The Michigan Regulatory Agency announced Oct. 6 that it will allow cannabis businesses to apply for standalone adult-use licenses starting March 1, 2021, in an effort to combat the state’s illicit market, according to an MLive.com report.

Regulators are removing a requirement that class B and C cultivators, as well as labs, processors, transporters and retailers, in the adult-use market must first hold a medical cannabis license, the news outlet reported, which translates to lower application and license fees for businesses that do not want to participate in the medical market.

The move also opens the adult-use market to new businesses, including those in communities that have not opted in to the medical market but that would like to participate in the adult-use industry, according to MLive.com.

The Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act of 2018, which legalized adult-use cannabis in the state, included provisions that barred non-medical cannabis license holders from entering the adult-use market at the onset in an effort to give a competitive advantage to those already operating. The law allowed the state to eliminate this requirement one year after the state began accepting adult-use license applications last November, MLive.com reported.

The Marijuana Regulatory Agency began considering taking advantage of this clause in August to eliminate the requirement, which is set to expire automatically two years after the state began accepting license applications, according to the news outlet.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Rubicon Organics Inc., a licensed producer focused on cultivating and selling organic certified and premium cannabis, has announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement with PAX Labs, Inc., a producer of cannabis vaporization technology.

Under the agreement, Rubicon Organics expects to launch pods for the closed-loop PAX ERA system under its Simply Bare Organics brand, filled with extracts formulated with its organic cannabis cultivated in Delta, BC.

PAX pods are expected to be available for distribution in the first half of 2021. The agreement represents the company’s second partnership for the distribution of cannabis 2.0 products following the agreement with Wildflower Brands Inc. to manufacture and distribute Wildflower CBD Relief Stick and CBD Cool Sticks.

“This agreement matches the highest quality organic cannabis products and the highest quality vaporizer devices for Canadian consumers. Our organic cannabis delivers a very rich terpene profile through our proprietary cultivation techniques for the discerning cannabis consumer,” said Jesse McConnell, Rubicon Organics' chief executive officer. “We look forward to partnering with PAX, as their devices are proven best-in-class and have been developed to maximize the user experience.”

“Our innovation pipeline is building momentum,” said Tim Roberts, president of Rubicon Organics. “This exciting partnership with PAX enables us to accelerate our premium 2.0 product range into vape products. We expect to also leverage this technology partnership with our new brands and rare new strains that we expect to launch into the Canadian market in the near term.”

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- WYLLOW, a new Los Angeles-based, female-owned cannabis brand, has announced its entry into the Bay Area by popular demand. Thanks to cannabis supplier STIIIZY, a limited release of WYLLOW's exclusive new strain, "Gelato," will be available for purchase only at STIIIZY flagship stores in both San Francisco and Los Angeles.

RELATED: Wyllow Launches Premium Flower Brand Based on Inclusivity and Affordability

WYLLOW debuted three introductory strains in August 2020 for their launch. Shortly after, WYLLOW saw its most popular Sativa strain, "Mimosa," spark interest along the California coast. Now, WYLLOW is extending its product line into the San Francisco Bay Area with "Gelato," which will be accompanied by a custom VR Instagram filter featuring the collaboration. With both brands rooted in Los Angeles, tapping into the Bay Area STIIIZY footprint was a no-brainer for WYLLOW founder, Camille Roistacher. As a female entrepreneur, Roistacher's vision for WYLLOW is to play on femininity, while remaining a top-shelf brand, designed and intended for cannabis connoisseurs of all walks of life.

"We're so excited to partner with STIIIZY and introduce a new exclusive strain. We couldn't imagine a better opportunity to enter the San Francisco Bay Area," Roistacher said.

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Three finalists included in a lottery to win Illinois’ cannabis dispensary licenses have filed a lawsuit over the state’s decision to give applicants a second chance to qualify for the lottery, according to the Chicago Tribune.

