Ganjapreneur.com (Ganjapreneur), a digital journal that provides essential daily news and insight to cannabis entrepreneurs, investors, and industry participants, has announced the release of their first Spotify playlist. The Ganjapreneur High Productivity playlist has a mellow but energized flow intended to help “ganjapreneurs” and industry professionals accomplish their cannabusiness goals. Showcasing a variety of artists and genres, the playlist was given the name High Productivity because it is four hours and 20 minutes of curated music selected for concentration.
“Cannabis and music go hand in hand, and we wanted to share the songs that we enjoy listening to during our workday.” – Noel Abbott, Ganjapreneur CEO
“The playlist was curated by our staff, so you’ll get an inside look into our team’s personalities and the music that keeps us motivated,” Ganjapreneur CEO Noel Abbott says.
Although Ganjapreneur’s publication focuses on all things cannabis, not every song is about the plant. The playlist has everything ranging from rock to hip-hop to Latin beats and features artists including:
Topaz Jones (Toothache)
Teleman (Submarine Life)
Shakey Graves (Built to Roam)
Flying Lotus (More)
The Greeting Committee (Hands Down)
The Ganjapreneur High Productivity playlist is available on Spotify now. To listen and download, click here.
About Ganjapreneur.com: Since 2014, Ganjapreneur has provided succinct, reliable coverage of issues affecting cannabis business owners on a daily basis. Ganjapreneur also publishes an industry-leading podcast, conducts interviews with cannabis experts, distributes press releases for cannabis companies, and offers a variety of ways for industry brands to connect with each other and reach a wider audience.
6/22/21 – Lucky Leaf Expo is coming back to Dallas for its second annual Hemp CBD Expo. With the passing of House Bill 1325, Texas is poised to be the largest Hemp producing state in the nation. With over 1,500 licenses and over 1,100 lot permits already issued, Texas will be the next big hub for hemp. The Expo will take place at the Irving Convention Center on July 9-10, 2021 which will include 120+ Exhibitors, 40+ speakers, panels, Cooking with Cannabis demos on the expo floor, and a Pre-show Cannabis Business Crash Course presented by Cannacourse.
“Legalizing hemp in Texas will open up so many doors and create thousands of jobs for entrepreneurs or anyone wanting to learn about CBD and Hemp.” — Aiden Roberts, CEO Lucky Leaf Expo
“If you want in-depth, quality knowledge that you can use about CBD and Hemp from seed to sale, our educational series along with our pre show crash course will teach you everything you need to know.” — Mark Edwards, Marketing Lucky Leaf Expo
” We have a diverse array of exhibitors in every channel of the CBD Hemp industry that specialize in the sale of seeds, CPA’s, attorneys, accountants, processors, manufacturers, soft gel companies, to help get you started for your business.” — Chad Sloan, Lucky Leaf Expo
At Lucky Leaf, our passion for the industry propels us to bring you the best, most prolific event possible. We at Lucky Leaf have personally seen the positive impact that cannabis and hemp have made on people’s lives. We’ve seen individuals’ health and well-being thrive. We’ve seen people discover business opportunities that weren’t possible only a few years ago and witnessed the rising influence they have on local economies. Our company is a prime example.
To learn more about Lucky Leaf Expo or to schedule an interview with Chad Sloan please call 972-694-5553 or email info@luckyleafexpo.com. You can also check out the Lucky Leaf Expo website at www.luckyleafexpo.com.
Despite worldwide supply chain issues, the leading cannabis packaging company is committed to honoring their current price offering on all of their custom metal cannabis packaging solutions through the end of the year.
Denver, Colo. — Compliant Packaging today proudly announces their 2021 pricing commitment to all new and existing clients. Prices quoted on all custom metal cannabis packaging solutions will be honored for the rest of 2021. As business owners in the cannabis space face a host of unknowns, the Compliant Packaging team is hoping to relieve an element of stress by offering this unmatched pricing commitment for all new and existing customers.
A leading cannabis packaging company based in Colorado, Compliant Packaging has been delivering advanced edge packaging solutions to the industry’s top brands since 2015. Offering a comprehensive catalog of fully customizable cannabis packaging products, including its own patented LocTin® in addition to an array of child resistant tins, pre roll containers, glass jars and more; Compliant Packaging is the packaging supplier of choice for brands looking to distinguish themselves at the retail level.
The unprecedented events of the past year have rocked the foundation of virtually every vertical in the marketplace and the cannabis industry is no exception. From global supply chain issues and soaring materials costs, to navigating ever-evolving regulatory requirements, business owners in the cannabis space are facing uncertainty around every corner.
In an effort to provide a bit of consistency in these uncertain times, the team at Compliant Packaging has negotiated with our manufacturer partner to lock in pricing on their highly popular metal cannabis packaging solutions through the end of 2021. Despite the consistently rising global costs of tin, Compliant Packaging is extremely excited to be able to pass this pricing break on to their customers.
“We feel our customers’ pain and we share it. We’re grateful to have the opportunity to offer consistent pricing during these uncertain times and we genuinely hope it will help our valued customers plan for a prosperous end of year,” said George Sang, CEO of Compliant Packaging.
In order to deliver on this unrivaled pricing commitment, Compliant Packaging has leveraged their longstanding relationships to lock in these rates. Thus enabling them to continue to offer a full catalog of metal cannabis packaging in a variety of customizable styles including debossing, embossing and full-color printing; all without falling prey to soaring tin prices.
While Compliant Packaging is able to offer pricing stability, unprecedented demand and recent interruptions in intermodal transportation, including a backup in the Pearl River Delta, are causing historic shipping delays worldwide. A challenge they are working to help their customers circumvent by planning ahead.
“Though we are able to add some predictability from a pricing standpoint, shipping times are being heavily impacted by global supply chain disruptions. We’re therefore recommending customers place their packaging orders well ahead of the norm, and in some cases consider splitting full container loads into less than container loads,” added Sang.
The Compliant Packaging 2021 pricing promise is just one way they are working to help leading cannabis brands remain profitable during these difficult times. In addition to offering fully customized metal packaging, they maintain a completely stocked, Colorado-based warehouse from which they can fulfill many orders with their existing inventory. Stay tuned for more updates from the Compliant Packaging family as their team of branding and packaging experts continues to find innovative ways to help their clients navigate the evolving challenges facing the cannabis industry. To learn more visit them online at https://compliantpackaging.com/ or call 303-945-4179.
For as long as it has existed, market research has powered the biggest and smartest business moves across nearly every industry. Insight into the current market is the only way to reliably predict the market’s future—and this is nearly always the most efficient path to success.
