New hemp-derived CBD regulations in Colorado

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has finalized state testing requirements for hemp. The new regulations take effect on October 1 and include all hemp-derived goods intended for human consumption, including hemp-infused CBD products.

“We don’t want to burden the industry,” Jeff Lawrence, CDPHE director of environmental health and sustainability, told Westword. “But what we’ve learned is that there are things in hemp products that we obviously need to be considerate of. Since the inception of hemp, Colorado has been a leader in this industry. This will provide some better guidance.”

Testing will screen for things like pesticides, heavy metals, and residual solvents.

Hemp-infused products like foods, drinks, nutritional supplements, cosmetics, and pet products will be subject to the new testing requirements. Industrial hemp products like textiles, fuel, and building materials, are excluded from the testing requirements. Hemp-derived smokable products, including those with modified cannabinoids like Delta-8 THC, are also excluded from the new regulations.

“Ultimately, this is a public-health issue. In 2018, when, statutorily, these products were allowed, we said it would be treated like every other food and dietary supplement requirement,” Lawrence said.

DEA-approved medical marijuana research facility coming to Denver

A Denver-based marijuana research and cultivation firm received approval from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to begin federally-approved medical marijuana studies.

The research license will allow MedPharm to study all of the molecules known to be made by the cannabis plant—more than 400 so far. The company will also be studying the interaction between phytocannabinoids and different brain cells.

“Access to the diversity of chemicals produced by cannabis has never been greater, and we are excited to unlock the medical potential of these compounds,” said Dr. Tyrell Towle, MedPharm’s director of chemistry and research.

Although MedPharm is licensed to grow medical marijuana for research purposes at the city and state levels, they’re still waiting on the DEA to approve federal licensing. That means that the company won’t be using its own marijuana for research. Currently, the University of Mississippi is the only federally licensed medical marijuana research supplier.

Colorado Cannabis Business Office focuses on social equity

Governor Jared Polis announced the creation of a new office aimed at supporting cannabis businesses and promoting social equity.

The Cannabis Business Office (CBO) was created as part of a bill passed earlier this year. $4 million was set aside for the program for the 2022-’23 fiscal year from the state Marijuana Tax Cash Fund.

According to the CBO, the office will:

“This office will offer tools like technical help and improve access to money for businesses. Where the federal government has fallen behind, Colorado will lead. Colorado is, and always has been, the best place to live, work, grow and sell cannabis,” Polis said in a press release.

It’s no secret that Mountain High Select Suckers are the best CBD lollipops on the market. Our broad-spectrum hemp-infused CBD lollipops come in a variety of flavors and produce a moderate effect perfect for beginners or experienced edible connoisseurs.

Check out some of our recent reviews:

Our Straw-Nana lollipop was rated well by Weed Republic for its quality CBD, low dosage, and unique and incredible flavor.

“This unique, one-of-a-kind CBD lollipop is not only an amazing flavor combination but also features bits of both strawberry and banana on the surface of the lollipop! This flavor-packed candy is infused with only 6mg of CBD, which makes it a great option for adults of almost any age to use.”

Incredible Edibles recommended Mountain High Select for newbies to cannabis edibles. “If you’re just starting out with CBD lollipops, this is a good option to start with as each lollipop comes with only 6 mg of CBD. They’re also economically priced.”

Remedy Journey rated both our Mountain High Select CBD lollipops and our THC & CBD-infused Mountain High Suckers as having the best flavor selection of any cannabis-infused lollipop.

Mountain High Select is “one of the oldest names in the cannabis industry. The team believes in keeping everything simple yet powerful and effective,” said Ask Growers. “What’s more special is that the products come in a wide range of flavors, aromas, and uniquely crafted delicacies. The experienced users love indulging and stocking up on most of the products from this brand.”

CBD Nerds rated Mountain High Suckers as one of the tastiest lollipops of 2021. Mountain High Select Suckers “may just be the only brand out there that specializes solely in CBD lollipops. For this reason, we consider them experts when it comes to developing and producing a quality CBD lollipop. This expertise can be seen in the variety of flavors that they offer, a variety that is unmatched by any other CBD brand on our list.”

