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In Maryland, Dispensaries Are Healthcare Settings And Still Require You Wear A Mask

6/14/2021

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This article was written by Meghan Thompson and originally published by Outlaw Report.

Last month, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan lifted the statewide mask mandate in Maryland with three exceptions: schools, public transportation, and healthcare settings.

This includes medical cannabis dispensaries. In Maryland, all dispensary visitors (regardless of their vaccination status) are still required to wear a mask while inside any cannabis storefront across the state. Maryland’s updated mask mandate states: “All persons in Maryland over the age of five (5) years old are required to wear a face covering when they are: obtaining healthcare services, including without limitation, in offices of physicians and dentists, hospitals, pharmacies, and laboratories.”

Medical dispensaries are considered healthcare settings and were deemed essential at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

On May 21, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission released a bulletin stating “dispensaries must continue to require face coverings,” though masks are no longer required in cultivation and processing facilities.

While vaccinated people are not required to wear masks while indoors anymore in most public places, Maryland’s vaccination rate is still below 50% and many medical cannabis patients are at an increased risk of death or hospitalization due to COVID-19.

“It’s extremely important for people to continue wearing masks in dispensaries because it’s still a healthcare facility,” Jessica Morgan, a dispensary manager in Towson told The Outlaw Report. “Every day we see patients with immunocompromised systems, whether it be from an autoimmune disease or chemotherapy.”

“At least one to three patients a day are struggling with a compromised immune system,” Morgan said. “This makes them susceptible to things like a cold, let alone COVID-19.”

In fact, many of the qualifying conditions to receive a medical cannabis certification from a physician are also common comorbidities for COVID-19. This includes cancer, dementia, and substance use disorder—conditions that many patients use cannabis to treat that also put them at greater risk of hospitalization or death should they contract COVID-19, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Morgan also noted that there are many patients and dispensary employees without compromised immune systems who are using cannabis to treat underlying medical conditions that could be exacerbated by the stress of contracting COVID-19. This could include anything from chronic pain to anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.

“[Dispensaries are a] medical facility, and you have to think about others who come in on their worst days who cannot afford to catch COVID-19,” Morgan said.

Existing COVID-19 restrictions vary in dispensaries across the U.S. An informal poll conducted by MJBizDaily of 163 cannabis retailers found that 50% still require masks and social distancing for customers in their stores. Conversely, 20% have no COVID-19 restrictions at all.

“You wouldn’t go see your friend on chemo without a mask—COVID or not—so you shouldn’t walk into a dispensary without one either,” Morgan said, “you have no idea whose life you could potentially be putting at risk.”

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Study: States With Legal Cannabis See Reduction in Workers’ Compensation Claims

6/14/2021

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Researchers at Temple University found about a 20% reduction in the probability that a person reports having any income from workers’ compensation following statewide cannabis legalization, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The study found a 7% reduction in states post medical cannabis legalization and 13.3% in medical cannabis states that provide employment protections for cannabis patients.

Professor Johanna Catherine Maclean, an economist who studies the impact of substance use on the labor market who authored the study, said the research focused on adults 40 to 62-years-old who self-reported workers’ compensation income. The study focused on workers’ compensation because the researchers “viewed it as one proxy for work capacity, which we define as the ability to work productively,” she said in an interview with the Inquirer.

“There’s also some literature from other economists that shows when you legalize marijuana either for medical or recreational use, we see changes in utilization of therapeutic substitutes, like opioids, in insurance claims data. That might mean, say, before you were using opioids to manage your chronic pain. But when we adopt a medical or recreational marijuana law, we see a reduction in prescriptions for refills for things like opioids.”—Maclean to the Inquirer

The researchers also found that non-fatal workplace injuries declined following recreational cannabis legalization.

Maclean added that fewer workers’ compensation claims likely means less workplace disruption as employees may have shorter—or no—work separation due to an injury and don’t require formal health care which helps employers reduce workers’ compensation-related costs.

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British Columbia Government Urges Cannabis Consumers to Use Legal Market

6/14/2021

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The British Columbia, Canada government is urging cannabis consumers to purchase legal cannabis after finding contaminants in confiscated unregulated cannabis, Marijuana Business Daily reports. The issues were detected when the province’s legalization and regulation secretariat ordered the testing of dried flower seized from illegal dispensaries in Vancouver.

According to the report, legal cannabis sales in Vancouver are the lowest in Canada.

Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth told reporters last week that “the samples went to a federally licensed lab for testing, and the results are concerning.”

Farnworth indicated the tests found 24 distinct pesticides and “unacceptable levels of bacteria, fungi or heavy metals.” The testing was part of a pilot program by the BC Centre for Disease Control and the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH). Just three samples of the 24 samples would have been acceptable for the legal Canadian market and only two of those had no detectable pesticide residues.

Farnworth said many consumers think the cannabis found in the illegal dispensaries is grown in organic clean environments. “The reality is, what we’re finding— it’s not, he said in the report.

“And the best way to avoid that is to shop at a legal retail store, where people are abiding by the rules, the product is tested, they pay the proper licensing fee, they’ve invested money into the business legally.”—Farnworth via Marijuana Business Daily

He encouraged consumers to avoid the illicit market and shop at legal cannabis stores.

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Staten Island MTA Employee Sues Hemp Tea Company After Failed Drug Test

6/14/2021

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A former Staten Island, New York MTA bus driver is suing the makers of a weight loss tea after the product led to a failed drug test and subsequent demotion, according to an SI Live report. The former driver, Roy Hunter, filed his lawsuit against Michigan-based Total Life Changes over its raspberry flavored “Broad-Spectrum Hemp THC Tea Product,” which is advertised to assist in weight loss and contain zero percent THC.

Hunter was hired in 2012 as an MTA driver and last July failed a random drug test and was demoted to bus cleaner. As part of the demotion, he was subject to 64 drug tests over an eight-month period and passed each one. In April he sent individual tea packets for testing and found the product contained THC, which, he claims in the lawsuit, led to his positive drug test.

