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Ask Chad Grassy Logic - S3 Ep13 - Approaching The Apogee Guest: Austin & John of Apogee Summary: In this episode of "Ask Chad Grassy Logic" (S3EP13), Chad interviews Austin and John from Apogee about the cannabis business they work for in Sunland Park, New Mexico. They discuss Apogee's unique features, future plans including a lounge, and product offerings. Chad also covers the upcoming tax increase on adult-use cannabis and federal legislation regarding cannabis, specifically the PREPARE Act and the STATES Act.
Ever wonder what it would take to end the Department of Education? We explore with a review of Senator Mike Rounds' Senate Bill 5384, "Returning Education to Our States Act."S H O W N O T E SSB 5384Fox News (Senator Mike Rounds)Wait Song: Smoke RisingMusic by: CreatorMix.comVideo
On this episode of Providing Choice, a Florida Charter School Alliance podcast series, Dr. Tony Arza discusses what the Returning Education to Our States Act means to Florida and charter schools. The Bill, introduced by Senator Rounds of South Dakota, proposes the redistribution of programs from the U.S. Department of Education to other federal departments. The Florida Charter School Alliance (FCSA) is a member-driven organization focused on influencing legislative policy and environments with unrivaled success in advocating for and protecting charter schools and parental choice. The FCSA advocates for, defends, supports, and collaborates with public charter schools that serve close to 400,000 students statewide. #FloridaCharterSchoolAlliance #FCSA www.flcharteralliance.org
In this episode, Joe interviews two members of The Daschle Group: Founder and CEO, Senator Tom Daschle; and Public Policy Advisor, Charlie Panfil. As Senator Daschle served in the House of Representatives for eight years (starting in 1978) and the Senate for 21, he was deep in the War on Drugs at its peak, and thankfully, as seen with so many of his constituents in recent years, the data and personal stories of so many healed people has broken through the propaganda and made him a strong advocate for psychedelic-assisted therapy. While minds are changing and progress is happening before our eyes (the majority of substances the FDA is currently researching for psychiatric indications contain some form of psychedelic ingredient), government bureaucracy, a severe lack of communication between the FDA and DEA, and decades of lies are still massive roadblocks. How do we address all of this while advancing research? They discuss: The need to develop a partnership between the public and private sectors, mostly for the cost of treatments The DEA's place in all of this: If they're essentially a law enforcement agency, why are they involved in the safety and efficacy of medical treatments? The STATES Act, the Breakthrough Therapies Act, and how they can affect research Why we need to move past relying on opioids, and instead, embrace a science-based drug policy and more! For links, head to the show notes page.
Dr. Matthew Biel, Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at Georgetown University Medical Center, tells us social media is not necessarily a good part of childhood; Lexa Giragosian, ASTHO Senior Analyst for the Maternal and Newborn Health Team, says one concern linked to social media use is eating disorders among young people; and Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO Past President and Chief Medical Officer for the Alaska Department of Health's Division of Public Health, headlines a series of four events aimed at learning the basics of disease forecasting. New York Times News Article: Today's Teenagers – Anxious About Their Futures and Disillusioned by Politicians ASTHO Blog Article: Reducing the Impact of Eating Disorders on Adolescent Girls ASTHO Webinar: Disease Forecasting Learning Series ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed
In this episode of the Yale University Press Podcast, we talk with John J. Mearsheimer and Sebastian Rosato about How States Think: The Rationality of Foreign Policy.
The latest bill to federally legalize cannabis was reintroduced to Congress last week calling for the amendment of the Controlled Substance Act. This latest measure, known as the STATES Reform Act is one of several legislative attempts to ease federal restrictions on what is still currently a Schedule I substance. The bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Nancy Mace was first introduced in 2021 under an equally oppositional house speaker. The New Marijuana Legalization Bill: What You Need To Know | Cannabis News We have yet to see what changes have been made as this version has not been made publicly available at this time. Senator Nancy Mace has been a long time advocate of federal legalization of cannabis. Even though several bills on the subject are under consideration, it remains to be seen which will prevail. It is clear though that the movement for legalization has grown significantly in the last few years and more states are being open to the idea. The STATES Reform Act would serve as a stepping stone towards this goal. The Act seeks to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and allow states to regulate it in their own way. It also aims to create an environment that encourages businesses and individuals to operate legally and provides a pathway for those with convictions related to cannabis offenses. The STATES Act has been seen as a major step forward for the legalization movement, but there is still work to be done. As more states move towards legalizing cannabis, most federal bills such as these take the back burner while Congress seeks to address budget issues prior to another government shutdown. Tune in to hear about this story and the other top stories of the week on Cannabis Legalization News. Get in touch with us:
A growing groundswell of opposition is rising up against the corrupt Fulton County DA Fani Willis, and it's just getting started. Georgia State Senator Colton Moore is leading the effort to impeach Willis over the ridiculous weaponized legal witch hunt against President Trump, a witch hunt that is only in the end making Trump stronger than ever. Highlights: ● “Thus far, Willis has refused to answer questions as to whether she has been in touch with Jack Smith, the special counsel that has brought two indictments against Trump, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is saying that word on the street is that this Fulton County indictment was actually ordered by the Deep State in DC.” ● “There appears to be coordination between the Deep State DC and the Fulton County DA, to deliberately attempt to cover up the corruption behind the David Weiss fiasco.” ● “Arizona congressman Andy Biggs introducing a bill to defund Fani Willis! It's a bill that's actually called the ‘WILLIS' Act, and it stands for ‘Withholding Investments from Lawless Litigators in States Act'. It's brilliant!” Timestamps: [00:49] House Republicans investigating corrupt Fulton County DA Fani Willis [02:55] What former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is saying regarding the GA indictment [06:49] The call to defund Willis and to investigate whether this political indictment was politically motivated Resources: ● Reclaim sovereignty over your health TODAY with Nature's Morphine HERE: https://www.bh3ktrk.com/2DDD1J/2CTPL/?source_id=pc&sub1=82823 ● Learn how to protect your life savings from inflation and an irresponsible government, with Gold and Silver. Go to http://www.turleytalkslikesgold.com/ ● The Courageous Patriot Community is inviting YOU! Join the movement now and build the parallel economy at https://join.turleytalks.com/insiders-club-evergreen/?utm_medium=podcast ● Show your support for President Trump with his new cards HERE: https://www.physicaltrumpcards.com/trump-cards-collection-podcast ● Join me and Ross on Thursday, August 31st at 3PM EST, and learn exactly how YOU can turn the swamp's corruption into value for you and your family! Sign up HERE: https://turleytalksinsidertrading.com/registration/?tambid=18762 Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review. Sick and tired of Big Tech, censorship, and endless propaganda? Join my Insiders Club with a FREE TRIAL today at: https://insidersclub.turleytalks.com Make sure to FOLLOW me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrTurleyTalks BOLDLY stand up for TRUTH in Turley Merch! Browse our new designs right now at: https://store.turleytalks.com/ Do you want to be a part of the podcast and be our sponsor? Click here to partner with us and defy liberal culture! If you would like to get lots of articles on conservative trends make sure to sign-up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts.
If you want to support the show you can go to https://anchor.fm/hubblegame/support you can also find this show at YouTube, Rumble, and anywhere you get your podcast. links to sources: States Act to Protect Female Athletes from Discrimination – Concerned Women for AmericaIWV Spokeswoman Riley Gaines Urges Congressional Support for the Women's Bill of Rights | IWV --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hubblegame/support
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In the hopes of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade this summer, states continue to pass abortion bans. CNN Political Director David Chalian explains the action taken in Florida, Oklahoma and Kentucky just this week. Plus, how will SCOTUS' landmark abortion decision affect the midterm season? To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
We have some new laws! In this episode, a brief overview of the government funding law that (finally) funds the government for 2022 and provides money and weapons to Ukraine, a new law that protects drinking water, a new law that slightly reduces the corruption of Puerto Rico's financial oversight board, and a new law that guarantees you rights that corporate contracts have been taking away. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Executive Producer Recommended Congressional Dish Episode CD076: Weapons for the World Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD248: Understanding the Enemy CD244: Keeping Ukraine CD229: Target Belarus CD170: Electrifying Puerto Rico CD147: Controlling Puerto Rico CD128: Crisis in Puerto Rico Recommended Congressional Dish YouTube Videos What is the World Trade System? Revolution of Dignity or Regime Change? Ukraine 2014 Explained. Earmarks Jamie Dupree on Twitter Jamie Dupree. Mar 10, 2022. “Russian oil ban heads to Senate.” Regular Order by Jamie Dupree. Continuing Resolution Mary Ellen McIntire. Mar 9, 2022. “House Democrats' retreat upended by spending bill delays.” Roll Call. Ballotpedia. Updated February 11, 2021. “Election results, 2020: Incumbent win rates by state.” Red Hill Water Contamination Sophia McCullough. Mar 7, 2022. “Pentagon to permanently shut down leaking Red Hill fuel tank facility.” Hawai'i Public Radio. Scott Kim. Mar 4, 2022. “Tap water declared safe for 3 more Pearl Harbor neighborhood zones.” Hawai'i Public Radio. Sophia McCullough. Mar 1, 2022. “Confused about the timeline for the Red Hill fuel storage facility and contaminated water? Read this.” Hawai'i Public Radio. Associated Press, HPR News Staff. Nov 22, 2021. “Navy says 14K gallons of fuel and water leaked from a 'drain line' near the Red Hill facility.” Hawai'i Public Radio. Scott Kim and Catherine Cruz. Oct 27, 2021. “Navy says operator error was the cause of a May fuel leak from the Red Hill storage facility.” Hawai'i Public Radio. Lead Pipes Karen Pinchin. Sep 10, 2019. “The EPA Says Flint's Water is Safe — Scientists Aren't So Sure.” Frontline. Brittany Greeson. “Lead Pipes Are Widespread and Used in Every State.” Natural Resources Defense Council. Puerto Rico Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Feb 18, 2019. “Informative Motion Regarding Publication and Filing of Final Investigative Report – McKinsey & Company, Inc.” Case: 17-03283-LTS. Forced Arbitration Matt Stoller. Mar 7, 2022. “Monopolies Take a Fifth of Your Wages.” BIG. Laws H.R.2471 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 House Vote Senate Vote Law Outline DIVISION C: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Title VII: General Provisions Sec. 8139: $300 million from the "Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide" account must be used for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative The money can be used for "salaries and stipends" of Ukraine's military in addition to equipment and support Sec. 8140: Prohibitions against Russia will not be lifted until "the armed forces of the Russian Federation have withdrawn from Crimea, other than armed forces present on military bases" agreed upon by the Russian and Ukrainian governments. Sec. 8141: "None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to provide arms, training or other assistance to the Azov Battalion. DIVISION K - DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS Title VII: General Provisions Sec. 7047: "None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be made available for the implementation of any action or policy that recognizes the sovereignty of the Russian Federation over Crimea or other territory in Ukraine." This will end when the Secretary of State certifies that "the Government of Ukraine has reestablished sovereignty over Crimea and other territory in Ukraine under the control of Russian-backed separatists." DIVISION N: UKRAINE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT Title I: Department of Agriculture $100 million for Food for Peace grants Title III: Department of Defense $195.5 million for US military personnel $213 million for Air Force procurement $5.5 billion for operations and maintenance $3.5 billion of this is for replacing weapons given to Ukraine and for "defense services" and "military eduction and training" provided to the Government of Ukraine. Title VI: Department of State Authorizes $4 billion for direct loans to Ukraine and NATO countries, along with permission to reduce or cancel their obligations to pay us back. Amount provided this way "shall not be considered assistance for the purposes of provisions of law limiting assistance to a country" $2.65 billion to countries housing Ukrainians refugees for emergency food and shelter $1.4 billion for refugees $1.12 billion for Ukraine and "other countries" - Poland and Hungary in particular - that are enacting IMF economic reforms and expanding the private sector $650 million for the "foreign military financing program" for Ukraine "and countries impacted by the situation" $647 million for the "Economic Support Fund" which can be transferred to fund activities "related to public engagement, messaging, and countering disinformation." Expands the