MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
When it comes to social equity in Greater Boston, private enterprise and the voluntary sector aren’t going it alone. A public-private partnership is working to help people who were adversely affected by the War on Drugs obtain a foothold in the cannabis industry.
Launched in 2019, Mass CultivatED strives to help people who were arrested or incarcerated, have family members who had those same experiences, or live in an area where those experiences have had a disproportionate impact on the population. The program refers to them as “fellows.”
“When I decided to get one of these licenses and create a cannabis business, one of the things that I was aware of was the injustice and enforcement of those laws and of cannabis,” says Dr. Karen Munkacy, founder, president and CEO of Garden Remedies, a vertically integrated cannabis company in Massachusetts and one of Mass CultivatED’s partners. Many of those who are arrested and incarcerated for cannabis are minorities or people who are unable to afford an expensive attorney, she adds.
Pauline Quirion, director of the CORI and Re-entry Project at Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), another partner, says businesses and organizations are stating that “Black Lives Matter” and issuing statements in support of racial equality. Mass CultivatED is taking that a step further, she adds. “These are folks who are actually not just talking about racial equality, they're doing something, they're giving people real opportunities for employment and also for a career, which is really life changing, because if you think about the War on Drugs, it has had the biggest impact on communities of color.”
Mass CultivatED was founded by Massachusetts State Rep. Chynah Tyler (D), who serves the largely minority and low-income 7th Suffolk district. In building Mass CultivatED, Tyler’s former Chief of Staff Ryan Dominguez, now the program’s acting executive director, coordinated committees with institutional and “Founder’s Circle” partners.
“We initially started thinking about creating some type of education program at a local community college to provide some training for people in the district who can learn a little bit about cannabis, learn a little bit about the failed War on Drugs and the laws that were getting put in place here in Massachusetts,” Dominguez recalls, referring to the medical and adult-use laws and corresponding regulations. That led to a partnership to offer classes at Roxbury Community College (RCC).
Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen has approved a medical cannabis legalization measure for the state’s November ballot, according to an AP News report.
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana submitted enough signatures in July to place the measure before voters this fall, but opponents urged Evnen to reject the proposal, arguing that the measure violates the state constitution.
Evnen said opponents raised “several valid points” about issues with the initiative’s language, AP News reported, but he ultimately decided that the measure met all the necessary legal requirements to go before voters.
Wyllow, a new line of California-grown cannabis flower, has launched in the Los Angeles area with inclusivity and affordability at the forefront of its brand.
Although CEO Camille Roistacher said Wyllow is intended for all cannabis consumers, the brand was inspired by a desire for more women representation in the cannabis industry.
“If I walk into a dispensary today, I would like to see more products on the shelves that are geared or marketed towards women that are also owned and operated by women, so that’s one angle to our inclusivity,” she said.
The other angle, she added, is centered on the brand’s pricing strategy.
“The goal is really to not have $80 or $90 eighths on the shelves, especially considering everything that’s going on,” Roistacher said. “People are losing their jobs, unfortunately, and money is tight. So, how can we bring our really nice product at a reasonable price to the consumer?”
The Warsaw Zoo will study the effects of CBD-rich cannabis on its three African elephants, according to Agence France Presse. The research is meant to gather data on how CBD affects elephants’ stress levels. CBD oil will be administered to the elephants through their trunks.
"This is probably the first initiative of its kind for elephants," Warsaw Zoo veterinarian Agnieszka Czujkowska told AFP. "It's an attempt to find a new natural alternative to the existing methods of combating stress, especially pharmaceutical drugs.”
As the AFP notes, the three elephants recently experienced the death of the zoo’s alpha female, something that has caused angst among the small population. Czujkowska told the news agency that data may be available on this study sometime about two years from now.
]]>A judge determined Aug. 24 that the court did not have jurisdiction to hear a lawsuit brought against Loveland, Colo., City Clerk Patti Garcia by supporters of a petition for a ballot initiative to allow cannabis dispensaries in the city, but the city clerk’s office has agreed to accept additional signatures collected during the initial 90-day period allotted for signature gathering.
