The Cannabis Wire Daily newsletter is sent to C-Wire Plus subscribers every weekday morning at 7 a.m. Excerpts are published here later in the day. Don’t miss the full picture. Subscribe now.
DEA proposes “significant increases” in production of cannabis, extracts for research.
A new Federal Register notice highlights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s proposed increase in several substances, including cannabis, “which are directly related to increased interest by DEA registrants in the use of hallucinogenic controlled substances for research and clinical trial purposes.”
“DEA firmly believes in supporting regulated research of schedule I controlled substances,” the notice reads. “Therefore, the [Aggregate Production Quota] increases reflect the need to fulfill research and development requirements in the production of new drug products, and the study of marijuana effects in particular, as necessary steps toward potential Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of new drug products.”
California provides grants to increase cultivator compliance.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recently announced that it will accept proposals for new grants through its Cannabis Restoration Grant Program.
The grants are funded by the state’s Environmental Restoration and Protection Account, and must go toward “the cleanup, remediation, and restoration of environmental damage in watersheds affected by cannabis cultivation and related activities, and to support local partnerships for this purpose.”
Jeremy Valverde, the Department’s cannabis program director, said that the grants could help to move cultivators from provisional licenses to annual licenses; right now, the majority of licensees in the state are in the provisional stage, due in part to various compliance hurdles and bottlenecks.
“We expect our new qualified cultivator program will help with remediation projects that may be unaffordable for many smaller cultivators, and also promote environmentally sustainable practices,” Valverde said in the announcement.
Humboldt County’s economic development specialist, Peggy Murphy, called the grants “a great opportunity to assist our local small cannabis farms in overcoming the financial barriers that many face on the road to compliance.”
California regulators move to consolidate cannabis rules.
The newly-formed Department of Cannabis Control released “proposed emergency regulations” to “create a single set of regulations for commercial cannabis activity in California.”
This follows the consolidation of cannabis regulation by multiple entities (Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Food and Agriculture, Department of Public Health) into this newly formed Department earlier this year.
The proposed regulations focus on “aligning license application requirements, ownership and financial interest of a cannabis business, and establishing uniform terminology and definitions across license types,” according to the announcement.
“Today’s action reflects the Governor’s commitment and our ongoing effort to streamline requirements for California cannabis businesses and simplify participation in the legal, regulated market,” said DCC director Nicole Elliott. “Many of the proposed changes are the direct result of feedback received during consolidation.”
