MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

Minnesota House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler is again renewing his push to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state, announcing plans to reintroduce a legalization bill this year, according to a WCCO report.

Winkler’s legislation will not only establish a regulated cannabis marketplace in the state, but will also address criminal justice issues, the news outlet reported.

Ahead of last year’s legislative session, Minnesota lawmakers held a series of discussions across the state to gather public input on legalization, and Winkler introduced a legalization bill last spring that incorporated feedback generated from those discussions.

Winkler told WCCO that he sees “Senate leadership as being the number one obstacle,” but said that if lawmakers agreed to place an adult-use legalization initiative on Minnesota’s 2022 ballot, “it would pass overwhelmingly.”

Minnesota’s legislative session kicked off Jan. 5.

A years-long dispute over a cannabis cultivation license is headed to the Illinois Supreme Court as Curative Health Cultivation LLC and Medponics Illinois LLC battle over a license to grow cannabis for the state’s medical and adult-use markets, according to an NBC Chicago report.

Curative, which is based in Aurora, Ill., and owned by multistate cannabis operator Columbia Care, won the cultivation license in 2015, lost it following a dispute in a lower court and ultimately won it back on appeal, NBC Chicago reported.

Medponics wants to establish operations in Zion, Ill., and has been backed by the city in its bid for the license, according to the news outlet.

The license could potentially be worth $100 million, NBC Chicago reported, and the arguments in the case focus on the vetting process used to issue the initial cultivation licenses in 2015.

Medponics has argued that although Curative received the highest score on its application, it should have been disqualified because its operations would be too close to a residential area, according to NBC Chicago.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Dec. 31 that he would expunge nearly half a million cannabis records and issue pardons for thousands more low-level cannabis convictions, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report.

The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, which passed in 2019 to legalize adult-use cannabis in Illinois, mandated that 47,000 cannabis-related arrest records between 2013 and 2019 be expunged by Jan. 1, the news outlet reported.

Pritzker’s New Year’s Eve announcement pardoned 9,129 low-level cannabis conviction records and expunged 492,192 cannabis arrest records, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Alabama Sen. Tim Melson (R-Florence) plans to reintroduce a medical cannabis legalization bill this year, according to an Alabama Public Radio report.

Medical cannabis legislation passed the Alabama Senate during the 2020 session, but failed to clear the House.

Melson’s bill would create a new board, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, to license and regulate the industry, Alabama Public Radio reported.

Currently, only industrial hemp is legal in the state.

Missouri Rep. Shamed Dogan has filed legislation that would place an adult-use cannabis legalization measure on the state’s 2022 ballot, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The measure, House Joint Resolution 30, is a constitutional amendment. It would leave Missouri’s medical cannabis program intact, but would repeal the text of the 2018 constitutional amendment that legalized medical cannabis, which would ultimately scrap the state’s controversial licensing process and limited license structure, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Instead, Dogan’s proposal would set up a cannabis licensing process that is similar to licensing any other business in the state, according to the news outlet.

The measure also directs the state to release anyone incarcerated for “non-violent, marijuana only offenses that are no longer illegal in the state of Missouri,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, as well as to stop monitoring those on probation or parole for those offenses.

In addition, the proposal would require Missouri courts to expunge civil and criminal records related to “all non-violent, marijuana-only offenses that are no longer illegal” within 60 days of the ballot measure’s passage, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Florida Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) has introduced legislation to reduce doctor visits for the state’s registered medical cannabis patients, according to a BayNews9.com report.

The bill, S.B. 214, would reduce required doctor visits from twice a year to once a year, the news outlet reported, and disabled veterans would only need to see a state-certified medical cannabis physician once every other year.

The legislation would also increase the maximum supply of cannabis that doctors can recommend from seven months to 350 days, BayNews9.com reported.

Rhode Island has received 45 applications for six new medical cannabis dispensary licenses, according to an AP News report.

If all applicants meet state requirements for a license, six will randomly be selected in a lottery to operate retail locations in different regions across the state, the news outlet reported.

Officials with the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation have not yet set a date for the lottery, according to AP News.

RELATED: Rhode Island Opens Application for New Medical Cannabis Dispensary Licenses

To qualify for a license, applicants had to submit detailed financial information, proof of a physical retail site and a $10,000 application fee, the news outlet reported.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PRESS RELEASE--Cresco Labs, one of the largest vertically integrated, multistate cannabis operators in the United States, has published the first annual report for its SEED (Social Equity and Educational Development) initiative. The report highlights the company’s many achievements over the past year to help create a more diverse and inclusive cannabis industry through SEED’s restorative justice initiatives, community business incubators, and educational and workforce development programming. The 2019-2020 SEED Annual Report is available online at crescolabs.com/seed.

