MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

Experts are cautioning companies to shore up their security practices and for consumers to be mindful of opportunities that seem too good to be true.

Cannabis is an emerging industry with stratospheric growth expectations.

Like the California Gold Rush, the dot-com boom and every other new market with boundless potential, the cannabis industry also has the tendency to attract some sketchy characters with dubious motives.

Security experts have long warned that the cannabis industry is susceptible to both cybercriminal and fraudulent activities. 

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Toronto, ON, February 20, 2020 – The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd., a leading producer of premium certified organic cannabis, is honored to announce that it has received the prestigious Leadership in Organic Farming Award from the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA). Organic Leadership Awards are given to industry leaders who have displayed exceptional leadership through their involvement in advancing Canada’s organic sector.

As consumers become increasingly savvy about the cannabis they purchase, the certified organic segment is poised to grow in popularity. It offers a clean, safe and high-quality alternative to mass-produced options grown in rockwool or other synthetic mediums. Furthermore, market research indicates that sustainability is a key driver when making purchase decisions; consumers favour supporting environmentally responsible organizations.

“TGOD was born from a bold vision, building the global leader in certified organic cannabis. Receiving this award validates the hard work and dedication of the team at TGOD and speaks to our promise of making life better for our customers and the communities where we do business. We would like to thank COTA for recognizing our efforts and commitment to sustainable organic cultivation,” commented Brian Athaide, CEO of TGOD.

The Award recognizes TGOD’s continued commitment to organic practices through the development of additional sustainability measures, sharing of knowledge with others, and mentorship. The Company has implemented a number of key initiatives to bolster its environmental, social and governance (ESG) program.

TGOD Community Farm
TGOD’s community farm grows food for donation to a local charity that not only distributes food, but also educates individuals, and provides support and financial counselling to new mothers.

Water Capture and Conservation
At its two Canadian facilities, TGOD has invested in a rainwater recapture system that collects rainwater (and melting snow) from the roof, recapture basins that hold up to 5 million litres, and other areas. The Company has been able to reduce its need to draw fresh water from the local well systems.

Recyclable Packaging
TGOD is committed to sourcing materials that are recycled, reusable and recyclable. The Company considers the impacts of its supply chain and the materials it uses.

Global Cannabis Partership (GCP)
TGOD is a founding member of the Global Cannabis Partnership (GCP) (founded in 2018). This international initiative looks to establish worldwide corporate social responsibility (CSR) standards in the legal cannabis industry.

Reusable Living Soil
TGOD’s certified organic cannabis is grown in living soil, putting the flower in charge. The living soil allows the Company to send significantly less waste to landfill as the same soil can be used for up to seven years, unlike traditional cannabis growing methods which use the inert rockwool medium and dispose of it after each harvest.

Rooted in the Community
In 2019, TGOD established a volunteer group called “Rooted in the Community”—named to showcase how important it is for the Company to be an integral part of the communities where it operates. They recently participated in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup and are working to support homeless Ontarians in the Hamilton region.

Hybrid Greenhouses
TGOD’s hybrid greenhouses have been built to LEED certification standards. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized rating system for green buildings.

Environmental Farm Plan
In March 2018, TGOD was the first cannabis company to complete an Environmental Farm Plan (“EFP”). The EFP is a voluntary assessment used to assess 23 distinct environmental areas on the farm.

Barn Swallow Project
Barn swallows are a bird species that are endangered in Ontario. To help in the swallows’ population recovery, TGOD has installed and monitored approximately one dozen nesting cups on the community farm.
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Multistate cannabis operator Cresco Labs announced last week that it had hired Greg Butler, a former marketing executive for Molson Coors, to fill the newly created position of Chief Commercial Officer and to help scale the company’s U.S. market presence.

Butler, who has a background in driving brand growth for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Walgreens, will be responsible for commercial strategic planning, bolstering Cresco’s sales and marketing teams with new talent, leading the launch of new products, and M&A strategies and integration.

Here, Butler discusses how his CPG experience will benefit him in this new role, as well as what he hopes to achieve as Cresco’s first chief commercial officer.

Cannabis Business Times: What does the new Chief Commercial Officer position entail, and what are some of your key responsibilities in this new role?

Greg Butler: [This position is responsible for] scaling how we operate, but also building the right teams [and] the right go-to-market strategy to compete in the different regions we operate in.

I oversee all of our own brands—Cresco, Mindy’s, Remedi, Reserve—and how those brands not only start to build at a national level, but also [how they] operate locally. Our retail brand, Sunnyside*, [recently launched] here in Illinois [when] Illinois went adult-use, and that brand will be rolling across our footprint, as well. [I will be] managing that brand and how that brand comes to life across all our retail stores and across states. For my team, we think about partner brands, so M&A integration, whether it’s acquiring companies, which we just concluded with Origin House in California, or other potential assets we may want to acquire. That all now sits within my team, as well as the review of what we’ve acquired and how we integrate them into Cresco Labs.

