MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

Steven Hawkins is no longer the CEO at the US Cannabis Council (USCC), a leading voice for ending the federal prohibition of cannabis.

In a 3:30 p.m. news dump on Friday, the organization announced that Khadijah Tribble, the senior vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility at multistate cannabis operator Curaleaf, is now the new CEO at USCC on an interim basis. 

USCC officials did not reveal whether Hawkins will be serving in a new capacity at the organization (or if he departed entirely) in a press release that was distributed to media members. Hawkins led USCC as CEO since its founding in February 2021.

Cannabis Business Times reached out to USCC for clarity on Hawkins’ involvement with the organization but did not immediately receive an answer.

“We thank Steven Hawkins for his integral role in launching USCC, and we are thrilled to welcome Khadijah Tribble to the role of CEO at this critical juncture for the cannabis industry,” Jessica Billingsley, chair of USCC and CEO of Akerna, said in a press release.

At Curaleaf, Tribble serves as a subject matter expert and strategic counselor to internal team members, investors and external partners in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), social equity, environmental sustainability and strategic partnerships.

Zen Leaf Clarksburg is located at 254 Emily Drive, a busy thoroughfare with an average daily traffic count of 17,520 vehicles1The dispensary is based in Harrison County, which has a population over 65,0002Verano’s active operations span 13 states, comprised of 111 dispensaries and 13 cultivation and processing facilities with more than 1 million square feet of cultivation capacity

 

CHICAGO, Aug. 19, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Verano Holdings Corp., a leading multistate cannabis company, announced the opening of Zen Leaf Clarksburg on Aug. 19, 2022, the company’s fourth dispensary in West Virginia and 111th nationwide. Zen Leaf Clarksburg, located at 254 Emily Drive, is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.

Zen Leaf Clarksburg joins Verano’s three additional West Virginia Zen Leaf locations in Morgantown, Westover and Wheeling. According to West Virginia’s Office of Medical Cannabis, there are currently over 11,400 approved medical cannabis patients in the state.

“We’re excited to open Zen Leaf Clarksburg, our fourth dispensary in West Virginia, to continue serving the state’s growing medical cannabis community,” Verano founder and CEO George Archos said. “With the addition of Zen Leaf Clarksburg, we are now well-positioned to serve patients in central West Virginia, and look forward to welcoming the medical cannabis community to experience our patient-centric hospitality and care.”

Across West Virginia, Verano has permits issued by West Virginia’s Office of Medical Cannabis to operate a cultivation and processing facility, along with seven total medical cannabis dispensaries that are projected to continue opening in 2022 and 2023, subject to customary approvals.

APOPKA, Florida, Aug. 19, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Sanctuary Cannabis announced the opening of its 11th medical cannabis dispensary in Florida.

As the first Sanctuary dispensary north of Orlando, Sanctuary Palatka will be holding its grand opening celebrations on Aug. 18-19. The 1,000-square-foot facility is tucked into the Palatka Marketplace and was converted into a state-of-the-art dispensary following a full interior renovation planned and executed by Vantage Builders. It is located at 839 S State Road 19 in the western part of Palatka and at the intersection of 19 and State Rd. 20.

"After a string of openings further south and on the east coast of the state, it's exciting to make inroads north of Orlando," said Jason Sidman, CEO of Sanctuary Medicinals. "We're proud to have been the first MMTC to open its doors in Palatka, and we're eager to begin serving the patient community and demonstrate the value we can and will add to the community at large."

Sanctuary Palatka is now open and located less than three miles west of the St. John's River at the intersection of SR 19 and SR 20. Within walking distance of St. Johns River State College and down the road from both Putnam Hospital and the Palatka Municipal Airport, Sanctuary Palatka will be able to serve patients from within city limits as well as the surrounding communities in Putnam County, including East Palatka, Crescent City and Keystone Heights. With two locations slated to open in Jacksonville before the end of 2022, Palatka represents a key step north in Sanctuary's larger plans for statewide expansion.

"From the outset, the goal for Sanctuary Cannabis has been statewide expansion in Florida," said Bill Dewar, chief operating officer. "After establishing footholds in the Orlando and Tampa areas as well as down the east coast, it feels significant to finally open our first location north of the original Orlando dispensary, and we're eager to capitalize on being early to the game in Palatka," Dewar added.

