Washington’s Transition to State-Run Seed-to-Sale Platform ‘Less than Smooth’

12/17/2021

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Washington state’s transition from Leaf Data Systems (LDS) to a state-run seed-to-sale system has been “less than smooth,” according to a Marijuana Business Daily report. The State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) made the announcement to abandon the failed LDS project earlier this year in favor of a new state-operated database, known as the Central Reporting System (CRS).

Legal cannabis operators say the new system is buggy, costing licensees thousands of dollars in revenue in extra employee hours.

“The idea that this was all magically going to come together in the matter of a few months was just a pipe dream,” Bob Ramstad, owner of OZ Recreational Cannabis, said in the report. “Doing all of this during the holidays is just downright cruel.”

In a press release, the LCB said that “as with any new system, there can be challenges that arise when using a new technical resource.” The agency said it “appreciates the patience and partnerships happening now as employees and licensees move forward on the new reporting system.”

Ramstad, however, is not as optimistic, telling MJ Biz Daily that “the new system isn’t working at all.” He added that retailers have confided in him that they may have to spend upwards of $20,000 extra per month in labor costs to fix CRS problems. Some processors, he said, have quit shipping orders because their third-party traceability software is not working.

David Busby, CEO of Seattle-based software company OpenTHC, agreed, telling MJ Biz Daily that “the new system is not working that great”.

“Everything takes longer, there are more mistakes, processes have to be repeated, we’re all stuck waiting for the LCB system to get online.” — David Busby via Mj Biz Daily

Leaf Data systems will go dark on December 18 at 5 p.m. The LCB’s most recent notification indicates that “once Leaf is decommissioned, the state will receive the system’s final data backup.

“If licensees need to access Leaf data to complete their initial CCRS uploads,” the agency said, “the window to gather that information from Leaf closes on Saturday.”

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Beard Bros: Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities in Cannabis

12/16/2021

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Bill and Jeff Levers are brothers from Florida, but you may know them as the Beard Bros. Bill has a green thumb and Jeff has a mind for business, so it’s no surprise that the pair decided to venture into the cannabis space. They set out West just over a decade ago to learn the best cultivation methods with the original goal of creating an effective cannabis sleep aid for Florida’s elderly population. That goal may still happen someday but the path there has been anything but linear. From licensing gauntlets to a brand shift from cultivation to media, the Beard Bros have found the fortitude to continue to pivot into a bright future.

The brothers spent a year in Colorado attempting to join the legal market, but changes in regulation only allowed licensed dispensaries the ability to cultivate. They made their way to the San Fernando Valley in 2011 and despite only knowing a few people, set out to contribute to the tight-knit Southern California cannabis community. They took what they learned from activist and self-proclaimed mentor Mickey Martin to help put down roots in California, which was to put their energy towards causes that they believed in. They dedicated their time to supporting returning combat veterans and freeing cannabis prisoners. They were active in the community by 2012, providing veterans with cannabis medicine while also corresponding with cannabis prisoners and protesting for their release.

“The people doing life without parole for non-violent cannabis offenses has always just struck us as so egregious and it’s something that gets left behind in every one of these new states that are coming up, they don’t have expungement as part of it. And they don’t give people their rights back to make them equal citizens. So even though we get legalization we still don’t get all the rights that everybody else has,” said Jeff Levers. The brothers grew a small, reliable network by engaging in this work, and that community is growing exponentially around the world.

Photo credit: Jordan Badran, @scooch_lifestyle

In those first years in Los Angeles when they weren’t championing important causes, the brothers were building their footprint as cultivators. As they grew their own brand, they never stopped asking Mickey if they could bring his Bay Area-made Compassion Edibles line to Southern California. Eventually, Mickey agreed just so they would leave him alone, and they started visiting Southern California dispensaries with a suitcase of the Compassion Edibles line. Dispensary buyers were fickle about new flower vendors in those times, and having a suitcase of Compassion Edibles often served as their foot in the door for Beard Bros Pharms flower. Their work as a sales team for Compassion served as their first step to growing esteem among Southern California’s elite growers.

Less than five years after Beard Bros established their brand, the California cannabis industry moved from Prop 215’s medical regulations to Prop 64’s adult-use laws. Regulators assured brands like Beard Bros that Prop 64 would honor legacy growers like them, who had been to jail for doing what would now be considered legal cannabis business. But like most other legacy operators, they were written out of legislation that favored giving licenses to large multi-state mega stores.

“Prop 64 was sold with the idea of keeping the small farms that created this industry alive, and then they modified what was already written right before 2018 and allowed the big guys to come in. And that’s what is still ruining all of the little guys. The fact that there is a ridiculous amount of extra product in the California market right now,” said Bill Levers.

The brothers, despite being long-time cannabis cultivators, were only awarded licenses for distribution and manufacturing in Los Angeles due to the restriction on cultivation licenses within city limits to only pre-ICO dispensaries with attached grows. They offer two RSO products under their manufacturing license, one is THC-heavy and the other is CBD-heavy. But these are their only offerings to California’s Prop 64 market. The brand is completely self-funded, so each step into the market must be deliberate and well-planned to stay afloat. The amount of time it has taken to gain a foothold in California has been frustrating but it did lead the brand into a completely new space.

As they navigated the early days of Prop 64, the brothers poured over the recent news and regulations to find their niche space in a quickly developing landscape. They would learn and then inform their fellow legacy growers and shop owners of relevant news. Soon the pair realized they had a gift for being the first to know what was going on. The brothers started sharing various stories with fellow legacy operators that were also attempting to preserve their market share. They quickly grew a following of engaged like-minded entrepreneurs looking for guidance in an opaque regulatory framework.

Their continued California coverage picked up followers from all over the world, so the news that they shared started to reflect that geographical diversity. Their pages continued to grow, and eventually, in April 2018, they founded Beard Bros Media as a direct extension of Beard Bros Pharms. The media outlet sits on the honest foundation built over the years through its social platforms. It has now grown to include original articles and organic submissions from industry writers. This pivot into news and media is a far cry from that old goal of providing sleep medication to Florida’s elders, but helping people access cannabis medicine remains at the root of their mission.

