MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
TORONTO, Aug. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --PRESS RELEASE-- Aleafia Health Inc. (TSX: AH, OTCQX: ALEAF) reports its financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2022, its first quarter of its fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.
Branded cannabis net revenue, quarter over quarter, increased 25%: Aleafia Health continued its upward sales growth trend, with branded cannabis net revenue increasing 24% to a record $10.0 million from $8.0 million quarter over quarter. In the key branded adult-use market, the company’s net revenue increased 107% to $6.7 million from $3.2 million in the same period last year.
“Our pivot to a branded cannabis strategy is the success story driving the three pillars of company revenue: adult-use branded cannabis, a ‘sticky’ recurring medical cannabis revenue stream and growing higher margin international sales,” said Aleafia Health CEO Tricia Symmes. “As a result of revenue increases, the company has achieved the 2nd highest growth rate amongst top 12 Canadian LPs in retail sell through over the prior quarter while achieving a #12 ranking for market share in our core markets for Q2 CY2022.”
“Due to our successful branded growth strategy, the company continues to target a top 10 standing in our key markets and reaffirms our expectation to reach breakeven Adjusted EBITDA profitability during the second half of FY2023,” said Aleafia Health CFO Matt Sale. “Showing continued success in retail sell through provides us the confidence to reaffirm our guidance to deliver at least $53 million in total net revenue in fiscal year 2023, with a current run-rate of $48 million.”
Divvy Brand Leadership: “In each of the three largest revenue categories - flower, pre-rolls and vapes - the company is gaining in market share and continuing to deliver excellent growth rates,” Symmes said. “In the Ontario value category, Divvy flower enjoys a #7 market share ranking (with 3.4% share), pre-rolls enjoy a #5 ranking (with a 6.9% share), and our recently launched vape products continue to grab market share amidst a highly competitive format, and enjoy a 1.4% market share.”
Medical: The company reported a 4% increase in medical cannabis net revenue to $2.8 million in Q1 FY2023 over $2.5 million in the prior quarter. This represents a $11 million run-rate net revenue base. Moreover, the company has attained a milestone 7.5% market share in the overall Canadian medical market, according to Health Canada data. “In a competitive medical cannabis segment, market share has increased and we have restarted our growth trajectory over the last two quarters,” said Symmes. “We continue to penetrate the Quebec market with a 71% quarter over quarter increase in patient registrations. Growth in Quebec has helped to offset industry wide medical channel decline which has also affected our business. Sales to veterans also increased 4% quarter over quarter.”
MIAMI, Aug. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Ayr Wellness Inc., a vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, announced that the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC or the Commission) has granted a final license for adult-use cannabis at its Sira Naturals dispensary in Somerville. The company also received approval to open the first phase of its cultivation expansion in Milford, Mass. The CCC voted to approve both measures during its meeting on Aug.11, 2022.
"Ayr continues to make substantial progress in Massachusetts, where we’ve already opened two new adult-use dispensaries this summer, in Boston’s Back Bay and Watertown. Now, with approval to add adult-use to our long-standing Somerville medical dispensary, we anticipate having three adult-use stores in premier locations throughout Greater Boston, once local municipal conditions are met,” said Jonathan Sandelman, founder and CEO of Ayr. “Ayr has made serving as a Force for Good a priority throughout the Massachusetts area, and our team looks forward to furthering this commitment and continuing to enact positive change in Somerville.
“At our Milford cultivation campus, we are using a phased approach to operationalizing our expansion,” he continued. “This approach allows Ayr to support its new adult-use stores with additional high-quality flower options, as well as serving the broader wholesale market with its unique branded offerings.”
Sira Naturals executed a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with the City of Somerville in November 2020, shortly after The company executed two additional HCAs in the Greater Boston area in October 2020 for retail locations in Back Bay and the City of Watertown. The addition of adult-use in Somerville is subject to the simultaneous opening of an Economic Empowerment licensed dispensary in Somerville, per local regulation.
Massachusetts’ legal cannabis market ranks 7th in the nation by total sales, per BDSA, and generated a total $1.6 billion in revenue in 2021. BDSA expects the Massachusetts legal cannabis market to generate $2.3 billion per year by 2026.
