Trump Comments on Marijuana and Border Patrol Seizes Illicit Cargo

LOS ANGELES - Aug. 26, 2020 - PRLog -- On the domestic front, #President #Trump comments on marijuana legalization #ballot proposals during a campaign event in #Wisconsin. In an offhand remark, the president advised former #governor of the #state #Republican Scott #Walker against putting cannabis on the same election ballot as one he might run on, while referencing Walker's 2018 defeat to #Democrat Tony Evers. President Trump said quote ""You brought out like a million people that nobody ever knew were coming out", seeming to equate marijuana legalization voters to the democratic #party. While some #studies have suggested as much, others argue evidence on the connection is inconclusive. It's unclear if the impromptu statement will impact the #November election, as democratic opponent #Joe #Biden has also made negative public #comments regarding cannabis consumers in the past, and has similarly not come out in favor of federal legalization. What do you think?

In #California, authorities seize nearly 15,000 #pounds of marijuana at a #San Diego border crossing from #Mexico. The illicit #cargo, which is estimated to be worth almost 60 million dollars, was disguised as a shipment of #limes, and discovered through an #X-ray scan. Earlier that day, more than 600 pounds of #methamphetamine hidden in crates of #cactus and worth more than 1.5 million dollars was detected by border patrol canines at the same port of entry. Details on any arrests in relation to the incidents were not disclosed, though director of field #operations for #Customs and #Border Protection in the city #Pete Flores hinted that international organizations may be behind the shipments, explaining they often utilize such unusual methods in their #drug #trafficking efforts.

In #finance, #online #ordering platform for cannabis retailers Dutchie raises 35 #million #dollars in a Series B financing round. Investors in the #Oregon-based e-commerce company include #Snoop Dogg's Casa Verde #Capital, Kevin #Durant's Thirty Five Ventures and former #Starbucks #CEO Howard #Schultz. This comes on the heels of a 250 million dollar raise by #marijuana wholesale platform #LeafLink, indicating the growth of cannabis #tech companies that offer pickup and #delivery services, in the wake of #COVID-19.

Overseas, New #Zealand-based Rua #Bioscience becomes one of the first #companies in the #country to receive a #commercial #medical cannabis #production permit, since federal regulators began accepting #license applications in April. The #coronavirus pandemic slowed down the #approval process, and is also responsible for the nearly one month delay of the #2020 #election, which is now set to take place October 17th. New Zealand is the only country voting on adult-use marijuana #legalization this year, though the referendum's chances of passing are currently unclear.

Written by Jacqui Verdura and Micah Tatum

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