MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed 30 bills into law Aug. 10, including one that would allow doctors to recommend medical cannabis for patients with opioid use disorder.
House Bill 605 also allows out-of-state patients to access medical cannabis in New Hampshire, as long as they are qualified medical cannabis patients in another state.
The new law takes effect in October, and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services will be responsible for adopting rules regarding how dispensaries can verify out-of-state patients’ credentials.
Glass House Farms recently launched a new 1:1 cultivar in partnership with FRB Genetics, providing the California cannabis market with a flower product that dials in the THC and CBD ratio pretty evenly. It’s called Tangelo Flo, and it’s finding its way to the market at a time when industry stakeholders and consumers are having in-depth conversations about potency, chemical profiles and minor cannabinoids.
Tangelo Flo offers a balanced cannabinoid profile (a “type-II” chemotype, in parlance that’s making its way into the commercial space, meaning one that features a mixed-ratio cannabinoid profile). Even as high-THC cultivars and products continue to top the sales charts, industry chatter is keen on a more balanced suite of chemicals. That’s where FRB Genetics’ R&D work has taken the team, led by Reggie Gaudino.
A cross of Green Crack and Cherry Wine, the new cultivar boasts approximately 31% total cannabinoids and a rich, citrus-forward mango flavor. Green Crack is a THC heavyweight, and Cherry Wine is a popular hemp variety.
Front Range Biosciences runs a marker-assisted hemp breeding program, and the Cherry Wine options were fairly limitless for the FRB Genetics team. (FRB Genetics licenses the breeding technology from Front Range Biosciences, which is not a plant-touching company.) Gaudino’s wanted to showcase some of the good work being done on those hemp varieties—and perhaps usher those genetics into the broader adult-use cannabis space.
The Cherry Wine side of the equation posed an interesting challenge, because Gaudino’s team was looking for a high CBD producer that could also remain compliant as a hemp variety (clocking in under 0.3% THC content). That’s no small task. This process involved thousands of seeds and countless hours spent observing the different Cherry Wine plants. They landed on an ideal phenotype, one that brought a robust plant structure and healthy yield to the breeding process with Green Crack’s THC powerhouse lineage.
The parent plants here offered a vitality that would make growers’ jobs much easier—something that’s important when bringing commercial considerations into the breeding process.
DURANGO, Colorado, August 12, 2021: Aurum Labs is now certified by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to conduct hemp compliance testing for manufactured industrial hemp products and is in the final stages of Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) registration. ISO Accredited and a leader in cannabis and hemp testing since 2014, Aurum Labs is expected to be the first testing lab to be both DEA-registered and Colorado State Certified.
“Aurum has always been at the forefront of cannabis and hemp testing. We strive to meet and exceed the requirements of the state, ISO, and the federal government by innovating quickly,” says Aurum’s owner and Lab Director Luke Mason. “Being nimble makes it possible for us to get certified by the state while simultaneously working our way through DEA registration.”
The CDPHE’s Industrial Hemp Lab Certification is the first of its kind for any state and Aurum Labs is one of only two CDPHE Certified Hemp Testing Labs in the nation. Colorado is requiring industrial hemp manufacturers and wholesalers to conduct a robust suite of compliance tests that includes potency, microbial contaminants, pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, and mycotoxins. This panel of tests is required for industrial hemp products intended for human consumption, which is anything ingested or applied topically. Aurum Labs adheres to the most stringent hemp testing lab standards in the nation.
The process to become DEA registered poses additional challenges because of Aurum Labs’ classification as a Colorado Marijuana Testing Facility. With Schedule I substances on premises, Aurum had to postpone DEA inspection to avoid potential criminal charges and is now navigating a more rigorous registration process.
Current DEA registered labs received approval because they were either new to cannabis and hemp testing or they recently opened a new location without Schedule I substances already on site. Registering operational labs with cannabis samples on site has forced the DEA to redesign how they register existing labs, putting Aurum at the center of this groundbreaking development.
