MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
WAKEFIELD, Mass., Oct. 4, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Curaleaf Holdings Inc., a leading international provider of consumer products in cannabis, has successfully completed the previously announced $67-million acquisition of Los Sueños Farms and its related entities (“Los Sueños”), the largest outdoor grow in Colorado.
Curaleaf Executive Chairman Boris Jordan said, "We're very excited about the closing of the Los Sueños acquisition. The vertical integration of our business in Colorado significantly strengthens Curaleaf's market presence in the second largest state cannabis market in the U.S. This deal provides Curaleaf with a high-quality, efficient, and low-cost supply of biomass to support our wholesale and retail customers in Colorado and, once interstate commerce is allowed, on a regional scale. Overall, our newly expanded cultivation capacity will allow us to better serve Colorado's $2.2 billion annual cannabis market opportunity."
Following the successful completion of the Los Sueños acquisition, Curaleaf gains three Pueblo, Colo., outdoor cannabis grow facilities covering 66 acres of cultivation capacity including land, equipment and licensed operating entities; an 1,800 plant indoor grow; and two retail cannabis dispensary locations serving adult-use customers. As the largest cannabis biomass producer in the state, the Los Sueños facilities will help fuel Curaleaf’s Select brand’s already market-leading presence in Colorado with a variety of best-in-class cannabis products distributed to nearly 2,000 locations across 18 states.
Bob DeGabrielle, Los Sueños founder and Colorado cannabis industry expert, will continue to oversee the Los Sueños operation and will take responsibility for Curaleaf’s Colorado wholesale and retail businesses.
Curaleaf CEO Joseph Bayern said, “The Los Sueños acquisition provides important new cultivation capacity to accelerate our growth and share in the fast-growing Colorado market. By leveraging the outdoor grow expertise of the talented Los Sueños team, we will optimize our new outdoor scale and cultivation technologies to lower our total cost of delivery, with the genetics that we perfect there serving as a center of excellence for all our future U.S. outdoor cultivation capabilities.”]]>MIAMI, Oct. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Ayr Wellness Inc., a vertically-integrated cannabis multi-state operator (MSO), today announced it has closed, through a wholly owned subsidiary, on the purchase of 100% of the membership interests of PA Natural Medicine, LLC, an operator of three licensed retail dispensaries, deepening Ayr’s presence in the rapidly growing medical market in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The acquisition of PA Natural adds key dispensary locations in central Pennsylvania, including the college towns of Bloomsburg and State College, as well as Selinsgrove. In keeping with the company’s retail strategy, the stores will be rebranded to “Ayr” from the existing “Nature’s Medicine” banner by year-end.
“We are excited to expand our retail presence in Pennsylvania, where we’ve generated great momentum since entering the market earlier this year, in terms of the excellent reception we’ve received for both our dispensaries and our Ayr-grown premium flower. With six stores now open and two additional dispensary openings anticipated by year-end, and one of the largest cultivation and production footprints in the state, we expect Pennsylvania to be a major contributor to our growth in 2022 and beyond,” said Jonathan Sandelman, Ayr Wellness founder, chairman and CEO.
The terms of the transaction include upfront consideration of $80 million, made up of $20 million in stock, $25 million in seller notes and $35 million in cash. An earn-out based on 2021 Adjusted EBITDA, is payable in Q1 2022.
Update on accelerated warrant exercise and expiry: The company’s trustee, Odyssey Trust, is making final determinations in connection with the warrant exercises ahead of the accelerated expiry effective Sept. 30, 2021. The company estimates over 90% of the expiring warrant holders chose to exercise for cash. As a result, Ayr expects approximately US$50 million in cash to be added to its balance sheet. A final update will be provided by the company in the near future.
With all the headlines explaining the proposed Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) this summer, it was nice to see some action on cannabis reform from a high-profile U.S. House committee this week.
But it wasn’t the CAOA, which has yet to be formally introduced in Congress.
It was the MORE Act, a similarly comprehensive piece of legislation first introduced in 2019. The U.S. House has approved this bill before, but it’s still heartening to see it progress once again through the committee process.
