVERY SYSTEM

The news comes from a press release on the company site, where they reveal that the system was previously formulated in Jamaica (where psilocybin is not illegal). “I love our product and can’t wait until it’s legal in the United States, so we can share it with crime victims and first responders,” Arnold said in the December release.

For Arnold, the leap into psychedelics is just one more stop in an intricate career path. The former attorney is known for his representation of Ammon Bundy, leader of the 2016 Malheur National Wildlife Refuge takeover. In the Cannabis community, Arnold is co-founder of One Gro, an Oregon company that he told The Register-Guard includes, “four marijuana grows totaling 40,000 plants.” Arnold attributes his recent shift into psychedelics to a particular personal experience from 2018. While traveling, he met a doctor that introduced him to research and an enlightening experience.

“Mushrooms have been life-changing and I want to share this healing opportunity with the world, with a purpose-driven company mindful of consumer access to these gifts of nature.” the leap into psychedelics is just one more stop in an intricate career path.

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has increased the limit for THC in hemp extracts, concentrates and tinctures sold within dispensaries. The new rule allows hemp products of up to 50 milligrams per container (a number previously capped at 10), and is aimed at easing the production burden on Oregon’s growing hemp industry.

In an interview with The Register-Guard, Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center Director Jay Noller said the change provides an “out” for growers exceeding federal limits. Brie Malarkey, CEO of Sun God Medicinals, told the newspaper that the company has spent a year lobbying for this.

“What it allows us to do is stay true to whole plant herbalism,” said Malarkey. “We can maintain being certified organic because the naturally occurring levels of THC that are present in the hemp plant would still be allowed in there.” HEMP EXTRACT THC LIMIT RAISED

Cura Cannabis has settled a record-breaking fine. The $110,000 penalty came after the Oregon Liquor Control Commission found more than 186,000 mislabeled vapes and cartridges in circulation. CURA CANNABIS FINED FOR “DISHONEST CONDUCT”

The settlement indicates a misrepresentation of Cura’s “Select Elite” line of products, claiming that they were marketed as 100% Cannabis-derived.

In an interview with the Oregonian, the OLCC’s manager of technical operations revealed their findings: After some miscommunication within the company, the products were sent out containing “botanically derived terpenes and/or medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil as an ingredient.”

The original settlement recommended a fine and 34-day suspension. Instead, regulators negotiated a $110,000 penalty for “dishonest conduct” and the company has been allowed to continue operations. But the OLCC isn’t the only entity looking for compensation. Just two days after Cura Cannabis agreed to pay fines, a Portland couple filed a class-action lawsuit. The Willamette Week first reported on the case, explaining that Tom and Elena Powers demand the company turn over any profits from the mislabeled goods. Their lawyer, Michael Fuller, told the paper that he expects the case to move forward in the next year. Fuller estimates that the final judgment could exceed $37 million after statutory damages.

MAR. 2020

STORIES by AMANDA DAY @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA

1. Farmer’s Markets If you sell at one or more farmer’s markets, start a conversation with your market’s organizers. Bring all of your paperwork (hemp license, pre-harvest inspection, lab results showing that it’s below the legal limit for THC, your Fit For Commerce, etc.). Sell simple hemp salves and lotions, and even bulk hemp if you can. Have handouts about the various cultivars you grow, as well as telling your own personal story. Listen as well as speak.

Hemp is legal.

2. Christmas Trees Grow hemp trees in five gallon pots pruned like you would a Christmas tree. Market them as a fun and renewable alternative to traditional wood trees. Include a handout with care instructions, as well as how to compost your hemp tree. Encourage people to take selfies for their holiday cards showing off their new holiday tradition. Consider a simple cardboard tree ornament with your logo and social media contacts.

HEMP ACTIVISTS have toiled for years to liberate hemp. In the old days hemp was touted as a sustainable source of food, fuel and fiber. Hemp as medicine grabbed the spotlight after Sanjay Gupta introduced the world to Charlotte’s Web. Have we all forgotten what else hemp can do in the midst of the current Green Rush?

It all begins with the plant and farmers are the ones who grow hemp. We need them to guide hemp into the mainstream marketplace. I’m sorry, but their job doesn’t end when the crop comes in. Hemp farmers need to become hemp activists too.

Farmers can integrate hemp into things they already do, though that won’t be easy. Sometimes it will require educating those unfamiliar with hemp, being politely persistent in the face of resistance. Be ready to persevere when you hear “no” yet again.

There’s a lot to be said for buying local, supporting small family farms and insisting on sustainable organic practices. Hemp farmers, if you’re really committed to making hemp work, try creative ways to bring your crop to the market. Remember: It all begins with the plant and no, hemp isn’t a fad. Farmers, we’re behind you! What’s next? THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT HEMP IS LEGAL, FINALLY. THE NOT SO GOOD NEWS IS THAT MOST OF THE HEMP BEING GROWN IS FOR CBD EXTRACTION. IN THE SUMMER OF 2019, 85% OF WHAT FARMERS GREW WAS FOR CBD - THE MARKET GOT SATURATED, PRICES CRASHED AND NOW NO ONE KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. 3. U-pick hemp farms with hemp mazes Farm stands are a popular weekend excursion from late summer through the holiday season. Introduce shoppers to your new crop. Offer fresh or dried hemp along with products you make, including simple lotions and salves. Want publicity for your hemp maze? Post drone video flying over a maze like no other. Visitors will be overwhelmed - not just by the sight but the smell as well. Hang a banner above a scarecrow and invite people to take photos of themselves. It might be wise to notify local law enforcement to avoid misunderstandings. 4. Florists Befriend a florist and provide them with fresh hemp leaves and flowers to incorporate into bouquets, centerpieces and other custom arrangements. Then alert local wedding planners. Provide small place cards so guests know who you are and how to contact you. 5. Hemp at the State Fair Farmers grow crops. Those crops are featured at state fairs. Shouldn’t your favorite state fair have a hemp category too? Approach other hemp farmers and join in talking with them well in advance. It’s a legal agricultural crop grown by local farmers. The worse they can say is “no” - and either way you get to engage in an educational conversation that just might open some minds. You won’t be the first - Oregon had Cannabis entries at their state fair. 6. Tours, Terroir & Appellations Think like a winery. Are you in a unique location with its own weather and soil that makes your farm stand out? Is your farm close to wineries? And if so, are they part of an established appellation? Market your hemp as something intimately tied to your terroir. If there are other hemp farms near you, consider working together to co-market your hemp appellation. It may be a strong brand-building exercise for everyone.