MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma native Travis Kirkpatrick is the new director of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. Kirkpatrick has served as interim director for the last 90 days. Health Commissioner Gary Cox said he made the decision based on Kirkpatrick’s leadership at the authority over the last few months. “We are excited about the leadership of Travis Read the full article...

Virginia is on the cusp of decriminalizing cannabis this year after the Senate approved a bill Feb. 11 that would eliminate jail time for simple cannabis possession.

S.B. 2 would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis and set the maximum penalty at a $50 fine. The legislation passed the Senate in a 27-13 vote, according to a local WRIC report.

The day before, on Feb. 10, the House of Delegates approved H.B. 972, a similar bill that would make the simple possession of cannabis punishable by a civil fine of $25.

Under current law, those charged with cannabis possession could face a $500 fine and 30 days in jail for a first offense.

The two legislative chambers must now reconcile the minor differences between their proposals in conference, according to a Vox report, and Gov. Ralph Northam has promised to sign a decriminalization bill into law this year.

Iowa lawmakers have introduced two legislative proposals to raise the state’s 3% THC limit for medical cannabis products.

A bill in the House, House Study Bill 653, would replace the current cap with a limit of 4.5 grams of THC over a 90-day period, according to The Gazette. The House Public Safety Committee approved that legislation Feb. 11, the news outlet reported.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Brad Zuan (R-Urbandale) has proposed a bill in that chamber that would impose a limit of 25 grams of THC every 90 days, although that legislation, Senate Study Bill 3136, may face opposition from Gov. Kim Reynolds, The Gazette reported.

RELATED: Iowa Lawmakers Again Consider Lifting THC Cap on Medical Cannabis Products

The legislature passed similar legislation last year that would have replaced the state’s current 3% THC limit with a rule that patients could purchase up to 25 grams of THC every 90 days, but the bill conflicted with recommendations from the Iowa Cannabidiol Advisory Board, and Reynolds ultimately vetoed it.

A new definition for “hot property” has emerged within the real estate market.

The recent string of state-level marijuana legalization continues to impact commercial property demand and residential housing decisions throughout the United States.

These findings are according to the latest study from the National Association of Realtors®, Marijuana and Real Estate: A Budding Issue, which found that in states where prescription and recreational marijuana use is legal, more than a third of those polled said they saw an increase in requests for warehouses or properties used for storage. 

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Atascadero News ~ 

Dan Sutton, CEO and founder of British Columbia-based Tantalus Labs, has been building the company since its inception in 2012, and has monitored its performance through basic, core business principles like top-line revenue, EBITDA and market share. Although the company has not raised capital in recent years, when Sutton did seek financing, he kept his eye on the long-term success of the company and found investors who closely aligned with the business’s overall goals.

Here, Sutton shares more about his approach to monitoring and improving his company’s performance and capital flows, and offers advice for others looking for success in these areas.

Cannabis Business Times: How is company performance generally measured in the cannabis industry, and how have you measured it at Tantalus Labs?

Dan Sutton: There [are] some pretty straightforward core fundamentals, and that’s how you’ll be looking at the health of any business. Things like revenues will probably [determine] the size of your business, [but] I think, especially in cannabis, we look to [company] valuations and publicly traded prices and judge our size based on that. Truly, it’s how broad your reach is [and your] top-line revenue.

When you look a little bit deeper, we really like EBITDA—that’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. That really shows how much money you’re taking home at the end of the day. That’s my favorite representative of the health of a company, is EBITDA. Then, what we’ve been getting to recently in Canada [is] market share. We can see how much cannabis we’re selling relative to the field in any given provincial market. Successful brands want to be competing on reputation [and] reach, and market share is probably the best representation of that.

I think at a really basic level, things like top-line revenue, EBITDA and market share would probably be really great places to start.

[Ormond Beach, Florida] — PRESS RELEASE — February 11th, 2020: CO2Meter Inc., a provider of gas detection and safety monitoring, released its new multi-sensor system that exceeds all national, state and jurisdictional safety codes. The highly anticipated CO2 Multi-Sensor System (CM-7000) will now provide restaurants, breweries, agriculture facilities and other industries with the ability to monitor up to twelve sensors from a central eight-inch touchscreen control panel.

“We took the most stringent U.S. codes and developed a multi-sensor system that exceeds even the most rigorous requirements. The CM-7000’s launch provides customers the ability to ensure compliance and safety while monitoring up to 12 remote sensors that all report back to the main display. This allows the end-user to see and control all sensors and reporting activities from a single location. We feel the release of the CM-7000 has provided customers in a variety of industries with the ability to further advance, innovate and expand in their respected fields,” said CO2Meter CEO Travis Lenander.

While monitoring up to 12 sensors is a significant advance in safety monitoring, it is not the only new feature that can be found in the CM-7000. Customers will be able to control and monitor all sensors from an eight-inch, touchscreen, full-color display tablet. Additionally, each sensor is individually addressable, allowing end users to label each sensor’s precise location in the facility. The control tablet’s setting menu is also password protected ensuring only authorized personnel can alter the devices’ settings.

