MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

The patchwork of state regulations that govern cannabis businesses often means that each state tackles the industry’s problems with different solutions, but a cannabis-focused committee within ASTM International aims to standardize as many aspects of the industry as it can.

Committee D37, the cannabis committee within ASTM International, a century-old organization that has released tens of thousands of global standards for a wide range of industries, announced last month that it has released a new standard that provides an international symbol for intoxicating cannabinoids.

The standard, D8441/D8441M, called the International Intoxicating Cannabinoid Product Symbol (IICPS), will apply to all finished cannabis products intended for consumer use.

ASTM International member David Nathan co-designed the symbol in collaboration with his son, Eli Nathan, and Doctors for Cannabis Regulation (DFCR), an organization made up of physicians and other health professionals working to advance cannabis legalization and regulation.

David Vaillencourt, vice chair of the D37 committee, which has over 1,100 members across 36 countries, says Montana, New Jersey, Vermont and Alaska are all considering adopting the symbol.

Among 700 bills Virginia first-year Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed into law April 11 was legislation that eliminates the requirement that medical cannabis patients register with the state’s Board of Pharmacy.

The provisions under that signed legislation will take effect July 1. Until then, patients are still required to register with the Pharmacy Board after receiving their written certification from a registered practitioner in order to purchase cannabis at a state-licensed dispensary.

Currently, there are more than 47,000 program registrants with an estimated 8,000 applicants still awaiting approval, according to reform group NORML.

“These legislative improvements will bring great relief to the thousands of Virginians waiting to access the medical cannabis program,” said JM Pedini, NORML’s development director and the executive director of Virginia NORML. “We hear from dozens of Virginians each week who are struggling with the registration process and frustrated by the 60-day wait to receive their approval from the Board of Pharmacy.” 

After July 1, patients who still wish to receive a physical medical cannabis card can do so through a request to the Board of Pharmacy.

Other medical cannabis program changes in the bill include the removal of mandatory active ingredient ratio mandates for product formulations, expanded technology that may be used in processing, and additional modifications that clarify the scope of producing and dispensing medical cannabis.

April 20, typically known as "420" amongst cannabis consumers, is quickly approaching, and with the holiday comes an opportunity for cannabis businesses to score big with sales.  

As one Wisconsin state lawmaker plans to host a public hearing April 20 on a medical cannabis bill she authored, another lawmaker is warning legalization advocates not to get their hopes up.

Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, announced April 11 that Wisconsinites who have an interest in medical cannabis legalization will be able to share their views on legislation she sponsors during a committee hearing later this month, WisPolitics.com reported.

Felzkowski’s bill, also sponsored by Rep. Patrick Snyder, R-Schofield, intends to legalize and create the framework for medical cannabis use by those in the state who have any of eight qualifying conditions: amyotrophic later sclerosis, cancer, Crohn’s disease, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and seizure disorders.

In addition, other qualifying conditions could be added by unanimous approval of a Medical Marijuana Regulation Commission, housed under the Department of Revenue, created under the bill.

RELATED: Wisconsin Lawmakers Reintroduce Medical Cannabis Legalization Bill

“I am excited for the opportunity to facilitate this discussion,” Felzkowski said in press release Monday, announcing the April 20 public hearing to be held by the Insurance, Licensing and Forestry Committee, which she chairs.

New legislation in Baton Rouge would allow Louisianians to expunge cannabis-related crimes from their records.

House Bill 774, filed by Rep. Cedric Glover, the former mayor of Shreveport, would allow those convicted of misdemeanor charges involving cannabis possession to have their records expunged and the fees waived, according to a FOX 8 report.

In August 2021, a decriminalization law took effect in Louisiana that removed the threat of jail time and reduced the maximum penalty to a $100 fine for first-time offenders convicted of possessing up to 14 grams of cannabis.

Glover also sponsored the legislation behind that law, House Bill 652.

The Legislature has also been working to expand the state’s medical cannabis program; a new law took effect Jan. 1 that allows patients to access flower, while lawmakers are currently considering legislation that would increase the number of cultivation and pharmacy licenses, as well as allow nurse practitioners to recommend medical cannabis to patients.

