In 2021, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) made 22,779 cannabis seizures totaling 36,371 pounds of cannabis, the agency said in a press release on Monday. The agency also reminded travelers that bringing – or taking – cannabis across its border remains prohibited, warning that CBD products could also violate agency policies.
“Avoid seizures, fines or arrest: Don’t bring it into Canada. Don’t take it out of Canada.” – CBSA, “CBSA reminds Canadians of cannabis border laws,” May 9, 2022
The agency reiterated that consumers should make sure they are buying cannabis through government-approved retailers when buying online “to avoid potential delays, an enforcement action, and even criminal prosecution.”
The CBSA is also responsible for screening all goods that enter and exit Canada, including those by mail, and those packages may be subject to more in-depth examination. Under the nation’s cannabis laws, it is illegal to import or export cannabis to or from Canada.
“Personal, mail, courier, and commercial shipments are subject to the Customs Act,” the agency said in a press release, “and may be examined for prohibited goods, including cannabis and cannabis products.”
Individuals who do not declare their cannabis when entering Canada could face enforcement action by the CBSA, including seizure, arrest, and fines which would be applied “based on the type, severity, and frequency of the contravention,” the agency said.
Canada legalized cannabis for adult use in 2018 and shares a border with several U.S. states that have passed the reforms, including Alaska, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New York, Vermont, and Washington.
A federal judge in Maine has denied the request of a defendant to use medical cannabis while out on bail, the Sun Journal reports. The motion was requested by Lucas Sirois, who is accused of illegal cannabis cultivation and money laundering and is a state-approved medical cannabis patient.
In November 2021, Sirois pleaded not guilty to a 15-count federal indictment that accuses him of illegally cultivating cannabis under the guise of medical cannabis operations and regularly selling it outside of the state system. He is alleged to have sold more than $1 million worth of cannabis out-of-state between 2018 and 2019.
U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge John Nivison denied Sirois’ motion last Friday, ruling that Maine’s medical cannabis law “does not override the federal requirements for conditions of pretrial release – where federal law and state law provide contradictory directives, federal law controls,” the report says.
On Oct. 28, 2021, the U.S. District Court in Bangor ordered Sirois to follow certain conditions of release pending the outcome of the case, which “requires that defendant not use marijuana and ‘not violate federal, state, or local law,'” Nivison’s order states.
Sirois’ attorney, Timothy Parlatore, had requested release conditions be amended to allow Sirois to continue using his physician-recommended cannabis; allow him to not be sanctioned for such use as long as it complies with Maine law; or direct that pretrial services not file any violation petition based solely on a urine test indicating positive for THC, given legal hemp derivatives, the report says.
Nivison’s order requires Sirois to comply with all local, state, and federal laws while released on bail and explicitly excludes cannabis use “even with a prescription.”
The Pennsylvania Superior Court has rejected an argument that medical cannabis is not a Schedule I controlled substance, York Daily Record reports. The argument was made in a driving under the influence case and Judge Deborah A. Kunselman ruled that there is no difference between medical cannabis and the scheduled plant.
“There is no need for ‘medical marijuana’ to be listed as a Schedule I controlled substance because medical marijuana is marijuana, specifically marijuana ‘for certified medical use.’” – Kunselman, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Franklin Roosevelt Dabney Jr., May 5, 2022
The defendant, Franklin Roosevelt Dabney Jr., had sought the appeal of his DUI of a Schedule I controlled substance conviction on the grounds that he is a certified medical cannabis patient in the state and that the DUI law would be in “direct conflict” with the state Medical Marijuana Act.
Kunselman’s ruling notes that Dabney did not have his medical cannabis card with him at the time of the stop, “yet had a bag of marijuana, and the Trooper smelled burnt marijuana” which could be a violation of Pennsylvania medical cannabis law provisions.
“After careful consideration, we find that medical marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance for purposes of [driving under the influence laws],” the opinion states. “Contrary to Dabney’s argument, no conflict exists between the MMA and the Vehicle Code. The Vehicle Code and the CSA render it illegal to drive with any amount of a Schedule I controlled substance in one’s blood.”
The opinion is precedential, meaning it has a binding effect on future cases in Pennsylvania.
Cannabis Marketing Association is hosting the first in-person Summit with 32 educational sessions, an expo floor, an outdoor lounge, yard games, and an after party.
The Cannabis Marketing Summit, hosted at the McNichols Building in Civic Center Park, is the annual event for cannabis marketers and communications professionals. CMS will evaluate the current state of cannabis marketing and teach the practical tools, tactics, and data that produce effective strategies and campaigns for cannabis brands across the country.
“It’s incredibly difficult for cannabis businesses to navigate marketing. They often have small budgets, small teams, and have to maximize their return on investment in an advertising environment that isn’t very friendly to the cannabis industry,” said Lisa Buffo, Founder & CEO of Cannabis Marketing Association, “The content at the Cannabis Marketing Summit is designed to help cannabis marketers that are serious about propelling their businesses to the forefront of the global industry.”
Previous years’ virtual events attracted attendees from across North America and abroad representing prominent brands, retailers, and marketing agencies from all major markets.
The 2022 Summit spans two and a half days with over 30 content sessions, solo presentations, an exhibition hall, networking events, and an after party.