We recently caught up with Jacqueline Rosales to discuss why she pursued a career in market research and to learn how ISA Corp works to serve and benefit its cannabis industry clients. This interview covers their launching of The Green Time (the world’s first cannabis consumer panel), the immense value of targeted market research for companies of any size, Jacqueline’s advice for aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs, and more!
Find the full interview below.
Ganjapreneur: When did you start your career in market research? What makes you passionate about this space?
Jacqueline Rosales: I’m one of the few people who went into the insights industry intentionally. I started in college and when I graduated, my mentor made me a guarantee that if I went into this industry, I would be bored within five years. Now, 25 years later I’m here talking to you.
What I find fascinating is the opportunity to make an impact and solve specific business challenges. I love studying individuals and what makes them tick. During my time in research, I’ve had the opportunity to explore many different industries, emerging trends, technological advancements, societal changes, and market disruptions. The most extreme behavioral shifts I’ve seen in my 25-year career have happened in the last 2 years – first with the rapid adoption and acceptance of cannabis, and then with COVID. When these dramatic shifts occurred simultaneously, we saw an opportunity to dig deep to understand the interplay and look at what was happening within subsets of the population.
One thing we found is that workplace culture has evolved significantly in terms of business leaders being “out of closet” about their cannabis consumption. Today, 73% of working professionals (upper management all the way to the C-suite) say they are comfortable discussing their cannabis use with colleagues. It’s amazing to see, from a research standpoint, and from a personal standpoint, how society is changing.
Not many people plan to go into the insights industry. Typically, people just fall into it, unless you’re me. As a result, you end up with a lot of people from diverse backgrounds – from statisticians to sociologists to psychologists. That diversity of thought leads to a better understanding of consumer behavior, which is what drives my passion for the industry. I’m driven by a passion for understanding what makes people tick.
True passion is real, and volatile and emotional. Occasionally, you get labeled “crazy,” but passion is also extremely helpful.
Jacqueline and her dog Auggie at work in the office. Photo credit: ISA Corp
ISA Corp was founded in 1982, but when did the firm begin researching the cannabis industry? How did you spearhead this new area of study?
From my perspective, it was really a perfect storm situation. Professionally, our mainstream clients in grocery, CPG and entertainment were approaching us saying: “What’s happening with the cannabis space? What does this mean for our business? When is the right time for us to jump in, and how are our customers going to feel about this?” When other Market Research companies were unwilling to explore these questions due to legal concerns, we saw an opportunity to help build an emerging industry and provide startups with the tools to grow their businesses and become successful by understanding their customers and market trends.
Personally, I was involved in a horrific, head-on car collision in 2015 that resulted in chronic, on-going medical conditions and dozens of surgeries. The doctors filled me full of prescriptions for years. Eventually, I was paired with an excellent pain management doctor and together we learned how powerful the cannabis plant can be in treating my conditions. Today I leverage the plant for all the various parts of my day; to help with pain, anxiety, motivation, creativity, and sleep. It has become a part of my health routine.
In what ways have your decades of market research experience helped to create a sector of ISA specifically for cannabis businesses?
ISA was already sought after for our work in academic research, public policy, emerging industries, and health and wellness – so our experience lent itself naturally to the questions people were asking about cannabis. After being over-prescribed highly addictive and harmful medications and then having a personal experience with the benefits of cannabis, I felt even more passionate about helping brands understand how complex and layered the consumers are in this market. Having that perspective helped our teams deliver that “ah-ha” learning to our clients.
How did traditional data collection methods from ISA Corp, and the data you’ve already accumulated from other industries, inform your development of cannabis market research methods?
Having been around since 1982, ISA has been studying human decision-making, measuring emerging markets, and analyzing political and societal shifts for a very long time.
Traditional methodologies still work in the cannabis space. Our specialty is finding the right people to answer business questions and we have multiple ways to do that – online, in-person, telephonically, or using online insight communities. ISA was the first research company to use an insight community to study cannabis. The tools are basically the same, but the habits, norms, and behaviors we’re studying are new.
What are some of the market research tools you have developed to specifically serve the cannabis industry?
Back in 2016, when we got started, we knew that cannabis brands might not have the budget for custom research, and we knew how critical that information could be for a new business. So, we started by talking to cannabis consumers, collecting data and self-funding research, which we then shared back with the industry. Clients started asking us for more and we realized the benefit of launching a low-barrier-to-entry research product for companies looking for quick, directional feedback. That product was the CANNApinion poll. By gathering a quick pulse of cannabis consumers every two weeks, we’re able to understand the trends, behaviors, usage occasions and desired experiences that are really driving the industry.
This initiative evolved into launching the world’s first cannabis consumer panel – The Green Time, composed of thousands of consumers and industry professionals across the U.S. This community is ready and willing to step in and give their feedback at a moment’s notice to help brands develop better products and services.
When did you start developing The Green Time? Who did you survey to develop this data pool?
Personally, I’ve experienced building research communities since 1999. Some are as big as millions of people and some as small as 50, really specialized folks who clients want to talk to. It’s important to have a diverse group of individuals and therefore we use a combination of methods to reach them. We were able to tap into our existing panel of consumers (MySoapBox), leverage relationships with cannabis media publications, and partner with organizations (both cannabis and non-cannabis) to build our Green Time community.
At what point in a business’ lifespan is targeted market research most important?
It’s important at every stage to have a continuous pulse on the market and understand your target audience. What we see commonly are needs like concept testing, package testing, ad testing, name testing, flavor preference testing. We do a lot of work with usage and mapping the customer journey. We even put products in people’s homes and ask them to share feedback with us at multiple stages of experiencing a cannabis product – measuring the effects, duration, and aftermath. ISA was the first research company to do an in-home usage test with products containing THC.
We’ve done dyad interviews with couples who told us about their experiences gifting and consuming cannabis products as part of their Valentine’s Day celebration. My favorite was a woman who received a box of cannabis infused chocolate-covered strawberries. There weren’t many in the box; she decided not to share any with her husband.
Through talking to consumers, we learned that the opportunity for brands with gifting is enormous. Over 60% of cannabis consumers in California have given a cannabis product as a gift. The top gifting occasion for cannabis is birthdays, followed by 4/20. People who work outside of cannabis are always surprised to hear this stat – that the 4/20 holiday is now a gifting occasion for a large number of consumers.
How does working with ISA Corp help cannabis producers with product development and expansion into new markets?
