Bob Marley marijuana brand to debut

Going to pot? The long-deceased reggae music legend's name will be used to market Marley Natural, a line of "heirloom Jamaican cannabis strains”

More than 33 years after he died of cancer, Jamaican reggae music legend Bob Marley is getting ready to stir things up posthumously , if not lively up the surging commercial marijuana market, as the name and face of what is being billed as the world's first international marijuana brand.

Marley Natural, which is described as "heirloom Jamaican cannabis strains,” is targeted to ship before the end of 2015 to sales outlets in countries where pot is legal. To help ensure a big roll-out, Marley Natural products will be packaged and marketed with input from the same P.R. agency that played a key role in branding Starbucks Coffee and New Balance running shoes. A Marley Natural slogan, "Make way for the positive day," has already been introduced.

At least one of Bob Marley's quotes – "When you smoke the herb it reveals you to yourself" – is also being used in the marketing campaign for Marley Natural. Members of the deceased reggae singer-songwriter's family announced Marley Natural on Tuesday morning's edition of the TV show NBC Today.

Introducing Marley Natural Fine Cannabis

An accompanying video, narrated by an unidentified woman and featuring Marley's classic songs "One Love" and "Could You Be Loved," proclaims that Marley Natural is "inspired by a deep respect for nature, for its power to awaken our well-being, we embark on a new chapter of his legacy to realize more fully the benefits of cannabis for the mind, body and spirit. Make way for the positive day." 

The video makes no mention of Bob Marley having been, as many Jamaicans and reggae artists are to this day, a devout Rastarfarian. The monotheistic Rastafari religious movement regards marijuana as a “sacrament” and contends its use is, in fact, sanctioned by the Bible.

How so? Rastafarians point to a line in Psalms 104:14: “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man.” The video also omits any mention of the fact Marley reportedly smoked nearly a pound of pot per week.

Marley Natural is the brainchild of the Seattle-based private equity company Privateer Holdings, which exclusively focuses on marijuana industry products and investments. Marley Natural will also sell an array of other pot-related products, including marijuana creams, lotions and various accessories, such as e-cigarette-styled vaporizers, inspired by both Marley and marijuana.

In a taped video statement provided to NBC News, Cedella Marley, 47, Bob's first-born daughter, said: "It just seems natural that Daddy should be part of this conversation. As Daddy would say: 'Make way for the positive day'."

The video also includes Rohan Marley, 42, one of Bob and Rita Marley's sons. "Herb is for the healing of the nation," he said. "Herb is for the meditation; herb is for the higher vibrations."

Cedella and Rohan's mother, Rita Marley, agrees, saying: “My husband believed ‘the herb’ was a natural and positive part of life, and he felt it was important to the world. He looked forward to this day.”

Apparently, Marley also looked forward to more widespread marijuana cultivation and sales.

A statement posted Tuesday morning on his website reads: "As a brand with a strong social conscience, Marley Natural’s business model and philanthropic initiatives will be built to ensure that families and communities who have been harmed by prohibition have the opportunity to benefit from the new, legal cannabis economy."

The Marley estate earned an estimated $20 million over the past year, according to a Forbes magazine tally published last month. Those pre-Marley Natural earnings could now grow significantly higher.

The launch of Marley Natural is the latest example of how what is becoming known as "canna-business" is taking off in a big way.

Four states – Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington – plus the District of Columbia allow pot to be sold for recreational purposes. In September alone, taxes on pot products legally sold in Colorado brought more than $26 million to the state's coffers. 

Meanwhile, the use of pot has been decriminalized in 23 other states. Medical marijuana is legal in California, although the proliferation of pot dispensaries remains contentious in many cities in the state, including San Diego.

Coming next week (well, maybe): Former members of the Grateful Dead and a slew of hip-hop stars jostle to be the first U.S. music to announce their own line of pot products.