“By advancing the MORE Act, the House will demonstrate that the majority of our political leaders are ready to correct this injustice and enact cannabis policy reform that undoes the harms that have been inflicted upon millions of otherwise law-abiding citizens,” NORML Political Director Justin Strekal said in a public statement.
Indeed. This is more than mere symbolism, but the symbolism is still important. That idea that the House “will demonstrate” the political inclinations of the people is vital to the ongoing rush of progress our industry has seen in recent years.
It’s not a done deal by any means, and it’s far from a unanimous rallying cry for a federally legal cannabis industry. Support for legalization among the U.S. electorate is up—way up—but the rest of the story has yet to be told. This week’s major MORE Act vote is just one more step forward.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. and PHOENIX, Oct. 1, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Trulieve Cannabis Corp. ("Trulieve" or the "company") and Arizona-based Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. announced the completion of the previously announced $2.1-billion arrangement, pursuant to which Trulieve acquired all of the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares, multiple voting shares and super voting shares (collectively the "Harvest shares") of Harvest (the "transaction").
The all-stock transaction expands the multistate operator’s presence to 11 states with 22 cultivation and processing facilities, and 149 dispensaries.
RELATED: Trulieve Announces Acquisition of Harvest Health in $2.1-Billion Deal
Key Transaction Highlights and Benefits
Increases Scale Across Our Hub Markets – creates at time of closing the largest U.S. cannabis operator across a combined retail and cultivation footprint basis with depth in key markets;Solidifies Position as the Most Profitable U.S. MSO – establishes an outstanding platform of profitability and cash generation for continued growth, positioning the company to execute on near-term opportunities in existing markets as well as future catalysts at both state and federal levels;Provides Leading Financial Metrics – reinforces superior financial performance relative to peers by delivering the strongest public company financial results among any U.S. reporting MSO. In second quarter 2021, Trulieve reported revenues of $215.1 million, net income of $40.9 million, and Adjusted EBITDA of $94.9 million, while Harvest reported revenues of $102.5 million, net loss before non-controlling interest of $19.2 million, and Adjusted EBITDA of $28 million. On a combined basis, in second quarter 2021, Trulieve and Harvest had $317.6 million in reported revenue, the highest among U.S. public reporting cannabis companies;Delivers an Exceptional Retail and Wholesale Distribution Model – offers a robust retail network of 149 dispensaries across 11 states and three strategic regional hubs, with market-leading positions in Arizona, Florida and Pennsylvania;Strengthens Industry Leading Balance Sheet – combines Trulieve and Harvest's strong cash and cash equivalents of $289 million and $71 million, respectively, as of June 30, 2021, bolstered by Trulieve's recently announced $350 million debt financing and Harvest's $55 million proceeds from the sale of its Florida license;Extends Product Selection and Brands – adds successful line of Harvest brands, including Alchemy and Roll One, across multiple form factors to Trulieve's portfolio of in-house brands and national brand partners; andLeverages Experience and Best Practices – combines proven management teams with established track records, enhancing operational excellence across cultivation, manufacturing and retail.Management Commentary
"The closing of this transaction marks a transformational milestone in our company's history and positions Trulieve as the leading medical and adult-use cannabis operator in the U.S.," Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said. "I thank all our employees, both Trulievers and Harvesters, for their tireless efforts during this process. The combined footprint provides Trulieve with a solid foundation for continued growth and scale. We look forward to fully integrating Harvest as we continue to execute on our hub strategy in the U.S., creating an unrivalled brand and reputation in the marketplace and value for our shareholders."
NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Acreage Holdings Inc. (“Acreage”), a multistate operator of cannabis cultivation and retailing facilities in the U.S., announced the closing of the acquisitions of cultivation, processing and retail operations in Ohio by its subsidiary, High Street Capital Partners LLC (“High Street”).
As previously announced, Acreage entered into purchase agreements for these operations in Ohio during the summer of 2018 for the total purchase price of approximately $7.1 million in cash, $7.1 million in notes and 1.1 million shares of High Street, which are convertible into shares of Acreage, with the remaining $3.3 million worth of notes repaid today.
