Washington Regulators Look to Further Restrict Delta-8

10/01/2021

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The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) has released a draft proposal that would further regulate “psychotropic” and “impairing” cannabinoids in the state, according to the Cannabis Observer. In a discussion/listening session on Monday, the WSLCB Director of Policy and External Affairs Justin Nordhorn said the Board had been looking into the emergence of “psychotropic compounds” like Delta-8 THC outside the I-502 regulated system throughout 2021 after public outcry from licensees, others in the industry and prevention experts.

The director said WSLCB has taken a three-prong approach to the issue: drafting policy statements, opening a rule-making project on THC regulation, and now issuing draft legislation to address the concerns. He clarified during the Monday meeting the draft was not “necessarily a final product moving forward,” and staff would be “deliberative and diligent” in crafting language for the upcoming legislative session.

As for the need for the new regulations, Nordhorn said some common themes have emerged throughout 2021, including an almost across-the-board recognition Delta-8 should be regulated more closely than it is now. He cited a report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which showed Poison Control received 660 calls concerning Delta-8 between January and July of this year and 39% of those reports were for kids under 18-years-old. The FDA said the events include hospitalizations and complaints from consumers and law enforcement.

Nordhorn admitted the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington State Board of Health have not received any reports of Delta-8 mishaps, neither has the Washington State Poison Control Center, although the agency did add a code for Delta-8 in March, the Observer reports.

During the meeting, the director clarified the proposal did not affect other cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, or CBN. He went on to assure attendees the draft would only “bring in (into WSLCB control) the psychotropic and impairing cannabinoids” like Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC.

The new scheme would allow for limited production of synthetic cannabinoids by licensed WA processors, but insist they be created from “natural sources.” Additionally, the draft proposal clarifies the difference between natural, synthetic, and artificial cannabinoids. Artificial cannabinoids would be banned under the current proposal, the report says.

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Nick Denney: Growing Craft Cannabis at Scale

9/30/2021

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Cultivation consistency can be an issue for any cannabis operator but for multi-state and vertically integrated companies like Holistic Industries, it requires extra levels of effort and expertise.

For our latest Q&A, we’re picking the brain of Holistic’s Regional Cultivation Manager Nick Denney, who oversees the company’s cultivation efforts across multiple state markets. This interview covers the benefits of a formal agriculture education for cannabis growers, how Holistic utilizes technology to enable craft cultivation at an industrial scale, strategies for crop steering and selecting new phenotypes, and more!

Read the full interview below.

Ganjapreneur: Before Holistic Industries you earned a Master’s degree in industrial, commercial agronomy from the University of Florida. Would you recommend a formal education for people wanting to work in cannabis cultivation?

Nick Denney: ​It’s hard to replace what you can learn from a formal education in agriculture, but harder to replace experience in the field. I’ve seen plenty of people without degrees that could run circles around PhDs. If someone has the opportunity and resources to seek out formal education in agriculture, I definitely recommend it, but make sure to pick a program that fits the path you want to take in your career. The best thing they can take away from formal education is to be better equipped to solve problems in the field using a more scientific approach.

How does growing cannabis compare to growing other flowers and niche vegetables in a controlled environment?

​I’ve found that a lot of the skills and methodologies that I learned growing greenhouse veggies have seamlessly transferred over to cannabis. Climate and nutrient management are very similar, including the control systems, water treatment, and fertigation. Integrated pest management has many similarities but cannabis is more limited, especially as the flowers begin developing.

There are some key differences such as cannabis being a dioecious crop, meaning it has distinct male and female plants. Promoting pollination on tomatoes in order for fruit to set is essential, but pollination is avoided on female cannabis plants grown for smokeable flower. Another key difference is the postharvest process. Cannabis flowers are dried and cured in preparation for the end-user, while veggies are typically picked and sold fresh.

What tools are essential in marrying craft cultivation and industrial agriculture?

​In order to grow craft cannabis at scale, we need a high level of control, data collection, and management. The spaces that we grow in must be designed and engineered to keep the plants in balance at all times. Most of that is done through the building management systems (BMS), which control climate and fertigation.

We like to grow a lot of variety in each facility, but all cultivars have specific needs. We can’t treat them all the same and always expect the best phenotypic expression. The BMS is used to break up irrigation and dimming zones within rooms to give us the flexibility needed to give each cultivar exactly what it wants. We use AROYA to closely monitor cultivar-specific habits and performance is key to achieving consistent high quantity and quality harvests. We use the information from AROYA to build crop registration forms, which are essentially recipe books for each cultivar that we grow. The growers creating those forms and learning each cultivar’s habits are the most important piece of the puzzle. I’m fortunate to get to work with a great team of growers who have a shared passion for bringing the best possible expression out of the plants.

How has switching from HPS to LED systems changed the cultivation environment, process, and output? ​

Switching to LEDs has allowed us to significantly increase the average light intensity over the canopy. Light intensity is directly correlated to yield (to a point) and a good rule of thumb is “1% more light = 1% more yield.” However, this logic assumes that you have balanced all of the other variables such as temperature, humidity, CO2, substrate water content & EC, etc. to meet the new demands of the crop.

