MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

Alabama legislation introduced by Republican Sen. Larry Stutts, that would require women of a “childbearing age” to have a negative pregnancy test to purchase medical cannabis, passed in a 7-2 Senate committee vote last week.

The legislation would require women aged 25-50 to provide documentation of a negative pregnancy test from their physician or from a certified medical lab licensed in Alabama, according to the bill text.

“The documentation must be dated within 48 hours of purchase before she may purchase any medical cannabis except in the capacity as a registered caregiver,” the bill text states. Additionally, breastfeeding women would also be prohibited from purchasing medical cannabis unless they are registered caregivers.

The legislation would also prohibit dispensaries from being within 1,000 feet of a 2- or 4-year institution of higher education or a day-care center.

“This is completely unprecedented because it is so clearly unconstitutional,” Emma Roth, a staff attorney with the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, told AL.com last week in response to Stutts’ bill. “We have serious concerns, just from a constitutional perspective and a public health perspective [about the legislation.] … We are very concerned that this is an invasion of the privacy of Alabama women and their right to equal protection under the law.”

Washington, D.C., City Council members have their hands tied on regulating and taxing adult-use cannabis sales in their jurisdiction, as cannabis “gifting” continues to provide an alternative means for recreational shoppers.

But the council is now getting crafty in untangling those snafus.

The district councilmembers will consider a proposal during their April 5 legislative meeting that would allow anyone 21 and older to obtain a medical cannabis card, with or without a doctor’s recommendation, The Washington Post reported.

The city’s medical cannabis retailers have experienced “substantial erosion of their business to the illegal market,” Council Chairman Phil Mendelson told the news outlet. Mendelson said that he believes the illicit market includes “gifting,” where consumers purchase non-cannabis items or services, such as a membership in a club, and are then provided cannabis as part of the sale.

Mendelson told the Post his staff counted nearly 40 such businesses in the district, arguing that the council should take action to provide legal businesses greater accessibility to the market. He said not only do the city’s licensed medical cannabis dispensaries provide fees and tax revenue, but “there’s greater assurance of quality. Consumers know they have a safe product.”

Under current law, district residents 21 and older can possess, consume, home cultivate and gift cannabis, the latter of which has opened the door for differing interpretations of the term “gift” when it comes to charging for merchandise or memberships in exchange for “free” cannabis, which is not regulated or taxed.

ABOUT LOWELL FARMS

Year founded: 2011

Headquarters: Salinas, Calif.

Canopy size: 225,000 sq. ft.

Number of employees: Approximately 100 in cultivation, depending on season

Products offered: Flower, prerolls, concentrates, edibles

A recent study conducted by researchers within the Kansas State University (KSU) College of Veterinary Medicine found that feeding industrial hemp with high cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) content to Holstein steers, a breed of dairy cattle, may reduce stress and inflammation. 

As the votes on a federal cannabis legalization bill were tallied in the U.S. House last Friday, a clear divide along party lines emerged just like on many other issues carving out that aisle in the Capitol.

The final roll call was 220-204 in support of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which aims to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, provide expungements for those with cannabis offenses and impose a federal tax on cannabis to fund programs for those adversely affected by the drug war.

RELATED: U.S. House Passes MORE Act, Again

That was just the second time a full chamber of Congress voted on broad cannabis reform, but the outcome was more partisan than when the House voted, 228-164, in December 2020 to pass a previous version of the bill.

In last week’s vote, only three Republicans broke party ties to support the measure: Reps. Matt Gaetz, Fla., Brian Mast, Fla., and Tom McClintock, Calif.

Even fewer Democrats crossed the aisle to cast no votes: Reps. Henry Cuellar, Texas, and Chris Pappas, N.H.

A Missouri House panel has approved an adult-use cannabis legalization bill.

House Bill 2704, The Cannabis Freedom Act, cleared the House Public Safety Committee March 31.

The legislation, introduced in February by Rep. Ron Hicks, R-St. Charles County, is an omnibus cannabis legalization bill that would also release all non-violent cannabis offenders from prison and create a system for individuals to expunge prior cannabis-related offenses from their records.

The Missouri General Assembly adjourns May 30.

