<h2>High Times</h2>
<p>In the United States, marijuana used to have a bad reputation.</p>
<p>Now, more than <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/243908/two-three-americans-support-legalizing-marijuana.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two out of every three people</a> in the United States support legalizing cannabis, and state <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/legal-marijuana-states-2018-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">laws</a> are reflecting that shift in opinion. Medical marijuana is currently legal in 33 states plus Washington, D.C., and in 10 of those states and the nation&#8217;s capital, adults over the age of 21 can legally buy marijuana for recreational use.</p>
<p>Government officials are even <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/senate-legalize-marijuana-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">starting to push</a> for nation-wide cannabis legalization — and not just because they think more people should be getting high.</p>
<h2>Legalize It</h2>
<p>Here are seven ways experts predict cannabis legalization will lead to a better future:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">1. Cannabis is already <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/report-marijuana-growing-jobs-sector-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">creating jobs</a> more quickly than any other industry — and the number of new jobs is expected to keep increasing as more places legalize marijuana.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">2. Scientists believe <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/canada-legalized-cannabis-science" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legalization</a> could make it easier for them to develop cannabis-based medical treatments. One such medication is already <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/cannabis-derived-drug-approved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">helping children</a> cope with a rare, previously untreatable form of seizure-causing epilepsy, and early studies show the plant&#8217;s potential to treat everything from <a href="https://futurism.com/5-story-research-shows-that-cannabis-can-restore-memory-and-could-reverse-the-ageing-process" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brain aging</a> to <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/cbd-psychosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">psychosis</a>.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">3. Legalization gives governments the opportunity to <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/would-legalizing-pot-be-good-for-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regulate cannabis cultivation</a>, thereby ensuring farmers aren&#8217;t allowed to damage the environment while growing their crops.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">4. It also decreases the strain on the <a href="https://www.aclu.org/issues/criminal-law-reform/drug-law-reform/marijuana-law-reform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">justice system</a>, freeing up police — and billions of dollars in state money — to fight other criminal activity.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">5. Experts are hopeful cannabis could help <a href="https://futurism.com/states-approving-cannabis-fight-opioid-addiction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">end the opioid crisis</a> by easing the symptoms of withdrawal.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">6. The taxes from cannabis sales could go toward improving any number of societal institutions. Oregon, where recreational marijuana is legal, <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana/2017/10/oregon_pays_out_85_million_in_1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently dedicated millions</a> in cannabis taxes to its schools and public health services.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">7. By driving down cannabis costs, legalization also <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/11/04/legal-marijuana-2018-canada-changing-how-weed-grown-and-cost/1776150002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drives cartels and black-market dealers out of business</a> — taking <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/medical-marijuana-legalisation-cannabis-us-states-violent-crime-drop-numbers-study-california-new-a8160311.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">violent activity</a> along with them.</p>
<p><strong>More on cannabis: </strong><em><a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/senate-legalize-marijuana-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Senate Bill Would Legalize Marijuana Nationwide</a></em></p>


Want to improve society? Legalize marijuana.

Seven ways cannabis legalization will make the future better

Helpful Hemp

Cannabis legalization is picking up steam across the nation. Here are seven ways the future stands to benefit from ending the war on weed.

Seven Ways Cannabis Legalization Will Make the Future Better

Everything from the environment to the economy benefits from legal weed.

