Missouri Medical Cannabis Licensees Forced to Destroy Products & Relinquish Licenses

6/10/2022

by

A group of medical cannabis cultivators in Missouri must destroy their products and relinquish their licenses as part of an agreement to resolve a dispute with the state, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Archimedes Medical Holdings, FUJM, and Holistic Health Capital signed the agreement last month following accusations of “pervasive irregularities” that prevented officials from determining whether any product from the licensees’ three grow facilities had been properly tested to “numerous outages” on security cameras that went unreported to regulators. 

The state also accused the growers of allowing employees to use and apply pesticides without training or proper equipment and leaving products unsecured. 

The agreement said the licensees “disagree with” the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) position and the settlement “shall not be construed as an admission of liability or wrongdoing by any Party.” 

In an email to the Post-Dispatch, Tanner Rolfes, attorney for the licensees, said his clients “are pleased with the settlement agreement and looking forward to the future.”

“Most importantly,” he wrote, “the settlement confirms that Archimedes et al, as well as any affiliated entities or individuals, were not involved in any unlawful conduct.”

Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the DHSS, said the primary licensees are ineligible for future licenses.

Under the agreement, licensees must transfer operational duties of the facilities to a third-party management company by the end of the month. By the end of November, the licenses must be fully transferred or they will be automatically surrendered by December 1.   

End

White House Interns Still Required to Disclose Prior Cannabis Use

6/09/2022

by

Intern applicants at the White House must continue to disclose any prior drug use — including cannabis, and even if that use occurred within a legalized state or jurisdiction — Marijuana Moment reports.

Ignoring calls to relax its drug use disclosure policies, the White House listed the requirement in an intern FAQ on its website. Candidates who advance in the hiring process will have to fill out a Security Clearance Form and past cannabis use is listed as an activity that “could affect eligibility,” the report says.

The revelation on the FAQ is not a departure from the White House’s previous stance on the issue. Reports emerged early in the Biden administration of staffers being terminated due to past cannabis use. Former Press Secretary Jen Psaki tried to dampen the controversy by stating that no staffers had been fired for “marijuana usage from years ago,” or “due to casual or infrequent use during the prior 12 months.” However, she failed to clarify whether any employees had been suspended or handed remote work after admitting to past cannabis consumption on a federal background check.

President Joe Biden (D) has long been opposed to cannabis legalization but earlier this year did grant clemency to a number of people convicted of federal cannabis crimes. It was the president’s only visible effort to follow through on his cannabis campaign trail promises, so far.

A report from last year by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) revealed that the president has the power to go further and grant mass federal pardons for cannabis convictions.

Voters in Washington DC opted to legalize adult-use cannabis in 2014 although cannabis remains strictly prohibited on federal properties.

End

Vessel Luxury Ash Trays Review

6/09/2022

by

Vessel creates both vaporizers and accessories for cannabis consumers who value design and function. Recently, Vessel sent two luxury ashtrays to Ganjapreneur: the Ash and Ember models. Ash is a 3-piece concrete ashtray with a walnut lid and walnut wood storage tray concealed under the main concrete piece. Ember is a striking and petite pure brass ashtray in a bright gold sheen with a cork footpad to protect surfaces. Both pieces feel intentionally built to incorporate into a home’s interior design without making guests feel like they’re at a college hangout.

Ember

This piece is the more compact of the two, it fits in the palm of your hand but has some weight to it. Ember was precision designed in California, both the brass and concrete versions are just one piece. Cork embellishments on the bottom ensure the nicely weighted ashtray won’t scratch surfaces. This has been a great addition to my living room. I don’t often smoke joints in that space now that we have a baby, but if there are guests over and the time is right it is very convenient to have Ember tucked into a drawer by the couch for quick sesh. I have the brass option with a gold finish but Ember also comes in concrete.

Ash

Heavy-duty but sleek, this ashtray is set up at my bedside because that is the cannabis-friendly place in my house where I most often partake. The compartments nestle under the concrete ashtray which is then covered by a walnut lid, perfect for holding my lighter and hemp wick. The compartments are designed to hold other Vessel accessories that are sold separately. Ash would blend in on a side table or coffee table and be indistinguishable from other decors. The lid allows you to place a vase or coasters on top to disguise it even further if that’s desired. The large tray and storage make it a great option for someone who uses cannabis daily, and the design makes it a great choice for the social stoner. Ash has something for everyone.

When I first set out to review luxury home decor built for the cannabis consumer I was concerned there wouldn’t be much to say. But this wasn’t an issue given Vessel Brand’s ashtrays’ intentional, precision design. Getting familiar with each piece was straightforward but also novel in its own way. The Ash is specifically novel and differentiates from other ashtrays on the market in that it conveniently stores accouterments.

These products are a level up for those cannabis consumers who are growing into their adult interior design preferences and are looking for an upscale, functional ashtray that meets their needs. Both products are designed for specific uses, and I found each to serve its purpose while also looking brilliant in my midcentury-modern home.

Find these products and more from Vessel at vesselbrand.com.

End

CO2Meter Launches New, Wall-Mounted Dual Sensor Indoor CO2 Grow Controller

6/09/2022

by

CO2Meter Inc., a worldwide leader in gas detection, monitoring, and analytical devices, released its new RAD-0502 – dual-sensor CO2 controller for grow rooms that can monitor and control carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations at two locations from 0 to 3,000ppm. The highly anticipated dual-sensor CO2 grow controller will now provide both indoor growers and mushroom farmers the ability to control consistent CO2 levels throughout their grow space all from a central display panel.

“Our original RAD-0501 Controller is considered the gold standard for home growers and mushroom farmers. When we studied the market, we clearly saw a gap between our original RAD-0501 and the larger commercial controllers in the market. The RAD-0502 now provides indoor growers around the globe with a simple and affordable way to understand and adjust CO2 levels to optimize their growing processes.”, noted Melyssia Santiago, CO2Meter’s VP of Sales.

