The REST API provides access to a database of over 900k Cannabis news articles, enriched with Machine Learning NLP, Named Entity Recognition (NER) metadata, topic and sentiment analysis, and summaries generated by a pre-trained T5 model.
\nThere are two endpoints, /Articles, and /Sources.
\nThe /Articles endpoint allow you to query for specific NER metadata such as:
\nThe /Sources endpoint provides information on over 500 news sources of the articles and includes:
\nThis request queries the articles endpoint to retrieve articles for a specific news source (420-intel)
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This is to say that one year in cannabis feels like seven (or more) in any other industry, due to the constant change and normalization of a newly legal industry. The cannabis landscape across the U.S. has changed dramatically over the past 10 years since Washington and Colorado first legalized adult-use cannabis in 2012. More states have legalized both adult-use (21 states) and medical cannabis (39) , creating a new, multibillion-dollar industry in just a few short years. But with so much change in cannabis across varying state markets, it can often be hard to keep track of what is happening when and where. Below is a roadmap explaining where we’ve been and what’s ahead for the cannabis industry, as well as key dates and information to keep in mind in the New Year. Dec. 1, 2022: Rhode Island Launches Adult-Use Sales The Ocean State launched adult-use cannabis sales in the final month of 2022, becoming the 16 th state to expand commercial access to cannabis for adults 21 and older. The opening of adult-use sales comes just over six months after Gov. Dan McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act on May 25. When adult-use sales launched Dec. 1, five existing compassion centers were given the green light to commence sales with hybrid (medical/adult-use) retail licenses: Aura of Rhode Island (Central Falls), Thomas C. Slater Center (Providence), Mother Earth Wellness (Pawtucket), Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center (Portsmouth), RISE Warwick (Warwick). “This milestone is the result of a carefully executed process to ensure that our state’s entry into this emerging market was done in a safe, controlled and equitable manner,” McKee said in a Nov. 22 announcement . “It is also a win for our statewide economy and our strong, locally based cannabis supply chain, which consists of nearly 70 licensed cultivators, processors and manufacturers in addition to our licensed compassion centers. Finally, I thank the leadership of the General Assembly for passing this practical implementation framework in the Rhode Island Cannabis Act, and I look forward to continuing our work together on this issue.” Read more about the latest in Rhode Island cannabis here . Dec. 29, 2022: New York To Launch Adult-Use Sales After months of uncertainty, New York's Cannabis Control Board (CCB) will in fact meet its self-imposed deadline to launch adult-use cannabis sales by the end of the year. Housing Works Cannabis Co., located at Broadway and Eighth Street in Manhattan, will be the first New York adult-use dispensary to open its doors at 4:20 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 29, the New York Office of Cannabis Management announced during a Dec. 21 board meeting. \\\"It is our goal to be the first,\\\" Housing Works CEO Charles King told Spectrum News NY1. “We will not on the 29th have the build-out complete, but we will have a number of our display cases and cash registers up and be able to serve people.” Housing Works Cannabis Co. is one of eight nonprofits CCB approved for a retail cannabis license in November , CBT reported. The company is the nation's largest minority-controlled and largest community-based HIV/AIDS service organization, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a press release . “We set a course just nine months ago to start New York’s adult-use cannabis market off on the right foot by prioritizing equity, and now, we’re fulfilling that goal,” Hochul said. “The industry will continue to grow from here, creating inclusive opportunity in every corner of New York State with revenues directed to our schools and revitalizing communities.” While Housing Works Cannabis Co. is the first New York dispensary to open, CCB regulators will ultimately grant 175 total retail licenses to as many as 150 individuals and 25 nonprofits. “Today is a monumental day for New York’s nascent cannabis industry,” CCB Chair Tremaine Wright said in a Nov. 21 public statement. “With the first adult-use retail dispensary licenses in the hands of businesses and eligible nonprofits, we’ve ensured the first sales will be made at dispensaries operated by those impacted by the unjust enforcement of cannabis prohibition. This is just the start; we will continue to work to build an industry that is open to anyone who wants to participate. Many thanks to Gov. Kathy Hochul and her unwavering support as we all work to make sure New York has the most equitable and inclusive cannabis industry in the nation.” Read more about the latest in New York cannabis here . Jan. 10, 2023: Connecticut to Launch Adult-Use Sales After Gov. Ned Lamont signed adult-use cannabis legalization into law in June 2021, many industry stakeholders in Connecticut hoped and anticipated adult-use sales would launch in the state before the end of 2022. However, unlike neighboring Rhode Island, Connecticut was unable launch sales before the calendar turned to the New Year. The delay stemmed from Connecticut state law requiring 250,000 square feet of growing and manufacturing space to be approved for adult-use production before sales can begin. This, in turn, requires all four of the state’s existing medical cannabis producers to receive approval to serve the adult-use program and convert their facilities to be able to meet production needs. Now that all four of the state’s cannabis producers—Advanced Grow Labs, Connecticut Pharmaceutical Solutions, Curaleaf, and Therplant —have been approved for adult-use production and have completed their conversion process, Connecticut will begin adult-use sales on Jan. 10. Nine existing hybrid (medical and adult-use) dispensaries also completed the necessary steps to participate in the Jan. 10 sales launch and were notified by the state’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). Those retail operators are: Affinity, Bluepoint Wellness of Connecticut, Still River Wellness, Fine Fettle Dispensary – Newington, Fine Fettle Dispensary – Stamford, Fine Fettle Dispensary – Willimantic, The Botanist – Danbury, The Botanist – Montville, and Willow Brooke Wellness. “I am proud of the hard work our team has done to meet the goal of opening adult-use sales in a safe, well-regulated market,” DCP Commissioner Michelle Seagull said in a press release . “We know that many people are excited to participate in this marketplace, whether as a business or a consumer, and we encourage adults who choose to purchase and consume these products to do so responsibly once sales begin on January 10.” Read more about the latest in Connecticut cannabis here . March 7, 2023: Oklahoma’s Special Election for Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Oklahoma voters will finally have their say on adult-use cannabis in March. In October 2022, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt declared a special election to be held on March 7, 2023, to allow voters to decide State Question 820, which would legalize adult-use cannabis in the Sooner State. The special election comes after an initiative to place adult-use cannabis legalization on the November 2022 ballot was quashed when Secretary of State Brian Bringman’s office took longer than expected to verify petition signatures. That delay caused Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws (OSML), the group behind what has been dubbed the Yes on 820 Campaign, to miss the deadline to finalize the measure ahead of the November elections. OSML submitted roughly 164,000 signatures—much more than the required minimum of 94,911 signatures—to Bringman’s office on July 5, 2022. OSML was told the verification process would take two to three weeks, “which was historically how long it had taken to manually count signatures,” according to the state’s Supreme Court ruling, but a slow signature count caused OSML leaders to miss the Aug. 26 deadline to finalize the ballot measure. But now, thanks to Stitt’s declaration of a special election, voters in Oklahoma will make their decision on whether to legalize adult-use cannabis. The measure would authorize the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) to administer and enforce the law and would impose a 15% excise tax on adult-use sales, above applicable taxes. That excise tax revenue will fund the law’s implementation, with any surplus directed to public schools to address substance abuse and improve student retention, as well as to the General Revenue Fund, drug addiction treatment programs, courts, and local governments. \\\"After all the delays caused by the new signature count process, we are excited to finally be on the ballot on March 7, 2023, so that Oklahomans can experience the benefits of the State Question without further delay,” Yes on 820 Campaign Director Michelle Tilley said in a public statement. “We are grateful the voices of over 164,000 Oklahomans who signed the petition and want to vote on legalizing recreational marijuana for adults in Oklahoma have been heard.” Read more about the latest in Oklahoma cannabis here . Sometime in 2023: Missouri Could Launch Adult-Use Sales Cannabis is now legal in the Show-Me State after voters approved Amendment 3 at the polls this past November, becoming the 21st state to legalize cannabis. The measure allows Missourians 21 and older to possess up to 3 ounces of cannabis flower or an equivalent amount in other forms, establishes a lottery for adult-use licenses, allows for home cultivation of up to six mature cannabis plants (with no more than 12 mature plants per residence), imposes a 6% sales tax, and more. Cannabis possession became legal in Missouri beginning Dec. 8, 2022, which is the same day the state’s Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) began accepting requests from existing medical cannabis operators to convert to “comprehensive” facilities to be able to serve both markets. Those who intend to cultivate cannabis at home, meanwhile, can apply for noncommercial licenses beginning Feb. 6. Just two days after voters approved constitutional Amendment 3, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services published the first draft of program rules on Nov. 10. DCR sought feedback on the draft rules through Nov. 25, with final rules for the state’s adult-use cannabis program to be filed in February. While it remains unclear when exactly adult-use sales could launch in Missouri, it appears the state is focused on the task at hand. “With the passage of Amendment 3, the Department will quickly make adjustments to the existing medical marijuana program while implementing a new adult consumer program,” DCR said in a release on their website. “The Department has planned for these changes. As was the case in implementing the medical marijuana program, the Department will accept and carefully consider public input on how the new law should be implemented in Missouri.” Read more about the latest in Missouri cannabis here . July 1, 2023: Cannabis Possession Becomes Legal in Maryland Now that cannabis is legal in Maryland after voters approved Question 4 in the November election, it’s only a matter of time until the state’s adult-use cannabis program comes to fruition. While ambiguity remains around when licenses will be awarded, when regulations will be released, and when sales will launch, cannabis possession becomes legal in the Free State beginning July 1, 2023. The state’s cannabis program will be run by the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission , which has not issued any recent updates. Question 4 passed in Maryland by a 65.4% to 34.6% margin, officially making Maryland the 20 th state to legalize adult-use cannabis. Medical cannabis has been legal in the state since the passing of House Bill 881 in 2014. The approval of Question 4 allows for adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis, 12 grams of concentrate, 750 milligrams of delta-9 THC or two plants for personal use. \\\"For Marylanders, legalization will further stimulate the state's economy, create good-paying jobs, reconcile long-standing racial inequities, and generate tax revenue for vital community investments, while significantly expanding access to the therapeutic benefits of cannabis,\\\" said Wendy Bronfein, co-founder, chief brand officer and director of public policy for Maryland-based Curio Wellness. \\\"We look forward to bringing our market-leading suit of products to all Marylanders next year.\\\" In more positive news for Maryland’s cannabis industry, newly elected Gov. Wes Moore has been a past advocate of cannabis legalization, with a specific focus on creating an equitable industry in the state. “We cannot talk about the benefits of legalization if we’re also not dealing with the consequences of criminalization,” Moore said in an Oct. 12, 2022, gubernatorial debate with Republican candidate Dan Cox. “We’ve seen inside communities—particularly Black and Brown communities that have been disproportionately harmed—that we have to focus on things like automatic record expungement for those who have cannabis convictions. We have to focus on things like being able to deal with the pardoning of people who have criminal records for something that is now a burgeoning industry in the state of Maryland.” Read more about the latest in Maryland cannabis here . Nov. 2023: Ohio (Again) Pushing for Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Cannabis advocates in Ohio had their 2022 adult-use legalization campaign suspended by a lawsuit , but the buck(eye) doesn’t stop there. There are currently two initiatives seeking support to legalize adult-use cannabis in Ohio: The Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative, backed by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, and House Bill 382, introduced by state Reps. Casey Weinstein, D-Hudson, and Terrence Upchurch, D-Cleveland. The adult-use legalization initiative has been cleared for signature gathering to qualify for the November 2023 ballot, CBT reported . The campaign has until about the end of January to get the 130,000 signatures needed to put the initiative on the 2023 ballot, according to a Cleveland.com report . CRMLA has been down this road before. In December 2021, the Coalition submitted 206,943 signatures—much more than the required 132,877 signatures required—to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. In early January 2022, LaRose announced his office rejected more than 87,000 of those signatures, leaving the petition effort short by 13,062 signatures, which led to the lawsuit filed by CRMLA against Ohio GOP leadership. The adult-use legalization proposal would legalize cannabis purchasing and consumption for adults aged 21 and older while also creating a new state regulatory agency, the Division of Cannabis Control. It would also levy a 10% sales tax on adult-use cannabis sales, with tax revenue distributed among several entities, including a social equity fund, a substance abuse and addiction fund, and municipalities that host cannabis businesses. CRMLA says it will continue to collect signatures to qualify the measure for the November 2023 ballot. “We expect that we’ll be able to do it,” Tom Haren, an attorney working on the campaign, told Cleveland.com . “We’ll have staff get ready. Our intention is to give Ohio voters an opportunity to weigh in if the General Assembly continues to ignore them.” H.B. 382 , meanwhile, was heard by the Ohio House Finance Committee on Dec. 6, just before the legislative session adjourned Dec. 21. Under H.B. 382, consumers would be able to possess up to 5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates. The proposal would also create a cannabis regulatory agency within the Ohio Department of Commerce to oversee licensing for cultivators, processors, retailers and testing laboratories, while also levying a 10% tax on retailers’ gross sales. The revenue generated from that tax would be divided among road and bridge maintenance (35%), K-12 education (35%), as well as funding for dispensary-friendly municipalities. Furthermore, the legislation also mandates $20 million to be allocated in the program’s first two years to clinic trials and research towards cannabis treatment options for veterans “Our state is actively losing dollars to neighboring states with recreational programs and missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in potential tax revenue,” Weinstein said at the Dec. 6 hearing, according to NBC 4. Read more about the latest in Ohio cannabis here . Jan. 1, 2024: Virginia to Launch Adult-Use Sales — Maybe Virginia’s adult-use cannabis program is in limbo, to say the least. On April 7, 2021, the Virginia General Assembly approved then-Gov. Ralph Northam’s proposal to amend the state’s bill to legalize adult-use cannabis in 2024. Under the amendment, cannabis possession and home cultivation became legal in Virginia on July 1, 2021, but retail sales aren’t scheduled to launch until Jan. 1, 2024. However, given a change in the state’s political leadership—Republican Glenn Youngkin was elected Governor in November 2021 and assumed office January 2022—along with the challenges of jumpstarting a new industry, questions remain as to whether cannabis sales will actually launch at the beginning of 2024. The 2021 legislation established a Cannabis Control Authority (CCA), which is responsible for granting, suspending or revoking licenses. The CCA may award licenses to up to 450 cultivators, 400 retailers, 60 manufacturers and 25 wholesalers. However, as CBT reported , those license classifications were not codified in 2021 and, when the General Assembly had the chance to codify them in 2022, they failed to do so. “Half the bill is basically just dead. It didn’t get enacted,” Ngiste Abebe, vice president of public policy at multistate cannabis operator Columbia Care, told CBT . “There are folks who’ve talked about, like, ‘They have to start [adult-use] sales in 2024.’ And they don’t actually. If they don’t have any license types that are codified, and regulations aren’t promulgated, then you can’t actually start sales in 2024. You need a lot more than one sentence to get that done.” Under current Virginia law, adults 21 and older can legally possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis and home grow up to four plants per residence. When Virginians might be able to purchase that cannabis at a state-legal dispensary, however, remains to be seen. Virginia’s General Assembly will reconvene in January 2023, and time will tell if lawmakers expedite the process to roll out the state’s adult-use program. Read more about the latest in Virginia cannabis here . A group of 29 lawmakers are urging President Biden to understand the necessity of federally descheduling cannabis after Biden announced plans in October to direct Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to launch a review of how cannabis is scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Brian Mast, R-Fla., as well as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led 24 of their colleagues in submitting a letter calling on Biden’s administration to deschedule cannabis. “The instruction for the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Justice to review the scheduling of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act was necessary and welcome,” the lawmakers wrote in the Dec. 22 letter. “However, it is time to deschedule marijuana. While Congress works to send you a comprehensive legalization bill, the administration should recognize the merits of full descheduling.” RELATED: To Reschedule or Deschedule? Plant-Touching Businesses Weigh In “Marijuana does not belong in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, a classification intended for exceptionally dangerous substances with high potential for abuse and no medical use,” the lawmakers continued. “The decision to schedule marijuana was rooted in stigma rather than an evidence-based process, and it is time to fully remedy this wrong. Descheduling marijuana can uphold federal and state authority to regulate cannabis, while also authorizing states that wish to continue to prohibit cannabis production and sales the right to do so.” The letter comes just days after lawmakers failed to reach a deal to include the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act in this year’s $1.7 trillion federal spending package. The legislation would have allowed federally regulated banks to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. \\\"Descheduling also provides the clearest path to address the legal uncertainty facing small businesses in states with regulated cannabis markets by creating opportunities for regulating and taxing commercial marijuana activities,” lawmakers wrote in their letter this week. “Over 400,000 employees are supported by the legal cannabis industry and estimates suggest an employment potential of approximately 1.5 million to 1.75 million workers in a mature U.S. legal cannabis market. The industry also sold a combined $24.6 billion worth of cannabis products last year and generated over $3.7 billion in tax revenue from sales. These numbers suggest that descheduling cannabis will have positive economic and employment benefits for millions of people.\\\" Detroit officials announced the winners of the city’s first 33 adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses Dec. 22 after legal challenges delayed the process. The city’s Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship announced Thursday that it awarded licenses to 13 non-equity applicants and 20 equity applicants under Detroit’s revised adult-use cannabis ordinance, which city officials adopted in April. The Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship awarded the non-equity licenses to the following applicants: Luxury Loud THC Detroit Det Natural Jars Cannabis House of Dank SMOK Oz Cannabis MPP Services West Coast Meds Cookies Southwest Meds Leaf and Bud Playa Kind The following equity applicants were issued licenses: House of Zen LIV Cannabis Motor City Kush Liberty Cannabis High Profile Chronic City Plan B DaCut Blue Wave The Remedy Cloud Cannabis Gage 313 Detroit Herbal Ctr Nuggets Livernois Provision Inhale TJM Enterprises The Herbalist Ivy League SJTC Enterprises The Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship published a full listing of the applicants in all categories, as well as their scores, here . Michigan launched adult-use cannabis sales in December 2019, and Detroit’s efforts to adopt an adult-use ordinance and issue business licenses have been delayed by legal challenges. \\\"Our goal from the day voters approved the sale of adult-use marijuana was to make sure we had a city ordinance and a process in place that provides fair and equitable access to these licenses and the courts have affirmed that we've done just that,\\\" Mayor Mike Duggan said in a public statement. \\\"Council President Pro-Tem [James] Tate, and our Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity and Law Department deserve a great deal of credit for making this historic day possible.\\\" U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman issued a 19-page injunction last year to block the Detroit City Council’s original adult-use ordinance, which included plans to allow business entrepreneurs to obtain “Detroit Legacy” status when applying for an adult-use license. The legacy provision would have also given preference to applicants with low incomes or past cannabis-related convictions. Friedman called the original ordinance “likely unconstitutional” in his ruling, prompting Detroit officials to adopt the revised ordinance earlier this year. Under the new ordinance, 160 adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses will be available in the city, half of which are reserved for social equity applicants. The new plan provides separate licensing processes for Detroit residents and non-residents, so that the two types of potential licensees do not compete against each other. The revised ordinance also opens up licensing for cannabis consumption lounges and microbusinesses. Two separate lawsuits were filed earlier this year to challenge the new ordinance. In the first round of litigation , a group of medical cannabis dispensaries challenged a provision that they claimed prohibited medical cannabis operators from receiving adult-use licenses for the first several years of the program. JARS Cannabis then filed a second lawsuit alleging that the ordinance violates Michigan law by giving licensing preference to certain applicants. Wayne County Circuit Judge Leslie Kim Smith dismissed both lawsuits in August, but new litigation followed in September. The most recent lawsuit, filed by a prospective business owner and a medical cannabis company in Detroit, claimed the city’s adult-use ordinance gives unfair preference to longtime Detroit residents, but Friedman—the same judge who struck down the city’s original ordinance as unconstitutional— denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, paving the way for Detroit officials to issue the first round of licenses. \\\"I am thankful for Judge Friedman’s wisdom in ruling today against the temporary restraining order that would have again prevented Detroit from moving forward with our current Adult-Use Marijuana Ordinance,\\\" Council President Pro-Tem James Tate said in a public statement. \\\"Three months ago, a Wayne County Circuit Court judge declared our ordinance ‘unambiguous’ and ‘a fair licensing process.’ Despite clear rulings issued by the courts, various plaintiffs continue their frivolous attempts to dominate the adult-use cannabis industry in the city in an effort to leave Detroiters and other Social Equity applicants out of the market. Hopefully today’s rejection resonates.\\\" Detroit’s adult-use ordinance allowed officials to approve up to 20 general applications and up to 20 social equity applications in this first round of licensing, as well as 10 applications for microbusinesses and 10 for consumption lounges. RELATED: Detroit Receives 90 Applications for 60 Available Adult-Use Cannabis Licenses While the 20 social equity applicants with the highest total scores secure licenses this round, only 13 general applicants with the highest overall score were awarded licenses because the next 20 applicants had tied scores that did not qualify for a lottery selection under Detroit’s ordinance. Therefore, the remaining seven general licenses will not be issued during this first round of licensing. In addition, no applications submitted for the 10 microbusiness and 10 consumption lounge licenses met all the criteria for approval during this round. Unsuccessful applicants for all license types can apply again in the second round of licensing. Regulators, lawmakers and industry members have spent the past year laying the groundwork for an adult-use cannabis industry that was legalized in March of last year . In that time, they’ve built a unique plan that attempts to prioritize equity by offering additional opportunities to those disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs; minority, women and small business owners; and hemp growers. (See below for a full timeline of New York regulators' initiatives throughout the year.) But despite their efforts, the state has yet to begin retail sales, as regulators had planned do by the end of this year. With just days left in 2022, is a launch by the year’s end still attainable? Now that all the regulatory pieces are in place along the supply chain, some operators are still holding on to hope. Housing Works, a nonprofit organization that operates other businesses, recently announced its plans to open its dispensary doors by Dec. 29, kicking off sales that have been nearly two years in the making. New York has tried to position its adult-use program as “a model for the rest of the nation,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul in October . Regulators and lawmakers have hefty goals for the program–and in a state expected to do $1 billion in legal cannabis sales “relatively quickly,” according to Cannabis NYC Director Dasheeda Dawson, all eyes are sure to be on New York when adult-use sales do commence. Eyeing Equity A major focus of the regulations laid out this year has revolved around social equity. Hochul kicked off 2022 with a dedication of $200 million for a Social Equity Cannabis Investment Program to help develop conditional adult-use cannabis dispensaries for social equity licensees. The fund is a key component of the state’s Seeding Opportunity Initiative —an effort to promote social equity by allowing individuals with prior cannabis-related convictions to make the first adult-use cannabis sales in New York. (That wasn’t the only state-administered money dedicated to cannabis in New York this year. In July, Hochul announced an additional $5 million in grants that would go to public colleges to fund cannabis education.) In March, the state announced it’d be issuing its first approximately 150 adult-use dispensary licenses to applicants with cannabis-related convictions, which could either be awarded to nonprofits or businesses led by someone with a prior cannabis-related conviction. The state has also promised to award 50% of New York’s total adult-use cannabis licenses to social equity applicants. New York’s attempt at equity extends beyond social aspects–the state is also attempting to level the business playing field. The latest adult-use regulations proposed in late November only permit vertical integration for microbusiness licensees or existing medical operators, prohibiting larger operators from getting even bigger. The state has also spent the year issuing cannabis cultivation licenses to hemp growers. And while the transition from hemp to cannabis isn’t necessarily easy, it has provided an additional opportunity to bolster a struggling industry. “ It is a potentially great solution for both the state and hemp farmers, in the sense that, with hemp prices dropping over the last couple years, it’s an opportunity to produce a more lucrative crop, while also jump-starting the supply for the recreational or adult-use market, whenever that comes online for New York,” Douglas Sargent, partner at the cannabis law practice group at Greenspoon Marder LLP , told CBT in March . New York regulators have also worked to incorporate other beneficial elements into the state’s adult-use program, such as an environmental sustainability program for cannabis packaging . Will New York Live Up to the Hype? Now that the state has finished laying out regulations from seed to sale, it approved the first Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses in late November . (Regulators plan to issue up to 175 total retail licenses eventually.) One of those was to Housing Works, a nonprofit that operates a range of direct and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS, the homeless, formerly incarcerated, and justice-involved individuals, according to the governor’s office. It also operates a network of charitable retail storefronts. “It is our goal to be the first,” Housing Works CEO Charles King told Spectrum News NY1 Dec. 14 when discussing the dispensary's opening. “We will not on the 29th have the build-out complete, but we will have a number of our display cases and cash registers up and be able to serve people.” After a year of planning, only time will tell whether the state’s regulations will solidify into a successful, equitable industry. Some plans have already changed—for example, part of the $200 million Hochul set aside at the beginning of the year was supposed to go toward providing turnkey retail locations for CAURD licensees. However, after fund managers failed to raise the money to provide those fully furnished dispensaries, the state's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced licensees were able to start submitting their own proposed locations and plans for storefronts. Operators, while optimistic, are also cautious about certain aspects of the state's plan. “We applaud what [New York] is attempting to do with its [adult-use] market. … However, [the state] is still coming up short in a few areas – the program's rollout has been choppy and problematic,” said Chenae Bullock, general manager of Little Beach Harvest , in an email. “For example, the fact that farmers who were given the ability to grow cannabis this year are now sitting on harvested flowers with few, if any, places to sell their crops, may lead to a devastating financial blow to those the state was trying to help. And just as it is in [California], the illicit side of the industry is a big issue for [New York]—how to manage that so there’s a safe and productive legal industry is a challenge that the state has not yet figured out a solution to.” But those who helped lay out the framework still have hope that they can set an example for other adult-use states to follow. “I think the [Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act] really allows us to lean into this, but we really want to be a No. 1 global hub—seen [in] New York City as the hub of cannabis, if you will—with real excellence in the industry and education and equity across business, science, and culture,” Dawson of Cannabis NYC told CBT in October . Cannabis in New York: A Year in Review >>Jan. 5: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announces during her State of the State address that officials will create a $200 million fund to support social equity cannabis businesses. Read more >>Jan. 25: The state expands its medical program by expanding patient access and eligibility, and by permitting New York doctors to recommend medical cannabis for any condition. Read more >>Feb. 22: The state approves hemp businesses in the state to grow and process adult-use cannabis to help get product on dispensary shelves when adult-use sales launch. Read more >>March 10: Hochul unveils the “Seeding Opportunity Initiative,” which aims to “position individuals with prior cannabis-related criminal offenses to make the first adult-use cannabis sales with products grown by New York farmers,” according to a press release. Read more >>April 4: The state launches a public education campaign to highlight adult-use cannabis laws. Read more >>April 14: Lawmakers introduce a bill to expand banking for cannabis businesses in the state, which eventually stalls in the state Congress. Read more The state’s Cannabis Control Board (CCB) also approves its first round of cannabis cultivation licenses for hemp farmers. Read more >>June 2: The state approves regulations for labeling, marketing, advertising and testing adult-use products. Read more >>June 22: Hochul announces the selection of Social Equity Impact Ventures LLC, a minority-led investment team, to sponsor and manage New York’s $200-million Social Equity Cannabis Investment Program. Read more The CCB also opens applications for adult-use cannabis processors. Read more >>July 14: The CCB approves regulations to ensure the first round of dispensary licenses goes to applicants with past cannabis-related convictions. Read more >>July 19: Hochul commits $5 million in grants to public colleges to fund cannabis education. Read more >>Aug. 15: Regulators approve testing regulations and appoint a director of policy to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). Read more >>Aug. 25: New York begins accepting dispensary license applications. Read more >>Sept. 21: Regulators approve medical cannabis home-grow regulations. Read more >>Sept. 29: The OCM announces it received more than 900 applications from cannabis retail operators and approves up to 150 licenses they planned to distribute to 14 regions throughout the state, with the number of licenses in each region based on population. Read more >>Oct. 28: The OCM releases guidance for adult-use retailers that sets expectations for those ultimately awarded retail licenses. Read more >>Nov. 21: The CCB approves the first 36 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses and advances comprehensive regulations for the state’s adult-use program. Read more >>Dec. 9: The OCM provides guidance for delivery sales while also changing the rules for securing retail locations. Read more >>Dec. 15: The state introduces a cannabis dispensary verification tool to allow consumers to verify that they’re purchasing from a state-licensed dispensary. Read more >>Dec. 21: The OCM announces sales will commence Dec. 29 when licensee Housing Works is due to open its doors. Read more Cannabis data and research company BDSA projects U.S. cannabis sales to grow from $25 billion in 2021 to $42 billion by 2026, with the new and emerging markets driving the majority of that growth, according to the company’s fall 2022 global cannabis market forecast . Cannabis Business Times spoke with BDSA CEO Roy Bingham to gather the company’s predictions on where the industry is headed in 2023 based on findings from its market forecast report. RELATED: Eastern Cannabis Markets Expected to Dominate Bingham says the company anticipates price compression and competition from the illicit market to continue to be a challenge for operators in 2023. The company also anticipates sales in mature markets to continue to decline in the new year, while sales in new and emerging markets, like New York and New Jersey, will see brisk growth. Here, Bingham offers additional insight into what to expect going into next year. AR: Does BDSA anticipate price compression and competition from the illicit market to continue challenging cannabis operators in 2023? RB: Yes, we do. Unfortunately, we see the illicit market being a factor in certain states. I’m always worried about generalizing, but it is a significant factor in California, for example. ( Editor’s note: According to a Los Angeles Times special report, unlicensed cannabis operations outnumber licensed operations in many of California’s most extensive cultivation areas, such as Trinity, Mendocino and Humboldt counties, by 10 to 1, CBT reported .) It’s also a significant factor in some of the newer markets like New York, and it’s unfair competition for the players who are going through the licensing process or have gone through the licensing process. What does it do? Well, it causes price compression because it means that there’s an excess live wholesale product, but also because the illicit channel doesn’t carry the burden of expenses and additional taxes. Therefore, on a comparative basis for a consumer, especially when a consumer can’t always tell whether it’s a licensed dispensary or an unlicensed one, they’re going to find less expensive products most of the time in the unlicensed channels. It’s a significant factor this year, and we expect it to continue to be quite severe in some markets and moderate in other markets where there isn’t very much of an illicit market. AR: You mentioned New York, which is anticipated to launch its adult-use sales Dec. 29. Why did you add New York to that equation? RB: New York seems to have a situation right now where people are purchasing cannabis on every block through illicit sales that are going on without any regulatory intervention. So when licensed stores do open, the question is, what advantages do they have over the illicit operators? And the answer is, apart from what they could generate in terms of awareness; they don’t have great advantages. AR: In BDSA’s most recent market forecast, the company projects the global cannabis industry to hit $57 billion by 2026. What markets are the main drivers in that projection? RB: That projection includes, for the first time, really significant numbers coming from overseas, or I should say, not [just] overseas, because Mexico is going to be a major contributor to the numbers. Germany, as well, with its adult-use market for the first time, [and] of course, Canada. We’ve always expected good growth in Canada. But the significant growth drivers in the United States are the emerging markets in the Midwest and the northeast. So northeast is up and running, with Massachusetts, etctrea, and the expansion is coming now with New York and New Jersey. RELATED: ‘Rounding the Corners:’ Reviewing Canada’s Cannabis Act 4 Years Later AR: New York is projected to launch its adult-use market by year-end. What opportunities does New York’s cannabis market provide for the U.S. Industry? RB: First off, it’s a big state with [nearly] 20 million in population. … We think it will be the third-largest market by 2026, primarily as a result of that population. Will it be an easy path to get to that scale? It doesn’t look like it’s going to be very easy for many of the operators because of the continuing illicit market activity and the regulatory burden and challenges associated with operating legally. AR: The mature legal cannabis markets in the U.S. saw sales decrease in 2022. Does BDSA forecast mature markets to continue to struggle with price pressure and regulatory issues in 2023? Why or why not? RB: We think it will continue to be a challenge in California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Arizona, where prices in 2022 declined significantly, and they drove declines in the overall dollars in those markets. The prices were decreasing so fast that the incremental amount of sales didn’t maintain the pace of the price. So, wholesale prices have also come down steeply in those mature markets. We think that that trend will continue, not as severely as in 2022, but the same pricing pressure is still there. AR: As more brands enter the market, companies need to focus on differentiating themselves in the marketplace. From a marketing standpoint, what does BDSA expect brands to focus on in 2023? RB: I think if you start with the types of products that are going to be popular, and based upon what we’ve seen in the second half of 2022, we have optimism for solventless products in edibles and concentrates, for example. So, dab-able and vapable rosin, for example, have grown very significantly. We think that’s a trend that will continue across most states. Live resin vape cartridges have also shown dramatic growth in 2022. We think that’s going to continue because solventless seems to offer a superior flavor profile. We are [also] seeing companies differentiating their product with both minor cannabinoid and terpene content being called out out as an important feature of the product now, whether they’re being added or they were [already in the] products and now they’re choosing to feature [them]. AR: How does BDSA predict the retail experience will change in 2023? RB: It’s subject to local regulations, so it varies from state to state. I was recently in Seattle, and I went into a couple of dispensaries there where you have a much more open feel and ability to actually browse the products. You can’t pick them up, but you can certainly walk around, sort of like a boutique shopping experience, which you don’t tend to see. In other states, it tends to be deli-style, and you walk up to the budtender, and you can’t see very much of the products. I was also in Las Vegas a month or two ago, and going to a place like Planet 13, it’s a bit more consumer-friendly, but it’s still sort of structured around the budtender interaction. We see a continuation of the trends that were established during the COVID-19 [pandemic], such as curbside pickup and delivery, and now we’re seeing various direct-to-consumer methods of delivery being adopted. We also see increasing convenience for the consumer and, wherever possible, a more pleasant and comfortable shopping experience for consumers to be a high priority for retailers. AR: Is there anything I missed or you think would be beneficial to add? RB: No, what we are seeing is an increase in sophistication and education efforts for consumers. … Consumers are getting better informed, which is driving the interest in minor cannabinoids and terpenes, for example. And [with] the opportunity to trial products, we are still expecting that to lead to greater brand loyalty. However, we’re still not seeing behavior that says brands have already emerged as being preferred brands with excellent recall, and people are willing to pay more for those brands yet. That’s obviously a big trend. Very sophisticated marketers are entering the market, and that is their goal. We expect to see some making dramatic progress with the consumer in the next 12 months. 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Reps. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Brian Mast, R-Fla., as well as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led 24 of their colleagues in submitting a letter calling on Biden’s administration to deschedule cannabis. “The instruction for the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Justice to review the scheduling of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act was necessary and welcome,” the lawmakers wrote in the Dec. 22 letter. “However, it is time to deschedule marijuana. While Congress works to send you a comprehensive legalization bill, the administration should recognize the merits of full descheduling.” RELATED: To Reschedule or Deschedule? Plant-Touching Businesses Weigh In “Marijuana does not belong in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, a classification intended for exceptionally dangerous substances with high potential for abuse and no medical use,” the lawmakers continued. “The decision to schedule marijuana was rooted in stigma rather than an evidence-based process, and it is time to fully remedy this wrong. Descheduling marijuana can uphold federal and state authority to regulate cannabis, while also authorizing states that wish to continue to prohibit cannabis production and sales the right to do so.” The letter comes just days after lawmakers failed to reach a deal to include the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act in this year’s $1.7 trillion federal spending package. The legislation would have allowed federally regulated banks to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. \\\"Descheduling also provides the clearest path to address the legal uncertainty facing small businesses in states with regulated cannabis markets by creating opportunities for regulating and taxing commercial marijuana activities,” lawmakers wrote in their letter this week. “Over 400,000 employees are supported by the legal cannabis industry and estimates suggest an employment potential of approximately 1.5 million to 1.75 million workers in a mature U.S. legal cannabis market. The industry also sold a combined $24.6 billion worth of cannabis products last year and generated over $3.7 billion in tax revenue from sales. These numbers suggest that descheduling cannabis will have positive economic and employment benefits for millions of people.\\\" Detroit officials announced the winners of the city’s first 33 adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses Dec. 22 after legal challenges delayed the process. The city’s Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship announced Thursday that it awarded licenses to 13 non-equity applicants and 20 equity applicants under Detroit’s revised adult-use cannabis ordinance, which city officials adopted in April. The Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship awarded the non-equity licenses to the following applicants: Luxury Loud THC Detroit Det Natural Jars Cannabis House of Dank SMOK Oz Cannabis MPP Services West Coast Meds Cookies Southwest Meds Leaf and Bud Playa Kind The following equity applicants were issued licenses: House of Zen LIV Cannabis Motor City Kush Liberty Cannabis High Profile Chronic City Plan B DaCut Blue Wave The Remedy Cloud Cannabis Gage 313 Detroit Herbal Ctr Nuggets Livernois Provision Inhale TJM Enterprises The Herbalist Ivy League SJTC Enterprises The Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship published a full listing of the applicants in all categories, as well as their scores, here . Michigan launched adult-use cannabis sales in December 2019, and Detroit’s efforts to adopt an adult-use ordinance and issue business licenses have been delayed by legal challenges. \\\"Our goal from the day voters approved the sale of adult-use marijuana was to make sure we had a city ordinance and a process in place that provides fair and equitable access to these licenses and the courts have affirmed that we've done just that,\\\" Mayor Mike Duggan said in a public statement. \\\"Council President Pro-Tem [James] Tate, and our Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity and Law Department deserve a great deal of credit for making this historic day possible.\\\" U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman issued a 19-page injunction last year to block the Detroit City Council’s original adult-use ordinance, which included plans to allow business entrepreneurs to obtain “Detroit Legacy” status when applying for an adult-use license. The legacy provision would have also given preference to applicants with low incomes or past cannabis-related convictions. Friedman called the original ordinance “likely unconstitutional” in his ruling, prompting Detroit officials to adopt the revised ordinance earlier this year. Under the new ordinance, 160 adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses will be available in the city, half of which are reserved for social equity applicants. The new plan provides separate licensing processes for Detroit residents and non-residents, so that the two types of potential licensees do not compete against each other. The revised ordinance also opens up licensing for cannabis consumption lounges and microbusinesses. Two separate lawsuits were filed earlier this year to challenge the new ordinance. In the first round of litigation , a group of medical cannabis dispensaries challenged a provision that they claimed prohibited medical cannabis operators from receiving adult-use licenses for the first several years of the program. JARS Cannabis then filed a second lawsuit alleging that the ordinance violates Michigan law by giving licensing preference to certain applicants. Wayne County Circuit Judge Leslie Kim Smith dismissed both lawsuits in August, but new litigation followed in September. The most recent lawsuit, filed by a prospective business owner and a medical cannabis company in Detroit, claimed the city’s adult-use ordinance gives unfair preference to longtime Detroit residents, but Friedman—the same judge who struck down the city’s original ordinance as unconstitutional— denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, paving the way for Detroit officials to issue the first round of licenses. \\\"I am thankful for Judge Friedman’s wisdom in ruling today against the temporary restraining order that would have again prevented Detroit from moving forward with our current Adult-Use Marijuana Ordinance,\\\" Council President Pro-Tem James Tate said in a public statement. \\\"Three months ago, a Wayne County Circuit Court judge declared our ordinance ‘unambiguous’ and ‘a fair licensing process.’ Despite clear rulings issued by the courts, various plaintiffs continue their frivolous attempts to dominate the adult-use cannabis industry in the city in an effort to leave Detroiters and other Social Equity applicants out of the market. Hopefully today’s rejection resonates.\\\" Detroit’s adult-use ordinance allowed officials to approve up to 20 general applications and up to 20 social equity applications in this first round of licensing, as well as 10 applications for microbusinesses and 10 for consumption lounges. RELATED: Detroit Receives 90 Applications for 60 Available Adult-Use Cannabis Licenses While the 20 social equity applicants with the highest total scores secure licenses this round, only 13 general applicants with the highest overall score were awarded licenses because the next 20 applicants had tied scores that did not qualify for a lottery selection under Detroit’s ordinance. Therefore, the remaining seven general licenses will not be issued during this first round of licensing. In addition, no applications submitted for the 10 microbusiness and 10 consumption lounge licenses met all the criteria for approval during this round. Unsuccessful applicants for all license types can apply again in the second round of licensing. Regulators, lawmakers and industry members have spent the past year laying the groundwork for an adult-use cannabis industry that was legalized in March of last year . In that time, they’ve built a unique plan that attempts to prioritize equity by offering additional opportunities to those disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs; minority, women and small business owners; and hemp growers. (See below for a full timeline of New York regulators' initiatives throughout the year.) But despite their efforts, the state has yet to begin retail sales, as regulators had planned do by the end of this year. With just days left in 2022, is a launch by the year’s end still attainable? Now that all the regulatory pieces are in place along the supply chain, some operators are still holding on to hope. Housing Works, a nonprofit organization that operates other businesses, recently announced its plans to open its dispensary doors by Dec. 29, kicking off sales that have been nearly two years in the making. New York has tried to position its adult-use program as “a model for the rest of the nation,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul in October . Regulators and lawmakers have hefty goals for the program–and in a state expected to do $1 billion in legal cannabis sales “relatively quickly,” according to Cannabis NYC Director Dasheeda Dawson, all eyes are sure to be on New York when adult-use sales do commence. Eyeing Equity A major focus of the regulations laid out this year has revolved around social equity. Hochul kicked off 2022 with a dedication of $200 million for a Social Equity Cannabis Investment Program to help develop conditional adult-use cannabis dispensaries for social equity licensees. The fund is a key component of the state’s Seeding Opportunity Initiative —an effort to promote social equity by allowing individuals with prior cannabis-related convictions to make the first adult-use cannabis sales in New York. (That wasn’t the only state-administered money dedicated to cannabis in New York this year. In July, Hochul announced an additional $5 million in grants that would go to public colleges to fund cannabis education.) In March, the state announced it’d be issuing its first approximately 150 adult-use dispensary licenses to applicants with cannabis-related convictions, which could either be awarded to nonprofits or businesses led by someone with a prior cannabis-related conviction. The state has also promised to award 50% of New York’s total adult-use cannabis licenses to social equity applicants. New York’s attempt at equity extends beyond social aspects–the state is also attempting to level the business playing field. The latest adult-use regulations proposed in late November only permit vertical integration for microbusiness licensees or existing medical operators, prohibiting larger operators from getting even bigger. The state has also spent the year issuing cannabis cultivation licenses to hemp growers. And while the transition from hemp to cannabis isn’t necessarily easy, it has provided an additional opportunity to bolster a struggling industry. “ It is a potentially great solution for both the state and hemp farmers, in the sense that, with hemp prices dropping over the last couple years, it’s an opportunity to produce a more lucrative crop, while also jump-starting the supply for the recreational or adult-use market, whenever that comes online for New York,” Douglas Sargent, partner at the cannabis law practice group at Greenspoon Marder LLP , told CBT in March . New York regulators have also worked to incorporate other beneficial elements into the state’s adult-use program, such as an environmental sustainability program for cannabis packaging . Will New York Live Up to the Hype? Now that the state has finished laying out regulations from seed to sale, it approved the first Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses in late November . (Regulators plan to issue up to 175 total retail licenses eventually.) One of those was to Housing Works, a nonprofit that operates a range of direct and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS, the homeless, formerly incarcerated, and justice-involved individuals, according to the governor’s office. It also operates a network of charitable retail storefronts. “It is our goal to be the first,” Housing Works CEO Charles King told Spectrum News NY1 Dec. 14 when discussing the dispensary's opening. “We will not on the 29th have the build-out complete, but we will have a number of our display cases and cash registers up and be able to serve people.” After a year of planning, only time will tell whether the state’s regulations will solidify into a successful, equitable industry. Some plans have already changed—for example, part of the $200 million Hochul set aside at the beginning of the year was supposed to go toward providing turnkey retail locations for CAURD licensees. However, after fund managers failed to raise the money to provide those fully furnished dispensaries, the state's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced licensees were able to start submitting their own proposed locations and plans for storefronts. Operators, while optimistic, are also cautious about certain aspects of the state's plan. “We applaud what [New York] is attempting to do with its [adult-use] market. … However, [the state] is still coming up short in a few areas – the program's rollout has been choppy and problematic,” said Chenae Bullock, general manager of Little Beach Harvest , in an email. “For example, the fact that farmers who were given the ability to grow cannabis this year are now sitting on harvested flowers with few, if any, places to sell their crops, may lead to a devastating financial blow to those the state was trying to help. And just as it is in [California], the illicit side of the industry is a big issue for [New York]—how to manage that so there’s a safe and productive legal industry is a challenge that the state has not yet figured out a solution to.” But those who helped lay out the framework still have hope that they can set an example for other adult-use states to follow. “I think the [Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act] really allows us to lean into this, but we really want to be a No. 1 global hub—seen [in] New York City as the hub of cannabis, if you will—with real excellence in the industry and education and equity across business, science, and culture,” Dawson of Cannabis NYC told CBT in October . Cannabis in New York: A Year in Review >>Jan. 5: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announces during her State of the State address that officials will create a $200 million fund to support social equity cannabis businesses. Read more >>Jan. 25: The state expands its medical program by expanding patient access and eligibility, and by permitting New York doctors to recommend medical cannabis for any condition. Read more >>Feb. 22: The state approves hemp businesses in the state to grow and process adult-use cannabis to help get product on dispensary shelves when adult-use sales launch. Read more >>March 10: Hochul unveils the “Seeding Opportunity Initiative,” which aims to “position individuals with prior cannabis-related criminal offenses to make the first adult-use cannabis sales with products grown by New York farmers,” according to a press release. Read more >>April 4: The state launches a public education campaign to highlight adult-use cannabis laws. Read more >>April 14: Lawmakers introduce a bill to expand banking for cannabis businesses in the state, which eventually stalls in the state Congress. Read more The state’s Cannabis Control Board (CCB) also approves its first round of cannabis cultivation licenses for hemp farmers. Read more >>June 2: The state approves regulations for labeling, marketing, advertising and testing adult-use products. Read more >>June 22: Hochul announces the selection of Social Equity Impact Ventures LLC, a minority-led investment team, to sponsor and manage New York’s $200-million Social Equity Cannabis Investment Program. Read more The CCB also opens applications for adult-use cannabis processors. Read more >>July 14: The CCB approves regulations to ensure the first round of dispensary licenses goes to applicants with past cannabis-related convictions. Read more >>July 19: Hochul commits $5 million in grants to public colleges to fund cannabis education. Read more >>Aug. 15: Regulators approve testing regulations and appoint a director of policy to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). Read more >>Aug. 25: New York begins accepting dispensary license applications. Read more >>Sept. 21: Regulators approve medical cannabis home-grow regulations. Read more >>Sept. 29: The OCM announces it received more than 900 applications from cannabis retail operators and approves up to 150 licenses they planned to distribute to 14 regions throughout the state, with the number of licenses in each region based on population. Read more >>Oct. 28: The OCM releases guidance for adult-use retailers that sets expectations for those ultimately awarded retail licenses. Read more >>Nov. 21: The CCB approves the first 36 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses and advances comprehensive regulations for the state’s adult-use program. Read more >>Dec. 9: The OCM provides guidance for delivery sales while also changing the rules for securing retail locations. Read more >>Dec. 15: The state introduces a cannabis dispensary verification tool to allow consumers to verify that they’re purchasing from a state-licensed dispensary. Read more >>Dec. 21: The OCM announces sales will commence Dec. 29 when licensee Housing Works is due to open its doors. Read more Cannabis data and research company BDSA projects U.S. cannabis sales to grow from $25 billion in 2021 to $42 billion by 2026, with the new and emerging markets driving the majority of that growth, according to the company’s fall 2022 global cannabis market forecast . Cannabis Business Times spoke with BDSA CEO Roy Bingham to gather the company’s predictions on where the industry is headed in 2023 based on findings from its market forecast report. RELATED: Eastern Cannabis Markets Expected to Dominate Bingham says the company anticipates price compression and competition from the illicit market to continue to be a challenge for operators in 2023. The company also anticipates sales in mature markets to continue to decline in the new year, while sales in new and emerging markets, like New York and New Jersey, will see brisk growth. Here, Bingham offers additional insight into what to expect going into next year. AR: Does BDSA anticipate price compression and competition from the illicit market to continue challenging cannabis operators in 2023? RB: Yes, we do. Unfortunately, we see the illicit market being a factor in certain states. I’m always worried about generalizing, but it is a significant factor in California, for example. ( Editor’s note: According to a Los Angeles Times special report, unlicensed cannabis operations outnumber licensed operations in many of California’s most extensive cultivation areas, such as Trinity, Mendocino and Humboldt counties, by 10 to 1, CBT reported .) It’s also a significant factor in some of the newer markets like New York, and it’s unfair competition for the players who are going through the licensing process or have gone through the licensing process. What does it do? Well, it causes price compression because it means that there’s an excess live wholesale product, but also because the illicit channel doesn’t carry the burden of expenses and additional taxes. Therefore, on a comparative basis for a consumer, especially when a consumer can’t always tell whether it’s a licensed dispensary or an unlicensed one, they’re going to find less expensive products most of the time in the unlicensed channels. It’s a significant factor this year, and we expect it to continue to be quite severe in some markets and moderate in other markets where there isn’t very much of an illicit market. AR: You mentioned New York, which is anticipated to launch its adult-use sales Dec. 29. Why did you add New York to that equation? RB: New York seems to have a situation right now where people are purchasing cannabis on every block through illicit sales that are going on without any regulatory intervention. So when licensed stores do open, the question is, what advantages do they have over the illicit operators? And the answer is, apart from what they could generate in terms of awareness; they don’t have great advantages. AR: In BDSA’s most recent market forecast, the company projects the global cannabis industry to hit $57 billion by 2026. What markets are the main drivers in that projection? RB: That projection includes, for the first time, really significant numbers coming from overseas, or I should say, not [just] overseas, because Mexico is going to be a major contributor to the numbers. Germany, as well, with its adult-use market for the first time, [and] of course, Canada. We’ve always expected good growth in Canada. But the significant growth drivers in the United States are the emerging markets in the Midwest and the northeast. So northeast is up and running, with Massachusetts, etctrea, and the expansion is coming now with New York and New Jersey. RELATED: ‘Rounding the Corners:’ Reviewing Canada’s Cannabis Act 4 Years Later AR: New York is projected to launch its adult-use market by year-end. What opportunities does New York’s cannabis market provide for the U.S. Industry? RB: First off, it’s a big state with [nearly] 20 million in population. … We think it will be the third-largest market by 2026, primarily as a result of that population. Will it be an easy path to get to that scale? It doesn’t look like it’s going to be very easy for many of the operators because of the continuing illicit market activity and the regulatory burden and challenges associated with operating legally. AR: The mature legal cannabis markets in the U.S. saw sales decrease in 2022. Does BDSA forecast mature markets to continue to struggle with price pressure and regulatory issues in 2023? Why or why not? RB: We think it will continue to be a challenge in California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Arizona, where prices in 2022 declined significantly, and they drove declines in the overall dollars in those markets. The prices were decreasing so fast that the incremental amount of sales didn’t maintain the pace of the price. So, wholesale prices have also come down steeply in those mature markets. We think that that trend will continue, not as severely as in 2022, but the same pricing pressure is still there. AR: As more brands enter the market, companies need to focus on differentiating themselves in the marketplace. From a marketing standpoint, what does BDSA expect brands to focus on in 2023? RB: I think if you start with the types of products that are going to be popular, and based upon what we’ve seen in the second half of 2022, we have optimism for solventless products in edibles and concentrates, for example. So, dab-able and vapable rosin, for example, have grown very significantly. We think that’s a trend that will continue across most states. Live resin vape cartridges have also shown dramatic growth in 2022. We think that’s going to continue because solventless seems to offer a superior flavor profile. We are [also] seeing companies differentiating their product with both minor cannabinoid and terpene content being called out out as an important feature of the product now, whether they’re being added or they were [already in the] products and now they’re choosing to feature [them]. AR: How does BDSA predict the retail experience will change in 2023? RB: It’s subject to local regulations, so it varies from state to state. I was recently in Seattle, and I went into a couple of dispensaries there where you have a much more open feel and ability to actually browse the products. You can’t pick them up, but you can certainly walk around, sort of like a boutique shopping experience, which you don’t tend to see. In other states, it tends to be deli-style, and you walk up to the budtender, and you can’t see very much of the products. I was also in Las Vegas a month or two ago, and going to a place like Planet 13, it’s a bit more consumer-friendly, but it’s still sort of structured around the budtender interaction. We see a continuation of the trends that were established during the COVID-19 [pandemic], such as curbside pickup and delivery, and now we’re seeing various direct-to-consumer methods of delivery being adopted. We also see increasing convenience for the consumer and, wherever possible, a more pleasant and comfortable shopping experience for consumers to be a high priority for retailers. AR: Is there anything I missed or you think would be beneficial to add? RB: No, what we are seeing is an increase in sophistication and education efforts for consumers. … Consumers are getting better informed, which is driving the interest in minor cannabinoids and terpenes, for example. And [with] the opportunity to trial products, we are still expecting that to lead to greater brand loyalty. However, we’re still not seeing behavior that says brands have already emerged as being preferred brands with excellent recall, and people are willing to pay more for those brands yet. That’s obviously a big trend. Very sophisticated marketers are entering the market, and that is their goal. We expect to see some making dramatic progress with the consumer in the next 12 months. Editor’s Note: This interview was edited for style and clarity. As the cannabis industry continues to emerge, brand differentiation is critical for new and existing operators. And this year, the cannabis industry saw differentiation in products and how they are marketed, as well as a focus on consumer education. © Courtesy of Parfitt Parfitt Cannabis Business Times spoke with Laurie Parfitt, CEO of LKP Impact Consulting , a fractional CMO firm, to discuss the top cannabis marketing trends that emerged in 2022 and the opportunities they provide businesses. 1. Increased emphasis on product differentiation. Parfitt says the industry is starting to see companies focus on how they can differentiate themselves in the edibles space by creating different forms of delivery methods. “So instead of just doing the traditional gummy, now they’re looking at other methods of delivery that are still discrete and along the lines of an edible, but really create a differentiating point for them in the marketplace,” she says. For example, while chewables have become a classic form of edibles within the industry, companies are starting to segue into other delivery methods, such as cooking and baking oils, savory snacks, beverages, mints and hard candies, sublinguals (listerine strips) and more. Specifically, cannabis-infused beverages exploded in popularity this year, and the market is poised for growth, Parfitt says. According to a Cannabis Beverages Global Market report , the U.S. cannabis beverage market is anticipated to reach $2.7 billion by 2027. “When we think about beverages, if you look at growth and investment, it’s really a rising star,” Parfitt says. “It’s a high investment, high growth area. … We’ve seen a proliferation of beverages across the country, and we’re starting to see it as a major consumption method going forward.” The market share of beverages has increased by nearly 40% in the U.S. and Canada since January 2021, according to a report released Nov. 18 from cannabis data company Headset , titled “ Cannabis Beverages: Examining category performance & trends .” Over the same period, the Canadian cannabis beverage market saw a 300% increase in brands, while the U.S. saw a 65% increase in brands.“At the end of the day, if you want to be truly successful going forward and really give consumers a reason to buy your product, you have to have a true product differentiation, otherwise it all becomes commoditized,” she says. 2. Increased focus on microdosing. “We’re starting to see an interest in microdosing and lower dose options,” Parfitt says. “It used to all be about high THC, … but the highest THC might not be effective for you.” For example, Parfit referred to the 1906 edibles brand, which focuses on low-dose, fast-acting THC and CBD edible products. The company mainly uses a 1:1 ratio for its products (2.5 mg of THC and 2.5 mg of CBD). “Microdosing allows the consumer to enter the cannabis space gradually,” she says. “You could take four pills and get 10 milligrams [of THC], … or two and a half [milligrams of THC] might be enough for you.” Moreover, the Headset report found that high-dose products (25mg - 1000mg of THC) account for over 33% of all U.S. beverage sales for the first ten months of 22, while 100mg packages made up 22% of total sales and low dose options (less than 6mg of THC) also made up over 22%. 3. Companies utilizing occasion-based marketing. “The other thing we saw more of in 2022 is occasion-based marketing, and I think we’re going to see more of it than 2023,” Parfitt says. Occasion-based marketing is when a business uses occasions, events, or holidays to market its brand to its target audience, according to Voxco . Parfitt referred to Miss Grass, a THC and CBD flower company, which uses occasion-based marketing to target consumers. For example, the company markets its Miss Grass pre-roll series based on moods and events. The orange Miss Grass is marketed as “fast times,” best for “bloom and play,” while the blue Miss Grass marketed as “quiet times,” best \\\"anchor and restore.\\\" The series consists of two additional products. “Consumers in general, when they’re coming into the industry, [typically] don’t know when they should use cannabis, why they should use cannabis, and how they should use cannabis,” she says. “Telling consumers when, how, and why they should use products is incredibly important for them. It’s taking them through that consumer path to purchase. “A lot of consumers will go up to a budtender and say, ‘I want an edible for XYZ, or I want a beverage.’ What the budtender needs to do, is they need to step back, and they should say, ‘Okay, that’s awesome. So, tell me, what brings you in? What are you trying to solve?’” 4. Educating consumers on terpenes and how they work. Marketers started to capitalize on terpenes more in 2022, focusing on what they are and how they work, Parfitt says. “Indica. Sativa. Hybrid. Those really gave people a framework for how they should buy cannabis,” Parfitt says. “‘So, if I want to feel happy, I’m going to go sativa. If I want to relax, I’m going to go indica. If I want something in between, I’m going to go hybrid.’” “Now we’re starting to see what are the key terpenes that work for you in your system? … Even in 2019, I started to see people start talking about it, but in 2022, I actually started to see brands really interact with it and say, ‘It’s not about indica or hybrid; it’s about how those terpene profiles interact with your endocannabinoid system.’” Parfitt referenced premium vape company Nuvata, as the brand includes the terpene profiles in each product on the product packaging, with a word to describe how it makes an individual feel. “We’re going to see terpenes really proliferate in 2023,” she says. Parfitt says she anticipates these trends, as well as several other, to continue to emerge in 2023. This is part one of a two-part series. CBT spoke with Parfitt to see what cannabis marketing trends she anticipates will light up in 2023.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/23/USCapitolBuildingCloseup-AdobeStock-Credit-mseisenhut-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"29 lawmakers are urging president biden to understand the necessity of federally descheduling cannabis. biden announced plans to direct health and human services to launch a review of how cannabis is scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act. the letter comes just days after lawmakers failed to reach a deal to include the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act in this year’s $1.7 trillion federal spending package.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"D-Mass.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Detroit\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"New York\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"California\",\n \"New York City\",\n \"New Jersey\",\n \"Bingham\",\n \"Mendocino\",\n \"Mexico\",\n \"Germany\",\n \"Canada\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"Seattle\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"Parfitt\",\n \"Headset\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"direct Department of Health and Human Services\",\n \"the Department of Justice\",\n \"D-Ore.\",\n \"the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services\",\n \"Justice\",\n \"the Controlled Substances Act\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship\",\n \"The Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship\",\n \"Cannabis MPP Services\",\n \"House\",\n \"Detroit Herbal Ctr Nuggets Livernois Provision Inhale TJM Enterprises\",\n \"Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity and\",\n \"Law Department\",\n \"the Detroit City Council’s\",\n \"Wayne County Circuit\",\n \"Adult-Use Marijuana Ordinance\",\n \"Pro-Tem James Tate\",\n \"Wayne County Circuit Court\",\n \"Social Equity\",\n \"Social Equity Cannabis Investment Program\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"Housing Works\",\n \"Spectrum News\",\n \"Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"State\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"CCB\",\n \"Social Equity Impact Ventures\",\n \"the Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"BDSA\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Roy Bingham\",\n \"Eastern Cannabis Markets Expected\",\n \"Dominate Bingham\",\n \"Los Angeles Times\",\n \"Trinity\",\n \"Cannabis Act\",\n \"the U.S. Industry?\",\n \"Parfitt Parfitt Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"LKP Impact Consulting\",\n \"CMO\",\n \"THC\",\n \"CBD\",\n \"Nuvata\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Biden\",\n \"Earl Blumenauer\",\n \"Dave Joyce\",\n \"Barbara Lee\",\n \"Brian Mast\",\n \"Elizabeth Warren\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Luxury Loud\",\n \"Mike Duggan\",\n \"Pro-Tem [James] Tate\",\n \"Bernard Friedman\",\n \"Leslie Kim Smith\",\n \"Friedman\",\n \"Housing Works\",\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Dasheeda Dawson\",\n \"Douglas Sargent\",\n \"Charles King\",\n \"Chenae Bullock\",\n \"Little Beach Harvest\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"Laurie Parfitt\",\n \"Miss Grass\",\n \"Grass\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.7,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.924954354763031\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63aa1bf7a727e603323d53d8\",\n \"title\": \"Detroit Announces the Winners of the City’s First 33 Adult-Use Cannabis Dispensary Licenses\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/detroit-announces-winners-33-adult-use-cannabis-dispensary-licenses\",\n \"description\": \"The retail licenses were awarded Dec. 22 under Detroit’s revised adult-use cannabis ordinance.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-23T15:58:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Detroit officials announced the winners of the city’s first 33 adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses Dec. 22 after legal challenges delayed the process. The city’s Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship announced Thursday that it awarded licenses to 13 non-equity applicants and 20 equity applicants under Detroit’s revised adult-use cannabis ordinance, which city officials adopted in April. The Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship awarded the non-equity licenses to the following applicants: Luxury Loud THC Detroit Det Natural Jars Cannabis House of Dank SMOK Oz Cannabis MPP Services West Coast Meds Cookies Southwest Meds Leaf and Bud Playa Kind The following equity applicants were issued licenses: House of Zen LIV Cannabis Motor City Kush Liberty Cannabis High Profile Chronic City Plan B DaCut Blue Wave The Remedy Cloud Cannabis Gage 313 Detroit Herbal Ctr Nuggets Livernois Provision Inhale TJM Enterprises The Herbalist Ivy League SJTC Enterprises The Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship published a full listing of the applicants in all categories, as well as their scores, here . Michigan launched adult-use cannabis sales in December 2019, and Detroit’s efforts to adopt an adult-use ordinance and issue business licenses have been delayed by legal challenges. \\\"Our goal from the day voters approved the sale of adult-use marijuana was to make sure we had a city ordinance and a process in place that provides fair and equitable access to these licenses and the courts have affirmed that we've done just that,\\\" Mayor Mike Duggan said in a public statement. \\\"Council President Pro-Tem [James] Tate, and our Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity and Law Department deserve a great deal of credit for making this historic day possible.\\\" U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman issued a 19-page injunction last year to block the Detroit City Council’s original adult-use ordinance, which included plans to allow business entrepreneurs to obtain “Detroit Legacy” status when applying for an adult-use license. The legacy provision would have also given preference to applicants with low incomes or past cannabis-related convictions. Friedman called the original ordinance “likely unconstitutional” in his ruling, prompting Detroit officials to adopt the revised ordinance earlier this year. Under the new ordinance, 160 adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses will be available in the city, half of which are reserved for social equity applicants. The new plan provides separate licensing processes for Detroit residents and non-residents, so that the two types of potential licensees do not compete against each other. The revised ordinance also opens up licensing for cannabis consumption lounges and microbusinesses. Two separate lawsuits were filed earlier this year to challenge the new ordinance. In the first round of litigation , a group of medical cannabis dispensaries challenged a provision that they claimed prohibited medical cannabis operators from receiving adult-use licenses for the first several years of the program. JARS Cannabis then filed a second lawsuit alleging that the ordinance violates Michigan law by giving licensing preference to certain applicants. Wayne County Circuit Judge Leslie Kim Smith dismissed both lawsuits in August, but new litigation followed in September. The most recent lawsuit, filed by a prospective business owner and a medical cannabis company in Detroit, claimed the city’s adult-use ordinance gives unfair preference to longtime Detroit residents, but Friedman—the same judge who struck down the city’s original ordinance as unconstitutional— denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, paving the way for Detroit officials to issue the first round of licenses. \\\"I am thankful for Judge Friedman’s wisdom in ruling today against the temporary restraining order that would have again prevented Detroit from moving forward with our current Adult-Use Marijuana Ordinance,\\\" Council President Pro-Tem James Tate said in a public statement. \\\"Three months ago, a Wayne County Circuit Court judge declared our ordinance ‘unambiguous’ and ‘a fair licensing process.’ Despite clear rulings issued by the courts, various plaintiffs continue their frivolous attempts to dominate the adult-use cannabis industry in the city in an effort to leave Detroiters and other Social Equity applicants out of the market. Hopefully today’s rejection resonates.\\\" Detroit’s adult-use ordinance allowed officials to approve up to 20 general applications and up to 20 social equity applications in this first round of licensing, as well as 10 applications for microbusinesses and 10 for consumption lounges. RELATED: Detroit Receives 90 Applications for 60 Available Adult-Use Cannabis Licenses While the 20 social equity applicants with the highest total scores secure licenses this round, only 13 general applicants with the highest overall score were awarded licenses because the next 20 applicants had tied scores that did not qualify for a lottery selection under Detroit’s ordinance. Therefore, the remaining seven general licenses will not be issued during this first round of licensing. In addition, no applications submitted for the 10 microbusiness and 10 consumption lounge licenses met all the criteria for approval during this round. Unsuccessful applicants for all license types can apply again in the second round of licensing. Regulators, lawmakers and industry members have spent the past year laying the groundwork for an adult-use cannabis industry that was legalized in March of last year . In that time, they’ve built a unique plan that attempts to prioritize equity by offering additional opportunities to those disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs; minority, women and small business owners; and hemp growers. (See below for a full timeline of New York regulators' initiatives throughout the year.) But despite their efforts, the state has yet to begin retail sales, as regulators had planned do by the end of this year. With just days left in 2022, is a launch by the year’s end still attainable? Now that all the regulatory pieces are in place along the supply chain, some operators are still holding on to hope. Housing Works, a nonprofit organization that operates other businesses, recently announced its plans to open its dispensary doors by Dec. 29, kicking off sales that have been nearly two years in the making. New York has tried to position its adult-use program as “a model for the rest of the nation,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul in October . Regulators and lawmakers have hefty goals for the program–and in a state expected to do $1 billion in legal cannabis sales “relatively quickly,” according to Cannabis NYC Director Dasheeda Dawson, all eyes are sure to be on New York when adult-use sales do commence. Eyeing Equity A major focus of the regulations laid out this year has revolved around social equity. Hochul kicked off 2022 with a dedication of $200 million for a Social Equity Cannabis Investment Program to help develop conditional adult-use cannabis dispensaries for social equity licensees. The fund is a key component of the state’s Seeding Opportunity Initiative —an effort to promote social equity by allowing individuals with prior cannabis-related convictions to make the first adult-use cannabis sales in New York. (That wasn’t the only state-administered money dedicated to cannabis in New York this year. In July, Hochul announced an additional $5 million in grants that would go to public colleges to fund cannabis education.) In March, the state announced it’d be issuing its first approximately 150 adult-use dispensary licenses to applicants with cannabis-related convictions, which could either be awarded to nonprofits or businesses led by someone with a prior cannabis-related conviction. The state has also promised to award 50% of New York’s total adult-use cannabis licenses to social equity applicants. New York’s attempt at equity extends beyond social aspects–the state is also attempting to level the business playing field. The latest adult-use regulations proposed in late November only permit vertical integration for microbusiness licensees or existing medical operators, prohibiting larger operators from getting even bigger. The state has also spent the year issuing cannabis cultivation licenses to hemp growers. And while the transition from hemp to cannabis isn’t necessarily easy, it has provided an additional opportunity to bolster a struggling industry. “ It is a potentially great solution for both the state and hemp farmers, in the sense that, with hemp prices dropping over the last couple years, it’s an opportunity to produce a more lucrative crop, while also jump-starting the supply for the recreational or adult-use market, whenever that comes online for New York,” Douglas Sargent, partner at the cannabis law practice group at Greenspoon Marder LLP , told CBT in March . New York regulators have also worked to incorporate other beneficial elements into the state’s adult-use program, such as an environmental sustainability program for cannabis packaging . Will New York Live Up to the Hype? Now that the state has finished laying out regulations from seed to sale, it approved the first Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses in late November . (Regulators plan to issue up to 175 total retail licenses eventually.) One of those was to Housing Works, a nonprofit that operates a range of direct and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS, the homeless, formerly incarcerated, and justice-involved individuals, according to the governor’s office. It also operates a network of charitable retail storefronts. “It is our goal to be the first,” Housing Works CEO Charles King told Spectrum News NY1 Dec. 14 when discussing the dispensary's opening. “We will not on the 29th have the build-out complete, but we will have a number of our display cases and cash registers up and be able to serve people.” After a year of planning, only time will tell whether the state’s regulations will solidify into a successful, equitable industry. Some plans have already changed—for example, part of the $200 million Hochul set aside at the beginning of the year was supposed to go toward providing turnkey retail locations for CAURD licensees. However, after fund managers failed to raise the money to provide those fully furnished dispensaries, the state's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced licensees were able to start submitting their own proposed locations and plans for storefronts. Operators, while optimistic, are also cautious about certain aspects of the state's plan. “We applaud what [New York] is attempting to do with its [adult-use] market. … However, [the state] is still coming up short in a few areas – the program's rollout has been choppy and problematic,” said Chenae Bullock, general manager of Little Beach Harvest , in an email. “For example, the fact that farmers who were given the ability to grow cannabis this year are now sitting on harvested flowers with few, if any, places to sell their crops, may lead to a devastating financial blow to those the state was trying to help. And just as it is in [California], the illicit side of the industry is a big issue for [New York]—how to manage that so there’s a safe and productive legal industry is a challenge that the state has not yet figured out a solution to.” But those who helped lay out the framework still have hope that they can set an example for other adult-use states to follow. “I think the [Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act] really allows us to lean into this, but we really want to be a No. 1 global hub—seen [in] New York City as the hub of cannabis, if you will—with real excellence in the industry and education and equity across business, science, and culture,” Dawson of Cannabis NYC told CBT in October . Cannabis in New York: A Year in Review >>Jan. 5: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announces during her State of the State address that officials will create a $200 million fund to support social equity cannabis businesses. Read more >>Jan. 25: The state expands its medical program by expanding patient access and eligibility, and by permitting New York doctors to recommend medical cannabis for any condition. Read more >>Feb. 22: The state approves hemp businesses in the state to grow and process adult-use cannabis to help get product on dispensary shelves when adult-use sales launch. Read more >>March 10: Hochul unveils the “Seeding Opportunity Initiative,” which aims to “position individuals with prior cannabis-related criminal offenses to make the first adult-use cannabis sales with products grown by New York farmers,” according to a press release. Read more >>April 4: The state launches a public education campaign to highlight adult-use cannabis laws. Read more >>April 14: Lawmakers introduce a bill to expand banking for cannabis businesses in the state, which eventually stalls in the state Congress. Read more The state’s Cannabis Control Board (CCB) also approves its first round of cannabis cultivation licenses for hemp farmers. Read more >>June 2: The state approves regulations for labeling, marketing, advertising and testing adult-use products. Read more >>June 22: Hochul announces the selection of Social Equity Impact Ventures LLC, a minority-led investment team, to sponsor and manage New York’s $200-million Social Equity Cannabis Investment Program. Read more The CCB also opens applications for adult-use cannabis processors. Read more >>July 14: The CCB approves regulations to ensure the first round of dispensary licenses goes to applicants with past cannabis-related convictions. Read more >>July 19: Hochul commits $5 million in grants to public colleges to fund cannabis education. Read more >>Aug. 15: Regulators approve testing regulations and appoint a director of policy to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). Read more >>Aug. 25: New York begins accepting dispensary license applications. Read more >>Sept. 21: Regulators approve medical cannabis home-grow regulations. Read more >>Sept. 29: The OCM announces it received more than 900 applications from cannabis retail operators and approves up to 150 licenses they planned to distribute to 14 regions throughout the state, with the number of licenses in each region based on population. Read more >>Oct. 28: The OCM releases guidance for adult-use retailers that sets expectations for those ultimately awarded retail licenses. Read more >>Nov. 21: The CCB approves the first 36 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses and advances comprehensive regulations for the state’s adult-use program. Read more >>Dec. 9: The OCM provides guidance for delivery sales while also changing the rules for securing retail locations. Read more >>Dec. 15: The state introduces a cannabis dispensary verification tool to allow consumers to verify that they’re purchasing from a state-licensed dispensary. Read more >>Dec. 21: The OCM announces sales will commence Dec. 29 when licensee Housing Works is due to open its doors. Read more Cannabis data and research company BDSA projects U.S. cannabis sales to grow from $25 billion in 2021 to $42 billion by 2026, with the new and emerging markets driving the majority of that growth, according to the company’s fall 2022 global cannabis market forecast . Cannabis Business Times spoke with BDSA CEO Roy Bingham to gather the company’s predictions on where the industry is headed in 2023 based on findings from its market forecast report. RELATED: Eastern Cannabis Markets Expected to Dominate Bingham says the company anticipates price compression and competition from the illicit market to continue to be a challenge for operators in 2023. The company also anticipates sales in mature markets to continue to decline in the new year, while sales in new and emerging markets, like New York and New Jersey, will see brisk growth. Here, Bingham offers additional insight into what to expect going into next year. AR: Does BDSA anticipate price compression and competition from the illicit market to continue challenging cannabis operators in 2023? RB: Yes, we do. Unfortunately, we see the illicit market being a factor in certain states. I’m always worried about generalizing, but it is a significant factor in California, for example. ( Editor’s note: According to a Los Angeles Times special report, unlicensed cannabis operations outnumber licensed operations in many of California’s most extensive cultivation areas, such as Trinity, Mendocino and Humboldt counties, by 10 to 1, CBT reported .) It’s also a significant factor in some of the newer markets like New York, and it’s unfair competition for the players who are going through the licensing process or have gone through the licensing process. What does it do? Well, it causes price compression because it means that there’s an excess live wholesale product, but also because the illicit channel doesn’t carry the burden of expenses and additional taxes. Therefore, on a comparative basis for a consumer, especially when a consumer can’t always tell whether it’s a licensed dispensary or an unlicensed one, they’re going to find less expensive products most of the time in the unlicensed channels. It’s a significant factor this year, and we expect it to continue to be quite severe in some markets and moderate in other markets where there isn’t very much of an illicit market. AR: You mentioned New York, which is anticipated to launch its adult-use sales Dec. 29. Why did you add New York to that equation? RB: New York seems to have a situation right now where people are purchasing cannabis on every block through illicit sales that are going on without any regulatory intervention. So when licensed stores do open, the question is, what advantages do they have over the illicit operators? And the answer is, apart from what they could generate in terms of awareness; they don’t have great advantages. AR: In BDSA’s most recent market forecast, the company projects the global cannabis industry to hit $57 billion by 2026. What markets are the main drivers in that projection? RB: That projection includes, for the first time, really significant numbers coming from overseas, or I should say, not [just] overseas, because Mexico is going to be a major contributor to the numbers. Germany, as well, with its adult-use market for the first time, [and] of course, Canada. We’ve always expected good growth in Canada. But the significant growth drivers in the United States are the emerging markets in the Midwest and the northeast. So northeast is up and running, with Massachusetts, etctrea, and the expansion is coming now with New York and New Jersey. RELATED: ‘Rounding the Corners:’ Reviewing Canada’s Cannabis Act 4 Years Later AR: New York is projected to launch its adult-use market by year-end. What opportunities does New York’s cannabis market provide for the U.S. Industry? RB: First off, it’s a big state with [nearly] 20 million in population. … We think it will be the third-largest market by 2026, primarily as a result of that population. Will it be an easy path to get to that scale? It doesn’t look like it’s going to be very easy for many of the operators because of the continuing illicit market activity and the regulatory burden and challenges associated with operating legally. AR: The mature legal cannabis markets in the U.S. saw sales decrease in 2022. Does BDSA forecast mature markets to continue to struggle with price pressure and regulatory issues in 2023? Why or why not? RB: We think it will continue to be a challenge in California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Arizona, where prices in 2022 declined significantly, and they drove declines in the overall dollars in those markets. The prices were decreasing so fast that the incremental amount of sales didn’t maintain the pace of the price. So, wholesale prices have also come down steeply in those mature markets. We think that that trend will continue, not as severely as in 2022, but the same pricing pressure is still there. AR: As more brands enter the market, companies need to focus on differentiating themselves in the marketplace. From a marketing standpoint, what does BDSA expect brands to focus on in 2023? RB: I think if you start with the types of products that are going to be popular, and based upon what we’ve seen in the second half of 2022, we have optimism for solventless products in edibles and concentrates, for example. So, dab-able and vapable rosin, for example, have grown very significantly. We think that’s a trend that will continue across most states. Live resin vape cartridges have also shown dramatic growth in 2022. We think that’s going to continue because solventless seems to offer a superior flavor profile. We are [also] seeing companies differentiating their product with both minor cannabinoid and terpene content being called out out as an important feature of the product now, whether they’re being added or they were [already in the] products and now they’re choosing to feature [them]. AR: How does BDSA predict the retail experience will change in 2023? RB: It’s subject to local regulations, so it varies from state to state. I was recently in Seattle, and I went into a couple of dispensaries there where you have a much more open feel and ability to actually browse the products. You can’t pick them up, but you can certainly walk around, sort of like a boutique shopping experience, which you don’t tend to see. In other states, it tends to be deli-style, and you walk up to the budtender, and you can’t see very much of the products. I was also in Las Vegas a month or two ago, and going to a place like Planet 13, it’s a bit more consumer-friendly, but it’s still sort of structured around the budtender interaction. We see a continuation of the trends that were established during the COVID-19 [pandemic], such as curbside pickup and delivery, and now we’re seeing various direct-to-consumer methods of delivery being adopted. We also see increasing convenience for the consumer and, wherever possible, a more pleasant and comfortable shopping experience for consumers to be a high priority for retailers. AR: Is there anything I missed or you think would be beneficial to add? RB: No, what we are seeing is an increase in sophistication and education efforts for consumers. … Consumers are getting better informed, which is driving the interest in minor cannabinoids and terpenes, for example. And [with] the opportunity to trial products, we are still expecting that to lead to greater brand loyalty. However, we’re still not seeing behavior that says brands have already emerged as being preferred brands with excellent recall, and people are willing to pay more for those brands yet. That’s obviously a big trend. Very sophisticated marketers are entering the market, and that is their goal. We expect to see some making dramatic progress with the consumer in the next 12 months. Editor’s Note: This interview was edited for style and clarity. As the cannabis industry continues to emerge, brand differentiation is critical for new and existing operators. And this year, the cannabis industry saw differentiation in products and how they are marketed, as well as a focus on consumer education. © Courtesy of Parfitt Parfitt Cannabis Business Times spoke with Laurie Parfitt, CEO of LKP Impact Consulting , a fractional CMO firm, to discuss the top cannabis marketing trends that emerged in 2022 and the opportunities they provide businesses. 1. Increased emphasis on product differentiation. Parfitt says the industry is starting to see companies focus on how they can differentiate themselves in the edibles space by creating different forms of delivery methods. “So instead of just doing the traditional gummy, now they’re looking at other methods of delivery that are still discrete and along the lines of an edible, but really create a differentiating point for them in the marketplace,” she says. For example, while chewables have become a classic form of edibles within the industry, companies are starting to segue into other delivery methods, such as cooking and baking oils, savory snacks, beverages, mints and hard candies, sublinguals (listerine strips) and more. Specifically, cannabis-infused beverages exploded in popularity this year, and the market is poised for growth, Parfitt says. According to a Cannabis Beverages Global Market report , the U.S. cannabis beverage market is anticipated to reach $2.7 billion by 2027. “When we think about beverages, if you look at growth and investment, it’s really a rising star,” Parfitt says. “It’s a high investment, high growth area. … We’ve seen a proliferation of beverages across the country, and we’re starting to see it as a major consumption method going forward.” The market share of beverages has increased by nearly 40% in the U.S. and Canada since January 2021, according to a report released Nov. 18 from cannabis data company Headset , titled “ Cannabis Beverages: Examining category performance & trends .” Over the same period, the Canadian cannabis beverage market saw a 300% increase in brands, while the U.S. saw a 65% increase in brands.“At the end of the day, if you want to be truly successful going forward and really give consumers a reason to buy your product, you have to have a true product differentiation, otherwise it all becomes commoditized,” she says. 2. Increased focus on microdosing. “We’re starting to see an interest in microdosing and lower dose options,” Parfitt says. “It used to all be about high THC, … but the highest THC might not be effective for you.” For example, Parfit referred to the 1906 edibles brand, which focuses on low-dose, fast-acting THC and CBD edible products. The company mainly uses a 1:1 ratio for its products (2.5 mg of THC and 2.5 mg of CBD). “Microdosing allows the consumer to enter the cannabis space gradually,” she says. “You could take four pills and get 10 milligrams [of THC], … or two and a half [milligrams of THC] might be enough for you.” Moreover, the Headset report found that high-dose products (25mg - 1000mg of THC) account for over 33% of all U.S. beverage sales for the first ten months of 22, while 100mg packages made up 22% of total sales and low dose options (less than 6mg of THC) also made up over 22%. 3. Companies utilizing occasion-based marketing. “The other thing we saw more of in 2022 is occasion-based marketing, and I think we’re going to see more of it than 2023,” Parfitt says. Occasion-based marketing is when a business uses occasions, events, or holidays to market its brand to its target audience, according to Voxco . Parfitt referred to Miss Grass, a THC and CBD flower company, which uses occasion-based marketing to target consumers. For example, the company markets its Miss Grass pre-roll series based on moods and events. The orange Miss Grass is marketed as “fast times,” best for “bloom and play,” while the blue Miss Grass marketed as “quiet times,” best \\\"anchor and restore.\\\" The series consists of two additional products. “Consumers in general, when they’re coming into the industry, [typically] don’t know when they should use cannabis, why they should use cannabis, and how they should use cannabis,” she says. “Telling consumers when, how, and why they should use products is incredibly important for them. It’s taking them through that consumer path to purchase. “A lot of consumers will go up to a budtender and say, ‘I want an edible for XYZ, or I want a beverage.’ What the budtender needs to do, is they need to step back, and they should say, ‘Okay, that’s awesome. So, tell me, what brings you in? What are you trying to solve?’” 4. Educating consumers on terpenes and how they work. Marketers started to capitalize on terpenes more in 2022, focusing on what they are and how they work, Parfitt says. “Indica. Sativa. Hybrid. Those really gave people a framework for how they should buy cannabis,” Parfitt says. “‘So, if I want to feel happy, I’m going to go sativa. If I want to relax, I’m going to go indica. If I want something in between, I’m going to go hybrid.’” “Now we’re starting to see what are the key terpenes that work for you in your system? … Even in 2019, I started to see people start talking about it, but in 2022, I actually started to see brands really interact with it and say, ‘It’s not about indica or hybrid; it’s about how those terpene profiles interact with your endocannabinoid system.’” Parfitt referenced premium vape company Nuvata, as the brand includes the terpene profiles in each product on the product packaging, with a word to describe how it makes an individual feel. “We’re going to see terpenes really proliferate in 2023,” she says. Parfitt says she anticipates these trends, as well as several other, to continue to emerge in 2023. This is part one of a two-part series. CBT spoke with Parfitt to see what cannabis marketing trends she anticipates will light up in 2023. SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Doobie , a multi-state cannabis delivery service, announced today that it has launched operations in San Francisco in partnership with Posh Green Cannabis Boutique, the first Equity Retail Cannabis Dispensary in San Francisco independently owned by a woman of color. Located in Hunters Point, Posh Green was founded by San Francisco native Reese Benton. Posh Green offers top-shelf premium cannabis products and actively supports local farmers and greenhouse vendors. Benton is a force in the San Francisco cannabis market, and a leader, equity advocate and mentor for women in the cannabis industry. \\\"We are thrilled to commence Doobie cannabis delivery operations in San Francisco,\\\" said Jessica Powell, co-founder of Doobie. \\\"Doobie is committed to bringing high-quality cannabis to consumers everywhere, and we are proud to partner with cannabis trailblazer Reese Benton of Posh Green to offer a better delivery option to customers in the Bay area.\\\" \\\"I'm excited to work with Doobie, a company whose commitment to excellence makes it the perfect cannabis delivery partner for Posh Green,\\\" said Benton. Doobie delivery customers will receive 20% off their first orders. The company delivers to the San Francisco metro, South San Francisco and San Mateo areas Monday through Saturday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Doobie's product offerings can be viewed at trydoobie.com , which provides a streamlined, mobile-optimized shopping experience. Customers can browse popular products by category or brand, and Doobie expert consultants are available via chat and phone to answer any questions. 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Cannabis Business Times spoke with BDSA CEO Roy Bingham to gather the company’s predictions on where the industry is headed in 2023 based on findings from its market forecast report. RELATED: Eastern Cannabis Markets Expected to Dominate Bingham says the company anticipates price compression and competition from the illicit market to continue to be a challenge for operators in 2023. The company also anticipates sales in mature markets to continue to decline in the new year, while sales in new and emerging markets, like New York and New Jersey, will see brisk growth. Here, Bingham offers additional insight into what to expect going into next year. AR: Does BDSA anticipate price compression and competition from the illicit market to continue challenging cannabis operators in 2023? RB: Yes, we do. Unfortunately, we see the illicit market being a factor in certain states. I’m always worried about generalizing, but it is a significant factor in California, for example. ( Editor’s note: According to a Los Angeles Times special report, unlicensed cannabis operations outnumber licensed operations in many of California’s most extensive cultivation areas, such as Trinity, Mendocino and Humboldt counties, by 10 to 1, CBT reported .) It’s also a significant factor in some of the newer markets like New York, and it’s unfair competition for the players who are going through the licensing process or have gone through the licensing process. What does it do? Well, it causes price compression because it means that there’s an excess live wholesale product, but also because the illicit channel doesn’t carry the burden of expenses and additional taxes. Therefore, on a comparative basis for a consumer, especially when a consumer can’t always tell whether it’s a licensed dispensary or an unlicensed one, they’re going to find less expensive products most of the time in the unlicensed channels. It’s a significant factor this year, and we expect it to continue to be quite severe in some markets and moderate in other markets where there isn’t very much of an illicit market. AR: You mentioned New York, which is anticipated to launch its adult-use sales Dec. 29. Why did you add New York to that equation? RB: New York seems to have a situation right now where people are purchasing cannabis on every block through illicit sales that are going on without any regulatory intervention. So when licensed stores do open, the question is, what advantages do they have over the illicit operators? And the answer is, apart from what they could generate in terms of awareness; they don’t have great advantages. AR: In BDSA’s most recent market forecast, the company projects the global cannabis industry to hit $57 billion by 2026. What markets are the main drivers in that projection? RB: That projection includes, for the first time, really significant numbers coming from overseas, or I should say, not [just] overseas, because Mexico is going to be a major contributor to the numbers. Germany, as well, with its adult-use market for the first time, [and] of course, Canada. We’ve always expected good growth in Canada. But the significant growth drivers in the United States are the emerging markets in the Midwest and the northeast. So northeast is up and running, with Massachusetts, etctrea, and the expansion is coming now with New York and New Jersey. RELATED: ‘Rounding the Corners:’ Reviewing Canada’s Cannabis Act 4 Years Later AR: New York is projected to launch its adult-use market by year-end. What opportunities does New York’s cannabis market provide for the U.S. Industry? RB: First off, it’s a big state with [nearly] 20 million in population. … We think it will be the third-largest market by 2026, primarily as a result of that population. Will it be an easy path to get to that scale? It doesn’t look like it’s going to be very easy for many of the operators because of the continuing illicit market activity and the regulatory burden and challenges associated with operating legally. AR: The mature legal cannabis markets in the U.S. saw sales decrease in 2022. Does BDSA forecast mature markets to continue to struggle with price pressure and regulatory issues in 2023? Why or why not? RB: We think it will continue to be a challenge in California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Arizona, where prices in 2022 declined significantly, and they drove declines in the overall dollars in those markets. The prices were decreasing so fast that the incremental amount of sales didn’t maintain the pace of the price. So, wholesale prices have also come down steeply in those mature markets. We think that that trend will continue, not as severely as in 2022, but the same pricing pressure is still there. AR: As more brands enter the market, companies need to focus on differentiating themselves in the marketplace. From a marketing standpoint, what does BDSA expect brands to focus on in 2023? RB: I think if you start with the types of products that are going to be popular, and based upon what we’ve seen in the second half of 2022, we have optimism for solventless products in edibles and concentrates, for example. So, dab-able and vapable rosin, for example, have grown very significantly. We think that’s a trend that will continue across most states. Live resin vape cartridges have also shown dramatic growth in 2022. We think that’s going to continue because solventless seems to offer a superior flavor profile. We are [also] seeing companies differentiating their product with both minor cannabinoid and terpene content being called out out as an important feature of the product now, whether they’re being added or they were [already in the] products and now they’re choosing to feature [them]. AR: How does BDSA predict the retail experience will change in 2023? RB: It’s subject to local regulations, so it varies from state to state. I was recently in Seattle, and I went into a couple of dispensaries there where you have a much more open feel and ability to actually browse the products. You can’t pick them up, but you can certainly walk around, sort of like a boutique shopping experience, which you don’t tend to see. In other states, it tends to be deli-style, and you walk up to the budtender, and you can’t see very much of the products. I was also in Las Vegas a month or two ago, and going to a place like Planet 13, it’s a bit more consumer-friendly, but it’s still sort of structured around the budtender interaction. We see a continuation of the trends that were established during the COVID-19 [pandemic], such as curbside pickup and delivery, and now we’re seeing various direct-to-consumer methods of delivery being adopted. We also see increasing convenience for the consumer and, wherever possible, a more pleasant and comfortable shopping experience for consumers to be a high priority for retailers. AR: Is there anything I missed or you think would be beneficial to add? RB: No, what we are seeing is an increase in sophistication and education efforts for consumers. … Consumers are getting better informed, which is driving the interest in minor cannabinoids and terpenes, for example. And [with] the opportunity to trial products, we are still expecting that to lead to greater brand loyalty. However, we’re still not seeing behavior that says brands have already emerged as being preferred brands with excellent recall, and people are willing to pay more for those brands yet. That’s obviously a big trend. Very sophisticated marketers are entering the market, and that is their goal. We expect to see some making dramatic progress with the consumer in the next 12 months. Editor’s Note: This interview was edited for style and clarity. As the cannabis industry continues to emerge, brand differentiation is critical for new and existing operators. And this year, the cannabis industry saw differentiation in products and how they are marketed, as well as a focus on consumer education. © Courtesy of Parfitt Parfitt Cannabis Business Times spoke with Laurie Parfitt, CEO of LKP Impact Consulting , a fractional CMO firm, to discuss the top cannabis marketing trends that emerged in 2022 and the opportunities they provide businesses. 1. Increased emphasis on product differentiation. Parfitt says the industry is starting to see companies focus on how they can differentiate themselves in the edibles space by creating different forms of delivery methods. “So instead of just doing the traditional gummy, now they’re looking at other methods of delivery that are still discrete and along the lines of an edible, but really create a differentiating point for them in the marketplace,” she says. For example, while chewables have become a classic form of edibles within the industry, companies are starting to segue into other delivery methods, such as cooking and baking oils, savory snacks, beverages, mints and hard candies, sublinguals (listerine strips) and more. Specifically, cannabis-infused beverages exploded in popularity this year, and the market is poised for growth, Parfitt says. According to a Cannabis Beverages Global Market report , the U.S. cannabis beverage market is anticipated to reach $2.7 billion by 2027. “When we think about beverages, if you look at growth and investment, it’s really a rising star,” Parfitt says. “It’s a high investment, high growth area. … We’ve seen a proliferation of beverages across the country, and we’re starting to see it as a major consumption method going forward.” The market share of beverages has increased by nearly 40% in the U.S. and Canada since January 2021, according to a report released Nov. 18 from cannabis data company Headset , titled “ Cannabis Beverages: Examining category performance & trends .” Over the same period, the Canadian cannabis beverage market saw a 300% increase in brands, while the U.S. saw a 65% increase in brands.“At the end of the day, if you want to be truly successful going forward and really give consumers a reason to buy your product, you have to have a true product differentiation, otherwise it all becomes commoditized,” she says. 2. Increased focus on microdosing. “We’re starting to see an interest in microdosing and lower dose options,” Parfitt says. “It used to all be about high THC, … but the highest THC might not be effective for you.” For example, Parfit referred to the 1906 edibles brand, which focuses on low-dose, fast-acting THC and CBD edible products. The company mainly uses a 1:1 ratio for its products (2.5 mg of THC and 2.5 mg of CBD). “Microdosing allows the consumer to enter the cannabis space gradually,” she says. “You could take four pills and get 10 milligrams [of THC], … or two and a half [milligrams of THC] might be enough for you.” Moreover, the Headset report found that high-dose products (25mg - 1000mg of THC) account for over 33% of all U.S. beverage sales for the first ten months of 22, while 100mg packages made up 22% of total sales and low dose options (less than 6mg of THC) also made up over 22%. 3. Companies utilizing occasion-based marketing. “The other thing we saw more of in 2022 is occasion-based marketing, and I think we’re going to see more of it than 2023,” Parfitt says. Occasion-based marketing is when a business uses occasions, events, or holidays to market its brand to its target audience, according to Voxco . Parfitt referred to Miss Grass, a THC and CBD flower company, which uses occasion-based marketing to target consumers. For example, the company markets its Miss Grass pre-roll series based on moods and events. The orange Miss Grass is marketed as “fast times,” best for “bloom and play,” while the blue Miss Grass marketed as “quiet times,” best \\\"anchor and restore.\\\" The series consists of two additional products. “Consumers in general, when they’re coming into the industry, [typically] don’t know when they should use cannabis, why they should use cannabis, and how they should use cannabis,” she says. “Telling consumers when, how, and why they should use products is incredibly important for them. It’s taking them through that consumer path to purchase. “A lot of consumers will go up to a budtender and say, ‘I want an edible for XYZ, or I want a beverage.’ What the budtender needs to do, is they need to step back, and they should say, ‘Okay, that’s awesome. So, tell me, what brings you in? What are you trying to solve?’” 4. Educating consumers on terpenes and how they work. Marketers started to capitalize on terpenes more in 2022, focusing on what they are and how they work, Parfitt says. “Indica. Sativa. Hybrid. Those really gave people a framework for how they should buy cannabis,” Parfitt says. “‘So, if I want to feel happy, I’m going to go sativa. If I want to relax, I’m going to go indica. If I want something in between, I’m going to go hybrid.’” “Now we’re starting to see what are the key terpenes that work for you in your system? … Even in 2019, I started to see people start talking about it, but in 2022, I actually started to see brands really interact with it and say, ‘It’s not about indica or hybrid; it’s about how those terpene profiles interact with your endocannabinoid system.’” Parfitt referenced premium vape company Nuvata, as the brand includes the terpene profiles in each product on the product packaging, with a word to describe how it makes an individual feel. “We’re going to see terpenes really proliferate in 2023,” she says. Parfitt says she anticipates these trends, as well as several other, to continue to emerge in 2023. This is part one of a two-part series. CBT spoke with Parfitt to see what cannabis marketing trends she anticipates will light up in 2023. SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Doobie , a multi-state cannabis delivery service, announced today that it has launched operations in San Francisco in partnership with Posh Green Cannabis Boutique, the first Equity Retail Cannabis Dispensary in San Francisco independently owned by a woman of color. Located in Hunters Point, Posh Green was founded by San Francisco native Reese Benton. Posh Green offers top-shelf premium cannabis products and actively supports local farmers and greenhouse vendors. Benton is a force in the San Francisco cannabis market, and a leader, equity advocate and mentor for women in the cannabis industry. \\\"We are thrilled to commence Doobie cannabis delivery operations in San Francisco,\\\" said Jessica Powell, co-founder of Doobie. \\\"Doobie is committed to bringing high-quality cannabis to consumers everywhere, and we are proud to partner with cannabis trailblazer Reese Benton of Posh Green to offer a better delivery option to customers in the Bay area.\\\" \\\"I'm excited to work with Doobie, a company whose commitment to excellence makes it the perfect cannabis delivery partner for Posh Green,\\\" said Benton. Doobie delivery customers will receive 20% off their first orders. The company delivers to the San Francisco metro, South San Francisco and San Mateo areas Monday through Saturday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Doobie's product offerings can be viewed at trydoobie.com , which provides a streamlined, mobile-optimized shopping experience. Customers can browse popular products by category or brand, and Doobie expert consultants are available via chat and phone to answer any questions. Doobie empowers consumers to be confident in their choices and delighted with their experiences, ensuring that happiness is delivered. Detroit, Mich., has cleared another legal hurdle in its efforts to stand up an adult-use cannabis market after a judge denied plaintiffs’ request to halt the city’s licensing process. A prospective cannabis business owner and a medical cannabis company in Detroit filed litigation in September that claimed the city’s adult-use cannabis ordinance gives unfair preference to longtime Detroit residents. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, according the Detroit Free Press . Michigan launched adult-use cannabis sales in December 2019, and Friedman issued a 19-page injunction last year to block the Detroit City Council’s original adult-use ordinance. Detroit’s initial plan allowed business entrepreneurs to obtain “Detroit Legacy” status when applying for an adult-use cannabis license. The legacy provision would have also given preference to applicants with low incomes or past cannabis-related convictions. Friedman wrote that the original ordinance was “likely unconstitutional” in his ruling. Detroit officials went back to the drawing board and adopted a new ordinance earlier this year. Under the new ordinance, 160 adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses will be available, half of which will be reserved for social equity applicants. The revised ordinance also opens up licensing for cannabis consumption lounges and microbusinesses. The new plan provides separate licensing processes for Detroit residents and non-residents, so that the two types of potential licensees do not compete against each other. Two separate lawsuits were initially filed following Detroit’s adoption of the new ordinance; a group of medical cannabis dispensaries sued in May to challenge a provision that bars medical cannabis operators from receiving adult-use licenses for the first several years of the program, while JARS Cannabis filed a separate lawsuit in June that alleged that the ordinance violates Michigan law by giving preferential treatment to certain applicants. Wayne County Circuit Judge Leslie Kim Smith dismissed both lawsuits in August, just before the new litigation was filed in September. “When I looked at the first ordinance, the Lowe case, it didn't take much to look at it and it just screamed ‘constitutional violation,’” Friedman said at a Dec. 21 motion hearing regarding the latest lawsuit, according to the Detroit Free Press . “There's no question about it. When I looked at this [ordinance], it didn’t.” Christine Constantino, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, told the news outlet that Detroit “artfully disguised its preference” for longtime residents “now in equity.” Nonetheless, Friedman’s ruling allows Detroit officials to start awarding its adult-use cannabis licenses. The city plans to issue 160 licenses in three phases, and as of October, the city had received 90 applications for its first phase of licensing. John Roach, a spokesperson for the city, told the Detroit Free Press that Detroit’s Office of Marijuana Ventures and Entrepreneurship plans to provide additional information on the licensing process Dec. 22. A team of researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife is working to develop new hemp varieties that can withstand the southern U.S.’ high temperatures and substantial drought conditions, and meet legal requirements. Russ Jessup, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research hemp breeder and associate professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, told Texas A&M Today that the “goal is to create a collection that incorporates the majority of genetic variation across all cannabis within C. sativa that will benefit farmers with high-yielding cultivars, biofuel refineries with reliable feedstocks, customers with quality products, and society with beneficial ecosystem services.” The researchers received a two-year $201,174 Compliant Hemp Accelerated Improvement Network (CHAIN) grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop the hemp cultivars. Jessup told the news outlet that the goal is to release between 10 and 20 lines by the end of 2023 and 20 to 50 more in 2024. Addressing the Challenges According to the news outlet, the researchers are trying to fill a “gap in breeding” in the state and address the significant challenges with hemp cultivation, explicitly noting the high heat and drought stress in Texas, which has made hemp production difficult. According to a recent study , “Hemp plants can endure drier conditions after establishment, but severe drought results in early maturity and stunted plants.” Over 75% of Texas is facing drought this year , which has greatly impacted farmers and hemp production due to the soil hardening in the dry heat, The Texas Tribune reported. The news outlet noted a figure from a survey conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation, which found that 2022 crop yields are down 68% in Texas due to drought—that number is slightly greater than decreases in Oklahoma (60%) and New Mexico (54%). Jessup said that farmers have also struggled with uniformity in production and regional adaptation. “If you plant a big field of [hemp], it’s not as uniform as corn, sorghum, cotton or the other major crops. There is nonuniformity in the available cultivars,” he said. “Our goal with [CHAIN] is to publicly release and evaluate a collection of novel accessions produced by Texas A&M AgriLife’s Hemp Conversion Program (HCP) alongside other candidate materials, to identify germplasm well adapted to the southern U.S.,” he said. The Process Jessup and his team will take the heat- and drought-resistant female hemp cultivars donated from across the U.S. and/or other countries and cross-pollinate them with the university’s heat- and drought-tolerant Texas-adapted lines, according to Texas A&M Today . This process will create “a very diverse population and allows for selecting individuals known to be compliant,” the news outlet reported. “When we screen, basically we take the parents and cross them, then take the kids or the F1 generation and make them self-hybridize,” Jessup said. “We screen and will only advance those that are compliant below 0.3[% THC]. And we’ve had types that are feral and wild populations, and anything in between donated.” The breeders will select 12 fiber cultivars, six grain cultivars, and some accessions from Texas A&M’s HCP germplasm collection. (As accession is a “distinct, uniquely identified sample of seeds or plants, that is maintained as part of a germplasm collection,” according to the U.S. National Germplasm System. ) Researchers will then test the crops at four planting dates in three locations with different latitudes. The potential cultivars will be studied at three Texas A&M branch campuses: North Texas, Central Texas and Weslaco. “We will span most of the latitude of Texas at these three sites, evaluating lines for their performance,” Jessup said. “When we do that, we should be able to recommend where they should or should not be grown based on that latitude.”\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/22/Untitleddesign-2022-12-22T152711939.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"cannabis data and research company BDSA projects U.S. cannabis sales to grow from $25 billion in 2021 to $42 billion by 2026. the company also anticipates sales in mature markets to continue to decline in the new year, while sales in new and emerging markets, like New York and New Jersey, will see brisk growth.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"U.S.\",\n \"New York\",\n \"New Jersey\",\n \"Bingham\",\n \"California\",\n \"Mendocino\",\n \"Mexico\",\n \"Germany\",\n \"Canada\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"Seattle\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"Parfitt\",\n \"Headset\",\n \"SAN FRANCISCO\",\n \"San Francisco\",\n \"South San Francisco\",\n \"San Mateo\",\n \"Detroit\",\n \"Mich.\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Texas\",\n \"Oklahoma\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Weslaco\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"BDSA\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Roy Bingham\",\n \"Eastern Cannabis Markets Expected\",\n \"Dominate Bingham\",\n \"Los Angeles Times\",\n \"Trinity\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"Cannabis Act\",\n \"the U.S. Industry?\",\n \"Parfitt Parfitt Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"LKP Impact Consulting\",\n \"CMO\",\n \"THC\",\n \"CBD\",\n \"Nuvata\",\n \"Posh Green Cannabis Boutique\",\n \"Posh Green\",\n \"District Court\",\n \"the Detroit Free Press\",\n \"Friedman\",\n \"the Detroit City Council’s\",\n \"Wayne County Circuit\",\n \"Detroit’s Office of Marijuana Ventures\",\n \"Entrepreneurship\",\n \"Texas A&M AgriLife\",\n \"Texas A&M AgriLife Research\",\n \"the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences\",\n \"Texas A&M\",\n \"the United States Department of\",\n \"Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture\",\n \"The Texas Tribune\",\n \"the American Farm Bureau Federation\",\n \"Hemp Conversion Program\",\n \"HCP\",\n \"Texas A&M’s\",\n \"the U.S. National Germplasm System\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Laurie Parfitt\",\n \"Miss Grass\",\n \"Grass\",\n \"Doobie\",\n \"Benton\",\n \"Jessica Powell\",\n \"Bernard Friedman\",\n \"Leslie Kim Smith\",\n \"Lowe\",\n \"Christine Constantino\",\n \"John Roach\",\n \"Russ Jessup\",\n \"Jessup\",\n \"F1\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.54,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9280790686607361\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63aa1be9a727e603323d53d1\",\n \"title\": \"2022 Recap: Top Cannabis Marketing Trends That Emerged\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/top-cannabis-marketing-trends-that-emerged-in-2022-laurie-parfitt.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Laurie Parfitt, CEO of LKP Impact Consulting, dives into top cannabis trends that emerged this year and what opportunities they provide for businesses.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-23T12:00:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"As the cannabis industry continues to emerge, brand differentiation is critical for new and existing operators. And this year, the cannabis industry saw differentiation in products and how they are marketed, as well as a focus on consumer education. © Courtesy of Parfitt Parfitt Cannabis Business Times spoke with Laurie Parfitt, CEO of LKP Impact Consulting , a fractional CMO firm, to discuss the top cannabis marketing trends that emerged in 2022 and the opportunities they provide businesses. 1. Increased emphasis on product differentiation. Parfitt says the industry is starting to see companies focus on how they can differentiate themselves in the edibles space by creating different forms of delivery methods. “So instead of just doing the traditional gummy, now they’re looking at other methods of delivery that are still discrete and along the lines of an edible, but really create a differentiating point for them in the marketplace,” she says. For example, while chewables have become a classic form of edibles within the industry, companies are starting to segue into other delivery methods, such as cooking and baking oils, savory snacks, beverages, mints and hard candies, sublinguals (listerine strips) and more. Specifically, cannabis-infused beverages exploded in popularity this year, and the market is poised for growth, Parfitt says. According to a Cannabis Beverages Global Market report , the U.S. cannabis beverage market is anticipated to reach $2.7 billion by 2027. “When we think about beverages, if you look at growth and investment, it’s really a rising star,” Parfitt says. “It’s a high investment, high growth area. … We’ve seen a proliferation of beverages across the country, and we’re starting to see it as a major consumption method going forward.” The market share of beverages has increased by nearly 40% in the U.S. and Canada since January 2021, according to a report released Nov. 18 from cannabis data company Headset , titled “ Cannabis Beverages: Examining category performance & trends .” Over the same period, the Canadian cannabis beverage market saw a 300% increase in brands, while the U.S. saw a 65% increase in brands.“At the end of the day, if you want to be truly successful going forward and really give consumers a reason to buy your product, you have to have a true product differentiation, otherwise it all becomes commoditized,” she says. 2. Increased focus on microdosing. “We’re starting to see an interest in microdosing and lower dose options,” Parfitt says. “It used to all be about high THC, … but the highest THC might not be effective for you.” For example, Parfit referred to the 1906 edibles brand, which focuses on low-dose, fast-acting THC and CBD edible products. The company mainly uses a 1:1 ratio for its products (2.5 mg of THC and 2.5 mg of CBD). “Microdosing allows the consumer to enter the cannabis space gradually,” she says. “You could take four pills and get 10 milligrams [of THC], … or two and a half [milligrams of THC] might be enough for you.” Moreover, the Headset report found that high-dose products (25mg - 1000mg of THC) account for over 33% of all U.S. beverage sales for the first ten months of 22, while 100mg packages made up 22% of total sales and low dose options (less than 6mg of THC) also made up over 22%. 3. Companies utilizing occasion-based marketing. “The other thing we saw more of in 2022 is occasion-based marketing, and I think we’re going to see more of it than 2023,” Parfitt says. Occasion-based marketing is when a business uses occasions, events, or holidays to market its brand to its target audience, according to Voxco . Parfitt referred to Miss Grass, a THC and CBD flower company, which uses occasion-based marketing to target consumers. For example, the company markets its Miss Grass pre-roll series based on moods and events. The orange Miss Grass is marketed as “fast times,” best for “bloom and play,” while the blue Miss Grass marketed as “quiet times,” best \\\"anchor and restore.\\\" The series consists of two additional products. “Consumers in general, when they’re coming into the industry, [typically] don’t know when they should use cannabis, why they should use cannabis, and how they should use cannabis,” she says. “Telling consumers when, how, and why they should use products is incredibly important for them. It’s taking them through that consumer path to purchase. “A lot of consumers will go up to a budtender and say, ‘I want an edible for XYZ, or I want a beverage.’ What the budtender needs to do, is they need to step back, and they should say, ‘Okay, that’s awesome. So, tell me, what brings you in? What are you trying to solve?’” 4. Educating consumers on terpenes and how they work. Marketers started to capitalize on terpenes more in 2022, focusing on what they are and how they work, Parfitt says. “Indica. Sativa. Hybrid. Those really gave people a framework for how they should buy cannabis,” Parfitt says. “‘So, if I want to feel happy, I’m going to go sativa. If I want to relax, I’m going to go indica. If I want something in between, I’m going to go hybrid.’” “Now we’re starting to see what are the key terpenes that work for you in your system? … Even in 2019, I started to see people start talking about it, but in 2022, I actually started to see brands really interact with it and say, ‘It’s not about indica or hybrid; it’s about how those terpene profiles interact with your endocannabinoid system.’” Parfitt referenced premium vape company Nuvata, as the brand includes the terpene profiles in each product on the product packaging, with a word to describe how it makes an individual feel. “We’re going to see terpenes really proliferate in 2023,” she says. Parfitt says she anticipates these trends, as well as several other, to continue to emerge in 2023. This is part one of a two-part series. CBT spoke with Parfitt to see what cannabis marketing trends she anticipates will light up in 2023. SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Doobie , a multi-state cannabis delivery service, announced today that it has launched operations in San Francisco in partnership with Posh Green Cannabis Boutique, the first Equity Retail Cannabis Dispensary in San Francisco independently owned by a woman of color. Located in Hunters Point, Posh Green was founded by San Francisco native Reese Benton. Posh Green offers top-shelf premium cannabis products and actively supports local farmers and greenhouse vendors. Benton is a force in the San Francisco cannabis market, and a leader, equity advocate and mentor for women in the cannabis industry. \\\"We are thrilled to commence Doobie cannabis delivery operations in San Francisco,\\\" said Jessica Powell, co-founder of Doobie. \\\"Doobie is committed to bringing high-quality cannabis to consumers everywhere, and we are proud to partner with cannabis trailblazer Reese Benton of Posh Green to offer a better delivery option to customers in the Bay area.\\\" \\\"I'm excited to work with Doobie, a company whose commitment to excellence makes it the perfect cannabis delivery partner for Posh Green,\\\" said Benton. Doobie delivery customers will receive 20% off their first orders. The company delivers to the San Francisco metro, South San Francisco and San Mateo areas Monday through Saturday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Doobie's product offerings can be viewed at trydoobie.com , which provides a streamlined, mobile-optimized shopping experience. Customers can browse popular products by category or brand, and Doobie expert consultants are available via chat and phone to answer any questions. Doobie empowers consumers to be confident in their choices and delighted with their experiences, ensuring that happiness is delivered. Detroit, Mich., has cleared another legal hurdle in its efforts to stand up an adult-use cannabis market after a judge denied plaintiffs’ request to halt the city’s licensing process. A prospective cannabis business owner and a medical cannabis company in Detroit filed litigation in September that claimed the city’s adult-use cannabis ordinance gives unfair preference to longtime Detroit residents. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, according the Detroit Free Press . Michigan launched adult-use cannabis sales in December 2019, and Friedman issued a 19-page injunction last year to block the Detroit City Council’s original adult-use ordinance. Detroit’s initial plan allowed business entrepreneurs to obtain “Detroit Legacy” status when applying for an adult-use cannabis license. The legacy provision would have also given preference to applicants with low incomes or past cannabis-related convictions. Friedman wrote that the original ordinance was “likely unconstitutional” in his ruling. Detroit officials went back to the drawing board and adopted a new ordinance earlier this year. Under the new ordinance, 160 adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses will be available, half of which will be reserved for social equity applicants. The revised ordinance also opens up licensing for cannabis consumption lounges and microbusinesses. The new plan provides separate licensing processes for Detroit residents and non-residents, so that the two types of potential licensees do not compete against each other. Two separate lawsuits were initially filed following Detroit’s adoption of the new ordinance; a group of medical cannabis dispensaries sued in May to challenge a provision that bars medical cannabis operators from receiving adult-use licenses for the first several years of the program, while JARS Cannabis filed a separate lawsuit in June that alleged that the ordinance violates Michigan law by giving preferential treatment to certain applicants. Wayne County Circuit Judge Leslie Kim Smith dismissed both lawsuits in August, just before the new litigation was filed in September. “When I looked at the first ordinance, the Lowe case, it didn't take much to look at it and it just screamed ‘constitutional violation,’” Friedman said at a Dec. 21 motion hearing regarding the latest lawsuit, according to the Detroit Free Press . “There's no question about it. When I looked at this [ordinance], it didn’t.” Christine Constantino, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, told the news outlet that Detroit “artfully disguised its preference” for longtime residents “now in equity.” Nonetheless, Friedman’s ruling allows Detroit officials to start awarding its adult-use cannabis licenses. The city plans to issue 160 licenses in three phases, and as of October, the city had received 90 applications for its first phase of licensing. John Roach, a spokesperson for the city, told the Detroit Free Press that Detroit’s Office of Marijuana Ventures and Entrepreneurship plans to provide additional information on the licensing process Dec. 22. A team of researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife is working to develop new hemp varieties that can withstand the southern U.S.’ high temperatures and substantial drought conditions, and meet legal requirements. Russ Jessup, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research hemp breeder and associate professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, told Texas A&M Today that the “goal is to create a collection that incorporates the majority of genetic variation across all cannabis within C. sativa that will benefit farmers with high-yielding cultivars, biofuel refineries with reliable feedstocks, customers with quality products, and society with beneficial ecosystem services.” The researchers received a two-year $201,174 Compliant Hemp Accelerated Improvement Network (CHAIN) grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop the hemp cultivars. Jessup told the news outlet that the goal is to release between 10 and 20 lines by the end of 2023 and 20 to 50 more in 2024. Addressing the Challenges According to the news outlet, the researchers are trying to fill a “gap in breeding” in the state and address the significant challenges with hemp cultivation, explicitly noting the high heat and drought stress in Texas, which has made hemp production difficult. According to a recent study , “Hemp plants can endure drier conditions after establishment, but severe drought results in early maturity and stunted plants.” Over 75% of Texas is facing drought this year , which has greatly impacted farmers and hemp production due to the soil hardening in the dry heat, The Texas Tribune reported. The news outlet noted a figure from a survey conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation, which found that 2022 crop yields are down 68% in Texas due to drought—that number is slightly greater than decreases in Oklahoma (60%) and New Mexico (54%). Jessup said that farmers have also struggled with uniformity in production and regional adaptation. “If you plant a big field of [hemp], it’s not as uniform as corn, sorghum, cotton or the other major crops. There is nonuniformity in the available cultivars,” he said. “Our goal with [CHAIN] is to publicly release and evaluate a collection of novel accessions produced by Texas A&M AgriLife’s Hemp Conversion Program (HCP) alongside other candidate materials, to identify germplasm well adapted to the southern U.S.,” he said. The Process Jessup and his team will take the heat- and drought-resistant female hemp cultivars donated from across the U.S. and/or other countries and cross-pollinate them with the university’s heat- and drought-tolerant Texas-adapted lines, according to Texas A&M Today . This process will create “a very diverse population and allows for selecting individuals known to be compliant,” the news outlet reported. “When we screen, basically we take the parents and cross them, then take the kids or the F1 generation and make them self-hybridize,” Jessup said. “We screen and will only advance those that are compliant below 0.3[% THC]. And we’ve had types that are feral and wild populations, and anything in between donated.” The breeders will select 12 fiber cultivars, six grain cultivars, and some accessions from Texas A&M’s HCP germplasm collection. (As accession is a “distinct, uniquely identified sample of seeds or plants, that is maintained as part of a germplasm collection,” according to the U.S. National Germplasm System. ) Researchers will then test the crops at four planting dates in three locations with different latitudes. The potential cultivars will be studied at three Texas A&M branch campuses: North Texas, Central Texas and Weslaco. “We will span most of the latitude of Texas at these three sites, evaluating lines for their performance,” Jessup said. “When we do that, we should be able to recommend where they should or should not be grown based on that latitude.” How does your company grow (its cannabis, that is)? This year, sustainable cultivation practices and in-house R&D efforts emerged as common trends that growers pursued, both in the U.S. and abroad. Here, three cultivators share which techniques they focused on in 2022 and what they may try going into 2023. 1. Biodynamic Farming Photo courtesy of Stone Road Farms Corwin Lex Corwin, founder and CEO of Nevada City, Calif.-based Stone Road Farms , shared with Cannabis Business Times in January that the company, which grows cannabis in greenhouses and outdoors, uses elements of biodynamic farming. “Obviously, [we don’t do] all of the crazy stuff, like combining cow manure with llama poop and growing under a full moon,” he said at the time. “We don’t have time for all that. But [we implement] other things, like regenerative water practices [and] using living soil. Instead of using pesticides or synthetics, [we use] predator mites. [We make] our own compost teas.” Earlier this month, CBT caught up with Corwin about Stone Road’s cultivation techniques and found that the team is still implementing—and perfecting—biodynamic farming practices. “Basically, we’re just trying to close the loop and make as much of our nutrients as possible,” Corwin said. “It’s better both environmentally and cost-savings wise.” Stone Road composts as much as possible and sources ingredients to make compost teas, rather than purchasing ready made ones at the store. The company has used the same soil for the last six years and continues to improve its health and diversity to ensure it will continue to yield high-quality flower. “We’ve never used sprays, even the organic sprays that are usually plant-based pesticides,” Corwin said. “We’ve opted to just use predator mites and ladybugs. ... It’s basically just setting up the systems and then it runs itself, giving it all the components that the plants need to thrive.” Stone Road chooses genetics that can thrive in a more natural environment, and the team tends to the plants with the same compost teas and nutrient mixes, whether outdoors or in the greenhouse. “Initially, it is, of course, more expensive because you need more labor and ladybugs have been expensive and making your own compost tea—it all costs a lot up front, but once you’ve got the systems going, where it is naturally kicking off the nutrients that the plant needs [and you have] the preventative measures that you need for pest management, it then is really just running on autopilot,” Corwin said. Stone Road spends much less on nutrients now that it has a stockpile of fresh compost to mix in with its existing soil, for example, which is particularly helpful in a market like California, which has seen a steep decline in wholesale prices. Biodynamic farming practices also give the company a unique story to tell consumers, and a way to stand out in the crowded California market. “This is why we’re different,” Corwin said. “Anyone can buy a preroll from a dispensary. There are hundreds of options. There are thousands of different SKUs. So, … why are we unique? … It’s about lowering our impact on the earth. It’s about putting out really high-quality products at a really affordable price. And doing all these things help us get there.” It's also helped Stone Road expand into new markets. The company announced its launch into Michigan last month, after previously signing licensing deals in Oklahoma and Massachusetts. In Michigan, Stone Road landed a partnership with Gamut Cannabis to bring its product line to the state in early 2023. “In Michigan, we’re partnering with other small, family-owned farms that employ a lot of the same techniques that we use in California,” Corwin said. “We know that the values are going to be aligned, and we know that, ultimately, the quality of the flower is going to be top notch.” Looking toward the future, Corwin is interested in exploring hügelkultur, which he describes as excavating the soil before the growing season and layering in logs, sticks, leaves and other biomass that is then covered with a layer of soil. As the biomass breaks down, it releases core nutrients for the plants and retains water for the crop. In the meantime, Corwin plans to lean into the biodynamic farming practices Stone Road has already started, trying new compost styles and different compost additives that will lead to even greater plant growth. “We’re just basically doubling down on the things we’ve started on because not only are we saving money, but the plants this year, the quality has never been better,” Corwin said. “I can’t wait for consumers in California to see the yield that we got from this year—just sheer volume-wise, we’ve never grown this amount of cannabis before. We grew double what we have in prior years.” 2. Crop Steering Photo by Krystell Góngora Decker Jorel Decker, the owner of Lindsay, Okla.-based Ramshead Cannabis and a member of nu-metal group Hollywood Undead, is “obsessed” with crop steering. “I love crop steering,” he said. “I’m obsessed with it. I’m currently right now trying mixing and matching different companies with their sensors and their automatic crop steering. There are so many people offering the same stuff, so I keep experimenting, using sensors from one company with a brain from another, seeing which one can handle it more. I’m trying the automatic scheduling. I’m trying to take out human error. It’s not there yet, but that’s all I’ve been doing, is trying to figure out the best way to do this.” Decker told CBT in July that “crop steering is the hot topic these days, and where cannabis is and will continue to go.” Often described as a plant growth management practice where environmental setpoints or inputs are manipulated to trigger specific plant responses or encourage plants to grow in a certain way, crop steering has been a part of Ramshead’s operations for a while now. “When I first started learning it, I couldn’t afford the $50,000 of sensors that it required,” Decker said. “So, originally, we were using one handheld sensor and data logging by hand all throughout the day and making these judgements.” Now, the company uses LED lighting throughout its entire indoor facility, and Decker is continuing his research into automatic environmental controls and even more advanced LED technology. “You can set schedules now and it’ll change the weeks for you, but there’s no such thing as a set and forget in growing,” he said. “You have to check and calibrate your equipment constantly. I’d be curious to try it just to see how good it works, but nothing’s better than having a human or a professional overseeing everything.” The Ramshead team is also focused on finding the right genetics and dialing in its crop steering efforts for each variety. “Everything drinks different,” Decker said. “We have 32 light rooms. We try to keep it two strains per room, which isn’t ideal. You want a monocrop, which is one strain per room, because one strain will drink a ton of water and one will drink none and tend to be overwatered. You really have to pair them up properly, and that’s why you need sensors. … When you’re crop steering, you can’t mismatch the strains if you have multiple rooms, which a lot of growers do. They’ll throw 12 strains in one room—one of them thrives, one of them practically dies. There’s no roadmap for crop steering. Every strain is completely different as far as environment and watering goes.” Decker is looking forward to seeing the results of Ramshead’s latest crop steering efforts heading into next year and said that while “it’s not for the faint of heart,” the practice is worthwhile to get the most out of the plants. “I knew it was the future and I knew if I didn’t learn it and do it right, I would be one of those companies that faded away eventually because you really produce the highest quality yields by crop steering correctly,” he said. 3. In-House Trials Photo courtesy of Zoe Reece Reece Zoe Reece, founder and CEO of New Zealand medical cannabis producer Ora Pharm , told CBT earlier this year that the company had launched in-house trials in a dedicated R&D greenhouse to continue to improve its grow practices. “We recently received a government grant from New Zealand to help with the trials, which is pretty fantastic,” Reece shared earlier this month, adding that the company’s current trials aim to find and perfect a nutrient recipe. The grant was provided by Callaghan Innovation , a government agency focused on helping businesses conduct R&D and find innovative ways to give New Zealand a competitive advantage when producing products. The nutrient trial is in its second grow cycle and aims to find the perfect mix of what works for the plants and Ora Pharm’s cultivation techniques. “We’re doing a direct comparison with the liquid nutrients that we’ve been using with the new mix that we’ve created,” Reece said. “We’ve been trying out different cultivars and the next trial that we’re going to do, we’re going to do all one cultivar, so that gives us a bit more straight data around it.” The research not only helps Ora Pharm reduce its cost of production, but also gives the company more control over the growing process to consistently produce high-quality yields. “In New Zealand, we are exporting most of this and it has to be to EU GMP quality standards, and that means that there is a very tight band on all of the different parameters of the products, especially the cannabinoids,” Reece said. “So, by having control over what the plant eats, we can tweak that up and down as needed.” By having a dedicated greenhouse for R&D, the trials won’t impact the commercial crops, which need that consistency and quality behind them. In the past, Ora Pharm has conducted trials on lighting and soil, and Reece said the team has a long list of trials it would like to launch in the future. “I guess we’re just very focused on data, data collection and data analysis around the plants and what’s happening,” she said. “I think collecting as much data as we can using our sensors, using different programs on the R&D side, [is important] to see if there are any small changes that should be applied.” And, she added, the findings could be applied to not just cannabis, but also to the broader horticultural space. “It just provides innovation in all industries, which stems from the cannabis space, which is really exciting,” she said.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/16/Untitleddesign-2022-12-16T112750271.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"cannabis-infused beverages exploded in popularity this year, and the market is poised for growth. the market share of beverages has increased by nearly 40% in the U.S. and Canada since January 2021.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Parfitt\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Canada\",\n \"Headset\",\n \"SAN FRANCISCO\",\n \"San Francisco\",\n \"South San Francisco\",\n \"San Mateo\",\n \"Detroit\",\n \"Mich.\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Texas\",\n \"Oklahoma\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Weslaco\",\n \"Nevada City\",\n \"California\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Lindsay\",\n \"New Zealand\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Parfitt Parfitt Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"LKP Impact Consulting\",\n \"CMO\",\n \"THC\",\n \"CBD\",\n \"Nuvata\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"Posh Green Cannabis Boutique\",\n \"Posh Green\",\n \"District Court\",\n \"the Detroit Free Press\",\n \"Friedman\",\n \"the Detroit City Council’s\",\n \"Wayne County Circuit\",\n \"Detroit’s Office of Marijuana Ventures\",\n \"Entrepreneurship\",\n \"Texas A&M AgriLife\",\n \"Texas A&M AgriLife Research\",\n \"the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences\",\n \"Texas A&M\",\n \"the United States Department of\",\n \"Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture\",\n \"The Texas Tribune\",\n \"the American Farm Bureau Federation\",\n \"Hemp Conversion Program\",\n \"HCP\",\n \"Texas A&M’s\",\n \"the U.S. National Germplasm System\",\n \"Stone Road Farms Corwin\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"pest\",\n \"Corwin\",\n \"Crop Steering Photo\",\n \"Hollywood Undead\",\n \"Ramshead\",\n \"Decker\",\n \"Zoe\",\n \"Ora Pharm\",\n \"Ora Pharm’s\",\n \"EU\",\n \"Reece\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Laurie Parfitt\",\n \"Miss Grass\",\n \"Grass\",\n \"Doobie\",\n \"Benton\",\n \"Jessica Powell\",\n \"Bernard Friedman\",\n \"Leslie Kim Smith\",\n \"Lowe\",\n \"Christine Constantino\",\n \"John Roach\",\n \"Russ Jessup\",\n \"Jessup\",\n \"F1\",\n \"Lex Corwin\",\n \"Corwin\",\n \"Gamut Cannabis\",\n \"Krystell Góngora Decker\",\n \"Jorel Decker\",\n \"Ramshead Cannabis\",\n \"Reece Zoe Reece\",\n \"Reece\",\n \"Callaghan Innovation\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"cbd\",\n \"use\",\n \"product\",\n \"say\",\n \"thc\",\n \"study\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"health\",\n \"people\",\n \"high\",\n \"test\",\n \"make\",\n \"drug\",\n \"like\",\n \"oil\",\n \"new\",\n \"research\",\n \"vaping\",\n \"plant\",\n \"help\",\n \"effect\",\n \"know\",\n \"smoke\",\n \"time\",\n \"year\",\n \"report\",\n \"pain\",\n \"patient\",\n \"food\",\n \"weed\",\n \"way\",\n \"contain\",\n \"need\",\n \"include\",\n \"come\",\n \"strain\",\n \"work\",\n \"good\",\n \"treat\",\n \"medical\",\n \"treatment\",\n \"look\",\n \"user\",\n \"want\",\n \"edible\",\n \"vape\",\n \"fda\",\n \"university\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Consumer\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.51,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9157577157020569\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63aa1bf2a727e603323d53d5\",\n \"title\": \"Judge Denies Plaintiff’s Request to Halt Detroit’s Adult-Use Cannabis Licensing Process\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/judge-denies-plaintiff-request-to-halt-detroit-adult-use-cannabis-licensing-process.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in the latest lawsuit against the city’s adult-use cannabis ordinance.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-22T16:45:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Detroit, Mich., has cleared another legal hurdle in its efforts to stand up an adult-use cannabis market after a judge denied plaintiffs’ request to halt the city’s licensing process. A prospective cannabis business owner and a medical cannabis company in Detroit filed litigation in September that claimed the city’s adult-use cannabis ordinance gives unfair preference to longtime Detroit residents. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, according the Detroit Free Press . Michigan launched adult-use cannabis sales in December 2019, and Friedman issued a 19-page injunction last year to block the Detroit City Council’s original adult-use ordinance. Detroit’s initial plan allowed business entrepreneurs to obtain “Detroit Legacy” status when applying for an adult-use cannabis license. The legacy provision would have also given preference to applicants with low incomes or past cannabis-related convictions. Friedman wrote that the original ordinance was “likely unconstitutional” in his ruling. Detroit officials went back to the drawing board and adopted a new ordinance earlier this year. Under the new ordinance, 160 adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses will be available, half of which will be reserved for social equity applicants. The revised ordinance also opens up licensing for cannabis consumption lounges and microbusinesses. The new plan provides separate licensing processes for Detroit residents and non-residents, so that the two types of potential licensees do not compete against each other. Two separate lawsuits were initially filed following Detroit’s adoption of the new ordinance; a group of medical cannabis dispensaries sued in May to challenge a provision that bars medical cannabis operators from receiving adult-use licenses for the first several years of the program, while JARS Cannabis filed a separate lawsuit in June that alleged that the ordinance violates Michigan law by giving preferential treatment to certain applicants. Wayne County Circuit Judge Leslie Kim Smith dismissed both lawsuits in August, just before the new litigation was filed in September. “When I looked at the first ordinance, the Lowe case, it didn't take much to look at it and it just screamed ‘constitutional violation,’” Friedman said at a Dec. 21 motion hearing regarding the latest lawsuit, according to the Detroit Free Press . “There's no question about it. When I looked at this [ordinance], it didn’t.” Christine Constantino, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, told the news outlet that Detroit “artfully disguised its preference” for longtime residents “now in equity.” Nonetheless, Friedman’s ruling allows Detroit officials to start awarding its adult-use cannabis licenses. The city plans to issue 160 licenses in three phases, and as of October, the city had received 90 applications for its first phase of licensing. John Roach, a spokesperson for the city, told the Detroit Free Press that Detroit’s Office of Marijuana Ventures and Entrepreneurship plans to provide additional information on the licensing process Dec. 22. A team of researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife is working to develop new hemp varieties that can withstand the southern U.S.’ high temperatures and substantial drought conditions, and meet legal requirements. Russ Jessup, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research hemp breeder and associate professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, told Texas A&M Today that the “goal is to create a collection that incorporates the majority of genetic variation across all cannabis within C. sativa that will benefit farmers with high-yielding cultivars, biofuel refineries with reliable feedstocks, customers with quality products, and society with beneficial ecosystem services.” The researchers received a two-year $201,174 Compliant Hemp Accelerated Improvement Network (CHAIN) grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop the hemp cultivars. Jessup told the news outlet that the goal is to release between 10 and 20 lines by the end of 2023 and 20 to 50 more in 2024. Addressing the Challenges According to the news outlet, the researchers are trying to fill a “gap in breeding” in the state and address the significant challenges with hemp cultivation, explicitly noting the high heat and drought stress in Texas, which has made hemp production difficult. According to a recent study , “Hemp plants can endure drier conditions after establishment, but severe drought results in early maturity and stunted plants.” Over 75% of Texas is facing drought this year , which has greatly impacted farmers and hemp production due to the soil hardening in the dry heat, The Texas Tribune reported. The news outlet noted a figure from a survey conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation, which found that 2022 crop yields are down 68% in Texas due to drought—that number is slightly greater than decreases in Oklahoma (60%) and New Mexico (54%). Jessup said that farmers have also struggled with uniformity in production and regional adaptation. “If you plant a big field of [hemp], it’s not as uniform as corn, sorghum, cotton or the other major crops. There is nonuniformity in the available cultivars,” he said. “Our goal with [CHAIN] is to publicly release and evaluate a collection of novel accessions produced by Texas A&M AgriLife’s Hemp Conversion Program (HCP) alongside other candidate materials, to identify germplasm well adapted to the southern U.S.,” he said. The Process Jessup and his team will take the heat- and drought-resistant female hemp cultivars donated from across the U.S. and/or other countries and cross-pollinate them with the university’s heat- and drought-tolerant Texas-adapted lines, according to Texas A&M Today . This process will create “a very diverse population and allows for selecting individuals known to be compliant,” the news outlet reported. “When we screen, basically we take the parents and cross them, then take the kids or the F1 generation and make them self-hybridize,” Jessup said. “We screen and will only advance those that are compliant below 0.3[% THC]. And we’ve had types that are feral and wild populations, and anything in between donated.” The breeders will select 12 fiber cultivars, six grain cultivars, and some accessions from Texas A&M’s HCP germplasm collection. (As accession is a “distinct, uniquely identified sample of seeds or plants, that is maintained as part of a germplasm collection,” according to the U.S. National Germplasm System. ) Researchers will then test the crops at four planting dates in three locations with different latitudes. The potential cultivars will be studied at three Texas A&M branch campuses: North Texas, Central Texas and Weslaco. “We will span most of the latitude of Texas at these three sites, evaluating lines for their performance,” Jessup said. “When we do that, we should be able to recommend where they should or should not be grown based on that latitude.” How does your company grow (its cannabis, that is)? This year, sustainable cultivation practices and in-house R&D efforts emerged as common trends that growers pursued, both in the U.S. and abroad. Here, three cultivators share which techniques they focused on in 2022 and what they may try going into 2023. 1. Biodynamic Farming Photo courtesy of Stone Road Farms Corwin Lex Corwin, founder and CEO of Nevada City, Calif.-based Stone Road Farms , shared with Cannabis Business Times in January that the company, which grows cannabis in greenhouses and outdoors, uses elements of biodynamic farming. “Obviously, [we don’t do] all of the crazy stuff, like combining cow manure with llama poop and growing under a full moon,” he said at the time. “We don’t have time for all that. But [we implement] other things, like regenerative water practices [and] using living soil. Instead of using pesticides or synthetics, [we use] predator mites. [We make] our own compost teas.” Earlier this month, CBT caught up with Corwin about Stone Road’s cultivation techniques and found that the team is still implementing—and perfecting—biodynamic farming practices. “Basically, we’re just trying to close the loop and make as much of our nutrients as possible,” Corwin said. “It’s better both environmentally and cost-savings wise.” Stone Road composts as much as possible and sources ingredients to make compost teas, rather than purchasing ready made ones at the store. The company has used the same soil for the last six years and continues to improve its health and diversity to ensure it will continue to yield high-quality flower. “We’ve never used sprays, even the organic sprays that are usually plant-based pesticides,” Corwin said. “We’ve opted to just use predator mites and ladybugs. ... It’s basically just setting up the systems and then it runs itself, giving it all the components that the plants need to thrive.” Stone Road chooses genetics that can thrive in a more natural environment, and the team tends to the plants with the same compost teas and nutrient mixes, whether outdoors or in the greenhouse. “Initially, it is, of course, more expensive because you need more labor and ladybugs have been expensive and making your own compost tea—it all costs a lot up front, but once you’ve got the systems going, where it is naturally kicking off the nutrients that the plant needs [and you have] the preventative measures that you need for pest management, it then is really just running on autopilot,” Corwin said. Stone Road spends much less on nutrients now that it has a stockpile of fresh compost to mix in with its existing soil, for example, which is particularly helpful in a market like California, which has seen a steep decline in wholesale prices. Biodynamic farming practices also give the company a unique story to tell consumers, and a way to stand out in the crowded California market. “This is why we’re different,” Corwin said. “Anyone can buy a preroll from a dispensary. There are hundreds of options. There are thousands of different SKUs. So, … why are we unique? … It’s about lowering our impact on the earth. It’s about putting out really high-quality products at a really affordable price. And doing all these things help us get there.” It's also helped Stone Road expand into new markets. The company announced its launch into Michigan last month, after previously signing licensing deals in Oklahoma and Massachusetts. In Michigan, Stone Road landed a partnership with Gamut Cannabis to bring its product line to the state in early 2023. “In Michigan, we’re partnering with other small, family-owned farms that employ a lot of the same techniques that we use in California,” Corwin said. “We know that the values are going to be aligned, and we know that, ultimately, the quality of the flower is going to be top notch.” Looking toward the future, Corwin is interested in exploring hügelkultur, which he describes as excavating the soil before the growing season and layering in logs, sticks, leaves and other biomass that is then covered with a layer of soil. As the biomass breaks down, it releases core nutrients for the plants and retains water for the crop. In the meantime, Corwin plans to lean into the biodynamic farming practices Stone Road has already started, trying new compost styles and different compost additives that will lead to even greater plant growth. “We’re just basically doubling down on the things we’ve started on because not only are we saving money, but the plants this year, the quality has never been better,” Corwin said. “I can’t wait for consumers in California to see the yield that we got from this year—just sheer volume-wise, we’ve never grown this amount of cannabis before. We grew double what we have in prior years.” 2. Crop Steering Photo by Krystell Góngora Decker Jorel Decker, the owner of Lindsay, Okla.-based Ramshead Cannabis and a member of nu-metal group Hollywood Undead, is “obsessed” with crop steering. “I love crop steering,” he said. “I’m obsessed with it. I’m currently right now trying mixing and matching different companies with their sensors and their automatic crop steering. There are so many people offering the same stuff, so I keep experimenting, using sensors from one company with a brain from another, seeing which one can handle it more. I’m trying the automatic scheduling. I’m trying to take out human error. It’s not there yet, but that’s all I’ve been doing, is trying to figure out the best way to do this.” Decker told CBT in July that “crop steering is the hot topic these days, and where cannabis is and will continue to go.” Often described as a plant growth management practice where environmental setpoints or inputs are manipulated to trigger specific plant responses or encourage plants to grow in a certain way, crop steering has been a part of Ramshead’s operations for a while now. “When I first started learning it, I couldn’t afford the $50,000 of sensors that it required,” Decker said. “So, originally, we were using one handheld sensor and data logging by hand all throughout the day and making these judgements.” Now, the company uses LED lighting throughout its entire indoor facility, and Decker is continuing his research into automatic environmental controls and even more advanced LED technology. “You can set schedules now and it’ll change the weeks for you, but there’s no such thing as a set and forget in growing,” he said. “You have to check and calibrate your equipment constantly. I’d be curious to try it just to see how good it works, but nothing’s better than having a human or a professional overseeing everything.” The Ramshead team is also focused on finding the right genetics and dialing in its crop steering efforts for each variety. “Everything drinks different,” Decker said. “We have 32 light rooms. We try to keep it two strains per room, which isn’t ideal. You want a monocrop, which is one strain per room, because one strain will drink a ton of water and one will drink none and tend to be overwatered. You really have to pair them up properly, and that’s why you need sensors. … When you’re crop steering, you can’t mismatch the strains if you have multiple rooms, which a lot of growers do. They’ll throw 12 strains in one room—one of them thrives, one of them practically dies. There’s no roadmap for crop steering. Every strain is completely different as far as environment and watering goes.” Decker is looking forward to seeing the results of Ramshead’s latest crop steering efforts heading into next year and said that while “it’s not for the faint of heart,” the practice is worthwhile to get the most out of the plants. “I knew it was the future and I knew if I didn’t learn it and do it right, I would be one of those companies that faded away eventually because you really produce the highest quality yields by crop steering correctly,” he said. 3. In-House Trials Photo courtesy of Zoe Reece Reece Zoe Reece, founder and CEO of New Zealand medical cannabis producer Ora Pharm , told CBT earlier this year that the company had launched in-house trials in a dedicated R&D greenhouse to continue to improve its grow practices. “We recently received a government grant from New Zealand to help with the trials, which is pretty fantastic,” Reece shared earlier this month, adding that the company’s current trials aim to find and perfect a nutrient recipe. The grant was provided by Callaghan Innovation , a government agency focused on helping businesses conduct R&D and find innovative ways to give New Zealand a competitive advantage when producing products. The nutrient trial is in its second grow cycle and aims to find the perfect mix of what works for the plants and Ora Pharm’s cultivation techniques. “We’re doing a direct comparison with the liquid nutrients that we’ve been using with the new mix that we’ve created,” Reece said. “We’ve been trying out different cultivars and the next trial that we’re going to do, we’re going to do all one cultivar, so that gives us a bit more straight data around it.” The research not only helps Ora Pharm reduce its cost of production, but also gives the company more control over the growing process to consistently produce high-quality yields. “In New Zealand, we are exporting most of this and it has to be to EU GMP quality standards, and that means that there is a very tight band on all of the different parameters of the products, especially the cannabinoids,” Reece said. “So, by having control over what the plant eats, we can tweak that up and down as needed.” By having a dedicated greenhouse for R&D, the trials won’t impact the commercial crops, which need that consistency and quality behind them. In the past, Ora Pharm has conducted trials on lighting and soil, and Reece said the team has a long list of trials it would like to launch in the future. “I guess we’re just very focused on data, data collection and data analysis around the plants and what’s happening,” she said. “I think collecting as much data as we can using our sensors, using different programs on the R&D side, [is important] to see if there are any small changes that should be applied.” And, she added, the findings could be applied to not just cannabis, but also to the broader horticultural space. “It just provides innovation in all industries, which stems from the cannabis space, which is really exciting,” she said. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) and Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) announced a plan Dec. 19 to issue up to 22 additional medical cannabis licenses across the state. The rule would allow health officials to accept new license applications in a batching process, limiting all new licenses from being available at once. It would also increase the nonrefundable application fee for new licenses to $146,000. According to the emergency rule, a “Batching cycle means the grouping for comparative review of applications for MMTC (medical marijuana treatment centers) licensure that are submitted for a specified number of available MMTC licenses within the same application window.” The application window would be a five-day period during which the DOH can accept applications for the batching cycle. The emergency rule states that the DOH will release a separate rule to specify the number of licenses it will issue per batching cycle. This long-awaited move from regulators would allow aspiring cannabis businesses to enter the state’s market, whose retail footprint remains limited to 22 operators, with Trulieve, Verano, Ayr Wellness and Curaleaf representing more than 58% of the state’s 501 retail locations as of Dec. 16, according to a weekly update from the OMMU. Under state law, the DOH is required to issue four additional MMTC licenses for every 100,000 new patients. With 776,365 active patients as of Dec. 16, the state would need to issue more than 20 additional licenses to keep up with the number of active patients, Cannabis Business Times previously reported . When CBT Associate Editor Tony Lange asked Jonathan Robbins, chair of Akerman’s national cannabis practice, in September if he thinks the DOH would issue those additional licenses before the 2024 election, he was hopeful. “Before the 2024 election? I sure hope so,” Robbins said. “I have a lot of clients who are extremely anxious to be able to apply for a license, and they have been promising this since 2017. And even though we have 22 licensees here, we’ve never really had a formal application process. They had an application process back in 2015 for the original five high-CBD, low-THC licenses. They gave out those five. Every other license that has been given out since then, meaning the other 17, have been by way of resolution of litigation.” The DOH also issued an emergency rule that increases the biennial license renewal cost from about $60,000 to $1.33 million, CBS News reported . According to the news outlet, the increase in license renewal fees comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced earlier this year that “companies weren’t paying enough to operate in the state.” DOH spokesman James Williams III told CBS News that the “renewal fee is based on a formula that includes the amount of money it costs the state to regulate the industry.” While the new rules “drew praise” in the state, some industry leaders suspect that the license fee increases could “draw pushback” amongst existing operators, according to CBS News. Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Chair Tiffany Rudolph announced during the commission’s Dec. 15 meeting that she will step down from her role as the regulatory authority over the state’s cannabis program transitions to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission. Rudolph has served on the commission since 2017, when she was first appointed by the governor to serve as a member filling the required role of an attorney with knowledge about medical cannabis laws. She was reappointed and named vice chair in 2019 before becoming the commission chair in 2021. Rudolph will resign as of Dec. 31. “It has been a distinct pleasure and honor to serve on the Medical Cannabis Commission,” Rudolph said in a public statement. “Over the past five years commissioners and staff have established Maryland as a model medical cannabis program and helped prepare the state for a transition to an expanded medical and adult-use market. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues on the commission for their hard work and continued dedication to this program.” Rudolph also served as chair of the Application Review Committee, where she oversaw the state’s issuance of 14 medical cannabis grower and processor licenses to minority- and women-owned businesses in 2020. “The commission has benefitted significantly from Commissioner Randolph’s leadership and cannabis legal and policy expertise,” Executive Director Will Tilburg said in a public statement. “The state is better off from her service as are the patients of Maryland. I wish her the very best and thank her for her dedication and friendship throughout the growth and expansion of our program.” Maryland voters approved Question 4 in the November election to legalize adult-use cannabis. The measure, which legalizes the possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older beginning in July, also transitions the regulation of medical cannabis from the Medical Cannabis Commission to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission in 2023. Dr. C. Obi Onyewu, the commission’s vice chair, will serve as acting chair during the transition. Onyewu has served on the Medical Cannabis Commission since 2019 and has led the commission’s Budget and Finance Committee since 2020. He also serves on the commission’s Compliance and Executive Committees.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/22/DetroitHighwayExitSign-AdobeStock-Credit-dakotastudios-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"a prospective cannabis business owner and a medical cannabis company in Detroit filed litigation in September that claimed the city’s adult-use cannabis ordinance gives unfair preference to longtime Detroit residents. a judge denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Detroit\",\n \"Mich.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Texas\",\n \"Oklahoma\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Weslaco\",\n \"Nevada City\",\n \"California\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Lindsay\",\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"Maryland\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"District Court\",\n \"the Detroit Free Press\",\n \"Friedman\",\n \"the Detroit City Council’s\",\n \"Wayne County Circuit\",\n \"Detroit’s Office of Marijuana Ventures\",\n \"Entrepreneurship\",\n \"Texas A&M AgriLife\",\n \"Texas A&M AgriLife Research\",\n \"the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences\",\n \"Texas A&M\",\n \"the United States Department of\",\n \"Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture\",\n \"The Texas Tribune\",\n \"the American Farm Bureau Federation\",\n \"Hemp Conversion Program\",\n \"HCP\",\n \"Texas A&M’s\",\n \"the U.S. National Germplasm System\",\n \"Stone Road Farms Corwin\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"pest\",\n \"Corwin\",\n \"Crop Steering Photo\",\n \"Hollywood Undead\",\n \"Ramshead\",\n \"Decker\",\n \"Zoe\",\n \"Ora Pharm\",\n \"Ora Pharm’s\",\n \"EU\",\n \"Reece\",\n \"The Florida Department of Health (DOH\",\n \"Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use\",\n \"DOH\",\n \"Trulieve, Verano,\",\n \"Ayr Wellness and Curaleaf\",\n \"Akerman\",\n \"CBS News\",\n \"Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Application Review Committee\",\n \"Budget and Finance Committee\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Bernard Friedman\",\n \"Leslie Kim Smith\",\n \"Lowe\",\n \"Christine Constantino\",\n \"John Roach\",\n \"Russ Jessup\",\n \"Jessup\",\n \"F1\",\n \"Lex Corwin\",\n \"Corwin\",\n \"Gamut Cannabis\",\n \"Krystell Góngora Decker\",\n \"Jorel Decker\",\n \"Ramshead Cannabis\",\n \"Reece Zoe Reece\",\n \"Reece\",\n \"Callaghan Innovation\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Tony Lange\",\n \"Jonathan Robbins\",\n \"Ron DeSantis\",\n \"James Williams III\",\n \"Chair Tiffany Rudolph\",\n \"Rudolph\",\n \"Randolph\",\n \"Will Tilburg\",\n \"C. Obi Onyewu\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.52,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7150417566299438\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63aa1c07a727e603323d53df\",\n \"title\": \"Texas A&M AgriLife Researchers to Develop New Hemp Varieties\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/texas-researchers-develop-heat-drought-resistant-hemp-cultivars\",\n \"description\": \"The researchers received a two-year $201,174 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop the hemp cultivars.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-22T15:00:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"A team of researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife is working to develop new hemp varieties that can withstand the southern U.S.’ high temperatures and substantial drought conditions, and meet legal requirements. Russ Jessup, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research hemp breeder and associate professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, told Texas A&M Today that the “goal is to create a collection that incorporates the majority of genetic variation across all cannabis within C. sativa that will benefit farmers with high-yielding cultivars, biofuel refineries with reliable feedstocks, customers with quality products, and society with beneficial ecosystem services.” The researchers received a two-year $201,174 Compliant Hemp Accelerated Improvement Network (CHAIN) grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop the hemp cultivars. Jessup told the news outlet that the goal is to release between 10 and 20 lines by the end of 2023 and 20 to 50 more in 2024. Addressing the Challenges According to the news outlet, the researchers are trying to fill a “gap in breeding” in the state and address the significant challenges with hemp cultivation, explicitly noting the high heat and drought stress in Texas, which has made hemp production difficult. According to a recent study , “Hemp plants can endure drier conditions after establishment, but severe drought results in early maturity and stunted plants.” Over 75% of Texas is facing drought this year , which has greatly impacted farmers and hemp production due to the soil hardening in the dry heat, The Texas Tribune reported. The news outlet noted a figure from a survey conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation, which found that 2022 crop yields are down 68% in Texas due to drought—that number is slightly greater than decreases in Oklahoma (60%) and New Mexico (54%). Jessup said that farmers have also struggled with uniformity in production and regional adaptation. “If you plant a big field of [hemp], it’s not as uniform as corn, sorghum, cotton or the other major crops. There is nonuniformity in the available cultivars,” he said. “Our goal with [CHAIN] is to publicly release and evaluate a collection of novel accessions produced by Texas A&M AgriLife’s Hemp Conversion Program (HCP) alongside other candidate materials, to identify germplasm well adapted to the southern U.S.,” he said. The Process Jessup and his team will take the heat- and drought-resistant female hemp cultivars donated from across the U.S. and/or other countries and cross-pollinate them with the university’s heat- and drought-tolerant Texas-adapted lines, according to Texas A&M Today . This process will create “a very diverse population and allows for selecting individuals known to be compliant,” the news outlet reported. “When we screen, basically we take the parents and cross them, then take the kids or the F1 generation and make them self-hybridize,” Jessup said. “We screen and will only advance those that are compliant below 0.3[% THC]. And we’ve had types that are feral and wild populations, and anything in between donated.” The breeders will select 12 fiber cultivars, six grain cultivars, and some accessions from Texas A&M’s HCP germplasm collection. (As accession is a “distinct, uniquely identified sample of seeds or plants, that is maintained as part of a germplasm collection,” according to the U.S. National Germplasm System. ) Researchers will then test the crops at four planting dates in three locations with different latitudes. The potential cultivars will be studied at three Texas A&M branch campuses: North Texas, Central Texas and Weslaco. “We will span most of the latitude of Texas at these three sites, evaluating lines for their performance,” Jessup said. “When we do that, we should be able to recommend where they should or should not be grown based on that latitude.” How does your company grow (its cannabis, that is)? This year, sustainable cultivation practices and in-house R&D efforts emerged as common trends that growers pursued, both in the U.S. and abroad. Here, three cultivators share which techniques they focused on in 2022 and what they may try going into 2023. 1. Biodynamic Farming Photo courtesy of Stone Road Farms Corwin Lex Corwin, founder and CEO of Nevada City, Calif.-based Stone Road Farms , shared with Cannabis Business Times in January that the company, which grows cannabis in greenhouses and outdoors, uses elements of biodynamic farming. “Obviously, [we don’t do] all of the crazy stuff, like combining cow manure with llama poop and growing under a full moon,” he said at the time. “We don’t have time for all that. But [we implement] other things, like regenerative water practices [and] using living soil. Instead of using pesticides or synthetics, [we use] predator mites. [We make] our own compost teas.” Earlier this month, CBT caught up with Corwin about Stone Road’s cultivation techniques and found that the team is still implementing—and perfecting—biodynamic farming practices. “Basically, we’re just trying to close the loop and make as much of our nutrients as possible,” Corwin said. “It’s better both environmentally and cost-savings wise.” Stone Road composts as much as possible and sources ingredients to make compost teas, rather than purchasing ready made ones at the store. The company has used the same soil for the last six years and continues to improve its health and diversity to ensure it will continue to yield high-quality flower. “We’ve never used sprays, even the organic sprays that are usually plant-based pesticides,” Corwin said. “We’ve opted to just use predator mites and ladybugs. ... It’s basically just setting up the systems and then it runs itself, giving it all the components that the plants need to thrive.” Stone Road chooses genetics that can thrive in a more natural environment, and the team tends to the plants with the same compost teas and nutrient mixes, whether outdoors or in the greenhouse. “Initially, it is, of course, more expensive because you need more labor and ladybugs have been expensive and making your own compost tea—it all costs a lot up front, but once you’ve got the systems going, where it is naturally kicking off the nutrients that the plant needs [and you have] the preventative measures that you need for pest management, it then is really just running on autopilot,” Corwin said. Stone Road spends much less on nutrients now that it has a stockpile of fresh compost to mix in with its existing soil, for example, which is particularly helpful in a market like California, which has seen a steep decline in wholesale prices. Biodynamic farming practices also give the company a unique story to tell consumers, and a way to stand out in the crowded California market. “This is why we’re different,” Corwin said. “Anyone can buy a preroll from a dispensary. There are hundreds of options. There are thousands of different SKUs. So, … why are we unique? … It’s about lowering our impact on the earth. It’s about putting out really high-quality products at a really affordable price. And doing all these things help us get there.” It's also helped Stone Road expand into new markets. The company announced its launch into Michigan last month, after previously signing licensing deals in Oklahoma and Massachusetts. In Michigan, Stone Road landed a partnership with Gamut Cannabis to bring its product line to the state in early 2023. “In Michigan, we’re partnering with other small, family-owned farms that employ a lot of the same techniques that we use in California,” Corwin said. “We know that the values are going to be aligned, and we know that, ultimately, the quality of the flower is going to be top notch.” Looking toward the future, Corwin is interested in exploring hügelkultur, which he describes as excavating the soil before the growing season and layering in logs, sticks, leaves and other biomass that is then covered with a layer of soil. As the biomass breaks down, it releases core nutrients for the plants and retains water for the crop. In the meantime, Corwin plans to lean into the biodynamic farming practices Stone Road has already started, trying new compost styles and different compost additives that will lead to even greater plant growth. “We’re just basically doubling down on the things we’ve started on because not only are we saving money, but the plants this year, the quality has never been better,” Corwin said. “I can’t wait for consumers in California to see the yield that we got from this year—just sheer volume-wise, we’ve never grown this amount of cannabis before. We grew double what we have in prior years.” 2. Crop Steering Photo by Krystell Góngora Decker Jorel Decker, the owner of Lindsay, Okla.-based Ramshead Cannabis and a member of nu-metal group Hollywood Undead, is “obsessed” with crop steering. “I love crop steering,” he said. “I’m obsessed with it. I’m currently right now trying mixing and matching different companies with their sensors and their automatic crop steering. There are so many people offering the same stuff, so I keep experimenting, using sensors from one company with a brain from another, seeing which one can handle it more. I’m trying the automatic scheduling. I’m trying to take out human error. It’s not there yet, but that’s all I’ve been doing, is trying to figure out the best way to do this.” Decker told CBT in July that “crop steering is the hot topic these days, and where cannabis is and will continue to go.” Often described as a plant growth management practice where environmental setpoints or inputs are manipulated to trigger specific plant responses or encourage plants to grow in a certain way, crop steering has been a part of Ramshead’s operations for a while now. “When I first started learning it, I couldn’t afford the $50,000 of sensors that it required,” Decker said. “So, originally, we were using one handheld sensor and data logging by hand all throughout the day and making these judgements.” Now, the company uses LED lighting throughout its entire indoor facility, and Decker is continuing his research into automatic environmental controls and even more advanced LED technology. “You can set schedules now and it’ll change the weeks for you, but there’s no such thing as a set and forget in growing,” he said. “You have to check and calibrate your equipment constantly. I’d be curious to try it just to see how good it works, but nothing’s better than having a human or a professional overseeing everything.” The Ramshead team is also focused on finding the right genetics and dialing in its crop steering efforts for each variety. “Everything drinks different,” Decker said. “We have 32 light rooms. We try to keep it two strains per room, which isn’t ideal. You want a monocrop, which is one strain per room, because one strain will drink a ton of water and one will drink none and tend to be overwatered. You really have to pair them up properly, and that’s why you need sensors. … When you’re crop steering, you can’t mismatch the strains if you have multiple rooms, which a lot of growers do. They’ll throw 12 strains in one room—one of them thrives, one of them practically dies. There’s no roadmap for crop steering. Every strain is completely different as far as environment and watering goes.” Decker is looking forward to seeing the results of Ramshead’s latest crop steering efforts heading into next year and said that while “it’s not for the faint of heart,” the practice is worthwhile to get the most out of the plants. “I knew it was the future and I knew if I didn’t learn it and do it right, I would be one of those companies that faded away eventually because you really produce the highest quality yields by crop steering correctly,” he said. 3. In-House Trials Photo courtesy of Zoe Reece Reece Zoe Reece, founder and CEO of New Zealand medical cannabis producer Ora Pharm , told CBT earlier this year that the company had launched in-house trials in a dedicated R&D greenhouse to continue to improve its grow practices. “We recently received a government grant from New Zealand to help with the trials, which is pretty fantastic,” Reece shared earlier this month, adding that the company’s current trials aim to find and perfect a nutrient recipe. The grant was provided by Callaghan Innovation , a government agency focused on helping businesses conduct R&D and find innovative ways to give New Zealand a competitive advantage when producing products. The nutrient trial is in its second grow cycle and aims to find the perfect mix of what works for the plants and Ora Pharm’s cultivation techniques. “We’re doing a direct comparison with the liquid nutrients that we’ve been using with the new mix that we’ve created,” Reece said. “We’ve been trying out different cultivars and the next trial that we’re going to do, we’re going to do all one cultivar, so that gives us a bit more straight data around it.” The research not only helps Ora Pharm reduce its cost of production, but also gives the company more control over the growing process to consistently produce high-quality yields. “In New Zealand, we are exporting most of this and it has to be to EU GMP quality standards, and that means that there is a very tight band on all of the different parameters of the products, especially the cannabinoids,” Reece said. “So, by having control over what the plant eats, we can tweak that up and down as needed.” By having a dedicated greenhouse for R&D, the trials won’t impact the commercial crops, which need that consistency and quality behind them. In the past, Ora Pharm has conducted trials on lighting and soil, and Reece said the team has a long list of trials it would like to launch in the future. “I guess we’re just very focused on data, data collection and data analysis around the plants and what’s happening,” she said. “I think collecting as much data as we can using our sensors, using different programs on the R&D side, [is important] to see if there are any small changes that should be applied.” And, she added, the findings could be applied to not just cannabis, but also to the broader horticultural space. “It just provides innovation in all industries, which stems from the cannabis space, which is really exciting,” she said. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) and Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) announced a plan Dec. 19 to issue up to 22 additional medical cannabis licenses across the state. The rule would allow health officials to accept new license applications in a batching process, limiting all new licenses from being available at once. It would also increase the nonrefundable application fee for new licenses to $146,000. According to the emergency rule, a “Batching cycle means the grouping for comparative review of applications for MMTC (medical marijuana treatment centers) licensure that are submitted for a specified number of available MMTC licenses within the same application window.” The application window would be a five-day period during which the DOH can accept applications for the batching cycle. The emergency rule states that the DOH will release a separate rule to specify the number of licenses it will issue per batching cycle. This long-awaited move from regulators would allow aspiring cannabis businesses to enter the state’s market, whose retail footprint remains limited to 22 operators, with Trulieve, Verano, Ayr Wellness and Curaleaf representing more than 58% of the state’s 501 retail locations as of Dec. 16, according to a weekly update from the OMMU. Under state law, the DOH is required to issue four additional MMTC licenses for every 100,000 new patients. With 776,365 active patients as of Dec. 16, the state would need to issue more than 20 additional licenses to keep up with the number of active patients, Cannabis Business Times previously reported . When CBT Associate Editor Tony Lange asked Jonathan Robbins, chair of Akerman’s national cannabis practice, in September if he thinks the DOH would issue those additional licenses before the 2024 election, he was hopeful. “Before the 2024 election? I sure hope so,” Robbins said. “I have a lot of clients who are extremely anxious to be able to apply for a license, and they have been promising this since 2017. And even though we have 22 licensees here, we’ve never really had a formal application process. They had an application process back in 2015 for the original five high-CBD, low-THC licenses. They gave out those five. Every other license that has been given out since then, meaning the other 17, have been by way of resolution of litigation.” The DOH also issued an emergency rule that increases the biennial license renewal cost from about $60,000 to $1.33 million, CBS News reported . According to the news outlet, the increase in license renewal fees comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced earlier this year that “companies weren’t paying enough to operate in the state.” DOH spokesman James Williams III told CBS News that the “renewal fee is based on a formula that includes the amount of money it costs the state to regulate the industry.” While the new rules “drew praise” in the state, some industry leaders suspect that the license fee increases could “draw pushback” amongst existing operators, according to CBS News. Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Chair Tiffany Rudolph announced during the commission’s Dec. 15 meeting that she will step down from her role as the regulatory authority over the state’s cannabis program transitions to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission. Rudolph has served on the commission since 2017, when she was first appointed by the governor to serve as a member filling the required role of an attorney with knowledge about medical cannabis laws. She was reappointed and named vice chair in 2019 before becoming the commission chair in 2021. Rudolph will resign as of Dec. 31. “It has been a distinct pleasure and honor to serve on the Medical Cannabis Commission,” Rudolph said in a public statement. “Over the past five years commissioners and staff have established Maryland as a model medical cannabis program and helped prepare the state for a transition to an expanded medical and adult-use market. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues on the commission for their hard work and continued dedication to this program.” Rudolph also served as chair of the Application Review Committee, where she oversaw the state’s issuance of 14 medical cannabis grower and processor licenses to minority- and women-owned businesses in 2020. “The commission has benefitted significantly from Commissioner Randolph’s leadership and cannabis legal and policy expertise,” Executive Director Will Tilburg said in a public statement. “The state is better off from her service as are the patients of Maryland. I wish her the very best and thank her for her dedication and friendship throughout the growth and expansion of our program.” Maryland voters approved Question 4 in the November election to legalize adult-use cannabis. The measure, which legalizes the possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older beginning in July, also transitions the regulation of medical cannabis from the Medical Cannabis Commission to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission in 2023. Dr. C. Obi Onyewu, the commission’s vice chair, will serve as acting chair during the transition. Onyewu has served on the Medical Cannabis Commission since 2019 and has led the commission’s Budget and Finance Committee since 2020. He also serves on the commission’s Compliance and Executive Committees. NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2022 -- PRESS RELEASE -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. , an international provider of consumer cannabis products, today announced the opening of its second Tallahassee dispensary, located at 2121 W. Tennessee St. Unit 10, Tallahassee FL 32304. The new location is Curaleaf's 55th in the Sunshine State and 145th nationwide. The new 3,414-square-foot dispensary opens its doors to patients on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 9:00 a.m., with ongoing operating hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. Curaleaf Tallahassee is dedicated to providing high-quality cannabis products and service to patients at all stages of their cannabis journey. The new location offers a broad selection of premium cannabis products, including high-quality flower and pre-rolls, BlueKudu Chocolate, Select Squeeze, Select X-Bites, Select Elite, Elite Live and Live Rosin vape cartridges, as well as other concentrates by Curaleaf. \\\"We are thrilled to continue expanding access to medical cannabis for Florida's growing patient population,\\\" said Matt Darin, CEO of Curaleaf. \\\"We look forward to welcoming patients from Tallahassee and across the Sunshine State with an unrivaled retail experience and the high-quality, trusted cannabis products they can rely on.\\\" For more information on Curaleaf's locations, patient resources and products in Florida, please visit: https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/21/Untitleddesign-2022-12-21T132448822.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife are working to develop new hemp varieties that can withstand the southern U.S.’ high temperatures and substantial drought conditions. the goal is to release between 10 and 20 lines by the end of 2023 and 20 to 50 more in 2024. over 75% of Texas is facing drought this year.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Texas\",\n \"Oklahoma\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Weslaco\",\n \"Nevada City\",\n \"California\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Lindsay\",\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"NEW YORK\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Florida\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Texas A&M AgriLife\",\n \"Texas A&M AgriLife Research\",\n \"the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences\",\n \"Texas A&M\",\n \"the United States Department of\",\n \"Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture\",\n \"The Texas Tribune\",\n \"the American Farm Bureau Federation\",\n \"Hemp Conversion Program\",\n \"HCP\",\n \"Texas A&M’s\",\n \"the U.S. National Germplasm System\",\n \"Stone Road Farms Corwin\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"pest\",\n \"Corwin\",\n \"Crop Steering Photo\",\n \"Hollywood Undead\",\n \"Ramshead\",\n \"Decker\",\n \"Zoe\",\n \"Ora Pharm\",\n \"Ora Pharm’s\",\n \"EU\",\n \"Reece\",\n \"The Florida Department of Health (DOH\",\n \"Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use\",\n \"DOH\",\n \"Trulieve, Verano,\",\n \"Ayr Wellness and Curaleaf\",\n \"Akerman\",\n \"CBS News\",\n \"Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Application Review Committee\",\n \"Budget and Finance Committee\",\n \"Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.\",\n \"W. Tennessee\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"145th\",\n \"BlueKudu Chocolate\",\n \"Elite Live and Live Rosin\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Russ Jessup\",\n \"Jessup\",\n \"F1\",\n \"Lex Corwin\",\n \"Corwin\",\n \"Gamut Cannabis\",\n \"Krystell Góngora Decker\",\n \"Jorel Decker\",\n \"Ramshead Cannabis\",\n \"Reece Zoe Reece\",\n \"Reece\",\n \"Callaghan Innovation\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Tony Lange\",\n \"Jonathan Robbins\",\n \"Ron DeSantis\",\n \"James Williams III\",\n \"Chair Tiffany Rudolph\",\n \"Rudolph\",\n \"Randolph\",\n \"Will Tilburg\",\n \"C. Obi Onyewu\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"Matt Darin\",\n \"https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.45,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7716348767280579\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63aa1c00a727e603323d53dc\",\n \"title\": \"Texas A&M AgriLife Researchers to Develop New Hemp Varieties\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/texas-researchers-develop-heat-drought-resistant-hemp-cultivars.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The researchers received a two-year $201,174 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop the hemp cultivars.