Louisiana to Allow Delta-8 THC Consumables

10/28/2021

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Louisiana is bucking the trend of banning delta-8 THC and has proposed the synthetic cannabinoid be allowed in food, according to a Marijuana Business Daily report.

In an email announcing the changes, the Louisiana Department of Health said applications are now open for businesses to add cannabinoids to food. The new policy was made possible by a state law that creates a new category known as “consumable hemp,” defined as “any product derived from industrial hemp that contains any cannabinoids and is intended for consumption or topical use.”

“This includes the addition of food products containing CBD and delta-8 (THC),” the agency wrote in the email.

Delta-8 is an isomer of delta-9 THC that rarely occurs naturally in cannabis plants. Today, large batches of delta-8 are synthesized from more widely available, hemp-derived CBD. The sudden emergency and growing availability of delta-8 THC has prompted some 18 states to ban the substance outright. Additionally, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claims that delta-8 THC is making people sick, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has added the cannabinoid to its “Orange Book,” signaling that they believe delta-8 THC should be regulated similar to delta-9 THC, according to the report

The addition of delta-8 THC as an allowed cannabinoid in Louisiana will coincide with smokable medical cannabis coming online in 2022. MJBizDaily projected the state to sell $25-$30 million worth of medical cannabis this year, prior to the new reforms.

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Washington Issues Emergency Cannabis License Suspension

10/28/2021

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Washington’s Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) announced this week an emergency license suspension for Emerald Flash, an Okanagan-based cannabis cultivator. The suspension, which took effect on Monday, was ordered in the name of public safety following multiple alleged violations of the Washington State Uniform Controlled Substances Act.

According to the press release, Emerald Flash is accused of diverting cannabis products from the regulated market:

“On or about Sept. 19, 2021, the licensee was responsible for selling or providing to an unlicensed entity approximately 350 pounds of marijuana flower, worth between $700,000 and $1,000,000.” — LCB press release excerpt

Regulators also allege that the company was responsible for deceiving officials during their investigation with conflicting and inconsistent information, “failing to utilize or maintain current information in the traceability system,” and for not maintaining a state-mandated surveillance system including at least 45 days of video footage. required surveillance system. LCB also charged Emerald Flash with aggravated violations for failing to maintain required recordkeeping and for allowing visitors on-site without officially noting their presence.

The emergency license suspension lasts 180 days and LCB said that regulators will pursue the permanent revocation of the license during that timeframe.

Last month, Washington regulators adjusted state policy so that felony criminal records are no longer an automatic disqualification for cannabis licensing. In June, LCB approved a “Joints for Jabs” program wherein licensed cannabis dispensaries could offer a single pre-roll as an incentive for getting the coronavirus vaccine.

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Cannabis Drinks Expo San Francisco and Chicago Is Here — Get Your Tickets

10/28/2021

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Discover fast-growing cannabis drinks brands at the 2nd Annual Cannabis Drinks Expo on November 11 in San Francisco and on November 15 in Chicago.

Cannabis Drinks Expo, a super hit b2b trade show returns in November, providing the cannabis and drinks industry a unique platform to do business, learn about the category, and source amazing brands.

With a major theme of “growing your business and growing your bottom line,” any business looking for an on-ramp to this burgeoning marketplace will find Cannabis Drinks Expo the perfect platform.

Hosted by the Beverage Trade Network, this expo will shine a spotlight on the skyrocketing legal cannabis market and provide insight into its future brimming with opportunity.

Cannabis Drinks Expo promises to be relevant for anyone involved in the development, production, distribution, and retailing of cannabis and beverages. It will also provide a vital networking opportunity for political analysts, medical experts, and those involved in the development and implementation of legalized cannabis into new markets.

Dates and Location:

San Francisco: November 11, 2021 – South San Francisco Conference Center, 255 South Airport Boulevard South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States

Chicago: November 15, 2021 – Midwest Conference Centre, 401 W Lake St Northlake, Chicago IL 60164, United States

The cannabis entrepreneur who attends will be offered precious information on everything from the planning stages of crafting a cannabis-infused drink brand to formulation, regulations and compliance, branding, marketing, and the distribution of a cannabis drink product. We have outstanding experts in their field to clarify and explain the whole process. No stone will be left unturned. Cannabis-infused drinks are not just the ‘newest cannabis craze’. Studies show that in the US, consumers are steadily moving away from alcoholic choices.

The population is becoming more health-conscious and looking for alternative beverage options. This is what attracts a whole new emerging segment of buyers to cannabis-infused beverages. The Cannabis Drinks Expo will attract people from all over the United States. Coming to inform themselves about this thrilling element of the cannabis industry. They will see firsthand what it takes to create a cannabis-infused beverage brand. Networking possibilities are endless.

Meet awesome brands at both Chicago and San Francisco locations.

Browse the extensive expo booths, and connect with companies that are on the cutting-edge of the cannabis industry. Connections and partnerships are key in this endeavor. The panel of experts will be presenting intriguing and vital information that will demystify the whole procedure of cannabis-infused beverages. There will be a full day of presentations that comprises some of the top names in the cannabis industry.

Visitor Registration is now open, and you can get your passes now to save on tickets.

Here are the links to register yourself as a trade show visitor:
San Francisco Tickets | Chicago Tickets

If you would like more information, please call +1 855 481 1112. Website: https://cannabisdrinksexpo.com/en/

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Oakland Social Equity Cannabis Firms Sent to Collections by City

10/28/2021

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Cannabis regulators in Oakland, California have sent four of the city’s social equity licensees to collections over unpaid loans, Marijuana Business Daily reports.

