MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

The Vermont House of Representatives formally approved S. 54 on Thursday, advancing a bill that would set up a taxed-and-regulated marketplace for adult-use cannabis. The state bill now returns to the Senate, where an earlier version passed on a 23-5 vote.

Vermont legalized cannabis in 2018, but it has not yet formally developed the regulatory infrastructure needed for adult-use retail sales. According to a recent poll conducted by Public Policy Polling and commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project, 76% of Vermont residents support a tax-and-regulate market structure for consumers who’d like to purchase cannabis.

Shayne Lynn is the founder and executive director of Champlain Valley Dispensary, a born-and-bred Vermont resident who’s been advocating for this sort of legislation going back at least 10 years. He cheered the state’s decision to legalize cannabis in 2018, but what he’s seen since then tells him that the time is now is move forward with more concrete reforms. Other states have gone on to kickstart adult-use sales (Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois), and, in the fall of 2019, a vape-related health scare raised alarms over the untested cannabis marketplace.

“I think people really understand that the legacy market has some real challenges to it that can be deadly,” Lynn said. “So, how does Vermont get ahead of that and create a regulated program? The momentum is there.”

Both chambers have clearly expressed interest in getting this bill passed. Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, has pushed back on previous conversations around legal cannabis, insisting that he needs guarantees to fund a state after-school program (via cannabis tax dollars), a provision that’s been added into the current bill. Scott’s other sticking point is roadside safety and law enforcement’s wish to perform saliva tests on drivers without a warrant (an amendment that was shot down during the Thursday hearing in the House).

READ MORE: The Marijuana Policy Project has published a detailed summary of the Vermont legislation 

Montpelier, VT — PRESS RELEASE — On Thursday, the Vermont House of Representatives completed its work on a bill that would legalize, regulate and tax cannabis sales for adults 21 and older. S. 54, which initially passed the House in a 90-54 vote yesterday, was approved in a voice vote on third reading. The bill now returns to the Senate, which has already passed it in a 23-5 vote. The Senate is expected to request a conference committee to work out differences with the House before sending a final version of the bill to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk.

This is the first time the Vermont House has passed a bill to legalize cannabis sales. A summary of the bill is available here.

Vermont legalized possession and cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and over in 2018, marking the first time any state legislature legalized cannabis for adults’ use through the legislative process rather than through a voter initiative. However, Vermont remains one of only two U.S. jurisdictions where cannabis is legal but not regulated for adult use. If enacted, Vermont would join the 10 states that have laws regulating and taxing cannabis for adult use.

An overwhelming 76% of Vermont residents support allowing adults 21 and over to purchase cannabis from regulated, tax-paying small businesses according to a recent poll conducted by Public Policy Polling and commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project. The complete results are available here.

The Marijuana Policy Project has been advocating for cannabis policy reforms in Vermont for more than 15 years. The state legislature passed a limited medical cannabis law in 2004, decriminalized possession in 2013, and has gradually improved its cannabis policies in the years since.

Virginia lawmakers have introduced new legislation to tweak the state’s medical program, including a bill that would allow nursing homes to administer medical cannabis, according to a local WTVR report.

Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant is sponsoring S.B. 185 to authorize caregivers at nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospices to administer medical cannabis to patients who have been certified and enrolled in Virginia’s medical cannabis program, the news outlet reported.

Sen. David Marsden has also introduced a bill, S.B. 885, to eliminate criminal liabilities for analytical lab employees who transport and possess medical cannabis for work-related purposes, according to WTVR.

A similar bill introduced by Marsden, S.B. 1015, would eliminate cannabis possession charges for patients enrolled in Virginia’s medical cannabis program, the news outlet reported.

All three bills have advanced out of committee and will be considered on the House floor, according to WTVR.

Maine is still months away from launching adult-use cannabis sales, although regulators expect stores to start opening later this spring, once the state has an adult-use cannabis testing lab, according to a local WGME report.

The Office of Marijuana Policy has received 93 license applications for adult-use dispensaries, the news outlet reported, and roughly 80 of them are being considered for a conditional license.

However, cannabis must be tested before it is sold to the adult-use market, and although the state has six operational testing facilities for the medical cannabis market, it has not yet licensed any adult-use testing labs, WGME reported.

“At least four of [the medical testing labs] have expressed interest in moving into the adult use space,” David Heidrich, director of engagement and community outreach for the Office of Marijuana Policy, told the news outlet. “But today there are none.”

Regulators are currently processing one adult-use cannabis testing application, submitted by Kennebunk’s Nelson Analytical, but the application has not been officially approved, WGME reported.

PRESS RELEASE - Out of an abundance of caution, Deep Roots Medical LLC dba Deep Roots Harvest is initiating a voluntary recall of three lots of flower in response to a Nevada Department of Taxation Safety Notice Advisory 2020-05 issued on Feb. 21, 2020.

Kentucky lawmakers have introduced new legislation in the House that calls for more medical cannabis research, days after the full House approved legislation to legalize medical cannabis in the state.

The bill, backed by opponents of medical cannabis legalization, has cleared a Senate panel in a unanimous vote, according to a WKYT report.