His attorney, Scott Richman, of Richman Law Firm PLLC, called the lawsuit “a classic case of a multi-million dollar company putting profits over people.”

“The misrepresentations on the packaging of the Total Life Changes tea product were clear, unequivocal, misleading, and with the sole intention to induce prospective purchasers to buy their product. … Now, instead of taking responsibility for what they did, Total Life Changes would rather take the position that these people ‘got what they paid for.’ We will not let that stand.” – Richman to SI Live

The lawsuit is filed in Brooklyn Federal Court.

The product is also subject to a class-action lawsuit over THC levels, which the lawsuit claims are “false, deceptive and/or misleading.” Total Life was also the recipient of a Federal Trade Commission warning letter in April 2020 for social media posts made by the company’s business representatives that “unlawfully advertise that certain products treat or prevent” COVID-19.

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Virginia Governor’s Race Offers Two Drastically Different Visions For Legalizing Cannabis

6/14/2021

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This article was written by Gaspard Le Dem and originally published by Outlaw Report.

Terry McAuliffe cruised to the Democratic nomination for Virginia governor on Tuesday, setting the stage for what could be a close race between the former governor and Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin, a businessman with no prior political experience.

Polls show McAuliffe, an establishment candidate who is running for his old job—he was governor of Virginia from 2014-2018—is neck and neck with Youngkin. A darling of national Democrats, McAuliffe previously served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee and spearheaded presidential campaigns for the Clintons.

His opponent, a self-described political outsider, has never run for public office. But what Youngkin lacks in political experience he makes up for in money. The private equity executive, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $354 million, has used his personal wealth to flood Virginia’s airwaves with virulent attack ads against his rivals. Virginia Democrats meanwhile, call Youngkin, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz, a “pro-Trump extremist.”

By the time the winner of November’s general election is sworn-in it will be January and Virginia will have legalized cannabis possession, while a regulatory framework for recreational pot sales—which won’t begin until 2024—is still being hammered out.

While the commonwealth’s next governor will have limited power to affect cannabis legislation, advocates say a cannabis opponent could slow the state’s progress on legalization at a critical junction.

McAuliffe and Youngkin seem to have diametrically opposed views on cannabis issues.

Though McAuliffe initially opposed legalizing recreational pot, he eventually became an advocate for the cause and is now placing it at the forefront of his re-election agenda.

In a November opinion piece published in the Washington Post, he embraced legalization as a “civil rights” issue, calling for the expungement of prior cannabis convictions, eliminating cannabis-related barriers to employment, and prioritizing the participation of people harmed by The War on Drugs in the industry.

“There is no question marijuana needs to be legalized in Virginia,” McAuliffe wrote in the piece, which was co-authored by Don Scott, a fellow Democrat in Virginia’s House of Delegates. “But we do need to challenge ourselves to do what is right, not what is easy. If we want to finally implement real criminal justice reform, we have to be bold, and this is a great place to start.”

Jenn Michelle Pedini, Executive Director for the Virginia branch of NORML, a national cannabis advocacy group, told The Outlaw Report that McAuliffe’s willingness to change his stance on legalization is the mark of a pragmatic politician.

“I think that that’s just another natural evolution that happens with lawmakers who are focused on sound public policy, as opposed to partisan talking points,” Pedini said.

During his prior governorship, McAuliffe signed several cannabis bills, authorizing the drug’s use for patients with epilepsy, and easing driver’s license suspensions for people charged with cannabis offenses.

Youngkin, meanwhile, has shown little more than aversion for cannabis legalization. In May, he told CNBC that cannabis legalization is a “mess” that he would “clean up” as governor, though he didn’t offer specifics.

“[Cannabis legalization] is going to be another problem that’s going to be dumped at my feet,” Youngkin said. “And the reality is, if I had a group of kids here that were asking me about marijuana use, I would tell them don’t use it. The reality is that the industry that everyone used as the rationale for legalizing it, has not performed in other states. They’ve already predicated a bunch of spending on it and the reality is I’m going to have to deal with this when I’m governor.”

Pedini said Youngkin is clearly uninformed on cannabis issues: “He doesn’t appear to be very well-versed in the need for a cannabis policy that is both fair and just, and puts cannabis behind an age-verified counter so as to be best regulated for public and consumer safety.”

Many of Virginia’s laws around legalization aren’t yet finalized. The General Assembly still needs to reenact parts of the 2021 law concerning commercial sales and criminal penalties during next year’s legislative session. If Youngkin were to veto the reenactment of those laws, it could potentially complicate the launch of a regulated cannabis market.

“Essentially, that would be the option he would have, to use his veto power to attempt to stop progress,” Pedini said.

Advocates have urged officials to expedite the launch of a recreational cannabis market, pushing for sales to start earlier than 2024 in order to shorten the awkward time frame during which possession and growing will be legal, but buying and selling won’t be.

“Ensuring a safe, regulated marketplace that can best provide for public and consumer safety is one of the primary principles of legalization,” Pedini said. “And until the Commonwealth does so, despite legalizing possession of personal cultivation, Virginians not participating in the medical cannabis program will still be engaging in illicit activity to access marijuana.”

On Monday, a government watchdog group published a report urging Virginia lawmakers to modify the timeline for the launch of a recreational cannabis market. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission suggested moving up the date by which sellers can start applying for state-issued licenses from its current date of July 1, 2023 to the start of that year.

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Virginia Tech Updates Code of Conduct to Ban Cannabis on Campus

6/14/2021

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Virginia Tech has updated its student code of conduct to ban the use and possession of cannabis on campus, despite the state’s legalization law set to take effect July 1, the Roanoke Times reports. The changes are similar to policies implemented by other colleges and universities that receive federal funding as allowing use could be a violation of the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act.

Off-campus cannabis use and possession is not included in the directive, so students 21-and-older who use or possess cannabis off school property would not be in violation of the new rules. Students are unlikely to face suspension for violating the policy, but could be subject to academic probation, have to meet with a drug counselor or write an essay about the incident and alcohol and drug safety.

