MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) has named its fourth director in less than three years.

Adria Berry, an attorney who advised Gov. Kevin Stitt on cannabis policy during her time as a counselor to the Oklahoma Secretary of State and who most recently worked for the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma, will replace Kelly Williams, who served as the OMMA director for nearly a year, according to The Oklahoman.

Berry will assume her new role on Aug. 30, the news outlet reported.

"I want to go in and set a clear mission statement for the OMMA and let folks across Oklahoma know what the OMMA is doing," Berry told The Oklahoman.

The OMMA was sued last month over its alleged lack of transparency; the plaintiffs claim the agency violated Oklahoma’s Open Meeting Act when it adopted new emergency regulations earlier this year without notifying the state’s cannabis industry of the meeting or holding a public comment period on the rules.

The North Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee reviewed a medical cannabis legalization bill for the second time Aug. 18 to discuss technical changes to the legislation, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

Senate Bill 711, called the NC Compassionate Care Act, cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee last month before also passing the Senate Finance Committee a few weeks later.

The bill was then sent to the Senate Health Care Committee before being pulled and sent back to Judiciary for a second review, the Winston-Salem Journal reported.

Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick), one of the bill’s sponsors, said some of the technical changes considered by the Judiciary Committee are based on regulations in Utah’s medical cannabis program, according to the news outlet. Other changes have been requested by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

It is not clear when the Judiciary Committee will vote on approving any proposed changes to the legislation, the Winston-Salem Journal reported.

Texas expanded its limited medical cannabis program during its 2021 legislative session, and Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation (TOCC), one of the state’s three vertically integrated cannabis licensees, is planning an expansion of its own to meet increased patient demand.

In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1535 into law to add cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the state’s list of qualifying conditions. The legislation also increases the tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC ) limit for medical cannabis from 0.5% to 1%.

RELATED:  Texas Cancer Patients, Those With PTSD Gear Up For Medical Cannabis Access

With patient demand expected to increase when the new law takes effect Sept. 1, TOCC is building out a nearly 100,000-square-foot, vertically integrated facility on 25 acres of land in Bastrop, Texas, that will house the company’s cultivation, processing and retail operations.

The lease for TOCC’s current facility in Manchaca expires in July 2022, and since state law allows each medical cannabis licensee only one vertically integrated facility, the company will move all its operations to Bastrop next year.

Despite a busy year on the state level and multiple bills announced and introduced into Congress, not much legislative progress has been made on federal cannabis policy in 2021. 

Late last month, the House took yet another preliminary step towards the regulation of financial services for cannabis by including banking provisions in a limited budget proposal approved by a full floor vote.

The “minibus” package, which includes appropriations for important government agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Social Security Administration, also contains a section preventing federal dollars from being used to penalize financial institutions for doing business with cannabis companies.

Including the standalone Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which passed the House twice on its own and once as part of an October 2020 COVID relief bill, the minibus marks the fourth time the full House of Representatives has approved cannabis banking since 2019. 

Will the fourth time be the charm for financial services and cannabis? Could the acceptance of standalone banking regulations sap momentum for full scale reform? 

Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary spoke with prominent associations in the industry to answer these questions and determine whether or not banking protections have a real chance of passing this year.

Michigan's total cannabis sales had yet another record-breaking month, topping $171 million in July, according to a monthly data report released from the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MMRA).

The data shows that $42.7 million of those sales came from medical cannabis, while $128.3 million came from adult-use.

July cannabis sales are up about 15% from June, which reported $41.6 million in medical sales and $107.3 million in adult-use, totaling over $148.9 million.

Michigan's medical cannabis sales showed a slight decrease from July 2020, which reported $52.1 million; however, adult-use sales have more than doubled since last year, increasing from $57.4 million to $128.3 million.

Cannabis flower dominated both markets last month, making up over $21.1 million in medical sales and $63.5 million in recreational sales. Vape cartridges were the second-highest product sold, totaling over $10.8 million for medical cannabis and over $26.3 million for adult-use.

Edibles were third in line for the record-breaking month, generating $4.6 million in medical sales and $18.4 million in recreational sales. 

The Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Advisory Board voted Aug. 17 to reject requests to add five new qualifying conditions to the state’s medical cannabis program.

