Vermont Supreme Court Denies Unemployment Appeal by Cannabis Patient Fired for Cannabis Use

8/26/2024

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The Vermont Supreme Court last week overruled an appeal for unemployment benefits by a medical cannabis patient who was fired after testing positive for cannabis on a drug test, ABC News reports.

Ivo Skoric, 59, was terminated on January 9, 2023, from his part-time job cleaning and fueling buses for the city of Rutland for misconduct after testing positive for cannabis on a drug test; and because he was fired for misconduct, state law has prevented him from collecting unemployment benefits. Representing himself, Skoric appealed his case to the state Supreme Court earlier this year where he argued that he should not lose benefits granted by the state just for participating in a state-sanctioned medical program.

The court noted that Skoric’s position had been safety-sensitive and required him to have a commercial driver’s license, and that his firing was the result of violating federal U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.

But while the court rejected his appeal, the justices stopped short of clarifying whether medical cannabis patients in the state are entitled to off-duty cannabis use, noting instead that the Labor Department “properly declined to issue a declaratory ruling” and that Skoric’s “violation of written workplace policy stood as an independent source of disqualifying conduct,” the report said. 

Skoric, who sought a declaratory ruling about whether Vermont medical cannabis patients have the right to use cannabis while off-duty without repercussion, told ABC News the court’s decision does not satisfactorily address the issue: “It does not discuss whether an employee who is medical cannabis patient in Vermont has the right to use cannabis in the off-hours.”

End

Sean Myles: Studying Cannabis DNA to Move Beyond the Indica/Sativa Binary

8/23/2024

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In this episode of the Ganjapreneur podcast, host TG Branfalt is joined by Dr. Sean Myles, an associate professor of agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who brings a wealth of knowledge on plant genetics. While Dr. Myles has made significant contributions to the study of plant varieties in apples and grapes, today’s focus is on his groundbreaking work in cannabis research. Within the unique intersection of agriculture, genetics, and the culture and policy of cannabis legalization, Dr. Myles sheds light on how cannabis labeling, genetic diversity, and breeding practices are shaping the future of the industry.

Find the episode on your favorite podcast app, listen via the media player below, or scroll down for the full transcript!

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Editor’s note: this transcript was auto-generated and may contain errors.

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TG Branfalt:

Today we’re joined by Dr. Sean Myles. He’s an associate professor of agriculture at Dalhousie University. He’s done countless, countless studies on cannabis, agriculture, a lot on apples, which I find very interesting, but that’s not where we’re here to talk about today. How are you doing this morning, Sean?

Sean Myles:

Doing great. Thanks for having me on.

TG Branfalt:

I’m real excited. We have a lot to talk about. Before you get into it, man, tell me about yourself. Tell me your background and how you ended up a doctor, associate professor, and all that good stuff.

Sean Myles:

Sure. I’m really passionate about food. I think that’s kind of where it ended up sending me is to learn more about where our food comes from, how it’s produced, how it gets to the table and gets on your plate. I studied genetics, so I look at DNA for a living, and I did my PhD. I actually worked in human genetics and human medical genetics kind of stuff first, but switched gears there in order to chase my wife. My wife is a winemaker and I always figured if I wanted to live somewhere where she lives, I should probably just study grapes. So we figured that out. I started a postdoc in grapes at Cornell and continued on that path. And then we moved back here to, we live in Nova Scotia in Canada, in rural Nova Scotia. It’s a beautiful place to live, and we’ve got lots of apples here. So I switched my research to focus on apples after a while and working on plants and genetics around the time when cannabis was becoming legalized in Canada. It was a real obvious choice to go and start looking at cannabis because such a fascinating crop.

TG Branfalt:

So what interests you most about genetic research in general, whether it be human genetic research or agricultural genetic research?

Sean Myles:

Yeah, I think a lot of my interest stems from an interest in better understanding our past, knowing where our food came from, how domestication and breeding has really taken place and shaped the food that we consume today and what effects that’s had on the food that we eat. It’s a really fascinating thing to be able to do, is to sort of read history by looking at DNA. You can learn quite a bit. So we’ve learned a lot about what we are and how we became human from looking at DNA and fascinating stories by sequencing genomes of Neanderthals and all that kind of stuff. It’s not that different when looking at the DNA of food so we can learn things about where our food comes from and how the different strains of cannabis, for example, are related to each other and how much diversity there is for us to use, which is tremendous. And then that gives us a guide in a way of where we should be going in the future. So the other portion is what do we do with this information and how do we more efficiently and effectively breed new varieties of food that are going to require less chemical input to grow and are going to be healthy for you? So that’s the real motivation.

TG Branfalt:

So we’re talking about the past, I mean cannabis—because of prohibition worldwide essentially—we don’t know a ton about it. And so, what big questions did you set out to answer when you started researching cannabis?

Sean Myles:

Yeah, in general, we were interested in knowing what we call as sort of the general genetic structure of cannabis. So one of the big questions of course, is how different are hemp and cannabis that’s consumed for psychoactive effects. And so one of the first things we did was we collected, we got our hands on some samples of hemp and we got our hands on some samples of cannabis psychoactive cannabis, and we took a look at that. There’s been a lot of theory and theory and hypotheses about, well, hemp is just basically cannabis that doesn’t have any THC, so it’s probably just like one gene that’s turned off, but otherwise there’s a lot of overlap in the way they look and the way they behave. But when we looked at it, we actually found that the hemp and what we call marijuana in the paper, but I believe more appropriately is just called cannabis for, what do you call recreational cannabis, if you will, or medical cannabis.

Yeah, there’s differences. There’s systematic differences across the entire genome so they can be sort of understood as two kind of different genetic groups. So that suggests it may be worthwhile if you see a trait in a hemp line that you’re interested in and you’re a cannabis breeder for recreational purposes, it may make sense to cross it with some hemp at some point and try to use that genetic diversity in your breeding program and that kind of thing. So those are some of the, and just in general is the big question that kept coming up is the use of the terms indica and sativa because these are botanical terms that have been kind of co-opted by the recreational users to mean something, but it’s not really entirely clear what indica and sativa really mean and people have different ideas about it. So we thought looking at the DNA of these large diverse set of samples could shed some light on that.