“We didn’t realize that our attraction to people was our authenticity. We weren’t speaking to the industry, we were speaking from and for the industry. A lot of people want to speak to it but they don’t live it, they don’t understand it, and they’re not actually walking the walk they’re just writing an article. I think people realize that we live this shit so when we say something they realize that it has more weight than… a random person writing a cannabis article,” said Bill.

Photo Credit: Jordan Badran, @scooch_lifestyle

The Levers brothers will honor that authenticity as they grow Beard Bros Media, which will continue to evolve. At the moment, they’re helping other brands with social media, branding, and marketing. They’re also excited to explore video content creation, which still blows their minds as former legacy cultivators who had to conceal their work for so many years. For their first step into video, Jeff and Bill are hosting the “Beard Bros News Hour” on Social Club TV.

Fans of Beard Bros Pharms don’t need to fret: venturing into the media space hasn’t extinguished their drive to develop effective cannabis products. In fact, their journey back to the East Coast may soon begin with entering the emerging Midwest cannabis market.

The Beard Bros story is one of resilience as they continue to navigate a path that has been a challenging experience for many cultivators without private funding. Their story is an example of how to maintain ethical standards as you persist in the cannabis space, and they believe that staying true to the culture is part of their success.

As Jeff rightfully put it, “We’re at the confluence…The confluence of the community and industry is where you’ll find us.”

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Pfizer Enters Cannabis Space with $6 Billion Acquisition

12/16/2021

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The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has announced plans to purchase Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a San Diego-based bioscience firm with a dedicated cannabinoid research and development arm, for $6 billion, Benzinga reports. The two companies made the announcement on Monday, detailing that Pfizer will pay $100 per stock share in an all-cash transaction.

The acquisition includes Arena’s investigational drug Olorinab, an oral, full agonist of the CB2 receptor formulated to treat symptoms associated with gastrointestinal disorders and other drugs that treat immune-inflammatory diseases.

“The proposed acquisition of Arena complements our capabilities and expertise in Inflammation and Immunology, a Pfizer innovation engine developing potential therapies for patients with debilitating immune-inflammatory diseases with a need for more effective treatment options.” — Mike Gladstone, Global President & General Manager, Pfizer Inflammation and Immunology, via Benzinga

“Pfizer’s capabilities will accelerate our mission to deliver our important medicines to patients,” Arena President and CEO Amit D. Munshi said in a statement. “We believe this transaction represents the best next step for both patients and shareholders.”

Pfizer is not the first large pharmaceutical company to stride into the cannabis space. In early 2021, Jazz Pharmaceuticals acquired GW Pharmaceuticals along with their Food and Drug Administration-approved cannabinoid therapy Epidiolex — a treatment for children with severe seizures.

In 2018, Tilray made a medical cannabis distribution arrangement with drug giant Novartis AG. Johnson and Johnson, in 2017, brought Avicanna onboard into their 40,000 square foot life sciences innovation center in Toronto, Canada.

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Federal Study Finds Youth Cannabis Use Has Plummeted

12/16/2021

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U.S. adolescent cannabis use dropped significantly in 2021 despite ongoing legalization efforts, the opening of more than a dozen state-legal cannabis markets around the country, and a spike in mental health concerns related to the pandemic, according to data from the Monitoring the Future survey released on Wednesday.

The data shows a 38 percent year-over-year decline in self-reported cannabis use among eighth and 10th-graders, and a 13 percent decline among 12th-graders.

The Monitoring the Future survey, which is funded by the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), also found that the plummeting rate of youth cannabis use coincided with a decrease in the underage use of other drugs, including drugs commonly sought by teenagers like alcohol and vaped nicotine.

“We have never seen such dramatic decreases in drug use among teens in just a one-year period. These data are unprecedented and highlight one unexpected potential consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused seismic shifts in the day-to-day lives of adolescents. Moving forward, it will be crucial to identify the pivotal elements of this past year that contributed to decreased drug use – whether related to drug availability, family involvement, differences in peer pressure, or other factors – and harness them to inform future prevention efforts.” — Nora Volkow, NIDA director, in a press release

The Monitoring the Future survey is an annual check-in with eighth, 10th, and 12th graders around the U.S. that asks students to self-report their substance use behaviors and similar information, including their perception of drug-related harms, approval or disapproval of their use, and perceived availability. The data from each survey is released at the end of the year during which it was collected.

“These latest findings add to the growing body of scientific literature showing that marijuana regulation policies can be implemented in a manner that provides access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse,” said Paul Armentano, the deputy director for cannabis advocacy group NORML.

U.S. students across all age groups also reported “moderate increases” in experiencing “boredom, anxiety, depression, loneliness, worry, difficulty sleeping, and other negative mental health indicators” since the COVID-19 pandemic’s outset.

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San Diego Weighing Rule Changes to Increase Dispensaries by 40%

12/16/2021

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Officials in San Diego, California are considering a proposal to eliminate city rules that prevent cannabis dispensaries from opening near churches, parks, libraries, and playgrounds which would increase the number of dispensaries by as much as 40%, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Supporters say the proposal would allow the opening of the 36 dispensaries envisioned by officials when they were legalized nearly eight years ago, the report says.

Currently, there are 23 dispensaries operating in the city because of the zoning rules that prohibit the businesses from opening within 1,000 feet from locations considered of “sensitive uses.” The plan would still include schools, childcare centers, and minor-oriented facilities on that list of sensitive uses, but it would shrink that distance from 1,000 feet to 600 feet.

Last week, the city Planning Commission and council’s Land Use Commission deferred decisions on the proposal until February in order to gather feedback from residents and community leaders; however, members of both panels indicated they were open to adjusting the rules dictating where dispensaries could open, which have been in place since 2014.

Council President Sean Elo-Rivera said he doesn’t “have a reflexive opposition to creating a more nuanced approach to where cannabis businesses operate.”

The proposal would also allow dispensaries to expand their hours from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Since 2014, San Diego has made at least three changes to its cannabis law to the benefit of the industry. Scott Chipman, head of San Diegans for Safe Neighborhoods, told the Union-Tribune that each of those changes has reduced “the protections of the public.”

