MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
CHICAGO, Sept. 20, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Cresco Labs, a vertically integrated multistate operator and the No. 1 U.S. wholesaler of branded cannabis products, announced the expansion of its flagship brand, Cresco, to Florida. The multimarket leading vape and concentrate brand arrives with a robust lineup of Live Resin products available exclusively at all Sunnyside dispensaries.
“We’re expanding our retail locations and product diversity to better serve Florida patients. The introduction of our Cresco brand, the most sold vape and concentrate brand in the United States, is an exciting addition to our robust Sunnyside Florida product assortment,” said Greg Butler, chief commercial officer at Cresco Labs. “We’re confident our patients will enjoy the premium quality and consistent experiences delivered by Cresco’s many products.”
Cresco is now available in California, Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Florida. The premium brand offers one of the widest assortments of forms in the company’s brand portfolio, ranging from flower and prerolls to concentrates and vapes.
Cresco’s Liquid Live Resin (LLR) is unique and fundamentally different from other vape products because the company uses a patented post-extraction process that starts with a single cannabis strain harvested and extracted at peak freshness and results in the preservation of the strain’s original full-spectrum effects, flavor and terpenes. The cannabis oil is pure; nothing is added or taken away.
Cresco’s LLR is the No. 1 bestselling vape cart in Illinois and Pennsylvania. Its Live Resin concentrates are No. 1 in Pennsylvania and No. 2 in Illinois, as of the most recent data from the second quarter of 2022, according to BDSA.
Sunnyside Florida patients can purchase Cresco 500-milligram LLR vape carts and 1-gram Live Resin budder and sugar concentrates. The brand will soon expand to include 1-gram LLR vape carts, Live Resin sauce and all-new THCa crushed diamonds concentrates. Sunnyside patients have access to one of the widest selections of products from the company’s One Plant, Supply, Good News, Remedi and Sunnyside Chews brands.
New Zealand approved Helius Therapeutics as the country’s first medicinal cannabis company to make products derived from locally grown cannabis.
The decision comes from New Zealand’s Medicinal Cannabis Agency (MCA), which also approved Helius’ Full Spectrum CBD medicines to be locally extracted and manufactured.
“Gaining approval of medicinal cannabis products that are truly New Zealand-grown and made is a significant milestone for our industry and another first for Helius,” said Carmen Doran, CEO of Helius Therapeutics. “Local patients and their advocates have fought long and hard for truly Kiwi products which are both high quality and cost-effective. This is great news for many patients who have long sought access to both New Zealand-grown and made medicinal cannabis products.”
Helius’ CBD products will be launched in New Zealand before being exported to Europe, South America, and more markets, according to a release. The products will be sourced from Puro, one of New Zealand’s largest organic medical cannabis cultivators, and produced at Helius’ manufacturing facility in East Auckland.
RELATED: New Zealand Government Provides Grant to Medical Cannabis Cultivator
Doran says MCA’s approval of Helius’ CBD products will improve patient access to medicinal products.
DENVER, Colorado, Sept. 20, 2022 — PRESS RELEASE — Greenlight Distribution, a seller of controlled environment agriculture products and a direct lender to U.S. commercial cannabis cultivators, announced its innovative services to help commercial cannabis cultivators weather the current market conditions.
“At Greenlight Distribution, we recognize the challenges that cultivators face this year, and we are proud to provide solutions to help them not just survive, but continue to grow and profit,” said Dennis O’Carroll, founder and CEO of Greenlight Distribution. “We have introduced a number of innovative services and programs that save cultivators money, help eliminate supply chain issues, and provide equipment financing and working capital.”
O’Carroll said favorable financing is still available in this market. “We have money to lend, and we work with cultivators to get them good terms. Cultivators should contact us now and lock in financing before rates rise further,” he said.
O’Carroll said cultivators are facing difficult market conditions in 2022.
“The price of wholesale cannabis is down. When combined with steep federal, state and municipal taxes, high licensing fees, and competition from the illicit market, cultivators are feeling the pressure on their bottom line. New operations and smaller cultivators–those with under 5,000 square foot grows–are being squeezed the hardest," O’Carroll said. “Commercial cultivators also continue to deal with supply chain challenges and increased shipping costs.”
That is why Greenlight is working with cultivators across the U.S. to offer multiple solutions.