“The CDPHE hemp testing requirements are the most extensive in the nation and we are excited to provide this quality of testing to the national market ahead of federal regulations,” says Liz Mason, Aurum Labs’ director of operations. “I believe that our DEA registration will be a testament to our commitment to the hemp industry. We want to continue to provide comprehensive compliance testing to an industry that is still managing risk in a turbulent legal environment.”
]]>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week pushed back on applications for CBD to be sold as an ingestible dietary ingredient, sending a strong signal that the federal agency is not ready to budge on this ongoing regulatory issue.
Charlotte’s Web had submitted an application requesting FDA approval of a full-spectrum hemp extract that includes CBD. The FDA objected to the application, pointing out that just a few years ago it had already sent CBD down the path of active ingredients in pharmaceutical drugs—putting the cannabinoid at odds with the ingestible food and beverage and dietary supplement market. In 2018, the FDA approved GW Pharmaceuticals’ epilepsy drug, Epidiolex, which contained CBD as an active ingredient. (The Drug Enforcement Administration [DEA] later followed that move with its own approval of Epidiolex, as well.)
“CBD is the active ingredient in the approved drug product, Epidiolex. Furthermore, the existence of substantial clinical investigations involving CBD has been made public,” Cara Welch, acting director of the FDA’s Office of Dietary Supplement Programs, wrote in a letter to Charlotte’s Web. “Accordingly, your product may not be marketed as or in a dietary supplement.”
Seeing a catch-22 in any future CBD application to the FDA, the team at Charlotte’s Web pointed to the U.S. Congress as an inevitable arbiter of this debate. The FDA, it is being reasoned, sent CBD down one regulatory path—closing off another regulatory path before the market had a chance to catch up.
“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 statement, as published by Bloomberg.
In a public statement released by the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, the organization echoed Elsner’s reference to the legislative branch in Washington, D.C: “This should be a clarion call to Congress that it is time to step in and pass legislation to ensure that CBD products are held to the same standard as all dietary supplements and food ingredients, and to reject an NDIN-only path. It’s been more than two and a half years since hemp was legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill, and without congressional intervention, the hemp farming industry will continue to struggle, and consumers stand to lose as well.”
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana met the signature requirement last year to place a medical cannabis legalization measure on the state’s 2020 ballot, but the group’s victory was short-lived after the Nebraska Supreme Court struck down the measure before Election Day.
Now, Jared Moffat, who has worked on the Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana campaign through his role as a campaigns coordinator for the Marijuana Policy Project, said the campaign is retooling its efforts with plans to put the issue on the 2022 ballot.
“It’s been a long journey, that’s for sure,” Moffat told Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “After the Supreme Court kicked us off the ballot last year, the campaign committee wanted to respond and signal to everyone that we weren’t giving up.”
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana filed a single-sentence constitutional initiative for the 2022 ballot, hoping to avoid a similar legal challenge as last year, when opponents argued that the ballot language included more than one question, thus violating the single-subject rule outlined in the Nebraska Constitution.
RELATED: Nebraska Medical Cannabis Advocates Try Again for Legalization in 2022: Legalization Watch
More patients are set to gain access to Texas’ limited medical cannabis program beginning Sept. 1. But those new patients won’t be receiving the same tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) benefits available in many other states.
Signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on June 15, House Bill 1535 expands the state’s medical cannabis qualifying conditions to include cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
House members originally passed the legislation to include chronic pain as a qualifying condition, in a 134-12 vote on April 28, but the Senate nixed that condition from its amended legislation that passed in a 31-0 vote a month later.
RELATED: Texas Senate Approves Bill to Decriminalize Adult-Use Cannabis
The House also intended on raising the THC limit for medical cannabis from 0.5% to 5%, but the Senate lowered that increase to 1% in its approved version of the bill. The THC cap differs from many other state medical programs that don't have low-potency limits, like neighboring Oklahoma.
Republican Rep. Stephanie Klick, who sponsored H.B. 1535, had the opportunity to reject the Senate’s changes with her fellow sponsors in the lower chamber. But, instead of risking the watered-down expansion to the medical program, the House concurred in a 119-25 vote.
