Former NBA Player Joins Hometown Dispensary as Co-Owner

3/19/2021

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Former National Basketball Association player Travis Best has joined Springfield, Massachusetts dispensary Lemonnade as co-owner, MassLive reports. Best, a Springfield native, played in the NBA from 1995 to 2005 and another four seasons in Europe.

Lemonnade is a sister brand of Cookies.

“After doing a bit of my own research it became immediately apparent that Cookies/Lemonnade is without question the best in the business. I’ve always strived to live up to my last name in all that I do. Combining the best with the Best to deliver a transformative project to the South End neighborhood, the city I love and the entire region is an opportunity I’m extremely excited about.” Best in a statement, via MassLive

The dispensary is majority-owned by Brittany Washumare, who is also a certified economic empowerment applicant in the state. Washumare said she “could not be more happy to have Travis Best as a partner.”

“His name and reputation is impeccable and synonymous with the city of Springfield,” she said in a statement to MassLive. “He’s a perfect teammate, as many can attest to, and I can’t wait to deliver a win for Springfield alongside him.”

The owners are eying the dispensary for Springfield’s South End Neighborhood. They still must obtain a host community agreement, a permit from the city council, and a state license. During a community outreach meeting, the owners said they plan to dedicate shelf space to products and brands owned by economic empowerment and social equity applicants, city residents, minorities, or those with a history of disproportionate impact from the war on drugs would comprise 100% of Lemonnade employees, and that employees will be paid a wage of no less than $20-an-hour and averaging at $24-an-hour and have access to comprehensive benefits.

The company said it will also reserve 3,000 square feet for a training center to assist residents in reducing barriers to industry entry and identify potential future employees.

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Colorado Senate Passes Bill to Let K-12 Students Access Medical Cannabis in School

3/18/2021

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Colorado’s Senate has approved a bill that would make it easier for children with complicated medical conditions to access medical cannabis at school, the Associated Press reports. The proposal moves next to the House.

Under current state law, school districts must permit parents and caregivers to possess and dispense cannabis-based medicine on school grounds; however, school principals have discretion whether to allow school personnel to possess and administer the medicine – the bill would remove that requirement, according to the bill text. Moreover, the legislation allows school personnel to volunteer to possess, administer, or assist in the administration of cannabis-based medicine while protecting those who do so from any retaliation.

“The bill imposes a duty on school principals to create a written treatment plan for the administration of cannabis-based medicine and on school boards to adopt policies regarding actual administration. The bill provides disciplinary protection to nurses who administer cannabis-based medicine to students at school. The bill requires schools to treat cannabis-based medicine recommendations like prescriptions.” – SB 21-056

The bill only provides for non-smokable forms of medicine and does not apply to private or non-public schools.

Republican state Sen. Chris Holbert, one of the bill sponsors, noted during a Senate hearing on Tuesday that some of the state’s public schools are on military installations.

“And if the federal government says this is not allowed, then those schools don’t have to do it,” he said during the hearing, according to Cannabis Wire. Holbert has called it “the most important bill” he will sponsor and described it as a “milestone effort.”

“This is a great bill for parents and students who have struggled in this state unnecessarily,” he said. “And this will help people. I think that this effort has helped people in a more significant way than anything else I’ve worked on in 10 years in the legislature.”

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Missouri Starts Revoking Licenses of Delayed Medical Cannabis Businesses

3/18/2021

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The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has started to revoke business licenses from some medical cannabis operators who failed to open their business on time, the Springfield News-Leader reports.

Under Missouri law, cannabis businesses are required to open within a year of their license approval. Last month, 260 of the state’s 370 licensees were granted extensions for their one-year operating deadline.

The names of 29 now-defunct medical cannabis companies were first reported by Grow Now after the state accidentally released the list in a dump of other documents in late January. Most of the revoked licenses were for cannabis transportation operations, labs, and processors, and the licenses were largely yanked due to their failure to meet their “commencement inspection” deadlines, according to the News-Leader.

Additionally, five licenses recently reclaimed by the state were voluntarily forfeited after the facilities were advised about, “what may or may not be considered favorably in any requests for extension of a facility’s operational deadline,” the report said.

“Revocations for failure to pass a commencement inspection within the required timeframe may yet be issued for any of the facilities that have received an extension of the original deadline or whose extension requests are still pending.” — A Missouri spokesperson, via the News-Leader

Daniel Moore, attorney and owner of the now-defunct licensee 303 Cannabis, called the licensing process a “boondoggle” and said he believes there are around 800 denied licensees awaiting their appeal with the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission.

Missouri received over 2,000 applications for the state’s 370 medical cannabis business licenses. 78 commercial licenses have been granted and 62 are in the final stages of approval. Industry representatives attribute the business delays and slow licensing process to complications from the coronavirus pandemic and the cannabis industry’s lack of banking access.

 

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Man Accused of Cannabis Stocks ‘Pump-and-Dump’ Scheme Charged with Fraud

3/18/2021

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The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday announced fraud charges against Irvine, California-based stock trader Andrew L. Fassari for his use of Twitter to spread false statements about now-defunct cannabis company Arcis Resources Corporation (ARCS) to drive up its stock price in a ‘pump-and-dump’ scheme.

The government alleges that Fassari, through his Twitter handle @OCMillionaire, falsely claimed in more than 120 tweets that ARCS was reviving its operations, expanding its business, and had found “huge” investors, according to the complaint. Prior to the allegedly false tweets, the government says Fassari purchased over 41 million shares of the company’s stock which jumped more than 4,000% following his tweets about the company.

