Austin, Texas Emergency Services Stops Drug Screening for Cannabis

11/18/2021

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Austin-Travis County, Texas Emergency Services (ATCEMS) updated its hiring policies to not disqualify applicants for past cannabis use, according to a KXAN report. Prior to the change, applicants were disqualified for using “hemp, legalized forms of THC and legalized medicinal uses” within three years of applying.

The department said the policy was “antiquated” and was updated to reflect the changing landscape of legal cannabis across the country. City officials began working on the issue after a denied candidate revealed he was disqualified because he used cannabis in a state where it is legal for adult use. The change only removes the past cannabis use question and does not halt drug screens at the department, the report says.

“Given that THC is recreationally and medicinally legal in over half the states, we’re really reducing the number of people that can even apply to work for us. They still have to pass a drug screening, we still have randomized drug testing currently, and post-accident drug testing. So it hasn’t changed any of that.” — Selena Xie, president of the ATCEMS Association, via KXAN

She said the department has a history of hiring recruits from out of state, so the policy needed updating to stay competitive with other Texas EMS Departments, which may attract more in-state cadets.

Xie says between the outdated hiring practices and the COVID-19 pandemic, the department is facing a labor shortage, noting that only 13 cadets will begin training this December, despite a recruitment goal of 30.

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Curaleaf Partnering with World’s Largest Alcohol Distributor

11/17/2021

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Curaleaf Holdings Inc. is partnering with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits to distribute its eponymous Hemp and Select CBD products. Glazer’s is the world’s largest alcohol distributor and will also distribute Curaleaf products via its Proof e-commerce platform.

David Chaplin, Chief Growth Officer of Southern Glazer’s, said in a statement that the company is “excited” to add Curaleaf to its distribution network as the companies are “aligned on the future growth potential of CBD in the U.S. and, as such, are both investing significantly in the category.”

“Southern Glazer’s best-in-class CBD sales and marketing capability is uniquely positioned to deliver the most effective route-to-market for Curaleaf and I am confident we can drive continued growth for their portfolio of products at retail locations across the U.S.” — Chaplin in a press release

Joseph Gennaro, Curaleaf vice president of CBD, Health & Wellness, noted that Southern Glazer’s shares the firm’s “values around responsible distribution and pioneering a well-regulated industry.”

“We value Southern Glazer’s expertise, efficiency, and extensive network,” he said in a statement, “particularly as we aim to open the consumer awareness funnel and fuel growth within our CBD business.”

The companies said they “look forward to introducing new innovations to both ancillary lines with confections and beverages that feature minor cannabinoids like CBN and CBG.”

Earlier this year, Glazer’s announced a distribution deal with Canopy Growth for its line of CBD beverages, including Quatreau, which Canopy launched in March.

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Weedmaps and Berner Launching Cannabis-Friendly Social Media Site

11/17/2021

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Cannabis technology company Weedmaps and rapper and cannabis entrepreneur Berner are planning to launch a social media platform on Marijuana.com, describing it as the “Instagram of Marijuana.”

Berner and Weedmaps recently re-announced the upcoming social media platform on Twitter. First announced in a 2014 press release, Weedmaps and Berner said that Meta-owned social media apps Facebook and Instagram have deleted cannabis-related accounts for policy violations. The network was supposed to launch in 2015 but that timeline was obviously delayed.

“Both social networks view cannabis as a ‘drug,’” the press release said, “and many marijuana businesses have lost valuable accounts and followers because of this crackdown.”

In a statement, Berner, the founder and owner of the Cookies cannabis brand, indicated his business accounts had been deleted from Instagram, which he cited as the impetus for the new cannabis-friendly social network.

“I was fortunate enough to get my account back but many other community members have not been so lucky,” he said in a statement. “This community is special to me and we believe in this plant and now Marijuana.com will unite and bring our people together.”

According to the release, Berner will serve as executive director for the new venture and as a brand ambassador for Weedmaps. The new social network will reportedly include a “Powered by Weedmaps.com” rating and review system for strains, shops, and dispensaries, and dispensaries, brands, artists, and consumers will be allowed to create free profiles and post cannabis-related content without fear of censorship.

Editor’s note 11/18/21: This article has been updated to improve clarity.

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Hemp Farm Owner Facing Grand Theft Charges

11/17/2021

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The operator of a now-defunct Half Moon Bay, California hemp farm has been charged with 33 counts of grand theft of labor for failing to pay his employees, the Bay Area News Group reports. In addition to the grand theft charges, David Wayne Jenkins faces misdemeanor petty theft of labor, and numerous unemployment and labor code violations.

If convicted on all counts, Jenkins faces more than a decade in prison, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told Bay Area News.

“His victims were very poor coastside residents who were really affected during the Christmas holiday season to have no income. But he has started restitution and the victims hopefully will all get fully paid for their work.” — Wagstaffe to Bay Area News

Jenkins owned Castle Management, also known as Castillo Seed, which operated a hemp farm in Half Moon Bay from January 2020 until March 2021, when the business shuttered after Jenkins ran out of money after failing to cultivate and sell crops profitably. Despite running out of funds, Jenkins repeatedly told his workers payments would be forthcoming; but they worked without pay from December 2020 to January 2021.