Loveland does not allow cannabis retailers within its borders, which prompted petitioners to propose a November ballot initiative that would let voters to decide whether to allow the regulation and sale of cannabis in the city.
Petitioners had 90 days to collect a minimum of 2,888 valid signatures from registered electors to place the issue before voters, and the lawsuit arose following allegations that Garcia provided misinformation to the petition representatives.
“The clerk was giving confusing deadlines of when signatures could be collected, how long they had to collect the signatures, and then she summarily cut short the window in which they had to collect the signatures,” said Michael Dailey, senior counsel with Greenspoon Marder, which is representing the plaintiffs in the case.
Petition representatives can drop signatures off to the city clerk in batches, he said, and Garcia allegedly took one of the batches and counted it as the final batch without petitioners indicating that it was indeed the final batch.
August 26th, 2020 - Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania. - PRESS RELEASE - Ethos Cannabis, a multistate cannabis company based in Philadelphia, announces their expansion in Pennsylvania with a new medical dispensary in Montgomeryville. The dispensary opened Tuesday.
Ethos is one of the first operational companies in Pennsylvania holding one of eight Clinical Registrant (CR) licenses issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to work in cooperation with one of Pennsylvania’s major medical schools to conduct research related to medical cannabis. Thomas Jefferson University, located in Philadelphia, is one of eight such medical schools which have been certified by the Pennsylvania DOH as an Academic Clinical Research Center (ACRC) to participate in the program. Ethos opened its first dispensary as part of this program earlier this year and will be opening an additional four dispensaries in Pennsylvania under this license over the next six months.
The staff at the new dispensary will collaborate with Jefferson’s research team to pre-screen potential patients for enrollment in the research studies, participate in research conversations, give feedback about what patients in the dispensary are reporting and relay frequently asked questions. Additionally, they will provide Jefferson with product specific information about all cannabis products that each patient enrolled in the study has purchased.
“This is the second of our clinical research dispensaries to open in 2020 and we are excited to extend our research studies beyond our Center City Philadelphia location. The research we are performing in conjunction with Jefferson is so unique in the national landscape and really puts Pennsylvania at the forefront of cannabis leadership”, said Teddy Scott, Chief Executive Officer of Ethos.
David Clapper, Ethos President of Pennsylvania, added, “Research coming out of this program is not only vital to medical professionals and patients in the program, but will also generate much needed data for public health professionals seeking to understand the impacts of cannabis as it pertains to adult-use markets. We are just beginning to scratch the surface with these studies and look forward to opportunities to include thousands of Pennsylvania participants in the research.”
]]>TALLAHASSEE, FLA., Aug. 27, 2020 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Trulieve Cannabis Corp. has announced that it will soon begin offering edible cannabis products to patients in Florida. Following finalized regulations from the Florida Department of Health for the sale of edible cannabis products and approval of its products, Trulieve will introduce edibles in its medical cannabis dispensaries across the state, expanding patient access to the types of products they have been requesting for years.
Trulieve has planned for the debut of edibles and, with the final guidelines in place from the Department of Health (DOH), once its products are approved by the DOH, will be able to introduce an exciting assortment of edible products.
In preparation for edibles rollout, Trulieve built out a 10,000-square-foot commercial-grade kitchen at its production facility in Quincy, Fla., where Trulieve's skilled production team will produce initial products as well as test and develop new offerings. In addition to its branded product line, Trulieve has partnered with specialty edible brand partners Binske, Bhang, District Edibles and Love's Oven to expand its edible offerings to include cookies, brownies and other products for Trulieve customers.
