MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

Competition for Louisiana’s 10th medical cannabis retail license features some heavy hitters from the sports, educational, political and law enforcement realms.

Under legislation that took effect last month, Louisiana’s retail footprint could more than triple with the state’s nine existing operators now allowed to open up additional dispensaries in each of their respective regions.

Also under House Bill 697, the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy is required to issue the state’s first new medical cannabis retail license since the program’s inception three years ago, allowing a 10th operator to enter the market in the New Orleans region.

RELATED: Louisiana Lawmakers Pass Medical Cannabis Expansion Bill

State officials have received 28 applications for that 10th license, and many of them are high-profile bidders, The New Orleans Advocate (NOLA) reported. Among those vying for the first new retail license since commercial sales launched in 2019 include:

Bernhardt, in particular, was recently a target of accusations by Gary Chambers Jr., of Baton Rouge, a pro-cannabis candidate running as a Democrat to become the first Black U.S. senator for Louisiana.

The Australian government could override state laws to legalize adult-use cannabis nationwide.

That’s according to new constitutional advice provided to the Greens as the minor party ramps up its legalization campaign, The Guardian reported.

David Shoebridge, the Greens’ justice spokesperson, told the news outlet that the advice, given by constitutional lawyer Patrick Keyzer, paves the way for federal cannabis policy reform.

Shoebridge plans to release a draft bill later this year to legalize adult-use cannabis at the federal level, The Guardian reported. It would be the first attempt to legalize cannabis through Australia’s federal parliament, according to the news outlet.

RELATED: Australia’s Capital Legalizes Adult-Use Cannabis

After the Kentucky Legislature failed to send a medical cannabis legalization bill to his desk during this year’s legislative session, Gov. Andy Beshear set to work to find a path forward for the state’s patients—a path that could eventually end in an executive order to legalize cannabis for medical purposes.

Beshear reaffirmed his plans to potentially legalize medical cannabis through executive action last week after receiving an initial report from the Team Kentucky Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee Sept. 22, the Murray Ledger & Times reported.

“It’s based on the expertise of the individuals that include doctors and pharmacists as well as advocates and then those that personally have gotten relief from the use of medical marijuana, or medical cannabis,” Beshear said, according to the news outlet. “It’s also based on the input of meetings that were conducted all across Kentucky because we were committed to listening to the people of Kentucky, which parts of the general assembly have refused to. With that information, we’ll be making final determinations on actions that we could take, but there will be some actions forthcoming.”

The Kentucky House approved legislation in March to allow doctors to prescribe medical cannabis by Jan. 1, 2023, for a specified list of qualifying conditions. The proposal, Republican Rep. Jason Nemes' House Bill 136, prohibited smoking as a form of use and did not include home cultivation provisions.

The bill failed to gain traction in the Senate, however, prompting Beshear to consider an executive order to bring a medical cannabis program to fruition in Kentucky.

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee approved a pair of bills last week to help those convicted of cannabis-related crimes seal and expunge their records.

The committee, led by Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., passed the legislation Sept. 21 in a bipartisan vote, NORML reported.

The Clean Slate Act, H.R. 2864, would automatically seal many non-violent federal cannabis-related convictions and establish new criminal penalties for anyone who improperly shares information about another person’s sealed convictions, according to NORML.

The legislation does, however, include provisions that would allow some sealed convictions to appear on background checks for certain safety-sensitive jobs, according to the organization’s reporting.

The Fresh Start Act, H.R. 5651, would allocate federal funding to help states automatically expunge convictions for cannabis-related crimes and other offenses, NORML reported.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Sept. 26, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a multistate cannabis operator, announced the official launch of Khalifa Kush premium medical cannabis products in select Florida retail locations Oct. 1. This is an exclusive partnership with multi-platinum selling, GRAMMY and Golden Globe Award-nominated recording artist Wiz Khalifa in Florida. Patients can visit any Trulieve location in Florida on Oct. 1 for a chance to receive Khalifa Kush swag and prizes.