The action was explained in an October 7th report shared with the Oakland Cannabis Commission — according to that report, of the city’s 59 social equity licensees, only about 60% are in compliance with the terms of their loans.

“As of August 2021, approximately 60 percent of all borrowers were in compliance, including twelve percent that have entered into loan modifications. Another thirty-four percent of borrowers were out of compliance; however, half of these borrowers were only one or two payments behind. Then seven percent of borrowers have fallen so far out of compliance and not pursued a loan modification that they have been forwarded to collections.” — Excerpt from the Cannabis Regulatory Commission report

According to Amber Senter, the CEO of Oakland-based Makr House who has dedicated years of work to Oakland’s social equity program, the loan defaults — and subsequent involvement of collections agencies — were frustrating but not unexpected.

“We can’t send our most vulnerable, impacted people into debt, and this is exactly what this is doing and exactly what we were fearful of,” Senter told MJBizDaily.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the city said in the report that “staff will continue to work with the Cannabis Commission and City Council on whether and how to forgive loans of cannabis equity applicants.”

The situation also demonstrates ongoing issues with the California cannabis market, where competitive licensing practices and high taxes have made the industry an enormous risk — especially for entrepreneurs without a lot of capital or investor backing.

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Overhaul to Michigan Medical Cannabis Caregiver System Ready for Vote

10/28/2021

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Michigan lawmakers are set to vote on a package of bills that would make sweeping changes to the state’s 2008 voter-approved medical cannabis law, including reducing the number of patients allowed per caregiver and limiting the number of plants caregivers can grow at one time from 60 to 12, Michigan Advance reports.

Under current law, caregivers must register with the state but don’t need a license to cultivate cannabis, can have up to five patients, and grow up to 12 plants per patient. Caregivers are not currently subject to the state’s rules on testing, labeling, or tracking of cannabis products. Caregivers are allowed to grow a maximum of 72 plants if they are also a registered patient with the state program, the report says.

The reform package includes six bills. In addition to the caregiver reforms, the reforms would create a license for specialty medical cannabis growers and require those licensees to use a tracking system; exempts cannabis sales from a registered primary caregiver or licensed specialty grower to a registered qualifying patient from use and sales taxes; and updated the state definitions of debilitating medical condition in the state’s health code.

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday applauded the approval of the reforms by the House Regulatory Reform Committee, saying it would “help improve safety and ensure fairness” in the state’s cannabis industry. Wendy Block, vice president of Business Advocacy and Member Engagement for the chamber, said the “legislation creates the framework for a new class of licensees to join the licensed marketplace and create thousands of new businesses.”

“By ensuring all cannabis providers follow the same rules and standards like testing, tracking and licensing, this legislation helps promote safety, fairness and a level playing field in this growing industry.” – Block in a press release

Caregivers argue the bills are being backed by corporate cannabis interests in the state and create excessive regulations for caregivers.

Yyan Bringold, a caregiver who organized the Caregiver Rights Rally last month, said that caregivers never had a seat at the table when lawmakers were crafting the legislation and that officials ignored advocates’ attempts to reach out about the proposal.

“We will not quit,” he told the Advance. “These big-money investors, they have made a power move.”

The bill moves next to the House floor. They must still be approved by the Senate before moving to the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) for her signature.

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University of Nevada, Reno Offering Cannabis Certification Courses

10/28/2021

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The University of Nevada, Reno is the latest college to partner with cannabis education company Green Flower to offer an industry certification program. Green Flower has previously announced partnerships with the University of New Mexico and New York’s Syracuse University, among other institutions throughout the U.S. The partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno is through its Extended Studies program.

The programs cover the business of cannabis, agriculture and horticulture, law and policy, and healthcare and medicine and each certificate program includes three, eight-week online courses.

Jodi Herzik, interim vice provost for Extended Studies, said that her team “naturally wants to ensure” the state “is at the forefront of cannabis education.”

“The University of Nevada, Reno is proud to partner with Green Flower to offer four, new online cannabis certificate programs. Nevada was the third state to approve cannabis for medical use with the adoption of the Nevada Medical Marijuana Act in 1998. We were once again trailblazers when Nevadans voted to legalize cannabis for adult recreational use in 2016.” – Herzik in a press release

Daniel Kalef, Green Flower’s vice president of Higher Education, noted that since the passage of the voter-approved adult-use law “the state has seen unprecedented [cannabis industry] growth and continues to show no signs of slowing down.”

“As the leading cannabis education company in the country, we set out to find the perfect university in the state with whom to partner and offer our programs to help prepare people for jobs in the industry,” Kalef said in a statement. “The University of Nevada, Reno checks all those boxes for us, and we could not be more thrilled to work with them on this.”

Courses begin November 15 and cost $2,950 per certificate but the university is offering a one-time $500 discount for students who enroll in next month’s cohort.

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South Dakota Lawmakers Sign Off on Latest Medical Cannabis Regs

10/28/2021

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The South Dakota Legislature’s Rules Review Committee has signed off on the latest round of regulations for the state’s medical cannabis program, including advertising restrictions and rules for patient home-grows, KELO reports. The committee approved the package 6-0.

The home cultivation rules allow physicians to be able to recommend that some patients can grow more than the three-plant limit allowed under the voter-approved law, but the physician must specify the reason for the increase, the report says. That recommendation will expire 200 days after it is issued.

The physician making the recommendation must tell officials what research was used to serve as a basis for the increase, the potential risks associated with a patient using the recommended amount of cannabis and how those risks are mitigated by the benefits, and why the patient would have difficulty obtaining an adequate supply from state-approved dispensaries.

