puerto rico marijuana

Medicinal Cannabis in Puerto Rico Will Be Impacted By U.S. Vaping Crisis

October 22, 2019 By karlicobuzzi Leave a Comment

Will Puerto Rico’s medicinal cannabis sales be affected by the vaping crisis?

The “vaping crisis” in the U.S. has led to a large decrease in market value for the top cannabis companies. Forbes reports close to a $10 billion drop as of now. Could this affect the medicinal cannabis industry in Puerto Rico?

What is the vaping crisis?

According to the CDC, over 380 cases of lung illnesses have occurred as a result of e-cigarettes, which included six fatalities. Dr. Paul Bonucci, medical director of the emergency department at Illinois Valley Community Hospital, urges everyone to “pay attention to that.”

There hasn’t been a single device or product linked to all of the illnesses, but many of the patients reported having used THC, which is the ingredient in marijuana that causes a high.

This actually points to one of the major issues with vaping in the U.S. According to Jazsmine Farley of Boss Vapes, many consumers are purchasing empty cartridges and filling them with their own homemade products. These products are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) launched a multi-state investigation into the illnesses and fatalities on August 1st. This begun what is known to the cannabis companies as the “vaping crisis.”

Learn more about the investigation by clicking here.

How exactly has the vaping crisis affected cannabis companies?

Four of the largest cannabis companies are Tilray, Canopy Growth, Aurora Cannabis, and Cronos Group. All four of these companies have decreased by nearly $10 billion in market value since the investigation began.

The vaping crisis on the media has also led to many health scares throughout the U.S.. Unfortunately, many cannabis investors have been hesitant to keep investing for fear that products are dangerous. This could have detrimental consequences on sales, especially when Canada legalizes vaping products.

Some states in the U.S. have legalized recreational use of marijuana. In these states, vaping makes up between 10% to 25% of the market. As a result, it’s clearly been a problem that many are shying away from vaping recently.

What does the crisis mean for the top cannabis companies?

It’s pretty certain that cannabis will become a very large industry in the future. But these top companies have only recently become public. The vaping crisis is just one of many challenges they will face.

As Morningstore analyst Kristoffer Inton says, “In the long run, [the vaping crisis] is just a bump in the road.” Inton believes that the cannabis market will actually grow best from products like edibles and beverages.

Will the U.S. vaping crisis affect medicinal cannabis in Puerto Rico?

It’s possible that the vaping crisis the U.S. will have an impact on the medicinal cannabis industry in Puerto Rico. Just last month, Health Secretary Rafael Rodríguez Mercado stated he is considering banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes.

Rodríguez Mercado’s announcement comes after President Donald Trump enforced this ban in the states because of the recent deaths. The U.S. Health Secretary, Alex Azar, also agreed with Trump. According to Azar, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will also be enforcing that ban in the near future.

Rodríguez Mercado said, “Parallel to federal dispositions that President Trump could implement in regard to the sales ban for these products, locally we maintain vigilant of the possible actions that we could take to implement more rigorous measures ahead of what could represent a life threat to thousands of Puerto Ricans”

Right now, the use of e-cigarettes is allowed in Puerto Rico as long as users are following the guidelines of the Medicinal Act. You can read more about the act here.

It is possible, however, that medicinal cannabis use in Puerto Rico will be banned when it is in the form of e-cigarettes. This will, of course, have an impact on dispensaries as well as consumers.

Can Cannabinoids Be Used to Treat Colon Cancer?

October 17, 2019 By karlicobuzzi Leave a Comment

There may be good news on the way for those who have been diagnosed with colon cancer. A research team at the Penn State College of Medicine recently completed a project that showed compounds found in cannabinoids could be used to treat colon cancer.

Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States. Last year alone, the disease caused more than 50,000 deaths. These statistics are provided by the National Cancer Institute, which conducts studies and research in the United States about the disease.

The researchers at Penn State were surprised when they discovered that ten of the compounds in their study could be found in cannabinoids. The cannabinoid compounds have been shown to stop tumor growth and development, and might possibly be used as a preventative measure in the future.