An adult-use cannabis legalization measure in Arkansas is back on course for the November 2022 ballot—at least for now.
The Arkansas Supreme Court issued a formal order Aug. 10 to grant a preliminary injunction to allow Responsible Growth Arkansas’ constitutional amendment to appear on the statewide ballot this fall.
The formal order directs Secretary of State John Thurston to “conditionally certify petitioners’ proposed initiated amendment pending this court’s decision in this case,” meaning voters will have the opportunity to cast ballots on the amendment in the upcoming election. But the Supreme Court still has the authority to determine whether those votes will hold bearing on the legalization effort.
The Supreme Court’s motion on Wednesday is just the latest of twists and turns that often collide with cannabis advocates hoping to participate in a citizen initiative process. Since submitting petition signatures in July, Responsible Growth Arkansas’ path toward enacting reform has become a roller coaster.
The nuts and bolts of the group’s ballot proposal is to authorize adults 21 and older to legally possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis for personal use and to authorize the cultivation and sale of cannabis by licensed commercial facilities.
Former Arkansas state Rep. Eddie Armstrong III, a Democrat who served as minority leader during his statehouse tenure from 2013-2019, filed the initiative, the Arkansas Adult-Use Cannabis Amendment, in January 2022. He established Responsible Growth Arkansas to support it.
The U.S. Virgin Islands is one step closer to launching its medical cannabis market after regulators approved draft rules for the program Aug. 10.
The V.I. Cannabis Advisory Board (VICAB) approved the final draft regulations at its virtual meeting Wednesday in a unanimous vote, according to the St. Thomas Source.
The rules will be posted on the Office of Cannabis Regulations’ website Aug. 12, launching a 30-day public comment period that will close on Sept. 11, the news outlet reported. A town hall meeting is scheduled for Aug. 31 to help gather public input.
RELATED: U.S. Virgin Islands Officials Working Toward Approval of Medical Cannabis Regulations
The U.S. Virgin Islands legalized medical cannabis in 2014 through a voter-approved referendum, and the Legislature passed the Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act in 2018 to implement the program. Gov. Albert Bryan signed the legislation into law in 2019, and the VICAB held its first meeting in January 2020.
When Washington State voters legalized adult-use cannabis in the November 2012 election—joining Colorado as a reform guinea pig in the U.S.—social equity was an afterthought, at best.
With a greater emphasis on addressing the past harms of prohibition in today’s legalization world, nearly a decade later, regulators and elected officials in Washington are now pursuing avenues for a more equitable industry.
In Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell put forward a trio of bills Aug. 9 he developed in partnership with city council members and industry stakeholders that are intended to address equity in the space by helping to foster a more diverse industry and supporting cannabis store workers.
“For a thriving Seattle economy, every worker and business deserve safety and the opportunity to learn, grow and prosper,” Harrell said in a press release. “As the cannabis industry continues to develop, we must course correct and support the communities who too often have been left behind. Equity in this industry means safe working conditions and fair treatment for workers, store ownership that includes the communities most impacted by the war on drugs, and a commitment to fairness, innovation and opportunity.”
The bill package aims to implement immediate actions as well as structures for long-term solutions. If passed, it would require the following:
The mayor’s announcement of the bill package came nearly a week after Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) regulators announced Aug. 3 that they proposed rules to create a Social Equity in Cannabis program.
MIAMI, Aug. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Ayr Wellness Inc., a vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, announces the opening of its 50th Florida dispensary, located in Jacksonville.
“Since acquiring Liberty Health Sciences in 2021, we have rapidly expanded our footprint in Florida, adding an additional 19 retail stores in prime locations,” said Jonathan Sandelman, founder and CEO of Ayr. “We’re proud to deliver on our mission of making high-quality cannabis more accessible to Florida patients by serving 50 local communities throughout the state, with more to come. We’ve invested heavily in the state of Florida because we believe it will be one of the largest cannabis markets in the country, and we’re excited with the progress that our team has made.”
The 50th store spans 4,500+ square feet of retail space and reflects the elevated retail design showcased at the two recently opened AYR adult use dispensaries in Greater Boston and representing the future of the company’s presence in Florida.