New Mexico renewed its push to legalize adult-use cannabis this year, but efforts ultimately stalled when a Senate committee voted to block a legalization bill from advancing. However, Marissa Novel, chief marketing officer for Ultra Health, one of the state’s licensed medical cannabis businesses, says this might not be a bad thing.

While Ultra Health supports adult-use cannabis legalization as a basic policy position, the company had several issues with S.B.115, this year’s legalization proposal.

“I think that was an outgrowth of how the bill matured over time,” Novel tells Cannabis Business Times.

RELATED: New Mexico Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis

After two competing adult-use legalization bills stalled last year, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recruited policy experts to serve on a committee tasked with providing recommendations on legalization in the state. The work group submitted its recommendations to the governor last fall, and many of these suggestions were incorporated into S.B.115.

VANCOUVER, Feb. 19, 2020 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - C21 Investments Inc. has announced that it has completed the restructuring of the purchase of Phantom Farms and related companies, including SDP Development Group, LLC. C21 has elected to purchase the real estate for the two Phantom Farms' outdoor grows from SDP Group, which strengthens C21's balance sheet as well as lowers the future lease obligations in Oregon for the company. The company believes the subject real property assets, which exceed 60 acres in Southern Oregon, are intrinsic to the Phantom Farms brand legacy. Including the restructured agreement and purchased real estate, C21's forward lease obligations are reduced by $370,000 per year.

Total consideration paid by C21 to SDP Group for both the restructuring of the purchase agreement as well as the real property consisted of the issuance of 7,132,041 common shares of C21 at a deemed issue price of CAD$0.804 per share. The shares are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus one day and applicable U.S. securities resale restrictions. The restructuring was completed, and these shares were issued effective Feb. 12, 2020.

"Our latest iteration of the restructure did not include real estate, but we concluded that the long-term value of the Phantom Farms brand is inextricably tied to the iconic outdoor farms in Southern Oregon. We are pleased that we could work out a new deal for the real property with payment in shares of the company" said Michael Kidd, C21 Investments' CFO.

The specific details of the restructuring are as follows:

a)  The purchase of the six Phantom Farms real estate assets in the original purchase agreement dated Oct. 16, 2018 among C21 and SDP Group, has been terminated;

RENO, Nev., Feb. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc., a marijuana brand and retail development company, has announced that it has begun a recapitalization and acquisition strategy to take advantage of market opportunities in Colorado and throughout the United States. FTI Consulting, a business advisory firm, will assist Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc.'s management team as it enters into definitive agreements to acquire cannabis retail, cultivation and manufacturing operations.

"With potentially millions of dollars pending in acquisitions, we are working to ensure each acquisition is accurately valued and that it is a responsible transaction for the company and its shareholders," said Nello Gonfiantini III, chief executive officer of Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. "FTI Consulting works with 56 of the Fortune Global 100 companies offering services that manage change and mitigate risks. We're thrilled that they will be providing their services to Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. and look forward to working with them on current and future acquisitions."

Diego Driving Direct Cannabis Ownership and Operations

In the fall of 2019, Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. announced it had evolved its business model to reflect the changing cannabis market. The company is advancing into direct cannabis operations including retail, cultivation and manufacturing. Diego has signed letters of intent to acquire three new dispensaries and three new cultivation facilities and is actively working to make those definitive agreements.

TORONTO, Feb. 19, 2020 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TGOD), a producer of certified organic cannabis, has announced that it has secured a research license from Health Canada.  Valid for five years, the license allows TGOD to reduce the cost and accelerate the pace at which it develops new products by eliminating reliance on third parties.

"As consumers become increasingly aware that not all cannabis products are created equal, we want to ensure that TGOD continues to go to market with consumables that bear a seal of premium quality that they can trust," commented Brian Athaide, CEO of TGOD. "By leveraging the expertise of our in-house Science and Marketing teams, we are able to optimize costs and accelerate our speed to market. In parallel, we are also layering on additional quality control measures ensuring a high level of consistency across all our product lines."

TGOD also intends to leverage the newly awarded Licence to complete the development of additional premium cannabis 2.0 products, which are expected to launch later this year.

Preliminary cell culture and animal studies have suggested that CBG may be efficacious in fighting cancer cell development and progression in a number of cancer cell lines. But this non-intoxicating cannabinoid may also prove useful in improving quality of life for cancer patients and improving treatment outcomes. So, how have scientific studies demonstrated the efficacy of CBG against the symptoms of conventional cancer treatments?

