Maryland Collects $14.7M in Cannabis Taxes Through First Three Months of 2024

7/01/2024

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Maryland collected about $14.7 million in cannabis taxes during the first three months of the year, according to state Office of the Comptroller data outlined by Maryland Matters. The total is a 0.7% increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. 

In a statement, Comptroller Brooke Lierman said the state’s “growing cannabis industry holds immense potential for economic growth for Maryland.”    

“Reinvesting the revenue from adult-use cannabis sales into communities that were damaged by misguided policies allows us to further create a more equitable, resilient, and prosperous future for all Marylanders.” — Lierman in a statement 

Maryland’s Capital Region, which includes the state’s most populous counties – Montgomery and Prince George’s – accounted for more than $6.7 million in taxes, which represents 46% of all cannabis taxes collected during the first three months of the year and a 76% increase over the previous quarter. 

Shops in the Central Region remitted $3.7 million in taxes during the first three months, a 44% drop from the previous quarter. Eastern Region shops collected $1.6 million – 15% more than the previous quarter, the second straight quarter of tax collection increases for the region.  

Sales tax collections in the Southern Region decreased 40% from the last three months of 2023 to $618,218, while sales tax collections in the Western Region increased by 29% quarter over quarter, the report says.  

In Maryland, cannabis tax revenues are split between areas disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition (35%), the state’s 24 political subdivision (5%), a fund to address the adverse health effects of adult cannabis use (5%), and a fund to help small, minority-owned, and women-owned cannabis businesses (5%). The state receives the balance, which equates to $5.9 million from taxes collected through the first three months of the year.     

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Kentucky’s Largest School District Approves Student Medical Cannabis Policy

7/01/2024

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Members of Kentucky’s Jefferson County Board of Education last week approved a policy allowing students to take prescribed medical cannabis on school property, the Louisville Courier Journal reports. Jefferson County is the state’s largest school district. 

The policy requires medical cannabis to be administered out of the view of other students. Kentucky’s medical cannabis law allows medical cannabis use administration on school grounds, but the district must approve a policy first. 

In an interview with the Courier Journal, Jefferson County Public Schools spokesman Mark Hebert said the policy is “no different than school nurses, nurse practitioners or other trained school staff administering other tightly controlled substances like Ritalin or Adderall to a student.”

“We anticipate most medicinal cannabis will be given to students at home, but there may be times when the doctor or prescription calls for the medicine to be given during school hours.” — Hebert via the Courier Journal

Medical cannabis is not yet available in Kentucky. The state started accepting applications on July 1 and the first businesses are expected to be licensed, in a lottery process, in October with products expected to be available beginning January 1, 2025.

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Study: Older Patients Respond Well to Medical Cannabis Treatments

7/01/2024

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A recent Observational Study published in the journal Drugs & Aging found that older patients who are prescribed medical cannabis products report experiencing better health and well-being after consuming cannabis, NORML reports.

Researchers collected data from cannabis patients in the United Kingdom including self-reported quality of life assessments, general health assessments, mood analysis, and sleep assessments using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Researchers looked specifically at a cohort of patients aged 65 and older, relative to younger individuals. Most of the patients participating in the study were prescribed cannabis for chronic pain, the report said.

“There were significant improvements across all measures of well-being,” the authors wrote, noting that younger patients outranked the aged 65+ cohort only in terms of sleep improvements.

“These findings accord with a growing body of observational and real-world evidence from jurisdictions that have legalized medicinal cannabis that cannabis is effective for improving sleep, mood and quality of health across multiple primary conditions.” — The authors, in a statement

The authors concluded that while there are “important differences” between cannabis patients aged 65+ and those who are younger, older individuals “experience considerable improvement in health and well-being when prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products.”

The results match Israeli data published in 2022 that found similar quality-of-life improvements in medical cannabis patients, NORML noted.

Meanwhile, a study published last month in the journal Pain found that cannabis terpenes could be an effective and side-effect-free treatment for chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain.

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Iowa Companies Suing to Block New Hemp Industry Restrictions

7/01/2024

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A group of eight hemp companies in Iowa have filed a lawsuit to block the implementation of a new state law limiting the THC content in consumable hemp products, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports.

The lawsuit argues that the new law requires companies to adhere to new regulations but the state has yet to establish said regulations, and they are not expected before June 17 at the soonest.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed the bill imposing THC caps on cannabinoid-infused hemp products last month. The new law — which is set to take effect on Monday, July 1 — caps THC content in hemp consumables at 4 milligrams per serving and 10 milligrams per container.

“The plaintiffs will be stuck in a regulatory limbo as of July 1, 2024. Critical phrases are not defined, specifications for how to comply with provisions are not provided, and the regulations intended to provide such definitions or instructions will not be promulgated until at least two weeks after the law goes into effect.” — Lawsuit excerpt via the Iowa Capital Dispatch

The lawsuit is the second legal challenge against the new Iowa hemp regulation law, the report said. Previously this month, two companies argued in a lawsuit that the federal legalization of hemp should pre-empt the state’s new restrictions. While that motion was recently denied by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Stephanie M. Rose due to a lack of evidence, the judge wrote in her ruling she has “serious concerns” that the vagueness of the new hemp law could be unconstitutional.

Specifically, Judge Rose wrote that the law aims to limit the amount of THC in a single serving without properly defining what a serving should be.

“It is unclear how this provision would be enforced,” she wrote.

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Louisiana Gov. Signs Bills to Regulate Hemp & Decriminalize Cannabis Paraphernalia

6/28/2024

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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) recently signed into law bills to regulate hemp products in the state and decriminalize the possession of cannabis paraphernalia, Marijuana Moment reported. Landry also vetoed a proposal that would have enabled him and future state governors to pardon people with prior cannabis convictions.

The hemp regulations bill was only approved after House lawmakers first rejected a competing Senate bill that would have effectively ended the state’s booming hemp products industry. The regulations restrict the types of products that are allowed to contain hemp-derived THC and limit the amount per serving of THC for such products.

Originally sponsored by state Rep. Delisha Boyd (D), the cannabis paraphernalia decriminalization law will limit the penalty for the possession, use, and/or sale of cannabis-related paraphernalia to a $100 fine, aligning with penalties under the state’s current cannabis decriminalization policy. The new paraphernalia-related rules will take effect on August 1, 2024.

“This common-sense bill reduces the penalties and fines for possession of marijuana paraphernalia. It’s a step forward in our efforts for fair and sensible legislation. Effective 8/1/24, the penalties and fines will not be more than the penalties nor fines for the possession of less than 14 grams of marijuana. Let’s continue moving towards more just and equitable laws for all.” — Boyd, via Marijuana Moment

Meanwhile, recent polling in Louisiana found that 7 in 10 residents support adult-use cannabis legalization, and 9 in 10 support medical cannabis legalization, the report said.

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Kentucky to Begin Accepting Medical Cannabis Business Applications Next Week

6/28/2024

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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) has announced that officials will begin accepting business applications starting Monday, July 1, for the state’s medical cannabis growers, manufacturers, and retailers, ABC News reports. Additionally, starting next week, doctors and advanced practice registered nurses will be able to apply to certify medical cannabis patients for the program.

The first applications will be awarded in October via a lottery-based system, the report said.

“The program is focused on ensuring cannabis business licensing is fair, transparent and customer-service oriented.” — Sam Flynn, executive director of the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis, via ABC News

Kentucky’s Republican-controlled Legislature passed the state’s medical cannabis legalization bill in 2023 and Gov. Beshear, a Democrat, promptly signed the bill into law. The governor also signed legislation earlier this year to move up the licensing process by six months so the program will be ready to launch on time starting January 1, 2025.

Per state law, registered medical cannabis patients in Kentucky will have access to cannabis edibles and concentrates but not smokable products such as cannabis flower or pre-rolls. Patients will be able to apply for their medical cards starting January 1 and the program will recognize out-of-state patient IDs.

The program’s qualifying conditions include any type or form of cancer (at any stage); chronic, severe, intractable, or debilitating pain; epilepsy or any other intractable seizure disorder; multiple sclerosis or muscle spasms/spasticity; chronic nausea; and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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North Carolina Senate Gives Final Approval to Medical Cannabis Legalization

6/26/2024

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The North Carolina Senate on Monday passed a bipartisan medical cannabis bill that includes changes aimed at getting the measure through the House, which has for years killed similar measures, WTVD reports. The measure passed Monday includes provisions that would not allow adult-use cannabis legalization unless approved by the legislature, even if the federal government were to legalize cannabis broadly.   

The bill was initially passed last week, tacked on to a hemp regulation bill which includes enhanced regulations on the state’s existing hemp and CBD products.  

In an interview with WTVD, Dr. David Casarett, a palliative care fellow at Duke University, noted that under the current state ban on medical cannabis, he unable to talk about cannabis with his patients.   

“I need to work within the bounds of what’s legal. I also need to help my patients and I also need to be open and willing to talk about it because, you know, if a patient comes to me and asks me about medical cannabis and I say it’s illegal, I can’t talk about it, I’m basically shut off.” — Casarett via WTVD 

House Speaker Tim Moore (R) as said that he supports legalizing medical cannabis but that the proposal is unlikely to be considered in the House because not enough House Republicans support the issue. The new language seeks to get the approval from the chamber’s more conservative members.  

