April 17, 2020 – CLEVELAND, OH and LAS VEGAS, NV – Cannabis Conference 2020, the cannabis industry’s leading cannabis cultivation and retail education event and exposition, has announced that its annual spring conference in Las Vegas has been rescheduled to September 1-3, 2020. The decision to reschedule Cannabis Conference was made to protect the health and safety of all event participants amidst the developments of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic.

The rescheduled conference and expo will take place at a new location, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

“The health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors, and employees of Cannabis Conference, as well as our hotel partners and overall communities, is and will always be our top priority,” said Cannabis Conference Group Publisher Jim Gilbride. “During this turbulent and uncertain period, we appreciate the patience and understanding of our partners as we’ve worked together to coordinate Cannabis Conference 2020. We must pull together as an industry to make sure we all come out on the other side of this crisis stronger than before. The importance of industry education, networking and support is ever more important. There will be lots to share and learn from one another come September.”

All paid registrations and exhibitor contracts will be honored for the September 1-3 dates.

More information regarding Cannabis Conference 2020, including educational programming, exhibitors/sponsors, and registration tiers can be found at www.cannabisconference.com.

COVID-19 concerns have snuffed out public celebrations of marijuana on Monday, an unofficial holiday for smoking cannabis, driving some activities online across the United States.

The significance of April 20, or 4:20 p.m., as a clandestine time to use marijuana is unclear, but became underground code language, according to author Shirley Halperin's book, Pot Culture: The A-Z Guide to Stoner Language and Life.

Since adult-use cannabis has been legalized across the country, more outdoor festivals and events on the date have sprung up. 

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Jean Lotus ~ UPI.com ~

With tough times sometimes come reasons for hope, and in the case of the largely stalled U.S. job market amid the coronavirus pandemic, some qualified candidates seeking positions in cannabis may be in luck.

Some large multi-state operators are hiring, including Curaleaf and Trulieve. The latter is currently hiring for between 200 to 300 positions and has hired about 300 people since mid-March, Steven Ferrell, Trulieve’s director of human resources, said in an email.

Out of these Trulieve positions, about 60% are in retail, 30% are in cultivation and production, and 10% are in call-center, corporate and all other positions, Ferrell said. About 75% of the positions are hourly, and the rest are salaried, he said.

Steven Ferrell, Trulieve director of human resources

“We are hiring for delivery drivers due to a surge in delivery orders,” he said, addressing how the coronavirus pandemic and resulting government measures have impacted the company’s hiring practices. “While this uptick makes sense given the current climate, we expect that patients may want to continue to take advantage of the convenience of these options even when the stay-at-home order is lifted.”

To find qualified candidates, Trulieve is posting positions online, Ferrell said. Applicants then go through an application process that, in its entirety, includes phone and video interviews. New hires then report either to an onsite location or work remotely depending on their position, he said.

Trulieve is focused on building on its team to continue providing “attentive and informed” customer service to its loyal customer base, called “Trulievers,” Ferrell said. “We are excited to welcome new employees to our team and will ensure that they are trained, knowledgeable and approachable, continuing the positive customer experience that Trulievers expect.”

TORONTO, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Aleafia Health Inc. has provided a comprehensive corporate update on strategic growth initiatives.

“Aleafia Health’s focus on disciplined, sustainable and scalable growth is more important now than ever with the launch of two major initiatives to adapt to patients’ needs during COVID-19,” said Aleafia Health CEO Geoffrey Benic. “With investments made over the last two years in virtual clinic services, we have been able to quickly transition to completing 100% of physician-led patient consultations remotely following the temporary, voluntary closure of our physical clinic locations. Likewise, we have accelerated the launch of our last-mile home delivery to ensure patient access to medicine delivered directly to their own homes.

“In the last week, we have commenced operations at our newly licensed Niagara Facility. At the same time, we are ready to begin the 2020 outdoor cultivation season and are preparing to commence operations in our Paris Facility’s Phase II expansion, the crown jewel of our production ecosystem.”

