MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
On March 2, Cresco Labs co-founder Joe Caltabiano announced that he had resigned from his role as president effective immediately, a decision that he says he had been considering and discussing with the Cresco team for a few weeks.
Caltabiano co-founded the Chicago-based multi-state operator in 2013, and says it is time for him to “step back and look at some opportunities that I’ve always wanted to pursue,” as his skillsets no longer align with Cresco’s future needs.
“My skills were very tied to the early success of the organization and building it and running into brick walls and overcoming obstacles,” Caltabiano said in an interview with Cannabis Business Times. “When you’re starting out in a start-up company, it is growth at all costs. You make a lot of decisions on how to drive growth within the organization, and as a company matures, it starts being less about growth and more about return on invested capital and how do you maximize dollars for your shareholders in the long-run. And those are very different skillsets and very different ideals that sometimes coincide but sometimes conflict.”
He said as a Cresco shareholder, he wants to be sure that every decision made is “for the best interest of shareholders of the organization.”
Caltabiano says he hopes to continue his role on Cresco’s board, but believes that the 1,800-person company operating in about a dozen states has good, stable footing and that now is an “opportune time” for him to leave.
“Any time you step away, it’s a difficult time. There’s never the perfect opportunity, but I felt like we’ve accomplished so many things this year with getting Illinois [adult-use] launched and closing on the Origin House transaction," he said, also noting the launch of Cresco's Sunnyside branded dispensaries. "All … that we’ve accomplished really put Cresco in a great position now and in the future.
New Dates PsyTech Summit: June 14-15, 2020 CannaTech Tel Aviv: June 15-16, 2020 ISRAEL: In light of developing circumstances with the COVID-19 coronavirus and based on recommendations from the Israeli Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CannaTech Tel Aviv and PsyTech Summit are postponed. PsyTech Summit will take place June Read the full article...
The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs was expected to vote this week on the World Health Organization’s recommendation to reschedule cannabis under global drug treaties, a long-awaited move that would shift how international markets engage one another in cannabis trade.
That’s not happening, however, as the vote has been delayed for a second time amid significant debate.
The UN Commission is now looking to a possible vote in December 2020.
The WHO recommended last year that the UN Commission remove cannabis from its list of banned substances and reschedule the plant as a pharmaceutical drug. If approved, this move would open the door to more feasible international trade and research.
In January, Somai Pharmaceuticals Chairman of the Board Michael Sassano (based in Ireland), told Cannabis Business Times that European Union member nations were urging this planned March vote. Some countries in Europe already regulate medical cannabis as a pharmaceutical drug, and the WHO recommendations would only align international policy with those specific national rules.
“Basically, the removal of cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV means that it has medicinal value, but it is still Schedule I, meaning it is a narcotic and handled as such through pharmacies,” Sassano said.
]]>Feb. 25, 2020 – Cleveland, OH – Due to the continued growth of GIE Media’s Cannabis Conference, an annual event that bring industry stakeholders together to address the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the legal cannabis market, GIE Media is pleased to announce the addition of Cassie Neiden to fill the newly created role of Conference Programming Director.
Neiden joined Firelands Scientific as the vertically integrated cannabis company’s director of marketing and communications in April 2019. She helped launch the company’s infused products line, including tinctures, edibles, solventless concentrates and more. Neiden also led the company’s efforts around patient education and community outreach within the tightly regulated framework of Ohio’s nascent medical cannabis market.
Previously, Neiden served as the managing editor for Cannabis Business Times, Cannabis Dispensary and Cannabis Conference. She is also an experienced freelance writer, with bylines in publications such as Martha Stewart Weddings, Yahoo! Tech and Cleveland Magazine.
In 2018, Neiden received an “Editor of the Year” honorable mention at Folio:’s Eddie and Ozzie Awards gala in New York City. She is a graduate of Kent State University’s School of Journalism & Mass Communication with a bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism.
In her new role with Cannabis Conference, Neiden will work directly with the editorial director, group publisher and marketing director to continually raise the level of education offered and drive conference attendance growth annually. She will work with the editorial teams to develop session topics for events and to identify speakers in collaboration with advisory boards for both the magazines and the conference.
While the 2018 Farm Bill’s legalization of industrial hemp opened the door for federal guidance regarding pesticide use on the plant, only a handful of products have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to John Scott, pesticides program manager and section chief at the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA).
Colorado has taken matters into its own hands, and maintains a list of approved pesticides that can be used on cannabis under the state’s Pesticide Applicators’ Act.
“When we knew that recreational marijuana was going to be legalized, we knew we had to identify tools that the industry could use,” Scott tells Cannabis Business Times. “[During] initial discussions with the EPA, we started to identify what type of criteria those products would need to meet so products could legally be applied to cannabis. … We wanted to be able to use known science. The EPA has gone through and done the risk assessments on these products and identified which ones were of lower toxicity, and therefore they were tolerance exempt—the risk assessments have been done and they can be applied to commodities that would be ingested, like food crops. If they were going to be smoked, … through the risk assessment process, [the EPA] had pyrolysis studies done.”
