MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

MAINE: How big is Maine’s new adult-use cannabis industry? According to the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy, there are 17 new adult use conditional licenses. The breakdown includes seven marijuana stores, five cultivation facilities, four products manufacturing facilities, and one testing facility.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) issued five new medical cannabis manufacturing licenses July 24, according to a KY3.com report.

DHSS initially licensed 86 facilities in January to manufacture cannabis-infused products such as edibles, tinctures and concentrates, but has since determined that certain companies submitted duplicate applications and then received multiple licenses for one facility, the news outlet reported.

Now, DHSS has merged the duplicate licenses and has awarded five new licenses to the applicants who were next in line, according to KY3.com.

The new licensees are MidAmeriCanna, LLC, in St. Louis, Nature’s Med MO, LLC, in St. Louis, ROI Labs of Atherton, LLC, in Independence, Missouri Made Marijuana, LLC, in Grain Valley and Kings Garden Midwest, LLC, in Trenton.

With the issuance of the five new licenses, the state has now licensed the minimum number of manufacturers required under Missouri’s medical cannabis law, KY3.com reported.

LOS ANGELES, July 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -PRESS RELEASE- Cookies, a cannabis and lifestyle brand, announced today its launch of Run The Jewels products. This project is a collaboration between Lemonnade, a sativa-focused sister brand to Cookies, and acclaimed hip-hop group Run The Jewels.

The project is also a partnership between Berner, the Bay Area rapper and entrepreneur who started Cookies, RTJ rapper Killer Mike and rapper-producer El-P.

"Killer Mike & El-P are legit cannabis enthusiasts—every time I see Mike, we get high together. Him and I go back more than a decade, and I've always felt we could open a new dimension in cannabis," said Berner. "After working with him on The White Album (2011), I knew we'd have to collaborate again. I have a lot of respect for RTJ's work ethic. Creating the Run The Jewels brand is a natural progression."    

Run The Jewels launches with its first branded strain, Ooh La La, named for the lead single from RTJ's latest album, RTJ4. This hybrid strain delivers a sensory-heightening head high and a light body feel. Ooh La La merges Lemonnade's sativa focus with Killer Mike and El-P's Indica appreciation to create a hybrid strain with an aroma of spice cake and frosting and flavor of sweet fruit cake with an herbal tea chaser.

In addition to flower, the Run The Jewels line includes pre-rolls, vapes, extracts and blunts. The full line of Ooh La La products is coming soon at Cookies location across the country.

 

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Virtual Educational Session and Panels Devoted on New and Promising Cannabis-based Therapeutics Conference expected to be in person in 2021 with Ticket in 2020 to include both Events CALIFORNIA: Noted medical cannabis experts and health professionals will be leading educational panels and continued education programs at this year’s Cannabis Nurses Network Conference (CNNC), the annual Read the full article...

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:  The following quote is attributed to FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Amy Abernethy M.D., Ph.D.: “A range of stakeholders have expressed interest in development of drugs that contain cannabis and compounds found in cannabis. Recent legislative changes have also opened new opportunities for cannabis clinical research. As that body of research progresses and Read the full article...

As conversations around law enforcement and criminal justice reform continue as incidents of police brutality continue to spark protests across the country, many cannabis companies have made moves in recent months to support social equity initiatives and justice reform. Much of that effort has been channeled by the Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit dedicated to legalizing cannabis and releasing and expunging the records of those who have been arrested and served prison sentences for cannabis offenses.

LPP seeks the release of every inmate imprisoned for marijuana offenses and to help them reintegrate into society after their time in prison.

And as the urgency for criminal justice reform has increased, so has support from cannabis dispensaries, who have boosted efforts to contribute – and encourage their customers to donate –  to the LPP during the past few months, says Sarah Gersten, executive director and general counsel of LPP.

“A lot of our fundraising at LPP does come from the industry and from cannabis consumers,” Gersten says . “That kind of goes back to our ethos and reason for being, which is that our founders were actually all successful or in some way had profited off of the cannabis industry. And so, they really recognized if they were able to build wealth in this industry, they had to give back to those still suffering because of the impact of prohibition.”

Much of that fundraising happens at the point of sale, with dispensaries setting up donation programs to raise funds. One such dispensary is Chalice Farms which is based in Portland and operated by Golden Leaf Holdings.

Chalice Farms donated a percentage of sales made on Juneteenth, the June 19 commemoration of the end of slavery after the Civil War, as well as pledged a commitment of $12,000 over the next year to the LPP.