emergency powers of the President in 2022 to allow him to provide $3 billion in military equipment, services and money to foreign countries and international organizations, instead of the usual limit of $100 million per year Increases the amount of weapons that are allowed to be exported from $2.05 billion to $3.1 billion $120 million for "Transition Initiatives" H.R.6617 - Further Additional Extending Government Funding Act Law Outline DIVISION A - FURTHERING ADDITIONAL CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2022 Sec. 101: Extends government funding at 2021 levels until March 11, 2022. Allows the Department of Defense to spend their Operations and Maintenance and emergency funds to respond to the Red Hill Bulk Storage Facility spill but caps the spending at $53 million. Adds $250 million to their budget for 2022 to address drinking water contamination caused by the spill. Adds $100 to their budget so they can comply with the Hawaii state order to remove the fuel from the Red Hill facility. H.R.1192 - Puerto Rico Recovery Accuracy in Disclosures Act of 2021 House vote: 429-0 Senate: Unanimous Consent Law Outline Sec 2: Disclosure by Professional Persons Seeking Approval of Compensation Under Section 316 or 317 of PROMESA Requires attorneys, accountants, appraisers, auctioneers, agents, and other professional persons to file a disclosure listing their conflicts of interest with debtors, creditors - or their attorneys and accountants - and the oversight board members, directors, and employees. Failure to file the disclosure, or an incomplete disclosure, will prevent that person from being paid. Being "not a disinterested person" or having an "adverse interest" will also disqualify that person from compensation. This will only apply to cases filed AFTER enactment of this law (January 20, 2022) H.R.4445 - Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 Committee Report House Debate Law Outline Sec. 2: Predispute Arbitration of Disputes Involving Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment. Invalidates predispute arbitration clauses in contracts if the person alleging sexual harassment or sexual assault or a representative of a class action lawsuit elects to go to court instead of use arbitration. This will apply whether the case is to be filed in Federal, Tribal, or State court. The decision over where the case will be heard will be made by a court, not by an arbitrator regardless of what is in the contract. Sec 3: Applicability Will only apply to any dispute or claim that "arises or accrues" on or after the date of enactment. Hearings and Debate House Debate on H.R. 1192: Puerto Rico Recovery Accuracy in Disclosures Act of 2021 February 23, 2022 Highlighted PDF of debate on the house floor Clips 1:19:09 Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon: Representative Velazquez and myself have proposed this bipartisan initiative in the last two congresses having achieved passage in the house during the last session Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX): In response to dire fiscal issues facing Puerto Rico at the time, Congress passed the Puerto Rico oversight management and economic stability Act, or Preska in 2016. That legislation established the financial oversight and management board with control over Puerto Rico's budget laws, financial plans and regulations and the authority to retain professionals to assist the board in executing its responsibilities. Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY): The Puerto Rico recovery accuracy in disclosures act of 2021 or product eliminates a double standard currently facing Puerto Rico. On the US Code and federal bankruptcy procedure. Any conflicts of interest or even the perception of such conflict between those working on the bankruptcy and the debtor there are required to be disclosed. However, a loophole in the current law prevents this requirement from being extended to the people of Puerto Rico. Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC): Most significantly the gap in the 2016 law created a potential for undisclosed compensation terms and undiscovered conflicts of interest visa vi parties and interest for professional serving in Puerto Rico's bankruptcy. Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colon: Learning that someone was involved in businesses of one of the parties in the case only after they are named and working on the case does not create assurance of their commitment to the best interest of Puerto Rico or even managing the depth. Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC): This builds disclosure and oversight requirements increase the likelihood that conflicts of interest will be caught and timely addressed before compensation decisions are made. Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY): While we can have different opinions on how effectively the oversight board is carrying out its mission, one thing should be clear. The island's residents should be entitled to the same rights and protections of any debtor on the mainland. House Debate on H.R.4445 - Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 February 7, 2022 Highlighted PDF of debate on the house floor Clips 9:21 Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN): If H.R. 4445 becomes law contracts will be far less likely to include the option to arbitrate. 10:28 Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN): Why are some in Congress so intent on taking this legislation forward today? For years, Democrats have tried to gut arbitration agreements for all kinds of different claims and plaintiffs. If Democrats had their way, everyone from consumers to civil rights plaintiffs, to those with antitrust claims, to individuals using financial service products and others would not be able to contract in advance to resolve disputes through arbitration. 47:33 Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): We know that if parties can't agree in advance to arbitrate then they are unlikely to agree to arbitrate after there has been a dispute. As a result, the plaintiff may never get to arbitration. Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility: The Current Crisis, the Response, and the Way Forward House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Readiness January 11, 2022 This hearing conducted oversight into the Navy's maintenance of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, the Navy's investigation into and response to the November 2021 release of fuel from Red Hill facility impacting drinking water, its impacts on service members and civilians, clean-up and remediation efforts, and next steps forward. Witnesses: Vice Admiral Yancy Lindsey, Commander, Navy Installations Command Rear Admiral Blake Converse, Deputy Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet Rear Admiral John K. Korka, Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Chief of Civil Engineers Rear Admiral Peter Stamatopoulos, Supply Corps, United States Navy, Commander, Naval Supply Systems Command and 49th Chief of Supply Corps Captain Michael McGinnis Pacific Fleet Surgeon, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet Clips 9:05 Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA): Why does Red Hill exist in the first place? Even before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States had grown concerned about the vulnerability of above ground fuel storage tanks in 1940. The construction began on the Red Hill bulk fuel storage facility, a one in a kind engineering innovation that secured the fuel from enemy aerial attack. The facility holds 250 million gallons of fuel in 20 steel lined underground tanks encased in concrete. These tanks are connected to three gravity fed pipelines, running two and a half miles to Pearl Harbor fuel appears. However, a statistic less commonly quoted by the DoD is that the facility is also 100 feet above the groundwater aquifer that provides water to the residents of Oahu. Thus, it has always been the responsibility of the military to ensure that these tanks are maintained in a manner that not only protects the wartime fuel supply, but the people have a Oahu water supply 18:45 Rear Admiral Blake Converse: I want to start by saying that the Navy caused this problem, we own it, and we're gonna fix it. 19:45 Rear Admiral Blake Converse: Beginning on November 28, residents of certain neighborhoods on our Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam here in Hawaii in military housing began recording vapors, discoloration and contamination of the water provided by the Navy. The Red Hill shaft well, which sits near the Navy's Red Hill bulk fuel storage facility was immediately suspected to be the source of this contamination as that was the source of the drinking water for those affected neighborhoods. So it was shut down that evening, November 28. And it just remained isolated since that day. Later, samples from the Red Hill shaft well would confirm the presence of petroleum contamination. 39:40 Captain Michael McGinnis: Medical teams have screened over 5900 patients during this event. The vast majority were conducted within the first two weeks of our response. patient's symptoms were consistent with an acute environmental exposure event. patient's symptoms consistent with the following nausea, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, skin or eye irritation. Once patients were removed from the water source, the symptoms rapidly resolved. 42:12 Rear Admiral Blake Converse: Our best information is that this recent spill was due to operator error. 1:31:45 Rep. Kaiali'i Kahele (D-HI): Tanks number three, number four and number 11 have not been inspected for approximately 40 years. So my question to Navy Supply Systems Command is why are these tanks still in operation? And how can you assure this committee and the people of Hawaii that tanks three, four and 11, that have not even been looked at in the last 40 years, are safe to use and meet current API 653 guidelines for bulk fuel storage underground facilities. Rear Admiral Peter Stamatopoulos: Yes, sir. Thank you for the question. Yes, you are correct. There are tanks, as you mentioned, that have been out of periodicity for quite a long time. 1:41:27 Rep. Jackie Speier: Are the commanding officers and our executive officers that are assigned to Red Hill trained in petroleum management? Rear Admiral Peter Stamatopoulos: I'll take that question ma'am. The answer is no. Impact of Continuing Resolutions on the Department of Defense and Services House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Defense January 12, 2022 Witnesses: General David H. Berger, Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force Admiral Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations of the U.S. Navy General Joseph M. Martin, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army Mike McCord, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) General John W. Raymond, Chief of Space Operations of the U.S. Space Force Clips 29:51 Mike McCord: First, as I believe you're all aware a full year CR, we reduce our funding level below what we requested and what we believe we need. On the surface at the department level as a whole, the reduction to our accounts would appear to be about a billion dollars below our request, which would be significant. Even if that was the only impact. The actual reduction in practice will be much greater. Because we would have significant funding that's misaligned, trapped or frozen in the wrong places and unusable because we don't have the tools or flexibilities to realign funds on anything like the scam we would need to fix all the problems that the chiefs are going to describe. 30:27 Mike McCord: I know all of you are very familiar with the fact that virtually all military construction projects in each year's budget including the FY 22 budget are new starts that cannot be executed under a CR. 34:00 Mike McCord: The six longest CRs in the history of the Defense Department have all occurred in this last 12 year period. We have turned a 12 month fiscal year into an eight month fiscal year in terms of our ability to initiate new starts and enter contracts. This should be unacceptable and not the new normal. It's hard to see this full impact because or in the inefficiency from looking from outside because the organization has of course adapted to its circumstances just as organisms do. Nobody plans to enter into contracts in the first quarter of a fiscal year now because the odds that we would actually be able to do so are so low. Therefore we in turn, have no significant contract delays to report to you when we're under a CR. 1:44:02 Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI): This is about decreasing domestic spending and increasing defense spending. 1:44:20 **Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN):**This was my effort to quash those who are talking about year long CRs. No one on the Appropriations Committee is, yet you see things in the news. And unfortunately, sir, it's usually from your side of the aisle, and I'll pull it again. And it's a December 1 quote, and I can get you the gentlemen, the person who said it. Republicans should be in favor of a CR until Biden is out of office, so they're not going to talk about a one year CR. That would be the proper Republican thing to do. And anybody saying otherwise is deeply foolish. I know you and I, sir, do not agree with that sentiment. And my my goal here is to educate other members who don't understand the appropriations process as well as you and I, and many other of our colleagues that we serve alongside with. Silenced: How Forced Arbitration Keeps Victims of Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in the Shadows House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law January 16, 2019 Witnesses: Eliza Dushku, Actor/Producer & Graduate Student Myriam Gilles, Professor of Law, Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Lora Henry, Canton, OH Andowah Newton, New York, NY Sarah Parshall Perry, Legal Fellow, Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, The Heritage Foundation Tatiana Spottiswoode, Law Student, Columbia Law School Anna St. John, President and General Counsel, Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute Clips 30:59 Anna St. John: Instead, it's worth considering that taking away the possibility of arbitration for these victims is a top-down, heavy handed approach that denies them the advantages of arbitration as a means of adjudicating their claims. 