Current Compounds Have Been Ineffective

When cannabinoids are mentioned, most people generally think of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD). These are the two compounds that are often associated with medicinal purposes, both as an anti-anxiety medication and as a kind of muscle relaxer. When it comes to cancer, however, these two compounds from cannabinoids have been much less effective at preventing tumors from forming and stopping cancer growth.

The ten compounds found by the Penn State researchers have been isolated out of cannabinoids for the first time, and it appears they will be far more effective in fighting cancer than THC or CBD have been to this point.

What’s Next for These Compounds?

Kent Vrana, Chair of Penn State’s pharmacology department and a lead researcher on this study, says that the isolation of these compounds could be crucial to cancer research. Now that they have been isolated, Vrana says the next step is to test them against cancer cells to see how effective they can be in the fight. Once that initial step is complete, the researchers think they can start to modify these compounds to make them increasingly effective at fighting cancer.

New Cancer Drugs are the Goal

Vrana also said that the endgame for the cancer research community in this project is the creation of new cancer drugs and vaccines. By isolating, testing, and modifying these compounds, Vrana believes that the compounds can then be turned into drugs that fight cancer better than ever before. Additionally, if some of the compounds are more effective at fighting particular types of cancer, then multiple drugs could be developed to combat different cancers. This could lead to more individualized treatment for patients and better patient outcomes.

CBD Oil in Puerto Rico: Are You Using a Legal, High-Quality Product?

October 9, 2019 By karlicobuzzi Leave a Comment

There’s been a lot of hype lately about CBD oil in Puerto Rico. CBD oil comes from the compound cannabidiol. Doctors advertise the oil in their offices. Baristas try to sell it in their coffee shops. You can find it in health food stores and even spas.

But not all CBD oil is created equally. Some oils are created off-market, making them a lesser quality, not to mention illegal. That’s why its important to know exactly what kind of CBD oil you’re using. That way, you can avoid breaking the law AND reducing the benefits. This article will teach you how to tell if you’re using a good form of CBD in Puerto Rico.

First, why would you want to use CBD oil?

Cannabidiol occurs naturally in cannabis plants. It’s sometimes taken from marijuana plants and sometimes taken from hemp plants. But it is not the same thing as marijuana. Unlike marijuana, cannabidiol is not psychoactive. This means that it will not get you “high,” as it does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Furthermore, it also means CBD is not addictive.

CBD has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help to treat a variety of ailments. People have used CBD oil in Puerto Rico to treat depression, anxiety, psychosis, joint and muscle pains, memory issues, and nausea.

What’s the deal with CBD on the market?

The problem with CBD oil’s popularity is that consumers have a hard time figuring out if they’re receiving the best quality oil.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) recently caused more confusion on this front. They stated that they consider CBD oil products derived from hemp as illegal. Now people are concerned whether or not the CBD products they are buying are legal and actually beneficial. To read more about the DEA and CBD Oil, take a look at this article.

Hemp and cannabis seem pretty much identical, but they do have one important difference: their cannabinoid profiles are not the same. The strains usually used for hemp do not produce much THC, typically below .3%. Click here to learn more about the difference between CBD and THC.

People can only use CBD products made from cannabis in states where marijuana or medicinal marijuana are legal.

But CBD products created from hemp strains are legal in all 50 states and in Puerto Rico. CBD on its own is not considered a controlled substance, but it’s relation to cannabis cause people to believe that it’s similar to marijuana.

Unfortunately, many places are also selling “hemp oil” that contains little to no cannabinoid, and they market it as CBD oil. Situations like this one are why consumers need to be extremely conservative about where they purchase their products.

There’s a very simple way to know whether your CBD oil is high quality: check your source.

Always do your research about the products you buy. See if you can locate the manufacturer and the laboratory results. If you cannot seem to get the information you need about the product, it’s best to purchase it from somewhere else.

Medicinal Cannabis and Puerto Rico’s Opioid Crisis: How Do They Relate?