READ MORE: CBG: A New(er) Option for Cancer Treatment?

Nausea & Vomiting

One of the primary concerns for patients undergoing cancer therapy is the onset of debilitating nausea and vomiting. While current antiemetic (anti-vomiting) therapies have been highly effective at reducing chemo-induced vomiting, nausea remains poorly understood with very limited treatment options due to its subjective nature.

While evidence is scant on its ability to treat nausea and emesis directly, CBG concentration is worth considering when choosing the best cannabis products to treat symptoms. In a 2011 study published in Psychopharmacology, investigators described two important findings on CBG’s potential potency.

First, CBG was able to suppress acute nausea at relatively low doses (1mg/kg) when given to mice through injection—notably, not a method found on the shelves at local dispensaries. The effect disappeared at higher concentrations suggesting dose-dependent performance—a good reminder that less is often more.

With the opioid crisis on the minds of communities and governing bodies all over the United States, a New York doctor shares how marijuana is impacting his patients and business.

With stringent new regulations on prescribing opioids, many pain doctors are looking to alternative medicines to help patients cope beyond pills and patches.

Stakeholders in the elimination of the opioid crisis have focused on prevention and early intervention with patients.

Many doctors are still struggling to offer alternative medicines for individuals seeking relief from short-term or long-term pain.

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Thursday, February 20, 2020 9:00 a.m. AGENDA OLCC Commisioners: Chairman Paul Rosenbaum Jennifer Currin Kiauna Floyd Michael Harper Matthew Maletis Hugh Palcic Marvin Révoal For more information, contact: 503-872-5006 / 1-800-452-6522 [email protected] Commission Meeting Calendar

This time last year, it appeared that Colorado's industry was plateauing. Now it's surging.

Colorado cannabis shops notched sales of nearly $1.75 billion during 2019, setting a new annual sales record for the state home to the nation's longest-established recreational cannabis industry, according to Colorado Department of Revenue data first reported by the Denver Westword.

The new high water mark for sales netted more than $302.4 million in tax revenue for the state's coffers, where that money is divvied up into various buckets to fund programs such as school construction, law enforcement, public health, drug education and public safety.

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Alicia Wallace ~ CNN.com ~ 

Veterans fighting for looser cannabis laws took to the Capitol today for an impromptu Lobby Day as the discussion about the medical benefits of the plant loom in the general assembly.

Advocates with the Veterans Cannabis Project discussed what they call a medical anomaly for veterans dealing with PTSD.

Michael Krawitz, an Air Force veteran and director of Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access says its a disgrace that the drug can’t be legally prescribed.

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NBC12.com ~ 

NEW YORK: Acreage Holdings, announced that Bill Weld, former Governor of Massachusetts and a 2020 Republican candidate for President of the United States, has resigned as a member of Acreage’s Board of Directors to focus on his political campaign. “I have greatly enjoyed working with CEO Kevin Murphy and the other members of the Board to help Read the full article...

The Utah Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved legislation Feb. 18 that would make several changes to the state’s medical cannabis program before its March 1 launch, according to a local KPCW report.

S.B.121, sponsored by Sen. Evan Vickers, contains several amendments to the Utah Medical Cannabis Act, which the legislature approved in December 2018 to make changes to the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis ballot initiative.

RELATED: Utah Legislature to Consider Bill to Revise Medical Cannabis Law

A key piece of S.B.121 would expunge the criminal records of patients who were prosecuted in the past for cannabis possession and would also tackle testing for drivers under the influence of cannabis.

The legislation would also eliminate a requirement that cannabis flower must be sold in a blister pack and instead allow it to be sold in glass jars. In addition, the bill seeks to adjust or remove an existing cap on the number of cannabis patients that each doctor can have.

Pennsylvania Rep. Jake Wheatley has introduced new legislation to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state, according to an ABC 27 News report.

House Bill 2050 would establish a licensing process for cannabis growers, processors and dispensaries, and aims to lower the initial application and licensing fees in an effort to make the market more accessible for businesses, the news outlet reported.

The bill would impose a 10% wholesale tax on business-to-business transactions, although cannabis growers and processors that have partnered with an existing Pennsylvania farm would be exempt from the tax, ABC 27 News reported.

The legislation also levies a 6% excise tax on cannabis, which would increase to 12% after two years and to 19% after four years, according to the news outlet.

The tax revenue generated from an adult-use cannabis program in the state would be used for student loan reimbursement and after school programs, ABC 27 News reported.