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Colorado Average Market Price Decreases Among Five Cannabis Categories

12/16/2021

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In the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) Average Market Rate report for retail cannabis, flower prices decreased $948 per pound, trim fell $354 per pound, bud and trim for extraction dropped $345 per pound and $253 per pound, respectively, and wet whole plant prices decreased $172. The price per seed increased to $4, while the price for an immature plant stayed steady at $10.

The rates are effective from Jan. 1, 2022, to Mar. 31. 2022 quarter.

The Average Market Rate is the median market price of each category of unprocessed retail cannabis that is sold or transferred from licensed retail cannabis cultivation facilities to retail cannabis product manufacturing facilities or retail shops, according to CDOR in a press release. The state’s cannabis law requires the CDOR Office of Research and Analysis, in coordination with the Taxation Division and the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED), to calculate average market rates quarterly for use in levying the required excise taxes.

The new quarterly rates are based on transactions from Sept. 1, 2021, through Nov. 30, 2021, that originated from retail cultivators are recorded through METRC, the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system.

According to Revenue Department data, as of Oct. 1, 2021, the average market rate for flower was $1,316 per pound, trim’s rate was $425 per pound, bud and trim for extraction was $405 per pound and $302 per pound, respectively, wet whole plant prices were $181, while the price per seed was $3.

The lowest average market rate price in the state’s industry was seen in October 2018, when bud was $759 per pound. In July 2018, the average market prove for immature plants was $1.

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USDA Approves Updated Virginia Hemp Plan

12/16/2021

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) plan to regulate hemp production in the Commonwealth, allowing the agency to continue serving as the primary regulator of hemp production in the state.

VDACS must regulate hemp in accordance with the 2018 federal Farm Bill’s hemp provisions and VDACS Commissioner Brad Copenhaver said that while federal rules “require some adjustments” to the Commonwealth hemp program, the agency intends “to continue the productive, supportive relationship” it has had with Virginia hemp producers since its program was established.

“By operating this program under USDA’s new requirements, we aim to provide our hemp industry with certainty and parity, as all of the nation’s hemp producers are now expected to comply with the same set of rules.” — Copenhaver in a press release

Under the rules, each hemp industry applicant must submit a criminal background check to VDACS; growers must have their crops tested by private laboratories for THC concentrations 30 days prior to harvest and report certain crop information to the USDA Farm Service Agency.

The rules include testing exceptions for institutes of higher education researchers and certain growers producing hemp for fiber under contract with processing facilities.

According to the WVTF report, VDACS indicated there were 891 registered industrial hemp growers in Virginia as of Aug. 31, 2021. For the 2020 growing year, there were 1,091, and about half of those submitted planting reports to federal regulators.

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AlphaRoot Launches Management Liability Insurance Program Calibrated to the Cannabis Industry

12/15/2021

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New York, 15th DECEMBER 2021 – BRP Group, Inc. (“BRP Group”) (NASDAQ: BRP), an independent insurance distribution firm delivering tailored insurance solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of the AlphaRoot management liability insurance program calibrated to the cannabis, hemp and CBD industries within its specialty indirect subsidiary, Millennial Specialty Insurance, LLC dba AlphaRoot* (“AlphaRoot”).

Given the rapid development of the cannabis sector and the continued trend of state legalization, insurance will play a key role in ensuring responsible growth. With the new program, AlphaRoot aims to empower cannabis companies to focus on expansion, bridging the gap between comprehensive coverage and the right price point for private-held cannabis operators.

Management liability refers to a package of insurance policies intended to protect a company, its directors, and its officers. The program which is exclusively available to AlphaRoot clients includes:

  • Directors & Officers Insurance (D&O): This protects both the company and the individual directors and officers of the company from claims brought against them for the management of the company.
  • Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPL): This protects the company from claims alleging mistreatment of their employees (i.e., HR-related claims).
  • Fiduciary Liability Insurance: This protects from legal liability should a benefit plan administrator miscalculate, mishandle, or practice improper plan care1.

AlphaRoot’s strategic partnership with their in-house Managing General Agent (MGA) provides the capacity to write management liability insurance for private cannabis operators. This program will be exclusive to AlphaRoot’s clients and offer unique coverage features, including:

  • Up to $5M in limits for D&O
  • $1M in limits available for EPL and Fiduciary
  • Flexible policy customizations with the ability to tailor to the insured’s needs from a pricing and coverage perspective
  • Policies written on Am Best A rated paper
  • Expertise with underwriting emerging industries and disruptive technologies outside of cannabis

“Over the past six to 12 months, we’ve seen a number of new entrants try to solve the problem that many private cannabis operators face with management liability insurance—it’s too expensive and the coverage is too restrictive,” says Isaac Bock, Managing Director and Head of Strategy at AlphaRoot. “We feel our Management Liability Program pushes the industry toward a solution that offers flexible coverage with the operator’s budget in mind.”

“We believe this will be revolutionary for the industry and we are excited about this development. Coverage options are generally limited in the cannabis industry so we’re thrilled to be able to present a new program to our clients,” says Eric Schneider, Managing Director and Head of Growth of AlphaRoot.

ABOUT ALPHAROOT

AlphaRoot is part of a tech-enabled insurance brokerage focused exclusively on the cannabis, hemp, and CBD industries. Our mission is to strengthen and legitimize the cannabis industry as we believe that cannabis, agriculture, and the supporting technology ecosystem are critical parts of American society.

For more information, reach out to the AlphaRoot team at info@alpharoot.co

*Millennial Specialty Insurance, LLC dba AlphaRoot is used subject to regulatory approval.

ABOUT BRP GROUP, INC.

BRP Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRP) is an independent insurance distribution firm delivering tailored insurance and risk management insights and solutions that give our clients the peace of mind to pursue their purpose, passion and dreams. We are innovating the industry by taking a holistic and tailored approach to risk management, insurance and employee benefits, and support our clients, Colleagues, Insurance Company Partners and communities through the deployment of vanguard resources and capital to drive our growth. BRP Group represents over 700,000 clients across the United States and internationally.

NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release may contain various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which represent BRP Group’s expectations or beliefs concerning future events. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical facts and may include statements that address future operating, financial or business performance or BRP Group’s strategies or expectations. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may”, “might”, “will”, “should”, “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “predicts”, “projects”, “potential”, “outlook” or “continue”, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements.