Executives from Curaleaf, Wana Brands, Ascend Wellness Holdings, PharmaCann, The Clear, Schwazze, Flowhub, Glasshouse Group, Cookies, MJBiz and the Colorado Cannabis Business Office are a few of the speakers.
Sessions include:
Compliance in Cannabis Marketing: Defining the Gray Areas and Navigating Big Tech
Alcohol, CPG, & Cannabis Marketing: Differences, Similarities, and What We Can Learn from Established Industries
Email Marketing for Cannabis Businesses: How to Effectively Use Your Most Powerful Owned Channel
Budtenders and Brand Ambassadors: Managing Consistent Messaging and Creating Allies at the Point of Sale
The Power of Product Data for Dispensaries: Driving E-Commerce Traffic and Revenue
Reserve your space and learn, play, and network with the cannabis industry’s top communications professionals in the heart of Colorado’s cultural cannabis hub this June 7 – 9! Registration is now open for ticket purchases. Brands and retailers who have a ticket to the Summit can register for free pop-up space at the Welcome Reception on Tuesday, June 7.
There are a limited number of sponsorship and expo hall opportunities available. Please contact info@marketingcannabis.org to secure your brand activation at the Cannabis Marketing Summit.
About Cannabis Marketing Association
Cannabis Marketing Association is a membership organization focused on education and best practices for industry marketers. CMA’s mission is to bring a positive perception to, and authentic understanding of, cannabis and its consumers around the world. CMA does this by supporting the professional growth of cannabis communications professionals by providing industry education, cultivating community, and establishing best practices. For more information about Cannabis Marketing Association or Cannabis Marketing Summit, please visit www.TheCannabisMarketingAssociation.com.
Contact
Emily Wells
Cannabis Marketing Association
info@marketingcannabis.org
German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced he would begin the legal process to set up an adult-use cannabis market, Forbes reports. Speaking to the German newspaper Handelsblatt, the minister explained he has changed his mind on the topic of legal cannabis and that he believes the risks of continuing prohibition outweigh the risks of legalization.
“I’ve always been opposed to cannabis legalization, but I revised my position about a year ago.” – Karl Lauterbach to Handelsblatt, via Forbes
“A question that people keep asking me: ‘When will Bubatz be legal?” he wrote in an April 6 tweet, “I would say: soon.”
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann indicated he would begin technical preparations for the policy change in partnership with the Ministry of Health and other departments. The technical talks will bring together representatives from the Health Ministry; federal, state, and local governments; associations; the science community; and other social players. Lauterbach says the talks will begin this summer and will lead to a bill toward the end of 2022, the report says.
The governing coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), Green Party, and Free Democrats (FDP) announced in November 2021 that they were working on an adult-use cannabis legalization plan. Both the Green Party and the pro-business FDP have called for legalization in the past, while simultaneously asking for sufficient guardrails to protect children.
A survey by Germany’s Hemp Association found that adult-use cannabis would bring in 4.7 billion Euros — $3.4 billion — in tax revenue each year. If Germany does enact legalization, it would join Luxemburg and Malta in Europe which have recently liberalized their cannabis laws.
The Vermont House last week approved several bills aimed at setting up the state’s adult-use market, including a bill to impose a 60% THC cap on concentrates, VT Digger reports. The amendment, tacked on by state Rep. John Gannon (D), led to frustration from some lawmakers and followed a Department of Health decision to eliminate – and then reimpose – their proposed 60% THC cap.
James Pepper, chair of the Cannabis Control Board, said a 60% THC cap on concentrates would give “the illicit market a monopoly on supplying the demand for these products.”
“There is a very broad consensus among regulators that caps are a bad idea. A black market will fill this gap. They’ll do so using very dangerous products.” – Pepper to VT Digger
State Sen. Dick Sears (D) pointed out that nearby Massachusetts doesn’t have a THC cap and that he would like to see an investigation by the Cannabis Control Board on the impact of the cap on unregulated and out-of-state sales, were it to be included in the law.
The state Department of Health initially sought THC caps but last month David Englander, the agency’s senior policy and legal advisor, wrote a message to Chair of the House Committee on Human Services Rep. Ann Pugh (D) backing eliminating the cap, saying producers would have to use diluting additives to remain under the threshold; however, a day later, Englander sent another message to Pugh, saying the department instead backed the cap.
“The risk to users of high levels of THC are significant and we should not risk contributing to the known risks to consumers’ physical and mental health,” Englander said in his second email. “My communication of yesterday to you was based on incomplete information. All errors are mine and please accept my apologies to you and the committee.”
The Health Department has not commented on the reversal.
The Vermont Senate has moved to a conference committee to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bills. Adult-use cannabis sales are expected to commence in October.
A California armored car company that transports cash for cannabis businesses has settled its lawsuit against the San Bernardino County sheriff which claimed the department illegally seized more than $1 million in cash, according to an Associated Press and KDKA report. Under the terms of the settlement, Empyreal Logistics will be able to resume its services but there is no financial compensation for the company.
The sheriffs had stopped two of the company’s transports last November and December but in a statement following the settlement, the department said Empyreal had acted in good faith.
“Both sides also acknowledge that Empyreal is part of the solution to help with financial transparency and that San Bernardino Deputies are not highway robbers as previously reported in the media.” – San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department in a statement.