SB IL, Vertical Management and GRI Holdings IL, which all received perfect scores on their applications, are asking the Illinois Supreme Court to award the licenses without the recent changes to the process, which were announced late last month.

Illinois regulators announced Sept. 3 that 21 social equity applicants would be included in a lottery to win the 75 available dispensary licenses.

Soon after, a group of companies behind some of the unsuccessful bids filed a federal lawsuit, alleging political motivation behind the number of businesses included in the lottery.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) then announced plans Sept. 15 to “review questions” raised about its licensing process before setting a date for the license lottery, which was initially expected to take place in September.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has made the final two appointments to the state’s Cannabis Compliance Board, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

Sisolak appointed Bryan Young, a Reno-based physician, and Riana Durrett, the former director of the Nevada Dispensary Association, to the five-member board, the news outlet reported.

RELATED: Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board Revokes Six CWNevada Licenses

The new members join former Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Douglas, former Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander and Las Vegas banking executive Jerrie Merrit on the board, which oversees the regulation of the state’s cannabis industry.

The board has met three times this year, the Las Vegas Sun reported, and will hold its next meeting Oct. 20.

The Virginia Legislature has passed legislation that would prohibit police stops based on cannabis odor, sending the bill to Gov. Ralph Northam, according to NORML.

RELATED: Virginia Senate Approves Legislation to Prohibit Police Stops Based on Cannabis Odor

Senate Bill 5029 and House Bill 5058 cleared the legislature in a special legislative session, and would limit the ability of law enforcement to conduct warrantless searches solely based on the smell of cannabis.

“While this will certainly decrease non-essential interactions between law enforcement and otherwise law-abiding Virginians, it is only by legalizing the responsible use of cannabis by adults that the Commonwealth can end its failed experiment with prohibition and begin repairing the decades of damage,” Jenn Michelle Pedini, NORML’s development director and the executive director of Virginia NORML, said in a public statement.

Virginia decriminalized the possession of less than one ounce of cannabis during this year’s regular legislative session, and the law took effect July 1.

The West Virginia Office of Medical Cannabis has issued 10 medical cannabis cultivation licenses, according to a MetroNews report.

The licensees are Mountaineer Holding LLC in Belle, Harvest Care Medical LLC in Kearneysville, Buckhannon Grow LLC in Buckhannon, Holistic WV Farms I LLC in Beaver, Verano WV LLC in Beaver, Columbia Care WV LLC in Falling Water, Tariff Labs LLC in Left Hand, Armory Pharmaceutical Inc in Buckhannon, Mountaineer Integrated Care Inc. in Fort Ashby and Blue Ridge Botanicals Ltd. in Southside.

“This is an important step in the process to make medical cannabis available to West Virginians with serious medical conditions and will generate economic activity throughout West Virginia,” Office of Medical Cannabis Director Jason Frame said in a public statement. “We continue to work toward a goal of providing eligible West Virginia residents the ability to procure quality-tested medical cannabis.”

Regulators will score processor and dispensary applications next, MetroNews reported, with the goal of launching medical cannabis sales in the spring of 2021.

A group of roughly 50 cannabis consumers and advocates met outside the Vermont Statehouse Oct. 4 to call on Gov. Phil Scott to veto a bill that would tax and regulate cannabis sales, according to a WCAX report.

The legislation, Senate Bill 54, cleared the legislature in a Sept. 22 Senate vote, and aims to establish a regulated system for the production and sale of adult-use cannabis products in the state.

The bill would create the Cannabis Control Board to oversee the commercial cannabis market, as well as a 12-member advisory board with appointed members that have experience in public health, social justice and equity issues, women- and minority-owned business ownership, and substance abuse prevention, as well as cannabis experience, WCAX reported.

Some who voiced opposition to the legislation claim that it fails to address social and racial justice issues, according to the news outlet. Among them was Vermont Racial Justice Alliance’s (VRJA) Mark Hughes, who expressed concerns about who would be appointed to sit on the advisory board, WACX reported.