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-22T15:00:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"A team of researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife is working to develop new hemp varieties that can withstand the southern U.S.’ high temperatures and substantial drought conditions, and meet legal requirements. Russ Jessup, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research hemp breeder and associate professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, told Texas A&M Today that the “goal is to create a collection that incorporates the majority of genetic variation across all cannabis within C. sativa that will benefit farmers with high-yielding cultivars, biofuel refineries with reliable feedstocks, customers with quality products, and society with beneficial ecosystem services.” The researchers received a two-year $201,174 Compliant Hemp Accelerated Improvement Network (CHAIN) grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop the hemp cultivars. Jessup told the news outlet that the goal is to release between 10 and 20 lines by the end of 2023 and 20 to 50 more in 2024. Addressing the Challenges According to the news outlet, the researchers are trying to fill a “gap in breeding” in the state and address the significant challenges with hemp cultivation, explicitly noting the high heat and drought stress in Texas, which has made hemp production difficult. According to a recent study , “Hemp plants can endure drier conditions after establishment, but severe drought results in early maturity and stunted plants.” Over 75% of Texas is facing drought this year , which has greatly impacted farmers and hemp production due to the soil hardening in the dry heat, The Texas Tribune reported. The news outlet noted a figure from a survey conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation, which found that 2022 crop yields are down 68% in Texas due to drought—that number is slightly greater than decreases in Oklahoma (60%) and New Mexico (54%). Jessup said that farmers have also struggled with uniformity in production and regional adaptation. “If you plant a big field of [hemp], it’s not as uniform as corn, sorghum, cotton or the other major crops. There is nonuniformity in the available cultivars,” he said. “Our goal with [CHAIN] is to publicly release and evaluate a collection of novel accessions produced by Texas A&M AgriLife’s Hemp Conversion Program (HCP) alongside other candidate materials, to identify germplasm well adapted to the southern U.S.,” he said. The Process Jessup and his team will take the heat- and drought-resistant female hemp cultivars donated from across the U.S. and/or other countries and cross-pollinate them with the university’s heat- and drought-tolerant Texas-adapted lines, according to Texas A&M Today . This process will create “a very diverse population and allows for selecting individuals known to be compliant,” the news outlet reported. “When we screen, basically we take the parents and cross them, then take the kids or the F1 generation and make them self-hybridize,” Jessup said. “We screen and will only advance those that are compliant below 0.3[% THC]. And we’ve had types that are feral and wild populations, and anything in between donated.” The breeders will select 12 fiber cultivars, six grain cultivars, and some accessions from Texas A&M’s HCP germplasm collection. (As accession is a “distinct, uniquely identified sample of seeds or plants, that is maintained as part of a germplasm collection,” according to the U.S. National Germplasm System. ) Researchers will then test the crops at four planting dates in three locations with different latitudes. The potential cultivars will be studied at three Texas A&M branch campuses: North Texas, Central Texas and Weslaco. “We will span most of the latitude of Texas at these three sites, evaluating lines for their performance,” Jessup said. “When we do that, we should be able to recommend where they should or should not be grown based on that latitude.” How does your company grow (its cannabis, that is)? This year, sustainable cultivation practices and in-house R&D efforts emerged as common trends that growers pursued, both in the U.S. and abroad. Here, three cultivators share which techniques they focused on in 2022 and what they may try going into 2023. 1. Biodynamic Farming Photo courtesy of Stone Road Farms Corwin Lex Corwin, founder and CEO of Nevada City, Calif.-based Stone Road Farms , shared with Cannabis Business Times in January that the company, which grows cannabis in greenhouses and outdoors, uses elements of biodynamic farming. “Obviously, [we don’t do] all of the crazy stuff, like combining cow manure with llama poop and growing under a full moon,” he said at the time. “We don’t have time for all that. But [we implement] other things, like regenerative water practices [and] using living soil. Instead of using pesticides or synthetics, [we use] predator mites. [We make] our own compost teas.” Earlier this month, CBT caught up with Corwin about Stone Road’s cultivation techniques and found that the team is still implementing—and perfecting—biodynamic farming practices. “Basically, we’re just trying to close the loop and make as much of our nutrients as possible,” Corwin said. “It’s better both environmentally and cost-savings wise.” Stone Road composts as much as possible and sources ingredients to make compost teas, rather than purchasing ready made ones at the store. The company has used the same soil for the last six years and continues to improve its health and diversity to ensure it will continue to yield high-quality flower. “We’ve never used sprays, even the organic sprays that are usually plant-based pesticides,” Corwin said. “We’ve opted to just use predator mites and ladybugs. ... It’s basically just setting up the systems and then it runs itself, giving it all the components that the plants need to thrive.” Stone Road chooses genetics that can thrive in a more natural environment, and the team tends to the plants with the same compost teas and nutrient mixes, whether outdoors or in the greenhouse. “Initially, it is, of course, more expensive because you need more labor and ladybugs have been expensive and making your own compost tea—it all costs a lot up front, but once you’ve got the systems going, where it is naturally kicking off the nutrients that the plant needs [and you have] the preventative measures that you need for pest management, it then is really just running on autopilot,” Corwin said. Stone Road spends much less on nutrients now that it has a stockpile of fresh compost to mix in with its existing soil, for example, which is particularly helpful in a market like California, which has seen a steep decline in wholesale prices. Biodynamic farming practices also give the company a unique story to tell consumers, and a way to stand out in the crowded California market. “This is why we’re different,” Corwin said. “Anyone can buy a preroll from a dispensary. There are hundreds of options. There are thousands of different SKUs. So, … why are we unique? … It’s about lowering our impact on the earth. It’s about putting out really high-quality products at a really affordable price. And doing all these things help us get there.” It's also helped Stone Road expand into new markets. The company announced its launch into Michigan last month, after previously signing licensing deals in Oklahoma and Massachusetts. In Michigan, Stone Road landed a partnership with Gamut Cannabis to bring its product line to the state in early 2023. “In Michigan, we’re partnering with other small, family-owned farms that employ a lot of the same techniques that we use in California,” Corwin said. “We know that the values are going to be aligned, and we know that, ultimately, the quality of the flower is going to be top notch.” Looking toward the future, Corwin is interested in exploring hügelkultur, which he describes as excavating the soil before the growing season and layering in logs, sticks, leaves and other biomass that is then covered with a layer of soil. As the biomass breaks down, it releases core nutrients for the plants and retains water for the crop. In the meantime, Corwin plans to lean into the biodynamic farming practices Stone Road has already started, trying new compost styles and different compost additives that will lead to even greater plant growth. “We’re just basically doubling down on the things we’ve started on because not only are we saving money, but the plants this year, the quality has never been better,” Corwin said. “I can’t wait for consumers in California to see the yield that we got from this year—just sheer volume-wise, we’ve never grown this amount of cannabis before. We grew double what we have in prior years.” 2. Crop Steering Photo by Krystell Góngora Decker Jorel Decker, the owner of Lindsay, Okla.-based Ramshead Cannabis and a member of nu-metal group Hollywood Undead, is “obsessed” with crop steering. “I love crop steering,” he said. “I’m obsessed with it. I’m currently right now trying mixing and matching different companies with their sensors and their automatic crop steering. There are so many people offering the same stuff, so I keep experimenting, using sensors from one company with a brain from another, seeing which one can handle it more. I’m trying the automatic scheduling. I’m trying to take out human error. It’s not there yet, but that’s all I’ve been doing, is trying to figure out the best way to do this.” Decker told CBT in July that “crop steering is the hot topic these days, and where cannabis is and will continue to go.” Often described as a plant growth management practice where environmental setpoints or inputs are manipulated to trigger specific plant responses or encourage plants to grow in a certain way, crop steering has been a part of Ramshead’s operations for a while now. “When I first started learning it, I couldn’t afford the $50,000 of sensors that it required,” Decker said. “So, originally, we were using one handheld sensor and data logging by hand all throughout the day and making these judgements.” Now, the company uses LED lighting throughout its entire indoor facility, and Decker is continuing his research into automatic environmental controls and even more advanced LED technology. “You can set schedules now and it’ll change the weeks for you, but there’s no such thing as a set and forget in growing,” he said. “You have to check and calibrate your equipment constantly. I’d be curious to try it just to see how good it works, but nothing’s better than having a human or a professional overseeing everything.” The Ramshead team is also focused on finding the right genetics and dialing in its crop steering efforts for each variety. “Everything drinks different,” Decker said. “We have 32 light rooms. We try to keep it two strains per room, which isn’t ideal. You want a monocrop, which is one strain per room, because one strain will drink a ton of water and one will drink none and tend to be overwatered. You really have to pair them up properly, and that’s why you need sensors. … When you’re crop steering, you can’t mismatch the strains if you have multiple rooms, which a lot of growers do. They’ll throw 12 strains in one room—one of them thrives, one of them practically dies. There’s no roadmap for crop steering. Every strain is completely different as far as environment and watering goes.” Decker is looking forward to seeing the results of Ramshead’s latest crop steering efforts heading into next year and said that while “it’s not for the faint of heart,” the practice is worthwhile to get the most out of the plants. “I knew it was the future and I knew if I didn’t learn it and do it right, I would be one of those companies that faded away eventually because you really produce the highest quality yields by crop steering correctly,” he said. 3. In-House Trials Photo courtesy of Zoe Reece Reece Zoe Reece, founder and CEO of New Zealand medical cannabis producer Ora Pharm , told CBT earlier this year that the company had launched in-house trials in a dedicated R&D greenhouse to continue to improve its grow practices. “We recently received a government grant from New Zealand to help with the trials, which is pretty fantastic,” Reece shared earlier this month, adding that the company’s current trials aim to find and perfect a nutrient recipe. The grant was provided by Callaghan Innovation , a government agency focused on helping businesses conduct R&D and find innovative ways to give New Zealand a competitive advantage when producing products. The nutrient trial is in its second grow cycle and aims to find the perfect mix of what works for the plants and Ora Pharm’s cultivation techniques. “We’re doing a direct comparison with the liquid nutrients that we’ve been using with the new mix that we’ve created,” Reece said. “We’ve been trying out different cultivars and the next trial that we’re going to do, we’re going to do all one cultivar, so that gives us a bit more straight data around it.” The research not only helps Ora Pharm reduce its cost of production, but also gives the company more control over the growing process to consistently produce high-quality yields. “In New Zealand, we are exporting most of this and it has to be to EU GMP quality standards, and that means that there is a very tight band on all of the different parameters of the products, especially the cannabinoids,” Reece said. “So, by having control over what the plant eats, we can tweak that up and down as needed.” By having a dedicated greenhouse for R&D, the trials won’t impact the commercial crops, which need that consistency and quality behind them. In the past, Ora Pharm has conducted trials on lighting and soil, and Reece said the team has a long list of trials it would like to launch in the future. “I guess we’re just very focused on data, data collection and data analysis around the plants and what’s happening,” she said. “I think collecting as much data as we can using our sensors, using different programs on the R&D side, [is important] to see if there are any small changes that should be applied.” And, she added, the findings could be applied to not just cannabis, but also to the broader horticultural space. “It just provides innovation in all industries, which stems from the cannabis space, which is really exciting,” she said. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) and Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) announced a plan Dec. 19 to issue up to 22 additional medical cannabis licenses across the state. The rule would allow health officials to accept new license applications in a batching process, limiting all new licenses from being available at once. It would also increase the nonrefundable application fee for new licenses to $146,000. According to the emergency rule, a “Batching cycle means the grouping for comparative review of applications for MMTC (medical marijuana treatment centers) licensure that are submitted for a specified number of available MMTC licenses within the same application window.” The application window would be a five-day period during which the DOH can accept applications for the batching cycle. The emergency rule states that the DOH will release a separate rule to specify the number of licenses it will issue per batching cycle. This long-awaited move from regulators would allow aspiring cannabis businesses to enter the state’s market, whose retail footprint remains limited to 22 operators, with Trulieve, Verano, Ayr Wellness and Curaleaf representing more than 58% of the state’s 501 retail locations as of Dec. 16, according to a weekly update from the OMMU. Under state law, the DOH is required to issue four additional MMTC licenses for every 100,000 new patients. With 776,365 active patients as of Dec. 16, the state would need to issue more than 20 additional licenses to keep up with the number of active patients, Cannabis Business Times previously reported . When CBT Associate Editor Tony Lange asked Jonathan Robbins, chair of Akerman’s national cannabis practice, in September if he thinks the DOH would issue those additional licenses before the 2024 election, he was hopeful. “Before the 2024 election? I sure hope so,” Robbins said. “I have a lot of clients who are extremely anxious to be able to apply for a license, and they have been promising this since 2017. And even though we have 22 licensees here, we’ve never really had a formal application process. They had an application process back in 2015 for the original five high-CBD, low-THC licenses. They gave out those five. Every other license that has been given out since then, meaning the other 17, have been by way of resolution of litigation.” The DOH also issued an emergency rule that increases the biennial license renewal cost from about $60,000 to $1.33 million, CBS News reported . According to the news outlet, the increase in license renewal fees comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced earlier this year that “companies weren’t paying enough to operate in the state.” DOH spokesman James Williams III told CBS News that the “renewal fee is based on a formula that includes the amount of money it costs the state to regulate the industry.” While the new rules “drew praise” in the state, some industry leaders suspect that the license fee increases could “draw pushback” amongst existing operators, according to CBS News. Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Chair Tiffany Rudolph announced during the commission’s Dec. 15 meeting that she will step down from her role as the regulatory authority over the state’s cannabis program transitions to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission. Rudolph has served on the commission since 2017, when she was first appointed by the governor to serve as a member filling the required role of an attorney with knowledge about medical cannabis laws. She was reappointed and named vice chair in 2019 before becoming the commission chair in 2021. Rudolph will resign as of Dec. 31. “It has been a distinct pleasure and honor to serve on the Medical Cannabis Commission,” Rudolph said in a public statement. “Over the past five years commissioners and staff have established Maryland as a model medical cannabis program and helped prepare the state for a transition to an expanded medical and adult-use market. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues on the commission for their hard work and continued dedication to this program.” Rudolph also served as chair of the Application Review Committee, where she oversaw the state’s issuance of 14 medical cannabis grower and processor licenses to minority- and women-owned businesses in 2020. “The commission has benefitted significantly from Commissioner Randolph’s leadership and cannabis legal and policy expertise,” Executive Director Will Tilburg said in a public statement. “The state is better off from her service as are the patients of Maryland. I wish her the very best and thank her for her dedication and friendship throughout the growth and expansion of our program.” Maryland voters approved Question 4 in the November election to legalize adult-use cannabis. The measure, which legalizes the possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older beginning in July, also transitions the regulation of medical cannabis from the Medical Cannabis Commission to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission in 2023. Dr. C. Obi Onyewu, the commission’s vice chair, will serve as acting chair during the transition. Onyewu has served on the Medical Cannabis Commission since 2019 and has led the commission’s Budget and Finance Committee since 2020. He also serves on the commission’s Compliance and Executive Committees. NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2022 -- PRESS RELEASE -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. , an international provider of consumer cannabis products, today announced the opening of its second Tallahassee dispensary, located at 2121 W. Tennessee St. Unit 10, Tallahassee FL 32304. The new location is Curaleaf's 55th in the Sunshine State and 145th nationwide. The new 3,414-square-foot dispensary opens its doors to patients on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 9:00 a.m., with ongoing operating hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. Curaleaf Tallahassee is dedicated to providing high-quality cannabis products and service to patients at all stages of their cannabis journey. The new location offers a broad selection of premium cannabis products, including high-quality flower and pre-rolls, BlueKudu Chocolate, Select Squeeze, Select X-Bites, Select Elite, Elite Live and Live Rosin vape cartridges, as well as other concentrates by Curaleaf. \\\"We are thrilled to continue expanding access to medical cannabis for Florida's growing patient population,\\\" said Matt Darin, CEO of Curaleaf. \\\"We look forward to welcoming patients from Tallahassee and across the Sunshine State with an unrivaled retail experience and the high-quality, trusted cannabis products they can rely on.\\\" For more information on Curaleaf's locations, patient resources and products in Florida, please visit: https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/21/Untitleddesign-2022-12-21T132448822.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife are working to develop new hemp varieties that can withstand the southern U.S.’ high temperatures and substantial drought conditions. the goal is to release between 10 and 20 lines by the end of 2023 and 20 to 50 more in 2024. over 75% of Texas is facing drought this year.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Texas\",\n \"Oklahoma\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Weslaco\",\n \"Nevada City\",\n \"California\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Lindsay\",\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"NEW YORK\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Florida\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Texas A&M AgriLife\",\n \"Texas A&M AgriLife Research\",\n \"the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences\",\n \"Texas A&M\",\n \"the United States Department of\",\n \"Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture\",\n \"The Texas Tribune\",\n \"the American Farm Bureau Federation\",\n \"Hemp Conversion Program\",\n \"HCP\",\n \"Texas A&M’s\",\n \"the U.S. National Germplasm System\",\n \"Stone Road Farms Corwin\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"pest\",\n \"Corwin\",\n \"Crop Steering Photo\",\n \"Hollywood Undead\",\n \"Ramshead\",\n \"Decker\",\n \"Zoe\",\n \"Ora Pharm\",\n \"Ora Pharm’s\",\n \"EU\",\n \"Reece\",\n \"The Florida Department of Health (DOH\",\n \"Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use\",\n \"DOH\",\n \"Trulieve, Verano,\",\n \"Ayr Wellness and Curaleaf\",\n \"Akerman\",\n \"CBS News\",\n \"Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Application Review Committee\",\n \"Budget and Finance Committee\",\n \"Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.\",\n \"W. 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This year, sustainable cultivation practices and in-house R&D efforts emerged as common trends that growers pursued, both in the U.S. and abroad. Here, three cultivators share which techniques they focused on in 2022 and what they may try going into 2023. 1. Biodynamic Farming Photo courtesy of Stone Road Farms Corwin Lex Corwin, founder and CEO of Nevada City, Calif.-based Stone Road Farms , shared with Cannabis Business Times in January that the company, which grows cannabis in greenhouses and outdoors, uses elements of biodynamic farming. “Obviously, [we don’t do] all of the crazy stuff, like combining cow manure with llama poop and growing under a full moon,” he said at the time. “We don’t have time for all that. But [we implement] other things, like regenerative water practices [and] using living soil. Instead of using pesticides or synthetics, [we use] predator mites. [We make] our own compost teas.” Earlier this month, CBT caught up with Corwin about Stone Road’s cultivation techniques and found that the team is still implementing—and perfecting—biodynamic farming practices. “Basically, we’re just trying to close the loop and make as much of our nutrients as possible,” Corwin said. “It’s better both environmentally and cost-savings wise.” Stone Road composts as much as possible and sources ingredients to make compost teas, rather than purchasing ready made ones at the store. The company has used the same soil for the last six years and continues to improve its health and diversity to ensure it will continue to yield high-quality flower. “We’ve never used sprays, even the organic sprays that are usually plant-based pesticides,” Corwin said. “We’ve opted to just use predator mites and ladybugs. ... It’s basically just setting up the systems and then it runs itself, giving it all the components that the plants need to thrive.” Stone Road chooses genetics that can thrive in a more natural environment, and the team tends to the plants with the same compost teas and nutrient mixes, whether outdoors or in the greenhouse. “Initially, it is, of course, more expensive because you need more labor and ladybugs have been expensive and making your own compost tea—it all costs a lot up front, but once you’ve got the systems going, where it is naturally kicking off the nutrients that the plant needs [and you have] the preventative measures that you need for pest management, it then is really just running on autopilot,” Corwin said. Stone Road spends much less on nutrients now that it has a stockpile of fresh compost to mix in with its existing soil, for example, which is particularly helpful in a market like California, which has seen a steep decline in wholesale prices. Biodynamic farming practices also give the company a unique story to tell consumers, and a way to stand out in the crowded California market. “This is why we’re different,” Corwin said. “Anyone can buy a preroll from a dispensary. There are hundreds of options. There are thousands of different SKUs. So, … why are we unique? … It’s about lowering our impact on the earth. It’s about putting out really high-quality products at a really affordable price. And doing all these things help us get there.” It's also helped Stone Road expand into new markets. The company announced its launch into Michigan last month, after previously signing licensing deals in Oklahoma and Massachusetts. In Michigan, Stone Road landed a partnership with Gamut Cannabis to bring its product line to the state in early 2023. “In Michigan, we’re partnering with other small, family-owned farms that employ a lot of the same techniques that we use in California,” Corwin said. “We know that the values are going to be aligned, and we know that, ultimately, the quality of the flower is going to be top notch.” Looking toward the future, Corwin is interested in exploring hügelkultur, which he describes as excavating the soil before the growing season and layering in logs, sticks, leaves and other biomass that is then covered with a layer of soil. As the biomass breaks down, it releases core nutrients for the plants and retains water for the crop. In the meantime, Corwin plans to lean into the biodynamic farming practices Stone Road has already started, trying new compost styles and different compost additives that will lead to even greater plant growth. “We’re just basically doubling down on the things we’ve started on because not only are we saving money, but the plants this year, the quality has never been better,” Corwin said. “I can’t wait for consumers in California to see the yield that we got from this year—just sheer volume-wise, we’ve never grown this amount of cannabis before. We grew double what we have in prior years.” 2. Crop Steering Photo by Krystell Góngora Decker Jorel Decker, the owner of Lindsay, Okla.-based Ramshead Cannabis and a member of nu-metal group Hollywood Undead, is “obsessed” with crop steering. “I love crop steering,” he said. “I’m obsessed with it. I’m currently right now trying mixing and matching different companies with their sensors and their automatic crop steering. There are so many people offering the same stuff, so I keep experimenting, using sensors from one company with a brain from another, seeing which one can handle it more. I’m trying the automatic scheduling. I’m trying to take out human error. It’s not there yet, but that’s all I’ve been doing, is trying to figure out the best way to do this.” Decker told CBT in July that “crop steering is the hot topic these days, and where cannabis is and will continue to go.” Often described as a plant growth management practice where environmental setpoints or inputs are manipulated to trigger specific plant responses or encourage plants to grow in a certain way, crop steering has been a part of Ramshead’s operations for a while now. “When I first started learning it, I couldn’t afford the $50,000 of sensors that it required,” Decker said. “So, originally, we were using one handheld sensor and data logging by hand all throughout the day and making these judgements.” Now, the company uses LED lighting throughout its entire indoor facility, and Decker is continuing his research into automatic environmental controls and even more advanced LED technology. “You can set schedules now and it’ll change the weeks for you, but there’s no such thing as a set and forget in growing,” he said. “You have to check and calibrate your equipment constantly. I’d be curious to try it just to see how good it works, but nothing’s better than having a human or a professional overseeing everything.” The Ramshead team is also focused on finding the right genetics and dialing in its crop steering efforts for each variety. “Everything drinks different,” Decker said. “We have 32 light rooms. We try to keep it two strains per room, which isn’t ideal. You want a monocrop, which is one strain per room, because one strain will drink a ton of water and one will drink none and tend to be overwatered. You really have to pair them up properly, and that’s why you need sensors. … When you’re crop steering, you can’t mismatch the strains if you have multiple rooms, which a lot of growers do. They’ll throw 12 strains in one room—one of them thrives, one of them practically dies. There’s no roadmap for crop steering. Every strain is completely different as far as environment and watering goes.” Decker is looking forward to seeing the results of Ramshead’s latest crop steering efforts heading into next year and said that while “it’s not for the faint of heart,” the practice is worthwhile to get the most out of the plants. “I knew it was the future and I knew if I didn’t learn it and do it right, I would be one of those companies that faded away eventually because you really produce the highest quality yields by crop steering correctly,” he said. 3. In-House Trials Photo courtesy of Zoe Reece Reece Zoe Reece, founder and CEO of New Zealand medical cannabis producer Ora Pharm , told CBT earlier this year that the company had launched in-house trials in a dedicated R&D greenhouse to continue to improve its grow practices. “We recently received a government grant from New Zealand to help with the trials, which is pretty fantastic,” Reece shared earlier this month, adding that the company’s current trials aim to find and perfect a nutrient recipe. The grant was provided by Callaghan Innovation , a government agency focused on helping businesses conduct R&D and find innovative ways to give New Zealand a competitive advantage when producing products. The nutrient trial is in its second grow cycle and aims to find the perfect mix of what works for the plants and Ora Pharm’s cultivation techniques. “We’re doing a direct comparison with the liquid nutrients that we’ve been using with the new mix that we’ve created,” Reece said. “We’ve been trying out different cultivars and the next trial that we’re going to do, we’re going to do all one cultivar, so that gives us a bit more straight data around it.” The research not only helps Ora Pharm reduce its cost of production, but also gives the company more control over the growing process to consistently produce high-quality yields. “In New Zealand, we are exporting most of this and it has to be to EU GMP quality standards, and that means that there is a very tight band on all of the different parameters of the products, especially the cannabinoids,” Reece said. “So, by having control over what the plant eats, we can tweak that up and down as needed.” By having a dedicated greenhouse for R&D, the trials won’t impact the commercial crops, which need that consistency and quality behind them. In the past, Ora Pharm has conducted trials on lighting and soil, and Reece said the team has a long list of trials it would like to launch in the future. “I guess we’re just very focused on data, data collection and data analysis around the plants and what’s happening,” she said. “I think collecting as much data as we can using our sensors, using different programs on the R&D side, [is important] to see if there are any small changes that should be applied.” And, she added, the findings could be applied to not just cannabis, but also to the broader horticultural space. “It just provides innovation in all industries, which stems from the cannabis space, which is really exciting,” she said. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) and Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) announced a plan Dec. 19 to issue up to 22 additional medical cannabis licenses across the state. The rule would allow health officials to accept new license applications in a batching process, limiting all new licenses from being available at once. It would also increase the nonrefundable application fee for new licenses to $146,000. According to the emergency rule, a “Batching cycle means the grouping for comparative review of applications for MMTC (medical marijuana treatment centers) licensure that are submitted for a specified number of available MMTC licenses within the same application window.” The application window would be a five-day period during which the DOH can accept applications for the batching cycle. The emergency rule states that the DOH will release a separate rule to specify the number of licenses it will issue per batching cycle. This long-awaited move from regulators would allow aspiring cannabis businesses to enter the state’s market, whose retail footprint remains limited to 22 operators, with Trulieve, Verano, Ayr Wellness and Curaleaf representing more than 58% of the state’s 501 retail locations as of Dec. 16, according to a weekly update from the OMMU. Under state law, the DOH is required to issue four additional MMTC licenses for every 100,000 new patients. With 776,365 active patients as of Dec. 16, the state would need to issue more than 20 additional licenses to keep up with the number of active patients, Cannabis Business Times previously reported . When CBT Associate Editor Tony Lange asked Jonathan Robbins, chair of Akerman’s national cannabis practice, in September if he thinks the DOH would issue those additional licenses before the 2024 election, he was hopeful. “Before the 2024 election? I sure hope so,” Robbins said. “I have a lot of clients who are extremely anxious to be able to apply for a license, and they have been promising this since 2017. And even though we have 22 licensees here, we’ve never really had a formal application process. They had an application process back in 2015 for the original five high-CBD, low-THC licenses. They gave out those five. Every other license that has been given out since then, meaning the other 17, have been by way of resolution of litigation.” The DOH also issued an emergency rule that increases the biennial license renewal cost from about $60,000 to $1.33 million, CBS News reported . According to the news outlet, the increase in license renewal fees comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced earlier this year that “companies weren’t paying enough to operate in the state.” DOH spokesman James Williams III told CBS News that the “renewal fee is based on a formula that includes the amount of money it costs the state to regulate the industry.” While the new rules “drew praise” in the state, some industry leaders suspect that the license fee increases could “draw pushback” amongst existing operators, according to CBS News. Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Chair Tiffany Rudolph announced during the commission’s Dec. 15 meeting that she will step down from her role as the regulatory authority over the state’s cannabis program transitions to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission. Rudolph has served on the commission since 2017, when she was first appointed by the governor to serve as a member filling the required role of an attorney with knowledge about medical cannabis laws. She was reappointed and named vice chair in 2019 before becoming the commission chair in 2021. Rudolph will resign as of Dec. 31. “It has been a distinct pleasure and honor to serve on the Medical Cannabis Commission,” Rudolph said in a public statement. “Over the past five years commissioners and staff have established Maryland as a model medical cannabis program and helped prepare the state for a transition to an expanded medical and adult-use market. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues on the commission for their hard work and continued dedication to this program.” Rudolph also served as chair of the Application Review Committee, where she oversaw the state’s issuance of 14 medical cannabis grower and processor licenses to minority- and women-owned businesses in 2020. “The commission has benefitted significantly from Commissioner Randolph’s leadership and cannabis legal and policy expertise,” Executive Director Will Tilburg said in a public statement. “The state is better off from her service as are the patients of Maryland. I wish her the very best and thank her for her dedication and friendship throughout the growth and expansion of our program.” Maryland voters approved Question 4 in the November election to legalize adult-use cannabis. The measure, which legalizes the possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older beginning in July, also transitions the regulation of medical cannabis from the Medical Cannabis Commission to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission in 2023. Dr. C. Obi Onyewu, the commission’s vice chair, will serve as acting chair during the transition. Onyewu has served on the Medical Cannabis Commission since 2019 and has led the commission’s Budget and Finance Committee since 2020. He also serves on the commission’s Compliance and Executive Committees. NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2022 -- PRESS RELEASE -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. , an international provider of consumer cannabis products, today announced the opening of its second Tallahassee dispensary, located at 2121 W. Tennessee St. Unit 10, Tallahassee FL 32304. The new location is Curaleaf's 55th in the Sunshine State and 145th nationwide. The new 3,414-square-foot dispensary opens its doors to patients on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 9:00 a.m., with ongoing operating hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. Curaleaf Tallahassee is dedicated to providing high-quality cannabis products and service to patients at all stages of their cannabis journey. The new location offers a broad selection of premium cannabis products, including high-quality flower and pre-rolls, BlueKudu Chocolate, Select Squeeze, Select X-Bites, Select Elite, Elite Live and Live Rosin vape cartridges, as well as other concentrates by Curaleaf. \\\"We are thrilled to continue expanding access to medical cannabis for Florida's growing patient population,\\\" said Matt Darin, CEO of Curaleaf. \\\"We look forward to welcoming patients from Tallahassee and across the Sunshine State with an unrivaled retail experience and the high-quality, trusted cannabis products they can rely on.\\\" For more information on Curaleaf's locations, patient resources and products in Florida, please visit: https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida . PRESS RELEASE - The list for pesticides that can be used on cannabis without being a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act has been updated. Please note the following products have been added: Atrevia 3.0% SL BellaTrove Companion Maxx WP Botry Stop WP Trifecta Crop Control Super Concentrate To view the updated list, click here for a pdf or click here for an Excel form. For questions regarding this change, contact Jolynn Morris at (303) 869-9060 or email jolynn.morris@state.co.us . The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is currently reviewing pesticide labels upon request and maintaining a list of products whose label it has reviewed that it believes could be used on marijuana without violating 35-10-117(1)(i), as long as the applicator follows the label directions. Please be sure to review the list; pesticide products may be removed from the allowed products list if the registrant has not renewed their pesticide product with the department. Use of unregistered pesticides on cannabis would be a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act. Stay Informed For the latest information on CDA's Pesticides Program, visit these important webpages: Main Pesticides Page Pesticide use in Marijuana Production\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/15/CannabisPlantsFloweringIndoor-Credit-Alex-Resized2.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"this year, sustainable cultivation practices and in-house R&D efforts emerged as common trends that growers pursued. here, three cultivators share which techniques they focused on in 2022 and what they may try going into 2023.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Nevada City\",\n \"California\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Oklahoma\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Lindsay\",\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"NEW YORK\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Florida\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Stone Road Farms Corwin\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"pest\",\n \"Corwin\",\n \"Crop Steering Photo\",\n \"Hollywood Undead\",\n \"Ramshead\",\n \"Decker\",\n \"Zoe\",\n \"Ora Pharm\",\n \"Ora Pharm’s\",\n \"EU\",\n \"Reece\",\n \"The Florida Department of Health (DOH\",\n \"Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use\",\n \"DOH\",\n \"Trulieve, Verano,\",\n \"Ayr Wellness and Curaleaf\",\n \"Akerman\",\n \"CBS News\",\n \"Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Application Review Committee\",\n \"Budget and Finance Committee\",\n \"Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.\",\n \"W. Tennessee\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"145th\",\n \"BlueKudu Chocolate\",\n \"Elite Live and Live Rosin\",\n \"the Pesticide Applicators' Act\",\n \"Jolynn Morris\",\n \"The Colorado Department of Agriculture\",\n \"CDA\",\n \"Pesticides Program\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Lex Corwin\",\n \"Corwin\",\n \"Gamut Cannabis\",\n \"Krystell Góngora Decker\",\n \"Jorel Decker\",\n \"Ramshead Cannabis\",\n \"Reece Zoe Reece\",\n \"Reece\",\n \"Callaghan Innovation\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Tony Lange\",\n \"Jonathan Robbins\",\n \"Ron DeSantis\",\n \"James Williams III\",\n \"Chair Tiffany Rudolph\",\n \"Rudolph\",\n \"Randolph\",\n \"Will Tilburg\",\n \"C. Obi Onyewu\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"Matt Darin\",\n \"https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.49,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8673837780952454\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63aa1bfba727e603323d53da\",\n \"title\": \"3 Notable Cannabis Cultivation Techniques Growers Explored in 2022\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/3-notable-cannabis-cultivation-techniques-growers-explored-in-2022\",\n \"description\": \"Sustainability and R&D were common trends that cultivators pursued this year.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-22T13:00:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"How does your company grow (its cannabis, that is)? This year, sustainable cultivation practices and in-house R&D efforts emerged as common trends that growers pursued, both in the U.S. and abroad. Here, three cultivators share which techniques they focused on in 2022 and what they may try going into 2023. 1. Biodynamic Farming Photo courtesy of Stone Road Farms Corwin Lex Corwin, founder and CEO of Nevada City, Calif.-based Stone Road Farms , shared with Cannabis Business Times in January that the company, which grows cannabis in greenhouses and outdoors, uses elements of biodynamic farming. “Obviously, [we don’t do] all of the crazy stuff, like combining cow manure with llama poop and growing under a full moon,” he said at the time. “We don’t have time for all that. But [we implement] other things, like regenerative water practices [and] using living soil. Instead of using pesticides or synthetics, [we use] predator mites. [We make] our own compost teas.” Earlier this month, CBT caught up with Corwin about Stone Road’s cultivation techniques and found that the team is still implementing—and perfecting—biodynamic farming practices. “Basically, we’re just trying to close the loop and make as much of our nutrients as possible,” Corwin said. “It’s better both environmentally and cost-savings wise.” Stone Road composts as much as possible and sources ingredients to make compost teas, rather than purchasing ready made ones at the store. The company has used the same soil for the last six years and continues to improve its health and diversity to ensure it will continue to yield high-quality flower. “We’ve never used sprays, even the organic sprays that are usually plant-based pesticides,” Corwin said. “We’ve opted to just use predator mites and ladybugs. ... It’s basically just setting up the systems and then it runs itself, giving it all the components that the plants need to thrive.” Stone Road chooses genetics that can thrive in a more natural environment, and the team tends to the plants with the same compost teas and nutrient mixes, whether outdoors or in the greenhouse. “Initially, it is, of course, more expensive because you need more labor and ladybugs have been expensive and making your own compost tea—it all costs a lot up front, but once you’ve got the systems going, where it is naturally kicking off the nutrients that the plant needs [and you have] the preventative measures that you need for pest management, it then is really just running on autopilot,” Corwin said. Stone Road spends much less on nutrients now that it has a stockpile of fresh compost to mix in with its existing soil, for example, which is particularly helpful in a market like California, which has seen a steep decline in wholesale prices. Biodynamic farming practices also give the company a unique story to tell consumers, and a way to stand out in the crowded California market. “This is why we’re different,” Corwin said. “Anyone can buy a preroll from a dispensary. There are hundreds of options. There are thousands of different SKUs. So, … why are we unique? … It’s about lowering our impact on the earth. It’s about putting out really high-quality products at a really affordable price. And doing all these things help us get there.” It's also helped Stone Road expand into new markets. The company announced its launch into Michigan last month, after previously signing licensing deals in Oklahoma and Massachusetts. In Michigan, Stone Road landed a partnership with Gamut Cannabis to bring its product line to the state in early 2023. “In Michigan, we’re partnering with other small, family-owned farms that employ a lot of the same techniques that we use in California,” Corwin said. “We know that the values are going to be aligned, and we know that, ultimately, the quality of the flower is going to be top notch.” Looking toward the future, Corwin is interested in exploring hügelkultur, which he describes as excavating the soil before the growing season and layering in logs, sticks, leaves and other biomass that is then covered with a layer of soil. As the biomass breaks down, it releases core nutrients for the plants and retains water for the crop. In the meantime, Corwin plans to lean into the biodynamic farming practices Stone Road has already started, trying new compost styles and different compost additives that will lead to even greater plant growth. “We’re just basically doubling down on the things we’ve started on because not only are we saving money, but the plants this year, the quality has never been better,” Corwin said. “I can’t wait for consumers in California to see the yield that we got from this year—just sheer volume-wise, we’ve never grown this amount of cannabis before. We grew double what we have in prior years.” 2. Crop Steering Photo by Krystell Góngora Decker Jorel Decker, the owner of Lindsay, Okla.-based Ramshead Cannabis and a member of nu-metal group Hollywood Undead, is “obsessed” with crop steering. “I love crop steering,” he said. “I’m obsessed with it. I’m currently right now trying mixing and matching different companies with their sensors and their automatic crop steering. There are so many people offering the same stuff, so I keep experimenting, using sensors from one company with a brain from another, seeing which one can handle it more. I’m trying the automatic scheduling. I’m trying to take out human error. It’s not there yet, but that’s all I’ve been doing, is trying to figure out the best way to do this.” Decker told CBT in July that “crop steering is the hot topic these days, and where cannabis is and will continue to go.” Often described as a plant growth management practice where environmental setpoints or inputs are manipulated to trigger specific plant responses or encourage plants to grow in a certain way, crop steering has been a part of Ramshead’s operations for a while now. “When I first started learning it, I couldn’t afford the $50,000 of sensors that it required,” Decker said. “So, originally, we were using one handheld sensor and data logging by hand all throughout the day and making these judgements.” Now, the company uses LED lighting throughout its entire indoor facility, and Decker is continuing his research into automatic environmental controls and even more advanced LED technology. “You can set schedules now and it’ll change the weeks for you, but there’s no such thing as a set and forget in growing,” he said. “You have to check and calibrate your equipment constantly. I’d be curious to try it just to see how good it works, but nothing’s better than having a human or a professional overseeing everything.” The Ramshead team is also focused on finding the right genetics and dialing in its crop steering efforts for each variety. “Everything drinks different,” Decker said. “We have 32 light rooms. We try to keep it two strains per room, which isn’t ideal. You want a monocrop, which is one strain per room, because one strain will drink a ton of water and one will drink none and tend to be overwatered. You really have to pair them up properly, and that’s why you need sensors. … When you’re crop steering, you can’t mismatch the strains if you have multiple rooms, which a lot of growers do. They’ll throw 12 strains in one room—one of them thrives, one of them practically dies. There’s no roadmap for crop steering. Every strain is completely different as far as environment and watering goes.” Decker is looking forward to seeing the results of Ramshead’s latest crop steering efforts heading into next year and said that while “it’s not for the faint of heart,” the practice is worthwhile to get the most out of the plants. “I knew it was the future and I knew if I didn’t learn it and do it right, I would be one of those companies that faded away eventually because you really produce the highest quality yields by crop steering correctly,” he said. 3. In-House Trials Photo courtesy of Zoe Reece Reece Zoe Reece, founder and CEO of New Zealand medical cannabis producer Ora Pharm , told CBT earlier this year that the company had launched in-house trials in a dedicated R&D greenhouse to continue to improve its grow practices. “We recently received a government grant from New Zealand to help with the trials, which is pretty fantastic,” Reece shared earlier this month, adding that the company’s current trials aim to find and perfect a nutrient recipe. The grant was provided by Callaghan Innovation , a government agency focused on helping businesses conduct R&D and find innovative ways to give New Zealand a competitive advantage when producing products. The nutrient trial is in its second grow cycle and aims to find the perfect mix of what works for the plants and Ora Pharm’s cultivation techniques. “We’re doing a direct comparison with the liquid nutrients that we’ve been using with the new mix that we’ve created,” Reece said. “We’ve been trying out different cultivars and the next trial that we’re going to do, we’re going to do all one cultivar, so that gives us a bit more straight data around it.” The research not only helps Ora Pharm reduce its cost of production, but also gives the company more control over the growing process to consistently produce high-quality yields. “In New Zealand, we are exporting most of this and it has to be to EU GMP quality standards, and that means that there is a very tight band on all of the different parameters of the products, especially the cannabinoids,” Reece said. “So, by having control over what the plant eats, we can tweak that up and down as needed.” By having a dedicated greenhouse for R&D, the trials won’t impact the commercial crops, which need that consistency and quality behind them. In the past, Ora Pharm has conducted trials on lighting and soil, and Reece said the team has a long list of trials it would like to launch in the future. “I guess we’re just very focused on data, data collection and data analysis around the plants and what’s happening,” she said. “I think collecting as much data as we can using our sensors, using different programs on the R&D side, [is important] to see if there are any small changes that should be applied.” And, she added, the findings could be applied to not just cannabis, but also to the broader horticultural space. “It just provides innovation in all industries, which stems from the cannabis space, which is really exciting,” she said. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) and Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) announced a plan Dec. 19 to issue up to 22 additional medical cannabis licenses across the state. The rule would allow health officials to accept new license applications in a batching process, limiting all new licenses from being available at once. It would also increase the nonrefundable application fee for new licenses to $146,000. According to the emergency rule, a “Batching cycle means the grouping for comparative review of applications for MMTC (medical marijuana treatment centers) licensure that are submitted for a specified number of available MMTC licenses within the same application window.” The application window would be a five-day period during which the DOH can accept applications for the batching cycle. The emergency rule states that the DOH will release a separate rule to specify the number of licenses it will issue per batching cycle. This long-awaited move from regulators would allow aspiring cannabis businesses to enter the state’s market, whose retail footprint remains limited to 22 operators, with Trulieve, Verano, Ayr Wellness and Curaleaf representing more than 58% of the state’s 501 retail locations as of Dec. 16, according to a weekly update from the OMMU. Under state law, the DOH is required to issue four additional MMTC licenses for every 100,000 new patients. With 776,365 active patients as of Dec. 16, the state would need to issue more than 20 additional licenses to keep up with the number of active patients, Cannabis Business Times previously reported . When CBT Associate Editor Tony Lange asked Jonathan Robbins, chair of Akerman’s national cannabis practice, in September if he thinks the DOH would issue those additional licenses before the 2024 election, he was hopeful. “Before the 2024 election? I sure hope so,” Robbins said. “I have a lot of clients who are extremely anxious to be able to apply for a license, and they have been promising this since 2017. And even though we have 22 licensees here, we’ve never really had a formal application process. They had an application process back in 2015 for the original five high-CBD, low-THC licenses. They gave out those five. Every other license that has been given out since then, meaning the other 17, have been by way of resolution of litigation.” The DOH also issued an emergency rule that increases the biennial license renewal cost from about $60,000 to $1.33 million, CBS News reported . According to the news outlet, the increase in license renewal fees comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced earlier this year that “companies weren’t paying enough to operate in the state.” DOH spokesman James Williams III told CBS News that the “renewal fee is based on a formula that includes the amount of money it costs the state to regulate the industry.” While the new rules “drew praise” in the state, some industry leaders suspect that the license fee increases could “draw pushback” amongst existing operators, according to CBS News. Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Chair Tiffany Rudolph announced during the commission’s Dec. 15 meeting that she will step down from her role as the regulatory authority over the state’s cannabis program transitions to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission. Rudolph has served on the commission since 2017, when she was first appointed by the governor to serve as a member filling the required role of an attorney with knowledge about medical cannabis laws. She was reappointed and named vice chair in 2019 before becoming the commission chair in 2021. Rudolph will resign as of Dec. 31. “It has been a distinct pleasure and honor to serve on the Medical Cannabis Commission,” Rudolph said in a public statement. “Over the past five years commissioners and staff have established Maryland as a model medical cannabis program and helped prepare the state for a transition to an expanded medical and adult-use market. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues on the commission for their hard work and continued dedication to this program.” Rudolph also served as chair of the Application Review Committee, where she oversaw the state’s issuance of 14 medical cannabis grower and processor licenses to minority- and women-owned businesses in 2020. “The commission has benefitted significantly from Commissioner Randolph’s leadership and cannabis legal and policy expertise,” Executive Director Will Tilburg said in a public statement. “The state is better off from her service as are the patients of Maryland. I wish her the very best and thank her for her dedication and friendship throughout the growth and expansion of our program.” Maryland voters approved Question 4 in the November election to legalize adult-use cannabis. The measure, which legalizes the possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older beginning in July, also transitions the regulation of medical cannabis from the Medical Cannabis Commission to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission in 2023. Dr. C. Obi Onyewu, the commission’s vice chair, will serve as acting chair during the transition. Onyewu has served on the Medical Cannabis Commission since 2019 and has led the commission’s Budget and Finance Committee since 2020. He also serves on the commission’s Compliance and Executive Committees. NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2022 -- PRESS RELEASE -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. , an international provider of consumer cannabis products, today announced the opening of its second Tallahassee dispensary, located at 2121 W. Tennessee St. Unit 10, Tallahassee FL 32304. The new location is Curaleaf's 55th in the Sunshine State and 145th nationwide. The new 3,414-square-foot dispensary opens its doors to patients on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 9:00 a.m., with ongoing operating hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. Curaleaf Tallahassee is dedicated to providing high-quality cannabis products and service to patients at all stages of their cannabis journey. The new location offers a broad selection of premium cannabis products, including high-quality flower and pre-rolls, BlueKudu Chocolate, Select Squeeze, Select X-Bites, Select Elite, Elite Live and Live Rosin vape cartridges, as well as other concentrates by Curaleaf. \\\"We are thrilled to continue expanding access to medical cannabis for Florida's growing patient population,\\\" said Matt Darin, CEO of Curaleaf. \\\"We look forward to welcoming patients from Tallahassee and across the Sunshine State with an unrivaled retail experience and the high-quality, trusted cannabis products they can rely on.\\\" For more information on Curaleaf's locations, patient resources and products in Florida, please visit: https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida . PRESS RELEASE - The list for pesticides that can be used on cannabis without being a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act has been updated. Please note the following products have been added: Atrevia 3.0% SL BellaTrove Companion Maxx WP Botry Stop WP Trifecta Crop Control Super Concentrate To view the updated list, click here for a pdf or click here for an Excel form. For questions regarding this change, contact Jolynn Morris at (303) 869-9060 or email jolynn.morris@state.co.us . The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is currently reviewing pesticide labels upon request and maintaining a list of products whose label it has reviewed that it believes could be used on marijuana without violating 35-10-117(1)(i), as long as the applicator follows the label directions. Please be sure to review the list; pesticide products may be removed from the allowed products list if the registrant has not renewed their pesticide product with the department. Use of unregistered pesticides on cannabis would be a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act. Stay Informed For the latest information on CDA's Pesticides Program, visit these important webpages: Main Pesticides Page Pesticide use in Marijuana Production\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/15/CannabisPlantsFloweringIndoor-Credit-Alex-Resized2.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"this year, sustainable cultivation practices and in-house R&D efforts emerged as common trends that growers pursued. here, three cultivators share which techniques they focused on in 2022 and what they may try going into 2023.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Nevada City\",\n \"California\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Oklahoma\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Lindsay\",\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"NEW YORK\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Florida\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Stone Road Farms Corwin\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"pest\",\n \"Corwin\",\n \"Crop Steering Photo\",\n \"Hollywood Undead\",\n \"Ramshead\",\n \"Decker\",\n \"Zoe\",\n \"Ora Pharm\",\n \"Ora Pharm’s\",\n \"EU\",\n \"Reece\",\n \"The Florida Department of Health (DOH\",\n \"Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use\",\n \"DOH\",\n \"Trulieve, Verano,\",\n \"Ayr Wellness and Curaleaf\",\n \"Akerman\",\n \"CBS News\",\n \"Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Application Review Committee\",\n \"Budget and Finance Committee\",\n \"Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.\",\n \"W. Tennessee\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"145th\",\n \"BlueKudu Chocolate\",\n \"Elite Live and Live Rosin\",\n \"the Pesticide Applicators' Act\",\n \"Jolynn Morris\",\n \"The Colorado Department of Agriculture\",\n \"CDA\",\n \"Pesticides Program\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Lex Corwin\",\n \"Corwin\",\n \"Gamut Cannabis\",\n \"Krystell Góngora Decker\",\n \"Jorel Decker\",\n \"Ramshead Cannabis\",\n \"Reece Zoe Reece\",\n \"Reece\",\n \"Callaghan Innovation\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Tony Lange\",\n \"Jonathan Robbins\",\n \"Ron DeSantis\",\n \"James Williams III\",\n \"Chair Tiffany Rudolph\",\n \"Rudolph\",\n \"Randolph\",\n \"Will Tilburg\",\n \"C. Obi Onyewu\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"Matt Darin\",\n \"https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.49,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8673837780952454\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63aa1c03a727e603323d53dd\",\n \"title\": \"Florida to Issue Additional Medical Cannabis Licenses, Increase Application Fees\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/florida-increases-medical-cannabis-application-feeds-issues-more-licenses.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The state’s Health Department issued an emergency rule that would allow regulators to accept new license applications in a batching process.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-22T01:44:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Florida Department of Health (DOH) and Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) announced a plan Dec. 19 to issue up to 22 additional medical cannabis licenses across the state. The rule would allow health officials to accept new license applications in a batching process, limiting all new licenses from being available at once. It would also increase the nonrefundable application fee for new licenses to $146,000. According to the emergency rule, a “Batching cycle means the grouping for comparative review of applications for MMTC (medical marijuana treatment centers) licensure that are submitted for a specified number of available MMTC licenses within the same application window.” The application window would be a five-day period during which the DOH can accept applications for the batching cycle. The emergency rule states that the DOH will release a separate rule to specify the number of licenses it will issue per batching cycle. This long-awaited move from regulators would allow aspiring cannabis businesses to enter the state’s market, whose retail footprint remains limited to 22 operators, with Trulieve, Verano, Ayr Wellness and Curaleaf representing more than 58% of the state’s 501 retail locations as of Dec. 16, according to a weekly update from the OMMU. Under state law, the DOH is required to issue four additional MMTC licenses for every 100,000 new patients. With 776,365 active patients as of Dec. 16, the state would need to issue more than 20 additional licenses to keep up with the number of active patients, Cannabis Business Times previously reported . When CBT Associate Editor Tony Lange asked Jonathan Robbins, chair of Akerman’s national cannabis practice, in September if he thinks the DOH would issue those additional licenses before the 2024 election, he was hopeful. “Before the 2024 election? I sure hope so,” Robbins said. “I have a lot of clients who are extremely anxious to be able to apply for a license, and they have been promising this since 2017. And even though we have 22 licensees here, we’ve never really had a formal application process. They had an application process back in 2015 for the original five high-CBD, low-THC licenses. They gave out those five. Every other license that has been given out since then, meaning the other 17, have been by way of resolution of litigation.” The DOH also issued an emergency rule that increases the biennial license renewal cost from about $60,000 to $1.33 million, CBS News reported . According to the news outlet, the increase in license renewal fees comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced earlier this year that “companies weren’t paying enough to operate in the state.” DOH spokesman James Williams III told CBS News that the “renewal fee is based on a formula that includes the amount of money it costs the state to regulate the industry.” While the new rules “drew praise” in the state, some industry leaders suspect that the license fee increases could “draw pushback” amongst existing operators, according to CBS News. Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Chair Tiffany Rudolph announced during the commission’s Dec. 15 meeting that she will step down from her role as the regulatory authority over the state’s cannabis program transitions to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission. Rudolph has served on the commission since 2017, when she was first appointed by the governor to serve as a member filling the required role of an attorney with knowledge about medical cannabis laws. She was reappointed and named vice chair in 2019 before becoming the commission chair in 2021. Rudolph will resign as of Dec. 31. “It has been a distinct pleasure and honor to serve on the Medical Cannabis Commission,” Rudolph said in a public statement. “Over the past five years commissioners and staff have established Maryland as a model medical cannabis program and helped prepare the state for a transition to an expanded medical and adult-use market. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues on the commission for their hard work and continued dedication to this program.” Rudolph also served as chair of the Application Review Committee, where she oversaw the state’s issuance of 14 medical cannabis grower and processor licenses to minority- and women-owned businesses in 2020. “The commission has benefitted significantly from Commissioner Randolph’s leadership and cannabis legal and policy expertise,” Executive Director Will Tilburg said in a public statement. “The state is better off from her service as are the patients of Maryland. I wish her the very best and thank her for her dedication and friendship throughout the growth and expansion of our program.” Maryland voters approved Question 4 in the November election to legalize adult-use cannabis. The measure, which legalizes the possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older beginning in July, also transitions the regulation of medical cannabis from the Medical Cannabis Commission to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission in 2023. Dr. C. Obi Onyewu, the commission’s vice chair, will serve as acting chair during the transition. Onyewu has served on the Medical Cannabis Commission since 2019 and has led the commission’s Budget and Finance Committee since 2020. He also serves on the commission’s Compliance and Executive Committees. NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2022 -- PRESS RELEASE -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. , an international provider of consumer cannabis products, today announced the opening of its second Tallahassee dispensary, located at 2121 W. Tennessee St. Unit 10, Tallahassee FL 32304. The new location is Curaleaf's 55th in the Sunshine State and 145th nationwide. The new 3,414-square-foot dispensary opens its doors to patients on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 9:00 a.m., with ongoing operating hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. Curaleaf Tallahassee is dedicated to providing high-quality cannabis products and service to patients at all stages of their cannabis journey. The new location offers a broad selection of premium cannabis products, including high-quality flower and pre-rolls, BlueKudu Chocolate, Select Squeeze, Select X-Bites, Select Elite, Elite Live and Live Rosin vape cartridges, as well as other concentrates by Curaleaf. \\\"We are thrilled to continue expanding access to medical cannabis for Florida's growing patient population,\\\" said Matt Darin, CEO of Curaleaf. \\\"We look forward to welcoming patients from Tallahassee and across the Sunshine State with an unrivaled retail experience and the high-quality, trusted cannabis products they can rely on.\\\" For more information on Curaleaf's locations, patient resources and products in Florida, please visit: https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida . PRESS RELEASE - The list for pesticides that can be used on cannabis without being a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act has been updated. Please note the following products have been added: Atrevia 3.0% SL BellaTrove Companion Maxx WP Botry Stop WP Trifecta Crop Control Super Concentrate To view the updated list, click here for a pdf or click here for an Excel form. For questions regarding this change, contact Jolynn Morris at (303) 869-9060 or email jolynn.morris@state.co.us . The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is currently reviewing pesticide labels upon request and maintaining a list of products whose label it has reviewed that it believes could be used on marijuana without violating 35-10-117(1)(i), as long as the applicator follows the label directions. Please be sure to review the list; pesticide products may be removed from the allowed products list if the registrant has not renewed their pesticide product with the department. Use of unregistered pesticides on cannabis would be a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act. Stay Informed For the latest information on CDA's Pesticides Program, visit these important webpages: Main Pesticides Page Pesticide use in Marijuana Production New York’s adult-use cannabis program won’t be fully implemented before the end of the year, but state regulators announced Dec. 21 that at least one licensee will begin sales before 2023. Housing Works Cannabis Co. , one of eight nonprofits that the state’s Cannabis Control Board approved for a retail license in November, plans to begin serving adult-use cannabis customers at 4:20 p.m. on Dec. 29 at its facility at Broadway and Eighth Street in Manhattan, Chris Alexander, executive director for New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), announced at Wednesday’s board meeting. We've done it NY! Dec. 29, the FIRST 21+ legal cannabis sales will begin with a @HousingWorks non-profit assisting justice-involved individuals. Thank you @GovKathyHochul for your commitment to the Seeding Opportunity Initiative & all you've done to bring this industry to life. — NYS Office of Cannabis Management (@nys_cannabis) December 21, 2022 Housing Works first made its intentions known earlier this month to become the first licensee to open its doors to the new marketplace, as reported by Spectrum News NY1 on Dec. 14. “It is our goal to be the first,” Housing Works CEO Charles King told the news outlet. “We will not on the 29th have the build-out complete, but we will have a number of our display cases and cash registers up and be able to serve people.” Housing Works’ complete build-out of its retail space will likely take several more weeks, King said. More specifically, Housing Works is the nation’s largest minority-controlled HIV/AIDS service organization and largest community-based HIV/AIDS service organization, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Dec. 21. The nonprofit, based in New York City, operates a range of direct and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS, the homeless, formerly incarcerated, and justice involved individuals, according to the governor’s office. It also operates a network of charitable retail storefronts. “We set a course just nine months ago to start New York’s adult-use cannabis market off on the right foot by prioritizing equity, and now, we’re fulfilling that goal,” Hochul said in a press release . “The industry will continue to grow from here, creating inclusive opportunity in every corner of New York State with revenues directed to our schools and revitalizing communities.” OCM regulators plan to eventually issue up to 175 total retail licenses—150 for individuals impacted by prohibition and 25 for nonprofits like Housing Works, whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated. So far, 36 of those licenses, officially called “Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary” (CAURD) licenses, have been approved from a pool of 903 applicants . While the original plan was to provide turnkey retail locations for CAURD licensees, the rules for acquiring real estate took a U-turn on Dec. 9, when OCM officials announced that they were no longer requiring licensees to rely on the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to provide fully furnished dispensaries. RELATED: New York Changes Dispensary Turnkey Rules; Delivery Guidance Laid Out While CAURD licensees may still qualify for financial support, they were allowed to start submitting their own proposed locations and plans for their storefronts, as of Dec. 9. The curveball came after fund managers failed to raise $150 million from the private sector ahead of a Sept. 1 deadline, NY Cannabis Insider reported earlier this month. That raise, in part, was to assist DASNY in providing the turnkey locations for CAURD licensees. While 28 individuals have been approved for CAURD licenses (so far), the promised capital it takes to build out a retail facility evidently isn’t available ahead of the new year. For nonprofits that may (or may not) have access to their capital needs, like Housing Works, the green light has been provided for a sales launch. “At our core, we’re a healing community dedicated to providing housing, health care and vocational programs for New Yorkers,” King said in the governor’s press release. “This opportunity will not only give our team the resources to further our overall mission, but to feature and elevate products coming from LGBTQ+, BIPOC and women-led cannabis brands across the state.” All proceeds from dispensary sales will be directed to parent organization Housing Works Inc., founded in 1990 to address the dual crises of HIV/AIDS and homelessness. The self-sustaining nonprofit provides job opportunities, legal advocacy and comprehensive housing and health services funded, in part, by revenues from its thrift stores, SoHo bookstore and now its cannabis dispensary.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the emergency rule would allow health officials to accept new license applications in a batching process, limiting all new licenses from being available at once. it would also increase the nonrefundable application fee for new licenses to $146,000. under state law, the DOH is required to issue four additional MMTC licenses for every 100,000 new patients.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Maryland\",\n \"NEW YORK\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"Manhattan\",\n \"New York City\",\n \"New York State\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Florida Department of Health (DOH\",\n \"Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use\",\n \"DOH\",\n \"Trulieve, Verano,\",\n \"Ayr Wellness and Curaleaf\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Akerman\",\n \"CBS News\",\n \"Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Application Review Committee\",\n \"Budget and Finance Committee\",\n \"Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.\",\n \"W. Tennessee\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"145th\",\n \"BlueKudu Chocolate\",\n \"Elite Live and Live Rosin\",\n \"the Pesticide Applicators' Act\",\n \"Jolynn Morris\",\n \"The Colorado Department of Agriculture\",\n \"CDA\",\n \"Pesticides Program\",\n \"Housing Works Cannabis Co.\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"NYS Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"Housing Works\",\n \"Spectrum News NY1\",\n \"King\",\n \"CAURD\",\n \"the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"BIPOC\",\n \"Housing Works Inc.\",\n \"SoHo\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Tony Lange\",\n \"Jonathan Robbins\",\n \"Ron DeSantis\",\n \"James Williams III\",\n \"Chair Tiffany Rudolph\",\n \"Rudolph\",\n \"Randolph\",\n \"Will Tilburg\",\n \"C. Obi Onyewu\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"Matt Darin\",\n \"https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida\",\n \"Chris Alexander\",\n \"Charles King\",\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Housing Works\",\n \"DASNY\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.69,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.5965120196342468\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63aa1bf3a727e603323d53d6\",\n \"title\": \"Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Chair Steps Down as Regulatory Authority Transitions to Alcohol and Tobacco Commission\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/maryland-medical-cannabis-commission-chair-steps-down-regulatory-transition-alcohol-and-tobacco-commission.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Tiffany Rudolph, who has served on the commission since 2017, will resign as of Dec. 31.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-21T21:44:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Chair Tiffany Rudolph announced during the commission’s Dec. 15 meeting that she will step down from her role as the regulatory authority over the state’s cannabis program transitions to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission. Rudolph has served on the commission since 2017, when she was first appointed by the governor to serve as a member filling the required role of an attorney with knowledge about medical cannabis laws. She was reappointed and named vice chair in 2019 before becoming the commission chair in 2021. Rudolph will resign as of Dec. 31. “It has been a distinct pleasure and honor to serve on the Medical Cannabis Commission,” Rudolph said in a public statement. “Over the past five years commissioners and staff have established Maryland as a model medical cannabis program and helped prepare the state for a transition to an expanded medical and adult-use market. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues on the commission for their hard work and continued dedication to this program.” Rudolph also served as chair of the Application Review Committee, where she oversaw the state’s issuance of 14 medical cannabis grower and processor licenses to minority- and women-owned businesses in 2020. “The commission has benefitted significantly from Commissioner Randolph’s leadership and cannabis legal and policy expertise,” Executive Director Will Tilburg said in a public statement. “The state is better off from her service as are the patients of Maryland. I wish her the very best and thank her for her dedication and friendship throughout the growth and expansion of our program.” Maryland voters approved Question 4 in the November election to legalize adult-use cannabis. The measure, which legalizes the possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older beginning in July, also transitions the regulation of medical cannabis from the Medical Cannabis Commission to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission in 2023. Dr. C. Obi Onyewu, the commission’s vice chair, will serve as acting chair during the transition. Onyewu has served on the Medical Cannabis Commission since 2019 and has led the commission’s Budget and Finance Committee since 2020. He also serves on the commission’s Compliance and Executive Committees. NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2022 -- PRESS RELEASE -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. , an international provider of consumer cannabis products, today announced the opening of its second Tallahassee dispensary, located at 2121 W. Tennessee St. Unit 10, Tallahassee FL 32304. The new location is Curaleaf's 55th in the Sunshine State and 145th nationwide. The new 3,414-square-foot dispensary opens its doors to patients on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 9:00 a.m., with ongoing operating hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. Curaleaf Tallahassee is dedicated to providing high-quality cannabis products and service to patients at all stages of their cannabis journey. The new location offers a broad selection of premium cannabis products, including high-quality flower and pre-rolls, BlueKudu Chocolate, Select Squeeze, Select X-Bites, Select Elite, Elite Live and Live Rosin vape cartridges, as well as other concentrates by Curaleaf. \\\"We are thrilled to continue expanding access to medical cannabis for Florida's growing patient population,\\\" said Matt Darin, CEO of Curaleaf. \\\"We look forward to welcoming patients from Tallahassee and across the Sunshine State with an unrivaled retail experience and the high-quality, trusted cannabis products they can rely on.\\\" For more information on Curaleaf's locations, patient resources and products in Florida, please visit: https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida . PRESS RELEASE - The list for pesticides that can be used on cannabis without being a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act has been updated. Please note the following products have been added: Atrevia 3.0% SL BellaTrove Companion Maxx WP Botry Stop WP Trifecta Crop Control Super Concentrate To view the updated list, click here for a pdf or click here for an Excel form. For questions regarding this change, contact Jolynn Morris at (303) 869-9060 or email jolynn.morris@state.co.us . The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is currently reviewing pesticide labels upon request and maintaining a list of products whose label it has reviewed that it believes could be used on marijuana without violating 35-10-117(1)(i), as long as the applicator follows the label directions. Please be sure to review the list; pesticide products may be removed from the allowed products list if the registrant has not renewed their pesticide product with the department. Use of unregistered pesticides on cannabis would be a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act. Stay Informed For the latest information on CDA's Pesticides Program, visit these important webpages: Main Pesticides Page Pesticide use in Marijuana Production New York’s adult-use cannabis program won’t be fully implemented before the end of the year, but state regulators announced Dec. 21 that at least one licensee will begin sales before 2023. Housing Works Cannabis Co. , one of eight nonprofits that the state’s Cannabis Control Board approved for a retail license in November, plans to begin serving adult-use cannabis customers at 4:20 p.m. on Dec. 29 at its facility at Broadway and Eighth Street in Manhattan, Chris Alexander, executive director for New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), announced at Wednesday’s board meeting. We've done it NY! Dec. 29, the FIRST 21+ legal cannabis sales will begin with a @HousingWorks non-profit assisting justice-involved individuals. Thank you @GovKathyHochul for your commitment to the Seeding Opportunity Initiative & all you've done to bring this industry to life. — NYS Office of Cannabis Management (@nys_cannabis) December 21, 2022 Housing Works first made its intentions known earlier this month to become the first licensee to open its doors to the new marketplace, as reported by Spectrum News NY1 on Dec. 14. “It is our goal to be the first,” Housing Works CEO Charles King told the news outlet. “We will not on the 29th have the build-out complete, but we will have a number of our display cases and cash registers up and be able to serve people.” Housing Works’ complete build-out of its retail space will likely take several more weeks, King said. More specifically, Housing Works is the nation’s largest minority-controlled HIV/AIDS service organization and largest community-based HIV/AIDS service organization, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Dec. 21. The nonprofit, based in New York City, operates a range of direct and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS, the homeless, formerly incarcerated, and justice involved individuals, according to the governor’s office. It also operates a network of charitable retail storefronts. “We set a course just nine months ago to start New York’s adult-use cannabis market off on the right foot by prioritizing equity, and now, we’re fulfilling that goal,” Hochul said in a press release . “The industry will continue to grow from here, creating inclusive opportunity in every corner of New York State with revenues directed to our schools and revitalizing communities.” OCM regulators plan to eventually issue up to 175 total retail licenses—150 for individuals impacted by prohibition and 25 for nonprofits like Housing Works, whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated. So far, 36 of those licenses, officially called “Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary” (CAURD) licenses, have been approved from a pool of 903 applicants . While the original plan was to provide turnkey retail locations for CAURD licensees, the rules for acquiring real estate took a U-turn on Dec. 9, when OCM officials announced that they were no longer requiring licensees to rely on the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to provide fully furnished dispensaries. RELATED: New York Changes Dispensary Turnkey Rules; Delivery Guidance Laid Out While CAURD licensees may still qualify for financial support, they were allowed to start submitting their own proposed locations and plans for their storefronts, as of Dec. 9. The curveball came after fund managers failed to raise $150 million from the private sector ahead of a Sept. 1 deadline, NY Cannabis Insider reported earlier this month. That raise, in part, was to assist DASNY in providing the turnkey locations for CAURD licensees. While 28 individuals have been approved for CAURD licenses (so far), the promised capital it takes to build out a retail facility evidently isn’t available ahead of the new year. For nonprofits that may (or may not) have access to their capital needs, like Housing Works, the green light has been provided for a sales launch. “At our core, we’re a healing community dedicated to providing housing, health care and vocational programs for New Yorkers,” King said in the governor’s press release. “This opportunity will not only give our team the resources to further our overall mission, but to feature and elevate products coming from LGBTQ+, BIPOC and women-led cannabis brands across the state.” All proceeds from dispensary sales will be directed to parent organization Housing Works Inc., founded in 1990 to address the dual crises of HIV/AIDS and homelessness. The self-sustaining nonprofit provides job opportunities, legal advocacy and comprehensive housing and health services funded, in part, by revenues from its thrift stores, SoHo bookstore and now its cannabis dispensary. TORONTO , Dec. 21, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp., a leading North American cannabis operator, announced that its subsidiary, WDB Holding PA Inc., has completed an amendment (the \\\"amendment\\\") to its existing $115 million senior secured term loan in Pennsylvania (the \\\"loan\\\"). \\\"TerrAscend has taken significant measures recently to reduce its outstanding debt and interest expense, further strengthening our path to positive sustainable cash flow from operations,\\\" TerrAscend Executive Chairman Jason Wild said. \\\"The company has access to multiple additional sources of funds, many of which are nondilutive and noninterest bearing in nature, and we intend to explore all options for continued debt reduction and balance sheet optimization.\\\" The amendment will reduce company debt by $35 million and annual interest expense by $5 million. Combined with recently announced debt retirement of $125 million, company debt will be reduced by a cumulative $160 million and will result in total annual interest savings of $15 million . TerrAscend will make the $35 million payment on March 15, 2023, at the original prepayment price of 103.22% to par. The loan matures in December 2024 and originally could not be prepaid without penalty until June 2023. Under the terms of the amendment, TerrAscend will adjust collateral to balance its debt more appropriately with its assets. Included in this rebalancing will be the company’s Maplewood and Lodi, N.J., dispensary assets as added collateral for the Pennsylvania loan, upon satisfaction of certain conditions. Additionally, the amendment now affords the company flexibility to enter into a sale-leaseback transaction or mortgage, at its discretion, on its cultivation facility in Pennsylvania, which has an estimated value of $50 million.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/21/MarylandFlagonTable-AdobeStock-Credit-Erllre-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the commission chair will resign as of Dec. 31. she has served on the commission since 2017, when she was first appointed by the governor to serve as a member filling the role of an attorney with knowledge about medical cannabis laws. she will become the commission chair in 2021.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Maryland\",\n \"NEW YORK\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"Manhattan\",\n \"New York City\",\n \"New York State\",\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Lodi\",\n \"N.J.\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"the Application Review Committee\",\n \"Budget and Finance Committee\",\n \"Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.\",\n \"W. Tennessee\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"145th\",\n \"BlueKudu Chocolate\",\n \"Elite Live and Live Rosin\",\n \"the Pesticide Applicators' Act\",\n \"Jolynn Morris\",\n \"The Colorado Department of Agriculture\",\n \"CDA\",\n \"Pesticides Program\",\n \"Housing Works Cannabis Co.\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"NYS Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"Housing Works\",\n \"Spectrum News NY1\",\n \"King\",\n \"CAURD\",\n \"the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"BIPOC\",\n \"Housing Works Inc.\",\n \"SoHo\",\n \"TerrAscend Corp.\",\n \"WDB Holding PA Inc.\",\n \"TerrAscend Executive\",\n \"Maplewood\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Chair Tiffany Rudolph\",\n \"Rudolph\",\n \"Randolph\",\n \"Will Tilburg\",\n \"C. Obi Onyewu\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"Matt Darin\",\n \"https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida\",\n \"Chris Alexander\",\n \"Charles King\",\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Housing Works\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"Jason Wild\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.76,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.6044448018074036\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63aa1bf8a727e603323d53d9\",\n \"title\": \"Curaleaf Celebrates Opening of Tallahassee, Fla. Dispensary\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/curaleaf-celebrates-opening-of-tallahassee-florida-dispensary\",\n \"description\": \"The company's retail presence grows to 55 locations in Florida and 145 nationwide.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-21T19:53:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2022 -- PRESS RELEASE -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. , an international provider of consumer cannabis products, today announced the opening of its second Tallahassee dispensary, located at 2121 W. Tennessee St. Unit 10, Tallahassee FL 32304. The new location is Curaleaf's 55th in the Sunshine State and 145th nationwide. The new 3,414-square-foot dispensary opens its doors to patients on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 9:00 a.m., with ongoing operating hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. Curaleaf Tallahassee is dedicated to providing high-quality cannabis products and service to patients at all stages of their cannabis journey. The new location offers a broad selection of premium cannabis products, including high-quality flower and pre-rolls, BlueKudu Chocolate, Select Squeeze, Select X-Bites, Select Elite, Elite Live and Live Rosin vape cartridges, as well as other concentrates by Curaleaf. \\\"We are thrilled to continue expanding access to medical cannabis for Florida's growing patient population,\\\" said Matt Darin, CEO of Curaleaf. \\\"We look forward to welcoming patients from Tallahassee and across the Sunshine State with an unrivaled retail experience and the high-quality, trusted cannabis products they can rely on.\\\" For more information on Curaleaf's locations, patient resources and products in Florida, please visit: https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida . PRESS RELEASE - The list for pesticides that can be used on cannabis without being a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act has been updated. Please note the following products have been added: Atrevia 3.0% SL BellaTrove Companion Maxx WP Botry Stop WP Trifecta Crop Control Super Concentrate To view the updated list, click here for a pdf or click here for an Excel form. For questions regarding this change, contact Jolynn Morris at (303) 869-9060 or email jolynn.morris@state.co.us . The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is currently reviewing pesticide labels upon request and maintaining a list of products whose label it has reviewed that it believes could be used on marijuana without violating 35-10-117(1)(i), as long as the applicator follows the label directions. Please be sure to review the list; pesticide products may be removed from the allowed products list if the registrant has not renewed their pesticide product with the department. Use of unregistered pesticides on cannabis would be a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act. Stay Informed For the latest information on CDA's Pesticides Program, visit these important webpages: Main Pesticides Page Pesticide use in Marijuana Production New York’s adult-use cannabis program won’t be fully implemented before the end of the year, but state regulators announced Dec. 21 that at least one licensee will begin sales before 2023. Housing Works Cannabis Co. , one of eight nonprofits that the state’s Cannabis Control Board approved for a retail license in November, plans to begin serving adult-use cannabis customers at 4:20 p.m. on Dec. 29 at its facility at Broadway and Eighth Street in Manhattan, Chris Alexander, executive director for New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), announced at Wednesday’s board meeting. We've done it NY! Dec. 29, the FIRST 21+ legal cannabis sales will begin with a @HousingWorks non-profit assisting justice-involved individuals. Thank you @GovKathyHochul for your commitment to the Seeding Opportunity Initiative & all you've done to bring this industry to life. — NYS Office of Cannabis Management (@nys_cannabis) December 21, 2022 Housing Works first made its intentions known earlier this month to become the first licensee to open its doors to the new marketplace, as reported by Spectrum News NY1 on Dec. 14. “It is our goal to be the first,” Housing Works CEO Charles King told the news outlet. “We will not on the 29th have the build-out complete, but we will have a number of our display cases and cash registers up and be able to serve people.” Housing Works’ complete build-out of its retail space will likely take several more weeks, King said. More specifically, Housing Works is the nation’s largest minority-controlled HIV/AIDS service organization and largest community-based HIV/AIDS service organization, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Dec. 21. The nonprofit, based in New York City, operates a range of direct and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS, the homeless, formerly incarcerated, and justice involved individuals, according to the governor’s office. It also operates a network of charitable retail storefronts. “We set a course just nine months ago to start New York’s adult-use cannabis market off on the right foot by prioritizing equity, and now, we’re fulfilling that goal,” Hochul said in a press release . “The industry will continue to grow from here, creating inclusive opportunity in every corner of New York State with revenues directed to our schools and revitalizing communities.” OCM regulators plan to eventually issue up to 175 total retail licenses—150 for individuals impacted by prohibition and 25 for nonprofits like Housing Works, whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated. So far, 36 of those licenses, officially called “Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary” (CAURD) licenses, have been approved from a pool of 903 applicants . While the original plan was to provide turnkey retail locations for CAURD licensees, the rules for acquiring real estate took a U-turn on Dec. 9, when OCM officials announced that they were no longer requiring licensees to rely on the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to provide fully furnished dispensaries. RELATED: New York Changes Dispensary Turnkey Rules; Delivery Guidance Laid Out While CAURD licensees may still qualify for financial support, they were allowed to start submitting their own proposed locations and plans for their storefronts, as of Dec. 9. The curveball came after fund managers failed to raise $150 million from the private sector ahead of a Sept. 1 deadline, NY Cannabis Insider reported earlier this month. That raise, in part, was to assist DASNY in providing the turnkey locations for CAURD licensees. While 28 individuals have been approved for CAURD licenses (so far), the promised capital it takes to build out a retail facility evidently isn’t available ahead of the new year. For nonprofits that may (or may not) have access to their capital needs, like Housing Works, the green light has been provided for a sales launch. “At our core, we’re a healing community dedicated to providing housing, health care and vocational programs for New Yorkers,” King said in the governor’s press release. “This opportunity will not only give our team the resources to further our overall mission, but to feature and elevate products coming from LGBTQ+, BIPOC and women-led cannabis brands across the state.” All proceeds from dispensary sales will be directed to parent organization Housing Works Inc., founded in 1990 to address the dual crises of HIV/AIDS and homelessness. The self-sustaining nonprofit provides job opportunities, legal advocacy and comprehensive housing and health services funded, in part, by revenues from its thrift stores, SoHo bookstore and now its cannabis dispensary. TORONTO , Dec. 21, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp., a leading North American cannabis operator, announced that its subsidiary, WDB Holding PA Inc., has completed an amendment (the \\\"amendment\\\") to its existing $115 million senior secured term loan in Pennsylvania (the \\\"loan\\\"). \\\"TerrAscend has taken significant measures recently to reduce its outstanding debt and interest expense, further strengthening our path to positive sustainable cash flow from operations,\\\" TerrAscend Executive Chairman Jason Wild said. \\\"The company has access to multiple additional sources of funds, many of which are nondilutive and noninterest bearing in nature, and we intend to explore all options for continued debt reduction and balance sheet optimization.\\\" The amendment will reduce company debt by $35 million and annual interest expense by $5 million. Combined with recently announced debt retirement of $125 million, company debt will be reduced by a cumulative $160 million and will result in total annual interest savings of $15 million . TerrAscend will make the $35 million payment on March 15, 2023, at the original prepayment price of 103.22% to par. The loan matures in December 2024 and originally could not be prepaid without penalty until June 2023. Under the terms of the amendment, TerrAscend will adjust collateral to balance its debt more appropriately with its assets. Included in this rebalancing will be the company’s Maplewood and Lodi, N.J., dispensary assets as added collateral for the Pennsylvania loan, upon satisfaction of certain conditions. Additionally, the amendment now affords the company flexibility to enter into a sale-leaseback transaction or mortgage, at its discretion, on its cultivation facility in Pennsylvania, which has an estimated value of $50 million. MÜV Lake City is located at 2938 W US Highway 90, a busy thoroughfare with an average daily traffic count of roughly 32,000 vehicles In 2022, Verano has opened 21 new MÜV locations in Florida, underscoring the company’s continued retail expansion across the state Verano’s active operations span 13 states, comprised of 120 dispensaries and 14 cultivation and processing facilities with more than 1 million square feet of cultivation capacity CHICAGO, Dec. 21, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Verano Holdings Corp., a leading multistate cannabis company, announced MÜV Lake City will open on Dec. 23, marking the company’s 62nd Florida dispensary and 120th retail location nationwide. MÜV Lake City, located at 2938 W US Highway 90, is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. According to Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU), there are currently more than 776,000 qualified medical cannabis patients in the state. OMMU officials project there will be 889,497 active patients by the end of June 2023, and 1,044,772 active patients by the end of June 2024. “Opening MÜV Lake City, our first medical cannabis dispensary in Columbia County, adds another convenient location for our valued patients across northern Florida,” said John Tipton, President of Verano. “We’re excited to add MÜV Lake City to our growing Florida retail footprint and introduce our dedicated team of compassionate cannabis advisers and premium medical cannabis offerings to patients across the region.” As a demonstration of Verano’s commitment to provide a convenient and reliable experience for Florida patients, MÜV dispensaries feature online menus for effortless browsing of their extensive, award-winning product selection, including the company’s signature Verano Reserve flower, Encore edibles, and Savvy flower and extracts. The company also offers one-on-one virtual and in-store consultations at no cost to the patient and provides patient-centric concierge services via phone, email, web chat and text to address patient questions and inquiries. For additional convenience and accessibility, patients can choose to order ahead at muvfl.com or through the MÜV mobile application available in the Google Play and Apple App stores for express in-store pickup. MÜV’s comprehensive product selection includes edibles, chocolates and lozenges, flower, pre-rolls, an array of vaporizer pens, concentrates, metered-dose inhalers, topicals and oral sprays; along with patented encapsulation formulations in its EnCaps capsules, tinctures, 72-hour transdermal patches and transdermal gels. For more information about MÜV Lake City medical cannabis dispensary, visit muvfl.com .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the new 3,414-square-foot dispensary opens its doors to patients on Tuesday, Dec. 20. the new location is Curaleaf's 55th in the Sunshine State and 145th nationwide. the list for pesticides that can be used on cannabis has been updated.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"NEW YORK\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"Manhattan\",\n \"New York City\",\n \"New York State\",\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Lodi\",\n \"N.J.\",\n \"CHICAGO\",\n \"Columbia County\",\n \"EnCaps\",\n \"Lake City\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.\",\n \"W. Tennessee\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"145th\",\n \"BlueKudu Chocolate\",\n \"Elite Live and Live Rosin\",\n \"the Pesticide Applicators' Act\",\n \"Jolynn Morris\",\n \"The Colorado Department of Agriculture\",\n \"CDA\",\n \"Pesticides Program\",\n \"Housing Works Cannabis Co.\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"NYS Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"Housing Works\",\n \"Spectrum News NY1\",\n \"King\",\n \"CAURD\",\n \"the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"BIPOC\",\n \"Housing Works Inc.\",\n \"SoHo\",\n \"TerrAscend Corp.\",\n \"WDB Holding PA Inc.\",\n \"TerrAscend Executive\",\n \"Maplewood\",\n \"Verano\",\n \"MÜV\",\n \"Verano Holdings Corp.\",\n \"Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use\",\n \"Verano Reserve\",\n \"Apple App\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"Matt Darin\",\n \"https://curaleaf.com/dispensary/florida\",\n \"Chris Alexander\",\n \"Charles King\",\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Housing Works\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"Jason Wild\",\n \"Verano\",\n \"John Tipton\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.72,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9204457998275757\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63aa1bf5a727e603323d53d7\",\n \"title\": \"Colorado Adds 4 Products to List of Pesticides That Can Be Used on Cannabis\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/colorado-adds-4-products-to-list-of-pesticides-that-can-be-used-on-cannabis.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The Colorado Department of Agriculture has updated the list of pesticides that can be used on cannabis without violating the state's Pesticide Applicators' Act.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-21T19:32:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"PRESS RELEASE - The list for pesticides that can be used on cannabis without being a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act has been updated. Please note the following products have been added: Atrevia 3.0% SL BellaTrove Companion Maxx WP Botry Stop WP Trifecta Crop Control Super Concentrate To view the updated list, click here for a pdf or click here for an Excel form. For questions regarding this change, contact Jolynn Morris at (303) 869-9060 or email jolynn.morris@state.co.us . The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is currently reviewing pesticide labels upon request and maintaining a list of products whose label it has reviewed that it believes could be used on marijuana without violating 35-10-117(1)(i), as long as the applicator follows the label directions. Please be sure to review the list; pesticide products may be removed from the allowed products list if the registrant has not renewed their pesticide product with the department. Use of unregistered pesticides on cannabis would be a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act. Stay Informed For the latest information on CDA's Pesticides Program, visit these important webpages: Main Pesticides Page Pesticide use in Marijuana Production New York’s adult-use cannabis program won’t be fully implemented before the end of the year, but state regulators announced Dec. 21 that at least one licensee will begin sales before 2023. Housing Works Cannabis Co. , one of eight nonprofits that the state’s Cannabis Control Board approved for a retail license in November, plans to begin serving adult-use cannabis customers at 4:20 p.m. on Dec. 29 at its facility at Broadway and Eighth Street in Manhattan, Chris Alexander, executive director for New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), announced at Wednesday’s board meeting. We've done it NY! Dec. 29, the FIRST 21+ legal cannabis sales will begin with a @HousingWorks non-profit assisting justice-involved individuals. Thank you @GovKathyHochul for your commitment to the Seeding Opportunity Initiative & all you've done to bring this industry to life. — NYS Office of Cannabis Management (@nys_cannabis) December 21, 2022 Housing Works first made its intentions known earlier this month to become the first licensee to open its doors to the new marketplace, as reported by Spectrum News NY1 on Dec. 14. “It is our goal to be the first,” Housing Works CEO Charles King told the news outlet. “We will not on the 29th have the build-out complete, but we will have a number of our display cases and cash registers up and be able to serve people.” Housing Works’ complete build-out of its retail space will likely take several more weeks, King said. More specifically, Housing Works is the nation’s largest minority-controlled HIV/AIDS service organization and largest community-based HIV/AIDS service organization, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Dec. 21. The nonprofit, based in New York City, operates a range of direct and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS, the homeless, formerly incarcerated, and justice involved individuals, according to the governor’s office. It also operates a network of charitable retail storefronts. “We set a course just nine months ago to start New York’s adult-use cannabis market off on the right foot by prioritizing equity, and now, we’re fulfilling that goal,” Hochul said in a press release . “The industry will continue to grow from here, creating inclusive opportunity in every corner of New York State with revenues directed to our schools and revitalizing communities.” OCM regulators plan to eventually issue up to 175 total retail licenses—150 for individuals impacted by prohibition and 25 for nonprofits like Housing Works, whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated. So far, 36 of those licenses, officially called “Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary” (CAURD) licenses, have been approved from a pool of 903 applicants . While the original plan was to provide turnkey retail locations for CAURD licensees, the rules for acquiring real estate took a U-turn on Dec. 9, when OCM officials announced that they were no longer requiring licensees to rely on the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to provide fully furnished dispensaries. RELATED: New York Changes Dispensary Turnkey Rules; Delivery Guidance Laid Out While CAURD licensees may still qualify for financial support, they were allowed to start submitting their own proposed locations and plans for their storefronts, as of Dec. 9. The curveball came after fund managers failed to raise $150 million from the private sector ahead of a Sept. 1 deadline, NY Cannabis Insider reported earlier this month. That raise, in part, was to assist DASNY in providing the turnkey locations for CAURD licensees. While 28 individuals have been approved for CAURD licenses (so far), the promised capital it takes to build out a retail facility evidently isn’t available ahead of the new year. For nonprofits that may (or may not) have access to their capital needs, like Housing Works, the green light has been provided for a sales launch. “At our core, we’re a healing community dedicated to providing housing, health care and vocational programs for New Yorkers,” King said in the governor’s press release. “This opportunity will not only give our team the resources to further our overall mission, but to feature and elevate products coming from LGBTQ+, BIPOC and women-led cannabis brands across the state.” All proceeds from dispensary sales will be directed to parent organization Housing Works Inc., founded in 1990 to address the dual crises of HIV/AIDS and homelessness. The self-sustaining nonprofit provides job opportunities, legal advocacy and comprehensive housing and health services funded, in part, by revenues from its thrift stores, SoHo bookstore and now its cannabis dispensary. TORONTO , Dec. 21, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp., a leading North American cannabis operator, announced that its subsidiary, WDB Holding PA Inc., has completed an amendment (the \\\"amendment\\\") to its existing $115 million senior secured term loan in Pennsylvania (the \\\"loan\\\"). \\\"TerrAscend has taken significant measures recently to reduce its outstanding debt and interest expense, further strengthening our path to positive sustainable cash flow from operations,\\\" TerrAscend Executive Chairman Jason Wild said. \\\"The company has access to multiple additional sources of funds, many of which are nondilutive and noninterest bearing in nature, and we intend to explore all options for continued debt reduction and balance sheet optimization.\\\" The amendment will reduce company debt by $35 million and annual interest expense by $5 million. Combined with recently announced debt retirement of $125 million, company debt will be reduced by a cumulative $160 million and will result in total annual interest savings of $15 million . TerrAscend will make the $35 million payment on March 15, 2023, at the original prepayment price of 103.22% to par. The loan matures in December 2024 and originally could not be prepaid without penalty until June 2023. Under the terms of the amendment, TerrAscend will adjust collateral to balance its debt more appropriately with its assets. Included in this rebalancing will be the company’s Maplewood and Lodi, N.J., dispensary assets as added collateral for the Pennsylvania loan, upon satisfaction of certain conditions. Additionally, the amendment now affords the company flexibility to enter into a sale-leaseback transaction or mortgage, at its discretion, on its cultivation facility in Pennsylvania, which has an estimated value of $50 million. MÜV Lake City is located at 2938 W US Highway 90, a busy thoroughfare with an average daily traffic count of roughly 32,000 vehicles In 2022, Verano has opened 21 new MÜV locations in Florida, underscoring the company’s continued retail expansion across the state Verano’s active operations span 13 states, comprised of 120 dispensaries and 14 cultivation and processing facilities with more than 1 million square feet of cultivation capacity CHICAGO, Dec. 21, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Verano Holdings Corp., a leading multistate cannabis company, announced MÜV Lake City will open on Dec. 23, marking the company’s 62nd Florida dispensary and 120th retail location nationwide. MÜV Lake City, located at 2938 W US Highway 90, is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. According to Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU), there are currently more than 776,000 qualified medical cannabis patients in the state. OMMU officials project there will be 889,497 active patients by the end of June 2023, and 1,044,772 active patients by the end of June 2024. “Opening MÜV Lake City, our first medical cannabis dispensary in Columbia County, adds another convenient location for our valued patients across northern Florida,” said John Tipton, President of Verano. “We’re excited to add MÜV Lake City to our growing Florida retail footprint and introduce our dedicated team of compassionate cannabis advisers and premium medical cannabis offerings to patients across the region.” As a demonstration of Verano’s commitment to provide a convenient and reliable experience for Florida patients, MÜV dispensaries feature online menus for effortless browsing of their extensive, award-winning product selection, including the company’s signature Verano Reserve flower, Encore edibles, and Savvy flower and extracts. The company also offers one-on-one virtual and in-store consultations at no cost to the patient and provides patient-centric concierge services via phone, email, web chat and text to address patient questions and inquiries. For additional convenience and accessibility, patients can choose to order ahead at muvfl.com or through the MÜV mobile application available in the Google Play and Apple App stores for express in-store pickup. MÜV’s comprehensive product selection includes edibles, chocolates and lozenges, flower, pre-rolls, an array of vaporizer pens, concentrates, metered-dose inhalers, topicals and oral sprays; along with patented encapsulation formulations in its EnCaps capsules, tinctures, 72-hour transdermal patches and transdermal gels. For more information about MÜV Lake City medical cannabis dispensary, visit muvfl.com . The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) filed an emergency rulemaking action Dec. 14 to implement Assembly Bill 195. The legislation, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in June, requires all cannabis products leaving licensed dispensaries via delivery to be recorded in a statewide track-and-trace system, according to the DCC website . In addition, A.B. 195 would have required the DCC to incorporate cannabis delivery into the state's existing track-and-trace program by Jan. 1, 2023. However, under the measure, the DCC is permitted to \\\"adopt and readopt emergency regulations to implement that requirement, as specified,\\\" according to the bill text . The DCC has filed the emergency rulemaking action with the state’s Office of Administrative Law (OAL) to immediately implement the new track-and-trace requirements under A.B. 195. The department wrote in the emergency filing that the public's safety and protection is its \\\"highest priority\\\" and that the proposed regulations would allow the DCC to monitor the movement of cannabis products in California effectively and reduce the risk of illicit cannabis products entering the legal market. Moreover, the DCC wrote that the \\\"increased tracking would allow the department to collect more detailed data regarding the purchase of cannabis goods through delivery. This data will likely be useful in making decisions related to the proper regulation of cannabis businesses within California.\\\" Cannabis Business Times reached out to the DCC for more information on the emergency action, but department officials declined to comment because the regulatory package is currently under review by the OAL.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"atrevia 3.0% SL BellaTrove Companion Maxx WP Botry Stop WP Trifecta Crop Control Super Concentrate. use of unregistered pesticides on cannabis would be a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"New York’s\",\n \"Manhattan\",\n \"New York City\",\n \"New York State\",\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Lodi\",\n \"N.J.\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"CHICAGO\",\n \"Columbia County\",\n \"EnCaps\",\n \"Lake City\",\n \"California\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"the Pesticide Applicators' Act\",\n \"Jolynn Morris\",\n \"The Colorado Department of Agriculture\",\n \"CDA\",\n \"Pesticides Program\",\n \"Housing Works Cannabis Co.\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"NYS Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"Housing Works\",\n \"Spectrum News NY1\",\n \"King\",\n \"CAURD\",\n \"the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"BIPOC\",\n \"Housing Works Inc.\",\n \"SoHo\",\n \"TerrAscend Corp.\",\n \"WDB Holding PA Inc.\",\n \"TerrAscend Executive\",\n \"Maplewood\",\n \"Verano\",\n \"MÜV\",\n \"Verano Holdings Corp.\",\n \"Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use\",\n \"Verano Reserve\",\n \"Apple App\",\n \"The California Department of Cannabis Control\",\n \"DCC\",\n \"Assembly\",\n \"Office of Administrative Law\",\n \"OAL\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Chris Alexander\",\n \"Charles King\",\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Housing Works\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"Jason Wild\",\n \"Verano\",\n \"John Tipton\",\n \"Gavin Newsom\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.72,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9053387641906738\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63aa1bfea727e603323d53db\",\n \"title\": \"TerrAscend Announces Amendment of Pennsylvania Credit Agreement \",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/terrascend-pennsylvania-credit-agreement-amendment.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The amendment will reduce the company’s debt by $35 million and annual interest expense by $5 million.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-21T15:46:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"TORONTO , Dec. 21, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp., a leading North American cannabis operator, announced that its subsidiary, WDB Holding PA Inc., has completed an amendment (the \\\"amendment\\\") to its existing $115 million senior secured term loan in Pennsylvania (the \\\"loan\\\"). \\\"TerrAscend has taken significant measures recently to reduce its outstanding debt and interest expense, further strengthening our path to positive sustainable cash flow from operations,\\\" TerrAscend Executive Chairman Jason Wild said. \\\"The company has access to multiple additional sources of funds, many of which are nondilutive and noninterest bearing in nature, and we intend to explore all options for continued debt reduction and balance sheet optimization.\\\" The amendment will reduce company debt by $35 million and annual interest expense by $5 million. Combined with recently announced debt retirement of $125 million, company debt will be reduced by a cumulative $160 million and will result in total annual interest savings of $15 million . TerrAscend will make the $35 million payment on March 15, 2023, at the original prepayment price of 103.22% to par. The loan matures in December 2024 and originally could not be prepaid without penalty until June 2023. Under the terms of the amendment, TerrAscend will adjust collateral to balance its debt more appropriately with its assets. Included in this rebalancing will be the company’s Maplewood and Lodi, N.J., dispensary assets as added collateral for the Pennsylvania loan, upon satisfaction of certain conditions. Additionally, the amendment now affords the company flexibility to enter into a sale-leaseback transaction or mortgage, at its discretion, on its cultivation facility in Pennsylvania, which has an estimated value of $50 million. MÜV Lake City is located at 2938 W US Highway 90, a busy thoroughfare with an average daily traffic count of roughly 32,000 vehicles In 2022, Verano has opened 21 new MÜV locations in Florida, underscoring the company’s continued retail expansion across the state Verano’s active operations span 13 states, comprised of 120 dispensaries and 14 cultivation and processing facilities with more than 1 million square feet of cultivation capacity CHICAGO, Dec. 21, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Verano Holdings Corp., a leading multistate cannabis company, announced MÜV Lake City will open on Dec. 23, marking the company’s 62nd Florida dispensary and 120th retail location nationwide. MÜV Lake City, located at 2938 W US Highway 90, is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. According to Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU), there are currently more than 776,000 qualified medical cannabis patients in the state. OMMU officials project there will be 889,497 active patients by the end of June 2023, and 1,044,772 active patients by the end of June 2024. “Opening MÜV Lake City, our first medical cannabis dispensary in Columbia County, adds another convenient location for our valued patients across northern Florida,” said John Tipton, President of Verano. “We’re excited to add MÜV Lake City to our growing Florida retail footprint and introduce our dedicated team of compassionate cannabis advisers and premium medical cannabis offerings to patients across the region.” As a demonstration of Verano’s commitment to provide a convenient and reliable experience for Florida patients, MÜV dispensaries feature online menus for effortless browsing of their extensive, award-winning product selection, including the company’s signature Verano Reserve flower, Encore edibles, and Savvy flower and extracts. The company also offers one-on-one virtual and in-store consultations at no cost to the patient and provides patient-centric concierge services via phone, email, web chat and text to address patient questions and inquiries. For additional convenience and accessibility, patients can choose to order ahead at muvfl.com or through the MÜV mobile application available in the Google Play and Apple App stores for express in-store pickup. MÜV’s comprehensive product selection includes edibles, chocolates and lozenges, flower, pre-rolls, an array of vaporizer pens, concentrates, metered-dose inhalers, topicals and oral sprays; along with patented encapsulation formulations in its EnCaps capsules, tinctures, 72-hour transdermal patches and transdermal gels. For more information about MÜV Lake City medical cannabis dispensary, visit muvfl.com . The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) filed an emergency rulemaking action Dec. 14 to implement Assembly Bill 195. The legislation, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in June, requires all cannabis products leaving licensed dispensaries via delivery to be recorded in a statewide track-and-trace system, according to the DCC website . In addition, A.B. 195 would have required the DCC to incorporate cannabis delivery into the state's existing track-and-trace program by Jan. 1, 2023. However, under the measure, the DCC is permitted to \\\"adopt and readopt emergency regulations to implement that requirement, as specified,\\\" according to the bill text . The DCC has filed the emergency rulemaking action with the state’s Office of Administrative Law (OAL) to immediately implement the new track-and-trace requirements under A.B. 195. The department wrote in the emergency filing that the public's safety and protection is its \\\"highest priority\\\" and that the proposed regulations would allow the DCC to monitor the movement of cannabis products in California effectively and reduce the risk of illicit cannabis products entering the legal market. Moreover, the DCC wrote that the \\\"increased tracking would allow the department to collect more detailed data regarding the purchase of cannabis goods through delivery. This data will likely be useful in making decisions related to the proper regulation of cannabis businesses within California.\\\" Cannabis Business Times reached out to the DCC for more information on the emergency action, but department officials declined to comment because the regulatory package is currently under review by the OAL. A cannabis research center is coming to the Windy City. Illinois and Chicago officials and the Discovery Partner Institute (DPI), which is part of the University of Illinois system, announced Dec. 15 that a Cannabis Research Institute (CRI) is opening in the city to “further boost Illinois’ global standing as a science hub,” according to a press release . The CRI’s goal is to provide the cannabis industry with “evidence-based” and “research-driven” data that covers various topics related to social equity, crop management, and the medicinal and health benefits of cannabis consumption, according to the release. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said this is an opportunity to “expand the breadth of knowledge and science needed to shape policy.” The center plans to partner and collaborate with industry stakeholders to ensure that the cannabis research “will inform regulation and policy to protect public health and safety; stimulate medical, scientific, and technology advancement; and address societal questions about the impacts of new markets and policies.” RELATED: UPDATED: President Biden Signs Bipartisan Cannabis Research Bill DPI will establish a research team to foster these partnerships, which the institute has “years of experience” doing, said Bill Jackson, executive director of DPI. Jackson continued, “We’re excited to forge new territory and partnerships, conducting research that will make our city safer and healthier—and our society more equitable.” The center will have a strong focus on social equity and plans to provide job opportunities to people of color, partner with Historically Black Colleges and Universities for research opportunities, host educational events in underrepresented communities, and more. “I am thrilled to announce the launch of the Cannabis Research Institute—a national first, creating actionable research to inform data-driven policymaking and advance public knowledge on the impacts of cannabis,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “I can think of no better place than Illinois for this endeavor. We are the heart of the Midwest and at the very forefront of cannabis legalization—all while dismantling the long-lasting effects of the war on drugs on our communities.” A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the western edge of Humboldt County, Calif., overnight, according to the U.S. Geological Survey . The epicenter was located off the coast, about 14 miles due west from the city of Fortuna. The area is well known in the cannabis industry as a thriving region for cannabis cultivation. Part of the Emerald Triangle, Humboldt County boasts hundreds of cannabis cultivation licenses and untold numbers of illicit grow operations. A search of the California Department of Cannabis Control database reveals more than 2,000 annual and provisional licenses have been issued to growers in Humboldt County since 2019, though some of those have expired. A 6.4-magnitude earthquake is relatively strong. \\\"Generally, earthquakes of magnitude 6 and above are the ones for concern,\\\" according to the Los Angeles Times . \\\"When nearby, they can cause shaking intensities that can begin to break chimneys and cause considerable damage to the most seismically vulnerable structures, such as non-retrofitted brick buildings.\\\" More than 70% of Pacific Gas and Electric Company customers in Humboldt County are without power this morning, according to poweroutage.us . Smaller quakes persisted into the morning. No tsunami is expected . The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office warned of ongoing aftershocks. This is a Humboldt Alert. Due to a large earthquake, widespread damages to roads and homes are reported throughout Humboldt County. Be prepared for aftershocks. Check gas and water lines for damages or leaks. Exercise caution if traveling. To report a gas https://t.co/K3k1u4cH76 — HumCoSO (@HumCoSO) December 20, 2022 One year ago, to the day, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Humboldt County, near Cape Mendocino.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the amendment will reduce company debt by $35 million and annual interest expense by $5 million. Combined with recently announced debt retirement of $125 million, company debt will be reduced by a cumulative $160 million.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Lodi\",\n \"N.J.\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"CHICAGO\",\n \"Columbia County\",\n \"EnCaps\",\n \"Lake City\",\n \"California\",\n \"Illinois\",\n \"Chicago\",\n \"Humboldt County\",\n \"Calif.\",\n \"Fortuna\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"TerrAscend Corp.\",\n \"WDB Holding PA Inc.\",\n \"TerrAscend Executive\",\n \"Maplewood\",\n \"Verano\",\n \"MÜV\",\n \"Verano Holdings Corp.\",\n \"Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use\",\n \"Verano Reserve\",\n \"Apple App\",\n \"The California Department of Cannabis Control\",\n \"DCC\",\n \"Assembly\",\n \"Office of Administrative Law\",\n \"OAL\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"the Discovery Partner Institute\",\n \"the University of Illinois\",\n \"Cannabis Research Institute\",\n \"CRI\",\n \"DPI\",\n \"the Cannabis Research Institute\",\n \"the U.S. Geological Survey\",\n \"the California Department of Cannabis Control\",\n \"the Los Angeles Times\",\n \"Pacific Gas\",\n \"Electric Company\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Jason Wild\",\n \"Verano\",\n \"John Tipton\",\n \"Gavin Newsom\",\n \"Lori Lightfoot\",\n \"Biden Signs Bipartisan Cannabis\",\n \"Bill Jackson\",\n \"Jackson\",\n \"Historically Black Colleges\",\n \"JB Pritzker\",\n \"the Emerald Triangle\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.67,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.507870614528656\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63aa1c04a727e603323d53de\",\n \"title\": \"Chicago to Welcome Cannabis Research Institute\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/cannabis-research-institute-opening-in-chicago-illinois.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The CRI’s goal is to provide the industry with evidence-based data and promote diversity, equity and inclusion.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-20T16:21:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"A cannabis research center is coming to the Windy City. Illinois and Chicago officials and the Discovery Partner Institute (DPI), which is part of the University of Illinois system, announced Dec. 15 that a Cannabis Research Institute (CRI) is opening in the city to “further boost Illinois’ global standing as a science hub,” according to a press release . The CRI’s goal is to provide the cannabis industry with “evidence-based” and “research-driven” data that covers various topics related to social equity, crop management, and the medicinal and health benefits of cannabis consumption, according to the release. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said this is an opportunity to “expand the breadth of knowledge and science needed to shape policy.” The center plans to partner and collaborate with industry stakeholders to ensure that the cannabis research “will inform regulation and policy to protect public health and safety; stimulate medical, scientific, and technology advancement; and address societal questions about the impacts of new markets and policies.” RELATED: UPDATED: President Biden Signs Bipartisan Cannabis Research Bill DPI will establish a research team to foster these partnerships, which the institute has “years of experience” doing, said Bill Jackson, executive director of DPI. Jackson continued, “We’re excited to forge new territory and partnerships, conducting research that will make our city safer and healthier—and our society more equitable.” The center will have a strong focus on social equity and plans to provide job opportunities to people of color, partner with Historically Black Colleges and Universities for research opportunities, host educational events in underrepresented communities, and more. “I am thrilled to announce the launch of the Cannabis Research Institute—a national first, creating actionable research to inform data-driven policymaking and advance public knowledge on the impacts of cannabis,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “I can think of no better place than Illinois for this endeavor. We are the heart of the Midwest and at the very forefront of cannabis legalization—all while dismantling the long-lasting effects of the war on drugs on our communities.” A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the western edge of Humboldt County, Calif., overnight, according to the U.S. Geological Survey . The epicenter was located off the coast, about 14 miles due west from the city of Fortuna. The area is well known in the cannabis industry as a thriving region for cannabis cultivation. Part of the Emerald Triangle, Humboldt County boasts hundreds of cannabis cultivation licenses and untold numbers of illicit grow operations. A search of the California Department of Cannabis Control database reveals more than 2,000 annual and provisional licenses have been issued to growers in Humboldt County since 2019, though some of those have expired. A 6.4-magnitude earthquake is relatively strong. \\\"Generally, earthquakes of magnitude 6 and above are the ones for concern,\\\" according to the Los Angeles Times . \\\"When nearby, they can cause shaking intensities that can begin to break chimneys and cause considerable damage to the most seismically vulnerable structures, such as non-retrofitted brick buildings.\\\" More than 70% of Pacific Gas and Electric Company customers in Humboldt County are without power this morning, according to poweroutage.us . Smaller quakes persisted into the morning. No tsunami is expected . The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office warned of ongoing aftershocks. This is a Humboldt Alert. Due to a large earthquake, widespread damages to roads and homes are reported throughout Humboldt County. Be prepared for aftershocks. Check gas and water lines for damages or leaks. Exercise caution if traveling. To report a gas https://t.co/K3k1u4cH76 — HumCoSO (@HumCoSO) December 20, 2022 One year ago, to the day, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Humboldt County, near Cape Mendocino. NEW YORK , Dec. 19, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Curaleaf Holdings Inc. , a leading international provider of consumer cannabis products, announced the addition of two members to its board of directors, effective Dec. 31, 2022. Michelle Bodner is a Wall Street-trained entrepreneur with expertise in operations, real estate and executive coaching. She has delivered advisory services to government agencies, banks, large corporations, nonprofits and early and mid-stage companies in multiple disciplines. In 2015, Bodner was engaged by Curaleaf (then Palliatech Inc.) as a consultant responsible for the company's New York State license application. Since that time, Bodner has held multiple positions at Curaleaf including tenures as board member, first chief operating officer, and the president and CEO of Curaleaf's New York and Florida operations. She is a member of the advisory board of Treehouse Global Ventures and was named one of the 2019 CBE Power Women in cannabis. Prior to joining the cannabis industry, Bodner's former positions include COO of the New York City Opera, director of Project Development for the Empire State Development Corp., and strategic consultant for Women's World Banking. Shasheen Shah , CEO of Coherent Strategies Consulting and Coaching, is a leadership development coach and trusted adviser to global executives and organizations. He helps develop high-performance teams achieve successful business outcomes and navigate the personal challenges that go hand in hand with the journey. He has worked with executives from Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Tesla, ButcherBox, and LinkedIn, among others. He is the author of the Kid and the King: The Hidden Inner Struggle High Achievers Must Conquer to Reignite and Re-engage with Life . Shah holds a bachelor’s in philosophy from Colgate University and is presently a candidate for a master’s in clinical psychology from Antioch University. \\\"I am thrilled to welcome Michelle and Shasheen to the Curaleaf board of directors to deepen our bench and add talent to our board as we further develop governance,” Curaleaf Executive Chairman Boris Jordan said. “Michelle is a seasoned entrepreneur and savvy adviser in the financial services, government, real estate and cannabis spaces, and delivered impressive results for Curaleaf in our early days. She will be a valued and strategic voice as we move into our 2023 plan and beyond. \\\"Shasheen is a talented executive coach and progressive thinker who has delivered breakthrough results to global business leaders for 20 years. I know that his business insights, approach to leadership culture and unique perspective will be instrumental in guiding the board and our company forward in its next evolution of growth.\\\" Shah and Bodner were appointed by the board of directors to serve until the next annual general shareholders meeting of the company, at which the shareholders will vote on the constitution of the board of directors going forward. The company's board of directors now consists of eight members. Shah joins the board as an independent director, which brings the total of independent directors on the board to four. DENVER, Dec. 19, 2022 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Medicine Man Technologies, operating as Schwazze , a vertically integrated, multi-state operating cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico, reaches company milestone of 40 dispensaries across both states. On Dec. 15, Schwazze closed the transaction to acquire certain assets of Lightshade Labs LLC. The transaction included the adult-use Lightshade dispensaries located at 503 Havana St. in Aurora, as well as 2215 E. Mississippi Ave. in Denver's vibrant Washington Park neighborhood. The consideration for the acquisition was US$2.75 million which was paid as all cash. On the same day, Schwazze's New Mexico retail banner, R.Greenleaf , located in Albuquerque, N.M., opened yet another adult-use dispensary – the fifth in 90 days. The newest location at 110 Yale Blvd SE in Albuquerque officially opened its doors for business on Dec. 15. Store operating hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The R.Greenleaf Yale store opening continues the deliberate expansion throughout the state of New Mexico. This brings R.Greenleaf's total number of New Mexico retail dispensaries to 15. All locations serve the needs of medical patients as well as recreational adult-use consumers. R.Greenleaf Yale will offer introductory pricing on flower, edibles and vapes. Enrollment in the Gratify Rewards customer loyalty program is already open. Newest ABQ Store Location R.Greenleaf Yale 110 Yale Blvd SE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106 \\\"Schwazze is excited to reach this company milestone of 40 retail stores across both the Colorado and New Mexico markets,\\\" said Nirup Krishnamurthy, president of Schwazze. \\\"Our team has worked extremely hard in 2022 to reach this major milestone. We are committed to extending exceptional customer service and wide product selections to all of our customers across Star Buds, Emerald Fields and R.Greenleaf retail banners.\\\" Since April 2020, Schwazze has acquired, opened or announced the planned acquisition of 40 cannabis retail dispensaries as well as seven cultivation facilities and two manufacturing plants in Colorado and New Mexico. In May 2021, Schwazze announced its Biosciences division and in August 2021 it commenced home delivery services in Colorado. The majority of Missouri’s medical cannabis operators have applied for a new license to serve the adult-use market since the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) started accepting applications Dec. 8. Regulators have received applications for comprehensive licenses from 318 of the state’s 322 medical cannabis licensees, according to an OzarksFirst.com report . A comprehensive license will allow medical cannabis cultivators, manufacturers and dispensaries to serve the broader adult-use market in addition to registered patients. The DHSS has 60 days to approve the applications. A spokesperson for the department told OzarksFirst.com that state officials are currently focused on finalizing the state’s adult-use cannabis regulations, which must be completed by Feb. 6, 2023. The DHSS will not issue any comprehensive licenses until the final rules are in place, according to the news outlet. Missouri voters approved adult-use cannabis legalization in the November election. The measure’s cannabis possession provisions took effect Dec. 8, and applications for personal cultivation will be available Jan. 7, according to a DHSS timeline . Commercial adult-use cannabis sales could launch as early as February.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/20/Untitleddesign-2022-12-20T112215401.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the western edge of Humboldt County, Calif., overnight. the epicenter was located off the coast, about 14 miles due west from the city of Fortuna. the center will have a strong focus on social equity and plans to provide job opportunities to people of color.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Illinois\",\n \"Chicago\",\n \"Humboldt County\",\n \"Calif.\",\n \"Fortuna\",\n \"NEW YORK\",\n \"New York State\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Barclays\",\n \"Shasheen\",\n \"DENVER\",\n \"Schwazze\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Havana\",\n \"Denver\",\n \"Washington Park\",\n \"Albuquerque\",\n \"N.M.\",\n \"Missouri\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"the Discovery Partner Institute\",\n \"the University of Illinois\",\n \"Cannabis Research Institute\",\n \"CRI\",\n \"DPI\",\n \"the Cannabis Research Institute\",\n \"the U.S. Geological Survey\",\n \"the California Department of Cannabis Control\",\n \"the Los Angeles Times\",\n \"Pacific Gas\",\n \"Electric Company\",\n \"Curaleaf Holdings Inc.\",\n \"Bodner\",\n \"Palliatech Inc.\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"Treehouse Global Ventures\",\n \"CBE Power Women\",\n \"COO\",\n \"the New York City Opera\",\n \"Project Development for the Empire State Development Corp.\",\n \"Women's World Banking\",\n \"Shasheen Shah\",\n \"Coherent Strategies Consulting\",\n \"Credit Suisse\",\n \"Goldman Sachs\",\n \"Tesla\",\n \"ButcherBox\",\n \"LinkedIn\",\n \"Colgate University\",\n \"Antioch University\",\n \"Yale\",\n \"Star Buds\",\n \"the Department of Health and Senior Services\",\n \"DHSS\",\n \"OzarksFirst.com\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Lori Lightfoot\",\n \"Biden Signs Bipartisan Cannabis\",\n \"Bill Jackson\",\n \"Jackson\",\n \"Historically Black Colleges\",\n \"JB Pritzker\",\n \"the Emerald Triangle\",\n \"Michelle Bodner\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"Shah\",\n \"Michelle\",\n \"Boris Jordan\",\n \"Lightshade Labs\",\n \"Yale Blvd\",\n \"Nirup Krishnamurthy\",\n \"Emerald Fields\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.75,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.6240617632865906\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1bafa5de7033377d442\",\n \"title\": \"Schwazze Brings Total Retail Dispensary Count to 40; Announces Completion of Lightshade Labs LLC Transaction in Colorado and an Additional R. Greenleaf Store Opening in New Mexico\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/schwazze-brings-total-retail-dispensary-count-to-40-announces-completion-of-lightshade-labs-transaction.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The vertically integrated, multi-state operating cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico has reached a company milestone of 40 dispensaries across both states.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-19T20:40:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"DENVER, Dec. 19, 2022 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Medicine Man Technologies, operating as Schwazze , a vertically integrated, multi-state operating cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico, reaches company milestone of 40 dispensaries across both states. On Dec. 15, Schwazze closed the transaction to acquire certain assets of Lightshade Labs LLC. The transaction included the adult-use Lightshade dispensaries located at 503 Havana St. in Aurora, as well as 2215 E. Mississippi Ave. in Denver's vibrant Washington Park neighborhood. The consideration for the acquisition was US$2.75 million which was paid as all cash. On the same day, Schwazze's New Mexico retail banner, R.Greenleaf , located in Albuquerque, N.M., opened yet another adult-use dispensary – the fifth in 90 days. The newest location at 110 Yale Blvd SE in Albuquerque officially opened its doors for business on Dec. 15. Store operating hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The R.Greenleaf Yale store opening continues the deliberate expansion throughout the state of New Mexico. This brings R.Greenleaf's total number of New Mexico retail dispensaries to 15. All locations serve the needs of medical patients as well as recreational adult-use consumers. R.Greenleaf Yale will offer introductory pricing on flower, edibles and vapes. Enrollment in the Gratify Rewards customer loyalty program is already open. Newest ABQ Store Location R.Greenleaf Yale 110 Yale Blvd SE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106 \\\"Schwazze is excited to reach this company milestone of 40 retail stores across both the Colorado and New Mexico markets,\\\" said Nirup Krishnamurthy, president of Schwazze. \\\"Our team has worked extremely hard in 2022 to reach this major milestone. We are committed to extending exceptional customer service and wide product selections to all of our customers across Star Buds, Emerald Fields and R.Greenleaf retail banners.\\\" Since April 2020, Schwazze has acquired, opened or announced the planned acquisition of 40 cannabis retail dispensaries as well as seven cultivation facilities and two manufacturing plants in Colorado and New Mexico. In May 2021, Schwazze announced its Biosciences division and in August 2021 it commenced home delivery services in Colorado. The majority of Missouri’s medical cannabis operators have applied for a new license to serve the adult-use market since the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) started accepting applications Dec. 8. Regulators have received applications for comprehensive licenses from 318 of the state’s 322 medical cannabis licensees, according to an OzarksFirst.com report . A comprehensive license will allow medical cannabis cultivators, manufacturers and dispensaries to serve the broader adult-use market in addition to registered patients. The DHSS has 60 days to approve the applications. A spokesperson for the department told OzarksFirst.com that state officials are currently focused on finalizing the state’s adult-use cannabis regulations, which must be completed by Feb. 6, 2023. The DHSS will not issue any comprehensive licenses until the final rules are in place, according to the news outlet. Missouri voters approved adult-use cannabis legalization in the November election. The measure’s cannabis possession provisions took effect Dec. 8, and applications for personal cultivation will be available Jan. 7, according to a DHSS timeline . Commercial adult-use cannabis sales could launch as early as February. The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act may be in peril as Congress works to approve a federal spending deal that may or may not include the cannabis banking reform legislation. The omnibus spending bill is set to pass in the coming days, with some lawmakers pushing to include SAFE Banking in the deal to allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tried to tack the SAFE Banking Act onto the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) earlier this month, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., ultimately scrapped that plan . Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the new chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and the lead Republican backing the SAFE Banking Act, is now leading the charge to insert the cannabis banking provisions into the spending package, according to The Hill . Daines noted that 28 attorneys general back the SAFE Banking Act and argued that the legislation would increase public safety, the news outlet reported. RELATED: Independent Community Bankers Association, Affiliated State Associations Call on Senate to Pass SAFE Banking Act “My support for SAFE Banking relates to the first word in the bill. It’s called ‘safe,’” Daines told The Hill . “This is a public safety issue. For states that have legalized cannabis, this is a way you can make a community safe—by taking the cash off the street and put it in the bank.” “It’s got to be addressed,” added Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. Sullivan, Daines and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., have largely led Republicans’ push for the SAFE Banking Act, The Hill reported. “Guys like me have been trying to make the case to my conference that this is not some kind of crazy bill. It’s a bill about safety and small businesses,” Sullivan said. Opponents of the cannabis banking reform efforts have largely echoed McConnell’s argument that SAFE Banking will make the “financial system more sympathetic to illegal drugs,” according to The Hill . President Joe Biden signed a short-term funding bill Dec. 16 to freeze funding levels and avoid a government shutdown through Dec. 23, creating more time for ongoing negotiations. It remains to be seen whether the SAFE Banking Act will be included—let alone approved—as part of the spending package, but Zachary Kobrin, a member of Ackerman LLP’s cannabis practice, told Cannabis Business Times that hope could be fading for SAFE Banking this year. RELATED: What’s Next for the Cannabis Industry Following the Midterm Elections? “I don’t see anything happening during the lame duck session of Congress for substantive policy,” he said. “I think they’ve been trying to tweak whatever version of SAFE for so long now to find a way to make it palatable for those who don’t want to put it forward, but lame duck sessions of Congress are typically not places where substantive policy gets passed. I just don’t see why that would change with something like this.” The U.S. House, under Democratic control for the past four years, has passed the SAFE Banking Act seven times, including twice as a standalone bill. The House approved the measure in 2019 with a 321-103 vote, and then passed it twice more in 2020 as part of COVID-19 relief bills. The legislation stalled in the Senate, in part because McConnell–the then-Senate Majority Leader– never calendared it for floor debate. In 2021, the House again passed the SAFE Banking Act in a 321-101 vote as a standalone measure in April, and then approved it again in September as an attachment to the NDAA spending package for fiscal 2022. The measure was then removed from the NDAA during negotiations between House and Senate leaders. This year, the House approved the SAFE Banking Act for the sixth time in February via an en bloc amendment package to the America COMPETES Act before passing it a seventh time in July as an amendment to the NDAA. Kobrin said that SAFE Banking didn’t have a chance of passing on the defense bill and that it probably won’t end up on the year-end 2022 spending bill either. “Now, again, anything’s possible, but that being said, the last I heard was that they were trying to either streamline or basically have some version that they’re calling ‘SAFE Plus,’ which I think includes a safe harbor for the exchanges and some other provisions, basically morphing versions of the CLIMB Act into SAFE and trying to tack it on,” Kobrin said. “I haven’t seen anything to indicate that there is a real desire in Congress to put SAFE onto the spending package.” While lawmakers continue the debate on cannabis banking reform, Kobrin said there are a few best practices for cannabis business operators looking to navigate the current financial landscape. The first rule he gives his clients: never lie to your banker. “I think as a best practice, people need to maintain clean books,” Kobrin said. “And that’s not just, ‘Hey, we’re using QuickBooks,’ but that’s having tax professionals that know how to keep balance sheets because the reality is banks want to look at that stuff. Some banks want to look at your monthly P&Ls. They want to look at your quarterly balance sheets. So, having clean books and clean balance sheets are important.” In addition to maintaining a transparent relationship with financial institutions, Kobrin said cannabis business operators should also spread their wealth. For example, he advises his clients not to put all their money into one account, or even into one bank. “I tell people all the time, if you’re a multistate operator, have a bank in every state you’re operating in and spread your money around—your employment funds go in one account and your revenue maybe goes into another account,” he said. If and when the SAFE Banking Act does pass Congress and is signed into law, Kobrin anticipates small improvements to how the industry navigates its finances, although he said more legislative efforts may be needed for wholesale change. First, he said that more financial institutions will likely enter the market, opening up better lending opportunities from banks and possibly encouraging credit card networks to serve the industry. He also expects the capital markets to open up to cannabis operators, with major exchanges easing their restrictions on plant-touching businesses. “I think there are a lot of good things to come from SAFE, but I don’t think SAFE is the savior that everybody thinks it is,” Kobrin said. For example, he said the legislation is not guaranteed to get new financial institutions into the industry, as they will likely still have onerous requirements to serve the cannabis market. “It probably will get some new banks, but Bank of America, Wells Fargo, the big commercial banks, they’re not jumping in,” Kobrin said. “Regulators are most likely not going to change their expectations of any institution serving the cannabis industry, so it still remains the same. SAFE could pass, but it’s still going to be just as hard for banks to bank cannabis because regulators are still going to require all the FINCEN guidance and all of the compliance requirements that go into it. So, the thought that SAFE passes, there are more banks, cost of banking comes down, there’s more supply—yeah, that’s possible, but unlikely because it’s still going to cost the banks a lot of money to do their own compliance protocols.” Kobrin added that while some credit card companies may serve the cannabis industry if the SAFE Banking Act passes, major credit card companies might remain wary of jumping into the market. Visa, for example, issued a warning in December 2021 about cashless ATMs, where budtenders can round a $55 order up to $60, for instance, on a debit card and give customers $5 back in cash. “Cashless ATMs are POS devices driven by payment applications that mimic standalone ATMs,” the Visa memo stated. “However, no cash disbursements are made to cardholders. Instead, the devices are used for purchase transactions, which are miscoded as ATM cash disbursements. Purchase amounts are often rounded up to create the appearance of a cash disbursement.” RELATED: Credit Cards Now Accepted at Massachusetts Cannabis Dispensary Acquirers miscoding POS purchase transactions as ATM cash disbursements are in violation of ATM requirements, Visa warned, adding that acquirers are required to register all independent sales organizations or third-party services prior to the commencement of those contracted services on their behalf. In addition, the SAFE Banking Act is not tax reform, and Kobrin said it likely will not impact IRS tax code 280E. Ultimately, he said SAFE Banking would be a good start and could create a domino effect for other incremental cannabis reform bills to pass, including legislation to address tax reform, clinical research and Veterans Administration (VA) benefits that would allow veterans to access medical cannabis for the treatment of PTSD and other conditions. “I think [with] the way the sausage is made in D.C., incremental reform is easier to accomplish than wholesale,” Kobrin said. “Don’t get me wrong—I would love to see massive reform when it comes to cannabis policy. I just don’t see the politics playing that way.\\\" The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is adding cannabis education to its state driving curriculum. The RMV, in partnership with the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) and AAA Northeast, will implement “Shifting Gears: The Blunt Truth about Marijuana and Driving” in January 2023 to educate teens on the risks of cannabis-impaired driving. Massachusetts becomes the first adult-use state to mandate this education for new drivers, according to a release . “Today’s young drivers in Massachusetts are the first generation to get behind the wheel since cannabis became legal in the state. Considering that, it is critically important they also understand how THC can impact the body, including the risks associated from cannabis impaired driving,” said Cannabis Control Commission Commissioner Kimberly Roy. “With today’s announcement, Massachusetts takes the lead in prevention and increasing awareness around this issue by providing every driver’s education student a comprehensive, evidence-based cannabis-impaired driving information curriculum to help them understand those risks and make safe decisions.” “Blunt Truth” is taught through a 22-minute educational video and features research-based information on cannabis, including how THC affections cognition, perception of time and distance, reaction time, and vision. The curriculum will be taught to approximately 50,000 young drivers per year across 460 Massachusetts driving school locations, according to the release. “Adding information about cannabis to the Massachusetts’s Registry driver education is important for the safety and wellbeing of tends that are just learning to drive,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “The new cannabis instruction will help individuals make informed decisions and I am pleased that Massachusetts is leading in including it in driver education.” Massachusetts became the seventh state to legalize adult-use cannabis when voters approved Question 4 in the Nov. 2016 elections. The state launched adult-use sales Nov. 20, 2018. LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Dec. 16, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Planet 13 Holdings ., a vertically-integrated Nevada cannabis company, announced that it has launched an exclusive collaboration with Lil Wayne’s GKUA Ultra Premium. Planet 13’s in-house brand, Trendi, and Lil Wayne’s brand, GKUA, together, have launched Trendi Superblunts+, available exclusively at Planet 13 Las Vegas. Trendi Superblunts+ are loaded with 2 grams of top-shelf flower, infused with .5 grams of premium indoor crumble, sealed with .1 grams of live resin terp sauce, sprinkled with .15 grams of indoor kief, all packed in a hemp wrap with an engineered wood tip for proper airflow. “That GKUA and Planet 13…Superblunts,” Wayne said. RELATED: Planet 13: The Dispensary Disruptor “We’re very excited to add Trendi Superblunts+ to our line-up of premium cannabis products from GKUA, and what better place to do it than Planet 13’s SuperStore in Las Vegas,” said Beau Golob, GKUA president. Trendi Superblunts+ are available at the GKUA’ store inside Planet 13 Las Vegas. The GKUA in-store offers cannabis enthusiasts and Wayne fans the opportunity to purchase and enjoy some of the finest cannabis products on the market, along with GKUA apparel and accessories. Located next to the iconic Las Vegas strip, the 112,000 square-foot Planet 13 had a 9-percent retail market share of all Nevada cannabis sales volume in its most recent quarterly results. It has become a must-see tourist destination. “We’d like to thank Lil Wayne and GKUA for this amazing collaboration as we continue to bring top cannabis brands and products to our Planet 13 consumers from across America and around the world,” said Bob Groesbeck, co-CEO of Planet 13.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Medicine Man Technologies, operating as Schwazze, reaches company milestone of 40 dispensaries across both states. the transaction included the adult-use Lightshade dispensaries located at 503 Havana St. in Aurora, as well as 2215 E. Mississippi Ave. in Denver's vibrant Washington Park neighborhood. on the same day, Schwazze's new Mexico retail banner, R.Greenleaf, located in Albuquerque, N.M., opened yet another adult-use dis\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"DENVER\",\n \"Schwazze\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Havana\",\n \"Denver\",\n \"Washington Park\",\n \"Albuquerque\",\n \"N.M.\",\n \"Missouri\",\n \"D-Calif.\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"D.C.\",\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"America\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Yale\",\n \"Star Buds\",\n \"the Department of Health and Senior Services\",\n \"DHSS\",\n \"OzarksFirst.com\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"SAFE Banking\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"D-N.Y.\",\n \"House\",\n \"the National Defense Authorization Act\",\n \"the National Republican Senatorial Committee\",\n \"Independent Community Bankers Association\",\n \"Hill\",\n \"Ackerman LLP’s\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"The U.S. House\",\n \"NDAA\",\n \"SAFE\",\n \"Kobrin\",\n \"QuickBooks\",\n \"Bank of America\",\n \"Wells Fargo\",\n \"Visa\",\n \"ATM\",\n \"the SAFE Banking Act\",\n \"IRS\",\n \"Veterans Administration\",\n \"VA\",\n \"The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles\",\n \"RMV\",\n \"the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission\",\n \"CCC\",\n \"AAA Northeast\",\n \"Cannabis Control Commission\",\n \"Ultra Premium\",\n \"GKUA\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Lightshade Labs\",\n \"Yale Blvd\",\n \"Nirup Krishnamurthy\",\n \"Emerald Fields\",\n \"Chuck Schumer\",\n \"Nancy Pelosi\",\n \"Mitch McConnell\",\n \"Steve Daines\",\n \"Dan Sullivan\",\n \"Sullivan\",\n \"Rand Paul\",\n \"McConnell\",\n \"Joe Biden\",\n \"Zachary Kobrin\",\n \"Kobrin\",\n \"SAFE Banking\",\n \"Kimberly Roy\",\n \"Charlie Baker\",\n \"Lil Wayne’s\",\n \"Trendi Superblunts+\",\n \".1 grams\",\n \"Wayne\",\n \"Beau Golob\",\n \"Lil Wayne\",\n \"Bob Groesbeck\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.65,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9063934683799744\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e188fa5de7033377d425\",\n \"title\": \"Missouri’s Medical Cannabis Operators Apply for New License to Serve Adult-Use Market\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/missouri-medical-cannabis-operators-apply-for-license-to-serve-adult-use-market.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has received applications for comprehensive licenses from 318 of the state’s 322 medical cannabis licensees.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-19T20:26:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The majority of Missouri’s medical cannabis operators have applied for a new license to serve the adult-use market since the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) started accepting applications Dec. 8. Regulators have received applications for comprehensive licenses from 318 of the state’s 322 medical cannabis licensees, according to an OzarksFirst.com report . A comprehensive license will allow medical cannabis cultivators, manufacturers and dispensaries to serve the broader adult-use market in addition to registered patients. The DHSS has 60 days to approve the applications. A spokesperson for the department told OzarksFirst.com that state officials are currently focused on finalizing the state’s adult-use cannabis regulations, which must be completed by Feb. 6, 2023. The DHSS will not issue any comprehensive licenses until the final rules are in place, according to the news outlet. Missouri voters approved adult-use cannabis legalization in the November election. The measure’s cannabis possession provisions took effect Dec. 8, and applications for personal cultivation will be available Jan. 7, according to a DHSS timeline . Commercial adult-use cannabis sales could launch as early as February. The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act may be in peril as Congress works to approve a federal spending deal that may or may not include the cannabis banking reform legislation. The omnibus spending bill is set to pass in the coming days, with some lawmakers pushing to include SAFE Banking in the deal to allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tried to tack the SAFE Banking Act onto the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) earlier this month, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., ultimately scrapped that plan . Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the new chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and the lead Republican backing the SAFE Banking Act, is now leading the charge to insert the cannabis banking provisions into the spending package, according to The Hill . Daines noted that 28 attorneys general back the SAFE Banking Act and argued that the legislation would increase public safety, the news outlet reported. RELATED: Independent Community Bankers Association, Affiliated State Associations Call on Senate to Pass SAFE Banking Act “My support for SAFE Banking relates to the first word in the bill. It’s called ‘safe,’” Daines told The Hill . “This is a public safety issue. For states that have legalized cannabis, this is a way you can make a community safe—by taking the cash off the street and put it in the bank.” “It’s got to be addressed,” added Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. Sullivan, Daines and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., have largely led Republicans’ push for the SAFE Banking Act, The Hill reported. “Guys like me have been trying to make the case to my conference that this is not some kind of crazy bill. It’s a bill about safety and small businesses,” Sullivan said. Opponents of the cannabis banking reform efforts have largely echoed McConnell’s argument that SAFE Banking will make the “financial system more sympathetic to illegal drugs,” according to The Hill . President Joe Biden signed a short-term funding bill Dec. 16 to freeze funding levels and avoid a government shutdown through Dec. 23, creating more time for ongoing negotiations. It remains to be seen whether the SAFE Banking Act will be included—let alone approved—as part of the spending package, but Zachary Kobrin, a member of Ackerman LLP’s cannabis practice, told Cannabis Business Times that hope could be fading for SAFE Banking this year. RELATED: What’s Next for the Cannabis Industry Following the Midterm Elections? “I don’t see anything happening during the lame duck session of Congress for substantive policy,” he said. “I think they’ve been trying to tweak whatever version of SAFE for so long now to find a way to make it palatable for those who don’t want to put it forward, but lame duck sessions of Congress are typically not places where substantive policy gets passed. I just don’t see why that would change with something like this.” The U.S. House, under Democratic control for the past four years, has passed the SAFE Banking Act seven times, including twice as a standalone bill. The House approved the measure in 2019 with a 321-103 vote, and then passed it twice more in 2020 as part of COVID-19 relief bills. The legislation stalled in the Senate, in part because McConnell–the then-Senate Majority Leader– never calendared it for floor debate. In 2021, the House again passed the SAFE Banking Act in a 321-101 vote as a standalone measure in April, and then approved it again in September as an attachment to the NDAA spending package for fiscal 2022. The measure was then removed from the NDAA during negotiations between House and Senate leaders. This year, the House approved the SAFE Banking Act for the sixth time in February via an en bloc amendment package to the America COMPETES Act before passing it a seventh time in July as an amendment to the NDAA. Kobrin said that SAFE Banking didn’t have a chance of passing on the defense bill and that it probably won’t end up on the year-end 2022 spending bill either. “Now, again, anything’s possible, but that being said, the last I heard was that they were trying to either streamline or basically have some version that they’re calling ‘SAFE Plus,’ which I think includes a safe harbor for the exchanges and some other provisions, basically morphing versions of the CLIMB Act into SAFE and trying to tack it on,” Kobrin said. “I haven’t seen anything to indicate that there is a real desire in Congress to put SAFE onto the spending package.” While lawmakers continue the debate on cannabis banking reform, Kobrin said there are a few best practices for cannabis business operators looking to navigate the current financial landscape. The first rule he gives his clients: never lie to your banker. “I think as a best practice, people need to maintain clean books,” Kobrin said. “And that’s not just, ‘Hey, we’re using QuickBooks,’ but that’s having tax professionals that know how to keep balance sheets because the reality is banks want to look at that stuff. Some banks want to look at your monthly P&Ls. They want to look at your quarterly balance sheets. So, having clean books and clean balance sheets are important.” In addition to maintaining a transparent relationship with financial institutions, Kobrin said cannabis business operators should also spread their wealth. For example, he advises his clients not to put all their money into one account, or even into one bank. “I tell people all the time, if you’re a multistate operator, have a bank in every state you’re operating in and spread your money around—your employment funds go in one account and your revenue maybe goes into another account,” he said. If and when the SAFE Banking Act does pass Congress and is signed into law, Kobrin anticipates small improvements to how the industry navigates its finances, although he said more legislative efforts may be needed for wholesale change. First, he said that more financial institutions will likely enter the market, opening up better lending opportunities from banks and possibly encouraging credit card networks to serve the industry. He also expects the capital markets to open up to cannabis operators, with major exchanges easing their restrictions on plant-touching businesses. “I think there are a lot of good things to come from SAFE, but I don’t think SAFE is the savior that everybody thinks it is,” Kobrin said. For example, he said the legislation is not guaranteed to get new financial institutions into the industry, as they will likely still have onerous requirements to serve the cannabis market. “It probably will get some new banks, but Bank of America, Wells Fargo, the big commercial banks, they’re not jumping in,” Kobrin said. “Regulators are most likely not going to change their expectations of any institution serving the cannabis industry, so it still remains the same. SAFE could pass, but it’s still going to be just as hard for banks to bank cannabis because regulators are still going to require all the FINCEN guidance and all of the compliance requirements that go into it. So, the thought that SAFE passes, there are more banks, cost of banking comes down, there’s more supply—yeah, that’s possible, but unlikely because it’s still going to cost the banks a lot of money to do their own compliance protocols.” Kobrin added that while some credit card companies may serve the cannabis industry if the SAFE Banking Act passes, major credit card companies might remain wary of jumping into the market. Visa, for example, issued a warning in December 2021 about cashless ATMs, where budtenders can round a $55 order up to $60, for instance, on a debit card and give customers $5 back in cash. “Cashless ATMs are POS devices driven by payment applications that mimic standalone ATMs,” the Visa memo stated. “However, no cash disbursements are made to cardholders. Instead, the devices are used for purchase transactions, which are miscoded as ATM cash disbursements. Purchase amounts are often rounded up to create the appearance of a cash disbursement.” RELATED: Credit Cards Now Accepted at Massachusetts Cannabis Dispensary Acquirers miscoding POS purchase transactions as ATM cash disbursements are in violation of ATM requirements, Visa warned, adding that acquirers are required to register all independent sales organizations or third-party services prior to the commencement of those contracted services on their behalf. In addition, the SAFE Banking Act is not tax reform, and Kobrin said it likely will not impact IRS tax code 280E. Ultimately, he said SAFE Banking would be a good start and could create a domino effect for other incremental cannabis reform bills to pass, including legislation to address tax reform, clinical research and Veterans Administration (VA) benefits that would allow veterans to access medical cannabis for the treatment of PTSD and other conditions. “I think [with] the way the sausage is made in D.C., incremental reform is easier to accomplish than wholesale,” Kobrin said. “Don’t get me wrong—I would love to see massive reform when it comes to cannabis policy. I just don’t see the politics playing that way.\\\" The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is adding cannabis education to its state driving curriculum. The RMV, in partnership with the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) and AAA Northeast, will implement “Shifting Gears: The Blunt Truth about Marijuana and Driving” in January 2023 to educate teens on the risks of cannabis-impaired driving. Massachusetts becomes the first adult-use state to mandate this education for new drivers, according to a release . “Today’s young drivers in Massachusetts are the first generation to get behind the wheel since cannabis became legal in the state. Considering that, it is critically important they also understand how THC can impact the body, including the risks associated from cannabis impaired driving,” said Cannabis Control Commission Commissioner Kimberly Roy. “With today’s announcement, Massachusetts takes the lead in prevention and increasing awareness around this issue by providing every driver’s education student a comprehensive, evidence-based cannabis-impaired driving information curriculum to help them understand those risks and make safe decisions.” “Blunt Truth” is taught through a 22-minute educational video and features research-based information on cannabis, including how THC affections cognition, perception of time and distance, reaction time, and vision. The curriculum will be taught to approximately 50,000 young drivers per year across 460 Massachusetts driving school locations, according to the release. “Adding information about cannabis to the Massachusetts’s Registry driver education is important for the safety and wellbeing of tends that are just learning to drive,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “The new cannabis instruction will help individuals make informed decisions and I am pleased that Massachusetts is leading in including it in driver education.” Massachusetts became the seventh state to legalize adult-use cannabis when voters approved Question 4 in the Nov. 2016 elections. The state launched adult-use sales Nov. 20, 2018. LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Dec. 16, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Planet 13 Holdings ., a vertically-integrated Nevada cannabis company, announced that it has launched an exclusive collaboration with Lil Wayne’s GKUA Ultra Premium. Planet 13’s in-house brand, Trendi, and Lil Wayne’s brand, GKUA, together, have launched Trendi Superblunts+, available exclusively at Planet 13 Las Vegas. Trendi Superblunts+ are loaded with 2 grams of top-shelf flower, infused with .5 grams of premium indoor crumble, sealed with .1 grams of live resin terp sauce, sprinkled with .15 grams of indoor kief, all packed in a hemp wrap with an engineered wood tip for proper airflow. “That GKUA and Planet 13…Superblunts,” Wayne said. RELATED: Planet 13: The Dispensary Disruptor “We’re very excited to add Trendi Superblunts+ to our line-up of premium cannabis products from GKUA, and what better place to do it than Planet 13’s SuperStore in Las Vegas,” said Beau Golob, GKUA president. Trendi Superblunts+ are available at the GKUA’ store inside Planet 13 Las Vegas. The GKUA in-store offers cannabis enthusiasts and Wayne fans the opportunity to purchase and enjoy some of the finest cannabis products on the market, along with GKUA apparel and accessories. Located next to the iconic Las Vegas strip, the 112,000 square-foot Planet 13 had a 9-percent retail market share of all Nevada cannabis sales volume in its most recent quarterly results. It has become a must-see tourist destination. “We’d like to thank Lil Wayne and GKUA for this amazing collaboration as we continue to bring top cannabis brands and products to our Planet 13 consumers from across America and around the world,” said Bob Groesbeck, co-CEO of Planet 13. The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) suspended Port Angeles-based Dank Inc.’s cannabis producer/processor license Dec. 14 for a period of 180 days while it seeks permanent revocation of the company’s permits. The suspension came as an emergency measure following multiple violations issued by state regulators and alleged criminal activity by Dank. The company has held active Tier 2 cultivation and processor licenses since November 2015, both of which weren’t up for renewal until October 2023, according to the Washington Department of Revenue. The emergency suspension also followed LCB’s joint investigation with the Washington State Patrol’s Cannabis Enforcement Response Team into Dank, which allegedly uncovered criminal cannabis growing and distribution activity that resulted in roughly 5,000 cannabis plants being seized by state regulators in November, according to an LCB press release . Through a search warrant issued for Dank’s Port Angeles location, investigators allegedly found untagged cannabis plants and cannabis plants whose tags had previously been used—both violations of state laws and rules written to prevent potential diversion to unregulated cannabis markets—according to the release. In addition, Dank allegedly violated Washington’s “true party of interest/financier” law , which outlines who must be listed on a cannabis license with residency requirements applying. LCB officials claimed in the release that Dank allowed undisclosed and/or unapproved persons affiliated with a criminal enterprise to control the day-to-day operations of the business. “Based on the seriousness of the violations and the conduct of the licensee, including traceability, true party of interest, criminal conduct, probable diversion into the illegal cannabis market, and the likelihood the licensee will commit these violations in the future, the board found that these activities constitute a direct and immediate threat to the public health and safety,” the LCB release read. “The board therefore approved an emergency suspension of the license. The license will remain suspended for a period of 180 days during which the LCB will seek permanent revocation.” Since emergency suspensions represent “an extraordinary exercise of the state’s power,” the LCB is mandated to ensure such an action is reasonable, justifiable and legal, according to the release.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/19/MissouriSign-AdobeStock-Credit-dakotastudios-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"318 of the state’s 322 medical cannabis licensees have applied for a new license to serve the adult-use market. the DHSS has 60 days to approve the applications. commercial adult-use cannabis sales could launch as early as February. the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act may be in peril as congress works to approve a federal spending deal.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Missouri\",\n \"D-Calif.\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"D.C.\",\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"America\",\n \"Port Angeles\",\n \"Washington\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"the Department of Health and Senior Services\",\n \"DHSS\",\n \"OzarksFirst.com\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"SAFE Banking\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"D-N.Y.\",\n \"House\",\n \"the National Defense Authorization Act\",\n \"the National Republican Senatorial Committee\",\n \"Independent Community Bankers Association\",\n \"Hill\",\n \"Ackerman LLP’s\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"The U.S. House\",\n \"NDAA\",\n \"SAFE\",\n \"Kobrin\",\n \"QuickBooks\",\n \"Bank of America\",\n \"Wells Fargo\",\n \"Visa\",\n \"ATM\",\n \"the SAFE Banking Act\",\n \"IRS\",\n \"Veterans Administration\",\n \"VA\",\n \"The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles\",\n \"RMV\",\n \"the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission\",\n \"CCC\",\n \"AAA Northeast\",\n \"Cannabis Control Commission\",\n \"Ultra Premium\",\n \"GKUA\",\n \"The Washington State Liquor\",\n \"Cannabis Board\",\n \"LCB\",\n \"Dank Inc.’s\",\n \"Dank\",\n \"the Washington Department of Revenue\",\n \"the Washington State Patrol’s\",\n \"Cannabis Enforcement Response Team\",\n \"Dank’s Port Angeles\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Chuck Schumer\",\n \"Nancy Pelosi\",\n \"Mitch McConnell\",\n \"Steve Daines\",\n \"Dan Sullivan\",\n \"Sullivan\",\n \"Rand Paul\",\n \"McConnell\",\n \"Joe Biden\",\n \"Zachary Kobrin\",\n \"Kobrin\",\n \"SAFE Banking\",\n \"Kimberly Roy\",\n \"Charlie Baker\",\n \"Lil Wayne’s\",\n \"Trendi Superblunts+\",\n \".1 grams\",\n \"Wayne\",\n \"Beau Golob\",\n \"Lil Wayne\",\n \"Bob Groesbeck\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.6,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8371713757514954\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e18afa5de7033377d426\",\n \"title\": \"SAFE Banking Hopes Fade as Congress Scrambles to Approve Spending Deal\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/safe-banking-hopes-fade-as-congress-scrambles-to-approve-spending-deal.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"While some lawmakers are pushing to include the SAFE Banking Act in the omnibus spending bill, it is possible that cannabis banking reform efforts will be punted to 2023.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-19T17:43:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act may be in peril as Congress works to approve a federal spending deal that may or may not include the cannabis banking reform legislation. The omnibus spending bill is set to pass in the coming days, with some lawmakers pushing to include SAFE Banking in the deal to allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tried to tack the SAFE Banking Act onto the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) earlier this month, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., ultimately scrapped that plan . Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the new chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and the lead Republican backing the SAFE Banking Act, is now leading the charge to insert the cannabis banking provisions into the spending package, according to The Hill . Daines noted that 28 attorneys general back the SAFE Banking Act and argued that the legislation would increase public safety, the news outlet reported. RELATED: Independent Community Bankers Association, Affiliated State Associations Call on Senate to Pass SAFE Banking Act “My support for SAFE Banking relates to the first word in the bill. It’s called ‘safe,’” Daines told The Hill . “This is a public safety issue. For states that have legalized cannabis, this is a way you can make a community safe—by taking the cash off the street and put it in the bank.” “It’s got to be addressed,” added Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. Sullivan, Daines and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., have largely led Republicans’ push for the SAFE Banking Act, The Hill reported. “Guys like me have been trying to make the case to my conference that this is not some kind of crazy bill. It’s a bill about safety and small businesses,” Sullivan said. Opponents of the cannabis banking reform efforts have largely echoed McConnell’s argument that SAFE Banking will make the “financial system more sympathetic to illegal drugs,” according to The Hill . President Joe Biden signed a short-term funding bill Dec. 16 to freeze funding levels and avoid a government shutdown through Dec. 23, creating more time for ongoing negotiations. It remains to be seen whether the SAFE Banking Act will be included—let alone approved—as part of the spending package, but Zachary Kobrin, a member of Ackerman LLP’s cannabis practice, told Cannabis Business Times that hope could be fading for SAFE Banking this year. RELATED: What’s Next for the Cannabis Industry Following the Midterm Elections? “I don’t see anything happening during the lame duck session of Congress for substantive policy,” he said. “I think they’ve been trying to tweak whatever version of SAFE for so long now to find a way to make it palatable for those who don’t want to put it forward, but lame duck sessions of Congress are typically not places where substantive policy gets passed. I just don’t see why that would change with something like this.” The U.S. House, under Democratic control for the past four years, has passed the SAFE Banking Act seven times, including twice as a standalone bill. The House approved the measure in 2019 with a 321-103 vote, and then passed it twice more in 2020 as part of COVID-19 relief bills. The legislation stalled in the Senate, in part because McConnell–the then-Senate Majority Leader– never calendared it for floor debate. In 2021, the House again passed the SAFE Banking Act in a 321-101 vote as a standalone measure in April, and then approved it again in September as an attachment to the NDAA spending package for fiscal 2022. The measure was then removed from the NDAA during negotiations between House and Senate leaders. This year, the House approved the SAFE Banking Act for the sixth time in February via an en bloc amendment package to the America COMPETES Act before passing it a seventh time in July as an amendment to the NDAA. Kobrin said that SAFE Banking didn’t have a chance of passing on the defense bill and that it probably won’t end up on the year-end 2022 spending bill either. “Now, again, anything’s possible, but that being said, the last I heard was that they were trying to either streamline or basically have some version that they’re calling ‘SAFE Plus,’ which I think includes a safe harbor for the exchanges and some other provisions, basically morphing versions of the CLIMB Act into SAFE and trying to tack it on,” Kobrin said. “I haven’t seen anything to indicate that there is a real desire in Congress to put SAFE onto the spending package.” While lawmakers continue the debate on cannabis banking reform, Kobrin said there are a few best practices for cannabis business operators looking to navigate the current financial landscape. The first rule he gives his clients: never lie to your banker. “I think as a best practice, people need to maintain clean books,” Kobrin said. “And that’s not just, ‘Hey, we’re using QuickBooks,’ but that’s having tax professionals that know how to keep balance sheets because the reality is banks want to look at that stuff. Some banks want to look at your monthly P&Ls. They want to look at your quarterly balance sheets. So, having clean books and clean balance sheets are important.” In addition to maintaining a transparent relationship with financial institutions, Kobrin said cannabis business operators should also spread their wealth. For example, he advises his clients not to put all their money into one account, or even into one bank. “I tell people all the time, if you’re a multistate operator, have a bank in every state you’re operating in and spread your money around—your employment funds go in one account and your revenue maybe goes into another account,” he said. If and when the SAFE Banking Act does pass Congress and is signed into law, Kobrin anticipates small improvements to how the industry navigates its finances, although he said more legislative efforts may be needed for wholesale change. First, he said that more financial institutions will likely enter the market, opening up better lending opportunities from banks and possibly encouraging credit card networks to serve the industry. He also expects the capital markets to open up to cannabis operators, with major exchanges easing their restrictions on plant-touching businesses. “I think there are a lot of good things to come from SAFE, but I don’t think SAFE is the savior that everybody thinks it is,” Kobrin said. For example, he said the legislation is not guaranteed to get new financial institutions into the industry, as they will likely still have onerous requirements to serve the cannabis market. “It probably will get some new banks, but Bank of America, Wells Fargo, the big commercial banks, they’re not jumping in,” Kobrin said. “Regulators are most likely not going to change their expectations of any institution serving the cannabis industry, so it still remains the same. SAFE could pass, but it’s still going to be just as hard for banks to bank cannabis because regulators are still going to require all the FINCEN guidance and all of the compliance requirements that go into it. So, the thought that SAFE passes, there are more banks, cost of banking comes down, there’s more supply—yeah, that’s possible, but unlikely because it’s still going to cost the banks a lot of money to do their own compliance protocols.” Kobrin added that while some credit card companies may serve the cannabis industry if the SAFE Banking Act passes, major credit card companies might remain wary of jumping into the market. Visa, for example, issued a warning in December 2021 about cashless ATMs, where budtenders can round a $55 order up to $60, for instance, on a debit card and give customers $5 back in cash. “Cashless ATMs are POS devices driven by payment applications that mimic standalone ATMs,” the Visa memo stated. “However, no cash disbursements are made to cardholders. Instead, the devices are used for purchase transactions, which are miscoded as ATM cash disbursements. Purchase amounts are often rounded up to create the appearance of a cash disbursement.” RELATED: Credit Cards Now Accepted at Massachusetts Cannabis Dispensary Acquirers miscoding POS purchase transactions as ATM cash disbursements are in violation of ATM requirements, Visa warned, adding that acquirers are required to register all independent sales organizations or third-party services prior to the commencement of those contracted services on their behalf. In addition, the SAFE Banking Act is not tax reform, and Kobrin said it likely will not impact IRS tax code 280E. Ultimately, he said SAFE Banking would be a good start and could create a domino effect for other incremental cannabis reform bills to pass, including legislation to address tax reform, clinical research and Veterans Administration (VA) benefits that would allow veterans to access medical cannabis for the treatment of PTSD and other conditions. “I think [with] the way the sausage is made in D.C., incremental reform is easier to accomplish than wholesale,” Kobrin said. “Don’t get me wrong—I would love to see massive reform when it comes to cannabis policy. I just don’t see the politics playing that way.\\\" The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is adding cannabis education to its state driving curriculum. The RMV, in partnership with the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) and AAA Northeast, will implement “Shifting Gears: The Blunt Truth about Marijuana and Driving” in January 2023 to educate teens on the risks of cannabis-impaired driving. Massachusetts becomes the first adult-use state to mandate this education for new drivers, according to a release . “Today’s young drivers in Massachusetts are the first generation to get behind the wheel since cannabis became legal in the state. Considering that, it is critically important they also understand how THC can impact the body, including the risks associated from cannabis impaired driving,” said Cannabis Control Commission Commissioner Kimberly Roy. “With today’s announcement, Massachusetts takes the lead in prevention and increasing awareness around this issue by providing every driver’s education student a comprehensive, evidence-based cannabis-impaired driving information curriculum to help them understand those risks and make safe decisions.” “Blunt Truth” is taught through a 22-minute educational video and features research-based information on cannabis, including how THC affections cognition, perception of time and distance, reaction time, and vision. The curriculum will be taught to approximately 50,000 young drivers per year across 460 Massachusetts driving school locations, according to the release. “Adding information about cannabis to the Massachusetts’s Registry driver education is important for the safety and wellbeing of tends that are just learning to drive,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “The new cannabis instruction will help individuals make informed decisions and I am pleased that Massachusetts is leading in including it in driver education.” Massachusetts became the seventh state to legalize adult-use cannabis when voters approved Question 4 in the Nov. 2016 elections. The state launched adult-use sales Nov. 20, 2018. LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Dec. 16, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Planet 13 Holdings ., a vertically-integrated Nevada cannabis company, announced that it has launched an exclusive collaboration with Lil Wayne’s GKUA Ultra Premium. Planet 13’s in-house brand, Trendi, and Lil Wayne’s brand, GKUA, together, have launched Trendi Superblunts+, available exclusively at Planet 13 Las Vegas. Trendi Superblunts+ are loaded with 2 grams of top-shelf flower, infused with .5 grams of premium indoor crumble, sealed with .1 grams of live resin terp sauce, sprinkled with .15 grams of indoor kief, all packed in a hemp wrap with an engineered wood tip for proper airflow. “That GKUA and Planet 13…Superblunts,” Wayne said. RELATED: Planet 13: The Dispensary Disruptor “We’re very excited to add Trendi Superblunts+ to our line-up of premium cannabis products from GKUA, and what better place to do it than Planet 13’s SuperStore in Las Vegas,” said Beau Golob, GKUA president. Trendi Superblunts+ are available at the GKUA’ store inside Planet 13 Las Vegas. The GKUA in-store offers cannabis enthusiasts and Wayne fans the opportunity to purchase and enjoy some of the finest cannabis products on the market, along with GKUA apparel and accessories. Located next to the iconic Las Vegas strip, the 112,000 square-foot Planet 13 had a 9-percent retail market share of all Nevada cannabis sales volume in its most recent quarterly results. It has become a must-see tourist destination. “We’d like to thank Lil Wayne and GKUA for this amazing collaboration as we continue to bring top cannabis brands and products to our Planet 13 consumers from across America and around the world,” said Bob Groesbeck, co-CEO of Planet 13. The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) suspended Port Angeles-based Dank Inc.’s cannabis producer/processor license Dec. 14 for a period of 180 days while it seeks permanent revocation of the company’s permits. The suspension came as an emergency measure following multiple violations issued by state regulators and alleged criminal activity by Dank. The company has held active Tier 2 cultivation and processor licenses since November 2015, both of which weren’t up for renewal until October 2023, according to the Washington Department of Revenue. The emergency suspension also followed LCB’s joint investigation with the Washington State Patrol’s Cannabis Enforcement Response Team into Dank, which allegedly uncovered criminal cannabis growing and distribution activity that resulted in roughly 5,000 cannabis plants being seized by state regulators in November, according to an LCB press release . Through a search warrant issued for Dank’s Port Angeles location, investigators allegedly found untagged cannabis plants and cannabis plants whose tags had previously been used—both violations of state laws and rules written to prevent potential diversion to unregulated cannabis markets—according to the release. In addition, Dank allegedly violated Washington’s “true party of interest/financier” law , which outlines who must be listed on a cannabis license with residency requirements applying. LCB officials claimed in the release that Dank allowed undisclosed and/or unapproved persons affiliated with a criminal enterprise to control the day-to-day operations of the business. “Based on the seriousness of the violations and the conduct of the licensee, including traceability, true party of interest, criminal conduct, probable diversion into the illegal cannabis market, and the likelihood the licensee will commit these violations in the future, the board found that these activities constitute a direct and immediate threat to the public health and safety,” the LCB release read. “The board therefore approved an emergency suspension of the license. The license will remain suspended for a period of 180 days during which the LCB will seek permanent revocation.” Since emergency suspensions represent “an extraordinary exercise of the state’s power,” the LCB is mandated to ensure such an action is reasonable, justifiable and legal, according to the release. Colorado regulators issued a Health and Safety Advisory Dec. 15 over potentially moldy cannabis flower produced by adult-use licensee 240 Arthur Avenue LLC, which does business as Rivus Fine Cannabis. The advisory, issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), stems from potentially unsafe levels of total yeast, mold and aspergillus in two harvest batches of adult-use flower produced by Rivus Fine Cannabis, Retail Marijuana Cultivation License 403R-01197. Dispensaries sold the potentially contaminated products between Sept. 17 and Oct. 12. A full list of affected harvest batches, as well as the retailers where they were sold, can be found below. Regulators urge consumers who have the affected products to destroy them or return them to the dispensary where they were purchased for proper disposal. Those who experience adverse health effects from consuming the potentially contaminated products should report it using a MED Reporting Form . Total Yeast and Mold and Aspergillus Contaminated Harvest Batches: DurbanKush220816 SuperBoof220907 The affected flower was sold at the following dispensaries: 402R-00755 Rocky Farms LLC doing business as Rocky Farms located at 1709 Swink Avenue, Rocky Ford, CO 81067 402R-00245 CCC INC doing business as The Happy Camper Cannabis Company located at 80 Rosalie Road, Bailey, CO 80421 402R-00526 The Cannabist Castle Supermarket & Dispensary Lounge LLC doing business as The Kind Castle located at 248 East First Street, Parachute, CO 801635 402R-00867 Kind Eatery LLC doing business as The Kind Castle located at 690 West Victory Way, Craig, CO 81625 402R-00853 Kind Nederland LLC doing business as The Kind Castle located at 98 South Highway 119, Nederland, CO 81602\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/19/USCapitolBuilding-AdobeStock-baiyi126-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act may be in peril as congress works to approve a spending deal that may or may not include the cannabis banking reform legislation. some lawmakers are pushing to include the cannabis banking provisions in the spending package to allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tried to tack the SAFE Banking Act onto the ND\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"D-Calif.\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"D.C.\",\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"America\",\n \"Port Angeles\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Parachute\",\n \"Nederland\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Congress\",\n \"SAFE Banking\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"D-N.Y.\",\n \"House\",\n \"the National Defense Authorization Act\",\n \"the National Republican Senatorial Committee\",\n \"Independent Community Bankers Association\",\n \"Hill\",\n \"Ackerman LLP’s\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"The U.S. House\",\n \"NDAA\",\n \"SAFE\",\n \"Kobrin\",\n \"QuickBooks\",\n \"Bank of America\",\n \"Wells Fargo\",\n \"Visa\",\n \"ATM\",\n \"the SAFE Banking Act\",\n \"IRS\",\n \"Veterans Administration\",\n \"VA\",\n \"The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles\",\n \"RMV\",\n \"the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission\",\n \"CCC\",\n \"AAA Northeast\",\n \"Cannabis Control Commission\",\n \"Ultra Premium\",\n \"GKUA\",\n \"The Washington State Liquor\",\n \"Cannabis Board\",\n \"LCB\",\n \"Dank Inc.’s\",\n \"Dank\",\n \"the Washington Department of Revenue\",\n \"the Washington State Patrol’s\",\n \"Cannabis Enforcement Response Team\",\n \"Dank’s Port Angeles\",\n \"a Health and Safety Advisory Dec. 15\",\n \"the Colorado Department of Revenue\",\n \"the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment\",\n \"Rocky Farms\",\n \"Rocky Ford\",\n \"CCC INC\",\n \"Bailey, CO 80421\",\n \"The Cannabist Castle Supermarket & Dispensary Lounge\",\n \"Craig, CO 81625\",\n \"CO 81602\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Chuck Schumer\",\n \"Nancy Pelosi\",\n \"Mitch McConnell\",\n \"Steve Daines\",\n \"Dan Sullivan\",\n \"Sullivan\",\n \"Rand Paul\",\n \"McConnell\",\n \"Joe Biden\",\n \"Zachary Kobrin\",\n \"Kobrin\",\n \"SAFE Banking\",\n \"Kimberly Roy\",\n \"Charlie Baker\",\n \"Lil Wayne’s\",\n \"Trendi Superblunts+\",\n \".1 grams\",\n \"Wayne\",\n \"Beau Golob\",\n \"Lil Wayne\",\n \"Bob Groesbeck\",\n \"Arthur Avenue\",\n \"Rivus Fine Cannabis\",\n \"Mold\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.59,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.6569566130638123\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e18bfa5de7033377d427\",\n \"title\": \"Massachusetts Adding Cannabis Education for New Drivers\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/massachusetts-cannabis-driver-education.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The Bay State will become the first adult-use state to mandate “Shifting Gears: The Blunt Truth About Marijuana and Driving” as part of its driver education curriculum.\",\n \"author\": \"Zach Mentz\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-19T15:43:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is adding cannabis education to its state driving curriculum. The RMV, in partnership with the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) and AAA Northeast, will implement “Shifting Gears: The Blunt Truth about Marijuana and Driving” in January 2023 to educate teens on the risks of cannabis-impaired driving. Massachusetts becomes the first adult-use state to mandate this education for new drivers, according to a release . “Today’s young drivers in Massachusetts are the first generation to get behind the wheel since cannabis became legal in the state. Considering that, it is critically important they also understand how THC can impact the body, including the risks associated from cannabis impaired driving,” said Cannabis Control Commission Commissioner Kimberly Roy. “With today’s announcement, Massachusetts takes the lead in prevention and increasing awareness around this issue by providing every driver’s education student a comprehensive, evidence-based cannabis-impaired driving information curriculum to help them understand those risks and make safe decisions.” “Blunt Truth” is taught through a 22-minute educational video and features research-based information on cannabis, including how THC affections cognition, perception of time and distance, reaction time, and vision. The curriculum will be taught to approximately 50,000 young drivers per year across 460 Massachusetts driving school locations, according to the release. “Adding information about cannabis to the Massachusetts’s Registry driver education is important for the safety and wellbeing of tends that are just learning to drive,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “The new cannabis instruction will help individuals make informed decisions and I am pleased that Massachusetts is leading in including it in driver education.” Massachusetts became the seventh state to legalize adult-use cannabis when voters approved Question 4 in the Nov. 2016 elections. The state launched adult-use sales Nov. 20, 2018. LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Dec. 16, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Planet 13 Holdings ., a vertically-integrated Nevada cannabis company, announced that it has launched an exclusive collaboration with Lil Wayne’s GKUA Ultra Premium. Planet 13’s in-house brand, Trendi, and Lil Wayne’s brand, GKUA, together, have launched Trendi Superblunts+, available exclusively at Planet 13 Las Vegas. Trendi Superblunts+ are loaded with 2 grams of top-shelf flower, infused with .5 grams of premium indoor crumble, sealed with .1 grams of live resin terp sauce, sprinkled with .15 grams of indoor kief, all packed in a hemp wrap with an engineered wood tip for proper airflow. “That GKUA and Planet 13…Superblunts,” Wayne said. RELATED: Planet 13: The Dispensary Disruptor “We’re very excited to add Trendi Superblunts+ to our line-up of premium cannabis products from GKUA, and what better place to do it than Planet 13’s SuperStore in Las Vegas,” said Beau Golob, GKUA president. Trendi Superblunts+ are available at the GKUA’ store inside Planet 13 Las Vegas. The GKUA in-store offers cannabis enthusiasts and Wayne fans the opportunity to purchase and enjoy some of the finest cannabis products on the market, along with GKUA apparel and accessories. Located next to the iconic Las Vegas strip, the 112,000 square-foot Planet 13 had a 9-percent retail market share of all Nevada cannabis sales volume in its most recent quarterly results. It has become a must-see tourist destination. “We’d like to thank Lil Wayne and GKUA for this amazing collaboration as we continue to bring top cannabis brands and products to our Planet 13 consumers from across America and around the world,” said Bob Groesbeck, co-CEO of Planet 13. The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) suspended Port Angeles-based Dank Inc.’s cannabis producer/processor license Dec. 14 for a period of 180 days while it seeks permanent revocation of the company’s permits. The suspension came as an emergency measure following multiple violations issued by state regulators and alleged criminal activity by Dank. The company has held active Tier 2 cultivation and processor licenses since November 2015, both of which weren’t up for renewal until October 2023, according to the Washington Department of Revenue. The emergency suspension also followed LCB’s joint investigation with the Washington State Patrol’s Cannabis Enforcement Response Team into Dank, which allegedly uncovered criminal cannabis growing and distribution activity that resulted in roughly 5,000 cannabis plants being seized by state regulators in November, according to an LCB press release . Through a search warrant issued for Dank’s Port Angeles location, investigators allegedly found untagged cannabis plants and cannabis plants whose tags had previously been used—both violations of state laws and rules written to prevent potential diversion to unregulated cannabis markets—according to the release. In addition, Dank allegedly violated Washington’s “true party of interest/financier” law , which outlines who must be listed on a cannabis license with residency requirements applying. LCB officials claimed in the release that Dank allowed undisclosed and/or unapproved persons affiliated with a criminal enterprise to control the day-to-day operations of the business. “Based on the seriousness of the violations and the conduct of the licensee, including traceability, true party of interest, criminal conduct, probable diversion into the illegal cannabis market, and the likelihood the licensee will commit these violations in the future, the board found that these activities constitute a direct and immediate threat to the public health and safety,” the LCB release read. “The board therefore approved an emergency suspension of the license. The license will remain suspended for a period of 180 days during which the LCB will seek permanent revocation.” Since emergency suspensions represent “an extraordinary exercise of the state’s power,” the LCB is mandated to ensure such an action is reasonable, justifiable and legal, according to the release. Colorado regulators issued a Health and Safety Advisory Dec. 15 over potentially moldy cannabis flower produced by adult-use licensee 240 Arthur Avenue LLC, which does business as Rivus Fine Cannabis. The advisory, issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), stems from potentially unsafe levels of total yeast, mold and aspergillus in two harvest batches of adult-use flower produced by Rivus Fine Cannabis, Retail Marijuana Cultivation License 403R-01197. Dispensaries sold the potentially contaminated products between Sept. 17 and Oct. 12. A full list of affected harvest batches, as well as the retailers where they were sold, can be found below. Regulators urge consumers who have the affected products to destroy them or return them to the dispensary where they were purchased for proper disposal. Those who experience adverse health effects from consuming the potentially contaminated products should report it using a MED Reporting Form . Total Yeast and Mold and Aspergillus Contaminated Harvest Batches: DurbanKush220816 SuperBoof220907 The affected flower was sold at the following dispensaries: 402R-00755 Rocky Farms LLC doing business as Rocky Farms located at 1709 Swink Avenue, Rocky Ford, CO 81067 402R-00245 CCC INC doing business as The Happy Camper Cannabis Company located at 80 Rosalie Road, Bailey, CO 80421 402R-00526 The Cannabist Castle Supermarket & Dispensary Lounge LLC doing business as The Kind Castle located at 248 East First Street, Parachute, CO 801635 402R-00867 Kind Eatery LLC doing business as The Kind Castle located at 690 West Victory Way, Craig, CO 81625 402R-00853 Kind Nederland LLC doing business as The Kind Castle located at 98 South Highway 119, Nederland, CO 81602 PRESS RELEASE - Parabola Center , a nonprofit cannabis policy think tank based in Massachusetts, is announcing a partnership with small cannabis organizations from around the country. Collectively, the group believes federal legalization should support small businesses and the historically disenfranchised. Fifty cannabis businesses, service providers and nonprofits are teaming up to end cannabis prohibition fairly and equitably without the influence of big money. The group’s goal is to create a model of legalization that centers small businesses instead of large corporations. “The best way to push for a model of national legalization that protects small cannabis businesses is to listen to the thousands of them who already exist,” said Shaleen Title, founder and director of Parabola Center. “Our organization believes that social equity, craft and disadvantaged business operators should be driving the discussion on how to design a national regulatory framework for cannabis. That’s why we reject the monopoly model and the money behind it.” The initial list of partners supporting Parabola Center can be found here . Fifty additional partners will be accepted, with a launch event for all 100 partners taking place in Boston on June 10, 2023. Any organization interested in learning more or becoming a partner can contact Parabola Center here or at info@parabolacenter.com .