MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

CHICAGO, Illinois, Oct. 17, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Cresco Labs., vertically integrated multistate operator, announced the expansion of its Sunnyside retail brand in Florida’s Panhandle region with the opening of a second dispensary in Pensacola. The company’s 54th nationwide and 20th Florida store is located at 2122 W. Nine Mile Road.

“We’re excited to continue expanding access to Cresco Labs’ leading portfolio of products across Florida and to make a trip for medicine more convenient for Pensacola’s patients,” said Charlie Bachtell, co-founder and CEO of Cresco Labs. “Furthermore, we’d like to express a heartfelt ‘Thank You’ to all first responders, volunteers, patients, and employees who are assisting in the Hurricane Ian recovery effort. Despite some damage, our stores have reopened, allowing our wellness advisors to continue to provide access to medical cannabis to Florida patients. Additionally, we’re holding a canned food and water drive at all Sunnyside dispensaries throughout the state and our Indiantown facility. Many of our team members suffered significant damage to their homes, and we will continue to provide them with ongoing disaster relief and recovery assistance as necessary.”

RELATED: Cannabis Businesses in Florida, Puerto Rico Reopen Following Hurricanes

Sunnyside Pensacola–Nine Mile Road is located on a major east/west thoroughfare near significant retailers, including Walmart Supercenter, Publix, Walgreens, and Starbucks.

Dispensary store hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. 

On Nov. 8, Arkansas voters will have their say on adult-use legalization, a good six years after they first greenlit a medical marketplace.  

AUSTIN, Texas (Oct. 17, 2022)—PRESS RELEASE—Texas Original, one of Texas’ medical cannabis providers, announced its Sweet Dreams gummies are now available to qualifying patients statewide. Sweet Dreams gummies are specifically designed to help qualifying patients who suffer from insomnia, night terrors or restlessness as a result of various medical conditions.

Patients can conveniently access the Sweet Dreams gummies from any of Texas Original’s 11 pickup locations and two permanent locations statewide—making up the largest footprint of any provider in Texas. With 450 mg of total cannabinoids per jar, the Sweet Dreams gummies are the best value for CBN gummies per milligram in the Texas medical cannabis market at $110 per jar.

“When I sit down with patients to learn about their experiences with medical cannabis, I am overwhelmed by the relief they find from pain, insomnia and so many other symptoms that take a daily toll on their lives,” said Morris Denton, CEO of Texas Original. “With Sweet Dreams, we can specifically target one of the most essential parts of healing—a good night’s sleep. We’ve meticulously researched and tested these gummies to ensure patients get a consistent experience every time. They can rely on us to deliver the highest quality product on the market.”

The dewberry-flavored Sweet Dreams gummies are available in 30-count packages formulated with 5 mg of CBN, 10 mg of THC and targeted rest terpenes in each gummy. Featuring nanoemulsion technology, Sweet Dreams are the only fast-acting CBN-based gummies available in the state. Patients can expect to feel the initial treatment effects as soon as 15 minutes after consumption—which is up to eight times faster than alternative CBN products in Texas.

To learn whether you or a loved one qualifies for medical cannabis, visit www.texasoriginal.com/patients.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, several cannabis companies such as nuEra, Custom Cones USA, Verano, and 4Front Ventures have launched fundraising and awareness initiatives.

Cannabis Business Times spoke with 4Front Ventures Chief of Staff Tera Martin, who is a breast cancer survivor and founder and executive director of the Pink Gene Foundation, which provides education, resources, and supporting research to young women to help them become proactive in their fight against breast cancer, to discuss 4Front's efforts during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and how cannabis businesses can implement impactful campaigns.

For October, 4Front will be donating $1 of every Pink-Gene marked product sold at its Mission Dispensary retail locations in Illinois and Massachusetts to the Pink Gene Foundation. The company is also running the campaign on the wholesale side in California, Illinois, Massachusetts and Washington.

The campaign features products from select 4Front vape, edible and flower lines, Martin says. The organization's Pink Gene Campaign's proceeds will be used to support breast cancer research and awareness.

This year the Pink Gene Foundation is striving to complete fundraising efforts that it's been working on for the past two years, which will be used to support the Cyrus Ghajar’s Laboratory project conducted by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Martin says.