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NCAA Division I Votes to Remove Cannabis from List of Banned Substances for Postseason

6/26/2024

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The NCAA Division I Council on Tuesday voted to remove cannabis products from the list of substances that disqualify players for postseason participation in football and championships. The new rules take effect immediately.

In a statement, Josh Whitman, chair of the council and athletics director at Illinois, said “The council’s focus is on policies centered on student-athlete health and well-being rather than punishment for cannabis use.”

“The NCAA drug testing program is intended to focus on integrity of competition, and cannabis products do not provide a competitive advantage.” — Whitman in a press release

Any penalties currently being served by student-athletes who previously tested positive for cannabinoids will be discontinued, the NCAA said.

The NCAA has considered removing cannabis from its banned substances list entirely with the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CMAS) making the broad recommendation in 2023. Earlier this year, the CMAS raised the THC threshold for a failed test from 35 to 150 nanograms per milliliter of blood. Those limits are now aligned with those of the World Anti-Doping Agency and the changes were immediate and backdated to cover tests administered in fall 2021 and later.

The committee also changed the penalties associated with a positive THC test. Under the new rules, athletes are no longer suspended from games until they fail a second drug screening.

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Minnesota Receives 700+ Social Equity Cannabis Applications in 24hrs

6/26/2024

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Minnesota cannabis regulators have received more than 700 applications for social equity licenses within 24 hours of the application window opening, MPR News reports. The state program includes individuals with prior cannabis charges, those from areas disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs, veterans, and new farmers as social equity license candidates.

Office of Cannabis Management Interim Director Charlene Briner told MPR that officials are “excited about the high level of activity.” A Minnesota Reformer report estimates that between 30% and 40% of adults in the state could qualify as social equity applicants.

“And it doesn’t necessarily mean that all of the people who have entered the system and applied for that status will actually follow through and submit a full license. So that remains to be seen.” — Briner to MPR

The state will open licenses to all applicants starting July 24 and, after review, those applicants will be placed into a lottery.

“We’re unique [in] some of the protections that were added in the legislative session this year to really protect that kind of craft industry model and make sure that businesses are prepared to succeed in what’s a very volatile market,” Briner said in the report. “We feel confident that we’re in as good a position as we can in be to continue to launch.”

The state license window for all applicants closes August 12.

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Brazil Supreme Court Decriminalizes Personal Cannabis Possession

6/26/2024

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Brazil will be the latest Latin American country to adopt cannabis decriminalization reforms after the country’s Supreme Court voted Tuesday to decriminalize the possession of cannabis for personal use, the Associated Press reports.

The court still needs to set possession limits for what would be considered “personal use” and establish when the reforms will take effect. Additionally, selling cannabis will remain a crime under the ruling.

The ruling should clarify a 2006 federal law that sought to reduce prison populations by shifting penalties for low-level drug possession toward alternative punishments such as community service. That law, however, was too vague for law enforcement to differentiate between personal use and drug trafficking and did not reduce the prison population as planned, the report said.

Ilona Szabó, president of the Brazillian think tank Igarapé Institute, suggested that most people arrested in Brazil on drug trafficking charges are carrying small quantities that could be intended only for personal use.

“The majority of pre-trial detainees and those convicted of drug trafficking in Brazil are first-time offenders, who carried small amounts of illicit substance with them, caught in routine police operations, unarmed and with no evidence of any relationship with organized crime.” — Szabó, via the AP

After the ruling, Brazil Senate president Rodrigo Pacheco told reporters that it shouldn’t be up to the Supreme Court to enact significant cannabis reforms: “There is an appropriate path for this discussion to move forward and that is the legislative process,” he said in the report. “It is something that, obviously, arouses broad discussion and it is a subject of preoccupation for Congress.”

The 11-person Supreme Court started deliberations on the cannabis decriminalization issue in 2015.

Medical cannabis is legal in Brazil but it is heavily restricted.

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South Dakota Producing More Hemp Fiber Than Any Other State

6/26/2024

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Despite being one of the most recent states to have issued industrial hemp farming licenses, South Dakota is now producing more hemp fiber than any other state, according to data from the South Dakota Industrial Hemp Association (SDIHA) outlined by South Dakota News Watch.

South Dakota became the No. 1 producer of hemp grain and seeds in the U.S. in 2022 and now — with 30,000 acres planted on about 40 farms — the state has in 2024 claimed the No. 1 spot in the production of hemp fiber. The industry is also primed to grow further in both farms and acreage, the report said.

Hemp growers say South Dakota’s warm and relatively dry climate is ideal for hemp cultivation and the soil and growing conditions outperform even neighboring states.

“We’re the highest production and the highest in yield-per-acre, both of those. We are going to try to hold that for next year. This will be our first year to dominate that category.” — ” Bill Brehmer, board member of the South Dakota Industrial Hemp Association (SDIHA), via South Dakota News Watch

Hemp farming was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill, including hemp crops and all of their derivatives, but South Dakota’s hemp program was not launched until 2021.

Meanwhile, federal lawmakers are considering backtracking on the issue this year with new Farm Bill language only covering hemp-derived cannabinoids that are “naturally occurring, naturally derived and non-intoxicating.”

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NORML: Cannabis Policy Reforms Have Led to 2.5M Expungements or Pardons

6/24/2024

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Policy reforms in the U.S. have led to about 2.5 million expungements or pardons for cannabis convictions in recent years, according to a NORML tally outlined by the Associated Press. However, Paul Armentano, NORML’s deputy director, told the AP that those numbers are “a drop in the bucket when you consider the reality that over the last 50 years or so, over 30 million Americans have been arrested at the state or local level for marijuana.” 

Most recently, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) issued pardons for convictions for possessing cannabis or drug paraphernalia, which are expected to impact at least 175,000 convictions. Governors in other states, including Massachusetts, Nevada, and Oregon, have issued sweeping pardons over the past few years as well.

Pardons, however, are not seen as effective as expungements which remove the charge from criminal records entirely. Pardons can restore civil liberties, such as voting, serving on juries, and firearm ownership, while expungements can allow people to receive federal college tuition assistance, qualify for public housing, and allow parents to participate in their children’s school activities. 

President Joe Biden (D) has also ordered multiple rounds of pardons but affected individuals must apply for and obtain a certificate, and, according to the AP, just a little over 200 people have done so as of this month. 

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Three Companies Begin Manufacturing Cannabis Medicines in Zimbabwe

6/24/2024

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Three pharmaceutical companies in Zimbabwe have started manufacturing cannabis medicines, SABC News reports. The approval by the Medicines Control Association of Zimbabwe comes five years after the country licensed 60 cannabis farmers.  

Zimbabwe Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube expects the nation could see $1 billion from cannabis, expecting the market to outpace tobacco, which is currently its top agricultural export, according to Reuters. Zimbabwe officials, in 2019, said they hoped cannabis and hemp would boost the nation’s export market and foreign currency earnings.   

In 2021, Zimbabwe exported 30 tons of industrial hemp products to Switzerland.  

The nation’s medical cannabis legalization was partly due to economic factors and officials hoped the move would attract investors to Special Economic Zones, which offer investor incentives, including exemption from portions of the labor laws and black economic empowerment rules. They were established in Harare, Victoria Falls, and Bulawayo. 

Officials approved the first medical cannabis sales in 2022. In May of that year, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa commissioned a $27 million medical cannabis farm and processing plant to be run by Swiss Bioceuticals Limited in West Province, according to a High Times report. 

Mnangagwa has urged investors to “follow [Swiss Bioceuticals Limited’s] lead and open their business to support the mantra that ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business’ and be ready to generate foreign currency generation for the country.” 

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Poll: 65% of New Hampshire Residents Back Adult-Use Cannabis Reforms

6/24/2024

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Sixty-five percent of New Hampshire residents either “strongly” or “somewhat” adult-use cannabis legalization in the state, according to the University of New Hampshire Granite State Poll released June 20. Another 19% of residents either “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed the reforms, with 15% unsure.   

Last month, the state Senate passed a legalization bill designed to get the support of Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, which included the state-run shop model similar to how liquor is sold in the state favored by the governor. The House, however, tabled the proposal earlier this month but did pass its own proposal – that did not include the state-run shops – in April.  

Support for legalizing cannabis for adult use among Granite Staters fell slightly since the last Granite State poll in May2023 when 72% of residents said they backed the reforms. In the most recent poll support among self-identified Independents fell by 12 percentage points and Republican support dropped eight percentage points. The reforms still have majority support among self-described socialists (97%), progressives (95%), libertarians (76%), liberals (72%), and moderates (66%) but only 41% of conservatives agree. 

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Study: Cannabis Use Linked to Severe COVID-19 Cases

6/24/2024

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A recent study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that cannabis use is linked to an increased risk of severe illness related to COVID-19, NeuroscienceNews.com reports.

The study, published June 21 in JAMA Network Open, analyzed the medical records of 72,501 patients treated for COVID-19 at health clinics in Missouri and Illinois. According to researchers, self-reported cannabis users were 80% more likely to require hospitalization for severe COVID-19 symptoms, and cannabis users were 27% more likely to require intensive care.