September 18, 2019 By karlicobuzzi Leave a Comment

Will the medicinal cannabis surge in Puerto Rico have any effect on the opioid crisis?

A recent study conducted by Northwell Health researchers showed that 27% of older adult patients were able to completely stop using opioid painkillers by using medical marijuana instead. It’s possible that using medicinal cannabis could help to reduce the opioid crisis in Puerto Rico.

The researchers surveyed over 138 patients who use medical marijuana. Those participants completed an anonymous 20-question survey that asked how often they used medical marijuana to manage their pain. It also asked about the form of marijuana they used, how well it reduced their pain, and how much they were able to reduce their use of other painkillers.

18% of participants said they were able to reduce their use of opioids “moderately.” 20% said they were able to reduce their use of opioids “extremely, and 27% said they were able to reduce their use of opioids “completely.” 91% of participants said they would recommend the use of medical marijuana to others.The patients involved in this study were all suffering from chronic pain related to conditions like osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and hip and knee issues.

Could medicinal cannabis in Puerto Rico help eliminate the opioid epidemic?

Like many areas throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico has a severe opioid crisis. There are not nearly enough rehabilitation resources in Puerto Rico to serve all of those suffering with addiction to drugs. Fortunately, the results of this study suggest that medicinal cannabis in Puerto Rico could help to improve this crisis.

Dr. Diana Martins-Welch, the study’s co-author, confirms that there is potential, here, for medical cannabis to replace opioids in many patients. “What I’m seeing in my practice,” she said, “and what I’m hearing from other providers who are participating in medical marijuana programs, is that their patients are using less opioids. I’ve even gotten some patients completely off opioids.”

Unfortunately, medicinal marijuana is not legal throughout all of the U.S., and it’s not always easy to access it, even if it proves to be medicinally therapeutic. Dr. Martins-Welch calls for medical marijuana to be widely available and easier to obtain, as it’s currently only legal in 30 U.S. states. Because it’s federally illegal, it’s also very expensive and not covered by insurance, making it inaccessible to many more patients.

Thankfully, medicinal cannabis is legal and accessible to Puerto Rican residents, which means that more and more patients could use it for pain relief. This means that less people will begin using opioids, which can be highly addictive, and it may begin to signal a reduction of the drug crisis.

How To Buy Medicinal Cannabis in Puerto Rico

June 19, 2019 By karlicobuzzi Leave a Comment

Great news — it’s now possible to buy medicinal cannabis in Puerto Rico.

In 2015, Executive Order OE-2015-035 was signed by Governor Alejandro Padilla ordering the Secretary of Health to authorize some or all of the marijuana plant for medical use. This set in motion a chain reaction for Administrative Order Number 352, issued by secretary of Health Dr. Ana Ruiz, to begin directives for the possession, cultivation, manufacturing, production, fabrication, dispensing, distributing, and research of medical cannabis. Then, in July of 2017, Act 42-2017, The Medicinal Act was signed by the governor.

So how can you begin the process to buy medicinal cannabis?

Although adult-use cannabis remains illegal, Puerto Ricans who are looking to access medical marijuana can go though an application process. The process requires a fee that ranges from $100-$150 and anyone who is interested need only go through the following steps to be approved:

Obtain a medical recommendation from an authorized doctor, which will be sent through the registration platform.
Open an account.
Create a request and locate your doctor’s medical recommendation.
Complete the privacy policy, submit a 2 inch-by-2 inch passport size photo, and attach remaining documents digitally.

Once these steps have been completed, patients are then entered into a database with the department of Health and are allowed to buy medicinal cannabis from their nearest storefront dispensary. Regulation 8766 dictates consumption location, which is limited to private homes or private places in which owners authorize the consumption of medical cannabis. Smokeable marijuana is illegal, however the following forms of consumption are allowed:

Edibles
Capsules
Suppositories
Oral inhalers
Oral drops
Vaporization of cannabis flower or concentrate
Topical ointments and creams
Transdermal patches
Any other means that the Department of Health authorizes

The entire process can be started online and a Spanish-language form can be found on the government’s website. There are many ways and conditions that an individual can qualify to use medical cannabis. A full list can be found on the DS main registration page, however a few examples are listed below:

