MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

At least eight states will have new governors in 2023: Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Oregon and Pennsylvania.

Overall, 36 gubernatorial seats are being contested on Nov. 8 ballots, with the winner of each race gaining executive power to advance and pursue new and revised state policies and programs, including medical and adult-use cannabis.

From executive orders to budget proposals and vetoes, current and former governors have already steered, blocked or impacted cannabis legalization efforts in some fashion since California voters first approved Proposition 215 for a medical program in 1996, and since Colorado and Washington voters first passed adult-use ballot measures in 2012.

While legalization in any form is what’s at stake in states like Idaho, Kansas and Nebraska, which have some of the most restrictive cannabis policies in the nation, government officials in states like California and Oregon continue to seek new strategies and regulations to combat illicit activities and help struggling businesses in mature markets.

Furthermore, gubernatorial races in Arkansas, Maryland and South Dakota, where voters will also be casting ballots on adult-use cannabis measures, hold major implications for program rollouts should those measures pass. Missouri and North Dakota also have 2022 adult-use ballot measures, but no governor races are unfolding there this election cycle.

South Dakota perhaps provides a telling example of how one state executive has exercised her power to avert reform. Incumbent Republican Gov. Kristi Noem issued an executive order in January 2021, asserting that voter-approved Amendment A (adult-use cannabis) was unconstitutional, and launched a taxpayer-funded lawsuit challenging the 2020 ballot measure, paving way for the state’s Supreme Court to eventually strike it down. Voters could find redemption in 2022.

The Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) issued a Health and Safety Advisory Oct. 26 over flower potentially contaminated with mold.

Officials have identified “potentially unsafe levels of total yeast and mold and aspergillus” on medical cannabis flower produced by SDJ, LLC, which does business in Colorado as The Living Rose.

According to the advisory, harvest batches of medical cannabis produced by SDJ were not submitted for testing in accordance with state law, and when the batches were tested, the results showed total yeast, mold and aspergillus levels above the acceptable limits.

State officials advise consumers to check the labels on their medical cannabis products for the below license and harvest batch numbers, which indicate that the products are impacted by the recall. Consumers who have the affected products should destroy them or return them to the dispensary where they were purchased for proper disposal.

Shannon Gray, a spokesperson for the DOR, declined to comment on the specifics of the ongoing investigation, but told Cannabis Business Times that “the facts of each investigation (including aggravating and mitigating factors) all determine the overall recommendation for an agency action once an investigation concludes.”

Major cannabis policy reform could be coming to the U.S. Virgin Islands under legislation unveiled this week.

Sen. Janelle Sarauw introduced two bills Oct. 24—one to legalize adult-use cannabis and another to expunge past cannabis-related convictions, according to The St. Thomas Source.

“It has been a very cumbersome process to get these bills to where they are today,” Sauraw, who is running alongside gubernatorial candidate Sen. Kurt Vialet to replace Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach in the Nov. 8 election, told the news outlet.

Bryan proposed his version of an adult-use cannabis legalization bill, the Cannabis Use Act, in 2019 and again in 2020, The St. Thomas Source reported.

Bryan’s re-election campaign scolded Sarauw earlier this month for not introducing her cannabis legislation earlier, after she promised to file the bills in 2021, according to the news outlet.

A University of Kentucky (UK) professor reported to the Interim Joint Committee on Health, Welfare, and Family Services this week and revealed plans for research and trials that will be conducted at the UK’s Cannabis Center.

RELATED: University of Kentucky Opens Medical Cannabis Research Center

The research center was authorized under a bill that Gov. Andy Beshear signed into law in April. The legislation was backed by key lawmakers who were opposed to a medical cannabis legalization bill, which stalled earlier this year.

RELATED: 'There Will Be Some Actions Forthcoming:' Kentucky Governor Reaffirms Plans to Legalize Medical Cannabis Through Executive Action

Dr. Shanna Babalonis, the director of the research center, presented a variety of planned, controlled studies to the committee Oct. 26, according to a local WKYT report.

In its second operation, the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) served 13 search warrants between Oct. 18 and Oct. 19 on unlicensed indoor cultivation operations near Los Angeles and seized an estimated retail value of roughly $8 million of illicit cannabis.

Gov. Gavin Newsom created the taskforce, led by the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), and several other partners, "to eliminate the number of illicit cannabis operations in the state, which has been affecting state-legal businesses," Cannabis Business Times previously reported.

The UCETF eradicated 7,503 illicit cannabis plants and more than 936 pounds of processed illegal cannabis flower, according to a news release from CDFW.

In addition, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control also discovered high levels of toxic chemicals at some locations. 