Researchers also noted that the risk of severe COVID-19 was comparable between cannabis users and tobacco users, although tobacco users were more likely to die from their symptoms.

Psychiatry professor and the study’s senior author Li-Shiun Chen, MD, DSc, said that despite the growing public perception that cannabis is safer than smoking or drinking, “there hasn’t been as much research on the health effects of cannabis as compared to tobacco or alcohol.”

“What we found is that cannabis use is not harmless in the context of COVID-19. People who reported yes to current cannabis use, at any frequency, were more likely to require hospitalization and intensive care than those who did not use cannabis.” — Chen, in the report

The study challenges the findings of multiple studies published last year, including:

  • One study published in the peer-reviewed CHEST Journal that found cannabis consumers who contracted COVID-19 saw reduced mortality and better outcomes compared to non-consumers, and
  • Another study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research that found active cannabis consumers fared better against COVID-19 than non-consumers.

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Ohio Officials Awarding Dual-Use Cannabis Licenses In Preparation for Adult-Use Sales

6/24/2024

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Ohio officials with the Division of Cannabis Control have started awarding provisional dual-use cannabis licenses to medical cannabis operators, Spectrum News 1 reports.

The application period for the provisional dual-use licenses began June 7 and officials anticipated then that dual-use licensees could initiate non-medical cannabis sales by the end of the month.

The Division of Cannabis Control noted last week the agency has received 235 applications from medical cannabis licensees seeking to convert to dual-use provisional licenses; officials also said they have already awarded provisional licenses to four cannabis testing labs, 12 cultivators, 10 processors, and 20 dispensaries.

“The Division of Cannabis Control has been and will continue to identify qualified applicants for issuance of dual use provisional licenses. Next, the Division will require provisional licensees to validate compliance with operational requirements before receiving their respective Certificates of Operation on or before September 7.” — Division of Cannabis Control spokesperson Jamie Crawford, via Spectrum News 1

Ultimately, the provisional licensees will need to demonstrate regulatory compliance by September 7 — or sooner, if officials approve an earlier launch for the state’s adult-use cannabis market launch — to receive their certificate of operation.

Ohio voters approved the adult-use legalization policy last November and the law took effect in December. Under the reforms, adults aged 21+ legally possess, consume, and cultivate cannabis with a 2.5-ounce limit for personal possession.

 

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Investigation Reveals Widespread Pesticide Contamination in California’s Legal Cannabis Market

6/21/2024

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California’s cannabis industry is under intense scrutiny following an investigation revealing significant pesticide contamination in products sold at dispensaries statewide. An LA Times and WeedWeek investigation published last week found high levels of pesticides in various cannabis products, including some popular brands of vapes and pre-rolled joints.

The investigation tested 42 legal cannabis products from retail stores, revealing that 25 contained pesticide levels exceeding state or federal safety thresholds for tobacco. These pesticides include chemicals linked to cancer, liver failure, thyroid disease, and other serious health issues.

Notably, vapes from several well-known brands exceeded federal EPA risk thresholds for harm from a single exposure, posing immediate risks such as lung and throat irritation, headaches, and abdominal pain. Some products contained as many as two dozen pesticides, raising long-term health concerns due to repeated use.

Brands referenced by the investigation include:

  • Stiiizy
  • West Coast Cure
  • Flavorade
  • Phat Panda
  • Phire
  • Dime
  • Backpack Boyz
  • Grizzly Peak Farms
  • Cru Mai Tai
  • Fog City Farms
  • David Shin’s Van Nuys manufacturer
  • Maven Industries

The contamination findings echo numerous complaints filed by two private cannabis testing labs over the past eight months, suggesting widespread contamination in over 250,000 vapes and pre-rolled joints.

So, why are brands cutting corners? The push for profits in the expanding legal market has led to intensive growing practices that necessitate the use of pesticides to protect crops from infestations. The popularity of vapes has further exacerbated the issue, with bulk oils often made from lower-quality cannabis, which in some cases is grown illegally and sold into the legal market. With additional financial difficulties that come with operating in a market that is forbidden from taking tax cuts, brands may also be choosing to protect their investment over the consumers.

California regulators have largely failed to address this contamination. The state’s cannabis testing requirements have not been updated to account for new and potentially dangerous chemicals used in cultivation. Despite receiving at least 85 contamination complaints since last fall, the Department of Cannabis Control has taken minimal action. The agency recently warned of upcoming product embargoes, recalls, and disciplinary actions, but the delay in responding to these issues has already compromised consumer safety.

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North Carolina Senate Passes Bill to Legalize Medical Cannabis

6/21/2024

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For the second year in a row, the North Carolina Senate has approved language to legalize medical cannabis in the state, the Associated Press reports. Notably, last year’s medical legalization effort died in the House and the latest proposal could easily face the same fate.

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday tacked the 35-page medical cannabis language onto another proposal that was originally limited to regulating the state’s hemp product market. Senators approved the bill on Thursday and will reconsider the proposal for a final time on Monday before sending it to the House for consideration.

If signed into law, the bill would give patients with a “debilitating medical condition” access to the state-regulated medical cannabis program.

Republican state Sen. Danny Britt said ahead of Thursday’s vote that the medical legalization language was necessary to “get out in front” of the upcoming federal rescheduling of cannabis, which will see the plant’s medicinal potential finally recognized at the federal level.

House Speaker Tim Moore (R) has said that he supports legalizing medical cannabis but that the proposal is unlikely to be considered in the House because not enough House Republicans support the issue, the report said.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina recently opened the state’s first medical cannabis cannabis dispensary on tribal land. Additionally, members of the tribal council earlier this month voted to legalize adult-use cannabis sales.

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New Minnesota Law Bans Police Searches Based on Cannabis Odor Alone

6/21/2024

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Police in Minnesota will not be allowed to carry out vehicle searches during traffic stops based solely on cannabis odor under a bill signed into law late last month by Gov. Tim Walz (D), according to a MinnPost report.

The language in the bill was based on a previous measure by state Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten that sought more broadly to ban police officers from asking for consent to conduct warrantless vehicle searches. Additionally, the legislation reaffirms a Supreme Court decision reached last year — after the state’s cannabis legalization policy took effect — that vehicle searches based solely on an officer’s perceived detection of cannabis odor are not legal.

“We’ve seen it with other really important issues, whether we’re talking about reproductive rights or voting rights, the court can come back and reverse their decision. It’s important for us to have this be a part of our strategy to try to pass legislation and codify these rights and other things that are important to us, and not just rely on the courts.” — Omou Verbeten, via MinnPost

Minnesota was not the first state to enact such a cannabis odor policy — lawmakers in Maryland passed similar legislation last April. However, in Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court ruled last June that warrantless vehicle searches based only on the detection of cannabis odor were legal.

Cannabis use and possession became legal for Minnesota adults aged 21+ on August 1 last year but the state’s regulated cannabis market has yet to fully launch.

 

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Ngaio Bealum: Building Cannabis Community with Comedy and Activism

6/20/2024

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In this episode of the Ganjapreneur podcast, host TG Branfalt connects with the multi-talented Ngaio Bealum. Ngaio is a true cannabis renaissance man—comedian, musician, writer, actor, and activist—known for his work as a host of numerous events and shows, including the International Cannabis Business Conference, and the Emerald Cup. In this engaging conversation, Ngaio shares his journey from performer to cannabis advocate, discussing how his background in activism and entertainment has shaped his approach to cannabis education and advocacy, what role entertainment plays in educating the public about cannabis, and more. Listen to the episode below or in your favorite podcast app, or scroll down for the full transcript!

Listen to the episode:

Full transcript:

Editor’s note: this transcript was auto-generated and may contain typos/errors.

TG Branfalt (00:09):

Hey there, I’m your host, TG Branfalt, and this is the Ganjapreneur.com podcast where we try to bring you actionable information and normalized cannabis through the stories of ganjapreneurs, activists and industry stakeholders. Today I am real excited to be joined by Ngaio Bealum. He’s a comedian, musician, writer, actor, activist, previous host of the Cannabis Planet and host of the International Cannabis Business Conference and Emerald Cup. How are you doing this morning, my good man?

Ngaio Bealum (00:37):

I’m awake, which is the first step. We wouldn’t, it’s first step to most days last night. Yeah. Yeah. Wake up every day is a good day if you’re awake and relatively free.

TG Branfalt (00:50):

Relatively free is–

Ngaio Bealum (00:51):

Relatively way to describe it. We all have minor hangups and problems constraining our true freedom, but we’re doing our best.

TG Branfalt (00:58):

So before we get into your role as basically a cannabis renaissance man, tell me about yourself. Give me a little bit of background on how you ended up the entertainer, the host, the sort of human being you’ve become.

