Saturday, July 01, 2023

Zelenskyy held an external meeting of the Stavka at the Rivne NPP

Details: At the meeting, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, reported on the operational situation on the Belarusian border and possible actions of its and Russian forces. 



Awww.pravda.com.ua

Zelenskyy holds off-site Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff meeting at Rivne NPP 

Ukrainska Pravda
2 minutes

On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held an off-site meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief at the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant (Rivne NPP).

Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram 

We are ending this day in Rivne region – I held another visiting meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff. Key issues of security in the northern regions of our country, our measures to strengthen security. Everything that concerns the border, our forces of the Pivnich operational-strategic group, and Ukrainian strategic facilities – such as the Rivne nuclear power plant, where the Staff meeting took place.

There were reports of intelligence, the Commander-in-Chief, the commander of the Pivnich group, the head of the border guard service, the minister of internal affairs, and the head of Rivne Regional Military Administration on social issues and people's needs. There was also a report by Head of Energoatom Kotin, director of the Rivne NPP.

In general, not only everything related to the physical security of our strategic facilities and northern regions but also such sensitive issues as cybersecurity were worked out in detail.

Thank you to everyone in Rivne region and here, at the Rivne NPP, and along the entire perimeter of our northern border, who cares about the safety of Ukraine and our people.


Glory to Ukraine!

Quote: "Today the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff meeting is off-site. We gathered at the Rivne NPP to assess any possible threats to the plant on the spot." 




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Zelenskyy held an external meeting of the Stavka at the Rivne NPP

2 - 3 minutes

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He announced this on Facebook.

“Today the Staff is away. They gathered at the Rivne NPP to assess any possible threats to the plant on the spot. Reports by Zaluzhny, Budanov about the operational situation on the Belarusian border and possible enemy actions. Klymenko, Naev, Lebid, Deineko – about strengthening the Northern direction and security NPP. The head of the Rivne OVA Koval and the commander of “Volyn” Myronyuk – about the defense lines and the socio-economic situation in the region. Shchygol – about the protection of the Rivne NPP from cyber threats,” Zelensky wrote.

The President of “Energoatom” Petro Kotin and the director of the station Pavlo Kovtoniuk also took part in the meeting.

The president assured that the situation is under control.

It will be recalled that earlier in an emergency address, Zelenskyy reported that Ukrainian intelligence had received data on Russia’s consideration of a scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station – a terrorist act involving the release of radiation. The Russians have already prepared everything for this. At the same time, the White House said on June 26 that they do not see the “inevitability” of blowing up the ZNPP, but they are watching carefully.

The largest nuclear power plant in Europe – ZAES – was captured by the occupiers at the beginning of a full-scale invasion. Since then, the Russians are constantly at risk of a nuclear disaster because they have placed their ammunition and weapons on the station. The station was turned off from the power supply many times, but Ukrainian specialists, who continue to support its vital activity, brought the ZNPP to order.

Details: At the meeting, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, reported on the operational situation on the Belarusian border and possible actions of its and Russian forces.
Internal Minister Ihor Klymenko, Commander of Joint Forces Serhii Naiev, and Head of the State Border Service Serhii Deineko reported on the strengthening of the Northern front and the protection of the Rivne NPP.
Vitalii Koval, Head of the Rivne Oblast Military Administration, and Commander of the Volyn joint force grouping Myroniuk reported on the defence lines and the socio-economic situation in the region, and Yurii Shchyhol, Head of the State Special Communications Service, reported on the protection of the Rivne NPP from cyber threats.

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Petro Kotin, the president of Energoatom [Ukraine's national nuclear energy company – ed.] and Pavlo Kovtoniuk, the director of the plant, also took part in the meeting.

Quote: "We are keeping the situation under control," Zelensky said.

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Arizona Monthly Recreational Marijuana Sales Exceed $100 Million For First Time | Marijuana Moment, AZ Mirror

> The state collects a 16% excise tax on recreational sales in addition to the standard sales tax; medical patients pay roughly 6% in state sales tax. 
Local jurisdictions charge an additional 2% or so for all marijuana sales.
The excise tax on adult-use marijuana sales has yielded $154.6 million so far in 2023. In 2021, recreational cannabis generated $32.9 for eleven months of sales in a brand-new market, and in 2022 that number ballooned to $132.8 million. Since the program launched, the state has collected more than $320 million in marijuana excise taxes.
www.marijuanamoment.net

Arizona Monthly Recreational Marijuana Sales Exceed $100 Million For First Time, State Data Shows - Marijuana Moment

Marijuana Moment
4 - 5 minutes

“The recreational market has tripled reported totals over the medical side for two of the past three months.”

