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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Celebrity Advocates Highlight America’s Common Ground on Cannabis Reform

11/10/2021

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A new cannabis legalization advocacy initiative, Cannabis in Common, launched on Tuesday backed in part by Head Count’s Cannabis Voter Project and the U.S. Cannabis Council. The launch includes videos including Houseplant CEO and comedian Seth Rogen and actress and comedian Sarah Silverman.

“…Despite what you may have heard, Americans can actually agree on something – and that something is weed. Recent polls show more than two-thirds of us now want to legalize cannabis. You know who can not agree on anything though? Politicians. So, despite the fact that 69% of us want cannabis legal, less than half of Senators have come out in favor. In fact, some won’t even say where they stand on the issue at all.” — Rogen, “Tell Congress We Have Cannabis in Common”

In the video, Rogen calls on the public to fill their representatives’ “inboxes” and “phone lines” with emails and calls supporting cannabis reform bills that have not been considered for a vote.

“We have a real shot at getting federal legalization now if we speak up,” Silverman says in the narration to a separate, animated, video. “If we don’t make a change soon, we are settling for laws that disproportionately land people of color in prison. We’re leaving hundreds of thousands of jobs on the table and giving up tax revenue that can go toward education and other community investments.”

The organization’s website makes it easier for supporters to email or call their congressional representatives in support of cannabis legalization. Nearly 50 companies and organizations, including Rogen’s Houseplant, Last Prisoner Project, Weedmaps, Marijuana Policy Project, High Times, Curaleaf Holdings, and Canopy Growth have signed on as partners to the campaign.

The launch comes as Republican Rep. Nancy Mace (SC) is circulating a bill to enact federal cannabis reforms. The bill is expected to be filed later this month.

Image sources: https://youtu.be/FXrJNExqIvs, https://youtu.be/hhQZsnV09YM

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Delta-8 Temporarily Made Legal in Texas

11/10/2021

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A Travis County, Texas judge has temporarily blocked the state from listing delta-8 THC as a Schedule I narcotic, legalizing the synthetic cannabinoid for the time being, the Texas Tribune reports. The decision by state district court Judge Jan Soifer sided with Hometown Hero, an Austin-based dispensary that had filed for an injunction against the state.

Hometown Hero said the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) did not alert retailers prior to the October 15 ban. In its counterargument, the state claimed that a notice in the Texas Register, a hearing with no attendees, and a DSHS official’s testimony to the Legislature in May were ample notice to CBD and hemp retailers.

In her ruling, Soifer sided with Hometown Hero, saying the state did not follow their own rule-making procedure when they issued the ban.

“This is a strong first step in reaffirming the fact that delta-8 is a legal cannabinoid in Texas,” Ben Meggs, CEO of Bayou City Hemp, a financial backer of the Hometown Hero’s lawsuit, said in a written statement.

DSHS has not responded to the ruling but in a lawsuit said the 2018 Farm Bill and a Texas hemp bill passed in 2019 did not legalize the sale of delta-8 THC as the synthetic cannabinoid was not explicitly mentioned in either document.

In a short YouTube video, Hometown Hero CEO Lukas Gilkey said advocates “are expecting the state to appeal this immediately. But it shouldn’t change anything, and we should be able to keep proceeding going forward.”

CBD and hemp stores in Texas started selling delta-8 under the assumption the 2018 Farm bill and the state’s hemp law had legalized the practice. This ruling returns the state to a cannabinoid regulatory landscape present before the DSHS’ October 15 ban.

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Mississippi Gov. Will Not Call Special Session for Medical Cannabis

11/10/2021

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Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) does not plan to call lawmakers back for a special session, meaning the medical cannabis legalization bill will not be considered in the Legislature until the regular session begins in January, Mississippi Today reports. Lawmakers had expected Reeves would heed their call for the special session to consider the medical cannabis bill and another for an incentive program for nurses and health care workers.

Earlier this month, Reeves indicated that he wanted tighter limits on the quantity of medical cannabis that patients could purchase and to limit the amount of THC allowed in medical cannabis products sold in the state. During a November 1 press conference, Reeves said that getting the medical cannabis program “done right is more important than getting it done quick.”