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Marijuana Drastically Shrinks Aggressive Form Of Brain Cancer, New Study Finds

Over the past few years, research has revealed that marijuana can both destroy certain cancer cells and reduce the growth of others. Now, a new study in mice has found that when combined with radiation treatment, cannabis can effectively shrink one of the most aggressive types of brain tumors.
In a paper published Friday in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapies, a team of researchers from St. George's University of London outlined the "dramatic reductions" they observed in high-grade glioma masses, a deadly form of brain cancer, when treated with a combination of radiation and two different marijuana compounds, also known as cannabinoids. In many cases, those tumors shrunk to as low as one-tenth the sizes of those in the control group.

"We've shown that cannabinoids could play a role in treating one of the most aggressive cancers in adults," Dr. Wai Liu, one of the study's lead authors, wrote in an op-ed earlier this week. "The results are promising...it could provide a way of breaking through glioma and saving more lives."

In an email to The Huffington Post, Liu pointed out that while research surrounding marijuana's cancer-fighting properties is nothing new, his team is the first to document its effect on the disease when used alongside radiation. "The results showed that the final effect was superior to the sum of the parts," he said. "Hopefully, these results will support calls for formal trials in humans to test these combinations."

Liu and his colleagues examined mice that had been infected with glioma and subsequently treated with radiation alone or in combination with varying levels of two cannabis compounds: THC, the psychoactive compound associated with the "high" sensation, and CBD, which doesn't produce psychoactive side effects.
They found that the tumors were best treated by low doses of both THC and CBD that, when used in concert, made the tumors more receptive to radiation treatment. "Our data suggests a 'triple threat' approach using all three may be of value," Liu told HuffPost.

The researchers also found that together, the low doses of THC and CBD produced a similar effect to a large dose of either compound, which is noteworthy because it indicates that patients may ultimately experience fewer side effects.
THC and CBD are just two of the dozens of chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant. While research surrounding the therapeutic effects of these compounds has been limited, a team of scientists from the U.K. last year found that a combination of six different purified cannabinoids can kill the cancerous cells found in individuals with leukemia.

Meanwhile, when used alone as a form of treatment, THC has been shown to reduce the size of other cancerous tumors and stop the spread of HIV, and CBD strains of marijuana have had a profound effect on children and adults who suffer from debilitating seizure disorders.
Despite these findings, marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug in the United States, meaning the federal government believes it has no medicinal value.

The federally-funded National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) grows a limited supply of marijuana in Mississippi, which is used for government sanctioned research. While critics have long accused NIDA of only funding experiments that examine the substance's negative effects, the agency has conducted a handful of studies that look at its potential benefits.

Although 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, many experts argue that the lack of federally regulated studies of cannabis limits doctors' and scientists' understanding of the full medical benefits of the plant, resulting instead in a trial-and-error attitude towards treatment.
"You can find publications from the '70s and '80s that show pure cannabidiol is an anti-convulsant," Catherine Jacobson, the director of research at the Epilepsy Foundation, told HuffPost last month. "And here we are 40 years later and we still don't have any new information about this."

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Legalize it? More states approve recreational marijuana use

By Jasmin Rojas,

The recent elections certainly saw a great deal of change across the country. Significantly, voters in two states—Oregon and Alaska—and in the District of Columbia have approved the use of recreational marijuana. They join Colorado and Washington, both states that have already passed similar laws.

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Oregon’s ballot initiative allows adults 21 and older to possess up to eight ounces and four plants of marijuana. It also legalizes production and sales, which the Oregon Liquor Control Commission will regulate. The measure taxes marijuana, with the revenue set aside for enforcement and education programs.
Alaska’s law allows adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of pot and maintain six marijuana plants. The measure legalizes production and sales, which the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board—or a Marijuana Control Board, if one is created—will regulate. The measure also taxes marijuana.

The ballot initiative in the District of Columbia allows adults 21 and older to possess up to two ounces of marijuana for personal use, grow up to six plants, and give marijuana to other adults 21 and older. It doesn’t legalize, regulate, or tax sales.
Oregon’s law takes effect on July 1, 2015, and Alaska’s law will become effective in about a year (90 days after the election is certified, followed by a nine-month period to create regulations).

With respect to the District of Columbia, it is unclear whether the law will become effective because, as a district, it is subject to Congressional and Presidential approval. Given that marijuana is illegal under federal law, many believe that the federal government will block the measure from becoming law.

What does this mean for employers?