41:04 Sarah Parshall Perry: Since the 1980s, the progressive leadership of this and the upper chamber has sought to curtail the protections of the Federal Arbitration Act through bills including the Arbitration Fairness Act, Arbitration Fairness for Students Act, Consumer Mobile Fairness Act, Fairness and Nursing Homes Act, Sonsumer Fairness Act, Restoring Statutory Rights and Interests of the States Act, the Forced Arbitration Justice Repeal Act and many, many more. 47:13 Sarah Parshall Perry: arbitration agreements are not mandatory. No one, and the Supreme Court has held, is forced to sign a contract. But curtailing access to arbitration would injure, in the end, the very people that Congress has sought for nearly a century to protect. 54:50 Myriam Gilles: First, the entire regime is shrouded in secrecy. And not just because victims want to keep these issues confidential, which by the way is up to them, right? They should have the autonomy and the choice to decide. But because companies want to keep this stuff under wraps, they want to hide and shield sexual predators, and they don't want their business in the public eye. They don't want to deal with regulators or even with lawsuits. The secrecy here on its own just makes this a terrible way to deal with sexual harassment because it means that victims of sexual violence in the workplace who bravely tried to come forward are prohibited from telling their stories in a public forum. Instead, they're forced into this private process where everything is under wraps and siloed. Right, so this is the second bad thing. Victims can join together, even when their injuries stem from the same wrongdoing, even when they've occurred at the hands of the same perpetrator. Even when the company's tolerance for sexual harassment is structural and pervasive. Victims have to go it alone, never knowing about one another. They have to go into arbitration single file. I don't know where all these statistics are coming from about how great arbitration is how people win it all the time, because the truth is, no one goes into arbitration because it's siloed because it's secret because they don't know about what else is going on in the workplace. The secrecy that blankets these individualized proceedings prevents one victim from ever learning whether others right in the cubicle next to them might have experienced the same, the same tragedies, the same traumas and when vid when survivors are in the dark about cases filed by others in the workplace that makes coming forward that makes being the first person to come forward that much harder. As a corollary, and this is an important corollary, the relief that is available to the individual claimant doesn't prevent the wrongdoer from preying on other women doesn't prevent the predator from having all sorts of misconduct against other women in the workplace. The proceedings are one on one and the relief that arbitrators are allowed by contract to grant is individualized. They can't ever order any changes beyond what can help this one individual that happens to have the courage to come before them. I mean, can you imagine a worse system for dealing with toxic corporate culture because I can't. Third, and I think this is really important and all the survivors who've spoken about this forced arbitration is a system where the employers write the rules, and they pick the arbitral provider. Which means that victims of sexual harassment are shunted into a regime that stacked against them from the get go. First, because the arbitrators economic interest is to be very good to the repeat player employer so that they can be chosen for another arbitration next time. So the repeat player problem has been well documented, and I think it's alive and well in arbitration. And the secrecy protects that. And second, because the employer designs the entire arbitration process, it does so to serve its interests, not the interests of its workers, but its interests which again, are to keep discrimination and harassment under a veil of secrecy and out of the public eye. So given all of these things, given how bad this system is for victims of sexual harassment, it's no wonder that so few ever decide to go into private arbitration. I wouldn't. I think it sounds terrible. 1:04:00 Myriam Gilles: When an arbitration complaint is filed, it's filed in secret. In other words, the only entities that know that the arbitration has even been filed are the the employer, the employer, the complaining employee and the arbitration entity. The AAA or JAMS are one of these arbitration providers. Nobody else knows. Contrast that with court. I go down to the DC District Court today and I file a complaint, that complaint is on the public record. Right. And so as the defendants answer or motion to dismiss all the pleadings, their public litigation in the public court system, it has power, and the power it has is the power of signaling, not only to the defendant that I've sued, but to all similarly situated defendants that this is a wrong. This person has complained about something she's told her story, and she plans to prove it. None of that happens in arbitration from the beginning. It is private throughout the entire proceeding, which is held in a secret location, no public no press. All of it is private. Arbitrators don't write decisions. There are only three states in the union that currently require minimal disclosure of arbitrations pretty redacted and hard to read. If you're a researcher like I am about these issues. Other than that, everything that happens in arbitration is a black box. 1:32:18 Tatiana Spottiswoode: And the forced arbitration is so unfair. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA): I understand you you think forced arbitration is unfair, that's great. Most of the people on that side want to eliminate it for everything not just situations like this. Other representative: will the gentleman yield for a question? Rep. Darrell Issa: I will not. 1:49:15 Myriam Gilles: The FAA was enacted in 1925. But it was enacted so that sophisticated business people could negotiate for arbitration provisions and those provisions would be respected by courts. It was never intended to be imposed via standard form contract. And in fact, if you read the legislative history, if you read the legislation, it accepts and exempts employees. So the idea that the FAA applies to employees is something that was created by a conservative majority of the Supreme Court in 1991, in a case called Circuit City, sorry, first actually was Gilmer and then Circuit City, I can't keep all the bad cases straight. And those are the cases in which the Court interpreted, I would say misinterpreted, the FAA to apply to employees like this. So that now employers can just stick these clauses into job applications, orientation materials, even an innocuous email from HR can include a forced arbitration clause. That was not what the 1925 Congress intended they they'd be rolled, they should be rolling in their in their grades. This is not what they intended. This is what a Supreme Court intent on protecting corporations intended beginning in the 1990s. 2:39:26 Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN): You know what's happened to so many women and others in the workplace is terrible but I really am concerned that by involving the government in these contracts between adults in the area of sexual harassment and assault we're opening a door for more government involvement in other areas of contracts. 2:42:09 Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN): And I would argue that you have you sign it it is not you know even though we use the it's forced arbitration as people are saying it's not really you you have signed something that you have agreed to it. Justice Denied: Forced Arbitration and the Erosion of Our Legal System House Committee on the Judiciary November 16, 2021 Witnesses: Gretchen Carlson, Journalist and Advocate Myriam Gilles, Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Phil Goldberg, Managing Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. Deepak Gupta, Founding Principal, Gupta Wessler PLLC Andrew Pincus, Partner, Mayer Brown L.L.P. Lieutenant Commander Kevin Ziober, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy Reserves Clips 26:35 Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI): You'll hear a different view from me. Eliminating arbitration achieves one thing, it enriches trial attorneys. 29:11 Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI): The AAJ, or American Association for Justice, is the nice sounding name of the plaintiffs attorneys lobbying organization. It also happens to be a huge donor to Democratic candidates, contributing millions of dollars each cycle to their campaigns. 29:52 Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD): Mr. Chairman, point of order. Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) What is your point of order? Rep. Jamie Raskin: My question is just can we impute the policy positions that members of the committee take to campaign contributions? Because if so, I think I'd be doing it a lot more frequently. I thought that's something that we don't do. Rep. David Cicilline: It's an excellent point of order, I'm sure Mr. Sensenbrenner didn't intend to communicate that in that way. Rep. Jamie Raskin: We're gonna be hearing a lot more of that in our committee if that's permissible, but I'm just curious. Maybe we can have some research done. Rep. James Sensenbrenner: Will the gentleman yield? Rep. David Cicilline: I think we don't need to engage with you. I this is an important issue with strongly held beliefs on both sides. [crosstalk] 36:00 Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY): We used to have a concept in law. When I went to law school they still taught it called contracts of adhesion where a contract was unenforceable if one party had no choice in entering into it. All of these arbitration clauses almost are contracts of adhesion. You try when you want to get a credit card, try crossing out the fine print if you can find it without the magnifying glass that that says that you will settle all all disputes in arbitration, cross it out, see if you get the credit card. See if you get the bank loans if you get the mortgage. You have no see if you get the car loan, you have no choice. 1:42:00 Gretchen Carlson: arbitration means that you have no way of knowing that anyone else is facing the same thing within the confines of the workplace structure. There's no way to know because the whole process is secret. And as I described during my testimony, if you do muster up the courage to go and complain, and you have an arbitration clause, that's a good day for the company, because no one will ever know anything about your story. The worst ramification of all of this is that the perpetrator gets to stay in the job. And I think one of the reasons that we've seen this cultural revolution that we're experiencing right now is because the American public was actually so angry about hearing about these stories, and they were wondering, why didn't we know about this? And the reason they didn't know about it, is because of forced arbitration. 2:00:30 Deepak Gupta: I've gone back and looked at the history of the act from 1925. People weren't blind to the possibility of abuse. They raised these concerns before this, this committee, in fact, and the and the architects of the legislation were clear, this is about letting businesses have equal bargaining power that want to resolve their disputes out of court, letting them do that, and I have no objection to that. That makes perfect sense. But but the the drafters were clear this is not about foisting this on people who don't consent through, take it or leave it contracts. And in fact, Congress put in a provision section one of the Federal Arbitration Act that says this shall not apply to any class of workers. Remarkably, the Supreme Court has read that language to mean precisely the opposite. And now it can apply to any class of workers. And so so we have just we've strayed so far away from what Congress intended in 1925. And that's why only this body Congress can set things right. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)
DOCUMENTATION AND ADDITIONAL READING PART 1 (0:0 - 10:37): ────────────────── America Marks the 49th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade: Will it Be the Last? A Look at the March for Life and its Opposition ASSOCIATED PRESS (ASHRAF KHALIL, KEVIN FREKING, PAUL J. WEBER, AND EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS) Anti-Abortion Protesters Optimistic at March for Life in DC ASSOCIATED PRESS (LINDSAY WHITEHURST) With Roe in Doubt, States Act on Abortion Limits, Expansions NEW YORK TIMES (KATE ZERNIKE AND MADELEINE NGO) Anti-Abortion Marchers Gather With an Eye on the Supreme Court PART 2 (10:38 - 18:13): ────────────────── ‘Jane Roe Did Nothing Besides Sign A Paper That Said She Doesn't Want to be Pregnant': Sarah Weddington and the Road to Roe v. Wade W. W. NORTON (JOSHUA PRAGER) The Family Roe: An American Story PART 3 (18:14 - 26:18): ────────────────── Evidence of the Conscience, Rooted in the Image of God: Vast Majority of Doctors Avoid Abortion Practice Like the Plague NEW YORK TIMES (EYAL PRESS) In Medicine, a Lack of Courage Has Helped Put Roe in Jeopardy
EPA published its 2021 dicamba report, a GAO report revealed errors in the USDA Market Facilitation Program, and a federal court dismissed Round-Up claims under Texas products liability laws. Then, Massachusetts delayed implementation of its animal welfare law while California issued Prop 12 guidance and the USDA and DOJ announced a joint antitrust initiative. Also, a USMCA dispute panel found Canada's tariff-rate quota set-aside for dairy processors a violation of the agreement. Hosted by Audry Thompson, Research Assistant—With Brook Duer, Staff Attorney—Produced & Written by Audry Thompson Material from the Agricultural Law Weekly Review Weeks Ending December 24 & 31, 2021 and Week Ending January 7, 2022 Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law https://aglaw.psu.edu/ Follow us on Twitter @AgShaleLaw Like us on Facebook Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law This material is based upon work supported by the National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Music is “Caazapá (Aire Popular Paraguayo)” by Edson Lopes is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
Legalization is sweeping through the nation as more states consider permitting medical and adult-use cannabis. But many states that want to legalize cannabis are struggling to develop equitable policies that address the lasting social and economic damage inflicted by the War on Drugs. In this episode, we speak to Karen O'Keefe, Director of State Policies at Marijuana Policy Project, about what legislators in up-and-coming states must prioritize when creating fair cannabis policies.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called a meeting of the national security committee of federal cabinet to discuss the outbreaks, and convened a national cabinet meeting.