<h2>New NORML</h2>
<p>Despite cannabis now being decriminalized or even legal in some form or another in the <a href="https://disa.com/map-of-marijuana-legality-by-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">majority of states</a>, many banks and financial institutions are reluctant to do business with state-legal marijuana operations due to the plant&#8217;s federal status as a Schedule I controlled substance.</p>
<p>On Thursday, a key congressional committee voted to send an act that would ease those worries on to the House of Representatives for a vote — and if it becomes law, the impact of the act could extend far beyond your local dispensary.</p>
<h2>Playing Catch-Up</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1152" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Secure And Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act</a> is designed to assure financial institutions that they won&#8217;t face federal charges such as money laundering for working with marijuana<strong>&#8211;</strong>related businesses.</p>
<p>After two days of debate and the consideration of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomangell/2019/03/28/marijuana-banking-bill-approved-by-congressional-committee/#3feee9662ce1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple amendments</a>, the House Financial Services Committee voted 45 to 15 Thursday morning to advance the act to the House of Representatives for a vote.</p>
<p>A date for that vote has not been scheduled, but if the House passes the legislation, it will then <a href="https://youtu.be/wHB5UyS2Vv4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">move on to the Senate</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our federal banking laws were designed to prevent illicit activity and help law enforcement do their jobs,&#8221; Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) <a href="https://blog.norml.org/2019/03/28/marijuana-banking-passes-critical-committee/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement, reported by NORML</a>. &#8220;These laws need to be applied to legitimate marijuana businesses and employees in order to improve transparency and accountability and help root out illegal transactions.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Safer Streets</h2>
<p>Perlmutter and other proponents of the SAFE Banking Act argue that financial institutions&#8217; current reluctance to work with cannabis businesses isn&#8217;t just a matter of finances — because it forces many of the businesses to operate as cash-only, it makes both the businesses and their customers a worthwhile target for criminals.</p>
<p>&#8220;[T]he SAFE Banking Act will get cash off our streets, reducing the risk of violent crime and making our communities safer,&#8221; Perlmutter added in his statement. &#8220;While Congress has stuck its head in the sand on this issue for many years, this Committee showed leadership today and I want to thank my cosponsors and members of the Committee for their support.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://blog.norml.org/2019/03/28/marijuana-banking-passes-critical-committee/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marijuana Banking Passes Critical Committee</a> [NORML]</p>
<p><strong>More on cannabis:</strong> <em><a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/senate-legalize-marijuana-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Senate Bill Would Legalize Marijuana Nationwide</a></em></p>


The SAFE Banking Act is headed to the House.

Bill designed to help cannabis industry use banks moves forward

Weed Wealth

The House Financial Services Committee voted 45 to 15 Thursday morning to advance the SAFE Banking Act to the House of Representatives for a vote.

Bill Designed to Help Cannabis Industry Use Banks Moves Forward

Proponents say it'll prevent financial fraud while also making communities safer.

<h2>Weed Workforce</h2>
<p>According to a <a href="https://d3atagt0rnqk7k.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/01141121/CANNABIS-JOBS-REPORT-FINAL-2.27.191.pdf">new report</a> by cannabis website Leafly and consultancy firm Whitney Economics, the United States added 64,389 full-time legal cannabis jobs last year — a 44 percent increase in the weed workforce in 2018, meaning it&#8217;s the <a href="https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/marijuana-industry-looks-fastest-growing-174822412.html">fastest-growing job sector</a> in the U.S. right now.</p>
<p>The report calls it &#8220;America&#8217;s hidden job boom,&#8221; estimating that more than 200,000 people work full time in the U.S. cannabis industry — and counting related jobs, like accountants and lawyers, that number rises close to 300,000.</p>
<p>Moreover, those numbers are projected to keep rising over the next few years. Legal cannabis is here to stay, and it&#8217;s quickly becoming one of the fastest rising job makers nationwide.</p>
<h2>Take It to the Dank</h2>
<p>The legal cannabis industry is now worth over $10 billion, according to the report, having increased a whopping 34 percent nationwide in 2018 alone. California and Florida are alone expected to add 10,000 and 9,500 full time jobs in 2019 respectively.</p>
<p>&#8220;There are now more legal cannabis industry workers than dental hygienists in the United States,&#8221; reads the new report.</p>
<h2>420 Employ It</h2>
<p>But the numbers don&#8217;t necessarily tell the full story: after all, the use of marijuana is still technically illegal on the federal level, despite <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/11/07/michigan-becomes-th-state-allow-recreational-marijuana/?utm_term=.5240925c86e5">ten U.S. states</a> legalizing recreational marijuana with more likely to follow.</p>
<p>While hiring has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/03/08/us-economy-adds-just-jobs-february-well-below-expectations/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.14b5b6cf73e5">slowed significantly</a> in February nationwide according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the marijuana industry is alive and well.</p>
<p>&#8220;US marijuana legalization is a rare example of disruption creating jobs rather than destroying them,&#8221; DataTrek Research co-founder Nick Colas said in a statement last week, as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/14/the-marijuana-industry-looks-like-the-fastest-growing-job-market-in-the-country.html">quoted by <em>CNBC</em></a>. &#8220;With the US labor market recently showing signs of weakness and fears of an eventual recession in the wings, this is one industry that might soften the blow of an economic downturn.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/14/the-marijuana-industry-looks-like-the-fastest-growing-job-market-in-the-country.html">The marijuana industry looks like the fastest-growing job market in the country</a>[<em>CNBC</em>]</p>
<p><strong>More on Mary Jane:</strong> <em><a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/study-marijuana-us-colleges">Marijuana Courses Are Cropping Up at Colleges Across the US</a></em></p>


"There are now more legal cannabis industry workers than dental hygienists in the United States."