Virginia Tech spokesman Mark Owczarski said that the school’s policies “must be aligned” with both federal and state law.

“In most cases, state and federal law is similar or the same, which aids in the clarity of university policies. In this case, state and federal laws will have differences, and when that happens, we still to have to make sure our policies align to both, even though they are different.”—Owczarski to the Times

Other colleges and universities in the state have not yet—or have no plans—to make changes to their codes of conduct, the report says.

Radford University spokesman Justin Ward told the Times that it is “evaluating appropriate sanctions and educational campaigns” to ensure its policies reduce “negative consequences related to substance abuse and promote student success.”

Virginia Commonwealth University spokesman Corey Byers indicated the school’s code of conduct already prohibits cannabis use and that university administrators will be reviewing the student code of conduct to reconcile unclear language regarding state [versus] federal law.”

The University of Virginia said it would review the implications of the Legislature-approved law and would make any necessary changes by July 1. James Madison University indicated it would remain in compliance with federal law banning cannabis on campus.

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Bronx DA Dismisses 6,000+ Misdemeanor Cannabis Cases

6/11/2021

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Bronx District Attorney (DA) Darcel Clark on Thursday dismissed more than 6,000 misdemeanor cannabis cases where the primary charge was possession or sale, the New York Daily News reports. The sweeping dismissal of the cases — both past and pending — comes two months after lawmakers legalized cannabis for adult use.

“My office has long stopped prosecuting for these offenses, because they were not a direct threat to public safety, and they gave people a criminal record that had negative collateral consequences on employment, housing, education, immigration and other matters. … Mindful of these harsh realities for those affected, our application today is an effort to bring into effect my office’s shared purpose of pursuing justice with integrity aligned with the legislative goals outlined above.” — Clark, in court, via Daily News

The move follows similar motions by district attorneys in other New York City boroughs. Those 2018 actions by Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance and Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez preceded the broad reforms passed in March. Vance vacated more than 3,000 cases dating back to the 1970s and Gonzalez’s action affected more than 1,400 misdemeanor cannabis possession cases, the report says.

A spokesman for Staten Island DA Michael McMahon told the News that his office is in the process of dismissing more than 1,100 cannabis cases. Queens DA Melinda Katz has indicated she would expunge past cannabis convictions for crimes now legal under state law.

During Clarke’s court appearance on Thursday seeking the dismissals, Judge George Grasso, chief supervising judge for Bronx Criminal Court, noted that cannabis prohibition “resulted in devastating collateral consequences including mass incarceration and other complex generational trauma that inhibit an otherwise law-abiding citizen’s ability to access housing, employment opportunities, and other services.”

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Ohio Medical Board Adds 3 Conditions to Medical Cannabis Program

6/11/2021

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The Ohio State Medical Board on Wednesday approved adding Huntington’s disease, terminal illness, and spasticity to the state’s medical cannabis qualifying conditions list, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. There are now 25 conditions for which patients can access the state medical cannabis program.

It is the second condition expansion this year by the board. In February, it added arthritis, chronic migraines, and complex regional pain syndrome to the list.

The board, again, rejected petitions to add autism spectrum disorder, restless leg syndrome, panic disorder with agoraphobia and spasms — as they did in February. In all, the board had received 30 petitions to add new conditions for medical cannabis access. Those applications must include evidence that cannabis can be efficacious for treating the disease or condition and supporting letters from physicians.

As of May 27, there are 197,816 registered patients in Ohio, according to state data.

In April, the state Board of Pharmacy approved raising the number of dispensaries from 60 to 130 as patient counts climbed in the state. The board anticipates each dispensary can serve 300 to 600 patients.

Last year, the Medical Board approved cachexia, or wasting syndrome, to its qualifying conditions list for medical cannabis — marking the first time the body would approve adding a condition via the petition process. The board had also rejected anxiety and autism spectrum disorder at that time.

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Wyoming Advocates Launch Ballot Campaigns for Medical Cannabis, Decriminalization

6/11/2021

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Wyoming advocates are circulating two cannabis reform petitions for 2022 ballots—one to legalize medical cannabis and another to decriminalize possession, Fox 13 Now reports. The proposals are expected to be submitted to the secretary of state today.

To get an initiative on ballots during next year’s midterm elections in Wyoming, supporters must get 100 sponsor signatures. If those are validated by the secretary of state’s office, campaigners will have to get nearly 31,000 verified signatures across the state next year. The plan is being backed by the national Libertarian Party in addition to cannabis-focused organizations.

Wyoming lawmakers declined to advance a medical cannabis bill during this year’s session and is just one of six states that has not legalized cannabis in any form, along with Idaho, Kansas, Tennessee, Alabama, and South Carolina.

Christine Stenquist, the director of Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education (TRUCE) which sponsored Utah’s medical cannabis ballot initiative, is now working in Wyoming on the reforms. She told Fox 13 that while she expects opposition to the reforms in Wyoming, she doesn’t think advocates will “see the same fight.”

“I am not going to leave anything to chance. I’m not going to leave it up to legislators like we did here in Utah. I’m going to move forward on a ballot initiative and give the patients what they deserve. … We don’t have the same stakeholders in Wyoming that you do here. Specifically, the [Latter Day Saints] Church is not the big opponent we’re worried about in Wyoming.”—Stenquist to Fox 13

The Wyoming Medical Association and state law enforcement organizations opposed an attempted medical cannabis legalization initiative in 2016 and attempts to pass the reforms by lawmakers.

A University of Wyoming survey published last year found a supermajority of support for medical cannabis (85%) and decriminalization (75%), while 54% of respondents supported broad legalization.

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Study: Legalization Does Not Lead to Increase in Stoned Driving

6/10/2021

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A study published last week in BMC Research Notes suggests that cannabis legalization does not lead to an increase in cannabis-impaired driving as 4.2% of drivers in states with legalized cannabis reported driving after consuming cannabis along with 4.3% of those from non-legal states.