If you’re looking for the best CBD suckers with the widest range of flavors and broad-spectrum cannabinoids, look no further than Mountain High Select!
 
Shop our CBD Suckers Today »

 

The Wait is Almost Over, Mountain High Suckers Fans!

We’re extremely proud to announce that our broad spectrum cannabis infused suckers will be coming soon to medical marijuana dispensaries in Missouri in 10mg THC / 3mg CBD doses and in Oklahoma in both 10mg THC / 3mg CBD doses and 30mg THC / 10mg CBD doses!

Legalization – About These Markets

Missouri

In 2018, voters in Missouri were in favor of legalizing medical marijuana, passing Amendment 2 with 65 percent approval. It was a watershed moment for a state that had traditionally opposed marijuana use. The amendment to the state constitution allows doctors to prescribe medical cannabis for ten qualifying medical conditions and patients can cultivate up to six plants.

Medical marijuana sales are just starting to ramp up in Missouri. During the first week of 2021, the state saw the first sales of edible marijuana products. Plus, there’s the possibility that voters could weigh in on legal recreational marijuana as early as 2022.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma became the 30th state to legalize medical marijuana in 2018. Like Missouri, Oklahoma generally opposed marijuana legalization—in 2016 they joined Nebraska in an attempt to sue Colorado over legal weed. However, in 2018, public opinion had shifted enough that a medical marijuana initiative passed with a 57% to 43% margin.

In 2020, medical marijuana was booming in Oklahoma. Residents bought a record amount of medical marijuana, increasing tax collections by more than 25%. The Oklahoma Tax Commission received $9.8 million in state taxes in April.

About Mountain High Suckers

Started in Colorado, Mountain High Suckers has produced handmade suckers and lozenges since their beginning in 2009.

Not afraid to be bold, we infuse spiciness, mango, and even coconut into suckers, too. We’re the pioneers of both THC and CBD in medical marijuana products in Colorado, providing edibles that offer a more balanced effect and a wide range of benefits.

Chad Tribble and John Garrison started the company back in 2009. Within months they began testing their strains and discovered their genetics provided a fair amount of CBD. Since then we’ve tested every batch of our hash oil to ensure proper potency and consistency within our products. We’ve continued at a steady pace, hand making our products the same way today as we did in the beginning.

Check out a full list of our PRODUCTS here >

Whether it was a year to remember or a year you wish you could forget, 2020 is coming to a close.

Here were some of the biggest stories in weed this year:

Five more states vote to legalize recreational, medical marijuana

While marijuana prohibition is still in effect at the federal level, voters in states across the country continue to push to legalize marijuana.

This November, four states voted to legalize adult-use marijuana, and two states legalized medical marijuana.

Arizona

In Arizona, voters passed Proposition 207, legalizing recreational marijuana for adults 21 years and older. Recreational sales are expected to begin in March 2021. Arizonans can grow up to six cannabis plants at home or no more than 12 plants in a house with more than one adult. Additionally, Arizonans with a prior marijuana conviction can petition to have the record expunged as of July 12, 2021.

New Jersey

Voters in the Garden State said ‘yes’ to Question 1, legalizing adult-use cannabis. Adults 21 and older will be able to purchase and possess legal cannabis, subject to rules and regulations that will be overseen by the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which already oversees New Jersey’s medical marijuana program.

Montana

Montana is so into legal weed that they voted on not one but two ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana.

Initiative 190 legalized the sale and possession of up to an ounce of cannabis and the cultivation of up to four cannabis plants and four cannabis seedlings at home. Recreational marijuana sales will be subject to a 20% tax.

Constitutional Initiative 118 amended the state constitution to allow the Legislature to set the age for adults permitted to possess and consume marijuana to 21 years and older.

South Dakota

In South Dakota, voters went all in for legal cannabis, simultaneously legalizing medical and recreational marijuana.