Report: marijuana fastest growing job sector in U.S.

Pot Jobs

According to a new report the U.S. added 64,389 full-time legal cannabis jobs last year — a 44 percent gain in the workforce in 2018.

Report: Marijuana Is the Fastest Growing Job Sector in the U.S.

"US marijuana legalization is a rare example of disruption creating jobs rather than destroying them."

<h2>Growth Industry</h2>
<p>Spreading <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/senate-legalize-marijuana-nationwide">legalization of marijuana</a> is causing <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2018/01/31/news/marijuana-state-of-the-union/index.html">a boom</a> in the cannabis industry, leaving companies scrambling to staff up.</p>
<p>&#8220;More jobs are being created in this space than in any other space in North America, with salaries sometimes more competitive than other industries,&#8221; Karson Humiston, founder of Vangst, an employment agency focused on cannabis jobs, recently <a href="https://www.apnews.com/111fc6b22d4f4301bceaa6f4576b98be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the <em>Associated Press</em></a>. &#8220;With every new state that legalizes, tons of jobs are opening up.&#8221;</p>
<p>Colleges across the United States have noticed that demand, according to the <em>AP</em>, leading many to move cannabis out of the dorms and into the classroom with courses designed to prepare students for the latest growth industry.</p>
<h2>Higher Learning</h2>
<p>Students at Colorado State University and Stockton University can now minor in cannabis studies, according to the <em>AP</em>, while those attending the University of California, Los Angeles, can study the legal, economic, and social impact of marijuana through the college&#8217;s Cannabis Research Initiative.</p>
<p>Even Harvard students can now study marijuana policy and law, and at Northern Michigan University (NMU), students can earn a four-year degree in <a href="https://www.nmu.edu/chemistry/medicinal-plant-chemistry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">medicinal plant chemistry</a> — the closest thing to a marijuana bachelor&#8217;s degree currently available.</p>
<h2>Seeing Green</h2>
<p>NMU chemistry professor Brandon Canfield claims he conceived of the university&#8217;s marijuana program after listening to members of the American Chemistry Society&#8217;s cannabis chemistry subdivision speak at a meeting in 2016.</p>
<p>&#8220;One of the recurring themes involved the lack of preparedness or the lack of competency in a lot of the existing analytical labs,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/20/you-can-make-70000-out-of-college-with-a-degree-in-marijuana-studies.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told <em>CNBC</em></a> in April. &#8220;The speakers were expressing a great need for increased skilled laboratory technicians, analysts, and oversight.&#8221;</p>
<p>Students graduating from NMU&#8217;s program will be prepared for those jobs, according to Canfield, which could earn them a starting salary of $70,000 annually. But before they can start making that green, there&#8217;s a good chance students looking to study marijuana will first need to deal with a bit of teasing from their peers.</p>
<p>&#8220;My friends make good-natured jokes about getting a degree in weed,&#8221; NMU student Grace DeNoya told <em>AP</em>. &#8220;I say, &#8216;No, it’s a serious degree, a chemistry degree first and foremost. It’s hard work. Organic chemistry is a bear.'&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://www.apnews.com/111fc6b22d4f4301bceaa6f4576b98be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Higher education: Colleges add cannabis to the curriculum</a> [<em>Associated Press</em>]</p>
<p><strong>More on marijuana:</strong> <em><a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/senate-legalize-marijuana-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Senate Bill Would Legalize Marijuana Nationwide</a></em></p>


Even Harvard is now offering courses in cannabis.

Marijuana courses are cropping up at colleges across the US

Drug Test

Students at colleges across the U.S. can now study marijuana, a sign that universities have taken notice of the booming cannabis industry.

Marijuana Courses Are Cropping Up at Colleges Across the US

"More jobs are being created in this space than in any other space in North America."