A grand opening event will be held Aug. 18-19 and the dispensary will be keeping its usual hours of operation from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on both days. Patients can stop in and shop throughout both days, and all patients–new or registered–will receive a 50% discount.

]]>

PHOENIX, Arizona, Aug. 18, 2022 - Press Release - Item 9 Labs Corp., a vertically integrated cannabis dispensary franchisor and operator, continues to make significant headway toward solidifying its spot as a leader in the North American cannabis retail landscape with its cannabis retail franchise, Unity Rd. 

This past July, the company's dispensary franchise, Unity Rd., worked with local entrepreneurs to open a non-tribal, state-licensed medical cannabis establishment in South Dakota.

With Item 9 Labs Corp.'s merger and acquisition activities ramping up and expansion into new cannabis markets underway, the company anticipates its development pipeline will remain strong through the end of the year. It expects to open additional new stores across the country and assist its franchisees in acquiring existing dispensaries across the U.S. 

"Our highly scalable retail model offers local entrepreneurs expert guidance and a roadmap to operating compliantly in cannabis. On a corporate level, we can rapidly expand our Unity Rd. dispensary footprint with low capital expenditure since franchisees own and operate their locations. As the Unity Rd. retail footprint develops, we are building significant value for our shareholders with the additions of multiple ongoing revenue streams," said Item 9 Labs Corp. CEO Andrew Bowden.

Unity Rd. offers eager entrepreneurs seeking to enter the complex $25 billion industry with the proven guidebook and ongoing support needed to successfully open and operate a compliant dispensary in their local community.

The company opened its first Unity Rd. franchised location in June 2021 with a father-son entrepreneur duo in Boulder, Colo., and has since grown to four stores in operation as well as a development pipeline packed with more than 20 groups who are expanding the brand across 10-plus states. The cannabis franchise's second store is currently being rebranded to Unity Rd. in Oklahoma City, Okla., and its third location opened in July 2022 in North Denver. 

Nearly five months since New Mexico launched adult-use cannabis sales on April 1, new projections estimate that the state will collect less in tax revenue than initially expected.

RELATED: New Mexico Adult-Use Sales Hit $1.96 Million on First Day

During Wednesday’s Legislative Finance Committee meeting, New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Secretary Stephanie Schardin Clarke told lawmakers that roughly $22.7 million generated from the state’s 12% cannabis excise tax is expected to flow into New Mexico’s general fund by the end of the current fiscal year, according to NM Political Report.

That figure is expected to increase 10.6% each year after that, Schardin Clarke said, as New Mexico’s cannabis excise tax is scheduled to increase over the next several years until it reaches roughly 20%, according to NM Political Report.

The current projection for Fiscal Year 23 is roughly $5 million less than the figure projected last December, the news outlet reported.

A unionization effort at a medical cannabis dispensary in Portsmouth, R.I., took a few rocky turns more than a year ago.

Retail workers at the Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center voted, 21-1, in April 2021 to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 328 in a milestone moment for the state’s cannabis industry: A team of budtenders, keyholders, online team members and delivery associates were the first dispensary workers in the state to unionize.

But two months later, the Greenleaf workers held a strike after the company terminated keyholder Ben Telford’s employment because his “services were no longer required.” Telford was a member of Greenleaf’s union bargaining committee and had a “very loud voice for myself and for others on the team,” he told Cannabis Business Times in June 2021.

CBT reached out to Greenleaf CEO Seth Bock at that time but never received a response.

RELATED: Greenleaf Terminates Employee Involved With Union Negotiations in Rhode Island; Worker Strike Ensues

More than six months after that—thanks to UFCW Local 328 filing charges with the National Labor Relations Board—Telford was offered a reinstatement package with back pay for lost wages.

MIAMI, Aug. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Ayr Wellness Inc. (CSE: AYR.A, OTCQX: AYRWF) (“Ayr” or the “Company”), a leading vertically integrated U.S. multistate cannabis operator (“MSO”), is reporting financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2022. Unless otherwise noted, all results are presented in U.S. dollars.