As we all know, consumer experiences with cannabis are affected by the patchwork of state regulations that vary widely from state to state. Dispensaries who operate in multiple state markets are now looking to tailor their offerings to the local communities they serve. We call this “conscious expansion” and Trulieve is a prime example of this. Rather than duplicating a single customer experience, they partnered with us to understand what is unique about the individual markets they serve, so they could customize the product mix and Trulieve experience for the local consumer.
As for product development, with new formulations that incorporate next generation cannabinoids coming to market daily, there’s almost no limit to what consumers can experience. Within that diversity of experience, there is a greater need to take a step back, and say wait, are these products doing what we designed them to do? Is this the right combination? Our CEO and CMO may have tested it with their friends and family, but does that group represent all our potential customers? When THC and CBD were the only options, it was easier for product developers to rely on guts and guesses. When there are dozens of active ingredients, it becomes much more complex.
What research and education do you and your team undergo to stay informed on new, expanding, and changing markets as the industry develops?
The cannabis market literally changes by the minute, and it takes daily effort to stay on top of developments. It’s our job to know what’s going on, and the bulk of our knowledge comes through becoming intimately acquainted with our clients’ specific needs. In addition to what we learn through being “on the ground”, and talking to consumers every day, we also speak at industry events and run webinars and sponsor research engagements for cannabis media outlets. We believe in hiring team members who have expertise not just in research, but in other categories and this extends to cannabis as well. I try to build a staff of people who are naturally curious. My new obsession with Clubhouse means I’m learning all day and all night on this new social media platform and those learnings then get incorporated into our corporate strategy.
Additionally, I think what sets us apart is our commitment to legal compliance. In addition to our dedicated in-house legal counsel, we also have partnered with UCLA Law to develop a set of guidelines specific to cannabis and cannabis research.
You have spearheaded the founding and growth of multiple companies and projects. Do you have advice on how to both build and motivate staff in such a way that leads to company growth and success?
My advice is this: be passionate and believe in what you’re doing. Having a way to display your passion is extremely helpful for leaders. Some people will disagree with me on this next one, but I think it’s important to be a regular person. People will flock to those they can relate to and identify with. When it comes to building a team, I always look for the diamonds in the rough – people who may typically be overlooked. A diverse staff that brings multiple perspectives to the table is key.
Are you optimistic about the prospect of federal policy changes related to cannabis? What do you think that might look like when it happens?
I’m optimistic that it will happen, although I wouldn’t make a prediction on the timeline. We know for a fact that Fortune 500 brands have been working on this in the background and when legalization does happen, they’ll be ready. Product development and fragmentation of the market will happen much more quickly than people realize. People should be worried about the big brands – they have the budgets to do the development and advertising and smaller legacy brands could get pushed out. I believe that there will always be a place for artisanal, small-batch and locally sourced products, but only so many brands can fill this niche. To survive after federal legalization, companies will not have the luxury of bringing products to market with a “one-size-fits-all” marketing approach. They will need to have a crystal-clear idea of exactly who their target audience is, and they will need to present hard data to retailers, to back up why they deserve a piece of limited shelf space. New products are launching every day, with new delivery methods and technologies. Without an “always on” approach to research, the market can quickly evolve beyond today’s understanding of it.
Thank you, Jacqueline, for answering our questions! To learn more, visit ISACorp.com
The Supreme Court of Mexico officially decriminalized cannabis nationwide on Monday after ruling that the cannabis prohibition clause under the nation’s health law was unconstitutional.
The high court’s latest ruling came after a 2018 decision that determined cannabis prohibition was unconstitutional and called for federal lawmakers to enact a cannabis legalization law. Lawmakers have so far failed to agree on such a law, however, which prompted the justices to reconsider the issue—and eight of the 11 judges ultimately supported the decision.
“Today is a historic day for liberties.” — Justice Arturo Zaldivar, court president, in a statement
Since the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling, the footdragging of federal lawmakers encompassed three missed deadlines and several deadline extensions, the latest of which came and went on April 30, 2021. Earlier in April, lawmakers appeared to reach a deal after the House voted to approve a Senate legalization bill but ultimately the deal fell through when Senate leaders contested some of the revisions made in the lower body.
Under the latest ruling, adults in Mexico can apply for a permit from the Federal Committee for Protection from Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) allowing them to obtain and possess cannabis—if approved, adults 18 and older are now allowed to possess up to 28 grams of cannabis. Cofepris will also be awarding permits for the cultivation and harvesting of cannabis plants.
“With these actions by the Court, the United States has become an island of federal marijuana prohibition in North America,” said Paul Armentano, Deputy Director of NORML, in a press release.
Overall, the court ruling was praised by cannabis reform advocates but they say legislative action to establish a regulated cannabis marketplace is still necessary. Some lawmakers have expressed interest in a special legislative session later this year to tackle the issue. If approved, Mexico would become the world’s largest adult-use cannabis marketplace by population.
Mexico legalized the medical use of cannabis in 2017.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the high court’s most conservative judges, on Monday said that the federal “prohibition on interstate use or cultivation of marijuana may no longer be necessary or proper to support the federal government’s piecemeal approach.”
Thomas’ opinion was filed in Standing Akimbo, LLC et al v. the United States.
“Federal policies of the past 16 years have greatly undermined its reasoning. The federal government’s current approach is a half-in, half-out regime that simultaneously tolerates and forbids local use of marijuana.”—Thomas in the opinion
The justice points out that in 2009 and 2013 the Department of Justice issued memorandums outlining policies that prohibit the federal government from interfering with state-legal cannabis programs and businesses.
In the five-page opinion, Thomas points out, rightly, that “legality under state law and the absence of federal criminal enforcement do not ensure equal treatment” for cannabis businesses, noting that legal cannabis operators, under section Internal Revenue Service code 280E, can end up “still in the red after it pays its workers and keeps the lights on” because the company cannot take normal business deductions.
“This disjuncture between the Government’s recent laissez-faire policies on marijuana and the actual operation of specific laws is not limited to the tax context,” Thomas wrote. “Many marijuana-related businesses operate entirely in cash because federal law prohibits certain financial institutions from knowingly accepting deposits from or providing other bank services to businesses that violate federal law.”
The opinion also points out that were cannabis businesses hire armed guards to protect the cash “the owners and the guards might run afoul of a federal law that imposes harsh penalties for using a firearm in furtherance of a ‘drug trafficking crime.’
“If the Government is now content to allow States to act ‘as laboratories’ “‘and try novel social and economic experiments,’” Thomas wrote in the opinion, “then it might no longer have authority to intrude on ‘[t]he States’ core police powers . . . to define criminal law and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their citizens.’”