Mississippi voters approved a medical cannabis initiative during the 2020 election, but the state Supreme Court overturned the proposal in May, ruling that Mississippi’s initiative process is outdated and unworkable. In response, lawmakers introduced legislation to enact the reforms and called on the governor to call a special session to bring up the bill for a vote. Reeves had said he would call the session if lawmakers could agree on a plan, but that no longer appears to be the case.

The plan by lawmakers will also likely face pushback from state Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, who has said that he has a legal challenge ready if the Legislature approves any medical cannabis reforms. In an August letter to state Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Gipson said that “elected officials took an oath of office to ‘faithfully support the Constitution of the United States … and obey the laws thereof’” and that cannabis legalization of any kind runs afoul of federal law.

In October, medical cannabis advocates held a protest demanding Tate call the session to enact the reforms.

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Nevada Suspends License of Cannabis Edibles Brand

11/10/2021

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The license of Nevada edibles manufacturer Kindibles was suspended after the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) found the company had added thousands of additional products to an already tested batch of goods, thereby skirting the state’s lab reporting requirements, according to a CCB news release. Upon visiting Kindibles’ production facility, state inspectors found additional violations, including products in the company vault not in the Nevada seed-to-sale tracking system.

The board voted unanimously to enact the suspension.

In order to begin operations again, Kindibles must submit a “plan of correction” within 10 days that addresses how the company will fix the issues cited in the complaint, the press release says.

“The CCB is unable to verify that the production facility Kindibles, LLC created and tested the following edible products in accordance with the regulations. The CCB is advising consumers who have purchased the affected cannabis product to avoid or take caution when consuming the product.” — Nevada Public Health and Safety Bulletin 2021-2

According to the Health Bulletin, the Kindibles products were sold at 10 Nevada cannabis retail locations between June 1, 2021, and November 3, 2021.

The CCB said they do not believe the dispensaries were aware of Kindibles’ violations and there have been no reports of illness related to the incident. This is the third summary suspension issued by the Nevada CCB this year, the news release notes.

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Idaho Begins Accepting Hemp Industry Applications

11/10/2021

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Idaho, the last state to enact a hemp cultivation and industry law, is now accepting applications for its hemp program, the Post-Register reports. Federal officials approved the state’s hemp industry plan on November 1 and the applications are for the 2022 growing season.

For farmers, the total application and program costs will run about $1,000 per year, including $100 for the application, $500 for a license, and $250 per lot for pre-harvest inspections. Lot sizes can run from two to 25 acres. It’s up to the farmer to determine how big each lot is.

Braden Jensen, deputy director of governmental affairs for Idaho Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), told the Post-Register the organization is “happy the program has been approved and growers or processors who are interested in hemp production can begin exploring those opportunities now.”

The IFBF has had a policy supporting the legalization of hemp for more than 20 years.

Chanel Tewalt, deputy director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), which is responsible for overseeing the hemp program, said that the agency received input on the program rules from about 40 stakeholders, including farmers and would-be processors.

“We’ve appreciated the incredible collaboration we’ve had,” Tewalt told the Post-Register. “We didn’t do this in a vacuum. We had a lot of feedback on this program.”

The Idaho plan does exclude anyone convicted of a felony drug violation in any state or federal court in the last 10 years from participating in the program.

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indacut: Scaling a Cannabis Delivery Service to MSO Retailer

11/09/2021

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At 23-years old, many adults are venturing into the workforce with their new degree or putting in their first few years learning a trade, but Drayten Howell isn’t most 23-year olds — he is the founder and CEO of indacut Enterprises, a California cannabis delivery service. He wrote the indacut business plan in his dorm room after basketball practice and now the brand is opening its first California storefront and a new Michigan operation.

According to Drayten, his athletic background helped him develop skills that he uses in business to this day, like staying focused on the long game rather than getting caught up in small problems. “I treat this delivery like a practice, kind of like it’s a warm-up,” he said. “I lean back to my athletics a lot. It set the foundation for what I’m doing now as far as keeping the discipline, having strategy, having a game plan.”

While athletics laid the foundation, Drayten credits his mother for instilling in him a drive to be his own boss. She was born in Jamaica and immigrated to the States when she was nine years old and has always insisted that Drayten get an education and only work for himself. One of his core goals is to get the business profitable enough to pay for her retirement. As he builds his enterprise’s foundation in his hometown of Lompoc, California, Drayten can’t help but reflect on how far he’s come.