Meanwhile, there are three adult-use cannabis ballot initiative campaigns in the state that have until May 8 to submit 160,199 valid signatures to put the issue before voters in the November 2022 election.

California lawmakers are set to discuss legislation April 4 that would increase consumer warnings on cannabis labels.

Senate Bill 1097, the Cannabis Right to Know Act, was introduced Feb. 16 by Sen. Richard Pan, and is scheduled for an April 4 hearing in the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee, according to the North Bay Business Journal.

Pan led a virtual press conference March 31, according to the news outlet, where he told a panel of doctors, youth groups and parents that additional consumer warnings are necessary for cannabis products and are similar to those on tobacco products.

“I authored the Cannabis Right to Know Act because current health warnings required for cannabis products are insufficient to communicate well-established health risks, especially to our youth,” he said, adding that the current government warnings about the “intoxicating effects” are inadequate.

Specifically, Pan’s bill cites a report by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health that found an uptick in California teens between the ages of 12 and 17 using cannabis between 2016 and 2019, the North Bay Business Journal reported.

Kensington, Maryland - PRESS RELEASE - While attention is showered on retail operations, cannabis cultivation, and processing forms the essential foundation of the emerging legal industry. Standard Wellness Maryland, a MBE/DBE/CBE company, made history on Friday, April 1, 2022, when it became the first cannabis company with a Black and Latino majority owner to win a cultivation license in the state of Maryland. Christina Betancourt Johnson, CEO of Standard Wellness Maryland (SWM) is also the first Afro-Latina to run a licensed cultivation company in the United States.

The historic licensure of Standard Wellness Maryland is the culmination of a hard-fought battle in a limited license state. In response to calls of bias and inequity in the application process and a lengthy appeal, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission recently granted a handful of minority-owned businesses cultivation and processing licenses. Standard Wellness Maryland is one of its newest license holders.

“I’m grateful for the support we have received throughout this process,” said Standard Wellness Maryland CEO Christina Betancourt Johnson. “From legislators to fellow entrepreneurs in the cannabis space, we were encouraged and supported in this undertaking. Seeing other people of color successfully running cannabis businesses was inspirational and motivational. It’s been a worthwhile journey and I’m excited for the impact that Standard Wellness Maryland will have on our state and communities most harmed by prohibition.”

Johnson leads the Standard Wellness Maryland leadership team, comprised of DMV natives who understand the unique needs of local communities. SWM is centered around its values of community engagement, collective wellness, and wealth-building for the generations of people harmed by the nation’s cannabis prohibition and the war on drugs. SWM seeks to be at the forefront of community education and economic empowerment to ensure that the harms of the past are rectified.

SWM strongly believes that health should be a source of fortitude and wellness without judgment. Over the years, a stigma around cannabis and its users has become cemented in society. It has become associated with deviance and criminality, especially for Black and Brown people who are arrested at four times the rate of their white counterparts nationally.

PORTLAND – PRESS RELEASE  – Chalice Brands, a premier consumer-driven cannabis company, has unveiled its newest brand, Private Stash, available now. The new line boasts a portfolio of more than 30 products, featuring strain-specific cartridges, flavored edibles, tinctures and distillate cartridges, as well as a variety of hand-crafted, small batch pre-rolls in a selection of classic strains. Products launched at all 16 of Chalice Brands’ dispensaries across the state, including Chalice Farms, Left Coast Connection, Homegrown Oregon and Cannabliss & Co.

“We developed our new Private Stash line of products as a throwback to the explosion of cannabis use and culture in the Woodstock era. We’re excited about taking things back to the beginning with classic strains like Jack Herer, Maui Wowie and Pineapple Express,” said Meghan Miller, chief operations officer of Chalice Brands.

Private Stash cartridges, driven by flavor, purity and potency, are crafted in small batches and contain refined cannabis distillate oil with 100% solvent-free extract. Strain-specific cartridges with added terpenes are available in the Legacy Stash strain collection, which includes Jack Herer, Maui Wowie, Pineapple Express, OG Kush, Acapulco Gold, Panama Red, AK47 and Blueberry strains.

