Thailand Officially Removes Cannabis from Narcotics List

2/10/2022

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Thailand’s public health minister on Tuesday signed a ministerial announcement officially removing cannabis and hemp from Category 5 of the nation’s narcotics list, The Diplomat reports. The move effectively decriminalizes cannabis in the Southeast Asian nation.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said during the signing ceremony that cannabis “has plenty of medical benefits, not different from other herbs” and that officials are trying their best “to make the Thai people enjoy both medical and economic benefits from it.”

Thailand legalized medical cannabis in 2020 — the first Asian nation to pass the reforms. The delisting will take effect 120 days after its publication in the Royal Gazette; however, the law still includes some penalties for extracts containing more than 0.2% THC, the report says. A bill to clarify the reforms is expected to be introduced in the nation’s parliament.

At the signing ceremony, Charnvirakul described the move as a “new history for cannabis” in Thailand.

Tonnam Niyamapar, a member of The Alliance of Citizens’ Cannabis Association, a lobbying group, told the Associated Press that he hopes the country “will finally liberalize cannabis for both medical and recreational use like the United States or Canada.” Tonnam added that he understands full legalization “will take more years” to occur.

Canada legalized cannabis for adults in 2018, while in the U.S., cannabis remains federally outlawed; however, 18 states have passed laws allowing adult use.

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Leafly Now Trading on NASDAQ

2/10/2022

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Leafly Holdings Inc. — a leading cannabis discovery marketplace and digital information portal discussing cannabis strains, products, and companies — on Monday commenced trading on NASDAQ. The company is trading under the ticker symbol LFLY.

Leafly completed its listing by combining with Merida Merger Corp., which has adopted the name Leafly. The plan was first announced last August. Leafly CEO Yoko Miyashita remained at the head of the company while Peter Lee, the former president of Merida, has taken a director position at the new combined company.

“We are thrilled to begin trading as a public company today and to enter the next phase of our company’s journey. This achievement is a testament to the tireless work ethic of our entire team, the support of our investors, and the unique value we deliver to consumers, brands and retailers. Now, with access to new capital and momentum across our industry, we are poised to execute our growth strategy and continue making cannabis a force for positive change in our world.” — Leafly CEO Yoko Miyashita, in a press release

Since its founding in 2010, Leafly has experienced several shifts as a company. Leafly’s primary services include its strain explorer, which patients and consumers can use to help predict the effects of any given strain; its dispensary locator, on which cannabis retailers can register to list their menus and become more easily discovered by customers; and its platform for consumer reviews, which can cover anything from the retail experience, a cannabis strain, or even specific products made by a specific company. The company also has a media arm dedicated to recent happenings in the cannabis space.

From 2012 to 2019, the firm was owned by Privateer Holdings, the parent company behind the Marley Natural brand and Tilray, a licensed Canadian cannabis producer.

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Oklahoma Governor Supports Medical Cannabis Law Reforms 

2/10/2022

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Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) indicated during his annual State of the State address that he will support the push to reform the state’s medical cannabis law as authorities seek to crack down on the number of illegal operations in the state, FOX23 News reports. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) told FOX23 that between April 2021 and the time of Stitt’s speech, it had disbanded 85 farms that were operating without a license.

The smallest grow thwarted by the agency was 5,000 plants and the largest was 40,000 plants, the report says. OBN spokesman Mark Woodward told FOX23 that the agency has linked illegal operations in the state to organized crime gangs in Mexico, China, and Bulgaria and that some illegal operations were Americans growing cannabis in Oklahoma and then selling to higher use states, like Colorado.

“I’ve directed our law enforcement to crack down hard on the black market. Agents have been in the field making arrests. Let me be clear. Drug cartels, organized crime and foreign bad actors have no place in Oklahoma. We will find them, and we will bring them to justice.” – Stitt via FOX23

Stitt noted that in Arkansas, which borders Oklahoma, there are eight licensed cultivators for the state’s medical cannabis program, while there are 8,300 in Oklahoma.

“You know as well as I do that not all of that product is being sold legally,” Stitt said during his remarks.

Currently, medical cannabis cultivation licenses in Oklahoma cost a flat $2,500 fee for any operation of any size and Stitt has signaled he would consider increasing that fee structure.

A bill introduced last month by State Rep. Rusty Cornwell (R) would put a pause on all medical cannabis licensing and allow regulators to implement moratoriums as they deem necessary.

Last summer, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) requested $4 million in federal funds to establish a unit to combat illegal cannabis cultivation in Oklahoma.

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Study: 2 in 5 Drivers Who Use Cannabis & Alcohol Have Driven Under the Influence

2/10/2022

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A new study from researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that two in five drivers who reported using alcohol and cannabis in the past year drove under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, or both. The study included a sample of 34,514 individuals, including drivers 16-and-older who reported any past-year alcohol and cannabis use in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2016 to 2019.

Priscila Dib Gonçalves, the study’s first author from the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School, noted that “alcohol and cannabis are two of the most common substances involved in impaired driving and motor vehicle crashes in the U.S.”

The substances are also the most commonly used drugs in the U.S.

“Examining the effect of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use on self-report driving under the influence of alcohol-only, cannabis-only, and both substances using a nationally representative sample could contribute to better understanding the impact in adolescents and adults.” – Gonçalves in a press release

From 2016 to 2019, 42 percent of drivers with past-year alcohol and cannabis use reported any past-year DUI, with 8% reporting driving under the influence of only alcohol, 20% reporting driving under the influence of only cannabis, and 14% reporting driving under the influence of both alcohol and cannabis. The study found that simultaneous use was associated with 2.88 times higher odds of driving under the influence of cannabis, and 3.51 times higher odds of driving under the influence of both alcohol and cannabis. Daily use of alcohol and cannabis increases the odds of driving under the influence.

“Our study is unique in that it reports more recent nationally representative data (2016-2019) and compares different types of DUI categories,” Gonçalves said in a statement. “From a harm reduction perspective, identifying which population subgroups are at high risk for DUIs could assist the development of more focused prevention strategies. Future research should also investigate the potential impact of low or ‘promotional’ cannabis prices with higher levels of use, intoxication, and simultaneous use of other substances.”

The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Center for Injury Prevention and was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

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Utah Passes Bill Protecting Public Employees in Medical Cannabis Program

2/10/2022

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Both chambers of the Utah state legislature have passed a bill to protect public employees from termination if they choose to have a medical cannabis authorization, St. George News reports.