The tweets were allegedly made between Dec. 9, 2020 and Dec. 21, 2020 and Fassari is accused of selling all of his shares for more than $929,000 in profits between Dec. 10, 2020 and Dec. 16, 2020. Earlier this month the SEC issued an order suspending trading of ARCS.

The SEC’s complaint charges Fassari with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws, seeks a permanent injunction, disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty from Fassari. The agency has also frozen his assets.

Fassari’s Twitter profile remains online but no posts have been published since March 8. It describes him as a “Master short squeeze artist” and “pennystock wizard.”

The investigation is ongoing.

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Poll: Most New Yorkers Want Local Opt-Out Options for Cannabis Industry

3/18/2021

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A majority of New Yorkers, 61%, say municipalities should have the right to opt-out of allowing adult-use cannabis operations, with 52% of New York City residents saying they would oppose the industry in their neighborhood, according to a Consensus Strategies survey published Wednesday.

Another 53% of respondents indicated cannabis retail should keep a low profile and be located outside of highly visible areas. More than half of Black respondents (53%), Hispanic respondents (61%), and those over 50-year-old (62%) indicated opposition to cultivation facilities in their neighborhoods.

Respondents were split between whether to include social equity provisions as part of the legal cannabis licensing process, with 51% supporting such permits, and a clean 50/50 split on allowing individuals with cannabis-related convictions from owning or operating an adult-use business. Although 59% supported directing a portion of cannabis tax revenue to minority communities that were disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs.

More than one in four New Yorkers that support cannabis legalization (27%) said they wouldn’t shop at a licensed retailer, while 13% of those opposed to the reforms said they are likely to become a customer.

Individuals aged 18-34 strongly supported home cultivation – 78% – while the survey found overall support for home growing at 52%.

The survey comes as Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D) said on Tuesday that lawmakers are “extremely close” to approving a legalization bill outside of the budget process, according to the Daily News. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) had included the reforms as part of his 2022 budget and State of the State address.

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Small Business in Trademark Dispute with Multi-State Operator

3/17/2021

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In 2010, Jon Early founded Farmacann under California’s medical cannabis law, Proposition 215. The name, he said, is “pretty obvious … farming and pharmaceuticals, and cannabis.”

The following year he filed for a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which he received for the “agricultural consulting aspect” of the business due to federal law preventing trademarks for cannabis-related businesses.

He also holds a trademark on that name in California, which specifies his business is in the cannabis space.

Farmacann’s shift to cannabis products

Around the same time, Early clarified, Farmacann morphed into developing cannabis products for seniors – tinctures and extracts – he even purchased testing equipment to ensure the products met safety standards and remained consistent, years before California required such analysis. At the time, the company was operating under Proposition 215, the medical cannabis law.

In an interview with Ganjapreneur, Early explained that just because the USPTO trademark was for the consulting services it does not prevent him from pivoting operations and the feds never invalidated the trademark.

“In essence, my goal was to evolve and develop senior-serving cannabis products,” he said. “It was really clear to me the path I was choosing in this industry was the ultimate one for me and would be – from the standpoint of demand and desirability from a market.”

By 2012, he would launch an online dispensary called Garden Gateway and offered overnight delivery within the state. He explained that, at that time, federal law had not explicitly prohibited in-state cannabis delivery but did ban the practice in 2017, which forced Early to shut down the service. Early said that his business was “no longer tenable” under Proposition 64, the broad legalization law passed in 2016, and the town he lived in, Sonoma, did not allow adult-use cannabusiness operations.

But it was in 2015 that Early first heard about Chicago, Illinois-based Pharmacann, which he said caught him off guard. “Did they even research?” he thought.

“How or why did they even do that?” he said. “They knew we would end up in a conflict.”

In spring of 2015, Early, through his attorney, would send a letter to Pharmacann – which was ignored – and another. Both letters sought to bring Pharmacann “to the table” to hash out the potential legal issues around the name.

This correspondence, and others included in this story, has been independently verified by Ganjapreneur. Pharmacann has not responded to requests to comment on the trademark issue with Early.

“When they did respond they were very defensive, very aggressive,” Early said.

Pharmacann’s trademark filing denied

Once the Chicago-based firm applied for their own trademark, Early officially opposed the filing and it was ultimately denied by the USPTO; although, Early is unsure whether his opposition played a role in that denial or simply that Pharmacann had included “marijuana” and “cannabis” in its federal filing, running afoul of the law.

Shortly thereafter, Pharmacann would move to change its name to “Pharmacannis” and file to trademark that moniker. That filing focuses on “downloadable electronic books in the field of the use of medical marijuana, growing marijuana, business and legal issues related to the operation of medical marijuana dispensaries; downloadable electronic books in the field of natural, holistic and alternative therapies,” according to documents associated with Farmacann’s opposition. And within the last year, Pharmacann would file its own opposition notice to Early’s mark claiming that the Farmacann mark was no longer enforceable. Pharmacann claimed that Farmacann no longer offered consulting services and has attempted to argue that they never did.

“Which is bullshit. I consulted all over the world,” Early said. In the trademark-related filings, Early lists clients in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Colombia, and Brazil.

“Where we’re at right now,” he explained, “they are playing the classic lawyer game.”