Deployment of Virtual Clinic Services: On March 16, 2020, patients at Aleafia Health’s network of medical cannabis clinics were notified that all physical clinic locations would be voluntarily and temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and that all patient consultations would be conducted through virtual clinic services. Since that time, approximately 3,300 patient consultations have been completed entirely remotely, ensuring that all patients maintain access to safe, secure and convenient cannabinoid therapy. As announced on Oct.17, 2018, the company previously invested in the technology and training to offer scalable virtual clinic services.Last-Mile Home Delivery: In recognition of the need for safe, contactless delivery of medical cannabis, the company advanced its already planned introduction of last-mile home delivery for medical cannabis products. Following a soft-launch last week, the company expects to make last-mile home delivery publicly available for Toronto-based registered Emblem patients next week.

In March, in addition to temporarily closing physical clinic locations, management enacted a series of measures to ensure business continuity and the safety of team members, including:

Barring all visits to production facilities and cancelling all non-essential employee travelIncreased cleaning frequency throughout facility common areas and enforcing work from home for all non-production essential employeesAdjustment to shift start times, shift length and break structure to eliminate the crossover between groups of employees

Production Ramp-Up & Preparation to Commence Outdoor Cultivation

San Diego, CA – April 16, 2020 — PRESS RELEASE — Agnetix, a digital horticulture lighting company with world benchmarks in energy efficiency, light output and intelligent data insights, has announced the appointment of Paul Wanis as its new Vice President of Engineering.

As a thought partner, Wanis will collaborate with the Agnetix team and lead internal and external engineering resources to further develop light, sensor, data, software and AI technologies for sustainable plant cultivation.

With over 20 years of electrical, firmware and software engineering experience and a background in developing acoustic instruments used for scientific measurements and military navigation, Wanis brings a unique perspective on data collection that will drive innovation for Agnetix and the entire horticulture industry. Wanis has a proven track record of deploying customer-centric, cutting-edge technologies to market and will work closely with global cultivators to develop new solutions for robust and efficient horticultural plant growth.

“We are excited to welcome Paul to our leading-edge engineering team,” said Jordan Miles, CEO of Agnetix. “Paul’s focused expertise in rugged, non-invasive interrogation technology sensors aligns well with our vision to further propel the horticulture industry with data-driven insights.”

NORTH CAROLINA:  Asheville Hemp Project (AHP), an Asheville, NC-based hemp cultivator, is announcing its new product line. The company is also announcing that it is donating 50% of online sales to the NC Restaurant Workers Relief Fund. Leslie Hoffman, co-founder of AHP, stated, “We are very excited about our new product offerings that are coming Read the full article...

The United Kingdom’s medical cannabis industry took great strides forward at the beginning of the year as the first cannabis clinics opened their doors to patients, but the global COVID-19 pandemic has caused supply chain challenges that highlight the need for a domestic cannabis industry, according to Mike Barnes, cannabis activist and founder of England-based Maple Tree Consultancy.

The UK’s medical cannabis law took effect Nov. 1, 2018, and allows medical specialists to prescribe cannabis to patients with any condition, although general practitioners and primary care doctors are not permitted to write medical cannabis prescriptions.

RELATED: Cannabis Advocates Encouraged by Policy Reform in the UK: Country Profile

The industry remained dormant for much of 2019 due to these restrictions, Barnes says; by the end of last year, there were only a few doctors in the whole country that were prescribing medical cannabis, and the medication was quite expensive.

At the start of 2020, private cannabis clinics began opening with government approval, which seemed to kickstart the program, Barnes says. Roughly 100-150 new patients were receiving medical cannabis each month, compared to 2019, when only a few dozen prescriptions were written over the course of the entire year.

LAS VEGAS, April 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- GreenBroz, Inc., a cannabis automated harvesting equipment manufacturer, is shifting gears to facilitate automation of the application of chlorine dioxide (Cl02) to sterilize personal protective equipment.