The advertising rules approved by the committee prohibit most medical cannabis in the state “unless and until the United States Drug Enforcement Administration removes marijuana or cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance,” according to the proposal. The ban includes handbill distribution; direct mail, phone, text, or email campaigns to non-verified patients; advertising in most publications and on radio, TV, and other media; at all healthcare facilities; and signs and billboards – unless they are located on the dispensary’s own premises.

Under the law approved by voters during last year’s general election, the South Dakota Department of Health must start issuing program identification cards to patients no later than November 18.

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Spirit of the Bayou: A Kush Queen Halloween Collection

10/27/2021

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Life is a series of concentric circles where sometimes we are deeply rooted, and at other moments we’re untethered from our sense of self. Feeling uprooted can be especially prevalent as we approach the dark, dormant months of winter. Swamp Queen, the latest product launch from the bath bomb luminaries at Kush Queen, can help us find our way back to ourselves. The Swamp Queen launch features Spirit of the Bayou products, a 200 mg sharp pear green CBD bath bomb, and an intoxicating black cannabinoid elixir. Sip on the elixir as you bathe to facilitate self-discovery, insight, and — as always with Kush Queen — self-care.

“When you’re your best self, you can actually care for your community and be there for people in a way that you can’t when you’re unwell. For that side of it we had to have something that was psychoactive,” said Founder and CEO Olivia Alexander.

Self-care is a cornerstone of the brand. Bathing has many benefits, and Kush Queen has always promoted ritualizing self-care. With Spirit of the Bayou, they have gone one step farther, providing an elixir that further promotes a headspace for shadow work. Olivia created Swamp Queen to inspire people to journal, meditate, and explore what clarity of mind feels like in their subjective reality. It’s in that clarity where people can find their way through mind chatter.

Olivia Alexander holds cannabinoid elixir

“We just felt like this is a product that will encourage people to take some time for themselves, to really just explore who they are and where they came from because the messaging right now around products, cannabis, and everything, it’s just a little bit out of touch. By that, I mean out of touch with people’s realities,” said Olivia, “We wanted to just give people something super grounded in truth, super grounded in who Kush Queen is and then sort of give people a taste of the future.”

Kush Queen Founder Olivia Alexander is well known on social media as one of the first cannabis influencers to battle Instagram over her wrongfully deleted account. Since then, she has released a YouTube series with WolfieMemes, worked on tons of partnerships for Kush Queen, and rebuilt her following on IG and now TikTok. Her followers come for her adorable dog Reggie the Cloud and stay for her fearless hard truths about the industry. Her penchant for real talk is something that she acquired while growing up down the bayou. The Spirit of the Bayou products don’t just pay homage to her roots, they’re her invitation to discover your own.

To understand the vision behind Swamp Queen, Olivia took us back to 2019 when Kush Queen partnered with fashion brand Alice + Olivia for their Maybelline launch. She attended fashion week, and the brand was gaining recognition from mainstream media outlets including the Los Angeles Times. Making it into the Times was a company goal, but the media praise also brought negativity. One specific troll sent a slew of hateful messages, including an attempt to insult where the young and successful CEO had grown up.

The messages implied that instead of Kush Queen, Olivia should call herself Swamp Queen. Despite the negative thoughts that this minor attack evoked, the comment didn’t have the sender’s desired effect. Instead of hiding, Olivia owned her upbringing and wore the moniker with pride. As her team laughed at her new title, they realized the name would make for a great Halloween collection theme. Before the launch, the former pageant queen took to the bayou to take photos in her old neighborhood. As she traveled through Louisiana eating nostalgic meals, reconnecting with her neighbors, and researching the history of the place, the trip quickly became about much more than content. Her return to the swamp made her feel whole again, and she wanted the bath bomb to evoke a similar experience. Also, to give back to the place that made her, a portion of the proceeds will be going to indigenous tribes and parish communities that are still rebuilding following Hurricane Ida.

We had a chance to try the products before they launched, and the intention Olivia describes is present in the bath. When the bomb hits the water, the bathroom fills with the scent of a spring thunderstorm coating fresh earth. The swamp, Olivia explained, is something many people fear. The lush green swampy surface sits atop ominous dark waters that hold unknowable things. Spirit of the Bayou hopes to capture this complexity both aromatically and visually. To do this, the sharp green color slowly reveals a dark center as it bubbles, creating an ominous but intriguing place to soak.

CBD bath bomb fizzing in water

To fully experience a Swamp Queen bath bomb I recommend creating an intentional space for yourself. Play relaxing music, have a journal nearby, light a candle or two, and sip on the cannabinoid elixir. For me, the elixir released tensions and brought a dulled clarity that was ripe for exploring my inner mind. The drink is made with in-house nanotechnology that until now has been used only in topical applications. The elixir is the first of its kind from the brand, but Kush Queen will likely start releasing more beverages and consumables. Making time for yourself is the essence of the brand and as their product lines diversify, self-care will be the beating heart of that fundamental goal.

“Life is about finding who you are and following your purpose, and letting your intuition guide you…Creation is life for me, and that just kind of guides everything,” said Olivia.

Swamp Queen Spirit of the Bayou products are now available at kushqueen.shop for people aged 18 and older. In the wake of the tragedies following Hurricane Ida, 10% of all Swamp Queen sales will go to Hurricane Ida mutual aid and rebuilding the native and local bayou communities.

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Former Cannabis CEO Facing 13 Years in Prison

10/27/2021

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The founder of California cannabis dispensary Natural Healing Center has pleaded guilty to bribery and filing a false tax return, KSBY reports. Helios Dayspring now faces a maximum sentence of 13 years in prison, three years of probation, a $500,000 fine, and could be forced to pay the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) $3.5 million in restitution.