Under the terms of the agreements, Acreage acquired all of the membership interests of Greenleaf Gardens LLC, which operates a cultivation license in Ohio, Greenleaf Therapeutics LLC, which operates a processing license in Ohio, and Greenleaf Apothecaries LLC, which operates five retail dispensaries in Ohio (together “Greenleaf”). Upon completion of these acquisitions, Acreage will subsequently consolidate the results of Greenleaf into its consolidated financial statements.
OPERATIONS HIGHLIGHTS:
Cultivation and Processing: Greenleaf’s cultivation and processing operations are located in a 70,000-square-foot facility in Middlefield, Ohio, and include 8 acres of land which will allow for future expansion.Greenleaf produces a variety of high-quality cannabis products including edibles, vapes, concentrates, tinctures, capsules and flower.In addition to direct sales through its retail dispensaries, Greenleaf also sells product through its wholesale channels to 40 of the 56 medical cannabis dispensaries currently operating in Ohio.Retail Operations: Greenleaf’s retail operations in Ohio include five operational dispensaries, branded The Botanist, in Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Columbus and Wickliffe.Greenleaf is a leading cannabis retailer in the state of Ohio with an average of 30,000 transactions per month and an estimated retail market share of approximately 20%.“The closing of our acquisition of Greenleaf’s operations in Ohio will significantly strengthen both our operating asset base and our long-term financial performance,” Acreage CEO Peter Caldini said. “The cannabis market in Ohio is rapidly growing and with some of the highest quality assets in the state, we are well positioned to continue to lead its development. This transaction demonstrates our continued focus on our three key strategic objectives—driving profitability, strengthening our balance sheet and accelerating our growth in our core markets.”
]]>More than half of the registered hemp fields tested in Southern Oregon this summer are actually growing THC-rich cannabis as regulators admit they lack the resources to eliminate the still-thriving illicit market that threatens the state’s legal adult-use industry.
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) adopted temporary rules in July to allow the agency to work with the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) to test registered hemp fields across the state to determine if the farmers are growing legal hemp (containing less than 0.3% THC) or illegal cannabis (containing more than 0.3% THC).
The emergency rules stemmed from the implementation of House Bill 3000, which aimed to regulate cannabis intoxicants (including delta-8), curb the illegal production of cannabis, bring Oregon into compliance with the 2018 Farm Bill, and establish a task force to address the regulation and marketing of cannabis cultivation in the state.
That task force was deployed at the end of July for “Operation Table Rock,” which saw agents from the OLCC, the ODA and local law enforcement set out to test the THC content of plants at the 335 registered hemp grow sites in Jackson and Josephine Counties. The emergency rules set a THC limit of 5% for these farms.
RELATED: Oregon Launches Hemp Field Inspections to Crack Down on Illicit Cannabis Operations
Pennsylvania state Sen. Mike Regan is a fiscal conservative with a law enforcement background of fighting crime and protecting families.
The Republican serving Cumberland and York counties is now adding cannabis legalization advocate to his track record. Regan, who chairs the Law and Justice Committee, is seeking co-sponsorship for his intent to introduce legislation legalizing adult-use cannabis in the commonwealth.
In an Oct. 4 op-ed, Regan said it may come to the consternation of some that he’s circulating a co-sponsorship memo for his legalization bill, specifically stating his 23-year background in law enforcement. But the former U.S. Marshal called adult-use legalization inevitable.
“For decades, marijuana has been used by adult residents in the state, but such use has financially benefitted and perpetuated organized crime, gangs and cartels,” Regan said in the statement.
Prior to his political endeavors—which includes serving two terms in the Pennsylvania House, before getting elected to the state Senate in 2016—Regan began his law enforcement career in 1988 as a member of the U.S. Marshals Service and ascended to the post of Fugitive Task Force Commander in 1995. In 2002, President George W. Bush nominated him to become the U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, where he served until his 2011 retirement.
Although Regan’s sponsorship of an adult-use cannabis measure may come as a surprise to some, he took on medical cannabis reform efforts and voted in favor of establishing a medical cannabis program when he served in the Pennsylvania House.