Conflict seems inevitable

Although the two companies are not in court over the issue – yet – the case is in front of the USPTO Appeal Board. Early is concerned about the prospects of the matter reaching federal court, because it would get “really nasty and really expensive,” Early said.

One of the tactics being used by Pharmacann during this process is the use of what Early describes as “very invasive and demanding” questions about Farmacann’s business operations from as far back as 2010.

“Just impossible, like, ‘When and how did you first learn about Pharmacann from Chicago’s existence?’ They want a name, a time, a place. … How do you recall that information? … Another document is 50 or 60 questions, and every question is insanely invasive. Do you expect me to be able to go back 10 years? It’s not like I’ve got a Library of Congress!” – Early to Ganjapreneur

Early says Pharmacann knew they were “wreaking havoc and running up the tab on our end.” He said that his attorney has met with Pharmacann’s attorneys only once and during the meeting the opposing counsel was “arrogant” and “hostile.” And as time went on Early realized the dispute would be “harder and harder to untangle” as Pharmacann would have signage and other branding with the name. That far-reaching branding, Early said, makes harder his plans to expand Farmacann nationally as more states come online and federal law “gets clearer” but he fears reprisal from the multi-state operator.

“So, I’m in this pickle – I’ve got to defend [the name] but I don’t feel like I should have to,” he said. “It’s them who should be on the defensive.”

Currently, the issue is still in the discovery phase of the federal trademark dispute process. In documents filed with the USPTO, Pharmacann claims that Early’s mark is unlawful due to the nature of his business and has asked the agency to dismiss Farmacann’s claim to the trademark.

The case remains unresolved.

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Dutchie Raises $200M and Acquires Greenbits, Leaflogix

3/17/2021

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Dutchie, the Bend, Oregon-based cannabis technology company, announced on Tuesday it raised $200 million during Series C funding bringing the company’s total value to $1.7 billion. The firm also announced it had acquired Greenbits and Leaflogix – enterprise resource planning and point-of-sale software companies – for an undisclosed sum.

The company also named Tim Barash, former CFO and chief business officer at Toast, as its new executive chairman.

“Dutchie is powering a new generation of entrepreneurs driving one of the most disruptive consumer trends of the last century. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to join a team focused on accelerating an industry that has a wide range of positive societal impacts, from better health and wellness outcomes to reversing a stigma that hampers criminal justice reform to supporting communities by enhancing state and local tax revenues.” – Barash in a statement

The funding round was led by Tiger Global, along with new investors Dragoneer and DFJ Growth. Other, existing, investors participating in the funding round include Casa Verde Capital, Thrive Capital, Gron Ventures, and former Starbucks Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz.

In July, Dutchie raised $35 million and was valued at $205 million, according to Pitchbook. The company was founded in 2017 by brothers Ross and Zach Lipson. Dutchie works with 2,116 dispensaries across 36 markets in the United States and Canada to facilitate online cannabis ordering including pickup and delivery.

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Portland, Maine Anticipates Wave of New Cannabis Business Openings

3/17/2021

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Dozens of new cannabis businesses are expected to open in Portland, Maine in the coming weeks, according to the Portland Press Herald.

Portland’s acting Director of Inspections and Permitting Jessica Hanscombe said they have already approved two adult-use retail licenses and some 31 other shops are pending final approval. The city also received five medical dispensary applications and has approved one. Hanscombe said there are in total 59 retailer, manufacturing, and laboratory licenses awaiting the green light to open.

According to the report, she predicts there will be a “flurry” of openings over the next two weeks, with the remainder of retail shops likely opening by November.

“In the years I’ve been doing this, we’ve adopted different ordinances, but this is the first that’s so expansive. We hope to be a city every other city can look to for the best way to do this.” — Hanscombe, via the Herald

Maine’s adult-use cannabis marketplace officially launched five months ago but these are the first adult-use cannabis businesses to open their doors in Portland; notably, the city voted nearly 2:1 in favor of legalizing cannabis in the state’s 2016 referendum. After the city adopted an ordinance establishing a 20-shop cap that included a licensing point system based on various social equity considerations and economic situations, however, a federal judge ruled that the ordinance “discriminated” against out-of-state applicants.

In October last year, the City Council suspended the cap and voters made the recusal permanent in November. Now, nearly five months after Maine’s adult-use system went live, Hanscombe told the Herald that the city is granting licenses on a first-come, first-served basis, and the point system will only be used if applicants apply at the exact same time.

Portlanders also chose to lower the mandatory buffer between cannabis shops from 250 feet to 100 feet in November, which made way for even more cannabis businesses to open in the city.

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Tennessee House Committee Approves Very Limited Medical Cannabis Bill

3/17/2021

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Tennessee’s House Health Committee on Tuesday approved a measure to allow adult cancer patients to use cannabis oil with THC, WBIR reports. Under the plan, patients would need approval from a healthcare provider who would have to write a letter that says the patient’s condition is life-threatening and unresponsive to conventional treatment.

Under the proposal, the letter would only be valid for one year, the oil would only be allowed to be used orally or topically, and it would need to be obtained in a state where the sale of cannabis products is legal.

The language of the measure would essentially require patients to break federal law to obtain the oil as Tennessee does not have a comprehensive medical cannabis program. A bill introduced in the state last month would create a medical cannabis commission were the federal government to remove cannabis from its Schedule I classification; however, the measure would not require officials to create a program, rather just analyze what steps the state should take.