The legislation was crafted in response to a case involving firefighters in Ogden City who were placed on administrative leave and asked to turn in their medical cannabis prescriptions before they would be allowed back to work. One of the firefighters, Levi Coleman, filed a lawsuit claiming the city’s action violated the state’s medical cannabis law.

The proposal approved by lawmakers simply clarifies the existing statute and does not change the intent of the Medical Cannabis Act, said state Rep. Joel Ferry (R), a prime sponsor of the proposal.

“What this bill does is it provides some clarity to what the legislative intent was … in recognizing medical cannabis as a legitimate use of cannabis for treating certain ailments such as chronic pain and other issues that exist. I think it’s a strong move to help reinstate the rights of these patients.” — Ferry via St. George News

Law enforcement and the Ogden City Attorney Gary Williams testified against the bill at a hearing in January. Williams said the legislation was singling out the Ogden City fire department and the measure did not “balance the risk” for cannabis-impaired firefighters. He said the city was “following the law” when they suspended the firefighters. Randy Watt, a former Ogden City Police chief and representative of the Utah Chiefs of Police Association and Utah Law Enforcement Legislative Committee also testified against the bill, saying the medical cannabis “card opens too broad an avenue at this point and should be turned off.”

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David Hua: Streamlining Cannabis Retail With Technology

2/09/2022

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While the business of retail cannabis requires a significant amount of ancillary partnerships to operate smoothly, perhaps none are more important for operating a successful and compliant cannabis dispensary than versatile, intuitive, and reliable point-of-sale software.

We recently connected with David Hua, CEO and co-founder of Meadow, to discuss how smart point-of-sale software can help unlock a cannabis entrepreneur’s true potential. This interview covers Meadow’s early days and team culture; the company’s new Dynamic Delivery service, which helps legally convert vehicles into mobile cannabis dispensaries; Meadow’s focus on community events; and more!

Scroll down for the full interview.

Ganjapreneur: What is the company culture at Meadow? Does Meadow take steps to preserve this culture?

David Hua: At Meadow, we have a team that is small but mighty. We believe in cannabis and care deeply about the success of the industry in California and beyond. We are here for the long haul; in fact, the majority of our team has been here since we first launched.

We started as a group of California cannabis patients who wanted to build better tools for dispensaries and their customers. We’re committed to our mission of building the best software in cannabis. We believe that cannabis is medicine and is essential, we advocate for wider access, and we fight for a more equitable, inclusive, and compassionate industry. We adapt to changes quickly, we have deep expertise in our fields, and we only ship the best.

Preserving this culture is extremely important to us, so we hire slowly and with intention. We also prioritize and invest heavily in our team — we know that in order to have a team that invests in our mission and our customers, we have to first prioritize investing in them.

How did your experience in the startup accelerator Y Combinator help Meadow succeed?

In 2015, we graduated from startup accelerator Y Combinator (YC) as their first-ever cannabis company. They believed in our vision and took a bet on us. At the time, California was the epicenter of both technology and cannabis but the two hadn’t converged. We wanted to change that, and YC saw the potential in our exceptional technology, product-market fit, and the traction we were gaining among dispensaries and their customers. Fast forward 7 years, we now process billions in legal cannabis sales with a system dispensaries say they can’t live without

Our experience with YC taught us to be relentlessly resourceful, to challenge assumptions, and to always make things people want. They taught us to be disciplined, to go deep in our areas of expertise, and to build really great products. They taught us how to pitch and secure funding from the best investors and venture capitalists in the game, including all-stars like Justin Kan, Steve Huffman, E40, Joe Montana, Slow Ventures, SOMA Capital, and Poseidon Asset Management.

What was the first service that Meadow built, and how do you decide which features and integrations will come next for the platform?

We started with delivery in 2014. Living in San Francisco, everything was delivered and on-demand, making this “last mile” a great place to start — getting cannabis to customers in a way that was fast, convenient, and delightful. We gave customers the power to grab their phones and order from local dispensaries with professional delivery they could trust.

When deciding what to build next, we talk to our dispensary clients and spend a lot of time with them. We really get to know their day-to-day operations, best practices, and pain points. We get a wide perspective from dispensaries and delivery operators of all sizes, and use that to create our product roadmap and build exactly what they need.

This is how we grew from delivery to the most comprehensive cannabis retail system available. We understand that our customers want a single system that is foolproof, easy to use, and makes compliance painless. They want features that drive sales, cut costs, engage customers, and give them a competitive edge. That’s why Meadow’s system now integrates Point-of-Sale with inventory, menus, marketing, CRM, loyalty, compliance, analytics, strategic integrations, and, of course, delivery.

Meadow offers a wide array of features with a super clean interface. Are there SOPs in place to maintain these standards as you continue building out the platform?

The number one piece of feedback we get is that Meadow’s system is easy to use and well designed. Here’s an example, the operations manager at Vapor Room in San Francisco, Allie Felton, said “Meadow makes my life a lot easier as manager because the interfaces are clean and that keeps each task really simple.” This is the feedback we love to hear. There is so much complexity in cannabis retail and in Meadow’s software, so we utilize clean interfaces, good design, and easy flows to make the system simple for everyone from top management to the new budtender starting on his first day.

We also make sure new features are easy to adopt and incorporate into a dispensary’s day-to-day flow. We have training resources so teams get up to speed on new features like marketing, inventory forecasting, or analytics in minutes, and can see the value, ROI, and increased revenue right away.

One way we maintain these standards is with extensive testing, both internally and out in the field. We maintain a tight feedback loop between our clients and the engineering team, so we stay informed about how operators are using new features and can make quick, effective updates when needed. We also stay close to the regulations and build compliance into every facet of our system. No one wants to make a reporting error that could get flagged or jeopardize their license, so we put systems and guardrails in place to keep that from happening.

What kind of R&D did Meadow’s Dynamic Delivery service undergo before launching? How long did the process take?

Meadow’s Dynamic Delivery is a new model of cannabis delivery for retailers that allows vehicles to operate as mobile dispensaries — roaming inventory and packaging hubs with their own product offerings, menus, service areas, marketing, and more.

