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New York Bill Would Create Provisional Licenses for Cannabis Cultivators

7/22/2021

A bill introduced last week by Democratic state Sen. Jeremy Cooney would allow licensed cannabis cultivators to start growing their crops prior to the launch of the formal program, creating provisional licenses that would allow businesses to operate if the Office of Cannabis Management doesn’t propagate program rules by January 1.

“Now that NY legalized cannabis, I’m proposing provisional cannabis licenses to fulfill the economic justice promises we made, so that farmers will be able to put seeds in the ground and create new economic opportunities.” — Cooney via Twitter

Cooney, who co-chairs the Black Puerto Rican Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus’ Marijuana Task Force, added that the bill would allow “farmers to put seed in the ground so that the economic benefits of legalizing marijuana are not delayed for another growing season.”

“We passed adult-use recreational marijuana with the promise of investing in communities most negatively impacted by the failed war on drugs,” he said in a statement. “This bill allows us to start fulfilling that promise by creating a supply chain of products for retailers in the new economy.”

So far, at least two New York municipal governments—Middletown and Watertown— have already opted out of allowing adult-use cannabis operations. Lawmakers in both cities can opt back into the program. Officials from both Middletown and Watertown said they wanted to take a wait-and-see approach before deciding to allow cannabis operations.

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Georgia Picks Six Companies to Produce Low-THC Medical Cannabis Oil

7/22/2021

Georgia has tabbed six companies to produce and distribute low-THC cannabis oil, according to WSB-TV. The names of the firms will not be unveiled until Saturday.

In all, the state will license two Class One producers with a capacity of up to 100,000 square feet and four Class Two licenses with capacities up to 50,000 square feet.

The bill allowing the businesses was signed in May. Despite there being 14,000 registered medical cannabis patients in Georgia, there is currently no way for them to legally access their medicine and many patients run the risk of violating federal law by having to cross state lines.

Under state law, the University of Georgia and Fort Valley State University are the only entities in Georgia allowed to cultivate cannabis to study its medicinal benefits; however, neither school has applied for a license.

The legislation allowed just 70 companies to apply for the permits.

The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, which is tasked with reviewing and scoring the applications estimate it could take six to eight months for the companies to get operational and make the oil available to registered patients.

The state program only allows medical cannabis products to contain up to 5% THC and allows patients with one or a combination of just 17 medical conditions to enroll. The legislature passed the law in 2019.

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Hyosung America: Improving Cash Management for Cannabis Retailers

7/22/2021

The cannabis industry is currently the most cash-laden industry that still has to pay taxes. So when it comes to handling their cash, many cannabis companies — particularly retailers, whose consumer-facing businesses work almost exclusively with cash — are turning to top-of-the-line cash management solutions to both safeguard their business and improve their company’s workflow. Enter Hyosung Americas, a globally recognized provider of powerful cash management solutions for financial and retail settings.

Hyosung Americas is the North America-based subsidiary of Hyosung, Inc, which is an international conglomerate based in Seoul, South Korea. Hyosung is always on the lookout for ways to reimagine and improve cash flow through advanced hardware and software solutions. In 2019, as the U.S. cannabis industry picked up steam, Hyosung Americas noted that cannabis retailers were facing an extraordinary number of cash-related obstacles in their day-to-day operations. These obstacles, however, could be sidestepped or even thwarted through the use of Hyosung’s Retail Cash Recyclers, which can automate cash counting, track the cash flow of a business, offer built-in vault storage capabilities, and more.

What is a cash recycler?

Hyosung’s Retail Cash Recycler (RCR) looks like a high-tech ATM, or automated teller machine. While Hyosung’s RCRs are technically capable of accepting consumer credit/debit cards and dispensing cash, that is not their true function — rather, cash recyclers have automated cash input and output capabilities that let operators carefully monitor their business’s cash flow. The machine’s software allows company owners to not only track the amount of cash coming in and out of their business in real-time but also see who is submitting and retrieving the cash, when each interaction occurs, and more.

How do cannabis retailers use Hyosung’s RCRs?

Hyosung’s Retail Cash Recyclers can help cannabis retailers overcome any of the industry’s cash-related obstacles, from cash counting, secure storage, verifying the authenticity of banknotes, monitoring the business’s cash flow, and more. The RCRs are particularly helpful in the back end of a dispensary’s day-to-day operation — the automated cash counting not only saves valuable employee time, freeing up budtenders to better serve their clients, it also works as a safeguard against employee theft.

Hyosung’s RCRs are also modular in design, meaning business owners can pick and choose certain RCR characteristics when they choose to work with Hyosung. For example, while all RCRs may serve a double function as a vault for a business’s cash, Hyosung includes options for automatically loading the cash into a cassette for secure transfer (whether to one’s bank for deposit or even to the state Capitol to pay one’s taxes).

Hyosung’s RCRs have incredible capabilities. To maximize those features and benefits, Hyosung offers white glove delivery, configuration, bring-live, on-site training, and maintenance. Hyosung also offers a full end-to-end service department that can answer any questions and help operators establish new RCR workflows, and more.

You can learn more at HyosungAmericas.com.

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Report: Cannabis Arrests Down in Colorado but Black People Still Disproportionately Targeted

7/21/2021

A new Colorado Division of Criminal Justice report covering Colorado’s cannabis reforms found a 68% decline in cannabis-related arrests between 2012 and 2019—from 13,225 to 4,290—however, the arrest rate for Black people (160 per 100,000) was still more than double that of White people (76 per 100,000).