Tennessee is bordered mostly by states that only allow CBD oil for medical purposes and not whole plant medicine. In November, 74% of Mississippi voters approved a ballot initiative to legalize cannabis in the state. Mississippi borders Tennessee to the south. The state is somewhat nearby Illinois, where cannabis has been available for adults since 2020.

A 2018 poll from Middle Tennessee State University found 81% of Tennessee voters say cannabis should be legalized to some degree, with 44% backing legalization only for medical use and 37% supporting legalization for adult-use.

In the Senate, the medical cannabis bill was sent to the General Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Canopy Growth Cuts Another 75 Jobs, Shutters Denmark Facility

3/17/2021

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Canadian licensed producer Canopy Growth is laying off 75 employees at its North American facilities and plans to close its operations in Denmark, Bloomberg reports. Most of the 75 layoffs were at its Smiths Falls, Ontario headquarters.

The potential cuts at the Denmark facility are not immediate because Danish law requires companies to seek consultation with a liquidator over several months to handle any outstanding demands from creditors and close business accounts, the report says.

“As part of the final stage of Canopy Growth’s end-to-end global strategic review, staffing adjustments were made within our North American operations team earlier today. Employees at the Denmark production facility have also been informed of the proposal to cease operations at the site based on the company’s ability to serve global medical markets with existing Canadian production capacity.” – Canopy in a statement to BNN

Jens Markussen, the former head of Canopy’s Denmark operations, said on Tuesday that he had left the company and will serve next as head of production for Danish medical cannabis producer DanCann Pharma A/S.

In December, Canopy announced layoffs of 220 workers and that it was shutting down all of its outdoor cultivation sites, five in total. Last April, the company laid off 200 employees at facilities in North America and the United Kingdom. In March 2020, the firm laid off 500 employees while shuttering two greenhouses.

All of the layoffs came following a review by CEO David Klein, which commenced about a year ago. According to BNN this is the final review of the company’s operations by the CEO.

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Study: CBD Helps Prevent Early-Onset Alzheimer’s

3/16/2021

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A two-week course of high doses of CBD helps restore the function of two proteins key to reducing the accumulation of certain plaques in the brain – a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease – and improves cognition in a mouse model of early-onset familial Alzheimer’s, according to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Familial Alzheimer’s in an inherited version of the disease in which symptoms begin to occur in people in their 30s and 40s. About 10-15% of patients suffer from the inherited version.

Dr. Babak Baban, immunologist and associate dean for research at Georgia’s Augusta Georgia Dental College of Georgia, explained in a press release that CBD reduced levels of the protein IL-6, which is associated with the high inflammation levels found in Alzheimer’s. The cannabinoid also improved cognition in the mouse models used in the study.

The researchers found that CBD appeared to normalize levels of IL-33 and TREM2, by sevenfold and tenfold, respectively. When both proteins are low, it’s a clear indication of the disease, the researchers said. It’s the first time CBD has been found to normalize these levels.

“There is a dire need for due innovative therapeutic modalities to improve outcomes of AD patients. … Our findings suggest that CBD treatment enhanced IL-33 and TREM2 expression, ameliorated the symptoms of AD, and retarded cognitive decline.” – “Cannabidiol Ameliorates Cognitive Function via Regulation of IL-33 and TREM2 Upregulation in a Murine Model of Alzheimer’s Disease, Feb 17, 2021, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease

The researchers said the next steps include determining optimal doses, giving CBD earlier in the disease process, and moving toward potential clinical trials. They also are exploring delivery systems including the use of an inhaler that could help deliver the CBD more directly to the brain.

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California Gives Localities $15M In Cannabis Equity Grants

3/16/2021

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California officials have awarded $15 million in grant funding through the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and Bureau of Cannabis Control’s Cannabis Equity Grants program. At least $11.5 million of the funding will be in the form of low- or no-interest loans or grants to cannabis equity applicants and licenses.

The grants are set aside for individuals convicted of a cannabis offense and their families, and other social equity applicants as determined by localities.

Nicole Elliott, senior advisor on cannabis to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) noted that “prohibition and criminalization has had devastating impacts on generations of Californians.”

“As we work to safely reopen our economy, leading with equity across all sectors will ensure a just recovery and further our commitment to create a truly diverse legal industry. These efforts stand as a testament to our values as a state, and I applaud the work being done by these jurisdictions as they thoughtfully embrace this challenge.” – Elliott in a press release

The city of Oakland received the most of any municipality with $2,432,712, followed by:

  • City and County of San Francisco – $2,055,841.43
  • City of Los Angeles – $2,030,997.42
  • City of Sacramento – $1,813,612.38
  • City of Long Beach – $1,267,044.26
  • City of Fresno – $1,204,934.25
  • County of Humboldt – $1,055,870.22
  • County of Lake – $888,173.18
  • City of Palm Springs – $869,540.18
  • County of Mendocino – $832,274.17

The counties of San Diego, Sonoma, and Trinity also each received $75,000 – along with the cities of Escondido, Modesto, Richmond, and San Diego; while the city of Isleton received $22,000.

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New York PTA Denounces Cannabis Legalization

3/16/2021

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In response to the New York legislature considering adult-use cannabis legalization, the New York Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is pushing back, according to a Spectrum News report. In an email sent to members, the Association expressed concerns about youth access and the effect cannabis has on the lungs.

