MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

Last night, actor and comedian Jim Belushi made his way back to the silver screen—this time by documenting the trials and tribulations of owning and operating his state-legal cannabis farm in Oregon in the new reality series “Growing Belushi” on Discovery Channel.

The series, airing on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET, will provide a snapshot into the daily life of Belushi and his “ragtag team of farmers” as they “follow their passion and find success in something they believe in,” according to a Discovery Channel press release. “Joined by his cousin Chris and with appearances from Dan Aykroyd, Judy Belushi and a cast of misfits (including Jim’s own family), as well as a musical appearance by The Blues Brothers, ‘Growing Belushi’ will take Discovery’s audiences inside Jim’s world and show the incredible effort it takes to build a legal cannabis operation.”

In the first seven minutes of the series premiere, viewers got a peek into the backstory of what inspired Belushi’s journey into cannabis, including the passing of his late brother John Belushi, as well as his humble beginnings of learning a complicated industry. “Jim knew nothing,” Megan, a land use consultant, reflected while laughing. Viewers see first-hand via sprawling drone footage over the farm that he’s come a long way since then.

Alternating between comedic relief (like Belushi’s daily skinny dip into his pond) and the history of the cultivars that make up Belushi’s genetic line-up (i.e. Captain Jack, whose namesake Jack, famously known as the ‘weed dealer’ on Saturday Night Live in the 70s, now works with the farm)—"Growing Belushi" has all the elements classic to reality TV: quick edits, interview soundbites with music and sound effects to match the moment, and, of course, a little bit of drama. The first issue presented is the report of two cultivation employees, Ben and Alex, who plan to skip out of work at 4 p.m.—knowing full well that the Captain Jack plants need sprayed at 5.

“We are always looking for a show that takes you by surprise and this one did - it’s fun and funny and has a lot of heart. I think people will see Jim Belushi in a whole new way after watching,” said Nancy Daniels, Chief Brand Officer, Discovery & Factual, according to the press release.

Cannabis Business Times profiled Jim Belushi’s operation in its March 2020 cover story. In it, he said, “We all try to throw a pebble into the pond to make a ripple,” reflecting on the impact individuals can have in their various circles. “When you have celebrity status, you bring focus to the pond, and you have the ability to throw a boulder into the pond and make a big wave. That’s a responsibility, and you’ve got to step up to it.” Read the full story here. 

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PRESS RELEASE - With an efficacy of 3.3 μmol/J, the HortiLED TOP 2.0 delivers energy savings by reducing energy consumption by as much as 40% versus traditional HPS systems to deliver the same light levels. The optional remote dimming allows for integration with compatible control systems, where light output can be dimmed on a relative scale, based on lighting schedules and/or variable light requirements, enabling control of light levels and energy consumption.

The HortiLED TOP 2.0 offers two spectrums designed for optimal spectral efficiencies in both supplementary and sole source lighting applications. Constructed from aluminum and LEDs, the HortiLED TOP 2.0 requires minimal maintenance and is designed for the harsh conditions of indoor growing. The HortiLED TOP 2.0 is thermally and mechanically engineered to dissipate heat through conduction and convection paths, minimizing LED junction temperature and maximizing light output, lifetime and reliability. The product’s design features an integrated driver, reducing the amount of equipment to be installed and further minimizing shadowing in greenhouse applications, so plants will receive the maximum amount of light. 

Luminaires can be daisy-chained to save on wiring and installation costs in both new and retrofit applications, while the specially designed mounting brackets allow for quick and secure mounting of the luminaires on both track and truss systems.

The HortiLED TOP 2.0 is certified to the rigorous standards of CSA and is DLC listed, providing growers with performance validation and enabling them to take advantage of energy conservation rebate programs.

“We believe the introduction of the new HortiLED TOP 2.0, will be a game changer for growers who have so far been hesitant to adopt the use of LED technology. The phenomenal efficiency of the luminaire, along with the new spectrums, which are optimized for either supplementary or sole-source lighting applications, means growers can achieve the same lighting performance as traditional sources with all the benefits of LEDs,” explains Todd Philips, president of P.L. Light Systems. “Designed for maximum flexibility, the HortiLED TOP 2.0 can used either as a full LED solution, or in combination with HID luminaires as a hybrid lighting system."

