MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

Roughly 20,000 patients enrolled in Georgia’s medical cannabis program will have to continue to wait for access to low-THC oil after lawmakers failed to pass legislation to revive the state’s stalled business licensing process.

A compromise bill that would have reopened the application process to license three more facilities failed to clear the Senate April 4, according to the Georgia Recorder.

Since 2015, Georgia’s registered patients can legally possess cannabis oil containing a maximum of 5% THC, but they have no way to legally purchase the oil, which has yet to be produced and sold in the state.

RELATED: How Are Georgia’s Medical Marijuana Patients Supposed to Access Cannabis Oil?

Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation in 2019 to establish a regulated system for the production, processing, and sale of medical cannabis oil, and the newly created Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission licensed six companies last year to serve the market.

New York launched a public education campaign April 4 to highlight the state’s adult-use cannabis laws.

The program, called “Cannabis Conversations,” aims to educate people on where cannabis can be consumed, who can consume it and how to do so safely, according to a WABC report.

The Office of Cannabis Management operates the campaign, which aims to protect youth, remind New Yorkers of the risks of driving while impaired by cannabis, and provide other messaging to help keep residents safe and healthy once the adult-use market launches later this year.

"Our first public health education campaign, 'Cannabis Conversations,' will give New Yorkers the information they need to start talking about our state's cannabis law and the health and safety implications for consuming cannabis," Office of Cannabis Management Director Chris Alexander told WABC. "This fact-based campaign reflects the change in how we're approaching cannabis as we focus on evidence-based education over prosecution."

The program includes advertisements on television, radio, in mass transit and on social media, according to the news outlet.

In the latest of a string of lawsuits challenging Illinois’ process to issue 185 new adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses, two plaintiffs allege that the state unconstitutionally discriminated against out-of-state residents.

The plaintiffs, Juan Finch Jr. and Mark Toigo, are seeking a court order to block the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) from issuing the licenses, which the department allocated during a series of three lotteries last summer but has not yet officially awarded, Patch.com reported.

“[The agency's] discrimination is not narrowly tailored to serve a legitimate local purpose,” the lawsuit claims, according to the news outlet. “This discrimination, in fact, has no legitimate local purpose at all, and the stated rationale in the [Cannabis Regulation and Tax] Act for awarding particular benefits to social equity applicants—i.e., to remedy harms resulting from disproportionate enforcement of cannabis-related laws—applies equally to Americans in all states, and thus can be achieved without discriminating against nonresidents.”

The complaint, filed March 23, also seeks to block the IDFPR from providing preferential treatment to Illinois residents in the licensing process, Patch.com reported.

Finch is a Chicago resident and active-duty Navy sailor who was living in California when he applied for a dispensary license in Illinois in 2019, according to the news outlet, while Toigo is a cannabis investor from Pennsylvania who said he ultimately decided not to apply for a license because he thought it would be “futile.”

Michigan cities that have opted in to allow adult-use cannabis dispensaries were the beneficiaries of $42.2 million, or 30% of the roughly $141 million in cannabis tax revenue generated statewide in fiscal 2021.

Traverse City, where roughly 16,000 people reside in the northwestern part of the state, could gain access to that shared fund in 2022.

The city’s planning commissioners will meet at 7 p.m. April 5 to review a drafted policy proposing to allow adult-use cannabis retailers in nine commercially zoned districts, the Traverse City Record-Eagle reported.

The proposed areas would allow anywhere from two to four licensed dispensaries per district, but retail facilities couldn’t be located within 1,000 feet of a school or publicly owned land, or in underdeveloped areas, per state law, according to the news outlet.

While the cumulative maximum number of dispensaries allowed in the proposed areas is 22, Mayor Pro Tem Amy Shamroe—who sat on the ad hoc committee that worked on the ordinance—is recommending a citywide limit of eight to 10 cannabis retailers, The Ticker reported.

A separate ordinance to define that citywide limit will be reviewed by the city commissioners at one of its upcoming meetings in the next month.

Newtown, PA, April 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- PRESS RELEASE -- Forian Inc., a provider of technology, analytics and data science driven solutions for the healthcare and cannabis industries, announced that its subsidiary, Bio-Tech Medical Software, Inc. (d/b/a BioTrack), successfully completed the planned April 1, 2022 launch of its New Mexico state traceability system for adult use cannabis sales. This latest state partnership demonstrates the continued expansion of Forian’s BioTrack state traceability system.