While we have transitioned smoothly away from HPS, we had to take a different approach under LEDs. In order to keep the leaf surface temperature elevated, we tend to target a higher ambient temperature under LEDs to make up for the lower heat fraction from the fixtures. We’ve also noticed the plants demanding a higher concentration of feed, especially at certain stages of maturity.

The increase in light intensity under the LEDs has led to a significant rise in output per square foot of canopy and the ratio of saleable flower to trim.

What is crop steering, and how have you applied this growing method to Holistic Industries’ cultivation workflow? ​

Crop steering is the use of climate, irrigation, or plant management cues to encourage a specific type of morphological growth. Vegetative cues are used to promote the growth of stems and leaves, as well as bulking the flower. Generative cues are used to focus plant growth on flowers, decrease internodal spacing, and ripening of the flower prior to harvest. At Holistic, we have built a standard crop steering suggestions table for each week of the growing process. This is a good foundation for the growers to start with, but under the expectation that each cultivar will require moderate adjustments to the chart based on how those cultivars perform in our facilities.

What software and technology have assisted your team in crop steering large-scale cannabis grows? ​

Although our BMS systems help us control climate and fertigation programs, the implementation of AROYA in all of our facilities has been a critical component to efficiently scaling production across states. I can use my computer or phone to view what is happening in every zone in every state. It has also helped us gather and store information that we did not previously have. We use the data from AROYA to make more informed climate and irrigation decisions on a day-to-day basis, leading to a healthier crop and a greater phenotypic expression.

How often do you pheno-hunt? Where do you look for new genetics to test in the grow rooms? ​

We try to start new seeds about once a month, but we are constantly looking at ways to increase that frequency. Pheno hunts start with selecting seeds with strong genetics. There are so many talented breeders, but we have a few favorites that we like to focus on. There is a lot of research that goes on in the background to make sure we are selecting seeds that have a good chance of meeting our expectations in final flower form. Pheno hunting takes plenty of time and effort that we don’t want to waste on bad seeds.

When introducing new flavors, how many new phenotypes will make it to the product line? What factors determine which strains will continue with the brand?

​It is very difficult to pick just one pheno out of some of these hunts. There are often several in each hunt that could be winners in many gardens. The majority of the time we are only keeping one in order to save valuable real estate in a veg room. Krome White (Swamp Boys Seeds) said it best: “Like the movie Highlander, there can only be one.” If there’s a situation where we really can’t decide, we will run them through our flower rooms again to see which one works best for us. The general traits that we like to observe are smell, taste, yield, effects, cannabinoid/terpene percentage, flower/plant structure, flowering time, pest/disease resistance, and how the plants respond to our horticultural practices. Usually, the pheno that checks the most boxes ends up being the winner.

Where is Holistic Industries cannabis available for purchase? Are products available outside of the vertically integrated Liberty retail shops?

Cultivation is operational in Washington DC, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania and soon to be in Michigan, Missouri, West Virginia, California, and more. Our products can be found in stores outside of Liberty in dispensaries across each market.

Thanks, Nick, for answering our questions! To learn more, visit HolisticIndustries.com.

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Humboldt County Approves $1M Emergency Grant for Cannabis Farmers

9/30/2021

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Humboldt County, California’s Board of Supervisors has approved a $1 million emergency grant program to help cannabis cultivators after wholesale cannabis prices dropped from $1,100 a pound to $400 a pound, the Mad River Union reports.

Economic Development Director Scott Adair told the Union that the county’s cannabis farmers are facing a market emergency and that his office has been “inundated” with “urgent, perhaps even desperate” requests for assistance.

“These pleas for aid and relief stem from the recent bottoming of the cannabis market where the price per pound is now less than the cost to cultivate, process and distribute that product.”—Adair to the Union

The program will include grants up to $10,000 for individual farm operators and up to $50,000 for collaborative operations. A staff report reported that the majority of 50 cannabis farmers surveyed said they would be unable to meet their October excise tax payments.

Adair said, in addition to the price drop, cannabis farmers are also facing drought and wildfires, and that transportation, regulatory compliance, and access to irrigation supply are cheaper and easier in other parts of the state that also have good growing climates and open, flatter, terrain.

“Typically, we don’t replace lost revenue but we will support activities and expenditures which are designed to help increase revenue for the applicants or to reduce other costs so that the margin of revenue increases,” he said in the report.

The emergency grants are in addition to the county’s Project Trellis cannabis business assistance program, which is funded through a 10% share of the county’s cannabis excise tax revenue, which is expected to decrease sharply.

The request is expected to be approved at the October 5 board meeting.

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D.C. City Council Schedules Hearing on Allowing Cannabis Sales

9/30/2021

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The Washington, D.C. City Council has scheduled a public hearing next month to consider legislation to allow adult-use cannabis sales in the district, DCist reports. D.C. voters approved broad cannabis legalization in 2014 but rolling out legal sales has been blocked by federal law due to the fact that the Capitol city is under the purview of federal policies and gets its funding from the federal government.