To celebrate the product launch, Wiz Khalifa will personally meet with Trulieve patients at three South Florida dispensaries on Saturday, Oct. 1:

"I've always been driven to create art and products that change people's perceptions or offer different experiences, so to me, Khalifa Kush is a big part of that," Khalifa said. "Trulieve is the perfect partner for us because of its commitment to providing the highest quality products and best possible patient experiences." 

Each of the three event locations will provide patients with unique shopping experiences ranging from branded merchandise, live DJs and other unique experiences, and limited meet-and-greet opportunities with Khalifa. A select number of lucky patients at the three locations that Khalifa visits will receive coveted tickets to the Khalifa Kush afterparty from the artist himself.

"Trulieve is honored to have the iconic Wiz Khalifa as an exclusive partner in Florida to curate and promote his unique product line," said Kim Rivers, Trulieve CEO. "As an artist, he has such a strong vision of how he wants to express himself. Together, we've created a line of products that offer best-in-class cannabis to Florida patients and represent the passion and creativity that Wiz Khalifa is known for."

The Khalifa Kush product line will expand to all statewide locations in the coming months (updated location list available online). Khalifa Kush products are also available in Trulieve owned and operated locations in Arizona.

Planet 13, a vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operator, is continuing to expand its Nevada footprint.

The company announced that it has received approvals to operate its 22,000-square-foot Nevada cultivation expansion and that the first harvest is underway–ahead of the originally planned timeline of Q4 2022, according to a press release.

RELATED: The Dispensary Disruptor

Larry Scheffler, co-CEO of Planet 13, said the expansion will help support the development of the company’s product lines.

“We are thrilled to be able to expand our supply of premium quality flower for our popular Medizin, TRENDI, and Leaf & Vine flower lines. The expanded cultivation will also support our TRENDI vape and concentrates and HaHa edibles which are among the top selling brands in their respective categories in Nevada,” he said. “I commend the team for their work [in] getting this project done ahead of schedule, enabling us to increase vertical integration, share of shelf at both the SuperStore and in the wholesale market, and ultimately profitability.”

Vangst, a cannabis industry recruitment business, issued a new report this month that draws something of a flow chart for the growing employment base in the cannabis industry. These new employees up and down the cannabis supply chain must be coming from some other line of work, right?

The top sector from which cannabis employees arrive is retail, according to the report, and the dispensary environment offers a neat translation of that customer-service skill set. But that’s not the only lateral move that brings folks into the industry. 

Other “feeder industries” cited by Vangst include food services, manufacturing, health care, marketing, construction and hospitality. Considering that the U.S. cannabis space now supports 430,000 jobs and counting (according to Leafly’s 2022 numbers), the Vangst report adds some context to the inflow of workers. 

The backdrop of this data is what many have termed “the Great Resignation,” which took the credit for at least some of the 47 million Americans who quit their jobs in 2021. That figure is important, because Vangst notes that 33% of cannabis employees have been in the industry for less than a year.

“As cannabis companies professionalize, they’re hiring for more and more traditional roles that don’t necessarily require knowledge of the cannabis plant or its history,” the report states. “They’re also increasingly able to match or beat traditional sector pay.”

RELATED: 2022 Best Cannabis Companies To Work For – Cultivation 

NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Ascend Wellness Holdings Inc. (AWH), a multistate, vertically integrated cannabis operator focused on bettering lives through cannabis, announced an array of programs and initiatives to support cannabis expungement efforts. The announcements include increased donations through the Ascend Foundation to address the impact of the war on drugs, donations to equity organizations around the country and coordinated expungement clinics to provide opportunity in the communities most harmed by the consequences of historical and current U.S. drug policy.

Special Expungement Events

AWH will host a week of events across the U.S. that offers expungement and other legal services to formerly incarcerated individuals. Not only will the clinics assist in expungement and record sealing, but they will also help attendees access other critical resources, such as housing, mental health support, legal services and more. AWH's expungement events will kick off with a clinic this October in Montclair, N.J. Additional events will soon be announced for the fall via Instagram @ascendholdings. For more information and event details, visit https://www.awholdings.com/expungement-clinics.