With so many turncoat democrats and a filibuster to overcome, the STATES Act may be the only pragmatic play towards getting cannabis legalization over the hump in the Senate. Our Video: https://youtu.be/Q5N2bYcQ8E8 Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/20/senate-democrats-weed-legalization-schumer-483747 Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STATES_Act#:~:text=The%20Strengthening%20the%20Tenth%20Amendment,their%20legislatures%20or%20citizen%20initiative. Source: https://www.reedsmith.com/en/perspectives/2019/05/the-states-act-what-is-it-and-how-likely-is-it-to-become-law Source: https://www.sayanythingblog.com/entry/senator-cramer-co-sponsors-legislation-with-senator-warren-to-let-states-set-their-own-marijuana-policy/ Our Image: https://imgur.com/amAqdYD ICYMI - Brainstorming Session - If There's So Many Pro Cannabis Republicans, Why Don't They Have Any Power? https://open.spotify.com/episode/4s2j2re8vdftMIkOAAb2Bl?si=9a815e3ee59e4a8f ICYMI - Are There Enough Votes in the US Senate to Pass Cannabis Decriminalization in 2021? https://open.spotify.com/episode/5PbuJtnR1QADm3QUo8wwY1?si=c5f7a145c0374665 ICYMI - Name and Shame Thursdays – Anti-Cannabis Turncoat Democrats Likely to Sink Legalization in the US Senate https://open.spotify.com/episode/5bvoYad7HMjZjK4TFc8WIY?si=c9537b67a99e436a ---------------------------------------- To Follow Mr. Sativa on Social Media: Twitter - https://twitter.com/icsativapod Periscope: https://www.pscp.tv/icsativapodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_iamcannabissativa/ Please become a Patreon at just $1 a month - http://bit.ly/2NJmshn Please support us via PayPal - paypal.me/icsativapodcast If you want to support us via Anchor: https://anchor.fm/iamcannabissativapodcast/support My Twitch Channel - https://www.twitch.tv/iamcannabissativa My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdMtiTbOFE3D39rpLfLglaw? Get Great Quality CBD products from Sequoia Organics: https://www.sequoiaorganics.co/?a_aid=iamcannabissativa My Email: iamcannabissativa@gmail.com Like Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/iamcsativapodcast/ Now Syndicated on Radical Russ Radio: https://streamingv2.shoutcast.com/radicalruss-radio --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iamcannabissativapodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/iamcannabissativapodcast/support
Florida's Cannabis News Podcast Wednesday, November 25, 2020 Cannabis Taxation—Part V—Congress Can Deter Drug Use and Raise Revenue By Reforming Section 280E This week, David wraps up Florida’s Cannabis News Podcast’s five part series on Section 280E. In this episode (Part V), we look at what the future holds for Section 280E. Cannabis businesses owners want to pay state and federal taxes. Maintaining a strong working relationship with the IRS legitimizes these businesses, and, in turn, the entire cannabis industry. The current tax regime forces cannabis businesses to either ignore Section 280E on their tax filings, or forego paying taxes altogether. The former forces these businesses to gamble on the IRS overlooking their filing, and the latter evaporates their revenues. Congress can solve this problem in one of two ways: amend the CSA or amend Section 280E. Here are the highlights: The primary reason why state-legal cannabis businesses are required to comply with Section 280E is because their product is a Schedule I substance under federal law. If Congress amended the CSA to include an exception for state legal cannabis businesses, that would alleviate the tax burden cannabis business owners face. This reform is the heart of the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act. Proposed by Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), the STATES Act amends the CSA so long as the cannabis business complies with state law, the CSA provisions no longer apply to that business. If enacted, the CSA would be rendered inapplicable to state-legal cannabis businesses, thus making Section 280E also inapplicable to these businesses. Under the STATES Act, selling cannabis will not trigger Section 280E because businesses in compliance with state cannabis laws will not be in violation of the CSA, and therefore would not be “trafficking in controlled substances. The STATES Act does not make cannabis federally legal, or even re-schedule or decriminalize it, but the Act gives state-legal cannabis businesses a fair chance to compete, allow the full development of state markets, and give these businesses the freedom to avail themselves of tax benefits and modern accounting regulations currently denied to them. It allows states who want to move forward in this industry a chance to compete in the global market. With states like California having the sixth largest economy in the world, becoming a global player is a realistic goal. The drafters of the STATES Act understand that ambiguity is an obstacle to cannabis businesses when filing taxes. The other solution is to amend Section 280E itself. This approach is the heart of the Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2017. The legislation, S. 777 and H.R. 1810, exempts cannabis businesses acting in compliance with state law from Section 280E, thereby allowing them to take the ordinary business deductions afforded to all other legal businesses. Under the Small Business Tax Act, Section 280E would read as normal, but include the language, unless such trade or business consists of cannabis sales conducted in compliance with State law, at the end of the rule. This reform more narrowly addresses the unfair impact Section 280E has on states with regulated cannabis markets, without doing an entire overhaul of United States cannabis policy, but the future is not certain for the Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2017, which has not moved since its introduction into Congress in 2017. Tax neutrality is based on the primary goal to raise revenue, not discriminating against certain group of taxpayers. Section 280E is a non-neutral tax policy that punishes state legal businesses by denying them benefits that quite frankly are required for survival in the American economy. Non-neutral tax policy is effective when it halts or hinders activities that are in opposition to public policy, but such policies can be problematic if they are not narrowly tailored and out of date with current markets. Love the show? Rate, Review, Subscribe, and Share with your Friends. Connect on Instagram: @FLCannabisPod Connect on Twitter: @FLCannabisPod Like Our Facebook Page: https://bit.ly/36bGsAQ My Email: David@FloridaCannabisPod.com My YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3oPZkOq Donate to My PayPal: https://bit.ly/3ezF92l
Recently, a task force formed between Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders issued a number of criminal justice reform measures. This is not yet Biden’s or the Democratic Party’s official platform stance, but it is instructive. The joint task force findings do not recommend the federal legalization of marijuana, but rather look toward decriminalization and deferring to the states for their judgment(s) on medical or adult use marijuana legalization. As I’ve touched on before, this follows the philosophy of the Republican-supported States Act. The task force further indicates that the federal government will not prosecute state-related marijuana crimes, and would view marijuana violations as something to be addressed with drug treatment rather than incarceration. Marijuana Legalization May Not Be A Blue State Issue https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthoban/2020/07/26/marijuana-legalization-may-not-be-a-blue-issue/#414a212d58bf Support KOP by: Donating via Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dai, Ethereum, Litecoin or USD by going to https://commerce.coinbase.com/charges... Supporting KOP’s sponsor at King of Amazon (it’s really Amazon) http://www.kingofamazon.com Contact KOP for professional podcast production, imaging, and web design services at http://www.kingofpodcasts.com Follow KOP on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Facebook @kingofpodcasts --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/king-of-podcasts/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/king-of-podcasts/support
Recently, a task force formed between Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders issued a number of criminal justice reform measures. This is not yet Biden's or the Democratic Party's official platform stance, but it is instructive.The joint task force findings do not recommend the federal legalization of marijuana, but rather look toward decriminalization and deferring to the states for their judgment(s) on medical or adult use marijuana legalization. As I've touched on before, this follows the philosophy of the Republican-supported States Act.The task force further indicates that the federal government will not prosecute state-related marijuana crimes, and would view marijuana violations as something to be addressed with drug treatment rather than incarceration.Marijuana Legalization May Not Be A Blue State Issuehttps://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthoban/2020/07/26/marijuana-legalization-may-not-be-a-blue-issue/#414a212d58bfSupport KOP by:Donating via Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dai, Ethereum, Litecoin or USDby going to https://commerce.coinbase.com/charges...Supporting KOP's sponsor at King of Amazon (it's really Amazon) http://www.kingofamazon.comContact KOP for professional podcast production, imaging, and web design services at http://www.kingofpodcasts.comFollow KOP on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Facebook @kingofpodcasts--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/king-of-podcasts/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/king-of-podcasts/support
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI) gave a special interview to Chip Flory this morning to discuss her Farming Support to States Act which has bi-partisan support and also endorsements from American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall and Doug Goehring, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) President and North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner. More info: https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/more-support-for-farmers-agriculture-economy-in-next-covid-package
We're finally back in the studio! This week we look forward at the various ways the US could legalize cannabis 1) Why You Should Care about US Legalization - US is the crown jewel of the international market - Over $12B USD in state-legal sales in 2019 (vs $1.2B CAD for Canada) - Huge capital available once NASDAQ & NYSE listings are available - US has higher prices, limited licenses and far less government regulation for cannabis 2) How will US Legalization Go Down? - Likely to be a phased approached as opposed to one big legalization Several possibilities for how it can be done: a) Decriminalization b) De-scheduling or Re-scheduling (may come under FDA regulation) c) SAFE Act - access to banking and lending d) STATES Act - allows state law to be compliant with federal law e) Full Legalization - federally mandates legalization across entire country 3) What is the Biden Plan? Will it actually happen? - Biden Plan is a marketing document designed to excite the base - We need to see Biden mention the plan or champion it before believing it - Biden Plan involves medical legalization + STATES Act 4) How Will Legalization Change the Industry? - Effect on industry will depend on the type of legalization - SAFE vs STATES vs Full Federal Legalization - Being on US Exchanges will be the biggest catalyst 5) Will cannabis be allowed to cross state lines? 6) How to Invest around Legalization
Current NCBA president Marty Smith joins us to talk about his recent visit to the White House and describing the challenges NCBA is working to help producers suffering during this pandemic. USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey oversees Farm Production and Conservation and he joins us to clarify some of the various aid programs and who is eligible to participate in them. U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin describes a new bill she is co-sponsoring called the Farming Support to States Act.