Prior to December 2020, Jenkins withheld taxes and other withholdings from employee paychecks, but failed to report or transmit any withholdings to state agencies, the report says. He lost the business’ workers compensation insurance on December 29, 2020, for failing to pay premiums but the employees continued working.

In all, the employees are owed about $138,000 and Jenkins has paid back about $107,000.

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Pennsylvania Plan Would Let Small Businesses Grow Medical Cannabis

11/17/2021

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A Pennsylvania lawmaker is planning to introduce legislation that would allow small businesses and farmers to cultivate cannabis for the state’s medical cannabis program, the Center Square reports. Democratic Rep. Melissa Shusterman’s bill would create cannabis industry licenses specifically for farmers and small businesses as the state currently only allows a limited number of licenses per regulatory zone.

The bill would open up 75 new permits for small businesses and farmers.

“Pennsylvanians shouldn’t have trouble accessing medication prescribed by a doctor for relief from pain and sickness. The restrictions placed on growers and processors hurts small businesses, farmers and patients alike. … Studies have repeatedly shown the benefits of medical marijuana for certain medical conditions. It’s unfair that only large companies dominate the market and hurt consumers and small businesses.” — Shusterman via the Center Square

Shusterman added that the legislation would also work to alleviate the supply chain situation in the state’s medical cannabis market.

During remarks on the House floor in May, Shusterman said that “all medical marijuana currently sold in Pennsylvania dispensaries comes from out-of-state” and the bill would “equip…small farmers with critical access to” the cannabis industry.

“Medical marijuana is here to stay and we need to give our small farmers every opportunity to succeed,” she said.

From February 2020 to August 2020 — amid the coronavirus pandemic — the number of weekly patient visits to Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis dispensaries rose more than 70% from 70,000 to 120,000.

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Republican Lawmakers File Bill to Federally Legalize Cannabis

11/16/2021

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U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) formally introduced the States Reform Act on Monday, which seeks to end the federal prohibition of cannabis in favor of a tax-and-regulate model similar to alcohol, The State reports.

“This bill supports veterans, law enforcement, farmers, businesses, those with serious illnesses, and it is good for criminal justice reform. The States Reform Act takes special care to keep Americans and their children safe while ending federal interference with state cannabis laws.” — Rep. Nancy Mace, in a statement

Specifically, the proposal seeks a 3% federal excise tax on all cannabis sales with proceeds reserved for law enforcement programs, assisting the federal Small Business Administration, and supporting mental health initiatives for veterans. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau would be tasked with federally regulating sales of the plant while the U.S. Department of Agriculture would manage cannabis farming and cultivation; the FDA would maintain jurisdiction over medical cannabis regulations.

While the bill contains language addressing the expungement of nonviolent federal cannabis crimes, it stops short of the social equity clauses in other federal cannabis bills like the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act and the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act.

Mace’s bill was co-sponsored by other Republican lawmakers including U.S. Reps. Brian Mast (FL), Tom McClintock (CA), Peter Meijer (MI), and Don Young (AK). But while cannabis legalization is exceedingly popular with American voters — a recent Gallup poll found that 68% of voters legalization, including about 50% of Republicans — fellow GOP lawmakers in Mace’s home state of South Carolina were quick to distance themselves from her plan.

“Our Party platform is clear: ‘We support firm enforcement of existing laws against the abuse and distribution of controlled substances, and we oppose any effort to legalize the use of controlled substances,’ and that includes marijuana,” said Drew McKissick, Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, in the report.

But Mace said her bill only gives states the option of managing their own cannabis laws: “It’s not going to force cannabis on South Carolina if South Carolina does not want it,” she told The State.

 

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Biden FDA Nominee Has Positive Views on Medical Cannabis

11/16/2021

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President Joe Biden’s (D) pick for the new head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expressed positive views toward medical cannabis in the past and has prescribed cannabinoid therapy as a cardiac doctor, Marijuana Moment reports. Dr. Robert Califf previously served as FDA director from February to January 2017 under the Obama administration, for which Biden was vice president.

During remarks at a federally hosted cannabis research summit in 2016, Califf said the FDA was interested in promoting more cannabis research and development.

“We understand that people have identified a number of possible uses of marijuana and marijuana-derived products. For example, AIDS wasting, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, treatment of spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, cancer and chemotherapy-induced nausea. I had the chance to prescribe some of this in my cardiology practice in people with extreme heart failure who get a wasting cachectic syndrome.” — Califf via Marijuana Moment

During his speech, Califf added that although cannabis has not been proven “safe and effective for any indication” it may still have potential as a medicine given more studies into the plant and its compound.

Califf added the FDA has not approved cannabis as medicine “not because [they’ve] had a ton of applications to look at” but because the agency “hasn’t gotten them into the pathway.”

“What this means is that no one has demonstrated to FDA that any such product is safe or effective for the treatment of any disease or condition,” he said at the 2016 summit. “To change that we need studies conducted using marijuana to rigorously assess the safety and effectiveness of marijuana for medical use.”

