Hope for CA’s Cannabis Farms, Australia Legalizes Psychedelics, and NC’s Medical Cannabis Push

Scientists stumbled upon a solution to California’s HLVd problem, Australia made psychedelic history, and a North Carolina senator is fighting for medical cannabis.

Let’s dive into this week’s canna-news.

How Purple Cannabis Could Solve California’s HLVd Problem 

California’s cannabis farms are in danger. A severe plant pathogen called hop-latent viroid (HLVd) is ripping its way through the Golden State, affecting an estimated 90% of its cannabis farms. Thankfully, a team of scientists at Medicinal Genomics may have just stumbled upon a solution.  

Plants hit with HLVd show issues like yellow leaves, abnormal branching, stunted development, and nearly 50% loss in cannabinoid production. HLVd also makes infected plants more susceptible to other diseases—earning it the nickname “COVID of the cannabis world.” Worst of all, HLVd can easily spread between plants, tools, and even water supplies within farms, making it incredibly contagious.

Medicinal Genomics stumbled upon the discovery that purple-colored cannabis plants appear to have a resistance to HLVd. Scientists believe the resistance comes from a chemical called anthocyanin—known to fight viroids—which produces the plants’ purple color. Despite these promising findings, however, scientists say that further research is needed before designating purple plants as a solution to California’s massive problem.

Australia Becomes First Country to Legalize Psychedelics

Australia has officially made history, becoming the first country to legalize the use of psychedelics. The new law covers the use of MDMA and psilocybin to treat certain conditions.

In order to gain access to psychedelics, Australians firsts need to see a psychiatrist. Approved psychiatrists can prescribe MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression.

Though the decision has received praise from many medical experts, others have voiced their concerns. For example, some have pointed out the possibility of a “bad trip” causing patients to re-experience their trauma. Others have complained about the affordability of this treatment, worrying that it could cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars.

With Australia taking the lead other countries are soon expected to follow suit. Currently, the U.S., Canada, and Israel are all conducting clinical trials on psychedelic treatments. Make sure to check in with Veriheal to learn about the next historic psychedelic move.

One North Carolina Senator’s Fight for Medical Cannabis

North Carolina Republican Sen. Bill Rabon is fighting hard to make medical cannabis a reality. The senator recently took the bold move of attaching a sneaky amendment onto an unrelated medical bill. The amendment stipulates that the medical bill cannot go into effect until Sen. Rabon’s medical cannabis bill has been passed.

Unsurprisingly, Sen. Rabon’s move was not a hit with his fellow Republican lawmakers. House Speaker Tim Moore stated that the heavy-handed tactic would have the opposite effect Rabon wanted. Another Republican lawmaker stated that the move was “pompous” and “self-centered” and that they would no longer be supporting Rabon’s efforts.

Despite the backlash, Rabon does not regret his decision. In fact, the senator is now prepared to push even harder. He is seriously considering using the same tactic on other house bills to force action on his medical cannabis effort.

With all the controversy surrounding Sen. Rabon’s bill and his bold move, what does it actually entail? Rabon’s bill seeks to give patients with qualifying conditions like cancer, epilepsy, PTSD, and multiple sclerosis access to medical cannabis. Further, the bill would establish an advisory board and commission to oversee the program.

Do you think Sen. Rabon will be able to get his medical cannabis bill across the finish line? Let us know in the comments!