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15 Factors that Can Impact Your Cannabis Experience

2/24/2021

Jointly Can Help You Optimize How You Use Cannabis

Have you ever noticed that the same cannabis product can produce different effects (or side effects) from one day to the next? Or that a weed strain that consistently makes you focused and creative has a totally different effect on your friend?

How is it possible that the same product has such varied effects? And what factors can you track and control so that you can enjoy a consistent and reliable cannabis experience every time?

Experts in cannabis wellness believe that there are at least 15 physiological, environmental and behavioral factors that can impact your cannabis experience. Jointly is a new cannabis wellness app that enables you to track these 15 factors so that you can optimize how you consume cannabis, reduce adverse side effects, and achieve your wellness goals with cannabis or CBD.

And it works: Jointly users who have created at least 10 reports are improving their results by an average of 38%.

The 15 Factors That Can Impact Your Cannabis Experience

To understand why all these different factors might impact your cannabis experience, it is important to understand the role that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays in the human body and how cannabis interacts with this system.

The ECS is made up of the CB1 (cannabinoid receptor 1) and CB2 receptors and the endogenous cannabinoids that bind to them. The CB1 receptors are found in the brain, nervous system, peripheral organs and tissue, while the CB2 receptors are found primarily on immune cells, although they are also found on bone, spleen and liver cells. The ECS modulates a wide range of biological functions like mood, sleep, pain perception, glucose metabolism, the hormones produced in the gut, cognitive function and more.

THC mimics your body’s endogenous cannabinoids and binds to the CB1 and CB2 receptors, affecting many of the biological functions that the ECS modulates. CBD has low affinity for the CB receptors, but increases concentrations of your body’s endocannabinoid levels. As a result, the scientific literature indicates that for some purposes like healing bone fractures, it is better to consume CBD for an extended period of time to harness the cumulative effects of CBD on your body’s endocannabinoid levels.

Due to the complex role the ECS plays in the body, cannabinoids can produce a wide range of effects and side effects. For example, cannabis affects insulin and hunger hormone levels and cannabis can improve brain health in seniors. Low doses of THC can relieve stress or anxiety, but high doses may cause anxiety in some people. That is why dose is one of the most important factors to dial in when optimizing how you consume cannabis.

Whenever you try a new product, it is best to start with a small dose to establish the potency and then add more as needed. If you find the minimum dose you need to create the effect you want, you save money and decrease your risk of adverse side effects.

Why Do Different Types of Cannabis Products Feel Different?

While CBD and THC are the most studied cannabinoids, cannabis contains over 500 chemical compounds, including lesser-known cannabinoids, flavonoids and terpenes, many of which exert biological effects. For example, terpenes can affect neurotransmitter levels. Different products and strains have varying levels of these compounds—and thus can produce distinct effects or side effects.

Additionally, different ingestion methods (eating cannabis versus smoking it) can produce measurably different objective markers, like levels of THC in the blood. Jointly can help you determine which ingestion methods and product types are best suited for your wellness goals.

Why Does Marijuana Affect People Differently?

While cannabis products contain a range of chemical compounds, your body is also in flux. Some of these fluctuations are regular like the circadian rhythm, which is “an ongoing neurochemical ebb and flow from morning to night.”

If you consume the same cannabis product in the morning versus at night, your neurochemical and hormonal state is different, and cannabis or CBD might produce different effects or side effects. If you figure out how this factor affects your cannabis experience, you can use this data to adjust how you consume cannabis and improve your results.

Other biological fluctuations can be caused by our immediate environment. For example, if you are in a stressful social situation, your cortisol levels may rise. If you consume cannabis in that stressful situation, you might experience negative side effects like anxiety.

Or you may find the opposite: that consuming cannabis in a stressful social situation makes you feel more relaxed and social. Diet, exercise, companion foods, how hydrated you are—all these factors alter your biological state and could potentially change the way cannabis affects you.

If you dial in these factors, you can harness the power of cannabis to improve your well-being.

How to Optimize Your Cannabis Consumption

Everyone is different. We have different biology, work schedules, life stresses, dietary habits and sleep hygiene. The best way to find out which factors impact you is to set goals for your cannabis use, record your cannabis consumption on Jointly, rate product based on how well they help you achieve your goals, and track the 15 factors that can impact your experience.

Through this process, you will gain meaningful data that you can use to adjust how you consume cannabis so that you can enjoy your ideal experience every time. Over time, your average product ratings should go up as you optimize how you consume cannabis and CBD. Use the Results Tracker to make sure your results are improving over time.

Purposeful cannabis consumption is a journey to live better, naturally. Jointly is here to make your cannabis wellness journey a whole lot easier. Download the Jointly app today and start accomplishing your wellness goals with cannabis and CBD!

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North Dakota House Approves Cannabis Legalization Bill

2/24/2021

North Dakota’s House of Representatives voted in favor of adult-use cannabis legalization yesterday, Marijuana Moment reports. The bill, HB 1420, would legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older and calls for a regulated cannabis marketplace but would not allow for cannabis home grows.

The proposal was brought by Rep. Jason Dockter, a Republican who reportedly does not support legalization but who sees it as an inevitability and wants to handle the issue before voters do so themselves with a ballot initiative in 2022. In fact, several lawmakers who voted for the legislation, including House Majority Leader Chet Pollert (R) — who has said he’s not “a marijuana person” — shared that sentiment, particularly after neighboring South Dakota’s eye-opening vote in November in favor of legalization.

“There’s a lot of things I don’t agree with, but if it’s good policy and I think it’s going to be for the betterment of the State of North Dakota, I vote for it. And so I ask for a green vote.” — Rep. Dockter (R-Bismarck), via KX News

Ultimately, the legislation was passed in a 56 to 38 vote. In order to become law, the bill must next be approved by the Senate and then signed into law by Gov. Doug Burgum (R).

Lawmakers also advanced a separate bill that would make cannabis taxable with a 15 percent gross receipts tax on product sales and a 10 percent excise tax on sales from a manufacturer to a dispensary.

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Cannabis Taxes Supply $858,000 to Public Schools in Illinois

2/24/2021

Peoria, Illinois public cchools are getting $858,669 in cannabis-derived funds as part of the state’s R3 program – short for “restore, reinvest, and renew” – to help rebuild the city’s south-end schools, the Quad-City Times reports. The R3 program allocates 25% of cannabis revenues to communities most impacted by the War on Drugs.

During a news conference on Tuesday, PPS Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat described the community as “one of the most distressed” in the state and nation.

