Israel, Canada Want A Piece Of New York's Medical Marijuana

For years the United States worried about drugs crossing our borders from other countries, now it seems other countries are crossing our border to get into drugs. Namely – cannabis. While most believe that the U.S. is conservative in its approach to marijuana, the recent push for legalization has suddenly thrust America’s marketplace into a cannabis leadership position. The potential for the U.S. market is so big, that companies from other countries want in. Israel wants in on the action in New York. Marijuana is illegal in the country, but in a twist, the country is a world leader on its research into the medical uses of marijuana. Tikun Olam, which means ‘healing the world’ in Hebrew, is the only large-scale industrial producer of cannabis in Israel and operates under a license from the Israel Ministry of Health. Tikun Olam announced that it was partnering with Compassionate Care Center of New York and applying to be a Registered Organization under New York’s Compassionate Care Act. credit should read HAZEM BADER/AFP/Getty Images) Tikun Olam has the most extensive patient treatment database in the field of medical marijuana with over 10,000 patients being monitored for nearly a decade. A Tikun Olam spokesman said, “We have been waiting for the climate in America to be right for us to enter the market with pharmaceutical-grade products, and now that New York and other states have taken an FDA-styled extract-only approach, we feel we will have the greatest impact on patient health without the risks associated with a more loosely-regulated system.” If the CCC of NY gets a license from the State of New York, it will have exclusive rights to the Tikun strains which are unique and known as being the highest quality cannabis grades in the world. MedReleaf , another Canadian manufacturer of medical-grade cannabis announced it entered into an exclusive partnership with New York State Compassionate Care Center of New York. CCCNY has also applied for one of the five licenses to be awarded in New York State and while it hasn’t gotten any approvals, it has established a greenhouse in Newark, NY ready for immediate production. MedReleaf operates a 55,000 square foot facility in Markham, Ontario and is one of the largest suppliers in the Canadian market. Tikun Olam is also partnered with MedReleaf in Canada and grows some of Tikun’s proprietary strains. Canada has been very progressive in setting up its medical marijuana program and the companies there want to expand. Tilray, a leading cannabis cultivator in the country is busy sponsoring events in this country and has applied for a New York State medical marijuana license. Tilray prides itself on its product quality and ethics. The producer formed a new ethics group in Canada after it was learned that some medical marijuana producers were offering kickbacks to doctors. The Canadian Cannabis Medical Industry Association was unable to agree on a code of ethics causing Tilray to create the Canadian Medical Cannabis Council. No doubt that will look good to the Americans. The changes taking place in the US are also affecting Mexico, another long time black market partner. Marijuana seizures at the border are half of what they were five years ago. Mexican farmers are ripping up their cannabis plants and turning to subsidized tomatoes. Mexico decriminalized small amounts of pot, but hasn’t gone as far as the US in legalization. The drug cartels are switching to more expensive products like heroin and luxury strains from Colorado are in demand in Mexico according to Bloomberg and creating a reverse in the trafficking. The exchange goes both ways. Jamaica may have an established black market business, but its looking to U.S. firms to become legitimate. Jamaica only recently decriminalized marijuana, which is hard to believe that it wasn’t already legal. Any tourist to the country was usually offered ganja on the shuttle bus from the airport to their hotel. Jamaica, the biggest supplier of black market pot to the U.S., kept it illegal to make officials in this country happy. With our laws easing up, they felt like they had the green light to acknowledge that marijuana shouldn’t be punished within its country. United Cannabis Corp based in Colorado has launched a partnership with Jamaican agencies for a marijuana research and development facility. The Cannabinoid Research & Development Company is considering a headquarters in Kingston Jamaica for pharmaceutical research and with the goal to standardize strains. As the domestic cannabis growers become more established, it isn’t inconceivable they too will want to take their knowledge and experience to other markets. As the medical marijuana market matures, global partnerships will become more frequent blurring those old drug wars.

Teens Don’t Smoke More Pot After Medical Marijuana Laws Passed, Study Finds

Researchers find no measurable impact from legalization of marijuana in 21 states New research has cast serious doubts on the argument that legalization of medical marijuana would lead to more widespread use among teenagers. The study, which was published Tuesday by Columbia University researchers in the The Lancet Psychiatry, examined marijuana use among more than a million teenagers over 24 years. The researchers found no discernible impact in the 21 states that had legalized the drug for medical use. “The risk of marijuana use in states before passing medical marijuana laws did not differ significantly from the risk after medical marijuana laws were passed,” the co-authors wrote. While researchers observed no discernible change after the laws were passed, they did find drug use rates were generally higher in states that had legalized marijuana. “State-level risk factors other than medical marijuana laws could contribute to both marijuana use and the passage of medical marijuana laws, and such factors warrant investigation,” the authors concluded.

Colorado Supreme Court: Employers can fire workers for off-duty marijuana use

The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday affirmed lower courts' rulings that businesses can fire employees for the use of marijuana, even if it's for medical use and even if it's off-duty. The 6-0 decision comes nine months after the state's highest court heard oral arguments in Brandon Coats' case against Dish Network. Coats, who had a medical marijuana card and consumed pot off-duty to control muscle spasms, was fired in 2010. Coats challenged Dish and its company policy, claiming that his use was legal under state law. The firing was upheld in both trial court and the Colorado Court of Appeals. DOCUMENT: Colorado Supreme Court affirms ruling When the case went to the Colorado Supreme Court, legal observers said the case could have significant implications for employers across the state. They also noted that the ruling could be precedent-setting as Colorado and other states wrangle with adapting laws to a nascent industry that is illegal under federal law.As such, the question at hand is whether the use of medical marijuana — which is in compliance with Colorado's Medical Marijuana Amendment — is "lawful" under the state's Lawful Off-Duty Activities Statute. That term, the justices said, refers to activities lawful under both state and federal law. "Therefore, employees who engage in an activity such as medical marijuana use that is permitted by state law but unlawful under federal law are not protected by the statute," Justice Allison H. Eid wrote in the opinion. Colorado law allows employers to set their own policies on drug use. The justices' ruling would establish a legal framework in how employers tolerate medical marijuana use by workers when off the job. It also could provide clarity in recreational marijuana use. Six of the seven justices decided on the case. Justice Monica Marquez recused herself because her father, retired Senior Judge Jose D.L. Marquez, was on the Court of Appeals panel that upheld Coats' firing.