The company has had the seized cash returned in a previous agreement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration which participated in the law enforcement actions. The sheriff’s department would have been able to keep 80% of the seized cash, while the federal agencies would have kept the rest.
Empyreal CEO Deirdra O’Gorman said, following the settlement, she is “confident” the California-based company “can continue serving state-legal businesses without future disruptions.”
San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus had previously backed the deputies as “professional” and was “confident” the agency would “prevail” in the case.
The Oklahoma Senate last week approved a bill to make the state Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) a freestanding state agency, moving it out of the state Health Department, The Oklahoman reports. The measure still needs to be signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) before becoming law.
Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat (R), one of the bill’s co-authors, said in January that the move was needed as OMMA was “shielded from proper oversight on its budget” under the purview of the Department of Health. If Stitt signs the bill, the executive director of the OMMA will be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate.
Treat said while under the Health Department, the OMMA has “been inhibited in its ability to truly become an enforcer of the rules and regulations that I think Oklahomans expect it to be.”
The bill’s passage is the latest move aimed at reigning in the state’s cannabis industry as claims mount that illegal cultivation is occurring under the guise of medical cannabis operations. In March, regulators announced that seed-to-sale technology would be implemented in the state within 90 days following the settlement of a lawsuit that claimed to require the tech was a violation of antitrust laws. Lawmakers are also considering a bill to pause all cannabis cultivation licensing in the state while it shores up compliance issues.
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics reported that from April 2021 through Feb. 9, 2022, it disbanded 85 farms that were operating without state approval
Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul plans to give away up to one million free cannabis plants when personal cultivation and use of the plant is legalized in June, Nation Thailand reports. Anutin said, in a Facebook post, that citizens will be allowed to cultivate “as many cannabis plants” as they like in their own homes once the reforms take effect.
“This will enable people and the government to generate more than 10 billion baht [per year] in revenue from marijuana and hemp. … Meanwhile, people can showcase their cannabis and hemp-related products and wisdom and sell their products nationwide.” – Anutin via Nation Thailand
The cannabis grown must be of medical grade and only for medical purposes but no registration is required. It is currently legal for registered companies to sell cannabis products that contain less than 0.2% THC.
Under the nation’s regulations, small sellers of cannabis-related products do not need to register with the Food and Drug Administration but large-scale operators must seek government approval.
Anutin in February signed a document removing cannabis from the nation’s narcotics list after lawmakers legalized medical cannabis use in 2020 – the first Southeast Asian nation to enact the reforms. During the signing ceremony, Anutin said that cannabis “has plenty of medical benefits, not different from other herbs” and that officials are trying their best “to make the Thai people enjoy both medical and economic benefits from it.”
The city council must next codify the rules into law and once finalized, Austin police will be barred from issuing citations or making arrests for low-level cannabis possession – with limited exceptions – and will be required to announce their presence and wait at least 15 seconds before executing a search warrant.
The only exception for the cannabis policy is if the arrest or citation is part of an investigation into a high-priority narcotics case or a violent felony, the report says. Police will be allowed to seize cannabis under the policy.
Neither is a major change from the current police department policy. In 2020, the Austin City Council passed a resolution to end misdemeanor cannabis arrests and tickets, but the vote entrenches that resolution as law. City police officials said they execute just a handful of no-knock warrants every year, but the vote will prohibit the practice entirely.
The police union was neutral on the cannabis language but opposed the no-knock warrant reforms. Austin Police Association Chairman Ken Casaday told the Statesman said the passage of the initiative is “really a feel-good deal for the people that were behind” but that the group doesn’t “believe it really affects anything.”
“We don’t believe that will affect us. The city of Austin cannot tell the police chief how to run his department when it comes to safety, and we fully expect to continue to do search warrants even though we only do maybe two or three a year. I don’t think this will affect anything. As far as the marijuana goes, we’ve pretty much had a hands-off policy for the last two or three years.” – Casaday to the Statesman
Mike Siegel, political director for Ground Game Texas which backed the reforms, told Bloomberg that the overwhelming support shows “that progressives in Texas have an opportunity to win elections and increase voter engagement by leaning into progressive issues.” The group has indicated plans to petition in more cities across the Lonestar State to enact similar reforms.
The campaign to legalize cannabis for adult use in Missouri has submitted 385,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office to put the issue to voters in November, FOX 2 Now reports. The total, which still needs to be validated, far exceeds the 170,000 required to put the issue to voters.
In a press release, John Payne, the campaign manager for Legal Missouri, said the “widespread and enthusiastic show of support from the people of Missouri” exceeded the organization’s expectations.
“We look forward to the timely review and certification of our petition by the Secretary of State’s Office as we continue to educate and inform voters in the coming weeks and months.” – Payne in a statement via FOX 2 Now
The proposal, a constitutional amendment, would allow Missourians over the age of 21 to possess, consume, purchase, and cultivate cannabis. The measure would impose a 6% sales tax which would generate an estimated $40.8 million which would be used for expungement costs, veterans’ services, drug addiction treatment, and the public defender system, the report says. The amendment includes automatic expungement provisions, which the reports say is the first of its kind.
An adult-use legalization measure was introduced during this year’s legislative session and was approved by the House Rules and Legislative Oversight Committee on April 21 but has not been considered by the full chamber.