The store is located at 8050-1 Philips Highway, conveniently situated southeast of Downtown Jacksonville, minutes from the St. John’s River. Between this newest Jacksonville store and the already operating Jacksonville Beaches store, located just off the beach on A1A at 1222 3rd St., Ayr can now strategically serve Northeast Florida patients, with easy access to Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beaches, University of North Florida and St. John’s Town Center.
“Opening our 50th retail location in Florida is a milestone to celebrate how far Ayr has come in the market, not only with our fresh approach to retail expansion and design, but with our wide variety of product offerings,” said Rhonda Kratz, who leads retail at Ayr. “All 50 of our Florida stores feature Ayr’s full line of concentrates, edibles, vapes, and an evolving selection of high-quality flower, with an evolving omnichannel consumer experience which includes proprietary digital ecosystems, e-commerce, merchandise, and retail stores.”
August 10, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Canapa has announced an addition to its industry-leading series of check weighing machines, the WeightCheQ 0-250. Engineered with electromagnetic force restoration (EMFR) technology to achieve incredibly tight 0.01-gram tolerances, this high-precision machine ensures a more accurate, consistent pre-roll is delivered for final retail packaging.
The WeightCheQ can be easily paired with any semiautomated pre-roll machine or manual rolling process to double-check pre-roll weights, eliminating product waste while increasing margins.
This technology is also perfectly suited to precisely weigh gummies, capsules and other cannabis products with seamless integration into existing bagging, container filling, flow wrapping and case filling systems.
NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Tilray Brands, Inc., a global cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company inspiring and empowering the worldwide community to live their very best life, announced that Fresh Hemp Foods, Ltd., a part of the company’s Tilray Wellness division, has signed a distribution agreement with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the preeminent distributor of wine and spirits. The distribution agreement will provide Tilray Wellness with direct access to Southern Glazer’s distribution network, reaching consumers everywhere, from local bars and restaurants to independent and national grocery chains and convenience stores.
Jared Simon, president, of Tilray Wellness and Fresh Hemp Foods, said, “This agreement helps Tilray uniquely position itself to enter the multi-billion-dollar adult beverage category with a non-alcoholic, CBD beverage alternative for consumers who want to relax and unwind.”
As a distributor of beverage alcohol and CBD beverages in the U.S., Southern Glazer’s will be the exclusive distribution partner for the Tilray Wellness CBD beverage portfolio across 13 states with additional opportunities to scale nationwide. This strategic agreement will allow Tilray Brands to develop a U.S. CBD beverage portfolio within familiar retail channels, which will transition the category out of the fringe and into the mainstream. Tilray is excited to tap into the industry’s most knowledgeable CBD sales team and be part of their industry-leading Proof e-commerce platform, so retailers can access its CBD Beverage portfolio 24/7.
]]>District attorney offices across New Mexico are reviewing past cannabis-related charges after lawmakers passed legislation last year to automatically expunge some of these convictions from residents’ criminal records.
The expungement process launched last year, when the New Mexico Department of Public Safety created a list of 151,640 total cases that could potentially qualify for expungement, according to a KRQE report.
The department submitted lists to each district attorney in the state, who can then review and object to the expungement, the news outlet reported. Any objections must be made during a court hearing, and the court will make the final decision on the expungements in question.
Many of the charges for crimes related to cannabis that are no longer illegal in New Mexico are likely to be expunged, KRQE reported, but district attorneys are expected to challenge some of the expungements, including cases where individuals were charged with the possession of large amounts of cannabis.
“We are objecting to automatically expunging 53 convictions where individuals either transported more than 100 pounds of cannabis or distributed cannabis to a minor,” Lauren Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, told KRQE. “This amounts to an objection rate of 0.45%.”
Andrew Brisbo, executive director of Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) within the state’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), plans to transition to a new role within the department next month.
Brisbo, who has led the CRA since 2019, will leave his position to take over as the director of Michigan’s Bureau of Construction Codes, according to the Detroit Free Press.
“We are proud of the incredible team at the Cannabis Regulatory Agency for establishing Michigan as one of the top cannabis markets in the country,” Bobby Leddy, a spokesperson for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office, told the news outlet.
