MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
While some medical marijuana states allow home cultivation, others do not, potentially harming lives during the coronavirus outbreak.
This past month, numerous cities and states recognized marijuana as an essential good under quarantine from the novel coronavirus, allowing medical dispensaries and recreational cannabis stores to remain open during the pandemic.
Governments also lifted restrictions around delivery and curbside pickup rules.
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Brendan Bures ~ TheFreshToast.com ~
COVID-19 is having a multi-million dollar impact on the state budget. One lawmaker said the solution might be to legalize recreational marijuana.
Representative Scott Fetgatter (R) Tulsa said job losses from COVID-19 coupled with low oil prices leaves the state more than $220 million in the red this and another $250 million in the red next year.
“With the current situation with oil prices being down, COVID-19, the economic impacts from those things, I just am wondering if it wouldn’t be a good idea to have a discussion in the legislature about a full access program adult use over 21 alongside our medical program,” Fetgatter said.
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Aaron Brilbeck ~ News9.com ~
Whenever it comes to talking about improving the quality of life, using herbs is what occurs as the first thought in our minds. Although herbs have always held immense importance for enhancing human life, some continue to remain in the news for all the wrong reasons. One such herb that is often shunned by critics Read the full article...
As CBD continues to gain massive popularity across the globe, its fanatic fans don’t shy away from coming up with interesting ways to consume it. Luckily, CBD stands concrete with a market worth of over $1 billion, which is expected to cross the $5 billion mark near future. If you’re looking for one of the Read the full article...
No one can deny that kratom is having a major moment right now. With so many vendors online, it becomes challenging to choose one. Owing to the controversial legal status of this plant, vendors choose to sell it online so that they can escape any kind of legal trouble with the state. Kratom is a Read the full article...
Senators in Mexico asked the Supreme Court March 27 to extend an April 30 deadline for lawmakers to draft a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis for medical, adult and industrial uses, according to a Cannabis Wire report.
The legislation has been stalled since three Senate committees approved the legislation last month.
Both the Senate and the Supreme Court have suspended many legislative procedures until at least mid-April due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Cannabis Wire reported, and many lawmakers have indicated that this will cause them to miss deadlines to pass certain bills, including the cannabis legislation.
Sen. Patricia Mercado told Cannabis Wire that the suspension of the Supreme Court will likely mean a deadline extension on the cannabis bill, and said the deadline should be extended to May 30 to align with how long Supreme Court activities are suspended. However, she added there may be a chance that the Supreme Court could deem the Senate as an essential activity and mandate that lawmakers must meet the April 30 deadline.
In that case, Mercado told Cannabis Wire that the senators would hold electronic meetings to finalize the bill, which would then be sent to the Chamber of Deputies, Mexico’s lower house of Congress, for approval.
Oklahoma Rep. Scott Fetgatter has announced plans to begin work on an adult-use cannabis legalization bill, saying a taxed and regulated market would provide a new source of revenue for the state in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Tulsa World report.
“If you did a full-access program and put the revenue in the general revenue fund, relieve some of the taxes on the medical program, the medical patients and put the tax over on the recreational side, you could potentially add $100 million to the budget,” Fetgatter told the news outlet.
Several groups are competing to bring adult-use cannabis legalization initiatives to Oklahoma’s November 2020 ballot in the form of SQ 807, SQ 808 and SQ 811, but Fetgatter has indicated that the petitions will likely be unsuccessful, especially in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Fetgatter told Tulsa World that “it’s very early in the conversation,” but that he wants to create “a program that functions” in the state.
EcoGen made headlines last year with its sale of 20 million feminized hemp seeds at the NOCO Hemp Expo in Denver. It was a sign not only of EcoGen’s ambitions in the space (the sale netted the company $11 million), but of the rising interest among American farmers eager to get into the newly legal industry.