SPARC, a California-based, vertically integrated cannabis operator, is rooted in compassion and giving back to its local community, according to Director of Strategy & Implementation Michael Bostarr.

This led the company to launch its Carts for a Cause program, which has supported awareness for breast cancer, LGBTQ issues and, now, Last Prisoner Project.

“We have our own product, and we wanted to … give back without necessarily placing the burden on the customer,” Bostarr told Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary.

Instead of asking customers at its five dispensary locations to donate additional funds at the point of sale, SPARC donates a dollar for each Carts for a Cause cartridge sold to the applicable organization.

“You buy something and something good happens from your purchase,” Bostarr said. “They can make a purchase of a cannabis product and support a cause they care about all at the same time.”

This week, the newly established Nevada Compliance Board met for the first time and signed off on a disciplinary settlement that will revoke six of CWNevada’s 14 business licenses. Elsewhere, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a much-anticipated report that provides guidelines on how researchers can pursue investigational new drug applications for cannabis and its derivatives.

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

Federal: The FDA released a much-anticipated document this week that the federal Office of Budget and Management (OBM) had been reviewing since late May. While the document did not provide an update on regulating consumer CBD products, as some in the hemp industry had hoped, it did provide guidance on regulating cannabis in drugs as well as present a new way to calculate THC in finished products. Read moreArkansas: The Department of Finance and Administration has reported that medical cannabis sales have surpassed $100 million since the program’s launch in May 2019. The state’s 68,069 registered patients have spent $109.65 million and have purchased 17,447 pounds of medical cannabis to date. Read moreRhode Island: The state has issued its first medical cannabis testing license to Green Peaks Analytical, located in Warwick. The company is the first third-party business licensed to test products for pesticides, metals and solvents. Read moreCalifornia: Lawmakers are considering a bill that would impose fines on businesses that provide aid, such as building space or advertising platforms, to illegal cannabis operations in an effort to combat the state’s illicit market. The legislation, introduced by Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio, has been unanimously approved by the California Assembly, and the Senate is expected to vote on the measure after lawmakers reconvene later this month. Read moreThe California Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) has sent a report to the state legislature on equity grant funding. The report compiles information from numerous California cities and counties that altogether received $40 million in funding—outlining demographics, cannabis arrests and other statistics as well as plans to create equity programs. Read moreMassachusetts: The Massachusetts House of Representatives has released its version of a police reform bill, which proposes directing tax dollars from the state’s Marijuana Regulation Fund to police training. The proposal has drawn criticism, as have draft rules and regulations issued by the Boston Cannabis Board, which met this week to finalize them. Read moreOklahoma: The Oklahoma attorney general’s office announced earlier this month that the state will temporarily suspend the enforcement of certain cannabis business regulations that threatened to close some medical cannabis dispensaries. The Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority will temporarily halt the enforcement of certain residency and location requirements for cannabis businesses after some operators sued the state over the legality of the rules. Read moreArizona: Opponents of an adult-use cannabis legalization measure in Arizona have filed a lawsuit to keep the issue off the state’s 2020 ballot. The lawsuit, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, challenges the measure’s 100-word description, alleging that it misled people into signing the petition to put the issue before voters this fall. Read moreNevada: The newly established Nevada Compliance Board met for the first time this week and signed off on a disciplinary settlement that will revoke six of CWNevada’s 14 business licenses. The action stems from a series of lawsuits that accused CWNevada of withholding payment from its employees, breaking contracts with business partners and destroying evidence in ongoing civil cases. (A state investigation into CWNevada’s activities began in 2018.) Read moreNew Mexico: Last week, Ultra Health, one of New Mexico’s largest medical cannabis producers, sued the state’s Department of Health over its new medical cannabis regulations, alleging that several of the rules are “arbitrary and capricious.” Now, two additional medical cannabis producers, a cannabis manufacturer, a testing lab and a patient licensed to grow medical cannabis have also filed petitions to ask a judge to annul the new rules. Read more

Between a report on consumer cannabidiol (CBD) products and a guidance document regarding clinical cannabis research, July has been a busy month for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the hemp world. 

But its latest document submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, titled “Cannabidiol Enforcement Policy,” may be the launching point for regulations that the CBD industry has been asking for.

The FDA submitted the document to the OMB, which must approve new regulations from all federal agencies, for review July 22. The contents of the document have not yet been disclosed, though the title and description as “draft guidance for [the] industry” offer some clues.

