MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves wants lawmakers to include limits on how much cannabis a patient can purchase in their medical cannabis legalization proposal before he will call a special session on the legislation.
"The key piece is how much marijuana any one individual can get," Reeves told WAPT. "Really, the one key piece that is left [is] with respect to how much marijuana can any one individual get at any one point in time and what is the THC content of that marijuana?"
Mississippi lawmakers have been working on a medical cannabis legalization proposal to restore the will of their constituents after the Mississippi Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved legalization measure in May.
Lawmakers reached a deal on medical cannabis legislation in September before revising some aspects of the proposal last month to allow larger cultivation facilities and restructure the excise tax on medical cannabis products, among other changes.
The latest version of the bill allows patients to purchase a maximum of 4 ounces of medical cannabis per month, WAPT reported. That’s an ounce less than the maximum amount that was outlined in the voter-approved ballot initiative, according to the news outlet.
London, Nov. 1, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Curaleaf International (formerly EMMAC Life Sciences Group), part of Curaleaf Holdings, Europe’s largest vertically integrated cannabis company, is pleased to announce its official rebrand to the European market. It has been three years to the day since the U.K. government’s landmark decision to legalize cannabis-based products for medicinal use, paving the way for further significant developments to the cannabis sector. In this time, Curaleaf International has experienced exponential growth in cannabis revenues, as the demand for premium medicinal cannabis continues to grow.
Curaleaf International’s cannabis flower products and extracted cannabis-based products now supply five separate markets, including Germany, Europe’s largest market for medicinal cannabis, which is expected to be worth over €840 million by 2025. In the U.K., specifically over the last 12 months, the number of patients using the company’s products have increased fivefold.
Building on the momentum within the European medicinal cannabis market, Curaleaf International expects to see significant regulatory change across Europe for adult-use cannabis over the coming years with expectations that the total European cannabis market will be worth €3.2 billion by 2025. Curaleaf International expects the trends to follow that of Canada and the U.S., which both started with the legalization of medicinal cannabis before moving to legalize cannabis for adult use. With a population of approximately 740 million people, Europe presents a greater market size than that of North America.
The potential commercial impact of cannabis legalization in Europe is significant. One in 10 Europeans use cannabis every year, while a quarter of people admit to having used cannabis at least once in their lifetime. The annual sales in illicit market cannabis are estimated at around €11 billion. As highlighted in The European Cannabis Report: 6th Edition, it is projected that sales of adult-use cannabis will reach €200 million by 2023, coming close to €800 million in 2025. Taking into account growth in the adult-use sector due to decreasing stigma and ease of access, Prohibition Partners increased its total market estimate from €800 million to €3.2 billion by 2025.
The Curaleaf International expects that over the next three to four years significant regulatory changes will occur across the continent. Recent progress has notably occurred in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany. Since May 2021, Switzerland allows the sale of adult-use cannabis under a trial basis. In Zurich, the country’s largest city, consumers will be allowed to buy cannabis products from pharmacies and social clubs. In the Netherlands, 10 licenses have been issued for an adult-use cannabis pilot project to supply 79 “coffee shops” in 10 municipalities. In Germany, the likely new coalition government under the SPD, Greens and FDP parties are all in favor of legalizing adult-use cannabis.
Additionally, Italy could be the first European nation to make adult-use cannabis legal. The country is due to have a referendum proposing the legalization of adult-use cannabis in 2022, with an expected result of 57% voting in favor of legalizing. The potential market presents a lucrative opportunity for first movers such as Curaleaf International.
EDMONTON, Alberta, Oct. 28, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Aurora Cannabis Inc., a Canadian company focused on defining the future of cannabinoids worldwide, announced a manufacturing agreement with The Valens Company Inc., a leading manufacturer of cannabis products, to manufacture a new seasonal offering in the mint category.
Launching under Drift Turbo, Aurora's mainstream adult-use brand, the new Canna Cane Mints are a two-piece hard peppermint candy containing 10 milligrams of THC (5mg THC per piece). This is the first product offering under the manufacturing arrangement, which is expected to expand in the coming months.
"We know that Canadian cannabis consumers are looking for novelty and variety, and seasonal offerings are a key approach to strategically expanding our portfolio of adult-use products," Aurora Cannabis CEO Miguel Martin said. "Valens' exceptional manufacturing capabilities complement our product lineup this upcoming holiday season. Our strategic relationship is designed to unlock efficiencies as we seek to bring innovation to market with speed and differentiation that connects with consumers."