Factors that could cause actual results or performance to differ from the expectations expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those described under the caption “Risk Factors” in BRP Group’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and in BRP Group’s other filings with the SEC, which are available free of charge on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at: www.sec.gov, including those risks and other factors relevant to BRP Group’s business, financial condition and results of operations of BRP Group and factors related to the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on BRP Group’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated. All forward-looking statements and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to BRP Group or to persons acting on behalf of BRP Group are expressly qualified in their entirety by reference to these risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and BRP Group does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable law.

1 Program availability is subject to underwriting eligibility and may require coverage exclusions and subjectivities. D&O, EPL and Fiduciary Liability policy language and terms are available upon request.

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MainStem: Simplifying the Cannabis Supply Chain

12/15/2021

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Despite decades of activism in favor of safe cannabis access, the regulated industry remains in its infancy. The space is expanding rapidly but with that comes growing pains, many of which have been long-solved for other industries but represent significant challenges for cannabis companies. One such concept that is typically dialed-in for other industries but can be an absolute mess for cannabis businesses is the B2B supply chain. MainStem, co-founded by cousins Alen and Long Nguyen, is an integrated purchasing platform built specifically for cannabis businesses. Alen spoke with me about the platform and what drives him to enter emerging industries like cannabis and tech.

“Coming in with tech, I think it’s a great opportunity to provide solutions, streamline. All the standard stuff that tech does, but really sink your teeth into forming the foundation of this industry,” said Alen.

Long Nguyen was already a medical cannabis operator in Washington when he approached his cousin about stepping into the cannabis industry in 2014. At the time, Alen was an aerospace engineer at a business where he was regularly drug tested, so it had been some time since he’d been even tangential to cannabis. Even so, as Long showed him the processes from seed to sale, Alen realized that while he didn’t know much about weed, he did see solutions for creating more streamlined standard operating procedures in the cannabis industry.

“What I do know is B2B infrastructure,” explained Alen, “and I know that really, really well, and there’s something here that’s got a really big gap: the picks and shovels of where these soon-to-be large farms, large processing sites, and dispensaries… where would they procure all of their supplies. The existing way it was beforehand was really not scalable, so that was our napkin note. We decided that we were going to attack the supply chain.”

Before entering the space, Alen wanted to learn more about the industry and understand how MainStem could bring real value to the space. To do this, he joined the Washington chapter of The Cannabis Alliance, where he met growers, extractors, and processors who were building brands in Washington state. There, he learned that some businesses have five different accounting systems, three ERP solutions, and, if they’re operating in multiple states, multiple bank accounts. Some tech companies have entered the space with tools established outside of cannabis, but they tend to overlook the nuanced issues facing the industry. Alen believes this is the wrong approach: “When you’re in tech in cannabis, not only do you have to create these new innovative solutions, but you also have to really understand the nuances and fragmentations of the industry.”

Once they found the value point, the cousins launched the MainStem marketplace and Supplier Core, which is a platform built out with everything a brand needs to sell its products to businesses that need them. These products go into the MainStem marketplace where retailers, processors, and cultivators who need things like papers and packaging can buy all of their supplies in one place. The platform integrates with the supplier’s systems, providing live pricing and true inventory. If something is sold out, buyers can easily find other viable options waiting in the Marketplace.

MainStem has strategically built out its supplier base to stock diverse products. Their first step was to find a wide breadth of brands and product types; the second was to find brands across many locations. This way, a buyer can find the right product and then also select the option closest to their location, which can cut shipping costs. Each supplier is subject to a specific vetting process which can be intensive but, once they’re onboarded, they get the benefits of having all of their invoices and buyers in one place.

In MainStem’s first year, the brand consolidations started in the plant-touching side of the business. Multi-state operators (MSOs) were acquiring small businesses across all plant-touching sectors. The newly established brands were running companies the size of an enterprise but without the standard operating procedures or built-out executive staff necessary for running an enterprise. Because of this, new companies were spending too much time putting out fires to properly scale and grow — in response, MainStem built and released Purchase Pro to extinguish some of those fires indefinitely.

There are currently 10,000 products from 400 suppliers available in the Marketplace. If a beloved supplier isn’t on the platform yet, the buyer can create a private supplier or product, do their purchasing order through the platform, and then send it out to the supplier. They can also do punch-outs, a common practice in most businesses but not cannabis. A punch-out allows a buyer to bring the purchasing experience from a supplier into the platform — once the buy is complete, the information is re-routed into Purchase Pro. This brings the buyer supply chain into one single ‘pane’, meaning that the platform removes the need for an ERP or accounting data migrations. The buyer’s last option is to write the purchase order in MainStem before sending it out to the supplier, which keeps all bookkeeping in the same place.

The Purchase Pro platform can be used by businesses of all sizes and in each state of maturity. The company will build out a package that is appropriate to help a client scale to the next phase of operations. They could be working with an MSO that has a low maturity in terms of standard processes, a standardized platform package wouldn’t work for them. In response to this nuance, Alen views businesses in three categories when deciding how to customize a package for a new client. The first category is a brand that is putting out fires, which naturally leads to the second category, which is developing business practices. This must happen before reaching the final category: when a brand can start to collect and analyze data in order to scale further up. MainStem stepped into the cannabis space while most regulated, plant-touching businesses were stretched pretty thin putting out fire after fire after fire. Now that more companies are smoothing out their operations, the platform is looking forward to how the data that they’re collecting can be used and leveraged for growth and enterprise for their clients.

At this point in cannabis, most of the data companies are focused on the consumer and there is very little insight into the ancillary B2B space. This data is spread across various software platforms for many brands, but MainStem brings them into a single pane. Currently, ancillary cannabis suppliers and buyers are both in need of access to digestible data. The MainStem purchasing platform provides this access for easy accounting and to create insights to help a company scale and grow. With access to this type of information in an easy-to-understand format like the MainStem platform, a B2B supplier can start making informed, effective, and strategic decisions.

Alen is excited to watch the industry grow from its current state, as more companies get access to things like the true purchasing behavior of a B2B customer, and he believes that this new frontier in cannabis will lead to growth and innovation.

