MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
Members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe passed a referendum to legalize medical and recreational marijuana on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, according to preliminary results from the tribe’s election commission.
A proposal to allow alcohol in the tribe’s casino failed. The results of Tuesday’s vote will be certified in the next week.
In the tally from all precincts announced on Wednesday morning, both medical and recreational marijuana passed by wide margins, with 82% of voters approving medical marijuana and 74% approving recreational pot.
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Stephen Groves ~ Associated Press ~
New Jersey’s top court ruled Tuesday that workers can’t be fired for failing a drug test because of medical marijuana.
As long as employees are not under the influence of the drug at work, the state Supreme Court said medical marijuana patients remain protected by the Law Against Discrimination, echoing an earlier appellate court decision.
While Tuesday’s case involved one former funeral home director who lost his job, the implications are broad.
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Blake Nelson ~ NJ Advance Media for NJ.com ~
The Iowa House has approved legislation that would change the THC cap in the state’s medical cannabis program, according to a Des Moines Register report.
The bill, House File 2589, would replace the state’s current 3% THC limit for medical cannabis products with a limit of 4.5 grams of THC in a 90-day period. Patients could access more than 4.5 grams of THC within that timeframe if a doctor determines that 4.5 grams is insufficient to treat their condition or if they are terminally ill, Des Moines Register reported.
The legislation, which follows the recommendations of the Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Board, cleared the House in a 52-46 vote, according to the news outlet.
The bill would also add more qualifying conditions to the program and allow more health care practitioners to recommend cannabis to patients, Des Moines Register reported. Under the legislation, post-traumatic stress disorder and “severe, intractable autism with self-injurious or aggressive behaviors” would be added, and physician assistants, podiatrists, advanced registered nurse practitioners and advanced practice registered nurses could recommend cannabis to patients.
Earlier this year, lawmakers introduced two additional legislative proposals to raise the state’s 3% THC cap on medical cannabis products.
The Missouri Senate approved a bill March 9 that would ban cannabis-infused candy in the state’s medical cannabis program in an effort to protect children, according to an AP News report.
The legislation would prohibit candy, lollipops, cotton candy, and fruit- and animal-shaped edibles that could appeal to children, the news outlet reported, and it would require that all cannabis-infused food or its packaging bear a stamp with dosage information.
A similar bill already passed the Missouri House, AP news reported, and the Senate’s 28-1 vote sends the revised version of the legislation back to the House for consideration.
The Washington Senate approved legislation March 9 that would allow regulators to bolster social equity in its cannabis licensing process, according to The Spokesman-Review.
The bill, approved by the Senate in a 28-20 vote, would allow the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) to award previously revoked or canceled cannabis retail licenses to social equity applicants, which are defined as minority applicants who own at least 51% of a cannabis dispensary business, the news outlet reported.
The legislation requires applicants to submit a “Social Equity Plan,” which would outline their business goals, experience with the enforcement of cannabis laws, plans to work with organizations impacted by law enforcement and reasons why they deserve a retail license, according to The Spokesman-Review.
The bill also establishes a grant program through the Washington Department of Commerce, the news outlet reported. Applicants awarded grants could use the funds to cover the costs associated with the licensing process, financial management and compliance training, and mentor programs.
Sen. Curtis King has added an amendment to the legislation that would mandate that the license fees for social equity applicants are not lower than the state’s regular licensing fees to ensure equal treatment of all applicants, according to The Spokesman-Review.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has renewed his push for cannabis legalization this year, and while advocates say the concept of legalization has support in the legislature, Lamont’s proposed bill will likely require more work on the granular details before it has the support it needs to pass both chambers.
Lamont called for legalization during last year’s legislative session, as well, and although lawmakers worked on three separate bills to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis, the session ended without any of the legislation advancing to the governor’s desk.
Lamont announced this year’s renewed push for legalization during his State of the State address in February. He then worked alongside the chairmen of key legislative committees to draft comprehensive legislation that would not only legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older, but also support the social and criminal justice components of legalization.