Cannabis automated harvesting equipment manufacturer GreenBroz, Inc. has adapted a portion of its production efforts to provide full automation of the Gard'n Clean chlorine dioxide (Cl02) system, which can be used in healthcare settings to sterilize personal protective equipment (PPE) in response to the current need amid the COVID-19 pandemic

"We were in a unique position to be able to shift our efforts to the design and production of a system which can address an immediate and urgent need in the midst of this current crisis," said GreenBroz CEO Cullen Raichart. "We want to be part of the solution and are excited that we have a prototype ready to go, and are currently seeking FDA Fast Track approval."

The Alchemist Trichome Extractor, originally designed for processing cannabis, has been retrofitted with the optek-Danulat Cl02 gas detection advanced sensing system, which is designed to detect the level of Cl02 in the rotating drum. Scott Rotary Seals provided the seal, which allows the Cl02 to enter the rotating chamber. Kaman Automation designed the human machine interface (HMI) touch-screen panels. The HMI makes the machine safe and easy to use, as there is minimal contact and the surface of the touch screen is easily cleanable.

Gard'n Clean Cl02 is an EPA-registered, FDA approved, OMRI organic certified and NSF listed sterilant. The PPE remediator technology is eco-friendly, requiring no special handling or disposal. The activated solution has a neutral pH. Therefore, it is exceptionally gentle and aids in retaining the integrity of fibrous material.

Following an audit of its licensing process and after receiving feedback from stakeholders and the local community, the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) has put together recommendations to amend the licensing process, according to a report it sent to Los Angeles City Council on April 10.

Some applicants accessed an online system early, according to the audit, but regulators made sure they didn’t have an unfair advantage, according to the Los Angeles Times.

RELATED: Audit of Los Angeles Cannabis Licensing Process Determines City Took ‘Reasonable’ Steps to Ensure Fairness

“Although the Department agrees that its normalization process was reasonable, it acknowledges that the process and the policy itself can and should be improved in a number of substantive ways,” according to the report.

One of the recommendations involves DCR amending the definition of “‘Equity Share’ based on best practices and input from Social Equity Program stakeholders.”

DCR also recommended that council draft an ordinance to amend the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) to includes the following changes, among others:

A study by the University of Buffalo and University of Michigan shows that even enthusiastic cannabis consumers can have a low level of knowledge about THC, CBD, and effective dosing.

The researchers surveyed about 500 attendees of the Hash Bash in Michigan, asking them to fill out a 24-item questionnaire.

Of the respondents, two-thirds said they consumed cannabis daily – with 85 percent claiming use for health or medical benefits – and 78 percent said their cannabis knowledge came from their own experiences.

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TG Branfalt ~ Ganjapreneur.com ~ 

Could cannabis help treat diabetes? A small but growing body of research suggests that certain cannabinoids may hold promise.

The newest addition to the scientific literature comes from the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry in Italy.

In a study published in the journal Molecules, researchers there found that cannabimovone (CBM), a rare cannabinoid, can sensitize cells to insulin.

CBM thus joins CBD, THC, THCV, and THCA as a potentially promising avenue of research for diabetes prevention.

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Dispensaries across the state are hustling to meet customer needs amid changing state regulations.

You probably won't see the inside of Organic Alternatives for a while — at least not like you used to if you visited the Fort Collins marijuana shop.

When you get to the Old Town dispensary, you'll likely be funneled into its cozy back parking lot and greeted by a bud tender for curbside pickup.

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Erin Udell ~ Fort Collins Coloradoan ~

Over the past several years, social media has grown into a—and in some cases, the—marketing medium of choice for businesses. That’s especially true for videos. For some companies that produce toys for children, “unboxing videos” can rack up millions of views and represent the pinnacle of how a company can get its product’s name out there.

Influencer Chrissy Harless, who makes videos about subscription boxes, beauty topics and cannabis, has thousands of followers on her YouTube, Instagram and WeedTube channels. And since the coronavirus pandemic has transformed daily life, her videos are providing those followers with a welcome distraction.