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/19/AdobeStock227835927web-header.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the curriculum will be taught to approximately 50,000 young drivers per year across 460 Massachusetts driving school locations. the state became the seventh state to legalize adult-use cannabis when voters approved Question 4 in the Nov. 2016 elections.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"America\",\n \"Port Angeles\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Parachute\",\n \"Nederland\",\n \"Boston\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles\",\n \"RMV\",\n \"the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission\",\n \"CCC\",\n \"AAA Northeast\",\n \"Cannabis Control Commission\",\n \"Ultra Premium\",\n \"GKUA\",\n \"The Washington State Liquor\",\n \"Cannabis Board\",\n \"LCB\",\n \"Dank Inc.’s\",\n \"Dank\",\n \"the Washington Department of Revenue\",\n \"the Washington State Patrol’s\",\n \"Cannabis Enforcement Response Team\",\n \"Dank’s Port Angeles\",\n \"a Health and Safety Advisory Dec. 15\",\n \"the Colorado Department of Revenue\",\n \"the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment\",\n \"Rocky Farms\",\n \"Rocky Ford\",\n \"CCC INC\",\n \"Bailey, CO 80421\",\n \"The Cannabist Castle Supermarket & Dispensary Lounge\",\n \"Craig, CO 81625\",\n \"CO 81602 PRESS\",\n \"RELEASE - Parabola Center\",\n \"Parabola Center\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Kimberly Roy\",\n \"Charlie Baker\",\n \"Lil Wayne’s\",\n \"Trendi Superblunts+\",\n \".1 grams\",\n \"Wayne\",\n \"Beau Golob\",\n \"Lil Wayne\",\n \"Bob Groesbeck\",\n \"Arthur Avenue\",\n \"Rivus Fine Cannabis\",\n \"Mold\",\n \"Shaleen Title\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.56,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8437525629997253\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e18dfa5de7033377d428\",\n \"title\": \"Washington Regulators Seize 5,000 Cannabis Plants, Suspend License \",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/dank-port-angeles-wash-license-suspension.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The state’s Liquor and Cannabis Board took emergency action against a Port Angeles operator for allegedly partaking in criminal activity.\",\n \"author\": \"Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-16T17:07:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) suspended Port Angeles-based Dank Inc.’s cannabis producer/processor license Dec. 14 for a period of 180 days while it seeks permanent revocation of the company’s permits. The suspension came as an emergency measure following multiple violations issued by state regulators and alleged criminal activity by Dank. The company has held active Tier 2 cultivation and processor licenses since November 2015, both of which weren’t up for renewal until October 2023, according to the Washington Department of Revenue. The emergency suspension also followed LCB’s joint investigation with the Washington State Patrol’s Cannabis Enforcement Response Team into Dank, which allegedly uncovered criminal cannabis growing and distribution activity that resulted in roughly 5,000 cannabis plants being seized by state regulators in November, according to an LCB press release . Through a search warrant issued for Dank’s Port Angeles location, investigators allegedly found untagged cannabis plants and cannabis plants whose tags had previously been used—both violations of state laws and rules written to prevent potential diversion to unregulated cannabis markets—according to the release. In addition, Dank allegedly violated Washington’s “true party of interest/financier” law , which outlines who must be listed on a cannabis license with residency requirements applying. LCB officials claimed in the release that Dank allowed undisclosed and/or unapproved persons affiliated with a criminal enterprise to control the day-to-day operations of the business. “Based on the seriousness of the violations and the conduct of the licensee, including traceability, true party of interest, criminal conduct, probable diversion into the illegal cannabis market, and the likelihood the licensee will commit these violations in the future, the board found that these activities constitute a direct and immediate threat to the public health and safety,” the LCB release read. “The board therefore approved an emergency suspension of the license. The license will remain suspended for a period of 180 days during which the LCB will seek permanent revocation.” Since emergency suspensions represent “an extraordinary exercise of the state’s power,” the LCB is mandated to ensure such an action is reasonable, justifiable and legal, according to the release. Colorado regulators issued a Health and Safety Advisory Dec. 15 over potentially moldy cannabis flower produced by adult-use licensee 240 Arthur Avenue LLC, which does business as Rivus Fine Cannabis. The advisory, issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), stems from potentially unsafe levels of total yeast, mold and aspergillus in two harvest batches of adult-use flower produced by Rivus Fine Cannabis, Retail Marijuana Cultivation License 403R-01197. Dispensaries sold the potentially contaminated products between Sept. 17 and Oct. 12. A full list of affected harvest batches, as well as the retailers where they were sold, can be found below. Regulators urge consumers who have the affected products to destroy them or return them to the dispensary where they were purchased for proper disposal. Those who experience adverse health effects from consuming the potentially contaminated products should report it using a MED Reporting Form . Total Yeast and Mold and Aspergillus Contaminated Harvest Batches: DurbanKush220816 SuperBoof220907 The affected flower was sold at the following dispensaries: 402R-00755 Rocky Farms LLC doing business as Rocky Farms located at 1709 Swink Avenue, Rocky Ford, CO 81067 402R-00245 CCC INC doing business as The Happy Camper Cannabis Company located at 80 Rosalie Road, Bailey, CO 80421 402R-00526 The Cannabist Castle Supermarket & Dispensary Lounge LLC doing business as The Kind Castle located at 248 East First Street, Parachute, CO 801635 402R-00867 Kind Eatery LLC doing business as The Kind Castle located at 690 West Victory Way, Craig, CO 81625 402R-00853 Kind Nederland LLC doing business as The Kind Castle located at 98 South Highway 119, Nederland, CO 81602 PRESS RELEASE - Parabola Center , a nonprofit cannabis policy think tank based in Massachusetts, is announcing a partnership with small cannabis organizations from around the country. Collectively, the group believes federal legalization should support small businesses and the historically disenfranchised. Fifty cannabis businesses, service providers and nonprofits are teaming up to end cannabis prohibition fairly and equitably without the influence of big money. The group’s goal is to create a model of legalization that centers small businesses instead of large corporations. “The best way to push for a model of national legalization that protects small cannabis businesses is to listen to the thousands of them who already exist,” said Shaleen Title, founder and director of Parabola Center. “Our organization believes that social equity, craft and disadvantaged business operators should be driving the discussion on how to design a national regulatory framework for cannabis. That’s why we reject the monopoly model and the money behind it.” The initial list of partners supporting Parabola Center can be found here . Fifty additional partners will be accepted, with a launch event for all 100 partners taking place in Boston on June 10, 2023. Any organization interested in learning more or becoming a partner can contact Parabola Center here or at info@parabolacenter.com . Tennessee Democratic lawmakers Sen. Heidi Campbell and Rep. Bob Freeman have announced plans to introduce a bill in the coming days that would legalize adult-use cannabis. Campbell noted that many states surrounding Tennessee have already legalized cannabis either recreationally or medically. “Let’s not delude ourselves that people aren’t crossing the border and getting cannabis from other states. Of course, they are,” Campbell told WKRN News . “So, that’s just income we’re missing out on.” The lawmakers also noted that in the event of federal legalization, which they both believe will eventually happen, the state would “theoretically miss out on tax revenue more than it is right now,” the news outlet reported. Freeman also said he wants to pass the bill to help low-income communities negatively impacted by the war on drugs. “If you live in a wealthy part of the state and a wealthy community in our city, the odds of you getting a slap on the wrist and nothing happening is pretty high,” Freeman said. “If you live in a [low-income] neighborhood, and you get picked up with cannabis, you’re going to jail.” When asked how confident they were of the bills passing on a scale of one to 10, Freeman said 7 or 7.5, while Campbell was less convinced. “I’m pretty low. I won’t give you a number, but I have no delusions that we’re going to pass it this session,” she said, adding, “Regardless, it’s important to keep the conversation around cannabis alive.” Other lawmakers applauded Campbell and Freeman’s announcement: The legalization of cannabis in Tennessee is long overdue. For too long, much of the TN GOP has stood in the way. Thanks to Democratic leaders @Campbell4TN and @VoteBobFreeman for leading this initiative. Let’s do this in 2023! @TNDemocrats @TNSenateDems https://t.co/hl4jxvZOCq — John Ray Clemmons (@JRClemmons) December 16, 2022 As adult-use sales are approaching in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced a cannabis dispensary verification tool Dec. 15, which will allow consumers to know they are purchasing from a state-licensed dispensary. The verification too l is a seal that will be posted on licensed dispensary windows and will contain a QR code that says “scan to verify,” which consumers can scan to confirm the dispensaries license status. New York also plans to introduce a similar tool for cannabis delivery sales in the future, according to a press release . Dispensaries must also have a universal symbol on all product packaging, which will help consumers verify they are purchasing regulated and tested products. Tremaine Wright, chair of the state’s Cannabis Control Board, said having dispensary and product verification tools in place is “critical” for consumers to “know and trust that the new, legal cannabis market offers tested products and follows protocols designed to protect public health. These efforts, combined with rigorous enforcement, will help build a stable, legal marketplace.” Moreover, the state plans to launch a public education campaign titled “Why Buy Legal New York” in Q1 of 2023, which will discuss the risks of purchasing illicit products, the benefits of purchasing regulated products from licensed dispensaries, and how buying illicit products undermine New York’s goals building the “most equitable and inclusive cannabis market in the nation,” according to the release. “It’s critical for New York’s cannabis consumers to understand the risks of buying untested, illicit products and to have the tools to guide them to the safer, legal market that’s poised to open,” Hochul said. “These tools will help to protect public health and strengthen our ability to deliver the equitable cannabis market our law envisions. We will continue to work with our partners in municipalities across the state to enforce the law and shut down illicit operators who are selling products that put New Yorkers at risk.”\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/16/CannaTags.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the suspension came as an emergency measure following multiple violations issued by state regulators and alleged criminal activity by Dank. Dank has held active Tier 2 cultivation and processor licenses since November 2015, both of which weren’t up for renewal until October 2023. Dank allegedly allowed undisclosed and/or unapproved persons affiliated with a criminal enterprise to control the day-to-day operations of the business.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Port Angeles\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Parachute\",\n \"Nederland\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Boston\",\n \"Tennessee\",\n \"New York\",\n \"New York’s\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Washington State Liquor\",\n \"Cannabis Board\",\n \"LCB\",\n \"Dank Inc.’s\",\n \"Dank\",\n \"the Washington Department of Revenue\",\n \"the Washington State Patrol’s\",\n \"Cannabis Enforcement Response Team\",\n \"Dank’s Port Angeles\",\n \"a Health and Safety Advisory Dec. 15\",\n \"the Colorado Department of Revenue\",\n \"the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment\",\n \"Rocky Farms\",\n \"Rocky Ford\",\n \"CCC INC\",\n \"Bailey, CO 80421\",\n \"The Cannabist Castle Supermarket & Dispensary Lounge\",\n \"Craig, CO 81625\",\n \"CO 81602 PRESS\",\n \"RELEASE - Parabola Center\",\n \"Parabola Center\",\n \"Campbell\",\n \"WKRN News\",\n \"Freeman\",\n \"TN\",\n \"GOP\",\n \"@TNDemocrats\",\n \"l\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Arthur Avenue\",\n \"Rivus Fine Cannabis\",\n \"Mold\",\n \"Shaleen Title\",\n \"Heidi Campbell\",\n \"Bob Freeman\",\n \"Freeman\",\n \"@VoteBobFreeman\",\n \"John Ray Clemmons\",\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Tremaine Wright\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.6,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9100252985954285\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e18efa5de7033377d429\",\n \"title\": \"Colorado Officials Issue Advisory Over Potentially Moldy Cannabis Flower\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/colorado-officials-issue-advisory-over-potentially-moldy-cannabis-flower.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The affected adult-use products were produced by 240 Arthur Avenue LLC, which does business as Rivus Fine Cannabis.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-16T16:18:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Colorado regulators issued a Health and Safety Advisory Dec. 15 over potentially moldy cannabis flower produced by adult-use licensee 240 Arthur Avenue LLC, which does business as Rivus Fine Cannabis. The advisory, issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), stems from potentially unsafe levels of total yeast, mold and aspergillus in two harvest batches of adult-use flower produced by Rivus Fine Cannabis, Retail Marijuana Cultivation License 403R-01197. Dispensaries sold the potentially contaminated products between Sept. 17 and Oct. 12. A full list of affected harvest batches, as well as the retailers where they were sold, can be found below. Regulators urge consumers who have the affected products to destroy them or return them to the dispensary where they were purchased for proper disposal. Those who experience adverse health effects from consuming the potentially contaminated products should report it using a MED Reporting Form . Total Yeast and Mold and Aspergillus Contaminated Harvest Batches: DurbanKush220816 SuperBoof220907 The affected flower was sold at the following dispensaries: 402R-00755 Rocky Farms LLC doing business as Rocky Farms located at 1709 Swink Avenue, Rocky Ford, CO 81067 402R-00245 CCC INC doing business as The Happy Camper Cannabis Company located at 80 Rosalie Road, Bailey, CO 80421 402R-00526 The Cannabist Castle Supermarket & Dispensary Lounge LLC doing business as The Kind Castle located at 248 East First Street, Parachute, CO 801635 402R-00867 Kind Eatery LLC doing business as The Kind Castle located at 690 West Victory Way, Craig, CO 81625 402R-00853 Kind Nederland LLC doing business as The Kind Castle located at 98 South Highway 119, Nederland, CO 81602 PRESS RELEASE - Parabola Center , a nonprofit cannabis policy think tank based in Massachusetts, is announcing a partnership with small cannabis organizations from around the country. Collectively, the group believes federal legalization should support small businesses and the historically disenfranchised. Fifty cannabis businesses, service providers and nonprofits are teaming up to end cannabis prohibition fairly and equitably without the influence of big money. The group’s goal is to create a model of legalization that centers small businesses instead of large corporations. “The best way to push for a model of national legalization that protects small cannabis businesses is to listen to the thousands of them who already exist,” said Shaleen Title, founder and director of Parabola Center. “Our organization believes that social equity, craft and disadvantaged business operators should be driving the discussion on how to design a national regulatory framework for cannabis. That’s why we reject the monopoly model and the money behind it.” The initial list of partners supporting Parabola Center can be found here . Fifty additional partners will be accepted, with a launch event for all 100 partners taking place in Boston on June 10, 2023. Any organization interested in learning more or becoming a partner can contact Parabola Center here or at info@parabolacenter.com . Tennessee Democratic lawmakers Sen. Heidi Campbell and Rep. Bob Freeman have announced plans to introduce a bill in the coming days that would legalize adult-use cannabis. Campbell noted that many states surrounding Tennessee have already legalized cannabis either recreationally or medically. “Let’s not delude ourselves that people aren’t crossing the border and getting cannabis from other states. Of course, they are,” Campbell told WKRN News . “So, that’s just income we’re missing out on.” The lawmakers also noted that in the event of federal legalization, which they both believe will eventually happen, the state would “theoretically miss out on tax revenue more than it is right now,” the news outlet reported. Freeman also said he wants to pass the bill to help low-income communities negatively impacted by the war on drugs. “If you live in a wealthy part of the state and a wealthy community in our city, the odds of you getting a slap on the wrist and nothing happening is pretty high,” Freeman said. “If you live in a [low-income] neighborhood, and you get picked up with cannabis, you’re going to jail.” When asked how confident they were of the bills passing on a scale of one to 10, Freeman said 7 or 7.5, while Campbell was less convinced. “I’m pretty low. I won’t give you a number, but I have no delusions that we’re going to pass it this session,” she said, adding, “Regardless, it’s important to keep the conversation around cannabis alive.” Other lawmakers applauded Campbell and Freeman’s announcement: The legalization of cannabis in Tennessee is long overdue. For too long, much of the TN GOP has stood in the way. Thanks to Democratic leaders @Campbell4TN and @VoteBobFreeman for leading this initiative. Let’s do this in 2023! @TNDemocrats @TNSenateDems https://t.co/hl4jxvZOCq — John Ray Clemmons (@JRClemmons) December 16, 2022 As adult-use sales are approaching in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced a cannabis dispensary verification tool Dec. 15, which will allow consumers to know they are purchasing from a state-licensed dispensary. The verification too l is a seal that will be posted on licensed dispensary windows and will contain a QR code that says “scan to verify,” which consumers can scan to confirm the dispensaries license status. New York also plans to introduce a similar tool for cannabis delivery sales in the future, according to a press release . Dispensaries must also have a universal symbol on all product packaging, which will help consumers verify they are purchasing regulated and tested products. Tremaine Wright, chair of the state’s Cannabis Control Board, said having dispensary and product verification tools in place is “critical” for consumers to “know and trust that the new, legal cannabis market offers tested products and follows protocols designed to protect public health. These efforts, combined with rigorous enforcement, will help build a stable, legal marketplace.” Moreover, the state plans to launch a public education campaign titled “Why Buy Legal New York” in Q1 of 2023, which will discuss the risks of purchasing illicit products, the benefits of purchasing regulated products from licensed dispensaries, and how buying illicit products undermine New York’s goals building the “most equitable and inclusive cannabis market in the nation,” according to the release. “It’s critical for New York’s cannabis consumers to understand the risks of buying untested, illicit products and to have the tools to guide them to the safer, legal market that’s poised to open,” Hochul said. “These tools will help to protect public health and strengthen our ability to deliver the equitable cannabis market our law envisions. We will continue to work with our partners in municipalities across the state to enforce the law and shut down illicit operators who are selling products that put New Yorkers at risk.” As New York works to roll out its adult-use program, the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) is implementing a certificate in the Business of Cannabis in spring 2023 to stay on top of market demand and support cannabis career pathways. The certificate in the Business of Cannabis will consist of various courses designed to give students an in-depth understanding of the industry. Industry professionals will teach the courses. The certificate will consist of an introductory course: Overview of the Cannabis Industry and four core foundational courses: Managing a Cannabis Dispensary and the Regulation of Operations; Cannabis Sales and Marketing; The Chemistry of Cannabis: Medicine, Wellness, and Product Use; and Cannabis and Social Equity Policy, according to a press release . Students will also be required to take one elective course. \\\"NYU SPS developed this program in collaboration with industry professionals and thought leaders in the field, many of whom will also teach our courses,” said June Chin, MD, an adjunct professor at the school who will teach The Chemistry of Cannabis: Medicine, Wellness, and Product Use in the Spring. “This certificate provides a distinctive credential for those seeking to develop the skills to transition into this thriving market.”\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/16/ColoradoStateCapitol-AdobeStock-Credit-jzehnder-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the advisory stems from potentially unsafe levels of total yeast, mold and aspergillus in two harvest batches of adult-use flower produced by Rivus Fine Cannabis. regulators urge consumers who have the affected products to destroy them or return them to the dispensary where they were purchased for proper disposal.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Parachute\",\n \"Nederland\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Boston\",\n \"Tennessee\",\n \"New York\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"MD\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"a Health and Safety Advisory Dec. 15\",\n \"the Colorado Department of Revenue\",\n \"the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment\",\n \"Rocky Farms\",\n \"Rocky Ford\",\n \"CCC INC\",\n \"Bailey, CO 80421\",\n \"The Cannabist Castle Supermarket & Dispensary Lounge\",\n \"Craig, CO 81625\",\n \"CO 81602 PRESS\",\n \"RELEASE - Parabola Center\",\n \"Parabola Center\",\n \"Campbell\",\n \"WKRN News\",\n \"Freeman\",\n \"TN\",\n \"GOP\",\n \"@TNDemocrats\",\n \"l\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the NYU School of Professional Studies\",\n \"NYU SPS\",\n \"the Regulation of Operations\",\n \"Cannabis and Social Equity Policy\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Arthur Avenue\",\n \"Rivus Fine Cannabis\",\n \"Mold\",\n \"Shaleen Title\",\n \"Heidi Campbell\",\n \"Bob Freeman\",\n \"Freeman\",\n \"@VoteBobFreeman\",\n \"John Ray Clemmons\",\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Tremaine Wright\",\n \"June Chin\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.56,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7874724864959717\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e18ffa5de7033377d42a\",\n \"title\": \"Tennessee Lawmakers to File Bill to Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/tennessee-democratic-lawmakers-to-introduce-adult-use-legalization-bill.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Tennessee is one of 11 states that has not legalized cannabis for medical or adult use.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-16T15:35:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Tennessee Democratic lawmakers Sen. Heidi Campbell and Rep. Bob Freeman have announced plans to introduce a bill in the coming days that would legalize adult-use cannabis. Campbell noted that many states surrounding Tennessee have already legalized cannabis either recreationally or medically. “Let’s not delude ourselves that people aren’t crossing the border and getting cannabis from other states. Of course, they are,” Campbell told WKRN News . “So, that’s just income we’re missing out on.” The lawmakers also noted that in the event of federal legalization, which they both believe will eventually happen, the state would “theoretically miss out on tax revenue more than it is right now,” the news outlet reported. Freeman also said he wants to pass the bill to help low-income communities negatively impacted by the war on drugs. “If you live in a wealthy part of the state and a wealthy community in our city, the odds of you getting a slap on the wrist and nothing happening is pretty high,” Freeman said. “If you live in a [low-income] neighborhood, and you get picked up with cannabis, you’re going to jail.” When asked how confident they were of the bills passing on a scale of one to 10, Freeman said 7 or 7.5, while Campbell was less convinced. “I’m pretty low. I won’t give you a number, but I have no delusions that we’re going to pass it this session,” she said, adding, “Regardless, it’s important to keep the conversation around cannabis alive.” Other lawmakers applauded Campbell and Freeman’s announcement: The legalization of cannabis in Tennessee is long overdue. For too long, much of the TN GOP has stood in the way. Thanks to Democratic leaders @Campbell4TN and @VoteBobFreeman for leading this initiative. Let’s do this in 2023! @TNDemocrats @TNSenateDems https://t.co/hl4jxvZOCq — John Ray Clemmons (@JRClemmons) December 16, 2022 As adult-use sales are approaching in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced a cannabis dispensary verification tool Dec. 15, which will allow consumers to know they are purchasing from a state-licensed dispensary. The verification too l is a seal that will be posted on licensed dispensary windows and will contain a QR code that says “scan to verify,” which consumers can scan to confirm the dispensaries license status. New York also plans to introduce a similar tool for cannabis delivery sales in the future, according to a press release . Dispensaries must also have a universal symbol on all product packaging, which will help consumers verify they are purchasing regulated and tested products. Tremaine Wright, chair of the state’s Cannabis Control Board, said having dispensary and product verification tools in place is “critical” for consumers to “know and trust that the new, legal cannabis market offers tested products and follows protocols designed to protect public health. These efforts, combined with rigorous enforcement, will help build a stable, legal marketplace.” Moreover, the state plans to launch a public education campaign titled “Why Buy Legal New York” in Q1 of 2023, which will discuss the risks of purchasing illicit products, the benefits of purchasing regulated products from licensed dispensaries, and how buying illicit products undermine New York’s goals building the “most equitable and inclusive cannabis market in the nation,” according to the release. “It’s critical for New York’s cannabis consumers to understand the risks of buying untested, illicit products and to have the tools to guide them to the safer, legal market that’s poised to open,” Hochul said. “These tools will help to protect public health and strengthen our ability to deliver the equitable cannabis market our law envisions. We will continue to work with our partners in municipalities across the state to enforce the law and shut down illicit operators who are selling products that put New Yorkers at risk.” As New York works to roll out its adult-use program, the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) is implementing a certificate in the Business of Cannabis in spring 2023 to stay on top of market demand and support cannabis career pathways. The certificate in the Business of Cannabis will consist of various courses designed to give students an in-depth understanding of the industry. Industry professionals will teach the courses. The certificate will consist of an introductory course: Overview of the Cannabis Industry and four core foundational courses: Managing a Cannabis Dispensary and the Regulation of Operations; Cannabis Sales and Marketing; The Chemistry of Cannabis: Medicine, Wellness, and Product Use; and Cannabis and Social Equity Policy, according to a press release . Students will also be required to take one elective course. \\\"NYU SPS developed this program in collaboration with industry professionals and thought leaders in the field, many of whom will also teach our courses,” said June Chin, MD, an adjunct professor at the school who will teach The Chemistry of Cannabis: Medicine, Wellness, and Product Use in the Spring. “This certificate provides a distinctive credential for those seeking to develop the skills to transition into this thriving market.” As the United States Congress looks toward its end-of-year checklist, high in priority is the need to pass a new appropriations bill to fund the federal government for another fiscal year. Lawmakers recently passed a one-week extension to pass the bill, with a new deadline of Dec. 23. Part of that bill may enact a change to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) spending that would in practice allow cannabis companies to advertise on FCC-regulated television and radio broadcast networks, such as CBS and Clear Channel. In July of 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill as part of its appropriations package that included a provision prohibiting the FCC from spending federal funding to stop cannabis companies from advertising in states with state-legal marijuana markets. The bill contains other provisions specific to the FCC approval process for broadcast companies and their advertising, but in short, the bill allows for advertising by cannabis companies on FCC-regulated television and radio networks. The National Association of Broadcasters, a trade organization representing television and radio broadcasters, praised the bill when it passed. This is unsurprising given its passage would almost certainly unlock new advertising dollars for broadcasters. Advertising dollars spent on television and radio ads combined have fallen to about half the value spent on digital advertising in recent years. According to a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers , digital advertising in the U.S. is expected to be a $200 billion industry in 2025, while TV will account for just $81 billion, and radio a meager $19 billion. And the gap between digital ad spend and broadcast ad spend is only expected to widen. Broadcast networks, however, will not have much competition for cannabis advertising dollars from digital advertising services, as the major players currently prohibit the marketing of drugs and paraphernalia. Amazon, Alphabet (the parent company of Google) and Meta all have advertising policies that block the cannabis industry from tapping into their platforms, which are currently some of the most popular advertising platforms. Amazon recently reported it increased its global ad revenue from $19 billion to $31 billion from 2020 to 2021, and the three platforms are estimated to receive nearly 50% of all advertising dollars, according to reporting from Digiday . Given the restrictions on digital advertising, the cannabis industry is likely to welcome further advertising opportunities. Currently, not only are cannabis companies prohibited from advertising on federally regulated channels, but also states with legal recreational marijuana markets impose their own state-level advertising restrictions, and often local towns and cities further restrict marketing activities. This leaves a lot of the cannabis industry resorting to advertising techniques that have not been popular since the 1990s–local radio, pamphlets and billboards. Yes, some brands manage to use social media to a certain extent, but many brands have horror stories of getting locked out of their accounts or kicked off social media platforms. So, the addition of traditional FCC-regulated TV and radio as an advertising platform would indeed be the start of a major shift for advertising in the cannabis space. Whether such a change happens will depend on the Senate, which is yet to pass any of its appropriations bills. Passage of this particular provision through the current Senate, however, seems unlikely given the numerous times it has turned down the SAFE Banking Act that would make it easier for federally backed financial institutions to serve the marijuana industry. The tease and fail of passage of the SAFE Banking Act has become somewhat of a joke among lawyers who track marijuana legislation in D.C. (In fact, Sen. Chuck Schumer was in the news at the end of October talking optimistically once again about the prospects of the SAFE Banking Act). If the Senate is finally able to pass the SAFE Banking Act, it would increase the chance that the advertising bill is passed. RELATED: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Squashes Democrats’ Efforts to Add SAFE Banking Provisions to Defense Bill However, even if it does pass, looking to other similar industries, like tobacco and alcohol, shows the cannabis industry will likely only face further hurdles down the road. Tobacco companies used to advertise on FCC-regulated broadcast channels, but such advertisements were banned in 1971. In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took over the regulation of tobacco advertising and instilled further restrictions, such as the prohibition on a tobacco company sponsoring events or teams. Of course, many tobacco companies attempt to skirt these restrictions. (In one recent occurrence, Ferrari took up sponsorship with tobacco maker Philip Morris International through its “Mission Winnow” campaign earlier this year for its Formula I team.) For now, states such as Colorado still allow dispensaries to advertise by sponsoring events. Alcohol advertising provides an interesting comparison to the cannabis industries because, like cannabis, many modern alcohol brands rose to prominence shortly after the end of prohibition. Radio advertisements of liquor were banned in1936 (when radio was a much greater share of advertising than its current status), and in 1958, television ads of liquor brands were similarly banned. These bans were in part orchestrated by the liquor industry itself, which feared that too much too quick could drag the country back into prohibition—a sentiment that has been raised by several individuals in the cannabis industry. The prohibition on liquor advertising ended in the late 1990s, but not without much controversy since. For now, the cannabis industry seems to be following the self-policing practice of the alcohol industry. As the Chicago Tribune reports , several industry heavyweights, such as Cresco Inc. and Green Thumb Industries, have published their own guidelines for advertising. Whether these will be enough to prevent a public backlash against cannabis company advertisements streaming on federal airwaves is yet to be seen, but it is hard to imagine the federal government allowing such advertisements so long as marijuana is still a Schedule I controlled substance. RELATED: Biden's Order to Review Cannabis 'Truly Historic,' But What's at Stake? Even if the bill passes, cannabis advertisers will still face two major hurdles. One: The legislation is tied to the annual federal budget, so it will expire unless passed on an annual basis or more permanent changes are adopted. And two: Broadcasters will still need to gauge other stakeholders’ palates for cannabis regulations. Long before the FDA prohibited tobacco companies from sponsoring events and teams, such sponsorship was already prohibited by major sporting leagues. Changes in federal law, such as the FCC changes proposed by the House of Representatives, in many ways will be just the start of a much longer discussion on how cannabis companies should be allowed to advertise. Cameron Field is the co-leader of Michael Best’s cannabis group and is based in Austin, Texas. He focuses his practice on the cannabis industry, where clients rely on his legal advice to make strategic business decisions, weigh risks, and stay up to date in the rapidly changing hemp and CBD area. He guides clients through complicated regulatory processes and advocates for their interests in administrative, state, and federal courts. TORONTO - December 15, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - RIV Capital Inc. , an acquisition and investment firm with a focus on building a leading multistate platform with one of the strongest portfolios of brands in key strategic U.S. markets, today announced that it has completed the final closing of its previously announced transaction involving Etain, LLC–owner and operator of a legally-licensed Registered Organization with cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facilities, and retail dispensaries in the state of New York–and Etain IP LLC. RELATED: New York’s Women-Led Etain Health Acquired by RIV Capital for $247 Million “With four dispensaries, including a Manhattan flagship store and locations in Kingston, Syracuse and Westchester, as well as a cultivation and production facility in Chestertown, we believe Etain is a strong foundation and a scalable platform for future growth,” said Mark Sims, president and CEO of RIV Capital. “We plan to continue Etain’s collaboration with diverse New York-owned brands, optimize Etain’s attractive retail footprint, and augment Etain’s four premium product lines with high-performing west coast brands. The ongoing expansion of Etain’s Chestertown cultivation facility, which is nearing completion, and our planned flagship indoor cultivation facility in Buffalo, will enable Etain to better serve medical patients and, eventually, adult-use consumers in New York.” Final Closing Transaction Details Under the terms of the transaction, RIV Capital paid the remaining purchase price through a combination of approximately US$42 million in cash and the issuance of 5,273,084 Class A common shares in RIV Capital. Following the final closing, the former owners of Etain hold approximately 16% of the issued and outstanding Class A common shares of RIV Capital. Growth and Expansion Strategy RIV Capital’s long-term strategy is to build a leading multi-state operating and brand platform, with New York serving as the foundation. The company intends to develop and expand new brands and products designed to resonate with the New York consumer, with plans to offer as one of its core brands Etain’s popular product line, which will include new form factors and SKUs in the near future. The expansion of Etain’s Chestertown-based cultivation and production infrastructure, which the company anticipates will be completed by second quarter of calendar year 2023, is designed to increase cultivation capacity and support the development of new product formats in anticipation of the launch of adult-use sales in New York. RIV Capital is also in the process of developing a new, state-of-the-art flagship indoor cultivation facility in Buffalo, designed with premier cultivation and production infrastructure specifically tailored to support the premium New York market. Early Warning Reporting Disclosure BrandCo HoldCo, LLC announced today, pursuant to applicable requirements of Canadian securities laws, that it has acquired 5,273,084 Class A common shares pursuant to the final closing of the Etain transaction. That number of shares was determined not based on the price on the date of issuance but based on the five-day volume-weighted average price of such shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange as of the last trading day prior to the initial announcement of the transaction (March 30, 2022), which was C$1.65 per share and C$8.7 million in the aggregate. The shares issued represents approximately 3% of the issued and outstanding Class A shares of RIV Capital. Prior to the acquisition, HoldCo owned 21,092,335 Class A common shares representing approximately 13% of the issued and outstanding shares of the company. HoldCo completed the acquisition for investment purposes. Subject to applicable laws and the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement entered into by Holdco and the company, HoldCo may acquire additional securities of RIV Capital or may dispose of any or all of its holdings of Class A common shares, from time to time through, among other things, transactions on the open market or in private transactions or otherwise, on such terms and at such times as HoldCo may deem advisable depending upon an ongoing evaluation of the Class A common shares, the company, prevailing market conditions, the availability of Class A common shares at prices that would make the purchase or sale of shares desirable, other investment opportunities, liquidity requirements of HoldCo, respectively, and/or other considerations and in such manner as it deems appropriate. A copy of the early warning report filed by HoldCo in connection with the above will be filed on SEDAR and made available under RIV Capital’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/16/Untitleddesign-2022-12-16T103543335.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"a bill would legalize adult-use cannabis in tennessee in the coming days. the bill would also help low-income communities negatively impacted by the war on drugs. \\\"it’s important to keep the conversation around cannabis alive,\\\" says sen. Campbell.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Tennessee\",\n \"New York\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"MD\",\n \"United States\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Alphabet\",\n \"D.C.\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Austin\",\n \"Texas\",\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"Manhattan\",\n \"Kingston\",\n \"Syracuse\",\n \"Chestertown\",\n \"Buffalo\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Campbell\",\n \"WKRN News\",\n \"Freeman\",\n \"TN\",\n \"GOP\",\n \"@TNDemocrats\",\n \"l\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the NYU School of Professional Studies\",\n \"NYU SPS\",\n \"the Regulation of Operations\",\n \"Cannabis and Social Equity Policy\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"Federal Communications Commission\",\n \"FCC\",\n \"CBS\",\n \"the U.S. House of Representatives\",\n \"The National Association of Broadcasters\",\n \"PricewaterhouseCoopers\",\n \"Amazon\",\n \"Google\",\n \"Meta\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the SAFE Banking Act\",\n \"Squashes Democrats’ Efforts\",\n \"the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"Philip Morris International\",\n \"Formula\",\n \"the Chicago Tribune\",\n \"Cresco Inc.\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"the House of Representatives\",\n \"Registered Organization\",\n \"Women-Led Etain Health Acquired\",\n \"RIV Capital\",\n \"Westchester\",\n \"Etain’s Chestertown\",\n \"the Canadian Securities Exchange\",\n \"SEDAR\",\n \"RIV Capital’s\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Heidi Campbell\",\n \"Bob Freeman\",\n \"Freeman\",\n \"@VoteBobFreeman\",\n \"John Ray Clemmons\",\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Tremaine Wright\",\n \"June Chin\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Chuck Schumer\",\n \"Mitch McConnell\",\n \"Ferrari\",\n \"in1936\",\n \"Biden\",\n \"Cameron Field\",\n \"Michael Best’s\",\n \"Etain IP\",\n \"Etain\",\n \"Mark Sims\",\n \"Holdco\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.77,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8819262385368347\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e19efa5de7033377d432\",\n \"title\": \"New York Introduces Cannabis Dispensary Verification Tool\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/new-york-introduces-cannabis-dispensary-verification-tool\",\n \"description\": \"The verification tool is a seal that will be posted on the window’s of dispensaries and will contain a QR code that says “scan to verify,” which consumers can scan to confirm the dispensary is licensed.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-16T15:24:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"As adult-use sales are approaching in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced a cannabis dispensary verification tool Dec. 15, which will allow consumers to know they are purchasing from a state-licensed dispensary. The verification too l is a seal that will be posted on licensed dispensary windows and will contain a QR code that says “scan to verify,” which consumers can scan to confirm the dispensaries license status. New York also plans to introduce a similar tool for cannabis delivery sales in the future, according to a press release . Dispensaries must also have a universal symbol on all product packaging, which will help consumers verify they are purchasing regulated and tested products. Tremaine Wright, chair of the state’s Cannabis Control Board, said having dispensary and product verification tools in place is “critical” for consumers to “know and trust that the new, legal cannabis market offers tested products and follows protocols designed to protect public health. These efforts, combined with rigorous enforcement, will help build a stable, legal marketplace.” Moreover, the state plans to launch a public education campaign titled “Why Buy Legal New York” in Q1 of 2023, which will discuss the risks of purchasing illicit products, the benefits of purchasing regulated products from licensed dispensaries, and how buying illicit products undermine New York’s goals building the “most equitable and inclusive cannabis market in the nation,” according to the release. “It’s critical for New York’s cannabis consumers to understand the risks of buying untested, illicit products and to have the tools to guide them to the safer, legal market that’s poised to open,” Hochul said. “These tools will help to protect public health and strengthen our ability to deliver the equitable cannabis market our law envisions. We will continue to work with our partners in municipalities across the state to enforce the law and shut down illicit operators who are selling products that put New Yorkers at risk.” As New York works to roll out its adult-use program, the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) is implementing a certificate in the Business of Cannabis in spring 2023 to stay on top of market demand and support cannabis career pathways. The certificate in the Business of Cannabis will consist of various courses designed to give students an in-depth understanding of the industry. Industry professionals will teach the courses. The certificate will consist of an introductory course: Overview of the Cannabis Industry and four core foundational courses: Managing a Cannabis Dispensary and the Regulation of Operations; Cannabis Sales and Marketing; The Chemistry of Cannabis: Medicine, Wellness, and Product Use; and Cannabis and Social Equity Policy, according to a press release . Students will also be required to take one elective course. \\\"NYU SPS developed this program in collaboration with industry professionals and thought leaders in the field, many of whom will also teach our courses,” said June Chin, MD, an adjunct professor at the school who will teach The Chemistry of Cannabis: Medicine, Wellness, and Product Use in the Spring. “This certificate provides a distinctive credential for those seeking to develop the skills to transition into this thriving market.” As the United States Congress looks toward its end-of-year checklist, high in priority is the need to pass a new appropriations bill to fund the federal government for another fiscal year. Lawmakers recently passed a one-week extension to pass the bill, with a new deadline of Dec. 23. Part of that bill may enact a change to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) spending that would in practice allow cannabis companies to advertise on FCC-regulated television and radio broadcast networks, such as CBS and Clear Channel. In July of 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill as part of its appropriations package that included a provision prohibiting the FCC from spending federal funding to stop cannabis companies from advertising in states with state-legal marijuana markets. The bill contains other provisions specific to the FCC approval process for broadcast companies and their advertising, but in short, the bill allows for advertising by cannabis companies on FCC-regulated television and radio networks. The National Association of Broadcasters, a trade organization representing television and radio broadcasters, praised the bill when it passed. This is unsurprising given its passage would almost certainly unlock new advertising dollars for broadcasters. Advertising dollars spent on television and radio ads combined have fallen to about half the value spent on digital advertising in recent years. According to a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers , digital advertising in the U.S. is expected to be a $200 billion industry in 2025, while TV will account for just $81 billion, and radio a meager $19 billion. And the gap between digital ad spend and broadcast ad spend is only expected to widen. Broadcast networks, however, will not have much competition for cannabis advertising dollars from digital advertising services, as the major players currently prohibit the marketing of drugs and paraphernalia. Amazon, Alphabet (the parent company of Google) and Meta all have advertising policies that block the cannabis industry from tapping into their platforms, which are currently some of the most popular advertising platforms. Amazon recently reported it increased its global ad revenue from $19 billion to $31 billion from 2020 to 2021, and the three platforms are estimated to receive nearly 50% of all advertising dollars, according to reporting from Digiday . Given the restrictions on digital advertising, the cannabis industry is likely to welcome further advertising opportunities. Currently, not only are cannabis companies prohibited from advertising on federally regulated channels, but also states with legal recreational marijuana markets impose their own state-level advertising restrictions, and often local towns and cities further restrict marketing activities. This leaves a lot of the cannabis industry resorting to advertising techniques that have not been popular since the 1990s–local radio, pamphlets and billboards. Yes, some brands manage to use social media to a certain extent, but many brands have horror stories of getting locked out of their accounts or kicked off social media platforms. So, the addition of traditional FCC-regulated TV and radio as an advertising platform would indeed be the start of a major shift for advertising in the cannabis space. Whether such a change happens will depend on the Senate, which is yet to pass any of its appropriations bills. Passage of this particular provision through the current Senate, however, seems unlikely given the numerous times it has turned down the SAFE Banking Act that would make it easier for federally backed financial institutions to serve the marijuana industry. The tease and fail of passage of the SAFE Banking Act has become somewhat of a joke among lawyers who track marijuana legislation in D.C. (In fact, Sen. Chuck Schumer was in the news at the end of October talking optimistically once again about the prospects of the SAFE Banking Act). If the Senate is finally able to pass the SAFE Banking Act, it would increase the chance that the advertising bill is passed. RELATED: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Squashes Democrats’ Efforts to Add SAFE Banking Provisions to Defense Bill However, even if it does pass, looking to other similar industries, like tobacco and alcohol, shows the cannabis industry will likely only face further hurdles down the road. Tobacco companies used to advertise on FCC-regulated broadcast channels, but such advertisements were banned in 1971. In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took over the regulation of tobacco advertising and instilled further restrictions, such as the prohibition on a tobacco company sponsoring events or teams. Of course, many tobacco companies attempt to skirt these restrictions. (In one recent occurrence, Ferrari took up sponsorship with tobacco maker Philip Morris International through its “Mission Winnow” campaign earlier this year for its Formula I team.) For now, states such as Colorado still allow dispensaries to advertise by sponsoring events. Alcohol advertising provides an interesting comparison to the cannabis industries because, like cannabis, many modern alcohol brands rose to prominence shortly after the end of prohibition. Radio advertisements of liquor were banned in1936 (when radio was a much greater share of advertising than its current status), and in 1958, television ads of liquor brands were similarly banned. These bans were in part orchestrated by the liquor industry itself, which feared that too much too quick could drag the country back into prohibition—a sentiment that has been raised by several individuals in the cannabis industry. The prohibition on liquor advertising ended in the late 1990s, but not without much controversy since. For now, the cannabis industry seems to be following the self-policing practice of the alcohol industry. As the Chicago Tribune reports , several industry heavyweights, such as Cresco Inc. and Green Thumb Industries, have published their own guidelines for advertising. Whether these will be enough to prevent a public backlash against cannabis company advertisements streaming on federal airwaves is yet to be seen, but it is hard to imagine the federal government allowing such advertisements so long as marijuana is still a Schedule I controlled substance. RELATED: Biden's Order to Review Cannabis 'Truly Historic,' But What's at Stake? Even if the bill passes, cannabis advertisers will still face two major hurdles. One: The legislation is tied to the annual federal budget, so it will expire unless passed on an annual basis or more permanent changes are adopted. And two: Broadcasters will still need to gauge other stakeholders’ palates for cannabis regulations. Long before the FDA prohibited tobacco companies from sponsoring events and teams, such sponsorship was already prohibited by major sporting leagues. Changes in federal law, such as the FCC changes proposed by the House of Representatives, in many ways will be just the start of a much longer discussion on how cannabis companies should be allowed to advertise. Cameron Field is the co-leader of Michael Best’s cannabis group and is based in Austin, Texas. He focuses his practice on the cannabis industry, where clients rely on his legal advice to make strategic business decisions, weigh risks, and stay up to date in the rapidly changing hemp and CBD area. He guides clients through complicated regulatory processes and advocates for their interests in administrative, state, and federal courts. TORONTO - December 15, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - RIV Capital Inc. , an acquisition and investment firm with a focus on building a leading multistate platform with one of the strongest portfolios of brands in key strategic U.S. markets, today announced that it has completed the final closing of its previously announced transaction involving Etain, LLC–owner and operator of a legally-licensed Registered Organization with cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facilities, and retail dispensaries in the state of New York–and Etain IP LLC. RELATED: New York’s Women-Led Etain Health Acquired by RIV Capital for $247 Million “With four dispensaries, including a Manhattan flagship store and locations in Kingston, Syracuse and Westchester, as well as a cultivation and production facility in Chestertown, we believe Etain is a strong foundation and a scalable platform for future growth,” said Mark Sims, president and CEO of RIV Capital. “We plan to continue Etain’s collaboration with diverse New York-owned brands, optimize Etain’s attractive retail footprint, and augment Etain’s four premium product lines with high-performing west coast brands. The ongoing expansion of Etain’s Chestertown cultivation facility, which is nearing completion, and our planned flagship indoor cultivation facility in Buffalo, will enable Etain to better serve medical patients and, eventually, adult-use consumers in New York.” Final Closing Transaction Details Under the terms of the transaction, RIV Capital paid the remaining purchase price through a combination of approximately US$42 million in cash and the issuance of 5,273,084 Class A common shares in RIV Capital. Following the final closing, the former owners of Etain hold approximately 16% of the issued and outstanding Class A common shares of RIV Capital. Growth and Expansion Strategy RIV Capital’s long-term strategy is to build a leading multi-state operating and brand platform, with New York serving as the foundation. The company intends to develop and expand new brands and products designed to resonate with the New York consumer, with plans to offer as one of its core brands Etain’s popular product line, which will include new form factors and SKUs in the near future. The expansion of Etain’s Chestertown-based cultivation and production infrastructure, which the company anticipates will be completed by second quarter of calendar year 2023, is designed to increase cultivation capacity and support the development of new product formats in anticipation of the launch of adult-use sales in New York. RIV Capital is also in the process of developing a new, state-of-the-art flagship indoor cultivation facility in Buffalo, designed with premier cultivation and production infrastructure specifically tailored to support the premium New York market. Early Warning Reporting Disclosure BrandCo HoldCo, LLC announced today, pursuant to applicable requirements of Canadian securities laws, that it has acquired 5,273,084 Class A common shares pursuant to the final closing of the Etain transaction. That number of shares was determined not based on the price on the date of issuance but based on the five-day volume-weighted average price of such shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange as of the last trading day prior to the initial announcement of the transaction (March 30, 2022), which was C$1.65 per share and C$8.7 million in the aggregate. The shares issued represents approximately 3% of the issued and outstanding Class A shares of RIV Capital. Prior to the acquisition, HoldCo owned 21,092,335 Class A common shares representing approximately 13% of the issued and outstanding shares of the company. HoldCo completed the acquisition for investment purposes. Subject to applicable laws and the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement entered into by Holdco and the company, HoldCo may acquire additional securities of RIV Capital or may dispose of any or all of its holdings of Class A common shares, from time to time through, among other things, transactions on the open market or in private transactions or otherwise, on such terms and at such times as HoldCo may deem advisable depending upon an ongoing evaluation of the Class A common shares, the company, prevailing market conditions, the availability of Class A common shares at prices that would make the purchase or sale of shares desirable, other investment opportunities, liquidity requirements of HoldCo, respectively, and/or other considerations and in such manner as it deems appropriate. A copy of the early warning report filed by HoldCo in connection with the above will be filed on SEDAR and made available under RIV Capital’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . After protests and litigation derailed Georgia’s medical cannabis program, state regulators issued licenses to two companies in September to allow them to produce low-THC cannabis oil for the state’s registered patients. Now, the Georgia Court of Appeals is set to take up a new legal challenge to the licensing process, again stalling the program. Georgia passed a law in 2015 to allow registered patients to possess low-THC cannabis oil, but the statute did not establish a regulated system for cultivating, processing or dispensing cannabis in the state. RELATED: How Are Georgia’s Medical Marijuana Patients Supposed to Access Cannabis Oil? It wasn’t until 2019 that Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation into law to set up a regulatory framework for the production, processing and sale of medical cannabis oil that contains no more than 5% THC. The 2019 law also established the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, which was tasked with drafting regulations for the industry and licensing up to six private companies to produce the oil and sell it to patients. RELATED: Georgia Will Now Allow the Production and Sale of Low-THC Medical Cannabis Oil Sixty-nine companies applied for the licenses, and regulators tentatively named six license winners in July 2021; Trulieve Georgia, Inc., an affiliate of Florida-based Trulieve Cannabis Corp., and Botanical Sciences LLC, a Glennville-based company, were selected to grow up to 100,000 square feet of medical cannabis, while FFD GA Holdings, TheraTrue Georgia LLC, Natures GA LLC and Treevana Remedy Inc. were chosen to cultivate up to 50,000 square feet. The companies were given one year to begin operations, and each licensee was permitted to open up to five retail locations to serve patients. What followed has been a string of legal challenges and delays. More than a dozen unsuccessful applicants initially filed protests, and the original licensing contracts were never finalized. RELATED: Georgia’s Small Farmers Shut Out During ‘Secretive’ Cannabis Licensing Process, Advocate Says During this year’s legislative session, lawmakers considered legislation to revive the state’s stalled medical cannabis program. The House passed a bill that would have scrapped the six licenses that were awarded last year and restarted the licensing process. The Senate approved separate legislation that would have required the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to license six companies that had previously applied for licenses, but not necessarily the six that were named last year. Lawmakers ultimately shot down the House’s proposal and advanced the Senate bill , but the legislation stalled in April, at the end of the legislative session. Kemp then appointed Sid Johnson, a former state Administrative Services commissioner and a current University of Georgia faculty member, as the new chair of the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to replace former chair Dr. Christopher Edwards; it was unclear whether Edwards’ departure was voluntary. Kemp also announced that his office would allocate $150,000 from the Governor’s Emergency Fund to the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to expedite the hearings on the licensing protests at the Office of State Administrative Hearings. RELATED: Georgia Regulators Move to Expedite Hearings on Medical Cannabis Licensing Protests A judge rejected all the protests in September, which allowed the commission to grant its first two medical cannabis licenses to Botanical Sciences LLC and Trulieve Georgia Inc. later that same month. Progress toward getting the medical cannabis program up and running came to a screeching halt again in October, however, as a court suspended those two licenses in the wake of a new lawsuit alleging that unsuccessful applicants were shut out without due process, according to an 11Alive.com report . Most recently, the Georgia Court of Appeals agreed to allow five unsuccessful applicants to move forward with their challenge of the licensing process, according to a FOX 5 Atlanta report . “The members of the Medical Cannabis Commission knew who the owners were of these companies, who the companies were affiliated with, and they scored in an arbitrary and frankly sometimes nonsensical way,” Kristen Goodman, a Savannah-based attorney who represents the plaintiffs, told the news outlet. RELATED: Medical Cannabis Company Sues Georgia Regulators, Alleges Licensing Process Was Marred By ‘Conflict of Interest’ “Georgians have to know there was no corruption, that none of these licenses was bought,” added Atlanta-based attorney Jake Evans, who is also representing the plaintiffs in the case. The Georgia Court of Appeals will now weigh in on the case, which could take months, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/16/Untitleddesign-2022-12-16T102444417.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the verification too l is a seal that will be posted on licensed dispensary windows and will contain a QR code that says \\\"scan to verify\\\" the state plans to launch a public education campaign titled \\\"Why Buy Legal New York\\\" in Q1 of 2023. the certificate in the Business of Cannabis will consist of various courses designed to give students an in-depth understanding of the industry.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"New York\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"MD\",\n \"United States\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Alphabet\",\n \"D.C.\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Austin\",\n \"Texas\",\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"Manhattan\",\n \"Kingston\",\n \"Syracuse\",\n \"Chestertown\",\n \"Buffalo\",\n \"Georgia\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Atlanta\",\n \"Savannah\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"l\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the NYU School of Professional Studies\",\n \"NYU SPS\",\n \"the Regulation of Operations\",\n \"Cannabis and Social Equity Policy\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"Federal Communications Commission\",\n \"FCC\",\n \"CBS\",\n \"the U.S. House of Representatives\",\n \"The National Association of Broadcasters\",\n \"PricewaterhouseCoopers\",\n \"Amazon\",\n \"Google\",\n \"Meta\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the SAFE Banking Act\",\n \"Squashes Democrats’ Efforts\",\n \"the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"Philip Morris International\",\n \"Formula\",\n \"the Chicago Tribune\",\n \"Cresco Inc.\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"the House of Representatives\",\n \"Registered Organization\",\n \"Women-Led Etain Health Acquired\",\n \"RIV Capital\",\n \"Westchester\",\n \"Etain’s Chestertown\",\n \"the Canadian Securities Exchange\",\n \"SEDAR\",\n \"RIV Capital’s\",\n \"the Georgia Court of Appeals\",\n \"the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"Trulieve Georgia, Inc.\",\n \"Trulieve Cannabis Corp.\",\n \"Botanical Sciences\",\n \"Glennville\",\n \"FFD GA Holdings\",\n \"TheraTrue Georgia LLC\",\n \"Treevana Remedy Inc.\",\n \"House\",\n \"Administrative Services\",\n \"University of Georgia\",\n \"Edwards\",\n \"the Governor’s Emergency Fund\",\n \"the Office of State Administrative Hearings\",\n \"Trulieve Georgia Inc. later\",\n \"FOX 5\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"The Georgia Court of Appeals\",\n \"FOX 5 Atlanta\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Tremaine Wright\",\n \"June Chin\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Chuck Schumer\",\n \"Mitch McConnell\",\n \"Ferrari\",\n \"in1936\",\n \"Biden\",\n \"Cameron Field\",\n \"Michael Best’s\",\n \"Etain IP\",\n \"Etain\",\n \"Mark Sims\",\n \"Holdco\",\n \"Brian Kemp\",\n \"Sid Johnson\",\n \"Christopher Edwards\",\n \"Kemp\",\n \"Expedite Hearings\",\n \"Kristen Goodman\",\n \"Jake Evans\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.77,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9510620832443237\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e191fa5de7033377d42b\",\n \"title\": \"Broadcasters Might Finally Be Able to Advertise Cannabis, But Will They Want To?\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/broadcast-tv-radio-advertising-cannabis-congress-appropriations-bill.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"While Congress is considering a provision that would open up TV and radio advertising for cannabis companies, it’s likely just the start of a much longer discussion on how industry ads should be regulated.\",\n \"author\": \"Cameron Field\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-15T22:02:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"As the United States Congress looks toward its end-of-year checklist, high in priority is the need to pass a new appropriations bill to fund the federal government for another fiscal year. Lawmakers recently passed a one-week extension to pass the bill, with a new deadline of Dec. 23. Part of that bill may enact a change to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) spending that would in practice allow cannabis companies to advertise on FCC-regulated television and radio broadcast networks, such as CBS and Clear Channel. In July of 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill as part of its appropriations package that included a provision prohibiting the FCC from spending federal funding to stop cannabis companies from advertising in states with state-legal marijuana markets. The bill contains other provisions specific to the FCC approval process for broadcast companies and their advertising, but in short, the bill allows for advertising by cannabis companies on FCC-regulated television and radio networks. The National Association of Broadcasters, a trade organization representing television and radio broadcasters, praised the bill when it passed. This is unsurprising given its passage would almost certainly unlock new advertising dollars for broadcasters. Advertising dollars spent on television and radio ads combined have fallen to about half the value spent on digital advertising in recent years. According to a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers , digital advertising in the U.S. is expected to be a $200 billion industry in 2025, while TV will account for just $81 billion, and radio a meager $19 billion. And the gap between digital ad spend and broadcast ad spend is only expected to widen. Broadcast networks, however, will not have much competition for cannabis advertising dollars from digital advertising services, as the major players currently prohibit the marketing of drugs and paraphernalia. Amazon, Alphabet (the parent company of Google) and Meta all have advertising policies that block the cannabis industry from tapping into their platforms, which are currently some of the most popular advertising platforms. Amazon recently reported it increased its global ad revenue from $19 billion to $31 billion from 2020 to 2021, and the three platforms are estimated to receive nearly 50% of all advertising dollars, according to reporting from Digiday . Given the restrictions on digital advertising, the cannabis industry is likely to welcome further advertising opportunities. Currently, not only are cannabis companies prohibited from advertising on federally regulated channels, but also states with legal recreational marijuana markets impose their own state-level advertising restrictions, and often local towns and cities further restrict marketing activities. This leaves a lot of the cannabis industry resorting to advertising techniques that have not been popular since the 1990s–local radio, pamphlets and billboards. Yes, some brands manage to use social media to a certain extent, but many brands have horror stories of getting locked out of their accounts or kicked off social media platforms. So, the addition of traditional FCC-regulated TV and radio as an advertising platform would indeed be the start of a major shift for advertising in the cannabis space. Whether such a change happens will depend on the Senate, which is yet to pass any of its appropriations bills. Passage of this particular provision through the current Senate, however, seems unlikely given the numerous times it has turned down the SAFE Banking Act that would make it easier for federally backed financial institutions to serve the marijuana industry. The tease and fail of passage of the SAFE Banking Act has become somewhat of a joke among lawyers who track marijuana legislation in D.C. (In fact, Sen. Chuck Schumer was in the news at the end of October talking optimistically once again about the prospects of the SAFE Banking Act). If the Senate is finally able to pass the SAFE Banking Act, it would increase the chance that the advertising bill is passed. RELATED: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Squashes Democrats’ Efforts to Add SAFE Banking Provisions to Defense Bill However, even if it does pass, looking to other similar industries, like tobacco and alcohol, shows the cannabis industry will likely only face further hurdles down the road. Tobacco companies used to advertise on FCC-regulated broadcast channels, but such advertisements were banned in 1971. In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took over the regulation of tobacco advertising and instilled further restrictions, such as the prohibition on a tobacco company sponsoring events or teams. Of course, many tobacco companies attempt to skirt these restrictions. (In one recent occurrence, Ferrari took up sponsorship with tobacco maker Philip Morris International through its “Mission Winnow” campaign earlier this year for its Formula I team.) For now, states such as Colorado still allow dispensaries to advertise by sponsoring events. Alcohol advertising provides an interesting comparison to the cannabis industries because, like cannabis, many modern alcohol brands rose to prominence shortly after the end of prohibition. Radio advertisements of liquor were banned in1936 (when radio was a much greater share of advertising than its current status), and in 1958, television ads of liquor brands were similarly banned. These bans were in part orchestrated by the liquor industry itself, which feared that too much too quick could drag the country back into prohibition—a sentiment that has been raised by several individuals in the cannabis industry. The prohibition on liquor advertising ended in the late 1990s, but not without much controversy since. For now, the cannabis industry seems to be following the self-policing practice of the alcohol industry. As the Chicago Tribune reports , several industry heavyweights, such as Cresco Inc. and Green Thumb Industries, have published their own guidelines for advertising. Whether these will be enough to prevent a public backlash against cannabis company advertisements streaming on federal airwaves is yet to be seen, but it is hard to imagine the federal government allowing such advertisements so long as marijuana is still a Schedule I controlled substance. RELATED: Biden's Order to Review Cannabis 'Truly Historic,' But What's at Stake? Even if the bill passes, cannabis advertisers will still face two major hurdles. One: The legislation is tied to the annual federal budget, so it will expire unless passed on an annual basis or more permanent changes are adopted. And two: Broadcasters will still need to gauge other stakeholders’ palates for cannabis regulations. Long before the FDA prohibited tobacco companies from sponsoring events and teams, such sponsorship was already prohibited by major sporting leagues. Changes in federal law, such as the FCC changes proposed by the House of Representatives, in many ways will be just the start of a much longer discussion on how cannabis companies should be allowed to advertise. Cameron Field is the co-leader of Michael Best’s cannabis group and is based in Austin, Texas. He focuses his practice on the cannabis industry, where clients rely on his legal advice to make strategic business decisions, weigh risks, and stay up to date in the rapidly changing hemp and CBD area. He guides clients through complicated regulatory processes and advocates for their interests in administrative, state, and federal courts. TORONTO - December 15, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - RIV Capital Inc. , an acquisition and investment firm with a focus on building a leading multistate platform with one of the strongest portfolios of brands in key strategic U.S. markets, today announced that it has completed the final closing of its previously announced transaction involving Etain, LLC–owner and operator of a legally-licensed Registered Organization with cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facilities, and retail dispensaries in the state of New York–and Etain IP LLC. RELATED: New York’s Women-Led Etain Health Acquired by RIV Capital for $247 Million “With four dispensaries, including a Manhattan flagship store and locations in Kingston, Syracuse and Westchester, as well as a cultivation and production facility in Chestertown, we believe Etain is a strong foundation and a scalable platform for future growth,” said Mark Sims, president and CEO of RIV Capital. “We plan to continue Etain’s collaboration with diverse New York-owned brands, optimize Etain’s attractive retail footprint, and augment Etain’s four premium product lines with high-performing west coast brands. The ongoing expansion of Etain’s Chestertown cultivation facility, which is nearing completion, and our planned flagship indoor cultivation facility in Buffalo, will enable Etain to better serve medical patients and, eventually, adult-use consumers in New York.” Final Closing Transaction Details Under the terms of the transaction, RIV Capital paid the remaining purchase price through a combination of approximately US$42 million in cash and the issuance of 5,273,084 Class A common shares in RIV Capital. Following the final closing, the former owners of Etain hold approximately 16% of the issued and outstanding Class A common shares of RIV Capital. Growth and Expansion Strategy RIV Capital’s long-term strategy is to build a leading multi-state operating and brand platform, with New York serving as the foundation. The company intends to develop and expand new brands and products designed to resonate with the New York consumer, with plans to offer as one of its core brands Etain’s popular product line, which will include new form factors and SKUs in the near future. The expansion of Etain’s Chestertown-based cultivation and production infrastructure, which the company anticipates will be completed by second quarter of calendar year 2023, is designed to increase cultivation capacity and support the development of new product formats in anticipation of the launch of adult-use sales in New York. RIV Capital is also in the process of developing a new, state-of-the-art flagship indoor cultivation facility in Buffalo, designed with premier cultivation and production infrastructure specifically tailored to support the premium New York market. Early Warning Reporting Disclosure BrandCo HoldCo, LLC announced today, pursuant to applicable requirements of Canadian securities laws, that it has acquired 5,273,084 Class A common shares pursuant to the final closing of the Etain transaction. That number of shares was determined not based on the price on the date of issuance but based on the five-day volume-weighted average price of such shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange as of the last trading day prior to the initial announcement of the transaction (March 30, 2022), which was C$1.65 per share and C$8.7 million in the aggregate. The shares issued represents approximately 3% of the issued and outstanding Class A shares of RIV Capital. Prior to the acquisition, HoldCo owned 21,092,335 Class A common shares representing approximately 13% of the issued and outstanding shares of the company. HoldCo completed the acquisition for investment purposes. Subject to applicable laws and the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement entered into by Holdco and the company, HoldCo may acquire additional securities of RIV Capital or may dispose of any or all of its holdings of Class A common shares, from time to time through, among other things, transactions on the open market or in private transactions or otherwise, on such terms and at such times as HoldCo may deem advisable depending upon an ongoing evaluation of the Class A common shares, the company, prevailing market conditions, the availability of Class A common shares at prices that would make the purchase or sale of shares desirable, other investment opportunities, liquidity requirements of HoldCo, respectively, and/or other considerations and in such manner as it deems appropriate. A copy of the early warning report filed by HoldCo in connection with the above will be filed on SEDAR and made available under RIV Capital’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . After protests and litigation derailed Georgia’s medical cannabis program, state regulators issued licenses to two companies in September to allow them to produce low-THC cannabis oil for the state’s registered patients. Now, the Georgia Court of Appeals is set to take up a new legal challenge to the licensing process, again stalling the program. Georgia passed a law in 2015 to allow registered patients to possess low-THC cannabis oil, but the statute did not establish a regulated system for cultivating, processing or dispensing cannabis in the state. RELATED: How Are Georgia’s Medical Marijuana Patients Supposed to Access Cannabis Oil? It wasn’t until 2019 that Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation into law to set up a regulatory framework for the production, processing and sale of medical cannabis oil that contains no more than 5% THC. The 2019 law also established the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, which was tasked with drafting regulations for the industry and licensing up to six private companies to produce the oil and sell it to patients. RELATED: Georgia Will Now Allow the Production and Sale of Low-THC Medical Cannabis Oil Sixty-nine companies applied for the licenses, and regulators tentatively named six license winners in July 2021; Trulieve Georgia, Inc., an affiliate of Florida-based Trulieve Cannabis Corp., and Botanical Sciences LLC, a Glennville-based company, were selected to grow up to 100,000 square feet of medical cannabis, while FFD GA Holdings, TheraTrue Georgia LLC, Natures GA LLC and Treevana Remedy Inc. were chosen to cultivate up to 50,000 square feet. The companies were given one year to begin operations, and each licensee was permitted to open up to five retail locations to serve patients. What followed has been a string of legal challenges and delays. More than a dozen unsuccessful applicants initially filed protests, and the original licensing contracts were never finalized. RELATED: Georgia’s Small Farmers Shut Out During ‘Secretive’ Cannabis Licensing Process, Advocate Says During this year’s legislative session, lawmakers considered legislation to revive the state’s stalled medical cannabis program. The House passed a bill that would have scrapped the six licenses that were awarded last year and restarted the licensing process. The Senate approved separate legislation that would have required the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to license six companies that had previously applied for licenses, but not necessarily the six that were named last year. Lawmakers ultimately shot down the House’s proposal and advanced the Senate bill , but the legislation stalled in April, at the end of the legislative session. Kemp then appointed Sid Johnson, a former state Administrative Services commissioner and a current University of Georgia faculty member, as the new chair of the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to replace former chair Dr. Christopher Edwards; it was unclear whether Edwards’ departure was voluntary. Kemp also announced that his office would allocate $150,000 from the Governor’s Emergency Fund to the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to expedite the hearings on the licensing protests at the Office of State Administrative Hearings. RELATED: Georgia Regulators Move to Expedite Hearings on Medical Cannabis Licensing Protests A judge rejected all the protests in September, which allowed the commission to grant its first two medical cannabis licenses to Botanical Sciences LLC and Trulieve Georgia Inc. later that same month. Progress toward getting the medical cannabis program up and running came to a screeching halt again in October, however, as a court suspended those two licenses in the wake of a new lawsuit alleging that unsuccessful applicants were shut out without due process, according to an 11Alive.com report . Most recently, the Georgia Court of Appeals agreed to allow five unsuccessful applicants to move forward with their challenge of the licensing process, according to a FOX 5 Atlanta report . “The members of the Medical Cannabis Commission knew who the owners were of these companies, who the companies were affiliated with, and they scored in an arbitrary and frankly sometimes nonsensical way,” Kristen Goodman, a Savannah-based attorney who represents the plaintiffs, told the news outlet. RELATED: Medical Cannabis Company Sues Georgia Regulators, Alleges Licensing Process Was Marred By ‘Conflict of Interest’ “Georgians have to know there was no corruption, that none of these licenses was bought,” added Atlanta-based attorney Jake Evans, who is also representing the plaintiffs in the case. The Georgia Court of Appeals will now weigh in on the case, which could take months, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Dec. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Trulieve Cannabis Corp ., a U.S. cannabis company, announced their partnership with California-based Connected Cannabis and AlienLabs. As part of the announcement, Trulieve is the exclusive provider of Connected Branded products throughout Florida. \\\"Trulieve consistently seeks ways to introduce new products and better serve our patients,\\\" said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve. \\\"Connected and AlienLabs represent a portfolio of top-shelf strains that have benefited medical patients in other states, and we're now excited to exclusively offer these products exclusively in Florida.\\\" AlienLabs is well-known for its flower strains with a focus on top-shelf, exotic, indoor cannabis. As one of the first California cannabis brands, AlienLabs has established a reputation for pushing quality to new heights in cannabis and takes pride in creating new, unique strains with a menu where each strain is distinct. Two strains, Xeno and Kryptochronic, will be available at select Trulieve Florida locations beginning Dec. 15. Connected Cannabis offers high-quality cannabis by developing different cultivation techniques to create the strains they are now best known for in the California market. Three strains, El Jefe, Gelonade, and Nightshade, will be available at select Trulieve Florida locations beginning Dec. 20. As the state's leading medical cannabis provider, Trulieve patients across Florida can choose from the largest selection of THC and CBD products available in a variety of consumption methods, including smokable flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules, syringes, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more. For more information, or to learn how to become a registered patient, please visit Trulieve.com and connect on Instagram or Facebook . More information on Connected can be found at connectedcannabisco.com or on Instagram @connected.california . Learn more about AlienLabs at alienlabs.org or on Instagram @alienlabs . While a class action lawsuit unfolds over its worker layoffs in Florida, Trulieve announced this week it is also reducing staff at its McKeesport, Pa., cultivation and processing facility in Allegheny County, just outside of Pittsburgh. The McKeesport worker cuts are due to greater efficiencies throughout the company’s operations, a Trulieve spokesperson said, ABC-affiliate WTAE reported. Trulieve officials did not say how many employees are affected, but the company will offer severance pay to those not able to move to other positions, the news outlet reported. The Tallahassee, Fla.-based multistate cannabis operator acquired three buildings in McKeesport totaling more than 228,000 square feet, along with U.S. Steel’s former Guard House and 37 acres in land parcels, in an October 2021 transaction with the Regional Industrial Development Corp. (RIDC), a nonprofit dedicated to acquiring and redeveloping abandoned property like the steel mills. At the time of that deal—which came with the help of a $2 million state redevelopment grant to assist in an expansion—Trulieve had planned to build a cultivation and processing facility comprising of more than 500,000 square feet and anticipated employing roughly 800 people, according to an RIDC press release . “Trulieve’s expansion will help them meet the demands of their customers all while creating family sustaining jobs for Mon Valley residents,” former state Rep. Austin Davis, whose 35th District encompasses McKeesport, said at the time. Davis, who helped secure the $2 million grant, is the lieutenant governor-elect of Pennsylvania. The news in McKeesport comes after employees impacted by Trulieve layoffs in Gadsden County, Fla., near the company’s headquarters, filed a class action lawsuit earlier this month against Trulieve, alleging that the company did not provide the required Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice regarding the terminations. Trulieve disputes the allegations. In addition to its cultivation and processing footprint in Pennsylvania, Trulieve has 19 dispensaries with one more coming soon in Keystone State. The McKeesport layoff announcement came one day after Trulieve launched Khalifa Kush medical cannabis products statewide on Dec. 12 in partnership with recording artist Wiz Khalifa, who made a personal appearance at the company’s Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill location to promote the launch. The McKeesport layoffs also come a month after Trulieve contributed another $5 million toward Smart & Safe Florida , a political committee driving a 2024 ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis in Florida. Trulieve has contributed $15 million toward that effort since August.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/15/cannabisTVsljubisaadobestock.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"lawmakers recently passed a one-week extension to pass the bill, with a new deadline of Dec. 23. part of the bill may enact a change to federal communications commission (fcc) spending that would in practice allow cannabis companies to advertise on FCC-regulated television and radio broadcast networks.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"United States\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Alphabet\",\n \"D.C.\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Austin\",\n \"Texas\",\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"New York\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"Manhattan\",\n \"Kingston\",\n \"Syracuse\",\n \"Chestertown\",\n \"Buffalo\",\n \"Georgia\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Atlanta\",\n \"Savannah\",\n \"TALLAHASSEE\",\n \"Fla.\",\n \"California\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Pa.\",\n \"Allegheny County\",\n \"Pittsburgh\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Gadsden County\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Congress\",\n \"Federal Communications Commission\",\n \"FCC\",\n \"CBS\",\n \"the U.S. House of Representatives\",\n \"The National Association of Broadcasters\",\n \"PricewaterhouseCoopers\",\n \"Amazon\",\n \"Google\",\n \"Meta\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the SAFE Banking Act\",\n \"Squashes Democrats’ Efforts\",\n \"the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"Philip Morris International\",\n \"Formula\",\n \"the Chicago Tribune\",\n \"Cresco Inc.\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"the House of Representatives\",\n \"Registered Organization\",\n \"Women-Led Etain Health Acquired\",\n \"RIV Capital\",\n \"Westchester\",\n \"Etain’s Chestertown\",\n \"the Canadian Securities Exchange\",\n \"SEDAR\",\n \"RIV Capital’s\",\n \"the Georgia Court of Appeals\",\n \"the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"Trulieve Georgia, Inc.\",\n \"Trulieve Cannabis Corp.\",\n \"Botanical Sciences\",\n \"Glennville\",\n \"FFD GA Holdings\",\n \"TheraTrue Georgia LLC\",\n \"Treevana Remedy Inc.\",\n \"House\",\n \"Administrative Services\",\n \"University of Georgia\",\n \"Edwards\",\n \"the Governor’s Emergency Fund\",\n \"the Office of State Administrative Hearings\",\n \"Trulieve Georgia Inc. later\",\n \"FOX 5\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"The Georgia Court of Appeals\",\n \"FOX 5 Atlanta\",\n \"Trulieve Cannabis Corp .\",\n \"Connected Cannabis\",\n \"AlienLabs\",\n \"Connected Branded\",\n \"El Jefe, Gelonade\",\n \"Nightshade\",\n \"Trulieve.com\",\n \"ABC\",\n \"WTAE\",\n \"U.S. Steel’s\",\n \"Guard House\",\n \"the Regional Industrial Development Corp.\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Worker Adjustment\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"Smart & Safe Florida\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Chuck Schumer\",\n \"Mitch McConnell\",\n \"Ferrari\",\n \"in1936\",\n \"Biden\",\n \"Cameron Field\",\n \"Michael Best’s\",\n \"Etain IP\",\n \"Etain\",\n \"Mark Sims\",\n \"Holdco\",\n \"Brian Kemp\",\n \"Sid Johnson\",\n \"Christopher Edwards\",\n \"Kemp\",\n \"Expedite Hearings\",\n \"Kristen Goodman\",\n \"Jake Evans\",\n \"Kim Rivers\",\n \"Kryptochronic\",\n \"Austin Davis\",\n \"Davis\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Wiz Khalifa\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.78,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9237403273582458\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1aefa5de7033377d43a\",\n \"title\": \"RIV Capital Completes Final Closing of Previously Announced Etain Transaction\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/riv-capital-completes-final-closing-etain-transaction.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The transformative transaction establishes a foundation for the company’s platform as\\r\\nEtain is one of only 10 vertically integrated operators in New York.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-15T21:51:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"TORONTO - December 15, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - RIV Capital Inc. , an acquisition and investment firm with a focus on building a leading multistate platform with one of the strongest portfolios of brands in key strategic U.S. markets, today announced that it has completed the final closing of its previously announced transaction involving Etain, LLC–owner and operator of a legally-licensed Registered Organization with cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facilities, and retail dispensaries in the state of New York–and Etain IP LLC. RELATED: New York’s Women-Led Etain Health Acquired by RIV Capital for $247 Million “With four dispensaries, including a Manhattan flagship store and locations in Kingston, Syracuse and Westchester, as well as a cultivation and production facility in Chestertown, we believe Etain is a strong foundation and a scalable platform for future growth,” said Mark Sims, president and CEO of RIV Capital. “We plan to continue Etain’s collaboration with diverse New York-owned brands, optimize Etain’s attractive retail footprint, and augment Etain’s four premium product lines with high-performing west coast brands. The ongoing expansion of Etain’s Chestertown cultivation facility, which is nearing completion, and our planned flagship indoor cultivation facility in Buffalo, will enable Etain to better serve medical patients and, eventually, adult-use consumers in New York.” Final Closing Transaction Details Under the terms of the transaction, RIV Capital paid the remaining purchase price through a combination of approximately US$42 million in cash and the issuance of 5,273,084 Class A common shares in RIV Capital. Following the final closing, the former owners of Etain hold approximately 16% of the issued and outstanding Class A common shares of RIV Capital. Growth and Expansion Strategy RIV Capital’s long-term strategy is to build a leading multi-state operating and brand platform, with New York serving as the foundation. The company intends to develop and expand new brands and products designed to resonate with the New York consumer, with plans to offer as one of its core brands Etain’s popular product line, which will include new form factors and SKUs in the near future. The expansion of Etain’s Chestertown-based cultivation and production infrastructure, which the company anticipates will be completed by second quarter of calendar year 2023, is designed to increase cultivation capacity and support the development of new product formats in anticipation of the launch of adult-use sales in New York. RIV Capital is also in the process of developing a new, state-of-the-art flagship indoor cultivation facility in Buffalo, designed with premier cultivation and production infrastructure specifically tailored to support the premium New York market. Early Warning Reporting Disclosure BrandCo HoldCo, LLC announced today, pursuant to applicable requirements of Canadian securities laws, that it has acquired 5,273,084 Class A common shares pursuant to the final closing of the Etain transaction. That number of shares was determined not based on the price on the date of issuance but based on the five-day volume-weighted average price of such shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange as of the last trading day prior to the initial announcement of the transaction (March 30, 2022), which was C$1.65 per share and C$8.7 million in the aggregate. The shares issued represents approximately 3% of the issued and outstanding Class A shares of RIV Capital. Prior to the acquisition, HoldCo owned 21,092,335 Class A common shares representing approximately 13% of the issued and outstanding shares of the company. HoldCo completed the acquisition for investment purposes. Subject to applicable laws and the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement entered into by Holdco and the company, HoldCo may acquire additional securities of RIV Capital or may dispose of any or all of its holdings of Class A common shares, from time to time through, among other things, transactions on the open market or in private transactions or otherwise, on such terms and at such times as HoldCo may deem advisable depending upon an ongoing evaluation of the Class A common shares, the company, prevailing market conditions, the availability of Class A common shares at prices that would make the purchase or sale of shares desirable, other investment opportunities, liquidity requirements of HoldCo, respectively, and/or other considerations and in such manner as it deems appropriate. A copy of the early warning report filed by HoldCo in connection with the above will be filed on SEDAR and made available under RIV Capital’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . After protests and litigation derailed Georgia’s medical cannabis program, state regulators issued licenses to two companies in September to allow them to produce low-THC cannabis oil for the state’s registered patients. Now, the Georgia Court of Appeals is set to take up a new legal challenge to the licensing process, again stalling the program. Georgia passed a law in 2015 to allow registered patients to possess low-THC cannabis oil, but the statute did not establish a regulated system for cultivating, processing or dispensing cannabis in the state. RELATED: How Are Georgia’s Medical Marijuana Patients Supposed to Access Cannabis Oil? It wasn’t until 2019 that Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation into law to set up a regulatory framework for the production, processing and sale of medical cannabis oil that contains no more than 5% THC. The 2019 law also established the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, which was tasked with drafting regulations for the industry and licensing up to six private companies to produce the oil and sell it to patients. RELATED: Georgia Will Now Allow the Production and Sale of Low-THC Medical Cannabis Oil Sixty-nine companies applied for the licenses, and regulators tentatively named six license winners in July 2021; Trulieve Georgia, Inc., an affiliate of Florida-based Trulieve Cannabis Corp., and Botanical Sciences LLC, a Glennville-based company, were selected to grow up to 100,000 square feet of medical cannabis, while FFD GA Holdings, TheraTrue Georgia LLC, Natures GA LLC and Treevana Remedy Inc. were chosen to cultivate up to 50,000 square feet. The companies were given one year to begin operations, and each licensee was permitted to open up to five retail locations to serve patients. What followed has been a string of legal challenges and delays. More than a dozen unsuccessful applicants initially filed protests, and the original licensing contracts were never finalized. RELATED: Georgia’s Small Farmers Shut Out During ‘Secretive’ Cannabis Licensing Process, Advocate Says During this year’s legislative session, lawmakers considered legislation to revive the state’s stalled medical cannabis program. The House passed a bill that would have scrapped the six licenses that were awarded last year and restarted the licensing process. The Senate approved separate legislation that would have required the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to license six companies that had previously applied for licenses, but not necessarily the six that were named last year. Lawmakers ultimately shot down the House’s proposal and advanced the Senate bill , but the legislation stalled in April, at the end of the legislative session. Kemp then appointed Sid Johnson, a former state Administrative Services commissioner and a current University of Georgia faculty member, as the new chair of the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to replace former chair Dr. Christopher Edwards; it was unclear whether Edwards’ departure was voluntary. Kemp also announced that his office would allocate $150,000 from the Governor’s Emergency Fund to the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to expedite the hearings on the licensing protests at the Office of State Administrative Hearings. RELATED: Georgia Regulators Move to Expedite Hearings on Medical Cannabis Licensing Protests A judge rejected all the protests in September, which allowed the commission to grant its first two medical cannabis licenses to Botanical Sciences LLC and Trulieve Georgia Inc. later that same month. Progress toward getting the medical cannabis program up and running came to a screeching halt again in October, however, as a court suspended those two licenses in the wake of a new lawsuit alleging that unsuccessful applicants were shut out without due process, according to an 11Alive.com report . Most recently, the Georgia Court of Appeals agreed to allow five unsuccessful applicants to move forward with their challenge of the licensing process, according to a FOX 5 Atlanta report . “The members of the Medical Cannabis Commission knew who the owners were of these companies, who the companies were affiliated with, and they scored in an arbitrary and frankly sometimes nonsensical way,” Kristen Goodman, a Savannah-based attorney who represents the plaintiffs, told the news outlet. RELATED: Medical Cannabis Company Sues Georgia Regulators, Alleges Licensing Process Was Marred By ‘Conflict of Interest’ “Georgians have to know there was no corruption, that none of these licenses was bought,” added Atlanta-based attorney Jake Evans, who is also representing the plaintiffs in the case. The Georgia Court of Appeals will now weigh in on the case, which could take months, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Dec. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Trulieve Cannabis Corp ., a U.S. cannabis company, announced their partnership with California-based Connected Cannabis and AlienLabs. As part of the announcement, Trulieve is the exclusive provider of Connected Branded products throughout Florida. \\\"Trulieve consistently seeks ways to introduce new products and better serve our patients,\\\" said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve. \\\"Connected and AlienLabs represent a portfolio of top-shelf strains that have benefited medical patients in other states, and we're now excited to exclusively offer these products exclusively in Florida.\\\" AlienLabs is well-known for its flower strains with a focus on top-shelf, exotic, indoor cannabis. As one of the first California cannabis brands, AlienLabs has established a reputation for pushing quality to new heights in cannabis and takes pride in creating new, unique strains with a menu where each strain is distinct. Two strains, Xeno and Kryptochronic, will be available at select Trulieve Florida locations beginning Dec. 15. Connected Cannabis offers high-quality cannabis by developing different cultivation techniques to create the strains they are now best known for in the California market. Three strains, El Jefe, Gelonade, and Nightshade, will be available at select Trulieve Florida locations beginning Dec. 20. As the state's leading medical cannabis provider, Trulieve patients across Florida can choose from the largest selection of THC and CBD products available in a variety of consumption methods, including smokable flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules, syringes, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more. For more information, or to learn how to become a registered patient, please visit Trulieve.com and connect on Instagram or Facebook . More information on Connected can be found at connectedcannabisco.com or on Instagram @connected.california . Learn more about AlienLabs at alienlabs.org or on Instagram @alienlabs . While a class action lawsuit unfolds over its worker layoffs in Florida, Trulieve announced this week it is also reducing staff at its McKeesport, Pa., cultivation and processing facility in Allegheny County, just outside of Pittsburgh. The McKeesport worker cuts are due to greater efficiencies throughout the company’s operations, a Trulieve spokesperson said, ABC-affiliate WTAE reported. Trulieve officials did not say how many employees are affected, but the company will offer severance pay to those not able to move to other positions, the news outlet reported. The Tallahassee, Fla.-based multistate cannabis operator acquired three buildings in McKeesport totaling more than 228,000 square feet, along with U.S. Steel’s former Guard House and 37 acres in land parcels, in an October 2021 transaction with the Regional Industrial Development Corp. (RIDC), a nonprofit dedicated to acquiring and redeveloping abandoned property like the steel mills. At the time of that deal—which came with the help of a $2 million state redevelopment grant to assist in an expansion—Trulieve had planned to build a cultivation and processing facility comprising of more than 500,000 square feet and anticipated employing roughly 800 people, according to an RIDC press release . “Trulieve’s expansion will help them meet the demands of their customers all while creating family sustaining jobs for Mon Valley residents,” former state Rep. Austin Davis, whose 35th District encompasses McKeesport, said at the time. Davis, who helped secure the $2 million grant, is the lieutenant governor-elect of Pennsylvania. The news in McKeesport comes after employees impacted by Trulieve layoffs in Gadsden County, Fla., near the company’s headquarters, filed a class action lawsuit earlier this month against Trulieve, alleging that the company did not provide the required Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice regarding the terminations. Trulieve disputes the allegations. In addition to its cultivation and processing footprint in Pennsylvania, Trulieve has 19 dispensaries with one more coming soon in Keystone State. The McKeesport layoff announcement came one day after Trulieve launched Khalifa Kush medical cannabis products statewide on Dec. 12 in partnership with recording artist Wiz Khalifa, who made a personal appearance at the company’s Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill location to promote the launch. The McKeesport layoffs also come a month after Trulieve contributed another $5 million toward Smart & Safe Florida , a political committee driving a 2024 ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis in Florida. Trulieve has contributed $15 million toward that effort since August. KANHA Nano gummies have expanded to Thailand, marking the first U.S. cannabis edibles to be available in Asia. The gummies are produced by Sunderstorm, a California-based cannabis product manufacturer, in partnership with Geocann, a global cannabis research organization. KANHA edibles, which utilize Geocann’s VESIsorb delivery system technology, launched in the U.S. in 2019 and are currently available in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Nevada. Sunderstorm will work with THCG Group, a Thailand-based, vertically integrated medical cannabis licensee who will cultivate, produce and distribute KANHA edibles throughout the country, according to a release . “Our partnership with Geocann is the platform for providing consumers around the world with safe and effective products that are validated in both peer-reviewed and well-designed pilot studies,” said Sunderstorm CEO Cameron Clarke. “The global demand for fast-acting and high-bioavailable cannabis products has increased dramatically, and leveraging Geocann’s VESIsorb technology allows us to become a dominant global cannabis brand where we can improve the lives of millions of consumers in the U.S. and key international markets.” The companies’ edibles expansion to Asia comes in the wake of Thailand legalizing cannabis in June. “Sunderstorm has pioneered the fast-acting edibles market in the U.S. and has championed VESIsorb technology-based cannabis formulations to deliver superior Kanha products that have gained a loyal customer following,” said Geocann Founder and CEO Jesse Lopez. “We are committed to their continued success and prepared to support their international expansion as we remain focused on novel cannabis research and innovative product development that provides valuable brand differentiation for our partners around the world.”\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"RIV Capital has completed the final closing of its previously announced transaction involving Etain, LLC and Etain IP LLC. the former owners of Etain hold approximately 16% of the issued and outstanding Class A common shares of RIV Capital. the company intends to develop and expand new brands and products designed to resonate with the new york consumer.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"New York\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"Manhattan\",\n \"Kingston\",\n \"Syracuse\",\n \"Chestertown\",\n \"Buffalo\",\n \"Georgia\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Atlanta\",\n \"Savannah\",\n \"TALLAHASSEE\",\n \"Fla.\",\n \"California\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Pa.\",\n \"Allegheny County\",\n \"Pittsburgh\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Gadsden County\",\n \"Thailand\",\n \"VESIsorb\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Nevada\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Registered Organization\",\n \"Women-Led Etain Health Acquired\",\n \"RIV Capital\",\n \"Westchester\",\n \"Etain’s Chestertown\",\n \"the Canadian Securities Exchange\",\n \"SEDAR\",\n \"RIV Capital’s\",\n \"the Georgia Court of Appeals\",\n \"the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"Trulieve Georgia, Inc.\",\n \"Trulieve Cannabis Corp.\",\n \"Botanical Sciences\",\n \"Glennville\",\n \"FFD GA Holdings\",\n \"TheraTrue Georgia LLC\",\n \"Treevana Remedy Inc.\",\n \"House\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"Administrative Services\",\n \"University of Georgia\",\n \"Edwards\",\n \"the Governor’s Emergency Fund\",\n \"the Office of State Administrative Hearings\",\n \"Trulieve Georgia Inc. later\",\n \"FOX 5\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"The Georgia Court of Appeals\",\n \"FOX 5 Atlanta\",\n \"Trulieve Cannabis Corp .\",\n \"Connected Cannabis\",\n \"AlienLabs\",\n \"Connected Branded\",\n \"El Jefe, Gelonade\",\n \"Nightshade\",\n \"Trulieve.com\",\n \"ABC\",\n \"WTAE\",\n \"U.S. Steel’s\",\n \"Guard House\",\n \"the Regional Industrial Development Corp.\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Worker Adjustment\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"Smart & Safe Florida\",\n \"Geocann\",\n \"THCG Group\",\n \"VESIsorb\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Etain IP\",\n \"Etain\",\n \"Mark Sims\",\n \"Holdco\",\n \"Brian Kemp\",\n \"Sid Johnson\",\n \"Christopher Edwards\",\n \"Kemp\",\n \"Expedite Hearings\",\n \"Kristen Goodman\",\n \"Jake Evans\",\n \"Kim Rivers\",\n \"Kryptochronic\",\n \"Austin Davis\",\n \"Davis\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Wiz Khalifa\",\n \"Nano\",\n \"Geocann\",\n \"Cameron Clarke\",\n \"Geocann Founder\",\n \"Jesse Lopez\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.84,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8636027574539185\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1affa5de7033377d43b\",\n \"title\": \"Georgia Court of Appeals Will Take Up Challenge to Medical Cannabis Licensing Process\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/georgia-court-of-appeals-challenge-to-medical-cannabis-licensing-process.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Regulators granted licenses to two companies in September, but a legal challenge quickly followed, again stalling Georgia’s medical cannabis program.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-15T19:34:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"After protests and litigation derailed Georgia’s medical cannabis program, state regulators issued licenses to two companies in September to allow them to produce low-THC cannabis oil for the state’s registered patients. Now, the Georgia Court of Appeals is set to take up a new legal challenge to the licensing process, again stalling the program. Georgia passed a law in 2015 to allow registered patients to possess low-THC cannabis oil, but the statute did not establish a regulated system for cultivating, processing or dispensing cannabis in the state. RELATED: How Are Georgia’s Medical Marijuana Patients Supposed to Access Cannabis Oil? It wasn’t until 2019 that Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation into law to set up a regulatory framework for the production, processing and sale of medical cannabis oil that contains no more than 5% THC. The 2019 law also established the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, which was tasked with drafting regulations for the industry and licensing up to six private companies to produce the oil and sell it to patients. RELATED: Georgia Will Now Allow the Production and Sale of Low-THC Medical Cannabis Oil Sixty-nine companies applied for the licenses, and regulators tentatively named six license winners in July 2021; Trulieve Georgia, Inc., an affiliate of Florida-based Trulieve Cannabis Corp., and Botanical Sciences LLC, a Glennville-based company, were selected to grow up to 100,000 square feet of medical cannabis, while FFD GA Holdings, TheraTrue Georgia LLC, Natures GA LLC and Treevana Remedy Inc. were chosen to cultivate up to 50,000 square feet. The companies were given one year to begin operations, and each licensee was permitted to open up to five retail locations to serve patients. What followed has been a string of legal challenges and delays. More than a dozen unsuccessful applicants initially filed protests, and the original licensing contracts were never finalized. RELATED: Georgia’s Small Farmers Shut Out During ‘Secretive’ Cannabis Licensing Process, Advocate Says During this year’s legislative session, lawmakers considered legislation to revive the state’s stalled medical cannabis program. The House passed a bill that would have scrapped the six licenses that were awarded last year and restarted the licensing process. The Senate approved separate legislation that would have required the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to license six companies that had previously applied for licenses, but not necessarily the six that were named last year. Lawmakers ultimately shot down the House’s proposal and advanced the Senate bill , but the legislation stalled in April, at the end of the legislative session. Kemp then appointed Sid Johnson, a former state Administrative Services commissioner and a current University of Georgia faculty member, as the new chair of the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to replace former chair Dr. Christopher Edwards; it was unclear whether Edwards’ departure was voluntary. Kemp also announced that his office would allocate $150,000 from the Governor’s Emergency Fund to the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission to expedite the hearings on the licensing protests at the Office of State Administrative Hearings. RELATED: Georgia Regulators Move to Expedite Hearings on Medical Cannabis Licensing Protests A judge rejected all the protests in September, which allowed the commission to grant its first two medical cannabis licenses to Botanical Sciences LLC and Trulieve Georgia Inc. later that same month. Progress toward getting the medical cannabis program up and running came to a screeching halt again in October, however, as a court suspended those two licenses in the wake of a new lawsuit alleging that unsuccessful applicants were shut out without due process, according to an 11Alive.com report . Most recently, the Georgia Court of Appeals agreed to allow five unsuccessful applicants to move forward with their challenge of the licensing process, according to a FOX 5 Atlanta report . “The members of the Medical Cannabis Commission knew who the owners were of these companies, who the companies were affiliated with, and they scored in an arbitrary and frankly sometimes nonsensical way,” Kristen Goodman, a Savannah-based attorney who represents the plaintiffs, told the news outlet. RELATED: Medical Cannabis Company Sues Georgia Regulators, Alleges Licensing Process Was Marred By ‘Conflict of Interest’ “Georgians have to know there was no corruption, that none of these licenses was bought,” added Atlanta-based attorney Jake Evans, who is also representing the plaintiffs in the case. The Georgia Court of Appeals will now weigh in on the case, which could take months, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Dec. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Trulieve Cannabis Corp ., a U.S. cannabis company, announced their partnership with California-based Connected Cannabis and AlienLabs. As part of the announcement, Trulieve is the exclusive provider of Connected Branded products throughout Florida. \\\"Trulieve consistently seeks ways to introduce new products and better serve our patients,\\\" said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve. \\\"Connected and AlienLabs represent a portfolio of top-shelf strains that have benefited medical patients in other states, and we're now excited to exclusively offer these products exclusively in Florida.\\\" AlienLabs is well-known for its flower strains with a focus on top-shelf, exotic, indoor cannabis. As one of the first California cannabis brands, AlienLabs has established a reputation for pushing quality to new heights in cannabis and takes pride in creating new, unique strains with a menu where each strain is distinct. Two strains, Xeno and Kryptochronic, will be available at select Trulieve Florida locations beginning Dec. 15. Connected Cannabis offers high-quality cannabis by developing different cultivation techniques to create the strains they are now best known for in the California market. Three strains, El Jefe, Gelonade, and Nightshade, will be available at select Trulieve Florida locations beginning Dec. 20. As the state's leading medical cannabis provider, Trulieve patients across Florida can choose from the largest selection of THC and CBD products available in a variety of consumption methods, including smokable flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules, syringes, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more. For more information, or to learn how to become a registered patient, please visit Trulieve.com and connect on Instagram or Facebook . More information on Connected can be found at connectedcannabisco.com or on Instagram @connected.california . Learn more about AlienLabs at alienlabs.org or on Instagram @alienlabs . While a class action lawsuit unfolds over its worker layoffs in Florida, Trulieve announced this week it is also reducing staff at its McKeesport, Pa., cultivation and processing facility in Allegheny County, just outside of Pittsburgh. The McKeesport worker cuts are due to greater efficiencies throughout the company’s operations, a Trulieve spokesperson said, ABC-affiliate WTAE reported. Trulieve officials did not say how many employees are affected, but the company will offer severance pay to those not able to move to other positions, the news outlet reported. The Tallahassee, Fla.-based multistate cannabis operator acquired three buildings in McKeesport totaling more than 228,000 square feet, along with U.S. Steel’s former Guard House and 37 acres in land parcels, in an October 2021 transaction with the Regional Industrial Development Corp. (RIDC), a nonprofit dedicated to acquiring and redeveloping abandoned property like the steel mills. At the time of that deal—which came with the help of a $2 million state redevelopment grant to assist in an expansion—Trulieve had planned to build a cultivation and processing facility comprising of more than 500,000 square feet and anticipated employing roughly 800 people, according to an RIDC press release . “Trulieve’s expansion will help them meet the demands of their customers all while creating family sustaining jobs for Mon Valley residents,” former state Rep. Austin Davis, whose 35th District encompasses McKeesport, said at the time. Davis, who helped secure the $2 million grant, is the lieutenant governor-elect of Pennsylvania. The news in McKeesport comes after employees impacted by Trulieve layoffs in Gadsden County, Fla., near the company’s headquarters, filed a class action lawsuit earlier this month against Trulieve, alleging that the company did not provide the required Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice regarding the terminations. Trulieve disputes the allegations. In addition to its cultivation and processing footprint in Pennsylvania, Trulieve has 19 dispensaries with one more coming soon in Keystone State. The McKeesport layoff announcement came one day after Trulieve launched Khalifa Kush medical cannabis products statewide on Dec. 12 in partnership with recording artist Wiz Khalifa, who made a personal appearance at the company’s Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill location to promote the launch. The McKeesport layoffs also come a month after Trulieve contributed another $5 million toward Smart & Safe Florida , a political committee driving a 2024 ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis in Florida. Trulieve has contributed $15 million toward that effort since August. KANHA Nano gummies have expanded to Thailand, marking the first U.S. cannabis edibles to be available in Asia. The gummies are produced by Sunderstorm, a California-based cannabis product manufacturer, in partnership with Geocann, a global cannabis research organization. KANHA edibles, which utilize Geocann’s VESIsorb delivery system technology, launched in the U.S. in 2019 and are currently available in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Nevada. Sunderstorm will work with THCG Group, a Thailand-based, vertically integrated medical cannabis licensee who will cultivate, produce and distribute KANHA edibles throughout the country, according to a release . “Our partnership with Geocann is the platform for providing consumers around the world with safe and effective products that are validated in both peer-reviewed and well-designed pilot studies,” said Sunderstorm CEO Cameron Clarke. “The global demand for fast-acting and high-bioavailable cannabis products has increased dramatically, and leveraging Geocann’s VESIsorb technology allows us to become a dominant global cannabis brand where we can improve the lives of millions of consumers in the U.S. and key international markets.” The companies’ edibles expansion to Asia comes in the wake of Thailand legalizing cannabis in June. “Sunderstorm has pioneered the fast-acting edibles market in the U.S. and has championed VESIsorb technology-based cannabis formulations to deliver superior Kanha products that have gained a loyal customer following,” said Geocann Founder and CEO Jesse Lopez. “We are committed to their continued success and prepared to support their international expansion as we remain focused on novel cannabis research and innovative product development that provides valuable brand differentiation for our partners around the world.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Dec. 13 to expand the market opportunities for industrial hemp in the state. Senate Bill 8496, which is sponsored by Democratic Sen. Michelle Hinchey, calls for the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to work with the Urban Development Corp., the New York state Hemp Workgroup and industry representatives to develop a plan to create market opportunities for industrial hemp to be used in food, fiber, packaging, construction, cannabinoid content, and more, according to the bill text . “The market for New York industrial hemp is still developing, and the state needs to take an active role in researching, identifying, and promoting hemp to industries that may incorporate it into their products,” according to the justification section of the bill. “For example, as the market for sustainable, biodegradable, non-petroleum-based packaging grows, so do the opportunities for New York produced industrial hemp as an ingredient in these products,” the bill read. Hinchey said in a press release that hemp is the “material of the future,” adding that increasing industrial hemp production in New York can help fight the climate crisis, unlock new revenue opportunities for farmers, and fund rural communities. “I’m proud that my hemp bill has been signed into law, directing our state to seek strategic collaborations to help us usher in a new era of manufacturing power, product creation, and rural economic development around an industry that is nearly untapped around the world,” Hinchey said.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/15/Gavel-AdobeStock-Credit-Paul-Resized2.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Georgia passed a law in 2015 to allow registered patients to possess low-THC cannabis oil, but the statute did not establish a regulated system for cultivating, processing or dispensing cannabis in the state. it wasn’t until 2019 that Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation into law to set up a regulatory framework for the production, processing and sale of medical cannabis oil.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Georgia\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Atlanta\",\n \"Savannah\",\n \"TALLAHASSEE\",\n \"Fla.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"California\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Pa.\",\n \"Allegheny County\",\n \"Pittsburgh\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Gadsden County\",\n \"Thailand\",\n \"VESIsorb\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"New York\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"the Georgia Court of Appeals\",\n \"the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"Trulieve Georgia, Inc.\",\n \"Trulieve Cannabis Corp.\",\n \"Botanical Sciences\",\n \"Glennville\",\n \"FFD GA Holdings\",\n \"TheraTrue Georgia LLC\",\n \"Treevana Remedy Inc.\",\n \"House\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"Administrative Services\",\n \"University of Georgia\",\n \"Edwards\",\n \"the Governor’s Emergency Fund\",\n \"the Office of State Administrative Hearings\",\n \"Trulieve Georgia Inc. later\",\n \"FOX 5\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Commission\",\n \"The Georgia Court of Appeals\",\n \"FOX 5 Atlanta\",\n \"Trulieve Cannabis Corp .\",\n \"Connected Cannabis\",\n \"AlienLabs\",\n \"Connected Branded\",\n \"El Jefe, Gelonade\",\n \"Nightshade\",\n \"Trulieve.com\",\n \"ABC\",\n \"WTAE\",\n \"U.S. Steel’s\",\n \"Guard House\",\n \"the Regional Industrial Development Corp.\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Worker Adjustment\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"Smart & Safe Florida\",\n \"Geocann\",\n \"THCG Group\",\n \"VESIsorb\",\n \"the Urban Development Corp.\",\n \"cannabinoid content\",\n \"Hinchey\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Brian Kemp\",\n \"Sid Johnson\",\n \"Christopher Edwards\",\n \"Kemp\",\n \"Expedite Hearings\",\n \"Kristen Goodman\",\n \"Jake Evans\",\n \"Kim Rivers\",\n \"Kryptochronic\",\n \"Austin Davis\",\n \"Davis\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Wiz Khalifa\",\n \"Nano\",\n \"Geocann\",\n \"Cameron Clarke\",\n \"Geocann Founder\",\n \"Jesse Lopez\",\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Bill 8496\",\n \"Michelle Hinchey\",\n \"Hemp Workgroup\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.73,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9542276859283447\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1b0fa5de7033377d43c\",\n \"title\": \"Trulieve Announces Exclusive Partnership in Florida With Connected Cannabis and AlienLabs\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/trulieve-announces-exclusive-partnership-florida-connected-cannabis-alienlabs.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Connected and AlienLabs products will be in Trulieve's Florida dispensaries beginning in December.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-15T16:04:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Dec. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Trulieve Cannabis Corp ., a U.S. cannabis company, announced their partnership with California-based Connected Cannabis and AlienLabs. As part of the announcement, Trulieve is the exclusive provider of Connected Branded products throughout Florida. \\\"Trulieve consistently seeks ways to introduce new products and better serve our patients,\\\" said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve. \\\"Connected and AlienLabs represent a portfolio of top-shelf strains that have benefited medical patients in other states, and we're now excited to exclusively offer these products exclusively in Florida.\\\" AlienLabs is well-known for its flower strains with a focus on top-shelf, exotic, indoor cannabis. As one of the first California cannabis brands, AlienLabs has established a reputation for pushing quality to new heights in cannabis and takes pride in creating new, unique strains with a menu where each strain is distinct. Two strains, Xeno and Kryptochronic, will be available at select Trulieve Florida locations beginning Dec. 15. Connected Cannabis offers high-quality cannabis by developing different cultivation techniques to create the strains they are now best known for in the California market. Three strains, El Jefe, Gelonade, and Nightshade, will be available at select Trulieve Florida locations beginning Dec. 20. As the state's leading medical cannabis provider, Trulieve patients across Florida can choose from the largest selection of THC and CBD products available in a variety of consumption methods, including smokable flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules, syringes, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more. For more information, or to learn how to become a registered patient, please visit Trulieve.com and connect on Instagram or Facebook . More information on Connected can be found at connectedcannabisco.com or on Instagram @connected.california . Learn more about AlienLabs at alienlabs.org or on Instagram @alienlabs . While a class action lawsuit unfolds over its worker layoffs in Florida, Trulieve announced this week it is also reducing staff at its McKeesport, Pa., cultivation and processing facility in Allegheny County, just outside of Pittsburgh. The McKeesport worker cuts are due to greater efficiencies throughout the company’s operations, a Trulieve spokesperson said, ABC-affiliate WTAE reported. Trulieve officials did not say how many employees are affected, but the company will offer severance pay to those not able to move to other positions, the news outlet reported. The Tallahassee, Fla.-based multistate cannabis operator acquired three buildings in McKeesport totaling more than 228,000 square feet, along with U.S. Steel’s former Guard House and 37 acres in land parcels, in an October 2021 transaction with the Regional Industrial Development Corp. (RIDC), a nonprofit dedicated to acquiring and redeveloping abandoned property like the steel mills. At the time of that deal—which came with the help of a $2 million state redevelopment grant to assist in an expansion—Trulieve had planned to build a cultivation and processing facility comprising of more than 500,000 square feet and anticipated employing roughly 800 people, according to an RIDC press release . “Trulieve’s expansion will help them meet the demands of their customers all while creating family sustaining jobs for Mon Valley residents,” former state Rep. Austin Davis, whose 35th District encompasses McKeesport, said at the time. Davis, who helped secure the $2 million grant, is the lieutenant governor-elect of Pennsylvania. The news in McKeesport comes after employees impacted by Trulieve layoffs in Gadsden County, Fla., near the company’s headquarters, filed a class action lawsuit earlier this month against Trulieve, alleging that the company did not provide the required Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice regarding the terminations. Trulieve disputes the allegations. In addition to its cultivation and processing footprint in Pennsylvania, Trulieve has 19 dispensaries with one more coming soon in Keystone State. The McKeesport layoff announcement came one day after Trulieve launched Khalifa Kush medical cannabis products statewide on Dec. 12 in partnership with recording artist Wiz Khalifa, who made a personal appearance at the company’s Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill location to promote the launch. The McKeesport layoffs also come a month after Trulieve contributed another $5 million toward Smart & Safe Florida , a political committee driving a 2024 ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis in Florida. Trulieve has contributed $15 million toward that effort since August. KANHA Nano gummies have expanded to Thailand, marking the first U.S. cannabis edibles to be available in Asia. The gummies are produced by Sunderstorm, a California-based cannabis product manufacturer, in partnership with Geocann, a global cannabis research organization. KANHA edibles, which utilize Geocann’s VESIsorb delivery system technology, launched in the U.S. in 2019 and are currently available in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Nevada. Sunderstorm will work with THCG Group, a Thailand-based, vertically integrated medical cannabis licensee who will cultivate, produce and distribute KANHA edibles throughout the country, according to a release . “Our partnership with Geocann is the platform for providing consumers around the world with safe and effective products that are validated in both peer-reviewed and well-designed pilot studies,” said Sunderstorm CEO Cameron Clarke. “The global demand for fast-acting and high-bioavailable cannabis products has increased dramatically, and leveraging Geocann’s VESIsorb technology allows us to become a dominant global cannabis brand where we can improve the lives of millions of consumers in the U.S. and key international markets.” The companies’ edibles expansion to Asia comes in the wake of Thailand legalizing cannabis in June. “Sunderstorm has pioneered the fast-acting edibles market in the U.S. and has championed VESIsorb technology-based cannabis formulations to deliver superior Kanha products that have gained a loyal customer following,” said Geocann Founder and CEO Jesse Lopez. “We are committed to their continued success and prepared to support their international expansion as we remain focused on novel cannabis research and innovative product development that provides valuable brand differentiation for our partners around the world.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Dec. 13 to expand the market opportunities for industrial hemp in the state. Senate Bill 8496, which is sponsored by Democratic Sen. Michelle Hinchey, calls for the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to work with the Urban Development Corp., the New York state Hemp Workgroup and industry representatives to develop a plan to create market opportunities for industrial hemp to be used in food, fiber, packaging, construction, cannabinoid content, and more, according to the bill text . “The market for New York industrial hemp is still developing, and the state needs to take an active role in researching, identifying, and promoting hemp to industries that may incorporate it into their products,” according to the justification section of the bill. “For example, as the market for sustainable, biodegradable, non-petroleum-based packaging grows, so do the opportunities for New York produced industrial hemp as an ingredient in these products,” the bill read. Hinchey said in a press release that hemp is the “material of the future,” adding that increasing industrial hemp production in New York can help fight the climate crisis, unlock new revenue opportunities for farmers, and fund rural communities. “I’m proud that my hemp bill has been signed into law, directing our state to seek strategic collaborations to help us usher in a new era of manufacturing power, product creation, and rural economic development around an industry that is nearly untapped around the world,” Hinchey said. A consortium led by Tennessee State University has received nearly $5 million in grant funding for sustainable hemp fiber research. The federal agency awarded $4,972,900 to the “Climate-Smart Fiber Hemp: A Versatile Thread Connecting the Nation’s Underserved Farmers, Climate Change Mitigation and Novel Market Opportunities,” research project led by Tennessee State University. The project is designed to increase industrial hemp production as a climate-smart commodity, “evaluate its greenhouse gas benefits and promote the value of market development to a cross-section of production agriculture, including small, medium, and underserved producers across the state of Tennessee,” according to the project proposal. Leaders of the project plan to recruit underserved producers and farmers who reside in Tennessee’s nine most economically distressed counties and 30 counties in the state at risk of becoming economically deprived, according to the proposal . “We are proud to partner with Tennessee State University to realize the full potential for hemp in the state of Tennessee, with both this grant proposal and the feasibility study we announced earlier this year,” said Frederick Cawthon, president of the Hemp Alliance of Tennessee, officer and vice president for Minority Empowerment of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR). “It is heartening that the USDA is making sure that the historically disadvantaged have a seat at the table and an opportunity to benefit from the industry’s potential, all while promoting climate-smart agricultural practices.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted the funds as part of its Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, which is designed to “finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits,” Cannabis Business Times previously reported . The USDA announced the first round of research grant recipients in September, which included awarding $21 million to two hemp research projects ; the “Industrial Hemp for Fiber and Grain” project, led by Iconoclast Industries, and the “Scaling Up the Industrial Hemp Supply Chain as Carbon Negative Feedstock for Fuel and Fiber” research project, led by Lincoln University. RELATED: '2023 is the Year’: Q&A With U.S. Hemp Building Association President Henry Gage Jr. According to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR), a national hemp advocacy organization, the second round of grant funding specifically focused on “innovative projects that emphasize enrolling small and underserved producers and invest in measuring, monitoring, reporting and verifying the benefits of climate-smart practices at minority-serving institutions.”\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Trulieve is the exclusive provider of Connected Branded products throughout Florida. connected and AlienLabs represent a portfolio of top-shelf strains that have benefited other states. two strains, Xeno and Kryptochronic, will be available at select Trulieve Florida locations.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"TALLAHASSEE\",\n \"Fla.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"California\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Pa.\",\n \"Allegheny County\",\n \"Pittsburgh\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Gadsden County\",\n \"Thailand\",\n \"VESIsorb\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Tennessee\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Trulieve Cannabis Corp .\",\n \"Connected Cannabis\",\n \"AlienLabs\",\n \"Connected Branded\",\n \"El Jefe, Gelonade\",\n \"Nightshade\",\n \"Trulieve.com\",\n \"ABC\",\n \"WTAE\",\n \"U.S. Steel’s\",\n \"Guard House\",\n \"the Regional Industrial Development Corp.\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Worker Adjustment\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"Smart & Safe Florida\",\n \"Geocann\",\n \"THCG Group\",\n \"VESIsorb\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the Urban Development Corp.\",\n \"cannabinoid content\",\n \"Hinchey\",\n \"Tennessee State University\",\n \"the Hemp Alliance\",\n \"the U.S. Hemp Roundtable\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Iconoclast Industries\",\n \"Lincoln University\",\n \"U.S. Hemp Building Association\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Kim Rivers\",\n \"Kryptochronic\",\n \"Austin Davis\",\n \"Davis\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Wiz Khalifa\",\n \"Nano\",\n \"Geocann\",\n \"Cameron Clarke\",\n \"Geocann Founder\",\n \"Jesse Lopez\",\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Bill 8496\",\n \"Michelle Hinchey\",\n \"Hemp Workgroup\",\n \"Frederick Cawthon\",\n \"Henry Gage Jr.\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.73,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9402865171432495\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1abfa5de7033377d439\",\n \"title\": \"Trulieve Layoffs Continue, Now in Pennsylvania\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/trulieve-layoffs-mckeesport-pennsylvania-cultivation.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The Florida-based multistate cannabis operator announced the cutbacks at its McKeesport cultivation facility within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.\",\n \"author\": \"Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-15T15:48:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"While a class action lawsuit unfolds over its worker layoffs in Florida, Trulieve announced this week it is also reducing staff at its McKeesport, Pa., cultivation and processing facility in Allegheny County, just outside of Pittsburgh. The McKeesport worker cuts are due to greater efficiencies throughout the company’s operations, a Trulieve spokesperson said, ABC-affiliate WTAE reported. Trulieve officials did not say how many employees are affected, but the company will offer severance pay to those not able to move to other positions, the news outlet reported. The Tallahassee, Fla.-based multistate cannabis operator acquired three buildings in McKeesport totaling more than 228,000 square feet, along with U.S. Steel’s former Guard House and 37 acres in land parcels, in an October 2021 transaction with the Regional Industrial Development Corp. (RIDC), a nonprofit dedicated to acquiring and redeveloping abandoned property like the steel mills. At the time of that deal—which came with the help of a $2 million state redevelopment grant to assist in an expansion—Trulieve had planned to build a cultivation and processing facility comprising of more than 500,000 square feet and anticipated employing roughly 800 people, according to an RIDC press release . “Trulieve’s expansion will help them meet the demands of their customers all while creating family sustaining jobs for Mon Valley residents,” former state Rep. Austin Davis, whose 35th District encompasses McKeesport, said at the time. Davis, who helped secure the $2 million grant, is the lieutenant governor-elect of Pennsylvania. The news in McKeesport comes after employees impacted by Trulieve layoffs in Gadsden County, Fla., near the company’s headquarters, filed a class action lawsuit earlier this month against Trulieve, alleging that the company did not provide the required Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice regarding the terminations. Trulieve disputes the allegations. In addition to its cultivation and processing footprint in Pennsylvania, Trulieve has 19 dispensaries with one more coming soon in Keystone State. The McKeesport layoff announcement came one day after Trulieve launched Khalifa Kush medical cannabis products statewide on Dec. 12 in partnership with recording artist Wiz Khalifa, who made a personal appearance at the company’s Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill location to promote the launch. The McKeesport layoffs also come a month after Trulieve contributed another $5 million toward Smart & Safe Florida , a political committee driving a 2024 ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis in Florida. Trulieve has contributed $15 million toward that effort since August. KANHA Nano gummies have expanded to Thailand, marking the first U.S. cannabis edibles to be available in Asia. The gummies are produced by Sunderstorm, a California-based cannabis product manufacturer, in partnership with Geocann, a global cannabis research organization. KANHA edibles, which utilize Geocann’s VESIsorb delivery system technology, launched in the U.S. in 2019 and are currently available in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Nevada. Sunderstorm will work with THCG Group, a Thailand-based, vertically integrated medical cannabis licensee who will cultivate, produce and distribute KANHA edibles throughout the country, according to a release . “Our partnership with Geocann is the platform for providing consumers around the world with safe and effective products that are validated in both peer-reviewed and well-designed pilot studies,” said Sunderstorm CEO Cameron Clarke. “The global demand for fast-acting and high-bioavailable cannabis products has increased dramatically, and leveraging Geocann’s VESIsorb technology allows us to become a dominant global cannabis brand where we can improve the lives of millions of consumers in the U.S. and key international markets.” The companies’ edibles expansion to Asia comes in the wake of Thailand legalizing cannabis in June. “Sunderstorm has pioneered the fast-acting edibles market in the U.S. and has championed VESIsorb technology-based cannabis formulations to deliver superior Kanha products that have gained a loyal customer following,” said Geocann Founder and CEO Jesse Lopez. “We are committed to their continued success and prepared to support their international expansion as we remain focused on novel cannabis research and innovative product development that provides valuable brand differentiation for our partners around the world.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Dec. 13 to expand the market opportunities for industrial hemp in the state. Senate Bill 8496, which is sponsored by Democratic Sen. Michelle Hinchey, calls for the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to work with the Urban Development Corp., the New York state Hemp Workgroup and industry representatives to develop a plan to create market opportunities for industrial hemp to be used in food, fiber, packaging, construction, cannabinoid content, and more, according to the bill text . “The market for New York industrial hemp is still developing, and the state needs to take an active role in researching, identifying, and promoting hemp to industries that may incorporate it into their products,” according to the justification section of the bill. “For example, as the market for sustainable, biodegradable, non-petroleum-based packaging grows, so do the opportunities for New York produced industrial hemp as an ingredient in these products,” the bill read. Hinchey said in a press release that hemp is the “material of the future,” adding that increasing industrial hemp production in New York can help fight the climate crisis, unlock new revenue opportunities for farmers, and fund rural communities. “I’m proud that my hemp bill has been signed into law, directing our state to seek strategic collaborations to help us usher in a new era of manufacturing power, product creation, and rural economic development around an industry that is nearly untapped around the world,” Hinchey said. A consortium led by Tennessee State University has received nearly $5 million in grant funding for sustainable hemp fiber research. The federal agency awarded $4,972,900 to the “Climate-Smart Fiber Hemp: A Versatile Thread Connecting the Nation’s Underserved Farmers, Climate Change Mitigation and Novel Market Opportunities,” research project led by Tennessee State University. The project is designed to increase industrial hemp production as a climate-smart commodity, “evaluate its greenhouse gas benefits and promote the value of market development to a cross-section of production agriculture, including small, medium, and underserved producers across the state of Tennessee,” according to the project proposal. Leaders of the project plan to recruit underserved producers and farmers who reside in Tennessee’s nine most economically distressed counties and 30 counties in the state at risk of becoming economically deprived, according to the proposal . “We are proud to partner with Tennessee State University to realize the full potential for hemp in the state of Tennessee, with both this grant proposal and the feasibility study we announced earlier this year,” said Frederick Cawthon, president of the Hemp Alliance of Tennessee, officer and vice president for Minority Empowerment of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR). “It is heartening that the USDA is making sure that the historically disadvantaged have a seat at the table and an opportunity to benefit from the industry’s potential, all while promoting climate-smart agricultural practices.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted the funds as part of its Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, which is designed to “finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits,” Cannabis Business Times previously reported . The USDA announced the first round of research grant recipients in September, which included awarding $21 million to two hemp research projects ; the “Industrial Hemp for Fiber and Grain” project, led by Iconoclast Industries, and the “Scaling Up the Industrial Hemp Supply Chain as Carbon Negative Feedstock for Fuel and Fiber” research project, led by Lincoln University. RELATED: '2023 is the Year’: Q&A With U.S. Hemp Building Association President Henry Gage Jr. According to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR), a national hemp advocacy organization, the second round of grant funding specifically focused on “innovative projects that emphasize enrolling small and underserved producers and invest in measuring, monitoring, reporting and verifying the benefits of climate-smart practices at minority-serving institutions.” NORWOOD, Mass., Dec. 14, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – MariMed Inc. , a leading multistate cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, announced its board of directors appointed Jon Levine, MariMed’s president, as interim CEO. “With a heavy heart on the news of Robert Fireman’s passing, appointing Jon Levine as interim CEO was an easy decision,” said Edward Gildea, one of MariMed’s independent directors. “As president, Jon has managed the day-to-day facets of MariMed’s operations and, as co-founder of MariMed, has the experience and knowledge of the company’s innerworkings and growth strategy that are crucial at this juncture.” RELATED: MariMed Mourns the Passing of Robert Fireman, Chairman, CEO and Cannabis Industry Pioneer and Visionary The board will conduct a process to identify a permanent CEO for MariMed, which may include external and internal candidates. The company will announce an update on the process upon completion. No timing was provided for the duration of the process.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/15/LayoffsAdobeStock335655570.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the cuts are due to greater efficiencies throughout the company’s operations, a Trulieve spokesperson said. the company acquired three buildings in McKeesport totaling more than 228,000 square feet, along with U.S. Steel’s former Guard House and 37 acres in land parcels, in an October 2021 transaction. the news in McKeesport comes after employees impacted by Trulieve layoffs in Gadsden County, Fla., filed a class action lawsuit earlier this month.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Florida\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Pa.\",\n \"Allegheny County\",\n \"Pittsburgh\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Gadsden County\",\n \"Fla.\",\n \"Thailand\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"California\",\n \"VESIsorb\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Tennessee\",\n \"Mass.\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"ABC\",\n \"WTAE\",\n \"U.S. Steel’s\",\n \"Guard House\",\n \"the Regional Industrial Development Corp.\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Worker Adjustment\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"Smart & Safe Florida\",\n \"Geocann\",\n \"THCG Group\",\n \"VESIsorb\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the Urban Development Corp.\",\n \"cannabinoid content\",\n \"Hinchey\",\n \"Tennessee State University\",\n \"the Hemp Alliance\",\n \"the U.S. Hemp Roundtable\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Iconoclast Industries\",\n \"Lincoln University\",\n \"U.S. Hemp Building Association\",\n \"NORWOOD\",\n \"MariMed Inc.\",\n \"MariMed\",\n \"Cannabis Industry Pioneer\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Austin Davis\",\n \"Davis\",\n \"McKeesport\",\n \"Wiz Khalifa\",\n \"Nano\",\n \"Geocann\",\n \"Cameron Clarke\",\n \"Geocann Founder\",\n \"Jesse Lopez\",\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Bill 8496\",\n \"Michelle Hinchey\",\n \"Hemp Workgroup\",\n \"Frederick Cawthon\",\n \"Henry Gage Jr.\",\n \"Jon Levine\",\n \"Robert Fireman’s\",\n \"Edward Gildea\",\n \"Robert Fireman\",\n \"Visionary\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.82,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9615858793258667\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1a4fa5de7033377d436\",\n \"title\": \"Asia Welcomes First US Cannabis Edibles Brand\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/kanha-edibles-thailand\",\n \"description\": \"U.S.-based Sunderstorm and Thailand-based THCG Group have partnered to produce Sunderstorm’s line of KANHA Nano gummies.\",\n \"author\": \"Zach Mentz\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-14T18:52:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"KANHA Nano gummies have expanded to Thailand, marking the first U.S. cannabis edibles to be available in Asia. The gummies are produced by Sunderstorm, a California-based cannabis product manufacturer, in partnership with Geocann, a global cannabis research organization. KANHA edibles, which utilize Geocann’s VESIsorb delivery system technology, launched in the U.S. in 2019 and are currently available in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Nevada. Sunderstorm will work with THCG Group, a Thailand-based, vertically integrated medical cannabis licensee who will cultivate, produce and distribute KANHA edibles throughout the country, according to a release . “Our partnership with Geocann is the platform for providing consumers around the world with safe and effective products that are validated in both peer-reviewed and well-designed pilot studies,” said Sunderstorm CEO Cameron Clarke. “The global demand for fast-acting and high-bioavailable cannabis products has increased dramatically, and leveraging Geocann’s VESIsorb technology allows us to become a dominant global cannabis brand where we can improve the lives of millions of consumers in the U.S. and key international markets.” The companies’ edibles expansion to Asia comes in the wake of Thailand legalizing cannabis in June. “Sunderstorm has pioneered the fast-acting edibles market in the U.S. and has championed VESIsorb technology-based cannabis formulations to deliver superior Kanha products that have gained a loyal customer following,” said Geocann Founder and CEO Jesse Lopez. “We are committed to their continued success and prepared to support their international expansion as we remain focused on novel cannabis research and innovative product development that provides valuable brand differentiation for our partners around the world.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Dec. 13 to expand the market opportunities for industrial hemp in the state. Senate Bill 8496, which is sponsored by Democratic Sen. Michelle Hinchey, calls for the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to work with the Urban Development Corp., the New York state Hemp Workgroup and industry representatives to develop a plan to create market opportunities for industrial hemp to be used in food, fiber, packaging, construction, cannabinoid content, and more, according to the bill text . “The market for New York industrial hemp is still developing, and the state needs to take an active role in researching, identifying, and promoting hemp to industries that may incorporate it into their products,” according to the justification section of the bill. “For example, as the market for sustainable, biodegradable, non-petroleum-based packaging grows, so do the opportunities for New York produced industrial hemp as an ingredient in these products,” the bill read. Hinchey said in a press release that hemp is the “material of the future,” adding that increasing industrial hemp production in New York can help fight the climate crisis, unlock new revenue opportunities for farmers, and fund rural communities. “I’m proud that my hemp bill has been signed into law, directing our state to seek strategic collaborations to help us usher in a new era of manufacturing power, product creation, and rural economic development around an industry that is nearly untapped around the world,” Hinchey said. A consortium led by Tennessee State University has received nearly $5 million in grant funding for sustainable hemp fiber research. The federal agency awarded $4,972,900 to the “Climate-Smart Fiber Hemp: A Versatile Thread Connecting the Nation’s Underserved Farmers, Climate Change Mitigation and Novel Market Opportunities,” research project led by Tennessee State University. The project is designed to increase industrial hemp production as a climate-smart commodity, “evaluate its greenhouse gas benefits and promote the value of market development to a cross-section of production agriculture, including small, medium, and underserved producers across the state of Tennessee,” according to the project proposal. Leaders of the project plan to recruit underserved producers and farmers who reside in Tennessee’s nine most economically distressed counties and 30 counties in the state at risk of becoming economically deprived, according to the proposal . “We are proud to partner with Tennessee State University to realize the full potential for hemp in the state of Tennessee, with both this grant proposal and the feasibility study we announced earlier this year,” said Frederick Cawthon, president of the Hemp Alliance of Tennessee, officer and vice president for Minority Empowerment of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR). “It is heartening that the USDA is making sure that the historically disadvantaged have a seat at the table and an opportunity to benefit from the industry’s potential, all while promoting climate-smart agricultural practices.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted the funds as part of its Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, which is designed to “finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits,” Cannabis Business Times previously reported . The USDA announced the first round of research grant recipients in September, which included awarding $21 million to two hemp research projects ; the “Industrial Hemp for Fiber and Grain” project, led by Iconoclast Industries, and the “Scaling Up the Industrial Hemp Supply Chain as Carbon Negative Feedstock for Fuel and Fiber” research project, led by Lincoln University. RELATED: '2023 is the Year’: Q&A With U.S. Hemp Building Association President Henry Gage Jr. According to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR), a national hemp advocacy organization, the second round of grant funding specifically focused on “innovative projects that emphasize enrolling small and underserved producers and invest in measuring, monitoring, reporting and verifying the benefits of climate-smart practices at minority-serving institutions.” NORWOOD, Mass., Dec. 14, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – MariMed Inc. , a leading multistate cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, announced its board of directors appointed Jon Levine, MariMed’s president, as interim CEO. “With a heavy heart on the news of Robert Fireman’s passing, appointing Jon Levine as interim CEO was an easy decision,” said Edward Gildea, one of MariMed’s independent directors. “As president, Jon has managed the day-to-day facets of MariMed’s operations and, as co-founder of MariMed, has the experience and knowledge of the company’s innerworkings and growth strategy that are crucial at this juncture.” RELATED: MariMed Mourns the Passing of Robert Fireman, Chairman, CEO and Cannabis Industry Pioneer and Visionary The board will conduct a process to identify a permanent CEO for MariMed, which may include external and internal candidates. The company will announce an update on the process upon completion. No timing was provided for the duration of the process. FLORIDA – Dec. 12, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Sunnyside , the national cannabis dispensary brand operated by multistate cannabis operator Cresco Labs , today announced the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, a new loyalty program available now on Sunnyside.shop for medical patients in Florida. “We’re excited about the launch of Sunnyside Rewards to demonstrate our commitment to continuing to create a seamless, convenient and value-added shopping experience for every patient in Florida,” said Cris Rivera, Florida Regional President at Cresco Labs. “Sunnyside Rewards is fully integrated into our Sunnyside.shop ecommerce platform to make it easy for our patients to join, earn and redeem points on all branded products and accessories sold in our Florida stores. Patients are eligible to earn points on every purchase with a suite of plus-up events and point multipliers, like double and triple earning days. To encourage our patents to join Sunnyside Rewards, we’re offering a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time at launch.” Patients can join Sunnyside Rewards today through their existing Sunnyside.shop account page where they can view earning history, point balances and redemptions. Patients will earn 1 point per $1 spent (post discounts, pre-tax), and can redeem points in any whole dollar amount up to $100 on a single transaction. Points can be redeemed after a patient has accumulated 40 points, equivalent to a $1 reward. Rewards are stackable with most discounts. Patients can also register for an account today by visiting Sunnyside.shop . To celebrate the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, Florida patients are eligible for a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time. They will also earn double points on all purchases through Dec. 18. Sunnyside is providing a gift with signup in all Florida locations while supplies last. Cresco Labs operates 21 stores in Florida and serves patients through its Sunnyside locations in Avon Park, Bonita Springs, Boynton Beach, Cape Coral, Clearwater, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville Beach, Lady Lake, North Miami, Ocala, Oakland Park, Orlando (Fern Park and West Orlando), Panama City Beach, Pensacola (9th Ave. and Nine Mile Rd.), Port St. Lucie, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee and Tampa. Learn more about the Sunnyside Rewards program at www.sunnyside.shop/page/sunnyside-rewards . For more information about Sunnyside or to place online orders, visit Sunnyside.shop .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/14/Kanha-ediblesweb-header.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the gummies are produced by Sunderstorm, a California-based cannabis product manufacturer, in partnership with geocann, a global cannabis research organization. the companies’ edibles expansion to Asia comes in the wake of Thailand legalizing cannabis in June.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Thailand\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"California\",\n \"VESIsorb\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Tennessee\",\n \"Mass.\",\n \"FLORIDA\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Avon Park\",\n \"Bonita Springs\",\n \"Boynton Beach\",\n \"Cape Coral\",\n \"Fort Lauderdale\",\n \"Jacksonville Beach\",\n \"Lady Lake\",\n \"North Miami\",\n \"Ocala\",\n \"Oakland Park\",\n \"Orlando\",\n \"West Orlando\",\n \"Panama City Beach\",\n \"Pensacola\",\n \"Sarasota\",\n \"St. Petersburg\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Tampa\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Geocann\",\n \"THCG Group\",\n \"VESIsorb\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the Urban Development Corp.\",\n \"cannabinoid content\",\n \"Hinchey\",\n \"Tennessee State University\",\n \"the Hemp Alliance\",\n \"the U.S. Hemp Roundtable\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Iconoclast Industries\",\n \"Lincoln University\",\n \"U.S. Hemp Building Association\",\n \"NORWOOD\",\n \"MariMed Inc.\",\n \"MariMed\",\n \"Cannabis Industry Pioneer\",\n \"Florida Regional\",\n \"Clearwater\",\n \"Port St. Lucie\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Geocann\",\n \"Cameron Clarke\",\n \"Geocann Founder\",\n \"Jesse Lopez\",\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Bill 8496\",\n \"Michelle Hinchey\",\n \"Hemp Workgroup\",\n \"Frederick Cawthon\",\n \"Henry Gage Jr.\",\n \"Jon Levine\",\n \"Robert Fireman’s\",\n \"Edward Gildea\",\n \"Robert Fireman\",\n \"Visionary\",\n \"Cresco Labs\",\n \"Sunnyside Rewards\",\n \"Cris Rivera\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.76,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8187716603279114\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1b4fa5de7033377d43f\",\n \"title\": \"New York Governor Signs Legislation to Expand Market Opportunities for Hemp\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/new-york-governor-signs-legislation-to-expand-market-opportunities-for-hemp\",\n \"description\": \"The legislation is designed to promote the use of industrial hemp cultivated in New York for use in other industries such as construction, food, fiber, packaging, and more.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-14T17:53:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Dec. 13 to expand the market opportunities for industrial hemp in the state. Senate Bill 8496, which is sponsored by Democratic Sen. Michelle Hinchey, calls for the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to work with the Urban Development Corp., the New York state Hemp Workgroup and industry representatives to develop a plan to create market opportunities for industrial hemp to be used in food, fiber, packaging, construction, cannabinoid content, and more, according to the bill text . “The market for New York industrial hemp is still developing, and the state needs to take an active role in researching, identifying, and promoting hemp to industries that may incorporate it into their products,” according to the justification section of the bill. “For example, as the market for sustainable, biodegradable, non-petroleum-based packaging grows, so do the opportunities for New York produced industrial hemp as an ingredient in these products,” the bill read. Hinchey said in a press release that hemp is the “material of the future,” adding that increasing industrial hemp production in New York can help fight the climate crisis, unlock new revenue opportunities for farmers, and fund rural communities. “I’m proud that my hemp bill has been signed into law, directing our state to seek strategic collaborations to help us usher in a new era of manufacturing power, product creation, and rural economic development around an industry that is nearly untapped around the world,” Hinchey said. A consortium led by Tennessee State University has received nearly $5 million in grant funding for sustainable hemp fiber research. The federal agency awarded $4,972,900 to the “Climate-Smart Fiber Hemp: A Versatile Thread Connecting the Nation’s Underserved Farmers, Climate Change Mitigation and Novel Market Opportunities,” research project led by Tennessee State University. The project is designed to increase industrial hemp production as a climate-smart commodity, “evaluate its greenhouse gas benefits and promote the value of market development to a cross-section of production agriculture, including small, medium, and underserved producers across the state of Tennessee,” according to the project proposal. Leaders of the project plan to recruit underserved producers and farmers who reside in Tennessee’s nine most economically distressed counties and 30 counties in the state at risk of becoming economically deprived, according to the proposal . “We are proud to partner with Tennessee State University to realize the full potential for hemp in the state of Tennessee, with both this grant proposal and the feasibility study we announced earlier this year,” said Frederick Cawthon, president of the Hemp Alliance of Tennessee, officer and vice president for Minority Empowerment of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR). “It is heartening that the USDA is making sure that the historically disadvantaged have a seat at the table and an opportunity to benefit from the industry’s potential, all while promoting climate-smart agricultural practices.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted the funds as part of its Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, which is designed to “finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits,” Cannabis Business Times previously reported . The USDA announced the first round of research grant recipients in September, which included awarding $21 million to two hemp research projects ; the “Industrial Hemp for Fiber and Grain” project, led by Iconoclast Industries, and the “Scaling Up the Industrial Hemp Supply Chain as Carbon Negative Feedstock for Fuel and Fiber” research project, led by Lincoln University. RELATED: '2023 is the Year’: Q&A With U.S. Hemp Building Association President Henry Gage Jr. According to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR), a national hemp advocacy organization, the second round of grant funding specifically focused on “innovative projects that emphasize enrolling small and underserved producers and invest in measuring, monitoring, reporting and verifying the benefits of climate-smart practices at minority-serving institutions.” NORWOOD, Mass., Dec. 14, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – MariMed Inc. , a leading multistate cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, announced its board of directors appointed Jon Levine, MariMed’s president, as interim CEO. “With a heavy heart on the news of Robert Fireman’s passing, appointing Jon Levine as interim CEO was an easy decision,” said Edward Gildea, one of MariMed’s independent directors. “As president, Jon has managed the day-to-day facets of MariMed’s operations and, as co-founder of MariMed, has the experience and knowledge of the company’s innerworkings and growth strategy that are crucial at this juncture.” RELATED: MariMed Mourns the Passing of Robert Fireman, Chairman, CEO and Cannabis Industry Pioneer and Visionary The board will conduct a process to identify a permanent CEO for MariMed, which may include external and internal candidates. The company will announce an update on the process upon completion. No timing was provided for the duration of the process. FLORIDA – Dec. 12, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Sunnyside , the national cannabis dispensary brand operated by multistate cannabis operator Cresco Labs , today announced the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, a new loyalty program available now on Sunnyside.shop for medical patients in Florida. “We’re excited about the launch of Sunnyside Rewards to demonstrate our commitment to continuing to create a seamless, convenient and value-added shopping experience for every patient in Florida,” said Cris Rivera, Florida Regional President at Cresco Labs. “Sunnyside Rewards is fully integrated into our Sunnyside.shop ecommerce platform to make it easy for our patients to join, earn and redeem points on all branded products and accessories sold in our Florida stores. Patients are eligible to earn points on every purchase with a suite of plus-up events and point multipliers, like double and triple earning days. To encourage our patents to join Sunnyside Rewards, we’re offering a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time at launch.” Patients can join Sunnyside Rewards today through their existing Sunnyside.shop account page where they can view earning history, point balances and redemptions. Patients will earn 1 point per $1 spent (post discounts, pre-tax), and can redeem points in any whole dollar amount up to $100 on a single transaction. Points can be redeemed after a patient has accumulated 40 points, equivalent to a $1 reward. Rewards are stackable with most discounts. Patients can also register for an account today by visiting Sunnyside.shop . To celebrate the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, Florida patients are eligible for a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time. They will also earn double points on all purchases through Dec. 18. Sunnyside is providing a gift with signup in all Florida locations while supplies last. Cresco Labs operates 21 stores in Florida and serves patients through its Sunnyside locations in Avon Park, Bonita Springs, Boynton Beach, Cape Coral, Clearwater, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville Beach, Lady Lake, North Miami, Ocala, Oakland Park, Orlando (Fern Park and West Orlando), Panama City Beach, Pensacola (9th Ave. and Nine Mile Rd.), Port St. Lucie, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee and Tampa. Learn more about the Sunnyside Rewards program at www.sunnyside.shop/page/sunnyside-rewards . For more information about Sunnyside or to place online orders, visit Sunnyside.shop . The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) conducted its lottery for cannabis retail applicants Dec. 8, selecting 100 social equity applicants to advance in the cannabis dispensary licensing process. The move comes after a court ruling last week allowed the licensing process to proceed. The lottery included a process that allowed individuals to request verification as a Social Equity Individual Applicant (SEIA) . More than 1,000 individuals requested SEIA verification and more than 500 SEIAs met the criteria to participate in last week’s lottery. The list of individuals selected in the lottery can be found here . The DCR plans to conduct another SEIA verification process and another lottery in early 2023. Thursday’s lottery, officially called the Phase 3 Retail Round 2 Lottery , comes after a California federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order sought by a would-be applicant from Michigan to stop the process from moving forward, according to a Law360 report . U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett issued a written opinion Dec. 8 that said Kenneth Gay and his company, Variscite Inc., could not prove that allowing the DCR’s lottery to proceed would “irreparably harm them or be in the public interest,” Law360 reported. “Plaintiffs’ monetary losses associated with the challenged provisions are purely speculative and insufficient to demonstrate irreparable harm,” Garnett wrote, according to the outlet. She added, “The probability that plaintiffs may in the future become eligible under the licensing provisions eviscerates the likelihood of irreparable harm.” Garnett wrote that the harms suffered by the 508 applicants cleared to participate in the lottery should it be put on hold outweighed the harms suffered by the plaintiffs should their application be denied, according to Law360 . Gay claimed in his complaint, filed Nov. 30, that the DCR’s process of awarding the dispensary licenses to social equity applicants violates the dormant commerce clause, a constitutional provision that prohibits policies that favor in-state residents, Law360 reported. Garnett noted that “the plaintiffs, at a minimum, have raised serious questions on the merits of their claim regarding the constitutionality of the challenged provisions,” according to the outlet, and found that Gay and his company lacked standing because the application was rejected for additional reasons beyond the scope of the social equity provisions.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/14/Untitleddesign-2022-12-14T125345443.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"new york governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to expand the market opportunities for industrial hemp in the state. a consortium led by Tennessee State University has received nearly $5 million in grant funding for sustainable hemp fiber research. the project is designed to increase industrial hemp production as a climate-smart commodity.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"New York\",\n \"Tennessee\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Mass.\",\n \"FLORIDA\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Avon Park\",\n \"Bonita Springs\",\n \"Boynton Beach\",\n \"Cape Coral\",\n \"Fort Lauderdale\",\n \"Jacksonville Beach\",\n \"Lady Lake\",\n \"North Miami\",\n \"Ocala\",\n \"Oakland Park\",\n \"Orlando\",\n \"West Orlando\",\n \"Panama City Beach\",\n \"Pensacola\",\n \"Sarasota\",\n \"St. Petersburg\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Tampa\",\n \"California\",\n \"Michigan\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Senate\",\n \"the Urban Development Corp.\",\n \"cannabinoid content\",\n \"Hinchey\",\n \"Tennessee State University\",\n \"the Hemp Alliance\",\n \"the U.S. Hemp Roundtable\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Iconoclast Industries\",\n \"Lincoln University\",\n \"U.S. Hemp Building Association\",\n \"NORWOOD\",\n \"MariMed Inc.\",\n \"MariMed\",\n \"Cannabis Industry Pioneer\",\n \"Florida Regional\",\n \"Clearwater\",\n \"Port St. Lucie\",\n \"The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"DCR\",\n \"Social Equity Individual Applicant\",\n \"SEIA\",\n \"Variscite Inc.\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Bill 8496\",\n \"Michelle Hinchey\",\n \"Hemp Workgroup\",\n \"Frederick Cawthon\",\n \"Henry Gage Jr.\",\n \"Jon Levine\",\n \"Robert Fireman’s\",\n \"Edward Gildea\",\n \"Robert Fireman\",\n \"Visionary\",\n \"Cresco Labs\",\n \"Sunnyside Rewards\",\n \"Cris Rivera\",\n \"Sherilyn Peace Garnett\",\n \"Kenneth Gay\",\n \"Garnett\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.79,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.5034609436988831\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e192fa5de7033377d42c\",\n \"title\": \"New York Governor Signs Legislation to Expand Market Opportunities for Hemp\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/new-york-governor-signs-legislation-to-expand-market-opportunities-for-hemp.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The legislation is designed to promote the use of industrial hemp cultivated in New York for use in other industries such as construction, food, fiber, packaging, and more.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-14T17:53:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Dec. 13 to expand the market opportunities for industrial hemp in the state. Senate Bill 8496, which is sponsored by Democratic Sen. Michelle Hinchey, calls for the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to work with the Urban Development Corp., the New York state Hemp Workgroup and industry representatives to develop a plan to create market opportunities for industrial hemp to be used in food, fiber, packaging, construction, cannabinoid content, and more, according to the bill text . “The market for New York industrial hemp is still developing, and the state needs to take an active role in researching, identifying, and promoting hemp to industries that may incorporate it into their products,” according to the justification section of the bill. “For example, as the market for sustainable, biodegradable, non-petroleum-based packaging grows, so do the opportunities for New York produced industrial hemp as an ingredient in these products,” the bill read. Hinchey said in a press release that hemp is the “material of the future,” adding that increasing industrial hemp production in New York can help fight the climate crisis, unlock new revenue opportunities for farmers, and fund rural communities. “I’m proud that my hemp bill has been signed into law, directing our state to seek strategic collaborations to help us usher in a new era of manufacturing power, product creation, and rural economic development around an industry that is nearly untapped around the world,” Hinchey said. A consortium led by Tennessee State University has received nearly $5 million in grant funding for sustainable hemp fiber research. The federal agency awarded $4,972,900 to the “Climate-Smart Fiber Hemp: A Versatile Thread Connecting the Nation’s Underserved Farmers, Climate Change Mitigation and Novel Market Opportunities,” research project led by Tennessee State University. The project is designed to increase industrial hemp production as a climate-smart commodity, “evaluate its greenhouse gas benefits and promote the value of market development to a cross-section of production agriculture, including small, medium, and underserved producers across the state of Tennessee,” according to the project proposal. Leaders of the project plan to recruit underserved producers and farmers who reside in Tennessee’s nine most economically distressed counties and 30 counties in the state at risk of becoming economically deprived, according to the proposal . “We are proud to partner with Tennessee State University to realize the full potential for hemp in the state of Tennessee, with both this grant proposal and the feasibility study we announced earlier this year,” said Frederick Cawthon, president of the Hemp Alliance of Tennessee, officer and vice president for Minority Empowerment of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR). “It is heartening that the USDA is making sure that the historically disadvantaged have a seat at the table and an opportunity to benefit from the industry’s potential, all while promoting climate-smart agricultural practices.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted the funds as part of its Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, which is designed to “finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits,” Cannabis Business Times previously reported . The USDA announced the first round of research grant recipients in September, which included awarding $21 million to two hemp research projects ; the “Industrial Hemp for Fiber and Grain” project, led by Iconoclast Industries, and the “Scaling Up the Industrial Hemp Supply Chain as Carbon Negative Feedstock for Fuel and Fiber” research project, led by Lincoln University. RELATED: '2023 is the Year’: Q&A With U.S. Hemp Building Association President Henry Gage Jr. According to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR), a national hemp advocacy organization, the second round of grant funding specifically focused on “innovative projects that emphasize enrolling small and underserved producers and invest in measuring, monitoring, reporting and verifying the benefits of climate-smart practices at minority-serving institutions.” NORWOOD, Mass., Dec. 14, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – MariMed Inc. , a leading multistate cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, announced its board of directors appointed Jon Levine, MariMed’s president, as interim CEO. “With a heavy heart on the news of Robert Fireman’s passing, appointing Jon Levine as interim CEO was an easy decision,” said Edward Gildea, one of MariMed’s independent directors. “As president, Jon has managed the day-to-day facets of MariMed’s operations and, as co-founder of MariMed, has the experience and knowledge of the company’s innerworkings and growth strategy that are crucial at this juncture.” RELATED: MariMed Mourns the Passing of Robert Fireman, Chairman, CEO and Cannabis Industry Pioneer and Visionary The board will conduct a process to identify a permanent CEO for MariMed, which may include external and internal candidates. The company will announce an update on the process upon completion. No timing was provided for the duration of the process. FLORIDA – Dec. 12, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Sunnyside , the national cannabis dispensary brand operated by multistate cannabis operator Cresco Labs , today announced the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, a new loyalty program available now on Sunnyside.shop for medical patients in Florida. “We’re excited about the launch of Sunnyside Rewards to demonstrate our commitment to continuing to create a seamless, convenient and value-added shopping experience for every patient in Florida,” said Cris Rivera, Florida Regional President at Cresco Labs. “Sunnyside Rewards is fully integrated into our Sunnyside.shop ecommerce platform to make it easy for our patients to join, earn and redeem points on all branded products and accessories sold in our Florida stores. Patients are eligible to earn points on every purchase with a suite of plus-up events and point multipliers, like double and triple earning days. To encourage our patents to join Sunnyside Rewards, we’re offering a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time at launch.” Patients can join Sunnyside Rewards today through their existing Sunnyside.shop account page where they can view earning history, point balances and redemptions. Patients will earn 1 point per $1 spent (post discounts, pre-tax), and can redeem points in any whole dollar amount up to $100 on a single transaction. Points can be redeemed after a patient has accumulated 40 points, equivalent to a $1 reward. Rewards are stackable with most discounts. Patients can also register for an account today by visiting Sunnyside.shop . To celebrate the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, Florida patients are eligible for a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time. They will also earn double points on all purchases through Dec. 18. Sunnyside is providing a gift with signup in all Florida locations while supplies last. Cresco Labs operates 21 stores in Florida and serves patients through its Sunnyside locations in Avon Park, Bonita Springs, Boynton Beach, Cape Coral, Clearwater, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville Beach, Lady Lake, North Miami, Ocala, Oakland Park, Orlando (Fern Park and West Orlando), Panama City Beach, Pensacola (9th Ave. and Nine Mile Rd.), Port St. Lucie, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee and Tampa. Learn more about the Sunnyside Rewards program at www.sunnyside.shop/page/sunnyside-rewards . For more information about Sunnyside or to place online orders, visit Sunnyside.shop . The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) conducted its lottery for cannabis retail applicants Dec. 8, selecting 100 social equity applicants to advance in the cannabis dispensary licensing process. The move comes after a court ruling last week allowed the licensing process to proceed. The lottery included a process that allowed individuals to request verification as a Social Equity Individual Applicant (SEIA) . More than 1,000 individuals requested SEIA verification and more than 500 SEIAs met the criteria to participate in last week’s lottery. The list of individuals selected in the lottery can be found here . The DCR plans to conduct another SEIA verification process and another lottery in early 2023. Thursday’s lottery, officially called the Phase 3 Retail Round 2 Lottery , comes after a California federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order sought by a would-be applicant from Michigan to stop the process from moving forward, according to a Law360 report . U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett issued a written opinion Dec. 8 that said Kenneth Gay and his company, Variscite Inc., could not prove that allowing the DCR’s lottery to proceed would “irreparably harm them or be in the public interest,” Law360 reported. “Plaintiffs’ monetary losses associated with the challenged provisions are purely speculative and insufficient to demonstrate irreparable harm,” Garnett wrote, according to the outlet. She added, “The probability that plaintiffs may in the future become eligible under the licensing provisions eviscerates the likelihood of irreparable harm.” Garnett wrote that the harms suffered by the 508 applicants cleared to participate in the lottery should it be put on hold outweighed the harms suffered by the plaintiffs should their application be denied, according to Law360 . Gay claimed in his complaint, filed Nov. 30, that the DCR’s process of awarding the dispensary licenses to social equity applicants violates the dormant commerce clause, a constitutional provision that prohibits policies that favor in-state residents, Law360 reported. Garnett noted that “the plaintiffs, at a minimum, have raised serious questions on the merits of their claim regarding the constitutionality of the challenged provisions,” according to the outlet, and found that Gay and his company lacked standing because the application was rejected for additional reasons beyond the scope of the social equity provisions.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/14/Untitleddesign-2022-12-14T125345443.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"new york governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to expand the market opportunities for industrial hemp in the state. a consortium led by Tennessee State University has received nearly $5 million in grant funding for sustainable hemp fiber research. the project is designed to increase industrial hemp production as a climate-smart commodity.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"New York\",\n \"Tennessee\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Mass.\",\n \"FLORIDA\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Avon Park\",\n \"Bonita Springs\",\n \"Boynton Beach\",\n \"Cape Coral\",\n \"Fort Lauderdale\",\n \"Jacksonville Beach\",\n \"Lady Lake\",\n \"North Miami\",\n \"Ocala\",\n \"Oakland Park\",\n \"Orlando\",\n \"West Orlando\",\n \"Panama City Beach\",\n \"Pensacola\",\n \"Sarasota\",\n \"St. Petersburg\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Tampa\",\n \"California\",\n \"Michigan\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Senate\",\n \"the Urban Development Corp.\",\n \"cannabinoid content\",\n \"Hinchey\",\n \"Tennessee State University\",\n \"the Hemp Alliance\",\n \"the U.S. Hemp Roundtable\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Iconoclast Industries\",\n \"Lincoln University\",\n \"U.S. Hemp Building Association\",\n \"NORWOOD\",\n \"MariMed Inc.\",\n \"MariMed\",\n \"Cannabis Industry Pioneer\",\n \"Florida Regional\",\n \"Clearwater\",\n \"Port St. Lucie\",\n \"The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"DCR\",\n \"Social Equity Individual Applicant\",\n \"SEIA\",\n \"Variscite Inc.\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Kathy Hochul\",\n \"Bill 8496\",\n \"Michelle Hinchey\",\n \"Hemp Workgroup\",\n \"Frederick Cawthon\",\n \"Henry Gage Jr.\",\n \"Jon Levine\",\n \"Robert Fireman’s\",\n \"Edward Gildea\",\n \"Robert Fireman\",\n \"Visionary\",\n \"Cresco Labs\",\n \"Sunnyside Rewards\",\n \"Cris Rivera\",\n \"Sherilyn Peace Garnett\",\n \"Kenneth Gay\",\n \"Garnett\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.79,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.5034609436988831\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1b5fa5de7033377d440\",\n \"title\": \"USDA Grants Tennessee State University Nearly $5 Million for Hemp Fiber Research\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/usda-grants-tennessee-state-university-five-million-hemp-fiber-research\",\n \"description\": \"The project is designed to “promote the value of market development to a cross-section of production agriculture, including small, medium, and underserved producers across the state of Tennessee.”\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-14T16:54:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"A consortium led by Tennessee State University has received nearly $5 million in grant funding for sustainable hemp fiber research. The federal agency awarded $4,972,900 to the “Climate-Smart Fiber Hemp: A Versatile Thread Connecting the Nation’s Underserved Farmers, Climate Change Mitigation and Novel Market Opportunities,” research project led by Tennessee State University. The project is designed to increase industrial hemp production as a climate-smart commodity, “evaluate its greenhouse gas benefits and promote the value of market development to a cross-section of production agriculture, including small, medium, and underserved producers across the state of Tennessee,” according to the project proposal. Leaders of the project plan to recruit underserved producers and farmers who reside in Tennessee’s nine most economically distressed counties and 30 counties in the state at risk of becoming economically deprived, according to the proposal . “We are proud to partner with Tennessee State University to realize the full potential for hemp in the state of Tennessee, with both this grant proposal and the feasibility study we announced earlier this year,” said Frederick Cawthon, president of the Hemp Alliance of Tennessee, officer and vice president for Minority Empowerment of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR). “It is heartening that the USDA is making sure that the historically disadvantaged have a seat at the table and an opportunity to benefit from the industry’s potential, all while promoting climate-smart agricultural practices.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted the funds as part of its Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, which is designed to “finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits,” Cannabis Business Times previously reported . The USDA announced the first round of research grant recipients in September, which included awarding $21 million to two hemp research projects ; the “Industrial Hemp for Fiber and Grain” project, led by Iconoclast Industries, and the “Scaling Up the Industrial Hemp Supply Chain as Carbon Negative Feedstock for Fuel and Fiber” research project, led by Lincoln University. RELATED: '2023 is the Year’: Q&A With U.S. Hemp Building Association President Henry Gage Jr. According to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR), a national hemp advocacy organization, the second round of grant funding specifically focused on “innovative projects that emphasize enrolling small and underserved producers and invest in measuring, monitoring, reporting and verifying the benefits of climate-smart practices at minority-serving institutions.” NORWOOD, Mass., Dec. 14, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – MariMed Inc. , a leading multistate cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, announced its board of directors appointed Jon Levine, MariMed’s president, as interim CEO. “With a heavy heart on the news of Robert Fireman’s passing, appointing Jon Levine as interim CEO was an easy decision,” said Edward Gildea, one of MariMed’s independent directors. “As president, Jon has managed the day-to-day facets of MariMed’s operations and, as co-founder of MariMed, has the experience and knowledge of the company’s innerworkings and growth strategy that are crucial at this juncture.” RELATED: MariMed Mourns the Passing of Robert Fireman, Chairman, CEO and Cannabis Industry Pioneer and Visionary The board will conduct a process to identify a permanent CEO for MariMed, which may include external and internal candidates. The company will announce an update on the process upon completion. No timing was provided for the duration of the process. FLORIDA – Dec. 12, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Sunnyside , the national cannabis dispensary brand operated by multistate cannabis operator Cresco Labs , today announced the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, a new loyalty program available now on Sunnyside.shop for medical patients in Florida. “We’re excited about the launch of Sunnyside Rewards to demonstrate our commitment to continuing to create a seamless, convenient and value-added shopping experience for every patient in Florida,” said Cris Rivera, Florida Regional President at Cresco Labs. “Sunnyside Rewards is fully integrated into our Sunnyside.shop ecommerce platform to make it easy for our patients to join, earn and redeem points on all branded products and accessories sold in our Florida stores. Patients are eligible to earn points on every purchase with a suite of plus-up events and point multipliers, like double and triple earning days. To encourage our patents to join Sunnyside Rewards, we’re offering a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time at launch.” Patients can join Sunnyside Rewards today through their existing Sunnyside.shop account page where they can view earning history, point balances and redemptions. Patients will earn 1 point per $1 spent (post discounts, pre-tax), and can redeem points in any whole dollar amount up to $100 on a single transaction. Points can be redeemed after a patient has accumulated 40 points, equivalent to a $1 reward. Rewards are stackable with most discounts. Patients can also register for an account today by visiting Sunnyside.shop . To celebrate the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, Florida patients are eligible for a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time. They will also earn double points on all purchases through Dec. 18. Sunnyside is providing a gift with signup in all Florida locations while supplies last. Cresco Labs operates 21 stores in Florida and serves patients through its Sunnyside locations in Avon Park, Bonita Springs, Boynton Beach, Cape Coral, Clearwater, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville Beach, Lady Lake, North Miami, Ocala, Oakland Park, Orlando (Fern Park and West Orlando), Panama City Beach, Pensacola (9th Ave. and Nine Mile Rd.), Port St. Lucie, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee and Tampa. Learn more about the Sunnyside Rewards program at www.sunnyside.shop/page/sunnyside-rewards . For more information about Sunnyside or to place online orders, visit Sunnyside.shop . The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) conducted its lottery for cannabis retail applicants Dec. 8, selecting 100 social equity applicants to advance in the cannabis dispensary licensing process. The move comes after a court ruling last week allowed the licensing process to proceed. The lottery included a process that allowed individuals to request verification as a Social Equity Individual Applicant (SEIA) . More than 1,000 individuals requested SEIA verification and more than 500 SEIAs met the criteria to participate in last week’s lottery. The list of individuals selected in the lottery can be found here . The DCR plans to conduct another SEIA verification process and another lottery in early 2023. Thursday’s lottery, officially called the Phase 3 Retail Round 2 Lottery , comes after a California federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order sought by a would-be applicant from Michigan to stop the process from moving forward, according to a Law360 report . U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett issued a written opinion Dec. 8 that said Kenneth Gay and his company, Variscite Inc., could not prove that allowing the DCR’s lottery to proceed would “irreparably harm them or be in the public interest,” Law360 reported. “Plaintiffs’ monetary losses associated with the challenged provisions are purely speculative and insufficient to demonstrate irreparable harm,” Garnett wrote, according to the outlet. She added, “The probability that plaintiffs may in the future become eligible under the licensing provisions eviscerates the likelihood of irreparable harm.” Garnett wrote that the harms suffered by the 508 applicants cleared to participate in the lottery should it be put on hold outweighed the harms suffered by the plaintiffs should their application be denied, according to Law360 . Gay claimed in his complaint, filed Nov. 30, that the DCR’s process of awarding the dispensary licenses to social equity applicants violates the dormant commerce clause, a constitutional provision that prohibits policies that favor in-state residents, Law360 reported. Garnett noted that “the plaintiffs, at a minimum, have raised serious questions on the merits of their claim regarding the constitutionality of the challenged provisions,” according to the outlet, and found that Gay and his company lacked standing because the application was rejected for additional reasons beyond the scope of the social equity provisions. A bipartisan group of lawmakers in New Hampshire’s House of Representatives has announced plans to introduce an adult-use cannabis legalization bill. “The House has long stood united in finding a pathway to getting this done for Granite Staters,” House Majority Leader Jason Osborne told NHPR . “With any luck, the Senate will come around to supporting the will of the vast majority of New Hampshire citizens.” Although the legislation has not yet been formally introduced, it already has the support of the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Prosperity, the news outlet reported. The proposal would allow adults 21 and older to possess or gift up to 4 ounces of cannabis, and it would ultimately set up a commercial adult-use market with state-licensed dispensaries, according to NHPR . The legislation will also include home grow provisions that allow adults 21 and older to grow up to six plants—including three mature plants. The bill would also levy an 8.5% sales tax on retail cannabis sales, NHPR reported, and the tax revenue generated would be directed to state pensions and substance abuse prevention programs. A portion of the revenue would also be earmarked for law enforcement and municipalities that host dispensaries. “Legalization of adult possession of small amounts of cannabis is the right thing to do for New Hampshire and we must get it done in 2023,” House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm told NHPR , adding that cannabis users in state-legal markets “benefit from safer testing and regulation of the product.” While the House has repeatedly backed adult-use cannabis legalization measures—most recently approving legislation in March that would have allowed state-run liquor stores to sell cannabis—the Senate has killed these efforts . Gov. Chris Sununu could also impede cannabis policy reform efforts in the state. As Cannabis Business Times previously reported , Sununu has supported decriminalization, expungement and New Hampshire’s medical cannabis program, but his voting record is mixed when it comes to patient access. In 2019, for example, Sununu vetoed legislation that would have ended the requirement for patients to have at least a three-month relationship with a provider before receiving their medical cannabis certification.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/14/Untitleddesign-2022-12-14T115419223.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the federal agency awarded $4,972,900 to the “Climate-Smart Fiber Hemp: A Versatile Thread Connecting the Nation’s Underserved Farmers, Climate Change Mitigation and Novel Market Opportunities” research project led by Tennessee State University. the project is designed to increase industrial hemp production as a climate-smart commodity, “evaluate its greenhouse gas benefits and promote the value of market development to a cross-section of production agriculture,” according to the project proposal.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Tennessee\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Mass.\",\n \"FLORIDA\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Avon Park\",\n \"Bonita Springs\",\n \"Boynton Beach\",\n \"Cape Coral\",\n \"Fort Lauderdale\",\n \"Jacksonville Beach\",\n \"Lady Lake\",\n \"North Miami\",\n \"Ocala\",\n \"Oakland Park\",\n \"Orlando\",\n \"West Orlando\",\n \"Panama City Beach\",\n \"Pensacola\",\n \"Sarasota\",\n \"St. Petersburg\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Tampa\",\n \"California\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"New Hampshire’s\",\n \"New Hampshire\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Tennessee State University\",\n \"the Hemp Alliance\",\n \"the U.S. Hemp Roundtable\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Iconoclast Industries\",\n \"Lincoln University\",\n \"U.S. Hemp Building Association\",\n \"NORWOOD\",\n \"MariMed Inc.\",\n \"MariMed\",\n \"Cannabis Industry Pioneer\",\n \"Florida Regional\",\n \"Clearwater\",\n \"Port St. Lucie\",\n \"The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"DCR\",\n \"Social Equity Individual Applicant\",\n \"SEIA\",\n \"Variscite Inc.\",\n \"House of Representatives\",\n \"House\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the American Civil Liberties Union\",\n \"Sununu\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Frederick Cawthon\",\n \"Henry Gage Jr.\",\n \"Jon Levine\",\n \"Robert Fireman’s\",\n \"Edward Gildea\",\n \"Robert Fireman\",\n \"Visionary\",\n \"Cresco Labs\",\n \"Sunnyside Rewards\",\n \"Cris Rivera\",\n \"Sherilyn Peace Garnett\",\n \"Kenneth Gay\",\n \"Garnett\",\n \"Granite Staters\",\n \"Jason Osborne\",\n \"Matt Wilhelm\",\n \"Chris Sununu\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.76,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7062675356864929\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1b2fa5de7033377d43d\",\n \"title\": \"Sunnyside Cannabis Dispensary Launches Patient Loyalty Program in Florida\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/sunnyside-cannabis-dispensary-launches-patient-loyalty-program-florida.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Sunnyside Rewards delivers a best-in-class digital loyalty experience through Sunnyside.shop.