The board shot down bids to add traumatic brain injury, Hepatitis, Hepatitis C, chronic insomnia that isn’t responding to other treatments and major depressive disorder that isn’t responding to other treatments, according to The Daily Item.

Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis law currently outlines 23 qualifying conditions, including Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, anxiety disorders, autism, cancer, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The state has nearly 368,000 registered patients, The Daily Item reported, and the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board meets on a quarterly basis.

Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson said board members expressed concern at Tuesday’s meeting that the requests to add traumatic brain injury, Hepatitis and Hepatitis C to the state’s medical cannabis program were broad and could have allowed patients to qualify in inappropriate cases, according to the news outlet.

NEWARK, NJ — PRESS RELEASE — The ACLU-NJ today released its Baseline Cannabis Justice Plan, a platform of requirements the state’s new cannabis industry must put in place to meet a basic standard for justice, focusing on how to prioritize meaningful public input in the community reinvestment process, how to create an inclusive and accessible industry, and how to share information with the public. Read the full Baseline Cannabis Justice Plan, which sets out initial ways the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) can implement legalization with equity and justice, here. 

The ACLU-NJ's Baseline Cannabis Justice Plan calls for: 

Equity-focused distribution of funding  

Real opportunities in the industry for people impacted by the drug war 

Meaningful public participation, guidance for municipalities and transparency  

NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PRESS RELEASE--Tilray, Inc., a global cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company, and MedMen Enterprises Inc., an American cannabis retailer, have announced that Tilray has acquired the majority of the outstanding senior secured convertible notes of MedMen that were originally held by certain funds affiliated with Gotham Green Partners, LLC and other funds. The acquisition provides Tilray with a path, subject to necessary regulatory approvals, to obtain a significant equity position in MedMen through conversion of the notes and exercise of associated warrants following U.S. cannabis legalization (or Tilray’s waiver of such condition). In connection with the sale of the notes, MedMen and GGP amended the restrictive covenants and extended the debt maturity to 2028 to provide MedMen the flexibility to execute on its growth priorities and explore additional strategic opportunities. In addition, MedMen has separately announced a significant equity investment from a private placement of MedMen Shares (as defined below) and warrants to a group of investors.

MedMen is a cannabis retail brand in the U.S., holding 21 licenses and 25 retail locations across key urban centers, including the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and Las Vegas, and a significant position in California, the world’s largest market. Prior to U.S. federal legalization of cannabis, and subject to compliance with applicable laws and stock exchange rules, MedMen will actively explore opportunities to expand MedMen’s footprint across international markets.

Irwin D. Simon, Tilray’s chairman and CEO, said, “Backed by accelerating trends towards legalization globally, we are focused on building the world's leading cannabis-focused consumer branded company with a goal of $4 billion of revenue by the end of our fiscal 2024. The investment we are announcing in MedMen securities today, one of the most recognized brands in the $80 billion U.S. cannabis market, is a critical step towards delivering on our objective as we work to enable Tilray to lead the U.S. market when legalization allows.”

Simon continued, “Our ability to maximize value from this game-changing transaction rests on the support of our shareholders at the upcoming Special Meeting to vote on our Authorized Shares Proposal, which will increase the number of authorized shares Tilray has available to not only complete this transaction, but also to execute on other strategic acquisitions. I cannot stress enough the importance of making our shareholders’ voices count to enable us to maximize our potential to create substantial value for our shareholders in the near-term and in the future.”

Tom Lynch, MedMen’s chairman and CEO, added, “Our management team has spent the past 18 months executing a disciplined turnaround plan. We are grateful to our stakeholders for their patience and support as we worked to fix the business and rebuild trust and credibility. We believe that patience has paid off, as these efforts have succeeded in attracting partners who share our vision for building the world’s most powerful cannabis retail brand. In addition, the proceeds from the private placement and amendments to the notes, gives MedMen the cash and flexibility to match our revenue trajectory to our operational expertise and internationally renowned brand. MedMen 2.0 is here, and we are thrilled to embark on the next stage of our journey.”

