MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
CBT focuses strictly on the business of legal cannabis for medical and recreational use and aims to provide timely information—through its website, e-newsletter, mobile app, print magazine and annual conference—to help the reader make timely, informed decisions to help them run their businesses better and more profitably. In 2018, Cannabis Business Times was named Magazine of the Year by the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
A recent report from cannabis data and research company Headset indicates that employee retention is a challenge inthe cannabis retail space.
The report, which examined real-time employee sales data in nine states and four Canadian provinces from June 2021 through May 2022, found that about 55% of dispensary employees, typically referred to as “budtenders,” will resign within a given year. The report also found that approximately 25% of newly hired budtenders quit their job within the first month.
Cannabis Business Times caught up with Kevin Hart, the founder and CEO of Green Check Verified, a Florida-based software company solutions provider of cannabis banking and expert advisory services for financial institutions, to better understand what factors may be contributing to the high turnover rate and what businesses owners should actively be doing to improve employee retention.
Andriana Ruscitto: A recent report from cannabis data and research company Headset found, on average, 55% of budtenders in North America will resign within a given year. What key factors do you think lead to that turnover rate?
Kevin Hart: As part of my background in different technology companies, we had CPG (consumer packaged goods) experience. I have a lot of experience in CPG, retail, operations, etc., across different product lines. With as many businesses as we have on the platform, we get to meet a lot of these clients and go [visit] them. I think the retail experience of cannabis is no different than the retail experience of anybody else. It comes down to what that experience is and what that expectation would be, and if that expectation isn’t defined, the experience is never going to be delivered in that. I saw that you wrote about Planet 13. ... As a consumer, your expectations [of Planet 13] are set in the parking lot, and then they only get enhanced when you walk through the door.
New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced Aug. 11 that regulators will start accepting adult-use cannabis dispensary license applications Aug. 25, with applicants with prior cannabis-related convictions first in line to receive conditional licenses.
Those who have a close relative with a cannabis-related conviction will also be prioritized in the licensing process, and applicants are also required to have experience owning and operating a "qualifying" business.
“Today’s announcement brings us to the precipice of legal, licensed cannabis sales in New York State,” Cannabis Control Board (CCB) Chair Tremaine Wright said in a public statement. “With the Seeding Opportunity Initiative, New York has affirmed our commitment to making sure the first sales are conducted by those harmed by prohibition. We’re writing a new playbook for what an equitable launch of a cannabis industry looks like, and hope future states follow our lead.”
The OCM has published a resources page on its website to help applicants begin preparing their documentation.
AUGUSTA – PRESS RELEASE – The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) today announced the formation of the Metrc User Workgroup, an 18-member panel tasked with review of the state’s existing, cloud-based tracking software, and with recommending improvements that will make the process of tracking cannabis products more efficient for Maine’s adult-use market.
“Effective inventory tracking is the hallmark of a well-regulated cannabis market,” said OCP Director Erik Gundersen. “We know that the rollout of Maine’s adult-use program has been a success, but we have to keep working to improve it all the time. We are grateful for the leadership and participation of this experienced group of invested stakeholders.”
The members of the Workgroup, along with their Track and Trace Administrators, represent all sectors of the Adult Use Cannabis Program in Maine, and offer a diversity of backgrounds, geography, and type of licensee:
Zach Allen, Cultivation, Nova Farms Eddie Benjamin, Vertically Integrated, Theory Wellness Genevieve Bickford, Vertically Integrated, NPG/Wellness Peter Franklin, Retail, Maine Plant-Based Therapy Elliot Lee, Manufacturing, East Coast Cannabis Alison Miller, Manufacturing, The Hashery Rebecca O'Connor, Vertically Integrated, Rugged Roots, Coast to Coast, Sinsemilla Ryan Parker, Cultivation, Stoner & Co. Hilary Reeder, Vertically Integrated, Highbrow Justice Rines, Vertically Integrated, Sweet Dirt Steve Rusnack, Manufacturing, Full Bloom Mitchel Samuelson, Cultivation, Seed and Soil Keri-Jon Wilson, Manufacturing, Pot and Pan Jake Wisdom, Vertically Integrated, Blue Sky & Kender FarmsAdditional members include organizations’ track-and-trace administrators, in addition to the principals above:
Jake Daku, Vertically Integrated, Blue Sky & Kender Farms J. Matthew Judge, PhD., Cultivation, Theory Wellness Rebecca Matz, Cultivation, Stoner & Co. Kristin McIntyre, Vertically Integrated, NPG/Wellness“We recognize both the importance of the data and safeguards Metrc provides,” continued Gundersen. “But it’s important to present a product and workflow that works for everyone involved in ensuring a bright future for Maine’s cannabis businesses. We look forward to engaging in an honest dialogue with these representatives to better understand how we can strike that balance.”