“We’ve been hearing rumors that we’re going to get some good news—that it’s going to provide for formal enforcement discretion and provide a safe harbor for companies to sell CBD under strict regulatory guidelines,” says Jonathan Miller, general counsel for U.S. Hemp Roundtable. “We’ve heard other rumors that it’s just going to be the same old, same old—[the FDA] saying that ‘everything is illegal, but we’re going to focus on companies that make medical claims.’”

Jonathan Havens, a partner at Maryland-based law firm Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP, speculates on a LinkedIn post that the enforcement policy may be claims-focused rather than laying out specific limits of CBD content in products.

“It’s hard to believe that the agency will back off completely from its ‘ingestibles aren’t permitted’ stance,” Havens writes.

On July 22, the Boston Cannabis Board (BCB) adopted new rules and regulations. They state that the BCB’s role is to grant licenses to applicants “for cannabis establishments within the City of Boston while ensuring Licenses are granted in such a manner so as to ensure equity, quality, and community safety.

“Specifically, the BCB is the siting authority for such establishments evaluating the proposed time, place, and manner in which these establishments are approved, open, and operate.”

Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary spoke with Lydia Edwards, councilor of Boston’s District 1, about the rules and regulations, and she shared several points of contention.

The BCB noted in its new rules and regulations that it “does not have the authority or ability to negotiate host community agreements.” However, Edwards said host community agreements (HCAs) should be part of the applications that come before the BCB and should be approved by the board. Those agreements are part of the local approval process that the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission mandates in its licensing scheme.

“Negotiations are currently happening “in the dark,” she said. “So, to what end? To whose benefit? The whole point and the spirit of the law and the reform that Councilor [Kim] Janey was trying to put in, was that a public process with people representing the community would be the ones negotiating and finalizing and getting the HCAs done for everyone to see. And instead, they decided to interpret the regulations to allow for a song and dance.”

The BCB also didn’t address in its rules and regulations the topic of potential disparities between people who are granted brick-and-mortar and delivery licenses. The city previously established a 1:1 ratio for granting social equity and other licenses. However, due to the state setting aside delivery licenses to social equity applicants for the next two years, Edwards wrote in public comment prior to the adoption of the new rules, this could “create an industry with a disproportionate number of dispensaries being operated by non-equity license holders.”

Market Leading U.S. Presence Across 23 States with Over 135 Dispensary Locations and Licenses Mitchell Kahn, Grassroots Co-Founder and CEO, Appointed to the Curaleaf Board of Directors MASSACHUSETTS:  Curaleaf Holdings, the largest vertically integrated cannabis operator in the United States, today announced that it closed its milestone acquisition of GR Companies, Inc. (“Grassroots”), the largest private vertically-integrated Read the full article...

Last week, Ultra Health, one of New Mexico’s largest medical cannabis producers, sued the state’s Department of Health over its new medical cannabis regulations, alleging that several of the rules are “arbitrary and capricious.”

Now, two additional medical cannabis producers, a cannabis manufacturer, a testing lab and a patient licensed to grow medical cannabis have also filed petitions to ask a judge to annul the new rules, according to NM Political Report.

Former Public Regulation Commissioner Jason Marks filed a petition July 21 on behalf of his clients, Scepter Lab, one of the state’s two licensed testing labs, and Vitality Extracts, a medical cannabis manufacturer, the news outlet reported.

Jacob Candelaria then filed a separate petition July 23 on behalf of GG Genetics, a medical cannabis producer and manufacturer, according to NM Political Report.

Heath Grider, a medical cannabis patient licensed to grow, then joined the initial case July 23, the news outlet reported.

Can you roll a joint? In today’s legal cannabis culture, being able to twist up a respectable doobie is “essential,” according to Curved Papers founder Michael O’Malley. Inventor, entrepreneur, MIT Grad and longtime pot smoker, O’Malley invented a new kind of rolling paper whose patented curved edges make it “Easy To Roll.” As a public Read the full article...

OHIO: The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy today published updated patient & caregiver numbers for June 2020. These numbers include: 147,245 Recommendations 116,497 Registered patients 8,349 Patients with Veteran Status 8,713 Patients with Indigent Status 644 Patients with a Terminal Diagnosis 91,330 Unique patients who purchased medical marijuana (as reported to OARRS by licensed Read the full article...