Our Dynamic Delivery journey really started in 2015 when we lobbied for safe, legal delivery to patients across California, despite local retail bans. Delivery-for-all was a huge win that continues to serve residents and retailers throughout the state. Dynamic delivery was a natural evolution of our existing system, layering in functionality for a new type of delivery that is optimized for speed and scale. Before launching, we spent a lot of time consulting with dispensaries and delivery operators to make sure we made exactly what they needed. When we built the first version of Dynamic Delivery, we launched a closed beta with a select group of Meadow dispensaries. This allowed us to test the software out in the world, see how it was being used, gather feedback, and make improvements.

Delivery is now more in-demand than ever, with Covid accelerating an already growing trend. At the same time, there are not enough licenses in California for retailers that want to scale. Dynamic delivery helps retailers harness growth by scaling delivery operations and making each drop count. One of our clients, Cannable, said using Dynamic Delivery cut their delivery times from hours to 20 minutes. When we got that feedback in our beta, we knew we were ready to launch and bring Dynamic Delivery to dispensaries and their customers throughout the state.

Has Dynamic Delivery been tested outside of Meadow’s home city of San Francisco? Can the feature be used in all types of locations, from rural towns to cities?

Absolutely. In fact, Dynamic Delivery is an incredible tool for delivering to the 65% of California that does not have legal cannabis retail. In California, there is a system of local control whereby each municipality chooses whether to allow commercial activity, like cultivation and retail. While the majority of the state still does not allow for legal retail, cannabis can be delivered anywhere. Retailers can now put vehicles on the road that serve defined zones and do not have to travel back and forth between a storefront or inventory hub. This makes delivery faster, more efficient, and scalable, so operators can grow their fleet and reach new territories throughout the state.

Another unique aspect of the Dynamic Delivery model is that any location can be defined as a delivery zone – from an entire county or a single address. Imagine Warriors game night at Chase Center. If a local retailer wanted to capitalize on the thousands of fans coming to the area, they could designate the stadium as a zone, create a customized menu for fans, and allow them to order from their mobile devices for delivery in front of or near the stadium. Dynamic is giving dispensaries a new delivery toolset to meet customers exactly where they are, with exactly what they want, exactly when they want it.

How do events like Hall of Flowers and Emerald Cup use Meadow to help event-goers conduct compliant cannabis sales?

Meadow’s point of sale technology has made it easy for distributors, retailers, and brands to work together to sell cannabis at some of the largest legal cannabis events in the state, including The Emerald Cup, Hall of Flowers, Secret Sesh, and Northern Nights.

Events are extremely important in the cannabis industry because they allow brands to have direct, face-to-face interactions with customers. Meadow’s system is easy to learn, easy to use, intuitive, and fast for a seamless experience. We also build compliance into every workflow to remove the burden of regulations; this allows brands to focus their time and energy on customers so they can make meaningful connections and drive sales.

After our last Emerald Cup, Ranesha Mattu from Nabis said “Meadow is super fast. I’d never used it before and it’s really intuitive. The usability is awesome.” We love this kind of feedback and plan to continue powering cannabis event sales in California and beyond.

What role have community events played in Meadow’s growth?

Events have been part of Meadow’s DNA since the beginning. Coming out of YC in 2015, we hosted events where we brought together entrepreneurs, operators, activists, regulators, and other stakeholders. We learned that if you’re not at the table, you’re on it, and there was room for everyone who wanted to show up, put in the work, and be a part of the community. These events allowed us to connect with the community, learn directly from operators about what was going on in their worlds, disseminate information and resources quickly, and work together collaboratively.

Since then we have hosted or been part of hundreds of events, including educational and equity workshops, festivals, social events, regulator roundtables, investor meetups, and more. Our aim is to build connections and find collaborative solutions to issues the industry faces. Meadowlands is the largest event we host, bringing hundreds of cannabis operators and stakeholders together for a weekend in the Mendocino redwoods.

Why did the brand decide to throw the first Meadowlands cannabis industry retreat in 2018?

In the summer of 2018, we hosted the first annual Meadowlands, a cannabis industry retreat in the heart of the Emerald Triangle. We started this gathering because we wanted to create a space where cannabis operators could share knowledge, build valuable alliances, and celebrate that we’re still standing. We wanted to take cannabis events out of busy hotel lobbies and conference centers where cannabis consumption is banned, and bring them closer to the cultivators and the heart of the community. We wanted to get back to our roots, get back to nature, and bring together the community in a meaningful way.

It’s important we carve out time to reconnect, remember we’re not in it alone, and find the fortitude to keep building this industry together. Meadowlands has become a truly singular event, facilitating important conversations on everything from local compliance to the future of psychedelics. Cannabis has always been about community, so it’s critical to maintain these connections and channels of communication as the industry continues to grow and evolve.

What is an essential component to building a SaaS that is both functional and useful?

A component that is essential to our team, our community, and our software is resilience. The ability to recover quickly from setbacks, to work with ever-changing regulations, to continually improve, and to stick around for the long haul. Just like the cannabis plant, we’ve learned to adapt and change, which has ultimately led to tremendous growth and strength.

Smooth seas do not make good sailors, so we have learned how to operate and build in uncertainty, how to navigate cumbersome restrictions, how to pivot and stay flexible. We know how to make it work.

At Meadow, our team cares deeply about the cannabis industry and the operators we serve. We’re in it for the long haul so we don’t take shortcuts. It takes this kind of resilient, solid, and consistent team with a shared mission to build truly exceptional products.

A huge “thank you” to David for answering all of our questions! Learn more about Meadow and CEO David Hua at GetMeadow.com.

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Bill Aims to Reform Federal Hemp Laws

2/09/2022

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A bill introduced in the U.S. House on Tuesday would increase allowable THC limits in hemp products, remove requirements that hemp be tested at Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-registered laboratories, and eliminate the 10-year ban on individuals with drug-related felony convictions from receiving industry licenses.

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) said while the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp production, it “created overly complicated regulations and hardship for farmers and small businesses in the process.”

“My bill takes a commonsense, straightforward approach to correct these unintended implementation problems and works to make the hemp industry more profitable and more equitable. My bill also provides a clear path forward for this industry and will support a thriving hemp economy.” – Pingree in a statement

Pingree noted that in her home state of Maine, there are currently no laboratories registered with the DEA with the capability to test hemp products. While more than 2,000 acres of hemp were planted in Maine in 2019, only 111 farmers received licenses to grow hemp in 2020, accounting for just 211 acres, she added.

In a statement, the U.S. Hemp Roundtable said the organization is “deeply grateful” to Pingree for spearheading the legislation.