<h2>CBDenied</h2>
<p>Thanks to <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/canada-legalized-cannabis-science" target="_blank" rel="noopener">loosening legal constraints</a>, cannabis products have <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/california-makes-marijuana-a-wellness-industry">flooded the health and wellness</a> market in recent years. But research on the most effective compounds, doses, and delivery methods for various ailments hasn&#8217;t kept up with that surge in products.</p>
<p>In an attempt to fill that knowledge gap, a team of researchers tracked nearly 20,000 cannabis sessions by more than 3,000 patients — and their findings contradict a widely held belief about cannabis.</p>
<p>“Despite the conventional wisdom, both in the popular press and much of the scientific community that only [cannabidiol (CBD)] has medical benefits while [tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)] merely makes one high, our results suggest that THC may be more important than CBD in generating therapeutic benefits,&#8221; University of New Mexico researcher Jacob Miguel Vigil said in a <a href="http://news.unm.edu/news/notorious-psychoactive-chemical-thc-more-important-for-therapeutic-effects-in-cannabis-than-previously-believed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>.</p>
<h2>Major Releaf</h2>
<p>For the team&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-39462-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a>, which was published on Monday in the journal <em>Scientific Reports</em>, more than 3,400 patients used Releaf, an app created by three of the study&#8217;s co-authors, to note a variety of details about their cannabis use sessions over the course of nearly two years.</p>
<p>The details included the type of cannabis product (flower, concentrate, or edible, for example), combustion method (such as joint, pipe, or vaporizer), subspecies (indica, sativa, or hybrid), and major cannabinoid contents (THC or CBD).</p>
<p>The patients also rated the severity of up to 27 health symptoms before and after self-administering the cannabis product, as well as any side effects they experienced.</p>
<p>Based on this information, Vigil said the team concluded that &#8220;CBD appears to have little effect at all, while THC generates measurable improvements in symptom relief.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Study Up</h2>
<p>People have been using cannabis as medicine for <a href="https://nccih.nih.gov/health/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than 3,000 years</a>, but if we hope to extract the most benefit from the plant, scientific research on it needs to catch up with current <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/senate-legalize-marijuana-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legalization</a> and <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marijuana-legalized-growing-like-a-weed-a-look-at-cannabis-industry-milestones-in-2018/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commercialization</a> efforts.</p>
<p>&#8220;We believe this study is very timely with the recent passing of the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2018/12/14/the-farm-bill-hemp-and-cbd-explainer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Farm Bill</a> and the number of CBD products that are now flooding the market that are, frankly, poor quality and making inaccurate claims,&#8221; Releaf CEO Franco Brockelman said in the press release. &#8220;This study helps validate the medical importance of THC along with CBD, and the need for more conclusive research to be done, which we look forward to contributing to.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="http://news.unm.edu/news/notorious-psychoactive-chemical-thc-more-important-for-therapeutic-effects-in-cannabis-than-previously-believed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Notorious Psychoactive Chemical THC More Important for Therapeutic Effects in Cannabis Than Previously Believed</a> [The University of New Mexico]</p>
<p><em><strong>More on THC:</strong> </em><a href="https://futurism.com/researchers-create-yeast-that-synthesizes-thc-and-cbd">Scientists Gene-Hacked Yeast to Make THC Instead of Booze</a></p>


The health industry might want to shift its focus away from CBD.

Study: THC has more therapeutic benefits than we thought

High Health

A new study suggests that THC, the cannabis compound associated with feeling "high," has more therapeutic benefits than previously believed.

Study: THC Has More Therapeutic Benefits Than We Thought

The cannabis compound is good for more than getting people high.