The cannabis edibles will be manufactured using SōRSE by Valens emulsion technology, a patented, in-house emulsion technology that transforms cannabis oils into water-soluble forms to infuse foods, liquids and topicals without the taste or smell of cannabis.
Tyler Robson, CEO, co-founder and chair of The Valens Company, said, "This is an important milestone for the Canadian cannabis market as two of the largest companies in this sector come together. We have admired Aurora for their leadership and continuing to elevate and challenge industry standards. Our companies share the same ethos when it comes to bringing the highest quality products to market and offering a premium experience to consumers."
Aurora's upcoming holiday portfolio will also include a new 510 Vape cartridge launching under the company's adult-use brand, Daily Special. The new Cranberry Sauce 1-gram 510 Vape is a high-THC distillate vape and is infused with the classic sweet-tart flavor of festive cranberries.
Pennsylvania State Rep. Melissa Shusterman introduced legislation to expand the number of medical cannabis growers in the state, according to an Oct. 29 press release from the Democratic lawmaker.
The measure would prioritize smaller enterprises and farmers, allowing them a chance to compete in the medical cannabis market and to acquire a growing license, the release states.
The legislation is an effort to "lessen the burden on consumers" and help alleviate supply-chain issues, which Shusterman believes is caused by the state's strict laws of how many growers can be in one zone.
"The monopoly of several big corporations over this industry has created a supply shortage, which drives up prices and hurts consumers who need their prescribed medication," the release states.
Shusterman said in the release that Pennsylvania medical cannabis patients should not have trouble accessing medication and that the current restrictions only hurt farmers, businesses and patients.
"The studies have shown again and again the benefits of medical marijuana for certain medical conditions," she said. "It's not fair that only big corporations control the market, hurting consumers and small businesses."
In week nine of "Operation Hammer Strike" from Oct. 25-31, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department (SBSD) Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) issued 32 search warrants for various locations throughout nine cities in its California jurisdiction.
The cities include Lucerne Valley, Landers, Adelanto, Hesperia, Helendale, Newberry Springs, Pinon Hills, Phelan and San Gabriel.
In week nine of the investigation, law enforcement personnel eradicated over 18,000 illicit cannabis plants, roughly 3,500 pounds of processed cannabis, 13 guns and more than $114,000 in illegal narcotics proceeds, according to a press release from SBSD headquarters.
Officials also located 104 greenhouses, four indoor cultivation facilities, one electrical bypass and two THC extraction labs. Twenty-three suspects were cited or arrested on "charges of Cultivation of Cannabis, over six plants, Possession for Sales of Marijuana, Utility Theft, Manufacturing a Controlled Substance and Felon in Possession of a Firearm," the release states.
Read more Cannabis Business Times Operation Hammer Strike coverage here:
Five new medical cannabis dispensaries are fixing to open their doors next year in Rhode Island after winning licenses during a luck-of-the draw lottery by the state’s Department of Business Regulation (DBR) on Oct. 29.
The lottery—which featured a blindfolded former FBI agent picking numbered balls out of a casino tumbler—came after former Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo signed a 2019 state budget that allowed for the state’s medical cannabis retail footprint to expand from three to nine dispensaries.
A sixth dispensary selection was supposed to be included in the expansion lottery, but the winner from Zone 6 will be determined at a later date because a rejected applicant from that geographic boundary brought forth an administrative appeal. Zone 6 includes Barrington, Bristol, East Providence, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, New Shoreham, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Tiverton and Warren.
Rather than delay the entire process, the DBR’s Office of Cannabis Regulation moved forward with selecting winners from the other five zones:
Those winners were selected from 23 pre-approved companies that submitted 37 applications. They will operate in cities and towns that do not currently have a dispensary.
Rhode Island’s three already established medical dispensaries include Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center in Providence, Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center in Portsmouth and Summit Medical Compassion Center in Warwick.
MIAMI, Florida, October 26, 2021 - PRESS RELEASE - Ayr Wellness Inc., a vertically integrated cannabis multi-state operator, announced the launch of Kynd premium flower in Arizona.
“We’re excited to introduce Kynd premium flower to Arizona consumers," said Jon Sandelman, Ayr Wellness founder, chairman and CEO. "With strong genetic backing and an artful growing process, the brand has been incredibly successful in its original state of Nevada. We look forward to expanding Kynd as one of our core national brands alongside Origyn Extracts and Levia1 THC-infused seltzer."
Kynd’s initial launch in Arizona will be exclusive to Ayr’s Oasis Cannabis stores. The premium cannabis brand is comprised of carefully curated genetics that produces flower offering exceptional effect and flavor. The first Kynd drop features twelve popular strains, including Mai Thai, Black Water and MTF.