This article was written by Gaspard Le Dem (@GLD_Live on Twitter) and originally published by Outlaw Report.
The top three candidates for D.C. mayor duked it out on Wednesday evening during a debate on WAMU’s The Politics Hour moderated by local radio legend Kojo Nnamdi and news veteran Tom Sherwood.
Over the course of 90 minutes, incumbent Mayor Muriel Bowser, At-Large Councilmember Robert White and Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White argued their positions on a wide range of issues from D.C.’s ongoing housing crisis to the recent surge in traffic fatalities.
The topic of cannabis, however, was conspicuously absent from the debate despite lately being a major point of focus in District politics. Over the last year, the D.C. Council has spent hours debating what to do about unlicensed weed “gifting” shops and how to regulate recreational weed if Congress were to lift its local ban on adult-use sales.
Bowser, who has been waiting for the council to advance her bill to legalize retail weed and increase the allowed number of licensed medical dispensaries, only mentioned pot in passing on Wednesday, reiterating a call for Congress to lift the locally-reviled cannabis rider that prevents D.C. from regulating weed sales.
“The situation we’re in with marijuana is untenable,” said Bowser, who is seeking her third term in office. “It has been since we passed the initiative here and our Democratic friends and the Republicans need to remove these riders. They need to remove all riders but what’s happening with marijuana is significantly problematic.”
Bowser has made it clear she supports legalizing recreational weed sales, though her administration has been less tolerant of D.C.’s gray market for weed, allowing police to routinely raid weed unlicensed businesses, also known as “gifting” shops.
Her opponents in the mayoral race have shown more sympathy towards “gifting” shops. Both Trayon White and Robert White recently voted against a proposal by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson to crack down on weed gifters, noting the measure could unfairly affect Black residents, who make up a significant share of “gifting” shop owners and employees.
“We don’t want to shut folks down,” Robert White said ahead of a vote on Mendelson’s bill last month.
While weed didn’t make it into Wednesday’s debate, another important question on drug policy did: How would the candidates address D.C.’s worsening opioid epidemic? Nnamdi asked the candidates whether they’d be open to decriminalizing small amounts of drugs “in the hopes that more people may seek treatment.”
Fatal overdoses, largely driven by a surge in fentanyl use, have been on the rise in the District. Last month, 10 people died after overdosing on a lethal batch of fentanyl, marking the District’s second mass casualty incident involving opioids this year. Local advocates for safe drug-use argue creating “safe-injection” sites and providing people battling addiction with a clean, regulated supply of drugs could help reduce deadly overdoses.
But all three candidates danced around the question, avoiding a direct response on whether they’d consider decriminalizing harder drugs.
Bowser deflected responsibility for the opioid crisis, blaming the coronavirus pandemic for soaring overdose rates, a theory that is supported by public health experts.
“Part of our dealing with fentanyl overdoses and all types of substance abuse is getting back to normal,” Bowser said. “Getting people back in treatment and in person.”
She noted that while virtual health counseling has been a somewhat effective treatment during the pandemic, “it hasn’t worked as well in the substance abuse area.” Bowser wouldn’t say whether she’d decriminalize the limited possession of drugs like fentanyl, dodging the question by saying she supports legalizing cannabis, which has been legal to use and possess in the District since 2015.
Trayon White said D.C. should declare a state of emergency in response to the opioid crisis and invest in more treatment facilities for substance abuse. He noted his experience doing community outreach on drug abuse for the office of D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine.
“We haven’t put our money where our mouth is and as a result we’re losing hundreds and hundreds of residents every day to this opioid crisis,” he said.
Robert White agreed the District hasn’t done enough to address the opioid crisis. “We need to take the opioid crisis seriously and much more seriously than we have been taking it,” he said. “We’re now behind the eight ball,” he added.
He proposed to expand the use of Narcan, a life-saving medication that can reverse drug overdoses, and to consider the creation of safe-injection sites “so that we are keeping people alive and giving them a central place to reach recovery opportunities.”
Aurora, IL – May 4th, 2022: Spectrum Technologies, Inc., expands their broad product offering with the release of the WatchDog® Wireless Plant Growth Station. Through the single portable station, growers can now receive real-time, crop-specific environmental data on their smartphone including temperature, relative humidity, and PAR Light from any source.
The WatchDog® 3230 Wireless Plant Growth Station measures, records, and communicates the important crop growing conditions in a greenhouse. The portable station has an integrated solar power system and boasts powerful Wi-Fi or cellular radios making communication simple. Growers can also view the current environmental conditions (including DLI (Daily Light Integral)) from the convenience of a smart phone with the help of the FREE WatchDog® Mobile App.
The WatchDog® 3230 Wireless Plant Growth Station comes with additional sensor ports to optionally measure soil moisture, EC, and temperature, or additional PAR light sensors to measure conditions at different crop heights.
“With this new wireless station, growers have a portable environmental station to move from crop to crop or to a different greenhouse to track the key
growing conditions. Growing high-quality crops consistently and profitably is the goal,” says Mike Thurow, President & CEO.