“The U.S. Hemp Roundtable is proud to have led a broad-based industry effort to propose the policies that underlie this legislation and to have worked closely with Rep. Pingree’s excellent staff throughout the drafting process to ensure our concerns were taken into consideration,” the group said. “Rep. Pingree’s vision and tenacity will make a significant and meaningful difference for our emerging industry.”

The Hemp Roundtable is joined by 13 other hemp industry organizations in backing the legislation.

Pingree is also a co-sponsor on the Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act and voted in favor of the MORE Act in December 2020.

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Cannabis Included on NFL ‘Restricted List’ for Super Bowl Ads

2/09/2022

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The National Football League (NFL) is including cannabis in its restricted category for Super Bowl advertisements, which will prohibit industry commercials during the big game this Sunday, The Verge reports. The ban applies to all ads, including in states where cannabis is legal for adult use.

In 2019, CBS rejected a potential Super Bowl ad from Acreage Holdings that would have focused on the benefits of medical cannabis.

Juanjo Feijoo, COO of Weedmaps, told The Verge that it asked its ad agency to look into getting a spot during this year’s Super Bowl but the company was told “it was a blanket ‘no.’”

The game will be played at Los Angeles, California’s SoFi Stadium, and feature the stadium’s home team, the L.A. Rams. Cannabis is legal for adult use in California and the state is the largest cannabis market in the U.S.

Weedmaps has released a digital ad focused on cannabis censorship, featuring “Brock Ollie” – a broccoli character who bemoans his likeness being used as a substitute for cannabis as the broccoli emoji is often used to represent cannabis online.

A 2022 version of the NFL’s restricted ads list is not available, however, the 2017 list includes bans on contraceptives; dietary and nutritional products not approved by the Food and Drug Administration; distilled spirits; establishments that feature nude or semi-nude performers; weapons; fireworks; gambling; male enhancement products; pornography and escort services; social cause and issue advocacy advertising, unless otherwise approved in advance by the league; and tobacco products. The league did revise its list in 2017 to allow distilled spirits, the report says, and notes that this year’s ad lineup includes cryptocurrencies and a spot from sports betting site Draft Kings, the second year the NFL will allow the gambling company to advertise.

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Colorado Bill Would Prevent Termination for Off-the-Clock Cannabis Use

2/09/2022

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A bill introduced in Colorado would prohibit employers from denying employment to or terminating workers because of their off-the-clock cannabis use, the Colorado Sun reports. The measure would protect both medical and non-medical cannabis users but includes exceptions for some safety-sensitive positions, including those requiring heavy machinery use and in dangerous fields.

State Rep. Brianna Titone (D) told the Sun that Coloradans “should be able to enjoy the legal things” allowed in the state “and not be penalized for it.”

“Marijuana is legal in Colorado. And what people do in their spare time that doesn’t impact their work shouldn’t really be a problem for them.” – Titone to the Sun

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only Nevada and New Jersey – which both allow adult cannabis use – include employee protections for using cannabis off-the-clock.

In 2015, the Colorado Supreme Court sided with an employer, Dish Network, who fired an employee after he tested positive for THC in a random drug test. The employee had a medical cannabis card for back spasms caused by his quadriplegia – the condition is one of the seven for which medical cannabis can be recommended under Colorado law.

A similar bill was rejected in 2020, the report says, and the reforms are still opposed by the Colorado chapter of the National Federal of Independent Businesses. Tony Gagliardi, who heads the chapter, said the organization “has historically opposed any legislation that would (allow) the use of marijuana on the property of the employer or cause an employee to test positive for any prohibited drug or prohibit any authority of the employer to perform random drug tests.”

The bill co-prime sponsor Rep. Edie Hooton (D) told the Sun that the “whole idea” of the proposal “is to signal to the business community and to employers that because we have legalized cannabis we should be following the same laws and rules that apply to alcohol and prescription drugs.”

The Colorado Chamber of Commerce has not taken an official position but has previously opposed similar legislation.

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Mississippi to Begin Accepting Medical Cannabis Applications in June

2/09/2022

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The Mississippi Department of Health (DOH) announced shortly after becoming the 37th state to legalize medical cannabis that it would begin accepting applications for a variety of license types in June, the Associated Press reports. These will include permits for patients and licenses for growing facilities and dispensaries. However, officials say dispensaries are months away from opening due to the time needed to establish a new licensing system.

“The goal is to provide a safe and accessible program that meets the needs of patients and the public health and safety of all Mississippi residents.” – MDOH in a press release

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed medical cannabis into law earlier this month after a legalization proposal passed by voters in 2020 was overturned in a court challenge. The new law sets patient purchase limits at 3.5 ounces a day, far below the daily purchase limit of five ounces that was approved in the 2020 initiative. Cities and counties may opt out of allowing cannabis businesses, but residents may petition for an election to overturn a cannabis ban. Under the law, cannabis production is relegated to exclusively indoor.

In an interesting twist to the indoor-only cannabis cultivation policy adopted by Mississippi, the nearby Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) said it will not provide power to cultivate or distribute cannabis as it is federally illegal, according to an Oxford Eagle report.

“Given this important point, TVA will not direct any federal resources or funds to the cultivation and/or distribution of marijuana,” the TVA said in a statement.

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Pennsylvania Adult-Use Bill Gets Committee Hearing

2/09/2022

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The Pennsylvania Senate held the first hearing for an adult-use cannabis bill on Monday, according to a WGAL report. Heard in the Senate Law and Justice Committee, the bill is sponsored by Committee Chair Sen. Mike Regan (R), who said he is crafting the bill with Rep. Amen Brown (D).

Regan indicated he has concerns about the safety of cannabis on the illicit market and believes the state could “certainly produce a product that’s a lot safer than what’s out there now and the process of purchasing it a lot safer than it is right now.”

Brown has similar concerns around safety and says cannabis tax revenue could be used to help communities around the state.

“I’m focusing on fully funding after-school programs and summer camps and things of that nature,” he said.

Although Gov. Tom Wolf (D) is pro-legalization – he has previously called on legislators to legalize adult-use cannabis, saying revenue from the industry “might be one way” to close gaps in the Pennsylvania budget – Republican leadership in the legislature say the policy is not a priority. Law enforcement has also raised concerns around impaired driving and youth access at the hearing, the report says.

State Sen. Dan Laughlin (R), who has a separate bill to legalize adult-use that includes home grow provisions, described the Monday hearing a good first step.