"The project focuses on preventing metastases from arising. … Basically, it identifies breast cancer cells that are sleeping that remain in the body, and it identifies them before they wake up and become tumors. And those tumors would be called what's a breast cancer recurrence," she says. "So, it's a really exciting ... project that we've been supporting for years. … It's been a while in the running, but it's exciting, and if we can make this screen happen, it's going to save a lot of lives."

JOHNSON CITY,Tenn.,Oct. 17, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Greentech isentering the cannabis market with a line of air purification products designedspecifically for air quality improvement at cultivation facilities,dispensaries, and independent grow houses that will mitigate odor whilereducing airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Greentechoffers the only filters on the market that feature the odor reducingpower of ODOGard. With this proprietary treatment, Greentech Filters trapodors and purify the air, eliminating odors at the molecularlevel.

ODOGardis a proven nontoxic and biodegradable formula that changes the molecularstructure of odor molecules, permanently destroying them on contact.

Ina head-to-head comparison at a cannabis cultivation facility, testing performedby Advanced IAQ Solutions Inc. showed Greentech's proprietary MERV 11 filtersare more effective than carbon filters, removing 99% more airborne terpenes and140% more VOCs than carbon filters, leading to improved air qualityand better odor mitigation. 

GreentechFilters + are less expensive than carbon filters, more energy efficient thanMERV 13 filters and environmentally friendly. The treated filters are availablein standard sizes and designed to fit existing HVAC systems. 

Inaddition to filters, Greentech offers a full line of active airpurification products featuring PCO technology to mitigate mold, mildew andother pathogens that can be problematic for plant health. Testing showed thatwhen used together, Greentech's new filters combined with active air purifiersimproved airborne terpene and VOC removal by up to an additional 20%.

EDMONTON, AB, Oct. 17, 2022 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQ: ACB) (TSX: ACB), the a Canadian cannabis company, today announced a new and unprecedented fall lineup of cannabis products. New flower products include three unique and proprietary strains from Aurora's esteemed breeding program: Electric Honeydew, Ultra Grape Kush and Organic BC White Grape OG.

"We are proud to introduce a significant number of innovative and exciting products this fall, which were developed from a deep understanding of consumer and patient interests and needs," says Lana Culley, Vice President of Product Development at Aurora Cannabis. "This extensive line up of flower innovation was made possible from Aurora's differentiated consumer preference mapping, which uniquely plots evolving cannabis preferences, and the leading work of R&D to develop a portfolio of products with the critical components necessary to compete – intense and exciting aromas, key visual and tactile attributes, and high-potency THC."

Aurora's best-in-class genetics breeding program, backed by extensive consumer research and development, was the catalyst for the company's most robust product release in over two years. Aurora continues to focus on expanding its premium product offerings, while developing unique cultivars and formats that appeal to a wide variety of consumer and patient tastes. In the last 16 months, Aurora has commercialized 12 original cultivars under its various consumer brands.

New products launching this fall include:

Drift:

The adult-use cannabis industry in Canada has officially graduated. After four years of legal cannabis sales in The Great North, the industry has evolved and adapted and grown, but, like any recent graduate, still has a lot of maturing to do.

That’s why the Canadian government in September launched a review of the Cannabis Act to evaluate its impact on youth, indigenous communities, the economy, the illicit market and more.

The Cannabis Act took effect in October 2018 and included a mandate for Canada’s health minister to assess the legislation, its administration and operation three years later, according to a Reuters report, although delays led to the review happening this year instead.

RELATED: Canada Legalizes Adult-Use Cannabis

All Canadians are invited to share their perspective on legalization through an online questionnaire or through written feedback, and all comments are due by Nov. 21, 2022. Although no timeline has been announced for the release of a formal report, a “What We Heard” report will ultimately be made public on https://www.canada.ca/en.html.

“I’m excited about the early changes that have been affected by legalization, for the most part,” says Dan Sutton, founder and CEO of Tantalus Labs, a British Columbia-based, small-batch cannabis cultivator. “In terms of safe supply and quality assurance standards, I think Canada’s built their recreational cannabis program on the back of their medical program. There’s no other federal standard of that quality anywhere else in the world that would be a good example for other countries that legalize.”