Jonathan Sandelman, Founder and CEO of Ayr, said, “Over the past few months, we have achieved many of the key transformational milestones to operationalize Ayr’s core footprint, and we are now moving to optimize this footprint for substantial growth. We’re doing this in the face of macro headwinds from the broader economy, but it’s never been clearer that cannabis is a consumer staple that is here to stay.”

“Q2 2022 results were in line with our expectations, and we now look ahead to the second half of 2022. Our second half growth will be slower than previously expected, but the earnings power of the business remains outstanding. We continue to make investments in people and processes, while remaining prudent through these turbulent economic times. With our core operating footprint in place, the vast majority of our capex behind us, and a strong, $117 million cash position on our balance sheet, we believe that we are well-placed to weather this economic environment and emerge stronger on the other side.”

Second Quarter Financial Highlights ($ in millions, excl. margin items)

1Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Gross Profit and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are non-GAAP measures, and accordingly are not standardized measures and may not be comparable to similar measures used by other companies. See Definition and Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures below. For a reconciliation of Operating Loss to Adjusted EBITDA as well as Gross Profit to Adjusted Gross Profit, see the reconciliation table appended to this release.

Second Quarter and Recent Highlights

CHICAGO, Aug. 17, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Cresco Labs Inc., a vertically integrated multistate operator and the No. 1 producer of branded cannabis products in the industry, released its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022. All financial information presented in this release is reported in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP) and in U.S. dollars.

Second Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights

Second quarter revenue of $218 million, up 4% year-over-year.Adjusted gross profit1 of $116 million, or 53% of revenue, an increase of 8% year-over-year, excluding fair value mark-up for acquired inventory and cost of goods sold adjustments for acquisitions and other non-core costs.Second quarter adjusted EBITDA1 of $51 million, or 23% of revenue, an increase of 11% year-over-year.Wholesale revenue of $95 million, which maintained the company's position as No. 1 U.S. seller of branded cannabis products with leading share positions in the flower, concentrates and vape categories2.Achieved the leading branded share position in Massachusetts and maintained No. 1 share position in both Illinois and Pennsylvania2.Retail revenue increased 22% year-over-year, to $123 million, or $2.5 million per average store open in the quarter; same-store-sales increased 6% year-over-year.Ended the quarter with $90 million of cash on hand.On July 8, the Columbia Care shareholders approved the previously announced, all-stock acquisition by Cresco Labs and the company continues to work toward closing the transaction around year-end.

Management Commentary

"We reported solid results in the face of an unprecedented macro environment. We generated $218 million in revenue, representing 4% year-over-year growth, and maintained our industry position as the No. 1 wholesaler of branded cannabis2, the No. 1 branded product portfolio chosen by consumers2, and the No. 1 most productive per-store national retailer. Importantly, we accomplished these results while maintaining our Adjusted Gross Margin1 at 53% and Adjusted EBITDA1 margin of 23%, in a market where prices fell between 10-30% depending on the state. The Columbia Care transaction is proceeding as expected—we're checking off milestone after milestone, the divestiture and regulatory processes are on track and we continue to anticipate a closing around year end,” said Charles Bachtell, CEO and co-founder of Cresco Labs.

“We recognize the challenges currently facing the cannabis industry and the tough macro backdrop we are operating against. In this environment, we are managing through today while remaining focused on the long-game— we're holding and growing market share, driving efficiencies across the business to maintain margins, and preparing for the integration of Columbia Care to drive future growth. Over the next three years, growth will come from the transition to adult use in seven large markets: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Florida and Maryland. Our combined footprint with Columbia Care, gives us exposure to all of these markets and leading positions in several. This is arguably the highest value footprint in cannabis—180 million Americans and all 10 of the 10 highest projected 2025 revenue states. The acquisition more than doubles our retail footprint, gives us a No. 1 branded or retail share position in five markets, and optimizes our operational footprint. It gives us the breadth and depth that we believe ensures growth, diversifies our revenue mix and creates an industry leader,” Bachtell said.