AUSTIN, Texas (Aug. 12, 2021)—PRESS RELEASE—Fluence by OSRAM, a global provider of energy-efficient LED lighting solutions for commercial cannabis and food production, announced today the results from a series of multiyear global studies analyzing the effects of broad-spectrum white light on cannabis, Merlice tomatoes and bell peppers.
The studies found that while spectrum sensitivity is cultivar-dependent, broad-spectrum lighting strategies—which include green light and other wavelengths largely absent in narrow-band spectra—improved crop yield, morphology and overall performance in selected cultivars when compared to narrow-band spectra with high ratios of red and far-red wavelengths.
“The results from our global studies show how effective broad-spectrum white light can be in improving crop performance for many cultivators around the world,” said Dr. David Hawley, principal scientist at Fluence. “Broad-spectrum strategies are about balance and flexibility in the spectrum itself as well as the overall cultivation approach. While there are certain scenarios in which narrow-band spectra, or pink light, may make sense from an energy efficiency or crop production perspective, we’ve found that many cultivars simply perform better under broad spectra across the KPIs cultivators care about most: yield, morphology and overall quality. Our latest research empowers us with new insights to assess each grower’s objectives, weigh those objectives against a facility’s unique financial, environmental and energy parameters, and then ultimately derive a tailored solution for each cultivator.”
Merlice tomatoes
A collaborative study with Wageningen University and Research (WUR)—led by researchers Leo Marcelis and Ep Heuvelink—evaluated differences in yield, morphology, development and quality for Merlice tomatoes grown with the VYPR top light series under four light spectra: PhysioSpec BROAD R4, PhysioSpec BROAD R6, PhysioSpec BROAD R8 and PhysioSpec DUAL R9B. BROAD R4, R6 and R8 all contain significant fractions of green light and other photosynthetically active wavelengths, while DUAL R9B is a narrow-band spectrum that contains almost no green light.
Rutherford, CA - August 12, 2021 - PRESS RELEASE - Today, Napa Valley Fumé introduced fumé, a modern cannabis brand for the experienced cannabis consumer. The strains showcased in the fumé line are hand-selected based on their unique terpene profiles and the sustainability practices of the grower—to highlight the best of #CaliforniaCannabis.
fumé was created for the informed cannabis consumer who understands that terpenes are key players in their experience and that THC simply introduces the psychoactive element. These consumers care about how their cannabis is grown—having a strong passion for the environment—and believe in giving back to the cannabis community.
“We are thrilled to bring fumé to market,” said Eric Sklar, co-founder and CEO of Napa Valley Fumé. “We took two years to develop the brand, keeping the customer in mind with every decision made from the sustainability of the packaging to the quality and uniqueness of the featured strains. We believe fumé will set the new standard for the premium cannabis segment. ”
Unique, high-quality cannabis, grown responsibly
fumé strains are uncommon as they are small-batch cannabis with complex cannabinoid and terpene profiles that deliver a full-spectrum experience. The strains are visually appealing, have vibrant colors and produce enticing aromas when squeezed. Each large bud was cured to perfection and hand-trimmed with care.
In the latest lawsuit over Illinois’ cannabis retail licensing process, a judge has barred the state from issuing any new dispensary licenses—including those for medical retailers—until the case is settled.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Wah Group LLC has filed a lawsuit alleging that the state mistakenly excluded the company from Illinois’ first licensing lottery, which took place July 29.
Wah claims state officials told the company it would qualify for the next lottery, which occurred Aug. 5, but Wah alleges in its lawsuit that the scoring process was flawed.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Aug. 16, the Chicago Tribune reported, and Cook County Judge Moshe Jacobius has ordered the state not to award any new cannabis retail licenses until he issues a ruling.
Illinois plans to hold a third and final licensing lottery Aug. 19, but the court order means that the 185 dispensary licenses issued during the lotteries are on hold until the case is settled. State officials have noted that the lottery results may change based on further court orders or administrative review, according to the Chicago Tribune.