Ngaio Bealum (01:17):

I’m an Aquarius, six foot three. I like long walks from the beach. Any kind of good music, I don’t know, man. I was a comedian and a street performer and I started smoking weed and really looking into why weed wasn’t legal and it seemed like bullshit to me, and I come from a long line of activists. So we just started activating and you have to offer what skills you have, and it turns out I’m pretty funny and I’m good at handling crowds and disseminating information. And so it just worked out like that. So I posted, I host the Oregon Hemp Fest and the Arizona Growers Cup and the Missouri Growers Cup and the old Seattle Hemp Fest and a bunch of different things. I’ve done some High Times Cups, I do the Emerald Cup every year. I do the International Cannabis Business Conference series. We do Berlin, we do Barcelona, we’ve done Zurich and Vancouver. It’s just really nice.

TG Branfalt (02:14):

So first off, what role do you think that entertainers or people in that sphere should have in activism, specifically in cannabis?

Ngaio Bealum (02:26):

I mean, I think every entertainer should be way more, not every, but a lot of entertainers should be more active activists than they are now. I mean, I think that’s just part of the thing you do. You know what I mean? And so for me it’s just kind of a no brainer. And entertainment and education kind of go head in hand if listen to old Ks one albums, the whole ed, if you think of Rocks edu, if you think of even things like, so we were supposed to be entertainment every day and we’re supposed to learn every day, so why not combine the two?

TG Branfalt (03:08):

And a lot of the standup that I’ve seen, it’s very smart, and I think all good standup. I mean, you look at George Carlin

Ngaio Bealum (03:15):

Like standup in general, or my standup in particular?

TG Branfalt (03:17):

Your standup in particular

Ngaio Bealum (03:19):

Did a lot of me standup. I seen, I was like, I’ve seen some pretty dumb standup, which is also great.

TG Branfalt (03:25):

But I think

Ngaio Bealum (03:26):

That I like stupid standup as well.

TG Branfalt (03:28):

The stuff that I really enjoy is the sort of smartest side. Like I said, Carlin, I really enjoy what came first for you. Obviously you probably used cannabis before you were an entertainer, but how’d you work that into your routine?

Ngaio Bealum (03:46):

You talk about what you know, right? That’s what they always tell writers. Talk about what you know. So I have two albums. One is called Weed and Sex, and the other is called Weeder and Sexier, which means, of course, weediest and Sexiest will be probably coming out sometime this year. Next

TG Branfalt (04:03):

What comes after Weediest and Sexiest?

Ngaio Bealum (04:06):

Lemme just get high and look at it. No, so I mean, that’s just how it is. I wanted to spread the word of cannabis legalization and activism and give people good information about cannabis in a fun and entertaining manner. And it just happened to work out like that. It’s interesting because when I first started 30 years ago, everybody was like, oh, well, we already have teaching ch, we don’t really need another pot comic. All he does is talking about pot, which is not true. But now that 30 years later, cannabis is legal in some form between the six different states, and we Why, and Germany just decriminalized now they’re like, oh, we need more pot comics, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So you could have listened to me 30 years ago, I’m not bitter,

TG Branfalt (05:03):

But 30 years ago, I mean more than 30 years ago, we had Cheech and Chong, right? In my sort of lifetime, the big movies were Friday. And so how has legalization changed?

Ngaio Bealum (05:18):

A lot of times, and this is just a thing for me, a lot of times in a lot of those cannabis movies, the stoner’s not the hero, right? Chris Tucker’s not really the hero in Friday. Anna Ferris loses all of her stuff in her stoner movie. Even the Afroman song, he fails repeatedly because he got high, which was bullshit, right? I was going to clean my house, and so I got high not, but then I got high, and so I got high because I had a nice sativa, helps me clean shit, and that’s how I feel about it. You think about Half Baked, he had to give up weed to stay with that girl. So we are trying to make cannabis users the heroes and not just tattoo have problems until they give up weed, which seems to be bullshit.

TG Branfalt (06:04):

Is there anything sort of contemporarily in the mainstream that does in your estimation, paint cannabis consumers as heroes?

Ngaio Bealum (06:13):

Cabin in the Woods? The stoner is correct the whole time.

TG Branfalt (06:19):

It’s not something I’ve ever seen actually.

Ngaio Bealum (06:23):

It’s a good horror movie, but he sees through the whole conspiracy, so he knows the whole, he figures it out right away.

TG Branfalt (06:30):

Wouldn’t that raise some questions though, that cannabis consumers are conspiratorial and thinking?

Ngaio Bealum (06:37):

Well, it’s not conspiracy if it’s actually true.

TG Branfalt (06:41):

That’s true.

Ngaio Bealum (06:43):

And the movie rules, so he just figured it out.

TG Branfalt (06:48):

So you’ve been a journalist For a long time. And currently you’re penning a Dear D column.

Ngaio Bealum (06:58):

Oh man, I haven’t written that one in a minute. So I’ve been a cannabis advice columnist for the Sacramento News Review. I did some for I think the Alternate, and I was the weekly columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle for a long time. And yeah, I think I did. Dear Gabby, for Leafly, shout out David Downs. We just did San Francisco Weed Week. I was the host of mc for a bunch of events out there, and it was fantastic.

TG Branfalt (07:25):

What were some of the challenges to penning a cannabis advice column?

Ngaio Bealum (07:31):

Make sure you have good advice. Call the experts.

(07:37):

That’s really the deal. Being a cannabis advice column columnist is almost like, let me Google that for you, but also I know a lot of people, so somebody has a good question. I’m like, oh, Ed probably knows the answer to that. He grows weed, or Lisa probably knows the answer to that. She wrote a whole book about weed and sex, or you call your homies who specialize in these things and you look up the news and you call an elected official or a police officer or two, and you’re like, what is the real rule on this? And sometimes you just go with your own personal experience, right? Like TSA doesn’t really give a shit. If you have a small amount of cannabis. If you bring a bunch of cannabis and try to be a little sneaky asshole about it, they’ll fuck with you. But if you got a few grams here or there that you can reasonably argue personal use, it’s not going to blow up the plane.

TG Branfalt (08:25):

What intrigued you about doing an advice column?

Ngaio Bealum (08:28):

Advice? It was not really my idea. I was running West Coast Cannabis magazine and it was falling apart. I don’t want to talk about it, but my homie who was working at the Sacramento News and Review, because I called him looking for work, I’m like, Hey man, I need some work. Let me write some stories for you. He was like, Hey, why don’t you do a weed column? And I was like, yeah, why don’t I do a weed column? That’s a good idea. And so we started out with the Ask 420 column of the Sacramento News Review, and I did that for five, six, let’s see, 2000, shit, I did it almost like 10 years, like 2010, 2011 to the pandemic.

TG Branfalt (09:09):

Is there a question that you were asked during your tenure doing that that sticks out to you as just kind of super weird?

Ngaio Bealum (09:18):

No, there’s no weird questions, only weird people.

TG Branfalt (09:26):

Is there any weird people that may stick out to you during that tenure?

Ngaio Bealum (09:33):

I can’t really think of anything. I mean, it’s just the usual, how will this cannabis affect me? I feel weird buying weed for my grandfather because he’s sick and I’m a super deep Christian, but this cannabis is really helping him, and I dunno how to reconcile that. Can I stick this medicated lollipop in my ass? These aren’t, it’s not rocket signs. Yes, you can.

TG Branfalt (10:03):

Not going to hurt in the long,

Ngaio Bealum (10:04):

You probably want one with a different shape. It’s the shape of the lollipop that’s the problem because you want one with the tapered in,

TG Branfalt (10:11):

So you have to mold it in that way for,

Ngaio Bealum (10:14):

You don’t want to get it stuck. So really you should just buy a different, anyway, a different device.

TG Branfalt (10:21):

So I mean, in your role as in entertainment, you had cooking on high, which was on Netflix. How can these sort of new mediums do you think help to maybe challenge the previously held cannabis stigmas? The ones that A, B-C-N-B-C-C-B-S, right? And all these sort of legacy news channels really opposed

Ngaio Bealum (10:42):

Shit, man, they still really oppose it. I mean, YouTube doesn’t like weed that much. Instagram hates me. Snapchat is kind of cool. TikTok is really strict about it. You can’t even say weed, you have to spell it. O-U-I-D. Wait for real, right? Oui’d, like your French. So I mean, I don’t know if we’ve really overcome a lot of propaganda. I’m Ngaio420. I built a lot of cannabis followers because I was on Netflix and all these other things. If I post a picture of cannabis or talk about a brand, Instagram gets super upset. I mean, I guess it’s okay to smoke weed or if I post a little stupid funny cannabis meme, Instagram loves it. They spread that one all around. But if I post some shit like, Hey, here’s some new rules, or here’s the new law, or here’s a new strain I just tried from these guys. They’re like, oh, you can’t do that. That’s promoting for use, and yet there’s people drinking the whole time. It’s still in uphill battle battles never state won.

TG Branfalt (11:44):

So when you post the stuff under your name and it gets, like has your account ever been banned or anything over?

Ngaio Bealum (11:56):

I’ve been shadow banned for sure. I think it’s stemming from the time I tried to raffle off a bong, which, fair enough. I was pushing, I was pushing the envelope a little bit on that. I don’t think I’ve ever been, I think I was locked out of my account for a couple of days once until we figure it out. But I’ve never, they threatened to ban me and I have friends who get banned, not all the time, but they’ve been banned a few times. I try to keep it pretty cool. I’ve tried to follow the rules, but it’s hard because I just want to talk about, that’s my whole thing. If I find some good weed, I want to spread the word. You know what I mean? Or if I find some bad weed, I want to spread the word. Or if I have some good cannabis advice, I want to spread the word and they won’t let me do it.