OHIO:  The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy today published updated patient & caregiver numbers for July 2020. These numbers include: 159,513 Recommendations 125,087 Registered patients 8,862 Patients with Veteran Status 9,286 Patients with Indigent Status 690 Patients with a Terminal Diagnosis 100,224 Unique patients who purchased medical marijuana (as reported to OARRS by licensed Read the full article...

Schumer: Amend Hemp Regulations And Let Budding Industry Take Flight In Upstate NY NEW YORK:  After successfully pushing for an extended comment period to allow Upstate New York hemp farmers to share their concerns with the final rule, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to delay the issuance Read the full article...

COLORADO:  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has requested Colorado clarify and revise certain elements of its State Hemp Management Plan, submitted on June 18, 2020. The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is currently reviewing USDA’s comments and questions and considering revisions as it continues to prioritize representing the needs of the state’s industrial hemp Read the full article...

Cities across California are creating and expanding equity programs with the help of grant funding from the state.

The California Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC), state regulatory agency turned recipient of the DEA's wrath, and the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) have issued $40 million to cities and counties across the state to support equity programs. These programs are meant to help people who have been harmed and disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition establish businesses in the industry.

In July, the BCC sent a nearly 500-page report to the state legislature that includes documents submitted from city and county officials expressing the need for equity programs and plans for creating them. Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary are speaking with recipients of the BCC and GO-Biz funds.

While some of the $40 million flowed as far south as Coachella, Palm Springs and Long Beach, one of the locales it reached wasn’t very far from the state government: the capital. Sacramento received more than $5 million of the funds distributed by the BCC and Go-Biz. It’s not the most any city received but also not the least; Oakland received the most with more than $8 million, and Stockton received the least with an even $60,000.

Sacramento officials, through the Cannabis Opportunity Reinvestment and Equity (CORE) program, work in tandem with state regulators on equity efforts in working to help launch and support equity businesses.

Davina Smith, who started as Sacramento’s cannabis program manager in January, said 13 equity businesses are up and running in the city. Storefront dispensary licenses remain capped at 30 for both the adult-use and medical markets, though Smith said that number could soon increase to 40. For now, the city’s 13 equity businesses are mostly cultivators, manufacturers and delivery dispensaries. Below are some of her thoughts on CORE she shared with CBT and CD.

Failing a test for a banned or disallowed pesticide can happen to any agricultural producer. But such failures seem to be  more common in Colorado’s cannabis industry than more conventional products because there aren’t federally approved pesticides specifically for cannabis cultivation, according to John Scott, the section chief of the pesticides program at the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

“We certainly see a higher misuse rate in cannabis,” Scott says. “That is mostly due to the fact that as far as federal regulation and approval of products, cannabis still isn’t on pesticide labels. It is not that we don’t still see misuse occur in conventional products, it is just the core fact that the regulatory approval process has not caught up with cannabis just yet.”

That can create confusion for cultivators, who must do more legwork before applying a pesticide to be sure it is approved for use on cannabis.

The team at the Colorado pesticides program determines which pesticides are allowed for cannabis cultivation and tests to ensure compliance, as they do for all crops. The program has a list of pesticides that are allowed for use on all types of cannabis, regardless of THC content or intended use. The program can issue cease and desist orders for the use of an unapproved pesticide or report a producer to the Marijuana Enforcement Division, which may take additional steps and can issue a recall.

As states’ testing pesticide testing protocols are implemented, it is likely they will see a spike in recalls and fines, as Colorado did, before the industry adjusts.

WASHINGTON:  The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) is hosting two Listen and Learn forums to consider establishing new and amending existing sections of rule concerning marijuana definitions and marijuana vapor products. This is the first of two planned sessions. The full text of the draft conceptual rules are provided here. For this session, Read the full article...

PRESS RELEASE - The Organically Grown Cannabis (OG) standard by the Cannabis Certification Council (CCC) has now reached the critical public phase.