Cook County Judge Moshe Jacobius ruled Aug. 16 that WAH Group LLC was unfairly excluded from Illinois’ cannabis retail licensing lottery and said the company’s ongoing lawsuit could ultimately upend the state’s licensing process, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

WAH Group alleges in its lawsuit that state officials mistakenly excluded the company from Illinois’ first lottery to issue new dispensary licenses, which took place July 29.

The lawsuit takes aim at the state’s scoring process, which WAH Group claims was unfair because regulators awarded bonus points to applications submitted by veteran-owned businesses. WAH Group revealed that one of the company’s partners was a veteran during a supplementary scoring period, the Chicago Sun-Times reported, after applicants learned that those extra points were needed to receive a perfect score on its application and qualify for the licensing lottery.

Illinois plans to issue 185 new cannabis retail licenses in a series of three lotteries; the second one took place Aug. 5 and the third and final lottery will be held Aug. 19.

During the Aug. 16 hearing, Jacobius ordered WAH Group LLC to be included in the Aug. 19 lottery and indicated that the ongoing litigation could force the state to redo its licensing process.

The percentage of U.S. adults who have tried cannabis is the highest it has ever been.

As normalization continues to spread, 49% of Americans 18 years and older said they have tried cannabis—a 4% increase from 2019 and 2017—according to results from Gallup’s annual Consumption Habits poll conducted July 6-21.

Meanwhile, the Gallup Poll found 12% of U.S. adults answered yes when asked: “Do you, yourself, smoke marijuana?” That rate has remained unchanged—ranging between 11% and 13%—since 2015. Other popular forms to use cannabis, such as edibles, was not part of the poll.

Trends also touched on cannabis use for different generations, genders, religiosities, political affiliations and levels of education.

“More than 50 years ago, just 4% said they had tried the drug, but that percentage surpassed 20% in 1977, 30% in 1985 and 40% in 2015,” Gallup News reported in a summary of the poll. “The increase in the proportion of U.S. adults who have tried marijuana mainly reflects millennials replacing older traditionalists in the U.S. adult population.”

Only 19% of U.S. adults born before 1945, whom Gallup refers to as “traditionalists,” said they have tried cannabis. Generational experimentation among other birth cohorts is near identical, with 51% of millennials, 49% of Generation Xers and 50% of baby boomers saying they’ve used cannabis. The generational figure for baby boomers has gone unchanged from the 1980s, according to Gallup.

A federal court has overturned Maine’s requirement that all medical cannabis dispensaries must be owned by Maine residents.

U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Torresen ruled Aug. 11 in favor of Wellness Connection of Maine and its parent company, Delaware-based High Street Capital Partners, which both sued the state over its residency requirement, according to a Portland Press Herald report.

The ruling follows Maine’s agreement to scrap the residency requirement in its adult-use cannabis program last year due to a separate lawsuit brought by Wellness Connection.

In both lawsuits, the company claimed that the law violates the Dormant Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which bars states from passing legislation that discriminates against or excessively burdens interstate commerce, the Portland Press Herald reported.

State officials argued that the clause was irrelevant due to the illegality of cannabis under federal law, but Torreson said in her ruling that because qualified nonresidents can purchase medical cannabis in Maine and take it home with them, the state’s medical cannabis industry is not entirely intrastate, according to the Portland Press Herald.

On July 21, 2021, NFL superstar wide receiver Julio Jones was named as the lead defendant in a 12-count civil fraud, conversion of assets, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court relating to a cannabis cultivation operation he co-owns. After being traded from the Atlanta Falcons to the Tennessee Titans this offseason, swapping his black and red jersey for a red, white, and blue one, his focus will be on the color green, as in the color of all the money that he is going to need to pay legal fees.

The case is titled Genetixs, LLC v. Julio Jones, followed by nine other individual and entity-named-defendants including retired Falcon receiver Roddy White. (White is listed individually in the charging document by his formal name, Sharod White.)

Additionally, White’s Mississippi LLC, “SLW Holdings,” is the fifth defendant in the civil case. Jones and White, through White’s LLC, had invested millions of dollars to start and operate a Southern California grow facility, Genetixs. The NFL players, through the holding company, shared a fractionalized ownership interest in the cultivation business with other Genetixs company members. In sum, the cultivation business, Genetixs, operated by the man Jones and White installed as the grow house’s chairman, is now suing the players and others involved in the business.

