MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
Federally legal cannabis is on the U.S. market for scientific research.
As one of a handful of companies to receive approval via memorandums of agreement (MOA) from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) last year, Pennsylvania-based Groff North America began selling its legal cannabis last month for medical and scientific purposes.
New Mexico-based Bright Green Corp., Arizona-based Scottsdale Research Institute and California-based Biopharmaceutical Research Co. also were recipients of an MOA from the DEA.
Through DEA approval, Groff NA has acquired Schedule I registrations that allow the company to cultivate, extract and process federally legal cannabis in bulk manufacturing; produce precise dosed forms for clinical trials in FDA-approved drugs; import cannabis flower, genetics and extracts from anywhere in the world; and export cannabis flower and cannabis preparations to any of 150-plus signatory counties in the U.N.’s Single Convention on Narcotics.
In addition, the company can conduct its own research and analytical lab testing.
Dr. Steve Groff, the company’s founder and chairman, recently told Pittsburgh NPR that the DEA’s approval will unleash the American scientific community for cannabis research and development.
Good Day Farm, a vertically integrated operator in Missouri and Arkansas, is now offering two new lines of cannabis-infused gummies for patients.
One of those gummies, however, is not like the rest.
“To commemorate the moment, we created a supersized THC gummy in the spirit of the Show Me State, which will remain on permanent display in our Columbia cultivation facility as a reminder to our employees to always strive for innovation daily,” Chief Marketing Officer Laurie Gregory said. “At Good Day Farm, we believe in good people, good cannabis and good days. This gummy brings to life our mission to exponentially improve our patients’ lives by combining both the art and science in all of our products.”
The supersized gummy was certainly a fine illustration of that art and science. Weighing in at 135 pounds and no fewer than 116,000 milligrams of THC, the sour apple gummy is a larger-than-life demonstration of the rising supply and demand in the U.S. edibles market.
Needless to say, this was no small task.
Michiganders voted to legalized adult-use cannabis in the November 2018 election, but the plant remains scheduled alongside controlled substances like LSD, ecstasy and heroin under state law.
Aiming to address repercussions associated with that designation, House Bill 5877 would remove cannabis from the state’s list of Schedule I drugs. Substances on that list have a high potential for abuse and have no currently accepted medical use in treatment, as defined by Michigan law.
While many state residents who purchase and use medical or adult-use cannabis under Michigan’s state-legal program are not impacted by the designation, House Democratic Floor Leader Yousef Rabhi, who sponsors H.B. 5877, said continuing to classify cannabis as a Schedule I drug does have broad implications, MLive.com reported.
Those who use or possess Schedule I drugs could face consequences related to employment, guardianship, criminal punishment and housing, such job or tenant applications that include policies that prohibit substances on the list, Rabhi told the news outlet.
“And then there are things like Child Protective Services,” Rabhi said. “People who have been legal cannabis users, even medical users, it has been used in our CPS laws, because [they] reference our schedule of substances.”
Rabhi currently has eight Democratic colleagues signed on for sponsorship. He’s hoping to gain support from across the aisle, he told MLive.
]]>Missouri state lawmakers must act now on adult-use cannabis legalization or risk having their hands tied should an initiative petition change the state Constitution.
That was the bottom line from Rep. Ron Hicks, a St. Charles County Republican, when he presented his legislation during a hearing before House Public Safety Committee members on March 8. Several Missourians testified to voice their support of the bill, which Hicks filed last month.
Titled the Cannabis Freedom Act, House Bill 2704 aims to legalize the possession and personal use of cannabis for those 21 and older, allow for home cultivation of up 12 mature plants, and tax cannabis sales at a rate not to exceed 12%, among other provisions, according to a summary of the 74-page legislation.
In addition, cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, processors and distributors would not be subject to special zoning requirements or licensing fees under the legislation.
The main reason Hicks said Missouri state lawmakers need to act now is so they can control any forthcoming legalization parameters.
“I don’t want to take anything away from the initiative petition process, but we have a medical marijuana industry in our state right now due to the initiative petition process,” he said during the hearing. “I’m sure every single one of you sitting here has received some type of an email or has heard from somebody in this state about the rollout of that program, whether it was dishonest or not fair to someone or it was rolled out wrong, or whatever the issue.
Names: Irene Villanueva and Aaron Nino
A handful of Alberta cannabis retailers launched online cannabis sales and delivery services March 8, when the province shut down its government-run operation and handed over those responsibilities to private-sector licensees.
