That is the finding of a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan that was published in JAMA Network Open last week. 

The researchers contacted 1,724 adults, 96% of whom (1,661) completed the full survey. 

Among them, “31.0%…of adults with chronic pain reported having ever used cannabis to manage their pain; 25.9%… reported using cannabis to manage their chronic pain in the past 12 months, and 23.2%… reported using cannabis in the past 30 days,” the researchers wrote. 

The researchers said that “more than half of adults who used cannabis to manage their chronic pain reported that use of cannabis led them to decrease use of prescription opioid, prescription nonopioid, and over-the-counter pain medications, and less than 1% reported that use of cannabis increased their use of these medications.” 

“Fewer than half of respondents reported that cannabis use changed their use of nonpharmacologic pain treatments,” they wrote in their findings. “Among adults with chronic pain in this study, 38.7% reported that their used of cannabis led to decreased use of physical therapy (5.9% reported it led to increased use), 19.1% reported it led to decreased use of meditation (23.7% reported it led to increased use), and 26.0% reported it led to decreased used of cognitive behavioral therapy (17.1% reported it led to increased use).” 

Thirty-seven states in the U.S. have medical cannabis programs on the books. Among adults living with chronic pain in those states, “3 in 10 persons reported using cannabis to manage their pain,” according to the new study.

“Most persons who used cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain reported substituting cannabis in place of other pain medications including prescription opioids. The high degree of substitution of cannabis with both opioid and nonopioid treatment emphasizes the importance of research to clarify the effectiveness and potential adverse consequences of cannabis for chronic pain,” the researchers wrote. “Our results suggest that state cannabis laws have enabled access to cannabis as an analgesic treatment despite knowledge gaps in use as a medical treatment for pain. Limitations include the possibility of sampling and self-reporting biases, although NORC AmeriSpeak uses best-practice probability-based recruitment, and changes in pain treatment from other factors (eg, forced opioid tapering).” 

The findings serve as another source of encouragement for advocates who hope patients continue to seek treatment from cannabis, rather than highly addictive prescription drugs. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “more than 564,000 people died from overdoses involving any opioid, including prescription and illicit opioids, from 1999-2020.”

The CDC says that the “rise in opioid overdose deaths can be outlined in three distinct waves.”

“The first wave began with increased prescribing of opioids in the 1990s, with overdose deaths involving prescription opioids (natural and semi-synthetic opioids and methadone) increasing since at least 1999,” according to the CDC. “The second wave began in 2010, with rapid increases in overdose deaths involving heroin. The third wave began in 2013, with significant increases in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, particularly those involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl. The market for illicitly manufactured fentanyl continues to change, and it can be found in combination with heroin, counterfeit pills, and cocaine.”

Mark Bicket, one of the authors of the new study who also serves as assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and co-director of the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network, said that the “fact that patients report substituting cannabis for pain medications so much underscores the need for research on the benefits and risk of using cannabis for chronic pain.”

The post Study: A Quarter of People With Chronic Pain Use Cannabis appeared first on High Times.

Michigan Advance reports that Whitmer said in her veto letter to the Legislature on Dec. 22 that the bills “were rushed through a lame duck session and need closer examination.”

Whitmer vetoed a few Republican-sponsored medical cannabis bills that would have made some changes to the processing and distribution of cannabis.

Rep. Roger Hauck (R – Union Township) introduced two bills that were vetoed: House Bill 5871, which would have amended state law to ease access to medical cannabis products, making them easier to be transferred from one facility to another. HB 5871 would also prohibit a background check of an applicant’s spouse under certain circumstances. 

House Bill 5965, on the other hand, would have updated some language and definitions in the state’s Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act, such as the title for the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA).

Another medical cannabis-related bill was vetoed. House Bill 5839, introduced by Rep. Pat Outman (R – Six Lakes), would have prevented the CRA from denying a person a license to sell cannabis based on their spouse’s job, including if their spouse works for the state or federal government.

“I look forward to working with the new Legislature in January on priorities that will continue our economic momentum, help lower costs, and expand education supports for Michigan students. It is time to be serious about solving problems and getting things done that will make working families’ lives better right now,” Whitmer wrote in her veto letter last month. 

Several other bills were vetoed such as bill package HB 4263–4266, which would have required that retirement systems for public school employees, state employees, judges, and state police to pay off debt over time in equal installments.