When Denver-based Lightshade and multi-state operator Holistic Industries made the switch from high pressure sodium (HPS) lighting to light-emitting diode (LED) technology in their cannabis cultivation facilities, each operation’s retrofit presented its own set of challenges and lessons learned, but both journeys started with similar reasons for the switch.
Dan Banks, the vice president of cultivation for Lightshade, says he analyzed the total amount of illumination needed at the company’s 20,000-square-foot greenhouse facility and determined that the 336 supplemental HPS lights in the space did not provide enough luminosity.
“You can get more illumination per watt of power used by the LEDs versus traditional HID/HPS lighting,” Banks says. “It’s more bang for your energy buck. For us, it was less about using less energy and more about using the energy more efficiently.”
In the spring of 2020, Lightshade installed roughly 200 of Fluence by OSRAM’s VYPR LED fixtures to complement its HPS lighting, and this past spring, the company commenced replacing all of its HPS lights with 440 additional LED fixtures.
“In terms of selecting the Fluence VYPR, my colleague, Nick [Drury], in his capacity working for MJardin in the past, had done a lot of different trials with LED lights, and he had liked what he had seen with Fluence,” Banks says. “… You know that they’re investing in the further development and R&D of their fixtures, and you know they’re going to support the lighting technology. That was big for us.”
A group of Democratic state lawmakers in Wisconsin gathered at a dispensary in South Beloit, Ill., Aug. 10 to announce the introduction of a bill to legalize adult-use cannabis.
Rep. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit), Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee) and Sen. Melissa Agard (D-Madison) were joined by Beloit City Council President Clinton Anderson and Rock County District 15 Supervisor Yuri Rashkin at the Sunnyside dispensary in South Beloit to introduce the legislation, which the sponsors said would generate new tax revenue for the state and address the racial inequities of cannabis prohibition, according to a Beloit Daily News report.
Spreitzer, Bowen and Agard estimated that an adult-use cannabis market in Wisconsin could generate $160 million in annual tax revenue, and the legislation would earmark 60% of this revenue for a community reinvestment fund to support communities that were most disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs.
“However you feel about cannabis use, keeping it illegal isn’t helping anything. It’s only hurting. The people of Wisconsin are ready for legalization,” Spreitzer said when the trio of lawmakers unveiled the bill, according to Beloit Daily News.
The legislators referenced cannabis tax revenue in Illinois, the news outlet reported, which hit another record in July when the state’s dispensaries reported $127.8 million in adult-use sales.
NORWOOD, Mass., August 10, 2021 -- PRESS RELEASE -- MariMed Inc., a multi-state cannabis operator focused on health and wellness, has announced a series of appointments intended to help the company drive sales of its award-winning brand portfolio.
Senior CPG marketer and former Sam Adams beer Chief Marketing Officer, Robert Hall, has been appointed as a Senior Brand and Marketing Advisor to MariMed. In that capacity, he will help MariMed establish data-supported, distinct brand strategies and brand building techniques as the company expands the distribution of its top selling brands and products across the country. Hall will also assist the company in the expansion of its marketing team and organization.
Hall has been recognized for helping transform both the U.S. craft beer (Sam Adams brand) and hard seltzer (Truly brand) categories while working at the Boston Beer Company. Earlier in his career in a series of senior leadership roles, Hall was responsible for the overall marketing and profitability for Kellogg Company’s new Cereals and the marketing of the Natural & Functional Foods division.
Kevin Compagna has joined MariMed as Vice President, Wholesale & Licensing for North America. The accomplished sales executive will be responsible for driving revenues and market share for the company’s top-selling products, including Betty’s Eddies fruit chews and Nature’s Heritage high quality flower brand, in markets where MariMed is already licensed as well as new markets via licensing partnerships.
Compagna brings over two decades of spirits, beer and carbonated beverage sales experience, representing the full Constellation Brands portfolio at distributor Horizon Beverage, the Stirrings division of Diageo, the Moet Hennessy portfolio for that company, and Pepsi-Cola products as a Key Accounts Manager before that.