Alzheimer’s disease
Anorexia
Anxiety disorders
Arthritis
Autism
Bipolar disorder
Cancer and chemotherapy treatment for cancer
Depression
Degenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, or multiple sclerosis (MS)
Epilepsy
Fibromyalgia
Glaucoma
Hepatitis C
HIV/AIDS
Incurable and advanced diseases requiring palliative care
Insomnia
Intestinal inflammatory disease
Migraines
Parkinson’s disease
Peripheral neuropathies
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Spinal cord injury
Another condition that causes cachexia, or wasting disease, chronic pain, severe nausea, or persistent muscle spasms

The Health Department maintains a directory of medical providers who are authorized to recommend cannabis for medicinal purposes. Establishments such as dispensaries, distributors, and manufacturers that are looking for licensing can do so on the Cannabis Medicinal site via the Department of Health. Licensing is necessary to participate in any type of dispensary business as either an employee or owner. Criminal history disclosures and background checks must be made when pursuing certain types of licenses. The Medical Act, Act 42-2017, permits dispensaries to dispense to patients with medical cards from other states.

The Medicinal Act: What Puerto Rican Residents Should Know

June 18, 2019 By karlicobuzzi Leave a Comment

As of 2015, medicinal cannabis has been legalized in Puerto Rico under the Medicinal Act. The following are some of the most important things related to the industry as published in “Medicinal Cannabis in Puerto Rico and Taxation” by BDO Puerto Rico on August 11, 2017.

The cannabis industry and its investors have been mobilizing the market since 2015. Nonetheless, it was not until 2017 with “Act to Manage the Study, Development and Research of Cannabis for Innovation, Applicable Norms and Limitations,” more commonly known and referred to as “Medicinal Act” or Act 42-2017, when the industry experienced its largest growth. The act was designed to serve as legal guidance for everything related to medicinal cannabis, including but not limited to, patients, taxations, and oversight of the industry (dispensaries, growing facilities, manufacturers and others).

Here are the most important things you need to know about the “law:

The Medicinal Act establishes a Regulatory Board consisting of (9) members. Six of those members head the departments of health, agriculture, treasury, economic development/commerce, consumer affairs and the Superintendent of Puerto Rico Police. The remaining (3) are nominated by the Governor. The Regulatory Board will be responsible for withholding and implementing the law concerning everything related to the cannabis industry.

Act 42-2017 states as illegal the act of smoking. Flowers are intended only for the use of vaporization.

The Medicinal Act prohibits the importation or exportation of cannabis or cannabis derived products. Such products must be produced inland.

The law prohibits the consumption of cannabis in public areas. All consumption must take place in private residences.

Dispensaries are not allowed to sell medicinal cannabis to anyone that does not have an official medical authorization card issued by a doctor stating the nature of the condition for which the patient requires medicinal cannabis.

The flower or bud is only offered to patients who have had little success with other treatments. The use of flower must also be directly recommended by the doctor for dispensaries to dispatch them to their patients.

The Medicinal Act also includes a clause referring to tourism and tourist patients. The clause authorizes dispensaries to sell to tourists with their medicinal cannabis authorization card from their home states as long as it is not flower.

Although medicines in Puerto Rico are tax free, anything derived from medical cannabis will be taxed at 11.5% and accounted as personal property.

Regulation 8766: Puerto Rico’s Medical Cannabis Guidelines

June 17, 2019 By karlicobuzzi Leave a Comment

In 2015, Puerto Rico decided to join the group of many other U.S. states that have legalized marijuana. Then, the following year, Puerto Rico revised some of its criteria with Regulation 8766, which updated and also clarified some of the guidelines for patients who want to receive cannabis medications. The Medical Cannabis Act has established The Medicinal Cannabis Regulatory Board (MCRB), a branch of Puerto Rico’s Department of Health. This particular branch oversees the use, cultivation, production, and distribution of medical marijuana.

Here’s what Regulation 8766 is all about.