WAKEFIELD, Mass., July 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -PRESS RELEASE- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. one of the largest vertically integrated cannabis operators in the United States, today announced that it closed its milestone acquisition of GR Companies, Inc. ("Grassroots"), the largest private vertically-integrated multi-state operator in the United States, on July 23, 2020.

The acquisition of Grassroots expands Curaleaf's presence from 18 to 23 states, with the combined company having affiliated operations spanning over 135 dispensary licenses, 88 operational dispensary locations, over 30 processing facilities and 22 cultivation sites with 1.6 million square feet of cultivation capacity.

"The successful acquisition of Grassroots marks Curaleaf's expansion into new vertically integrated markets in the Midwest, firmly establishing our U.S. market leadership position. This highly complementary combination brings together two companies with a shared vision for enhancing patients' and customers' lives with high-quality cannabis wellness and lifestyle products. I'd like to welcome all our new Grassroots colleagues, patients and customers to the Curaleaf family as we pursue our mission of improving lives by providing clarity around cannabis and confidence around consumption," commented Joseph Lusardi, CEO of Curaleaf. "The integration of Grassroots is expected to be immediately accretive to our financial performance, with our unprecedented scale providing significant opportunities to leverage Curaleaf's powerful consumer brands as well as new form factor innovations across our expanded national presence."

Completion of the transaction strategically accelerates Curaleaf's expansion into Illinois and Pennsylvania, which are among the largest and fastest-growing cannabis markets in the United States. Upon close, Curaleaf will hold a licensed cannabis presence in state markets including Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota and Vermont.

The cultivation and processing assets in Illinois have been transferred and the formal approval to transfer certain retail assets is expected imminently. Maryland operations previously affiliated with Grassroots may be transferred to Curaleaf after expiration of the statutory hold period, subject to regulatory approval and compliance with restrictions on ownership or control of multiple cultivation, processor and dispensary licenses in the State. 

"Both Grassroots and Curaleaf are driven by a similar, positive culture and we are excited to join forces, adding scale and a combined strategic vision to create a dominant position in the industry.” Mitchell Kahn, co-founder and CEO of Grassroots, said. "This opportunity would not have come to fruition without the strength of our highly skilled executive team, who have built an impressive portfolio at an unprecedented pace, with facilities in highly competitive markets. We look forward to integrating our talent and resources to build a great consumer product company - one that is dedicated to producing and delivering high-quality, safe and effective cannabis products to the customer."

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Cannabis Industry movers and shakers continue to join in the Zoom fun on Sundays at 4:20pm EST. Check our our fourth episode this Sunday, as we continue our discussion of the traditional art of rolling joints, still the unsurpassed natural and economical way to get high. It only takes about a minute to roll a Read the full article...

NEVADA: This week the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) held its first board meeting at the Grant Sawyer Building. Led by former Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Douglas, who serves as Chair, the CCB moved to approve its core set of regulations, the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Regulations (NCCR 1-14). Moving forward, the NCCR 1-14 Read the full article...

TORONTO,July 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -PRESS RELEASE- Hobo Cannabis Company, today announced the opening ofa new Canadian retail location in Brampton’s suburban district, Bramalea. The2,000-square-foot store will replicate the identity and ethos of Hobo locationsacross Canada. Today’s store opening announcement brings Hobo one step closerto achieving its ambitious 15-store expansion plan in the province of Ontario.

“Brampton’sretail cannabis scene, while not as saturated as other cities in Ontario, is animportant market to be present in,” said Harrison Stoker, vice president atDonnelly Group. “Across the country, legal cannabis retailers like Hobo areworking tirelessly to expand their footprints and reduce the market share ofillicit operators. We feel quite lucky to be the second cannabis retailerentering the Brampton market, and to have the opportunity to increase the localcannabis community’s access to safe, legal cannabis products and accessories,some of which they’re already familiar with and love.”

Located at 14Lisa Street, Hobo’s newest retail store is open for business in Brampton,Ontario. Today’s store opening markets Hobo’s fifth retail location in theprovince of Ontario, and 12th Canadian store overall.

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, secured an amendment to the annual national defense bill that would ensure that the U.S. Department of Defense may not prohibit the possession, use, or consumption of hemp products — in compliance with applicable Federal, State, and local law Read the full article...

Scientists all around the world have worked hard to document the medical benefits of cannabis. Needless to say that they have been really successful so far. It is one of the leading reasons that the world is moving towards the full legalization of  cannabis. Medical marijuana is now legal in most of the states in Read the full article...