In Alaska and the District of Columbia, the laws explicitly state that they are not intended to require an employer to permit or accommodate the use of marijuana at work or affect employer’s abilities to restrict marijuana use. Both laws also prohibit driving while under the influence of marijuana.
The Oregon law provides that it is not intended to affect any state or federal law pertaining to employment matters, or to exempt a person from a federal law.
Employers in these states, and in states that allow the use of medical marijuana, should keep in mind that they have a right to maintain a drug-free workplace. However, it is important to check your state’s laws as some states have specific mandatory drug testing laws and others have voluntary regulations.

The best practice for employers is to understand their state’s laws and have a precise, written workplace drug usage and testing policy that unmistakably states an employee cannot have, use or be under the influence of marijuana in the workplace.
Also include language about your expectations of employee behavior while at work. For example, just because an employee may be using marijuana for medicinal purposes, that does not mean they can be falling asleep at their desk. HR.BLR.com has a variety of resources that can provide assistance in creating policies about drug-free workplaces.

Jasmin M. Rojas, JD, is a Legal Editor for BLR’s human resources and employment law publications. Ms. Rojas has several years of experience as an attorney and writer in the field of human resources and has published numerous articles on a variety of human resources and employment topics, including compensation, harassment, discrimination, work/life issues, termination, and military leave. Ms. Rojas has also presented seminars and conducted supervisory training on issues including, but not limited to, sexual harassment and other forms of workplace harassment, ADA, FMLA, internal investigations, workplace violence and workplace privacy. Before starting her career in publishing, Ms. Rojas advised and represented employers before state courts and administrative agencies on labor and employment law matters such as claims of unfair labor practices, discrimination, wrongful discharge, retaliation, sexual harassment, unemployment and employee discipline.  Ms. Rojas is a cum laude graduate of Western New England University, School of Law, and is an avid basketball and rugby fan.

Majority Of Americans Support Marijuana Legalization, 64% For Americans 18-34

By Doug Mataconis 

In the wake of ballot sucesses in Oregon, Arizona, and Washington, D.C. on Election Day, a new Gallup poll shows that a slim majority supports legalization of marijuana, but support has dropped slightly from a year ago, suggesting that it will be some time before the legalization movement becomes a nationwide phenomenon:

PRINCETON, N.J. — A slim majority of Americans, 51%, favor legalizing the use of marijuana — similar to the 50% who supported it in 2011 and 2012, but down from a reading of 58% last year.
The new result is based on an Oct. 12-15 Gallup poll, conducted in the run-up to the midterm elections in which various pro-marijuana policy initiatives went before voters in Oregon, Washington, D.C and Florida, as well as in several cities in Maine, Michigan and elsewhere. Most of those initiatives succeeded, although a proposed Constitutional amendment in Florida to legalize medical marijuana failed with 57% of the vote, just shy of the 60% needed.

Gallup’s long-term trend on Americans’ support for legalizing marijuana shows that in 1969, just 12% of U.S. adults were in favor. But that swelled to 28% by the late 1970s, and 34% by 2003. Since then, support steadily increased to the point that 50% supported it in 2011. Last year was the first time Gallup found a solid majority in favor, at 58%. That poll was conducted amid heavy news coverage of the imminent implementation of Colorado’s marijuana legalization law, which may have contributed to what appears to have been a temporary jump in support. This year, support at 51% is still a majority, but closer to where it was in 2011 and 2012.

Here’s the chart showing how the numbers have changed:
It’s hard to say what might account for the drop from 58% last year to 50% this year. Perhaps it’s possible that some of the coverage of legalization efforts in Colorado and Washington led to some negative push back among some part of the American public. There was, after all, some typically fear mongering coverage about the issue of children getting their hands on the edible marijuana products that have proven to be particularly popular in Colorado. For the most part, though, I haven’t really noticed an up-tick in negative coverage of legalization, or even of legalization generally on a national level so that explanation does’t necessarily make sense.