Brisbo is a graduate of Central Michigan University and began his career in state government in 2004 as a regulation officer with the Michigan Gaming Control Board, the Detroit Free Press reported. He later ran a branch for the secretary of state’s office, worked as an analyst and manager in LARA’s Bureau of Commercial Services, and served as a licensing division director for LARA until he was appointed to lead the CRA.
Whitmer’s office will now start looking to fill the executive director role within the CRA, the Detroit Free Press reported.
LAS VEGAS – Aug. 9, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – The Source+, an award-winning cannabis company with dispensaries in Nevada and Massachusetts, has introduced CAMP Solventless Gummies, a chef-driven line of edible gummies available now at The Source+’s five Nevada dispensaries. Nevada’s first solventless cannabis brand, CAMP partnered with renowned chefs Becky Quan and Ricky McCormick, who together have led teams in Michelin-rated restaurants in New York and Las Vegas, to develop the new gummy edibles.
The first edible to join CAMP’s expansive list of concentrates, flower and vapes, the new gummies are made with high-quality and chemical-free ice water hash, resulting in a clean experience. CAMP Gummies are available in an array of fresh flavors including peach, orange and blackberry. Each gummy is dosed at five milligrams each and comes in a pack of 20, priced at $25.
“When we met the CAMP team, there was an instant meeting of the minds for what infused products should be in the market,” said McCormick. “Joining the team was one of those lucky coincidences where fate and circumstance brought us together to ignite our passions and deliver a product that offered an elevated taste and sensory experience.”
RELATED: How CAMP’s Irene Villanueva and Aaron Nino Work: Cannabis Workspace
Since its debut in April 2019, CAMP has produced Nevada’s first solventless products. Known for its unique extraction process, CAMP’s solventless collection is extracted using only ice, water, heat and pressure creating an authentic flavor. It now boasts a collection of live rosin, flower rosin and ice-water hash rosin. As concentrates become more popular, CAMP rises to the occasion with handpicked, hand-trimmed and terpene-rich products. In April 2021, CAMP launched its redesigned solventless disposable.
Following Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., filing the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) in the upper chamber July 21, one hemp advocacy organization is recommending changes to key provisions of the measure that would hurt the hemp industry.
The U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR), a national hemp advocacy organization, sent a letter addressed to Wyden, Booker and Sen. Chuck Schumer, the lead sponsors of the CAOA.
The USHR states in the letter that it appreciates the CAOA being introduced and that most of the drafted legislation “would advantage hemp commerce.” However, the organization added that “progress for the industry would be significantly undermined by a few of the provisions in the legislation as introduced.”
The USHR included the following changes to key provisions in the measure:
The USHR said it is concerned that the current language under Section 504 of the measure “subjects hemp-derived CBD to a uniquely onerous and unprecedented regulatory regime.” The organization added that it believes nonintoxicating, hemp-derived CBD “should be regulated like any other botanical ingredient.”
As listed in the letter, below are the USHR recommended changes to Section 504 in the CAOA:
After fearing signature shortfalls in two key congressional districts just two weeks ago, activists from Legal Missouri 2022 received certification from Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft on Aug. 9 for an adult-use cannabis ballot measure.
If all goes according to plan for the initiative’s proponents, Missouri will become the 20th state to legalize adult-use cannabis in the U.S. when voters go to the polls this November.
State officials certified 214,535 voter signatures—of roughly 400,000 submitted by Legal Missouri on May 8—from across Missouri’s eight congressional districts. That mark exceeded the required minimum of 184,720 valid signatures needed to appear on the ballot.
“Our statewide coalition of activists, business owners, medical marijuana patients and criminal justice reform advocates has worked tirelessly to reach this point and deserves all the credit,” Legal Missouri campaign manager John Payne said in a press release. “Our campaign volunteers collected 100,000 signatures, on top of paid signature collection. That outpouring of grassroots support among Missourians who want to legalize, tax and regulate cannabis made all the difference.”
The group’s victory on Tuesday came after early signs in the verification process indicated potential signature shortages on July 26. To qualify a petition for the ballot, an initiative effort must include valid signatures from 8% of voters in at least six of the eight congressional districts. Legal Missouri’s effort had only crossed the finish line in four districts at that time.
