Weed Wanted

Thursday, December 8, 2022

Brittney Griner Released from Russian Prison in Exchange for Arms Dealer

WNBA star Brittney Griner, after being locked up for months in Russia for a small amount of cannabis, was released Thursday in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Griner, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, was arrested at a Russian airport on February 17 and later pleaded guilty to charges of possession of cannabis cartridges in her luggage, one week before Russia invaded Ukraine.

She ultimately faced nine years in prison for 0.7 grams of weed: “[Ms. Griner] bought two cartridges for personal use, which contained 0.252 grams and 0.45 grams of hash oil, totaling 0.702 grams,” Russian news agency TASS stated. Griner was transferred to a Russian penal colony last month.

Griner’s case is a flashpoint for debate—given the thousands of other Americans in prison in the U.S. and beyond on cannabis-related charges. Five months of diplomacy and deceitful messages from Russian officials finally came to an end.

“She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” Biden said at the White House, alongside Griner’s wife, Cherelle, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner.

She is safe.
She is on a plane.
She is on her way home. pic.twitter.com/FmHgfzrcDT
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2022

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released by Russian news agencies that the swap took place in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout has been flown home. Last week a top Russian official said that a deal was underway, as did Biden.

Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, said on November 18 that there was new activity surrounding a potential prisoner swap, but people remained generally skeptical. Amid the unprovoked invasion in the Ukraine, tensions remain high.

The outcome, however, feels bittersweet for people with family members locked up on cannabis related charges.

Griner Release Comes at a Price

Griner’s release comes at a price: In order to secure Griner’s release, Biden ordered Bout, known as the “Merchant of Death,” to be freed and returned to Russia as a stipulation. Biden signed a commutation order freeing Bout from his 25-year federal prison sentence.

Bout is a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel who was described by the U.S. Department of Justice as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers. Bout’s fingerprint can be seen in the supply of missiles and arms in violent wars in Afghanistan, Colombia, the Congo, and the overthrow of the Gaddafi government in Libya in 2011.

Frankly, the fact that 0.7 grams of weed is considered equivalent is outrageous.

CBS News reports that according to the former Moscow Ambassador John Sullivan, Russian officials fixated on freeing Bout, or no deal was in order.

Bout was arrested by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in Thailand following a sting operation carried out by American agents in 2008. He was eventually convicted of conspiring to kill Americans and was sentenced to 25 years in prison about 10 years ago.

Bout was most recently incarcerated at a federal prison in Marion, Illinois before the release.

Free Other Prisoners

As thousands of other cannabis prisoners in the U.S. and beyond await their own releases, some celebrities pointed out the hypocrisy.

I am glad that Britney Griner is free from a Russian prison on cannabis charges.

I am angry that Biden hasn't lifted a finger to free any of the tens of thousands of Americans in American prisons on cannabis charges.

Especially when his crime bills put them there.
— Spike Cohen (@RealSpikeCohen) December 8, 2022

Maybe free some people in jail for weed here too? pic.twitter.com/AYo0ZC79lZ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2022

U.S. officials attempted for several months to bring home both Griner and Paul Whelan, a Michigan man also locked up in Russia since December 2018 on “espionage charges” that his family and the U.S. government both deny.

“We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan,” Biden said. “We will keep negotiating in good faith for Paul’s release.”

But it’s important to keep in mind that Whelan’s own family supports the release, despite still waiting for Paul’s release. “The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen,” Paul’s brother David said in a statement.

Last April, the U.S. traded Russian cocaine smuggler Konstantin Yaroshenko for American former prisoner Trevor Reed.

The post Brittney Griner Released from Russian Prison in Exchange for Arms Dealer appeared first on High Times.

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Webinar Replay: Cannabis and Psychedelics Election Updates and Q&A

On Tuesday, November 15, 2022, Harris Bricken attorneys Vince Sliwoski (Portland) and Griffen Thorne (Los Angeles) hosted a free, hour-long webinar analyzing the election results. The panelists broke down a number of the state and local election outcomes and answered your questions about the impact of these new laws.

For anyone who was not able to join the webinar, we’ve got you covered! Below, please find the full webinar.

The post Webinar Replay: Cannabis and Psychedelics Election Updates and Q&A appeared first on Harris Bricken Sliwoski LLP.

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Fentanyl Overdose Reversal Drug Stronger Than Narcan Released

A new overdose reversal drug is arming first responders with a more powerful tool for fentanyl overdoses.

Zimhi—an FDA-approved high-dose naloxone injection—was recently released for the treatment of fentanyl overdoses. It delivers a higher, intramuscular immediate dose of naloxone, a higher dose than Narcan.

Narcan, the common brand name of naloxone, an opioid antagonist, has saved lives by reversing the effects of an opioid overdose in spray form. But even Narcan is no match for fentanyl, in some cases. A stronger antidote was needed.

US WorldMeds, a pharmaceutical company, announced the release of Zimhi in a press release, and highlighted a specific event: Clinical counselor Charles Pemberton regularly carried a trauma bag in his truck which contained naloxone. When Pemberton saw a driver passed out at a fast-food restaurant drive-thru in front of him, he administered two doses of naloxone, and probably saved that person’s life.

“At that moment, all my training kicked in,” Pemberton said. “It wasn’t until later that I felt relief that I had naloxone on hand.”

Pemberton added that substance abuse issues tend to come up during the holidays. “Make sure to ask questions and listen, but don’t lecture,” Pemberton said.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that opioid overdose deaths continue to rise annually—primarily with fentanyl. Over 107,000 people in the United States died from a drug overdose in 2021, usually involving opioids. The DEA reports more overdoses are happening as criminals mass-produce fake pills containing fentanyl that mimic other pills.

Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation developed Zimhi. It can be used on the fly—rapidly pulling off the cap and inserting the needle into the thigh.

“Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that is used to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, namely slowed or stopped breathing,” the U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said. “Expanding the awareness and availability of this medication is a key part of the public health response to the opioid epidemic. Naloxone is a safe antidote to a suspected overdose and, when given in time, can save a life.”

WJXT News4JAX reports that Zimhi was released because Narcan wasn’t enough to revive people in some cases because opioid overdoses are becoming more challenging.

Narcan is a 4 mg nasal spray, and patients are only getting about 2 mg. But Zimhi delivers 5 milligrams of naloxone intramuscularly, and as soon as it’s injected, they receive the full 5 mg immediately.

“Fentanyl, over the past year, they’ve come up with different strands of it to where it’s almost 100 times stronger than what the fentanyl was a year ago,” said Chris Chodkowski, a trauma therapist.

“Even the regular people that just smoke marijuana, if they’re getting it off the street, we’re seeing it laced with fentanyl here in Palm Beach County,” Chodkowski said.

Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach mentioned an incident involving a child exposed to fentanyl by touch.

“It’s only been within the last few weeks that we had an infant that was exposed to a large dose of fentanyl that we believed was an incidental touch contact from the mother,” DeLoach said. “As a result, our deputies got on the scene, and they had to deliver multiple doses of Narcan.”

The FDA-approved drug arms first responders, caregivers, and community members with a stronger naloxone option in the fentanyl crisis.

Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced on October 18, 2021 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zimhi for use in the treatment of opioid overdose. Dr. Jeffrey Galinkin, an anesthesiologist, and former member of the FDA Advisory Committee for Anesthetics, Analgesics and Addiction Products, stated, “I am pleased to see this much needed high dose naloxone product will become part of the treatment tool kit as a countermeasure to the continued surge in fentanyl related deaths. The higher intramuscular doses of naloxone in ZIMHI should result in more rapid and higher levels of naloxone in the systemic circulation, which in turn, should result in more successful resuscitations.”

The post Fentanyl Overdose Reversal Drug Stronger Than Narcan Released appeared first on High Times.

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Normalization of Cannabis Shows Shift in Holiday Sales Patterns

New Frontier Data compared cannabis sales data for the month of November in 2021 and 2022, which shows a shift in sales patterns. While Green Wednesday was the third-highest grossing sales in 2021, sales collected in 2022 on Friday, Nov. 4; Friday, Nov. 11; and Sunday, Nov. 18 were nearly equivalent as Nov. 23 (this year’s Green Wednesday) and Nov. 25 (Black Friday). New Frontier Data consulted many of its leading experts to analyze the reasoning behind this change.

According to New Frontier Data Senior Research Analyst Noah Tomares, the Michigan cannabis industry is evolving rapidly compared to mature markets such as California. “Perhaps the most notable difference in November was how Michigan’s product breakdown stayed similar throughout the month, where in 2021 they favored more edibles and cartridges right before the holiday,” said Tomares. “It’s striking how much more stable Michigan is in 2022 versus what it was ’21, and how much more it looks like California.”

Tomares also added that we’re beginning to see a shift in purchasing behavior as well. “In California, a relatively mature market, purchases remained largely consistent in terms of product breakdowns year-over-year. Michigan consumers last year gravitated towards more subtle or ‘family-friendly’ products such as cartridges and edibles: In 2021, those products spiked from 37% of transactions during the first week of November to 43% for the week of Thanksgiving. This year, the month looked much more normalized, with cartridges and edibles accounting for approximately 40%+ of sales during each week in November.”

New Frontier Data’s Chief Knowledge Officer, Dr. Amanda Reiman, suggests that cannabis normalization is likely the reason that sales aren’t highest on previously predictable days. “I think it’s normalization and increased access nationwide that is driving the change in holiday purchasing,” said Reiman. “Not only are people just more comfortable using their regular products in more places and with more people, but cannabis is available in more states, so there is not as much need to stock up before you go if you can get it wherever you’re headed. Many folks would likely rather wait and buy cannabis at their destination than to take it on a plane.”

Consumers spending time with family and friends on or around the Thanksgiving holiday is also a point to consider. New Frontier Data shared that 44% of consumers source their cannabis from friends or family, and 29% say that it’s their primary source of access. In some medical-only states, as well as those that still don’t have any cannabis legislation, family is the primary source of cannabis.

Previous data has shown that 68% of people consume with others, 21% consume with siblings, 19% with extended family members, 11% with parents, and 6% with their children. Additionally, 85% of consumers say that their family knows about their cannabis use, and 59% say that their family is supportive of consumption.

Thanksgiving-related consumption is also a common practice, where 40% spend time with family or spouses while consuming, 38% report pairing cannabis and eating, and 33% cook with cannabis.

Overall, Tomares believes that these activities will continue to become more normalized over the next few years. “We expect that as markets continue to mature and new markets come online, consumer preferences will become increasingly normalized, and acquisition of cannabis will become increasingly integrated into consumers’ daily routines,” Tomares said. “Already, 48% of consumers report just visiting a dispensary after they run out, as opposed to planning a dedicated trip. With new markets opening with lower barriers to acquisition, consumers may feel less pressure to purchase cannabis before travel or social events. As this plays out, we may see some unofficial holidays playing a less significant role in consumers’ purchase decisions.”

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