Go to inmygrow.com to SUBSCRIBE to the show or find us on the Stitcher app. Email us at inmygrow@gmail.com Find us on Instagram @inmygrow Click here to go to 101cbd.org Go to DeltaLeafLabs.com to order your “Plant DNA Sex Testing Kits” Click Here for the Amazon link to help support the show. Show Notes: Welcome back everyone. Later I'll play a conversation I had with Patrick Goggin and Justin Benton, but first. But first I want to apologize for being so late. Label all your plants. Nep x Die, GRV and Afgan x Dur Strain of the Week: Magic Melon- Mango Trees, Honeydew Melon, and Mango Sherbert, Magic Melon is a tropical fruity sativa. It's known to be a sativa dom. Hybrid with a 21%THC. It truly had a sweet fruity fuel taste. It was a mellow even high, not racey or couch locky. Perfect for this past week you know, it didn't make me too introspective so I didn't get lost in my head. Social Media: Green Flower Media is giving away their Cannabis Fundamental program for free. https://www.green-flower.com/give-back?utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email Conversations with: Justin Benton is back on the show along with Patrick Goggin who is a senior attorney and the Hoban Law Group. We talk about California's Prop. 65, the States Act, Mexico legalization, CBD as anti-viral and a whole lot more. You can find Patrick at https://hoban.law/. You can find Justin at https://101cbd.org/. Big thanks to: All the artists for letting me use their music. Support the show - Go to Patreon.com and find the In My Grow Show and donate what you can. “In My Grow Show - Grow Learn Teach” T-shirts are here for you. to check it out. CLICK HERE check it out. Music: Silent Partner - Butchers Silent Partner - 7th Floor Tango Shaolin Dub - Billowing Smoke
Former U.S. Congressman Carlos Curbelo returns for a conversation on politics and legislation. Curbelo explains that, because of all the noise amidst impeachment and the Democratic primary, congressional campaigns have flown largely under the radar. He also discusses the political cost of switching parties and emphasizes that reelection is everyone's biggest priority. Curbelo talks about the STATES Act versus the SAFE Banking Act and believes that, between the two, the SAFE Banking Act is more likely to pass in the near future. He also notes the newfound absence of cannabis as a political hot topic: "The fact that cannabis is not being discussed a lot in the context of primary elections is actually wonderful news because that means it's not a sharp weapon anymore, in a negative sense."
Betty Aldworth returns to join us for a discussion on what 2020 will mean for cannabis policy reform and for Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). She strongly believes that 2020 will be one of the biggest years for legislative reform the movement has ever seen: "In 2020, we are looking at as many as 8 or 11 valid initiatives in states plus another 8 or 11 states taking up viable marijuana legalization legislation in their state houses or assemblies for either adult or medical use." Besides state legislation, Aldworth also says that 2020 should be a big year for federal reform as well. Although the STATES Act has gotten a lot of attention from cannabis activists, Aldworth believes that the MORE Act is what we should be focusing on, as it is more likely to get passed. She also discusses exciting work happening in Oregon and other states, access to medical cannabis, homegrow, and more.
Hadley Ford shares his philosophy on business: "I just don't watch the stock. You just focus on delighting your customers, on creating great products, on optimizing your operations, paying attention, just running a business...if you do that, the stock will take care of itself." Ford discusses the volatility that drives the stock market, long-term versus short-term risks, and branding versus process/production/growing. He also takes a moment to touch on the main cannabis bills at play: the STATES Act, the SAFE Banking Act, and the MORE Act.
Andy Williams returns to talk with us about the effects of House Bill 1090 in Colorado, which made it possible for public companies to own cannabis companies. He also discusses the vaping ban in Massachusetts, the STATES Act, the SAFE Banking Act, and the MORE Act: "Some of the senators that are feeling a lot of pressure for cannabis and hemp and that issue view this bill as something that they can palate that might be good even, and if they pass this, then I think they could punt other legislation saying, 'We already passed this.'" Williams also discusses the emphasis on branding for MSOs, the idea that retail will become mainstream, cannabis in Colombia, and more.
Andrew, Jay, and Phil are joined by Steve Fox of VS Strategies, cannabis advocacy and public policy consulting firm, discussing The Cannabis Trade Federation and his role as Strategic Advisor His historic work as lead author of Colorado’s Amendment 64 ballot measure Congressional action on the Safe Banking Act and STATES Act and more Vote Pro Pot is a not-for-profit advocacy group. Audience feedback drives our show. Please email us at votepropot@gmail.com or leave a message on our comment line at 240-257-2441. Please consider purchasing a Vote Pro Pot coffee mug. It helps us pay the bills. You can help us in our efforts to reform cannabis laws by subscribing to our podcast, sharing us with friends, and by taking a minute to leave us a 5-Star Rating on Apple Podcast. Your support is appreciated. LINKS: Cannabis Trade Federation Last Prisoner Project NORML Marijuana Policy Project Drug Policy Alliance National Cannabis Industry Association U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Please contact, follow, and share us: VoteProPot.com eMail (votepropot@gmail.com) Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram (@VoteProPot) Music: "Slow Burn" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Closeout song, "Freedom" Written & performed by Jay Britton iTunes
As State markets mature, there is a lot of uncertainty on how cannabis will progress at the federal level. Will the federal government step in with control and influence over regulations? Or will they allow States to have autonomy over their markets? Our guest is Don Murphy, Director of Federal Policies at the Marijuana Policy Project. We discuss the STATES Act, MORE Act, SAFE Banking Act and what hurdles we still have to overcome. Link to Join Email List Community for insights we don’t share anywhere else.
Several pieces of legislation - including the SAFE and STATES acts - have stalled in the U.S. Congress. While there is still some optimism that something will eventually pass, most experts believe that there's still room for improvement. In this special episode of News & Views - recorded at MJBizCon in Las Vegas - David Wenger, a principal with GRA Holdings, and Jeff Schultz, general counsel and chief compliance officer for Navy Capital, sat down with Marijuana Business Daily's finance reporter, Nick Thomas, to discuss: The status of the SAFE Banking Act and its monumental importance to the industry. How the SAFE Banking Act could easily be improved upon. Why the STATES Act likely won't pass - and why that measure is not necessarily the best course of action for cannabis entrepreneurs. Subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes, Stitcher and here on our site!
Troy Dayton, CEO of the ArcView Group, begins by discussing the recent passing of the SAFE Banking Act: "Forcing people to deal with cash, even if you oppose legalization, is outrageous. Everybody has agreed forever that these businesses should have access to banking." Dayton believes that this victory will make a huge difference to the industry and to the movement, but reminds us that our work is not done until we pass federal legalization and expunge records for nonviolent drug crimes. Dayton also discusses the need for scientific research to catch up with the pace of industry, the nuances of the STATES Act, the demand for CBD, and also notes that the trend of companies going public probably won't become mainstream at least for a few years.
While the passing of the SAFE Banking Act in the House is a great victory for everybody, U.S. Congressman Don Young wants to urge everybody who cares about SAFE Banking to call their senators and encourage them to vote yes on the bill as well. In terms of what's next, Young says that the cannabis industry should come to Congress with proposals for solutions so that Congress can stay informed and get ahead. Young also discusses the three big cannabis bills on the docket: the STATES Act, the MORE Act, and the CARERS Act. Like many of his colleagues, Young believes that cannabis reform should be a states' rights issue and that the federal government should mostly be uninvolved -- regulate at the state level so that the states can collect that tax. When it comes to making progress, Young reminds us: "If you start biting an apple before what you bit on, you're going to lose. Get this done. Get concentrated on that. You get that signed, then you go after the next one."
Although U.S. Congressman Thomas Massie is typically against too much regulation, he is glad to see the SAFE Banking Act pass in the House, as it will help to undo other ineffective laws. Massie notes that the bill passed with the support of 91 Republicans, which is quite indicative of how far Congress has come as far as cannabis is concerned. Ideally, Massie would want the federal government to stay out of cannabis regulation and leave it all to the states to decide for themselves, which accounts for the Second Amendment Protection Act, a bill that he is cosponsoring. Although people often believe that getting a bill passed is all about cosponsors, Massie notes that there are many other factors involved, such as the speaker and the majority leader, the speaker in the House, and the majority leader in the Senate. Massie also discusses drug testing, the STATES Act, taxation, and more.
U.S. Congressman Dave Joyce discusses the STATES Act and how local economies would play out if cannabis reform were treated as a states' rights issue. Although the STATES Act is not a full solution, Joyce believes that it's very teed up to go, as it is compact and easy for people to understand. Joyce notes that, unfortunately, the Judiciary Committee is pretty backed up at the moment, but that the Moore Act is another bill that people are talking about in Congress, especially because it addresses the issue of expungement. "Moore Act, obviously, is fully fleshed. The trouble is the more flesh you put on that, the harder it's going to be to move that." Joyce talks about the complications and gray areas that come when discussing expungement, and how one must be very delicate when setting such important precedents.
U.S. Congressman Ted Lieu has been fighting for cannabis reform for many years; in fact, he was one of the authors of the ballot guide statement supporting cannabis legalization in California. Congressman Lieu believes that the U.S. should not spend a single cent more trying to eradicate cannabis: "My opinion is that the federal government should completely decriminalize cannabis, take it off the schedule controlled substances. It makes no sense for the federal government to spend any taxpayer dollars trying to prosecute cannabis related issues." Lieu reminds us that it is important to consider the practicalities that go into getting a bill passed and making it bipartisan; because of this, bills like the MORE Act and the STATES Act may not be completely perfect. Lieu also discusses expungement, data, safe banking, automation, and more.
While most of us have heard of the STATES Act and the SAFE Banking Act, fewer of us have heard of the Veterans Administration Research Act, of which U.S. Congresswoman Deb Haaland is a sponsor. As the daughter of two service members, Haaland believes that it is essential to go out, talk to veterans, and ask them what they want; what you'll find is that, by and large, veterans want cannabis as an option for their chronic pain and PTSD. Haaland also touches upon how vastly under-represented Native Americans are not only in politics, but also in sports, film, business, and much more. Haaland reminds us that "so much of our information rests on what the media decides to cover", so if we want to change minds, it is our responsibility to personally spread the word.
Grover Norquist, Founder and President of Americans for Tax Reform, describes the inconsistencies of taxes imposed by the federal government. For Norquist, this is more than just a cannabis issue; this is an issue of federalism and states' rights: "You wouldn't want the federal government to go in and use federal tax policy to interfere with federalism on education policy." Norquist believes that when the STATES Act passes, it will help to solve the federalism question for tax policy and banking policy.
The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association, CAIA Seattle Presents: Investing in Cannabis Listen the opportunities and risks of a 12 billion dollar North American market that is growing at a 28% CAGR. 2018 marked the first G7 country to legalize recreational marijuana and US Congress is re-introducing the bi-partisan States Act. On top of all this the secondary market activity continues to expand. Panelists include a capital market specialists, legal representatives, entrepreneurs, and investors about the opportunities, and risks in this new and diverse industry. MODERATOR Katrina Glogowski, General Counsel of Kextrade PANELISTS Aaron Pelly, Strategic Legal Counsel for Cultiva Law, PLLC Josh Kincaid, Cannabis Capital Market and Business Advisor, "The Talking Hedge" Podcast Founder Adam Greenburg, Founder of Iunu Time / Date: Thursday, August 8th, 2019 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM PT Location: K&L Gates LLP, 925 Fourth Avenue, 29th Floor, Seattle, W LLP, 925 Fourth Avenue, 29th Floor, Seattle,WA --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/talkinghedge/support
U.S. Congressman Mark Amodei joins us to discuss cannabis legislation and policy in Nevada, including banking. Amodei fervently believes that legal cannabis businesses should be able to deposit their earnings and use all of the financial tools that are available to other types of businesses - this is an issue of public safety as well as reducing the illicit market. The Safe Banking Act will most likely pass the House, according to Amodei, and, although the bill is not perfect, he thinks that it is worth fighting for. Amodei also supports the STATES Act, but is prioritizing banking for the time being.