“With the serious crisis of youth vaping and tobacco use, and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic which affects the lungs, while still battling the opioid crisis, this harmful legislation is counterintuitive. Especially now.” — Excerpt from PTA letter to members

The group sent similar communications in the past when adult-use cannabis had gained momentum among New York lawmakers. In the email, the PTA asks members to join with “leading medical and public health organizations, education groups, and the law enforcement community” in opposing the legislation.

The call to action comes at a time when New York Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, who has previously introduced cannabis legalization bills, believes that adult-use cannabis will be made legal in New York this legislative session. “I’m actually more confident than I have been in the past,” Peoples-Stokes told Buffalo’s WKBW.

Her optimism is notable considering that there remain deep differences between the legislature’s legalization plan and that of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).

Forbes reports that while both sides have the same end goal of legalizing adult-use cannabis, they are being driven apart by different ideas about how to get there, and activists argue that the plans don’t go far enough to address social equity and social justice concerns.

“If criminal penalties exist for marijuana, those laws are not going to be enforced evenly. They’re going to be enforced disproportionately for people of color,” said Eli Northrup, policy counsel for The Bronx Defenders, in an interview with Forbes.

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The Science, History, and Future of Cannabis Edibles

3/16/2021

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When you think of cannabis edibles, what comes to mind? Is it the classic brownie, the most famous edible of them all, or perhaps you think of gummies, opting for a more modern and whimsical option? Or maybe, thinking more technically, you consider the various methods of making edibles and start to wonder, “Where did this all begin?” or even, “Where is this all headed?”

Origins of Cannabis Edibles

The earliest cannabis edibles can be traced to 10th century India. Crushed buds were used to make a drink called Bhang, which is still popular to this day. Made with pulverized cannabis, ghee, assorted spices, and milk, it was used back then to help one sleep or regain their appetite.

Fast forward to the late 1960s with the inception of the now-famous “pot brownie.” Would you believe the 1960s’ infused edibles “boom” began with their appearance in a movie? Hippies were fascinated by them and made baked cannabis infusions out of almost anything — brownies, cookies, you name it! At this point, cannabis edibles were also being embraced as a life-altering medication for AIDs patients in California, setting activists like Dennis Peron and ‘Brownie Mary’ Rathbun down the path of advocating for medical cannabis legalization.

How to Infuse Foods

Now, about that most famous ingredient for infused edibles: cannabutter. You may be wondering: how does THC magically wind up inside a simple table spread? It begins with a process called decarboxylation, commonly known as decarbing. This process activates the cannabis compounds which you can then infuse with your base oil. To achieve decarboxylation, just bake your bud in the oven for about 45 minutes at 220 ºF. Next, add your decarbed weed into some butter and simmer it for 6-8 hours, making sure to stir the mixture thoroughly about every 20 minutes. Finally, once you’re done simmering, just strain the weed from your butter into a container.

Congratulations, you just made cannabutter! If you’re lactose intolerant or just not into butter, you can also try this with an assortment of oils, including coconut and olive oils.

In most legal markets, edibles constitute the fastest-growing segment of the cannabis industry.

Moving on to tinctures, which these days are most commonly CBD oil products that come in little amber-colored dropper bottles. A lot of people use these CBD tinctures to relieve pain and for other health reasons, as it absorbs quickly and dosing is as easy as holding the liquid under your tongue for a minute or two.

Many cannabis tinctures, however, are also made with ethyl alcohol, which is, of course, edible and also high-proof. This is nothing new, as alcohol has been used for years as a solvent in herbal tinctures. Another great trait is that the alcohol helps to preserve the tincture’s shelf life, which can you save a bit of money in the end.

Also, concentrated products such as shatter and other oils have their own uses for ethyl alcohol. In a process known as the Soxhlet technique, the alcohol strips plants of their cannabinoids for infusion. The ethanol is boiled, condensed, and then cooled down. Then, the ethanol is used to soak the plant — note, this method is most frequently used for creating smaller batches.

Types of Cannabis Edibles

These days, we’ve gone far beyond what’s now common (i.e. old-school weed brownies, cookies, and even gummies). Nowadays, the word “edible” could include a savory medicated dinner, bubbly beverages, and more. In fact, there are a plethora of assorted snacks you can grab from dispensaries, so if you’re over sweets, trade them in for medicated salty snacks like cheese curls or potato chips. In terms of beverages, you can find sodas, syrups, and even CBD-infused water.

Lastly, the biggest change (and newest trend) when it comes to cannabis edibles are infused meals and other savory dishes. You can find these easily on Instagram, where home-based chefs have started preparing entire medicated meals that they want to share with the masses. Whether they’re making simple platters, a quick bite, or a whole spread, home chefs are not playing around these days when it comes to infusing meals. For example, imagine an entire roast beef platter with creamy mashed potatoes and a savory, silky gravy — now, imagine every part of that meal being infused with cannabutter or another oil. Or how about a thick-cut corned beef or Reuben sandwich, but with an infused Thousand Island dressing? Or even some barbecued ribs with, you guessed it, infused sauce? Some cooks have even gone as far as to make cannabis-infused spices!

Now that we’ve covered the varius popular edible products and where they came from, you might want to get your hands on some of these new trends and offerings — the trick is finding out whether or not any of the good stuff is in your area. For help finding and partaking in any of these potential goodies in your area, consult Instagram (the preferred social media platform for most cannabis influencers) with the appropriate hashtags. Also, check your local dispensary menus and see if they may be hosting any infused cooking lessons or other events, as this is also a growing trend with more and more legal markets coming online.