Measure 26 to legalize medical marijuana passed with a whopping 69% of the vote. Amendment A passed with the approval of 52% of voters, allowing adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of cannabis. However, the new law doesn’t kick in until July 1, 2021, so for now, it’s still illegal to possess marijuana in South Dakota.

Mississippi

Mississippians approved Ballot Initiative 65 to legalize medical marijuana in their state. Residents will be able to apply for a medical marijuana card for 22 qualifying conditions, including cancer, chronic pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each medical marijuana patient will be able to possess up to 2.5 ounces of medical cannabis per 14-day period.

After November’s election, 15 states plus the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis, and 35 states have legalized medical marijuana.

Europe’s Highest Court Rules that CBD is Not a Narcotic

The future of the CBD market in Europe is set to expand with a ruling from the European Union’s (EU) highest court that CBD is not a narcotic. According to the ruling, CBD “does not appear to have any psychotropic effect or any harmful effect on human health.”

Before the ruling, many CBD products in the EU existed in the grey market that allowed cannabis to be sold for agricultural purposes.

The ruling comes as the result of a lawsuit in France against a company that makes CBD oil from whole hemp plants. Only the fiber and seeds of hemp plants containing less than 0.2% THC could be used commercially in France.

The EU court ruled that France’s law banning the use of whole plant hemp-derived CBD went against the EU’s law on the free movement of goods.

Marijuana Dispensaries Essential Businesses During COVID-19

In March, COVID-19 upended our lives and temporarily shuttered businesses across the country. Marijuana dispensaries were among the businesses deemed essential.

After stay-at-home orders were issued in Colorado, recreational marijuana dispensaries converted to online pre-orders and curbside pickup. While Gov. Jared Polis (D) said that recreational and medical marijuana dispensaries were “critical” retail businesses, the process wasn’t without hiccups.

In contradiction to the governor, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock (D) deemed recreational marijuana dispensaries and liquor stores non-essential. Several hours later, Denver officials walked back the decision after hordes of Denverites rushed to stores to stock up.

Pandemic marijuana sales consistently break records

Maybe people just needed a way to cope, or maybe they had more free time—whatever the reason, marijuana sales records broke records month-over-month this year.

Colorado dispensaries sold $192,175,937 worth of marijuana in May, about 11 percent higher than the previous sales record of $173.2 million set in August 2019. Colorado cannabis sales were up 29% from April and up 32% as compared to May 2019.

Adult-use marijuana sales amounted to $158,102,628 during June, the first time that more than $150 million worth of recreational cannabis had been sold during June.

Marijuana sales hit an all-time high in July at $226 million, and for the year, more than $1.63 billion in cannabis products have been sold in the state.

 

The EU’s highest court has ruled that CBD is not a narcotic because “it does not appear to have any psychotropic effect or any harmful effect on human health.”

The ruling comes as the result of a lawsuit in France against a company that makes CBD oil from whole hemp plants. In France, only the fiber and seeds of hemp plants containing less than 0.2% THC can be used commercially.

The EU court ruled that France’s law banning the use of whole plant hemp-derived CBD went against the EU’s law on the free movement of goods.

“The national court must assess available scientific data in order to make sure that the real risk to public health alleged does not appear to be based on purely hypothetical considerations,” the court ruled.

“A decision to prohibit the marketing of CBD, which indeed constitutes the most restrictive obstacle to trade in products lawfully manufactured and marketed in other [EU] member states, can be adopted only if that risk appears sufficiently established,” the court wrote.

While individual countries can ban the free movement of goods for things like narcotic drugs, the court’s ruling means that those rules don’t apply to CBD.

Plus, as the court cited in their ruling, France has not banned synthetic CBD, which has the same properties as plant-derived CBD—making the prohibition of plant-derived CBD inconsistent.

The court’s decision could potentially open up the legal CBD market in Europe. Many CBD products currently exist in the grey market under rules that allow cannabis to be sold for agricultural purposes. Regulations about cannabis edibles and CBD have been stalled and in limbo, but the court’s decision could reopen a pathway to selling CBD edibles as food in Europe.