Kevin Murphy, CEO of Acreage Holdings, discusses with us his beginnings in the cannabis industry as well as the importance of medical cannabis, especially for children and veterans. Murphy notes that every successful business has had to ask for help along the way - after all, good partnerships lead to good economics. He also believes that the speed of the industry's growth and job creation will directly depend on when the STATES Act gets passed.
Raj Lala – CEO of Evolve ETFs Rob: Good Day folks. I'm Rob Tétrault from robtetrault.com, head of the Tétrault Wealth Advisory Group here at Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management. Pretty excited today who we got here today. Raj Lala. He's CEO, president and founder of Evolve ETFs. Really glad to have him in our office here in Winnipeg. Thanks for coming, we are excited to have you and we're going to talk ETFs today. Evolve. You guys have really kind of evolved from, I'll say a niche player, to now becoming more mainland with some of the line's you guys have on the ETFs. First of all, I'd love to hear about how the company started, and why ETFs. Raj: Prior to putting a evolve together, I ran Wisdom Tree Canada, which is one of the world's largest CTF providers. Prior to that, I ran the retail business for Fear of Capital, which is one of the country's largest asset managers. Before that, I ran a company with a couple of partners and actually sold that to Fiera. Going all the way back, I worked at Jovian capital, which was a mid-sized financial services company. Jovian was actually the company that helped incubate the horizons ETFs. I intersected into the ETF business a couple of times. When I left wisdom tree towards the end of 2016, I decided I wanted to go out and build one. All my friends said I was nuts. How are you going to build something? It's way too competitive. You've got the banks, you've got the large asset managers. How are you going to compete? We already have 500 ETFs, today we have over 800 ETFs, but back then, 500 ETFs in the market. Rob: This is in 2016? Raj: This would have been at the end of 2016. And how are you really going to get traction? I said, you know what? You're actually right. If I was going to go and create kind of another XIU or another SPY you know, I think that those are very well covered by the big firms like the iShares and the Vanguards, but I believe that there's a couple of areas of the market that are either underserved or unserved. I'm a big believer that in certain asset classes you really need good active management because good active management can make a big difference on a risk adjusted return basis. What we did was we put together a lineup of asset classes, and specifically in fixed income for sure, that we felt truly do benefit from good active management. And then how we differentiate ourselves a little bit is we went out there and went across the globe, and of course folks here in Canada, to identify the kinds of portfolio managers that we could partner up with who had a great track record in that specific asset class. Oftentimes our competitors, what they'll do is they'll internalize that portfolio management, but sometimes the portfolio management team doesn't have a great deal of expertise. For us it was more important to find a manager with a brand, and that actually had a great track record. We've partnered up with Voiced and Gordon Pain to run a couple of funds for us. Our biggest fund, which has emerged somewhat of a flagship for us, is a Canadian preferred share fund that they run full as … Rob: That's DIVS? Raj: That's DIVS, yeah. We've partnered up with Voiced In also to run a Canadian core fixed income fund. We partnered up with Nuveen in the US – for those of you not familiar with Nuveen, Nuveen runs part of TIA, which is effectively the US version of Ontario teachers. Rob: Okay, yeah. Raj: They run about a trillion dollars. They're running a couple of funds for us, a US equity as well as a short duration yield, and the biggest manager that I've ever worked with in my career. About eight months ago, we launched a fund with Allianz Global Investors. Allianz right now runs about $2.2 trillion. The portfolio manager of our fund is the sister company to PIMCO. So really, these are segments of the market that we believe really benefit from good active management. Then the other pillar to our business where we've gotten a lot of press and a lot of attention is our thematic, primarily index-based ETFs. So focused on long-term trends, focused on strategies or sub sectors that you can point to that are really changing our world over the course of the next 10 years. But most importantly from an investment perspective, that they have a strong investment thesis behind them, and that they could never be confused with a fad. For example, we launched Canada's first cyber security ETF. Can't be a fad; everybody knows, all of your clients will know. I'm sure everyone has had an attempted breach. They have gotten an email from a bank that they don't bank with asking them to verify their account details, or a Microsoft email to verify their account. We're clear we're getting barraged by attempted hack in our world today, and it's only going to increase. Rob: Let's talk about that one. So that is the cyber security ETF launched in the last year or so, right? Raj: A year and a half ago. Rob: So specifically, what kind of tech, what kind of companies are you targeting, what goes in there? How many names are in there? Raj: That's an index based, passive ETF. Rob: Okay. Raj: What we do is, our typical index provider is a Frankfurt based company called Solactive. They're doing a number of ETFs in Canada as well, and what we do is we put together the methodology. They put together the methodology with us. I would go to Solactive and I would say I want to build a cybersecurity ETF. They would go and take a look at their entire list of indices. If they say, actually we don't have a cybersecurity index, they would go and build it. There's an organization called Factset. Factset creates the methodology. Effectively, every company that would be classified as a cybersecurity company that's publicly listed, that also has a minimum market cap of 100 million for that fund. Depends on the fund, but for that fund – Minimal Heart Capital – 100 million. And then minimum trading volume of 2 million a day makes it into our portfolio. So right now, that's about 37 companies. Rob: That's globally? Raj: That's globally. Rob: How many of those are in North America? Raj: About 75% is US based. There's nothing right now in Canada. And then you've got a little bit in Europe and you've got a little bit in Asia, but still it's been dominated. One of the interesting elements of Cybersecurity is that there's such a massive shortage of human capital in the cybersecurity world. I'll give you an example. When I take a look at this space in this sector and think long-term, here's what I think. First, we all know cyber-crime is going to continue to increase. Second, we all know that companies need to continuously increase their spending on cybersecurity. What's really interesting is that it's a nondiscretionary spend. You're never going to have a CEO of a major fortune 500 company after a terrible financial quarter stand up in front of their shareholders and their board and say, we've had to cut our spending on cybersecurity. Rob: Right. Raj: They will say that we've decided to close some offices, or that were the first certain initiatives, but they're never going to reduce their spending on cybersecurity because it's death if they get breached. Equifax, about two years ago, got a breach of 143 million records, right? Rob: Stock dropped like crazy. Raj: 35% drop and still hasn't recovered. Why hasn't it recovered? Because everybody left Equifax and went to companies like Transunion and never went back. Rob: They don't have the confidence, right? Raj: They don't have the confidence. You can imagine what it would be like for, let's say a bank, where if you lose that customer confidence they'll just go to another bank. They may never come back, and you spent all that money to acquire that customer, and tens of years to get there, you never want to lose it. It's really important. Then the third part to it is that a lot of people don't know that cyber security is one of the very few sectors today that actually has negative unemployment. There is a shortage of about 3 million people, meaning there are 3 million job vacancies in the cybersecurity world. What has happened is a lot of the largest companies, government agencies, fortune 500s or banks, contract out a huge portion of their cyber security work. Typically, a Canadian Bank for example, might have between 3 to 5 million attempted breaches per day. They need a cyber security company to help them weed through the real threats and the artificial threats as well. When you look at a product like that, the investment thesis behind it is yes, cybercrime is going to continue to increase. Companies need to continuously increase their spending on cybersecurity, making it somewhat recession proof. Finally, there's a shortage of human capital, a massive shortage of human capital, which means most of the work needs to be contracted out. If you're CEO of a fortune 500 company, are you going to contract out that work to a small private cybersecurity company or are you going to contract … Rob: Publicly listed. Raj: Bingo. So that's that fund. So that fund … Rob: How's it done? Raj: First of all, it ended up being the top performing equity ETF from Canada last year. Rob: Wow. Raj: Right now, we launched at the end of September, so we're, what, call it a year and eight months, and we're up over 50%. Rob: Wow. Raj: From point to point and not been an easy market the last year and a half … Rob: Right. Raj: … it's performing incredibly well, but what I love about it is the long-term investment thesis is strong. And then another example of that would be our Future of the Automobile ETF. Rob: Yeah. You know what, let's talk about Canada's first future car ETF. I'm here with Raj Lala, CEO of Evolve ETFs. Raj, why would someone launch a future cars ETF? Raj: I think that the next 10 years will be the biggest transformation in the automotive industry, not just of our lifetime, but in history. Rob: Do you think oil is going to eventually not be a player at all? Raj: I think what's interesting is the misconception as to how much of oil demand is derived from automobiles. It's not as much as you think it is. It's about 20%. Rob: Right. Raj: Oil is used for so many other things, right? So, yes, I believe that in the next 10 years, that 20% will shrink dramatically for sure. Because we have countries today like India and China who have both publicly declared that they will ban the combustible engine in the next 10 to 15 years – China in 2030, India in 2035. Rob: Okay. So, this ETF, how does it play that? Raj: When I looked at – again, the long-term trends are shaping our world – the long-term trend, I'm a firm believer that in the next 5 to 10 years, we will have self-driving cars on the road, autonomous cars. I'm a firm believer that electric vehicles will continue to rise in popularity, especially as the cost comes down and it is coming down. The cost of manufacturing the battery is coming down, countries are putting in place policies ... Rob: Infrastructure's improving. Raj: … Infrastructure's improving, the auto manufacturers are moving from combustible engine, to hybrid, to eventually full electric. You're seeing all of that. I mean, more electric vehicles were sold last year than all other years combined. China's producing about 39 million electric vehicles right now. They have that much demand at the moment. You're seeing all of this taking place. On the electric side it's firmly embedded. It's firmly going to continue on the self-driving side. I do believe that you're eventually going to have self-driving cars. In fact, I was just talking to a couple of other people about it, and I said I think in the next 12 months, most people here in Canada will actually have their first experience in a self-driving car. Somebody will be sitting at the steering wheel, but they won't be touching anything. They'll just be there to make sure that the car is safe. But we are definitely getting to the point where the technology is there. And I'll give you an interesting stat. In order to power a self-driving car, a semiconductor chip needs to have the ability to make 10 million decisions per second. Rob: Okay. Raj: That's how many decisions you and I are making per second when we're driving. Now you could think that doesn't make any sense, because I know I'm not making 10 million decisions per second. You are, it's just subconscious. Right now, the best something semiconductor chips can power about 4 million decisions per second. So, we're still 40% of where we need to be to power a self-driving car. Rob: There's not enough computation power right now to drive, is what you're saying? Raj: Right. The way it works in self driving cars is level 5 would be a fully self-driving car. Today we're at about level 3.5, so we still have a ways to go to get there, and then we've got to deal with legislation, and then we've got to deal with insurance. If you get into an accident, who has the insurance claim? You're not driving the car, so it was that the auto manufacturers. That's all the stuff that still needs to get sorted out. But I believe that we're getting there, and that the amount of increase in safety that it's going to create, and also decrease the amount of traffic and congestion. I live in Toronto and I know how bad the traffic is, and self-driving cars would be great. Then the other side to that business is also the shared. Shared is a super interesting side of the business. when I'm talking to 65 or 70-year old's, and their grandparents, I say to them, if you're thinking about saving money for buying your grandchild a car, go on a trip. Don't waste your money. Because as kids are getting older, they actually don't want to drive. Most kids don't want to drive, they want to be Ubered or Lifted around. Or they might even consider a shared a model where they have a partial ownership of a car, but they don't actually even really want to own a car. Very different than when we grew up. Rob: I couldn't wait to save money to buy my first car. Raj: Right. I couldn't wait until I could get my driver's license and drive my Dad's Monte-Carlo around, and eventually get my own car. It's different. Younger people are different today. They don't want it. The shared side is also another aspect of this. That fund really kind of encapsulates what is actually like Rob: What are the companies that we're buying? Are we buying like Waymo and those kinds companies? Raj: Great question. Well, although Waymo is making a lot of progress and … Rob: And Waymo is Google's self-driving car. Raj: Yeah. Although Waymo is making a lot of progress and some people think they're the front runner, the challenge with Waymo is, unless Google spins it out, we would have to buy Google. And so how do you do it then? What are you actually buying? Typically, you would have to generate between 25 to 35% of your overall revenue from these aspects 25 months ago. And Waymo is not generating. Waymo is not making up 25% of Google's revenue as an example rate. It has to be more of a pure play. And what we also did was we equal weighted this fund instead of market cap weight. And the reason we did that was because if we market cap