The paper also found that cannabis users in states with broad cannabis legalization “self-reported driving after marijuana use less than their counterparts” from non-legal states and were “less likely to find such behavior acceptable.”

NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said in a press release that the “findings ought to be reassuring to those who feared that legalization might inadvertently be associated with relaxed attitudes toward driving under the influence.”

“These conclusions show that this has not been the case and that majorities of the public continue to perceive drugged driving as unacceptable, regardless of marijuana’s status under state law.”—Armantano in a statement

The researchers, affiliated with The Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio, found that younger, low-income, low-education, and male respondents more often self-reported driving after consuming cannabis and were more likely to find such behavior acceptable. The demographic also less often supported per se cannabis laws than their counterparts.

Per se limits allow individuals to be charged with driving while impaired after testing positive for any amount of THC in blood or saliva or its metabolite. The laws are controversial because people can test positive for THC several days after consuming cannabis but are no longer under the influence.

A strong majority of respondents—87.8%— in states where cannabis is legal for both adult and medical use supported per se cannabis laws. That share fell to 82.6% in states where only medical cannabis is allowed and 81.3% where cannabis remains prohibited.

The authors suggest that the higher support for per se impairment laws in legal states could be “due to a perception that [recreational marijuana] legalization makes them more likely to encounter impaired drivers.”

“Based on low overall personal acceptance of driving after marijuana use and high support for per se laws,” the authors wrote, “this study suggests that the public widely perceives driving after marijuana use to be a dangerous behavior.”

The authors also note that “not all studies support” that position and “experimental and driving simulator studies have shown that marijuana affects motor skills and executive function but this need not correspond to increased crash risk.”

“Based on self-reported behaviors and attitudes, certain demographic groups were more tolerant of driving after marijuana use than their counterparts,” the authors concluded. “In contrast, we found no predominant pattern suggesting that behaviors and attitudes were more tolerant in states with liberal marijuana policies.”

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Maine Recreational Cannabis Sales Surpass $5 Million in May

6/10/2021

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Adult-use cannabis sales in Maine reached nearly $5.4 million last month, setting another record, the Portland Press-Herald reports. The state will receive about $536,000 in tax revenues from May’s 71,843 recreational sales.

The state has set successive monthly sales records since the launch of adult-use sales in October 2020—almost four years after the reforms were approved by voters. May sales outpaced April sales by more than $1 million.

In all, adult-use sales have totaled about $22.7 million, earning the state more than $2.2 million in tax revenues, according to state Office of Marijuana Policy (OMP) data.

Flower sales in the state far outpace concentrates and infused products, reaching nearly $3.2 million in May and almost $14.3 million since October. Concentrates comprised about $1.2 million in May sales—nearing $4.9 million since the market’s launch—while infused product sales in May didn’t reach the $1 million mark, totaling $963,798, and about $3.6 million since October, according to the OMP.

The average customer spends about $74 per transaction—which has remained steady as the price of flower decreases— from $16.68 per gram in October to $13.22 per gram last month.

No municipality in Maine has completely opted out of the adult-use market, with some allowing only retail sales, cultivation, manufacturing, testing, or a combination.

From January through November last year, medical cannabis sales in Maine surpassed $221.8 million making it the state’s most lucrative crop; outpacing potatoes, milk, hay, and wild blueberries.

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Connecticut Delays Legalization Vote to Special Session

6/10/2021

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Connecticut’s legislative session ended last night before the House of Representatives could consider legislation to legalize adult-use cannabis but House Speaker Matt Ritter (D) said lawmakers will take up the bill in a special session, the Hartford Courant reports.

The bill had momentum going into the last day of the session after being passed by the Senate — the first time a legislative body of Connecticut approved sweeping cannabis reforms — but ultimately the bill’s progress was set to be stalled by debates with House Republicans. Speaker Ritter said he decided to delay the vote for a special session in order to avoid the lengthy fallout.

“It’s one thing to have an honest, robust debate on a complicated topic. The concern in my caucus is the four or five people that never want to stop and that goes into your calculation. If you had 36 people speak for 10 minutes, ask good questions — not the same questions — because they want to learn about the bill, that is an honest debate. The concern on my end is six people who want to go for nine hours each.” — Ritter via the Hartford Courant

House Republican Leader Vin Candelora said that talks of a Republican filibuster were “preposterous” because lawmakers were only given one day to consider the 300-page bill. “It was less the threat of a filibuster and more a reality of when midnight comes, the debate has to end,” he said.

The bill was approved 19-17 in the Senate early Tuesday morning.

Gov. Ned Lamont (D), who supports the legislation, was still confident that legalization would pass.

“We’re not going to lose momentum,” he said in the report. “It will pass. … We’ll vote when they’re tired of talking. … Look, if they want more time to read it, God bless ‘em — they got a little more time to read it.”

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West Virginia Advisory Board to Allow Doctors to Certify All Who Qualify for Medical Cannabis

6/10/2021

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The West Virginia Medical Cannabis Advisory Board on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a proposal that would allow physicians to recommend medical cannabis to any patient they think could benefit from it, WOWK reports. The plan still requires approval from the full board, but the reforms are supported by the state Office of Medical Cannabis.

Current state law only allows patients with one of 14 qualifying conditions medical cannabis access.

Jesse Forbes, the attorney member for the advisory board, argued that patients—rather than industry—are the ones that are supposed to benefit from the medical cannabis program. She added that if lawmakers “wanted to create an industry they would’ve passed a recreational bill.”

“To be clear doctors are not prescribing cannabis in West Virginia, they can’t as a matter of federal law. But what they can do is certify patients that need access. And right now as our list is written its very narrow.”—Forbes via WOWK

Rusty Williams, the board’s patient advocate, said expanding the list would “help everybody.”

“We’re leaving a lot of people out if we adhere to that list and not only are we leaving folks out,” he remarked during the meeting, “but also we’re putting barriers in front of the industry that’s making it hard for some folks to even get the doors open to the dispensaries.”

