Cal NORML Warns of Potential THC-O Acetate Risk

New data shows a potential problem with vaping THC-O acetate, and the reasons are worthy of concern. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) branch in California, Cal NORML, issued a warning on Jan. 9 about a study that shows a significant risk for people who vape products containing THC-O acetate.

First published in the Journal of Medical Toxicology on Dec. 12, 2022, a team of researchers led by Neal L. Benowitz discovered a link between THC-O acetate and significant danger to the lungs. THC-O acetate shares structural similarities with vitamin-E acetate—an additive that becomes dangerous to the lungs when converted by heat.

According to the California Department of Public Health, the 2019-20 outbreak of EVALI lung disease sickened and hospitalized 249 Californians—five of them fatally. On Nov. 15, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that vitamin E acetate is the likely culprit for EVALI. Vitamin E acetate also produces carcinogens such as alkenes and benzene when heated.

When heated in a vape pen, both substances—vitamin E acetate and THC-O Acetate—produce ketene, a “highly potent lung toxicant.”  

“We put out the press release specifically because of a study showing that vaporizing vitamin E acetate was similar to THC-O acetate,” Cal NORML Director Dale Gieringer told High Times.

 “Apparently when heated up, it produces a serious lung toxin called ketene.”

As cannabis consumers, we often have to filter through anti-cannabis hysteria, but certain risks hold weight when products aren’t regulated properly. Usually vaping dangers arise when random thickeners and unvetted compounds are added.

Gieringer added, “We have a lot of concerns about some of these other new cannabinoids that are being synthesized from hemp, which are brand new and never been tested in human subjects before. Some of them are advertised as being way more potent than THC. THC-O acetate is being advertised as three times more potent than delta-9. THCP is being advertised as having 30 times the binding power to receptors as THC. That kind of reaction sets off a lot of concerns with us. 

“These compounds have never been found in nature before—being made by fairly amateurish underground hemp chemists—raise a lot of concern.”

Gieringer added that delta-8 THC isn’t his primary concern, given there is slightly more known about the compound, but it’s contaminants and other new cannabinoids he’s most worried about, mostly due to the unknowns: THCP, THCjd. THC-H, THC-B, HHC, and Delta-10 THC. 

Cal NORML reports that the sale of psychoactive hemp derivatives was recently deemed legal under federal law by a Ninth Circuit Court decision (AK Futures v. Boyd Street Distro). That’s up for debate though, given that synthetic cannabinoids can be considered illegal under the Federal Analogue Act. 

Under the 2018 federal Farm Bill, cannabis with less that 0.3% THC is legal to grow, and its products can be sold nationally, but the THC often exceeds the limit regardless.

California’s industrial hemp law, which is overseen by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), currently disallows the sale of hemp products with active cannabinoids other than CBD.

THC-O acetate begins as hemp-derived CBD and goes through a chemical process. Going beyond how cannabinoids like delta-8 THC are processed from CBD, acetic anhydride is added to the mixture, making it an acetate.

THC-O is believed to be three times as potent as delta-9 THC—the naturally occurring cannabinoid most of us are used to.

“Cal NORML strongly advises consumers to avoid hemp products with psychoactive cannabinoids, especially novel ones stronger than THC, whose safety is particularly suspect. CBD products may be safely obtained from state-registered industrial hemp product manufacturers, whose products must be tested for safety and cannabinoid content,” the release reads. “Under state law, hemp products should have a batch number and a label, website, QR code or barcode linking to the laboratory test results that state the levels of cannabinoids, total THC, and presence of contaminants, as well as the address and phone number of the manufacturer. Violations can be reported to CDPH.

Cal NORML adds that the less common cannabinoids that are deemed safe for human use are CBN, CBG, CBC, THCV, THC-A, CBD-A, and Delta-8 THC.

The post Cal NORML Warns of Potential THC-O Acetate Risk appeared first on High Times.

from The Latest Marijuana News Today | HighTimes Magazine https://ift.tt/Un3X0MK
via IFTTT

Robot Lawyer Aims To Make Legal Representation Affordable

A new app is aiming to democratize the legal world through the power of artificial intelligence. Human attorneys tend to be quite expensive, but it turns out robot lawyers are cheap. 

The app, called “DoNotPay,” is billed as “the world’s first robot lawyer.”

It uses “artificial intelligence to help consumers fight against large corporations and solve their problems like beating parking tickets, appealing bank fees, and suing robocallers,” according to the app’s website. 

Here’s how it works, via CBS News: The “AI-creation runs on a smartphone, listens to court arguments and formulates responses for the defendant,” and the “AI lawyer tells the defendant what to say in real-time, through headphones.”