According to the report, even scheduling the hearing is notable as in past years Attorney General Karl Racine warned city officials that the congressional ban on cannabis covered the act of holding a public debate on the proposal. That changed earlier this year, when the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), responding to a query from Republican Rep. Andy Harris (Maryland), said that the city council could legally debate and even pass a bill legalizing cannabis sales; however, GAO said the congressional ban would only stop Mayor Muriel Bowser from signing any bill into law.

Last summer, House Democrats managed to remove the six-year-old congressional prohibition on D.C. allowing legal cannabis sales, but a final vote on scrapping the so-called Harris Rider is likely to be delayed until later this year, because of the broader fight on Capitol Hill around federal spending.

The Harris Rider blocks D.C. officials from using local tax revenue for adult-use cannabis sales.

The bill that will be considered by the council, which is sponsored by Chairman Phil Mendelson, includes social-equity provisions, setting aside some industry licenses for individuals most impacted by the War on Drugs or those who reside in low-income areas, the report says. The proposal would also direct half of the cannabis-derived tax revenues to a Community Reinvestment Program Fund that would invest in economic development, homeless prevention, support for citizens recently released from incarceration, and legal assistance in areas with high poverty, unemployment, and gun violence. The proposal also includes expungement provisions for cannabis crimes.

Virginia lawmakers earlier this year approved adult-use cannabis reforms and Democratic leaders in Maryland are seeking to put the issue to voters next year.

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Medical Cannabis Patient Suing Former Employer for Termination

9/30/2021

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A Pennsylvania man is suing his former employer claiming the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and Pennsylvania Human Relations Act when they fired him for using medical cannabis, PennLive reports. Kevin Dennis said he was fired by First Quality Tissue last year after testing positive for cannabis despite a physician’s recommendation for the state’s medical cannabis program.

In the lawsuit, Dennis contends that he never reported to his job as a warehouse worker under the influence and that it didn’t affect his job performance.

In September 2020, upon learning of his recommendation, First Quality demanded he take a drug test and Dennis complied but reminded his employers that it would come back positive for cannabis — which it did. Dennis said he asked First Quality to engage in a process to determine whether his use of medical cannabis could be granted but he was instead fired.

Dennis also has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to court documents outlined by PennLive.

The lawsuit seeks past and future lost earnings and benefits, unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, and additional damages for emotional distress.

Dennis was hired on July 8, 2019, and obtained his medical cannabis recommendation for medical cannabis to treat facial neuropathy, anxiety, and depression in July 2020, according to the documents cited by PennLive.

Last year, The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted permission for a medical cannabis patient to move forward with a lawsuit alleging her employer wrongfully terminated her for her cannabis use despite being registered with the state medical cannabis program.

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SEC Accuses Married Cannabis Co-Founders of Securities Fraud

9/29/2021

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The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is accusing the co-founders of C3, a company that makes cannabis pill Idrasil, of $2 million in securities fraud, Law360 reports. According to the complaint filed in California federal court, Steele Smith and his wife, Theresa Smith, made false statements to investors from 2014 to 2019 about Idrasil’s patent status, that insurance companies would cover the drug, and investor funds would be used for business purposes.

The SEC alleges that Steele Smith and C3 told investors that Idrasil was “patented” or “patent pending” despite the fact that Idrasil’s first provisions application for a patent had expired and a subsequent nonprovisional application was never filed and, therefore, no patent was ever issued.

“Idrasil was not an approved pharmaceutical by the insurance companies. In fact, it should not have been reimbursed under their guidelines, and in those situations where it was reimbursed, it was either an outlier situation or an outright mistake.”—the SEC in the complaint

The Smiths also allegedly used more than $1 million of investor funds to pay for their personal expenses, including $40,000 for a down payment for a Jeep SUV.

The SEC also accuses Steele Smith of making misrepresentations about how investors would make money on their investments, telling them that they would be cashed out once C3 was acquired by a large pharmaceutical company. The complaint states that Steele told investors that C3 “would achieve a minimum of $4.6 million in gross revenue in the next year and valued C3’s total equity at over $685 million upon acquisition by a big pharma company.”

“These financial projections were all materially false and/or misleading as they lacked any basis in reality,” the complaint said, according to the Law360 report. The SEC indicated that because of cannabis’ federal status as a Schedule I drug, the prospect of the firm being acquired by a large pharmaceutical firm were “nil.”

The SEC said the company “barely had enough funds” to support its own operations and that the C3 Patients Association had run out of Idrasil by 2015 with no plans to manufacture more.

Theresa Smith, the current president of C3, is named due to her alleged management of the firm as “financially responsible for all the items necessary to reach investors and defraud them.”

“She was aware of the falsity, or reckless in not knowing it, of at least some of the statements Steele and C3 provided to investors,” the complaint says.

The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions to prevent the Smiths from further violating securities laws, prohibit the Smiths from acting as officers or directors of any security issuer, disgorgement of all the Smiths’ ill-gotten gains plus prejudgement interest, and civil penalties. The agency is also seeking to bar the couple from participating in the issuance, purchase, offer, or sale of any security, according to the complaint.

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LA County to Dismiss 60K Cannabis Convictions

9/29/2021

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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said on Monday that his office had identified nearly 60,000 cannabis convictions that will be dismissed under criminal justice provisions of the state’s cannabis legalization law. The charges were identified with support from The Social Impact Center, a nonprofit organization that serves as a bridge between government, grassroots organizations, and people in underserved communities.