Ascend Foundation

In addition, AWH has increased donations through its previously announced, Ascend Foundation, expanding the company's Corporate Social Responsibility to organizations around the country that support expungement efforts, economic empowerment and community engagement locally. The foundation is committed to the holistic wellness of communities and supports organizations that keep communities healthy—mentally, physically and financially. The foundation strives to uplift grassroots organizations that are led by the communities that they represent, with proven track records of their ability to deliver on their promises and resources. The foundation has recently donated more than $65,000 to several such organizations in Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and more, funding a variety of efforts toward restorative justice. Those organizations are the following:

Partnership

TORONTO, Sept. 26, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – TerrAscend Corp., a North American cannabis operator, announced that it has entered into an agreement with TRP—the cannabis holding and operating company with the exclusive rights to introduce the nation’s most coveted Cookies products to Pennsylvania. Strains from Cookies premium genetics will be made available at TerrAscend dispensaries across the commonwealth and Cookies stores owned and operated by TRP to open in the coming months. Under the terms of the multiyear agreement, TerrAscend will cultivate and manufacture Cookies products in the Keystone State.

In the coming weeks, TerrAscend will launch Cookies products at each of the company's “Apothecarium” and “Keystone Canna Remedies” dispensary retail chains across Pennsylvania.

"It's exciting to announce this agreement and continue to collaborate with Berner and his team on sharing these world-class products with patients in Pennsylvania," TerrAscend Executive Chairman Jason Wild said.

"Pennsylvania has always shown Cookie's love and we could not be more excited to expand our reach on the East Coast with our partner TerrAscend. We're excited to launch a fresh menu of California flavors in what has become a very strong and important market for cannabis in the U.S.," said Berner, co-founder and CEO of Cookies.

"TRP is excited to partner with TerrAscend to bring some of the most desirable genetics out there to the patients of the Pennsylvania, and are looking forward to providing patients with the full Cookies experience when we open our flagship stores in the commonwealth,” said Brandon Johnson, co-founder and CEO of TRP.

With this relationship in place, Cookies products will also be available to patients at TerrAscend's The Apothecarium and Keystone Canna Remedies dispensaries in Plymouth-Meeting, Lancaster, Thorndale, Bethlehem, Allentown and Stroudsburg.

LISBON, Portugal, Sept. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals Unipessoal LDA has officially opened its new state-of-the-art pharmaceutical EU-GMP facility in Portugal. SOMAÍ’s phase 1 manufacturing footprint spans 3,800 square meters of manufacturing floor, independent laboratory and offices, ensuring SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals’s prominence as the largest expandable cannabis manufacturing facility in the EU.

To date, the facility has already processed 500 kilograms of the highest quality THC-rich cannabis flower to validate SOMAÍ’s processes and product launches. In the pharmaceutical cannabis sector, SOMAÍ has the most product SKUs and capabilities to date. The company boasts NextGen 2.0 formulations based on increased bioavailability and fast absorption, with 42 product launches expected through 2023 and early 2024, six unique delivery methods and multiple proprietary flower lines.

The total focus of the SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals team is on delivering EU-market-authorized finished products. Additionally, they are setting new industry standards by pursuing clinical trials for absorption and in vivo trials for indications like arthritis and chronic pain into their launch models.

“There is great joy in delivering a new cannabis facility as more infrastructure is needed to satisfy the growing demand in Europe and Globally,” said SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals CEO and Chairman Michael Sassano. “SOMAÍ is creating the products of tomorrow for Europe based on know-how of what is in demand and working for patients in the largest most competitive US markets.”

In addition to their new facility, SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals is delivering a focused marketing program headed by a Top 40 pharmaceutical marketing agency, Solaris Health. SOMAÍ’s new website is the beginning of a long-term strategy that will increase SOMAÍ’s presence in the sector and highlight all upcoming product launches.