The legislation says too many unknowns still exist regarding cannabis and its medical uses, and that more study is necessary before Kentucky launches a medical cannabis program, the news outlet reported.

The legislation now advances to the full Senate for consideration.

The medical cannabis legalization bill, H.B. 136, passed the Kentucky House Feb. 20 and will also proceed to the Senate for consideration.

Jarros Friedel has his medical marijuana card and has been experimenting with recipes that go beyond the standard of gummies and brownies. 

One of the recipes the co-owner of Guyute's in Oklahoma City has been working on is a chicken confit.

He makes the oil at his house. "We grind up the cannabis. We put it in the oven at 220 for about an hour," Friedel says in a video he sent to KOCO 5.

"Once it's decarbed, you set up a double boiler and heat it to about 140, put cannabis in oil in mason jar in a double boiler. Let it sit there. It becomes infused after about an hour, hour and a half. Strain oil."

Click here to read the complete article

Maine's medical marijuana industry is twice as big as expected. Only lobsters and potatoes beat it in revenue.

Medical cannabis has been legal in the state for two decades, but now state regulators have given the industry its own tax category.

It's true size and value is known for the first time.

The industry itself can't believe the magnitude of the market.

Click here to read the complete article

Medical marijuana is known to stir up controversy among healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers.

Several states are yet to legalize medical marijuana and do not allow the sale of marijuana products in the State.

With 22 States legalizing medical marijuana, it is the cash crop that is taking the country by storm.

In these states, you will find medical marijuana dispensaries mushrooming all over. Here’s how medical marijuana can help improve your overall health.

Click here to read the complete article

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Montpelier, VT — PRESS RELEASE — On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted in favor (90-54) of a bill that would legalize, regulate and tax cannabis sales for adults 21 and older. This is the first time the Vermont House has passed a bill to legalize cannabis sales.

S. 54 will now be scheduled for a final House vote, which is expected Feb. 27. If it passes there, it will return to the Senate, which has already approved a different version of the bill in a 23-5 vote. The House and Senate will have to agree on a final version of the bill before it can proceed to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk.

A summary of the bill can be found here.

Vermont legalized possession and cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and over in 2018, marking the first time any state legislature legalized cannabis for adults’ use through the legislative process rather than through a voter initiative. If the bill is enacted, Vermont would join the 10 states that have laws regulating and taxing cannabis for adult use.

An overwhelming 76% of Vermont residents support allowing adults 21 and over to purchase cannabis from regulated, tax-paying small businesses according to a recent poll conducted by Public Policy Polling and commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project. The complete results are available here.

When California launched its adult-use cannabis market, Ocean Cannabis Company set out to trade its clamshell-style plastic packaging for something more sustainable.

The company’s co-founders, husband-and-wife team Patrick and Mary Ersig, started their search at an industry trade show, only to find more plastic.

“Everything was so much plastic and so many layers, … and we hated everything,” Mary Ersig tells Cannabis Business Times. “Nothing stood out to us that was great. We’ve always been philanthropists at heart. We always wanted to do good for the community, so we were like, ‘Let’s find something else. Let’s do something else.’”

The Ersigs settled on a biodegradable paper packaging to house its pre-rolls and vape cartridges, but the search continued until they found Oceanworks.

“All the plastic that we use, they collect from floating on the shores of Haiti,” Ersig says. “They actually go out and collect the plastic and turn it into the pellets. … It’s so important because there’s so much plastic in the ocean. … I don’t want to contribute to that problem, especially in cannabis. We should be a green industry. We feel like we can do our part and we should all do our part to help save … the planet and our ocean.”

We're pleased to present a dynamite lineup of cannabis and hemp industry experts at Cannabis Conference 2020. You can see our full education schedule at cannabisconference.com and peruse our list of terrific speakers. 

We recommend acting fast: Registration rates increase after tomorrow. Feb. 28 will be the last day to get in at the lowest current prices ($400 off the walk-up rate).

We interviewed Janna Beckerman, professor and extension plant pathologist specializing in diseases of horticultural crops at Purdue University, to get a sense of what she's looking forward to presenting at Cannabis Conference 2020 and what she hopes attendees will take back to their businesses after the show. Here's what she had to say:

"Hopefully, they’ll become educated and not scared. I think this is one of these fields where people are very enthusiastic going in, and they can become quickly discouraged with some of the problems. I think the problems are to be expected, but they can be managed. You need to be patient and take the opportunity to learn, like this opportunity here. I hope they’ll come away feeling more confident in their ability to successfully grow their crop."

WASHINGTON: The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) is hosting a Listen and Learn forum about draft conceptual rules regarding the voluntary cannabis licensee consultation and education program. Please join us on March 11, 2020, from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at our Headquarters Boardroom, located at 1025 Union Avenue SE, in downtown Olympia. You Read the full article...

NEW YORK, Feb. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Surfside Solutions Inc., a provider of advertising and data solutions geared towards the cannabis industry, and Garden State Digital, LLC (dba "Good Harvest Co"), the data-led cannabis audience platform, have announced that they have completed an asset purchase agreement where Surfside has acquired all of the software, technology and other intellectual property related to the Good Harvest Co audience platform. As part of the agreement, Eric Meth will join Surfside as the Chief Strategy Officer.