Balance Sheet, Liquidity, and Other Financial Information

Hudson County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Jablonski ruled July 22 to dismiss a lawsuit filed in May by residents who live above a storefront on 14th Street, N.J., that would have prevented Story Dispensary from opening. 

The lawsuit, which was filed by the  51-53 Fourteenth Street Condominium Association, claimed that “the building’s new owners misrepresented what business would be taking over the space, previously occupied by the Hudson Tavern restaurant, and sought to prevent it from opening,” TAPInto Hoboken reported.

The plaintiffs also complained about “noise, odor, loitering, security, smoking near the premises and property value impacts,” according to the news outlet.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs were told that Exchange Physical Therapy Group was expected to open in the building, but the company purchased the property across the street instead, TAPInto Hoboken reported.

The judge dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, which allows for another complaint to be filed in the future, according to the news outlet.

Martin Cabalar, the attorney representing the plaintiffs said, “The lawsuit against Story was dismissed without prejudice as not yet being ripe, in so much as the planning board has not decided whether it will approve Story’s application.”

A dozen lawsuits have now been filed to challenge Connecticut’s adult-use cannabis cultivation licensing process, according  to a CT Insider report.

The Hartford Cannabis Company, a social equity applicant that was ultimately denied a license, was the first to sue the state last month. That lawsuit alleges that the Social Equity Council, which was created by the Legislature through Connecticut’s adult-use cannabis law to oversee the rollout of the state’s adult-use market to ensure it benefits those most negatively impacted by the war on drugs, changed the rules while the application process was underway and refused to allow the company to amend its application.

Additional applicants have since filed their own lawsuits to challenge the licensing process, CT Insider reported, including Core Cult, Coastal Cannabis, Red Barn Farms, DF C3, Leaf CT, Let’s Grow Hartford, Elm City Agg, Green Meadows Farm, Gunter Investments and Nautilus Botanicals.

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, which oversees the state’s adult-use cannabis market, and the Department of Economic and Community Development are named as defendants in the litigation, according to the news outlet.

When Connecticut legalized adult-use cannabis last year, half the licenses were earmarked for social equity applicants who must meet income, residency and ownership requirements, and social equity license holders must own and control at least 65% of the business.

Cannabis home delivery will soon be coming to Hermosa Beach, Calif.

The Hermosa Beach City Council voted 4-1 Aug. 9 to lift the cannabis home delivery ban, which was implemented in 2017.

According to Easy Reader News, council members who voted in favor of home delivery argued that the ban “would decriminalize a service most residents favor, and undermine support for the cannabis initiative on the November 8 ballot.”

That initiative would allow up to two cannabis retail locations in Hermosa Beach, as well as give cannabis retailers selected by the city home delivery rights, the news outlet reported. However, the “council voted last month to oppose the cannabis initiative and will write the ballot opposition argument to the initiative,” the news outlet reported.

Hermosa Beach Mayor Mike Detoy voted against allowing cannabis deliveries in the city. However, he said he’s not against delivery services, but he is “opposed to the procedure and timing.” 

“He argued that the delivery ordinance was premature because it will be invalidated if voters approve the cannabis initiative. He also questioned whether cannabis delivery services currently operating in violation of the law would follow the permit procedure,” the news outlet reported.

The Association for Cannabis Health Equity and Medicine (ACHEM) is no longer aligned with the US Cannabis Council (USCC), a leading voice for ending the federal prohibition of cannabis.

In an open letter to USCC president and CEO Steven Hawkins on Aug. 17, ACHEM president Ogadinma Obie, M.D., informed USCC leadership that her association is resigning from its position on the USCC board of directors and general membership, effective immediately.

ACHEM is a professional medical association with the Cannabis Health Equity Movement (CHEM). The mutual benefit nonprofit organization serves the needs of health and medical professionals in the advancement of health equity.

The association joined USCC as a founding member of its executive council in early 2021 and was encouraged by the organization’s commitment to make social equity a central focus in driving federal cannabis policy reform, Obie wrote in the open letter.

In USCC’s about statement, the organization claims to have become a leading force for “creating an equitable values-driven cannabis industry.”

Since joining USCC, Obie wrote that ACHEM’s leadership has “recognized the increasing influence of corporate cannabis priorities over the council that has continually overshadowed or siloed equity-focused recommendations.”