According to CBS News, the app will “be the first of its kind to help a defendant fight a traffic ticket in court next month,” and the company behind the app says that it has already “used AI-generated form letters and chatbots to help people secure refunds for in-flight Wifi that didn’t work, as well as to lower bills and dispute parking tickets, among other issues.”

The “DoNotPay” app is yet another example of “generative artificial intelligence,” technology that can generate text and other forms of content in response to human commands. 

Generative AI has attracted considerable attention from investors since last month’s release of “ChatGPT,” a chatbot from the San Francisco-based lab OpenAI that created a sensation with its music and stories. 

The New York Times reported last week that more than a million people have used “ChatGPT,” and that OpenAI “is in talks to complete a deal that would value it at around $29 billion, more than twice its valuation in 2021.”

CBS News reported that DoNotPay “has raised $27.7 million from tech-focused venture capital firms, including Andreessen Horowitz and Crew Capital.”

“In the past year, AI tech has really developed and allowed us to go back and forth in real time with corporations and governments,” DoNotPay CEO Joshua Browder told CBS News. “We spoke live [with companies and customer service reps] to lower bills with companies; and what we’re doing next month is try to use the tech in a courtroom for the first time.”

The proliferation of artificial intelligence has set off plenty of alarm bells. As Politico noted in a story this week about DoNotPay, “the public release of increasingly advanced AI tools has raised questions about everything from high school plagiarism to the very essence of what it is to be human.” 

And while many have found chatbots to be fun, a robot lawyer might just be too creepy for some. 

It also happens to be illegal in many jurisdictions. 

“Some courts allow defendants to wear hearing aids, some versions of which are bluetooth-enabled. That’s how Browder determined that DoNotPay’s technology can legally be used in this case,” CBS News reported. “However, the tech isn’t legal in most courtrooms. Some states require that all parties consent to be recorded, which rules out the possibility of a robot lawyer entering many courtrooms. Of the 300 cases DoNotPay considered for a trial of its robot lawyer, only two were feasible.”

Browder told CBS that it’s “within the letter of the law, but I don’t think anyone could ever imagine this would happen.” 

“It’s not in the spirit of law, but we’re trying to push things forward and a lot of people can’t afford legal help. If these cases are successful, it will encourage more courts to change their rules,” Browder said. 

The post Robot Lawyer Aims To Make Legal Representation Affordable appeared first on High Times.

from The Latest Marijuana News Today | HighTimes Magazine https://ift.tt/jxwkZdm
via IFTTT

Connecticut Launches Recreational Cannabis Sales

Regulated sales of recreational marijuana began in Connecticut on Tuesday, less than two years after the state legalized cannabis for use by adults. Adult-use cannabis is now available at seven shops across the state, all of them existing medical marijuana dispensaries that have been licensed as hybrid retailers to serve recreational customers.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed legislation to legalize recreational marijuana in June 2021, ending the prohibition on possession of cannabis by adults 21 and older and creating a framework for regulated adult-use cannabis sales. The bill also included restorative justice and social equity measures, including provisions that led to the expungement of nearly 43,000 marijuana-related convictions last week. The effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Connecticut was led by Democrats including the governor, who argued that regulating cannabis would protect consumers and help communities impacted by the enforcement of punitive drug laws.

“Today marks a turning point in the injustices caused by the war on drugs, most notably now that there is a legal alternative to the dangerous, unregulated, underground market for cannabis sales,” Lamont said in a statement on Tuesday.

Medical marijuana dispensaries in Branford, Meriden, Montville, New Haven, Newington, Stamford, and Willimantic were expected to open their doors to adult-use cannabis stores beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. Two more, in Danbury and Torrington, are expected to open soon. Up to 40 additional cannabis retailers are expected to begin operations before the end of the year, according to media reports.

Transitioning To A Regulated Cannabis Economy

Adam Wood, president of the Connecticut Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, said that Connecticut’s regulated marijuana industry is expected to create about 10,000 jobs for workers in the state over the next few years. He added that cannabis will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue that will be used to benefit communities harmed by nearly a century of marijuana prohibition.

“Today is historic, but the real story is about the benefits to come that will transform lives and communities,” Wood said in a statement.

Verano Holdings, a multistate cannabis operator with active operations in 13 states, entered the Connecticut medical marijuana market in 2021 with the acquisition of Connecticut Pharmaceutical Solutions (CT Pharma). The company launched adult-use cannabis sales in the state on Tuesday at its Zen Leaf branded dispensary, formerly Willow Brook Wellness, in the city of Meriden. George Archos, Verano co-founder and CEO, said that the company “is proud to stand alongside Connecticut residents in celebration of the end of cannabis prohibition.”