In the coming year, MainStem plans to release features that will start to format the data for their clients. The company also just completed a round of funding, so internally they will be focused on company culture and building out an executive suite in the coming year. Alen is looking forward to hiring more talent as the company approaches this new phase.

“Everywhere along the way, I think one of the most important things is, you’ve got to check your ego at the door,” he said. “There’s a lot of things you’re really good at but there’s a lot of things you don’t know if you’re good at because you’ve never done them before. So my take on it has always been, let’s enlist some really good expertise from folks that have done it before so I can not necessarily trip on myself from the get-go and I can bring a lot of value to our team and customers along the way as we grow.”

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Malta Becomes First EU Country to Legalize Cannabis

12/15/2021

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Malta’s parliament voted 36 to 27 on Tuesday to legalize cannabis, becoming the first European Union nation to fully pass the reforms, the BBC reports. Under the law, adults can legally possess up to seven grams of cannabis and cultivate up to four plants. Smoking cannabis in public and in front of children remains outlawed.

Equality Minister Owen Bonnici, who promoted the legislation, described the vote as “historic,” adding that it would keep cannabis consumers from criminal penalties and will “curb drug trafficking by making sure that [users] now have a safe and regularized way from where they can obtain cannabis,” the report says.

The law sets fines for individuals possessing more than seven grams in public but less than 28 grams up to 100 euros, 235 euros for smoking in public, and up to 500 euros for consuming cannabis in front of anyone under 18-years-old.

Minors caught with cannabis will be recommended a care or treatment plan as opposed to an arrest or criminal charges.

Under the plan, associations will be set up to distribute cannabis and cannabis seeds and individuals can only be part of one association, which supporters say will help regulate how much someone buys.

The reforms were opposed by Malta’s opposition Nationalist Party. In October, Bernard Grech, leader of the party, who initially supported the law, told the Times of Malta that it would “only lead to the strengthening of the illegal market, with organized crime taking advantage.” The party is urging Malta President George Vella not to sign the bill into law.

A similar plan was announced by E.U. nation Luxembourg in October and Germany’s coalition government last month indicated it plans to legalize cannabis and license dispensaries to conduct regulated sales.

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Seizures Among Children Treated with Whole-Plant Cannabis Fall 86%

12/15/2021

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The frequency of epileptic seizures among 10 children treated with whole-plant cannabis medicine fell by an average of 86%, according to research published in the journal BMJ Paediatrics Open outlined by SciTechDaily. None of the children in the study had responded to any other conventional treatments.

Just two of the children who participated in the study responded to Epidyolex, the only purified CBD product children with seizure conditions are allowed access to under England’s National Health Service (NHS). The children who participated in the study ranged from ages one to 13, with an average age of six, and had a range of epileptic conditions, including infantile spasms, learning disabilities, and global developmental delays, the report says.

The children had tried an average of seven conventional epilepsy drugs, which fell to an average of one each after starting the medical cannabis regimen — seven of the children stopped taking conventional drugs completely. On average, the children took an average of 5.15 milligrams of THC and 171.8 milligrams of CBD daily, although the researchers are still conducting a full chemical analysis of the whole-plant products.

Parents and caregivers reported significant improvements in their child’s sleep, appetite, behavior, and cognition after they started to take whole-plant cannabis medicine, and only a few minor side effects, such as fatigue, were reported.

“Further research is required to elucidate the mechanisms by which the respective additive constituents of whole-plant products lead to superior clinical results,” the researchers wrote.

“We believe that our data on whole-plant medical cannabis in childhood-onset severe treatment-resistant epilepsy, provide evidence to support its introduction into the NHS within current NICE prescribing guidelines,” the researchers concluded. “Such a move would be hugely beneficial to the families, who in addition to having the psychological distress of looking after their chronically ill children, have also to cover the crippling financial burden of their medication.”

The average monthly cost of medicinal cannabis products was 874 British pounds ($1,158). One child that participated in the study had obtained their prescription for free on the NHS.

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St. Louis Mayor Signs Cannabis Reform Bill

12/15/2021

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St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones has signed a cannabis reforms bill that decriminalizes the possession of up to two ounces of cannabis and permits adults to cultivate up to six cannabis plants at home, KSDK 5 reports. Additionally, the law prohibits police from using cannabis odor as probable cause for warrantless searches or arrests and decriminalizes certain types of cannabis paraphernalia.

The new law comes three years after the passage of Amendment 2, which legalized medical cannabis in Missouri. About 82% of St. Louisans voted for the medical cannabis reforms, according to the report.

“We are seeing a major shift in the way our country sees not just marijuana, but how it connects to public safety, incarceration, and economic opportunity in our communities. This law will help reduce racial disparities in our policing, make our city safer, and make St. Louis more competitive in hiring for city positions.” — Mayor Tishaura Jones via KSDK 5

According to the mayor, since the 2018 passage of Amendment 2, 600 people have been arrested for cannabis in St. Louis and about 500 of those individuals were Black.

“It’s rare that we see so many people from so many different backgrounds unite around a single cause, which is exactly what we have done here,” Alderman Bret Narayan said in the report.

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New York Saint Regis Tribe Issues First Cannabis Industry Licenses

12/15/2021

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New York’s Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Tuesday officially launched its regulated cannabis industry, issuing three conditional cultivation licenses. The Tribe is the first in the state to issue licenses under its plan approved in June. The State of New York has yet to promulgate industry rules and regulations.

The Tribe awarded licenses for Tru Bloom, Bank Side Flowering Company, and First Americans, LLC. The Tribe said it has granted “provisional approval” to several other applicants, but they are not yet permitted to start cultivation in earnest; instead, they can begin facility construction, buy equipment, and hire employees.

Allyson Mitchell, chair of the Cannabis Control Board, said that “public health and safety are at the forefront” of all of the Tribe’s discussions around the industry. She added that the tribal cannabis businesses “will contribute fees that will be used to support community-based programs and services in the same manner that the tobacco and convenience store associations have been doing for decades.”

“Each of these businesses provided substantive applications and worked closely with our Cannabis Compliance Office to meet approval requirements. Conditional licenses allow for cultivation to begin, and a full license is pending facility inspection prior to any cannabis leaving the premises.” — Mitchell in a press release  

Several unregulated retail dispensaries had commenced operations on the Saint Regis Mohawk’s Akwesasne land following the passage of the statewide legalization bill. Tribal leaders sent cease-and-desist letters to those operators and filed civil actions, but a Mohawk Tribal Court determined that the Tribe had failed to show that the owners of one dispensary, Good Leaf, were breaking the law.