The report also found a 3% increase in arrests related to cannabis production.

Stan Hilkey, executive director of the Department of Public Safety, said the information in the report “is presented in a comprehensive and unbiased manner.”

“This report provides a wealth of valuable information to help policy makers, law enforcement, schools, the marijuana industry and the public understand the effects of legal recreational marijuana in our communities.” — Hilkey in a statement

While the report does show a 140% increase in the number of traffic fatalities where the driver tested positive for any cannabinoid (55 in 2013 to 132 in 2019), it notes that “the detection of any cannabinoid in blood is not an indicator of impairment but only indicates presence in the system.”

The report also found an increase in calls to poison control mentioning cannabis exposure increased from 41 in 2006 to 276 in 2019. However, there are several factors that can lead to that increase, including people being more willing to call poison control for exposure to a legal substance.

The study also found “no significant change” in past 30-day cannabis use among teens post-legalization, with 19.7% of respondents on the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey admitting to using cannabis over the last 30 days in 2013, compared to 20.6% in 2019. The rate of juvenile cannabis arrests also decreased 42% from 599 in 2012 to 349 in 2019.

The report is required by a 2013 bill and is published every other year.

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New York Police No Longer Seizing Cannabis in Airports

7/21/2021

Police at Albany International and other major New York airports are no longer making arrests, writing tickets, or conducting product seizures in the case of low-level cannabis possession by travelers, according to a Times Union report.

The new policy is a result of New York’s recent legalization of adult-use cannabis.

According to Bart R. Johnson, former State Police colonel and current federal security director for 15 upstate New York airports, “We don’t seize [cannabis]. We just look for threats—explosives, knives, guns; we don’t look for illegally possessed narcotics.” Rather, if a suspected illegal substance is discovered during TSA officers’ search for threat-related contraband, “we notify law enforcement.”

Officers with TSA—a federal agency—are required to notify local law enforcement whenever they encounter an illegal substance, and cannabis remains federally prohibited. But cannabis has been legalized in New York and Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said that if a passenger is discovered to be carrying cannabis, deputies will no longer take action unless the amount of cannabis appears to surpass the state’s three-ounce possession limit.

“We don’t take it anymore. It’s legal if not more than three ounces and, well, have a nice day.” — Sheriff Apple, via the Times Union

The change follows similar policy shifts in other post-prohibition states. In 2018, officials at LAX in Los Angeles announced the airport would allow cannabis possession by travelers.

Last January, Chicago airports established so-called “cannabis amnesty” boxes where travelers could deposit any cannabis products they were carrying before going through security — notably, security footage showed that one such amnesty box was pilfered by an arriving traveler within weeks.

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Medical Cannabis Company Sues State Officials Over Corruption Claims

7/21/2021

A medical cannabis company that was denied a license in Utah is suing current and former state officials along with companies that did receive a license claiming “corruption” in the licensing process and a “bias toward out-of-state applicants,” Fox 13 reports. The firm, JLPR, has previously lost a separate lawsuit asking the Utah Court of Appeals to undo the licensing process.

The lawsuit claims state Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) officials improperly influenced bids, rushed the process, changed the application requirements to favor certain companies, conflicts of interest in license evaluators, and improper communication between agriculture officials and some applicants.

The lawsuit cites an audit by State Auditor John Dougall which uncovered the conflicts of interest and improper communication. The report went so far as to suggest the state redo the medical cannabis licensing process.

“UDAF’s process was not a ‘blind’ evaluation, meaning the evaluation committee members were aware of the applicants’ identities. The committee awarded licenses to eight growers. We analyzed various aspects of the evaluation and award processes. We note concerns about certain factors and conditions that call into question the independence of the process.”— Dougall, in the audit, via Fox 13

Kerry Gibson, the agriculture commissioner named in the report, no longer holds the post. The current commissioner, Logan Wilde, has said the agency “does not have statutory authority to reevaluate the awarding of cannabis cultivation facility licenses” but would “carefully consider the renewal of licenses by the Cannabis Production Establishment Licensing Board in December of this year.”

The lawsuit asks a federal judge to either grant JLPR a license or deny any renewals until the company is awarded one.

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Tribal Court Allows Dispensary to Remain Open Despite Challenge by St. Regis Mohawk Tribe

7/21/2021

A Mohawk Tribal Court ruled that one of the dispensaries that was sent a cease-and-desist order earlier this month can remain open, according to an NCPR report. Chief Judge Carrie Garrow ruled that the Tribe failed to show evidence that the owners of Good Leaf are breaking the law—or that they are even the owners—or that the business is selling cannabis at all.

Good Leaf, which operates on Akwesasne tribal land in upstate New York, was one of seven businesses issued a cease-and-desist letter by tribal leaders who claimed they were illegally selling cannabis to adults without permission from the Tribe—which passed an adult-use ordinance late last month but has yet to issue industry rules and regulations or licenses.

The other six dispensaries are reportedly still operating as well.

Judge Garrow added in the decision that Good Leaf was issued a business license by the traditional Longhouse Council in Akwesasne. Many traditional Mohawks argue that they are not subject to governing councils established by the U.S. or Canada, the report says. The judge notes that the Tribe did not address that business license issued by the Longhouse and that the license is not for cannabis-related business, rather for “trade goods.”