“When you’re buying genetics, it’s really a trust buy,” Derek Du Chesne, EcoGen’s chief growth officer, told Hemp Grower last fall. “It’s really a reputation buy. A lot of the farmers, especially this year, don’t know if you have a quality product [or if] two weeks later, [you’ll be] bankrupt. That’s really scary for farmers because it’s the most important decision they’re going to make all season.”
And here we are: Back at it in April 2020 with another hemp season ahead of us.
Now, along with its hemp seed business, EcoGen is offering a buyback program for farmers who’ve planted the company’s seed and who may end up at harvest without a buyer for all of their biomass. EcoGen is extending an opportunity to sell otherwise unclaimed biomass back to the company for extraction purposes. (EcoGen runs an 80,000-sq.-ft. extraction facility in Grand Junction, Colo.)
“This industry would not exist and cannot exist without a good supply of high quality biomass,” CEO Alexis C. Korybut says, “and the only way that's achieved is through having the right farmers dedicating their resources to producing it and taking the risk to do so.”
As farmers begin to plant their crops this year, Korybut reminds them that each business will find itself in a different position. It’s vital to know your land, know your local climate, know your own business goals that you’re expecting to hit come harvest.
New York’s cannabis advocates had a renewed sense of hope at the dawn of the new year, when Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed in his January State of the State address to renew his push to legalize adult-use in 2020 after last year’s legalization efforts stalled in the legislature.
Cuomo seemed to be making good on his promise when he included a plan to legalize and tax adult-use cannabis in his initial state budget proposal in January, but as the COVID-19 outbreak turned into a global pandemic and the April 1 deadline to approve the sprawling budget loomed, hope that legalization could be accomplished through the budget process began to fade.
Cuomo told reporters March 31 that it was “not likely” that the legalization proposal would be included in the final budget, according to a New York Post report, adding that there was “too much” to accomplish and “too little time.”
“We’re not going to get there,” Cuomo said later, during a WAMC radio interview, according to the New York Post. “In truth, that is something that has to be talked through and worked through, and the legislature wasn’t here.”
As in many other areas of the country, the COVID-19 crisis has stolen the spotlight in New York, and Cuomo has been placing his attention on the virus since the state’s first confirmed case was reported March 1, the New York Post reported.
Chemists at some of the biggest legal-weed companies are after an elusive prize: a predictable, reliable product.
The retail showroom of INSA, a farm-to-bong cannabis company in western Massachusetts, is a clean industrial space on the first floor of a four-story brick building in the old mill town Easthampton.
When I visited recently, before the coronavirus shut down recreational sales and forbade crowds, the crew of eight behind the glass display cases looked a lot like the staff you’d see dispensing lattes at Starbucks or troubleshooting iPads at the Genius Bar: young, racially diverse, smiling.
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Gary Greenberg ~ NYTimes.com ~
PORTLAND, Ore. (April 1, 2020) – PRESS RELEASE – Resource Innovation Institute, an organization promoting energy efficiency for cannabis growers, has announced the formation of its Water Working Group. The group, made up of experts in multiple fields and disciplines, is an important part of RII’s push for more sustainable water management in the fast-growing cannabis agricultural sector.
The Water Working Group will advise RII on a range of issues, including upgrades to its Cannabis PowerScore benchmarking tool to enable governments and other stakeholders a more accurate understanding of cannabis water use, and how geographies and cultivation methods impact usage rates. The group will also counsel RII on its farm outreach strategies to gather best practices.
“Resource Innovation Institute facilitates our multi-disciplinary Technical Advisory Council to provide peer-reviewed objective guidance on how to cultivate cannabis in a resource efficient manner across a variety of grow environments, from indoor to outdoor to greenhouse,” said Derek Smith, executive director of RII. “The Water Working Group will be a key contributing body as we expand our breadth of expertise on water issues.”