“And this community … is impacted by the horrors of violence, bolstered by the concentration of disinvestment, identified by rates of gun injuries, child poverty, unemployment and incarceration rates, and the list goes on and on and on. Life’s inequities, hardship and suffering are so vast and wide for many, many of our students and families, and we see it every day.” – Desmoulin-Kherat, at a press conference, via the Times

PPS plans to use the funds for a variety of programs, including legal aid for students, helping incarcerated individuals successfully re-enter society, mental health and substance abuse treatment programs, career coaching for students, and reproductive health education, the report says.

The funds will also be used to help citizens expunge old felony convictions for crimes now legal under the state’s legalization law. State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D), a proponent of the R3 program who helped create it, called the expungement program “incredibly important” in giving people “the possibility of being able to move their lives forward, and not being calcified in poverty.”

“R3 is so important to me because I felt that it was critical that if we were going to be legalizing a product that has been used for the last 80 years to penalize largely Black and brown people, it was incredibly important that we took some of the resources of the sale of this product and begin to reinvest it in repairing some of those same communities that had been torn down by the war on drugs,” she said during the news conference.

Gordon-Booth added that lawmakers expected between $20 million and $22 million from cannabis taxes for the program but the final figure was about $31 million. She said that next year the funding could reach between $50 million and $65 million.

In most states where cannabis is legalized, cannabis taxes are often earmarked partly for education funding.

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Study: CBG Effective at Treating Progression of Glioblastoma

2/24/2021

The cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG) was found by researchers in Slovenia effective at impairing the progression of glioblastoma – which is considered the most aggressive among primary brain tumors – in a cell culture study published this month in the open-source journal Cells. The study was funded by Australian cannabis company MGC Pharmaceuticals and conducted through the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of Neurosurgery.

The overall survival mean following a glioblastoma diagnosis is just 16 months.

The researchers found that CBD and CBG, both alone and in combination, stopped the proliferation of glioblastoma cells, while a combination of CBG and THC “reduced the viability of both types of cells to a similar extent.” Combining CBD with CBG “was more efficient than with THC,” the researchers found, adding that CBG and CBD “inhibited glioblastoma invasion in a similar manner” to the chemotherapeutic drug temozolomide.

“This is the first report to demonstrate that the non-intoxicating cannabinoid CBG alone and in combination with CBD efficiently targets two key elements that otherwise prevent the successful treatment of GB patients with current therapeutics: Firstly, to overcome [Glioblastoma Stem Cells] resistance to cytotoxic agents and to induce apoptosis, and secondly, to inhibit GB cell invasion.” – Cannabigerol is a Potential Therapeutic Agent in a Novel Combined Therapy for Glioblastoma, Cells, Feb. 5, 2021

Additionally, the researchers found CBG showed stronger efficacy to inhibit glioblastoma cells than temozolomide, inhibiting 90% of some cell lines, compared to the 50% inhibited by the chemotherapy drug, but cutting the CBG used dropped the efficacy of other cell lines to 50%, while temozolomide was effective by 40% to 60% on the cell line.

The researchers noted that CBG and CBD also increased appetite while preventing some chemotherapy side effects.

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South Dakota Activists Seek Legislative Compromise to Protect Cannabis Patients

2/24/2021

In a move to head off delays in South Dakota’s medical cannabis implementation, organizers of the state’s highly successful medical cannabis legalization ballot initiative have suggested a “compromise” with opponents in the legislature, the Associated Press reports. The suggestions come in light of Republican lawmakers now seeking to delay the program by a year in order to “study” the issue.

In the proposal, the group asks lawmakers — if they do postpone the program beyond July 1, 2021 — to let patients avoid arrest by proving they have a debilitating condition that would benefit from medical cannabis, what’s typically known as an “affirmative defense.” Additionally, they asked legislators to move up the new deadline for the program’s completion from July to January 2022.

Melissa Mentele, an organizer who helped to pass the November ballot initiative, denounced the lawmakers’ efforts.

“For them to come in the last three weeks of session and to overturn the will of voters is very frustrating.” — Mentele, via the AP

Riding a wave of cannabis legalization and other reforms, South Dakota voters passed adult-use and medical cannabis initiatives at the same time in November 2020. Judge Christina Klinger, however, recently overturned the legalization constitutional amendment despite it being approved by 57 percent of voters. That action was prompted by lawsuits from two law enforcement officers who essentially acted on behalf of Gov. Kristi Noem (R), who opposed the reforms. The lawsuits argued that the vote was illegal because constitutional amendments are only allowed to address a single issue.

Judge Klinger, who was appointed by the governor in 2019, wrote in her decision, “Amendment A is a revision as it has far-reaching effects on the basic nature of South Dakota’s governmental system.” However, the South Dakota Supreme Court may still overturn the judge’s decision.

Several other cannabis bills are making their way through South Dakota‘s legislature, including a Senate bill that would set up adult-use cannabis in “certain circumstances,” according to the report.

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Biden AG Pick Says Jailing People for Cannabis Use Is ‘Wrong’

2/23/2021

During his confirmation hearing on the U.S. Senate floor yesterday, Judge Merrick Garland — President Joe Biden’s nominee for the new U.S. Attorney General — signaled a likely shift in federal law enforcement’s approach to state-legal cannabis markets.

Answering a question from Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) about whether he would reinstate the Obama-era Cole Memo — which was rescinded by former President Trump’s first and staunchly anti-cannabis AG Jeff Sessions — Garland said, “This is a question of the prioritization of our resources and prosecutorial direction.”

“It does not seem to me a useful use of limited resources that we have, to be pursuing prosecutions in states that have legalized,” he said.

Garland also appeared to consider cannabis reforms to be an intrinsic step toward addressing the social justice issues around racial equality that continue to plague the nation, saying he was “deeply aware” of the issues that cannabis prohibition has caused for disadvantaged people, particularly in communities of color.

“Here’s a nonviolent crime, with respect to usage, that does not require us to incarcerate people, that we’re incarcerating at different rates, significantly different rates, of different communities. And that is wrong.” — Merrick Garland, during Monday’s Senate confirmation hearing

Garland noted that he supported the enforcement of federal cannabis laws in non-legalized states in order to ensure that there are “no end-runs around the state laws” by criminal enterprises.

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Green Life Productions: Closed Loop Cannabis Cultivation

2/23/2021

The most prolific growers learned their craft out of necessity. Many cultivators are inspired to learn more about cannabis cultivation when they suffer a personal injury and use the plant as medicine. This is how Green Life Productions (GLP), a closed loop cultivation based in Pahrump, Nevada, first got off the ground. Owner and operator Steve Cantwell hasn’t always been a cannabis cultivator. Before this career, he trained in mixed martial arts under One Kick Nick. After injuries forced him to retire from the UFC, Steve began searching for alternatives to opioids for treating chronic pain. Through this experience, the former UFC fighter first found medical cannabis and, soon after retiring, he got his medical marijuana license.

