Cannabis

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Could Massachusetts See More Than 100,00 COVID-19 Cases?

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Massachusetts is the fifth U.S. state to report more than 1,000 coronavirus deaths. The number of patients hospitalized on April 15 with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose by 3,648, with 968 patients being admitted to intensive-care units. 

The state now has at least 29,918 confirmed cases. However, an MIT-associated study claims that there could actually be more than 100,000 coronavirus cases, suggesting that many more people potentially have the disease than have been confirmed.

“We estimate that up to 115,000 people are infected and shedding the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” according to the report.

Meanwhile, more than two dozen Massachusetts companies are working on the development of vaccines, treatments or devices for COVID-19. Boston Biz Journal has published a slide presentation related to this story.

Massachusetts town-by-town coronavirus data can be found here.

Massachusets is the First State to Undertake COVID-19 Contact Tracing Program

The New York Times reports that Massachusetts is the first in the nation to launch a coronavirus contact tracing program. The effort is intended to get unknowingly infected residents into quarantine to avoid infecting others.

More than $40 million is being allocated to hiring 1,000 contract tracers to call Mass. residents who have been in contact with a COVID-19 patient. 

Gov. Charlie Baker is betting that the program will help to identify pockets of infection as they emerge. According to the Times report:

“Contact tracing has helped Asian countries like South Korea and Singapore contain the spread of the virus, but their systems rely on digital surveillance, using patients’ digital footprints to alert potential contacts, an intrusion that many Americans would not accept.”

“It’s not cheap,” Governor Baker, told the Times. “But the way I look at it, the single biggest challenge we’re going to have is giving people confidence and comfort that we know where the virus is.”

Half Million Jobs Lost in Massachusetts, Including Thousands of Clean Energy Jobs

Banker and Tradesman financial weekly reports that as of April 11 more than 500,000, a full 12 percent of Massachusetts residents — have become unemployed. However, new unemployment claims were down 36,607 from the previous week. That is according to the latest U.S. Department of Labor data.

Among the jobs lost in the past month were more than 1,000 clean energy jobs. That is according to an analysis by the American Council on Renewable Energy and Environmental Entrepreneurs. 

“The coronavirus pandemic essentially blew away a year’s worth of industry-wide gains in just a few weeks,” says the report in the Boston Business Journal. 

Workers who lost their jobs include engineers, solar installers, technicians, electricians, HVAC and mechanical trade technicians, and construction workers.

Nearly half a million clean energy jobs are at risk nationwide. 

Energy Network News has more details on this story.

Recreational Cannabis Sales: Judge’s Decision Favors Gov. Baker, but Former Gov. Weld Objects

A judge has ruled that Gov. Baker acted within his authority when he ordered recreational marijuana dispensaries to close amid the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, Mass. recreational sales are still shut down.

The decision was a disappointment to the state’s recreational marijuana businesses as it “could serve as an effective death sentence for dozens of marijuana companies,” writes the Boston Globe. 

Many operators are laying off workers and “teetering on the brink of insolvency,” the report warns.

Gov. Baker’s reasoning for shutting recreational sales was that the move would prevent out-of-state customers who could be carrying COVID-19 from infecting Mass. residents. 

His ruling notwithstanding, the judge said that he believed dispensaries could be reopened safely. 

Former Governor Bill Weld has spoken out publicly against the move. In an opinion piece published Tuesday in Commonwealth magazine, Weld writes, “Only Massachusetts has imposed this economic death sentence on small and previously disadvantaged business owners."

As we reported last week, record numbers of residents are applying for medical marijuana cards as a result.

More of the Latest Massachusetts News:

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More Bad News Still to Come

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In what seems like an eternity, the first coronavirus case in Massachusetts was reported just six weeks ago. In just the past week the number of confirmed cases has jumped from about 9,000 to nearly 19,000 with just over 500 deaths reported so far. And the state is just starting to reach its peak, according to experts.

Mass. hospitals are preparing for the expected surge of coronavirus cases between April 10 and April 20. As we reported last week, the convention center in South Boston is being converted into a temporary field hospital to help with an overflow of patients.

According to a story by the Boston Herald, “at least 140 of the state’s more than 1,000 long-term care facilities have now reported at least one case of COVID-19… and 1,236 residents and health care workers have been sickened.” And in Wilmington, AdviniaCare reports that 77 of the 91 residents have been battling the disease and seven have died.