TG Branfalt:

Do you think that we’ve sort of adopted those terms or accepted those terms as cannabis consumers and the industry at large due to the sort of lack of research and lack of understanding about the planet?

Sean Myles:

Yeah, yeah. No, absolutely. I think it’s become unclear what the terms mean because the industry has operated in a clandestine fashion for so long and underground. So there haven’t been the kind of controls and policies and strict protocols in place that you would see in other crops. For example, in a strawberry, when they release a strawberry to the public from a breeding program, you can’t just say that it’s this kind of strawberry. I mean, it has to be that kind. You can’t put in a bottle of wine a bunch of Cabernet Sauvignon and call it pinot noir. That’s not allowed, and you can’t get away with that. But in the cannabis world, in the underground cannabis world, you can get away with a lot if you want to sell the stuff and the person walking in, they like indica, all of a sudden your stuff is indica. So I think it’s been kind of co-opted and got a little messy, even though cannabis sativa and cannabis indica originally are kind of terms from botany where that described the structure of the plant its use today is arguably not a very good indicator of the genetics or the chemistry of the plants is what we found in our research.

TG Branfalt:

So tell me about the results of the 2021 paper. Cannabis labeling is associated with genetic variation in terpene syn genes. I’m probably mispronouncing that penultimate word there. And additionally, 2015 genetic structure of marijuana and hemp study. Tell me about each of these and it is one sort of link to the other in some way.

Sean Myles:

Yeah, so I think we’re trying to address similar questions in these studies, and the very first study in 2015 was one of the very earliest studies of a genetic analysis of cannabis. And in that study we took a look. We got samples from one of the earliest licensed producers in Canada who were growing cannabis for the new burgeoning industrial market that was opening up in Canada because it’s been legalized. So that was early days. And all of these licensed producers, they were like, okay, where are we going to get our seed? Where are we going to get our plants? And it was basically find people who are growing it underground and bring it into the legal market. There wasn’t some gene bank they have in other crops that you can just go order up a whole bunch of seed and start out. So this one collaborator we had, they had a decent amount on the order of a hundred samples or so, or 80 to a hundred samples of various lines, and they were named.

So you can see in the paper there’s the lemon skunk and white widow, Alaskan Ice, Bubba Kush standard strain names with, and each of them, they have a reported percent indica or percent sativa. So I think they were either like a hundred percent indica or 25% or 50 50 hybrid or the other way, a hundred percent sativa or 75% sativa. So we had a good number of samples, and then we had a bunch of hemp samples too. We wanted to see if hemp was different from the cannabis. They were growing for the legal market here in Canada. So we did that genetic analysis and what came out was that the genetics don’t really align very well at all with whether they’re labeled as indica or sativa. So whether something, if you look at how closely related things are, for instance, a cannabis strain that is labeled as a hundred percent indica is frequently more closely related to something that’s labeled as a hundred percent sativa than it is other indica labeled strains.

So we know that then the labeling isn’t matching up with the genetics so that the label of indica or sativa is a very poor indicator of what the genetics of the plant are, which suggests that it’s also a poor indicator of what the plant actually looks like when it’s grown, which means that this isn’t really telling you much. So that’s the first indicator we had of like, okay, this whole legal market is going to explode in Canada here coming up. And one of the main things these marketing departments are using is this label of indica and sativa because it’s so widespread its use in the underground world. That’s how people identify their stuff and they have strong beliefs about whether sativa is uplifting and indica is supposed to give you couch lock and a lot of that. So we wanted to see does that really line up?

And unfortunately from our sample, we can’t say for everyone, but from our sample, the genetics were not a good indicator of the indica and sativa labeling was a very poor predictor of the genetic identity of the plants. So then we thought, fine, maybe labeling them as indica and sativa doesn’t tell you much, but does it tell you much if they say it’s lemon skunk? Does that tell you anything? Is white widow really a unique genetic identity, which in the other worlds, like a Honeycrisp apple is a unique genetic identity. Every single honey crisp apple tree is genetically identical to every single other one. And that’s what we do in horticulture. This is the way it works in strawberries, peaches, pears, plums, apples, cherries, all of it, right? You breed new varieties, you release them to market. And the ones when they end up on the shelf, if it says Pinot noir on the bottle, it’s pinot noir grapes in the bottle, and we’re finding that we’re getting white widow from one producer and we’re getting white widow from another producer and we’re looking at their genetics and they’re not the same at all. They’re not even closely related. Often one of them is more closely related to a strain with a different name than it is to a strain with the same name. And about a third of the cases we saw, so the strain names, the strain names are also not reliable indicators of what you’re getting. So you think you like white widow, but every time you’re getting white widow, you’re getting something different. So it is not really telling you much. Basically the conclusion is it’s a goddamn mess.

The whole thing is a mess. People are telling you things that are not true, and as a scientist, it’s our responsibility to say, okay, this is how not true it is. This is the degree of untruth in here and for an agricultural crop, it’s through the roof. With cannabis, there’s no bigger mess of any crop on the planet.

TG Branfalt:

There’s no sort of effort by the Canadian government, which has federally legalized cannabis to fix this at all. In your knowledge?

Sean Myles:

No, my words are generally ignored and that I’m not a policy pusher. I’m not the guy who goes and stands before parliament and tries to get things changed. Look, if people want to call it indica and sativa, whatever, naturopaths give you all sorts of sugar pills too, and then people believe in that. So I think you got to pick your battles. And we’ve published in the literature, we talk about it on podcasts, we’ve let people know that the evidence so far suggests that these labels that we’re applying to products are highly misleading when we talk to the marketing. I’ve had conversations with people who work in marketing and promotion in these cannabis companies too, and off record, they’re fully willing to admit, it’s like when we come out with a new strain, we just ask the breeders, just ask the marketing department, should we label this one incar or sativa?

What do we need more of? Right? There’s no holy shit. Yeah, there’s very little. So we wanted to see whether this was really the case across the board. In science, we always have a sample and we make an inference, but that doesn’t mean that it applies to everything in the world. So if you go and you measure how much people like bananas and you’ve got a sample of 12-year-old kids in Hawaii, it’s going to be different than how people like bananas elsewhere. So was our sample representative. So we got another set of samples in the 2021 paper. We went and worked with Bedrocan. It’s the biggest medical cannabis producer in Europe, and they’ve been collecting strains from the Dutch coffee shops for ages and propagating. And so that they would have this sort of base of genetic variation to breed from, and they were great to work with.