In his July plea agreement, Dayspring admitted to bribing San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill to support his cannabis businesses. Dayspring paid Hill a total of $32,000 in exchange for votes favoring legislation that permitted Dayspring’s cannabis farms to operate before getting final approval. Dayspring also admitted to attempting to bribe the former Grover Beach Mayor John Shoals in 2017 in exchange for two dispensary licenses, but Shoals did not accept the bribe.

Dayspring also admitted to underreporting his personal income on his federal tax returns – by more than $3.4 million – for four years.

The Natural Healing Center was ultimately awarded a single dispensary license to open a retail dispensary in Grover Beach – the company’s first dispensary to open in the county. A second location opened in Morro Bay in April, the report says, with a third planned to open this month but officials ultimately terminated that agreement.

Hill tragically died of suicide in August 2020 and later that month, Dayspring stepped down as Natural Healing Center CEO “to devote his energy and attention to other personal avenues of opportunity.”

Dayspring is scheduled to be sentenced on February 11.

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New York’s Top Cannabis Regulator: ‘Gifting’ is Illegal

10/27/2021

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The head of New York’s Cannabis Control Board last week declared the practice of “gifting” cannabis as part of a promotion with the purchase of another product – such as an overpriced shirt, lighter, or other items – is illegal under the state’s adult-use law, WXXI reports. During the board’s meeting last week, Chairman Tremaine Wright, said “the conduct is not legal and must stop.”

“There is no gray market in New York state. … Individuals who do not cease run the risk of severe financial penalties.” – Wright via WXXI

Wright did not elaborate on what the “severe financial penalties” could be and on what grounds they could be levied.

Jason Klimek, who co-leads law firm Barclay Damon’s cannabis team, told WXXI that this outcome was “fairly predictable.”

“Paramount is consumer safety, and the chair emphasized that,” he said. “It was very good for them to say that, because there has been a huge question about this, we get calls almost daily.”

Susan Rider-Ulacco, the executive assistant district attorney for Chemung County where an establishment is openly gifting cannabis, said that while officials have taken no action against the business yet, there could be law enforcement action in the future now that Wright has taken a firm position.

The practice of gifting is not a new one and is usually seen by some businesses and individuals as a loophole following the passage of adult-use laws but before regulations have been codified and the licensing process has begun.

While some potions of the state’s adult-use law have already taken effect – such as use and possession by adults – retail sales are not expected to begin until sometime next year.

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Cannabis Company Denied License in Missouri Wins $28M Lawsuit 

10/27/2021

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A company hired by Missouri to score applicants for the state’s medical cannabis has lost a $28 million lawsuit brought by one of the companies denied an industry license last year, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Wise Health Solutions was sued by GMT Consulting in 2020 claiming Wise’s scoring method was flawed and “corrupt,” which resulted in the license denial.

An arbitrator found that Wise “negligently performed its consulting duties” for the state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), which caused GMT “to be wrongfully denied dispensary licenses.” GMT is in court seeking to force Wise’s insurance company, Hiscox Insurance Co., to pay the $28 million judgment.

DHSS spokeswoman Lisa Cox on Tuesday told the Post-Dispatch that the ruling is not an indictment of the state’s medical cannabis industry application scoring system and “the issue appears to be a terms dispute with an insurance company and a non-execution agreement, not a decision by a court on the merits of scoring.”

The Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association also downplayed the outcome, saying the litigation is “between two private parties” and “doesn’t include the state.” The organization also said the decision “will have zero impact on Missouri’s more than 150,000 medical cannabis patients, our industry, or Missouri’s program.”

Wise Health had been paid $2.1 million from the state for its role in scoring industry applications but the state has paid more than $6.7 million in legal fees associated with the fallout of the company’s work, the report says. The state has had to use funds from the newly-created veteran’s fund – which is supported by medical cannabis taxes and fees – to cover some of the legal expenses.

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Florida Judge Lifts Ban on Online Cannabis Ordering

10/27/2021

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An administrative judge in Florida lifted the ban on Leafly and other third-party websites from assisting medical cannabis dispensaries with online patient orders, according to the News Service of Florida. The lawsuit was filed by Leafly after the Florida Department of Health (DOH) said theirs, and other sites, activities were “directly related to the cultivation, processing and dispensing” of cannabis, which health officials believed was a violation of state law.

Administrative Judge Suzanne Van Wyk disagreed with the state, writing in her ruling that the state must “immediately discontinue reliance on its policy … regarding online ordering of medical marijuana through third-party websites.”

The issue began when Florida Department of Health officials sent out a February 1 memo informing dispensaries the practice of contracting with Leafly and similar sites to process online patient deliveries was illegal and could be punished with a $5,000 fine. The state contended that by relying on the sites to conduct patient orders, providers were violating Florida’s vertical integration law, a market structure recently upheld by the Florida Supreme Court that requires cannabis firms to handle all aspects of cannabis cultivation, processing, and distribution from seed to customer.

Former DOH Chief of Staff Courtney Coppola wrote in the February memo that “contracting with Leafly.com, or any other third-party website, for services directly related to dispensing is a violation of this provision.”

But Van Wyk threw out the policy on the grounds it was an unadopted rule, writing that the memo “does not merely reiterate the statute, but places a construction on the statute that is not readily apparent on its face. The statute does not address third-party websites or online ordering.”

The judge did not go so far as to call the rule invalid as argued by Leafly attorney Seann Frazier, noting she did not have the authority to invalidate the rule completely. However, she would toss out the state’s argument that Leafly lacked standing to file the lawsuit, saying the Seattle-based company “has sustained cancelation of real contracts.”