LAS VEGAS, NV / Aug. 11, 2021 – Cannabis Conference and award-winning media brand Cannabis Business Times are pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 Cannabis Leadership Awards , which recognize cannabis industry professionals who exemplify the leadership qualities needed to inspire and empower those around them and who work to better the industry and their communities.
The 2021 Cannabis Leadership Awards winners are:
Ngiste Abebe – VP of Public Policy, Columbia Care Graham Farrar - Co-Founder, President & Board Director, Glass House Brands Kevin Kuethe – VP of Cultivation, Lume Cannabis Co. Josh Malman - VP of Cultivation, Jushi Holdings Inc.Lilach Mazor Power – Founder & CEO, Giving Tree Dispensary Troy Meadows – Co-Founder & CMO, Legion of BloomWinners were selected from nominations of cannabis industry professionals from cultivation and/or vertically integrated companies (with cultivation and retail operations) in North America.
The award recipients will be recognized at an invite-only awards dinner and reception during Cannabis Conference on Aug. 25. In addition, they are featured in the August issue of Cannabis Business Times magazine, and their profiles are available at www.CannabisBusinessTimes.com.
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to honor these six individuals whose visions and values are an inspiration to their teams and others in the industry,” said Cannabis Conference Editorial Director Noelle Skodzinski. “This year’s honorees stood out for their accomplishments in building employee culture, scaling businesses responsibly and sustainably, furthering cannabis legalization, prioritizing social equity, giving back to their communities and more. In this burgeoning industry, the Cannabis Leadership Awards are an opportunity to recognize the work of those paving the way for future generations of cannabis leaders to come.”
The Cannabis Leadership Awards are made possible with support from FOHSE – Future of Horticultural Science + Engineering.
Preventing outbreaks of pests and diseases in growing facilities is a top priority for cannabis cultivators, which is why Harbor Farmz utilizes tissue culture to create the healthiest mother stock plants possible for its nearly 11,000-square-foot canopy.
“The really good thing about having tissue culture in a production facility is that tissue culture is free of any kind of diseases like powdery mildew, botrytis or any kind of viruses, which let's face it, can make or break a facility,” says Deb Sweeney, tissue culture lab director at Harbor Farmz. “It also reinvigorates the cultivars. When you've been cloning plants, you're cutting them over and over. There's an open wound there and what's the plant going to try to do? It's going to try to heal itself. When there's an open wound, any kind of systemic disease can go in there.”
Tissue culture plants are incredibly tender and delicate, so Harbor Farmz must provide the best growing environment possible to ensure these plants get a strong start before advancing through its growth stages, Sweeney says. And lighting is one of the most important factors in achieving success throughout the growth cycle.
Here, Sweeney and Allister Malcolm, who also works in the tissue culture lab, share four best practices for lighting in tissue culture.
1. Start Slow and Low
Working in tissue culture is akin to trialing all of the time, as each cultivar has different lighting preferences, Sweeney says.
What started as a tour to celebrate summer and highlight a new line of cannabis edibles transformed into an effort to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to the people of Colorado during a series of pop-up vaccination clinics this past weekend.
Wana Brands, a cannabis edibles manufacturer, and The Green Solution, a Colorado-based dispensary chain, partnered with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to provide COVID-19 vaccines to the local community during Denver-area stops along Wana’s Summer of Quick Tour.
The tour, which launched in early July to kick off the summer, initially aimed to highlight Wana’s Quick Fast-Acting Gummies. The company set up a van at dispensary locations along the tour to celebrate the new product line.
“It was basically a pop-up in the parking lot, and that was inspired more or less from the post-COVID summer that everybody was really looking forward to,” Kim Gibson, a territory account manager for Wana Brands, told Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “They had the vaccinations, and there was this real sense of getting out and everybody being social again.”
As the summer progressed and more information surfaced about the Delta variant of COVID-19, Wana and The Green Solution wanted to encourage more people to get vaccinated.
