ASA Activist Newsletter
2021 Year in Review
- Federal Cannabis Developments
- States Pass New Medical and Adult-Use Laws
- PFC Program Developments
- ASA Expands Advocacy Campaigns, Member Benefits
- Activist Profiles in 2021
- Action Alert: Veterans Need Help Now
___________________________
2021 Federal Cannabis Developments
Congress Considers Legislative Reforms
In 2021, as more states embraced expanded medical cannabis programs
and adult-use access, Congress edged closer to enacting cannabis
reform legislation. ASA has been lobbying members in support of bills
that would end federal prohibition and ensure safe access and civil
protections for patients everywhere in the US.
On April 19, the House passed the bipartisan SAFE
Banking Act (HR 1996), which would allow financial institutions to
do business with state-licensed cannabis operators. That bill is
pending in the Senate.
Other bipartisan bills awaiting votes in the House or Senate
include the Marijuana
Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (HR 4325), which
would deschedule cannabis and institute programs to support
communities disproportionately harmed by the drug war. In September,
the MORE Act was approved by the House Judiciary Committee on a vote
of 26 to 15. A previous version of the MORE Act passed the House in
December 2020, but the bill was blocked in the Senate.
Also pending are the Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act (S
1183 / HR
2588) and the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2021 (HR
2916 / S
1467), as well as the Marijuana Data Collection Act (S
1456).
A more-limited bill that would also remove cannabis from federal
scheduling and resolve banking problems for cannabis businesses, the
Common
Sense Cannabis Reform for Veterans, Small Businesses, and Medical
Professionals Act (HR 3105), was introduced in the House by
Republicans David Joyce (R, OH) and Don Young (R, AK).
At the end of the year, language from some of the VA and banking
reform bills was added as amendments to the must-pass defense
appropriation bills in the House and Senate, but all were stripped
from the final budget bill in the Senate.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) insists that a comprehensive
single bill is the best option. Over the summer, Schumer and Senators
Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a
163-page “discussion draft” of just such a bill with a request for
comments. ASA’s detailed summary of the proposed Cannabis
Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) is online at www.safeaccessnow.org/caoa_summary.
ASA’s analysis concludes that the CAOA fails to meet patient needs
in its proposed form. ASA suggested substantive changes in submitted
comments. ASA recommends that federal regulators establish a federal
cannabis office and include in the proposed Advisory Committee medical
professionals who have experience treating patients with cannabis.
ASA’s comments also highlight the need for physician education and
civil protections for patients.
ASA Advises White House on Equity
In addition to providing input on the proposed Senate reform
bill, ASA responded to a White House request for comments on how
federal drug control policy has disproportionately harmed some
communities. ASA’s
advice to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
explained why medical cannabis is a social equity issue and provided
substantial recommendations on how to protect patients and ensure
affordability of cannabis medicine, as well as ways to harmonize
federal and state laws and improve state and local equity
programs.
USDA Finalizes Hemp Rules
Federal hemp regulations were finalized in February
2021 and took effect on March 22. The regulations are the result of Congress legalizing
hemp production in late 2018. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
has approved hemp cultivation plans for various states and tribes
under the licensing process established by the 2018 Farm Bill.
Still pending is a decision by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) on how to regulate CBD, which can be extracted from hemp. The
Farm Bill says low-THC hemp extracts are legal for production and
interstate commerce.
___________________________
States Pass New Medical and Adult-Use Laws
Alabama Enacts Medical Cannabis Program
In May, Alabama established a medical cannabis program when
Governor Kay Ivey signed Senate
Bill 46. Patients with medical conditions ranging from cancer and
chronic pain to depression and panic disorder can qualify to possess
up to a 70-day supply by registering with the program. Recommending
physicians must complete a 4-hour certifying course in medical
cannabis. The state will license cultivators, manufacturers and retail
dispensaries to provide safe access.
Four States Approve Adult Use
State lawmakers in Connecticut, New York, Virginia and New Mexico
all legalized cannabis for adults age 21 and older. The new laws in
New York, Virginia and New Mexico also have mechanisms for expunging
certain cannabis-related convictions.
The actions will expand medical access for patients whose
conditions are not on the qualifying lists and remove barriers for
those who are interested in trying it or have concerns about
registering with the state.