Having designed the CM-7000 specifically around key customer feedback, the multi-sensor system series will not only ensure that employees, customers and establishments are protected but also feature advanced and customizable alarm configurations should an incident ever occur.

With the cutting-edge, 0-5% NDIR CO2 sensor system, customers now can choose between 10 preset alarm levels ranging from 5,000ppm-40,000ppm or enter a “custom” alarm level. The four standard alarm levels can also trigger three separate relays combined with different functionalities from audio, visual, and even a Reset Unit (CM-7002) which has a key-driven shut-off capability. This device allows the user to mute the alarm until the fire marshal can evaluate the situation and reset the unit via a standard key switch. This added component was designed specifically for the Denver, Colo. codes.

As vertically integrated multi-state operator Jushi expands—it currently has facilities in Florida, Nevada, Colorado, New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania—it aims to keep diversity a priority.

The Boca Raton, Fla.-based operation was ranked No. 2 in Cannabis Dispensary and the Best Company Group’s “Best Companies to Work For – Dispensaries” awards program. It was also ranked No. 4 in Cannabis Business Times and the Best Company Group’s “Best Companies to Work For – Cultivators” program. Jushi answered in responding to the “Best Companies” survey that it employs practices to recruit and retain employees from different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds.

Because of the recent health and wellness trend, cannabis is gaining popularity for being a gluten-free, no calorie substitute for alcoholic beverages.

One of the most common stereotypes to circulate around the cannabis scene over the past several decades is that people who use marijuana are lazy, unemployed wastes of space.

But according to the latest data from market research company BDS Analytics, this is not the case with the majority.

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Mike Adams ~ TheFreshToast.com ~ 

Although medical cannabis is legal in Missouri and any doctor licensed in Missouri can certify patients for use, the region’s physicians don’t agree on whether certifying patients is safe, legal or ethical.

At the Green Health Docs medical marijuana certification clinic in Florissant, the walls are painted bright green, and a television show called “Munchies” plays on a loop in the waiting room.

Marijuana is new for 68-year-old Brenda Lane, who is trying to balance on a dorm room-style saucer chair while she fills out medical forms.

Lane, of St. Peters, has a packet of papers in her hand outlining many ailments, including rheumatoid arthritis, glaucoma and kidney failure. She’s in constant pain.

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Collaboration to Include Bespoke Vape Products and Partnership on Vaporization Regulatory and Compliance Legislation MASSACHUSETTS:  TILT Holdings Inc., a foundational technology cannabis platform comprised of assets to support brands worldwide, announced that its subsidiary Jupiter Research has partnered with The Blinc Group to offer bespoke vaporization devices to its clients as well as collaborate on industry innovations, cannabis vaping Read the full article...

Academic institutions are taking heed as federal healthcare officials call for more research into the science of cannabis and its effects on humans. Universities around the U.S. are beginning to develop programs that will help to cultivate a new crop of cannabis experts and motivate research interest and efforts.

Last Friday, the Colorado Department of Higher Education announced the approval of the state’s first cannabis-related degree program, a Bachelor of Science in Cannabis Biology and Chemistry at Colorado State University-Pueblo, according to The Denver Post. The news spread quickly as mainstream media institutions like Newsweek and CNN picked up the story.

Beginning this fall, students interested in pursuing careers within and around the burgeoning cannabis and hemp industries will have the opportunity to enroll in what has been called a “rigorous degree” program by David Lehmpuhl, Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics.

The announcement comes on the heels of a sizable donation to Colorado State University’s Fort Collins campus which will go toward the build-out of a cannabinoid research lab within the College of Natural Sciences set to open in spring. This new research center also plans to work in collaboration with the Institute of Cannabis Research at CSU-Pueblo.

The new CSU-Pueblo program will focus on the science necessary to work in cannabis-related fields, with coursework likened to a double-major in biology and chemistry, Lehmpuhl told The Denver Post. Students will have the option to pursue a track in natural products or analytical chemistry.

The first medical cannabis crop grown for Louisiana’s Southern University will be harvested next week, with products available for patients to purchase within the next two months, according to The Advocate.

Southern University’s cultivation partner, Ilera Holistic Healthcare, started selling over-the-counter CBD tinctures at the state’s medical cannabis dispensaries and across the country last month, and has 2,300 plants growing at a facility in Baker, La., the news outlet reported.

Louisiana’s medical cannabis program was slow to launch, but LSU AgCenter’s cultivation partner, GB Sciences Louisiana, released its products for sale late last summer, before GB Sciences sold its Louisiana business to Welcana Plus last fall.

Medical cannabis sales officially launched Aug. 6 at the state’s nine licensed retailers.

Once the first crop is harvested, Southern University plans to launch cannabis research, The Advocate reported, and will use a portion of the proceeds from its contract with Ilera to hire three plant scientists.