"Criminal cannabis operators, like those we enforced against in this operation, jeopardize the health of their workers by using toxic chemicals to help fertilize indoor cultivations that undercut the legal market and present safety risks to consumers," said Nicole Elliott, DCC director. "While DCC works hard to support the transition of legacy operators into the legal market, we have zero tolerance for this behavior and will work with our partners across state, local, and the federal government to shut it down."

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also uncovered safety code violations at all 13 sites and has since disconnected the power at all locations, according to the release.

Portland (ME) – PRESS RELEASE – Today marks the official launch of ERG Strategies, LLC, a consulting firm set to advise governments at all levels and national clients operating in the complex cannabis space. The firm is driven by its founder and former top cannabis regulator for the state of Maine, Erik Gundersen.

“I’m excited to share my experiences and expertise with government entities and cannabis businesses nationwide,” says Gundersen. “I look forward to contributing to sustainable, equitable and responsible cannabis markets on a larger scale.”

Gundersen’s time in cannabis policy started as Senior Policy Advisor in the Maine Speaker’s Office and as liaison to the Legislature’s Joint Select Committee on Marijuana Legalization and Implementation, the committee credited with drafting the Maine Legalization Act, which serves as the framework for Maine’s now burgeoning adult-use cannabis program.

In February 2019, Maine Gov. Janet Mills tapped Gundersen to establish the Office of Cannabis Policy and launch the state’s adult-use cannabis program. Under Gundersen’s leadership, the Office of Cannabis Policy successfully ushered in the first set of program rules, scaled the office, built out systems and processes, and began accepting license applications at the end of 2019. Maine’s adult use cannabis program launched in 2020 amid the COVID pandemic.

“I’m incredibly proud of everything we accomplished during my time leading the Office of Cannabis Policy,” adds Gundersen. “Cannabis regulators are a small group of the most dedicated public servants imaginable. I look forward to continuing my working in cannabis alongside this amazing group and private companies as well.”

(SANTA ROSA, Calif.) – PRESS RELEASE – Cultivation, propagation and post-harvest workers at Flora Terra Cannabis have voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 665. They are the first group of cannabis workers to join the Teamsters under the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act in Northern California.

“Congratulations to our newest members, who stood strong and worked together to make this happen,” said Tony Delorio, Local 665 Principal Officer. “California agriculture workers have already gotten great wages, strong benefits, and a united voice on the job with a Teamster contract. We don’t expect things to be any different with this company when we begin bargaining.”

“Cannabis generates more revenue in California than any other state in the country,” said Peter Finn, Teamsters Food Processing Division Director. “We look forward to ensuring that an equitable share of the money generated from this industry goes to those who are most responsible for the success of these companies.”

“We’re doing this because we know that with a Teamster contract, cannabis can be a fulfilling career that workers can stay in for their entire lives if they want to,” said Anthony Benavides, a worker at the Flora Terra facility. “We’re part of a massive movement of people working to guarantee that the cannabis industry creates thousands of jobs that provide families with middle-class prosperity.”

Teamsters Local 665 represents over 5,000 members throughout the Bay Area in a wide variety of industries. For more information, go to https://www.teamsters665.org/.

PHOENIX, Arizona, Oct. 27, 2022 — PRESS RELEASE — TILT Holdings Inc., a global provider of cannabis business solutions that include inhalation technologies, cultivation, manufacturing, processing, brand development and retail, announced the Pennsylvania launch of "H" by Ricky Williams, the former NFL player's medical cannabis brand. The purpose-driven brand will be distributed to dispensaries throughout the commonwealth of Pennsylvania for medical cannabis patients through TILT subsidiary Standard Farms.

Motivated by his own personal journey with medical cannabis and healing, Williams' brand, more widely known as Highsman, launched in November 2021 to inspire greatness and promote wellness in athletes and sports fans. The brand is now available in five states, with Pennsylvania marking its second state launch in partnership with TILT. The initial product collection offering includes flower 8ths in:

"This brand line, more specifically marijuana, has profoundly and positively impacted my life," Williams said. "I introduced these products to break through the stigma of marijuana and improve access to those seeking to be the best versions of themselves. Thanks to our partnership with TILT, we can introduce even more patients to the benefits and healing properties of medical marijuana through our brand."

"TILT's differentiated brand-partner model allows us to collaborate with some of the most innovative and impactful brands in the U.S. and introduce them to new markets," said Gary Santo, TILT CEO. "I am proud to be working with Ricky to bring this authentic brand to patients in Pennsylvania."