The legal defense team for imprisoned WNBA star Brittney Griner is filing an appeal against her conviction of cannabis possession in Russia.
The appeal comes less than two weeks after Griner was found guilty on cannabis possession charges in a Russian court on Aug. 4. She was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison and fined 1 million rubles ($16,950) by Judge Anna Sotnikova.
RELATED: Brittney Griner Convicted, Sentenced to 9 Years on Cannabis Possession Charges in Russia
Griner was charged with possessing cannabis vape cartridges while traveling through Sheremetyevo International Airport in February near Moscow. Her trial began on July 1 and lasted more than a month before her conviction and sentencing.
Griner, who pleaded guilty to the charges, maintains she made an “honest mistake,” according to NBC News, in traveling through Russia with cannabis products.
Since Griner’s sentencing, U.S. and Russian officials have been discussing potential prisoner swaps, with the U.S. also seeking to free Paul Whelan, a Canadian-born former U.S. Marine who was arrested in 2018 and is being held on espionage charges with a 16-year sentence in Russia.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) approved rules Aug. 11 that will govern the medical cannabis business licensing process, according to an AL.com report.
Those seeking cultivation, processing, testing, transportation and retail licenses can request the applications starting Sept. 1, the news outlet reported.
The AMCC then plans to start accepting the applications Oct. 31, with an application deadline of Dec. 30, according to AL.com.
The commission will begin awarding business licenses in June 2023, the news outlet reported, and medical cannabis products are expected to hit dispensary shelves in late 2023 or early 2024.
RELATED: Alabama Regulators Release Draft Rules for Medical Cannabis Industry
A large portion of cannabis shoppers today continue to make purchases based solely on product THC percentage.
Beginning in July, New York medical cannabis patrons may (or may not) have been enticed to buy multistate operator Curaleaf’s products based on that consumer trend. After making an internal labeling switch, the Massachusetts-based company had higher listed THC potencies than competing products at retail in New York.
That’s because Curaleaf began using dry-weight THC testing measurements for its product labels last month—a method that results in significantly higher potency than “wet-weight” THC testing—without approval from the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), NY Cannabis Insider first reported.
But the company has temporality abandoned that labeling switch.
According to an Aug. 12 statement from Curaleaf officials provided to Cannabis Business Times by Stephanie Cunha, the company’s regional director of public relations, the multistate operator voluntarily discontinued including dry-weight testing measurements on product labels until the OCM permits doing so in New York.
As a result, Curaleaf voluntarily removed thousands of products from medical cannabis dispensary shelves in New York, Cunha confirmed with CBT. A full count of what’s been removed from the market has not yet been made public.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed legislation Aug. 11 aimed at increasing diversity in the state’s cannabis industry.
The Senate unanimously approved its version of the bill in April, and the House passed its version in a 153-2 vote in May. Both chambers then passed compromise legislation, S. 3096, last month, sending it to the governor’s desk.
The sprawling cannabis regulatory reform bill aims to promote greater diversity in the market, increase oversight on host community agreements and establish a framework for municipalities to allow cannabis consumption lounges in their jurisdictions.
Baker approved almost all the legislation’s provisions Thursday, according to The Berkshire Eagle, but struck down a single section that would have required state agencies to examine ways to allow K-12 students to possess and use medical cannabis on school grounds.
“By no means am I saying that this single piece of legislation will solve every issue that’s facing the cannabis industry, but it is a massive step,” Cannabis Control Commissioner Ava Callender Concepcion said during the commission’s Aug. 11 meeting, a few hours before Baker signed the bill into law. “This is monumental.”
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Aug. 9 to put a measure before voters this November that would impose a business tax on cannabis businesses in unincorporated areas once they are allowed to open.
