MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

Surrounded by five states that have yet to legalize adult-use cannabis, non-resident purchases continue to drive retail revenue at dispensaries in Illinois.

In April, more than $40.8 million, or roughly 31% of the state’s $131.8 million in adult-use cannabis sales, came from out-of-state shoppers, according to recently updated sales figures from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).

As of last month, there were 110 licensed adult-use dispensaries serving the state, which sold more than 3.1 million cannabis items in April. With a state population of roughly 12.7 million, that means Illinois has fewer than one adult-use dispensary per 100,000 residents. By comparison, Oregon’s more mature adult-use market has roughly 18.3 dispensaries per 100,000 residents.

While IDFPR awarded 185 additional adult-use dispensary licenses in a three-part lottery last July and August, the department cannot issue those licenses until the latest lawsuit in a string of legal battles is settled.

In the meantime, the 110 active dispensaries banked $1.2 million apiece, on average, last month.

The $131.8 million in total sales in April represents a 14.6% increase from the nearly $115 million in sales from last April.

SARASOTA, Fla., May 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Grower's Ally, a producer of safe and effective pesticides for cannabis and hemp, today announced the appointment of Brian Keenan as Director of Cultivator Partnerships.

"I'm excited about the impact Grower's Ally products can have on our industry," said Brian Keenan, Director of Cultivator Partnerships. "After using Grower's Ally in my operation and recommending it to commercial operations, I saw firsthand how clean and effective the formulas are."

Keenan is an industry veteran with over three decades of experience in cannabis, including roles in retail hydroponics, facility design and plant cultivation. Keenan is a proponent of education, committed to the highest levels of customer service for both cultivators and retail partners.

"Grower's Ally is positioned for growth as the cannabis industry continues to evolve," said Scott Allshouse, CEO and President of Grower's Ally. "Brian brings a deep understanding of plant cultivation, including IPM processes, as well as first-hand knowledge of the challenges faced by hydroponic stores and experience working with distributors."

The Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) issued a health and safety advisory May 3 over flower potentially contaminated with mold.

The affected products, produced and sold by Canna Meds Wellness Center LLC, contained total yeast and mold levels above the acceptable limits established by the state.

The affected harvest batches were not properly submitted for testing before hitting dispensary shelves, according to the state’s advisory.

RELATED: Colorado Issues Advisory Due to Potential Lead Contamination in Adult-Use Cannabis Products Sold at Leadville Dispensary

Medical cannabis products derived from the affected batches were sold to patients at Canna Meds Wellness Center retail locations at 506 North Chelton Road and 2218 North Academy Place in Colorado Springs between May 2, 2021, and April 6, 2022.

LONG BEACH, Calif. and TORONTO, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Glass House Brands Inc., one of the fastest-growing, vertically-integrated cannabis companies in the U.S., and Plus Products Inc. have announced that Glass House has completed the acquisition of the business of PLUS, a leading cannabis edibles company based in California. The company acquired PLUS for approximately US$25.6 million through a combination of unsecured convertible debt and equity, plus additional performance-based consideration.

"With a mission to create the largest cannabis brand-building platform in California, we are thrilled to announce the closing of our PLUS acquisition, positioning Glass House as the only company with a top 5 position in both the Flower and Edibles segments in the California market," said Kyle Kazan, Glass House's chairman and chief executive officer. "Edibles are a key component of our growth strategy as we further expand our product portfolio and build stronger brand awareness. We are incredibly excited to begin our work with the PLUS team to expand the presence of their premium products in our own retail stores and across our distribution network. The combination of our existing brand platform with PLUS will result in a substantial increase in our Total Addressable Market opportunity in California and, eventually, across the U.S. The overlap between Glass House Brands' active accounts and those of PLUS was less than 25% in the first quarter, with Glass House being stronger in Southern California and PLUS stronger in Northern California. Additionally, we aim to grow the PLUS brand nationally, which would expand its TAM by roughly 550% versus operating in California alone."

Kazan added, "The upside of the current struggle in the California market is that we believe we will find more attractively valued acquisition targets that are win-win propositions for all parties including the consumer. We look forward to entering this new stage of growth by executing on PLUS' and Glass House's shared vision of bringing innovative, high quality cannabis products to consumers."

The company's house cannabis brand, Glass House Farms, was the No. 1 ranked flower brand by sales in California in Q1 2022. PLUS is a leading edibles brand in California and was the No. 4 ranked edibles brand in California by sales in Q1 2022. Based on top-of-mind brand awareness, a common CPG metric measuring brand strength, PLUS is the No. 1 ranked brand in California in the gummy segment, the largest segment of the edibles category.