<h2>Yeast High</h2>
<p>A team of researchers at UC Berkeley figured out a way to manufacture tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) — both products derived from the cannabis plant — from specially bioengineered yeast, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/yeast-cbd-and-thc/">according to <em>Wired</em></a>.</p>
<p>By injecting cannabis sativa plant genes into common brewer&#8217;s yeast, which is the stuff that turns sugars into alcohol during the beermaking process, the yeast started spitting out cannabinoids as well, including THC — the psychoactive one — and CBD. In other words, the breakthrough could lead to beer that gets you high.</p>
<h2>Sticky Business</h2>
<p>It could also be a big deal for the environment.</p>
<p>Planting, growing, and harvesting cannabinoids from large numbers of cannabis plants isn&#8217;t as energy efficient as simply cultivating yeast. One <a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.396.4759&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf">2012 study</a> suggested three percent of California&#8217;s total electricity usage was used to grow cannabis — a staggering figure.</p>
<p>The process could even prove to be more reliable: &#8220;For the consumer, the benefits are high-quality, low-cost CBD and THC: you get exactly what you want from yeast,&#8221; said Jay Keasling, a UC Berkeley professor, <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190227131838.htm">in a statement</a>. &#8220;It is a safer, more environmentally friendly way to produce cannabinoids.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Brewing Pot</h2>
<p>Enzymes inside the yeast first produce CBDA and THCA, which are precursors to CBD and THC, respectively. Once those substances are heated up, you&#8217;ve got CBD and THC — the same thing that happens when you light a joint or bake weed brownies.</p>
<p>The process is simpler than growing a plant, and could even allow for just producing CBD.</p>
<p>&#8220;Being able to produce that in a way that&#8217;s uncontaminated with THC is a pretty valuable thing,&#8221; said Keasling.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/yeast-cbd-and-thc/">Forget Growing Weed—Make Yeast Spit Out CBD and THC Instead</a> [<em>Wired</em>]</p>
<p><strong>More on cannabis:</strong> <em><a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/legal-marijuana-alcohol-industry-impact">Legal Marijuana Could Threaten the Alcohol Industry, Says Report</a></em></p>


"For the consumer, the benefits are high-quality, low-cost CBD and THC."

Scientists gene-hacked yeast to make THC Instead of booze

Green Weed

A team of researchers at UC Berkeley figured out a way to manufacture THC and CBD from specially engineered yeast.

Scientists Gene-Hacked Yeast to Make THC Instead of Booze

All you have to do is feed it some sugar.

<p>In 2014, a California startup called Eaze made a name for itself by offering app-based, on-demand pot delivery to medical marijuana users. While the company did not grow or process its own products, it was still hugely successful, and quickly earned a reputation in the Golden State as the “Uber of Weed.”</p>
<p>Five years later, Eaze is still a major player in the California cannabis industry, and is seeking to expand its footprint nationwide. Late last year, the company launched a new website called <a href="http://eaze.go2cloud.org/aff_c?offer_id=2&amp;aff_id=1199&amp;url_id=435" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eaze Wellness</a> with the goal of changing the way Americans buy CBD oil and other cannabidiol products.</p>
<p>Since Eaze was founded, a lot has changed in regard to marijuana. While pot is still illegal at the federal level, the drug has been legalized in several states, including California. Several other states have also begun the legalization process. But for a huge chunk of the country, marijuana use is still strictly prohibited.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re not familiar with <a href="https://futurism.com/ease-wellness-ships-cbd-products" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBD</a>, it&#8217;s a compound derived from cannabis plants. But unlike its widely-known counterpart, THC, CBD has no psychoactive properties, which is just another way of saying it won&#8217;t get you high. However, when ingested, CBD <em>does</em> provide many of the other positive side effects commonly associated with marijuana, including pain relief, relaxed mood, reduced inflammation, and increased focus. And while CBD has been growing in popularity for years, the federal government removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act at the end of last year, which opened the floodgates for hemp-derived CBD products.</p>
<p>But with the explosion of CBD oils and other products available for purchase, how do consumers separate brands that are safe and effective from less reputable vendors? And given the fact that some states still have local restrictions on CBD sales, how do consumers know if they&#8217;re staying on the right side of the law when purchasing CBD? That&#8217;s where <a href="http://snip.ly/43uy5q#https://www.eazewellness.com/groups/futurism-top-cbd-pics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eaze Wellness</a> comes in.</p>
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This marijuana delivery business is changing the way we buy CBD.

This Marijuana Delivery Business Is Changing the Way We Buy CBD

Stay on the right side of the law when ordering CBD. 