BILLERICA, Mass., Oct. 4, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Agrify Corp., a developer of highly advanced and proprietary precision hardware and software cultivation solutions for the indoor agriculture marketplace, announced it has acquired Precision Extraction Solutions (“Precision”) and Cascade Sciences (“Cascade”), two of the leading brands that provide equipment and solutions for extraction, post-processing and testing for the cannabis and hemp industry, from Sinclair Scientific (“Sinclair”).
With the addition of Precision and Cascade, Agrify has expanded its core business beyond cultivation by gaining instant access to complementary and highly attractive areas of the supply chain. Precision and Cascade offer cutting-edge technologies and end-to-end service solutions for cannabis and hemp extraction and post-processing. These leading brands have collectively worked with over 30 multistate operators (MSOs) and over a thousand cannabis and hemp customers. Precision and Cascade expect to generate approximately $40 million in revenue in 2021 with positive EBITDA. As a result of this transaction, Agrify now has a physical presence in seven states with a growing number of clients and business partners distributed throughout the country.
Management Commentary
“We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of Precision and Cascade, two companies that share our strong commitment and passion for delivering leading-edge solutions and exceptional customer service to the cannabis and hemp industry,” Agrify CEO Raymond Chang said. “Precision and Cascade have stellar reputations and powerful leadership positions in their respective spaces, which is a perfect complement to our existing business and should allow us to leverage new competitive advantages and synergies in order to accelerate our growth plans.”
Chang added, “This accretive and transformative acquisition offers us a number of critical benefits including giving us direct access to the thriving global cannabis extract vertical, which is expected to grow to $24 billion by 2028, increasing our potential customer base by approximately 50% and nearly doubling our annual revenue in 2021. Additionally, we believe this transaction provides us with a tremendous opportunity to engage with more MSOs through our fortified portfolio of solutions while also driving substantial gains to the lifetime value of our current and future clients as well as the legacy customers from Precision and Cascade. We want to officially welcome our new team members, customers, business partners and suppliers to the Agrify family, and we look forward to realizing the vast potential of our bolstered organization while generating significant value for all of our stakeholders and shareholders.”
“We are proud to partner with Agrify to create the most vertically integrated total solutions provider in the cannabis and hemp market,” said Nick Tennant, founder and chief technology officer of Precision. “We have seen firsthand that customers are craving best-in-class solutions that address the many challenges they encounter across the supply chain from a single trusted source. With a diverse suite of cultivation and post-harvest solutions, our combined organizations are poised to leverage our additional scale to become a dominant force within the industry.”
Utah cultivator Sugar House Selects turned some heads when its Ice Cream Cake cultivar tested at 45.13% THC in June, knocking on the world-record potency door. Sugar House promoted the results on social media.
But the cannabis flower sample that was tested by Aromatic Plant Research Center (APRC)—a cannabis testing facility in Utah—didn’t live up to its hype. When long-time medical cannabis patient advocate Christine Stenquist twisted the lab’s arm to retest a new sample, APRC’s follow-up analysis revealed that the actual potency was 21.71% THC, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
“I knew the lab results were wrong,” Stenquist told the Tribune. “They were wrong, and it goes against everything we’re trying to educate the public and community about. We’re not chasing highs; we’re trying to get good medicine.”
As many medical cannabis advocates and industry stakeholders are relaying to consumers, THC is just one element of the plant. Terpenes, flavonoids and cannabinoids like CBD also are key compounds that contribute to the ensemble effect—also referred to as the entourage effect—which is the synergistic phenomenon produced when all the plant’s compounds work together.
Some plant-touching experts relate cannabis’ ensemble effect to wine, explaining that beverage connoisseurs don’t actively select wine based on the highest alcohol content but rather for its aroma, taste and effect.
With third-party testing and some state-legal cannabis programs lacking a state-run lab, potency discrepancies present an obstacle for the industry: how can consumers be confident the labels on their purchases are accurate?
Sensible Florida has filed a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state after the Florida Supreme Court struck down an earlier version in June.
The original initiative, called “Regulate Marijuana in a Manner Similar to Alcohol to Establish Age, Licensing and Other Restrictions,” was headed to the 2022 ballot before Florida’s highest court ruled that the words “for limited use” were misleading.
The new proposal would legalize cannabis use for adults 21 and older and would allow adults to grow up to 18 plants at home for personal use, according to a CBS Miami report. The measure would also block state lawmakers from limiting the amount of THC in adult-use cannabis products.