This week, we’re reading this Los Angeles Times feature on a Jan. 22 raid that found evidence of illegal sales and an unlicensed cannabis extraction lab at Arroyo Verde Farms in Santa Barbara County, California. All told, law enforcement found more than 20 pounds of illegally stored and documented cannabis flower and 1,000 pounds of illegally stored and undocumented cannabis oil. 

The news was met with mixed reactions, as some in the area had held Arroyo Verde as an example of the best of what Santa Barbara County could expect from this new industry. “They were considered to be sort of the models,” Bernard Melekian, the county cannabis czar, told the Times. Just four days before the raid, Arroyo Verde hosted a “Community Day” and invited more than 100 local residents to the greenhouse to learn more about the company.

Barry Brand, president of Arroyo Verde Farms, is an influential and wealthy fundraiser in the Carpinteria Valley. He’d helped advocate for the open-door policy with the cannabis industry in the country, and he went on to develop 300,000 square feet of cannabis greenhouse space.

Indeed, others are less surprised at the news and wondering aloud to news reporters whether this raid may trigger closer scrutiny of the region’s politically connected business owners. According to Cannabiz Media, Santa Barbara County has issued 398 cultivation licenses.

The investigation into Arroyo Verde Farms remains ongoing.

Read the Los Angeles Times story here.

Cannabis cultivators are diligent about the light their plants receive and the environmental controls in their grow rooms, but how often do they consider their crop’s root zone?

According to Brian Jackson, director of the Horticultural Substrates Laboratory at North Carolina State University, the root zone environment is just as important as the aerial environment for cannabis plants, and optimizing the root zone environment can help maximize both plant health and yield.

Here, Jackson discusses the importance of root zone management and best practices to help cultivators optimize this area of their operations.

Cannabis Business Times: How does the root zone environment affect plant health and yield in cannabis crops?

Brian Jackson: In nearly every way! The root zone environment in a container grown crop is as important as the aerial/atmosphere environment (light, CO2, relative humidity, etc.) surrounding the above-ground portion of the plant. When the accessibility and acquisition of water and nutrition come from the root environment, it is clear to appreciate the importance of providing and maintaining the most optimal and stable root environment possible.

One of the main advantages to using soilless substrates in container production of cannabis (or any crop) is the ability to control the growth and development of the plant as needed. Growers should be “precision growers” in that they control the plants as much as a possible to ensure maximum yield, optimal harvest time, and appropriate utilization of water and nutrients in the system.

Montpelier, VT — PRESS RELEASE — A new poll conducted by Public Policy Polling and commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project found that an overwhelming 76% of Vermont residents support allowing adults 21 and over to purchase cannabis from regulated, tax-paying small businesses. These results are significant as they come days before the Vermont House is expected to vote on S. 54, a bill that would legalize, regulate and tax cannabis sales in the state. The complete results are available here.

The poll was conducted on February 14-15 and surveyed 890 residents from across the state. Notably, the results show that legalizing and regulating cannabis sales is supported across all demographic groups, including Republicans (58%) and residents 65 and older (69%). Vermont’s most educated residents are overwhelmingly in favor (84%), and only a small minority of Vermonters (19%) remain opposed.

The poll also confirmed Vermonters’ strong support for the state’s existing laws relative to medical cannabis and adult-use possession and cultivation. Eighty-seven percent (87%) support continuing to allow medical cannabis, 78% support continuing to allow possession by adults, and 76% support continuing to allow home cultivation.

Matt Simon, New England political director at the Marijuana Policy Project, said, “Cannabis is legal for adults in Vermont, so it should come as no surprise that three out of four Vermonters believe there should be a safe, legal way to obtain it. Legalizing and regulating cannabis sales will protect consumers, and it will create jobs and economic opportunities for small businesses. It makes no sense for Vermonters to continue buying from the illicit market, or from retail stores in Massachusetts, when small businesses in Vermont are capable of producing high-quality craft cannabis. House members should consider this overwhelming public support when they cast their votes on S. 54."

With the burgeoning marijuana industry comes new jobs. And most everyone taking these jobs is entering the industry for the first time.

When Gene Ray was studying biology at Fisk University in Nashville, he started to use marijuana regularly.

At the time, he wasn’t thinking that if combined, his scientific expertise and interest in cannabis could make a career.

While studying medicinal plant extracts in Hawaii later, it was the first time Ray, a pharmaceutical chemist, thought that his skills could apply to marijuana.

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The proposed NFL collective bargaining agreement reportedly features far less stringent policing of marijuana use by players.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the proposed CBA calls for "dramatically reduced penalties, with suspensions happening only in the event of extreme and repeated disregard of the policy or significant violations of applicable law regarding the possession and use of marijuana."

Florio added that the testing window for marijuana would also be reduced to just two weeks. 

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Mike Chiari ~ BleacherReport.com ~