RELATED: Twice the Required Signatures Not Enough (Yet) For Missouri Cannabis Ballot Initiative
After past adult-use cannabis legalization initiatives in Florida failed to reach the ballot, Trulieve, one of the state’s largest medical cannabis operators, and The Bellamy Brothers, a country music act, have filed a new proposed constitutional amendment to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older.
The measure was filed Aug. 8 at the state Division of Elections, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The proposed constitutional amendment, the “Adult Personal Use of Marijuana,” would allow those 21 and older “to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana services for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise,” the news outlet reported.
Also included in the measure is language to allow “medical marijuana treatment centers, and other state licensed entities, to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell and distribute such products and accessories,” according to the Sun-Sentinel.
The proposal could also remove vertical integration requirements that have governed the state’s medical cannabis industry and mandated that Florida’s “medical marijuana treatment centers” control the entire supply chain from cultivation to retail, the news outlet reported.
Glass House Brands acquired the remaining equity ownership interest of The Pottery, a Los Angeles dispensary.
Glass House previously owned 50% of the business, which is located on Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles, and has now acquired the remaining 50% of the dispensary. Under terms of the agreement, Glass House acquired all equity interests of The Pottery and N.R.O. management, The Pottery’s management company, in exchange for 500,000 equity shares of Glass House at a fixed price of $6 per share, according to a company release.
In addition, Glass House also acquired The Pottery’s three active state cannabis licenses in retail, distribution, and cultivation, as well as six city-level adult-use and medical cannabis retailer, distributor and cultivation licenses.
RELATED: Graham Farrar: 'Surviving is Thriving' in California's Cannabis Market
Glass House’s full acquisition of The Pottery expands the company’s retail footprint to four dispensaries in California.
LAS VEGAS – August 9, 2022 – Cannabis Conference, the industry’s leading educational and expo event for plant-touching cannabis businesses, taking place Aug. 23-25 at Paris Las Vegas, is pleased to announce the Day 2 Keynote: “From Pioneering Founder to Foundational Investor: Mitch Baruchowitz Shares Crucial Strategies for Building a Successful and Long-Term Cannabis Company.”
Baruchowitz is the founder and Managing Partner of the private equity firm Merida Capital Holdings, which has deployed more than $275 million, and has ~$450 million in assets under management (AUM) across the cannabis ecosystem. Since its inception in 2016, Merida has completed more than 100 transactions in 70 portfolio companies that include leading ancillary companies and legal operators alike. In addition, Baruchowitz has founded seven cannabis companies that have achieved exits of more than $100 million and currently sits on the Board of several leading cannabis technology companies. He is also the former Chairman of public SPAC Merida Merger Corp. which merged with leading cannatech company Leafly (LFLY).
In this candid Cannabis Conference Keynote Presentation on Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 11 a.m. PT, Baruchowitz will share his passion for building companies that are structurally prepared for wherever the cannabis market is headed. Attendees will come away with:
High-level macro trends in cannabis investment in 2022How to conduct a “self-awareness check” that determines your company’s ultimate goal (and the steps to build a process to achieve it) What it takes to create an internal culture of “happy warriors” who can address the industry’s constant challenges head-on with solid ethics and confidence—and why this is importantReasons why information gathering at all levels of your business will give you a competitive edge; and The role investment firms play in operations – and how to build a better working relationship.
“We’re thrilled to be hosting Mitch Baruchowitz at Cannabis Conference 2022. Mitch’s experience in the cannabis industry, both as a founder in the earlier years of adult-use legalization, and now as an investor of successful cannabis companies across the supply chain, has provided him lessons learned, as well as a unique perspective on the broader cannabis market that our attendees—the majority of whom operate plant-touching businesses—will certainly find valuable,” Noelle Skodzinski, Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Conference Editorial Director said.
"Having read CBT religiously for several years and admired the varied paths the cannabis operator can take to success, it’s incredible to be able to share our insights on systematizing success gleaned over the past 10-plus years with the very people featured in those pages, and continue the evolution of cannabis to a normalized industry,” Baruchowitz said.
Maine officials announced Monday the launch of a new program to reimburse municipalities that host cannabis businesses.
The Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP), a division of the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS), is offering cities and towns up to $20,000 to cover the costs associated with opting in to the state’s adult-use cannabis program.
The OCP launched an online portal Aug. 8 to accept submissions from municipalities seeking reimbursement.