“Legal cannabis in Connecticut will have a positive impact on the economy and local communities, and we’re honored to celebrate this historic moment in the Constitution State,” Archos wrote in an email to High Times. “We’re grateful for the leadership of Governor Ned Lamont, the Department of Consumer Protection, local communities, our team members, medical cannabis patients and advocates for making this exciting day a reality.”

In addition to the Zen Leaf dispensary in Meriden, Verano’s operations in Connecticut include CT Pharma, a 217,000-square-foot cultivation and processing facility in Rocky Hill, and Caring Nature in Waterbury, a medical dispensary that will soon begin adult-use sales under the Zen Leaf retail brand.

Recreational Weed Purchases Limited To Seven Grams

Sales of recreational marijuana will initially be limited to purchases of up to seven grams (about a quarter of an ounce) of cannabis flower or the equivalent in other products to ensure that retailers have enough merchandise on hand to serve medical marijuana patients. The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection will monitor supplies of cannabis in the state to determine when purchase caps on adult-use cannabis will be lifted.

The Botanist hybrid recreational and medical marijuana retail shop in Montville is operated by New York-based multistate operator Acreage Holdings. Kate Nelson, senior vice president of the company’s Midwest and Northwest regions, said that she expects the dispensary’s previous customer count of 200 to 300 patients per day to increase by about 150% during the first week of adult-use cannabis sales. But after the initial rush of excitement, sales are expected to level off.

“I think even before the 40 operators come online, you’ll start to see less of that excitement of something new and more so of kind of what the status quo will become,” Nelson said. “We’re in an area now in the country where there’s other adult-use states nearby. So it’s really going to be a focus of ours, in the state of Connecticut specifically, to make sure that this adult-use program has the product that it needs to have and we can support the industry … to make sure Connecticut sets themselves apart from other competing markets.”

The post Connecticut Launches Recreational Cannabis Sales appeared first on High Times.

from The Latest Marijuana News Today | HighTimes Magazine https://ift.tt/4TsOMNg
via IFTTT

Prince Harry Talks to Toilet While Tripping Shrooms

If you happen to be Prince Harry (well, former Prince Harry, now simply Duke of Sussex), your psychedelics may come with a garbage bin growing a head. Oh, and of course, the entire world watching your every move. 

Back in January 2020, Meghan and Henry stepped down as senior members of the royal family and moved to the Duchess’s native Southern California. Ever since then, it’s been quite the public spectacle, with interviews from Oprah to Netflix series that document the out-of-touch, conservative, and yes, at times, racist behavior. Next up on the couple’s media agenda is Prince Harry’s autobiography, Spare, which came out on January 10.

According to the Telegraph, Harry writes that as a “deeply unhappy” 17-year-old, he would try “anything that altered the pre-established order.” And yes, your intuition is correct. Just like anyone else navigating teenage angst, this includes drugs. Let’s hope the anti-drug crowd takes a moment to consider the death of his mother, Diana, the whole pressure of being a royal, the weirdness that must come with being the “spare,” a term that spawned his memoir title. Yes, while it’s hard to feel bad for royals, one can understand the appeal of a bit of chemical escape. The 38-year-old royal explains that he took psychedelics for recreational and therapeutic reasons, revealing that he smoked cannabis since he was a teenager. Harry writes that drugs allowed him to see “another world where the red mist didn’t exist,” he reportedly wrote. From interviews to Spare, Harry talks a lot about “red mist,” which, while certainly sounds like an expression for royal champagne problems, is defined as a “feeling of extreme anger” by the Cambridge Dictionary, according to People. 

The Duke also dabbled in cocaine, although, as Time reports, he didn’t care much for it. In an interview with Tom Bradby, who asked Henry about the drug use and if he still hoped for reconciliation with his family, Harry said: “I want reconciliation. But first, there needs to be some accountability.” And, to be frank, from all the other bombshells Harry and Meghan’s press tour has unleashed, from bickering in the royal family over their child’s level of melatonin to constant bullying to the role of the press, not to mention that poor Harry’s had to deal with this his entire life, starting with his mother Diana, who cares about any claims of drug use? Reading his accounts makes you want to pass him a joint and urge the public to focus on what is really in question: does Britain need a monarchy, and how many people’s lives must implode before they get it straight?

By the way, from shroom-induced garbage bins aside, as Time reports, Spare also contains tales of how he lost his virginity to an older woman who loved horses and spanked him when they were finished, not to mention Harry gets honest about how many people he killed while fighting in Afghanistan. So, put away your spooky garbage bin, grab a cup of tea, and cuddle with Harry’s new book to form your take on these dramatic royals. 