In an email to Ganjaprenuer, Leafly CEO Yoko Miyashita said she was pleased with the ruling, writing that the company is “thrilled that the courts have sided with safe access to cannabis for patients.

“By allowing services like Leafly Pickup, consumers have greater ability to research in advance prior to purchase and retailers have additional effective means of serving the patient communities,” she said in the statement. “We look forward to working with our partners to restart Leafly Pickup throughout Florida effectively immediately.”

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Lil’ Kim Launching Cannabis Brand aphrodisiac

10/26/2021

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Grammy-award rapper Lil’ Kim is launching her own cannabis brand, aphrodisiac, in partnership with superbad inc., Forbes reports. The line is set to debut in early 2022.

Lil’ Kim, whose real name is Kimberly Denise Jones, told Forbes that she has been working on the project for two and a half years. She describes it as a fashion-forward, collectible, lifestyle cannabis brand.

“This is something that didn’t just come overnight. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s the way of the world.” – Lil’ Kim to Forbes

In the Forbes interview, Lil’ Kim described the partnership with superbad as “a match made in heaven.”

“I mean look at the name, superbad inc, that’s me all day,” she said. “I’m the First Lady Bad Girl.”

Carlos Dew, CEO of superbad, described Lil’ Kim as a “superbaddie.”

“superbad means that moment when you see someone walking down the street and think, ‘Dang, she’s BAD,’ he said in the interview.

Dew added that the goal is to get the brand in multiple states. Lil’ Kim names her home state of New Jersey and New York – where she was born and raised – as targets for expanding the brand.

“I’m a hustler by nature, right? I’m from Brooklyn, so we hustle. I equate the game all the time to how I came up in the streets. It’s different, but it’s not, it’s the same,” she said in the interview. “I’ve always been the type of person who will try it out. I test my product. I tested this and I was like ‘Oh yeah, this is that gas.’”

Dew added that everything in the aphrodisiac line “will be custom to Kim’s preferences on genetics, and strains.”

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Illinois Cannabis Sales Hit $1B Through September

10/26/2021

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Since legalizing, Illinois has sold nearly $1 billion in adult-use cannabis through September, the Daily Journal reports. Riding a seven-month wave of over $100 million per month, September saw $120 million in cannabis sales, bringing the total transactions to $997,067,100. The September figures are an 80% increase over last year, the report says.

National Cannabis Industry Association spokesman Morgan Fox believes the trend reflects momentum toward the regulated cannabis sphere away from the underground market.

“They’re concerned about things like safety as well as quality and convenience, not to mention making sure their money is going toward legitimate businesses that are acting responsibly.” – Fox to the Journal

Fox is not worried about the decrease in sales from July and August to September, attributing the high sales numbers over the summer to “people stocking up, because they were worried about continued access,” similar to spikes seen throughout the pandemic.

As for competition from other legal cannabis states bordering Illinois, Fox says the state can avoid setbacks by licensing more cannabis businesses and lowering taxes on cannabis operators.

“We will continue to see that growth, and honestly, I think we would see much more growth if the state were to decrease taxes on cannabis businesses,” Fox said in the report, adding that the federal government could help by making it easier for firms to access traditional banking and financial services. Then, Fox said, “regulated businesses would be able to more easily compete with the unregulated market.”

Since cannabis sales began in Illinois in January 2020, the Midwest state has continued to break sales records. Last year, the state sold over $1 billion in combined adult-use and medical cannabis, reporting a record $86 million in December 2020. By March 2021, those numbers rose to $109 million and spiked over the summer at $127.8 million in July.

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Israeli Cannabis Brand Developing Cannabis and Mushroom Nutritional Supplements

10/26/2021

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Israeli cannabis company Tikun-Olam Cannabit has signed a partnership with Ambrosia-SupHerb to produce and market nutritional supplements based on cannabis and mushrooms. Ambrosia-SupHerb is Israel’s largest nutritional supplement manufacturer and is engaged in the production of nutritional supplements and is the marketer of Solgar’s nutritional supplements in Israel.

As part of the partnership, a pilot will be launched, led by the companies’ research and development teams to develop the products, including combining components of additional nutritional supplements such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and plants. The companies applied to the Medical Cannabis Unit after signing the agreement to receive approval for the research and development activity in Israel.

Avinoam Sapir, general manager for Tikun Olam-Cannbit, said the market has “tremendous sales potential,” noting that the company has “seen the mushroom market flourishing in the East and growing in the U.S.”

“We view the combined power of empirical research and extraction expertise that we have along with the product development and shipping abilities of SupHerb in the nutritional supplement market in Israel and worldwide as perfect synergy. … Our empirical knowledge in the field of medical cannabis brings added value in creation of an innovative product that heralds a new message for patients worldwide.” – Sapir in a press release

Eitan Markovits, CEO and owner of Ambrosia SupHerb Group, called the partnership “groundbreaking” and that the partnership “will introduce the added value, professionalism and experience [SubHerb has] accrued over our 35 years of activity into the new worlds of cannabis-based nutritional supplements.”

The project marks the first time that an Israeli company will develop nutritional supplements based on cannabis and mushrooms.

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Illegal Cultivation Crackdown Nets 60k Cannabis Plants In Two Weeks

10/26/2021

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From October 11 to 24 the San Bernardino, California Sheriffs Department has seized more than 60,000 cannabis plants, 9,000 pounds of processed cannabis, and destroyed 319 greenhouses as part of “Operation Hammer Strike.” According to the Sheriff’s Office, 53 people total were arrested in the separate busts, which are in their eighth week.