The Tribe says they are the first in the nation to issue cannabis licenses to both tribal members and tribal-owned businesses. Retail licenses are expected to be issued early next year.

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Wrongful Death Lawsuit to Be Filed Over THC/CBD Labeling Mix-up

12/14/2021

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As part of the ongoing fallout from Curaleaf’s September CBD and THC label mix-up, a tenth lawsuit is expected in the coming days, according to an Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) report. Unlike the previous nine lawsuits already filed against Curaleaf Holdings over the incident, this one involves an alleged “wrongful death.”

The case will be brought by the family of Earl Jacobe, 78 of Idaho, who, along with his wife, consumed the mislabeled products in late August. This led to a visit to the emergency room, where doctors say he exhibited stroke-like symptoms. Over the next two weeks, Jacobe would take two more trips to the hospital via helicopter, OPB reports.

His family believes the series of events was triggered by the consumption of large amounts of THC in the mislabeled Curaleaf products. The suit will argue it brought him “to the point where he was essentially comatose and then succumbed to an unrelated COVID-19 disease several weeks later,” said Portland attorney Michael Fuller, who is handling the ten cases.

Fuller said his other clients experienced confusion, dizziness, thoughts of death, and psychosis after taking the products. Another serious case involved Michael Lopez, who was admitted to the hospital with stroke-like symptoms and experienced “unnecessary surgery, fear of death,” and psychosis.

“We’re going to have individual trials for each person because each person’s experience and injuries are a little bit different. We’re going to try to settle as many as we can. See, a lot of my clients are elderly, in their late seventies; they have no interest in prolonged litigation.” — Fuller via OPB

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission issued the recall in September for Select-brand CBD tinctures because they contained “undisclosed levels of THC.” The OLCC would quickly issue a second recall for the brand’s THC tinctures as they contained no THC.

Curaleaf had no comment on the lawsuit, but said in a statement, “a team member confused two containers during the filling and packaging process, one containing CBD and one containing THC.”

“This resulted in a single batch of CBD tincture being labeled as THC Drops and vice versa,” the company said. “The amount of THC was within the regulatory limit for a normal batch for our THC drops, but we understand that some customers may have consumed multiple doses.”

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Delta-8 Products Still Legal in Texas

12/14/2021

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The Supreme Court of Texas has declined to hear a case involving the legality of hemp-derived Delta-8 THC products. The request was made by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) in their legal battle against Hometown Hero CBD, the Texas Hemp Federation, and the Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The denial by the court comes a little over a month after a Travis County judge temporarily blocked the state from listing Delta-8 THC as a Schedule I narcotic. In October, DSHS had declared Delta-8 a controlled substance, despite having no regulatory authority on the matter, Hometown Hero said in a press release which led to the company’s lawsuit against the agency.

Jay Maguire, the head of the Texas Hemp Federation, said the Supreme Court decision not to consider the case “is another legal victory that underscores what Texans already know — these beneficial hemp-derived cannabinoids are here to stay in Texas.”

“I hope our elected leaders pay attention to what the citizens are saying about how our products alleviate pain, anxiety, and inflammation, among other complaints, and get on board or out of the way.” — Maguire in a statement

David Sergi, lead counsel on the case, said he was “pleased” to see the state’s highest court recognize “the disingenuous attempt to make Delta-8 illegal when it denied the state’s writ of mandamus.”

“The ham-fisted attempt to make criminals out of veterans who use Delta-8 instead of opioids is just wrong for Texas,” he said in a statement.

The ruling keeps Delta-8 products legal in the Lonestar State, for now, while the Texas Appellate Court will hold the case next year.

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Montana Allows Tribes to Obtain High-Capacity Cannabis Grow Licenses

12/14/2021

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Montana lawmakers on Monday approved cannabis rules proposed by the state Department of Revenue, including allowing tribes to obtain higher capacity industry licenses, and eliminating a proposal to allow companies to label their products as “cannabis,” the Helena Independent Record reports. The changes come just weeks before adult-use sales are set to commence in the Treasure State.

Under previous rules, tribes would have only been allowed to obtain tier 1 licenses — the smallest capacity which only allowed 1,000 square feet of indoor cultivation. Under the new rules, tribes can obtain all of the available licenses, including tier 12, which allows 50,000 square feet of cultivation, the report says.

Under the bill approved on Monday, cannabis products sold in the state may not be labeled “cannabis” because the term — despite being scientifically correct — may not be recognized by children. The Montana Revenue Department had considered allowing companies to use the term because to some the word “marijuana” is derogatory or disparaging.

The rules also require current outdoor grows to remain the same size and do not allow for any new outdoor cultivation facilities; however, outdoor grows that were operational prior to the 2020 election are grandfathered in.

In September, the Department of Revenue loosened cannabis industry advertising rules, allowing online advertising without warnings but requiring an “Are you 21 and older?” question. Cannabis dispensaries must still follow local sign ordinances under the approved advertising rules.

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Malta Lawmakers Expected to Pass Cannabis Legalization Bill

12/14/2021

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Lawmakers in Malta are expected to approve a law today to allow the personal cultivation and consumption of cannabis, Reuters reports. The move follows a similar plan announced by the government of Luxembourg last October.

Malta’s law will allow adults to grow up to four plants and possess up to seven grams of cannabis. Smoking cannabis in public will remain outlawed and individuals caught consuming cannabis in front of children will be subject to fines between 300 and 500 euros ($340-$564), the report says.

In an op-ed in the Times of Malta last week, Equality Minister Owen Bonnici, who promoted the legislation, said “there is broad agreement” in the nation that the policy of “arresting and taking to court people who decide, out of their own volition, to make personal use of cannabis” should end.

“The government is in no way urging adults to resort to cannabis use or promoting a cannabis culture. The government always urges people to make healthier choices. But if an adult, out of free volition, decides to make use of cannabis, he or she must have a safe and regularized route from where the cannabis can be obtained.” — Bonnici, “Opinion: Cannabis reform: Why the law should be changed,” Dec. 7, 2021

The bill is opposed by the national center-right party, the medical association, and the church.