The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill Feb. 10 that would decriminalize the possession of cannabis in the state.

H.B. 972, introduced by Del. Charniele Herring, would make the simple possession of cannabis punishable by a civil fine of $25 that can be paid like a parking ticket, according to a local ABC 13 News report.

The bill would make cannabis possession a civil penalty that does not go on an individual’s criminal record, and any former convictions would be sealed, the news outlet reported.

Under current law, those charged with cannabis possession could face a $500 fine and 30 days in jail for a first offense, according to ABC 13 News.

The House passed the bill in a 64-34 vote, the news outlet reported, and the Senate version of the legislation, S.B. 2, has passed both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Finance and Appropriations Committee. It will now advance to the Senate floor for a vote.

W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Feb. 10, 2020 – PRESS RELEASE – A new ASTM International standard provides voluntary guidelines for establishing and conducting audits of cannabis businesses. The organization’s cannabis committee (D37) developed the new standard (soon to be published as D8308).

“Properly planning and conducting quality and compliance audits is very important to ensure the safety of products, workers, and the environment,” says ASTM International member Ed Nodland, audit designer and cofounder of Jet Stream Innovations. “Assessing whether and how policies, standards, and procedures are in place, up-to-date, and reliably followed is critical in this emerging industry.”

Nodland says that the new standard provides a framework that could help internal quality-and-compliance specialists, external stakeholders and third-party auditors who want to develop assessments that foster safety and reduce compliance risks. He notes that audits are generally comprised of three major activities: defining what needs to be audited, performing an assessment and collecting evidence, and reporting useful results.

The new voluntary standard could be useful both for cannabis-related businesses that do internal audits and, Nodland claims, for other bodies that increasingly interact with such businesses.

For more information on ASTM International’s cannabis standards, please watch this video.

To kick-start quelling inflammation, adding cannabis cultivars (strains) that are high in CBD may be just what the dietitian ordered.

Like most chronic lifestyle-related diseases, inflammation is at the core. Obesity is no different.

When it comes to obesity, many doctors often prescribe a slew of medications to treat the accompanying co-morbidities of obesity, such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and dysregulated blood glucose.

Inflammation, of course, is at the root of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar.

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Hundreds of medical marijuana supporters descended on Oklahoma’s state Capitol on Thursday to warn lawmakers not to infringe on their legal right to grow, consume and sell cannabis.

Medical marijuana supporters cried foul on dozens of bills filed by state lawmakers that would increase restrictions on the production and consumption of medical cannabis.

Proposed bills could ban marijuana advertising on billboards, prevent future dispensaries from being located near churches and give cities and towns more leeway to regulate marijuana businesses.

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Carmen Forman ~ Oklahoman.com ~ 

OHIO: The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP) has released official numbers for the state’s first full year of legal medical cannabis. According to the numbers, nearly 74,000 adults have registered as medical marijuana patients in the first 12 months, with 55,617 of them having made legal cannabis purchases.  They bought nearly 7,300 pounds of legal Read the full article...

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the availability of two programs that protect hemp producers’ crops from natural disasters. A pilot hemp insurance program through Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) provides coverage against loss of yield because of insurable causes of loss for hemp grown for fiber, grain or Cannabidiol (CBD) oil and Read the full article...

A new bill in Maine would keep parts of the state’s cannabis market a secret by not requiring business owners to provide details on security, trade secrets or standard operating procedures to the state’s Office of Marijuana Policy, according to a WGME report.

A hearing for the legislation was scheduled for Feb. 10.

The bill could possibly limit the amount of information available to customers before they purchase cannabis products in the state, according to WGME.

State officials had deemed more than 70 cannabis business applications as complete as of late January, according to a Maine Public Radio report, meaning that the first adult-use businesses could open this spring.

The Office of Marijuana Policy will now review the applications and issue conditional approvals, according to the news outlet, and those businesses awarded conditional approvals will then need to seek local approval from a municipality. Once a business has local approval, it can get an active license from the state.

West Virginia lawmakers have amended the state’s medical cannabis law to allow patients to access the plant form of cannabis, according to a Cumberland Times-News report.

The change is part of Senate Bill 339, a package of regulations that the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) submitted for legislative approval, the news outlet reported.

The House of Delegates Judiciary Committee considered the legislation during a Feb. 5 meeting, where Del. Brandon Steele (R-Raleigh) moved to amend a DHHR rule to allow patients enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis program to access the plant form for treatment. The motion was approved in a voice vote, the Cumberland Times-News reported.

The 2017 law that legalized medical cannabis in West Virginia specified that only pills, oils, topicals, vaporization, tinctures, liquids or transdermal patches were permitted in the program, according to the news outlet.

The full House of Delegates is slated to vote on S.B. 339, the Cumberland Times-News reported, and although the legislation already cleared the Senate, the Senate must now approve the amendment.