Gascón was the co-author of the cannabis legalization bill approved by voters in 2016.

“Dismissing these convictions means the possibility of a better future to thousands of disenfranchised people who are receiving this long-needed relief. It clears the path for them to find jobs, housing and other services that previously were denied to them because of unjust cannabis laws.” — Gascón in a press release

About 66,000 cannabis convictions were dismissed in Los Angeles County last year after the passage of Assembly Bill 1793 which tasked prosecutors in California with affirmatively reviewing the convictions. However, that review only covered cases from state Department of Justice data and, upon further examination of county court records, another 58,000 felony and misdemeanor cases dating back more than three decades were deemed eligible for dismissal, the DA’s Office said. In all, nearly 125,000 cannabis cases are being dismissed in Los Angeles County.

Lynne Lyman, former director of the Drug Policy Alliance, described the action as “the unfinished work of Proposition 64.”

“Proposition 64 was always about more than legal weed,” she said in a statement. “It was an intentional effort to repair the past harms of the War on Drugs and cannabis prohibition, which disproportionately targeted people of color.”

The announcement comes during the “Week of Action and Awareness (WOAA)” — formerly known as National Expungement Week — which takes place from September 26 to October 3 and is organized by ​​National Expungement Works.

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Cannabis Arrests Drop 36% from 2019-2020

9/29/2021

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The number of Americans arrested for cannabis-related crimes dropped significantly in 2020 according to data just released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) outlined by NORML for Yes Weekly. However, stats appearing in the agency’s annual Uniform Crime Report show that a staggering 350,150 people were arrested for cannabis last year, mostly in states where cannabis possession remains illegal. Although the number of arrests is high, the latest stats show a 36% drop in arrests between 2019 and 2020 — the lowest cannabis arrest numbers since the early 1990s, the report says.

“As more states move toward the sensible policy of legalizing and regulating cannabis, we are seeing a decline in the arrest of non-violent marijuana consumers nationwide.” — NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri to Yes

Of the over 350,000 Americans arrested for cannabis in 2020, 91% were detained for simple possession. The data shows a 50% drop in cannabis arrests from their peak in 2008 — when police made over 800,000 cannabis arrests — and 2020, according to the data outlined in the report.

“The fight for legalization is a fight for justice,” Altieri said. “While these numbers represent a historic decline in arrests, even one person being put into handcuffs for the simple possession of marijuana is too many.”

Nationwide in 2020, 30.3% of all drug arrests were cannabis-related. That percentage rose in the Northeast, where an estimated 50% of all drug arrests involved cannabis. Due to legalization efforts, the Western U.S. saw the least number of cannabis-related arrests.

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Tumblr Now Allowing Some Cannabis and CBD Advertisements

9/29/2021

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Microblogging social media platform Tumblr has updated its cannabis advertising policies to allow advertisements for hemp CBD and, in some cases, cannabis products. But while Tumblr is the first major social media platform to allow cannabis campaigns, its policy remains strict: cannabis advertisements are only allowed for audiences aged 21 or older, and only in Colorado and California.

“Tumblr restricts the promotion and sale of cannabis and cannabis-adjacent products and brands through advertising on its site, with the exception of California and Colorado. ‘Cannabis-adjacent products’ include, but are not limited to, water pipes, rolling papers, and Weedmaps.” — Tumblr advertising policies excerpt

Moving forward, cannabis ads on Tumblr will need to be approved by the platform, handled through the company’s direct sales team, and be “geo-targeted exclusively to people of consumption age in Colorado and California.” Cannabis-related ad campaigns will also be required to display the cannabis company’s license number and carry disclaimers for the products. Additionally, cannabis ads cannot contain product giveaways.

When asked why the new cannabis advertising policies apply to Colorado and California but not any other legal cannabis markets, a representative for Tumblr told Ganjapreneur they are testing the policy shift in those states and may expand further, based on the results.

Meanwhile, advertisements for hemp CBD products on the platform will face significantly fewer restrictions: hemp CBD ads “can’t claim to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure serious diseases” and they “can’t be sold as a dietary supplement.” Additionally, the products “can’t be advertised as food where CBD has been added.”

Tumblr had previously drawn a hard line banning advertisements related to all illegal drugs (cannabis remains federally prohibited in the U.S.). Additionally, the platform has outright banned any and all tobacco advertising — alcohol advertisements are allowed but must be limited to audiences aged 21 or older and approved by Tumblr’s sales team.

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Chris Webber’s Cannabis Company Breaks Ground on Detroit ‘Compound’

9/29/2021

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Former National Basketball Association star Chris Webber’s cannabis company Players Only Holdings broke ground on Tuesday on a 180,000-square-foot, $50 million cannabis “compound” in southwest Detroit, the Detroit Free Press reports. The Webber Wellness Compound will include a dispensary, cannabis operations and training facility, a cultivation facility, and a consumption lounge.

Players Only Holdings was founded by Webber, a Detroit, Michigan native, and entrepreneur Lavetta Willis.