Pennsylvania patients can find "H" by Ricky Williams branded products throughout the state via the TILT wholesale channel.

BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Jushi Holdings Inc., a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator, announced it has debuted its newly formulated vegan and gluten-free Tasteology Fruit Chews in Massachusetts, and expects to roll out the new product line in Virginia, Ohio and Nevada in Q1 2023.

Made with the finest real fruit purées by Ponthier, and crafted by Jushi’s Director of Manufacturing and Bravo’s Top Chef: Just Desserts finalist, Matthew Petersen, along with Jushi’s Product Development Team, Tasteology Fruit Chews are now available in three new varieties—Blood Orange Boost, Blueberry Calm and Passion Raspberry Balance—at Nature’s Remedy dispensaries in Tyngsborough and Millbury, Mass., and will continue to roll out to partner dispensaries in the coming months.

OAKLAND, Calif., October 26, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Dentons, one of the world’s largest law firms, has announced that Kelly Fair has returned to the firm. She is a partner in its Health Care and Cannabis practices. Fair rejoins Dentons after more than three years working at Canopy Growth Corporation, a global cannabis company, as its first-ever U.S. General Counsel.

In her role at Dentons, Fair will serve as external U.S. General Counsel to Canopy’s newly-formed U.S.-domiciled holding company in addition to focusing on other cannabis sector policy work. She will also assist clients with lending transactions, securities offerings, and other corporate and commercial transactions, along with cannabis regulatory and policy matters. With 17 years of in-house and major law firm experience advising high-growth industry companies and boards, she has an understanding and appreciation of the broad range of legal, regulatory, operational and financial considerations involved when working with clients in the cannabis environment.

RELATED: Canopy Growth to Acquire Acreage, Wana, Jetty in US Entrance

“Kelly’s time working in-house has allowed her to gain substantial experience and deeper knowledge of the cannabis industry, which will directly serve our clients,” said Eric Berlin, head of Dentons’ U.S. and global Cannabis groups. “Her experience brings a fresh and timely perspective on the challenges that companies face, well-positioning her to offer advice as they operate in the highly regulated and complicated industry.”

Fair previously managed all of Canopy’s U.S. and European legal affairs, global mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and continuous disclosure. While navigating the limitations of U.S. federal and securities laws related to cannabis, Fair helped to develop innovative deal structures that grew the company’s U.S. footprint and built a first-class U.S. business, which ultimately led to the creation of Canopy USA, LLC.

If you know cannabis – especially in California – you know Ricky Williams and Chris Ball.

Ball, owner and CEO of Los Angeles-based Ball Family Farms, and Williams, founder and president of Highsman, partnered on a cultivar, Ricky Baker, released throughout the Golden State earlier this month.

Ball, the cultivator, and Williams, the connoisseur, are cut from the same cloth in many respects – including their shared passion for cannabis.

But their passion hasn’t always been rewarded, as both share past scrutiny and punishment for past cannabis involvement.

Williams, the 1998 Heisman Trophy winner (awarded to the nation’s top collegiate football player) and former NFL star, was suspended from the NFL twice during his career for failed drug tests due to cannabis, which violated the league’s substance-abuse policy. He abruptly retired before the 2004 season after facing a four-game suspension and $650,000 fine from the league but returned in 2005. He was then suspended for the entire 2006 season before eventually retiring in 2011.

Ten years later, in 2021, Williams founded Highsman.

MARINA DEL REY, California, October 26, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE – It is with great sadness that we are officially announcing the passing of Highway Cannabis Director Sean Cooley. Cooley passed away Oct. 8 due to a medical emergency. He is survived by his wife, Christine.  

Cooley joined the senior leadership team at Highway in mid-June as part of a launch plan to accelerate product innovation and drive brand awareness, slated to launch its flagship cannabis dispensary in Marina del Rey in November. Cooley had been actively working on the Highway brand launch, and grand opening party up until his passing and has deeply made a positive impact on everyone he encountered. 

“I was able to work with Sean intimately over the past four months and truly appreciated his hard work, dedication, creativity, but most of all, his passion that he brought to the team each and every day. Please keep Sean’s family and friends in your thoughts as they go through this difficult time,” said Chris Colón, CEO and founder of Highway Cannabis Company. “For many of us we have not only lost a co-worker, but also a friend.”

Cooley had spent 19 years in content marketing, the past five in the cannabis industry, holding several senior positions at tech and media companies. He was a director of content marketing at Weedmaps, a senior editor and writer at Thrillist, and a content director at High Times. Most recently, Cooley headed marketing operations at Grassdoor, where he played a key role in scaling the growth strategy for the best-in-class delivery technology platform. 