Sensible Florida must collect 891,589 valid signatures by Feb. 1 and receive Supreme Court approval to place the issue before voters in the 2022 election, CBS Miami reported.
Another campaign, Make It Legal Florida, also succumbed to a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year when judges ruled that the group’s ballot measure would have misled voters by failing to disclose that cannabis would still be illegal under federal law.
LIM College, a university focused on fashion business and based in Midtown Manhattan, in New York City, has launched a Bachelor of Business Administration degree program in cannabis.
According to a recent press release, the program will focus on the business side of the cannabis industry and will be available in-person and online. It “will provide students with core business and industry-specific knowledge and experience to pursue careers in various aspects of the legal cannabis industry.”
The college plans to bring in cannabis industry experts and working professionals to teach courses in cannabis regulatory issues, retail, product development, marketing and more.
Penelope Nam-Stephen, a former merchandising director for Burberry and the now chief commercial officer for Community Growth Partners, helped develop the program. Nam-Stephen said in the release that the program is very “timely” due to the industry’s rapid growth, as there is a need for skilled and knowledgeable individuals to fill entry-level positions.
“Having a well-qualified pipeline of talent in this heavily regulated and fragmented industry will help us progress more efficiently,” Nam-Stephen said in the press release. “It is also a wonderful opportunity for people to enter the cannabis space through a conventional academic path.”
With the state’s five-member Cannabis Control Board recently appointed, regulations are expected soon for the New York adult-use cannabis market—offering a future job market well beyond the scope of what presently exists.
The Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) issued a voluntary cannabis product recall Sept. 24 due to microbial failures.
According to the public health and safety bulletin, several batches of cannabis were run through a mechanical trimmer contaminated with the banned chemical residues Bifenthrin and Chlorfenapyr.
The product recall affects flower and pre-rolls produced by Michigan Medical Marijuana, LLC, DBA Glo. The microbial failures occurred during retesting of the products, according to the MRA’s bulletin.
The following batches of cannabis contain the chemical residues:
1A405030001524C0000000591A405030001524C0000000581A405030001524C0000000261A405030001524C0000000401A405030001524C0000000391A405030001524C0000000381A405030001524C0000000371A405030001524C000000036And the following packages of bud, pre-packaged buds and pre-rolls were produced from the batches of cannabis containing the chemical residues and sold at the following locations on the dates listed:
The bustling adult-use cannabis market in Illinois is showing signs of maturity.
After sales figures experienced a steady increase from $80.7 million in February to a summer peak of $127.8 million in July, the state’s retail market plateaued at $121.8 million in August and $121.9 million in September, according to monthly data released Oct. 4 by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).
The most recent sales total comes on the heels of an ongoing retail licensing saga, with the IDFPR awarding 185 licenses in a trio of lotteries held July 29, Aug. 5 and Aug. 19, but a standing court order has blocked the issuance of those licenses.
RELATED: Illinois Confesses Licensing Blunder; Has Another Lottery Coming
Nonetheless, September sales have Illinois barking at the door of hitting the $1-billion benchmark for 2021—through the first nine months of the year, cumulative sales rest at $997.1 million, representing a 130.9% increase from this time a year ago. After adult-use sales launched in January 2020, the Illinois retail market reached $669.1 million in total sales last year.
Should sales trends hold steady in fourth quarter 2021, Illinois’ adult-use market will cash in roughly $1.4 billion this year.
]]>While many prospective New York cannabis entrepreneurs are awaiting the new adult-use regulations to decide whether to participate in this burgeoning industry, they should understand that the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA) enacted March 31, 2021, already prescribes the general contours of this forthcoming market and how its revenue will be apportioned among the 11 categories of license holders.
And with the five-member Cannabis Control Board (CCB) now appointed, further specificity is expected soon.
The forthcoming regulations from the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will follow the release of the MRTA language earlier this year. The MRTA is analogous, and more detailed in certain areas, to other sister-states’ recreational cannabis regulations. While residents of other states may complain of “over-regulation,” New Yorkers may be complaining about “over-legislation,” as New York’s cannabis law already addresses matters both big (no import or export of cannabis, and prioritizing state business in the event of federal legalization) and small (yes, the law allows customers to use credit cards at retail dispensaries and, no, they cannot purchase cannabis at an establishment that sells beer).