“It’s good to get it out in the public and kind of vet it and start the conversation,” he said.

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Mobius Introduces ‘Plain English’ Guide to Good Manufacturing Practices in Cannabis Cultivation

2/08/2022

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Las Vegas, NV, February 07, 2022: Mobius — a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis trimming and automation equipment — released on Tuesday a landmark guide explaining Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for cannabis processing.

The downloadable PDF seeks to simplify the complex yet important topic of GMP with “plain-English translations” backed by insight from industry experts.
“We released the Ultimate Guide to a GMP-Certified Cannabis Trimming Workflow to resolve our customers’ most critical concerns about certification and safety,” said Amanda James, Director of Strategy and Business Development at Mobius.

GMP compliance is crucial for protecting human health and is mandatory for most consumer goods. Yet GMP standards apply flexibly, causing confusion in the cannabis industry where many processes — such as cannabis and hemp trimming — are novel.

“We’ve worked with GMP consultants in the US, Canada, Europe, and South America,” said James. “And we’ve combined that knowledge into this guide, which hopefully makes GMP easier for cultivators.”

Experts foresee GMP mandates in all countries where cannabis is federally legalized. In the US, some state jurisdictions require GMP for cannabis processors now. And whether GMP is required or not, many business-to-business cannabis buyers demand GMP certification for safety assurance.

In Canada, where Mobius is located, all licensed producers must be GMP-certified. Those mandates have put the company — which manufactures high-end, pharmaceutical-grade cannabis trimmers — at the forefront of GMP implementation.

Mobius’s 41-page guide is an actionable resource that includes:

⦁ GMP checklists for sanitation, equipment, and personnel
⦁ Expert guidance on how to prepare for a GMP certification
⦁ Best practices for equipment maintenance, sanitation, and assessment
⦁ A sample audit form to begin the planning process

To download a copy of the Ultimate Guide to a GMP-Certified Cannabis Trimming Workflow, visit https://www.mobiustrimmer.com/gmp-certified-cannabis-trimming/

For a demonstration of Mobius trimmers, conveyors, or bucking equipment, contact a representative at info@mobiustrimmers.com

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Former NFL Player Estimates ‘80%’ of Players Use Cannabis

2/08/2022

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In an interview with an Atlanta, Georgia news station, Tavarres King, a former wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL), estimated that “around 80%” of players in the league use cannabis. King, who admitted to using cannabis himself during his playing days, had a three-season NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014, and New York Giants in 2016 and 2017.

“Playing with it, laser-sharp. I was laser-sharp, laser-focused,” King said in the interview with Channel 2 Sports Director Zach Klein.

“‘So, everyone knows you with the Giants, Lambeau Field, catching a touchdown pass from Eli Manning and you were high that game?’ Klein asked.

‘Yeah, yeah I was,’ replied King laughing.

‘You did your job,’ Klein said.

‘Yeah, I did my job,’ King said.” — An interview excerpt via Channel 2

Several NFL players have admitted to using cannabis during their careers, despite it being considered a banned substance by the league. The NFL did end the practice of suspending players for positive cannabis tests as part of last year’s collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association. The league is also donating $1 million dollars to researchers studying the effects of cannabinoids on pain management in elite athletes, although none of its players will be involved in the study due to cannabis’ prohibited status.

Several former NFL players have entered the cannabis space following the end of their professional football careers, including Marshawn Lynch, Calvin Johnson, Rob Sims, Ricky Williams, Terrell Davis, Marvin Washington, Joe Montana, Eugene Monroe, and Carson Palmer.

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Study: Half of Regular Cannabis Users Have Diminished Driving Abilities While High

2/08/2022

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A study conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR) suggests that at least half of participants who smoke cannabis had a significantly diminished ability to drive compared to subjects who smoked a placebo cigarette, the university newspaper, The Guardian, reports. The study included 191 regular cannabis consumers, which CMCR Co-director and Professor Thomas Marcotte said was different than previous studies, of  which “many” were conducted with “occasional users.”

“So one of the goals of our study was to really approximate real-world circumstances where someone who is a regular user will smoke to a desired highness and we wanted to see how being acutely high will affect their performance.” — Marcotte to The Guardian

The consumers recruited for the study were aged 21 to 55-years-old and were directed to smoke a cannabis cigarette after abstaining for 48 hours. The concentration percentage of the consumed cannabis varied in three amounts: 13.4%, 5.9%, and a placebo of 0.02% THC. After smoking, participants completed a simulation presented on a Driving Simulator System (Systems Technology, Inc) for about 25 minutes, which required subjects to maintain lane position and speed in a straight roadway while responding to a divided attention task on an iPad on the dashboard. The study participants would complete the simulation multiple times throughout the day, after different intervals of time.

Performances were measured by different variables, including measures of variation of lateral position and speed, and the number of correct divided-attention stimuli identified while driving. These were calculated to encompass the driving performance — the higher the score, the worse the performance.

The study found that 57 out of the 125 individuals who smoked THC would be classified as impaired at 30 minutes after inhalation. The researchers also found that while impairment was present for the regular consumers, not all of those who were high were significantly impaired. About half of the participants indicated that they felt too impaired to drive prior to beginning the simulation, Marcotte said, but added that 90 minutes after smoking, the impairment was waning among that cohort; however, their performance in the simulator was unchanged from the 30-minute to 90-minute mark, despite that they thought they were less impaired.

The researchers also found that the group with the highest cannabis usage in the previous six months had significantly higher THC blood concentrations after smoking but didn’t perform worse than those with lower THC blood concentrations, suggesting behavioral tolerance.

“People who are regular users believe that because they use all of the time, they don’t get as stoned with the same amount of THC as someone who’s an infrequent user, and we actually found that is true,” Marcotte said in the report. “But then they ingested more THC to get that level of highness. So in the end, they’re just as impaired as the other group even though they have developed this tolerance.”

The paper, “Driving Performance and Cannabis Users’ Perception of Safety,” which was published in JAMA Psychiatry online on January 26, indicates that there were several limitations with the study in that it didn’t include infrequent users, those who smoke medicinally, and nonusers. Subjects were told to get to a level of highness as they would casually at home, meaning that the study didn’t address controlled dosing or very elevated levels of highness. Additionally, effects on vision and cognition were not measured, and no measurements were taken between an hour and 30 minutes to three hours and 30 minutes after smoking when participants claimed they were no longer feeling the cannabis’ effects.