“This is my biggest priority in life. I’ve seen who (Willis) and I have helped across the country and the lives that have been disrupted by cannabis. Hopefully, we can do a little bit of repairing. Hopefully, we can help the city.”—Webber via the Free Press

The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by March 2022. A phase two expansion will include an 80,000-square-foot expansion of the cultivation facility but there is no timeline for that development.

Webber in February launched a $100 million cannabis-focused private equity fund aimed at investing in cannabis companies led by entrepreneurs of color. The compound is the first tangible step for the project.

Webber told the Free Press that the three-month training program will be run by Cookies U, a job training and placement program that recruits students from minority and underrepresented communities. The facility will also include record expungement offices for individuals who want those services even if they are not planning to work in the industry.

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Former CEO of California Cannabis Brand Charged With Fraud

9/28/2021

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The former CEO for Shryne Group, the California-based cannabis holding company and multistate operator behind the popular STIIIZY and Honeyleaf brands, was charged in Alameda County last week with multiple fraud felonies related to a different company.

Brian Mitchell — who recently stepped down as CEO “for personal reasons unrelated to Shryne,” the company said in a press release — was charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit a crime, six counts of felony insurance fraud, and two counts of workers’ compensation fraud, the Bay Area News Group reports. The charges stem from his time at the helm of Signature Painting and Construction, Inc.

Mitchell co-founded Signature with Eric Oller, who is facing similar charges. Authorities also charged Yama Sekander — who owns a Concord, California-based company called A-1 World Class Painting — with one count of felony workers’ compensation fraud. The men were arraigned last Monday in Alameda County court and all three have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to the report, the scheme allegedly used A-1 World Class Painting as a shell company to pay Signature’s workers from 2017-18 and subvert workers’ compensation insurance costs. Prosecutors alleged that the trio misclassified the roles of their employees and the riskiness of the work so as to pay lower insurance premiums.

Authorities estimated that insurance carriers lost about $5 million through the scheme.

“If a business creates an environment where they falsely pay a lower insurance premium, that company has an unfair competitive advantage over one that is law-abiding.” — Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, via Bay Area News Group

In a press release last week, Shryne Group announced it had appointed Jon Avidor, formerly Shryne’s President and Interim Chief Financial Officer, as the new CEO. Chief Development Officer Tak Sato was appointed to Avidor’s previous position as the company president.

“As Brian’s personal issues are not related to Shryne Group, there isn’t much more to share on that front,” Shryne Group’s Corporate Communication Director Audie Vergara told Ganjapreneur.

“I can share that we are all excited about the look ahead,” Vergara said. “Jon is an experienced business executive and lawyer with a long history of navigating complicated, dynamic business developments. He is the perfect leader for Shryne Group as we deepen our position in the California marketplace and beyond.”

Shryne Group employs about 2,200 people nationally and also sells products in Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan. The company’s flagship brand STIIIZY was recently named California‘s best-selling cannabis product line and the #1 vape brand in the country, according to the release.

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Community Groups Accuse ‘Cookies’ Cannabis Brand of Marketing to Children

9/28/2021

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Cannabis brand Cookies is being accused of marketing to children due to the company’s name and colors used at its storefronts, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The San Diego Planning Commission and the Torrey Pines Community Planning Group levied the charges prior to Cookies receiving approval in June to open its third location in Sorrento Valley, California.

In an interview with the Union-Tribune, Crystal Millican, vice president of retail for Cookies, defended the firm’s branding saying that the company’s use of blue in its signage is because the color has a calming effect and that its name is derived from cookies being made in many varieties—much like cannabis—and consumers need to find the strain (or flavor) they want.

“We don’t market to anyone other than our customers and patients. We obviously hear the concerns, and we will work to win over any neighborhood association.” — Millican to the Union-Tribune

Planning Commissioner James Whalen, who voted to approve the retail dispensary in June, told the Union-Tribune that he hates the name, adding that “it’s disingenuous to say it’s not attractive to young people.”

The commission approved the Sorrento Valley location 5-1. Commissioners said their decisions must be based on zoning law and compatibility rather than opinions about the name of the business, according to the report.

In San Diego, where officials initially objected to the name, Cookies had offered to change the storefront logo to a capital C logo with a plus sign, but the city’s cannabis ordinance does not allow logos, only letters.

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Cannabis Legalization Has Not Led to Increase of ‘Cannabis Use Disorder’

9/28/2021

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Less than 2% of people living in states that have legalized cannabis for adults have been diagnosed with “cannabis use disorder,” according to research published Monday in Substance Use and Addiction outlined by UPI. Comparatively, 1% of people living in non-legal states have received the diagnosis, suggesting that cannabis abuse has not increased in the states that have enacted the reforms.

Silvia S. Martins, director of the Substance Use Epidemiology Unit at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, told UPI that the researchers found cannabis use only increased among certain demographic subgroups during the “first few” years of legalized sales. She added there were no increases in cannabis consumption among youths aged 12-20 following the passage of adult-use laws.

“…There were virtually no increases in cannabis use frequency and cannabis use disorder. … We have not seen significant increases in frequent cannabis use and cannabis use disorders post-adult cannabis use legalization across most demographic subgroups, but we see, as expected increases in use in some demographic subgroups.” — Martins to UPI

The study found a 33% post-legalization increase in cannabis use among Hispanic people and a 21% increase among whites, but little to no change in cannabis use among Black people. Across all racial, ethnic, and age groups, daily cannabis use also did not increase, the report says.

