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University Of Minnesota Launches Cannabis Research Center

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The University of Minnesota last week launched the new Cannabis Research Center, only six months after the institution was authorized by the state’s marijuana legalization statute. The center, which was established as part of the university’s School of Public Health, will work to assess the impact of cannabis legalization in Minnesota and advise policymakers as they establish regulations and best practices for the state.

In May, Governor Tim Walz signed H. F. 100, which legalized cannabis for adults aged 21 and older. As part of the legislation, lawmakers included a $2.5 million annual appropriation to fund the center, which will be paid by cannabis tax revenue once the state’s regulated recreational weed market is up and running. Professor Traci Toomey, a public health policy expert focusing on substance use control policies, will serve as the Cannabis Research Center’s first director.

“We’re extremely grateful to the Minnesota Legislature and Governor Walz for their leadership and support in creating Minnesota’s first-ever research center focused on cannabis here at the School of Public Health,” Toomey said in an announcement from the university’s School of Public Health. “I am excited for the opportunity to lead the Cannabis Research Center and, alongside my colleagues at the School of Public Health, to conduct innovative research on the health effects of adult-use cannabis legalization on people and communities across the state, including prevention and treatment of substance use disorders, equity issues, education and decriminalization.”

Assessing the Impact of Cannabis Legalization

The university noted that knowledge on the impact of cannabis legalization “is limited and inconsistent, due largely to the lack of formalized evaluations, robust data sets and strong research programs.” The Cannabis Research Center (CRC) is tasked with learning how Minnesotans use cannabis and how the legalization of marijuana affects the state’s people and communities. To guide its work, the CRC has already established several core principles including:

Leading the scientific community in cannabis research.

Upholding antiracist principles by prioritizing questions related to equity and incorporating antiracist practices into collaborations, research questions and methods, interpretations and communications.

Maximizing health benefits and minimizing health problems related to cannabis by addressing timely questions now and into the future.

Being a trusted source of information about cannabis research for individuals, communities and organizations.

“We will work collaboratively with state and local agencies and community-based organizations to explore and identify the initial research priorities related to cannabis use in Minnesota,” said Timothy Beebe, interim dean of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. “I am confident that, under Dr. Toomey’s leadership, the CRC will provide the data and evidence our policymakers need to make informed decisions about cannabis to prevent inequity and adverse health impacts throughout Minnesota.”

One focus of research conducted at the CRC will be investigating how cannabis affects underage users, who can be particularly susceptible to the potential harms of marijuana use.

“For young people, their brain is still developing. And so there’s some concerns about the effects of cannabis on brain development,” Toomey told Minnesota Public Radio. “And the earlier people start using, there’s some concern that they may be more likely to develop a cannabis use disorder later in their life.”

Another priority of the CRC’s work will be exploring how cannabis legalization affects important issues such as public safety and health equity.

“What we see sometimes happens with other substances like alcohol and tobacco, is that sometimes some communities are disproportionately targeted by marketing, or maybe they have more of the stores or dispensaries in their neighborhood because some people want to buy the product, but they don’t want those stores in their neighborhood,” said Toomey.

Minnesota’s recreational marijuana law went into effect in August, allowing adults 21 and older to possess and use cannabis without fear of criminal penalties. State-licensed cannabis dispensaries are expected to open in early 2025 after policymakers establish the regulations for the commercial production and sale of cannabis products.

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Dispensaries Donate Thousands of Free Turkeys for Thanksgiving

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Dispensaries are doing their part to help others to feel the true spirit of thankfulness this Thanksgiving with a round of free turkeys. In recent years, Green Wednesday, which falls on the day before Thanksgiving, has become the cannabis industry’s second-highest grossing day of sales, and a big day for promotional giveaways. Like last year, many cannabis companies are joining the holiday spirit and running their own turkey drives with free turkeys for people in need.

Thanksgiving is a holiday people in the New World have celebrated since 1621, with a feast, and dispensaries can help if you can’t afford it this year. High Times found a handful of dispensaries that are participating in turkey drives this year.

Puff Cannabis Company plans to give away hundreds of free turkeys this week. The Madison Heights, Michigan-based dispensary chain’s second annual Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway starts today and runs through Friday at Puff stores throughout the tri-county area.

Puff Cannabis founder Justin Elias said they plan to hand out over 2,500 turkeys to people in need—twice the amount of free turkeys distributed last year. “The goal of Puff Cannabis Company from the beginning has been to offer top- notch cannabis products while building a knowledgeable and customer- focused team,” Elias said in a statement. “We are honored to have grown to 12 dispensary locations throughout Michigan in only four years, with many locations on tap to open in 2024.”

There are Puff locations across Michigan including in Bay City, Traverse City, Oscoda, Sturgis, River Rouge, Kalamazoo, and Monroe.