Basically, the foundation of the adult-use cannabis industry has already been laid, and CCB and OCM will mostly fill in the details and administer this industry under existing MRTA law.
MRTA says: Cannabis is to Hard Alcohol as OCM is to SLA
What we already know under the law is that the OCM will be housed as a separate office within New York State Liquor Authority (SLA), and staff from SLA may be transferred to OCM to administer the adult-use cannabis program.
The statutes in cannabis law partly mirror the New York Alcohol Beverage Control Law, with both having similar general statutory provisions for “Severability” and injunctive relief against prohibited conduct, as well as separate articles based on the type of formerly illicit product (medical, adult use and hemp each have their own articles within the cannabis law). Additionally, the application criteria and documentation requirements are markedly like those prescribing licensing and permits for alcohol, wine and beer—except for “social and economic equity” and other additional components for adult-use cannabis licenses.
On Nov. 2, Colorado voters will decide whether to increase the state’s cannabis sales tax to fund a program that would provide out-of-school learning opportunities to low-income students.
If approved, Proposition 119, Learning Enrichment and Academic Progress (LEAP), would raise the sales tax rate on adult-use cannabis from 15% to 20% to fund a $150 million effort to provide tutoring aid, according to Colorado Newsline.
“This first-in-the-nation initiative to help close the opportunity gap, which has only grown during the pandemic, is uniting Coloradans regardless of their political leanings or where they live,” former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens told the news outlet. “That’s because they understand the futures of so many of our young people—who are our future employees, employers and community leaders—are on the line."
Following the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) missing the deadline to begin accepting license applications last week, the commission has announced that dispensaries will not be permitted to sell certain cannabis-infused products.
According to New Jersey 101.5, cannabis-infused products like cookies, brownies, gummies or anything that "resembles food"—aside from lozenges—will not be permitted for sale in the state.
While the industry is frustrated with the state's lack of licensing approval, the article states that some groups seem OK with the state's infused products regulations.
The president of the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, Edmund DeVeaux, said in the article that the CRC's regulations were not surprising, as they were implemented to "balance citizen concerns."
"This is an opportunity for people to get used to the notion of legalized cannabis without having to worry about the children or seniors and them accessing edibles, sweets, anything that contains THC, whether intentionally or accidentally," DeVeaux said.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 27, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that his office—with support from The Social Impact Center—has identified nearly 60,000 cannabis convictions that will be dismissed as part of his ongoing efforts to reverse the injustices of drug laws.
“Dismissing these convictions means the possibility of a better future to thousands of disenfranchised people who are receiving this long-needed relief," Gascón said. "It clears the path for them to find jobs, housing and other services that previously were denied to them because of unjust cannabis laws."
Gascón was joined today by Felicia Carbajal, executive director and community leader of The Social Impact Center, a nonprofit organization that serves as a bridge between government, grassroots organizations and people in underserved communities; Lynne Lyman, former director of the Drug Policy Alliance; Public Defender Ricardo García and Alternate Public Defender Erika Anzoategui.
"I have made it my life mission to help and support people who have been impacted by the 'war on drugs,'" Carbajal said. "Giving people with cannabis convictions a new lease on life by expunging the records is something I have worked on for years and I am grateful that we can now make it happen."
"This is the unfinished work of Proposition 64," Lyman said. "We created the opportunity for old cannabis convictions to be cleared, but it was up to local district attorneys to actually make it happen. Proposition 64 was always about more than legal weed, it was an intentional effort to repair the past harms of the war on drugs and cannabis prohibition, which disproportionately targeted people of color. I applaud District Attorney Gascón for taking this action to help nearly 60,000 Angelenos have their records fully sealed."
"District Attorney Gascón has taken another important step toward justice reform,” García said. “Today's mass dismissal of cannabis convictions restores dignity and provides new opportunities to those who have been unfairly impacted by outdated, tough-on-crime anti-drug laws, many are our most vulnerable community members who deserve our care and support."