“With today’s ruling, CBD companies can expect a clearer route to achieving compliance across the EU. The harmonization of cannabinoid regulations could finally become a reality,” wrote the UK-based Association for the Cannabinoid Industry.

 

John Garrison, Mountain High Suckers’ co-founder and CEO, sat down with Genifer Murray of CannabisTech.com to talk about Mountain High Suckers’ history in cannabis and the secret to their success and longevity in the industry. Here are some highlights:

Forming partnerships across industries

Mountain High Suckers has formed partnerships both within and outside of the cannabis community over the years. Together with Groundswell and DJ Logic, they created an exclusive strain, Logic Diesel, and infused it into a sucker to create Logic Pops. Mountain High Suckers teamed up with comedian Josh Blue to create a line of suckers called Josh Blue’s Dream. Their most recent partnership with cyclist Floyd Landis brought them from the sweet to savory realm with a line of THC and CBD-infused sauces and spreads.

Why the 3:1 THC to CBD ratio?

“We came up with that ratio just out of trying not to put too much CBD in because no one knew what CBD was when we started doing this. So we came up with this formula, three-to-one, and over the years we have literally maybe a hundred testimonials of people calling up either crying or with an incredible story that his three-to-one ratio made all the difference in their lives, so we stuck with it and we still have it today.”

Which extraction process does Mountain High Suckers use?

“You get a lot more volume of extract [with butane], and it comes out cleaner. It’s more for smoking…where our stuff is not smokeable, it’s more like a Rick Simpson oil. [With ethanol] we leave some chlorophyll in there. We leave a little bit of wax in there. We try to leave as many cannabinoids as possible instead of stripping it down to where you have nothing left, and then you try to add in all the terpenes back in to come up with your beautiful smell to the product. But for medicinal purposes and all-around health benefits, everything about alcohol extraction is just a better product to have for edibles.”

How have John and Chad maintained a successful company and partnership together?

“I think a lot of it has to do with our background in rock climbing together. We were continuously watching out for each other’s lives. So, you know, when it moved into the business setting, which we had a painting company together, it was similar. We always watched out for each other. We could speak for each other.

We’ve known each other for 24 years, and I think communication is everything. We preach communication to all of our business partners. You don’t communicate, and I’m not going to do business with you. You know, it’s key to every single thing there is.

The other thing is we strive for the same things in our lives. We both are committed to recreation, so we don’t let our edibles company rule our lives. We still get out a lot. We cycle, hike, you know everything that we want to do, and we still manage to put a lot of hours into this business.”

I think the other thing that helps our company is that we’re not invested in by anybody else. It’s our own money, so we don’t have a board. It’s Chad and I at the table. If you want to do business, you talk to Chad and I.”

Where can you buy Mountain High Suckers, and what are your plans for future expansion?

“Right now, we’re in Colorado. We’ve been in Puerto Rico for about a year and a half. We’re signing a deal with Oklahoma, and then we have California on the back burner and New Mexico and Oregon.

“We are talking with some Canadians now and have been for quite a while. No deals go through quickly, and if they do, they probably aren’t a good thing.

Chad’s wife is from Thailand, so they were in Thailand last year, and they went to a cannabis convention. So we’re working on some international stuff.

We have a new CBD company that we just started called Mountain High Select. They’re available around the nation. That’s a CBD, CBG infused sucker.

Chad and I have been doing this for eleven years, so I’m not going to lie, I’m getting a little tired. We’re looking for an exit plan down the road. I think everybody is who has been in it this long. We’re still excited every day to come to work. We love our jobs, and we have great employees. We love what we do.”

What advice would you give someone just starting in the industry?

“Make sure that whatever you’re doing is a very wanted product, whether it’s a media product or it’s a live product, kind of cannabis grow, whatever you do, but don’t jump in without knowing. Get lawyers. One-hundred percent you’ve got to have lawyers.