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T21:58:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"FLORIDA – Dec. 12, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Sunnyside , the national cannabis dispensary brand operated by multistate cannabis operator Cresco Labs , today announced the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, a new loyalty program available now on Sunnyside.shop for medical patients in Florida. “We’re excited about the launch of Sunnyside Rewards to demonstrate our commitment to continuing to create a seamless, convenient and value-added shopping experience for every patient in Florida,” said Cris Rivera, Florida Regional President at Cresco Labs. “Sunnyside Rewards is fully integrated into our Sunnyside.shop ecommerce platform to make it easy for our patients to join, earn and redeem points on all branded products and accessories sold in our Florida stores. Patients are eligible to earn points on every purchase with a suite of plus-up events and point multipliers, like double and triple earning days. To encourage our patents to join Sunnyside Rewards, we’re offering a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time at launch.” Patients can join Sunnyside Rewards today through their existing Sunnyside.shop account page where they can view earning history, point balances and redemptions. Patients will earn 1 point per $1 spent (post discounts, pre-tax), and can redeem points in any whole dollar amount up to $100 on a single transaction. Points can be redeemed after a patient has accumulated 40 points, equivalent to a $1 reward. Rewards are stackable with most discounts. Patients can also register for an account today by visiting Sunnyside.shop . To celebrate the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, Florida patients are eligible for a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time. They will also earn double points on all purchases through Dec. 18. Sunnyside is providing a gift with signup in all Florida locations while supplies last. Cresco Labs operates 21 stores in Florida and serves patients through its Sunnyside locations in Avon Park, Bonita Springs, Boynton Beach, Cape Coral, Clearwater, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville Beach, Lady Lake, North Miami, Ocala, Oakland Park, Orlando (Fern Park and West Orlando), Panama City Beach, Pensacola (9th Ave. and Nine Mile Rd.), Port St. Lucie, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee and Tampa. Learn more about the Sunnyside Rewards program at www.sunnyside.shop/page/sunnyside-rewards . For more information about Sunnyside or to place online orders, visit Sunnyside.shop . The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) conducted its lottery for cannabis retail applicants Dec. 8, selecting 100 social equity applicants to advance in the cannabis dispensary licensing process. The move comes after a court ruling last week allowed the licensing process to proceed. The lottery included a process that allowed individuals to request verification as a Social Equity Individual Applicant (SEIA) . More than 1,000 individuals requested SEIA verification and more than 500 SEIAs met the criteria to participate in last week’s lottery. The list of individuals selected in the lottery can be found here . The DCR plans to conduct another SEIA verification process and another lottery in early 2023. Thursday’s lottery, officially called the Phase 3 Retail Round 2 Lottery , comes after a California federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order sought by a would-be applicant from Michigan to stop the process from moving forward, according to a Law360 report . U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett issued a written opinion Dec. 8 that said Kenneth Gay and his company, Variscite Inc., could not prove that allowing the DCR’s lottery to proceed would “irreparably harm them or be in the public interest,” Law360 reported. “Plaintiffs’ monetary losses associated with the challenged provisions are purely speculative and insufficient to demonstrate irreparable harm,” Garnett wrote, according to the outlet. She added, “The probability that plaintiffs may in the future become eligible under the licensing provisions eviscerates the likelihood of irreparable harm.” Garnett wrote that the harms suffered by the 508 applicants cleared to participate in the lottery should it be put on hold outweighed the harms suffered by the plaintiffs should their application be denied, according to Law360 . Gay claimed in his complaint, filed Nov. 30, that the DCR’s process of awarding the dispensary licenses to social equity applicants violates the dormant commerce clause, a constitutional provision that prohibits policies that favor in-state residents, Law360 reported. Garnett noted that “the plaintiffs, at a minimum, have raised serious questions on the merits of their claim regarding the constitutionality of the challenged provisions,” according to the outlet, and found that Gay and his company lacked standing because the application was rejected for additional reasons beyond the scope of the social equity provisions. A bipartisan group of lawmakers in New Hampshire’s House of Representatives has announced plans to introduce an adult-use cannabis legalization bill. “The House has long stood united in finding a pathway to getting this done for Granite Staters,” House Majority Leader Jason Osborne told NHPR . “With any luck, the Senate will come around to supporting the will of the vast majority of New Hampshire citizens.” Although the legislation has not yet been formally introduced, it already has the support of the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Prosperity, the news outlet reported. The proposal would allow adults 21 and older to possess or gift up to 4 ounces of cannabis, and it would ultimately set up a commercial adult-use market with state-licensed dispensaries, according to NHPR . The legislation will also include home grow provisions that allow adults 21 and older to grow up to six plants—including three mature plants. The bill would also levy an 8.5% sales tax on retail cannabis sales, NHPR reported, and the tax revenue generated would be directed to state pensions and substance abuse prevention programs. A portion of the revenue would also be earmarked for law enforcement and municipalities that host dispensaries. “Legalization of adult possession of small amounts of cannabis is the right thing to do for New Hampshire and we must get it done in 2023,” House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm told NHPR , adding that cannabis users in state-legal markets “benefit from safer testing and regulation of the product.” While the House has repeatedly backed adult-use cannabis legalization measures—most recently approving legislation in March that would have allowed state-run liquor stores to sell cannabis—the Senate has killed these efforts . Gov. Chris Sununu could also impede cannabis policy reform efforts in the state. As Cannabis Business Times previously reported , Sununu has supported decriminalization, expungement and New Hampshire’s medical cannabis program, but his voting record is mixed when it comes to patient access. In 2019, for example, Sununu vetoed legislation that would have ended the requirement for patients to have at least a three-month relationship with a provider before receiving their medical cannabis certification. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is extending its deadline for hemp to be tested at laboratories certified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) until Dec. 31, 2023—nearly an entire year later than its initial deadline, Jan. 1, 2023. The USDA announced it is delaying the testing deadline due to an “inadequate” number of DEA-registered testing facilities. “We are delaying enforcement of these requirements based on input received from State and Tribal governments and third-party cannabis testing facilities who have experienced delays in completing the DEA laboratory registration process,” the USDA wrote in its announcement. The USDA added it is also concerned that there will not be enough hemp testing laboratories for the 2023 growing season, “which will hinder the growth of a domestic hemp market at this nascent stage. Laboratories testing hemp must comply with all other regulatory requirements.” Following the passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which legalized hemp at the federal level , the USDA released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) in October 2019 to address issues arising under the farm bill. The IFR, among other things, clarified that all hemp testing laboratories must be registered with the DEA. RELATED: Industry Professionals Urge Congress to Regulate CBD and Hemp-Derived Compounds in 2023 Farm Bill In 2020, the federal agency announced it was extending some requirements outlined in the IFR, including the rule for labs to be registered by the DEA, Cannabis Business Times reported . When the USDA published its final rule on hemp production in January 2021 , it delayed that requirement even further until Dec. 31, 2022, to give labs more time to complete the certification process, CBT reported . RELATED: A New Era of Hemp Testing The requirement received pushback from the industry and raised concerns amongst growers that it would “severely limit their testing options, creating backlogs and long wait times that could impact their results,” CBT reported. However, others in the industry disagreed and said using such labs brings “much-needed standardization to the hemp testing industry.” There are 87 DEA-registered labs for hemp testing as of Dec. 13—that number is only up slightly from April 2021, which reported fewer than 80 registered labs. LAS VEGAS (Dec. 13, 2022) – PRESS RELEASE – Global Harmony LLC, the parent company of Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC) , was recently awarded a retail cannabis consumption lounge license by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. Founded in 2014, Global Harmony LLC has a cannabis cultivation license and currently operates a cannabis retail dispensary in Las Vegas that serves both medical patients and recreational customers. “We are thrilled for this opportunity to serve the community in a new way as we evolve to include a consumption operation,” said Kema Ogden, partner of Global Harmony LLC and co-owner of Top Notch THC. “Everyone age 21 and older will be welcome to visit our consumption lounge as it’s going to be a warm and inviting place where locals and visitors might start out as guests but will quickly become friends.” RELATED: UPDATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges The current dispensary operation has already made a strong connection with the local community in a busy marketplace filled with giant competitors. “We look forward to creating a unique experience for locals and visitors to safely consume legal cannabis in Las Vegas,” said John Heishman, partner of Global Harmony LLC and CEO of Top Notch THC. “It’s been our honor and great pleasure to serve the community as our knowledgeable team will continue to provide the best customer experience around as we expand our operations in the coming months.” No opening date has been set yet, but Global Harmony LLC has plans in the works for opening its new cannabis retail consumption lounge in 2023. For more information about Top Notch THC, please visit www.topnotchthc.com .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"patients can join Sunnyside Rewards today through their existing Sunnyside.shop account page where they can view earning history, point balances and redemptions. to celebrate the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, Florida patients are eligible for a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"FLORIDA\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Avon Park\",\n \"Bonita Springs\",\n \"Boynton Beach\",\n \"Cape Coral\",\n \"Fort Lauderdale\",\n \"Jacksonville Beach\",\n \"Lady Lake\",\n \"North Miami\",\n \"Ocala\",\n \"Oakland Park\",\n \"Orlando\",\n \"West Orlando\",\n \"Panama City Beach\",\n \"Pensacola\",\n \"Sarasota\",\n \"St. Petersburg\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Tampa\",\n \"California\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"New Hampshire’s\",\n \"New Hampshire\",\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"Nevada\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Florida Regional\",\n \"Clearwater\",\n \"Port St. Lucie\",\n \"The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"DCR\",\n \"Social Equity Individual Applicant\",\n \"SEIA\",\n \"Variscite Inc.\",\n \"House of Representatives\",\n \"House\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the American Civil Liberties Union\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Sununu\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture (\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"State\",\n \"Laboratories\",\n \"IFR\",\n \"Regulate\",\n \"Hemp-Derived Compounds\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC\",\n \"the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"Top Notch THC\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Cresco Labs\",\n \"Sunnyside Rewards\",\n \"Cris Rivera\",\n \"Sherilyn Peace Garnett\",\n \"Kenneth Gay\",\n \"Garnett\",\n \"Granite Staters\",\n \"Jason Osborne\",\n \"Matt Wilhelm\",\n \"Chris Sununu\",\n \"Global Harmony LLC\",\n \"Global Harmony\",\n \"Kema Ogden\",\n \"John Heishman\",\n \"Top Notch THC\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.7,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7228357195854187\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e19ffa5de7033377d433\",\n \"title\": \"Sunnyside Cannabis Dispensary Launches Patient Loyalty Program in Florida\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/sunnyside-cannabis-dispensary-launches-patient-loyalty-program-florida\",\n \"description\": \"Sunnyside Rewards delivers a best-in-class digital loyalty experience through Sunnyside.shop.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T21:58:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"FLORIDA – Dec. 12, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Sunnyside , the national cannabis dispensary brand operated by multistate cannabis operator Cresco Labs , today announced the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, a new loyalty program available now on Sunnyside.shop for medical patients in Florida. “We’re excited about the launch of Sunnyside Rewards to demonstrate our commitment to continuing to create a seamless, convenient and value-added shopping experience for every patient in Florida,” said Cris Rivera, Florida Regional President at Cresco Labs. “Sunnyside Rewards is fully integrated into our Sunnyside.shop ecommerce platform to make it easy for our patients to join, earn and redeem points on all branded products and accessories sold in our Florida stores. Patients are eligible to earn points on every purchase with a suite of plus-up events and point multipliers, like double and triple earning days. To encourage our patents to join Sunnyside Rewards, we’re offering a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time at launch.” Patients can join Sunnyside Rewards today through their existing Sunnyside.shop account page where they can view earning history, point balances and redemptions. Patients will earn 1 point per $1 spent (post discounts, pre-tax), and can redeem points in any whole dollar amount up to $100 on a single transaction. Points can be redeemed after a patient has accumulated 40 points, equivalent to a $1 reward. Rewards are stackable with most discounts. Patients can also register for an account today by visiting Sunnyside.shop . To celebrate the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, Florida patients are eligible for a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time. They will also earn double points on all purchases through Dec. 18. Sunnyside is providing a gift with signup in all Florida locations while supplies last. Cresco Labs operates 21 stores in Florida and serves patients through its Sunnyside locations in Avon Park, Bonita Springs, Boynton Beach, Cape Coral, Clearwater, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville Beach, Lady Lake, North Miami, Ocala, Oakland Park, Orlando (Fern Park and West Orlando), Panama City Beach, Pensacola (9th Ave. and Nine Mile Rd.), Port St. Lucie, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee and Tampa. Learn more about the Sunnyside Rewards program at www.sunnyside.shop/page/sunnyside-rewards . For more information about Sunnyside or to place online orders, visit Sunnyside.shop . The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) conducted its lottery for cannabis retail applicants Dec. 8, selecting 100 social equity applicants to advance in the cannabis dispensary licensing process. The move comes after a court ruling last week allowed the licensing process to proceed. The lottery included a process that allowed individuals to request verification as a Social Equity Individual Applicant (SEIA) . More than 1,000 individuals requested SEIA verification and more than 500 SEIAs met the criteria to participate in last week’s lottery. The list of individuals selected in the lottery can be found here . The DCR plans to conduct another SEIA verification process and another lottery in early 2023. Thursday’s lottery, officially called the Phase 3 Retail Round 2 Lottery , comes after a California federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order sought by a would-be applicant from Michigan to stop the process from moving forward, according to a Law360 report . U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett issued a written opinion Dec. 8 that said Kenneth Gay and his company, Variscite Inc., could not prove that allowing the DCR’s lottery to proceed would “irreparably harm them or be in the public interest,” Law360 reported. “Plaintiffs’ monetary losses associated with the challenged provisions are purely speculative and insufficient to demonstrate irreparable harm,” Garnett wrote, according to the outlet. She added, “The probability that plaintiffs may in the future become eligible under the licensing provisions eviscerates the likelihood of irreparable harm.” Garnett wrote that the harms suffered by the 508 applicants cleared to participate in the lottery should it be put on hold outweighed the harms suffered by the plaintiffs should their application be denied, according to Law360 . Gay claimed in his complaint, filed Nov. 30, that the DCR’s process of awarding the dispensary licenses to social equity applicants violates the dormant commerce clause, a constitutional provision that prohibits policies that favor in-state residents, Law360 reported. Garnett noted that “the plaintiffs, at a minimum, have raised serious questions on the merits of their claim regarding the constitutionality of the challenged provisions,” according to the outlet, and found that Gay and his company lacked standing because the application was rejected for additional reasons beyond the scope of the social equity provisions. A bipartisan group of lawmakers in New Hampshire’s House of Representatives has announced plans to introduce an adult-use cannabis legalization bill. “The House has long stood united in finding a pathway to getting this done for Granite Staters,” House Majority Leader Jason Osborne told NHPR . “With any luck, the Senate will come around to supporting the will of the vast majority of New Hampshire citizens.” Although the legislation has not yet been formally introduced, it already has the support of the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Prosperity, the news outlet reported. The proposal would allow adults 21 and older to possess or gift up to 4 ounces of cannabis, and it would ultimately set up a commercial adult-use market with state-licensed dispensaries, according to NHPR . The legislation will also include home grow provisions that allow adults 21 and older to grow up to six plants—including three mature plants. The bill would also levy an 8.5% sales tax on retail cannabis sales, NHPR reported, and the tax revenue generated would be directed to state pensions and substance abuse prevention programs. A portion of the revenue would also be earmarked for law enforcement and municipalities that host dispensaries. “Legalization of adult possession of small amounts of cannabis is the right thing to do for New Hampshire and we must get it done in 2023,” House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm told NHPR , adding that cannabis users in state-legal markets “benefit from safer testing and regulation of the product.” While the House has repeatedly backed adult-use cannabis legalization measures—most recently approving legislation in March that would have allowed state-run liquor stores to sell cannabis—the Senate has killed these efforts . Gov. Chris Sununu could also impede cannabis policy reform efforts in the state. As Cannabis Business Times previously reported , Sununu has supported decriminalization, expungement and New Hampshire’s medical cannabis program, but his voting record is mixed when it comes to patient access. In 2019, for example, Sununu vetoed legislation that would have ended the requirement for patients to have at least a three-month relationship with a provider before receiving their medical cannabis certification. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is extending its deadline for hemp to be tested at laboratories certified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) until Dec. 31, 2023—nearly an entire year later than its initial deadline, Jan. 1, 2023. The USDA announced it is delaying the testing deadline due to an “inadequate” number of DEA-registered testing facilities. “We are delaying enforcement of these requirements based on input received from State and Tribal governments and third-party cannabis testing facilities who have experienced delays in completing the DEA laboratory registration process,” the USDA wrote in its announcement. The USDA added it is also concerned that there will not be enough hemp testing laboratories for the 2023 growing season, “which will hinder the growth of a domestic hemp market at this nascent stage. Laboratories testing hemp must comply with all other regulatory requirements.” Following the passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which legalized hemp at the federal level , the USDA released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) in October 2019 to address issues arising under the farm bill. The IFR, among other things, clarified that all hemp testing laboratories must be registered with the DEA. RELATED: Industry Professionals Urge Congress to Regulate CBD and Hemp-Derived Compounds in 2023 Farm Bill In 2020, the federal agency announced it was extending some requirements outlined in the IFR, including the rule for labs to be registered by the DEA, Cannabis Business Times reported . When the USDA published its final rule on hemp production in January 2021 , it delayed that requirement even further until Dec. 31, 2022, to give labs more time to complete the certification process, CBT reported . RELATED: A New Era of Hemp Testing The requirement received pushback from the industry and raised concerns amongst growers that it would “severely limit their testing options, creating backlogs and long wait times that could impact their results,” CBT reported. However, others in the industry disagreed and said using such labs brings “much-needed standardization to the hemp testing industry.” There are 87 DEA-registered labs for hemp testing as of Dec. 13—that number is only up slightly from April 2021, which reported fewer than 80 registered labs. LAS VEGAS (Dec. 13, 2022) – PRESS RELEASE – Global Harmony LLC, the parent company of Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC) , was recently awarded a retail cannabis consumption lounge license by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. Founded in 2014, Global Harmony LLC has a cannabis cultivation license and currently operates a cannabis retail dispensary in Las Vegas that serves both medical patients and recreational customers. “We are thrilled for this opportunity to serve the community in a new way as we evolve to include a consumption operation,” said Kema Ogden, partner of Global Harmony LLC and co-owner of Top Notch THC. “Everyone age 21 and older will be welcome to visit our consumption lounge as it’s going to be a warm and inviting place where locals and visitors might start out as guests but will quickly become friends.” RELATED: UPDATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges The current dispensary operation has already made a strong connection with the local community in a busy marketplace filled with giant competitors. “We look forward to creating a unique experience for locals and visitors to safely consume legal cannabis in Las Vegas,” said John Heishman, partner of Global Harmony LLC and CEO of Top Notch THC. “It’s been our honor and great pleasure to serve the community as our knowledgeable team will continue to provide the best customer experience around as we expand our operations in the coming months.” No opening date has been set yet, but Global Harmony LLC has plans in the works for opening its new cannabis retail consumption lounge in 2023. For more information about Top Notch THC, please visit www.topnotchthc.com .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"patients can join Sunnyside Rewards today through their existing Sunnyside.shop account page where they can view earning history, point balances and redemptions. to celebrate the launch of Sunnyside Rewards, Florida patients are eligible for a 100-point signup bonus available for a limited time.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"FLORIDA\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Avon Park\",\n \"Bonita Springs\",\n \"Boynton Beach\",\n \"Cape Coral\",\n \"Fort Lauderdale\",\n \"Jacksonville Beach\",\n \"Lady Lake\",\n \"North Miami\",\n \"Ocala\",\n \"Oakland Park\",\n \"Orlando\",\n \"West Orlando\",\n \"Panama City Beach\",\n \"Pensacola\",\n \"Sarasota\",\n \"St. Petersburg\",\n \"Tallahassee\",\n \"Tampa\",\n \"California\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"New Hampshire’s\",\n \"New Hampshire\",\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"Nevada\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Florida Regional\",\n \"Clearwater\",\n \"Port St. Lucie\",\n \"The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"DCR\",\n \"Social Equity Individual Applicant\",\n \"SEIA\",\n \"Variscite Inc.\",\n \"House of Representatives\",\n \"House\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the American Civil Liberties Union\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Sununu\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture (\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"State\",\n \"Laboratories\",\n \"IFR\",\n \"Regulate\",\n \"Hemp-Derived Compounds\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC\",\n \"the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"Top Notch THC\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Cresco Labs\",\n \"Sunnyside Rewards\",\n \"Cris Rivera\",\n \"Sherilyn Peace Garnett\",\n \"Kenneth Gay\",\n \"Garnett\",\n \"Granite Staters\",\n \"Jason Osborne\",\n \"Matt Wilhelm\",\n \"Chris Sununu\",\n \"Global Harmony LLC\",\n \"Global Harmony\",\n \"Kema Ogden\",\n \"John Heishman\",\n \"Top Notch THC\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.7,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7228357195854187\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e194fa5de7033377d42d\",\n \"title\": \"Los Angeles Officials Select 100 Social Equity Applicants to Advance in Cannabis Dispensary Licensing Process\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/los-angeles-officials-select-100-social-equity-applicants-cannabis-dispensary-licensing.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The Department of Cannabis Regulation conducted its retail application lottery after a court ruling last week allowed the licensing process to proceed.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T21:50:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) conducted its lottery for cannabis retail applicants Dec. 8, selecting 100 social equity applicants to advance in the cannabis dispensary licensing process. The move comes after a court ruling last week allowed the licensing process to proceed. The lottery included a process that allowed individuals to request verification as a Social Equity Individual Applicant (SEIA) . More than 1,000 individuals requested SEIA verification and more than 500 SEIAs met the criteria to participate in last week’s lottery. The list of individuals selected in the lottery can be found here . The DCR plans to conduct another SEIA verification process and another lottery in early 2023. Thursday’s lottery, officially called the Phase 3 Retail Round 2 Lottery , comes after a California federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order sought by a would-be applicant from Michigan to stop the process from moving forward, according to a Law360 report . U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett issued a written opinion Dec. 8 that said Kenneth Gay and his company, Variscite Inc., could not prove that allowing the DCR’s lottery to proceed would “irreparably harm them or be in the public interest,” Law360 reported. “Plaintiffs’ monetary losses associated with the challenged provisions are purely speculative and insufficient to demonstrate irreparable harm,” Garnett wrote, according to the outlet. She added, “The probability that plaintiffs may in the future become eligible under the licensing provisions eviscerates the likelihood of irreparable harm.” Garnett wrote that the harms suffered by the 508 applicants cleared to participate in the lottery should it be put on hold outweighed the harms suffered by the plaintiffs should their application be denied, according to Law360 . Gay claimed in his complaint, filed Nov. 30, that the DCR’s process of awarding the dispensary licenses to social equity applicants violates the dormant commerce clause, a constitutional provision that prohibits policies that favor in-state residents, Law360 reported. Garnett noted that “the plaintiffs, at a minimum, have raised serious questions on the merits of their claim regarding the constitutionality of the challenged provisions,” according to the outlet, and found that Gay and his company lacked standing because the application was rejected for additional reasons beyond the scope of the social equity provisions. A bipartisan group of lawmakers in New Hampshire’s House of Representatives has announced plans to introduce an adult-use cannabis legalization bill. “The House has long stood united in finding a pathway to getting this done for Granite Staters,” House Majority Leader Jason Osborne told NHPR . “With any luck, the Senate will come around to supporting the will of the vast majority of New Hampshire citizens.” Although the legislation has not yet been formally introduced, it already has the support of the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Prosperity, the news outlet reported. The proposal would allow adults 21 and older to possess or gift up to 4 ounces of cannabis, and it would ultimately set up a commercial adult-use market with state-licensed dispensaries, according to NHPR . The legislation will also include home grow provisions that allow adults 21 and older to grow up to six plants—including three mature plants. The bill would also levy an 8.5% sales tax on retail cannabis sales, NHPR reported, and the tax revenue generated would be directed to state pensions and substance abuse prevention programs. A portion of the revenue would also be earmarked for law enforcement and municipalities that host dispensaries. “Legalization of adult possession of small amounts of cannabis is the right thing to do for New Hampshire and we must get it done in 2023,” House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm told NHPR , adding that cannabis users in state-legal markets “benefit from safer testing and regulation of the product.” While the House has repeatedly backed adult-use cannabis legalization measures—most recently approving legislation in March that would have allowed state-run liquor stores to sell cannabis—the Senate has killed these efforts . Gov. Chris Sununu could also impede cannabis policy reform efforts in the state. As Cannabis Business Times previously reported , Sununu has supported decriminalization, expungement and New Hampshire’s medical cannabis program, but his voting record is mixed when it comes to patient access. In 2019, for example, Sununu vetoed legislation that would have ended the requirement for patients to have at least a three-month relationship with a provider before receiving their medical cannabis certification. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is extending its deadline for hemp to be tested at laboratories certified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) until Dec. 31, 2023—nearly an entire year later than its initial deadline, Jan. 1, 2023. The USDA announced it is delaying the testing deadline due to an “inadequate” number of DEA-registered testing facilities. “We are delaying enforcement of these requirements based on input received from State and Tribal governments and third-party cannabis testing facilities who have experienced delays in completing the DEA laboratory registration process,” the USDA wrote in its announcement. The USDA added it is also concerned that there will not be enough hemp testing laboratories for the 2023 growing season, “which will hinder the growth of a domestic hemp market at this nascent stage. Laboratories testing hemp must comply with all other regulatory requirements.” Following the passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which legalized hemp at the federal level , the USDA released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) in October 2019 to address issues arising under the farm bill. The IFR, among other things, clarified that all hemp testing laboratories must be registered with the DEA. RELATED: Industry Professionals Urge Congress to Regulate CBD and Hemp-Derived Compounds in 2023 Farm Bill In 2020, the federal agency announced it was extending some requirements outlined in the IFR, including the rule for labs to be registered by the DEA, Cannabis Business Times reported . When the USDA published its final rule on hemp production in January 2021 , it delayed that requirement even further until Dec. 31, 2022, to give labs more time to complete the certification process, CBT reported . RELATED: A New Era of Hemp Testing The requirement received pushback from the industry and raised concerns amongst growers that it would “severely limit their testing options, creating backlogs and long wait times that could impact their results,” CBT reported. However, others in the industry disagreed and said using such labs brings “much-needed standardization to the hemp testing industry.” There are 87 DEA-registered labs for hemp testing as of Dec. 13—that number is only up slightly from April 2021, which reported fewer than 80 registered labs. LAS VEGAS (Dec. 13, 2022) – PRESS RELEASE – Global Harmony LLC, the parent company of Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC) , was recently awarded a retail cannabis consumption lounge license by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. Founded in 2014, Global Harmony LLC has a cannabis cultivation license and currently operates a cannabis retail dispensary in Las Vegas that serves both medical patients and recreational customers. “We are thrilled for this opportunity to serve the community in a new way as we evolve to include a consumption operation,” said Kema Ogden, partner of Global Harmony LLC and co-owner of Top Notch THC. “Everyone age 21 and older will be welcome to visit our consumption lounge as it’s going to be a warm and inviting place where locals and visitors might start out as guests but will quickly become friends.” RELATED: UPDATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges The current dispensary operation has already made a strong connection with the local community in a busy marketplace filled with giant competitors. “We look forward to creating a unique experience for locals and visitors to safely consume legal cannabis in Las Vegas,” said John Heishman, partner of Global Harmony LLC and CEO of Top Notch THC. “It’s been our honor and great pleasure to serve the community as our knowledgeable team will continue to provide the best customer experience around as we expand our operations in the coming months.” No opening date has been set yet, but Global Harmony LLC has plans in the works for opening its new cannabis retail consumption lounge in 2023. For more information about Top Notch THC, please visit www.topnotchthc.com . Louisiana’s patients were able to temporarily access medical cannabis through telemedicine appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now a lawmaker is urging the state’s attorney general to make this change permanent. State Rep. Joseph Marino, I-Gretna, wrote a letter to Attorney General Jeff Landry, saying that the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Commission , on which Marino serves as a member, met in September to review state law regarding medical cannabis prescriptions, according to a local WDSU report . New Orleans-based Dr. Vincent Culotta said that based on the way the law is written, an in-person visit is required for doctors to prescribe controlled substances to patients, and Culotta interprets this to also apply to medical cannabis, the news outlet reported. The commission then tried to pass an emergency rule to exempt medical cannabis from the rule requiring in-person doctor visits, but it was ultimately rejected, according to WDSU . Now, Marino is calling on Landry to issue an opinion on the law. He said in his letter that not allowing patients to access medical cannabis through telemedicine appointments might have a “chilling effect” on Louisiana’s program, WDSU reported. Recent tweaks to the state’s medical cannabis laws took effect Aug. 1, including a change that transferred oversight of Louisiana’s medical cannabis program from the Department of Agriculture and Forestry to the Department of Health. Another change increased the number of dispensaries in the state from nine to a maximum number of 30 retail locations. RELATED: 28 Vie For Louisiana’s New Medical Cannabis Retail License Louisiana initially launched medical cannabis sales in 2019 and expanded the program at the beginning of 2022 to allow patients to access smokable flower .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/13/LosAngelesAerialView-AdobeStock-Credit-Tierney-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the lottery included a process that allowed individuals to request verification as a social equity individual applicant (SEIA) more than 1,000 individuals requested SEIA verification and more than 500 SEIAs met the criteria to participate in last week’s lottery. the lottery comes after a federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order sought by a would-be applicant from Michigan to stop the process from moving forward.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"California\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"New Hampshire’s\",\n \"New Hampshire\",\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Louisiana\",\n \"New Orleans\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"DCR\",\n \"Social Equity Individual Applicant\",\n \"SEIA\",\n \"Variscite Inc.\",\n \"House of Representatives\",\n \"House\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the American Civil Liberties Union\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Sununu\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture (\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"State\",\n \"Laboratories\",\n \"IFR\",\n \"Regulate\",\n \"Hemp-Derived Compounds\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC\",\n \"the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"Top Notch THC\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges\",\n \"the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"the Department of Agriculture and Forestry\",\n \"the Department of Health\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Sherilyn Peace Garnett\",\n \"Kenneth Gay\",\n \"Garnett\",\n \"Granite Staters\",\n \"Jason Osborne\",\n \"Matt Wilhelm\",\n \"Chris Sununu\",\n \"Global Harmony LLC\",\n \"Global Harmony\",\n \"Kema Ogden\",\n \"John Heishman\",\n \"Top Notch THC\",\n \"Joseph Marino\",\n \"Jeff Landry\",\n \"Marino\",\n \"Vincent Culotta\",\n \"Culotta\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.63,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8506081104278564\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1a1fa5de7033377d434\",\n \"title\": \"Los Angeles Officials Select 100 Social Equity Applicants to Advance in Cannabis Dispensary Licensing Process\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/los-angeles-officials-select-100-social-equity-applicants-cannabis-dispensary-licensing\",\n \"description\": \"The Department of Cannabis Regulation conducted its retail application lottery after a court ruling last week allowed the licensing process to proceed.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T21:50:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) conducted its lottery for cannabis retail applicants Dec. 8, selecting 100 social equity applicants to advance in the cannabis dispensary licensing process. The move comes after a court ruling last week allowed the licensing process to proceed. The lottery included a process that allowed individuals to request verification as a Social Equity Individual Applicant (SEIA) . More than 1,000 individuals requested SEIA verification and more than 500 SEIAs met the criteria to participate in last week’s lottery. The list of individuals selected in the lottery can be found here . The DCR plans to conduct another SEIA verification process and another lottery in early 2023. Thursday’s lottery, officially called the Phase 3 Retail Round 2 Lottery , comes after a California federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order sought by a would-be applicant from Michigan to stop the process from moving forward, according to a Law360 report . U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett issued a written opinion Dec. 8 that said Kenneth Gay and his company, Variscite Inc., could not prove that allowing the DCR’s lottery to proceed would “irreparably harm them or be in the public interest,” Law360 reported. “Plaintiffs’ monetary losses associated with the challenged provisions are purely speculative and insufficient to demonstrate irreparable harm,” Garnett wrote, according to the outlet. She added, “The probability that plaintiffs may in the future become eligible under the licensing provisions eviscerates the likelihood of irreparable harm.” Garnett wrote that the harms suffered by the 508 applicants cleared to participate in the lottery should it be put on hold outweighed the harms suffered by the plaintiffs should their application be denied, according to Law360 . Gay claimed in his complaint, filed Nov. 30, that the DCR’s process of awarding the dispensary licenses to social equity applicants violates the dormant commerce clause, a constitutional provision that prohibits policies that favor in-state residents, Law360 reported. Garnett noted that “the plaintiffs, at a minimum, have raised serious questions on the merits of their claim regarding the constitutionality of the challenged provisions,” according to the outlet, and found that Gay and his company lacked standing because the application was rejected for additional reasons beyond the scope of the social equity provisions. A bipartisan group of lawmakers in New Hampshire’s House of Representatives has announced plans to introduce an adult-use cannabis legalization bill. “The House has long stood united in finding a pathway to getting this done for Granite Staters,” House Majority Leader Jason Osborne told NHPR . “With any luck, the Senate will come around to supporting the will of the vast majority of New Hampshire citizens.” Although the legislation has not yet been formally introduced, it already has the support of the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Prosperity, the news outlet reported. The proposal would allow adults 21 and older to possess or gift up to 4 ounces of cannabis, and it would ultimately set up a commercial adult-use market with state-licensed dispensaries, according to NHPR . The legislation will also include home grow provisions that allow adults 21 and older to grow up to six plants—including three mature plants. The bill would also levy an 8.5% sales tax on retail cannabis sales, NHPR reported, and the tax revenue generated would be directed to state pensions and substance abuse prevention programs. A portion of the revenue would also be earmarked for law enforcement and municipalities that host dispensaries. “Legalization of adult possession of small amounts of cannabis is the right thing to do for New Hampshire and we must get it done in 2023,” House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm told NHPR , adding that cannabis users in state-legal markets “benefit from safer testing and regulation of the product.” While the House has repeatedly backed adult-use cannabis legalization measures—most recently approving legislation in March that would have allowed state-run liquor stores to sell cannabis—the Senate has killed these efforts . Gov. Chris Sununu could also impede cannabis policy reform efforts in the state. As Cannabis Business Times previously reported , Sununu has supported decriminalization, expungement and New Hampshire’s medical cannabis program, but his voting record is mixed when it comes to patient access. In 2019, for example, Sununu vetoed legislation that would have ended the requirement for patients to have at least a three-month relationship with a provider before receiving their medical cannabis certification. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is extending its deadline for hemp to be tested at laboratories certified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) until Dec. 31, 2023—nearly an entire year later than its initial deadline, Jan. 1, 2023. The USDA announced it is delaying the testing deadline due to an “inadequate” number of DEA-registered testing facilities. “We are delaying enforcement of these requirements based on input received from State and Tribal governments and third-party cannabis testing facilities who have experienced delays in completing the DEA laboratory registration process,” the USDA wrote in its announcement. The USDA added it is also concerned that there will not be enough hemp testing laboratories for the 2023 growing season, “which will hinder the growth of a domestic hemp market at this nascent stage. Laboratories testing hemp must comply with all other regulatory requirements.” Following the passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which legalized hemp at the federal level , the USDA released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) in October 2019 to address issues arising under the farm bill. The IFR, among other things, clarified that all hemp testing laboratories must be registered with the DEA. RELATED: Industry Professionals Urge Congress to Regulate CBD and Hemp-Derived Compounds in 2023 Farm Bill In 2020, the federal agency announced it was extending some requirements outlined in the IFR, including the rule for labs to be registered by the DEA, Cannabis Business Times reported . When the USDA published its final rule on hemp production in January 2021 , it delayed that requirement even further until Dec. 31, 2022, to give labs more time to complete the certification process, CBT reported . RELATED: A New Era of Hemp Testing The requirement received pushback from the industry and raised concerns amongst growers that it would “severely limit their testing options, creating backlogs and long wait times that could impact their results,” CBT reported. However, others in the industry disagreed and said using such labs brings “much-needed standardization to the hemp testing industry.” There are 87 DEA-registered labs for hemp testing as of Dec. 13—that number is only up slightly from April 2021, which reported fewer than 80 registered labs. LAS VEGAS (Dec. 13, 2022) – PRESS RELEASE – Global Harmony LLC, the parent company of Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC) , was recently awarded a retail cannabis consumption lounge license by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. Founded in 2014, Global Harmony LLC has a cannabis cultivation license and currently operates a cannabis retail dispensary in Las Vegas that serves both medical patients and recreational customers. “We are thrilled for this opportunity to serve the community in a new way as we evolve to include a consumption operation,” said Kema Ogden, partner of Global Harmony LLC and co-owner of Top Notch THC. “Everyone age 21 and older will be welcome to visit our consumption lounge as it’s going to be a warm and inviting place where locals and visitors might start out as guests but will quickly become friends.” RELATED: UPDATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges The current dispensary operation has already made a strong connection with the local community in a busy marketplace filled with giant competitors. “We look forward to creating a unique experience for locals and visitors to safely consume legal cannabis in Las Vegas,” said John Heishman, partner of Global Harmony LLC and CEO of Top Notch THC. “It’s been our honor and great pleasure to serve the community as our knowledgeable team will continue to provide the best customer experience around as we expand our operations in the coming months.” No opening date has been set yet, but Global Harmony LLC has plans in the works for opening its new cannabis retail consumption lounge in 2023. For more information about Top Notch THC, please visit www.topnotchthc.com . Louisiana’s patients were able to temporarily access medical cannabis through telemedicine appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now a lawmaker is urging the state’s attorney general to make this change permanent. State Rep. Joseph Marino, I-Gretna, wrote a letter to Attorney General Jeff Landry, saying that the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Commission , on which Marino serves as a member, met in September to review state law regarding medical cannabis prescriptions, according to a local WDSU report . New Orleans-based Dr. Vincent Culotta said that based on the way the law is written, an in-person visit is required for doctors to prescribe controlled substances to patients, and Culotta interprets this to also apply to medical cannabis, the news outlet reported. The commission then tried to pass an emergency rule to exempt medical cannabis from the rule requiring in-person doctor visits, but it was ultimately rejected, according to WDSU . Now, Marino is calling on Landry to issue an opinion on the law. He said in his letter that not allowing patients to access medical cannabis through telemedicine appointments might have a “chilling effect” on Louisiana’s program, WDSU reported. Recent tweaks to the state’s medical cannabis laws took effect Aug. 1, including a change that transferred oversight of Louisiana’s medical cannabis program from the Department of Agriculture and Forestry to the Department of Health. Another change increased the number of dispensaries in the state from nine to a maximum number of 30 retail locations. RELATED: 28 Vie For Louisiana’s New Medical Cannabis Retail License Louisiana initially launched medical cannabis sales in 2019 and expanded the program at the beginning of 2022 to allow patients to access smokable flower .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/13/LosAngelesAerialView-AdobeStock-Credit-Tierney-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the lottery included a process that allowed individuals to request verification as a social equity individual applicant (SEIA) more than 1,000 individuals requested SEIA verification and more than 500 SEIAs met the criteria to participate in last week’s lottery. the lottery comes after a federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order sought by a would-be applicant from Michigan to stop the process from moving forward.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"California\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"New Hampshire’s\",\n \"New Hampshire\",\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Louisiana\",\n \"New Orleans\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"DCR\",\n \"Social Equity Individual Applicant\",\n \"SEIA\",\n \"Variscite Inc.\",\n \"House of Representatives\",\n \"House\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the American Civil Liberties Union\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Sununu\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture (\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"State\",\n \"Laboratories\",\n \"IFR\",\n \"Regulate\",\n \"Hemp-Derived Compounds\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC\",\n \"the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"Top Notch THC\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges\",\n \"the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"the Department of Agriculture and Forestry\",\n \"the Department of Health\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Sherilyn Peace Garnett\",\n \"Kenneth Gay\",\n \"Garnett\",\n \"Granite Staters\",\n \"Jason Osborne\",\n \"Matt Wilhelm\",\n \"Chris Sununu\",\n \"Global Harmony LLC\",\n \"Global Harmony\",\n \"Kema Ogden\",\n \"John Heishman\",\n \"Top Notch THC\",\n \"Joseph Marino\",\n \"Jeff Landry\",\n \"Marino\",\n \"Vincent Culotta\",\n \"Culotta\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.63,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8506081104278564\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e195fa5de7033377d42e\",\n \"title\": \"New Hampshire’s Top Lawmakers Collaborate on Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bill\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/new-hampshire-lawmakers-collaborate-on-adult-use-cannabis-legalization-bill.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"A bipartisan group of legislators in the state’s House of Representatives plan to introduce legislation to legalize the possession and sale of cannabis for adults 21 and older.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T20:39:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"A bipartisan group of lawmakers in New Hampshire’s House of Representatives has announced plans to introduce an adult-use cannabis legalization bill. “The House has long stood united in finding a pathway to getting this done for Granite Staters,” House Majority Leader Jason Osborne told NHPR . “With any luck, the Senate will come around to supporting the will of the vast majority of New Hampshire citizens.” Although the legislation has not yet been formally introduced, it already has the support of the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Prosperity, the news outlet reported. The proposal would allow adults 21 and older to possess or gift up to 4 ounces of cannabis, and it would ultimately set up a commercial adult-use market with state-licensed dispensaries, according to NHPR . The legislation will also include home grow provisions that allow adults 21 and older to grow up to six plants—including three mature plants. The bill would also levy an 8.5% sales tax on retail cannabis sales, NHPR reported, and the tax revenue generated would be directed to state pensions and substance abuse prevention programs. A portion of the revenue would also be earmarked for law enforcement and municipalities that host dispensaries. “Legalization of adult possession of small amounts of cannabis is the right thing to do for New Hampshire and we must get it done in 2023,” House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm told NHPR , adding that cannabis users in state-legal markets “benefit from safer testing and regulation of the product.” While the House has repeatedly backed adult-use cannabis legalization measures—most recently approving legislation in March that would have allowed state-run liquor stores to sell cannabis—the Senate has killed these efforts . Gov. Chris Sununu could also impede cannabis policy reform efforts in the state. As Cannabis Business Times previously reported , Sununu has supported decriminalization, expungement and New Hampshire’s medical cannabis program, but his voting record is mixed when it comes to patient access. In 2019, for example, Sununu vetoed legislation that would have ended the requirement for patients to have at least a three-month relationship with a provider before receiving their medical cannabis certification. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is extending its deadline for hemp to be tested at laboratories certified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) until Dec. 31, 2023—nearly an entire year later than its initial deadline, Jan. 1, 2023. The USDA announced it is delaying the testing deadline due to an “inadequate” number of DEA-registered testing facilities. “We are delaying enforcement of these requirements based on input received from State and Tribal governments and third-party cannabis testing facilities who have experienced delays in completing the DEA laboratory registration process,” the USDA wrote in its announcement. The USDA added it is also concerned that there will not be enough hemp testing laboratories for the 2023 growing season, “which will hinder the growth of a domestic hemp market at this nascent stage. Laboratories testing hemp must comply with all other regulatory requirements.” Following the passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which legalized hemp at the federal level , the USDA released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) in October 2019 to address issues arising under the farm bill. The IFR, among other things, clarified that all hemp testing laboratories must be registered with the DEA. RELATED: Industry Professionals Urge Congress to Regulate CBD and Hemp-Derived Compounds in 2023 Farm Bill In 2020, the federal agency announced it was extending some requirements outlined in the IFR, including the rule for labs to be registered by the DEA, Cannabis Business Times reported . When the USDA published its final rule on hemp production in January 2021 , it delayed that requirement even further until Dec. 31, 2022, to give labs more time to complete the certification process, CBT reported . RELATED: A New Era of Hemp Testing The requirement received pushback from the industry and raised concerns amongst growers that it would “severely limit their testing options, creating backlogs and long wait times that could impact their results,” CBT reported. However, others in the industry disagreed and said using such labs brings “much-needed standardization to the hemp testing industry.” There are 87 DEA-registered labs for hemp testing as of Dec. 13—that number is only up slightly from April 2021, which reported fewer than 80 registered labs. LAS VEGAS (Dec. 13, 2022) – PRESS RELEASE – Global Harmony LLC, the parent company of Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC) , was recently awarded a retail cannabis consumption lounge license by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. Founded in 2014, Global Harmony LLC has a cannabis cultivation license and currently operates a cannabis retail dispensary in Las Vegas that serves both medical patients and recreational customers. “We are thrilled for this opportunity to serve the community in a new way as we evolve to include a consumption operation,” said Kema Ogden, partner of Global Harmony LLC and co-owner of Top Notch THC. “Everyone age 21 and older will be welcome to visit our consumption lounge as it’s going to be a warm and inviting place where locals and visitors might start out as guests but will quickly become friends.” RELATED: UPDATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges The current dispensary operation has already made a strong connection with the local community in a busy marketplace filled with giant competitors. “We look forward to creating a unique experience for locals and visitors to safely consume legal cannabis in Las Vegas,” said John Heishman, partner of Global Harmony LLC and CEO of Top Notch THC. “It’s been our honor and great pleasure to serve the community as our knowledgeable team will continue to provide the best customer experience around as we expand our operations in the coming months.” No opening date has been set yet, but Global Harmony LLC has plans in the works for opening its new cannabis retail consumption lounge in 2023. For more information about Top Notch THC, please visit www.topnotchthc.com . Louisiana’s patients were able to temporarily access medical cannabis through telemedicine appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now a lawmaker is urging the state’s attorney general to make this change permanent. State Rep. Joseph Marino, I-Gretna, wrote a letter to Attorney General Jeff Landry, saying that the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Commission , on which Marino serves as a member, met in September to review state law regarding medical cannabis prescriptions, according to a local WDSU report . New Orleans-based Dr. Vincent Culotta said that based on the way the law is written, an in-person visit is required for doctors to prescribe controlled substances to patients, and Culotta interprets this to also apply to medical cannabis, the news outlet reported. The commission then tried to pass an emergency rule to exempt medical cannabis from the rule requiring in-person doctor visits, but it was ultimately rejected, according to WDSU . Now, Marino is calling on Landry to issue an opinion on the law. He said in his letter that not allowing patients to access medical cannabis through telemedicine appointments might have a “chilling effect” on Louisiana’s program, WDSU reported. Recent tweaks to the state’s medical cannabis laws took effect Aug. 1, including a change that transferred oversight of Louisiana’s medical cannabis program from the Department of Agriculture and Forestry to the Department of Health. Another change increased the number of dispensaries in the state from nine to a maximum number of 30 retail locations. RELATED: 28 Vie For Louisiana’s New Medical Cannabis Retail License Louisiana initially launched medical cannabis sales in 2019 and expanded the program at the beginning of 2022 to allow patients to access smokable flower . BOCA RATON, Florida., Dec. 13, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Jushi Holdings, a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator, announced the launch of a comprehensive product suite in California that includes three brands crafted to meet cannabis consumers’ preferences and price points. With the addition of Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles, Tasteology Fruit Chews and The Lab Vapes, the company brings a new selection of high-quality brands and proprietary products exclusively available at the company’s Beyond Hello retail locations in the Golden State. “As California is one of the most competitive and mature cannabis markets in the world, California cannabis consumers have some of the most discerning tastes,” said Jim Cacioppo, Jushi founder, chairman and CEO. “They want high-quality products at a range of price points that deliver a premium consumer experience. Our diverse house of brands has been carefully crafted to meet the needs of the canna-curious and the canna-connoisseurs alike. As we expand Jushi’s branded product portfolio in key markets across the country, we look forward to exceeding consumers expectations by offering new, innovative brands and products through our digital and retail store footprint.” Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles: Sèchè boldly invents a new category in cannabis by redefining the perception of value products like shake, popcorn, and pre-rolls. With a carefree spirit and the curiosity to uncover what’s next, Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles are packaged in environmentally sustainable ocean-bound plastic tubes and come in seven popular varieties. The new pre-roll 1g singles are now exclusively available for purchase at Beyond Hello Santa Barbara, Beyond Hello Grover Beach, and Beyond Hello Palm Springs for $9 each or five for $35. Tasteology Fruit Chews: Jushi’s Tasteology Fruit Chews are vegan, gluten-free and available in four new varieties, including Sour Watermelon Waves, Strawberry Spirit, Blue Raspberry Bliss, and Peachy Dreams. All natural, and containing no colorings, preservatives or artificial flavors, each package of Tasteology Fruit Chews includes 10 individual chews, each infused with 10mg of THC and other minor cannabinoids. Tasteology Fruit Chews are available exclusively at Beyond Hello California retail locations for $12 each or three for $30. The Lab Vapes: Crafted using cutting-edge technology and equipment, The Lab’s new product line includes a 1g live resin vape cart, a 1g cured vape cart and a 1g cured rechargeable all-in-one vape pen in popular varieties. The Lab vapes are exclusively available at Beyond Hello California retail locations, bringing the unique experience of vapes to new and modern mediums.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/13/NewHampshireStatehouse-AdobeStock-ZackFrank-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the proposal would allow adults 21 and older to possess or gift up to 4 ounces of cannabis. it would also set up a commercial adult-use market with state-licensed dispensaries. the bill would also levy an 8.5% sales tax on retail cannabis sales.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"New Hampshire’s\",\n \"New Hampshire\",\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Louisiana\",\n \"New Orleans\",\n \"BOCA RATON\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"California\",\n \"Santa Barbara\",\n \"Grover Beach\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"House of Representatives\",\n \"House\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the American Civil Liberties Union\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Sununu\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture (\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"State\",\n \"Laboratories\",\n \"IFR\",\n \"Regulate\",\n \"Hemp-Derived Compounds\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC\",\n \"the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"Top Notch THC\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges\",\n \"the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"the Department of Agriculture and Forestry\",\n \"the Department of Health\",\n \"Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles, Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"Jushi\",\n \"Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles\",\n \"Beyond Hello Palm Springs\",\n \"Jushi’s Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"THC\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Granite Staters\",\n \"Jason Osborne\",\n \"Matt Wilhelm\",\n \"Chris Sununu\",\n \"Global Harmony LLC\",\n \"Global Harmony\",\n \"Kema Ogden\",\n \"John Heishman\",\n \"Top Notch THC\",\n \"Joseph Marino\",\n \"Jeff Landry\",\n \"Marino\",\n \"Vincent Culotta\",\n \"Culotta\",\n \"Jim Cacioppo\",\n \"Sour Watermelon Waves\",\n \"Strawberry Spirit\",\n \"Blue Raspberry Bliss\",\n \"Peachy Dreams\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.55,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.6043244004249573\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e198fa5de7033377d42f\",\n \"title\": \"Deadline Extended for Hemp to be Tested by DEA-Registered Labs\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/usda-extends-deadline-for-hemp-to-be-tested-by-dea-registered-labs.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The USDA delayed the testing deadline due to there being an “inadequate” number of DEA-registered testing facilities.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T19:12:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is extending its deadline for hemp to be tested at laboratories certified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) until Dec. 31, 2023—nearly an entire year later than its initial deadline, Jan. 1, 2023. The USDA announced it is delaying the testing deadline due to an “inadequate” number of DEA-registered testing facilities. “We are delaying enforcement of these requirements based on input received from State and Tribal governments and third-party cannabis testing facilities who have experienced delays in completing the DEA laboratory registration process,” the USDA wrote in its announcement. The USDA added it is also concerned that there will not be enough hemp testing laboratories for the 2023 growing season, “which will hinder the growth of a domestic hemp market at this nascent stage. Laboratories testing hemp must comply with all other regulatory requirements.” Following the passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which legalized hemp at the federal level , the USDA released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) in October 2019 to address issues arising under the farm bill. The IFR, among other things, clarified that all hemp testing laboratories must be registered with the DEA. RELATED: Industry Professionals Urge Congress to Regulate CBD and Hemp-Derived Compounds in 2023 Farm Bill In 2020, the federal agency announced it was extending some requirements outlined in the IFR, including the rule for labs to be registered by the DEA, Cannabis Business Times reported . When the USDA published its final rule on hemp production in January 2021 , it delayed that requirement even further until Dec. 31, 2022, to give labs more time to complete the certification process, CBT reported . RELATED: A New Era of Hemp Testing The requirement received pushback from the industry and raised concerns amongst growers that it would “severely limit their testing options, creating backlogs and long wait times that could impact their results,” CBT reported. However, others in the industry disagreed and said using such labs brings “much-needed standardization to the hemp testing industry.” There are 87 DEA-registered labs for hemp testing as of Dec. 13—that number is only up slightly from April 2021, which reported fewer than 80 registered labs. LAS VEGAS (Dec. 13, 2022) – PRESS RELEASE – Global Harmony LLC, the parent company of Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC) , was recently awarded a retail cannabis consumption lounge license by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. Founded in 2014, Global Harmony LLC has a cannabis cultivation license and currently operates a cannabis retail dispensary in Las Vegas that serves both medical patients and recreational customers. “We are thrilled for this opportunity to serve the community in a new way as we evolve to include a consumption operation,” said Kema Ogden, partner of Global Harmony LLC and co-owner of Top Notch THC. “Everyone age 21 and older will be welcome to visit our consumption lounge as it’s going to be a warm and inviting place where locals and visitors might start out as guests but will quickly become friends.” RELATED: UPDATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges The current dispensary operation has already made a strong connection with the local community in a busy marketplace filled with giant competitors. “We look forward to creating a unique experience for locals and visitors to safely consume legal cannabis in Las Vegas,” said John Heishman, partner of Global Harmony LLC and CEO of Top Notch THC. “It’s been our honor and great pleasure to serve the community as our knowledgeable team will continue to provide the best customer experience around as we expand our operations in the coming months.” No opening date has been set yet, but Global Harmony LLC has plans in the works for opening its new cannabis retail consumption lounge in 2023. For more information about Top Notch THC, please visit www.topnotchthc.com . Louisiana’s patients were able to temporarily access medical cannabis through telemedicine appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now a lawmaker is urging the state’s attorney general to make this change permanent. State Rep. Joseph Marino, I-Gretna, wrote a letter to Attorney General Jeff Landry, saying that the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Commission , on which Marino serves as a member, met in September to review state law regarding medical cannabis prescriptions, according to a local WDSU report . New Orleans-based Dr. Vincent Culotta said that based on the way the law is written, an in-person visit is required for doctors to prescribe controlled substances to patients, and Culotta interprets this to also apply to medical cannabis, the news outlet reported. The commission then tried to pass an emergency rule to exempt medical cannabis from the rule requiring in-person doctor visits, but it was ultimately rejected, according to WDSU . Now, Marino is calling on Landry to issue an opinion on the law. He said in his letter that not allowing patients to access medical cannabis through telemedicine appointments might have a “chilling effect” on Louisiana’s program, WDSU reported. Recent tweaks to the state’s medical cannabis laws took effect Aug. 1, including a change that transferred oversight of Louisiana’s medical cannabis program from the Department of Agriculture and Forestry to the Department of Health. Another change increased the number of dispensaries in the state from nine to a maximum number of 30 retail locations. RELATED: 28 Vie For Louisiana’s New Medical Cannabis Retail License Louisiana initially launched medical cannabis sales in 2019 and expanded the program at the beginning of 2022 to allow patients to access smokable flower . BOCA RATON, Florida., Dec. 13, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Jushi Holdings, a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator, announced the launch of a comprehensive product suite in California that includes three brands crafted to meet cannabis consumers’ preferences and price points. With the addition of Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles, Tasteology Fruit Chews and The Lab Vapes, the company brings a new selection of high-quality brands and proprietary products exclusively available at the company’s Beyond Hello retail locations in the Golden State. “As California is one of the most competitive and mature cannabis markets in the world, California cannabis consumers have some of the most discerning tastes,” said Jim Cacioppo, Jushi founder, chairman and CEO. “They want high-quality products at a range of price points that deliver a premium consumer experience. Our diverse house of brands has been carefully crafted to meet the needs of the canna-curious and the canna-connoisseurs alike. As we expand Jushi’s branded product portfolio in key markets across the country, we look forward to exceeding consumers expectations by offering new, innovative brands and products through our digital and retail store footprint.” Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles: Sèchè boldly invents a new category in cannabis by redefining the perception of value products like shake, popcorn, and pre-rolls. With a carefree spirit and the curiosity to uncover what’s next, Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles are packaged in environmentally sustainable ocean-bound plastic tubes and come in seven popular varieties. The new pre-roll 1g singles are now exclusively available for purchase at Beyond Hello Santa Barbara, Beyond Hello Grover Beach, and Beyond Hello Palm Springs for $9 each or five for $35. Tasteology Fruit Chews: Jushi’s Tasteology Fruit Chews are vegan, gluten-free and available in four new varieties, including Sour Watermelon Waves, Strawberry Spirit, Blue Raspberry Bliss, and Peachy Dreams. All natural, and containing no colorings, preservatives or artificial flavors, each package of Tasteology Fruit Chews includes 10 individual chews, each infused with 10mg of THC and other minor cannabinoids. Tasteology Fruit Chews are available exclusively at Beyond Hello California retail locations for $12 each or three for $30. The Lab Vapes: Crafted using cutting-edge technology and equipment, The Lab’s new product line includes a 1g live resin vape cart, a 1g cured vape cart and a 1g cured rechargeable all-in-one vape pen in popular varieties. The Lab vapes are exclusively available at Beyond Hello California retail locations, bringing the unique experience of vapes to new and modern mediums. CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 13, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - High Tide Inc., retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets, announced that it has begun selling cannabis seeds in the United States, initially through its wholly owned subsidiaries Grasscity and Smoke Cartel , which are e-commerce platforms for consumption accessories. The company plans to expand seed sales to additional online retail platforms within its portfolio in 2023. This launch comes on the heels of the American Drug Enforcement Agency's recent official determination that cannabis seeds fall under the legal definition of hemp and can therefore be sold openly in the United States. \\\"With our entry into this new and exciting complementary vertical, we continue to extend and strengthen our integrated value chain, providing our customers with a complete cannabis experience, in addition to the opportunity to further enhance our consolidated gross margin profile. This new business venture will greatly expand our U.S. customer base, which already sits at 2.4 million through our ancillary cannabis business lines, and sets us up well to take advantage of federal legalization in the United States when it comes. This further diversification into the U.S. seeds market also strengthens our Canadian discount club model, as this new vertical is expected to generate significantly higher gross margins than our core brick-and mortar-business, which will help us continue to offer unbeatable prices to our Cabana Club members,\\\" said Raj Grover, High Tide president and CEO. \\\"GrassCity and Smoke Cartel, due to their top SEO rankings, organically built over the last twenty-two and eight years, respectively, generate some of the highest online traffic in the consumption accessories space, which is why it makes sense for us to leverage this strength as we launch this new vertical in the United States,\\\" Grover said. \\\"Innovation has always been a cornerstone of High Tide's strategy, and today's announcement is yet another example of how we will never stop looking for ways to enhance shareholder value while differentiating ourselves from the competition.\\\"\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/13/Untitleddesign-2022-12-13T141558009.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the USDA announced it is delaying the testing deadline due to an \\\"inadequate\\\" number of DEA-registered testing facilities. there are 87 DEA-registered labs for hemp testing as of Dec. 13—that number is only up slightly from April 2021, which reported fewer than 80 labs. the USDA said it is also concerned that there will not be enough hemp testing laboratories for the 2023 growing season.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Louisiana\",\n \"New Orleans\",\n \"BOCA RATON\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"California\",\n \"Santa Barbara\",\n \"Grover Beach\",\n \"CALGARY\",\n \"Alberta\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"U.S.\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"State\",\n \"Laboratories\",\n \"IFR\",\n \"Regulate\",\n \"Hemp-Derived Compounds\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC\",\n \"the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"Top Notch THC\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges\",\n \"the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"the Department of Agriculture and Forestry\",\n \"the Department of Health\",\n \"Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles, Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"Jushi\",\n \"Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles\",\n \"Beyond Hello Palm Springs\",\n \"Jushi’s Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"THC\",\n \"Grasscity and Smoke Cartel\",\n \"the American Drug Enforcement Agency's\",\n \"Cabana Club\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Global Harmony LLC\",\n \"Global Harmony\",\n \"Kema Ogden\",\n \"John Heishman\",\n \"Top Notch THC\",\n \"Joseph Marino\",\n \"Jeff Landry\",\n \"Marino\",\n \"Vincent Culotta\",\n \"Culotta\",\n \"Jim Cacioppo\",\n \"Sour Watermelon Waves\",\n \"Strawberry Spirit\",\n \"Blue Raspberry Bliss\",\n \"Peachy Dreams\",\n \"Raj Grover\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.58,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9444872736930847\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1b6fa5de7033377d441\",\n \"title\": \"Deadline Extended for Hemp to be Tested by DEA-Registered Labs\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/usda-extends-deadline-for-hemp-to-be-tested-by-dea-registered-labs\",\n \"description\": \"The USDA delayed the testing deadline due to there being an “inadequate” number of DEA-registered testing facilities.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T19:12:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is extending its deadline for hemp to be tested at laboratories certified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) until Dec. 31, 2023—nearly an entire year later than its initial deadline, Jan. 1, 2023. The USDA announced it is delaying the testing deadline due to an “inadequate” number of DEA-registered testing facilities. “We are delaying enforcement of these requirements based on input received from State and Tribal governments and third-party cannabis testing facilities who have experienced delays in completing the DEA laboratory registration process,” the USDA wrote in its announcement. The USDA added it is also concerned that there will not be enough hemp testing laboratories for the 2023 growing season, “which will hinder the growth of a domestic hemp market at this nascent stage. Laboratories testing hemp must comply with all other regulatory requirements.” Following the passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which legalized hemp at the federal level , the USDA released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) in October 2019 to address issues arising under the farm bill. The IFR, among other things, clarified that all hemp testing laboratories must be registered with the DEA. RELATED: Industry Professionals Urge Congress to Regulate CBD and Hemp-Derived Compounds in 2023 Farm Bill In 2020, the federal agency announced it was extending some requirements outlined in the IFR, including the rule for labs to be registered by the DEA, Cannabis Business Times reported . When the USDA published its final rule on hemp production in January 2021 , it delayed that requirement even further until Dec. 31, 2022, to give labs more time to complete the certification process, CBT reported . RELATED: A New Era of Hemp Testing The requirement received pushback from the industry and raised concerns amongst growers that it would “severely limit their testing options, creating backlogs and long wait times that could impact their results,” CBT reported. However, others in the industry disagreed and said using such labs brings “much-needed standardization to the hemp testing industry.” There are 87 DEA-registered labs for hemp testing as of Dec. 13—that number is only up slightly from April 2021, which reported fewer than 80 registered labs. LAS VEGAS (Dec. 13, 2022) – PRESS RELEASE – Global Harmony LLC, the parent company of Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC) , was recently awarded a retail cannabis consumption lounge license by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. Founded in 2014, Global Harmony LLC has a cannabis cultivation license and currently operates a cannabis retail dispensary in Las Vegas that serves both medical patients and recreational customers. “We are thrilled for this opportunity to serve the community in a new way as we evolve to include a consumption operation,” said Kema Ogden, partner of Global Harmony LLC and co-owner of Top Notch THC. “Everyone age 21 and older will be welcome to visit our consumption lounge as it’s going to be a warm and inviting place where locals and visitors might start out as guests but will quickly become friends.” RELATED: UPDATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges The current dispensary operation has already made a strong connection with the local community in a busy marketplace filled with giant competitors. “We look forward to creating a unique experience for locals and visitors to safely consume legal cannabis in Las Vegas,” said John Heishman, partner of Global Harmony LLC and CEO of Top Notch THC. “It’s been our honor and great pleasure to serve the community as our knowledgeable team will continue to provide the best customer experience around as we expand our operations in the coming months.” No opening date has been set yet, but Global Harmony LLC has plans in the works for opening its new cannabis retail consumption lounge in 2023. For more information about Top Notch THC, please visit www.topnotchthc.com . Louisiana’s patients were able to temporarily access medical cannabis through telemedicine appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now a lawmaker is urging the state’s attorney general to make this change permanent. State Rep. Joseph Marino, I-Gretna, wrote a letter to Attorney General Jeff Landry, saying that the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Commission , on which Marino serves as a member, met in September to review state law regarding medical cannabis prescriptions, according to a local WDSU report . New Orleans-based Dr. Vincent Culotta said that based on the way the law is written, an in-person visit is required for doctors to prescribe controlled substances to patients, and Culotta interprets this to also apply to medical cannabis, the news outlet reported. The commission then tried to pass an emergency rule to exempt medical cannabis from the rule requiring in-person doctor visits, but it was ultimately rejected, according to WDSU . Now, Marino is calling on Landry to issue an opinion on the law. He said in his letter that not allowing patients to access medical cannabis through telemedicine appointments might have a “chilling effect” on Louisiana’s program, WDSU reported. Recent tweaks to the state’s medical cannabis laws took effect Aug. 1, including a change that transferred oversight of Louisiana’s medical cannabis program from the Department of Agriculture and Forestry to the Department of Health. Another change increased the number of dispensaries in the state from nine to a maximum number of 30 retail locations. RELATED: 28 Vie For Louisiana’s New Medical Cannabis Retail License Louisiana initially launched medical cannabis sales in 2019 and expanded the program at the beginning of 2022 to allow patients to access smokable flower . BOCA RATON, Florida., Dec. 13, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Jushi Holdings, a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator, announced the launch of a comprehensive product suite in California that includes three brands crafted to meet cannabis consumers’ preferences and price points. With the addition of Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles, Tasteology Fruit Chews and The Lab Vapes, the company brings a new selection of high-quality brands and proprietary products exclusively available at the company’s Beyond Hello retail locations in the Golden State. “As California is one of the most competitive and mature cannabis markets in the world, California cannabis consumers have some of the most discerning tastes,” said Jim Cacioppo, Jushi founder, chairman and CEO. “They want high-quality products at a range of price points that deliver a premium consumer experience. Our diverse house of brands has been carefully crafted to meet the needs of the canna-curious and the canna-connoisseurs alike. As we expand Jushi’s branded product portfolio in key markets across the country, we look forward to exceeding consumers expectations by offering new, innovative brands and products through our digital and retail store footprint.” Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles: Sèchè boldly invents a new category in cannabis by redefining the perception of value products like shake, popcorn, and pre-rolls. With a carefree spirit and the curiosity to uncover what’s next, Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles are packaged in environmentally sustainable ocean-bound plastic tubes and come in seven popular varieties. The new pre-roll 1g singles are now exclusively available for purchase at Beyond Hello Santa Barbara, Beyond Hello Grover Beach, and Beyond Hello Palm Springs for $9 each or five for $35. Tasteology Fruit Chews: Jushi’s Tasteology Fruit Chews are vegan, gluten-free and available in four new varieties, including Sour Watermelon Waves, Strawberry Spirit, Blue Raspberry Bliss, and Peachy Dreams. All natural, and containing no colorings, preservatives or artificial flavors, each package of Tasteology Fruit Chews includes 10 individual chews, each infused with 10mg of THC and other minor cannabinoids. Tasteology Fruit Chews are available exclusively at Beyond Hello California retail locations for $12 each or three for $30. The Lab Vapes: Crafted using cutting-edge technology and equipment, The Lab’s new product line includes a 1g live resin vape cart, a 1g cured vape cart and a 1g cured rechargeable all-in-one vape pen in popular varieties. The Lab vapes are exclusively available at Beyond Hello California retail locations, bringing the unique experience of vapes to new and modern mediums. CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 13, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - High Tide Inc., retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets, announced that it has begun selling cannabis seeds in the United States, initially through its wholly owned subsidiaries Grasscity and Smoke Cartel , which are e-commerce platforms for consumption accessories. The company plans to expand seed sales to additional online retail platforms within its portfolio in 2023. This launch comes on the heels of the American Drug Enforcement Agency's recent official determination that cannabis seeds fall under the legal definition of hemp and can therefore be sold openly in the United States. \\\"With our entry into this new and exciting complementary vertical, we continue to extend and strengthen our integrated value chain, providing our customers with a complete cannabis experience, in addition to the opportunity to further enhance our consolidated gross margin profile. This new business venture will greatly expand our U.S. customer base, which already sits at 2.4 million through our ancillary cannabis business lines, and sets us up well to take advantage of federal legalization in the United States when it comes. This further diversification into the U.S. seeds market also strengthens our Canadian discount club model, as this new vertical is expected to generate significantly higher gross margins than our core brick-and mortar-business, which will help us continue to offer unbeatable prices to our Cabana Club members,\\\" said Raj Grover, High Tide president and CEO. \\\"GrassCity and Smoke Cartel, due to their top SEO rankings, organically built over the last twenty-two and eight years, respectively, generate some of the highest online traffic in the consumption accessories space, which is why it makes sense for us to leverage this strength as we launch this new vertical in the United States,\\\" Grover said. \\\"Innovation has always been a cornerstone of High Tide's strategy, and today's announcement is yet another example of how we will never stop looking for ways to enhance shareholder value while differentiating ourselves from the competition.\\\"\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/13/Untitleddesign-2022-12-13T141558009.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the USDA announced it is delaying the testing deadline due to an \\\"inadequate\\\" number of DEA-registered testing facilities. there are 87 DEA-registered labs for hemp testing as of Dec. 13—that number is only up slightly from April 2021, which reported fewer than 80 labs. the USDA said it is also concerned that there will not be enough hemp testing laboratories for the 2023 growing season.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Louisiana\",\n \"New Orleans\",\n \"BOCA RATON\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"California\",\n \"Santa Barbara\",\n \"Grover Beach\",\n \"CALGARY\",\n \"Alberta\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"U.S.\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"State\",\n \"Laboratories\",\n \"IFR\",\n \"Regulate\",\n \"Hemp-Derived Compounds\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"Top Notch The Health Center (Top Notch THC\",\n \"the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"Top Notch THC\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges\",\n \"the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"the Department of Agriculture and Forestry\",\n \"the Department of Health\",\n \"Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles, Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"Jushi\",\n \"Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles\",\n \"Beyond Hello Palm Springs\",\n \"Jushi’s Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"THC\",\n \"Grasscity and Smoke Cartel\",\n \"the American Drug Enforcement Agency's\",\n \"Cabana Club\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Global Harmony LLC\",\n \"Global Harmony\",\n \"Kema Ogden\",\n \"John Heishman\",\n \"Top Notch THC\",\n \"Joseph Marino\",\n \"Jeff Landry\",\n \"Marino\",\n \"Vincent Culotta\",\n \"Culotta\",\n \"Jim Cacioppo\",\n \"Sour Watermelon Waves\",\n \"Strawberry Spirit\",\n \"Blue Raspberry Bliss\",\n \"Peachy Dreams\",\n \"Raj Grover\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.58,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9444872736930847\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e199fa5de7033377d430\",\n \"title\": \"Louisiana Lawmaker Urges State Attorney General to Permanently Allow Patients to Access Medical Cannabis Through Telemedicine\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/louisiana-lawmaker-urges-state-attorney-general-medical-cannabis-telemedicine.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Doctors were able to recommend medical cannabis to patients through telemedicine appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the provision has since become less clear.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T16:52:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Louisiana’s patients were able to temporarily access medical cannabis through telemedicine appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now a lawmaker is urging the state’s attorney general to make this change permanent. State Rep. Joseph Marino, I-Gretna, wrote a letter to Attorney General Jeff Landry, saying that the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Commission , on which Marino serves as a member, met in September to review state law regarding medical cannabis prescriptions, according to a local WDSU report . New Orleans-based Dr. Vincent Culotta said that based on the way the law is written, an in-person visit is required for doctors to prescribe controlled substances to patients, and Culotta interprets this to also apply to medical cannabis, the news outlet reported. The commission then tried to pass an emergency rule to exempt medical cannabis from the rule requiring in-person doctor visits, but it was ultimately rejected, according to WDSU . Now, Marino is calling on Landry to issue an opinion on the law. He said in his letter that not allowing patients to access medical cannabis through telemedicine appointments might have a “chilling effect” on Louisiana’s program, WDSU reported. Recent tweaks to the state’s medical cannabis laws took effect Aug. 1, including a change that transferred oversight of Louisiana’s medical cannabis program from the Department of Agriculture and Forestry to the Department of Health. Another change increased the number of dispensaries in the state from nine to a maximum number of 30 retail locations. RELATED: 28 Vie For Louisiana’s New Medical Cannabis Retail License Louisiana initially launched medical cannabis sales in 2019 and expanded the program at the beginning of 2022 to allow patients to access smokable flower . BOCA RATON, Florida., Dec. 13, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Jushi Holdings, a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator, announced the launch of a comprehensive product suite in California that includes three brands crafted to meet cannabis consumers’ preferences and price points. With the addition of Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles, Tasteology Fruit Chews and The Lab Vapes, the company brings a new selection of high-quality brands and proprietary products exclusively available at the company’s Beyond Hello retail locations in the Golden State. “As California is one of the most competitive and mature cannabis markets in the world, California cannabis consumers have some of the most discerning tastes,” said Jim Cacioppo, Jushi founder, chairman and CEO. “They want high-quality products at a range of price points that deliver a premium consumer experience. Our diverse house of brands has been carefully crafted to meet the needs of the canna-curious and the canna-connoisseurs alike. As we expand Jushi’s branded product portfolio in key markets across the country, we look forward to exceeding consumers expectations by offering new, innovative brands and products through our digital and retail store footprint.” Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles: Sèchè boldly invents a new category in cannabis by redefining the perception of value products like shake, popcorn, and pre-rolls. With a carefree spirit and the curiosity to uncover what’s next, Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles are packaged in environmentally sustainable ocean-bound plastic tubes and come in seven popular varieties. The new pre-roll 1g singles are now exclusively available for purchase at Beyond Hello Santa Barbara, Beyond Hello Grover Beach, and Beyond Hello Palm Springs for $9 each or five for $35. Tasteology Fruit Chews: Jushi’s Tasteology Fruit Chews are vegan, gluten-free and available in four new varieties, including Sour Watermelon Waves, Strawberry Spirit, Blue Raspberry Bliss, and Peachy Dreams. All natural, and containing no colorings, preservatives or artificial flavors, each package of Tasteology Fruit Chews includes 10 individual chews, each infused with 10mg of THC and other minor cannabinoids. Tasteology Fruit Chews are available exclusively at Beyond Hello California retail locations for $12 each or three for $30. The Lab Vapes: Crafted using cutting-edge technology and equipment, The Lab’s new product line includes a 1g live resin vape cart, a 1g cured vape cart and a 1g cured rechargeable all-in-one vape pen in popular varieties. The Lab vapes are exclusively available at Beyond Hello California retail locations, bringing the unique experience of vapes to new and modern mediums. CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 13, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - High Tide Inc., retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets, announced that it has begun selling cannabis seeds in the United States, initially through its wholly owned subsidiaries Grasscity and Smoke Cartel , which are e-commerce platforms for consumption accessories. The company plans to expand seed sales to additional online retail platforms within its portfolio in 2023. This launch comes on the heels of the American Drug Enforcement Agency's recent official determination that cannabis seeds fall under the legal definition of hemp and can therefore be sold openly in the United States. \\\"With our entry into this new and exciting complementary vertical, we continue to extend and strengthen our integrated value chain, providing our customers with a complete cannabis experience, in addition to the opportunity to further enhance our consolidated gross margin profile. This new business venture will greatly expand our U.S. customer base, which already sits at 2.4 million through our ancillary cannabis business lines, and sets us up well to take advantage of federal legalization in the United States when it comes. This further diversification into the U.S. seeds market also strengthens our Canadian discount club model, as this new vertical is expected to generate significantly higher gross margins than our core brick-and mortar-business, which will help us continue to offer unbeatable prices to our Cabana Club members,\\\" said Raj Grover, High Tide president and CEO. \\\"GrassCity and Smoke Cartel, due to their top SEO rankings, organically built over the last twenty-two and eight years, respectively, generate some of the highest online traffic in the consumption accessories space, which is why it makes sense for us to leverage this strength as we launch this new vertical in the United States,\\\" Grover said. \\\"Innovation has always been a cornerstone of High Tide's strategy, and today's announcement is yet another example of how we will never stop looking for ways to enhance shareholder value while differentiating ourselves from the competition.\\\" Health Canada has finalized amendments to the Cannabis Act that increase possession limits for cannabis beverages, as well as ease research and testing requirements. The amendments took effect Dec. 2, according to Health Canada’s Dec. 9 announcement . A copy of the final regulations, as well as the Regulatory Impact and Analysis Statement, will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on Dec. 21. The amendments incorporate feedback from cannabis industry stakeholders, universities, researchers, health authorities, trade associations, licensees, provinces, territories and the public, according to the announcement. The new regulations increase the public possession limit for cannabis beverages to align with other cannabis products, allowing adults to possess up to 17.1 liters (equal to 48 355-millileter cans) for non-medical purposes. Canada’s previous rules allowed adults to possess roughly 2.1 liters of cannabis beverages, or roughly five 355-millileter cans. The amendments also aim to streamline cannabis research by changing the requirements for non-therapeutic research with human participants. In addition, the new regulations allow analytical testing licensees, as well as federal and provincial government laboratories, to produce, distribute and sell reference standards and test kits in an effort to boost access to cannabis testing materials. The amendments also expand the educational qualifications for the Head of Laboratory, a mandatory position at analytical testing labs that is responsible for all cannabis testing activities at the facility. These latest amendments are part of Canadian officials’ continued efforts to improve upon the Cannabis Act, which took effect in October 2018 to legalize the production, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older. The Canadian government announced in September that it launched a required review of the Cannabis Act to assess the law and its impact on the illicit market, indigenous communities, the economy and more. RELATED: ‘Rounding the Corners:’ Reviewing Canada’s Cannabis Act 4 Years Later Last month, government officials named members to the five-person Expert Panel charged with conducting the review. The panel will ultimately advise Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health Carolyn Bennett on the progress made toward achieving the objectives of the Cannabis Act—which include protecting the health and safety of Canadians and establishing a diverse and competitive legal industry to displace the illicit market—as well as identify areas of improvement in the law. Green Thumb Industries announced Dec. 13 that the cannabis company will appoint Dawn Wilson Barnes to its board of directors and make four executive leadership position promotions effective on Jan. 1, 2023. Barnes, the founder and president of Atlanta-based financial services firm Aurora Bay Capital, will join GTI’s board as an independent director and member of the company’s Audit Committee. The announcement comes after three former board members—William Gruver, Glen Senk and Dorri McWhorter—resigned in October over a disagreement as to the company’s policies and practices related to personal misconduct. RELATED: Green Thumb Industries Announces Changes to Board of Directors When GTI announced those resignations, the Chicago-based multistate operator also announced Richard Drexler and Jeff Goldman would be joining the board at that time. Now, Barnes is lined up to fill the third vacancy left by those who resigned. In addition, GTI executive leadership team promotions include board member Anthony Georgiadis to president, Matt Faulkner to chief financial officer (CFO), Bret Kravitz to general counsel and secretary, and Rachel Albert to chief administrative officer. “These changes reflect the natural evolution of high-performing team members to positions of greater responsibility and demonstrate our conviction in the strength of our leadership,” Green Thumb founder, chairman and CEO Ben Kovler said in a press release . “I am especially pleased to recognize the pivotal role that Anthony Georgiadis has played over the last seven years,” Kovler said. “He continues to be an outstanding partner in leading the business, an excellent problem-solver, and a material value creator for shareholders. His deep understanding of the operations and financials, along with his proven leadership ability to empower the team to drive results, make him exceptionally suited for his new role of president. I am confident these moves set us up for long-term success as we progress in this ever-changing landscape.” Georgiadis joined GTI in 2015 and has served as CFO since 2017. As company president, he will oversee all operational and financial matters and continue to help steer overall corporate strategy and operations, allowing Kovler to focus greater attention on capital allocation, strategic partnerships, brand positioning, investors relations, and mergers and acquisitions, according to the release. Georgiadis said he was humbled for his new role and exciting to pass the CFO reins to Faulkner, who joined GTI in 2018 and has served as chief accounting officer since 2020. “Green Thumb’s ability to continue to identify and cultivate talent from within is critical to the execution of our strategy,” Georgiadis said. “And while our roles within the business evolve, our steadfast focus on creating authentic brands, high-quality flower and memorable experiences for the consumer remains.” Meanwhile, Kravitz has served as chief corporate counsel since 2017 and now will be the primary legal adviser to management and the board while overseeing all legal matters as the company’s general counsel and secretary. Albert, who joined GTI as a consultant in 2020 to lead the human resources department, will now be supporting executive initiatives and decision-making while helping to shape Green Thumb’s culture in her new role as chief administration officer. And Barnes will round out a six-member board of directors , which also includes Wendy Berger, in addition to Kovler, Georgiadis, Drexler and Goldman. “As a seasoned financial professional with expertise in capital markets and audit, she will be a strong addition to the team,” Kovler said of Barnes. “Dawn’s appointment to our board will further strengthen our corporate governance, which remains a top priority for Green Thumb.” Prior to founding Aurora Bay Capital, Barnes held positions in private finance, equity capital markets and investment management at J.P. Morgan & Co. and Goldman Sachs & Co. in New York. Previously, she held auditing and accounting positions with Honeywell Inc. in corporate financial audit in Minneapolis and the firm’s Military Avionics Division in St. Petersburg, Fla. Green Thumb has hired an external recruiting firm to assist with a search to actively recruit additional board members in preparation for its potential U.S. listing upon possible federal cannabis reform, according to the release.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/13/LouisianaFlag-AdobeStock-Credit-selensergen-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"state Rep. Joseph Marino, I-Gretna, wrote a letter to attorney general Jeff Landry, saying that the state medical marijuana commission met in September to review state law regarding medical cannabis prescriptions. the commission then tried to pass an emergency rule to exempt medical cannabis from the rule requiring in-person doctor visits, but it was ultimately rejected.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Louisiana\",\n \"New Orleans\",\n \"BOCA RATON\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"California\",\n \"Santa Barbara\",\n \"Grover Beach\",\n \"CALGARY\",\n \"Alberta\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Canada\",\n \"Atlanta\",\n \"Chicago\",\n \"Barnes\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Minneapolis\",\n \"St. Petersburg\",\n \"Fla.\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"the Department of Agriculture and Forestry\",\n \"the Department of Health\",\n \"Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles, Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"Jushi\",\n \"Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles\",\n \"Beyond Hello Palm Springs\",\n \"Jushi’s Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"THC\",\n \"Grasscity and Smoke Cartel\",\n \"the American Drug Enforcement Agency's\",\n \"Cabana Club\",\n \"Health Canada’s\",\n \"the Canada Gazette\",\n \"Cannabis Act\",\n \"Expert Panel\",\n \"Health\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries\",\n \"Aurora Bay Capital\",\n \"GTI\",\n \"Audit Committee\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries Announces Changes to\",\n \"CFO\",\n \"Georgiadis\",\n \"Barnes\",\n \"Drexler\",\n \"J.P. Morgan & Co.\",\n \"Goldman Sachs & Co.\",\n \"Honeywell Inc.\",\n \"Military Avionics Division\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Joseph Marino\",\n \"Jeff Landry\",\n \"Marino\",\n \"Vincent Culotta\",\n \"Culotta\",\n \"Jim Cacioppo\",\n \"Sour Watermelon Waves\",\n \"Strawberry Spirit\",\n \"Blue Raspberry Bliss\",\n \"Peachy Dreams\",\n \"Raj Grover\",\n \"Jean-Yves Duclos\",\n \"Health Carolyn Bennett\",\n \"Dawn Wilson Barnes\",\n \"William Gruver\",\n \"Glen Senk\",\n \"Dorri McWhorter\",\n \"Richard Drexler\",\n \"Jeff Goldman\",\n \"Anthony Georgiadis\",\n \"Matt Faulkner\",\n \"Bret Kravitz\",\n \"Rachel Albert\",\n \"Ben Kovler\",\n \"Kovler\",\n \"Faulkner\",\n \"Georgiadis\",\n \"Kravitz\",\n \"Albert\",\n \"Green Thumb’s\",\n \"Wendy Berger\",\n \"Goldman\",\n \"Green Thumb\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.73,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7406748533248901\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1a2fa5de7033377d435\",\n \"title\": \"Jushi Holdings Unveils Cannabis Brand Portfolio in California\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/jushi-holdings-launches-cannabis-brand-portfolio-in-california\",\n \"description\": \"The company launched a comprehensive product suite in California that includes three brands crafted to meet cannabis consumers’ preferences and price points.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T16:16:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"BOCA RATON, Florida., Dec. 13, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Jushi Holdings, a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator, announced the launch of a comprehensive product suite in California that includes three brands crafted to meet cannabis consumers’ preferences and price points. With the addition of Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles, Tasteology Fruit Chews and The Lab Vapes, the company brings a new selection of high-quality brands and proprietary products exclusively available at the company’s Beyond Hello retail locations in the Golden State. “As California is one of the most competitive and mature cannabis markets in the world, California cannabis consumers have some of the most discerning tastes,” said Jim Cacioppo, Jushi founder, chairman and CEO. “They want high-quality products at a range of price points that deliver a premium consumer experience. Our diverse house of brands has been carefully crafted to meet the needs of the canna-curious and the canna-connoisseurs alike. As we expand Jushi’s branded product portfolio in key markets across the country, we look forward to exceeding consumers expectations by offering new, innovative brands and products through our digital and retail store footprint.” Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles: Sèchè boldly invents a new category in cannabis by redefining the perception of value products like shake, popcorn, and pre-rolls. With a carefree spirit and the curiosity to uncover what’s next, Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles are packaged in environmentally sustainable ocean-bound plastic tubes and come in seven popular varieties. The new pre-roll 1g singles are now exclusively available for purchase at Beyond Hello Santa Barbara, Beyond Hello Grover Beach, and Beyond Hello Palm Springs for $9 each or five for $35. Tasteology Fruit Chews: Jushi’s Tasteology Fruit Chews are vegan, gluten-free and available in four new varieties, including Sour Watermelon Waves, Strawberry Spirit, Blue Raspberry Bliss, and Peachy Dreams. All natural, and containing no colorings, preservatives or artificial flavors, each package of Tasteology Fruit Chews includes 10 individual chews, each infused with 10mg of THC and other minor cannabinoids. Tasteology Fruit Chews are available exclusively at Beyond Hello California retail locations for $12 each or three for $30. The Lab Vapes: Crafted using cutting-edge technology and equipment, The Lab’s new product line includes a 1g live resin vape cart, a 1g cured vape cart and a 1g cured rechargeable all-in-one vape pen in popular varieties. The Lab vapes are exclusively available at Beyond Hello California retail locations, bringing the unique experience of vapes to new and modern mediums. CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 13, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - High Tide Inc., retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets, announced that it has begun selling cannabis seeds in the United States, initially through its wholly owned subsidiaries Grasscity and Smoke Cartel , which are e-commerce platforms for consumption accessories. The company plans to expand seed sales to additional online retail platforms within its portfolio in 2023. This launch comes on the heels of the American Drug Enforcement Agency's recent official determination that cannabis seeds fall under the legal definition of hemp and can therefore be sold openly in the United States. \\\"With our entry into this new and exciting complementary vertical, we continue to extend and strengthen our integrated value chain, providing our customers with a complete cannabis experience, in addition to the opportunity to further enhance our consolidated gross margin profile. This new business venture will greatly expand our U.S. customer base, which already sits at 2.4 million through our ancillary cannabis business lines, and sets us up well to take advantage of federal legalization in the United States when it comes. This further diversification into the U.S. seeds market also strengthens our Canadian discount club model, as this new vertical is expected to generate significantly higher gross margins than our core brick-and mortar-business, which will help us continue to offer unbeatable prices to our Cabana Club members,\\\" said Raj Grover, High Tide president and CEO. \\\"GrassCity and Smoke Cartel, due to their top SEO rankings, organically built over the last twenty-two and eight years, respectively, generate some of the highest online traffic in the consumption accessories space, which is why it makes sense for us to leverage this strength as we launch this new vertical in the United States,\\\" Grover said. \\\"Innovation has always been a cornerstone of High Tide's strategy, and today's announcement is yet another example of how we will never stop looking for ways to enhance shareholder value while differentiating ourselves from the competition.\\\" Health Canada has finalized amendments to the Cannabis Act that increase possession limits for cannabis beverages, as well as ease research and testing requirements. The amendments took effect Dec. 2, according to Health Canada’s Dec. 9 announcement . A copy of the final regulations, as well as the Regulatory Impact and Analysis Statement, will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on Dec. 21. The amendments incorporate feedback from cannabis industry stakeholders, universities, researchers, health authorities, trade associations, licensees, provinces, territories and the public, according to the announcement. The new regulations increase the public possession limit for cannabis beverages to align with other cannabis products, allowing adults to possess up to 17.1 liters (equal to 48 355-millileter cans) for non-medical purposes. Canada’s previous rules allowed adults to possess roughly 2.1 liters of cannabis beverages, or roughly five 355-millileter cans. The amendments also aim to streamline cannabis research by changing the requirements for non-therapeutic research with human participants. In addition, the new regulations allow analytical testing licensees, as well as federal and provincial government laboratories, to produce, distribute and sell reference standards and test kits in an effort to boost access to cannabis testing materials. The amendments also expand the educational qualifications for the Head of Laboratory, a mandatory position at analytical testing labs that is responsible for all cannabis testing activities at the facility. These latest amendments are part of Canadian officials’ continued efforts to improve upon the Cannabis Act, which took effect in October 2018 to legalize the production, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older. The Canadian government announced in September that it launched a required review of the Cannabis Act to assess the law and its impact on the illicit market, indigenous communities, the economy and more. RELATED: ‘Rounding the Corners:’ Reviewing Canada’s Cannabis Act 4 Years Later Last month, government officials named members to the five-person Expert Panel charged with conducting the review. The panel will ultimately advise Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health Carolyn Bennett on the progress made toward achieving the objectives of the Cannabis Act—which include protecting the health and safety of Canadians and establishing a diverse and competitive legal industry to displace the illicit market—as well as identify areas of improvement in the law. Green Thumb Industries announced Dec. 13 that the cannabis company will appoint Dawn Wilson Barnes to its board of directors and make four executive leadership position promotions effective on Jan. 1, 2023. Barnes, the founder and president of Atlanta-based financial services firm Aurora Bay Capital, will join GTI’s board as an independent director and member of the company’s Audit Committee. The announcement comes after three former board members—William Gruver, Glen Senk and Dorri McWhorter—resigned in October over a disagreement as to the company’s policies and practices related to personal misconduct. RELATED: Green Thumb Industries Announces Changes to Board of Directors When GTI announced those resignations, the Chicago-based multistate operator also announced Richard Drexler and Jeff Goldman would be joining the board at that time. Now, Barnes is lined up to fill the third vacancy left by those who resigned. In addition, GTI executive leadership team promotions include board member Anthony Georgiadis to president, Matt Faulkner to chief financial officer (CFO), Bret Kravitz to general counsel and secretary, and Rachel Albert to chief administrative officer. “These changes reflect the natural evolution of high-performing team members to positions of greater responsibility and demonstrate our conviction in the strength of our leadership,” Green Thumb founder, chairman and CEO Ben Kovler said in a press release . “I am especially pleased to recognize the pivotal role that Anthony Georgiadis has played over the last seven years,” Kovler said. “He continues to be an outstanding partner in leading the business, an excellent problem-solver, and a material value creator for shareholders. His deep understanding of the operations and financials, along with his proven leadership ability to empower the team to drive results, make him exceptionally suited for his new role of president. I am confident these moves set us up for long-term success as we progress in this ever-changing landscape.” Georgiadis joined GTI in 2015 and has served as CFO since 2017. As company president, he will oversee all operational and financial matters and continue to help steer overall corporate strategy and operations, allowing Kovler to focus greater attention on capital allocation, strategic partnerships, brand positioning, investors relations, and mergers and acquisitions, according to the release. Georgiadis said he was humbled for his new role and exciting to pass the CFO reins to Faulkner, who joined GTI in 2018 and has served as chief accounting officer since 2020. “Green Thumb’s ability to continue to identify and cultivate talent from within is critical to the execution of our strategy,” Georgiadis said. “And while our roles within the business evolve, our steadfast focus on creating authentic brands, high-quality flower and memorable experiences for the consumer remains.” Meanwhile, Kravitz has served as chief corporate counsel since 2017 and now will be the primary legal adviser to management and the board while overseeing all legal matters as the company’s general counsel and secretary. Albert, who joined GTI as a consultant in 2020 to lead the human resources department, will now be supporting executive initiatives and decision-making while helping to shape Green Thumb’s culture in her new role as chief administration officer. And Barnes will round out a six-member board of directors , which also includes Wendy Berger, in addition to Kovler, Georgiadis, Drexler and Goldman. “As a seasoned financial professional with expertise in capital markets and audit, she will be a strong addition to the team,” Kovler said of Barnes. “Dawn’s appointment to our board will further strengthen our corporate governance, which remains a top priority for Green Thumb.” Prior to founding Aurora Bay Capital, Barnes held positions in private finance, equity capital markets and investment management at J.P. Morgan & Co. and Goldman Sachs & Co. in New York. Previously, she held auditing and accounting positions with Honeywell Inc. in corporate financial audit in Minneapolis and the firm’s Military Avionics Division in St. Petersburg, Fla. Green Thumb has hired an external recruiting firm to assist with a search to actively recruit additional board members in preparation for its potential U.S. listing upon possible federal cannabis reform, according to the release. PRESS RELEASE - Helius Therapeutics will soon launch THC-containing medicines which are both grown and made in New Zealand. This follows the country’s largest licensed medicinal cannabis company being issued a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certificate by MedSafe to allow it to manufacture THC medicines. “2022 has been a huge year for Helius. Reaching these milestones which allow us to bring more NZ grown and made products to Kiwi patients,” says Carmen Doran, chief executive officer of Helius Therapeutics. “Last week we were able to announce GACP certification. Now we have obtained GMP certification for four more processes at our expansive East Auckland site. Such progress is testament to the culture of teamwork Helius is building,” she says. Helius first gained the GMP certification and a Licence to Manufacture Medicines in July 2021. Since that time, they have been the first company in NZ to launch products, and provide NZ made, NZ grown products. Now they are the first in New Zealand to gain GMP certification for THC medicines. Helius began the rigorous and complex journey for GMP certification as a start-up in 2018. Through an international recognition scheme, MedSafe’s latest approval also meets European standards, known as EU-GMP, opening future export possibilities for the 100% Kiwi-owned company. “The GMP certification process has been exhaustive, and rightly so. We’re making medicines, so there is no room for cutting corners. Helius pulled together an internationally-experienced leadership team from both the pharmaceutical and medicinal cannabis industries to successfully achieve this level of compliance,” she says. As a leader in New Zealand’s newest industry, Helius has worked alongside the regulators since the beginning to ensure patient safety. Doran is a member of the New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Council, the industry body committed to supporting the industry grow at home and providing high quality exports to patients around the world. “Helius has built the team and facilities to get the job done, motivated by an unwavering commitment to improve patients’ quality of life,” says Doran. Helius leverages vertical integration, from plant to patient. Operations connect cultivar breeding to yield optimisation; precision extraction of high-value cannabinoids, next-generation medicine development, GMP production, plus academic and several scientific partnerships.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the addition of Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles, Tasteology Fruit Chews and The Lab Vapes, the company brings a new selection of high-quality brands and proprietary products exclusively available at the company’s Beyond Hello retail locations in the Golden State.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"BOCA RATON\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"California\",\n \"Santa Barbara\",\n \"Grover Beach\",\n \"CALGARY\",\n \"Alberta\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Canada\",\n \"Atlanta\",\n \"Chicago\",\n \"Barnes\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Minneapolis\",\n \"St. Petersburg\",\n \"Fla.\",\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"East Auckland\",\n \"NZ\",\n \"New Zealand’s\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles, Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"Jushi\",\n \"Sèchè Pre-Roll Singles\",\n \"Beyond Hello Palm Springs\",\n \"Jushi’s Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"Tasteology Fruit Chews\",\n \"THC\",\n \"Grasscity and Smoke Cartel\",\n \"the American Drug Enforcement Agency's\",\n \"Cabana Club\",\n \"Health Canada’s\",\n \"the Canada Gazette\",\n \"Cannabis Act\",\n \"Expert Panel\",\n \"Health\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries\",\n \"Aurora Bay Capital\",\n \"GTI\",\n \"Audit Committee\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries Announces Changes to\",\n \"CFO\",\n \"Georgiadis\",\n \"Barnes\",\n \"Drexler\",\n \"J.P. Morgan & Co.\",\n \"Goldman Sachs & Co.\",\n \"Honeywell Inc.\",\n \"Military Avionics Division\",\n \"GMP\",\n \"Helius\",\n \"Kiwi\",\n \"Helius Therapeutics\",\n \"a Licence to Manufacture Medicines\",\n \"MedSafe\",\n \"EU\",\n \"the New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Council\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Jim Cacioppo\",\n \"Sour Watermelon Waves\",\n \"Strawberry Spirit\",\n \"Blue Raspberry Bliss\",\n \"Peachy Dreams\",\n \"Raj Grover\",\n \"Jean-Yves Duclos\",\n \"Health Carolyn Bennett\",\n \"Dawn Wilson Barnes\",\n \"William Gruver\",\n \"Glen Senk\",\n \"Dorri McWhorter\",\n \"Richard Drexler\",\n \"Jeff Goldman\",\n \"Anthony Georgiadis\",\n \"Matt Faulkner\",\n \"Bret Kravitz\",\n \"Rachel Albert\",\n \"Ben Kovler\",\n \"Kovler\",\n \"Faulkner\",\n \"Georgiadis\",\n \"Kravitz\",\n \"Albert\",\n \"Green Thumb’s\",\n \"Wendy Berger\",\n \"Goldman\",\n \"Green Thumb\",\n \"Carmen Doran\",\n \"Doran\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.76,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7519814372062683\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e19bfa5de7033377d431\",\n \"title\": \"Health Canada Increases Possession Limits for Cannabis Beverages\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/health-canada-increases-possession-limits-for-cannabis-beverages.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Regulators also approved amendments to the Cannabis Act that aim to ease research and testing requirements.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T15:51:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Health Canada has finalized amendments to the Cannabis Act that increase possession limits for cannabis beverages, as well as ease research and testing requirements. The amendments took effect Dec. 2, according to Health Canada’s Dec. 9 announcement . A copy of the final regulations, as well as the Regulatory Impact and Analysis Statement, will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on Dec. 21. The amendments incorporate feedback from cannabis industry stakeholders, universities, researchers, health authorities, trade associations, licensees, provinces, territories and the public, according to the announcement. The new regulations increase the public possession limit for cannabis beverages to align with other cannabis products, allowing adults to possess up to 17.1 liters (equal to 48 355-millileter cans) for non-medical purposes. Canada’s previous rules allowed adults to possess roughly 2.1 liters of cannabis beverages, or roughly five 355-millileter cans. The amendments also aim to streamline cannabis research by changing the requirements for non-therapeutic research with human participants. In addition, the new regulations allow analytical testing licensees, as well as federal and provincial government laboratories, to produce, distribute and sell reference standards and test kits in an effort to boost access to cannabis testing materials. The amendments also expand the educational qualifications for the Head of Laboratory, a mandatory position at analytical testing labs that is responsible for all cannabis testing activities at the facility. These latest amendments are part of Canadian officials’ continued efforts to improve upon the Cannabis Act, which took effect in October 2018 to legalize the production, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis for adults 21 and older. The Canadian government announced in September that it launched a required review of the Cannabis Act to assess the law and its impact on the illicit market, indigenous communities, the economy and more. RELATED: ‘Rounding the Corners:’ Reviewing Canada’s Cannabis Act 4 Years Later Last month, government officials named members to the five-person Expert Panel charged with conducting the review. The panel will ultimately advise Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health Carolyn Bennett on the progress made toward achieving the objectives of the Cannabis Act—which include protecting the health and safety of Canadians and establishing a diverse and competitive legal industry to displace the illicit market—as well as identify areas of improvement in the law. Green Thumb Industries announced Dec. 13 that the cannabis company will appoint Dawn Wilson Barnes to its board of directors and make four executive leadership position promotions effective on Jan. 1, 2023. Barnes, the founder and president of Atlanta-based financial services firm Aurora Bay Capital, will join GTI’s board as an independent director and member of the company’s Audit Committee. The announcement comes after three former board members—William Gruver, Glen Senk and Dorri McWhorter—resigned in October over a disagreement as to the company’s policies and practices related to personal misconduct. RELATED: Green Thumb Industries Announces Changes to Board of Directors When GTI announced those resignations, the Chicago-based multistate operator also announced Richard Drexler and Jeff Goldman would be joining the board at that time. Now, Barnes is lined up to fill the third vacancy left by those who resigned. In addition, GTI executive leadership team promotions include board member Anthony Georgiadis to president, Matt Faulkner to chief financial officer (CFO), Bret Kravitz to general counsel and secretary, and Rachel Albert to chief administrative officer. “These changes reflect the natural evolution of high-performing team members to positions of greater responsibility and demonstrate our conviction in the strength of our leadership,” Green Thumb founder, chairman and CEO Ben Kovler said in a press release . “I am especially pleased to recognize the pivotal role that Anthony Georgiadis has played over the last seven years,” Kovler said. “He continues to be an outstanding partner in leading the business, an excellent problem-solver, and a material value creator for shareholders. His deep understanding of the operations and financials, along with his proven leadership ability to empower the team to drive results, make him exceptionally suited for his new role of president. I am confident these moves set us up for long-term success as we progress in this ever-changing landscape.” Georgiadis joined GTI in 2015 and has served as CFO since 2017. As company president, he will oversee all operational and financial matters and continue to help steer overall corporate strategy and operations, allowing Kovler to focus greater attention on capital allocation, strategic partnerships, brand positioning, investors relations, and mergers and acquisitions, according to the release. Georgiadis said he was humbled for his new role and exciting to pass the CFO reins to Faulkner, who joined GTI in 2018 and has served as chief accounting officer since 2020. “Green Thumb’s ability to continue to identify and cultivate talent from within is critical to the execution of our strategy,” Georgiadis said. “And while our roles within the business evolve, our steadfast focus on creating authentic brands, high-quality flower and memorable experiences for the consumer remains.” Meanwhile, Kravitz has served as chief corporate counsel since 2017 and now will be the primary legal adviser to management and the board while overseeing all legal matters as the company’s general counsel and secretary. Albert, who joined GTI as a consultant in 2020 to lead the human resources department, will now be supporting executive initiatives and decision-making while helping to shape Green Thumb’s culture in her new role as chief administration officer. And Barnes will round out a six-member board of directors , which also includes Wendy Berger, in addition to Kovler, Georgiadis, Drexler and Goldman. “As a seasoned financial professional with expertise in capital markets and audit, she will be a strong addition to the team,” Kovler said of Barnes. “Dawn’s appointment to our board will further strengthen our corporate governance, which remains a top priority for Green Thumb.” Prior to founding Aurora Bay Capital, Barnes held positions in private finance, equity capital markets and investment management at J.P. Morgan & Co. and Goldman Sachs & Co. in New York. Previously, she held auditing and accounting positions with Honeywell Inc. in corporate financial audit in Minneapolis and the firm’s Military Avionics Division in St. Petersburg, Fla. Green Thumb has hired an external recruiting firm to assist with a search to actively recruit additional board members in preparation for its potential U.S. listing upon possible federal cannabis reform, according to the release. PRESS RELEASE - Helius Therapeutics will soon launch THC-containing medicines which are both grown and made in New Zealand. This follows the country’s largest licensed medicinal cannabis company being issued a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certificate by MedSafe to allow it to manufacture THC medicines. “2022 has been a huge year for Helius. Reaching these milestones which allow us to bring more NZ grown and made products to Kiwi patients,” says Carmen Doran, chief executive officer of Helius Therapeutics. “Last week we were able to announce GACP certification. Now we have obtained GMP certification for four more processes at our expansive East Auckland site. Such progress is testament to the culture of teamwork Helius is building,” she says. Helius first gained the GMP certification and a Licence to Manufacture Medicines in July 2021. Since that time, they have been the first company in NZ to launch products, and provide NZ made, NZ grown products. Now they are the first in New Zealand to gain GMP certification for THC medicines. Helius began the rigorous and complex journey for GMP certification as a start-up in 2018. Through an international recognition scheme, MedSafe’s latest approval also meets European standards, known as EU-GMP, opening future export possibilities for the 100% Kiwi-owned company. “The GMP certification process has been exhaustive, and rightly so. We’re making medicines, so there is no room for cutting corners. Helius pulled together an internationally-experienced leadership team from both the pharmaceutical and medicinal cannabis industries to successfully achieve this level of compliance,” she says. As a leader in New Zealand’s newest industry, Helius has worked alongside the regulators since the beginning to ensure patient safety. Doran is a member of the New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Council, the industry body committed to supporting the industry grow at home and providing high quality exports to patients around the world. “Helius has built the team and facilities to get the job done, motivated by an unwavering commitment to improve patients’ quality of life,” says Doran. Helius leverages vertical integration, from plant to patient. Operations connect cultivar breeding to yield optimisation; precision extraction of high-value cannabinoids, next-generation medicine development, GMP production, plus academic and several scientific partnerships. NORWOOD, Mass., Dec. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- MariMed, Inc. , a multi-state cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, today announced with deep sadness that Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and co-founder Robert Fireman died unexpectedly on Dec. 11, 2022. The company will provide further information on succession once the Board of Directors has had an opportunity to determine the best path forward. \\\"Bob Fireman worked tirelessly and passionately until his last day as Chairman and CEO of MariMed to fulfill our mission of improving people’s lives, much as he did as a philanthropist who cared so deeply about the people and community around him,” said Jon Levine, president of MariMed. “He was my business partner and dear friend, and I look forward to honoring his legacy by achieving our shared vision for the company. He was one-of-a-kind and will be deeply missed by his family, his wide circle of friends, the cannabis community that he helped build, and the entire MariMed family.” Fireman served as CEO of MariMed since 2017 and a member of its Board of Directors since the company’s formation. An early pioneer and visionary in the industry, under his leadership the MariMed team applied for and was awarded legal cannabis licenses in several states across the United States and developed and operated state of the art, regulatory compliant cannabis cultivation, production, and retail facilities. A practicing attorney for over 30 years, Fireman’s legal acumen and entrepreneurial experience in diverse industries served were instrumental in navigating MariMed through the complex, highly-regulated, emerging cannabis industry. Fireman is survived by his wife and partner for more than 40 years, Ellen Porter Fireman. \\\"On behalf of the entire MariMed family, we extend our deepest condolences to Ellen and the Fireman and Porter families,\\\" said Levine. The New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) provided guidance Dec. 9 for adult-use cannabis retail licensees interested in making delivery sales but the rules for securing brick-and-mortar locations have changed. (The delivery guidelines are listed below.) While OCM’s Cannabis Control Board approved the state’s first 36 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) provisional licenses last month, aspiring market entrants have yet to receive the turnkey locations they were promised for their businesses. OCM regulators plan to issue up to 175 total retail licenses—150 for individuals impacted by prohibition and 25 for nonprofits whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated—and state officials from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) were tasked with providing fully furnished dispensaries for the 150 individuals. RELATED: What To Expect With New York's First 175 Adult-Use Dispensaries Now, instead of requiring retail licensees to rely on DASNY for their locations, OCM officials took a U-turn on Dec. 9 in announcing they are allowing CAURD licensees to find and secure their own retail locations ahead of the state’s sales launch. “[CAURD licensees] can submit for approval their own proposed location for their retail store and may still qualify for financial support for renovations from the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund operated by [DASNY],” the office’s release read. “DASNY will continue the work of securing retail locations and locations will be matched with licensees as they become available.” In June, Gov. Hochul announced the selection of a minority-led investment team to sponsor and manage New York’s $200 million Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund that was authorized in the state’s fiscal 2023 budget. The fund was established to help New York finance the leasing and equipping of the 150 CAURD dispensaries to be operated by those who have been impacted by the inequitable enforcement of prohibition. Specifically, the fund is to assist DASNY’s efforts to: identify suitable locations for the dispensaries; acquire or lease the space for the dispensaries; design and construct the space to suit business needs; and fit out locations with furniture and other equipment. To sponsor and manage that fund, DASNY selected NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber and his business partner Lavetta, as well as a firm affiliated with Siebert Williams Shank, one of the nation’s leading minority- and women-owned investment banking firms. The fund managers were tasked with raising $150 million from the private sector to go toward the $200 million fund, but they failed to deliver that raise ahead of a Sept. 1 deadline, NY Cannabis Insider reported earlier this month. With state regulators still aiming for a before-the-end-of-the-year deadline to launch commercial adult-use sales, OCM officials are now taking matters into their owns hands with last week’s announcement regarding retail locations. In addition to allowing CAURD licensees to find and secure their own retail locations, OCM also issued cannabis delivery guidance that allows: retail licensees to secure a warehouse from which to fulfill delivery orders while building permanent dispensary locations for up to one year; customers to place online/phone orders only (but no in-person sales or pickup from the warehouse location); customers to make online prepayments only (no cash payments from cannabis consumer to delivery employee); delivery to be made by bicycles, scooters or other similar methods of transportation as well as motor vehicles; delivery to consumers 21 years and older in New York, with ID verification upon sale and delivery; and up to 25 delivery staff per business, per requirements in the New York cannabis law. The warehouses used for delivery must be located in the regions where retail businesses are licensed, but deliveries themselves can cross into other regions. The delivery authorization applies to all retail licensees and requires adherence to all public health and safety regulations.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/13/CanadaParliamentBuilding-AdobeStock-Credit-Aqnus-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the amendments took effect Dec. 2, according to Health Canada’s Dec. 9 announcement. the amendments also aim to streamline cannabis research by changing the requirements for non-therapeutic research with human participants. the amendments also expand the educational qualifications for the Head of Laboratory, a mandatory position at analytical testing labs.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Canada\",\n \"Atlanta\",\n \"Chicago\",\n \"Barnes\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Minneapolis\",\n \"St. Petersburg\",\n \"Fla.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"East Auckland\",\n \"NZ\",\n \"New Zealand’s\",\n \"Mass.\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"New York's\",\n \"New York’s\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Health Canada\",\n \"Health Canada’s\",\n \"the Canada Gazette\",\n \"Cannabis Act\",\n \"Expert Panel\",\n \"Health\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries\",\n \"Aurora Bay Capital\",\n \"GTI\",\n \"Audit Committee\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries Announces Changes to\",\n \"CFO\",\n \"Georgiadis\",\n \"Barnes\",\n \"Drexler\",\n \"J.P. Morgan & Co.\",\n \"Goldman Sachs & Co.\",\n \"Honeywell Inc.\",\n \"Military Avionics Division\",\n \"GMP\",\n \"THC\",\n \"Helius\",\n \"Kiwi\",\n \"Helius Therapeutics\",\n \"a Licence to Manufacture Medicines\",\n \"MedSafe\",\n \"EU\",\n \"the New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Council\",\n \"NORWOOD\",\n \"GLOBE NEWSWIRE\",\n \"MariMed, Inc.\",\n \"MariMed\",\n \"Board of Directors\",\n \"Fireman’s\",\n \"Fireman\",\n \"The New York Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund\",\n \"Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund\",\n \"NBA Hall\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Jean-Yves Duclos\",\n \"Health Carolyn Bennett\",\n \"Dawn Wilson Barnes\",\n \"William Gruver\",\n \"Glen Senk\",\n \"Dorri McWhorter\",\n \"Richard Drexler\",\n \"Jeff Goldman\",\n \"Anthony Georgiadis\",\n \"Matt Faulkner\",\n \"Bret Kravitz\",\n \"Rachel Albert\",\n \"Ben Kovler\",\n \"Kovler\",\n \"Faulkner\",\n \"Georgiadis\",\n \"Kravitz\",\n \"Albert\",\n \"Green Thumb’s\",\n \"Wendy Berger\",\n \"Goldman\",\n \"Green Thumb\",\n \"Carmen Doran\",\n \"Doran\",\n \"Robert Fireman\",\n \"Bob Fireman\",\n \"Jon Levine\",\n \"Fireman\",\n \"Ellen Porter Fireman\",\n \"Ellen\",\n \"Porter\",\n \"Levine\",\n \"Hochul\",\n \"Chris Webber\",\n \"Lavetta\",\n \"Siebert Williams Shank\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.87,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.5454722046852112\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1a9fa5de7033377d438\",\n \"title\": \"Green Thumb Appoints New Board Member, 4 Executive Leadership Positions\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/green-thumb-board-director-executive-leadership-2023.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The cannabis company’s expanded leadership team will take effect Jan. 1, roughly three months after three board members resigned.\",\n \"author\": \"Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T15:40:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Green Thumb Industries announced Dec. 13 that the cannabis company will appoint Dawn Wilson Barnes to its board of directors and make four executive leadership position promotions effective on Jan. 1, 2023. Barnes, the founder and president of Atlanta-based financial services firm Aurora Bay Capital, will join GTI’s board as an independent director and member of the company’s Audit Committee. The announcement comes after three former board members—William Gruver, Glen Senk and Dorri McWhorter—resigned in October over a disagreement as to the company’s policies and practices related to personal misconduct. RELATED: Green Thumb Industries Announces Changes to Board of Directors When GTI announced those resignations, the Chicago-based multistate operator also announced Richard Drexler and Jeff Goldman would be joining the board at that time. Now, Barnes is lined up to fill the third vacancy left by those who resigned. In addition, GTI executive leadership team promotions include board member Anthony Georgiadis to president, Matt Faulkner to chief financial officer (CFO), Bret Kravitz to general counsel and secretary, and Rachel Albert to chief administrative officer. “These changes reflect the natural evolution of high-performing team members to positions of greater responsibility and demonstrate our conviction in the strength of our leadership,” Green Thumb founder, chairman and CEO Ben Kovler said in a press release . “I am especially pleased to recognize the pivotal role that Anthony Georgiadis has played over the last seven years,” Kovler said. “He continues to be an outstanding partner in leading the business, an excellent problem-solver, and a material value creator for shareholders. His deep understanding of the operations and financials, along with his proven leadership ability to empower the team to drive results, make him exceptionally suited for his new role of president. I am confident these moves set us up for long-term success as we progress in this ever-changing landscape.” Georgiadis joined GTI in 2015 and has served as CFO since 2017. As company president, he will oversee all operational and financial matters and continue to help steer overall corporate strategy and operations, allowing Kovler to focus greater attention on capital allocation, strategic partnerships, brand positioning, investors relations, and mergers and acquisitions, according to the release. Georgiadis said he was humbled for his new role and exciting to pass the CFO reins to Faulkner, who joined GTI in 2018 and has served as chief accounting officer since 2020. “Green Thumb’s ability to continue to identify and cultivate talent from within is critical to the execution of our strategy,” Georgiadis said. “And while our roles within the business evolve, our steadfast focus on creating authentic brands, high-quality flower and memorable experiences for the consumer remains.” Meanwhile, Kravitz has served as chief corporate counsel since 2017 and now will be the primary legal adviser to management and the board while overseeing all legal matters as the company’s general counsel and secretary. Albert, who joined GTI as a consultant in 2020 to lead the human resources department, will now be supporting executive initiatives and decision-making while helping to shape Green Thumb’s culture in her new role as chief administration officer. And Barnes will round out a six-member board of directors , which also includes Wendy Berger, in addition to Kovler, Georgiadis, Drexler and Goldman. “As a seasoned financial professional with expertise in capital markets and audit, she will be a strong addition to the team,” Kovler said of Barnes. “Dawn’s appointment to our board will further strengthen our corporate governance, which remains a top priority for Green Thumb.” Prior to founding Aurora Bay Capital, Barnes held positions in private finance, equity capital markets and investment management at J.P. Morgan & Co. and Goldman Sachs & Co. in New York. Previously, she held auditing and accounting positions with Honeywell Inc. in corporate financial audit in Minneapolis and the firm’s Military Avionics Division in St. Petersburg, Fla. Green Thumb has hired an external recruiting firm to assist with a search to actively recruit additional board members in preparation for its potential U.S. listing upon possible federal cannabis reform, according to the release. PRESS RELEASE - Helius Therapeutics will soon launch THC-containing medicines which are both grown and made in New Zealand. This follows the country’s largest licensed medicinal cannabis company being issued a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certificate by MedSafe to allow it to manufacture THC medicines. “2022 has been a huge year for Helius. Reaching these milestones which allow us to bring more NZ grown and made products to Kiwi patients,” says Carmen Doran, chief executive officer of Helius Therapeutics. “Last week we were able to announce GACP certification. Now we have obtained GMP certification for four more processes at our expansive East Auckland site. Such progress is testament to the culture of teamwork Helius is building,” she says. Helius first gained the GMP certification and a Licence to Manufacture Medicines in July 2021. Since that time, they have been the first company in NZ to launch products, and provide NZ made, NZ grown products. Now they are the first in New Zealand to gain GMP certification for THC medicines. Helius began the rigorous and complex journey for GMP certification as a start-up in 2018. Through an international recognition scheme, MedSafe’s latest approval also meets European standards, known as EU-GMP, opening future export possibilities for the 100% Kiwi-owned company. “The GMP certification process has been exhaustive, and rightly so. We’re making medicines, so there is no room for cutting corners. Helius pulled together an internationally-experienced leadership team from both the pharmaceutical and medicinal cannabis industries to successfully achieve this level of compliance,” she says. As a leader in New Zealand’s newest industry, Helius has worked alongside the regulators since the beginning to ensure patient safety. Doran is a member of the New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Council, the industry body committed to supporting the industry grow at home and providing high quality exports to patients around the world. “Helius has built the team and facilities to get the job done, motivated by an unwavering commitment to improve patients’ quality of life,” says Doran. Helius leverages vertical integration, from plant to patient. Operations connect cultivar breeding to yield optimisation; precision extraction of high-value cannabinoids, next-generation medicine development, GMP production, plus academic and several scientific partnerships. NORWOOD, Mass., Dec. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- MariMed, Inc. , a multi-state cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, today announced with deep sadness that Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and co-founder Robert Fireman died unexpectedly on Dec. 11, 2022. The company will provide further information on succession once the Board of Directors has had an opportunity to determine the best path forward. \\\"Bob Fireman worked tirelessly and passionately until his last day as Chairman and CEO of MariMed to fulfill our mission of improving people’s lives, much as he did as a philanthropist who cared so deeply about the people and community around him,” said Jon Levine, president of MariMed. “He was my business partner and dear friend, and I look forward to honoring his legacy by achieving our shared vision for the company. He was one-of-a-kind and will be deeply missed by his family, his wide circle of friends, the cannabis community that he helped build, and the entire MariMed family.” Fireman served as CEO of MariMed since 2017 and a member of its Board of Directors since the company’s formation. An early pioneer and visionary in the industry, under his leadership the MariMed team applied for and was awarded legal cannabis licenses in several states across the United States and developed and operated state of the art, regulatory compliant cannabis cultivation, production, and retail facilities. A practicing attorney for over 30 years, Fireman’s legal acumen and entrepreneurial experience in diverse industries served were instrumental in navigating MariMed through the complex, highly-regulated, emerging cannabis industry. Fireman is survived by his wife and partner for more than 40 years, Ellen Porter Fireman. \\\"On behalf of the entire MariMed family, we extend our deepest condolences to Ellen and the Fireman and Porter families,\\\" said Levine. The New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) provided guidance Dec. 9 for adult-use cannabis retail licensees interested in making delivery sales but the rules for securing brick-and-mortar locations have changed. (The delivery guidelines are listed below.) While OCM’s Cannabis Control Board approved the state’s first 36 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) provisional licenses last month, aspiring market entrants have yet to receive the turnkey locations they were promised for their businesses. OCM regulators plan to issue up to 175 total retail licenses—150 for individuals impacted by prohibition and 25 for nonprofits whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated—and state officials from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) were tasked with providing fully furnished dispensaries for the 150 individuals. RELATED: What To Expect With New York's First 175 Adult-Use Dispensaries Now, instead of requiring retail licensees to rely on DASNY for their locations, OCM officials took a U-turn on Dec. 9 in announcing they are allowing CAURD licensees to find and secure their own retail locations ahead of the state’s sales launch. “[CAURD licensees] can submit for approval their own proposed location for their retail store and may still qualify for financial support for renovations from the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund operated by [DASNY],” the office’s release read. “DASNY will continue the work of securing retail locations and locations will be matched with licensees as they become available.” In June, Gov. Hochul announced the selection of a minority-led investment team to sponsor and manage New York’s $200 million Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund that was authorized in the state’s fiscal 2023 budget. The fund was established to help New York finance the leasing and equipping of the 150 CAURD dispensaries to be operated by those who have been impacted by the inequitable enforcement of prohibition. Specifically, the fund is to assist DASNY’s efforts to: identify suitable locations for the dispensaries; acquire or lease the space for the dispensaries; design and construct the space to suit business needs; and fit out locations with furniture and other equipment. To sponsor and manage that fund, DASNY selected NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber and his business partner Lavetta, as well as a firm affiliated with Siebert Williams Shank, one of the nation’s leading minority- and women-owned investment banking firms. The fund managers were tasked with raising $150 million from the private sector to go toward the $200 million fund, but they failed to deliver that raise ahead of a Sept. 1 deadline, NY Cannabis Insider reported earlier this month. With state regulators still aiming for a before-the-end-of-the-year deadline to launch commercial adult-use sales, OCM officials are now taking matters into their owns hands with last week’s announcement regarding retail locations. In addition to allowing CAURD licensees to find and secure their own retail locations, OCM also issued cannabis delivery guidance that allows: retail licensees to secure a warehouse from which to fulfill delivery orders while building permanent dispensary locations for up to one year; customers to place online/phone orders only (but no in-person sales or pickup from the warehouse location); customers to make online prepayments only (no cash payments from cannabis consumer to delivery employee); delivery to be made by bicycles, scooters or other similar methods of transportation as well as motor vehicles; delivery to consumers 21 years and older in New York, with ID verification upon sale and delivery; and up to 25 delivery staff per business, per requirements in the New York cannabis law. The warehouses used for delivery must be located in the regions where retail businesses are licensed, but deliveries themselves can cross into other regions. The delivery authorization applies to all retail licensees and requires adherence to all public health and safety regulations. Medical cannabis legalization could become a reality in Kansas in 2023. Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, who chairs the 2022 Special Committee on Medical Marijuana , said during a committee meeting Dec. 9 that he plans to introduce medical cannabis legislation in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session. The committee has been conducting a series of meetings over the past several months to discuss drafting a medical cannabis legalization bill for 2023 and discuss what they can improve upon from this year’s failed legislation. There were several efforts to legalize medical cannabis in Kansas during this year’s legislative session that failed, including a medical cannabis proposal that stalled in the Senate in May, a House-passed bill that never gained traction in the Senate, and a Senate bill introduced by Sen. Olson in March, Cannabis Business Times reported . Lawmakers held two hearings in October—one to hear testimony from law enforcement, state agencies, and local governments, and another to hear public testimony on the issue, CBT reported . During the most recent meeting Dec. 9, lawmakers discussed research on social equity, packaging and labeling, purchasing limits, local taxation and more, the Kansas Reflector reported . After the series of meetings, Olson said he’s ready to introduce a medical cannabis legalization bill in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session. “I think what I’m going to do is—and any member is more than welcome—is to take this information and create the bill,” Olson said. “And I’m going to work on a bill with a couple members, and then if anybody wants to sign on in the Senate, they’ll be more than able to sign onto that bill, and introduce it at the beginning of session.” Olson also encouraged House members who are a part of the Special Committee on Medical Marijuana to introduce a separate bill in their chamber, the news outlet reported. “The whole issue is last year, we had a very strong bill that passed the House, and Senate President Ty Masterson wouldn’t allow it to move forward,” Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park said. \\\"So I know there are different parties who have been reaching out to him to remind him of how important an issue this is to a lot of different people. So, time will tell.\\\"\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/13/ExecutiveLeadershipAdobeStock4513611351.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the cannabis company will appoint Dawn Wilson Barnes to its board of directors and make four executive leadership position promotions effective on Jan. 1, 2023. Barnes, the founder and president of Atlanta-based financial services firm Aurora Bay Capital, will join the board as an independent director. the announcement comes after three former board members resigned in October over a disagreement as to the company’s policies and practices related to personal misconduct.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Atlanta\",\n \"Chicago\",\n \"Barnes\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Minneapolis\",\n \"St. Petersburg\",\n \"Fla.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"East Auckland\",\n \"NZ\",\n \"New Zealand’s\",\n \"Mass.\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"New York's\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"Kansas\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Green Thumb Industries\",\n \"Aurora Bay Capital\",\n \"GTI\",\n \"Audit Committee\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries Announces Changes to\",\n \"CFO\",\n \"Georgiadis\",\n \"Barnes\",\n \"Drexler\",\n \"J.P. Morgan & Co.\",\n \"Goldman Sachs & Co.\",\n \"Honeywell Inc.\",\n \"Military Avionics Division\",\n \"GMP\",\n \"THC\",\n \"Helius\",\n \"Kiwi\",\n \"Helius Therapeutics\",\n \"a Licence to Manufacture Medicines\",\n \"MedSafe\",\n \"EU\",\n \"the New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Council\",\n \"NORWOOD\",\n \"GLOBE NEWSWIRE\",\n \"MariMed, Inc.\",\n \"MariMed\",\n \"Board of Directors\",\n \"Fireman’s\",\n \"Fireman\",\n \"The New York Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund\",\n \"Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund\",\n \"NBA Hall\",\n \"Special Committee on Medical Marijuana\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"the Kansas Reflector\",\n \"the Special Committee on Medical Marijuana\",\n \"D-Overland Park\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Dawn Wilson Barnes\",\n \"William Gruver\",\n \"Glen Senk\",\n \"Dorri McWhorter\",\n \"Richard Drexler\",\n \"Jeff Goldman\",\n \"Anthony Georgiadis\",\n \"Matt Faulkner\",\n \"Bret Kravitz\",\n \"Rachel Albert\",\n \"Ben Kovler\",\n \"Kovler\",\n \"Faulkner\",\n \"Georgiadis\",\n \"Kravitz\",\n \"Albert\",\n \"Green Thumb’s\",\n \"Wendy Berger\",\n \"Goldman\",\n \"Green Thumb\",\n \"Carmen Doran\",\n \"Doran\",\n \"Robert Fireman\",\n \"Bob Fireman\",\n \"Jon Levine\",\n \"Fireman\",\n \"Ellen Porter Fireman\",\n \"Ellen\",\n \"Porter\",\n \"Levine\",\n \"Hochul\",\n \"Chris Webber\",\n \"Lavetta\",\n \"Siebert Williams Shank\",\n \"Rob Olson\",\n \"Olson\",\n \"Ty Masterson\",\n \"Cindy Holscher\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.89,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8995916247367859\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1b2fa5de7033377d43e\",\n \"title\": \"Helius First to Gain THC Certification in New Zealand\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/helius-first-to-gain-thc-certification-in-new-zealand.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Helius Therapeutics will soon launch THC-containing medicines which are both grown and made in New Zealand.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T15:02:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"PRESS RELEASE - Helius Therapeutics will soon launch THC-containing medicines which are both grown and made in New Zealand. This follows the country’s largest licensed medicinal cannabis company being issued a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certificate by MedSafe to allow it to manufacture THC medicines. “2022 has been a huge year for Helius. Reaching these milestones which allow us to bring more NZ grown and made products to Kiwi patients,” says Carmen Doran, chief executive officer of Helius Therapeutics. “Last week we were able to announce GACP certification. Now we have obtained GMP certification for four more processes at our expansive East Auckland site. Such progress is testament to the culture of teamwork Helius is building,” she says. Helius first gained the GMP certification and a Licence to Manufacture Medicines in July 2021. Since that time, they have been the first company in NZ to launch products, and provide NZ made, NZ grown products. Now they are the first in New Zealand to gain GMP certification for THC medicines. Helius began the rigorous and complex journey for GMP certification as a start-up in 2018. Through an international recognition scheme, MedSafe’s latest approval also meets European standards, known as EU-GMP, opening future export possibilities for the 100% Kiwi-owned company. “The GMP certification process has been exhaustive, and rightly so. We’re making medicines, so there is no room for cutting corners. Helius pulled together an internationally-experienced leadership team from both the pharmaceutical and medicinal cannabis industries to successfully achieve this level of compliance,” she says. As a leader in New Zealand’s newest industry, Helius has worked alongside the regulators since the beginning to ensure patient safety. Doran is a member of the New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Council, the industry body committed to supporting the industry grow at home and providing high quality exports to patients around the world. “Helius has built the team and facilities to get the job done, motivated by an unwavering commitment to improve patients’ quality of life,” says Doran. Helius leverages vertical integration, from plant to patient. Operations connect cultivar breeding to yield optimisation; precision extraction of high-value cannabinoids, next-generation medicine development, GMP production, plus academic and several scientific partnerships. NORWOOD, Mass., Dec. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- MariMed, Inc. , a multi-state cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, today announced with deep sadness that Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and co-founder Robert Fireman died unexpectedly on Dec. 11, 2022. The company will provide further information on succession once the Board of Directors has had an opportunity to determine the best path forward. \\\"Bob Fireman worked tirelessly and passionately until his last day as Chairman and CEO of MariMed to fulfill our mission of improving people’s lives, much as he did as a philanthropist who cared so deeply about the people and community around him,” said Jon Levine, president of MariMed. “He was my business partner and dear friend, and I look forward to honoring his legacy by achieving our shared vision for the company. He was one-of-a-kind and will be deeply missed by his family, his wide circle of friends, the cannabis community that he helped build, and the entire MariMed family.” Fireman served as CEO of MariMed since 2017 and a member of its Board of Directors since the company’s formation. An early pioneer and visionary in the industry, under his leadership the MariMed team applied for and was awarded legal cannabis licenses in several states across the United States and developed and operated state of the art, regulatory compliant cannabis cultivation, production, and retail facilities. A practicing attorney for over 30 years, Fireman’s legal acumen and entrepreneurial experience in diverse industries served were instrumental in navigating MariMed through the complex, highly-regulated, emerging cannabis industry. Fireman is survived by his wife and partner for more than 40 years, Ellen Porter Fireman. \\\"On behalf of the entire MariMed family, we extend our deepest condolences to Ellen and the Fireman and Porter families,\\\" said Levine. The New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) provided guidance Dec. 9 for adult-use cannabis retail licensees interested in making delivery sales but the rules for securing brick-and-mortar locations have changed. (The delivery guidelines are listed below.) While OCM’s Cannabis Control Board approved the state’s first 36 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) provisional licenses last month, aspiring market entrants have yet to receive the turnkey locations they were promised for their businesses. OCM regulators plan to issue up to 175 total retail licenses—150 for individuals impacted by prohibition and 25 for nonprofits whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated—and state officials from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) were tasked with providing fully furnished dispensaries for the 150 individuals. RELATED: What To Expect With New York's First 175 Adult-Use Dispensaries Now, instead of requiring retail licensees to rely on DASNY for their locations, OCM officials took a U-turn on Dec. 9 in announcing they are allowing CAURD licensees to find and secure their own retail locations ahead of the state’s sales launch. “[CAURD licensees] can submit for approval their own proposed location for their retail store and may still qualify for financial support for renovations from the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund operated by [DASNY],” the office’s release read. “DASNY will continue the work of securing retail locations and locations will be matched with licensees as they become available.” In June, Gov. Hochul announced the selection of a minority-led investment team to sponsor and manage New York’s $200 million Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund that was authorized in the state’s fiscal 2023 budget. The fund was established to help New York finance the leasing and equipping of the 150 CAURD dispensaries to be operated by those who have been impacted by the inequitable enforcement of prohibition. Specifically, the fund is to assist DASNY’s efforts to: identify suitable locations for the dispensaries; acquire or lease the space for the dispensaries; design and construct the space to suit business needs; and fit out locations with furniture and other equipment. To sponsor and manage that fund, DASNY selected NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber and his business partner Lavetta, as well as a firm affiliated with Siebert Williams Shank, one of the nation’s leading minority- and women-owned investment banking firms. The fund managers were tasked with raising $150 million from the private sector to go toward the $200 million fund, but they failed to deliver that raise ahead of a Sept. 1 deadline, NY Cannabis Insider reported earlier this month. With state regulators still aiming for a before-the-end-of-the-year deadline to launch commercial adult-use sales, OCM officials are now taking matters into their owns hands with last week’s announcement regarding retail locations. In addition to allowing CAURD licensees to find and secure their own retail locations, OCM also issued cannabis delivery guidance that allows: retail licensees to secure a warehouse from which to fulfill delivery orders while building permanent dispensary locations for up to one year; customers to place online/phone orders only (but no in-person sales or pickup from the warehouse location); customers to make online prepayments only (no cash payments from cannabis consumer to delivery employee); delivery to be made by bicycles, scooters or other similar methods of transportation as well as motor vehicles; delivery to consumers 21 years and older in New York, with ID verification upon sale and delivery; and up to 25 delivery staff per business, per requirements in the New York cannabis law. The warehouses used for delivery must be located in the regions where retail businesses are licensed, but deliveries themselves can cross into other regions. The delivery authorization applies to all retail licensees and requires adherence to all public health and safety regulations. Medical cannabis legalization could become a reality in Kansas in 2023. Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, who chairs the 2022 Special Committee on Medical Marijuana , said during a committee meeting Dec. 9 that he plans to introduce medical cannabis legislation in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session. The committee has been conducting a series of meetings over the past several months to discuss drafting a medical cannabis legalization bill for 2023 and discuss what they can improve upon from this year’s failed legislation. There were several efforts to legalize medical cannabis in Kansas during this year’s legislative session that failed, including a medical cannabis proposal that stalled in the Senate in May, a House-passed bill that never gained traction in the Senate, and a Senate bill introduced by Sen. Olson in March, Cannabis Business Times reported . Lawmakers held two hearings in October—one to hear testimony from law enforcement, state agencies, and local governments, and another to hear public testimony on the issue, CBT reported . During the most recent meeting Dec. 9, lawmakers discussed research on social equity, packaging and labeling, purchasing limits, local taxation and more, the Kansas Reflector reported . After the series of meetings, Olson said he’s ready to introduce a medical cannabis legalization bill in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session. “I think what I’m going to do is—and any member is more than welcome—is to take this information and create the bill,” Olson said. “And I’m going to work on a bill with a couple members, and then if anybody wants to sign on in the Senate, they’ll be more than able to sign onto that bill, and introduce it at the beginning of session.” Olson also encouraged House members who are a part of the Special Committee on Medical Marijuana to introduce a separate bill in their chamber, the news outlet reported. “The whole issue is last year, we had a very strong bill that passed the House, and Senate President Ty Masterson wouldn’t allow it to move forward,” Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park said. \\\"So I know there are different parties who have been reaching out to him to remind him of how important an issue this is to a lot of different people. So, time will tell.\\\" Guam’s Cannabis Control Board has given the green light to 11 “responsible officials,” or government-approved business leaders that must be in place before a company receives an adult-use license, as officials await applications for cannabis business licenses. Most recently, the board approved Trisha Blas, a responsible official for an aspiring cannabis manufacturing facility called Guahannabis LLC, and Eugene Arriola, a responsible official for a planned cultivation operation called The Heights Farm, according to the Pacific Daily News . Nine responsible officials were previously approved and have been informed of the next steps to apply for a cannabis establishment licenses, the news outlet reported, although no one has yet applied for a license. “They have it, they’re working on their packet, but none of them actually submitted to the office for review or consideration at this time,” Craig Camacho, compliance supervisor with the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation, told the Pacific Daily News . Guam legalized adult-use cannabis in 2019 and adopted regulations for the industry in May 2022. Under the regulatory framework, adults can legally grow, possess and consume cannabis, but it remains illegal to sell cannabis until the commercial market launches. The Department of Revenue and Taxation opened the adult-use cannabis business licensing process in August. Applicants must be approved responsible officials, be at least 21 years old, own or operate the business, and not be convicted of manufacturing or distributing Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances, except for cannabis. RELATED: Guam Officials Now Accepting Cannabis Identification Card Applications There are separate licenses available for cultivators, manufacturers, testing labs and retailers, the Pacific Daily News reported, and licensees are barred from owning more than one type of cannabis business. The Cannabis Control Board is required to host an annual summit with government officials that provides industry stakeholders an opportunity to discuss cannabis regulation, although Theresa Arriola, chairwoman of the board’s public awareness committee, told the Pacific Daily News that officials have yet to organize the first summit. In the meantime, the Cannabis Control Board’s next scheduled meeting is Jan. 23.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Helius Therapeutics will soon launch THC-containing medicines which are both grown and made in new zealand. this follows the country’s largest licensed medicinal cannabis company being issued a GMP (good manufacturing practice) certificate by MedSafe.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"East Auckland\",\n \"NZ\",\n \"New Zealand’s\",\n \"Mass.\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"New York's\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Kansas\",\n \"Guam\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"GMP\",\n \"THC\",\n \"Helius\",\n \"Kiwi\",\n \"Helius Therapeutics\",\n \"a Licence to Manufacture Medicines\",\n \"MedSafe\",\n \"EU\",\n \"the New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Council\",\n \"NORWOOD\",\n \"GLOBE NEWSWIRE\",\n \"MariMed, Inc.\",\n \"MariMed\",\n \"Board of Directors\",\n \"Fireman’s\",\n \"Fireman\",\n \"The New York Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund\",\n \"Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund\",\n \"NBA Hall\",\n \"Special Committee on Medical Marijuana\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"the Kansas Reflector\",\n \"the Special Committee on Medical Marijuana\",\n \"D-Overland Park\",\n \"The Heights Farm\",\n \"the Pacific Daily News\",\n \"the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation\",\n \"The Department of Revenue and Taxation\",\n \"The Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the Cannabis Control Board’s\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Carmen Doran\",\n \"Doran\",\n \"Robert Fireman\",\n \"Bob Fireman\",\n \"Jon Levine\",\n \"Fireman\",\n \"Ellen Porter Fireman\",\n \"Ellen\",\n \"Porter\",\n \"Levine\",\n \"Hochul\",\n \"Chris Webber\",\n \"Lavetta\",\n \"Siebert Williams Shank\",\n \"Rob Olson\",\n \"Olson\",\n \"Ty Masterson\",\n \"Cindy Holscher\",\n \"Trisha Blas\",\n \"Eugene Arriola\",\n \"Craig Camacho\",\n \"Schedule II\",\n \"Theresa Arriola\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.82,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7653940916061401\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"63a0e1a5fa5de7033377d437\",\n \"title\": \"Helius First to Gain THC Certification in New Zealand\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/helius-first-to-gain-thc-certification-in-new-zealand\",\n \"description\": \"Helius Therapeutics will soon launch THC-containing medicines which are both grown and made in New Zealand.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-13T15:02:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"PRESS RELEASE - Helius Therapeutics will soon launch THC-containing medicines which are both grown and made in New Zealand. This follows the country’s largest licensed medicinal cannabis company being issued a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certificate by MedSafe to allow it to manufacture THC medicines. “2022 has been a huge year for Helius. Reaching these milestones which allow us to bring more NZ grown and made products to Kiwi patients,” says Carmen Doran, chief executive officer of Helius Therapeutics. “Last week we were able to announce GACP certification. Now we have obtained GMP certification for four more processes at our expansive East Auckland site. Such progress is testament to the culture of teamwork Helius is building,” she says. Helius first gained the GMP certification and a Licence to Manufacture Medicines in July 2021. Since that time, they have been the first company in NZ to launch products, and provide NZ made, NZ grown products. Now they are the first in New Zealand to gain GMP certification for THC medicines. Helius began the rigorous and complex journey for GMP certification as a start-up in 2018. Through an international recognition scheme, MedSafe’s latest approval also meets European standards, known as EU-GMP, opening future export possibilities for the 100% Kiwi-owned company. “The GMP certification process has been exhaustive, and rightly so. We’re making medicines, so there is no room for cutting corners. Helius pulled together an internationally-experienced leadership team from both the pharmaceutical and medicinal cannabis industries to successfully achieve this level of compliance,” she says. As a leader in New Zealand’s newest industry, Helius has worked alongside the regulators since the beginning to ensure patient safety. Doran is a member of the New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Council, the industry body committed to supporting the industry grow at home and providing high quality exports to patients around the world. “Helius has built the team and facilities to get the job done, motivated by an unwavering commitment to improve patients’ quality of life,” says Doran. Helius leverages vertical integration, from plant to patient. Operations connect cultivar breeding to yield optimisation; precision extraction of high-value cannabinoids, next-generation medicine development, GMP production, plus academic and several scientific partnerships. NORWOOD, Mass., Dec. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- MariMed, Inc. , a multi-state cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, today announced with deep sadness that Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and co-founder Robert Fireman died unexpectedly on Dec. 11, 2022. The company will provide further information on succession once the Board of Directors has had an opportunity to determine the best path forward. \\\"Bob Fireman worked tirelessly and passionately until his last day as Chairman and CEO of MariMed to fulfill our mission of improving people’s lives, much as he did as a philanthropist who cared so deeply about the people and community around him,” said Jon Levine, president of MariMed. “He was my business partner and dear friend, and I look forward to honoring his legacy by achieving our shared vision for the company. He was one-of-a-kind and will be deeply missed by his family, his wide circle of friends, the cannabis community that he helped build, and the entire MariMed family.” Fireman served as CEO of MariMed since 2017 and a member of its Board of Directors since the company’s formation. An early pioneer and visionary in the industry, under his leadership the MariMed team applied for and was awarded legal cannabis licenses in several states across the United States and developed and operated state of the art, regulatory compliant cannabis cultivation, production, and retail facilities. A practicing attorney for over 30 years, Fireman’s legal acumen and entrepreneurial experience in diverse industries served were instrumental in navigating MariMed through the complex, highly-regulated, emerging cannabis industry. Fireman is survived by his wife and partner for more than 40 years, Ellen Porter Fireman. \\\"On behalf of the entire MariMed family, we extend our deepest condolences to Ellen and the Fireman and Porter families,\\\" said Levine. The New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) provided guidance Dec. 9 for adult-use cannabis retail licensees interested in making delivery sales but the rules for securing brick-and-mortar locations have changed. (The delivery guidelines are listed below.) While OCM’s Cannabis Control Board approved the state’s first 36 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) provisional licenses last month, aspiring market entrants have yet to receive the turnkey locations they were promised for their businesses. OCM regulators plan to issue up to 175 total retail licenses—150 for individuals impacted by prohibition and 25 for nonprofits whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated—and state officials from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) were tasked with providing fully furnished dispensaries for the 150 individuals. RELATED: What To Expect With New York's First 175 Adult-Use Dispensaries Now, instead of requiring retail licensees to rely on DASNY for their locations, OCM officials took a U-turn on Dec. 9 in announcing they are allowing CAURD licensees to find and secure their own retail locations ahead of the state’s sales launch. “[CAURD licensees] can submit for approval their own proposed location for their retail store and may still qualify for financial support for renovations from the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund operated by [DASNY],” the office’s release read. “DASNY will continue the work of securing retail locations and locations will be matched with licensees as they become available.” In June, Gov. Hochul announced the selection of a minority-led investment team to sponsor and manage New York’s $200 million Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund that was authorized in the state’s fiscal 2023 budget. The fund was established to help New York finance the leasing and equipping of the 150 CAURD dispensaries to be operated by those who have been impacted by the inequitable enforcement of prohibition. Specifically, the fund is to assist DASNY’s efforts to: identify suitable locations for the dispensaries; acquire or lease the space for the dispensaries; design and construct the space to suit business needs; and fit out locations with furniture and other equipment. To sponsor and manage that fund, DASNY selected NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber and his business partner Lavetta, as well as a firm affiliated with Siebert Williams Shank, one of the nation’s leading minority- and women-owned investment banking firms. The fund managers were tasked with raising $150 million from the private sector to go toward the $200 million fund, but they failed to deliver that raise ahead of a Sept. 1 deadline, NY Cannabis Insider reported earlier this month. With state regulators still aiming for a before-the-end-of-the-year deadline to launch commercial adult-use sales, OCM officials are now taking matters into their owns hands with last week’s announcement regarding retail locations. In addition to allowing CAURD licensees to find and secure their own retail locations, OCM also issued cannabis delivery guidance that allows: retail licensees to secure a warehouse from which to fulfill delivery orders while building permanent dispensary locations for up to one year; customers to place online/phone orders only (but no in-person sales or pickup from the warehouse location); customers to make online prepayments only (no cash payments from cannabis consumer to delivery employee); delivery to be made by bicycles, scooters or other similar methods of transportation as well as motor vehicles; delivery to consumers 21 years and older in New York, with ID verification upon sale and delivery; and up to 25 delivery staff per business, per requirements in the New York cannabis law. The warehouses used for delivery must be located in the regions where retail businesses are licensed, but deliveries themselves can cross into other regions. The delivery authorization applies to all retail licensees and requires adherence to all public health and safety regulations. Medical cannabis legalization could become a reality in Kansas in 2023. Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, who chairs the 2022 Special Committee on Medical Marijuana , said during a committee meeting Dec. 9 that he plans to introduce medical cannabis legislation in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session. The committee has been conducting a series of meetings over the past several months to discuss drafting a medical cannabis legalization bill for 2023 and discuss what they can improve upon from this year’s failed legislation. There were several efforts to legalize medical cannabis in Kansas during this year’s legislative session that failed, including a medical cannabis proposal that stalled in the Senate in May, a House-passed bill that never gained traction in the Senate, and a Senate bill introduced by Sen. Olson in March, Cannabis Business Times reported . Lawmakers held two hearings in October—one to hear testimony from law enforcement, state agencies, and local governments, and another to hear public testimony on the issue, CBT reported . During the most recent meeting Dec. 9, lawmakers discussed research on social equity, packaging and labeling, purchasing limits, local taxation and more, the Kansas Reflector reported . After the series of meetings, Olson said he’s ready to introduce a medical cannabis legalization bill in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session. “I think what I’m going to do is—and any member is more than welcome—is to take this information and create the bill,” Olson said. “And I’m going to work on a bill with a couple members, and then if anybody wants to sign on in the Senate, they’ll be more than able to sign onto that bill, and introduce it at the beginning of session.” Olson also encouraged House members who are a part of the Special Committee on Medical Marijuana to introduce a separate bill in their chamber, the news outlet reported. “The whole issue is last year, we had a very strong bill that passed the House, and Senate President Ty Masterson wouldn’t allow it to move forward,” Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park said. \\\"So I know there are different parties who have been reaching out to him to remind him of how important an issue this is to a lot of different people. So, time will tell.\\\" Guam’s Cannabis Control Board has given the green light to 11 “responsible officials,” or government-approved business leaders that must be in place before a company receives an adult-use license, as officials await applications for cannabis business licenses. Most recently, the board approved Trisha Blas, a responsible official for an aspiring cannabis manufacturing facility called Guahannabis LLC, and Eugene Arriola, a responsible official for a planned cultivation operation called The Heights Farm, according to the Pacific Daily News . Nine responsible officials were previously approved and have been informed of the next steps to apply for a cannabis establishment licenses, the news outlet reported, although no one has yet applied for a license. “They have it, they’re working on their packet, but none of them actually submitted to the office for review or consideration at this time,” Craig Camacho, compliance supervisor with the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation, told the Pacific Daily News . Guam legalized adult-use cannabis in 2019 and adopted regulations for the industry in May 2022. Under the regulatory framework, adults can legally grow, possess and consume cannabis, but it remains illegal to sell cannabis until the commercial market launches. The Department of Revenue and Taxation opened the adult-use cannabis business licensing process in August. Applicants must be approved responsible officials, be at least 21 years old, own or operate the business, and not be convicted of manufacturing or distributing Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances, except for cannabis. RELATED: Guam Officials Now Accepting Cannabis Identification Card Applications There are separate licenses available for cultivators, manufacturers, testing labs and retailers, the Pacific Daily News reported, and licensees are barred from owning more than one type of cannabis business. The Cannabis Control Board is required to host an annual summit with government officials that provides industry stakeholders an opportunity to discuss cannabis regulation, although Theresa Arriola, chairwoman of the board’s public awareness committee, told the Pacific Daily News that officials have yet to organize the first summit. In the meantime, the Cannabis Control Board’s next scheduled meeting is Jan. 23.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Helius Therapeutics will soon launch THC-containing medicines which are both grown and made in new zealand. this follows the country’s largest licensed medicinal cannabis company being issued a GMP (good manufacturing practice) certificate by MedSafe.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"East Auckland\",\n \"NZ\",\n \"New Zealand’s\",\n \"Mass.\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"New York's\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Kansas\",\n \"Guam\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"GMP\",\n \"THC\",\n \"Helius\",\n \"Kiwi\",\n \"Helius Therapeutics\",\n \"a Licence to Manufacture Medicines\",\n \"MedSafe\",\n \"EU\",\n \"the New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Council\",\n \"NORWOOD\",\n \"GLOBE NEWSWIRE\",\n \"MariMed, Inc.\",\n \"MariMed\",\n \"Board of Directors\",\n \"Fireman’s\",\n \"Fireman\",\n \"The New York Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund\",\n \"Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund\",\n \"NBA Hall\",\n \"Special Committee on Medical Marijuana\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"the Kansas Reflector\",\n \"the Special Committee on Medical Marijuana\",\n \"D-Overland Park\",\n \"The Heights Farm\",\n \"the Pacific Daily News\",\n \"the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation\",\n \"The Department of Revenue and Taxation\",\n \"The Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the Cannabis Control Board’s\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Carmen Doran\",\n \"Doran\",\n \"Robert Fireman\",\n \"Bob Fireman\",\n \"Jon Levine\",\n \"Fireman\",\n \"Ellen Porter Fireman\",\n \"Ellen\",\n \"Porter\",\n \"Levine\",\n \"Hochul\",\n \"Chris Webber\",\n \"Lavetta\",\n \"Siebert Williams Shank\",\n \"Rob Olson\",\n \"Olson\",\n \"Ty Masterson\",\n \"Cindy Holscher\",\n \"Trisha Blas\",\n \"Eugene Arriola\",\n \"Craig Camacho\",\n \"Schedule II\",\n \"Theresa Arriola\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.82,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7653940916061401\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a70dd5dba60336292b95\",\n \"title\": \"New York Changes Dispensary Turnkey Rules; Delivery Guidance Laid Out\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/new-york-delivery-turnkey-dispensary-locations.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"State regulators are now allowing retail licensees to find and secure their own dispensary locations with delivery guidelines laid out to jumpstart sales.\",\n \"author\": \"Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-12T19:18:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) provided guidance Dec. 9 for adult-use cannabis retail licensees interested in making delivery sales but the rules for securing brick-and-mortar locations have changed. (The delivery guidelines are listed below.) While OCM’s Cannabis Control Board approved the state’s first 36 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) provisional licenses last month, aspiring market entrants have yet to receive the turnkey locations they were promised for their businesses. OCM regulators plan to issue up to 175 total retail licenses—150 for individuals impacted by prohibition and 25 for nonprofits whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated—and state officials from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) were tasked with providing fully furnished dispensaries for the 150 individuals. RELATED: What To Expect With New York's First 175 Adult-Use Dispensaries Now, instead of requiring retail licensees to rely on DASNY for their locations, OCM officials took a U-turn on Dec. 9 in announcing they are allowing CAURD licensees to find and secure their own retail locations ahead of the state’s sales launch. “[CAURD licensees] can submit for approval their own proposed location for their retail store and may still qualify for financial support for renovations from the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund operated by [DASNY],” the office’s release read. “DASNY will continue the work of securing retail locations and locations will be matched with licensees as they become available.” In June, Gov. Hochul announced the selection of a minority-led investment team to sponsor and manage New York’s $200 million Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund that was authorized in the state’s fiscal 2023 budget. The fund was established to help New York finance the leasing and equipping of the 150 CAURD dispensaries to be operated by those who have been impacted by the inequitable enforcement of prohibition. Specifically, the fund is to assist DASNY’s efforts to: identify suitable locations for the dispensaries; acquire or lease the space for the dispensaries; design and construct the space to suit business needs; and fit out locations with furniture and other equipment. To sponsor and manage that fund, DASNY selected NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber and his business partner Lavetta, as well as a firm affiliated with Siebert Williams Shank, one of the nation’s leading minority- and women-owned investment banking firms. The fund managers were tasked with raising $150 million from the private sector to go toward the $200 million fund, but they failed to deliver that raise ahead of a Sept. 1 deadline, NY Cannabis Insider reported earlier this month. With state regulators still aiming for a before-the-end-of-the-year deadline to launch commercial adult-use sales, OCM officials are now taking matters into their owns hands with last week’s announcement regarding retail locations. In addition to allowing CAURD licensees to find and secure their own retail locations, OCM also issued cannabis delivery guidance that allows: retail licensees to secure a warehouse from which to fulfill delivery orders while building permanent dispensary locations for up to one year; customers to place online/phone orders only (but no in-person sales or pickup from the warehouse location); customers to make online prepayments only (no cash payments from cannabis consumer to delivery employee); delivery to be made by bicycles, scooters or other similar methods of transportation as well as motor vehicles; delivery to consumers 21 years and older in New York, with ID verification upon sale and delivery; and up to 25 delivery staff per business, per requirements in the New York cannabis law. The warehouses used for delivery must be located in the regions where retail businesses are licensed, but deliveries themselves can cross into other regions. The delivery authorization applies to all retail licensees and requires adherence to all public health and safety regulations. Medical cannabis legalization could become a reality in Kansas in 2023. Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, who chairs the 2022 Special Committee on Medical Marijuana , said during a committee meeting Dec. 9 that he plans to introduce medical cannabis legislation in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session. The committee has been conducting a series of meetings over the past several months to discuss drafting a medical cannabis legalization bill for 2023 and discuss what they can improve upon from this year’s failed legislation. There were several efforts to legalize medical cannabis in Kansas during this year’s legislative session that failed, including a medical cannabis proposal that stalled in the Senate in May, a House-passed bill that never gained traction in the Senate, and a Senate bill introduced by Sen. Olson in March, Cannabis Business Times reported . Lawmakers held two hearings in October—one to hear testimony from law enforcement, state agencies, and local governments, and another to hear public testimony on the issue, CBT reported . During the most recent meeting Dec. 9, lawmakers discussed research on social equity, packaging and labeling, purchasing limits, local taxation and more, the Kansas Reflector reported . After the series of meetings, Olson said he’s ready to introduce a medical cannabis legalization bill in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session. “I think what I’m going to do is—and any member is more than welcome—is to take this information and create the bill,” Olson said. “And I’m going to work on a bill with a couple members, and then if anybody wants to sign on in the Senate, they’ll be more than able to sign onto that bill, and introduce it at the beginning of session.” Olson also encouraged House members who are a part of the Special Committee on Medical Marijuana to introduce a separate bill in their chamber, the news outlet reported. “The whole issue is last year, we had a very strong bill that passed the House, and Senate President Ty Masterson wouldn’t allow it to move forward,” Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park said. \\\"So I know there are different parties who have been reaching out to him to remind him of how important an issue this is to a lot of different people. So, time will tell.\\\" Guam’s Cannabis Control Board has given the green light to 11 “responsible officials,” or government-approved business leaders that must be in place before a company receives an adult-use license, as officials await applications for cannabis business licenses. Most recently, the board approved Trisha Blas, a responsible official for an aspiring cannabis manufacturing facility called Guahannabis LLC, and Eugene Arriola, a responsible official for a planned cultivation operation called The Heights Farm, according to the Pacific Daily News . Nine responsible officials were previously approved and have been informed of the next steps to apply for a cannabis establishment licenses, the news outlet reported, although no one has yet applied for a license. “They have it, they’re working on their packet, but none of them actually submitted to the office for review or consideration at this time,” Craig Camacho, compliance supervisor with the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation, told the Pacific Daily News . Guam legalized adult-use cannabis in 2019 and adopted regulations for the industry in May 2022. Under the regulatory framework, adults can legally grow, possess and consume cannabis, but it remains illegal to sell cannabis until the commercial market launches. The Department of Revenue and Taxation opened the adult-use cannabis business licensing process in August. Applicants must be approved responsible officials, be at least 21 years old, own or operate the business, and not be convicted of manufacturing or distributing Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances, except for cannabis. RELATED: Guam Officials Now Accepting Cannabis Identification Card Applications There are separate licenses available for cultivators, manufacturers, testing labs and retailers, the Pacific Daily News reported, and licensees are barred from owning more than one type of cannabis business. The Cannabis Control Board is required to host an annual summit with government officials that provides industry stakeholders an opportunity to discuss cannabis regulation, although Theresa Arriola, chairwoman of the board’s public awareness committee, told the Pacific Daily News that officials have yet to organize the first summit. In the meantime, the Cannabis Control Board’s next scheduled meeting is Jan. 23. APOPKA, Florida., Dec. 12, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Sanctuary Cannabis is thrilled to announce the opening of Sanctuary Miami, its southernmost location to date, and the company's sixteenth dispensary in the state of Florida. \\\"It's been a fantastic year for us in terms of opening new locations here in Florida, but we've all been really eager to see the Miami location open its doors,\\\" said Jason Sidman, CEO of Sanctuary Cannabis. \\\"To have a location in Florida's most iconic city is undoubtedly thanks to tireless work of all our teams, and we're excited to begin serving patients in the area.\\\" Located to the southwest of downtown Miami, Sanctuary Miami is located on SW 124th St. and just south of the Colonial Palms Plaza. The dispensary sits at the crossroads of the Pinecrest and Kendall neighborhoods and is just five miles south of the University of Miami campus. \\\"We want to close the year on the same strong note with which we started it, and opening a flagship location in Miami is a great way to do it,\\\" said Bill Dewar, chief operating officer of Sanctuary Cannabis. \\\"We're eager to introduce ourselves to the Miami patient community and look forward to serving them with our ever-expanding selection of products and services.\\\" CLACKAMAS, Ore., Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Today, Wyld , one of the top five cannabis brands in the U.S., expanded its best-selling product offerings into Illinois. Illinois joins Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and Canada in offering Wyld products. Wyld offers an expansive array of products made with real fruit flavors, high-quality ingredients and consistent dosing. Constructed using quality control processes and a high manufacturing standard, all Wyld products are designed to provide a premium cannabis experience that consumers can count on. In the state of Illinois, recreational consumers can explore Wyld's lineup of Sativa-, Indica- and Hybrid-enhanced gummies in the following flavors: elderberry, huckleberry, marionberry, peach, pear, pomegranate, raspberry, sour apple, sour cherry and strawberry. \\\"As we continue to introduce more people to Wyld, we're committed to putting the same level of care and attention into each gummy as we did on day one,\\\" said Aaron Morris, CEO of Wyld. \\\"Now in Illinois, we're excited to welcome another region into the Wyld family and bring our portfolio of real fruit flavors to the cannabis consumers of this state.\\\" In addition to Wyld's commitment to producing quality gummies, the company is dedicated to creating a more sustainable environment for both people and the planet. Wyld is Climate Neutral Certified and works with local and national partners, including NuProject, OneTreePlanted, and others, to support and uplift their work. Wyld plans to roll out fully compostable packaging in 2023. In addition, the company aims to transition to 100% plastic-free packaging in all markets by 2024. The company's expansion into Illinois follows its launch in Oklahoma in September servicing medical patients. Additionally, earlier in 2022, Wyld launched its line of sour gummies in Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan and Washington. For more information regarding Wyld's product offerings, availability and sustainability initiatives, please visit www.wyldcanna.com/ .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/12/DeliveryAdobeStock397002925.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the state's first 36 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) provisional licenses were approved last month. aspiring market entrants have yet to receive the turnkey locations they were promised for their businesses. aspiring market entrants have yet to receive the turnkey locations they were promised for their businesses.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"New York's\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Kansas\",\n \"Guam\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Sanctuary Miami\",\n \"Miami\",\n \"Sanctuary Cannabis\",\n \"Kendall\",\n \"CLACKAMAS\",\n \"Ore.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Illinois\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Oklahoma\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Canada\",\n \"Indica-\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The New York Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund\",\n \"Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund\",\n \"NBA Hall\",\n \"Special Committee on Medical Marijuana\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"the Kansas Reflector\",\n \"the Special Committee on Medical Marijuana\",\n \"D-Overland Park\",\n \"The Heights Farm\",\n \"the Pacific Daily News\",\n \"the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation\",\n \"The Department of Revenue and Taxation\",\n \"The Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the Cannabis Control Board’s\",\n \"APOPKA\",\n \"SW 124th St.\",\n \"Pinecrest\",\n \"the University of Miami\",\n \"Wyld\",\n \"Climate Neutral Certified\",\n \"NuProject\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Hochul\",\n \"Chris Webber\",\n \"Lavetta\",\n \"Siebert Williams Shank\",\n \"Rob Olson\",\n \"Olson\",\n \"Ty Masterson\",\n \"Cindy Holscher\",\n \"Trisha Blas\",\n \"Eugene Arriola\",\n \"Craig Camacho\",\n \"Schedule II\",\n \"Theresa Arriola\",\n \"Jason Sidman\",\n \"Bill Dewar\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"strawberry\",\n \"Aaron Morris\",\n \"Wyld\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.8,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8094755411148071\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a724d5dba60336292ba1\",\n \"title\": \"New York Changes Dispensary Turnkey Rules; Delivery Guidance Laid Out\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/new-york-delivery-turnkey-dispensary-locations\",\n \"description\": \"State regulators are now allowing retail licensees to find and secure their own dispensary locations with delivery guidelines laid out to jumpstart sales.\",\n \"author\": \"Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-12T19:18:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) provided guidance Dec. 9 for adult-use cannabis retail licensees interested in making delivery sales but the rules for securing brick-and-mortar locations have changed. (The delivery guidelines are listed below.) While OCM’s Cannabis Control Board approved the state’s first 36 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) provisional licenses last month, aspiring market entrants have yet to receive the turnkey locations they were promised for their businesses. OCM regulators plan to issue up to 175 total retail licenses—150 for individuals impacted by prohibition and 25 for nonprofits whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated—and state officials from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) were tasked with providing fully furnished dispensaries for the 150 individuals. RELATED: What To Expect With New York's First 175 Adult-Use Dispensaries Now, instead of requiring retail licensees to rely on DASNY for their locations, OCM officials took a U-turn on Dec. 9 in announcing they are allowing CAURD licensees to find and secure their own retail locations ahead of the state’s sales launch. “[CAURD licensees] can submit for approval their own proposed location for their retail store and may still qualify for financial support for renovations from the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund operated by [DASNY],” the office’s release read. “DASNY will continue the work of securing retail locations and locations will be matched with licensees as they become available.” In June, Gov. Hochul announced the selection of a minority-led investment team to sponsor and manage New York’s $200 million Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund that was authorized in the state’s fiscal 2023 budget. The fund was established to help New York finance the leasing and equipping of the 150 CAURD dispensaries to be operated by those who have been impacted by the inequitable enforcement of prohibition. Specifically, the fund is to assist DASNY’s efforts to: identify suitable locations for the dispensaries; acquire or lease the space for the dispensaries; design and construct the space to suit business needs; and fit out locations with furniture and other equipment. To sponsor and manage that fund, DASNY selected NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber and his business partner Lavetta, as well as a firm affiliated with Siebert Williams Shank, one of the nation’s leading minority- and women-owned investment banking firms. The fund managers were tasked with raising $150 million from the private sector to go toward the $200 million fund, but they failed to deliver that raise ahead of a Sept. 1 deadline, NY Cannabis Insider reported earlier this month. With state regulators still aiming for a before-the-end-of-the-year deadline to launch commercial adult-use sales, OCM officials are now taking matters into their owns hands with last week’s announcement regarding retail locations. In addition to allowing CAURD licensees to find and secure their own retail locations, OCM also issued cannabis delivery guidance that allows: retail licensees to secure a warehouse from which to fulfill delivery orders while building permanent dispensary locations for up to one year; customers to place online/phone orders only (but no in-person sales or pickup from the warehouse location); customers to make online prepayments only (no cash payments from cannabis consumer to delivery employee); delivery to be made by bicycles, scooters or other similar methods of transportation as well as motor vehicles; delivery to consumers 21 years and older in New York, with ID verification upon sale and delivery; and up to 25 delivery staff per business, per requirements in the New York cannabis law. The warehouses used for delivery must be located in the regions where retail businesses are licensed, but deliveries themselves can cross into other regions. The delivery authorization applies to all retail licensees and requires adherence to all public health and safety regulations. Medical cannabis legalization could become a reality in Kansas in 2023. Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, who chairs the 2022 Special Committee on Medical Marijuana , said during a committee meeting Dec. 9 that he plans to introduce medical cannabis legislation in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session. The committee has been conducting a series of meetings over the past several months to discuss drafting a medical cannabis legalization bill for 2023 and discuss what they can improve upon from this year’s failed legislation. There were several efforts to legalize medical cannabis in Kansas during this year’s legislative session that failed, including a medical cannabis proposal that stalled in the Senate in May, a House-passed bill that never gained traction in the Senate, and a Senate bill introduced by Sen. Olson in March, Cannabis Business Times reported . Lawmakers held two hearings in October—one to hear testimony from law enforcement, state agencies, and local governments, and another to hear public testimony on the issue, CBT reported . During the most recent meeting Dec. 9, lawmakers discussed research on social equity, packaging and labeling, purchasing limits, local taxation and more, the Kansas Reflector reported . After the series of meetings, Olson said he’s ready to introduce a medical cannabis legalization bill in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session. “I think what I’m going to do is—and any member is more than welcome—is to take this information and create the bill,” Olson said. “And I’m going to work on a bill with a couple members, and then if anybody wants to sign on in the Senate, they’ll be more than able to sign onto that bill, and introduce it at the beginning of session.” Olson also encouraged House members who are a part of the Special Committee on Medical Marijuana to introduce a separate bill in their chamber, the news outlet reported. “The whole issue is last year, we had a very strong bill that passed the House, and Senate President Ty Masterson wouldn’t allow it to move forward,” Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park said. \\\"So I know there are different parties who have been reaching out to him to remind him of how important an issue this is to a lot of different people. So, time will tell.\\\" Guam’s Cannabis Control Board has given the green light to 11 “responsible officials,” or government-approved business leaders that must be in place before a company receives an adult-use license, as officials await applications for cannabis business licenses. Most recently, the board approved Trisha Blas, a responsible official for an aspiring cannabis manufacturing facility called Guahannabis LLC, and Eugene Arriola, a responsible official for a planned cultivation operation called The Heights Farm, according to the Pacific Daily News . Nine responsible officials were previously approved and have been informed of the next steps to apply for a cannabis establishment licenses, the news outlet reported, although no one has yet applied for a license. “They have it, they’re working on their packet, but none of them actually submitted to the office for review or consideration at this time,” Craig Camacho, compliance supervisor with the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation, told the Pacific Daily News . Guam legalized adult-use cannabis in 2019 and adopted regulations for the industry in May 2022. Under the regulatory framework, adults can legally grow, possess and consume cannabis, but it remains illegal to sell cannabis until the commercial market launches. The Department of Revenue and Taxation opened the adult-use cannabis business licensing process in August. Applicants must be approved responsible officials, be at least 21 years old, own or operate the business, and not be convicted of manufacturing or distributing Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances, except for cannabis. RELATED: Guam Officials Now Accepting Cannabis Identification Card Applications There are separate licenses available for cultivators, manufacturers, testing labs and retailers, the Pacific Daily News reported, and licensees are barred from owning more than one type of cannabis business. The Cannabis Control Board is required to host an annual summit with government officials that provides industry stakeholders an opportunity to discuss cannabis regulation, although Theresa Arriola, chairwoman of the board’s public awareness committee, told the Pacific Daily News that officials have yet to organize the first summit. In the meantime, the Cannabis Control Board’s next scheduled meeting is Jan. 23. APOPKA, Florida., Dec. 12, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Sanctuary Cannabis is thrilled to announce the opening of Sanctuary Miami, its southernmost location to date, and the company's sixteenth dispensary in the state of Florida. \\\"It's been a fantastic year for us in terms of opening new locations here in Florida, but we've all been really eager to see the Miami location open its doors,\\\" said Jason Sidman, CEO of Sanctuary Cannabis. \\\"To have a location in Florida's most iconic city is undoubtedly thanks to tireless work of all our teams, and we're excited to begin serving patients in the area.\\\" Located to the southwest of downtown Miami, Sanctuary Miami is located on SW 124th St. and just south of the Colonial Palms Plaza. The dispensary sits at the crossroads of the Pinecrest and Kendall neighborhoods and is just five miles south of the University of Miami campus. \\\"We want to close the year on the same strong note with which we started it, and opening a flagship location in Miami is a great way to do it,\\\" said Bill Dewar, chief operating officer of Sanctuary Cannabis. \\\"We're eager to introduce ourselves to the Miami patient community and look forward to serving them with our ever-expanding selection of products and services.\\\" CLACKAMAS, Ore., Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Today, Wyld , one of the top five cannabis brands in the U.S., expanded its best-selling product offerings into Illinois. Illinois joins Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and Canada in offering Wyld products. Wyld offers an expansive array of products made with real fruit flavors, high-quality ingredients and consistent dosing. Constructed using quality control processes and a high manufacturing standard, all Wyld products are designed to provide a premium cannabis experience that consumers can count on. In the state of Illinois, recreational consumers can explore Wyld's lineup of Sativa-, Indica- and Hybrid-enhanced gummies in the following flavors: elderberry, huckleberry, marionberry, peach, pear, pomegranate, raspberry, sour apple, sour cherry and strawberry. \\\"As we continue to introduce more people to Wyld, we're committed to putting the same level of care and attention into each gummy as we did on day one,\\\" said Aaron Morris, CEO of Wyld. \\\"Now in Illinois, we're excited to welcome another region into the Wyld family and bring our portfolio of real fruit flavors to the cannabis consumers of this state.\\\" In addition to Wyld's commitment to producing quality gummies, the company is dedicated to creating a more sustainable environment for both people and the planet. Wyld is Climate Neutral Certified and works with local and national partners, including NuProject, OneTreePlanted, and others, to support and uplift their work. Wyld plans to roll out fully compostable packaging in 2023. In addition, the company aims to transition to 100% plastic-free packaging in all markets by 2024. The company's expansion into Illinois follows its launch in Oklahoma in September servicing medical patients. Additionally, earlier in 2022, Wyld launched its line of sour gummies in Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan and Washington. For more information regarding Wyld's product offerings, availability and sustainability initiatives, please visit www.wyldcanna.com/ .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/12/DeliveryAdobeStock397002925.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the state's first 36 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) provisional licenses were approved last month. aspiring market entrants have yet to receive the turnkey locations they were promised for their businesses. aspiring market entrants have yet to receive the turnkey locations they were promised for their businesses.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"New York's\",\n \"New York’s\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Kansas\",\n \"Guam\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Sanctuary Miami\",\n \"Miami\",\n \"Sanctuary Cannabis\",\n \"Kendall\",\n \"CLACKAMAS\",\n \"Ore.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Illinois\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Oklahoma\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Canada\",\n \"Indica-\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The New York Office of Cannabis Management\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York\",\n \"DASNY\",\n \"the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund\",\n \"Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund\",\n \"NBA Hall\",\n \"Special Committee on Medical Marijuana\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"the Kansas Reflector\",\n \"the Special Committee on Medical Marijuana\",\n \"D-Overland Park\",\n \"The Heights Farm\",\n \"the Pacific Daily News\",\n \"the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation\",\n \"The Department of Revenue and Taxation\",\n \"The Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the Cannabis Control Board’s\",\n \"APOPKA\",\n \"SW 124th St.\",\n \"Pinecrest\",\n \"the University of Miami\",\n \"Wyld\",\n \"Climate Neutral Certified\",\n \"NuProject\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Hochul\",\n \"Chris Webber\",\n \"Lavetta\",\n \"Siebert Williams Shank\",\n \"Rob Olson\",\n \"Olson\",\n \"Ty Masterson\",\n \"Cindy Holscher\",\n \"Trisha Blas\",\n \"Eugene Arriola\",\n \"Craig Camacho\",\n \"Schedule II\",\n \"Theresa Arriola\",\n \"Jason Sidman\",\n \"Bill Dewar\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"strawberry\",\n \"Aaron Morris\",\n \"Wyld\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.8,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8094755411148071\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a70fd5dba60336292b96\",\n \"title\": \"Kansas Lawmakers to Introduce Medical Cannabis Bill in January\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/kansas-lawmakers-to-introduce-medical-cannabis-legalization-bill-next-legislative-session.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"After a series of meetings, lawmakers said they are ready to introduce a medical cannabis legalization bill in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-12T17:09:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Medical cannabis legalization could become a reality in Kansas in 2023. Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, who chairs the 2022 Special Committee on Medical Marijuana , said during a committee meeting Dec. 9 that he plans to introduce medical cannabis legislation in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session. The committee has been conducting a series of meetings over the past several months to discuss drafting a medical cannabis legalization bill for 2023 and discuss what they can improve upon from this year’s failed legislation. There were several efforts to legalize medical cannabis in Kansas during this year’s legislative session that failed, including a medical cannabis proposal that stalled in the Senate in May, a House-passed bill that never gained traction in the Senate, and a Senate bill introduced by Sen. Olson in March, Cannabis Business Times reported . Lawmakers held two hearings in October—one to hear testimony from law enforcement, state agencies, and local governments, and another to hear public testimony on the issue, CBT reported . During the most recent meeting Dec. 9, lawmakers discussed research on social equity, packaging and labeling, purchasing limits, local taxation and more, the Kansas Reflector reported . After the series of meetings, Olson said he’s ready to introduce a medical cannabis legalization bill in the Senate at the start of the 2023 legislative session. “I think what I’m going to do is—and any member is more than welcome—is to take this information and create the bill,” Olson said. “And I’m going to work on a bill with a couple members, and then if anybody wants to sign on in the Senate, they’ll be more than able to sign onto that bill, and introduce it at the beginning of session.” Olson also encouraged House members who are a part of the Special Committee on Medical Marijuana to introduce a separate bill in their chamber, the news outlet reported. “The whole issue is last year, we had a very strong bill that passed the House, and Senate President Ty Masterson wouldn’t allow it to move forward,” Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park said. \\\"So I know there are different parties who have been reaching out to him to remind him of how important an issue this is to a lot of different people. So, time will tell.\\\" Guam’s Cannabis Control Board has given the green light to 11 “responsible officials,” or government-approved business leaders that must be in place before a company receives an adult-use license, as officials await applications for cannabis business licenses. Most recently, the board approved Trisha Blas, a responsible official for an aspiring cannabis manufacturing facility called Guahannabis LLC, and Eugene Arriola, a responsible official for a planned cultivation operation called The Heights Farm, according to the Pacific Daily News . Nine responsible officials were previously approved and have been informed of the next steps to apply for a cannabis establishment licenses, the news outlet reported, although no one has yet applied for a license. “They have it, they’re working on their packet, but none of them actually submitted to the office for review or consideration at this time,” Craig Camacho, compliance supervisor with the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation, told the Pacific Daily News . Guam legalized adult-use cannabis in 2019 and adopted regulations for the industry in May 2022. Under the regulatory framework, adults can legally grow, possess and consume cannabis, but it remains illegal to sell cannabis until the commercial market launches. The Department of Revenue and Taxation opened the adult-use cannabis business licensing process in August. Applicants must be approved responsible officials, be at least 21 years old, own or operate the business, and not be convicted of manufacturing or distributing Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substances, except for cannabis. RELATED: Guam Officials Now Accepting Cannabis Identification Card Applications There are separate licenses available for cultivators, manufacturers, testing labs and retailers, the Pacific Daily News reported, and licensees are barred from owning more than one type of cannabis business. The Cannabis Control Board is required to host an annual summit with government officials that provides industry stakeholders an opportunity to discuss cannabis regulation, although Theresa Arriola, chairwoman of the board’s public awareness committee, told the Pacific Daily News that officials have yet to organize the first summit. In the meantime, the Cannabis Control Board’s next scheduled meeting is Jan. 23. APOPKA, Florida., Dec. 12, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Sanctuary Cannabis is thrilled to announce the opening of Sanctuary Miami, its southernmost location to date, and the company's sixteenth dispensary in the state of Florida. \\\"It's been a fantastic year for us in terms of opening new locations here in Florida, but we've all been really eager to see the Miami location open its doors,\\\" said Jason Sidman, CEO of Sanctuary Cannabis. \\\"To have a location in Florida's most iconic city is undoubtedly thanks to tireless work of all our teams, and we're excited to begin serving patients in the area.\\\" Located to the southwest of downtown Miami, Sanctuary Miami is located on SW 124th St. and just south of the Colonial Palms Plaza. The dispensary sits at the crossroads of the Pinecrest and Kendall neighborhoods and is just five miles south of the University of Miami campus. \\\"We want to close the year on the same strong note with which we started it, and opening a flagship location in Miami is a great way to do it,\\\" said Bill Dewar, chief operating officer of Sanctuary Cannabis. \\\"We're eager to introduce ourselves to the Miami patient community and look forward to serving them with our ever-expanding selection of products and services.\\\" CLACKAMAS, Ore., Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Today, Wyld , one of the top five cannabis brands in the U.S., expanded its best-selling product offerings into Illinois. Illinois joins Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and Canada in offering Wyld products. Wyld offers an expansive array of products made with real fruit flavors, high-quality ingredients and consistent dosing. Constructed using quality control processes and a high manufacturing standard, all Wyld products are designed to provide a premium cannabis experience that consumers can count on. In the state of Illinois, recreational consumers can explore Wyld's lineup of Sativa-, Indica- and Hybrid-enhanced gummies in the following flavors: elderberry, huckleberry, marionberry, peach, pear, pomegranate, raspberry, sour apple, sour cherry and strawberry. \\\"As we continue to introduce more people to Wyld, we're committed to putting the same level of care and attention into each gummy as we did on day one,\\\" said Aaron Morris, CEO of Wyld. \\\"Now in Illinois, we're excited to welcome another region into the Wyld family and bring our portfolio of real fruit flavors to the cannabis consumers of this state.\\\" In addition to Wyld's commitment to producing quality gummies, the company is dedicated to creating a more sustainable environment for both people and the planet. Wyld is Climate Neutral Certified and works with local and national partners, including NuProject, OneTreePlanted, and others, to support and uplift their work. Wyld plans to roll out fully compostable packaging in 2023. In addition, the company aims to transition to 100% plastic-free packaging in all markets by 2024. The company's expansion into Illinois follows its launch in Oklahoma in September servicing medical patients. Additionally, earlier in 2022, Wyld launched its line of sour gummies in Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan and Washington. For more information regarding Wyld's product offerings, availability and sustainability initiatives, please visit www.wyldcanna.com/ . Curaleaf’s refusal to recognize and bargain with unionized cannabis workers in Chicago was ruled unlawful by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Dec. 5. When Cannabis Business Times reached out to Curaleaf’s corporate communications department, a spokesperson said the company “won’t be commenting.” The case stems from March 31, 2021, when election results revealed workers at Windy City Cannabis on Weed Street in Chicago voted, 11-10, to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 881 union. The dispensary on Weed Street is one of 10 Illinois retail locations owned by Massachusetts-based Curaleaf. In April 2021, Curaleaf’s legal counsel submitted five objections to the election results, including the claim that delays in the U.S. Postal Service caused voter disenfranchisement for the mail-in election. While there were “approximately” 29 eligible voters, according to NLBR’s ballot tally, only 21 valid ballots were counted. Zero ballots were challenged. Election Tally by Tony Lange on Scribd According to Curaleaf’s legal counsel, “at least one voter had returned a ballot, but it had not been received by the [NLRB Region 13] as of the ballot count on March 31.” Upon review, the NLRB found one employee’s delay in returning her mail-in ballot on March 18 (three days after she received it) resulted in it arriving to the region one day after the ballot count, which was “beyond the control of the region and does not provide a basis for setting aside this election,” Regional Director Terry Morgan wrote. The election included all full-time and regular part-time product specialists employed by Curaleaf from its Weed Street location, according to the NLRB decision and order from Dec. 5. Excluded from the election were managers, product specialist leads, agents in charge, office clerical employees and guards, professional employees, and supervisors. “We have had to endure a lot of anti-union propaganda from the company, but we held strong and the majority of us voted to join the UFCW,” Jake, a production specialist at the Weed Street location, said in a Local 881 press release following the election results last year. “We are super excited to start the collective bargaining for better pay, better benefits and a union contract. We hope that our bosses will meet us in good faith at the bargaining table, and we hope that more dispensary workers in Chicago join us in fighting for dignity in the workplace.” The UFCW Local 881 chapter was certified on Aug. 5, 2021, as the exclusive collective bargaining representative for the Weed Street workers, according to the NLRB. In an April 26, 2022, letter to Sara Raasch, a Curaleaf general manager in the Chicago area, Local 881 UFCW President Steven Powell requested that Curaleaf representatives contact Local 881’s union office and begin bargaining. UFCW Letter to Curaleaf by Tony Lange on Scribd In an email sent May 5, 2022, Cristina Nutzman, Curaleaf’s assistant general counsel for labor and employment, wrote to Powell, “The company did not agree to recognize Local 881 as the exclusive representative of the employees at the ‘Weed Street’ store as stated in your letter. The letter also made a demand for the company to bargain with Local 881. We intend to challenge the NLRB decision … As such, at this time [Curaleaf] will not agree to bargain.” This week, the NLRB ordered Curaleaf to cease and desist from “failing and refusing to recognize” UFCW Local 811 as the exclusive collecting bargaining representative for the Weed Street workers. “We find that [Curaleaf’s] conduct constitutes an unlawful failure and refusal to recognize and bargain with the union in violation of [the National Labor Relations] Act,” the order read. “By failing and refusing since May 5, 2022, to recognize and bargain with the union as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of the employees in the appropriate unit, the respondent has engaged in unfair labor practices affecting commerce within the meaning of … the Act.” In addition, the NLRB order directed Curaleaf to cease and desist from interfering with, restraining or coercing employees from exercising their labor rights. As part of a 105-page motion summary judgement from September, NLRB general counsel Rachel Stopchinski wrote the inclusion of that order would provide “the full panoply of remedies available to ensure that the victims of this unlawful conduct are made whole for losses suffered as a result of [Curaleaf’s] unfair labor practices.” According to the UFCW Local 881 press release from March 2021, the Weed Street workers were motivated to unionize to improve their working conditions, citing “issues at the dispensary such as health and safety, ventilation problems, inadequate wages, lack of benefits, and a serious need for more COVID-19 protocols and protections for employees and customers.” In addition to Curaleaf, UFCW Local 881 represents cannabis workers from Cresco Labs, Ascend Wellness and Verano throughout various locations in Illinois. Following the Weed Street workers’ union election last year, fellow Curaleaf workers in Worth , Mokena and Skokie , Ill., also voted to join UFCW Local 881.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/12/Untitleddesign-2022-12-12T121439724.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the committee has been conducting a series of meetings over the past several months to discuss drafting a medical cannabis legalization bill for 2023. there were several efforts to legalize medical cannabis in Kansas during this year’s legislative session that failed, including a medical cannabis proposal that stalled in the Senate in May, a House-passed bill that never gained traction in the Senate, and a Senate bill introduced by Sen. Rob Olson in March.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Kansas\",\n \"Guam\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Sanctuary Miami\",\n \"Miami\",\n \"Sanctuary Cannabis\",\n \"Kendall\",\n \"CLACKAMAS\",\n \"Ore.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Illinois\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Oklahoma\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Canada\",\n \"Indica-\",\n \"Chicago\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"the [NLRB Region\",\n \"Worth\",\n \"Skokie\",\n \"Ill.\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Special Committee on Medical Marijuana\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"the Kansas Reflector\",\n \"the Special Committee on Medical Marijuana\",\n \"D-Overland Park\",\n \"Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"The Heights Farm\",\n \"the Pacific Daily News\",\n \"the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation\",\n \"The Department of Revenue and Taxation\",\n \"The Cannabis Control Board\",\n \"the Cannabis Control Board’s\",\n \"APOPKA\",\n \"SW 124th St.\",\n \"Pinecrest\",\n \"the University of Miami\",\n \"Wyld\",\n \"Climate Neutral Certified\",\n \"NuProject\",\n \"the National Labor Relations Board\",\n \"NLRB\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"the United Food and Commercial Workers\",\n \"UFCW\",\n \"the U.S. Postal Service\",\n \"NLBR\",\n \"Local 881\",\n \"Local 881’s\",\n \"UFCW Letter to\",\n \"Cristina Nutzman\",\n \"UFCW Local 811\",\n \"the National Labor Relations] Act\",\n \"Verano\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Rob Olson\",\n \"Olson\",\n \"Ty Masterson\",\n \"Cindy Holscher\",\n \"Trisha Blas\",\n \"Eugene Arriola\",\n \"Craig Camacho\",\n \"Schedule II\",\n \"Theresa Arriola\",\n \"Jason Sidman\",\n \"Bill Dewar\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"strawberry\",\n \"Aaron Morris\",\n \"Wyld\",\n \"Tony Lange\",\n \"Terry Morgan\",\n \"Sara Raasch\",\n \"Steven Powell\",\n \"Powell\",\n \"Rachel Stopchinski\",\n \"Cresco Labs\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.69,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7654839158058167\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a739d5dba60336292ba9\",\n \"title\": \"Sanctuary Cannabis Opens Miami Dispensary\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/sanctuary-cannabis-opens-miami-dispensary.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"This marks the company's 16th location in Florida.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-12T14:26:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"APOPKA, Florida., Dec. 12, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Sanctuary Cannabis is thrilled to announce the opening of Sanctuary Miami, its southernmost location to date, and the company's sixteenth dispensary in the state of Florida. \\\"It's been a fantastic year for us in terms of opening new locations here in Florida, but we've all been really eager to see the Miami location open its doors,\\\" said Jason Sidman, CEO of Sanctuary Cannabis. \\\"To have a location in Florida's most iconic city is undoubtedly thanks to tireless work of all our teams, and we're excited to begin serving patients in the area.\\\" Located to the southwest of downtown Miami, Sanctuary Miami is located on SW 124th St. and just south of the Colonial Palms Plaza. The dispensary sits at the crossroads of the Pinecrest and Kendall neighborhoods and is just five miles south of the University of Miami campus. \\\"We want to close the year on the same strong note with which we started it, and opening a flagship location in Miami is a great way to do it,\\\" said Bill Dewar, chief operating officer of Sanctuary Cannabis. \\\"We're eager to introduce ourselves to the Miami patient community and look forward to serving them with our ever-expanding selection of products and services.\\\" CLACKAMAS, Ore., Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Today, Wyld , one of the top five cannabis brands in the U.S., expanded its best-selling product offerings into Illinois. Illinois joins Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and Canada in offering Wyld products. Wyld offers an expansive array of products made with real fruit flavors, high-quality ingredients and consistent dosing. Constructed using quality control processes and a high manufacturing standard, all Wyld products are designed to provide a premium cannabis experience that consumers can count on. In the state of Illinois, recreational consumers can explore Wyld's lineup of Sativa-, Indica- and Hybrid-enhanced gummies in the following flavors: elderberry, huckleberry, marionberry, peach, pear, pomegranate, raspberry, sour apple, sour cherry and strawberry. \\\"As we continue to introduce more people to Wyld, we're committed to putting the same level of care and attention into each gummy as we did on day one,\\\" said Aaron Morris, CEO of Wyld. \\\"Now in Illinois, we're excited to welcome another region into the Wyld family and bring our portfolio of real fruit flavors to the cannabis consumers of this state.\\\" In addition to Wyld's commitment to producing quality gummies, the company is dedicated to creating a more sustainable environment for both people and the planet. Wyld is Climate Neutral Certified and works with local and national partners, including NuProject, OneTreePlanted, and others, to support and uplift their work. Wyld plans to roll out fully compostable packaging in 2023. In addition, the company aims to transition to 100% plastic-free packaging in all markets by 2024. The company's expansion into Illinois follows its launch in Oklahoma in September servicing medical patients. Additionally, earlier in 2022, Wyld launched its line of sour gummies in Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan and Washington. For more information regarding Wyld's product offerings, availability and sustainability initiatives, please visit www.wyldcanna.com/ . Curaleaf’s refusal to recognize and bargain with unionized cannabis workers in Chicago was ruled unlawful by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Dec. 5. When Cannabis Business Times reached out to Curaleaf’s corporate communications department, a spokesperson said the company “won’t be commenting.” The case stems from March 31, 2021, when election results revealed workers at Windy City Cannabis on Weed Street in Chicago voted, 11-10, to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 881 union. The dispensary on Weed Street is one of 10 Illinois retail locations owned by Massachusetts-based Curaleaf. In April 2021, Curaleaf’s legal counsel submitted five objections to the election results, including the claim that delays in the U.S. Postal Service caused voter disenfranchisement for the mail-in election. While there were “approximately” 29 eligible voters, according to NLBR’s ballot tally, only 21 valid ballots were counted. Zero ballots were challenged. Election Tally by Tony Lange on Scribd According to Curaleaf’s legal counsel, “at least one voter had returned a ballot, but it had not been received by the [NLRB Region 13] as of the ballot count on March 31.” Upon review, the NLRB found one employee’s delay in returning her mail-in ballot on March 18 (three days after she received it) resulted in it arriving to the region one day after the ballot count, which was “beyond the control of the region and does not provide a basis for setting aside this election,” Regional Director Terry Morgan wrote. The election included all full-time and regular part-time product specialists employed by Curaleaf from its Weed Street location, according to the NLRB decision and order from Dec. 5. Excluded from the election were managers, product specialist leads, agents in charge, office clerical employees and guards, professional employees, and supervisors. “We have had to endure a lot of anti-union propaganda from the company, but we held strong and the majority of us voted to join the UFCW,” Jake, a production specialist at the Weed Street location, said in a Local 881 press release following the election results last year. “We are super excited to start the collective bargaining for better pay, better benefits and a union contract. We hope that our bosses will meet us in good faith at the bargaining table, and we hope that more dispensary workers in Chicago join us in fighting for dignity in the workplace.” The UFCW Local 881 chapter was certified on Aug. 5, 2021, as the exclusive collective bargaining representative for the Weed Street workers, according to the NLRB. In an April 26, 2022, letter to Sara Raasch, a Curaleaf general manager in the Chicago area, Local 881 UFCW President Steven Powell requested that Curaleaf representatives contact Local 881’s union office and begin bargaining. UFCW Letter to Curaleaf by Tony Lange on Scribd In an email sent May 5, 2022, Cristina Nutzman, Curaleaf’s assistant general counsel for labor and employment, wrote to Powell, “The company did not agree to recognize Local 881 as the exclusive representative of the employees at the ‘Weed Street’ store as stated in your letter. The letter also made a demand for the company to bargain with Local 881. We intend to challenge the NLRB decision … As such, at this time [Curaleaf] will not agree to bargain.” This week, the NLRB ordered Curaleaf to cease and desist from “failing and refusing to recognize” UFCW Local 811 as the exclusive collecting bargaining representative for the Weed Street workers. “We find that [Curaleaf’s] conduct constitutes an unlawful failure and refusal to recognize and bargain with the union in violation of [the National Labor Relations] Act,” the order read. “By failing and refusing since May 5, 2022, to recognize and bargain with the union as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of the employees in the appropriate unit, the respondent has engaged in unfair labor practices affecting commerce within the meaning of … the Act.” In addition, the NLRB order directed Curaleaf to cease and desist from interfering with, restraining or coercing employees from exercising their labor rights. As part of a 105-page motion summary judgement from September, NLRB general counsel Rachel Stopchinski wrote the inclusion of that order would provide “the full panoply of remedies available to ensure that the victims of this unlawful conduct are made whole for losses suffered as a result of [Curaleaf’s] unfair labor practices.” According to the UFCW Local 881 press release from March 2021, the Weed Street workers were motivated to unionize to improve their working conditions, citing “issues at the dispensary such as health and safety, ventilation problems, inadequate wages, lack of benefits, and a serious need for more COVID-19 protocols and protections for employees and customers.” In addition to Curaleaf, UFCW Local 881 represents cannabis workers from Cresco Labs, Ascend Wellness and Verano throughout various locations in Illinois. Following the Weed Street workers’ union election last year, fellow Curaleaf workers in Worth , Mokena and Skokie , Ill., also voted to join UFCW Local 881. Cannabis possession is legal in Missouri as of Dec. 8 after voters approved an adult-use legalization measure in the November election. Adults 21 and older can now legally possess and use cannabis in the state, but commercial sales have yet to launch. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) began accepting requests Dec. 8 from state-licensed medical cannabis facilities looking to transition their operations to serve the expanded adult-use market, according to a timeline from the department. Applications for personal cultivation will be available Jan. 7, and adult-use program rules are to be finalized by Feb. 6. Adult-use cannabis may be available in dispensaries in February, according to the timeline, and the state will begin accepting personal cultivation licenses that month, as well. RELATED: Missouri’s Adult-Use Cannabis Market Could Launch in February 2023 Missouri officials are expected to issue an additional 144 adult-use dispensary licenses by early 2025. SMITHS FALLS, Ontario, Dec. 9, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Canopy Growth Corporation announced that CEO David Klein and other Canopy Growth team members will ring the Nasdaq opening bell on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. “We are proud to be a Nasdaq-listed company, and our team is honored to be ringing the opening bell,” Klein said. “This is an exciting time for Canopy Growth as we take important steps to realize our goal of building a leading North American cannabis company. We appreciate the continued support of all of our stakeholders as we take ambitious strides towards unleashing the power of cannabis.” The opening bell ceremony will be broadcast live starting at 9:15 a.m. Eastern Time from the Nasdaq MarketSite Tower in New York City. To view the broadcast, visit: https://www.nasdaq.com/marketsite/bell-ringing-ceremony . *** The bell ringing will come roughly seven weeks after Canopy Growth officials announced on Oct. 25 that the company is accelerating plans to enter the U.S. market via three acquisitions with the creation of a U.S.-domiciled holding company, Canopy USA LLC, for its U.S. cannabis investments. HED: Canopy Growth to Acquire Acreage, Wana, Jetty in US Entrance Less than a week after that, Nasdaq Stock Market officials objected to Canopy Growth consolidating the financial results of Canopy USA in the event of the transactions related to the company’s U.S. market entrance.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Sanctuary Miami is the company's southernmost location to date. it's the company's sixteenth dispensary in the state of florida. Wyld expanded its best-selling product offerings into Illinois.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Florida\",\n \"Sanctuary Miami\",\n \"Miami\",\n \"Sanctuary Cannabis\",\n \"Kendall\",\n \"CLACKAMAS\",\n \"Ore.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Illinois\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Oklahoma\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Canada\",\n \"Indica-\",\n \"Chicago\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"the [NLRB Region\",\n \"Worth\",\n \"Skokie\",\n \"Ill.\",\n \"Missouri\",\n \"Ontario\",\n \"New York City\",\n \"Acquire Acreage\",\n \"US\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"APOPKA\",\n \"SW 124th St.\",\n \"Pinecrest\",\n \"the University of Miami\",\n \"Wyld\",\n \"Climate Neutral Certified\",\n \"NuProject\",\n \"the National Labor Relations Board\",\n \"NLRB\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"the United Food and Commercial Workers\",\n \"UFCW\",\n \"the U.S. Postal Service\",\n \"NLBR\",\n \"Local 881\",\n \"Local 881’s\",\n \"UFCW Letter to\",\n \"Cristina Nutzman\",\n \"UFCW Local 811\",\n \"the National Labor Relations] Act\",\n \"Verano\",\n \"The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services\",\n \"DHSS\",\n \"Canopy Growth Corporation\",\n \"Canopy Growth\",\n \"Nasdaq\",\n \"Canopy USA LLC\",\n \"HED\",\n \"Wana\",\n \"Canopy USA\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Jason Sidman\",\n \"Bill Dewar\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"strawberry\",\n \"Aaron Morris\",\n \"Wyld\",\n \"Tony Lange\",\n \"Terry Morgan\",\n \"Sara Raasch\",\n \"Steven Powell\",\n \"Powell\",\n \"Rachel Stopchinski\",\n \"Cresco Labs\",\n \"SMITHS FALLS\",\n \"David Klein\",\n \"Klein\",\n \"Eastern Time\",\n \"Jetty\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.74,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8077300190925598\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a725d5dba60336292ba2\",\n \"title\": \"Sanctuary Cannabis Opens Miami Dispensary\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/sanctuary-cannabis-opens-miami-dispensary\",\n \"description\": \"This marks the company's 16th location in Florida.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-12T14:26:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"APOPKA, Florida., Dec. 12, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Sanctuary Cannabis is thrilled to announce the opening of Sanctuary Miami, its southernmost location to date, and the company's sixteenth dispensary in the state of Florida. \\\"It's been a fantastic year for us in terms of opening new locations here in Florida, but we've all been really eager to see the Miami location open its doors,\\\" said Jason Sidman, CEO of Sanctuary Cannabis. \\\"To have a location in Florida's most iconic city is undoubtedly thanks to tireless work of all our teams, and we're excited to begin serving patients in the area.\\\" Located to the southwest of downtown Miami, Sanctuary Miami is located on SW 124th St. and just south of the Colonial Palms Plaza. The dispensary sits at the crossroads of the Pinecrest and Kendall neighborhoods and is just five miles south of the University of Miami campus. \\\"We want to close the year on the same strong note with which we started it, and opening a flagship location in Miami is a great way to do it,\\\" said Bill Dewar, chief operating officer of Sanctuary Cannabis. \\\"We're eager to introduce ourselves to the Miami patient community and look forward to serving them with our ever-expanding selection of products and services.\\\" CLACKAMAS, Ore., Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Today, Wyld , one of the top five cannabis brands in the U.S., expanded its best-selling product offerings into Illinois. Illinois joins Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and Canada in offering Wyld products. Wyld offers an expansive array of products made with real fruit flavors, high-quality ingredients and consistent dosing. Constructed using quality control processes and a high manufacturing standard, all Wyld products are designed to provide a premium cannabis experience that consumers can count on. In the state of Illinois, recreational consumers can explore Wyld's lineup of Sativa-, Indica- and Hybrid-enhanced gummies in the following flavors: elderberry, huckleberry, marionberry, peach, pear, pomegranate, raspberry, sour apple, sour cherry and strawberry. \\\"As we continue to introduce more people to Wyld, we're committed to putting the same level of care and attention into each gummy as we did on day one,\\\" said Aaron Morris, CEO of Wyld. \\\"Now in Illinois, we're excited to welcome another region into the Wyld family and bring our portfolio of real fruit flavors to the cannabis consumers of this state.\\\" In addition to Wyld's commitment to producing quality gummies, the company is dedicated to creating a more sustainable environment for both people and the planet. Wyld is Climate Neutral Certified and works with local and national partners, including NuProject, OneTreePlanted, and others, to support and uplift their work. Wyld plans to roll out fully compostable packaging in 2023. In addition, the company aims to transition to 100% plastic-free packaging in all markets by 2024. The company's expansion into Illinois follows its launch in Oklahoma in September servicing medical patients. Additionally, earlier in 2022, Wyld launched its line of sour gummies in Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan and Washington. For more information regarding Wyld's product offerings, availability and sustainability initiatives, please visit www.wyldcanna.com/ . Curaleaf’s refusal to recognize and bargain with unionized cannabis workers in Chicago was ruled unlawful by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Dec. 5. When Cannabis Business Times reached out to Curaleaf’s corporate communications department, a spokesperson said the company “won’t be commenting.” The case stems from March 31, 2021, when election results revealed workers at Windy City Cannabis on Weed Street in Chicago voted, 11-10, to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 881 union. The dispensary on Weed Street is one of 10 Illinois retail locations owned by Massachusetts-based Curaleaf. In April 2021, Curaleaf’s legal counsel submitted five objections to the election results, including the claim that delays in the U.S. Postal Service caused voter disenfranchisement for the mail-in election. While there were “approximately” 29 eligible voters, according to NLBR’s ballot tally, only 21 valid ballots were counted. Zero ballots were challenged. Election Tally by Tony Lange on Scribd According to Curaleaf’s legal counsel, “at least one voter had returned a ballot, but it had not been received by the [NLRB Region 13] as of the ballot count on March 31.” Upon review, the NLRB found one employee’s delay in returning her mail-in ballot on March 18 (three days after she received it) resulted in it arriving to the region one day after the ballot count, which was “beyond the control of the region and does not provide a basis for setting aside this election,” Regional Director Terry Morgan wrote. The election included all full-time and regular part-time product specialists employed by Curaleaf from its Weed Street location, according to the NLRB decision and order from Dec. 5. Excluded from the election were managers, product specialist leads, agents in charge, office clerical employees and guards, professional employees, and supervisors. “We have had to endure a lot of anti-union propaganda from the company, but we held strong and the majority of us voted to join the UFCW,” Jake, a production specialist at the Weed Street location, said in a Local 881 press release following the election results last year. “We are super excited to start the collective bargaining for better pay, better benefits and a union contract. We hope that our bosses will meet us in good faith at the bargaining table, and we hope that more dispensary workers in Chicago join us in fighting for dignity in the workplace.” The UFCW Local 881 chapter was certified on Aug. 5, 2021, as the exclusive collective bargaining representative for the Weed Street workers, according to the NLRB. In an April 26, 2022, letter to Sara Raasch, a Curaleaf general manager in the Chicago area, Local 881 UFCW President Steven Powell requested that Curaleaf representatives contact Local 881’s union office and begin bargaining. UFCW Letter to Curaleaf by Tony Lange on Scribd In an email sent May 5, 2022, Cristina Nutzman, Curaleaf’s assistant general counsel for labor and employment, wrote to Powell, “The company did not agree to recognize Local 881 as the exclusive representative of the employees at the ‘Weed Street’ store as stated in your letter. The letter also made a demand for the company to bargain with Local 881. We intend to challenge the NLRB decision … As such, at this time [Curaleaf] will not agree to bargain.” This week, the NLRB ordered Curaleaf to cease and desist from “failing and refusing to recognize” UFCW Local 811 as the exclusive collecting bargaining representative for the Weed Street workers. “We find that [Curaleaf’s] conduct constitutes an unlawful failure and refusal to recognize and bargain with the union in violation of [the National Labor Relations] Act,” the order read. “By failing and refusing since May 5, 2022, to recognize and bargain with the union as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of the employees in the appropriate unit, the respondent has engaged in unfair labor practices affecting commerce within the meaning of … the Act.” In addition, the NLRB order directed Curaleaf to cease and desist from interfering with, restraining or coercing employees from exercising their labor rights. As part of a 105-page motion summary judgement from September, NLRB general counsel Rachel Stopchinski wrote the inclusion of that order would provide “the full panoply of remedies available to ensure that the victims of this unlawful conduct are made whole for losses suffered as a result of [Curaleaf’s] unfair labor practices.” According to the UFCW Local 881 press release from March 2021, the Weed Street workers were motivated to unionize to improve their working conditions, citing “issues at the dispensary such as health and safety, ventilation problems, inadequate wages, lack of benefits, and a serious need for more COVID-19 protocols and protections for employees and customers.” In addition to Curaleaf, UFCW Local 881 represents cannabis workers from Cresco Labs, Ascend Wellness and Verano throughout various locations in Illinois. Following the Weed Street workers’ union election last year, fellow Curaleaf workers in Worth , Mokena and Skokie , Ill., also voted to join UFCW Local 881. Cannabis possession is legal in Missouri as of Dec. 8 after voters approved an adult-use legalization measure in the November election. Adults 21 and older can now legally possess and use cannabis in the state, but commercial sales have yet to launch. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) began accepting requests Dec. 8 from state-licensed medical cannabis facilities looking to transition their operations to serve the expanded adult-use market, according to a timeline from the department. Applications for personal cultivation will be available Jan. 7, and adult-use program rules are to be finalized by Feb. 6. Adult-use cannabis may be available in dispensaries in February, according to the timeline, and the state will begin accepting personal cultivation licenses that month, as well. RELATED: Missouri’s Adult-Use Cannabis Market Could Launch in February 2023 Missouri officials are expected to issue an additional 144 adult-use dispensary licenses by early 2025. SMITHS FALLS, Ontario, Dec. 9, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Canopy Growth Corporation announced that CEO David Klein and other Canopy Growth team members will ring the Nasdaq opening bell on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. “We are proud to be a Nasdaq-listed company, and our team is honored to be ringing the opening bell,” Klein said. “This is an exciting time for Canopy Growth as we take important steps to realize our goal of building a leading North American cannabis company. We appreciate the continued support of all of our stakeholders as we take ambitious strides towards unleashing the power of cannabis.” The opening bell ceremony will be broadcast live starting at 9:15 a.m. Eastern Time from the Nasdaq MarketSite Tower in New York City. To view the broadcast, visit: https://www.nasdaq.com/marketsite/bell-ringing-ceremony . *** The bell ringing will come roughly seven weeks after Canopy Growth officials announced on Oct. 25 that the company is accelerating plans to enter the U.S. market via three acquisitions with the creation of a U.S.-domiciled holding company, Canopy USA LLC, for its U.S. cannabis investments. HED: Canopy Growth to Acquire Acreage, Wana, Jetty in US Entrance Less than a week after that, Nasdaq Stock Market officials objected to Canopy Growth consolidating the financial results of Canopy USA in the event of the transactions related to the company’s U.S. market entrance.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Sanctuary Miami is the company's southernmost location to date. it's the company's sixteenth dispensary in the state of florida. Wyld expanded its best-selling product offerings into Illinois.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Florida\",\n \"Sanctuary Miami\",\n \"Miami\",\n \"Sanctuary Cannabis\",\n \"Kendall\",\n \"CLACKAMAS\",\n \"Ore.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Illinois\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Oklahoma\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Canada\",\n \"Indica-\",\n \"Chicago\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"the [NLRB Region\",\n \"Worth\",\n \"Skokie\",\n \"Ill.\",\n \"Missouri\",\n \"Ontario\",\n \"New York City\",\n \"Acquire Acreage\",\n \"US\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"APOPKA\",\n \"SW 124th St.\",\n \"Pinecrest\",\n \"the University of Miami\",\n \"Wyld\",\n \"Climate Neutral Certified\",\n \"NuProject\",\n \"the National Labor Relations Board\",\n \"NLRB\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"the United Food and Commercial Workers\",\n \"UFCW\",\n \"the U.S. Postal Service\",\n \"NLBR\",\n \"Local 881\",\n \"Local 881’s\",\n \"UFCW Letter to\",\n \"Cristina Nutzman\",\n \"UFCW Local 811\",\n \"the National Labor Relations] Act\",\n \"Verano\",\n \"The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services\",\n \"DHSS\",\n \"Canopy Growth Corporation\",\n \"Canopy Growth\",\n \"Nasdaq\",\n \"Canopy USA LLC\",\n \"HED\",\n \"Wana\",\n \"Canopy USA\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Jason Sidman\",\n \"Bill Dewar\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"strawberry\",\n \"Aaron Morris\",\n \"Wyld\",\n \"Tony Lange\",\n \"Terry Morgan\",\n \"Sara Raasch\",\n \"Steven Powell\",\n \"Powell\",\n \"Rachel Stopchinski\",\n \"Cresco Labs\",\n \"SMITHS FALLS\",\n \"David Klein\",\n \"Klein\",\n \"Eastern Time\",\n \"Jetty\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.74,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8077300190925598\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a710d5dba60336292b97\",\n \"title\": \"The Return of the ‘Legacy’ Cannabis Farmer?\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/return-legacy-cannabis-farmer-global-renaissance.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"There is a global renaissance underway for the cannabis legacy farmer, with governments beginning to shape public policy to help them.\",\n \"author\": \"Marguerite Arnold\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-12T13:30:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/07/outdoor-cannabis-HubbardSteve.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"...\",\n \"GPE\": [],\n \"ORG\": [],\n \"PERSON\": [],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"cbd\",\n \"use\",\n \"product\",\n \"say\",\n \"thc\",\n \"study\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"health\",\n \"people\",\n \"high\",\n \"test\",\n \"make\",\n \"drug\",\n \"like\",\n \"oil\",\n \"new\",\n \"research\",\n \"vaping\",\n \"plant\",\n \"help\",\n \"effect\",\n \"know\",\n \"smoke\",\n \"time\",\n \"year\",\n \"report\",\n \"pain\",\n \"patient\",\n \"food\",\n \"weed\",\n \"way\",\n \"contain\",\n \"need\",\n \"include\",\n \"come\",\n \"strain\",\n \"work\",\n \"good\",\n \"treat\",\n \"medical\",\n \"treatment\",\n \"look\",\n \"user\",\n \"want\",\n \"edible\",\n \"vape\",\n \"fda\",\n \"university\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Consumer\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.25,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.5558770895004272\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a73fd5dba60336292bac\",\n \"title\": \"The Return of the ‘Legacy’ Cannabis Farmer?\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/return-legacy-cannabis-farmer-global-renaissance\",\n \"description\": \"There is a global renaissance underway for the cannabis legacy farmer, with governments beginning to shape public policy to help them.\",\n \"author\": \"Marguerite Arnold\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-12T13:30:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/07/outdoor-cannabis-HubbardSteve.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"...\",\n \"GPE\": [],\n \"ORG\": [],\n \"PERSON\": [],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"cbd\",\n \"use\",\n \"product\",\n \"say\",\n \"thc\",\n \"study\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"health\",\n \"people\",\n \"high\",\n \"test\",\n \"make\",\n \"drug\",\n \"like\",\n \"oil\",\n \"new\",\n \"research\",\n \"vaping\",\n \"plant\",\n \"help\",\n \"effect\",\n \"know\",\n \"smoke\",\n \"time\",\n \"year\",\n \"report\",\n \"pain\",\n \"patient\",\n \"food\",\n \"weed\",\n \"way\",\n \"contain\",\n \"need\",\n \"include\",\n \"come\",\n \"strain\",\n \"work\",\n \"good\",\n \"treat\",\n \"medical\",\n \"treatment\",\n \"look\",\n \"user\",\n \"want\",\n \"edible\",\n \"vape\",\n \"fda\",\n \"university\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Consumer\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.25,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.5558770895004272\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a712d5dba60336292b98\",\n \"title\": \"Cannabis Possession Legal in Missouri Starting Dec. 8\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/cannabis-possession-legal-missouri-december-8.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"It is legal for adults 21 and older to possess and use cannabis after voters approved an adult-use legalization measure the November election, but commercial sales have yet to launch.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-09T17:21:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Cannabis possession is legal in Missouri as of Dec. 8 after voters approved an adult-use legalization measure in the November election. Adults 21 and older can now legally possess and use cannabis in the state, but commercial sales have yet to launch. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) began accepting requests Dec. 8 from state-licensed medical cannabis facilities looking to transition their operations to serve the expanded adult-use market, according to a timeline from the department. Applications for personal cultivation will be available Jan. 7, and adult-use program rules are to be finalized by Feb. 6. Adult-use cannabis may be available in dispensaries in February, according to the timeline, and the state will begin accepting personal cultivation licenses that month, as well. RELATED: Missouri’s Adult-Use Cannabis Market Could Launch in February 2023 Missouri officials are expected to issue an additional 144 adult-use dispensary licenses by early 2025. SMITHS FALLS, Ontario, Dec. 9, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Canopy Growth Corporation announced that CEO David Klein and other Canopy Growth team members will ring the Nasdaq opening bell on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. “We are proud to be a Nasdaq-listed company, and our team is honored to be ringing the opening bell,” Klein said. “This is an exciting time for Canopy Growth as we take important steps to realize our goal of building a leading North American cannabis company. We appreciate the continued support of all of our stakeholders as we take ambitious strides towards unleashing the power of cannabis.” The opening bell ceremony will be broadcast live starting at 9:15 a.m. Eastern Time from the Nasdaq MarketSite Tower in New York City. To view the broadcast, visit: https://www.nasdaq.com/marketsite/bell-ringing-ceremony . *** The bell ringing will come roughly seven weeks after Canopy Growth officials announced on Oct. 25 that the company is accelerating plans to enter the U.S. market via three acquisitions with the creation of a U.S.-domiciled holding company, Canopy USA LLC, for its U.S. cannabis investments. HED: Canopy Growth to Acquire Acreage, Wana, Jetty in US Entrance Less than a week after that, Nasdaq Stock Market officials objected to Canopy Growth consolidating the financial results of Canopy USA in the event of the transactions related to the company’s U.S. market entrance. Saskatchewan officials announced Dec. 6 that lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at increasing First Nations self-governance, including a bill that would allow First Nations communities to regulate cannabis on reserve. One bill, the Summary Offences Procedure Amendment Act, 2022, would create a legal framework for First Nations communities to enforce laws and bylaws. “The Government of Saskatchewan is proud to take this important step as part of our ongoing work with the Muskoday and Whitecap Dakota First Nations,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre said in a public statement. “These amendments will allow these and other First Nations communities in the future to use the more simplified summary offenses procedure, instead of the long-form process under the federal Criminal Code, to issue tickets and fines such as those issued for traffic violations and other provincial offenses.” Prior to the bill’s introduction, Saskatchewan’s government signed a Memorandum of Understanding in October with Muskoday First Nation and Whitecap Dakota First Nation to address long-established issues around how First Nations laws are enforced. “First Nations assert their jurisdiction and maintain community safety by creating laws under the Indian Act, land codes, and other federal legislation but there have been difficulties in enforcing these laws in the courts,” Chief of Whitecap Dakota First Nation Darcy Bear said in a public statement. “Through our work with the provincial government, the amendments to [the Summary Offences Procedure Act] (SOPA) will give us access to prosecution and enforcement tool that will give force to our laws in areas such as environmental protection and community safety; and strengthen the place of our laws alongside federal and provincial law.” The Saskatchewan government also put forth the Cannabis Control (Saskatchewan) Amendment Act, 2022, which would provide a provincial legal framework to allow First Nations to regulate cannabis on reserve. The legislation would allow First Nations to create their own regulatory framework, aligned with federal and provincial laws, to establish a local authority to govern cannabis. Dispensaries regulated by First Nations would then have access to federally regulated cannabis products. “Our government supports First Nations exercising their authority over on-reserve distribution and retailing of cannabis through a legal framework with [the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority] (SLGA),” Minister Responsible for SLGA Lori Carr said in a public statement. “This change further fosters reconciliation by ensuring First Nation-owned businesses are able to fully participate in the economic opportunities presented by the retail cannabis industry.\\\" Connecticut won’t roll out its adult-use cannabis retail program before the end of the year, as originally planned, but a launch date has been announced. The state’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) notified nine licensed hybrid (adult-use and medical) retailers on Dec. 9 that they can begin selling adult-use cannabis products to those 21 and older beginning at 10 a.m. on Jan. 10, 2023. Transactions will initially be limited to 7 grams of cannabis flower or an equivalent amount (see details below). The announcement came as the department is required by law to provide a 30-day notice for the commercial sales commencement. “I am proud of the hard work our team has done to meet the goal of opening adult-use sales in a safe, well-regulated market,” DCP Commissioner Michelle Seagull said in a press release . “We know that many people are excited to participate in this marketplace, whether as a business or a consumer, and we encourage adults who choose to purchase and consume these products to do so responsibly once sales begin on January 10.” The announcement comes as 21 states have legalized adult-use cannabis—with Maryland and Missouri voters passing ballot measures in November—with 16 of those states having launched their expanded retail programs already. New York , where regulators hope to roll out adult-use sales before the end of the year, and Connecticut are in line to be the 17th and 18th states to launch adult-use sales. Connecticut’s retail rollout has been roughly 18 months in the making since Gov. Ned Lamont signed adult-use cannabis legislation in June 2021, becoming the fourth state (in addition to New York, Virginia and New Mexico) to end prohibition through the legislative process that year. The signed law allows adults 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis flower or an equivalent amount in public, and up to 5 ounces in their homes. In Connecticut, all four existing medical cannabis cultivators have met the requirements for an expanded license, allowing them to supply both the adult-use and medical markets, according to CDP. The law requires at least 250,000 square feet of growing and manufacturing space in the aggregate to be approved for adult-use production before retail sales can begin at licensed retailers, including hybrid retailers. All four existing producers successfully converted to meet that threshold. In addition, the nine hybrid dispensaries were notified they completed the necessary steps to participate in the Jan. 10 sales lunch: Name Location Affinity New Haven Bluepoint Wellness of Connecticut Branford Still River Wellness Torrington Fine Fettle Dispensary – Newington Newington Fine Fettle Dispensary – Stamford Stamford Fine Fettle Dispensary – Willimantic Willimantic The Botanist – Danbury Danbury The Botanist – Montville Montville Willow Brook Wellness Meriden While the 2021 legislation allows those 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces of flower in public, adult-use sales will be limited to 1/4 ounce of cannabis flower, or its equivalent, per transaction when the market opens, according to CDP. The transaction limits were put in place to ensure an adequate supply for both adult-use consumersand medical cannabis patients, who can purchase up to 5 ounces of flower per month. The limits will be reviewed over time. The CDP offered a few examples of what an equivalent purchase limit will entail: Up to seven prerolls that weigh 1 gram each; Two to four vape cartridges, which come in 0.5 milliliter and 1 milliliter sizes; Edibles vary by type and size. A standard-sized brownie or cookie can be the equivalent of 0.08 grams of cannabis flower. One edible serving cannot have more than 5 milligrams of THC. A combination of different product types that collectively amount to no more than 1/4 of an ounce. The CDP is advising medical cannabis patients to purchase their necessary medication before the Jan. 10 adult-use sale launch, “as long lines and traffic are expected around the hybrid retailers during the opening weeks of adult-use sales.” The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (MMCP) issued a voluntary product recall Dec. 6 for medical cannabis that did not pass all required testing. The affected plant material was produced and sold to dispensaries by Green Investment Partners (GIP), who initiated the recall and reported to MMCP that certain batches of cannabis did not pass all state-mandated testing for yeast and mold before they were distributed for sale to patients. The MMCP has launched an investigation and will issue an executive summary when the investigation concludes. The affected plant material, intended for vaporization, was sold under the product name Tangie Power from Nov. 29 to present. The affected product IDs and batch numbers, as well as the dispensaries where they were sold, are as follows: Product ID: M00000280205: Tier 2 Vap - Hybrid - 23.3 - 0 - Tangie Power - 2.83 M00000280207: Tier 2 Vap - Hybrid - 23.3 - 0 - Tangie Power - 14.15 Affected Batches: 1A407010000300D000013361 1A407010000300D000013362 Affected Product Sold at the Following Dispensaries: MMD.0700063 - Sunnyside Cincinnati MMD.0700061 - Sunnyside Newark MMD.0700002 - Sunnyside Wintersville MMD.0700062 - Sunnyside Marion MMD.0700036 - Verdant Creations Columbus MMD.0700093 - Ethos Ohio (formerly About Wellness Ohio) Lebanon MMD.0700046 - Pure Ohio Wellness Dayton The MMCP has not received any reports of adverse reactions from consuming the affected products, but regulators advise patients who have the products to stop using them and return them to the dispensary where they were purchased.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/09/MissouriFlag-AdobeStock-Credit-selensergen-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"adults 21 and older can now legally possess and use cannabis in the state, but commercial sales have yet to launch. the opening bell ceremony will be broadcast live starting at 9:15 a.m. eastern time from the Nasdaq MarketSite Tower in new york.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Missouri\",\n \"Ontario\",\n \"New York City\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Acquire Acreage\",\n \"US\",\n \"Saskatchewan\",\n \"Understanding\",\n \"Connecticut\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Virginia\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Ohio\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services\",\n \"DHSS\",\n \"Canopy Growth Corporation\",\n \"Canopy Growth\",\n \"Nasdaq\",\n \"Canopy USA LLC\",\n \"HED\",\n \"Wana\",\n \"Canopy USA\",\n \"First Nations\",\n \"Whitecap Dakota First Nations\",\n \"Muskoday First Nation\",\n \"Whitecap Dakota First Nation\",\n \"the Saskatchewan Liquor\",\n \"Gaming Authority\",\n \"SLGA\",\n \"First Nation-owned\",\n \"Department of Consumer Protection\",\n \"DCP\",\n \"CDP\",\n \"THC\",\n \"The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program\",\n \"Green Investment Partners\",\n \"MMCP\",\n \"Tangie Power\",\n \"Sunnyside Cincinnati MMD.0700061 - Sunnyside Newark MMD.0700002 - Sunnyside Wintersville MMD.0700062 -\",\n \"Lebanon MMD.0700046 - Pure\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"SMITHS FALLS\",\n \"David Klein\",\n \"Klein\",\n \"Eastern Time\",\n \"Jetty\",\n \"Bronwyn Eyre\",\n \"Darcy Bear\",\n \"Michelle Seagull\",\n \"Ned Lamont\",\n \"Newington Newington Fine\",\n \"MMD.0700093 - Ethos\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.7,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.900394856929779\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a713d5dba60336292b99\",\n \"title\": \"Saskatchewan Introduces Legislation to Increase First Nations Self-Governance\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/saskatchewan-introduces-legislation-to-increase-first-nations-self-governance.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"One bill would create a legal framework for First Nations communities to enforce laws on reserve, while another would allow them to regulate cannabis.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-09T16:20:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Saskatchewan officials announced Dec. 6 that lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at increasing First Nations self-governance, including a bill that would allow First Nations communities to regulate cannabis on reserve. One bill, the Summary Offences Procedure Amendment Act, 2022, would create a legal framework for First Nations communities to enforce laws and bylaws. “The Government of Saskatchewan is proud to take this important step as part of our ongoing work with the Muskoday and Whitecap Dakota First Nations,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre said in a public statement. “These amendments will allow these and other First Nations communities in the future to use the more simplified summary offenses procedure, instead of the long-form process under the federal Criminal Code, to issue tickets and fines such as those issued for traffic violations and other provincial offenses.” Prior to the bill’s introduction, Saskatchewan’s government signed a Memorandum of Understanding in October with Muskoday First Nation and Whitecap Dakota First Nation to address long-established issues around how First Nations laws are enforced. “First Nations assert their jurisdiction and maintain community safety by creating laws under the Indian Act, land codes, and other federal legislation but there have been difficulties in enforcing these laws in the courts,” Chief of Whitecap Dakota First Nation Darcy Bear said in a public statement. “Through our work with the provincial government, the amendments to [the Summary Offences Procedure Act] (SOPA) will give us access to prosecution and enforcement tool that will give force to our laws in areas such as environmental protection and community safety; and strengthen the place of our laws alongside federal and provincial law.” The Saskatchewan government also put forth the Cannabis Control (Saskatchewan) Amendment Act, 2022, which would provide a provincial legal framework to allow First Nations to regulate cannabis on reserve. The legislation would allow First Nations to create their own regulatory framework, aligned with federal and provincial laws, to establish a local authority to govern cannabis. Dispensaries regulated by First Nations would then have access to federally regulated cannabis products. “Our government supports First Nations exercising their authority over on-reserve distribution and retailing of cannabis through a legal framework with [the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority] (SLGA),” Minister Responsible for SLGA Lori Carr said in a public statement. “This change further fosters reconciliation by ensuring First Nation-owned businesses are able to fully participate in the economic opportunities presented by the retail cannabis industry.\\\" Connecticut won’t roll out its adult-use cannabis retail program before the end of the year, as originally planned, but a launch date has been announced. The state’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) notified nine licensed hybrid (adult-use and medical) retailers on Dec. 9 that they can begin selling adult-use cannabis products to those 21 and older beginning at 10 a.m. on Jan. 10, 2023. Transactions will initially be limited to 7 grams of cannabis flower or an equivalent amount (see details below). The announcement came as the department is required by law to provide a 30-day notice for the commercial sales commencement. “I am proud of the hard work our team has done to meet the goal of opening adult-use sales in a safe, well-regulated market,” DCP Commissioner Michelle Seagull said in a press release . “We know that many people are excited to participate in this marketplace, whether as a business or a consumer, and we encourage adults who choose to purchase and consume these products to do so responsibly once sales begin on January 10.” The announcement comes as 21 states have legalized adult-use cannabis—with Maryland and Missouri voters passing ballot measures in November—with 16 of those states having launched their expanded retail programs already. New York , where regulators hope to roll out adult-use sales before the end of the year, and Connecticut are in line to be the 17th and 18th states to launch adult-use sales. Connecticut’s retail rollout has been roughly 18 months in the making since Gov. Ned Lamont signed adult-use cannabis legislation in June 2021, becoming the fourth state (in addition to New York, Virginia and New Mexico) to end prohibition through the legislative process that year. The signed law allows adults 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis flower or an equivalent amount in public, and up to 5 ounces in their homes. In Connecticut, all four existing medical cannabis cultivators have met the requirements for an expanded license, allowing them to supply both the adult-use and medical markets, according to CDP. The law requires at least 250,000 square feet of growing and manufacturing space in the aggregate to be approved for adult-use production before retail sales can begin at licensed retailers, including hybrid retailers. All four existing producers successfully converted to meet that threshold. In addition, the nine hybrid dispensaries were notified they completed the necessary steps to participate in the Jan. 10 sales lunch: Name Location Affinity New Haven Bluepoint Wellness of Connecticut Branford Still River Wellness Torrington Fine Fettle Dispensary – Newington Newington Fine Fettle Dispensary – Stamford Stamford Fine Fettle Dispensary – Willimantic Willimantic The Botanist – Danbury Danbury The Botanist – Montville Montville Willow Brook Wellness Meriden While the 2021 legislation allows those 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces of flower in public, adult-use sales will be limited to 1/4 ounce of cannabis flower, or its equivalent, per transaction when the market opens, according to CDP. The transaction limits were put in place to ensure an adequate supply for both adult-use consumersand medical cannabis patients, who can purchase up to 5 ounces of flower per month. The limits will be reviewed over time. The CDP offered a few examples of what an equivalent purchase limit will entail: Up to seven prerolls that weigh 1 gram each; Two to four vape cartridges, which come in 0.5 milliliter and 1 milliliter sizes; Edibles vary by type and size. A standard-sized brownie or cookie can be the equivalent of 0.08 grams of cannabis flower. One edible serving cannot have more than 5 milligrams of THC. A combination of different product types that collectively amount to no more than 1/4 of an ounce. The CDP is advising medical cannabis patients to purchase their necessary medication before the Jan. 10 adult-use sale launch, “as long lines and traffic are expected around the hybrid retailers during the opening weeks of adult-use sales.” The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (MMCP) issued a voluntary product recall Dec. 6 for medical cannabis that did not pass all required testing. The affected plant material was produced and sold to dispensaries by Green Investment Partners (GIP), who initiated the recall and reported to MMCP that certain batches of cannabis did not pass all state-mandated testing for yeast and mold before they were distributed for sale to patients. The MMCP has launched an investigation and will issue an executive summary when the investigation concludes. The affected plant material, intended for vaporization, was sold under the product name Tangie Power from Nov. 29 to present. The affected product IDs and batch numbers, as well as the dispensaries where they were sold, are as follows: Product ID: M00000280205: Tier 2 Vap - Hybrid - 23.3 - 0 - Tangie Power - 2.83 M00000280207: Tier 2 Vap - Hybrid - 23.3 - 0 - Tangie Power - 14.15 Affected Batches: 1A407010000300D000013361 1A407010000300D000013362 Affected Product Sold at the Following Dispensaries: MMD.0700063 - Sunnyside Cincinnati MMD.0700061 - Sunnyside Newark MMD.0700002 - Sunnyside Wintersville MMD.0700062 - Sunnyside Marion MMD.0700036 - Verdant Creations Columbus MMD.0700093 - Ethos Ohio (formerly About Wellness Ohio) Lebanon MMD.0700046 - Pure Ohio Wellness Dayton The MMCP has not received any reports of adverse reactions from consuming the affected products, but regulators advise patients who have the products to stop using them and return them to the dispensary where they were purchased. The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) announced Wednesday that it is updating its online patient portal to allow medical cannabis patients to access their Patient Identification cards electronically. The NMDOH updated its patient portal to streamline the application process, provide better assistance for new and returning patients, reduce the use of paper, and be more environmentally friendly, according to a press release . RELATED: New Mexico Adds Anxiety Disorder as Qualifying Condition for Medical Cannabi s Patients using the portal will have a \\\"shorter processing time and the added convenience of not needing to wait for a printed card to arrive in the mail,” NMDOH wrote in the release. The state’s Medical Cannabis Program can also send messages to patients directly through the portal to help improve communication and service. SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Dec. 8, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - SC Labs , a cannabis and hemp testing company, announced its plans to expand into Southern California–beginning with a new lab opening in Los Angeles. The new, 12,000+ square foot facility, located in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, will conduct both R&D and compliance cannabis testing–similar to its Santa Cruz counterpart–providing faster turnaround times to process samples for customers south of Santa Barbara. The new lab will offer the full suite of California compliance testing (potency, pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, microbials, water activity, filth and foreign material) as well as terpene and shelf stability testing. By opening this new state-of-the-art lab, SC Labs will deliver added testing capacity and more resources for research and development. Similar to SC's operations in Santa Cruz, the new lab will maintain the same technology stack (Laboratory Information Systems and the SC Client Services Portal) and chemometric reporting for customers conducting both Cannabinoid and Terpenoid assays. The L.A. facility will also provide stability testing to determine shelf life in February 2023. \\\"We are thrilled to bring more high-quality testing to a wider swath of the Golden State,\\\" said Jeff Journey, CEO of SC Labs. \\\"With this expansion, we are doubling down on California as a leading market that we believe has the regulatory oversight to enforce proper testing requirements. We're excited to get to work in Southern California, supporting even more customers with the high-quality, accurate testing they need as this market continues to mature and grow.\\\" \\\"Our customers have been asking us to open a Southern California lab for years, and we're excited to finally deliver on that ask,\\\" added Jeff Gray, co-founder and chief innovation officer of SC Labs. \\\"This new state of the art lab more than doubles our California testing capacity, enabling us to do more R&D, and more importantly, provides ample and excess testing capacity for all of our customers.\\\" Combined U.S. medical and recreational cannabis sales are estimated to be upwards of $52.6 billion by 2026–and California is currently the largest legal cannabis market in the world. In regulated cannabis markets like California, products for sale are required to undergo a series of tests by a state-accredited lab to help ensure that products are safe to consume and accurately labeled. SC Labs is allowing its customers to meet those requirements and ultimately help them meet the demand in the market. In addition to L.A., SC Labs currently has cannabis testing labs in Santa Cruz, CA., Colorado, Michigan, and Oregon. SC Labs will begin accepting new customers in mid-December and will host a more formal grand opening in early January. With this growth, SC Labs will be hiring for both California locations in the New Year.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/09/SaskatchewanFlag-AdobeStock-philipus-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Saskatchewan lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at increasing First Nations self-governance. the summary offences procedure amendment act, 2022, would create a legal framework for First Nations communities to enforce laws and bylaws. the bill would allow First Nations communities to create their own regulatory framework.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Saskatchewan\",\n \"Understanding\",\n \"Connecticut\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"Missouri\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Virginia\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Ohio\",\n \"SANTA CRUZ\",\n \"Calif.\",\n \"Los Angeles\",\n \"Van Nuys\",\n \"Santa Cruz\",\n \"Santa Barbara\",\n \"California\",\n \"L.A.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"CA.\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Oregon\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"First Nations\",\n \"Whitecap Dakota First Nations\",\n \"Muskoday First Nation\",\n \"Whitecap Dakota First Nation\",\n \"the Saskatchewan Liquor\",\n \"Gaming Authority\",\n \"SLGA\",\n \"First Nation-owned\",\n \"Department of Consumer Protection\",\n \"DCP\",\n \"CDP\",\n \"THC\",\n \"The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program\",\n \"Green Investment Partners\",\n \"MMCP\",\n \"Tangie Power\",\n \"Sunnyside Cincinnati MMD.0700061 - Sunnyside Newark MMD.0700002 - Sunnyside Wintersville MMD.0700062 -\",\n \"Lebanon MMD.0700046 - Pure\",\n \"The New Mexico Department of Health\",\n \"NMDOH\",\n \"Patient Identification\",\n \"Medical Cannabis Program\",\n \"SC\",\n \"Laboratory Information Systems\",\n \"the SC Client Services Portal\",\n \"SC Labs\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Bronwyn Eyre\",\n \"Darcy Bear\",\n \"Michelle Seagull\",\n \"Ned Lamont\",\n \"Newington Newington Fine\",\n \"MMD.0700093 - Ethos\",\n \"Anxiety Disorder\",\n \"Cannabinoid\",\n \"Jeff Journey\",\n \"Jeff Gray\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.62,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8797897696495056\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a734d5dba60336292ba8\",\n \"title\": \"Connecticut Will Launch Adult-Use Sales on Jan. 10\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/connecticut-adult-use-sales-launch-announcement.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The state’s Consumer Protection Department is required to provide a 30-day notice ahead of a retail rollout; nine dispensaries are approved.\",\n \"author\": \"Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-09T14:28:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Connecticut won’t roll out its adult-use cannabis retail program before the end of the year, as originally planned, but a launch date has been announced. The state’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) notified nine licensed hybrid (adult-use and medical) retailers on Dec. 9 that they can begin selling adult-use cannabis products to those 21 and older beginning at 10 a.m. on Jan. 10, 2023. Transactions will initially be limited to 7 grams of cannabis flower or an equivalent amount (see details below). The announcement came as the department is required by law to provide a 30-day notice for the commercial sales commencement. “I am proud of the hard work our team has done to meet the goal of opening adult-use sales in a safe, well-regulated market,” DCP Commissioner Michelle Seagull said in a press release . “We know that many people are excited to participate in this marketplace, whether as a business or a consumer, and we encourage adults who choose to purchase and consume these products to do so responsibly once sales begin on January 10.” The announcement comes as 21 states have legalized adult-use cannabis—with Maryland and Missouri voters passing ballot measures in November—with 16 of those states having launched their expanded retail programs already. New York , where regulators hope to roll out adult-use sales before the end of the year, and Connecticut are in line to be the 17th and 18th states to launch adult-use sales. Connecticut’s retail rollout has been roughly 18 months in the making since Gov. Ned Lamont signed adult-use cannabis legislation in June 2021, becoming the fourth state (in addition to New York, Virginia and New Mexico) to end prohibition through the legislative process that year. The signed law allows adults 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis flower or an equivalent amount in public, and up to 5 ounces in their homes. In Connecticut, all four existing medical cannabis cultivators have met the requirements for an expanded license, allowing them to supply both the adult-use and medical markets, according to CDP. The law requires at least 250,000 square feet of growing and manufacturing space in the aggregate to be approved for adult-use production before retail sales can begin at licensed retailers, including hybrid retailers. All four existing producers successfully converted to meet that threshold. In addition, the nine hybrid dispensaries were notified they completed the necessary steps to participate in the Jan. 10 sales lunch: Name Location Affinity New Haven Bluepoint Wellness of Connecticut Branford Still River Wellness Torrington Fine Fettle Dispensary – Newington Newington Fine Fettle Dispensary – Stamford Stamford Fine Fettle Dispensary – Willimantic Willimantic The Botanist – Danbury Danbury The Botanist – Montville Montville Willow Brook Wellness Meriden While the 2021 legislation allows those 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces of flower in public, adult-use sales will be limited to 1/4 ounce of cannabis flower, or its equivalent, per transaction when the market opens, according to CDP. The transaction limits were put in place to ensure an adequate supply for both adult-use consumersand medical cannabis patients, who can purchase up to 5 ounces of flower per month. The limits will be reviewed over time. The CDP offered a few examples of what an equivalent purchase limit will entail: Up to seven prerolls that weigh 1 gram each; Two to four vape cartridges, which come in 0.5 milliliter and 1 milliliter sizes; Edibles vary by type and size. A standard-sized brownie or cookie can be the equivalent of 0.08 grams of cannabis flower. One edible serving cannot have more than 5 milligrams of THC. A combination of different product types that collectively amount to no more than 1/4 of an ounce. The CDP is advising medical cannabis patients to purchase their necessary medication before the Jan. 10 adult-use sale launch, “as long lines and traffic are expected around the hybrid retailers during the opening weeks of adult-use sales.” The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (MMCP) issued a voluntary product recall Dec. 6 for medical cannabis that did not pass all required testing. The affected plant material was produced and sold to dispensaries by Green Investment Partners (GIP), who initiated the recall and reported to MMCP that certain batches of cannabis did not pass all state-mandated testing for yeast and mold before they were distributed for sale to patients. The MMCP has launched an investigation and will issue an executive summary when the investigation concludes. The affected plant material, intended for vaporization, was sold under the product name Tangie Power from Nov. 29 to present. The affected product IDs and batch numbers, as well as the dispensaries where they were sold, are as follows: Product ID: M00000280205: Tier 2 Vap - Hybrid - 23.3 - 0 - Tangie Power - 2.83 M00000280207: Tier 2 Vap - Hybrid - 23.3 - 0 - Tangie Power - 14.15 Affected Batches: 1A407010000300D000013361 1A407010000300D000013362 Affected Product Sold at the Following Dispensaries: MMD.0700063 - Sunnyside Cincinnati MMD.0700061 - Sunnyside Newark MMD.0700002 - Sunnyside Wintersville MMD.0700062 - Sunnyside Marion MMD.0700036 - Verdant Creations Columbus MMD.0700093 - Ethos Ohio (formerly About Wellness Ohio) Lebanon MMD.0700046 - Pure Ohio Wellness Dayton The MMCP has not received any reports of adverse reactions from consuming the affected products, but regulators advise patients who have the products to stop using them and return them to the dispensary where they were purchased. The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) announced Wednesday that it is updating its online patient portal to allow medical cannabis patients to access their Patient Identification cards electronically. The NMDOH updated its patient portal to streamline the application process, provide better assistance for new and returning patients, reduce the use of paper, and be more environmentally friendly, according to a press release . RELATED: New Mexico Adds Anxiety Disorder as Qualifying Condition for Medical Cannabi s Patients using the portal will have a \\\"shorter processing time and the added convenience of not needing to wait for a printed card to arrive in the mail,” NMDOH wrote in the release. The state’s Medical Cannabis Program can also send messages to patients directly through the portal to help improve communication and service. SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Dec. 8, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - SC Labs , a cannabis and hemp testing company, announced its plans to expand into Southern California–beginning with a new lab opening in Los Angeles. The new, 12,000+ square foot facility, located in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, will conduct both R&D and compliance cannabis testing–similar to its Santa Cruz counterpart–providing faster turnaround times to process samples for customers south of Santa Barbara. The new lab will offer the full suite of California compliance testing (potency, pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, microbials, water activity, filth and foreign material) as well as terpene and shelf stability testing. By opening this new state-of-the-art lab, SC Labs will deliver added testing capacity and more resources for research and development. Similar to SC's operations in Santa Cruz, the new lab will maintain the same technology stack (Laboratory Information Systems and the SC Client Services Portal) and chemometric reporting for customers conducting both Cannabinoid and Terpenoid assays. The L.A. facility will also provide stability testing to determine shelf life in February 2023. \\\"We are thrilled to bring more high-quality testing to a wider swath of the Golden State,\\\" said Jeff Journey, CEO of SC Labs. \\\"With this expansion, we are doubling down on California as a leading market that we believe has the regulatory oversight to enforce proper testing requirements. We're excited to get to work in Southern California, supporting even more customers with the high-quality, accurate testing they need as this market continues to mature and grow.\\\" \\\"Our customers have been asking us to open a Southern California lab for years, and we're excited to finally deliver on that ask,\\\" added Jeff Gray, co-founder and chief innovation officer of SC Labs. \\\"This new state of the art lab more than doubles our California testing capacity, enabling us to do more R&D, and more importantly, provides ample and excess testing capacity for all of our customers.\\\" Combined U.S. medical and recreational cannabis sales are estimated to be upwards of $52.6 billion by 2026–and California is currently the largest legal cannabis market in the world. In regulated cannabis markets like California, products for sale are required to undergo a series of tests by a state-accredited lab to help ensure that products are safe to consume and accurately labeled. SC Labs is allowing its customers to meet those requirements and ultimately help them meet the demand in the market. In addition to L.A., SC Labs currently has cannabis testing labs in Santa Cruz, CA., Colorado, Michigan, and Oregon. SC Labs will begin accepting new customers in mid-December and will host a more formal grand opening in early January. With this growth, SC Labs will be hiring for both California locations in the New Year. Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 8 to include a statement from NORML. Russia has freed WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in prison on cannabis possession charges, as part of a prisoner exchange in which the U.S. released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. “She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” President Joe Biden said Dec. 8 in a statement from the White House, according to the Associated Press . The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed the exchange, the news outlet reported, saying in a statement Thursday that the swap occurred in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout has been flown home. Bout, a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel, was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars’ worth of weapons that U.S. officials said were intended for use against Americans, AP reported. Griner was taken into custody by Russian authorities in February for allegedly carrying cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo International Airport, just north of Moscow. Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has played for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg for the past several years during the offseason. RELATED: WNBA Star Brittney Griner ‘Doing as Well as Can Be Expected’ in Russia Detention After a month-long trial, Griner was found guilty on cannabis possession charges in a Russian court and sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison in August. Biden issued a statement following the news of Griner’s sentencing, calling for her immediate release. The Biden administration first offered the prisoner swap involving Bout in late July. RELATED: Brittney Griner Pleads With President Biden: ‘Please Don’t Forget About Me’ Griner’s defense team filed an appeal in Russian court in the weeks after her conviction, but the appeal was ultimately denied in October. “Brittney Griner’s imprisonment has been a grotesque affront to the concept of justice, and it has served as an unfortunate reminder of how draconic marijuana laws remain around the globe,\\\" NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a public statement. \\\"However, it should also cause a serious level of reflection amongst our lawmakers considering that a large number of states still inflict similar penalties for marijuana possession on our own soil, and the current federal policy of marijuana prohibition isn’t notably different than the stance held by Putin’s regime in Russia. Brittney Griner very much deserved to be released and brought home, but our elected officials in the United States must use this as motivation to bring our domestic marijuana policies in line with our nation’s stated principles of liberty and justice.”\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/09/ConnAdobeStock371225448.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the state’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) notified nine licensed hybrid (adult-use and medical) retailers on Dec. 9 that they can begin selling adult-use cannabis products beginning at 10 a.m. on Jan. 10, 2023. transactions will initially be limited to 7 grams of cannabis flower or an equivalent amount.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Connecticut\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"Missouri\",\n \"New York\",\n \"Virginia\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Ohio\",\n \"SANTA CRUZ\",\n \"Calif.\",\n \"Los Angeles\",\n \"Van Nuys\",\n \"Santa Cruz\",\n \"Santa Barbara\",\n \"California\",\n \"L.A.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"CA.\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Russia\",\n \"Moscow\",\n \"the United States\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Department of Consumer Protection\",\n \"DCP\",\n \"CDP\",\n \"THC\",\n \"The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program\",\n \"Green Investment Partners\",\n \"MMCP\",\n \"Tangie Power\",\n \"Sunnyside Cincinnati MMD.0700061 - Sunnyside Newark MMD.0700002 - Sunnyside Wintersville MMD.0700062 -\",\n \"Lebanon MMD.0700046 - Pure\",\n \"The New Mexico Department of Health\",\n \"NMDOH\",\n \"Patient Identification\",\n \"Medical Cannabis Program\",\n \"SC\",\n \"Laboratory Information Systems\",\n \"the SC Client Services Portal\",\n \"SC Labs\",\n \"NORML\",\n \"the White House\",\n \"the Associated Press\",\n \"The Russian Foreign Ministry\",\n \"Abu-Dhabi\",\n \"Bout\",\n \"Soviet Army\",\n \"AP\",\n \"the Phoenix Mercury\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Michelle Seagull\",\n \"Ned Lamont\",\n \"Newington Newington Fine\",\n \"MMD.0700093 - Ethos\",\n \"Anxiety Disorder\",\n \"Cannabinoid\",\n \"Jeff Journey\",\n \"Jeff Gray\",\n \"Brittney Griner\",\n \"Viktor Bout\",\n \"Joe Biden\",\n \"Griner\",\n \"Biden\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Erik Altieri\",\n \"Putin\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.49,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7938434481620789\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a716d5dba60336292b9a\",\n \"title\": \"Ohio Regulators Issue Medical Cannabis Product Recall\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/ohio-regulators-iissue-medical-cannabis-product-recall.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The affected plant material was produced and sold to dispensaries by Green Investment Partners.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-08T21:31:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (MMCP) issued a voluntary product recall Dec. 6 for medical cannabis that did not pass all required testing. The affected plant material was produced and sold to dispensaries by Green Investment Partners (GIP), who initiated the recall and reported to MMCP that certain batches of cannabis did not pass all state-mandated testing for yeast and mold before they were distributed for sale to patients. The MMCP has launched an investigation and will issue an executive summary when the investigation concludes. The affected plant material, intended for vaporization, was sold under the product name Tangie Power from Nov. 29 to present. The affected product IDs and batch numbers, as well as the dispensaries where they were sold, are as follows: Product ID: M00000280205: Tier 2 Vap - Hybrid - 23.3 - 0 - Tangie Power - 2.83 M00000280207: Tier 2 Vap - Hybrid - 23.3 - 0 - Tangie Power - 14.15 Affected Batches: 1A407010000300D000013361 1A407010000300D000013362 Affected Product Sold at the Following Dispensaries: MMD.0700063 - Sunnyside Cincinnati MMD.0700061 - Sunnyside Newark MMD.0700002 - Sunnyside Wintersville MMD.0700062 - Sunnyside Marion MMD.0700036 - Verdant Creations Columbus MMD.0700093 - Ethos Ohio (formerly About Wellness Ohio) Lebanon MMD.0700046 - Pure Ohio Wellness Dayton The MMCP has not received any reports of adverse reactions from consuming the affected products, but regulators advise patients who have the products to stop using them and return them to the dispensary where they were purchased. The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) announced Wednesday that it is updating its online patient portal to allow medical cannabis patients to access their Patient Identification cards electronically. The NMDOH updated its patient portal to streamline the application process, provide better assistance for new and returning patients, reduce the use of paper, and be more environmentally friendly, according to a press release . RELATED: New Mexico Adds Anxiety Disorder as Qualifying Condition for Medical Cannabi s Patients using the portal will have a \\\"shorter processing time and the added convenience of not needing to wait for a printed card to arrive in the mail,” NMDOH wrote in the release. The state’s Medical Cannabis Program can also send messages to patients directly through the portal to help improve communication and service. SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Dec. 8, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - SC Labs , a cannabis and hemp testing company, announced its plans to expand into Southern California–beginning with a new lab opening in Los Angeles. The new, 12,000+ square foot facility, located in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, will conduct both R&D and compliance cannabis testing–similar to its Santa Cruz counterpart–providing faster turnaround times to process samples for customers south of Santa Barbara. The new lab will offer the full suite of California compliance testing (potency, pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, microbials, water activity, filth and foreign material) as well as terpene and shelf stability testing. By opening this new state-of-the-art lab, SC Labs will deliver added testing capacity and more resources for research and development. Similar to SC's operations in Santa Cruz, the new lab will maintain the same technology stack (Laboratory Information Systems and the SC Client Services Portal) and chemometric reporting for customers conducting both Cannabinoid and Terpenoid assays. The L.A. facility will also provide stability testing to determine shelf life in February 2023. \\\"We are thrilled to bring more high-quality testing to a wider swath of the Golden State,\\\" said Jeff Journey, CEO of SC Labs. \\\"With this expansion, we are doubling down on California as a leading market that we believe has the regulatory oversight to enforce proper testing requirements. We're excited to get to work in Southern California, supporting even more customers with the high-quality, accurate testing they need as this market continues to mature and grow.\\\" \\\"Our customers have been asking us to open a Southern California lab for years, and we're excited to finally deliver on that ask,\\\" added Jeff Gray, co-founder and chief innovation officer of SC Labs. \\\"This new state of the art lab more than doubles our California testing capacity, enabling us to do more R&D, and more importantly, provides ample and excess testing capacity for all of our customers.\\\" Combined U.S. medical and recreational cannabis sales are estimated to be upwards of $52.6 billion by 2026–and California is currently the largest legal cannabis market in the world. In regulated cannabis markets like California, products for sale are required to undergo a series of tests by a state-accredited lab to help ensure that products are safe to consume and accurately labeled. SC Labs is allowing its customers to meet those requirements and ultimately help them meet the demand in the market. In addition to L.A., SC Labs currently has cannabis testing labs in Santa Cruz, CA., Colorado, Michigan, and Oregon. SC Labs will begin accepting new customers in mid-December and will host a more formal grand opening in early January. With this growth, SC Labs will be hiring for both California locations in the New Year. Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 8 to include a statement from NORML. Russia has freed WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in prison on cannabis possession charges, as part of a prisoner exchange in which the U.S. released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. “She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” President Joe Biden said Dec. 8 in a statement from the White House, according to the Associated Press . The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed the exchange, the news outlet reported, saying in a statement Thursday that the swap occurred in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout has been flown home. Bout, a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel, was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars’ worth of weapons that U.S. officials said were intended for use against Americans, AP reported. Griner was taken into custody by Russian authorities in February for allegedly carrying cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo International Airport, just north of Moscow. Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has played for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg for the past several years during the offseason. RELATED: WNBA Star Brittney Griner ‘Doing as Well as Can Be Expected’ in Russia Detention After a month-long trial, Griner was found guilty on cannabis possession charges in a Russian court and sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison in August. Biden issued a statement following the news of Griner’s sentencing, calling for her immediate release. The Biden administration first offered the prisoner swap involving Bout in late July. RELATED: Brittney Griner Pleads With President Biden: ‘Please Don’t Forget About Me’ Griner’s defense team filed an appeal in Russian court in the weeks after her conviction, but the appeal was ultimately denied in October. “Brittney Griner’s imprisonment has been a grotesque affront to the concept of justice, and it has served as an unfortunate reminder of how draconic marijuana laws remain around the globe,\\\" NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a public statement. \\\"However, it should also cause a serious level of reflection amongst our lawmakers considering that a large number of states still inflict similar penalties for marijuana possession on our own soil, and the current federal policy of marijuana prohibition isn’t notably different than the stance held by Putin’s regime in Russia. Brittney Griner very much deserved to be released and brought home, but our elected officials in the United States must use this as motivation to bring our domestic marijuana policies in line with our nation’s stated principles of liberty and justice.” Viola is adding edibles to its product lineup. The Michigan-based operator is partnering with Puff Cannabis for the launch of its gummy edibles, with an in-store release event at Puff’s Madison Heights, Mich., location on Dec. 16. The edibles will also be available at Puff’s Hamtramck and Utica locations. Beyond Michigan, Viola plans to expand its edibles offerings to Arizona, California, and Colorado in early 2023. The edibles will be available in four different flavors—Auntie’s Punch, Big Apple Dreamin, Paradise Island, and Uptown Espresso—all of which were inspired by Viola Owner Al Harrington’s grandmother, the company’s namesake. RELATED: Viola Spreads The Wealth “We’ve been working strategically to shift our product offering to convenience items to fit the lifestyles of our consumers,” said Najee Tyler, director of marketing at Viola. “With the massive growth of the edibles industry and gummies leading the way, we wanted to offer the Viola community something they’ve been asking for for a while. We’re excited to finally be able to provide premium products everyone can enjoy.”\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/08/OhioFlagCloseup-AdobeStock-Credit-fimg-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the affected plant material, intended for vaporization, was sold under the product name Tangie Power from Nov. 29 to present. MMCP has not received any reports of adverse reactions from consuming the affected products. but regulators advise patients who have the products to stop using them and return them to the dispensary where they were purchased.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Ohio\",\n \"SANTA CRUZ\",\n \"Calif.\",\n \"Los Angeles\",\n \"Van Nuys\",\n \"Santa Cruz\",\n \"Santa Barbara\",\n \"California\",\n \"L.A.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"CA.\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Russia\",\n \"Moscow\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"Mich.\",\n \"Arizona\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program\",\n \"Green Investment Partners\",\n \"MMCP\",\n \"Tangie Power\",\n \"Sunnyside Cincinnati MMD.0700061 - Sunnyside Newark MMD.0700002 - Sunnyside Wintersville MMD.0700062 -\",\n \"Lebanon MMD.0700046 - Pure\",\n \"The New Mexico Department of Health\",\n \"NMDOH\",\n \"Patient Identification\",\n \"Medical Cannabis Program\",\n \"SC\",\n \"Laboratory Information Systems\",\n \"the SC Client Services Portal\",\n \"SC Labs\",\n \"NORML\",\n \"the White House\",\n \"the Associated Press\",\n \"The Russian Foreign Ministry\",\n \"Abu-Dhabi\",\n \"Bout\",\n \"Soviet Army\",\n \"AP\",\n \"the Phoenix Mercury\",\n \"Viola\",\n \"Auntie’s Punch\",\n \"Big Apple Dreamin\",\n \"Uptown Espresso\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"MMD.0700093 - Ethos\",\n \"Anxiety Disorder\",\n \"Cannabinoid\",\n \"Jeff Journey\",\n \"Jeff Gray\",\n \"Brittney Griner\",\n \"Viktor Bout\",\n \"Joe Biden\",\n \"Griner\",\n \"Biden\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Erik Altieri\",\n \"Putin\",\n \"Puff Cannabis\",\n \"Utica\",\n \"Beyond Michigan\",\n \"Al Harrington\",\n \"Najee Tyler\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.41,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8691977858543396\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a73bd5dba60336292baa\",\n \"title\": \"New Mexico to Offer Online Medical Cannabis Patient Cards\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/new-mexico-to-offer-online-medical-cannabis-patient-cards.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The state’s Department of Health updated its patient portal to allow patients to access their medical cannabis cards online.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-08T18:44:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) announced Wednesday that it is updating its online patient portal to allow medical cannabis patients to access their Patient Identification cards electronically. The NMDOH updated its patient portal to streamline the application process, provide better assistance for new and returning patients, reduce the use of paper, and be more environmentally friendly, according to a press release . RELATED: New Mexico Adds Anxiety Disorder as Qualifying Condition for Medical Cannabi s Patients using the portal will have a \\\"shorter processing time and the added convenience of not needing to wait for a printed card to arrive in the mail,” NMDOH wrote in the release. The state’s Medical Cannabis Program can also send messages to patients directly through the portal to help improve communication and service. SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Dec. 8, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - SC Labs , a cannabis and hemp testing company, announced its plans to expand into Southern California–beginning with a new lab opening in Los Angeles. The new, 12,000+ square foot facility, located in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, will conduct both R&D and compliance cannabis testing–similar to its Santa Cruz counterpart–providing faster turnaround times to process samples for customers south of Santa Barbara. The new lab will offer the full suite of California compliance testing (potency, pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, microbials, water activity, filth and foreign material) as well as terpene and shelf stability testing. By opening this new state-of-the-art lab, SC Labs will deliver added testing capacity and more resources for research and development. Similar to SC's operations in Santa Cruz, the new lab will maintain the same technology stack (Laboratory Information Systems and the SC Client Services Portal) and chemometric reporting for customers conducting both Cannabinoid and Terpenoid assays. The L.A. facility will also provide stability testing to determine shelf life in February 2023. \\\"We are thrilled to bring more high-quality testing to a wider swath of the Golden State,\\\" said Jeff Journey, CEO of SC Labs. \\\"With this expansion, we are doubling down on California as a leading market that we believe has the regulatory oversight to enforce proper testing requirements. We're excited to get to work in Southern California, supporting even more customers with the high-quality, accurate testing they need as this market continues to mature and grow.\\\" \\\"Our customers have been asking us to open a Southern California lab for years, and we're excited to finally deliver on that ask,\\\" added Jeff Gray, co-founder and chief innovation officer of SC Labs. \\\"This new state of the art lab more than doubles our California testing capacity, enabling us to do more R&D, and more importantly, provides ample and excess testing capacity for all of our customers.\\\" Combined U.S. medical and recreational cannabis sales are estimated to be upwards of $52.6 billion by 2026–and California is currently the largest legal cannabis market in the world. In regulated cannabis markets like California, products for sale are required to undergo a series of tests by a state-accredited lab to help ensure that products are safe to consume and accurately labeled. SC Labs is allowing its customers to meet those requirements and ultimately help them meet the demand in the market. In addition to L.A., SC Labs currently has cannabis testing labs in Santa Cruz, CA., Colorado, Michigan, and Oregon. SC Labs will begin accepting new customers in mid-December and will host a more formal grand opening in early January. With this growth, SC Labs will be hiring for both California locations in the New Year. Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 8 to include a statement from NORML. Russia has freed WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in prison on cannabis possession charges, as part of a prisoner exchange in which the U.S. released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. “She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” President Joe Biden said Dec. 8 in a statement from the White House, according to the Associated Press . The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed the exchange, the news outlet reported, saying in a statement Thursday that the swap occurred in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout has been flown home. Bout, a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel, was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars’ worth of weapons that U.S. officials said were intended for use against Americans, AP reported. Griner was taken into custody by Russian authorities in February for allegedly carrying cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo International Airport, just north of Moscow. Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has played for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg for the past several years during the offseason. RELATED: WNBA Star Brittney Griner ‘Doing as Well as Can Be Expected’ in Russia Detention After a month-long trial, Griner was found guilty on cannabis possession charges in a Russian court and sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison in August. Biden issued a statement following the news of Griner’s sentencing, calling for her immediate release. The Biden administration first offered the prisoner swap involving Bout in late July. RELATED: Brittney Griner Pleads With President Biden: ‘Please Don’t Forget About Me’ Griner’s defense team filed an appeal in Russian court in the weeks after her conviction, but the appeal was ultimately denied in October. “Brittney Griner’s imprisonment has been a grotesque affront to the concept of justice, and it has served as an unfortunate reminder of how draconic marijuana laws remain around the globe,\\\" NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a public statement. \\\"However, it should also cause a serious level of reflection amongst our lawmakers considering that a large number of states still inflict similar penalties for marijuana possession on our own soil, and the current federal policy of marijuana prohibition isn’t notably different than the stance held by Putin’s regime in Russia. Brittney Griner very much deserved to be released and brought home, but our elected officials in the United States must use this as motivation to bring our domestic marijuana policies in line with our nation’s stated principles of liberty and justice.” Viola is adding edibles to its product lineup. The Michigan-based operator is partnering with Puff Cannabis for the launch of its gummy edibles, with an in-store release event at Puff’s Madison Heights, Mich., location on Dec. 16. The edibles will also be available at Puff’s Hamtramck and Utica locations. Beyond Michigan, Viola plans to expand its edibles offerings to Arizona, California, and Colorado in early 2023. The edibles will be available in four different flavors—Auntie’s Punch, Big Apple Dreamin, Paradise Island, and Uptown Espresso—all of which were inspired by Viola Owner Al Harrington’s grandmother, the company’s namesake. RELATED: Viola Spreads The Wealth “We’ve been working strategically to shift our product offering to convenience items to fit the lifestyles of our consumers,” said Najee Tyler, director of marketing at Viola. “With the massive growth of the edibles industry and gummies leading the way, we wanted to offer the Viola community something they’ve been asking for for a while. We’re excited to finally be able to provide premium products everyone can enjoy.” A group of four cannabis business entities and three individual owners in Southern California were issued $128 million in civil penalties Dec. 5 after admitting to illicit operations in court, according to a summary judgement ruling. The ruling by Judge Stephen Pfahler in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, stems from 2019 and 2020 investigations conducted by state authorities in Canoga Park, Calif. The defendants admitted to engaging in unlicensed commercial manufacturing and distributor cannabis activity on 527 separate days, according to the court ruling. Specifically, the investigations revealed that the unlicensed activity was tied to Vertical Bliss Inc., one of the four named entities, which had held licenses for commercial cannabis manufacturing and distribution in the state at that time, according to the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). State authorities from DCC’s predecessors—the DCC was formed in July 2021 by consolidating three former agencies—revoked Vertical Bliss’ licenses “swiftly” following investigations in November 2019. At the time, the state’s Bureau of Cannabis Control and Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced a search of the unlicensed location in Canoga Park resulted in seizure of $21 million in illicit products, including 7,200 vape cartridges. In September 2020, the Bureau and CDPH filed a complaint seeking civil penalties from Vertical Bliss. With that filing, the state regulatory bodies also announced that seized records allegedly documented Vertical Bliss’ production of more than 3.3 million Kushy Punch Inc. brand gummies during an 18-month period, with an estimated value of $64 million. RELATED: California Dispensary Pulls Kushy Punch Products From Shelves Pfahler’s order for the civil penalties this week came after the defendants’ second consecutive failure to appear in court. “This ruling sends a strong message that the illegal cannabis market will not be tolerated in California,” DCC Director Nicole Elliott said in a press release . “DCC and our partners will do everything in our power to protect consumers and maintain the integrity of California’s legal cannabis market. We applaud the court for its commitment to enforcing the rule of law in California’s cannabis industry.” In addition to Vertical Bliss and Kushy Punch Inc., Conglomerate Marketing LLC and More Agency Inc. were named as business entity defendants in the case, which each admitted they received gross revenue exceeding $10 million and $1 million annually from unlicensed commercial cannabis manufacturing and distributor activities, respectively, during the relevant period, according to Pfahler’s Dec. 5 ruling. “As to the individual defendants, they each engaged in illegal commercial cannabis activity by virtue of their admitted ownership of, ownership interest in, and/or control and managing power over, the business entity defendants,” the order read. The $128 million in penalties were calculated based on three licensing fees of $81,000 multiplied by 527, once for each day of the violations, as outlined in the state’s Business and Professions Code. The code states that a person engaged in unlicensed cannabis activity is “subject to civil penalties of up to three times the amount of the license fee for each violation.” RELATED: California Department of Cannabis Control Seeks $128 Million in Penalties From Illegal Cannabis Businesses In addition to the seven defendants covered in Pfahler’s ruling, DCC officials continue to “pursue a just and appropriate resolution against one remaining defendant,” according to the department’s release. That fourth individual defendant, who failed to appear in court on Dec. 5, is scheduled to appear in the Civil Division’s Chatsworth Courthouse on Jan. 5, 2023, before a final judgement is entered into the case, according to Pfahler’s summary. CaliforniaDCCvsVerticalBliss_20CHCV00560 by Tony Lange on Scribd\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/08/Untitleddesign-2022-12-08T135223475.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the new portal will streamline the application process, provide better assistance for new and returning patients, reduce the use of paper, and be more environmentally friendly. the state’s Medical Cannabis Program can also send messages to patients directly through the portal to help improve communication and service. the new lab will conduct both R&D and compliance cannabis testing–similar to its Santa Cruz counterpart.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"SANTA CRUZ\",\n \"Calif.\",\n \"Los Angeles\",\n \"Van Nuys\",\n \"Santa Cruz\",\n \"Santa Barbara\",\n \"California\",\n \"L.A.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"CA.\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Russia\",\n \"Moscow\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"Mich.\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"County\",\n \"Canoga Park\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The New Mexico Department of Health\",\n \"NMDOH\",\n \"Patient Identification\",\n \"Medical Cannabis Program\",\n \"SC\",\n \"Laboratory Information Systems\",\n \"the SC Client Services Portal\",\n \"SC Labs\",\n \"NORML\",\n \"the White House\",\n \"the Associated Press\",\n \"The Russian Foreign Ministry\",\n \"Abu-Dhabi\",\n \"Bout\",\n \"Soviet Army\",\n \"AP\",\n \"the Phoenix Mercury\",\n \"Viola\",\n \"Auntie’s Punch\",\n \"Big Apple Dreamin\",\n \"Uptown Espresso\",\n \"the Superior Court\",\n \"Vertical Bliss Inc.\",\n \"the California Department of Cannabis Control\",\n \"DCC\",\n \"Bureau of Cannabis Control and Department of Public Health\",\n \"Bureau\",\n \"Kushy Punch Inc.\",\n \"More Agency Inc.\",\n \"Pfahler’s\",\n \"California Department\",\n \"the Civil Division’s Chatsworth Courthouse\",\n \"Scribd\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Anxiety Disorder\",\n \"Cannabinoid\",\n \"Jeff Journey\",\n \"Jeff Gray\",\n \"Brittney Griner\",\n \"Viktor Bout\",\n \"Joe Biden\",\n \"Griner\",\n \"Biden\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Erik Altieri\",\n \"Putin\",\n \"Puff Cannabis\",\n \"Utica\",\n \"Beyond Michigan\",\n \"Al Harrington\",\n \"Najee Tyler\",\n \"Stephen Pfahler\",\n \"Vertical Bliss’\",\n \"Vertical Bliss\",\n \"Nicole Elliott\",\n \"Bliss\",\n \"Pfahler\",\n \"Tony Lange\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.55,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7138161659240723\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a718d5dba60336292b9b\",\n \"title\": \"Whitney Economics Report Finds More Than 48 Million Pounds of Cannabis Produced in US in 2022\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/whitney-economics-report-48-million-pounds-cannabis-us-2022.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Due to supply-demand mismatches in state-legal markets, company owner and Chief Economist Beau Whitney said he is proposing that state regulators annually adjust supply capacities.\",\n \"author\": \" Patrick Williams\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-08T16:22:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/08/cannabis-gh-adobe-stock.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"...\",\n \"GPE\": [],\n \"ORG\": [],\n \"PERSON\": [],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"cbd\",\n \"use\",\n \"product\",\n \"say\",\n \"thc\",\n \"study\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"health\",\n \"people\",\n \"high\",\n \"test\",\n \"make\",\n \"drug\",\n \"like\",\n \"oil\",\n \"new\",\n \"research\",\n \"vaping\",\n \"plant\",\n \"help\",\n \"effect\",\n \"know\",\n \"smoke\",\n \"time\",\n \"year\",\n \"report\",\n \"pain\",\n \"patient\",\n \"food\",\n \"weed\",\n \"way\",\n \"contain\",\n \"need\",\n \"include\",\n \"come\",\n \"strain\",\n \"work\",\n \"good\",\n \"treat\",\n \"medical\",\n \"treatment\",\n \"look\",\n \"user\",\n \"want\",\n \"edible\",\n \"vape\",\n \"fda\",\n \"university\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Consumer\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.25,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.6197289228439331\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a740d5dba60336292bad\",\n \"title\": \"SC Labs Expands into Southern California\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/sc-labs-opens-new-cannabis-testing-lab-los-angeles-california\",\n \"description\": \"The company opened a new cannabis testing lab in Los Angeles.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-08T15:57:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Dec. 8, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - SC Labs , a cannabis and hemp testing company, announced its plans to expand into Southern California–beginning with a new lab opening in Los Angeles. The new, 12,000+ square foot facility, located in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, will conduct both R&D and compliance cannabis testing–similar to its Santa Cruz counterpart–providing faster turnaround times to process samples for customers south of Santa Barbara. The new lab will offer the full suite of California compliance testing (potency, pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, microbials, water activity, filth and foreign material) as well as terpene and shelf stability testing. By opening this new state-of-the-art lab, SC Labs will deliver added testing capacity and more resources for research and development. Similar to SC's operations in Santa Cruz, the new lab will maintain the same technology stack (Laboratory Information Systems and the SC Client Services Portal) and chemometric reporting for customers conducting both Cannabinoid and Terpenoid assays. The L.A. facility will also provide stability testing to determine shelf life in February 2023. \\\"We are thrilled to bring more high-quality testing to a wider swath of the Golden State,\\\" said Jeff Journey, CEO of SC Labs. \\\"With this expansion, we are doubling down on California as a leading market that we believe has the regulatory oversight to enforce proper testing requirements. We're excited to get to work in Southern California, supporting even more customers with the high-quality, accurate testing they need as this market continues to mature and grow.\\\" \\\"Our customers have been asking us to open a Southern California lab for years, and we're excited to finally deliver on that ask,\\\" added Jeff Gray, co-founder and chief innovation officer of SC Labs. \\\"This new state of the art lab more than doubles our California testing capacity, enabling us to do more R&D, and more importantly, provides ample and excess testing capacity for all of our customers.\\\" Combined U.S. medical and recreational cannabis sales are estimated to be upwards of $52.6 billion by 2026–and California is currently the largest legal cannabis market in the world. In regulated cannabis markets like California, products for sale are required to undergo a series of tests by a state-accredited lab to help ensure that products are safe to consume and accurately labeled. SC Labs is allowing its customers to meet those requirements and ultimately help them meet the demand in the market. In addition to L.A., SC Labs currently has cannabis testing labs in Santa Cruz, CA., Colorado, Michigan, and Oregon. SC Labs will begin accepting new customers in mid-December and will host a more formal grand opening in early January. With this growth, SC Labs will be hiring for both California locations in the New Year. Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 8 to include a statement from NORML. Russia has freed WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in prison on cannabis possession charges, as part of a prisoner exchange in which the U.S. released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. “She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” President Joe Biden said Dec. 8 in a statement from the White House, according to the Associated Press . The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed the exchange, the news outlet reported, saying in a statement Thursday that the swap occurred in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout has been flown home. Bout, a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel, was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars’ worth of weapons that U.S. officials said were intended for use against Americans, AP reported. Griner was taken into custody by Russian authorities in February for allegedly carrying cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo International Airport, just north of Moscow. Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has played for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg for the past several years during the offseason. RELATED: WNBA Star Brittney Griner ‘Doing as Well as Can Be Expected’ in Russia Detention After a month-long trial, Griner was found guilty on cannabis possession charges in a Russian court and sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison in August. Biden issued a statement following the news of Griner’s sentencing, calling for her immediate release. The Biden administration first offered the prisoner swap involving Bout in late July. RELATED: Brittney Griner Pleads With President Biden: ‘Please Don’t Forget About Me’ Griner’s defense team filed an appeal in Russian court in the weeks after her conviction, but the appeal was ultimately denied in October. “Brittney Griner’s imprisonment has been a grotesque affront to the concept of justice, and it has served as an unfortunate reminder of how draconic marijuana laws remain around the globe,\\\" NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a public statement. \\\"However, it should also cause a serious level of reflection amongst our lawmakers considering that a large number of states still inflict similar penalties for marijuana possession on our own soil, and the current federal policy of marijuana prohibition isn’t notably different than the stance held by Putin’s regime in Russia. Brittney Griner very much deserved to be released and brought home, but our elected officials in the United States must use this as motivation to bring our domestic marijuana policies in line with our nation’s stated principles of liberty and justice.” Viola is adding edibles to its product lineup. The Michigan-based operator is partnering with Puff Cannabis for the launch of its gummy edibles, with an in-store release event at Puff’s Madison Heights, Mich., location on Dec. 16. The edibles will also be available at Puff’s Hamtramck and Utica locations. Beyond Michigan, Viola plans to expand its edibles offerings to Arizona, California, and Colorado in early 2023. The edibles will be available in four different flavors—Auntie’s Punch, Big Apple Dreamin, Paradise Island, and Uptown Espresso—all of which were inspired by Viola Owner Al Harrington’s grandmother, the company’s namesake. RELATED: Viola Spreads The Wealth “We’ve been working strategically to shift our product offering to convenience items to fit the lifestyles of our consumers,” said Najee Tyler, director of marketing at Viola. “With the massive growth of the edibles industry and gummies leading the way, we wanted to offer the Viola community something they’ve been asking for for a while. We’re excited to finally be able to provide premium products everyone can enjoy.” A group of four cannabis business entities and three individual owners in Southern California were issued $128 million in civil penalties Dec. 5 after admitting to illicit operations in court, according to a summary judgement ruling. The ruling by Judge Stephen Pfahler in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, stems from 2019 and 2020 investigations conducted by state authorities in Canoga Park, Calif. The defendants admitted to engaging in unlicensed commercial manufacturing and distributor cannabis activity on 527 separate days, according to the court ruling. Specifically, the investigations revealed that the unlicensed activity was tied to Vertical Bliss Inc., one of the four named entities, which had held licenses for commercial cannabis manufacturing and distribution in the state at that time, according to the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). State authorities from DCC’s predecessors—the DCC was formed in July 2021 by consolidating three former agencies—revoked Vertical Bliss’ licenses “swiftly” following investigations in November 2019. At the time, the state’s Bureau of Cannabis Control and Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced a search of the unlicensed location in Canoga Park resulted in seizure of $21 million in illicit products, including 7,200 vape cartridges. In September 2020, the Bureau and CDPH filed a complaint seeking civil penalties from Vertical Bliss. With that filing, the state regulatory bodies also announced that seized records allegedly documented Vertical Bliss’ production of more than 3.3 million Kushy Punch Inc. brand gummies during an 18-month period, with an estimated value of $64 million. RELATED: California Dispensary Pulls Kushy Punch Products From Shelves Pfahler’s order for the civil penalties this week came after the defendants’ second consecutive failure to appear in court. “This ruling sends a strong message that the illegal cannabis market will not be tolerated in California,” DCC Director Nicole Elliott said in a press release . “DCC and our partners will do everything in our power to protect consumers and maintain the integrity of California’s legal cannabis market. We applaud the court for its commitment to enforcing the rule of law in California’s cannabis industry.” In addition to Vertical Bliss and Kushy Punch Inc., Conglomerate Marketing LLC and More Agency Inc. were named as business entity defendants in the case, which each admitted they received gross revenue exceeding $10 million and $1 million annually from unlicensed commercial cannabis manufacturing and distributor activities, respectively, during the relevant period, according to Pfahler’s Dec. 5 ruling. “As to the individual defendants, they each engaged in illegal commercial cannabis activity by virtue of their admitted ownership of, ownership interest in, and/or control and managing power over, the business entity defendants,” the order read. The $128 million in penalties were calculated based on three licensing fees of $81,000 multiplied by 527, once for each day of the violations, as outlined in the state’s Business and Professions Code. The code states that a person engaged in unlicensed cannabis activity is “subject to civil penalties of up to three times the amount of the license fee for each violation.” RELATED: California Department of Cannabis Control Seeks $128 Million in Penalties From Illegal Cannabis Businesses In addition to the seven defendants covered in Pfahler’s ruling, DCC officials continue to “pursue a just and appropriate resolution against one remaining defendant,” according to the department’s release. That fourth individual defendant, who failed to appear in court on Dec. 5, is scheduled to appear in the Civil Division’s Chatsworth Courthouse on Jan. 5, 2023, before a final judgement is entered into the case, according to Pfahler’s summary. CaliforniaDCCvsVerticalBliss_20CHCV00560 by Tony Lange on Scribd Vertically integrated multistate operator Ayr Wellness announced its intention to donate $100,000 to restorative justice initiatives as part of its second annual “ 12 Days of Giving ” holiday donation campaign. Ayr is donating $1.12 of every transaction made at its retail locations between Dec. 5 and Dec. 16 to Freedom Grow , a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting prisoners with cannabis-related charges and their families through its “The Wish Program;” and to the Minorities for Medical Marijuana Project Clean Slate initiative, a program that provides record expungement to adults with select cannabis-related charges, according to a press release . The company’s goal is to hit $100,000 in donations, according to the release. “This marks Ayr’s second year of the program, which is poised to directly benefit the families of those who have been incarcerated for cannabis offenses,” said David Goubert, Ayr president. “We hope that this initiative will inspire an ecosystem of giving for our customers and employees, ultimately benefitting those negatively impacted by the War on Drugs, a core focus of our Changing Legacies pillar.” Khari Edwards, head of corporate social responsibility at Ayr, said the company’s partnership with Freedom Grow allows them to “brighten up the holiday season for those who are often overlooked in discussions about the harmful effects of prohibition–the families and children of offenders, many of whom have to scramble to make ends meet while their loved one is away. “Combining this with our support of Minorities for Medical Marijuana’s Project Clean Slate, which provides expungement and wrap-around services across the country, allows us to take a more holistic approach to advocacy this holiday season.\\\"\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"new lab will conduct both R&D and compliance cannabis testing. facility will provide faster turnaround times to process samples south of Santa Barbara. Combined U.s. medical and recreational cannabis sales are estimated to be upwards of $52.6 billion by 2026.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"SANTA CRUZ\",\n \"Calif.\",\n \"Los Angeles\",\n \"Van Nuys\",\n \"Santa Cruz\",\n \"Santa Barbara\",\n \"California\",\n \"L.A.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"CA.\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Russia\",\n \"Moscow\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"Mich.\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"County\",\n \"Canoga Park\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"SC\",\n \"Laboratory Information Systems\",\n \"the SC Client Services Portal\",\n \"SC Labs\",\n \"NORML\",\n \"the White House\",\n \"the Associated Press\",\n \"The Russian Foreign Ministry\",\n \"Abu-Dhabi\",\n \"Bout\",\n \"Soviet Army\",\n \"AP\",\n \"the Phoenix Mercury\",\n \"Viola\",\n \"Auntie’s Punch\",\n \"Big Apple Dreamin\",\n \"Uptown Espresso\",\n \"the Superior Court\",\n \"Vertical Bliss Inc.\",\n \"the California Department of Cannabis Control\",\n \"DCC\",\n \"Bureau of Cannabis Control and Department of Public Health\",\n \"Bureau\",\n \"Kushy Punch Inc.\",\n \"More Agency Inc.\",\n \"Pfahler’s\",\n \"California Department\",\n \"the Civil Division’s Chatsworth Courthouse\",\n \"Clean Slate\",\n \"Changing Legacies\",\n \"Freedom Grow\",\n \"Minorities for Medical Marijuana’s\",\n \"Project Clean Slate\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Cannabinoid\",\n \"Jeff Journey\",\n \"Jeff Gray\",\n \"Brittney Griner\",\n \"Viktor Bout\",\n \"Joe Biden\",\n \"Griner\",\n \"Biden\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Erik Altieri\",\n \"Putin\",\n \"Puff Cannabis\",\n \"Utica\",\n \"Beyond Michigan\",\n \"Al Harrington\",\n \"Najee Tyler\",\n \"Stephen Pfahler\",\n \"Vertical Bliss’\",\n \"Vertical Bliss\",\n \"Nicole Elliott\",\n \"Bliss\",\n \"Pfahler\",\n \"Tony Lange\",\n \"Ayr Wellness\",\n \"Freedom Grow\",\n \"David Goubert\",\n \"Khari Edwards\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.56,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7397617101669312\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a72ed5dba60336292ba7\",\n \"title\": \"WNBA Player Brittney Griner Released from Russian Detention in Prisoner Swap\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/wnba-player-brittney-griner-release-from-russian-detention-in-prisoner-swap\",\n \"description\": \"Griner, who was sentenced to nine years on cannabis possession charges, has been freed as the U.S. released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-08T15:44:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 8 to include a statement from NORML. Russia has freed WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in prison on cannabis possession charges, as part of a prisoner exchange in which the U.S. released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. “She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” President Joe Biden said Dec. 8 in a statement from the White House, according to the Associated Press . The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed the exchange, the news outlet reported, saying in a statement Thursday that the swap occurred in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout has been flown home. Bout, a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel, was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars’ worth of weapons that U.S. officials said were intended for use against Americans, AP reported. Griner was taken into custody by Russian authorities in February for allegedly carrying cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo International Airport, just north of Moscow. Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has played for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg for the past several years during the offseason. RELATED: WNBA Star Brittney Griner ‘Doing as Well as Can Be Expected’ in Russia Detention After a month-long trial, Griner was found guilty on cannabis possession charges in a Russian court and sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison in August. Biden issued a statement following the news of Griner’s sentencing, calling for her immediate release. The Biden administration first offered the prisoner swap involving Bout in late July. RELATED: Brittney Griner Pleads With President Biden: ‘Please Don’t Forget About Me’ Griner’s defense team filed an appeal in Russian court in the weeks after her conviction, but the appeal was ultimately denied in October. “Brittney Griner’s imprisonment has been a grotesque affront to the concept of justice, and it has served as an unfortunate reminder of how draconic marijuana laws remain around the globe,\\\" NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a public statement. \\\"However, it should also cause a serious level of reflection amongst our lawmakers considering that a large number of states still inflict similar penalties for marijuana possession on our own soil, and the current federal policy of marijuana prohibition isn’t notably different than the stance held by Putin’s regime in Russia. Brittney Griner very much deserved to be released and brought home, but our elected officials in the United States must use this as motivation to bring our domestic marijuana policies in line with our nation’s stated principles of liberty and justice.” Viola is adding edibles to its product lineup. The Michigan-based operator is partnering with Puff Cannabis for the launch of its gummy edibles, with an in-store release event at Puff’s Madison Heights, Mich., location on Dec. 16. The edibles will also be available at Puff’s Hamtramck and Utica locations. Beyond Michigan, Viola plans to expand its edibles offerings to Arizona, California, and Colorado in early 2023. The edibles will be available in four different flavors—Auntie’s Punch, Big Apple Dreamin, Paradise Island, and Uptown Espresso—all of which were inspired by Viola Owner Al Harrington’s grandmother, the company’s namesake. RELATED: Viola Spreads The Wealth “We’ve been working strategically to shift our product offering to convenience items to fit the lifestyles of our consumers,” said Najee Tyler, director of marketing at Viola. “With the massive growth of the edibles industry and gummies leading the way, we wanted to offer the Viola community something they’ve been asking for for a while. We’re excited to finally be able to provide premium products everyone can enjoy.” A group of four cannabis business entities and three individual owners in Southern California were issued $128 million in civil penalties Dec. 5 after admitting to illicit operations in court, according to a summary judgement ruling. The ruling by Judge Stephen Pfahler in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, stems from 2019 and 2020 investigations conducted by state authorities in Canoga Park, Calif. The defendants admitted to engaging in unlicensed commercial manufacturing and distributor cannabis activity on 527 separate days, according to the court ruling. Specifically, the investigations revealed that the unlicensed activity was tied to Vertical Bliss Inc., one of the four named entities, which had held licenses for commercial cannabis manufacturing and distribution in the state at that time, according to the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). State authorities from DCC’s predecessors—the DCC was formed in July 2021 by consolidating three former agencies—revoked Vertical Bliss’ licenses “swiftly” following investigations in November 2019. At the time, the state’s Bureau of Cannabis Control and Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced a search of the unlicensed location in Canoga Park resulted in seizure of $21 million in illicit products, including 7,200 vape cartridges. In September 2020, the Bureau and CDPH filed a complaint seeking civil penalties from Vertical Bliss. With that filing, the state regulatory bodies also announced that seized records allegedly documented Vertical Bliss’ production of more than 3.3 million Kushy Punch Inc. brand gummies during an 18-month period, with an estimated value of $64 million. RELATED: California Dispensary Pulls Kushy Punch Products From Shelves Pfahler’s order for the civil penalties this week came after the defendants’ second consecutive failure to appear in court. “This ruling sends a strong message that the illegal cannabis market will not be tolerated in California,” DCC Director Nicole Elliott said in a press release . “DCC and our partners will do everything in our power to protect consumers and maintain the integrity of California’s legal cannabis market. We applaud the court for its commitment to enforcing the rule of law in California’s cannabis industry.” In addition to Vertical Bliss and Kushy Punch Inc., Conglomerate Marketing LLC and More Agency Inc. were named as business entity defendants in the case, which each admitted they received gross revenue exceeding $10 million and $1 million annually from unlicensed commercial cannabis manufacturing and distributor activities, respectively, during the relevant period, according to Pfahler’s Dec. 5 ruling. “As to the individual defendants, they each engaged in illegal commercial cannabis activity by virtue of their admitted ownership of, ownership interest in, and/or control and managing power over, the business entity defendants,” the order read. The $128 million in penalties were calculated based on three licensing fees of $81,000 multiplied by 527, once for each day of the violations, as outlined in the state’s Business and Professions Code. The code states that a person engaged in unlicensed cannabis activity is “subject to civil penalties of up to three times the amount of the license fee for each violation.” RELATED: California Department of Cannabis Control Seeks $128 Million in Penalties From Illegal Cannabis Businesses In addition to the seven defendants covered in Pfahler’s ruling, DCC officials continue to “pursue a just and appropriate resolution against one remaining defendant,” according to the department’s release. That fourth individual defendant, who failed to appear in court on Dec. 5, is scheduled to appear in the Civil Division’s Chatsworth Courthouse on Jan. 5, 2023, before a final judgement is entered into the case, according to Pfahler’s summary. CaliforniaDCCvsVerticalBliss_20CHCV00560 by Tony Lange on Scribd Vertically integrated multistate operator Ayr Wellness announced its intention to donate $100,000 to restorative justice initiatives as part of its second annual “ 12 Days of Giving ” holiday donation campaign. Ayr is donating $1.12 of every transaction made at its retail locations between Dec. 5 and Dec. 16 to Freedom Grow , a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting prisoners with cannabis-related charges and their families through its “The Wish Program;” and to the Minorities for Medical Marijuana Project Clean Slate initiative, a program that provides record expungement to adults with select cannabis-related charges, according to a press release . The company’s goal is to hit $100,000 in donations, according to the release. “This marks Ayr’s second year of the program, which is poised to directly benefit the families of those who have been incarcerated for cannabis offenses,” said David Goubert, Ayr president. “We hope that this initiative will inspire an ecosystem of giving for our customers and employees, ultimately benefitting those negatively impacted by the War on Drugs, a core focus of our Changing Legacies pillar.” Khari Edwards, head of corporate social responsibility at Ayr, said the company’s partnership with Freedom Grow allows them to “brighten up the holiday season for those who are often overlooked in discussions about the harmful effects of prohibition–the families and children of offenders, many of whom have to scramble to make ends meet while their loved one is away. “Combining this with our support of Minorities for Medical Marijuana’s Project Clean Slate, which provides expungement and wrap-around services across the country, allows us to take a more holistic approach to advocacy this holiday season.\\\" The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) is adding a new qualifying condition to its medical cannabis program for the first time since June 2019–bringing the total to 29. The NMDOH announced at the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board meeting Dec. 6 that it is adding anxiety disorder to the list of qualifying conditions for enrollment starting Jan. 1, 2023. A petition requesting for anxiety disorder to be added as a qualifying condition was submitted to the board in March for consideration and was approved in November by David R. Scrase, Ph.D., Acting Cabinet Secretary for the DOH, according to a press release from the NMDOH. Scrase wrote in his decision that anxiety disorder is a debilitating condition and that “even though patients may access cannabis without a medical cannabis card through the adult use program, by including anxiety disorder in the list of qualifying conditions, patients would have increased opportunity to discuss with their medical provider how cannabis can be used to alleviate the symptoms of their anxiety disorder.” A full list of the state’s qualifying conditions can be viewed here .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/08/Gavel-AdobeStock-Credit-AfricaStudio-Resized2.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the WNBA star was sentenced to nine years in prison on cannabis possession charges in august. she was released as part of a prisoner exchange in which the u.s. released arms dealer Viktor Bout. \\\"She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,\\\" president biden said in a statement from the white house.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Russia\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Moscow\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Mich.\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"County\",\n \"Los Angeles\",\n \"Canoga Park\",\n \"Calif.\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"NORML\",\n \"the White House\",\n \"the Associated Press\",\n \"The Russian Foreign Ministry\",\n \"Abu-Dhabi\",\n \"Bout\",\n \"Soviet Army\",\n \"AP\",\n \"the Phoenix Mercury\",\n \"Viola\",\n \"Auntie’s Punch\",\n \"Big Apple Dreamin\",\n \"Uptown Espresso\",\n \"the Superior Court\",\n \"Vertical Bliss Inc.\",\n \"the California Department of Cannabis Control\",\n \"DCC\",\n \"Bureau of Cannabis Control and Department of Public Health\",\n \"Bureau\",\n \"Kushy Punch Inc.\",\n \"More Agency Inc.\",\n \"Pfahler’s\",\n \"California Department\",\n \"the Civil Division’s Chatsworth Courthouse\",\n \"Clean Slate\",\n \"Changing Legacies\",\n \"Freedom Grow\",\n \"Minorities for Medical Marijuana’s\",\n \"Project Clean Slate\",\n \"The New Mexico Department of Health\",\n \"NMDOH\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board\",\n \"Cabinet\",\n \"DOH\",\n \"Scrase\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Brittney Griner\",\n \"Viktor Bout\",\n \"Joe Biden\",\n \"Griner\",\n \"Biden\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Erik Altieri\",\n \"Putin\",\n \"Puff Cannabis\",\n \"Utica\",\n \"Beyond Michigan\",\n \"Al Harrington\",\n \"Najee Tyler\",\n \"Stephen Pfahler\",\n \"Vertical Bliss’\",\n \"Vertical Bliss\",\n \"Nicole Elliott\",\n \"Bliss\",\n \"Pfahler\",\n \"Tony Lange\",\n \"Ayr Wellness\",\n \"Freedom Grow\",\n \"David Goubert\",\n \"Khari Edwards\",\n \"David R. Scrase\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.45,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.4952566623687744\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a726d5dba60336292ba3\",\n \"title\": \"Viola Expands to Edibles\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/viola-edibles-puff-cannabis\",\n \"description\": \"The Michigan-based operator is partnering with Puff Cannabis for the launch of its gummy edibles on Dec. 16.\",\n \"author\": \"Zach Mentz\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-08T15:01:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Viola is adding edibles to its product lineup. The Michigan-based operator is partnering with Puff Cannabis for the launch of its gummy edibles, with an in-store release event at Puff’s Madison Heights, Mich., location on Dec. 16. The edibles will also be available at Puff’s Hamtramck and Utica locations. Beyond Michigan, Viola plans to expand its edibles offerings to Arizona, California, and Colorado in early 2023. The edibles will be available in four different flavors—Auntie’s Punch, Big Apple Dreamin, Paradise Island, and Uptown Espresso—all of which were inspired by Viola Owner Al Harrington’s grandmother, the company’s namesake. RELATED: Viola Spreads The Wealth “We’ve been working strategically to shift our product offering to convenience items to fit the lifestyles of our consumers,” said Najee Tyler, director of marketing at Viola. “With the massive growth of the edibles industry and gummies leading the way, we wanted to offer the Viola community something they’ve been asking for for a while. We’re excited to finally be able to provide premium products everyone can enjoy.” A group of four cannabis business entities and three individual owners in Southern California were issued $128 million in civil penalties Dec. 5 after admitting to illicit operations in court, according to a summary judgement ruling. The ruling by Judge Stephen Pfahler in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, stems from 2019 and 2020 investigations conducted by state authorities in Canoga Park, Calif. The defendants admitted to engaging in unlicensed commercial manufacturing and distributor cannabis activity on 527 separate days, according to the court ruling. Specifically, the investigations revealed that the unlicensed activity was tied to Vertical Bliss Inc., one of the four named entities, which had held licenses for commercial cannabis manufacturing and distribution in the state at that time, according to the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). State authorities from DCC’s predecessors—the DCC was formed in July 2021 by consolidating three former agencies—revoked Vertical Bliss’ licenses “swiftly” following investigations in November 2019. At the time, the state’s Bureau of Cannabis Control and Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced a search of the unlicensed location in Canoga Park resulted in seizure of $21 million in illicit products, including 7,200 vape cartridges. In September 2020, the Bureau and CDPH filed a complaint seeking civil penalties from Vertical Bliss. With that filing, the state regulatory bodies also announced that seized records allegedly documented Vertical Bliss’ production of more than 3.3 million Kushy Punch Inc. brand gummies during an 18-month period, with an estimated value of $64 million. RELATED: California Dispensary Pulls Kushy Punch Products From Shelves Pfahler’s order for the civil penalties this week came after the defendants’ second consecutive failure to appear in court. “This ruling sends a strong message that the illegal cannabis market will not be tolerated in California,” DCC Director Nicole Elliott said in a press release . “DCC and our partners will do everything in our power to protect consumers and maintain the integrity of California’s legal cannabis market. We applaud the court for its commitment to enforcing the rule of law in California’s cannabis industry.” In addition to Vertical Bliss and Kushy Punch Inc., Conglomerate Marketing LLC and More Agency Inc. were named as business entity defendants in the case, which each admitted they received gross revenue exceeding $10 million and $1 million annually from unlicensed commercial cannabis manufacturing and distributor activities, respectively, during the relevant period, according to Pfahler’s Dec. 5 ruling. “As to the individual defendants, they each engaged in illegal commercial cannabis activity by virtue of their admitted ownership of, ownership interest in, and/or control and managing power over, the business entity defendants,” the order read. The $128 million in penalties were calculated based on three licensing fees of $81,000 multiplied by 527, once for each day of the violations, as outlined in the state’s Business and Professions Code. The code states that a person engaged in unlicensed cannabis activity is “subject to civil penalties of up to three times the amount of the license fee for each violation.” RELATED: California Department of Cannabis Control Seeks $128 Million in Penalties From Illegal Cannabis Businesses In addition to the seven defendants covered in Pfahler’s ruling, DCC officials continue to “pursue a just and appropriate resolution against one remaining defendant,” according to the department’s release. That fourth individual defendant, who failed to appear in court on Dec. 5, is scheduled to appear in the Civil Division’s Chatsworth Courthouse on Jan. 5, 2023, before a final judgement is entered into the case, according to Pfahler’s summary. CaliforniaDCCvsVerticalBliss_20CHCV00560 by Tony Lange on Scribd Vertically integrated multistate operator Ayr Wellness announced its intention to donate $100,000 to restorative justice initiatives as part of its second annual “ 12 Days of Giving ” holiday donation campaign. Ayr is donating $1.12 of every transaction made at its retail locations between Dec. 5 and Dec. 16 to Freedom Grow , a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting prisoners with cannabis-related charges and their families through its “The Wish Program;” and to the Minorities for Medical Marijuana Project Clean Slate initiative, a program that provides record expungement to adults with select cannabis-related charges, according to a press release . The company’s goal is to hit $100,000 in donations, according to the release. “This marks Ayr’s second year of the program, which is poised to directly benefit the families of those who have been incarcerated for cannabis offenses,” said David Goubert, Ayr president. “We hope that this initiative will inspire an ecosystem of giving for our customers and employees, ultimately benefitting those negatively impacted by the War on Drugs, a core focus of our Changing Legacies pillar.” Khari Edwards, head of corporate social responsibility at Ayr, said the company’s partnership with Freedom Grow allows them to “brighten up the holiday season for those who are often overlooked in discussions about the harmful effects of prohibition–the families and children of offenders, many of whom have to scramble to make ends meet while their loved one is away. “Combining this with our support of Minorities for Medical Marijuana’s Project Clean Slate, which provides expungement and wrap-around services across the country, allows us to take a more holistic approach to advocacy this holiday season.\\\" The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) is adding a new qualifying condition to its medical cannabis program for the first time since June 2019–bringing the total to 29. The NMDOH announced at the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board meeting Dec. 6 that it is adding anxiety disorder to the list of qualifying conditions for enrollment starting Jan. 1, 2023. A petition requesting for anxiety disorder to be added as a qualifying condition was submitted to the board in March for consideration and was approved in November by David R. Scrase, Ph.D., Acting Cabinet Secretary for the DOH, according to a press release from the NMDOH. Scrase wrote in his decision that anxiety disorder is a debilitating condition and that “even though patients may access cannabis without a medical cannabis card through the adult use program, by including anxiety disorder in the list of qualifying conditions, patients would have increased opportunity to discuss with their medical provider how cannabis can be used to alleviate the symptoms of their anxiety disorder.” A full list of the state’s qualifying conditions can be viewed here . The Ohio House Finance Committee heard an adult-use cannabis legalization bill Dec. 6, despite time running out in the current legislative session, which is set to adjourn Dec. 21. Ohio Reps. Casey Weinstein, D-Hudson, and Terrence Upchurch, D-Cleveland, introduced House Bill 382 last year to allow adults 21 and older to purchase and consume cannabis, as well as grow a limited number of plants at home for personal use. RELATED: Buckeye Duo Formally Files Adult-Use Cannabis Bill in Ohio At Tuesday’s House Finance Committee hearing, Weinstein said legalizing adult-use cannabis in Ohio would increase public safety and boost the state’s economy, according to a local NBC 4 report . “Our state is actively losing dollars to neighboring states with recreational programs and missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in potential tax revenue,” Weinstein said, according to the news outlet. H.B. 382 would create a cannabis regulatory agency within the Ohio Department of Commerce to oversee the licensing of cannabis cultivators, processors, dispensaries and testing laboratories, NBC 4 reported. The newly established agency would be responsible for reviewing and approving license applications, as well as developing guidelines for license revocation. The bill would levy a 10% tax on cannabis retailer’s gross sales, and directs the revenue generated to very specific areas—35% would go to road and bridge maintenance, 35% to K-12 education, and 32% to municipalities that host dispensaries, NBC 4 reported. H.B. 382 also mandates that $20 million be designated annually for the first two years to clinical trials and research on cannabis as a treatment option for veterans, according to the news outlet. The legislation would allow adults to possess up to 5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates, but consumption would be prohibited in public places, vehicles and K-12 schools, NBC 4 reported. While H.B. 382 includes expungement provisions for those previously convicted of cannabis-related crimes, individuals would have to apply for expungement and are subject to a hearing, where the prosecutor could object to the motion, according to the news outlet. H.B. 382 echoes legalization efforts from the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol , which is renewing its push to get an adult-use legalization measure before voters on Ohio’s November 2023 ballot after a lawsuit suspended the group’s 2022 campaign. RELATED: Ohio Advocates Push to Get Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Measure on 2023 Ballot In the meantime, Weinstein and Upchurch formally introduced the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol’s initiated statute in the House earlier this year, despite that measure competing with the duo’s adult-use legalization bill. The coalition’s proposal is slated for review by Ohio’s Legislature as early as January, according to NBC 4 . “I view Ohioans as largely responsible adults,” Weinstein said Tuesday. “And the reality is that many go to that state up north right now, and I hate in any way to be losing out to them on access to an industry that is growing.\\\"\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/08/Violaediblesweb-header.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"a group of four cannabis business entities and three individual owners in southern california were issued $128 million in civil penalties. the defendants admitted to engaging in unlicensed commercial manufacturing and distributor cannabis activity on 527 separate days. the edibles will be available in four different flavors—Auntie’s Punch, Big Apple Dreamin, Paradise Island, and Uptown Espresso.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Mich.\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"County\",\n \"Los Angeles\",\n \"Canoga Park\",\n \"Calif.\",\n \"Ohio\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Viola\",\n \"Auntie’s Punch\",\n \"Big Apple Dreamin\",\n \"Uptown Espresso\",\n \"the Superior Court\",\n \"Vertical Bliss Inc.\",\n \"the California Department of Cannabis Control\",\n \"DCC\",\n \"Bureau of Cannabis Control and Department of Public Health\",\n \"Bureau\",\n \"Kushy Punch Inc.\",\n \"More Agency Inc.\",\n \"Pfahler’s\",\n \"California Department\",\n \"the Civil Division’s Chatsworth Courthouse\",\n \"Clean Slate\",\n \"Changing Legacies\",\n \"Freedom Grow\",\n \"Minorities for Medical Marijuana’s\",\n \"Project Clean Slate\",\n \"The New Mexico Department of Health\",\n \"NMDOH\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board\",\n \"Cabinet\",\n \"DOH\",\n \"Scrase\",\n \"The Ohio House Finance Committee\",\n \"Terrence Upchurch\",\n \"D-Cleveland\",\n \"House\",\n \"House Finance Committee\",\n \"NBC\",\n \"the Ohio Department of Commerce\",\n \"the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol\",\n \"Legislature\",\n \"NBC 4\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Puff Cannabis\",\n \"Utica\",\n \"Beyond Michigan\",\n \"Al Harrington\",\n \"Najee Tyler\",\n \"Stephen Pfahler\",\n \"Vertical Bliss’\",\n \"Vertical Bliss\",\n \"Nicole Elliott\",\n \"Bliss\",\n \"Pfahler\",\n \"Tony Lange\",\n \"Ayr Wellness\",\n \"Freedom Grow\",\n \"David Goubert\",\n \"Khari Edwards\",\n \"David R. Scrase\",\n \"Casey Weinstein\",\n \"D-Hudson\",\n \"Buckeye Duo\",\n \"Files Adult\",\n \"Weinstein\",\n \"Alcohol\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.51,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.520187497138977\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a73dd5dba60336292bab\",\n \"title\": \"New Mexico Adds Anxiety Disorder as Qualifying Condition for Medical Cannabis\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/new-mexico-adds-anxiety-disorder-to-list-of-qualifying-conditions.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Anxiety disorder is the 29th qualifying condition for the state’s medical cannabis program.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-07T19:35:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) is adding a new qualifying condition to its medical cannabis program for the first time since June 2019–bringing the total to 29. The NMDOH announced at the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board meeting Dec. 6 that it is adding anxiety disorder to the list of qualifying conditions for enrollment starting Jan. 1, 2023. A petition requesting for anxiety disorder to be added as a qualifying condition was submitted to the board in March for consideration and was approved in November by David R. Scrase, Ph.D., Acting Cabinet Secretary for the DOH, according to a press release from the NMDOH. Scrase wrote in his decision that anxiety disorder is a debilitating condition and that “even though patients may access cannabis without a medical cannabis card through the adult use program, by including anxiety disorder in the list of qualifying conditions, patients would have increased opportunity to discuss with their medical provider how cannabis can be used to alleviate the symptoms of their anxiety disorder.” A full list of the state’s qualifying conditions can be viewed here . The Ohio House Finance Committee heard an adult-use cannabis legalization bill Dec. 6, despite time running out in the current legislative session, which is set to adjourn Dec. 21. Ohio Reps. Casey Weinstein, D-Hudson, and Terrence Upchurch, D-Cleveland, introduced House Bill 382 last year to allow adults 21 and older to purchase and consume cannabis, as well as grow a limited number of plants at home for personal use. RELATED: Buckeye Duo Formally Files Adult-Use Cannabis Bill in Ohio At Tuesday’s House Finance Committee hearing, Weinstein said legalizing adult-use cannabis in Ohio would increase public safety and boost the state’s economy, according to a local NBC 4 report . “Our state is actively losing dollars to neighboring states with recreational programs and missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in potential tax revenue,” Weinstein said, according to the news outlet. H.B. 382 would create a cannabis regulatory agency within the Ohio Department of Commerce to oversee the licensing of cannabis cultivators, processors, dispensaries and testing laboratories, NBC 4 reported. The newly established agency would be responsible for reviewing and approving license applications, as well as developing guidelines for license revocation. The bill would levy a 10% tax on cannabis retailer’s gross sales, and directs the revenue generated to very specific areas—35% would go to road and bridge maintenance, 35% to K-12 education, and 32% to municipalities that host dispensaries, NBC 4 reported. H.B. 382 also mandates that $20 million be designated annually for the first two years to clinical trials and research on cannabis as a treatment option for veterans, according to the news outlet. The legislation would allow adults to possess up to 5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates, but consumption would be prohibited in public places, vehicles and K-12 schools, NBC 4 reported. While H.B. 382 includes expungement provisions for those previously convicted of cannabis-related crimes, individuals would have to apply for expungement and are subject to a hearing, where the prosecutor could object to the motion, according to the news outlet. H.B. 382 echoes legalization efforts from the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol , which is renewing its push to get an adult-use legalization measure before voters on Ohio’s November 2023 ballot after a lawsuit suspended the group’s 2022 campaign. RELATED: Ohio Advocates Push to Get Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Measure on 2023 Ballot In the meantime, Weinstein and Upchurch formally introduced the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol’s initiated statute in the House earlier this year, despite that measure competing with the duo’s adult-use legalization bill. The coalition’s proposal is slated for review by Ohio’s Legislature as early as January, according to NBC 4 . “I view Ohioans as largely responsible adults,” Weinstein said Tuesday. “And the reality is that many go to that state up north right now, and I hate in any way to be losing out to them on access to an industry that is growing.\\\" The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act’s chances of clearing the U.S. Senate are again fading as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urges congressional leaders to remove the cannabis-related language from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Kentucky Republican called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to forego the SAFE Banking provisions, which would allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. McConnell dismissed the banking-related language Dec. 6 as reform “in name only,” according to The Hill . “House and Senate Democrats are still obstructing efforts to close out the NDAA by trying to jam in unrelated items with no relationship whatsoever to defense,” McConnell said on the Senate floor Tuesday, according to the news outlet. “We’re talking about a grab bag of miscellaneous pet priorities, like making our financial system more sympathetic to illegal drugs or permitting reform in name only that’s already failed to pass the Senate earlier this year.” McConnell suggested that Democrats could have brought the SAFE Banking Act to the Senate floor earlier this year, The Hill reported, and said stripping its provisions from the NDAA will give the defense bill a better chance of passing Congress before the end of the year. “My colleagues across the aisle need to cut their unrelated hostage-taking and put a bipartisan NDAA on the floor,” he said. RELATED: Independent Community Bankers Association, Affiliated State Associations Call on Senate to Pass SAFE Banking Act When the NDAA bill text was released later on Tuesday, it did not include any provisions related to federal cannabis policy reform. The news comes as House Democrats have their majority leadership days numbered following November’s election, when Republicans gained nine seats (with one race still pending) to retake control of the chamber in 2023. Under Democratic control for the past four years, the House has passed the SAFE Banking Act seven times, including twice as standalone bills. Last Congress, the House overwhelmingly passed the measure with a 321-103 vote in 2019 and then two more times as part of federal coronavirus relief bills in 2020. But the legislation stalled, in part because McConnell never acted on calendaring it for floor debate in the upper chamber. In 2021, SAFE Banking cruised to passage by a 321-101 vote as a standalone measure in April and then passed again via a voice vote in September as an attachment to the NDAA spending package for fiscal 2022. The act was removed from the NDAA during negotiations between House and Senate leaders. And in 2022, House members approved SAFE Banking a sixth time via an en bloc amendment package to the America COMPETES Act in February and a seventh time by, again, attaching it to the NDAA as an amendment in July. Today marks the *7th time* the #SAFEBankingAct has passed the U.S. House. I’m calling on the Senate to take action for the safety of our communities and success of Veteran- and minority-owned businesses across the country. It’s time to get this done. #SAFEBanking — Rep. Ed Perlmutter (@RepPerlmutter) July 14, 2022 \\\"While it’s disappointing the Senate failed to include cannabis banking and restorative justice reforms in the NDAA, we are confident that the majority of Senators are committed to enacting a bipartisan version of SAFE Plus by the end of this year,” Khadijah Tribble, CEO of the U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC) , said in a public statement. “Thus, we remain optimistic that we’ll see cannabis reforms appear in another legislative vehicle in the coming weeks. USCC will continue fighting for federal cannabis banking laws that reflect the reality on the ground and will make our industry more competitive, diverse, and secure for the communities we operate in.” But even with Schumer calling the shots on the floor of the upper chamber since the beginning of 2021, the latter four House passages have yet to make any sort of meaningful headway under his watch. However, Schumer said during a campaign debate in October that lawmakers “are getting very close to a deal” on cannabis banking reform, The Hill reported. Schumer added that the legislation would also include expungement provisions for nonviolent cannabis-related offenses. “I am working in a bipartisan way with Democrats and Republicans to take the SAFE Banking Act, which allows financial institutions to involve themselves in cannabis companies and lend money to them—but it also does things for justice, such as expunging a record,” Schumer said at the debate. Meanwhile, Schumer, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., filed the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) in July, expanding upon a draft that the Senate trio initially unveiled in July 2021. RELATED: Industry Advocates, Stakeholders Appraise Schumer’s Cannabis Bill The 296-page bill would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, tax and regulate cannabis at the federal level, and grant states the authority to keep or administer their own oversight programs. WAKEFIELD, Massachusetts, Dec. 7, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., announced a first-of-its-kind cannabis education partnership for its Grassroots brand with Ganjier, the Cannabis Sommelier Certification Program. Similar to the Sommelier's role in the wine industry, the Ganjier is trained in the art, science and appreciation of cannabis craft, consumption, and connoisseurship, possessing a multidisciplinary knowledge and astute professionalism serving to raise the standard of excellence throughout the cannabis industry. Following the overwhelming response to Ganjier's third year of record enrollments, the 2023 edition of this groundbreaking cannabis sommelier certification will feature the first-ever partnership for cannabis education and training sessions by one of the largest, leading teams in the cannabis industry today. Founded in Chicago in 2014, Grassroots was originally created to perfect the art and science of cannabis cultivation–making the Curaleaf team members working on the brand ideal candidates for Ganjier training. Meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to cannabis cultivation are core components of the Grassroots brand and Curaleaf company culture. That tradition continues with this announcement of the new partnership with Ganjier. \\\"Analogous to the wine Sommelier, beer Cicerone or cigar Catador, the Ganjier is a trained and certified master of cannabis products, cannabis assessment, and cannabis service,\\\" said Managing Director of Ganjier Derek Gilman. \\\"By training people like Grassroots' team members and partners to understand cannabis products more deeply, they become true leaders and advocates for quality within the modern cannabis industry.\\\" \\\"We're proud of each and every team member embarking on this one-of-a-kind training program supporting our mission to serve, advance and respect the cannabis movement,\\\" said Curaleaf Chief People Officer Tyneeha Rivers. \\\"Cannabis education is paramount for all of us at Curaleaf and this pilot program takes cannabis professionalism to the highest level.\\\" The Grassroots and Ganjier partnership is officially underway, with 100 leadership-nominated team members across all Curaleaf departments, along with external partners, chosen due to their passion and dedication to cannabis education. An additional 79 participants, including Curaleaf's executive roundtable participants and other Curaleaf corporate social responsibility \\\"Rooted in Good\\\" partners, will receive access to an online cannabis curriculum as part of Green Flower's new Social Equity in Cannabis program. Most participants have enrolled via an online-only curriculum–built, led, and taught by the renowned Ganjier council. Every participant received a welcome kit, which included a strain journal, as well as a terpene palate training kit and jewelers' loupe. Regular group study sessions are underway to align the cohort on the self-paced online curriculum. Expanding upon this first-of-its-kind training initiative in the commercial regulated cannabis industry, a select few Grassroots members will also get the opportunity to experience the complete Certified Ganjier Journey, starting with the online curriculum, alongside the rest of their participating team members, and then transitioning to expert-led, in-person instruction during the Grassroots exclusive training session conducted at the expansive 243-acre Ganjier wilderness campus in Humboldt, Calif.. Ultimately, the goal is to certify as many participants from that live training session as possible to support the program's ultimate objective: embracing and incorporating the highest standards in craft cannabis quality and production, while elevating, facilitating and perpetuating the in-house knowledge, assessment skills and acumen necessary to confidently produce the best cannabis available in any of the markets where Grassroots operates, both today and in the future. On Dec. 10, the Emerald Cup Harvest Ball will welcome its first Scratch n Sniff packaging. Humboldt Seed Company (HSC) collaborated with Calaveras County, Calif.-based craft producers One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place to bring the technology to cannabis consumers, said Benjamin Lind, HSC owner and chief science officer. HSC creates the Scratch n Sniff ink using the actual terpenes extracted from the same batch of cannabis contained in the package, Lind said, adding that it solves the issue of consumers being unable to smell product prior to purchase. Creating Scratch n Sniff ink from its own genetics, HSC has put Scratch n Sniff advertisements in nationally distributed magazines and applied the ink to their cannabis seed packs since the inception of California’s adult-use cannabis market in January 2018. HSC aims to create a richer consumer experience with Scratch n Sniff ink, which Lind said does not include any controlled substances. “The cost associated with dedicating a portion of a cannabis crop to terpene extraction seemed to scare some of our potential collaborators away, but now with California’s cannabis prices tanking it made perfect sense to our long-time seed customers One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place,” Lind said. One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place flower packaging with HSC terpenes Scratch n Sniff stickers will be available in California dispensaries in mid-December, Lind said. The initial release of the product will be available at select locations, including Erba Markets stores, The Woods in West Hollywood, Bract House in Sonora, Tioga Green in Lee Vining, Pure Aloha in Vallecito, Green Gold in San Andreas and Little Trees in Arnold, said Brett Miller, CEO of Burr's Place Organics. “Burr's Place is offering two strains to the public: Orange CreamPop, offered in 28 gram, 14 gram, and 7 gram bags and in 3.5 gram jars,” Miller said. “Burr's Place will also offer Blueberry Muffin in the same capacity.” Miller continued: “One Straw Farm will offer Nutter Budder in 3.5 gram jars. The Scratch n Sniff element will be in the form of a sticker attached to the front of the bags and top of the jars. In addition to the Scratch n Sniff being applied to the product, it will also be applied to a ‘strain profile leaflet’ that will be available for free anywhere our products are sold.\\\"\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/07/Untitleddesign-2022-12-07T143543153.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the state is adding anxiety disorder to the list of qualifying conditions for enrollment starting Jan. 1, 2023. a petition requesting for anxiety disorder to be added as a qualifying condition was submitted to the board in march for consideration. the Ohio House Finance Committee heard an adult-use cannabis legalization bill Dec. 6, despite time running out in the current legislative session.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Ohio\",\n \"Kentucky\",\n \"D-Calif.\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Inc.\",\n \"Chicago\",\n \"Humboldt\",\n \"Calif\",\n \"Calaveras County\",\n \"California\",\n \"West Hollywood\",\n \"Sonora\",\n \"Vallecito\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The New Mexico Department of Health\",\n \"NMDOH\",\n \"the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board\",\n \"Cabinet\",\n \"DOH\",\n \"Scrase\",\n \"The Ohio House Finance Committee\",\n \"Terrence Upchurch\",\n \"D-Cleveland\",\n \"House\",\n \"House Finance Committee\",\n \"NBC\",\n \"the Ohio Department of Commerce\",\n \"the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol\",\n \"Legislature\",\n \"NBC 4\",\n \"the U.S. Senate\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the National Defense Authorization Act\",\n \"D-N.Y.\",\n \"Hill\",\n \"NDAA\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"Independent Community Bankers Association\",\n \"SAFE Banking\",\n \"SAFE\",\n \"the U.S. House\",\n \"@RepPerlmutter\",\n \"the U.S. Cannabis Council\",\n \"USCC\",\n \"Senate Finance Committee\",\n \"D-Ore.\",\n \"D-N.J.\",\n \"the Cannabis Administration\",\n \"Grassroots\",\n \"Ganjier\",\n \"the Cannabis Sommelier Certification Program\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"Green Flower's\",\n \"Social Equity\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"Certified Ganjier Journey\",\n \"Humboldt Seed Company\",\n \"HSC\",\n \"Straw Farm\",\n \"Burr’s Place\",\n \"Lind\",\n \"Creating Scratch n Sniff\",\n \"Scratch n Sniff\",\n \"Erba Markets\",\n \"Burr's Place Organics\",\n \"Orange CreamPop\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"David R. Scrase\",\n \"Casey Weinstein\",\n \"D-Hudson\",\n \"Buckeye Duo\",\n \"Files Adult\",\n \"Weinstein\",\n \"Alcohol\",\n \"Mitch McConnell\",\n \"Chuck Schumer\",\n \"Nancy Pelosi\",\n \"McConnell\",\n \"Veteran-\",\n \"Ed Perlmutter\",\n \"Khadijah Tribble\",\n \"Schumer\",\n \"Ron Wyden\",\n \"Cory Booker\",\n \"Ganjier Derek Gilman\",\n \"Scratch n Sniff\",\n \"Benjamin Lind\",\n \"Tioga Green\",\n \"Lee Vining\",\n \"Pure Aloha\",\n \"Green Gold\",\n \"Brett Miller\",\n \"Miller\",\n \"Blueberry Muffin\",\n \"Nutter Budder\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.52,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8248089551925659\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a71ad5dba60336292b9c\",\n \"title\": \"Ohio House Committee Hears Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bill\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/ohio-house-committee-hears-adult-use-cannabis-legalization-bill.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"House Bill 382, introduced by Reps. Casey Weinstein and Terrence Upchurch last year, would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and consume cannabis, as well as grow a limited number of plants at home for personal use.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-07T17:51:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Ohio House Finance Committee heard an adult-use cannabis legalization bill Dec. 6, despite time running out in the current legislative session, which is set to adjourn Dec. 21. Ohio Reps. Casey Weinstein, D-Hudson, and Terrence Upchurch, D-Cleveland, introduced House Bill 382 last year to allow adults 21 and older to purchase and consume cannabis, as well as grow a limited number of plants at home for personal use. RELATED: Buckeye Duo Formally Files Adult-Use Cannabis Bill in Ohio At Tuesday’s House Finance Committee hearing, Weinstein said legalizing adult-use cannabis in Ohio would increase public safety and boost the state’s economy, according to a local NBC 4 report . “Our state is actively losing dollars to neighboring states with recreational programs and missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in potential tax revenue,” Weinstein said, according to the news outlet. H.B. 382 would create a cannabis regulatory agency within the Ohio Department of Commerce to oversee the licensing of cannabis cultivators, processors, dispensaries and testing laboratories, NBC 4 reported. The newly established agency would be responsible for reviewing and approving license applications, as well as developing guidelines for license revocation. The bill would levy a 10% tax on cannabis retailer’s gross sales, and directs the revenue generated to very specific areas—35% would go to road and bridge maintenance, 35% to K-12 education, and 32% to municipalities that host dispensaries, NBC 4 reported. H.B. 382 also mandates that $20 million be designated annually for the first two years to clinical trials and research on cannabis as a treatment option for veterans, according to the news outlet. The legislation would allow adults to possess up to 5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates, but consumption would be prohibited in public places, vehicles and K-12 schools, NBC 4 reported. While H.B. 382 includes expungement provisions for those previously convicted of cannabis-related crimes, individuals would have to apply for expungement and are subject to a hearing, where the prosecutor could object to the motion, according to the news outlet. H.B. 382 echoes legalization efforts from the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol , which is renewing its push to get an adult-use legalization measure before voters on Ohio’s November 2023 ballot after a lawsuit suspended the group’s 2022 campaign. RELATED: Ohio Advocates Push to Get Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Measure on 2023 Ballot In the meantime, Weinstein and Upchurch formally introduced the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol’s initiated statute in the House earlier this year, despite that measure competing with the duo’s adult-use legalization bill. The coalition’s proposal is slated for review by Ohio’s Legislature as early as January, according to NBC 4 . “I view Ohioans as largely responsible adults,” Weinstein said Tuesday. “And the reality is that many go to that state up north right now, and I hate in any way to be losing out to them on access to an industry that is growing.\\\" The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act’s chances of clearing the U.S. Senate are again fading as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urges congressional leaders to remove the cannabis-related language from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Kentucky Republican called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to forego the SAFE Banking provisions, which would allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. McConnell dismissed the banking-related language Dec. 6 as reform “in name only,” according to The Hill . “House and Senate Democrats are still obstructing efforts to close out the NDAA by trying to jam in unrelated items with no relationship whatsoever to defense,” McConnell said on the Senate floor Tuesday, according to the news outlet. “We’re talking about a grab bag of miscellaneous pet priorities, like making our financial system more sympathetic to illegal drugs or permitting reform in name only that’s already failed to pass the Senate earlier this year.” McConnell suggested that Democrats could have brought the SAFE Banking Act to the Senate floor earlier this year, The Hill reported, and said stripping its provisions from the NDAA will give the defense bill a better chance of passing Congress before the end of the year. “My colleagues across the aisle need to cut their unrelated hostage-taking and put a bipartisan NDAA on the floor,” he said. RELATED: Independent Community Bankers Association, Affiliated State Associations Call on Senate to Pass SAFE Banking Act When the NDAA bill text was released later on Tuesday, it did not include any provisions related to federal cannabis policy reform. The news comes as House Democrats have their majority leadership days numbered following November’s election, when Republicans gained nine seats (with one race still pending) to retake control of the chamber in 2023. Under Democratic control for the past four years, the House has passed the SAFE Banking Act seven times, including twice as standalone bills. Last Congress, the House overwhelmingly passed the measure with a 321-103 vote in 2019 and then two more times as part of federal coronavirus relief bills in 2020. But the legislation stalled, in part because McConnell never acted on calendaring it for floor debate in the upper chamber. In 2021, SAFE Banking cruised to passage by a 321-101 vote as a standalone measure in April and then passed again via a voice vote in September as an attachment to the NDAA spending package for fiscal 2022. The act was removed from the NDAA during negotiations between House and Senate leaders. And in 2022, House members approved SAFE Banking a sixth time via an en bloc amendment package to the America COMPETES Act in February and a seventh time by, again, attaching it to the NDAA as an amendment in July. Today marks the *7th time* the #SAFEBankingAct has passed the U.S. House. I’m calling on the Senate to take action for the safety of our communities and success of Veteran- and minority-owned businesses across the country. It’s time to get this done. #SAFEBanking — Rep. Ed Perlmutter (@RepPerlmutter) July 14, 2022 \\\"While it’s disappointing the Senate failed to include cannabis banking and restorative justice reforms in the NDAA, we are confident that the majority of Senators are committed to enacting a bipartisan version of SAFE Plus by the end of this year,” Khadijah Tribble, CEO of the U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC) , said in a public statement. “Thus, we remain optimistic that we’ll see cannabis reforms appear in another legislative vehicle in the coming weeks. USCC will continue fighting for federal cannabis banking laws that reflect the reality on the ground and will make our industry more competitive, diverse, and secure for the communities we operate in.” But even with Schumer calling the shots on the floor of the upper chamber since the beginning of 2021, the latter four House passages have yet to make any sort of meaningful headway under his watch. However, Schumer said during a campaign debate in October that lawmakers “are getting very close to a deal” on cannabis banking reform, The Hill reported. Schumer added that the legislation would also include expungement provisions for nonviolent cannabis-related offenses. “I am working in a bipartisan way with Democrats and Republicans to take the SAFE Banking Act, which allows financial institutions to involve themselves in cannabis companies and lend money to them—but it also does things for justice, such as expunging a record,” Schumer said at the debate. Meanwhile, Schumer, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., filed the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) in July, expanding upon a draft that the Senate trio initially unveiled in July 2021. RELATED: Industry Advocates, Stakeholders Appraise Schumer’s Cannabis Bill The 296-page bill would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, tax and regulate cannabis at the federal level, and grant states the authority to keep or administer their own oversight programs. WAKEFIELD, Massachusetts, Dec. 7, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., announced a first-of-its-kind cannabis education partnership for its Grassroots brand with Ganjier, the Cannabis Sommelier Certification Program. Similar to the Sommelier's role in the wine industry, the Ganjier is trained in the art, science and appreciation of cannabis craft, consumption, and connoisseurship, possessing a multidisciplinary knowledge and astute professionalism serving to raise the standard of excellence throughout the cannabis industry. Following the overwhelming response to Ganjier's third year of record enrollments, the 2023 edition of this groundbreaking cannabis sommelier certification will feature the first-ever partnership for cannabis education and training sessions by one of the largest, leading teams in the cannabis industry today. Founded in Chicago in 2014, Grassroots was originally created to perfect the art and science of cannabis cultivation–making the Curaleaf team members working on the brand ideal candidates for Ganjier training. Meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to cannabis cultivation are core components of the Grassroots brand and Curaleaf company culture. That tradition continues with this announcement of the new partnership with Ganjier. \\\"Analogous to the wine Sommelier, beer Cicerone or cigar Catador, the Ganjier is a trained and certified master of cannabis products, cannabis assessment, and cannabis service,\\\" said Managing Director of Ganjier Derek Gilman. \\\"By training people like Grassroots' team members and partners to understand cannabis products more deeply, they become true leaders and advocates for quality within the modern cannabis industry.\\\" \\\"We're proud of each and every team member embarking on this one-of-a-kind training program supporting our mission to serve, advance and respect the cannabis movement,\\\" said Curaleaf Chief People Officer Tyneeha Rivers. \\\"Cannabis education is paramount for all of us at Curaleaf and this pilot program takes cannabis professionalism to the highest level.\\\" The Grassroots and Ganjier partnership is officially underway, with 100 leadership-nominated team members across all Curaleaf departments, along with external partners, chosen due to their passion and dedication to cannabis education. An additional 79 participants, including Curaleaf's executive roundtable participants and other Curaleaf corporate social responsibility \\\"Rooted in Good\\\" partners, will receive access to an online cannabis curriculum as part of Green Flower's new Social Equity in Cannabis program. Most participants have enrolled via an online-only curriculum–built, led, and taught by the renowned Ganjier council. Every participant received a welcome kit, which included a strain journal, as well as a terpene palate training kit and jewelers' loupe. Regular group study sessions are underway to align the cohort on the self-paced online curriculum. Expanding upon this first-of-its-kind training initiative in the commercial regulated cannabis industry, a select few Grassroots members will also get the opportunity to experience the complete Certified Ganjier Journey, starting with the online curriculum, alongside the rest of their participating team members, and then transitioning to expert-led, in-person instruction during the Grassroots exclusive training session conducted at the expansive 243-acre Ganjier wilderness campus in Humboldt, Calif.. Ultimately, the goal is to certify as many participants from that live training session as possible to support the program's ultimate objective: embracing and incorporating the highest standards in craft cannabis quality and production, while elevating, facilitating and perpetuating the in-house knowledge, assessment skills and acumen necessary to confidently produce the best cannabis available in any of the markets where Grassroots operates, both today and in the future. On Dec. 10, the Emerald Cup Harvest Ball will welcome its first Scratch n Sniff packaging. Humboldt Seed Company (HSC) collaborated with Calaveras County, Calif.-based craft producers One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place to bring the technology to cannabis consumers, said Benjamin Lind, HSC owner and chief science officer. HSC creates the Scratch n Sniff ink using the actual terpenes extracted from the same batch of cannabis contained in the package, Lind said, adding that it solves the issue of consumers being unable to smell product prior to purchase. Creating Scratch n Sniff ink from its own genetics, HSC has put Scratch n Sniff advertisements in nationally distributed magazines and applied the ink to their cannabis seed packs since the inception of California’s adult-use cannabis market in January 2018. HSC aims to create a richer consumer experience with Scratch n Sniff ink, which Lind said does not include any controlled substances. “The cost associated with dedicating a portion of a cannabis crop to terpene extraction seemed to scare some of our potential collaborators away, but now with California’s cannabis prices tanking it made perfect sense to our long-time seed customers One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place,” Lind said. One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place flower packaging with HSC terpenes Scratch n Sniff stickers will be available in California dispensaries in mid-December, Lind said. The initial release of the product will be available at select locations, including Erba Markets stores, The Woods in West Hollywood, Bract House in Sonora, Tioga Green in Lee Vining, Pure Aloha in Vallecito, Green Gold in San Andreas and Little Trees in Arnold, said Brett Miller, CEO of Burr's Place Organics. “Burr's Place is offering two strains to the public: Orange CreamPop, offered in 28 gram, 14 gram, and 7 gram bags and in 3.5 gram jars,” Miller said. “Burr's Place will also offer Blueberry Muffin in the same capacity.” Miller continued: “One Straw Farm will offer Nutter Budder in 3.5 gram jars. The Scratch n Sniff element will be in the form of a sticker attached to the front of the bags and top of the jars. In addition to the Scratch n Sniff being applied to the product, it will also be applied to a ‘strain profile leaflet’ that will be available for free anywhere our products are sold.\\\" Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced plans Dec. 6 to clear the records of thousands of residents with low-level cannabis possession convictions. The move represents a key component of Connecticut’s adult-use cannabis law, which Lamont signed in June 2021. Records in roughly 44,000 cases will be fully or partially erased in January through an automatic erasure method, according to Lamont’s announcement. “On Jan. 1, thousands of people in Connecticut will have low-level cannabis convictions automatically erased due to the cannabis legalization bill we enacted last year,” Lamont said in a public statement. “Especially as Connecticut employers seek to fill hundreds of thousands of job openings, an old conviction for low-level cannabis possession should not hold someone back from pursuing their career, housing, professional, and educational aspirations.” How individuals are granted erasure of their records depends on when they received their conviction. According to Lamont’s announcement convictions will be handled in the following ways: -Convictions for violations of C.G.S. § 21a-279(c) for possession of under four ounces of a non-narcotic, non-hallucinogenic substance imposed between January 1, 2000, and September 30, 2015, will be automatically erased on January 1, 2023. People included under this provision of the law need not do anything to make these convictions eligible for erasure. -Convictions for the following violations can be erased if one files a petition in Superior Court: Convictions for violations of C.G.S. § 21a-279 for possession of less than or equal to four ounces of a cannabis-type substance imposed before January 1, 2000, and between October 1, 2015, and June 30, 2021. Convictions for violations of C.G.S. § 21a-267(a) for possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia for cannabis imposed before July 1, 2021. Convictions for violations of C.G.S. § 21a-277(b) imposed before July 1, 2021, for manufacturing, selling, possessing with intent to sell, or giving or administering to another person a cannabis-type substance and the amount involved was under four ounces or six plants grown inside a person’s home for personal use. Criminal justice agencies operating under Connecticut’s judicial and executive branches of government are working to implement the necessary information technology upgrades to automatically erase the eligible records, according to Lamont’s announcement, and the state’s Clean Slate automated erasure system is expected to be fully implemented during the second half of next year. Meanwhile, Connecticut’s commercial adult-use cannabis market, which was initially expected to launch by the end of this year, is now slated to launch in early 2023 .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/07/OhioCapitolBuilding-AdobeStock-Credit-Katherine-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the legislation would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and consume cannabis, as well as grow a limited number of plants at home for personal use. the legislation would allow adults to possess up to 5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates, but consumption would be prohibited in public places, vehicles and K-12 schools. the bill would levy a 10% tax on cannabis retailer’s gross sales, and direct the revenue generated to very specific areas.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Ohio\",\n \"Kentucky\",\n \"D-Calif.\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Inc.\",\n \"Chicago\",\n \"Humboldt\",\n \"Calif\",\n \"Calaveras County\",\n \"California\",\n \"West Hollywood\",\n \"Sonora\",\n \"Vallecito\",\n \"Connecticut\",\n \"Lamont\",\n \"C.G.S.\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Ohio House Finance Committee\",\n \"Terrence Upchurch\",\n \"D-Cleveland\",\n \"House\",\n \"House Finance Committee\",\n \"NBC\",\n \"the Ohio Department of Commerce\",\n \"the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol\",\n \"Legislature\",\n \"NBC 4\",\n \"the U.S. Senate\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the National Defense Authorization Act\",\n \"D-N.Y.\",\n \"Hill\",\n \"NDAA\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"Independent Community Bankers Association\",\n \"SAFE Banking\",\n \"SAFE\",\n \"the U.S. House\",\n \"@RepPerlmutter\",\n \"the U.S. Cannabis Council\",\n \"USCC\",\n \"Senate Finance Committee\",\n \"D-Ore.\",\n \"D-N.J.\",\n \"the Cannabis Administration\",\n \"Grassroots\",\n \"Ganjier\",\n \"the Cannabis Sommelier Certification Program\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"Green Flower's\",\n \"Social Equity\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"Certified Ganjier Journey\",\n \"Humboldt Seed Company\",\n \"HSC\",\n \"Straw Farm\",\n \"Burr’s Place\",\n \"Lind\",\n \"Creating Scratch n Sniff\",\n \"Scratch n Sniff\",\n \"Erba Markets\",\n \"Burr's Place Organics\",\n \"Orange CreamPop\",\n \"21a-279(c\",\n \"Superior Court: Convictions\",\n \"Clean Slate\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Casey Weinstein\",\n \"D-Hudson\",\n \"Buckeye Duo\",\n \"Files Adult\",\n \"Weinstein\",\n \"Alcohol\",\n \"Mitch McConnell\",\n \"Chuck Schumer\",\n \"Nancy Pelosi\",\n \"McConnell\",\n \"Veteran-\",\n \"Ed Perlmutter\",\n \"Khadijah Tribble\",\n \"Schumer\",\n \"Ron Wyden\",\n \"Cory Booker\",\n \"Ganjier Derek Gilman\",\n \"Scratch n Sniff\",\n \"Benjamin Lind\",\n \"Tioga Green\",\n \"Lee Vining\",\n \"Pure Aloha\",\n \"Green Gold\",\n \"Brett Miller\",\n \"Miller\",\n \"Blueberry Muffin\",\n \"Nutter Budder\",\n \"Ned Lamont\",\n \"Lamont\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.54,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.923997163772583\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a71cd5dba60336292b9d\",\n \"title\": \"Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Squashes Democrats’ Efforts to Add SAFE Banking Provisions to Defense Bill\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/mitch-mcconnell-squashes-democrats-efforts-to-add-safe-banking-to-defense-bill.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"McConnell called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to remove the cannabis-related language from the National Defense Authorization Act.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller and Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-07T17:06:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act’s chances of clearing the U.S. Senate are again fading as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urges congressional leaders to remove the cannabis-related language from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Kentucky Republican called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to forego the SAFE Banking provisions, which would allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. McConnell dismissed the banking-related language Dec. 6 as reform “in name only,” according to The Hill . “House and Senate Democrats are still obstructing efforts to close out the NDAA by trying to jam in unrelated items with no relationship whatsoever to defense,” McConnell said on the Senate floor Tuesday, according to the news outlet. “We’re talking about a grab bag of miscellaneous pet priorities, like making our financial system more sympathetic to illegal drugs or permitting reform in name only that’s already failed to pass the Senate earlier this year.” McConnell suggested that Democrats could have brought the SAFE Banking Act to the Senate floor earlier this year, The Hill reported, and said stripping its provisions from the NDAA will give the defense bill a better chance of passing Congress before the end of the year. “My colleagues across the aisle need to cut their unrelated hostage-taking and put a bipartisan NDAA on the floor,” he said. RELATED: Independent Community Bankers Association, Affiliated State Associations Call on Senate to Pass SAFE Banking Act When the NDAA bill text was released later on Tuesday, it did not include any provisions related to federal cannabis policy reform. The news comes as House Democrats have their majority leadership days numbered following November’s election, when Republicans gained nine seats (with one race still pending) to retake control of the chamber in 2023. Under Democratic control for the past four years, the House has passed the SAFE Banking Act seven times, including twice as standalone bills. Last Congress, the House overwhelmingly passed the measure with a 321-103 vote in 2019 and then two more times as part of federal coronavirus relief bills in 2020. But the legislation stalled, in part because McConnell never acted on calendaring it for floor debate in the upper chamber. In 2021, SAFE Banking cruised to passage by a 321-101 vote as a standalone measure in April and then passed again via a voice vote in September as an attachment to the NDAA spending package for fiscal 2022. The act was removed from the NDAA during negotiations between House and Senate leaders. And in 2022, House members approved SAFE Banking a sixth time via an en bloc amendment package to the America COMPETES Act in February and a seventh time by, again, attaching it to the NDAA as an amendment in July. Today marks the *7th time* the #SAFEBankingAct has passed the U.S. House. I’m calling on the Senate to take action for the safety of our communities and success of Veteran- and minority-owned businesses across the country. It’s time to get this done. #SAFEBanking — Rep. Ed Perlmutter (@RepPerlmutter) July 14, 2022 \\\"While it’s disappointing the Senate failed to include cannabis banking and restorative justice reforms in the NDAA, we are confident that the majority of Senators are committed to enacting a bipartisan version of SAFE Plus by the end of this year,” Khadijah Tribble, CEO of the U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC) , said in a public statement. “Thus, we remain optimistic that we’ll see cannabis reforms appear in another legislative vehicle in the coming weeks. USCC will continue fighting for federal cannabis banking laws that reflect the reality on the ground and will make our industry more competitive, diverse, and secure for the communities we operate in.” But even with Schumer calling the shots on the floor of the upper chamber since the beginning of 2021, the latter four House passages have yet to make any sort of meaningful headway under his watch. However, Schumer said during a campaign debate in October that lawmakers “are getting very close to a deal” on cannabis banking reform, The Hill reported. Schumer added that the legislation would also include expungement provisions for nonviolent cannabis-related offenses. “I am working in a bipartisan way with Democrats and Republicans to take the SAFE Banking Act, which allows financial institutions to involve themselves in cannabis companies and lend money to them—but it also does things for justice, such as expunging a record,” Schumer said at the debate. Meanwhile, Schumer, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., filed the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) in July, expanding upon a draft that the Senate trio initially unveiled in July 2021. RELATED: Industry Advocates, Stakeholders Appraise Schumer’s Cannabis Bill The 296-page bill would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, tax and regulate cannabis at the federal level, and grant states the authority to keep or administer their own oversight programs. WAKEFIELD, Massachusetts, Dec. 7, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., announced a first-of-its-kind cannabis education partnership for its Grassroots brand with Ganjier, the Cannabis Sommelier Certification Program. Similar to the Sommelier's role in the wine industry, the Ganjier is trained in the art, science and appreciation of cannabis craft, consumption, and connoisseurship, possessing a multidisciplinary knowledge and astute professionalism serving to raise the standard of excellence throughout the cannabis industry. Following the overwhelming response to Ganjier's third year of record enrollments, the 2023 edition of this groundbreaking cannabis sommelier certification will feature the first-ever partnership for cannabis education and training sessions by one of the largest, leading teams in the cannabis industry today. Founded in Chicago in 2014, Grassroots was originally created to perfect the art and science of cannabis cultivation–making the Curaleaf team members working on the brand ideal candidates for Ganjier training. Meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to cannabis cultivation are core components of the Grassroots brand and Curaleaf company culture. That tradition continues with this announcement of the new partnership with Ganjier. \\\"Analogous to the wine Sommelier, beer Cicerone or cigar Catador, the Ganjier is a trained and certified master of cannabis products, cannabis assessment, and cannabis service,\\\" said Managing Director of Ganjier Derek Gilman. \\\"By training people like Grassroots' team members and partners to understand cannabis products more deeply, they become true leaders and advocates for quality within the modern cannabis industry.