Grants from the state of Michigan are funding research into if cannabis can treat mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and if it can prevent veteran suicide.
Between 2021 and 2022, the state has announced funding for research conducted by scientists at Wayne State University, the University of Michigan and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies.
More than 1 in 10 veterans who have served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the Gulf War and the Vietnam War have PTSD, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA also states that among veterans who use VA health care, about 23% of women have reported sexual assault when in the military, and about 55% of women and 38% of men have experienced sexual harassment when in the military.
In 2019 in the U.S., there were 130 suicides per day, and 17 of those deaths were veterans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although veterans comprise about 7% of the U.S. population, they represented about 13% of lives lost to suicide that year.
The mental health of veterans was not lost on Michigan voters when they legalized adult-use cannabis via Proposal 1 in 2018. That initiative requires the state to provide $20 million annually “until 2022 or for at least two years” for clinical trials evaluating cannabis’ efficacy in treating U.S. veterans’ medical conditions and preventing veteran suicide.
The state has been working to help ensure a smooth rollout of the studies, says David Harns, public relations manager for Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) and Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
Alabama legislators passed a medical cannabis legalization bill last year, and now it’s time for prospective businesses to line up for the state’s first licensing cycle.
Business owners may now request an application from the state, an opportunity that will only be available until Oct. 17. From there, applications will be mailed out the following week and due back to the state by Dec. 30.
The application fee is a non-refundable $2,500 for any license type, though prospective businesses may only apply for one license type.
License winners will be announced June 12, 2023.
Jay Czarkowski, founding partner of Canna Advisors, said that Alabama is following other states examples by setting up a merit-based application process once the requests are in. The state will be looking for applicants with experience in the industry, as well as access to capital in this more competitive market right now.
“They’re looking for groups that are qualified, that can execute and deliver value,” he said.
Melbourne, FL, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Kona Gold Beverage, Inc., a holding company focused on product development in the better-for-you and hemp and CBD functional beverage sector, has announced it has signed agreements with three new distribution partners in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. Kona Gold has been focused on bringing its beverage portfolio to the West Coast of the United States, recently signing distribution partners in California and Nevada. With the addition of Oregon, Washington and Alaska, the company will be making a big market push in the remainder of 2022 and into 2023 with its Ooh La Lemin Lemonades.
Kona Gold announced earlier this year that its Ooh La Lemin Lemonades will be going into modular sets in Walmart stores in select states. With the addition of Oregon, Washington and Alaska, Ooh La Lemin will now be going into modular space in approximately 600 stores. Those stores are located in Alaska, California, Minnesota, Nevada, Michigan, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin. Rollout to these stores will begin next month.
"I'm excited to share with our shareholders that we have signed three new distribution partners on the West Coast of the U.S.," stated Robert Clark, CEO of Kona Gold Beverage, Inc. "We recently hired Brett Catanzaro as our West Region Territory Manager and he has already made a huge impact with our West Coast expansion. We continue to add seasoned beverage professionals to our team, which is paying off in dividends. We are growing the markets that we are currently in and expanding to new markets at a rapid pace and our team is executing exceptionally well."
Clark added, "We will be exhibiting at the 2022 NACS Show in Las Vegas next month, where we had great success last year networking, finding new distribution partners, and finding new products for our own distribution company. We anticipate this year to be a more successful showing than the previous year."
Kona Gold Beverage recently announced its wholly owned subsidiary, Gold Leaf Distribution LLC, posted record monthly revenue in August. Gold Leaf Distribution posted approximately $348,000 in sales. The increase in sales has been fueled by a culmination of expanding the company's sales team, adding new products, and consumer demand. Gold Leaf expects to see continued growth throughout the rest of the year as it continues to have record revenue growth in 2022.
More than three quarters (76%) of Republican voters agree the federal government should not interfere with individual states’ decisions to legalize cannabis, and should instead remove obstacles to legalization, according to a national poll released Sept. 14.
The poll was conducted by Republican pollster Fabrizio, Lee & Associates on behalf of the National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR).
A similar percentage (73%) of Republicans agree legal cannabis businesses should be entitled to the same rights as other legal businesses. That same percentage of Republicans also support legalizing cannabis for medical purposes, according to the poll.