TG Branfalt (12:40):

So I’ve read,

Ngaio Bealum (12:42):

And it’s weird because if you have a smaller account, you’re kind of under the radar. You can do almost anything you want. But once you get to a certain point, then there’s scrutiny until you get to an even bigger point, and then you can do almost anything you want to hear. So I need like 400,000 more followers. If your listeners are listening, I know you have 400,000 listeners, have them all,

TG Branfalt (13:05):

But then you’ll get real banned because they’ll know what you’re doing.

Ngaio Bealum (13:10):

No, it’s not buying followers.

TG Branfalt (13:14):

No, no, no, no. But because then you’ll be I’ll beg and they’ll know underground anymore. You’ll sold

Ngaio Bealum (13:21):

Out. Listen, high times gets to buy ads on Instagram, and yet I can’t smoke a bong. It’s just the weirdest thing. I don’t understand the rules. I feel like the rules are arbitrary and capricious, and depending on which federal agent you have watching your Instagram account at any particular time, that’s how far they’ll let you go.

TG Branfalt (13:43):

They’re definitely watching everyone’s accounts,

Ngaio Bealum (13:46):

Even as we speak.

TG Branfalt (13:48):

Even as we speak, there’ll be privacy. They’ll be writing this by hand, transcribing this by hand,

Ngaio Bealum (13:52):

Privacy is dead, discretion is forever.

TG Branfalt (13:57):

I mean, it’s given me convenience or give me death sort of atmosphere at this point, right? We’re totally happy to be tracked as long as they’re selling us Nikes, right?

Ngaio Bealum (14:07):

No, I don’t want them to sell me Nikes. They sell me golf things and advice on how to meet thick women apparently is what Instagram thinks that I’m all about. Here’s some golf apparel and here’s some cute, thick girls.

TG Branfalt (14:21):

Are you a good golfer?

Ngaio Bealum (14:23):

I like to golf.

TG Branfalt (14:26):

I like to golf badly On nice days.

Ngaio Bealum (14:31):

I just like to golf. Sometimes I’m halfway decent for a hot minute, and sometimes I’m not a very good golfer at all.

TG Branfalt (14:37):

How does weed help your golf game? I

Ngaio Bealum (14:38):

Still enjoy it. Weed does not help my golf game. I wish it did. I keep trying to find the right strain because I used to warm up and then smoke some weed and then see it goes and try to lock it in. I think it’s better for me if I get a little high on the way to the golf course and then let it smooth out by the time I get to the golf course. But I can’t just smoke weed constantly, then the overthinking starts. That’s the thing about golf. You have a lot of time to think to yourself, and so then it’s like, oh, I want to put my elbow here and my knee here and the thing. No, shut up. Hit the fucking ball. Quit thinking. I

TG Branfalt (15:12):

Do like driving the cart though. Stoned. It’s pretty great.

Ngaio Bealum (15:16):

Oh yeah. I mean, yeah, listen, I like being stoned on the golf course as well. It’s very nice. But if I’m trying to take it seriously, if I have to beat my brother, then I have to pay attention to what’s going on. If I’m just mucking about it, if it’s a practice round, then sure, whatever practice round

TG Branfalt (15:31):

Every round for me is a practice round. My man. I’m terrible.

Ngaio Bealum (15:34):

Amen.

TG Branfalt (15:36):

So I’ve read on the internet every

Ngaio Bealum (15:37):

Day is a practice round get you in on,

TG Branfalt (15:43):

I’ve read on the internet that you have a love for Sungrown cannabis.

Ngaio Bealum (15:46):

I love.

TG Branfalt (15:48):

So tell me about that preference.

Ngaio Bealum (15:53):

I personally think it tastes better. I think it’s better for the environment. The sun is relatively free. Cannabis knows what to do. And I understand we’re doing sungrown. You can get one. I mean, if you’re doing greenhouse now, you can get 2, 3, 4 light death. You can get 2, 3, 4 harvest a year. And I understand people are like, we only get one harvest a year. Some shit happens, blah, blah, blah. But I don’t know. I just like it. I like the whole vibe, right? I’m here for the plant. I’m here for the hippie farmer action. And a lot of times you go to these states where they’ve just legalized weed and it’s all indoor facilities, but you could tell it tastes like commercial pressure. It tastes like we have to get this done in eight weeks. We have to stay on the schedule. What if your cannabis needs a little longer than that?

TG Branfalt (16:42):

Do you think that consumers would be willing to pay more for the stuff that’s harvested once a year, sungrown small farm? Because

Ngaio Bealum (16:52):

You would think, but no, they won’t. We really need to work more on, how would I say, cannabis appreciation classes like cannabis tasting. You do wine tasting. A lot of people just look at, ah, I just want the shit that’s 31% THC because I’m trying to get fucked up. I’m like, well, you’re going to get fucked up, but it may not be the high you want, right? Look for what’s it smell like? Look for the terpene profiles. You, you might do better at something at 19% because then you could smoke that whole joint while you watch the sunset as opposed to just two hits and then one of your friends is freaking out because he’s a lightweight, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So I think more understanding of what to taste for, what to look for, how to vibe with cannabis. The problem of course is people want to treat it like cigarettes, right? Comes prepackaged. Now it’s more like pipe tobacco or a fancy cigar or a fancy wine. Sure, you can get two buck chuck, but you should also be able to buy some bordeaux la fu or whatever.

TG Branfalt (18:06):

Yeah, I mean, I’m pushing 40, right? I consider myself a mature cannabis consumer, and that’s what I look for. Do you think that that’s sort of a demographic thing? Us we’re not 20 anymore. You think that that’s the route that we’re just going to go to? The people that your friends, your friends are probably sort of higher class smokers too, but are you seeing that sort of trend? Personally,

Ngaio Bealum (18:30):

I definitely hang out with a bunch of weed nerds for sure. But I’ve also smoked,

TG Branfalt (18:35):

Maybe it’s just a weed nerd

Ngaio Bealum (18:36):

Swag. I don’t know. I mean, I’ll buy a six pack of Budweiser. Well, I won’t buy a six pack of Budweiser, but I’ll buy a six pack of regular beer to go to the party, but then when I get home, I got to Sam Adams or get it, you know what I mean? So I think it depends on what you’re doing. If you’re just going to show up at a party with a big half ounce, two half ounce of weed so you can roll blunts all day, that makes perfect sense. I try not to make fun of people for having weird tasting weed or for liking chain restaurants that are actually horrible, but they grew up in a small town and that was the fanciest place. I really had to stop making fun of people for that. That’s not their fault. So education more than ridicule at all times.

TG Branfalt (19:25):

And you do a lot of the education kind of focused events, the Hempfest and things like that. And is the response different among crowds as a comedian? Is that response, is that hosting gig different when you’re around those types of crowds than maybe other just standup stuff you do for regular standup crowd?

Ngaio Bealum (19:53):

What I’m hosting, it’s not always necessarily about getting the jokes off, but about creating a vibe and getting some jokes in. But also you can target it more So if you’re doing a grower’s festival or a hemp festival, all your jokes about trimmers, everybody knows what you’re talking about. Whereas if I’m just doing a regular comedy club show and I talk about getting a repetitive stress injury from trimming, it may not be the same. It may not be the same. So I don’t know. You can get deeper into it when you all have the same kind of base of cannabis knowledge. But funny’s funny man. You just got to find a way work.

TG Branfalt (20:37):

So has your, I don’t want to say routine, but how have you been able to adapt your knowledge to hosting in that sort of thing? In the wake of legalization? I understand the repetitive injury from trimming thing that wouldn’t have really made a whole lot of sense 25 years ago

Ngaio Bealum (21:00):

Right now. But also I do different jump now. One of my things is about now that that cannabis is legal and you can have a job in the cannabis industry, that means that it’s not so bad when you show up at the parent-teacher conference smelling a little bit like weed. I just got off work.

TG Branfalt (21:22):

And you do talk about cannabis consumption as a parent?

Ngaio Bealum (21:28):

Yes. Weed made me a better parent for sure. My kids, my adults are awesome.

TG Branfalt (21:35):

Now, I don’t have any children myself. And so I do like to ask this question because I grew up with, it was very open. My mom openly consumed cannabis and she gave me my first bowl as a matter of fact. I mean, truth be told. Nice. I’m 15 years old. Here you go. You don’t know how to roll, take this fucking brass pipe. But what was it for you raising bras?

Ngaio Bealum (21:56):

Bras, pipe.

TG Branfalt (21:57):

Oh yeah, the fucking brass pipe. Boat,

Ngaio Bealum (21:59):

Bro. Pipe.

TG Branfalt (22:00):

That’s exactly what it was. I shit you not I shit, you die

Ngaio Bealum (22:05):

Shit.

TG Branfalt (22:06):

Exactly right.