Senate and House leadership ultimately introduced S.B. 16 to realize the governor’s goals.
The legislation would legalize the possession of up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis starting July 1, and in July 2022, the state would launch retail cannabis sales.
MASSACHUSETTS: Due to the increasing concern and public health crisis due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the NECANN Boston convention, scheduled for March 20-22, is being postponed. We are working with our venue partners and city officials to select a new date in 2020 and will update everyone as soon as we have specific information and Read the full article...
A new study found that Colorado’s hospitality industry can thank legal weed for making $130 million in revenue since the state first launched adult-use sales in 2014.
In 2012, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock openly opposed recreational pot legalization in Colorado. He warned voters that the “perception that Denver is the marijuana capital” would “disproportionately harm” the Mile High City’s largest industry: tourism.
History has proven Hancock wrong.
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Randy Robinson ~ MerryJane.com ~
Just two months into adult-use legalization and Illinois dispensaries are selling more than a million dollars of legal cannabis — per day.
That number is based off revenue from steep taxes on legal sales. The state reported $10 million in cannabis tax revenue for the month of January, Gov. JB Pritzker’s office reported Feb. 24.
The report shows how legalization is off to a roaring start in the Land of Lincoln.
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David Downs ~ Leafly.com ~
Boston’s first pot shop opened Monday, marking the first recreational marijuana store to open in a major East Coast city.
Pure Oasis is also among the few retail stores in the country owned and operated by people of color, who experts say have struggled to break into the industry.
Massachusetts’ ballot initiative was the first to insert specific language aimed at encouraging people of color and others harmed by the war on drugs to participate in the new industry.
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Philip Marcelo ~ Associated Press ~
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PRESS RELEASE--Left Coast Ventures (LCV), a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of premium cannabis products, has announced that it has closed an acquisition of cannabis extraction company Sisu Extracts (SISU). SISU is based in Humboldt County and has successfully scaled its business around the founding mission to secure sales pipelines for local farmers while delivering the highest quality cannabis extracts and flower to leading brands. The acquisition, which strategically expands Left Coast Ventures’ value chain, will be complete upon final regulatory approvals.
As California’s leading extractor, SISU works with an expansive network of farmers to produce more than 20% of the total legal distillate sold in California. Their unique business model supports more than 300 local California cannabis farmers by paying them 70% of the profits generated from their plants, which is up to 50% above standard prices paid to farmers.
“Our company grows because farmers believe in us,” said Joe Wynne, SISU's vice president of sales. “Farmers believe in us because we support them in the way that matters most. Simply, we pay more. We are happy to have joined a team that contributes to this philosophy with great brands and retail access, allowing SISU to bolster farms in this rapidly emerging market.”
SISU owns and operates manufacturing and distribution facilities in Eureka and Arcata in Northern California, as well as a distribution hub in downtown Los Angeles. In addition to these centers, SISU also has wholesale flower showrooms in Los Angeles and in Eureka, providing a dynamic conduit between farmers and buyers in locations where the largest California cannabis brands procure top quality flower and distillate. This model has opened doors for farmers who would not otherwise see their product on retail shelves in California.
“SISU has a strong strategic and cultural fit with Left Coast Ventures. Since its inception, SISU has profitably built its business by providing consistent, high-quality cannabis distillates and other extracts while prioritizing small farmers through its grower-focused model,” commented Brett Cummings, CEO of Left Coast Ventures. “This acquisition strengthens our supply chain with one of the largest and most respected cannabis extraction companies in California, and we look forward to working with the founding team to continue operations.”
Before Geoff Whaling was the chairman of the National Hemp Association, he had his hands in numerous other ventures related to hemp, cannabis and, before that, sports car racing.