Spectrum Technologies Spectrum Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Aurora, Illinois. The company manufactures and distributes
affordable, leading-edge, plant-measurement technology to agricultural, horticultural, environmental, and turf markets throughout the world,
serving more than 14,000 customers in over 80 countries. Spectrum Technologies’ brands include WatchDog®, FieldScout®, WaterScout®,
DataScout®, LightScout®, TruFirm®and SpecConnect™. Spectrum has won 25 AE50 Awards from the American Society of Agricultural and
Biological Engineers, which demonstrates the company’s commitment to innovation and quality. For more information, call 815-436-4440 or
visit www.specmeters.com.
A study by University of New Mexico (UNM) researchers found in a first-of-its-kind, large-scale study that cannabis use results in the immediate improvement of feelings of fatigue in the majority of consumers.
Fatigue is a core feature of many types of illnesses, and several studies have shown that people with chronic pain, cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, and multiple sclerosis report increased energy levels after consuming medical cannabis, the researchers said in a press release. The study found cannabis consumers were likely to experience a 3.5-point improvement of feelings of fatigue on a 0-10 scale after combusting cannabis flower and that 91% of study participants, using the Releaf App, reported fatigue symptom improvement. The study included 1,224 people who recorded 3,922 cannabis flower self-administration sessions between June 6, 2016, and Aug. 7, 2019.
Study co-author and Associate Professor Jacob Miguel Vigil, from the UNM Department of Psychology Department, said the research results run contrary to “conventional beliefs that frequent cannabis use may result in decreased behavioral activity, goal-pursuit, and competitiveness, or what academics have called ‘amotivational syndrome.’”
“…People tend to actually experience an immediate boost in their energy levels immediately after consuming cannabis.” – Vigil in a statement
Virgil added that the researchers observed that THC and CBD “were largely uncorrelated with changes in feelings of fatigue” which suggests “other minor cannabinoids and phytochemicals such as terpenes may be more influential on the effects of using cannabis than previously believed.”
Sarah Stith, a study co-author and associate professor in the UNM Economics Department, called the finding “one of the most surprising outcomes.”
The study “The Effects of Consuming Cannabis Flower for Treatment of Fatigue” was published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids and was supported.
New Mexico‘s adult-use cannabis legalization policy took effect last month.
New York regulators on Thursday approved another 36 conditional adult-use cannabis cultivation licenses, bringing the total to 88, Syracuse.com reports. Chris Alexander, executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, said during the meeting that the agency has received about additional 200 applications, and will submit more for final approval.
“There are stringent background, compliance checks going on currently. I think that we have another 100 or so that could be coming along the pipeline quickly.” – Alexander to Syracuse.com
Conditional license holders can begin cultivating cannabis outdoors or in a greenhouse with up to 20 lights and will have to apply for final licenses by June 1 – the temporary licenses will expire June 30, 2024.
The license approvals come less than a week after Cannabis Control Board Chair Tremaine Wright, the state’s top regulator, indicatedadult-use products could be available from conditional licenses in the fall. Alexander has said that while sales would begin by the cohort in the fall, sales from general licensed businesses likely wouldn’t begin until the end of this year or early next year.
The conditional licenses are for farmers and businesses currently licensed to grow hemp. The bill creating the licenses was signed into law by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in February.
South Carolina lawmakers on Thursday failed to pass this year’s medical cannabis bill despite making it further in the process than ever before, according to a WLTX report. Known as the Compassionate Care Act (CCA), the measure was declared “unconstitutional” when Republican Rep. John McCravy made a motion claiming the CCA should have originated in the House rather than the Senate because it imposed a tax.
House Speaker Pro Tem Tommy Pope (R) agreed, thereby killing the bill.
Democratic state Rep. Todd Rutherford appealed the decision, calling the action “an abomination of House rules and certainly an abomination of the General Assembly and the balance of power that we have.” His appeal failed on a 59-55 vote.
McCravy countered with the threat of three pages of amendments to the CCA, which he characterized as having “many defects.”
Rutherford noted, though, that the measure “has progressed because people are demanding change.”
“Seventy percent of people in South Carolina that are polled say they want the freedom to choose medical marijuana or not.” – Rutherford via WLTX
The CCA passed the Senate early in the legislative session this year but was blocked from debate in the House by opponents. If the bill is ultimately dead for the year, it will need to be passed again by both chambers next year.
The CCA seeks to set up one of the most restrictive medical cannabis systems in the country, allowing only consumption methods like oil, salves, patches, or vaporizers.
Weedmaps on Thursday completed its acquisition of cannabis-focused digital menu and ad company Enlighten. The deal brings Weedmaps two of Enlighten’s key features: its subscription software SmartHub, and AdSuite, an in-store digital ad inventory for brands to reach consumers at the point of purchase, the company said in a press release.
During an earnings call on Wednesday, Chris Beals, CEO of Weedmaps, said the acquisition positions the firm “to be a tremendous partner to retailers and point-of-sale providers,” allowing it to “ingest and cleanse” point-of-sale data, “enrich it” from their brand information catalogs and “have that power engaging and transactable experiences for consumers across the Weedmaps marketplace, web e-commerce, and in-store kiosks.”
Enlighten Co-Founder Jeremy Jacobs, who was named vice president of in-store solutions at Weedmaps following the acquisition, said the company decided to “roll into” Weedmaps because of the “incredible synergies” and that Weedmaps was “incredibly well-positioned to sustain its leading position among canntech companies in the years to come.”
