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South Dakota Medical Marijuana Advocates Alarmed After Lawmakers Give Prohibitionists A Platform

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7 months ago

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“There’s a shock wave going through our community right now with guest speakers, most of them from out of state.”

By Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight

Representatives of South Dakota’s medical marijuana companies said they were concerned Wednesday after the state board that oversees the industry spent a day-long meeting listening to guest speakers who warned about health and other risks.

Emmett Reistroffer, of Genesis Farms in Sioux Falls, spoke during the public comment session at the end of the meeting.

“My phone has been blowing up with text messages,” she said. “There’s a shock wave going through our community right now with guest speakers, most of them from out of state.”

Reistroffer also said he fears the commission is participating in a coordinated effort to limit or repeal the state’s medical marijuana program, which was approved by voters in 2020 and implemented by the state in 2022. Currently 16,477 sick cards have been issued in the state.

Reistroffer’s comments were cut short by the chairwoman of the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee, Rep. Josephine Garcia, R-Watertown.

“There was no intention at all to make the agenda of this meeting, other than to continue what was not done when this program was first opened,” said Garcia. “That was my only intention here. If you’re implying that I, as chair, said something or orchestrated something, I didn’t do that. It’s public awareness. This is a public safety issue.”

The panel of speakers included medical professionals and retired officials from other states who shared concerns about overprescription, youth access, mental health impacts and the mix between medical and recreational use.

Ed Moses, a retired Missouri law enforcement officer, spoke about the various dangers of marijuana. He believed medical marijuana to be a “Trojan horse” for recreational marijuana.

“Marijuana can change who we are and our values,” he told the committee.

Karen Randall, an emergency medicine physician in Colorado, said she sees both adults and children entering the emergency room due to marijuana-related incidents. He told a story about a kid who, without any identification, popped a marijuana candy product in the back of a dispensary and ended up in the emergency room.

Randall said Colorado has become overloaded with various marijuana products, and it’s now the drug of choice for kids there.

“They don’t drink, they don’t smoke like they used to; they use marijuana,” he said.

University of Oklahoma Professor John Duncan, who works in the School of Medicine, recommended to the committee that medical marijuana be treated in the same way as traditional medicine, including the prescribed dosage. He also said that the commission should pay attention to synthetic forms of marijuana that come with many other side effects.

Colorado addiction psychiatrist Libby Stuyt told the commission that medical marijuana is not the solution to traumatic stress disorder that medical marijuana advocates claim. He said patients prescribed medical marijuana for mental health disorders often confuse the feeling of withdrawal with needing more medicine — blurring treatment and addiction.

Wednesday’s lineup also included Sioux Falls Superintendent James Nold. He said marijuana has become a problem in schools, with students getting the product through adults.

Jeremiah Murphy, who lobbies for the medical marijuana industry, told commissioners during the public comment period that they should be proud of the state’s program.

“If you think about what you’ve heard today, they hardly hit the South Dakota program,” he said. “They showed us real, significant problems in Oklahoma.”

Reistroffer said the medical marijuana industry is taking heat for locals “smoke shops” that sell illegal products, including those derived from hemp but chemically modified ingredients. According to him, they are the ones selling high-dose “sweets” and products that attract children.

“We’re not, we’re still painting with their brush,” he said.

The committee made no formal recommendations and did not vote at the meeting. of the committee the members They are appointed by the Board of Directors of the Parliament. Membership includes legislative and non-legislative, state law requires membership in the medical, counseling, law enforcement and patient communities.

This story was first published by the South Dakota Searchlight.

user photo Brian Shamblen.

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EU regulators say Charlotte’s Web hemp CBD safety “cannot be established”

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16 hours ago

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May 12, 2026

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The growing tension between international scientific findings and US health policy has raised questions about whether Medicare beneficiaries are being exposed to cannabinoid products whose safety profiles have not been fully established.