The doctor indicated that the FDA really wants studies into the efficacy of medical cannabis and “actively” encourages such research.

“To do this, we know we need to facilitate the work of companies interested in appropriately bringing safe, effective, and quality products to market, including scientifically based research concerning these medicinal uses,” he said.

If appointed as FDA head, Califf will have a number of cannabis-related issues to tackle, including regulations allowing marketing CBD as a food or dietary supplement, and the ongoing hemp-derived delta-8 crisis that is befuddling state and local officials around the country, the Moment notes.

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Colorado’s New Medical Cannabis Rules Include Stricter Purchase Limits

11/16/2021

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Colorado will impose stricter cannabis purchase limits, require retailers to provide a concentrates information pamphlet to customers who purchase the products, and impose a ban on medical cannabis marketing to people under 21-years-old, under new industry rules announced last week, the Denver Post reports. The new regulations take effect on January 1.

The policies limit daily purchases to two ounces of flower and eight grams of concentrate for medical cannabis patients, and the concentrate limit goes down to two grams per day for patients between 18- and 20-years-old. The previous daily concentrates purchase limit for patients was 40 grams, the report says.

Dispensaries must enforce the new limits by inputting patient ID numbers and are required to refuse a sale to anyone who seeks to exceed the limit. The collected data must be kept confidential.

Patients are able to receive exemptions from the rule from their physician indicating a physical or geographic hardship. The patient must also designate a store as the primary place to get their medicine, the report says.

The pamphlet will include a small black dot which will display Colorado’s recommended serving size for concentrates and feature information on how to safely consume the products, along with a list of potential negative outcomes the state claims can result from the use of concentrate, including psychotic symptoms, “uncontrolled and repetitive vomiting,” and “physical and psychological dependence,” according to the Post report. The pamphlet will include numbers to hotlines for people experiencing any of the negative outcomes.

The marketing ban is a change from the previous rules on advertising to people under 18. The state will now consider it a violation if an ad appears in a form of media estimated to have at least 28.4% of its audience under the age of 21. In concentrate advertising, medical and recreational businesses must include language approved by the state warning of the overconsumption risks.

Gov. Jared Polis (D) in June signed into law a bill package that included purchase limits by the state’s medical cannabis patients. It also included language requiring patients under 21 to receive a diagnosis of a “debilitating or disabling medical condition” by two physicians from different medical practices, and in-person follow-up appointments every six months unless the patient is homebound.

A patient has filed a lawsuit over provisions in the bill that require physicians to prescribe medical cannabis, instead of recommending it, which runs afoul of federal law.

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Beto O’Rourke Embraces Cannabis Legalization In Bid for Texas Governor

11/16/2021

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In a video announcement Monday declaring his bid for Texas governor, former U.S. Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D), included adult-use cannabis legalization in his platform. O’Rourke, who lost a Senate race to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018, will challenge Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. He also included cannabis reforms in his previous bids for U.S. Senate and the presidency.

The last time a Democrat held the Lonestar State’s highest office was in 1995.

“Those in positions of public trust have stopped listening to, serving, and paying attention to, and trusting the people of Texas, and so they’re not focused on the things that we really want them to do like making sure that we have a functioning electricity grid, or that we are creating the best jobs in America right here in Texas, or that we have world class schools, or that we make progress on the things that most of us actually agree on, like expanding Medicaid or legalizing marijuana.” — O’Rourke, “I am Running for Governor,” Nov. 15, 2021

During his 2020 campaign for president, O’Rourke had released a plan for federal cannabis legalization, which included clemency for all federal cannabis prisoners, according to the Texas Tribune. The plan also called for a federal tax on the cannabis industry with the proceeds earmarked for a “Drug War Justice Grant” for those formerly incarcerated for nonviolent cannabis crimes.

“We need to not only end the prohibition on marijuana,” O’Rourke said in a 2019 statement regarding his philosophy on cannabis legalization, “but also repair the damage done to the communities of color disproportionately locked up in our criminal justice system or locked out of opportunity because of the War on Drugs.”

A 2020 American Civil Liberties Union report found Black people in Texas are 2.6 times more likely than white people to be arrested for cannabis possession.

O’Rourke is also the co-author of Dealing Death and Drugs: The Big Business of Dope in the U.S. and Mexico­ which examines the illegal cannabis trade between the U.S. and Mexico, with a particular focus on El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. The book was released in 2011 and is co-authored by Susie Byrd, who served with O’Rourke on the El Paso City Council.

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Guam Chooses Metrc to Track Medical Cannabis Program

11/16/2021

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Guam has chosen Metrc as its seed-to-sale tracking system, bringing the U.S. territory one step closer to rolling out its medical cannabis program, the Governor’s Office announced on Monday. Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) Director Arthur San Agustin said with the selection of a seed-to-sale provider, officials “now can begin to build the framework of Guam’s cannabis regulatory system.”

Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said, “the cannabis industry will benefit [the Guam] community by funding expanded public services in health and public safety, and providing alternative treatment and rehabilitation for people who need it.”