In the op-ed, Bonnici noted that illicit cannabis sales in Malta will remain “a very serious violation of the law, punishable with mandatory imprisonment” but that the reforms “will bring a change for the better in our society by means of this unprecedented effort in harm reduction within a regularized context.”

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Visa Warns Against Cashless ATM Payments In Dispensaries

12/13/2021

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The payment processing giant Visa issued a warning this month against the practice of cannabis dispensaries using so-called “Cashless ATMs” to circumvent restrictions on cannabis payments. First reported by Marijuana Moment, Visa said in a December 2 memo that the company is “aware of a scheme where [point-of-sale] devices marketed as ‘Cashless ATMs’ are being deployed at merchant outlets,” in violation of Visa Rules.

“Cashless ATMs are POS devices driven by payment applications that mimic standalone ATMs. However, no cash disbursements are made to cardholders. Instead, the devices are used for purchase transactions, which are miscoded as ATM cash disbursements. Purchase amounts are often rounded up to create the appearance of a cash disbursement.” — Visa memo excerpt

Frequent dispensary shoppers may recognize the maneuver which, for customers, essentially replicates the process of paying with a debit or credit card.

While the memo fails to specifically mention state-legal cannabis companies, Visa said that “Cashless ATMs are primarily marketed to merchant types that are unable to obtain payment services — whether due to the Visa Rules … or legal or regulatory prohibitions.”

The ability to process debit and credit card payments is especially enticing for cannabis dispensaries because — due to ongoing federal cannabis prohibition and the resulting lack of banking services — state-licensed cannabis retailers have been so far limited to cash-only transactions, which in turn makes them a prime target for robbery and other crime.

Visa, which is the world’s second-largest payment processing company, said in the memo that any acquirers of “Cashless ATMs” found to be willfully breaking Visa Rules may be “subject to non-compliance assessments and/or penalties.”

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Study: Allowing Cannabis Dispensaries Increases Local Employment Rates

12/13/2021

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A study investigating Colorado data shows that the legalization of adult-use cannabis did not negatively affect worker productivity and in fact, the counties that allowed cannabis dispensaries to open saw an increase in employment rates.

Using eight years of Colorado data, researchers found unemployment went down in green counties when compared to counties with bans on the industry. Additionally, the study — which was first covered by Marijuana Moment — found the increase in jobs was largely tied to increases in the manufacturing sector in “green” counties.

“In terms of jobs, it is clearly the counties with the recreational dispensaries that benefitted most after Colorado legalized adult-use cannabis,” study co-author Avinandan Chakraborty said in a press release.

Because there was no negative effect on wages or the labor force, authors said that any possible negative effects related to increased cannabis access and/or use — things like “decreased job performance” and “reduced efforts to find employment” — are “limited.”

Researchers say their work can be used as a predictor for New Mexico‘s adult-use cannabis rollout, which is scheduled for April 2022.

“Our results suggest that, by preventing counties from banning dispensaries, New Mexico’s approach to legalizing cannabis will yield more widespread employment benefits than those experienced in Colorado. In fact, we may already have begun experiencing some of the benefits as producers begin preparing for dispensaries to open in April 2022.” — UNM co-author Sarah Stith, in a press release

The analysis was done by a team of researchers from the University of New Mexico (UNM) and California Polytechnical University.

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Ohio Regulators Issue Medical Cannabis Product Recall

12/13/2021

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Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Control Program has issued a recall for plant material produced by Galenas LLC, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

The recall is for Blueberry Cookies flower and Blueberry Cookies shake, or trim, and it was prompted by complaints from dispensaries who said they found plastic-like material in some of the company’s packaging.

There have been no reports of harm caused by the affected product, however, the products should be returned to their point of sale, state regulators say. Returned products will not count toward a patient’s 90 day supply quota, according to the report.

According to the Dispatch brief, the following products are covered under the recall:

  • M00000267014: Tier 1 Vap-Hybrid-17.9-0.1-BLUEBERRY COOKIE SHAKE-2.83
  • M00000267018: Tier 1 Vap-Hybrid-17.9-0.1- BLUEBERRY COOKIE SHAKE-14.15
  • M00000266708: Tier 2 Vap-Hybrid-26.7-0.1- BLUEBERRY COOKIE SHAKE-5.66
  • M00000266711: Tier 2 Vap-Hybrid-26.7-0.1- BLUEBERRY COOKIE SHAKE-14.15
  • M00000267001: Tier 2 Vap-Hybrid-31.5-0.1-BLUEBERRY COOKIE-2.83
  • M00000267002: Tier 2 Vap-Hybrid-31.5-0.1- BLUEBERRY COOKIE-5.66
  • M00000267003: Tier 2 Vap-Hybrid-31.5-0.1- BLUEBERRY COOKIE-8.49
  • M00000267004: Tier 2 Vap-Hybrid-31.5-0.1- BLUEBERRY COOKIE-11.32
  • M00000267005: Tier 2 Vap-Hybrid-31.5-0.1- BLUEBERRY COOKIE-14.15

If anyone is experiencing adverse reactions to the products, state officials advise them to seek immediate medical attention and to report the incident to the state health line at 833-464-6627.

Earlier this month, the Ohio Pharmacy Board proposed new rules to increase the amount of cannabis available to patients when visiting dispensaries.

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Poll: 57% of Americans Support Fully Legalizing Cannabis

12/10/2021

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According to a recent YouGov poll, 57% of Americans believe cannabis should be legalized while 27% want it to remain outlawed and 16% were unsure. The survey found 70% of Democrats approve the reforms, along with 61% of independents, and 67% who identified as “other.” Just 40% of Republicans approved of the reforms.

The majority of all age groups polled backed legalization, including 53% of 18-24-year-olds, 61% of those aged 25-34, 62% of 35-44-year-olds, 60% of those 45-54, and 54% of respondents aged 55-and-older.

A majority of both men and women — 58% and 56% respectively — approved of cannabis legalization, while more men (29%) than women (25%) opposed the reforms. Another 14% of men and 19% of women said they were unsure about legalizing cannabis broadly.

