Federal Survey Finds Cannabis & Hallucinogen Use Among Young Adults at Highest Level Ever

8/23/2022

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The rate of individuals aged 19 to 30 who consumed cannabis on a daily basis, or on 20 or more occasions in the past 30 days, reached 43% last year, according to the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Monitoring the Future survey. Rates of past-year hallucinogen use among the cohort also rose in 2021, to 8%. Both increases mark new highs since the NIH started monitoring the trends in 1988.

In a statement, NIDA Director Nora Volkow, M.D., said the data “provides a window into the substances and patterns of use favored by young adults” and “understanding how substance use can impact the formative choices in young adulthood is critical to help position the new generations for success.”

“We need to know more about how young adults are using drugs like marijuana and hallucinogens, and the health effects that result from consuming different potencies and forms of these substances. Young adults are in a critical life stage and honing their ability to make informed choices.” — Volkow in a press release

The survey found an increase in past-month cannabis vaping, which doubled from 6% in 2017 to 12% last year, along with an increase in nicotine vaping, from 6% in 2017 to 16% last year.

Researchers found a decrease in past-30-day alcohol consumption among those surveyed, which was measured at 66% last year, down from 70% in 2016; however, binge-drinking rates increased from 2020 (28%) to 32% last year, the same level recorded in 2019.

The study found that cannabis consumption among 19- to 30-year-olds has steadily increased over the last decade. In 2011, 29% of the cohort said they had consumed cannabis over the previous 30 days and that figure rose to 34% in 2016. In 2011, the survey found daily cannabis consumption rates at 6%, which rose to 8% in 2016 and 11% last year.

Data for the 2021 survey was collected online from April 2021 through October 2021. The study is conducted by scientists at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, Ann Arbor, and is funded by NIDA, part of the National Institutes of Health.

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NECANN’s New Jersey Cannabis Convention Coming to Atlantic City September 9-10

8/23/2022

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Innovation, opportunity, investment and inclusion highlight NJCANN programming

Atlantic City, New Jersey – The New Jersey Cannabis Convention is returning to the Atlantic City Convention Center for two days of cannabis business, networking, and education September 9-10, 2022. The event will mark the largest gathering of cannabis industry professionals, businesses, and advocacy groups ever in New Jersey In addition to an exhibit hall with over 120 companies, the event will feature two locally-focused education programming tracks concurrently running each day, giving attendees access to over 50 expert speakers covering every facet of the New Jersey cannabis market.

“We’re very excited to be back for our 3rd New Jersey Convention, it’s very exciting to see how much the maket has evolved since our first event in 2019”, said Marc Shepard, founder and President of NECANN. “In the spirt of inclusion and accessibility for all, we’re also very pleased to be able to announce that we are once again making ALL of our speaker content open to everyone who registers for the event at a cost of just $20 a day, a small fraction of what most cannabis industry events charge”.

Programming highlights include:

Chirali Patel, Founder of the Blaze Law Firm hosts a session called “Blooming in the Garden State”, a guide to navigating the challenging legal licencing process in New Jersey.

Jennifer Bassuk, an agricultural expert from Fluence Bioengineering leads a session for growers titled “What Cultivators Need to Know to Navigate New Jersey’s Burgeoning Cannabis Market”.

Jennifer Cabrera, Esq. of Vicente Sederberg LLP’s session, “X Marks the Spot: Which Garden State Municipalities Are Still in Play” covers all things municipal from municipality choice to property search, becoming a good community partner, and explains the steps for preparing a competitive local application.

“This convention is specifically designed for industry leaders, advocates, entrepreneurs, career and knowledge seekers, and the canna-curious to come together to learn and meet the people paving the way for the New Jersey cannabis industry,” said Marc Shepard, founder and President of NECANN. “With the cannabis industry heating up in the Mid-Atlantic, it’s also a timely opportunity for operating and new businesses alike to engage with and learn from consumers, promote their businesses, and their products.”

All programming details are available at: https://necann.com/new-jersey-convention/programming/
Registration: Advance registration available at: https://bit.ly/NJ22tix
Location: Atlantic City Convention Center, 1 Convention Blvd, Atlantic City, NJ
Hours: Friday Sept 9th, 10am-5pm | Saturday Sept 10th, 10am-4pm
Admission: $20 for one-day pass; $35 for two-day pass; Children under 18 MUST be accompanied by an adult

About NECANN
Since 2015, NECANN has hosted the largest, most comprehensive Cannabis Industry event series in the nation. Our schedule includes conventions in New Jersey, New York, Boston, Maine, Vermont, Chicago, Virginia, and Connecticut, making it the largest series in the country. For more information: go to necann.com, email info@necann.com or call: 774-254-5073.

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New Security Technology Protects Cannabis with Rodent, Deer and Human Detection

8/23/2022

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Palo Alto, CA — Camect INC fills the costly security gap for cannabis dispensary and grow facilities with an affordable AI-powered smart hub able to detect rodents, deer and humans with a less than 1% error rate.

Until the S.A.F.E. Banking Act passes cash intensive dispensary owners are at rising risk for violent and costly burglaries from humans. According to NPR, the wave of crime has escalated. Grow facilities face the double threat from both human crop theft and destruction from rodents and animals. One rodent can destroy thousands of dollars of valuable plants.

Live guards burden owners with as much as $50,000 a month in round-the-clock security. A solution that is not affordable to most. Video security cameras offer at best a reactive approach to crime detection. These cameras are designed to record, not detect. In a world with understaffed, overworked police officers these videos are not actually helpful. This can be a huge distraction with alerts going off every time a leaf, bug or weather triggers an alarm. NYT reports that 80% of DIY security system owners are annoyed by “false-alarms”.

Camect uses AI-powered object detection. The nanosecond an object (rodent, deer, person, pick-up truck, delivery truck, etc.) is detected, an alert is deployed, if you want to know about it. The system will adapt to the user’s preferences, virtually eliminating false alarms. Camect affordable smart hub connects with almost every existing camera system. Most often no new equipment is needed.

“Regulations require dispensary owners to pour large amounts of capital into their business and operate as cash-only enterprises. This puts product and cash at great risk with criminals targeting both. One of my new customers called me after he lost huge amounts of inventory and $75,000 cash with one break-in. Camect is committed to helping business owners take a proactive approach and deter these crimes,” says Camect National Account Manager Brad Kenning who specializes in Cannabis Security.

Camect is currently available worldwide. Contact Camect Marketing Director Rachel Swardson at connect@camect.com for more information.

About Camect
Camect Inc is the first to bring affordable, accurate and reliable Artificial Intelligence analytics to video and non-video security systems. Our goal is to help human beings focus on what matters.