The West Virginia Senate has twice passed a bill to allow edibles in the limited program—both this year and last—but neither bill has been approved by the House of Delegates. Patients in the state only have access to pills, oils, topicals, and vape products and registration only began last month—four years after lawmakers approved the reforms.

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Minnesota Medical Cannabis Firm to Study Psychedelic Medicine

6/10/2021

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Minnesota medical cannabis company, Goodness Growth Inc., is set to begin studying psychedelic medicine, according to a Twin Cities Business report. Using their subsidiary, Resurgent Biosciences, the company said it will research the effect of “naturally derived” psychedelics on a variety of psychological disorders.

Goodness Growth—formally known as Vireo Health and one of only two medical cannabis companies in Minnesota—said that prior to seriously beginning research, they were waiting for studies like a November 2020 Johns Hopkins University study that suggested psilocybin is an effective treatment for depression.

Goodness Growth Chairman and CEO Dr. Kyle Kingsley said he “wanted to wait for a kind of threshold of evidence to make sure this was a real opportunity, and that it would be real medicine for people.”

“It’s gone beyond that. It’s really sort of exceeded my expectations as far as the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.”—Dr. Kingsley via Twin Cities Business

Goodness Growth is not yet planning to manufacture or distribute psychedelics. However, Kingsley indicated they will focus on “research undertakings” and partnering with other companies in the U.S. and abroad. He is optimistic about the potential of psychedelics going forward, remarking in the interview, “it could change the paradigm from people taking a pill every day or multiple times a day to just sort of a few therapeutic interventions—as few as maybe one or two a year.”

That’s what I’m excited about,” he said in the report, “these paradigm shifts.”

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How The Pandemic & Millennials Influenced Pre-Roll Sales

6/10/2021

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We’ve all had our share of messy experiences rolling joints. You grab your rolling paper, take your fresh flower, and try to roll it properly. But unless you’re really experienced, it’s likely that you will lose some of the flower and end up with a wet mess of a joint. Luckily for you, pre-rolls and pre-rolled cones are more popular than ever! Not only do pre-roll cones, such as RAW cones, save you time, they also prevent you from wasting those precious buds. The pre-roll is one of the most innovative inventions to come into the cannabis community.

There’s a ton of different ways to roll a joint. You can try your hand at rolling a cross joint, or you can roll a classic doob. There are many different ways to roll and enjoy your weed. But lately, Millennials and Gen-Zers really don’t care about the different customizations you can have when it comes to rolling. This new generation is all about convenience! Convenience is king when it comes to the marijuana industry. Plus, those Millennials and Gen-Zers are the leading cannabis consumers in the nation. If you mix their demand with a decrease in supply during the pandemic, you’ve created a unique situation.

A young woman smokes a pre-rolled cannabis joint.

It’s much like the tobacco industry’s switch from selling packaged tobacco to selling pre-rolled cigarettes. The same trend is happening in the world of marijuana, led by the purchasing habits of Millennials and Gen Z. For pre-rolled cones, all you have to do is stuff your weed into the already rolled paper, twist the top closed, light it up, and voila! You’re all set to go.

Many companies use hand rollers to produce pre-rolled cones and pre-rolls. During the pandemic, regulations and social distancing rules led to a shortage of hand rollers being allowed into factories. This, in turn, led to a shortage in pre-rolls and cones all around the world. However, as supply fell, demand rose.

When you roll a joint or blunt, there’s quite a bit of saliva involved. Licking the papers can be a quick task, or a tedious one, depending on the roller and the paper. During a pandemic, people don’t really want to be licking and sharing joints. This only boosted the popularity of pre-rolls and cones. They are more sanitary and more efficient. In the instance where you DO want to share a smoke with someone, you wouldn’t have to lick the heck out of a paper and pass it. Instead, you can pack a pre-rolled cone, and each smoker could use their own mouthpiece.

As supply dwindled for pre-rolls and pre-rolled cones, demand kept going up. In fact, in 2020, pre-roll sales increased by 50% despite the pandemic (or most likely, because of it). And although many companies had shortages, RAW did not. They were able to keep the supply chain going.

Because of this, RAW cones has been able to capitalize on the market during this unique time. However, soon enough, competitors will take larger pieces of the market as well. As the years progress, remember this article. Rolling bud will be a thing of the past, and the pandemic helped fuel the demise of the personal roller.

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NFL and NFLPA to Award $1M in Grants to Study Cannabinoids for Pain Management

6/09/2021

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The National Football League and its Players Association is providing $1 million in funding for research into pain management and cannabinoids through its joint pain management committee, the NFL announced on Tuesday. The league and union launched the committee last year and said cannabis would be included as part of its research into alternative therapies for pain.

Up to five grants are expected to be awarded by Thanksgiving as the league seeks to know more about the efficacy of cannabis and CBD and their potential as alternatives to opioids.

Dr. Kevin Hill, the co-chair of the committee, director of addiction psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the author of Marijuana: The Unbiased Truth about the World’s Most Popular Weed, said “there is a need for better information, better science.”

“When we talk about having elite athletes use CBD to treat pain, we want to make sure it’s, number one safe, and number two efficacious. I don’t think we’re at that point yet.”—Hill in a statement via NFL.com

During his short-lived retirement in 2019, Rob Gronkowski credited CBD with being pain-free following his career and announced a partnership with Abacus Health Products. The tight end would ultimately return to the league last season and win the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The most recent collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the NFL and NFLPA reduced penalties for drug tests positive for cannabis by removing the specter of suspension and raising the threshold for failing a test from 35 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood to 150 nanograms.

Under the new rules, if a player tests positive for cannabis during the two-week training camp their test is reviewed by a board of medical professionals—appointed by the NFLPA and the league—who determine whether the player needs drug abuse treatment. That two-week window for cannabis testing was shortened from four months, which means that fewer players will be tested for cannabis.

Players suspended under the old policy may seek reinstatement following the CBA changes. In all, 14 of the league’s 32 teams play their home games in states that have legalized cannabis for adult use.