“Over the last decade, we have seen substantial evidence that cannabis has medicinal benefits. With the final review by our Cannabis Control Board on the rules and regulations for the industry, we can more efficiently control recreational use and ensure safe and regulated products.” — Gurrero in a statement

Metrc holds exclusive government contracts in states with medical and adult-use cannabis programs, including Alaska, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.

Jeff Wells, CEO of Metrc, said the firm is “excited to rise to the challenge of this unique regulatory opportunity.”

“We look forward to working with both regulators and licensed business owners to implement the island’s first regulatory track-and-trace program,” he said. “We are proud to play a leading role in ensuring the safety and security of the nation’s legal cannabis market.”

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Husband of Trulieve CEO Sentenced to Three Years In Prison for Corruption

11/15/2021

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After being convicted in August on corruption charges, John “JT” Burnette was sentenced to three years in federal prison and fined $1.25 million last week, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

The Florida businessman, who is married to Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers, was convicted of conducting a longtime bribery scheme with former Mayor and City Commissioner Scott Maddox and his business partner, Paige Carter-Smith. Additionally, prosecutors said Burnette used his “power and wealth to corrupt the political process.” During the investigation, Burnette told undercover agents that he had influenced Florida House Rep. Halsey Beshears (R) to insert language into Florida‘s medical cannabis bill containing a controversial barrier to entry “that would benefit both Burnette and the Beshears family,” federal prosecutors said.

That barrier to entry was a rule requiring nurseries to be in business for 30 years before they could apply for a medical cannabis license, which locked out many Black-owned and other small nurseries from participating in Florida’s lucrative medical cannabis market.

Prosecutors had asked for eight years due to the seriousness of the charges, according to the report.

On the witness stand, Burnette distanced himself from the comments, claiming he said what the agents wanted to hear and that they were pushing him to claim responsibility for the 30-year requirement, the Democrat reports.

Trulieve’s board released a statement after the sentencing: “Our thoughts are with [CEO Kim Rivers] at this time. She has done and is doing an outstanding job leading Trulieve and she continues to have our full support.”

Company spokesperson Steve Vancore also maintained that Burnette “had no formal involvement or participation in the formation of Trulieve, Inc.”

Burnette’s attorneys say they will appeal his conviction.

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13,000 Pounds of Outdoor Cannabis Destroyed In Washington

11/15/2021

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Washington regulators last week forced three licensed cannabis producers to destroy about 13,000 pounds of cannabis – valued at approximately $3 million – after accusing the growers of cultivating more than their licenses allowed, the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reports. The owners of the sites argue that they are being unfairly targeted and penalized by regulators responding to complaints made by industry competitors.

Evergreen Nirvana and Black Diamond Cannabis, who are licensed to grow 30,000 square feet of canopy, and Green Volcano, which is licensed for 10,000 square feet of canopy, were notified by the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) that they were growing more than their licenses allow, the report says. The three farms are the only cultivators in Walla Walla County, which banned recreational cannabis farms in 2014 — after the companies had received their licenses as medical cannabis cultivators but had already established their operations as legal land use. The county would adopt a moratorium on medical cannabis operations by the end of June 2019, the report says.

Michael Rothwell, an attorney representing the growers, argues that the companies’ outdoor grow canopy does not exceed the limits because regulators should not be counting the empty space in between the plants as canopy. Rothwell contends that the state’s definition of “plant canopy” for cannabis growers limits the square footage calculation to live plant cultivation, but some areas on site are explicitly excluded from that calculation. He told the Union-Bulletin that his clients “were not given any warning of this new change in interpretation of canopy space.”

“It would be no different if you paid your taxes the exact same way since 2017 and then this year the same IRS agent who has been auditing you every year says what you’re doing now is illegal and you must forfeit your income.” — Rothwell to the Union-Bulletin

Cpt. Jeremy Wissing, who oversees cannabis production with the LCB, told the Union-Bulletin that the growers have “been operating in a non-compliant fashion in this entire time and it was a lack of understanding of the officer that previously looked at it.”

The LCB maintains that it has not recently changed its canopy definitions.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the regulatory action took place in Oregon, not Washington. We regret the error and apologize for any confusion.

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Cannabis Legalization in Canada Not Linked to Increase in Traffic-Injury ER Visits

11/15/2021

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A study published this month in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence found that Canadian cannabis legalization “was not associated with evidence of significant post-legalization changes in traffic-injury [emergency department] visits in Ontario or Alberta among all drivers or youth drivers, in particular.” The study, a collaboration between the University of Northern British Columbia, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the University of Victoria, and Dalhousie University included data from hospitals in Alberta and Ontario, which record 100% of their emergency room admissions in a public database. The study included more than 250,000 reports of traffic-related injuries from adult drivers and youth drivers from 2015 to 2019.

In Alberta, youth drivers are classified as 14- to-17-years-old. In Ontario, youth drivers are classified as 16- to-18-years-old. Of the 52,752 reported injuries by adult drivers in Alberta, the researchers found an increase of 9.17 visits and of the 186,921 reported injuries by adult drivers. In Ontario, there was an increase of 28.93 visits.