HB 4188, introduced by Rep. Thomas Albert (R – Lowell), would have amended the state’s Public School Employees Retirement Act. Several other bills were vetoed as well.

Michigan’s Cannabis Industry

The governor doesn’t want rushed bills coming to her desk. Part of the concern may be due to other nagging problems, despite production taking off into high numbers. Politico reports, for example, that the number of Michigan cannabis plants is roughly six times the volume seen in 2020, causing a serious oversupply problem.

The price of cannabis in the Michigan adult-use market plunged about 75%, from nearly $400 an ounce to less than $100 over the past two years. That drop in price triggered some industry officials to call for a moratorium on cultivation licenses.

MLive reports that 2022 was a good year for customers, on the other hand, who are paying prices much lower than normal this year. 

According to November 2022 numbers, the average retail cost for an ounce of cannabis plummeted to a record low of $95 with some strains falling to near $60 per ounce in retail cannabis stores.

Retail cannabis sales are doing fantastic—on track to surpass $2 billion in annual tax revenue.

Last August, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer replaced outgoing former Cannabis Regulatory Agency Director Andrew Brisbo, who helped launch the state’s adult-use marijuana in December 2019, with Director Brian Hanna.

This year, the Democratic party is in control of both the Michigan House and Senate in Michigan’s Legislature. 2023 marks the first year Democrats will hold the majority since 1984. Michigan’s House is adjourned until Wednesday, Jan. 11.

The post Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Vetoes Several Medical Cannabis Bills appeared first on High Times.

The licenses were issued after U.S. District Court Judge Bernard Friedman on Wednesday morning denied a request to postpone the issuing of cannabis retailer licenses. The judge’s decision was made in a lawsuit challenging Detroit’s licensing regulations, which include provisions to encourage ownership in the regulated marijuana industry by local residents and those harmed by decades of marijuana prohibition.

“Our goal from the day voters approved the sale of adult-use marijuana was to make sure we had a city ordinance and a process in place that provides fair and equitable access to these licenses and the courts have affirmed that we’ve done just that,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement on Thursday.

Recreational Pot Legalized In Michigan In 2018

Following the approval of a 2018 statewide ballot measure to legalize adult-use cannabis, licensed sales of recreational marijuana began in some Michigan cities in December 2019. An ordinance to regulate adult-use cannabis sales was passed in Detroit last year, but legal challenges led a federal judge to rule that the measure was “likely unconstitutional.” 

An amended ordinance was subsequently unveiled by the city council in February. A lawsuit was filed again, with plaintiffs arguing that the city’s cannabis ordinance unfairly favored longtime residents. The Plaintiffs in the case had asked Friedman to pause the licensing process while the case was decided, but the judge denied that request on Wednesday.

“I am thankful for Judge Friedman’s wisdom in ruling today against the Temporary Restraining Order that would have again prevented Detroit from moving forward with our current Adult-Use Marijuana Ordinance,” Council President Pro-Tem James Tate said about the judge’s decision.

“We make sure we do the right thing,” Tate, who led the drafting of the ordinance, said at a press conference Thursday morning. “I’ve always said — and I’ve been told — if you do the right thing, everything will work out. It may not happen exactly when you want it to or not always how you want it to, but eventually, it’ll work out.”

The city issued a total of 33 licenses for adult-use cannabis retailers on Thursday. Twenty of the licenses were issued to so-called social equity applicants, including people who live in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition policies and those with certified Detroit legacy status who currently live in Detroit or another disproportionately impacted community. The remaining 13 licenses for cannabis retailers issued on Thursday were awarded to non-equity businesses.

A total of 90 applications were received by the city for the 60 adult-use cannabis retailer licenses available in the first round of dispensary licensing, but city officials said that only 33 of the applicants met the requirements for the highly coveted permits. The city also received several licenses for cannabis microbusinesses and consumption lounges, but regulators have not yet issued those types of licenses. Detroit regulators began issuing licenses for cannabis growers and processors in April. 

“The recreational marijuana industry has tremendous potential to generate wealth in income for our city, as well as personal and generational wealth for those who participate,” said Detroit Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison.

City leaders plan to hold at least two more rounds of retail cannabis dispensary licensing, with the next round opening as soon as next month with city council approval, according to Anthony Zander, director of Detroit’s Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity. The city will award up to 30 additional retail licenses, 20 microbusiness licenses and 20 consumption lounge licenses in the next round.

Although the federal judge decided against putting a halt to issuing the first adult-use dispensary licenses, Tate said the city should be prepared for more legal action.

“By no means is the so-called battle over,” he said. “We’ve already been told that we’re going to get sued again. We know that’s the nature of this game.”

The post Detroit Awards First Recreational Dispensary Licenses appeared first on High Times.

The Detroit News reported that Brian Hanna, the acting director of the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency, told assembled media that “the agency is planning actions that will expose bad actors and serve as a warning to other regulated businesses.”

“If there’s anybody cutting corners or cheating, we want to expose that and take a strong enforcement approach on that,” Hanna told reporters, as quoted by the Detroit News.

The publication reported that some of the issues the regulatory agency intends to address are “proper tagging and registering of marijuana products in the statewide system and proper maintenance of required cameras — both requirements that, if abandoned, allow for a proliferation of illegal weed in regulated facilities and snarl state efforts to identify it.”

Hanna, who took over as acting director of the agency in September following the resignation of Andrew Brisbo in August, told reporters on Tuesday that “his focus over the first 90 days as acting director is to engage stakeholders to better understand what’s working in the industry and what isn’t, and to crack down on illicit cannabis products in the market, including marijunana that is grown and processed in other states,” according to the Detroit News. He also said that the “the department is hiring six new regulatory agents, two inspectors, two analysts and a laboratory specialist, is planning more unannounced inspections and is taking a second look at the department’s current operating procedures as it emerges from the pandemic, when the agency had pulled back much of its field staff.”

Michigan voters legalized recreational cannabis use when they approved a ballot measure in 2018. Adult-use marijuana sales began in late 2019. 

Earlier this year, the state consolidated the regulatory bodies overseeing the the processing and distribution of cannabis there, which resulted in the newly created Cannabis Regulatory Agency. 

Prior to the restructuring, hemp was regulated by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), while the Marijuana Regulatory Agency handled cannabis.

Now, the Cannabis Regulatory Agency oversees both.

“Consolidating multiple government functions into the newly named Cannabis Regulatory Agency will help us continue growing our economy and creating jobs,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in announcing the changes in February. “And to be blunt-safe, legal cannabis entrepreneurship, farming and consumption helps us put Michiganders first by directing the large windfall of tax revenue from this new industry to make bigger, bolder investments in local schools, roads, and first responders.” 

Earlier this month, the Cannabis Regulatory Agency issued a 30-day suspension of a marijuana retailer in Detroit, after it conducted “an unannounced compliance visit at the licensed provisioning center and observed multiple bags, backpacks, and duffle bags of suspected marijuana products that did not have the tracking identification numbers assigned by the statewide monitoring system (METRC) attached.”

After advising the retailer to “not to sell or destroy the untagged products until the investigation was completed and until guidance was given,” regulators returned “to the provisioning center facility and inquired about the untagged marijuana products,” only to discover that the remaining untagged products had been destroyed. 

“The Cannabis Regulatory Agency has a legal responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public,” said agency spokesman David Harns. “Our licensees must follow all of the rules and laws that govern the cannabis industry. Untagged marijuana products and the inability to provide video footage is simply unacceptable.”

The post Michigan Cannabis Regulator Plans Crackdown on Illicit Products appeared first on High Times.

In June 2021, a lawsuit concluded with an opinion from U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman stating that the city of Detroit’s process of obtaining an adult-use cannabis license was “unconstitutional” and “gives an unfair, irrational and likely unconstitutional advantage to long-term Detroit residents over all other applicants.” The most recent lawsuit claims that “…Detroit has essentially rebranded the ‘legacy’ program’ as a ‘social equity’ program.”

The result of that case caused a delay in the processing of recreational cannabis applications, and the city revised the rules later that year in November 2021.

However, the newest lawsuit claims that the revised ordinance did not solve the problems. “While Detroit alleges that its new cannabis ordinance cures the constitutional deficiencies found by Judge Friedman, the … (ordinance) remains ‘far more protectionist than it is equitable,'” the new lawsuit states, quoting Judge Friedman’s original statement from 2021.

According to the Detroit Free Press, one example was provided to illustrate the issues with the ordinance in its current form. Plaintiff Arden Kassab lived in Pontiac for “many years,” which is an area that is both negatively affected by the War on Drugs, and they also have a cannabis conviction. However, Kassab no longer lives in Pontiac and no longer qualifies under the current rules.

Similarly, plaintiff PharmaCo (a subsidiary of Red White & Bloom) can’t currently obtain a recreational license because “it must divest itself of substantial real property or business ownership interests in order to obtain social-equity points needed to compete,” the Detroit Free Press states.

The revised ordinance set aside half of the licenses to be reserved for “equity applicants,” such as those who are current residents in the city, as well as those who live in specific areas of Michigan that have higher cannabis convictions, and also where 20% of the population lives below the poverty line, according to federal standards. Previously, the ordinance reserved half of the licenses for “legacy Detroiters,” or people who have been residents in Detroit for a specific amount of time.

Although Michigan legalized recreational cannabis in November 2018, the city of Detroit didn’t approve adult-use sales until November 2020. The first lawsuit arrived less than one year later in June, followed by the revision release in November 2021. The ordinance took effect in April 2022, but in May a new lawsuit (from House of Dank) emerged to address concerns about conflicts with state law. Another lawsuit (from JARS Cannabis) arrived in June claiming that the ordinance violated state law.

By August, both of the lawsuits were dismissed. On Aug. 30, Wayne County Judge Leslie Kim Smith wrote in an opinion stating that the ordinance was fair. “Although the city’s 2022 marijuana ordinance is a complicated scheme, it is unambiguous and provides a fair licensing process, which comports with the mandates of the MRTMA [Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act],” Smith wrote.

Applications for adult-use licenses opened on Sept. 1, 2022 and closes on Oct. 8. In a statement, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan expressed his confidence in the ordinance. “We are going to make sure there is equity in this process for Detroiters.”

Likewise, City Council President Pro Tem James Tate told CBS News Detroit in early September that the process has been lengthy, but the ordinance is fair. “Getting to this point has been an overly protracted process dating back to 2020 when the first ordinance was unanimously approved by Detroit City Council,” said Tate. “Now with the lawsuits and the failed ballot initiatives seeking to overturn our ordinance behind us, Detroiters and other equity applicants will have a fair opportunity to compete for adult-use licenses in a city that welcomes all to participate in the multi-million-dollar adult-use cannabis industry.”

The post New Lawsuit Challenges Adult-Use Ordinance in Detroit appeared first on High Times.

One lawsuit was originally filed by House of Dank (which owns four dispensaries) in May, and argued against the ordinance’s rule that prevents medical cannabis dispensaries from applying for a recreational cannabis dispensary license until 2027.

Wayne County Judge Leslie Kim Smith on Aug. 30, who presided over House of Dank v. City of Detroit, wrote about the ruling in his opinion. “Although the city’s 2022 marijuana ordinance is a complicated scheme, it is unambiguous and provides a fair licensing process, which comports with the mandates of the MRTMA [Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act],” Smith stated.

Additionally, Detroit City Spokesperson John Roach said that “the law department is reviewing the recent rulings and we will know more about the licensing process and application timeline in the next couple of days,” according to the Detroit Free Press.

Detroit’s first round of recreational applications were set to begin on Aug. 1, but Judge Smith issued a restraining order that prevented Detroit city officials from proceeding.

The second lawsuit was issued on June 3 by JARS Cannabis, which owns two dispensaries in Detroit, and more throughout the state. The lawsuit claimed that it violates state law, and presented issues with the city’s scoring system.

Recreational cannabis sales began in Michigan in December 2019, but the city of Detroit didn’t introduce its ordinance to allow recreational cannabis sales until November 2020. Now with the resolution of the two lawsuits that were putting the plans on hold, those who want to apply for a license to operate a dispensary, microbusiness, or consumption lounge, can do so as of Sept. 1.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan spoke at a press conference on Aug. 30, explaining how the last two years of litigation has slowed Detroit’s progress. He described medical cannabis being “controlled by wealthy folks who don’t live in the city, and Detroiters have not benefited from it. Since the beginning, Councilman [James] Tate has said we want recreational marijuana businesses in the city but not if that means Detroiters are going to be excluded.”

Duggan also expressed his confidence that the system is fair. “Everyone is entitled to apply tomorrow but we are going to make sure there is equity,” Duggan said. 

Registration is open between Sept. 1 and Oct. 1 through homegrowndetroit.org. During the first phase, 60 licenses are available (40 dispensaries, consumption lounges, and 10 microbusinesses. Half of these licenses will be awarded to social equity applicants, which are individuals who either living in “any community where marijuana-related convictions are greater than the state of Michigan median and where 20% or more of the population is living below the poverty line.”

Later on, 100 more retail licenses, 30 consumption lounge licenses, and 30 microbusiness licenses will become available, spread out in three phases.

Councilman James Tate was also at the press event. “The city’s 2022 marijuana ordinance is unambiguous and provides a fair licensing scheme,” Tate said, reading out a portion of the opinion written by Judge Smith.

In his own words, Tate also spoke about the future of cannabis in Detroit. “I am excited that we are on the verge of having Detroiters and other equity applicants having a fair process that will allow them to participate in this multimillion-dollar industry. It is complicated, it is challenging, but it is now possible and that’s the beauty of this fight.”

The post Applications for Recreational Cannabis Licenses Open in Detroit appeared first on High Times.

Nash’s new strain and collaboration was first announced at the GCW Notorious show, E Wrestling News and Wrestling Headlines reported last January. You can hear Nash talk about the new endeavor on his podcast, KLIQ This.

Jackknife, (Creamsicle x Soñando) his signature strain, is the result of narrowing down some of HYMAN‘s marquee genetics. Soñando has a citrus, orange, and berry flavor profile, and Creamsicle tastes exactly how you’d expect it to. HYMAN’s Head Cultivator Rabid Hippie oversees the Michigan-based cultivator’s 30,000 square feet of canopy space.

Nash is notorious for his own versions of the jackknife maneuver. In his heyday, Nash perfected the “Jackknife Powerbomb,” an enhanced version of a powerbomb that sees the opponent thrown forward and then down—one way to finish the job. But all of the physical strain that goes into wrestling takes its toll, and that’s where cannabis comes in.

“My signature move: Jackknife Power Bomb, my finishing maneuver, is fitting for my strain partnership with HYMAN cannabis as I feel it accurately represents the strength and potency of the flower,” Nash tells High Times. “When you’re being Jackknifed, you’re not in control over the situation.

“Turning my pain into passion, I have become very familiar with cannabis and the one thing I find to be most important is quality,” Nash adds. “HYMAN cultivators have achieved a level of quality that is like nothing else I’ve tried—everything HYMAN does is by design and I am excited to hear what fans think when they try it.” 

Six-time world champion, five as the WCW World Heavyweight Champion and one as the WWF Champion, as well as 12-time world tag team champion, Nash has taken home some 21 or so championships during his tenure in pro wrestling.

You may have seen Nash in films like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Magic Mike, John Wick, Rock of Ages, Longest Yard, and Punisher (2004). Nash also played D1 college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers. Later, he joined the Army after watching the movie Stripes. He was honorably discharged, leading him to go back into basketball until a “career-ending” knee injury finished off his professional athletic career.

Nash will be making appearances at select Michigan dispensaries, so you can try the Jackknife, or get an autograph. The two-day signing tour will make stops at the following Michigan dispensaries:

Friday, September 2
URB Monroe 11:00 am – 12:00 pm 
JARS River Rouge 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm 
Bazonzoes Walled Lake 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm 
PUFF Utica 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm 
Dispo Romeo 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Saturday, September 3
Cloud Utica 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm 
Joyology Centerline 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm 
JARS Centerline 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm 
House of Dank Centerline 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
PUFF Madison Heights 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

The Jackknife strain drops in Michigan on Friday, September 2, and will be available in a 3.5G Pre-Pack (Eighth) and 1G Handcraft (Glass Tip Joint) in select dispensaries.

The post Kevin Nash To Debut Strain on Dispensary Tour in Michigan appeared first on High Times.

The new all-star brand was first announced on August 11. Players Only will feature an array of strains, cannabis oil cartridges, pre-rolls, vapes, as well as sport recovery and performance products. Players Only will also roll out branded apparel and footwear.

Last March, TerrAscend secured exclusive retail rights for Players Only products in Michigan through the acquisition of Gage Growth Corp, securing the way for the brand to drop.

“Players Only is more than a cannabis brand—it’s a lifestyle brand,” Webber said. “We truly have a unique opportunity to change the narrative around cannabis, empower rising entrepreneurs and set a new standard in this growing industry. We’re thrilled to launch our versatile offerings and begin the process of creating meaningful economic change in communities across Michigan. Shout out to TerrAscend and Gage—our Michigan family. Much love to Cookies and Berner, let’s go!”

In October of last year, Webber unveiled a cannabis facility in Detroit complete with a cultivation facility, dispensary, and private consumption lounge. The 180,000 square foot Players Only facility was named the Webber Wellness Compound.

The first strains to roll out include C4, Time Out, and G.O.A.T.’s Milk, as well as Non-Laters and Whipped Cherries. Later on, the brand will roll out additional strains including Blueberry Hotcakes and Ray Jackson’s Black Sox within weeks. While C4 can give off a hashy, Afghani-like appeal, G.O.A.T.’s Milk leans more sativa with a balanced amount of THC and CBD, according to reviewers. Whipped Cherries, on the other hand, tastes exactly how you’d expect it to.

“We have been working with legacy cultivators and operators seeking to establish their place in the regulated market for quite some time,” said Lavetta Willis, co-founder and President of Players Only. “The opportunity to incorporate legacy strains and expertise into the Players Only platform and menu furthers our goal of uplifting black entrepreneurs who have been building brands and intellectual properties for decades.”

The brand also announced a partnership with Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan to launch Compliments of the Chef and his partnership with Citizen Grown. Another collaboration involves Hassim Robinson and Winner’s Circle Genetics, to bring the PB&J strain as well as Quavo’s BIRKINZ to Michigan’s cannabis market. Detroit’s legacy brand “Lil Stupid” will also launch for the first time in the adult-use market while Detroit’s own Royce da 5’9″ will roll-out his “Heaven” brand as part of an NFT. Webber’s former Sacramento Kings teammate Jason Williams will also unveil the White Chocolate strain.

Webber recently appointed Matt Barnes, former NBA star and teammate, as Chief Collaborations Officer while launching “The Smoke” with his partner and co-host, Stephen Jackson. The offering’s name is a nod to Barnes’ and Jackson’s award-winning SHOWTIME series, “All The Smoke.”

The “All the Smoke” podcast features “the brash and unapologetic NBA champions, delivers authentic, unfiltered perspective on the most polarizing topics in and around the game of basketball, including culture, social justice, politics, music and more.”

Episodes of “All the Smoke” drop each Thursday.

The launch of the brand will kick off with a limited edition brand collaboration with the Players Only x Packwoods 2.5-gram Blunt, which will be available in select stores. Learn more at the Players Only website.

The post Chris Webber Launches New Strains With ‘Players Only’ appeared first on High Times.

Andrew Brisbo, who has served as executive director of the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency since 2019, will be leaving the role to take a new position at the state’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, the Detroit Free Press reported on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer confirmed the moves to the Free Press.

“We are proud of the incredible team at the Cannabis Regulatory Agency for establishing Michigan as one of the top cannabis markets in the country,” Bobby Leddy, a spokesperson for the governor, told the newspaper in a statement.

Brisbo has led the agency since its inception. In 2019, as the state prepared for the launch of the recreational pot market, Whitmer consolidated the state’s regulation of cannabis under one singular entity: the Cannabis Regulatory Agency.

Brisbo was appointed to head the new agency after previously serving as director of the Bureau of Marijuana Regulation, which the CRA replaced.

“Andrew will be critical in determining and achieving solutions as we develop new marijuana regulations in Michigan,” Whitmer said in a statement at the time, as quoted by the Detroit Free Press. “He brings a wealth of expert knowledge on this subject, which will be essential through this implementation process while protecting Michigan residents.”  

Michigan voters legalized medical cannabis in 2008; ten years later, they did the same for recreational pot use.

As the Free Press reported in 2019, Whitmer created the singular regulatory agency “to better coordinate the medical marijuana market…with the adult-use recreational,” which launched in early 2020.

The agency was renamed from the Marijuana Regulatory Agency to the Cannabis Regulatory Agency in February and was charged with the task of regulating “the processing, distribution, and sale of both hemp and marijuana going forward.”

“Consolidating multiple government functions into the newly named Cannabis Regulatory Agency will help us continue growing our economy and creating jobs,” Whitmer, a Democrat, said in a statement at the time. “And to be blunt-safe, legal cannabis entrepreneurship, farming and consumption helps us put Michiganders first by directing the large windfall of tax revenue from this new industry to make bigger, bolder investments in local schools, roads, and first responders.”

Whitmer’s office said the restructuring, which came via the governor’s executive order, would “allow for a more effective, efficient administration and enforcement of Michigan laws regulating cannabis in all its forms.”

Whatever the agency’s been called, it’s been Brisbo in charge, and Michigan’s recreational cannabis industry has been a roaring success.

“Under Brisbo’s leadership, Michigan’s recreational cannabis industry rapidly expanded,” the Free Press reported on Tuesday.

A report last year found that Michigan had seen more jobs added to its cannabis industry than any other state that has legalized pot. The report from Leafly found that the state’s regulated weed market had 18,000 jobs at the time.

The Free Press reported this week that Leddy, Whitmer’s spokesperson, said that Michigan’s adult-use cannabis industry has led to the “creation of more than 20,000 jobs in the cannabis industry and the generation of $500 million in tax revenue.”

“There are now more cannabis workers than cops in Michigan,” Leafly said in its report last year. “In a state known for its auto industry, the number of cannabis workers is now roughly equal to the number of auto repair mechanics.”

But the Free Press noted that the still-young industry has experienced “growing pains” in recent months. Although “sales and cannabis businesses in the state have continued to increase,” the Free Press reported, “the price of marijuana flower has dropped, pinching profits for many companies, with some laying off staff or closing their operations entirely.”

The post Michigan’s Top Cannabis Regulator Stepping Down appeared first on High Times.

The Cannabis Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party for which she held the position of Chair announced her passing on July 28. “Without Zahra the Cannabis Caucus would not be what it is today and the world is a lonelier place without her presence,” the Caucus wrote online. “Our deepest condolences to her family and friends. We know she touched many all across this great state and beyond.”

Abbas was a prominent figure advocating for cannabis as a patient herself, and sought to spread the word about cannabis and its medical benefits. “Zahra was dedicated to teaching the world about the health benefits of cannabis and helping lead the progressive movement action to remedy the catastrophic consequences of the war on drugs,” the post continued. “Zahra was frequently failed by our healthcare system and cannabis prohibition that would at times deny her the only medicine that could bring her seizures under control.”

Detroit’s Metro Times reported on Zahra’s passing, describing an interview they conducted with her in 2017. At the time, she suffered from daily seizures that were not solved through brain surgery or prescription medication—but cannabis was a game changer for her.

“As soon as I started it, within a few days my seizures stopped,” Abbas told Metro Times in 2017. “Before I started looking into it for epilepsy I was very much against marijuana because there was so much misinformation around it. It came to the choice between using that and having another brain surgery to control my seizures. … Turning to cannabis was kind of my last resort.”

She volunteered to gather signatures for the legalization ballot that appeared before voters in 2018, in hopes that others could utilize cannabis just as she did. “I’m doing this because I think more people should have access to cannabis because it helps all people,” she told Metro Times. “It should be everybody’s right to use it,” she added.

But her journey into the cannabis industry had only just begun. Her advocacy grew, and she later became Vice Chair and, later, Chair of the Cannabis Caucus, and also Vice president of the Detroit chapter of Motor City NORML. She had an instrumental role in commuting the sentence of Michael Thompson, a man convicted of a cannabis crime who had survived 60 years in prison.

Fellow advocate Jamie Lowell told Metro Times that at one point, Abbas had to quit cannabis in order to pass a drug test for a new job, but her seizures returned. “She soon had a major seizure and vowed to not quit again for anything,” Lowell said. “After resuming, she was again seizure-free. This was her powerful and amazing testimony.”

Speakers at a rally featuring Sen. Bernie Sanders, which was held in Pontiac, Michigan on July 29, took a moment to honor Abbas’s memory. Rep. Rashida Tlaib called Abbas “an incredible warrior.” “Her heart was full of love for community, and there wasn’t a cause that she did not take on … 100%,” Tlaib said. “She was one of our biggest advocates for health care and access to alternative approaches, including cannabis … and she never gave up the fight. She will be sorely missed. I know that she is with us today.”

Also present was Dr. Abdul El-Sayeda who previously ran for Michigan governor in 2018, whose spoke about Abbas’s selfless dedication to the cause. “She took her pain and she used it to bring people together, to fight for all of the things that she herself was denied, recognizing that it could have been anyone else,” El-Sayeda said. “She took that pain and decided to make the world that much better.”

“Zahra didn’t have very much time, but Zahra put all of herself into the time she had,” he added.

The post Honoring the Legacy of Michigan Advocate Zahra Abbas appeared first on High Times.