Just over 16% of those living in states with access to adult-use cannabis reported past-year consumption, compared with just over 10% of those living in states where cannabis remains outlawed. Moreover, 11% of participants in legalized states reported past-month use, compared to 6% of those in non-legal states, the researchers found.

The study included data on cannabis consumption among nearly 840,000 people in the U.S. between 2008 and 2020 among people living in states that allow adult use and those that did not.   

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Study: 60% of Cannabis Consumers Would Get High With Grandparents

9/28/2021

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In a recent survey conducted by cannabis edibles brand Azuca, 60% of respondents said they would consume cannabis with a grandparent, according to a company press release.

The ‘Americans and Cannabis Consumption Survey’ was conducted online and had 1089 participants; the results were weighted to reflect gender and age distribution across the 18-60 year old demographic. Over half of the respondents were cannabis consumers.

Edibles surfaced as the preferred consumption method in the survey with “over half, 52%, of cannabis consumers sharing they prefer gummies to smoking (39%) or vaping (22%). Meanwhile, 53% said they have increased their edible intake over the pandemic but wish the effects of edibles could be felt sooner. Notably, 62% of consumers prefer edibles with little cannabis taste. The poll found 17% of the consumption cohort prefer beverages and only 13% reach for topicals as their cannabinoid intake preference.

70% of participants said they knew the difference between THC and CBD. 45% said they knew what micro-dosing was and how to do it. Additionally, 58% think cannabis is the future of pain management. The study also found that 64% of cannabis consumers use cannabis for relaxation, 40% for pain management, 43% for sleep aid, 37% for health and wellness, and 39% for recreation.

“The ‘Americans and Cannabis Consumption Survey’ confirmed what our team at Azuca has believed for years: edibles are the future of the cannabis industry,” said Kim Sanchez Rael, President & CEO of Azuca.

“The survey also reveals there is still a need to educate Americans about cannabis. While consumer demand is growing exponentially, now is the time to bring sophisticated and approachable products to market that people can trust.” — Kim Sanchez Rael via press release

The survey found that over half of Americans have not consumed cannabis. Out of those who have, 28% are daily consumers. The press release suggests nearly a third of cannabis consumers believe it is acceptable to consume cannabis at work. Finally, the poll found a majority of consumers, 60%, would purchase more expensive cannabis from a dispensary over cheaper illicit market cannabis.

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University of New Mexico to Offer Cannabis Certificate Program

9/28/2021

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The University of New Mexico (UNM) is partnering with cannabis education company Green Flower to offer non-credit online cannabis industry certificate programs starting in November.

New Mexico lawmakers passed adult-use legislation last April. Provisions of the law allowing adult possession, use, and cultivation took effect in June. State officials anticipate the industry will create more than 11,000 jobs and at least $50 million in revenue this year.

Audrey Arnold, executive director of UNM Continuing Education, called the industry “one of the fastest-growing new market opportunities in the country.”

“As providers of professional development and career education, we want to provide the knowledge and skills that our community will need to be successful in this rapidly growing market. We are thrilled as well for this innovative partnership with Green Flower who can offer solid education in this industry and an affordable and realistic approach in training.” — Arnold in a press release

The four program options include the Business of Cannabis; Cannabis Agriculture and Horticulture; Cannabis Law and Policy; and Cannabis Health Care and Medicine. Each program comprises three eight-week courses over a six-month period which students can complete at their own pace within that timeframe.

According to Green Flower’s website, the company is currently partnered with universities and colleges in California, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington state, and Wisconsin. The partnership with NMU is its first in New Mexico.

The cost of the program at NMU is $2,950.

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2022 California State Fair to Host Cannabis Competition

9/27/2021

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The 2022 California State Fair will include a cannabis flower competition. It is the first time the fair will include such a competition, which will include indoor, mixed-light, and outdoor divisions.

The awards were developed in partnership between the California Exhibition & State Fair and Cultivar Brands, a California-based cannabis marketing and events agency. The competition will be scored through science-based analysis performed and certified by SC Labs, which will provide entrants with the required Certificates of Analysis as well as a PhytoFacts chemometric report that will identify the unique compounds of the submission to determine the award winners.

Cultivar Brands CEO Brian Applegarth said the awards “will showcase the California farmer, large and small, and the incredible cannabis flower that the state has to offer.”

“We will also educate, demystify the plant and challenge the stereotypes.” — Applegarth in a statement

California Exposition & State Fair Board Director Jess Durfee said state fair officials “are pleased to celebrate” the state’s legal cannabis industry. “For the past 166 years, the CA State Fair has always been a first mover, leading the State Fair circuit with innovative programming and large-scale competitions that celebrate the best the state has to offer, making the addition of cannabis cultivation a natural new category,” she said in a statement.

The California state fair will be the first state-sanctioned fair in the U.S. to host a cannabis competition. The New York State Fair allowed cannabis consumption during the event last month — the state’s legalization law allows cannabis smoking wherever tobacco is allowed — however, fair officials are reconsidering allowing cannabis to be smoked after complaints.