“We are proud to have launched the cannabis industry’s first comprehensive social justice and social equity initiative and to report the significant strides the SEED program has made towards the more equitable inclusion of Black and Brown people in cannabis,” said Charlie Bachtell, CEO and co-founder of Cresco Labs. “As we reflect on SEED’s first year successes, we recognize that this is just the beginning of a long road ahead and a tremendous amount of work is still to be done. Our goal is to provide the time, know-how and resources to elevate more voices and foster economic opportunities for people from communities disproportionately impacted by prior drug laws. The ability of this industry to reach its maximum potential will be governed by its ability to address the social responsibility components tied to this subject matter. Our SEED team is made up of incredibly talented, hard-working individuals who are building a culture where all Cresco Labs employees are inspired to improve inclusiveness within the cannabis industry. Our SEED initiative supports our vision to be the most important company in cannabis and is helping to build the most responsible and respectable industry possible. Together, we are firmly committed to continuing the progress we’ve achieved this inaugural year into the future.”

The SEED Annual Report outlines the mission of SEED, describes its goals and initiatives, and details the efforts dedicated to the program’s success. Highlights of the 2019/2020 program include:

Invested over $1.5M and contributed over 2,200 Cresco Labs staff hours for more than 40 multi-tiered SEED initiativesSponsored and financially supported 22 restorative-focused events and more than 1,200 individuals seeking expungement of their recordsConducted SEED’s inaugural Community Business Incubator that assisted 50 businesses and over 250 individuals in total over two application periods in IllinoisEstablished 8 community and workforce development initiatives and assisted in the development of cannabis industry curriculum with 5 universities and colleges

Cresco Labs’ SEED team was the recipient of the 2020 Bill Leslie Visionary Award from Cabrini Green Legal Aid, a nonprofit established in 1973 to serve legal needs arising from the lack of opportunity, criminalization of poverty, and racial inequity experienced within the Cabrini Green community in Chicago, Illinois. This recognition reinforces the SEED initiative’s effort to build community relationships and do its part to be restorative and inclusive.

In May 2019, Cresco Labs created SEED to address the absence of people, businesses and communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs in the cannabis industry. Its mission is to develop tangible pathways into the cannabis industry for communities impacted by the War on Drugs through the three pillars of SEED: Restorative Justice, Community Business Incubator, and Education & Workforce Development. SEED’s restorative justice programming includes expungement events, lobbying to change the nation’s drug laws, and working to ensure that no person remains in prison for a cannabis conviction. Established in November 2019, Cresco’s Community Business Incubator provides qualifying social equity applicants with the resources, knowledge and guidance needed to successfully apply for adult use dispensary licenses awarded by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. SEED develops educational cannabis programming tailored to communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs, as well as builds collaborative relationships with colleges and universities to develop curriculum, teach classes and host workshops to educate and prepare students for careers in cannabis.

A bill to implement adult-use cannabis legalization in New Jersey has been delayed after Gov. Phil Murphy requested a change that would levy a fine for underage cannabis possession before he will sign the legislation into law, according to the Asbury Park Press.

New Jersey voters approved an adult-use legalization ballot initiative in the November election, and although the measure was supposed to take effect Jan. 1, negotiations continue on legislation to implement the program.

The New Jersey Legislature gave final approval Dec. 17 on legislation to regulate the commercial production and sale of adult-use cannabis, sending the bill to Murphy for his signature.

Murphy’s office sent a proposed change to lawmakers last week that would implement a $250 fine on those younger than 21 who are caught with 1 ounce or less of cannabis, and a $500 fine for those caught with between 1 and 6 ounces, the Asbury Park Press reported.

While the legislation remains in limbo, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal has directed state prosecutors to halt possession charges for small amounts of cannabis.

STRATHROY, Ontario, Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Eve & Co. Incorporated has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Natural MedCo Ltd has entered into a CAD$1M financing loan with a private consortium of lenders.

The CAD$1M financing has a two-year term and is to be received in two equal tranches of CAD$500,000. The first CAD$500,000 tranche has been received – net of issuance costs of approximately CAD$29,000 – and bears interest – payable monthly – at 15% per annum for the first year and 11% per annum for the second year. Monthly repayments of principal and interest can only be made during the second year of the term. The principal outstanding will be repaid to the Lender at the end of the two-year term.