With the support of the OGC Technical Advisory Committee, the CCC has now made the first draft of the OGC standard available for public review and comment. The draft standard is available via request and via the website. The OG standard is designed as the baseline organic standard for legal commercial cannabis producers around the world. In addition to the standard itself, the Council is developing a unique seal that consumers will be able to easily identify in retail environments and that will deter fraud in the marketplace.

“The OG seal will be the first of its kind in the cannabis marketplace, offering consumers heretofore unprecedented transparency and assurance about the quality and origin of their product,” said Rudy Ellenbogen, CEO of Whole Grow and Technical Advisory Committee member.

The comment period will remain open for six weeks, at which point all comments will be reviewed and considered for publication in the final version of the OG standard, expected to be published this October. Public review and input before completion of a standard is protocol in the creation of any meaningful certification. Six weeks is ample time for thorough public consideration and feedback.

“The CCC is dedicated to educating both the industry and consumers about clean, sustainable production and this milestone in the development of the OG standard is a great benchmark of our success. Organic demand outpaces supply and there’s no reason to believe the same won’t be true in cannabis,” said Amy Andrle, CCC board member and owner of L’Eagle Services, a vertically integrated cannabis company in Denver, Colo.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex (cannabidiol) [CBD] oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) in patients one year of age and older. Epidiolex was previously approved for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut Read the full article...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is moving forward with plans to understand and oversee the booming CBD industry. A new call for bids is seeking a contractor to collect and assess samples of products containing CBD and other cannabinnoids (outside of the state-legal cannabis market.) The news was first reported by Marijuana Moment. 

“The purpose of these studies will be to develop a better understanding of the quantities of CBD and associated cannabinoids and their distribution,” according to the FDA. See the full document below.

All year, the hemp and CBD industry has awaited word from the FDA on what sort of rules might govern the production and manufacturing of these products (CBD-infused beverages and food, balms, tinctures and more). Last month, the administration submitted a draft enforcement policy to the White House. It’s unclear what the document lays out for the industry.

“My best guess is they’re going to give some guidance that will take immediate effect, and then discuss the plans for the regulatory process, which would probably take a few years,” Jonathan Miller, general counsel for U.S. Hemp Roundtable, told Hemp Grower. “But we’re grasping at straws here, because even some of our most powerful friends on the Hill haven’t seen this. We’re just holding our breath.”

This new request for a contractor to come in and collect CBD samples represents a more concrete structure for FDA research into the very questions the administration is trying to answer. How is CBD consumed? What does the market look like before firm federal regulation? How should CBD and other cannabinoids be understood as ingredients in food and drugs?

Tommy Chong’s place in the cannabis culture is legendary. Indeed, “Cheech & Chong’s Up In Smoke” was the piece that introduced many to the friendlier, less “Reefer Madness”-y side of the plant. After making the Cheech & Chong brand synonymous with cannabis, both figuratively and literally, Chong is turning his attention to selling the product that helped him find fame.

In this interview, Chong explains why he and his partners, Five Point Holdings, chose to focus their first launches in five states, details his day-to-day involvement in the business, and reveals which Beatle he has yet to get high with.

[Editor's note: This interview has been edited for length, style and clarity.]

Brian MacIver: How long have you been wanting to launch a dispensary line and why did you feel that now was the right time to jump into the dispensary business?

Tommy Chong: Well, legalization kind of took everybody by surprise, ‘cause we'd been sort of groomed to that black market thing, and everything was set up for the black market and that market was booming. All of a sudden, it's a [legal] business. So right away the get-rich-quick schemers raised all kinds of money with bogus brands. They [had] no plan. All they [wanted] to do is raise money and that's what they [did].

So we've been taking our time—just relax, no rush. We turned down a lot of fly-by-night deals because it wasn't right. We're doing it right where we're starting slow and small, we're owning the business. There's no debt involved in our offerings. We're going to grow slow, but we're going to grow steady. And now we have a chance to become, really, the biggest marijuana retail outlet in the world—at least the most recognizable, for sure.