Previously, the province’s only legal, non-medical online cannabis sales were available through a website run by government regulator Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC). But AGLC exited the online cannabis game on Tuesday, following amendments made to the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act.
RELATED: Alberta Cannabis Retailers Hustle to Prepare For Online Sales Launch
The changes were passed by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta last year and will help strengthen the legal cannabis market and diversify Alberta’s cannabis industry, according to an AGLC news release.
“Updating Alberta’s approach to online legal cannabis sales gives Albertans more choices, provides retailers new revenue opportunities and encourages industry innovation and diversification,” AGLC CEO Kandice Machado said in the release. “AGLC will continue to prioritize health and safety for Albertans and ensure all online cannabis retailers meet federal and provincial cannabis legislated requirements and regulations.”
AGLC generated roughly CA$200,000 per year in government revenue through the website’s cannabis sales (now inactive).
Michigan retailers sold more than $1.3 billion of adult-use cannabis in 2021, and that was of no thanks to the state’s largest city.
But that could change soon.
Detroit moved one step closer to allowing adult-use dispensaries and other cannabis businesses to operate in its jurisdiction after the city council’s Public Health and Safety Committee members voted, 2-1, March 7 to advance a proposed ordinance, Detroit Metro Times reported.
In addition to licensing as many as 76 adult-use dispensaries, the proposal would pave the way to 30 licenses for consumption lounges and micro-businesses, and an unlimited number of cultivators, processors and secured transporters, the news outlet reported.
“It’s a very delicate issue,” Councilwoman Mary Waters said during a public hearing Monday, before casting the lone dissenting vote in committee, suggesting another hearing was needed. “It’s a very emotional issue for a lot of Detroiters. I want to do this on behalf of the people.”
Despite Waters’ reservation, the proposed ordinance now advances for consideration by the full nine-member city council.
Tightened restrictions on where South Dakota’s registered patients can use medical cannabis were defeated March 7 when the state Senate rejected House Bill 1134, which was aimed at protecting children, according to a KELO report.
Sen. Jim Stalzer, a Republican from Sioux Falls, spoke in support of the legislation on Monday, the news outlet reported. Stalzer said the bill would amend IM 26, South Dakota’s voter-approved medical cannabis legalization measure, to restrict the use of cannabis in preschools, on public and non-public school property, and in any outdoor recreational areas.
Opponents of the legislation said the added restrictions are unnecessary, and some expressed concerns that the bill would take authority away from the Department of Education to put rules in place on the use of medical cannabis in schools, KELO reported. Others worried that the legislation would allow individual schools to ban the use of medical cannabis entirely.
H.B. 1134 failed with 12 voting to pass the bill and 20 voting in opposition, KELO reported.
South Dakota voters approved medical cannabis legalization in the November 2020 election, and after spending several months drafting rules to govern the program, the state began accepting applications for medical cannabis cards in November 2021.
An adult-use cannabis dispensary in Massachusetts is moving away from all-cash operations.
Dreamer Cannabis in Southampton, a town of about 6,000 on the north side of Springfield, began using a third-party platform that allows customers to buy state-legal cannabis products via credit cards, NBC-affiliate WWLP News reported.
The payment channel is a workaround of policies in place by most banks and major credit card agencies that ban transactions on cannabis, which remains federally illegal. Most state-legal cannabis dispensaries only accept cash or debit, the latter involving a point-of-sale (POS) transaction dubbed as a “cashless ATM.”
Cannabis retail operators are largely limited in payment options due to the lack of safe harbor for financial institutions servicing the industry.
RELATED: UPDATE: Rep. Perlmutter Makes Final Push on SAFE Banking
But the owners of Dreamer Cannabis are now catering to customers wanting to use credit cards.
ELIOT, Maine, March 8, 2022. - PRESS RELEASE - Sweet Dirt, a Maine-based, vertically integrated cannabis company, today announced The Confectioners by Sweet Dirt, a new line of premium cannabis edibles for the Maine adult-use cannabis market. The new line of edibles is now available through the company's wholesale and retail channels.
The Confectioners includes gummies, chocolates, caramels, and peanut butter cups, hand-crafted by renowned artisan chocolatier, Jordan Kellerman. Each gummy, chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter cup is infused with Sweet Dirt’s organically-grown cannabis – Maine’s only adult use cannabis to be certified clean by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA).