The other thing is if people approach you and they want to invest, you have to vet them. You have to hang out. You have to go to lunch with them. You have to realize that if you do a deal, then you’re going to be working with them for three to five years. That’s a long time, so you want to be able to have them come over to your house for dinner. You have to really like the people that you work with. Even if there are problems. If you communicate, you can get through everything.”

Thanks to Genifer Murray and CannabisTech.com for a great conversation. See the full video here:

We had a hiccup with our payment processing, unfortunately still a problem in 2020, but our brand new broad spectrum hemp infused (CBD +more) suckers are back online and ready to be shipped to you!

These tasty products are hand made in Denver Colorado, USA from mostly non-GMO, organic, and Kosher ingredients and are available wherever CBD is legal.

Now for sale in the following flavors:

Blueberry

Our lusciously fruity broad spectrum hemp infused blueberry sucker will mellow you out with the flavor of sweetened, summer-ripe blueberries.

Watermelon

Our fabulously fresh broad spectrum hemp infused watermelon sucker will tantalize your taste buds with the flavor of sweet, summer-ripe watermelon.

Strawberry Banana (Straw-nana)

A lively combination of our sweet-tart strawberry sucker topped with pieces of banana and strawberry for multilayered fruit flavor. Stra-nana your way into a sweet high with our infused Strawberry Banana sucker.

Sour Lemon

Our sour lemon broad spectrum hemp infused sucker is tart and sour-sweet. Bright and bursting with the zesty flavor of sun-warmed citrus, this lightly medicated sweet will help you mellow out and unwind.

Grape

With a classically delicious fruity grape flavor, this broad spectrum hemp infused sucker is a royal plum purple treat. Be king or queen of the castle with these OG fan favorite grape suckers.

Tangerine

Add a little sunshine to your day with our refreshingly sweet and tangy citrus broad spectrum hemp infused tangerine sucker.

Why Buy From Mountain High?

Our infusion process allows for dual absorption, which means it’s absorbed through both your mouth (sublingual) and in your liver (gastrointestinal) for a more complete effect.

This product is also unique in that it offers a variety of the known cannabinoids rather than just CBD alone!

At Mountain High Select, our goal is to produce high quality infused products. We test every batch of oil to ensure accurate dosage. We proudly provide testing and Certificates of Analysis for all of our products.

Finally you can get your favorite infused lollipops delivered to your door from MountainHighSelect.com!

In celebration of 4/20 month and to make things easier for folks staying at home during Coronavirus, we are proud to announce the launch of our brand new BROAD SPECTRUM HEMP lineup of suckers NOW AVAILABLE anywhere CBD products are legal!

These new 0% THC versions of our favorite flavors: Blueberry, Watermelon, Strawberry Banana (Straw-nana), Sour Lemon, Grape and Tangerine are hand made in Denver Colorado, USA from mostly non-GMO, organic, and Kosher ingredients. You can ORDER ONLINE right now.

Our infusion process allows for dual absorption, which means it’s absorbed through both your mouth (sublingual) and in your liver (gastrointestinal) for a more complete effect.

This product is also unique in that it offers a variety of the known cannabinoids rather than just CBD alone!

At Mountain High Select, our goal is to produce high quality infused products. We test every batch of oil to ensure accurate dosage. You can locate testing results right on our product pages.

Finally you can get your favorite infused lollipops delivered to your door from MountainHighSelect.com!

 

Thailand’s first full-time medical marijuana clinic opened in Bangkok this month. Thailand is the first Southeast Asian country to allow medical marijuana, though cannabis has not been legalized, and there are harsh penalties for recreational use.

The Ministry of Public Health anticipates between 200 to 300 patient visits daily, and nearly 2,200 patients have registered for treatment with medical marijuana. On its first day, the clinic gave away free cannabis oil to nearly 400 people. Patients who visit the clinic will receive two weeks of free care.

Thailand has approved 38 medical conditions for treatment with medical marijuana, including Parkinson’s, epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, and cancer. In the future, Thailand may expand its medical marijuana policy to include allowing patients to cultivate up to six plants at home.