The opinion comes as the court last week declined to hear a separate case challenging IRS summons in 280E audits.
Portions of New Mexico’s adult-use cannabis law take effect today and adults 21-and-older can now possess up to two ounces of cannabis flower, up to 16 grams of concentrates, and grow up to six plants at home under the legislation passed earlier this year in a special session called by Gov. Michelle Lujan (D).
By September, the state must form the Cannabis Regulatory Advisory Committee and begin issuing licenses by Jan. 1 with retail sales expected by April 2022, which will carry a 12 % tax, which will eventually rise to 18%. Cannabis businesses will pay 5 to 9% tax on gross receipts.
The reforms also include automatic expungement provisions for low-level cannabis crimes, which, according to state records, will benefit over 150,000 New Mexico citizens. The legislation includes a process allowing those in prison for cannabis crimes the possibility to appeal their convictions, NORML reports.
On the day House Bill 2 was signed, NORML State Policies Manager Carly Wolf said, “New Mexico will greatly benefit from this new revenue stream and the creation of thousands of jobs.”
“Most notably though, legalization will spare thousands of otherwise law-abiding residents from arrest and a criminal record, and the state’s new expungement law will help provide relief to many who are suffering from the stigma and other collateral consequences associated with a prior marijuana conviction.”—Wolf in a blog post
With New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Virginia, and New Mexico all passing adult-use cannabis legislation, 2021 is shaping up to be a banner year for adult-use cannabis legalization. Provisions of Virginia’s and Connecticut’s cannabis reforms are set to take effect on July 1.
Massachusetts medical cannabis provider Revolutionary Clinics is establishing a $4 million grant that it will distribute between the state’s Economic Empowerment Cannabis licensees and other minority-owned businesses in Cambridge, MassLive reports. The fund is part of the company’s Aspire program which has already helped Caroline’s Cannabis, Haverhill Stem LLC, and Pure Oasis.
While the fund is set to launch this September after the end of Cambridge’s “moratorium on adult-use conversions by medical cannabis operators,” the first pair of $100,000 grants will be distributed in the next 30 days to Leah Samura, CEO and co-owner of Yamba Boutique, and Ivelise Rivera, owner and partner of Nuestra, LLC.
According to a company press release, there will be one million dollars allocated when the fund officially launches in September, followed by the additional distribution of $500,000 annually over the next six years.
“My mission is to not only open the first 100% local, black-owned marijuana retail store in Harvard Square, but also to help other women of color find their place in the industry. This grant will help me accomplish that mission. I am very grateful for Revolutionary Clinics for their support.”—Samura in a statement via MassLive
The grants will also be provided to non-cannabis industry, minority-owned, businesses including new or existing restaurants, service providers, non-profits or incubators focused on minority entrepreneurship; individuals seeking funding to open, maintain, grow, or expand a business in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and those seeking funding to stay open or reopen due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Revolutionary Clinics said in a press release.
Keith Cooper, Revolutionary Clinics CEO, said in a statement that the company has “heard time and time again that the hardest challenge for [Economic Empowerment] license holders to overcome is accessing capital,” and noted the “challenge is not limited to cannabis.”
“Businesses across Cambridge require funding and wrap-around services,” he said in the statement, “so we want to meet that need head-on with this program.”
Toronto, Canada-based SLANG Worldwide is set to acquire Vermont medical cannabis company HI-FI in a $25 million deal. HI-FI owns two of the state’s five medical cannabis licenses under the CeresMED and Southern Vermont Wellness brands, and CBD store Ceres Natural Remedies.
In an interview with the Burlington Free Press, Bridget Conry, director of brand experience for CeresMED said the deal will allow the company to roughly double the number of its employees to 100.
“An overwhelming majority of our investors, until now, have been Vermonters. Now we’re in a position to bring investment into the state.”—Conry to the Free Press
SLANG CEO Chris Driessen said that the firm “recognized the value in High Fidelity as a local success story and pioneer in the Vermont cannabis community, focused on providing access to patients and consumers.”
“The High Fidelity team is proud of their accomplishments to date and are committed to the ‘Vermont Way’ of doing things, which means a focus on quality, collaboration, and the best consumer and employee experience,” Driessen said in a press release. “We understand these core values and are equally committed to nurturing their value-driven culture. This partnership will not only serve the cannabis community, it will bring quality jobs and revenue to the local and state economy.”
Canada’s SLANG currently operates in 12 U.S. states.
A small study published last week in Gynecologic Oncology Reports found 71% of gynecologic cancer patient enrollees reported self-improvement while using medical cannabis of at least one symptom with 15% of patients discontinuing its use due to the side effects.
The study involved 45 patients with a median age of 60-years-old. The study was conducted by researchers at New York University’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, and the New York University Grossman School of Medicine.
In all, 56% of the patients used medical cannabis for pain, 47% for nausea and vomiting, 33% for anorexia, and 27% for insomnia. More than 70% of the patients reported improvement in nausea and vomiting, with 36% finding medical cannabis relieved their pain.
“In this limited cohort of gynecologic oncology patients, medical marijuana was effective for the relief of nausea/vomiting, anorexia, and insomnia in a majority of patients but was less helpful for pain management.”—Medical Marijuana Utilization in Gynecologic Cancer Patients, Gynecologic Oncology Reports, June 24, 2021
About 55% of patients enrolled in the study were prescribed formulations with a 1:1 THC:CBD ratio. Inhaled and sublingual formulations were prescribed in more than 70% of patients and some were prescribed more than one formulation, which the researchers said limited their “ability to comment on the effectiveness of specific THC:CBD ratios or preparations for specific symptoms.” The researchers also noted that they “did not explicitly exclude patients who used marijuana recreationally.”
South Dakota’s Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe is set to open the state’s first medical cannabis dispensary on July 1, the day the voter-approved reforms take effect and months before the system that will be implemented by the South Dakota Department of Health, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports.
The tribe is already accepting applications for patients who must have “a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment” that causes “cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe, debilitating pain; severe nausea; seizures; or severe and persistent muscle spasms, including, those characteristic of multiple sclerosis.” Patients who would also generally experience health benefits from using cannabis—such as those with AIDS, anorexia, arthritis, cancer, migraines, and glaucoma— would also be eligible if recommended by a physician.
“The tribe’s goals for the development of cannabis is similar to other jurisdictions. It wants a safe product to produce revenue for tribal programs, to curtail black-market sales of cannabis, and to prevent illegal diversion, especially to children. The program that it developed does that, and also complies with the Department of Justice memoranda that were issued in 2013 and 2014.”—Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe in a statement via the Argus Leader
The tribe’s dispensary will also accept medical cannabis patients enrolled in programs in other states, countries, or from other tribes. The cost of the ID card is $50.