The Confectioners Gummies
The Confectioners sugar-coated gummies are available in 5mg THC formulations (20 gummies per pack), feature bright, fresh lemon, tangerine, and strawberry flavors, and are made with real fruit juices and natural sweeteners. In addition, each flavor has been carefully paired with natural additives to help bring about a calm state of mind:
Lemon Lounger Gummies feature L-Theanine, a naturally occurring amino acid found in green tea and known for its calming properties. Lemon Lounger Gummies also include Turmeric, natural terpenes D-Limonene and Linalool, and Sweet Dirt’s own certified clean cannabis.Tangerine Tango Gummies are infused with green tea extract antioxidants and B-12, a water-soluble vitamin critical to the development and function of the central nervous system, healthy red blood cell formation, and known to promote energy and endurance. Tangerine Tango Gummies also include Beta-Carotene, natural terpenes D-Limonene, Alpha-Pinene, Beta-Pinene and Beta-Caryophyllene, and are infused with Sweet Dirt’s own certified clean cannabis.Strawberry-flavored Crash Berry Gummies are infused with amino acid L-Theanine, used to promote symptom relief of anxiety, Melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone that helps control sleep and wake cycles, Elderberry Juice, and Turmeric, plus Sweet Dirt’s organically-grown, certified clean cannabis.The Confectioners Chocolates, Caramels, and Peanut Butter cups
The Republican-led Virginia House Appropriations Committee shot down legislation March 7 that would have allowed those incarcerated or on probation for cannabis-related crimes to apply for resentencing, according to the Associated Press.
The bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Scott Surovell, would have allowed 596 people incarcerated for cannabis-related felonies to apply for resentencing by the court that sentenced them, the news outlet reported. The legislation would have also permitted another 78 people who had their sentences for other crimes enhanced because of a previous cannabis-related convictions to apply to the Virginia Parole Board for resentencing.
The bill was defeated in a party-line vote, AP reported, with 12 Republicans in opposition and 10 Democrats supporting it.
Surovell told committee members that many of those imprisoned for cannabis-related crimes likely would not have received those sentences today, now that Virginia has legalized adult-use cannabis.
Former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed an adult-use cannabis legalization bill into law in April 2021, with personal possession and home grow measures taking effect July 1, 2021.
NORWOOD, Mass., March 8, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – MariMed Inc., a multistate cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, announced it signed a definitive agreement to acquire a provisional dispensary license from Green House Naturals LLC. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, will add a second retail location to MariMed’s vertically integrated cannabis operations in Massachusetts. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The dispensary will be in Beverly, a suburban city of 42,000 residents on the north shore of the Boston metropolitan area, and branded Panacea Wellness. Easily accessed via two major roadways, Highway 128 and Route 1A, MariMed anticipates heavy local and tourist consumer traffic to the dispensary. It represents MariMed’s second retail location in the Boston area, joining the company’s south shore Panacea Wellness dispensary in Middleborough, which services both adult-use and medical programs.
“Adding a second adult-use dispensary in Massachusetts is a key element of our long-term strategic growth plan, continuing our efforts to expand deeper in high-growth states in which we already operate,” MariMed CEO Bob Fireman said. “We expect the Beverly location to be a particularly strong performer in our growing footprint. We anticipate it will contribute this year to our revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth, while also strengthening the Panacea Wellness brand in the state.”
The assets of Green House Naturals to be acquired by MariMed include a provisional adult-use dispensary license subject to approval of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, a host community agreement to operate a dispensary from the city of Beverly, and the assignment of the leasehold approved for the business. The Green House Naturals principals will continue to support the business and assist providing the best of service and products to the residents of Beverly and surrounding municipalities.
MariMed anticipates the Beverly adult-use dispensary will be operational during the second half of 2022. As part of its strategic growth plan, the company plans to develop a third adult-use dispensary in 2022. The company currently operates an adult-use and medical dispensary in Middleborough and a 70,000-square-foot cultivation and processing facility in New Bedford, to which it expects to add 70,000 square feet in 2023.
]]>The “wild west” of medical cannabis might not be so wild should a group of seven Oklahoma House Republicans find a path to passing a legislative package aimed at cleaning up the state’s program.