In Connecticut, adults 21 or older are now
allowed to cultivate, purchase and possess cannabis. The state
will license businesses to produce and sell cannabis products
beginning sometime after May 2022. Adults may carry up to 1.5 ounces
of cannabis, have up to 5 ounces in a secured location, and cultivate
up to three mature and three immature cannabis plants.
In New Mexico, the
new law allows anyone 21 or older to possess 2 ounces of cannabis
and cultivate 6 plants. The law went into effect June 29, but
adult-use sales will not begin until sometime in 2022. An estimated
150,000 people will have their New Mexico criminal records expunged
automatically.
In New York, the
new law also removed some restrictions in the state’s medical
cannabis program. Patients now have access to cannabis flower, can
keep double the amount of cannabis on hand, and can cultivate for
personal use. Adult-use sales are expected to begin sometime in
2022.
In Virginia, possession and use of cannabis by
adults became legal on July 1. Virginians will be able to
possess up to an ounce of cannabis and cultivate four cannabis plants.
Retail sales will not start until January 1, 2024.
Nineteen states, the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories
have made legal the nonmedical use of cannabis. Research indicates
that as many as half of cannabis consumers in those states are using
cannabis to manage medical conditions, though they are not enrolled in
medical use programs.
___________________________
PFC Program Developments
PFC Earns First Cannabis ISO Accreditation, Certifies 5 Labs
In April 2021, ASA's PFC Program achieved accreditation to the
ISO/IEC 17065:2012 standard for certifying bodies (Certificate
#5284.01), becoming the first and only compliance program to
obtain international accreditation for cannabis. This accreditation
certifies that the PFC program’s policies and procedures have been
vetted and validated by auditors from an internationally recognized
organization.
The PFC program had five labs complete or renew their certification
through PFC's agreement with A2LA. PFC is streamlining the process for
new labs who need to get ISO 17025 and wish to add the PFC
certification to their accreditation.
ISO/IEC stands
for the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Together these form the standard
setting body that has developed over 23,752 standards, including those
for management systems, quality management, information security
management, information technology, and occupational health and
safety.
Third party certifications are common in many legal industries and
markets, and governments often use them to ensure the safety of
products and services. PFC standards
incorporate all state, federal and international cannabis and product
laws and regulations.
PFC Launches New and Updated Trainings
In February, PFC updated the Maryland State
Compliance training course along with the Business Operations
course. The Maryland
State Training is available in the a la carte section of PFC’s training
website.
In July, PFC expanded its state compliance training courses with a
new one for Illinois. PFC was approved in September
by the Illinois Department of Finance and Professional Regulation
(IDFPR) to be part of the state’s Responsible
Vendor Program.
In October, the PFC program was approved by the New
York Department of Health as part of the Cannabinoid Hemp GMP
Certifier program. All hemp processors must obtain GMP certification
prior to releasing products for sale and PFC has been approved to
provide that certification.
PFC also updated all four National Cannabis
Standards training classes (Cultivation, Manufacturing,
Dispensary, and Laboratory) in 2021. These courses provide an overview
of best practices for each operation type and complement the updates
made to the three Core Cannabis Training classes in 2020.
PFC Releases Robbery Guide
PFC released a new guide in 2021 to help businesses mitigate the
risks of robberies. PFC's Robbery
Preparedness Guide was released in December due to a spike in
robberies hitting cannabis businesses across the US. The guide aids
businesses in developing plans to stay safe during robberies and adopt
policies to help prevent robberies and burglaries.
PFC Creates Risk Committee, Adds to Review Board
PFC established a Risk Management Committee in 2021 whose purpose
is to identify risks to the program's impartiality and
confidentiality. As an independent program, PFC must identify factors
that could affect the impartiality of assessments and implement
policies and procedures to prevent those risk.
PFC also added new members to the PFC Review Board. New members are
Holly Johnson, PhD, chief scientific officer for the American Herbal
Products Association; Eric Strong, an expert in finance and research;
Chris Day, founder of Project Evolve; Elan Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist
Labs; and Deborah Miran, former commissioner of the Maryland Medical
Cannabis Commission. The PFC Review Board is tasked with approving or
denying certifications and ensuring that the program is operating
according to its policies and procedures.