The second CAD$500,000 tranche will be received from the lender upon five days written request from NMC. It will bear interest – payable monthly – at 15% per annum for the first year and 11% per annum for the second year. Monthly repayments of principal and interest can only be made during the second year of the term. The principal outstanding will be repaid to the Lender at the end of the two-year term. The second CAD$500,000 tranche will only be available for the first year and a facility fee of 0.5% per annum on this second tranche will accrue – and be paid – monthly to the lender. The loan is secured by the assets of the company and NMC and guarantees and is expected to be used for general corporate purposes.

TORONTO, Jan. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- WeedMD Inc., a federally-licensed producer and distributor of medical-grade cannabis, has announced that its board of directors has appointed executive chairman, George Scorsis, as interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. This appointment follows Angelo Tsebelis’s decision to step down from his CEO and director roles, with mutual agreement from the Board, following the successful year-long integration of WeedMD and Starseed Holdings Inc. Tsebelis has agreed to take an advisory role to help the company through this period of transition.

The company is now leading a comprehensive search process to select a permanent CEO. Concurrently, WeedMD announced today that Jason Alexander, the company’s Chief Legal Officer, has been appointed as a director and has joined the Board pursuant to the terms of the company’s nomination rights and voting agreement dated Dec. 20, 2019.

RELATED: WeedMD's Bold Pivot in Canada's Evolving Market

“On behalf of the Board, we thank Angelo for his leadership, focus and guidance during a complex period as we combined two companies and navigated a dynamic landscape that resulted from the worldwide pandemic last year,” said Scorsis. “Angelo was integral in merging our businesses, optimizing our operations, commercializing our sales and distribution initiatives and bringing a renewed focus on brand awareness. During his tenure, WeedMD achieved a two-fold sales increase in the first nine months of 2020, compared to the full year 2019. We appreciate his contributions to our growth, his counsel during our transition and we wish him well on his future endeavours.”

Scorsis added, “I am also pleased to welcome Jason Alexander as the newest director to our Board. Jason was instrumental in working alongside Angelo and the leadership team to fully-integrate the company into a position of strength over the past year. Moving forward, WeedMD is now anchored in the best cultivation, commercial and product frameworks in Canada as we work to accelerate our profitability goals. Together we are kicking off 2021 with a focused approach on increasing market share and commercial growth of our Color Cannabis and Saturday brands, while expanding our medical footprint through our Starseed portfolio. This includes an aggressive plan to transition WeedMD into a consumer-facing model of excellence. Ultimately becoming hyper-focused on driving meaningful results, while optimizing the organization for future success to deliver shareholder value.”

OAKLAND, CA and TORONTO, Jan. 4, 2021 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Harborside Inc., a California-focused, vertically-integrated cannabis enterprise, has announced that the company and Steve DeAngelo are separating, and the company is eliminating the role of Chairman Emeritus, effective Dec. 31, 2020.

A longtime activist and strong advocate for the cannabis reform movement, DeAngelo co-founded Harborside in 2006 as a non-profit medical cannabis dispensary. Harborside was granted one of the first six medical cannabis licenses in the United States and was one of the first in the nation to support comprehensive cannabis education for seniors, veterans and families with severely ill children.

Matt Hawkins, chairman of Harborside, said, "On behalf of the Board, I'd like to thank Steve for his service to Harborside and for his history of activism in furtherance of building the robust, legal cannabis industry that exists today."

DeAngelo added, "Harborside was founded on the principle of providing safe and affordable access to cannabis for those who require it. I'm proud of the immense work that has been completed to get us to where we are today and wish the very best for the company as it continues to grow. Moving forward, I will continue to focus on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues and opportunities in the legal cannabis industry."

DENVER, Colo. December 31, 2020 -- PRESS RELEASE -- Marijuana rules stemming from the General Assembly’s 2020 legislative session go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021 for all regulated marijuana businesses across Colorado, specifically expanding on the state’s Social Equity Program for cannabis businesses and eliminating residency requirements for employees. Additional new rules of note include enhanced sustainability options for licensees and availability of delivery permits for retail stores and transporters. Final rules were adopted by the State Licensing Authority on Oct. 9, 2020 after a summer and fall of extensive stakeholder engagement led by the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED).

“There is no bigger MED priority than the success of the state’s Social Equity Program for cannabis businesses,” said Jim Burack, MED Director. “We are grateful to our stakeholders who have shown a continuous and sustained commitment to help us get this right.”