Officials in Santa Barbara County, Calif., have adopted a new ordinance that requires a higher-level permit for those looking to grow cannabis in certain zones.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance Aug. 16 that will require cultivators to obtain a conditional use permit (CUP), rather than a simple land use permit (LUP), to grow on land zoned Agriculture 2 in inland Santa Barbara County, as well as outdoors in various industrial and manufacturing zones, according to the Santa Ynez Valley News.

RELATED: Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Considers Higher Level Permit for Cannabis Cultivation

The board had requested the CUPs in order to give the supervisors and the Planning Commission the ability to condition projects to ensure they are compatible with the neighborhood prior to permit approval, the news outlet reported.

The ordinance will take effect in 30 days but will not become operational until Jan. 31, 2023, so that two applicants, who are nearly done with the permitting process, can get their LUPs approved before the ordinance is in full swing, according to the Santa Ynez Valley News.

BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 17, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Raising the standard for cannabis and hemp testing, ACS Laboratory, the largest hemp and cannabis testing facility in the eastern U.S., is pleased to announce the National Hemp Testing Panel – the most comprehensive national hemp testing panel in the industry.

One year after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued its final rules on hemp, various states enacted their own regulatory programs. For example, states such as Florida, New York, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Utah created specific testing rules that hemp growers and brands must follow, some more comprehensive than the USDA’s mandates.

The diverse regulations mean multi-state hemp operators need reliable support to remain compliant. Hemp supply chain companies need qualified third-party laboratories that meticulously follow nuanced laws to ensure their products are permissible across the country. End-users also deserve the safest, highest quality products–regardless of where they reside.

Although ACS Laboratory foresees federal legalization for cannabis in the future, it may be years before national laboratory standards are created. The National Hemp Testing Panel is ACS Laboratory’s solution to meet all the state standards for nationally sold hemp products.

Led by Principal Scientist Laboratory Director Dr. Aixia Sun, ACS Laboratory conducted intense due diligence for several months. The laboratory researched the fine print of every state's rules for hemp sampling, THC potency, cannabinoid content, residual solvents, pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals, and microbiology. With that research, they created elaborate matrices to compare each mandate.

Using the data collected, ACS Laboratory extracted the strictest requirements per category to create the National Hemp Testing Panel and corresponding Certificate of Analysis. With the National Hemp Testing Panel, ACS Laboratory tests for 18 cannabinoids, 105 pesticides, 24 heavy metals, 55 potential residual solvents, 17 different microorganisms, and every required mycotoxin to detect parts per billion, as well as for moisture content, water activity and terpenes (upon request).

LEAMINGTON, Ontario, and CANTANHEDE, Portugal, Aug. 17, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Tilray Brands Inc., a leading global cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company, announced that its medical cannabis division, Tilray Medical, has received approval to commercialize its Tilray branded medical cannabis products in Poland expanding its product offering and distribution across pharmacies in Europe.

Denise Faltischek, Tilray’s chief strategy officer and head of International Business, said, “I’m extremely proud of our team in Europe for once again expanding our approved authorization for Tilray Medical products across Europe. Tilray will continue to advocate for reasonable patient access to reliable and high-quality medical cannabis in Europe and countries around the world.”

Tilray Medical is a leading international provider of EU-GMP certified medical cannabis products in 21 countries with a comprehensive portfolio of trusted and reliable THC and CBD products, each with a unique profile of cannabinoids and terpenes, that have been selected to ensure patients can receive both the highest product quality as well as consistency when it comes to supply of their medicinal cannabis products.

In Poland, Tilray Medical has established multiple partnerships with pharmaceutical companies to distribute both Tilray branded and unbranded medical cannabis products. Patients may obtain prescriptions for medical cannabis in Poland through their preferred medical doctor.

]]>

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) has contracted Metrc to support the state’s soon-to-launch medical cannabis program.

RELATED: Alabama’s Medical Cannabis Market Expected to Launch Spring 2023

Metrc’s trace-and-track platform will help the AMCC facilitate data collection and regulatory oversight, according to a release, while operators will be enabled to track a range of plant or product data, including origin, testing results, chain-of-custody information, handling, and more.

