Archive for category: Blog

By: Tiffany Kary

Hemp, the staid sister of marijuana, is becoming much more interesting.

With its low THC content and lack of psychoactive effects, hemp has long been used for mostly practical purposes, like rope or fabric, or to produce CBD, a popular salve to relieve various ailments. But the marijuana industry is starting to take interest in a hemp-derived substance called delta-8 THC, which can be used to get high yet doesn’t have the same legal obstacles as stronger strains of cannabis.

And after regulatory changes last week loosened restrictions on hemp, its ability to compete with marijuana is likely to grow.

Delta-8 THC exists at very low levels in cannabis, while its more-abundant molecular cousin, delta-9 THC, is the one that’s usually targeted in regulations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture updated its rules Jan. 19 to increase the amount of THC in hemp that would trigger a “negligent violation” finding to 1% from 0.5%. While hemp is defined as cannabis that contains less than 0.3% THC content — and plants above that level still must be disposed of — the relaxed rules give manufacturers more leeway when growing and processing plants.

That means hemp production in general just got easier. And that’s a good thing for the CBD business, as well as delta-8.

“Delta-8 is the new kid on the block that everyone wants to dance with,” cannabis industry consultant Susanna Short told me recently.

Because delta-8 is made from CBD, it isn’t clearly regulated like delta-9 THC, which has traditionally been cited as the source of cannabis’ psychoactive effects.

Since the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp and CBD can be transported and sold freely within the U.S., unlike high-THC marijuana, which can only be grown and sold in states where it’s legal. The rules around delta-8 aren’t yet entirely clear, amid confusion over whether the Drug Enforcement Agency’s rules on synthetic cannabinoids apply to the substance, which is synthetically produced.

“It’s derived from hemp, so we’re taking the position it’s legal,” said Dustin Robinson, a Florida attorney and founding partner of Mr. Cannabis Law. He sees delta-8 as a cheaper and more convenient buzz for many people. “I can get high by getting delta-8 from a smoke shop or a gas station.”

That could pose a threat to multistate operators who have built their businesses to comply with tight rules around high-THC marijuana, especially after states like Illinois and Colorado last summer began allowing the hemp industry to sell through marijuana dispensaries. But it could also present an opportunity, Robinson said.

“This could be a means for the marijuana supply chain to reduce their cost of cultivation, if they can use hemp biomass instead of marijuana biomass,” he said.

Delta-8 has more going for it than legal ambiguity. Trulieve Cannabis Corp., which sells products with delta-8, extolls it as less likely to induce anxiety at high doses compared to delta-9, and cites studies that have linked it to appetite simulation, neuroprotective properties and anti-vomiting properties.

With potential like that, some companies aren’t waiting for regulatory clarity. Take Deep Six CBD, a retailer that just announced a rollout of delta-8 THC oil, vapes and edibles at a store in Pennsylvania. “Why pay $250 for a medical marijuana card?” the company’s president said in its news release touting the new product. “Try delta-8 THC first!”

As dozens of groups spread across the country with the purpose of decriminalizing entheogenic plants and fungi, a new group has emerged in Florida, Mr. Psychedelic Law, stacked with doctors, lawyers, spiritual leaders, lobbyists, therapists, and other industry-leading professionals.

As explained on their website, the mission of Mr. Psychedelic Law is to use medical and spiritual research to drive responsible legal reform in Florida for psilocybin mushrooms and other entheogenic plants and fungi.

Co-Founders – Dustin Robinson, Esq. CPA. and Dr. Michelle Weiner, DO MPH – have combined their legal and medical expertise, respectively, to build a team with a balanced and holistic approach to coming up with responsible legal reform.

Dustin Robinson, Esq.