BioTrack has been the traceability system for New Mexico medical cannabis sales since 2015, and in 2021 expanded to also be the state’s partner for adult use compliance monitoring. The successful seamless transition of the traceability system from medical to dual-use enabled businesses to begin commercializing adult-use cannabis sales at 12:00 a.m. on April 1, 2022 with no disruption to retailers or consumers.

BioTrack’s software will track both medicinal and adult-use cannabis in New Mexico from when it is first planted as a seed to the point-of-sale to the consumer. BioTrack’s traceability system helps to ensure there is no product diversion and in the case of a recall, simplifies and streamlines those events.

"BioTrack's software worked seamlessly for New Mexico, helping the state to see a record-setting $5.2 million in combined cannabis sales during the state's first weekend of adult-use sales," said Kristen Thomson, director of the New Mexico Cannabis Control Division. "We look forward to continuing to work with BioTrack to ensure that all consumers and patients have access to the products they need--and to ensure that the Cannabis Control Division can track product for quality assurance and consumer safety.”

“We are happy to be able to continue our relationship with the government of New Mexico and the cannabis community in the state,” said Dr. Moe Afaneh, vice president of BioTrack at Forian.  “As the state’s chosen track-and-trace vendor we have been working around the clock to ensure a smooth transition of the system from solely medicinal use to dual, medicinal and adult use. We look forward to continuing to ensure that New Mexicans have safe and efficient access to legal cannabis products.”

LOS ANGELES and KINGSTON, Jamaica, April 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- NUGL Inc., a cannabis-focused, technology-based multimedia platform, announced today it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Kaya, Inc. in an all-stock transaction. Kaya shareholders received restricted shares of NUGL, Inc., which were issued pursuant to an exemption from registration provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 as “Restricted Securities.” The company has appointed Bali Vaswani, chairman and CEO of Kaya, as its CEO. CJ Melone, CEO of NUGL Inc., was appointed chief operating officer of the combined companies, with a responsibility to build out the Kaya brand through established partnerships in key markets. NUGL, Inc. is expected to change its name to “Kaya Group Inc."

Kaya was the first to open a medical cannabis location in Jamaica in March 2018 and has established itself as a leading supplier and supporter of medical cannabis throughout the Caribbean. Its diverse operations include a licensed cultivation facility, processing facility, three retail herb houses, and one ganja franchise in Punta Del Este, Uruguay. Cannabis analytics firm Headset projects legal U.S. cannabis sales to surpass $30 billion this year and reach $45.8 billion by 2025. In addition to the U. S. market, Jamaica and the other Caricom countries are considered to be one of the fastest growing cannabis markets. In April 2015, the Government of Jamaica amended the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) to decriminalize cannabis possession, legalize home cultivation for medicinal, spiritual and sacramental use, and create a new, licensed industry for medical cannabis and hemp. In addition to this landmark legislation, a number of Caricom (Caribbean Community) countries are exploring the use of cannabis in health and wellness, with investors seeking to increase products for local use and export.

“Near-term, Kaya's markets will be the U. S. and the Caricom countries. As we launch the Kaya brand in and expand into new markets, we expect to benefit tremendously from NUGL's print and digital core media assets. Each of our locations can house over 1,000 patrons, which is an ideal scenario for hosting live content on NUGL's platform," Vaswani said. "I look forward to working with the talented NUGL team as we integrate and align our cultivation, retail, and operational practices to continue providing our patients and customers with best-in-class product offerings and retail experiences."

NUGL is a community-driven, cannabis business directory and search app offering an unbiased platform for businesses and consumers to interact. NUGL combines a digital and print magazine with its cannabis friendly multimedia platform to provide marketing opportunities in print, digital and video format. NUGL connects cannabis companies across the nation, bringing the cannabusiness community closer together while facilitating connections with consumers in emerging and expanding markets. In line with the acquisition of Kaya, NUGL has hosted live concerts with reggae artist like Popcaan “Vanquish” Acoustic Show, Kymani Marley, Beenie Man, David Rodigan, Chronixx, Keznamdi, Jesse Royal, Jah9, Lila Ike, Protoje and Toots, and The Maytals.

"We are very optimistic as we join forces with Kaya to create one of the most prominent cannabis companies in the U. S. and the Caricom. With our shared core philosophies and complementary areas of expertise, we expect to execute on our collective vision immediately. In the evolving and fast-growing cannabis industry, the opportunities to better achieve our mission through consolidation led us to this historic moment," Melone said. “With Kaya’s strategic national footprint in the Caricom markets and NUGL’s success in execution in print, digital media, and social media assets, we believe we have the potential to create the most important and investable company in cannabis. There is no better team in the industry to maximize the potential of this market defining combination."