The Puerto Rican government recognizes and understands the medical benefits of cannabis; however, the recreational use is still illegal. It is considered a schedule one drug by the government, and anyone who is found with it is subject to a felony possession charge. No matter how much a person is carrying, the penalty could include a $5,000 fine and two to ten years in prison. This law also includes and marijuana paraphernalia.

By obtaining a medical marijuana card, a patient can legally purchase marijuana products at a medicinal cannabis establishment. These establishments are where the marijuana is produced and sold. The products that are sold there must adhere to high purity standards to ensure their safety as well as effectiveness. Once at the establishment, a patient may purchase up to a thirty-day supply, and as long as they carry no more than this amount and follow all government regulations, they’re free from criminal liability.

In order to apply for a medical marijuana card, a patient must first have a qualified medical condition. Puerto Rico has included several disorders and symptoms, including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS, among many more. The steps required to qualify and receive your medical card are very similar to those in many U.S. states:

Make an appointment with a physician registered to a recommend cannabis with the MCRB.
The doctor must confirm the patient’s diagnosis and fill out a recommendation form.
The patient then fills out an application and all forms found on the MCRB website.
They turn in their paperwork in-person to the MCRB, along with proper identification and an application fee.
Once approved, they must then return to the MCRB to pick up their card and choose a medicinal cannabis establishment to access their medications form.

Once a patient has a medical marijuana card, they purchase marijuana products from their nearest dispensary. In order to keep their card, a patient may have to re-certify their status. This process includes going to a physician and receiving a recommendation that confirms they still have a qualifying medical condition. Then they must submit their renewal application in-person to the MCRB at least thirty days before their card expires. If a patient is late in bringing their renewal application, there may be a segment of time during which they are unable to access a medical cannabis establishment.

The Medicinal Cannabis Industry Will Create More Jobs in Puerto Rico

June 16, 2019 By karlicobuzzi Leave a Comment

Over the past few years, Puerto Rico has been experiencing economic issues that could culminate in the largest municipal bankruptcy in United States history. Puerto Rico is currently struggling to repay over $70 million dollars in debt. Fortunately, the medicinal cannabis industry has been offering ways to solve the economic issues. Other states that now have legal marijuana businesses have been successful at creating more jobs and generating revenue.

Whenever you hear about job growth in the United States, the industries mentioned usually revolve around the technology sector or health care of some sort, when in fact, some of the largest growth is happening in the cannabis industry. Even though not every state has legalized the use of cannabis products, it is still one of the fastest growing markets in the country. The cannabis industry employs over 211,000 full time workers in the United States, and that’s not including jobs with an indirect link to the industry. In the past year, 64,000 jobs were created –a 44% increase — and another 20,000 are expected to be created in California and Florida alone.

In the state of Florida, the number of medicinal cannabis patients rose from 65,000 to 165,000 in the past year. This in turn led to an increase in more than 9,000 jobs in the cannabis industry alone over the same time period. These numbers could increase even more if Florida also legalizes the adult use of cannabis, thereby increasing the demand for the product.

The highest concentrations of jobs in the cannabis industry are in states where both medical and adult use is permitted, such as Colorado and Washington. The jobs that are created are not only dispensary jobs, but also professional and technical workers such as lab workers, marketers, accountants, and tax experts. All of these professional positions make up more than half of the new workforce, which leads to a median annual salary of $58,511, almost 11% higher than the overall U.S. median.

The Department of Labor and its Bureau of Labor Statistics won’t count the number of jobs related to the cannabis industry due to the fact that cannabis is still a Schedule 1 drug in the eyes of the federal government. It is even considered to have no medical value, which just goes to show how far behind the government is with the new emerging industry. Therefore, it is up to third party businesses to keep track of statistics and jobs in the medicinal cannabis industry.

An undeniable fact about the new marijuana laws is that they’ve allowed the cannabis market to boom. In 2018, legal cannabis sales increased by 34% nationwide to $10.8 billion. Even though most states now have some form of legal cannabis use ,the states that are still holding out are now considering decriminalizing the plant. Washington D.C. and ten other states have also lifted prohibitions against recreational cannabis use by adults.

Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Puerto Rico?

May 30, 2019 By karlicobuzzi Leave a Comment

Is weed legal in marijuana?

The legalization of medical marijuana in Puerto Rico occurred early in 2015, followed by medical dispensaries opening their doors to the public in January 2017. Although the act of smoking THC in any form is still illegal, medical marijuana patients can access many other forms of THC such as topicals and edibles. Currently, Puerto Rico has about 9,000 registered patients who can legally purchase marijuana products. These patients are permitted to purchase a 30-day supply each time that they make a purchase; however, they are entered into a database so that a patient cannot go to multiple dispensaries in one day.

With the growing marijuana economy in Puerto Rico, systems are being put into place to make dispensaries more accessible and easier to find. Maps and directories are being created to show where the best dispensaries are for both tourists as well as locals. Discretion is advised for anyone who is taking advantage of the medical marijuana opportunities on the island. The government also advises that the patients use THC products in private homes, and if you drive while high, you can be convicted of a DUI.

What you need to know about marijuana in Puerto Rico:

Medical marijuana is legal in Puerto Rico. As of right now, you need a medical marijuana card to purchase the products, and can receive one through specific doctors in Puerto Rico.
If you already have a valid medical marijuana card from a different state that is government issued, you may use that card at one of the dispensaries in Puerto Rico.
If you have a medical marijuana card, you may visit one of any of the territory-licensed dispensaries in Puerto Rico.
The types of marijuana that will be available at these dispensaries are:
- Pills
- Transdermal Products
- Oral Drops
- Topical Products
A single patient is permitted to purchase up to a 30-day supply from a dispensary.
Under the current law, a patient may only consume marijuana in a private residence.

Puerto Rican Government Complicates Medical Marijuana Process

May 26, 2019 By karlicobuzzi Leave a Comment

In recent years, Puerto Rico has been in the news for financial troubles that could culminate in the largest municipal bankruptcy in United States history. Currently, the territory is $70 billion in debt and has no way to repay it. One solution to this growing economic problem is medicinal marijuana, even with the government putting up roadblocks at every turn. The Puerto Rican government has made the process of entering the medical marijuana field very difficult and has created trouble operating within the current system. Some of the present issues may be due to a learning curve on the part of the elected officials, but there is also some resistance and lack of resources to blame. In the end, the patients are the ones who end up suffering the most.

There are over 4,000 registered patients in Puerto Rico, with 7,000 more awaiting their patient ID cards. The Department of Cannabis, a branch of the Department of Health in Puerto Rico, is severely understaffed and lacks resources with reports of only one machine available to print new ID cards. This creates a bottleneck that greatly slows down the process.

Unfortunately, this is not the only problem in the process of receiving a medical marijuana ID card. Once a patient secures a recommendation from a doctor, they must then take that notification to a notary to get it certified. The twist is that the only people who are legally allowed to be notaries in Puerto Rico are lawyers. After first seeing the doctor, and then a lawyer, a patient must then take their certified recommendation to the Department of Cannabis, where it is reviewed. This entire string of events is extremely time consuming. not to mention expensive, as the application fee can range from $100-$150.

There is a large investment not only financially, but also in effort, especially for patients who do not live in San Juan and must travel upwards of up to two and a half hours. Now this may not seem like a lot to some, but when factoring in the fact that most of the people who are applying for the medical card are sick or impaired in some way, it makes travel very difficult.

Even when loved ones of the patient attempt to help, it is still time that they have to take off from work or some other venture in their normal lives. In addition to residents attempting to get their ID cards ,visitors to island, who have a valid medical marijuana card in another state, must go through a very similar system that locals do. This process could take up an entire day of a visitor’s vacation or business trip and comes with the same application fee as the local one.

These inefficient processes, along with the lack of resources, are turning a viable financial opportunity for Puerto Rico into a misstep for the time being. However, with a better infrastructure in place, and some slight changes to the regulations, the Puerto Rican government can turn the situation around quickly and efficiently.