The 26-page civil complaint (also referred to as the “July 2021 lawsuit”) has been circulating across the Internet and the allegations are incendiary. Genetixs, a California LLC, which operated a grow house in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., has charged that each of civil defendants named in the case participated in a scheme that diverted over $3 million of cannabis a month from March to July 2021 from the Genetixs’ grow facility.

The accusations include claims that associates of Jones, White and others involved in Genetixs’ operations had siphoned off “400 to 2000 pounds of cannabis” through a hole in the wall of Genetixs’ Desert Hot Springs grow facility during an almost six-month period.

It also is alleged that Jones and White, and others, “facilitated” the dissipation of millions of dollars of what should have been Genetixs’ proceeds, and even enabled a former Genetixs employee (who had been hired by the LLC members on day one to build out and manage the grow site and was then fired a year later) to stay on, with family, as squatters at the facility.

After years of regulatory limbo that allowed registered patients in Georgia to possess—but not purchase—low-THC cannabis oil, the state has established a regulated market and has licensed six businesses to produce and sell the oil.

However, some industry stakeholders question the state’s licensing process and the businesses that ultimately won the right to operate in Georgia’s market.

“The process was relatively secretive for these companies to go out and apply for and receive these licenses,” Ryan Ralston, executive director of Peachtree NORML, told Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary.

In 2015, Georgia legalized the possession of cannabis oil containing a maximum of 5% THC. In 2019, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill that legalized the production and sale of low-THC cannabis oil in the state, and Ralston said Peachtree NORML followed this legislation closely.

“One of the things that really stuck out to us was the fact that if a grower was going to apply for a Class I or a Class II license, right off the bat, they were going to have to be willing to waive their Fourth Amendment rights,” he said. “Basically, if you were going to operate as a dispensary, you had to sign a Fourth Amendment waiver, allowing local, state, and federal officials and law enforcement officials at any given time to enter your property without a warrant and search your property. That was one of the initial red flags on the legislation that we opposed.”

LAS VEGAS, NV [August 16, 2021] – Cannabis Conference, produced by parent company GIE Media Inc. and industry-leading Cannabis Business Times, Cannabis Dispensary, and Hemp Grower magazines, announces today President of Scottsdale Research Institute (SRI) Sue Sisley, MD, as the keynote speaker on Day 2 of its annual event, to take place Aug. 24-26, 2021, at Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.

During the keynote session titled “Sue’n the DEA: The Story of a Cannabis Research Breakthrough,” Dr. Sisley—a pioneering medical cannabis researcher and volunteer medical director for more than 40 state cannabis licenses—will share her journey on navigating scientific and legal complexities of medical cannabis research. Dr. Sisley will highlight cutting-edge discoveries from her roles in cannabis studies for pain management and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as a substitution therapy for opioids, and more.

Dr. Sisley will also explain how she and two lawyers took on the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Justice (DOJ) through litigation and succeeded—eliminating the 52-year-old government-enforced research monopoly and eventually acquiring a Schedule I research license to cultivate cannabis flower for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved clinical trials.

The Day 2 keynote session will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 25 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. PT.

“In a year when the potential for federal legalization has come front and center for this now-deemed essential business, it’s an especially exciting time to be highlighting the part my team and I have played in pushing the boundaries of what is truly possible with medical cannabis,” Sisley said. “I’m looking forward to sharing my story with the plant-touching businesses that work so hard to make medical cannabis a reality for people and exploring the ways in which we can collaborate together in furtherance of our industry goals.”   

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to host Dr. Sisley at Cannabis Conference 2021 as our Day 2 keynote,” said Cannabis Conference Programming Director Cassie Neiden Tomaselli. “Dr. Sisley is the definition of a cannabis trailblazer. Her passion and perseverance for the plant, and the ways in which she and her teams have fought to prove its medical efficacy and legitimacy, are sure to inspire valuable takeaways for both industry veterans and new entrants alike.”

PRESS RELEASE - HUB International continues to strengthen its cannabis capabilities with the appointment of Evan Stait as Canada Cannabis Specialty Leader. Stait will work alongside Jay Virdi, HUB Chief Sales Officer of Cannabis Specialty for North America, in supporting the practice strategy nationally.