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Bloom Releases 2.0 AI Software for Cannabis Processing

8/23/2022

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Artificial Intelligence Improves Speed, Accuracy of Cannabis Trimming

WOBURN, MA — Bloom Automation Inc., an agri-tech company specializing in cannabis trimming equipment, today released the Bloom Artificial Intelligence Engine 2.0 — a suite of new algorithms that visually analyze cannabis flowers for faster, more accurate machine trimming.

The AI software update makes Bloom’s robotic cannabis trimming system twice as fast as human trimmers and creates possibilities for other identification-related tasks such as defoliation, harvest weight prediction, and flower bucking.

“We’re excited to announce Bloom’s 2.0 AI Engine for more reasons than one,” said Jon Gowa, CEO and Founder of Bloom. “The new AI increases the speed of our machine while also opening the door to support a wide range of third-party applications and equipment.”

The AI performance leap is powered by a confluence of machine learning advances and an ever-expanding database of images collected through years of R&D. Updates to the system’s graphics processing unit (GPU) also enabled the update.

The Bloom trimming system works by manicuring the flowers before their removal from the stem using a robotic arm and cameras to visualize which leaves to remove. The machine shears the leaves cleanly and prevents the overhandling common to traditional, hand-trimming methods.

With cannabis processing expenses estimated at more than 20% of total cultivation costs, the faster AI may save Bloom’s clients millions in the coming years. Increasing price pressures make operational efficiencies critical for cannabis cultivators, and Bloom’s advancements lower labor costs while maintaining top quality.

Non-cannabis applications could include ripeness assessment for fruits and vegetables, as well as automated harvesting.

For more information about Bloom Automation or the Bloom Artificial Intelligence Engine 2.0, contact Shannon Hagerty, Marketing and Business Associate, at info@bloomautomation.com.

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Biden Admin Suggests White House Applicants Not Invest In Cannabis

8/23/2022

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The Biden Administration last December expanded its employee conduct guidelines to potentially deny security clearance to individuals who have invested in the cannabis industry, Politico reports. According to the document outlined by Politico, investing in the industry “could reflect questionable judgment and an unwillingness to comply with laws, rules, and regulations.”

“Eligibility may be negatively impacted if an individual knowingly and directly invests in stocks or business ventures that specifically pertain to marijuana growers and retailers.” — Biden Administration presentation via Politico

While the Democratic Biden Administration may be more forgiving on cannabis-related among its workforce – previously stating that past cannabis use would not immediately disqualify applicants – intern applicants must continue to disclose any prior drug use, including cannabis, and dozens of White House staffers were asked to resign, suspended, or placed on remote work due to their prior cannabis use.    

The memo also warns potential staffers about CBD use, saying that products “labeled as hemp-derived that contain greater than 0.3 percent THC continue to meet the legal definition of marijuana … agencies should be aware that the Federal Drug Administration does not certify levels of THC in CBD products.”

“So the percentage of THC cannot be guaranteed,” the memo states, “thus posing a concern pertaining to the use of a CBD product under federal law.”  

A spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told Politico that the memo “provides clarifying guidance to federal agencies charged with determining such eligibility” as “increased legalization of marijuana use at state and local levels has prompted questions on how the federal government treats an individual’s involvement with marijuana.” 

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New York City Launches Program for Cannabis Social Equity Applicants

8/23/2022

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) on Monday launched Cannabis NYC, a program designed to support social equity in the city’s cannabis industry. The program will be housed in the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) and will include technical assistance, licensing for individuals most impacted by the previous enforcement of cannabis laws, and a “suite of services.” 

“Today, we light up our economy and launch Cannabis NYC – a first-of-its-kind initiative to support equitable growth of the cannabis industry in New York City. The regulated adult-use cannabis industry is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our underserved communities that have, for too long, faced disproportionate rates of drug-related incarceration to get in on the industry on the ground floor. Cannabis NYC will plant the seeds for the economy of tomorrow by helping New Yorkers apply for licenses and understand how to open and successfully run a business, while simultaneously rolling equity into our economy by giving those who have been justice-involved and those with a cannabis conviction a chance to succeed. This is about creating good jobs, successful small businesses, and finally delivering equity to communities harmed by the ‘War on Drugs.’” — Adams in a press release 

The state Office of Cannabis Management is expected to begin accepting retail dispensary applications over the next month for social equity applicants in the state, including qualifying businesses owned by justice-involved individuals or their parent, legal guardian, child, spouse, or dependent.  

In New York City, cannabis sales are expected to reach $1.3 billion in sales by 2023, with between 19,000-24,000 jobs created over the next three years, according to the Mayor’s Office.

In April, Adams said he would like cannabis to be grown on the rooftops of New York City Housing Authority-run buildings – a plan that would likely receive pushback from the federal government, which subsidizes more than half of NYCHA revenues through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also included $4.8 million in his Fiscal Year 2023 Executive Budget for cannabis businesses, including funds for technical and licensing assistance.  

And while he has urged no “heavy-handedness” in the enforcement of gifting or unlicensed cannabis sales in the city while the state moves toward regulated sales, the New York City Police Department last week said it had impounded 19 vehicles for selling cannabis without a permit in Times Square.  

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What Does the Future of Cannabis Networking Look Like?

8/23/2022

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Editor’s note: This editorial was contributed by Dan Serard, the Director Of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships for Cannabis Creative, a Massachusetts-based award-winning digital marketing agency specializing in cannabis and CBD.

When California first opened up the floodgates of cannabis by legalizing medical marijuana in 1996, the industry was apprehensive and cold. As other states followed suit, dispensaries remained sterile, clinical places with bland products that resembled a pharmaceutical prescription.

As we put those days in the rearview mirror, so too are brands and professionals that adhere to that image. Instead, we’re seeing sophisticated brands and innovative marketing teams changing the landscape of the cannabis industry.

So why haven’t we done the same for cannabis networking?

Traditional cannabis events like trade shows have helped bring legitimacy to the industry over time, but at the end of the day, the real changemakers in cannabis are looking to create meaningful business relationships that go beyond the surface-level interactions typical of a large business conference. Particularly in a post-pandemic era, we need to reimagine the cannabis networking experience. Instead of buttoned-up elements like expensive booths and corporate attire, we need to curate intentional, memorable moments with one another.

The Evolution of the Trade Show

There are quite a few aspects of a large event that can be inconvenient. The number of attendees at conventional trade shows is often overwhelming. Exhibition floors are brimming with booths and teams walking through. Cannabis (usually) cannot be sampled out, brands have their sales pitch on repeat all day, and most interactions are brief and superficial at best. You can be intentional about who you connect with and how you spend your time, but there are no guarantees that you’ll be able to have a fruitful conversation with so many distractions.