Additional findings from the poll include 65% of Republicans in favor of legal cannabis companies having access to banking systems like any other legal business, and 56% supporting cannabis conviction expungements in now-legal adult-use states. A slight majority (51%) of Republicans say legal cannabis companies should have access to capital markets and be able to sell stock and be listed on stock exchanges.
On the topic of adult-use legalization, Republican voters were just about split with 47% supporting adult-use legalization and 46% opposing.
“These findings support what I’ve been saying for years: cannabis is no longer the partisan issue it once was,” said Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. “Congress needs to act in a bipartisan manner and enact the change that Americans, both Republicans and Democrats alike, are calling for. It’s past time for the federal government to respect the will of the states that have legalized cannabis in some form and allow them to make their own decisions in the best interest of their constituents without interference from Washington.”
Las Vegas – Sept. 14, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – The Source+, one of the state’s top cannabis companies since opening in 2015, has introduced its sixth location at 2370 Homestead Rd. in Pahrump, Nev. The Pahrump dispensary is the company’s first location to offer drive-thru pickup service, which is available now.
“Our Pahrump dispensary is bringing new elements to the community with the convenience of our drive-thru service, quality products at great prices and knowledgeable staff that can help choose the best products for our customers,” said CEO of The Source+, Steve Haffer. “We’re thrilled to offer this new space and look forward to continuing our mission of making cannabis accessible to all.”
The new 3,400-square-foot showroom displays and offers a wide selection of brands, including CAMP, High Heads, 8|Fold, Green Life Productions, in a welcoming atmosphere. The Source+ also features a variety of edibles, concentrates, tinctures and other cannabis products that its customers have come to love and know over the past seven years.
Other locations for The Source+ include the original at 2550 S. Rainbow Blvd. at the corner of Sahara Avenue in Las Vegas, the Henderson location at 9480 S. Eastern Ave., the Reno location at 5270 Longley Ln., Suite 103, the North Las Vegas location at 420 E Deer Springs Way, and the company’s first store on the East Coast located at 58 Pleasant St. in Northampton, Mass.
RELATED: The Source+ Opens First East Coast Dispensary in Northampton, Mass.
After an adult-use cannabis legalization measure was defeated in the Minnesota Legislature earlier this year, a new poll has revealed that a slim majority of the state’s voters support legalization.
According to a Star Tribune/MPR News/KARE 11 Minnesota Poll, 53% of Minnesota voters believe the state should legalize adult-use cannabis, 26% oppose legalization and 11% are undecided on the issue, the Star Tribune reported.
The poll revealed that 70% of Democrats, 60% of independents, and 29% of Republicans support adult-use legalization, according to the news outlet.
Poll results also showed that roughly 60% of respondents ages 18-49 support legalization, while about half of those ages 50-64 and 47% of those 65 and older also support it, the Star Tribune reported.
The findings are based on interviews with 800 Minnesota voters conducted from Sept. 12 through Sept. 14, according to the news outlet.
PHOENIX, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Item 9 Labs, a cannabis product brand, is adding a new permanent mainstay to its extensive product line-up. Following the success of its limited edition infused half-gram prerolls, the brand is launching 1 gram concentrate infused prerolls at participating dispensaries.
Item 9 Labs has been testing limited edition releases of seven half-gram infused prerolls in the Phoenix and Tucson markets as the trending industry category continues to maintain consistent triple digit growth throughout the state. The first limited-edition release in October 2021, Mummy Fingers, a crumble-infused preroll, sold out in 24 hours and inspired an entire line over the next year, including Badder Up!, Sugar Daze and the most recent Cosmic Crumble. Each release is receiving rave reviews from retail partners and consumers alike.
"We are utilizing our wide range of concentrates to propel our intentionally grown flower into different experiences for our consumers and patients to enjoy by expanding their palate and introducing them to new synergistic terpene profiles," said the brand's lab director, Eric Eisele.
With increasing consumer demand and Item 9 Labs products sold in over 60 percent of Arizona dispensaries, Item 9 Labs is a top 10 brand in the market and one of the leaders in the category. The brand's 1 gram infused prerolls are crafted with award-winning flower and live resin sugar, live resin badder or crumble concentrates which are grown and extracted in-house. Each infused preroll is individually packaged and made with ultra-thin, unrefined French paper to ensure a superior cannabis experience.