<h2>Risky Business</h2>
<p>Marijuana is becoming more accepted — and that could be a problem for the alcohol industry, according to new research.</p>
<p>&#8220;Though not yet mainstream, cannabis adoption is certainly growing in states where it’s legal and does pose a risk to the beverage alcohol industry in the future,&#8221; Brandy Rand, U.S. president of the International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR), a company that collects data on the alcohol industry, said in a <a href="https://www.theiwsr.com/wp-content/uploads/Press-Release-on-the-IWSR-and-BDS-Analytics-report-Legal-Cannabis-Poses-a-Long-Term-Risk-to-All-Beverage-Alcohol-Categories-in-the-U.S.-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> about its new report on alcohol and cannabis.</p>
<h2>In the Weeds</h2>
<p>On Thursday, the IWSR published a new report it created in partnership with BDS Analytics, a company focused on cannabis market analytics. Together, the two companies set out to determine the potential impact of legal marijuana on the alcohol industry in the future.</p>
<p>Based on their research, the <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/reclassify-marijuana-world-health-organization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legalization of marijuana</a> has led to an &#8220;<a href="https://www.theiwsr.com/wp-content/uploads/Press-Release-on-the-IWSR-and-BDS-Analytics-report-Legal-Cannabis-Poses-a-Long-Term-Risk-to-All-Beverage-Alcohol-Categories-in-the-U.S.-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explosion of growth</a>&#8221; for the cannabis industry over the past few years. In places that have legalized marijuana, they estimate that up to 40 percent of people over the age of 21 now partake in it.</p>
<p>They believe usage of marijuana will continue to increase as acceptance of the drug expands.</p>
<h2>Double Down</h2>
<p>While an increase in cannabis users won&#8217;t necessarily translate to a decrease in alcohol consumption, the alcohol industry needs to be aware that this growing industry could impact its own, according to Rand.</p>
<p>&#8220;It’s important that alcohol brands pay attention to their consumers,&#8221; she said, &#8220;recognizing that some occasions may result in a decrease in alcohol consumption in place of, or alongside, legal cannabis.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Consumers will continue to look to cannabis products over alcohol for occasions when they are feeling creative, need to get motivated, or seeking health, medical or wellness benefits,&#8221; BDS Analytics&#8217;s Vice President Jessica Lukas added.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="http://fortune.com/2019/02/21/cannabis-risk-to-alcohol-industry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cannabis May Pose a &#8216;Long-Term Risk&#8217; to the Alcohol Industry</a> [<em>Fortune</em>]</p>
<p><em><strong>More on marijuana: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/reclassify-marijuana-world-health-organization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WHO Says UN Should Reclassify Marijuana as Less Dangerous</a></strong></em></p>


The cannabis industry is experiencing an "explosion of growth," says new report.

Legal marijuana could threaten the alcohol industry, says report

Smoked Out

The continued legalization and acceptance of marijuana could be a problem for the alcohol industry, according to a new report.

Legal Marijuana Could Threaten the Alcohol Industry, Says Report

People might start choosing weed over wine.

<h2>New Class</h2>
<p>Marijuana could soon be reclassified on an international scale.</p>
<p>In 1948, the United Nations (UN) established the World Health Organization (WHO) to serve as its conduit to all things health-related. Now, the agency is <a href="https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/un-proposes-removing-cannabis-from-most-dangerous-drug-category/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommending</a> that the UN reclassify marijuana to a less restrictive narcotics schedule — a move that could have a huge impact on public health worldwide.</p>
<h2>Narcotics Treaty</h2>
<p>Under the UN&#8217;s Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, an international treaty that regulates the production and sale of certain drugs, cannabis is listed as a Schedule IV drug. That<strong>&#8216;</strong>s the most restrictive class, reserved for drugs that have &#8220;<a href="http://www.incb.org/incb/en/narcotic-drugs/1961_Convention.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">particularly dangerous properties</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>Earlier this month, the WHO published <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/364/bmj.l574" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new recommendations</a> to the UN regarding the classification of marijuana in the medical journal <em>The BMJ</em>. <a href="https://mjbizdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Annex-1-41-ECDD-recommendations-cannabis-22Jan19.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to the WHO,</a> there&#8217;s growing evidence that cannabis has medical applications, and the UN should reschedule the plant to take into account these applications.</p>
<h2>Medical Marijuana</h2>
<p>The WHO&#8217;s proposal to reclassify marijuana could go before the UN&#8217;s Commission on Narcotic Drugs as soon as March, at which point 53 countries will have the option of voting on it.</p>
<p>Although a vote to reclassify wouldn&#8217;t <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/senate-legalize-marijuana-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">make cannabis legal</a> everywhere overnight, it would mark a major shift in how political leaders view the drug — which could have a huge impact on the drug&#8217;s use for medical purposes.</p>
<p>Scientists have already noted potential uses for cannabis to treat everything from <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/cbd-psychosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">psychosis</a> and <a href="https://futurism.com/study-shows-marijuana-can-effectively-treat-a-severe-and-often-fatal-epilepsy-disorder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">epilepsy</a> to <a href="https://futurism.com/a-pharmaceutical-company-is-officially-using-cannabis-to-treat-disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heart disease</a> and <a href="https://futurism.com/videos/could-cannabis-be-the-secret-to-curing-alzheimers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alzheimer&#8217;s,</a> but researching these links <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425757/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hasn&#8217;t been easy</a> given marijuana&#8217;s legal status.</p>
<p>If governments decide to revisit their cannabis laws in the wake of a UN reclassification, it might be easier for researchers to gain approval — <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5798990/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and funding</a> — for their marijuana-focused studies, meaning we could see a dramatic increase in the number of cannabis-based medical treatments in the future.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/un-proposes-removing-cannabis-from-most-dangerous-drug-category/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In Historic Announcement, the World Health Organization (WHO) Proposes Removing Cannabis From Most Dangerous Drug Category</a> [<em>Good News Network</em>]</p>
<p><em><strong>More on marijuana: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/senate-legalize-marijuana-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Senate Bill Would Legalize Marijuana Nationwide</a></strong></em></p>