The sale of Kynd premium flower in other stores throughout Arizona will begin following the exclusive launch in Ayr’s Oasis dispensaries.
]]>New York’s first adult-use cannabis licenses will not be issued until 2023, according to the chair of the state's Cannabis Control Board (CCB).
CCB Chair Tremaine Wright said last week during a cannabis symposium in Rochester that the board is working on an 18-month timeline to launch the state’s adult-use cannabis market, according to a WXXI report. She said that the first adult-use dispensaries will likely be licensed in the spring of 2023 at the earliest.
“What we do control is getting [dispensaries] licensing and giving them all the tools so they can work within our systems,” Wright said, according to WXXI. “That’s what we are saying will be achieved in 18 months. Not that they’re open, not that they’ll be full-blown operations, because we don’t know that.”
The five-member CCB was established by Gov. Kathy Hochul in September to govern the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), which will oversee New York’s adult-use cannabis market, as well as its existing medical cannabis and hemp programs.
The Marijuana Regulation and Tax Act (MRTA), New York’s adult-use cannabis law, marks April 1, 2022, as the earliest date for the launch of the adult-use market, according to WXXI.
New Hampshire lawmakers have introduced legislation to legalize adult-use cannabis.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Tim Egan, would legalize the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis for personal use, as well as the home cultivation of up to three mature plants, according to a WCAX report.
“At the end of the day, if it does become a business—and it should—states like New Hampshire, who have struggled to find revenue for education or mental health care, can say, in our taxation of cannabis, a percentage for that is going to go for these issues,” Egan told the news outlet.
Legalization has bipartisan support in the Legislature due to the economic benefits of a commercial cannabis market, Egan added, and a study by the University of New Hampshire has revealed that 75% of residents support adult-use legalization, WCAX reported.
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has historically opposed legalization.
More than half the hemp fields in Jackson County, in southern Oregon, are actually cannabis crops—rich with THC and unlicensed in the eyes of the state. This is a problem, one major node in what Jackson County has declared as a statement of emergency, and it’s captured the attention of the industry more broadly.
We’ve got the link below, but a recent community hearing brought stakeholders together to assess best moves forward.
“Cases are prioritized by fire, life, safety issues, egregious violations, violations that are blatant criminal activity,” supervisor Alicia Brown said of the litany of complaints landing at the county’s feet.
And while the overarching, overwhelming nature of this illicit market development is particularly egregious in Jackson County, it’s not unique to the southwest corner of Oregon. It’s a source of tension for any state wrangling the history of cannabis cultivation into a regulated landscape—and more states are joining the conversation with each passing year.
We’ve rounded up some of the key cannabis headlines from the week right here.
The New York State Department of Labor recently issued guidance prohibiting New York employers from drug screening most workers for cannabis. Assistant Editor Andriana Ruscitto has the story. Read more Austin-based Hometown Hero sued the state of Texas over its announcement that delta-8 THC products are illegal under Texas law. A judge has since shot down that lawsuit. Read more Tilray is making moves in Europe. Read more Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board has extended the deadline for dispensaries to exercise their licenses in order to give operators time to wait out local moratoriums that are keeping their businesses in limbo. Read more Senior Digital Editor Melissa Schiller turns to Montana, which is preparing for the start of adult-use sales in January. Read moreAnd elsewhere on the web, here are the stories we’ve been reading this week:
New York Times: “As most other major economies liberalize their laws on marijuana amid growing evidence of its medical benefits, Japan has doubled down on its hard-line position toward the drug, ramping up arrests and increasing efforts to battle the influx of marijuana-friendly information from abroad with public awareness campaigns and tougher laws.” Read more This Is Reno: The city of Reno, Nev., is considering on-site consumption lounges. Currently, the city has eight dispensaries up and running. Read more Vermont Public Radio: “In about one year — by October 2022 — Vermont's retail cannabis market is scheduled to go into place, and the state's Cannabis Control Board has already made some key decisions that will shape Vermont’s legal marijuana marketplace.” Read morePolitico: “California’s cannabis market is booming nearly five years after voters legalized recreational weed. But there’s a catch: the vast majority of pot sales are still underground.” Read more Oregon Public Broadcasting: Oregon state and Jackson county officials at a recent community forum cited wage and water theft, and physical and sexual intimidation as just a few of the problems at illegal cannabis operations this summer. This is the latest in a long-running effort to combat a sprawling illicit market in southern Oregon. Read more ]]>The cannabis industry’s lack of banking access has created public safety concerns and social equity challenges in the rapidly growing marketplace.