Currently, cannabis businesses are not permitted in unincorporated LA County; However, the Board of Supervisors passed a motion in February directing the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs’ Office of Cannabis Management to implement a cannabis licensing program in unincorporated areas, according to LACounty.gov.
RELATED: Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Reject Cannabis Tax Initiative
The proposed measure will be placed on the Nov. 8 ballot and will require a majority vote to pass. If passed, it would set a 4% tax “for gross receipts for retail operations, 3% for manufacturing and distribution, $4 per square foot for mixed light cultivation, and $7 per square foot for indoor cultivation” on cannabis operations in unincorporated LA county once they are permitted, ABC 7 reported.
According to the news outlet, the county is still developing regulations for a commercial cannabis program in unincorporated areas, which may allow up to 25 retail, 25 delivery, 10 cultivation, 10 manufacturing, 10 distribution, and 10 testing licenses.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on proposed regulations sometime next year, ABC 7 reported.
]]>A recent study suggests that cannabis consumers hospitalized for COVID-19 have better outcomes than non-users.
The study, titled “Cannabis consumption is associated with lower COVID-19 severity among hospitalized patients: a retrospective cohort analysis,” was published Aug. 5 in the Journal of Cannabis Research.
According to the study, researchers analyzed 1,831 patients with COVID-19 across two hospitals in Southern California. “The authors’ methodology used a retrospective analysis of patient data, which included comparing NIH Covid-19 Severity Scores, the need for supplemental oxygen, intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, length of hospitalization, and in-hospital death for cannabis users and non-users,” Forbes reported.
Of the 1,831 patients analyzed, only 4% (69 individuals) said they were active cannabis consumers. Researchers found that the active cannabis consumers were typically younger (under 44 years of age), frequent tobacco smokers, less diabetic, and had lower levels of inflammatory markers upon admission to the hospital compared to non-consumers, according to the study.
The study also found that the cannabis consumers had lower NIH scores, shorter hospitalization, lower ICD admission rates, and less need for ventilation than non-consumers. “Using propensity matching, differences in overall survival were not statistically significant between cannabis users and non-users, nevertheless ICU admission was 12 percentage points lower (p = 0.018) and intubation rates were 6 percentage points lower (p = 0.017) in cannabis users,” the study states.
While the study suggests cannabis consumers diagnosed with COVID-19 had shorter hospitalization rates than non-consumers, the researchers state that the results should be “interpreted with caution given the limitations of a retrospective analysis.”
For many companies, bringing a new product to market is a standalone project with a distinct beginning and end. But for Jordon Musser, chief operating officer and chief product officer at Fluence, product research and development doesn’t have start and stop dates—product teams never stop evolving.
In the case of RAPTR, a newly introduced high-performance, high-output top light, the idea for the lighting solution started with customers sharing their needs, gaps in lighting options, and cultivation insights. The concept first took form in 2020 as the Fluence team identified hurdles facing cultivation facilities in the switch from HPS lighting to LEDs.
“With energy prices continuing to go up, we saw a need to possibly reduce the customer’s operating expenses through less power input without losing photons, but also—with cannabis especially—promote the opportunity to increase yield with more PPFD,” Musser explains.
Ongoing Fluence research had already proven the industry hadn’t yet reached a saturation point for photons in cannabis. There was no question that more power and higher light intensities equate to higher yields, but the team was also aware that many growers considering HPS replacement had existing infrastructure to support about 1,000 watts per fixture at most. However, retrofitting outside that range involved more than just replacing HPS lights with LEDs.
Musser explains that focusing on what existing infrastructures were built to accept allowed for the generation of a true 1:1 HPS replacement that became RAPTR. It also eliminated costly infrastructure upgrades to support the increased light intensity that RAPTR brings. Put simply: Musser found a way to engineer using the same infrastructure to deliver more light.
“The goal is to maximize fixture output while staying below the energy consumption of what we’re replacing to ensure the wiring and switchgear and the rest of the electrical infrastructure can remain in place,” Musser says. In addition, the RAPTR line utilizes standard Weiland RST input connectors, which allows growers to retain their current facility cordage.
As director of cultivation for Maryland-based Holistic Industries, Nick Denney oversees seven cultivation facilities—soon to be eight—in as many states.
The company’s all-indoor grows range from 15,000 to 30,000 square feet of flowering canopy each and reside in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, D.C., Michigan, Missouri, West Virginia, and soon-to-be New Jersey.