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Curaleaf Announces Partnership with Rolling Stone

6/09/2021

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Massachusetts-based Curaleaf Holdings Inc. on Tuesday announced a partnership between its Select brand and music and culture magazine Rolling Stone, including products for Select’s first pre-roll offering and for Select’s proprietary pod system, The Cliq.

Both products will feature three strains and flavor profiles hand-selected by Rolling Stone: “Overdrive,” a berry-forward sativa; “Reverb,” a complex and full-bodied indica; and “Phaser,” a fruity and calming hybrid, according to a press release announcing the partnership.

Rolling Stone President and Chief Operating Officer Gus Wenner said the partnership gives the 54-year-old magazine, oft known for its counter-culture roots, “the opportunity to design a product that elevates the music listening experience and celebrates the deep connection between the two.”

“Music and cannabis go hand in hand. Rolling Stone has a legacy of celebrating this connection and a long history of reporting on the fight to legalize cannabis.”— Wenner in a statement

Joe Bayern, CEO of Curaleaf, described the magazine as “known for having one of the most authentic and discerning voices in modern journalism, and, as part of that, they’ve included cannabis in their coverage for the past 50 years.”

“Part of my job at Curaleaf is building brands people love,” Bayern said in a statement. “Select is a brand built around the relentless pursuit of progress and going to great lengths to create the best possible experience for our consumer. This is a synergy we are honored to share with Rolling Stone.”

Rolling Stone and Select also plan to open a “first-of-its-kind retail space” in Las Vegas, Nevada next year. The Rolling Stone-branded products are set to first be released in Vegas through Select’s wholesale partners and at Curaleaf retailers.

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New Jersey Medical Cannabis Patient Sues Former Employer

6/09/2021

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A New Jersey medical cannabis patient is suing his employer claiming he was fired for his off-the-clock cannabis use, NJ.com reports. Jamal Campbell filed his lawsuit against the refinery company, Watco Companies and Watco Transloading LLC, in U.S. District Court in April claiming the firm violated New Jersey’s medical cannabis law and state anti-discrimination laws.

According to the lawsuit outlined by NJ.com, Campbell injured his back on the job in 2016 and became a medical cannabis patient in 2018 for pain related to a bulging disc. The lawsuit contends that Campbell never used cannabis at work or came into work under the influence.

Campbell worked as an operator at the company, mostly loading cargo trains, from 2014 until December 2020 when a manager told him he would have to take a random drug test. Campbell said he would fail due to his medical cannabis use, but the manager said he would have to comply or risk losing his job. Campbell ultimately tested positive for cannabis and was fired.

Campbell further claims that the Kansas-based firm violated New Jersey workplace discrimination laws by not attempting to find reasonable accommodation for his disability and prescribed medical cannabis use, the report says.

New Jersey’s Supreme Court last year ruled that companies cannot fire medical cannabis patients for using cannabis as long as they do not use it at work and that the state Law Against Discrimination protected medical cannabis patients. In April, the court ruled that employers must pay the monthly medical cannabis bills for employees injured on the job.

The state’s cannabis legalization law also protects employees from termination for using cannabis and does not include exemptions for safety-sensitive jobs but does include exemptions for federal workers and some federal contractors. Rachel Haskell, a partner at the Law Office of Christopher Q. Davis, which is representing Campbell, told NJ.com that there is no precedent in the state “on what is safety-sensitive.”

“We believe that both Jake Honig’s Law and the Law Against Discrimination would provide protections for people who are using medical marijuana in addition to the requirements to engage in the interactive process in providing accommodations.” —Haskell to NJ.com

Under the legalization law enacted in February, New Jersey employers can still conduct drug tests for cannabis, but they must be paired with a Workplace Impairment Recognition Expert report who witnessed impaired behavior, according to NJ.com.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court because Watco is based out-of-state. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit.

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Connecticut Senate Passes Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bill

6/08/2021

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The Connecticut Senate early this morning narrowly approved a bill to legalize cannabis for adult use as the Legislature prepares to adjourn today, CT News Junkie reports. It’s the first time either legislative chamber in the state has approved the reforms and Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont commended the chamber for passing the bill.

The legislation passed by just two votes – 19 to 17.

“The war on cannabis, which was at its core a war on people in Black and Brown communities, not only caused injustices and increased disparities in our state, it did little to protect public health and safety. That’s why I introduced a bill and worked hard with our partners in the legislature to create a comprehensive framework for a securely regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, social justice, and equity. It will help eliminate the dangerous, unregulated market and support a new growing sector of our economy, which will lead to jobs and growth. This measure is comprehensive, protects our children and the most vulnerable in our communities, and will be viewed as a national model for regulating the adult-use cannabis marketplace. I look forward to the Connecticut House of Representatives securing passage of this measure and sending it my desk.” — Lamont in a statement

The proposal would allow adults to possess up to 1.5 ounces in public and up to 5 ounces at home or in the glove box of a car. Sales to adults 21-and-older would begin in May 2022. The bill estimates that legal sales would lead to about $4.1 million in tax revenues during year one and about $26.3 million in year two, according to the fiscal note attached to the bill.

House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora told Fox 61 that the bill “is not about the policy of marijuana and the public health implications” rather decrying it as “all about revenue.”

Adults would be able to grow six plants per household, up to 12 plants, by July 2023. The bill also includes provisions allowing Connecticut cannabis workers to unionize along with social equity rules to ensure 65% ownership in cannabis businesses benefit communities most impacted by the War on Drugs. The legislation would also require the state to set up a social equity commission.

Opponents of the bill could try and prevent its passage by debating the proposal until after tonight’s midnight deadline but House Speaker Matt Ritter (D) said he could immediately call back lawmakers for a special session on Thursday to continue the debate and vote on the reforms.

Lukas Barfield contributed to this report.

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Washington Cannabis Regulators Approve ‘Joints for Jabs’ Program

6/08/2021

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The Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) on Monday approved a “Joints for Jabs” program that will allow adult-use cannabis retailers to give away a single pre-roll to anyone 21-and-older who gets a coronavirus vaccine at clinics held at cannabis retailers this week.