Although lower this week than the week prior, new unemployment claims are approaching the half-million mark since mid-March. Economists warn that the Mass. unemployment rate could hit a staggering 25 percent by June — that’s 15 percent higher than Great Depression figures.

Channel 5 has compiled a collection of COVID-19 infographics with regional demographic data related to the epidemic. 

Four Hospitals to Begin Trials of Sanofi Drug to Fight COVID-19 

The Boston Globe reports that an unspecified number of patients admitted to four Massachusetts hospitals are receiving an FDA approved rheumatoid arthritis drug in an effort to determine its efficacy in treating acute respiratory distress. The drug, Kevzara, is thought to suppress the inflammatory response in patients’ lungs. 

Participating Mass. hospitals include Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Tufts Medical Center, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. More than 50 hospitals nationwide and about 1,000 patients are taking part in the study. Preliminary results of the trial are expected by the end of April. 

Progress on Transportation & Climate Initiative Stymied by Pandemic Response 

The economic fallout caused by plunging gas prices and social distancing measures has added uncertainty to the fate of the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI).

Discussions are continuing by email, phone and video conference despite the pandemic and a final memorandum of understanding between 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, originally expected to be unveiled before summer,  might now be pushed back to the fall. 

The TCI seeks to set a cap on emissions from cars, trucks and other vehicles and require fuel suppliers to buy allowances at auction for every ton of carbon dioxide their fuel will generate beyond that cap. 

An estimated $5 billion to $7 billion in annual proceeds would go back to the states for upgrading public transit, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and other projects. 

The program was originally expected to launch in January 2022. 

Read more on this story at Energy News Network.

Massive Spike in Marijuana Patients Attributed to Shuttering of Recreational Pot Shops

Applications for Mass. medical marijuana cards have jumped substantially since the coronavirus outbreak began. WBUR reports that 1,300 new medical marijuana patients were registered in just over a week from March 23 and April 1. That’s 800 more new patients than were approved in the prior 10-day period. 

The sudden rise is attributed to the fact that the state has deemed recreational marijuana shops to be non-essential and subject to shut down during the crisis, whereas medical dispensaries have been allowed to continue to do business. 

In order to apply for a medical marijuana card in Mass. patients must first be approved by a state-certified physician. Prior to the crisis, this step had to be done in person with a visit to the doctor’s office. 

However, in order to promote social distancing, the commission has temporarily permitted the use of telehealth services allowing patients and doctors to consult via phone or video conference.

A group of adult-use dispensary operators have initiated a lawsuit claiming that Governor Charlie Baker’s decision to close down recreational cannabis operations was illegal and might endanger public health by forcing consumers into the illicit market.

Cannabis Sales Projected to Pass $1 Billion by 2024

Boulder, Colorado-based BDS Analytics, a leading cannabis industry market research company, is predicting marijuana sales in Mass. will reach $1.35 billion in 2024. Sales are expected to exceed $745 million in 2020 with $157 million in sales being reported for the first quarter of 2020, according to data from the Cannabis Control Commission. Mass. Live has more on this story.

More of the Latest Massachusetts News:

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This is Only the Beginning

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The coronavirus pandemic continues to dominate Massachusetts news this week as global COVID-19 cases break through the 1 million mark with the worst yet to come. As of the beginning of April, the number of documented cases was approaching 9,000 with more than 150 deaths. 

Gov. Baker held a news conference Tuesday to update residents on the situation in Massachusetts. A stay-at-home advisory is still in effect until the end of the month. 

The New York Times has published infographics tracking Mass. COVID-19 cases statewide and by county. 

Planning ahead for the upcoming rash of new cases, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the development of a 1,000-bed field hospital at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. 

According to the Boston Globe, there are plans for “500 beds for the city’s homeless and 500 for overflow patients coming from the city’s hospitals.” The city has launched a request for proposals to operate the facility from health care providers.

More Massachusetts Coronavirus News

IN OTHER NEWS:

Clean Peak Energy Standards Draft Released

The Mass. Department of Energy Resources has finalized a major rule for promoting clean energy during the most expensive hours of electricity production. The measure involves credits for clean energy delivered during peak hours. 