weighted it then investors would basically just have a lot of exposure to the car manufacturers. Rob: Right. Raj: What we wanted was to give investors the experience of having exposure to the supply chain, the companies that are creating the batteries, the companies that are creating the semiconductors, the technology that's going into self-driving cars, electric vehicles. Rob: So is this one an index or is this one … Raj: It is. Rob: It's an index as well as, and there'll be some supply chain, there'll be some car manufacturers, there'll be some battery makers, there'll be all of that. Raj: You got it. Rob: Nice, very interesting. Raj: And then one other fund that ties into those two, which I think is always relevant is the Innovation Fund. The TSS ticker for that is edge. The reason we created that was because when we were talking to a lot of advisors, and we're talking to a lot of clients, you know, we, we heard them say to us that I love your cyber security ETF, I love your Future of the Automobiles ETF. Don't know how it fits into my portfolio. So, could you create something that becomes kind of a catchall to all the disruptive industries and companies that are really shaping our world over the course of the next 10 years? We created Edge to basically be that proxy. So effectively, it has six buckets; in in a week from now, we'll actually have seven buckets, but six buckets. One bucket allocates to our cybersecurity ETF, one bucket allocates – and it's all equal, so, one sixth in each – one allocates to the Future of the Automobile. Then it also allocates to Robotics and Automation, and also to Data, Genomics and Social Media. All of the industries gives you a more diversified way to invest in everything that is shaping our world. And you know, it's a super interesting world, there's a lot of things that are going to change. I'm actually a firm believer that in the next 10 years most of us will have robots living in our house. We'll have cars and … Rob: Not just doing our vacuuming, Raj: No, not just doing our vacuuming. First robot was actually the dishwasher. That was the first official encounter with a robot. And now it's the vacuum or the Roomba. Now we're migrating because artificial intelligence is becoming so strong, which is super important. We will have robots performing surgeries on us without that nine month wait list. It's a super exciting world. And these are all the industries and the companies and sectors that are changing it, and making it better. Rob: I'm here with Raj Lala CEO of Evolve ETFs. Let's talk briefly about cannabis ETFs. There's a lot of talk that's been about HMMJ, kind of the first ETF that came out. You guys approached it a little differently. Tell me about the two that you have on the shelf now. Raj: Yeah, good question. When we started looking at the cannabis space, I started looking at it actually a few years ago and decided not to launch a product because I just still didn't feel like the social stigma was positive enough towards cannabis. This was pre legalization of course. Then we started getting more comfortable and started taking a closer look at it. What we decided as a firm is that we felt that it made a lot of sense to take an active approach to this market, because there's a lot of things at play that are a little bit unique to the space, legislation, momentum, things like that. It's a niche play. We have two – as you mentioned – we have two cannabis funds. One that's kind of Canadian/Global, and then one that we launched just about two months ago, which was actually the first in the world focused on the US space. I'll talk really quickly about both. The Canada global one has been around for about a year and a half now, and over the last year, the top performing ETF actually in Canada. Rob: It was up like 40% or something like that? Raj: Yeah, up about 43% for the one year. It's done incredibly well, and our management team has done a fantastic job of managing it. Rob: How many those names would be in that one? Raj: There're about 35 names in it. Rob: So that's an actively managed ETF. Management is picking stock selection that's happening in there. Arbitrage, you're trying to find deals that are going to come. Overprice; is it long short or is it strictly long? Raj: Strictly long. Rob: Strictly long, and you're trying to find value. Raj: Very little in privates. Like you know, we can only allocate about 10% into privates. But what the guys did, I think where they really generated some strong alpha would have been in Q3/Q4 of last year. Leading up to legalization in October, we took the view about a month and a half prior to legalization that the euphoria that was going to go into the space was going to go into the big names, the Aphrias, the Canopies, the Auroras of the world. We went overweight into those names, a week and a half to two weeks prior to legalization. The team took the view that there's not a chance that post legalization reality is going to live up to all this hype. What they did was they went way under on the large caps and they also started to allocate to some of the tertiary businesses like the Scott's Miracle Grow. In that two-month period, we added about close to 20% Alpha versus the passive index. The active approach has really worked well for us in that fund. As we started to focus on that fund, we started to recognize the opportunity that exists in the US cannabis space. Looked at stats like Planet 13, which is a big dispensary business in the US, had more revenue than Kronos, but had one 20th the market cap of Kronos. The US companies were way undervalued. Part of it was because there's a lot of legislative things to deal with in the US as it's not federally legal yet in the US, but we hope that that's going to change the next couple years. But then you have States Act, Farm Act, Safe Act, all these things that are kind of coming into play at the moment and went, and US companies cannot also list in the US right now, so they're listing here in Canada. But the opportunity is massive. We look at the US opportunity to be kind of like the way the Canadian opportunity was like three years ago. Rob: You're trying to get ahead of the bump there. Raj: What we try to do with our business, is always try and look forward. I try to stay away from, oh this is a sector that has performed the best over the last five years, so let's launch this product. If you don't have the conviction or the strength to believe that it's going to continue for the next five years, then I don't think you should do it. You should be thinking early stages. Like for example, we launched a Materials and Mining Needs ETF just last month. It's not a popular sector, right? It's been beaten and battered and bruised. But we believe that that's a sector that's going to recover over the course of the next couple of years and we want to be there for that recovery. So, the same type of logic. On the US side for cannabis, our view is that as legislation starts to become more friendly towards cannabis companies, you're going to start to see more value go into those stocks, more investors moving into them eventually. They'll also be listing in the U S which will be a lot easier for Americans to buy, versus trying to buy a Canadian listed stock. As you and I both know, the potential of the US market is always 10 or more to 1 versus Canada. The big advantage that they've got, like you look at California, which is the interesting one, California … Rob: The size of Canada. Raj: Right, similar size. But they allowed them to brand the products and market them properly and things like that. We don't unfortunately have that hear in Canada, so the US will most likely displace Canada in many ways in that space. We want to be there early. Rob: And these are listed companies in Canada that are in the ETF? Raj: That's right. Rob: It's a real neat idea. Congrats, and want to talk about one more. It's really interesting to me. I'm here with Raj Lala, CEO of Evolve ETFs. Let's talk about Hero. The ETF that you guys launched about Canada's first e-gaming ETF. I played a lot of video games and as a kid, I still wish I had more time to play them. What's Hero? Raj: I love this fund. It's an interesting story. I would say about nine months ago, multiple people brought the idea to me; have you looked at the gaming industry, because it's really taken off in a big way. I have two 11-year-old daughters that do not really spend much time gaming. I think my mom spends more time gaming because she plays a lot of candy crush cause she's retired. I was looking at that whole space and I was like, I don't see. And then as I started to really drill down into it, I was like, wow, this is a massive, massive space. There are today 2.2 billion gamers in the world. A gamer would be defined as somebody that spends six hours or more a week gaming. Okay, so 2.2 billion. That's a third of the population … Rob: That's a lot of time, a lot of time. Raj: That's a lot of time, and it's a third of the population. Most of it is on people's smartphones. So originally, I was thinking, okay, but how does this make a lot of sense? Because when I think of video gaming, I think about, yeah, when you and I were teenagers, we were playing video games or in today's world, you've got your teenager up in their room playing video games or in the basement or what have you, and then realized how big the market was because it is people like retired people playing candy crush and word search games, things like that. It is 40 something year olds. I've got friends that are 40 something years old, working on the trading desks at the banks, that wake up on a Saturday morning and they hop online and play an e-sport together with their friends for three, four hours. The demographics for this are enormous. That's interesting. Then I started to take a closer look at the business model of these companies. And that's where I would say I had my aha moment that we need to launch this type of product. Because in our days when, we wanted to play video games, we would go to the store, buy the cartridge or the CD, we'd come home, we'd plug it into the console, and away we went, right? But that's where the revenue stopped for the game manufacturer. In today's world, they have an entire vertical of revenue. So, Fortnite as an example … Rob: It's unbelievable. Raj: It's a free game, right? But where they make their money is the boosters, the weapons, the players, all that kind of stuff. Right? But companies like Tencent effectively and directly owns Fortnite. But technically it's not just creating the revenue off that game. What these game manufacturers are also doing, like Activision, Blizzard, EA and Tencent is that they're creating the leagues that people compete in. Rob: Yes. Raj: And then they create the events. The events are very interesting. Last year, Dota 2 was a big event, actually the biggest event so far. It was actually in Vancouver. They had over a hundred million people. League of legends as well, had over a hundred million people watching it. So not just filling stadiums to watch people play games, which surprised me, but watching online. Today, 11% of all YouTube video viewing hours is about gaming. Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, is all about gaming. These companies have created an entire vertical of revenue for the game. Then it leads to media rights, cause now ESPN is broadcasting, TSN is broadcasting. Then at leads to sponsorship rights. You can see how the business model has morphed, evolved and improved significantly for these game manufacturers, which I find super interesting. I never thought in my lifetime that people would go and fill stadiums to watch other people play games. But they have. And so, when I look at this and I look at how it's just starting now, you've got 5G coming. When 5G comes, it means that graphics are going to improve in games, it's going to be faster to play online. 5G is going to change a lot of things of course, but gaming is definitely one of them. You're seeing it, and Fortnite is a great example. You know the average revenue generated per user is getting close to $100. It's $96 right now per user. Give you something to equate that to the average revenue per user on Facebook, Google, Twitch is about $25. Fortnite is generating four times more revenue per user than some of these others because they've built a great business model off of this. I mean, how many times do you here this story, that my teenager needs to take my credit card. That's why they use PayPal now because they want to buy boosters and weapons and things like that. I look at all of that and I think this is a real business. A lot of people have their eyes on this sector. And I thought, okay, so I get the business model, I get the investment case; let's create a passive index. It's passive market cap weighted. We just launched it last month. So, it's very new. Probably my favorite ticker that we have as well. The ticker for it is here. So far so good. Rob: Nice. Okay, good. Hey, you guys also have some income stuff as well as some actively managed. Real briefly want to touch on some of the covered call strategies that you guys use. Generally, why would someone want to do that? Raj: Yeah, covered call strategies are interesting because what they could do is, they could subsidize income and they can help potentially moot some of the downside risk. Effectively, the way a covered call would work is you are going to end up giving up a little bit of your upside potential, but you're not going to have as much downside risk as well. And in return for that, you're going to generate some yields. There're premiums generated based on the covered calls. We have one fund, the ticker's life that's global healthcare. It's a passive index of the 20 largest global healthcare companies. And then our team does an active covered call overlay on up to a third of the portfolio. They take a passive, and they put a covered call overlay onto it. We also have done the exact same thing for big US banks. And as I mentioned before, we just launched one on materials and mining. Right now, depending on the fund, those are our three covered calls strategies. Right now, between 7 and 8%, a yield that's being generated between the dividends on the stocks, plus the premiums from the calls. And then the other one that has, as I mentioned at the beginning, emerged as our flagship, is our preferred share fund. I think it's starting to get a lot more attention now, perhaps have been beaten up over the last six to nine months. It's not been easy for them, but where can you get a 5.5 to 6% tax advantage yield in today's world, pretty tough to find. It's pretty tough to find … Rob: Doesn't exist really. I mean there's a real estate space that can give you something comparable, but it's a different risk profile for sure. Different volatility profile tool. Raj: Absolutely. I think that fund is going to start resonating again as people start to recognize that the pref space, because the pref space is one of the only sectors or asset classes that hasn't recovered yet, unlike the equity markets. We think that over the next little while that fund's going to perform well. Rob: All right folks, you heard it here, the preferred market's going to come back. Fantastic, great to have you here. Appreciate the time. Always good to talk about ETFs, huge part of, I think any portfolio managers toolbox, especially the niche stuff that you guys are doing really, really interesting. We're thankful for your time. Thanks for being here. Raj: Thanks.