The agency indicated that “no other product may be provided as part” of the program, which applies to individuals that are receiving either their first or second dose of the vaccine.

In a press release announcing the approval, the LCB said it would allow retailers to advertise the Joints for Jabs program “so long as licensees maintain compliance with all other advertising regulations.” It noted that regulators have already “provided dozens of allowances for alcohol and cannabis licensees throughout the COVID pandemic in an effort to support businesses during the restriction period and to support the vaccine effort.”

Most recently, the Washington LCB said, it provided an allowance for a free beer, wine, or cocktail to be given to those vaccinated by June 30.

While the free products will not be subject to state and local taxes, retailers are required to maintain all records associated with the giveaway, including seed-to-sale tracking requirements.

Throughout the U.S., cannabis activists and retailers have offered promotions to individuals who receive the coronavirus vaccine. In January, Michigan’s Greenhouse of Walled Lake dispensary announced a “Pot for Shots” campaign which offered a free pre-roll through February to anyone who provides proof they received a vaccine.

Activists D.C. Marijuana Justice (DCMJ) in January announced their own plan to give away cannabis and seeds at vaccination centers throughout Washington, D.C.

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Mississippi Voters Back Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization

6/08/2021

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A majority of Mississippi voters—52%—approve broad cannabis legalization in the state, while 63% want lawmakers to approve a medical cannabis law that mirrors the one approved by voters last November but struck down by the state Supreme Court last month, according to a Millsaps College and Chism Strategies survey.

The survey found 37% oppose adult-use cannabis legalization in the state.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he wants lawmakers to approve such a bill and respect the will of the voters as the Supreme Court decision was based on the state’s initiative process, rather than the medical cannabis provisions.

Another 20% of those surveyed said that legalizing medical cannabis in the state was the most important issue for determining how they would vote in next year’s elections, during which Reeves and state lawmakers will be on the ballot. The survey found 48% of voters disapprove of Reeves’ job performance with 35% approval. Nearly half of voters (49%) disapproved of the state legislature, with 21% approving of their work.

Dr. Nathan R. Shrader, chair of the Department of Government and Politics and director of American Studies at Millsaps College, said that the poll shows that voters’ policy preferences “do not appear to be anywhere near the same ideological positions as the majority of the state’s elected officials.”

“Mississippi voters overwhelmingly support legalizing medicinal marijuana, which was actually done by the electorate last November. They also favor legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes and expanding Medicaid by healthy margins. … The coming months, including the 2022 legislative session, will be a test of how long the state’s elected leaders can hold positions that are greatly at odds with the majority of Mississippi’s voters.” — Shrader in a statement

Mississippi voters polled were split on how they view the direction of the state, with 38% believing it is heading in the wrong direction and 36% believing it is headed in the right direction, with 28% unsure.

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Zachary Garippa: How Efficiency Saves Money In the Cannabis Industry

6/08/2021

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The cannabis industry is a complicated web of eager entrepreneurs, excited customers, and stringent regulations. While the process of growing, manufacturing, and retailing cannabis products might seem straightforward, there are of course innumerable complications — to assist, Order offers cannabis business owners flexible payment options including purchasing, the strategic sourcing of goods/services, integrated payments, and consolidated billing.

In this written Q&A, we ask Zachary about the founding of Order, how the company has adapted to the unique needs of cannabis businesses, how cannabis entrepreneurs have utilized the end-to-end spending platform, and how simply improving the efficiency of business payments can save thousands of dollars for a business.

Check out the full interview below!

Ganjapreneur: Where did your inspiration for Order come from, and how does the vision add value to the cannabis industry?

Zachary Garippa: Early on, we realized that the markets around buying physical goods were not nearly as efficient as they could be, and believed that we could make the process of buying and paying better for businesses. We saw Operations, Finance, and Procurement teams struggle with juggling multiple vendors, enforcing compliance, and drowning in thousands of invoices each month.

We initially started with centralization because having everything in one place is critical for businesses to make more informed decisions. We provide companies with a single, easy ecommerce experience to place orders. Think: Just like Amazon — but ALL of your vendor orders in one cart. On top of that, we allow companies to set up automatic product purchasing and payments, give them real-time spend visibility to help them budget, and consolidate their many invoices into just one every month.

Cannabis companies in particular are growing rapidly right now and need to centralize their whole purchasing experience so that they can scale. Just as much as we are a purchasing platform, many companies turn to Order for guidance on how to navigate expansion as the cannabis market grows.
We are very excited to continue to be a part of the growing cannabis industry.

How did your background in finance factor into the development of Order?

My background in finance is grounded in the human element. I wasn’t a math major or a quant — my exposure to finance involved people, numbers, and decisions. Even more specifically, how the intersection of those three things solve everyday problems.

I try to bring that same philosophy to Order. We are a software company, but we want to aid in the decision making process of finance, operations, and procurement teams. We understand that what a business needs today may change tomorrow. So instead of rigid rules and impossible-to-follow workflows, we deliver flexibility, insights, and intelligence up and down the purchase to pay landscape to address challenges for your teams as early and as upstream as possible.

Order serves a variety of businesses. How has the cannabis industry, in particular, leveraged your platform in a different way than other clients like SoulCycle and XpresSpa?

The cannabis industry is growing extremely fast—and that’s why our cannabis clients have leveraged our platform unlike any other industry. When our clients open new locations, they have a customized catalog that allows them to purchase everything they need for expansion—with one click. We also provide companies with clear purchasing data for detailed spend analyses. That visibility allows them to stick to their budgets and better plan for expansion.It’s great to see that we have become a pillar for how cannabis companies expand their business operations.

What are some of the unique solutions that you developed for the cannabis industry? And, how did you identify the specific difficulties that operators experience?

Because cannabis is a new industry and, therefore, perceived as risky, we’ve noticed that vendors will not set up net terms with cannabis companies—making it really difficult to free up cash flow. On top of that, many cannabis companies are start-ups, which do not have a lot of credit history. Adding insult to injury, it’s difficult for cannabis companies to find strong partners due to biases towards the industry. Consolidated billing through Order is free and doesn’t require approval. Plus, we can also offer flexible net terms.