Seth Worby, the CEO and Co-Founder of Cannabis Creative Group and Founder of the TeeHC Open, and a frequent attendee at trade shows, adds that “They’re tiring. You’re on your feet for eight hours straight. They’re expensive: food, hotels, travel, etc. A show can cost a small team upwards of $10K.”

While trade shows have been an amazing tool in the industry for a long time, the truth is that post-pandemic trade shows are struggling to maintain popularity. In the long run, brand-centered, fun experiences will win out over corporate programming. This will include events like industry competitions, brand-hosted pop-ups and experiences, and interactive cannabis events. After all, this is an industry that is heavily based on the senses.

The Future of Cannabis Networking Events

After being cooped up inside for almost two years, people are eager – but also apprehensive – to get back to in-person events. At the same time, everything from consumer behavior to family dynamics and company culture has shifted dramatically since March 2020.

The result is a need for more interactive, meaningful events to take place.

When it comes to networking in such a highly creative and competitive industry, the key is not to know everyone, but rather to build valuable and meaningful relationships with the right people. Therefore, cannabis professionals are not interested in cold pitching people who are not interested in their brand. Rather, they want to meet warm leads and connect with partners that are genuinely excited to work together.

As we conceive what post-pandemic cannabis networking events might look like, it begs the question of who is most fit to host and facilitate these types of relationships. The most obvious answer is those who have their ear to the ground: ancillary businesses. From cannabis marketing agencies to brand consultants, ancillary cannabis businesses hear a wide range of needs from all types of players in the industry.

Whether you’re a dispensary or a CBD brand or anything in between, it is likely that you’re working with an ancillary business to help grow yours. What better way to pave the way for the future of cannabis networking than with these creative professionals? With all this in mind, there are key elements that define the future of cannabis networking events. These events will – and should – include:

  • Interactive elements for attendees to engage in
  • Brand activation opportunities
  • Creative networking activities and spaces
  • Community-building programming
  • Flexible and inclusive cannabis consumption policies
  • Hosts that facilitate lead introductions

Post-Pandemic Networking is Here to Stay

The last few years have changed the landscape of our society – permanently. As much as we wanted those lockdowns to be a temporary fluke, the pandemic has created change that is here to stay. Consumers no longer want to be overtly sold to. They want to shop from brands they are loyal to, brands that align with their values, and brands that understand the value of a meaningful relationship.

This shift impacts major players and small businesses in the industry alike. As cannabis professionals seek out more engaging, fun, and meaningful networking events, we expect that it will not be a trend that comes and goes. Instead, we’ll see these features expand to other industries and become essential to the success of future networking events.

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Maine Court Strikes Down Residency Requirement for Medical Cannabis Businesses

8/22/2022

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A Maine court has struck down a state law that required the state’s medical cannabis dispensaries to be owned by Maine residents, Maine Public Radio reports. The First Circuit Court of Appeals decision upholds a lower court ruling that found the residency requirement violates the U.S. Constitution by restricting interstate commerce. 

Under Maine’s Medical Marijuana Act, a dispensary cannot be licensed to sell medical cannabis unless all the officers or directors are residents of Maine. That provision was challenged two years ago by Wellness Connection, the state’s largest cannabis company, and its parent company which argued it violated the constitution’s “dormant commerce clause,” which prohibits states from passing laws that discriminate against or excessively burden interstate commerce.

When the lawsuit was first filed, Wellness Connection board member Ron MacDonald told the Bangor Daily News that the residency requirement hampered the company’s ability to raise money.

Writing for the majority, Chief Judge David Barron said that the “market is so robust that absent the Medical Marijuana Act’s residency requirement, it would be likely to attract entrants far and wide,” the report says.

The court did note, however, that although the medical cannabis market is an interstate market – by allowing nonresidents to make medical cannabis purchases – it is a market that contradicts the federal Controlled Substances Act, according to a Law Street Media report. The First Circuit was not convinced that it is impossible to be an interstate market for a good that is contraband under federal law and affirmed the permanent injunction against the Maine Medical Marijuana Act’s residency requirement.

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Ascend Wellness Ends MedMen New York Takeover Bid

8/22/2022

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During an earnings call on Monday, Ascend Wellness Holdings Inc. said they were no longer moving forward with their planned takeover of MedMen New York. During the call, Ascend founder and CEO Abner Kurtin said the company was calling off the $88 million deal over concerns about MedMen’s assets, which he described as “deteriorated materially” since December 31.   

“We have been engaged in negotiations with MedMen for 17 months and because of the state of MedMen’s assets, it is time for all of us to move on. Because we will not be moving forward with the MedMen transaction, we have $70 million of unencumbered cash at a time when cash is dear.” — Kurtin during the August 15 earnings call 

Ascend had already paid $4 million to MedMen New York as a deposit toward the $74 million closing consideration at the time of the May settlement; Ascend was also to make a $14 million payment upon the first sale of adult-use cannabis in a MedMen New York dispensary, according to a Cannabis Business Times report. 

The deal had been wrought with allegations from MedMen, including that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) office used its influence to help Ascend purchase the company. Ascend countered that MedMen New York fabricated the narrative that claimed the firm “exerted undue influence on New York State government officials in order to obtain regulatory approval.” MedMen New York ultimately withdrew those allegations. Mylan Denerstein, a lawyer representing Ascend, told amNY in February that “when exposed to the slightest scrutiny” MedMen’s claims “collapsed” like “any house of cards.”  

During the call, Kurtin added that New York was not a priority for the company due to the state’s “highly uncertain” regulatory environment, the “unknown timing of the commencement of adult-use sales, unclear licensing process, and the lack of policing of the illicit market.”  

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Virginia Cannabis Association Partners with Educapital Foundation for Scholarship Program

8/22/2022

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The Virginia Cannabis Association is partnering with non-profit group Educapital Foundation in offering $1 million in scholarships to college students, WWBT reports. Eligible students can receive one-time $1,000 scholarships.  

Juan Silva, director of community outreach with Educapital, told WWBT that low-income students who were disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs can benefit from the program while boosting their local economy. 

“A lot of people have 20, 30, 40 years of being incarcerated right now for a plant that a lot of people are making money off of.” — Silva to WWBT 

Educapital offers cannabis culinary, the business of cannabis, pharmacy tech, and certified grower programs, including master’s degrees, Silva said. The courses are offered online through the Mitchell School of Business and Greenleaf University, but there are plans to work with Virginia Tech and other Virginia schools in the future, the report says. Upon graduation, 50 students will be selected to receive up to $10,000 each for their startup business. 

According to the Educapital website, to qualify for the program students must be at least 18-years-old, a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, DACA recipient, or hold an employment authorization card, low income, and “highly motivated to learn to begin a career in the cannabis industry.” Students must also maintain a “B” average or above, a 70% attendance rate, and meet any additional requirements outlined by the school. 