Also in Michigan, former Detroit Red Wings Darren McCarthy’s Light’N Up Cannabis Company gave away the turkeys last weekend. Of the turkeys, 100 were planned to be given to Vet Life, a local nonprofit organization that serves veterans, and 20 turkeys went to the North End Soup Kitchen and several other Flint area churches and organizations.

“Once you get something like this started, it takes on a life of its own and is more fun and more rewarding each year. The gratitude people express is heartwarming,” said Kyle Cohee, store owner. “We’ve been through some tough times here in Flint, and people deserve every single break we can provide. Giving them the central part of a Thanksgiving meal is our honor and our way of thanking the people of Flint for supporting our store.”

MariMed is donating over 800 turkeys in the states where it currently operates, including Massachusetts, Maryland, Illinois, Ohio, and Delaware. “Doing our part to support the communities we serve is an important part of MariMed’s mission to improve people’s lives every day,” said CEO Jon Levine. “This is the third consecutive year of our Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, which has become a wonderful tradition that our entire MariMed family rallies behind. We’re proud that we can help ease the financial burden for so many people at this time of year.”

Bulldog Cannabis in Thousand Palms, California is donating 100 turkeys for families in Thousand Palms to have for the Thanksgiving holiday, the dispensary’s annual holiday drive.

The turkeys will be given out from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22 to the first 100 families from Thousand Palms.

Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, from the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, spoke on the support by the local business.

“We appreciate Bulldog Cannabis for supporting the community and local families and once again giving back in this way to our unincorporated community of Thousand Palms,” Perez said. “It is a wonderful donation and people are welcome to come by on Wednesday, November 22 and pick up a turkey for the holiday.”

Bulldog Cannabis is the first cannabis business within the unincorporated communities of the Fourth District, and is located in Thousand Palms, the heart of the valley.

Bulldog Cannabis Owner Sam Kapukchyan states, “Bulldog Cannabis is proud to continue the tradition of our turkey giveaway to local Thousand Palms residents. Here at Bulldog, we are all about family caring for others and giving back. Our local Thousand Palms customers have been very loving and supportive of our shop so, on November 22nd, we will be passing out 100 turkeys, one per household to our local Thousand Palms residents, no purchase necessary.”

The turkey giveaway will be a walk-up distribution outside Bulldog Cannabis in Thousand Palms, 72-242 Watt Court.

People who get a turkey should remember to never put a frozen turkey in the deep fryer. That’s why some of the turkey drives are requiring recipients to sign a waiver. They should also make sure that the turkey is completely thawed because oil and water do not mix, and the turkey should thaw in the refrigerator.

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Sarasota Moves To Make Cannabis Possession Criminal Again After Few Pay Civil Fines

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Cannabis might be illegal again in Sarasota, Florida. As twenty-four states, along with Washington, D.C., and Guam, have legalized herb, as the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports, attitudes are becoming more regressive in some places. As absolutely frustrating as it is to pay fines for cannabis, what’s happening in Sarasota, unfortunately, proves that the government can always make things worse if people don’t follow the rules. 

On Monday, the Sarasota City Commission started the process of repealing its marijuana civil citation program. Cops made their case by first presenting a recommendation in what sounds like watching a PowerPoint program from hell. Much of their argument is based on the fact that there is currently a 90% noncompliance with the program’s fines. 

The City Commission passed the ordinance that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis in 2020. Since then, in the three years of decriminalization of weed, the Sarasota police have issued 427 civil citations. Of that figure, police say that only 47 people have paid up. One person opted for community service. As a result, after a May report on the topic from the Independent Police Advisory Panel, the city wants to recriminalize possession of cannabis. 

“The current Cannabis Civil Citation program allows for an individual to receive an unlimited number of civil citations, it does not provide for any consequence if the civil citation is ignored, and it gives the cited individual the ability to refuse to identify themselves rendering the citation useless,” city documents state.

When Sarasota first passed the law, possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis or related paraphernalia landed you a $100 fine or 10 hours of community service. It wasn’t anything cruel or unusual. The person in question had to be over 18 and could not be actively smoking it when they got caught. 

Before the 2020 decriminalization, possessing 20 grams or less could land you in jail for a maximum of a one-year sentence coupled with a one-year driver’s license suspension. The latter has more sweeping implications than one realizes, affecting one’s ability to get to work. The law was passed in an effort to avoid giving people criminal records. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, they also felt that the police department had “better things to do with their time.” 

In the state of Florida, the recreational use of cannabis remains illegal. Possession of a quantity up to 20 grams (approximately 3⁄4 ounce) is classified as a misdemeanor, and as in Sarasota (unless it’s overturned) is decriminalized in certain cities. However, this is not a united decision. It’s totally illegal in plenty of places, and possibly more, based on Sarasota’s actions. Currently, in Florida, marijuana possession carries potential penalties, including up to one year of imprisonment, a fine not exceeding $1,000, and the possibility of driver’s license suspension. Nevertheless, various cities and counties within Florida have implemented reforms to impose less severe penalties for such offenses.