The VRJA recently submitted proposals to the state legislature to revamp the legislation, according to the news outlet.

The Ohio Department of Commerce has issued a mandatory recall on medical cannabis edibles due to noncompliant levels of heavy metals, according to a Cincinnati.com report.

The cannabis-infused chocolates, sold under the Encore Edibles brand, were processed by Canton-based Mother Grows Best and sold in eight dispensaries across the state between Aug. 17 and Oct. 1, the news outlet reported.

The edibles did not pass all the required tests before hitting store shelves and regulators found that they exceeded state thresholds for cadmium, a heavy metal typically found in soil and water, according to Cincinnati.com.

The Ohio Department of Commerce has launched an investigation into the issue, the news outlet reported, and in the meantime, patients who purchased the recalled edibles have been instructed to stop using them and return unused product to the dispensary where they were purchased.

This week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a cannabis banking bill into law that will make it easier for cannabis businesses to strike up a financial relationship with a bank. Elsewhere, in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis announced plans to pardon more than 2,700 low-level cannabis possession convictions through an executive order.

Here, we’ve rounded up the 10 headlines you need to know before this week is over.

Federal: The U.S. House has again included the SAFE Banking Act in its latest COVID-19 relief package, newly proposed legislation that is an updated version of The HEROES Act and that initially passed the House in May. The SAFE Banking Act would allow state-legal cannabis businesses to work with banks and other financial institutions, and was also passed as a standalone bill in the House last fall. Read moreNew Jersey: The state legislature has approved a bill that would allow doctors to use telemedicine to recommend medical cannabis to their patients. The legislation would allow certain patients with limited access to in-office consultations to receive medical cannabis recommendations from their doctors via telemedicine, while other patients would be required to attend one in-office consultation but could then have future recommendations renewed using telemedicine. Read moreMissouri: The Department of Health and Senior Services has announced that a medical cannabis testing facility has passed its commencement inspection and received final approval to operate. The state’s medical cannabis supply chain is now fully operational with cultivation, dispensary and testing facilities, and sales are expected to launch soon. Read moreMassachusetts: The Cannabis Control Commission has agreed on a regulatory framework for cannabis delivery, with a proposal that would create two types of licenses and establish a timeline to implement the new rules. The first license type, a “limited delivery license,” would allow a licensee to charge a fee to deliver from licensed cannabis dispensaries, while the second license type, a “wholesale delivery license,” would allow a licensee to buy cannabis wholesale from licensed cultivators and manufacturers, store it in a warehouse and sell it to consumers. Read moreMaine: Portland received 43 cannabis dispensary applications last month for the city’s 20 available retail licenses, but a preliminary staff review has found that a dozen of the applicants could be disqualified for not meeting basic requirements. The 12 applicants could be disqualified for not having a conditional state cannabis license, being more than 30 days late on paying a local tax or fee in the last five years, having unresolved land-use violations, or planning to operate a dispensary too close to a school or in the wrong zoning district. Read moreHawaii: Gov. David Ige has signed legislation into law that allows the sale of cannabis edibles in the state, effective Jan. 1, 2021. The bill, H.B. 2097, cleared the legislature in July, and would authorize the state’s eight medical cannabis licensees to produce and sell cannabis-infused edible products for registered patients. Read moreColorado: Gov. Jared Polis announced plans this week to pardon 2,732 low-level cannabis possession convictions through an executive order. The move comes after the passage of House Bill 1424, which allows the governor to pardon convictions involving the possession of up to 2 ounces of cannabis, which is the current legal limit for those registered in Colorado’s medical cannabis program. Read moreCalifornia: A bill became law this week that will provide safe harbor for banking institutions doing business with cannabis companies. Essentially, the law states that financial services and banking institutions are not acting criminally when engaging with a licensed cannabis business. Read moreArkansas: The Medical Marijuana Commission held a meeting this week where it rejected issuing an additional dispensary license and considered closing a loophole in the program’s reciprocity rules. The commission briefly considered adding a fifth dispensary license in Zone 6, which spans eight counties between Pulaski County and the Oklahoma border, due to rising customer demand, but ultimately shot down the idea in a 3-2 vote. Read moreMaryland: The Medical Cannabis Commission awarded 11 medical cannabis cultivation and processing licenses this week in an effort to diversify the state’s industry. The three cultivation and eight processing licenses were issued after more than a year of delays stemming from logistical errors and allegations that the process was flawed. Read more