Educapital also offers scholarship opportunities for students in New York – a partnership with the New York Cannabis Association – and in New Jersey. 

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Court Rules Off-Duty Recreational Cannabis Use Not Protected By Nevada State Law

8/19/2022

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In a decision last week, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that the state law protecting “lawful activities” or “lawful off-duty conduct” does not apply to non-medical cannabis consumption, according to an Ogletree Deakins report. In the decision in Ceballos v. NP Palace, LLC, the court said adult cannabis use was not “lawful” behavior outside of work because, although legal in Nevada, cannabis is listed as a Schedule I narcotic and illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the report says.

The lawsuit was filed by Danny Ceballos after he was fired from his table dealer job at Las Vegas Station Hotel & Casino. Ceballos, who was fired after he failed a post-workplace injury drug test, said he was not impaired at the time of the injury and had not used cannabis in the 24 hours prior to the accident. He filed the lawsuit under Nevada’s “lawful off-duty conduct” law and for wrongful termination, the report says.

Nevada law says an employer cannot terminate someone “because the employee engages in the lawful use in [Nevada] of any product outside the premises of the employer during the employee’s nonworking hours if that use does not adversely affect the employee’s ability to perform his or her job or the safety of other employees.”

The court dismissed the case saying the Nevada protections only applied to activities “lawful under both state and federal law, not just lawful under Nevada law,” according to the report.

The decision also cited a 2015 Colorado case, Coats v. Dish Network, LLC, that said similarly adult cannabis use was not “lawful” outside of work due to its designation as a Schedule I narcotic. It threw out the wrongful termination portion of the suit on the grounds the employer did not “violate(s) strong and compelling public policy.” The court ruled that the case lacked a “public dimension” like worker compensation, on-the-job injuries, or public services, such as jury duty or whistle-blowing.

The court concluded in a possible call-out to the state legislature, saying if the Nevada legislature “meant to require employers to accommodate employees using recreational marijuana outside the workplace but who thereafter test positive at work, it would have done so.”

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Arkansas Police Chief Forms Group Opposing Cannabis Legalization

8/19/2022

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The police chief of Fairfield Bay, Arkansas has formed a committee to oppose the legalization of cannabis in the state, the Arkansas Times reports. In the filing to form Save Arkansas from Epidemic, David Burnett and attorney AJ Kelly said the committee’s purpose is to “oppose the 2022 proposal to amend the Arkansas constitution, which would ‘legalize’ under state law the ‘recreational use’ of marijuana. Committee opposes legalization of recreational marijuana.” 

The group also filed a motion with the state Supreme Court to intervene in the case to decide whether the votes on the legalization initiative will be counted. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court gave conditional approval for the question to appear on midterm ballots after the state Board of Election Commissioners rejected the proposal’s language which would have kept it off of ballots despite it getting enough citizen support. The Supreme Court, however, did not decide whether or not the votes would actually be counted.    

In the motion, Save Arkansas from Epidemic said that it seeks to “protect the interests and rights of Arkansans who oppose the legalization of recreational marijuana.” The filing includes comments from Smart Approaches to Marijuana founder Kevin Sabet along with Burnett.  

In the filing, Burnett focuses his argument on law enforcement “drug dogs” which he argues would be “rendered useless” were cannabis legalized broadly, according to the Times report.

In a response, Responsible Growth urged the court not to allow the newly-formed group to intervene in the case, arguing that its submission “comes too late in this expedited proceeding without explanation, poses prejudice to petitioners by interjecting new issues when time is running short and is unnecessary because respondents adequately represent intervenors’ interests.” 

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Florida Dept. of Corrections Officer Sues After Being Fired for Medical Cannabis Use

8/19/2022

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A former Florida Department of Corrections worker is suing the state after he was fired for his legal use of medical cannabis, FOX 13 reports. Samuel Ortiz-Velez, a marine combat veteran, was fired following a random drug test, which he argues violated his rights under the state constitution.  

Ortiz-Velez’s attorney, Michael Minardi, told FOX 13 that he believes his client and other medical cannabis patients “should have the same protection in the workforce” as others that use prescription medications that are controlled substances.  

“If you’re on opiates in a drug-free workplace and you test positive, not under the influence you’re permitted to show your prescription from a doctor to show a justification why you have it in that your system. We believe people in the state of Florida should have that same protection for medical marijuana.” — Minardi to FOX 13 

The Florida Department of Corrections’ drug-free workplace policy prohibits the use of “illegal drugs on or off duty.” 

“Drug means alcohol (including distilled spirits, wine, malt beverages, and intoxicating liquors) amphetamines, cannabinoids, cocaine, phencyclidine (PCP), hallucinogens, methaqualone, opiates, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, synthetic narcotics, designer drugs, or metabolite of any of the above substances,” the policy states. “… The Department also does not allow the use of medical marijuana by its employees or on its premises.” 

The case is filed in Florida’s First District Court of Appeals. 

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Maryland County Public Schools Implement Medical Cannabis Policy for Students

8/19/2022

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Under a new policy, Worcester County Public Schools in Maryland will allow students with a medical cannabis recommendation to access their medicine while in school, Ocean City Today reports. The policy requires a school nurse to administer medical cannabis and follows a law passed by the state’s General Assembly in 2020.

Dr. Annette Wallace, the chief safety and academic officer for the school district, told school board members that the new policy would protect all students around controlled substances. She said that she was not aware of any requests, yet, for the administration of medical cannabis in the district’s schools.

The school superintendent recommended the policy be approved, and the board members unanimously approved it. 

The 2020 law requires all Maryland schools to allow the administration of medical cannabis during school hours and during school-sponsored activities while on a school bus, the report says. The law allows students who are qualifying medical cannabis patients to obtain medical cannabis through the student’s caregiver or any designated school personnel authorized to administer medical cannabis to the student in accordance with the law. Students cannot access smokeable or vapeable products while in school, according to guidelines approved by the state Department of Education and Medical Cannabis Commission. 

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On The Revel: Education & Community for Dope People

8/18/2022

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When Lulu Tsui met Jacobi Holland — her On The Revel (OTR) co-founder — she knew they’d create something special together. Talking to another person of color about the reality of New York cannabis was refreshing for the pair, who each wanted to foster that same energy for others. Their first event was a casual cannabis business mixer at a coworking space in 2016; afterward, a guest approached the founders, crying, to share that the event was so impactful. That was the point that the founders knew they were onto something.

“That’s the energy we wanted to bring: happy, open, inquisitive, looking to find people and share – that special New York connection magic, that’s what we’re trying to harness,” said Tsui.