“Now our customers in two agricultural segments will get the added benefits of the CO2 control: growers can now control a single larger space or two different room simultaneously, and mushroom farmers now have a quality device to control ventilation.” added Santiago.

While monitoring up to two grow room locations is a significant benefit for indoor agriculture monitoring, it is not the only new feature that can be found in the RAD-0502. Customers will be able to control and monitor not only CO2 levels, but also control light, temperature, and humidity, for a full-scale optimized grow room approach. In turn, achieving unprecedented quality and yields.

Additionally, each sensor triggers individual relays allowing the end-user to control each sensor’s precise location in the facility. Whether you are looking to control grow room lighting, HVAC systems, exhaust fans, CO2 generators, or CO2 cylinders the RAD-0502 can control and monitor multiple locations at any given time. The RAD-0502 settings are user configurable, enabling the customer to apply their preferred settings for their application. And, for those looking to use the device globally, it also features a universal power supply allowing our international customers ease of use without having to use adapters.

RAD-0502 CO2 Controller for Grow Rooms

With cutting-edge, NDIR CO2 sensor technology, growers will also be reassured of the accuracy and repeatability of the sensing capabilities that can measure accurately between 0-3,000 ppm. By allowing growers the ability to apply their custom ppm settings they can optimize their indoor grow space. With an additional built-in temperature measurement and a photo sensor, users can also turn off relays during dark periods which can save them money and provide more accurate growing control.

Further RAD-0502 features include:

⦁ NDIR CO2 sensor technology
⦁ Easy-to-use, simple, and clean installation
⦁ Ability to monitor (2) zones or grow spaces
⦁ Fully customizable CO2 levels
⦁ LED identification lights
⦁ Automatic control of CO2 generators or compressed CO2 tanks
⦁ Built-in photo sensor to turn off relays in darkness
⦁ User configurable modes for both grow room or mushroom applications
⦁ Universal power supply
⦁ Enclosure resists dust, rust, and moisture

For more information on the RAD-0502, please email us at Sales@CO2Meter.com.

About CO2Meter
CO2Meter, is an industry leader in the design and manufacturing of gas detection and monitoring solutions. Our mission is to provide best-in-class CO2 monitoring and analysis solutions, while ensuring the safety, education, and long-term business of our partners worldwide. CO2Meter works diligently to utilize the latest, proven gas sensing technologies to solve the urgent needs of our customers. By providing unique, high-quality, gas detection devices we strive each day and in each customer interaction to provide education about the importance of carbon dioxide and to ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public.

Visit CO2Meter.com and connect with us on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

 

End

Delaware Lawmakers Fail to Override Governor’s Cannabis Legalization Veto

6/09/2022

by

Delaware lawmakers have failed to override Gov. John Carney’s (D) veto of a bill to legalize possession of cannabis by adults, the Associated Press reports. The override failed with a 20-20 vote, with House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst (D) not voting. 

The measure had passed the House last month 26-14 and the Senate 13-7 on a party-line vote. A separate bill to create a taxed and regulated cannabis industry in the state failed by two votes in the House following the passage of the adult-use and possession reforms.  

Lawmakers needed a three-fifths majority to override the Democratic governor’s veto. 

Rep. Ed Osienski (D), the prime sponsor of both bills, called on his colleagues to override Carney’s veto and not wait until the governor’s second term ends in 2025 to pass the reforms.  

“…We need to fix this problem instead of just denying the freedom and the liberty of Delawareans to be able to purchase this product.” — Osienski, during his remarks on the House floor, via WHYY 

Following the vote, Carney spokeswoman Emily David said the governor “thanks the House for today’s vote and respects the role of the General Assembly and all of its members in this process.

“He looks forward to working with them on the important issues that remain this session,” she told WHYY. 

Zoë Patchell of the Delaware Cannabis Advocacy Network told WHYY that the group is “extremely disappointed in House Democratic leadership, as well as the House Democrats who changed their vote from yes to no, as well as the Republicans who changed their vote as well.” 

“Basically they could have ended cannabis prohibition by the end of this week, but they decided to not have the courage,” she said. “As a result of their actions today, there’ll be thousands of more people with a simple cannabis possession, including intrusive stops that could escalate.” 

End

Minnesota Legalizes Up to 5mg of THC in Hemp-Derived Food and Beverages

6/09/2022

by

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) last week signed a bill legalizing up to 5 milligrams of THC in hemp-derived food and beverage products. The products can only be sold to those 21-and-older. 

The bill effectively legalizes products with low levels of delta-8 and delta-9 THC in concentrations up to 5 milligrams per serving, and up to 50 milligrams per package. 

Kurtis Hanna, lobbyist for the Minnesota chapter of the NORML, said she thinks the measure is a way “in which Minnesotans are going to be able to check out what it’s like to have legal products being sold on shelves in a non-gray market.”  

Last month, a federal court in California ruled that the 2018 Farm Bill – which federally legalized hemp in the U.S. – repealed prohibitions on other cannabinoids including delta-8 THC. In the ruling, Judge D. Michael Fisher cited the “plain text” of the law as the basis for the court’s opinion.   

Minnesota’s rules do crack down on vaped delta-8 THC, according to a Star Tribune report, as the 0.3% limit on THC content now includes “any tetrahydrocannabinol.” That limit will cause a shake-up at Minnesota smoke shops that sell highly concentrated delta-8 products, the report says. 

Hanna added that the measure is “pretty exclusively dipping that toe into beverages and edible food products as opposed to making any progress on smokeable or vaporizable products” but called its passage “a positive outcome.” 

In a press release announcing the signing of the legislation, along with nine other bills, Walz did not mention the measure. 

End

Ukraine Health Minister Announces Bill to Legalize Medical Cannabis

6/09/2022

by

Ukraine Health Minister Viktor Liashko on Tuesday announced that the government is backing a bill to legalize medical cannabis, Forbes reports. The proposal comes amid the country’s war against invading Russia.  