Denney started his career in South Florida. After undergraduate studies in economics and a graduate degree in agronomy, he spent several years in the hydroponic specialty produce industry.
Then cannabis called in 2018. Denney joined Holistic’s Maryland location as assistant cultivation manager. As he advanced to oversee cultivation nationwide, he watched Holistic grow from 40 or so employees to more than 700.
HPS Beginnings
When Denney first started with Holistic, the company used high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting, opting for high-pressure sodium (HPS) for flower and ceramic metal halide (CMH) for veg. Though Denney wasn’t part of the decision-making that chose HPS, he expects it was simply because that was the standard for flowering at the time.
“That’s what people knew, and they knew it worked,” he says. People understood HPS temperature and HVAC requirements, so a certain comfort level was there. In comparison, Denney says LEDs were still considered unproven in cannabis.
MIAMI, Aug. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Ayr Wellness Inc., a vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, announced that the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC or the Commission) has granted a final license for adult-use cannabis at its Sira Naturals dispensary in Somerville. The company also received approval to open the first phase of its cultivation expansion in Milford, Mass. The CCC voted to approve both measures during its meeting on Aug.11, 2022.
"Ayr continues to make substantial progress in Massachusetts, where we’ve already opened two new adult-use dispensaries this summer, in Boston’s Back Bay and Watertown. Now, with approval to add adult-use to our long-standing Somerville medical dispensary, we anticipate having three adult-use stores in premier locations throughout Greater Boston, once local municipal conditions are met,” said Jonathan Sandelman, founder and CEO of Ayr. “Ayr has made serving as a Force for Good a priority throughout the Massachusetts area, and our team looks forward to furthering this commitment and continuing to enact positive change in Somerville.
“At our Milford cultivation campus, we are using a phased approach to operationalizing our expansion,” he continued. “This approach allows Ayr to support its new adult-use stores with additional high-quality flower options, as well as serving the broader wholesale market with its unique branded offerings.”
Sira Naturals executed a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with the City of Somerville in November 2020, shortly after The company executed two additional HCAs in the Greater Boston area in October 2020 for retail locations in Back Bay and the City of Watertown. The addition of adult-use in Somerville is subject to the simultaneous opening of an Economic Empowerment licensed dispensary in Somerville, per local regulation.
Massachusetts’ legal cannabis market ranks 7th in the nation by total sales, per BDSA, and generated a total $1.6 billion in revenue in 2021. BDSA expects the Massachusetts legal cannabis market to generate $2.3 billion per year by 2026.
An adult-use cannabis legalization measure in Arkansas is back on course for the November 2022 ballot—at least for now.
The Arkansas Supreme Court issued a formal order Aug. 10 to grant a preliminary injunction to allow Responsible Growth Arkansas’ constitutional amendment to appear on the statewide ballot this fall.
The formal order directs Secretary of State John Thurston to “conditionally certify petitioners’ proposed initiated amendment pending this court’s decision in this case,” meaning voters will have the opportunity to cast ballots on the amendment in the upcoming election. But the Supreme Court still has the authority to determine whether those votes will hold bearing on the legalization effort.
The Supreme Court’s motion on Wednesday is just the latest of twists and turns that often collide with cannabis advocates hoping to participate in a citizen initiative process. Since submitting petition signatures in July, Responsible Growth Arkansas’ path toward enacting reform has become a roller coaster.
The nuts and bolts of the group’s ballot proposal is to authorize adults 21 and older to legally possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis for personal use and to authorize the cultivation and sale of cannabis by licensed commercial facilities.
Former Arkansas state Rep. Eddie Armstrong III, a Democrat who served as minority leader during his statehouse tenure from 2013-2019, filed the initiative, the Arkansas Adult-Use Cannabis Amendment, in January 2022. He established Responsible Growth Arkansas to support it.
The U.S. Virgin Islands is one step closer to launching its medical cannabis market after regulators approved draft rules for the program Aug. 10.
The V.I. Cannabis Advisory Board (VICAB) approved the final draft regulations at its virtual meeting Wednesday in a unanimous vote, according to the St. Thomas Source.
The rules will be posted on the Office of Cannabis Regulations’ website Aug. 12, launching a 30-day public comment period that will close on Sept. 11, the news outlet reported. A town hall meeting is scheduled for Aug. 31 to help gather public input.