WOBURN, MA - PRESS RELEASE - Bloom Automation Inc., an agri-tech company specializing in cannabis trimming equipment, today announced a 90% increase in their trimmer’s processing speed, as enabled by new artificial intelligence algorithms.

The Bloom trimmer—which uses a robotic arm and visual sensors to trim leaves from cannabis flowers—incrementally improves its capabilities using machine learning. The leap in performance is a culmination of a larger dataset of images, thousands of hours of software R&D, and a faster graphic processing unit (GPU).

“Our updated machine processes cannabis at approximately twice the speed of a human trimmer, moving us that much closer to Bloom’s vision of hand-trimmed-quality at an industrial scale,” said Jon Gowa, CEO and founder of Bloom.

Bloom Automation’s system requires little attention from the operator, allowing personnel to perform additional tasks while the machine runs. Gowa estimates that a single technician can operate six Bloom trimmers—effectively performing the work of 12 employees.

“The AI has expedited the analysis of a frame of data from 15 seconds to 1 second, now down to just 0.1 seconds,” said Gowa. “It can distinguish flower from leaf almost instantaneously—hence the advancement in speed.”

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, & TORONTO, Sept. 26, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Flora Growth Corp., an all-outdoor cultivator, manufacturer, and distributor of global cannabis products and brands, announced that the company has completed its first exports of Colombian-grown high-CBD dried cannabis flower to Switzerland and the Czech Republic, as well as CBD isolate to the United States.

"As our global distribution network continues to evolve, adding these three industry-leading countries to our footprint is a major milestone for Flora," said Luis Merchan, chairman and CEO of Flora Growth. "Our cultivation operation in Colombia, which provides high-quality, high-margin flower and derivatives, has experienced increasing demand. These exports are a testament to our team's ability to execute in a very complex global regulatory environment and create new commercial revenue for our company."

This announcement also marks the launch of Flora's commercial website, where approved buyers can learn about Flora's cultivation and grow practices and can also initiate orders for high-THC and high-CBD dry flower, as well as derivative products.

"We are proud to help increase access to safe, legal CBD and THC to consumers all over the globe," Merchan added. "We look forward to working closely with our partners in Europe and North America to bring high-quality Colombian cannabis products and raw materials to market."

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Sept. 26, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a multistate cannabis company, announced the grand opening of its newest West Virginia dispensary in Milton at 5 Perry Morris Square. The Milton dispensary opened its doors on Sept. 24 at 10 a.m. for patients, with ongoing hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

"We are very excited to expand our West Virginia presence to include a location in Milton, and we look forward to serving patients in the surrounding area,'' said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers. "Our West Virginia team has proven to be incredibly passionate and accommodating, and we are eager to offer our personalized patient care to more patients in the state."

Trulieve patients across West Virginia can choose from a large selection of THC and CBD products available in a variety of consumption methods, including flower, concentrates, tinctures, topicals, ingestibles, and more. 

Trulieve operates medical dispensaries across West Virginia in Belle, Milton, Hurricane, Parkersburg, South Charleston, Weston, and two locations in Morgantown, with plans to open an additional dispensary location by the end of the year in Huntington.

Oak Park, IL, Sept. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Ooze, maker of the nation’s best-selling vape battery, has launched the next generation of 510 style vaporizer batteries. This product line includes a completely redesigned version of the Twist Slim Pen and a wireless speaker vape called the Movez.

“When Ooze was first founded, most vape batteries on the market were cheap, unbranded devices found in gas stations and smoke shops,” said Ooze Founder and President Danny Hannawa. “Our original goal was to establish a brand that customers could trust for their vape pens. Now that we have such a stronghold in this market, we are focusing on improving our technology and making better, longer-lasting products.”