“We understand the negative effects of war on mental health. We understand the number of people who will need medical treatment due to this exposure. And we understand that there is no time to wait.” — Liashko, in a Facebook post, via Forbes 

The measure includes more than 50 qualifying conditions, including cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), neurological diseases, and neuropathic chronic pain, the report says. It includes strict controls regarding cultivation, production, and sales. The legislation does propose licensing for economic activities and for the cultivation of strains for medical purposes and scientific research. 

The bill was first proposed in June 2021 but was not approved by Ukraine’s Parliament. Two months prior, the government legalized the use of THC-based synthetic drugs dronabinol, nabilone, and nabiximols, a cannabis extract developed by GW Pharmaceuticals.   

An October 2020 Kyiv Post poll found that 64.88% of Ukrainians backed medical cannabis reforms, with 29.53% opposed, the report says.     

In the Facebook post, Liashko said the measure would create conditions for expanding patients’ access to cancer and PTSD treatments that result from the war. 

Cannabis would not be legalized for adult use under the measure. 

End

Washington, D.C. Passes Bill Protecting Employees from Termination Due to Cannabis Use

6/08/2022

by

The Washington, D.C. City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill to prohibit employers from firing or refusing to hire employees who test positive for cannabis on drug tests, NPR reports. The measure excludes employers if they are acting under federal rules or if an employee consumes cannabis at work or while performing work-related duties. 

The legislation, which still requires final approval from Mayor Murial Bowser (D), also prohibits “possession, storage, delivery, transfer, display, transportation, sale, purchase, or growing of cannabis at the employee’s place of employment.” It does require employers to evaluate “medical marijuana to treat a disability in the same manner as it would treat the legal use of a controlled substance prescribed by or taken under the supervision of a licensed health care professional,” according to the bill text outlined by NPR. 

The measure also does not cover employees in safety-sensitive positions, such as police, security guards, construction workers, those who operate heavy machinery, health care workers, caretakers, or gas and power company employees. Employees of the federal government and D.C. courts are also not protected under the measure.  

Violators of the law could face fines of up to $5,000 and pay the employees lost wages and attorney’s fees and employees have up to one year from the date of noncompliance to file a complaint with the District’s Office of Human Rights. 

If signed by Bowser, the bill will become law after a 60-day congressional review and publication in the District of Columbia Register. 

Adult cannabis use has been legal in D.C. since 2015 but the implementation of a taxed and regulated industry has been repeatedly blocked by Congress, which sets the budget for the District. 

End

Cree Robinson: Addressing Dispensary Pain Points Through Tech

6/08/2022

by

Many dispensaries throughout the U.S. are struggling to scale operations and have identified common pain points for their businesses. Tech companies are building software to help but dispensaries often rely on complex integrations to run a compliant retail store. Cree Robinson and fellow co-founder Louis Masensi launched touCanna to be an integrated dispensary software including point of sale capabilities, inventory management, compliance monitoring, task boards, and scheduling and training software.

In this Q&A, we ask Cree about her transition from an academic focus on clinical psychology to a professional career in technology and eventually cannabis. This interview also covers the founding of touCanna, the company’s emphasis on integrating with every aspect of dispensary management, her efforts to support more women of color joining the technology sector, and more!

Ganjapreneur: What was your career before entering the cannabis space? How has that experience influenced your work today?

Cree Robinson: About a year before entering the cannabis space I had transitioned into tech. And I transitioned into tech from a completely non-technical background. I was pursuing a doctoral degree In clinical psychology so I was planning to be a clinical psychologist once I graduated with my PhD. Throughout the transition I grew to really fall in love with technology and everything about the industry. So with my newfound tech skills I was excited to create something innovative for the cannabis industry. I had always had a passion for problem solving and after a couple of years in tech, I had new skills and resources at my fingertips to create solutions for those problems.

The first problem I wanted to solve was the lack of women and specifically women of color in tech spaces that I was in.

However, I knew from experience that making a transition into tech was no easy feat. I benefited from the guidance of my co-founder Louis, who had made a similar transition years back, in getting into the tech industry.

One of my goals is to provide similar guidance and mentorship to those wanting to make the same transition I did.

The road to a doctoral degree requires years of planning and hard work. Why did you transition out of that path into tech?

You’re 100% correct — it does take years of planning and hard work which is why it’s so important to take the time to make sure that pursuing a doctoral degree is the right choice for your goals. I’m not sure that I did that. I pursued a doctoral degree because I thought it was the “right” next step — in my head there wasn’t even an alternative. I started my grad program at 21, immediately after college so I had no time to really ensure that a doctoral degree was the right path for me. All that to say, I quickly discovered that it wasn’t. I wasn’t happy with the work that I was doing and knew I wouldn’t be able to sustain the full 5 years it would have taken to get my PhD. I always had an interest in tech, so much so that I had plans to pursue a Master’s degree in computer science after my getting my PhD (insane right?). So, once I dropped out of my program after getting my Master’s, I felt completely free to purpose technology and started along that path.

What inspired you and co-founder Louis Masensi to build touCanna?

We wanted to create something innovative for the cannabis industry using the skills that we already had. We went down several rabbit holes before we decided to conduct interviews with existing business owners in order to understand what their pain points were, directly from the source. Our learnings from those interviews led us to create something that addressed as many of those pain points as possible. Listening to existing business owners and learning of all the challenges that came with operating a cannabis business in such a young industry, we were inspired by the resilience and creativity they displayed with creating the necessary workarounds for their business and their staff.

Did you gain any specific insights that went directly into the final product after speaking with existing cannabis business owners?

Absolutely. When we started these interviews, touCanna was very different from what it is today. Initially, touCanna was simply a point-of-sale system that only handled a retail operator’s sales and inventory and reported that data to METRC (a state tracking system). However, after speaking with so many retailers, we realized that the tools that they had in place were not designed to support business growth or scale. So, we went back to the drawing board and began to design features that would do just that. For example, an overwhelming majority of the retailers we talked to shared challenges related to employee turnover and training, so we created a robust module that would allow retailers to create their own trainings and assessments for employees; we created features centered around measuring and managing employee satisfaction and performance. Owners also shared struggles related to managing policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs), so we created features that allow for the management and creation of those. Essentially, if a pain point was mentioned multiple times by multiple business owners, we tried to create a feature that would solve for it.

How does touCanna differentiate from other Dispensary Operations Management Software (DOMS) in the space?

touCanna is different from other systems in that it provides a one-stop shop for cannabis business owners. Our motto is, “login once, get everything done” because we aimed to build touCanna to meet all of a cannabis team’s core needs. While other platforms provide great services, many require integrations with third-party systems in order to give a cannabis business everything it needs. With touCanna, cannabis operators can manage everything they need in their business from 1 source. For example, that’s their sales and inventory, employee training and performance, SOP and policy creation, staff scheduling and several other features that allow them to manage their businesses end-to-end.

What kind of employee training and human resources assistance is made available through the DOMS? Can a client tailor these offerings to their dispensary?

With touCanna, clients can create their own training as well as assessments to be associated with those trainings. That way, training for new and existing employees can be standardized and automated. We’ve gotten a very positive client response from this feature because the way that a manager creates the training is very simple, dynamic, and can include any media that they wish to use whether it be a quick video they create themselves, a word document that includes store procedures, or even a simple link to a YouTube video. Regarding human resources, clients can manage employee performance, goals, performance review meetings all through the touCanna platform. touCanna offerings, however, can be tailored based on the needs of the business. So, in other words, while touCanna does offer different subscription packages, clients can customize their own if there isn’t an out-of-the-box solution that meets all of their needs.

How does touCanna stay informed and compliant for clients across the states? What informs this piece of touCanna?

Being that compliance is arguably the most important aspect of the cannabis industry, we make sure to do our due diligence to ensure that touCanna remains compliant across all of its customer markets. The touCanna team keeps a technology compliance expert on retainer so that we can work with them and make any necessary updates to the platform in the case of regulation changes.

Furthermore, we are subscribed to receive every Metrc update announcement and carefully review them before implementing into our platform.

How much data (both consumer-facing and internal operations data) does touCanna store? How can a dispensary owner leverage this information to increase sales?

touCanna securely stores both consumer-facing and internal operations data and allows owners to create reports to make sense of the data and understand how they can use it to understand their target clients and thus improve sales.

Why has the startup spent time and resources developing a white paper with step-by-step methods for implementing a successful framework in cannabis, whether a company is using touCanna or not?

Our overall goal with touCanna is to create tools and resources that help cannabis business owners to be as successful as possible in their businesses. Over the course of this journey, we’ve conducted 100+ interviews with cannabis business owners and have learned so much about how business is conducted, the challenges, the positives and everything in between. We wanted to create this white paper in order to share our learnings with future business owners in hopes that the framework we’ve created will provide them with some guidance to build and scale their dream businesses while potentially avoiding challenges and compliance risks.

How have you used your experience to mentor women of color transitioning into tech?

Transitioning into tech can be challenging without the guidance about which path in tech is best based on current skills and interests. My goal is to be that source of guidance and “soundboarding” as much as possible for women of color who are looking to embark on a career journey in tech. As of now, I have a few mentees with whom I work closely each week to map out their next steps on securing their desired roles in tech. We talk about everything from negotiating the workplace as a woman of color to salary negotiation to covering hands-on tech skills like UX design or database scripting. I’ve also compiled a lot of my lessons learned and use them to create short-video content about tips and tricks that have helped me throughout my journey. Lastly, my co-founder Louie and I manage a Facebook group of 200+ women whom we work with to help secure a role in tech.

How can someone select a mentor, and then what is the process of asking to be a mentee?

Selecting a mentor, in my opinion, should be a relatively organic process. A mentor/mentee relationship should be similar to a friendship in the sense that both parties want to be present and both strive to create a space of mutual trust. Sometimes you can just “fall” into a relationship with a mentor and it goes unsaid. In many other cases, it may be necessary to just ask someone. I’ve tried this approach and was quite surprised by the response that I often received. Most people were honored and excited to take me on as a mentee. It often just needs to start with the ask, and the rest of the relationship will build naturally from there.

Your social media content teaches people how to apply for tech jobs, negotiate salaries, and more. Why do you make this content, and how do you choose what to cover in your videos?

I try to create content that I wish I would have come across during my transition into tech. I love this avenue because I can reach so many more people than I’d be able to through one-on-one coaching or individual mentoring. The response that I get from people who watch my content is so motivating and helps to inspire new ideas for content. For example, if I make a video about salary negotiation and someone posts a comment asking about when to bring up salary during an interview, that may prompt me to create an additional 3 or 4 videos about interviewing. I love it because it allows me to create content that people actually need and are interested in.

Thank you, Cree, for answering our questions! Visit touCanna.io to learn more.

End

U.S. Conference of Mayors Backs Federal Cannabis Reforms During Annual Meeting

6/08/2022

by

During their 90th annual meeting, the U.S. Conference of Mayors endorsed a resolution calling for Congress to pass federal cannabis banking reforms, Marijuana Moment reports. Sponsored by the mayors of Tacoma, Washington; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Henderson, Nevada; the resolution stated that “the conflict between state law and the illegality of cannabis under federal law creates significant challenges and barriers for legally-owned and operated recreational and medical cannabis dispensaries and cannabis-related companies.”

In the resolution, the mayors urged “Congress to pass the SAFE Banking Act of 2021 to provide financial security for cannabis dispensaries and related companies and enhance public safety.”

Additionally, this year’s resolution included support for federal legalization of both medical and adult-use cannabis, similar to a resolution passed last year that also called for increasing social equity in the cannabis industry, the report says.

“Be it further resolved, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports federal legislation legalizing the medicinal use of cannabis and the adult use of recreational cannabis, including the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act (H.R. 3617) and the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA).” — Resolution text excerpt

The resolution passed out of the organization’s Executive Committee after no debate, where it then moved to the full body for a voice vote.