“We both had strong experience in digital signage and the tools to quickly scale an operation, so the opportunity seemed obvious and compelling. In hindsight, the industry evolved much more rapidly than we ever would have predicted, and our company evolved along with it, but those core value propositions carried through.” – Jacobs in a statement
Following the deal, Weedmaps will now be able to offer marketing options in dispensaries, at the point of purchase, the company said, along with “omni-channel marketing throughout the buying journey regardless of if the customer is shopping from their computer or at a physical storefront.”
California could potentially double its cannabis tax revenue by eliminating the state’s cannabis cultivation tax, according to a new report by the Reason Foundation.
Currently, cannabis companies in California face some of the steepest tax rates in the country. The 36-page report, titled “The Impact of California Cannabis Taxes on Participation within the Legal Market,” found that by removing some of that tax burden, licensed operators would be able to price their products more competitively with the unregulated marketplace, thus drawing in more customers and ultimately, more tax revenue for the state.
“High cannabis taxes are the biggest reason California’s legal cannabis market is struggling,” said Geoffrey Lawrence, author of the study and the director of drug policy at Reason Foundation.
“State leaders could double current monthly cannabis tax revenues by 2024 by eliminating the cultivation tax. Without the cultivation tax, our data show that lower cannabis prices would increase sales of legal products, which would increase the state government’s general sales tax revenue and more than replace losses from the eliminated cultivation tax.” — Lawrence, in a press release
The study was conducted by investigating and measuring the state’s existing tax structure, examining the key factors that influence a consumer’s decision about whether to participate in the legal market (mainly price and availability), calculating a price sensitivity point by comparing California to nearby legal markets like Oregon and Colorado, and modeling the expected behavior of consumers were California’s cannabis prices to drop.
Researchers also found that illicit sales are proliferated by local ordinances banning cannabis operations across huge sections of the state, and that reducing retail excise taxes would go even further in helping the state’s licensed cannabis companies compete with the unregulated marketplace.
Adult-use cannabis sales in New Mexico reached $22.1 million in April – the first month of sales – according to Cannabis Control Division (CCD) data outlined by KRQE. Albuquerque led the state with just over $8 million, followed by Las Cruces with $2.06 million, and Santa Fe with $1.8 million.
Communities near the Texas border – Hobbs and Sunland Park – also sold more than $1 million worth of cannabis during the first month.
The CCD projects adult-use cannabis sales will reach $300 million per year, which means retailers would have to sell $25 million worth of adult-use cannabis per month – and while they did not meet the goal during the first month, more retailers are expected to come online as their applications are processed, the report says.
Cannabis sales during New Mexico’s opening weekend surpassed $4.5 million with nearly 70% of sales derived from adult-use sales.
In mid-April, the state issued its first license for on-site consumption. Under the state’s adult-use law public use is prohibited and can lead to a $50 fine.
Currently, there are 35 legacy operators in the state, but state cannabis regulators have issued more than 230 new industry business licenses so far. Under the law, local governments cannot outright ban cannabis businesses but can limit where they can be located and their hours of operation.
CCD officials expect the industry to create 11,000 jobs in the state and bring in $50 million in state revenues during the first year.
Advocates in South Dakota have, for the second time in as many election cycles, turned in signatures to the Secretary of State’s office to force a vote on cannabis legalization, the Argus Leader reports. The signatures still need to be certified by the Secretary of State but the campaign, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, indicated an in-house screening process showed they had enough valid signatures to put the issue to voters in November.
In 2020, South Dakota voters legalized both adult-use and medical cannabis but a judge ultimately ruled the amendment invalid finding the reforms violated a 2018 law prohibiting constitutional amendment initiatives from dealing with multiple issues. The medical cannabis reforms, however, were enacted by the state.
Campaign Director Matt Schweich told the Leader that the group is “confident” their question would make the ballot but that organizers “have to respect the process and let the Secretary of State do its job.”
Instead of a constitutional amendment, advocates opted for an initiated measure that reduces the number of signatures from registered voters to qualify for the ballot. The initiative seeks to legalize cannabis for personal use, including possession and cultivation.
“This will withstand any potential lawsuits so we can avoid what happened after 2020,” Schweich told the Leader. “We don’t want to give politicians any kind of opening to thwart the will of the people.”
Schweich said the group collected 19,250 valid signatures while the initiated measure requires about 17,000.
The Colorado Summit, a new expansion team in the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL), has announced the team is officially sponsored by Star Buds, a Colorado-based cannabis dispensary chain. Under the partnership, the Star Buds logo will be displayed on Colorado Summit jerseys; it will be the first time a cannabis company appears as a featured sponsor on a professional sports team’s jerseys, the company announced in a press release.
The uniforms have similar colors to the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche and those of the Major League Soccer team Colorado Rapids. The Summit jerseys will display the Star Buds logo (without the cannabis leaf) prominently across the players’ chests.
The partnership was unveiled on May 4 at a media event with Randy Gradishar in attendance, a member of the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame and the team’s all-time tackle leader who was representing Long Dealerships, along with other Summit sponsors including Sun Run Solar and Ultimate Lending Team, which are also investing in the team. The UADL kicks off its season this weekend in Seattle.
Owned and operated by Schwazze, Star Buds has 19 locations across Colorado.