The move stems from a law passed during Maine’s 2022 legislative session that mandates that cities and towns that have opted in to the adult-use cannabis market will be eligible for the reimbursement of qualifying expenses.
RELATED: Maine Governor Signs Legislation to Reimburse Cannabis Municipalities $20K
BOULDER, Colo. (August 8, 2022) – PRESS RELEASE – Wana Brands, one of North America’s top cannabis-infused brands, and the Wana Brands Foundation, an organization working to enhance the world by supporting a wide variety of nonprofits in Wana’s communities, have partnered with the League of Women Voters to bring voter registration drives to cannabis dispensaries across the United States as part of the 2nd annual Wana Brands Summer of Quick tour. The Summer of Quick tour is making more than 50 stops across the country through the summer and leading up to the midterm elections on Tues., Nov. 8.
RELATED: Wana Brands and The Green Solution Host Pop-Up Vaccination Clinics in Colorado
The Wana Wanderer is visiting dispensaries to offer education about voter registration status and how to register to vote. At select stops on the tour, local League of Women Voters representatives will be on hand to register voters and provide voter and election information. Information on how to register to vote, verify voter registration and find out what’s on the ballot can be found at Vote411.org/wana. The Wana Brands Foundation has donated $25,000 to support the League of Women Voters Education Fund, which educates voters on elections and registration information.
“Voting is one of the most powerful tools that we have as Americans. Wana Brands and The Wana Brands Foundation consider this partnership with the League of Women Voters an essential initiative leading up to this year’s critical midterm elections,” said Nancy Whiteman, CEO of Wana Brands. “Through this voter registration effort, we aim to ensure that anyone who has the right to vote knows how to get registered and has the ability to fulfill this civic duty. One of the most powerful things we can do for our communities is to register to vote and educate ourselves on the issues.”
Despite pandemic concerns, the 2020 U.S. election saw the highest voter turnout of the 21st century, with 66.8% of citizens aged 18 and older voting, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, the average voter turnout during midterm elections—such as this year’s upcoming election—typically hovers around 40% of eligible voters. Leading up to elections, all voters—particularly younger voters such as Generation Z—need trustworthy information about how to register and vote. According to CIRCLE at Tufts University, 34% of young people ages 18-29 said they did not know if their state offered online voter registration going into the 2020 election, suggesting massive untapped potential to broaden its use.
After a lengthy legal argument between the Kentucky Hemp Association (KYHA), the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA), and Kentucky State Police regarding the legal status of delta-8 THC in Kentucky, Boone Circuit Judge Rick Brueggemann has declared the substance to be a legal derivative of hemp.
KDA sent a letter to hemp license holders in April 2021, stating that delta-8 was prohibited under federal law, which led to law enforcement raiding retailers who sold the product, using the KDA’s letter as grounds. According to a press release, the raids led the KYHA to file a lawsuit against the KDA and Kentucky State Police, arguing that delta-8 is legal under state law and that the raids were unwarranted.
On Aug. 3, hemp license holders in the state got long-awaited clarity on the issue when “Boone Circuit Judge Rick Brueggemann declared delta-8 to be a legal derivative of hemp and issued a permanent injunction against law enforcement which prevents them from charging retailers and producers with criminal activity for selling delta-8,” the release states.
According to the release, the injunction against the KDA was dismissed “due to a lack of standing, leaving hemp processors at risk of losing their hemp licenses.”
Katie Moyer, president of the KYHA, sent a letter to members stating that Brueggemann’s ruling is a big win for hemp farmers and retailers in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, adding that banning such products would be a big step backward.
Tate Hall, vice president of KYHA, also released a statement on the issue.
Canada is on pace to spend $200 million this year on cannabis for veterans, as the federal government is reimbursing a record number of veterans for medical cannabis.
Ottawa spent more than $150 million in the last fiscal year, which is more than double the amount spent three years ago, according to a CBC News report.
The anticipated $200 million spent this year comes as thousands more veterans ask the government to cover their medical cannabis expenses, the news outlet reported.
The increased demand for medical cannabis likely stems from a 2008 court decision that required the government to provide “reasonable access” to cannabis when its use is authorized by a health care practitioner, according to CBC.