Before coming up with and founding GLP, Steve had big dreams of cultivating clean cannabis for patients. After dreaming up the entrepreneurial endeavor, he wanted to tell his anti-cannabis kickboxing trainer One Kick Nick about his plans. Although Nick didn’t have objections, he suggested that if the cannabis was being grown with chemicals and synthetics, then it was a drug. That idea clicked for Steve and, inspired, he built an indoor cannabis cultivation that most closely matched nature, using zero chemicals. Years later, Steve and GLP have perfected a no-till living organic soil system indoors while still meeting Nevada’s stringent safety regulations. They use no synthetic fertilizers, fungicides, or pesticides — just compost tea and the occasional fish emulsion or liquid kelp. The soil is rarely disturbed and is currently on its 23rd cycle! Their philosophy is to take the best of nature indoors while following the basic permaculture principles in a closed-loop system.

“Over the years, we’ve designed a highly efficient facility — both from the LED lights to the amount of yield that we pull out,” Cantwell said. “It’s pretty minimal and pretty maximum at the same time.”

The soil is rarely bothered, and the majority of the water fed to the plants is reclaimed from their operation. Currently, GLP uses 60-70% reclaimed water with a catchment that treats water with filtration and UV sterilization before being recirculated. After they finish their current goal of closing the systems, they will be running on 95% reclaimed water. Using this system, the team is aware of everything both going into and coming out of the plants. To ensure that the soil and water maintain appropriate levels and are not contaminated, they run soil tests every 8-10 months to check out top trends and begin mapping out their next year. Instead of making huge changes, their philosophy is to use slow, small solutions to modify and adapt to what the plants need.

Green Life Productions has used LED lighting, raised beds, and no-till soil since its founding in 2015, but finding the best lighting system took some time. Their original system produced a decent yield, but their intense purple hue was hard to work under for long periods. When the lights started to hit their shelf life, GLP gave the green light to test new LEDs. Steve put three different LED lights to the test, growing the same strains under each setup, but none of the systems could outperform his old, heavily used LEDs. It appeared that each company had hoped to lower the sticker price, which sacrificed their engineering quality.

Steve shared his LED trials on Linkedin, and that is how they were found by Fohse — someone from the company reached out to Steve and set him up with three of their F1V models, which not only beat the other LEDs but he set personal yield records on the first run. With that success, they began testing the F1V against the company’s flagship A3i LED grow lights and again broke records with their yield, so they installed Fohse A3is in every room right down to veg. Regular harvests got so large that the dry room was over capacity, and GLP had to build a second room for drying their flower.

“Their A3i is second to the sun, you’re not going to find a better light source. With living soil, I’m reliant on the plant’s ability to cycle nutrients. I can only use [the A3i] at 60-70% intensity, which for me is a good thing because the lights will last longer, but man, if you’re running a synthetic system and can turn the light all the way, I can’t imagine the possibilities,” said Cantwell.

Yield is just a small part of why Steve evangelizes Fohse lights. Their plants have no side effects like bleaching and continue to test high in cannabinoid content. The A3i fixtures also allow Steve to influence the morphology of the plants; he can change the light spectrum to alter yield and flavor, but they can also help him to adapt the plants’ growing process to his space. Steve will run the Spring spectrum first to grow shorter plants with less internodal spacing and then ramp up to the Autumn spectrum at the end of their cycle. His lights are only 12 feet above his trays, so these parameters allow him to maximize flower while refraining from growing plants that hit the lights. He also takes advantage of the sunset and sunrise features, waking up the plants with as close to a natural sunrise as possible.

With the support of the Fohse team and his in-depth knowledge of the permaculture principles, Green Life Productions continues to grow. Taking permaculture into account influences their cultivation to make decisions that are best for the plants and serves as a framework for future problem-solving.

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Florida Ranks Third In Country for 2020 Cannabis Sales

2/23/2021

Although Florida has just a medical cannabis system, the state emerged as one of the nation’s most active cannabis markets in 2020, according to the recent cannabis jobs report by Leafly and Whitney Economics.

Florida ranked third in the country for cannabis sales in 2020 with an estimated total reaching $1.3 billion, only behind Colorado and California, which both have adult-use cannabis markets and have had medical cannabis systems since the 1990s.

Home to 331 dispensaries spread across the state, Florida added 170,000 patients in 2020, bringing the total of registered patients to nearly a half million at 485,693. The state also added roughly 15,000 cannabis jobs in 2020, bringing the total number of Floridians employed by the medical cannabis sector to 31,444. The report suggests Florida’s cannabis receipts could easily double if the state adopted adult-use cannabis, estimating the potential for up to $2.1 billion in sales, $800,000 per month in taxes, and up to 80,000 local jobs by 2025.

“With a state population of nearly 22 million, Florida could reasonably double its current total of cannabis jobs if it chose to legalize for all adults.” — Excerpt from the Leafly and Whitney Economics job report

Despite the high sales numbers, Florida’s medical cannabis structure has led to some issues. Additionally, there are a handful of adult-use and medical cannabis reform bills currently stalled in the Florida legislature.

Currently, a case working its way through the courts seeks to overturn the state’s vertically integrated regulatory structure on grounds that it is unconstitutional, The Center Square reports. Already having won its challenge in Tallahassee District Court, the case will be considered next by the Florida Supreme Court on March 1.

At least one bill seeking to limit THC levels in medical cannabis products will reach committee consideration, however, setting up a potential contest between the growing cannabis prevention movement, a tax-hungry state budget, and medical cannabis patients.

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New York Gov. Adds Social Equity & Cannabis Delivery to Legalization Proposal

2/23/2021

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has announced amendments to his adult-use cannabis proposal, including the creation of a $100 million Cannabis Social Equity Fund, allowing delivery, reducing penalties for illegal sales, and prohibiting bans on industry employment based on some prior controlled substance-related criminal offenses, WKBW reports.

The social equity fund would be financed by cannabis-derived taxes, which are expected to amount to $350 million annually once the market is fully implemented. The program would allow community-based nonprofits to apply for support for job placement and skills services, adult education, and mental health and substance abuse treatment, the report says. It would also provide grant dollars to several state agencies for social and economic empowerment programs.