Dustin Robinson, Esq. is licensed in Florida as an attorney, a Certified Public Accountant, and a Real Estate Agent. He focuses his practice on providing legal, accounting, financial, and business consultation to various businesses and doctors operating in the hemp and marijuana industries. He has worked at one of the largest national accounting firms – Deloitte – as well as one of the largest national law firms – Holland & Knight. Dustin was introduced to the psychedelic industry when his cannabis-business-clients started exploring psilocybin mushroom opportunities in Jamaica; and his cannabis-doctor-clients started exploring research opportunities related to psilocybin mushrooms. After talking with hundreds of people about their spiritual psilocybin experiences and then discussing the medicinal value of psilocybin with dozens of doctors, Dustin decided that it was time to push the psychedelic movement forward by building a team of the top medical, spiritual, and legal professionals in Florida with a focus on RESPONSIBLE legal reform. And, hence, Mr. Psychedelic Law was created

We spoke to founder Dustin Robinson about the formation of the group
“As a lawyer and CPA, I have the tools to draft legislation,” he explained.

“But, by myself, I don’t have the subject-matter expertise to draft responsible legal reform that accounts for the potential negative effects of taking these compounds under the wrong set and setting. Thus, it was imperative for me to form a team of medical and spiritual professionals that can guide my team of lawyers through our journey for responsible legal reform.”

Dr. Michelle Weiner

The Mr. Psychedelic Law team pulls from multiple disciples of law, medicine, mental health, and spiritual well-being. Co-founder is a double board-certified Interventional Pain Management and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. As the Chair of Florida’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee, she brings a breadth of experience with respect to practicing and advocating in highly-regulated industries. She is a Co-Investigator on multiple IRB approved research studies at the University of Miami and FIU with the focus of improving quality of life, decreasing pharmaceuticals, and preventing chronic disease through plant-based medicine and safer routes of administration.

Dr. Michelle Weiner explains, “When I first started administering ketamine to my patients, I was curious yet skeptical. I knew that there were limited protocols surrounding dosing and route of administration of ketamine and other psychedelic substances. However, after treating multiple patients with oral, intramuscular or intravenous ketamine and researching its effect on pain and mental health, I came to realize that ketamine and other psychedelic substances have the potential to have tremendous medicinal value when administered under the right conditions. It is time we research the value of ketamine, psilocybin, ibogaine, and other entheogens so that we can naturally improve the mental health of the world through responsible legal reform.”

Dr. Scott Fisher, MD

Members of the Mr. Psychedelic Law team are already playing a key role in some of the research surrounding psilocybin. For example, Dr. Scott Fisher, MD, a graduate from Northwestern University, is a Lead Facilitator in the FDA-registered Phase 2 clinical trial assessing the effectiveness of a single dose of psilocybin for the treatment of depression. With a Certificate in Psychedelic Therapy and Research at the California Institute of Integral Studies, Dr. Fisher’s main interest lies in “the potential for psychedelic facilitated psychospiritual experiences to improve emotional and mental health problems.”

As different groups are popping up across the country, we are seeing the emergence of two separate schools of thought

(1) psychotherapeutic and …
(2) entheogenic. The psychotherapeutic advocates mainly believe that the legal movement should focus on the medicinal value of these substances and should be administered by individuals that traditionally administer medicines. The entheogenic advocates mainly believe that the legal movement should focus on the spiritual and religious value of these substances and any restriction on administering these substances would infringe on our fundamental rights to control our own mind.

Paula Savchenko, Esq.

Cannabis Law Report asked Board Member Paula Savchenko, Esq. which approach will be taken by the group.

“We believe that it is too early in the movement to take sides. We welcome both schools of thought and believe that the legal framework will ultimately be a blend of both the entheogenic approach and the psychotherapeutic approach. One may come before the other. But ultimately, we believe the law will eventually reflect both schools of thought. That’s precisely the reason we have a Medical Advisory Board and a Spiritual Advisory Board.”

Dr. Robert Steisfeld

Board member Dr. Robert Steisfeld added, “As a doctor of naturopathic medicine and a trained natural food chef who believes in the spiritual value of natural substances, I have seen tremendous value with these substances from both a medicinal and spiritual level. I think our law should reflect that.”

Dr. Weiner summarizes the importance of a balanced approach, “We believe in running our organization as a democracy with a Socratic methodology. We want our organization to represent all schools of thought. We want our team members to debate and disagree. We want to question one another.

Through cooperative argumentative dialogue we plan to stimulate critical thinking and ideas that will ultimately engender responsible and coherent legal reform.