Stait will play a leading role in continuing the rapid growth of HUB’s presence in the cannabis industry. As Canada legalized cannabis for recreational use in 2018 and medicinal purposes in 2001, and with the continued advancements in the industry, his focus will be on enhancing cannabis insurance solutions and risk services, further developing innovative resources for clients to support their needs and expanding HUB’s knowledge and expertise to help cannabis clients succeed.

“Evan is a top producer and retail insurance advisor,” said Virdi. “With his depth of expertise and experience, Evan’s appointment further strengthens our industry leading Cannabis specialty practice group."

Stait began his insurance career in 2012 and joined HUB in 2014. He specializes in emerging and complex risk sectors, such as cannabis manufacturing, and cross-border solutions. Recently, he led the team to devise some of the first outdoor crop insurance solutions for cannabis and hemp.

Stait has also published multiple articles related to cannabis insurance risks and has been featured on industry podcasts. He received his master’s degree from the University of Alberta and carries the Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker (CAIB) designation.

TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- The Flowr Corporation has announced it that its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, RPK Biopharma Ltd, has entered into a series of agreements with Cookies Creative Consulting and Promotions Inc. whereby RPK Biopharma will be cultivating and distributing Cookies products in Portugal from its E.U. GMP facility in Sintra. Pursuant to the terms of the licensing agreements, RPK Biopharma will cultivate and have the exclusive rights to sell Cookies branded products, including non-cannabis merchandise, in Portugal for three years subject to certain milestone commitments. Flowr has commenced the process of importing the Cookies branded genetics from Canada into Portugal and expects to be able to commence commercial production by year-end. Cookies will assist Flowr with the development of a retail distribution strategy in Portugal through the country’s existing pharmacy networks and the design of up to three proprietary retail pharmacy outlets in the country. RPK Biopharma is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Holigen Holdings Limited.

Cookies is an international cannabis brand led by Berner, co-founder and CEO of Cookies, an accomplished entrepreneur and rapper. Cookies has taken a leading role in the development of genetics, such as Girl Scout Cookies, and has been at the forefront of cannabis culture globally. Today, the Cookies brand is available in the United States, Canada, Israel and Spain. The Cookies brand extends beyond cannabis and is also a leading clothing and lifestyle brand. In 2021, Cookies was voted as one of the hottest cannabis brands in the world by Ad Age.

“We will be growing the most recognizable cannabis strains in the world in Portugal, including Gary Payton, Cereal Milk, Gelatti, Pancakes and Pink Runtz. As we do in Canada, we want our operations in Portugal to cultivate only ultra-premium medical cannabis and a partnership with Cookies was a no brainer for the company,” commented Darryl Brooker, chief executive officer of the Flowr. “We cannot wait to grow the Cookies branded genetics and proudly display their brand. Establishing this partnership is the next step in the evolution of our business in the E.U. and will provide us with a competitive advantage in the fast-growing E.U. medical cannabis market.”

“The fact Portugal decriminalized drugs back in the early 2000’s and people in the U.S. are still being locked up for cannabis 20 years later, shows the world, especially the U.S., that we can learn a lot from their forward thinking. The partners we chose in Portugal have one of the most advanced facilities I’ve seen and will be producing some of the best cannabis in the world. It’s partnerships like this that keep me excited about the growth and expansion of Cookies worldwide,” commented Berner, co-founder and CEO of Cookies.

RPK Biopharma will be cultivating the Cookies branded genetics at its 25,000-square-foot purpose-built indoor facility located in Sintra, Portugal, which is located just outside of Lisbon. The Sintra facility is an indoor cultivation, extract processing and finished product packaging facility. The Sintra facility obtained its E.U. GMP certification in the first quarter of 2020. RPK Biopharma is positioned to distribute its medicinal product to other European countries that allow the sale of medical cannabis.

Columbus, OH – PRESS RELEASE – The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol resubmitted their summary language for an initiated statute legalizing the adult use of marijuana to the Ohio Attorney General’s office on Aug. 13.

The initial summary language was rejected by the Ohio Attorney General earlier this month.