Another possibility is that the 2013 number is simply a statistical blip that didn’t necessarily represent the trend After all, it was just a year before that support for legalization had hit 48% while opposition was at 50%. The fact that, just a year later, the number was at 58% for legalization and only 39% against it, then, was somewhat of a surprise, and appears to be outside of the general trend which has show that support and opposition have been moving slowly in their respective directions. This years numbers appear to continue that trend. So, perhaps we ought to just chalk up the 2013 survey to being an outlier, and recognize the broader point that, slowly but surely, support for legalization is growing.
Of course, as with many issues of this type, whether or not you support legalization is likely to depend on who you are. For example, there are definite differences based on political ideology:

And, where you live:

Neither of these sets of numbers should be all too surprising, of course. To date, most of the movement on legalization and medical marijuana has come in the East and the West, which also happens to be areas of general cultural liberalism and openness. That’s likely to continue into the future, with the next likely battleground for legalization coming in 2016 in California, where advocates are working on putting the matter back on the ballot for a second time after failing to get legalization passed in 2010.

Given the nature of the electorate that is likely to come to the polls in California in 2016, and polls in that state showing much higher support for legalization than we saw four years ago, the likelihood of passage this second time, while not guaranteed, seems to be much higher. Passage of legalization in America’s most populated state is likely to have an impact around the country, of course, but the fact that support for legalization remains lower in the South and Midwest suggests that it will still be some time before those parts of the country even begin to move on the issue.

There’s one takeaway from the Gallup poll that remains as true today as it has been for several years now. Notwithstanding the drop in support from 2013 to 2014 and the fact that political ideology and geography tend to dictate public opinion on the issue, there is one cohort among whom support for legalization continues to grow notwithstanding ideology, geography, or any other demographic. Among people 18 to 34 years old, support for legalization is at 64% and growing, while support only reaches 41% among those 55 and older.

The age group in between is generally more supportive of legalization than opposed. What this suggests is that, much like support for same-sex marriage, it will be younger Americans that will guide public attitudes on this issue going forward, especially as they age and become a larger segment of the electorate. Eventually, then even the South and Midwest will become more supportive of legalization, and even conservatives will be seen as more receptive to the idea. Progress in this area is likely to be slower than what we’ve seen in the same-sex marriage battle, in no small part because there won’t be the same court action possible as there was in that area, but the inevitable direction seems to be clear. Legalization is the future.

8 Facts About Marijuana Legalization Everyone Should Know

By Zeeshan Aleem

It's been an important week for supporters of marijuana legalization.

Voters in two states — Alaska and Oregon — and Washington, D.C., took to the polls on Tuesday to approve recreational marijuana use, joining Colorado and Washington as new bastions of carefree pot smoking. Pro-legalization advocates are thrilled with the progress and are already plotting their next moves to bring legal weed to more states across the country.

But the movement to legalize marijuana didn't start this week. Supporters have been working for years to pass and implement policies in states that regulate the distribution and use of marijuana, both for medicinal and recreational purposes. In the light of the most recent progress, it's worth taking stock of where we are, and what we've learned along the way.

So, as legalized marijuana continues to build momentum in states across the country, here are eight facts everybody should keep in mind: 

1. Marijuana is legal in some form in close to half the states in the U.S.  

Four states and Washington, D.C., allow recreational marijuana. Nineteen states allow it for medical purposes, and 14 have decriminalized it.

In the states with outright legalization, possession and consumption of marijuana is legal for people age 21 and older. Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Colorado have already instated or are in the process of introducing a model whereby marijuana can be legally sold, taxed and regulated. Washington, D.C., has only legalized possession and growing for the time being, but its city council will likely move to tax and regulate soon. 

In the additional 19 states where marijuana for medicinal purposes is legal, regulation varies widely, with certain states, such as California, so lax about criteria for a medical marijuana card that it ultimately assumes a quasi-legal status.

States where marijuana has been decriminalized have softened the penalties associated with possessing the drug, often limiting or eliminating prison time and opting for fines instead. Like with medical marijuana, states vary a great deal in their laws, and decriminalization does not do away with harsh penalties for possessing or trafficking large amounts of the plant.