Over the last two weeks, investigators involved in the crackdown on illegal cannabis cultivation sites seized eight grams of cannabis concentrate, 10 firearms, 8.9 grams of methamphetamine, and $118,000 in cash. One extraction lab was also disassembled along with six indoor cultivation sites in the law enforcement action, which included 46 locations throughout San Bernardino County.

None of the targets were in compliance with neither California’s adult-use cannabis law nor county laws, which prohibits commercial cannabis activity, the Sheriff’s Office said in the press releases.

Over the last eight weeks, the sheriff’s office has served 183 search warrants, made 238 arrests, and seized 186,916 cannabis plants, 38,911 pounds of processed cannabis, 8 grams of concentrate, 8.9 grams of methamphetamine, 57 guns, and $563,449.00 in cash, which the Sheriff’s Office described as “illicit narcotic sales proceeds.” Operation Hammer Strike has also eradicated and taken down a total of 1,022 greenhouses, including five locations with illegal electrical bypasses, and two THC extraction labs.

Individuals arrested in association with the cultivation operations are being charged with the cultivation of cannabis over six plants; possession of a dangerous drug; manufacturing a controlled substance; electrical theft; possession for sales of marijuana, and possession of a dangerous drug while armed.

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PurTec: Consumer Safety-Focused Vape Hardware

10/25/2021

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The vape industry has not stopped its momentum since entering the cannabis space. But after a near-decade of developing hardware and extraction methods that feature the best flavor or vapor, the market is still far behind in consumer safety. That is precisely why Corey Mangold founded PurTec in 2020 — their company mission is focused on consumer safety, specifically when it comes to wholly tested and safely built vape technology. Before PurTec, Corey founded Orchid Essentials in 2017, but since 2020 his focus has been on designing, engineering, and manufacturing PurTec products.

“The reason why consumer safety is so important to me is that it’s the one thing that this industry has not done that is a massive threat to the industry,” said CEO and Founder Corey Mangold. “If we’re putting out products that are unsafe yet people think they are safe, we’re going to have a major issue on our hands.”

PurTec works with manufacturing partners in Shenzhen, China, and testing partners in Switzerland, Canada, and California. PurCore F1 and PurCore R1 are the only vape delivery systems on the market that are emissions-tested and engineered with medical-grade surgical stainless steel. U.S. vape regulations only require heavy metals testing but cannabis labs tend to analyze the oils at room temperature. The issue with this is that consumers heat the oil before inhaling it. Applying heat not only changes the cannabinoids and terpenes, heat can also promote the degradation of cartridge components.

Vape components can contain nickel, cadmium, chromium, and lead. Corey has unpacked low-grade ceramic vape components that came out of their box with a puff of ceramic dust. When vape cartridges use these products, the dust can leach into oils and be inhaled. Unfortunately, inhaling any of these metals or ceramic dust can lead to serious health complications. PurTec’s testing lab partners all apply long-accepted AFNOR standards emissions tests.

“There’s not a single cartridge out there that I will use aside from PurTec and that’s not because it’s my company, it’s because I’ve seen the proof in the science,” said Corey.

PurTec goes out of its way to build safe products that produce a tasty vapor. The company has an exclusive relationship with its manufacturing partner to stay hands-on with product development and quality control. Their manufacturer also owns the only Grade A ceramic plant in the country, has manufacturing sophistication, and has achieved every standards certification available.

The second step to ensuring products are safe for consumers is to send them out for testing. Independent third-party labs test every PurTec component, raw material, and assembled product. After products are approved, they are emissions-tested in Switzerland and Canada. Slowly, U.S. cannabis labs are offering emissions testing but many lack the standard operating procedures.

When testing for harmful emissions, the team also gathers data on the best temperatures and methods to vape individual terpenes and cannabinoids. They use this data to create products programmed to activate specific terpene profiles and guide the consumer experience. Research showed that slowly ramping up the temperature enables the consumer to both vape and inhale each cannabinoid, terpene, and flavonoid at the optimal boiling point. In response to the data, they designed products that reach exact temperatures in a customized time frame to guide the consumer experience.

“We can custom develop a device that’s perfectly tailored to somebody’s cannabinoid profile and terpene profile, and we can ramp up the temperature to fire off the right cannabinoids and the right terpenes at the right time and the right temperature. When it comes to how cannabis oils are being vaporized, I believe we’re years beyond where other people are right now,” said Corey.

PurCore F1 is the first all-ceramic, cotton-free coil that uses a nano fusion film rather than a metal heating element. Nanofilm is printed directly on the ceramic coil and can be controlled down to a degree. They also offer PurCore R1, a familiar 510-threaded form factor that uses 80% fewer heavy metals than other vape tech options. In addition to cutting heavy metals, all products use no adhesives or glues, no cotton, and stainless steel 316L. Additionally, even with high-quality materials and advanced technology, switching to PurTec products can be cost-effective, if not cheaper than alternatives, due to their manufacturing scale.

The company’s mission of public safety doesn’t stop with vape design. Most recently, PurTec launched PurGuard, an age restriction software that can keep vapes out of the hands of minors. In 2022, the team will turn its focus to eco-friendly products, something that has been needed in vape tech.

PurTec technology appears in compliant cannabis products in California, Florida, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Canada, and soon, the European Union. To find PurTec powered vapes in your area or learn more about this safety-focused brand, check out their website at purtecdesigns.com.

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Cannabis Brand Faces $100K Fine Over Mislabeled Packaging

10/25/2021

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An Oregon cannabis company must pay a $100,000 fine over a labeling error following a two-year battle with the state Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC), Willamette Week reports. Luminous Botanicals maintains that the error was an honest mistake and plans to petition for a judicial review of the fine – which is the maximum penalty – when allowed to do so.