PFC Events
PFC participated in a number of events in 2021, including
ASA’s Unity Conference, the Cannabis Science Conference,
MJBizCon, and the ASTM D37 conference. PFC
also provided free COVID safety
training to National Expungement Week volunteers who
help community members expunge criminal records for cannabis in states
that have legalized it.
___________________________
ASA Expands Advocacy Campaigns, Member Benefits
ASA Holds 2021 Unity Conference Online
ASA held its 9th annual National Medical Cannabis Unity conference
online in April 2021, due to the pandemic. The theme was No
Patient Left Behind.
Highlights of panels
and presentations from the conference include removing barriers to
housing, healthcare and employment; kids and cannabis; controlling
cannabis cost; federal standards for testing; changing federal law;
and addressing veterans’ issues.
All the information and videos are available online in ASA’s Unity
2021 Program Guide. See the Unity 2021 presentations free at safeaccessnow.org/watch.
ASA Partners with CannaKeys on Research, Members Get Discount
Better patient research is the goal of a new partnership between
ASA and CannaKeys. ASA and CannaKeys will be working together on
educational activities to help accelerate the use and safe adoption of
cannabinoid therapeutics.
CannaKeys platforms
and services support education on the cannabinoid health sciences and
the effective and consistent use of these therapies. The CannaKeys
360° platform provides easy access to over 3,500 cannabis related
studies across 240+ medical conditions.
As part of the partnership, ASA members receive a 30% discount on
the CannaKeys 360 platform.
ASA Providing Content to Cannabis Patient Care, Members
Get Access
ASA is providing educational content and articles focused on
patient and advocate experiences for Cannabis Patient
Care™, a leading multimedia platform dedicated to advancing
medical research, education, and treatment in the cannabis
industry. Cannabis Patient Care™ will interview advocates at
ASA chapters and highlight legalization efforts and ASA’s work to
improve patient access.
As part of the new partnership, all ASA members get free access
to Cannabis Patient Care™. ASA members will receive an email
with links to the publication. ASA membership information is available
at www.safeaccessnow.org/membership.
ASA Hosts Webinar on Cannabis and Cancer
As part of patient education, ASA
hosted a free webinar in collaboration with Holistic Caring on how
cannabis can help people living with cancer.
The webinar with the founder of Holistic Caring, Elizabeth Mack,
RN, and ASA Executive Director Debbie Churgai covers how cannabis can
be a tool to better manage conventional cancer treatment side effects.
It also discusses the pre-clinical research on cannabinoids as
anti-tumor agents and how cannabis can help patients find wholeness in
body-mind-spirit.
The recorded webinar is available to view free online at www.safeaccessnow.org/cancer21_video.
ASA Helps Healthcare Centers Comply with New Law
In December, ASA launched a campaign to ensure all healthcare
facilities in California know terminal patients now have a right to
use cannabis on site. The campaign supports implementation of “Ryan’s
Law” (SB311), which went into effect January 1, 2022.
ASA sent its Ryan’s Law implementation guide to more than 2,000
California healthcare
facilities. It includes a summary of the law, sample policies and
documents, and standard operating procedures to aid in their
compliance.
ASA has also created resources for physicians and
their patients to
help navigate the new law, including information on patient
requirements, links to sample written recommendations, and CME courses
on cannabis. For patients who encounter facilities refusing to comply,
ASA has set up an online reporting
system and a designated email account [email protected].
Ryan’s law was passed in honor of Ryan Bartell after lobbying by
his father and other patient advocates. Bartell wanted to use cannabis
to control his cancer pain, but his hospital refused to allow it.
ASA Events
ASA staff participated in events nationwide in 2021, including
MJBizCon, White Label Expo, Cannabis Science Conference, the National
Cannabis Festival, and several webinars and podcasts. Many more are
planned for 2022.
On January 19, ASA's Director of Government Affairs Abbey Roudebush
will be providing a Continuing Legal Education webinar for the
International Cannabis Bar Association. Her presentation will focus on
ASA's annual State of the States report that analyzes the
implementation of medical cannabis laws in each US state and
territory. Registration for the CLE webinar is free to ICBA
members or $30 for the public.