Portland, Ore. (September 22, 2021)--PRESS RELEASE--Resource Innovation Institute (RII) is currently recruiting for the following Technical Advisory Council working groups to support its USDA project titled "Data-Driven Market Transformation for Efficient, Sustainable Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA)." RII is a non-profit organization whose mission is to measure, verify and celebrate the world’s most efficient agricultural ideas. RII’s Technical Advisory Council is the leading multidisciplinary body aggregating knowledge to support producers and other stakeholders with objective and peer-reviewed data and curriculum on CEA resource efficiency and productivity.
Working group members will advise on the development of CEA Best Practices Guides that will be distributed by USDA, thereby providing recognition for contributing organizations.
Facility Design & Construction - Architecture, Construction (mechanical and electrical contractors, equipment distributors, controls contractors), Engineering (mechanical and electrical, lighting designers), Manufacturing (greenhouse, HVAC, lighting controls), Energy supply (electric, gas microgrid, renewables, back-up, battery storage, energy as a service), Commissioning (mechanical, envelope), Design Review Boards, Cultivation. Lighting - Engineering, Manufacturing, Cultivation, Controls & Automation, Research. HVAC - Engineering, Manufacturing, Cultivation, Controls & Automation, Research.Irrigation & Water Reuse - Engineering, Manufacturing, Controls & Automation, Research.Market actors are welcome to join global category leaders like Grodan, Fluence, Priva, Schneider Electric, Svensson, Signify and others in bringing peer-reviewed guidance on resource efficient cultivation practices to CEA producers.
Participants will be expected to:
Commit to 4-8 well-facilitated, enjoyable one-hour meetings over a compressed period of roughly 3-4 months + ~2 hours of peer review on their own timeWilling to provide required matching funds.For more information on the Technical Advisory Council Working Groups, please visit: https://resourceinnovation.org/tac/
Researchers in Arkansas are launching a three-year study to examine how the state’s medical cannabis program relates to patients’ overall health outcomes.
The study, titled “Population Based Analyses of Healthcare Utilization and Outcomes in Users of Medical Marijuana,” is funded by a $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, according to a KUAR report. It will be led by researchers with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI).
“We don’t know whether we’re going to have findings that medical marijuana helps, for example, lowering individuals that have pain, their opioid prescription rate, or whether medical marijuana may have unintended effects of having new mental health conditions emerge,” ACHI President Dr. Joe Thompson told the news outlet.
Using six data sources, including the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative’s Arkansas All-Payer Claims Database and Arkansas Department of Health medical cannabis patient registry information, the research will study the type of cannabis products that patients are consuming, their doctors’ visits, emergency room outcomes and motor vehicle accident records, according to KUAR.
“I think there will be a lot of eyes on this study both within the state and across the nation,” Thompson said. “There’s really been no study that, from a population perspective, has looked at the effect of a policy like making medical marijuana available as a new therapeutic. If we find that it has very positive effects, then there may be policy changes that bring it more integrated into the traditional providers of care.”
MIAMI, Florida, September 27, 2021 - PRESS RELEASE - Ayr Wellness Inc., a vertically integrated cannabis multi-state operator (MSO), announced the opening of Liberty Health Sciences (LHS) Port Richey, the company’s 42nd operating dispensary in Florida.
The dispensary is located at 9314 US Highway 19, Port Richey, Fla., 34668 within Pasco County, which is home to a population of 560,000 people, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. The store brings LHS to the Gulf Coast city, attracting visitors from throughout Florida and the U.S. for its lush landscapes and well-known 8,300-acre wilderness park.
The new location features LHS’s expanded selection of flower strains, in addition to the company’s recently launched Origyn concentrates, Big Pete’s Cookies and Secret Orchard vape cartridges.
“We appreciate the wonderful reception that we’ve received from the people of Port Richey and look forward to introducing them to our high-quality offerings," said Jonathan Sandelman, Ayr Wellness CEO. "We now have 42 stores open in the state, thanks to the hard work from our Florida team, which continues to find excellent locations to plant our flag.”
The Florida medical marijuana market continues to show robust growth, with the Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use reporting over 615,000 registered patients as of Sept. 24, up 46% year-over-year.
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