In a statement, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council called the decision “a procedural ruling” and that “the court erred, and the Tribe has filed today motions to reconsider given that the record is clear that Good Leaf admitted in court it is operating outside of tribal law.”

Good Leaf did not comment on the decision.

While New York state legalized cannabis earlier this year, adult-use sales have not yet commenced.

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Virginia Gov. Appoints Cannabis Regulators

7/21/2021

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) has appointed five individuals to the state’s Cannabis Control Authority (CCA), the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. The appointees will work with the CEO of the CCA, who is expected to be chosen by Northam in the coming weeks, to roll out the state’s adult-use cannabis program in 2024. The list of CCA members is comprised of a high-powered cohort of Virginia businesspeople, entrepreneurs, attorneys, and one social equity advocate.

In addition to the CCA, two other groups will assist in developing the state’s fledgling cannabis system. The governor and legislative leaders recently appointed 13 members to the 20-member Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Board and other positions on the Cannabis Public Health Advisory Board—a 21 person board tasked with issuing binding guidance on cannabis public health and studying the effect legal cannabis has on public health in Virginia. The state attorney general will also tap a state “cannabis attorney” to guide Virginia through the legal pitfalls of adult-use cannabis, the Times-Dispatch reports.

Citing the disproportionate effect of the war on drugs on communities of color, especially Black Virginians, the legislature took the groundbreaking step to pass adult-use cannabis this year, making it the first state in the South to embrace the reforms. Although retail sales will not commence until 2024, Virginians are allowed to possess up to an ounce of cannabis and grow four plants at home.

However, despite the progress, Virginia Republican Delegate Glenn Davis recently called the social equity provisions of the new law “asinine” and described putting people who had previously broken the law at the front of the line as, “insanity run amok.”

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Study: Legalization Sees Short-Term Decline in Opioid ER Visits

7/20/2021

Researchers at the Pitt Graduate School of Public Health found that in the first half of 2017 California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada all saw a 7.6% decline in opioid-related emergency room visits but that those rates returned to pre-legalization levels after the six months, according to a WESA outline of the study.

However, Coleman Drake, the study’s lead author and assistant professor of health policy and management, said the researchers found no “evidence to support the theory that cannabis functions as a gateway drug.”

“If anything, we find that recreational cannabis legalization decreases opioid-related emergency department visits. … Cannabis is a substitute for pain relief, but it’s not a treatment for opioid use disorder. People might be finding that cannabis does help treat pain for opioid use disorder, but ultimately isn’t treating other symptoms of the condition.”— Drake to WESA

The study focused on California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada because the states had only legalized cannabis for adults in 2016. The study notes that the reduction in opioid-related ER visits was “driven by men and adults aged 25-44.” It also stressed, “while cannabis liberalization may offer some help in curbing the opioid epidemic, it is likely not a panacea.”

Drake noted that there have not yet been enough “high-quality studies” on post-legalization issues, such as opioid use or related ER visits, and Alice Bell of Prevention Point Pittsburgh, a nonprofit specializing in drug user health and harm reduction agreed, noting that it is hard to draw hard conclusions from the study.

“This data hopefully once and for all puts a nail in the coffin that marijuana is a ‘gateway drug,’” Bell said in the report. “It would be useful to do qualitative research and ask people who use drugs what they are actually doing.”

The study, “Recreational cannabis laws and opioid-related emergency department visit rates,” was published July 12 in the Health Economics Letter.

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Competing Campaigns in Missouri Seek to Add Legalization Question to 2022 Ballots

7/20/2021

Competing advocacy groups in Missouri are seeking to put an adult-use question to voters next year, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The groups include Fair Access Missouri and Legal Missouri 2022, which was once known as New Approach Missouri—the group behind the successful medical cannabis initiative in 2018.

Fair Access is comprised of cannabis proponents who are disenchanted with the medical cannabis program created by the 2018 initiative. That campaign, a constitutional amendment, required the state to issue at least 338 industry licenses. The licensing process was marred by controversies, which included an investigation into the scoring process over claims that Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s office was able to influence how industry applications were scored and a report that was used to limit the number of licenses awarded.

Eric McSwain, the spokesman for Fair Access and chair of the Missouri Cannabis Industry Association, told the Post-Dispatch that under the current medical cannabis system, prices are too high and that his organization is pushing for an “open market” approach to broad legalization.

“We’re not big fans of the limited license scheme that’s in place. I don’t think it does justice to all those entrepreneurs in Missouri. I don’t think it does justice for all of the individuals who want to be employed in the industry, and I don’t think it’s fair to patients either, who at this point don’t have an adequate supply.”— McSwain to the Post-Dispatch

The groups diverge on several issues, including micro-licenses, social equity provisions, allowing current operators the first shot at new licenses and which state agencies would regulate the new industry.

Fair Access last week filed multiple versions of its ballot question with the secretary of state’s office. Campaigns must gather enough signatures to get the issue on midterm ballots in 2022.

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AphriHelios Global LLC Announces Launch of Inaugural Advisory Board

7/20/2021

Stellar Group of Advisors to Influence AphriHelios’ Strategy

AphriHelios Global LLC, poised to become the leading vertically integrated cannabis company bringing the highest quality Africa and African diaspora cannabis products and brands to the global market, today announced the formation of its inaugural Advisory Board.