The Ooze Slim Twist Pen has been a best-seller for years, thanks to how simple it is to use, its reliability, and the wide range of color options. Ooze has listened to years’ worth of customer feedback to improve the device and has since launched the Twist Slim Pen 2.0 in 18 different colors. This new version introduces many new features including pulse wave technology, auto draw, and fan-favorite automatic shut-off which improves battery life.

While most vaporizer batteries are designed to be discreet, the Ooze Movez takes the opposite stance. The Movez can pair to any smartphone to play music right from the vape. It features a rainbow LED ring, automatic shut-off, and a magnetic connection. It’s a revolutionary device that gives fun and functional a new meaning.

Perhaps the most important feature of each Ooze vape device is the warranty that protects every single Ooze customer. Ooze product registration guarantees product authenticity and activates the product’s warranty. The Ooze Warranty Program covers every device Ooze makes for up to five years.

“The launch of our new generation of devices is the biggest thing to happen to the Ooze brand this year and sets the stage for the major announcements we have coming in 2023,” said Ooze Marketing Director Tristan Blackett. “It shows our industry that Ooze is a major contender. Not only are we introducing new technology, form factors, and finishes for these devices, but we deliver customer peace of mind with the Ooze Warranty Program.”

The Canadian government announced Sept. 22 that it has launched a review of its 2018 adult-use cannabis legalization law to evaluate its impact on youth, indigenous communities, the economy, the illicit market and more.

The study was mandated by the Cannabis Act, which took effect in October 2018 and directed Canada’s health minister to conduct a review of the legislation, its administration and operation three years later, according to a Reuters report.

“The work of the Expert Panel will address the ongoing and emerging needs of Canadians while protecting their health and safety,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in a public statement. “Through this useful, inclusive and evidence-driven review, we will strengthen the act so that it meets the needs of all Canadians while continuing to displace the illicit market. I look forward to receiving the panel's findings.”

Duclos said the review, which launched a year later than planned, took longer than expected to set in motion because the government wanted to “make sure things were done right” and conduct a more extensive evaluation than the law required, Reuters reported.

The Cannabis Act had two main objectives, according to Health Canada’s press release: “to protect the health and safety of Canadians while serving as a flexible legislative framework that adapts and responds to the ongoing and emerging needs of Canadians,” and to create “a diverse and competitive legal industry made up of small and large players to displace the illicit market.”

Goodblend, the retail brand of multi-state operator Parallel, one of three licensed companies in Texas, is taking its “CannaBus” mobile dispensary on tour in October to educate consumers on the state’s medical cannabis program.

The “Ride For Your Rights” CannaBus Tour will take place from Oct. 4 to Oct. 20 in cities across the state, including Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and more.

The tour’s mission is to educate consumers and prospective patients about the state’s medical cannabis program, its regulations, products, the process of receiving a medical prescription, and more.

Texas has yet to legalize the commercial sale of medical cannabis without low-THC restrictions. In June 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1535 into law, which expanded “the state’s medical cannabis qualifying conditions to include cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” Cannabis Business Times reported.

“At goodblend Medical Cannabis, we want Texans to feel good. We believe access to medical cannabis will help. That’s why we’re hitting the road. Our ‘Ride For Your Rights’ CannaBus Tour will rally support to expand access to medical cannabis for Texans. We hope to convince state legislators to make real, lasting change,” the company stated on this event page.

Although there is no scientific evidence that cannabis use provides a competitive edge for world-class athletes, those who test positive for the plant will remain at risk of suspension and other punishable measures in 2023.

That’s because cannabis will still be a banned substance at sports events next year after the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) executive committee decided Sept. 23 in Sydney that it will remain on the list of prohibited substances and methods.

The agency was asked in 2021 to review its policies on cannabis following U.S. Olympic Trials champion sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson testing positive in July of that year. The women’s 100-meter dash phenom, who was 21 years old at the time, was banned from competing in her main event during the Tokyo Olympics. She was the favorite for gold.

RELATED: U.S. Trials Champion Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson Tests Positive for Cannabis

Since Jan. 1, 2021, cannabis has been classified as a “Substance of Abuse” by WADA that currently carries a maximum four-year ban for athletes. 