In March 2026, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) carried out a formal scientific evaluation of a shipment of Charlotte’s Web hemp product, concluding that the safety of a carbon dioxide extract derived from Cannabis sativa L. “cannot be established”. The agency identified several gaps in the available data, including significant portions of the product remaining uncharacterized, a lack of reliable toxicological studies on the actual material, a lack of human clinical data, and an unknown allergenicity and long-term safety profile.

At the same time, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Substance Access Beneficiary Engagement Incentive (BEI) program. The initiative allows participating healthcare providers to discuss and supply certain hemp and marijuana-derived cannabinoid products to Medicare beneficiaries under the authority of the Center for Innovation, and does not require approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. That distinction is at issue in a pending federal case: Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), et al. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. et al., Case 1:26-cv-01081 (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia).

Under the FDA’s standard framework, products intended for therapeutic use typically undergo controlled clinical trials, dose standardization, safety and toxicology evaluation, and manufacturing and stability validation. The BEI program operates outside of this structure. Some observers point out that this could introduce products into federally funded care settings before those benchmarks are met, while proponents of the program characterize it as a legitimate model of innovation.

Medicare beneficiaries represent a medically complex population, with many patients managing multiple medications, chronic conditions, and increased susceptibility to drug interactions. Cannabinoid compounds, including THC, interact with metabolic pathways such as CYP450 enzymes, which process many common medications. The safety profile of these products in this population has not been fully characterized through controlled studies.

Following the launch of the program, several companies publicly announced their positioning within the emerging healthcare supply chain. Charlotte’s Web highlighted alignment with CMS drivers and Cornbread Hemp announced institutional distribution through a national group buying organization, reflecting broader commercialization activity in the category.

SAM v. In Kennedy, the court is evaluating whether CMS overstepped its statutory authority by introducing avenues for the supply of cannabinoids without formal regulations, public notice and comment, or FDA validation standards. A resolution will determine whether the program is scaled back, modified, or stopped pending further review as implemented.

The EFSA’s conclusion does not ban the marketing of CBD products, but indicates that the scientific evidence necessary to fully establish their safety remains incomplete. The political debate reflects a broader question in health care regulation: how to balance the pace of innovation for therapeutic products with the standards of evidence typically required in federally funded systems of care.

Source: MMJ International Holdings

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Trump’s Medical Marijuana Move Focused On Helping Ailing Seniors, But Lack Of Coordination Could Cause Backlash (Op-Ed)

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16 hours ago

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May 12, 2026

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“The rush to provide medical marijuana to the elderly will require substantial legal, scientific, and commercial infrastructure, which in an ideal world would avoid repeating historical mistakes with clarity and coordination.”

By Emily Dufton

Everyone knows that the last month was historic for cannabis. There are big changes coming with the rescheduling of medical marijuana and federal Medicare coverage of hemp.

But what many have misunderstood is why.

For the first time in 56 years, a type of marijuana has finally escaped Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Cannabis was placed there in 1970, and despite previous attempts at legalization – including 40 states that legalized medical access and 24 states that legalized recreational use – for more than half a century, cannabis continued to be defined as a substance with no approved medical use and a high potential for abuse.

Until last month, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche moved medical marijuana to Schedule III, a drug category with some medical uses approved and “moderate-low” addiction potential.

This review includes four cannabis products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in all 40 states and Washington DC. These products are now Schedule III, which means that dispensary owners don’t have a heavy tax burden like 280E.

Medical marijuana became a much more legitimate industry.

But what makes this change even more historic is who it is intended to benefit: the elderly.

Previous legalization movements all focused on young adults. The decriminalization movement of the 1970s painted cannabis as an “adult right” for a mature baby boomer. Activists in the 1980s and 90s argued that medical marijuana was needed for young people struggling with HIV/AIDS. And in the 2010s and 2020s, social justice movements promoted legalization as a means to end the mass incarceration of Black youth.

Recriminalization movements have been equally concerned with pot’s impact on children. Reagan’s zero-tolerance, “Just Say No” drug war of the 1980s was launched explicitly to save children. And the intoxicating hemp products accidentally legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill are slated to be made illegal again this November, after opponents warned they sent too many children to emergency rooms.