Last week, South Dakota officials launched a medical cannabis website but enrolling patients into the program is not expected until October.
Forty-two percent of funds from recent Pennsylvania agricultural grants were awarded to hemp projects in the state as the projects garnered more than $194,000 of the $460,000 of the Specialty Crop Block Grants. The program is aimed at crops that are not eligible under the federal version of the program.
The projects include:
$126,730 to Penn State University to optimize genotype selection and management practices for hemp production in the state.
$35,588 to Franklin & Marshall College to establish a comprehensive baseline assessment of oomycete pathogen pressure on hemp.
$32,095 for Alvernia University to complete an environmental assessment of industrial hemp, from seed to structure, by collecting growth and supply chain data.
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said the funds will help increase “market access and competitiveness in crops with high growth potential that otherwise may be overlooked.”
“There is strength in our diversity, and we need to ensure growers—no matter size, scope or production—have every opportunity to succeed, strengthening both on-farm vitality and our commonwealth’s economic impact.”—Redding in a press release
In February, the state Department of Agriculture awarded $19,000 in grants for hemp-related projects, including $14,432 to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine to develop a method for cannabinoid analysis in bovine serum and hemp seed samples and $4,500 to Coexist Build to develop a marketing strategy for agritourism which highlights regenerative, organic farming featuring hemp-based construction.
The Specialty Crop Block Grant was announced in 2019 and, in all, 6.2% of the funds are allocated to recipients and projects located in rural municipalities where at least 20% of the population has been below the federal poverty line since 1990 while 3.8% is allocated to recipients and projects located in urban municipalities where at least 20% of the population has been below the federal poverty line since 1990.
In its annual World Drug Report, the United Nations Office on Crime and Drugs (UNODC) called for a “comprehensive ban on advertising, promoting and sponsoring cannabis” which the body said “would ensure that public health interests prevail over business interests,” according to a Vice report.
The UN can only make such a recommendation and not enforce any rule prohibiting cannabis advertising.
Angele Me, head of research and trends analysis at the UNODC, said in an interview with Vice that the proposal would “put public health interest before commercial interests.”
“Of course it is up to member states to decide if they want to take up this ban. But you have a large private sector now that is pushing to expand the cannabis market with all kinds of products claiming many things. It’s like tobacco advertising 100 years ago, which said tobacco was good for anything. The main thing is to make sure young people are not tricked by adverts into thinking cannabis is a healthy choice, when it’s not.”—Me to Vice
The report also suggests that from 1995 to 2019, the percentage of children and young people that perceive cannabis as harmful fell 40%.
“Such a mismatch between the perception and the reality of the risk posed by more potent cannabis could increase the negative impact of the drug on young generations,” the report said.
Additionally, the World Drug Report 2021 found that cannabis’ potency has risen from 4% in 1995 to 16% by 2019, while potency increased in Europe over the same timeframe from 6% to 11%.
Steve Rolles, from drug reform group Transform, told Vice that whether one agrees with the proposed ban or not, the fact that the UN is “actively engaging with the regulation debate is a tacit acknowledgment that legal cannabis is something that cannot be ignored and has to be positively engaged with.”
Just two nations have ended the prohibition on cannabis—Canada and Uruguay. Canada bans advertisements on retail dispensary doors and windows, celebrity endorsements, deals, the use of “people, characters or animals” or imagery associated with “glamour, recreation, excitement, vitality, risk or daring.” Uruguay bans all cannabis advertising.
The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) is grappling with accusations that the agency hasn’t taken action against hemp-derived synthetic Delta-9 THC making its way into the state’s legal cannabis market, the Cannabis Observer reports. Following public testimony at multiple board meetings, a Delta-8 THC policy statement, and a “deliberative dialog” in May on cannabis plant chemistry, the issue came to a head at a June 16 special board caucus.
Former Kitsap County Prosecutor and current board member, Russ Hauge, said he called the meeting because of “the issues surrounding hemp-based cannabinoids being introduced into our system.” During the meeting, Hauge said he had “no doubt” that hemp-derived Delta-9 was making its way into the state’s regulated market and not always from hemp grown in Washington, the Observer reports. Hauge reportedly attempted to initiate an investigation into the practice but was thwarted by the board’s own Delta-8 policy statement in April and their later qualifying statement, which was posted at the insistence of the industry.
“Why are we not pursuing enforcement action? I suggest that we should, simply as a matter of law. Otherwise, we’re rendering moot our canopy limitation.” — Hauge during the board meeting, via the Observer
Regulatory gray area
Board Member Ollie Garrett questioned whether the agency has the authority to do something, even temporarily. Despite seeking input from staff attorneys, the board was unable to reach a decision on immediate action.
Chair David Postman agreed with Director Rick Garza, suggesting the board hold a “work session ” to focus on the issue with staff and agency lawyers.
During the June 22 board meeting, the subject of hemp-derived synthetic Delta-9 THC came up again, the Observer would later report. After a quick discussion about the inclusion of synthetic Delta-9 in the Delta-8 rule-making project, Board Member Ollie Garrett raised synthetic Delta-9 health concerns.
“Where do we think we should be on that subject at this point?” Garret asked—to which Hauge responded, “as of this moment, status quo.”
“We have staff saying that they are unable or unwilling to proceed with any enforcement kind of action,” Hauge said, according to the Observer.
Postman pushed back on Hauge’s narrative, explaining “a gray area in that statute” was in play and Hauge’s upcoming meeting with staff lawyers would “help in deciding any next steps by the board.”
Hauge would not back down, however, and asked if the staff was still “waffling” on whether synthesized Delta-9 was being introduced into the legal cannabis market. He insisted that WSLCB staff was content to “do nothing.”
Postman clarified that he had “followed up on the question repeatedly” with staff and they were not “sitting on their hands or giving up.”
Hauge argued that the board should hear from those “being damaged economically by allowing synthetic Delta-9 into the system” and the people who were not concerned were those who were “making money off the practice.” Postman countered by questioning whether the issue met the “high bar” needed for public safety emergency rules. Garrett insisted the board be “proactive” and not “reactive” regarding the unfolding situation.
Postman repeated that he was not on one side or the other and was continuing to “ask questions.”