The medicinal use of cannabis, however, saw legalization in 2016 through a constitutional amendment. Known as Amendment 2, this initiative appeared on the ballot and garnered overwhelming support, with 71% approval from voters.

Should the repeal of the citation program go through and become finalized, the possession of cannabis will revert to being classified as a criminal offense. However, the police officials have indicated that folks who meet specific criteria will be directed to the State Attorney’s Office Adult Pre-arrest Diversion Program. This program will then determine whether to initiate criminal charges against these offenders. So, whether there are criminal consequences for any of this is still to be seen. However, that program is more than twice as expensive as the current $100 fine in the city’s program. 

So people should probably go ahead and just start paying the $100 fine. As annoying as it may be, when the government gets its hands on cannabis, things can always become more annoying. 

The City Commission, in a majority decision of 4-1, has instructed the city attorney to prepare an ordinance for the repealing of the marijuana civil citation program. Erik Arroyo, a member of the City Commission, stood as the sole dissenting voice, opting not to support the motion. Arroyo is an American lawyer and Republican politician, notable for becoming the youngest and first Hispanic Mayor in the history of Sarasota, Florida.

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Texas Woman Receives Lifetime Ban for Bringing CBD Sleep Gummies on Carnival Cruise Line

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Going on a cruise is intended to be a break from reality, and a place where you vacation your way, whether that means being active and going on excursions in foreign destinations or sleeping in and relaxing on the deck. However, one individual recently received a lifetime ban for attempting to bring CBD gummies on board.

According to Local10 News, Texan Melinda Van Veldhuizen has gone on many cruises in the past—and the frequency has earned her priority boarding.

Her most recent trip was meant to celebrate her 21st wedding anniversary with her husband, as well as her son’s senior year of high school by traveling to Aruba, Curaçao, and the Dominican Republic. During boarding on the Carnival Cruise Ship Horizon at the Port of Miami, Florida, which was set to visit she was pulled aside when a security officer found CBD gummies in her bag. “I have trouble sleeping, so it was just to make sure I could sleep on the trip—so if there were any issues, I could sleep,” Van Veldhuizen said. “I’ve always traveled with them, no problem.”

Van Veldhuizen explained that she was taken away from her family to a separate area where was interrogated by both ship security and law enforcement. “I sat there for two-and-a-half hours, really not sure what was going to happen,” she said. “The way that they treated me was like a criminal.”

At first she thought it was a mistake for something else often prohibited on the ship when boarding. “I thought it was one of those situations where you’re like, ‘Oh shoot, I left a bottle of water in my backpack; you gotta throw it away,’ kind of thing like that happens at TSA,” she said.

CBD has been legal in the U.S. since the 2018 Farm Bill was passed, and can be sold in any state as long as it contains 0.3% THC or less. Van Veldhuizen’s CBD gummies contained 0.01% THC.

The problem lies with the cruise line—in fact all major cruise lines—which do not permit CBD on board due to federal restrictions. 

According to Van Veldhuizen, even the captain questioned her during the incident. “The captain asked me several times if I had a marijuana card or if I had a diagnosis, if I needed it,” she said. “I said, ‘It’s CBD; that doesn’t exist. It’s just not a thing.’”

She and her family did not continue their vacation and were sent a letter from Carnival on Aug. 5 stating that Van Veldhuizen was banned from ever cruising with Carnival in the future. “This decision was based on your actions on the current cruise, which were a violation of the ship rules, interfered with the safety and/or enjoyment of other guests on the ship or caused harm to Carnival,” the letter stated, which was signed by Horizon Captain Rocco Lubrano and two witnesses. “Your attempt to book a future cruise will result in cancellation and a possible loss of deposit monies.”

Local10 News shared a statement obtained from Carnival regarding the incident. “We are very sorry this guest and her family are unhappy with the outcome of their vacation plans, but we are following federal law under which CBD is defined as a controlled substance,” the statement said. “We are not here to ascertain where our guests purchase CBD or what they intend to use it for once on board. Our responsibility is to follow federal guidelines and stop prohibited items from being brought on board our ships.”

Carnival Cruise Line does state that cannabis and CBD are clearly prohibited on its website. “Any illegal narcotics/drugs including synthetic, designer drugs, Cannabidiol (CBD) and medical marijuana. While certain CBD products used for medicinal purposes may be legal in the US, they are not legal in all the ports we visit and therefore are also considered prohibited items,” the cruise line states.