And so we also had over a hundred different strains, and they’re all, not only did we look at genetic information, but we also chemically analyzed them so that we could see, especially for these terpenes and these aromatic molecules, what kind of differences are there among all these strains? And so the same conclusion comes out in general that indica and sativa labeling are not good predictors of the genetics. They’re also fairly poor predictors of the chemical identity of the plant. But there are a few things that are correlated with the labeling, and they do line up with what people believe the differences are between indica and sativa. So generally people believe that indica strains are a little more sort of dank and skunky, little more forest floor kind of aromas kind of stuff. And we do find actually that on average the indica strains had higher levels of mercene, and that’s a molecule that’s often there’s an earthy aroma attributed to high mercene content.

And there’s also some evidence that there’s a sedative effect to mercene, which would go along with the couch lock that people talk about when it comes to indica strains. So there’s a little bit, the signal’s not strong. Look, there’s lots of sativa strains, things labeled as sativa that had high levels of mercene, and there’s lots interesting, lots of things labeled as indica that had very low levels of mercene. But on average, in our sample, we did find that the things labeled as indica, the more indica you had on average, you had more mercene. So that does line up with what people believe is also like indica labeling was correlated to with the amount of guil, gamma ol and beta ol. So if you had more of these, and those are also, they’re associated with plants from Afghanistan actually in original botanical literature, which is considered the region of origin cultivars.

So that kind of lines up too. Then on the sativa side, we looked at the sativa ones tended on average to have more bergin, and they have sort of tea and fruity aromas. They’re associated, those molecules are associated with fruit and tea, which is also in line with what people believe sativa cultivars to possess. So the first study basically said, this is a big load of hogwash and everybody should ignore the labels. The second study was like, ah, you know what? There are a few chemicals that are associated with whether you’re indica or sativa, the signal is not strong, but maybe that’s driving people to label the cultivars in the first place. You’re breeding stuff, mixing stuff up, like doing crosses. You get one that smells pretty skunky, you’re going to call it indica.

That’s basically what we’re saying is that the labeling is probably driven by a small number of aromatic molecules and their concentrations and what people associate with that. But it’s not the genetics of the plant in general. It’s not like there are two populations of plants, indica and sativa and never will the two mix, or that’s not the way it is. It’s probably that we’re labeling them because you sniff it, you go, whoa, man, this is skunky. I’m going to call this indica. Or Hey, this has got a bit of both. I’m going to call it a 50 50. So that’s what came out of those.

TG Branfalt:

Did the findings surprise you? Because for me, as somebody who’s come to the industry for 10 years, it’s not surprising to me. I did a podcast one time with a guy who went and did mass spectrometer analysis of cultivars, found blue dream in one dispensary in Las Vegas, Nevada, and then another dispensary in Las Vegas, Nevada, and found these are not even close to the same plant. But for you did, was it surprising to you?

Sean Myles:

No, I think it lines up with what we understand from the history of cannabis breeding. It was interesting though. I did present these results at CannaCon in 2020 maybe or something like that. I was at this cannabis conference, and of course there’s a whole bunch of people there have been involved in breeding cannabis for a really long time, and I got one of two responses. The one response was from people like you who were reasonable, rational people who were like, yeah, of course. I mean, we’ve been shuffling this stuff all over the place forever, and this indica sativa thing is probably, there’s not much to it. And then there were the others, or strain names too. They were like, ah, strain names. I wouldn’t trust them. But then there were quite a few people who found that the results of our study upsetting or disagreed with it so much that they approach you afterwards and they’re like, dude, I have the real white widow man. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I have the real white widow, and was like, that doesn’t make any sense, man. White widow isn’t a thing. We just demonstrated. I just showed you that the name white widow is associated with all sorts of different genetic profiles. So there is no original white widow. I don’t know. Maybe there was at some point or something, but you wouldn’t be able to prove it. There’s no plant breeders rights. There’s no patents. There’s no way of verifying this stuff. There’s no genetic marker that you can use to go and say, this is that we do in other crops. So I found it funny, and I don’t think that also indicates that it makes sense that the amount of confidence they have in their breeding material is inversely related to their ability to keep track of their material.

You can’t, as a breeder, if you don’t really keep track of things very well, of course you’re going to come out and say you’re super confident about what you have, and it almost goes the other way. The people who are the best breeders in the world and tracking huge corn breeding programs and stuff, you talk to them and they’ll be like, yeah, no, we expect about 5% error rate. We get things mixed up sometimes, for sure. Of course you do. So I found it funny that there was such an enormous amount of confidence about not mixing things up, and you’re like, dude, you’ve been breeding in your basement for 25 years on your own smoking weed. I figure you’re probably making some mistakes, right?

TG Branfalt:

Are you a cannabis consumer?

Sean Myles:

Yeah. Yeah.

TG Branfalt:

So when I go to dispensary and they say, do you look in? I really look at them and go, string names of bullshit. Give me something that smells like this. Right? So how do you sort of buy cannabis with this knowledge?

Sean Myles:

It is disappointing. I mean, the first thing they ask you every single time you go to a dispensary here, it’s sold by the government. So we have government stores. You walk in and there’s someone there, and the first thing they say is, do you indica or sativa? And I’m like, man, there’s no difference. You just wish you could say, I was like, so it would be nice. And some of them do do this. They’re starting to put on the packaging what the quantification of those compounds. I was talking about those monoterpenes, like mercene and guil and different things that people care about bergamot and farine so that you have an idea of like, is this a fruity tea like one or is this a dank kind of earthy one? And that’ll give you an idea. But then there’s that next step they take, which is all about this one is uplifting and this one is sedative, and the jury is definitely out on that. There’s no strong evidence anywhere from the literature that is the case

TG Branfalt:

Isn’t it all individual brain chemistry as well.

Sean Myles:

Pardon me?

TG Branfalt:

Isn’t it all individual brain chemistry as well?