Researchers looking to study the medical benefits and risks of cannabis use have long been limited by federal prohibition, but legislation that cleared the U.S. House of Representatives April 4 aims to remove some of these barriers.

The House voted 343-75 on Monday to pass House Bill 5657, the Medical Marijuana Research Act, which Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., introduced in October 2021, according to Forbes.

The bipartisan legislation, which is co-sponsored by 11 other representatives, would allow researchers to access cannabis from state-legal dispensaries for their studies, the news outlet reported.

The bill ultimately aims to make it easier for researchers to apply for approval to study cannabis by ensuring an adequate supply and establishing deadlines for federal agencies to consider applications, according to Forbes.

Scientists interested in studying cannabis have long argued that it often takes years before their research is approved by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and that the quality of cannabis provided by the University of Mississippi is inferior to the cannabis products available in state markets.

As unionization efforts in the cannabis industry have started to emerge in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Michigan and Illinois, Missouri is the newest state with workers wanting to organize.

Eight workers at the Root 66 South Grand medical cannabis dispensary in St. Louis unanimously voted to authorize the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 655 to begin bargaining on their behalf for a union contract, according to a news release from the union chapter.

The Root 66 workers are employed by GF Wellness S. Grand LLC, according to National Labor Relations Board documentation for the union election.

The Local 655 represents more than 8,500 UFCW members in the eastern half of the state, including workers in retail food and non-food, shoe manufacturing, packinghouses, distribution centers and a number of miscellaneous plants.

“Cannabis workers across the country are voting to join a union because they know it’s the best way to secure good wages and benefits on the job,” said David Cook, president of Local 655. “Workers need economic security and fair treatment in the workplace, and cannabis workers are no different. We are committed to helping cannabis workers across Missouri.”

South Carolina lawmakers are taking their time in considering whether their state will become the 38th in the nation to legalize cannabis for medical purposes.

The House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee heard six hours of public testimony April 4 as it considers whether to advance S. 150, which passed the Senate in early February after three weeks of debate.

The bill, called the SC Compassionate Care Act, has since advanced to the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee, better known as the 3M Committee, which is the only one with a Democratic majority.

The committee held a hearing on the legislation March 31, when members made a handful of changes to the bill, including one that would allow podiatrists with additional training to recommend medical cannabis to their patients.

The committee then scheduled a more in-depth discussion for April 4, when it heard six hours of public testimony on the bill, according to a WCSC report.

Alabama legislation introduced by Republican Sen. Larry Stutts, that would require women of a “childbearing age” to have a negative pregnancy test to purchase medical cannabis, passed in a 7-2 Senate committee vote last week.

The legislation would require women aged 25-50 to provide documentation of a negative pregnancy test from their physician or from a certified medical lab licensed in Alabama, according to the bill text.

“The documentation must be dated within 48 hours of purchase before she may purchase any medical cannabis except in the capacity as a registered caregiver,” the bill text states. Additionally, breastfeeding women would also be prohibited from purchasing medical cannabis unless they are registered caregivers.

The legislation would also prohibit dispensaries from being within 1,000 feet of a 2- or 4-year institution of higher education or a day-care center.

“This is completely unprecedented because it is so clearly unconstitutional,” Emma Roth, a staff attorney with the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, told AL.com last week in response to Stutts’ bill. “We have serious concerns, just from a constitutional perspective and a public health perspective [about the legislation.] … We are very concerned that this is an invasion of the privacy of Alabama women and their right to equal protection under the law.”

Washington, D.C., City Council members have their hands tied on regulating and taxing adult-use cannabis sales in their jurisdiction, as cannabis “gifting” continues to provide an alternative means for recreational shoppers.

But the council is now getting crafty in untangling those snafus.

The district councilmembers will consider a proposal during their April 5 legislative meeting that would allow anyone 21 and older to obtain a medical cannabis card, with or without a doctor’s recommendation, The Washington Post reported.

The city’s medical cannabis retailers have experienced “substantial erosion of their business to the illegal market,” Council Chairman Phil Mendelson told the news outlet. Mendelson said that he believes the illicit market includes “gifting,” where consumers purchase non-cannabis items or services, such as a membership in a club, and are then provided cannabis as part of the sale.

Mendelson told the Post his staff counted nearly 40 such businesses in the district, arguing that the council should take action to provide legal businesses greater accessibility to the market. He said not only do the city’s licensed medical cannabis dispensaries provide fees and tax revenue, but “there’s greater assurance of quality. Consumers know they have a safe product.”