Dr. Russ Callaghan, the lead researcher of the study, told CKPG Today that the results were “contrary” to his expectations.

“What we found that immediately after cannabis legalization, there was no change in these patterns … I thought those patterns would go up.” — Callaghan to CKPG Today

Callaghan did note that the study should not be taken to mean “that the legalization didn’t have an impact on traffic” and the study didn’t look at fatalities or collisions.

“Really what I wanted to do was assess some of the major indicators that could contribute to this parliamentary review and also help the public understand what the consequences of this legislation might be,” he said in the report.

The nation’s cannabis legalization bill includes strict driving-while-impaired laws, which Callaghan said may play a role in the lack of correlation.

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Oakland Plans to End Cannabis Testing for Most City Employees

11/15/2021

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The Oakland, California City Council Public Safety Committee last week unanimously approved a proposal to end cannabis drug testing for most city employees, The Oaklandside reports. City staff must first meet and confer with labor unions that represent city workers about the policy change before it moves to the full council for approval.

Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, the ordinance sponsor, told Oaklandside that the city “shouldn’t be weeding out workers for something that is legal.”

“Oakland is the reason there is legalization in America. Why on Earth would we take a step in the wrong direction and punish workers for off the job legal conduct?” — Kaplan to Oaklandside

Under the proposal, the new rules would not apply to testing workers suspected of being under the influence at work, or under a so-called “last chance” agreement in which a worker with a documented substance abuse issue agrees to terms of employment that could include testing for cannabis. The ordinance would also not include protections for other positions, such as non-fire department commercial drivers, who are required to be tested under federal Department of Transportation guidelines, and positions where labor contracts require the screenings.

Councilmember Dan Kalb said he signed on as a co-sponsor of the proposal because he wants “to protect people’s rights.”

“If they are engaging in legal behavior and have fully recovered from that by the time they’ve come to work, great. That’s all the city needs to know,” he told Oaklandside. “We don’t need to know how many days ago you did this or that as long as you are not under the influence now.”

In July, the city council unanimously approved a resolution supporting a statewide bill to prevent employers from using evidence of prior marijuana use as justification for terminating an employee or denying a person a job. The bill, AB1256 sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Bill Quirk, currently sits in the Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment.

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Democratic Senators Urge Biden to Pardon Federal Cannabis Criminals

11/12/2021

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Democratic U.S. senators are urging President Joe Biden (D) to use his executive authority to pardon all individuals convicted on federal non-violent cannabis-related offenses. In the November 9 letter, Senators Edward Markey (Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (Ore.) – who each represent states where cannabis has been legalized for adult-use – say the move would fulfill the president’s campaign promises related to federal cannabis policies.

“As a candidate for President, you argued that ‘we should decriminalize marijuana’ and ‘everyone [with a marijuana record] should be let out of jail, their records expunged, be completely zeroed out.’ The first and simplest step in the process is a blanket pardon. The Constitution grants you the authority to pardon broad classes of Americans to correct widespread injustice, as previous Presidents have done.” – Markey, Warren, and Merkley in the November 9 letter

The senators described the U.S.’s cannabis policies as “failed and racist,” noting that the first anti-cannabis laws were created “specifically target Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans” and that the War on Drugs launched in the 1970s by then-President Richard Nixon (R) spawned “mass incarceration policies with devastating effects on Black and Brown families.”

“…Such a pardon – combined with your leadership on an accessible expungement process to formally clear the criminal records of those affected – would mark the beginning of a reversal of decades of ineffective and discriminatory cannabis policies,” the senators wrote, “allowing Americans to return to their communities, find housing and jobs, and rebuild their lives without the burdens of an unjustly imposed criminal record.”

Last month, Warren and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the Department of Justice to decriminalize cannabis by removing it from the federal controlled substances list.

In that letter, the senators requested the attorney general to respond as to whether he would consider ordering a review by the Department of Health and Human Services review – the first step in the process – by October 20. Garland did not initiate such a review.

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Detroit Voters Decriminalize Psilocybin

11/12/2021

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Voters in Detroit, Michigan voted last week to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms and therapeutic use of other entheogenic plants, CBS News reports. The approved initiative makes personal possession and therapeutic use of entheogenic plants by adults the city’s lowest law-enforcement priority.

The proposal passed with 61% of the vote.

The successful Detroit campaign – along with a similar initiative that passed in Ann Arbor last year – could be just the beginning of psychedelic reforms in the state, as Democratic senators have introduced a bill to decriminalize entheogenic plants and fungi statewide. That measure was introduced in September and is currently in the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.

In 2019, voters in Washington, D.C. and in Denver, Colorado approved similar ballot initiatives. Last year, Oregon became the first state to legalize therapeutic use of psilocybin.

Earlier this year, New Jersey loosened penalties for possessing up to one ounce of psilocybin from a third-degree crime to a disorderly person offense. Under the reforms, those caught with psilocybin face up to six months in jail and up to $1,000 in fines instead of three to five years imprisonment.

A Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel report issued earlier this year found that psilocybin decriminalization “has not since presented any significant public health or safety risk in the city,” according to the Denver Post.