Blast edibles, made with 50 mg THC, are available in packs of two for a total of 100 mg of THC. Liquid Blasts, launching in the coming weeks, are made with 250 mg of THC per two fluid ounce tincture. Blast edibles and tinctures, as well as flavored distillate cartridges, are available in Berry Blackberry, Mary Blueberry, Bohemian Blue Raspberry, Melon-aire Vibes, Apple-solutely the Best, Takes Two to Mango, Strawberry is my Jam, Tropic like it’s Hot, and You’re a Fineapple flavors. Blasts are also available in full-spectrum RSO, with flavor options including Watermelon Mint, Mango Serrano and Pink Lemonade.

Private Stash launched with several new pre-rolls, including the Groovie Doobie, a five-gram party joint with revolving strain options. New Stash Stick infused pre-rolls made with botanical terpene-infused distillate, top-quality indoor cultivated flower and keif and are available in one-gram joints, with a five pack of .8-gram Stash Sticks rolling out in the coming weeks. Stash Sticks are available in Berry Blackberry, Mary Blueberry, Bohemian Blue Raspberry, Melon-aire Vibes, Apple-solutely the Best, Takes Two to Mango, Strawberry is my Jam, Tropic likes it's Hot and You're a Fineapple flavors.

Verano Holdings Corp., a multistate cannabis company, is now serving Ohio medical cannabis patients at its new Zen Leaf dispensary location in Canton. 

Indiana’s Senate Bill 209 died in the 2022 legislative session because of worries that the bill’s language would go as far as to outlaw CBD oil.

Republicans proposed the bill to the General Assembly which sought to change the definitions of drug schedules in Indiana by altering “delta-9 THC” in Indiana law to simply say “THC,” thus removing the legal grey area that allows delta-8 products, also known as “weed light” to some in the industry, to be sold by CBD retailers across Indiana. If the bill passed, individual hemp farmers and retailers risked losing $1 million dollars in business.

From a federal standpoint, delta-8 is legal if it’s derived naturally from hemp plants. However, in 2021, the FDA announced warnings about the potential health risks of delta-8 products. “The CDC states that the health effects of delta-8 THC have not yet been researched extensively and are not well-understood,” the statement says. “However, delta-8 THC is psychoactive and may have similar risks of impairment as delta-9 THC.” The CDC also cites other warnings including mislabeled products that don’t appropriately advertise the psychoactive effects of delta-8, an increase in calls to the center of poison control after taking delta-8 products, risks of contamination during manufacturing, and marketing that appeals to children.

20 states have already banned, restricted, or regulated delta-8, including those that already legalized medicinal or adult-use cannabis. Two of Indiana’s neighbors, Kentucky and Michigan are included on that list.

For now, Indiana CBD dispensaries and retail shops that sell delta-8 products across the state can sigh in relief, but only temporarily. The General Assembly plans to take it up again in 2023.

Maryland lawmakers are following through on their plan to send an adult-use cannabis legalization question to voters in November before adopting the final rules to regulate a state program next year.

The Maryland House voted, 94-39, on April 1 to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot via House Bill 1, asking the state’s constituency if it favors legalization of cannabis use by those 21 and older by July 1, 2023. That vote concurred with Senate amendments to the bill.

Separately, the General Assembly also passed House Bill 837, companion legislation that would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis, 12 grams of concentrate, 750 milligrams of delta-9 THC or two plants for personal use. The legislation would also decriminalize the possession of up to 2.5 ounces as a civil offense rather than a misdemeanor.

The Senate passed H.B. 837, 30-15, on March 31, before the House concurred in an 89-41 vote on April 1, sending the legislation to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in time to override a possible veto, should Hogan reject the measure, before lawmakers adjourn from their 90-day session on April 11.

Under current Maryland laws and penalties, possession of 10 grams to 50 pounds of cannabis is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year of incarceration and a $1,000 fine, according to NORML.

Both pieces of legislation are sponsored by Del. Luke Clippinger, a Democrat from Baltimore City who chairs the Judiciary Committee.

The New Hampshire House is once again considering adult-use cannabis legalization and, this time, lawmakers want to allow state-run liquor stores to serve the market.