2. A majority of the country supports legalization.

Support for legalization over the past 25 years has steadily increased. Just 16% of those surveyed by CNN/ORC in 1990 supported legalizing marijuana. Recent polling puts support at over 50%, a clear sign that as legalization takes hold in more states, support for greater access to the drug increases:

3. Legalization could lead to billions of dollars in tax revenue.

When states legalize pot, they can levy substantial taxes on the marijuana industry and generate much-needed revenue for their budgets. Colorado's recent introduction of marijuana is already bringing in more than $30 million of taxable revenue a month — leading to upwards of $7.5 million of tax revenue. The Drug Policy Alliance estimates that California could raise $1.4 billion annually in extra revenue if it taxed and regulated the sale of marijuana. 
If marijuana is legalized federally, the marijuana industry could be more than three times bigger than the NFL — and it could all be taxed.

4. States with legalization are doing just fine.

Colorado introduced marijuana this year and has not descended into chaos or seen a catastrophic loss of productivity. Instead, it's pulling in millions of dollars in tax revenue. In September, recreational sales exceeded medical sales in the state, suggesting that state-regulated marijuana may be a viable alternative to the black market. 

Things haven't been perfect, either. Edible marijuana, the disproportionate potency of which many new consumers aren't aware of, has been associated with two fatalities and a number of emergency room visits. Advocates have taken up a campaign promoting responsible use in the state.

Washington doesn't have comparable figures, having rolled out legal marijuana more recently than Colorado and almost immediately encountering a shortage of the plant for retail. But so far, there are no reports suggesting that legalization has had adverse consequences for the state.

Source: Don Ryan/AP

5. The link between legalization and more pot use is inconclusive.

It's too early to draw conclusions from the Colorado or Washington situations on whether legalization increases overall consumption of marijuana. Vox surveyed a number of studies with conflicting conclusions on the link between overall use and access to medical marijuana or overall use and decriminalization. 

Regardless, marijuana existing as a commercial product is an entirely different animal, and its effects are impossible to anticipate. It should be said that the power of a for-profit industry to stoke more demand for a already popular drug cannot be overestimated. Exhibit A: tobacco. Exhibit B: alcohol.

6. Regulating marijuana makes society safer.

The correlation between regulation and public safety is a common sense principle borne out by history in countless industries. Just as consumers are protected by requiring restaurants to be inspected for health violations or pharmaceutical companies to submit new products to the FDA, regulating marijuana will make it more likely that consumers are getting a quality product undiluted by potentially harmful additives. 

Foul play by a specific pot retailer will be more easily flagged. If legal marijuana successfully displaces the black market, it will make access for minors far more difficult. In the long run, public discourse will finally allow us to have a conversation about responsible use.

Source: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

7. The feds are turning a blind eye to the states.

Marijuana is not legal under federal law, but no federal entity has intervened in state legalization measures so far. In the immediate aftermath of the first legalization measures, President Obama said that he has "bigger fish to fry" than cracking down on the marijuana industry. The following year, his administration released a memo stating that the Department of Justice wouldn't challenge state laws on marijuana legalization as long as they adhere to a set of strict rules regarding the sale and distribution of the drug, such as ensuring minors don't have access to it. 

Recently, Attorney General Eric Holder expressed optimism about Washington and Colorado's paths. But the legalization of recreational marijuana in the nation's capital on Tuesday brings the conflict between local and federal law into full view of federal lawmakers and could prompt congressional action.

8. Legalization helps us better understand marijuana's health effects.

The federal government's prohibition of marijuana has systematically hampered serious scientific inquiry into the health risks of marijuana for decades. We're hamstrung by a Catch-22, pithily captured by the Wire: "Marijuana is illegal because the [Drug Enforcement Administration] says it has no proven medical value, but researchers have to get approval from the DEA to research marijuana's medical value." 

There is substantial evidence on its ability to alleviate pain and nausea, but its benefits and risks are still under-explored relative to how long and how widely the drug has been used. 

Hopefully, as marijuana reform sweeps the country, we can start looking into the complex question of the carcinogenic properties of marijuana smoke and its potential to alter teenage brain development.

These are just a handful of the lessons we've learned from states' experiments in decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana use, either for medicinal or recreational use. Marijuana is hardly the harmful societal force for evil it was once considered. As that new consensus grows, we'll only know more about the drug's actual effects on society.

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