Ngaio Bealum (22:09):

I had always been on my kids. Some things are for adults like drinking and weed and drugs and some things are not for kids, and that’s just how it is. So you should wait until college and that was kind my whole thing. I always like, if you want to do drugs in college, once you get your shit together and prove that you can be a somewhat semi responsible young adult. If you want to start experimenting with things like smoke some weed, be careful with alcohol, stay off the pills. That’s kind of my whole advice the whole way. Do some mushrooms every once in a while if you really want to, but do it mindfully. Don’t just be taking mushrooms and fucking off white boy. Wasted is a form of privilege.

TG Branfalt (22:46):

That’s very true,

Ngaio Bealum (22:48):

Right? Because you just think everything’s going to work out. It doesn’t always work out like that.

TG Branfalt (22:52):

No, I mean, I also grew up very rurally, so I mean doing, you

Ngaio Bealum (22:57):

Kind of have to get fucked up when you live that

TG Branfalt (22:58):

Far. Yeah, and get away with it, right, because the cops would show up and they’d just tell you to go fuck off. Right? That’s not what happened when I moved to cities and stuff. The disparity is fucking real,

Ngaio Bealum (23:12):

Real, real,

TG Branfalt (23:13):

Real, real. What is your preferred method of consumption? I see you spoke a lot of joints.

Ngaio Bealum (23:20):

I smoke a lot of joints. Shout out DaySavers. I’m asking those white guys for a job, so shout ’em out. They make great rolling papers. I like bones. I like the blunt. Every once in a while, dabs make me quiet. So I don’t always do ’em at public because I can’t be at a hosting a festival. And they’re like, dude, these dabs, they’re like, well, they’re paying me to talk. They’re not paying me to sit in the corner eating snacks, making up backstories, random people that I see. Just in my head, that guy looks like he used to be a senator. He’s probably a high school coach. Good to see you Reverend.

TG Branfalt (23:56):

Has legalization changed your methods of consumption?

Ngaio Bealum (24:05):

I smoke in the street more often. I dunno what you mean by changed my methods of consumption. I mean, I still

TG Branfalt (24:11):

Smoke. Well, prior to legalization, for whatever reason, I didn’t smoke as many joints and then weed was legal. It was relatively cheaper. Somehow I live near a reservation. That probably helps. That

Ngaio Bealum (24:21):

Probably helps.

TG Branfalt (24:22):

And so now I just predominantly smoke joints. Don’t know.

Ngaio Bealum (24:26):

They’re also very convenient. A pre-roll is very easy to buy these days. You can just get a joint on your way. You can roll a joint. I mean, I like joints because they don’t break if you drop ’em.

(24:39):

Right? That’s true. And they’re scalable. If you have a small pipe and there’s 15 people in the circle, but you can just roll a bigger joint or roll three joints and pass them around. You know what I mean? They’re not the most efficient way to smoke weed probably. But also putting a cloud of weed in the air is still a form of civil disobedience. It’s also a call to fellowship. You understand? If you are walking down the street and you smell some people smoking weed or whatever, you see the circle odds are you can step inside, at least say hello, say what’s up. Maybe if you brought a bowl too, you’d be like, Hey, now you made new friends. Right? You stand in the circle. It denotes equality. It’s like peers.

TG Branfalt (25:21):

This interview is coming on the heels of you seeing a phish show in Nevada,

Ngaio Bealum (25:27):

Vegas at the sphere,

TG Branfalt (25:30):

The big ball in the middle of the city.

Ngaio Bealum (25:33):

The big ball.

TG Branfalt (25:35):

Yeah. It’s been Memed a lot. What was it like in Nevada? Are there consumption lounges? Are people smoking on the street?

Ngaio Bealum (25:47):

You’re not supposed to smoke on the street. People don’t really smoke on the strip. They have a couple of consumption lounges now. New W has a lounge. I think Planet 13 has a lounge behind Resorts World. World. The Artisan Hotel has a cannabis springy smoking wing of their hotel now.

TG Branfalt (26:09):

Really?

Ngaio Bealum (26:10):

So you can book a room? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s kind of funny. Even though cannabis is legal and you can get a smoking room in a hotel, a lot of hotels don’t want you to smoke cannabis in the smoking room, which is weird because I always think that weed makes smoking rooms smell better. If you’ve ever got a smoking room in a hotel, they smell like nicotine and regret. But sometimes you can make it smell like weed and sex, and that’s better. That’s better for me. So I mean, I think it’s easier to hang out in LA now that cannabis is legal, even though I don’t feel like as much of a dangerous outlaw as I used to. But it still, it’s probably better as we get older and mellow out. It’s still a good time.

TG Branfalt (26:55):

Do you ever miss that

Ngaio Bealum (26:57):

They do a lot of weed things. I do miss that feeling. I miss that feeling. Sometimes I go to Idaho and carry weed around just so I could be nervous again.

TG Branfalt (27:07):

I also miss that feeling quite a lot actually.

Ngaio Bealum (27:12):

But I also got to say, I got to say, maybe you just hot box your car and now you’re standing in the Starbucks and a bunch of cops walk in and it’s not a problem. That’s fantastic. Right? I was smoking a joint on K Street waiting for the bus in San Francisco, and three sheriff’s deputies walked by while I’ve smoking this joint, and it was just like, Hey, what’s up? Oh yeah, hey, what’s up? And that was it.

TG Branfalt (27:33):

I still sometimes get, I got pulled over and I had an ounce in my car, and I was a little nervous still knowing that I’m in New York, I’m straight. Right?

Ngaio Bealum (27:47):

You’re all good. It’s a whole different feeling, man. It’s a whole different feeling. I was just in Berlin for the International Cannabis Business Conference and we’re staying at the extra hotel. And apparently the weekend before our conference, there was a lot of stuff going on in Berlin. There’s all these protests. There’s a big soccer match. So they had brought in some cops from out of town, a bunch of cops. We look like a fucking police convention at the hotel I’m at. And at first I was like, oh, Jesus Christ, this is not what I need right now. But then I realized, hey, they just decriminalized cannabis in Germany and you can actually smoke in the street. That’s part of the rules. I think it’s like before 9:00 AM and after 6:00 PM So while everybody’s in working that’s supposed to smoke in the street, be responsible. But after that, if you’re just walking around, you can smoke. And so I was standing outside the lobby doing my thing and it was not a problem. It was fantastic.

TG Branfalt (28:46):

And you were there right after they passed the bill? It must have been.

Ngaio Bealum (28:51):

Yeah, yeah, yeah. They passed the bill April 1st and I got into Germany April 8th.

TG Branfalt (28:59):

Or what was the atmosphere like among the attendees of the conference?

Ngaio Bealum (29:04):

Everybody’s very excited. But here’s the thing. A lot of the stories you read will say that Germany legalized cannabis and they didn’t really, they just super decriminalize it. So now you can carry 25 grams in your pocket. You can have 50 grams at the house. You can grow three plants per person wherever you live in all the counties. Bavaria has to fucking do it as well. And they can’t, Bavaria can’t be all square like Texas. They have to go along with it, but you still can’t really find a place to buy it. You still got to go to Gritz or Park. It’s so funny, I was at this one nightclub and people kept walking up to me and trying to buy drugs, weed or whatever. All these drugs is Berlin. And at first I was like, man, I think y’all are kind of racist. But then I realized what, I’m also in a town where I don’t know anybody. I also look for a friendly dreadlock person, try to buy drugs from, so sometimes sweeping generalizations to be effective.

TG Branfalt (30:07):

That is actually the exact, I

Ngaio Bealum (30:10):

Lost you. Hold on. Oh, there you go. What’d you say?

TG Branfalt (30:13):

That is actually the exact demographic in which I bought weed from a DJ in France.

Ngaio Bealum (30:19):

Friendly dreadlock person, correct? Yes.

TG Branfalt (30:24):

It was great weed too. It was cheap.

Ngaio Bealum (30:28):

The odd on your side, the on side. I’ve bought good hash with some friendly dreadlock people all over the world.

TG Branfalt (30:36):

Why haven’t we seen a lot of black hash post legalization? You think

Ngaio Bealum (30:44):

A lot of black hash you said?

TG Branfalt (30:46):

Yeah, black hash.

Ngaio Bealum (30:48):

You mean like the old tool, like the Moroccan style?

TG Branfalt (30:50):

Yeah. Yeah.

Ngaio Bealum (30:51):

Go to Europe, bro. Bro. It’s all, all solventless handmade chara style. This is fresher Morocco. This is the Morocco style. This is the French he kno style. They smoke that stuff all the time. They throw it in a tobacco cigarette. Those guys love a little hash. Lisbon loves hash. Spain loves hash. Germany loves hash. London loves hash.

TG Branfalt (31:13):

But it seems a little strange that we have legalization in the states and black hash is still really kind of hard to find. I find

Ngaio Bealum (31:20):

That strange because the weed nerds live rozen, bro. It’s all the terpenes, bro. This is 92%. I’m low temps. I’m a low temp smoker. You’re going to burn off all those vital fucking terpenes, bro. If you’re, your temperature are too high, listen, different terpenes. What strain is it? Because my heat temperature signature is very specific to the strain that I’m smoking at this point. Because people like to nerd out. People like to be fancy, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You can smoke regular good old fashioned Moroccan style hash all you want, but some people are like, oh, this is a live resin razin whip. Check out the diamonds, bro. I’m coming in at 98.65% THC.