Colorado derived its Pesticide Applicators’ Act from the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to regulate pesticide use in the state across all crops. If applicators misuse pesticide products, the Pesticide Applicators’ Act allows the CDA to issue a $1,000 fine for each violation it identifies. For second offenses, that fine can be doubled.
“We do have the authority to revoke licenses [and] issue injunctions, so it can increase past the point of a civil penalty,” Scott says.
An Ohio group has filed petitions to add a “Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol” amendment to the state’s constitution. If the proposed amendment makes it to the ballot in November and passes, it will allow adult-use cannabis sales to commence in Ohio on July 1, 2021.
Tom Haren, a partner at Frantz Ward and spokesman for the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol group, told Cannabis Dispensary that the decision to file the petitions arose in light of confusing 90-day product allotments in its medical program and a refusal by the state medical board to add qualifying conditions to the program.
A lack of access for Ohioans with conditions such as anxiety and autism, and the need to provide them with product, are among those concerns about qualifying conditions, Haren says.
“A number of people have had doubts for a while about this state's willingness and interest in actually providing a program that works for Ohio patients,” he says.
RELATED: Ohio’s Medical Cannabis Is Too Expensive and Inconvenient, According to a Patient Survey
The Ohio Attorney General has 10 days from the filing date of March 2 to certify ballot language, according to a press release from Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol.
March 4, 2020 – Cleveland, OH – Due to the continued growth of GIE Media’s Cannabis Conference, an annual event that brings industry stakeholders together to address the biggest opportunities and challenges facing plant-touching businesses in the legal cannabis market, GIE Media is pleased to announce the addition of Cassie Neiden to fill the newly created role of Conference Programming Director.
Previously, Neiden served as the managing editor for GIE Media’s Cannabis Business Times, Cannabis Dispensary and Cannabis Conference. She is also an experienced freelance writer, with bylines in publications such as Martha Stewart Weddings, Yahoo! Tech and Cleveland Magazine. She left GIE in April 2019 to join Firelands Scientific as the vertically integrated cannabis company’s director of marketing and communications. She helped launch the company’s infused products line, including tinctures, edibles, solventless concentrates and more. Neiden also led the company’s efforts around patient education and community outreach within the tightly regulated framework of Ohio’s nascent medical cannabis market.
In her new role with Cannabis Conference, Neiden will work directly Cannabis Group’s editorial and conference advisory teams to continually raise the level of education of the company’s in-person events. She will be responsible for the development of educational programming and speaker acquisition, and will work as a liaison with GIE Media’s marketing team to boost event awareness and promotion.
“We are excited to welcome Cassie back to GIE Media as the Cannabis Group’s first Conference Programming Director,” said GIE Media Group Publisher Jim Gilbride. “Now in its fourth year, Cannabis Conference continues to offer insight into the rapidly growing the cannabis market for senior management at cultivation and dispensary businesses, and we look forward to Cassie’s contributions as she helps continue to expand the conference’s educational content and attendance.”
“Cassie’s extensive experience with GIE Media’s cannabis brands, as well as her background in the industry, will serve her well in this new role as we continue to grow Cannabis Conference to best serve the market,” said Editorial Director Noelle Skodzinski.
According to the analysts at Headset, the last two years have seen steady growth in the cannabis beverage sector.
As consumers continue to look for new and innovative ways to consume cannabis, the Age of Weed Claws has begun.
And by "weed claws," I mean any of the new, cannabis-infused sparkling beverages recently entering the market (none of which are related to the White Claw brand, by the way).
So what brought us to this current level of hype around these concoctions?
Click here to read the complete article
Given the general hype around CBD, expect to hear outlandish claims about its effect on coronavirus, most likely spread via social media. These claims are not true. There is no solid research on CBD and coronavirus.
The global concern over the coronavirus known as COVID-19 has many people taking precautions against contracting the virus.
Here’s what we know about cannabis and this novel coronavirus.
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Leafly.com ~
Utah’s first medical cannabis pharmacy opened Monday, giving patients a long-awaited legal option for buying marijuana treatments without venturing outside the state and sneaking the products back to their homes.
The debut of Dragonfly Wellness at 711 State St. in Salt Lake City marks a milestone for the state’s medical marijuana program, which has been germinating for about 15 months since voters and lawmakers laid the groundwork for it.
“For far too long we’ve been told what we should do and what we shouldn’t do,” Narith Panh, Dragonfly’s chief strategy officer, told reporters at a morning news conference.