It was in those days out on the race track where Whaling met and partnered with famed actor and philanthropist Paul Newman, who years ago gave Whaling a resounding piece of advice: “Dreams never die, just the dreamer” (perhaps quoting a song by Canadian band The Coopers Brothers).
To this day, Whaling credits Newman for inspiring his dream of bolstering the industrial hemp supply chain in the U.S.
It’s a dream that may soon be realized by Collective Growth Corp., a company Whaling recently formed with two cannabis industry veterans he worked with in his time at Canopy Growth.
Collective Growth Corp. is a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), meaning it was formed to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO) to invest into other companies, whether through acquisitions or other partnerships. The Austin, Texas-based company recently filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to raise up to $150 million in its IPO.
Whaling tells Hemp Grower the idea behind Collective Growth Corp. is to build out the U.S. industrial supply chain for a means to use the entire hemp plant to its full potential.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Over the past year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has embarked on a comprehensive evaluation of cannabidiol (CBD) products, with a focus on educating the public about the risks and unknowns of these products, gathering the science needed to better understand both these safety concerns and potential benefits to inform our Read the full article...
WAKEFIELD, Mass., March 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) ("Curaleaf" or the "Company"), a leading vertically integrated cannabis operator in the United States, today announced that Khadijah Tribble will become Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility effective March 16, 2020.
Khadijah Tribble is a respected expert on equity and inclusion in the cannabis industry. She has advised cannabis investors, government regulators, entrepreneurs and businesses on policy, business development and community impact. In partnership with Chief Marketing Officer Jason White and the marketing team, Tribble will oversee the Company's efforts to build an eco-system of impact, policy and business that aligns with the greater good of the cannabis industry and the communities in which Curaleaf operates and serves. She will also lead the company's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
"As we lead the way to a world where cannabis is welcomed and understood, our corporate social responsibility grows congruently with our business. We recognize the positive impact we can have on the lives of not just our employees, our customers and our shareholders, but also on the communities and the environment in which we operate our business," said Joe Lusardi, CEO of Curaleaf. "We are thrilled to have Khadijah join our team to lead the charge."
Prior to joining Curaleaf, Tribble founded Marijuana Matters (M2), a cannabis education and advocacy incubator. She is also the founder of the Marijuana Policy Trust (MPT), a think tank providing expertise toward building an inclusive and diverse cannabis industry. Prior to MPT she was Chief Executive of Ground Game, LLC, a consultancy focused on health technologies and also was a co-founder and director of business operations for United Medical Center's Rose Clinic, the first hospital-based clinic in the epicenter of the Washington, D.C. HIV epidemic.
"It's truly exciting to be joining Curaleaf and its talented and passionate management team at a time when the industry is on the brink of its next phase of growth, impacting and shaping the world as we know it," said Tribble. "I believe the cannabis industry can be a force for good, and I'm proud to join an industry leader that is committed to transparency, social equity and diversity and inclusion, particularly as regulation, policies and opinions are still evolving."
Tribble has served on many boards and advisory groups, including Women in the Life Association, CTF Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce, Human Rights Campaign's Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board, United Medical Center Board of Directors, the Community Wellness Collective, and was a founding member of the National LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Supplier Diversity Committee.
The Ogala Sioux Tribe will vote March 10 on whether to legalize medical and adult-use cannabis on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation, according to an AP News report.
If the vote passes, the tribe would become the only one to establish a regulated cannabis market in the state, where cannabis remains illegal, the news outlet reported.
Advocates for legalization hope a regulated cannabis industry will bring economic development to the area, which is one of the most impoverished in the country, according to AP News. Opponents say the move could conflict with state and federal authorities, however.
Earlier this year, South Dakota became the first state to place medical and adult-use cannabis legalization measures on the same ballot, leaving it to voters to decide on statewide legalization this November.
New Jersey’s cannabis advocates are forming a campaign coalition, called NJ CAN 2020, to support the state’s adult-use ballot initiative this November, according to an NJ.com report.