Oct. 2, 2020 – CLEVELAND, Ohio – GIE Media, the parent company of Hemp Grower, Cannabis Business Times, Cannabis Dispensary, and Cannabis Conference is pleased to announce that Stephen Langel has been named editor of Hemp Grower.

Langel will support HG’s continued rapid growth following GIE Media’s decision to transition the HG print magazine from a bimonthly to a monthly publishing schedule beginning in January 2021.

A graduate of the University of Florida School of Law and the Florida State University School of Communication and Information, Langel has more than 20 years of experience as an editor, reporter, and fundraiser.

He has written for and edited several publications in Washington, D.C., and Cleveland, such as Roll Call, Health Affairs, and Washington Drug Letter, reporting on topics including healthcare reform, environmental policy, and the fight for social justice. He has also covered several major events, such as President Obama's first inauguration and the Congressional debate over the Affordable Care Act.

Since moving to Northeast Ohio, Langel has been a freelance reporter for both the Cleveland Jewish News and the Columbus Jewish News, while working as a fundraiser for several organizations. His fundraising work included leadership positions with The Cleveland Orchestra, Andrews Osborne Academy, the NewBridge Cleveland Center for Arts & Technology and Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine.

Langel received a Juris Doctor at the University of Florida, where he served as co-editor-in-chief of the Florida Journal of International Law. Langel received his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University, graduating magna cum laude while majoring in communication studies with a minor in African American studies.

The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission awarded 11 medical cannabis cultivation and processing licenses Oct. 1 in an effort to diversify the state’s industry, according to The Baltimore Sun.

The three cultivation and eight processing licenses were issued after more than a year of delays stemming from logistical errors and allegations that the process was flawed, the news outlet reported.

Viola Maryland, Herbiculture Cultivation and MAS Alliance won “pre-approval” for the cultivation licenses, according to The Baltimore Sun, while Herbiculture Manufacturing, Organic Remedies MD, Bouquet Labs, Element MD, AHI Group, Ceres Naturals, Marileaves Extractions and Greener Good were awarded pre-approval for the processing licenses.

At least half of all the companies’ ownership qualifies as “disadvantaged,” female or minority, the news outlet reported.

Maryland has planned to issue the additional licenses since 2018, when the state legislature approved a law that required the state to expand its medical cannabis program to include more racial diversity, according to The Baltimore Sun.

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission held a meeting Sept. 29, where it rejected issuing an additional dispensary license and considered closing a loophole in the program’s reciprocity rules, according to an Arkansas Times report.

The commission briefly considered adding a fifth dispensary license in Zone 6, which spans eight counties between Pulaski County and the Oklahoma border, due to rising customer demand, the news outlet reported, but ultimately shot down the idea in a 3-2 vote.

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission voted in June to release two additional cultivation and four additional dispensary licenses.

Twenty-nine dispensaries are now open in Arkansas, while eight more are working toward becoming operational.

The commission also addressed a loophole in the medical cannabis program’s reciprocity rules at its Sept. 29 meeting, the Arkansas Times reported.

A new law in California will provide safe harbor for banking institutions doing business with cannabis companies. It also makes it far easier to start this process—for both the bank and the business—than ever before. 

Essentially, the law states that financial services and banking institutions are not acting criminally when engaging with a licensed cannabis business. By virtue of the license, that business is operating legally within the state of California. This clears up a fundamental issue that persists in the age of federal prohibition.

Read the full text of the bill below.