Sean Myles:

Yeah, I mean, there’s differences between human individuals in the way that we’re going to metabolize these different compounds and have experiences that differ in the population. So yeah, it would take a lot of work to figure that out. And it’s true. You’ve pointed out that we are a little behind, right? With cannabis as a given that it is a medicine and it’s consumed for recreational use, our understanding of the plant is still lags far behind plants that are of equivalent economic value worldwide. This is a huge economy. It is just that it’s been underground for so long that we haven’t been able to pay as much attention to it as scientists and government scientists or university scientists because we don’t have access to it and we don’t have, or it’s been challenging to get access. So this is all opening up now, and I think over the next decade we’re going to learn a lot more. I guess the challenge is going to be whether this ever translates into any kind of policy change or any kind of change on the ground, because we know already that indica and sativa labeling is not a good way of labeling cannabis, and we also know that the old strain names are also not accurate, but we’re still using ’em and they’re still out there.

TG Branfalt:

So what could a post- indica/sativa marketplace look like to be more accurate in your opinion?

Sean Myles:

No, I think it could mimic the wine industry, except that these breeding programs would come up with new strains. These new strains would have a name. They would vegetatively propagate them, clonally propagate them properly, so that when you get a package and it says it’s this strain, it really is that strain. So when you buy a bottle of pinot noir, it really is pinot noir. I think it would also be helpful to, I don’t think you really need to quantify the amount of guile and mercene and all that kind of stuff on the back of a bottle of Pinot. It doesn’t tell you how much of these particular aromas there are. They just describe it, right? They say, this pinot exhibits nice aromas of earthy aromas and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and fresh fruit on the nose. You’re like, okay, great. And I could see the cannabis world moving in that direction where let’s not worry about the indica sativa thing. Let’s just focus on what does it taste like and what’s the name of the strain? And if they can get the strain sorted out so that give them new names from these new producers, new breeding programs that can keep track of their material and actually verify that it is really that strain, then that would be a big step forward, I think, for the industry.

TG Branfalt:

Going back to broader research, how is cannabis research different from the other agricultural research that you’ve done, or even just different from more non-cannabis agricultural research in general?

Sean Myles:

Yeah. I mean, a lot of agricultural genetics, research and breeding, it ties in with the breeding, a lot of the breeding targets. What you want to achieve as a breeder in a lot of crops is shelf life ability to be shipped long distances. Rarely is it, it’s almost very rarely is it aroma, right? Whereas in cannabis, it’s like cannabis has a fascinating profile of aromas. If anyone who’s had the opportunity to go and actually smell diverse strains of cannabis at flowering nice and fresh, it is unbelievable how different they can smell. And it’s not that different from grapes. If you taste a muca grape, a fully ripe muskat grape and compare it to a fully ripe Shiraz, oh, they’re just worlds apart. It’s just completely different. And these are all these metabolic pathways that differ because of the genetics of these plants that breeders have sort of been mixing and matching over time.

It’s really fascinating. So aren’t a whole lot of crops in the world where such an enormous amount of attention is paid to that fine sort of aroma bit where the breeding target is actually an aromatic profile and not just how do we make it last on the shelf longer, which is kind of a more boring kind of thing to target. So yeah, I think that’s what attracted me to it, is that it’s a little bit like we work in apples and grapes and apples and grapes are kind of those kind of crops, right? It’s got to be something special about the crunch of the apple or the taste of the apple or the smell of that wine, that kind of thing. And cannabis, it’s highly similar, right? It’s unlike a carrot. The thing is, there’s really only three crops in the world where we actually name varieties.

And those varieties or that variety names are well known to the public. When you buy a carrot at the store, you don’t know what variety of carrot it is. Nobody tells you, oh, this is the Caesar carrot. Nobody cares. It’s a carrot. And in potatoes, you’ve got a little bit like you’ve got the Yukon potato, you got the russet potato. There’s a bit in tomatoes, they have shapes and sizes, but you really don’t go with the, you got the cherry tomato in the Roma tomato, but you don’t have names of tomatoes. But in wine, you definitely have names. And Pinot noir has been grown for a thousand years. Clonally propagated for a thousand years, Cabernet, souvignon and convert, and Riesling and so on. All of these names are named varieties. In Apple, we have ’em, honey Crisp, Macintosh Gala, so on. And in cannabis we do, but name another crop in the world where we’ve got that it belongs to a very special subset of things that are so intimately tied with our culture and that we have associated names to specific genetic identities. Unfortunately, that all got screwed up in cannabis where it’s not actually really associated with the genetic identity, but we want to, there’s a desire to, and that’s really unique. It stands on a platform with only a couple of other crops in the world where people really do care which variety they get. That’s something to tap into. That’s amazing. It sits in a very, very unique group of crops, for sure.

TG Branfalt:

A lot of people that I’ve spoken to have sort of projected that the cannabis industry should, and as you sort of mentioned already does in many ways mirror the wine industry. There’s cannabis sommeliers now, for example. Is it the estimation as well that this will ultimately be the look and feel of a sort of mature cannabis industry, especially in Canada, which is obviously going to be decades ahead of the US?

Sean Myles:

Yeah, I think I have a very poor ability to predict the future, but if I were to express a hope, that would certainly be my hope that it would move in that direction. So that strain names were reliable indicators of what’s inside your package, and that the description of the kinds of experiences that you would, or the aromatics and the type of flavor that you would get from a cannabis strain are accurately depicted on the package as well.

TG Branfalt:

And I want to ask you, did broad cannabis legalization in Canada change the landscape for cannabis research in the country?

Sean Myles:

Oh, absolutely. Yeah. No. If you think about how cannabis research gets done in the United States, in fact, I was in the United States when I started investigating the potential of doing some cannabis genetics research and quickly discovered that it was going to be impossible to do anything in

TG Branfalt:

Was at Cornell.

Sean Myles:

I was at Stanford at the time, actually, and that was impossible to do. And so I contacted a Canadian up in, at the time was in Saskatchewan doing research on hemp, and they said, yeah, no problem. I mean, we’re growing the stuff here in our federal research station, and it’s going to become legal soon, so this is going to blow everything up. This is the perfect time to get into this. So since then, yeah, I mean, when you want to do research, especially as an academic, like me, a professor at a university, you want to do research into a crop. Generally, your first step is to go and develop a relationship with industry. And previously you couldn’t do that with Gs, right? You couldn’t say, oh, yeah, well, the new sponsor of my research on this next project is the guy down the road.