Last month, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) called for increasing the production of research-grade psychedelics – and cannabis – for next year.

“There has been a significant increase in the use of schedule I hallucinogenic controlled substances for research and clinical trial purposes,” the agency said in the October 18 Federal Register notice. “DEA supports regulated research with schedule I controlled substances, as evidenced by increases proposed for 2022 as compared with aggregate production quotas for these substances in 2021.”

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Oregon Processing New Cannabis Industry Licenses After Three-Year Pause

11/12/2021

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The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) is processing adult-use cannabis licenses again after a three-year pause, the Bend Bulletin reports. The OLCC initially stopped processing applications for licenses to cultivate, process, and dispense cannabis in order to catch up on an applications backlog. Six months after announcing the halt, the agency said it would need an additional 14 months.

Applications submitted on or before June 15, 2018, will be processed in the order they were received, the OLCC said. However, in a statement, the agency said they are unable to accept producer license applications due to a 2019 bill that prohibits them from accepting new grower applications, the Bulletin reports. Eligible applications will be processed in a streamlined manner, the OLCC said.

Each licensee has 60 days to complete the application process once a license investigator is assigned. The OLCC is contacting potential licensees to determine their readiness to move forward on the approval timeline and if applicants are not ready, the OLCC is requesting they provide a date on which they will be ready to move forward.

Oregon’s cannabis industry has attracted national attention recently for large, illegal cannabis farms popping up in the southern part of the state. A late-season report found that 54% of Oregon hemp was “hot” – with more THC than the legal limits allow – seemingly catching law enforcement and regulators off guard. Many migrant cannabis workers in the region have reportedly been living in squalid conditions overseen by cartels and other criminal gangs.

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West Virginia’s First Medical Cannabis Dispensary Opens Today

11/12/2021

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West Virginia’s first medical cannabis dispensary is opening today, more than four years after West Virginia lawmakers approved the reforms. Trulieve Cannabis Corp.’s Morgantown dispensary will debut today, with plans for its second location to open in Weston next Monday.

In a statement, Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said the firm is “especially eager to leverage [their] first-mover advantage to bolster local economies by creating sustainable jobs and investing in marginalized communities.”

“We’re thrilled to be first to market in West Virginia and to continue building the foundation for the West Virginia’s emerging medical cannabis market. …  We look forward to serving West Virginia patients, who have been patiently waiting for this day to arrive, with an unparalleled retail experience and the high-quality medical cannabis products they can rely on for safe and effective relief.” – Rivers in a press release

The state’s medical cannabis bill was signed into law in April 2017. It allows for medical cannabis use in pills, oils, topical gels, liquids, dermal patches, and forms that can be vaporized.

Trulieve first announced plans to enter West Virginia in February 2021 and has secured four dispensary permits from the state’s Office of Medical Cannabis, the company said, adding that since November 4, officials have received more than 4,000 patient applications. The state’s medical cannabis qualifying list includes 15 conditions.

According to figures from the Department of Health and Human Resources outlined in July by West Virginia Metro News, there were 2,305 patients already enrolled in the state program.

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Loud Grandma CBD Chili Crisp Review

11/11/2021

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At some point in the pandemic, chili crisp had a real heyday in the States. My targeted social media ads were all for vibrant red jars of chili crisp that could be mailed right to my door, and I started to recognize it drizzled on the dumplings of my favorite food influencers. I knew that I needed to start educating myself on the hot condiment with Chinese origins. Tao Huabi first created Lao Gan Ma chili crisp in 1997. That is the foundational recipe for the spicy, crunchy umami drizzle that can adorn any dish — from noodles to ice cream sundaes. Lao Gan Ma was the original but it seems every kitchen, family, and chef has a unique chili crisp recipe.

The exact ingredients in each chili crisp can vary but for a condiment to be a crisp rather than a chili oil, it must have a ratio featuring more crispy bits than oil. Lao Gan Ma crisps up onion, chilis, and soybeans amongst other flavors, Momofuku Chili Crunch adds a mushroom powder to heighten umami, and Loud Grandma chili crisp contains CBD for added benefits.

Loud Grandma was originally named Loud Gan Ma, a play on words to indicate that it’s an homage to the famed chili crisp with a twist. Old friends Calvin Eng and Ben Gabriel started the company in a Brooklyn basement in 2018 and have since evolved into a collaboration with infused olive oil company Pot d’Huile. Loud Grandma sits at an intersection of the co-founders’ interests in food, design, and weed with eye-catching branding and a kitschy name. The real question is whether the product was worth it or just another hop-on to the CBD craze, so we tried a jar.

I’ll be honest, Loud Grandma is the first packaged chili crisp that I’ve tried. I’ve used chili oil at restaurants before, but I wasn’t wise enough to appreciate the bits. To properly review the flavor and mouthfeel, I researched what makes a proper chili oil. Turns out, the chef’s intention guides what we should expect, there’s no blueprint. Each recipe uses slightly different ingredients, but crispy chili bits are always the star.