Cooley was a beloved member of the LLS family who changed the lives of everyone who came in contact with him. In 2021, he competed as a Man of the Year candidate, raising over $200,000 in honor of his father, Gregg, who passed away from cancer. Sean was truly a changemaker and was always looking to lend a helping hand. His impact will continue to be felt by cancer patients and their families and will improve their quality of life for years to come, a cause near and dear to Cooley heart. Cooley family has asked in lieu of flowers to consider making a donation to LLS at here.

South Dakota has seen an increase in medical cannabis patient registrations as many individuals are obtaining their patient cards through “pop-up clinics.”

As of Oct. 24, there are 4,202 registered patients–a 125% increase from Aug. 1, which recorded 1,867 patients.

A state health official told lawmakers Oct. 25 that the rise in registered patients is due to individuals obtaining their cards through ‘pop-up clinics rather than typical medical providers, The Associated Press reported.

AP reported individuals go to a pop-up clinic and have a short consultation with a physician who then certifies if they have a qualifying condition for cannabis.

According to the news outlet, legislative committee members argue that consultations are not a long enough process to qualify patients, as sometimes they last under five minutes.

Melissa Mentele, a sponsor of the 2020 ballot initiative to legalize medical cannabis in South Dakota, said patients are using pop-up clinics due to the state’s health systems refusing to participate in the medical cannabis program, AP reported

Editor’s Note: Cannabis Business Times Editor Theresa Bennett, Associate Editor Andriana Ruscitto and Managing Editor Patrick Williams contributed to this report.

During the past 50 years—and especially during the past decade, as more states legalized medical and adult-use consumption and sales—there have been several petitions, bills, resolutions and other pushes for the federal government to review cannabis’ Schedule I status in the Controlled Substances Act.

These requests have come from cannabis advocacy organizations, medical associations and Democratic and Republican politicians.

The DEA has repeatedly rejected petitions for Schedule I removal.   

But until this month, when President Joe Biden announced he would pardon thousands of people with previous federal cannabis possession charges, urge governors to do the same at the state level, and request that secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra and Attorney General Merrick Garland review cannabis’ Schedule I status, those calls to reform cannabis policy have not come from the top.

That’s significant and “truly historic,” says Kris Krane, who was at the helm of multistate cannabis operation 4Front Ventures for 10 years and now serves as CEO of strategic consultancy Kranewreck Enterprises and as director of cannabis development for KCSA Strategic Communications.

Complaints of illicit cannabis finding its way into the regulated market has caught the ear of Michigan’s new top cannabis executive.

Brian Hanna, who was appointed the acting executive director of the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) on Sept. 15, said during a roundtable interview Oct. 25 in Lansing that changes are coming before the end of the year to beef up oversight tracking measures and expose bad actors, The Detroit News reported.

Proper tagging and registering of products in Metrc, Michigan’s statewide seed-to-sale tracking system, and proper maintenance of required surveillance cameras are among the issues CRA officials plan to focus on during the coming months, the news outlet reported.

“If there’s anybody cutting corners or cheating, we want to expose that and take a strong enforcement approach on that,” Hanna told media members during the roundtable.

Hanna, who spent five years with the CRA as the manager of field operations, inspections and investigations, outlined the agency’s ongoing oversight efforts on the heels of disciplinary action earlier this month against a Detroit medical operator for having unmarked bags of cannabis product without tracking numbers.

RELATED: Regulators Issue 30-Day Suspension, $75K Fine to Detroit Cannabis Licensee

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach presented a cornerstone paper on planned legislation to federally legalize adult-use cannabis to Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s cabinet Oct. 26 after the plans leaked to the media last week.

Lauterbach included in his presentation a survey estimating that roughly 4 million adults already use cannabis in Germany, suggesting a thriving illicit market in the country, according to a DW report.

The current drug policy, Lauterbach said, must be revised since Germany’s current laws have not limited consumption and have instead led to cannabis consumers “falling into an undertow of crime,” the news outlet reported. Lauterbach added that legalization will result in better health policies and increased protections for minors, according to DW.

Lauterbach said the legalization plan is “the most liberal legalization of cannabis in Europe,” and that it would set up “the most regulated market” in the EU, the news outlet reported.

RELATED: The State of European Cannabis Reform: Fall 2022 Update

SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 26, 2022- PRESS RELEASE - CCELL, a technology brand focused on creating trendsetting vape hardware products and advanced vaporization technology, announced the launch of CCELL EVO, a revolutionary new heating technology succeeding its first generation ceramic heating platform that made its debut in the vaporizer industry in 2016.