Surfside works with customers across multiple industries, combining a single customer view with advanced audience modeling, media activation and cross-channel measurement. The company's proprietary technology unlocks new revenue streams for its partners by allowing them to monetize first party datasets to better understand and target their current and future customers.

Good Harvest Co allows brands and marketers to find and attract qualified segments of cannabis consumers through data-led shopper marketing. Through the Good Harvest Co platform, brands and dispensaries are connected to relevant consumers based on online and offline purchase data. With the acquisition by Surfside, these audiences will now be available immediately on the Surfside demand-side platform and within the Surfside data taxonomy for media activation. Further expanding Surfside's reach as it pertains to deterministic datasets and bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds.

Eric Meth, CEO and founder of Good Harvest Co, notes, "As technology within the cannabis space continues to evolve and expand, customers are seeking solutions that not only solve current issues they're facing, but a trusted partner that will work with them to address future needs. Combining our expertise in the cannabis and shopper marketing verticals, with Surfside's established and leading technology in consumer intelligence, ensures that we're able to provide long term strategic value for our customers."

"This acquisition furthers our investment and commitment to the cannabis industry and unlocks new potential for companies to significantly increase profitability, gain a competitive edge, and utilize technology that has historically only been available in mainstream verticals," said Michael Blanche, co-founder of Surfside. "We know that companies in the industry are facing complex challenges when it comes to interacting with customers and we see compliance as a requirement, not a feature. We aim to provide businesses with technology that not only helps navigate this complex industry, but is cutting edge across multiple verticals, pioneering the next generation of consumer-centric solutions.

Veterans are pushing back against a proposal backed by Florida House leaders that would limit the amount of THC in medical marijuana, an effort they say is not based on science and could be harmful to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

House Speaker José Oliva has called the proposed 10% cap on THC, the euphoria-inducing component in cannabis, a priority, but Senate leaders have remained skeptical about the need for such a limit.

Smokable cannabis now being sold by the state’s medical marijuana treatment centers has potency of as high as 30%.

Click here to read the complete article

Dara Kam ~ News Service of Florida via MiamiHerald.com ~ 

The cannabis industry, like so many global concerns, is dependent on labor in China’s factory zones.

The scope of the crisis now facing China is truly staggering, and clearly poses a threat to the country’s generation-long thrust of prodigious economic growth and that includes one industry that has close ties to cannabis, vaping.

By the Chinese government’s own count as of Feb. 17, a total of 72,436 people are confirmed to be suffering from the COVID-19 coronavirus, while 1,868 people have died.

Click here to read the complete article

Bill Weinberg ~ CannabisNow.com ~ 

Social Impact Initiative Aims to Destigmatize Minority Representation and Increase Social Equity Within the Cannabis Industry CALIFORNIA: Viola, a nationwide leader in the production and sale of premium quality cannabis products founded by NBA veteran Al Harrington, today announced the official launch of its social equity initiative - Viola Cares. Through education, equitable offerings, expungement, and incubation programs, Read the full article...

Almost 60% of US healthcare providers feel negatively about medical cannabis, while less than 12% view it positively.

These results, the product of a survey reported in the forthcoming March 2020 issue of Preventative Medicine, provide a startling insight into the relationship between medical cannabis and those who can prescribe it.

The survey, which investigated the opinions of 1,439 licensed clinicians anonymously from 2011 through to 2017, hints at some of the hurdles cannabis needs to clear for doctors to warm to it. 

Click here to read the complete article

Emma Stone ~ Leafly.com ~ 

GrowHealthy opened its first medical cannabis dispensary in West Palm Beach, Fla., at the end of 2018, and the company finished 2019 with 11 total retail outlets in the state, as well as a delivery service. With its twelfth dispensary opening last month and its plans to open eight more between now and July, the company is rapidly expanding throughout Florida while keeping quality high and internal communication flowing smoothly.

GrowHealthy is part of iAnthus Capital Holdings Inc., a multistate cannabis operator that owns multiple retail brands in Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Nevada, Arizona and Florida. Once the company opens the additional eight dispensaries in Florida this year, it will evaluate how many additional retail locations it should pursue in Florida in the second half of 2020 and in 2021, and where these locations should be positioned in the state.

“This state has been really welcoming to us,” Jeff Finnerty, GrowHealthy’s senior director of marketing and sales, tells Cannabis Dispensary. “Every geography we’ve gone into has been a success for us, and we couldn’t be more excited to be entering into eight new local markets in the next several months. We think that the future is bright, and that we can see the impact on patients and people’s lives, and that’s the most rewarding part of the whole thing, that people are finding solutions to their illnesses and symptoms that they haven’t been able to find in years. This is opening up avenues to better lives for a lot of people.”

Here, Finnerty shares retail expansion tips for cannabis dispensaries, based on best practices that have worked for the GrowHealthy team as it continues to expand throughout Florida’s market.

1. Be deliberate when scaling up.

Before a company can even think about expanding, it must have a clear and attainable mission that can then be applied to new locations and operations.