The Conference of Mayors first passed a cannabis resolution in 2013, calling on the federal government to respect state cannabis laws. They would go further in 2018 and call for the removal of cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and for cities to expunge cannabis convictions.

End

Cannabis for Black Lives Raises $170K Over Two Years

6/08/2022

by

Cannabis for Black Lives (CfBL), a coalition of cannabis companies seeking to support Black-led and adjacent organizations, has raised more than $170,000 over the last two years to aid communities impacted by the War on Drugs, according to the organization’s 2020-2021 Impact Report. 

The advocacy organization also said it increased its bimonthly giveback range from $250-$2,500 in 2020 to between $500 and $10,000 last year. Two multistate operators, Cann and Green Thumb Industries committed $10,000 per new partner organization campaign late last year. 

CfBL’s partner organizations include Supernove Women, Equitable Opportunities Now, The Hood Incubator, Copper House, Our Academy, and National Expungement Works.  

Over the last two years, Copper House, which is based in Detroit, Michigan, and focuses its efforts on providing healing and love for marginalized communities, and serves as a community ambassador for the Northwest Detroit community, received $42,286 through the campaign, the most out of the six organizations. Supernova Women received $37,004, The Hood Incubator was third with $31,000, followed by Our Academy ($27,900), National Expungement Works ($21,500), and Equitable Opportunities Now ($13,000). 

Supernova Women distributed its funds to social equity operators who suffered losses during the civil uprisings related to the murder of George Floyd. The organization gave five grants totaling $6,000 each. 

Lanese Martin, executive director of the Hood Incubator, said the funds helped the organization hit “several organizational goals” and said the group plans on launching “some pretty exciting programs” this year including job training and legal services in California.  

CfBL said that during the next cycle it plans on a “more uniform distribution” of funds to every partner organization and that it is continuing to accept member organizations on a rolling basis.  

End

Cannabis Software Firm Dutchie Cuts 8% of Its Workforce

6/08/2022

by

Dutchie, the cannabis-based software firm that raised $350 million last year, has laid off 8% of its workforce in a restructuring, according to a GeekWire report. The company cited a “dramatic market shift” as the reason for the layoffs. 

In a statement, CEO and co-founder Ross Lipson said the firm “took time as a team to carefully think through our business plans to ensure [it is] set up to fulfill [its] mission.” 

“Last week, we gathered our entire team together to communicate an important and difficult decision to restructure a few areas of the business. This decision impacts approximately 8% of the company’s overall workforce. We are forever grateful for everyone’s contributions to Dutchie and the cannabis industry that were impacted.” — Lipson, in a statement, via GeekWire 

Lipson added that the company “is in a strong position” and “focused on continued growth.”  

“We will continue to hire top talent and pursue growth opportunities that map to our business objectives in order to advance our mission to provide safe and easy access to cannabis while helping to drive the cannabis industry forward,” he said in the statement. 

Dutchie, based in Bend, Oregon, was valued at $3.75 billion when it raised $350 million in a Series D round last October, which came just seven months after the firm raised $200 million. Earlier this year, Dutchie acquired Greenbits and LeafLogix. 

In a Business Journal survey of Oregon’s largest hemp and cannabis businesses last year, Dutchie reported 718 total employees, with 129 in Oregon, suggesting the number of cuts is around 60.  

End

Fox News’ Laura Ingraham Blames Mass Shootings on Cannabis Normalization

6/07/2022

by

Last week, Fox News host Laura Ingraham suggested that the rising use and cultural acceptance of cannabis is an attributing factor to the trend of mass shootings in the U.S. As my colleague astutely noted in Ganjapreneur’s coverage of Ingraham’s statement, “the modern mass shooting crisis … outdates the modern cannabis legalization movement by nearly five decades,” pointing out that that the gun violence crisis has its roots the 1966 massacre at the University of Texas.

This is far from the first time Ingraham has used her Fox News platform to demonize cannabis and those who consume it. On New Year’s Day 2019, reacting to a CNN segment featuring reporter Randi Kaye on a canna-bus in Denver, Colorado, Ingraham tweeted, “We’ll see how this all works out for our country. More potheads, increase in cases of schizophrenia, psychosis, more impaired driving…as #BigWeed makes billions.”

Ingraham also has a habit of calling cannabis consumers “weedies” (adjective bias) and retweeting opinions from cannabis opponents. Ingraham has also described cannabis consumers as “dopes smoking dope” and that cannabis is “wrecking the minds of young people,” according to a Cheat Sheet report.

A study published last year in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online examining previous studies linking violent behavior and cannabis found a “strictly correlational link” between cannabis use and violence – not causational – the strength of which “varies depending on the population (e.g., populations with severe and persistent mental illness versus the general population).”

A study published last month in Scientific Reports suggests cannabis consumers are more empathetic, moral, and prosocial than non-consumers. Hardly seems like the personality types to commit mass shootings.

And, to be fair, it’s not just Ingraham making these claims. A quick Google search finds opinion articles making this claim, right-wing news organizations, and gun control (and anti-legalization) groups. These same groups have also claimed that violent video games and prescription drugs are to blame.

Yes, studies – including this often-cited one from British and Dutch researchers – have found that daily cannabis use increased the likelihood of violence for people with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, but that is linked to those already diagnosed with the disorder.

Katherine Newman, author of “Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings” and University of Massachusetts System Chancellor for Academic Programs, called the claims that cannabis use is a key factor in mass school shootings “absolute nonsense” in an interview with Politifact.

“There is no link whatsoever between marijuana and extreme violence,” she said.

For the book, Newman, a sociologist, interviewed more than 200 interviews with residents of towns where these mass casualty events occurred.

In 2019, more than 100 scholars published a letter refuting the claims of school-shooter and cannabis links, calling the “science” behind the assertions “junk.”