The cannabis market is continually changing, as are consumer preferences. With the rapid increase in the diversity of cannabis extract types, CCELL has observed a new trend where consumers and brands are seeking a versatile solution that is compatible with more than just traditional distillates. Moreover, the vaporizer market currently sees a high demand for an excellent balance between flavor and vapor production, and CCELL EVO was engineered precisely to meet this need.

CCELL EVO is not only compatible with traditional distillates, but also with high terpene extracts that are known to be more difficult to vaporize. CCELL EVO brings unprecedented performance and an experience unmatched by any other heating platform. Follow this link to watch EVO's launch video.

“Our new heating technology was made possible through the implementation of scientifically calculated, consistent pore distribution and even heat distribution, effectively increasing thermal efficiency by 25% and atomizing a wider variety of cannabinoids," says Joe S., vice president of product at CCELL. “This breakthrough technology provides smoother and truer-to-plant flavors, larger clouds of vapor, and a higher level of safety to end users.”

CCELL EVO is also crafted with environmental concerns in mind, as its ceramic cores are cast in aqueous systems that require a third less processing, resulting in 35% less greenhouse gas emissions. The new heating technology and its components have been tested by seasoned cannabis consumers in North America and have received positive feedback all around. Users have reported a 50% increase in vapor production for live resin products, and a 28% increase in vapor production for THC distillates, while flavor and taste have been enhanced by 34% and 21%, respectively.

Visit www.ccell.com to learn more about its products, and keep informed on its latest updates.

Brittney Griner’s appeal of her nine-year prison sentence for cannabis possession was denied by a Russian court on Tuesday, according to news reports.

At the hearing, court officials said Griner’s prison time would be adjusted to reflect the time she’s already served in pretrial detention, with each day there counting as 1 1/2 days in prison, according to The Associated Press.

“We are aware of the news out of Russia that Brittney Griner will continue to be wrongfully detained under intolerable circumstances after having to undergo another sham judicial proceeding today,” said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in a statement from the White House. “President Biden has been very clear that Brittney should be released immediately. In recent weeks, the Biden-Harris administration has continued to engage with Russia through every available channel and make every effort to bring home Brittney as well as to support and advocate for other Americans detained in Russia, including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan. The President has demonstrated that he is willing to go to extraordinary lengths and make tough decisions to bring Americans home, as his administration has done successfully from countries around the world. The administration remains in regular touch with representatives of the families, and we continue to admire their courage in the face of these unimaginable circumstances.”

RELATED: Brittney Griner Pleads with President Biden: ‘Please Don’t Forget About Me’

The eight-time WNBA al-star (seven as a player, one as honorary member in 2022) was originally charged with possessing cannabis vape cartridges while traveling through Sheremetyevo International Airport near Moscow in February.

Griner was convicted of cannabis possession charges on Aug. 4 after a more than month-long trial that began July 1. In addition to her nine-year prison sentence in August, Griner was fined 1 million rubles ($16,950 USD) by Judge Anna Sotnikova.

Germany’s plans to legalize adult-use cannabis were leaked last week, and while a legalization bill has yet to be formally introduced, medical cannabis stakeholders are cautiously optimistic about the initial blueprint for a regulatory framework.

“People are keeping a close eye on Germany to see what happens, and if we succeed, it will be great news for the cannabis industry and for the cannabis plant in Europe,” says Niklas Kouparanis, CEO of Bloomwell Group, one of Germany’s largest medical cannabis operators.

A “cornerstone paper” that has been circulating among government officials leaked to the RND newspaper group Oct. 19. The paper, essentially a blueprint for how Germany plans to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis, stems from a months-long inquiry by Burkhard Blienert, Germany’s commissioner on narcotic drugs.

RELATED: Germany’s Cannabis Legalization Plans Revealed

Any forthcoming legalization bill would be based on Blienert’s plan, which proposes decriminalizing the purchase and possession of up to 20 grams of cannabis for adults, as well as legalizing the cultivation of up to two plants at home.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) sent medical cannabis license applications to business hopefuls Oct. 24, taking another step forward in rolling out the medical cannabis program that Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law last year.

Regulators accepted requests for applications from Sept. 1 through Oct. 17 and received 607 total requests, according to a local WAFF report.

The majority of the requests poured in from Madison, Jefferson and Montgomery counties, the news outlet reported.

RELATED: Executive Teams Now Requesting Applications for Medical Cannabis Business Licenses in Alabama

The applications, which are for prospective medical cannabis cultivators, processors, transporters, testing laboratories, dispensaries and vertically integrated operations, are due back to the state by Dec. 30.