“I couldn't even tell you how many DMs [direct messages], emails, comments on videos and posts on Instagram that I've received of people just saying, ‘Thank you for creating content that distracts me from the pandemic,’ essentially,” Harless said.

For the month of April 2020 and the date of April 20, 2020—the ultimate 4/20 that many cannabis industry members, patients and customers planned to celebrate with friends and family—most state governments have issued stay-at-home and social distancing measures. That leaves a lot of them scrambling for new ways to celebrate. Will they virtually “pass” pre-rolls via Skype video?

Thousands of these enterprising souls have already been celebrating with Harless, who has been counting down through the 4/20 month, to the 4/20 day, with the Dabvent Calendar. From BirthJays (which makes joint birthday candles) and Higher Celebrations (Higher Celebrations International owns BirthJays), it’s a take on the Advent calendar from Christmastime. For each day from April 1 through April 20, 16 influencers participating in the social media campaign pull a different cannabis brand’s products from a date-marked box on the calendar.

The Dabvent Calendar

“I do a lot of different things on social media, but my main channel on YouTube is subscription boxes, and there are a lot of different types of Advent calendars for beauty,” Harless said. “I had never seen one for cannabis. So, I was like, ‘Yes! This is going to be awesome.’”

  The Company continues to expect to incur approximately $700-800MM pre-tax charge in Q4 Fiscal 2020. CANADA: Canopy Growth Corporation (“Canopy Growth” or the “Company”) (TSX:WEED, NYSE:CGC) today announced a series of global operational changes designed to further optimize production, better align supply and demand, and improve efficiencies in its global operations. As part of Read the full article...

ILLINOIS: The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) has released final harvest numbers from the 2019 hemp growing season. IDOA issued 651 Hemp Growers licenses for the 2019 season. All but 137 of those licensees planted at least an acre during the inaugural season resulting in over 2.27 million pounds of total yield, with 73% of Read the full article...

A campaign to place an adult-use cannabis legalization initiative on Missouri’s 2020 ballot is suspending its efforts due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Dan Viets, chairman of Missourians for a New Approach, told the Springfield News-Leader April 15 that the petition initiative campaign is officially over due to public response to the pandemic, which is prohibiting supporters from gathering signatures.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has established a new process for calculating a patient’s 90-day supply of medical cannabis.

The new rules take effect April 17.

The process is aimed at simplifying the way that patients, caregivers and dispensaries calculate days’ supply while ensuring that patients do not exceed the maximum 90-day possession limit outlined in Ohio’s medical cannabis law.

Under the new guidance, a patient’s 90-day supply will be divided into two 45-day fill periods. The first fill period consists of days 1-45 and the second consists of days 45-90, with the first fill period beginning when the patient receives a medical cannabis recommendation.

In each fill period, a patient can purchase up to a 45-day supply of medical cannabis, regardless of when purchases are made within the period, but once a patient purchases a 45-day supply within the fill period, he or she cannot purchase additional medical cannabis until the next period.

The company announced it is selling all of its African cannabis assets (located in South Africa and Lesotho) to a local business, with the deal expected to close in the coming weeks. Canopy Growth also is ending cultivation operations at its Latin American facility in Colombia and is shuttering its indoor cultivation facility in Yorktown, Saskatchewan, Canada.

In a statement, the company said it is taking these steps to slow down its cash-burn rate. As it stands, the company is expected to take a charge of up to C$800 million.

CEO David Klein, who took over the reins at Canopy Growth in January, said in a statement, “I believe the changes outlined today are an important step in our continuing efforts to focus the Company's priorities, and will result in a healthier, stronger organization that will continue to be an innovator and leader in this industry.”

As part of this restructuring, the company also is cutting 85 jobs. Additionally, Canopy Growth is ceasing its hemp cultivation operations in Springfield, New York, citing “an abundance of hemp produced in the 2019 growing season.”