By David Abbott, Arizona Mirror

Arizona’s recreational cannabis sales hit the $100 million mark in March for the first time since sales began, while the medical market maintained a tenuous equilibrium around the $30 million mark per month.

The recreational market has tripled reported totals over the medical side for two of the past three months.

The Arizona Department of Revenue reported that, in April, recreational sales reached nearly $86.5 million, while March sales were just shy of $101 million, marking the first time since recreational sales kicked off in January 2021 the market has hit the nine-figure mark.

The first time both medical and recreational sales hit the $100 million mark combined was in March 2021, when medical sales were slightly more than $73 million and recreational hit $59 million.

Since then, overall cannabis sales have topped $100 million every month. But this marks the first time a single pillar of the market topped that number by itself.

Recreational sales for December 2022 through February 2023 were $93.4 million, $91.3 and $84.5 million respectively.

Medical sales have declined consistently—at times precipitously—since reaching a peak of $73.3 million in April 2021.

July 2021 saw medical cannabis sales drop below $40 million. Since September 2022, they have fluctuated between about $33 million and $28.6 million in February 2023, the lowest in monthly sales since the ADOR began reporting sales totals for the programs.

Medical marijuana sales in April were $30.3 million.


Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,000 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. 

...One-third of those taxes are dedicated to community college and provisional community college districts; 31 percent to public safety, including  police, fire departments, fire districts and first responders; 25 percent to the Arizona Highway User Revenue Fund; and 10 percent to the justice reinvestment fund, which is dedicated to providing public health services, counseling, job training and other social services for communities that have been adversely affected and disproportionately impacted by marijuana arrests and criminalization.

www.azmirror.com

Arizonans bought more than $100 million in recreational marijuana in March

By: David Abbott - June 27, 2023 11:23 am
4 - 5 minutes

Arizona’s recreational cannabis sales hit the $100 million mark in March for the first time since sales began, while the medical market maintained a tenuous equilibrium around the $30 million mark per month.
The recreational market has tripled reported totals over the medical side for two of the past three months.
The Arizona Department of Revenue reported that, in April, recreational sales reached nearly $86.5 million, while March sales were just shy of $101 million, marking the first time since recreational sales kicked off in January 2021 the market has hit the nine-figure mark..."
 
RELATED 
 
 
www.pravda.com.ua

Zelenskyy: We should finally legalise cannabis-based medicine

Ukrainska Pravda
1 - 2 minutes

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasised the need to legalise medical cannabis in Ukraine.

Source: the president during an address to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s parliament)

Details: The head of state said Ukraine should create the strongest mental and physical rehabilitation sector in Europe, and this will involve both building rehabilitation centres and training the relevant personnel

 
 
www.marijuanamoment.net

Ukraine's President Says Legalizing Medical Marijuana Can Help People Impacted By 'Trauma Of War' With Russia - Marijuana Moment

Kyle Jaeger
4 - 5 minutes

The president of Ukraine is calling for the legalization of medical marijuana to help Ukrainians cope with trauma amid the ongoing war with Russia.

In an address to the Ukrainian Parliament on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “all the world’s best practices, all the most effective policies, all the solutions, no matter how difficult or unusual they may seem to us, must be applied in Ukraine so that Ukrainians, all our citizens, do not have to endure the pain, stress and trauma of war,” according to a translation.

“In particular, we must finally fairly legalize cannabis-based medicines for all those who need them, with appropriate scientific research and controlled Ukrainian production,” he said, as Ukrainska Pravda first reported.

The president stressed that providing access to medical cannabis could provide a therapeutic option for citizens who have endured more than a year of intensive conflict after Russia first invaded the country in February 2022.

During his presidential campaign, Zelensky also voiced support for medical cannabis legalization, saying in 2019 that he feels it would be “normal” to allow people to access cannabis “droplets,” which is possibly a reference to marijuana tinctures.

Zelensky’s Cabinet has taken steps to legalize medical cannabis, approving draft reform legislation last year that must still be passed by the Parliament.