The cruise line also did not refund Van Veldhuizen for the cost of the trip, which included $5,586 and an additional $700 that was charged to her credit card after the ship left the port. According to a report by The Washington Post, the cruise line eventually offered to reimburse her for $1,665 of the trip cost. So Van Veldhuizen hired an attorney both to get her full fare refunded, and also to get her ban lifted.

Attorney Daren Stabinski, a Florida-based attorney representing Van Veldhuizen, explained that while the ship has its rules, the case was “specifically outrageous.” “We believe it was false imprisonment what they did to her. They had no right to hold her, especially when she did nothing wrong in the first place,” Stabinski said. “CBD is not marijuana. When you look at the specific rules and conditions that you agree to when you sail, it specifically says marijuana, marijuana derivatives and all illegally-controlled substances are prohibited, and what my client had was none of those things.”

Royal Caribbean cruise line, which owns some of the largest ships in the world, notes in its FAQ that “illegal drugs & substances” and “CBD oil/CBD products” are prohibited from being brought on board.

Disney Cruise Line shows “marijuana and illicit drug policy” on its restricted item list as well. “Additionally, all drug paraphernalia used for marijuana, cannabis and hemp is prohibited. Medically prescribed marijuana, as well as items derived from or enriched by marijuana, including items and products that contain THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and or CBD (Cannabidiol) are also prohibited.”

Likewise, Norwegian Cruise Line also prohibits cannabis and CBD in any form.

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Polish Man Arrested in Germany for Hospitalizations, Death Caused by MDMA-Laced Champagne

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In early 2022 Dutch health authorities issued a warning about MDMA-laced champagne circulating throughout parts of Europe that hospitalized several people and killed one. An arrest has been made in connection with the case almost two years later, but authorities said there’s no way to know if additional bottles are still in circulation.

According to Dutch media outlet RTL Nieuws, police arrested a 35-year-old man last week in the German town of Weiden on drug trafficking and manslaughter charges in relation to MDMA-laced champagne bottles, the consumption of which reportedly hospitalized just under a dozen people and led to the death of a 52-year-old German man. MDMA, better known as “Molly” or “Ecstasy” is shorthand for 3,4-Methyl​enedioxy​methamphetamine, a drug which induces feelings of euphoria in the user for several hours. 

According to RTL Nieuws, the Polish man, whose name was not released, was arrested due to a tip from Dutch authorities. He allegedly stored the laced champagne bottles in the Netherlands and was also involved with their distribution, though not much other information about the man was released. A German news report said that the prosecutor’s office accused the man of  “gang-like trafficking in narcotics in large quantities, negligent bodily harm and negligent homicide.” Authorities said more arrests could be forthcoming as well. 

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) issued a warning about the champagne bottles, specifically 3-liter bottles of Moët and Chandon Ice Impérial, in February of 2022. A press release from the NVWA said the following:

“The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority warns consumers to be very careful with 3-liter champagne bottles from the Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial brand. Recently, a bottle of that size appeared to be filled with the hard drug MDMA (also known as ecstasy) in both Germany and the Netherlands,” said a press release from the NVWA. “Touching and/or drinking the contents of the bottles is life-threatening. This has led to seven very serious cases of illness and one death in Germany. According to the producer, there were four cases of illness in the Netherlands. In both cases, the bottles in question were purchased via a previously unknown website.”

The NVWA clarified that it was somewhat easy to spot which bottles were potentially tainted with MDMA because the liquid did not come out carbonated as champagne does. The liquid did not fizz when poured, it came out a reddish brown color which darkened over time and also gave off a smell of the anise plant, which according to Google has similarities to the smells of licorice, fennel and tarragon. 

“The NVWA calls on people to be alert to 3 liter bottles of Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial with lot code LAJ7QAB6780004 and LAK5SAA6490005. This code can be found on the label on the back of the bottle,” the press release said.” Leave the bottle untouched if the contents differ from what is usual for champagne. Bottles filled with MDMA are indistinguishable on the outside from bottles filled with champagne. However, when pouring there is a clear difference.”

According to the NVWA, there’s no way to be sure how many more bottles, if any, were laced with MDMA and there’s no way to know if these bottles are still available in stores without checking the lot code on the back, as mentioned above. The health authority stressed that anyone who buys that brand of champagne should be on high alert, call emergency services if the liquid is ingested and call the police if anything seems off about a bottle. 

“It is not known how the MDMA ended up in these bottles. The NVWA cannot therefore estimate whether there are more of these bottles containing the hazardous substance in circulation, the press release said. “It cannot be ruled out that there are other bottles of the same brand in circulation that also contain MDMA”

According to the aforementioned German news report, the seven people who were hospitalized were out having a celebratory dinner with friends when they bought the tainted champagne. The report described everyone fainting at the table after the champagne was brought out. The 52-year-old who died had reportedly drank more of the champagne than the others, who had only sipped it. All seven people reportedly made full recoveries and attended a memorial for their deceased friend in February. 

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