“When I arrived at Canopy Growth in January, I committed to conducting a strategic review in order to lower our cost structure and reduce our cash burn," Klein said in a statement.

Editor’s note: This is a developing story that will be updated.

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As states continue to implement and extend stay-at-home mandates, cannabis dispensaries have, for the most part, been among a select number of businesses permitted to remain open. Some cannabidiol (CBD) retailers have not been given the same luxury, but even for the CBD companies who are permitted to continue operations, the decision to stay open is not always an easy one. 

“We're kind of just going day by day, minute by minute, quite frankly, and just trying to be responsible and good stewards of the community, looking out for our employees. It's just, it's really hard,” says Thomas Fisher, founder of Botanic Alternatives, a Chicago-based brick-and-mortar CBD retailer. “I mean, it's like three-dimensional chess—how do we keep paying people, stay in business, [be] in compliance and not be part of a problem? It’s just complex, so you’ve got to be able to shift and move on a dime.”

As CBD companies navigate the COVID-19 outbreak one day at a time, they’re making changes large and small to keep their business afloat. 

RELATED: CBD and COVID-19 Part 1: How Sales Are Trending

New Offerings

From new purchasing methods to new products, companies are using COVID-19 to test the waters of a rapidly evolving landscape.

Taking a note from cannabis dispensaries in legal states that are permitted to stay open, some CBD retailers, like Botanic Alternatives, have begun offering curbside and delivery services for their products. The delivery model especially has given a boost to the company, which doesn’t have online sales and is dealing with the additional challenge of nearby construction deterring foot traffic, Fisher says. 

LEAMINGTON, ON, April 14, 2020 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Aphria Inc., a global cannabis company, has reported its financial results for the third quarter ended Feb. 29, 2020. All amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted and except for per gram, kilogram, kilogram equivalents, and per share amounts.

"We are proud of our sustained growth in Canada and continued expansion of our international capabilities," stated Irwin D. Simon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "During this unprecedented time, the well-being of our employees, patients, consumers, partners and the communities we operate in is our primary focus. Our facilities, offices and patient care teams remain open and operational to continue to provide our patients and consumers with what we believe is best-in-class care and service with appropriate measures in place to protect the health and safety of employees. As we face uncertain times, I am proud of how the Aphria team has come together to navigate these uncharted waters. Going forward, we believe Aphria continues to be differentiated in the cannabis industry through our brands, cultivation expertise, high quality standards, cash position and balance sheet. We continue to focus on the highest return opportunities for growth and long-term value creation."

Key Operating Highlights

Gross revenue for adult-use cannabis of $44.7 million in the third quarter, an increase of 54% from prior quarter and the 5th consecutive quarter of growth. Net cannabis revenue of $55.6 million in the third quarter, an increase of 65% from prior quarter. Net revenue of $144.4 million in the third quarter, an increase of 96% from prior year quarter and increase of 20% from prior quarter. Operating income of $8.7 million in the third quarter, compared to a loss of $9.6 million in the prior quarter. Net income of $5.7 million, or $0.02 per share, and adjusted EBITDA of $5.7 million in the third quarter. Adjusted EBITDA from cannabis operations of $6.0 million in the third quarter, an increase of 78% from the prior quarter. Ended third quarter with a strong balance sheet and liquidity, including $515.1 million of cash and cash equivalents, to fund planned Canadian and International growth. Received its European Union Good Manufacturing Practices (EU GMP) certification, from the Malta Medicines Authority (MMA) at the company's subsidiary, ARA - Avanti Rx Analytics, as well as the GMP annex at the company's Aphria One facility, allowing the company to begin to supply medical cannabis across the European Union and bolstering the company's international export capabilities. Equity raise of $100 million, further strengthening the balance sheet.

Subsequent Event

Recognized for Executive Gender Diversity by Globe and Mail's inaugural Report on Business Women Lead Here list, an annual benchmark of executive gender diversity in corporate Canada.

Key Financial Highlights

(In thousands of Canadian dollars)