“We are confident that Metrc is the best partner to help Alabama institute a trustworthy, statewide seed-to-sale tracking system for our medical cannabis market,” AMCC Director John McMillan said. “We are eager to work side-by-side with the Metrc team to establish a well-regulated supply chain to ensure the long-term safety and security of patients and providers.”

RELATED: Alabama Regulators Approve Medical Cannabis Business Licensing Rules

Metrc’s contract with Alabama marks the company’s 23rd government contract overall, and its sixth  this year.

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Aug. 16, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Treez, a cloud commerce technology platform for cannabis retail and supply chain enterprises, announced that it has become the exclusive retail technology solutions provider for Green4All, an independently owned, adult-use cannabis dispensary located in Brockton, Mass. Treez's point of sale software enables Green4All to automate compliance and inventory management and track market trends so they can focus on scaling their business. This exciting venture marks the entrance of Treez into the Massachusetts cannabis retail market.

Treez is also offered in several key cannabis retail markets, including Arizona, Colorado, California, Michigan and Missouri, with plans to expand into several more states by the end of 2022.

"We're excited to enter the Massachusetts cannabis market through our relationship with Green4All," said John Yang, CEO of Treez. "We strive to provide the latest software tools to retailers of all sizes and are proud to serve small businesses like Green4All, and we look forward to helping accelerate their growth."

The move by Green4All to integrate with Treez comes as the Massachusetts-based company looks for solutions to reporting capabilities and the ability to leverage an open API technology ecosystem. Treez's open API tools offer retailers a secure, cloud-based platform that enables retailers to exchange data and functionalities with their robust network of partners.

Treez completed the onsite implementation with Green4All this past July and looks forward to continuing to provide best-in-class retail technology along with top-rated service, including 24/7 customer support.

The integration with Treez will allow Green4All to automate Metrc reporting and inventory management, reduce loss and discrepancies, and mitigate compliance risks while increasing profit margins. In addition, Treez will support Green4All's growth by providing market-leading data and analytics to help the retailer understand its customers and make data-driven business decisions to improve the company's revenue.

Dr. Nadia Sabeh, Ph.D., is founder and president of Dr. Greenhouse Inc., an agricultural and mechanical engineering firm that specializes in the design of HVAC systems for indoor plant environments. Since founding the company in 2017, Sabeh has helped clients across the U.S., Canada, and other nations to optimize their grow facilities.

In this exclusive interview with Cannabis Business Times, Sabeh shares what she’s been working on in 2022, how she got her start in agricultural engineering, current trends she sees in the industry, and what to expect from her speaking session at Cannabis Conference 2022 Aug. 23-25 in Las Vegas.

Editor's note: Dr. Greenhouse’s Nadia Sabeh will be speaking on the panel session “Creating A Thriving Crop Environment: Lessons In Relative Humidity, Vapor Pressure Deficit, CO2, Heat Loads And More,” from 11:25 a.m.–12:15 p.m. PST Aug. 25 at Cannabis Conference, taking place at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. In this session, Sabeh will share strategies for achieving ideal environmental metrics, as well as how to aggregate and analyze valuable data points from these controls to make project adjustment decisions. Visit www.CannabisConference.com for more information and to register.

Zach Mentz: What's going on at Dr. Greenhouse these days? What are you currently working on? What has taken up a large chunk of your 2022 and what are you excited about?

Nadia Sabeh: We have been really involved in the last six to 12 months in the energy code and in developing energy standards to help our clients strategize around reducing energy use and improving energy efficiency. It's been a really interesting year because with all the supply chain issues the slow-to-build process that we're seeing with a lot of new projects, some of our clients are refocusing on their existing facilities and retooling them and wanting to optimize the operation or troubleshoot challenges that they've been having.