“While associations between marijuana use and mental illness have been established, research suggests that the association is complex and mediated by multiple factors other than marijuana, including genetics,” the letter states. “Similarly, associations between individual characteristics and violence are multi-factorial. Thus, establishing marijuana as a causal link to violence at the individual level is both theoretically and empirically problematic.”

Education Week tracks school shootings – there have been 10 so far this year – and of those four occurred in states where cannabis is legal for adult use (one occurred in Washington, D.C. where adult-use is permitted but there is no legal access.) The Uvalde shooting, the nation’s deadliest thus far, happened in Texas, which has among the most stringent cannabis laws in the nation. So even if legalization increased cannabis access for youth, which it doesn’t, this type of violence has occurred this year mostly in states where cannabis remains illegal.

Remedy: Just stop. Right-wing news organizations and groups need to blame gun violence on something and it’s easier to blame everything other than gun access. We at Cannabias are not in the business of taking positions on firearm policy but this ‘blame marijuana’ narrative is just as hollow as the ‘blame heavy metal’ narrative that followed Columbine (which happened when cannabis was outlawed in all 50 states) and the ‘blame violent video games’ narrative that always pops up (despite a complete lack of evidence). It’s a red herring and a distraction from the real causes of gun violence, which is almost certainly not cannabis.

End

Study: Cannabis Consumers More Empathetic, Moral, and Pro-Social than Non-Consumers

6/07/2022

by

A new study by University of New Mexico (UNM) researchers found that cannabis consumers showed more empathy, pro-social behaviors, and moral decision-making than non-consumers, according to a Daily Lobo report. The study, “Cannabis consumption and prosociality,” published in the Scientific Reports journal, included 146 adults between the ages of 18 and 25 and found individuals with THC in their system scored higher than non-users on Prosocial Behaviors, Empathy Quotient, Moral Harmlessness, and Moral Fairness measures but exhibited a lower sense of Ingroup Loyalty.

Jacob Vigil, UNM psychology professor and lead psychologist on the study, said he was motivated to conduct the study following a National Institute of Health lecture that claimed cannabis users were less motivated by money.

“It seemed as though cannabis tends to result in a psychological shift from externally pressured goals … And to me, my observation is that cannabis tends to result from that kind of egocentric or perhaps, externally pressurized trajectory towards one that is more primal and one that is more concerned with humanity in a broader collective context.” – Vigil to the Daily Lobo

The pro-social benefits found in the study were more pronounced in participants who used THC more recently, which UNM Economics Professor and study researcher Sarah Stith said showed a true causal relationship between cannabis use and pro-social behaviors.

“Positive benefits seem to really be correlated with the recency of cannabis use,” she told the Daily Lobo, “which makes it hard to say that people are just consuming cannabis when they’re feeling pro-social.”

Stith added that with cannabis use, some “would expect there to be negative externalities.”

“You know, maybe there’s some negative behavioral changes or secondhand smoke or things like that,” she said, “but in this case, it’s suggesting, actually, that people might get along better if they were consuming cannabis, which is pretty extreme.”

The results of the research could impact what drugs people use to treat medical issues. Opioids, for example, can cause negative emotional changes and antisocial behaviors while cannabis tends to increase one’s sociability and can be used to treat similar ailments as opioids. Cannabis has also shown promise as an exit drug for some opioid users.

End

Bernie Sanders Urges Justice Dept. to Prosecute White Collar Crimes More Than Cannabis

6/07/2022

by

In an email to supporters on Friday, former presidential candidate and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I) said that the U.S. government should start prosecuting more white-collar crimes and business offenses rather than cannabis crimes, Common Dreams reported. In the email, the Independent from Vermont wrote that instead of disproportionately arresting poor people and people of color for cannabis use, the Justice Department should “start prosecuting the crooks on Wall Street for laundering money from drug cartels, suspected terrorists, and corrupt foreign officials.”

“We have a criminal justice system today that is not only broken – it is racist and it is unjust,” Sanders wrote.

He also called on Congress to legalize cannabis at the Federal level.

“We must reform our broken and racist criminal justice system, and one of the ways we can do that is by finally legalizing marijuana at the federal level. It starts with changing the Federal Controlled Substances Act which, if you can believe it, currently puts marijuana in the same category as heroin. That’s absurd and defies all scientific judgment.” – Sanders, in an email, via Common Dreams

The email included a link to a petition calling on Congress to pass a legalization measure.

Sanders’s remarks come at a time when a Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse study found white-collar prosecutions are down 24.4% from five years ago. Additionally, a Public Citizen investigation found only 90 corporations pleaded guilty or were found guilty of a federal crime last year, a record low, according to the report.

These numbers are in stark contrast to the 350,150 Americans arrested for cannabis in 2020 — down from 545,602 in 2019 — and 92% of those were for simple possession, according to Common Dreams.

End

New York City Mayor Urges No ‘Heavy-Handedness’ for Unregulated Cannabis Sales

6/07/2022

by

During the Cannabis World Congress and Business over the weekend at the Javits Center in Manhattan, New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) said there should be 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 Daily News reports.

“There needs to be a system of not heavy-handedness, but going in and explaining to that store that, ‘Listen, you can’t do this,’ give them a warning.” – Adams, during his remarks, via the Daily News

Adams is a former New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer, state senator, and Brooklyn Borough President.

Instead of fines and arrests, Adams indicated he would rather officials help steer those caught selling cannabis prior to the launch of sales toward the legal market, noting that he has earmarked nearly $5 million in his executive budget to provide support for New Yorkers on industry applications and licensing.

Adams said that there should be “some form” of enforcement for repeat offenders.

“If they refuse to adhere to the rules, then you have to come back and take some form of enforcement actions,” he said during his remarks, “such as a summons, such as, you know, talking about their ability to sell alcohol.”

During his speech, Adams joked that he was “a bit disappointed” about the lack of “a nice scent of weed” during the event and encouraged attendees to get high.

“Enjoy yourself, light up, but most importantly, spend some money,” he said. “We want your money.”