"Similar to what we saw when flower was introduced in 2019, we expect that edibles will contribute to a sizable share of overall sales," said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve. "We know the demand is there, as we have been hearing from our customers for some time now. To meet that pending demand, Trulieve was the first in the Florida market to introduce ingestible products. We started with capsules and extended to other forms, such as TruPowder in January, follow-on flavored options just this month, and TruTincture Drops, which are similar to lozenges. We are glad to finally be able to offer edibles as yet another option for medical cannabis patients across Florida."
Rivers added, "We believe we are well-positioned to meet the expected market demand for edibles, and believe we are the only cannabis company in the state that can serve this variety across 56 stores with not only our own Trulieve branded edibles, but also robust product lines from partner brands."
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana submitted enough signatures to place its medical cannabis legalization measure before voters in November, but opponents are asking the state’s top election official to reject the proposal, according to an AP News report.
Mark Fahleson, a Lincoln-based attorney and former Nebraska Republican Party chairman, has submitted a letter to Secretary of State Bob Evnen arguing that the measure violates the state constitution, the news outlet reported.
Opponents to a casino ballot measure made similar arguments against that proposal, which Evnen ultimately rejected, according to AP News. Groups supporting the casino initiative have since filed a challenge in court over Evnen’s decision, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
Fahleson’s letter comes as Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana received official confirmation from the state that it gathered enough signatures to qualify its initiative for the November ballot, AP News reported.
More than a year and a half into medical cannabis sales in Ohio, many cultivators are seeking some regulatory relief—on the amount of space they can use to grow, and how they can package, sell and market cannabis product.
Level II’s Maxed Out
Across Ohio, smaller growers are requesting more cultivation space. “We’re moving stuff pretty quick, as we can get it ready and out the door,” said Scott Golden, facility manager at Agri-Med Ohio, which is located in Meigs County in Southeast Ohio on the West Virginia border and markets its products with the “Meigs County” name.
Cultivators in Ohio were licensed as either “Level I” or “Level II.” Initially, Level I growers are limited to 25,000 square feet of cultivation space and Level II growers are limited to 3,000 square feet. The Ohio Department of Commerce, which regulates cultivators, processors and testing labs, can approve Level I expansions to 50,000 square feet and Level II expansions to 6,000 square feet. The department may then approve Level I and II growers for final expansions to 75,000 square feet and 9,000 square feet, respectively.
As a Level II grower, Agri-Med has maxed out its 3,000-square-foot indoor cultivation space in Langsville. It requested an expansion but was denied, Golden says. Other Level II cultivators in the same situation include Ancient Roots in Wilmington, Fire Rock in Akron, FN Group (Wellspring Fields) in Ravenna and Ohio Clean Leaf in Dayton, according to the Dayton Daily News.
Jennifer Jarrell, a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Commerce, said the department has decided to not yet grant any expansion requests. “The director, [Sheryl Maxfield], hasn’t requested expansion plans from licensees as set forth in OAC 3796:2-1-09,” Jarrell said. “If a program need for cultivation area expansions is identified, the Department will initiate a formal submission and review process and communicate this process to all licensees.”
As of Aug. 21, Jarrell said 12 Level I growers and 12 Level II growers are operational, adding that “There are 7 Level I provisional licenses and 2 Level II provisional licenses remaining.” She also said several Level I cultivators are not using their full 25,000 square feet of growing space.
Tom Schultz, CEO and co-founder of Connecticut-based medical cannabis producer CTPharma and long-time Cannabis Business Times columnist and speaker at Cannabis Conference, tragically passed away on Aug. 22 from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident. He was 70 years old.
Schultz was on his weekly bicycle ride, travelling south on High Ridge Road in Pound Ridge, New York, when a 2014 Ford Econoline van traveling in the same direction struck him. He was pronounced dead after life-saving efforts were attempted, according to a report from Patch.com.
In a statement, CTPharma said, “Tom Schultz was a co-founder and visionary of CTPharma. In addition to being a great leader and mentor, he was also a friend to all. He will forever be with us in spirit and we look forward to continuing to honor his legacy through his foundations and CTPharma.”