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 17, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Veteran cannabis industry executive and entrepreneurial venture capital/investment expert Deborah Johnson will take the reins of Council for Federal Cannabis Regulation (CFCR) as Interim Executive Director Sarah Chase transitions to a new leadership position.

Chase helped guide the organization from infancy to its position today where CFCR is recognized as a leading voice with FDA as the agency works to develop a regulatory framework for cannabis products.

“It’s been my pleasure to work with Sheri Orlowitz, the founder and visionary behind CFCR, our board and our members to help develop CFCR’s expertise to become the ‘go to’ organization on regulation and a convenor that brings together regulators and stakeholders,” Chase said. “As evidenced by the sea change we are now seeing with federal agencies’ increasing receptivity to policy changes on medical and recreational cannabis use, federal research on the health and wellness potential of cannabis, and criminal justice reforms, CFCR has made a considerable impact by becoming a trusted adviser and guide to regulators.”

Johnson, previously CFCR’s director of community, sees the next phase of CFCR’s mission as elucidating and helping the cannabis industry understand and meet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements to establish the safety of cannabinoids, followed by an expansion of CFCR’s focus beyond FDA, to the Small Business Administration (SBA). CFCR’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative is to create opportunity for underserved community members and former nonviolent felons by demystifying and guiding access to capital, services, mentorship, grants and more through SBA.

“I’m honored to serve at CFCR, such a unique nonprofit that has convened well-respected former government leaders, and science, policy, business and DEI experts from outside and inside the cannabis industry and committee members with rare skill sets to work with federal regulators,” Johnson said. “As an umbrella organization, CFCR’s leaders from pharma, stock exchange listed companies, patient advocacy groups, technology leaders, cannabis industry leaders and more, provide the diversity of thought and perspective regulators need as they develop their strategy to facilitate a safe and accessible industry that maximizes the cannabis plant’s medicinal and wellness properties. It's exciting to be at the helm of an organization that can truly influence the development and direction towards a healthy cannabis ecosystem.”

Johnson brings to the CFCR leadership role extensive knowledge and far-reaching networks in the fields of entrepreneurship and early-stage investments in the technology, life sciences and consumer products industries with a focus on cannabis and hemp. Well experienced in program and partner development, Johnson has directed investor relations for angels, family offices and funds in both cannabis and traditional markets. In her prior positions, Johnson was the investor engagement director for the Arcview Group & Arcview Advisors and a Chapter President of the well-known Keiretsu Forum, an accredited angel investor network dispersed throughout 53 chapters on four continents.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 17, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Ethos Cannabis., a multi-state vertically integrated cannabis operator headquartered in Philadelphia, has officially announced the re-branding of its first Ohio dispensary in Lebanon. Ethos Lebanon will open its doors to Ohio medical cannabis patients this week.

Ethos is committed to developing health and wellness markets and serving mainstream cannabis consumers. The company helps consumers live better through their experiences with cannabis. The expansion into Ohio provides a footprint in a fourth U.S. state. Ethos currently operates nine dispensaries in its flagship state of Pennsylvania. The company also operates three medical and recreational dispensaries in Massachusetts and three medical dispensaries in Maryland.

The company recently purchased About Wellness Ohio and was awarded a second dispensary license in New Lexington. About Wellness in Lebanon will be re-branded Oct. 20 to operate as Ethos Ohio. The company plans to open the site in New Lexington in Q2 2023 as Ethos New Lexington.

“These dispensaries in Ohio position us to continue extending our retail experience and products to benefit more patients. As one of the most populated states in the U.S., Ohio is a natural progression for us as we further expand our operations. We are thrilled to continue leading this industry forward in a manner that puts health and wellness at the forefront,” said David Clapper, Ethos CEO.

On Oct. 20, Ethos will host brand representatives from Meigs County during a patient education event for the grand re-opening under the Ethos name. Attendees will receive product information and giveaways from Meigs County.

Iowa House Democrats have included cannabis legalization in a four-pronged policy agenda unveiled last month.

Democratic lawmakers and new candidates are united around the proposals, which also include protecting abortion rights, investing in public education and lowering costs for Iowans, the Des Moines Register reported.