Curaleaf CEO Joseph Lusardi recently sat down with Barrington Miller during #WeedWeek to discuss why vertical integration is integral to controlling the quality and consistency of their product (4:00), how Curaleaf's biggest advantage might be in its boardroom (6:00), and how evolving legislation is helping America recover from the "war on drugs" (10:30). Listen to the entire podcast to hear why Joseph Lusardi defines himself as a "reluctant pioneer" of the cannabis industry and how the industry is evolving in "dog years"
A #HashtagFinance first, Barrington Miller hosts a three-way conversation with Cresco Labs' (CSE:CL) Charles Bachtell and Joe Caltabiano during #WeedWeek. Both gentlemen share the lessons they learned from a previous life in the mortgage industry (1:30), how they distinguish the differences between traditional and non-traditional cannabis consumers (3:45), and the thinking behind Cresco's acquisition of Origin House (8:15). Listen until the end to lean about Charles' appointment to the Cannabis Legalization Subcommittee of Illinois Governor-elect JB Pritzker’s transition team and the importance of social equity in state transitions from medical to recreational cannabis.
Federal Cannabis Laws Reviewed: 8 Different Bills in Congress legalizing marijuana to one degree or another are broken down and analyzed. Next Step Act is awesome: Marijuana Justice Act; SAFE Banking Act; STATES Act; REFER Act & more!Call me @: https://www.cannabisindustrylawyer.comNext Step Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1893/textLinks: https://medium.com/@corybooker/the-next-step-act-34c29b4532bchttps://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/4779https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/cannabis-legalization-bills-in-congress-which-really-mattersSupport the show
Industry "OG" and CEO of Dixie Brands (CSE:DIXI.U), Chuck Smith, recently sat down with Barrington Miller as part of Public Entrepreneur's #WeedWeek podcast series. In this discussion Chuck shares why Dixie decided to focused on infused products and stay away from farming and cultivation (3:15), how the early origins of the company in medical cannabis have been integral to their efforts to build a portfolio of recreational product offerings (7:30) and the recent launch of CBD products for dogs AND cats! Listen until the end to learn about Chuck's pioneering work on the Cannabis Trade Federation, his thoughts on cannabis taxation (ed. more interesting than it sounds), and their "transformative" JV with Khiron Life Sciences in Latin America.
Episode 13 (April 19, 2019) - This week, we discuss the arrest of Julian Assange, Kim Kardashian's latest career move, and the States Act regarding marijuana legalization.
Episode 13 (April 19, 2019) - This week, we discuss the arrest of Julian Assange, Kim Kardashian's latest career move, and the States Act regarding marijuana legalization.
Re-introduced to both chambers of Congress, the STATES Act is a bill the proposes to legalize marijuana in a way that may be unconstitutional, find out why here. Will Marijuana be legal in 2019?Visit: https://www.cannabisindustrylawyer.com/ for more helpStates Act text: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3032/all-infoSupport the show
Acreage Holding's Director of Legal Compliance recently sat down with Barrington Miller to discuss the dynamics of working with regulators and lawmakers in the U.S. Cannabis industry (6:00), Acreage's M&A ambitions (10:30), and the real impact of the Farm Bill (15:15). Listen until the end to hear Gary's thoughts on the increasing legitimization of the cannabis industry, outlook for the STATES Act, and the integral role of social equity in the cannabis sector.
The House financial services committee approved The Safe Banking Action 45-15 with both parties supporting measure. This would protect financial institutions from providing banking services to marijuana related businesses. Support for The States Act is growing across both houses that would allow the end of cannabis as a schedule 1 substance ending federal prohibition. "Little John" is back in studio with Todd & Craig providing as always an entertaining look at life and cannabis. 420cannaexpo.com is right around the corner free to the public. Be sure to check out the website and come enjoy an afternoon with dozens of exhibitors and speakers.
Neal Levine joins us for the first time with a microphone, featuring a guest appearance by Andy Williams. Levine talks about the various legislative actions happening at the moment, including a primary focus on the STATES Act. As Canada fully legalizes and Mexico plans to follow suit, these legislative actions are the key to preventing the US from getting left behind in the industry. But the STATES Act is just incremental, and needs to be followed up by other actions in areas such as tax policy.
Senator Cory Gardner talks about the path of the STATES Act, which has been surprisingly, and perhaps ironically, cleared by the helping hand of Jeff Sessions. His rescindment of the Cole Memorandum of the Obama era tried to quash states rights on the issue of cannabis, but only led to the more simplified STATES Act. Through it, the Controlled Substances Act is essentially negated for those in accordance with state law, helping make way for progress on many of the issues surrounding cannabis for those states.
Darren Soto discusses big changes happening of late. While previous years have been difficult in terms of passing legislation, the new democratic congress brings with it a more positive outlook. The change gives legislation like the Farm Bill and STATES Act greater possibilities to pass. Darren covers the reasons why legalization is something to continue fighting for in the face of antiquated stigmas, poverty, even more harmful prescription drug alternatives.
Congressman Don Young, soon to be the longest serving Republican House member in history, discusses the ins and outs of cannabis legalization from an Alaskan Republican perspective. He sees the need for more debate on the issue to sort out and solve some problems, which the STATES Act provides the opportunity to do. With the support that legalization has with the public, it gives the chance to bring people together and provide benefits regarding agriculture, medicine, crime rates, and business.
Lively, fact-based discussions about the many aspects of cannabis in our culture, including Moving from "entourage" to "ensemble" Drug testing skate-boarders in advance of 2020 Olympics CBS bans medical cannabis ad from Super Bowl Keith Stroup clarifies questions regarding Farm Bill, States Act, and other issues and much more Call our MESSAGE LINE, leave us a comment, suggestion, criticism, idea for a topic, or just spill your guts and we’ll put you on the show! *** 240-257-2441 *** Leaving Vote Pro Pot-Cast a 5-Star rating on iTunes, really helps us move up in podcast search engines, increasing our ability to spread the reform advocacy message. Keith Stroup's Book: It's NORML to Smoke Pot: The 40 Year Fight for Marijuana Smokers' Rights You can find all Vote Pro Pot-Cast episodes on most popular podcast directories. Please contact & follow us: VoteProPot.com Facebook LinkedIn Twitter INTRO Music: "Slow Burn" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Closeout song, "Cannabis Cafe" Written & performed by David Rovics http://www.davidrovics.com/
Chuck Smith joins us and shares the potential of the States Act and its effect on the industry: "I think for the country to say, 'Look, these are legitimate business people. They're creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and creating a billion dollars worth of tax revenue. We need to treat them like any other industry.' That's what the States Act is all about. Now, we're going to do everything we can to support it."
This week Hayley and Alex visit Mister Green Life Store in Los Angeles and talk to owner, Ariel Stark-Benz, on his curated collection of marijuana paraphernalia (a pipe you light with a magnifying glass!), social justice and his shop philosophy. Also, new CA regulations kick in July 1, and Congress introduced the bipartisan STATES Act to protect legal weed.Watch a video on the Sun Token: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcTrbLUKgKcPurchase the Sun Token from Mister Green: https://www.green-mister.com/shop/thesuntokenStock up on your weed! CA dispensaries are selling inventory at a discount before July 1st regulation deadline: https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/stock-up-now-california-a-lot-of-cannabis-is-about-to-disappear-from-storesMore info on the STATES Act: https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/faq-what-the-states-act-would-do-and-why-its-a-game-changerNitin Khanna, CEO of Oregon company Cura, parent of Select Oil, resigned: http://www.wweek.com/news/2018/06/06/murmurs-cannabis-extracts-ceo-leaves-amid-scrutiny-into-past-allegations/Cura files lawsuit over sexual assault claims on Twitter: http://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2018/06/06/portland-cannabis-extract-company-cura-files-lawsuit-over-sexual-assault-claims-made-on-twitter/Sign up for the WeedWeek newsletter to get weekly info on America's most interesting industry delivered to your inbox. www.weedweek.net/newsletter/WeedWeek Canada is the best way for professionals to keep up with the Canadian green rush. For a free one-month trial subscription sign up here:https://www.weedweek.net/weedweek-canada/We want to answer all your weed questions! Leave us a voicemail at 424-258-0430 and we will answer your question in the podcast! Subscribe to this podcast in iTunes so that you never miss an episode! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/weedweek/id1332937362?mt=2Email us your comments, questions or suggestions at weedweeknews@gmail.com Follow us Twitter and Instagramwww.twitter.com/alexhalperinwww.twitter.com/EPfoxwww.instagram.com/weedweeknews/
Narrated by Chris Kuborn. Written by Sonia Koetting.
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