Licensees speak up
During the June 23 board meeting’s public comment session, a number of Washington state-licensed operators voiced their concerns surrounding the practice of introducing hemp-derived Delta 9 into the regulated cannabis market. Those who testified were concerned about improper solvent labeling and they agreed the law was clear that synthetic cannabinoids are prohibited under the state law which says in part:
“Licensed marijuana producers and licensed marijuana processors may use a CBD product as an additive for the purpose of enhancing the cannabidiol concentration of any product authorized for production, processing, and sale under this chapter.”
Crystal Oliver of the Washington Sun Growers Association, who sent a consumer protection complaint to the Washington State Attorney General in April regarding the introduction of Delta-9 into the market, said, “the law is clear, the sale of synthetic cannabinoids is not allowed.”
“Yet we have licensees who are being permitted to sell chemically synthesized cannabinoids to the public with no transparency or truth in labeling,” she said during her remarks. “The law is clear CBD may only be used as an additive to increase cannabidiol content of a marijuana product. Yet we have licensees who are using it to increase the tetrahydrocannabinol content of their products.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday signed a bill that reduces the amount of concentrates medical cannabis patients older than 21 can buy in one day to 8 grams, sets up a database to ensure patients aren’t exceeding those limits by making purchases at different dispensaries, and imposing new rules on patients under 21-years-old, the Denver Post reports.
The Post described the new rules as the “most sweeping piece of regulatory legislation for the marijuana industry since Colorado first legalized recreational use in 2012.”
Previously, the state’s medical cannabis patients could purchase up to 40 grams of concentrates per day, which state Attorney General Phil Weiser previously claimed “enabled teen access to high potency” cannabis products.
The new rules for medical cannabis patients under 21 require a diagnosis of a “debilitating or disabling medical condition” by two physicians from different medical practices, and in-person follow up appointments every six months unless the patient is homebound. Patients under 21 are restricted to purchasing 2 grams of cannabis concentrates per day under the new law.
The measure also requires the Colorado School of Public Health to study the effects of high potency cannabis products on young adults and requiring packaging on both medical and retail concentrates to include a warning regarding the possible risks of overconsumption.
The bill’s sponsor, Democratic House Speaker Alec Garnett has said the new rules were needed as concentrates are “being pedaled through a black market across high school campuses in Colorado.”
The city of Norfolk, Virginia will no longer require pre-employment drug screenings for any employee not considered “safety-sensitive” and will not randomly drug test any non-sensitive employee throughout the year, WAVY reports. The move comes three months after Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed the bill to legalize cannabis in the state with portions of the law set to take effect next week.
Deputy City Manager Catheryn Whitesell told the City Council that the city will remain a drug-free workplace, with zero tolerance for drug possession—including cannabis—on city property and that safety-sensitive workers, such as law enforcement and machine operators, will still undergo pre-employment and random drug testing.
“Somebody could have celebrated their job offer 30 days ago, they come in for their drug screening and they probably lose their job immediately.”—Whitsell to the City Council via WAVY
Since January 2020, Whitesell said that of 1,100 city applicants just 14 tested positive for cannabis during the pre-employment process. During the same timeframe, the city has conducted 157 random drug tests and five employees tested positive for cannabis.
Other cities throughout the U.S. are ending the practice of pre-employment drug screening for employees regardless of state cannabis laws. In April, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania announced a ban on the practice for most businesses that operate in the city that are not safety-sensitive. Pennsylvania has legalized medical cannabis use but not recreational use.
Rochester, New York banned pre-employment cannabis testing for city employees last year about a year before lawmakers in the state-approved adult-use cannabis reforms, the Rochester City Newspaper reports. The city will still test prospective employees for other drugs.
Adaptogens are medicinal plants and mushrooms that are experiencing a resurgence in global wellness trends and among Western herbalists. The origin of adaptogens outdates the moniker itself, however, as the name refers to natural medicines that were selected from a variety of ancient human healing practices—but by removing these ancient medicines from their original practice, most participants in the modern adaptogen free-for-all are devaluing the plants’ efficacy and erasing the modality that was long used to diagnose and prescribe their use.
Today, a growing number of brands in the CBD and now psychedelics space are combining their products with adaptogens but frequently without consideration or respect for their cultural origins and/or purpose.
What are adaptogens?
“Adaptogen” is a Western term used to describe plants and mushrooms that affect human physiology in different ways, typically with historical use as ancient healing modalities. The term was coined by Dr. Nikolai Lazarev in 1947 while researching stress resistance to serve the Soviet Union during the Cold War. He was initially researching chemicals before a colleague directed his studies towards plant medicines. His colleague, Israel I. Brekhman, had been inspired by the Nanai hunters who ate Schisandra berries to reduce hunger, thirst, and exhaustion.
Their research led the Soviet Ministry of Health to declare eleuthero, also known as Ci wu jia in Traditional Chinese Medicine, an official herbal medicine in 1962. This declaration marked the beginning of a now-ubiquitous trend whereby Western herbal medicine has touted the benefits of “new” medicinal plants or “superfoods” while ignoring their historical context — while in truth, these ancient medicines were used in indigenous Asian and First Nations cultures for thousands of years before they were “discovered” by the West.
Dr. Lazarev and Brekham completed over 1,000 clinical studies and tested their adaptogenic medicines on Russian Olympians and cosmonauts. They identified adaptogens as plants and mushrooms that carry the following three qualities:
Nontoxic, causing minimal physical or mental side effects
Producing nonspecific responses in the body including physical, chemical, and biological agents
Has a normalizing influence on the recipient’s physiology
A platter of ginseng root, which plays an important role in the traditional medicine of China.
David Winston, RH believes that there aren’t as many official adaptogens as people think. His categorizations encompass nine well-researched adaptogens including Asian ginseng, American ginseng, ashwagandha, eleuthero, Schisandra, Rhodiola, shilajit, and cordyceps. According to Winston, probable adaptogens include holy basil, suo yang, tienqi ginseng, Shatavari, and Morinda. Meanwhile, prince seng, reishi, codonopsis, Guduchi, crossvine, and eucommia are possible adaptogens—and amla, astragalus, maca, and goji berry are considered nutritive tonics.
A spoonful of dried Rhodiola Rosea.
Adaptogens’ appropriation
Western medicine practitioners still don’t recognize the benefits of adaptogens, citing difficulty in discerning these medicines from tonics, anabolic agents, antioxidants, and immune system modulators. But for practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic medicine, they represent established and proven healing methodologies used in their practices for generations.