"Creating the perfect infused preroll product is an extensive, yet extremely rewarding process. We strive to stay ahead of the curve and feel inspired when refining our procedures," said Chris Wolven, chief operating officer of Item 9 Labs. "The launch of our new permanent mainstay is a testament to the brand's dedication for innovation and commitment to delivering masterfully-crafted cannabis products that our consumers can truly smell, taste and feel the difference."
The Item 9 Labs infused prerolls offer a harmonious blend of intentionally grown flower and premium concentrates for a consistent cannabis experience in every draw. Through thorough research and development, the brand's expert extraction and cultivation teams created a proprietary process that preserves the integrity of each infused preroll through even distribution of concentrate powder throughout award-winning flower.
In an ongoing effort to address California’s obstacle-heavy cannabis landscape, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Sept. 18 that he signed 10 bills to help expand the legal market and address the ever-lasting impacts of prohibition.
Also, the governor directed state officials to expedite health and safety policy reforms, to prioritize university funding of research related to cannabis potency, and to redouble efforts on tackling barriers to access.
Despite state legalization and the subsequent Medicinal and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) in California, local opposition, rigid bureaucracy and federal prohibition remain as the highest hurdles preventing further progress in the licensed industry, according to the governor’s office.
“For too many Californians, the promise of cannabis legalization remains out of reach,” Newsom said in a press release Sunday. “These [signed] measures build on the important strides our state has made toward this goal, but much work remains to build an equitable, safe and sustainable legal cannabis industry. I look forward to partnering with the Legislature and policymakers to fully realize cannabis legalization in communities across California.”
Following are abbreviated breakdowns for each of the 10 bills Newsom signed on Sept. 18:
SB 1326, by Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced (Cannabis: interstate agreements): This bill authorizes the governor to enter into an agreement with another state or states authorizing medicinal or adult-use commercial cannabis activity, or both, between foreign licensees, who are licensed under the laws of the other state or states, and entities operating with a state license pursuant to MAUCRSA, provided that the commercial cannabis activities are lawful and subject to licensure under the laws of the other state or states.
AB 1706, by Rep. Mia Bonta, D-Oakland (Cannabis crimes: resentencing): This bill will, if a sentence was not challenged by July 1, 2020, require the court to issue an order recalling or dismissing the sentence, dismissing and sealing, or redesignating the conviction no later than March 1, 2023, and will require the court to update its records accordingly and to notify the Department of Justice.
AB 1646, by Rep. Phillip Chen, R-Yorba Linda (Cannabis packaging: beverages): This bill authorizes cannabis beverages to be packaged in containers of any material (as opposed to only glass) that are clear or any color.
AB 1885, by Rep. Ash Kalra, D-San Jose (Cannabis and cannabis products: animals: veterinary medicine): This bill expands MAUCRSA to include the control and regulation of the cultivation, distribution, transport, storage, manufacturing, processing and sale of cannabis products intended for use on, or consumption by, animals, excluding livestock and food animals from the definition of “animal,” and specifies that cannabis concentrate and edible products are not considered processed pet foods as defined under the Pure Pet Food Act of 1969.
AB 1894, by Rep. Luz Rivas, D-Arleta (Integrated cannabis vaporizer: packaging, labeling, advertisement, and marketing): This bill will, commencing July 1, 2024, require the advertisement and marketing of a cannabis cartridge and an integrated cannabis vaporizer to prominently display a specified message to properly dispose of a cannabis cartridge and an integrated cannabis vaporizer as hazardous waste, and would also prohibit the package, label, advertisement and marketing from indicating that the cannabis cartridge or integrated cannabis vaporizer is disposable or implying that it may be thrown in the trash or recycling streams.
AB 2210, by Rep. Bill Quirk, D-Hayward (Cannabis: state temporary event licenses: venues licensed by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control: unsold inventory): This bill prohibits the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) from denying an application for a state temporary event license solely on the basis that there is a license issued pursuant to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act for the proposed premises of the event.
AB 2188, by Rep. Bill Quirk, D-Hayward (Discrimination in employment: use of cannabis): This bill, on and after Jan. 1, 2024, will make it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment, or otherwise penalize a person, if the discrimination is based upon the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace, except for preemployment drug screening or upon an employer-required drug screening test that has found the person to have non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites in their hair, blood, urine, or other bodily fluids.