They launched indacut delivery in the counties of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara on April 20, 2020, and most recently closed on a 15,000 square foot superstore which will house their first brick and mortar dispensary in 2022 — the new superstore is located just a few blocks from where the entrepreneur watched police arrest his father for cannabis possession. Before then, their Michigan flagship store will open in Big Rapids, offering delivery into Grand Rapids. Drayten is finding the Michigan market to be more supportive than his home state: the dispensary’s neighboring businesses welcome them to the block while lots of California business owners are afraid to see cannabis businesses entering their strip malls.

Drayten also believes that there is more space in the Michigan market for branding than in California. “California is the mecca,” he said. “If you can make it in California you have a great chance of being successful in other states just given the nature of the businesses that you have to compete with out here. And that’s not to say there’s not people doing it at a high level out there, because there is. But out here there’s more culture around it, there’s brands, there’s not a lot of branding going on in Michigan, per se. And I think that’s the gap that’s missing, the connection to the culture.”

Indacut is building relationships with companies that make consumer goods products to fill out their line until they can build micro-grows for their retail stores in each state. The indacut brand will include flower, concentrates, and pre-rolls. DOOBIEZ features a 1.5 gram 5-pack of triple-infused pre-rolls that include THCA powder and diamonds inside, which are then dipped in distillate and dusted with kief. There will also be TURPZ, covering flower and concentrates, and the concentrate line STONEZ, which will feature just live resin diamonds. All but the STONEZ brand are live now in California — STONEZ will be on shelves as soon as the COAs are complete. Once they can vertically integrate, Drayten plans to build out craft micro-grows to close the supply chain of his dispensaries, a process that will likely start in Michigan where the wholesale market still benefits the seller.

Currently, at their California delivery service, 98% of orders are fulfilled through e-commerce. The company’s success hinges on choosing the right software and they use a lot of different SaaS. They use Dutchie because it easily integrates into a vast spread of programs that they use day-to-day including but not limited to Slack, Onfleet, Leaflogix, Notion, Figma, Alpine IQ, and more. Choosing, testing, and solidifying relationships with software vendors has been essential as they scale. For example, using data provided by these services, the company has lowered their average delivery time from 62-55 minutes to 45-49 minutes since last year.

“I need a software that can take the thinking out of it for my drivers and provide them their own way to route-optimize themselves if necessary, to make changes along their routes if necessary. And they can claim their own task, kind of like Uber. It’s very streamlined as soon as the customer orders.” Drayten sees each SaaS as a brick in the foundation of their business, as they continue to build they have a solid SOP that grows along with them. When they are operating in multiple states he can use these services to fully tap into his stores around the country without having to hop on a plane.

The tech integration is also helpful when uninformed local law enforcement hassles drivers. Indacut stores all of their compliance information and manifests in a Slack channel in the event that their drivers are pulled over and, unfortunately, this happens more than it should for a compliant, licensed cannabis business. In some cases, drivers are detained even with all of their compliance information because the officers don’t know what Metrc is or how cannabis is regulated.

This creates fear for the drivers and the business incurs unnecessary costs on top of already gouging tax payments. “There needs to be integrity on both sides. For us, them knowing we’re doing everything in our power to operate compliantly. And for them, to be willing to learn and understanding what we go through in the industry. If you’re enforcement, you should know what’s going on to the extent of Metrc or a POS that carries all of our sales and we can print it out for them.”

These negative experiences haven’t taken the wind out of Drayten Howell’s sails, though: he continues to push forward with big plans as they approach the opening day of their Michigan storefront & delivery hub in December 2021. Like their other ventures, the storefront design was dreamed up by Drayten and executed with precision by the Temeka Group. Each element is based on their logo, so it’s all symmetrical with stars featured on the fixtures and blue marble throughout. They also recently launched their new website with 3D graphics and animation.

“I do plan on being in this space when it does come time for federal legalization, hence our move to Michigan,” Drayten said. “I want to be ready when interstate commerce comes, I don’t want to be passed up. I’m doing everything in my power so that I can build up a small enterprise.”

Learn where indacut Enterprises delivers and keep up with the latest at indacutca.com.