GATINEAU, Quebec, April 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- HEXO Corp., a producer of high-quality cannabis products, has announced that the company has taken a significant step forward in executing on its strategic plan--The Path Forward--by entering into definitive agreements with Tilray Brands, Inc., as well as entering into a definitive equity purchase agreement with an affiliate of KAOS Capital Inc., further to the company’s press release of March 3, 2022. Closing of the transaction with Tilray Brands and the Standby Agreement is expected to occur by the end of May 2022, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of closing conditions.

The definitive agreements with Tilray Brands solidify the strategic partnership between HEXO and Tilray Brands and, on closing, will provide HEXO with a recapitalized balance sheet and the enhanced financial flexibility critical to accelerating its transformation into a cash flow positive business within the next four quarters. The terms of the transaction are set out in a transaction agreement entered into among HEXO, Tilray Brands and HT Investments MA LLC (HTI) providing for the amendment to the terms of the outstanding senior secured convertible note originally issued by HEXO to HTI and the execution of an amended and restated Note with HTI that will be immediately thereafter assigned to Tilray Brands pursuant to the terms of an assignment and assumption agreement. 

HEXO and Tilray Brands have also committed to work together to evaluate cost saving synergies as well as other production efficiencies and to set out the terms of such arrangements in certain commercial agreements to be entered into upon the closing of the transaction. The Commercial Agreements are expected to create significant efficiencies, with a target combined cost savings of up to U.S.$80 million within two years to be shared equally between the two companies.

“Since I arrived, HEXO’s balance sheet has been the biggest impediment to unlocking shareholder value in this tremendous business. This strategic partnership with Tilray both significantly improves our capital structure in the near- and longer-term, but also allows the company to re-focus on its Path Forward strategic growth plan,” said Scott Cooper, president and CEO of HEXO. “The alliance will lower costs, take advantage of cost synergies and build shareholder value.”

“We believe that finalizing this agreement not only will significantly improve HEXO’s capital structure but also creates substantial cost and market advantages. It’s an ideal outcome and one we’re exceptionally pleased with,” said Mark Attanasio, executive chairman of the Board of Directors of HEXO. “This arrangement with Tilray will place HEXO on a solid path for the future.”

WAKEFIELD, Mass., April 12, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Curaleaf Holdings Inc.,a leading international provider of consumer CBD and hemp products, announcedthat its Select CBD and Curaleaf Hemp products will become available for thefirst time in the Caribbean market thanks to a new distribution agreement withWB Canna Co. & Wellness. This agreement will bring Curaleaf's lineup ofproducts from its eponymous Hemp and Select CBD product lines to customers in,and traveling throughout, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Bermuda,Barbados, Cayman, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica, and Saint Maarten, as well asadditional markets in Latin America, travel retail, and the cruise anddiplomatic channel.

WBCanna Co. & Wellness is a wholly owned subsidiary of Miami-based WEBBBanks, the leading premium wine and spirits distributor in the Caribbeanand one of the first companies in the region focused on distribution oftop-quality CBD and wellness products. The distribution relationship combinesCuraleaf's expertise in creating high-quality non-psychoactive hemp productswith WB Canna Co.'s ability to navigate the legal and compliance needs acrossthe fragmented geography of the Caribbean, bringing operating efficiencies thatwill drive further accessibility to Curaleaf's family of CBD products.

CuraleafHemp offers a broad range of CBD products with consumer-friendly formats andprice points to select retailers throughout the U.S. A collection of all-newSelect CBD products that feature minor cannabinoids like CBN and CBG, areslated to debut in April. All Curaleaf and Select CBD products are subjected tostringent industry testing practices.

"Weare committed to setting the highest possible standards for product quality andaccessibility at Curaleaf, and we are thrilled to expand the reach of ouraward-winning CBD products to retail stores in the Caribbean through adistribution partner like WB Canna Co. It continues to be of utmost importancethat we're able to provide consumers with reliable access to the products they knowand love," said Patrick Larkin, senior vice president of sales atCuraleaf.

"Webelieve that consumer demand for high-quality CBD products will continue togrow year-over-year, and we remain laser-focused on building brand recognitionand brand loyalty," said Joseph Gennaro, VP of CBD, Health & Wellnessat Curaleaf. "Consequently, our agreement with WB Canna Co. marks a keyinflection point in the go-to-market strategy for our CBD business and showsour commitment to achieving international growth."