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Shreveport, Louisiana Considers Low-Level Cannabis Decriminalization

3/16/2021

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The Shreveport City Council is considering a measure to decriminalize low-level cannabis possession, according to a Shreveport Times report. Under the proposal, individuals 18-and-older caught with up to 14 grams would receive a $50 fine of community service instead of jail time.

The measure was introduced last week by council members John Nickelson and Tabatha Taylor, it was drafted in cooperation with Mayor Adrian Perkins.

Medical cannabis was only made available in the state in August 2019.

“Our government has (seen) fit to allow the pharmaceutical industry to sell marijuana and make millions and millions of dollars and yet we’re still losing far too many of our youth on marijuana charges.” – Perkins to the Times

Under current state law, the current penalty for 14 grams or less can be up to a $300 fine and 15 days in jail for a first offense; a $500 fine and six months in jail for a second offense; a $2,500 fine and up to two years in jail “at hard labor” for the third offense; and a $5,000 fine and eight years in jail at hard labor for the fourth or subsequent offenses, according to the statute outlined by the Times.

A recent report using American Civil Liberties Union data found Black people in Louisiana were 3.4 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis than their White counterparts.

Nickelson indicated to the Times that convictions under the city law “would not count as predicate convictions for enhanced penalties under the state statute.”

If approved, Shreveport would be the third city in the state to adopt cannabis reform legislation. The City Council will vote on the measure on March 23.

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THC Caps for Concentrates Proposed in Colorado

3/15/2021

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Colorado’s legislature is considering major changes to its medical and adult-use cannabis systems. If passed, the proposals would constitute the largest changes to Colorado cannabis policy since the 2012 passage of adult-use cannabis legalization, the Denver Post reports.

Echoing a growing chorus of prevention voices from around the country, a recent proposal in Colorado seeks to limit THC in cannabis concentrates in response to youth access concerns. Other proposals include better-regulated purchasing limits for both medical patients and adult consumers, as well as the tightening of the medical cannabis recommendation process (which would require an in-person meeting to ensure that a doctor and patient have a “bona fide relationship”).

“In the last couple years, I’ve seen much more frequent use among teenagers, to the extent that I just saw a patient — young lady, cheerleader, great kid all around, but she’s been using these [high-potency] products daily and ended up in the hospital because she was vomiting constantly and lost 25 pounds.” — Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D), primary sponsor and the legislature’s only medical doctor, via the Post

Originally, Rep. Caraveo’s bill proposed a 15 percent THC cap for concentrates but that exact number was reversed following industry backlashed. While the possibility of a THC cap is still being discussed, no further potency limits have been settled on yet and it’s also not clear whether such a THC cap may be considered for cannabis flower products.

The proposals are strongly disputed by the medical and adult-use cannabis industries, with some advocates calling the legislation akin to a “soft prohibition.”

Wanda James, owner of the Simply Pure dispensaries in Denver, told the Post, “I would like someone to explain to me why this is being wrapped around, ‘Oh, the children, the children.’ What we’re discussing here is clearly a parenting issue, not a business issue.

“These legislators do this all the time,” said James. “It does nothing but put their names in the paper and get their 15 minutes.”

Rep. Caraveo did acknowledge that the industry has “some benefits” but said the industry “has changed,” referring to a shift in cannabis sales from being mostly flower in 2014 to flower now making up less than half the market and concentrates accounting for one-third of Colorado’s 2019 cannabis sales. Rep. Caraveo was also open about who supports her efforts, admitting that the bills were aided by anti-cannabis outlets like Smart Approaches to Marijuana and Smart Colorado, who have backed THC cap proposals in other states and have publicly disputed the need for cannabis reforms for years.

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Nebraska Gov.: Legalizing Cannabis Will ‘Kill Your Kids’

3/15/2021

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During a press conference last week – hosted by anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana – Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said, “If you legalize marijuana, you’re gonna kill your kids.” Ricketts indicated that his remarks were supported by “data…around the country.”

“And that’s why it’s dangerous to go around the established process we have to determine whether or not drugs are safe and effective and why legalizing marijuana and going around the regulatory process to keep people safe is dangerous and going to harm our kids.” – Ricketts via the Recount

The governor’s comments come as the legislature’s Judiciary Committee considers a measure to legalize medical cannabis in the state. Last year, advocates attempted to get a medical cannabis initiative to voters, but the proposal was struck down by the state Supreme Court which ruled the measure broke the state’s single-issue rule for ballot questions.

Organizers are reportedly gearing up to get the issue on ballots next year if lawmakers fail to enact the reforms and have whittled down the initiative language to one sentence – “Persons in the State of Nebraska shall have the right to cannabis in all its forms for medical purposes” – in order for it to survive legal scrutiny.

State Sen. Anna Wishart (D), a co-founder of Nebraskans for Sensible Marijuana Laws, said in December that she is working on ballot language for broad legalization. Ballot petitioners need 250,000 total signatures to put the issue to voters.

Nebraska is one of just three states that have not legalized cannabis for any medical use, along with neighboring Kansas and Idaho.

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New Mexico Senate Committee Drops Cannabis Legalization Bill

3/15/2021

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Lawmakers on a New Mexico Senate committee on Sunday pulled the cannabis legalization bill off its agenda just minutes before a hearing on the measure due to disagreements over taxation, licensing, and criminal justice reform provisions in the bill, the Associated Press reports. The measure was approved by the House in February but still requires Senate approval before heading to the governor.