New candidates will join these previously identified members of the Water Working Group:
Hollie Hall, founding board member, International Cannabis Farmers Association (Arcata, Calif.) Chris Dillis, environmental scientist and postdoctoral researcher, University of California, BerkeleyBarb Anderson, Water Resources Program management analyst, Washington State’s Department of EcologyRII is accepting applications for the Water Working Group and is seeking experts with cannabis-related experience from the following backgrounds:
DENVER, April 1, 2020 (Newswire.com) - PRESS RELEASE - Black Dog Grow Technologies, a provider of high-tech LED grow devices and other grow technologies, has announced that it has received a license amendment from the Colorado Department of Agriculture to begin cultivating 2018 Farm Bill compliant hemp flower.
This new facility will greatly enhance Black Dog Grow Technologies’ test grows to perfect growing technologies and techniques used with cannabis--specifically cannabis sativa hemp. Hemp is a phenotype of the cannabis sativa plant species defined by low THC content. Maximizing yields, cannabinoid content (CBD, CBG, CBN) and terpene profiles will be one of the key research goals.
Black Dog Grow Technologies boasts cannabis research and testing programs, and in 2010, Black Dog Grow Technologies created the first LED light incorporating a full spectrum from UV to NIR, the Phyto-Genesis spectrum.
“Research has always been a part of our company’s DNA,” said Noah Miller, CEO of Black Dog Grow Technologies. “This facility will allow us to expand our research into how lighting impacts the growth of hemp/cannabis plants, giving us valuable insight which we can then use to refine our products and allow growers to maximize their productivity per square foot.”
This new research facility will allow Black Dog Grow Technologies to test new innovations in lighting and grow technology and refine growing methodologies for cultivating top-shelf federally compliant hemp flowers.
Much like the grocery stores trying to fill orders for rice and potatoes, cannabis retailers cannot fill marijuana delivery orders fast enough.
Since Nevada's cannabis industry temporarily switched to delivery-only purchases, retailers have cut short purchasing windows, grown their delivery vehicle fleets and set priority times for medical patients.
"The demand continues to be high, but we are continuing to meet demand," said Tyler Klimas, executive director of the Cannabis Compliance Board.
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Jenny Kane ~ Reno Gazette Journal ~
Researchers at McMaster University in Canada recently published a paper describing how cannabigerol, the common cannabinoid known as CBG, killed a variety of strains of MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria.
The researchers, led by Eric D. Brown, went further than previous studies by moving beyond the petri dish and testing CBD on rodents.
Their results could be the first step in making CBG the newest antibiotic on the market.
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Zoe Sigman ~ Leafly.com ~
SMITHS FALLS, ON, April 1, 2020 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Canopy Growth Corporation has announced that Ms.Terry Yanofsky and Mr. David Lazzarato have been appointed to the company's Board of Directors, effective immediately.
"It is my pleasure to welcome both Terry and David to the board," said Judy Schmeling, Chair of the Board of Directors, Canopy Growth. "Their leadership and experience in highly competitive industries will be instrumental as we focus the business and evolve into an execution-driven operating company. I also want to thank outgoing board members, Peter Stringham and John Bell, for their contribution and service to the board during times of rapid expansion and growth."
Bell is the former Lead Director and Peter Stringham chaired the Corporate Governance, Compensation and Nominating Committee.
Yanofsky has extensive experience working with big-name retailers and is respected for her strategic leadership and disciplined approach to driving revenue. She most recently served as the Senior Vice-President, General Manager of Sephora Canada. Prior to joining Sephora, Yanofsky worked at L Brands where she was the country manager for Bath & Body Works Canada. She brings over 30 years of experience working with rapidly growing big-name global retailers.
"I'm thrilled to join Canopy's Board," said Yanofsky. "There is no company better positioned in the emerging global cannabis market, and I look forward to working with Canopy Growth's very talented leadership team to ensure that it remains an innovator and disruptor in the cannabis retail market."
MARSHALL,Mich. — Common Citizenwill host virtual job fairs 11 a.m. to 5p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays starting this Thursday, April 2, to interviewapplicants for cultivation jobs at its state-of-the-art cannabis hybridgreenhouse in Marshall. The facility produces safe, high-quality cannabis forpatients and adult-use customers in Michigan.
