Man In Hong Kong Faces 7 Years For CBD Oil, Cannabis Intoxication In Dogs On Rise & More In Weed Chronicles

Illegal Pot Store In The Big Apple Fined $50K, Employee Arrested

One unlicensed marijuana store in New York City, just across the City Hall, was fined a whopping $50,000. The news comes about a week after Mayor Eric Adams and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced a partnership with local law enforcement and elected officials to combat the proliferation of illegal and unlicensed cannabis dispensaries throughout Manhattan.

New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda confirmed to The New York Post on Tuesday that Jungle Boys at 253 Broadway was fined after the agency’s investigation on Saturday. What’s more, one employee was arrested for allegedly selling cannabis to a minor.

It’s still not confirmed if the cannabis shop was shut down permanently, and Miranda said that it would be put back on the department's list for re-inspection.

It is important to note that the closed unlicensed Jungle Boys is not affiliated with the popular marijuana dispensary operating under the same name, but legally in Los Angeles.

More And More Dogs Are Getting Sick From Cannabis

Meanwhile, New York is seeing an increasing number of dogs getting sick from eating discarded weed on the street, veterinarians and poison-control centers confirm, writes The New York Times. It turns out that vets who previously saw one case a month, are taking care of several canine cannabis poisoning cases per week.

While most pets recover, some of the symptoms can scare their owners and can be serious. Those include trouble walking, loss of balance, nausea, sleepiness, and sometimes even hallucinations. It happens that owners don’t see their dogs have consumed some discarded weed, which can be in various forms: flower, edibles, joints, or vape cartridges.

While prevention is the best solution, when it happens, it is advised that the owners call a poison helpline or their vet. Dr. Sarah Hoggan of VCA California Veterinary Specialists explained to the outlet that it is important to let the vets know exactly what happened and if the weed belongs to the owner, any information on THC strength could be very helpful. She added that many of the owners are embarrassed, but should tell their vets to help save their dogs.

According to data from the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, in 2021, there were 6,200 cases of potential marijuana toxicity in pets, up by 59% from 2020, writes Market Watch. ASPCA senior director, Dr. Tina Wismer, highlighted that other issues related to marijuana intoxication include vomiting, urinary incontinence, tremors, stupor, hypothermia and low heart rate.

“While fatalities are rare, we can see symptoms that do require veterinary care,” she said.  

Stephanie Liff, a vet with a practice in New York City said she deals with around five cannabis toxicity cases a month, compared to one at most, a couple of years ago. According to her, the trouble is that weed is “everywhere on the streets,” and “people underestimate what their pets will be interested in.” 

In the meantime across the pond, in the English town of Darlington, three dogs were recently taken to the vet for marijuana poisoning writes Dog Time. This means that the problem is happening outside of the U.S. as well, even in places that don’t have legalized recreational cannabis use, such as the UK, but only medical. Regulators should view this as a warning and establish stricter rules on discarding pot products.

Individual In Hong Kong Faces Up To 7 Years In Prison For Bottles Of CBD Products

Hong Kong recently banned cannabidiol products, claiming CBD is inseparable from THC. In late January, authorities announced that “Starting from February 1, cannabidiol, aka CBD, will be regarded as a dangerous drug and will be supervised and managed by the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance,” said customs intelligence officer Au-Yeung Ka-lun. “As of then, transporting CBD for sale, including import and export, as well as producing, possessing, and consuming CBD, will be illegal.” 

And the first arrest has already been made. To make things worse, the first man to face charges in Hong Kong was allegedly just ordering bottles of ‘CBD skin oil’ from Denmark, and not selling anything, writes ICBC. He was arrested while trying to pick up the parcel with the bottles. Authorities then conducted a search of his place and found more CBD skin oil and four grams of flower. It was not confirmed if this was floral CBD hemp or flower with THC. Either way, the individual is now facing up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to HK$1 million ($127401.00), writes the outlet.

Photo: Benzinga edit with images from Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels and CBD-Infos-com on Pixabay