House Bill 1598, sponsored by Rep. Daryl Abbas, R-Salem, would allow liquor stores to sell cannabis flower, but not other products, such as THC-infused edibles, according to a WCAX report.

“I think the state in the next couple years will realize that we can’t miss out on this market,” Rep. Tim Egan, D-Sugar Hill, told the news outlet, adding, “It’s a different model. It is sort of the first step.”

H.B. 1598 would authorize the New Hampshire Liquor Commission to regulate and oversee the cultivation, manufacturing, testing and sale of adult-use cannabis to adults 21 and older, according to the Concord Monitor.

The legislation would allow municipalities to limit or prohibit adult-use cannabis businesses within their jurisdictions, the news outlet reported.

The newest adult-use cannabis retail market is off and running.

New Mexico dispensaries participating during the state’s opening day on April 1 recorded $1.96 million in adult-use sales in 24 hours, according to the state’s Cannabis Control Division (CCD).

With that launch, New Mexico became the 13th state to offer commercial adult-use cannabis sales in the U.S.

RELATED: Ready or Not, New Mexico Adult-Use Sales Coming

R. Greenleaf, a Schwazze subsidiary, made its first adult-use cannabis retail transaction at 12:01 a.m. Friday at its Las Cruces location in the southern part of the state, according to a Schwazze press release. A licensed medical cannabis provider with 10 dispensaries, four cultivation facilities and one manufacturing location in New Mexico, R. Greenleaf is one of many established retailers making the transition to adult use.

Sales continued to take off at 7 a.m. in Santa Fe and at 10 a.m. in Albuquerque. The state’s largest city, Albuquerque officials have already approved 69 locations for licensed retailers to open shop.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 4, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the United States, announced an exclusive partnership in Florida with DeLisioso LLC, a cannabis marketing and consulting company specializing in high-end adult-use and medical cannabis products. Through the agreement, Trulieve becomes the exclusive producer, processor and retailer of DeLisioso branded products throughout the state, with Flamingo Kush by DeLisioso pre-rolls launching on April 15.

DeLisioso is a Florida-based cannabis brand founded by Richard DeLisi and his son Rick. The elder DeLisi is one of the longest-serving nonviolent cannabis prisoners in United States history, having served 32 years of a 90-year sentence. The DeLisioso brand is committed to donating a portion of its profits to nonprofits including www.FreeDeLisi.com and The Last Prisoner Project, an organization that was instrumental in securing DeLisi's release in December 2020.

"We're thrilled to add the DeLisioso brand to our selection of high-quality medical products throughout Florida," Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said. "Richard's personal story of injustice and how he uses his platform to benefit others is an inspiration. Couple that with the brand's premium flower and it excites us to bring these products to patients in the communities we serve in Florida."

Available at all of Trulieve's Florida dispensaries upon launch, Flamingo Kush by DeLisioso pre-rolls is an indica-dominant strain with minty, spicy and lemony tones. Flamingo Kush, which is a Kush Mints variant phenotype cultivated with Trulieve genetics, will also be available in whole flower offerings in the weeks following the initial product launch.

"It's a dream come true to announce our partnership with Trulieve and bring the DeLisioso brand to cannabis connoisseurs in my home state," DeLisi said. "After serving over 32 years in jail for a nonviolent cannabis conviction, this agreement marks a monumental and full-circle moment for myself and DeLisioso to be able to legally sell cannabis. Our purpose is not only to provide exceptional cannabis products but to also aid families around the world who have been affected by the war on drugs with each of our sales. We are grateful for Trulieve's support since they are Florida's largest cannabis company and share a similar mission to bring cannabis for all."

As the leading medical cannabis provider in Florida, Trulieve offers the largest selection of THC and CBD products in a variety of delivery methods, including edibles, smokable flower, concentrates, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers and more. Trulieve also offers statewide home delivery, online ordering and in-store pickup.

Far fewer states have launched commercial adult-use cannabis sales than medical cannabis sales, but those that have made the recreational jump are raking in the dough.