As it relates to cannabis remaining on the 2023 list of banned substances, WADA’s executive committee endorsed the List Expert Advisory Group’s (LiEAG) recommendation. Responsible for providing expert advice and guidance for the banned substances list, LiEAG has 12 members from nine countries, including three from the U.S.

Flower was the most-reported product amongst purposeful cannabis consumers, according to a report from New Frontier Data.

The report, “Cannabis Consumers in America: Part 2: The Purposeful Consumer,” was researched in partnership with Jointly, and examines who is consuming cannabis, which products they consume, when and where they consume, as well as why.

What and Who?

Flower (60%) led the way on product consumption while vapes (24%), dabs (8%) and edibles (6%) proved less popular. Tinctures (0.9%), topicals (0.4%) and drinks (0.3%) all registered below 1% in reported consumption.

Those figures are also similar by gender: flower consumption was reported by 62% of males and 60% of females. Consumption of vapes (25% male, 24% female), dabs (8% for both male and female), and edibles (7% male, 5% female) were also similar.

Flower consumption also remained steady amongst all age demographics, and was most-reported amongst the 58-76 age group at 64%. Meanwhile, 60% of the 42-57 age group reported flower consumption, 62% for the 26-41 demographic, and 60% amongst the under 26 crowd.

Vapes, in contrast, were most popular amongst Gen Z, with 27% of that demographic reporting vape consumption. Only 18% of the 58-76 demographic reported vape consumption, while both the 26-41 and 42-57 demos were at 22%.

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) announced six retailers and two micro-cultivators selected in the general lottery who can move forward in the licensure process.

The retailers selected are Debbie’s Dispensary, Shangri-La CT Inc., SHANGRI-LA CT INC., Hydra East, SLAP ASH, and Sara’s Dispensary LLC. Debbie’s Dispensary was also one of the two selected micro-cultivators along with Chillax LLC.

The general lottery included all general lottery applicants and all applicants who were not selected in the first round of the Social Equity Lottery, which took place in August. The Social Equity Council approved six retailers, two micro-cultivators, and three Equity Joint Venture applicants in the first round, Cannabis Business Times reported.

RELATED: Connecticut Progresses With Review Of Select Social Equity Applications

The next steps for general lottery applicants include submitting “information for the required background check and provisional license application, which will be reviewed by DCP,” according to a press release.

Approved applicants will then be required to pay licensure fees based on their application type. Licensure fees for non-social equity applicants and social equity applicants can be found here.

To the dismay of the Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners, an adult-use cannabis ballot measure’s title is not misleading, and the question will be decided by voters this November, the state Supreme Court ruled Sept. 22.

That ruling also came as a defeat to Save Arkansas From Epidemic (SAVE) and Safe and Secure Communities, which forced their way into the lawsuit after filing motions to intervene in an attempt to keep the legalization measure off the ballot. The filing by SAVE included an affidavit from Kevin Sabet, the co-founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a notorious prohibitionist group.

In a split decision by the Supreme Court, the majority opinion ruled that the ballot title for Responsible Growth Arkansas’ proposed constitutional amendment properly informs voters and is sufficient for inclusion on the Nov. 8 ballot.

“We conclude that the ballot title at issue is complete enough to convey an intelligible idea of the scope and import of the proposed amendment,” Justice Robin Wynne wrote in the majority opinion. “Therefore, respondents and intervenors have not met their burden of proving that the ballot title is insufficient. The people will decide whether to approve the proposed amendment in November.”

The legal battle, in part, stemmed from the ballot referendum’s aim to repeal the THC dosage limit—specifically in food and beverage products containing cannabis—under Arkansas Amendment 98, the medical cannabis ballot measure that voters passed with a 53.2% majority in the 2016 election.

RELATED: Arkansas Cannabis Advocates File Supreme Court Brief, Argue Ballot Title Sufficient