The post Prince Harry Talks to Toilet While Tripping Shrooms appeared first on High Times.

from The Latest Marijuana News Today | HighTimes Magazine https://ift.tt/QY2TjqO
via IFTTT

Study Shows Rise in Weed-Related Emergency Room Visits Among Older Adults

A new study by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has revealed a dramatic spike in emergency room visits related to cannabis consumption among older adults. The study, which was published on Monday by the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, revealed a 1,808% increase in marijuana-related trips to the emergency department among California adults aged 65 and older between 2005 and 2019.

Benjamin Han, M.D., the lead author of the study and a geriatrician in the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Care in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, said that the dramatic increase in emergency room visits related to cannabis consumption among older adults is a concern for many physicians in his field. In an interview with UC San Diego Today, he noted that the increase is significant because older adults are at a higher risk of adverse effects associated with cannabis and other psychoactive substances.

“Many patients assume they aren’t going to have adverse side effects from cannabis because they often don’t view it as seriously as they would a prescription drug,” said Han. “I do see a lot of older adults who are overly confident, saying they know how to handle it — yet as they have gotten older, their bodies are more sensitive, and the concentrations are very different from what they may have tried when they were younger.” 

The study, which was funded in part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, was conducted using a trend analysis of data obtained from the California Department of Healthcare Access and Information. The researchers determined that the number of cannabis-related emergency department visits among adults in California aged 65 and up jumped from 366 in 2005 to 12,167 in 2019. Medical marijuana was legalized in California in 1996, and regulated sales of adult-use cannabis began in the state on January 1, 2018, following the legalization of recreational marijuana by the state’s voters in 2016. The study found that while emergency room visits jumped sharply between 2013 and 2017, they then leveled off, suggesting that the availability of recreational marijuana did not increase the risk of a visit to the emergency department.

Cannabis Use Increasing Among Older Americans With Legalization

Over the past two decades, the consumption of cannabis by older adults has increased sharply as marijuana legalization efforts gained ground across the United States. Older Americans are increasingly using cannabis socially and for a variety of health conditions, leading to a drop in the perceived risk of regular marijuana use.

The researchers say that the new study illustrates that cannabis use among older adults can lead to unintended consequences that require emergency health care for a variety of reasons. The use of cannabis can slow reaction time or impair attention, which may increase the risk of injury or falls. There is also evidence that cannabis can increase the risk of delirium, paranoia, or psychosis and that using marijuana can interact with prescription medications or exacerbate pulmonary or cardiovascular problems.

“We know from work in alcohol that older adults are more likely to make a change in substance use if they see that it is linked to an undesirable medical symptom or outcome — so linking cannabis use similarly could help with behavioral change,” said Alison Moore, M.D., co-author of the study and chief of the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Care in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “We truly have much to learn about cannabis, given all the new forms of it and combinations of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), and this will inform our understanding of risks and possible benefits, too.”

The study reveals the need for older Americans to have honest discussions about their use of cannabis with their healthcare provider. Moore says that such conversations should be an element of routine medical care, but screening protocols often include the use of cannabis with the use of illicit drugs.

“Instead, asking a question like, ‘Have you used cannabis — also known as marijuana — for any reason in the last 12 months?’ would encourage older adults to answer more frankly,” Moore said. “Providers can then ask how frequently cannabis is used, for what purpose — such as medically for pain, sleep, or anxiety or recreationally to relax — in what form (smoked, eaten, applied topically) and if they know how much THC and CBD it contains. Once the provider has this type of information, they can then educate the patient about potential risks of use.”

Han agreed that patients should discuss their cannabis with their doctors before deciding to use it for medical purposes.

“Although cannabis may be helpful for some chronic symptoms, it is important to weigh that potential benefit with the risk, including ending up in an emergency department,” he said.

The post Study Shows Rise in Weed-Related Emergency Room Visits Among Older Adults appeared first on High Times.

from The Latest Marijuana News Today | HighTimes Magazine https://ift.tt/CMKYxOQ
via IFTTT

Arizona Supreme Court sets important precedent in pregnancy and cannabis case

Lindsay Ridgell, a registered medical marijuana patient, had to fight for her child, her career, and her reputation.

The post Arizona Supreme Court sets important precedent in pregnancy and cannabis case appeared first on Leafly.

from Leafly https://ift.tt/qCGZRQn
via IFTTT

IRC § 280E is a Target for Cannabis Legal Reform in 2023

Will we see tax reform in 2023 for cannabis sellers? Specifically, will Congress finally get something done about the pain inflicted on industry by the Internal Revenue Code at 26 USC § 280E? (“IRC 28oE”.) It feels like a long shot, but you never know.