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New Zealand Hemp Firm Gets $1.3M Government Grant for R&D

2/08/2022

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A New Zealand company is set to receive a $1.34 million government grant to research and develop hemp fibers for products like flooring, food packaging, and activewear, according to a Stuff report. New Zealand Natural Fibres (NZNF) will use $2 million of its own funds in addition to the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) Sustainable Food and Fibres grant.

The company has previously received a $202,000 government grant to develop sustainable hemp technology and processes, the report says.

NZNF Chief Executive Colin McKenzie told Stuff that the funding would help the firm ramp up innovation and enhance its growing, processing, and marketing capabilities.

“We’re also developing and testing non-woven products, including a natural hemp fiber-based material that could replace single-use plastic food packaging, and a hemp fiber replacement for synthetic geotextiles used to stabilize soil in infrastructure works.” — McKenzie to Stuff

McKenzie added that hemp has “huge potential” to be part of the solution for some of the “most crucial” environmental challenges facing societies and the planet. The company plans to also investigate how hemp might be used to produce a natural replacement for carbon composites, packaging, building materials, and other industrial applications.

MPI Investment Programs Director Steve Penno said the project will focus on hemp plant genetics, including new variety sourcing and development, on-farm production, and agronomic development. He told Stuff that the project promises to add “considerable value” to New Zealand’s hemp fiber industry.

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NORML: Influencing Federal Reforms Through Local Advocacy

2/07/2022

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The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) was founded in 1970 by Keith Stroup. Stroup was working with Ralph Nader when the politician was focused on guaranteeing consumer protection. In this work, Stroup realized that he wasn’t protected by the government as a cannabis consumer — there was no entity ensuring cannabis was safe for consumption. He tracked this lack of oversight back to prohibition and in response, he founded the Marijuana Consumers Lobby, a grassroots organization that evolved into NORML. The national NORML branch is now led by Executive Director Erik Altieri, who spoke with us about how he got involved with cannabis policy, the structure of the organization, and what he’s looking forward to in cannabis policy this year.

Erik stepped into activism after moving to Washington D.C. to attend American University. He enjoyed cannabis socially and in his free time went to anti-Iraq war rallies. In the early 00s, he heard about a NORML rally in Philadelphia from an old friend and was interested in their goal of ending cannabis prohibition. As a young activist, Altieri opposed the unjust war on drugs, which has targeted primarily Black and Brown communities, so he reached out to NORML. The organization’s HQ was in DC and soon after that contact, he started an internship. Fifteen years later, Erik had served as a full-time staffer in communications and federal lobbying before stepping up to Executive Director. In this role, he continues his work on the Hill to end the unjust persecution of cannabis consumers through advocacy.

“We focus heavily on the core goal that we want to end prohibition so no marijuana consumer is treated as a criminal or a second class citizen in society,” Erik told Ganjapreneur. “They want access to a product that is safe, reliable, and convenient to purchase. And they want to see not only prohibition end, but us grapple with rectifying the negative impacts that prohibition has had on society, and also making sure that it’s not just once you legalize, it’s over. Still in legal states now, we have to deal with issues of employment and child protective services and things like that. That’s where we go as legalization spreads to more states and that I think makes NORML unique and NORML valuable.”

There are over 150 local chapters underneath the national branch. Headquarters educates chapter leaders about how to advocate for their own communities even if they don’t have experience in lobbying or policy work. They spend a lot of time with these volunteers to equip them with the science, studies, and polling data that is essential when advocating at a local level. The national branch hosts a weekly call with all chapters covering topics like how to organize a lobby day, run a non-profit, host fundraisers, and inspire people to get involved. “It was always primarily focused at advocating for a consumer and doing it through a grassroots movement that empowers everyday Americans to engage in the political process,” said Erik.

Policymakers at any level will respond to a mountain of calls from their constituents quicker than calls from a national non-profit organization. Erik asserted that the most effective advocate comes from the community they’re advocating for, and because of this, local chapters are essential to NORML’s success. The local push is one very important prong of their work — the other is lobbying for federal descheduling, safe banking, and the end of prohibition.

NORML’s national offices lobby for consumer-focused cannabis policy at the federal level. When Erik first started with NORML, only a few lawmakers would take their calls — the concept of cannabis legalization was sometimes even a joke in a political conversation. Since then, Erik has watched the conversation shift from “Should we legalize cannabis?” to “How do we legalize cannabis?” and he sees that as one small victory on the road to ending prohibition. And each step towards that goal is something that Erik always celebrates, but he wants to clear up how the industry, media, and consumers speak about federal legalization.

“It’s important to note that federal legalization is a bit of a misnomer, and it gets used constantly. Especially by the media. There’s never going to be such a thing as federal legalization in a way that Congress would pass a bill and now it’s legal in all 50 states. For good or for ill, that’s not how our federalist system works in this country. What the end of federal prohibition will look like is a lot like the end of alcohol prohibition, which was largely the government repealed their prohibition, they put some structures in place for oversight regulation, taxation, that kind of thing. But it didn’t force any state to legalize alcohol if they chose to maintain a prohibition. The same will happen when we deschedule marijuana. But it does remove a ton of the obstacles that you’re seeing in a lot of states where people are still hesitant to pass something that will violate federal law.”

The end of federal cannabis prohibition seems more possible than ever, but working with lawmakers on the Hill can be slow and frustrating. This work requires patience and a piecemeal plan leading toward long-term goals. Their multi-pronged approach to cannabis legalization has built a swell of political support, and this support is essential as NORML is one of the few consumer-driven cannabis lobbyist groups at a table of corporate lobbyists. Corporate lobbyists don’t have the same interest in causes like expungement and equity licensing that are important to polled cannabis consumers — NORML fills the gap left by corporations.

They have done a lot of work with Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), the lead sponsor of the MORE Act, and have also worked closely with Democratic Senators Booker and Schumer on their attempts to introduce prohibition-ending policy. More recently, they have been building Republican allies like South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace and Ohio Rep. Dave Joyce, who have made efforts toward descheduling. Descheduling would open up many opportunities for the plant, such as access to banking, the ability to research, taxes, and veteran access through the VA. But getting majority support won’t happen overnight.