Allowing delivery, the Governor’s Office said, would “open up access to this new industry even further so more New Yorkers can participate as it grows.” Municipalities could choose to opt out of delivery services within their jurisdiction.

Under the proposed reforms, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree would be downgraded from a Class B felony to a Class A misdemeanor, criminal sale in the second degree would shift from a Class A-II felony to a Class E felony, while first degree criminal sales would be met with a Class D felony, down from a Class A-1 felony charge.

Democratic Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said the governor’s plan moves it “in the right direction towards stronger community reinvestment, more sensible criminal penalties, and a cannabis delivery option.”

“It’s promising, but we still have a ways to go. My staff and I are in the process of reviewing the Governor’s amended language, as the true impact is always in the details. We have one opportunity to get this right and it’s vital that we do. I look forward to continuing to work with the Governor and the Senate to legalize cannabis with the most equitable and comprehensive bill possible for all New Yorkers.” – Peoples-Stokes to WKBW

Peoples-Stokes is the sponsor of the legalization measure currently in the Senate Codes Committee.

This is the third attempt by the governor to legalize cannabis in the Empire State using the budget as a vehicle. In 2019, the plan came unglued as lawmakers could not agree on what the industry-derived revenue would be used for, and in 2020 it was derailed by the coronavirus pandemic. Both legislative chambers are controlled by Democrats.

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Massachusetts Bill Seeks Cannabis Social Equity Fund & Loan Forgiveness

2/23/2021

Massachusetts state Sen. Nick Collins (D) recently unveiled a new proposal for awarding business loans and loan forgiveness to social equity applicants.

Specifically, SD.2072 would establish a “Cannabis Social Equity Loan Trust Fund” that would make “no-interest loans, forgivable loans, or grants” for equity program participants in order to “encourage the full participation of entrepreneurs from communities … disproportionately impacted by … marijuana prohibition and enforcement.” The account would be funded by 25 percent of the state’s Cannabis Excise Tax revenue, as well as funds from private sources including gifts, grants, and donations. Additionally, regulators would be tasked with developing procedures “to forgive all or a portion of these loans subject to an analysis of anticipated revenues.”

The proposal was lauded by activists with the Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council (MRCC), an advocacy group that lobbies for restorative justice and the decolonization of the cannabis industry.

“This legislation is a major win for us,” said Saskia VannJames, an MRCC lobbyist and board member.

“When s.2650 was originally proposed only loans and a 10% was offered and originally presented favorably to the public by our commissioners, and surprisingly backed by many industry leaders. MRCC knew the addition of grants, loan forgiveness, and the increase for 25% set aside was vital for our communities and have been pushing for Massachusetts to at least MATCH what has already been done in other states. This is the community’s win and we are glad to be the people’s champion and will continue to work as the voice of the consumer.” — VannJames, in an email

Massachusetts lawmakers are also considering bills that would allow for the automatic expungement of previous minor cannabis crimes, the decriminalization of all drugs, and the study/regulation of psychedelics including psilocybin, Marijuana Moment reports.

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Parallel Enters Deal with SPAC, Eyes on Going Public

2/23/2021

Parallel, the cannabis company owned by William “Beau” Wrigley, Jr., the former chairman and CEO of the candy company that shares his name, has entered into an agreement with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Ceres Acquisition Corp that would see the combined company go public.

Wrigley, who will remain the company’s chairman and CEO, with Ceres Group co-founder Scooter Braun serving as special advisor, and Ceres Acquisition Corp. Chairman and CEO Joe Crouthers, serving as a company director.

“As a public company, we will have access to capital to grow our national footprint through new licenses and M&A, improve our cultivation and production capacity, expand our established retail footprint, develop and launch rare cannabinoids products with therapeutic benefits, and conduct important clinical research in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. We look forward to working with the Ceres team and benefiting from Scooter Braun’s expertise and extensive influencer network to reach our diverse consumers with creative omnichannel approaches that will fuel Parallel’s leadership in the cannabis industry.” – Wrigley in a statement

The deal sets Parallel’s implied enterprise value at $1.884 billion, and Ceres has received commitments from a group of investors in an over-subscribed [Private Investment in Public Equity] of $225 million at a price of $10.00 per share issuable immediately prior to, and conditional on, completion of the deal. Parallel estimates net revenues of $447 million this year, pro forma cash on hand of $430 million at close, including US$225 million from the PIPE, and $120 million in cash held in Ceres’ escrow account assuming no redemptions.

The combined publicly listed company is anticipated to have Class A Subordinate Voting Stock and Class B Multiple Voting Stock, the companies said. The Class B Multiple Voting Stock will have 15 votes per share and will be held by Wrigley and his affiliate entities upon the transaction’s close.

Other members of the proposed company’s board of directors include Marina Bozilenko, Strategic Advisor to William Blair and Company; Kevin Douglas, M.D., who currently serves as medical director of U.S. Rheumatology and Study Designated Physician/Therapeutic medical director at Abbvie, Inc.; Sarah Hassan, who was a founding partner of IM HealthScience; Linda McGoldrick, who has served as CEO and independent board member of several healthcare and life sciences companies; and Parallel’s General Counsel Phil Harris.

Parallel operates in Florida, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Texas, and Nevada.

The deal is expected to close this summer.

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Tennessee Bill Would Form Medical Cannabis Commission if Federal Reforms Enacted

2/23/2021

Republican lawmakers in Tennessee have introduced legislation to create a medical cannabis commission to analyze what steps it should take if cannabis were removed from its Schedule I classification under federal law, Fox 17 News reports. Tennessee is one of just six states that do not have a medical cannabis program.

According to the bill text, the nine-person commission would examine potential patient qualification and registration, how health professionals prescribe – and how pharmacists dispense – medical cannabis, testing, guidelines, and licensing and regulation of facilities and suppliers. Additionally, it would consider cannabis taxes and fees on cannabis and current state cannabis laws.

The commission would be comprised of members – experts in health care, mental health, business, management, agriculture, and law enforcement – representing each of the state’s three grand divisions along with a physician and a pharmacist.

A cannabis decriminalization proposal was introduced in the state House in January, followed by a broad adult-use bill in the Senate. Medical cannabis bills are also expected to be introduced in the House.

In the Senate, the medical cannabis commission bill is in the chamber’s Government Operations Committee, with a scheduled hearing on Thursday. In the House, it was referred to the Health Subcommittee.

Earlier this month, Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY), and Sens. Cory Booker (NJ) and Ron Wyden (OR) said they would release a draft discussion bill on legalization “in the early part of this year.” Last year, the House approved the MORE Act, which would legalize cannabis federally, but the Senate – then Republican-controlled – did not take up the legislation. Were the measure to pass, it would trigger the creation of the medical cannabis commission in Tennessee under the proposal.