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BIOS Lighting: NASA-Inspired LED Lighting Solutions

11/09/2021

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BIOS Lighting is an LED lighting solutions firm that uses research-backed technology to optimize plant growth and stimulate photosynthesis. Before co-founding the company, Robert Soler, BIOS Lighting’s Vice President of Human Biological Technologies and Research, was studying LED lighting solutions at the Kennedy Space Center’s Space Life Sciences Lab. There, Soler worked on a proposal that won a contract to design and build new LED-based lighting modules for the International Space Station — he specifically studied human biological cycles and photosynthesis, which led to the innovative application of LED technology that later became the foundation for BIOS Lighting.

“I am very passionate about human and plant applications of LED light spectrums,” Soler said. “I was first introduced to this idea at Kennedy Space Center, where I was a lighting engineer at the Space Life Sciences Lab. There we would change spectrum of light to manipulate plant growth and human health.”

Astronauts can get thrown off by experiencing 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours. The fundamental research that led to BIOS was to see if light spectrums could regulate the circadian rhythms of astronauts. This research ascertained that earth-dwellers could benefit from specially designed lighting systems in their homes. Circadian lighting is the concept that electric light can support human health by tuning intensity, color, and stimulus. Cells in the body respond to light and dark, and circadian lighting attempts to mimic the light spectrum and tonal changes of the sun to regulate the natural rhythms of sleep and wakefulness. BIOS develops and sells light bulbs and a state-of-the-art wellness light to support bringing the internal clock back in sync with the body’s natural circadian rhythm. In addition to regulating circadian rhythms, NASA wanted to cultivate plants on the ISS as a food source and to help with filtration and air purification.

BIOS uses these same core principles, where LED lighting fixtures simulate the light spectrums of the sun, when developing grow lights for plants. At BIOS, the team takes biological mechanisms, photobiology, and biochemistry into account and develops LED technology based on those markers. For years, High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) lighting was the go-to technology for indoor cultivation but LEDs are replacing these systems as the technology advances. Large-scale cultivators and home growers found that switching to LEDs lowered the cost of utilities due to temperature regulation and electric output. This benefit reflects the benefits of applying new technologies to an existing operation, and BIOS is committed to exploring new boundaries for LED lighting applications.

A few years into their operation, BIOS made the conscious decision to enter the cannabis space. Now they are designing products specifically for the cannabis plant. “Our Li2 is specifically designed to maximize yield of cannabis and is designed to easily mount in cannabis indoor facilities. Our LLi is designed for the vegetative phase of cannabis growth, and our Ti2 and Ti3 are designed for indoor and greenhouse cannabis application,” Soler said. “We feel cannabis operators deserve a higher quality lighting solution that is built for production and meets the rugged demands of commercial cultivation facilities now and in the future.”

BIOS fixtures are industrial grade and designed to withstand harsh environments. The difference in build and design quality is clear when comparing the fixtures to companies who chase gimmicks and hype. That difference comes from staying focused on providing a scientifically superior product that is never rushed to market. Whenever the cannabis lighting sector catches on to a new trend, BIOS steadily researches and validates the science before releasing a product. Their solutions have always been biologically-backed, reliable, easy to use, and energy-efficient.

LED lighting systems allow for finite automation, which is why they’re used to maximize yields and even promote the production of secondary compounds like terpenes. The BIOS team helps customers achieve these goals and also collects the data revealed in the process. Each experience gives the development team more ideas for future products. Soler described the R&D process at the company, “We are mostly interested in applied research. Taking some of the findings from the research and applying it to cannabis in a real-world scenario. If something in the research looks promising, we’ll explore it. But we won’t put any technology into a product until we have proven that it will provide a benefit to the grower.”

With their research-forward approach to LED lighting, BIOS is positioned to continue innovating in the cannabis lighting space. The US-based brand currently has almost ten lighting fixtures available for indoor cultivation and they’re always collecting data to continue expanding and evolving their line.

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GOP-Led Federal Legalization Bill Signals Congressional Shift

11/09/2021

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A federal cannabis legalization bill is being circulated by Republican members of Congress in preparation for its official filing, expected later this month, Marijuana Moment reports.

The 116-page States Reform Act, led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), reportedly seeks to deschedule cannabis at the federal level and allot regulatory powers across multiple federal agencies. Under the proposal, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) would be tasked with regulating interstate cannabis commerce while raw cannabis materials would be regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The FDA’s authority, meanwhile, would be limited to determining serving sizes and designating state medical cannabis products — the FDA would also still be in charge of regulating cannabis-based pharmaceuticals.