TG Branfalt (32:10):

Can you fuck with that?

Ngaio Bealum (32:13):

Like I said, it makes me quiet. I don’t do it. I fuck with it one time. I tell people all the time, the more dabs you do, the more dabs you’re going to do. Right? It makes your tolerance a little wild. And so that’s how people get super up deep into it. I’m like, dabs should always be a sweet, not necessarily an everyday thing. At least for me. I don’t judge anybody for how they use drugs as long as they’re responsible adults.

TG Branfalt (32:40):

I’ve learned from being in my mid twenties when diamonds started emerging and dabbing diamonds and the fear, man, the fear was real. I couldn’t do it.

Ngaio Bealum (32:53):

You can definitely smoke yourself into a panic attack. But I mean, one of my favorite things that we’ve learned from cannabis over the past 15, 20 years is that THC is not the end all be all of cannabis enjoyment, right? There’s C, B, D, there’s CDN, there’s C, B, G, there’s all the cannabinoids, all the terpenes and the entourage effect work to make the experience more pleasant. And so I think that’s the deal is you want to find the combination that works for you as opposed to just being, oh, well this one’s 35% tt. It’s obviously way better than this one is 29% TT it. It’s not necessarily true. I put out a line of three roles one time and they tested it like 18% THC, but I would tell everybody, I was like, don’t let that label fool you because you’re going to be high as hell. You’re going to be high as hell off of this. And then they would kind of laugh at me and then they would take two hits and they’d be like, dude, I’m really fucked up right now. I was like, I told you, because it’s not just about the THC content, what the terpenes do, how they all interact.

TG Branfalt (33:57):

Are you referring to the mothership farms line?

Ngaio Bealum (34:01):

This was the Green Shock Farms line. Oh no. It did come off of mothership. Yeah. So green. So Greens Shock Farms was the farmer. Shout out Mark and the crew. And then Mothership was a distributor. So when mothership presents, when Guile four 20 presents, green Shot Farms’, a lot of hands.

TG Branfalt (34:22):

And I’ve always had this question, how much of a sort of role did you have in choosing the stuff that had your name on it?

Ngaio Bealum (34:30):

Bro, the biggest role. It’s got my name on it, but my whole concept was I’m going to go out into the woods and I’m going to talk my homies out of their head stash. Not the regular shit that they grow for everybody. Like, Hey, I only got two pounds of this, dude, I need a pound and a half of it. No, you can’t listen. I need a pound of this. The people have to smoke this, right? We’re only releasing 600, 700 of these. Because I had to talk about, I almost had to wrestle him to get him to let go of some of this weed that I think you will all enjoy. I’m not just letting you throw some shit out there. I’m calling my homies. I’m going out into the woods and smoking with my boy sticky and smoking with my boy mark and smoking with my other homies. Can I get some of this pink Tanzi cross? No, man, I get it. Come on dog. I got to have so, but people need it. That’s my whole thing. I like to Go ahead.

TG Branfalt (35:20):

If you were looking for, if were going to release another product, would you sort of take the same approach to find another partner? Or would you maybe track down some good stuff that you had maybe not encountered in the woods, if you will?

Ngaio Bealum (35:35):

Well, there’s a couple ways to do it, right? If you have a good distributor, they probably know some people, so you can look at who they’re working with and talk to those guys and be like, I want to introduce one of your, what’s your favorite shape? Maybe not necessarily you’re the best seller because people look for certain names as work, but what’s something you think people would really get a kick out of? And then if I enjoy it, then I can spread the word, Hey, this is my shed right here. Try this chocolate hashberry, try this, whatnot. Get into it. And I think that’s a good way because I don’t know, it’s so tough. Everybody always wants to make a new strain. Everybody wants to be the next cookies or train wreck or things like that. And I think it’s great, but I also think we need to remember to hold on to some heirloom strains. Where did the champagne go? What happened to the AK 47? Where’s the Blue City diesel? Things like that.

TG Branfalt (36:29):

I always tell my friends, and I don’t know if this is something that y’all had in California, beers

Ngaio Bealum (36:36):

BC Bud.

TG Branfalt (36:37):

That’s where it allegedly came from. I missed that shit, man.

Ngaio Bealum (36:41):

Allegedly.

TG Branfalt (36:42):

Allegedly. Of course, it’s allegedly.

Ngaio Bealum (36:44):

It came from there. Those BC Bud used to come flooding that, especially with when the Los Angeles cannabis dispensaries really started to take off in the two thousands. I wouldn’t say the market was flooded with BC Bud, but there was a lot coming down because the supply and demand was crazy at that

TG Branfalt (37:04):

Point. I always really liked that shit. And it’s like gone forever in the ether.

Ngaio Bealum (37:11):

It’s still in British Columbia now. Nobody needs to smuggle it down here anymore,

TG Branfalt (37:17):

But I’m going to go smuggle it down here because I miss, I do. I miss it town.

Ngaio Bealum (37:24):

Go to Vancouver. Go to Vancouver. S smoke some weed. You’ll recognize it.

TG Branfalt (37:30):

I go as far as Toronto,

Ngaio Bealum (37:33):

I love Toronto.

TG Branfalt (37:35):

I also love Toronto. I mean, so Canada’s a civilizes country and all.

Ngaio Bealum (37:40):

I like the all night Montreal bagel place in Toronto.

TG Branfalt (37:44):

Yes, that is a very good place. Post legalization.

Ngaio Bealum (37:48):

There’s a place I’m talking about with the wood oven. Yeah, they got the wood oven. They’re open like 24 hours. And you get that Montreal style bagel,

TG Branfalt (37:55):

That Montreal style bagels. Legit

Ngaio Bealum (37:58):

Bra. Bra. I’m here for it.

TG Branfalt (38:01):

And one more question, sort of going back to sort of strain names and weed nerd stuff. Do you foresee that’s where the industry goes, that we move away from strain names and we start going and buying stuff by like, all right, I want the X amount of this cannabinoid, so on and so forth, and move away from strain names.

Ngaio Bealum (38:24):

I don’t know if the testing is going to be that exact for that. I think what I see, because we were moving away from the deli style where you go in, used to go in, they have all the jars and open the jar. Yeah, that’s the one that they pull out a couple grams for you because the smell, right, the terpenes make your body react. Because weed loves us and wants us to be happy. All the different terpenes have different smells. So you get to, oh, I always like to smell for black pepper. Or if that’s pine trees, then that’s the one for me. Everybody does that thing, so they don’t really do it like that anymore. I mean, they have the little jars you can over, but you can’t always get the full effect. I think really people are going to have to lean on brands.

(39:03):

You have to know that fig farms always puts out good shit, you know that connected almost always puts out good shit. Wild makes great edibles because you can’t smell the weed for yourself. So you really have to trust the brand. You have to find a budtender who smokes like you. Right? When I was a budtender in la, there were definitely some people who we kind of smoked the same. So when some shit came in that I liked, I knew that they would like it. And there were also some people, they didn’t want to be served by me because we had vastly different taste of weed, but they liked my homeboy. They smoke the same and they’re like, oh yeah, dog, this is mine. You know what I mean? So that’s how it goes. So rely on the professionals, find a couple of good, consistent brands you like and grow your own weed. That’s my advice.

TG Branfalt (39:50):

Is there a smell that you know that this is for you? What’s that for you?

Ngaio Bealum (39:57):

Feet, cheese, skunk. I also like pine trees. I like lemons. I like all that. Tropical. Tropical cherry is nice, but it makes me sleepy, but it’s delicious. So I smoke it at night and then I pass out, but it’s so tasty.

TG Branfalt (40:13):

I could Smells like basements,

Ngaio Bealum (40:17):

Dan.

TG Branfalt (40:17):

Yep.

Ngaio Bealum (40:19):

Yeah, yeah, yeah, man. Burning tires, all that shit. I like a stinky weed.

TG Branfalt (40:25):

They say in Nevada that it has the highest miene content among all of the legalized markets. Yeah, that makes

Ngaio Bealum (40:34):

Sense. That makes sense. Because everybody likes that cush. They like that cush. They like those cookies, they like that runts. That’s all that me. Scene action. Yeah. Yeah, it makes sense. Everybody out here is a baller and a gangster, so it’s Vegas, bro. We’re bling, slightly bling almost for

TG Branfalt (40:54):

A day,

Ngaio Bealum (40:55):

Right? By the next

TG Branfalt (40:56):

Day you’re balling

Ngaio Bealum (40:57):

In a totally different way, just one day, right? There’s a difference between B-A-L-L-I-N-G and B-A-W-L-I-N-G.

TG Branfalt (41:06):

Yeah, you’ve lost all your money and can’t buy any mercene in heavy weed. So last question I have for you, man. What advice would you have for young entertainers, people who are maybe thinking about being a cannabis centric entertainer?

Ngaio Bealum (41:26):

First of all, that’s my job. Find your own spot. No, I’m kidding. There’s plenty of space in the world. The pie is always big stop thinking of things as finite. The planet is infinite, and we have to stop creating bullshit, scarcity. There’s more than enough to go around for everybody. That’s just general philosophy in terms of that. Dude, I wish I had taken a marketing class when I was a kid. Interesting. When I was a young college student, I studied music and theater, but I didn’t study marketing or search engine optimization. Well, we didn’t have search engines, right? I was a college in 1990 or goddamn business, but

TG Branfalt (42:11):

Still typewriters?