But the Trump administration’s support for medical marijuana reform is based on something new: the concern of 18 percent of Americans over 65 — nearly 1 in 6 — a number expected to rise to nearly a quarter of the population by 2050.

A new industry is emerging to service this demographic. Howard Kessler, of the Commonwealth Project, is one of the biggest proponents of medical marijuana use for seniors.

A Project video (reposted by Trump on Truth Social last September) he seemed to be addressing the president directly. “You can revolutionize healthcare for the elderly,” begins the narrator, before listing cannabis’ positive effects on pain, stress and sleep. The video ends with the promise: “You will deliver the most important senior health initiative of the century, strengthening your legacy and transforming aging care. Millions everywhere will thank you.”

As a drug historian, I did not see this coming. The historic overhaul of medical marijuana is being hailed as a victory for the elderly, a demographic that was almost never included in the conversation.

For years, prohibitionists argued that today’s cannabis products are too strong, a far cry from the tamer, weaker weed of yesteryear. But with these new products aimed at seniors, this really is your grandma’s marijuana. The baby boomers who fought for decriminalization in the 1970s are getting it, in 2026, with federal funding from Dr. Mehmet Oz’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Focusing on the health and well-being of the elderly, Kessler’s campaign successfully overturned decades of drug policy concerns about children, and this shift will have major implications for both legalization and recriminalization campaigns. The “save the kids” attitude that changed the law before may not work when marijuana users are older.

But a backlash could arise just as quickly if unregulated “medical” products start harming grandma.

Therefore, as a historian, I am concerned that this project has been rapidly expanded with vocal support but little coordination. There is a significant lack of clarity on how this transformation will work.

Given that Schedule I marijuana has been around for half a century, the science behind medical cannabis is still a work in progress. It’s also not entirely clear who is responsible, as multiple entities are involved in the change, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FDA, the Department of Justice, and the Internal Revenue Service, as well as legislative, regulatory, and law enforcement agencies at the state and local levels.

And so far no one has addressed the impact it has had on hemp/marijuana distribution. Lack of coordination doomed previous legalization campaigns, and could harm reprogramming if it unfolds in a chaotic fashion.

At the moment, the outlook does not look promising. Dr. Gillian Schauer, executive director of the Cannabis Regulatory Association, told NPR, “We’re implementing policy that’s far from where the science is… It’s like flying an airplane blind when we’re building it without parts.”

Last month’s rescheduling was historic, but it’s also incomplete. The rush to provide medical marijuana to the elderly will require extensive legal, scientific and commercial infrastructure, which in an ideal world would avoid repeating historical mistakes by providing clarity and coordination.

It may not happen yet, but it’s what grandma deserves.

Emily Dufton is the author of Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana in America and Addiction, Inc.: Medication-Assisted Treatment and America’s Forgotten War on Drugs.

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Kambis expands cultivation infrastructure as Thai medical cannabis facility eyes international markets

Published

2 days ago

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May 11, 2026

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A certified medical cannabis facility in Thailand is adding a specialized mother room and an advanced drying room as part of its capacity expansion aimed at international supply.

KAMBIS Community Enterprise Innovative Farming announced through construction LinkedIndescribing the two rooms as nearing completion and central to the roadmap for scaling up production. The company sees investment as a prerequisite for consistent production in export markets, not just for increased volume.

The expansion is accompanied by an ongoing fulfillment push. KAMBIS has been working to prepare GACP and EU GMP, a combination that reflects the standard required to supply the regulated medical markets in Europe and elsewhere. The company noted that medical expertise has been embedded in its leadership since the beginning, and it says it has kept clinical requirements at the center of cultivation decisions as the operation has grown.

The addition of the mother’s room is particularly notable in the context of the international offer. The mother-room infrastructure allows the facility to maintain genetic consistency across production cycles, which is a prerequisite for the kind of batch-to-batch reproducibility required by EU GMP frameworks. Drying room capacity, on the other hand, is often the bottleneck that limits how many post-harvest flowers a grow site can fill without compromising quality metrics.

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