Tom Schultz (left) and Rino Ferrarese (right) speaking with a journalist about CTPharma's FDA-approved clinical study, conducted in collaboration with Yale School of Medicine, during the company's official announcement on Nov. 8, 2019.
Noelle Skodzinski, editorial director for GIE Media’s cannabis group, said, “Tom has been contributing, along with his friend and business partner, Rino Ferrarese, to Cannabis Business Times since April 2017, and his vision has helped guide the industry toward higher standards in professionalism, patient care and product quality and consistency.
“Tom was a brilliant thinker and businessperson, with a true and persevering passion for the medical potential of cannabis, as well as for the patients CTPharma has served over the years. He was also a dear friend to me and many of those on our team. We are all mourning his loss and thinking of his family and his extended family at CTPharma at this time.”
Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board is issuing stricter policies for cannabis companies that have past due taxes or licensing renewals, according to The Nevada Independent.
Roughly 560 of Nevada’s more than 700 cannabis licensees were due for license renewal by June 30, the news outlet reported, but 11 licensees with 22 total licenses did not submit renewal paperwork until July.
RELATED: Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board Revokes Six CWNevada Licenses
At an Aug. 25 board meeting, Executive Director Tyley Klimas said that the Cannabis Compliance Board did not renew the expired licenses, but instead sent correspondence indicating that the licensees METRC access would be discontinued, according to The Nevada Independent. While one licensee then surrendered its cannabis distribution license, the others paid their license renewal fees.
Klimas also indicated at the meeting that 18 cannabis licensees with 48 total licenses had past due tax debts ranging from $500 to $4 million that dated back to March 2019, the news outlet reported. The board contacted the companies and indicated that it would be severing their METRC access, as well, and all 18 licensees have since paid their taxes or are in the process or establishing payment plans with the Nevada Department of Taxation, according to The Nevada Independent.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is calling for adult-use cannabis legalization to help boost the state’s economy amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to an NPR report.
Wolf says the state could use the tax revenue generated from adult-use cannabis sales to support grants for small businesses and fund restorative justice programs, the news outlet reported, with 50% of funding earmarked for historically disadvantaged businesses.
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman expressed his support for legalization earlier this summer, also indicating that an adult-use cannabis market could help the state’s budget deficit.
Just last month, State Sen. Sharif Street and 14 co-signers issued a letter to Wolf, urging him to consider adult-use cannabis legalization during this year’s budget negotiations.
Still, past efforts to legalize cannabis in the state have been met with opposition from House and Senate leadership, and NPR reported that it is unclear how the Republican-led General Assembly will receive this most recent push.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) is calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to delay implementation of the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program Interim Final Rule (IFR), which, as currently drafted, threatens the industrial hemp industry’s potential for Colorado’s farmers and seriously undermines this growing industry. “The United States is now poised Read the full article...
NEW YORK – August 26 , 2020 – PRESS RELEASE – Columbia Care Inc. has announced that it will complete its acquisition of The Green Solution (TGS), one of the largest vertically integrated cannabis operators in Colorado, on Sept. 1, 2020. The combination is immediately accretive to Columbia Care’s Adj. EBITDA and, in combination with Columbia Care’s rapidly improving margin and profitability profile, will accelerate the company’s transition to being Adj. EBITDA positive in 3Q 2020.
As one of the first publicly traded companies to acquire a Colorado cannabis business, the TGS acquisition establishes Columbia Care as the leader in the $1.75B Colorado market, the second largest cannabis market in the world. With 23 dispensaries, many located in the Denver metro area and tourist destinations such as Aspen, TGS supplies its own dispensaries along with its wholesale distribution network from its six operational cultivation facilities and one highly-automated manufacturing facility. Additionally, a Columbia Care affiliate was recently awarded the opportunity to pursue a marijuana hospitality business license in Adams County, one of the first consumption lounges in the state.