AphriHelios CEO, Darin Hickman, stated “We are honored to have such an esteemed group of leaders avail their expertise, sage advice, and networks. Each member brings the intellectual insight we currently need in key strategic areas.”

The new advisors include:

Colin Clarke – Colin has many years of international law, private equity, and corporate finance experience with multinational organizations. He is currently Chairman of the Investment Committee and Executive Director of RH Bophelo Management Company Proprietary Limited. Colin’s educational background includes a (BA) Political Science, MBA (University of Oxford), Juris Doctorate (JD), and Advocate High Court, South Africa.

Dr. Desta Meghoo – As a creative consultant, cannabis activist, writer, author, community leader, and founder of D.Y.M.C. & ASSOC, Dr. Meghoo remains active in the Pan African and Rastafari movement, having managed the careers of icons such as Augustus Pablo, and two of Bob Marley’s I-Threes, Rita Marley and Judy Mowatt. Further, she served as the Managing Director of the Bob Marley Foundation. Dr. Meghoo earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida. She currently serves in Addis Ababa as Liaison to the African Union for the Diaspora African Forum. The Diaspora Africa Forum is the only African Diaspora organization in the world with diplomatic status. Most recently Dr. Meghoo appeared on Alpha Woman podcast to discuss Ethiopian cannabis laws and feminism in Africa.

Groovin Nchabeleng – Award-winning South African advertising and media guru. Groovin is the current Executive Chairman of Blueprint Group advertising agency, which has been in operation for the past 18 years. He is Chairman of Koni Multinational Brands and the Medisone Pharmacy Retail Chain and former CEO of Leo Burnett Group South Africa/MMS Group. He is a member of the Sekhukhuneland Royal Family (Bapedi) and a founding member and director for the United Royal Kingships Holdings, a first-of-its-kind investment entity representing 829 royal leaderships and a constituency of over 20 million people.

Montel Williams – Emmy award-winning media expert, podcast host, best-selling author, decorated U.S. Naval officer, motivational speaker, wellness entrepreneur, and cannabis advocate, Montel currently serves on the board of directors for the Fisher House Foundation and the Anne Romney Center for Neurological Diseases at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Williams holds a Bachelor of Science degree in general engineering and a minor in international security affairs from the United States Naval Academy. His podcast Let’s Be Blunt with Montel (which recently hosted AphriHelios CEO, Darin Hickman) features under-represented voices in the cannabis industry.

AphriHelios Global is excited about its new Advisory Board and how it can assist in creating transformative sustainable economic opportunities, in Africa and internationally, while also facilitating conversations about the intersection of African based company’s role in creating high value, low-cost production in the cannabis industry.

The company is also excited about its current capital raise. Consistent with its drive to create transformative economic opportunities, AphriHelios has launched a crowdfunding campaign concurrently with a traditional Regulation D private placement. With a minimum investment of $250, the crowdfunding campaign provides access to individuals who do not usually have access to these kinds of investments. The private placement campaign is focused on accredited individuals and institutions.

To find out more about AphriHelios, its Advisory Board, or its current capital raise, please visit their website at www.aphrihelios.com.

About AphriHelios
AphriHelios Global is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, with active offices in Cape Town, South Africa, and Maseru, Lesotho. The company was awarded its initial license in 2019 from the Kingdom of Lesotho’s Ministry of Health to cultivate, process, package, and export cannabis-related products to global markets from the capital Maseru.

For media inquiries:
Diana-Ashley Krach
krachkreative@gmail.com
‪(443) 619-7984‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

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Raheem Uqdah: The Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility In Cannabis

7/20/2021

Despite the rapid and accelerating growth of the cannabis space, the industry comes from an oppressive foundation of drug war-fueled persecution. Many efforts are aimed at addressing this issue including social equity licensing requirements and similarly focused business incubators, but the responsibility also lies with current operators to help remedy the situation.

Even large cannabis companies like Curaleaf cannot ignore these unfortunate circumstances — in this Q&A, we ask Curaleaf’s Director of Corporate Social Responsibility Raheem Uqdah about the social justice responsibilities of current operators, balancing those responsibilities with brand building and outward expansion, the company’s various initiatives for social good, and more!

Scroll down to read the full interview.

Ganjapreneur: What was your background in nonprofit work and policy before starting with Curaleaf? How has this experience served you in your position?

Raheem Uqdah: Prior to joining Curaleaf I spent time with a handful of nonprofits in various roles for a couple of years. During my role with a nonprofit doing communications and community outreach was the first time in my career where I was able to intentionally blend brand building and social good into my work in a way that made sense and was meaningful to our constituents. I was able to take that grounding and have since applied it to how I approach all of our work at Curaleaf.

Curaleaf is currently operating in 23 states. Do each of its social responsibility initiatives extend into every state market?

The long-term intent of our work is to ladder down all our initiatives into each of our states and find local partners to support our work on a regional and state level. Our programs have been built to address what we think are the most important issues facing our industry today. The flexibility of our programs allows us to tailor each one to the specific populations of our communities.

How does Curaleaf balance its mission of social responsibility and its large retail footprint while competing with small businesses?