You can’t do that. So now that there are real industrial players on board, there’s a lot of industry academic research collaborations that leverage government funding. So the government is putting money into investigating all sorts of things about cannabis, a lot on the medical side too, and the effects that it has, and on the public safety side. So at what age, when should people be consuming? What does it really do to your brain? What levels are dangerous? These sorts of things. And this is all necessary. This is good. So I think it’s good for an industry to do that stuff to get ahead of the ball and make sure that you’re the ones pushing that agenda of, we want to know more about this crop, and we want the public to be aware of what it is. And I think that will all lead to more precise information being given to the consumer, which is, that’s the goal.

TG Branfalt:

What are some of the holes that still persist when it comes to the agricultural side of cannabis research?

Sean Myles:

I think better sampling for sure. We’ve done a couple of these small studies. There’s a couple of other studies that have been done on diverse samples of cannabis to get an idea of what the genetic structure really looks like. How well does the labeling actually reflect the genetic identity of the plants? And these sorts, do strain names make any sense anywhere. Just because we do it in a couple of samples, one from the Netherlands and one from Canada doesn’t mean that it’s the case everywhere. So I think just more broader sampling for sure. And then the next step is to implement those kinds of insights that we’re getting from breeding to generate novel varieties that perform better, that require less chemical input to grow. So one of the big things is to try to introduce powdering mildew resistance into strains. There’s a lot of disease damage in cannabis and a lot of challenges growing in indoors like that and spider mites and things like some kind of resistance to some of the main pests. And then there’s also like auto flowering and things like that. But could we get a better generation time? Could we get more energy in the plant going into the bud rather than vegetative growth? So all these things, those are going to be like the breeding targets of the future going to be how, because it’s become industrial, it is going to be very much, how do we generate more cannabis per square foot?

And I think that’s going to be aided by a lot of this genetics research that’s being done.

TG Branfalt:

And finally, what advice do you have for researchers interested in exploring some of these cannabis topics?

Sean Myles:

I think talk to industry members and find out where the need is, right? It’s nice to be able to do academic research for the sake of doing research, and that’s great. If you got money to do it and it’s all from the government, that’s great, but really, you got to find where the itch is and then go try to scratch it. So if you talk to industry members and they say, look, our biggest problem right now is X, then what can you do to go and try to address X? And that’s the next steps are going to, that’s where the big wins are going to be over the next decade.

TG Branfalt:

It’s really fascinating stuff. There’s, again, not a lot of people really on the forefront of answering these questions, so I really do appreciate you taking the time to come and explain some of these things and really sort of enlighten people. I think about this sort of dichotomy, as it were. Where can people find out more about you and more about the research that you do?

Sean Myles:

Yeah, we’ve got a website for the lab. We’re cultivatingdiversity.org. Dot org. You can check us out. We’re a small lab just doing our thing up here in Canada, and all of our publications are listed there. Most of what we do is work on apples, you’ll see. But it’s good to dip our fingers in the cannabis every once in a while. I mean,

TG Branfalt:

The studies that we’ve done have been cited hundreds and hundreds of times.

Sean Myles:

Yeah, yeah. No, it’s obviously it’s a popular plant to work on. If I did this stuff in quinoa, I don’t think anybody would be very interested. So when you do something, you do research on cannabis and reveal something that’s of interest to the public, then it inevitably produces some public interest. Right.

TG Branfalt:

Well, this has been Dr. Sean Myles. He’s an associate professor of agriculture at Dalhousie University. I really, really appreciate your time coming onto the show, man, and can’t wait to see what else you produce in the future.

Sean Myles:

Yeah, thanks, Tim. Thanks for the chat. I appreciate it.

TG Branfalt:

You can find the episodes of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast in the podcast section of Ganjapreneur.com or wherever you get your podcast. On the Ganjapreneur.com website, you’ll find the latest cannabis news and cannabis jobs Daily, daily, along with transcripts of this podcast. You can also download the Ganjapreneur.com app in iTunes and Google Play. This episode was engineered by Way Sound Studios. I’ve been your host, TG Branfalt.

 

End

California Regulators Destroy Pesticide-Contaminated Hemp

8/23/2024

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The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) recently announced the destruction of hemp grown in 22 greenhouses in Sutter County after an investigation found illegal pesticide residue on the plants. This development comes amid a series of product recalls in the regulated cannabis market, highlighting ongoing concerns about consumer safety and regulatory oversight.

The investigation, led by the Sutter County Agricultural Commissioner (CAC), began with a routine inspection of greenhouses operated by Bin Zheng in May 2024. Subsequent testing by the California Department of Food and Agriculture confirmed improper pesticide use on the hemp, which could have reached the market had it not been destroyed.

DPR worked with the Sutter CAC to ensure the contaminated product was voluntarily destroyed under strict oversight in July 2024. Additionally, Bin Zheng was fined and issued a Notice of Proposed Action for violating pesticide label requirements that prohibit its use on hemp.

It is unclear if the destroyed hemp was being grown for a specific brand or product, though due to the difference in how hemp and cannabis are treated under federal law, many hemp cultivation facilities in the U.S. sell hemp “biomass” across state lines for chemical processing into CBD as well as intoxicating THC variants like delta-8 THC, THCO, and delta-10 THC (which purveyors claim are legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, despite the DEA’s opposite stance). These processed cannabinoids are then re-sold to brands to create products such as gummies and vape products that are sold online, typically with little to zero regulatory oversight.

In a statement, DPR Director Julie Henderson emphasized the importance of prompt enforcement to safeguard public health and the environment. “This action demonstrates California’s commitment to a strong pesticide regulatory program,” she said. This development follows numerous recent cannabis recalls in California, where pesticide misuse and falsification of lab reports have been prominent issues.

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Study: Americans Are Using More Cannabis and Tobacco, Especially Older Adults

8/23/2024

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A study published August 13 in the Addictive Behaviors journal found that the co-use of cannabis and tobacco products by Americans has increased over the last two decades.

The study, outlined in a recent report by Duke University School of Medicine, utilized data from 708,891 adult respondents to the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health from the years 2002-2021. Duke researchers assessed the prevalence among Americans of past 30-day cannabis and tobacco use, exclusive cannabis use, and exclusive tobacco use.

