Earlier this month, Mark Kleiman – the doyen of public health academia – shared his Transatlantic Lessons, a stark warning of the potential perils of over commercialising cannabis.  Today, we have republished what is, essentially, a bold response to Kleiman’s concerns from Troy Dayton, Co-Founder of The Arcview Group with the following ‘profit-positive’ approach to the coming commercial cannabis wave.

Dear future nominees:

Eight months from today one of you will be inaugurated the 45th President of the United States. There is much to think about between now and then, but one issue with a penchant for falling between the cracks is marijuana policy. Marijuana policy is no longer just a punchline, reserved for the attention of activists. Marijuana policy will be a serious part of the next administration’s domestic policy, and it is critical that you create a strategy accordingly. 

ROUGHLY HALF OF the money raised to oppose a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana in California is coming from police and prison guard groups, terrified that they might lose the revenue streams to which they have become so deeply addicted.

Drug war money has become a notable source of funding for law enforcement interests. Huge government grants and asset-seizure windfalls benefit police departments, while the constant supply of prisoners keeps the prison business booming.

Iowa senator Charles Grassley is fighting back after one of his challengers claimed that he’s blocking a bill that would create meaningful medical cannabis legislation.

Last Friday, State Senator Rob Hogg joined supporters of a bill that would move cannabis from a schedule one drug to a schedule two.

Hogg claims that by not taking action on the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respects Act — Grassley is keeping medicine out of the hands of families that need it.

Grassley says if cannabis is a schedule two drug, we could end up with 50 states, with 50 different laws on the matter.

After years campaigning for the right to use a medical-marijuana extract to treat her daughter’s seizures, Dana Haddox-Wright is now planning to wean Ella, her six-year-old, off of the potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals she’s been taking for years. 

At the same time, marijuana producers across the state are making liquified and edible forms of marijuana that children will be able to use. And state officials are creating an expedited application process to help those patients under 18 years old get signed up for the program. 

As countries around the world have started to relax their laws on medical marijuana, cannabis is still completely outlawed in Serbia. While studies show that the drug—specifically in the form of cannabis oil—can have positive health effects for people suffering from terminal illnesses, doctors in the country remain skeptical. 

Serbians looking for an alternative way to treat terminal illnesses like cancer and multiple sclerosis are forced to illegally obtain the highlyexpensive cannabis oil or attempt to make it themselves, despite the threat of jail time.

Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, says the Government is committed to facilitating a fully operational medical marijuana industry in Jamaica.

He noted that with the passage of amendments to the Dangerous Drugs Act, Jamaica has joined a number of growing countries that have decriminalised marijuana and “we will be moving to have the appropriate regulations in place to guide the development of the industry.”

The Minister was addressing the second annual Medical Marijuana Integration Day at the University of Technology (UTech) in St. Andrew on May 13, under the theme: ‘Cannabis Reclaimed II’.

As a European, it’s been exhilarating to watch how the cannabis industry is sweeping across the U.S. The new brands, technology, science, culture, and great products are awe-inspiring. As much as I would love things to follow the same path here in Europe, I just can’t help but feel that things are not going to.

A Winding Road

Louisiana could earn as much as $128 million in annual revenue if it were to legalize and tax marijuana, according to a Washington, D.C., think tank's new report.

The Tax Foundation, a nonprofit research organization most often described as conservative and pro-business, based its calculations on current demand for pot in Colorado and Washington, states that have authorized recreational use along with Oregon and Alaska. Ten more states have proposed ballot measures to legalize pot commerce, and Vermont's legislature is considering one.

Illinois lawmakers have approved legislation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.

The Illinois House passed the bill with a 64-50 vote on Wednesday, that previously passed in the Senate, sending it to Republican Governor Bruce Rauner’s desk.

Possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana is currently a class B misdemeanor, the Associated Press reports, and could land a defendant up to six months in jail with fines up to $1,5000. The legislation would impose fines between $100 and $200 with no jail time.