What came next is Revelry, a renowned New York educational series that challenges the norms of cannabis speaking events. Holland explained the basic tenets of Revelry events, “It must be welcoming and inclusive, the speakers must be well curated and actionable, and the room must be filled with dope people. As long as we do those three things really well, we find that we have excellent experiences.”

All speakers are given 10 minutes to deliver an impactful, actionable speech that captures the attention of New Yorkers, which is no easy feat. Additionally, Revelry never puts out an open call to speakers. All speakers are hand-chosen from Tsui & Holland’s direct networks — at most, they’re one connection away. This ensures that speakers are knowledgeable, trustworthy, and deserving of a place in the immediate networks of the Revelry community. This approach in combination with the co-founders’ skills has created an event series that has never existed in the same stratosphere as expos, which typically grapple with attracting a homogeneously white and male audience.

In March 2020, the world was shuttered in response to the first outbreak of COVID-19 and OTR canceled its upcoming in-person event, opting instead to move to a virtual format. The Zoom webinar filled up to capacity with dope people seeking community in the cannabis space. Over time, the weekly webinar transitioned into a podcast which is currently in its third season. Moving to digital also tapped into another audience which has since proliferated into Dope People, an online place for the OTR community and the resources they need.

Dope People consists of a private discord server, weekly live podcast, and exclusive access to monthly meetups, workbooks, merch, and more. The discord server is alive with conversations about retail, lobbying in Albany, job placements and operations advice. Both founders spoke about the organic growth of this space with reverence and Tsui said, “What’s kind of beautiful about it is that we don’t talk about building community, we don’t talk about being part of a community, we just are.”

Tsui is a UX expert, she is fascinated by how people work and takes a technical approach to building a world where they can interact. Holland is a seasoned entrepreneur who has a mind for applying data to real-world problems. As they curated Revelry educational events, the pair would listen to students, tuning into their needs as the state’s industry continued to roll out. Holland explained, “It comes down to empathizing with the students and meeting them where they’re at and designing it from there.”

In these conversations, it became clear that students weren’t sure of where to start – not just with starting a business, but about understanding the best moves as legacy operators contemplating crossing into the adult-use market. That is why they built the legacy operator boot camp. The pilot boot camp program recently wrapped up with ten teams learning about critical topics like fundraising, real estate, retail basics, application writing strategies, and connections to service providers. Holland noted that there will always be consumption at these events, because that is essential for some operators. OTR hopes that they can continue to grow this pilot program as the New York state industry develops.

“The whole purpose of this was to connect good people together that we trust, that we’ve worked with or our friends have worked with, and really become the good aunties and uncles that shepherd this very nascent industry into something that is going to be specific to what we think it should be, right? Which is that it’s diverse, it’s inclusive, and more importantly it has opportunities for anyone and everyone,” Tsui said.

The upcoming Revelry is special, as it’s the first Brooklyn Block Party – something that has been on the OTR vision board since its very first mixer. On Sunday, August 28, On The Revel will be hosting a two-part event featuring education and celebration. Guests can attend The Summit for curated education and stick around for The Block Party featuring food, drinks, engaging activations, and musical performances. Styles P from The Lox, Grammy-nominated Mumu Fresh and Harlem-born and raised DJ Odalys will all be performing.

The event is in Restoration Plaza in Bed-Stuy, a neighborhood predominantly targeted during the war on drugs. These days, the area is going through a renaissance and Tsui looks forward to holding space there, “We just want to celebrate and talk about how cannabis, especially in that neighborhood, can be turned into something more positive than it has been. It’s a strong, vibrant Black community.” The Summit will feature speakers like Chi Ossé, the Council Member for New York City’s 36th District representing Bedford-Stuyvesant and North Crown Heights, on community restoration and Vangst VP Kelsea Appelbaum on workforce development.

“At the end of the day, the people that have built the demand for this plant and the people who have been harmed by the war on drugs, we at On The Revel are 100% rooting for them,” Holland said.

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NYPD Seizes Vehicles Over Illegal Cannabis Sales in Times Square

8/18/2022

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New York City Police Department Chief Jeffrey Maddrey on Tuesday shared a video on Twitter showing 19 vehicles the department had seized because the owners were selling cannabis without a permit. 

“Up in smoke. 19 illegal vehicles and cannibis (sic) seized off the streets of NYC. While others follow the rules, these trucks and their vendors don’t have permits so we took action!” — Maddrey via Twitter 

The video shows a line of brightly wrapped RVs, buses, and vans seized by the NYPD.  

Police also issued six criminal court summonses, CBS News reports. According to the Daily News, the vehicles were selling cannabis and cannabis products in Times Square.  

Police told the News that the vendors didn’t have Health Department vendor permits to sell food, which would include the gummies and other edibles infused with cannabis. An NYPD official told the News that the same treatment would be given to an ice cream truck if it didn’t have a food vendor license. Most of the vehicles had out-of-state plates and the drivers slept in them overnight.

In a separate video posted Tuesday to Maddrey’s Twitter, NYPD Deputy Chief John Chell said the crackdown came following complaints from Times Square’s Business Improvement District, which asked the department “to address quality of life as it relates to illegal food vending trucks.” 

“In this case, a cannabis truck which is selling illegal edibles,” he said. 

In June, the New York City Sheriff’s Office towed away 12 Weed World vehicles over $500,000 in unpaid parking fines, the News reports. On Monday, the company paid off $200,000 of those fines and agreed to an installment plan with city officials to pay the rest. 

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Church Offering Cannabis & Psychedelic Sacraments Sues Over Police Raid

8/18/2022

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A California church that gives out cannabis and psychedelic plants as communion is suing the city of Oakland and the Oakland Police Department over a 2020 raid, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Zide Chruch of Entheogenic Plants, an assembly of the Church of Ambrosia, claims the city and police violated its 1st and 14th amendment rights and that the city’s land use code prohibits its religious ceremonies. 

The raid occurred on Aug. 13, 2020, due to allegations the church was operating a cannabis dispensary. The church was allegedly listed on Weedmaps. In May 2019, Oakland’s nuisance abatement office got an anonymous complaint that the church was doubling as a dispensary. In the lawsuit, the church denies it was listed on the website and that it doesn’t advertise its services.

Church founder Dave Hodges told the Times that the church is “not just an excuse for selling drugs.”  

“This is a sincere faith, and the work that I personally do with mushrooms is with the really high doses. There’s no doubt in my mind that mushrooms were the first way our ancient ancestors understood there was more to this existence.” — Hodges to the Times 

The lawsuit claims that Oakland police officer John Romero used a fake name and invalid or forged driver’s license when he signed a membership agreement, which acknowledges the church is not a dispensary, and bought an eighth of cannabis, which the church says was to be consumed on-site and not to be used for personal or individual use. Romero is accused of searching the church, damaging safes, and seizing paperwork, inventory records, $200,000 worth of cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms, a computer, and more than $4,500 in cash, according to the complaint outlined by the Times. 