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 10, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Confia, a leading technology platform for financial compliance, B2B/B2C transactions and secure banking services designed for the cannabis industry, announced its expansion to the East Coast, starting with Massachusetts, as the cannabis market continues to grow. Confia operates as the DBA for PointChain. The company is offering its core banking and transaction capabilities to East Coast cannabis operators, and plans to add additional services in short order. The expansion accompanies its launch of new marketing divisions and opening of new headquarters in Irvine, Calif.
The ever-changing landscape of transactional banking for the cannabis industry has propelled Confia’s growth in recent months, where it now has full coverage in California, the world’s largest legalized cannabis market. Utilizing programmatic technology, Confia provides cannabis operators with access to affordable and efficient financial services that support the compliance and transactional complexity of the cannabis industry. With services such as API and web-based capabilities and new transaction features including escrow-based transaction contracts, Confia has created a technology-based ecosystem designed to enable the entire cannabis supply chain.
Following its early success on the West Coast, the company is expanding to the East Coast market, with the goal of assisting up-and-coming operators looking to scale into new and emerging markets. The company is beta testing the platform first in Massachusetts before increasing Confia’s service area up to nine states by the end of 2021.
“Confia differs from other banking solutions in that it not only provides access to traditional banking services for cannabis businesses, it leverages an industry leading automated platform that offers a full suite of transactional-based financial solutions,” Confia CEO Mark Lozzi said. “We built Confia with the entire cannabis supply chain in mind, not just as a banking solution. For example, our cutting-edge automated transaction contracts will simplify the flow of funds within the industry, create trust and instill confidence among cannabis operators transacting with one another. We have worked with some of the largest operators on the West Coast, and with new states coming online every day, we are both excited and humbled to be taking our platform to the East Coast, starting with our beta launch in Massachusetts, and our sights set on Michigan and Florida next.”
Confia differs from other cannabis financial service providers with benefits such as:
FDIC-insured eligible accounts Low-cost, high-limit cash deposits Incoming/outgoing ACH & wires Check deposits and payroll processing Automated compliance filing (SARS/CTRS) and tax payments Touchless and low-cost consumer transactionsConfia streamlines complex financial processes for the cannabis industry, addressing both compliance and secure payments in real time. As a licensed money services provider, Confia offers traditional banking and cash management services, bill pay services, unlimited B2B payments, API-powered payment solutions that service both businesses and the consumer, and lending solutions desperately needed in the cannabis space. To learn more about Confia, visit www.confia.io.
]]>Maine’s adult-use cannabis sales surpassed $9 million in July, a 45% increase over June, according to a CentralMaine.com report.
Office of Marijuana Policy Director David Heidrich has attributed the increase in sales to summer tourism, market growth and the Fourth of July holiday, the news outlet reported.
Maine’s 44 licensed adult-use retailers reported 124,004 transactions last month that totaled $9.4 million, which generated $943,500 in tax revenue for the state.
Adult-use cannabis sales launched last October, and July marks the first month that adult-use sales have matched medical sales in the state, according to CentralMaine.com.
Maine’s adult-use market has reported about $38.7 million in total sales since the market launched last fall, the news outlet reported, and the state has raked in more than $3.8 million in total tax revenue.
SEATTLE and NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Leafly Holdings Inc., an online cannabis discovery marketplace and resource for cannabis consumers, and Merida Merger Corp. I (NASDAQ: MCMJ), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by Merida Capital Holdings, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement with respect to a business combination. Upon completion of the proposed transaction, Merida will adopt the Leafly name and its common stock is expected to be listed on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol LFLY. The transaction values the combined company at an implied, fully diluted enterprise value of approximately $385 million and equity value of approximately $532 million, subject to any redemptions by Merida stockholders.
Based in Seattle, Wash., Leafly is a content-first, community-driven, three-sided marketplace that attracts the world's largest cannabis audience. Across its website and mobile app, Leafly empowers a highly engaged audience of more than 125 million annual visitors to understand, select and reserve cannabis products from licensed retailers.