The state’s regular session closes in five days.

The reforms are supported by Democratic lawmakers in the state, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Senate Speaker Brian Egolf, and Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth. During last year’s election, anti-legalization Democrats, including the Senate president pro tempore and the Finance Committee chair, were defeated by progressive primary challengers, which renewed hope the state would pass a legalization bill this year.

A Senate committee on Sunday also approved a bill that would prohibit the state’s medical cannabis patients from getting medical cannabis cards in other states, according to New Mexico Political Report. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, said the proposal will prevent the state’s medical cannabis program from being “slowly deteriorated.” He said the new rules were needed as the state moved toward adult-use legalization because medical cannabis products would remain untaxed, and residents could go to states with looser program requirements to skirt paying taxes on cannabis products in New Mexico.

The reciprocity bill heads next to the Senate floor and, if approved by the chamber, it would still need to be passed by the House before Saturday’s deadline.

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NYC Fire Department Sued Over Medical Cannabis Policies

3/15/2021

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A New York City Fire Department emergency medical technician last month filed a notice of claim to sue the city for $5 million after he was placed on limited duty in January over his medical cannabis use, the Daily News reports. Benjamin Lerich, 26, suffers from Crohn’s disease and has served the department since 2019.

“They envision this ‘Cheech & Chong’ thing in their heads. I just want to be able to sleep comfortably at night and I want to go to work. … The Fire Department is living in a bubble when it comes to medical marijuana. It’s the same as if you asked someone in the 1960s their view on medical marijuana. How are we still having this conversation?” – Lerich to the Daily News

The FDNY receives federal funds which requires that they comply with the federal Drug Free Workplace Act in order to receive the funding, the report says.

Lerich was moved from his role answering 911 calls to a temporary role doing data entry at a city-run coronavirus vaccination site but the department has made clear that his job is at risk if he continues using medical cannabis.

“They’re telling me, when this [pandemic] ends we don’t know what we’re gonna do with you,” Lerich told the Daily News. “This is my life, my career. I’d like a better answer than that.”

Last September an NYPD officer filed a lawsuit against the city alleging the department discriminated against and harassed him because of his use of doctor-prescribed medical cannabis.

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Nancy Southern: Teaching Seniors About Cannabis Medicine

3/12/2021

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Introducing THE FRESH CUT, hosted by Cara Wietstock, a new series featuring the operators who are paving the way for the future of our industry! Cara’s experience in the cannabis industry has ranged from working at premier dispensaries, running a dispatch for a medical cannabis delivery service in California, gaining first-hand experience in a hydroponic grow operation, freelance writing for various industry publications, and now serves as the Culture Editor for Ganjapreneur.

In the first episode of The Fresh Cut, Cara speaks with Nancy Southern, an adult educator and medical cannabis consultant whose mission is to teach seniors about cannabis medicine and empower them to live more comfortable and enjoyable lives. Nancy is also an advocate for women in the cannabis industry and speaks about her involvement with The Cannabis Alliance in Washington State.

This interview dives deep into how Nancy introduces the topics of the endocannabinoid system and whole plant medicine to seniors who grew up during the Reefer Madness era. If you’ve ever thought about how to recommend medical cannabis to your parents or grandparents but were unsure how to do it or were afraid they wouldn’t take you seriously, this is a show you won’t want to miss!

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Big Tobacco Firm Invests $175M in Canadian Cannabis Brand

3/12/2021

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British American Tobacco (BAT) is set to buy a near 20% stake in Canadian licensed producer Organigram for about $175.81 million, CNBC reports. The move comes less than a month after the company’s Chief Marketing Officer Kingsley Wheaton called CBD “an exciting growth area” for the company’s “business for the future.”

The investment makes BAT Organigram’s largest shareholder.

In a statement to CNBC, BAT said Organigram “has a proven track record of consumer-led innovation and developing high quality adult-use recreational and medical cannabis products, which are legally available in Canada.” The world’s second-largest tobacco company will be able to appoint two directors to Organigram’s board.

Both BAT and Organigram will contribute scientists, researchers, and product developers to a Center of Excellence, which will be established at Organigram’s New Brunswick facility, BAT said in the report. BAT will also have access to research and development technologies, product innovation, and cannabis expertise.

BAT’s brands include American Spirit, Camel, Pall Mall, Rothman’s, Newport, Lucky Strike, Kent, and Dunhill cigarettes, oral tobacco brands Camel Snus and Grizzly, and vape and non-combustible brands Vuse, Vype, Glo, and Velo. Earlier this year it launched a pilot CBD vape product in Manchester, England.

In January, the world’s third-largest tobacco company, Altria Group, registered in Virginia to lobby on cannabis policy. Last year, it hired Denver, Colorado-based Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck, one of the nation’s top cannabis and hemp law firms, to lobby Congress on federal policies related to CBD and “non-tobacco excise taxes.” Altria owns 45% of Canadian licensed producer Cronos Group after investing $1.8 billion in the company in 2018. It also filed for two cannabis vaporizer technology patents in 2020.

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Illinois Bill Would Prevent Former Regulators from Entering Cannabis Industry

3/12/2021

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A bill introduced in Illinois would prevent former cannabis regulators and their family members from accepting employment from licensed operators or passively investing in the firms, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Under the current law, individuals with regulatory ties and their family members are barred from applying for or holding industry licenses and from having an interest in a licensee unless it’s a passive investment in a publicly traded company.