According to a report in Mass. Green Tech:

“Utilities in the state must obtain clean peak credits equal to a percentage of total electricity delivered in the year, starting at 1.5 percent in 2020 and growing annually.”

The new Clean Peak Standard regulations, originally called for in legislation passed in 2018, will now be open for a 30-day review period and is expected to take effect in June.

The brownfield redevelopment investment envisioned by Commercial Development Company (CDC) is becoming a reality as the site evolves towards becoming a logistics and manufacturing center, renewable energy hub and port.

Plan to Import Canadian Hydropower Now Uncertain

A plan to bring Canadian hydropower into Massachusetts via a Central Maine Power Company faces opposition from activists. The $950 million New England Clean Energy Connect project calls for delivering 9.4 million megawatt-hours per year of hydropower over the next two decades — roughly 17% of the state’s peak electricity needs.

Under the plan, electricity generated by Hydro-Québec’s hydroelectric dams would traverse a 145-mile transmission line that would cut through western Maine. Opponents of the plant complain that the lines would damage recreational forest land leading to a loss of recreational tourism in Maine.

According to Salem News, enough signatures have been gathered to put the project before the state’s voters in November. Should voters shoot down the initiative it will put a damper on Mass. clean energy plans. 

Transit Relief on the Way

Massachusetts public transit is set to receive roughly $1 billion in federal emergency aid intended to keep bodies moving during the coronavirus crisis. The package, part of a $2 trillion relief bill signed by President Trump on Friday, includes $25 billion in grants for mass transit nationwide.

The funds will be divided between the MBTA and the state’s 15 regional transit authorities. 

The Worcester Telegram reports:

“At the T, their budget cycle is from July 1, and they would have been facing a gaping operating deficit,” said Eric Bourassa, director of transportation for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. “This really is a lifeline for the MBTA and the regional transit agencies.”

The MBTA is currently running under a reduced schedule.

No Movement On Recreational Cannabis

In cannabis news, Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration decided that medical marijuana dispensaries are considered pharmacies and are therefore essential and may continue to operate during the crisis. Recreational facilities, on the other hand, still remain closed until the end of the state at home advisory, April 30th.

As a result, small cannabis businesses are warning that they may not survive if their non-essential classification drags on. From a Boston Globe report:

“These businesses are in a pretty dire situation,” said Laury Lucien, a Boston lawyer and consultant who works with small cannabis firms. “If what you sell is federally illegal, you don’t have access to those funds. It really is unjust, especially for stores that just opened."

Gov. Baker has labeled calls to reopen recreational marijuana shops a ‘non-starter,’ according to the Globe. 

Innovative Industrial Properties Acquires Athol Plant

Pioneering real estate investment trust (REIT) Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. (IIP), has announced the acquisition of a 199,000 square feet of industrial space in Athol, Mass for approximately $26.8 million - slated for use as a cannabis cultivation facility. 

According to Yahoo Finance:

“Concurrent with the closing of the purchase, IIP entered into a long-term, triple-net lease agreement with a subsidiary of Ascend Wellness Holdings, LLC (AWH) for continued operation as a licensed cannabis cultivation and processing facility. AWH is expected to complete tenant improvements for the property, for which IIP has agreed to provide reimbursement of up to approximately $22.2 million. Assuming full reimbursement for the tenant improvements, IIP’s total investment in the property will be $49.0 million. The lease provides for an initial annualized aggregate base rent of 13.5% of the sum of the initial purchase price and tenant improvement allowance, subject to a phase-in of the base rent associated with the tenant improvement allowance at the beginning of the term.”

More of the Latest Massachusetts News:

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Coronavirus Scrambles Mass Politics

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Who could have foreseen a global novel coronavirus pandemic?

Well, apparently Bill Gates, for one. Now that it’s here, however, foresight is being thrown around left and right in the Bay State.

As the pace of coronavirus testing picks up in Massachusetts, the number of cases has more than doubled from just two days earlier. 

By Thursday, the coronavirus had claimed 25 people and infected more than 2,400 people statewide — more than double the numbers from just two days prior. However, infectious disease experts warn that as testing expands it’s likely that the state will find that more than ten times that number are infected.

Hospitals in Massachusetts are already overwhelmed with critically ill patients. On the front lines of the battle to save as many lives as possible so far, more than 150 Boston hospital employees have tested positive for COVID-19.