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New Jersey Gov. Signs Bill to Legalize Cannabis

2/22/2021

After over three months since voters approved the state’s cannabis legalization ballot question, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) today signed into law a series of bills that ultimately legalize the adult use of cannabis.

The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act was only signed after lawmakers, at the governor’s behest, advanced accompanying legislation aimed at clarifying penalties for underage possession.

The legislation will remove criminal penalties for cannabis possession and legalize its use and possession by adults aged 21 and older. The laws also establish a five-member Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) tasked with creating regulations and overseeing the industry’s launch. The application period for cannabis business licenses will open 30 days after the CRC releases its regulations, which are expected this summer.

“Our current marijuana prohibition laws have failed every test of social justice, which is why for years I’ve strongly supported the legalization of adult-use cannabis. Maintaining a status quo that allows tens of thousands, disproportionately people of color, to be arrested in New Jersey each year for low-level drug offenses is unjust and indefensible. This November, New Jerseyans voted overwhelmingly in support of creating a well-regulated adult-use cannabis market. Although this process has taken longer than anticipated, I believe it is ending in the right place and will ultimately serve as a national model.” — Gov. Phil Murphy, in an announcement

New Jersey is the 13th U.S. state to legalize cannabis and the fourth on the East Coast, having followed in the footsteps of Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Neighboring New York, meanwhile, is expected to legalize later this year.

To the dismay of advocates, New Jersey is the second state after Washington to legalize cannabis but not allow residents to grow cannabis plants in their own homes.

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Montana May Delay Voter-Backed Cannabis Legalization Plan

2/22/2021

Montana state Rep. Bill Mercer, a Republican, is seeking to delay cannabis sales – approved by voters last year – until 2023, saying the time frame “doesn’t make any sense,” the Missoula Current reports. Under the measure, sales would commence in January 2022.

“I wonder if the voters had any idea when they adopted this initiative that they were going to increase the state bureaucracy by 100 people within nine months. You’re talking about this massive expansion of government. … In order to try to do this in a coherent and rational way, to say that this can all be stood up by October 1, is a mistake.” – Mercer to MTN News via the Current

Mercer added that the Department of Revenue alone would need 76 new employees.

The reforms were approved by 58% of Montana voters last November. The bill’s provisions require the state to have rules in place to accept industry applications by October.

Last month, state lawmakers rejected a $1.35 million request from the state Department of Revenue for implementing the program. Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration is working on how it will implement the reforms, including changing how the revenues derived from the 20% tax on cannabis sales would be spent, the report says.

The anti-legalization group Wrong for Montana has filed a lawsuit challenging the measure claiming the financial allocation provisions in the measure violate the state constitution. Mercer argues that implementing a legalization plan should be delayed in the event the court throws out the measure.

The delay bill is set to be heard this week in the House Business and Labor Committee.

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CBD Brands Go to Court Over Trademark Dispute

2/22/2021

Two U.S.-based CBD companies are in court over the use of the branding “CBD MD,” according to a Life Sciences Preview report. CBD Industries LLC, based in North Carolina, is suing Louisiana-based Majik Medicine saying its use of “CBD MD” is confusing to consumers and “likely to cause consumers into erroneously believing that Majik’s products are lawful food and dietary supplements, which they are not,” according to court documents.

CBD Industries is registered as cbdMD and trades under that name. Majik also sells products using the moniker.

Majik was granted the trademark for “CBD MD” by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2017 and CBD Industries argues the company should have never received the mark because at the time CBD products were illegal under federal law. Hemp was legalized federally in 2018.

“The USPTO instructed that for applications filed before December 20, 2018, that identify goods encompassing CBD or other cannabis products, registration will be refused due to the unlawful use or lack of bona fide intent to use in lawful commerce under the [Controlled Substances Act]. Such applications did not have a valid basis to support registration at the time of filing because, according to the USPTO, the goods violated federal law.” – CBD Industries, in court documents, via Hemp Today

CBD Industries is asking the USTPO to cancel the trademark, prohibit Majik from using it in the future, and $75,000 in damages for the alleged infringement and attorney’s fees, the report says. CBD Industries also alleges that it attempted to settle the dispute privately in 2019 but was rebuffed with no counteroffer.

Update (4/20/2021): In a statement provided to Ganjapreneur, Majik Medicine, LLC said it has filed multiple counterclaims against cbdMD in court including claims such as Trademark Infringement, Cyber-Piracy, Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices, and Unfair Competition.

“Majik Medicine, LLC has responded in court to what they have categorized as an attempt by cbdMD, Inc to usurp their trademark CBD MD that has been used by them and federally registered since 2017. They assert that cbdMD, Inc has engaged in willful trademark infringement with the deceptive use of a number of CBDMD marks, cyber-piracy in the use of the domain www.cbdmd.com, and further that cbdMD, Inc even changed their corporate name from Level Brands, Inc to cbdMD, Inc in 2019 (after being advised of Majik Medicine and their mark in 2018) in a nefarious plot to steal the CBD MD brand of Majik Medicine.” — Majik Medicine, in a statement

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Entrepreneurial Ethos: Building a Deep-Rooted CBD Brand

2/22/2021

When serial entrepreneur Vithurs Thiru had the idea for what would eventually become Blessed CBD, he was 21 years old and already had six solid years in the digital marketing industry behind him. Turning a profit using his finely tuned digital marketing skills had become his groove but, with Blessed CBD, Vithurs ultimately sought to create a brand with meaning and ethos, and which stemmed from a deep personal importance to himself.

Back in 2017, Vithurs’ mother was on the phone to a relative, sharing with them how bothersome her aching joints were. From the other end of the line, she heard about CBD for the very first time; a derivative of the cannabis plant, it was said to have incredible natural therapeutic effect. After hanging up the phone, she asked her son for more information on the subject, and so Vithurs was set on a research path into the CBD market, both internationally and in the United Kingdom.

“In my teenage years, I’d always been told that weed was bad — it had this really negative stigma around it, and my parents had made their stance crystal clear. With my experience, though, I had this fascination for the cannabis plant to begin with, especially for its ability to calm the mind, and when my mother mentioned CBD to me, that has the psychoactive compounds of cannabis completely taken out of the equation, this fascination was kind of switched back on again.” — Vithurs Thiru, Founder of Blessed CBD

What he found after approximately 12 months of solid, in-depth research was a seemingly untapped potential market share in the UK. While there were a range of high-quality suppliers of CBD products across the Atlantic, things back home were still sorely lacking. Vithurs entered into partnerships with a range of farms in the US and Europe to operate as a highly involved and quality-driven CBD producer out of his home country. Blessed CBD was founded in 2018, a year after cannabidiol had been made legal in the United Kingdom, and was a near-instant hit. It didn’t take long for his new venture to receive awards and recognition from a variety of well-known publications, showcasing its strong product line.