According to the league’s website, there are 25 AUDL teams. The organization’s mission is to “increase the visibility” of Ultimate frisbee “by creating fun, family-friendly events that showcase the sport being played at its highest level.”
Editor’s note: This article was updated for clarity.
Connecticut Innovations, the state’s quasi-public venture capital arm, has invested $1.25 million in 1906, a Colorado adult-use cannabis company that is moving to the Constitution State, the Hartford Business Journal reports. The investment is reportedly the first investment made by a state entity into a cannabis business.
1906 CEO Peter Barsoom called the investment, which closed in February, “a major milestone for the cannabis industry.”
“…Institutional investors don’t need to wait on the sidelines for changes to federal laws before they participate in the cannabis market.” – Barsoom to the Journal
1906 produces pills comprised of plant-based medicines and low doses of THC and CBD. The company currently has six different variations of the product at dispensaries in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma, the report says.
Connecticut lawmakers approved cannabis reforms last June but sales have not yet commenced. Commissioner for the Department of Consumer Protection Michelle Seagull said in September that while officials had expected adult-use sales to start by the end of this year, the timeline may be delayed.
Officials from Connecticut Innovations said they decided to invest in 1906 because of the company’s leadership in the cannabis space, its strong revenue growth, and support of social justice initiatives. The firm also saw investments from Arcview and Merida in the funding round, the report says. 1906 also plans to use the funds to scale up its employee count and presence in the state.
Connecticut Innovations Vice President of Marketing Lauren Carmody said the “investment will help accelerate the company’s ambitious plans for growth and establish 1906 as the first of many cannabis industry leaders based here in Connecticut.”
If the majority of cannabis sold in the U.S. were grown under the sun, it would unlock a sustainable future for the cannabis industry. But that future is hard to imagine considering the current industry landscape. A 2020 study showed that more than 1% of U.S. electricity consumption is used to grow indoor cannabis — and that number is expected to rise as more states come online with adult-use programs. As the climate crisis grows more imminent, the industry must take accountability for the resources used and waste made by the commercial cannabis industry.
For six years, Eagle Trees Farm has dedicated itself to using sustainable and regenerative cannabis farming methods in Washington state. The company is also registered to grow hemp with the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Siblings Jessica Straight and Kenny Ingebrigtson run the family-owned and operated farm, which is nestled against the Nooksack river in North Western Washington. The pair decided to go into business together when Washington state issued its first round of cannabis licenses. These remain the only licenses issued since the medical program transitioned to adult use in 2014.
“We could have a sustainable cannabis industry, but I’m not sure we could do it with indoor grows because they’re not sustainable at all. I think it’s possible if we all grew with the sun,” said Straight.
While scaling up their garden during that first year of operation, they noted how much had to be brought onto the farm to keep things running. In response, they started closing loops, meaning that the farm began producing everything that it needs in various channels of its operation. Each year, the team closed one or two more loops, which Ingebrigtson says is easier once you add some animals to the farm. Eagle Trees is currently home to five cows, seven beehives, four dogs, two cats, seasonal meat birds, two humans, and local wildlife. Last season, a few Northern Saw-Whet owls took refuge in their canopy, helping the farm combat voles who love to munch cannabis stalks. The owls were so comfortable on the farm that they stayed until the plants were harvested. In addition to making efforts to close loops, Eagle Trees only packages flower and pre-roll products in glass to avoid adding more of the industry’s infamous plastic byproducts. According to Ingebrigtson, everything starts with making compost.
Ingebrigtson said, “Compost is the building block for the whole entire farm. We use it for potting soil, we use it for top dressing, we mix it into the soil. We use it for everything.” The compost is one great example of how animals contribute to the farm every day, it’s made from animal bedding (hay), manure, woodchips, cannabis chips (made from stems, stalks, and roots), cannabis leaves, and spent mushroom blocks from Cascadia Farms, their local edible mushroom cultivator. Ingebrigtson consulted with Cascadia and closed their loop in turn, creating a closed community loop that the farm is very proud of. Their efforts were rewarded in 2021 when the company’s Royal ACDC won a 2021 WSIA Sun Cup Award for best CBD flower.
Photo credit Brandon Sawaya
At the time of licensing, Ingebrigtson was interested in natural farming methods but didn’t have a lot of hands-on experience. He was happy to find the DEM Pure community to learn from and collaborate with: “I became friends with other farmers and started seeing what other people were doing in the cannabis scene. We started looking at Korean Natural Farming (KNF), we got super into that, making lactic acid cultures, fermented plant juice, and indigenous microorganisms, culturing them in the forest, and bringing them into our compost and our soil. That’s just crowd-sourced info.”
There was of course a learning curve to running a sustainable farm — for example, their first year making soil didn’t go very well. But year after year, the soil became more and more viable and their focus could move to other farming aspects. Ingebrigtson chooses to use methods from many different natural farming modalities, which he calls “mixed natural farming.” Every farm is different and every soil is different, so being flexible and experimenting with different methods lets Eagle Trees cater to their farm’s environment. They don’t just apply methods to the land, they take notes from the land and provide what it needs.