With unaudited revenue through July 2020 of $52.7 million, a YoY increase of 29% compared to 2019, TGS has performed well YTD despite headwinds caused by COVID-19. As a core principal of its national strategy, Columbia Care expects to leverage TGS’s leadership position to serve as a consolidation platform for the fragmented Colorado market. Recently enhanced cultivation and manufacturing infrastructure will enable TGS to continue to expand margins while capturing incremental market share through M&A, the acceleration of its wholesale operations, implementation of additional manufacturing automation infrastructure, SKU optimization (including the launch of Columbia Care’s medical, health and wellness focused products), expanding outdoor cultivation (to solidify its position as the low cost producer of cannabis) and provide a unique customer journey by investing in and expanding dispensary operations.
“Closing the acquisition of The Green Solution represents a major milestone for Columbia Care,” said Nicholas Vita, CEO of Columbia Care. “This transaction aligned well with our national strategy to be the market leader in each of our key markets while adding a portfolio of brands and products to our suite of adult-use offerings across the country. The acquisition of TGS is immediately accretive to Columbia Care’s Adj. EBITDA and accelerates our transition to generating positive Adj. EBITDA into 3Q. Overnight, we have established a leading position in the world’s second largest cannabis market. We added profitable scale to our national portfolio of brands and products and will continue to expand our market share in Colorado as we have done nationally--by offering consumers the highest quality products, best selection, most trusted customer experience, targeted brands and competitive wholesale offerings. We are grateful to our partners at TGS and applaud their vision and dedication to build one of the most successful companies in the industry. The entire Columbia Care team looks forward to working with the TGS organization and leadership as we pursue our joint goal of being the leading cannabis operator nationwide.”
Plant-touching companies that received federal aid from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as a result of the economic turmoil from the coronavirus pandemic should return the funds immediately, according to Scot Crow, an attorney who leads the cannabis practice group at Dickinson Wright.
“Our determination that our lawyers made internally was this was not something that was available to any of our clients that were directly leaf-touching businesses or structures designed to support those cannabis businesses,” Crow said in an interview.
The PPP is a federal loan program included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed by Congress on March 27. The Small Business Administration (SBA)-run program offers loans of up to $10 million to small businesses. If the funds are spent on employee wages and other specific business expenses, they are forgivable.
SBA guidelines issued on April 15 explicitly exclude companies “engaged in any activity that is illegal under Federal law,” which plant-touching cannabis businesses clearly are.
The initial PPP loan phase did not have specific guidelines, so it is possible the cannabis business that applied for loans during that period did not realize they would be ineligible for the program.
But if applications were made on or after the April 15 guidelines, “I don’t know how that doesn’t literally rise to the level of fraud whether you do it with intent to deceive or it’s done with reckless disregard with respect to what the rules say,” Crow said.
Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary have launched the Best Cannabis Companies To Work For—2021. The awards program will identify and recognize the best employers in cannabis cultivation and dispensary markets, continuing the recognition the media brands debuted this past year.
To register for free, visit bestcompaniescannabis.com. The registration deadline is Oct. 9.
A ranking of the “Best Cannabis Companies To Work For – 2021” in cultivation and retail will be revealed in Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary in early 2021.
The survey is organized and managed by the Best Companies Group (BCG), an independent research firm specializing in identifying and recognizing great places to work.
“We were thrilled to work on this project last year and to not only recognize great cannabis companies, but also learn more about what makes certain cannabis companies so successful in creating positive work environments,” Editorial Director Noelle Skodzinski said. “Competition for talented employees is now even more intense, due in part to the economic pressures of 2020, and this program also can help ranking companies attract great talent.”
Here’s what you need to know to get involved:
LOS ANGELES, August 24, 2020 -- PRESS RELEASE -- OG DNA Genetics, a global cannabis brand, has announced the official launch of DNA Genetics’ x Insane premium cannabis flower at select retail locations throughout the state. The limited collaboration will be available at Dr. Greenthumb’s, Cookie’s and URBN Leaf dispensaries.