“We're ready to do what Iowans are asking us to do,” House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said during a September a news conference at the Iowa Capitol, according to the news outlet. “It won’t be easy. This is an ambitious and bold proposal that will not happen overnight, but just because it won’t happen overnight doesn’t mean it shouldn’t happen.”

Democrats have not held a majority in the Iowa House since before the 2010 election, according to the Des Moines Register; the chamber is currently made up of 40 Democrats and 60 Republicans.

Republicans also currently control the Iowa Senate and the governor’s office.

Gavin Newsom’s Unified Enforcement Task Force (UCETF) seized 11,260 illicit cannabis plants and destroyed 5,237 pounds of processed illegal cannabis flower in an investigation targeting unlicensed outdoor cultivation operations Oct. 4.

The task force, led by the Department of Cannabis Control’s (DCC) Law Enforcement Division and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), issued nine search warrants Oct. 4 for a rural area of Jupiter, Cali., according to a news release.

Newsom created the task force to eliminate the number of illicit cannabis operations in the state, which has been affecting state-legal businesses. Newsom also established the task force to protect communities and consumers from consuming potentially harmful, unregulated, and unlicensed products. 

“California is taking immediate and aggressive action to stop illegal cannabis and strengthen the burgeoning legal market throughout the state,” Newsom said. “By shutting down illegal grow sites and applying serious consequences to offenders, we are working to curtail the criminal organizations that are undercutting the regulated cannabis market in California.”

“These illegal grows can be detrimental to our state’s fish and wildlife resources and their habitats,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Several environmental violations were documented on this operation, including sediment that would impact Eagle Creek during the next rain and hazardous materials that can be lethal to local wildlife. This newly created task force is poised to address these harmful grows from a coordinated approach because they violate many facets of our state laws.”

RELATED: California’s DCC Has Seized More Than $1 Billion in Illegal Cannabis

British Columbia, Canada, is permitting cannabis producers to apply for a Producer Retail Store (PRS) license to sell adult-use products from stores located at their cultivation site.

Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth announced Oct. 5 that standard and micro cultivators and nursery license holders can apply for a PRS license starting Nov. 30 through the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch’s (LCRB) liquor and cannabis licensing portal. 

The province is launching farm-to-gate sales “to support the development of a robust, diverse and sustainable legal cannabis economy that is inclusive of Indigenous and rural communities,” according to the news release.

PRS licensees will also be permitted to register for the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch’s (LDB) direct-delivery program, which “allows federally licensed cannabis nurseries and small-scale producers processing as much as 3,000 kilograms (6,614 pounds) of dried, unpackaged cannabis or its fresh equivalent annually to deliver directly to licensed and authorized cannabis retail stores in B.C.”

The direct-delivery program allows small-scale cultivators to sell their products in local stores, which can help increase brand loyalty and relationships with licensed retailers and their customers.

“The fourth anniversary of the legalization of cannabis in B.C. is around the corner, and we continue to look for ways to support [the] growth of the legal market while providing safe and accessible options for British Columbians,” Farnworth said. “The PRS license is another way we are working to support the success of B.C.-based producers.”

As tens of thousands of pounds of adult-use cannabis continue to fly off the shelves at Michigan dispensaries, the state set another record with more than $195 million in sales for September.

Through the first three quarters of 2022, adult-use retailers have sold $1.45 billion worth of cannabis, representing a whopping 56% increase compared to the same nine-month period from last year, according to the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency’s (CRA) monthly reports.

Since the state first launched its expanded market in December 2019, adult-use customers have spent nearly $3.3 billion at licensed retailers.

The overall sales increases are a result of continued demand growth, which reached a record 53,758 pounds of adult-use flower sold in September, a 9.7% increase from the previous month. In other product categories, vape cartridges (12.7%) and edibles (3.9%) also experienced month-over-month growth.

Meanwhile, the average price per ounce for dried flower at adult-use retail dipped for the 13th consecutive month, falling to $109.88 in September, which mirrors the average ounce of medical flower at $109.63 for the month.

That price downtrend continued as small-scale operators in the state plead their case for a licensing moratorium with CRA officials last month, despite that power residing in the hands of state legislators.