Highlights of notable key rules that go into effect on Jan. 1 include:

Legislation Implementation:

-HB20-1080 eliminating residency requirements for Employee Licensees; and

LOS ANGELES, December 28, 2020 – PRESS RELEASE – Viola, a producer and retailer of cannabis products, has announced the appointment of rapper, songwriter, actor, record producer and entrepreneur, Tip “T.I.” Harris, to the Viola team as the company's Social Justice and Reform Ambassador. Founded by NBA veteran Al Harrington, Viola is dedicated to producing ultra-premium products rooted in purpose with extensive social equity work done through its recently launched charity, Viola Cares. T.I. brings decades of community advocacy supporting Black and other minority communities in need into his new senior advisory role at Viola.

In this role, T.I. will direct the community impact strategy for Viola. Pioneering initiatives that make the cannabis industry more diverse, equitable and inclusive, he will drive Viola’s mission of racial equity and justice further by conveying the company’s core values as it continues to give back to communities most affected by the War on Drugs. His efforts in unity with Al Harrington’s will propel mass social reform of the cannabis industry. A key driver of this progress will be forthcoming developments through Viola Cares, the brand’s hallmark social equity program aimed at fully funding social equity applicants as they transition into the legal cannabis business. The vision of this program is to create 100 Black millionaires in the near future.

“I have the utmost respect for Al and all the work he has done with Viola to increase minority representation in cannabis and help Black and brown communities who have fallen victim to the War on Drugs,” says Harris. “Together we will expand social justice reform by providing tangible resources for disenfranchised communities and opportunities to build economic autonomy within the cannabis industry.”

Through education, equitable offerings, expungement and incubation programs, the Viola Cares mission is to increase minority representation, facilitate community building and provide employment opportunities to Black and other minority groups in cannabis. With T.I.’s work within underserved Black communities, this new alliance and combined effort between Viola and T.I. will result in forthcoming initiatives such as supporting adult halfway houses in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Michigan and Oklahoma in partnership with Us or Else, T.I.’s social justice non-profit. The partnership will also provide scholarships to HBCU students who are studying the cannabis field at Southern University. On Monday, Dec. 21, Harris Community Works, in conjunction with Viola Cares, gifted boys ages 11 to 25 from the Next Level Boys Academy diversion program with coats and shoes as a kick-off to this partnership.

“As we continue to increase our social imprint within the cannabis industry, I am honored to welcome my brother T.I. into the Viola family,” says Harrington. “His work helping communities of color over the years directly aligns with Viola’s core values as we look to meet the needs of underserved communities by fostering new opportunities for people that look like us.”

When Mike Howard (Director of Cultivation, The Grove) first caught word of the record-breaking cannabis yields being harvested regularly by fellow grow teams around the country (Lume Cannabis in Michigan and Green Life Productions in Nevada) he knew the game was changing. Once Howard dug deeper into the news, he discovered a common catalyst behind the success of his peers: both facilities were actively growing under the A3i LED grow light from Fohse. After hearing firsthand from the grow teams in Michigan and Nevada how they had increased yields over HPS by 31% and 100% respectively, Howard knew he had to get Fohse lighting into The Grove ... and fast!

The Grove, a vertically integrated cannabis business with dispensary, cultivation, distribution, and production licenses, has been producing, sourcing, and selling high quality edibles, cartridges, and recreational cannabis products since 2015. Their 26,600-square-foot growing and production facility is state-of-the-art and eco-friendly. They strive to recreate the conditions that cannabis would find in nature and use only all-natural growing media and inputs as well as biological measures to control any pests or diseases. It only makes sense then that they would seek out and select Fohse products – the best lighting fixtures in the business – to match The Grove’s exacting standards.

The dry Las Vegas air makes for a challenging indoor growing environment for cannabis. Fohse fixtures operate at much cooler temperatures than standard HPS fixtures. At The Grove, this means that the humidifiers and cooling systems don’t have to work as hard, and that an equilibrium between temperature and humidity level can be more easily achieved and maintained. This has led to some of the record harvests being seen regularly at The Grove. Looking at how Fohse’s A3i 1500-watt fixtures compare to standard 1000-watt DE HPS fixtures in an “apples to apples” comparison reveals just how in sync these intelligent fixtures are with cannabis. The numbers from a recent, late fall harvest tell an impressive tale:

*Strawberry Cheesecake was the highest-yielding strain at 7.2 lbs/light, while Cookies was the lowest at 5.49 lbs/light

In the now-typical example above from Fall 2020, the A3i system generated an average of 27 percent more light as compared to the HPS fixtures. This additional light led to an increase in dry yield harvest weights by a whopping 65 percent. All of this, while using 16 percent less energy than the HPS lighting it was compared to and in the same physical footprint of space with the same number of plants.