AB 2568, by Rep. Ken Cooley, D-Rancho Cordova (Cannabis: insurance providers): This bill provides it is not a crime solely for individuals and firms to provide insurance and related services to persons licensed to engage in commercial cannabis activity.
AB 2925, by Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove (California Cannabis Tax Fund: spending reports): This bill requires the State Department of Health Care Services, on or before July 10, 2023, to provide to the Legislature a spending report of funds from the Youth Education, Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment Account for the 2021–22 and 2022–23 fiscal years. The bill requires the department, on or before July 10, 2024, and annually thereafter, to provide that spending report for the prior fiscal year.
In addition to signing those 10 bills, Newsom directed the California Department of Public Health to “convene subject matter experts to survey current scientific research and policy mechanisms to address the growing emergence of high-potency cannabis and hemp products.”
A judge ruled last week that the Nevada Board of Pharmacy must remove cannabis from the state’s list of Schedule I substances.
Clark County District Judge Joe Hardy’s Sept. 14 ruling, which comes more than 20 years after Nevada voters approved medical cannabis legalization, stems from a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Nevada, according to the Nevada Current.
The ACLU sued on behalf of Antoinette Poole, who was convicted of possession of a controlled substance for possessing cannabis, the news outlet reported. The ACLU argued in the case that Nevadans continue to be arrested for cannabis possession due to the Board of Pharmacy maintaining cannabis as a Schedule I substance.
The Board of Pharmacy argued that since the federal government lists cannabis as a Schedule I drug, the state should, as well, according to the Nevada Current.
Hardy ruled that listing cannabis as a Schedule I drug conflicts with the state Constitution, which states that cannabis has medical uses, the news outlet reported.
The Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition (PCC) announced last week that the trade organization has released a candidate survey to gauge elected officials’ stance on cannabis policy ahead of the November election.
The questionnaire, sent to state and senate elected official incumbents and candidates, will focus on “current issues facing the cannabis industry and evaluate support for Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program and the legalization of cannabis for adult use," according to the PCC’s press release.
The survey results will ultimately help inform trade organizations’ candidate endorsements before voters head to the polls Nov. 8.
“This is the first time that the PCC will be engaging directly with candidates in this manner, and we don’t take the practice lightly,” PCC Executive Director Meredith Buettner said in a public statement. “The cannabis industry has a vast network of supporters, which are becoming increasingly vocal. Our organization strives to engage with and continually educate that network—ensuring that when they get to the polls, they know which candidates will help enhance the state’s medical marijuana program and which will support potential adult-use legislation.”
The PCC will publish an endorsed candidate list on its website once the survey results have been compiled, according to the group’s announcement.
NORWOOD, Mass., Sept. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- MariMed, Inc, a multi-state cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, today announced an agreement with 42 Degrees, a Michigan licensed cannabis producer and distributer, to manufacture and distribute MariMed’s award-winning brands and products in the state. 42 Degrees currently wholesales products into 340 dispensaries, representing approximately 75% of the operating dispensaries in Michigan. The agreement provides initially for the manufacture, sales, and distribution of MariMed’s Betty’s Eddies full-spectrum fruit chews into the adult-use market. The intention longer-term is to roll out other brands in MariMed’s portfolio, including Bubby’s Baked soft and chewy baked goods and Vibations: High + Energy powder energy drink mix.
The licensing deal is aligned with the company’s strategic growth plan to distribute its brands in legal cannabis states across the country. The company anticipates Betty’s Eddies will be available in the Michigan retail market in early 2023.
“We are thrilled to partner with 42 Degrees for the production and distribution of our award-winning Betty’s Eddies branded products in the Michigan adult-use cannabis market,” said Ryan Crandall, chief revenue officer for MariMed. “Michigan is one of the largest cannabis markets in the country and we could not be more pleased to introduce our brands to these great cannabis consumers within the state.”
According to the Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency, Michigan reported approximately $1.8 billion in total legal cannabis sales in 2021, which was up about 80% versus 2020. With a population of over 10 million and $1.8 billion in legal cannabis sales, Michigan is one of the largest, fastest-growing cannabis markets in the U.S. The adult-use cannabis market in Michigan is projected to grow to $2.1 billion dollars in 2025 according to Cowen Research.