Leafly provides a subscription-based platform for more than 7,800 brands and 4,600 paying retail subscribers. Approximately 55% of North American retail licensees are currently subscribed to its marketplace and advertising services. As a non-plant touching platform with leading brand recognition, a user-friendly experience, and an established position in core growth markets, Leafly is well positioned to capitalize on accelerating legalization trends and e-commerce adoption across North America.
Yoko Miyashita, chief executive officer of Leafly, said, "For the past decade, we have focused on building a unique, legally compliant marketplace with an equal emphasis on educating consumers and enabling them to reserve cannabis products from legal, reputable providers. With this transaction, we are looking forward to entering the next phase of our company's journey – creating more personalized consumer experiences, driving more value to our retail partners, amplifying brands on our platform, and further scaling our presence in local markets as legalization continues. Our consumers recognize Leafly as one of the most trusted brands in cannabis, and we do not take that trust for granted. We are excited to partner with Merida's deeply experienced team to create even more value for our consumers, partners and shareholders."
Peter Lee, president of Merida Merger Corp. I, commented, "Merida Capital is very excited to be involved in this transformative event for Leafly. We have seen firsthand how consumers respond to Leafly's innovative technology and proprietary insights. Leafly has a proven flywheel and clear and achievable growth plans, and we look forward to leveraging our team's demonstrated track record with other high growth ancillary cannabis companies to support their transition to the public market."
The cultivation, sale and use of medical cannabis is now legal in Western North Carolina, specifically in the Qualla Boundary, after the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians announced the approval on Aug. 5.
New Mexico’s Cannabis Control Division announced the members of its Cannabis Regulatory Advisory Committee on Aug. 6.
The advisory committee was created by the Cannabis Regulation Act, the state’s adult-use cannabis law, to weigh in on the rulemaking process. The group will advise the Cannabis Control Division on the development of regulations covering best practices, the promotion of economic and cultural diversity in cannabis licensing and employment opportunities, and the protection of public health and safety.
The following people will serve on the Cannabis Regulatory Advisory Committee:
A cannabis policy advocacy organization, Emily Kaltenbach, Santa Fe CountyA labor organization, Esther Lopez, Bernalillo CountyA qualified patient, Nathaniel PaolinelliA state or local agency with relevant expertise as the Director and the Superintendent deems appropriate, Paul Haidle, Bernalillo CountyAn Indian nation, tribe or pueblo with relevant experience as the Director and the Superintendent deem appropriate, Perry Martinez, San Ildefonso PuebloExpertise in public health, Steven Jenison, Santa Fe CountyExpertise regulating commercial activity for adult-use intoxicating substances, Lou Ann Branch, Bernalillo CountyExpertise and experience in cannabis laboratory science, Ginger Baker, Bernalillo CountyExperience in environmental science, Miguel Santistevan, Taos CountyExpertise in small business development, Chase Gentry, Curry CountyExpertise in water resources, Harold Trujillo, Mora CountyExpertise in other relevant areas as the Director and the Superintendent deem appropriate, President Richard Bailey, Rio Arriba CountyPrevious experience as a cannabis retailer, cannabis producer or cannabis manufacturer and who is a non-voting member, Rachael Speegle, Bernalillo CountyChief Public Defender Bennett Baur, Santa Fe CountyEddy County Sheriff Mark Cage, Eddy CountyFirst Judicial District Attorney, Mary Carmack-Altwies, Santa Fe CountyRoswell Police Chief Phil Smith, Chaves County“I am excited to work with this outstanding and diverse advisory committee to make sure that real people, from all walks of life and all parts of the state, have a strong, clear voice as the adult-use cannabis industry starts up in New Mexico,” Regulation and Licensing Department Superintendent Linda Trujillo said in a public statement. “Adult-use cannabis is creating exciting economic opportunities for businesses, entrepreneurs and communities around the state. With this committee’s guidance, we will continue to meet our goal of making this new industry accessible.”
RELATED: New Mexico Prepares for April Launch of Adult-Use Cannabis Sales