RELATED: Ohio Attorney General Delivers Blow to Coalition’s Push for Adult-Use Cannabis

“We appreciate the Attorney General’s feedback on our initial filing, and have fully addressed the issues flagged in this updated filing” said spokesman Tom Haren. “We look forward to beginning the signature collection process upon approval of our summary language by the Attorney General.”

RELATED: Group Launches Effort to ‘Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol’ in Ohio

It wouldn’t be a week in the cannabis business without some confusion around the regulatory state of CBD. While federal legislators have taken up the industry’s clarion call for CBD rules, as Associate Editor Tony Lange reported earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration responded this week to several requests to use CBD as a dietary supplement ingredient—effectively putting the damper on the conversation for the moment. 

Because the FDA (and the DEA) previously approved CBD as an active ingredient in a pharmaceutical drug, Epidiolex, the cannabinoid is now stuck on a separate regulatory path that does not jibe with food, beverages or dietary supplements—according to the FDA’s response to applicant Charlotte’s Web. It’s a tough bit of news for the industry, but it’s also not surprising.

That’s where Congress might be able to help.

“While we disagree with FDA’s reasoning, believing we provided extensive and credible scientific evidence that supported a different outcome, this decision affirms the path to regulatory clarity must come from Congress,” Charlotte’s Web Chief Executive Officer Deanie Elsner said in a public statement.

We’re going to stay tuned on that one.

With all that said, we’ve rounded up some of the key cannabis headlines from the week right here.

It’s not quite worth its weight in gold, but there’s a cannabis rush going on in Oklahoma—for both patients and businesses—and there’s no sign of slowing down.

The number of active patients grew by more than 46,000 during the past year, representing a 14% increase to the current total of nearly 376,000 patients, according to a licensing report released by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) on Aug. 2. That means roughly 9.4% of the state’s population is actively registered in the medical cannabis program.

Also in the report, Oklahoma has 469 more licensed businesses than this time last year, bringing the active total to 12,598. That list includes 8,625 growers, 2,325 dispensaries and 1,523 processors, in addition to transporters, laboratories and other licensees.

“Oklahoma has one of the largest programs in the country,” the Marijuana Policy Project stated in a policy update released May 3. “Despite the pandemic, the medical cannabis market has been booming, and the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority reports that the state collected over $127 million in state and local taxes from medical cannabis in 2020.”

After voters approved State Question 788 to legalized medical cannabis on June 26, 2018, Oklahoma became the quickest state in the nation to implement an effective medical cannabis law.

Less than two months following S.Q. 788’s passage, Oklahoma opened its application process for businesses and patients—OMMA received 366 patient applications and 205 commercial applications in the first hour of opening its portal. In all, 23 people were approved for medical cannabis licenses on the first day. The first sales began about a month after that.

In the fourth episode of Cannabis Conference’s new podcast series Beyond the Show, Founder and CEO of Giving Tree Dispensary Lilach Mazor Power explains to Digital Editor Eric Sandy what the shift from medical to adult-use sales was like for her dispensary. She describes the night Arizona legalized recreational cannabis as “one of the best nights.” Although this was great news for the Giving Tree, the transition was not entirely smooth sailing.

In the episode, Power shares the most significant challenge she faced during her dispensary’s transition: how fast the turnaround time would be after Arizona legalized adult-use cannabis. On the first day of recreational sales, Power was still waiting on packaging and machinery to be delivered, while in the process of hiring staff members and opening a new retail location. It was undoubtedly a challenge but well worth it in the end. “Mistakes will be made, and it will be challenging, but they will only make you stronger on the other side,” Power said. Her advice to other dispensaries that have or will soon experience the transition is to not be too hard on themselves.

The topics covered are a glimpse of the session “Expand Your Medical Dispensary To Adult-Use: What You Need To Know” at the Cannabis Conference (Aug. 24-26 at Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino). The panel discussion will cover:

To hear from Power in person about how to successfully expand your dispensary from medical to adult-use, register for Cannabis Conference 2021. Her session, “Expand Your Medical Dispensary To Adult-Use: What You Need To Know,” will be held Aug. 24 from 11:20 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT. Register before rates increase Aug. 20, 2021. Click hereto review pricing and to register.

Tune in to new episodes of Beyond the Show every Friday on Spotify, Google Play, iTunes or CannabisBusinessTimes.com.