After many attempts to get the SAFE Banking Act through Congress, I can say that the industry feels a little defeated on the federal front. Dems had two years of control to get the SAFE Banking Act passed and politics basically kept it from going through. I’ve been on panels with many experts who rightly take the position that the way to get to federal legalization is through a piecemeal legislative process; chipping away at prohibition one legal reform at a time. Hence, SAFE Banking made a lot of sense.

Now that it’s dead and gone (for now), the industry may take some tiny hope in the fact that Republican House Representative Nancy Mace is back again with some cannabis legislation. She started with the States Reform Act (which has gone nowhere), but is now looking at  the biggest issue for the industry next to banking: federal cannabis income taxes. Specifically, the application of IRC 280E. Even if Rep. Mace’s bill never passes, I’m glad to see her continue the fight, and now against IRC 280E.

IRC 280E is devastating for the cannabis industry

Banking headaches combined with the effect of IRC 280E makes for an industry killer. Arguably, IRC 280E is worse than the banking problem because cannabis businesses can at least rely on the 2014 FinCEN guidelines and the financial institutions that follow them to establish basic merchant accounts in most jurisdictions.

IRC 280E provides:

No deduction or credit shall be allowed for any amount paid or incurred during the taxable year in carrying on any trade or business if such trade or business (or the activities which comprise such trade or business) consists of trafficking in controlled substances (within the meaning of schedule I and II of the Controlled Substances Act) which is prohibited by Federal law or the law of any State in which such trade or business is conducted.

IRC 280E was passed by Congress in 1982 in response to a case where the Tax Court ruled that a taxpayer could deduct expenses relating to his sales of cocaine, amphetamine, and cannabis. Deductible expenses included the costs of packaging, travel, and even scales used to weigh the illegal substances. Since cannabis is a Schedule I controlled substance, the IRS has used IRC 280E to disallow cannabis businesses from deducting their ordinary and necessary business expenses. The result is that cannabis companies face much higher federal tax rates than similar companies in other industries. There are differing opinions on the level of tax rates imposed on marijuana companies – from 40% to 70% to as high as 90% – all of which are higher than the standard corporate tax rate paid by most other businesses in the United States.

The impact of IRC 280E

The result of IRC 280E is that normal business expenses such as rent, advertising, and employee salaries don’t reduce taxable cannabis income unless they can be allocated to Costs of Goods Sold (COGS). For cannabis growers, COGS typically includes expenses directly related to production of the plants, such as the seeds, electricity, and labor that went into growing and preparing the flowers for sale. For cannabis dispensaries and distributors, COGS is much more restrictive, and generally includes only the amount they paid for the cannabis products they sell plus a few additional allocations.

In recent years, the IRS has increased its outreach to the industry to try to ensure compliance with IRC 280E. It even has a “Cannabis Industry” page on its website with industry FAQs. It’s good that the IRS is generally willing to educate cannabis businesses, but it doesn’t change the overall negative impact of IRC 280E. And federal courts have shown again and again that they have no appetite to change IRC 280E and that it’s Congress’s job to do so.

Mace’s IRC 280E bill

On December 30, 2022, Rep. Mace filed her IRC 280E bill right before the end of the 2022 Congressional session. It won’t go forward as written as a result, so she’ll have to re-file it accordingly for 2023. I wasn’t able to find the entire text of the proposed bill, but its summary text states that it serves ” To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow deductions and credits relating to expenditures in connection with marijuana sales conducted in compliance with State law”.

Will this be the one?

Sounds simple enough, right? Well, there’s a reason why IRC 280E has never been amended to accommodate the cannabis industry. And that’s because such an amendment could have significant collateral damage for taxes related to illegal activities around Schedule I and II drugs. Plus, I doubt that the IRS and federal government are so keen to give up the massive windfall provided by IRC 280E without full federal legalization taking place first.

Of course, with the correctly tailored language and so long as enforcement can do its job with the IRS, miracles can happen. Public sentiment likely supports such a measure to ensure that the state democratic experiments persist without bankrupting cannabis companies. But it’s unlikely in my opinion. Still, if and when Rep. Mace re-files this bill, I will be sure to analyze it and blog about it accordingly.

The post IRC § 280E is a Target for Cannabis Legal Reform in 2023 appeared first on Harris Bricken Sliwoski LLP.

from Canna Law Blog™ https://ift.tt/g7nebdx
via IFTTT