The number of American adults who use both cannabis and tobacco products has increased significantly since 2002 with the increase driven largely by rising rates of overall cannabis use. The prevalence of co-use of cannabis and tobacco particularly increased among older Americans, especially people aged 26-34 and those aged 50 and older. Co-use rates have dropped only for young adults aged 18-25, whose co-use rates stagnated from 2002-2014 and then dropped significantly from 2014-2019.

As of 2021, “the weighted prevalence of cannabis and tobacco co-use was 6.38 %, the weighted prevalence of exclusive cannabis use was 7.28 %, and the weighted prevalence of exclusive tobacco use was 15.01%,” the authors wrote.

“When looking at the 2021 data, younger individuals, people with lower educational attainment and residing in a state with a medical marijuana law, were most likely to report co-use. Trends in cannabis and tobacco co-use prevalence have not been examined in many years while regulatory policy has been changing quite a bit.” — Study lead author Dana Rubenstein, in a statement

Researchers also noted that exclusive cannabis use has been on the rise since 2007 while exclusive tobacco use has declined since 2002.

End

Sacramento Officials Pause Plan to License More Cannabis Dispensaries

8/23/2024

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City officials in Sacramento, California this week paused a proposal seeking to increase the number of cannabis dispensary licenses in the city by 50%, CapRadio reports.

The proposal would have increased the total number of retail cannabis licenses allowed in Sacramento from 40 to 60. Current business owners, however, say the market is too saturated for new licenses. Additionally, members of the council’s law and legislation committee said the city should first determine where the new dispensaries could be located — City Council member Eric Guerra specifically called for changes to the zoning rules for cannabis dispensaries due to concerns that limited space could lead to significant rent increases.

“The zoning has to be done first so that we don’t create an artificial market that gouges everyone,” Guerra said in the report.

Of the city’s 40 authorized retailers, 36 are currently open for business, and Sacramento’s cannabis social equity program — the Cannabis Opportunity Reinvestment and Equity Program (CORE) — reserves 10 of the city’s cannabis permits for applicants who were disproportionately affected by cannabis prohibition. The program aims to facilitate disadvantaged people participating in the industry, including those who live or have lived in low-income Sacramento housing or those who were or had family members who were arrested for cannabis-related crimes.

“I don’t agree with the idea of releasing a bunch of licenses and letting the nature of the industry decide who sinks or swims. Because that wasn’t the mission of the CORE to let people sink. The goal was to give us the opportunity to succeed and create generational wealth.” — Crystal Nugs Dispensary and Delivery CEO Maisha Bahati, via CapRadio

Sacramento is also home to the annual California State Fair, which this year attracted national attention as the first U.S. state fair to allow adult-use cannabis sales and consumption.

End

Gallup Poll: Cannabis is Less Harmful than Alcohol, Tobacco, and Vape Products

8/21/2024

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Americans view cannabis as the least harmful legal drug, according to a recent Gallup poll in which 66% of respondents said it is “very” (26%) or “somewhat” (40%) harmful. Another 22% said cannabis is “not too” harmful, with 10% believing cannabis is “not at all” harmful. 

Among those polled, cigarettes were seen as the most harmful, with 79% of respondents saying they are very harmful and 18% saying they are somewhat harmful. Another 61% said chewing tobacco is very harmful, along with 31% viewing chewing tobacco as somewhat harmful. 

E-cigarettes and vaping were viewed as very harmful by 57% of respondents, with another 34% saying it was somewhat harmful, and 4% saying it is not too harmful. Forty-five percent of respondents said they viewed cigar smoking as very harmful, with 39% viewing the practice as somewhat harmful, while 9% said it is not too harmful and 4% viewed it as not at all harmful. 

Pipe-smoking was viewed as very harmful by 44% of those surveyed, while 40% said it is somewhat harmful, and 7% said it is not too harmful. Another 34% of those polled by Gallup viewed nicotine pouches as very harmful, while 38% viewed the products as somewhat harmful, 10% said the products are not too harmful, with 7% viewing them as not at all harmful. 

A third of those surveyed viewed alcohol as very harmful, with 53% saying it is somewhat harmful, and 8% viewing alcohol as not too harmful.  

The poll also found an increase among Americans who said cannabis negatively impacts society as a whole, with 54% holding that view in the most recent survey compared to 50% in 2022, when 49% of respondents viewed cannabis’ societal impact as positive – a figure that fell to 41% in the poll released on Tuesday.

  

End

South Dakota Increases Medical Cannabis License Fees 70%

8/21/2024

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South Dakota lawmakers on Tuesday voted to increase the price of a medical cannabis business license by nearly 70%, South Dakota Searchlight reports. The 4-1 vote by the Legislature’s Rules Review Committee raises the fee to $9,000 from $5,310. 

Emily Kerr, the state medical cannabis program administrator, told the committee that the fee increase will cover the program’s administrative costs, including three new employees who oversee the program and process medical cannabis card applications, inspect dispensaries and grow operations, and investigate complaints.   

Kerr said that the state is averaging about 13,000 medical cannabis cardholders at any given time and that “the program has grown and been utilized at a rate that was much faster than initially projected.” There are currently 68 dispensaries in operation statewide, along with 38 cultivation sites, 18 manufacturing sites, and two testing laboratories. Each of those businesses, Kerr said, “require thorough review of initial annual renewal applications” and the agency provides “technical guidance and customer service,” as well as an “inspection program to investigate complaints,” and that regulators try to make sure their “getting in there at least annually, if not more.”  

The change is expected to return $346,860 in increased revenue in the first, partial year, and $490,770 in increased revenue in subsequent years. 

End

Mike Tyson’s Cannabis Brand Changes Gummie Shape In Colorado Due to State Ban on Edibles Shaped Like People

8/21/2024

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Mike Tyson’s cannabis company Tyson 2.0 is selling boxing glove-shaped gummies in Colorado due to the state’s ban on cannabis edibles shaped like people, animals, and fruit which bars the brand from selling its gummies shaped like an ear missing a piece of cartilage at the top. The ear-shaped gummies, Holy Ears, are a nod to Tyson’s 1997 boxing match against Evander Holyfield — who partnered with his former foe on the product. Tyson serves as co-founder and chief brand officer of Tyson 2.0.