"Inthe short time since launching WB Canna Co. and Wellness early last year, we'veseen incredible interest and excitement for high-quality CBD and wellnessproducts throughout the Caribbean and Latin America," said PhillipJarrell, chief operating officer of WB Canna Co. & Wellness. "We'revery proud to add Curaleaf to our growing portfolio and introduce their popularand innovative products to consumers across the region."

The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) at its April 11 meeting approved seven medical cannabis dispensaries that can now serve the state’s long-awaited adult-use market.

With regulators giving this handful of retailers the green light, commercial adult-use sales are expected to launch soon, perhaps by the end of the month, according to an NJ.com report.

“This is good news,” John Fanburg, co-chair of the Cannabis Industry Law Practice at Roseland, N.J.-based Brach Eichler said in a public statement. “Cannabis prohibition is finally coming to an end. Currently, the black market controls 100 percent of adult recreational cannabis sales. This will bring the purchase and sale into the open, outside of the black market, in a safe and quality-controlled market. It’s not just about the tax revenue; it’s about social justice and safety.”

The commission’s vote means that Acreage, Curaleaf, Columbia Care, Verano, Ascend Wellness, GTI and TerrAscend may all begin selling adult-use cannabis at their medical dispensary locations, formerly known as alternative treatment centers, the news outlet reported.

“Over the last year we hit many milestones and all strengthened us to getting to this point,” CRC Executive Director Jeff Brown told NJ.com.

In a move to have less cash on hand, one Tacoma, Wash., cannabis dispensary is now accepting cash-free transactions through an alternative payment system.

Mary Mart, a family-owned and operated adult-use retailer, launched the contactless AeroPay payment platform April 7 at every one of its registers, KOMO News reported.

To use the Chicago-based software company’s payment platform, customers can go to register.aeropay.com to create an account and link their bank account to start paying with their phones, according to Mary Mart’s website.

The rollout comes weeks after a male worker at the World of Weed dispensary in Tacoma was fatally shot during an attempted robbery involving a pair of teenage suspects on March 19. That was the third fatal incident involving a dispensary robbery in less than a week in the western part of the state.

RELATED: Washington Dispensary Worker Fatally Shot During Robbery

Mary Mart’s new cashless payment system is convenient for customers and safer for dispensary staff members, the store’s general manager, Billy White, told KOMO News.

Edibles have gained a growing popularity in the states where THC-infused products are offered, representing a top-three cannabis market share in places like Michigan and Oregon.

In Pennsylvania, state Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, plans to introduce legislation that would legalize edibles as a product offering to the more than 400,000 patients registered in the state’s medical cannabis program, he announced April 8 in a press release.

A legalization advocate, Laughlin was the first Republican in the state Legislature to sponsor an adult-use cannabis bill, which he unveiled with Sen. Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, in February 2021.

RELATED: Pennsylvania State Senators Team Up to Introduce Bipartisan Adult-Use Cannabis Legislation

Laughlin said his new legislation will help ensure Pennsylvanians have as many options as possible to find relief from their medical conditions.

“Pennsylvania’s patients should be able to buy edible medical cannabis that is safe, uniform and securely packaged and labeled, just as they do in 25 other states that have legalized medical cannabis,” he said. “For many patients, their medical conditions require gradual relief over an extended period of time. Consuming medical cannabis in edible form is among the best ways to achieve the time-release effect that these patients need.”

It’s been a year since the Ohio Board of Pharmacy voted to make 73 more medical cannabis dispensary licenses available to address patient complaints about the lack of retail access and high prices.

That retail expansion is still in the works after the board received more than 1,450 applications for the new dispensaries in November and conducted a lottery-style drawing to determine which companies would receive provisional licenses.

RELATED: Ohio Receives More Than 1,400 Applications for 73 New Medical Cannabis Dispensary Licenses

The Board of Pharmacy staff is continuing to review and evaluate the winners to ensure they’re compliant with state laws and regulations, Justin Sheridan, the board’s director of Medical Marijuana Operations, said April 7 during a cannabis discussion panel at Ohio State University, Cleveland.com reported. 