In each state that we operate, we maintain close relationships with our communities, from hiring locally to supporting community initiatives. Our scale means that we also have the resources necessary to lift up and support small businesses to facilitate a dynamic and diverse cannabis industry. Our 420×25 initiative is a great example of this, and we’ve set a goal to do business with 420 new cannabis brands, ancillary suppliers and advocacy organizations from underrepresented communities in the cannabis ecosystem by 2025.

Many cannabis industry companies are founded by people fueled by passion with a desire to do good in the world. For entrepreneurs and founders, what are the benefits of formalizing that intent with a statement of corporate social responsibility?

We believe in investing over the long term – in people, programs, and places. Each organization in the cannabis industry has a responsibility to leverage its resources and clout to create a better environment for patients, employees and the community. Formalizing that intent with specific objectives helps elevate industry standards and best practices that serve to create a fair, accessible and equitable legal cannabis space for generations to come.

Due to the historical criminalization of cannabis, many of the early activists and nonviolent offenders who were imprisoned for cannabis are still locked up despite its legal status in many states. What responsibility does the modern cannabis business/entrepreneur have in righting this wrong of the judicial system?

The collateral consequences that have ultimately impacted BIPOC communities is massive. There are organizations out there that are working with states on this topic and we support those efforts. Ultimately, we work with state coalitions to pass laws and regulations that support state level expungement of low-level cannabis-related crimes. That said, we’re choosing to most actively use our resources to provide mentoring and technical assistance for aspiring business owners, create pathways to ownership for social equity license holders, and increase economic opportunities for individuals from historically disadvantaged communities.

How have you handled Curaleaf’s social equity fund investments to best serve the future of the industry?

These investments are an attempt to intentionally build pathways to diversify the industry. By creating educational pathways for those who are interested in joining the cannabis industry we are hoping to spark economic opportunity for those from areas disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. We believe that it is only through opportunity, education, and investment that we can see an inclusive cannabis industry flourish beyond the homogenized industry that we have today.

What direct actions have been taken since the founding of the Rooted in Good program?

We launched our DE&I program starting with our DEI taskforce which was made up of 62 cross-functional team members ranging from dispensary associates to vice presidents at Curaleaf. The taskforce ensures we’re reflecting through our actions and decisions that we value diversity and inclusion across intersections between race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability status, veteran status, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Through this taskforce, we have developed our Curaleaf ERGs, which have led internal virtual events celebrating Black History Month and Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Additionally, our Women’s Cannabis Collective ERG and “CuraForce” Workforce Development subcommittee partnered with Dress for Success to present the virtual workshop, Pivoting Your Career Path: It’s About More Than Skills.

Through our social equity work, we’ve launched our 420×25 initiative, and have established partnerships with organizations like Women Grow and Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) whose efforts support cultivating diversity in the cannabis industry. In July, we launched B Noble in partnership with visual artist, filmmaker and hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy and Bernard Noble, who spent seven years in prison on a 13 year sentence for the equivalent of two joints. This partnership is Curaleaf’s first large-scale brand venture in alignment with our dedicated social equity work and it’s an exciting opportunity to give back to communities impacted by cannabis prohibition, while also calling attention to Bernard’s incredibly harsh sentence.

Additionally, Curaleaf has hired Map-Collective, a female-founded green-tech startup to lead our Carbon Reduction Taskforce, an internal taskforce with a goal to reduce our carbon footprint.

What is the process of forming a new Curaleaf Employee Resource Group (ERG)? Does each ERG have independent leadership to represent their individual focus?

Our ERGs are employee led and are a way for our employees to manage upward and implement grassroots change in our organization. Leaders are often members of multiple ERGs, but each group works to bring the wishes of their membership to life.

What are the goals of the 420×25 initiative and how does this play into the bigger picture of social responsibility?

Curaleaf aims to create a diverse and vibrant cannabis industry. We believe that in order to meet the needs of our patients and customers, we must increase and broaden representation to accurately reflect all backgrounds. As part of our supplier diversity program, Curaleaf aims to do business with 420 new cannabis brands, ancillary suppliers and advocacy organizations from underrepresented communities in the cannabis ecosystem by 2025. Since we announced this commitment in February 2021, we have partnered with 60 of these businesses. One example is Rolling Bouqé, a premier rolling paper brand, whose products are now featured in all Curaleaf Maryland locations. Purient Bedroom, a brand of intimate personal lubricant and massage oil, is another example that joined our Massachusetts ecosystem in early 2020. We aim to achieve our own corporate diversity goals while also enabling the growth of diverse businesses in our communities.

Why did Curaleaf choose to partner with Women Grow for the 420×25 initiative? What kind of value does the partnership bring to the mission?

Our partnership with Women Grow is a key step forward in ensuring that our values are reflected at every level of the organization’s supply chain. From cultivators and manufacturers to ancillary businesses within cannabis, we have set a critical goal of diversifying our supply chain, and we look forward to working with Women Grow to make that goal a reality. Through our partnership, we look forward to connecting with women, BIPOC, Veteran and LGBTQ-owned business owners and building with these cannabis leaders across the 23 active legal states that we operate in.

How important is mentorship when forging a future cannabis industry with true social equity? How does Curaleaf support and initiate true mentorship?

The Executive Roundtable mentoring program at Curaleaf expands the economic opportunities in cannabis by providing entrepreneurs from across the ecosystem, access to the most senior leaders in Curaleaf. Protégés of the mentoring program include entrepreneurs in the CBD space as well as other ancillary business.