Just as our team reflects community through gender and race, so too does our team reflect diversity of thought among the community.”

Mike “Zappy” Zapolin

Leading the Spiritual Advisory Board of Mr. Psychedelic Law is Mike “Zappy” Zapolin. Zappy won the Amsterdam Film Festival’s Van Gogh award for Documentary Directing on his film “The Reality of Truth” which focuses on the importance of going inside one’s own mind for answers and healing. The film features actress Michelle Rodriguez, Deepak Chopra, Ram Dass, Dr. Drew, Marianne Williamson, and Joel Osteen. His latest film “Lamar Odom: Reborn” documents the psychedelic intervention Zappy gave to Lamar over the last two years using the breakthrough treatments of Ketamine and Ibogaine.

“I have made it my life-long goal to better understand ketamine, ibogaine, and other psychedelics so that I can help people reach a deeper state of consciousness and gain a stronger understanding of one’s own mind.” Zappy explains. “I have traveled the world in my quest for knowledge and led hundreds of people through their psychedelic journey. I believe we have a fundamental right to control our own minds. I couldn’t be more excited to work with the Mr. Psychedelic Law attorneys to advise on responsible legal reform for these substances.”

 

Erik Range

But Mr. Robinson and Dr. Weiner haven’t stopped with building just a strong legal, medical, and spiritual team. They say they also intended to ensure that equality and diversity was at the forefront of any future regulations.

Erik Range, Chairman for Minorities for Medical Marijuana

Thus, they brought on board Erik Range as the Chief Officer of Community Outreach.

Mr. Range is currently Chairman for Minorities for Medical Marijuana – a non-profit organization providing advocacy, education, training, and outreach to underserved communities.

Dustin explains, “I have always admired Erik’s advocacy for minorities and the community that has been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. I’ve been fortunate to partner with Erik on various projects in the cannabis space. Erik’s main role with Mr. Psychedelic Law is to engage with the community-at-large and ensure that our regulations are fair, equal, inclusive, and representative of the entire Florida community.”

Jake Bergmann

The Mr. Psychedelic Law team also includes executives who were integral to cannabis legalization in Florida. Jake Bergmann, the Chief Strategy Officer for Mr. Psychedelic Law, was founder, CEO and strategist for Surterra Wellness – one of the first medical marijuana operators in the state of Florida.Dustin Robinson explains the strategy.

Jake Bergmann, the Chief Strategy Officer for Mr. Psychedelic Law

“Our strategy at Mr. Psychedelic Law is to engage with not only the politicians but also the public at large. While the cannabis movement provides some insight on how to move this movement forward, it is not a blueprint as these substances have too many differences from cannabis. We will be educating the public and we will be getting educated by the public. The regulations in Florida will be for the people by the people – just as our democracy demands.”

He goes on to explain, “We are also looking to partner with organizations that are aligned with our goals. The Ketamine Fund – a 501(c)(3) focused on providing free ketamine treatment to veterans – is one of our first partners. We plan to leverage their deep knowledge and network surrounding ketamine to build our outreach and further educate the public.”

Edgar J. Asebey, Esq. Of Counsel

With the mission of driving legal reform through research, Mr. Psychedelic Law understands that FDA-approved clinical trials will be crucial to formulating responsible legal reform. Edgar Asebey, Esq. will be leading all efforts relating to the FDA. Mr. Asebey has over two decades of experience in federal regulation of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, food, dietary supplement and cosmetics companies.

The FDA process is complicated, long, expensive, and risky. Mr. Robinson explains: “I have partnered with Mr. Asebey on various FDA matters and he is one of the most knowledgeable FDA attorneys in Florida. He will be integral in helping the Florida community build the research necessary to draft responsible legal reform.”

Other members of the team include Dr. Rick Weyback, MD; Dr. Julia Mirer, MD; Masha Belinson; Dr. David Dweck, PhD; Dr. Lonny Weiss, PsyD; Dr. Alexey Peshovsky, PhD; Dr. Andrew Hall, PhD; Dr. Sonia Martinez, BPharm; Dr. Denise Vidot, PhD; Ian Hayze; Yasmine Egozi; and Jeffrey Sharkey.