That was the main takeaway from an Oct. 28 virtual briefing titled “UNSAFE Banking & Cannabis,” which was hosted by the U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC).
During the hour-long webinar, which was moderated by USCC CEO Steven Hawkins, several cannabis entrepreneurs and a security expert shared firsthand accounts of how a lack of banking services has impacted them.
Alphonso “Tucky” Blunt, CEO of Blunts + Moore in Oakland, Calif., shared details of robberies at his dispensaries and the public safety risks of the cash-only cannabis industry.
Precious Osagie-Erese, co-founder and chief operating officer of cannabis delivery and logistics company Roll Up Life, based in New Jersey, described her limited options to raise capital and the pressure to accept predatory deals in the industry.
Editor’s note: This article explores the state of the adult-use cannabis industry in Maine from the perspectives of a long-time medical operator transitioning to the new market, an out-of-state investor who co-founded former MSO Grassroots, and a select board member from a small, conservative town where voters will help decide their opt-in fate in next week’s election.
The $9.7 million in adult-use cannabis sales Maine banked in September might come in the shadows of current retail behemoths like California, Michigan and Illinois.
Through the first half of 2021, California averaged more than $430 million per month in taxable cannabis sales, while Michigan recorded $124.9 million in adult-use sales in September and Illinois tallied $121.7 million last month. But those are the three most populated states currently up and running with adult-use sales.
Not only is Maine still finding its footing—its adult-use sales launched Oct. 9, 2020—but it’s the second-smallest state by population to roll out adult-use retail. Only Alaska has a smaller in-state customer base.
South Dakota’s Marijuana Interim Study Committee has recommended that the state Legislature legalize, regulate and tax adult-use cannabis as the South Dakota Supreme Court continues deliberating on the constitutionality of a voter-approved legalization measure.
Amendment A passed with a 54.2% majority, but has been challenged in a lawsuit alleging that the measure violates South Dakota’s one-subject rule and does not simply amend the state constitution, but instead revises it. The revision would require a constitutional convention to be called by a three-fourths vote of members from both chambers of the state Legislature.
A circuit judge ruled Amendment A unconstitutional before the case landed in the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the Marijuana Interim Study Committee has been studying cannabis legalization, with the Adult-Use Marijuana Study Subcommittee voting Oct. 19 to recommend adult-use cannabis legislation.
The full committee adopted the recommendation Oct. 27, according to the Argus Leader, thus sending the adult-use legalization proposal to the South Dakota Legislature for consideration.
Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board has extended the deadline for dispensaries to exercise their licenses in order to give operators time to wait out local moratoriums that are keeping their businesses in limbo.
Entrepreneurs were up against a February 2022 deadline to get their retail operations up and running, but regulators have given them an extra year, until February 2023, to wait out their municipalities’ bans on cannabis businesses, according to a Nevada Current report.
The Cannabis Compliance Board voted unanimously Oct. 26 to extend the deadline, the news outlet reported, effectively delaying the final inspections for Essence Henderson LLC, Essence Tropicana LLC, Pure Tonic Concentrates LLC, Green Therapeutics LLC and HH Sub One LLC, which are all in the crosshairs of local moratoriums.
The move has been applauded by Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerbloom, who told the Nevada Current that licensees should have more time to wait out local moratoriums “or be allowed to transfer to another jurisdiction."
South Dakota lawmakers have approved the latest version of medical cannabis rules, paving the way for regulations to take effect before the Department of Health starts processing patient and caregiver applications next month, according to a KELO report.
The Legislature’s Rules Review Committee signed off on the regulations in a unanimous vote Oct. 26, the news outlet reported.
The rules will implement Initiated Measure 26, a medical cannabis legalization proposal that voters approved in the 2020 election.
The measure requires the Department of Health to begin issuing medical cannabis ID cards by Nov. 18, according to KELO.
The Legislature’s Rules Review Committee approved the majority of the regulations for South Dakota’s forthcoming medical cannabis program last month, but rejected six of the proposed rules, KELO reported.
A Texas judge has denied a CBD retailer’s request to block the state’s ban on delta-8 THC.
Austin-based Sky Marketing Corp., which does business as Hometown Hero, filed a lawsuit in Travis County district court last week to bar the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) from taking “enforcement action” against the sale of low-THC hemp products, arguing that the products are legal under both state and federal law.