Chad Tribble, one of the co-founders of Mountain High Suckers who recently visited Thailand to speak and attend the Elevating Cannabis Expo 2019, told the Bangkok Post about the wide range of uses and products that can be derived from cannabis.

“You can infuse the oils, the cannabis compounds into a lotion which delivers the medicine through your skin instead of smoking or eating it. You can probably feed animals such as elephants with the by-product from the plant as well.”

Thailand already has about 25 cannabis clinics, but access to them is limited to hospitals, and they’re only open part-time.

“This is a pilot clinic, because we cannot produce enough doctors with expertise in cannabis,” said the country’s public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

Until at least 2024, only Thai companies will be licensed to cultivate the plant. Tribble sees huge potential in Thailand for CBD and cannabis businesses in the coming years.

“Thailand is a great prospect for foreign companies to be able to work with Thai companies to offer products for people to use medically,” Tribble said.

Despite Thailand’s current harsh drug laws, and recent 180 on medical, the country has a long history with cannabis. Before its ban in the 1930s, cannabis was used for clothing and other fabrics, as well as food. A Thai boat noodle soup called kuaytiaw reua used cannabis as a spice.

“It is vital to remember that cannabis is one of the 50 Fundamental Herbs of Chinese Medicine and dates back 4000 years in Asia,” Dr. Jenelle Kim, Founder & Chief Formulator of JBK Wellness Labs, told Forbes. “Beginning thousands of years ago, the healing properties of cannabis were used to help balance a variety of conditions–from calming the mind and body, balancing digestive disorders, easing pain and fatigue, among others.”

Hold on to your CBD-infused lattes, because cannabis is going to space.

Front Range Biosciences, an agricultural technology company, has partnered with the University of Colorado, Boulder to send 480 hemp and coffee plant cultures to the International Space Station (ISS).

“This is one of the first times anyone is researching the effects of microgravity and spaceflight on hemp and coffee cell cultures,” said Dr. Jonathan Vaught, Co-Founder and CEO of Front Range Biosciences in a press release. “There is science to support the theory that plants in space experience mutations. This is an opportunity to see whether those mutations hold up once brought back to earth and if there are new commercial applications.”

The goal of the experiments is to see if zero gravity and radiation will mutate or genetically alter the coffee and hemp plants. Scientists will be able to see how the plants react to the stress of space travel. The research could help scientists develop plants that can endure drought and cold. On Earth, that could mean developing more resilient crops that can be grown in environments that don’t normally support hemp growth.

“We envision this to be the first of many experiments together,” said Louis Stodieck, Chief Scientist of BioServe Space Technologies at the University of Colorado, Boulder. “In the future, we plan for the crew to harvest and preserve the plants at different points in their grow-cycle so we can analyze which metabolic pathways are turned on and turned off. This is a fascinating area of study that has considerable potential.”

The hemp and coffee cultures will travel to the ISS aboard SpaceX CRS-20 in March 2020. The incubated cells will spend a month is space before returning to Earth to be analyzed by Front Range Biosciences.

In the future, we plan for the crew to harvest and preserve the plants at different points in their grow-cycle, so we can analyze which metabolic pathways are turned on and turned off,” Louis Stodieck, director of BioServe Space Technologies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, said in a statement. “This is a fascinating area of study that has considerable potential.”

The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp as a Schedule I substance, legalized the production of hemp, and removed barriers to federal research. Hemp is a type of cannabis plant that contains less than 0.3 percent THC and has a variety of uses, including in textiles, bioplastics and biofuel, food, and insulation.

Hemp also contains high concentrations of CBD and other non-intoxicating cannabinoids.

While scientific research on hemp in space is in its early stages, it’s not the first time cannabis has left Earth. Earlier this year, Space Tango sent hemp seeds to the ISS for a series of experiments. The hemp seeds were sent back to Earth and planted for another series of experiments. The results have not yet been published.