Under current law, district residents 21 and older can possess, consume, home cultivate and gift cannabis, the latter of which has opened the door for differing interpretations of the term “gift” when it comes to charging for merchandise or memberships in exchange for “free” cannabis, which is not regulated or taxed.

ABOUT LOWELL FARMS

Year founded: 2011

Headquarters: Salinas, Calif.

Canopy size: 225,000 sq. ft.

Number of employees: Approximately 100 in cultivation, depending on season

Products offered: Flower, prerolls, concentrates, edibles

A recent study conducted by researchers within the Kansas State University (KSU) College of Veterinary Medicine found that feeding industrial hemp with high cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) content to Holstein steers, a breed of dairy cattle, may reduce stress and inflammation. 

As the votes on a federal cannabis legalization bill were tallied in the U.S. House last Friday, a clear divide along party lines emerged just like on many other issues carving out that aisle in the Capitol.

The final roll call was 220-204 in support of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which aims to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, provide expungements for those with cannabis offenses and impose a federal tax on cannabis to fund programs for those adversely affected by the drug war.

RELATED: U.S. House Passes MORE Act, Again

That was just the second time a full chamber of Congress voted on broad cannabis reform, but the outcome was more partisan than when the House voted, 228-164, in December 2020 to pass a previous version of the bill.

In last week’s vote, only three Republicans broke party ties to support the measure: Reps. Matt Gaetz, Fla., Brian Mast, Fla., and Tom McClintock, Calif.

Even fewer Democrats crossed the aisle to cast no votes: Reps. Henry Cuellar, Texas, and Chris Pappas, N.H.

A Missouri House panel has approved an adult-use cannabis legalization bill.

House Bill 2704, The Cannabis Freedom Act, cleared the House Public Safety Committee March 31.

The legislation, introduced in February by Rep. Ron Hicks, R-St. Charles County, is an omnibus cannabis legalization bill that would also release all non-violent cannabis offenders from prison and create a system for individuals to expunge prior cannabis-related offenses from their records.

The Missouri General Assembly adjourns May 30.

Meanwhile, there are three adult-use cannabis ballot initiative campaigns in the state that have until May 8 to submit 160,199 valid signatures to put the issue before voters in the November 2022 election.

California lawmakers are set to discuss legislation April 4 that would increase consumer warnings on cannabis labels.

Senate Bill 1097, the Cannabis Right to Know Act, was introduced Feb. 16 by Sen. Richard Pan, and is scheduled for an April 4 hearing in the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee, according to the North Bay Business Journal.

Pan led a virtual press conference March 31, according to the news outlet, where he told a panel of doctors, youth groups and parents that additional consumer warnings are necessary for cannabis products and are similar to those on tobacco products.

“I authored the Cannabis Right to Know Act because current health warnings required for cannabis products are insufficient to communicate well-established health risks, especially to our youth,” he said, adding that the current government warnings about the “intoxicating effects” are inadequate.

Specifically, Pan’s bill cites a report by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health that found an uptick in California teens between the ages of 12 and 17 using cannabis between 2016 and 2019, the North Bay Business Journal reported.

Kensington, Maryland - PRESS RELEASE - While attention is showered on retail operations, cannabis cultivation, and processing forms the essential foundation of the emerging legal industry. Standard Wellness Maryland, a MBE/DBE/CBE company, made history on Friday, April 1, 2022, when it became the first cannabis company with a Black and Latino majority owner to win a cultivation license in the state of Maryland. Christina Betancourt Johnson, CEO of Standard Wellness Maryland (SWM) is also the first Afro-Latina to run a licensed cultivation company in the United States.

The historic licensure of Standard Wellness Maryland is the culmination of a hard-fought battle in a limited license state. In response to calls of bias and inequity in the application process and a lengthy appeal, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission recently granted a handful of minority-owned businesses cultivation and processing licenses. Standard Wellness Maryland is one of its newest license holders.

“I’m grateful for the support we have received throughout this process,” said Standard Wellness Maryland CEO Christina Betancourt Johnson. “From legislators to fellow entrepreneurs in the cannabis space, we were encouraged and supported in this undertaking. Seeing other people of color successfully running cannabis businesses was inspirational and motivational. It’s been a worthwhile journey and I’m excited for the impact that Standard Wellness Maryland will have on our state and communities most harmed by prohibition.”