In 2021, there were 11 states with fully operational adult-use retail programs, and those programs were responsible for more than half of all legal cannabis sales in the U.S. Overall, legal adult-use and medical cannabis sales combined for $24 billion in the U.S. last year, according to BDSA’s rolling market forecast from March.

Specifically, eight of those states tracked adult-use sales figures separately from medical sales: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan and Oregon. That octet accounted for more than $12.8 billion in adult-use sales in 2021, according to data collected by Cannabis Business Times.

SEE BELOW FOR STATE-BY-STATE SALES BREAKDOWNS

Washington ($1.47 billion) and Nevada ($1.04 billion) did not separate adult-use and medical sales in their 2021 state databases. And a public records official from Alaska’s Department of Revenue told CBT that the state does not tax sales to end users and therefore does not keep records pertaining to those transactions.

While Alaska had the smallest population among the 11 adult-use states with operational retail programs in 2021, it’s a state that has been becoming increasingly competitive with the most cannabis retail shops per capita (20 per 100,000 residents) in the western U.S., Alaska Public Media reported.

Connecticut legalized adult-use cannabis last June, and now the state is moving forward to make the market equitable and inclusive.

Written in the adult-use legalization bill is the State Bond Commission’s permission to issue up to $50 million in bonds for co-use by the Department of Economic and Community Development and Social Equity Council to fund social equity applicants, municipalities or organizations, the cannabis accelerator program, and workforce training programs developed by the Social Equity Council.

During the State Bond Commission’s March 31 meeting, the organization released the first $10 million in low-interest funds for social equity applicants looking to open or maintain a cannabis business, according to the meeting agenda.

In February, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) began accepting adult-use license applications for Disproportionately Impacted Area Cultivator and Retailer licenses.

Crimes targeting dispensaries, such as break-ins and thefts, are seemingly rising across the U.S., and one New Mexico cannabis retailer faced a break-in last Friday, right ahead of its grand opening.

With adult-use cannabis sales launching April 1 in New Mexico, Xtracts cannabis dispensary was preparing to serve additional customers in Albuquerque, KOB 4 reported.

RELATED: Ready or Not, New Mexico Adult-Use Sales Coming

David White, the founder of Xtracts and Organtica, a New Mexico-based medical cannabis dispensary, said it’s “not the first time” this has happened.

“We got broken into, which is never a good time, but I’ve got to tell you, we’ve had worse,” White told KOB 4.

According to the news outlet, White expressed that the dispensary followed strict security measures, as it had cameras surrounding the premises, motion detectors, and alarms.

Oregon cannabis retailers can now sell THC-infused edibles that are twice as potent following a new rule that went into effect April 1.

Edibles sold through Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) licensed dispensaries can now contain packages up to 100 milligrams of THC and 10 milligrams of THC per serving, commission officials recently announced. The previous limits were 50 milligrams and 5 milligrams, respectively.

The increased amounts means that consumers need to know their limits, OLCC advised in a news release.

“Cannabis consumers in Oregon shopping for THC-infused edibles will soon find some products available for purchase that are more potent than previously allowed,” the release states. “Consumers should take notice of the increased amount of THC per serving in these products so they can choose a product that gives them a desired effect without unwanted side effects.”

The change aligns more closely with potency allowances in most other states where commercial sales of adult-use cannabis products are legal. Under the OLCC rules, edibles containing lower THC amounts remain available by licensed retailers.

In an effort to promote consumer safety, solid edibles that exceed 55 milligrams of THC in the package must now be scored to help determine serving sizes, such as a chocolate bar having 10 notched squares.

A poll conducted by The Hill and Emerson College has revealed that Alabama residents are split on the issue of adult-use cannabis legalization, according to a CBS 42 report.

The poll found that 47% of Alabamians oppose legalization, while 42% support it, the news outlet reported.

“There’s still a lot of controversy about marijuana in Alabama,” Emerson College Polling Executive Director Spencer Kimball told CBS 42.

This controversy was recently highlighted when Tim James, a leading gubernatorial candidate in Alabama, claimed during a town hall forum that state officials want to create a “drug cartel” in implementing the state’s medical cannabis program.

“This is nothing but a bait and switch to desensitize and get recreational use started,” James said. “Their dream is recreational pot and that is where they are going.”