Ngaio Bealum (42:15):

We had computers, sir. The Tandy, TRS 80 were programming shit in Basic 25 if then, but that

TG Branfalt (42:29):

Class stopped

Ngaio Bealum (42:31):

And have fun, be polite, smoke weed. I don’t know what to tell you. I just kind of hustled my ass off and we got to where I’m, but I’m still hustling. So that’s how it goes. Have fun. Be yourself.

TG Branfalt (42:45):

Where can people find more about yourself and the things that you do and watch you smoke joints on the internet?

Ngaio Bealum (42:53):

Fortunately, there aren’t pictures of me at the post office. You can follow me on the Instagram N ao. I’m also on the Twitter or the X-N-G-A-I two. I have a Patreon that I’m going to start dumping shit into any minute now. There’s some stuff up there, but we’re going to put more stuff up there this week. And then I just started my substack as well. And I will be, I’m traveling quite a bit. I’m doing more travel here. So really the Instagram is the best way. I should get my website. Back up. What do you know about WordPress? Anybody know anything about WordPress? Call me up.

TG Branfalt (43:28):

We use WordPress, at Ganjapreneur, but I only write things in host podcasts. You should go look at my record store website, but it’s basically just three links. I can’t be of any help at all

Ngaio Bealum (43:38):

That’s all I need. I can’t figure out this WordPress ui or I would do that.

TG Branfalt (43:44):

There’s a guy somewhere in this organization knows how to do it. I’m not that guy.

Ngaio Bealum (43:50):

I understand. I’m not that guy. Now. Know your strengths. Play to your strengths.

TG Branfalt (43:55):

Ngaio, this has been a lot of fun.

Ngaio Bealum (43:59):

TG I had a great time. Have me over anytime.

TG Branfalt (44:02):

Most fun. Well, we should do this again next time. We’ll do general philosophy though, because you sort of scratched the surface there now. I’m really intrigued.

Ngaio Bealum (44:11):

Let’s get into it. I’m here for it, man. I’m down. I’m super down. Lemme know brother.

TG Branfalt (44:17):

Our guest is Ngaio Bealum, comedian, musician, writer, activist, actor, Renaissance man,

Ngaio Bealum (44:27):

Friend of small animals,

TG Branfalt (44:28):

Guy who likes Kush. And you can find more episodes of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast in the podcast section of Ganjapreneur.com. Wherever you get your podcast. On entrepreneur.com website, you’ll find the latest cannabis news and cannabis jobs updated daily along with transcripts of this podcast. This episode was engineered by Wayward Sound Studio. I’ve been your host, TG Branfalt.

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New York Shuts Down More Than 100 Illegal Dispensaries in 3 Weeks

6/19/2024

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New York’s task force to shut down illegal dispensaries in the state has closed 114 storefronts in the three weeks since the launch of the enforcement actions just three weeks ago. Officials said more than $29 million worth of products were seized in the closures. 

Licensed retailers in enforcement areas reported a 27% higher increase in sales from the first week of May to the first week of June, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office said in a press release, nearly seven times higher than the previous month-over-month data.   

In a statement, Felicia A.B. Reid, Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) acting executive director, said that unlicensed cannabis shops “threaten to undo the incredible work New York has done to center equity, create jobs, and ensure the integrity of products as the cannabis market expands.” 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who announced last month that city officials were planning to crack down on illegal dispensaries, added that the shops “contributed to a feeling that anything goes” in New York City.  

“After working with Governor Hochul and our partners in Albany to give local municipalities the power we needed to weed out this illegal activity, we launched ‘Operation Padlock to Protect,’ which is already seeing stunning results. In a matter of weeks, we have shut down nearly 400 smoke shops, seized $13.3 million in illegal products, and imposed more than $30 million in fines and penalties. Our work will protect children, keep our streets safe, and contribute to the thriving legal market that New York deserves.” — Adams in a press release 

Hochul launched the Cannabis Enforcement Task Force on May 21. The task force is a statewide law enforcement effort to coordinate staff from several agencies, including OCM, State Police and other state agencies, to combat the illicit cannabis market. The task force has worked with landlords to evict illegal dispensaries and works to penalize landlords who fail to take steps to evict tenants after they are informed they are operating illegally. 

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Portland Pickles Baseball Team Is First to Offer THC Beverages at Games

6/19/2024

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The Portland Pickles, an Oregon baseball team in the summer West Coast League, is set to be the first sports team in the U.S. to sell THC-infused beverages at games. The team partnered with Cycling Frog to offer the hemp-derived THC beverages at its home games. 

In a statement, Ross Campbell, vice president of business development, said the Pickles “have a responsibility in the sports industry to take leaps and set precedent of innovative partnerships.”  

“As we saw in 2019, becoming the first team to ever partner with a CBD company, and quickly teams all the way up to the Major League level across sports follow suit. We are very proud to provide an alternative option at our games with Cycling Frog Products for our incredible fans and the city of Portland!” — Campbell in a press release 

The Cycling Frog Light Seltzer will be available at the Pickles’ Walker Stadium starting June 18. The Light Seltzer contains 2 milligrams of THC per serving. 

Matt Palomares, vice president of brand marketing of Cycling Frog, said in a statement that the company is “thrilled to be making history” with the Pickles.  

“At Cycling Frog, we believe cannabis consumption should be normalized, accessible, and fun! What could be more normal than going to a baseball game and cheering for your local team?” Palomares said in a press release. “Making THC seltzers available at Pickles games is a huge step and we look forward to sparking a broader conversation via this partnership.” 

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Workers at Two Arizona Dispensaries Become First in the State to Ratify Union Contracts

6/19/2024

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Workers at Zen Leaf Local Joint in Phoenix, Arizona and Zen Leaf in Chandler on Tuesday ratified their union contracts, becoming the first cannabis industry workers in the state to unionize. The ratification vote came nearly two years after workers at both dispensaries voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 99.    

The four-year contract agreement ratified by Zen Leaf workers includes guaranteed wage increases, seven paid holidays, paid time off, paid bereavement leave, a 401K option, seniority and qualification-based promotions, and just-cause discharge. 

Zen Leaf is owned by Verano Holdings, a Chicago, Illinois-based vertically integrated, multistate operator that owns 140 retail cannabis operations across 13 states, according to the company’s website. Five Verano-owned retail cannabis locations have organized with UFCW nationwide, the union said in a press release.  

In a statement, UFCW Local 99 President Jim McLaughlin, called the ratification vote “a significant milestone not just for Zen Leaf employees, but for all Arizona cannabis workers.”  

“With guaranteed wage increases and seniority-based promotions, workers at Zen Leaf can finally plan for their futures and forge a career path in the industry they helped build. This goes to show that Arizona’s cannabis industry works best when workers have a seat at the table.” — McLaughlin in a press release 

Brianna Martinez, a cannabis advisor at Zen Leaf Chandler who was originally hired by Territory Dispensary prior to Verano acquiring the business in 2021, said that following Verano’s takeover “corporate wasn’t listening” to the workers.  

“…And, you know, trying to voice those opinions, realizing that if they’re not going to listen, then starting a union, we’ll make those changes,” Martinez said in a statement. “And finally, two years later, I’m seeing that change happening in that contract… It’s a weight off our shoulders for sure.”  

While the Zen Leaf workers are the first in the state to ratify their contracts, there are seven other cannabis workplaces in Arizona where employees have voted to unionize, including Curaleaf’s Midtown, Camelback, and Airport dispensaries, along with Sunday Goods’ Tempe dispensary, Green Pharms’ Flagstaff dispensary, Kaycha Labs, and the Trulieve Magnolia cultivation facility in Phoenix.   

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California State Fair to Allow Cannabis Sales

6/19/2024

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The California State Fair has announced plans to become the first U.S. state fair to allow cannabis sales and consumption on fairgrounds with this year’s event, The Guardian reports.

The fair started hosting a cannabis flower competition in 2022 to showcase and celebrate California growers but stopped short of allowing sales and sanctioned use. Tom Martinez, the state fair’s chief executive officer, said that “onsite [cannabis] sales and consumption in a designated area [would] provide a platform to amplify California’s rich agricultural bounty and facilitate storytelling for farmers from diverse backgrounds and experiences,” according to the report.

Lauren Carpenter, co-founder of the Embarc cannabis dispensary, said the company is preparing an experimental dispensary site for the 17-day state fair next month.

“Hosting cannabis sales and consumption is a groundbreaking milestone in destigmatization by facilitating a deeper connection between consumers and the farmers who cultivate their products with such cards.” — Carpenter, in a press release

The new rules are only possible after Gov. Gavin Newsome (D) signed into law new regulations that allow for licensed cannabis events. Under the changes, state fair organizers plan to expand the cannabis product competition to cover new categories including pre-rolls, edibles, concentrates, cartridges, and beverages.

The 2024 California State Fair is scheduled from July 12 to July 28. Last year’s event drew about 590,000 people during its run.

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