In order to get the ball rolling on a new financial relationship, California cannabis businesses may request that the state licensing authorities share information with the banking institution in question.

This has been one of the major sticking points for cannabis banking: the measure of transparency needed to conduct a financial relationship. Due to Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) guidelines issued in 2014, banking institutions are faced with onerous regulations that complicate access to a cannabis business’s license information. In short, it’s difficult to ascertain and prove whether a cannabis business is what its owners say it is, so banks have largely stayed on the sidelines of this issue.

The language in A.B. 1525 allows the state’s regulators to act as a referee, in a sense, that can help provide vital information to the banks right away.

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PRESS RELEASE--ExtractionTek Solutions and Pinnacle Stainless, two Colorado-based innovators in cannabis extraction technology, equipment design and fabrication, are have announced they are merging operations, effective Jan. 1, 2021. The company will operate under the name ExtractionTek Stainless, Powered by Pinnacle.

The merger brings together expertise in closed-loop hydrocarbon and ethanol extraction methodologies, and allows the companies to centralize all equipment design with in-house fabrication, all of which will facilitate business expansion. As a result of this merger, the company projects combined revenues of $45 million in 2021. Company leadership plans to maintain current staffing levels.

“As the cannabis space continues to grow more competitive, we understand that combining our forces is the path forward to achieve a level of synergy impossible alone. ExtractionTek Solutions brings industry-leading hydrocarbon extraction technology, and Pinnacle offers expertise in ethanol extraction, excellent fabrication capability and an advanced production facility,” said Matthew Ellis, CEO of ETS. “A merger right now is especially important as we near election time—many states may achieve legalization, and we are uniquely positioned to meet those upcoming needs and thrive in new and developing markets.”

ExtractionTek Stainless, Powered by Pinnacle is an innovative, complementary partnership that gives the two companies greater control over their supply chain and quality assurance, providing cannabis extraction professionals greater flexibility and choice in safe and compliant extraction equipment.

The two companies, which strive to provide exemplary customer support, will continue to utilize U.S. steel and American-made components in their equipment lines as part of their commitment to U.S. manufacturing. The merger also heralds the deployment of proprietary new solvent recovery technology that boosts production capability and efficiency for extract manufacturers.

“Both Pinnacle and ETS are proudly Colorado-based companies. We’ve been in this industry for years, and we’ve seen first-hand the differences that quality and innovation make every step of the way,” said Zach Harris, CEO of Pinnacle Stainless. “It’s this spirit of innovation and focus on the future that informs our decision to take this step as the cannabis industry undergoes changes and advancements on all fronts.”

A new campaign has launched in New Zealand in support of the country’s cannabis referendum, according to a Radio New Zealand report.

The nationwide poster campaign features 60 New Zealanders, the news outlet reported, including Dame Diane Robertson, executive director of the New Zealand Data Trust and the former Auckland Mission chief executive.

New Zealand published legislation in May to legalize adult-use cannabis, and New Zealanders were originally slated to vote on the proposal in September, although the general election has been moved to Oct. 17, according to U.S. News & World Report.

If the referendum passes, New Zealand will be the third country in the world to legalize adult-use cannabis, following Uruguay and Canada, the news outlet reported.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has announced plans to pardon 2,732 low-level cannabis possession convictions through an executive order on Oct. 1, according to The Denver Post.

The move comes after the passage of House Bill 1424, which allows the governor to pardon convictions involving the possession of up to 2 ounces of cannabis, which is the current legal limit for those registered in Colorado’s medical cannabis program, the news outlet reported.

The pardon will also apply to convictions in state courts through 2012 that involve up to 1 ounce, which aligns with the adult-use cannabis law that voters approved in 2012, according to The Denver Post.

The governor’s office worked with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to identify eligible convictions, the news outlet reported, and those eligible will not have to apply to have the convictions pardoned.

Although the pardon will not expunge or seal the records associated with the convictions, the convictions will be removed from individuals’ public records and will not show up in background checks conducted by the public, according to The Denver Post. The convictions will still appear in background checks conducted by law enforcement, but will have a note regarding the pardon, the news outlet reported.