The proposal carries a federal 3.75% excise tax on cannabis sales, revenue from which would be dedicated to supporting community reentry, law enforcement, and financial aid through the federal Small Business Administration. The bill also includes expungement provisions for certain federal nonviolent cannabis crimes but does not appear to carry further justice reforms like social equity considerations, which puts it at odds with other congressional legalization proposals like the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act or the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which is led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

It is not yet clear whether the bill will manage to draw bipartisan support but Rep. Mace’s proposal does carry specific protections for existing cannabis businesses, which might go a long way toward getting industry stakeholders on board with the Republican-led legalization effort, according to the report.

The draft bill is still being circulated and the details above are subject to possible changes.

A Gallup poll released last week found that support for federal cannabis legalization among U.S. adults is at an all-time high of 68%.

 

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Curaleaf Set to Acquire Western Operator Tryke for $286M

11/09/2021

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Massachusetts-based cannabis multi-state operator Curaleaf on Monday agreed to acquire Tryke Companies, which operates in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, for $286 million. The cash and stock deal is expected to close in the second half of next year, following regulatory approvals.

In a statement, Curaleaf Founder and Chairman Boris Johnson said the deal would expand the company’s U.S. presence into the three western states where Tryke operates “while yielding meaningful benefits” to Curaleaf stakeholders. Tryke owns and operates two retail dispensaries in Arizona and four in Nevada under the Reef brand. The company’s brands are sold in over 50 locations throughout the company’s operating footprint.

Under the terms of the agreement, Curaleaf will pay $40 million in cash at closing, with the remaining $75 million in cash paid in equal installments on the first, second, and third anniversaries of the closing. The stock portion of the transaction consists of 17 million subordinate voting shares of Curaleaf and will also be paid in three equal installments on the three anniversaries of the closing. An incremental earnout of up to 1 million Curaleaf shares may be paid in 2023 based on the business exceeding certain EBITDA targets for the previous year.

In a press release, the companies note that Tryke has “compelling” EBITDA margins in excess of 35% and is expected to record nearly $110 million in full-year 2021 revenue.

Last month, Curaleaf completed its acquisition of Los Sueños Farms, the largest outdoor cultivation operation in Colorado, in a $67 million deal.

Last March, Curaleaf announced it would acquire EMMAC Life Sciences Ltd., Europe’s largest vertically integrated cannabis company, for approximately $286 million.

The Tryke deal still requires the approval of the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board.

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Black People Still Majority of Cannabis Cases in Dallas County As Referrals Decline

11/09/2021

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The number of first-offense, misdemeanor cannabis cases referred to the Dallas County, Texas district attorney’s office from 2018 to 2019 dropped 31% once District Attorney John Creuzot was elected and followed through on his promise to stop prosecuting such cases, according to a Deason Center report. In 2019, the number of low-level cannabis cases fell to a monthly average of 384, from a monthly average of 554 the year prior; however Black people still comprised the majority of referrals sent to the DA.

In Dallas County, Black people comprise 23% of the population but made up 54% of cannabis-related referrals in 2018. In 2019, Black people represented 56% of the referrals sent to the DA, despite fewer overall referrals sent. The relative likelihood of cannabis referral in Dallas County in 2019 for Black people also increased from 4 times as likely the prior year to 4.4 times as likely.

“Racial disparity in marijuana referrals was worse in 2019 than in 2018. Black people were even more likely than non-Black people to be referred for marijuana prosecution.” — Deason Center, “Fewer, Not Fairer”

Pamela Metzger, director of the Deason Center, told D Magazine that “it’s really hard to understand these as cases that are anything less than the police kind of imposing their own set of punishments.”

“Now, that may not be what they intend,” she said in the interview. “But if you’re the person sitting in jail, on a case that the DA’s office has been saying for two solid years — actually, almost three now — will be declined, [it’s] very hard to understand how this isn’t punishment without process.”

The report also points out that in 2019, the racial disparity in cannabis cases referred to the DA’s office improved in Mesquite (7% better), the city of Dallas (5% better), and Grand Prairie (3% better), the disparity got worse in Richardson (5% worse), Garland (16% worse), and Irving (23% worse).

In April, Dallas Police announced they would stop charging individuals who are caught with small amounts of cannabis for personal use. According to the D Magazine report covering the reforms, Chief Eddie Garcia wrote in a memo that the changes were being implemented “to lessen the impact of arresting individuals for low-level amounts of marijuana.”