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Sept. 12, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – The Source+, a popular, award-winning cannabis company founded in Nevada, recently opened its first East Coast dispensary in Northampton. Located at 58 Pleasant St., just south of Bridge Street, The Source+ offers a diverse, expertly curated selection of products and a back patio for socializing.
“We’re thrilled to have been so warmly welcomed by the local community with the opening of The Source+ in Northampton,” said Steve Haffer, CEO of The Source+. “In addition to offering an exceptional collection of cannabis products, we look forward to creating relationships with our neighbors at our gatherings and educational events on our patio.”
The Source+’s first dispensary outside of Nevada is a modern, welcoming showroom that offers nearly 40 strains of cannabis and displays a wide selection of brands, including a variety of edibles, concentrates, tinctures and other popular cannabis products. A first for The Source+, the Northampton 500-square-foot patio offers comfortable seating and lawn games and will host live entertainment from local performers and more. To continue efforts in decreasing the stigma that surrounds cannabis, The Source+ hosts regular educational events that take place on the patio for customers to learn about the industry, cultivation and other segments of the plant.
As a community-driven business, The Source+ has prioritized giving back since its inception, supporting local partners by donating more than $700,000 to nonprofit organizations in Nevada and nationally, including Opportunity Village, Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada, The Nevada Homeless Alliance, Mondays Dark and more. Since the opening of its Northampton location, The Source+ has made donations to Homework House, Massachusetts Military Support Foundation LGBTQIA+ nonprofit, Venture Out Project.
The Source+ Northampton is open from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from noon to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. More information is available by calling The Source+ at 413-842-4000, as well as on the website and on Instagram.
WAKEFIELD, Massachusetts, September 19, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., an international provider of consumer products in cannabis, announced the opening of its Allentown dispensary, located at 1801 Airport Rd, Allentown, Pa. 18109. Curaleaf Allentown is the company's sixth new location to open within the Keystone State this year, expanding its retail presence to 18 locations in Pennsylvania and 137 nationwide.
Curaleaf Allentown offers a curated selection of products across the company's brand portfolio, including Grassroots, Select and Curaleaf. Patients can choose from a wide array of products, including Select Elite, Select Elite Live, Grassroots full-spectrum and strain-specific RSO, Grassroots full-spectrum and strain-specific RSO capsules, Grassroots pre-packaged flower, Curaleaf pre-packaged flower and Grassroots concentrates.
The new dispensary celebrated its soft opening on Sept. 17 and is scheduled for an official grand opening event on Sept. 29. Curaleaf has commemorated its latest retail opening by making a $5,000 donation to the Urban Affairs Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving quality of life and building wealth in marginalized communities.
"We are excited to deepen our roots in the Keystone State with the opening of Curaleaf Allentown, our first dispensary in Lehigh County," said Matt Darin, CEO of Curaleaf. "Pennsylvania has welcomed six new Curaleaf locations this year, and we remain committed to expanding access to high-quality medical marijuana products for the state's growing body of medical patients."
In addition to Curaleaf Allentown, the company serves patients in Altoona, Bradford, Brookville, City Avenue, DuBois, Erie, Gettysburg, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Horsham, King of Prussia, Lancaster, Lebanon, Morton, Philadelphia, State College, and Wayne.
For more information regarding Curaleaf's product offerings in Pennsylvania, along with openings and hours of operation, please visit www.curaleaf.com/locations/pennsylvania.
]]>Sunday Goods, an Arizona-based cultivator and retailer, is partnering with NORML’s Arizona chapter on two expungement clinics in November.
The free clinics will be hosted at Sunday Goods’ Tempe location on Nov. 12 and Nov. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..
In order to qualify for expungement under Proposition 207, low-level cannabis offenses can be cleared if they meet the following criteria: possessing, consuming, or transporting 2.5 ounces or less of cannabis; possessing, consuming, or transporting 12.5 grams or less of concentrates; possessing, transporting, cultivating, or processing six or fewer cannabis plants; and/or possessing, using, or transporting cannabis paraphernalia.
“At Arizona NORML, our goal is simple: to reform marijuana laws by any legitimate means,” said Jon Udell, acting co-director for Arizona NORML. “We also strive to educate the public and mitigate the collateral consequences of our government’s long-running war on cannabis consumers. Expungement clinics like these are an essential means to ensure that all Arizonans can move on from the unjust consequences of past charges, even if they cannot afford to hire a lawyer. And we simply can’t host these important clinics without valuable partners such as Sunday Goods.”
