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.

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.”

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

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.”

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.

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.

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:

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

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 Eight 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.

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 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.

TORONTO, Dec. 21, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE– TerrAscend Corp., a leading NorthAmerican cannabis operator, announced that its subsidiary, WDB Holding PA Inc.,has completed an amendment (the "amendment") to its existing $115 million seniorsecured term loan in Pennsylvania (the"loan").

"TerrAscend has taken significantmeasures recently to reduce its outstanding debt and interest expense, furtherstrengthening 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 ofwhich are nondilutive and noninterest bearing in nature, and we intend toexplore all options for continued debt reduction and balance sheet optimization."

The amendment will reduce company debt by $35 million andannual interest expense by $5million. Combined with recently announced debt retirement of $125 million,company debt will be reduced by a cumulative $160 million and will resultin total annual interest savings of $15 million. TerrAscendwill make the $35million payment on March 15, 2023, at theoriginal prepayment price of 103.22% to par. The loan matures in December 2024 andoriginally could not be prepaid without penalty until June 2023. 

Under the terms of the amendment, TerrAscendwill 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 satisfactionof certain conditions. Additionally, the amendment now affords the companyflexibility to enter into a sale-leaseback transaction or mortgage, at itsdiscretion, on its cultivation facility in Pennsylvania, which has anestimated value of $50million.

MÜV Lake City is located at 2938 W US Highway 90, a busy thoroughfare with an average daily traffic count of roughly 32,000 vehiclesIn 2022, Verano has opened 21 new MÜV locations in Florida, underscoring the company’s continued retail expansion across the stateVerano’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.

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."

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

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.

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.

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 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

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.”

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.