Minister of Healthcare Viktor Liashko said that the bill would permit “the circulation of cannabis plants for medical, industrial purposes, scientific and scientific-technical activities to create the conditions for expanding the access of patients to the necessary treatment of cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from war.”

“We understand the negative consequences of war on the state of mental health,” he said. “We understand the number of people who will need medical treatment as a result of this impact. And we understand that there is no time to wait.”

The policy change would put Ukraine is stark contrast to its long-time aggressor Russia, which has taken a particularly strong stance against reforming cannabis policy at the international level through the United Nations. The country has condemned Canada for legalizing marijuana nationwide.

The deputy of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last year that legalization efforts in the U.S. and Canada are matters “of serious concern for us,” according to a social media post from the office’s official account. “It is worrisome that several Member States of the [European Union] are considering violating their drug control obligations.”

In the U.S., congressional lawmakers are also stepping up pressure on the Biden administration to take steps to secure the release of an American citizen, Marc Fogel, who is facing a 14-year sentence in a Russian prison over possession of medical cannabis that he obtained as a registered patient in Pennsylvania.

Fogel “is serving a 14-year hard-labor sentence for possession of medical marijuana used to treat his severe back injury, a charge very similar to that of WNBA player Brittney Griner,” who also served time in a Russian prison over possession of cannabis oil that she also lawfully obtained as a medical marijuana patient in Arizona, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) said in a press release on Tuesday, introducing a bill that would require the State Department to explain why Fogel and other Americans detained abroad haven’t been designated as wrongfully detained to escalate diplomatic efforts to free them.

Unlike Fogel, Griner was designated by the State Department as wrongfully detained before being released as part of a prisoner swap that the Biden administration negotiated.

Zelensky’s comments on legalizing medical cannabis also come on the same day that Luxembourg’s Parliament voted to legalize the possession and cultivation of marijuana by adults, making it the second country in the European Union to end prohibition.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

 

The U.S. Cannabis Council and its member marijuana businesses are launching a new “Legalize America” Super PAC to “raise the profile of cannabis as a national issue in the 2024 election and beyond 


/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study found that “formulations of cannabis significantly improved anxiety, depression, fatigue, and the ability to participate in social activities in participants with anxiety disorders.”

A study of mice found that total phenylpropionamides extract from hemp seed “improved learning memory capacity, increased survival, attenuated neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, microglia activation and hippocampal apoptosis, and could reduce amyloid deposition

BEA News: Gross Domestic Product by State and Personal Income by State, 1st Quarter 2023

 

The full text of the release can be found at www.bea.gov/news/2023/gross-domestic-product-state-and-personal-income-state-1st-quarter-2023.

BEA News: Gross Domestic Product by State and Personal Income by State, 1st Quarter 2023 

 

Update of state statistics

Today, BEA also released revised quarterly estimates of personal income by state for the first through fourth quarters of 2022. This update incorporates new and revised source data that are more complete and more detailed than previously available and aligns the states with the national estimates from the National Income and Product Accounts released on June 29, 2023.

BEA also released new estimates of per capita personal income for the first quarter of 2023. BEA used U.S. Census Bureau (Census) population figures to calculate per capita personal income estimates for the first quarter of 2020 through the first quarter of 2023. For earlier estimates, BEA used intercensal population statistics that it developed based on Census methodology. See “Note on Per Capita Personal Income and Population.”

Upcoming comprehensive update of the Regional Economic Accounts

BEA will release the results of the comprehensive (or benchmark) update of the Regional Economic Accounts on September 29, 2023. This update will present revised statistics for GDP by state and state personal income.



Bureau of Economic Analysis sent this bulletin at 06/30/2023 10:16 AM EDT
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US Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis

BEA News: Gross Domestic Product by State and Personal Income by State, 1st Quarter 2023

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has issued the following news release today:

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the first quarter of 2023, with the percent change in real GDP ranging from 12.4 percent in North Dakota to 0.1 percent in Rhode Island and Alabama.

Personal income, in current dollars, increased in 48 states and the District of Columbia in the first quarter, with the percent change ranging from 11.4 percent in Maine to –1.0 percent in Indiana

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BEA News: Gross Domestic Product by State and Personal Income by State, 3rd Quarter 2025

  BEA News: Gross Domestic Product by State and Personal Income by S...