Loud Grandma isn’t the spiciest chili crisp, but it does have a slight kick. The product description says I should feel the famous numbing effect from the Sichuan peppercorns but, unfortunately, I did not. I did, however, enjoy the flavor and the crunch. People with fillings should beware: I got some real hard chunks of pepper.

One of the driving forces in this review was to experience CBD in combination with chili peppers. Since chilis have a reputation for speeding up the metabolism, I thought it would be interesting to see if chilis could help the body absorb and metabolize the cannabinoids faster. Alas, since I’m not Ms. Frizzle, I couldn’t definitively say that my theory was correct. But based on my experiential knowledge, it did seem like a faster onset than just taking a pure full-spectrum CBD oil sublingually.

The full-spectrum CBD hemp extract in Loud Grandma comes from infused Pot d’Huile California olive oil that’s combined with grapeseed oil when processed into chili crisp. The other ingredients — red onion, chilies, soybeans, oils, herbs, and spices — reflect the OG Lao Gan Ma crisp that introduced the world to the firecracker condiment. Loud Grandma isn’t the only Pot d’Huile collab: the oil company has also partnered with Chef Miek Bagale on Hot Sloth CBD hot sauce. These spicy collaborations cater to the foodies and the potheads, making them a welcome addition to my stoned kitchen. I ate the entire jar of Loud Grandma and will probably purchase more, which is a high endorsement for the infused chili crisp.

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Cannabis Loyalty Company Springbig Plans for Nasdaq Listing

11/11/2021

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Cannabis industry loyalty and marketing company springbig is set to go public on the Nasdaq through a merger with Tuatara Capital Acquisition Corp. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 and will see the company listed under the “SBIG” symbol.

Jeffrey Harris, founder and CEO of springbig, said going public would allow the company to “broaden [their] offerings to take advantage of the significant growth potential at home and in the international cannabis markets.”

“We pride ourselves on providing marketing-leading technology solutions and an exceptional level of service to springbig clients. This leads to excellent client retention, providing a robust base for strong future growth. As the cannabis industry continues to grow, this strong foundation will enable us to leverage our data and technology to consolidate across multiple market verticals including data analytics, increased marketing automations, and advertising solutions.” — Harris in a press release

Al Foreman, Tuatara CEO, described springbig as “a market leader in direct-to-consumer marketing and engagement.”

“springbig’s technology platform drives loyalty and customer engagement,” he said in a statement, “and in this regulated environment, a high level of engagement is crucial for cannabis retailers and brands to reach their customers in an increasingly competitive market.”

According to springbig, the company has more than 1,000 clients across the U.S. and Canada, including more than 2,300 retail locations. The company boasts more than 41 million consumers have enrolled in its B2B2C platform, and that more than 90 million transactions have been processed in the past twelve months with an attributable gross merchandise value of over $7 billion.

The firms estimate the post-transaction equity value of the combined company at about $500 million.

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Ohio Looking to Expand Medical Cannabis Program

11/11/2021

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A bill introduced in the Ohio Senate seeks to expand the state’s medical cannabis qualifying condition list to include arthritis, migraines, autism spectrum disorder, spasticity or chronic muscle spasms, hospice care, opioid use disorder, and any other condition for which a patient could benefit from cannabis use, Cleveland.com reports.

Billed as a significant expansion of medical cannabis in the state, the proposal has a Republican sponsor and comes as signatures are being collected for an adult-use initiative for the state’s 2022 ballot.

The bill’s primary sponsor, Sen. Stephen Huffman (R), said the bill reflects feedback he has heard from constituents in the five years since Ohio passed its medical cannabis law. In addition to expanding the state’s qualifying conditions list, the proposal would allow curbside and drive-thru dispensing and would increase the number of dispensaries to one for every 1,000 patients, up to the first 300,000 patients, and the need to expand licensees would be re-evaluated once every two years.

Under the bill, large scale cultivation sites would be expanded from 25,000-square-feet to 75,000-square-feet and small scale sites would expand from 3,000-square-feet to 20,000-square-feet. The hope is that expansion might lower prices for patients, who have long noted the high cost of medical cannabis when compared to other legal states nearby, according to the report.

“There’s a lot of veterans and disabled people who found [curb side and drive-thru service] useful during the pandemic,” Huffman said in the report. “Medical marijuana is about $310 an ounce, which is much higher than surrounding states because there’s not enough product.”

Huffman sees the bill as a small business package and hopes it will get a hearing in the Senate Small Business and Economic Opportunity Committee next week.

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Montana Working to Undo CBD Sales Ban for Cannabis Retailers

11/11/2021

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Montana lawmakers and officials are pushing back against proposed rules that would prohibit cannabis dispensaries from selling CBD and allow the Department of Revenue to suspend or revoke cannabis worker licenses for individuals who have been convicted of any criminal offense or a cannabis-related crime in any other state, the Helena Independent Record reports.

Senate Minority Leader Jill Cohenour (D), who chairs the Revenue Interim Committee, told Courtney Cosgrove, the attorney for the Cannabis Control Division, that a ban on cannabis retailers selling CBD was not intended by the Legislature, and that stakeholders “would really appreciate the department coming up for a way to address this.”