The state is now seeking federal disaster assistance while seeing a twentyfold increase in filings for unemployment and epidemiologists telling the public that we probably won’t be ending this crisis anytime soon.

Aside from some light at the end of the tunnel with the passage of the $2 trillion economic rescue plan, here are some of the other ways COVID19 is impacting Mass. residents: 

Bikes Considered “Essential” Mode of Transportation

Gov. Baker ordered “nonessential” businesses to close on Tuesday for obvious reasons. However, many bike shops will apparently remain open as the service has been officially deemed essential. 

According to Streets Blog Mass:

“...in its definition of “essential services” that are allowed to remain in business, the Governor’s order includes ‘employees who repair and maintain vehicles, aircraft, rail equipment, marine vessels, and the equipment and infrastructure that enables operations that encompass movement of cargo and passengers.’”

Some bike shops have chosen to remain closed, however.

In related news, Boston and 4 other Massachusetts communities have offered hospital staff one month of free Bluebikes.

Emissions Are “Slightly” Down

“People still driving to work face a surreal scene on their commutes: no traffic,” writes WBUR reporter Barbara Moran. She quotes Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack saying that traffic has "in many cases literally evaporated overnight." 

Recent data from MassDOT shows average travel times are about a third shorter than usual on I-93, and about half as long on I-90 west of Boston.

Interestingly, scientists at Boston University and Harvard claim the decrease is only slight. There has been “no significant decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) or carbon monoxide (CO) emissions around Boston.”

Medical Marijuana: Essential; Recreational Cannabis: Not So Much

The governor’s emergency order to close down all non-essential services does not apply to medical marijuana shops according to a report in the Globe. 

Unfortunately, for many casual users of the drug, the state’s 14 recreational pot shops are apparently considered non-essential by the governor. Cease and desist orders were even sent out. Recreational shop owners have protested the decision. Stay tuned.

National Guard Mobilized

Delivery services are becoming ubiquitous in the fight to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Even the Massachusetts National Guard has been called upon to deliver. Gov. Charlie Baker ordered the activation of up to 2,000 National Guard members, according to an article on MassLive.com.

Transportation units are now delivering supplies to hospitals and setting up screening tents at correction facilities. 

Coronavirus Text Alert System Launched

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has announced the launch of a text alert system for important coronavirus news. Subscribers will receive one or two alerts a day about news, updates, public health tips and alerts on services, the governor said.

Residents can text “COVIDMA” to 888777 to sign up. 

In other news

Bill Weld Throws in the Towel

Bill Weld, whom most of you know is a former Massachusetts Governor has dropped out of the 2020 presidential race clearing the field for President Trump’s reelection campaign. 

Weld said in a statement:

"I hereby announce that I am suspending my candidacy for president of the United States, effective immediately. I am immensely grateful to all the patriotic women and men who have stood with me during the past eleven months in our effort to bring better government to Washington, D.C. Two years ago I became concerned enough about the future of this country to begin exploring the possibility of running for president. It is a job I feel certain I have the experience and vision to do."

The move comes following last Tuesdays’ Republican primaries in Florida, Arizona, and Illinois primaries in which Trump officially clinched the Republican nomination.

That Time Senator Elizabeth Warren Reshaped the Democratic Race

Senator Elizabeth Warren, after placing third in the Mass. Primary, has refocused on her US Senatorial duties. 

Some say a particular moment in her campaign brought a change in tide to the Democratic race. 

According to a post in the Globe:

“...history may most remember her candidacy… for her political disembowelment on national TV of billionaire Mike Bloomberg... She effectively ended his campaign in about 40 seconds. Her takedown of the eighth-richest man in the world not only made for exciting television, but it also instantly altered the political terrain and contributed to the rapid winnowing in the field’s moderate lane in favor of former vice president Joe Biden.”

Mass. Libertarian Party Ranks Swell

The Massachusetts Libertarian Party is apparently growing faster than any other party. According to the Eagle-Tribune, the party had 19,851 members as of Feb. 12., “a more than 130% increase from 2017 when it regained its party status, according to Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office.” 

The article credits dissatisfaction with the ruling parties as the reason for the surge in membership. Growth notwithstanding, Libertarians still account for only 0.43% of the Mass. electorate.

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