FDA warning letters on CBD health claims; fears of cannabis deserts; opioid commission report unveiled; airport weed ads; Pennsylvania progress & more

Nov. 1: FDA warning letters on CBD health claims; fears of cannabis deserts; opioid commission report unveiled; airport weed ads; Pennsylvania progress & more Cannabist]( [thecannabist.co]( | [@cannabist]( | [fb/cannabist]( If someone forwarded this to you and you'd like to sign up yourself, just go here: [(. To view this on the web or share a link, [click here.]( [FDA sends warning letters to CBD companies, including Colorado’s CW Hemp]( The Colorado company known for the “[Charlotte’s Web](” cannabidiol-rich extract and three other businesses that make CBD products were put on notice by the FDA for illegally making unsubstantiated health claims. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday issued warning letters to four firms: two based in Colorado, one in California and one in Florida. In a statement, FDA officials said they’ve becoming increasingly concerned about the “proliferation” of products that claim to treat or cure diseases such as cancer. [Fears mount for California medical marijuana patients over "cannabis deserts"]( With California on the verge of creating a cannabis market worth an [estimated $7 billion]( by 2025, medical marijuana advocates are sounding the alarm that legalization is having the unintended consequence of cutting off scores of patients from their medicine. The passage of California's Proposition 64 [prompted more cities and counties]( to temporarily or permanently ban commercial cannabis operations — [including those for medical marijuana]( — effectively creating large "cannabis deserts" across the state. [White House opioid commission calls for changes to anti-drug policies]( President Donald Trump's commission on the opioid crisis called Wednesday for a nationwide system of drug courts and easier access to alternatives to opioids for people in pain, part of a wide-ranging menu of upgrades it said are needed to curb the opioid epidemic. The report came six days after [Trump declared the opioid crisis]( a "public health emergency." [Why aren't we talking about medical marijuana to help the opioid crisis?]( L.A. Times editorial: President Donald Trump's [long-anticipated announcement]( addressing the epidemic of opioid addiction was — ah, how to put this diplomatically — more talk than walk. It was good to hear Trump frame the problem as a public health emergency, not [a criminal justice one]( — a departure from the bad old ["war on drugs"]( days. But there just wasn't much to his announcement other than vague commitments, troubling insinuations and missed opportunities. Quote of the Day “I was the one speaking, you idiot! ... You don’t give a damn about anybody in this community, you just want to make money. You should be ashamed of yourself.” [—Mayor pro tem Tony Hesch of Colfax, California,]( who cursed out pro-marijuana business advocates at a City Council meeting Numerology 95 That's the [percentage of Cleveland, Ohio where it will be illegal to sell medical marijuana]( under new zoning requirements. Regional News [Colorado budget proposal calls for new task force to target illegal marijuana ops]( Colorado aims to establish a state law enforcement unit dedicated to investigating and, ideally, eradicating illegal marijuana grow operations that have cropped up throughout the state. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s $30.5 billion budget proposal for the 2018-19 fiscal year included the allocation of $1.2 million of marijuana tax revenue toward the assembly of a new marijuana task force within the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. [N.J. court orders state to review marijuana's Schedule I status, given "abundant" medical benefits]( An appeals court has ruled that New Jersey must reconsider marijuana's legal classification because of its health benefits. An appellate court ruled the Division of Consumer Affairs should review [marijuana's Schedule I classification](. The category notes substances that don't have an "accepted medical use" and includes drugs like heroin. [Virginia Senate majority leader proposes marijuana decriminalization]( Virginia Senate majority leader Tommy Norment does not support full legalization of the drug. But the Republican said possessing it should be a civil offense subject to a ticket or a fine. Norment's announcement followed the release of a State Crime Commission study that said decriminalizing marijuana would prevent more than 10,000 arrests annually. + [Here's how much Virginia taxpayers are spending to jail marijuana users]( [Pennsylvania starts signing up medical marijuana patients]( Pennsylvanians moved a giant step closer Wednesday to being able to get marijuana to help treat their medical conditions, as the state announced the launch of its patient and caregiver registry. More Regional Headlines + [Delaware cannabis legalization panel issues warnings to state, including one about Sessions]( + [Denver approves smoking and vaping ban for its downtown street mall]( + [Another Texas county looks to reduce marijuana charges]( + [California DA: Deputy shot man at illegal marijuana grow site in self-defense]( + [Arkansas marijuana regulators face lawsuits over biz license rejections]( #AllThingsWeed [Colorado's bank commissioner who dreamed up cannabis banking solution, steps down]( Chris Myklebust, the state bank and financial services commissioner [who dreamed up a pot-banking workaround for Colorado](, is leaving his job at the end of November. [Myklebust's brainchild]( was a way for legal marijuana businesses in Colorado [to do business with banks]( so they had a place to deposit their all-cash revenue. Federal [officials opted not to play ball](, however. [Cannabis ads have landed at a busy California airport]( Travelers navigating TSA checkpoints at Southern California's Ontario International Airport are seeing a marijuana company's simple message: "Cannabis is legal. Traveling with it is not. Leave it in California." By appearing at TSA airport checkpoints, the advertisement by Colorado-based Organa Brands International also disrupts the status quo of cannabis at the federal level. It is illegal to transport marijuana across state lines or in [federal airspace](, although it [happens often](. Organa Brands operates in 11 states under the labels O.penVape, Organa Labs, Bakked, Magic Buzz and District Edibles. You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up at The Denver Post. Please add "members@mail.denverpost.com" and "members@direct.denverpost.com" to your trusted senders list. To unsubscribe from this mailing, [click here.]( To change your e-mail preferences, [click here](. 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