COMMERCE, California., Oct. 14, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Cheef Botanicals introduces private labeling for its CBD products to allow "store brands" to resell the product with exclusive branding. Cheef botanicals introduced the dynamic of private labeling to help small businesses and entrepreneurs to grow with the industry and become profitable. Cheef Botanicals wants people to consume vegan CBD products extracted from organic Colorado-grown hemp with multiple health benefits.

Why is Private Labeling Popular in the Hemp Industry?

Private labeling is where a third party forms an agreement with a manufacturer on terms where the concerned party uses the already manufactured products and sells them by putting custom-made labels and brand tags. Private labeling helps small businesses sell high-quality manufactured products with customized branding. Private labeling is slightly different from traditional white labeling. The manufacturer provides the base product and makes the specific design, branding, and labeling customizations regarding white labeling. The third party must choose only from the available options and make deals accordingly.

CBD Products Offered By Cheef Botanicals For Private Labeling:

CBD Gummies: Cheef offers CBD gummy cubes and potent vegan CBD gummies in 5 flavors.

CBD Lotions & Balms: CBD lotions and balms by Cheef botanicals are widely popular because of their fast-acting ability and skincare properties. The popular varieties are CBD body lotions, CBD salves, and balms.

MINNEAPOLIS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 14, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Goodness Growth Holdings Inc. announced that on Oct. 13, 2022, Verano Holdings Corp. delivered notice to Goodness purporting to terminate the arrangement agreement between Verano and Goodness dated Jan. 31, 2022, as amended. Under the arrangement agreement, Verano agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares, multiple voting shares and super voting shares of Goodness.

RELATED: Verano to Acquire Goodness Growth for $413 Million

Goodness believes that Verano has no legal basis to terminate the arrangement agreement, and that Verano has committed various material breaches of the arrangement agreement. Verano’s repudiation of the agreement has been acknowledged by Goodness, and the transaction will not proceed. Goodness intends to immediately commence legal proceedings against Verano to seek significant damages for, among other things, Verano’s material breaches of the arrangement agreement, Verano’s failure to discharge its obligations thereunder and Verano’s breach of the duties of good faith and honest contractual performance.

The termination notice claims that Verano has grounds to terminate the arrangement agreement on the basis of:

Goodness vehemently denies all of Verano’s allegations and has complied with its obligations under the arrangement agreement in all material respects at all times. Verano has no factual or legal basis to justify or support its purported grounds for termination of the arrangement agreement. Goodness believes that Verano is repudiating the arrangement agreement to avoid fulfilling its obligations thereunder after Goodness refused Verano’s request to reduce the agreed-upon consideration payable by Verano under the arrangement agreement.

Goodness will file suit promptly to recover all damages available to it under the arrangement agreement and at law, and hold Verano responsible for its breaches and failure to consummate the transactions contemplated thereunder.

Adult-use cannabis legalization advocates succeeded in landing another petition on the South Dakota ballot, but polls are not in their favor this time around.

While South Dakota voters already passed an adult-use legalization referendum with a 54.2% majority in 2020—but had their voices cut off following a state Supreme Court decision in 2021—two polls show that enthusiasm for reform is now lagging behind heading into next month’s election.

Most recently, pollsters from South Dakota State University (SDSU) found that 47% of the state’s likely voters oppose Initiated Measure 27—the 2022 adult-use legalization ballot question—while 45% support the referendum and 8% are undecided. Those results are from the “2022 South Dakota Election Study” that was conducted from Sept. 28 to Oct. 10 by a nonpartisan research group housed in the School of American and Global Studies at SDSU.

The poll, which included input from 565 registered voters, has a four-point margin of error.

“This shows that the electorate may have shifted on the issue since approving a similar measure in 2020 and is bucking the national trend,” SDSU pollsters wrote in their findings, recognizing the growing support for reform elsewhere in the U.S.

That poll deviates slightly from a mid-July 2022 poll of 500 registered voters conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategies, which revealed 54.4% of South Dakotans opposed adult-use legalization while 43.8% supported it—a 10.6-point margin verses the 2-point margin in the more recent poll.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced this week a broader effort to eliminate illicit cannabis operations in the state as California’s state-legal cannabis businesses struggle to thrive.