\\\" \\\"We're proud of each and every team member embarking on this one-of-a-kind training program supporting our mission to serve, advance and respect the cannabis movement,\\\" said Curaleaf Chief People Officer Tyneeha Rivers. \\\"Cannabis education is paramount for all of us at Curaleaf and this pilot program takes cannabis professionalism to the highest level.\\\" The Grassroots and Ganjier partnership is officially underway, with 100 leadership-nominated team members across all Curaleaf departments, along with external partners, chosen due to their passion and dedication to cannabis education. An additional 79 participants, including Curaleaf's executive roundtable participants and other Curaleaf corporate social responsibility \\\"Rooted in Good\\\" partners, will receive access to an online cannabis curriculum as part of Green Flower's new Social Equity in Cannabis program. Most participants have enrolled via an online-only curriculum–built, led, and taught by the renowned Ganjier council. Every participant received a welcome kit, which included a strain journal, as well as a terpene palate training kit and jewelers' loupe. Regular group study sessions are underway to align the cohort on the self-paced online curriculum. Expanding upon this first-of-its-kind training initiative in the commercial regulated cannabis industry, a select few Grassroots members will also get the opportunity to experience the complete Certified Ganjier Journey, starting with the online curriculum, alongside the rest of their participating team members, and then transitioning to expert-led, in-person instruction during the Grassroots exclusive training session conducted at the expansive 243-acre Ganjier wilderness campus in Humboldt, Calif.. Ultimately, the goal is to certify as many participants from that live training session as possible to support the program's ultimate objective: embracing and incorporating the highest standards in craft cannabis quality and production, while elevating, facilitating and perpetuating the in-house knowledge, assessment skills and acumen necessary to confidently produce the best cannabis available in any of the markets where Grassroots operates, both today and in the future. On Dec. 10, the Emerald Cup Harvest Ball will welcome its first Scratch n Sniff packaging. Humboldt Seed Company (HSC) collaborated with Calaveras County, Calif.-based craft producers One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place to bring the technology to cannabis consumers, said Benjamin Lind, HSC owner and chief science officer. HSC creates the Scratch n Sniff ink using the actual terpenes extracted from the same batch of cannabis contained in the package, Lind said, adding that it solves the issue of consumers being unable to smell product prior to purchase. Creating Scratch n Sniff ink from its own genetics, HSC has put Scratch n Sniff advertisements in nationally distributed magazines and applied the ink to their cannabis seed packs since the inception of California’s adult-use cannabis market in January 2018. HSC aims to create a richer consumer experience with Scratch n Sniff ink, which Lind said does not include any controlled substances. “The cost associated with dedicating a portion of a cannabis crop to terpene extraction seemed to scare some of our potential collaborators away, but now with California’s cannabis prices tanking it made perfect sense to our long-time seed customers One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place,” Lind said. One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place flower packaging with HSC terpenes Scratch n Sniff stickers will be available in California dispensaries in mid-December, Lind said. The initial release of the product will be available at select locations, including Erba Markets stores, The Woods in West Hollywood, Bract House in Sonora, Tioga Green in Lee Vining, Pure Aloha in Vallecito, Green Gold in San Andreas and Little Trees in Arnold, said Brett Miller, CEO of Burr's Place Organics. “Burr's Place is offering two strains to the public: Orange CreamPop, offered in 28 gram, 14 gram, and 7 gram bags and in 3.5 gram jars,” Miller said. “Burr's Place will also offer Blueberry Muffin in the same capacity.” Miller continued: “One Straw Farm will offer Nutter Budder in 3.5 gram jars. The Scratch n Sniff element will be in the form of a sticker attached to the front of the bags and top of the jars. In addition to the Scratch n Sniff being applied to the product, it will also be applied to a ‘strain profile leaflet’ that will be available for free anywhere our products are sold.\\\" Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced plans Dec. 6 to clear the records of thousands of residents with low-level cannabis possession convictions. The move represents a key component of Connecticut’s adult-use cannabis law, which Lamont signed in June 2021. Records in roughly 44,000 cases will be fully or partially erased in January through an automatic erasure method, according to Lamont’s announcement. “On Jan. 1, thousands of people in Connecticut will have low-level cannabis convictions automatically erased due to the cannabis legalization bill we enacted last year,” Lamont said in a public statement. “Especially as Connecticut employers seek to fill hundreds of thousands of job openings, an old conviction for low-level cannabis possession should not hold someone back from pursuing their career, housing, professional, and educational aspirations.” How individuals are granted erasure of their records depends on when they received their conviction. According to Lamont’s announcement convictions will be handled in the following ways: -Convictions for violations of C.G.S. § 21a-279(c) for possession of under four ounces of a non-narcotic, non-hallucinogenic substance imposed between January 1, 2000, and September 30, 2015, will be automatically erased on January 1, 2023. People included under this provision of the law need not do anything to make these convictions eligible for erasure. -Convictions for the following violations can be erased if one files a petition in Superior Court: Convictions for violations of C.G.S. § 21a-279 for possession of less than or equal to four ounces of a cannabis-type substance imposed before January 1, 2000, and between October 1, 2015, and June 30, 2021. Convictions for violations of C.G.S. § 21a-267(a) for possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia for cannabis imposed before July 1, 2021. Convictions for violations of C.G.S. § 21a-277(b) imposed before July 1, 2021, for manufacturing, selling, possessing with intent to sell, or giving or administering to another person a cannabis-type substance and the amount involved was under four ounces or six plants grown inside a person’s home for personal use. Criminal justice agencies operating under Connecticut’s judicial and executive branches of government are working to implement the necessary information technology upgrades to automatically erase the eligible records, according to Lamont’s announcement, and the state’s Clean Slate automated erasure system is expected to be fully implemented during the second half of next year. Meanwhile, Connecticut’s commercial adult-use cannabis market, which was initially expected to launch by the end of this year, is now slated to launch in early 2023 . Hemp-derived THC edibles in Minnesota have been legal for adults 21 and older since July 1, but one manufacturer and two of its retail facilities may be going beyond what the law permits. The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy filed a civil lawsuit Dec. 5 in Clay County District Court alleging that Moorhead-based Northland Vapor Co. and its dispensaries in Moorhead and Bemidji are in violation of potency limits. Under the law, an “edible cannabinoid product” cannot contain more than 5 milligrams of any hemp-derived THC in a single serving and no more than a total of 50 milligrams per package. RELATED: Cannabis Edibles and Beverages Containing Hemp-Derived THC Now Legal in Minnesota The lawsuit claims that officials from the Pharmacy Board and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found edibles from the manufacturer with 100 milligrams of THC per serving (20 times the legal dose) and packages containing 2,500 milligrams of THC (50 times what’s permitted) during a joint investigation Nov. 8. That investigation came after the FDA received complaints about “adverse events” associated with Northland Vapor’s “Death by Gummy Bears” delta-8 THC products, allegedly including one death, but the FDA has not determined that the products caused the adverse events, according to a news release from the Pharmacy Board. “We’re working together with our state partners to protect the public from harmful products,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, FDA principal deputy commissioner, said about the joint investigation in the release. The Pharmacy Board embargoed roughly 144,000 packages of gummies and 2,310 bottles of Delta-9 THC Syrup and is seeking an order from the court to destroy the allegedly noncompliant products investigators found, which have an estimated worth exceeding $7 million. The products in the embargo include: approximately 28,896 packages of Death by Gummy Bears, labeled as 25 individual gummy bears at 100 milligrams of THC per serving, totaling 2,500 milligrams per package; approximately 112,710 packages of Death by Gummy Bears, labeled as 10 individual gummy bears at 100 milligrams of THC per serving, totaling 1,000 milligrams per package; approximately 2,400 packages of Wonky Weeds Gummies [AR3] , labeled as 10 individual gummies at 30 milligrams of THC per serving, totaling 300 milligrams per package; and approximately 2,310 bottles of Wonky Weeds THC Syrup, containing 700 milligrams of THC per bottle. “As consumers navigate the market, they should be aware of the amount of THC in each serving,” Board of Pharmacy Executive Director Jill Phillips said in the release. “Only products containing five milligrams or less per serving and fifty milligrams or less per package are permitted to be sold under state statute. These companies far exceeded those limits and did so in a type of product historically marketed to children.” In addition to serving size and package limits, the law enacted July 1 states that hemp-derived THC edible products cannot be marketed or shaped in a way that’s appealing to children. Specifically, products cannot resemble or contain cartoon-like characteristics of people, animals or fruit, and cannot be modeled after brands primarily consumed by or marketed to children. The lawsuit alleges that the aforementioned gummies resemble characteristics of a fictional bear, which are in violation of that law.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/07/UnitedStatesCapitol-AdobeStock-Credit-Katherine-Resized2.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act's chances of clearing the U.S. Senate are again fading. Senate Minority Leader mitch McConnell called on congressional leaders to remove the cannabis-related language from the NDAA. the legislation would allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Kentucky\",\n \"D-Calif.\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Inc.\",\n \"Chicago\",\n \"Humboldt\",\n \"Calif\",\n \"Calaveras County\",\n \"California\",\n \"West Hollywood\",\n \"Sonora\",\n \"Vallecito\",\n \"Connecticut\",\n \"Lamont\",\n \"C.G.S.\",\n \"Minnesota\",\n \"Clay County\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"the U.S. Senate\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the National Defense Authorization Act\",\n \"D-N.Y.\",\n \"House\",\n \"Hill\",\n \"NDAA\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"Independent Community Bankers Association\",\n \"SAFE Banking\",\n \"SAFE\",\n \"the U.S. House\",\n \"@RepPerlmutter\",\n \"the U.S. Cannabis Council\",\n \"USCC\",\n \"Senate Finance Committee\",\n \"D-Ore.\",\n \"D-N.J.\",\n \"the Cannabis Administration\",\n \"Grassroots\",\n \"Ganjier\",\n \"the Cannabis Sommelier Certification Program\",\n \"Curaleaf\",\n \"Green Flower's\",\n \"Social Equity\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"Certified Ganjier Journey\",\n \"Humboldt Seed Company\",\n \"HSC\",\n \"Straw Farm\",\n \"Burr’s Place\",\n \"Lind\",\n \"Creating Scratch n Sniff\",\n \"Scratch n Sniff\",\n \"Erba Markets\",\n \"Burr's Place Organics\",\n \"Orange CreamPop\",\n \"21a-279(c\",\n \"Superior Court: Convictions\",\n \"Clean Slate\",\n \"The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy\",\n \"Northland Vapor Co.\",\n \"THC\",\n \"the Pharmacy Board\",\n \"the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"Northland Vapor’s\",\n \"The Pharmacy Board\",\n \"Board of Pharmacy Executive\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Mitch McConnell\",\n \"Chuck Schumer\",\n \"Nancy Pelosi\",\n \"McConnell\",\n \"Veteran-\",\n \"Ed Perlmutter\",\n \"Khadijah Tribble\",\n \"Schumer\",\n \"Ron Wyden\",\n \"Cory Booker\",\n \"Ganjier Derek Gilman\",\n \"Scratch n Sniff\",\n \"Benjamin Lind\",\n \"Tioga Green\",\n \"Lee Vining\",\n \"Pure Aloha\",\n \"Green Gold\",\n \"Brett Miller\",\n \"Miller\",\n \"Blueberry Muffin\",\n \"Nutter Budder\",\n \"Ned Lamont\",\n \"Lamont\",\n \"Bemidji\",\n \"Cannabis Edibles\",\n \"Beverages Containing Hemp-Derived THC Now Legal\",\n \"Janet Woodcock\",\n \"Gummy Bears\",\n \"Wonky Weeds Gummies\",\n \"Wonky Weeds THC Syrup\",\n \"Jill Phillips\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.46,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7242233157157898\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a728d5dba60336292ba4\",\n \"title\": \"Humboldt Seed Company Introduces Scratch n Sniff Packaging With One Straw Farm, Burr’s Place\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/humboldt-seed-company-scratch-n-sniff-one-straw-farm-burrs-place\",\n \"description\": \"The packaging will debut at the Emerald Cup on Dec. 10, and will be available at select California dispensaries in mid-December.\",\n \"author\": \" Patrick Williams\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-07T15:49:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"On Dec. 10, the Emerald Cup Harvest Ball will welcome its first Scratch n Sniff packaging. Humboldt Seed Company (HSC) collaborated with Calaveras County, Calif.-based craft producers One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place to bring the technology to cannabis consumers, said Benjamin Lind, HSC owner and chief science officer. HSC creates the Scratch n Sniff ink using the actual terpenes extracted from the same batch of cannabis contained in the package, Lind said, adding that it solves the issue of consumers being unable to smell product prior to purchase. Creating Scratch n Sniff ink from its own genetics, HSC has put Scratch n Sniff advertisements in nationally distributed magazines and applied the ink to their cannabis seed packs since the inception of California’s adult-use cannabis market in January 2018. HSC aims to create a richer consumer experience with Scratch n Sniff ink, which Lind said does not include any controlled substances. “The cost associated with dedicating a portion of a cannabis crop to terpene extraction seemed to scare some of our potential collaborators away, but now with California’s cannabis prices tanking it made perfect sense to our long-time seed customers One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place,” Lind said. One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place flower packaging with HSC terpenes Scratch n Sniff stickers will be available in California dispensaries in mid-December, Lind said. The initial release of the product will be available at select locations, including Erba Markets stores, The Woods in West Hollywood, Bract House in Sonora, Tioga Green in Lee Vining, Pure Aloha in Vallecito, Green Gold in San Andreas and Little Trees in Arnold, said Brett Miller, CEO of Burr's Place Organics. “Burr's Place is offering two strains to the public: Orange CreamPop, offered in 28 gram, 14 gram, and 7 gram bags and in 3.5 gram jars,” Miller said. “Burr's Place will also offer Blueberry Muffin in the same capacity.” Miller continued: “One Straw Farm will offer Nutter Budder in 3.5 gram jars. The Scratch n Sniff element will be in the form of a sticker attached to the front of the bags and top of the jars. In addition to the Scratch n Sniff being applied to the product, it will also be applied to a ‘strain profile leaflet’ that will be available for free anywhere our products are sold.\\\" Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced plans Dec. 6 to clear the records of thousands of residents with low-level cannabis possession convictions. The move represents a key component of Connecticut’s adult-use cannabis law, which Lamont signed in June 2021. Records in roughly 44,000 cases will be fully or partially erased in January through an automatic erasure method, according to Lamont’s announcement. “On Jan. 1, thousands of people in Connecticut will have low-level cannabis convictions automatically erased due to the cannabis legalization bill we enacted last year,” Lamont said in a public statement. “Especially as Connecticut employers seek to fill hundreds of thousands of job openings, an old conviction for low-level cannabis possession should not hold someone back from pursuing their career, housing, professional, and educational aspirations.” How individuals are granted erasure of their records depends on when they received their conviction. According to Lamont’s announcement convictions will be handled in the following ways: -Convictions for violations of C.G.S. § 21a-279(c) for possession of under four ounces of a non-narcotic, non-hallucinogenic substance imposed between January 1, 2000, and September 30, 2015, will be automatically erased on January 1, 2023. People included under this provision of the law need not do anything to make these convictions eligible for erasure. -Convictions for the following violations can be erased if one files a petition in Superior Court: Convictions for violations of C.G.S. § 21a-279 for possession of less than or equal to four ounces of a cannabis-type substance imposed before January 1, 2000, and between October 1, 2015, and June 30, 2021. Convictions for violations of C.G.S. § 21a-267(a) for possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia for cannabis imposed before July 1, 2021. Convictions for violations of C.G.S. § 21a-277(b) imposed before July 1, 2021, for manufacturing, selling, possessing with intent to sell, or giving or administering to another person a cannabis-type substance and the amount involved was under four ounces or six plants grown inside a person’s home for personal use. Criminal justice agencies operating under Connecticut’s judicial and executive branches of government are working to implement the necessary information technology upgrades to automatically erase the eligible records, according to Lamont’s announcement, and the state’s Clean Slate automated erasure system is expected to be fully implemented during the second half of next year. Meanwhile, Connecticut’s commercial adult-use cannabis market, which was initially expected to launch by the end of this year, is now slated to launch in early 2023 . Hemp-derived THC edibles in Minnesota have been legal for adults 21 and older since July 1, but one manufacturer and two of its retail facilities may be going beyond what the law permits. The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy filed a civil lawsuit Dec. 5 in Clay County District Court alleging that Moorhead-based Northland Vapor Co. and its dispensaries in Moorhead and Bemidji are in violation of potency limits. Under the law, an “edible cannabinoid product” cannot contain more than 5 milligrams of any hemp-derived THC in a single serving and no more than a total of 50 milligrams per package. RELATED: Cannabis Edibles and Beverages Containing Hemp-Derived THC Now Legal in Minnesota The lawsuit claims that officials from the Pharmacy Board and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found edibles from the manufacturer with 100 milligrams of THC per serving (20 times the legal dose) and packages containing 2,500 milligrams of THC (50 times what’s permitted) during a joint investigation Nov. 8. That investigation came after the FDA received complaints about “adverse events” associated with Northland Vapor’s “Death by Gummy Bears” delta-8 THC products, allegedly including one death, but the FDA has not determined that the products caused the adverse events, according to a news release from the Pharmacy Board. “We’re working together with our state partners to protect the public from harmful products,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, FDA principal deputy commissioner, said about the joint investigation in the release. The Pharmacy Board embargoed roughly 144,000 packages of gummies and 2,310 bottles of Delta-9 THC Syrup and is seeking an order from the court to destroy the allegedly noncompliant products investigators found, which have an estimated worth exceeding $7 million. The products in the embargo include: approximately 28,896 packages of Death by Gummy Bears, labeled as 25 individual gummy bears at 100 milligrams of THC per serving, totaling 2,500 milligrams per package; approximately 112,710 packages of Death by Gummy Bears, labeled as 10 individual gummy bears at 100 milligrams of THC per serving, totaling 1,000 milligrams per package; approximately 2,400 packages of Wonky Weeds Gummies [AR3] , labeled as 10 individual gummies at 30 milligrams of THC per serving, totaling 300 milligrams per package; and approximately 2,310 bottles of Wonky Weeds THC Syrup, containing 700 milligrams of THC per bottle. “As consumers navigate the market, they should be aware of the amount of THC in each serving,” Board of Pharmacy Executive Director Jill Phillips said in the release. “Only products containing five milligrams or less per serving and fifty milligrams or less per package are permitted to be sold under state statute. These companies far exceeded those limits and did so in a type of product historically marketed to children.” In addition to serving size and package limits, the law enacted July 1 states that hemp-derived THC edible products cannot be marketed or shaped in a way that’s appealing to children. Specifically, products cannot resemble or contain cartoon-like characteristics of people, animals or fruit, and cannot be modeled after brands primarily consumed by or marketed to children. The lawsuit alleges that the aforementioned gummies resemble characteristics of a fictional bear, which are in violation of that law. The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources (MDAR) changed its “Pesticide Use of Marijuana Policy” to allow the use of certain pesticides on cannabis plants if specific requirements are met. When Massachusetts legalized adult-use cannabis in 2017 (following Question 4’s passage in the 2016 election), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “did not allow the use of a registered pesticide on cannabis or hemp because there were no products labeled for such use.” Therefore, Massachusetts prohibited the use of pesticides on cannabis or hemp, MDAR explained in a recent policy memo . Following passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which legalized hemp at the federal level, pesticide manufacturers amended pesticide labels to include hemp, and there are now EPA-registered pesticide products that include hemp, according to the policy memo. The MDAR wrote in the memo, “MDAR understands that the difference between hemp and marijuana is a legal one and that both originate from the same plant and in many cases are being produced, manufactured, and used for the same purposes (i.e., topical, edible, smokable). Because hemp and marijuana are both cannabis and only distinguished through law by the THC level, MDAR will allow the use on hemp to extend to marijuana as well,” if all of the following conditions are met: The product must be registered with the EPA; The product must be registered for use in Massachusetts; If a product has two different rates for hemp and tobacco, the applicator must use the lower of the two rates; The product must be without “Days to Harvest” for indoor use to address worker safety concerns for indoor use; The active ingredient must be food tolerance exempt; and If the product is being used on cannabis cultivated in an indoor setting, it must be labeled for use on hemp in a greenhouse. The policy change went into effect Nov. 30. A 16-member task force in Virginia has recommended stricter rules on hemp-derived delta-8 THC products, suggesting that businesses selling the products should be required to apply for a license to do so. With convenience stores and smoke shops selling delta-8 in the absence of regulated adult-use cannabis sales, the General Assembly created a task force earlier this year to study the issue, according to a Virginia Mercury report . The task force has now issued a report to lawmakers to recommend policy changes to better regulate delta-8 THC products in the state. In addition to requiring businesses selling the products to have a state-issued license, the report recommends harsher penalties for businesses that violate the rules, Virginia Mercury reported. The task force also recommends a new approach for how Virginia regulates all types of cannabis, according to the news outlet, rather than the current situation with numerous agencies overseeing the industry. The report ultimately recommends determining a product’s legality through its total THC concentration, Virginia Mercury reported. Since many of Virginia’s cannabis laws are based on delta-9 THC, many of the delta-8 products on the market exist in a legal gray area, according to the news outlet, which complicates enforcement. Looking at total THC concentrations—rather than delta-9 versus delta-8 THC—would help state officials more clearly distinguish how to regulate intoxicating and non-intoxicating products, no matter which plant they are derived from or how they are made, Virginia Mercury reported. Former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed an adult-use cannabis legalization bill into law last year. Home grow and cannabis possession provisions took effect July 1, 2021, and commercial sales were slated to start Jan. 1, 2024, but a reenactment clause included in the legislation required all the details about legalizing and regulating adult-use sales to be reapproved—or revised—by the General Assembly. RELATED: New Governor, Reenactment Clause Could Mean Changes to Virginia’s Adult-Use Cannabis Law A bill aimed at launching Virginia’s commercial adult-use cannabis market stalled in the House earlier this year.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/07/scratch-n-sniff.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Humboldt Seed Company (HSC) collaborated with craft producers One Straw Farm and Burr’s Place to bring the technology to cannabis consumers. HSC creates the ink using the actual terpenes extracted from the same batch of cannabis contained in the package.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Calaveras County\",\n \"California\",\n \"West Hollywood\",\n \"Sonora\",\n \"Vallecito\",\n \"Connecticut\",\n \"Lamont\",\n \"C.G.S.\",\n \"Minnesota\",\n \"Clay County\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Virginia\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Humboldt Seed Company\",\n \"HSC\",\n \"Straw Farm\",\n \"Burr’s Place\",\n \"Lind\",\n \"Creating Scratch n Sniff\",\n \"Scratch n Sniff\",\n \"Erba Markets\",\n \"Burr's Place Organics\",\n \"Orange CreamPop\",\n \"21a-279(c\",\n \"Superior Court: Convictions\",\n \"Clean Slate\",\n \"The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy\",\n \"Northland Vapor Co.\",\n \"THC\",\n \"the Pharmacy Board\",\n \"the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"Northland Vapor’s\",\n \"The Pharmacy Board\",\n \"Board of Pharmacy Executive\",\n \"The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources\",\n \"MDAR\",\n \"the United States Environmental Protection Agency\",\n \"EPA\",\n \"the General Assembly\",\n \"Virginia Mercury\",\n \"House\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Scratch n Sniff\",\n \"Benjamin Lind\",\n \"Tioga Green\",\n \"Lee Vining\",\n \"Pure Aloha\",\n \"Green Gold\",\n \"Brett Miller\",\n \"Miller\",\n \"Blueberry Muffin\",\n \"Nutter Budder\",\n \"Ned Lamont\",\n \"Lamont\",\n \"Bemidji\",\n \"Cannabis Edibles\",\n \"Beverages Containing Hemp-Derived THC Now Legal\",\n \"Janet Woodcock\",\n \"Gummy Bears\",\n \"Wonky Weeds Gummies\",\n \"Wonky Weeds THC Syrup\",\n \"Jill Phillips\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Virginia Mercury\",\n \"Ralph Northam\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"say\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"drug\",\n \"police\",\n \"year\",\n \"people\",\n \"county\",\n \"arrest\",\n \"new\",\n \"time\",\n \"possession\",\n \"make\",\n \"city\",\n \"report\",\n \"tell\",\n \"charge\",\n \"case\",\n \"officer\",\n \"trump\",\n \"state\",\n \"day\",\n \"president\",\n \"week\",\n \"community\",\n \"news\",\n \"come\",\n \"home\",\n \"law\",\n \"old\",\n \"department\",\n \"covid\",\n \"coronavirus\",\n \"office\",\n \"school\",\n \"pot\",\n \"public\",\n \"work\",\n \"court\",\n \"man\",\n \"like\",\n \"accord\",\n \"policy\",\n \"use\",\n \"official\",\n \"face\",\n \"legalization\",\n \"want\",\n \"read\",\n \"house\",\n \"know\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Crime\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.37,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9017999172210693\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a71dd5dba60336292b9e\",\n \"title\": \"Minnesota Pharmacy Board Seeks to Destroy $7 Million of Edibles \",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/minnesota-pharmacy-board-lawsuit-edibles-potency.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The board filed a lawsuit against a Moorhead-based cannabis manufacturer and retailer for edibles that are allegedly too potent for the marketplace.\",\n \"author\": \"Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-06T17:05:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Hemp-derived THC edibles in Minnesota have been legal for adults 21 and older since July 1, but one manufacturer and two of its retail facilities may be going beyond what the law permits. The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy filed a civil lawsuit Dec. 5 in Clay County District Court alleging that Moorhead-based Northland Vapor Co. and its dispensaries in Moorhead and Bemidji are in violation of potency limits. Under the law, an “edible cannabinoid product” cannot contain more than 5 milligrams of any hemp-derived THC in a single serving and no more than a total of 50 milligrams per package. RELATED: Cannabis Edibles and Beverages Containing Hemp-Derived THC Now Legal in Minnesota The lawsuit claims that officials from the Pharmacy Board and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found edibles from the manufacturer with 100 milligrams of THC per serving (20 times the legal dose) and packages containing 2,500 milligrams of THC (50 times what’s permitted) during a joint investigation Nov. 8. That investigation came after the FDA received complaints about “adverse events” associated with Northland Vapor’s “Death by Gummy Bears” delta-8 THC products, allegedly including one death, but the FDA has not determined that the products caused the adverse events, according to a news release from the Pharmacy Board. “We’re working together with our state partners to protect the public from harmful products,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, FDA principal deputy commissioner, said about the joint investigation in the release. The Pharmacy Board embargoed roughly 144,000 packages of gummies and 2,310 bottles of Delta-9 THC Syrup and is seeking an order from the court to destroy the allegedly noncompliant products investigators found, which have an estimated worth exceeding $7 million. The products in the embargo include: approximately 28,896 packages of Death by Gummy Bears, labeled as 25 individual gummy bears at 100 milligrams of THC per serving, totaling 2,500 milligrams per package; approximately 112,710 packages of Death by Gummy Bears, labeled as 10 individual gummy bears at 100 milligrams of THC per serving, totaling 1,000 milligrams per package; approximately 2,400 packages of Wonky Weeds Gummies [AR3] , labeled as 10 individual gummies at 30 milligrams of THC per serving, totaling 300 milligrams per package; and approximately 2,310 bottles of Wonky Weeds THC Syrup, containing 700 milligrams of THC per bottle. “As consumers navigate the market, they should be aware of the amount of THC in each serving,” Board of Pharmacy Executive Director Jill Phillips said in the release. “Only products containing five milligrams or less per serving and fifty milligrams or less per package are permitted to be sold under state statute. These companies far exceeded those limits and did so in a type of product historically marketed to children.” In addition to serving size and package limits, the law enacted July 1 states that hemp-derived THC edible products cannot be marketed or shaped in a way that’s appealing to children. Specifically, products cannot resemble or contain cartoon-like characteristics of people, animals or fruit, and cannot be modeled after brands primarily consumed by or marketed to children. The lawsuit alleges that the aforementioned gummies resemble characteristics of a fictional bear, which are in violation of that law. The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources (MDAR) changed its “Pesticide Use of Marijuana Policy” to allow the use of certain pesticides on cannabis plants if specific requirements are met. When Massachusetts legalized adult-use cannabis in 2017 (following Question 4’s passage in the 2016 election), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “did not allow the use of a registered pesticide on cannabis or hemp because there were no products labeled for such use.” Therefore, Massachusetts prohibited the use of pesticides on cannabis or hemp, MDAR explained in a recent policy memo . Following passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which legalized hemp at the federal level, pesticide manufacturers amended pesticide labels to include hemp, and there are now EPA-registered pesticide products that include hemp, according to the policy memo. The MDAR wrote in the memo, “MDAR understands that the difference between hemp and marijuana is a legal one and that both originate from the same plant and in many cases are being produced, manufactured, and used for the same purposes (i.e., topical, edible, smokable). Because hemp and marijuana are both cannabis and only distinguished through law by the THC level, MDAR will allow the use on hemp to extend to marijuana as well,” if all of the following conditions are met: The product must be registered with the EPA; The product must be registered for use in Massachusetts; If a product has two different rates for hemp and tobacco, the applicator must use the lower of the two rates; The product must be without “Days to Harvest” for indoor use to address worker safety concerns for indoor use; The active ingredient must be food tolerance exempt; and If the product is being used on cannabis cultivated in an indoor setting, it must be labeled for use on hemp in a greenhouse. The policy change went into effect Nov. 30. A 16-member task force in Virginia has recommended stricter rules on hemp-derived delta-8 THC products, suggesting that businesses selling the products should be required to apply for a license to do so. With convenience stores and smoke shops selling delta-8 in the absence of regulated adult-use cannabis sales, the General Assembly created a task force earlier this year to study the issue, according to a Virginia Mercury report . The task force has now issued a report to lawmakers to recommend policy changes to better regulate delta-8 THC products in the state. In addition to requiring businesses selling the products to have a state-issued license, the report recommends harsher penalties for businesses that violate the rules, Virginia Mercury reported. The task force also recommends a new approach for how Virginia regulates all types of cannabis, according to the news outlet, rather than the current situation with numerous agencies overseeing the industry. The report ultimately recommends determining a product’s legality through its total THC concentration, Virginia Mercury reported. Since many of Virginia’s cannabis laws are based on delta-9 THC, many of the delta-8 products on the market exist in a legal gray area, according to the news outlet, which complicates enforcement. Looking at total THC concentrations—rather than delta-9 versus delta-8 THC—would help state officials more clearly distinguish how to regulate intoxicating and non-intoxicating products, no matter which plant they are derived from or how they are made, Virginia Mercury reported. Former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed an adult-use cannabis legalization bill into law last year. Home grow and cannabis possession provisions took effect July 1, 2021, and commercial sales were slated to start Jan. 1, 2024, but a reenactment clause included in the legislation required all the details about legalizing and regulating adult-use sales to be reapproved—or revised—by the General Assembly. RELATED: New Governor, Reenactment Clause Could Mean Changes to Virginia’s Adult-Use Cannabis Law A bill aimed at launching Virginia’s commercial adult-use cannabis market stalled in the House earlier this year. The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) approved proposed rules for cannabis consumption lounges in a Dec. 2 meeting. According to the proposed framework , adult-use or medical operators looking to operate a consumption lounge would have to receive approval from its municipality and the CRC. The consumption lounges, limited to individuals aged 21 years and older, could be built indoors or outdoors but must be enclosed. RELATED: UPDATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges Alcohol and tobacco and food sales would not be permitted onsite; however, consumers could bring in their food or deliver it to the consumption lounge. The application fee would be $1,000 for all businesses, $1,000 for micro-businesses, and a standard licensing fee for other operators would be $5,000, according to the proposed rules. According to NJBIZ , CRC Executive Director Jeff Brown said in the meeting, “I truly believe that this rule proposal–like everything else we’ve tried to do–adequately balances both equity and safety.” Before the CRC can finalize the rules, they must be posted to the New Jersey Register for a 60-day public comment period, according to the news outlet. In addition, in the same meeting, the CRC approved 113 conditional license applications, six conditional-to-annual conversion applications, and eight annual applications. And as of Nov. 15, there have been 392 cultivation applications, 225 manufacturing applications, and 810 retail applications for adult-use cannabis, according to the meeting agenda. WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Dec. 6, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Delta 9 Cannabis is pleased to announce the grand opening of its 39th retail store and 17th cannabis store in the Province of Manitoba. Delta 9's newest retail store is in the heart of the busiest shopping district in Dauphin. \\\"Delta 9 is Manitoba's cannabis store, and we're excited to further expand our retail footprint in rural MB. We will continue to expand our retail portfolio across Canada through organic growth and strategic acquisitions in the coming months,\\\" said John Arbuthnot, CEO of Delta 9. \\\"We started 2020 with four retail stores and now have 39 cannabis retail stores across the Canadian Prairies. The company has an aggressive growth strategy to roll additional cannabis retail stores into the Delta 9 retail network over the next year.\\\" Delta 9's welcoming retail cannabis concept, combined with a focus on convenient and high-traffic shopping destinations, has been a successful part of the company's overall vertical integration strategy. Within a 3 km range, the area tenants include Walmart, Shoppers Drug store Canadian Tire, Dollar Tree, and Liquor Mart, along with several restaurants. The new store is located at 1351 Main St. in Dauphin and is part of a recently built mall. The location offers plenty of free parking spaces and easy access from the street. The new store offers customers a modern shopping décor, highly trained staff, and a wide range of products, including dried cannabis flower, cannabis oil, edibles, drinkables, vape pens, and concentrates. Store hours are 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Delta 9 is pleased to provide online and click-and-collect services for the Dauphin location, like most of our other cannabis stores in Manitoba. With the click of a mouse, customers can browse and sort through a complete inventory of cannabis products and reserve any product. Delta 9's online platform features allow an order to be ready in two hours or less.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/07/DeathBearLineupgummies.JPG?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"northland vapor co. and its dispensaries in moorhead and bemidji are in violation of potency limits. under the law, an “edible cannabinoid product” cannot contain more than 5 milligrams of any hemp-derived THC in a single serving. the pharmacy board embargoed roughly 144,000 packages of gummies and 2,310 bottles of Delta-9 THC Syrup.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Minnesota\",\n \"Clay County\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Virginia\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Manitoba\",\n \"the Province of Manitoba\",\n \"Canada\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy\",\n \"Northland Vapor Co.\",\n \"THC\",\n \"the Pharmacy Board\",\n \"the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"Northland Vapor’s\",\n \"The Pharmacy Board\",\n \"Board of Pharmacy Executive\",\n \"The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources\",\n \"MDAR\",\n \"the United States Environmental Protection Agency\",\n \"EPA\",\n \"the General Assembly\",\n \"Virginia Mercury\",\n \"House\",\n \"The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission\",\n \"CRC\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges Alcohol\",\n \"NJBIZ\",\n \"CRC Executive\",\n \"the New Jersey Register\",\n \"Delta\",\n \"Walmart, Shoppers Drug\",\n \"Liquor Mart\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Bemidji\",\n \"Cannabis Edibles\",\n \"Beverages Containing Hemp-Derived THC Now Legal\",\n \"Janet Woodcock\",\n \"Gummy Bears\",\n \"Wonky Weeds Gummies\",\n \"Wonky Weeds THC Syrup\",\n \"Jill Phillips\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Virginia Mercury\",\n \"Ralph Northam\",\n \"Jeff Brown\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"John Arbuthnot\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.38,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.913386881351471\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a741d5dba60336292bae\",\n \"title\": \"Massachusetts to Allow Pesticide Use on Cannabis \",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/massachusetts-department-of-agriculture-resources-changes-pesticide-use-of-marijuana-policy\",\n \"description\": \"MDAR changed its “Pesticide Use of Marijuana Policy” to allow the use of certain pesticides on cannabis plants if specific requirements are met.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-06T16:49:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources (MDAR) changed its “Pesticide Use of Marijuana Policy” to allow the use of certain pesticides on cannabis plants if specific requirements are met. When Massachusetts legalized adult-use cannabis in 2017 (following Question 4’s passage in the 2016 election), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “did not allow the use of a registered pesticide on cannabis or hemp because there were no products labeled for such use.” Therefore, Massachusetts prohibited the use of pesticides on cannabis or hemp, MDAR explained in a recent policy memo . Following passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which legalized hemp at the federal level, pesticide manufacturers amended pesticide labels to include hemp, and there are now EPA-registered pesticide products that include hemp, according to the policy memo. The MDAR wrote in the memo, “MDAR understands that the difference between hemp and marijuana is a legal one and that both originate from the same plant and in many cases are being produced, manufactured, and used for the same purposes (i.e., topical, edible, smokable). Because hemp and marijuana are both cannabis and only distinguished through law by the THC level, MDAR will allow the use on hemp to extend to marijuana as well,” if all of the following conditions are met: The product must be registered with the EPA; The product must be registered for use in Massachusetts; If a product has two different rates for hemp and tobacco, the applicator must use the lower of the two rates; The product must be without “Days to Harvest” for indoor use to address worker safety concerns for indoor use; The active ingredient must be food tolerance exempt; and If the product is being used on cannabis cultivated in an indoor setting, it must be labeled for use on hemp in a greenhouse. The policy change went into effect Nov. 30. A 16-member task force in Virginia has recommended stricter rules on hemp-derived delta-8 THC products, suggesting that businesses selling the products should be required to apply for a license to do so. With convenience stores and smoke shops selling delta-8 in the absence of regulated adult-use cannabis sales, the General Assembly created a task force earlier this year to study the issue, according to a Virginia Mercury report . The task force has now issued a report to lawmakers to recommend policy changes to better regulate delta-8 THC products in the state. In addition to requiring businesses selling the products to have a state-issued license, the report recommends harsher penalties for businesses that violate the rules, Virginia Mercury reported. The task force also recommends a new approach for how Virginia regulates all types of cannabis, according to the news outlet, rather than the current situation with numerous agencies overseeing the industry. The report ultimately recommends determining a product’s legality through its total THC concentration, Virginia Mercury reported. Since many of Virginia’s cannabis laws are based on delta-9 THC, many of the delta-8 products on the market exist in a legal gray area, according to the news outlet, which complicates enforcement. Looking at total THC concentrations—rather than delta-9 versus delta-8 THC—would help state officials more clearly distinguish how to regulate intoxicating and non-intoxicating products, no matter which plant they are derived from or how they are made, Virginia Mercury reported. Former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed an adult-use cannabis legalization bill into law last year. Home grow and cannabis possession provisions took effect July 1, 2021, and commercial sales were slated to start Jan. 1, 2024, but a reenactment clause included in the legislation required all the details about legalizing and regulating adult-use sales to be reapproved—or revised—by the General Assembly. RELATED: New Governor, Reenactment Clause Could Mean Changes to Virginia’s Adult-Use Cannabis Law A bill aimed at launching Virginia’s commercial adult-use cannabis market stalled in the House earlier this year. The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) approved proposed rules for cannabis consumption lounges in a Dec. 2 meeting. According to the proposed framework , adult-use or medical operators looking to operate a consumption lounge would have to receive approval from its municipality and the CRC. The consumption lounges, limited to individuals aged 21 years and older, could be built indoors or outdoors but must be enclosed. RELATED: UPDATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges Alcohol and tobacco and food sales would not be permitted onsite; however, consumers could bring in their food or deliver it to the consumption lounge. The application fee would be $1,000 for all businesses, $1,000 for micro-businesses, and a standard licensing fee for other operators would be $5,000, according to the proposed rules. According to NJBIZ , CRC Executive Director Jeff Brown said in the meeting, “I truly believe that this rule proposal–like everything else we’ve tried to do–adequately balances both equity and safety.” Before the CRC can finalize the rules, they must be posted to the New Jersey Register for a 60-day public comment period, according to the news outlet. In addition, in the same meeting, the CRC approved 113 conditional license applications, six conditional-to-annual conversion applications, and eight annual applications. And as of Nov. 15, there have been 392 cultivation applications, 225 manufacturing applications, and 810 retail applications for adult-use cannabis, according to the meeting agenda. WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Dec. 6, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Delta 9 Cannabis is pleased to announce the grand opening of its 39th retail store and 17th cannabis store in the Province of Manitoba. Delta 9's newest retail store is in the heart of the busiest shopping district in Dauphin. \\\"Delta 9 is Manitoba's cannabis store, and we're excited to further expand our retail footprint in rural MB. We will continue to expand our retail portfolio across Canada through organic growth and strategic acquisitions in the coming months,\\\" said John Arbuthnot, CEO of Delta 9. \\\"We started 2020 with four retail stores and now have 39 cannabis retail stores across the Canadian Prairies. The company has an aggressive growth strategy to roll additional cannabis retail stores into the Delta 9 retail network over the next year.\\\" Delta 9's welcoming retail cannabis concept, combined with a focus on convenient and high-traffic shopping destinations, has been a successful part of the company's overall vertical integration strategy. Within a 3 km range, the area tenants include Walmart, Shoppers Drug store Canadian Tire, Dollar Tree, and Liquor Mart, along with several restaurants. The new store is located at 1351 Main St. in Dauphin and is part of a recently built mall. The location offers plenty of free parking spaces and easy access from the street. The new store offers customers a modern shopping décor, highly trained staff, and a wide range of products, including dried cannabis flower, cannabis oil, edibles, drinkables, vape pens, and concentrates. Store hours are 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Delta 9 is pleased to provide online and click-and-collect services for the Dauphin location, like most of our other cannabis stores in Manitoba. With the click of a mouse, customers can browse and sort through a complete inventory of cannabis products and reserve any product. Delta 9's online platform features allow an order to be ready in two hours or less.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/06/Untitleddesign-2022-12-06T115434332.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources (MDAR) changed its \\\"Pesticide Use of Marijuana Policy\\\" when Massachusetts legalized adult-use cannabis in 2017, the EPA did not allow the use of a registered pesticide on cannabis or hemp. following passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, pesticide manufacturers amended pesticide labels to include hemp. there are now EPA-registered pesticide products that include hemp.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Virginia\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Manitoba\",\n \"the Province of Manitoba\",\n \"Canada\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources\",\n \"MDAR\",\n \"the United States Environmental Protection Agency\",\n \"EPA\",\n \"THC\",\n \"the General Assembly\",\n \"Virginia Mercury\",\n \"House\",\n \"The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission\",\n \"CRC\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges Alcohol\",\n \"NJBIZ\",\n \"CRC Executive\",\n \"the New Jersey Register\",\n \"Delta\",\n \"Walmart, Shoppers Drug\",\n \"Liquor Mart\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Virginia Mercury\",\n \"Ralph Northam\",\n \"Jeff Brown\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"John Arbuthnot\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.48,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8815262317657471\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a71fd5dba60336292b9f\",\n \"title\": \"Massachusetts to Allow Pesticide Use on Cannabis \",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/massachusetts-department-of-agriculture-resources-changes-pesticide-use-of-marijuana-policy.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"MDAR changed its “Pesticide Use of Marijuana Policy” to allow the use of certain pesticides on cannabis plants if specific requirements are met.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-06T16:49:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources (MDAR) changed its “Pesticide Use of Marijuana Policy” to allow the use of certain pesticides on cannabis plants if specific requirements are met. When Massachusetts legalized adult-use cannabis in 2017 (following Question 4’s passage in the 2016 election), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “did not allow the use of a registered pesticide on cannabis or hemp because there were no products labeled for such use.” Therefore, Massachusetts prohibited the use of pesticides on cannabis or hemp, MDAR explained in a recent policy memo . Following passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which legalized hemp at the federal level, pesticide manufacturers amended pesticide labels to include hemp, and there are now EPA-registered pesticide products that include hemp, according to the policy memo. The MDAR wrote in the memo, “MDAR understands that the difference between hemp and marijuana is a legal one and that both originate from the same plant and in many cases are being produced, manufactured, and used for the same purposes (i.e., topical, edible, smokable). Because hemp and marijuana are both cannabis and only distinguished through law by the THC level, MDAR will allow the use on hemp to extend to marijuana as well,” if all of the following conditions are met: The product must be registered with the EPA; The product must be registered for use in Massachusetts; If a product has two different rates for hemp and tobacco, the applicator must use the lower of the two rates; The product must be without “Days to Harvest” for indoor use to address worker safety concerns for indoor use; The active ingredient must be food tolerance exempt; and If the product is being used on cannabis cultivated in an indoor setting, it must be labeled for use on hemp in a greenhouse. The policy change went into effect Nov. 30. A 16-member task force in Virginia has recommended stricter rules on hemp-derived delta-8 THC products, suggesting that businesses selling the products should be required to apply for a license to do so. With convenience stores and smoke shops selling delta-8 in the absence of regulated adult-use cannabis sales, the General Assembly created a task force earlier this year to study the issue, according to a Virginia Mercury report . The task force has now issued a report to lawmakers to recommend policy changes to better regulate delta-8 THC products in the state. In addition to requiring businesses selling the products to have a state-issued license, the report recommends harsher penalties for businesses that violate the rules, Virginia Mercury reported. The task force also recommends a new approach for how Virginia regulates all types of cannabis, according to the news outlet, rather than the current situation with numerous agencies overseeing the industry. The report ultimately recommends determining a product’s legality through its total THC concentration, Virginia Mercury reported. Since many of Virginia’s cannabis laws are based on delta-9 THC, many of the delta-8 products on the market exist in a legal gray area, according to the news outlet, which complicates enforcement. Looking at total THC concentrations—rather than delta-9 versus delta-8 THC—would help state officials more clearly distinguish how to regulate intoxicating and non-intoxicating products, no matter which plant they are derived from or how they are made, Virginia Mercury reported. Former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed an adult-use cannabis legalization bill into law last year. Home grow and cannabis possession provisions took effect July 1, 2021, and commercial sales were slated to start Jan. 1, 2024, but a reenactment clause included in the legislation required all the details about legalizing and regulating adult-use sales to be reapproved—or revised—by the General Assembly. RELATED: New Governor, Reenactment Clause Could Mean Changes to Virginia’s Adult-Use Cannabis Law A bill aimed at launching Virginia’s commercial adult-use cannabis market stalled in the House earlier this year. The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) approved proposed rules for cannabis consumption lounges in a Dec. 2 meeting. According to the proposed framework , adult-use or medical operators looking to operate a consumption lounge would have to receive approval from its municipality and the CRC. The consumption lounges, limited to individuals aged 21 years and older, could be built indoors or outdoors but must be enclosed. RELATED: UPDATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges Alcohol and tobacco and food sales would not be permitted onsite; however, consumers could bring in their food or deliver it to the consumption lounge. The application fee would be $1,000 for all businesses, $1,000 for micro-businesses, and a standard licensing fee for other operators would be $5,000, according to the proposed rules. According to NJBIZ , CRC Executive Director Jeff Brown said in the meeting, “I truly believe that this rule proposal–like everything else we’ve tried to do–adequately balances both equity and safety.” Before the CRC can finalize the rules, they must be posted to the New Jersey Register for a 60-day public comment period, according to the news outlet. In addition, in the same meeting, the CRC approved 113 conditional license applications, six conditional-to-annual conversion applications, and eight annual applications. And as of Nov. 15, there have been 392 cultivation applications, 225 manufacturing applications, and 810 retail applications for adult-use cannabis, according to the meeting agenda. WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Dec. 6, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Delta 9 Cannabis is pleased to announce the grand opening of its 39th retail store and 17th cannabis store in the Province of Manitoba. Delta 9's newest retail store is in the heart of the busiest shopping district in Dauphin. \\\"Delta 9 is Manitoba's cannabis store, and we're excited to further expand our retail footprint in rural MB. We will continue to expand our retail portfolio across Canada through organic growth and strategic acquisitions in the coming months,\\\" said John Arbuthnot, CEO of Delta 9. \\\"We started 2020 with four retail stores and now have 39 cannabis retail stores across the Canadian Prairies. The company has an aggressive growth strategy to roll additional cannabis retail stores into the Delta 9 retail network over the next year.\\\" Delta 9's welcoming retail cannabis concept, combined with a focus on convenient and high-traffic shopping destinations, has been a successful part of the company's overall vertical integration strategy. Within a 3 km range, the area tenants include Walmart, Shoppers Drug store Canadian Tire, Dollar Tree, and Liquor Mart, along with several restaurants. The new store is located at 1351 Main St. in Dauphin and is part of a recently built mall. The location offers plenty of free parking spaces and easy access from the street. The new store offers customers a modern shopping décor, highly trained staff, and a wide range of products, including dried cannabis flower, cannabis oil, edibles, drinkables, vape pens, and concentrates. Store hours are 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Delta 9 is pleased to provide online and click-and-collect services for the Dauphin location, like most of our other cannabis stores in Manitoba. With the click of a mouse, customers can browse and sort through a complete inventory of cannabis products and reserve any product. Delta 9's online platform features allow an order to be ready in two hours or less.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/06/Untitleddesign-2022-12-06T115434332.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources (MDAR) changed its \\\"Pesticide Use of Marijuana Policy\\\" when Massachusetts legalized adult-use cannabis in 2017, the EPA did not allow the use of a registered pesticide on cannabis or hemp. following passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, pesticide manufacturers amended pesticide labels to include hemp. there are now EPA-registered pesticide products that include hemp.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Virginia\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Manitoba\",\n \"the Province of Manitoba\",\n \"Canada\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources\",\n \"MDAR\",\n \"the United States Environmental Protection Agency\",\n \"EPA\",\n \"THC\",\n \"the General Assembly\",\n \"Virginia Mercury\",\n \"House\",\n \"The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission\",\n \"CRC\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges Alcohol\",\n \"NJBIZ\",\n \"CRC Executive\",\n \"the New Jersey Register\",\n \"Delta\",\n \"Walmart, Shoppers Drug\",\n \"Liquor Mart\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Virginia Mercury\",\n \"Ralph Northam\",\n \"Jeff Brown\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"John Arbuthnot\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.48,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8815262317657471\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a720d5dba60336292ba0\",\n \"title\": \"New Jersey CRC Approves Proposed Rules for Cannabis Consumption Lounges\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/new-jersey-crc-approves-draft-rules-for-canabis-consumption-lounges.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The CRC also approved 113 conditional license applications.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-06T16:09:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) approved proposed rules for cannabis consumption lounges in a Dec. 2 meeting. According to the proposed framework , adult-use or medical operators looking to operate a consumption lounge would have to receive approval from its municipality and the CRC. The consumption lounges, limited to individuals aged 21 years and older, could be built indoors or outdoors but must be enclosed. RELATED: UPDATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges Alcohol and tobacco and food sales would not be permitted onsite; however, consumers could bring in their food or deliver it to the consumption lounge. The application fee would be $1,000 for all businesses, $1,000 for micro-businesses, and a standard licensing fee for other operators would be $5,000, according to the proposed rules. According to NJBIZ , CRC Executive Director Jeff Brown said in the meeting, “I truly believe that this rule proposal–like everything else we’ve tried to do–adequately balances both equity and safety.” Before the CRC can finalize the rules, they must be posted to the New Jersey Register for a 60-day public comment period, according to the news outlet. In addition, in the same meeting, the CRC approved 113 conditional license applications, six conditional-to-annual conversion applications, and eight annual applications. And as of Nov. 15, there have been 392 cultivation applications, 225 manufacturing applications, and 810 retail applications for adult-use cannabis, according to the meeting agenda. WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Dec. 6, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Delta 9 Cannabis is pleased to announce the grand opening of its 39th retail store and 17th cannabis store in the Province of Manitoba. Delta 9's newest retail store is in the heart of the busiest shopping district in Dauphin. \\\"Delta 9 is Manitoba's cannabis store, and we're excited to further expand our retail footprint in rural MB. We will continue to expand our retail portfolio across Canada through organic growth and strategic acquisitions in the coming months,\\\" said John Arbuthnot, CEO of Delta 9. \\\"We started 2020 with four retail stores and now have 39 cannabis retail stores across the Canadian Prairies. The company has an aggressive growth strategy to roll additional cannabis retail stores into the Delta 9 retail network over the next year.\\\" Delta 9's welcoming retail cannabis concept, combined with a focus on convenient and high-traffic shopping destinations, has been a successful part of the company's overall vertical integration strategy. Within a 3 km range, the area tenants include Walmart, Shoppers Drug store Canadian Tire, Dollar Tree, and Liquor Mart, along with several restaurants. The new store is located at 1351 Main St. in Dauphin and is part of a recently built mall. The location offers plenty of free parking spaces and easy access from the street. The new store offers customers a modern shopping décor, highly trained staff, and a wide range of products, including dried cannabis flower, cannabis oil, edibles, drinkables, vape pens, and concentrates. Store hours are 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Delta 9 is pleased to provide online and click-and-collect services for the Dauphin location, like most of our other cannabis stores in Manitoba. With the click of a mouse, customers can browse and sort through a complete inventory of cannabis products and reserve any product. Delta 9's online platform features allow an order to be ready in two hours or less. ROCKLAND, Maine, December 6, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Sweet Dirt , a Maine-based, vertically integrated cannabis company, today announced the opening of a new location at 305 Main Street, Rockland, Maine. The new recreational cannabis store opened its doors at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3. The Rockland location is the company’s fourth recreational cannabis store and its first store in Knox County. The company’s other adult-use stores can be found in Portland, Waterville, and Bridgton. The 1,800-square-foot Rockland retail store has undergone extensive renovations, transforming the space into a warm and beautiful showroom with nods to Rockland’s coastal surroundings. Located in the heart of mid-coast Maine, Rockland is the gateway to Penobscot Bay and home to a vibrant downtown featuring unique shopping experiences, cafes, restaurants, and renown art museums and galleries. “Rockland is quintessential coastal Maine,” says Jim Henry, chief executive officer of Sweet Dirt. “With its vibrant walkable downtown, reputation as an arts mecca, and community known for supporting locally and carefully crafted goods, Rockland has long been a dream destination for locals and visitors – and for Sweet Dirt.” Sweet Dirt Rockland sits at the entrance to downtown and will feature a carefully curated selection of Maine-grown and Maine-made products including flower, prerolls, edibles, concentrates, hemp, CBD, and ancillary products. Sweet Dirt, known for its own line of products, will also offer its own family of brands highlighting their organically grown cannabis which is certified clean by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). Sweet Dirt Rockland will be open daily, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., for adults aged 21 and older. Online ordering is available at www.sweetdirt.com . TALLAHASSEE, Fla. , Dec. 6, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Trulieve Cannabis Corp . , a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the United States , announced the official launch of Khalifa Kush premium medical cannabis products statewide in all Trulieve branded Pennsylvania retail locations starting Dec. 12, 2022 . This is an exclusive partnership with multiplatinum selling, GRAMMY and Golden Globe Award-nominated recording artist Wiz Khalifa. To celebrate the product launch on 12/12, a date designated as \\\"Wiz Khalifa Day\\\" by the Pittsburgh City Council, Khalifa will be on-site at the Trulieve Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill and Trulieve Washington locations to meet with medical cannabis patients. Trulieve will also be hosting pop-up events on Dec. 12 from noon to 6 p.m., where customers will have a chance to receive Khalifa Kush branded swag and educational materials at the following dispensaries: Trulieve Coatesville – 1951 E Lincoln Hwy. Trulieve of Cranberry Township – 20269 Route 19 Trulieve Harrisburg – 2500-2504 North 6th St. Trulieve of Johnstown – 339 Main St. Trulieve Philadelphia – 300 Packer Ave. Trulieve Pittsburgh – 200 Federal St. Trulieve Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill – 5600 Forward Ave. Trulieve Reading-5th Avenue – 201 Lancaster Ave. Trulieve Washington – 200 Adios Dr., Suite 20 \\\"It's super cool to be able to sell KK legally in Pittsburgh and because they know it's Wiz's, it's going to be bomb, of course it's gonna drive the city and the state crazy,\\\" Khalifa said. \\\"Trulieve is the perfect partner for us because of its commitment to providing the highest quality products and best possible patient experiences.\\\" Khalifa Kush products are also available in Trulieve owned and operated locations in Florida and Arizona and will soon be available in Maryland. \\\"Trulieve is excited to expand our partnership with the iconic Wiz Khalifa as an exclusive partner to curate and promote his unique product line exclusively in his home state of Pennsylvania,\\\" Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said. \\\"As an artist, he has such a strong vision of how he wants to express himself. Together, we've created a line of products that offer best-in-class medical marijuana to Pennsylvania patients and represent the passion and creativity for which Wiz Khalifa is known.\\\" Trulieve patients across Pennsylvania have access to a selection of premium whole flower products and a wide selection of vapes, tinctures, topicals and ingestibles. In-house brands available in Pennsylvania include Avenue, Cultivar Collection, Modern Flower, Moxie, Muse, PurePenn and R.O. Trulieve operates dispensaries located in the following communities around the state: Camp Hill, Coatesville, Cranberry Township, Devon, Harrisburg, Johnstown, King of Prussia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Scranton, Washington, Whitehall, York and Zelienople.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/06/Untitleddesign-2022-12-06T111222391.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the new jersey cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) approved proposed rules for cannabis consumption lounges in a Dec. 2 meeting. the consumption lounges, limited to individuals aged 21 years and older, could be built indoors or outdoors but must be enclosed. the application fee would be $1,000 for all businesses, $1,000 for micro-businesses, and a standard licensing fee for other operators would be $5,000.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Manitoba\",\n \"the Province of Manitoba\",\n \"Canada\",\n \"Maine\",\n \"Rockland\",\n \"Knox County\",\n \"Portland\",\n \"Waterville\",\n \"TALLAHASSEE\",\n \"Fla.\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Cranberry Township\",\n \"Pittsburgh\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"Camp Hill\",\n \"Coatesville\",\n \"Devon\",\n \"Harrisburg\",\n \"Johnstown\",\n \"King of Prussia\",\n \"Philadelphia\",\n \"Reading\",\n \"Scranton\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Whitehall\",\n \"Zelienople\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"CRC\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges Alcohol\",\n \"NJBIZ\",\n \"CRC Executive\",\n \"the New Jersey Register\",\n \"Delta\",\n \"Walmart, Shoppers Drug\",\n \"Liquor Mart\",\n \"ROCKLAND\",\n \"Rockland\",\n \"Bridgton\",\n \"CBD\",\n \"the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association\",\n \"Trulieve Cannabis Corp .\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"GRAMMY\",\n \"Golden Globe Award\",\n \"the Pittsburgh City Council\",\n \"Federal St. Trulieve Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill\",\n \"KK\",\n \"Modern Flower\",\n \"Moxie, Muse\",\n \"PurePenn\",\n \"R.O. Trulieve\",\n \"York\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Jeff Brown\",\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"John Arbuthnot\",\n \"Jim Henry\",\n \"Sweet Dirt\",\n \"Sweet Dirt Rockland\",\n \"Wiz Khalifa\",\n \"Khalifa\",\n \"Trulieve Washington\",\n \"Trulieve Coatesville\",\n \"Lincoln Hwy\",\n \"Trulieve Reading-5th Avenue\",\n \"Suite\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.55,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.5902422070503235\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a729d5dba60336292ba5\",\n \"title\": \"Delta 9 to Open Cannabis Retail Store in Manitoba\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/delta-nine-cannabis-opens-dispensary-in-manitoba-canada\",\n \"description\": \"This marks the company's 17th location in Manitoba.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-06T15:50:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Dec. 6, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Delta 9 Cannabis is pleased to announce the grand opening of its 39th retail store and 17th cannabis store in the Province of Manitoba. Delta 9's newest retail store is in the heart of the busiest shopping district in Dauphin. \\\"Delta 9 is Manitoba's cannabis store, and we're excited to further expand our retail footprint in rural MB. We will continue to expand our retail portfolio across Canada through organic growth and strategic acquisitions in the coming months,\\\" said John Arbuthnot, CEO of Delta 9. \\\"We started 2020 with four retail stores and now have 39 cannabis retail stores across the Canadian Prairies. The company has an aggressive growth strategy to roll additional cannabis retail stores into the Delta 9 retail network over the next year.\\\" Delta 9's welcoming retail cannabis concept, combined with a focus on convenient and high-traffic shopping destinations, has been a successful part of the company's overall vertical integration strategy. Within a 3 km range, the area tenants include Walmart, Shoppers Drug store Canadian Tire, Dollar Tree, and Liquor Mart, along with several restaurants. The new store is located at 1351 Main St. in Dauphin and is part of a recently built mall. The location offers plenty of free parking spaces and easy access from the street. The new store offers customers a modern shopping décor, highly trained staff, and a wide range of products, including dried cannabis flower, cannabis oil, edibles, drinkables, vape pens, and concentrates. Store hours are 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Delta 9 is pleased to provide online and click-and-collect services for the Dauphin location, like most of our other cannabis stores in Manitoba. With the click of a mouse, customers can browse and sort through a complete inventory of cannabis products and reserve any product. Delta 9's online platform features allow an order to be ready in two hours or less. ROCKLAND, Maine, December 6, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Sweet Dirt , a Maine-based, vertically integrated cannabis company, today announced the opening of a new location at 305 Main Street, Rockland, Maine. The new recreational cannabis store opened its doors at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3. The Rockland location is the company’s fourth recreational cannabis store and its first store in Knox County. The company’s other adult-use stores can be found in Portland, Waterville, and Bridgton. The 1,800-square-foot Rockland retail store has undergone extensive renovations, transforming the space into a warm and beautiful showroom with nods to Rockland’s coastal surroundings. Located in the heart of mid-coast Maine, Rockland is the gateway to Penobscot Bay and home to a vibrant downtown featuring unique shopping experiences, cafes, restaurants, and renown art museums and galleries. “Rockland is quintessential coastal Maine,” says Jim Henry, chief executive officer of Sweet Dirt. “With its vibrant walkable downtown, reputation as an arts mecca, and community known for supporting locally and carefully crafted goods, Rockland has long been a dream destination for locals and visitors – and for Sweet Dirt.” Sweet Dirt Rockland sits at the entrance to downtown and will feature a carefully curated selection of Maine-grown and Maine-made products including flower, prerolls, edibles, concentrates, hemp, CBD, and ancillary products. Sweet Dirt, known for its own line of products, will also offer its own family of brands highlighting their organically grown cannabis which is certified clean by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). Sweet Dirt Rockland will be open daily, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., for adults aged 21 and older. Online ordering is available at www.sweetdirt.com . TALLAHASSEE, Fla. , Dec. 6, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Trulieve Cannabis Corp . , a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the United States , announced the official launch of Khalifa Kush premium medical cannabis products statewide in all Trulieve branded Pennsylvania retail locations starting Dec. 12, 2022 . This is an exclusive partnership with multiplatinum selling, GRAMMY and Golden Globe Award-nominated recording artist Wiz Khalifa. To celebrate the product launch on 12/12, a date designated as \\\"Wiz Khalifa Day\\\" by the Pittsburgh City Council, Khalifa will be on-site at the Trulieve Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill and Trulieve Washington locations to meet with medical cannabis patients. Trulieve will also be hosting pop-up events on Dec. 12 from noon to 6 p.m., where customers will have a chance to receive Khalifa Kush branded swag and educational materials at the following dispensaries: Trulieve Coatesville – 1951 E Lincoln Hwy. Trulieve of Cranberry Township – 20269 Route 19 Trulieve Harrisburg – 2500-2504 North 6th St. Trulieve of Johnstown – 339 Main St. Trulieve Philadelphia – 300 Packer Ave. Trulieve Pittsburgh – 200 Federal St. Trulieve Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill – 5600 Forward Ave. Trulieve Reading-5th Avenue – 201 Lancaster Ave. Trulieve Washington – 200 Adios Dr., Suite 20 \\\"It's super cool to be able to sell KK legally in Pittsburgh and because they know it's Wiz's, it's going to be bomb, of course it's gonna drive the city and the state crazy,\\\" Khalifa said. \\\"Trulieve is the perfect partner for us because of its commitment to providing the highest quality products and best possible patient experiences.\\\" Khalifa Kush products are also available in Trulieve owned and operated locations in Florida and Arizona and will soon be available in Maryland. \\\"Trulieve is excited to expand our partnership with the iconic Wiz Khalifa as an exclusive partner to curate and promote his unique product line exclusively in his home state of Pennsylvania,\\\" Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said. \\\"As an artist, he has such a strong vision of how he wants to express himself. Together, we've created a line of products that offer best-in-class medical marijuana to Pennsylvania patients and represent the passion and creativity for which Wiz Khalifa is known.\\\" Trulieve patients across Pennsylvania have access to a selection of premium whole flower products and a wide selection of vapes, tinctures, topicals and ingestibles. In-house brands available in Pennsylvania include Avenue, Cultivar Collection, Modern Flower, Moxie, Muse, PurePenn and R.O. Trulieve operates dispensaries located in the following communities around the state: Camp Hill, Coatesville, Cranberry Township, Devon, Harrisburg, Johnstown, King of Prussia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Scranton, Washington, Whitehall, York and Zelienople.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"delta 9 cannabis is pleased to announce the grand opening of its 39th retail store and 17th cannabis store in the province of Manitoba. the new store is located at 1351 Main St. in Dauphin and is part of a recently built mall. with the click of a mouse, customers can browse and sort through a complete inventory of cannabis products.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Manitoba\",\n \"the Province of Manitoba\",\n \"Canada\",\n \"Maine\",\n \"Rockland\",\n \"Knox County\",\n \"Portland\",\n \"Waterville\",\n \"TALLAHASSEE\",\n \"Fla.\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Cranberry Township\",\n \"Pittsburgh\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"Camp Hill\",\n \"Coatesville\",\n \"Devon\",\n \"Harrisburg\",\n \"Johnstown\",\n \"King of Prussia\",\n \"Philadelphia\",\n \"Reading\",\n \"Scranton\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Whitehall\",\n \"Zelienople\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"WINNIPEG\",\n \"Delta\",\n \"Walmart, Shoppers Drug\",\n \"Liquor Mart\",\n \"ROCKLAND\",\n \"Rockland\",\n \"Bridgton\",\n \"CBD\",\n \"the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association\",\n \"Trulieve Cannabis Corp .\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"GRAMMY\",\n \"Golden Globe Award\",\n \"the Pittsburgh City Council\",\n \"Federal St. Trulieve Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill\",\n \"KK\",\n \"Modern Flower\",\n \"Moxie, Muse\",\n \"PurePenn\",\n \"R.O. Trulieve\",\n \"York\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Cannabis\",\n \"John Arbuthnot\",\n \"Jim Henry\",\n \"Sweet Dirt\",\n \"Sweet Dirt Rockland\",\n \"Wiz Khalifa\",\n \"Khalifa\",\n \"Trulieve Washington\",\n \"Trulieve Coatesville\",\n \"Lincoln Hwy\",\n \"Trulieve Reading-5th Avenue\",\n \"Suite\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.48,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9013597369194031\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"6397a72bd5dba60336292ba6\",\n \"title\": \"Sweet Dirt Opens New Adult-Use Cannabis Store in Rockland, Maine\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/sweet-dirt-opens-new-adult-use-cannabis-store-rockland-maine\",\n \"description\": \"The Rockland location is Sweet Dirt's fourth recreational cannabis dispensary in Maine.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-06T15:16:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"ROCKLAND, Maine, December 6, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Sweet Dirt , a Maine-based, vertically integrated cannabis company, today announced the opening of a new location at 305 Main Street, Rockland, Maine. The new recreational cannabis store opened its doors at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3. The Rockland location is the company’s fourth recreational cannabis store and its first store in Knox County. The company’s other adult-use stores can be found in Portland, Waterville, and Bridgton. The 1,800-square-foot Rockland retail store has undergone extensive renovations, transforming the space into a warm and beautiful showroom with nods to Rockland’s coastal surroundings. Located in the heart of mid-coast Maine, Rockland is the gateway to Penobscot Bay and home to a vibrant downtown featuring unique shopping experiences, cafes, restaurants, and renown art museums and galleries. “Rockland is quintessential coastal Maine,” says Jim Henry, chief executive officer of Sweet Dirt. “With its vibrant walkable downtown, reputation as an arts mecca, and community known for supporting locally and carefully crafted goods, Rockland has long been a dream destination for locals and visitors – and for Sweet Dirt.” Sweet Dirt Rockland sits at the entrance to downtown and will feature a carefully curated selection of Maine-grown and Maine-made products including flower, prerolls, edibles, concentrates, hemp, CBD, and ancillary products. Sweet Dirt, known for its own line of products, will also offer its own family of brands highlighting their organically grown cannabis which is certified clean by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). Sweet Dirt Rockland will be open daily, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., for adults aged 21 and older. Online ordering is available at www.sweetdirt.com . TALLAHASSEE, Fla. , Dec. 6, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Trulieve Cannabis Corp . , a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the United States , announced the official launch of Khalifa Kush premium medical cannabis products statewide in all Trulieve branded Pennsylvania retail locations starting Dec. 12, 2022 . This is an exclusive partnership with multiplatinum selling, GRAMMY and Golden Globe Award-nominated recording artist Wiz Khalifa. To celebrate the product launch on 12/12, a date designated as \\\"Wiz Khalifa Day\\\" by the Pittsburgh City Council, Khalifa will be on-site at the Trulieve Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill and Trulieve Washington locations to meet with medical cannabis patients. Trulieve will also be hosting pop-up events on Dec. 12 from noon to 6 p.m., where customers will have a chance to receive Khalifa Kush branded swag and educational materials at the following dispensaries: Trulieve Coatesville – 1951 E Lincoln Hwy. Trulieve of Cranberry Township – 20269 Route 19 Trulieve Harrisburg – 2500-2504 North 6th St. Trulieve of Johnstown – 339 Main St. Trulieve Philadelphia – 300 Packer Ave. Trulieve Pittsburgh – 200 Federal St. Trulieve Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill – 5600 Forward Ave. Trulieve Reading-5th Avenue – 201 Lancaster Ave. Trulieve Washington – 200 Adios Dr., Suite 20 \\\"It's super cool to be able to sell KK legally in Pittsburgh and because they know it's Wiz's, it's going to be bomb, of course it's gonna drive the city and the state crazy,\\\" Khalifa said. \\\"Trulieve is the perfect partner for us because of its commitment to providing the highest quality products and best possible patient experiences.\\\" Khalifa Kush products are also available in Trulieve owned and operated locations in Florida and Arizona and will soon be available in Maryland. \\\"Trulieve is excited to expand our partnership with the iconic Wiz Khalifa as an exclusive partner to curate and promote his unique product line exclusively in his home state of Pennsylvania,\\\" Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said. \\\"As an artist, he has such a strong vision of how he wants to express himself. Together, we've created a line of products that offer best-in-class medical marijuana to Pennsylvania patients and represent the passion and creativity for which Wiz Khalifa is known.\\\" Trulieve patients across Pennsylvania have access to a selection of premium whole flower products and a wide selection of vapes, tinctures, topicals and ingestibles. In-house brands available in Pennsylvania include Avenue, Cultivar Collection, Modern Flower, Moxie, Muse, PurePenn and R.O. Trulieve operates dispensaries located in the following communities around the state: Camp Hill, Coatesville, Cranberry Township, Devon, Harrisburg, Johnstown, King of Prussia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Scranton, Washington, Whitehall, York and Zelienople. RIJSWIJK, THE NETHERLANDS, December 1, 2022 - Today, global testing, inspection and certification (TIC) company Kiwa announced the merger with St. Louis-based ASI LLC to the Kiwa Group to strengthen Kiwa’s U.S. footprint significantly in providing Food, Feed & Farm certifications. ASI , a leading food safety solutions company located in the Midwest region of the U.S., has provided farm-to-fork food safety solutions since the 1940s. Based in St. Louis, America’s epicenter for consumer packaged goods, ASI offers a full suite of safety and quality services to the food and beverage, dietary supplements and, most recently, cannabis industries. “Kiwa and ASI share similar customer-first business values and follow the same business model when it comes to testing, inspection and certification. By joining the Kiwa family, we’re combining their wide portfolio of accreditations and services (BRC, IFS, FSSC, PrimusGFS, GLOBALG.A.P., Rainforest Alliance, MSC/ASC, Organic/USDA and many others), their global business network and expertise with our client network in farm-to-fork food safety to assist our growing client base in North America even better,” said Charray Williams, CEO of ASI. “Not only is this merger increasing our notoriety as a historically family-owned operation, it also strengthens ASI being privy to the evolving certification needs of emerging industries. Our accredited CSQ (Cannabis Safety and Quality) standard for the legalized use of cannabis ingredients into (food) products in the US market is an example of us capturing evolving certification needs. We are excited to share these types of cutting-edge insights with the Kiwa team, as well as supporting them globally with our SQF expertise in various countries across the globe, especially in Australia,” said Tyler Williams, CTO of ASI. Tyler Williams will officially succeed Charray Williams as CEO Jan. 1, 2023, and will lead the expansion of Kiwa and ASI in the Food, Feed & Farm sector in North America. From pre-harvest to retail, ASI offers inspections, accredited certifications, training, consulting, and standards development. Standards covered include various global schemes recognized by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) like SQF (the Safe Quality Food Program), and cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices), cGAP (current Good Agricultural Practices) complimented by custom second-party audits. Kiwa is investing in ASI’s growth as a new member of the international Kiwa Group, and its global Food, Feed & Farm network. Together, the companies will collaboratively expand their reach and strengthen services both regionally and globally. “Kiwa already has a strong footprint in the global Food, Feed & Farm sector. With ASI, we significantly expand our reach, expertise and footprint, particularly in the United States of America but certainly with a global perspective. Now that we have welcomed ASI to the Kiwa family, we can better provide our customers with a one-stop shop for food- and feed-related certification services on all continents. The addition will also strengthen our already significant presence in Latin America given its strong connection to the US market. All in all, it ensures a sustainable future for all of us,” said Richard Stolk, Kiwa’s global director for the Food, Feed & Farm sector. Stolk will also be the President of the Board of ASI LLC and will be directly involved in the further growth of ASI. A two-day hearing over the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency’s (CRA) decision to suspend a Flint-based cannabis retailer’s license has resulted in a judge upholding the suspension. As previously reported by Cannabis Business Times , state regulators suspended the medical and adult-use licenses for GC Flint LLC, which does business as Green Culture, Nov. 15 after issuing a health and safety bulletin the same day to alert consumers about allegedly unregulated and contaminated cannabis products sold by the company between Feb. 10 and Sept. 30. The affected products included prerolls labeled as “Moonrock Blunt” that did not have identifying tags through Metrc, Michigan’s seed-to-sale tracking system. CRA investigators received a complaint Aug. 27 that claimed Green Culture sold caregiver product that did not have test results or Metrc tagging, and during a Sept. 28 visit, the Green Culture team told CRA investigators that the MoonRock prerolls were 100% hemp-extracted CBD containing less than 0.3% THC. The following day, investigators conducted an audit of all untested product reported in Metrc to be at Green Culture’s Flint dispensary and allegedly discovered that roughly 58 pounds of caregiver product entered into Metrc could not be located at the facility. During an Oct. 3 visit from regulators, the Green Culture team allegedly said the company obtained product from AFC Labs, a state-licensed hemp processor that does not hold a cannabis license, and that the untagged product from AFC Labs was high-THC cannabis and not hemp. The CRA’s investigation ultimately revealed that Green Culture allegedly sold or transferred roughly 18,000 ACF Labs products to medical cannabis patients or adult-use consumers without full compliance testing, Metrc tags and labeling. In addition, of 51 product samples collected during one of the CRA’s visits to Green Culture’s facility, 49 were confirmed to be cannabis (the other two were hemp) and more than three-quarters of the products contained paclobutrazol (a banned pesticide), nickel (a heavy metal), aspergillus (a type of mold), and/or total coliforms (bacteria) in amounts exceeding state limits, according to the CRA. A post-suspension hearing was required to determine whether Green Culture’s license suspension should remain in effect. As a result of that hearing, a judge with the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules found that the CRA “has demonstrated, by a preponderance of the evidence presented to date, that the safety or health of patrons or employees is jeopardized by (their) continued operation,” according to the Detroit Free Press . In a statement to the news outlet, Jars Cannabis, a part owner of Green Culture, indicated that it will buy out former owner and manager Pat Kanouno. Josh Hovey, a spokesperson for the cannabis retailer, which operates multiple dispensaries in Michigan and has operations in other states, told the Detroit Free Press that the company hopes to have a chance to remedy the mistakes made by the previous management. “Jars appreciates the CRA’s efforts to ensure everyone in this industry is following the rules and behaving responsibly,” Hovey told the news outlet. “However, we strongly believe the CRA is being overzealous in this case.” Hovey added that while he does not believe that retailers should be responsible for inaccurate test results on products, Jars has pulled all hemp products from its shelves as a precautionary measure following the judge’s decision.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the new recreational cannabis store opened its doors at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3. the rockland location is the company’s fourth recreational cannabis store and its first store in Knox County. the 1,800-square-foot Rockland retail store has undergone extensive renovations, transforming the space into a warm and beautiful showroom.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Maine\",\n \"Rockland\",\n \"Knox County\",\n \"Portland\",\n \"Waterville\",\n \"TALLAHASSEE\",\n \"Fla.\",\n \"the United States\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Cranberry Township\",\n \"Pittsburgh\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"Camp Hill\",\n \"Coatesville\",\n \"Devon\",\n \"Harrisburg\",\n \"Johnstown\",\n \"King of Prussia\",\n \"Philadelphia\",\n \"Reading\",\n \"Scranton\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Whitehall\",\n \"Zelienople\",\n \"NETHERLANDS\",\n \"St. Louis\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"America\",\n \"US\",\n \"Australia\",\n \"the United States of America\",\n \"Flint\",\n \"Green Culture\",\n \"Metrc\",\n \"Michigan\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"ROCKLAND\",\n \"Rockland\",\n \"Bridgton\",\n \"CBD\",\n \"the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association\",\n \"Trulieve Cannabis Corp .\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"GRAMMY\",\n \"Golden Globe Award\",\n \"the Pittsburgh City Council\",\n \"Federal St. Trulieve Pittsburgh-Squirrel Hill\",\n \"KK\",\n \"Modern Flower\",\n \"Moxie, Muse\",\n \"PurePenn\",\n \"R.O. Trulieve\",\n \"York\",\n \"Kiwa\",\n \"ASI\",\n \"the Kiwa Group\",\n \"Food, Feed & Farm\",\n \"BRC\",\n \"IFS\",\n \"FSSC\",\n \"Rainforest Alliance\",\n \"MSC/ASC\",\n \"Organic/USDA\",\n \"CSQ (Cannabis Safety and Quality\",\n \"CTO of ASI\",\n \"the Food, Feed & Farm\",\n \"the Safe Quality Food Program\",\n \"Good Agricultural Practices\",\n \"the international Kiwa Group\",\n \"the Board of ASI\",\n \"CRA\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"GC Flint\",\n \"Green Culture\",\n \"MoonRock\",\n \"Green Culture’s Flint\",\n \"AFC Labs\",\n \"ACF Labs\",\n \"the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules\",\n \"the Detroit Free Press\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Jim Henry\",\n \"Sweet Dirt\",\n \"Sweet Dirt Rockland\",\n \"Wiz Khalifa\",\n \"Khalifa\",\n \"Trulieve Washington\",\n \"Trulieve Coatesville\",\n \"Lincoln Hwy\",\n \"Trulieve Reading-5th Avenue\",\n \"Suite\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers\",\n \"Kiwa\",\n \"Charray Williams\",\n \"Tyler Williams\",\n \"SQF\",\n \"Richard Stolk\",\n \"Green Culture\",\n \"Green Culture’s\",\n \"Jars Cannabis\",\n \"Pat Kanouno\",\n \"Josh Hovey\",\n \"Jars\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.59,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7929838299751282\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cb1e49a97033412092c\",\n \"title\": \"ASI LLC Joins Kiwa Group to Expand Food, Feed, Farm Certifications in US\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/asi-llc-joins-kiwa-group-expand-food-feed-farm-certifications-in-us.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"ASI offers safety and quality services to the cannabis, food and beverage, and dietary supplements industries.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Patrick Williams\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-05T21:28:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"RIJSWIJK, THE NETHERLANDS, December 1, 2022 - Today, global testing, inspection and certification (TIC) company Kiwa announced the merger with St. Louis-based ASI LLC to the Kiwa Group to strengthen Kiwa’s U.S. footprint significantly in providing Food, Feed & Farm certifications. ASI , a leading food safety solutions company located in the Midwest region of the U.S., has provided farm-to-fork food safety solutions since the 1940s. Based in St. Louis, America’s epicenter for consumer packaged goods, ASI offers a full suite of safety and quality services to the food and beverage, dietary supplements and, most recently, cannabis industries. “Kiwa and ASI share similar customer-first business values and follow the same business model when it comes to testing, inspection and certification. By joining the Kiwa family, we’re combining their wide portfolio of accreditations and services (BRC, IFS, FSSC, PrimusGFS, GLOBALG.A.P., Rainforest Alliance, MSC/ASC, Organic/USDA and many others), their global business network and expertise with our client network in farm-to-fork food safety to assist our growing client base in North America even better,” said Charray Williams, CEO of ASI. “Not only is this merger increasing our notoriety as a historically family-owned operation, it also strengthens ASI being privy to the evolving certification needs of emerging industries. Our accredited CSQ (Cannabis Safety and Quality) standard for the legalized use of cannabis ingredients into (food) products in the US market is an example of us capturing evolving certification needs. We are excited to share these types of cutting-edge insights with the Kiwa team, as well as supporting them globally with our SQF expertise in various countries across the globe, especially in Australia,” said Tyler Williams, CTO of ASI. Tyler Williams will officially succeed Charray Williams as CEO Jan. 1, 2023, and will lead the expansion of Kiwa and ASI in the Food, Feed & Farm sector in North America. From pre-harvest to retail, ASI offers inspections, accredited certifications, training, consulting, and standards development. Standards covered include various global schemes recognized by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) like SQF (the Safe Quality Food Program), and cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices), cGAP (current Good Agricultural Practices) complimented by custom second-party audits. Kiwa is investing in ASI’s growth as a new member of the international Kiwa Group, and its global Food, Feed & Farm network. Together, the companies will collaboratively expand their reach and strengthen services both regionally and globally. “Kiwa already has a strong footprint in the global Food, Feed & Farm sector. With ASI, we significantly expand our reach, expertise and footprint, particularly in the United States of America but certainly with a global perspective. Now that we have welcomed ASI to the Kiwa family, we can better provide our customers with a one-stop shop for food- and feed-related certification services on all continents. The addition will also strengthen our already significant presence in Latin America given its strong connection to the US market. All in all, it ensures a sustainable future for all of us,” said Richard Stolk, Kiwa’s global director for the Food, Feed & Farm sector. Stolk will also be the President of the Board of ASI LLC and will be directly involved in the further growth of ASI. A two-day hearing over the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency’s (CRA) decision to suspend a Flint-based cannabis retailer’s license has resulted in a judge upholding the suspension. As previously reported by Cannabis Business Times , state regulators suspended the medical and adult-use licenses for GC Flint LLC, which does business as Green Culture, Nov. 15 after issuing a health and safety bulletin the same day to alert consumers about allegedly unregulated and contaminated cannabis products sold by the company between Feb. 10 and Sept. 30. The affected products included prerolls labeled as “Moonrock Blunt” that did not have identifying tags through Metrc, Michigan’s seed-to-sale tracking system. CRA investigators received a complaint Aug. 27 that claimed Green Culture sold caregiver product that did not have test results or Metrc tagging, and during a Sept. 28 visit, the Green Culture team told CRA investigators that the MoonRock prerolls were 100% hemp-extracted CBD containing less than 0.3% THC. The following day, investigators conducted an audit of all untested product reported in Metrc to be at Green Culture’s Flint dispensary and allegedly discovered that roughly 58 pounds of caregiver product entered into Metrc could not be located at the facility. During an Oct. 3 visit from regulators, the Green Culture team allegedly said the company obtained product from AFC Labs, a state-licensed hemp processor that does not hold a cannabis license, and that the untagged product from AFC Labs was high-THC cannabis and not hemp. The CRA’s investigation ultimately revealed that Green Culture allegedly sold or transferred roughly 18,000 ACF Labs products to medical cannabis patients or adult-use consumers without full compliance testing, Metrc tags and labeling. In addition, of 51 product samples collected during one of the CRA’s visits to Green Culture’s facility, 49 were confirmed to be cannabis (the other two were hemp) and more than three-quarters of the products contained paclobutrazol (a banned pesticide), nickel (a heavy metal), aspergillus (a type of mold), and/or total coliforms (bacteria) in amounts exceeding state limits, according to the CRA. A post-suspension hearing was required to determine whether Green Culture’s license suspension should remain in effect. As a result of that hearing, a judge with the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules found that the CRA “has demonstrated, by a preponderance of the evidence presented to date, that the safety or health of patrons or employees is jeopardized by (their) continued operation,” according to the Detroit Free Press . In a statement to the news outlet, Jars Cannabis, a part owner of Green Culture, indicated that it will buy out former owner and manager Pat Kanouno. Josh Hovey, a spokesperson for the cannabis retailer, which operates multiple dispensaries in Michigan and has operations in other states, told the Detroit Free Press that the company hopes to have a chance to remedy the mistakes made by the previous management. “Jars appreciates the CRA’s efforts to ensure everyone in this industry is following the rules and behaving responsibly,” Hovey told the news outlet. “However, we strongly believe the CRA is being overzealous in this case.” Hovey added that while he does not believe that retailers should be responsible for inaccurate test results on products, Jars has pulled all hemp products from its shelves as a precautionary measure following the judge’s decision. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission revoked a medical cannabis cultivation license last week following a Nov. 3 court ruling, but the state’s Supreme Court weighed in Dec. 1, blocking regulators from acting on the initial court orders. Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission Director Doralee Chandler revoked the license, which was issued to Fort Smith-based River Valley Relief in July 2020, in a procedural action Nov. 28. The move came after Pulaski County Circuit Judge Herb Wright ruled Nov. 3 to uphold a claim by 2600 Holdings that regulators granted the license in error. 2600 Holdings filed the lawsuit in January 2021, asking the court to disqualify River Valley Relief based on claims that the license was issued to the company’s owner, Storm Nolan, in error during the state’s second round of cultivation licensing . The plaintiff alleged that the incorporation in Nolan’s first application was no longer valid and that the proposed cultivation site was too close to Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center, violating a provision in Arkansas’ medical cannabis law that requires the operations to be at least 3,000 feet away from a school, church or daycare. While Wright blocked Nolan from participating in the case, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which houses the Medical Marijuana Commission, filed a 36-page rebuttal. At the Nov. 28 hearing where Chandler revoked River Valley Relief’s license, Nolan and his attorney, Matthew Horan, claimed that there is no evidence to suggest that the juvenile detention facility is operated by a public school. Wright said in his ruling that 2600 Holdings proved it should be provided relief and that regulators acted outside their authority when they issued the medical cannabis cultivation license to River Valley Relief, which immediately appealed the decision to the Arkansas Supreme Court. The Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday blocks the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission from revoking the license, which River Valley Relief will retain for now, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . The Supreme Court has also expedited Nolan’s appeal, the news outlet reported. The appeal centers on Nolan’s argument that his constitutional right to due process has been violated because losing the cultivation license would cost him millions of dollars invested in the operation and terminate the company’s 75 employees, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . The company would also have to destroy nearly $7 million in inventory should its license be revoked, the news outlet reported, which would eliminate roughly 12.5% of the medical cannabis supply in the state. The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) has issued a mandatory recall for cannabis extracts that potentially contain pesticides. The products were manufactured by OLCC-licensed businesses operating under the names Bobsled and Quantum Alchemy, and the contamination stems from the companies’ failure to follow OLCC and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) regulations for tracking and isolating cannabis products that tested positive for the presence of pesticides, according to an OLCC news release . The recall impacts 13,600 products that were sold to consumers, as well as 9,300 products that were still on dispensary shelves. The recalled products are concentrates ranging from jars of THC extract and vape cartridges to Rick Simpson Oil, according to the release. Regulators issued the recall to ensure that dispensaries do not sell—and consumers do not consume—the affected products, as OLCC investigators have been unable to determine whether the potential contamination is isolated or widespread through the product lines. The OLCC has notified cannabis retailers about the recall and provided instructions on how the affected products must be destroyed or returned to a licensed supplier for proper disposal. Regulators plan to follow up with the licensees in possession of the recalled products to ensure they are removed from the market, isolated from other inventory and ultimately destroyed in accordance with OLCC rules. Officials have instructed consumers who have the affected products to return them to the dispensary where they were purchased or destroy them. Consumers with other product-related complaints associated with the recall can reach out to the OLCC at olcc.recalls@oregon.gov . The OLCC launched the investigation into the recalled products Nov. 29, and Bobsled and Quantum Alchemy are cooperating with regulators, according to the OLCC’s release. The affected products include: Bobsled products Product Name: Bobsled – Dolato Cured Resin Vape Cartridge | Manufacture Date: 9/12/2022 (Label Id 5368) | Sold starting 10/4/22 Product Name: Bobsled – Larry OG Cured Resin | Manufacture Date: 8/29/2022 (Label Id 5326) | Sold starting 9/15/2022 Product Name: Bobsled – Larry OG - Dabs Sugar Sauce | Manufacture Date: 8/29/2022 (Label Id 5326) | Sold starting 9/26/2022 Product Name: Bobsled – Stardawg Cured Resin | Manufacture Date: 9/12/2022 (Label Id 5326) | Sold starting 10/10/2022 Product Name: Bobsled – Frostbite Cured Resin| Manufacture Date: 6/13/2022 (Label Id 5326) | Sold starting 9/21/2022 Product Name: Bobsled – Sunburn Cured Resin| Manufacture Date: 6/13/2022 (Label Id 5326) | Sold starting 9/22/2022 Product Name: Bobsled – Sunburn Sugar Sauce Extract| Manufacture Date: 6/13/2022 (Label Id 5326) | Sold starting 11/23/2022 Quantum Alchemy products Product Name: RSO Raspberry GMO | Manufacture Date: 11/29/21 (Label Id 5764) | Sold starting 11/28/22 Product Name: HTE Distillate R#ntz | Manufacture Date 11/30/21 (Generic Label) | Sold between 12/10/21 and 1/6/22 Product Name: HTE Distillate McR#ntz | Manufacture Date 2/21/22 (Generic Label) | Sold starting 9/23/22 Product Name: Cart 1g HTE Distillate Milo | Manufacture Date 2/21/22 (Generic Label) | Sold starting 9/23/22 DENVER, Dec. 5, 2022 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Schwazze , a vertically integrated, multi-state operating cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico, announces the grand opening of its adult-use dispensary, R.Greenleaf , located in Los Lunas, N.M. The new store, located at 2245 Main Street in Los Lunas, officially opened its doors for business on Dec. 1. Store operating hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The Los Lunas R.Greenleaf store opening continues the deliberate expansion throughout the state of New Mexico and comes on the heels of the store opening just one week ago in Sunland Park which followed two store openings in Ruidoso and Clovis in the last 60 days. This brings R.Greenleaf's total number of New Mexico retail dispensaries to 14. All locations serve the needs of medical patients as well as recreational adult-use consumers. RELATED: Schwazze Opens an Additional Cannabis Dispensary in New Mexico Located in Sunland Park, Brings Total R. Greenleaf Store Count to 13 \\\"We are thrilled to be opening up the second R.Greenleaf dispensary in New Mexico within one week's time. The team has been incredibly hard at work to make this happen,\\\" said Steve Pear, New Mexico Division President for Schwazze. \\\"R.Greenleaf, offering a wide variety of quality products serviced by top-notch, knowledgeable staff, has grown from 10 locations to now 14 in New Mexico since Schwazze purchased the retail banner earlier this year.\\\" A grand opening celebration of Los Lunas R.Greenleaf will be held on Saturday, Dec. 17, beginning at 10 a.m. and running until 3 p.m. Swag bags will be available to the first 50 shoppers featuring a tote bag, branded rolling papers and other R.Greenleaf gear. DJ Sonya G will be on site during the event to provide tunes for all in attendance, and Ribs Hickory Pit BBQ will provide free pulled pork sandwiches for the first 50 customers making a purchase. R.Greenleaf Los Lunas will also offer introductory pricing on flower, edibles, and vapes beginning on the 17th and continuing through Dec. 24. Enrollment in the Gratify Rewards loyalty program is already open. Gratify Rewards members that make a purchase of any amount on Dec. 17 will automatically be entered to win a $100 R.Greenleaf gift card. Los Lunas Store Location R.Greenleaf 2245 Main Street Los Lunas, New Mexico 87031 Grand Opening Celebration Saturday, Dec. 17 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Since April 2020, Schwazze has acquired, opened or announced the planned acquisition of 39 cannabis retail dispensaries as well as seven cultivation facilities and two manufacturing plants in Colorado and New Mexico. In May 2021, Schwazze announced its Biosciences division and in August 2021 it commenced home delivery services in Colorado.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Kiwa announced the merger with St. Louis-based ASI LLC to the Kiwa Group. the merger will strengthen Kiwa’s U.S. footprint significantly in providing Food, Feed & Farm certifications. Tyler Williams will officially succeed Charray Williams as CEO Jan. 1, 2023.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"NETHERLANDS\",\n \"St. Louis\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"America\",\n \"US\",\n \"Australia\",\n \"the United States of America\",\n \"Flint\",\n \"Green Culture\",\n \"Metrc\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"Arkansas\",\n \"DENVER\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Los Lunas\",\n \"N.M.\",\n \"Ruidoso\",\n \"Sunland Park\",\n \"Schwazze\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"RIJSWIJK\",\n \"Kiwa\",\n \"ASI\",\n \"the Kiwa Group\",\n \"Food, Feed & Farm\",\n \"BRC\",\n \"IFS\",\n \"FSSC\",\n \"Rainforest Alliance\",\n \"MSC/ASC\",\n \"Organic/USDA\",\n \"CSQ (Cannabis Safety and Quality\",\n \"CTO of ASI\",\n \"the Food, Feed & Farm\",\n \"the Safe Quality Food Program\",\n \"Good Agricultural Practices\",\n \"the international Kiwa Group\",\n \"the Board of ASI\",\n \"CRA\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"GC Flint\",\n \"Green Culture\",\n \"MoonRock\",\n \"Green Culture’s Flint\",\n \"AFC Labs\",\n \"ACF Labs\",\n \"the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules\",\n \"the Detroit Free Press\",\n \"The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"Supreme Court\",\n \"Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"River Valley Relief\",\n \"Pulaski County Circuit\",\n \"2600 Holdings\",\n \"Storm Nolan\",\n \"the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration\",\n \"the Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"the Arkansas Supreme Court\",\n \"The Supreme Court’s\",\n \"the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"The Supreme Court\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"Cannabis Commission\",\n \"Quantum Alchemy\",\n \"Oregon Health Authority\",\n \"OHA\",\n \"THC\",\n \"OLCC\",\n \"Manufacture Date\",\n \"Manufacture Date:\",\n \"Sunburn\",\n \"9/23/22 Product Name\",\n \"The Los Lunas\",\n \"New Mexico Located\",\n \"New Mexico Division\",\n \"Los Lunas\",\n \"Los Lunas Store Location R.Greenleaf 2245 Main Street\",\n \"New Mexico 87031 Grand Opening Celebration\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Kiwa\",\n \"Charray Williams\",\n \"Tyler Williams\",\n \"SQF\",\n \"Richard Stolk\",\n \"Green Culture\",\n \"Green Culture’s\",\n \"Jars Cannabis\",\n \"Pat Kanouno\",\n \"Josh Hovey\",\n \"Jars\",\n \"Doralee Chandler\",\n \"Herb Wright\",\n \"Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center\",\n \"Wright\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"Chandler\",\n \"Matthew Horan\",\n \"Rick Simpson Oil\",\n \"Dolato\",\n \"Resin Vape Cartridge\",\n \"Resin\",\n \"Larry OG - Dabs\",\n \"9/26/2022 Product Name\",\n \"RSO Raspberry\",\n \"Generic Label\",\n \"Distillate Milo\",\n \"Clovis\",\n \"Steve Pear\",\n \"DJ Sonya G\",\n \"Ribs Hickory Pit BBQ\",\n \"Gratify Rewards\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.63,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8888970613479614\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6c95e49a97033412091b\",\n \"title\": \"Judge Upholds Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency’s Decision to Suspend Cannabis Retail License\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/judge-upholds-michigan-cannabis-regulatory-decision-to-suspend-cannabis-retail-license.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Regulators suspended medical and adult-use licenses for GC Flint LLC, which does business as Green Culture, earlier this month, but a post-suspension hearing was required to determine whether the license suspensions should remain in effect.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-05T21:22:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"A two-day hearing over the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency’s (CRA) decision to suspend a Flint-based cannabis retailer’s license has resulted in a judge upholding the suspension. As previously reported by Cannabis Business Times , state regulators suspended the medical and adult-use licenses for GC Flint LLC, which does business as Green Culture, Nov. 15 after issuing a health and safety bulletin the same day to alert consumers about allegedly unregulated and contaminated cannabis products sold by the company between Feb. 10 and Sept. 30. The affected products included prerolls labeled as “Moonrock Blunt” that did not have identifying tags through Metrc, Michigan’s seed-to-sale tracking system. CRA investigators received a complaint Aug. 27 that claimed Green Culture sold caregiver product that did not have test results or Metrc tagging, and during a Sept. 28 visit, the Green Culture team told CRA investigators that the MoonRock prerolls were 100% hemp-extracted CBD containing less than 0.3% THC. The following day, investigators conducted an audit of all untested product reported in Metrc to be at Green Culture’s Flint dispensary and allegedly discovered that roughly 58 pounds of caregiver product entered into Metrc could not be located at the facility. During an Oct. 3 visit from regulators, the Green Culture team allegedly said the company obtained product from AFC Labs, a state-licensed hemp processor that does not hold a cannabis license, and that the untagged product from AFC Labs was high-THC cannabis and not hemp. The CRA’s investigation ultimately revealed that Green Culture allegedly sold or transferred roughly 18,000 ACF Labs products to medical cannabis patients or adult-use consumers without full compliance testing, Metrc tags and labeling. In addition, of 51 product samples collected during one of the CRA’s visits to Green Culture’s facility, 49 were confirmed to be cannabis (the other two were hemp) and more than three-quarters of the products contained paclobutrazol (a banned pesticide), nickel (a heavy metal), aspergillus (a type of mold), and/or total coliforms (bacteria) in amounts exceeding state limits, according to the CRA. A post-suspension hearing was required to determine whether Green Culture’s license suspension should remain in effect. As a result of that hearing, a judge with the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules found that the CRA “has demonstrated, by a preponderance of the evidence presented to date, that the safety or health of patrons or employees is jeopardized by (their) continued operation,” according to the Detroit Free Press . In a statement to the news outlet, Jars Cannabis, a part owner of Green Culture, indicated that it will buy out former owner and manager Pat Kanouno. Josh Hovey, a spokesperson for the cannabis retailer, which operates multiple dispensaries in Michigan and has operations in other states, told the Detroit Free Press that the company hopes to have a chance to remedy the mistakes made by the previous management. “Jars appreciates the CRA’s efforts to ensure everyone in this industry is following the rules and behaving responsibly,” Hovey told the news outlet. “However, we strongly believe the CRA is being overzealous in this case.” Hovey added that while he does not believe that retailers should be responsible for inaccurate test results on products, Jars has pulled all hemp products from its shelves as a precautionary measure following the judge’s decision. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission revoked a medical cannabis cultivation license last week following a Nov. 3 court ruling, but the state’s Supreme Court weighed in Dec. 1, blocking regulators from acting on the initial court orders. Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission Director Doralee Chandler revoked the license, which was issued to Fort Smith-based River Valley Relief in July 2020, in a procedural action Nov. 28. The move came after Pulaski County Circuit Judge Herb Wright ruled Nov. 3 to uphold a claim by 2600 Holdings that regulators granted the license in error. 2600 Holdings filed the lawsuit in January 2021, asking the court to disqualify River Valley Relief based on claims that the license was issued to the company’s owner, Storm Nolan, in error during the state’s second round of cultivation licensing . The plaintiff alleged that the incorporation in Nolan’s first application was no longer valid and that the proposed cultivation site was too close to Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center, violating a provision in Arkansas’ medical cannabis law that requires the operations to be at least 3,000 feet away from a school, church or daycare. While Wright blocked Nolan from participating in the case, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which houses the Medical Marijuana Commission, filed a 36-page rebuttal. At the Nov. 28 hearing where Chandler revoked River Valley Relief’s license, Nolan and his attorney, Matthew Horan, claimed that there is no evidence to suggest that the juvenile detention facility is operated by a public school. Wright said in his ruling that 2600 Holdings proved it should be provided relief and that regulators acted outside their authority when they issued the medical cannabis cultivation license to River Valley Relief, which immediately appealed the decision to the Arkansas Supreme Court. The Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday blocks the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission from revoking the license, which River Valley Relief will retain for now, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . The Supreme Court has also expedited Nolan’s appeal, the news outlet reported. The appeal centers on Nolan’s argument that his constitutional right to due process has been violated because losing the cultivation license would cost him millions of dollars invested in the operation and terminate the company’s 75 employees, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . The company would also have to destroy nearly $7 million in inventory should its license be revoked, the news outlet reported, which would eliminate roughly 12.5% of the medical cannabis supply in the state. The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) has issued a mandatory recall for cannabis extracts that potentially contain pesticides. The products were manufactured by OLCC-licensed businesses operating under the names Bobsled and Quantum Alchemy, and the contamination stems from the companies’ failure to follow OLCC and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) regulations for tracking and isolating cannabis products that tested positive for the presence of pesticides, according to an OLCC news release . The recall impacts 13,600 products that were sold to consumers, as well as 9,300 products that were still on dispensary shelves. The recalled products are concentrates ranging from jars of THC extract and vape cartridges to Rick Simpson Oil, according to the release. Regulators issued the recall to ensure that dispensaries do not sell—and consumers do not consume—the affected products, as OLCC investigators have been unable to determine whether the potential contamination is isolated or widespread through the product lines. The OLCC has notified cannabis retailers about the recall and provided instructions on how the affected products must be destroyed or returned to a licensed supplier for proper disposal. Regulators plan to follow up with the licensees in possession of the recalled products to ensure they are removed from the market, isolated from other inventory and ultimately destroyed in accordance with OLCC rules. Officials have instructed consumers who have the affected products to return them to the dispensary where they were purchased or destroy them. Consumers with other product-related complaints associated with the recall can reach out to the OLCC at olcc.recalls@oregon.gov . The OLCC launched the investigation into the recalled products Nov. 29, and Bobsled and Quantum Alchemy are cooperating with regulators, according to the OLCC’s release. The affected products include: Bobsled products Product Name: Bobsled – Dolato Cured Resin Vape Cartridge | Manufacture Date: 9/12/2022 (Label Id 5368) | Sold starting 10/4/22 Product Name: Bobsled – Larry OG Cured Resin | Manufacture Date: 8/29/2022 (Label Id 5326) | Sold starting 9/15/2022 Product Name: Bobsled – Larry OG - Dabs Sugar Sauce | Manufacture Date: 8/29/2022 (Label Id 5326) | Sold starting 9/26/2022 Product Name: Bobsled – Stardawg Cured Resin | Manufacture Date: 9/12/2022 (Label Id 5326) | Sold starting 10/10/2022 Product Name: Bobsled – Frostbite Cured Resin| Manufacture Date: 6/13/2022 (Label Id 5326) | Sold starting 9/21/2022 Product Name: Bobsled – Sunburn Cured Resin| Manufacture Date: 6/13/2022 (Label Id 5326) | Sold starting 9/22/2022 Product Name: Bobsled – Sunburn Sugar Sauce Extract| Manufacture Date: 6/13/2022 (Label Id 5326) | Sold starting 11/23/2022 Quantum Alchemy products Product Name: RSO Raspberry GMO | Manufacture Date: 11/29/21 (Label Id 5764) | Sold starting 11/28/22 Product Name: HTE Distillate R#ntz | Manufacture Date 11/30/21 (Generic Label) | Sold between 12/10/21 and 1/6/22 Product Name: HTE Distillate McR#ntz | Manufacture Date 2/21/22 (Generic Label) | Sold starting 9/23/22 Product Name: Cart 1g HTE Distillate Milo | Manufacture Date 2/21/22 (Generic Label) | Sold starting 9/23/22 DENVER, Dec. 5, 2022 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Schwazze , a vertically integrated, multi-state operating cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico, announces the grand opening of its adult-use dispensary, R.Greenleaf , located in Los Lunas, N.M. The new store, located at 2245 Main Street in Los Lunas, officially opened its doors for business on Dec. 1. Store operating hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The Los Lunas R.Greenleaf store opening continues the deliberate expansion throughout the state of New Mexico and comes on the heels of the store opening just one week ago in Sunland Park which followed two store openings in Ruidoso and Clovis in the last 60 days. This brings R.Greenleaf's total number of New Mexico retail dispensaries to 14. All locations serve the needs of medical patients as well as recreational adult-use consumers. RELATED: Schwazze Opens an Additional Cannabis Dispensary in New Mexico Located in Sunland Park, Brings Total R. Greenleaf Store Count to 13 \\\"We are thrilled to be opening up the second R.Greenleaf dispensary in New Mexico within one week's time. The team has been incredibly hard at work to make this happen,\\\" said Steve Pear, New Mexico Division President for Schwazze. \\\"R.Greenleaf, offering a wide variety of quality products serviced by top-notch, knowledgeable staff, has grown from 10 locations to now 14 in New Mexico since Schwazze purchased the retail banner earlier this year.\\\" A grand opening celebration of Los Lunas R.Greenleaf will be held on Saturday, Dec. 17, beginning at 10 a.m. and running until 3 p.m. Swag bags will be available to the first 50 shoppers featuring a tote bag, branded rolling papers and other R.Greenleaf gear. DJ Sonya G will be on site during the event to provide tunes for all in attendance, and Ribs Hickory Pit BBQ will provide free pulled pork sandwiches for the first 50 customers making a purchase. R.Greenleaf Los Lunas will also offer introductory pricing on flower, edibles, and vapes beginning on the 17th and continuing through Dec. 24. Enrollment in the Gratify Rewards loyalty program is already open. Gratify Rewards members that make a purchase of any amount on Dec. 17 will automatically be entered to win a $100 R.Greenleaf gift card. Los Lunas Store Location R.Greenleaf 2245 Main Street Los Lunas, New Mexico 87031 Grand Opening Celebration Saturday, Dec. 17 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Since April 2020, Schwazze has acquired, opened or announced the planned acquisition of 39 cannabis retail dispensaries as well as seven cultivation facilities and two manufacturing plants in Colorado and New Mexico. In May 2021, Schwazze announced its Biosciences division and in August 2021 it commenced home delivery services in Colorado. TEMPE, ARIZ. and BOULDER, COLO. (December 2, 2022) – Connoisseur cannabis cultivation and extraction brand Green Dot Labs has announced a planned expansion into Arizona. Marking the premium brand’s first foray into a cannabis market outside of Colorado, the expansion will bring Green Dot Labs’ brand and operating platform–designed to exceed the highest standards for safety, responsibility and quality–to the state. Known for its extensive library of proprietary strains, unrivaled flower and concentrates that offer a true reflection of the plant’s vivid flavors and effects, Green Dot Labs is the first and longest-running regulated cannabis brand focused on cultivating for concentrates and has inspired a devoted following among marijuana aficionados. Established in 2014, Green Dot Labs was founded in Colorado and is the longest-running concentrates brand in the state’s legal, regulated cannabis industry. Commanding the No. 1 position in Colorado in the Concentrates category according to BDSA–a prime status among the country’s most discerning cannabis consumers–Green Dot Labs also holds the top position in Colorado for Live Resin and Live Resin Vape and leads the premium state’s premium cannabis segment. “We are building a first of its kind, fourth generation cultivation and extraction platform armed with cutting edge technology and distinct operational advantages in Arizona,” said Green Dot Labs co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Dave Malone. “Our platform is driven by the unrivaled IP that we have developed over the last decade, allowing us to deliver the consistent, high-quality products that define the Green Dot Labs experience.” First rising in prominence for its Live Resin products showcasing the plant’s distinctive exotic terpenes and flavors, Green Dot Labs recently launched its top-shelf flower line, respected for its meticulous cultivation processes to maximize terpene and cannabinoid content.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/05/ScaleCourtroom-AdobeStock-Credit-Paul-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"a two-day hearing over the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency’s (CRA) decision to suspend a Flint-based cannabis retailer’s license has resulted in a judge upholding the suspension. the affected products included prerolls labeled as “Moonrock Blunt” that did not have identifying tags through Metrc, Michigan’s seed-to-sale tracking system. CRA investigators received a complaint Aug. 27 that claimed Green Culture sold caregiver product that did not have test\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Flint\",\n \"Green Culture\",\n \"Metrc\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"Arkansas\",\n \"DENVER\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Los Lunas\",\n \"N.M.\",\n \"Ruidoso\",\n \"Sunland Park\",\n \"Schwazze\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"marijuana\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"CRA\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"GC Flint\",\n \"Green Culture\",\n \"MoonRock\",\n \"Green Culture’s Flint\",\n \"AFC Labs\",\n \"ACF Labs\",\n \"the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules\",\n \"the Detroit Free Press\",\n \"The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"Supreme Court\",\n \"Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"River Valley Relief\",\n \"Pulaski County Circuit\",\n \"2600 Holdings\",\n \"Storm Nolan\",\n \"the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration\",\n \"the Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"the Arkansas Supreme Court\",\n \"The Supreme Court’s\",\n \"the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"The Supreme Court\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"Cannabis Commission\",\n \"Quantum Alchemy\",\n \"Oregon Health Authority\",\n \"OHA\",\n \"THC\",\n \"OLCC\",\n \"Manufacture Date\",\n \"Manufacture Date:\",\n \"Sunburn\",\n \"9/23/22 Product Name\",\n \"The Los Lunas\",\n \"New Mexico Located\",\n \"New Mexico Division\",\n \"Los Lunas\",\n \"Los Lunas Store Location R.Greenleaf 2245 Main Street\",\n \"New Mexico 87031 Grand Opening Celebration\",\n \"ARIZ\",\n \"BOULDER\",\n \"COLO\",\n \"BDSA\",\n \"IP\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Green Culture\",\n \"Green Culture’s\",\n \"Jars Cannabis\",\n \"Pat Kanouno\",\n \"Josh Hovey\",\n \"Jars\",\n \"Doralee Chandler\",\n \"Herb Wright\",\n \"Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center\",\n \"Wright\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"Chandler\",\n \"Matthew Horan\",\n \"Rick Simpson Oil\",\n \"Dolato\",\n \"Resin Vape Cartridge\",\n \"Resin\",\n \"Larry OG - Dabs\",\n \"9/26/2022 Product Name\",\n \"RSO Raspberry\",\n \"Generic Label\",\n \"Distillate Milo\",\n \"Clovis\",\n \"Steve Pear\",\n \"DJ Sonya G\",\n \"Ribs Hickory Pit BBQ\",\n \"Gratify Rewards\",\n \"Green Dot Labs\",\n \"Green Dot Labs’\",\n \"Concentrates\",\n \"Live Resin Vape\",\n \"Dave Malone\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.57,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9085707068443298\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6ca4e49a970334120923\",\n \"title\": \"Schwazze Opens Cannabis Dispensary in New Mexico Serving Los Lunas Community, Second R. Greenleaf Store to Open Within a Week\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/schwazze-opens-cannabis-dispensary-new-mexico-los-lunas-community-r-greenleaf\",\n \"description\": \"A grand opening event is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 17l\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-05T14:58:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"DENVER, Dec. 5, 2022 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Schwazze , a vertically integrated, multi-state operating cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico, announces the grand opening of its adult-use dispensary, R.Greenleaf , located in Los Lunas, N.M. The new store, located at 2245 Main Street in Los Lunas, officially opened its doors for business on Dec. 1. Store operating hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The Los Lunas R.Greenleaf store opening continues the deliberate expansion throughout the state of New Mexico and comes on the heels of the store opening just one week ago in Sunland Park which followed two store openings in Ruidoso and Clovis in the last 60 days. This brings R.Greenleaf's total number of New Mexico retail dispensaries to 14. All locations serve the needs of medical patients as well as recreational adult-use consumers. RELATED: Schwazze Opens an Additional Cannabis Dispensary in New Mexico Located in Sunland Park, Brings Total R. Greenleaf Store Count to 13 \\\"We are thrilled to be opening up the second R.Greenleaf dispensary in New Mexico within one week's time. The team has been incredibly hard at work to make this happen,\\\" said Steve Pear, New Mexico Division President for Schwazze. \\\"R.Greenleaf, offering a wide variety of quality products serviced by top-notch, knowledgeable staff, has grown from 10 locations to now 14 in New Mexico since Schwazze purchased the retail banner earlier this year.\\\" A grand opening celebration of Los Lunas R.Greenleaf will be held on Saturday, Dec. 17, beginning at 10 a.m. and running until 3 p.m. Swag bags will be available to the first 50 shoppers featuring a tote bag, branded rolling papers and other R.Greenleaf gear. DJ Sonya G will be on site during the event to provide tunes for all in attendance, and Ribs Hickory Pit BBQ will provide free pulled pork sandwiches for the first 50 customers making a purchase. R.Greenleaf Los Lunas will also offer introductory pricing on flower, edibles, and vapes beginning on the 17th and continuing through Dec. 24. Enrollment in the Gratify Rewards loyalty program is already open. Gratify Rewards members that make a purchase of any amount on Dec. 17 will automatically be entered to win a $100 R.Greenleaf gift card. Los Lunas Store Location R.Greenleaf 2245 Main Street Los Lunas, New Mexico 87031 Grand Opening Celebration Saturday, Dec. 17 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Since April 2020, Schwazze has acquired, opened or announced the planned acquisition of 39 cannabis retail dispensaries as well as seven cultivation facilities and two manufacturing plants in Colorado and New Mexico. In May 2021, Schwazze announced its Biosciences division and in August 2021 it commenced home delivery services in Colorado. TEMPE, ARIZ. and BOULDER, COLO. (December 2, 2022) – Connoisseur cannabis cultivation and extraction brand Green Dot Labs has announced a planned expansion into Arizona. Marking the premium brand’s first foray into a cannabis market outside of Colorado, the expansion will bring Green Dot Labs’ brand and operating platform–designed to exceed the highest standards for safety, responsibility and quality–to the state. Known for its extensive library of proprietary strains, unrivaled flower and concentrates that offer a true reflection of the plant’s vivid flavors and effects, Green Dot Labs is the first and longest-running regulated cannabis brand focused on cultivating for concentrates and has inspired a devoted following among marijuana aficionados. Established in 2014, Green Dot Labs was founded in Colorado and is the longest-running concentrates brand in the state’s legal, regulated cannabis industry. Commanding the No. 1 position in Colorado in the Concentrates category according to BDSA–a prime status among the country’s most discerning cannabis consumers–Green Dot Labs also holds the top position in Colorado for Live Resin and Live Resin Vape and leads the premium state’s premium cannabis segment. “We are building a first of its kind, fourth generation cultivation and extraction platform armed with cutting edge technology and distinct operational advantages in Arizona,” said Green Dot Labs co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Dave Malone. “Our platform is driven by the unrivaled IP that we have developed over the last decade, allowing us to deliver the consistent, high-quality products that define the Green Dot Labs experience.” First rising in prominence for its Live Resin products showcasing the plant’s distinctive exotic terpenes and flavors, Green Dot Labs recently launched its top-shelf flower line, respected for its meticulous cultivation processes to maximize terpene and cannabinoid content. PRESS RELEASE - Helius Therapeutics has received Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) certification at its purpose-built medicinal cannabis facility in East Tamaki, Auckland. Recognized globally, GACP is a leading certification standard for medicinal cannabis. It outlines minimum requirements for growers in creating high quality, consistent flower. “Achieving GACP is another key milestone for the Helius team in our journey to full site certification. GACP is a well-recognized requirement for medicinal cannabis in many countries. Gaining this certification will only open more doors as we now unleash our export strategy,” says Carmen Doran, chief executive of Helius Therapeutics. October was a month of audits for Helius. Notification of New Zealand’s largest medicinal cannabis company gaining GACP is the first in a series of announcements. “This certification reinforces that Helius is a medicines company first and foremost. We are unleashing the power of cannabis to improve lives. Our research team’s primary focus is to unlock the global potential of medical-grade cannabis therapeutics, developed from New Zealand,” she says. In September Helius became the first New Zealand medicinal cannabis company to gain approval for products derived from locally grown cannabis plants, with the full spectrum CBD medicines also locally extracted and manufactured. This followed Helius gaining verification of its active ingredient meeting the quality standard in late August. In New Zealand, every doctor can now prescribe medicinal cannabis for any health condition, with more healthcare professionals willing to back the much talked-about natural alternative. In fact, according to Minister of Health Andrew Little, 17,363 packs of medicinal cannabis meeting minimum quality standards were supplied within New Zealand between July 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2022. “Over the past year, following the regulation of our local medicinal cannabis sector, many Kiwi patients have legally accessed New Zealand-made products, and more recently, New Zealand-grown. Helius is changing it up a gear, with 2023 seeing more products and more markets being served from our site in New Zealand and that’s incredibly exciting,” says Doran. Priority export markets for Helius are Europe and South America, with the private 100% Kiwi-owned company continuing to secure investment to accelerate its domestic and international growth plans. Helius was New Zealand’s first medicinal cannabis business to achieve a GMP License for Manufacturing Medicines in July 2021, covering the first products to market three months later. Helius leverages vertical integration, from plant to patient. Operations connect cultivar breeding to yield optimization; precision extraction of high-value cannabinoids, next-generation medicine development, GMP production, plus academic and a number of scientific partnerships. “Helius is defining the standard for trusted accessible cannabis-based medicines. These are difficult times economically, with New Zealand needing new and sustainable businesses providing strong export revenue opportunities. In additional to delivering on people’s quality of life at home, Helius is proud to be a key player in New Zealand’s newest and most exciting industry delivering to the world,” says Doran. LAS VEGAS, Dec. 5, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Planet 13 Holdings Inc., a leading vertically integrated multistate cannabis company, announced that its subsidiary MM Development Company Inc. has received approval for a Nevada consumption lounge from the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. The Planet 13 Entertainment Complex will be the first-of-its-kind space where consumers can watch products being made, purchase and consume all under one roof. This luxurious, tourist-friendly lounge, close to the Las Vegas Strip, is expected to elevate the already incredible Planet 13 experience. RELATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges \\\"We are thrilled to be moving forward with our plan to bring a world-class cannabis consumption lounge next to the Las Vegas Strip,\\\" said Larry Scheffler, co-CEO of Planet 13. \\\"Planet 13 has always been about offering new and one-of-a-kind immersive experiences for customers. We look forward to once again pushing the envelope and expanding people's minds about what cannabis can be.\\\" For more information on Planet 13, visit the investor website. International cannabis-infused edibles company Wana Brands ’ mission is “to enhance people's lives through the power of cannabis.” Nancy Whiteman, CEO of Wana Brands, says the company is living up to its mission even further through its recently developed $50-million charitable organization, Wana Brands Foundation (WBF). WBF focuses its funding on initiatives such as research, education, food security, shelter, safety, mental health, sustainability, connection and social justice, Cannabis Business Times previously reported . In October 2021, Canadian LP Canopy Growth Corporation announced its plan to acquire Wana Brands for $297.5 million in cash, and money from that deal was used to fund WBF, Whiteman says. RELATED: Wana Brands, Six Months After the Canopy Deal: Q&A With Nancy Whiteman \\\"I really wanted to take a big chunk of that [money from the deal] and put it into something that allowed me to, first of all, give back to the industry, but give back to the world,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"We chose a number of issues that we had already been focused on and wanted to intensify our focus on. I call them ‘life essentials’,\\\" she says. \\\"What I mean by that is, it's hard to enhance your life when you're hungry, and you don't have a place to live, and you don't have the right to vote, and you don't have social justice, and you don't have a clean environment. So, we really wanted to focus the foundation [to] donating to nonprofits that were really working in those important areas.\\\" © Courtesy of Wana Whiteman \\\"There's no shortage of people who need help right this minute. And the organization's mission is to do that, and we want to support that with a lot of direction from our local partners and our local markets,\\\" Nancy Whiteman, CEO, Wana Brands The foundation is also focused on funding research and education related to cannabis and psychedelics and focused on improving mental health, Whiteman says. Most recently, the organization donated $3 million to Johns Hopkins University for cannabis and psychedelic research—$2 million was earmarked for Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences to support cannabis and cannabinoid research, and $1 million was donated to the university's Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. \\\"A lot of the issues that we see in the world can be traced back to people having mental health issues,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"So, I was particularly excited about the opportunity to partner with Johns Hopkins because of their focus in that particular area, both plant medicine and then also the therapeutic use of plant medicine for things related to mental health.\\\" A Look Inside Ryan Vandrey, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, says the donation from WBF allows the university to get creative in its research and conduct studies it believes to be the most impactful and beneficial. \\\"The nice thing about a gift like this is that it's really unencumbered, and it allows us creativity to do things that we think are most important … and doesn't force us to tailor proposals to the priorities of funding agencies,\\\" he says. \\\"So, this is essentially a blank slate, and we get to really stop [and] think about what we think would be most important, most interesting, most fascinating.\\\" While Vandrey says he anticipates the university to conduct multiple studies with the donation, the initial research projects it will be used for include conducting clinical trials to explore the potential use of cannabinoids to treat autism in children and adults and conducting human laboratory research to understand the interactions between THC and select terpenes found naturally in the cannabis plant. Vandrey says his colleague, Jay Salpekar, Ph.D., director of the Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Center at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at Johns Hopkins, will be the principal investigator for the autism research. Salpekar also treats children with seizure disorders, children with autism as common co-occurring disorder in kids with epilepsy, as well as children who have autism without seizures, Vandrey says. \\\"In this work, he has found there is a lot of interest and there's a lot of promise in potentially using CBD and perhaps CBD in combination with other phytocannabinoids or terpenes as a potential therapeutic to help with autism, so he is going to explore that,\\\" Vandrey says. \\\"I couldn't give you any details at this point as far as the exact formulation of the product that he's going to be using. That's still [to be] determined, but we're hoping that with the announcement of this gift, to get going on designing that trial and getting it off the ground as quickly as possible.\\\" While Vandrey says he cannot speak to exactly how the funds will be used within the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, he says he has had some discussions with Frederick Barrett, Ph.D, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins, regarding how cannabis and psychedelics might overlap and how they might be different. \\\"A gift like this might allow us to explore that a little bit further,\\\" Vandrey says. The university first needs to finalize the ideas and protocols and then, because cannabis and psychedelics are both controlled substances, it needs to receive regulatory approval from the local institutional review board, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Drug Enforcement Administration before it can begin recruiting participants for the studies, he says. Vandrey says he anticipates the university to begin the first study within six months, which will be the clinical trial on adults with autism since the university already received regulatory approval for that project. \\\"It was a project that we were attempting to fund internally and using other sources, but it was really inadequate funding. So, we're going to implement that project with the gift … from the Wana Brands Foundation.\\\" Following the adult autism study will be the clinical trial on looking at the use of cannabinoids to treat children with autism, followed by yet-to-be-determined research that takes place within the psychedelic center, he says. WBF Key Initiatives While Whiteman says WBF is initially focused on the Johns Hopkins research, in the future, it's looking to fund education that helps historically underrepresented groups in the industry get more education and training. Related to research, WBF gifted a $25,000 grant to Realm of Caring this year, whose mission \\\"is to improve the quality of life through sharing cannabinoid research, educational services, and advocacy,\\\" Whiteman says. WBF also focuses on social justice within the cannabis industry and gifted nearly $50,000 this year to nonprofits focused on social justice, including the Reentry Initiative, Last Prisoner Project, Expunge Colorado, and National Expungement Works, according to a press release. The organization also donated $25,000 to the League of Women Voters to support voter education and resources and $500,000 to Out Boulder County, whose \\\"mission is to facilitate connection, advocacy, education, research and programs to ensure LGBTQ+ people and communities thrive in Boulder County and beyond,” according to the release. In addition, following a tragic shooting at King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colo., last year, the organization gifted the Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado for a memorial to the victims and survivors, according to the release. Moreover, in recognition of 4/20 this year, WBF donated $140,000 to nonprofits within the 13 U.S. states Wana Brands operated in at the time, dedicated to fighting food insecurity. Whiteman says the foundation seeks a balance of local and national initiatives to fund and listens its local communities to hear what nonprofits they want supported. \\\"Our goal for 2023 is to do the type of activation that we did for 4/20, four times a year. So, four times a year, we want to choose an issue. For 4/20 we did food insecurity, but we might choose another issue that's important to us and fund nonprofits in our local markets … and then continue to evaluate larger gifts,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"In the short run, there's no shortage of people who need help right this minute,\\\" she says. \\\"And the organization's mission is to do that, and we want to support that with a lot of direction from our local partners and our local markets.\\\"\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the new store, located at 2245 Main Street in Los Lunas, officially opened its doors for business on dec. 1. the new store comes on the heels of the store opening just one week ago in sunland park. this brings R.Greenleaf's total number of new Mexico retail dispensaries to 14.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"DENVER\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"New Mexico\",\n \"Los Lunas\",\n \"N.M.\",\n \"Ruidoso\",\n \"Sunland Park\",\n \"Schwazze\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"East Tamaki\",\n \"Auckland\",\n \"New Zealand’s\",\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"the Las Vegas Strip\",\n \"Boulder County\",\n \"Boulder\",\n \"Colo.\",\n \"U.S.\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Los Lunas\",\n \"New Mexico Located\",\n \"New Mexico Division\",\n \"Los Lunas\",\n \"Los Lunas Store Location R.Greenleaf 2245 Main Street\",\n \"New Mexico 87031 Grand Opening Celebration\",\n \"ARIZ\",\n \"BOULDER\",\n \"COLO\",\n \"BDSA\",\n \"IP\",\n \"Good Agricultural\",\n \"Collection Practice\",\n \"GACP\",\n \"Achieving GACP\",\n \"Helius\",\n \"Helius Therapeutics\",\n \"CBD\",\n \"Kiwi\",\n \"Helius are Europe and South America\",\n \"GMP License for Manufacturing Medicines\",\n \"13 Holdings Inc.\",\n \"MM Development Company Inc.\",\n \"the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"The Planet 13 Entertainment Complex\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges\",\n \"Wana Brands ’\",\n \"Wana Brands\",\n \"Wana Brands Foundation\",\n \"WBF\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Canadian LP Canopy Growth Corporation\",\n \"Johns Hopkins University\",\n \"Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry\",\n \"Behavioral Sciences\",\n \"Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research\",\n \"Johns Hopkins\",\n \"the Department of Psychiatry\",\n \"the Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Center\",\n \"Kennedy Krieger Institute\",\n \"the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology\",\n \"Salpekar\",\n \"the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research\",\n \"the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"the Wana Brands Foundation\",\n \"WBF Key Initiatives\",\n \"National Expungement Works\",\n \"the League of Women Voters\",\n \"King Soopers\",\n \"the Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Clovis\",\n \"Steve Pear\",\n \"DJ Sonya G\",\n \"Ribs Hickory Pit BBQ\",\n \"Gratify Rewards\",\n \"Green Dot Labs\",\n \"Green Dot Labs’\",\n \"Concentrates\",\n \"Live Resin Vape\",\n \"Dave Malone\",\n \"Carmen Doran\",\n \"Andrew Little\",\n \"Doran\",\n \"Larry Scheffler\",\n \"Nancy Whiteman\",\n \"Whiteman\",\n \"Wana Brands\",\n \"Wana Whiteman\",\n \"Vandrey\",\n \"Jay Salpekar\",\n \"Frederick Barrett\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.47,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9508571028709412\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cafe49a97033412092b\",\n \"title\": \"New Zealand’s Helius Gains Certification Key to Export Success \",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/new-zealand-helius-gains-certification\",\n \"description\": \"Helius Therapeutics has received Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) certification at its purpose-built medicinal cannabis facility in East Tamaki, Auckland.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-05T14:45:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"PRESS RELEASE - Helius Therapeutics has received Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) certification at its purpose-built medicinal cannabis facility in East Tamaki, Auckland. Recognized globally, GACP is a leading certification standard for medicinal cannabis. It outlines minimum requirements for growers in creating high quality, consistent flower. “Achieving GACP is another key milestone for the Helius team in our journey to full site certification. GACP is a well-recognized requirement for medicinal cannabis in many countries. Gaining this certification will only open more doors as we now unleash our export strategy,” says Carmen Doran, chief executive of Helius Therapeutics. October was a month of audits for Helius. Notification of New Zealand’s largest medicinal cannabis company gaining GACP is the first in a series of announcements. “This certification reinforces that Helius is a medicines company first and foremost. We are unleashing the power of cannabis to improve lives. Our research team’s primary focus is to unlock the global potential of medical-grade cannabis therapeutics, developed from New Zealand,” she says. In September Helius became the first New Zealand medicinal cannabis company to gain approval for products derived from locally grown cannabis plants, with the full spectrum CBD medicines also locally extracted and manufactured. This followed Helius gaining verification of its active ingredient meeting the quality standard in late August. In New Zealand, every doctor can now prescribe medicinal cannabis for any health condition, with more healthcare professionals willing to back the much talked-about natural alternative. In fact, according to Minister of Health Andrew Little, 17,363 packs of medicinal cannabis meeting minimum quality standards were supplied within New Zealand between July 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2022. “Over the past year, following the regulation of our local medicinal cannabis sector, many Kiwi patients have legally accessed New Zealand-made products, and more recently, New Zealand-grown. Helius is changing it up a gear, with 2023 seeing more products and more markets being served from our site in New Zealand and that’s incredibly exciting,” says Doran. Priority export markets for Helius are Europe and South America, with the private 100% Kiwi-owned company continuing to secure investment to accelerate its domestic and international growth plans. Helius was New Zealand’s first medicinal cannabis business to achieve a GMP License for Manufacturing Medicines in July 2021, covering the first products to market three months later. Helius leverages vertical integration, from plant to patient. Operations connect cultivar breeding to yield optimization; precision extraction of high-value cannabinoids, next-generation medicine development, GMP production, plus academic and a number of scientific partnerships. “Helius is defining the standard for trusted accessible cannabis-based medicines. These are difficult times economically, with New Zealand needing new and sustainable businesses providing strong export revenue opportunities. In additional to delivering on people’s quality of life at home, Helius is proud to be a key player in New Zealand’s newest and most exciting industry delivering to the world,” says Doran. LAS VEGAS, Dec. 5, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Planet 13 Holdings Inc., a leading vertically integrated multistate cannabis company, announced that its subsidiary MM Development Company Inc. has received approval for a Nevada consumption lounge from the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. The Planet 13 Entertainment Complex will be the first-of-its-kind space where consumers can watch products being made, purchase and consume all under one roof. This luxurious, tourist-friendly lounge, close to the Las Vegas Strip, is expected to elevate the already incredible Planet 13 experience. RELATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges \\\"We are thrilled to be moving forward with our plan to bring a world-class cannabis consumption lounge next to the Las Vegas Strip,\\\" said Larry Scheffler, co-CEO of Planet 13. \\\"Planet 13 has always been about offering new and one-of-a-kind immersive experiences for customers. We look forward to once again pushing the envelope and expanding people's minds about what cannabis can be.\\\" For more information on Planet 13, visit the investor website. International cannabis-infused edibles company Wana Brands ’ mission is “to enhance people's lives through the power of cannabis.” Nancy Whiteman, CEO of Wana Brands, says the company is living up to its mission even further through its recently developed $50-million charitable organization, Wana Brands Foundation (WBF). WBF focuses its funding on initiatives such as research, education, food security, shelter, safety, mental health, sustainability, connection and social justice, Cannabis Business Times previously reported . In October 2021, Canadian LP Canopy Growth Corporation announced its plan to acquire Wana Brands for $297.5 million in cash, and money from that deal was used to fund WBF, Whiteman says. RELATED: Wana Brands, Six Months After the Canopy Deal: Q&A With Nancy Whiteman \\\"I really wanted to take a big chunk of that [money from the deal] and put it into something that allowed me to, first of all, give back to the industry, but give back to the world,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"We chose a number of issues that we had already been focused on and wanted to intensify our focus on. I call them ‘life essentials’,\\\" she says. \\\"What I mean by that is, it's hard to enhance your life when you're hungry, and you don't have a place to live, and you don't have the right to vote, and you don't have social justice, and you don't have a clean environment. So, we really wanted to focus the foundation [to] donating to nonprofits that were really working in those important areas.\\\" © Courtesy of Wana Whiteman \\\"There's no shortage of people who need help right this minute. And the organization's mission is to do that, and we want to support that with a lot of direction from our local partners and our local markets,\\\" Nancy Whiteman, CEO, Wana Brands The foundation is also focused on funding research and education related to cannabis and psychedelics and focused on improving mental health, Whiteman says. Most recently, the organization donated $3 million to Johns Hopkins University for cannabis and psychedelic research—$2 million was earmarked for Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences to support cannabis and cannabinoid research, and $1 million was donated to the university's Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. \\\"A lot of the issues that we see in the world can be traced back to people having mental health issues,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"So, I was particularly excited about the opportunity to partner with Johns Hopkins because of their focus in that particular area, both plant medicine and then also the therapeutic use of plant medicine for things related to mental health.\\\" A Look Inside Ryan Vandrey, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, says the donation from WBF allows the university to get creative in its research and conduct studies it believes to be the most impactful and beneficial. \\\"The nice thing about a gift like this is that it's really unencumbered, and it allows us creativity to do things that we think are most important … and doesn't force us to tailor proposals to the priorities of funding agencies,\\\" he says. \\\"So, this is essentially a blank slate, and we get to really stop [and] think about what we think would be most important, most interesting, most fascinating.\\\" While Vandrey says he anticipates the university to conduct multiple studies with the donation, the initial research projects it will be used for include conducting clinical trials to explore the potential use of cannabinoids to treat autism in children and adults and conducting human laboratory research to understand the interactions between THC and select terpenes found naturally in the cannabis plant. Vandrey says his colleague, Jay Salpekar, Ph.D., director of the Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Center at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at Johns Hopkins, will be the principal investigator for the autism research. Salpekar also treats children with seizure disorders, children with autism as common co-occurring disorder in kids with epilepsy, as well as children who have autism without seizures, Vandrey says. \\\"In this work, he has found there is a lot of interest and there's a lot of promise in potentially using CBD and perhaps CBD in combination with other phytocannabinoids or terpenes as a potential therapeutic to help with autism, so he is going to explore that,\\\" Vandrey says. \\\"I couldn't give you any details at this point as far as the exact formulation of the product that he's going to be using. That's still [to be] determined, but we're hoping that with the announcement of this gift, to get going on designing that trial and getting it off the ground as quickly as possible.\\\" While Vandrey says he cannot speak to exactly how the funds will be used within the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, he says he has had some discussions with Frederick Barrett, Ph.D, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins, regarding how cannabis and psychedelics might overlap and how they might be different. \\\"A gift like this might allow us to explore that a little bit further,\\\" Vandrey says. The university first needs to finalize the ideas and protocols and then, because cannabis and psychedelics are both controlled substances, it needs to receive regulatory approval from the local institutional review board, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Drug Enforcement Administration before it can begin recruiting participants for the studies, he says. Vandrey says he anticipates the university to begin the first study within six months, which will be the clinical trial on adults with autism since the university already received regulatory approval for that project. \\\"It was a project that we were attempting to fund internally and using other sources, but it was really inadequate funding. So, we're going to implement that project with the gift … from the Wana Brands Foundation.\\\" Following the adult autism study will be the clinical trial on looking at the use of cannabinoids to treat children with autism, followed by yet-to-be-determined research that takes place within the psychedelic center, he says. WBF Key Initiatives While Whiteman says WBF is initially focused on the Johns Hopkins research, in the future, it's looking to fund education that helps historically underrepresented groups in the industry get more education and training. Related to research, WBF gifted a $25,000 grant to Realm of Caring this year, whose mission \\\"is to improve the quality of life through sharing cannabinoid research, educational services, and advocacy,\\\" Whiteman says. WBF also focuses on social justice within the cannabis industry and gifted nearly $50,000 this year to nonprofits focused on social justice, including the Reentry Initiative, Last Prisoner Project, Expunge Colorado, and National Expungement Works, according to a press release. The organization also donated $25,000 to the League of Women Voters to support voter education and resources and $500,000 to Out Boulder County, whose \\\"mission is to facilitate connection, advocacy, education, research and programs to ensure LGBTQ+ people and communities thrive in Boulder County and beyond,” according to the release. In addition, following a tragic shooting at King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colo., last year, the organization gifted the Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado for a memorial to the victims and survivors, according to the release. Moreover, in recognition of 4/20 this year, WBF donated $140,000 to nonprofits within the 13 U.S. states Wana Brands operated in at the time, dedicated to fighting food insecurity. Whiteman says the foundation seeks a balance of local and national initiatives to fund and listens its local communities to hear what nonprofits they want supported. \\\"Our goal for 2023 is to do the type of activation that we did for 4/20, four times a year. So, four times a year, we want to choose an issue. For 4/20 we did food insecurity, but we might choose another issue that's important to us and fund nonprofits in our local markets … and then continue to evaluate larger gifts,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"In the short run, there's no shortage of people who need help right this minute,\\\" she says. \\\"And the organization's mission is to do that, and we want to support that with a lot of direction from our local partners and our local markets.\\\" Legislation to prepare for federal cannabis legalization now has a foothold in the U.S. Senate. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., formally filed the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult-Use Regulated Environment ( PREPARE ) Act on Dec. 1 in the upper chamber. The bill directs the U.S. attorney general to develop a regulatory framework for when the federal government legalizes cannabis. The bill is a Senate companion to an identical House version Reps. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Brian Mast, R-Fla., filed in April. RELATED: Trio of U.S. Representatives Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prepare for Federal Cannabis Legalization “A decade after Colorado pioneered marijuana legalization, Americans overwhelmingly support the same at the federal level,” Hickenlooper said in a press release . “This bipartisan, bicameral framework, based on Colorado’s Amendment 64 Task Force, will replicate our success nationally.” While Colorado was a guinea pig for adult-use cannabis legalization, with voter approval of Amendment 64 in November 2012 and the state’s subsequent January 2014 launch of commercial sales, lessons learned have served as a benchmark for legislators and regulators who have implemented adult-use reform measures in those footsteps. Since Amendment 64 was passed, Americans’ support for legal cannabis has grown from 48% in 2012 to 68% in each of the past three years, according to Gallup pollsters . On Dec. 10, 2012, a month after Colorado voted to legalize cannabis, then-Gov. Hickenlooper convened the Amendment 64 Task Force to provide recommendations for the establishment of regulations. He’s now hoping to replicate that at the federal level. Specifically, the PREPARE Act aims to accomplish the following: Direct the attorney general to establish a “Commission on the Federal Regulation of Cannabis” to advise on the development of a regulatory framework modeled after existing federal and state regulations for alcohol; Establish a framework that would have to account for the unique needs, rights and laws of each state, and be presented to Congress within one year of enactment of the PREPARE Act; Ensure the regulatory framework would have to include ways to remedy the disproportionate impact cannabis prohibition has had on minority, low-income and veteran communities; Encourage research and training access by medical professionals; Encourage economic opportunity for individuals and small businesses; and Develop protections for the hemp industry. The 24-member commission would include representatives from relevant government agencies and offices, individuals nominated by Senate and House leadership, and individuals nominated by other government agencies. The commission would not have rulemaking authority; its only role would be to develop proposals and make policy recommendations. With Hickenlooper’s formal filing, Joyce said the act not only has further bipartisanship, but now has bicameral momentum toward becoming law. “This legislation gives lawmakers on both sides of the aisle the answers they need to effectively engage on cannabis reform, safely and effectively regulate it, and remedy the harms caused by the failed war on cannabis,” Joyce said in the release. “With those answers, Congress can develop a much-needed federal regulatory framework that not only respects the unique needs, rights, and laws of each state, but also ensures a responsible end to prohibition and a safer future for our communities. I was proud to lead the introduction of this commonsense bill in the House and thank Senator Hickenlooper for advancing it in the Senate. I look forward to continuing to work with him and my fellow Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs in the House to pave the way for more comprehensive reform.” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that Brian Hanna has been promoted as executive director of the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) Hanna previously served as acting executive director for the CRA since September, and spent five years managing field operations, inspections and investigations, according to a press release . “In my previous experience with the agency, I developed a deep appreciation for what makes the Michigan cannabis industry and CRA so special,” Hanna said. “I am excited to serve the residents of Michigan in this role and am honored to work with Governor Whitmer during her next term. My commitment to the CRA, and its many stakeholders, is to stay laser-focused on establishing Michigan as the national model for cannabis regulations. I am lucky to lead such a fine team that works very hard to serve this legitimate industry and its consumers.” Hanna also previously served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve and worked as a criminal intelligence manager and analyst with Michigan State Police and as a deputy sheriff in Kalamazoo County, according to the release. Shelly Edgerton, board chair of the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association, said Hanna is the “right choice” for the role. “His expertise in law enforcement, military background, and entrepreneurial spirit will serve the agency well as it looks to meet new goals in the future,” Edgerton said. “We are excited to see all he will accomplish.”\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Helius Therapeutics has received Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) certification at its purpose-built medicinal cannabis facility in East Tamaki, Auckland. GACP is a leading certification standard for medicinal cannabis. priority export markets for Helius are Europe and South America.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"East Tamaki\",\n \"Auckland\",\n \"New Zealand’s\",\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"the Las Vegas Strip\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Boulder County\",\n \"Boulder\",\n \"Colo.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Kalamazoo County\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Good Agricultural\",\n \"Collection Practice\",\n \"GACP\",\n \"Achieving GACP\",\n \"Helius\",\n \"Helius Therapeutics\",\n \"CBD\",\n \"Kiwi\",\n \"Helius are Europe and South America\",\n \"GMP License for Manufacturing Medicines\",\n \"13 Holdings Inc.\",\n \"MM Development Company Inc.\",\n \"the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"The Planet 13 Entertainment Complex\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges\",\n \"Wana Brands ’\",\n \"Wana Brands\",\n \"Wana Brands Foundation\",\n \"WBF\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Canadian LP Canopy Growth Corporation\",\n \"Johns Hopkins University\",\n \"Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry\",\n \"Behavioral Sciences\",\n \"Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research\",\n \"Johns Hopkins\",\n \"the Department of Psychiatry\",\n \"the Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Center\",\n \"Kennedy Krieger Institute\",\n \"the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology\",\n \"Salpekar\",\n \"the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research\",\n \"the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"the Wana Brands Foundation\",\n \"WBF Key Initiatives\",\n \"National Expungement Works\",\n \"the League of Women Voters\",\n \"King Soopers\",\n \"the Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado\",\n \"the U.S. Senate\",\n \"D-Colo.\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Hakeem Jeffries\",\n \"D-N.Y.\",\n \"U.S. Representatives Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prepare for Federal Cannabis Legalization\",\n \"Gallup\",\n \"the Federal Regulation of Cannabis\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"Develop\",\n \"Hickenlooper’s\",\n \"Cannabis Regulatory Agency\",\n \"CRA\",\n \"Hanna\",\n \"the U.S. Army Reserve\",\n \"Michigan State Police\",\n \"the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Carmen Doran\",\n \"Andrew Little\",\n \"Doran\",\n \"Larry Scheffler\",\n \"Nancy Whiteman\",\n \"Whiteman\",\n \"Wana Brands\",\n \"Wana Whiteman\",\n \"Vandrey\",\n \"Jay Salpekar\",\n \"Frederick Barrett\",\n \"John Hickenlooper\",\n \"Dave Joyce\",\n \"Brian Mast\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Hickenlooper\",\n \"Joyce\",\n \"Gretchen Whitmer\",\n \"Brian Hanna\",\n \"Whitmer\",\n \"Shelly Edgerton\",\n \"Edgerton\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.48,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9317797422409058\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cbbe49a970334120932\",\n \"title\": \"New Zealand’s Helius Gains Certification Key to Export Success \",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/new-zealand-helius-gains-certification.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Helius Therapeutics has received Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) certification at its purpose-built medicinal cannabis facility in East Tamaki, Auckland.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-05T14:45:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"PRESS RELEASE - Helius Therapeutics has received Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) certification at its purpose-built medicinal cannabis facility in East Tamaki, Auckland. Recognized globally, GACP is a leading certification standard for medicinal cannabis. It outlines minimum requirements for growers in creating high quality, consistent flower. “Achieving GACP is another key milestone for the Helius team in our journey to full site certification. GACP is a well-recognized requirement for medicinal cannabis in many countries. Gaining this certification will only open more doors as we now unleash our export strategy,” says Carmen Doran, chief executive of Helius Therapeutics. October was a month of audits for Helius. Notification of New Zealand’s largest medicinal cannabis company gaining GACP is the first in a series of announcements. “This certification reinforces that Helius is a medicines company first and foremost. We are unleashing the power of cannabis to improve lives. Our research team’s primary focus is to unlock the global potential of medical-grade cannabis therapeutics, developed from New Zealand,” she says. In September Helius became the first New Zealand medicinal cannabis company to gain approval for products derived from locally grown cannabis plants, with the full spectrum CBD medicines also locally extracted and manufactured. This followed Helius gaining verification of its active ingredient meeting the quality standard in late August. In New Zealand, every doctor can now prescribe medicinal cannabis for any health condition, with more healthcare professionals willing to back the much talked-about natural alternative. In fact, according to Minister of Health Andrew Little, 17,363 packs of medicinal cannabis meeting minimum quality standards were supplied within New Zealand between July 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2022. “Over the past year, following the regulation of our local medicinal cannabis sector, many Kiwi patients have legally accessed New Zealand-made products, and more recently, New Zealand-grown. Helius is changing it up a gear, with 2023 seeing more products and more markets being served from our site in New Zealand and that’s incredibly exciting,” says Doran. Priority export markets for Helius are Europe and South America, with the private 100% Kiwi-owned company continuing to secure investment to accelerate its domestic and international growth plans. Helius was New Zealand’s first medicinal cannabis business to achieve a GMP License for Manufacturing Medicines in July 2021, covering the first products to market three months later. Helius leverages vertical integration, from plant to patient. Operations connect cultivar breeding to yield optimization; precision extraction of high-value cannabinoids, next-generation medicine development, GMP production, plus academic and a number of scientific partnerships. “Helius is defining the standard for trusted accessible cannabis-based medicines. These are difficult times economically, with New Zealand needing new and sustainable businesses providing strong export revenue opportunities. In additional to delivering on people’s quality of life at home, Helius is proud to be a key player in New Zealand’s newest and most exciting industry delivering to the world,” says Doran. LAS VEGAS, Dec. 5, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Planet 13 Holdings Inc., a leading vertically integrated multistate cannabis company, announced that its subsidiary MM Development Company Inc. has received approval for a Nevada consumption lounge from the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. The Planet 13 Entertainment Complex will be the first-of-its-kind space where consumers can watch products being made, purchase and consume all under one roof. This luxurious, tourist-friendly lounge, close to the Las Vegas Strip, is expected to elevate the already incredible Planet 13 experience. RELATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges \\\"We are thrilled to be moving forward with our plan to bring a world-class cannabis consumption lounge next to the Las Vegas Strip,\\\" said Larry Scheffler, co-CEO of Planet 13. \\\"Planet 13 has always been about offering new and one-of-a-kind immersive experiences for customers. We look forward to once again pushing the envelope and expanding people's minds about what cannabis can be.\\\" For more information on Planet 13, visit the investor website. International cannabis-infused edibles company Wana Brands ’ mission is “to enhance people's lives through the power of cannabis.” Nancy Whiteman, CEO of Wana Brands, says the company is living up to its mission even further through its recently developed $50-million charitable organization, Wana Brands Foundation (WBF). WBF focuses its funding on initiatives such as research, education, food security, shelter, safety, mental health, sustainability, connection and social justice, Cannabis Business Times previously reported . In October 2021, Canadian LP Canopy Growth Corporation announced its plan to acquire Wana Brands for $297.5 million in cash, and money from that deal was used to fund WBF, Whiteman says. RELATED: Wana Brands, Six Months After the Canopy Deal: Q&A With Nancy Whiteman \\\"I really wanted to take a big chunk of that [money from the deal] and put it into something that allowed me to, first of all, give back to the industry, but give back to the world,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"We chose a number of issues that we had already been focused on and wanted to intensify our focus on. I call them ‘life essentials’,\\\" she says. \\\"What I mean by that is, it's hard to enhance your life when you're hungry, and you don't have a place to live, and you don't have the right to vote, and you don't have social justice, and you don't have a clean environment. So, we really wanted to focus the foundation [to] donating to nonprofits that were really working in those important areas.\\\" © Courtesy of Wana Whiteman \\\"There's no shortage of people who need help right this minute. And the organization's mission is to do that, and we want to support that with a lot of direction from our local partners and our local markets,\\\" Nancy Whiteman, CEO, Wana Brands The foundation is also focused on funding research and education related to cannabis and psychedelics and focused on improving mental health, Whiteman says. Most recently, the organization donated $3 million to Johns Hopkins University for cannabis and psychedelic research—$2 million was earmarked for Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences to support cannabis and cannabinoid research, and $1 million was donated to the university's Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. \\\"A lot of the issues that we see in the world can be traced back to people having mental health issues,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"So, I was particularly excited about the opportunity to partner with Johns Hopkins because of their focus in that particular area, both plant medicine and then also the therapeutic use of plant medicine for things related to mental health.\\\" A Look Inside Ryan Vandrey, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, says the donation from WBF allows the university to get creative in its research and conduct studies it believes to be the most impactful and beneficial. \\\"The nice thing about a gift like this is that it's really unencumbered, and it allows us creativity to do things that we think are most important … and doesn't force us to tailor proposals to the priorities of funding agencies,\\\" he says. \\\"So, this is essentially a blank slate, and we get to really stop [and] think about what we think would be most important, most interesting, most fascinating.\\\" While Vandrey says he anticipates the university to conduct multiple studies with the donation, the initial research projects it will be used for include conducting clinical trials to explore the potential use of cannabinoids to treat autism in children and adults and conducting human laboratory research to understand the interactions between THC and select terpenes found naturally in the cannabis plant. Vandrey says his colleague, Jay Salpekar, Ph.D., director of the Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Center at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at Johns Hopkins, will be the principal investigator for the autism research. Salpekar also treats children with seizure disorders, children with autism as common co-occurring disorder in kids with epilepsy, as well as children who have autism without seizures, Vandrey says. \\\"In this work, he has found there is a lot of interest and there's a lot of promise in potentially using CBD and perhaps CBD in combination with other phytocannabinoids or terpenes as a potential therapeutic to help with autism, so he is going to explore that,\\\" Vandrey says. \\\"I couldn't give you any details at this point as far as the exact formulation of the product that he's going to be using. That's still [to be] determined, but we're hoping that with the announcement of this gift, to get going on designing that trial and getting it off the ground as quickly as possible.\\\" While Vandrey says he cannot speak to exactly how the funds will be used within the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, he says he has had some discussions with Frederick Barrett, Ph.D, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins, regarding how cannabis and psychedelics might overlap and how they might be different. \\\"A gift like this might allow us to explore that a little bit further,\\\" Vandrey says. The university first needs to finalize the ideas and protocols and then, because cannabis and psychedelics are both controlled substances, it needs to receive regulatory approval from the local institutional review board, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Drug Enforcement Administration before it can begin recruiting participants for the studies, he says. Vandrey says he anticipates the university to begin the first study within six months, which will be the clinical trial on adults with autism since the university already received regulatory approval for that project. \\\"It was a project that we were attempting to fund internally and using other sources, but it was really inadequate funding. So, we're going to implement that project with the gift … from the Wana Brands Foundation.\\\" Following the adult autism study will be the clinical trial on looking at the use of cannabinoids to treat children with autism, followed by yet-to-be-determined research that takes place within the psychedelic center, he says. WBF Key Initiatives While Whiteman says WBF is initially focused on the Johns Hopkins research, in the future, it's looking to fund education that helps historically underrepresented groups in the industry get more education and training. Related to research, WBF gifted a $25,000 grant to Realm of Caring this year, whose mission \\\"is to improve the quality of life through sharing cannabinoid research, educational services, and advocacy,\\\" Whiteman says. WBF also focuses on social justice within the cannabis industry and gifted nearly $50,000 this year to nonprofits focused on social justice, including the Reentry Initiative, Last Prisoner Project, Expunge Colorado, and National Expungement Works, according to a press release. The organization also donated $25,000 to the League of Women Voters to support voter education and resources and $500,000 to Out Boulder County, whose \\\"mission is to facilitate connection, advocacy, education, research and programs to ensure LGBTQ+ people and communities thrive in Boulder County and beyond,” according to the release. In addition, following a tragic shooting at King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colo., last year, the organization gifted the Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado for a memorial to the victims and survivors, according to the release. Moreover, in recognition of 4/20 this year, WBF donated $140,000 to nonprofits within the 13 U.S. states Wana Brands operated in at the time, dedicated to fighting food insecurity. Whiteman says the foundation seeks a balance of local and national initiatives to fund and listens its local communities to hear what nonprofits they want supported. \\\"Our goal for 2023 is to do the type of activation that we did for 4/20, four times a year. So, four times a year, we want to choose an issue. For 4/20 we did food insecurity, but we might choose another issue that's important to us and fund nonprofits in our local markets … and then continue to evaluate larger gifts,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"In the short run, there's no shortage of people who need help right this minute,\\\" she says. \\\"And the organization's mission is to do that, and we want to support that with a lot of direction from our local partners and our local markets.\\\" Legislation to prepare for federal cannabis legalization now has a foothold in the U.S. Senate. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., formally filed the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult-Use Regulated Environment ( PREPARE ) Act on Dec. 1 in the upper chamber. The bill directs the U.S. attorney general to develop a regulatory framework for when the federal government legalizes cannabis. The bill is a Senate companion to an identical House version Reps. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Brian Mast, R-Fla., filed in April. RELATED: Trio of U.S. Representatives Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prepare for Federal Cannabis Legalization “A decade after Colorado pioneered marijuana legalization, Americans overwhelmingly support the same at the federal level,” Hickenlooper said in a press release . “This bipartisan, bicameral framework, based on Colorado’s Amendment 64 Task Force, will replicate our success nationally.” While Colorado was a guinea pig for adult-use cannabis legalization, with voter approval of Amendment 64 in November 2012 and the state’s subsequent January 2014 launch of commercial sales, lessons learned have served as a benchmark for legislators and regulators who have implemented adult-use reform measures in those footsteps. Since Amendment 64 was passed, Americans’ support for legal cannabis has grown from 48% in 2012 to 68% in each of the past three years, according to Gallup pollsters . On Dec. 10, 2012, a month after Colorado voted to legalize cannabis, then-Gov. Hickenlooper convened the Amendment 64 Task Force to provide recommendations for the establishment of regulations. He’s now hoping to replicate that at the federal level. Specifically, the PREPARE Act aims to accomplish the following: Direct the attorney general to establish a “Commission on the Federal Regulation of Cannabis” to advise on the development of a regulatory framework modeled after existing federal and state regulations for alcohol; Establish a framework that would have to account for the unique needs, rights and laws of each state, and be presented to Congress within one year of enactment of the PREPARE Act; Ensure the regulatory framework would have to include ways to remedy the disproportionate impact cannabis prohibition has had on minority, low-income and veteran communities; Encourage research and training access by medical professionals; Encourage economic opportunity for individuals and small businesses; and Develop protections for the hemp industry. The 24-member commission would include representatives from relevant government agencies and offices, individuals nominated by Senate and House leadership, and individuals nominated by other government agencies. The commission would not have rulemaking authority; its only role would be to develop proposals and make policy recommendations. With Hickenlooper’s formal filing, Joyce said the act not only has further bipartisanship, but now has bicameral momentum toward becoming law. “This legislation gives lawmakers on both sides of the aisle the answers they need to effectively engage on cannabis reform, safely and effectively regulate it, and remedy the harms caused by the failed war on cannabis,” Joyce said in the release. “With those answers, Congress can develop a much-needed federal regulatory framework that not only respects the unique needs, rights, and laws of each state, but also ensures a responsible end to prohibition and a safer future for our communities. I was proud to lead the introduction of this commonsense bill in the House and thank Senator Hickenlooper for advancing it in the Senate. I look forward to continuing to work with him and my fellow Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs in the House to pave the way for more comprehensive reform.” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that Brian Hanna has been promoted as executive director of the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) Hanna previously served as acting executive director for the CRA since September, and spent five years managing field operations, inspections and investigations, according to a press release . “In my previous experience with the agency, I developed a deep appreciation for what makes the Michigan cannabis industry and CRA so special,” Hanna said. “I am excited to serve the residents of Michigan in this role and am honored to work with Governor Whitmer during her next term. My commitment to the CRA, and its many stakeholders, is to stay laser-focused on establishing Michigan as the national model for cannabis regulations. I am lucky to lead such a fine team that works very hard to serve this legitimate industry and its consumers.” Hanna also previously served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve and worked as a criminal intelligence manager and analyst with Michigan State Police and as a deputy sheriff in Kalamazoo County, according to the release. Shelly Edgerton, board chair of the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association, said Hanna is the “right choice” for the role. “His expertise in law enforcement, military background, and entrepreneurial spirit will serve the agency well as it looks to meet new goals in the future,” Edgerton said. “We are excited to see all he will accomplish.”\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Helius Therapeutics has received Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) certification at its purpose-built medicinal cannabis facility in East Tamaki, Auckland. GACP is a leading certification standard for medicinal cannabis. priority export markets for Helius are Europe and South America.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"East Tamaki\",\n \"Auckland\",\n \"New Zealand’s\",\n \"New Zealand\",\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"the Las Vegas Strip\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Boulder County\",\n \"Boulder\",\n \"Colo.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Kalamazoo County\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Good Agricultural\",\n \"Collection Practice\",\n \"GACP\",\n \"Achieving GACP\",\n \"Helius\",\n \"Helius Therapeutics\",\n \"CBD\",\n \"Kiwi\",\n \"Helius are Europe and South America\",\n \"GMP License for Manufacturing Medicines\",\n \"13 Holdings Inc.\",\n \"MM Development Company Inc.\",\n \"the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"The Planet 13 Entertainment Complex\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges\",\n \"Wana Brands ’\",\n \"Wana Brands\",\n \"Wana Brands Foundation\",\n \"WBF\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Canadian LP Canopy Growth Corporation\",\n \"Johns Hopkins University\",\n \"Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry\",\n \"Behavioral Sciences\",\n \"Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research\",\n \"Johns Hopkins\",\n \"the Department of Psychiatry\",\n \"the Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Center\",\n \"Kennedy Krieger Institute\",\n \"the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology\",\n \"Salpekar\",\n \"the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research\",\n \"the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"the Wana Brands Foundation\",\n \"WBF Key Initiatives\",\n \"National Expungement Works\",\n \"the League of Women Voters\",\n \"King Soopers\",\n \"the Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado\",\n \"the U.S. Senate\",\n \"D-Colo.\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Hakeem Jeffries\",\n \"D-N.Y.\",\n \"U.S. Representatives Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prepare for Federal Cannabis Legalization\",\n \"Gallup\",\n \"the Federal Regulation of Cannabis\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"Develop\",\n \"Hickenlooper’s\",\n \"Cannabis Regulatory Agency\",\n \"CRA\",\n \"Hanna\",\n \"the U.S. Army Reserve\",\n \"Michigan State Police\",\n \"the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Carmen Doran\",\n \"Andrew Little\",\n \"Doran\",\n \"Larry Scheffler\",\n \"Nancy Whiteman\",\n \"Whiteman\",\n \"Wana Brands\",\n \"Wana Whiteman\",\n \"Vandrey\",\n \"Jay Salpekar\",\n \"Frederick Barrett\",\n \"John Hickenlooper\",\n \"Dave Joyce\",\n \"Brian Mast\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Hickenlooper\",\n \"Joyce\",\n \"Gretchen Whitmer\",\n \"Brian Hanna\",\n \"Whitmer\",\n \"Shelly Edgerton\",\n \"Edgerton\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.48,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9317797422409058\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6ca5e49a970334120924\",\n \"title\": \"Planet 13 Announces Approval for Consumption Lounge License\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/planet-13-las-vegas-consumption-lounge-approval\",\n \"description\": \"The multistate operator plans to add the cannabis lounge to its world-renowned Las Vegas SuperStore Experience.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-05T14:19:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"LAS VEGAS, Dec. 5, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Planet 13 Holdings Inc., a leading vertically integrated multistate cannabis company, announced that its subsidiary MM Development Company Inc. has received approval for a Nevada consumption lounge from the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. The Planet 13 Entertainment Complex will be the first-of-its-kind space where consumers can watch products being made, purchase and consume all under one roof. This luxurious, tourist-friendly lounge, close to the Las Vegas Strip, is expected to elevate the already incredible Planet 13 experience. RELATED: Lotteries on Deck for Nevada’s Cannabis Consumption Lounges \\\"We are thrilled to be moving forward with our plan to bring a world-class cannabis consumption lounge next to the Las Vegas Strip,\\\" said Larry Scheffler, co-CEO of Planet 13. \\\"Planet 13 has always been about offering new and one-of-a-kind immersive experiences for customers. We look forward to once again pushing the envelope and expanding people's minds about what cannabis can be.\\\" For more information on Planet 13, visit the investor website. International cannabis-infused edibles company Wana Brands ’ mission is “to enhance people's lives through the power of cannabis.” Nancy Whiteman, CEO of Wana Brands, says the company is living up to its mission even further through its recently developed $50-million charitable organization, Wana Brands Foundation (WBF). WBF focuses its funding on initiatives such as research, education, food security, shelter, safety, mental health, sustainability, connection and social justice, Cannabis Business Times previously reported . In October 2021, Canadian LP Canopy Growth Corporation announced its plan to acquire Wana Brands for $297.5 million in cash, and money from that deal was used to fund WBF, Whiteman says. RELATED: Wana Brands, Six Months After the Canopy Deal: Q&A With Nancy Whiteman \\\"I really wanted to take a big chunk of that [money from the deal] and put it into something that allowed me to, first of all, give back to the industry, but give back to the world,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"We chose a number of issues that we had already been focused on and wanted to intensify our focus on. I call them ‘life essentials’,\\\" she says. \\\"What I mean by that is, it's hard to enhance your life when you're hungry, and you don't have a place to live, and you don't have the right to vote, and you don't have social justice, and you don't have a clean environment. So, we really wanted to focus the foundation [to] donating to nonprofits that were really working in those important areas.\\\" © Courtesy of Wana Whiteman \\\"There's no shortage of people who need help right this minute. And the organization's mission is to do that, and we want to support that with a lot of direction from our local partners and our local markets,\\\" Nancy Whiteman, CEO, Wana Brands The foundation is also focused on funding research and education related to cannabis and psychedelics and focused on improving mental health, Whiteman says. Most recently, the organization donated $3 million to Johns Hopkins University for cannabis and psychedelic research—$2 million was earmarked for Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences to support cannabis and cannabinoid research, and $1 million was donated to the university's Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. \\\"A lot of the issues that we see in the world can be traced back to people having mental health issues,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"So, I was particularly excited about the opportunity to partner with Johns Hopkins because of their focus in that particular area, both plant medicine and then also the therapeutic use of plant medicine for things related to mental health.\\\" A Look Inside Ryan Vandrey, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, says the donation from WBF allows the university to get creative in its research and conduct studies it believes to be the most impactful and beneficial. \\\"The nice thing about a gift like this is that it's really unencumbered, and it allows us creativity to do things that we think are most important … and doesn't force us to tailor proposals to the priorities of funding agencies,\\\" he says. \\\"So, this is essentially a blank slate, and we get to really stop [and] think about what we think would be most important, most interesting, most fascinating.\\\" While Vandrey says he anticipates the university to conduct multiple studies with the donation, the initial research projects it will be used for include conducting clinical trials to explore the potential use of cannabinoids to treat autism in children and adults and conducting human laboratory research to understand the interactions between THC and select terpenes found naturally in the cannabis plant. Vandrey says his colleague, Jay Salpekar, Ph.D., director of the Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Center at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at Johns Hopkins, will be the principal investigator for the autism research. Salpekar also treats children with seizure disorders, children with autism as common co-occurring disorder in kids with epilepsy, as well as children who have autism without seizures, Vandrey says. \\\"In this work, he has found there is a lot of interest and there's a lot of promise in potentially using CBD and perhaps CBD in combination with other phytocannabinoids or terpenes as a potential therapeutic to help with autism, so he is going to explore that,\\\" Vandrey says. \\\"I couldn't give you any details at this point as far as the exact formulation of the product that he's going to be using. That's still [to be] determined, but we're hoping that with the announcement of this gift, to get going on designing that trial and getting it off the ground as quickly as possible.\\\" While Vandrey says he cannot speak to exactly how the funds will be used within the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, he says he has had some discussions with Frederick Barrett, Ph.D, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins, regarding how cannabis and psychedelics might overlap and how they might be different. \\\"A gift like this might allow us to explore that a little bit further,\\\" Vandrey says. The university first needs to finalize the ideas and protocols and then, because cannabis and psychedelics are both controlled substances, it needs to receive regulatory approval from the local institutional review board, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Drug Enforcement Administration before it can begin recruiting participants for the studies, he says. Vandrey says he anticipates the university to begin the first study within six months, which will be the clinical trial on adults with autism since the university already received regulatory approval for that project. \\\"It was a project that we were attempting to fund internally and using other sources, but it was really inadequate funding. So, we're going to implement that project with the gift … from the Wana Brands Foundation.\\\" Following the adult autism study will be the clinical trial on looking at the use of cannabinoids to treat children with autism, followed by yet-to-be-determined research that takes place within the psychedelic center, he says. WBF Key Initiatives While Whiteman says WBF is initially focused on the Johns Hopkins research, in the future, it's looking to fund education that helps historically underrepresented groups in the industry get more education and training. Related to research, WBF gifted a $25,000 grant to Realm of Caring this year, whose mission \\\"is to improve the quality of life through sharing cannabinoid research, educational services, and advocacy,\\\" Whiteman says. WBF also focuses on social justice within the cannabis industry and gifted nearly $50,000 this year to nonprofits focused on social justice, including the Reentry Initiative, Last Prisoner Project, Expunge Colorado, and National Expungement Works, according to a press release. The organization also donated $25,000 to the League of Women Voters to support voter education and resources and $500,000 to Out Boulder County, whose \\\"mission is to facilitate connection, advocacy, education, research and programs to ensure LGBTQ+ people and communities thrive in Boulder County and beyond,” according to the release. In addition, following a tragic shooting at King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colo., last year, the organization gifted the Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado for a memorial to the victims and survivors, according to the release. Moreover, in recognition of 4/20 this year, WBF donated $140,000 to nonprofits within the 13 U.S. states Wana Brands operated in at the time, dedicated to fighting food insecurity. Whiteman says the foundation seeks a balance of local and national initiatives to fund and listens its local communities to hear what nonprofits they want supported. \\\"Our goal for 2023 is to do the type of activation that we did for 4/20, four times a year. So, four times a year, we want to choose an issue. For 4/20 we did food insecurity, but we might choose another issue that's important to us and fund nonprofits in our local markets … and then continue to evaluate larger gifts,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"In the short run, there's no shortage of people who need help right this minute,\\\" she says. \\\"And the organization's mission is to do that, and we want to support that with a lot of direction from our local partners and our local markets.\\\" Legislation to prepare for federal cannabis legalization now has a foothold in the U.S. Senate. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., formally filed the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult-Use Regulated Environment ( PREPARE ) Act on Dec. 1 in the upper chamber. The bill directs the U.S. attorney general to develop a regulatory framework for when the federal government legalizes cannabis. The bill is a Senate companion to an identical House version Reps. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Brian Mast, R-Fla., filed in April. RELATED: Trio of U.S. Representatives Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prepare for Federal Cannabis Legalization “A decade after Colorado pioneered marijuana legalization, Americans overwhelmingly support the same at the federal level,” Hickenlooper said in a press release . “This bipartisan, bicameral framework, based on Colorado’s Amendment 64 Task Force, will replicate our success nationally.” While Colorado was a guinea pig for adult-use cannabis legalization, with voter approval of Amendment 64 in November 2012 and the state’s subsequent January 2014 launch of commercial sales, lessons learned have served as a benchmark for legislators and regulators who have implemented adult-use reform measures in those footsteps. Since Amendment 64 was passed, Americans’ support for legal cannabis has grown from 48% in 2012 to 68% in each of the past three years, according to Gallup pollsters . On Dec. 10, 2012, a month after Colorado voted to legalize cannabis, then-Gov. Hickenlooper convened the Amendment 64 Task Force to provide recommendations for the establishment of regulations. He’s now hoping to replicate that at the federal level. Specifically, the PREPARE Act aims to accomplish the following: Direct the attorney general to establish a “Commission on the Federal Regulation of Cannabis” to advise on the development of a regulatory framework modeled after existing federal and state regulations for alcohol; Establish a framework that would have to account for the unique needs, rights and laws of each state, and be presented to Congress within one year of enactment of the PREPARE Act; Ensure the regulatory framework would have to include ways to remedy the disproportionate impact cannabis prohibition has had on minority, low-income and veteran communities; Encourage research and training access by medical professionals; Encourage economic opportunity for individuals and small businesses; and Develop protections for the hemp industry. The 24-member commission would include representatives from relevant government agencies and offices, individuals nominated by Senate and House leadership, and individuals nominated by other government agencies. The commission would not have rulemaking authority; its only role would be to develop proposals and make policy recommendations. With Hickenlooper’s formal filing, Joyce said the act not only has further bipartisanship, but now has bicameral momentum toward becoming law. “This legislation gives lawmakers on both sides of the aisle the answers they need to effectively engage on cannabis reform, safely and effectively regulate it, and remedy the harms caused by the failed war on cannabis,” Joyce said in the release. “With those answers, Congress can develop a much-needed federal regulatory framework that not only respects the unique needs, rights, and laws of each state, but also ensures a responsible end to prohibition and a safer future for our communities. I was proud to lead the introduction of this commonsense bill in the House and thank Senator Hickenlooper for advancing it in the Senate. I look forward to continuing to work with him and my fellow Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs in the House to pave the way for more comprehensive reform.” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that Brian Hanna has been promoted as executive director of the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) Hanna previously served as acting executive director for the CRA since September, and spent five years managing field operations, inspections and investigations, according to a press release . “In my previous experience with the agency, I developed a deep appreciation for what makes the Michigan cannabis industry and CRA so special,” Hanna said. “I am excited to serve the residents of Michigan in this role and am honored to work with Governor Whitmer during her next term. My commitment to the CRA, and its many stakeholders, is to stay laser-focused on establishing Michigan as the national model for cannabis regulations. I am lucky to lead such a fine team that works very hard to serve this legitimate industry and its consumers.” Hanna also previously served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve and worked as a criminal intelligence manager and analyst with Michigan State Police and as a deputy sheriff in Kalamazoo County, according to the release. Shelly Edgerton, board chair of the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association, said Hanna is the “right choice” for the role. “His expertise in law enforcement, military background, and entrepreneurial spirit will serve the agency well as it looks to meet new goals in the future,” Edgerton said. “We are excited to see all he will accomplish.” The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) adopted a bevy of new rules for the state industry, most which became effective Dec. 1. (See below for a full list.) Two specific rules—granting the ability to redesignate medical cannabis for adult use and requiring use-by dates and storage conditions—won’t be implemented until 2023 and 2024. While enacted legislation led to the rules, the formal adoption comes after a summer and fall of “extensive” stakeholder engagement led by the division, which operates under the state’s Department of Revenue. “As in previous years, the MED tackled significant topics during this year’s rulemaking session. While much of the MED's rulemaking is legislatively driven, we appreciate how the MED’s rulemaking design provides opportunities to hear from and collaborate with our diverse set of stakeholders,” MED Senior Director Dominique Mendiola said in a news release . “The significant contributions of our team and members of the public have been critical to informing both regulatory updates and improvements to existing rules and processes.” Under the adopted redesignation rule , which will be implemented Jan. 1, 2023, a medical cannabis cultivation facility may transfer medical cannabis to an adult-use cannabis cultivation facility or accelerator cultivator in order to change the product’s designation from medical cannabis or adult-use cannabis. The rule was directed from Senate Bill 22-178 , which clarifies that the adult-use cultivation facility is required to pay any retail cannabis excise tax on that transferred cannabis. That rule comes on the heels of 2021 legislation allowing a licensee to change the designation of adult-use cannabis to medical cannabis under certain circumstances. Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, meanwhile, all regulated cannabis products in Colorado must be labeled with a use-by date and storage conditions before selling to a patient or adult who is 21 or older. “Licensees are encouraged to conduct shelf-stability testing to establish appropriate use-by dates for products, however, if a licensee chooses not to conduct testing, a 9-month use-by date will apply,” the MED release states. “Regulated marijuana stores are permitted to sell products after the use-by date only if the licensee informs the patient or consumer that they are purchasing a product after its use-by date.” Edibles and other consumable products already required use-by date labeling, but the Jan. 1., 2024, adoption will also apply the rule to products intended for inhalation, such as flower and prerolls. Following are additional rule changes that went into effect on Dec. 1, 2022: As a result of House Bill 22-1222 : Marijuana Responsible Vendor Designations: A responsible vendor designation lives with both the individual and the business that seek to maintain the designation. If an employee changes employment, the responsible vendor designation will follow the employee to the new business. As a result of H.B. 22-1135 : Marijuana Transporter License Transfers: Regulated cannabis transporter licensees may now take advantage of the change of ownership process that allows a business’s owner(s) to transfer the license to new or additional owners. Social Equity Program Updates: Finding of Suitability for Social Equity Licensees has now been extended to be valid for two years (previously suitability was valid for one year). Executive Order D2022-034 Protecting Colorado’s Workforce and Expanding Licensing Opportunities: In response to Executive Order D2022-034, the rules were amended to provide that when MED officials evaluate an applicant’s good moral character during the license application process, they will not consider arrests or convictions for activities in other states that are legal in Colorado. Internal Security Controls: In response to recent trends demonstrating an increase in burglaries and attempted burglaries at licensed cannabis businesses, the amended rules require licensees to maintain internal security controls, including a security plan to assist licensees in preparing for and mitigating burglaries and other attempted crimes at licensed marijuana businesses. Protecting Worker Safety: Amended rules also include increased worker safety protections such as requirements for employees to wear gloves, goggles and respirators when conducting certain manufacturing processes. These rules can be viewed in their entirety on the MED Rules page of the division’s website.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the Planet 13 Entertainment Complex will be the first-of-its-kind space where consumers can watch products being made, purchase and consume all under one roof. international cannabis-infused edibles company Wana Brands ’ mission is “to enhance people's lives through the power of cannabis”.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"LAS VEGAS\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"the Las Vegas Strip\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Boulder County\",\n \"Boulder\",\n \"Colo.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Kalamazoo County\",\n \"H.B.\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"13 Holdings Inc.\",\n \"MM Development Company Inc.\",\n \"the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"The Planet 13 Entertainment Complex\",\n \"Cannabis Consumption Lounges\",\n \"Wana Brands ’\",\n \"Wana Brands\",\n \"Wana Brands Foundation\",\n \"WBF\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Canadian LP Canopy Growth Corporation\",\n \"Johns Hopkins University\",\n \"Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry\",\n \"Behavioral Sciences\",\n \"Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research\",\n \"Johns Hopkins\",\n \"the Department of Psychiatry\",\n \"the Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Center\",\n \"Kennedy Krieger Institute\",\n \"the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology\",\n \"Salpekar\",\n \"the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research\",\n \"the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"the Wana Brands Foundation\",\n \"WBF Key Initiatives\",\n \"National Expungement Works\",\n \"the League of Women Voters\",\n \"King Soopers\",\n \"the Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado\",\n \"the U.S. Senate\",\n \"D-Colo.\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Hakeem Jeffries\",\n \"D-N.Y.\",\n \"U.S. Representatives Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prepare for Federal Cannabis Legalization\",\n \"Gallup\",\n \"the Federal Regulation of Cannabis\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"Develop\",\n \"Hickenlooper’s\",\n \"Cannabis Regulatory Agency\",\n \"CRA\",\n \"Hanna\",\n \"the U.S. Army Reserve\",\n \"Michigan State Police\",\n \"the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association\",\n \"The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division\",\n \"MED\",\n \"Department of Revenue\",\n \"Social Equity Program Updates\",\n \"the amended rules require licensees\",\n \"Protecting Worker Safety: Amended\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Larry Scheffler\",\n \"Nancy Whiteman\",\n \"Whiteman\",\n \"Wana Brands\",\n \"Wana Whiteman\",\n \"Vandrey\",\n \"Jay Salpekar\",\n \"Frederick Barrett\",\n \"John Hickenlooper\",\n \"Dave Joyce\",\n \"Brian Mast\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Hickenlooper\",\n \"Joyce\",\n \"Gretchen Whitmer\",\n \"Brian Hanna\",\n \"Whitmer\",\n \"Shelly Edgerton\",\n \"Edgerton\",\n \"Dominique Mendiola\",\n \"Bill\",\n \"Vendor Designations\",\n \"Order D2022-034\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.47,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7596631050109863\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6c90e49a970334120919\",\n \"title\": \"Wana Brands Foundation Prioritizes ‘Life Essentials’ in Charitable Donations\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/wana-brands-foundation-donates-to-johns-hopkins-cannabis-research.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Nancy Whiteman, co-founder and CEO of Wana Brands dives into the development of Wana Brands Foundation and its most recent donation to Johns Hopkins University to fund cannabis and psychedelic medicine research.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-05T12:00:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"International cannabis-infused edibles company Wana Brands ’ mission is “to enhance people's lives through the power of cannabis.” Nancy Whiteman, CEO of Wana Brands, says the company is living up to its mission even further through its recently developed $50-million charitable organization, Wana Brands Foundation (WBF). WBF focuses its funding on initiatives such as research, education, food security, shelter, safety, mental health, sustainability, connection and social justice, Cannabis Business Times previously reported . In October 2021, Canadian LP Canopy Growth Corporation announced its plan to acquire Wana Brands for $297.5 million in cash, and money from that deal was used to fund WBF, Whiteman says. RELATED: Wana Brands, Six Months After the Canopy Deal: Q&A With Nancy Whiteman \\\"I really wanted to take a big chunk of that [money from the deal] and put it into something that allowed me to, first of all, give back to the industry, but give back to the world,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"We chose a number of issues that we had already been focused on and wanted to intensify our focus on. I call them ‘life essentials’,\\\" she says. \\\"What I mean by that is, it's hard to enhance your life when you're hungry, and you don't have a place to live, and you don't have the right to vote, and you don't have social justice, and you don't have a clean environment. So, we really wanted to focus the foundation [to] donating to nonprofits that were really working in those important areas.\\\" © Courtesy of Wana Whiteman \\\"There's no shortage of people who need help right this minute. And the organization's mission is to do that, and we want to support that with a lot of direction from our local partners and our local markets,\\\" Nancy Whiteman, CEO, Wana Brands The foundation is also focused on funding research and education related to cannabis and psychedelics and focused on improving mental health, Whiteman says. Most recently, the organization donated $3 million to Johns Hopkins University for cannabis and psychedelic research—$2 million was earmarked for Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences to support cannabis and cannabinoid research, and $1 million was donated to the university's Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. \\\"A lot of the issues that we see in the world can be traced back to people having mental health issues,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"So, I was particularly excited about the opportunity to partner with Johns Hopkins because of their focus in that particular area, both plant medicine and then also the therapeutic use of plant medicine for things related to mental health.\\\" A Look Inside Ryan Vandrey, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, says the donation from WBF allows the university to get creative in its research and conduct studies it believes to be the most impactful and beneficial. \\\"The nice thing about a gift like this is that it's really unencumbered, and it allows us creativity to do things that we think are most important … and doesn't force us to tailor proposals to the priorities of funding agencies,\\\" he says. \\\"So, this is essentially a blank slate, and we get to really stop [and] think about what we think would be most important, most interesting, most fascinating.\\\" While Vandrey says he anticipates the university to conduct multiple studies with the donation, the initial research projects it will be used for include conducting clinical trials to explore the potential use of cannabinoids to treat autism in children and adults and conducting human laboratory research to understand the interactions between THC and select terpenes found naturally in the cannabis plant. Vandrey says his colleague, Jay Salpekar, Ph.D., director of the Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Center at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at Johns Hopkins, will be the principal investigator for the autism research. Salpekar also treats children with seizure disorders, children with autism as common co-occurring disorder in kids with epilepsy, as well as children who have autism without seizures, Vandrey says. \\\"In this work, he has found there is a lot of interest and there's a lot of promise in potentially using CBD and perhaps CBD in combination with other phytocannabinoids or terpenes as a potential therapeutic to help with autism, so he is going to explore that,\\\" Vandrey says. \\\"I couldn't give you any details at this point as far as the exact formulation of the product that he's going to be using. That's still [to be] determined, but we're hoping that with the announcement of this gift, to get going on designing that trial and getting it off the ground as quickly as possible.\\\" While Vandrey says he cannot speak to exactly how the funds will be used within the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, he says he has had some discussions with Frederick Barrett, Ph.D, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins, regarding how cannabis and psychedelics might overlap and how they might be different. \\\"A gift like this might allow us to explore that a little bit further,\\\" Vandrey says. The university first needs to finalize the ideas and protocols and then, because cannabis and psychedelics are both controlled substances, it needs to receive regulatory approval from the local institutional review board, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Drug Enforcement Administration before it can begin recruiting participants for the studies, he says. Vandrey says he anticipates the university to begin the first study within six months, which will be the clinical trial on adults with autism since the university already received regulatory approval for that project. \\\"It was a project that we were attempting to fund internally and using other sources, but it was really inadequate funding. So, we're going to implement that project with the gift … from the Wana Brands Foundation.\\\" Following the adult autism study will be the clinical trial on looking at the use of cannabinoids to treat children with autism, followed by yet-to-be-determined research that takes place within the psychedelic center, he says. WBF Key Initiatives While Whiteman says WBF is initially focused on the Johns Hopkins research, in the future, it's looking to fund education that helps historically underrepresented groups in the industry get more education and training. Related to research, WBF gifted a $25,000 grant to Realm of Caring this year, whose mission \\\"is to improve the quality of life through sharing cannabinoid research, educational services, and advocacy,\\\" Whiteman says. WBF also focuses on social justice within the cannabis industry and gifted nearly $50,000 this year to nonprofits focused on social justice, including the Reentry Initiative, Last Prisoner Project, Expunge Colorado, and National Expungement Works, according to a press release. The organization also donated $25,000 to the League of Women Voters to support voter education and resources and $500,000 to Out Boulder County, whose \\\"mission is to facilitate connection, advocacy, education, research and programs to ensure LGBTQ+ people and communities thrive in Boulder County and beyond,” according to the release. In addition, following a tragic shooting at King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colo., last year, the organization gifted the Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado for a memorial to the victims and survivors, according to the release. Moreover, in recognition of 4/20 this year, WBF donated $140,000 to nonprofits within the 13 U.S. states Wana Brands operated in at the time, dedicated to fighting food insecurity. Whiteman says the foundation seeks a balance of local and national initiatives to fund and listens its local communities to hear what nonprofits they want supported. \\\"Our goal for 2023 is to do the type of activation that we did for 4/20, four times a year. So, four times a year, we want to choose an issue. For 4/20 we did food insecurity, but we might choose another issue that's important to us and fund nonprofits in our local markets … and then continue to evaluate larger gifts,\\\" Whiteman says. \\\"In the short run, there's no shortage of people who need help right this minute,\\\" she says. \\\"And the organization's mission is to do that, and we want to support that with a lot of direction from our local partners and our local markets.\\\" Legislation to prepare for federal cannabis legalization now has a foothold in the U.S. Senate. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., formally filed the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult-Use Regulated Environment ( PREPARE ) Act on Dec. 1 in the upper chamber. The bill directs the U.S. attorney general to develop a regulatory framework for when the federal government legalizes cannabis. The bill is a Senate companion to an identical House version Reps. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Brian Mast, R-Fla., filed in April. RELATED: Trio of U.S. Representatives Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prepare for Federal Cannabis Legalization “A decade after Colorado pioneered marijuana legalization, Americans overwhelmingly support the same at the federal level,” Hickenlooper said in a press release . “This bipartisan, bicameral framework, based on Colorado’s Amendment 64 Task Force, will replicate our success nationally.” While Colorado was a guinea pig for adult-use cannabis legalization, with voter approval of Amendment 64 in November 2012 and the state’s subsequent January 2014 launch of commercial sales, lessons learned have served as a benchmark for legislators and regulators who have implemented adult-use reform measures in those footsteps. Since Amendment 64 was passed, Americans’ support for legal cannabis has grown from 48% in 2012 to 68% in each of the past three years, according to Gallup pollsters . On Dec. 10, 2012, a month after Colorado voted to legalize cannabis, then-Gov. Hickenlooper convened the Amendment 64 Task Force to provide recommendations for the establishment of regulations. He’s now hoping to replicate that at the federal level. Specifically, the PREPARE Act aims to accomplish the following: Direct the attorney general to establish a “Commission on the Federal Regulation of Cannabis” to advise on the development of a regulatory framework modeled after existing federal and state regulations for alcohol; Establish a framework that would have to account for the unique needs, rights and laws of each state, and be presented to Congress within one year of enactment of the PREPARE Act; Ensure the regulatory framework would have to include ways to remedy the disproportionate impact cannabis prohibition has had on minority, low-income and veteran communities; Encourage research and training access by medical professionals; Encourage economic opportunity for individuals and small businesses; and Develop protections for the hemp industry. The 24-member commission would include representatives from relevant government agencies and offices, individuals nominated by Senate and House leadership, and individuals nominated by other government agencies. The commission would not have rulemaking authority; its only role would be to develop proposals and make policy recommendations. With Hickenlooper’s formal filing, Joyce said the act not only has further bipartisanship, but now has bicameral momentum toward becoming law. “This legislation gives lawmakers on both sides of the aisle the answers they need to effectively engage on cannabis reform, safely and effectively regulate it, and remedy the harms caused by the failed war on cannabis,” Joyce said in the release. “With those answers, Congress can develop a much-needed federal regulatory framework that not only respects the unique needs, rights, and laws of each state, but also ensures a responsible end to prohibition and a safer future for our communities. I was proud to lead the introduction of this commonsense bill in the House and thank Senator Hickenlooper for advancing it in the Senate. I look forward to continuing to work with him and my fellow Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs in the House to pave the way for more comprehensive reform.” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that Brian Hanna has been promoted as executive director of the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) Hanna previously served as acting executive director for the CRA since September, and spent five years managing field operations, inspections and investigations, according to a press release . “In my previous experience with the agency, I developed a deep appreciation for what makes the Michigan cannabis industry and CRA so special,” Hanna said. “I am excited to serve the residents of Michigan in this role and am honored to work with Governor Whitmer during her next term. My commitment to the CRA, and its many stakeholders, is to stay laser-focused on establishing Michigan as the national model for cannabis regulations. I am lucky to lead such a fine team that works very hard to serve this legitimate industry and its consumers.” Hanna also previously served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve and worked as a criminal intelligence manager and analyst with Michigan State Police and as a deputy sheriff in Kalamazoo County, according to the release. Shelly Edgerton, board chair of the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association, said Hanna is the “right choice” for the role. “His expertise in law enforcement, military background, and entrepreneurial spirit will serve the agency well as it looks to meet new goals in the future,” Edgerton said. “We are excited to see all he will accomplish.” The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) adopted a bevy of new rules for the state industry, most which became effective Dec. 1. (See below for a full list.) Two specific rules—granting the ability to redesignate medical cannabis for adult use and requiring use-by dates and storage conditions—won’t be implemented until 2023 and 2024. While enacted legislation led to the rules, the formal adoption comes after a summer and fall of “extensive” stakeholder engagement led by the division, which operates under the state’s Department of Revenue. “As in previous years, the MED tackled significant topics during this year’s rulemaking session. While much of the MED's rulemaking is legislatively driven, we appreciate how the MED’s rulemaking design provides opportunities to hear from and collaborate with our diverse set of stakeholders,” MED Senior Director Dominique Mendiola said in a news release . “The significant contributions of our team and members of the public have been critical to informing both regulatory updates and improvements to existing rules and processes.” Under the adopted redesignation rule , which will be implemented Jan. 1, 2023, a medical cannabis cultivation facility may transfer medical cannabis to an adult-use cannabis cultivation facility or accelerator cultivator in order to change the product’s designation from medical cannabis or adult-use cannabis. The rule was directed from Senate Bill 22-178 , which clarifies that the adult-use cultivation facility is required to pay any retail cannabis excise tax on that transferred cannabis. That rule comes on the heels of 2021 legislation allowing a licensee to change the designation of adult-use cannabis to medical cannabis under certain circumstances. Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, meanwhile, all regulated cannabis products in Colorado must be labeled with a use-by date and storage conditions before selling to a patient or adult who is 21 or older. “Licensees are encouraged to conduct shelf-stability testing to establish appropriate use-by dates for products, however, if a licensee chooses not to conduct testing, a 9-month use-by date will apply,” the MED release states. “Regulated marijuana stores are permitted to sell products after the use-by date only if the licensee informs the patient or consumer that they are purchasing a product after its use-by date.” Edibles and other consumable products already required use-by date labeling, but the Jan. 1., 2024, adoption will also apply the rule to products intended for inhalation, such as flower and prerolls. Following are additional rule changes that went into effect on Dec. 1, 2022: As a result of House Bill 22-1222 : Marijuana Responsible Vendor Designations: A responsible vendor designation lives with both the individual and the business that seek to maintain the designation. If an employee changes employment, the responsible vendor designation will follow the employee to the new business. As a result of H.B. 22-1135 : Marijuana Transporter License Transfers: Regulated cannabis transporter licensees may now take advantage of the change of ownership process that allows a business’s owner(s) to transfer the license to new or additional owners. Social Equity Program Updates: Finding of Suitability for Social Equity Licensees has now been extended to be valid for two years (previously suitability was valid for one year). Executive Order D2022-034 Protecting Colorado’s Workforce and Expanding Licensing Opportunities: In response to Executive Order D2022-034, the rules were amended to provide that when MED officials evaluate an applicant’s good moral character during the license application process, they will not consider arrests or convictions for activities in other states that are legal in Colorado. Internal Security Controls: In response to recent trends demonstrating an increase in burglaries and attempted burglaries at licensed cannabis businesses, the amended rules require licensees to maintain internal security controls, including a security plan to assist licensees in preparing for and mitigating burglaries and other attempted crimes at licensed marijuana businesses. Protecting Worker Safety: Amended rules also include increased worker safety protections such as requirements for employees to wear gloves, goggles and respirators when conducting certain manufacturing processes. These rules can be viewed in their entirety on the MED Rules page of the division’s website. Cannabis Business Times regularly interviews cannabis cultivators to learn more about how they manage their growing operations, including top tips for success, tools and technologies they couldn’t live without, and how they deal with perennial challenges like burnout. In this installment, Joe Gibson, head grower at Gibby's Garden , details how he took his skills from home growing to a professional level. Read more about Gibby's Garden in CBT 's December issue . Name: Joe Gibson Company: Gibby's Garden Location: Uxbridge, Mass. Title: Head Grower Indoor, outdoor, greenhouse or a combination? Indoor. Q: Can you share a bit of your background and how you and your company got to the present day? A: I am a cannabis enthusiast with a family that has great home gardens. When possession and home grows became legal, I started growing. When we started talking about getting into the industry, I took the home grow up to R&D level, experimenting with different lights, nutrients, etc. I attended the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis in Massachusetts and traveled to Colorado and Oregon to check out the legal industries already in play. Through my research and Mom’s (Kim Gibson’s) design and build background, we started planning the cultivation facility. I focused on the components of the grow, and my folks did the licensing and permit set and contract work. We started the process of becoming a licensed establishment in 2017, applied for our license in 2018 and were fully licensed in 2019. Being post-revenue since January 2020, we are one of the original recreational establishments in Massachusetts. We pride ourselves on our premium flower and added whole flower-infused tinctures and live rosin. Q: What tool or software in your cultivation space can you not live without? A: I can live without a lot. The girls (AKA the plants), however, need their environment closely controlled. Temperature, humidity, lighting, water and nutrients are all critical. However, the greatest tool is the lighting. The TSRgrow lighting system I use has a high level of control at each tiered rack, allowing me to control the PAR of the lights as needed for the individual batches’ ages and strains. The system also records power and environment over time, which I use to interpret variances in test results and more. Q: What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your business in the past six months? A: Coffee! Also, high-end extender clippers for defoliating in the trays. Q: What cultivation technique are you most interested in right now, and what are you actively studying (the most)? A: Timing and methods for proper defoliating and topping in order to get maximum number of bud sites and weight. Also, I’m researching increasing terpene levels related to the dry and cure process. Q: How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours? A: My first clone batch was a fiasco. I migrated my experience from our home grow of 16+ plants to our first facility batch of 120+ plants. I changed too many variables—plastic pots instead of cloth pots, full coco instead of Pro-Mix, and making large reservoirs of nutrients. The plants suffered. But with the help of a more experienced industry grower who generously spent time and gave me advice, I ultimately figured out how to bring them back, and they grew healthy. I learned two things: Control the variables in slow, singular changes, and be generous with your knowledge when you can help someone else. Q: What advice would you give to a smart, driven grower about to enter the legal, regulated industry? What advice should they ignore? A: The cultivation end of the industry is very data oriented. Data is a helpful tool, but in a small cultivation, there is an opportunity to focus more on the girls. If they are not ready to harvest, you give them a little more time. If a strain is starting to drink more, you pay attention and respond. The data has a role, but this is your grow, and what and how you grow is a fluid activity. It must be because we work with living things. Being free to do this will make the day-to-day a lot more pleasant, I would say, for the grower and the girls. My opinion is to stick with strong genetics rather than always introducing new genetics. Q: How do you deal with burnout? A: Keeping busy, mainly. I imagine that the tasks in a small cultivation flip more often than in a large grow, so there is less opportunity to get bored or complacent. Because we work with a living plant, there is a caring attitude that drives constant work. And then, of course, we grow cannabis, so [there are] benefits growing and afterward. Naturally, [I] use the product to relieve stress! Q: How do you motivate your employees/team? A: Mixing up tasks from day to day and encouraging pride in all aspects of plant handling. All workers are valued at the same level, whether watering, trimming, or assembling deliveries. Quality control samples as per regs help as well. Q: What keeps you awake at night? A: The responsibility of the head grower to grow the best flower to get consistent sales to support the business. Q: What helps you sleep at night? A: Knowing the quality of the flower we grow. Editor's note: This interview was lightly edited for style and clarity.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/02/Untitleddesign-2022-12-02T150310920.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Nancy Whiteman, CEO of Wana Brands, says the company is living up to its mission even further through its recently developed $50-million charitable organization, Wana Brands Foundation (WBF) WBF focuses its funding on initiatives such as research, education, food security, shelter, safety, mental health, sustainability, connection and social justice. most recently, the organization donated $3 million to Johns Hopkins University for cannabis and psychedelics research.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Boulder County\",\n \"Boulder\",\n \"Colo.\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Kalamazoo County\",\n \"H.B.\",\n \"Uxbridge\",\n \"Mass.\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Oregon\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Wana Brands ’\",\n \"Wana Brands\",\n \"Wana Brands Foundation\",\n \"WBF\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Canadian LP Canopy Growth Corporation\",\n \"Johns Hopkins University\",\n \"Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry\",\n \"Behavioral Sciences\",\n \"Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research\",\n \"Johns Hopkins\",\n \"the Department of Psychiatry\",\n \"the Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Center\",\n \"Kennedy Krieger Institute\",\n \"the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology\",\n \"Salpekar\",\n \"the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research\",\n \"the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"the Wana Brands Foundation\",\n \"WBF Key Initiatives\",\n \"National Expungement Works\",\n \"the League of Women Voters\",\n \"King Soopers\",\n \"the Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado\",\n \"the U.S. Senate\",\n \"D-Colo.\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Hakeem Jeffries\",\n \"D-N.Y.\",\n \"U.S. Representatives Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prepare for Federal Cannabis Legalization\",\n \"Gallup\",\n \"the Federal Regulation of Cannabis\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"Develop\",\n \"Hickenlooper’s\",\n \"Cannabis Regulatory Agency\",\n \"CRA\",\n \"Hanna\",\n \"the U.S. Army Reserve\",\n \"Michigan State Police\",\n \"the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association\",\n \"The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division\",\n \"MED\",\n \"Department of Revenue\",\n \"Social Equity Program Updates\",\n \"the amended rules require licensees\",\n \"Protecting Worker Safety: Amended\",\n \"Gibby's Garden\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis\",\n \"TSRgrow\",\n \"PAR\",\n \"Pro-Mix\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Nancy Whiteman\",\n \"Whiteman\",\n \"Wana Brands\",\n \"Wana Whiteman\",\n \"Vandrey\",\n \"Jay Salpekar\",\n \"Frederick Barrett\",\n \"John Hickenlooper\",\n \"Dave Joyce\",\n \"Brian Mast\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Hickenlooper\",\n \"Joyce\",\n \"Gretchen Whitmer\",\n \"Brian Hanna\",\n \"Whitmer\",\n \"Shelly Edgerton\",\n \"Edgerton\",\n \"Dominique Mendiola\",\n \"Bill\",\n \"Vendor Designations\",\n \"Order D2022-034\",\n \"Joe Gibson\",\n \"Gibby\",\n \"Joe Gibson Company\",\n \"Kim Gibson’s\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.41,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.919350802898407\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6c97e49a97033412091c\",\n \"title\": \"Senator Files PREPARE Act to Smooth Way for Federal Legalization\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/hickenlooper-prepare-act-senate-filing-federal.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The legislation’s sponsors intend to lay the groundwork for developing a regulatory framework ahead of nationwide cannabis reform.\",\n \"author\": \"Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-02T21:03:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Legislation to prepare for federal cannabis legalization now has a foothold in the U.S. Senate. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., formally filed the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult-Use Regulated Environment ( PREPARE ) Act on Dec. 1 in the upper chamber. The bill directs the U.S. attorney general to develop a regulatory framework for when the federal government legalizes cannabis. The bill is a Senate companion to an identical House version Reps. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Brian Mast, R-Fla., filed in April. RELATED: Trio of U.S. Representatives Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prepare for Federal Cannabis Legalization “A decade after Colorado pioneered marijuana legalization, Americans overwhelmingly support the same at the federal level,” Hickenlooper said in a press release . “This bipartisan, bicameral framework, based on Colorado’s Amendment 64 Task Force, will replicate our success nationally.” While Colorado was a guinea pig for adult-use cannabis legalization, with voter approval of Amendment 64 in November 2012 and the state’s subsequent January 2014 launch of commercial sales, lessons learned have served as a benchmark for legislators and regulators who have implemented adult-use reform measures in those footsteps. Since Amendment 64 was passed, Americans’ support for legal cannabis has grown from 48% in 2012 to 68% in each of the past three years, according to Gallup pollsters . On Dec. 10, 2012, a month after Colorado voted to legalize cannabis, then-Gov. Hickenlooper convened the Amendment 64 Task Force to provide recommendations for the establishment of regulations. He’s now hoping to replicate that at the federal level. Specifically, the PREPARE Act aims to accomplish the following: Direct the attorney general to establish a “Commission on the Federal Regulation of Cannabis” to advise on the development of a regulatory framework modeled after existing federal and state regulations for alcohol; Establish a framework that would have to account for the unique needs, rights and laws of each state, and be presented to Congress within one year of enactment of the PREPARE Act; Ensure the regulatory framework would have to include ways to remedy the disproportionate impact cannabis prohibition has had on minority, low-income and veteran communities; Encourage research and training access by medical professionals; Encourage economic opportunity for individuals and small businesses; and Develop protections for the hemp industry. The 24-member commission would include representatives from relevant government agencies and offices, individuals nominated by Senate and House leadership, and individuals nominated by other government agencies. The commission would not have rulemaking authority; its only role would be to develop proposals and make policy recommendations. With Hickenlooper’s formal filing, Joyce said the act not only has further bipartisanship, but now has bicameral momentum toward becoming law. “This legislation gives lawmakers on both sides of the aisle the answers they need to effectively engage on cannabis reform, safely and effectively regulate it, and remedy the harms caused by the failed war on cannabis,” Joyce said in the release. “With those answers, Congress can develop a much-needed federal regulatory framework that not only respects the unique needs, rights, and laws of each state, but also ensures a responsible end to prohibition and a safer future for our communities. I was proud to lead the introduction of this commonsense bill in the House and thank Senator Hickenlooper for advancing it in the Senate. I look forward to continuing to work with him and my fellow Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs in the House to pave the way for more comprehensive reform.” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that Brian Hanna has been promoted as executive director of the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) Hanna previously served as acting executive director for the CRA since September, and spent five years managing field operations, inspections and investigations, according to a press release . “In my previous experience with the agency, I developed a deep appreciation for what makes the Michigan cannabis industry and CRA so special,” Hanna said. “I am excited to serve the residents of Michigan in this role and am honored to work with Governor Whitmer during her next term. My commitment to the CRA, and its many stakeholders, is to stay laser-focused on establishing Michigan as the national model for cannabis regulations. I am lucky to lead such a fine team that works very hard to serve this legitimate industry and its consumers.” Hanna also previously served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve and worked as a criminal intelligence manager and analyst with Michigan State Police and as a deputy sheriff in Kalamazoo County, according to the release. Shelly Edgerton, board chair of the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association, said Hanna is the “right choice” for the role. “His expertise in law enforcement, military background, and entrepreneurial spirit will serve the agency well as it looks to meet new goals in the future,” Edgerton said. “We are excited to see all he will accomplish.” The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) adopted a bevy of new rules for the state industry, most which became effective Dec. 1. (See below for a full list.) Two specific rules—granting the ability to redesignate medical cannabis for adult use and requiring use-by dates and storage conditions—won’t be implemented until 2023 and 2024. While enacted legislation led to the rules, the formal adoption comes after a summer and fall of “extensive” stakeholder engagement led by the division, which operates under the state’s Department of Revenue. “As in previous years, the MED tackled significant topics during this year’s rulemaking session. While much of the MED's rulemaking is legislatively driven, we appreciate how the MED’s rulemaking design provides opportunities to hear from and collaborate with our diverse set of stakeholders,” MED Senior Director Dominique Mendiola said in a news release . “The significant contributions of our team and members of the public have been critical to informing both regulatory updates and improvements to existing rules and processes.” Under the adopted redesignation rule , which will be implemented Jan. 1, 2023, a medical cannabis cultivation facility may transfer medical cannabis to an adult-use cannabis cultivation facility or accelerator cultivator in order to change the product’s designation from medical cannabis or adult-use cannabis. The rule was directed from Senate Bill 22-178 , which clarifies that the adult-use cultivation facility is required to pay any retail cannabis excise tax on that transferred cannabis. That rule comes on the heels of 2021 legislation allowing a licensee to change the designation of adult-use cannabis to medical cannabis under certain circumstances. Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, meanwhile, all regulated cannabis products in Colorado must be labeled with a use-by date and storage conditions before selling to a patient or adult who is 21 or older. “Licensees are encouraged to conduct shelf-stability testing to establish appropriate use-by dates for products, however, if a licensee chooses not to conduct testing, a 9-month use-by date will apply,” the MED release states. “Regulated marijuana stores are permitted to sell products after the use-by date only if the licensee informs the patient or consumer that they are purchasing a product after its use-by date.” Edibles and other consumable products already required use-by date labeling, but the Jan. 1., 2024, adoption will also apply the rule to products intended for inhalation, such as flower and prerolls. Following are additional rule changes that went into effect on Dec. 1, 2022: As a result of House Bill 22-1222 : Marijuana Responsible Vendor Designations: A responsible vendor designation lives with both the individual and the business that seek to maintain the designation. If an employee changes employment, the responsible vendor designation will follow the employee to the new business. As a result of H.B. 22-1135 : Marijuana Transporter License Transfers: Regulated cannabis transporter licensees may now take advantage of the change of ownership process that allows a business’s owner(s) to transfer the license to new or additional owners. Social Equity Program Updates: Finding of Suitability for Social Equity Licensees has now been extended to be valid for two years (previously suitability was valid for one year). Executive Order D2022-034 Protecting Colorado’s Workforce and Expanding Licensing Opportunities: In response to Executive Order D2022-034, the rules were amended to provide that when MED officials evaluate an applicant’s good moral character during the license application process, they will not consider arrests or convictions for activities in other states that are legal in Colorado. Internal Security Controls: In response to recent trends demonstrating an increase in burglaries and attempted burglaries at licensed cannabis businesses, the amended rules require licensees to maintain internal security controls, including a security plan to assist licensees in preparing for and mitigating burglaries and other attempted crimes at licensed marijuana businesses. Protecting Worker Safety: Amended rules also include increased worker safety protections such as requirements for employees to wear gloves, goggles and respirators when conducting certain manufacturing processes. These rules can be viewed in their entirety on the MED Rules page of the division’s website. Cannabis Business Times regularly interviews cannabis cultivators to learn more about how they manage their growing operations, including top tips for success, tools and technologies they couldn’t live without, and how they deal with perennial challenges like burnout. In this installment, Joe Gibson, head grower at Gibby's Garden , details how he took his skills from home growing to a professional level. Read more about Gibby's Garden in CBT 's December issue . Name: Joe Gibson Company: Gibby's Garden Location: Uxbridge, Mass. Title: Head Grower Indoor, outdoor, greenhouse or a combination? Indoor. Q: Can you share a bit of your background and how you and your company got to the present day? A: I am a cannabis enthusiast with a family that has great home gardens. When possession and home grows became legal, I started growing. When we started talking about getting into the industry, I took the home grow up to R&D level, experimenting with different lights, nutrients, etc. I attended the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis in Massachusetts and traveled to Colorado and Oregon to check out the legal industries already in play. Through my research and Mom’s (Kim Gibson’s) design and build background, we started planning the cultivation facility. I focused on the components of the grow, and my folks did the licensing and permit set and contract work. We started the process of becoming a licensed establishment in 2017, applied for our license in 2018 and were fully licensed in 2019. Being post-revenue since January 2020, we are one of the original recreational establishments in Massachusetts. We pride ourselves on our premium flower and added whole flower-infused tinctures and live rosin. Q: What tool or software in your cultivation space can you not live without? A: I can live without a lot. The girls (AKA the plants), however, need their environment closely controlled. Temperature, humidity, lighting, water and nutrients are all critical. However, the greatest tool is the lighting. The TSRgrow lighting system I use has a high level of control at each tiered rack, allowing me to control the PAR of the lights as needed for the individual batches’ ages and strains. The system also records power and environment over time, which I use to interpret variances in test results and more. Q: What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your business in the past six months? A: Coffee! Also, high-end extender clippers for defoliating in the trays. Q: What cultivation technique are you most interested in right now, and what are you actively studying (the most)? A: Timing and methods for proper defoliating and topping in order to get maximum number of bud sites and weight. Also, I’m researching increasing terpene levels related to the dry and cure process. Q: How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours? A: My first clone batch was a fiasco. I migrated my experience from our home grow of 16+ plants to our first facility batch of 120+ plants. I changed too many variables—plastic pots instead of cloth pots, full coco instead of Pro-Mix, and making large reservoirs of nutrients. The plants suffered. But with the help of a more experienced industry grower who generously spent time and gave me advice, I ultimately figured out how to bring them back, and they grew healthy. I learned two things: Control the variables in slow, singular changes, and be generous with your knowledge when you can help someone else. Q: What advice would you give to a smart, driven grower about to enter the legal, regulated industry? What advice should they ignore? A: The cultivation end of the industry is very data oriented. Data is a helpful tool, but in a small cultivation, there is an opportunity to focus more on the girls. If they are not ready to harvest, you give them a little more time. If a strain is starting to drink more, you pay attention and respond. The data has a role, but this is your grow, and what and how you grow is a fluid activity. It must be because we work with living things. Being free to do this will make the day-to-day a lot more pleasant, I would say, for the grower and the girls. My opinion is to stick with strong genetics rather than always introducing new genetics. Q: How do you deal with burnout? A: Keeping busy, mainly. I imagine that the tasks in a small cultivation flip more often than in a large grow, so there is less opportunity to get bored or complacent. Because we work with a living plant, there is a caring attitude that drives constant work. And then, of course, we grow cannabis, so [there are] benefits growing and afterward. Naturally, [I] use the product to relieve stress! Q: How do you motivate your employees/team? A: Mixing up tasks from day to day and encouraging pride in all aspects of plant handling. All workers are valued at the same level, whether watering, trimming, or assembling deliveries. Quality control samples as per regs help as well. Q: What keeps you awake at night? A: The responsibility of the head grower to grow the best flower to get consistent sales to support the business. Q: What helps you sleep at night? A: Knowing the quality of the flower we grow. Editor's note: This interview was lightly edited for style and clarity. Editor’s note: This article was originally published Nov. 17. *** President Joe Biden signed legislation Dec. 2 that will facilitate research on cannabis and its potential health benefits, making the Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act official. The president’s ink marks the first piece of standalone federal cannabis reform to be enacted since the drug war began more than 50 years ago. With his signing, the White House issued a statement thanking the representatives and senators who sponsored the reform and acknowledging that the legislation “establishes a new registration process for conducting research on marijuana and for manufacturing marijuana products for research purposes and drug development.” *** A standalone cannabis bill is heading to the U.S. president’s desk. That’s right: The U.S. Congress passed the bipartisan Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act with the Senate’s voice vote Nov. 16 after the House passed the bill via a 325-95 vote in July. The Senate passed H.R. 8454 (Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act) by voice vote. — Senate Periodicals (@SenatePPG) November 16, 2022 RELATED: US House Passes Cannabis Research Bill Pending President Biden’s signature, the legislation will be the first piece of standalone federal cannabis reform enacted since the Controlled Substances Act of 1971 notoriously designated a plant as a Schedule I drug, according to U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who sponsored the research bill with Andy Harris, R-Md., in the lower chamber. “After working on the issue of cannabis reform for decades, finally the dam is starting to break,” Blumenauer said in a press release Wednesday. “The passage of my Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act in the House and Senate represents a historic breakthrough in addressing the federal government’s failed and misguided prohibition of cannabis.” The legislation aims to encourage and facilitate research on cannabis and its potential health benefits by streamlining the application process for studies and removing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) barriers for researchers that often slow the process. The bill was also sponsored by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Bill Schatz, D-Hawaii. “There is substantial evidence that marijuana-derived medications can and are providing major health benefits,” Feinstein said in a press release . “Our bill will make it easier to study how these medications can treat various conditions, resulting in more patients being able to easily access safe medications. We know that cannabidiol-derived medications can be effective for conditions like epilepsy. This bill will help refine current medical CBD practices and develop important new applications. After years of negotiation, I’m delighted that we’re finally enacting this bill that will result in critical research that could help millions.” RELATED: DEA Greenlights Epidiolex. What’s Next for CBD and the Cannabis Industry? In easing the process for researchers to apply and receive approval to study cannabis and its derivatives, the legislation, House Bill 8454, aims to require the U.S. attorney general to either approve a cannabis research application or request additional information from the applicant within 60 days of a submission. More specifically, the bill directs the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to follow specified procedures to register: practitioners to conduct cannabis research, and manufacturers to supply cannabis for the research. Additionally, the bill directs the DEA to register manufacturers and distributors of CBD or cannabis for the purpose of commercial production of an approved drug that contains cannabis or its derivative, according to the House’s summary for the legislation. And the bill allows certain registered entities—including institutions of higher education, practitioners and manufacturers—to manufacture, distribute, dispense or possess cannabis or CBD for the purposes of medical research. “As a physician who has conducted [National Institutes of Health]-sponsored research, I am pleased that this bill has finally passed and that scientists will be able to research what medical marijuana can and cannot do,” Harris said in a July press release. “While there is evidence to suggest that medical marijuana may be beneficial in the treatment of some diseases like glaucoma and epilepsy, only scientific research will prove the veracity of the many claims regarding efficacy for other diseases.” He added, “Despite lacking much scientific research, over three dozen states have already legalized medical marijuana, and the American public deserves to know the effect modern marijuana has on the human body. While I support additional research for the use of medical marijuana, my position on recreational marijuana remains the same—I categorically oppose it.” According to the bill’s summary, the legislation also includes provisions that: require the DEA to assess whether there is an adequate and uninterrupted supply of cannabis for research purposes; prohibit the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from reinstating the interdisciplinary review process for cannabis research; allow physicians to discuss the potential harms and benefits of cannabis and its derivatives (including CBD) with patients; and require HHS, in coordination with the National Institutes of Health and relevant federal agencies, to report on the therapeutic potential of cannabis for various conditions such as epilepsy, as well as the impact on adolescent brains and on the ability to operate a motor vehicle. “I’ve heard directly from Iowans who are desperately in search of treatment options for conditions like child epilepsy,” Grassley said. “Unfortunately, many families have resorted to using untested, unregulated derivatives from the marijuana plant as a last resort to treat these conditions. Since 2015, I’ve pushed to expand medical research into marijuana derivatives such as cannabidiol to better understand their benefits and potential harms. This research is a critical step toward ensuring safe and effective therapies are also consistently regulated like any other prescription drug. I’m grateful that this bipartisan bill is now on its way to President Biden.”\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/02/CannaLeavesAdobeStock417949098.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the PREPARE Act directs the U.S. attorney general to develop a regulatory framework for when the federal government legalizes cannabis. since amendment 64 was passed, Americans’ support for legal cannabis has grown from 48% in 2012 to 68% in each of the past three years.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Kalamazoo County\",\n \"H.B.\",\n \"Uxbridge\",\n \"Mass.\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"marijuana\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"the U.S. Senate\",\n \"D-Colo.\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Hakeem Jeffries\",\n \"D-N.Y.\",\n \"U.S. Representatives Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Prepare for Federal Cannabis Legalization\",\n \"Gallup\",\n \"the Federal Regulation of Cannabis\",\n \"Congress\",\n \"Develop\",\n \"Hickenlooper’s\",\n \"Cannabis Regulatory Agency\",\n \"CRA\",\n \"Hanna\",\n \"the U.S. Army Reserve\",\n \"Michigan State Police\",\n \"the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association\",\n \"The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division\",\n \"MED\",\n \"Department of Revenue\",\n \"Social Equity Program Updates\",\n \"the amended rules require licensees\",\n \"Protecting Worker Safety: Amended\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Gibby's Garden\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis\",\n \"TSRgrow\",\n \"PAR\",\n \"Pro-Mix\",\n \"the Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act\",\n \"the White House\",\n \"The U.S. Congress\",\n \"Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act\",\n \"Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act\",\n \"US House\",\n \"D-Ore.\",\n \"Blumenauer\",\n \"U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"D-Hawaii\",\n \"CBD\",\n \"the Cannabis Industry\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"the Department of Health and Human Services\",\n \"HHS\",\n \"the National Institutes of Health\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"John Hickenlooper\",\n \"Dave Joyce\",\n \"Brian Mast\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Hickenlooper\",\n \"Joyce\",\n \"Gretchen Whitmer\",\n \"Brian Hanna\",\n \"Whitmer\",\n \"Shelly Edgerton\",\n \"Edgerton\",\n \"Dominique Mendiola\",\n \"Bill\",\n \"Vendor Designations\",\n \"Order D2022-034\",\n \"Joe Gibson\",\n \"Gibby\",\n \"Joe Gibson Company\",\n \"Kim Gibson’s\",\n \"Joe Biden\",\n \"H.R. 8454\",\n \"Bill Pending\",\n \"Biden\",\n \"Earl Blumenauer\",\n \"Andy Harris\",\n \"Dianne Feinstein\",\n \"Chuck Grassley\",\n \"Bill Schatz\",\n \"Bill 8454\",\n \"Harris\",\n \"Grassley\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"cbd\",\n \"use\",\n \"product\",\n \"say\",\n \"thc\",\n \"study\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"health\",\n \"people\",\n \"high\",\n \"test\",\n \"make\",\n \"drug\",\n \"like\",\n \"oil\",\n \"new\",\n \"research\",\n \"vaping\",\n \"plant\",\n \"help\",\n \"effect\",\n \"know\",\n \"smoke\",\n \"time\",\n \"year\",\n \"report\",\n \"pain\",\n \"patient\",\n \"food\",\n \"weed\",\n \"way\",\n \"contain\",\n \"need\",\n \"include\",\n \"come\",\n \"strain\",\n \"work\",\n \"good\",\n \"treat\",\n \"medical\",\n \"treatment\",\n \"look\",\n \"user\",\n \"want\",\n \"edible\",\n \"vape\",\n \"fda\",\n \"university\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Consumer\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.48,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.5478515028953552\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6c98e49a97033412091d\",\n \"title\": \"Colorado Approves ‘Use-By’ Date Labeling Requirement for Cannabis Products\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/colorado-new-rules-use-by-date-redesignation.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"New rules for the state’s cannabis industry also include the ability for medical cannabis to be redesignated for adult use.\",\n \"author\": \"Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-02T18:26:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) adopted a bevy of new rules for the state industry, most which became effective Dec. 1. (See below for a full list.) Two specific rules—granting the ability to redesignate medical cannabis for adult use and requiring use-by dates and storage conditions—won’t be implemented until 2023 and 2024. While enacted legislation led to the rules, the formal adoption comes after a summer and fall of “extensive” stakeholder engagement led by the division, which operates under the state’s Department of Revenue. “As in previous years, the MED tackled significant topics during this year’s rulemaking session. While much of the MED's rulemaking is legislatively driven, we appreciate how the MED’s rulemaking design provides opportunities to hear from and collaborate with our diverse set of stakeholders,” MED Senior Director Dominique Mendiola said in a news release . “The significant contributions of our team and members of the public have been critical to informing both regulatory updates and improvements to existing rules and processes.” Under the adopted redesignation rule , which will be implemented Jan. 1, 2023, a medical cannabis cultivation facility may transfer medical cannabis to an adult-use cannabis cultivation facility or accelerator cultivator in order to change the product’s designation from medical cannabis or adult-use cannabis. The rule was directed from Senate Bill 22-178 , which clarifies that the adult-use cultivation facility is required to pay any retail cannabis excise tax on that transferred cannabis. That rule comes on the heels of 2021 legislation allowing a licensee to change the designation of adult-use cannabis to medical cannabis under certain circumstances. Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, meanwhile, all regulated cannabis products in Colorado must be labeled with a use-by date and storage conditions before selling to a patient or adult who is 21 or older. “Licensees are encouraged to conduct shelf-stability testing to establish appropriate use-by dates for products, however, if a licensee chooses not to conduct testing, a 9-month use-by date will apply,” the MED release states. “Regulated marijuana stores are permitted to sell products after the use-by date only if the licensee informs the patient or consumer that they are purchasing a product after its use-by date.” Edibles and other consumable products already required use-by date labeling, but the Jan. 1., 2024, adoption will also apply the rule to products intended for inhalation, such as flower and prerolls. Following are additional rule changes that went into effect on Dec. 1, 2022: As a result of House Bill 22-1222 : Marijuana Responsible Vendor Designations: A responsible vendor designation lives with both the individual and the business that seek to maintain the designation. If an employee changes employment, the responsible vendor designation will follow the employee to the new business. As a result of H.B. 22-1135 : Marijuana Transporter License Transfers: Regulated cannabis transporter licensees may now take advantage of the change of ownership process that allows a business’s owner(s) to transfer the license to new or additional owners. Social Equity Program Updates: Finding of Suitability for Social Equity Licensees has now been extended to be valid for two years (previously suitability was valid for one year). Executive Order D2022-034 Protecting Colorado’s Workforce and Expanding Licensing Opportunities: In response to Executive Order D2022-034, the rules were amended to provide that when MED officials evaluate an applicant’s good moral character during the license application process, they will not consider arrests or convictions for activities in other states that are legal in Colorado. Internal Security Controls: In response to recent trends demonstrating an increase in burglaries and attempted burglaries at licensed cannabis businesses, the amended rules require licensees to maintain internal security controls, including a security plan to assist licensees in preparing for and mitigating burglaries and other attempted crimes at licensed marijuana businesses. Protecting Worker Safety: Amended rules also include increased worker safety protections such as requirements for employees to wear gloves, goggles and respirators when conducting certain manufacturing processes. These rules can be viewed in their entirety on the MED Rules page of the division’s website. Cannabis Business Times regularly interviews cannabis cultivators to learn more about how they manage their growing operations, including top tips for success, tools and technologies they couldn’t live without, and how they deal with perennial challenges like burnout. In this installment, Joe Gibson, head grower at Gibby's Garden , details how he took his skills from home growing to a professional level. Read more about Gibby's Garden in CBT 's December issue . Name: Joe Gibson Company: Gibby's Garden Location: Uxbridge, Mass. Title: Head Grower Indoor, outdoor, greenhouse or a combination? Indoor. Q: Can you share a bit of your background and how you and your company got to the present day? A: I am a cannabis enthusiast with a family that has great home gardens. When possession and home grows became legal, I started growing. When we started talking about getting into the industry, I took the home grow up to R&D level, experimenting with different lights, nutrients, etc. I attended the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis in Massachusetts and traveled to Colorado and Oregon to check out the legal industries already in play. Through my research and Mom’s (Kim Gibson’s) design and build background, we started planning the cultivation facility. I focused on the components of the grow, and my folks did the licensing and permit set and contract work. We started the process of becoming a licensed establishment in 2017, applied for our license in 2018 and were fully licensed in 2019. Being post-revenue since January 2020, we are one of the original recreational establishments in Massachusetts. We pride ourselves on our premium flower and added whole flower-infused tinctures and live rosin. Q: What tool or software in your cultivation space can you not live without? A: I can live without a lot. The girls (AKA the plants), however, need their environment closely controlled. Temperature, humidity, lighting, water and nutrients are all critical. However, the greatest tool is the lighting. The TSRgrow lighting system I use has a high level of control at each tiered rack, allowing me to control the PAR of the lights as needed for the individual batches’ ages and strains. The system also records power and environment over time, which I use to interpret variances in test results and more. Q: What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your business in the past six months? A: Coffee! Also, high-end extender clippers for defoliating in the trays. Q: What cultivation technique are you most interested in right now, and what are you actively studying (the most)? A: Timing and methods for proper defoliating and topping in order to get maximum number of bud sites and weight. Also, I’m researching increasing terpene levels related to the dry and cure process. Q: How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours? A: My first clone batch was a fiasco. I migrated my experience from our home grow of 16+ plants to our first facility batch of 120+ plants. I changed too many variables—plastic pots instead of cloth pots, full coco instead of Pro-Mix, and making large reservoirs of nutrients. The plants suffered. But with the help of a more experienced industry grower who generously spent time and gave me advice, I ultimately figured out how to bring them back, and they grew healthy. I learned two things: Control the variables in slow, singular changes, and be generous with your knowledge when you can help someone else. Q: What advice would you give to a smart, driven grower about to enter the legal, regulated industry? What advice should they ignore? A: The cultivation end of the industry is very data oriented. Data is a helpful tool, but in a small cultivation, there is an opportunity to focus more on the girls. If they are not ready to harvest, you give them a little more time. If a strain is starting to drink more, you pay attention and respond. The data has a role, but this is your grow, and what and how you grow is a fluid activity. It must be because we work with living things. Being free to do this will make the day-to-day a lot more pleasant, I would say, for the grower and the girls. My opinion is to stick with strong genetics rather than always introducing new genetics. Q: How do you deal with burnout? A: Keeping busy, mainly. I imagine that the tasks in a small cultivation flip more often than in a large grow, so there is less opportunity to get bored or complacent. Because we work with a living plant, there is a caring attitude that drives constant work. And then, of course, we grow cannabis, so [there are] benefits growing and afterward. Naturally, [I] use the product to relieve stress! Q: How do you motivate your employees/team? A: Mixing up tasks from day to day and encouraging pride in all aspects of plant handling. All workers are valued at the same level, whether watering, trimming, or assembling deliveries. Quality control samples as per regs help as well. Q: What keeps you awake at night? A: The responsibility of the head grower to grow the best flower to get consistent sales to support the business. Q: What helps you sleep at night? A: Knowing the quality of the flower we grow. Editor's note: This interview was lightly edited for style and clarity. Editor’s note: This article was originally published Nov. 17. *** President Joe Biden signed legislation Dec. 2 that will facilitate research on cannabis and its potential health benefits, making the Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act official. The president’s ink marks the first piece of standalone federal cannabis reform to be enacted since the drug war began more than 50 years ago. With his signing, the White House issued a statement thanking the representatives and senators who sponsored the reform and acknowledging that the legislation “establishes a new registration process for conducting research on marijuana and for manufacturing marijuana products for research purposes and drug development.” *** A standalone cannabis bill is heading to the U.S. president’s desk. That’s right: The U.S. Congress passed the bipartisan Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act with the Senate’s voice vote Nov. 16 after the House passed the bill via a 325-95 vote in July. The Senate passed H.R. 8454 (Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act) by voice vote. — Senate Periodicals (@SenatePPG) November 16, 2022 RELATED: US House Passes Cannabis Research Bill Pending President Biden’s signature, the legislation will be the first piece of standalone federal cannabis reform enacted since the Controlled Substances Act of 1971 notoriously designated a plant as a Schedule I drug, according to U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who sponsored the research bill with Andy Harris, R-Md., in the lower chamber. “After working on the issue of cannabis reform for decades, finally the dam is starting to break,” Blumenauer said in a press release Wednesday. “The passage of my Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act in the House and Senate represents a historic breakthrough in addressing the federal government’s failed and misguided prohibition of cannabis.” The legislation aims to encourage and facilitate research on cannabis and its potential health benefits by streamlining the application process for studies and removing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) barriers for researchers that often slow the process. The bill was also sponsored by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Bill Schatz, D-Hawaii. “There is substantial evidence that marijuana-derived medications can and are providing major health benefits,” Feinstein said in a press release . “Our bill will make it easier to study how these medications can treat various conditions, resulting in more patients being able to easily access safe medications. We know that cannabidiol-derived medications can be effective for conditions like epilepsy. This bill will help refine current medical CBD practices and develop important new applications. After years of negotiation, I’m delighted that we’re finally enacting this bill that will result in critical research that could help millions.” RELATED: DEA Greenlights Epidiolex. What’s Next for CBD and the Cannabis Industry? In easing the process for researchers to apply and receive approval to study cannabis and its derivatives, the legislation, House Bill 8454, aims to require the U.S. attorney general to either approve a cannabis research application or request additional information from the applicant within 60 days of a submission. More specifically, the bill directs the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to follow specified procedures to register: practitioners to conduct cannabis research, and manufacturers to supply cannabis for the research. Additionally, the bill directs the DEA to register manufacturers and distributors of CBD or cannabis for the purpose of commercial production of an approved drug that contains cannabis or its derivative, according to the House’s summary for the legislation. And the bill allows certain registered entities—including institutions of higher education, practitioners and manufacturers—to manufacture, distribute, dispense or possess cannabis or CBD for the purposes of medical research. “As a physician who has conducted [National Institutes of Health]-sponsored research, I am pleased that this bill has finally passed and that scientists will be able to research what medical marijuana can and cannot do,” Harris said in a July press release. “While there is evidence to suggest that medical marijuana may be beneficial in the treatment of some diseases like glaucoma and epilepsy, only scientific research will prove the veracity of the many claims regarding efficacy for other diseases.” He added, “Despite lacking much scientific research, over three dozen states have already legalized medical marijuana, and the American public deserves to know the effect modern marijuana has on the human body. While I support additional research for the use of medical marijuana, my position on recreational marijuana remains the same—I categorically oppose it.” According to the bill’s summary, the legislation also includes provisions that: require the DEA to assess whether there is an adequate and uninterrupted supply of cannabis for research purposes; prohibit the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from reinstating the interdisciplinary review process for cannabis research; allow physicians to discuss the potential harms and benefits of cannabis and its derivatives (including CBD) with patients; and require HHS, in coordination with the National Institutes of Health and relevant federal agencies, to report on the therapeutic potential of cannabis for various conditions such as epilepsy, as well as the impact on adolescent brains and on the ability to operate a motor vehicle. “I’ve heard directly from Iowans who are desperately in search of treatment options for conditions like child epilepsy,” Grassley said. “Unfortunately, many families have resorted to using untested, unregulated derivatives from the marijuana plant as a last resort to treat these conditions. Since 2015, I’ve pushed to expand medical research into marijuana derivatives such as cannabidiol to better understand their benefits and potential harms. This research is a critical step toward ensuring safe and effective therapies are also consistently regulated like any other prescription drug. I’m grateful that this bipartisan bill is now on its way to President Biden.” TORONTO , Dec. 2, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp., a leading North American cannabis operator, announced the appointment of Ira Duarte to its board of directors, effective immediately. In addition, Duarte will serve as the chair of the Audit Committee of the board. Duarte is an accomplished senior finance professional with more than 25 years of experience in a variety of finance, accounting and auditing leadership roles. She currently serves as chief financial officer of Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Inc., a fully integrated specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the global development and commercialization of medications utilized by organ transplant patients. Prior to joining Veloxis, Duarte served as senior director of corporate finance for Chiesi USA Inc. and director of accounting and financial planning for Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc., where she was a core member of the team that guided the sale of Cornerstone to Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. Duarte previously held various roles from staff to senior manager at Ernst & Young Global Limited, where she was responsible for managing audits, Securities Exchange Commission filings, and initial public offerings services for clients. A certified public accountant, Duarte holds a bachelor’s in accounting from Florida Atlantic University. \\\"I'm delighted to be joining TerrAscend's board of directors at this exciting moment in the company's evolution,\\\" Duarte said. \\\"The TerrAscend team has quickly established a reputation as a leading operator with strong growth potential. I look forward to supporting the Audit Committee on the financial reporting process and helping TerrAscend execute against its business strategy.\\\" Jason Wild, executive chairman of TerrAscend, added, \\\"We are thrilled to add Ira to TerrAscend's board and look forward to leveraging her extensive corporate finance experience as we continue to execute on our financially disciplined growth strategy.\\\" MIAMI, Florida., Dec. 02, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Ayr Wellness Inc. , a vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, announced its three retail locations in New Jersey, formerly known as Garden State Dispensary, are now operating under the AYR dispensary name. Since acquiring Garden State Dispensary in September 2021, Ayr has made significant progress in elevating key facets of the business, including improvements to the menu and overall retail experience. 2022 has been a pivotal year for the company in New Jersey, as it opened a large-scale cultivation expansion, launched adult-use sales at its three retail locations, the maximum allowed in the state, and introduced its national brand portfolio in the wholesale market and its retail stores. “Our team has worked to enhance all areas of the business – launching sales to adult-use consumers, expanding our access to high-quality flower, improving our menus with the introduction of our national brand portfolio, and deepening our relationship with surrounding communities to further our Force for Good efforts,” said David Goubert, Ayr president. “Having made progress in these key areas, we’re now focused on building one-to-one relationships with our patients and customers as AYR. We are confident that this approach will further enhance our excellent customer experience and overall success.” Ayr’s three New Jersey dispensaries are in prime locations in Woodbridge, Union, and Eatontown, all within Central New Jersey, a region of 3.4 million people. The transition to the AYR name marks a significant milestone for the company in its journey to bring its retail vision to life across its national footprint. The newly transitioned New Jersey locations join Massachusetts and Pennsylvania as AYR-branded stores, with its Florida stores to transition in Spring 2023. BDSA expects New Jersey to be the third largest contributor to overall U.S. sales growth by 2026, projected to generate annual revenue of $2.3 billion in total legal cannabis sales.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/02/ExpirationAdobeStock186614416.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"two specific rules—granting the ability to redesignate medical cannabis for adult use and requiring use-by dates and storage conditions—won’t be implemented until 2023 and 2024. the formal adoption comes after a summer and fall of \\\"extensive\\\" stakeholder engagement led by the division.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Colorado\",\n \"H.B.\",\n \"Uxbridge\",\n \"Mass.\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"MIAMI\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"New Jersey\",\n \"Woodbridge\",\n \"Eatontown\",\n \"Pennsylvania\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division\",\n \"MED\",\n \"Department of Revenue\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Social Equity Program Updates\",\n \"the amended rules require licensees\",\n \"Protecting Worker Safety: Amended\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Gibby's Garden\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis\",\n \"TSRgrow\",\n \"PAR\",\n \"Pro-Mix\",\n \"the Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act\",\n \"the White House\",\n \"The U.S. Congress\",\n \"Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act\",\n \"Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act\",\n \"US House\",\n \"D-Ore.\",\n \"Blumenauer\",\n \"U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"D-Hawaii\",\n \"CBD\",\n \"the Cannabis Industry\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"the Department of Health and Human Services\",\n \"HHS\",\n \"the National Institutes of Health\",\n \"TerrAscend Corp.\",\n \"Duarte\",\n \"the Audit Committee\",\n \"Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Inc.\",\n \"Veloxis, Duarte\",\n \"Chiesi USA Inc.\",\n \"Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc.\",\n \"Cornerstone\",\n \"Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. Duarte\",\n \"Ernst & Young Global Limited\",\n \"Securities Exchange Commission\",\n \"Florida Atlantic University\",\n \"TerrAscend\",\n \"Garden State Dispensary\",\n \"AYR\",\n \"BDSA\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Dominique Mendiola\",\n \"Bill\",\n \"Vendor Designations\",\n \"Order D2022-034\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Joe Gibson\",\n \"Gibby\",\n \"Joe Gibson Company\",\n \"Kim Gibson’s\",\n \"Joe Biden\",\n \"H.R. 8454\",\n \"Bill Pending\",\n \"Biden\",\n \"Earl Blumenauer\",\n \"Andy Harris\",\n \"Dianne Feinstein\",\n \"Chuck Grassley\",\n \"Bill Schatz\",\n \"Bill 8454\",\n \"Harris\",\n \"Grassley\",\n \"Ira Duarte\",\n \"Jason Wild\",\n \"David Goubert\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.51,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9024749994277954\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6c93e49a97033412091a\",\n \"title\": \"How Joe Gibson of Gibby's Garden Works\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/gibbys-garden-massachusetts-microbusiness-joe-gibson-cannabis-workspace.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"In this installment, this former home grower details how he took his skills to a professional level.\",\n \"author\": \"Theresa Bennett\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-02T18:00:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Cannabis Business Times regularly interviews cannabis cultivators to learn more about how they manage their growing operations, including top tips for success, tools and technologies they couldn’t live without, and how they deal with perennial challenges like burnout. In this installment, Joe Gibson, head grower at Gibby's Garden , details how he took his skills from home growing to a professional level. Read more about Gibby's Garden in CBT 's December issue . Name: Joe Gibson Company: Gibby's Garden Location: Uxbridge, Mass. Title: Head Grower Indoor, outdoor, greenhouse or a combination? Indoor. Q: Can you share a bit of your background and how you and your company got to the present day? A: I am a cannabis enthusiast with a family that has great home gardens. When possession and home grows became legal, I started growing. When we started talking about getting into the industry, I took the home grow up to R&D level, experimenting with different lights, nutrients, etc. I attended the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis in Massachusetts and traveled to Colorado and Oregon to check out the legal industries already in play. Through my research and Mom’s (Kim Gibson’s) design and build background, we started planning the cultivation facility. I focused on the components of the grow, and my folks did the licensing and permit set and contract work. We started the process of becoming a licensed establishment in 2017, applied for our license in 2018 and were fully licensed in 2019. Being post-revenue since January 2020, we are one of the original recreational establishments in Massachusetts. We pride ourselves on our premium flower and added whole flower-infused tinctures and live rosin. Q: What tool or software in your cultivation space can you not live without? A: I can live without a lot. The girls (AKA the plants), however, need their environment closely controlled. Temperature, humidity, lighting, water and nutrients are all critical. However, the greatest tool is the lighting. The TSRgrow lighting system I use has a high level of control at each tiered rack, allowing me to control the PAR of the lights as needed for the individual batches’ ages and strains. The system also records power and environment over time, which I use to interpret variances in test results and more. Q: What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your business in the past six months? A: Coffee! Also, high-end extender clippers for defoliating in the trays. Q: What cultivation technique are you most interested in right now, and what are you actively studying (the most)? A: Timing and methods for proper defoliating and topping in order to get maximum number of bud sites and weight. Also, I’m researching increasing terpene levels related to the dry and cure process. Q: How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours? A: My first clone batch was a fiasco. I migrated my experience from our home grow of 16+ plants to our first facility batch of 120+ plants. I changed too many variables—plastic pots instead of cloth pots, full coco instead of Pro-Mix, and making large reservoirs of nutrients. The plants suffered. But with the help of a more experienced industry grower who generously spent time and gave me advice, I ultimately figured out how to bring them back, and they grew healthy. I learned two things: Control the variables in slow, singular changes, and be generous with your knowledge when you can help someone else. Q: What advice would you give to a smart, driven grower about to enter the legal, regulated industry? What advice should they ignore? A: The cultivation end of the industry is very data oriented. Data is a helpful tool, but in a small cultivation, there is an opportunity to focus more on the girls. If they are not ready to harvest, you give them a little more time. If a strain is starting to drink more, you pay attention and respond. The data has a role, but this is your grow, and what and how you grow is a fluid activity. It must be because we work with living things. Being free to do this will make the day-to-day a lot more pleasant, I would say, for the grower and the girls. My opinion is to stick with strong genetics rather than always introducing new genetics. Q: How do you deal with burnout? A: Keeping busy, mainly. I imagine that the tasks in a small cultivation flip more often than in a large grow, so there is less opportunity to get bored or complacent. Because we work with a living plant, there is a caring attitude that drives constant work. And then, of course, we grow cannabis, so [there are] benefits growing and afterward. Naturally, [I] use the product to relieve stress! Q: How do you motivate your employees/team? A: Mixing up tasks from day to day and encouraging pride in all aspects of plant handling. All workers are valued at the same level, whether watering, trimming, or assembling deliveries. Quality control samples as per regs help as well. Q: What keeps you awake at night? A: The responsibility of the head grower to grow the best flower to get consistent sales to support the business. Q: What helps you sleep at night? A: Knowing the quality of the flower we grow. Editor's note: This interview was lightly edited for style and clarity. Editor’s note: This article was originally published Nov. 17. *** President Joe Biden signed legislation Dec. 2 that will facilitate research on cannabis and its potential health benefits, making the Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act official. The president’s ink marks the first piece of standalone federal cannabis reform to be enacted since the drug war began more than 50 years ago. With his signing, the White House issued a statement thanking the representatives and senators who sponsored the reform and acknowledging that the legislation “establishes a new registration process for conducting research on marijuana and for manufacturing marijuana products for research purposes and drug development.” *** A standalone cannabis bill is heading to the U.S. president’s desk. That’s right: The U.S. Congress passed the bipartisan Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act with the Senate’s voice vote Nov. 16 after the House passed the bill via a 325-95 vote in July. The Senate passed H.R. 8454 (Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act) by voice vote. — Senate Periodicals (@SenatePPG) November 16, 2022 RELATED: US House Passes Cannabis Research Bill Pending President Biden’s signature, the legislation will be the first piece of standalone federal cannabis reform enacted since the Controlled Substances Act of 1971 notoriously designated a plant as a Schedule I drug, according to U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who sponsored the research bill with Andy Harris, R-Md., in the lower chamber. “After working on the issue of cannabis reform for decades, finally the dam is starting to break,” Blumenauer said in a press release Wednesday. “The passage of my Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act in the House and Senate represents a historic breakthrough in addressing the federal government’s failed and misguided prohibition of cannabis.” The legislation aims to encourage and facilitate research on cannabis and its potential health benefits by streamlining the application process for studies and removing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) barriers for researchers that often slow the process. The bill was also sponsored by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Bill Schatz, D-Hawaii. “There is substantial evidence that marijuana-derived medications can and are providing major health benefits,” Feinstein said in a press release . “Our bill will make it easier to study how these medications can treat various conditions, resulting in more patients being able to easily access safe medications. We know that cannabidiol-derived medications can be effective for conditions like epilepsy. This bill will help refine current medical CBD practices and develop important new applications. After years of negotiation, I’m delighted that we’re finally enacting this bill that will result in critical research that could help millions.” RELATED: DEA Greenlights Epidiolex. What’s Next for CBD and the Cannabis Industry? In easing the process for researchers to apply and receive approval to study cannabis and its derivatives, the legislation, House Bill 8454, aims to require the U.S. attorney general to either approve a cannabis research application or request additional information from the applicant within 60 days of a submission. More specifically, the bill directs the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to follow specified procedures to register: practitioners to conduct cannabis research, and manufacturers to supply cannabis for the research. Additionally, the bill directs the DEA to register manufacturers and distributors of CBD or cannabis for the purpose of commercial production of an approved drug that contains cannabis or its derivative, according to the House’s summary for the legislation. And the bill allows certain registered entities—including institutions of higher education, practitioners and manufacturers—to manufacture, distribute, dispense or possess cannabis or CBD for the purposes of medical research. “As a physician who has conducted [National Institutes of Health]-sponsored research, I am pleased that this bill has finally passed and that scientists will be able to research what medical marijuana can and cannot do,” Harris said in a July press release. “While there is evidence to suggest that medical marijuana may be beneficial in the treatment of some diseases like glaucoma and epilepsy, only scientific research will prove the veracity of the many claims regarding efficacy for other diseases.” He added, “Despite lacking much scientific research, over three dozen states have already legalized medical marijuana, and the American public deserves to know the effect modern marijuana has on the human body. While I support additional research for the use of medical marijuana, my position on recreational marijuana remains the same—I categorically oppose it.” According to the bill’s summary, the legislation also includes provisions that: require the DEA to assess whether there is an adequate and uninterrupted supply of cannabis for research purposes; prohibit the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from reinstating the interdisciplinary review process for cannabis research; allow physicians to discuss the potential harms and benefits of cannabis and its derivatives (including CBD) with patients; and require HHS, in coordination with the National Institutes of Health and relevant federal agencies, to report on the therapeutic potential of cannabis for various conditions such as epilepsy, as well as the impact on adolescent brains and on the ability to operate a motor vehicle. “I’ve heard directly from Iowans who are desperately in search of treatment options for conditions like child epilepsy,” Grassley said. “Unfortunately, many families have resorted to using untested, unregulated derivatives from the marijuana plant as a last resort to treat these conditions. Since 2015, I’ve pushed to expand medical research into marijuana derivatives such as cannabidiol to better understand their benefits and potential harms. This research is a critical step toward ensuring safe and effective therapies are also consistently regulated like any other prescription drug. I’m grateful that this bipartisan bill is now on its way to President Biden.” TORONTO , Dec. 2, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp., a leading North American cannabis operator, announced the appointment of Ira Duarte to its board of directors, effective immediately. In addition, Duarte will serve as the chair of the Audit Committee of the board. Duarte is an accomplished senior finance professional with more than 25 years of experience in a variety of finance, accounting and auditing leadership roles. She currently serves as chief financial officer of Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Inc., a fully integrated specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the global development and commercialization of medications utilized by organ transplant patients. Prior to joining Veloxis, Duarte served as senior director of corporate finance for Chiesi USA Inc. and director of accounting and financial planning for Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc., where she was a core member of the team that guided the sale of Cornerstone to Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. Duarte previously held various roles from staff to senior manager at Ernst & Young Global Limited, where she was responsible for managing audits, Securities Exchange Commission filings, and initial public offerings services for clients. A certified public accountant, Duarte holds a bachelor’s in accounting from Florida Atlantic University. \\\"I'm delighted to be joining TerrAscend's board of directors at this exciting moment in the company's evolution,\\\" Duarte said. \\\"The TerrAscend team has quickly established a reputation as a leading operator with strong growth potential. I look forward to supporting the Audit Committee on the financial reporting process and helping TerrAscend execute against its business strategy.\\\" Jason Wild, executive chairman of TerrAscend, added, \\\"We are thrilled to add Ira to TerrAscend's board and look forward to leveraging her extensive corporate finance experience as we continue to execute on our financially disciplined growth strategy.\\\" MIAMI, Florida., Dec. 02, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Ayr Wellness Inc. , a vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, announced its three retail locations in New Jersey, formerly known as Garden State Dispensary, are now operating under the AYR dispensary name. Since acquiring Garden State Dispensary in September 2021, Ayr has made significant progress in elevating key facets of the business, including improvements to the menu and overall retail experience. 2022 has been a pivotal year for the company in New Jersey, as it opened a large-scale cultivation expansion, launched adult-use sales at its three retail locations, the maximum allowed in the state, and introduced its national brand portfolio in the wholesale market and its retail stores. “Our team has worked to enhance all areas of the business – launching sales to adult-use consumers, expanding our access to high-quality flower, improving our menus with the introduction of our national brand portfolio, and deepening our relationship with surrounding communities to further our Force for Good efforts,” said David Goubert, Ayr president. “Having made progress in these key areas, we’re now focused on building one-to-one relationships with our patients and customers as AYR. We are confident that this approach will further enhance our excellent customer experience and overall success.” Ayr’s three New Jersey dispensaries are in prime locations in Woodbridge, Union, and Eatontown, all within Central New Jersey, a region of 3.4 million people. The transition to the AYR name marks a significant milestone for the company in its journey to bring its retail vision to life across its national footprint. The newly transitioned New Jersey locations join Massachusetts and Pennsylvania as AYR-branded stores, with its Florida stores to transition in Spring 2023. BDSA expects New Jersey to be the third largest contributor to overall U.S. sales growth by 2026, projected to generate annual revenue of $2.3 billion in total legal cannabis sales. TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 2, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Trulieve Cannabis Corp. announced the opening of a new medical dispensary in Hobe Sound, Fla. Located at 10835 SE Federal Hwy., the doors opened at 9 a.m. Dec. 2, with ongoing hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Grand opening festivities at the new dispensary will include numerous partner giveaways, music, food trucks, deals and specials, and all registered patients will receive a 25% discount. Trulieve also offers statewide home delivery, convenient online ordering and in-store pickup. As always, all first-time guests are eligible for a 50% new customer discount at any Florida-based location. \\\"Trulieve is thrilled to open a new dispensary in Hobe Sound and continue expanding access to medical marijuana for Florida's patient population,\\\" said Trulieve's Chief Executive Officer Kim Rivers. \\\"The company is driven by a commitment being active in the communities we serve and providing tailored, high-quality care and exceptional customer experiences.\\\" Trulieve patients across Florida can choose from a large selection of THC and CBD products available in a variety of consumption methods, including smokable flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules, syringes, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more. Designed to meet every patient's needs, Trulieves portfolio of in-house brands includes Alchemy, Co2lors, Cultivar Collection, Modern Flower, Momenta, Muse, Roll One and Sweet Talk. Patients can also access beloved brands such as Bellamy Brothers, Bhang, Binske, Blue River, Black Tuna, DeLisioso, Khalifa Kush, Love's Oven, Miami Mango, O.pen and Sunshine Cannabis, all available exclusively at Trulieve in Florida.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/02/CannabisWorkspaceTemplate-NEW-948x533-Gibson.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Joe Gibson, head grower at Gibby's Garden, details how he took his skills from home growing to a professional level. he shares his top tips for success, tools and technologies he couldn't live without, and how they deal with perennial challenges like burnout.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Uxbridge\",\n \"Mass.\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"MIAMI\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"New Jersey\",\n \"Woodbridge\",\n \"Eatontown\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"TALLAHASSEE\",\n \"Hobe Sound\",\n \"Bhang\",\n \"Miami Mango\",\n \"Sunshine Cannabis\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"Gibby's Garden\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis\",\n \"TSRgrow\",\n \"PAR\",\n \"Pro-Mix\",\n \"the Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act\",\n \"the White House\",\n \"The U.S. Congress\",\n \"Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"House\",\n \"Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act\",\n \"US House\",\n \"D-Ore.\",\n \"Blumenauer\",\n \"U.S. Food and Drug Administration\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"D-Hawaii\",\n \"CBD\",\n \"the Cannabis Industry\",\n \"the Drug Enforcement Administration\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"the Department of Health and Human Services\",\n \"HHS\",\n \"the National Institutes of Health\",\n \"TerrAscend Corp.\",\n \"Duarte\",\n \"the Audit Committee\",\n \"Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Inc.\",\n \"Veloxis, Duarte\",\n \"Chiesi USA Inc.\",\n \"Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc.\",\n \"Cornerstone\",\n \"Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. Duarte\",\n \"Ernst & Young Global Limited\",\n \"Securities Exchange Commission\",\n \"Florida Atlantic University\",\n \"TerrAscend\",\n \"Garden State Dispensary\",\n \"AYR\",\n \"BDSA\",\n \"Trulieve\",\n \"Alchemy\",\n \"Cultivar Collection\",\n \"Modern Flower\",\n \"Momenta, Muse, Roll One\",\n \"Bellamy Brothers\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Joe Gibson\",\n \"Gibby\",\n \"Joe Gibson Company\",\n \"Kim Gibson’s\",\n \"Joe Biden\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"H.R. 8454\",\n \"Bill Pending\",\n \"Biden\",\n \"Earl Blumenauer\",\n \"Andy Harris\",\n \"Dianne Feinstein\",\n \"Chuck Grassley\",\n \"Bill Schatz\",\n \"Bill 8454\",\n \"Harris\",\n \"Grassley\",\n \"Ira Duarte\",\n \"Jason Wild\",\n \"David Goubert\",\n \"Kim Rivers\",\n \"Sweet Talk\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.46,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8569772839546204\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cb4e49a97033412092e\",\n \"title\": \"TerrAscend Appoints Seasoned Finance Professional to Board\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/terrascend-board-directors-appointment-ira-duarte.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Ira Duarte joins the company’s board of directors with more than 25 years of experience in finance, accounting and auditing leadership roles.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-02T15:42:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"TORONTO , Dec. 2, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp., a leading North American cannabis operator, announced the appointment of Ira Duarte to its board of directors, effective immediately. In addition, Duarte will serve as the chair of the Audit Committee of the board. Duarte is an accomplished senior finance professional with more than 25 years of experience in a variety of finance, accounting and auditing leadership roles. She currently serves as chief financial officer of Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Inc., a fully integrated specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the global development and commercialization of medications utilized by organ transplant patients. Prior to joining Veloxis, Duarte served as senior director of corporate finance for Chiesi USA Inc. and director of accounting and financial planning for Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc., where she was a core member of the team that guided the sale of Cornerstone to Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. Duarte previously held various roles from staff to senior manager at Ernst & Young Global Limited, where she was responsible for managing audits, Securities Exchange Commission filings, and initial public offerings services for clients. A certified public accountant, Duarte holds a bachelor’s in accounting from Florida Atlantic University. \\\"I'm delighted to be joining TerrAscend's board of directors at this exciting moment in the company's evolution,\\\" Duarte said. \\\"The TerrAscend team has quickly established a reputation as a leading operator with strong growth potential. I look forward to supporting the Audit Committee on the financial reporting process and helping TerrAscend execute against its business strategy.\\\" Jason Wild, executive chairman of TerrAscend, added, \\\"We are thrilled to add Ira to TerrAscend's board and look forward to leveraging her extensive corporate finance experience as we continue to execute on our financially disciplined growth strategy.\\\" MIAMI, Florida., Dec. 02, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Ayr Wellness Inc. , a vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, announced its three retail locations in New Jersey, formerly known as Garden State Dispensary, are now operating under the AYR dispensary name. Since acquiring Garden State Dispensary in September 2021, Ayr has made significant progress in elevating key facets of the business, including improvements to the menu and overall retail experience. 2022 has been a pivotal year for the company in New Jersey, as it opened a large-scale cultivation expansion, launched adult-use sales at its three retail locations, the maximum allowed in the state, and introduced its national brand portfolio in the wholesale market and its retail stores. “Our team has worked to enhance all areas of the business – launching sales to adult-use consumers, expanding our access to high-quality flower, improving our menus with the introduction of our national brand portfolio, and deepening our relationship with surrounding communities to further our Force for Good efforts,” said David Goubert, Ayr president. “Having made progress in these key areas, we’re now focused on building one-to-one relationships with our patients and customers as AYR. We are confident that this approach will further enhance our excellent customer experience and overall success.” Ayr’s three New Jersey dispensaries are in prime locations in Woodbridge, Union, and Eatontown, all within Central New Jersey, a region of 3.4 million people. The transition to the AYR name marks a significant milestone for the company in its journey to bring its retail vision to life across its national footprint. The newly transitioned New Jersey locations join Massachusetts and Pennsylvania as AYR-branded stores, with its Florida stores to transition in Spring 2023. BDSA expects New Jersey to be the third largest contributor to overall U.S. sales growth by 2026, projected to generate annual revenue of $2.3 billion in total legal cannabis sales. TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 2, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Trulieve Cannabis Corp. announced the opening of a new medical dispensary in Hobe Sound, Fla. Located at 10835 SE Federal Hwy., the doors opened at 9 a.m. Dec. 2, with ongoing hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Grand opening festivities at the new dispensary will include numerous partner giveaways, music, food trucks, deals and specials, and all registered patients will receive a 25% discount. Trulieve also offers statewide home delivery, convenient online ordering and in-store pickup. As always, all first-time guests are eligible for a 50% new customer discount at any Florida-based location. \\\"Trulieve is thrilled to open a new dispensary in Hobe Sound and continue expanding access to medical marijuana for Florida's patient population,\\\" said Trulieve's Chief Executive Officer Kim Rivers. \\\"The company is driven by a commitment being active in the communities we serve and providing tailored, high-quality care and exceptional customer experiences.\\\" Trulieve patients across Florida can choose from a large selection of THC and CBD products available in a variety of consumption methods, including smokable flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules, syringes, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more. Designed to meet every patient's needs, Trulieves portfolio of in-house brands includes Alchemy, Co2lors, Cultivar Collection, Modern Flower, Momenta, Muse, Roll One and Sweet Talk. Patients can also access beloved brands such as Bellamy Brothers, Bhang, Binske, Blue River, Black Tuna, DeLisioso, Khalifa Kush, Love's Oven, Miami Mango, O.pen and Sunshine Cannabis, all available exclusively at Trulieve in Florida. Over 50,000 valid petition signatures have been collected to place an adult-use legalization measure on the 2024 ballot in Florida. The initiative, “ Adult Personal Use of Marijuana ,” sponsored by political committee Smart & State Florida, would allow adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or consume adult-use cannabis. The measure would also allow “Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers and other state licensed entities to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute such products and accessories,” according to the proposal text. The initiative has received 53,702 valid signatures , but to qualify for the 2024 ballot, Smart & State Florida must submit 837,887 additional signatures and receive approval on the proposal from the Florida Supreme Court. In addition, the signatures for a constitutional amendment in Florida must include 8% of the votes cast in the last presidential election. The state also “has a signature distribution requirement , which requires that signatures equaling at least 8% of the district-wide vote in the last presidential election be collected from at least half (14) of the state’s 27 congressional districts,” according to Ballotpedia . All valid signatures must be submitted by Feb. 1, 2024. TORONTO , Nov. 30, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp. , a North American cannabis operator, announced that its subsidiary, WDB Holding MI Inc., and all subsidiaries of TerrAscend (collectively, the “borrowers”), refinanced the existing senior secured term loan of $55 million previously announced on Nov. 22, 2021 (the \\\"Michigan loan\\\"), pursuant to an amendment. The amendment provides for a senior secured term loan with a principal amount of $25 million, plus incremental term loans of $30 million at the option of TerrAscend and subject to consents from the required lenders for an aggregate amount of $55 million. On Nov. 29, 2022, the borrowers repaid $55 million outstanding principal amount under the original Michigan loan, using $30 million of cash on hand and $25 million through borrowing pursuant to the amendment. Chicago Atlantic Admin LLC serves as administrative agent for the lenders under the Michigan loan and as collateral agent for the secured parties thereto. Pursuant to the amendment, the Michigan loan bears interest on $25 million at a per annum rate equal to the greater of (i) the U.S. \\\"prime rate\\\" plus 6%, and (ii) 13%. The Michigan loan, as amended, matures on Nov. 1, 2024. No prepayment fees are owed if the company voluntarily prepays the loan after 18 months. The additional $30 million incremental term loans available under the amendment have not been drawn at this time. \\\"We appreciate Chicago Atlantic's flexibility in helping structure an optimal outcome for TerrAscend,\\\" TerrAscend Executive Chairman Jason Wild said. \\\"This refinancing exemplifies TerrAscend's focus on reducing expenses, including interest expense, while driving sales growth and continued positive cash flow from operations.\\\" John Mazarakis, partner at Chicago Atlantic, said, \\\"Since the beginning of Chicago Atlantic and TerrAscend's relationship upon the Gage business combination, we have been impressed with TerrAscend management's execution and vision, and we are pleased to continue our relationship with them through this facility.\\\"\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Ira Duarte will serve as the chair of the Audit Committee of the board. she is an accomplished senior finance professional with more than 25 years of experience. she currently serves as chief financial officer of Veloxis pharmaceuticals.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"MIAMI\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"New Jersey\",\n \"Woodbridge\",\n \"Eatontown\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"TALLAHASSEE\",\n \"Hobe Sound\",\n \"Bhang\",\n \"Miami Mango\",\n \"Sunshine Cannabis\",\n \"Ballotpedia\",\n \"Michigan\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"TerrAscend Corp.\",\n \"Duarte\",\n \"the Audit Committee\",\n \"Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Inc.\",\n \"Veloxis, Duarte\",\n \"Chiesi USA Inc.\",\n \"Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc.\",\n \"Cornerstone\",\n \"Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. Duarte\",\n \"Ernst & Young Global Limited\",\n \"Securities Exchange Commission\",\n \"Florida Atlantic University\",\n \"TerrAscend\",\n \"Garden State Dispensary\",\n \"AYR\",\n \"BDSA\",\n \"Trulieve\",\n \"Alchemy\",\n \"Cultivar Collection\",\n \"Modern Flower\",\n \"Momenta, Muse, Roll One\",\n \"Bellamy Brothers\",\n \"Smart & State Florida\",\n \"the Florida Supreme Court\",\n \"WDB Holding MI Inc.\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic Admin\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic's\",\n \"TerrAscend Executive\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic\",\n \"Gage\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Ira Duarte\",\n \"Jason Wild\",\n \"David Goubert\",\n \"Kim Rivers\",\n \"Sweet Talk\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"John Mazarakis\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.83,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8691504597663879\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6ca6e49a970334120925\",\n \"title\": \"Ayr Wellness’ Three New Jersey Retail Locations Now Operating as AYR\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/ayr-wellness-three-new-jersey-dispensary-locations-opening-as-ayr\",\n \"description\": \"Since acquiring Garden State Dispensary in September 2021, Ayr has made significant progress in elevating key facets of the business, including improvements to the menu and overall retail experience.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-02T14:47:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"MIAMI, Florida., Dec. 02, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Ayr Wellness Inc. , a vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, announced its three retail locations in New Jersey, formerly known as Garden State Dispensary, are now operating under the AYR dispensary name. Since acquiring Garden State Dispensary in September 2021, Ayr has made significant progress in elevating key facets of the business, including improvements to the menu and overall retail experience. 2022 has been a pivotal year for the company in New Jersey, as it opened a large-scale cultivation expansion, launched adult-use sales at its three retail locations, the maximum allowed in the state, and introduced its national brand portfolio in the wholesale market and its retail stores. “Our team has worked to enhance all areas of the business – launching sales to adult-use consumers, expanding our access to high-quality flower, improving our menus with the introduction of our national brand portfolio, and deepening our relationship with surrounding communities to further our Force for Good efforts,” said David Goubert, Ayr president. “Having made progress in these key areas, we’re now focused on building one-to-one relationships with our patients and customers as AYR. We are confident that this approach will further enhance our excellent customer experience and overall success.” Ayr’s three New Jersey dispensaries are in prime locations in Woodbridge, Union, and Eatontown, all within Central New Jersey, a region of 3.4 million people. The transition to the AYR name marks a significant milestone for the company in its journey to bring its retail vision to life across its national footprint. The newly transitioned New Jersey locations join Massachusetts and Pennsylvania as AYR-branded stores, with its Florida stores to transition in Spring 2023. BDSA expects New Jersey to be the third largest contributor to overall U.S. sales growth by 2026, projected to generate annual revenue of $2.3 billion in total legal cannabis sales. TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 2, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Trulieve Cannabis Corp. announced the opening of a new medical dispensary in Hobe Sound, Fla. Located at 10835 SE Federal Hwy., the doors opened at 9 a.m. Dec. 2, with ongoing hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Grand opening festivities at the new dispensary will include numerous partner giveaways, music, food trucks, deals and specials, and all registered patients will receive a 25% discount. Trulieve also offers statewide home delivery, convenient online ordering and in-store pickup. As always, all first-time guests are eligible for a 50% new customer discount at any Florida-based location. \\\"Trulieve is thrilled to open a new dispensary in Hobe Sound and continue expanding access to medical marijuana for Florida's patient population,\\\" said Trulieve's Chief Executive Officer Kim Rivers. \\\"The company is driven by a commitment being active in the communities we serve and providing tailored, high-quality care and exceptional customer experiences.\\\" Trulieve patients across Florida can choose from a large selection of THC and CBD products available in a variety of consumption methods, including smokable flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules, syringes, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more. Designed to meet every patient's needs, Trulieves portfolio of in-house brands includes Alchemy, Co2lors, Cultivar Collection, Modern Flower, Momenta, Muse, Roll One and Sweet Talk. Patients can also access beloved brands such as Bellamy Brothers, Bhang, Binske, Blue River, Black Tuna, DeLisioso, Khalifa Kush, Love's Oven, Miami Mango, O.pen and Sunshine Cannabis, all available exclusively at Trulieve in Florida. Over 50,000 valid petition signatures have been collected to place an adult-use legalization measure on the 2024 ballot in Florida. The initiative, “ Adult Personal Use of Marijuana ,” sponsored by political committee Smart & State Florida, would allow adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or consume adult-use cannabis. The measure would also allow “Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers and other state licensed entities to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute such products and accessories,” according to the proposal text. The initiative has received 53,702 valid signatures , but to qualify for the 2024 ballot, Smart & State Florida must submit 837,887 additional signatures and receive approval on the proposal from the Florida Supreme Court. In addition, the signatures for a constitutional amendment in Florida must include 8% of the votes cast in the last presidential election. The state also “has a signature distribution requirement , which requires that signatures equaling at least 8% of the district-wide vote in the last presidential election be collected from at least half (14) of the state’s 27 congressional districts,” according to Ballotpedia . All valid signatures must be submitted by Feb. 1, 2024. TORONTO , Nov. 30, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp. , a North American cannabis operator, announced that its subsidiary, WDB Holding MI Inc., and all subsidiaries of TerrAscend (collectively, the “borrowers”), refinanced the existing senior secured term loan of $55 million previously announced on Nov. 22, 2021 (the \\\"Michigan loan\\\"), pursuant to an amendment. The amendment provides for a senior secured term loan with a principal amount of $25 million, plus incremental term loans of $30 million at the option of TerrAscend and subject to consents from the required lenders for an aggregate amount of $55 million. On Nov. 29, 2022, the borrowers repaid $55 million outstanding principal amount under the original Michigan loan, using $30 million of cash on hand and $25 million through borrowing pursuant to the amendment. Chicago Atlantic Admin LLC serves as administrative agent for the lenders under the Michigan loan and as collateral agent for the secured parties thereto. Pursuant to the amendment, the Michigan loan bears interest on $25 million at a per annum rate equal to the greater of (i) the U.S. \\\"prime rate\\\" plus 6%, and (ii) 13%. The Michigan loan, as amended, matures on Nov. 1, 2024. No prepayment fees are owed if the company voluntarily prepays the loan after 18 months. The additional $30 million incremental term loans available under the amendment have not been drawn at this time. \\\"We appreciate Chicago Atlantic's flexibility in helping structure an optimal outcome for TerrAscend,\\\" TerrAscend Executive Chairman Jason Wild said. \\\"This refinancing exemplifies TerrAscend's focus on reducing expenses, including interest expense, while driving sales growth and continued positive cash flow from operations.\\\" John Mazarakis, partner at Chicago Atlantic, said, \\\"Since the beginning of Chicago Atlantic and TerrAscend's relationship upon the Gage business combination, we have been impressed with TerrAscend management's execution and vision, and we are pleased to continue our relationship with them through this facility.\\\" Rhode Island joined neighboring Massachusetts and beat next-door Connecticut to the punch with the launch of adult-use cannabis sales Thursday morning, officially becoming the 16th state to expand commercial access to those 21 and older. Five existing compassion centers were given approval from the state’s Office of Cannabis Regulation (OCR) to commence adult-use sales Dec. 1 with hybrid retail licenses: Aura of Rhode Island (Central Falls) Thomas C. Slater Center (Providence) Mother Earth Wellness (Pawtucket) Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center (Portsmouth) RISE Warwick (Warwick) Mother Earth was the first to open its doors with a 5 a.m. start in Pawtucket, and Karen Ballou, who owns Cultivating RI , a licensed cultivator, was the dispensary’s first adult-use customer, WPRI reported. “It’s very exciting; it’s been a long time coming,” Ballou told the news outlet about taking part in the first adult-use sale in the state. “It’s been a long six, six and a half years for me to get to this point, for all of us to get to this point, so it was important to be the first sale.” While Rhode Island became the 16th state to launch a commercial adult-use retail program, it was the 19th state to legalize adult-use cannabis in the U.S. when Gov. Dan McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act on May 25, 2022. The legislation allows adults 21 and older to purchase up to 1 ounce of cannabis at a time and keep no more than 10 ounces for personal use at a primary residence. In addition, the legislation legalized the home cultivation of up to six plants (three mature). The roughly six-month turnaround from legalization to sales represents one of the fastest adult-use rollouts in the nation. Arizona, which legalized adult-use cannabis in the November 2020 election , launched sales less than three months later (Jan. 22, 2021). “This milestone is the result of a carefully executed process to ensure that our state’s entry into this emerging market was done in a safe, controlled and equitable manner,” McKee said in a Nov. 22 announcement confirming the Dec. 1 launch date for Rhode Island. One of the keys to rolling out an adult-use cannabis program is ensuring there’s adequate supply to meet demand, notably to safeguard access for medical cannabis patients. States with more established medical programs are usually better equipped to meet supply standards for an expanded market more quickly. Rhode Island’s existing cannabis supply chain includes nearly 70 licensed cultivators, processors and manufactures to serve the medical and adult-use marketplaces. Adult-use program rollouts also depend upon properly staffed regulatory bodies. Matt Santacroce, the interim deputy director of the state’s Department of Business Regulation, which the OCR operates under, told NBC 10 News that the state’s oversight arm for the cannabis industry has the resources it needs. “Absolutely we do,” he said, adding that his department recently hired four new staffers and plans to hire roughly a dozen more to triple the state’s cannabis inspection ability. Under the Rhode Island Cannabis Act, existing medical operators can transition to the new marketplace with hybrid licenses, while another 24 adult-use retail licenses will be distributed equally among six geographic zones in the state. One retail license in each zone will be reserved for a social equity applicant and another in each zone for a workers’ cooperative applicant. But those new operators must be approved by a state cannabis commission, which has not been set up yet. McKee has the power to nominate the commissioners. In the interim, Santacroce offered some wisdom for those seeking to enter the space: It’s not a get-rich-fast industry. “To the extent that people think that, or used to think that this is like a gold mine that just has to be tapped and everybody is going to get rich immediately, you know, it’s a hard industry,” he told NBC 10 News. While operators in more mature markets—like California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington—are struggling amidst price compression and unsustainable taxes, including a 37% excise tax in Washington, Rhode Island’s adult-use cannabis tax structure includes the state’s standard 7% sales and use tax, as well as a new 10% state cannabis excise tax and a 3% local cannabis excise tax, according to state’s Department of Revenue . The state and local cannabis excise taxes do not apply to the sale of cannabis products by a treatment center to qualifying medical cannabis patients. The Department of Revenue anticipates roughly $10 million in tax revenue to be generated from adult-use cannabis sales in the first full year of Rhode Island’s program.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"ayr's three new jersey dispensaries are in prime locations in Woodbridge, Union, and Eatontown, all within Central new jersey, a region of 3.4 million people. the transition to the AYR name marks a significant milestone for the company in its journey to bring its retail vision to life across its national footprint. BDSA expects new jersey to be the third largest contributor to overall U.S. sales growth by 2026.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"MIAMI\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"New Jersey\",\n \"Woodbridge\",\n \"Eatontown\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"TALLAHASSEE\",\n \"Hobe Sound\",\n \"Bhang\",\n \"Miami Mango\",\n \"Sunshine Cannabis\",\n \"Ballotpedia\",\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Rhode Island\",\n \"Connecticut\",\n \"Pawtucket\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Garden State Dispensary\",\n \"AYR\",\n \"BDSA\",\n \"Trulieve\",\n \"Alchemy\",\n \"Cultivar Collection\",\n \"Modern Flower\",\n \"Momenta, Muse, Roll One\",\n \"Bellamy Brothers\",\n \"Smart & State Florida\",\n \"the Florida Supreme Court\",\n \"TerrAscend Corp.\",\n \"WDB Holding MI Inc.\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic Admin\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic's\",\n \"TerrAscend Executive\",\n \"TerrAscend\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic\",\n \"Gage\",\n \"Office of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"Cultivating RI\",\n \"WPRI\",\n \"Department of Business Regulation\",\n \"OCR\",\n \"NBC 10 News\",\n \"Department of Revenue\",\n \"The Department of Revenue\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"David Goubert\",\n \"Kim Rivers\",\n \"Sweet Talk\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"Jason Wild\",\n \"John Mazarakis\",\n \"Thomas C. Slater Center\",\n \"Karen Ballou\",\n \"Dan McKee\",\n \"Matt Santacroce\",\n \"Santacroce\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.77,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9438359141349792\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6ca7e49a970334120926\",\n \"title\": \"Trulieve Opening Medical Cannabis Dispensary in Hobe Sound, Florida\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/trulieve-opens-new-medical-cannabis-dispensary-florida\",\n \"description\": \"All first-time guests are eligible for a 50% new customer discount at any Florida-based Trulieve location.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-02T14:41:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 2, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Trulieve Cannabis Corp. announced the opening of a new medical dispensary in Hobe Sound, Fla. Located at 10835 SE Federal Hwy., the doors opened at 9 a.m. Dec. 2, with ongoing hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Grand opening festivities at the new dispensary will include numerous partner giveaways, music, food trucks, deals and specials, and all registered patients will receive a 25% discount. Trulieve also offers statewide home delivery, convenient online ordering and in-store pickup. As always, all first-time guests are eligible for a 50% new customer discount at any Florida-based location. \\\"Trulieve is thrilled to open a new dispensary in Hobe Sound and continue expanding access to medical marijuana for Florida's patient population,\\\" said Trulieve's Chief Executive Officer Kim Rivers. \\\"The company is driven by a commitment being active in the communities we serve and providing tailored, high-quality care and exceptional customer experiences.\\\" Trulieve patients across Florida can choose from a large selection of THC and CBD products available in a variety of consumption methods, including smokable flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules, syringes, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more. Designed to meet every patient's needs, Trulieves portfolio of in-house brands includes Alchemy, Co2lors, Cultivar Collection, Modern Flower, Momenta, Muse, Roll One and Sweet Talk. Patients can also access beloved brands such as Bellamy Brothers, Bhang, Binske, Blue River, Black Tuna, DeLisioso, Khalifa Kush, Love's Oven, Miami Mango, O.pen and Sunshine Cannabis, all available exclusively at Trulieve in Florida. Over 50,000 valid petition signatures have been collected to place an adult-use legalization measure on the 2024 ballot in Florida. The initiative, “ Adult Personal Use of Marijuana ,” sponsored by political committee Smart & State Florida, would allow adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or consume adult-use cannabis. The measure would also allow “Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers and other state licensed entities to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute such products and accessories,” according to the proposal text. The initiative has received 53,702 valid signatures , but to qualify for the 2024 ballot, Smart & State Florida must submit 837,887 additional signatures and receive approval on the proposal from the Florida Supreme Court. In addition, the signatures for a constitutional amendment in Florida must include 8% of the votes cast in the last presidential election. The state also “has a signature distribution requirement , which requires that signatures equaling at least 8% of the district-wide vote in the last presidential election be collected from at least half (14) of the state’s 27 congressional districts,” according to Ballotpedia . All valid signatures must be submitted by Feb. 1, 2024. TORONTO , Nov. 30, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp. , a North American cannabis operator, announced that its subsidiary, WDB Holding MI Inc., and all subsidiaries of TerrAscend (collectively, the “borrowers”), refinanced the existing senior secured term loan of $55 million previously announced on Nov. 22, 2021 (the \\\"Michigan loan\\\"), pursuant to an amendment. The amendment provides for a senior secured term loan with a principal amount of $25 million, plus incremental term loans of $30 million at the option of TerrAscend and subject to consents from the required lenders for an aggregate amount of $55 million. On Nov. 29, 2022, the borrowers repaid $55 million outstanding principal amount under the original Michigan loan, using $30 million of cash on hand and $25 million through borrowing pursuant to the amendment. Chicago Atlantic Admin LLC serves as administrative agent for the lenders under the Michigan loan and as collateral agent for the secured parties thereto. Pursuant to the amendment, the Michigan loan bears interest on $25 million at a per annum rate equal to the greater of (i) the U.S. \\\"prime rate\\\" plus 6%, and (ii) 13%. The Michigan loan, as amended, matures on Nov. 1, 2024. No prepayment fees are owed if the company voluntarily prepays the loan after 18 months. The additional $30 million incremental term loans available under the amendment have not been drawn at this time. \\\"We appreciate Chicago Atlantic's flexibility in helping structure an optimal outcome for TerrAscend,\\\" TerrAscend Executive Chairman Jason Wild said. \\\"This refinancing exemplifies TerrAscend's focus on reducing expenses, including interest expense, while driving sales growth and continued positive cash flow from operations.\\\" John Mazarakis, partner at Chicago Atlantic, said, \\\"Since the beginning of Chicago Atlantic and TerrAscend's relationship upon the Gage business combination, we have been impressed with TerrAscend management's execution and vision, and we are pleased to continue our relationship with them through this facility.\\\" The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) issued a letter to the industry Nov. 30 to say that regulators will cease enforcement of residency requirements for the state’s cannabis dispensaries and caregivers. The move follows an August court ruling that the state’s residency requirement for cannabis business owners is unconstitutional. RELATED: US Circuit Court Ruling Demonstrates Cannabis Businesses’ Constitutional Rights, Attorney Says A First Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 Aug. 17 to uphold a Maine federal judge’s August 2021 decision that overturned the residency requirement. The state then appealed the ruling . In light of the decision from the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the OCP issued its letter to industry stakeholders to say that regulators will no longer enforce the residency requirements, which mandated that medical cannabis business owners must be state residents. “The residency requirements for dispensaries stem from a long-standing requirement of the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act that all officers or directors of a dispensary must be residents of the State of Maine,” regulators stated in the letter. “In response to a lawsuit challenging this requirement, the court held it unconstitutional and has ordered OCP and the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS) to stop enforcing the provision. OCP has and will continue to abide by the Court’s decision.” OCP officials noted in the letter that while the lawsuit specifically challenged the residency requirement as it related to medical cannabis dispensaries, similar residency requirements are applied to registered medical cannabis caregivers in Maine, and after reviewing the court’s decision, regulators have found that the ruling also affects the rules that govern caregivers. “Maine has a well-established and successful medical cannabis program that has supported the needs of its patients for many years—removal of the residency requirements will not diminish the program’s ability to continue providing medical cannabis to qualifying patients,” OCP officials concluded. Rhode Island joined neighboring Massachusetts and beat next-door Connecticut to the punch with the launch of adult-use cannabis sales Thursday morning, officially becoming the 16th state to expand commercial access to those 21 and older. Five existing compassion centers were given approval from the state’s Office of Cannabis Regulation (OCR) to commence adult-use sales Dec. 1 with hybrid retail licenses: Aura of Rhode Island (Central Falls) Thomas C. Slater Center (Providence) Mother Earth Wellness (Pawtucket) Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center (Portsmouth) RISE Warwick (Warwick) Mother Earth was the first to open its doors with a 5 a.m. start in Pawtucket, and Karen Ballou, who owns Cultivating RI , a licensed cultivator, was the dispensary’s first adult-use customer, WPRI reported. “It’s very exciting; it’s been a long time coming,” Ballou told the news outlet about taking part in the first adult-use sale in the state. “It’s been a long six, six and a half years for me to get to this point, for all of us to get to this point, so it was important to be the first sale.” While Rhode Island became the 16th state to launch a commercial adult-use retail program, it was the 19th state to legalize adult-use cannabis in the U.S. when Gov. Dan McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act on May 25, 2022. The legislation allows adults 21 and older to purchase up to 1 ounce of cannabis at a time and keep no more than 10 ounces for personal use at a primary residence. In addition, the legislation legalized the home cultivation of up to six plants (three mature). The roughly six-month turnaround from legalization to sales represents one of the fastest adult-use rollouts in the nation. Arizona, which legalized adult-use cannabis in the November 2020 election , launched sales less than three months later (Jan. 22, 2021). “This milestone is the result of a carefully executed process to ensure that our state’s entry into this emerging market was done in a safe, controlled and equitable manner,” McKee said in a Nov. 22 announcement confirming the Dec. 1 launch date for Rhode Island. One of the keys to rolling out an adult-use cannabis program is ensuring there’s adequate supply to meet demand, notably to safeguard access for medical cannabis patients. States with more established medical programs are usually better equipped to meet supply standards for an expanded market more quickly. Rhode Island’s existing cannabis supply chain includes nearly 70 licensed cultivators, processors and manufactures to serve the medical and adult-use marketplaces. Adult-use program rollouts also depend upon properly staffed regulatory bodies. Matt Santacroce, the interim deputy director of the state’s Department of Business Regulation, which the OCR operates under, told NBC 10 News that the state’s oversight arm for the cannabis industry has the resources it needs. “Absolutely we do,” he said, adding that his department recently hired four new staffers and plans to hire roughly a dozen more to triple the state’s cannabis inspection ability. Under the Rhode Island Cannabis Act, existing medical operators can transition to the new marketplace with hybrid licenses, while another 24 adult-use retail licenses will be distributed equally among six geographic zones in the state. One retail license in each zone will be reserved for a social equity applicant and another in each zone for a workers’ cooperative applicant. But those new operators must be approved by a state cannabis commission, which has not been set up yet. McKee has the power to nominate the commissioners. In the interim, Santacroce offered some wisdom for those seeking to enter the space: It’s not a get-rich-fast industry. “To the extent that people think that, or used to think that this is like a gold mine that just has to be tapped and everybody is going to get rich immediately, you know, it’s a hard industry,” he told NBC 10 News. While operators in more mature markets—like California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington—are struggling amidst price compression and unsustainable taxes, including a 37% excise tax in Washington, Rhode Island’s adult-use cannabis tax structure includes the state’s standard 7% sales and use tax, as well as a new 10% state cannabis excise tax and a 3% local cannabis excise tax, according to state’s Department of Revenue . The state and local cannabis excise taxes do not apply to the sale of cannabis products by a treatment center to qualifying medical cannabis patients. The Department of Revenue anticipates roughly $10 million in tax revenue to be generated from adult-use cannabis sales in the first full year of Rhode Island’s program.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"new medical marijuana dispensary opens in florida. patients can choose from a large selection of THC and CBD products. 50,000 valid petition signatures have been collected to place an adult-use legalization measure on the 2024 ballot.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"TALLAHASSEE\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Hobe Sound\",\n \"Bhang\",\n \"Miami Mango\",\n \"Sunshine Cannabis\",\n \"Ballotpedia\",\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Maine\",\n \"Rhode Island\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Connecticut\",\n \"Pawtucket\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Trulieve\",\n \"Alchemy\",\n \"Cultivar Collection\",\n \"Modern Flower\",\n \"Momenta, Muse, Roll One\",\n \"Bellamy Brothers\",\n \"Smart & State Florida\",\n \"the Florida Supreme Court\",\n \"TerrAscend Corp.\",\n \"WDB Holding MI Inc.\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic Admin\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic's\",\n \"TerrAscend Executive\",\n \"TerrAscend\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic\",\n \"Gage\",\n \"The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy\",\n \"US Circuit Court Ruling Demonstrates Cannabis\",\n \"A First Circuit Court of Appeals\",\n \"the Court of Appeals\",\n \"the First Circuit\",\n \"OCP\",\n \"the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act\",\n \"the State of Maine\",\n \"the Department of Administrative and Financial Services\",\n \"Court\",\n \"Office of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"Cultivating RI\",\n \"WPRI\",\n \"Department of Business Regulation\",\n \"OCR\",\n \"NBC 10 News\",\n \"Department of Revenue\",\n \"The Department of Revenue\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Kim Rivers\",\n \"Sweet Talk\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"Jason Wild\",\n \"John Mazarakis\",\n \"Thomas C. Slater Center\",\n \"Karen Ballou\",\n \"Dan McKee\",\n \"Matt Santacroce\",\n \"Santacroce\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.73,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8824585676193237\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cbce49a970334120933\",\n \"title\": \"Trulieve Opening Medical Cannabis Dispensary in Hobe Sound, Florida\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/trulieve-opens-new-medical-cannabis-dispensary-florida.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"All first-time guests are eligible for a 50% new customer discount at any Florida-based Trulieve location.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-02T14:41:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 2, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Trulieve Cannabis Corp. announced the opening of a new medical dispensary in Hobe Sound, Fla. Located at 10835 SE Federal Hwy., the doors opened at 9 a.m. Dec. 2, with ongoing hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Grand opening festivities at the new dispensary will include numerous partner giveaways, music, food trucks, deals and specials, and all registered patients will receive a 25% discount. Trulieve also offers statewide home delivery, convenient online ordering and in-store pickup. As always, all first-time guests are eligible for a 50% new customer discount at any Florida-based location. \\\"Trulieve is thrilled to open a new dispensary in Hobe Sound and continue expanding access to medical marijuana for Florida's patient population,\\\" said Trulieve's Chief Executive Officer Kim Rivers. \\\"The company is driven by a commitment being active in the communities we serve and providing tailored, high-quality care and exceptional customer experiences.\\\" Trulieve patients across Florida can choose from a large selection of THC and CBD products available in a variety of consumption methods, including smokable flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules, syringes, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more. Designed to meet every patient's needs, Trulieves portfolio of in-house brands includes Alchemy, Co2lors, Cultivar Collection, Modern Flower, Momenta, Muse, Roll One and Sweet Talk. Patients can also access beloved brands such as Bellamy Brothers, Bhang, Binske, Blue River, Black Tuna, DeLisioso, Khalifa Kush, Love's Oven, Miami Mango, O.pen and Sunshine Cannabis, all available exclusively at Trulieve in Florida. Over 50,000 valid petition signatures have been collected to place an adult-use legalization measure on the 2024 ballot in Florida. The initiative, “ Adult Personal Use of Marijuana ,” sponsored by political committee Smart & State Florida, would allow adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or consume adult-use cannabis. The measure would also allow “Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers and other state licensed entities to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute such products and accessories,” according to the proposal text. The initiative has received 53,702 valid signatures , but to qualify for the 2024 ballot, Smart & State Florida must submit 837,887 additional signatures and receive approval on the proposal from the Florida Supreme Court. In addition, the signatures for a constitutional amendment in Florida must include 8% of the votes cast in the last presidential election. The state also “has a signature distribution requirement , which requires that signatures equaling at least 8% of the district-wide vote in the last presidential election be collected from at least half (14) of the state’s 27 congressional districts,” according to Ballotpedia . All valid signatures must be submitted by Feb. 1, 2024. TORONTO , Nov. 30, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp. , a North American cannabis operator, announced that its subsidiary, WDB Holding MI Inc., and all subsidiaries of TerrAscend (collectively, the “borrowers”), refinanced the existing senior secured term loan of $55 million previously announced on Nov. 22, 2021 (the \\\"Michigan loan\\\"), pursuant to an amendment. The amendment provides for a senior secured term loan with a principal amount of $25 million, plus incremental term loans of $30 million at the option of TerrAscend and subject to consents from the required lenders for an aggregate amount of $55 million. On Nov. 29, 2022, the borrowers repaid $55 million outstanding principal amount under the original Michigan loan, using $30 million of cash on hand and $25 million through borrowing pursuant to the amendment. Chicago Atlantic Admin LLC serves as administrative agent for the lenders under the Michigan loan and as collateral agent for the secured parties thereto. Pursuant to the amendment, the Michigan loan bears interest on $25 million at a per annum rate equal to the greater of (i) the U.S. \\\"prime rate\\\" plus 6%, and (ii) 13%. The Michigan loan, as amended, matures on Nov. 1, 2024. No prepayment fees are owed if the company voluntarily prepays the loan after 18 months. The additional $30 million incremental term loans available under the amendment have not been drawn at this time. \\\"We appreciate Chicago Atlantic's flexibility in helping structure an optimal outcome for TerrAscend,\\\" TerrAscend Executive Chairman Jason Wild said. \\\"This refinancing exemplifies TerrAscend's focus on reducing expenses, including interest expense, while driving sales growth and continued positive cash flow from operations.\\\" John Mazarakis, partner at Chicago Atlantic, said, \\\"Since the beginning of Chicago Atlantic and TerrAscend's relationship upon the Gage business combination, we have been impressed with TerrAscend management's execution and vision, and we are pleased to continue our relationship with them through this facility.\\\" The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) issued a letter to the industry Nov. 30 to say that regulators will cease enforcement of residency requirements for the state’s cannabis dispensaries and caregivers. The move follows an August court ruling that the state’s residency requirement for cannabis business owners is unconstitutional. RELATED: US Circuit Court Ruling Demonstrates Cannabis Businesses’ Constitutional Rights, Attorney Says A First Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 Aug. 17 to uphold a Maine federal judge’s August 2021 decision that overturned the residency requirement. The state then appealed the ruling . In light of the decision from the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the OCP issued its letter to industry stakeholders to say that regulators will no longer enforce the residency requirements, which mandated that medical cannabis business owners must be state residents. “The residency requirements for dispensaries stem from a long-standing requirement of the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act that all officers or directors of a dispensary must be residents of the State of Maine,” regulators stated in the letter. “In response to a lawsuit challenging this requirement, the court held it unconstitutional and has ordered OCP and the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS) to stop enforcing the provision. OCP has and will continue to abide by the Court’s decision.” OCP officials noted in the letter that while the lawsuit specifically challenged the residency requirement as it related to medical cannabis dispensaries, similar residency requirements are applied to registered medical cannabis caregivers in Maine, and after reviewing the court’s decision, regulators have found that the ruling also affects the rules that govern caregivers. “Maine has a well-established and successful medical cannabis program that has supported the needs of its patients for many years—removal of the residency requirements will not diminish the program’s ability to continue providing medical cannabis to qualifying patients,” OCP officials concluded. Rhode Island joined neighboring Massachusetts and beat next-door Connecticut to the punch with the launch of adult-use cannabis sales Thursday morning, officially becoming the 16th state to expand commercial access to those 21 and older. Five existing compassion centers were given approval from the state’s Office of Cannabis Regulation (OCR) to commence adult-use sales Dec. 1 with hybrid retail licenses: Aura of Rhode Island (Central Falls) Thomas C. Slater Center (Providence) Mother Earth Wellness (Pawtucket) Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center (Portsmouth) RISE Warwick (Warwick) Mother Earth was the first to open its doors with a 5 a.m. start in Pawtucket, and Karen Ballou, who owns Cultivating RI , a licensed cultivator, was the dispensary’s first adult-use customer, WPRI reported. “It’s very exciting; it’s been a long time coming,” Ballou told the news outlet about taking part in the first adult-use sale in the state. “It’s been a long six, six and a half years for me to get to this point, for all of us to get to this point, so it was important to be the first sale.” While Rhode Island became the 16th state to launch a commercial adult-use retail program, it was the 19th state to legalize adult-use cannabis in the U.S. when Gov. Dan McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act on May 25, 2022. The legislation allows adults 21 and older to purchase up to 1 ounce of cannabis at a time and keep no more than 10 ounces for personal use at a primary residence. In addition, the legislation legalized the home cultivation of up to six plants (three mature). The roughly six-month turnaround from legalization to sales represents one of the fastest adult-use rollouts in the nation. Arizona, which legalized adult-use cannabis in the November 2020 election , launched sales less than three months later (Jan. 22, 2021). “This milestone is the result of a carefully executed process to ensure that our state’s entry into this emerging market was done in a safe, controlled and equitable manner,” McKee said in a Nov. 22 announcement confirming the Dec. 1 launch date for Rhode Island. One of the keys to rolling out an adult-use cannabis program is ensuring there’s adequate supply to meet demand, notably to safeguard access for medical cannabis patients. States with more established medical programs are usually better equipped to meet supply standards for an expanded market more quickly. Rhode Island’s existing cannabis supply chain includes nearly 70 licensed cultivators, processors and manufactures to serve the medical and adult-use marketplaces. Adult-use program rollouts also depend upon properly staffed regulatory bodies. Matt Santacroce, the interim deputy director of the state’s Department of Business Regulation, which the OCR operates under, told NBC 10 News that the state’s oversight arm for the cannabis industry has the resources it needs. “Absolutely we do,” he said, adding that his department recently hired four new staffers and plans to hire roughly a dozen more to triple the state’s cannabis inspection ability. Under the Rhode Island Cannabis Act, existing medical operators can transition to the new marketplace with hybrid licenses, while another 24 adult-use retail licenses will be distributed equally among six geographic zones in the state. One retail license in each zone will be reserved for a social equity applicant and another in each zone for a workers’ cooperative applicant. But those new operators must be approved by a state cannabis commission, which has not been set up yet. McKee has the power to nominate the commissioners. In the interim, Santacroce offered some wisdom for those seeking to enter the space: It’s not a get-rich-fast industry. “To the extent that people think that, or used to think that this is like a gold mine that just has to be tapped and everybody is going to get rich immediately, you know, it’s a hard industry,” he told NBC 10 News. While operators in more mature markets—like California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington—are struggling amidst price compression and unsustainable taxes, including a 37% excise tax in Washington, Rhode Island’s adult-use cannabis tax structure includes the state’s standard 7% sales and use tax, as well as a new 10% state cannabis excise tax and a 3% local cannabis excise tax, according to state’s Department of Revenue . The state and local cannabis excise taxes do not apply to the sale of cannabis products by a treatment center to qualifying medical cannabis patients. The Department of Revenue anticipates roughly $10 million in tax revenue to be generated from adult-use cannabis sales in the first full year of Rhode Island’s program.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"new medical marijuana dispensary opens in florida. patients can choose from a large selection of THC and CBD products. 50,000 valid petition signatures have been collected to place an adult-use legalization measure on the 2024 ballot.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"TALLAHASSEE\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Hobe Sound\",\n \"Bhang\",\n \"Miami Mango\",\n \"Sunshine Cannabis\",\n \"Ballotpedia\",\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Maine\",\n \"Rhode Island\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Connecticut\",\n \"Pawtucket\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Trulieve\",\n \"Alchemy\",\n \"Cultivar Collection\",\n \"Modern Flower\",\n \"Momenta, Muse, Roll One\",\n \"Bellamy Brothers\",\n \"Smart & State Florida\",\n \"the Florida Supreme Court\",\n \"TerrAscend Corp.\",\n \"WDB Holding MI Inc.\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic Admin\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic's\",\n \"TerrAscend Executive\",\n \"TerrAscend\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic\",\n \"Gage\",\n \"The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy\",\n \"US Circuit Court Ruling Demonstrates Cannabis\",\n \"A First Circuit Court of Appeals\",\n \"the Court of Appeals\",\n \"the First Circuit\",\n \"OCP\",\n \"the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act\",\n \"the State of Maine\",\n \"the Department of Administrative and Financial Services\",\n \"Court\",\n \"Office of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"Cultivating RI\",\n \"WPRI\",\n \"Department of Business Regulation\",\n \"OCR\",\n \"NBC 10 News\",\n \"Department of Revenue\",\n \"The Department of Revenue\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Kim Rivers\",\n \"Sweet Talk\",\n \"Khalifa Kush\",\n \"Jason Wild\",\n \"John Mazarakis\",\n \"Thomas C. Slater Center\",\n \"Karen Ballou\",\n \"Dan McKee\",\n \"Matt Santacroce\",\n \"Santacroce\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.73,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8824585676193237\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cb5e49a97033412092f\",\n \"title\": \"TerrAscend Reduces Outstanding Debt by US$30 Million\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/terrascend-outstanding-debt-reduction-30-million.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The company elected to pay down $30 million of its maturing $55 million senior secured Michigan loan, refinancing the remaining $25 million.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-01T16:55:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"TORONTO , Nov. 30, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp. , a North American cannabis operator, announced that its subsidiary, WDB Holding MI Inc., and all subsidiaries of TerrAscend (collectively, the “borrowers”), refinanced the existing senior secured term loan of $55 million previously announced on Nov. 22, 2021 (the \\\"Michigan loan\\\"), pursuant to an amendment. The amendment provides for a senior secured term loan with a principal amount of $25 million, plus incremental term loans of $30 million at the option of TerrAscend and subject to consents from the required lenders for an aggregate amount of $55 million. On Nov. 29, 2022, the borrowers repaid $55 million outstanding principal amount under the original Michigan loan, using $30 million of cash on hand and $25 million through borrowing pursuant to the amendment. Chicago Atlantic Admin LLC serves as administrative agent for the lenders under the Michigan loan and as collateral agent for the secured parties thereto. Pursuant to the amendment, the Michigan loan bears interest on $25 million at a per annum rate equal to the greater of (i) the U.S. \\\"prime rate\\\" plus 6%, and (ii) 13%. The Michigan loan, as amended, matures on Nov. 1, 2024. No prepayment fees are owed if the company voluntarily prepays the loan after 18 months. The additional $30 million incremental term loans available under the amendment have not been drawn at this time. \\\"We appreciate Chicago Atlantic's flexibility in helping structure an optimal outcome for TerrAscend,\\\" TerrAscend Executive Chairman Jason Wild said. \\\"This refinancing exemplifies TerrAscend's focus on reducing expenses, including interest expense, while driving sales growth and continued positive cash flow from operations.\\\" John Mazarakis, partner at Chicago Atlantic, said, \\\"Since the beginning of Chicago Atlantic and TerrAscend's relationship upon the Gage business combination, we have been impressed with TerrAscend management's execution and vision, and we are pleased to continue our relationship with them through this facility.\\\" The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) issued a letter to the industry Nov. 30 to say that regulators will cease enforcement of residency requirements for the state’s cannabis dispensaries and caregivers. The move follows an August court ruling that the state’s residency requirement for cannabis business owners is unconstitutional. RELATED: US Circuit Court Ruling Demonstrates Cannabis Businesses’ Constitutional Rights, Attorney Says A First Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 Aug. 17 to uphold a Maine federal judge’s August 2021 decision that overturned the residency requirement. The state then appealed the ruling . In light of the decision from the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the OCP issued its letter to industry stakeholders to say that regulators will no longer enforce the residency requirements, which mandated that medical cannabis business owners must be state residents. “The residency requirements for dispensaries stem from a long-standing requirement of the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act that all officers or directors of a dispensary must be residents of the State of Maine,” regulators stated in the letter. “In response to a lawsuit challenging this requirement, the court held it unconstitutional and has ordered OCP and the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS) to stop enforcing the provision. OCP has and will continue to abide by the Court’s decision.” OCP officials noted in the letter that while the lawsuit specifically challenged the residency requirement as it related to medical cannabis dispensaries, similar residency requirements are applied to registered medical cannabis caregivers in Maine, and after reviewing the court’s decision, regulators have found that the ruling also affects the rules that govern caregivers. “Maine has a well-established and successful medical cannabis program that has supported the needs of its patients for many years—removal of the residency requirements will not diminish the program’s ability to continue providing medical cannabis to qualifying patients,” OCP officials concluded. Rhode Island joined neighboring Massachusetts and beat next-door Connecticut to the punch with the launch of adult-use cannabis sales Thursday morning, officially becoming the 16th state to expand commercial access to those 21 and older. Five existing compassion centers were given approval from the state’s Office of Cannabis Regulation (OCR) to commence adult-use sales Dec. 1 with hybrid retail licenses: Aura of Rhode Island (Central Falls) Thomas C. Slater Center (Providence) Mother Earth Wellness (Pawtucket) Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center (Portsmouth) RISE Warwick (Warwick) Mother Earth was the first to open its doors with a 5 a.m. start in Pawtucket, and Karen Ballou, who owns Cultivating RI , a licensed cultivator, was the dispensary’s first adult-use customer, WPRI reported. “It’s very exciting; it’s been a long time coming,” Ballou told the news outlet about taking part in the first adult-use sale in the state. “It’s been a long six, six and a half years for me to get to this point, for all of us to get to this point, so it was important to be the first sale.” While Rhode Island became the 16th state to launch a commercial adult-use retail program, it was the 19th state to legalize adult-use cannabis in the U.S. when Gov. Dan McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act on May 25, 2022. The legislation allows adults 21 and older to purchase up to 1 ounce of cannabis at a time and keep no more than 10 ounces for personal use at a primary residence. In addition, the legislation legalized the home cultivation of up to six plants (three mature). The roughly six-month turnaround from legalization to sales represents one of the fastest adult-use rollouts in the nation. Arizona, which legalized adult-use cannabis in the November 2020 election , launched sales less than three months later (Jan. 22, 2021). “This milestone is the result of a carefully executed process to ensure that our state’s entry into this emerging market was done in a safe, controlled and equitable manner,” McKee said in a Nov. 22 announcement confirming the Dec. 1 launch date for Rhode Island. One of the keys to rolling out an adult-use cannabis program is ensuring there’s adequate supply to meet demand, notably to safeguard access for medical cannabis patients. States with more established medical programs are usually better equipped to meet supply standards for an expanded market more quickly. Rhode Island’s existing cannabis supply chain includes nearly 70 licensed cultivators, processors and manufactures to serve the medical and adult-use marketplaces. Adult-use program rollouts also depend upon properly staffed regulatory bodies. Matt Santacroce, the interim deputy director of the state’s Department of Business Regulation, which the OCR operates under, told NBC 10 News that the state’s oversight arm for the cannabis industry has the resources it needs. “Absolutely we do,” he said, adding that his department recently hired four new staffers and plans to hire roughly a dozen more to triple the state’s cannabis inspection ability. Under the Rhode Island Cannabis Act, existing medical operators can transition to the new marketplace with hybrid licenses, while another 24 adult-use retail licenses will be distributed equally among six geographic zones in the state. One retail license in each zone will be reserved for a social equity applicant and another in each zone for a workers’ cooperative applicant. But those new operators must be approved by a state cannabis commission, which has not been set up yet. McKee has the power to nominate the commissioners. In the interim, Santacroce offered some wisdom for those seeking to enter the space: It’s not a get-rich-fast industry. “To the extent that people think that, or used to think that this is like a gold mine that just has to be tapped and everybody is going to get rich immediately, you know, it’s a hard industry,” he told NBC 10 News. While operators in more mature markets—like California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington—are struggling amidst price compression and unsustainable taxes, including a 37% excise tax in Washington, Rhode Island’s adult-use cannabis tax structure includes the state’s standard 7% sales and use tax, as well as a new 10% state cannabis excise tax and a 3% local cannabis excise tax, according to state’s Department of Revenue . The state and local cannabis excise taxes do not apply to the sale of cannabis products by a treatment center to qualifying medical cannabis patients. The Department of Revenue anticipates roughly $10 million in tax revenue to be generated from adult-use cannabis sales in the first full year of Rhode Island’s program. (LOS ANGELES, CA; November 15, 2022) -- Grenco Science, ( G Pen ), the leader in advanced cannabis vaporization technology, today announces the release of the G Pen Hyer®, a portable and intuitively designed e-nail engineered to deliver best-in-class flavor and vapor production for serious enthusiasts and novices, alike. The G Pen Hyer launched November 15 in stores nationwide and online at gpen.com. On the heels of the acquisition of Vapium, the G Pen Hyer pays homage to Hyer’s cutting edge performance with the introduction of the most advanced e-nail hybrid on the market. Engineered to maximize flavor profiles, the G Pen Hyer features smart heating technology with constant temperature output allowing for a consistent and efficient experience with every session. The G Pen Hyer houses a powerful heating element in a lightweight anodized aluminum casing for concentrate or dry herb consumption that can pair with any glass-on-glass water piece. “We are thrilled on the first launch of G Pen Hyer under the acquisition of Vapium. Combining Hyer’s advanced engineering with the premiere design of Grenco Science allows us to continue bringing best in class products to market while maintaining the integrity and foundation of both brands,\\\" says Chris Folkerts, CEO of Grenco Science. Every detail is designed for ease of use and consumer safety in mind. It comes pre-programmed with five heat settings for quick temperature control and automatically shuts off when timed. In a matter of seconds, the G Pen Hyer heats up to a wide range of temperatures between 482°F/250°C and 842°F/450°C. A simple three button operation paired with an LED interface offers fast activation using the 6,000mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery with rapid, pass-through charging via USB-C. A magnetic cap with a built-in ceramic liner and dual airflow holes offers easy access to the concentrates tank, which features a full quartz chamber and airpath with an internal up-stem. The large capacity tank provides maximum surface area for heating, ef?cient air?ow, and optimal vaporization of all types of concentrate materials. The G Pen Hyer comes in a convenient hemp travel case along with a 14mm male glass adapter to attach to any water piece in your arsenal (10 and 18mm glass adapters sold separately). Features: - 6,000mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery - 3-button operation with LED interface - Rapid, pass-through charging via USB-C - Braided power cable with snap-in magnetic connections - Anodized die-cast aluminum housing - Magnetic carb cap with dual ceramic air?ow intakes - Full quartz chamber with custom-stamped stainless steel heating element - 5 temperature settings between 482°F/250°C to 842°F/450°C - Includes 14mm male glass adapter - Integrated stainless steel wax tool with two placement settings - Hemp travel case with mesh pocket for accessories The G Pen Hyer® retails for $250 and is available to purchase via Sezzle with 4 Interest Free payments. It is available in stores nationwide and online at gpen.com. COLUMBIA, Maryland, Dec. 1, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Remedy cannabis dispensary opened a 10,000 square foot Superstore Dec. 1 located at 8865 Stanford Blvd in Columbia, Md. Remedy's goal is to create a welcoming, open, entertaining, yet informative and comfortable environment. The new larger space will offer unique experiential events for the cannabis community. The open floor plan is designed to deliver a store-within-a-store (SWAS) model allowing patients and future adult-use consumers to explore brands and products in a one-of-a-kind dispensary experience. \\\"We are very excited to have one of the largest retail footprints in the state of Maryland,\\\" said Remedy co-CEO and President, Brandon Barksdale. \\\"Our new superstore will elevate the dispensary experience on all levels with product selection, promotions, industry-leading customer loyalty programs, and much more. Our store-within-a-store concept allows for a deep bench of brand selection, product exclusivity, and the most robust menu in the state. This unique concept will provide patients and recreational consumers alike with access to new products coming to market as part of their normal shopping experience.\\\" Partnerships with significant national, household-name cannabis operators, such as Cookies, Green Thumb Industries, SunMed, Trulieve, Curio Wellness, and Holistic Industries, set Remedy apart from other retailers unlocking billions of dollars of brand power in Maryland. Much like branded beauty counters in traditional department stores, this retail concept will bring the biggest names in cannabis to Maryland. \\\"With adult use on the horizon, this move will ready Remedy to share the dispensary experience comfortably with the broader consumers as they enter the market. Truly, we will have the best prices and best selection in the state. Patients and future guests of Remedy will need to explore and engage with us weekly to keep up,\\\" said Remedy Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Mitch Trellis. \\\"I speak for the entire Remedy family when I say we are excited to offer this retail experience to the Maryland market and look forward to continuing to be the market leader in cannabis retail.\\\" The original Remedy Columbia location at 6656 Dobbin Rd will be moving to Stanford Blvd. This new location will be more convenient and offer more parking.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the Michigan loan, as amended, matures on Nov. 1, 2024. the borrowers repaid $55 million outstanding principal amount under the original loan. no prepayment fees are owed if the company voluntarily prepays the loan after 18 months.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"TORONTO\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Maine\",\n \"Rhode Island\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Connecticut\",\n \"Pawtucket\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"LOS ANGELES\",\n \"Vapium\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"Columbia\",\n \"Md.\",\n \"Remedy Columbia\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"TerrAscend Corp.\",\n \"WDB Holding MI Inc.\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic Admin\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic's\",\n \"TerrAscend Executive\",\n \"TerrAscend\",\n \"Chicago Atlantic\",\n \"Gage\",\n \"The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy\",\n \"US Circuit Court Ruling Demonstrates Cannabis\",\n \"A First Circuit Court of Appeals\",\n \"the Court of Appeals\",\n \"the First Circuit\",\n \"OCP\",\n \"the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act\",\n \"the State of Maine\",\n \"the Department of Administrative and Financial Services\",\n \"Court\",\n \"Office of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"Cultivating RI\",\n \"WPRI\",\n \"Department of Business Regulation\",\n \"OCR\",\n \"NBC 10 News\",\n \"Department of Revenue\",\n \"The Department of Revenue\",\n \"Grenco Science\",\n \"the G Pen Hyer®\",\n \"The G Pen Hyer\",\n \"gpen.com\",\n \"G Pen Hyer\",\n \"6,000mAh\",\n \"Brandon Barksdale\",\n \"Cookies\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries\",\n \"SunMed\",\n \"Trulieve, Curio Wellness\",\n \"Holistic Industries\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Jason Wild\",\n \"John Mazarakis\",\n \"Thomas C. Slater Center\",\n \"Karen Ballou\",\n \"Dan McKee\",\n \"Matt Santacroce\",\n \"Santacroce\",\n \"Chris Folkerts\",\n \"Remedy\",\n \"Remedy Co-Founder\",\n \"Mitch Trellis\",\n \"Dobbin Rd\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.67,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9327912926673889\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cbee49a970334120934\",\n \"title\": \"Maine Regulators to Cease Enforcement of Residency Requirements for Cannabis Dispensaries, Caregivers\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/maine-regulators-to-cease-enforcement-of-residency-requirements-for-cannabis-dispensaries-caregivers.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The move follows an August court ruling that the state’s residency requirement for cannabis business owners is unconstitutional.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-01T16:11:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) issued a letter to the industry Nov. 30 to say that regulators will cease enforcement of residency requirements for the state’s cannabis dispensaries and caregivers. The move follows an August court ruling that the state’s residency requirement for cannabis business owners is unconstitutional. RELATED: US Circuit Court Ruling Demonstrates Cannabis Businesses’ Constitutional Rights, Attorney Says A First Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 Aug. 17 to uphold a Maine federal judge’s August 2021 decision that overturned the residency requirement. The state then appealed the ruling . In light of the decision from the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the OCP issued its letter to industry stakeholders to say that regulators will no longer enforce the residency requirements, which mandated that medical cannabis business owners must be state residents. “The residency requirements for dispensaries stem from a long-standing requirement of the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act that all officers or directors of a dispensary must be residents of the State of Maine,” regulators stated in the letter. “In response to a lawsuit challenging this requirement, the court held it unconstitutional and has ordered OCP and the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS) to stop enforcing the provision. OCP has and will continue to abide by the Court’s decision.” OCP officials noted in the letter that while the lawsuit specifically challenged the residency requirement as it related to medical cannabis dispensaries, similar residency requirements are applied to registered medical cannabis caregivers in Maine, and after reviewing the court’s decision, regulators have found that the ruling also affects the rules that govern caregivers. “Maine has a well-established and successful medical cannabis program that has supported the needs of its patients for many years—removal of the residency requirements will not diminish the program’s ability to continue providing medical cannabis to qualifying patients,” OCP officials concluded. Rhode Island joined neighboring Massachusetts and beat next-door Connecticut to the punch with the launch of adult-use cannabis sales Thursday morning, officially becoming the 16th state to expand commercial access to those 21 and older. Five existing compassion centers were given approval from the state’s Office of Cannabis Regulation (OCR) to commence adult-use sales Dec. 1 with hybrid retail licenses: Aura of Rhode Island (Central Falls) Thomas C. Slater Center (Providence) Mother Earth Wellness (Pawtucket) Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center (Portsmouth) RISE Warwick (Warwick) Mother Earth was the first to open its doors with a 5 a.m. start in Pawtucket, and Karen Ballou, who owns Cultivating RI , a licensed cultivator, was the dispensary’s first adult-use customer, WPRI reported. “It’s very exciting; it’s been a long time coming,” Ballou told the news outlet about taking part in the first adult-use sale in the state. “It’s been a long six, six and a half years for me to get to this point, for all of us to get to this point, so it was important to be the first sale.” While Rhode Island became the 16th state to launch a commercial adult-use retail program, it was the 19th state to legalize adult-use cannabis in the U.S. when Gov. Dan McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act on May 25, 2022. The legislation allows adults 21 and older to purchase up to 1 ounce of cannabis at a time and keep no more than 10 ounces for personal use at a primary residence. In addition, the legislation legalized the home cultivation of up to six plants (three mature). The roughly six-month turnaround from legalization to sales represents one of the fastest adult-use rollouts in the nation. Arizona, which legalized adult-use cannabis in the November 2020 election , launched sales less than three months later (Jan. 22, 2021). “This milestone is the result of a carefully executed process to ensure that our state’s entry into this emerging market was done in a safe, controlled and equitable manner,” McKee said in a Nov. 22 announcement confirming the Dec. 1 launch date for Rhode Island. One of the keys to rolling out an adult-use cannabis program is ensuring there’s adequate supply to meet demand, notably to safeguard access for medical cannabis patients. States with more established medical programs are usually better equipped to meet supply standards for an expanded market more quickly. Rhode Island’s existing cannabis supply chain includes nearly 70 licensed cultivators, processors and manufactures to serve the medical and adult-use marketplaces. Adult-use program rollouts also depend upon properly staffed regulatory bodies. Matt Santacroce, the interim deputy director of the state’s Department of Business Regulation, which the OCR operates under, told NBC 10 News that the state’s oversight arm for the cannabis industry has the resources it needs. “Absolutely we do,” he said, adding that his department recently hired four new staffers and plans to hire roughly a dozen more to triple the state’s cannabis inspection ability. Under the Rhode Island Cannabis Act, existing medical operators can transition to the new marketplace with hybrid licenses, while another 24 adult-use retail licenses will be distributed equally among six geographic zones in the state. One retail license in each zone will be reserved for a social equity applicant and another in each zone for a workers’ cooperative applicant. But those new operators must be approved by a state cannabis commission, which has not been set up yet. McKee has the power to nominate the commissioners. In the interim, Santacroce offered some wisdom for those seeking to enter the space: It’s not a get-rich-fast industry. “To the extent that people think that, or used to think that this is like a gold mine that just has to be tapped and everybody is going to get rich immediately, you know, it’s a hard industry,” he told NBC 10 News. While operators in more mature markets—like California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington—are struggling amidst price compression and unsustainable taxes, including a 37% excise tax in Washington, Rhode Island’s adult-use cannabis tax structure includes the state’s standard 7% sales and use tax, as well as a new 10% state cannabis excise tax and a 3% local cannabis excise tax, according to state’s Department of Revenue . The state and local cannabis excise taxes do not apply to the sale of cannabis products by a treatment center to qualifying medical cannabis patients. The Department of Revenue anticipates roughly $10 million in tax revenue to be generated from adult-use cannabis sales in the first full year of Rhode Island’s program. (LOS ANGELES, CA; November 15, 2022) -- Grenco Science, ( G Pen ), the leader in advanced cannabis vaporization technology, today announces the release of the G Pen Hyer®, a portable and intuitively designed e-nail engineered to deliver best-in-class flavor and vapor production for serious enthusiasts and novices, alike. The G Pen Hyer launched November 15 in stores nationwide and online at gpen.com. On the heels of the acquisition of Vapium, the G Pen Hyer pays homage to Hyer’s cutting edge performance with the introduction of the most advanced e-nail hybrid on the market. Engineered to maximize flavor profiles, the G Pen Hyer features smart heating technology with constant temperature output allowing for a consistent and efficient experience with every session. The G Pen Hyer houses a powerful heating element in a lightweight anodized aluminum casing for concentrate or dry herb consumption that can pair with any glass-on-glass water piece. “We are thrilled on the first launch of G Pen Hyer under the acquisition of Vapium. Combining Hyer’s advanced engineering with the premiere design of Grenco Science allows us to continue bringing best in class products to market while maintaining the integrity and foundation of both brands,\\\" says Chris Folkerts, CEO of Grenco Science. Every detail is designed for ease of use and consumer safety in mind. It comes pre-programmed with five heat settings for quick temperature control and automatically shuts off when timed. In a matter of seconds, the G Pen Hyer heats up to a wide range of temperatures between 482°F/250°C and 842°F/450°C. A simple three button operation paired with an LED interface offers fast activation using the 6,000mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery with rapid, pass-through charging via USB-C. A magnetic cap with a built-in ceramic liner and dual airflow holes offers easy access to the concentrates tank, which features a full quartz chamber and airpath with an internal up-stem. The large capacity tank provides maximum surface area for heating, ef?cient air?ow, and optimal vaporization of all types of concentrate materials. The G Pen Hyer comes in a convenient hemp travel case along with a 14mm male glass adapter to attach to any water piece in your arsenal (10 and 18mm glass adapters sold separately). Features: - 6,000mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery - 3-button operation with LED interface - Rapid, pass-through charging via USB-C - Braided power cable with snap-in magnetic connections - Anodized die-cast aluminum housing - Magnetic carb cap with dual ceramic air?ow intakes - Full quartz chamber with custom-stamped stainless steel heating element - 5 temperature settings between 482°F/250°C to 842°F/450°C - Includes 14mm male glass adapter - Integrated stainless steel wax tool with two placement settings - Hemp travel case with mesh pocket for accessories The G Pen Hyer® retails for $250 and is available to purchase via Sezzle with 4 Interest Free payments. It is available in stores nationwide and online at gpen.com. COLUMBIA, Maryland, Dec. 1, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Remedy cannabis dispensary opened a 10,000 square foot Superstore Dec. 1 located at 8865 Stanford Blvd in Columbia, Md. Remedy's goal is to create a welcoming, open, entertaining, yet informative and comfortable environment. The new larger space will offer unique experiential events for the cannabis community. The open floor plan is designed to deliver a store-within-a-store (SWAS) model allowing patients and future adult-use consumers to explore brands and products in a one-of-a-kind dispensary experience. \\\"We are very excited to have one of the largest retail footprints in the state of Maryland,\\\" said Remedy co-CEO and President, Brandon Barksdale. \\\"Our new superstore will elevate the dispensary experience on all levels with product selection, promotions, industry-leading customer loyalty programs, and much more. Our store-within-a-store concept allows for a deep bench of brand selection, product exclusivity, and the most robust menu in the state. This unique concept will provide patients and recreational consumers alike with access to new products coming to market as part of their normal shopping experience.\\\" Partnerships with significant national, household-name cannabis operators, such as Cookies, Green Thumb Industries, SunMed, Trulieve, Curio Wellness, and Holistic Industries, set Remedy apart from other retailers unlocking billions of dollars of brand power in Maryland. Much like branded beauty counters in traditional department stores, this retail concept will bring the biggest names in cannabis to Maryland. \\\"With adult use on the horizon, this move will ready Remedy to share the dispensary experience comfortably with the broader consumers as they enter the market. Truly, we will have the best prices and best selection in the state. Patients and future guests of Remedy will need to explore and engage with us weekly to keep up,\\\" said Remedy Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Mitch Trellis. \\\"I speak for the entire Remedy family when I say we are excited to offer this retail experience to the Maryland market and look forward to continuing to be the market leader in cannabis retail.\\\" The original Remedy Columbia location at 6656 Dobbin Rd will be moving to Stanford Blvd. This new location will be more convenient and offer more parking. LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 1, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Haven Dispensaries, a rapidly expanding southern California dispensary chain, is opening its new Porterville location Dec. 2. Porterville's cannabis program, which began back in 2019, culminates with the opening of Haven Dispensary, located at 1 W. Morton Ave, on the corner of W. Morton Ave and N. Main St. in Downtown Porterville. Haven is one of California's preeminent cannabis dispensary organizations with a track record of quickly becoming foundational community partners to all the cities in which it operates. Although the Haven shopping experience is world-class, Haven prides itself on giving back to the community year-round. Haven Hearts, the charitable arm of Haven, is dedicated to helping the less fortunate and does amazing work identifying areas of need in the cities where it operates and pooling its resources to become a force for good. From its advocacy efforts, to its charitable donations and frequent volunteerism, Haven Hearts is already looking to make an impact and become a valuable member of the Porterville community. \\\"We are elated to call Porterville home. The community has already been so welcoming. We are chomping at the bit to open our doors and provide the residents of Porterville with safe, quality access and cannabis education that they deserve,\\\" said Johnnie Hernandez, head of retail for Haven Dispensaries. The Porterville store will be Haven's seventh location, with another seven licenses currently in development. Haven stores offer a unique dispensary experience that curates a safe space for all to explore and enjoy the world of cannabis.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/01/MaineFlag-AdobeStock-Credit-CarstenReisinger-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the move follows an august court ruling that the state’s residency requirement for cannabis business owners is unconstitutional. the first circuit court of Appeals ruled 2-1 Aug. 17 to uphold a federal judge’s august 2021 decision that overturned the residency requirement. the state then appealed the ruling.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Maine\",\n \"Rhode Island\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Connecticut\",\n \"Pawtucket\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"LOS ANGELES\",\n \"Vapium\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"Columbia\",\n \"Md.\",\n \"Remedy Columbia\",\n \"Porterville\",\n \"Haven\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy\",\n \"US Circuit Court Ruling Demonstrates Cannabis\",\n \"A First Circuit Court of Appeals\",\n \"the Court of Appeals\",\n \"the First Circuit\",\n \"OCP\",\n \"the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act\",\n \"the State of Maine\",\n \"the Department of Administrative and Financial Services\",\n \"Court\",\n \"Office of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"Cultivating RI\",\n \"WPRI\",\n \"Department of Business Regulation\",\n \"OCR\",\n \"NBC 10 News\",\n \"Department of Revenue\",\n \"The Department of Revenue\",\n \"Grenco Science\",\n \"the G Pen Hyer®\",\n \"The G Pen Hyer\",\n \"gpen.com\",\n \"G Pen Hyer\",\n \"6,000mAh\",\n \"Brandon Barksdale\",\n \"Cookies\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries\",\n \"SunMed\",\n \"Trulieve, Curio Wellness\",\n \"Holistic Industries\",\n \"Porterville\",\n \"Haven Dispensary\",\n \"Haven Hearts\",\n \"Haven\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Thomas C. Slater Center\",\n \"Karen Ballou\",\n \"Dan McKee\",\n \"Matt Santacroce\",\n \"Santacroce\",\n \"Chris Folkerts\",\n \"Remedy\",\n \"Remedy Co-Founder\",\n \"Mitch Trellis\",\n \"Dobbin Rd\",\n \"1 W. Morton Ave\",\n \"W. Morton Ave\",\n \"N. Main St.\",\n \"Haven Hearts\",\n \"Johnnie Hernandez\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.59,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.6476146578788757\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6c9ae49a97033412091e\",\n \"title\": \"Rhode Island Becomes 16th State to Launch Adult-Use Cannabis Sales\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/rhode-island-adult-use-sales-launch-official.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Five existing medical cannabis dispensaries were given the green light to begin serving adults 21 and older on Dec. 1.\",\n \"author\": \"Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-01T16:11:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Rhode Island joined neighboring Massachusetts and beat next-door Connecticut to the punch with the launch of adult-use cannabis sales Thursday morning, officially becoming the 16th state to expand commercial access to those 21 and older. Five existing compassion centers were given approval from the state’s Office of Cannabis Regulation (OCR) to commence adult-use sales Dec. 1 with hybrid retail licenses: Aura of Rhode Island (Central Falls) Thomas C. Slater Center (Providence) Mother Earth Wellness (Pawtucket) Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center (Portsmouth) RISE Warwick (Warwick) Mother Earth was the first to open its doors with a 5 a.m. start in Pawtucket, and Karen Ballou, who owns Cultivating RI , a licensed cultivator, was the dispensary’s first adult-use customer, WPRI reported. “It’s very exciting; it’s been a long time coming,” Ballou told the news outlet about taking part in the first adult-use sale in the state. “It’s been a long six, six and a half years for me to get to this point, for all of us to get to this point, so it was important to be the first sale.” While Rhode Island became the 16th state to launch a commercial adult-use retail program, it was the 19th state to legalize adult-use cannabis in the U.S. when Gov. Dan McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act on May 25, 2022. The legislation allows adults 21 and older to purchase up to 1 ounce of cannabis at a time and keep no more than 10 ounces for personal use at a primary residence. In addition, the legislation legalized the home cultivation of up to six plants (three mature). The roughly six-month turnaround from legalization to sales represents one of the fastest adult-use rollouts in the nation. Arizona, which legalized adult-use cannabis in the November 2020 election , launched sales less than three months later (Jan. 22, 2021). “This milestone is the result of a carefully executed process to ensure that our state’s entry into this emerging market was done in a safe, controlled and equitable manner,” McKee said in a Nov. 22 announcement confirming the Dec. 1 launch date for Rhode Island. One of the keys to rolling out an adult-use cannabis program is ensuring there’s adequate supply to meet demand, notably to safeguard access for medical cannabis patients. States with more established medical programs are usually better equipped to meet supply standards for an expanded market more quickly. Rhode Island’s existing cannabis supply chain includes nearly 70 licensed cultivators, processors and manufactures to serve the medical and adult-use marketplaces. Adult-use program rollouts also depend upon properly staffed regulatory bodies. Matt Santacroce, the interim deputy director of the state’s Department of Business Regulation, which the OCR operates under, told NBC 10 News that the state’s oversight arm for the cannabis industry has the resources it needs. “Absolutely we do,” he said, adding that his department recently hired four new staffers and plans to hire roughly a dozen more to triple the state’s cannabis inspection ability. Under the Rhode Island Cannabis Act, existing medical operators can transition to the new marketplace with hybrid licenses, while another 24 adult-use retail licenses will be distributed equally among six geographic zones in the state. One retail license in each zone will be reserved for a social equity applicant and another in each zone for a workers’ cooperative applicant. But those new operators must be approved by a state cannabis commission, which has not been set up yet. McKee has the power to nominate the commissioners. In the interim, Santacroce offered some wisdom for those seeking to enter the space: It’s not a get-rich-fast industry. “To the extent that people think that, or used to think that this is like a gold mine that just has to be tapped and everybody is going to get rich immediately, you know, it’s a hard industry,” he told NBC 10 News. While operators in more mature markets—like California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington—are struggling amidst price compression and unsustainable taxes, including a 37% excise tax in Washington, Rhode Island’s adult-use cannabis tax structure includes the state’s standard 7% sales and use tax, as well as a new 10% state cannabis excise tax and a 3% local cannabis excise tax, according to state’s Department of Revenue . The state and local cannabis excise taxes do not apply to the sale of cannabis products by a treatment center to qualifying medical cannabis patients. The Department of Revenue anticipates roughly $10 million in tax revenue to be generated from adult-use cannabis sales in the first full year of Rhode Island’s program. The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) issued a letter to the industry Nov. 30 to say that regulators will cease enforcement of residency requirements for the state’s cannabis dispensaries and caregivers. The move follows an August court ruling that the state’s residency requirement for cannabis business owners is unconstitutional. RELATED: US Circuit Court Ruling Demonstrates Cannabis Businesses’ Constitutional Rights, Attorney Says A First Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 Aug. 17 to uphold a Maine federal judge’s August 2021 decision that overturned the residency requirement. The state then appealed the ruling . In light of the decision from the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the OCP issued its letter to industry stakeholders to say that regulators will no longer enforce the residency requirements, which mandated that medical cannabis business owners must be state residents. “The residency requirements for dispensaries stem from a long-standing requirement of the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act that all officers or directors of a dispensary must be residents of the State of Maine,” regulators stated in the letter. “In response to a lawsuit challenging this requirement, the court held it unconstitutional and has ordered OCP and the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS) to stop enforcing the provision. OCP has and will continue to abide by the Court’s decision.” OCP officials noted in the letter that while the lawsuit specifically challenged the residency requirement as it related to medical cannabis dispensaries, similar residency requirements are applied to registered medical cannabis caregivers in Maine, and after reviewing the court’s decision, regulators have found that the ruling also affects the rules that govern caregivers. “Maine has a well-established and successful medical cannabis program that has supported the needs of its patients for many years—removal of the residency requirements will not diminish the program’s ability to continue providing medical cannabis to qualifying patients,” OCP officials concluded. (LOS ANGELES, CA; November 15, 2022) -- Grenco Science, ( G Pen ), the leader in advanced cannabis vaporization technology, today announces the release of the G Pen Hyer®, a portable and intuitively designed e-nail engineered to deliver best-in-class flavor and vapor production for serious enthusiasts and novices, alike. The G Pen Hyer launched November 15 in stores nationwide and online at gpen.com. On the heels of the acquisition of Vapium, the G Pen Hyer pays homage to Hyer’s cutting edge performance with the introduction of the most advanced e-nail hybrid on the market. Engineered to maximize flavor profiles, the G Pen Hyer features smart heating technology with constant temperature output allowing for a consistent and efficient experience with every session. The G Pen Hyer houses a powerful heating element in a lightweight anodized aluminum casing for concentrate or dry herb consumption that can pair with any glass-on-glass water piece. “We are thrilled on the first launch of G Pen Hyer under the acquisition of Vapium. Combining Hyer’s advanced engineering with the premiere design of Grenco Science allows us to continue bringing best in class products to market while maintaining the integrity and foundation of both brands,\\\" says Chris Folkerts, CEO of Grenco Science. Every detail is designed for ease of use and consumer safety in mind. It comes pre-programmed with five heat settings for quick temperature control and automatically shuts off when timed. In a matter of seconds, the G Pen Hyer heats up to a wide range of temperatures between 482°F/250°C and 842°F/450°C. A simple three button operation paired with an LED interface offers fast activation using the 6,000mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery with rapid, pass-through charging via USB-C. A magnetic cap with a built-in ceramic liner and dual airflow holes offers easy access to the concentrates tank, which features a full quartz chamber and airpath with an internal up-stem. The large capacity tank provides maximum surface area for heating, ef?cient air?ow, and optimal vaporization of all types of concentrate materials. The G Pen Hyer comes in a convenient hemp travel case along with a 14mm male glass adapter to attach to any water piece in your arsenal (10 and 18mm glass adapters sold separately). Features: - 6,000mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery - 3-button operation with LED interface - Rapid, pass-through charging via USB-C - Braided power cable with snap-in magnetic connections - Anodized die-cast aluminum housing - Magnetic carb cap with dual ceramic air?ow intakes - Full quartz chamber with custom-stamped stainless steel heating element - 5 temperature settings between 482°F/250°C to 842°F/450°C - Includes 14mm male glass adapter - Integrated stainless steel wax tool with two placement settings - Hemp travel case with mesh pocket for accessories The G Pen Hyer® retails for $250 and is available to purchase via Sezzle with 4 Interest Free payments. It is available in stores nationwide and online at gpen.com. COLUMBIA, Maryland, Dec. 1, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Remedy cannabis dispensary opened a 10,000 square foot Superstore Dec. 1 located at 8865 Stanford Blvd in Columbia, Md. Remedy's goal is to create a welcoming, open, entertaining, yet informative and comfortable environment. The new larger space will offer unique experiential events for the cannabis community. The open floor plan is designed to deliver a store-within-a-store (SWAS) model allowing patients and future adult-use consumers to explore brands and products in a one-of-a-kind dispensary experience. \\\"We are very excited to have one of the largest retail footprints in the state of Maryland,\\\" said Remedy co-CEO and President, Brandon Barksdale. \\\"Our new superstore will elevate the dispensary experience on all levels with product selection, promotions, industry-leading customer loyalty programs, and much more. Our store-within-a-store concept allows for a deep bench of brand selection, product exclusivity, and the most robust menu in the state. This unique concept will provide patients and recreational consumers alike with access to new products coming to market as part of their normal shopping experience.\\\" Partnerships with significant national, household-name cannabis operators, such as Cookies, Green Thumb Industries, SunMed, Trulieve, Curio Wellness, and Holistic Industries, set Remedy apart from other retailers unlocking billions of dollars of brand power in Maryland. Much like branded beauty counters in traditional department stores, this retail concept will bring the biggest names in cannabis to Maryland. \\\"With adult use on the horizon, this move will ready Remedy to share the dispensary experience comfortably with the broader consumers as they enter the market. Truly, we will have the best prices and best selection in the state. Patients and future guests of Remedy will need to explore and engage with us weekly to keep up,\\\" said Remedy Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Mitch Trellis. \\\"I speak for the entire Remedy family when I say we are excited to offer this retail experience to the Maryland market and look forward to continuing to be the market leader in cannabis retail.\\\" The original Remedy Columbia location at 6656 Dobbin Rd will be moving to Stanford Blvd. This new location will be more convenient and offer more parking. LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 1, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Haven Dispensaries, a rapidly expanding southern California dispensary chain, is opening its new Porterville location Dec. 2. Porterville's cannabis program, which began back in 2019, culminates with the opening of Haven Dispensary, located at 1 W. Morton Ave, on the corner of W. Morton Ave and N. Main St. in Downtown Porterville. Haven is one of California's preeminent cannabis dispensary organizations with a track record of quickly becoming foundational community partners to all the cities in which it operates. Although the Haven shopping experience is world-class, Haven prides itself on giving back to the community year-round. Haven Hearts, the charitable arm of Haven, is dedicated to helping the less fortunate and does amazing work identifying areas of need in the cities where it operates and pooling its resources to become a force for good. From its advocacy efforts, to its charitable donations and frequent volunteerism, Haven Hearts is already looking to make an impact and become a valuable member of the Porterville community. \\\"We are elated to call Porterville home. The community has already been so welcoming. We are chomping at the bit to open our doors and provide the residents of Porterville with safe, quality access and cannabis education that they deserve,\\\" said Johnnie Hernandez, head of retail for Haven Dispensaries. The Porterville store will be Haven's seventh location, with another seven licenses currently in development. Haven stores offer a unique dispensary experience that curates a safe space for all to explore and enjoy the world of cannabis.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/01/CannabisRetailAdobeStock268589273.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"five existing compassion centers were given approval to commence adult-use sales. mother earth was the first to open its doors with a 5 a.m. start in Pawtucket. it was the 19th state to legalize adult-use cannabis in the u.s.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Rhode Island\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Connecticut\",\n \"Pawtucket\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"Arizona\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Maine\",\n \"LOS ANGELES\",\n \"Vapium\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"Columbia\",\n \"Md.\",\n \"Remedy Columbia\",\n \"Porterville\",\n \"Haven\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Office of Cannabis Regulation\",\n \"Cultivating RI\",\n \"WPRI\",\n \"Department of Business Regulation\",\n \"OCR\",\n \"NBC 10 News\",\n \"Department of Revenue\",\n \"The Department of Revenue\",\n \"The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy\",\n \"US Circuit Court Ruling Demonstrates Cannabis\",\n \"A First Circuit Court of Appeals\",\n \"the Court of Appeals\",\n \"the First Circuit\",\n \"OCP\",\n \"the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act\",\n \"the State of Maine\",\n \"the Department of Administrative and Financial Services\",\n \"Court\",\n \"Grenco Science\",\n \"the G Pen Hyer®\",\n \"The G Pen Hyer\",\n \"gpen.com\",\n \"G Pen Hyer\",\n \"6,000mAh\",\n \"Brandon Barksdale\",\n \"Cookies\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries\",\n \"SunMed\",\n \"Trulieve, Curio Wellness\",\n \"Holistic Industries\",\n \"Porterville\",\n \"Haven Dispensary\",\n \"Haven Hearts\",\n \"Haven\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Thomas C. Slater Center\",\n \"Karen Ballou\",\n \"Dan McKee\",\n \"Matt Santacroce\",\n \"Santacroce\",\n \"Chris Folkerts\",\n \"Remedy\",\n \"Remedy Co-Founder\",\n \"Mitch Trellis\",\n \"Dobbin Rd\",\n \"1 W. Morton Ave\",\n \"W. Morton Ave\",\n \"N. Main St.\",\n \"Haven Hearts\",\n \"Johnnie Hernandez\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.59,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.510573148727417\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cb2e49a97033412092d\",\n \"title\": \"Grenco Science Introduces G Pen Hyer® Vaporizer\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/grenco-science-g-pen-hyer-vaporizer.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The G Pen Hyer houses a powerful heating element in a lightweight anodized aluminum casing for concentrate or dry herb consumption that can pair with any glass-on-glass water piece.