Filing the appeal would send the case to the Oregon Court of Appeals.

Kevin Jacoby, the attorney representing Sally Alworth, the owner of Luminous Botanicals, told Willamette Week that the “six-figure penalty for what amounts to an unintentional mistake only serves to discourage people in the illegal industry from going legal.”

“If you can be ruined by an honest mistake, why go legal at all?” – Jacoby to Willamette Week

The violation stems from the company’s labels not being properly wrapped around the vials, which contained a THC tonic. The company distributed 35,000 vials to dispensaries and customers and the OLCC imposed a $400 per day fine violation for each vial. The OLCC said the labels were attached in a way that they could be easily removed, which rendered them dangerous, especially to consumers who did not understand proper dosing.

The OLCC defended the $100,000 fine, arguing that it is “that it is a ‘measured and reasoned application of the authorizing legislation and applicable rule,’ which takes into account matters of deterrence and the ‘significant but largely unmeasurable risk’ posed by improperly labeled (and potentially completely unlabeled) marijuana products to consumers, children, and the public at large.”

In April, the OLCC imposed a $10,000 fine to Cura Partners after it knowingly mislabeled 186,000 vape cartridges, the report says.

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Cannabis Security Firm Seeks Return of $166K in Cash Seized by Police

10/25/2021

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A Pennsylvania company is asking a federal court to return about $166,000 from legal cannabis companies that was seized by law enforcement in Kansas as it was being transported from Missouri to Colorado, the Topeka Capital-Journal reports. Federal prosecutors claim the money is subject to asset forfeiture because cannabis remains federally outlawed.

The cash was seized by a Dickinson County Sheriff’s Deputy during a May 18 traffic stop. The money was in a van owned by Empyreal Logistics, which transports cash for cannabis dispensaries. The driver indicated she was on her way to Kansas City and collected cash from cannabis companies and was released. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proceeded to surveil the driver picking up cash throughout the day.

On May 19, the same deputy pulled the van over and law enforcement seized five bags of cash. In an affidavit, the DEA agent said a drug dog “alerted to the odor of marijuana coming from the currency [and] marijuana is a controlled substance and illegal under both federal and Kansas state law.”

Empyreal Logistics contends that the government’s claims “should be barred as the conduct which generated the Defendant property was lawful under Missouri state law and tacitly or affirmatively allowed by the action of the United States Federal Government,” according to court documents outlined by the Capital-Journal.

While cannabis remains federally outlawed, in May, Attorney General Merrick Garland told a U.S. House committee that the Justice Department wouldn’t target state-legal cannabis companies. At that time, he said, “the department’s view on marijuana use is that enforcement against use is not a good use of our resources … in states where it is regulated.”

However, the Congressional Research Service wrote in a May 2020 report that “any activity involving marijuana that is not authorized under the [Controlled Substances Act] remains a federal crime anywhere in the United States, including in states that have purported to legalize medical or recreational marijuana.”

A scheduling conference for the case is set for January 4.

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Cannabis Cultivation-Related Seizures and Arrests Down in New York

10/25/2021

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Through the first 10 months of the year, State Police have seized 1,628 cannabis plants in 71 cases with four arrests, down from 4,242 plants seized in 219 cases last year with 152 arrests, the Albany Times-Union reports. In 2019, State Police seized 2,711 plants in 161 cases with 107 arrests.

The decline in seizures and arrests this year comes as lawmakers in March passed legalization legislation, which includes home cultivation; however, those provisions don’t take effect until legal sales commence, which is expected sometime next year.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said his agency stopped doing the cannabis eradication missions “a couple of years back.”

“If somebody calls us we’ll usually send our drone team out to take a peek at it. But I really don’t waste the resources going hunting for it.” – Apple to the Times-Union

State Police said that their “mission has always been to eradicate large, illegal marijuana grows and that work will continue” but those missions cost more than $1,000 per hour in fuel and insurance costs alone, the report says.

Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo said his department has worked with the New York State Police on cannabis eradication missions this year, but most were associated with narcotics trafficking cases. He noted that “road patrol arrests are really down” following the passage of the cannabis law and that they most often encounter “just small amounts” of cannabis which fall under the legal limit for adults 21-and-older.

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Ohio Medical Cannabis Patients Dissatisfied with Program

10/25/2021

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According to a report by the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law, a little less than half of Ohio’s medical cannabis patients are “extremely dissatisfied” or “somewhat dissatisfied” with the state’s medical cannabis system, the Dayton Daily News reports. The number one reason for their dissatisfaction given by the 1,326 patients who took the survey – or why they didn’t use licensed dispensaries or dropped out of the program altogether – was the continued high prices of medical cannabis in Ohio.

Nearly three years into the program, Ohio medical cannabis is 44% more expensive than cannabis in neighboring Michigan, the report says.

“We follow the economic trends because you don’t want (the price) to be too low or too high, so there’s a median that has been set by the industry,” Ariane Kirkpatrick, CEO of Harvest of Ohio, said in the report. “Everybody’s selling pretty much at the same price, all of the locations. There’s no price-gouging by any individual owners.”

She added that owners have an understanding not to discount prices too much “just so they can get all the sales.”

The report notes that price-per-gram in Ohio fell from $17 in 2019 to $11 or $10 by the end of the year. However, since January 2021 prices have remained stagnant, despite more producers and dispensaries coming online.

Another reason for program dissatisfaction is the lack of medical cannabis homegrows, the report found. Kirkpatrick said a bill to legalize adult-use cannabis and home cultivation will be introduced in the upcoming Ohio legislative session that will address the complaint.