Bonta plans to expand the state’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) program, a multi-agency seasonal eradication program started in 1983 under former Gov. Deukmejian, into a year-round effort to investigate illegal grows, the Associated Press reported.

The new effort will become a permanent Eradication and Prevention of Illicit Cannabis (EPIC) task force, according to the news outlet.

The CAMP program is already the largest in the country, lasting about 90 days each summer, AP reported.

The program rounded up nearly a million illicit cannabis plants this year alone, according to the news outlet.

Kansas lawmakers are holding two hearings this month on medical cannabis after a proposal to legalize medical cannabis in the state stalled during this year’s legislative session.

The first hearing on Oct. 12 heard testimony from law enforcement, state agencies and local governments, according to a local KAKE report, while the second hearing, slated for Oct. 19, will hear public testimony on the issue.

Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, who chairs the 2022 Special Committee on Medical Marijuana, said the pair of hearings will allow lawmakers to improve upon last year’s failed medical cannabis bill ahead of next year’s legislative session, according to a KSNT report.

“Legislators need to feel comfortable that we’ve got good legislation that works, that meets all the needs, and there’s no loopholes,” Olson said, according to the news outlet.

Rep. Christina Haswood, D-Lawrence, a member of the committee, added that lawmakers should be selective in their restrictions in the bill.

Sitting on 6 acres in Elora, Tenn., is AJA Acres, a minority woman-owned hemp farm that cultivates and manufactures CBD health and beauty products and is dedicated to increasing minority farmer representation in the hemp and CBD industries.

Nicole Carter, CEO of AJA Acres, founded the company after a loved one was suffering from chronic pain and turning to narcotics to alleviate symptoms.

“I read about natural things that could help, and it was the first thing that came to mind," she said. “Eventually, this person … became my first client. … That client [turned] to numerous other clients until I said, ‘I’m going to make this lifestyle.’”

AJA Acres cultivated 6,000 pounds of hemp its first growing season and manufactured its CBD health and beauty products at its facility in Birmingham, Ala. The company currently does not have an active cultivation license is Tennessee, as it does not plan to grow again until 2024.

Since the company’s inception, Carter has strived to make the industry more equitable and inclusive, as she faced several challenges when entering the industry as a minority female. Some of the challenges she faced included local farmers, organizations, and other individuals doubting or taking advantage of her.

“People telling me, organizations telling me how challenging it is going to be, [or] how I’m not going to be able to afford the equipment,” she says. “I just bought the farm, so I didn’t have enough credit to get equipment. Then, local farmers in the area are all older men, and I’m doing these things, and they’re saying, ‘Well that’s not the right way to do it.’ Or I’m trying to buy a tractor, and they’re trying to overcharge me.”

Short on staff, the team within the Mississippi Department of Health that is tasked with overseeing the state’s medical cannabis program doesn’t have enough hands to issue disciplinary actions against those currently violating state law.

During the ramp-up period to a commercial medical cannabis program rollout—with a sales launch expected before the end of 2022—Mississippi only has three staffers and zero investigators in its Health Department who are currently committed to the cannabis program’s oversight, Mississippi Today reported.

But questions arose about the department’s regulatory actions during the state’s Board of Health’s public meeting Oct. 12, when small-scale cultivators commented on Mockingbird Cannabis LLC’s disregard of state regulations, according to the news outlet. Specifically, Mockingbird allegedly used plastic- and cloth-covered greenhouse structures to begin cultivating—a practice that is cheaper and faster than constructing an indoor facility, which is required under state law.

According to the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act, which Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed in February, a cannabis cultivation facility is defined as a business entity that “acquires, grows, cultivates and harvests medical cannabis in an indoor, enclosed, locked and secure area.”

Before the act was passed by the state Legislature, an amendment proposed by Democratic Sen. Barbara Blackmon aimed to allow for outdoor cultivation and harvesting, but bill sponsor Sen. Kevin Blackwell asked his Republican colleagues to vote against the amendment because of what he said would be additional costs to supervise those operations. The amendment failed.

RELATED: Mississippi Senate Sends Stern Message to House, Governor in 46-5 Passage of Medical Cannabis Bill