RELATED: U.S. Virgin Islands Officials Working Toward Approval of Medical Cannabis Regulations
The U.S. Virgin Islands legalized medical cannabis in 2014 through a voter-approved referendum, and the Legislature passed the Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act in 2018 to implement the program. Gov. Albert Bryan signed the legislation into law in 2019, and the VICAB held its first meeting in January 2020.
When Washington State voters legalized adult-use cannabis in the November 2012 election—joining Colorado as a reform guinea pig in the U.S.—social equity was an afterthought, at best.
With a greater emphasis on addressing the past harms of prohibition in today’s legalization world, nearly a decade later, regulators and elected officials in Washington are now pursuing avenues for a more equitable industry.
In Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell put forward a trio of bills Aug. 9 he developed in partnership with city council members and industry stakeholders that are intended to address equity in the space by helping to foster a more diverse industry and supporting cannabis store workers.
“For a thriving Seattle economy, every worker and business deserve safety and the opportunity to learn, grow and prosper,” Harrell said in a press release. “As the cannabis industry continues to develop, we must course correct and support the communities who too often have been left behind. Equity in this industry means safe working conditions and fair treatment for workers, store ownership that includes the communities most impacted by the war on drugs, and a commitment to fairness, innovation and opportunity.”
The bill package aims to implement immediate actions as well as structures for long-term solutions. If passed, it would require the following:
The mayor’s announcement of the bill package came nearly a week after Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) regulators announced Aug. 3 that they proposed rules to create a Social Equity in Cannabis program.
MIAMI, Aug. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Ayr Wellness Inc., a vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, announces the opening of its 50th Florida dispensary, located in Jacksonville.
“Since acquiring Liberty Health Sciences in 2021, we have rapidly expanded our footprint in Florida, adding an additional 19 retail stores in prime locations,” said Jonathan Sandelman, founder and CEO of Ayr. “We’re proud to deliver on our mission of making high-quality cannabis more accessible to Florida patients by serving 50 local communities throughout the state, with more to come. We’ve invested heavily in the state of Florida because we believe it will be one of the largest cannabis markets in the country, and we’re excited with the progress that our team has made.”
The 50th store spans 4,500+ square feet of retail space and reflects the elevated retail design showcased at the two recently opened AYR adult use dispensaries in Greater Boston and representing the future of the company’s presence in Florida.
The store is located at 8050-1 Philips Highway, conveniently situated southeast of Downtown Jacksonville, minutes from the St. John’s River. Between this newest Jacksonville store and the already operating Jacksonville Beaches store, located just off the beach on A1A at 1222 3rd St., Ayr can now strategically serve Northeast Florida patients, with easy access to Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beaches, University of North Florida and St. John’s Town Center.
“Opening our 50th retail location in Florida is a milestone to celebrate how far Ayr has come in the market, not only with our fresh approach to retail expansion and design, but with our wide variety of product offerings,” said Rhonda Kratz, who leads retail at Ayr. “All 50 of our Florida stores feature Ayr’s full line of concentrates, edibles, vapes, and an evolving selection of high-quality flower, with an evolving omnichannel consumer experience which includes proprietary digital ecosystems, e-commerce, merchandise, and retail stores.”
TORONTO, Aug. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --PRESS RELEASE-- Aleafia Health Inc. (TSX: AH, OTCQX: ALEAF) reports its financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2022, its first quarter of its fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.
Branded cannabis net revenue, quarter over quarter, increased 25%: Aleafia Health continued its upward sales growth trend, with branded cannabis net revenue increasing 24% to a record $10.0 million from $8.0 million quarter over quarter. In the key branded adult-use market, the company’s net revenue increased 107% to $6.7 million from $3.2 million in the same period last year.
“Our pivot to a branded cannabis strategy is the success story driving the three pillars of company revenue: adult-use branded cannabis, a ‘sticky’ recurring medical cannabis revenue stream and growing higher margin international sales,” said Aleafia Health CEO Tricia Symmes. “As a result of revenue increases, the company has achieved the 2nd highest growth rate amongst top 12 Canadian LPs in retail sell through over the prior quarter while achieving a #12 ranking for market share in our core markets for Q2 CY2022.”