Entrepreneurs involved in the program have expressed that these relationships are game-changers for them, the access to networks and knowledge alone is well worth their participation. In addition to direct access to industry leaders, the program includes in-kind benefits from Curaleaf suppliers such as Brightfield Group which will provide technical assistance and access to consumer data at no cost. Some entrepreneurs will have access to scholarship dollars to fill a gap in their knowledge and expertise beyond what their mentors can provide.

The Executive Roundtable takes a 360 approach to mentoring by centering the needs of the individual participants designed to maximize their resources.

What is First Friday and when will this Curaleaf initiative officially launch?

First Friday is an education seminar that Curaleaf will offer for the underrepresented communities on the first Friday of each month. We are inviting BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+ and other communities in to engage and connect. Participants can expect to connect with leading voices in the industry, network for business and employment opportunities, and learn more about today’s cannabis culture. The program officially launched on June 4 with Minorities for Medical Marijuana.

Thank you, Raheem, for answering our questions! Learn more at Curaleaf.com.

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Surgeon General: No ‘Value’ in Locking People Up for Cannabis Use

7/19/2021

During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said there are “some benefits” to cannabis from a medical perspective but also “some harms that we have to consider” when lawmakers craft policy.

Further, the surgeon general said he doesn’t think there is “value” to society by incarcerating people for cannabis use.

“I don’t think that serves anybody well. But I do think that in terms of our approach to marijuana, I worry that when we don’t let science guide our process in policy-making—and as surgeon general that’s my role is to work with policy-makers to work with members in the community and the general public to help people understand what science tells us and where you have gaps, to help fill those gaps with research and with honest inquiry.”—Murthy in a “State of the Union” interview, July 18, 2021

The remarks came in response to a question by “State of the Union” host Dana Bash about the recent introduction of federal legislation—the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act—to legalize cannabis.

The bill, backed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) and fellow Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden (OR), and Cory Booker (NJ), would deschedule cannabis, expunge cannabis-related criminal records, allow incarcerated people to petition for resentencing, and establish social equity cannabis grant programs funded by a new federal cannabis tax. The proposal would also allow some states to continue prohibiting cannabis but would not allow those states to criminalize cannabis transport in their borders if it was headed to legal markets.

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Study: Cannabis First Domesticated in East Asia During Neolithic Era as ‘Multipurpose Crop’

7/19/2021

A new study suggests that cannabis was first domesticated in East Asia during the Neolithic Era—from 3900-1700 BC—and was a “multipurpose crop” likely used for both industrial and medical purposes. The researchers indicated that “all current hemp and drug cultivars diverged from an ancestral gene pool currently represented by feral plants and landraces in China.”

“We identified candidate genes associated with traits differentiating hemp and drug cultivars, including branching pattern and cellulose/lignin biosynthesis. We also found evidence for loss of function of genes involved in the synthesis of the two major biochemically competing cannabinoids during selection for increased fiber production or psychoactive properties.” — “Large-scale whole-genome resequencing unravels the domestication history of Cannabis sativa,” July 16, 2021, Science Advances

Luca Fumagalli, an author of the study, said the hypothesis is largely based on observational data of wild examples in the region, noting that the “feral samples” found in East Asia “are not wild types.”

“These are plants that escaped captivity and readapted to the wild environment,” he said in an interview with the New York Times. “By the way, that’s the reason you call it weed, because it grows anywhere.”

The researchers—from six countries—collected 82 samples, either seeds or leaves, from around the world, which included strains that had been selected for fiber production, and others from Europe and North America that were bred to produce high amounts of THC. The plants’ DNA was extracted and sequenced. The researchers also downloaded and reanalyzed sequencing data from 28 other samples.

The result was that the wild varieties analyzed were in fact “historical escapes from domesticated forms,” and that current strains in China—both cultivated and wild—were the closest descendants of the ancestral gene pool. The researchers conclude that “pure wild progenitors of C. sativa have gone extinct.”

A 2019 study by University of Vermont researchers suggests that cannabis evolved 28 million years ago on a Tibetan plateau around Qinghai Lake at about 10,500 feet above sea level. That research notes that many biogeographers believe that cannabis first grew in Central Asia due to its pollen first appearing in India more than 32,000 years ago and in Japan in 10,000 BCE.

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California Cannabis Regulators Consolidated Under Department of Cannabis Control

7/19/2021

Under a bill signed last week by California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), the state’s three cannabis regulatory bodies have been consolidated into the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), according to the agency’s first press release.

The new DCC is housed under California’s Department of Business, Consumer Services, and Housing (BCSH). California’s cannabis programs were formerly separated across three different state departments and included the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Bureau of Cannabis Control, the Department of Food and Agriculture’s CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Division, and the Department of Public Health’s Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch. Operators have long expressed difficulties in having to navigate the requirements of three separate agencies.

The DCC will maintain the state’s current licensing structure but starting in 2026 will no longer renew the provisional licenses under which the majority of the industry has operated since legalization.

“The state’s consolidation effort delivers on the commitment made by the Newsom Administration to listen to and work with California’s legal cannabis industry to streamline participation in the legal market by offering a central point of contact for licensed operators. One of the key missions of our agency is to build strong, equitable, and vibrant communities. This action takes bold steps in that direction.” — BCSH Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramirez

Nicole Elliott, formerly the Governor’s Senior Advisor on Cannabis at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, was appointed to be the first DCC director.