According to the report, at least five former state cannabis regulators have roles or passive investments with a licensed cannabis company along with one state lawmaker and the spouse of another.

Candace Gingrich, the spouse of Democratic state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, was named as vice president of business development for Revolution Florida, a “sister company” Revolution Global, a month after cannabis was legalized in Illinois. Since 2017, Cassidy has received at least $15,550 in campaign contributions from individuals and entities tied to the state’s cannabis industry, the report says, including $4,000 from Revolution and its former chief executive.

State Rep. Bob Morgan, also a Democrat, is now a partner at Benesch, a law firm with a cannabis practice, where he represents Michigan-based cannabis cultivator Red Arrow. Morgan was the state’s first medical cannabis program coordinator and supported statewide legalization following his election in 2019. According to the report, he’s received $57,250 in campaign contributions from cannabis-linked donors, with about $34,350 coming from companies he represented or individuals affiliated with them.

“Although Representative Moylan’s idea builds off the existing cannabis industry ethics laws, I would broaden this approach to any matter before the general assembly, institute a revolving door ban for lawmakers, mandate personal financial disclosures of assets and liabilities modeled after federal rules, and create severe criminal penalties for lawmakers for breaching them.” – Morgan to the Sun-Times

The Secretary of State’s Office is also investigating state Sen. Patricia Van Pelt (D) for holding cannabis-related seminars and heading a company that intended to obtain industry licenses.

The measure would not affect the five former regulators now with links to the industry or seeking licenses, which include:

  • Former director of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) Jay Stewart, who is now a consultant with Green Renaissance Illinois.
  • Cook County Commissioner and former Deputy Director of medical cannabis program Bridget Degnen, who has collected at least $14,700 in campaign contributions from the cannabis industry and joined AmeriCanna Dream.
  • Tara Meyer, who served on the IDFPR from 2017 to 2018 who is now partnered with Americanna Dream.
  • Former medical cannabis program Director Joseph Wright, who has since started a cannabis consultancy service and a cannabis company in Canada called NuSierra.
  • Jeff Cox, who served as Illinois Department of Agriculture’s chief cannabis regulator from 2016 until last June, who is circumventing the current law by offering consulting services to out-of-state cannabis firms.

Moylan called the bill “phase one of multi-pronged legislation” to shine a light on former officials who profit from the industry.

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South Dakota Medical Cannabis Legalization to Proceed As Planned

3/12/2021

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Cannabis legalization and normalization opponents in South Dakota have failed to block the implementation of the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis initiative, the Argus Leader reports.

Since IM 26‘s overwhelming approval by voters in November, Gov. Kristi Noem (R) and members of South Dakota’s House have worked to delay the initiative through a variety of tactics, including the House’s passage of HB 1101 — a bill that sought to delay the medical cannabis roll-out for six months until January 1, 2022. The voter-backed initiative calls for medical cannabis to become legal starting July 1, 2021.

In a last-minute move, South Dakota Senators amended HB 1101 to accept the proposed delay but they added language to decriminalize cannabis for all adults and end the practice of charging people with a crime if cannabis is detected in their blood or urine. The House rejected the changes, which triggered a conference committee between the two chambers; the bill died when the committee failed to reach a compromise, allowing medical cannabis to go into effect as written on July 1.

“The Senate has come together overwhelmingly to offer a plan that allows more time, with concessions of good faith. If those terms aren’t agreeable, we should honor IM 26 as written on July 1, 2021.” — Sen. Mike Rohl (R-Aberdeen), via the Argus Leader

According to a KELOLAND News report, the committee’s compromise ultimately failed in a 3-3 tie.

Speaker of the House Spencer Gosch (R) — who had brought a compromise amendment to the conference that, with provisions like removing home grows and prohibiting any patients under the age of 21, did little to bring the two sides together — said he believes the process is “stuck in a gridlock” and that he did not see “a path forward.”

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New Mexico Senate Speaker ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ About Legalization This Year

3/12/2021

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New Mexico Senate Speaker Brian Egolf (D) said that cannabis legalization is a top priority for state lawmakers this session after the reforms have stalled in the chamber for years, according to a KRQE report.

“We’re still nine days left in the session and in legislative time, the last nine days offers plenty of time for bills to work their way through the session. But I think everyone who is following the issue is cautiously optimistic that something will pass.” – Egolf to KRQE

The legalization bill is currently headed to the Senate Judiciary Committee where it died last year. In late February, the House of Representatives passed the reforms 39-31.

During her State of the State address in January, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signaled strong support for legalization, saying the industry could help the state’s economy “roar back to life” as it emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. She later tweeted that the reforms would lead to “tens of thousands of jobs” and “hundreds of millions in new revenue” for the state.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth said in a January interview with podcast Growing Forward that he was “feeling more confident” about legalization this year.

During last year’s election anti-legalization Democrats, including the Senate president pro tem and the Finance Committee chair, were defeated by progressive primary challengers, which increased the likelihood of legislative support for legalization.

If approved, adults 21-and-older would be allowed to purchase and possess cannabis products and residents would be allowed to grow up to six cannabis plants in their own homes. Under the proposal, certain medical cannabis dispensaries would be permitted to start selling to adults on January 1, 2022.

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