Adding to the current 58 dispensaries, the license expansion will bring Ohio’s total to more than 130 retail facilities in an effort by the board to increase access and decrease the number of registered patients per dispensary to below 1,200 in each of 31 districts.

As of March 24, there were 133,101 patients with both an active medical cannabis registration and an active recommendation, according to the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (MMCP). That’s an average of roughly 2,300 patients per dispensary in today’s retail environment.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Bashear is ready to consider an executive order on medical cannabis if a legalization bill fails to reach his desk this year, according to theAssociated Press.

The Democratic governor told reporters April 7 that he is “going to explore” taking action himself if medical cannabis legislation that passed the House last month fails to clear the Senate, where the bill has been struggling to gain support.

“It’s something that we will look at,” Bashear said, according to AP. “Its time has certainly come.”

Rep. Jason Nemes’ House Bill 136, which cleared the House in a 59-34 vote March 17, would allow doctors to prescribe medical cannabis to patients for six qualifying conditions.

“You see people from every part of every spectrum that are in favor of this,” Beshear said, according to AP.

The Massachusetts Senate approved legislation April 7 that aims to expand and diversify the state’s cannabis industry, according to a WBUR report.

The wide-ranging bill, S. 2801, is meant to address some of the industry’s biggest woes, as identified by cannabis activists, regulators, businesses and municipalities in the state, according to the news outlet.

The legislation, which lawmakers say is an economic development and racial justice bill, would, in part, implement tighter restrictions and increased oversight on the host community agreements that cannabis businesses are required to enter into with the municipalities they operate in, WBUR reported.

The bill would also create a pathway for municipalities to authorize on-site cannabis consumption establishments that have already been authorized by the Cannabis Control Commission’s (CCC) regulations, according to the news outlet.

S. 2801 would also create a new Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund that would provide grants and loans to participants in the CCC’s social equity program or economic empowerment priority applicants, WBUR reported.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is allowing an adult-use cannabis legalization measure to go before voters this fall.

The Republican governor let the legislation, which cleared the Legislature earlier this month, become law without his signature, according to The Washington Post.

RELATED: Maryland Voters Will Have Say in Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization

The Maryland House voted, 94-39, on April 1 to approve House Bill 1, which will place a constitutional amendment on the November 2022 ballot asking voters if they favor the legalization of cannabis use by adults 21 and older by July 1, 2023.

The General Assembly also passed companion legislation, House Bill 837, which would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis, 12 grams of concentrate, 750 milligrams of delta-9 THC or two plants for personal use. The bill would also decriminalize the possession of up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis by classifying it as a civil offense rather than a misdemeanor.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed the state’s medical cannabis legislation into law in February, and the Mississippi Department of Health has since set to work on drafting the regulations that will govern the program.

Officials have released their first three proposed rules, guided by the details within the state’s medical cannabis legalization bill, according to a local WLBT report.

The rules, which are now available for public review and comment, outline specific guidelines for testing facilities on monitoring THC levels and detecting potential contaminants, the news outlet reported.

Regulators have also proposed advertising and marketing restrictions that will prohibit medical cannabis companies from advertising on television and billboards, WLBT reported.

A third proposal would outline work requirements for cannabis employees, such as requiring that workers are at least 21 years old with no felonies on their criminal records, according to the news outlet.

The California State Senate confirmed Nicole Elliott as Director of the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) by a unanimous 34-0 vote.

Elliott was formally confirmed in a Senate Rules Committee hearing on March 30. She was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom on July 13, 2021, as the DCC’s first director.

RELATED: Gov. Newsom Calls For Cannabis Tax Reform, More Retail in Budget Proposal

According to a release from the DCC, Elliott has led cannabis policy development and implementation across California state and local government levels since 2017, just ahead of adult-use cannabis sales beginning in the state in 2018.

“From day one, Director Elliott hit the ground running, responsibly leading the newly created Department of Cannabis Control, building a strong organizational culture and team, and creating meaningful stakeholder engagement opportunities,” said Lourdes Castro Ramirez, secretary for California’s Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. “With Director Elliott at the helm, California will continue to be a national leader, forging new pathways for innovation and strengthening cannabis regulation.”

Editor’s Note: Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation and CEO Morris Denton are featured on the April 2022 cover of Cannabis Business Times. Read the story about the company’s expansion plans in the state’s medical market here. More details about how Texas Original approaches cultivation in a state that does not allow flower are below.

