Legalizing Psychedelics: California & the United States

California is one step closer to legalizing psychedelics. A State Senate committee approved a bill that legalizes possessing certain psychedelic substances. The bill looks to legalize the “possession, preparation, obtaining, transfer, as specified, or transportation” of small amounts of psilocybin, psilocin, DMT, ibogaine and mescaline for personal use. LSD and MDMA will remain illegal due to an appeal to nature. While earlier versions of the bill included them, some felt LSD and MDMA are synthetic and thus not genuine plant-based […]

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Ten Ways Cannabis Can Revive a Depressed Economy

An economic winter is coming, but don’t worry; we’ve compiled ten ways cannabis can revive a depressed economy. When many people hear “cannabis,” they may think of it as a recreational activity or a medical necessity. And it is. But it’s more than that. So while politicians will inevitably announce “stimulus” and bailouts, the real solution will come from entrepreneurs in a free market. And since Canada has already legalized cannabis, that’s one hurdle out of the way. Next, cut […]

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Can Cannabis Cause Psychosis?

Can cannabis cause psychosis? Public health busybodies will list negative aspects of cannabis as an argument either against legalization or for the “public health” model of legalization (which, in Canada’s case, has been a complete failure). So if you’re playing public health bingo, you can stamp psychosis next to anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, and other “harms” associated with cannabis. Of course, only .047% of cannabis consumers seek medical help for psychosis. So what’s the rationale behind this belief? Or is […]

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Cannabis Public Health Harms Debunked

Cannabis‘ public health harms need a thorough debunking. We’ve covered the cannabis industry‘s public health problem before. But now we’ve got a recent review of existing studies. And the results are favourable for us and unfavourable for public health prohibitionists. Of course, the problem is “public health” itself. Like “public education,” it confuses the state for civil society. It assumes that individual adults, private organizations, healthcare providers, insurance companies, and other agencies cannot determine and provide quality and accessible healthcare. […]

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New Hampshire Votes to Legalize Without Regulations

Did New Hampshire vote to legalize cannabis without regulations or restrictions? The New Hampshire House of Representatives has approved two bills to legalize cannabis. About a month ago, the House passed your typical legalization bill, including taxes and regulations. While that’s tied up in the Senate, the House has introduced a “simple” legalization bill. House Bill 639 is a “simple” legalization bill that would remove cannabis from the state’s list of controlled substances. It also removes cannabis-related offences from the […]

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Cannabis Recession 2023

Is a 2023 cannabis recession inevitable? While an economic downturn is inevitable, how the cannabis industry weathers the storm remains to be seen.  For sure, saturated retail markets will feel the hit as consumers cut back or make more discerning purchases. And large-scale industrial grows that have been more about selling equity than weed will feel the impact.  But why? Why has the value of cannabis stocks been removed from fundamentals? Why are small cannabis business owners – through no […]

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Germany One Step Closer to Legalization

According to a top German official, Germany is one step closer to legalization. The coalition government plans to move forward with cannabis legalization after receiving “very good feedback” from the European Union (E.U.). German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is confident Germany will introduce legalization legislation “in the next few weeks,” reports the German press. “We will soon present a proposal that works, that is, that conforms to European law,” said Lauterbach. Why Germany Needs the E.U.’s Support Germany took a […]

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Malaysian Politicians Say Weed-Infused Product Addressed to Them Isn’t Theirs

Two Malaysian politicians—Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Minister of Economy Rafizi Ramli—laughed off the discovery of a parcel addressed to them that was found to contain a THC-infused toothpaste product, saying they have no idea where the package came from.

On March 10, Sepang District police confiscated a parcel believed to contain a tube of toothpaste infused with THC addressed to two politicians at a courier hub on Pulau Meranti, near Putrajaya. The parcel was sent anonymously, perhaps as a prank.

The toothpaste was labeled “Happy Green” with patterns of fan leaves in green and white, and the item was bought through an online shopping platform with an address in Indonesia.

Minister of Economy Rafizi Ramli held a press conference held in the Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the matter. “I just think it’s a waste,” Ramli joked. “Because I don’t take weed.” Both politicians claim they have no idea why the package was addressed to them.

“I don’t know but the parcel was addressed to me and the prime minister,” he said. “Because I don’t take weed so we just give it to the police lah.” Rafizi is also deputy president to Datuk Seri Anwar in Parti Keadilan Rakyat, a component party of Pakatan Harapan. He also addressed a handful of other more serious issues at the press conference, and the case doesn’t appear to be leading to any serious arrests.

Sepang District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Wan Kamarul Azran Wan Yusof said in a statement that an officer working in the inquiry office of a Ministry had filed a police report regarding the parcel after receiving a tip from a delivery service. According to the chief, on March 10 at approximately 6:30 p.m., two police officers and the informant went to a delivery center in Sepang where the parcel was confiscated.

The case is ongoing as the product is prohibited under the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1952, which bans the possession of raw opium, coca leaves, poppy straw, and cannabis.

Jokes aren’t really funny though for a country that is known for imposing capital punishment for drug-related crimes. Up until less than a year ago, Malaysia routinely sentenced drug sellers to death, even if it’s cannabis for medical purposes.

Fortunately Malaysia’s cabinet agreed on June 10, 2022 to end mandatory death penalty sentences for 12 different kinds of crimes including those involving nonviolent drug offenses. The move comes four years after the government imposed a stay on executions. The reason this is so significant is that most people on death row in Malaysia have been convicted on narcotics charges.

Human Rights advocates in the region are cautiously optimistic. However, Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said at the time that there should be no celebrating until the changes are codified in legislation.

According to information provided by the government as of February of this year, 1,341 people were on the Malaysian death row—and 905 of those people were convicted of “drug trafficking.”

On August 30, 2016, a judge in Malaysia sentenced Muhammad Lukman Bin Mohamad to death after the judge found Lukman guilty of breaking the country’s notoriously strict anti-cannabis laws.

According to local news sources in Malaysia, Lukman was arrested when authorities discovered just over three liters of cannabis oil. Additionally, he was found in possession of 279 grams of compressed cannabis. Specifically, he was found guilty of breaking Malaysia’s Dangerous Drugs Act of 1952.

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Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) & the Cannabis Industry

What is the relationship between Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) – the largest U.S. bank failure since 2008 – and the cannabis industry? Fortunately, SVB doesn’t (or didn’t?) have any cannabis companies as significant clients. Despite the venture capital investors have pumped into the industry, U.S. cannabis banking remains elusive. That said, the cannabis industry will feel SVB’s collapse. Here’s how. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) & the Cannabis Industry While SVB has no major cannabis companies on their roster, there were […]

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Texas Decriminalizes Cannabis?

Texas is one step closer to decriminalizing cannabis. House Bill 218, which received unanimous support, was approved in a 9-0 vote last week. Texas’ decriminalization bill removes arrest and jail time for low-level possession of cannabis. It will also allow for the eventual expungement of records. This isn’t the first time Texas has attempted to decriminalize cannabis. In 2019 and 2021, the House of Representatives passed cannabis decriminalization bills. The Senate, led by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, shot down both […]

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