Headlined by Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols and Rep. TJ Marti, who chairs the chamber’s Alcohol, Tobacco and Controlled Substances Committee, a group of state lawmakers outlined a 12-point plan to better regulate Oklahoma’s medical cannabis industry during a press conference March 7.
The majority of that plan is directed at weeding out “bad actors” in the state, while patient safety and protecting Oklahoma farmers from liability are also at the forefront of the proposed bills, Marti said.
The seven-member House working group on medical cannabis—which also includes Reps. Rusty Cornwell, Scott Fetgatter, Kevin McDugle, John Pfeiffer and Jay Steagall—has spent months collaborating with fellow legislators, regulators, law enforcement and industry experts to come up with the plan, Marti said.
When Oklahomans passed State Question 788 via a 56.9% majority as an initiated statute on the June 2018 ballot, they voted for a legal medical cannabis “free-market program,” Echols said.
“The black market is not the free market,” he said during the press conference. “What is happening right now in the state of Oklahoma, and this is even more emphasized by the most recent largest illegal drug bust in the history of the state of Oklahoma … is we have seen black market elements competing with legitimate Oklahoma businesses. They are putting our citizens at risk. They’re doing things in an illegal, unethical manner. We know we have issues with human trafficking. We know we have issues with tainted product. And this is the House’s plan to do something about it.”
The Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) has suspended the cultivation and production licenses of a North Las Vegas operation after discovering what regulators called “a present threat to public health and safety,” according to a local KSNV report.
Board members voted unanimously March 4 to suspend the licenses of NLVG, LLC, which does business as Desert Bloom Cultivation, after agents investigating a complaint found that cannabis plants and packages were improperly tagged—or untagged altogether—and not tracked in Nevada’s seed-to-sale tracking system, KSNV reported.
The investigation also revealed that some cannabis that failed state-required testing was retested or sent to production without the CCB’s approval, according to the news outlet. In addition, investigators found that some batches of cannabis had their weight changed after testing, KSNV reported.
Cannabis products affected by these issues were then likely sold at dispensaries across the state, according to the news outlet.
Desert Bloom must now submit a plan of correction to the CCB to get its licenses reinstated, KSNV reported. The company must suspend all operations until the corrections are verified by regulators.
Illinoisans have been legally able to purchase and use cannabis since the state’s adult-use market launched in January 2020, but policy reform has not yet extended to protecting cannabis consumers in the workplace.
That could change under a bill that recently cleared the Illinois House.
House Bill 4116, sponsored by Rep. Bob Morgan, aims to help employees who use medical or adult-use cannabis and who may have to take drug tests that could jeopardize their jobs, according to a local WIFR report.
The legislation would bar employers from firing or taking disciplinary action against employees who use cannabis, as well as from not hiring applicants solely because of their cannabis use, the news outlet reported.
H.B. 4116 does provide exemptions for safety-sensitive positions, according to WIFR, including jobs that require employees to carry a gun, perform emergency services, work around heavy machinery or handle hazardous materials. The legislation would also exempt those who may be at risk of losing a federal contract, the news outlet reported.
MENDOCINO, Calif. - PRESS RELEASE - Today, a group of small cannabis farmers from Mendocino County, located in California’s world-famous Emerald Triangle, launched a new online sales and delivery platform to provide Sacramento and Butte County residents (aged 21+) with small-batch, quality craft cannabis products.
Farms featured on MendocinoCannabis.Shop’s “Farmer Direct” menu are dedicated to environmental stewardship, sustainable agriculture, legacy genetics and cultivating the best cannabis available anywhere.
"Farm direct relationships are important for small farms. We want people to know where their cannabis comes from, and we need short supply chains to minimize costs. We are excited for MendocinoCannabis.Shop as a means of achieving these goals!" said Casey O’Neill from HappyDay Farms.
Products purchased through the MendocinoCannabis.Shop platform provide a 90% return of the retail price back to the farmer after applicable taxes. This is roughly double the profit per retail unit that most small farmers currently receive.
Featured farms are members of the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance (MCA), the premier cannabis trade association in Mendocino County committed to providing guidance and solutions for small, legacy cannabis cultivators and operators who currently face a multifront crisis in the state’s regulated market.
Pennsylvania is expanding areas of its medical cannabis program to help advance research and decrease costs for patients.
The state’s Department of Health is making financial assistance more widely available for patients and has also announced a ninth clinical registrant in Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Research Program, according to an ABC 27 News report.