Meanwhile, many North Americans have started using the wide breadth of adaptogens as spot treatments without learning the holistic approach to using these herbs, fruits, and mushrooms. However, using one adaptogen without the correct understanding could throw one’s system more out of whack. For example, in the Indian practice of Ayurveda, one’s doshas—an internal energy or essence—are taken into account before a practitioner dictates which plants will be suitable to bring balance back to the patient. In that practice, each person is considered to carry a unique combination of doshas, generally with one dominant dosha. A skilled Ayurvedic practitioner will note these imbalances and prescribe a diet and supplements, including herbs and mushrooms, in order to bring more balance to that patient’s life. Seeing the ancient remedies as a quick cure-all not only disrespects that lineage, it could ultimately do more harm than good.
A bowl of maca powder, which is characterized as a nutritive tonic (not an adaptogen).
Adding to this confusion, brands in the CBD industry have lately turned to adaptogens to augment goods including pure CBD oils, capsules, and other products.
Adaptogens in CBD
CBD bands frequently include adaptogenic herbs and other plants in their tinctures, capsules, and product formulations. This is meant to influence the CBD’s effects, such as by promoting sleep or creativity.
Many use CBD as a stress reliever, so the connection between adaptogens and CBD does make some anecdotal sense. Examples may include an infused oil made with reishi mushroom to aid the immune system, a CBD capsule with ginkgo and bacopa monnieri that is supposed to improve mental clarity, or truffles with ashwagandha and maca meant to boost one’s stamina. Both adaptogens and CBD are believed to promote homeostasis, which draws another natural connection between the two products.
However, without the help of a practitioner, these products may not be as helpful as the creators hope—and worse, their misuse could cause actual harm.
The future of psychedelics, through the lens of adaptogens
Some companies have started to use adaptogenic mushrooms and CBD in combination, seemingly in preparation for a regulated psilocybin market. Consider the January 2021 launch of Caps by Cookies: their products combine cannabinoids, terpenes, and medicinal mushrooms in various combinations. This recipe is aligned with the usual adaptogenic CBD brands but the branding features mushroom cartoons that look nothing like the lion’s mane, reishi, or cordyceps used in the formulations. Instead, they appear as blue-capped psilocybin mushrooms bent into the word ‘Caps.’
Caps itself is a common term in the psychedelic community, as many trippers believe the most psychoactive qualities are found in this part of the shrooms. This choice of branding begs the question: are they positioning to capitalize on the slow decriminalization and eventual regulation of psilocybin? If so, they aren’t the only corporation that would be posturing for psychedelic marketing or even patenting.
In February 2021, a startup patented the combination of cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms to treat psychological disorders. The startup, CaaMTech, has filed 110 psychedelic patents since 2017 but this was the first to be approved. When the podcaster and author Tim Ferriss tweeted concerns about psychedelic patents, that discourse led to a telling Vice article exploring the possible dangers and inevitable greed that could shape the future of psychedelic medicine.
Psilocybin mushrooms in a wooden box.
Like adaptogens, psilocybin was used by indigenous people long before the rise of Western medicine. The treatment’s patenting and further colonization may lead to the same erasure of ancient knowledge that occurred in the Soviet Union when Dr. Lazarev equated all traditional healing herbs under the same moniker. Ignoring the established work of predecessors in the name of Western science doesn’t help the cause of medicinal research or the people it is meant to serve. And unfortunately, if the adoption of these substances by cannabis culture is any hint, the same fate likely awaits future psychedelic medicines.
Conan O’Brien and Seth Rogen shared a joint on live television during the late-night host’s show on Tuesday.
It is the final week of ‘Conan’ before O’Brien’s retirement and the comedian had asked Rogen for advice on how he should spend his free time after decades of being a late-night host.
“I would suggest—this is going to be hilariously on-brand—try smoking a lot of weed for a long time,” Rogen said.
“I don’t smoke any weed, and that’s not a judgement,” O’Brien said. “It’s not that I have any problem with people smoking pot, I think it seems to be a fine herb … but the couple of times I tried it, nothing really happened. … But you own a weed company and … you know me, what would you want me smoking?”
To which Rogen produced a hand-rolled joint and handed it over amid cheers from the live audience.
“Don’t smoke that now — or do, this will be a great, weird show,” Rogen said.
In the video, Rogen looks surprised when O’Brien asks for a lighter and proceeds to spark the joint on-camera, in a historical first for the TBS network. O’Brien passes the joint and Rogen takes a hit, then passes it to O’Brien’s longtime sidekick Andy Richter, who partook as well.
Rogen confirmed later on Twitter that the event was “genuinely” unplanned and called it surreal.
I smoked weed with @ConanOBrien his show and was legit terrified that I got him too high haha. (This was a surreal and shocking moment for me and was genuinely unplanned) https://t.co/0twpCHgTUw
Rogen is the co-owner of Houseplant, a cannabis brand in partnership with Canopy Growth; Rogen co-founded the brand with longtime collaborator comedian Evan Goldberg. Houseplant’s cannabis products (and accessories) are currently available in the California marketplace.
The Rhode Island Senate on Tuesday voted 29-9 to legalize cannabis in the state, moving the legislation on to the state House of Representatives, WPRI reports. The bill includes a 20% tax on adult-use cannabis sales and allows for home cultivation.
It marks the first time either chamber of the Rhode Island Senate voted on a broad cannabis legalization proposal.
House Speaker Joe Shekarchi (D) has already indicated that the body will not consider a cannabis legalization bill before the current session ends, but it could consider it in a special session in the fall, according to the report.
The bill did not include provisions submitted by Gov. Dan McKee, including removing language creating an independent Cannabis Control Commission. McKee called the creation of the commission “the main thing” he and lawmakers disagree on citing his opposition to “adding additional costs to government.” McKee proposed tasking the Department of Business Regulation’s Office of Cannabis Regulation overseeing the industry.
McKee took over as governor in March after his predecessor, Gina Raimondo, was confirmed as commerce secretary in President Joe Biden’s Administration. McKee had served as Raimondo’s lieutenant governor. In January, McKee said he thought it was time legalization happened in the state after opposing the reforms as recently as 2019.
Rhode Island and New Hampshire are the last two New England states that have not passed adult-use cannabis law reforms. On Tuesday Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed the lawmaker-approved bill, portions of which—including adult-use and possession—take effect July 1.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz on Tuesday asked the New York City borough’s criminal court to dismiss and seal more than 3,200 low-level cannabis possession cases, Gothamist reports. The request includes 894 active cases with defendants currently awaiting arraignment and another 2,361 cases for which summons were issued and have outstanding warrants.
“There’s no point spending criminal justice resources on decriminalized behavior. But at the same time, a lot of our cases today are open warrants and open warrants are very dangerous to have on your record. … This is just a step we took to bring a little more fairness into the system, to make the system better and more equitable in the borough of Queens. There’s thousands of people now who don’t have warrants when they are stopped by the police. That’s game changing.”—Katz to Gothamist
The judge stayed the request order for 90 days, meaning the action will take at least that long to be finalized in the system.