City police officers now only charge for possession if the person has two ounces or more or evidence of sales.

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Michigan Expands Access to Medical Cannabis Licenses

11/09/2021

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) has signed legislation expanding the number of people eligible for medical cannabis licenses, including those previously barred due to a cannabis-related misdemeanor or felony. The bill includes an exception for individuals convicted of selling cannabis to a minor.

The bill also allows spouses of elected or state-employed individuals to obtain a medical cannabis industry license. The law automatically excludes from license eligibility an applicant who holds certain elective offices (state, local, or federal), is a member of or employed by a governmental regulatory body, employed by the state of Michigan, and spouses of individuals that work for any cannabis regulatory agency.

The bill was introduced by Republican state Rep. Julie Alexander, who said after the Senate passed the bill that previous medical cannabis industry licensing rules unfairly restricted “small-business owners married to government employees, regardless of whether an actual conflict [of interest] exists.”

“Our laws have unfairly and arbitrarily kept the spouses of state employees out of a business market. Although well-intentioned, the restriction roped in many families that had no actual conflict of interest. The old system didn’t make sense; this new change will help small-business owners while maintaining important, but fair, ethical protections.” — Alexander in a November 5 statement

Steve Linder, executive director of the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association, told Interlochen Public Radio in October that, while the organization did not take an official position on the bill, it does support allowing people with cannabis-related criminal charges the ability to obtain an industry license.

“There’s been an attitude in the shaping in all of these laws that now that it is legal, unless you are convicted of other types of crimes, and you had served your time on behalf of society, that there really should be no future barrier to you participating,” he told IPR.

Under the state’s 2016 Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act, anyone convicted of a felony within the previous 10 years or a misdemeanor within the last 5 years was prohibited from obtaining a state license.

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Indiana U.S. Senate Candidate Says He ‘Smoked Weed’ at Recent Illinois Concert

11/08/2021

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A candidate for an Indiana U.S. Senate seat revealed he consumed cannabis at two recent “Grateful Dead” concerts, the Associated Press reports. Thomas McDermott Jr., who is currently the mayor of Hammond and running to unseat Republican Todd Young in the 2022 Senate race, made the comments on his “Left of Center” podcast. He described the experience at the September shows at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois as “a lovely two days.”

“Yeah, I went to a Grateful Dead show at Wrigley Field and I smoked weed. And, by the way, I was driven there and I was driven home, I wasn’t intoxicated. It was just a social thing.” — McDermott via the AP

McDermott is referring to Dead and Company, who are currently on tour. The Grateful Dead disbanded following the death of Jerry Garcia in 1996.

McDermott believes the pro-cannabis comments will not harm his campaign for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, pointing out Indiana is missing out on the revenue and economic growth legalizing adult-use cannabis brought to neighboring Michigan and Illinois, and other legal states.

“Indiana is woefully behind on this. If I’m elected Indiana’s U.S. senator, I’m a vote to decriminalize, I’m a vote to legalize marijuana — and I will,” he said on the podcast. “And I can tell you, as a former public defender, the only people that are truly penalized with these marijuana laws are the poor that can’t hire lawyers and get out of this.”

Senator Young’s campaign has not commented on the mayor’s revelations. McDermott has been mayor of Lake County’s largest city, Hammond, since 2004, but is not very well known outside of Northwest Indiana.

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Doctor Suspended for Issuing 22k Medical Cannabis Certifications in One Year 

11/08/2021

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A Michigan appeals court has upheld a two-year suspension for a physician who approved almost 22,000 medical cannabis certificates in just one year, the Associated Press reports. During the hearing, Dr. Vernon Proctor refuted the claim that he had approved 22,000 certificates, saying it was closer to 1,000.

During the hearing, an expert said it would have been impossible for Vernon to take the necessary steps to conduct a proper exam for that many patients – about 60 patients a day for seven days a week.

In all, the Board of Medicine said Proctor issued 21,708 medical cannabis certifications between June 9, 2015, and June 8, 2016. According to court documents, the former manager of the Michigan Bureau of Professional Licensing Medical Marijuana section testified that her office had the responsibility to verify medical cannabis certifications for patient applications, but when her office called Proctor’s office to verify the certifications using the patients’ names and dates of birth, neither he nor his staff was unable to provide such information. The Board of Medicine Disciplinary Subcommittee first requested an administrative hearing in September 2018.