SARASOTA, Fla.-- Grower's Ally, which specializes in pesticides for cannabis and hemp, has appointed cannabis industry veteran Brian Keenan as Director of Cultivator Partnerships.

Keenan has more than three decades of experience in cannabis, including roles in retail hydroponics, facility design and plant cultivation. 

"I'm excited about the impact Grower's Ally products can have on our industry," Keenan said in a May 2 press release announcing the appointment. "After using Grower's Ally in my operation and recommending it to commercial operations, I saw firsthand how clean and effective the formulas are."

Keenan is a proponent of education, committed to the highest levels of customer service for both cultivators and retail partners, according to the press release.

Michigan cannabis company SKYMINT Brands announced in April its acquisition of retailer 3Fifteen Cannabis is complete, further expanding SKYMINT, one of the largest vertically integrated operations in the state. 

With the agreement, SKYMINT nearly doubles its retail presence with 29 active locations and has another 15-plus planned over the next year, according to a press release. SKYMINT operates two indoor cultivation facilities with a total of 77,000 square feet with a third indoor cultivation facility—totaling 184,000 square feet—due to come online this year.

May 3 marked the deadline for counties and municipalities to decide whether they would host medical cannabis businesses within their jurisdictions, and 10 counties and 17 cities ultimately opted out, according to the Clarion Ledger.

Mississippi’s medical cannabis law, which Gov. Tate  Reeves signed into law in February, allowed counties and municipalities to opt out within three months of the legislation being signed into law, setting the opt-out deadline as May 3.

RELATED: First Two Cities Opt Out of Mississippi’s Medical Cannabis Program

Residents can then petition for a local election to overturn their city’s decision, and the Mississippi Cannabis Trade Association has been holding signature drives in municipalities that have opted out of the program to give voters a chance to opt back in.

City and county leaders can also choose to opt back in at any time.

SANTA ROSA, California, May 4, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - STIIIZY, a Los Angeles-based, vertically integrated cannabis company, is opening its first retail location in Santa Rosa, Calif. STIIIZY Santa Rosa is fully equipped with a comprehensive collection of in-demand products, available for the first time in Sonoma County, creating a one-stop-shop for all things cannabis.

"We're excited to expand our retail footprint in Northern California, and specifically in the city of Santa Rosa," said Tak Sato, president of STIIIZY parent company Shryne Group Inc. "The first time I visited Santa Rosa was to attend the Hall of Flowers trade show, one of the biggest industry events of the year. I knew we had to have a STIIIZY store here as Santa Rosa is one of the most influential cities for cannabis culture."

In addition to creating unionized job opportunities at its newest retail location, STIIIZY will bring its philanthropic project "Joint Efforts" to the Sonoma region. STIIIZY employees will be able to participate in impactful community service projects focused on sustainability, public safety and other improvements around the store's Russell Creek adjacent neighborhood.

STIIIZY Santa Rosa is Shryne Group's 11th location in Northern California and 21st location in the state. The newest STIIIZY store features visual art installations and exclusive STIIIZY merchandise including apparel and accessories. The modern retail space spans 3,500 square feet and includes STIIIZY products such as the STIIIZY extracts, flower, edibles and more, alongside other quality brands.

Now open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., STIIIZY Santa Rosa offers a clean, safe and compliant retail experience with 24-hour security and monitoring, as well as advance order pick-up options for consumers of legal age. Introducing a new generation of cannabis, STIIIZY always offers customers amazing deals and savings with specials regularly announced on social media.

More STIIIZY brick-and-mortar stores are planned to open soon throughout the state and beyond. STIIIZY Santa Rosa is conveniently located off Redwood Highway 101 at 3175 Range Avenue, Santa Rosa, Calif. 95403. More details are available by emailing [email protected].

MIAMI, May 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Ayr Wellness Inc., a vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator (MSO), today announced it has expanded its extensive product portfolio available in Massachusetts with the addition of its premium flower brand, Kynd, and the launch of Entourage vapes in Ohio.

Sales of Kynd began in Massachusetts on April 29, exclusively at Sira Naturals dispensaries. Each unique strain included in the initial launch, “Mr. Nasty,” “Orangutan Zkittlez,” and “Fresh Squeezed,” are new to Ayr’s offerings in the Massachusetts market and boast a premium genetic profile. These offerings will be made available through third party dispensaries and the broader adult-use market in the near future.

Entourage vapes begin sales in Ohio today, launching with six strain-specific offerings, including “Skywalker OG,” “OG 1 Kenobi,” “Yoda’s Alien Cookies,” “Blue Dream,” “Champagne Kush,” and “Jack Herer.” The initial drop can be purchased by Ohio medical patients in 28 dispensaries throughout the state.