SMITHS FALLS, ON and NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2020 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Canopy Growth Corporation and Acreage Holdings, Inc. announced today that following the implementation of their amended arrangement, Acreage has developed a plan to market Canopy Growth's diverse beverage portfolio in the United States. 

Leading with legal adult-use markets in Illinois and California, Acreage anticipates launching Canopy Growth's select, sessionable THC beverage formulations in summer 2021. In addition to selling products in its own dispensaries, Acreage will access existing distribution channels through strategic corporate relationships.

"We have had an incredibly successful introduction into the Canadian cannabis-infused beverage industry with over 1.7 million cans of our THC-infused RTD beverages, like Tweed's Houndstooth & Soda and Bakerstreet & Ginger sold to date," shared Canopy Growth CEO David Klein. "We introduced a new product category to cannabis consumers that we knew had the potential to disrupt one of the most mature industries and since launching in Canada, Canopy Growth now owns 5 of the top 6 SKUs in the beverage category with a 74% market share. We are excited for Canopy's beverages to be introduced to the U.S. market next summer."

"We see THC-infused beverages as a game-changer in U.S. cannabis, and we are excited to launch Canopy Growth's unique beverage offerings to our core markets offering the greatest growth potential next year," said Bill Van Faasen, interim CEO of Acreage Holdings. "We are already working on our beverage production capabilities, and look forward to tapping the wealth of experience and research Canopy can offer following its successful entry in the category last year."

The companies look forward to bringing a sessionable infused beverage offering to U.S. consumers that will more closely liken itself to current beverage-alcohol serving sizes.

Helping Texans access the benefits of medical cannabis is an important goal for Surterra Texas, one of the state’s vertically integrated medical cannabis licensees, and the company has made strides lately with its efforts to bring telehealth services and cannabis-infused lozenges to the state’s patient base.

Texas’ massive size, as well as its requirement that doctors in the medical cannabis program be board-certified specialists, make it challenging for patients to find and visit a physician who can prescribe medical cannabis, according to Surterra Texas President Marcus Ruark.

This led the company to partner with Heally to bring telehealth services to patients across the state to help them see a doctor and potentially get a prescription for medical cannabis from the comfort of their own homes.

“Obviously, that’s very helpful in a large state like Texas, but it’s also helpful in these COVID times,” Ruark tells Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “Anything we can do to make things easier for patients is a win for Texas.”

The telehealth services have been well-received by both patients and doctors, he adds, and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), which regulates the state’s medical cannabis program, has been very supportive of telemedicine.

West Coast wildfires in 2020 have killed at least 40 people, burned over 5 million acres of land and leveled more than 7,000 buildings, according to The New York Times. Fatalities from the smoke number in the thousands, the Associated Press reports.

Cannabis industry entrepreneurs’ and workers’ livelihoods have not been spared, with blazes reaching hemp farms and state-legal cannabis grows and dispensaries in California, Washington and Oregon. And when wildfires surround a grow—even if they’re miles away—smoke, soot and ash can mar product quality.

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) has been monitoring the ongoing crisis in that state. Mark Pettinger, spokesman for the OLCC, told Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary that as of Sept. 29, the agency has confirmed that four fires have destroyed 12 Oregon businesses. Those are:

On Sept. 15, fire officials said the Almeda Fire had been completely contained, according to The Oregonian. The South Obenchain Fire was 96% contained as of Sept. 29, per KMVU Fox 26 Medford.

On Sept. 28, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) stated, “The Beachie Creek, Archie Creek, and Holiday Farm fires are all over 55% contained, and almost all of the uncontained areas are far away from where people live. The Riverside Fire remains just 37% contained, but officials say there’s little chance the fire will grow in the next few days.”

OPB also reported that fire officials have seen hotspots from the Slater Fire, which is active in Oregon and California, diminish.