Another pain point we found related specifically to cannabis operations that are multi-state or multi-license. For example, Acreage Holdings had to set up 12 different WB Mason accounts since they were purchasing across 12 different entities. With Order, they consolidated their purchasing by linking all of their vendor accounts. We saved them the headache of multiple orders, and helped them access extra savings from bulk purchases. Plus, each bank account can be associated with the appropriate purchases for compliance purposes. Because compliance is so critical to success in the cannabis space, our clients really love that feature.

How does Order integrate into the daily business operations of a cannabis operator, and what are the benefits of a consolidated purchasing and payments solution?

Whether you run a cultivation plant or a dispensary—efficiency is key. There are a million confusing ways companies place orders, approve purchases, and pay vendors. When you’re in such a young and innovative industry, endless email threads and spreadsheets shouldn’t be part of your workflow.

We save operations teams hours of valuable time by eliminating manual purchasing tasks, automating payments, and allowing the team to track their purchasing data in real-time. Our mission is to make the whole process really simple.

Order has built a network of over 4,000 vendors and suppliers. How does this vendor network bring value to your clients?

We have a unique approach to how we add vendors. Instead of hosting vendors or supporting a small subset of vendors, we encourage clients to add their own. This creates an ever-growing vendor community, and we are able to add a ton of flexibility into an otherwise pretty rigid process.

Because of this approach, we can deliver the best of both worlds to customers. If they want to drive compliance to their vendor network, no problem. If they are looking to optimize their vendor network in some way (i.e. find better pricing, find more reliable delivery, find better quality) we have millions of data points on exactly that. And the data points will only grow as more companies add their vendors and place orders, so this cycle continues.

Also because of this approach, we can deliver hard dollar savings back to customers. On average, we see cannabis customers save 13% across their purchases and they have a really strong ROI—typically 2x – 7x their subscription fee.

How has Order prepared for the changing landscape of cannabis regulations, and how do you think federal legalization might affect how cannabis operators use the platform?

Our #1 goal is to give companies the easiest way to purchase products and pay their vendors. Currently, our cannabis companies love our consolidated billing feature—streamlining their AP process by using Order as their vendor of record instead of each individual vendor. Due to current banking regulations, cannabis companies can’t take full advantage of our automatic payment function that allows companies to schedule vendor payments and pay bills automatically. But, this will change as cannabis regulations change, and we are very excited about that.

What does the onboarding process look like with the software?

It’s a very smooth and simple process. The faster we can get our clients up and running, the more time and money we save them. Companies can begin placing orders and making payments within just a few hours of implementing Order. We provide our clients with their own hands-on Account Manager to walk them through the platform, answer any questions, and ensure their success. On our website, there is also an amazing library of tutorial videos that answer every question that clients may have—from placing an order to paying an invoice.

After the onboarding period, what kind of relationship does the Order support team maintain with clients?

I love that question. In addition to our incredibly dedicated Account Managers, we also have an extraordinary Support team that assists clients with any technical issues. If a product never arrives, arrives broken, or is incorrect, they will take care of it for you. I know people say “make customer’s problems your own”, but I really believe that is the ethos of people at Order. Because we aren’t in the client relationship for a quick sale, we want to be a partner and a contributing factor to their growth as a business.

How intuitive is the process of inputting and organizing vendors before the platform begins working for the client?

It’s pretty seamless, and implementation can take as little as 48 hours. Essentially, we use our client’s purchasing history to create their own, personalized purchasing catalog. There’s a page on our platform that clients can use to easily sign into their vendor accounts, and from there we can pull all relevant information. And, if you have offline vendors, all you need to do is upload a previous invoice. Then, companies can go into Order, see all of the products they have purchased, reorder, and pay their invoices—all in one click.

Can you share some stats about how much time and money Order has saved cannabis companies?

Absolutely. We currently have cannabis clients that range from local dispensaries to national holding companies. That being said, in 6 months, we’ve saved those clients anywhere from $6,000-$47,000 on their purchases. As far as saving time, that’s an easy one too. Most of our cannabis clients come to us with a purchasing process that includes messy, unorganized excel spreadsheets sheets and jumbled email chains. We allow companies to create one, curated purchasing catalog—spanning across all of their locations—savings hours and hours of coordinating purchases. For example, one of our cannabis clients came to us with a portfolio of over 30 locations and hundreds of monthly invoices. Now, by utilizing Orders’ custom catalog, they have sped up their purchasing process by over 65%, and are now able to reinvest that time into scaling their operations even further. Our consolidated billing feature is also a huge time-saver for our cannabis clients. Not only does one invoice a month make payments easier, but it also allows for companies to have more transparency in their purchases—allowing them to budget, save, and spend where it matters most.

Thanks again, Zachary, for answering our questions! Learn more at Order.co.

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Arizona Shows Marked Increase in Cannabis Industry Jobs

6/07/2021

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Cannabis jobs in Arizona have increased according to a report from Vangst outlined by 12 News. The jobs increase coincides with the launch of legalized sales in the state, which began in January.

Vangst estimated the state would see another 25,000 industry jobs for Arizonans over the next five years, the report says.

Raul Molina, Mint Dispensary’s chief operating officer, said that the retail outlet is “receiving lots and lots of applications” and the company has “been lucky enough to cherry-pick some incredible people.”

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses throughout the U.S. are having trouble finding employees and in Arizona, some individuals with certain criminal histories are not allowed to work in the cannabis sector. Since January, Mint has hired 90 people and anticipates hiring 75 to 100 more by the end of the year, Molina told 12 News.

Last week, the state Supreme Court launched a new website to help individuals determine whether they are eligible to have their cannabis-related criminal records cleared for crimes that are included under the state’s legalization law, which may increase the employee pool.

According to a Leafly report, the U.S. cannabis industry currently supports 321,000 full-time jobs, a 32% increase from the number of cannabis jobs in 2020.

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