In April, Adams suggested allowing cannabis to be grown on the rooftops of city-run housing. However, the plan was met with skepticism from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spokesperson Olga Alvarez, who said that the agency had not been “approached” on the issue and said, “marijuana is illegal in public housing.”

End

Kansas Gov. Signs Bill Allowing FDA-Approved Cannabis Medicines

6/07/2022

by

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) last week signed a bill allowing Kansans to take cannabis-derived medicines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Forbes reports. The measure amends the state’s definition of “marijuana” in its Uniform Controlled Substances Act to exempt FDA-approved drugs that contain naturally derived cannabinoids.

Currently, the FDA has only approved one such drug, Epidiolex, which contains CBD. The FDA has also approved Marinol but that drug contains synthetic THC, not the naturally-derived compound.

Alexandra Blasi, executive secretary of the Kansas Board of Pharmacy, said the bill is trying to get in front of a new pharmaceutical drug containing naturally derived THC to treat muscle spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, which is expected to be approved by the FDA by 2023, the report says.

“One key element of this legislation is the advance scheduling of any FDA-approved drug containing THC or other cannabinoids. There are a number of products currently in clinical trials anticipated to be submitted for FDA approval in the coming months and years.” – Blasi, in a statement, via Forbes

Kelly Rippel, the cofounder of Kansans For Hemp and founding president of Planted Association For Kansas, described the measure as “a disappointing bill that effectively legalized Epidiolex, which is meaningless for us.”

“Kansas is ground zero for cannabis prohibition,” he said in the Forbes interview.

Kansas does not allow legal access to medical cannabis; however, in 2019 lawmakers approved a bill legalizing CBD products containing 5% THC – higher than the 0.3% THC limits allowed by the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp federally.

Robert Hoban, an attorney who leads Clark Hill’s cannabis division, called the governor’s signing of the bill as “more of a public policy statement … rather than an actual effective piece of legislation.”

“In sum, the governor’s ‘policy,’ merely promulgates the illicit market in Kansas, ignores the science behind medicinal cannabis patient needs/impact, and boldly asserts that somehow the State of Kansas can approve or disapprove FDA medicines,” he told Forbes. “It’s the same old story with underinformed politicians on this topic.”

End

New Jersey Cannabis Sales Top $24M During First Month

6/06/2022

by

Cannabis sales in New Jersey reached $24 million during the first month of regulated sales, the New Jersey Monitor reports. Currently, 13 medical cannabis dispensaries are the only operational retailers in the state but regulators indicated five more would be coming online soon.

During a Cannabis Regulatory Commission meeting last month, 46 new conditional licenses were awarded including 22 cultivation licenses, 13 manufacturing licenses, 11 retail licenses, and four testing facilities.

Applicants for conditional licenses must prove that they earned less than $200,000 annually or $400,000 if filing jointly, a requirement aimed at attracting smaller businesses, compared with the larger multistate firms operating the already operational 13 dispensaries, according to an Associated Press report.

Jeff Brown, executive director of the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, described the first month of sales as “only a beginning,” adding that “there’s a lot of growth left in this market.”

The commission also removed the “medical only” rule for cannabis licenses it awarded in the 2019 cycle, which means that instead of operating at least one year as a medical dispensary, licensees need only to prove they have enough supply for both medical and adult-use demand.

The 13 facilities open for retail sales averaged about $5 million a week and conducted 212,000 transactions, according to the commission.

Adult-use sales in New Jersey started on April 21 and over the course of the first two days, there were nearly 25,000 transactions.

End

Adult-Use Cannabis Regulations Take Effect in Guam

6/06/2022

by

Guam’s adult-use cannabis regulations have taken effect after the Legislature let them lapse into law without any action, KUAM reports. Lawmakers had 90 days from the submission of the law to pass, amend, or reject the rules but took no action as the May 31 deadline passed.

The Cannabis Control Board will next hold a working session with the relevant government agencies with the goal of accepting industry applications.

Chairperson Attorney Vanessa Williams said the agency may need to refine the rules and regulations after public feedback which found the cultivation standards were “too stringent.”

“Across the board they said, the public testified that they were too stringent. And that they were more stringent than any other agricultural product the growing standards and what’s prohibited. And so I think it warrants, despite the fact that the rules have been accepted by default by the legislature, we can’t unhear what’s been communicated to us.” – Williams to KUAM

Guam legalized cannabis in 2019 – the second U.S. territory to approve the reforms behind the Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands. Cannabis use and possession of less than an ounce was already decriminalized on the island and voters approved medical cannabis legalization in 2014. Last November, Guam adopted Metrc to track legal cannabis products which allowed officials to begin building the framework of its regulatory system.

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero supports the reforms, saying “the cannabis industry will benefit [the Guam] community by funding expanded public services in health and public safety, and providing alternative treatment and rehabilitation for people who need it.”

End

Louisiana Legislature Passes Bill to Protect State Workers from Termination for Medical Cannabis

6/06/2022

by

Louisiana lawmakers passed a bill last week to protect state workers from being terminated for medical cannabis use, 4WWL reports. The measure includes protections for prospective new employees were they to test positive on an initial drug screen as long as they have a physician’s recommendation.

The law does not apply to certain safety-sensitive jobs, including public safety officials.

State Rep. Mandie Landry (D) said the legislation was needed as the state had zero protections for workers who are also medical cannabis patients and each state agency had different policies.

“It doesn’t mean you can be high at work at all. The language in the bill is very clear, just like you can’t be drunk at work.” – Landry to 4WWL

Jacques Berry, communications director for the Louisiana Department of Administration, told 4WWL that the measure provides a “much needed medical marijuana policy to the state in terms of the employer.”

“It was important to get the basis of a policy in place,” he said in the interview. “This legislation accomplished that.”

The measure has bipartisan support in both chambers and moves next to Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) who can sign it, veto it, or allow it to take effect without his signature. Edwards has previously signed legislation to expand the state’s medical cannabis program, including a measure allowing patients to access smokable flower.