RELATED: CBD Retailer Sues Texas Over Delta-8 THC Ban
Earlier this month, DSHS added a statement to its website to clarify that delta-8 THC is illegal under H.B. 1325, legislation signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2019 to legalize the cultivation of hemp that contains less than 0.3% delta-9 THC. Since the law did not specifically address delta-8, many manufacturers and retailers assumed the compound was legal until DSHS issued its statement earlier this month.
“Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 443 (HSC 443), established by House Bill 1325 (86th Legislature), allows Consumable Hemp Products in Texas that do not exceed 0.3% Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),” the statement reads. “All other forms of THC, including Delta-8 in any concentration and Delta-9 exceeding 0.3%, are considered Schedule I controlled substances.”
Cannabis cultivation is a multi-variable equation; you cannot simply change X and expect Y without impacting Z (or A, B and C, for that matter). Very few agricultural products are as picky or delicate when it comes to optimal growing conditions for the highest quality product. While lighting is a massively important variable, it is far from the only one.
If you are considering lighting changes, especially in your prime cultivation space where product is destined for sale, it is best to make slow, incremental changes with R&D-dedicated plants and closely observe the results.
In GreenSeal’s lighting research trials, we’ve seen small changes in lighting variables lead to some pretty dramatic changes—both positive and negative—in yield, cannabinoid and terpene content, nutrient deficiencies, humidity and more. While some results become apparent overnight, others take a full harvest cycle or multiple cycles to confirm. As frustrating as it may be to wait to observe results, it is far better than growing a batch of unsellable flower.
]]>Cannabis policy reform is gaining momentum.
NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Tilray Inc., a global pioneer in medical cannabis research, cultivation, production and distribution, announced it has been selected by the Luxembourg Ministry of Health as a supplier of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certified medical cannabis products for the country’s medical cannabis program.
Following this selection, Tilray will supply a variety of its pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis products, including extracts and dried flower with different degrees of THC and CBD for patients with varying medical conditions. These prescription-based medical cannabis products will be administered to qualifying patients in Luxembourg under the supervision of physicians.
RELATED: Luxembourg to Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis
Tilray Chairman and CEO Irwin D. Simon said, “We believe that Tilray’s growth potential in the European Union represents a $1 billion opportunity, and today’s announcement affirms that we are turning potential into performance. With today’s validation from the Luxembourg Ministry of Health, Tilray now offers branded medical cannabis in 20 countries around the world—a testament to our high standards and status as a trusted partner to patients in need. We’re proud to be building this unrivaled global platform and will continue to advocate for patient access in Europe and countries around the world.”
Denise Faltischek, head of international and chief strategy officer, added, “Tilray’s mission includes an unwavering conviction that patients around the world should have access to safe, high-quality, cannabinoid-based medicine. We’re proud to expand this effort to Luxembourg and provide patients in need with pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis products. We are committed to being a trusted partner, and we will continue to leverage our strong medical platform to increase access to the highest-quality medical cannabis for patients worldwide.”
Tilray operates two state-of-the-art GMP-certified cannabis cultivation facilities in Europe located in Cantanhede, Portugal, and Neumunster, Germany. The EU campus in Portugal is a multifaceted production facility that includes the cultivation, extraction, processing and packaging of medical cannabis. It also serves as a hub supporting Tilray's clinical research and product development efforts across Europe.
WAKEFIELD, Mass., Oct. 26, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Curaleaf Holdings Inc., a leading international provider of consumer products in cannabis, announced that its initial batches of New York whole flower have cleared testing by third-party labs and that sales of three initial strains will begin Oct. 26 in the company's Newburgh location and Oct. 27 in Curaleaf's Carle Place, Forest Hills and Plattsburgh dispensaries.
"Our patients have been waiting a long time for this day and we couldn't be happier to be able to deliver whole flower product to all four of our New York locations in the next day or so and to the majority of our wholesale partners within the month," Curaleaf CEO Joe Bayern said. "Fortunately, we have been preparing for this moment and we are more than ready with plenty of product for all our New York locations. We are grateful to Gov. Hochul and the OCM [Office of Cannabis Management] for moving this forward so quickly, and we look forward to robust sales and happy customers. We appreciate the patience and loyalty of all our patients as we worked toward this milestone."
RELATED: New York Cannabis Control Board Dishes Out Whole Flower at First Meeting
Prior to this month, cannabis was only available to New York patients in ground form, a source of frustration for many patients who prefer the plant's medicinal applications in its purest and most natural format.
Curaleaf whole flower will also be available to the majority of the company's wholesale partners in the state by the end of the month, ensuring that the company maintains its position as the New York market leader and its product will be available throughout the state.
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