The lawsuit argues that Oakland’s land use code prohibits the church from operating legally and that those regulations ban the religious use of entheogenic plants, including cannabis. A 2019 Oakland law bars the city and the Police Department from using city funds to enforce laws criminalizing the use and possession of entheogenic plants, the report says.  

Hodges described the raid on the church as if the members “were some kind of crime family” and said officers proceeded with the action as if “they were taking down a meth house.”

“They came in guns blazing, which they didn’t need to do. They could’ve accomplished the same thing with two officers without their guns drawn,” he told the Times. “This was a classic smash-and-grab scenario where they took our sacrament, they took our money and they never filed any charges.” 

The church is asking the court for a permanent injunction against further law enforcement action, requiring the city to approve its land use application and exempt religious use of entheogenic plants as part of the application process.  

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DC Residents Aged 21+ Can Now Access Medical Cannabis ‘Immediately’ After Self-Certifying

8/18/2022

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Washington D.C. residents aged 21 and older can now access a temporary medical cannabis authorization card “immediately” after applying for medical cannabis access, according to a press release.

The temporary cards are good for 30 days while patient applications are being processed. Once granted, a temporary card will allow purchases at any of D.C.’s legal cannabis shops. When an application is approved, residents will receive both a digital and physical copy of their card, the report says.

The change, reported by the D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA), comes on the heels of a significant policy change in July that allows D.C. residents to self-certify themselves for medical cannabis, rather than needing to see a health care practitioner. There are four licensed dispensary locations in the District.

Due to federal oversight, changes to D.C. laws must be approved by the House of Representatives, and because of this, the District has struggled to implement its own adult-use cannabis market despite becoming one of the very first U.S. jurisdictions to pass legalization in 2014. As a result, a cannabis “gifting” economy has flourished in D.C. where customers can buy unrelated products that come with a “gift” of cannabis.

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British Columbia Workers Strike Impacting Cannabis Supply Chain

8/18/2022

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Workers in British Columbia, Canada went on strike this week, the Canadian Press reports. The British Columbia General Employees’ Union (BCGEU), which represents about 33,000 public-service workers across the province, set up picket lines at four BC Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB) wholesale and distribution centers on Monday.  

While retail cannabis and liquor stores are not part of the strike, which is over wages, the cannabis division of the Burnaby customer care center is part of the action and, in response, the BCLDB said its cannabis distribution center will not ship products, assemble orders, or process orders, and BC cannabis operators are bracing for disruption in supply. 

In a statement, the BCLDB said it “recognizes the current job action…may be concerning to wholesale and retail customers.” On its website, it apologized for any “impact” on businesses. 

“We do not know the extent of any future job action and therefore cannot speculate on the inventory levels held by wholesale customers nor customer demand and buying behaviors in this dynamic environment.” — BCLDB in a statement 

Omar Khan, the senior vice-president of corporate and public affairs for High Tide Inc., told the Press that the company is reallocating inventory from other stores in other provinces as they try to manage the situation but could still face “inventory issues.”  

“We urge the BCLDB and the BCGEU to resolve their dispute as soon as possible,” he told the Press, “as lack of inventory at licensed cannabis stores risks driving consumers back into the hands of the illicit market, which will endanger public health and drive much-needed revenue away from government coffers.” 

Last month, cannabis workers with the Syndicat Canadien de la Fonction Publique (SCFP), which is affiliated with the Fédération des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), the largest trade union in Quebec, announced an indefinite strike. Mediation negotiations in that row began last week. 

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Josh Wurzer: Leading a Multi-State Cannabis Testing Lab

8/17/2022

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The state-to-state patchwork of cannabis industry regulations typically makes any multi-state cannabis operation exceedingly complicated, and the same can be said for important auxiliary services such as lab testing.

We recently connected with Josh Wurzer, the co-founder and COOof SC Labs — a cannabis and hemp testing lab operating in California, Colorado, Michigan, and Oregon — to discuss expanding markets, lab protocols, and tips for finding a reputable lab testing partner.

This Q&A also covers the founding of SC Labs, the company’s future as it transitions to new leadership, and more!

Scroll down to read the full interview.

Ganjapreneur: What inspired you and co-founders Jeff Gray and Alec Dixon to found SC Labs?

Josh Wurzer: I was the lab director at Steep Hill lab, which was the first commercial cannabis testing lab in the world. At the time, Steep Hill was run by cannabis activists without any laboratory background. I really liked the idea behind Steep Hill but thought there was an opportunity to build a cannabis lab that looked more like the commercial laboratories I was familiar with, while staying firmly rooted in the cannabis movement. In 2010, I was introduced to my future partners Alec Dixon, Jeff Gray, and Ian Rice and pitched the idea to them. They were all also working in the cannabis industry in various capacities and they immediately saw the value in lab testing. Alec was working in hydroponics and Jeff was a cultivation consultant. Over the course of a couple beers we agreed we would found the lab.

Did the business plan always include scaling the cannabis lab into a nationwide operation?

We never wanted to be in every market and we still don’t. Early on there were only a couple viable markets that could support lab testing. As we became more and more successful and started to become the dominant lab in California, we naturally began looking to expand. Labs only work in mature markets and we were always careful not to chase every opportunity or shiny object so we didn’t get too far ahead of ourselves.

How does the company decide the next state or territory it will expand into?

Today there are several viable testing markets. We generally look for emerging markets in states with large populations. One of our differentiators is in offering a consistent service, across markets, to clients who are also in multiple markets. As such, we look for states with a healthy number of multi-state operators.

In a market filled with lab shopping for the desired results, why can consumers and businesses trust SC Labs?

We have only been testing under state regulations for a small portion of the time the lab has been in existence. Early on, it was a tough sell walking into a dispensary asking for money and cannabis products with the promise of returning a PDF with some numbers on it. All we had was our integrity in the scientific rigor that went into producing those numbers. At the time, the people who were interested in voluntary testing were not looking to cheat either. So, building a trusted brand was central to the conversation. As such, we worked really hard to make sure we were never perceived as inflating results or any other unscrupulous behavior. The whole lab shopping and THC-inflation phenomenon came about with the advent of regulations requiring everyone to test.

Today, we still see our integrity and reputation as our most valuable asset and we guard it above all else. The scientists and support staff that work for SC Labs all take great pride in what we do. We do great work and we are always striving to improve the accuracy and quality of our test methods.

I believe some of the labs and cannabis producers who are chasing inflated THC results or trying to sneak contaminated cannabis goods into the supply chain are really short sighted. Most of the lab operators and our cannabis customers who are looking to build companies and brands that will stand the test of time understand that accuracy and integrity are more important than a quick buck.