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Florida Senators Probe Delayed Licensing of Black Medical Cannabis Farmer

9/27/2021

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A group of Florida senators questioned the head of the state’s medical cannabis licensing department last week about the delay in awarding a cannabis business license to a Black farmer, Spectrum News 13 reports. Florida has issued 22 medical cannabis licenses so far but under a 2017 law, officials are required to issue at least one initial license to a Black farmer. The state, however, has so far failed to follow through on that mandate.

“The plight of the Black farmer in the state of Florida is real. ” — Sen. Darryl Rouson (D), chair of the State Agriculture Committee, during the hearing.

In response to the senators’ questions, Chris Ferguson, director of the Department of Health’s Medical Marijuana Use Division, said the delay has to do with litigation surrounding the license application process.

“We are still preparing the application process. It’s very comprehensive,” he told the committee.

However, the legal challenge Ferguson mentions was resolved in May when the Florida Supreme Court upheld the state’s vertical integration market model.

“It seems like this delay that we’re talking about is totally unnecessary,” Sen. Perry Thurston (D) said during the committee hearing.

The medical cannabis law in question is tied to Pigford v. Glickman, a 1999 landmark case in which Black farmers sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture claiming discrimination. The plaintiffs won in federal court but the case is still being played out in federal and state agriculture policy today, according to Every CRS Report and evidenced by Florida’s current medical cannabis licensing situation.

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Florida Considers Replacing Polystyrene Packaging with Hemp Products

9/27/2021

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Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announced that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has started a rulemaking process to phase out the use of polystyrene products throughout the state. In a press release, the agency indicated that hemp could be used as an alternative source to replace the packaging.

Fried, a Democrat who is challenging Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, said the phase-out “is a huge opportunity to create Florida jobs, at Florida businesses, using Florida-grown crops to create next-generation products that are made in Florida.” Last year, about 290 acres of hemp were planted throughout the state, according to the Agriculture Department. The agency also said the replacement products for polystyrene could be manufactured from sugarcane bagasse, which is also grown in Florida.

“Polystyrene may be convenient, but there is a hidden danger to public health from these disposable consumer products. Chemicals in polystyrene are not only linked to human and animal health concerns, but because these petroleum-based products take at least 500 years to decompose, their negative effects continue long after they’re thrown away.” — Fried in a press release

Justin Bloom, founder of Suncoast Waterkeeper, described the reforms as “bold, creative, and much-needed. I think there’s a thirst in our community and other communities for actions like this,” he said in a statement. “We’re limited by a legislature that is arguably captured by polluters and industry, and it won’t allow communities to embrace protective efforts to ban polystyrene.”

The phase-out is expected to begin next year with a maximum allowable amount of polystyrene to be sold or distributed decreasing each year.

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Mississippi Lawmakers Seeking Special Session, Would Include Medical Cannabis Bill

9/27/2021

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Legislative leaders in Mississippi are asking Gov. Tate Reeves (R) to call for a special session in order to, in part, enact a medical cannabis program, CBS42 reports. Last year, Mississippi voters had approved a medical cannabis ballot initiative; however, the state Supreme Court in May tossed out the initiative, ruling the ballot process is out of state and the proposal was improperly on ballots.

The medical cannabis program backed by lawmakers is not the same as the voter-based initiative. State Rep. Lee Yancey (R) told CBS42 that the program would help patients with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. The proposal, which would require a three-fifths majority due to its tax implications, also includes opt-out provisions allowing municipalities to ban cannabis industry operations within 90 days. Those bans could be overturned by voters in local ballot initiatives, the report says.

The plan could also face an uphill battle from the state Agriculture Department after Commissioner Andy Gipson said in a letter to state Attorney General Lynn Fitch last month that he didn’t believe his agency could help facilitate the state program because cannabis remains federally outlawed.

“If the Mississippi Legislature were to enact and the governor were to sign into state law a medical marijuana program, how would it be legal under the federal act to truck, ship, deliver, manufacture, distribute or dispense any part of the cannabis seed or plant as a Schedule 1 substance into the state of Mississippi?” — Gipson wrote in the letter.

Gipson has also said he has a legal challenge drafted in the event lawmakers approve the reforms.

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Washington No Longer Automatically Denies Cannabis Licenses for Felons

9/24/2021

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Starting next month, individuals with felony or misdemeanor convictions will no longer be automatically barred from receiving a cannabis license in Washington State, KOMO News reports. Under the new rules, felonies will still be scrutinized but will no longer be an automatic disqualifier.

Rep. Melanie Morgan (D), chair the state Social Equity on Cannabis Task Force, said officials “wanted to bring parity in the disproportionality” in the arrest rates between Black and brown people for cannabis crimes compared to white people.

“The bottom line is bringing parity to the industry and making sure that Black and brown people have equal access to this industry in ownership.” – Morgan to KOMO News

A Marijuana Arrest Research Project study found that although Black people and Latinos use cannabis at lower rates than white people, Black people were arrested for cannabis-related crimes at 2.9 times the rate of white people and Latinos were arrested at 1.6 times the rate.