We got really good people spearheading our drive to get our pot shops up and running. And it looks like we're going to have one in San Francisco and one in L.A.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torreson ruled Aug. 14 that Portland, Maine, cannot prioritize local cannabis businesses in its adult-use licensing process, according to a Bangor Daily News report.

Wellness Connection of Maine, which operates dispensaries in Portland, Brewer, South Portland and Gardiner, along with its Delaware-based investor, High Street Capital Partners, filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in June, alleging that Portland’s cannabis ordinance, which offers a residency bonus for license applicants who have lived in Maine for at least four years, is “unconstitutional” and “discriminatory” to non-local businesses.

Torreson sided with Wellness Connection in her decision, which determined that there was “sufficient threat” that Wellness Connection would be at a disadvantage when competing for adult-use dispensary licenses in Portland, Bangor Daily News reported.

Maine’s Office of Marijuana Policy announced Aug. 14 that the state’s adult-use cannabis sales can launch Oct. 9, nearly four years after Maine voters approved legalization in 2016.

The list for pesticides that can be used on cannabis without being a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act has been updated. Please note the following products have been added:

Captain Jack's Neem Oil Ready to UseHeligenMagic Flower Bud Finisher & Pest ControlPride Lands DefenseProtection PlusSeican

To view the updated list, click here for a pdf or click here for an Excel form. For questions regarding this change, contact Laura Quakenbush at (303) 869-9060 or email [email protected].

The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is currently reviewing pesticide labels upon request and maintaining a list of products whose label it has reviewed that it believes could be used on marijuana without violating 35-10-117(1)(i), as long as the applicator follows the label directions.

Please be sure to review the list; pesticide products may be removed from the allowed products list if the registrant has not renewed their pesticide product with the Department. Use of unregistered pesticides on cannabis would be a violation of the Pesticide Applicators' Act.

Stay Informed

AUGUSTA – PRESS RELEASE – On Friday, Aug. 14, the Office of Marijuana Policy, a part of the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services, unveiled plans for the issuance of Maine’s first active licenses for adult use marijuana establishments. The Office intends to issue the first active licenses to recreational cannabis businesses on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. Retail sales of adult use marijuana to consumers 21 years of age or older will be permitted starting on Friday, Oct. 9, 2020.

The issuance of active licenses will continue the Office of Marijuana Policy’s structured rollout of Maine's nascent adult use industry, which had been indefinitely postponed in April in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The public’s health and safety are at the forefront of every decision we make at the Office of Marijuana Policy,” said OMP Director Erik Gundersen. “While we were poised to launch this new industry earlier this year, we were unwilling to sacrifice the high standards we have set for this program by launching during an emerging public health pandemic and in the absence of a testing facility. With the support of the public health community, municipalities across the state, and the industry we regulate, we have used the last few months to ensure this new industry is introduced to Maine consumers in a manner that is as responsible as possible.”

Active licensure is the culmination of a three-step application process which also includes conditional licensure and local authorization, respectively. An active license is required for adult use establishments to come into possession, process and sell adult use marijuana, including initiating plant transfers from Maine’s existing medical marijuana program.

It is expected adult use licensees will utilize the time between active licensure and Maine’s retail sales launch date to harvest and process marijuana, ensure those products satisfy the mandatory testing requirements, and move product through the supply chain to stock retail store shelves. Additionally, businesses which will conduct retail sales will prepare to implement and support social distancing and other public health guidance at a time when public interest may attract a significant consumer presence to their retail locations.

Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules Approves Tiebreaker Rules; Dispensary Licenses to be Issued in Coming Weeks ILLINOIS: The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) announced today that permanent rules have been adopted for adult use cannabis dispensary licensees to be selected when there are two or more applicants in the same Bureau Read the full article...

SOUTH DAKOTA: The South Dakota Department of Agriculture (SDDA) submitted its plan to regulate industrial hemp in South Dakota to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for final approval. “I am looking forward to working with industrial hemp producers and processors in South Dakota,” says Derek Schiefelbein, SDDA Industrial Hemp Program Manager. “The SDDA will Read the full article...