J.D. Pepper Petersen, president of the Montana Cannabis Guild, said that the rule to bar those with criminal records from participating in the industry also does not follow the intent of the law passed by the Legislature which took a number of criminal charges off the books.

The state’s legalization bill requires background checks and prohibits anyone with a felony from obtaining a license to sell cannabis, but the revenue department’s rule would include misdemeanors or traffic citations, the report says.

“Why legalize if you’re going to continue to punish the people you were punishing previously? But most importantly, the department needs to be empowering people to get to work right now in any way they can. So putting up barriers to employment is a horrible idea.” — Petersen to the Independent Record

Brendan Beatty, director of the Department of Revenue, said the agency is doing its “very, very best to effectuate legislative intent.”

Cosgrove indicated that both issues are on the division’s radar and that they would “sit down and figure out how to address this.”

Retail cannabis sales in Montana are set to begin on January 1.

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Connecticut Selects Seed-to-Sale Tracking Firm

11/11/2021

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The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection’s (DCP) Drug Control Division has selected the BioTrack software for seed-to-sale tracking of the state’s medical and adult-use cannabis, according to a Westfair report. The inventory system is a product of Consultants Consortium Inc. and its partner Forian.

DCP Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull said the information will allow state regulators “to see what is currently available in both markets, project future inventory, and identify any potential diversion in the markets.”

“Being able to track the state’s cannabis inventory from seed to sale will allow the department to monitor cannabis production and inventory as it moves from the earliest phases of growth to when it reaches the qualifying patient or consumer.” — Seagull to Westfair

Information collected by the BioTrack system will be used by the DCP and the Department of Revenue Services and will be made available to other entities, including law enforcement, as required under the state’s adult-use cannabis law, which was approved by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Ned Lamont (D) in June.

While adult-use sales are expected in Connecticut sometime next year, Seagull warned in September that the state’s timeline for adult-use cannabis sales may take longer than legislators first thought.

“We’ve been suggesting that there will likely be sales by the end of 2022, and we’re still aspiring for that,” she told the Connecticut Examiner. “Obviously, we have to see how things play out in the next few months.”

Seagull said that unknowns, such as who might qualify for a social equity license, could contribute to the delay.

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Ispire Announces Its Latest Dabbing Device: the daab

11/11/2021

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The daab is the latest innovation from award-winning hardware and technology company Ispire and it’s their best yet, continuing to pave the way for user-friendly accessibility around cannabis and concentrates. The daab is the sophomore product in Ispire’s Dab Devices Collection using the same induction heating technology as their flagship product, The Wand. While the Wand utilizes fireless heating to make almost any bong or rig dab-ready, the daab takes that one step further. By providing an all-in-one unit and a sturdy carrying case, the daab combines all the best features of The Wand, like its “magic” heating capability and custom temperature controls, with portability and highly intricate calibration to supply the perfect hit, every time. In short — it rips.

“At Ispire, we are driven by our desire to bring innovation to the cannabis community,” said Michael Wang, Ispire CEO. “We strive for perfection in our quest to deliver the perfect hit. Our latest product, the daab, eliminates the atomizer with our innovative approach to heating. We are able to create a clean and pure dab experience that is a game-changer for the community.”

The daab is Ispire’s first all-in-one unit to use induction heating. Induction heating uses alternating electromagnetic currents to evenly heat the surface area with little to no wasted heat, so only your product gets hot, not the whole room. No flame, no mess, no stress. The new device comes in a stunning hard-shell case that allows for safe portability. The contents include a base unit, a borosilicate glass chamber, a dab mat, silicone rings to help cushion your glass and keep it safe, two inner concentrate cups (longer than those used for The Wand), a beautiful glass carb cap, a reclaim cup, charger, two 2900mah batteries and a branded dab tool to create a perfectly curated experience for consuming concentrates on the go. The base unit is temperature-controlled in five-degree intervals from 250-800 degrees. To use, you simply load in your concentrates, tap the power button 5 times to turn the unit on, select your preferred temperature, tap the power button twice and the daab does the rest! The unit will then begin to show a blinking light as it heats up to your selected temperature and audibly beeps when ready to hit. The temperature is then sustained until one final beep and the light turning off signals the beginning of the cool-down period.

When it comes to hardware, lifespan is everything. Unlike other devices on the market, the daab doesn’t require concentrates to be loaded into the unit itself, but rather into the custom, interchangeable inner cups made of food-grade glass. This means easy cleaning along with minimal clogging and deterioration of the device itself over time, leading to a longer total product lifespan. It also means that the user gets the purest dabbing experience possible, with their concentrates never touching plastic or metal.

Ispire offers a complete line of cartridges, batteries, disposables, and dabbing products available exclusively for distribution through Wholesale, OEM, and ODM. Learn more at https://www.getispire.com.

About Ispire

We are a cannabis technology company dedicated to developing innovative consumer products for the cannabis industry. We have been perfecting our technology over the past ten years. We have over 1500 patents globally and are a recognized leader in vaping hardware and devices. We have a seasoned team of industry experts, engineers, R&D, and a high-quality supply chain to meet a growing market’s demands.

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