“We first delivered the Mike Bites ear shaped edibles, which took over the world. These Knockout Gummies represent another step in our mission to make plant-based wellness accessible to all. Whether it be through ears or gloves, I’m always looking for new ways to connect with my fans, and I think these gummies will pack a real punch in Colorado.” — Tyson in a press release 

Mike’s Knockout Gummies launched on Tuesday in Colorado. Holy Ears were first released in 2023. Colorado issued its ban on cannabis edibles that could appeal to children in 2017. Other Tyson 2.0 products, including flower and prerolls have been available in Colorado dispensaries since 2021. 

As part of the product launch, and to mark the November fight between Tyson and Jake Paul, Seven Points Distributors is hosting the TYSON 2.0 Knockout Giveaway Contest. For each purchase of Tyson 2.0 products at participating retailers through September 30, consumers will have the chance to win one of 10 prizes, including: an authentic boxing glove signed by Tyson, and other Tyson 2.0 cannabis pipes and products.  

End

Report: U.S. Cannabis License Application Rates Are Up For First Time In Two Years

8/21/2024

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The number of total approved and pending cannabis industry licenses in the U.S. increased during the second quarter of 2024 for the first time in two years, according to a CRB Monitor report.

Application numbers soared for many types of cannabis licenses during the quarter, including:

  • Retail dispensary licenses, which increased 445% during Q2 2024.
  • Cannabis manufacturing and processing licenses, which increased 119%.
  • Wholesale and distribution licenses, which saw a significant 760% boost during the quarter.
  • Cultivation licenses, which increased 13%.

Only applications for cannabis testing labs and delivery/transport services saw little change during the quarter.

The increase was driven by a surge in new license applications in states like Michigan, New Jersey, and New York. Michigan added nearly 600 new active licenses, increasing its total licensees by 17%, and New York added 221 new active licenses, increasing its total licensees by 48% (marking an 80% increase over the past 12 months), the report said. Additionally, Utah increased its number of active cannabis licenses by 109% during the quarter — Connecticut also increased its active licenses by 51%, New Jersey by 38%, and Illinois by 23%.

While license applications are up, however, Q2 2024 also saw a 2% decline in the total number of active cannabis licenses in the U.S. — the sixth straight quarter of fewer licensees, the report said. Some of the biggest licensing declines were in California (3%) and Oklahoma (10%) thanks to heightened regulations.

 

 

End

Morocco Issues 5,000 Pardons for Cannabis Farming

8/21/2024

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Morocco’s king on Monday pardoned nearly 5,000 people convicted of or wanted for the illegal cultivation of cannabis, Reuters reports.

Mohammed El Guerrouj, head of the National Agency for the Regulation of Activities Relating to Cannabis (ANRAC), said in the report that King Mohammed VI pardoned the individuals to encourage farmers “to engage in the legal process of cannabis cultivation to improve their revenue and living conditions.”

The country’s 2021 medical cannabis law was intended to improve the incomes of farmers, who had held protests over income inequality, and to protect farmers from drug traffickers seeking to exploit the region’s cannabis as an illegal export to Europe.

Moroccan officials issued the country’s first cannabis cultivation permits in 2022 and then issued 54 cannabis export permits in 2023. Moroccan officials say the country’s first legal cannabis harvest in 2023 weighed 294 metric tons — but legal cannabis exports since 2023 have reached just 225 kilograms, Guerrouj said in the report.

Morocco is considered by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to be the world’s largest producer of psychoactive cannabis — but before the medical cannabis policy, Morocco’s cannabis crops would have been primarily processed into hashish.

Earlier this year, South Africa became the first country in Africa to decriminalize cannabis outright.

End

Federal Judge Dismisses Challenge to Wyoming Hemp Ban

8/19/2024

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A federal judge in Wyoming last week dismissed the lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on intoxicating hemp products, WyoFile reports. Judge Kelly Rankin dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought back to the court; however, plaintiffs are appealing the ruling to the 10th Circuit Court. 

In the ruling, Rankin accepted the state’s motion to dismiss for many of the same reasons he dismissed the plaintiff’s request for a temporary injunction. In that ruling, Rankin said the “Public interest is best served” by denying the injunction.  

“The fact that Plaintiffs are unhappy with the substances [the ban] prohibits, does not make the law vague.” — Rankin, in the decision, via WyoFile 

Rankin also ruled the only proper defendants in the case were the Wyoming attorney general and Wyoming Department of Agriculture director and that plaintiffs could not name the governor or state.

The plaintiffs, a group of hemp businesses, had already filed an appeal in the 10th Circuit Court challenging Rankin’s denial of the injunction. 

The ban took effect in July. Under the law, it is illegal to produce, process, or sell hemp or hemp products containing more than 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis when using post‑decarboxylation or similarly reliable testing methods and to add, alter, insert, or otherwise include any synthetic substance into hemp or hemp products produced, processed, or sold. 

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Majority of Minnesota Social Equity Applicants Are Military Veterans or Have Prior Cannabis Convictions

8/19/2024

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Minnesota officials received 1,817 applications for 280 cannabis industry licenses, according to Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) data outlined by MinnPost. The first licenses will be awarded to social equity applicants and the agency has verified 2,307 individuals as such, mostly military veterans and people with previous cannabis-related convictions. 

OCM will next determine whether the applicants meet minimum requirements before they are entered into the lottery. The timing of the lottery will be determined by how long that review process takes.  

Of the social equity applicants, 39% are military veterans, 29% have a previous cannabis conviction, 25% are residents in areas disproportionately impacted by cannabis enforcement, 6% have dependents with prior cannabis convictions, and less than 1% is the dependent of someone with a prior cannabis conviction. 

Minnesota’s cannabis law does not include residency provisions and just over half (50.4%) of applicants had a Minnesota address. 

The majority of business applications submitted were for microbusinesses (32%) and retailers (32%), followed by mezzobusiness (21%), delivery services (9%), cultivators (3%), manufacturers (3%), transporters (1%) and wholesalers (1%).  