Many of them had plans to expand or build into a new facility, and now in the last six months we've been having clients say, “We're going to put the brakes on the new project, and we are going to focus on the facility we have now to try to make it better.” And I think that's awesome. Because regardless of what you're growing, a lot of indoor farmers and greenhouse growers may have jumped into a larger scale facility than what they were used to before, or maybe they're growing a different crop if they came from ornamental horticulture and now are doing cannabis horticulture, [and] there's a learning curve. And over the past few years, they're realizing where their deficiencies are [and] what they'd like to improve. Maybe now they have the capital to actually spend on making those improvements, both in terms of being able to purchase the equipment and hire experts like us. So we're getting a lot more involved in existing buildings and optimizing those facilities and operations, which is a lot of fun and a really big opportunity to help growers with their everyday operations. So that's a lot of what we're doing now.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a cannabis company in the United States, today announced the opening of a new medical dispensary in Auburndale, Fla. Located at 2003 US Hwy 92, the doors will open at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug.16, 2022, with ongoing regular hours of 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Grand opening festivities throughout the day at the new dispensary will include numerous partner giveaways, music, food trucks, deals and specials, and all registered patients will receive a 25% discount. Trulieve also offers statewide home delivery, convenient online ordering and in-store pickup. As always, all first-time guests are eligible for a 50% new customer discount at any Florida-based location.

"Trulieve is excited to expand access to medical cannabis in Auburndale and continue building strong relationships in the community," said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve. "Our company is driven by our commitment to providing tailored, high-quality care and exceptional customer experiences to as many patients as possible."

As the state's leading medical cannabis provider, Trulieve's retail employees are trained to provide personalized patient care and support individuals at every stage of their cannabis journeys. Trulieve dispensaries throughout Florida offer on-site consultations to help patients obtain appropriate medical products and dosages to ensure optimal cannabis experiences.

Trulieve patients across Florida can choose from the largest selection of THC and CBD products available in a variety of consumption methods, including smokable flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules, syringes, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more.

Designed to meet every patient's needs, Trulieve's portfolio of in-house brands includes Alchemy, Co2lors, Cultivar Collection, Modern Flower, Momenta, Muse, Roll One, Sweet Talk and Trekkers. Patients also have access to beloved brands such as Bellamy Brothers, Bhang, Binske, Blue River, Black Tuna, DeLisioso, Love's Oven, Miami Mango, O.pen and Sunshine Cannabis, all available exclusively at Trulieve in Florida.

]]>

CHICAGO (August 16, 2022) -- PRESS RELEASE -- With a goal to help researchers find a new treatment approach for children fighting cancer recurrence, cannabis industry pioneer Joe Caltabiano has made a transformative gift of $250,000 to Gateway for Cancer Research (Gateway), a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding transformational early-phase cancer research.

A survivor of childhood cancer, Caltabiano was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, when he was just seven years old. He has cited the diagnosis as being one of the most profound moments of his life, as well as a motivating factor for his work in the cannabis industry. A Gateway Board member since 2016, Caltabiano has made finding a cure for cancer one of his life’s goals.

“Gateway Concierge allows visionary benefactors like Joe to channel their personal passion for fighting cancer into purpose by co-creating new possibilities in cancer care with world-class clinician-scientists. This funding will dramatically improve the lives of children undergoing treatment for leukemia,” said Jessica Cestone, Executive Director, Gateway Concierge. “For a project of this scale, collaboration is key to its success. The timing of Joe’s transformative gift allowed Gateway to sign on as one of the early funders of the trial to help accelerate the discovery of new and effective treatments that will provide lasting cures for children with blood cancer.”

Gateway utilized Caltabiano’s gift to provide a grant to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to support the Pediatric Acute Leukemia (PedAL) Master Clinical, an international collaboration to expedite the development of new targeted treatments for childhood leukemias. All patients enrolling on the PedAL trial will receive genetic sequencing and biomarker screening to identify the individual molecular drivers of their disease. Each patient will then be matched to a sub-trial of targeted therapy that is the best match for their unique genetic information.

“Despite the challenges of my treatment and recovery, I actually view my childhood leukemia journey as one of the best things that ever happened to me because it gave me a unique perspective that helps guide my attitude to this day. It is hard to have a bad day once you have survived cancer,” Caltabiano said. “I want more kids going through cancer treatment to have the opportunity to feel this same way. Recovering from leukemia is really tough, especially when you are a child. The Gateway Concierge program provides such an incredible opportunity to make a real difference.”