That is why supporting small bills on the road to descheduling is essential to NORML’s mission. Right now, there is a lot of focus on the SAFE Banking Act. If passed, business operations would be safer and entrepreneurs would have access to traditional capital. Getting a vote through each branch would also provide an updated whip count of cannabis supporters, a beneficial toll for moving forward. Things are moving faster than ever for cannabis legalization advocates. “It’s a rate of progress that is unprecedented, not just for marijuana but for most political social issues,” Erik said.

NORML has come a long way from Erik’s early days when only a couple of lawmakers would work with the non-profit. He is proud of how they have been able to pivot from winning by ballot measure to legalizing legislatively in the last few years. Marijuana has notable momentum with the Senate Majority Leader introducing their own bill, 90% of the Democratic caucus sponsoring the MORE Act, and the numerous other legalization bills this year. What was once a fringe issue has gained support at every level of government, and a lot of these accomplishments are thanks to everyday Americans doing hard work at the local level.

Visit NORML.org and sign up for the email newsletter for calls to action and policy news, or check out one of the many local chapters.

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U.S. House Passes SAFE Banking Act

2/07/2022

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The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed the SAFE Banking Act — which would normalize banking and financial services for state-approved cannabis companies — for the sixth time, according to a Roll Call report. The legislation was included as an amendment to the China competition bill; it had previously approved the legislation as a stand-alone bill as recently as April, and as part of the 2022 defense spending bill, but it was omitted from the final version of the final law.

Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.), the bill’s primary sponsor, said in a statement that “Cannabis-related businesses — big and small — and their employees are in desperate need of access to the banking system and access to capital in order to operate in an efficient, safe manner and compete in the growing global cannabis marketplace.”

The amendment was also sponsored by Democratic Reps. Nydia M. Velázquez (NY) Barbara Lee (CA) and Earl Blumenauer (OR), and Republican Reps. Warren Davidson and David Joyce of Ohio. It was approved an amendment 262-168.

“The SAFE Banking Act is the best opportunity to enact some type of federal cannabis reform this year and will serve as the first of many steps to help ensure cannabis businesses are treated the same as any other legal, legitimate business.” — Perlmutter in a statement via Roll Call

The amendment’s approval was also praised by Credit Union National Association President Jim Nussle, who said in a statement to Roll Call that it “addresses an important public safety issue by providing legal businesses access to financial services.”

The proposal still needs to survive the conference process between the House and Senate. Some lawmakers in the upper chamber, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Democratic Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.), have said they might not support the amendment without an effort to pass broader reforms related to federal cannabis laws.

The bill carries 180 co-sponsors, including 26 Republicans, but Perlmutter and Joyce indicated they would keep pressing for the bill’s passage, especially as an amendment to other must-pass legislation.

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California Fish & Wildlife Agents Destroyed 2.6M lbs. of Illegal Cannabis Plants Last Year

2/07/2022

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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said it eradicated 2.6 million pounds of illegally cultivated cannabis plants and 487,270 pounds of flower during its 2021 enforcement operations. The agency indicated it also removed 404 illegal water diversions and removed 32,230 pounds of trash from public lands linked to illicit cannabis cultivation.

David Bess, CDFW deputy director and chief of the Law Enforcement Division, said in a statement that the illegal cannabis grows “are a threat to California’s fish and wildlife resources, and a detriment to those legally cultivating cannabis.” The agency also notes that illegal cannabis enforcement operations led to 1,125 warrants served and 794 firearms seized.

CDFW said that some of the most serious environmental issues involve unauthorized streambed alterations with water diversions, habitat destruction, illegal use of pesticides, and poaching and while the agency does not typically investigate water theft, it does assist county law enforcement in such investigations.

According to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) program, illegal cannabis cultivation is moving move away from public land operations to private property. In 2018, illegal cannabis cultivation activity was approximately 80% on public lands and 20% on private property; in 2021 the DOJ CAMP program said that less than 30% of illegal cultivation activity occurred on public lands.

CDFW said that it now has 68 dedicated cannabis enforcement officers who work with the county, state, and federal partners to combat illegal cannabis cultivation activity.

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Cannabis Company Seeking Colombia’s Approval to Study COVID-19 Prevention Drug

2/07/2022

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Flora Growth Corp. is seeking approval from Colombian regulators to research a patent-pending, cannabinoid-based product through clinical trials to explore whether it can prevent COVID-19 infection. The application with INVIMA, the Colombian food and drug regulation agency, comes as recent studies have suggested that cannabis compounds display viral inhibition in laboratory studies.

This study will be conducted through Flora’s research division, Flora Pharma, with formulation taking place in its Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)-certified Colombian lab. The company said the research will look at all of the potential mechanisms of cannabinoids in preventing infection from the COVID-19 virus. Flora indicated that the application is on the heels of Colombia’s new legislation requiring insurance companies to cover cannabis prescriptions.

Dr. Annabelle Manalo-Morgan, scientist and head of Flora Pharma, said in a statement that the intent of the research “is to identify safe and efficacious cannabinoid products for use on [the COVID-19] virus” which would allow the firm “to pursue the fastest path to market via a preventative immunomodulating product and to explore the possibility of use as a therapeutic.”

Luis Merchan, president and CEO of Flora Growth, pointed to “several studies published in just the past few months on the application of cannabinoids in certain treatments” as the company’s driver behind the research and INVIMA application.

“We are excited for our Flora Pharma researchers to build upon this progress and generate new data for how cannabis could help consumers around the world, leveraging this natural, botanical alternative,” he said in a press release. “We are honored to receive the advice and guidelines from INVIMA as we begin this exciting research process. The Flora Pharma division seeks to obtain evidence to support this product’s use against SARS-CoV-2 and bring to market an effective, cannabinoid-based product.”

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Pepsi Launches Hemp Oil-Infused Rockstar Product

2/04/2022

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PepsiCo is launching a new Rockstar Energy product — Unplugged — infused with hemp seed oil, CNBC reports. The brand is similar to a test product, Rockstar Energy + Hemp, that was launched in Germany last April but contains twice the amount of caffeine as the U.S. formulation.

In addition to hemp seed oil, Unplugged products include spearmint, lemon balm, B vitamins, and only 80 milligrams of caffeine – other Rockstar iterations include 160 milligrams to 300 milligrams of caffeine.

Pepsi said it hopes to attract younger, female customers with the Unplugged product. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, men between the ages of 18 to 34-years-old consume the most energy drinks.