Johnson leads the Standard Wellness Maryland leadership team, comprised of DMV natives who understand the unique needs of local communities. SWM is centered around its values of community engagement, collective wellness, and wealth-building for the generations of people harmed by the nation’s cannabis prohibition and the war on drugs. SWM seeks to be at the forefront of community education and economic empowerment to ensure that the harms of the past are rectified.

SWM strongly believes that health should be a source of fortitude and wellness without judgment. Over the years, a stigma around cannabis and its users has become cemented in society. It has become associated with deviance and criminality, especially for Black and Brown people who are arrested at four times the rate of their white counterparts nationally.

PORTLAND – PRESS RELEASE  – Chalice Brands, a premier consumer-driven cannabis company, has unveiled its newest brand, Private Stash, available now. The new line boasts a portfolio of more than 30 products, featuring strain-specific cartridges, flavored edibles, tinctures and distillate cartridges, as well as a variety of hand-crafted, small batch pre-rolls in a selection of classic strains. Products launched at all 16 of Chalice Brands’ dispensaries across the state, including Chalice Farms, Left Coast Connection, Homegrown Oregon and Cannabliss & Co.

“We developed our new Private Stash line of products as a throwback to the explosion of cannabis use and culture in the Woodstock era. We’re excited about taking things back to the beginning with classic strains like Jack Herer, Maui Wowie and Pineapple Express,” said Meghan Miller, chief operations officer of Chalice Brands.

Private Stash cartridges, driven by flavor, purity and potency, are crafted in small batches and contain refined cannabis distillate oil with 100% solvent-free extract. Strain-specific cartridges with added terpenes are available in the Legacy Stash strain collection, which includes Jack Herer, Maui Wowie, Pineapple Express, OG Kush, Acapulco Gold, Panama Red, AK47 and Blueberry strains.

Blast edibles, made with 50 mg THC, are available in packs of two for a total of 100 mg of THC. Liquid Blasts, launching in the coming weeks, are made with 250 mg of THC per two fluid ounce tincture. Blast edibles and tinctures, as well as flavored distillate cartridges, are available in Berry Blackberry, Mary Blueberry, Bohemian Blue Raspberry, Melon-aire Vibes, Apple-solutely the Best, Takes Two to Mango, Strawberry is my Jam, Tropic like it’s Hot, and You’re a Fineapple flavors. Blasts are also available in full-spectrum RSO, with flavor options including Watermelon Mint, Mango Serrano and Pink Lemonade.

Private Stash launched with several new pre-rolls, including the Groovie Doobie, a five-gram party joint with revolving strain options. New Stash Stick infused pre-rolls made with botanical terpene-infused distillate, top-quality indoor cultivated flower and keif and are available in one-gram joints, with a five pack of .8-gram Stash Sticks rolling out in the coming weeks. Stash Sticks are available in Berry Blackberry, Mary Blueberry, Bohemian Blue Raspberry, Melon-aire Vibes, Apple-solutely the Best, Takes Two to Mango, Strawberry is my Jam, Tropic likes it's Hot and You're a Fineapple flavors.

Verano Holdings Corp., a multistate cannabis company, is now serving Ohio medical cannabis patients at its new Zen Leaf dispensary location in Canton. 

Indiana’s Senate Bill 209 died in the 2022 legislative session because of worries that the bill’s language would go as far as to outlaw CBD oil.

Republicans proposed the bill to the General Assembly which sought to change the definitions of drug schedules in Indiana by altering “delta-9 THC” in Indiana law to simply say “THC,” thus removing the legal grey area that allows delta-8 products, also known as “weed light” to some in the industry, to be sold by CBD retailers across Indiana. If the bill passed, individual hemp farmers and retailers risked losing $1 million dollars in business.

From a federal standpoint, delta-8 is legal if it’s derived naturally from hemp plants. However, in 2021, the FDA announced warnings about the potential health risks of delta-8 products. “The CDC states that the health effects of delta-8 THC have not yet been researched extensively and are not well-understood,” the statement says. “However, delta-8 THC is psychoactive and may have similar risks of impairment as delta-9 THC.” The CDC also cites other warnings including mislabeled products that don’t appropriately advertise the psychoactive effects of delta-8, an increase in calls to the center of poison control after taking delta-8 products, risks of contamination during manufacturing, and marketing that appeals to children.

20 states have already banned, restricted, or regulated delta-8, including those that already legalized medicinal or adult-use cannabis. Two of Indiana’s neighbors, Kentucky and Michigan are included on that list.

For now, Indiana CBD dispensaries and retail shops that sell delta-8 products across the state can sigh in relief, but only temporarily. The General Assembly plans to take it up again in 2023.