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In this week\u2019s cannabis news round-up, the Navy adjusts policy on cannabis use for recruits; the Pennsylvania governor pushes for adult-use cannabis legalization; AYR Wellness hosting free cannabis expungement clinics; and a New Zealand cannabis company has inked a deal with the Fijian government.<\/p>\n The US Navy has revised its stance on recruits arriving at boot camp with detectable levels of cannabis in their system at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, IL, marking a significant shift in policy.<\/p>\n Rear Adm. James Waters, the director of the Navy\u2019s military personnel plans and policy division,\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0that the service has expanded its authority to grant waivers for recruits testing positive for THC.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they fail that test and own up\u2014\u2018Yes, I smoke marijuana\u2019\u2014we do an evaluation of the young person to make sure there\u2019s not something else going on,\u201d Waters said. \u201cBut we trust that through the process of boot camp that we have an opportunity to bring them along with our culture.\u201d<\/p>\n The decision to modify the policy reflects societal shifts in legislation across many states. \u201cWe recognize that many states have legalized marijuana,\u201d Waters said.<\/p>\n However, Waters clarified that the US Navy remains steadfast in its prohibition of drug use by confirming, \u201cWe don\u2019t do drugs in the military.\u201d He emphasized that there are no discussions about extending leniency for other substances.<\/p>\n The revision is part of a broader effort by the Navy to reduce dropout rates in boot camp and support recruits in their military careers. Consequently, the current dropout rate is approximately 10%, one of the lowest in recent history.<\/p>\n Legalizing adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania is gaining momentum with Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro\u2019s including the proposal in his bold $48.3 billion budget plan. This move has prompted state Republican leaders to acknowledge the significant revenue potential the state is currently missing out on due to the absence of cannabis legalization.\u00a0<\/p>\n As neighboring states have already adopted adult-use policies, Governor Shapiro\u00a0highlighted<\/a>\u00a0Pennsylvania\u2019s lagging position during his budget address, emphasizing the potential for more than $250 million in annual revenue from a legal cannabis industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s stop hamstringing ourselves and start competing,\u201d Shapiro said.<\/p>\n Despite historical opposition from the Republican-controlled state Senate, GOP leaders signaled openness to considering the proposal, particularly as the Keystone State faces projected spending surpassing revenue in the coming fiscal year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Shapiro\u2019s budget outlines a 20% tax on adult-use cannabis, projecting substantial tax revenue growth in subsequent years following legalization. The proposed regulatory framework aims to ensure responsible taxation and regulation, with a focus on addressing social equity and expunging records of nonviolent possession convictions.\u00a0<\/p>\n AYR Wellness<\/a>\u00a0is partnering with community organizations focused on social justice to host a series of free nationwide expungement clinics to help communities affected by the War on Drugs.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the cannabis company\u2019s website, its \u2018Changing Legacies\u2019 flagship program aims to provide impacted groups with access to tools that can help rebuild the lives of members of these communities, such as legal services.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the regulated cannabis industry matures and the plant continues to enter the mainstream, we look to utilize our leadership platform as an industry leader to give back to and empower the communities most affected by the War on Drugs,\u201d says Ayr.\u00a0<\/p>\n The first event will be in Massachusetts in partnership with\u00a0MassCultivateED<\/a>\u00a0at the Roxbury Community College on February 24 from 12 to 2 pm EST. Interested attendees can register\u00a0here<\/a>. The event will provide free legal assistance with expungement \/ CORI sealing, cannabis career resources, social services, including financial and housing programs, a social equity panel and refreshments.<\/p>\n New Zealand-based medicinal cannabis cultivation company Aether Pacific Pharmaceuticals (APP) has announced an agreement with the\u00a0Fijian government<\/a>, marking a significant step forward in advancing the Pacific Island nation\u2019s medicinal cannabis sector.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Ministry of Trade will engage in a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with APP to establish a collaborative framework for the development of medicinal cannabis in Fiji,\u201d Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said in a news release.<\/p>\n Rabuka emphasized that should Fiji legalize and regulate the medical cannabis industry for cultivation and export, APP, operating under the name Medical Kiwi, would need to apply for the necessary licenses and comply with the established regulations.<\/p>\n According to AAPP chairman Aldo Miccio, the decision to expand into Fiji follows extensive consultations with the Fijian government.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe MoU framework provides the company with a strategic pathway to expand its manufacturing operations in a cost-effective setting while also enabling exclusive exportation of Fijian medicinal cannabis to address increasing global demand,\u201d Miccio says.<\/p>\n APP will invest at least $65 million over the next three to five years to construct a medicinal cannabis extraction and manufacturing facility in Fiji.<\/p>\n Currently, APP operates a cannabis cultivation facility in Christchurch, making it one of the first companies in New Zealand to receive licensing for cannabis cultivation and supply in 2020.<\/p>\n The post Week in Review: US Navy Adjusts Policy on Cannabis Use for New Recruits<\/a> appeared first on Cannabis Now<\/a>.<\/p>\n
In this week\u2019s cannabis news round-up, the Navy adjusts policy on cannabis use for recruits; the Pennsylvania governor pushes for adult-use cannabis legalization; AYR Wellness hosting free cannabis expungement clinics; and a New Zealand cannabis company has inked a deal with the Fijian government. US Navy recruits at Recruit TrainingContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":72621,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17621,50,8885,80,809,17622,65,4601,285,2105,17623,7287],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72620"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72620"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72620\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72622,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72620\/revisions\/72622"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"US](\"https:\/\/cannabisnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/US-Navy-Recruits.jpg\")
<\/a>US Navy Adjusts Policy on Cannabis Use for New Recruits<\/h4>\n
<\/a>Pennsylvania Governor Pushes for Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization<\/h4>\n
<\/a>AYR Wellness Hosting Free Cannabis Expungement Clinics<\/h4>\n
<\/a>New Zealand Cannabis Company Inks Deal with Fijian Government<\/h4>\n
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\nRead More: Week in Review: US Navy Adjusts Policy on Cannabis Use for New Recruits<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"