Earlier this month, Bronx DA Darcel Clarke dismissed more than 6,000 misdemeanor cannabis cases where the primary charge was possession or sale. Officials in Brooklyn and Manhattan have also tossed similar cases following the legalization reforms passed by lawmakers in March. A spokesman for the Staten Island district attorney told Gothamist that the office is working with the court to dismiss more than 1,100 low-level cannabis cases dating back to the 1980s.
Hettie Powell, the managing director of the Queens Defenders, described the move as a “great, important event.”
“Most of the people who have been arrested and charged and pleaded guilty with marijuana possession are people of color,” she said in an interview with Gothamist. “Now, when these convictions are dismissed, it’ll give them the opportunity to go get jobs that they couldn’t have gotten before, based on their criminal convictions.”
The University of Illinois, Springfield (UIS) is offering non-credit online courses in cannabis education through its Office of Continuing and Professional Education and a partnership with Green Flower.
Each certificate program includes three, eight-week courses covering the business of cannabis, agriculture and horticulture, law and policy, and healthcare and medicine. The program cost is $2,500 per certificate but the university is offering a $300 discount for students who enroll in the August term.
Rob Kerr, UIS associate director of Continuing and Professional Education, said the courses are necessary amid the state’s “booming” cannabis market.
“We are excited to be the first university in Illinois to partner with Green Flower to offer in-demand cannabis certificate programs. The Illinois cannabis sector has enormous growth potential. There are 25 dispensaries and cultivation centers within 100 miles of our campus, and over 16,000 employees statewide.”—Kerr in a press release
Another Illinois University—Western Illinois University—announced earlier this week that it had graduated its first student with a minor in Cannabis & Culture in the spring 2021 class. That minor focuses on social justice issues related to cannabis use and the cannabis industry and is believed to be the only one of its kind in the U.S.
The UIS certificates are designed to “complement existing credentials and advance the knowledge and practice of cannabis for professionals across multiple sectors,” the university said.
The former CEO, vice chairman, and a member of the board of directors for Canadian licensed producer CannTrust Holdings have been charged with fraud, making false statements to authorities, and authorizing, permitting, or acquiescing in the commission of an offense, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) announced on Tuesday.
Former Chairman Eric Paul and former Vice Chairman Mark Litwin were also charged with insider trading. The charge was not applied to former CEO Peter Aceto.
The OSC said that in press releases, corporate disclosures, analyst calls, and prospectuses, the company officials asserted that CannTrust was compliant with regulatory requirements, and they included all cannabis production in the company’s financial statements, without stating that half was grown without a license.
Additionally, Litwin and Aceto are accused of signing off on prospectuses used to raise capital in the U.S. which stated that CannTrust was fully licensed and compliant with regulatory requirements in Canada. Litwin and Paul also allegedly traded shares of CannTrust while in possession of the otherwise undisclosed information regarding the unlicensed cultivation.
Jeff Kehoe, director of enforcement at the OSC, said the case “demonstrates how the OSC’s quasi-criminal team, working closely with policing partners, is evolving to focus on more complex cases involving senior-level market participants, in addition to fraudsters and repeat offenders.”
The attorneys for all three men told Bloomberg that they would fight the charges.
Aceto’s lawyer, Frank Addario of Addario Law Group LLP, told Bloomberg that the former CEO would plead not guilty and that “the evidence will show that he acted with integrity at all times.”
Litwin’s lawyer, Scott Fenton of Fenton, Smith Barristers, told Bloomberg that his client “intends to vigorously dispute the charges that have been made against him.”
Paul’s lawyer, Paul Le Vay of Stockwoods Barristers, said he and his client “look forward to vigorously defending … the charges and answering the allegations,” in an interview with Bloomberg.
The men are scheduled to appear in court for the charges on July 26.
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging whether the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can determine whether state-approved cannabis sales are prohibited by the federal Controlled Substances Act, Law360 reports.
The Green Solution LLC owner Eric Speidell and other cannabis companies petitioned the high court to hear their case following a previous decision by the Tenth Circuit Court that ruled the IRS could use 280E to determine whether a business or individual was in violation of criminal drug laws.
James D. Thorburn, an attorney for Speidell, in an interview with Law360 said the Supreme Court’s decision was “disappointing.”
“Our founders fought and died to keep revenue agents from having the unchecked power to rummage through our homes in search of contraband. Unfortunately, we have to accept that we just lost one of our most basic freedoms.”—Thorburn to Law360
Acting Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the fourth-highest-ranking official in the U.S. Department of Justice, has twice filed briefs with the Supreme Court asking them to support the government’s positions in cannabis-related 280E cases and the previous decisions of lower courts.
The Tenth Circuit in October determined that a lower court correctly upheld the IRS summonses on the Green Solution and other companies owned by Speidell, as well as on Medicinal Wellness Center LLC, which joined Speidell in his legal challenge. The appeals court applied an April 2020 precedent in the Standing Akimbo LLC case which found that the IRS was justified in requesting information from the Colorado Department of Revenue during an audit.
In May, the Supreme Court also declined to hear an appeal case by California cannabis companies that sought to challenge their tax bills; however, that denial was based on the companies filing their petitions with the U.S. Tax Court one day after the deadline.
The court did not elaborate on its decision to turn down the Green Solution case.
The State University of New York, Fulton-Montgomery Community College is set to offer two cannabis-related individual studies certificates following the approval of legalization reforms earlier this year, WNYT reports. The college is partnering with Vireo Health and Goodness Growth Holdings on the cultivation technician and cannabis laboratory technician courses.
The program is the first offering by a college or university in the Capital Region to offer the certificate programs.
Vireo Health CEO Kyle Kingsley told WNYT that there are “intricate details in growing any plant” and that growing them well, consistently, and safely, requires a skilled team. He added that there is an overlap between medical and adult-use consumers.
“There’s … still a large percentage of people are looking for help to sleep better, to alleviate their pain, to treat some symptom or another, so there is tremendous overlap and we’re well poised to position ourself in the wellness market as well.”—Kingsley in an interview with WNYT
The company has facilities just a few miles from the FMCC’s Johnstown campus.
The Cultivation Technology Certificate will educate on plants cultivation duties and techniques, while the Cannabis Laboratory Technician will train students in cannabis manufacturing and production, focusing on delivery formats such as vape cartridges, tincture bottles, tablets, and soft gels.