According to the decision, the court found Proctor’s claims that he went to five clinics a day, that each had 20 to 50 patients and that he worked “12 to 14 hours a day seven days a week” unconvincing.

“The judge found that respondent lacked good moral character for issuing a high volume of certificates, which demonstrated a lack of openness, fairness, and honesty to his patients,” the decision says.

The court ultimately found no reason to overturn the suspension ordered by the Bureau of Professional Licensing.

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Promotion Events Allowed Under Proposed Missouri Medical Cannabis Rules

11/08/2021

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Missouri officials have proposed new medical cannabis industry rules that would allow them to hold promotional events and publicize price discounts, backtracking on a previous directive prohibiting promotional activities, the Springfield News-Leader reports. Under the proposal, any promotional activities would be required to include a disclaimer that reads: “Medical decisions should not be made based on advertising. Consult a physician on the benefits and risks of particular medical marijuana products.”

In a statement last week, the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association, or MoCannTrade, said medical cannabis patients “were harmed by the former rule.” Andrew Mullins, the organization’s executive director, told the News-Leader that “it is absolutely essential that patients have accurate, timely information and education that allows them to make good health decisions, and that’s exactly what this rule rewrite will allow them to do.”

“Robust patient education is crucial to the program’s continued success, and we are thankful DHSS recognized and acted on patients’ behalf. The program is stronger today for that responsiveness.” — Mullins to the News-Leader

The proposal also includes a ban on hemp-derived Delta-8 THC, stating that “Dispensary facilities may not sell any product that contains cannabinoids created through chemical conversion of other compounds.”

The rules update also include guidance on drive-thru windows for medical cannabis dispensaries, a ban on dispensaries hosting telehealth clinics on-site for patients to obtain program ID cards, and requirements that all dispensary workers be at least 18-years-old.

The guidance includes provisions to allow dispensaries to sell cannabis seeds and immature plants — less than 8 inches tall — to patients as long as they are obtained from licensed cultivators. Under the rule, dispensaries would be prohibited from caring for the plants aside from watering them.

A Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS) spokesperson told the News-Leader said the agency will accept public feedback on the new proposal until November 18.

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Reginald Stanfield: Building for the Future As a Commercial Cultivator

11/08/2021

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In this episode of Fresh Cut, host Cara Wietstock meets with Reginald Stanfield, CEO & Head Horticulturist at JustinCredible Cultivation. Cara and Reginald dive deeper into Reginald’s entrepreneurial spirit, the challenges that the team faced while building out the farm, and how community involvement is a core principle for the brand.

With the personal motto of “People Over Profit” and a mission to focus on organic derivative ingredients and high-quality growth, Reginald shares his thoughts on how he became a successful entrepreneur in a highly regulated state, developed relationships with some of the industry’s preferred brands, and his plans for nationwide expansion.

Check out JustinCredible Cultivation!

Listen to Reginald featured on Ganjapreneur’s Podcast!

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NORML Seeking to Put Cannabis Legalization on Arkansas Ballots in 2022

11/08/2021

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A second group has filed a ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis in Arkansas, KNWA/KFTA reports. The campaign by the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) is a proposed constitutional amendment which, if approved, would legalize cannabis use for those over 21-years-old, allow home cultivation of six mature and six immature plants, and allow one cultivation facility per 300,000 residents.

Another group, Arkansas True Grass, already has a legalization campaign underway — also a constitutional amendment — and both groups would need to collect 89,151 verified signatures by July 8 to put the issue on November 2022 ballots.

The NORML-backed Arkansas Adult Use and Expungement Marijuana Amendment would also expunge criminal convictions for the possession, cultivation, manufacture, distribution, or sale of fewer than 16 ounces of cannabis, six or fewer plants, or cannabis-related paraphernalia.

Melissa Fults, treasurer for the Arkansas NORML chapter, said the criminal reforms included in the proposal will give those offenders “their life back” and “let them be able to get a decent job, let them be able to better serve their state, or town, or their own families.”

The Arkansas True Grass proposal — the Arkansas Recreational Marijuana Amendment of 2022 — would also expunge convictions for some cannabis offenses. Under the amendment, anyone incarcerated or serving parole or probation for violations of the state’s cannabis law would be released from state custody.

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