Thejob fairs were moved online to protect the safety, health and well-being ofCommon Citizen customers, staff and future employees during the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic.
“AtCommon Citizen, we are excited to announce we are seeking applicants to joinour talented team during this unprecedented global crisis,” said Michael Elias, CommonCitizen CEO. “Our virtual job fairs will help us identify qualified candidateswhile maintaining our commitment to public health and the safety of ourcustomers, employees, future team members and the community we serve.”
Toregister for a Common Citizen virtual job fair, visit https://calendly.com/commoncareers/virtual-job-fair. Once there, you will be prompted to schedule a dateand time and upload your resume. Each time slot includes a 15-minute,one-on-one interview with Common Citizen staff. Learn more about current CommonCitizen job openings at commoncitizen.com/careers.
Editor's note: To learn more about Common Citizen, check out the upcoming March/April issue of CBT's sister publication, Cannabis Dispensary.
]]>Guidance for OLCC Alcohol & Marijuana Licensees On What Action to Take If An Employee is Sick OREGON: OLCC licensees are operating in a difficult business environment right now. To help slow the spread of COVID-19, the Governor’s March 17, 2020 Executive Order 20-07 prohibited on-site consumption of food and drink and gatherings of 25 Read the full article...
An audit of Los Angeles’ cannabis licensing process has determined that the city took “reasonable and appropriate” steps to ensure fairness, according to a Los Angeles Times report.
While some applicants gained early access to the online system, according to the audit, regulators prevented these applicants from having an unfair advantage in the process, the news outlet reported.
A city official is now recommending that the city’s Department of Cannabis Regulation move forward with awarding final licenses to cannabis retailers, who have been waiting since the licensing process was suspended last year, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Department of Cannabis Regulation launched this latest round of licensing in September to issue 100 additional cannabis retail licenses to social equity applicants. It was a first-come, first-serve process, and some stakeholders alleged that some applicants got early access to the online application system while others were locked out due to slow internet speeds.
Department of Cannabis Regulation Director Cat Packer indicated that two applicants did indeed gain early access due to a staff error that occurred while resetting their passwords, but that those applications were pushed back in line to where they would have been otherwise.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz issued an executive order March 31 that extends medical cannabis enrollments for patients to limit the spread of COVID-19, according to an INFORUM report.
Patient enrollments are extended until Aug. 1 or 60 days after Minnesota’s peacetime emergency ends, whichever is later, the news outlet reported.
Walz’s order also allows patients to send a caregiver to pick up their medical cannabis products, and dispensaries may offer curbside pickup. Those seeking enrollment in the program can consult remotely with a medical provider under the order, according to INFORUM.
The changes are aimed at keeping patients at home and slowing the spread of coronavirus in the state, which had 629 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of March 31, INFORUM reported.
Missourians for a New Approach is up against a May deadline to collect enough signatures for a petition to place an adult-use cannabis legalization initiative on Missouri’s November ballot, but the coronavirus pandemic could very easily spell doom for these efforts, according to Dan Viets, who chairs the campaign’s advisory board.
“It’s become much more difficult,” Viets tells Cannabis Business Times. “It’s causing major concerns. We have until the first week of May to gather 160,000 voter signatures. We have more than 60,000 in hand, but given the fact that petitioning is now much more difficult, we’re reassessing whether it’s going to be possible to accomplish this or not this year.”
Prior to the nationwide response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign was on schedule, gathering signatures at a rate that would have allowed Missourians for a New Approach to meet the deadline with more than the required number of signatures, Viets says.
Missouri law requires those who wish to place an initiative on the ballot to gather signatures in six—and only six—of the state’s eight congressional districts.
“The first thing that every campaign has to do is pick out two districts where you’re not going to gather signatures, and signatures from those districts simply won’t count toward the total,” Viets says. “Then, you have a minimum in each of those six districts. In essence, you’re running six different campaigns and you have to meet the minimum in each of those six districts.”