“Quality and genetics are hugely important to our consumers, and Kynd and Entourage deliver in both of those categories,” said Jonathan Sandelman, founder, chairman and CEO of Ayr. “With Kynd, we have invested in building a cutting-edge genetic library, which allows us to produce innovative strains that are backed by the quality of the plants that we grow. Entourage is crafted by extraction experts who use proprietary techniques to emphasize rich, unique terpenes for an elevated vape experience. We look forward to continuing to build both brands in Massachusetts, Ohio and throughout the rest of our footprint.”

“Kynd flower is crafted by highly-skilled cultivators who consistently deliver premium quality to our patients and customers,” said Jeff Finnerty, SVP of Marketing at Ayr, “and Entourage’s carefully-crafted, broad-spectrum cartridges provide a unique flavor profile of optimal quality, without a steep price tag. We are particularly excited to introduce this new collection of products, which collectively demonstrate superior flavor, potency, and experience, to customers and patients in Massachusetts and Ohio.”

NEW YORK, New York, May 4, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Lucid Green, a platform that provides retailers and distributors a touchless inventory management solution, announced three new partnerships with cannabis testing labs and lab information systems (LIMS) to expand full digitization of certifications of analysis’ (COAs) in the cannabis supply chain. The new partnerships with CannaSafe, Cannalysis and LabLynx build on Lucid Green’s existing partnerships with Confident Cannabis and Sonoma Lab Works. Through these new lab and LIMS partnerships, Lucid Green is connected to more than 400 individual labs in the U.S. 

This limited data set reinforces the current purchasing behavior, which is fixated on THC levels and basic classifications like sativa, indica or hybrid. 

“Lucid Green is committed to increasing trust and transparency at every point of the cannabis supply chain and with consumers,” said Larry Levy, Lucid Green co-founder and CEO. “By expanding our partnerships with cannabis testing lab systems, we are cutting time and money inefficiencies while ultimately giving consumers additional information to allow them to have a better cannabis experience. This industry is not growing because stoners are smoking more weed. It’s growing because your spouse, neighbor [and] parents are beginning to see the benefits of using cannabis and want more information to feel confident about and inform their experience.” 

Lucid Green is modernizing the cannabis industry with its signature LucidIDs. These QR codes can make the cannabis supply chain more efficient by allowing for actual truck-to-shelf inventory intake, reducing manual labor and human errors and virtually eliminating data cleanliness issues. The intelligent QR codes permit dynamic information flow, empowering stakeholders to continue adding information about a product through its lifecycle and eliminating the need for secondary stickering. 

Last week, Lucid Green announced its $10M Series B led by Gron Ventures, with participation by Gotham Green Partners. Lucid Green also recently launched three new pricing levels for brands, with varying levels of support to accommodate businesses of all sizes. With Lucid Green, brands, retailers, distributors and consumers realize the benefits of a streamlined cannabis supply chain—one that allows for dynamic information sharing, reduces costs and increases transparency and trust for all stakeholders.

Lucid Green will preview its new solutions at Hall of Flowers in Palm Springs from May 4-5, 2022. To learn more about Lucid Green or schedule a demo, visit: https://www.lucidgreen.io/.

Since 2020, Fire & Flower has been building a strong relationship with Couche-Tard, the owner of Circle K convenience stories and gas stations. Early on in the partnership, Fire & Flower opened two dispensaries adjacent to Circle K locations in Alberta, Canada. Those openings were one example of the long game to normalize cannabis as part of a broader corporate portfolio. 

Couche-Tard just stepped up its game with a $38-million exercise of a warrant on Fire & Flower common shares. The transaction increases Couche-Tard’s ownership stake in Fire & Flower from 14% to 35%.

“We are excited to further strengthen our relationship with Alimentation Couche-Tard, whose unwavering support has enabled Fire & Flower to execute on our technology-focused differentiation strategy and to ultimately achieve our vision to deliver cannabis to the world,” Fire & Flower CEO Trevor Fencott said in a public statement.

Along with debt service, the proceeds from this transaction “will be used for general corporate purposes, working capital needs and to fund further strategic initiatives of [Fire & Flower],” according to a press release announcing the news.

Couche-Tard holds further warrants that are exercisable later this year, up until June 30, 2023. Along with other participation rights written into the 2020 agreement with Fire & Flower, Couche-Tard may have the opportunity to secure 50.1% ownership in the cannabis company.