In June 2021, Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation to make several changes to Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis program, with most provisions taking effect immediately with Wolf’s signature.
RELATED: Gov. Wolf Signs Bill Expanding Medical Cannabis Access in Pennsylvania
The law also required the Department of Health to provide additional assistance to medical cannabis patients and caregivers, according to ABC 27 News.
The fate of Brittney Griner, a U.S. national team basketball player, is unknown after she was taken into custody last month by Russian authorities for allegedly carrying cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage near Moscow.
The 6-foot-9 center for the Phoenix Mercury was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft. She is a seven-time league all-star and a member of two Olympic gold medal squads for Team U.S.A.
Griner, 31, was detained after an airport screening in February, which came to light March 5, after she was identified by Russian state-owned news agency TASS.
As one of about 70 WNBA players who rely on income from playing in overseas leagues during their offseason, Griner has played for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg for the past several years, The New York Times reported. (As a top player in the WNBA, Griner’s current salary is roughly $230,000, a fraction of the average salary of roughly $8 million for NBA players.)
The Russian Federal Customs Service announced Saturday that a drug detection dog had prompted the search of an American basketball player’s carry-on luggage at the Sheremetyevo International Airport, just north of Moscow. TASS then identified that player as Griner.
Griner, who stopped posting on Instagram Feb. 5, could potentially face up to a 10-year prison sentence that’s associated with criminal cases involving drug transportation in the country, according to the Russian customs service.
BOULDER, Colo. (March 7, 2022) – PRESS RELEASE – Wana Brands, a top international cannabis-infused edibles brand, announced today it has appointed Kelly Flores to the role of chief operating officer, as the company continues its expansion into new markets as well as innovating an ever-growing list of new products. Flores will be based in Boulder and will report to Wana Brands CEO Nancy Whiteman.
“Kelly’s cannabis industry expertise combined with her consumer packaged goods background is exactly what is needed at this stage of Wana’s growth and development,” Whiteman said. “As we continue to innovate new products and expand our presence in other markets, Kelly’s ability to manage the logistical challenges of a multi-state and international brand presence will be invaluable.”
Flores’ vision and experience will help guide Wana’s strategy and organization for all business processes. Her role includes the management of all Wana’s business functions across all markets, identifying and implementing day-to-day operational improvements and working with other senior leaders to set and meet the overall business objectives of Wana Brands. In addition, as a key member of the leadership team, Flores’ guidance will create opportunities as the company expands both nationally and internationally.
“I have watched Wana Brands grow from a small operator to a defining force in the industry, both in terms of the products the company brings to market and the strategy it employs to engage these new markets,” Flores said. “In addition to admiring the company’s business success, I have also been impressed by its devotion to corporate culture and the industry’s responsibility to social equity. I’m looking forward to working with everyone on the Wana team.”
Prior to joining Wana Brands, Flores served as the chief operating officer at dosist, which is known for its targeted cannabis formulas and award-winning dose-controlled devices. Before her work at dosist, she spent six years at Monster Energy, rising to vice president of strategic planning, and 11 years with Nestlé Waters in planning and finance. Flores holds a Masters of Business Administration from Pepperdine University.
PRESS RELEASE - Mint Cannabis, operator of Arizona’s largest dispensary, has announced that its flagship location in Guadalupe (5210 S. Priest Drive) will become the first dispensary in Arizona to operate until midnight, 365 days per year, starting this Friday, March 11.
The Town of Guadalupe’s City Council voted to approve of the Guadalupe dispensary’s extended hour request on Feb. 10, allowing the first day for the extended hours to be in effect within 30 days (March 11).
To mark this added convenience milestone, the Mint is hosting a five-year anniversary celebration on Friday, March 11 at its Guadalupe dispensary, at the southwest corner of Priest Dr. and Baseline Rd., where patients and customers ages 21+ will have the chance to enjoy free uninfused tacos (from 2 p.m. until midnight), a live DJ (from 4:20 p.m. until midnight), buy-one-get-one deals, specials, giveaways, and more all day long.
The Mint’s two other Valley locations in Mesa (330 E. Southern Ave.) and north Phoenix (17036 N Cave Creek Rd.) will also host anniversary celebrations with free tacos, a DJ, giveaways and more beginning at noon through 8 p.m.
WHEN: This Friday, March 11, 2022 (first day the Guadalupe dispensary will be open until midnight)