Food trucks will also be available on site at the expungement clinics.
“We could not be prouder to partner with Arizona NORML in hosting these crucial clinics for all Arizonans who were unjustly arrested or convicted on low-level marijuana offenses,” said Matt Daley, vice president of marketing for Sunday Goods. “We welcome to everyone to visit our Tempe location and work with the staff of NORML to clear their records.”
WAKEFIELD, Mass., Sept. 19, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Curaleaf Holdings Inc., a leading international provider ofconsumer products in cannabis, announced the completion of its agreement toacquire a 55% stake in Four 20 Pharma GmbH, a fully EU-GMP & GDP licensedGerman producer and distributor of medical cannabis.
BorisJordan, executive chairman of Curaleaf, said, “We are pleased to complete thetransaction with Four 20 Pharma, and I am personally thrilled to welcomeTorsten and Thomas to the Curaleaf family. Our early focus on Europe has givenCuraleaf a formidable strategic asset and strong foundation in one of theindustry’s critical global markets. Curaleaf is the only U.S. MSO uniquelypositioned to capitalize on the opportunity.”
Withthe close of the transaction, Curaleaf has solidified a strategic pathway toacquire complete control of Four 20 Pharma after two years of the commencementof adult-use reform in Germany, which is slated to begin in early 2024.
MilesWorne, president of Curaleaf International, said, “Four 20 Pharma is an idealasset to accelerate our growth in Germany as the country readies for itsconversion from medical cannabis to adult use. Curaleaf International continuesto build our platform in eight markets, and this deal further underscores ouraspiration to be a major player in the European market and the global industryleader.”
]]>The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the first pool of grant recipients Sept. 14 for its Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, and two of the selected projects focus on the research and development of hemp as a climate-smart commodity.
The USDA announced in February the funding opportunity allows the organization to “finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits.”
The organization announced Sept. 14 that it’s investing up to $2.8 billion for the first round of 70 selected projects—two of which are focused on hemp research and development and will receive a combined total of $21 million.
The USDA granted $15 million to support the “Industrial Hemp for Fiber and Grain” research project led by Iconoclast Industries, LLC.
The project is expected to take place across Florida, New York, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin and is designed to “expand climate-smart markets and remedy lack of available data on environmentally beneficial practices for hemp production by providing open-accessible data and training and enabling monetization of climate-smart practices through a pilot designation in a digital marketplace,” according to the website.
The project will also establish a workforce to engage with and financially support underserved producers as they start to implement and learn climate-smart practices, according to the website. Other project partners include the University of Florida, University of Georgia, INDHemp, Global Hemp Association, 357 Hemp Logistics and more.
The 10-day protest period ended Sept. 15 for Oklahoma’s adult-use cannabis ballot measure, State Question 820, which received four challenges that campaign organizers are calling “frivolous” in their pursuit for reform.
The challenges dispute the sincerity of the measure’s title as well as the validity of signatures that Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws (OSML), dubbed the “Yes on 820 Campaign,” submitted July 5 to Secretary of State Brian Bingman’s office.
RELATED: 6 States That Could Legalize Cannabis Through 2022 Ballot Measures
Now, it’s up to the state’s Supreme Court justices to determine whether the challenges hold the legal substance needed to sway a determination for S.Q. 820’s appearance on the November 2022 statewide ballot.
“We remain confident that State Question 820 has enough time, valid signatures, and support to be printed on the November ballot,” Campaign Director Michelle Tilley said in a Sept. 15 press release. “We believe the court will act quickly to dismiss these half-baked challenges aimed at thwarting Oklahomans’ right to vote on State Question 820 this November. I would also remind our challengers that Oklahomans do not take kindly to folks trying to take away our rights, and the state has severe penalties for filing lawsuits that waste everyone’s time.”
One of the challenges was brought forth by state residents John Stotts, Karma Robinson and Mary Chris Barth. Stotts served on the Pottawatomie County Farm Bureau board of directors for more than 30 years; Barth serves on the Beaver County Farm Bureau’s board of directors; and Robinson, of Oklahoma County, has connections to the State Chamber of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, and to past political campaigns for former Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and current U.S. Sen. James Inhofe—both Republicans.