“I don’t see that as a threat (to the industry) at all,” she said. “I see it more as … something that’s needed in terms of accessibility for patients.”

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USPS Says Hemp Vape Products Included in Ban on Mailing E-Cigarettes

10/22/2021

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In guidance released on Wednesday, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) said that vape devices for products like CBD cannot be shipped through the service, saying that a bill passed by Congress last year to prohibit nicotine vape cartridges from the mail applies to vaping devices for hemp.

Marijuana Moment first reported the publication of the Final Rule on Wednesday.

“It goes without saying that marijuana, hemp, and their derivatives are substances. Hence, to the extent that they may be delivered to an inhaling user through an aerosolized solution, they and the related delivery systems, parts, components, liquids, and accessories clearly fall within the [Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act’s] scope.” – USPS, “Treatments of E-Cigarettes in the Mail,” Oct. 21, 2021

The guidance does allow the mailing of federally legal hemp products – those containing 0.3% THC or less – “to the extent that they are not incorporated into an [electronic nicotine delivery systems] product or function as a component of one.”

Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, told Marijuana Moment that “USPS never asked Congress to hand them a new unfunded mandate.” He anticipates it will take USPS “months or years” to sort through the application process to allow business-to-business sales of vape products through the mail, which is allowed under the law.

“The reality is Congress set the overly expansive language and USPS was and is statutorily obliged to apply the law as they wrote it,” he told Marijuana Moment.

“Of course, there remains an open question around how vigorously the law will be enforced, particularly around products that lack state or federal excise taxes,” he said in the report. “Punishments for violating the law can be swift and severe, so retailers should think carefully about trading a short-term buck for potential legal troubles before a federal judge.”

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Johns Hopkins Receives $4M From NIH To Study Psilocybin As Tool To Quit Smoking

10/22/2021

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This article was written by Ethan McLeod and originally published by Outlaw Report.

With top medical research institutions now giving regular and serious consideration to the medical utility of psychedelics, the federal government is finally putting some money behind the movement.

Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Medicine announced Monday that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will provide nearly $4 million to help researchers study how psilocybin, known more colloquially as magic mushrooms, can affect tobacco addiction. Hopkins will work with researchers at New York University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham on a three-year study of a wide range of smokers at several sites.

The funding from the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse will help expand on past research by Matthew Johnson, associate director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Hopkins Medicine. Johnson led a study published in 2014 in which 15 longtime smokers — averaging about a pack a day over three decades — took moderate to strong doses of shrooms over two or three sessions within a 15-week period, complemented by cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT.)

Six months out from the study, 12 of the 15 participants had been nicotine-free for at least a week, showing “promise regarding the safety of psilocybin as an adjunct to smoking cessation treatment,” according to the researchers.

The newly announced funding will help Johnson and colleagues broaden their work suggesting that the combination of shrooms and CBT can help break the thought and behavioral patterns that arise from long-term smoking.

“We knew it was only a matter of time before the NIH would fund this work because the data are so compelling and because this work has demonstrated to be safe,” Johnson said in a statement this week. “Psilocybin does have very real risks, but these risks are squarely mitigated in controlled settings through screening, preparation, monitoring, and follow-up care.”

Hopkins and NYU are among a growing list of institutions that over the last two decades have called attention to the medical and psychological utility of psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocybin, both classified alongside cannabis as Schedule I drugs under the federal Controlled Substances Act. A Schedule I classification is reserved for substances with “a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use… and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision,” according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Thanks to those restrictions, such research in the U.S. has been strictly privately funded. Hopkins launched its Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research in 2019 with a $17 million donation from a group of private donors. NYU announced a similar move this past February with the forthcoming NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine, funded by $10 million in private support.

Other past studies out of Hopkins have found a combination of high doses of shrooms with psychotherapy can help to treat anxiety and depression among cancer patients, as well as major depression among a wider range of people.

The NIH has historically been uninvolved with research into psychedelics, as noted in a June STAT News op-ed by psychedelics activist Rick Doblin and psychiatrists Brian Barnett and Julie Holland. However, the agency appears to be changing its tune. In addition to the funding for Johnson’s smoking-cessation study, the NIH issued a grant in April to a Yale University researcher studying the neural effects of psilocybin in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

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New York Approves Home Grows for Medical Cannabis Patients

10/22/2021

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Medical cannabis patients in New York will soon be allowed to grow their own cannabis under new rules decided during the second meeting of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), WBFO reports. The board members also approved expunging more than 200,000 criminal records for offenses no longer illegal in the state under the adult-use law.

Home cultivation was included in the Legislature-approved bill earlier this year; however, it includes provisions barring home grows until retail sales are launched in the state.

Under the rules – which must still go through a 60-day public comment period which the OCM may adjust prior to them taking effect – registered patients may grow up to three immature and three mature plants per individual or up to six immature and six mature per household.

OCM Executive Director Chris Alexander said that the state is already withholding cannabis-related arrest records from background checks and that those charges will ultimately be expunged.

“When completed, the actions of these measures will have expunged the records of over 400,000 New Yorkers, a staggering reminder of the impact that cannabis prohibition had on so many.”—Alexander to WBFO

In 2019, the state had expunged some 198,000 cannabis-related criminal records even prior to the broad legalization reforms.

During their first meeting earlier this month, the board permanently waived the fee for medical cannabis patients and caregivers, made flower an approved form of medical cannabis in the state, and approved allowing patients to obtain a 60-day supply of medical cannabis instead of just one month.

Legal cannabis sales are expected in the Empire State sometime in 2022.

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