Occasionally, they send soil samples to the lab which gives a readout of what compounds are in the soil. After getting these results, they can alter the inputs given to the plants and soil to improve bioavailability. These tests produce better soil which creates better bud and a richer environment for future harvests, and Eagle Trees takes on the cost. They also pay for state-required testing, which is one of the many regulations that hinder growth for small family farms alongside often changing traceability software management and superfluous internal camera monitoring requirements as required by the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), a state agency that previously managed only liquor sales in the state.
The LCB had no experience with regulating agriculture before it was appointed to oversee the cannabis industry and as such, the regulations do very little to serve farmers. Many family-owned farms and small businesses struggle because of heavy regulation, high taxation, and a robust legacy market.
Straight and Ingebrigtson are confident that if the state deregulated in areas that don’t serve farmers, it would take a lot of pressure off of small business owners. Currently, many of the regulations are set to stop growers from “backdooring,” a term for filtering cannabis grown in regulated operations into the legacy market. These regulations make cultivators who are struggling to make it work in the regulated market feel like criminals — the regulations also haven’t protected outdoor farms like Eagle Trees from robbery. Theft during harvest season can take a cultivator out of a market like I-502 in Washington, where almost 50% of the sale price goes to taxes.
“When you buy any Washington state cannabis product at retail, about 50% of the total cost goes directly to the state and about 30% goes to the grower. That means the state is making much more on our products than we bring in,” said Straight. “It’s a very difficult business on the scale that we’re running on and we’re doing it for the love. There’s no other way to say it. Indoor growers can have up to 5 harvests a year. We get one harvest, maybe two in our light dep greenhouses. I wish that the state would do more to level the playing field between the two methods by allowing sun-grown sustainable farms with a larger growing area to account for the difference in harvests. They should want to incentivize sustainable growing methods.”
Photo credit Brenda Phillips
The high taxation hits the customer, who can get much better prices from their neighborhood dealer, so the shops must drop their prices to accommodate and bring in more customers. This drop in price then hits the growers, who are forced to find a way to grow amazing cannabis at a price point that isn’t sustainable. While this is a huge issue, farms like Eagle Trees understand the uphill battle of lowering taxes and instead focus on ways to improve. When I spoke with Eagle Trees, WA HB 1260 was still on the floor, which would have made direct-to-consumer sales legal. Both co-founders were excited at the prospect of opening up a new channel of sales while also welcoming customers to their serene riverfront farm up the historic Mount Baker Highway. The bill would also have allowed sun growers to upgrade to a 30,000-square-foot canopy, which would mean more room for profits despite expected crop issues from pests or weather. Unfortunately, the bill died when the 2022 legislative session ended. Hopefully, it will be reintroduced next session.
“Direct sales for farmers would change the game. Right now it doesn’t feel sustainable as a small farmer and business owner with all the taxes, all the restrictions, all the LCB oversight and overreach,” said Ingebrigtson.
Straight added, “Direct sales are the only way to make a decent living with a small farm — any farm.”
Right now, Eagle Trees Farm is doing the hard work that comes with the early season and looks forward to a balanced Washington market that supports small farms. Each 4/20, they deliver cookies made by their mom to budtenders around town. In the summer, they host a family-friendly river party at the farm where they provide farm tours, live music, great food, and a chance to celebrate the local cannabis community. Supporting small cannabis farms like these puts money back into the local community, and contributes to a sustainable future for the industry. And for those who want to advocate for small businesses, writing your representatives about supporting legislation that directly supports small cannabis businesses goes a long way.
To learn more about Eagle Trees or find their products near you in Washington, check out EagleTrees.com.
Former U.S. House speaker-turned-cannabis industry lobbyist John Boehner is accused in a lawsuit of stealing data and talking points from another cannabis advocacy firm before backing out of a deal to join the group, according to a New York Post report. Boehner had signed an agreement to become co-chair of the 10 Campaign in 2018 but the following year launched his own group – the National Cannabis Roundtable – and the 10 Campaign alleges that Boehner “repackaged” the group’s talking points as his own.
“Boehner served to legitimize the industry … and paved the way for other politicians, elected officials, and influencers to come to the table after years of opposition to cannabis legislation. And he did it by intentionally misleading [10 Campaign Co-Founder James] Pericola.”
In April 2018, Boehner said his “thinking has evolved” on cannabis despite opposing the reforms while in Congress. In 1999, two years before he would lead the lower chamber, he voted against a bill to implement a voter-approved medical cannabis program in Washington, D.C. In 2004, Boehner, a Republican, was given a 0% score by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, indicating an “anti-legalization stance.” Two years later, he was ranked a -30 by the advocacy organization – indicating a “hard-on-drugs” stance. A -30 is the lowest score a lawmaker could receive.
The lawsuit contends that in 2018, Pericola approached Boehner’s aides and Squire Patton Boggs after Attorney General Jeff Sessions struck down the Cole Memorandum and that Pericola saw the former speaker as the perfect man to normalize cannabis – with his cigar habit and conservative base. Pericola then sent Boehner proprietary materials and both parties signed non-disclosure agreements. The lawsuit alleges that Boehner used those materials to start the National Cannabis Roundtable.
“I did not make this decision lightly and realize we are taking on Goliath, but the truth matters and we look forward to our day in court.” – Pericola to the Post
The lawsuit contends that Boehner, who joined the board of Acreage Holdings in 2018, has been living the “high life” and making millions off of fees associated with his cannabis dealings, although it is unclear the extent of his cannabis-related earnings.