“We started making good sales very quickly; the feedback took longer, though. But in about three months’ time, we began receiving emails and reviews back from our customers. And that’s when it really dawned on me: Blessed CBD was helping people. Really helping them.”

Emails started pouring into Vithurs’ inbox, some with long-form accounts of how the CBD products had helped improve everything from arthritis to anxiety. The mental health feedback became the penny-dropping moment for the founder. About a year and a half earlier, his father had committed suicide, after a long and silent struggle with depression. Vithurs had been estranged from his father for several years prior to this, and so his passing came as a substantial and heartbreaking shock.

“There were so many things I didn’t get to say to him — and that’s regret I have to live with and work through today. But also the fact that he was alone with his pain; that he didn’t speak up, and that no one reached out to help him.”

When the product reviews came in, Vithurs made the connection between his father’s passing and the customers his products were now helping. It was the shift that made him focus all his attention and energy to making Blessed CBD a success; to help as many people as possible. Now he hadn’t just founded this company out of a life-long fascination for its key selling ingredient; his venture was helping people through the kind of mental health struggles his father had lived with, and that Vithurs himself had experienced after his death.

“It really changed the game for me. I was invested in Blessed CBD before making that connection, but this was such a lightbulb moment. It switched the ethos on for me, in a completely new way, and now I’m determined to make this a brand that’s going to make a lasting impression. A brand that helps improve people’s lives.”

There’s no doubt the CBD market is a growing and profitable space to be in. In their first year of operations, Blessed CBD garnered over £5million in sales. For Vithurs, though, the company is so much more than his biggest entrepreneurial success — it’s become a drive on a different level, because of his own personal experiences and because he sees how it’s possible to balance serious profits with doing good.

“The thing is, if you find a way of helping people, the money will come. It’ll come quicker and for longer, too – and you’ll be making a positive impact. Being able to combine profits with helping people is one of the best things I’ve experienced as an entrepreneur to date. It’s also amazing to have talented and globally recognized athletes such as Israel Adesanya as part of the Blessed CBD family. It truly is wonderful.”

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Former NBA Star Isiah Thomas Invests $3M Into Colombia-Based Cannabis Company

2/22/2021

Former National Basketball Association player and coach Isiah Thomas, through ISIAH International, LLC, is investing $3 million into One World Pharma, Inc. a licensed, pure-play hemp and cannabis ingredient producer based in Colombia.

Thomas currently serves as One World’s vice chairman and CEO.

The investment will be used to build out an extraction facility and obtain additional Good Agricultural Practices certification for THC-rich cannabis seeds. ISIAH has already provided One World $250,000 and the remainder of the funds will be disbursed over six months.

“After extensive analysis of Colombia, the world market and these most recent developments at the Company, I passionately believe there is a tremendous opportunity to build a world class, valuable, enviro6nmentally and socially conscious company that is a significant player in the global cannabis and industrial hemp industries. There are few, if any, reliable, industrial scale, global supply chain companies in this space and we intend to be one. I am pleased to initiate this next chapter of growth.” – Thomas in a press release

One World was founded in 2017 and has corporate offices in both Colombia and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Thomas played 13 NBA seasons with the Detroit Pistons, winning championships in 1989 and 1990. He was a 12-time All-Star, 2-time All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, and Finals MVP in 1990. Thomas also coached the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks.

He is joined by former NBA players Chris Webber, Al Harrington, Larry Hughes, John Salley, and Shawn Kemp as having investment in – or ownership of – a cannabis company.

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Federal Court Rules Cannabis Brand Liable for $4.2M in Taxes

2/19/2021

The U.S. Tax Court on Wednesday ruled that California medical cannabis operator San Jose Wellness, a subsidiary of Harborside, is liable for $4.2 million in taxes because federal law prohibits it from claiming depreciation and charitable contribution deductions, Law 360 reports.

In the opinion, U.S. Tax Court Judge Emin Toro determined that the Internal Revenue Service had lawfully denied the company’s depreciation and charitable giving claims because they are associated with the cannabis trade and the company files taxes under IRS Code 280E which prohibits deductions because the code is used for businesses that buy or sell federally prohibited substances.

Toro said in his ruling that “the requirements of Section 280E are clear.”

Harborside had argued that the tax code requirements were unconstitutional because 280E results in a tax that is not an income tax, running afoul of the 16th Amendment. The Tax Court also ruled against the company in 2018, determining Harborside is “a giant drug trafficker, unentitled to the usual deductions that legitimate businesses can claim.”

Toro cited a separate 2019 case, Patients Mutual Assistance Collective Corp. v. Commissioner, in his ruling, which determined taxing cannabis companies under 280E was lawful, according to Law 360. Additionally, Toro said that just because San Jose Wellness sold other goods, such as t-shirts, and services, such as acupuncture, it does not qualify for any tax breaks.

The judge also suggested that the company failed to consider previous IRS guidance, case law, and legislative history “to determine its proper tax liability” before filing its petition with the court.

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New Jersey to Resume Medical Cannabis License Application Process

2/19/2021

New Jersey regulators can resume its review of medical cannabis license applications – delayed more than a year – after an appellate court found in favor of the state Department of Health’s application review process, NJ.com reports.

Eight industry applicants had sued the state in 2019 claiming the Health Department wrongly rejected their applications due, in part, to corrupt PDF files and local approval denials. A lower court had issued a stay in the case, which prevented regulators from reviewing or issuing new industry licenses.

The court ruled that applicants were given clear instructions about application guidelines – including a webinar – to assist them with the process.

The court did rule favorably for ZY Labs, whose application had included three letters of support from prominent community members but not from the municipality. The decision sent the application back to the Health Department for further review, determining that the three letters constituted community approval under the agency’s guidance, the report says.

Joshua Bauchner, an attorney who represented several of the appellants, said in a statement to NJ.com that he and his clients are “disappointed in the Court’s decision,” saying it “anachronistically relied on an agency investigation occurring after the disqualification decision – confirming the decision, itself, was baseless.”

Craig Provorny, another attorney on the case, called the Health Department investigation insufficient.