Dr. Greenthumb, the cannabis-centric alter ego of B-Real from Cypress Hill, has become synonymous with the rapper’s true and authentic commitment to smoking and selling the best weed. The pairing of DNA Genetics and Dr. Greenthumb highlights the long-standing relationship of the two Los Angeles-based cannabis icons.
“It feels good to grow such great flower with our longtime friends over at Dr. Greenthumb's. We really put a lot of effort into selecting some bangers to put out in California, and you can taste that effort with every puff. B-Real and co-founder, Kenji Fujishima, have been killing it out here for years and our friendship goes way back. This is definitely the right crew to make sure our varieties are represented properly,” said Aaron Yarkoni, co-CEO of DNA Genetics.
“We are excited to finally have flower from the DNA Genetics family at Dr. Greenthumb’s. They are one of the most revered genetics companies in the cannabis industry and we can’t wait for people to experience the flavors,” said B-Real.
For more than 15 years, genetics developed by DNA have won more than 200 awards in all categories at the most prestigious cannabis events around the world, making DNA the global standard in breeding and growing truly best-in-class strains. These awards include the High Times ‘Top 10 Strain of the Year’, which was inducted into The High Times seedbank hall of fame in 2009, the High Times 100 list of the most influential people in the industry and the High Times Trailer Blazers Award, for contributions made towards uniting the fields of entrepreneurship, politics and medicine.
Editor’s Note: This article has been adapted from Chapter 05: Navigating the Equipment Procurement Process from Getting Grow Rooms Right, written by Geoff Brown, Quest’s VP of Technical Solutions and Dan Dettmers, Quest’s Applications Engineer.
Buying HVAC equipment can be a complex endeavor, and cost just one significant consideration. The investment does not end once the system is purchased, and to understand the true cost of HVAC equipment, cannabis cultivators must examine what it will take to operate and maintain that equipment over the life of the system.
Total cost of ownership includes installation cost, energy cost, warranty, serviceability and maintenance requirements, and a long-term approach is important when making purchasing decisions.
Whether cannabis cultivators are building new or retrofitting an existing building, it’s important to consider HVAC systems from the start, as everything from lighting to layout can impact which equipment is right for your grow. The following is an outline of the process and steps owners generally take when designing for cannabis production in new buildings and often for repurposing existing buildings:
1. The owner selects an architect to design or retrofit a building.
With so many dehumidification and HVAC offerings on the market for cannabis cultivators, it may be difficult for growers to select the system that is right for their specific situation.
For Geoff Brown, VP of Technical Solutions for Quest, learning as much as possible about what happens in a client’s grow room and how the cultivator expects to operate that room is critical when guiding growers in equipment selection.
Quest’s IQ Series of dehumidifiers, for example, each represent a different offering to the market that is largely based on what a specific cultivator or facility requires.
“In order to determine that accurately, we really need to become partners with the growers,” Brown says. “[We must] learn everything they’re going to do with that system, how they’re going to do it [and] how they anticipate operating their facility.”
In order to determine what equipment might be best, Brown encourages growers to consider these factors:
Vermont lawmakers are considering legislation that would expand cannabis expungements in the state by automatically expunging criminal records involving the possession of two ounces or less of cannabis, according to a VTDigger report.
The move comes as lawmakers in the House and Senate work on a final bill to tax and regulate cannabis sales.
House and Senate leadership say they support the expungement provisions, which would also decriminalize the possession of up to two ounces of cannabis, VTDigger reported. Under current law, possession of up to one ounce is decriminalized, according to the news outlet.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Sears (D-Bennington) told VTDigger that passing the expungement measure in the coming weeks, while the legislature reconvenes for a special budget session, is a priority. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Maxine Grad (D-Moretown) has also indicated support for the proposal, according to the news outlet.
“Criminal records are a barrier to employment, serving in the military, student loans, housing, and it’s very important to help folks with these criminal records get justice and clean their records,” she told VTDigger.