Legalization was also popular among all income levels, as 55% of individuals making under $40,000 preferred legalization to prohibition, along with 53% of those who make between $40,000 and $80,000, and 54% of respondents who make $80,000 or more.

The survey was conducted on November 29 and included 40,557 adults in the U.S.

An August poll conducted by Gallup found 49% of Americans had tried cannabis at least once, representing the highest level the polling company has ever reported for Americans that have tried cannabis since it started asking the question in 1970 when the level was 4%. Gallup polling has also found 68% of Americans support cannabis legalization — which is also the highest level in the pollster’s history since they started asking the question in 1969.

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Missouri Bill Would End Warrantless Searches Sparked By Cannabis Odor

12/10/2021

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A bill proposed in Missouri would outlaw warrantless searches based on the odor of cannabis alone, KOMU 8 reports. The bill was pre-filed by Democratic state Rep. Ian Mackey who said the law “makes sense” because of the legalization of medical cannabis in the state.

The measure contains just one sentence: “Notwithstanding any provision of law, the odor of marijuana alone shall not provide a law enforcement officer with probable cause to conduct a warrantless search of a motor vehicle, home, or other private property.”

In an interview with KOMU, Mackey explained that officers should be able to differentiate between fresh and burnt cannabis and that the scent of fresh cannabis should not be a valid reason to perform a warrantless search.

“Obviously smoking marijuana and driving impaired is illegal, as it should be. And so if someone has glassy eyes, if someone’s movements indicate that they’re impaired obviously that is still well within the purview of a warrantless search, but not the smell of cannabis alone.” — Mackey to KOMU

The bill currently carries no co-sponsors and has not yet been added to any committee or House schedules.

Last August, pro-cannabis group Legal Missouri 2022 announced they had filed a ballot initiative to put the cannabis legalization question to voters during next year’s midterm elections. The group must collect 175,000 Missouri voter signatures in order to get the question on ballots.

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Atlantic City Cannabis Café Closed Due to Lack of Permits

12/10/2021

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Atlantic City, New Jersey officials have closed a members-only cannabis club due to lack of permits, the Press of Atlantic City reports. Michael Walsh, the owner of the Rekt Café told the Press that he had obtained the proper permits prior to the opening but indicated he would take the necessary steps to meet the city’s requirements and reopen as a CBD café under the name “Lifted Café.”

In order to meet the city’s demands, Walsh must paint parking spaces, remove an outdoor tent, and build a wall separating food sales from any cannabis-related activities.

The club had allowed members to consume cannabis on-site and the club gifted cannabis products to members who bought other products, the report says. People could become a member by simply signing in when entering the establishment.

Over the summer, the state Attorney General’s Office sent cease-and-desist letters to four businesses over the practice of cannabis gifting.

City Councilman Kaleem Shabazz, who opposes cannabis legalization and represents the ward where the café opened, said regardless of the business, individuals “have to follow the rules to open any business in Atlantic City.” He added that Rekt Café had also received a cease-and-desist letter from the Attorney General’s Office.

Rebekah Mena, a spokesperson for Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr., told the Press that the city licensing department had issued the business a summons for operating without a required mercantile license, and the Casino Reinvestment and Development Authority has also cited the owner of the building for land-use violations, the report says.

Atlantic City Police said they were not involved in closing Rekt.

Walsh said he plans to apply for a cannabis business license once the state starts accepting applications on December 15.

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Wave Washer Ultrasonic 420 Cleaning Machine Review

12/09/2021

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Sometime last year, I remember having a discussion with co-workers about whether there was an easy method or product for cleaning out a dirty bong or pipe — something automated, or at least something better than boiling-hot water and scraping with coarse salt. Nobody seemed to have a good answer.

But this year, there is the Wave Washer, which is apparently the world’s first 420-friendly cleaning machine.

The device itself is super simple to operate, although it uses the not-so-simple physics of ultrasonic sound waves. Here’s a quick description of the cleaning process:

  • You pour a little isopropyl alcohol into your bong, bubblers, or pipes, and cover their openings with provided rubber caps.
  • For bowl pieces, stems, grinders, and other small accessories, you can place these in a plastic baggie with some isopropyl alcohol.
  • Place the dirty 420 accessories you have prepared into a large bowl or small bucket/bin and fill with lukewarm water (and add a dash of dish soap).
  • Add the WaveWasher device in the container, under your glassware, and activate.
  • Wait until the cycle is finished, then remove and rinse the WaveWasher and empty/rinse out your glassware.

While activated, the Wave Washer device vibrates and produces ultrasonic sound waves that ripple through the water and crash against everything you’ve placed in the container. All of the gunk inside your glassware and sticking to your other accessories — which should be pre-rinsed with isopropyl alcohol — will be blasted loose by this ultrasonic energy and, after just a few minutes, will rinse out as clean as ever.

If all of this sounds a little intimidating, don’t worry — I found the Wave Washer to be safe and very easy to use, but it should only be used as described and should be kept out of the reach of children. Read the User Manual closely!

To really demonstrate the effectiveness of the Wave Washer, I wanted to try the device out on a truly dirty bong or pipe. Luckily, I knew exactly which piece I was going to use.

Content trigger warning: this dab rig was in a seriously nasty condition, there is high-definition photographic proof incoming.

This dab rig was left at my place during a dinner party many years ago: it came into my life looking about as nasty as it does pictured below, but then it sat on a shelf between a pair of houseplants and decorative plates for five whole years. Never used since then — or even touched, really — the leftover concentrate caked around the stem and bowl piece slowly solidified. The thing was fully caked with dust and required a generous pour of boiling-hot water just to get the carb cap detached and in its own baggie for the Wave Washer to do its business.

The Wave Washer’s results speak for themselves in the images above, and the process really couldn’t be much easier. Full transparency: this dab rig still required some attention with alcohol-soaked Qtips after one or two ultrasonic cleaning cycles. But for my daily-use bong and most other glassware, which never get as bad as what’s pictured above, only a single session has ever been needed.

At a $169.00 price tag, this device could be a big commitment for many cannabis enthusiasts. But for anyone who is adamant about clean pipes, or who is particularly sensitive to dirty pipes, the Wave Washer is truly delightful.

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