If it does, the impact on public health could be massive.

WHO says UN should reclassify marijuana as less dangerous

Weed Need

The World Health Organizations recommends that the United Nations reclassify marijuana, and the move could have a major impact on public health.

WHO Says UN Should Reclassify Marijuana as Less Dangerous

The drug shouldn't be in the most restrictive category, says the WHO.

<h2>Weed Law</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/420">new bill</a> in the Senate Friday would mark a tectonic state in the United States&#8217; drug law by legalizing marijuana nationwide.</p>
<p>&#8220;The federal prohibition of marijuana is wrong, plain and simple,&#8221; said Ron Wyden, an Oregon Senator who introduced the bill, in <a href="https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-introduces-s-420-to-legalize-cannabis">a statement</a>. &#8220;Too many lives have been wasted, and too many economic opportunities have been missed.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Blaze It</h2>
<p>The new bill, called S.420 — get it? — would give the Drug Enforcement Administration 60 days to strike cannabis from its list of controlled substances. It would also institute a tax on the substance and set up a mechanism for retail permits and special labeling, like tobacco and alcohol, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/8/18217226/s-420-marijuana-bill-senate-legalization-weed">according to <em>The Verge</em></a>.</p>
<p>That would be a huge shift, because individual states have pursued cannabis legalization and decriminalization piecemeal in recent decades, but the federal government still considers it a &#8220;Schedule I&#8221; substance — along heavy duty drugs like methylenedioxymethamphetamine and heroin.</p>
<h2>Research Opportunities</h2>
<p>Legalizing marijuana would likely decrease unnecessary strain on the legal system and create new economic opportunities, according to many experts — and could be a major opportunity for research into <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/canada-legalized-cannabis-science">possible medicinal uses</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;The American people have elected the most pro-cannabis Congress in American history and significant pieces of legislation are being introduced,&#8221; said Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer, who introduced the bill in the House of Representatives alongside Wyden. &#8220;The House is doing its work and with the help of Senator Wyden’s leadership in the Senate, we will break through.&#8221;</p>
<div>
<p><em>Editor’s note Feb. 11, 2019 at 9:47 AM ET: This article has been updated to correct an error. Methylenedioxymethamphetamine is a Schedule I drug, but methamphetamine is Schedule II.</em></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/8/18217226/s-420-marijuana-bill-senate-legalization-weed">Senator introduces a bill to legalize marijuana and it’s called S.420</a> [<i>The Verge</i>]</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><em><strong>More on cannabis: </strong><a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/canada-legalized-cannabis-science">Canada Legalized Weed, and It Could Be a Huge Opportunity for Science</a></em></p>
</div>


"Too many lives have been wasted, and too many economic opportunities have been missed."

New Senate bill would legalize marijuana nationwide

Dank Law

The future of drug policy? A new bill in the Senate would mark a tectonic state in the United States' drug law by legalizing marijuana nationwide.

/Marijuana