Remarkable results like those at The Grove are not a fluke or an accident and they are not restricted to Mike Howard and his team alone. Growers all over are finding results like these to be the new norm, regardless of growing media and style of growing. Lume Cannabis has been tracking results of their Fohse A3i fixtures for over 40 hydroponic growing cycles and across 8 different strains of cannabis. Without fail, the team at Lume under Kevin Kuethe’s direction, reports higher yields under the A3i than those grown under HPS. For example, with Fohse fixtures they have harvested 7,130 lbs. versus 5,241 lbs. with the same strains grown under HPS. THC levels under Fohse lights have been 3 percent higher too; 20 percent versus 17 percent on average. In other words, the cannabis that Lume grew under Fohse lighting netted more than $2.5 million more than the cannabis grown under HPS.

For the past five years, Cannabis Business Times has conducted research to determine how growers are using lighting in their indoor and greenhouse facilities. With five years of data, the 2020 State of the Lighting Market Report revealed interesting insights about the cannabis cultivation market, specifically which lighting types growers are using for different stages of growth, which cultivation metrics they’re tracking and more.

One noteworthy finding from the research, conducted by third-party firm Readex Research and made possible with support from Fluence by OSRAM, was that cultivators are increasingly using LED lighting in all stages of plant growth. From 2016 to 2020, LED usage increased by 42 percentage points in propagation, 41 percentage points in veg, and 37 percentage points in flowering, which represented the strongest growth when compared with other lighting types.

James Eaves, director of indoor agriculture at digital electricity company VoltServer and professor at Université Laval in Quebec, Canada, said this struck him when he was reading the 2020 State of the Lighting Market Report.

“From my own interaction with growers, I see people adopting LEDs, but it’s still a lot of HPS, which especially in flower, is still strongly embraced by growers,” Eaves said. “I think if they are high enough intensity that LEDs are a good replacement for HPS.” More than half (52%) of participants in CBT's 2020 lighting research said they use LEDs in the flowering stage, and 40% said they use HPS in that growth stage. 

RELATED: Cannabis Cultivation Lighting Research Shows Shifts in Technology, Grower Practices

Eaves said one of the best applications for LEDs is the vegetative stage, as LEDs don’t produce as much heat as traditional grow lights, giving cultivators the option to grow vertically. And there are large subsidies available in many U.S. states and Canadian provinces for those who use LED technology, which has been embraced by energy companies as a more efficient option for indoor agriculture.

This week, the U.S. Senate approved the Cannabidiol and Marijuana Research Expansion Act, which would allow the attorney general to increase the number of federally licensed entities authorized to cultivate cannabis for research purposes. Elsewhere, in Missouri, a judge rejected a lawsuit challenging the state’s limit on medical cultivation licenses.

Here, we’ve rounded up the headlines you need to know before this week is over.

Federal: Vertically integrated multistate operator Ayr Strategies announced this week the proposed acquisition of Liberty Health Sciences, a vertically integrated operator in Florida, and GSD NJ LLC, a licensed operator in New Jersey. Including these and other pending transactions, Ayr will have operations in seven states covering 73 million people, which include four adult-use markets and three medical markets. Read moreMultistate operator Columbia Care signed a definitive agreement this week to acquire Green Leaf Medical in a deal that will expand Columbia Care’s footprint and operating scale in the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic regions. “This combination affirms Columbia Care’s position as one of the largest cultivators, manufacturers and retailers in four key states—Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio and Maryland—three of which are expected to convert from medical to adult use in the next 24 months,” Columbia Care CEO Nicholas Vita said in a public statement. Read moreThe U.S. Senate voted this week to pass S. 2032, the Cannabidiol and Marijuana Research Expansion Act, which would allow the attorney general to increase the number of federally licensed entities authorized to cultivate cannabis for research purposes. Currently, only the University of Mississippi is authorized to cultivate cannabis for use in FDA-approved clinical studies. Read moreMassachusetts: Gov. Charlie Baker, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and Attorney General Maura Healey have announced the appointments of Nurys Z. Camargo and Bruce Stebbins to the five-member Cannabis Control Board, which oversees the state’s cannabis industry. Camargo and Stebbins will each serve five-year terms, and will replace Shaleen Title, whose term ended Sept. 1, and Kay Doyle, who left the board in May. Read moreMissouri: A Missouri judge has upheld the state’s medical cannabis rules after rejecting a lawsuit brought by a family arguing that the state’s limit on cultivation licenses violated their “right to farm.” The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) issued 60 medical cannabis cultivation licenses in December 2019, and Paul Callicoat and his family sued the department after their application to turn their 70-acre Sarcoxie property into a cultivation site was denied. Read more

Cannabis-infused beverages may only represent a small portion of the overall legal market in the U.S. and Canada now, but there are several reasons to believe that may change, and quickly.

