Business

Uruguay set to become the first country to sell legal marijuana over the counter














After becoming the first country in the world to completely legalize marijuana, Uruguay is now ready to become the first country to sell pot in drug stores.

Uruguay’s head of the National Drug Board Juan Roballo announced on Thursday that pharmacies will soon be authorized to sell cannabis, reports Reuters.
“Cannabis will be dispensed in pharmacies starting in the month of July,” Roballo told a press conference.
The country’s government will regulate the process, which will initially provide pharmacies with 882 pounds, although that amount could increase depending on demand.

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Payment Processors Purge Marijuana Businesses in Fear of Federal Crackdown


Payment processing companies like PayPal, Square, and Stripe have been purging marijuana-related companies since the beginning of the year. The purge seems to be in response to Attorney General Jeff Sessions' most recent threat of cracking down on the legal marijuana industry. Canna-biz startups ranging from vape pen manufacturers to marijuana business software companies are now forced to scramble to find new methods of handling their payments.

Boston-based startup Ardent, manufacturer of a federally legal decarboxylator used to make marijuana edibles, was bounced from at least seven different payment processors.

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Project 22 Unites Veterans to Work Towards Marijuana Policy Reform





Project 22 is a joint collaboration from The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) with state chapters from Missouri and Colorado.Project 22 will fly veterans from Missouri into Colorado to attend the ‘Inaugural Institute of Cannabis Research Conference’ being held at Pueblo University to learn about the benefits of medical cannabis from researchers, doctors, and scientists like Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, Dr. Sue Sisley, Dr.

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Oregon Marijuana Workers Face Hurdles While Applying for Personal Loans


Oregon’s recreational cannabis system has had an enormous impact on the local economy. While lawmakers valiantly attempt to shield their booming market from federal law enforcement, there are some things that just can’t be protected against so long as marijuana remains classified as a Schedule 1 drug.

One of those disadvantages is trouble securing loans from financial institutions. Since cannabis remains illegal under federal law, marijuana-related businesses have been shunned from most federally-regulated banks and credit unions.

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New Bipartisan Bill Would Reclassify Cannabis as Schedule III


House Bill 2020, introduced to Congress on Thursday, would finally remove cannabis from its current standing as a Schedule I narcotic, and reclassify it as Schedule III drug with an accepted medical value.

According to the DEA, Schedule III drugs are those with “a potential for abuse less than substances in Schedules I or II and abuse may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.”

Current Schedule III substances include Tylenol with Codeine, ketamine and anabolic steroids.

The rescheduling bill is the brainchild of Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz and Democratic Rep. Darren Soto.

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Connecticut Marijuana Legalization Bill Expected to Die in Committee


A bill that would legalize recreational marijuana in Connecticut seems fated to die in a judiciary committee due to lack of support from legislators.

"It's clear at this point that there isn't support on the committee for it,'' said state Rep. William Tong, co-chair of the committee. "It's not an open question. It's not ambiguous.'' Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy is opposed to recreational legalization, and support from a full two-thirds of the state General Assembly would be needed to override his veto.

A recent poll found that 63% of Connecticut residents support legalization.

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Jeff Sessions Has a Violent Crime Reduction Task Force Looking into Marijuana Policy


Jeff Sessions is at it again.  The Attorney General with a hard-on for the War on Drugs set up the “Department's Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety (the Task Force)” at the end of last month, and now thanks to a memo from Sessions to 94 US Attorneys, we know that the task force will make recommendations to Sessions and the Trump administration about how to deal with violent crime and marijuana policy. 

The memo, sent Wednesday reads:

“The Violent Crime Reduction Strategy

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