A legislative effort to legalize adult-use cannabis failed to garner enough support to clear the New Jersey Senate last year, prompting lawmakers to place a legalization question on the state’s 2020 ballot.
NJ CAN 2020 will bring together diverse voices to support a racial and social justice approach to cannabis legalization, the news outlet reported. The group is made up of members from various organizations including New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform, the ACLU of New Jersey, Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, the Latino Action Network, the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, the NAACP New Jersey State Conference, and the NJ CannaBusiness Association, according to NJ.com.
Alberta has announced that it will increase its excise tax on cannabis vape products to 44.3% this spring in a move that Alberta Cannabis Council Executive Director John Carle said will likely drive consumers back to an already thriving illicit market.
The Alberta Cannabis Council, an industry association dedicated to ensuring the safe consumption of properly regulated cannabis products in the province, is speaking out against the new tax, which is an additional 20% tax on all vaping products in addition to the 24.3% excise tax that Alberta has already levied on adult-use cannabis sales.
Most provinces have established a 7.5% excise tax on cannabis products, Carle said, but Alberta chose to impose a 24.3% excise tax. This is in addition to the federal government’s 2.5% tax. With the additional 20% tax on vape products, Alberta is effectively imposing a 46.8% tax on those items.
"Alberta has the highest excise tax in the country of the provinces, and this additional 20% just drives it to the point of being unbelievable,” Carle told Cannabis Business Times.
The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Control Board (AGLC), which regulates the province’s cannabis market, has indicated that the increased tax is aimed at discouraging minors from purchasing vape products in the wake of last year’s outbreak of vape-related lung illness, Carle said.
A lack of consistent industry regulations surrounding vaporizers has left cannabis businesses more vulnerable than ever. As of January 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed over 2,600 cases of vaping-related illnesses in all 50 states—including 59 fatalities. The outbreak has pushed the issue of product liability to the forefront of the cannabis industry.
“In 2019, we saw a dramatic influx of product liability claims associated with exploding vaporizer batteries, vaping lung injuries, CBD and THC testing, labeling, and compliance issues,” said Jodi S. Green, partner at Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP, a law firm serving the insurance industry.
Product liability claims are especially burdensome, but fortunately cannabis businesses now have the ability to protect against the catastrophic losses associated with these lawsuits. It is important to note, however, that not all standard product liability insurance policies provide this coverage.
“Most cannabis businesses are not only unaware of what they need, but also of what they actually have after they buy it,” Phillip Skaggs, assistant counsel of the American Association of Insurance services, said. “There is definitely a tendency for wishful thinking—younger companies buying whatever policy or package is available and within budget, and then just hoping it stands up when they need it to later. This results in most businesses being underinsured, or even completely uninsured, for a potentially ruinous loss or claim for liability.”
Business owners need to understand that in regards to products sold, the legal theory of “strict liability” may apply—meaning that everyone in the chain of distribution is considered liable, and thus if named in a suit, all parties have to lawyer up and show up in court. The first step in managing this exposure is to obtain a solid policy providing the carrier’s Duty to Defend. Such a policy must also be free from exclusions that would strip out this very necessary coverage.
Not all product liability policies provide the same level of coverage, even among those marketed specifically to the cannabis industry. Let’s take a closer look at what constitutes the right coverage for this main pillar of a proactive risk management plan.
NEW YORK: Acreage Holdings, one of the largest vertically integrated, multi-state operators of cannabis licenses and assets in the U.S., today announced the opening of The Botanist in Spring Hill, Florida, a suburb of Tampa. The medical cannabis dispensary is Acreage’s first retail location in the state. With the opening of the dispensary, located at 10520 Read the full article...
The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) has rescheduled a Listen and Learn forum about draft conceptual rules regarding the voluntary cannabis licensee consultation and education program to accommodate concerns around the COVID-19 outbreak. WASHINGTON: The meeting originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 11, 20020 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. has been changed to Read the full article...