Retail sales to the public permitted to begin on or after October 9, 2020. MAINE: The Office of Marijuana Policy, a part of the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services, unveiled plans for the issuance of Maine’s first active licenses for adult use marijuana establishments. The Office intends to issue the first active licenses Read the full article...

This week, adult-use cannabis legalization measures officially qualified for the ballots in Arizona and Montana, sending the issue before voters this November. Elsewhere, in Vermont, lawmakers appear poised to consider legislation to legalize cannabis sales during an upcoming budget session.

Here, we’ve rounded up the 10 headlines you need to know before this week is over.

Michigan: The Michigan Regulatory Agency has issued a recall for nearly 3,200 pre-rolls processed in a Bay City facility after a processing plant employee was accused of licking the product. The recall includes various brands, and the affected pre-rolls were sold through medical and adult-use retailers in Bay City, Hazel Park, Detroit, Traverse City, Ann Arbor, Lansing, River Rouge, Ferndale, Quincy, Lowell, Negaunee and Lapeer between June and Aug. 3. Read moreArizona: Maricopa County Superior Court Judge James Smith has rejected claims that the 100-word summary on an initiative to place an adult-use cannabis legalization measure on Arizona’s 2020 ballot was misleading, meaning the issue can be placed before voters this November.  Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy filed a lawsuit last month to keep the measure off the state’s ballot, claiming that the initiative’s description misled people into signing the petition to put the issue before voters this fall through its definition of “marijuana” and how the law might impact impaired driving in the state. Read moreOklahoma: The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) has appointed a new director as former director Travis Kirkpatrick was recently named deputy commissioner of prevention and preparedness at the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Kirkpatrick, who will oversee the OMMA from his new position, chose Kelly Williams as the OMMA’s new director. Read moreOhio: The state’s medical cannabis sales have reached $100 million so far this year, doubling the sales figures from last year, the program’s first year in operation. As of July 20, the state’s licensed dispensaries had sold more than $156 million worth of cannabis products since the first sales launched in January 2019, an increase from the cumulative $56 million in sales as of December. Read moreCalifornia: A long-running dispute between a slate of California cities and the state itself landed in trial Aug. 6, with a Superior Court judge seeming to underscore that state law will prevail over local rule. At issue: whether cannabis delivery services may operate in jurisdictions that have otherwise banned commercial cannabis activity. Read moreMassachusetts: The state’s updated medical cannabis regulations allow caregivers to support more patients, but the new rules sparked controversy among industry stakeholders at a public hearing last week. At an Aug. 3 hearing, officials from the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance (MPAA) voiced opposition to the Cannabis Control Commission’s new rules, which would allow caregivers to support up to 10 medical cannabis patients each. Read morePennsylvania: The state’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Board held a virtual meeting this week to discuss permanently adopting temporary regulations that were established earlier this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The possible changes include allowing dispensaries to permanently provide curbside service to deliver medical cannabis to vehicles, as well as removing a rule that one caregiver may only support a maximum of five patients. Read moreIllinois: The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has established a tiebreaker process for awarding 75 conditional adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses. The permanent rules were filed in June and approved by a legislative rules committee this week, which will allow the state to issue the conditional licenses in the coming weeks. Read moreVermont: Lawmakers are hoping to consider legislation to legalize adult-use cannabis sales in a budget session that begins Aug. 25. Earlier this year, both the House and Senate approved versions of a bill that would establish a taxed-and-regulated system for legal cannabis sales, but both chambers had to work out the differences in their legislation before sending a final bill to Gov. Phil Scott, an effort that was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read moreMontana: The Secretary of State has certified an adult-use cannabis legalization measure for the state’s November ballot, verifying that New Approach Montana’s two complementary initiatives have gathered enough signatures to appear before voters this year. Statutory Initiative 190 would establish a system to regulate and tax cannabis for adult use, and Constitutional Initiative 118 would authorize the state to set the legal age for consumption at 21. Read more

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Drug Policy Alliance, and 123 other national and state organizations today called on House Leadership to swiftly advance the bipartisan Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act (H.R. 3884) to the House floor when Congress returns in September. The MORE Act, the most comprehensive marijuana justice Read the full article...