The governor described the new agency as a “significant step forward to fulfill the opportunities of legalization” and called for continuing the state’s “efforts to foster a diverse and inclusive industry.”

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Kentucky Hemp Association Sues State Officials Over Delta-8 Crackdowns

7/19/2021

The Kentucky Hemp Association and other hemp businesses in the state are suing State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. and Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles in their roles as state officials to stop crackdowns on hemp businesses selling Delta-8 THC, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.

The lawsuit argues the raids are illegal and last week asked a Boone Circuit Court judge to stop police from using a letter from the Agriculture Department as an impetus for the law enforcement actions.

The April 18 letter from Department of Agriculture General Counsel Joe Bilby told hemp license holders that “Delta-8 THC is a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law and Kentucky law” and “distributing products containing this substance is illegal” which could lead to licensees be kicked out of the state’s hemp program and “potential exposure to criminal prosecution.”

“For that reason, you should not manufacture, market, or distribute products containing Delta-8 THC. Failure to heed this guidance could result in the revocation of your hemp license and expose you to the risks of prosecution by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.”—Bilby in a letter to Kentucky hemp licensees via the Herald-Leader

Last month, police raided two hemp retailers in Morehead, five in Casey County, and one each in Hardinsburg and Hardin County, the report says.

Sean Southard, a spokesman for the agriculture department, said that when Kentucky legalized hemp and allowed sales, industry stakeholders “assured everyone that hemp was different from marijuana and that it was not an intoxicating substance.”

“Relying upon those assurances, the Kentucky General Assembly and the United States Congress passed laws legalizing hemp by creating a definition to separate it from psychoactive forms of cannabis that puts users in an altered state,” he said to the Herald-Leader, adding that if lawmakers wanted to legalize Delta-8 “it would be simple enough for them to enact a law saying so.”

“Because they haven’t, we have to follow the law and educate our license holders about what is legal and what isn’t,” he said.

The Kentucky Hemp Association argues the compound is a legal derivative of hemp under state and federal law. A retail store and hemp farm are also named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

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Cannabis Taxes Fund Programs for Previously Incarcerated in Springfield, Illinois

7/16/2021

A Springfield, Illinois community center is using cannabis-derived tax funds for educational and job training programs for 30 formerly incarcerated people, WICS/WRSP reports. The East Springfield Community Center Commission directly received more than $800,000 from the over $1.5 million directed to city non-profits.

CEO Dameon Johnson said he plans to have the program up and running by August.

“We work on essentially reintegrating them into society, helping them to find the resources they need in the community they will be residing in.”—Johnson to WICS/WSRP

The center, funded by adult-use cannabis taxes, will also focus on youth violence prevention, an employment program, and mentoring, Johnson said. He added that he hopes to eventually partner with Lincoln Land Community College to provide more education options.

Through the first quarter of the year, cannabis tax revenues in Illinois surpassed $86 million—beating alcohol tax revenues by about $14 million.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) on Thursday signed a bill to create new cannabis industry licenses for social equity applicants—which have been delayed since last year— which will add another 110 dispensaries throughout the state, according to a press release from state Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford’s office.

To qualify for the new licenses, 51% of the business must be owned by one or more individuals who have resided in an area disproportionally impacted by cannabis law enforcement for five out of the last 10 years, or 51% ownership must be by one or more individuals who have been arrested, convicted, or adjudicated delinquent for cannabis crimes or had a close family member (parent, child, spouse) with a cannabis offense.

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Jones Soda Planning Cannabis-Infused Beverage Line

7/16/2021

Seattle, Washington-based Jones Soda is planning a cannabis-infused sodas and edibles line and seeks to raise $10 million for the venture. The cannabis operations would be separate from its craft beverage business.

Jones President and CEO Mark Murray said infused beverages and edibles “are a perfect fit for the iconic personality of the Jones brand” and the proposed transactions to raise funds for the new business “will lay the groundwork for a strategic transformation of the company to an additional business line” that builds on Jones’ current business model.

Jones said it raised $2 million through an unsecured convertible debenture that was issued to SOL Global Investments Corp. The beverage maker will also receive $8 million through a deal involving Pinestar Gold Inc.

“We are also confident that SOL, along with certain large shareholders of Pinestar will provide Jones with the knowledge, expertise, and resources necessary to help us deliver on our growth plans within the cannabis sector.”—Murray in a press release

According to a Bloomberg report, SOL is led by Andy DeFrancesco who was an early investor in Canadian licensed cannabis producer Aphria Inc.

Former CannaRoyalty CEO and current Cresco Labs Inc. Director Mark Lustig is one of the main shareholders in Pinestar, according to Bloomberg.

According to an MJBizDaily report, sales of cannabis-infused beverages were up 40% in 2020 from the previous year.

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University of Maryland Graduates First Medical Cannabis Master’s Degree Class

7/16/2021

The University of Maryland in May graduated its first class enrolled in its master’s program for medical marijuana studies, NBC Washington reports. The program, the first of its kind in the nation, is focused on patient care rather than cannabis cultivation.

The degree could be useful for healthcare professionals seeking more education in medical cannabis, individuals interested in laboratory science interested in improving medical cannabis, or those interested in public policy.

Leah Sera, the program’s director, said it focuses on the pharmacology and pharmaceutics related to cannabis medicine.