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by CBT Staff\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-01T15:40:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"(LOS ANGELES, CA; November 15, 2022) -- Grenco Science, ( G Pen ), the leader in advanced cannabis vaporization technology, today announces the release of the G Pen Hyer®, a portable and intuitively designed e-nail engineered to deliver best-in-class flavor and vapor production for serious enthusiasts and novices, alike. The G Pen Hyer launched November 15 in stores nationwide and online at gpen.com. On the heels of the acquisition of Vapium, the G Pen Hyer pays homage to Hyer’s cutting edge performance with the introduction of the most advanced e-nail hybrid on the market. Engineered to maximize flavor profiles, the G Pen Hyer features smart heating technology with constant temperature output allowing for a consistent and efficient experience with every session. The G Pen Hyer houses a powerful heating element in a lightweight anodized aluminum casing for concentrate or dry herb consumption that can pair with any glass-on-glass water piece. “We are thrilled on the first launch of G Pen Hyer under the acquisition of Vapium. Combining Hyer’s advanced engineering with the premiere design of Grenco Science allows us to continue bringing best in class products to market while maintaining the integrity and foundation of both brands,\\\" says Chris Folkerts, CEO of Grenco Science. Every detail is designed for ease of use and consumer safety in mind. It comes pre-programmed with five heat settings for quick temperature control and automatically shuts off when timed. In a matter of seconds, the G Pen Hyer heats up to a wide range of temperatures between 482°F/250°C and 842°F/450°C. A simple three button operation paired with an LED interface offers fast activation using the 6,000mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery with rapid, pass-through charging via USB-C. A magnetic cap with a built-in ceramic liner and dual airflow holes offers easy access to the concentrates tank, which features a full quartz chamber and airpath with an internal up-stem. The large capacity tank provides maximum surface area for heating, ef?cient air?ow, and optimal vaporization of all types of concentrate materials. The G Pen Hyer comes in a convenient hemp travel case along with a 14mm male glass adapter to attach to any water piece in your arsenal (10 and 18mm glass adapters sold separately). Features: - 6,000mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery - 3-button operation with LED interface - Rapid, pass-through charging via USB-C - Braided power cable with snap-in magnetic connections - Anodized die-cast aluminum housing - Magnetic carb cap with dual ceramic air?ow intakes - Full quartz chamber with custom-stamped stainless steel heating element - 5 temperature settings between 482°F/250°C to 842°F/450°C - Includes 14mm male glass adapter - Integrated stainless steel wax tool with two placement settings - Hemp travel case with mesh pocket for accessories The G Pen Hyer® retails for $250 and is available to purchase via Sezzle with 4 Interest Free payments. It is available in stores nationwide and online at gpen.com. COLUMBIA, Maryland, Dec. 1, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Remedy cannabis dispensary opened a 10,000 square foot Superstore Dec. 1 located at 8865 Stanford Blvd in Columbia, Md. Remedy's goal is to create a welcoming, open, entertaining, yet informative and comfortable environment. The new larger space will offer unique experiential events for the cannabis community. The open floor plan is designed to deliver a store-within-a-store (SWAS) model allowing patients and future adult-use consumers to explore brands and products in a one-of-a-kind dispensary experience. \\\"We are very excited to have one of the largest retail footprints in the state of Maryland,\\\" said Remedy co-CEO and President, Brandon Barksdale. \\\"Our new superstore will elevate the dispensary experience on all levels with product selection, promotions, industry-leading customer loyalty programs, and much more. Our store-within-a-store concept allows for a deep bench of brand selection, product exclusivity, and the most robust menu in the state. This unique concept will provide patients and recreational consumers alike with access to new products coming to market as part of their normal shopping experience.\\\" Partnerships with significant national, household-name cannabis operators, such as Cookies, Green Thumb Industries, SunMed, Trulieve, Curio Wellness, and Holistic Industries, set Remedy apart from other retailers unlocking billions of dollars of brand power in Maryland. Much like branded beauty counters in traditional department stores, this retail concept will bring the biggest names in cannabis to Maryland. \\\"With adult use on the horizon, this move will ready Remedy to share the dispensary experience comfortably with the broader consumers as they enter the market. Truly, we will have the best prices and best selection in the state. Patients and future guests of Remedy will need to explore and engage with us weekly to keep up,\\\" said Remedy Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Mitch Trellis. \\\"I speak for the entire Remedy family when I say we are excited to offer this retail experience to the Maryland market and look forward to continuing to be the market leader in cannabis retail.\\\" The original Remedy Columbia location at 6656 Dobbin Rd will be moving to Stanford Blvd. This new location will be more convenient and offer more parking. LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 1, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Haven Dispensaries, a rapidly expanding southern California dispensary chain, is opening its new Porterville location Dec. 2. Porterville's cannabis program, which began back in 2019, culminates with the opening of Haven Dispensary, located at 1 W. Morton Ave, on the corner of W. Morton Ave and N. Main St. in Downtown Porterville. Haven is one of California's preeminent cannabis dispensary organizations with a track record of quickly becoming foundational community partners to all the cities in which it operates. Although the Haven shopping experience is world-class, Haven prides itself on giving back to the community year-round. Haven Hearts, the charitable arm of Haven, is dedicated to helping the less fortunate and does amazing work identifying areas of need in the cities where it operates and pooling its resources to become a force for good. From its advocacy efforts, to its charitable donations and frequent volunteerism, Haven Hearts is already looking to make an impact and become a valuable member of the Porterville community. \\\"We are elated to call Porterville home. The community has already been so welcoming. We are chomping at the bit to open our doors and provide the residents of Porterville with safe, quality access and cannabis education that they deserve,\\\" said Johnnie Hernandez, head of retail for Haven Dispensaries. The Porterville store will be Haven's seventh location, with another seven licenses currently in development. Haven stores offer a unique dispensary experience that curates a safe space for all to explore and enjoy the world of cannabis. A Clark County judge ruled in September that the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy must remove cannabis from the state’s list of Schedule I substances, but regulators aren’t ready to do so just yet. Clark County District Judge Joe Hardy issued the ruling Sept. 14 in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Nevada, which sued on behalf of Antoinette Poole, who was convicted of possession of a controlled substance for possessing cannabis. The Board of Pharmacy argued that since the federal government lists cannabis as a Schedule I drug, the state should as well, despite Nevada legalizing cannabis for both medical and adult use. Hardy ultimately ruled that listing cannabis as a Schedule I drug conflicts with the state Constitution, which states that cannabis has medical uses after Nevada voters passed a ballot measure to legalize medical cannabis in 2000. The state then legalized adult-use cannabis in the 2016 election. RELATED: Judge Orders Nevada Board of Pharmacy to Remove Cannabis from State’s List of Schedule I Substances Now, the Board of Pharmacy is appealing Hardy’s decision, according to a local News 3 report , and regulators have also asked that the state hold off on enforcing the ruling. Editor's note: This story was originally published Nov. 28. A random drawing to determine the winners of 20 cannabis consumption lounge licenses in Nevada will be held at 2 p.m. Pacific Time on Nov. 30 at the state’s Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) offices in Las Vegas. The drawing can be viewed on the board's YouTube page (and the final results are now listed below). The new licenses—10 of which are reserved for social equity applicants—will be awarded to those who plan to operate a consumption lounge independent from an existing retail facility. Overall, 30 social equity and 49 nonsocial equity applicants submitted the proper paperwork for the licenses during a 10-day window last month, according to CCB. In addition, another 20 applications were completed for a retail license type, allowing for established dispensaries to have a consumption lounge attached or adjacent to their current facility. State officials did not cap the number of lounge licenses for retailers, so those submissions are not subject to a lottery. License Application Type Completed Applications Retail Cannabis Consumption Lounge 20 Independent Lounge (Nonsocial Equity) 49 Independent Lounge (Social Equity) 30 Total 99 The 79 total applicants for the 20 independent licenses will be selected from a computerized system provided by New Jersey-based Smartplay International Inc. Auditing and consulting firm Henry and Horne will oversee the event. “Those selected to receive a prospective license will receive a letter from the CCB, upon which applicants will move into a ‘prospective licensee’ status and will have 120 days to provide the documentation and information required for the CCB’s suitability investigation,” according to a press release from the board. The CCB provides a checklist on its website for prospective license holders. State regulators anticipate that the first cannabis consumption lounges will open during the first half of 2023 in Nevada. *** Following are the lists of license winners announced by the CCB: This list details the 10 independent cannabis consumption lounge social equity applicants selected to receive a prospective license during the Nov. 30 lottery: This list details the 10 independent cannabis consumption lounge nonsocial equity applicants selected to receive a prospective license during the Nov. 30 lottery: This list details the 20 completed retail cannabis consumption lounge applications submitted to the CCB during the October 2022 application window. There was no competitive selection process required for the issuance of retail cannabis consumption lounge licenses.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/12/01/GPenHyerweb-header.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the G Pen Hyer is a portable and intuitively designed e-nail engineered to deliver best-in-class flavor and vapor production. it comes pre-programmed with five heat settings for quick temperature control and automatically shuts off when timed. the 6,000mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery with rapid, pass-through charging via USB-C.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"LOS ANGELES\",\n \"Vapium\",\n \"Maryland\",\n \"Columbia\",\n \"Md.\",\n \"Remedy Columbia\",\n \"California\",\n \"Porterville\",\n \"Haven\",\n \"Clark County\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"New Jersey\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Grenco Science\",\n \"the G Pen Hyer®\",\n \"The G Pen Hyer\",\n \"gpen.com\",\n \"G Pen Hyer\",\n \"6,000mAh\",\n \"Brandon Barksdale\",\n \"Cookies\",\n \"Green Thumb Industries\",\n \"SunMed\",\n \"Trulieve, Curio Wellness\",\n \"Holistic Industries\",\n \"Porterville\",\n \"Haven Dispensary\",\n \"Haven Hearts\",\n \"Haven\",\n \"the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy\",\n \"The Board of Pharmacy\",\n \"Orders Nevada Board of Pharmacy to Remove Cannabis\",\n \"the Board of Pharmacy\",\n \"Hardy\",\n \"Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"YouTube\",\n \"licenses—10\",\n \"CCB\",\n \"License Application Type Completed Applications Retail Cannabis Consumption Lounge\",\n \"Independent Lounge\",\n \"Nonsocial Equity\",\n \"Social Equity\",\n \"Smartplay International Inc.\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Chris Folkerts\",\n \"Remedy\",\n \"Remedy Co-Founder\",\n \"Mitch Trellis\",\n \"Dobbin Rd\",\n \"1 W. Morton Ave\",\n \"W. Morton Ave\",\n \"N. Main St.\",\n \"Haven Hearts\",\n \"Johnnie Hernandez\",\n \"Joe Hardy\",\n \"Antoinette Poole\",\n \"Henry\",\n \"Horne\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.53,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.892707109451294\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6ca9e49a970334120927\",\n \"title\": \"Haven to Open New Dispensary in Porterville, California\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/haven-open-new-dispensary-porterville\",\n \"description\": \"The Porterville store marks Haven's seventh location.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-12-01T14:53:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 1, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Haven Dispensaries, a rapidly expanding southern California dispensary chain, is opening its new Porterville location Dec. 2. Porterville's cannabis program, which began back in 2019, culminates with the opening of Haven Dispensary, located at 1 W. Morton Ave, on the corner of W. Morton Ave and N. Main St. in Downtown Porterville. Haven is one of California's preeminent cannabis dispensary organizations with a track record of quickly becoming foundational community partners to all the cities in which it operates. Although the Haven shopping experience is world-class, Haven prides itself on giving back to the community year-round. Haven Hearts, the charitable arm of Haven, is dedicated to helping the less fortunate and does amazing work identifying areas of need in the cities where it operates and pooling its resources to become a force for good. From its advocacy efforts, to its charitable donations and frequent volunteerism, Haven Hearts is already looking to make an impact and become a valuable member of the Porterville community. \\\"We are elated to call Porterville home. The community has already been so welcoming. We are chomping at the bit to open our doors and provide the residents of Porterville with safe, quality access and cannabis education that they deserve,\\\" said Johnnie Hernandez, head of retail for Haven Dispensaries. The Porterville store will be Haven's seventh location, with another seven licenses currently in development. Haven stores offer a unique dispensary experience that curates a safe space for all to explore and enjoy the world of cannabis. A Clark County judge ruled in September that the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy must remove cannabis from the state’s list of Schedule I substances, but regulators aren’t ready to do so just yet. Clark County District Judge Joe Hardy issued the ruling Sept. 14 in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Nevada, which sued on behalf of Antoinette Poole, who was convicted of possession of a controlled substance for possessing cannabis. The Board of Pharmacy argued that since the federal government lists cannabis as a Schedule I drug, the state should as well, despite Nevada legalizing cannabis for both medical and adult use. Hardy ultimately ruled that listing cannabis as a Schedule I drug conflicts with the state Constitution, which states that cannabis has medical uses after Nevada voters passed a ballot measure to legalize medical cannabis in 2000. The state then legalized adult-use cannabis in the 2016 election. RELATED: Judge Orders Nevada Board of Pharmacy to Remove Cannabis from State’s List of Schedule I Substances Now, the Board of Pharmacy is appealing Hardy’s decision, according to a local News 3 report , and regulators have also asked that the state hold off on enforcing the ruling. Editor's note: This story was originally published Nov. 28. A random drawing to determine the winners of 20 cannabis consumption lounge licenses in Nevada will be held at 2 p.m. Pacific Time on Nov. 30 at the state’s Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) offices in Las Vegas. The drawing can be viewed on the board's YouTube page (and the final results are now listed below). The new licenses—10 of which are reserved for social equity applicants—will be awarded to those who plan to operate a consumption lounge independent from an existing retail facility. Overall, 30 social equity and 49 nonsocial equity applicants submitted the proper paperwork for the licenses during a 10-day window last month, according to CCB. In addition, another 20 applications were completed for a retail license type, allowing for established dispensaries to have a consumption lounge attached or adjacent to their current facility. State officials did not cap the number of lounge licenses for retailers, so those submissions are not subject to a lottery. License Application Type Completed Applications Retail Cannabis Consumption Lounge 20 Independent Lounge (Nonsocial Equity) 49 Independent Lounge (Social Equity) 30 Total 99 The 79 total applicants for the 20 independent licenses will be selected from a computerized system provided by New Jersey-based Smartplay International Inc. Auditing and consulting firm Henry and Horne will oversee the event. “Those selected to receive a prospective license will receive a letter from the CCB, upon which applicants will move into a ‘prospective licensee’ status and will have 120 days to provide the documentation and information required for the CCB’s suitability investigation,” according to a press release from the board. The CCB provides a checklist on its website for prospective license holders. State regulators anticipate that the first cannabis consumption lounges will open during the first half of 2023 in Nevada. *** Following are the lists of license winners announced by the CCB: This list details the 10 independent cannabis consumption lounge social equity applicants selected to receive a prospective license during the Nov. 30 lottery: This list details the 10 independent cannabis consumption lounge nonsocial equity applicants selected to receive a prospective license during the Nov. 30 lottery: This list details the 20 completed retail cannabis consumption lounge applications submitted to the CCB during the October 2022 application window. There was no competitive selection process required for the issuance of retail cannabis consumption lounge licenses. The Canadian government announced in September that it has launched a review of its adult-use cannabis legalization law, the Cannabis Act, which took effect in 2018. Now, government officials have named the members of the panel charged with conducting the review, which was mandated by the Cannabis Act. RELATED: Canada Launches Review of Cannabis Legalization The five-member Expert Panel includes: Morris Rosenberg, chair of the Expert Panel who previously served in several departments within the Canadian government, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs Dr. Oyedeji Ayonrinde, associate professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at Queen’s University Dr. Patricia Conrod, a registered clinical psychologist, full professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Addiction at the University of Montreal, and researcher at the Sainte-Justine Mother and Child University Hospital Centre (CHUSJ) Lynda Levesque, a criminal lawyer and member of the Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba, Treaty Five territory Dr. Peter Selby, the Giblon Professor, Vice Chair of Research, and Head of the Mental Health and Addictions Division in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto As mandated by the Cannabis Act, the review will assess the legislation and its administration and operation, including the law’s impact on the illicit market, indigenous communities and the economy. RELATED: ‘Rounding the Corners:’ Reviewing Canada’s Cannabis Act 4 Years Later The Expert Panel will ultimately advise Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health Carolyn Bennett on the progress made toward achieving the objectives of the Cannabis Act—which include protecting the health and safety of Canadians and establishing a diverse and competitive legal industry to displace the illicit market—as well as identify areas of improvement. Political action committee Kind Idaho is working to gather signatures to place The Idaho Medical Marijuana Act before voters in 2024. Kind Idaho, the group behind the medical cannabis legalization measure, must collect at least 74,000 signatures by April 2024 for the initiative to qualify for the 2024 ballot. The 2024 initiative would allow patients to possess up to 4 ounces of cannabis, place a 4% excise tax on gross receipts for products sold by dispensaries, and require dispensaries to be 1,000 feet from private or public schools, Cannabis Business Times reported . Joe Evans, Kind Idaho treasurer, told KTVB7 the group is working to ensure it makes cannabis available in Idaho while educating patients on responsible use. “When it comes to patient advocacy, seeing medical marijuana, which is a successful, nonlethal pain management program that is nearly impossible to overdose on, is one of those options that many are looking for simply because they don’t want to have to carry around the significant number of prescriptions, pain management, oxycodone, you know, opiates,” Evans told the news outlet. Idaho is one of 12 states that have yet to legalize cannabis for medical use despite previous efforts to put a medical cannabis initiative before voters. In 2021, Kind Idaho was working to place a similar initiative , the Idaho Medical Marijuana Act for 2022 (IMMA) , on the state’s 2022 ballot but failed to gather enough signatures ; 64,945 signatures were required. The group is working to build a solid social media presence and plans to host several events across Treasure Valley, a valley in southwestern Idaho that “includes all the lowland areas from Vale in rural eastern Oregon to Boise, and is the most populated area in Idaho,” to collect signatures, the news outlet reported. Moreover, the advocacy group wants to give individuals who sign the petition the opportunity to ask detailed questions about the measure, KTVB7 reported. “We want the opportunity for Idaho residents to succeed on their own terms. And for many of those people on their own terms, the best solution is medical marijuana,” Evans said.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"a judge ruled in September that the state board of pharmacy must remove cannabis from the state’s list of Schedule I substances. the state board of pharmacy argued that since the federal government lists cannabis as a Schedule I drug, the state should as well. \\\"we are chomping at the bit to open our doors and provide the residents of Porterville with safe, quality access and cannabis education that they deserve,\\\" says head of retail.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"LOS ANGELES\",\n \"California\",\n \"Porterville\",\n \"Haven\",\n \"Clark County\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Las Vegas\",\n \"New Jersey\",\n \"Manitoba\",\n \"KTVB7\",\n \"Idaho\",\n \"Treasure Valley\",\n \"Vale\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Boise\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Porterville\",\n \"Haven Dispensary\",\n \"Haven Hearts\",\n \"Haven\",\n \"the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy\",\n \"The Board of Pharmacy\",\n \"Orders Nevada Board of Pharmacy to Remove Cannabis\",\n \"the Board of Pharmacy\",\n \"Hardy\",\n \"Cannabis Compliance Board\",\n \"YouTube\",\n \"licenses—10\",\n \"CCB\",\n \"License Application Type Completed Applications Retail Cannabis Consumption Lounge\",\n \"Independent Lounge\",\n \"Nonsocial Equity\",\n \"Social Equity\",\n \"Smartplay International Inc.\",\n \"Canada Launches Review of Cannabis Legalization\",\n \"the Expert Panel\",\n \"the Department of Justice\",\n \"the Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs\",\n \"Queen’s University\",\n \"the Department of Psychiatry and Addiction at the University of Montreal\",\n \"the Fisher River Cree Nation\",\n \"Chair of Research\",\n \"the Mental Health and Addictions Division\",\n \"the Department of Family and Community Medicine\",\n \"University of Toronto\",\n \"Cannabis Act\",\n \"Health\",\n \"The Idaho Medical Marijuana Act\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"the Idaho Medical Marijuana Act\",\n \"IMMA\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"1 W. Morton Ave\",\n \"W. Morton Ave\",\n \"N. Main St.\",\n \"Haven Hearts\",\n \"Johnnie Hernandez\",\n \"Joe Hardy\",\n \"Antoinette Poole\",\n \"Henry\",\n \"Horne\",\n \"Expert Panel\",\n \"Morris Rosenberg\",\n \"Oyedeji Ayonrinde\",\n \"Patricia Conrod\",\n \"Lynda Levesque\",\n \"Peter Selby\",\n \"Jean-Yves Duclos\",\n \"Health Carolyn Bennett\",\n \"Kind Idaho\",\n \"Joe Evans\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.6,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8243167400360107\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6c9ce49a97033412091f\",\n \"title\": \"Canadian Government Names Members to Cannabis Act Review Panel\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/canadian-government-names-members-to-cannabis-act-review-panel.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The five-member Expert Panel will assess Canada’s adult-use cannabis legalization law four years after it took effect.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-11-30T19:58:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The Canadian government announced in September that it has launched a review of its adult-use cannabis legalization law, the Cannabis Act, which took effect in 2018. Now, government officials have named the members of the panel charged with conducting the review, which was mandated by the Cannabis Act. RELATED: Canada Launches Review of Cannabis Legalization The five-member Expert Panel includes: Morris Rosenberg, chair of the Expert Panel who previously served in several departments within the Canadian government, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs Dr. Oyedeji Ayonrinde, associate professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at Queen’s University Dr. Patricia Conrod, a registered clinical psychologist, full professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Addiction at the University of Montreal, and researcher at the Sainte-Justine Mother and Child University Hospital Centre (CHUSJ) Lynda Levesque, a criminal lawyer and member of the Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba, Treaty Five territory Dr. Peter Selby, the Giblon Professor, Vice Chair of Research, and Head of the Mental Health and Addictions Division in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto As mandated by the Cannabis Act, the review will assess the legislation and its administration and operation, including the law’s impact on the illicit market, indigenous communities and the economy. RELATED: ‘Rounding the Corners:’ Reviewing Canada’s Cannabis Act 4 Years Later The Expert Panel will ultimately advise Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health Carolyn Bennett on the progress made toward achieving the objectives of the Cannabis Act—which include protecting the health and safety of Canadians and establishing a diverse and competitive legal industry to displace the illicit market—as well as identify areas of improvement. Political action committee Kind Idaho is working to gather signatures to place The Idaho Medical Marijuana Act before voters in 2024. Kind Idaho, the group behind the medical cannabis legalization measure, must collect at least 74,000 signatures by April 2024 for the initiative to qualify for the 2024 ballot. The 2024 initiative would allow patients to possess up to 4 ounces of cannabis, place a 4% excise tax on gross receipts for products sold by dispensaries, and require dispensaries to be 1,000 feet from private or public schools, Cannabis Business Times reported . Joe Evans, Kind Idaho treasurer, told KTVB7 the group is working to ensure it makes cannabis available in Idaho while educating patients on responsible use. “When it comes to patient advocacy, seeing medical marijuana, which is a successful, nonlethal pain management program that is nearly impossible to overdose on, is one of those options that many are looking for simply because they don’t want to have to carry around the significant number of prescriptions, pain management, oxycodone, you know, opiates,” Evans told the news outlet. Idaho is one of 12 states that have yet to legalize cannabis for medical use despite previous efforts to put a medical cannabis initiative before voters. In 2021, Kind Idaho was working to place a similar initiative , the Idaho Medical Marijuana Act for 2022 (IMMA) , on the state’s 2022 ballot but failed to gather enough signatures ; 64,945 signatures were required. The group is working to build a solid social media presence and plans to host several events across Treasure Valley, a valley in southwestern Idaho that “includes all the lowland areas from Vale in rural eastern Oregon to Boise, and is the most populated area in Idaho,” to collect signatures, the news outlet reported. Moreover, the advocacy group wants to give individuals who sign the petition the opportunity to ask detailed questions about the measure, KTVB7 reported. “We want the opportunity for Idaho residents to succeed on their own terms. And for many of those people on their own terms, the best solution is medical marijuana,” Evans said. Regulators in Arkansas have revoked a medical cannabis cultivation license following a court ruling earlier this month. Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission Director Doralee Chandler revoked the license, which belonged to Fort Smith-based River Valley Relief, in a procedural action Nov. 28, according to a local KUAR report . The action comes after Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Herb Wright issued a ruling Nov. 3 that upholds a claim by 2600 Holdings that regulators granted the license in error in July 2020, the news outlet reported. 2600 Holdings filed the lawsuit in January 2021, asking the court to disqualify River Valley Relief and instead grant the license to 2600 or offer another form of relief under the Arkansas Administrative Procedures Act, according to KUAR . 2600 argued that the Medical Marijuana Commission unlawfully issued the cultivation license to Storm Nolan, River Valley Relief’s owner, during the state’s second round of cultivation licensing, the news outlet reported. RELATED: Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission Releases Additional Cultivation and Dispensary Licenses The plaintiff alleged that granting Nolan the license was illegal because the incorporation in Nolan’s first application was no longer valid, according to KUAR . In addition, 2600 claimed that Nolan’s proposed cultivation site was too close to the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center, violating a provision in Arkansas’ medical cannabis law that requires the operations to be at least 3,000 feet away from a school, church or daycare, the news outlet reported. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which houses the Medical Marijuana Commission, filed a 36-page rebuttal, according to KUAR , while Wright blocked Nolan from participating in the case. Wright said in his ruling that 2600 proved it should be provided relief and that regulators acted outside their authority when they issued River Valley Relief a medical cannabis cultivation license, the news outlet reported. At the Nov. 28 hearing, where Chandler revoked River Valley Relief’s license, Nolan and his attorney, Matthew Horan, claimed that while the original location for the cultivation facility was within 2,400 feet of the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center, there is no evidence to suggest that the facility is operated by a public school, KUAR reported. Horan added that the Arkansas Department of Education issued a letter stating that the detention center was not a school, according to the news outlet. River Valley Relief has appealed the ruling to the Arkansas Supreme Court, KUAR reported. Minnesota’s list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis will soon grow to 19. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) will be able to access the state’s licensed industry beginning Aug. 1, 2023, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced Nov. 30. A full list of the state’s qualifying conditions can be viewed here . “We are adding the new qualifying conditions to allow patients more therapy options for conditions that can be debilitating,” Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said in a news release . IBS is a disorder characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort, and irregular bowel movements that can result in diarrhea, constipation or bloating, according to MDH. And OCD is characterized by recurring, intrusive thoughts that often cause significant emotional distress and anxiety that can lead to behaviors that an affected person feels compelled to perform to reduce that distress. “Research has shown that people who suffer from these conditions can see benefits from using medical cannabis to treat their symptoms,” the release states. While MDH approved IBS and OCD as qualifying conditions through the state’s formal petition process, department officials rejected petitions to add gastroparesis and opioid-use disorder. “Gastroparesis, or delayed gastric emptying, was not approved as a qualifying medical [condition] because research indicates that cannabis can make the condition worse,” the release states. “As for opioid-use disorder, MDH heard from medical and mental health providers who recommended against approving opioid-use disorder as a qualifying medical condition due to lack of evidence for its effectiveness and the availability of FDA-approved medications for treatment.” When former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed medical cannabis legalization legislation into law in May 2014, there were nine qualifying conditions and patients access to cannabis was limited to the form of pills, oils or vaporizers. Since then, MDH has approved an additional 10 qualifying conditions, and the state Legislature voted in 2021 to expand the law to allow patients to smoke flower , a change that went into effect in March 2022. While MDH officials accept petitions for new delivery methods—such as smokable flower—each year, they did not receive any in 2022. Last year, the department approved infused edibles, which patients began accessing in August. Under state rules, patients certified for the two new qualifying medical conditions will become eligible to enroll in the state’s medical cannabis program on July 1, 2023. More information on how to become a medical cannabis patient in Minnesota is available on the MDH website . The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act seven times, while the Senate has yet to take up the bill, which would allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. Now, the Independent Community Bankers Association (ICBA) , along with 44 affiliated state associations, are calling for Senate action on the legislation. The associations submitted a letter to Senate leaders Nov. 28 to urge them to calendar the legislation for a floor vote before the year is out. “On behalf of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), the undersigned state banking associations, and the thousands of community banks we represent, we write to ask you to schedule floor consideration of the SAFE Banking Act before year-end 2022 as a stand-alone bill or an amendment to another bill,” association members wrote in the letter. “This legislation enjoys strong, bipartisan support, would resolve a conflict between state and federal law, and addresses a critical public safety concern. We urge its enactment without further delay.” RELATED: US Senator Urges Senate to Approve SAFE Banking Act During Banking Hearing Sponsored in the House by Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., the SAFE Banking Act has amassed 180 cosponsors in that chamber, where it most recently passed in July as an amendment to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation is sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in the Senate, where it has gained 42 cosponsors . The SAFE Banking Act would protect financial institutions that provide services to state-legal cannabis-related businesses, as well as the ancillary businesses that serve the industry, from federal sanctions. “The SAFE Banking Act is essential for the ongoing ability of community banks to effectively serve their communities,” the ICBA and its affiliated associations wrote in the letter. “The Act would also alleviate the significant threat to public safety posed by cash intensive [cannabis-related businesses] (CRBs) effectively being shut out of the banking industry.” An ICBA poll released in September revealed that 65% of voters support cannabis banking reform.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/11/30/CanadaFlagParliamentinBackground-AdobeStock-Credit-DDImages-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the five-member Expert Panel will assess the legislation and its administration and operation, including the law’s impact on the illicit market, indigenous communities and the economy. Political action committee Kind Idaho is working to gather at least 74,000 signatures by April 2024 for the initiative to qualify for the 2024 ballot.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Manitoba\",\n \"KTVB7\",\n \"Idaho\",\n \"Treasure Valley\",\n \"Vale\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Boise\",\n \"Arkansas\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center\",\n \"Minnesota\",\n \"US\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Canada Launches Review of Cannabis Legalization\",\n \"the Expert Panel\",\n \"the Department of Justice\",\n \"the Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs\",\n \"Queen’s University\",\n \"the Department of Psychiatry and Addiction at the University of Montreal\",\n \"the Fisher River Cree Nation\",\n \"Chair of Research\",\n \"the Mental Health and Addictions Division\",\n \"the Department of Family and Community Medicine\",\n \"University of Toronto\",\n \"Cannabis Act\",\n \"Health\",\n \"The Idaho Medical Marijuana Act\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"the Idaho Medical Marijuana Act\",\n \"IMMA\",\n \"Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"River Valley Relief\",\n \"Pulaski County Circuit Court\",\n \"2600 Holdings\",\n \"the Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"Storm Nolan\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration\",\n \"the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center\",\n \"KUAR\",\n \"the Arkansas Department of Education\",\n \"the Arkansas Supreme Court\",\n \"OCD\",\n \"the Minnesota Department of Health\",\n \"MDH\",\n \"IBS\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"Legislature\",\n \"The U.S. House of Representatives\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the Independent Community Bankers Association\",\n \"the Independent Community Bankers of America\",\n \"House\",\n \"D-Colo.\",\n \"D-Ore.\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Expert Panel\",\n \"Morris Rosenberg\",\n \"Oyedeji Ayonrinde\",\n \"Patricia Conrod\",\n \"Lynda Levesque\",\n \"Peter Selby\",\n \"Jean-Yves Duclos\",\n \"Health Carolyn Bennett\",\n \"Kind Idaho\",\n \"Joe Evans\",\n \"Doralee Chandler\",\n \"Herb Wright\",\n \"Dispensary Licenses\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"Wright\",\n \"Chandler\",\n \"Matthew Horan\",\n \"Malcolm\",\n \"Mark Dayton\",\n \"Urges Senate\",\n \"Ed Perlmutter\",\n \"Jeff Merkley\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"cbd\",\n \"use\",\n \"product\",\n \"say\",\n \"thc\",\n \"study\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"health\",\n \"people\",\n \"high\",\n \"test\",\n \"make\",\n \"drug\",\n \"like\",\n \"oil\",\n \"new\",\n \"research\",\n \"vaping\",\n \"plant\",\n \"help\",\n \"effect\",\n \"know\",\n \"smoke\",\n \"time\",\n \"year\",\n \"report\",\n \"pain\",\n \"patient\",\n \"food\",\n \"weed\",\n \"way\",\n \"contain\",\n \"need\",\n \"include\",\n \"come\",\n \"strain\",\n \"work\",\n \"good\",\n \"treat\",\n \"medical\",\n \"treatment\",\n \"look\",\n \"user\",\n \"want\",\n \"edible\",\n \"vape\",\n \"fda\",\n \"university\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Consumer\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.54,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8818267583847046\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cbfe49a970334120935\",\n \"title\": \"Kind Idaho Begins Collecting Signatures for Medical Cannabis Ballot Initiative\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/kinda-idaho-begins-gathering-signatures-medical-cannabis-ballot.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The group must collect 74,000 signatures by April 2024 for the initiative to qualify for the 2024 ballot.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-11-30T19:05:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Political action committee Kind Idaho is working to gather signatures to place The Idaho Medical Marijuana Act before voters in 2024. Kind Idaho, the group behind the medical cannabis legalization measure, must collect at least 74,000 signatures by April 2024 for the initiative to qualify for the 2024 ballot. The 2024 initiative would allow patients to possess up to 4 ounces of cannabis, place a 4% excise tax on gross receipts for products sold by dispensaries, and require dispensaries to be 1,000 feet from private or public schools, Cannabis Business Times reported . Joe Evans, Kind Idaho treasurer, told KTVB7 the group is working to ensure it makes cannabis available in Idaho while educating patients on responsible use. “When it comes to patient advocacy, seeing medical marijuana, which is a successful, nonlethal pain management program that is nearly impossible to overdose on, is one of those options that many are looking for simply because they don’t want to have to carry around the significant number of prescriptions, pain management, oxycodone, you know, opiates,” Evans told the news outlet. Idaho is one of 12 states that have yet to legalize cannabis for medical use despite previous efforts to put a medical cannabis initiative before voters. In 2021, Kind Idaho was working to place a similar initiative , the Idaho Medical Marijuana Act for 2022 (IMMA) , on the state’s 2022 ballot but failed to gather enough signatures ; 64,945 signatures were required. The group is working to build a solid social media presence and plans to host several events across Treasure Valley, a valley in southwestern Idaho that “includes all the lowland areas from Vale in rural eastern Oregon to Boise, and is the most populated area in Idaho,” to collect signatures, the news outlet reported. Moreover, the advocacy group wants to give individuals who sign the petition the opportunity to ask detailed questions about the measure, KTVB7 reported. “We want the opportunity for Idaho residents to succeed on their own terms. And for many of those people on their own terms, the best solution is medical marijuana,” Evans said. Regulators in Arkansas have revoked a medical cannabis cultivation license following a court ruling earlier this month. Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission Director Doralee Chandler revoked the license, which belonged to Fort Smith-based River Valley Relief, in a procedural action Nov. 28, according to a local KUAR report . The action comes after Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Herb Wright issued a ruling Nov. 3 that upholds a claim by 2600 Holdings that regulators granted the license in error in July 2020, the news outlet reported. 2600 Holdings filed the lawsuit in January 2021, asking the court to disqualify River Valley Relief and instead grant the license to 2600 or offer another form of relief under the Arkansas Administrative Procedures Act, according to KUAR . 2600 argued that the Medical Marijuana Commission unlawfully issued the cultivation license to Storm Nolan, River Valley Relief’s owner, during the state’s second round of cultivation licensing, the news outlet reported. RELATED: Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission Releases Additional Cultivation and Dispensary Licenses The plaintiff alleged that granting Nolan the license was illegal because the incorporation in Nolan’s first application was no longer valid, according to KUAR . In addition, 2600 claimed that Nolan’s proposed cultivation site was too close to the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center, violating a provision in Arkansas’ medical cannabis law that requires the operations to be at least 3,000 feet away from a school, church or daycare, the news outlet reported. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which houses the Medical Marijuana Commission, filed a 36-page rebuttal, according to KUAR , while Wright blocked Nolan from participating in the case. Wright said in his ruling that 2600 proved it should be provided relief and that regulators acted outside their authority when they issued River Valley Relief a medical cannabis cultivation license, the news outlet reported. At the Nov. 28 hearing, where Chandler revoked River Valley Relief’s license, Nolan and his attorney, Matthew Horan, claimed that while the original location for the cultivation facility was within 2,400 feet of the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center, there is no evidence to suggest that the facility is operated by a public school, KUAR reported. Horan added that the Arkansas Department of Education issued a letter stating that the detention center was not a school, according to the news outlet. River Valley Relief has appealed the ruling to the Arkansas Supreme Court, KUAR reported. Minnesota’s list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis will soon grow to 19. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) will be able to access the state’s licensed industry beginning Aug. 1, 2023, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced Nov. 30. A full list of the state’s qualifying conditions can be viewed here . “We are adding the new qualifying conditions to allow patients more therapy options for conditions that can be debilitating,” Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said in a news release . IBS is a disorder characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort, and irregular bowel movements that can result in diarrhea, constipation or bloating, according to MDH. And OCD is characterized by recurring, intrusive thoughts that often cause significant emotional distress and anxiety that can lead to behaviors that an affected person feels compelled to perform to reduce that distress. “Research has shown that people who suffer from these conditions can see benefits from using medical cannabis to treat their symptoms,” the release states. While MDH approved IBS and OCD as qualifying conditions through the state’s formal petition process, department officials rejected petitions to add gastroparesis and opioid-use disorder. “Gastroparesis, or delayed gastric emptying, was not approved as a qualifying medical [condition] because research indicates that cannabis can make the condition worse,” the release states. “As for opioid-use disorder, MDH heard from medical and mental health providers who recommended against approving opioid-use disorder as a qualifying medical condition due to lack of evidence for its effectiveness and the availability of FDA-approved medications for treatment.” When former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed medical cannabis legalization legislation into law in May 2014, there were nine qualifying conditions and patients access to cannabis was limited to the form of pills, oils or vaporizers. Since then, MDH has approved an additional 10 qualifying conditions, and the state Legislature voted in 2021 to expand the law to allow patients to smoke flower , a change that went into effect in March 2022. While MDH officials accept petitions for new delivery methods—such as smokable flower—each year, they did not receive any in 2022. Last year, the department approved infused edibles, which patients began accessing in August. Under state rules, patients certified for the two new qualifying medical conditions will become eligible to enroll in the state’s medical cannabis program on July 1, 2023. More information on how to become a medical cannabis patient in Minnesota is available on the MDH website . The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act seven times, while the Senate has yet to take up the bill, which would allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. Now, the Independent Community Bankers Association (ICBA) , along with 44 affiliated state associations, are calling for Senate action on the legislation. The associations submitted a letter to Senate leaders Nov. 28 to urge them to calendar the legislation for a floor vote before the year is out. “On behalf of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), the undersigned state banking associations, and the thousands of community banks we represent, we write to ask you to schedule floor consideration of the SAFE Banking Act before year-end 2022 as a stand-alone bill or an amendment to another bill,” association members wrote in the letter. “This legislation enjoys strong, bipartisan support, would resolve a conflict between state and federal law, and addresses a critical public safety concern. We urge its enactment without further delay.” RELATED: US Senator Urges Senate to Approve SAFE Banking Act During Banking Hearing Sponsored in the House by Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., the SAFE Banking Act has amassed 180 cosponsors in that chamber, where it most recently passed in July as an amendment to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation is sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in the Senate, where it has gained 42 cosponsors . The SAFE Banking Act would protect financial institutions that provide services to state-legal cannabis-related businesses, as well as the ancillary businesses that serve the industry, from federal sanctions. “The SAFE Banking Act is essential for the ongoing ability of community banks to effectively serve their communities,” the ICBA and its affiliated associations wrote in the letter. “The Act would also alleviate the significant threat to public safety posed by cash intensive [cannabis-related businesses] (CRBs) effectively being shut out of the banking industry.” An ICBA poll released in September revealed that 65% of voters support cannabis banking reform. Los Angeles, CA - November 30, 2022 - Gregory Fink has been named chief financial officer of Shryne Group, Inc . As CFO, Fink is responsible for streamlining operations to maximize profitability as Shryne Group continues to build one of America’s leading cannabis companies. Fink joins Shryne Group after more than 30 years in finance across various industries. He most recently served as the chief financial officer, treasurer, and chief accounting officer of comScore, Inc. At comScore, he provided the executive leadership team and board of directors with key financial strategy, improvements in profitability, and building business partnerships with leading global banks. Additionally, he helped lead the reestablishment of SEC compliance and relisting with the Nasdaq stock exchange. \\\"Shryne Group is one of the most exciting companies in the fast-maturing cannabis industry,\\\" said Fink. “Providing a strategic view as well as financial and operational discipline to the organization will allow the company to accelerate its growth further while maintaining financial stability, governance and compliance.” Prior to comScore, Inc., Fink served as the SVP - controller and chief accounting officer of Fannie Mae, where he was responsible for the majority of the corporate finance and accounting operations, overseeing more than 600 individuals. Before Fannie Mae, he revamped MCI Communication’s financial reporting and technical accounting department leading up to its acquisition by Verizon. Fink was also previously at Deloitte and is a CPA.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/11/30/Untitleddesign-2022-11-30T140531348.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"political action committee Kind Idaho must collect at least 74,000 signatures by April 2024 for the initiative to qualify for the 2024 ballot. the 2024 initiative would allow patients to possess up to 4 ounces of cannabis, place a 4% excise tax on gross receipts for products sold by dispensaries, and require dispensaries to be 1,000 feet from private or public schools.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"KTVB7\",\n \"Idaho\",\n \"Treasure Valley\",\n \"Vale\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Boise\",\n \"Arkansas\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center\",\n \"Minnesota\",\n \"US\",\n \"Los Angeles\",\n \"Fink\",\n \"America\",\n \"Inc.\",\n \"Verizon\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The Idaho Medical Marijuana Act\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"the Idaho Medical Marijuana Act\",\n \"IMMA\",\n \"Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"River Valley Relief\",\n \"Pulaski County Circuit Court\",\n \"2600 Holdings\",\n \"the Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"Storm Nolan\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration\",\n \"the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center\",\n \"KUAR\",\n \"the Arkansas Department of Education\",\n \"the Arkansas Supreme Court\",\n \"OCD\",\n \"the Minnesota Department of Health\",\n \"MDH\",\n \"IBS\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"Legislature\",\n \"The U.S. House of Representatives\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the Independent Community Bankers Association\",\n \"the Independent Community Bankers of America\",\n \"House\",\n \"D-Colo.\",\n \"D-Ore.\",\n \"Shryne Group\",\n \"Inc\",\n \"CFO\",\n \"comScore, Inc.\",\n \"SEC\",\n \"SVP\",\n \"Fannie Mae\",\n \"MCI Communication’s\",\n \"Deloitte\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Kind Idaho\",\n \"Joe Evans\",\n \"Doralee Chandler\",\n \"Herb Wright\",\n \"Dispensary Licenses\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"Wright\",\n \"Chandler\",\n \"Matthew Horan\",\n \"Malcolm\",\n \"Mark Dayton\",\n \"Urges Senate\",\n \"Ed Perlmutter\",\n \"Jeff Merkley\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.49,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.8941693902015686\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cc0e49a970334120936\",\n \"title\": \"Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission Revokes Cultivation License\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/arkansas-medical-marijuana-commission-revokes-cultivation-license.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"A Nov. 3 court ruling upheld a claim that regulators incorrectly issued the license to Fort Smith-based River Valley Relief in 2020.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-11-30T19:03:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Regulators in Arkansas have revoked a medical cannabis cultivation license following a court ruling earlier this month. Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission Director Doralee Chandler revoked the license, which belonged to Fort Smith-based River Valley Relief, in a procedural action Nov. 28, according to a local KUAR report . The action comes after Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Herb Wright issued a ruling Nov. 3 that upholds a claim by 2600 Holdings that regulators granted the license in error in July 2020, the news outlet reported. 2600 Holdings filed the lawsuit in January 2021, asking the court to disqualify River Valley Relief and instead grant the license to 2600 or offer another form of relief under the Arkansas Administrative Procedures Act, according to KUAR . 2600 argued that the Medical Marijuana Commission unlawfully issued the cultivation license to Storm Nolan, River Valley Relief’s owner, during the state’s second round of cultivation licensing, the news outlet reported. RELATED: Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission Releases Additional Cultivation and Dispensary Licenses The plaintiff alleged that granting Nolan the license was illegal because the incorporation in Nolan’s first application was no longer valid, according to KUAR . In addition, 2600 claimed that Nolan’s proposed cultivation site was too close to the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center, violating a provision in Arkansas’ medical cannabis law that requires the operations to be at least 3,000 feet away from a school, church or daycare, the news outlet reported. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which houses the Medical Marijuana Commission, filed a 36-page rebuttal, according to KUAR , while Wright blocked Nolan from participating in the case. Wright said in his ruling that 2600 proved it should be provided relief and that regulators acted outside their authority when they issued River Valley Relief a medical cannabis cultivation license, the news outlet reported. At the Nov. 28 hearing, where Chandler revoked River Valley Relief’s license, Nolan and his attorney, Matthew Horan, claimed that while the original location for the cultivation facility was within 2,400 feet of the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center, there is no evidence to suggest that the facility is operated by a public school, KUAR reported. Horan added that the Arkansas Department of Education issued a letter stating that the detention center was not a school, according to the news outlet. River Valley Relief has appealed the ruling to the Arkansas Supreme Court, KUAR reported. Minnesota’s list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis will soon grow to 19. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) will be able to access the state’s licensed industry beginning Aug. 1, 2023, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced Nov. 30. A full list of the state’s qualifying conditions can be viewed here . “We are adding the new qualifying conditions to allow patients more therapy options for conditions that can be debilitating,” Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said in a news release . IBS is a disorder characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort, and irregular bowel movements that can result in diarrhea, constipation or bloating, according to MDH. And OCD is characterized by recurring, intrusive thoughts that often cause significant emotional distress and anxiety that can lead to behaviors that an affected person feels compelled to perform to reduce that distress. “Research has shown that people who suffer from these conditions can see benefits from using medical cannabis to treat their symptoms,” the release states. While MDH approved IBS and OCD as qualifying conditions through the state’s formal petition process, department officials rejected petitions to add gastroparesis and opioid-use disorder. “Gastroparesis, or delayed gastric emptying, was not approved as a qualifying medical [condition] because research indicates that cannabis can make the condition worse,” the release states. “As for opioid-use disorder, MDH heard from medical and mental health providers who recommended against approving opioid-use disorder as a qualifying medical condition due to lack of evidence for its effectiveness and the availability of FDA-approved medications for treatment.” When former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed medical cannabis legalization legislation into law in May 2014, there were nine qualifying conditions and patients access to cannabis was limited to the form of pills, oils or vaporizers. Since then, MDH has approved an additional 10 qualifying conditions, and the state Legislature voted in 2021 to expand the law to allow patients to smoke flower , a change that went into effect in March 2022. While MDH officials accept petitions for new delivery methods—such as smokable flower—each year, they did not receive any in 2022. Last year, the department approved infused edibles, which patients began accessing in August. Under state rules, patients certified for the two new qualifying medical conditions will become eligible to enroll in the state’s medical cannabis program on July 1, 2023. More information on how to become a medical cannabis patient in Minnesota is available on the MDH website . The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act seven times, while the Senate has yet to take up the bill, which would allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. Now, the Independent Community Bankers Association (ICBA) , along with 44 affiliated state associations, are calling for Senate action on the legislation. The associations submitted a letter to Senate leaders Nov. 28 to urge them to calendar the legislation for a floor vote before the year is out. “On behalf of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), the undersigned state banking associations, and the thousands of community banks we represent, we write to ask you to schedule floor consideration of the SAFE Banking Act before year-end 2022 as a stand-alone bill or an amendment to another bill,” association members wrote in the letter. “This legislation enjoys strong, bipartisan support, would resolve a conflict between state and federal law, and addresses a critical public safety concern. We urge its enactment without further delay.” RELATED: US Senator Urges Senate to Approve SAFE Banking Act During Banking Hearing Sponsored in the House by Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., the SAFE Banking Act has amassed 180 cosponsors in that chamber, where it most recently passed in July as an amendment to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation is sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in the Senate, where it has gained 42 cosponsors . The SAFE Banking Act would protect financial institutions that provide services to state-legal cannabis-related businesses, as well as the ancillary businesses that serve the industry, from federal sanctions. “The SAFE Banking Act is essential for the ongoing ability of community banks to effectively serve their communities,” the ICBA and its affiliated associations wrote in the letter. “The Act would also alleviate the significant threat to public safety posed by cash intensive [cannabis-related businesses] (CRBs) effectively being shut out of the banking industry.” An ICBA poll released in September revealed that 65% of voters support cannabis banking reform. Los Angeles, CA - November 30, 2022 - Gregory Fink has been named chief financial officer of Shryne Group, Inc . As CFO, Fink is responsible for streamlining operations to maximize profitability as Shryne Group continues to build one of America’s leading cannabis companies. Fink joins Shryne Group after more than 30 years in finance across various industries. He most recently served as the chief financial officer, treasurer, and chief accounting officer of comScore, Inc. At comScore, he provided the executive leadership team and board of directors with key financial strategy, improvements in profitability, and building business partnerships with leading global banks. Additionally, he helped lead the reestablishment of SEC compliance and relisting with the Nasdaq stock exchange. \\\"Shryne Group is one of the most exciting companies in the fast-maturing cannabis industry,\\\" said Fink. “Providing a strategic view as well as financial and operational discipline to the organization will allow the company to accelerate its growth further while maintaining financial stability, governance and compliance.” Prior to comScore, Inc., Fink served as the SVP - controller and chief accounting officer of Fannie Mae, where he was responsible for the majority of the corporate finance and accounting operations, overseeing more than 600 individuals. Before Fannie Mae, he revamped MCI Communication’s financial reporting and technical accounting department leading up to its acquisition by Verizon. Fink was also previously at Deloitte and is a CPA. Editor’s note: Cannabis Business Times ’ November cover story examined the prevalence and problems of lab shopping and potency inflation in the cannabis industry. As part of that coverage, CBT asked Florida-based ACS Laboratory , which tests the state’s medical cannabis and tests hemp in 50 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries, more about what cannabis potency testing involves. Here, Roger Brown, founder and president of ACS Laboratory, delves into the process of how the company tests cannabis for THC potency. If you work for a cannabis or hemp testing lab, refer to your state’s testing regulations to ensure compliance. Figure 1. Step 1: Flower is ground and placed in a sterile cup for weighing and prep. Step 2: Sample is weighed and placed in a glass vial. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 1 Figure 2. Step 3: Solution is added, and the vial is sealed. Then the sample vial goes to a grinder for flower or a vortexer for derivatives. A grinder is specifically designed for vigorous up and down shaking to facilitate even distribution of the material. Vortexers or vortex mixers are a critical piece of laboratory equipment used to mix small vials of samples rapidly in a quickly oscillating circular motion. There are specific types of suspension that can only be done by creating a vortex, rather than just shaking a sample. For instance, a vortex mixer is able to mix viscous samples that would otherwise stay unblended. If you need to mix oil and water, a vortex mixer is the equipment you want to get the job done right. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 2 Step 4: For both flower and derivatives, the sample goes to a sonicator . Sonicators use ultrasonic frequency to help mix or dissolve samples during preparation. Step 5: After sonicating samples, samples are placed back in the vortexer to make sure analytes , or the cannabinoids being tested, are not stuck in the bottom or trapped inside. Step 6: Flower and derivatives go to a centrifuge. Centrifuges allow labs to separate samples quickly and accurately to maximize the efficiency of cannabis testing. A centrifuge is used to separate particles suspended in a liquid according to particle size and density, viscosity of the medium, and rotor speed. Within a solution, gravitational force will cause particles of higher density than the solvent to sink, and those less dense than the solvent to float to the top. Figure 3. Step 7: A potency dilution is made according to the testing panel requested and/or target range of values. Dilution, which makes a high-concentrated solution into a less concentrated solution, is a sample preparation step. Samples are diluted with diluent to the calibration range that instruments are validated for. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 3 Figure 4. Step 8: Liquid chromatography instrumentation is used for analytical testing. The lab creates a batch file , which is a sequence file containing information about samples, such as weight, dilution and identification; as well as quality controls such as the standards curve; and the curves’ positions for instruments that the lab uses. The vials/plates for the batch are then loaded onto instruments like the high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (LCUV) or liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LCMS). Step 9: The data is processed, the components of the sample go through the process of chromatography to separate them so the individual components, i.e. individual cannabinoids, can be measured and analyzed. The presence and amount of the targeted cannabinoid’s concentration is then identified and measured using a calibration curve. Below is an example of chromatography of a potency assay, which details the ratios and presence of active cannabinoids against a certified reference material . Certified reference materials (CRMs) are controls or standards used to check the quality and metrological traceability of products, to validate analytical measurement methods, or for the calibration of instruments. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 4 Figure 5. Step 10: A certificate of analysis (COA) is produced and verified by a trained quality control personnel before its release to clients. A sample COA: Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 5 Roger Brown co-founded the first cannabis testing lab in Florida, ACS Laboratory. ACS Laboratory is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited, DEA licensed, and CLIA licensed with the largest state-of-the-art facility in the eastern USA. The Most Trusted Cannabis and Hemp Laboratory in the USA™, ACS Laboratory has increased its reach to 50 states and Puerto Rico, and 16 countries worldwide.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/11/30/ArkansasFlag-AdobeStock-Credit-Lulla-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Arkansas medical marijuana commission director Doralee Chandler revoked the license, which belonged to River Valley Relief, in a procedural action. the action comes after Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Herb Wright issued a ruling that upholds a claim by 2600 Holdings that regulators granted the license in error in July 2020. 2600 argued that the medical marijuana commission unlawfully issued the cultivation license to Storm Nolan, River Valley Relief’s owner, during the state’s second round of cultivation\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Arkansas\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center\",\n \"Minnesota\",\n \"US\",\n \"Los Angeles\",\n \"Fink\",\n \"America\",\n \"Inc.\",\n \"Verizon\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Puerto Rico\",\n \"USA\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"River Valley Relief\",\n \"Pulaski County Circuit Court\",\n \"2600 Holdings\",\n \"the Medical Marijuana Commission\",\n \"Storm Nolan\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration\",\n \"the Sebastian County Juvenile Detention Center\",\n \"KUAR\",\n \"the Arkansas Department of Education\",\n \"the Arkansas Supreme Court\",\n \"OCD\",\n \"the Minnesota Department of Health\",\n \"MDH\",\n \"IBS\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"Legislature\",\n \"The U.S. House of Representatives\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the Independent Community Bankers Association\",\n \"the Independent Community Bankers of America\",\n \"House\",\n \"D-Colo.\",\n \"D-Ore.\",\n \"Shryne Group\",\n \"Inc\",\n \"CFO\",\n \"comScore, Inc.\",\n \"SEC\",\n \"SVP\",\n \"Fannie Mae\",\n \"MCI Communication’s\",\n \"Deloitte\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"ACS Laboratory\",\n \"THC\",\n \"ACS Laboratory Figure\",\n \"COA\",\n \"ISO\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"Hemp Laboratory\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Doralee Chandler\",\n \"Herb Wright\",\n \"Dispensary Licenses\",\n \"Nolan\",\n \"Wright\",\n \"Chandler\",\n \"Matthew Horan\",\n \"Malcolm\",\n \"Mark Dayton\",\n \"Urges Senate\",\n \"Ed Perlmutter\",\n \"Jeff Merkley\",\n \"Roger Brown\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.44,\n \"sentiment\": \"negative\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.7963780760765076\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cc1e49a970334120937\",\n \"title\": \"Minnesota Adds 2 Qualifying Conditions for Medical Cannabis\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/minnesota-two-new-qualifying-conditions-cannabis.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The expanded access to medical cannabis will include patients with irritable bowel syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder.\",\n \"author\": \"Tony Lange\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-11-30T18:55:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Minnesota’s list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis will soon grow to 19. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) will be able to access the state’s licensed industry beginning Aug. 1, 2023, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced Nov. 30. A full list of the state’s qualifying conditions can be viewed here . “We are adding the new qualifying conditions to allow patients more therapy options for conditions that can be debilitating,” Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said in a news release . IBS is a disorder characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort, and irregular bowel movements that can result in diarrhea, constipation or bloating, according to MDH. And OCD is characterized by recurring, intrusive thoughts that often cause significant emotional distress and anxiety that can lead to behaviors that an affected person feels compelled to perform to reduce that distress. “Research has shown that people who suffer from these conditions can see benefits from using medical cannabis to treat their symptoms,” the release states. While MDH approved IBS and OCD as qualifying conditions through the state’s formal petition process, department officials rejected petitions to add gastroparesis and opioid-use disorder. “Gastroparesis, or delayed gastric emptying, was not approved as a qualifying medical [condition] because research indicates that cannabis can make the condition worse,” the release states. “As for opioid-use disorder, MDH heard from medical and mental health providers who recommended against approving opioid-use disorder as a qualifying medical condition due to lack of evidence for its effectiveness and the availability of FDA-approved medications for treatment.” When former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed medical cannabis legalization legislation into law in May 2014, there were nine qualifying conditions and patients access to cannabis was limited to the form of pills, oils or vaporizers. Since then, MDH has approved an additional 10 qualifying conditions, and the state Legislature voted in 2021 to expand the law to allow patients to smoke flower , a change that went into effect in March 2022. While MDH officials accept petitions for new delivery methods—such as smokable flower—each year, they did not receive any in 2022. Last year, the department approved infused edibles, which patients began accessing in August. Under state rules, patients certified for the two new qualifying medical conditions will become eligible to enroll in the state’s medical cannabis program on July 1, 2023. More information on how to become a medical cannabis patient in Minnesota is available on the MDH website . The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act seven times, while the Senate has yet to take up the bill, which would allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. Now, the Independent Community Bankers Association (ICBA) , along with 44 affiliated state associations, are calling for Senate action on the legislation. The associations submitted a letter to Senate leaders Nov. 28 to urge them to calendar the legislation for a floor vote before the year is out. “On behalf of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), the undersigned state banking associations, and the thousands of community banks we represent, we write to ask you to schedule floor consideration of the SAFE Banking Act before year-end 2022 as a stand-alone bill or an amendment to another bill,” association members wrote in the letter. “This legislation enjoys strong, bipartisan support, would resolve a conflict between state and federal law, and addresses a critical public safety concern. We urge its enactment without further delay.” RELATED: US Senator Urges Senate to Approve SAFE Banking Act During Banking Hearing Sponsored in the House by Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., the SAFE Banking Act has amassed 180 cosponsors in that chamber, where it most recently passed in July as an amendment to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation is sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in the Senate, where it has gained 42 cosponsors . The SAFE Banking Act would protect financial institutions that provide services to state-legal cannabis-related businesses, as well as the ancillary businesses that serve the industry, from federal sanctions. “The SAFE Banking Act is essential for the ongoing ability of community banks to effectively serve their communities,” the ICBA and its affiliated associations wrote in the letter. “The Act would also alleviate the significant threat to public safety posed by cash intensive [cannabis-related businesses] (CRBs) effectively being shut out of the banking industry.” An ICBA poll released in September revealed that 65% of voters support cannabis banking reform. Los Angeles, CA - November 30, 2022 - Gregory Fink has been named chief financial officer of Shryne Group, Inc . As CFO, Fink is responsible for streamlining operations to maximize profitability as Shryne Group continues to build one of America’s leading cannabis companies. Fink joins Shryne Group after more than 30 years in finance across various industries. He most recently served as the chief financial officer, treasurer, and chief accounting officer of comScore, Inc. At comScore, he provided the executive leadership team and board of directors with key financial strategy, improvements in profitability, and building business partnerships with leading global banks. Additionally, he helped lead the reestablishment of SEC compliance and relisting with the Nasdaq stock exchange. \\\"Shryne Group is one of the most exciting companies in the fast-maturing cannabis industry,\\\" said Fink. “Providing a strategic view as well as financial and operational discipline to the organization will allow the company to accelerate its growth further while maintaining financial stability, governance and compliance.” Prior to comScore, Inc., Fink served as the SVP - controller and chief accounting officer of Fannie Mae, where he was responsible for the majority of the corporate finance and accounting operations, overseeing more than 600 individuals. Before Fannie Mae, he revamped MCI Communication’s financial reporting and technical accounting department leading up to its acquisition by Verizon. Fink was also previously at Deloitte and is a CPA. Editor’s note: Cannabis Business Times ’ November cover story examined the prevalence and problems of lab shopping and potency inflation in the cannabis industry. As part of that coverage, CBT asked Florida-based ACS Laboratory , which tests the state’s medical cannabis and tests hemp in 50 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries, more about what cannabis potency testing involves. Here, Roger Brown, founder and president of ACS Laboratory, delves into the process of how the company tests cannabis for THC potency. If you work for a cannabis or hemp testing lab, refer to your state’s testing regulations to ensure compliance. Figure 1. Step 1: Flower is ground and placed in a sterile cup for weighing and prep. Step 2: Sample is weighed and placed in a glass vial. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 1 Figure 2. Step 3: Solution is added, and the vial is sealed. Then the sample vial goes to a grinder for flower or a vortexer for derivatives. A grinder is specifically designed for vigorous up and down shaking to facilitate even distribution of the material. Vortexers or vortex mixers are a critical piece of laboratory equipment used to mix small vials of samples rapidly in a quickly oscillating circular motion. There are specific types of suspension that can only be done by creating a vortex, rather than just shaking a sample. For instance, a vortex mixer is able to mix viscous samples that would otherwise stay unblended. If you need to mix oil and water, a vortex mixer is the equipment you want to get the job done right. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 2 Step 4: For both flower and derivatives, the sample goes to a sonicator . Sonicators use ultrasonic frequency to help mix or dissolve samples during preparation. Step 5: After sonicating samples, samples are placed back in the vortexer to make sure analytes , or the cannabinoids being tested, are not stuck in the bottom or trapped inside. Step 6: Flower and derivatives go to a centrifuge. Centrifuges allow labs to separate samples quickly and accurately to maximize the efficiency of cannabis testing. A centrifuge is used to separate particles suspended in a liquid according to particle size and density, viscosity of the medium, and rotor speed. Within a solution, gravitational force will cause particles of higher density than the solvent to sink, and those less dense than the solvent to float to the top. Figure 3. Step 7: A potency dilution is made according to the testing panel requested and/or target range of values. Dilution, which makes a high-concentrated solution into a less concentrated solution, is a sample preparation step. Samples are diluted with diluent to the calibration range that instruments are validated for. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 3 Figure 4. Step 8: Liquid chromatography instrumentation is used for analytical testing. The lab creates a batch file , which is a sequence file containing information about samples, such as weight, dilution and identification; as well as quality controls such as the standards curve; and the curves’ positions for instruments that the lab uses. The vials/plates for the batch are then loaded onto instruments like the high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (LCUV) or liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LCMS). Step 9: The data is processed, the components of the sample go through the process of chromatography to separate them so the individual components, i.e. individual cannabinoids, can be measured and analyzed. The presence and amount of the targeted cannabinoid’s concentration is then identified and measured using a calibration curve. Below is an example of chromatography of a potency assay, which details the ratios and presence of active cannabinoids against a certified reference material . Certified reference materials (CRMs) are controls or standards used to check the quality and metrological traceability of products, to validate analytical measurement methods, or for the calibration of instruments. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 4 Figure 5. Step 10: A certificate of analysis (COA) is produced and verified by a trained quality control personnel before its release to clients. A sample COA: Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 5 Roger Brown co-founded the first cannabis testing lab in Florida, ACS Laboratory. ACS Laboratory is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited, DEA licensed, and CLIA licensed with the largest state-of-the-art facility in the eastern USA. The Most Trusted Cannabis and Hemp Laboratory in the USA™, ACS Laboratory has increased its reach to 50 states and Puerto Rico, and 16 countries worldwide. It’s nearly 2023, and by now, almost everyone you know is well-versed in digital communication and socialization platforms – be it video conferencing, social media, or the related. And as ‘Metaverse’ becomes an increasingly common part of our cultural lexicon, Highsman is planting its flag in the virtual reality landscape by creating Highsman House. Radbill Highsman House is a community-focused virtual consumption lounge that features a dispensary and merchandise shop, a full-sized football field, a swimming pool, games, and more. The platform is accessible through Oculus or a computer and was designed in partnership with Rocket City, a technology company focused on Metaverse and NFT experiences. The purpose of Highsman House, according to Highsman Chief Marketing Officer Lane Radbill, is to utilize modern technology to foster a cannabis community while educating consumers and building brand awareness. Visitors are even welcome to participate in virtual smoke sessions with other community members, including Highsman Founder and President Ricky Williams and other company executives. RELATED: From Heisman Winner to Highsman Owner Highsman, which launched operations in 2021, started building its Highsman House at the beginning of this year and hosted its first virtual community event, a Monday Night Football watch party, in September. “The first conversation is very surface level. They're like, ‘Holy shit, I'm talking to Ricky Williams,’” Radbill says. “And then the second time they come back, they come back with [specific] questions and you see it start to happen; the curiosity is being fostered. That's a long road of education, but it seems to be working.” Educational Experience Picture this: You virtually arrive at Highsman House and are greeted with your choice of cannabis consumption, be it a joint, blunt or bong. From there, you can visit the dispensary bar to learn more about and interact with Highsman products; engage in virtual smoke sessions with other community members; participate in community games or competitions, such as cornhole or football; or simply just hang out and enjoy the community aspect from the comfort of your own home. © Highsman The Highsman House features a full-size football field and other entertainment options for community games and socialization. “I was in there for the Cowboys game a couple of weeks ago, and you walk in and there's big screen TVs and you can even pick up a joint,” Williams says. “I was out on my patio, and I had a real joint in my hand, and [as] I was watching the game, I'm looking around with my Oculus and I'm in a lounge [with] people around talking, and it was trippy. I really couldn't tell that I wasn't actually in the lounge. We’re moving to create that [experience] in the three-dimensional world, but to have it in the Meta where people in their own home can experience our brand and what we’re putting out into the world is exciting.” Radbill says the Highsman House allows the company to create consistent experiences for consumers in adult-use and/or medical markets. . For example, Highsman debuted its brand in Pennsylvania , a medical-only cannabis state, earlier this fall. While the Pennsylvania market offers new opportunities for Highsman, it also creates new challenges for the company to market itself and educate consumers. “Pennsylvania being our only medical state right now that we're operating in, from a marketing perspective, it's much more difficult,” Radbill says. “There's a lot more red tape with our direct-to-consumer or B2C (business to consumer) marketing assets [and] the way we speak about the brand. Even when doing activations at dispensaries, you have to do them outside in the parking lot; you can't have anybody inside the dispensary. … So, what are we going to do? Ask people to get bundled up and stand in a parking lot underneath a popup tent and say, ‘Yeah, this is the Highsman experience,’?” As a solution, the Highsman House provides a “dream space,” Radbill says, for Highsman to circumvent each state’s varying regulations and duplicate brand experiences across markets. But even then, challenges persist. Properly educating cannabis consumers, both new and experienced, is a continuous pursuit, and Radbill says industry terms such as “cannabinoids” and “terpenes” can often be confusing jargon for consumers. Highsman, by utilizing the Highsman House, is able to simplify the cannabis education process by leaning into its athlete-inspired brand story, according to Radbill. RELATED: The Intersection of Cannabis and Sports: Q&A with Highsman CEO Eric Hammond “If you're trying to go after the masses, that messaging is often too heavy for them,” Radbill says. “What does resonate is if it's good enough for professional athletes, it's probably good enough for me. … If we can get people to buy into Highsman, whether it's for the community, the products, the lifestyle, [etc], that's the beginning of that education process.” As part of that virtual educational experience, Highsman House visitors can interact with Highsman products to learn more about cannabis’s unique properties, including THC percentage, cannabinoid content, terpene levels, and more. “It’s a tool to help educate cannabis consumers,” Radbill says. “An example of that is to have more 3D renders of our flower, for example, that you could come in and you could grab it and you can zoom in on it [and] see the trichomes. You can click a trichome and an infographic will pop up and it'll give you more information about what's going on there.” Radbill adds that Highsman is working towards providing a direct-to-consumer platform where consumers can interact with Highsman products in the Metaverse before purchasing them in reality. Beyond educating just consumers, Radbill says Highsman House can also serve as a teaching tool for budtenders and industry stakeholders to learn about cannabis and Highsman products, specifically. “Our vision is to have that evolve into being a training environment for budtenders and for salespeople,” Radbill says. “I've seen this recently with surgeon training for doctors, where they can take the human body and they can study anatomy and they can remove organs, and then they can see what happens. And I thought, why not do that with marijuana?” Furthermore, Radbill emphasizes the importance of touch and feel – even if just virtually – when it comes to educating both consumers and budtenders about cannabis. “I remember being a kid, you pick up everything and you taste it, and you play with it, and that's how you learn,” Radbill says. “As adults, we're children with marijuana. If you take time to play with it, I think that relationship is made stronger, and then your curiosity develops and then you start realizing this isn't all about THC percentage, this is also about terpenes, and terpenes are cool because I had this experience with it and I can feel that.” Walking the Walk The Highsman House also helps Highsman distinguish itself from other cannabis brands, particularly celebrity or athlete brands in the space, according to Radbill. Williams “Lots of brands that call themselves a ‘lifestyle brand’ talk about community a lot,” Radbill says. “Basically, we’re doing what we’re saying we’re doing when it comes to community building, and that’s where I think we set ourselves apart. We’re not creating these superficial platforms to get followers and put junk up there. This is all about being able to have conversations and touch people.” When building Highsman House, Radbill says the company took note of similar technology platforms that allow for direct access to celebrities, such as Cameo, and implemented accessibility and transparency as defining elements of Highsman House and the Highsman brand as a whole. In addition to Highsman House, the company regularly conducts meet-and-greets with Williams in dispensaries across the country and hosts weekly hangouts on Discord, a voice, video and text social messaging platform, to further connect with the industry. “We're a celebrity cannabis brand, but our founder, Ricky Williams, is not your typical celebrity. He is as authentic as it gets, he is as OG as it gets, and he’s been preaching about [cannabis] prior to its popularity,” Radbill says. “Ricky would much rather spend his time on these Discords, in the Metaverse, or in person talking to budtenders and customers than he would be in front of 50,000 to 100,000 people all clapping for him. It’s about that small, grassroots, one-on-one interaction that people don't believe they're ever going to get.” And given that cannabis is a social elixir of sorts, it only makes sense that Highsman House has an open-door policy. “It’s about the people,” Radbill says. “So yeah, we built this house, but it's no good unless the people are there. It's no fun unless the people are there, and it keeps growing because every time we have one, more people come. And when they come in there, we're not preaching the brand. We're not trying to sell things in there. Yeah, you can do that if you want, but it's not about that.” New visitors are always welcome, and those interested in virtually visiting the Highsman House can learn more at Highsman’s website or via the company’s social media. The company’s most recent event was a Nov. 7 Monday Night Football watch party, but rest assured that more virtual experiences from Highsman are on the way. “We’re building a community with Highsman House, so please bring your authentic self, energy, positive vibes and idealism,” Williams says. “Through the Metaverse, we continue driving societal evolution forward while having fun and making new friends.”\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/11/30/OCDAdobeStock542351750.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) will be able to access the state’s licensed industry beginning Aug. 1, 2023. while MDH approved IBS and OCD as qualifying conditions through the state’s formal petition process, department officials rejected petitions to add gastroparesis and opioid-use disorder.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Minnesota\",\n \"US\",\n \"Los Angeles\",\n \"Fink\",\n \"America\",\n \"Inc.\",\n \"Verizon\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Puerto Rico\",\n \"USA\",\n \"Rocket City\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Highsman\",\n \"Discord\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"OCD\",\n \"the Minnesota Department of Health\",\n \"MDH\",\n \"IBS\",\n \"FDA\",\n \"Legislature\",\n \"The U.S. House of Representatives\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the Independent Community Bankers Association\",\n \"the Independent Community Bankers of America\",\n \"House\",\n \"D-Colo.\",\n \"D-Ore.\",\n \"Shryne Group\",\n \"Inc\",\n \"CFO\",\n \"comScore, Inc.\",\n \"SEC\",\n \"SVP\",\n \"Fannie Mae\",\n \"MCI Communication’s\",\n \"Deloitte\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"ACS Laboratory\",\n \"THC\",\n \"ACS Laboratory Figure\",\n \"COA\",\n \"ISO\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"Hemp Laboratory\",\n \"NFT\",\n \"Cowboys\",\n \"Meta\",\n \"the Highsman House\",\n \"jargon\",\n \"cannabinoid content\",\n \"Radbill\",\n \"Cameo\",\n \"Discords\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Malcolm\",\n \"Mark Dayton\",\n \"Urges Senate\",\n \"Ed Perlmutter\",\n \"Jeff Merkley\",\n \"Roger Brown\",\n \"Highsman\",\n \"Highsman House\",\n \"Radbill Highsman House\",\n \"Oculus\",\n \"Metaverse\",\n \"Highsman Founder\",\n \"Ricky Williams\",\n \"Heisman Winner\",\n \"Highsman The Highsman House\",\n \"Williams\",\n \"Radbill\",\n \"Eric Hammond\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Radbill.\",\n \"Ricky\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.34,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.5604372024536133\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6c9de49a970334120920\",\n \"title\": \"Independent Community Bankers Association, Affiliated State Associations Call on Senate to Pass SAFE Banking Act\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/independent-community-bankers-association-state-associations-call-on-senate-pass-safe-banking-act.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"The ICBA and 44 affiliated state associations submitted a letter to Senate leaders this week, urging them to calendar the legislation for a floor vote.\",\n \"author\": \"Melissa Schiller\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-11-30T17:41:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act seven times, while the Senate has yet to take up the bill, which would allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. Now, the Independent Community Bankers Association (ICBA) , along with 44 affiliated state associations, are calling for Senate action on the legislation. The associations submitted a letter to Senate leaders Nov. 28 to urge them to calendar the legislation for a floor vote before the year is out. “On behalf of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), the undersigned state banking associations, and the thousands of community banks we represent, we write to ask you to schedule floor consideration of the SAFE Banking Act before year-end 2022 as a stand-alone bill or an amendment to another bill,” association members wrote in the letter. “This legislation enjoys strong, bipartisan support, would resolve a conflict between state and federal law, and addresses a critical public safety concern. We urge its enactment without further delay.” RELATED: US Senator Urges Senate to Approve SAFE Banking Act During Banking Hearing Sponsored in the House by Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., the SAFE Banking Act has amassed 180 cosponsors in that chamber, where it most recently passed in July as an amendment to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation is sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in the Senate, where it has gained 42 cosponsors . The SAFE Banking Act would protect financial institutions that provide services to state-legal cannabis-related businesses, as well as the ancillary businesses that serve the industry, from federal sanctions. “The SAFE Banking Act is essential for the ongoing ability of community banks to effectively serve their communities,” the ICBA and its affiliated associations wrote in the letter. “The Act would also alleviate the significant threat to public safety posed by cash intensive [cannabis-related businesses] (CRBs) effectively being shut out of the banking industry.” An ICBA poll released in September revealed that 65% of voters support cannabis banking reform. Los Angeles, CA - November 30, 2022 - Gregory Fink has been named chief financial officer of Shryne Group, Inc . As CFO, Fink is responsible for streamlining operations to maximize profitability as Shryne Group continues to build one of America’s leading cannabis companies. Fink joins Shryne Group after more than 30 years in finance across various industries. He most recently served as the chief financial officer, treasurer, and chief accounting officer of comScore, Inc. At comScore, he provided the executive leadership team and board of directors with key financial strategy, improvements in profitability, and building business partnerships with leading global banks. Additionally, he helped lead the reestablishment of SEC compliance and relisting with the Nasdaq stock exchange. \\\"Shryne Group is one of the most exciting companies in the fast-maturing cannabis industry,\\\" said Fink. “Providing a strategic view as well as financial and operational discipline to the organization will allow the company to accelerate its growth further while maintaining financial stability, governance and compliance.” Prior to comScore, Inc., Fink served as the SVP - controller and chief accounting officer of Fannie Mae, where he was responsible for the majority of the corporate finance and accounting operations, overseeing more than 600 individuals. Before Fannie Mae, he revamped MCI Communication’s financial reporting and technical accounting department leading up to its acquisition by Verizon. Fink was also previously at Deloitte and is a CPA. Editor’s note: Cannabis Business Times ’ November cover story examined the prevalence and problems of lab shopping and potency inflation in the cannabis industry. As part of that coverage, CBT asked Florida-based ACS Laboratory , which tests the state’s medical cannabis and tests hemp in 50 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries, more about what cannabis potency testing involves. Here, Roger Brown, founder and president of ACS Laboratory, delves into the process of how the company tests cannabis for THC potency. If you work for a cannabis or hemp testing lab, refer to your state’s testing regulations to ensure compliance. Figure 1. Step 1: Flower is ground and placed in a sterile cup for weighing and prep. Step 2: Sample is weighed and placed in a glass vial. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 1 Figure 2. Step 3: Solution is added, and the vial is sealed. Then the sample vial goes to a grinder for flower or a vortexer for derivatives. A grinder is specifically designed for vigorous up and down shaking to facilitate even distribution of the material. Vortexers or vortex mixers are a critical piece of laboratory equipment used to mix small vials of samples rapidly in a quickly oscillating circular motion. There are specific types of suspension that can only be done by creating a vortex, rather than just shaking a sample. For instance, a vortex mixer is able to mix viscous samples that would otherwise stay unblended. If you need to mix oil and water, a vortex mixer is the equipment you want to get the job done right. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 2 Step 4: For both flower and derivatives, the sample goes to a sonicator . Sonicators use ultrasonic frequency to help mix or dissolve samples during preparation. Step 5: After sonicating samples, samples are placed back in the vortexer to make sure analytes , or the cannabinoids being tested, are not stuck in the bottom or trapped inside. Step 6: Flower and derivatives go to a centrifuge. Centrifuges allow labs to separate samples quickly and accurately to maximize the efficiency of cannabis testing. A centrifuge is used to separate particles suspended in a liquid according to particle size and density, viscosity of the medium, and rotor speed. Within a solution, gravitational force will cause particles of higher density than the solvent to sink, and those less dense than the solvent to float to the top. Figure 3. Step 7: A potency dilution is made according to the testing panel requested and/or target range of values. Dilution, which makes a high-concentrated solution into a less concentrated solution, is a sample preparation step. Samples are diluted with diluent to the calibration range that instruments are validated for. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 3 Figure 4. Step 8: Liquid chromatography instrumentation is used for analytical testing. The lab creates a batch file , which is a sequence file containing information about samples, such as weight, dilution and identification; as well as quality controls such as the standards curve; and the curves’ positions for instruments that the lab uses. The vials/plates for the batch are then loaded onto instruments like the high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (LCUV) or liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LCMS). Step 9: The data is processed, the components of the sample go through the process of chromatography to separate them so the individual components, i.e. individual cannabinoids, can be measured and analyzed. The presence and amount of the targeted cannabinoid’s concentration is then identified and measured using a calibration curve. Below is an example of chromatography of a potency assay, which details the ratios and presence of active cannabinoids against a certified reference material . Certified reference materials (CRMs) are controls or standards used to check the quality and metrological traceability of products, to validate analytical measurement methods, or for the calibration of instruments. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 4 Figure 5. Step 10: A certificate of analysis (COA) is produced and verified by a trained quality control personnel before its release to clients. A sample COA: Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 5 Roger Brown co-founded the first cannabis testing lab in Florida, ACS Laboratory. ACS Laboratory is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited, DEA licensed, and CLIA licensed with the largest state-of-the-art facility in the eastern USA. The Most Trusted Cannabis and Hemp Laboratory in the USA™, ACS Laboratory has increased its reach to 50 states and Puerto Rico, and 16 countries worldwide. It’s nearly 2023, and by now, almost everyone you know is well-versed in digital communication and socialization platforms – be it video conferencing, social media, or the related. And as ‘Metaverse’ becomes an increasingly common part of our cultural lexicon, Highsman is planting its flag in the virtual reality landscape by creating Highsman House. Radbill Highsman House is a community-focused virtual consumption lounge that features a dispensary and merchandise shop, a full-sized football field, a swimming pool, games, and more. The platform is accessible through Oculus or a computer and was designed in partnership with Rocket City, a technology company focused on Metaverse and NFT experiences. The purpose of Highsman House, according to Highsman Chief Marketing Officer Lane Radbill, is to utilize modern technology to foster a cannabis community while educating consumers and building brand awareness. Visitors are even welcome to participate in virtual smoke sessions with other community members, including Highsman Founder and President Ricky Williams and other company executives. RELATED: From Heisman Winner to Highsman Owner Highsman, which launched operations in 2021, started building its Highsman House at the beginning of this year and hosted its first virtual community event, a Monday Night Football watch party, in September. “The first conversation is very surface level. They're like, ‘Holy shit, I'm talking to Ricky Williams,’” Radbill says. “And then the second time they come back, they come back with [specific] questions and you see it start to happen; the curiosity is being fostered. That's a long road of education, but it seems to be working.” Educational Experience Picture this: You virtually arrive at Highsman House and are greeted with your choice of cannabis consumption, be it a joint, blunt or bong. From there, you can visit the dispensary bar to learn more about and interact with Highsman products; engage in virtual smoke sessions with other community members; participate in community games or competitions, such as cornhole or football; or simply just hang out and enjoy the community aspect from the comfort of your own home. © Highsman The Highsman House features a full-size football field and other entertainment options for community games and socialization. “I was in there for the Cowboys game a couple of weeks ago, and you walk in and there's big screen TVs and you can even pick up a joint,” Williams says. “I was out on my patio, and I had a real joint in my hand, and [as] I was watching the game, I'm looking around with my Oculus and I'm in a lounge [with] people around talking, and it was trippy. I really couldn't tell that I wasn't actually in the lounge. We’re moving to create that [experience] in the three-dimensional world, but to have it in the Meta where people in their own home can experience our brand and what we’re putting out into the world is exciting.” Radbill says the Highsman House allows the company to create consistent experiences for consumers in adult-use and/or medical markets. . For example, Highsman debuted its brand in Pennsylvania , a medical-only cannabis state, earlier this fall. While the Pennsylvania market offers new opportunities for Highsman, it also creates new challenges for the company to market itself and educate consumers. “Pennsylvania being our only medical state right now that we're operating in, from a marketing perspective, it's much more difficult,” Radbill says. “There's a lot more red tape with our direct-to-consumer or B2C (business to consumer) marketing assets [and] the way we speak about the brand. Even when doing activations at dispensaries, you have to do them outside in the parking lot; you can't have anybody inside the dispensary. … So, what are we going to do? Ask people to get bundled up and stand in a parking lot underneath a popup tent and say, ‘Yeah, this is the Highsman experience,’?” As a solution, the Highsman House provides a “dream space,” Radbill says, for Highsman to circumvent each state’s varying regulations and duplicate brand experiences across markets. But even then, challenges persist. Properly educating cannabis consumers, both new and experienced, is a continuous pursuit, and Radbill says industry terms such as “cannabinoids” and “terpenes” can often be confusing jargon for consumers. Highsman, by utilizing the Highsman House, is able to simplify the cannabis education process by leaning into its athlete-inspired brand story, according to Radbill. RELATED: The Intersection of Cannabis and Sports: Q&A with Highsman CEO Eric Hammond “If you're trying to go after the masses, that messaging is often too heavy for them,” Radbill says. “What does resonate is if it's good enough for professional athletes, it's probably good enough for me. … If we can get people to buy into Highsman, whether it's for the community, the products, the lifestyle, [etc], that's the beginning of that education process.” As part of that virtual educational experience, Highsman House visitors can interact with Highsman products to learn more about cannabis’s unique properties, including THC percentage, cannabinoid content, terpene levels, and more. “It’s a tool to help educate cannabis consumers,” Radbill says. “An example of that is to have more 3D renders of our flower, for example, that you could come in and you could grab it and you can zoom in on it [and] see the trichomes. You can click a trichome and an infographic will pop up and it'll give you more information about what's going on there.” Radbill adds that Highsman is working towards providing a direct-to-consumer platform where consumers can interact with Highsman products in the Metaverse before purchasing them in reality. Beyond educating just consumers, Radbill says Highsman House can also serve as a teaching tool for budtenders and industry stakeholders to learn about cannabis and Highsman products, specifically. “Our vision is to have that evolve into being a training environment for budtenders and for salespeople,” Radbill says. “I've seen this recently with surgeon training for doctors, where they can take the human body and they can study anatomy and they can remove organs, and then they can see what happens. And I thought, why not do that with marijuana?” Furthermore, Radbill emphasizes the importance of touch and feel – even if just virtually – when it comes to educating both consumers and budtenders about cannabis. “I remember being a kid, you pick up everything and you taste it, and you play with it, and that's how you learn,” Radbill says. “As adults, we're children with marijuana. If you take time to play with it, I think that relationship is made stronger, and then your curiosity develops and then you start realizing this isn't all about THC percentage, this is also about terpenes, and terpenes are cool because I had this experience with it and I can feel that.” Walking the Walk The Highsman House also helps Highsman distinguish itself from other cannabis brands, particularly celebrity or athlete brands in the space, according to Radbill. Williams “Lots of brands that call themselves a ‘lifestyle brand’ talk about community a lot,” Radbill says. “Basically, we’re doing what we’re saying we’re doing when it comes to community building, and that’s where I think we set ourselves apart. We’re not creating these superficial platforms to get followers and put junk up there. This is all about being able to have conversations and touch people.” When building Highsman House, Radbill says the company took note of similar technology platforms that allow for direct access to celebrities, such as Cameo, and implemented accessibility and transparency as defining elements of Highsman House and the Highsman brand as a whole. In addition to Highsman House, the company regularly conducts meet-and-greets with Williams in dispensaries across the country and hosts weekly hangouts on Discord, a voice, video and text social messaging platform, to further connect with the industry. “We're a celebrity cannabis brand, but our founder, Ricky Williams, is not your typical celebrity. He is as authentic as it gets, he is as OG as it gets, and he’s been preaching about [cannabis] prior to its popularity,” Radbill says. “Ricky would much rather spend his time on these Discords, in the Metaverse, or in person talking to budtenders and customers than he would be in front of 50,000 to 100,000 people all clapping for him. It’s about that small, grassroots, one-on-one interaction that people don't believe they're ever going to get.” And given that cannabis is a social elixir of sorts, it only makes sense that Highsman House has an open-door policy. “It’s about the people,” Radbill says. “So yeah, we built this house, but it's no good unless the people are there. It's no fun unless the people are there, and it keeps growing because every time we have one, more people come. And when they come in there, we're not preaching the brand. We're not trying to sell things in there. Yeah, you can do that if you want, but it's not about that.” New visitors are always welcome, and those interested in virtually visiting the Highsman House can learn more at Highsman’s website or via the company’s social media. The company’s most recent event was a Nov. 7 Monday Night Football watch party, but rest assured that more virtual experiences from Highsman are on the way. “We’re building a community with Highsman House, so please bring your authentic self, energy, positive vibes and idealism,” Williams says. “Through the Metaverse, we continue driving societal evolution forward while having fun and making new friends.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently invited agriculture producers across the U.S. to respond to the 2022 Census of Agriculture by Feb. 6, 2023. The Census of Agriculture is a survey collected every five years by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) that “highlights land use and ownership, producer characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures,” and other topics, according to a press release . Between census years, NASS looks at emerging trends and changes in the agriculture industry and updates the questionnaire based on its findings. With the last Census of Agriculture taking place in 2017, this is the first year the USDA NASS will be including hemp production data—as industrial hemp was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. NASS also revised the survey to include questions regarding precision agriculture, hair sheep, and updates to internet access, according to the release. “The 2022 Census of Agriculture is a powerful voice for American agriculture. The information gathered through the ag census influences policy decisions that will have a tremendous impact on ag producers and their communities for years to come,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “I strongly encourage all farmers, no matter how large or small their operation, to promptly complete and return their ag census. This is your opportunity to share your voice, uplift the value and showcase the uniqueness of American agriculture.” Farmers can complete the 2022 Census of Agriculture at agcounts.usda.gov .\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/11/30/USCapitolBuildingCloseup-AdobeStock-Credit-mseisenhut-Resized.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act would allow federally regulated financial institutions to work with state-legal cannabis businesses. the independent community bankers association (ICBA) and 44 affiliated state associations are calling for Senate action on the legislation. they submitted a letter to Senate leaders to urge them to calendar the legislation for a floor vote before the year is out.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"US\",\n \"Los Angeles\",\n \"Fink\",\n \"America\",\n \"Inc.\",\n \"Verizon\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Puerto Rico\",\n \"USA\",\n \"Rocket City\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Highsman\",\n \"Discord\",\n \"U.S.\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"The U.S. House of Representatives\",\n \"Senate\",\n \"the Independent Community Bankers Association\",\n \"the Independent Community Bankers of America\",\n \"House\",\n \"D-Colo.\",\n \"D-Ore.\",\n \"Shryne Group\",\n \"Inc\",\n \"CFO\",\n \"comScore, Inc.\",\n \"SEC\",\n \"SVP\",\n \"Fannie Mae\",\n \"MCI Communication’s\",\n \"Deloitte\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"ACS Laboratory\",\n \"THC\",\n \"ACS Laboratory Figure\",\n \"COA\",\n \"ISO\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"Hemp Laboratory\",\n \"NFT\",\n \"Cowboys\",\n \"Meta\",\n \"the Highsman House\",\n \"jargon\",\n \"cannabinoid content\",\n \"Radbill\",\n \"Cameo\",\n \"Discords\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"the 2022 Census of Agriculture\",\n \"The Census of Agriculture\",\n \"National Agricultural Statistics Service\",\n \"Census of Agriculture\",\n \"NASS\",\n \"The 2022 Census of Agriculture\",\n \"ag\",\n \"Agriculture\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Urges Senate\",\n \"Ed Perlmutter\",\n \"Jeff Merkley\",\n \"Roger Brown\",\n \"Highsman\",\n \"Highsman House\",\n \"Radbill Highsman House\",\n \"Oculus\",\n \"Metaverse\",\n \"Highsman Founder\",\n \"Ricky Williams\",\n \"Heisman Winner\",\n \"Highsman The Highsman House\",\n \"Williams\",\n \"Radbill\",\n \"Eric Hammond\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Radbill.\",\n \"Ricky\",\n \"Tom Vilsack\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"cannabis\",\n \"company\",\n \"market\",\n \"industry\",\n \"product\",\n \"million\",\n \"business\",\n \"canada\",\n \"sale\",\n \"year\",\n \"say\",\n \"new\",\n \"stock\",\n \"store\",\n \"growth\",\n \"grow\",\n \"share\",\n \"canadian\",\n \"brand\",\n \"announce\",\n \"retail\",\n \"canopy\",\n \"sell\",\n \"include\",\n \"price\",\n \"based\",\n \"facility\",\n \"ceo\",\n \"legal\",\n \"consumer\",\n \"high\",\n \"report\",\n \"large\",\n \"quarter\",\n \"producer\",\n \"billion\",\n \"month\",\n \"revenue\",\n \"aurora\",\n \"investor\",\n \"production\",\n \"license\",\n \"hemp\",\n \"dispensary\",\n \"health\",\n \"supply\",\n \"provide\",\n \"make\",\n \"expect\",\n \"pot\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Business\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.43,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.6887457966804504\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cb6e49a970334120930\",\n \"title\": \"Shryne Group Names Gregory Fink as Chief Financial Officer\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/shryne-group-names-gregory-fink-as-chief-financial-officer.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"Fink, who previously worked at comScore and Fannie Mae, is responsible for streamlining operations to maximize Shryne Group's profitability.\",\n \"author\": \"Posted by Patrick Williams\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-11-30T17:00:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Los Angeles, CA - November 30, 2022 - Gregory Fink has been named chief financial officer of Shryne Group, Inc . As CFO, Fink is responsible for streamlining operations to maximize profitability as Shryne Group continues to build one of America’s leading cannabis companies. Fink joins Shryne Group after more than 30 years in finance across various industries. He most recently served as the chief financial officer, treasurer, and chief accounting officer of comScore, Inc. At comScore, he provided the executive leadership team and board of directors with key financial strategy, improvements in profitability, and building business partnerships with leading global banks. Additionally, he helped lead the reestablishment of SEC compliance and relisting with the Nasdaq stock exchange. \\\"Shryne Group is one of the most exciting companies in the fast-maturing cannabis industry,\\\" said Fink. “Providing a strategic view as well as financial and operational discipline to the organization will allow the company to accelerate its growth further while maintaining financial stability, governance and compliance.” Prior to comScore, Inc., Fink served as the SVP - controller and chief accounting officer of Fannie Mae, where he was responsible for the majority of the corporate finance and accounting operations, overseeing more than 600 individuals. Before Fannie Mae, he revamped MCI Communication’s financial reporting and technical accounting department leading up to its acquisition by Verizon. Fink was also previously at Deloitte and is a CPA. Editor’s note: Cannabis Business Times ’ November cover story examined the prevalence and problems of lab shopping and potency inflation in the cannabis industry. As part of that coverage, CBT asked Florida-based ACS Laboratory , which tests the state’s medical cannabis and tests hemp in 50 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries, more about what cannabis potency testing involves. Here, Roger Brown, founder and president of ACS Laboratory, delves into the process of how the company tests cannabis for THC potency. If you work for a cannabis or hemp testing lab, refer to your state’s testing regulations to ensure compliance. Figure 1. Step 1: Flower is ground and placed in a sterile cup for weighing and prep. Step 2: Sample is weighed and placed in a glass vial. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 1 Figure 2. Step 3: Solution is added, and the vial is sealed. Then the sample vial goes to a grinder for flower or a vortexer for derivatives. A grinder is specifically designed for vigorous up and down shaking to facilitate even distribution of the material. Vortexers or vortex mixers are a critical piece of laboratory equipment used to mix small vials of samples rapidly in a quickly oscillating circular motion. There are specific types of suspension that can only be done by creating a vortex, rather than just shaking a sample. For instance, a vortex mixer is able to mix viscous samples that would otherwise stay unblended. If you need to mix oil and water, a vortex mixer is the equipment you want to get the job done right. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 2 Step 4: For both flower and derivatives, the sample goes to a sonicator . Sonicators use ultrasonic frequency to help mix or dissolve samples during preparation. Step 5: After sonicating samples, samples are placed back in the vortexer to make sure analytes , or the cannabinoids being tested, are not stuck in the bottom or trapped inside. Step 6: Flower and derivatives go to a centrifuge. Centrifuges allow labs to separate samples quickly and accurately to maximize the efficiency of cannabis testing. A centrifuge is used to separate particles suspended in a liquid according to particle size and density, viscosity of the medium, and rotor speed. Within a solution, gravitational force will cause particles of higher density than the solvent to sink, and those less dense than the solvent to float to the top. Figure 3. Step 7: A potency dilution is made according to the testing panel requested and/or target range of values. Dilution, which makes a high-concentrated solution into a less concentrated solution, is a sample preparation step. Samples are diluted with diluent to the calibration range that instruments are validated for. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 3 Figure 4. Step 8: Liquid chromatography instrumentation is used for analytical testing. The lab creates a batch file , which is a sequence file containing information about samples, such as weight, dilution and identification; as well as quality controls such as the standards curve; and the curves’ positions for instruments that the lab uses. The vials/plates for the batch are then loaded onto instruments like the high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (LCUV) or liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LCMS). Step 9: The data is processed, the components of the sample go through the process of chromatography to separate them so the individual components, i.e. individual cannabinoids, can be measured and analyzed. The presence and amount of the targeted cannabinoid’s concentration is then identified and measured using a calibration curve. Below is an example of chromatography of a potency assay, which details the ratios and presence of active cannabinoids against a certified reference material . Certified reference materials (CRMs) are controls or standards used to check the quality and metrological traceability of products, to validate analytical measurement methods, or for the calibration of instruments. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 4 Figure 5. Step 10: A certificate of analysis (COA) is produced and verified by a trained quality control personnel before its release to clients. A sample COA: Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 5 Roger Brown co-founded the first cannabis testing lab in Florida, ACS Laboratory. ACS Laboratory is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited, DEA licensed, and CLIA licensed with the largest state-of-the-art facility in the eastern USA. The Most Trusted Cannabis and Hemp Laboratory in the USA™, ACS Laboratory has increased its reach to 50 states and Puerto Rico, and 16 countries worldwide. It’s nearly 2023, and by now, almost everyone you know is well-versed in digital communication and socialization platforms – be it video conferencing, social media, or the related. And as ‘Metaverse’ becomes an increasingly common part of our cultural lexicon, Highsman is planting its flag in the virtual reality landscape by creating Highsman House. Radbill Highsman House is a community-focused virtual consumption lounge that features a dispensary and merchandise shop, a full-sized football field, a swimming pool, games, and more. The platform is accessible through Oculus or a computer and was designed in partnership with Rocket City, a technology company focused on Metaverse and NFT experiences. The purpose of Highsman House, according to Highsman Chief Marketing Officer Lane Radbill, is to utilize modern technology to foster a cannabis community while educating consumers and building brand awareness. Visitors are even welcome to participate in virtual smoke sessions with other community members, including Highsman Founder and President Ricky Williams and other company executives. RELATED: From Heisman Winner to Highsman Owner Highsman, which launched operations in 2021, started building its Highsman House at the beginning of this year and hosted its first virtual community event, a Monday Night Football watch party, in September. “The first conversation is very surface level. They're like, ‘Holy shit, I'm talking to Ricky Williams,’” Radbill says. “And then the second time they come back, they come back with [specific] questions and you see it start to happen; the curiosity is being fostered. That's a long road of education, but it seems to be working.” Educational Experience Picture this: You virtually arrive at Highsman House and are greeted with your choice of cannabis consumption, be it a joint, blunt or bong. From there, you can visit the dispensary bar to learn more about and interact with Highsman products; engage in virtual smoke sessions with other community members; participate in community games or competitions, such as cornhole or football; or simply just hang out and enjoy the community aspect from the comfort of your own home. © Highsman The Highsman House features a full-size football field and other entertainment options for community games and socialization. “I was in there for the Cowboys game a couple of weeks ago, and you walk in and there's big screen TVs and you can even pick up a joint,” Williams says. “I was out on my patio, and I had a real joint in my hand, and [as] I was watching the game, I'm looking around with my Oculus and I'm in a lounge [with] people around talking, and it was trippy. I really couldn't tell that I wasn't actually in the lounge. We’re moving to create that [experience] in the three-dimensional world, but to have it in the Meta where people in their own home can experience our brand and what we’re putting out into the world is exciting.” Radbill says the Highsman House allows the company to create consistent experiences for consumers in adult-use and/or medical markets. . For example, Highsman debuted its brand in Pennsylvania , a medical-only cannabis state, earlier this fall. While the Pennsylvania market offers new opportunities for Highsman, it also creates new challenges for the company to market itself and educate consumers. “Pennsylvania being our only medical state right now that we're operating in, from a marketing perspective, it's much more difficult,” Radbill says. “There's a lot more red tape with our direct-to-consumer or B2C (business to consumer) marketing assets [and] the way we speak about the brand. Even when doing activations at dispensaries, you have to do them outside in the parking lot; you can't have anybody inside the dispensary. … So, what are we going to do? Ask people to get bundled up and stand in a parking lot underneath a popup tent and say, ‘Yeah, this is the Highsman experience,’?” As a solution, the Highsman House provides a “dream space,” Radbill says, for Highsman to circumvent each state’s varying regulations and duplicate brand experiences across markets. But even then, challenges persist. Properly educating cannabis consumers, both new and experienced, is a continuous pursuit, and Radbill says industry terms such as “cannabinoids” and “terpenes” can often be confusing jargon for consumers. Highsman, by utilizing the Highsman House, is able to simplify the cannabis education process by leaning into its athlete-inspired brand story, according to Radbill. RELATED: The Intersection of Cannabis and Sports: Q&A with Highsman CEO Eric Hammond “If you're trying to go after the masses, that messaging is often too heavy for them,” Radbill says. “What does resonate is if it's good enough for professional athletes, it's probably good enough for me. … If we can get people to buy into Highsman, whether it's for the community, the products, the lifestyle, [etc], that's the beginning of that education process.” As part of that virtual educational experience, Highsman House visitors can interact with Highsman products to learn more about cannabis’s unique properties, including THC percentage, cannabinoid content, terpene levels, and more. “It’s a tool to help educate cannabis consumers,” Radbill says. “An example of that is to have more 3D renders of our flower, for example, that you could come in and you could grab it and you can zoom in on it [and] see the trichomes. You can click a trichome and an infographic will pop up and it'll give you more information about what's going on there.” Radbill adds that Highsman is working towards providing a direct-to-consumer platform where consumers can interact with Highsman products in the Metaverse before purchasing them in reality. Beyond educating just consumers, Radbill says Highsman House can also serve as a teaching tool for budtenders and industry stakeholders to learn about cannabis and Highsman products, specifically. “Our vision is to have that evolve into being a training environment for budtenders and for salespeople,” Radbill says. “I've seen this recently with surgeon training for doctors, where they can take the human body and they can study anatomy and they can remove organs, and then they can see what happens. And I thought, why not do that with marijuana?” Furthermore, Radbill emphasizes the importance of touch and feel – even if just virtually – when it comes to educating both consumers and budtenders about cannabis. “I remember being a kid, you pick up everything and you taste it, and you play with it, and that's how you learn,” Radbill says. “As adults, we're children with marijuana. If you take time to play with it, I think that relationship is made stronger, and then your curiosity develops and then you start realizing this isn't all about THC percentage, this is also about terpenes, and terpenes are cool because I had this experience with it and I can feel that.” Walking the Walk The Highsman House also helps Highsman distinguish itself from other cannabis brands, particularly celebrity or athlete brands in the space, according to Radbill. Williams “Lots of brands that call themselves a ‘lifestyle brand’ talk about community a lot,” Radbill says. “Basically, we’re doing what we’re saying we’re doing when it comes to community building, and that’s where I think we set ourselves apart. We’re not creating these superficial platforms to get followers and put junk up there. This is all about being able to have conversations and touch people.” When building Highsman House, Radbill says the company took note of similar technology platforms that allow for direct access to celebrities, such as Cameo, and implemented accessibility and transparency as defining elements of Highsman House and the Highsman brand as a whole. In addition to Highsman House, the company regularly conducts meet-and-greets with Williams in dispensaries across the country and hosts weekly hangouts on Discord, a voice, video and text social messaging platform, to further connect with the industry. “We're a celebrity cannabis brand, but our founder, Ricky Williams, is not your typical celebrity. He is as authentic as it gets, he is as OG as it gets, and he’s been preaching about [cannabis] prior to its popularity,” Radbill says. “Ricky would much rather spend his time on these Discords, in the Metaverse, or in person talking to budtenders and customers than he would be in front of 50,000 to 100,000 people all clapping for him. It’s about that small, grassroots, one-on-one interaction that people don't believe they're ever going to get.” And given that cannabis is a social elixir of sorts, it only makes sense that Highsman House has an open-door policy. “It’s about the people,” Radbill says. “So yeah, we built this house, but it's no good unless the people are there. It's no fun unless the people are there, and it keeps growing because every time we have one, more people come. And when they come in there, we're not preaching the brand. We're not trying to sell things in there. Yeah, you can do that if you want, but it's not about that.” New visitors are always welcome, and those interested in virtually visiting the Highsman House can learn more at Highsman’s website or via the company’s social media. The company’s most recent event was a Nov. 7 Monday Night Football watch party, but rest assured that more virtual experiences from Highsman are on the way. “We’re building a community with Highsman House, so please bring your authentic self, energy, positive vibes and idealism,” Williams says. “Through the Metaverse, we continue driving societal evolution forward while having fun and making new friends.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently invited agriculture producers across the U.S. to respond to the 2022 Census of Agriculture by Feb. 6, 2023. The Census of Agriculture is a survey collected every five years by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) that “highlights land use and ownership, producer characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures,” and other topics, according to a press release . Between census years, NASS looks at emerging trends and changes in the agriculture industry and updates the questionnaire based on its findings. With the last Census of Agriculture taking place in 2017, this is the first year the USDA NASS will be including hemp production data—as industrial hemp was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. NASS also revised the survey to include questions regarding precision agriculture, hair sheep, and updates to internet access, according to the release. “The 2022 Census of Agriculture is a powerful voice for American agriculture. The information gathered through the ag census influences policy decisions that will have a tremendous impact on ag producers and their communities for years to come,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “I strongly encourage all farmers, no matter how large or small their operation, to promptly complete and return their ag census. This is your opportunity to share your voice, uplift the value and showcase the uniqueness of American agriculture.” Farmers can complete the 2022 Census of Agriculture at agcounts.usda.gov . Green Wednesday cannabis sales rivaled the likes of 4/20 and the Friday preceding July 4, as U.S. customers stocked up on non-inhalable products ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, according to cannabis data and research company Headset . The day before Thanksgiving, known as Green Wednesday in the cannabis industry, featured a 48% sales increase compared to the three previous Wednesdays in November for retailers in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, Headset reported Nov. 28. That uptick makes Green Wednesday the third-highest grossing day of cannabis sales so far in 2022, bested only by April 20 and Friday, July 1. Headset’s three-day analysis also revealed that Thanksgiving Day sales fell 65% compared to a normal Thursday while Black Friday sales increased 1% compared to a typical Friday—the busiest day of the week for most cannabis dispensaries. RELATED: 5 Tips to Capitalize on Friday Sales at Your Dispensary Overall, inhalable product categories experienced the most significant dips during the three-day holiday stretch, including concentrates (-11.4%), flower (-10.8%) and prerolls (-6.4%), according to Headset. More discrete product categories like topicals (15.3%), beverages (13.2%) and edibles (6.1%) experienced the largest sales growth during the holiday stretch. While Headset’s data came from a seven-state analysis, figures directly from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) revealed an even greater uptick for Green Wednesday, when licensed adult-use retailers in the commonwealth recorded nearly $7 million in sales. That benchmark represents an 85% increase compared to a typical Wednesday from five weeks of data Cannabis Business Times collected from May 30 to July 3 of this year—when the average Wednesday brought in nearly $3.8 million in sales. RELATED: Fridays Reign King for Massachusetts Cannabis Dispensaries Fridays were the busiest day of the week for Massachusetts retailers, representing 18.8% of sales, followed by Saturdays (16.9%), Thursdays (14.8%) and Wednesdays (13.1%) during the analysis conducted by CBT . But with the Thanksgiving holiday shuffling things, Green Wednesday accounted for 23% of sales among Massachusetts retailers last week, followed by Black Friday (20.9%), Saturday (15.6%) and Tuesday (14.4%). Thanksgiving Day, when adult-use customers spent $337,502 at Massachusetts dispensaries, accounted for 1.1% of sales for the week. Day Sales (adult-use) % of Sales Mon. 11/21 $3,769,444.68 12.42% Tue. 11/22 $4,660,071.33 15.36% Wed. 11/23 $6,971,457.90 22.98% Thu. 11/24 $337,501.93 1.11% Fri. 11/25 $6,341,856.50 20.90% Sat. 11/26 $4,725,621.16 15.57% Sun. 11/27 $3,537,130.00 11.66% Total $30,343,083.50 100.00% With the high traffic numbers expected for Green Wednesday—which also was the third-highest grossing sales day in 2021, according to industry software company Akerna —retailers weren’t so fast to hand out holiday discounts, according to Headset. During the three days in Headset’s seven-state analysis, Green Wednesday’s average discount was 19.8%, while Thanksgiving Day (22.2%) and Black Friday (23.7%) saw the largest average discounts—both with an increase of more than 8 percentage points compared to typical Thursdays and Fridays in November.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/logos/site-logos/cbt.png?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"Gregory Fink has been named chief financial officer of Shryne Group, Inc. he most recently served as the chief financial officer, treasurer, and chief accounting officer of comScore, Inc.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Los Angeles\",\n \"Fink\",\n \"America\",\n \"Inc.\",\n \"Verizon\",\n \"Florida\",\n \"Puerto Rico\",\n \"USA\",\n \"Rocket City\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Highsman\",\n \"Discord\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Headset\",\n \"Saturdays\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Shryne Group\",\n \"Inc\",\n \"CFO\",\n \"comScore, Inc.\",\n \"SEC\",\n \"SVP\",\n \"Fannie Mae\",\n \"MCI Communication’s\",\n \"Deloitte\",\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"ACS Laboratory\",\n \"THC\",\n \"ACS Laboratory Figure\",\n \"COA\",\n \"ISO\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"Hemp Laboratory\",\n \"NFT\",\n \"Cowboys\",\n \"Meta\",\n \"the Highsman House\",\n \"jargon\",\n \"cannabinoid content\",\n \"Radbill\",\n \"Cameo\",\n \"Discords\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"the 2022 Census of Agriculture\",\n \"The Census of Agriculture\",\n \"National Agricultural Statistics Service\",\n \"Census of Agriculture\",\n \"NASS\",\n \"The 2022 Census of Agriculture\",\n \"ag\",\n \"Agriculture\",\n \"uptick\",\n \"Capitalize\",\n \"the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission\",\n \"CCC\",\n \"Sat\",\n \"Akerna\",\n \"Green Wednesday’s\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Roger Brown\",\n \"Highsman\",\n \"Highsman House\",\n \"Radbill Highsman House\",\n \"Oculus\",\n \"Metaverse\",\n \"Highsman Founder\",\n \"Ricky Williams\",\n \"Heisman Winner\",\n \"Highsman The Highsman House\",\n \"Williams\",\n \"Radbill\",\n \"Eric Hammond\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Radbill.\",\n \"Ricky\",\n \"Tom Vilsack\",\n \"Green\",\n \"Wednesdays\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"say\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"drug\",\n \"police\",\n \"year\",\n \"people\",\n \"county\",\n \"arrest\",\n \"new\",\n \"time\",\n \"possession\",\n \"make\",\n \"city\",\n \"report\",\n \"tell\",\n \"charge\",\n \"case\",\n \"officer\",\n \"trump\",\n \"state\",\n \"day\",\n \"president\",\n \"week\",\n \"community\",\n \"news\",\n \"come\",\n \"home\",\n \"law\",\n \"old\",\n \"department\",\n \"covid\",\n \"coronavirus\",\n \"office\",\n \"school\",\n \"pot\",\n \"public\",\n \"work\",\n \"court\",\n \"man\",\n \"like\",\n \"accord\",\n \"policy\",\n \"use\",\n \"official\",\n \"face\",\n \"legalization\",\n \"want\",\n \"read\",\n \"house\",\n \"know\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Crime\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.46,\n \"sentiment\": \"positive\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.6619359254837036\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cc4e49a970334120939\",\n \"title\": \"What Does Cannabis Potency Testing Involve?\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/what-does-cannabis-potency-testing-involve-acs-laboratory\",\n \"description\": \"From weighing a sample to the production of a COA, ACS Laboratory explains its steps for testing cannabis for THC potency.\",\n \"author\": \"Roger Brown\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-11-30T15:20:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Editor’s note: Cannabis Business Times ’ November cover story examined the prevalence and problems of lab shopping and potency inflation in the cannabis industry. As part of that coverage, CBT asked Florida-based ACS Laboratory , which tests the state’s medical cannabis and tests hemp in 50 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries, more about what cannabis potency testing involves. Here, Roger Brown, founder and president of ACS Laboratory, delves into the process of how the company tests cannabis for THC potency. If you work for a cannabis or hemp testing lab, refer to your state’s testing regulations to ensure compliance. Figure 1. Step 1: Flower is ground and placed in a sterile cup for weighing and prep. Step 2: Sample is weighed and placed in a glass vial. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 1 Figure 2. Step 3: Solution is added, and the vial is sealed. Then the sample vial goes to a grinder for flower or a vortexer for derivatives. A grinder is specifically designed for vigorous up and down shaking to facilitate even distribution of the material. Vortexers or vortex mixers are a critical piece of laboratory equipment used to mix small vials of samples rapidly in a quickly oscillating circular motion. There are specific types of suspension that can only be done by creating a vortex, rather than just shaking a sample. For instance, a vortex mixer is able to mix viscous samples that would otherwise stay unblended. If you need to mix oil and water, a vortex mixer is the equipment you want to get the job done right. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 2 Step 4: For both flower and derivatives, the sample goes to a sonicator . Sonicators use ultrasonic frequency to help mix or dissolve samples during preparation. Step 5: After sonicating samples, samples are placed back in the vortexer to make sure analytes , or the cannabinoids being tested, are not stuck in the bottom or trapped inside. Step 6: Flower and derivatives go to a centrifuge. Centrifuges allow labs to separate samples quickly and accurately to maximize the efficiency of cannabis testing. A centrifuge is used to separate particles suspended in a liquid according to particle size and density, viscosity of the medium, and rotor speed. Within a solution, gravitational force will cause particles of higher density than the solvent to sink, and those less dense than the solvent to float to the top. Figure 3. Step 7: A potency dilution is made according to the testing panel requested and/or target range of values. Dilution, which makes a high-concentrated solution into a less concentrated solution, is a sample preparation step. Samples are diluted with diluent to the calibration range that instruments are validated for. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 3 Figure 4. Step 8: Liquid chromatography instrumentation is used for analytical testing. The lab creates a batch file , which is a sequence file containing information about samples, such as weight, dilution and identification; as well as quality controls such as the standards curve; and the curves’ positions for instruments that the lab uses. The vials/plates for the batch are then loaded onto instruments like the high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (LCUV) or liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LCMS). Step 9: The data is processed, the components of the sample go through the process of chromatography to separate them so the individual components, i.e. individual cannabinoids, can be measured and analyzed. The presence and amount of the targeted cannabinoid’s concentration is then identified and measured using a calibration curve. Below is an example of chromatography of a potency assay, which details the ratios and presence of active cannabinoids against a certified reference material . Certified reference materials (CRMs) are controls or standards used to check the quality and metrological traceability of products, to validate analytical measurement methods, or for the calibration of instruments. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 4 Figure 5. Step 10: A certificate of analysis (COA) is produced and verified by a trained quality control personnel before its release to clients. A sample COA: Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 5 Roger Brown co-founded the first cannabis testing lab in Florida, ACS Laboratory. ACS Laboratory is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited, DEA licensed, and CLIA licensed with the largest state-of-the-art facility in the eastern USA. The Most Trusted Cannabis and Hemp Laboratory in the USA™, ACS Laboratory has increased its reach to 50 states and Puerto Rico, and 16 countries worldwide. It’s nearly 2023, and by now, almost everyone you know is well-versed in digital communication and socialization platforms – be it video conferencing, social media, or the related. And as ‘Metaverse’ becomes an increasingly common part of our cultural lexicon, Highsman is planting its flag in the virtual reality landscape by creating Highsman House. Radbill Highsman House is a community-focused virtual consumption lounge that features a dispensary and merchandise shop, a full-sized football field, a swimming pool, games, and more. The platform is accessible through Oculus or a computer and was designed in partnership with Rocket City, a technology company focused on Metaverse and NFT experiences. The purpose of Highsman House, according to Highsman Chief Marketing Officer Lane Radbill, is to utilize modern technology to foster a cannabis community while educating consumers and building brand awareness. Visitors are even welcome to participate in virtual smoke sessions with other community members, including Highsman Founder and President Ricky Williams and other company executives. RELATED: From Heisman Winner to Highsman Owner Highsman, which launched operations in 2021, started building its Highsman House at the beginning of this year and hosted its first virtual community event, a Monday Night Football watch party, in September. “The first conversation is very surface level. They're like, ‘Holy shit, I'm talking to Ricky Williams,’” Radbill says. “And then the second time they come back, they come back with [specific] questions and you see it start to happen; the curiosity is being fostered. That's a long road of education, but it seems to be working.” Educational Experience Picture this: You virtually arrive at Highsman House and are greeted with your choice of cannabis consumption, be it a joint, blunt or bong. From there, you can visit the dispensary bar to learn more about and interact with Highsman products; engage in virtual smoke sessions with other community members; participate in community games or competitions, such as cornhole or football; or simply just hang out and enjoy the community aspect from the comfort of your own home. © Highsman The Highsman House features a full-size football field and other entertainment options for community games and socialization. “I was in there for the Cowboys game a couple of weeks ago, and you walk in and there's big screen TVs and you can even pick up a joint,” Williams says. “I was out on my patio, and I had a real joint in my hand, and [as] I was watching the game, I'm looking around with my Oculus and I'm in a lounge [with] people around talking, and it was trippy. I really couldn't tell that I wasn't actually in the lounge. We’re moving to create that [experience] in the three-dimensional world, but to have it in the Meta where people in their own home can experience our brand and what we’re putting out into the world is exciting.” Radbill says the Highsman House allows the company to create consistent experiences for consumers in adult-use and/or medical markets. . For example, Highsman debuted its brand in Pennsylvania , a medical-only cannabis state, earlier this fall. While the Pennsylvania market offers new opportunities for Highsman, it also creates new challenges for the company to market itself and educate consumers. “Pennsylvania being our only medical state right now that we're operating in, from a marketing perspective, it's much more difficult,” Radbill says. “There's a lot more red tape with our direct-to-consumer or B2C (business to consumer) marketing assets [and] the way we speak about the brand. Even when doing activations at dispensaries, you have to do them outside in the parking lot; you can't have anybody inside the dispensary. … So, what are we going to do? Ask people to get bundled up and stand in a parking lot underneath a popup tent and say, ‘Yeah, this is the Highsman experience,’?” As a solution, the Highsman House provides a “dream space,” Radbill says, for Highsman to circumvent each state’s varying regulations and duplicate brand experiences across markets. But even then, challenges persist. Properly educating cannabis consumers, both new and experienced, is a continuous pursuit, and Radbill says industry terms such as “cannabinoids” and “terpenes” can often be confusing jargon for consumers. Highsman, by utilizing the Highsman House, is able to simplify the cannabis education process by leaning into its athlete-inspired brand story, according to Radbill. RELATED: The Intersection of Cannabis and Sports: Q&A with Highsman CEO Eric Hammond “If you're trying to go after the masses, that messaging is often too heavy for them,” Radbill says. “What does resonate is if it's good enough for professional athletes, it's probably good enough for me. … If we can get people to buy into Highsman, whether it's for the community, the products, the lifestyle, [etc], that's the beginning of that education process.” As part of that virtual educational experience, Highsman House visitors can interact with Highsman products to learn more about cannabis’s unique properties, including THC percentage, cannabinoid content, terpene levels, and more. “It’s a tool to help educate cannabis consumers,” Radbill says. “An example of that is to have more 3D renders of our flower, for example, that you could come in and you could grab it and you can zoom in on it [and] see the trichomes. You can click a trichome and an infographic will pop up and it'll give you more information about what's going on there.” Radbill adds that Highsman is working towards providing a direct-to-consumer platform where consumers can interact with Highsman products in the Metaverse before purchasing them in reality. Beyond educating just consumers, Radbill says Highsman House can also serve as a teaching tool for budtenders and industry stakeholders to learn about cannabis and Highsman products, specifically. “Our vision is to have that evolve into being a training environment for budtenders and for salespeople,” Radbill says. “I've seen this recently with surgeon training for doctors, where they can take the human body and they can study anatomy and they can remove organs, and then they can see what happens. And I thought, why not do that with marijuana?” Furthermore, Radbill emphasizes the importance of touch and feel – even if just virtually – when it comes to educating both consumers and budtenders about cannabis. “I remember being a kid, you pick up everything and you taste it, and you play with it, and that's how you learn,” Radbill says. “As adults, we're children with marijuana. If you take time to play with it, I think that relationship is made stronger, and then your curiosity develops and then you start realizing this isn't all about THC percentage, this is also about terpenes, and terpenes are cool because I had this experience with it and I can feel that.” Walking the Walk The Highsman House also helps Highsman distinguish itself from other cannabis brands, particularly celebrity or athlete brands in the space, according to Radbill. Williams “Lots of brands that call themselves a ‘lifestyle brand’ talk about community a lot,” Radbill says. “Basically, we’re doing what we’re saying we’re doing when it comes to community building, and that’s where I think we set ourselves apart. We’re not creating these superficial platforms to get followers and put junk up there. This is all about being able to have conversations and touch people.” When building Highsman House, Radbill says the company took note of similar technology platforms that allow for direct access to celebrities, such as Cameo, and implemented accessibility and transparency as defining elements of Highsman House and the Highsman brand as a whole. In addition to Highsman House, the company regularly conducts meet-and-greets with Williams in dispensaries across the country and hosts weekly hangouts on Discord, a voice, video and text social messaging platform, to further connect with the industry. “We're a celebrity cannabis brand, but our founder, Ricky Williams, is not your typical celebrity. He is as authentic as it gets, he is as OG as it gets, and he’s been preaching about [cannabis] prior to its popularity,” Radbill says. “Ricky would much rather spend his time on these Discords, in the Metaverse, or in person talking to budtenders and customers than he would be in front of 50,000 to 100,000 people all clapping for him. It’s about that small, grassroots, one-on-one interaction that people don't believe they're ever going to get.” And given that cannabis is a social elixir of sorts, it only makes sense that Highsman House has an open-door policy. “It’s about the people,” Radbill says. “So yeah, we built this house, but it's no good unless the people are there. It's no fun unless the people are there, and it keeps growing because every time we have one, more people come. And when they come in there, we're not preaching the brand. We're not trying to sell things in there. Yeah, you can do that if you want, but it's not about that.” New visitors are always welcome, and those interested in virtually visiting the Highsman House can learn more at Highsman’s website or via the company’s social media. The company’s most recent event was a Nov. 7 Monday Night Football watch party, but rest assured that more virtual experiences from Highsman are on the way. “We’re building a community with Highsman House, so please bring your authentic self, energy, positive vibes and idealism,” Williams says. “Through the Metaverse, we continue driving societal evolution forward while having fun and making new friends.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently invited agriculture producers across the U.S. to respond to the 2022 Census of Agriculture by Feb. 6, 2023. The Census of Agriculture is a survey collected every five years by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) that “highlights land use and ownership, producer characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures,” and other topics, according to a press release . Between census years, NASS looks at emerging trends and changes in the agriculture industry and updates the questionnaire based on its findings. With the last Census of Agriculture taking place in 2017, this is the first year the USDA NASS will be including hemp production data—as industrial hemp was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. NASS also revised the survey to include questions regarding precision agriculture, hair sheep, and updates to internet access, according to the release. “The 2022 Census of Agriculture is a powerful voice for American agriculture. The information gathered through the ag census influences policy decisions that will have a tremendous impact on ag producers and their communities for years to come,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “I strongly encourage all farmers, no matter how large or small their operation, to promptly complete and return their ag census. This is your opportunity to share your voice, uplift the value and showcase the uniqueness of American agriculture.” Farmers can complete the 2022 Census of Agriculture at agcounts.usda.gov . Green Wednesday cannabis sales rivaled the likes of 4/20 and the Friday preceding July 4, as U.S. customers stocked up on non-inhalable products ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, according to cannabis data and research company Headset . The day before Thanksgiving, known as Green Wednesday in the cannabis industry, featured a 48% sales increase compared to the three previous Wednesdays in November for retailers in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, Headset reported Nov. 28. That uptick makes Green Wednesday the third-highest grossing day of cannabis sales so far in 2022, bested only by April 20 and Friday, July 1. Headset’s three-day analysis also revealed that Thanksgiving Day sales fell 65% compared to a normal Thursday while Black Friday sales increased 1% compared to a typical Friday—the busiest day of the week for most cannabis dispensaries. RELATED: 5 Tips to Capitalize on Friday Sales at Your Dispensary Overall, inhalable product categories experienced the most significant dips during the three-day holiday stretch, including concentrates (-11.4%), flower (-10.8%) and prerolls (-6.4%), according to Headset. More discrete product categories like topicals (15.3%), beverages (13.2%) and edibles (6.1%) experienced the largest sales growth during the holiday stretch. While Headset’s data came from a seven-state analysis, figures directly from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) revealed an even greater uptick for Green Wednesday, when licensed adult-use retailers in the commonwealth recorded nearly $7 million in sales. That benchmark represents an 85% increase compared to a typical Wednesday from five weeks of data Cannabis Business Times collected from May 30 to July 3 of this year—when the average Wednesday brought in nearly $3.8 million in sales. RELATED: Fridays Reign King for Massachusetts Cannabis Dispensaries Fridays were the busiest day of the week for Massachusetts retailers, representing 18.8% of sales, followed by Saturdays (16.9%), Thursdays (14.8%) and Wednesdays (13.1%) during the analysis conducted by CBT . But with the Thanksgiving holiday shuffling things, Green Wednesday accounted for 23% of sales among Massachusetts retailers last week, followed by Black Friday (20.9%), Saturday (15.6%) and Tuesday (14.4%). Thanksgiving Day, when adult-use customers spent $337,502 at Massachusetts dispensaries, accounted for 1.1% of sales for the week. Day Sales (adult-use) % of Sales Mon. 11/21 $3,769,444.68 12.42% Tue. 11/22 $4,660,071.33 15.36% Wed. 11/23 $6,971,457.90 22.98% Thu. 11/24 $337,501.93 1.11% Fri. 11/25 $6,341,856.50 20.90% Sat. 11/26 $4,725,621.16 15.57% Sun. 11/27 $3,537,130.00 11.66% Total $30,343,083.50 100.00% With the high traffic numbers expected for Green Wednesday—which also was the third-highest grossing sales day in 2021, according to industry software company Akerna —retailers weren’t so fast to hand out holiday discounts, according to Headset. During the three days in Headset’s seven-state analysis, Green Wednesday’s average discount was 19.8%, while Thanksgiving Day (22.2%) and Black Friday (23.7%) saw the largest average discounts—both with an increase of more than 8 percentage points compared to typical Thursdays and Fridays in November. High Tide, a Canadian-based retail-focused cannabis company with brick-and-mortar and global e-commerce assets, has monetized its membership-based loyalty program at its Canna Cabana retail locations, launching “Cabana Elite.” High Tide operates in the Canadian cannabis retail market through its flagship retail brand, Canna Cabana, which has over 140 locations across five provinces. The company has become known for its discount club retail model, modeled after wholesaler Costco’s membership-based program. Cannabis Business Times spoke with Raj Grover, founder, president and CEO of High Tide, in early November to discuss the company’s differentiated retail approach and how it has contributed to its success. RELATED: How High Tide Became the ‘Costco of Cannabis’ The Cabana Club loyalty program launched last October and has over 860,000 members, who account for 90% of the daily transactions at Canna Cabana retail stores. Essentially, loyalty members have access to a member price, versus a market price, at Canna Cabana dispensary locations and online. The member and market prices typically vary within a $10 range. Now, the company has taken its membership program further, launching Cabana Elite, a paid membership for consumers priced at $5 per month. “I am delighted to finally announce the launch of ELITE, the next evolution in our innovative discount club model and a huge milestone for High Tide,” Grover said. “By leveraging the strengths of our diversified cannabis ecosystem, we are providing additional value to ELITE members by offering discounts on High Tide’s global online consumption accessories platforms.” Similar to the non-paid Cabana Club loyalty program, Cabana Elite members will have access to member prices and several other incentives, including giveaways, limited edition branded accessories, flash sales, birthday bags, exclusive discounts and more, according to a press release. “We see this as a big step towards building our loyalty program into a global cannabis community as we continue to convert price-conscious consumers from the illicit market into our legal cannabis ecosystem,” Grover said.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/11/29/acs-disp-img-lab-testing.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"ACS Laboratory tests the state’s medical cannabis and tests hemp in 50 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries. a vortexer or vortex mixer is a critical piece of laboratory equipment used to mix small vials of samples rapidly in a quickly oscillating circular motion.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Florida\",\n \"Puerto Rico\",\n \"USA\",\n \"Rocket City\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Highsman\",\n \"Discord\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Headset\",\n \"Saturdays\",\n \"Canna Cabana\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"ACS Laboratory\",\n \"THC\",\n \"ACS Laboratory Figure\",\n \"COA\",\n \"ISO\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"Hemp Laboratory\",\n \"NFT\",\n \"Cowboys\",\n \"Meta\",\n \"the Highsman House\",\n \"jargon\",\n \"cannabinoid content\",\n \"Radbill\",\n \"Cameo\",\n \"Discords\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"the 2022 Census of Agriculture\",\n \"The Census of Agriculture\",\n \"National Agricultural Statistics Service\",\n \"Census of Agriculture\",\n \"NASS\",\n \"The 2022 Census of Agriculture\",\n \"ag\",\n \"Agriculture\",\n \"uptick\",\n \"Capitalize\",\n \"the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission\",\n \"CCC\",\n \"Sat\",\n \"Akerna\",\n \"Green Wednesday’s\",\n \"Costco\",\n \"Cannabis’ The Cabana Club\",\n \"Canna Cabana\",\n \"Cabana Club\",\n \"Cabana Elite\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Roger Brown\",\n \"Highsman\",\n \"Highsman House\",\n \"Radbill Highsman House\",\n \"Oculus\",\n \"Metaverse\",\n \"Highsman Founder\",\n \"Ricky Williams\",\n \"Heisman Winner\",\n \"Highsman The Highsman House\",\n \"Williams\",\n \"Radbill\",\n \"Eric Hammond\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Radbill.\",\n \"Ricky\",\n \"Tom Vilsack\",\n \"Green\",\n \"Wednesdays\",\n \"Canna Cabana\",\n \"Raj Grover\",\n \"Cabana Elite\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"say\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"drug\",\n \"police\",\n \"year\",\n \"people\",\n \"county\",\n \"arrest\",\n \"new\",\n \"time\",\n \"possession\",\n \"make\",\n \"city\",\n \"report\",\n \"tell\",\n \"charge\",\n \"case\",\n \"officer\",\n \"trump\",\n \"state\",\n \"day\",\n \"president\",\n \"week\",\n \"community\",\n \"news\",\n \"come\",\n \"home\",\n \"law\",\n \"old\",\n \"department\",\n \"covid\",\n \"coronavirus\",\n \"office\",\n \"school\",\n \"pot\",\n \"public\",\n \"work\",\n \"court\",\n \"man\",\n \"like\",\n \"accord\",\n \"policy\",\n \"use\",\n \"official\",\n \"face\",\n \"legalization\",\n \"want\",\n \"read\",\n \"house\",\n \"know\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Crime\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.5,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9234731793403625\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cc2e49a970334120938\",\n \"title\": \"What Does Cannabis Potency Testing Involve?\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/what-does-cannabis-potency-testing-involve-acs-laboratory.aspx\",\n \"description\": \"From weighing a sample to the production of a COA, ACS Laboratory explains its steps for testing cannabis for THC potency.\",\n \"author\": \"Roger Brown\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-11-30T15:20:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"Editor’s note: Cannabis Business Times ’ November cover story examined the prevalence and problems of lab shopping and potency inflation in the cannabis industry. As part of that coverage, CBT asked Florida-based ACS Laboratory , which tests the state’s medical cannabis and tests hemp in 50 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries, more about what cannabis potency testing involves. Here, Roger Brown, founder and president of ACS Laboratory, delves into the process of how the company tests cannabis for THC potency. If you work for a cannabis or hemp testing lab, refer to your state’s testing regulations to ensure compliance. Figure 1. Step 1: Flower is ground and placed in a sterile cup for weighing and prep. Step 2: Sample is weighed and placed in a glass vial. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 1 Figure 2. Step 3: Solution is added, and the vial is sealed. Then the sample vial goes to a grinder for flower or a vortexer for derivatives. A grinder is specifically designed for vigorous up and down shaking to facilitate even distribution of the material. Vortexers or vortex mixers are a critical piece of laboratory equipment used to mix small vials of samples rapidly in a quickly oscillating circular motion. There are specific types of suspension that can only be done by creating a vortex, rather than just shaking a sample. For instance, a vortex mixer is able to mix viscous samples that would otherwise stay unblended. If you need to mix oil and water, a vortex mixer is the equipment you want to get the job done right. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 2 Step 4: For both flower and derivatives, the sample goes to a sonicator . Sonicators use ultrasonic frequency to help mix or dissolve samples during preparation. Step 5: After sonicating samples, samples are placed back in the vortexer to make sure analytes , or the cannabinoids being tested, are not stuck in the bottom or trapped inside. Step 6: Flower and derivatives go to a centrifuge. Centrifuges allow labs to separate samples quickly and accurately to maximize the efficiency of cannabis testing. A centrifuge is used to separate particles suspended in a liquid according to particle size and density, viscosity of the medium, and rotor speed. Within a solution, gravitational force will cause particles of higher density than the solvent to sink, and those less dense than the solvent to float to the top. Figure 3. Step 7: A potency dilution is made according to the testing panel requested and/or target range of values. Dilution, which makes a high-concentrated solution into a less concentrated solution, is a sample preparation step. Samples are diluted with diluent to the calibration range that instruments are validated for. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 3 Figure 4. Step 8: Liquid chromatography instrumentation is used for analytical testing. The lab creates a batch file , which is a sequence file containing information about samples, such as weight, dilution and identification; as well as quality controls such as the standards curve; and the curves’ positions for instruments that the lab uses. The vials/plates for the batch are then loaded onto instruments like the high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (LCUV) or liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LCMS). Step 9: The data is processed, the components of the sample go through the process of chromatography to separate them so the individual components, i.e. individual cannabinoids, can be measured and analyzed. The presence and amount of the targeted cannabinoid’s concentration is then identified and measured using a calibration curve. Below is an example of chromatography of a potency assay, which details the ratios and presence of active cannabinoids against a certified reference material . Certified reference materials (CRMs) are controls or standards used to check the quality and metrological traceability of products, to validate analytical measurement methods, or for the calibration of instruments. Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 4 Figure 5. Step 10: A certificate of analysis (COA) is produced and verified by a trained quality control personnel before its release to clients. A sample COA: Photo courtesy of ACS Laboratory Figure 5 Roger Brown co-founded the first cannabis testing lab in Florida, ACS Laboratory. ACS Laboratory is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited, DEA licensed, and CLIA licensed with the largest state-of-the-art facility in the eastern USA. The Most Trusted Cannabis and Hemp Laboratory in the USA™, ACS Laboratory has increased its reach to 50 states and Puerto Rico, and 16 countries worldwide. It’s nearly 2023, and by now, almost everyone you know is well-versed in digital communication and socialization platforms – be it video conferencing, social media, or the related. And as ‘Metaverse’ becomes an increasingly common part of our cultural lexicon, Highsman is planting its flag in the virtual reality landscape by creating Highsman House. Radbill Highsman House is a community-focused virtual consumption lounge that features a dispensary and merchandise shop, a full-sized football field, a swimming pool, games, and more. The platform is accessible through Oculus or a computer and was designed in partnership with Rocket City, a technology company focused on Metaverse and NFT experiences. The purpose of Highsman House, according to Highsman Chief Marketing Officer Lane Radbill, is to utilize modern technology to foster a cannabis community while educating consumers and building brand awareness. Visitors are even welcome to participate in virtual smoke sessions with other community members, including Highsman Founder and President Ricky Williams and other company executives. RELATED: From Heisman Winner to Highsman Owner Highsman, which launched operations in 2021, started building its Highsman House at the beginning of this year and hosted its first virtual community event, a Monday Night Football watch party, in September. “The first conversation is very surface level. They're like, ‘Holy shit, I'm talking to Ricky Williams,’” Radbill says. “And then the second time they come back, they come back with [specific] questions and you see it start to happen; the curiosity is being fostered. That's a long road of education, but it seems to be working.” Educational Experience Picture this: You virtually arrive at Highsman House and are greeted with your choice of cannabis consumption, be it a joint, blunt or bong. From there, you can visit the dispensary bar to learn more about and interact with Highsman products; engage in virtual smoke sessions with other community members; participate in community games or competitions, such as cornhole or football; or simply just hang out and enjoy the community aspect from the comfort of your own home. © Highsman The Highsman House features a full-size football field and other entertainment options for community games and socialization. “I was in there for the Cowboys game a couple of weeks ago, and you walk in and there's big screen TVs and you can even pick up a joint,” Williams says. “I was out on my patio, and I had a real joint in my hand, and [as] I was watching the game, I'm looking around with my Oculus and I'm in a lounge [with] people around talking, and it was trippy. I really couldn't tell that I wasn't actually in the lounge. We’re moving to create that [experience] in the three-dimensional world, but to have it in the Meta where people in their own home can experience our brand and what we’re putting out into the world is exciting.” Radbill says the Highsman House allows the company to create consistent experiences for consumers in adult-use and/or medical markets. . For example, Highsman debuted its brand in Pennsylvania , a medical-only cannabis state, earlier this fall. While the Pennsylvania market offers new opportunities for Highsman, it also creates new challenges for the company to market itself and educate consumers. “Pennsylvania being our only medical state right now that we're operating in, from a marketing perspective, it's much more difficult,” Radbill says. “There's a lot more red tape with our direct-to-consumer or B2C (business to consumer) marketing assets [and] the way we speak about the brand. Even when doing activations at dispensaries, you have to do them outside in the parking lot; you can't have anybody inside the dispensary. … So, what are we going to do? Ask people to get bundled up and stand in a parking lot underneath a popup tent and say, ‘Yeah, this is the Highsman experience,’?” As a solution, the Highsman House provides a “dream space,” Radbill says, for Highsman to circumvent each state’s varying regulations and duplicate brand experiences across markets. But even then, challenges persist. Properly educating cannabis consumers, both new and experienced, is a continuous pursuit, and Radbill says industry terms such as “cannabinoids” and “terpenes” can often be confusing jargon for consumers. Highsman, by utilizing the Highsman House, is able to simplify the cannabis education process by leaning into its athlete-inspired brand story, according to Radbill. RELATED: The Intersection of Cannabis and Sports: Q&A with Highsman CEO Eric Hammond “If you're trying to go after the masses, that messaging is often too heavy for them,” Radbill says. “What does resonate is if it's good enough for professional athletes, it's probably good enough for me. … If we can get people to buy into Highsman, whether it's for the community, the products, the lifestyle, [etc], that's the beginning of that education process.” As part of that virtual educational experience, Highsman House visitors can interact with Highsman products to learn more about cannabis’s unique properties, including THC percentage, cannabinoid content, terpene levels, and more. “It’s a tool to help educate cannabis consumers,” Radbill says. “An example of that is to have more 3D renders of our flower, for example, that you could come in and you could grab it and you can zoom in on it [and] see the trichomes. You can click a trichome and an infographic will pop up and it'll give you more information about what's going on there.” Radbill adds that Highsman is working towards providing a direct-to-consumer platform where consumers can interact with Highsman products in the Metaverse before purchasing them in reality. Beyond educating just consumers, Radbill says Highsman House can also serve as a teaching tool for budtenders and industry stakeholders to learn about cannabis and Highsman products, specifically. “Our vision is to have that evolve into being a training environment for budtenders and for salespeople,” Radbill says. “I've seen this recently with surgeon training for doctors, where they can take the human body and they can study anatomy and they can remove organs, and then they can see what happens. And I thought, why not do that with marijuana?” Furthermore, Radbill emphasizes the importance of touch and feel – even if just virtually – when it comes to educating both consumers and budtenders about cannabis. “I remember being a kid, you pick up everything and you taste it, and you play with it, and that's how you learn,” Radbill says. “As adults, we're children with marijuana. If you take time to play with it, I think that relationship is made stronger, and then your curiosity develops and then you start realizing this isn't all about THC percentage, this is also about terpenes, and terpenes are cool because I had this experience with it and I can feel that.” Walking the Walk The Highsman House also helps Highsman distinguish itself from other cannabis brands, particularly celebrity or athlete brands in the space, according to Radbill. Williams “Lots of brands that call themselves a ‘lifestyle brand’ talk about community a lot,” Radbill says. “Basically, we’re doing what we’re saying we’re doing when it comes to community building, and that’s where I think we set ourselves apart. We’re not creating these superficial platforms to get followers and put junk up there. This is all about being able to have conversations and touch people.” When building Highsman House, Radbill says the company took note of similar technology platforms that allow for direct access to celebrities, such as Cameo, and implemented accessibility and transparency as defining elements of Highsman House and the Highsman brand as a whole. In addition to Highsman House, the company regularly conducts meet-and-greets with Williams in dispensaries across the country and hosts weekly hangouts on Discord, a voice, video and text social messaging platform, to further connect with the industry. “We're a celebrity cannabis brand, but our founder, Ricky Williams, is not your typical celebrity. He is as authentic as it gets, he is as OG as it gets, and he’s been preaching about [cannabis] prior to its popularity,” Radbill says. “Ricky would much rather spend his time on these Discords, in the Metaverse, or in person talking to budtenders and customers than he would be in front of 50,000 to 100,000 people all clapping for him. It’s about that small, grassroots, one-on-one interaction that people don't believe they're ever going to get.” And given that cannabis is a social elixir of sorts, it only makes sense that Highsman House has an open-door policy. “It’s about the people,” Radbill says. “So yeah, we built this house, but it's no good unless the people are there. It's no fun unless the people are there, and it keeps growing because every time we have one, more people come. And when they come in there, we're not preaching the brand. We're not trying to sell things in there. Yeah, you can do that if you want, but it's not about that.” New visitors are always welcome, and those interested in virtually visiting the Highsman House can learn more at Highsman’s website or via the company’s social media. The company’s most recent event was a Nov. 7 Monday Night Football watch party, but rest assured that more virtual experiences from Highsman are on the way. “We’re building a community with Highsman House, so please bring your authentic self, energy, positive vibes and idealism,” Williams says. “Through the Metaverse, we continue driving societal evolution forward while having fun and making new friends.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently invited agriculture producers across the U.S. to respond to the 2022 Census of Agriculture by Feb. 6, 2023. The Census of Agriculture is a survey collected every five years by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) that “highlights land use and ownership, producer characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures,” and other topics, according to a press release . Between census years, NASS looks at emerging trends and changes in the agriculture industry and updates the questionnaire based on its findings. With the last Census of Agriculture taking place in 2017, this is the first year the USDA NASS will be including hemp production data—as industrial hemp was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. NASS also revised the survey to include questions regarding precision agriculture, hair sheep, and updates to internet access, according to the release. “The 2022 Census of Agriculture is a powerful voice for American agriculture. The information gathered through the ag census influences policy decisions that will have a tremendous impact on ag producers and their communities for years to come,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “I strongly encourage all farmers, no matter how large or small their operation, to promptly complete and return their ag census. This is your opportunity to share your voice, uplift the value and showcase the uniqueness of American agriculture.” Farmers can complete the 2022 Census of Agriculture at agcounts.usda.gov . Green Wednesday cannabis sales rivaled the likes of 4/20 and the Friday preceding July 4, as U.S. customers stocked up on non-inhalable products ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, according to cannabis data and research company Headset . The day before Thanksgiving, known as Green Wednesday in the cannabis industry, featured a 48% sales increase compared to the three previous Wednesdays in November for retailers in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, Headset reported Nov. 28. That uptick makes Green Wednesday the third-highest grossing day of cannabis sales so far in 2022, bested only by April 20 and Friday, July 1. Headset’s three-day analysis also revealed that Thanksgiving Day sales fell 65% compared to a normal Thursday while Black Friday sales increased 1% compared to a typical Friday—the busiest day of the week for most cannabis dispensaries. RELATED: 5 Tips to Capitalize on Friday Sales at Your Dispensary Overall, inhalable product categories experienced the most significant dips during the three-day holiday stretch, including concentrates (-11.4%), flower (-10.8%) and prerolls (-6.4%), according to Headset. More discrete product categories like topicals (15.3%), beverages (13.2%) and edibles (6.1%) experienced the largest sales growth during the holiday stretch. While Headset’s data came from a seven-state analysis, figures directly from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) revealed an even greater uptick for Green Wednesday, when licensed adult-use retailers in the commonwealth recorded nearly $7 million in sales. That benchmark represents an 85% increase compared to a typical Wednesday from five weeks of data Cannabis Business Times collected from May 30 to July 3 of this year—when the average Wednesday brought in nearly $3.8 million in sales. RELATED: Fridays Reign King for Massachusetts Cannabis Dispensaries Fridays were the busiest day of the week for Massachusetts retailers, representing 18.8% of sales, followed by Saturdays (16.9%), Thursdays (14.8%) and Wednesdays (13.1%) during the analysis conducted by CBT . But with the Thanksgiving holiday shuffling things, Green Wednesday accounted for 23% of sales among Massachusetts retailers last week, followed by Black Friday (20.9%), Saturday (15.6%) and Tuesday (14.4%). Thanksgiving Day, when adult-use customers spent $337,502 at Massachusetts dispensaries, accounted for 1.1% of sales for the week. Day Sales (adult-use) % of Sales Mon. 11/21 $3,769,444.68 12.42% Tue. 11/22 $4,660,071.33 15.36% Wed. 11/23 $6,971,457.90 22.98% Thu. 11/24 $337,501.93 1.11% Fri. 11/25 $6,341,856.50 20.90% Sat. 11/26 $4,725,621.16 15.57% Sun. 11/27 $3,537,130.00 11.66% Total $30,343,083.50 100.00% With the high traffic numbers expected for Green Wednesday—which also was the third-highest grossing sales day in 2021, according to industry software company Akerna —retailers weren’t so fast to hand out holiday discounts, according to Headset. During the three days in Headset’s seven-state analysis, Green Wednesday’s average discount was 19.8%, while Thanksgiving Day (22.2%) and Black Friday (23.7%) saw the largest average discounts—both with an increase of more than 8 percentage points compared to typical Thursdays and Fridays in November. High Tide, a Canadian-based retail-focused cannabis company with brick-and-mortar and global e-commerce assets, has monetized its membership-based loyalty program at its Canna Cabana retail locations, launching “Cabana Elite.” High Tide operates in the Canadian cannabis retail market through its flagship retail brand, Canna Cabana, which has over 140 locations across five provinces. The company has become known for its discount club retail model, modeled after wholesaler Costco’s membership-based program. Cannabis Business Times spoke with Raj Grover, founder, president and CEO of High Tide, in early November to discuss the company’s differentiated retail approach and how it has contributed to its success. RELATED: How High Tide Became the ‘Costco of Cannabis’ The Cabana Club loyalty program launched last October and has over 860,000 members, who account for 90% of the daily transactions at Canna Cabana retail stores. Essentially, loyalty members have access to a member price, versus a market price, at Canna Cabana dispensary locations and online. The member and market prices typically vary within a $10 range. Now, the company has taken its membership program further, launching Cabana Elite, a paid membership for consumers priced at $5 per month. “I am delighted to finally announce the launch of ELITE, the next evolution in our innovative discount club model and a huge milestone for High Tide,” Grover said. “By leveraging the strengths of our diversified cannabis ecosystem, we are providing additional value to ELITE members by offering discounts on High Tide’s global online consumption accessories platforms.” Similar to the non-paid Cabana Club loyalty program, Cabana Elite members will have access to member prices and several other incentives, including giveaways, limited edition branded accessories, flash sales, birthday bags, exclusive discounts and more, according to a press release. “We see this as a big step towards building our loyalty program into a global cannabis community as we continue to convert price-conscious consumers from the illicit market into our legal cannabis ecosystem,” Grover said.\",\n \"source_id\": \"cannabis-business-times\",\n \"urlToImage\": \"http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/fileuploads/image/2022/11/29/acs-disp-img-lab-testing.jpg?w=1200&h=627&scale=both\",\n \"summarization\": \"ACS Laboratory tests the state’s medical cannabis and tests hemp in 50 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries. a vortexer or vortex mixer is a critical piece of laboratory equipment used to mix small vials of samples rapidly in a quickly oscillating circular motion.\",\n \"GPE\": [\n \"Florida\",\n \"Puerto Rico\",\n \"USA\",\n \"Rocket City\",\n \"Pennsylvania\",\n \"Highsman\",\n \"Discord\",\n \"U.S.\",\n \"California\",\n \"Colorado\",\n \"Massachusetts\",\n \"Michigan\",\n \"Nevada\",\n \"Oregon\",\n \"Washington\",\n \"Headset\",\n \"Saturdays\",\n \"Canna Cabana\"\n ],\n \"ORG\": [\n \"Cannabis Business Times\",\n \"CBT\",\n \"ACS Laboratory\",\n \"THC\",\n \"ACS Laboratory Figure\",\n \"COA\",\n \"ISO\",\n \"DEA\",\n \"Hemp Laboratory\",\n \"NFT\",\n \"Cowboys\",\n \"Meta\",\n \"the Highsman House\",\n \"jargon\",\n \"cannabinoid content\",\n \"Radbill\",\n \"Cameo\",\n \"Discords\",\n \"The United States Department of Agriculture\",\n \"USDA\",\n \"the 2022 Census of Agriculture\",\n \"The Census of Agriculture\",\n \"National Agricultural Statistics Service\",\n \"Census of Agriculture\",\n \"NASS\",\n \"The 2022 Census of Agriculture\",\n \"ag\",\n \"Agriculture\",\n \"uptick\",\n \"Capitalize\",\n \"the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission\",\n \"CCC\",\n \"Sat\",\n \"Akerna\",\n \"Green Wednesday’s\",\n \"Costco\",\n \"Cannabis’ The Cabana Club\",\n \"Canna Cabana\",\n \"Cabana Club\",\n \"Cabana Elite\"\n ],\n \"PERSON\": [\n \"Roger Brown\",\n \"Highsman\",\n \"Highsman House\",\n \"Radbill Highsman House\",\n \"Oculus\",\n \"Metaverse\",\n \"Highsman Founder\",\n \"Ricky Williams\",\n \"Heisman Winner\",\n \"Highsman The Highsman House\",\n \"Williams\",\n \"Radbill\",\n \"Eric Hammond\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"Radbill.\",\n \"Ricky\",\n \"Tom Vilsack\",\n \"Green\",\n \"Wednesdays\",\n \"Canna Cabana\",\n \"Raj Grover\",\n \"Cabana Elite\"\n ],\n \"Tokens\": [\n \"say\",\n \"marijuana\",\n \"drug\",\n \"police\",\n \"year\",\n \"people\",\n \"county\",\n \"arrest\",\n \"new\",\n \"time\",\n \"possession\",\n \"make\",\n \"city\",\n \"report\",\n \"tell\",\n \"charge\",\n \"case\",\n \"officer\",\n \"trump\",\n \"state\",\n \"day\",\n \"president\",\n \"week\",\n \"community\",\n \"news\",\n \"come\",\n \"home\",\n \"law\",\n \"old\",\n \"department\",\n \"covid\",\n \"coronavirus\",\n \"office\",\n \"school\",\n \"pot\",\n \"public\",\n \"work\",\n \"court\",\n \"man\",\n \"like\",\n \"accord\",\n \"policy\",\n \"use\",\n \"official\",\n \"face\",\n \"legalization\",\n \"want\",\n \"read\",\n \"house\",\n \"know\"\n ],\n \"Topic\": \"Crime\",\n \"Topic_Contribution\": 0.5,\n \"sentiment\": \"neutral\",\n \"sentiment_score\": 0.9234731793403625\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"638e6cc5e49a97033412093a\",\n \"title\": \"USDA to Include Hemp Data in 2022 Census of Agriculture\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/usda-nass-to-include-hem-production-data-in-census-of-agriculture\",\n \"description\": \"This is the first year USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will include hemp production data in the Census of Agriculture.\",\n \"author\": \"Andriana Ruscitto\",\n \"publishedAt\": \"2022-11-29T21:13:00.000Z\",\n \"content\": \"The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently invited agriculture producers across the U.S. to respond to the 2022 Census of Agriculture by Feb. 6, 2023. The Census of Agriculture is a survey collected every five years by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) that “highlights land use and ownership, producer characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures,” and other topics, according to a press release . Between census years, NASS looks at emerging trends and changes in the agriculture industry and updates the questionnaire based on its findings. With the last Census of Agriculture taking place in 2017, this is the first year the USDA NASS will be including hemp production data—as industrial hemp was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. NASS also revised the survey to include questions regarding precision agriculture, hair sheep, and updates to internet access, according to the release. “The 2022 Census of Agriculture is a powerful voice for American agriculture. The information gathered through the ag census influences policy decisions that will have a tremendous impact on ag producers and their communities for years to come,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “I strongly encourage all farmers, no matter how large or small their operation, to promptly complete and return their ag census. This is your opportunity to share your voice, uplift the value and showcase the uniqueness of American agriculture.” Farmers can complete the 2022 Census of Agriculture at agcounts.usda.gov . Green Wednesday cannabis sales rivaled the likes of 4/20 and the Friday preceding July 4, as U.S. customers stocked up on non-inhalable products ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, according to cannabis data and research company Headset . The day before Thanksgiving, known as Green Wednesday in the cannabis industry, featured a 48% sales increase compared to the three previous Wednesdays in November for retailers in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, Headset reported Nov. 28. That uptick makes Green Wednesday the third-highest grossing day of cannabis sales so far in 2022, bested only by April 20 and Friday, July 1. Headset’s three-day analysis also revealed that Thanksgiving Day sales fell 65% compared to a normal Thursday while Black Friday sales increased 1% compared to a typical Friday—the busiest day of the week for most cannabis dispensaries. RELATED: 5 Tips to Capitalize on Friday Sales at Your Dispensary Overall, inhalable product categories experienced the most significant dips during the three-day holiday stretch, including concentrates (-11.4%), flower (-10.8%) and prerolls (-6.4%), according to Headset. More discrete product categories like topicals (15.3%), beverages (13.2%) and edibles (6.1%) experienced the largest sales growth during the holiday stretch. While Headset’s data came from a seven-state analysis, figures directly from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) revealed an even greater uptick for Green Wednesday, when licensed adult-use retailers in the commonwealth recorded nearly $7 million in sales. That benchmark represents an 85% increase compared to a typical Wednesday from five weeks of data Cannabis Business Times collected from May 30 to July 3 of this year—when the average Wednesday brought in nearly $3.8 million in sales. RELATED: Fridays Reign King for Massachusetts Cannabis Dispensaries Fridays were the busiest day of the week for Massachusetts retailers, representing 18.8% of sales, followed by Saturdays (16.9%), Thursdays (14.8%) and Wednesdays (13.1%) during the analysis conducted by CBT . But with the Thanksgiving holiday shuffling things, Green Wednesday accounted for 23% of sales among Massachusetts retailers last week, followed by Black Friday (20.9%), Saturday (15.6%) and Tuesday (14.4%). Thanksgiving Day, when adult-use customers spent $337,502 at Massachusetts dispensaries, accounted for 1.1% of sales for the week. Day Sales (adult-use) % of Sales Mon. 11/21 $3,769,444.68 12.42% Tue. 11/22 $4,660,071.33 15.36% Wed. 11/23 $6,971,457.90 22.98% Thu. 11/24 $337,501.93 1.11% Fri. 11/25 $6,341,856.50 20.90% Sat. 11/26 $4,725,621.16 15.57% Sun. 11/27 $3,537,130.00 11.66% Total $30,343,083.50 100.00% With the high traffic numbers expected for Green Wednesday—which also was the third-highest grossing sales day in 2021, according to industry software company Akerna —retailers weren’t so fast to hand out holiday discounts, according to Headset. During the three days in Headset’s seven-state analysis, Green Wednesday’s average discount was 19.8%, while Thanksgiving Day (22.2%) and Black Friday (23.7%) saw the largest average discounts—both with an increase of more than 8 percentage points compared to typical Thursdays and Fridays in November. High Tide, a Canadian-based retail-focused cannabis company with brick-and-mortar and global e-commerce assets, has monetized its membership-based loyalty program at its Canna Cabana retail locations, launching “Cabana Elite.” High Tide operates in the Canadian cannabis retail market through its flagship retail brand, Canna Cabana, which has over 140 locations across five provinces. The company has become known for its discount club retail model, modeled after wholesaler Costco’s membership-based program. Cannabis Business Times spoke with Raj Grover, founder, president and CEO of High Tide, in early November to discuss the company’s differentiated retail approach and how it has contributed to its success. RELATED: How High Tide Became the ‘Costco of Cannabis’ The Cabana Club loyalty program launched last October and has over 860,000 members, who account for 90% of the daily transactions at Canna Cabana retail stores. Essentially, loyalty members have access to a member price, versus a market price, at Canna Cabana dispensary locations and online. The member and market prices typically vary within a $10 range. Now, the company has taken its membership program further, launching Cabana Elite, a paid membership for consumers priced at $5 per month. “I am delighted to finally announce the launch of ELITE, the next evolution in our innovative discount club model and a huge milestone for High Tide,” Grover said. “By leveraging the strengths of our diversified cannabis ecosystem, we are providing additional value to ELITE members by offering discounts on High Tide’s global online consumption accessories platforms.” Similar to the non-paid Cabana Club loyalty program, Cabana Elite members will have access to member prices and several other incentives, including giveaways, limited edition branded accessories, flash sales, birthday bags, exclusive discounts and more, according to a press release. “We see this as a big step towards building our loyalty program into a global cannabis community as we continue to convert price-conscious consumers from the illicit market into our legal cannabis ecosystem,” Grover said. Advocates in Ohio are renewing their push to get an adult-use cannabis legalization measure before voters after a lawsuit suspended their 2022 campaign. The initiative, backed by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol , has been cleared for signature gathering , and the campaign has about eight weeks to collect roughly 130,000 signatures to qualify the initiated statute for the November 2023 ballot, according to a Cleveland.com report . “We expect that we’ll be able to do it,” Tom Haren, an attorney working on the campaign, told the news outlet. “We’ll have staff get ready. Our intention is to give Ohio voters an opportunity to weigh in if the General Assembly continues to ignore them.” The proposal would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and consume cannabis, and would create a new state agency, the Division of Cannabis Control, to regulate cannabis in the state. The initiated statute would levy a 10% sales tax on adult-use cannabis, and the resulting tax revenue would be distributed among several entities, including municipalities that host cannabis businesses, a substance abuse and addiction fund, and a social equity fund to support communities that have been adversely affected by prohibition. In December 2021, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted more than 206,000 signatures to get its initiated statute before the Ohio General Assembly, which would have had four months to consider the proposal. If legislators opted not to pass the bill as is, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol had the option to collect additional signatures to present the issue to voters on the state’s 2022 ballot. In early January, elections officials rejected more than 87,000 of the signatures that the campaign submitted, bringing the effort short of its mark. Undeterred, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted additional signatures weeks later and the Ohio Secretary of State’s office certified the initiative petition , transmitting the proposal to the General Assembly. Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, refused to take up the proposal , but State Reps. Casey Weinstein, D-Hudson, and Terrance Upchurch, D-Cleveland, formally introduced the campaign’s initiated statute in April, despite the pair of lawmakers already sponsoring separate adult-use legislation in the General Assembly. Nevertheless, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol and legislative leaders went to court soon after over the state-mandated deadlines to get an initiated statute on the ballot. RELATED: Ohio Cannabis Advocates File Lawsuit Against Lawmakers For Attempt to Block 2022 Initiative The resulting settlement mandates that the adult-use legalization proposal must be presented to the General Assembly in January. Lawmakers will then have four months to pass the legislation, but the campaign is already working to gather the signatures required to send the issue to voters next year. RELATED: Ohio GOP Leaders Win Battle to Keep Cannabis Legalization Off 2022 Ballot Meanwhile, a recent poll conducted by Spectrum News in partnership with the Siena College Research Institute revealed that the majority of Ohioans support adult-use cannabis legalization, with 60% of those surveyed in favor and 37% in opposition. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced Nov. 28 that he appointed Erin Johnson to serve as the state’s next cannabis regulation oversight officer (CROO), a top regulatory position that has remained vacant for six months. Johnson, who spent 2 1/2 years as chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, where she drafted and reviewed legislation that impacts juvenile justice and served as a liaison for the governor’s office, succeeds Danielle Perry, who left the CROO role in May 2022 as the state faced ongoing legal battles to issue 185 cannabis retail licenses. RELATED: Judge Ends Court Order, Allows Illinois to Issue 185 New Cannabis Dispensary Licenses Before Johnson began her work with juvenile justice, she spent 2 1/2 years as associate general counsel and chief diversity officer under former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, whom Pritzker defeated in the 2018 election. “Erin Johnson’s commitment to equity will serve Illinois well as she takes the reins as the state’s cannabis regulation oversight officer,” Pritzker said in a press release . He added that Johnson “has the experience, education, and expertise to thrive in this role while advancing cannabis equity throughout Illinois. I can think of no better person than Erin to serve as our cannabis regulation oversight officer and I wish her all the best in this new position.” The Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office is part of the state’s Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and works with other state agencies as the regulatory authority for Illinois’ licensed industry. Johnson will oversee the office to help ensure the state’s social equity goals are met through expungements, community reinvestment and diversification of the cannabis industry. “I am incredibly thankful to Governor Pritzker for trusting me to lead the administration’s cannabis regulation efforts,” Johnson said in the release. “Together we will move Illinois forward and continue to build a cannabis industry that is driven by social equity, providing opportunities and righting generations of wrongs.” In addition to her government work, Johnson spent the past 1 1/2 years as an associate corporate counsel at Amazon. Also, she was a litigation associated at SmithAmundsen LLC from 2013 to 2016 in Chicago. She holds bar admissions in Wisconsin, Illinois and the Northern District of Illinois. 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This request queries the sources endpoint to retrieve a list of all available news sources within a particular country (ca).
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Marijuana Business Daily is the most trusted publication covering the legal cannabis industry in the U.S. and globally.\",\n \"url\": \"https://mjbizdaily.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"marijuana-moment\",\n \"name\": \"Marijuana Moment\",\n \"description\": \"up-to-the-minute news on the politics, business and culture of cannabis\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.marijuanamoment.net\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"marijuana-politics\",\n \"name\": \"Marijuana Politicis\",\n \"description\": \"Marijuana Politics covers news, politics, sports, culture and entertainment that of course, focuses on marijuana law and news that impacts all facets of the cannabis community, but will also keep in mind the broader focus of bringing marijuana further into the mainstream.\",\n \"url\": \"http://marijuanapolitics.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"market-realist\",\n \"name\": \"Market Realist\",\n \"description\": \"Our mission is to help investors make informed investment decisions by providing independent, institutional-quality research written by experienced industry research analysts.\",\n \"url\": \"https://marketrealist.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"marketwatch\",\n \"name\": \"MarketWatch\",\n \"description\": \"MarketWatch is a financial information website that provides business news, analysis, and stock market data.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.marketwatch.com/\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"marley-natural\",\n \"name\": \"Marley Natural\",\n \"description\": \"Marley Natural is a cannabis brand crafted with deep respect for the positive potential of the herb. #Learntheherb or shop our premium smoking accessories\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.marleynatural.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"mashable\",\n \"name\": \"Mashable\",\n \"description\": \"Mashable is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company.\",\n \"url\": \"https://mashable.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"mens-health\",\n \"name\": \"Men's Health\",\n \"description\": \"Men's Health is the brand men live by for fitness, nutrition, health, sex, style, grooming, tech, weight loss, and more.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.menshealth.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"mercola\",\n \"name\": \"Mercola\",\n \"description\": \"A reliable source of health articles, optimal wellness products, medical news, and free natural newsletter from natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.mercola.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"merry-jane\",\n \"name\": \"Merry Jane\",\n \"description\": \"MERRY JANE is the definitive cannabis resource offering exclusive content on culture, news, video, food, and style.\",\n \"url\": \"https://merryjane.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"mg-retailer\",\n \"name\": \"MG Retailer\",\n \"description\": \"mg Cannabis Retailer - Cannabis News, information, and exclusive content for Cannabis Professionals. A trusted source for news about marijuana legalization .\",\n \"url\": \"https://mgretailer.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"mindbodygreen\",\n \"name\": \"mindbodygreen\",\n \"description\": \"mindbodygreen is a lifestyle media brand dedicated to inspiring you to live your best life - mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and environmentally.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.mindbodygreen.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"mirror\",\n \"name\": \"Mirror\",\n \"description\": \"The Daily Mirror is a British national daily tabloid newspaper founded in 1903\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.mirror.co.uk\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"uk\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"mlive\",\n \"name\": \"Mlive\",\n \"description\": \"Michigan's largest local news website with 10 newsrooms across the state.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.mlive.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"new-cannabis-ventures\",\n \"name\": \"New Cannabis Ventures\",\n \"description\": \"New Cannabis Ventures is a news & information platform offered by NCV Media, LLC that highlights promising companies and influential investors in the cannabis industry. NCV is a cannabis-centric marketing & communications company.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.newcannabisventures.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"new-york-magazine\",\n \"name\": \"New York Magazine\",\n \"description\": \"New York Magazine energizes people around shared interests, igniting important conversations on the news, politics, style, and culture that drive the world\",\n \"url\": \"http://nymag.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"new-york-times\",\n \"name\": \"New York Times\",\n \"description\": \"The New York Times is an American newspaper based in New York City with worldwide influence and readership.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.nytimes.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"news24\",\n \"name\": \"News24\",\n \"description\": \"News24.com is an English-language South African online news publication created in October 1998 by the multinational media company\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.news24.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"sa\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"newsweek\",\n \"name\": \"Newsweek\",\n \"description\": \"Newsweek provides in-depth analysis, news and opinion about international issues, technology, business, culture and politics.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.newsweek.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"people-magazine\",\n \"name\": \"People Magazine\",\n \"description\": \"Get the latest news about celebrities, royals, music, TV, and real people. Find exclusive content, including photos and videos\",\n \"url\": \"https://people.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"politico\",\n \"name\": \"Politico\",\n \"description\": \"Politico, known originally as The Politico, is an American political journalism company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and internationally.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.politico.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"pot-network\",\n \"name\": \"PotNetwork\",\n \"description\": \"Marijuana stock, cannabis, and hemp industry business news, investment information, stock updates and more about pot from PotNetwork News.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.potnetwork.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"programmableweb\",\n \"name\": \"ProgrammableWeb\",\n \"description\": \"The leading source of news & information about APIs, chronicling the evolution of the global API economy & providing the web's most relied-on API Directory.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.programmableweb.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"psych-central\",\n \"name\": \"Psych Central\",\n \"description\": \"Home of down-to-earth, reliable, objective mental health symptoms and treatment information.\",\n \"url\": \"https://psychcentral.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"quartz\",\n \"name\": \"Quartz\",\n \"description\": \"Quartz is a business news organization. It launched from New York City in 2012 and operates editions in Africa and India. The Quartz website and newsletters are free digital news publications with no paywalls nor registration requirements, although in 2018 it launched a paid membership product. \",\n \"url\": \"https://qz.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"refinery29\",\n \"name\": \"Refinery29\",\n \"description\": \"Refinery29 is a modern woman's destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.refinery29.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"reuters\",\n \"name\": \"Reuters\",\n \"description\": \"Reuters.com brings you the latest news from around the world, covering breaking news in markets, business, politics, entertainment, technology, video and\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.reuters.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"rolling-stone\",\n \"name\": \"Rolling Stone\",\n \"description\": \"Rolling Stone is an American monthly magazine that focuses on popular culture.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.rollingstone.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"rt\",\n \"name\": \"RT\",\n \"description\": \"RT is the first Russian 24/7 English-language news channel which brings the Russian view on global news.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.rt.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"ru\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"salon\",\n \"name\": \"Salon\",\n \"description\": \"Award-winning news and culture, features breaking news, in-depth reporting and criticism on politics, business, entertainment and technology.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.salon.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"scientific-american\",\n \"name\": \"Scientific American\",\n \"description\": \"Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.scientificamerican.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"seeking-alpha\",\n \"name\": \"Seeking Alpha\",\n \"description\": \"Seeking Alpha is a crowd-sourced content service for financial markets. Articles and research covers a broad range of stocks, asset classes, ETFs and investment strategies. In contrast to other equity research platforms, insight is provided by contributor base of investors and industry experts rather than sell side.\",\n \"url\": \"https://seekingalpha.com/\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"sfgate\",\n \"name\": \"SFGate\",\n \"description\": \"SFGATE: Local news & information, updated weather, traffic, entertainment, celebrity news, sports scores and more.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.sfgate.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"us\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"soyacincau\",\n \"name\": \"SoyaCincau\",\n \"description\": \"SoyaCincau.com is one of the most influential tech sites in Malaysia with a reputation of producing quality, unbiased content. \",\n \"url\": \"https://www.soyacincau.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"my\"\n },\n {\n \"_id\": \"summerland-review\",\n \"name\": \"Summerland Review\",\n \"description\": \"Proudly serving the community since 1908.\",\n \"url\": \"https://www.summerlandreview.com\",\n \"language\": \"en\",\n \"country\": \"ca\"\n }\n ]\n}"}],"_postman_id":"d31d44ec-b07f-4474-8bfe-917623208bc7"}],"id":"f91770f2-80fc-43b2-a8b4-301035bada2c","_postman_id":"f91770f2-80fc-43b2-a8b4-301035bada2c","description":""}]}