TORONTO, May 2, 2022 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TGOD), a sustainable global cannabis company, has announced that it has agreed to amend the terms of the amended and restated credit agreement dated September 29, 2021, as amended between The Green Organic Dutchman Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of TGOD, and its Canadian lender.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Treez, a private company and enterprise cloud commerce platform that streamlines retail and supply chain operations within the cannabis markets, today announced the opening of its new engineering operations in Trivandrum, India, with an initial staffing of 100 employees by the end of this year.

The company's Trivandrum operations, located at Technopark in the capital of the Indian state of Kerala, represent Treez's second engineering center with San Francisco continuing as its other major engineering hub. Renowned as India's first IT Park and considered one of the largest in the country, Technopark consists of more than 63,000 workers employed at more than 460 companies.

The new engineering center will develop new products and enhancements for its cloud commerce platform such as point of sale (POS), inventory management, customer management, omnichannel sales, catalog management, data analytics and other solutions. In addition to software development engineers, Treez also is hiring quality assurance, business intelligence and data analytics, development operations, IT support and HR staff. 

"Treez's new engineering center is the latest example of our deep commitment to deliver cutting edge innovation and superior cannabis cloud solutions that help retailers grow their businesses," said Shon Wedde, vice president of engineering of Treez. "We are excited to leverage the world class engineering talent in India and operate in such a prestigious IT park alongside some of the leading IT companies in the world."

For the past 20 years, the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) has strived to establish a viable hemp industry in Europe. EIHA’s message to the hemp world is clear: "Having too many associations dilute their messages, weakens important points,” EIHA Managing Director Lorenza Romanese says, adding that having “one centralized association makes a stronger and more unified presence.”

The EIHA is a membership organization that represents the common interests of hemp farmers, producers, and traders working with fiber, shives (hurd), seeds, flower, and cannabinoids in the European Union (EU).

Farmers in the EU operate within the agricultural system of their country, similar to how U.S. producers operate within their state frameworks. EIHA addresses the goals and concerns of farmers from different backgrounds by promoting regulations that benefit the European hemp industry as a whole.

Some EU laws are binding and must be followed, while others are recommendations. The laws on hemp are not binding and all member states can establish their own legislation. However, most members follow EU directives, and what is decided in the European Parliament, the EU’s directly elected law-making body, is ultimately important for all hemp growers in Europe.

The EIHA helps set the international standards by identifying hurdles limiting the European hemp industry, explaining to EU legislators why it is important to establish transparent regulations based on scientific evidence, and building the majority support required to implement change.

The EIHA has been instrumental in making changes that keep European farmers growing hemp profitably while increasing production. North American and other international groups seeking similar changes can learn by emulating EIHA’s successes.

BETHESDA, Md., May 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- CULTA, a cannabis company in Maryland, received multiple awards for its digital branding and creative assets. These awards were distributed by the AVA Digital Awards and Hermes Creative Awards, two of the largest creative competitions in the world.

CULTA took home one platinum and two gold AVA Digital Awards for its brand guidelines and stop motion videos, respectively. The AVA Digital Awards is an annual competition that honors excellence in digital creativity, branding and strategy, and recognizes the creative professionals responsible for all aspects of digital communication. Since its inception, over 300,000 entries have been judged, with an AVA statuette being given to the top contenders. This year, there were over 2,000 entries for various categories, and other winners include AT&T, DELL, Harvard University, Microsoft and Uber.

"At CULTA, we've invested in our branding so winning a coveted statuette from the AVA Digital Awards is a validation of that hard work," said Renier Fee, senior director of marketing at CULTA. "We're honored to receive such a prestigious award and look forward to entering the competition again next year."

CULTA was also the winner of two gold awards at the annual Hermes Awards. The Hermes Awards is one of the oldest and largest creative competitions in the world and highlights the creative industry's best publications, branding collateral, websites, videos, and marketing programs. This is the first year CULTA entered the competition and CULTA took home the awards for its 7/10 and Bones designs. Other Hermes Awards winners include ASICS, David's Bridal, Duke University, Paramount Pictures, PepsiCo, and SEGA.

"Considering this is the first year we entered the Hermes Awards, it's incredible that we walked away with two awards," said Chris 'Cheeto' Batten, creative director at CULTA. "We love bringing our patients fashion-forward designs and will continue to push creative boundaries."

In 2021, CULTA was also the recipient of platinum, gold, and honorable mention awards at the MarCom Awards for its t-shirt designs and the "Best Clothing Product" award at the Explore Maryland Cannabis 2021 awards. CULTA's winning designs, stop motion videos, and other collateral can be viewed on their clothing website at www.ShopCulta.com and official CULTA YouTube channel.

LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / May 2, 2022 / PRESS RELEASE / Planet 13 Holdings Inc., a vertically-integrated multi-state cannabis company, has announced the expansion of its popular TRENDI brand to California starting with premium small batch flower strains. TRENDI will be exclusive to Planet 13 Orange County to start.

"We are excited to begin bringing our portfolio of award-winning brands to California starting with TRENDI. Now that we are fully vertically integrated in California, we have the ability to introduce all of our brands to increase margins at our retail location and to enter into the wholesale market," said Bob Groesbeck, co-CEO of Planet 13. "We are diligently executing our strategy in California, Nevada and Florida to grow revenue, profitability and brand equity."

A group of 14 licensed cannabis retailers in British Columbia have sued the province over illegal dispensaries operating on First Nations reserves.

The dispensaries filed the lawsuit April 27 against British Columbia’s attorney general, the Minister of Public Safety and British Columbia’s Community Safety Unit, according to a Global News report.

The plaintiffs claim in their complaint that the province has failed to crack down on illegal cannabis retailers on the reserves, and that each of the licensed retailers has experienced “a $500,000 yearly reduction in gross sales due to business lost to illicit retailers operating on reserves with the knowledge of the defendants,” Global News reported.

“The illicit retailers sell black-market products or illegally obtained product that has not been purchased from the British Columbia government as required by the [Cannabis Control and Licensing] Act, nor authorized for sale under the Cannabis Act [Canada],” the lawsuit states, according to the news outlet.

The lawsuit claims that British Columbia’s adult-use cannabis industry is expected to reach $1 billion in annual sales by 2024, and that the defendants were supposed to “safeguard the legal cannabis industry and prevent the illicit sale of unregulated cannabis products in the province,” Global News reported.

Another person lost his life in connection with an armed robbery of a cannabis dispensary.

Los Angeles Police Department authorities are searching for two suspects after a man was shot and killed inside a retail facility around 12:30 p.m. April 30 in the Tarzana neighborhood, the Los Angeles Times reported.

While some media reports said the shooting happened during the dispensary robbery, LAPD spokesperson Jeff Lee said Sunday that he knew of no official motive, according to the news outlet.

Meanwhile, cannabis industry stakeholders continue to point to the absence of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act following dispensary robberies.

“We are saddened, and outraged, to read about another fatal shooting at a cannabis dispensary,” the U.S. Cannabis Council wrote on social media Sunday. “Requiring dispensaries to conduct business largely in cash has put employees and operators in the crosshairs of criminals. We are seeing a steadily rising human toll from lack of banking access. We urgently need to take cash out of the equation. We need SAFE Banking now!”

Saturday’s deadly incident came less than a week after Oakland’s Oakanna dispensary owner Joshua Chase was shot in the foot after a group of burglars tripped an alarm just before 4:30 a.m. at his new retail facility.

The Alaska House marked 4/20 with a vote to seal the records of about 8,500 Alaskans convicted of low-level, cannabis-related crimes, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

House Bill 246, sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, D-Sitka, passed April 20 in a 30-8 vote, the news outlet reported.

The Senate is considering a companion bill from Sen. Mike Shower, R-Wasilla, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

The legislation aims to combat prejudice against Alaskans who committed nonviolent, cannabis-related crimes before 2014, when voters approved an adult-use cannabis legalization measure, the news outlet reported.

The bill would seal convictions that involve less than an ounce of cannabis and no other criminal charges, according to The Center Square.

Ohio legislators who have refused to consider cannabis legalization in the General Assembly are now attempting to block a citizen-led initiative from putting a question to voters on the November 2022 ballot.

Legalization advocates who represent the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA) filed a lawsuit April 29 against Ohio House Speaker Bob Cupp, R-Lima, and Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, in an effort to keep their legalization petition measure on target for this year’s election.

The coalition’s proposed statute seeks to allow adults 21 and older to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis (or 15 grams of extract) and grow up to six plants per person or 12 plants per household. In addition, the proposal aims to impose a 10% tax on cannabis sales, with revenue going toward state costs to run a legalized program; substance abuse and addiction treatment programs; supporting municipalities with dispensaries; and social equity and jobs programs.

While Huffman told reporters in February that he won’t act on calendaring the coalition’s proposal for debate in the Senate, he also said, “And if that means people want to go put it on the ballot, have at it.”

But now the Senate president and Cupp are allegedly attempting to stop the people from having at it.

According to the lawsuit filed in the Franklin County Clerk of Courts, legal counsel for GOP leadership argued that the CRMLA petition was not approved in time to be considered for the 2022 ballot and now must wait until 2023.