Click here to read the complete article
Bethany Rodgers ~ Salt Lake Tribune ~
Utah’s first medical cannabis dispensary, Dragonfly Wellness, opened in Salt Lake City March 2, as the state launched a slow rollout of its medical cannabis program, according to an ABC News report.
The online application process for patients to obtain medical cannabis cards launched March 1, the news outlet reported.
Gov. Gary Herbert signed legislation Feb. 28, just days before the medical cannabis program launched, that fine-tuned the state’s medical cannabis law. Key changes include dosage form requirements for cannabis products and provisions that protect state employees from penalties for using medical cannabis. Private businesses are not required to allow their employees to use medical cannabis under the law, however.
Utah’s second dispensary is expected to open this month, with seven more opening by June, according to ABC News. The state’s last five dispensaries will open in July.
Tennessee lawmakers plan to introduce a new medical cannabis legalization bill, called the Clinical Cannabis Authorization and Research Act, according to the Tennessean.
The legislation, which will be introduced through amendments by Sen. Steve Dickerson and Rep. Bryan Terry, would allow cannabis oils, tinctures, lotions and capsules, but not smokable cannabis, vapes or edibles, the news outlet reported.
The bill would create a regulatory framework for licensed businesses to grow and sell cannabis products, beginning by the end of this year, according to the Tennessean. Licenses would be capped at six medical cannabis cultivators and 75 dispensaries, but the state could also issue nine vertically integrated cannabis licenses, which would allow businesses to grow, process and sell cannabis products at up to five dispensary locations, the news outlet reported.
The legislation would also establish a new regulatory body, called the Clinical Cannabis Commission, which would issue medical cannabis cards to patients with one of a few dozen qualifying conditions who have been given a recommendation from a medical practitioner, the news outlet reported. Patients would be limited to a maximum of 2,800 milligrams of THC within a 30-day period under the bill.
Sen. Janice Bowling has also introduced medical cannabis legislation this year; in January, she reintroduced a bill that would allow qualified patients to access medical cannabis and license businesses to grow, distribute, transport and sell cannabis products for both medical use and scientific research.
Maine lawmakers voted March 2 to allow regulators to license adult-use cannabis delivery businesses, according to a Portland Press Herald report.
The legislative committee that oversees the state’s adult-use cannabis market approved a bill that would allow the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy to create and adult-use cannabis delivery license, the news outlet reported.
Lawmakers banned the sale of adult-use cannabis through vending machines, drive-thrus, online platforms and delivery services during their rewrite of the 2016 voter-approved initiative that legalized adult-use cannabis in the state, according to the Portland Press Herald. (Medical cannabis businesses, on the other hand, have always been authorized to deliver products to patients.)
When Senate President Troy Jackson first proposed L.D. 1621, opponents argued that its passage would force the Office of Marijuana Policy to rework its licensing regulations, which would ultimately delay the state’s launch of its adult-use cannabis market, according to the Portland Press Herald.
However, the committee vote could signal a shift on the issue of adult-use cannabis delivery, the news outlet reported. Supporters of the bill were able to win approval, in part, due to an amendment that bans home deliveries after 7 p.m. The legislation passed out of committee in a 7-3 vote, the Portland Press Herald reported.
LOS ANGELES, March 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- OG DNA Genetics, a globally recognized cannabis brand, has announced a licensing agreement with PurePenn LLC, a cultivator and producer of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis capsules, concentrates, tinctures, flower and oils for the Pennsylvania market.
The agreement will grant PurePenn license to the DNA brand, access to its proprietary award-winning genetics and standardized operating procedures for their cultivation at the PurePenn cultivation facility in McKeesport, Penn. PurePenn’s high-tech facility will be comprised of approximately 125,000 square feet of indoor cultivation and production upon completion of its ongoing expansion efforts.
“By partnering with PurePenn, we ensure a mutually beneficial relationship built on the foundation of commitment to quality and best practices,” said Don Morris, co-founder of DNA. “Each time we explore a potential licensing agreement, we look for the best possible partner in each market – PurePenn is that partner for Pennsylvania.”
Dedicated to cutting-edge innovation using the latest technology, highly trained and experienced scientists and operators, and the strictest safety standards, PurePenn's mission is to create the best marijuana-based medicine in Pennsylvania for patients in need.
For more than 15 years, genetics developed by DNA have won more than 200 awards in all categories at the most prestigious cannabis events around the world, making DNA the global standard in breeding and growing truly best-in-class strains. These awards include the High Times ‘Top 10 Strain of the Year’, which was inducted into The High Times seedbank hall of fame in 2009, the High Times 100 list of the most influential people in the industry and the High Times Trailer Blazers Award, for contributions made towards uniting the fields of entrepreneurship, politics and medicine.
CHICAGO (March 2, 2020)—PRESS RELEASE—Joe Caltabiano has announced his resignation as president of Cresco Labs. He intends to continue his role on Cresco’s Board of Directors.