___________________________
Activist Profiles in 2021
Each month, ASA highlights a medical cannabis activist or group to
show the diversity of advocates and the roles they play in achieving
safe access.
February: Pennsylvania State Rep Chris
Rabb. Many elected officials have stepped forward to
champion more sensible laws and policies that respect the experiences
and needs of medical cannabis patients. Very few are willing to say
that those laws and policies apply to them. Pennsylvania State
Representative Christopher M. Rabb is one of the courageous
few....
March: Katree Saunders, Las Vegas,
Nevada. For anyone who believes that passing adult-use laws fixes
problems for patients, that medical cannabis use doesn’t get anyone in
trouble, or that being a patient can’t cause problems for people,
Katree Saunders is here to tell you different....
April: Nikki Lawley, Buffalo, New
York. It was just a routine vaccination. As a pediatric
nurse, Nikki Lawley had done more than she could count, but the child
turned combative and suddenly head-butted her, snapping her head back
against the wall. She sustained a serious neck and brain injury.
Headaches, memory loss, insomnia, mood disturbance, anxiety and
depression took control of her life....
May: Philippe Lucas PhD, Victoria,
Canada. When Philippe Lucas got a hepatitis C diagnosis as a
college student in 1995 he could not have imagined it would put him on
a path to becoming a groundbreaking patient advocate and being named
ASA’s 2021 Cannabis Researcher of the Year....
June: Michelle Herman,
Needham, Massachusetts. Already the mother of a young son,
Michelle Herman was excited to discover she was pregnant with a girl.
She’d had a girl’s name, “Zoey,” picked out since she was 13. She had
no way to know that her daughter would inspire her to become a fierce
advocate for medical cannabis....
July: Mike Graglia, Palo
Alto, California. The seizures began when Tony was 3. After an
initial diagnosis of epilepsy, Mike Graglia learned the next year that
what his son has is a rare disease called Syngap that affects about
200 people in the U.S. Named for the SYNGAP1 gene, the disease affects
brain development and produces epilepsy, autism, intellectual
disability and a range of life-long developmental disabilities....
August: Deb McCauley,
Sarasota, Florida. Deb McCauley had been a medical professional
for more than two decades, and had juggled her own seizure medications
for nearly as long, when a friend approached her in the summer of 2018
with an alternative she’d not considered....
September: Jamie Lowell,
Detroit, Michigan. After more than a dozen years as a cannabis
activist in Michigan, Jamie Lowell has seen the environment in his
state evolve dramatically, but some things remain the same. Threats to
safe access continue to emerge, and the diverse cannabis stakeholders
and advocacy groups in the state still come together to combat
them....
October: Michelle J.
Wright, Maryland. Why would a senior healthcare
executive, business consultant, and community leader seek a graduate
pharmacy degree focused on cannabis? The love of a son with severe
autism was the answer for Michelle Wright....
November: Robert Head,
Dallas, Texas. Six years ago, Robert Head, a veteran of multiple
tours in Iraq with the U.S. Army Infantry, was having a hard time with
pain in his knees and feet. To manage it, he was taking painkillers,
including 10-15 ibuprofen each day, and drinking a fifth of whiskey.
But he knew it wasn’t sustainable....
December: Chris Conrad &
Mikki Norris, SF Bay Area, California. The San Francisco
Bay Area holds a place in history as the center of grassroots
organizing that made medical cannabis legal. Among the committed
activists who propelled that movement are Chris Conrad and Mikki
Norris, a couple who have each contributed their ideas and talents in
a wide variety of ways, including working with Americans for Safe
Access.
___________________________
ACTION ALERT: Veterans Need Help Now
Cannabis can treat a number of conditions that disproportionately affect
those who have served in the armed forces, yet the policy of the
Veterans Administration prohibits VA doctors from recommending it.
Several members of Congress have called on the VA to remove this
barrier to safe access, but your voice is needed, too.
Take a minute to urge VA Secretary Denis McDonough to change that
policy now. Send a message today at www.safeaccessnow.org/bidenva
___________________________
Download a PDF of this newsletter to print and
share!