How often does lab protocol require equipment to be cleaned, maintained, and calibrated?

It is different for every piece of equipment. Some equipment needs daily maintenance or calibration and some can go much longer without either. However, all of our analytical test methods require us to run multiple quality control samples with every test batch. This allows us to continuously monitor the calibration and performance of our equipment. Each of these quality control samples has acceptance criteria. If an instrument returns results outside of that criteria, it triggers an investigation into the cause and the batch has to be retested until we have passing quality control samples.

Does each lab have the same operations, standards, and offerings despite varying state regulations?

In some states, all the labs run all of the required tests and in other states, where it is allowed, some labs may specialize in a particular test or tests and subcontract the rest of the testing out to another lab. Our labs also offer specialized hemp tests that are compliant in all 50 states as well as several tests that aren’t required anywhere but may help our customers grow better cannabis, or make better cannabis products. Several of these tests aren’t really offered anywhere else. So in that regard, we are different. However, most of the cannabis labs have similar equipment and perform the same tests similarly.

Can you share any red (or green!) flags for industry operators who are currently looking for a reputable testing lab?

I would definitely be leery of labs who are willing to guarantee any results on a test. It sounds obvious, but it is impossible for laboratories to promise that you will get a certain result and if they do, test at your own risk. Additionally, lab customers should always vet their lab thoroughly and, if they have the resources, request the opportunity to audit a potential lab’s quality control system. A reputable laboratory should welcome this request and make themselves readily available for an on site visit as well as be willing to open up their operating procedures, quality and training records, etc. for review. If a laboratory welcomes this activity it is a good sign that they are proud of the work they do and don’t mind having it inspected. If a lab dodges these requests or is less than forthcoming, I would take my business elsewhere. You pay for transparent data collection, if a laboratory isn’t willing to show you everything that goes into generating that data, how can you have trust? Additionally, if a laboratory makes a mistake, and we all do, they should have a transparent process for investigating the root cause of the error and be willing to share that information with you as well.

What is the company’s quality assurance process to ensure each lab upholds the SC Labs standards?

That has been a big part of the lift in bringing labs into the fold that had been previously operating. We have a well established set of processes that have been refined over the past 12 years and we want customers to have the same experience, as much as is possible, when they test across the network. We also strive to be the leader in accuracy, turnaround times and efficiency. As such, we do come in and establish our SC Labs systems as quickly as possible. However, we have also been able to incorporate some best practices from each of the labs we’ve acquired. So, it has been a two way street in that regard and the process has made us much stronger overall in our technical operations.

Why and how did the company restructure the leadership team?

The original SC Labs leadership team is still involved in the day-to-day business. However, we have been able to add some experts to our executive team to really help us accelerate growth and that includes our new CEO, Jeff Journey. For the past 12 years, Jeff Gray served as our CEO and he looked forward to passing the reigns to Jeff Journey, in order to take the business to the next level. Jeff Gray’s new title is Chief Innovation Officer and he’s focused innovating our services portfolio as well as expanding our laboratory network. I have retained my role, overseeing the technical laboratory operations as well as regulatory and quality operations across the network. My title has changed from President to Chief Operations Officer. We’ve also been able to bring in additional executive support for Sales, Marketing, IT, and Finance which has helped us do things we just didn’t have the bandwidth or skill sets to accomplish until now. Additionally, our Chairman of the Board, Jeff Vail is an amazing executive and has had a huge impact on this growth stage for our company. Because he served as our interim CEO, he understands our business but also brings a fresh outside perspective.

What were the key traits and/or experience that SC Labs was looking for in the CEO hiring process?

Strong leadership experience with a track record of integrity and experience with a growth organization. It was also important to find someone who had experience leading science-based organizations.

What new perspective, wisdom, and/or skills does Jeff Journey bring to the team? How does the Board see Journey adding to the SC Labs brand?

We spent a lot of time searching for the perfect CEO for SC Labs. Obviously, as founders, we were emotionally invested in who was going to lead the company we spent the last 12 years building. I think we really found the best person for the job in Jeff Journey. He has a life sciences background and understands what it takes to get to where we want to go. He is intelligent and engaged and really proving to be a quick study in regards to the cannabis testing industry.

How do you hope to see SC Labs grow in the coming year, and how will this growth serve the cannabis industry?

The plan is to continue building what has already become the largest cannabis laboratory network in the country. We will continue to expand into the larger markets so we can offer customers the same experience in all of the places they operate as much as possible. I think our longevity and reputation for accuracy and integrity will help drive the lab industry in the markets in which we participate. Hopefully we can push the new labs to ‘up their game’ and they can do the same for us. In the end, the more high quality, high accuracy labs that are operating will benefit the end consumer, who want accurately labeled and safe products.

Thanks, Josh, for answering our questions today! Our audience can visit SCLabs.com to get in touch and/or learn more.

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Cilicon Partners with Vape-Jet to Offer an Intelligent & Integrated Vaporizer Solution

8/17/2022

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Cilicon, a global provider of cannabis vapes hardware, and Vape-Jet, a U.S.-based infrastructure platform for cannabis oil-filling, announced today that they have entered into an official partnership to provide a smart, streamlined, and comprehensive product solution for cannabis brands around the world. The one-stop solution covers cannabis vaping technology development, hardware manufacturing, and filling machine designed to reduce the time and financial budget for industry practitioners focused on cannabis vaporization.

Cilicon has been dedicated to a comprehensive expansion of its cannabis vaporization product services offering to empower the cannabis community – both brands and consumers. Cilicon’s cannabis vape hardware business drives more than $200 million in sales annually across more than 150 global partners and 50 regions. With Cilicon, many more cannabis brands can lead the trend and evolution of cannabis vaporization with innovative vaping technology and product solutions. And, cannabis brands have more opportunities to expand their product lines, enhance their industry expertise and create more distinctive brand-signature products.

Having a mature, reliable, and intelligent product-supporting service is critical to the success of Cilicon’s one-stop product solution. By partnering with Vape-Jet, Cilicon now offers comprehensive product solutions, growing our network of providers and expanding our market analyses to inform hardware designs down the road. As a one-stop solution provider, Vape-Jet and Cilicon offer guaranteed hardware compatibility and standardized operating procedures, all under the unified mission to elevate your vape cartridge production. Vape-Jet’s professional equipment’s like Vape-Jet 4.0 Fully Automatic Cartridge Filling Machine, Jet Fueler 2.0 Semi-Automatic Cartridge Filling Machine, Squish-o-Matic 1000 Cartridge Capping Machine, will be combined with Cilicon’s technology and products to form more intelligent product services than ever. Cilicon’s brand partners can choose the appropriate service solutions according to their production conditions and manufacturing needs, optimizing the product mix, improving product quality, and shortening the time-to-market cycle.

“We aim to provide more integrated, hassle-free, smarter hardware from filling to vaping through our collaboration with Vape-Jet.” Chris Lin, Cilicon Chief Brand Officer, said, “This daily-changing industry requires us to work closer than ever to bring ‘real’ stuff to our cannabis vapor communities and cannabis companies. Working with Vape-Jet absolutely fits our values and culture, and we bond together to provide benefits to changing the industry pain points and unsolved problems. To make the whole journey from filling to final vaping easier and smarter.”

“Our crew has learned time and time again that we can work smarter by working together,” says Ryan Hoitt, Vape-Jet CEO, Developer and Founder. “By partnering with Cilicon we aim to prove that collaboration—rather than competition—will create better outcomes for our customers and provide smarter solutions for their production challenges. With our two companies equally dedicated to innovation and the power of technology, we look forward to working with Cilicon to lead this niche of the industry into the future.”

The Integrated Vape-Filling Solution by Cilicon and Vape-Jet is now available worldwide. For more information, please visit ciliconplus.com. To follow the latest Cilicon updates, please follow Cilicon’s official website.

About Cilicon
Cilicon was born with one dream: to improve everyday lives through vaporization technology with innovation, enthusiasm, and compassion. Innovation is in our blood. We are tired of inferior products driving out high-quality products and messing with the market. Therefore, Cilicon was founded without compromising quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. Cilicon derives a game-changing Cilicon Designed platform from generating diverse cannabis vaporizer options available for increasing customer brand competitiveness from the crowd. For Cilicon, your brand success is our priority. Your customer satisfaction matters!
For media inquiries: pr@ciliconplus.com

About Vape-Jet
At Vape-Jet data is at the forefront of everything we do. We focus on streamlining vape production by automating repetitive processes and eliminating inefficient procedures. Our rapid iteration process allows us to quickly apply the most advanced technological solutions to common industry challenges while continually evolving to meet the ever-changing demands of our customers. Vape-Jet filling machines are the most innovative, adaptive and accurate on the market, each one backed by our industry-leading proactive product support. Reach out to our crew to learn how you can start filling smarter.
For media inquiries: contact@vape-jet.com
For sales inquiries: sales@vape-jet.com

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Poll: Majority of Texans Support Cannabis Legalization

8/17/2022

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A new poll reveals a majority of Texans support legalizing cannabis for medical and adult use, according to a Marijuana Moment report. The survey conducted by the University of Texas at Tyler and the Dallas Morning News found that 72% of registered voters support medical cannabis legalization, including 67% of Republicans.

Fifty-five percent of respondents say they would support legalizing cannabis for adult use. Republicans are split 48% against and 43% for adult-use legalization, while 65% of Democrats support broader legalization along with 63% of Independents.

The poll was conducted August 1-7 and consisted of 1,384 registered voters, with a margin of error of 2 percentage points. Other polls conducted in Texas have found support for adult use as high as 67%, with a slim majority of Republicans in favor, the report says.

Texas has been unable to advance any meaningful cannabis reforms on a state level. However, some local jurisdictions, including the state capital in Austin, have passed decriminalization measures, and some smaller Texas towns have decriminalization measures on the upcoming November ballots.

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke has made the issue one of his top campaign pillars in his campaign for governor against incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. In January, Abbott said he did not believe low-level cannabis possession was the “type of violation” state officials “want to stockpile jails with.” As for O’Rourke, he said in his campaign announcement last year, that cannabis legalization was something “most of [Texans] actually agree on.”

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Arizona Sets New Adult-Use Cannabis Sales Records While Medical Sales Fall

8/17/2022

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Medical cannabis sales in Arizona fell to their lowest total since January 2021 in May – slightly less than $45 million – only the second time in the past year they dropped below the $50 million mark, the Arizona Mirror reports. Adult-use sales in May topped $76.5 million, the fifth time they had surpassed the $70 million mark since the rollout of the industry at the beginning of last year.

The Arizona Department of Revenue also revised April’s adult-use sales figures to $81.2 million – up from the $75.5 million initially reported by officials that month – making it the best month for adult-use sales in the state yet.

Preliminary adult-use figures for June indicate $66.4 million in sales, which would represent they are on pace for another record, while preliminary medical cannabis sales figures are $33.7 million as they continue their seven-month downward trend.

The number of active medical cannabis cardholders in the state fell from 191,682 in June to 158,154 in July.

Total tax revenues for medical and adult-use sales in May were reported at $24.3 million, including $13.4 million from the 16% excise tax on adult-use sales, the report says. Year-to-date, the state has brought in $177.3 million from the excise tax on adult-use cannabis products.

Under the state’s legalization law, one-third of the cannabis taxes collected are earmarked for community college and provisional community college districts; 31% for public safety; 25% to the Arizona Highway User Revenue Fund, and 10% to the justice reinvestment fund, which is akin to a social equity program, used for public health services, counseling, job training, and other services for communities that have been most adversely impacted by the war on drugs.

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New York Approves First 15 Cannabis Processor Licenses

8/17/2022

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New York cannabis regulators on Monday approved the first 15 conditional processor licenses for companies to design, manufacture, and package cannabis products.

Like the first round of cultivation licenses, the conditional licenses were given to companies that already hold hemp processing licenses. The processor-licensees also must participate in a mentorship program designed to provide pathways to the industry and entrepreneurship opportunities for social equity applicants and participate in an environmental sustainability program.

State regulators also approved interim regulations for cannabis processors after proposing the regulations for product packaging, labeling, marketing, advertising, and laboratory testing in June.

In a statement, Tremaine Wright, chair of the Cannabis Control Board said the regulation and license approvals bring the state “one step closer” to launching adult-use sales.

“Processors aren’t just an important part of the cannabis supply chain, they are creators, who take a raw plant and transform into tested, consistent, high-quality products that consumers can trust. When we open New York’s first stores, owned and operated by New Yorkers harmed by the misguided criminalization of cannabis, the shelves will be lined with infused edibles, topical creams and concentrated oils. None of those products would be possible without these first processors launching New York’s cannabis industry.” — Wright in a press release

The agency Monday also approved the opening of the application window for cannabis testing labs. Applicants need to prove documentation of ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, proficiency testing for certain analytes, meet specific personnel requirements, and pay a non-refundable $1,000 application fee. 

Additionally, the state approved another 19 conditional cultivator licenses, bringing the total to 242. 

Jason Ambrosino, the founder of the Veterans Hemp Market, a New York-based group currently providing hemp flower products for military veterans, said in an email the group was “very excited and anxious to get to work.”

“NYS is one step closer to having a functional recreational cannabis industry, now all we need is a place to sell it,” he wrote.

 

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