Several companies—from cannabis giants like Canopy Growth and Acreage Holdings to historic, household brands like Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR)—have placed their bets on cannabis-infused beverages, announcing releases (or plans to) in Q4 2020.

In the case of PBR, which agreed to allow the independently operated Pabst Labs to use its brand for its new THC-based drink, the company is not subbing alcohol for THC and creating a beer, like Lagunitas Brewing Company (and parent brand Heineken) did in the case of Hi-Fi Hops. Instead, PBR Labs and many others are fueling a growing niche within the cannabis beverage niche–THC-infused tonics.

And if the popularity of sparking water brands like La Croix and alcohol-based hard seltzers are any indication, these bubbling beverages may be the drink that takes this edibles segment to the next level.

Poised for Growth

The edibles market represents 15% of all cannabis sales in the U.S., according to a recent webinar hosted by industry research firm BDSA, and beverages make up just a small portion of edibles sales at 5%. In Canada, those figures are 6% and 3%, respectively, according to BDSA. But there is evidence of growing interest.

LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer today granted four requests for clemency after reviewing the applications and recommendations by the Michigan Parole Board. 

“As a former prosecutor, I recognize how critical it is to take steps toward a smarter and more equitable justice system. Over the last two years, we’ve worked with leaders on both sides of the aisle to make tremendous progress to give people a second chance, from reforming civil asset forfeiture to becoming a national leader on expungement,” Whitmer said. “These commutations offer a second chance to four individuals who have accepted responsibility and paid their debts to society and whose sentences span decades for non-violent offenses. We still have a lot of work to do, but today is a step in the right direction, and I’m confident that Michigan can continue to be a national leader in smart justice.” 

Based on the affirmative recommendation of the Michigan Parole Board, Michael Thompson, Lawrence Cadroy, Lorenzo Garrett, and Larry McGhee have received commutations for their non-violent sentences.  

A commutation reduces an individual's sentence to a specified term, but does not nullify the underlying conviction. All four individuals have received a commutation that makes them immediately eligible for parole consideration and subsequent release consistent with state law.

“For far too long, the so-called ‘tough on crime’ and ‘war on drugs’ eras of criminal justice have led to fractured families and broken communities that make our state less safe, particularly for people of color in Michigan,” Gilchrist said. “Our administration has spent the last two years delivering bipartisan solutions to improve the criminal justice system in a way that levels the playing field for individuals who have committed nonviolent offenses. We will continue to find ways to provide second chances for everyone, which will make our families, neighborhoods, and communities are safer and stronger.” 

To receive a pardon or commutation, an individual must file an application with the Michigan Parole Board. The applications are reviewed by the parole board on a case-by-case basis. Once an application has met the criteria for recommendation, it is sent to the governor’s office for review and a final determination.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has released a final rule that addresses forthcoming regulations regarding federally legal cannabis research.

The announcement of the final rule follows the United Nations Commission for Narcotic Drugs’ vote to remove cannabis from its list of most dangerous drugs, and the U.S. House and Senate’s passage of cannabis research bills.

RELATED: U.N. Vote on Cannabis: Is This the Beginning of the End of the Controlled Substances Act?

In the public comment section of the rule, which goes into effect Jan. 19, 2021, DEA explains that “past experience in the manufacture of controlled substances” will be a factor the agency will consider when reviewing applications. The rule, citing the U.S. Congress, states: 

The rule continues: “…An applicant that has manufactured marijuana without obtaining a DEA registration has violated Federal law, … regardless of whether that manufacturer has violated the laws of the State in which the applicant is located. … While the DEA Administrator has discretion to weigh the statutory factors and any one factor need not be dispositive, an applicant's prior compliance with Federal law is a relevant consideration when determining whether to grant an application for registration.”

Some see DEA’s registration criteria as a red flag. Henry Baskerville, a partner at Fortis Law Partners provided the following statement to Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary.