Aurora Cannabis' Health Plans, Hemp Pesticides In MA, Digital MJ Cards In NM, Virginia Delta 8, Oregon Pardons

Aurora Cannabis Aims For Health Plans In Canada

Canadian companies are focusing on selling medical cannabis to patients whose purchases are covered by employee health benefit plans, reported MJBizDaily. Cannabis producer Aurora Cannabis ACB has adopted a benefits-focused strategy citing improved customer retention and consistency.

“Those that are in an insured program, by their very definition, buy more consistently, stay with similar pieces of medication for longer periods of time,” CEO Miguel Martin told MJBizDaily. “… The non-insured patients do appear to have a little bit of a smaller basket size, a little less interaction, and to be a little more variable.”

Hemp Pesticides Authorized For Cannabis Flowers In Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) announced on November 30 that it has adjusted its policy regarding the use of “pesticides on marijuana.” MDAR will now allow the use of certain pesticides on cannabis plants as long as conditions are met. The products need to be registered with EPA; for use in Massachusetts; and labeled for both hemp and tobacco. In addition, the active ingredient must be food-tolerance-exempt, reported local media.

In a policy memo, MDAR acknowledged that the department “understands that the difference between hemp and marijuana is a legal one and that both originate from the same plant and in many cases are being produced, manufactured, and used for the same purposes” (...) “Because hemp and marijuana are both cannabis and only distinguished through law by the THC level, MDAR will allow the use on hemp to extend to marijuana as well, provided such use is in accordance with this Pesticide Use on Marijuana Policy.”

New Mexico’s Department of Health Now Offers Digital Cannabis Cards

To access electronic cards, medical cannabis patients must be enrolled in the Patient Portal. Instructions on how to access the cards can be found here. Patients can use the cards via mobile phone in order to make purchases. Other requirements for medical purchases remain. Patients must still present a valid ID to retailers, reported local media.

Virginia Panel Suggests Stricter Rules On Delta-8 THC Products

A state task force dedicated to studying unregulated cannabis products in Virginia is recommending stricter rules for businesses selling hemp-based delta-8 THC products, reported the Virginia Mercury.

According to the task force, those businesses that sell delta-8 products should have to apply for a permit and face tougher civil penalties for breaking the rules. “Edible and inhaled hemp products that are consumed much like marijuana products pose a risk to Virginians, most notably to children, when offered for sale without restriction,” the report says. “A retail permit requirement will likely reduce the occurrence of cannabis-related ‘pop-up shops.’”

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Said Marijuana Pardons Are An Issue of Racial Justice

At a forum hosted by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Gov. Kate Brown spoke about her mass pardon of more than 45,000 people for state-level cannabis possession offenses.  “I think we all know the truth, and that is that people of color and our low-income community members have been disproportionately impacted by these crimes,” Gov. Brown said. “And so, for me, this is very much a racial justice issue.”

Imagen de Anne-Onyme en Pixabay.