End

Rick Steves Dedicates $100K to Midterm Cannabis Legalization Efforts

6/03/2022

by

Rick Steves, travel writer, television host, and cannabis activist, has pledged to spend up to $100,000 to support cannabis legalization efforts around the country in the upcoming mid-term elections, the Regina Leader-Post reports. Steves, who serves as board chair of NORML, announced in a fundraising email he will match donations up to $100,000; he also said he is devoting eight days of campaigning to the legalization cause this election season.

“I’ve spent the last five election seasons campaigning around the country for legalization ballot initiatives[ …] So far, we’ve won in nearly every state we’ve contested. The majority of the American public is with us. We just need to smartly make our point to win at the ballot box. And that takes hard work and money.” – Steves, in the email, via the Leader-Post

Steves, who has campaigned for cannabis legalization in Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, Maine, and New Jersey, will give away a copy of his book “On the Hippy Trail,” which documents his travels from Istanbul to Kathmandu in 1978 and includes an account of his first time consuming cannabis in Afghanistan, for those who donate over $100.

In the email, Steves reminds readers anti-cannabis groups are “fundraising and spending money in an effort to defeat pro-marijuana ballot initiatives” this fall. He says, “regressive and reactionary forces are working to roll back civil liberties across our country. And I can’t just stand by.”

Maryland, Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Oklahoma all have adult-use questions on the November ballot, the report says.

End

North Carolina Senate Approves Medical Cannabis Bill

6/03/2022

by

The North Carolina Senate on Thursday voted 35-10 to legalize medical cannabis, WGHP reports. The measure still requires House of Representatives approval before moving to the governor.

The bill was opposed by eight Republicans and two Democrats, including Sen. Don Davis who is running for Congress in the state’s 1st District.  

The NC Compassionate Care Act would allow medical cannabis use for a narrow list of conditions, including cancer, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, HIV, AIDS, and Crohn’s disease. Chronic pain and anxiety are not included in the bill, which would be one of the strictest in the nation.

Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Democrat that supports the reforms, told WGHP to “defer” to her Republican colleagues “as to whether the House will take it up.”

“Most if not all Democrats support it.” – Harrison to WGHP

A poll released in April conducted by SurveyUSA and commissioned by WRAL News found that 57% of North Carolinians support the reforms, including 75% of Democrats and 64% of Republicans.

A poll released last week from the Carolina Partnership for Reform, a conservative group, found that 82% of respondents supported the reforms. The group said it was “surprised” by the support which included 75% of Republicans, 87% of unaffiliated voters, 86% of Democrats, at least 78% of men and women, white and Black North Carolinians, liberals, moderates, and conservatives. The poll found that 77% of evangelical voters supported the reforms.

“In fact,” the group said in a post outlining the survey results, “it would be hard for us to point to an issue that we’ve surveyed in the last decade that unified our polarized electorate like legalizing medical marijuana does.”

According to NORML’s Smoke the Vote, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper supports the reforms.

End

New Mexico Adult-Use Cannabis Sales Top $21.1M in May

6/03/2022

by

Adult-use cannabis sales in New Mexico reached $21.1 million in May, about $1 million less than the first month of sales, according to Cannabis Control Division (CCD) data outlined by KRQE. Albuquerque led the state with $7.3 million in sales.

In a statement, CCD Director Kristen Thomson said the “sales figures depict a steady pace” regulators expected when the state passed the reforms.     

“Our staff continues to work diligently to ensure applicants move through our licensing process efficiently, and ensure licensees operate within a safe, accessible, and effective regulated market.” – Thomson, in a statement, via KRQE

In all, combined adult-use and medical cannabis sales in New Mexico reached more than $38.5 million last month, with retail sales outpacing medical cannabis sales by about 9.5%. It is unclear how much tax revenue the state will see from May’s sales but in April, the industry generated more than $2.4 million from cannabis excise taxes and $4.1 million overall, according to a Santa Fe New Mexican report. Medical cannabis sales are exempt from the state’s excise tax. 

A Legislative Finance Committee report in March 2021 predicted retail cannabis sales in the industry’s full fiscal year, starting in July 2022 would produce $19.1 million in tax revenue for the state’s general fund and $9.4 million for local governments; however, the industry launched three months ahead of schedule.

End

Former Mississippi Governor Applies to Open Medical Cannabis Testing Facility

6/03/2022

by

Former Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove has applied to open a medical cannabis testing facility in the state along with Quentin Whitwell, the chairman of the board and co-owner of Panola Medical Center, the Associated Press reports. The state started taking applications for patients, medical practitioners, growers, processors, laboratories, transporters, and waste disposal providers on Wednesday.

Musgrove’s wife died from leukemia less than a year ago and the former governor told WLBT that he and his late wife had discussed medical cannabis following her diagnosis; however, the state program was not yet online. Musgrove said those conversations sparked his interest in entering the industry.

“I watched her go through the pain that she did. And she and I talked about it a number of times, because the initiative process was underway. And she said, ‘You know, that’s medical marijuana is something I would take instead of the opioids for the pain.’ And that is the first thing it started me thinking about it. … It was something that we talked about. It was something that I felt like was absolutely needed and stayed. And I felt like that if we could make that happen. I wanted to be involved in it.” – Musgrove to WLBT

Mississippi voters had approved a medical cannabis ballot initiative in November 2020 but it was invalidated by the state Supreme Court six months later. The court determined that the measure was not valid because the state constitution requires signatures from five congressional districts to get on the ballot, but the state only has four districts — effectively, the ruling found the state’s initiative process was outdated.

Musgrove’s and Whitwell’s application for Magnolia Tech Labs is for Holly Springs. Whitwell is the chief operating officer and legal counsel for the Alliance Healthcare System hospital in Holly Springs, as well as an administrator and CEO of Quitman Community Hospital.

Musgrove, a Democrat, served one term as the state’s lieutenant governor before serving as governor from 2000 to 2004.

End