“As the founder who brought the initial idea of entering into the regulated cannabis industry to the original Cresco team in 2013, this day is bittersweet,” Caltabiano noted. “Starting Cresco, and watching it grow to become one of the most important cannabis companies in the industry has been a dream come true. However, as a serial entrepreneur, I know it’s time for the next challenge. I leave the company in a great position to further our original mission.”
The Kentucky House passed a medical cannabis legalization bill Feb. 20, marking the first time legislation to legalize medical cannabis has received a full House vote in the state. While the momentum is encouraging, Matt Simon, legislative analyst at the Marijuana Policy Project ,said the bill’s fate in the Senate is still uncertain.
“It’s the first time a cannabis bill has received a vote in either chamber,” he told Cannabis Business Times. “Advocates have been pushing for years, and they finally got a bill out of committee last year, but couldn’t get a full floor vote, so this was the first time. It passed with a very healthy margin, and now the Senate is likely to be rather more challenging.”
While medical cannabis legalization may have the support it needs among senators, its Senate leadership that worries Simon.
“Senate President Robert Stivers in particular has been completely opposed to it,” he said. “Stivers said a year and a half ago that if patients want to feel better, they should drink Kentucky bourbon instead of [using] cannabis. … He and the other members of leadership have just fought tooth and nail to keep this from getting considered.”
However, momentum has been building in the state for years, and Simon said patients have been active for quite some time, coming to the statehouse and being persistent about meeting with lawmakers. The efforts have finally tipped the scales in the House, Simon said, and he hopes the Senate will listen to the people and approve the legislation before the legislative session ends March 31.
ILLINOIS: Cresco Labs, one of the largest vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operators in the United States, today announced that has advised the Company of his decision to resign from the position of President effective immediately. Mr. Caltabiano’s management responsibilities will be taken up by CEO and Co-founder Charlie Bachtell as well as other members of the Read the full article...
OHIO: The Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee will hold a meeting on March 5, 2020. ADVISORY COMMITTEE The Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee is coordinated by the Board of Pharmacy. The Committee may develop and submit to the Department of Commerce, State Board of Pharmacy, and the State Medical Board any recommendations related to the Medical Marijuana Control Read the full article...
So far in this election cycle, cannabis reform hasn’t been a significant issue. Earlier in February, the question came up at the South Carolina debate, but the mechanics of any one candidate’s cannabis reform plan haven’t yet received close scrutiny from the press or Washington power brokers.
Across the board, it’s not even a cut-and-dried issue on the Democratic side of the primary season. Most of the remaining candidates support some degree of legalization, while Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg have stuck close to the decriminalization argument. It’s a point that’s taken a backseat to more immediate national interests and broader economic and health care-related issues, but nonetheless the open question of cannabis reform is more visible than it’s ever been in presidential politics.
We published a poll asking cannabis business owners where they’re leaning as primary season heats up. Prior to Super Tuesday, we had at least seven candidates on the board. Then, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race.
In our poll, Buttigieg got the vote from 16% of respondents—second place overall in our results. While he went on to endorse Biden Monday night in Dallas, it’s unclear whether his base will follow his endorsement.
Much like in the actual primary campaign, Bernie Sanders led our poll with 44% of the vote (of 80 responses). He has maintained a strong pro-cannabis reform stance for a long time, speaking regularly about the importance of social justice and small business development—and going so far as to promise some sort of executive action on the first day of his presidency to legalize cannabis.
Here’s the full list of poll results:
Health Canada, the country’s department of health, is starting a committee to research how cannabis and related products can, or should, be used without a prescription or a doctor’s oversight.
The Science Advisory Committee for Health Products Containing Cannabis will “provide independent scientific and clinical advice to support the department’s consideration of appropriate safety, efficacy and quality standards for health products containing cannabis, including the conditions under which these products would be suitable to be used without practitioner oversight,” according to a news release.
The committee’s formation is part of an initiative to form cannabis-related regulations that began in Canada in 2018. As part of that initiative, from June to September of 2019, Health Canada sought feedback from the public and from industry professionals regarding the products they’d be interested in manufacturing, selling or purchasing if a legal pathway were established.
The focus of the new committee is on evidence-based advice and guidance. The committee will review available evidence regarding the use of products containing cannabis and will address specific scientific questions, review current and emerging scientific and clinical issues and provide evidence-based advice to help inform a potential regulatory path forward.
A sub-committee will also be formed to address cannabis use in animals.
The committee will be examining the evidence surrounding the safety, efficacy and quality of cannabis and specific cannabinoids when used therapeutically. The committee will also look at the current regulatory framework for cannabis products, the safety profile of existing products and what factors should be considered when determining dosage thresholds of specific cannabinoids.