Fabiola Torres, PepsiCo general manager and chief marketing officer of its energy business, described the line as “a combination of herbals that can help us to relax, but not to sleep.” In an interview with the New York Post, she indicated that 91% of consumers told Pepsi they “wanted a beverage that lifts their mood.”

″[Hemp seed] doesn’t have any functionality, it comes from an herb. Imagine you’re drinking an herbal tea, with caffeine. That’s it.” — Torres to CNBC

Torres added that using hemp seed is “new territory” for the company which is “trying to test and learn and really have fun with it.”

Rockstar Unplugged will be available in 12-ounce, slim cans in three flavors: blueberry, passion fruit, and raspberry cucumber. It will be available next week nationwide, starting at $1.99 per can.

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Ohio Cannabis Entrepreneurs to Host Expungement Workshops

2/04/2022

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A pair of Ohio cannabis entrepreneurs are holding four cannabis expungement workshops this month, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

The workshops — which will be held on February 16 in Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, and Cleveland — will be hosted by Ally Reaves, CEO of Cannabis Can! and the founder and president of Midwest Canna Women, and Nickole Ross, owner and COO of Noohra Labs.

Although cannabis possession is treated similarly in Ohio to a traffic ticket, a cannabis arrest can still have a negative impact on job prospects or housing. Furthermore, while decriminalization has spread across Ohio, many Ohioans are still arrested for cannabis crimes each year, the report says.

“It’s important for us to support our communities by helping them clean up their records. They have records that prevent them from participating in the cannabis industry and in life in general.” — Ross via the Dispatch

The clinics will have legal professionals in attendance to help participants navigate the expungement process. Applicants must submit a request for expungement and then a judge must approve the request in order for a cannabis crime to be expunged in the state. Additionally, cannabis business owners will be on hand to discuss getting a job in the cannabis industry, according to the report.

“We want to create opportunities for them,” Reeves said, adding that she’s held this type of clinic before and 40 people attended.

The clinics are free of charge but pre-registration is required to attend the events.

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Sublime Cannabis Line Expected This Summer

2/04/2022

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Punk-reggae band Sublime is partnering with The Healing Plant on a line of band-branded cannabis products, which are expected to launch in California this summer, Forbes reports. Troy denDekker, the widow of the band’s founding frontman Bradley Nowell, said the line would “consist of not only what is wanted but what is needed to help heal.”

Scott Seine of Surfdog/DKM management said the band “wanted to find a true creative collaboration with someone who really understood the deep musical and cultural significance of Sublime’s legacy.”

The Sublime cannabis brand will see a controlled launch at select dispensaries in the band’s southern California home turf, including Long Beach, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and the Inland Empire, the report says.

“Sublime has its own weed now!” drummer Bud Gaugh said in a press release. “I mean, what more needs to be said other than light ‘em up!”

Although Gaugh and bassist Eric Wilson still tour with Rome Ramirez as Sublime with Rome, the Sublime name is owned by the two surviving members and denDekker. Nowell died in 1996 of a heroin overdose.

Robert Taft Jr., founder and CEO of the Healing Plant, said the company will manufacture and process all California products at the company’s Costa Mesa facility and will be the sole distributor for Southern California. For the second phase of the rollout, the company will partner with a licensed distributor in Northern California.

“This brand is going to bring you Sublime’s ‘Greatest Hits’ of recreational cannabis, as well as a full line of medicinal products that will benefit people fighting opioid and heroin addiction, a very important driven line, especially for the community of artists in memory of Bradley Nowell himself,” he said in a statement.

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Arkansas Judge Halts Last Two Dispensary Licenses Over Racial Bias Lawsuit

2/04/2022

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An Arkansas judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order preventing the state Medical Marijuana Commission from issuing the last two dispensary licenses until a lawsuit alleging racial bias in the application process can be fully heard, the Arkansas Times reports. The lawsuit was filed by Absolute Essence, which claims that the application process was arbitrary, without any rational basis, and that its procedures were unlawful and inconsistent.

Additionally, the lawsuit alleges racial bias in the commission’s processes, alleging it did not “evenhandedly and uniformly apply its own rules as between black-owned and non-black-owned.” The lawsuit contends that the dispensary application completed by Absolute Essence, a 100% Black-owned company, was not scored properly and should have received a higher score.

The lawsuit argues that “demonstrably less qualified non-black owned businesses – including many that were patently unqualified to even apply for licenses and who should have been disqualified at the outset – have been awarded licenses,” according to court documents outlined by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

Applicants for licenses were scored by PCG – a consulting company hired by the commission.

The panel ultimately selected two companies that were next in line in their respective geographic zones based on their scores from PCG to receive each of the two remaining licenses if the change is approved by the Arkansas Legislative Council. As part of the licensing process, the commission divided the state into eight zones, allowing for a maximum of five dispensaries in each zone, and just two zones do not have the maximum of five dispensaries. The lawsuit seeks to prevent the council from approving that change and to stop the commission from issuing any new licenses until it either reevaluates the applications or completes a review using an entirely new process.

The lawsuit names the commission, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division, Green Remedies Group, and T&C Management – which is next in line to receive the disputed license.

The temporary restraining order expires on February 15 but could be extended.

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All Florida Cannabis Legalization Campaigns Fall Short

2/03/2022

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An adult-use cannabis initiative will not be appearing on the 2022 November ballot in Florida, according to WFLA.

To successfully put a proposal on the ballot in Florida, a campaign must gather 222,898 signatures to trigger a judicial and financial review. If an initiative passes judicial muster — the deadline for which was February 1, 2022 — it would then need an additional 891,589 signatures to receive a vote in November. But out of three adult-use initiatives making the rounds in the state, only one made it to the judicial review — the other two fell far short of the needed signatures — and the courts threw out the last proposal out on legal grounds, the report says.

Although three efforts have failed, along with a number of medical cannabis ballot campaigns, a door for adult-use cannabis remains open in the Florida legislature. There are four adult-use bills in the Florida Senate and House with each chamber hosting two of the bills.

But the proposals, which are dependent on each others’ passage, have no bipartisan support — in fact, because of the extremely polarized political climate of Florida‘s legislative body, it is unclear whether any of the bills have a realistic path to the governor’s desk. Additionally, any successfully passed measure would still need the signature of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), something that would not be guaranteed.

Florida passed medical cannabis in 2017 but the state has faced challenges developing an affordable and socially equitable market. Lastly, no adult-use cannabis initiatives have yet to make it to Florida ballots, despite numerous efforts.

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