According to the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), the board will now perform a “threshold review” of applicants’ criminal histories and will take into consideration time since the conviction, nature of the offense, the relationship of the offense to the nature of the work performed, number of offenses, and any relevant rehabilitation associated with the crime.

The rule has already been adopted by the LCB and takes effect on October 2.

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Law Enforcement Take Educational Tour of Tennessee Hemp Farm

9/24/2021

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The sheriff in Madison County, Tennessee recently hosted an educational workshop that highlighted the differences between hemp and THC-rich cannabis, or marijuana, according to the Jackson Sun. Focusing on the differences between the two plant variations and their cultivation, harvesting, and processing practices, the event hosted state agencies and concluded with a tour of Hemphill Farms.

“The conference was excellent. We had lots of feedback from across the state. This is actually the first time it’s ever been done in the state.” — Sherriff John Mehr, via the Jackson Sun

In addition to the state Department of Agriculture, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) attended along with the TBI lab and other local law enforcement agencies. According to Mehr, attendees learned skills that will help them differentiate between hemp, CBD, and THC-rich cannabis products and understand more about the new regulations.

The sheriff said officers can “run into problems” distinguishing hemp from cannabis, remarking, “When we’re out here making stops on the road, and sometimes getting several pounds of marijuana, someone could get stopped that actually has hemp.”

Mehr says another issue is when Tennesseans call law enforcement to report an illegal cannabis grow when in fact the plants are legal hemp.

“Lots of times these hemp farms are not huge,” the Sherriff said in the report. “Which makes them look less official … But you can’t just plant it anywhere, it has to be approved (by the state). And it’s up to us to educate our officers that these growers may be entirely legal — lots of times neighbors or somebody will see it and say ‘That’s marijuana growing!’ but it’s just hemp.”

The sheriff says he is enthusiastic for more events but will have to wait until new hemp and medical cannabis laws are passed in the next legislative session.

“The tour was great—people could see it first hand, and see the barns and learn the process they go through,” he said.

 

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Kansas City Ends Pre-Employment Cannabis Screenings for Most City Employees

9/24/2021

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The Kansas City, Missouri City Council on Thursday ended pre-employment screenings for cannabis for most city jobs, the Kansas City Star reports. The ordinance, which was approved 11-2, includes exemptions for police, positions requiring a commercial diver’s license, jobs involving the supervision of children, medical patients, the disabled, and other vulnerable people.

Applicants and employees can still be tested for other drugs under the ordinance.

Mayor Quinton Lucas said on Twitter that the ordinance represents “one step of many in becoming a fairer city.”

“Opportunities should not be foreclosed unnecessarily. Glad to see passage of our law eliminating pre-employment screening for marijuana at Kansas City government for most positions.” – Lucas via Twitter

The ordinance aligns Kansas City’s hiring rules with the city’s cannabis laws, which were relaxed in 2017 when voters decided to decriminalize cannabis possession up to 35 grams. Cannabis possession under the decriminalization law can lead to a $25 fine.

In June 2020, the City Council passed an ordinance to remove cannabis and paraphernalia possession as a violation of the City Code of Ordinances, according to a press release from Lucas’ office.

In February 2020, Lucas implemented a Mayoral Marijuana Pardon Program which allows individuals previously convicted for low level cannabis and paraphernalia possession to apply for a pardon from the mayor. He issued his first pardon under the program in August 2020.

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Crain Communications Acquires Green Market Report

9/24/2021

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Detroit, Michigan-based Crain Communications has acquired cannabis industry news site Green Market Report, which was founded by Debra Borchardt, a financial journalist and former Wall Street executive, and Cynthia Salarizadeh, a public relations expert and legal cannabis industry insider, in 2017.

KC Crain, president and CEO of Crain Communications, said adding the cannabis-focused site is “a natural fit” with Crain’s other brands because of Green Market’s “focus on the financial, business and economic side of the cannabis industry.”

Green Market garners 150,000 monthly page views, Crain said in a press release announcing the acquisition.

“Crain is one of the highest quality business news organizations in the country. Their team, resources, and respected journalism will make the perfect partner as Green Market Report continues into the future. The combination of Crain’s experience and Green Market Report’s expertise will turn us into a leader in the industry, and I’m personally excited to be a part of that growth.” – Borchardt in a statement

The deal comes two years after Crain acquired GenomeWeb – an online news organization covering trends in genome sequencing. The company said both deals contribute to its “overarching goal of portfolio diversification.”

Crain also owns Automotive News, Ad Age, Modern Healthcare, Plastics News, and Pensions & Investments.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The deal is expected to be finalized by the end of the month.

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Bianca Blanche: Cannabis Retail Strategies and Industry Wisdom

9/23/2021

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In this episode of Fresh Cut, host Cara Wietstock meets with Bianca Blanche, a former budtender turned host of That Budtender Podcast. Bianca’s podcast is an inside look into life at the dispensary and “what really goes down in the back room.” Cara and Bianca discuss how the retail sector can improve, what attributes make a good budtender, and how to grow a career within the cannabis industry in a conversation between two former career budtenders that gets pretty real and pretty fun.

Check out more Bianca on her podcast That Budtender Podcast.

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