The Texas government hasn’t given cannabis patients the green light to purchase or consume cannabis flower or concentrates, but the medicine produced by vertically integrated companies in the state is quite literally rooted in the plant and the practices of those who are growing it.

Every day, members of the cultivation team at Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation state three things they’re grateful for that they can dedicate their work to, and they write daily quotes on a board, says Jason Sanders, the company’s director of cultivation.

The quotes are sometimes well-known quotes and other times original quotes from within the Texas Original team. One of the cultivation technicians, Marco Gutierrez, once wrote on the board, “Cultivation is the Growth and Cult of Creation.” Sanders says a Hunter S. Thompson quote has also appeared on the board: “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”

The team believes that having that positive approach carries through to the final product, Sanders says.

This mindset is an element of Texas Original’s broader cultivation procedures and will continue to be once the business moves from its roughly 7,200-square-feet vertically integrated facility with indoor grow spaces to a much larger 92,000-square-foot facility with greenhouse production and some indoor grow rooms. The move, from Manchaca, Texas, southwest of Austin, to Bastrop, southeast of Austin, will take place either late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter of 2022.

By now, the story of Charlotte Figi has been heard around the world. 

The namesake for the company Charlotte’s Web, Charlotte was the first person to experience life-changing treatment for her seizures from CBD made by the Stanley brothers in 2012. 

Perhaps lesser known are the stories of the other families who have been helped by Charlotte’s Web, like Heather Jackson and her son, Zaki, who were the second people to find success for seizures through CBD.

“Even though it was 10 years ago, I remember it like it was yesterday,” Jackson says about the day she first gave CBD to her son, who, like Charlotte, has a rare form of epilepsy. 

Zaki had been having frequent, severe seizures every night when he took his first dose of Charlotte’s Web CBD in a makeshift bed in hospice care, Jackson says.

“He didn’t have a seizure that night. It was the first night in almost a decade,” Jackson says. Zaki, who was not expected to see adulthood, will turn 19 this year.

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) awarded the state’s 26 highly sought-after social equity cannabis licenses April 8 marking the beginning of each licensee’s journey to opening an adult-use dispensary, and, if they so choose cultivation and processing operations.

It’s been a long road for these social equity licensees, but perhaps an even longer road lies ahead as they work to launch their businesses.

Arizona voters approved adult-use cannabis legalization in the November 2020 election, and that measure, Proposition 207, allowed the state’s existing medical cannabis operators to seek licenses in the adult-use market starting in January 2021.

RELATED: Arizona Cannabis Retailers Reflect on First Week of Adult-Use Sales

Prop. 207 also created 12 new adult-use dispensary licenses in rural counties that have one or no medical cannabis retailers, as well as the 26 social equity licenses reserved for applicants impacted by the war on drugs.

Cleveland residents with certain cannabis possession convictions may soon have their records expunged. They would no longer have criminals record for the convictions, and would not have to report them on employment applications, according to News 5 Cleveland.

On April 6, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Chief Prosecutor Aqueelah Jordan, and Council President Blaine Griffin signed a motion calling for the expungement of more than 4,000 cannabis convictions, according to Cleveland news media.

“We are seeing progress in Washington on this issue, but it’s slow. There are immediate steps we can take right now in Cleveland to clear the names of over 4,000 residents who deserve a fresh start,” Bibb said in a statement. “This is just one way we can make progress on criminal justice reform to balance the scales and remove barriers to employment and re-entry.”

Cleveland Municipal Court Presiding Judge Michelle D. Early and the other judges of the court must sign to expunge the minor misdemeanor cases, according to News 5. The cases, dating back to 2017, are for possession of 200 grams or less.

In 2020, Cleveland City Council passed legislation to reduce misdemeanor possession penalties to include no prison time or fines. Since that legislation passed, 455 people were mistakenly charged, per the prosecutor’s office.

"This is a great day," Griffin said, according to the Cleveland Scene. "It has always been our intent to take the logical next step, after we decriminalized marijuana and made it zero jail time, to seal these misdemeanor cases in Cleveland. This is a natural progression of what we've been working on, and I'm happy that all of council can stand with the mayor today."