“Community Wellness of New Jersey is very disappointed in the decision. Community Wellness is a 100% minority-owned business that is the type of operation you would think the state would like to participate in this program. We believe the appellate division ignored the facts about the system crashing, and other mismanagement on behalf of the Department of Health.” – Provorny to NJ.com

The Health Department will review a total of 146 applications for as many as 24 new licenses.

The ruling comes as state lawmakers extended the date for Gov. Phil Murphy (D) to act on the cannabis legalization bill approved in December from today to Monday as lawmakers and the governor continue to negotiate a clean-up bill on cannabis possession by minors that the governor wants before he agrees to sign the legislation. The bill is required under a constitutional amendment approved by voters last November.

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Adult-Use Cannabis Bill Passes Minnesota Legislative Committee

2/19/2021

An adult-use cannabis legalization bill has, for the first time, passed a legislative committee in Minnesota, the Star Tribune reports. The measure passed the House Commerce Committee on a 10-7 party-line vote with all Democrats in favor and all Republicans opposed.

House Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party Majority Leader Ryan Winkler has signaled strong support for the reforms but the bill faces long odds in the Republican-led Senate. The chamber’s Majority Leader Paul Gazelka said in an interview last month that legalization is “not right for the state.” Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) has said he would sign a cannabis legalization bill were it to reach his desk.

“It’s coming. It’s time to get it right. We have an opportunity to go from an illegal, criminal-justice approach that hurts a lot of people and move to a system where we can actually address the real concerns, create real opportunity and right some past wrongs.” – Winkler to the Star Tribune

The measure includes expungement of low-level cannabis crimes that would be legal under the reforms. In Minnesota, Black people are 5.4 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis than their White counterparts.

The measure has been discussed at 15 town hall meetings throughout the state and has been scrutinized for 18 months by criminal justice groups, businesses, and other stakeholders, the report says. Opponents argue that legalization would lead to increased traffic accidents, substance abuse, and workplace issues. Proponents are pointing to the potential revenues as the state faces a budget hole brought, in part, by the coronavirus pandemic.

A 2019 Marijuana Policy Group report suggested Minnesota could see $300 million annually from cannabis derived revenues on sales of $1.12 billion, according to MPR. The report also suggested the industry would create 20,000 jobs in the state.

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Florida Lawmakers Reject Disproven Anti-Cannabis Rhetoric

2/19/2021

Several Florida lawmakers pushed back on a Harvard professor’s recent assertions that cannabis causes psychosis in youth and other anti-cannabis statements during a Florida House Professions & Public Health Subcommittee meeting, Florida Politics reports.

In her presentation to legislators, Bertha Madras — a Harvard professor of psychobiology who has made anti-cannabis statements online and was a member of former President Trump’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis — said, “People who go into the emergency department with psychosis, due to their initiation into marijuana use, and they continue to use, they’re more likely to convert to full-blown schizophrenia, and the conversion rate is between 20% and 40%.”

Madras would later admit that there is no scientific consensus when it comes to correlations and causation surrounding schizophrenia and cannabis use.

In his follow-up comments, Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith. raised concerns about the doctor’s presentation saying,

“We have to be very careful about not conflating there being a causality here. … Currently, we have a medical cannabis program, but we already know that the physician needs to basically acknowledge that the benefits outweigh any of the risk.” — State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D), in follow-up comments

During her presentation, Dr. Madras cited an 1895 study from the Bengal Insane Asylum that observed 25-40 percent of its residents were long-time cannabis users. She went on to express concerns around youth access, even comparing cannabis to crack cocaine and crystal meth at one point.

Rep. Smith reminded the panel that a 2019 CDC study in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington found there was no increase in youth cannabis use after legalization.

According to the CDC, “use of marijuana at an early age can affect memory, school performance, attention and learning; conclusions have been mixed regarding its impact on metal health conditions, including psychosis, depression, and anxiety.”

Florida state Rep. Michele Rayner-Goolsby (D) also took issue with the presenter’s comments, remarking on Twitter, “So this woman is comparing marijuana to crack cocaine and methamphetamine,” and later calling her “dangerous” and “irresponsible.”

So this woman is comparing marijuana to crack cocaine and methamphetamine.

And this is the least inflammatory thing she has said.

— Michele Rayner-Goolsby (@micheleforfl) February 16, 2021

This woman is dangerous. This woman is irresponsible. To say that marijuana causes schizophrenia is patently false.

Unbelievable.

— Michele Rayner-Goolsby (@micheleforfl) February 16, 2021

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TriLabs Manufacturing: Empowering CBD Brands with Quality White Labeling

2/18/2021

TriLabs Manufacturing provides effective white label products to brands of all sizes using a combination of proprietary recipes and pharmaceutical grade quality control. Glenn Reynolds, CEO of TriLabs, has been manufacturing and packaging hemp CBD products since founding his first business in 2014. Two years ago, he applied that expertise to TriLabs Manufacturing, an operation based in Redlands, California. They have scaled up from a couple doing their own thing crafting quality products to a large facility in Southern California, but their basic philosophy remains the same. Despite the size of the order or the client, they remain ethical and transparent without compromise.

CEO Glenn Reynolds said, “Having been in the industry as long as we have now, we try to advise customers one way or the other based on pitfalls we’ve seen in the past to help them avoid those pitfalls and navigate their way through the industry the best that we can.”

The company recently moved to a larger facility which allows them to serve all clients at a reasonable price. Some of the recipes in their formulations have been in use for years, perfected by personal use by Glenn. Glenn and his wife have also over the years perfected base recipes for gummies and pet treats. Their family recipes help to solve common problems faced by fledgling cannabis brands, including heat degradation, achieving desired flavors, and consistency.

TriLabs’ base recipes are formulated by a scientist who has worked with many nutraceutical companies. This formulator built all of the base lotions and cosmetics available through the white label company. With these formulations, the team puts together a unique product for each client to fit their goals. They can easily manipulate their base recipes to feature a unique flavoring or to meet specific goals.

Adam Bushey, Vice President of Sales, told Ganjapreneur that customer care is one of TriLabs’ top priorities. They apply their industry knowledge to ensure that client investments in TriLabs products are as successful as possible. When a client is looking to take on a full R&D product or to reverse engineer something from the ground up, sometimes they are guided to work with a base formulation to save money. This — helping to mitigate costs that aren’t always necessary to bring a successful product to market — is just one example of how TriLabs considers its clients above its bottom line.

“You can still specialize without starting from the ground up and avoid a lot of that time delay and upfront cost, we tailor our approach to each project as it comes up and we find the best fit for that customer,” Bushey said.