“We also provide education on what we know about the therapeutic benefits of the cannabis plant, and we also introduce students to the many different policies and regulations related to medical cannabis. … We are making the courses accessible to students who may not have taken a chemistry course since high school. But we are also making it interesting to our students who already are chemists or pharmacists.”—Sera to NBC Washington

Medical cannabis is legal in Maryland but efforts to pass adult-use legalization reforms stalled in the legislature this session.

A Goucher College poll in March found a majority of Marylanders support broad cannabis legalization in the state, including 77% of Democrats (with 18% opposed), 60% of independents (34% opposed), and half of Republicans (47% opposed). It represents the highest level of support since the college began asking the question in 2013.

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Study: Cannabis-Friendly States See Faster-Growing Home Values

7/15/2021

From 2017 to 2021, home prices in states with adult-use cannabis laws grew by an average of $17,113 more than in states where cannabis remains prohibited or is only allowed for medical use, according to a Clever Real Estate analysis outlined by National Mortgage News. So far this year, housing values in legal states increased $470 for every $1 million in 2020 cannabis revenues.

House prices in those states also increased $519 for every new dispensary a city adds, the researchers found. Among the five states that have passed cannabis reforms but have not yet allowed sales—Montana, New Mexico, New York, Vermont, and Virginia—the study suggests home values would have been 13.5% higher had if they had allowed recreational sales over the previous four years.

Clever Data Scientist Francesca Ortegren said she expects the trend to continue as more states pass the reforms and begin to allow adult-use sales.

“An interesting phenomenon we might encounter is county or city-level regulations prohibiting sales within legal states. Prohibiting sales of recreational marijuana in a municipality would cause citizens to venture out to purchase marijuana and reduce the amount of cash flow in the ‘dry’ county. Even counties that don’t allow alcohol generate far less tax revenue than their ‘wet’ counterparts.”—Ortegren to National Mortgage News

A study published in March by insurance comparison company the Zebra found that just 46% of Americans would purchase a home within one mile of a cannabis dispensary.

A National Association of Realtors study published last year found 34% of respondents said there had been an increase in demand for warehouses in states with legalized cannabis since 2016.

A 2019 report by RE/MAX found both home prices and home sales in Canada increased post-legalization.

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New Mexico More Than Doubles Plant Counts for Licensed Producers

7/15/2021

The Cannabis Control Division of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department on Monday increased the plant cap on licensed producers from 4,500 plants to 10,000, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports. The agency also increased the plant maximum for new cultivators to 8,000 as officials prepare for the rollout of legalized sales in the state.

New producers will also be able to apply for production increases of up to 10,000 plants.

Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for the Cannabis Control Division, said the changes came following public feedback which helped the agency see “important ways that the draft rules could be changed in order to better support New Mexico businesses, entrepreneurs, and consumers who are excited to participate in this new industry.”

Regulators also relied on research from the Cannabis Public Policy Consulting group which found the state would need between 2,007 and 3,756 plants per producer during the first year of sales. All cannabis producers in the state will pay a $10-per-plant fee with large producers paying a $2,500 annual operation fee and microbusinesses paying either $500 or $1,000 annually depending on their plant counts.

Duke Rodriguez, president and CEO of New Mexico Top Organics-Ultra Health, the state’s largest medical cannabis company, told the New Mexican that, despite the plant increase, there will “absolutely” be a shortage when sales commence— sometime between January 1 and April 1. He called on regulators to adopt emergency rules “immediately which allows substantial production to have begun at least yesterday or earlier.”

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Study: Living Near Dispensaries Does Not Increase Young Adults’ Interest in Cannabis

7/15/2021

Adults aged 18-23-years-old that reside near cannabis retailers are no more likely to be interested in cannabis or tobacco than those who do not, according to a study by the RAND Corporation and the University of Southern California published this month in the Journal of Cannabis Research. The researchers note that it is a first-of-its-kind study simultaneously examining “the density of both [medical cannabis dispensaries] and [recreational cannabis retailers] around young adults’ homes and associations with future intentions to use cannabis, including the co-use of cannabis with tobacco/nicotine.”

“Living near more outlets of any type was not significantly associated with intentions to use in the full sample, adjusting for individual—and neighborhood—level characteristics. … Our results suggest that young adults who lived in an area with a greater density of any type of outlet were not significantly more likely to report stronger intentions to use cannabis, e-cigarettes, or cannabis mixed with tobacco/nicotine in the future.”—Density of medical and recreational cannabis outlets: racial/ethnic differences in the associations with young adult intentions to use cannabis, e-cigarettes, and cannabis mixed with tobacco/nicotine, July 9, 2021, Journal of Cannabis Research

The researchers note that white young adults were more likely to co-use cannabis and tobacco when living near cannabis outlets of any type and more recreational retailers; higher co-use rates were found—marginally—among Asian young adults living near medical dispensaries; while higher medical dispensary density was significantly associated with lower intentions to use e-cigarettes among Hispanic young adults.

“The results suggest racial/ethnic differences in the impact of living near cannabis outlets on intentions to use,” the researchers concluded. “Prevention efforts targeting young adults who live near more cannabis outlets may be especially beneficial for white and Asian young adults.”

NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said the research “should allay” fears from policymakers that legal cannabis retailers in their jurisdiction will lead to an increased interest in using either cannabis or tobacco.

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