“Due to our successful branded growth strategy, the company continues to target a top 10 standing in our key markets and reaffirms our expectation to reach breakeven Adjusted EBITDA profitability during the second half of FY2023,” said Aleafia Health CFO Matt Sale. “Showing continued success in retail sell through provides us the confidence to reaffirm our guidance to deliver at least $53 million in total net revenue in fiscal year 2023, with a current run-rate of $48 million.”
Divvy Brand Leadership: “In each of the three largest revenue categories - flower, pre-rolls and vapes - the company is gaining in market share and continuing to deliver excellent growth rates,” Symmes said. “In the Ontario value category, Divvy flower enjoys a #7 market share ranking (with 3.4% share), pre-rolls enjoy a #5 ranking (with a 6.9% share), and our recently launched vape products continue to grab market share amidst a highly competitive format, and enjoy a 1.4% market share.”
Medical: The company reported a 4% increase in medical cannabis net revenue to $2.8 million in Q1 FY2023 over $2.5 million in the prior quarter. This represents a $11 million run-rate net revenue base. Moreover, the company has attained a milestone 7.5% market share in the overall Canadian medical market, according to Health Canada data. “In a competitive medical cannabis segment, market share has increased and we have restarted our growth trajectory over the last two quarters,” said Symmes. “We continue to penetrate the Quebec market with a 71% quarter over quarter increase in patient registrations. Growth in Quebec has helped to offset industry wide medical channel decline which has also affected our business. Sales to veterans also increased 4% quarter over quarter.”
August 10, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Canapa has announced an addition to its industry-leading series of check weighing machines, the WeightCheQ 0-250. Engineered with electromagnetic force restoration (EMFR) technology to achieve incredibly tight 0.01-gram tolerances, this high-precision machine ensures a more accurate, consistent pre-roll is delivered for final retail packaging.
The WeightCheQ can be easily paired with any semiautomated pre-roll machine or manual rolling process to double-check pre-roll weights, eliminating product waste while increasing margins.
This technology is also perfectly suited to precisely weigh gummies, capsules and other cannabis products with seamless integration into existing bagging, container filling, flow wrapping and case filling systems.
NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Tilray Brands, Inc., a global cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company inspiring and empowering the worldwide community to live their very best life, announced that Fresh Hemp Foods, Ltd., a part of the company’s Tilray Wellness division, has signed a distribution agreement with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the preeminent distributor of wine and spirits. The distribution agreement will provide Tilray Wellness with direct access to Southern Glazer’s distribution network, reaching consumers everywhere, from local bars and restaurants to independent and national grocery chains and convenience stores.
Jared Simon, president, of Tilray Wellness and Fresh Hemp Foods, said, “This agreement helps Tilray uniquely position itself to enter the multi-billion-dollar adult beverage category with a non-alcoholic, CBD beverage alternative for consumers who want to relax and unwind.”
As a distributor of beverage alcohol and CBD beverages in the U.S., Southern Glazer’s will be the exclusive distribution partner for the Tilray Wellness CBD beverage portfolio across 13 states with additional opportunities to scale nationwide. This strategic agreement will allow Tilray Brands to develop a U.S. CBD beverage portfolio within familiar retail channels, which will transition the category out of the fringe and into the mainstream. Tilray is excited to tap into the industry’s most knowledgeable CBD sales team and be part of their industry-leading Proof e-commerce platform, so retailers can access its CBD Beverage portfolio 24/7.
]]>District attorney offices across New Mexico are reviewing past cannabis-related charges after lawmakers passed legislation last year to automatically expunge some of these convictions from residents’ criminal records.
The expungement process launched last year, when the New Mexico Department of Public Safety created a list of 151,640 total cases that could potentially qualify for expungement, according to a KRQE report.
The department submitted lists to each district attorney in the state, who can then review and object to the expungement, the news outlet reported. Any objections must be made during a court hearing, and the court will make the final decision on the expungements in question.
Many of the charges for crimes related to cannabis that are no longer illegal in New Mexico are likely to be expunged, KRQE reported, but district attorneys are expected to challenge some of the expungements, including cases where individuals were charged with the possession of large amounts of cannabis.
“We are objecting to automatically expunging 53 convictions where individuals either transported more than 100 pounds of cannabis or distributed cannabis to a minor,” Lauren Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, told KRQE. “This amounts to an objection rate of 0.45%.”