At one time, Glenn explored the idea of vertical integration but he ultimately decided it isn’t right for the company. Over the years Glenn has owned and operated cultivation operations, working with a variety of extraction processes, and has acquired more than 12 years of manufacturing experience. However, staying solely focused on formulation and manufacturing allows the company to perfect products and processes to the most finite degree.

This continued goal of perfection is what makes TriLabs a company that gets effective tinctures, topicals, gummies, pet treats, and more to their clients on their timeline. Instead of focusing on farming or extraction, they build quality relationships with a small handful of extractors with various specialties. If someone is looking to create a CBN-focused tincture or topical made with organic hemp, TriLabs can source that from one of their heavily-vetted extraction companies.

Any ingredient that enters the TriLabs inventory is analyzed by a third-party lab against COAs for cannabinoid content and microbials. Even flavorings and non-cannabis products are inspected before ever being included in a formulation. Each ingredient is traceable and cataloged using three lines of code to trace each ingredient back to its specific batch, the products it is used for, and the expiration dates. Before formulating there is a taste test on individual ingredients since every extraction comes with a somewhat unique set of flavonoids. In every production line, there are a series of reliable steps in place so that the team can stay one step ahead of quality control. These protocols also create a full line of traceability down the manufacturing line.

“We only do things the right way, we pride ourselves on that,” said Reynolds. “We’re very ethically driven, very morality driven, and very dedicated to everything that we do. If we tell you we’re going to do something, we’re going to do it. If it’s something we can’t do we’re not going to tell you we can and take your money. The bottom line of it is how we do business and what the drive is behind that.”

To provide their wide range of clients with superior service, TriLabs split them into three categories. For the small business owners who are setting out to start a small CBD-side business, the team offers low MOQs, low customization costs, drop shipping, and more services that can otherwise overwhelm a new business owner. If they bring on an established brand that requires larger quantities per order, TriLabs takes a more consultative approach — this helps the team identify areas where their new client could expand their business using the TriLabs product line and expertise.

The final type of client that the team has experience in serving doesn’t require consultation but is more focused on how to get products shipped at a low bottom line. For these brands, TriLabs delivers the lowest bottom line while keeping an eye on where the company could innovate or build strategic partnerships. Before taking on a client of any size, the team will lay out a realistic timeline to complete their goals. On the rare occasion when there is a delay, they call the client immediately to keep them informed.

TriLabs recently moved into a facility three times the size of their former space in San Bernardino. The updated facility features new machines that will take production to the next level. They have transitioned from making 50k gummies daily to 1.2M gummies per day. They can also formulate 18k to 22k tinctures and 12k topicals daily. Their updated cookie depositor will take the daily output from 4,000 to 150k pet treats produced daily. Batch runs on the depositor can be customized to add supplements, which will better serve pet treat clients. Their site will also continue operating on the smaller scale machinery to serve brands of any size. This setup allows them to easily take a smaller brand to a larger capacity by simply moving production to a new room.

The main goal at TriLabs Manufacturing is to create the best CBD products possible for their clients. Many large white label companies will not work with fledgling companies, but TriLabs has built out a facility that not only serves small businesses but is fully ready to help them scale up. They also get consistent feedback from all clients that their products are the most effective white label tinctures, topicals, gummies, and pet treats they’ve encountered. This success is attributed to a finite focus on workflow to develop procedures and formulations that cannot be duplicated, and deep respect for their clients.

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Former Eaze CEO Facing Bank Fraud Charges

2/18/2021

Federal prosecutors will charge the former CEO of cannabis technology and delivery platform Eaze in connection with a case against two businessmen who allegedly duped banks into processing $100 million worth of illegal credit and debit payments, Law360 reports.

Eaze’s former CEO Jim Patterson — who stepped down as CEO in 2019 and later left the company — is expected to plead guilty tomorrow to the undisclosed charges. Notably, Eaze was not charged and a representative said the company has been cooperating with investigators.

The case centers around businessmen Ruben Weigand and Hamid Akhavan, who are accused of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in a “transaction laundering scheme,” Law360 reports, citing court records. The men argued the case against them is invalid because officials have not alleged an intent to harm or steal from banks, and because the money involved was only transferred through banks, not actually acquired from the banks. But in August, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff said that argument “borders on the frivolous.”

Their trial is currently set for March 1 in the U.S District Court of the Southern District of New York in what would be the district’s first white-collar criminal trial of the year, according to the report.

Patterson’s charges call to mind a California lawsuit filed in 2019 by Eaze competitor DionyMed, who accused the company of committing bank fraud in order to process customers’ credit and debit card payments. Eaze decried the case — which was later dismissed — and called it an attempt by DionyMed to publicize its subsidiary cannabis delivery platform Chill.

Originally founded as a cannabis delivery app, Eaze announced last year that it would pivot from just a technology platform to a touch-the-plant, retail business model.

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Cannabis Lounge Serves as Warming Station and Homeless Shelter Amid Winter Storm

2/18/2021

A cannabis lounge in Wagoner, Oklahoma has lent itself as a warming station and shelter for the town’s homeless population amid a dangerous and ongoing winter storm, the Frontier reports. Budz Lounge on Main started offering food, clothing, and blankets on Saturday after a discussion on Facebook about the homeless population caught in the subzero temperatures.

Co-owner Sarah Hutt-Greenman said the business has transformed into a “warming station during the day and welcoming any overnight guests if they have a need, food and clothing.” She said they had provided food, clothing, and blankets to 24 people as of Wednesday, including seven children. About 20 people have used the warming station per day.

“We were watching it unfold on Facebook, people crying out for a need. We watched it for about half an hour and saw no one step up and said forget that. We’re going to cease anything we were doing in here and step and be what the community needs us to be. We’re going to show what compassion and love look like.” – Hutt-Greenman to the Frontier

The town does not have a homeless shelter and Deputy Wagoner Police Chief Tony Ponds said the lounge was the only option for warming or overnight shelter.

“We have people, unfortunately, who don’t have anything,” Ponds said to the Frontier. “We’re just glad Budz stepped up to the plate to do what they did.”

Hutt-Greenman said the community has provided donations of clothing, blankets, and food, along with the police department, the Toppers Volunteer Fire Department, and Toppers Neighborhood Watch. Budz has also partnered with Healthy Food Oklahoma on the effort.

On Tuesday, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) declared an Emergency Energy Alert Level 2, which requires SPP to direct its members companies to issue public conservations appeals, CBS19 News reports. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 2.8 million Texans remained without power due to the storm and below-zero temperatures.

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