The state plans to award 100 microbusiness licenses, 50 testing labs, 38 retailer licenses, 23 mezzobusiness, 20 of each wholesaler and transporter, 10 delivery, and six manufacturers. In instances where there were fewer applicants than licenses, no lottery will be conducted, such as with testing laboratories for which there were just five license requests. 

Adult-use cannabis sales are expected to begin in the state next year.  

End

Cannabis Marketing Association Launches Collaboration with GetCannaFacts

8/19/2024

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The Cannabis Marketing Association (CMA) is partnering with newly launched educational marketing hub GetCannaFacts on a collaboration to equip cannabis brands and retailers with the resources needed to directly educate, inform, engage, and attract new cannabis consumers.  

In a statement, Tatiyana Brooks, co-founder and communication director of GetCannaFacts, said the company’s “mission is to provide marketers with data-driven insights that explicitly address consumers’ wants, limitations and aversions to cannabis and foster sustainable growth by reaching new consumers nationwide.”  

“To improve the industry’s bottom line, we aim to empower businesses to deliver tailored cannabis experiences for each type of consumer – from canna-averse to canna-connoisseurs – and perhaps most importantly, the canna-curious.” — Brooks in a press release  

GetCannaFacts aims to grant marketers, researchers, and business owners access to credible, peer-reviewed content that helps educate nascent consumers in newly legal and maturing markets.   

Lisa Buffo, founder and CEO of Cannabis Marketing Association, added that cannabis marketers often work “hard to dispel entrenched myths that have since been disproven” and “the GetCannaFacts platform makes accessing scientific data in an easy-to-read and understandable format simple for industry communicators.”   

“Cannabis retailers and brands have a deep desire to connect with and educate consumers about the facts concerning cannabis,” Buffo said in a statement, “but we constantly hear from our members about the difficulties of reaching the canna-curious and the canna-averse.”   

As part of the collaboration, CMA members can get access to the GetCannaFacts platform for $99 annually.  

End

Medical Cannabis Legalization Takes Effect in Ukraine

8/19/2024

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Ukraine’s medical cannabis legalization policy took effect last Friday, August 16, the Kyiv Independent reports. The change in cannabis policy comes as the country continues to defend itself against Russia, which launched an invasion against its neighbor Ukraine more than two years ago.

Under the policy, military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cancer patients are allowed to purchase and utilize medical cannabis so long as it is prescribed by a doctor. Experts say that about 30% of soldiers in Ukraine may be impacted by PTSD and the Ukrainian Electronic Healthcare System (EHS) indicates a significant increase in the number of PTSD patients in the last two years, the report said.

“Cannabis, its resin, extracts, and tinctures are excluded from the list of particularly dangerous substances. Previously, their circulation was prohibited — now it is allowed, but with certain restrictions. In order to ensure the cultivation of medical cannabis in Ukraine, licensing conditions have been developed, which will soon be considered by the Cabinet of Ministers. Also, the entire chain of circulation of medical cannabis, from import or cultivation to dispensing to a patient in a pharmacy, will be subject to license control.” — Ministry of Health statement, via Marijuana Moment

The legalization policy was passed by lawmakers in December 2023 and signed into law by President Volodymyr Zelensky — who called for legalizing medical cannabis during his 2019 presidential election campaign — in February 2024.

End

Florida Polls Disagree on Cannabis Legalization Vote’s Chances

8/19/2024

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Two different polls in Florida are in disagreement regarding the fate of Amendment 3, the state’s cannabis legalization amendment that is set to appear before voters this November. If approved, Amendment 3 would add the legalization of adult-use cannabis to the state’s Constitution and would allow current medical cannabis dispensaries to sell adult-use products.

One poll by Florida Atlantic University found a 56% majority of registered voters said they plan to vote yes on the initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis. Because the initiative calls for a constitutional amendment, however, the measure requires at least 60% support to pass. Meanwhile, 29% of voters said they would vote no on the measure, with 15% undecided. The poll was held from August 10-11 and sampled 1,055 registered Florida voters with a +/- 3% margin of error.

However, another poll conducted from August 7-11 by 7News and Suffolk University found that 63% of voters responded “yes” to the question “Should recreational marijuana be legalized?” The survey questioned 500 likely Florida general election voters in both English and Spanish with a +/- 4.4% margin of error, according to the pollsters.

“The marijuana questions has wide support across all demographics,” David Paleologos, director of Suffolk University Political Research Center, said in the report.

Of the two polls, the 7News/Suffolk University poll is more in line with other recent poll results:

  • A poll last month found that 64% of voters supported the reforms.
  • Some weeks before that, another poll found 64% voter support for the reforms.
  • A FOX News poll in June found that 66% of voters said they would vote yes on the legalization amendment.

However, another poll from even earlier this year — published in April — found voter support lacking for the reforms at just 49% in favor.

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Ohio Dispensaries Generate $11.5+ Million During First Five Days of Adult-Use Sales

8/16/2024

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Ohio cannabis dispensaries with provisional dual-use licenses, which allow operators to conduct both medical and adult-use sales, sold more than $11.5 million worth of adult-use cannabis products during the first five days of legal sales, according to data from the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control.

The dual-use licenses were issued earlier this month and licensees were permitted to begin adult-use sales starting August 6. Five days later, cannabis retailers posted 138,466 receipts for the week totaling more than $11.5 million. Additionally, dispensaries sold about $1.9 million worth of medical cannabis products during the same time period, WKYC reports.

Kathleen Olivastro, the senior vice president of Ascend Wellness Holdings, said in a FOX 8 report the community has been enthusiastic about the launch of recreational sales.

“Since transitioning the first four of our stores, we’ve seen an initial revenue surge by at least three times previous sales and in some cases even higher multipliers. The excitement is palpable, and we look forward to watching this momentum continue to build as we serve our customers.” — Olivastro, via FOX 8

The surge in sales suggests that Ohio’s total cannabis sales could reach nearly $1.3 billion for the year, Cannabis Business Times reported.

Ohio voters approved the state’s adult-use legalization policy in November 2023 and the policy took effect in December. Under the law, adults aged 21 and older are allowed to purchase and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and/or up to 15 grams of cannabis concentrate. Additionally, adults can home-grow up to six cannabis plants for personal use.

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Report: Global Hemp Market to Grow by $13.9B from 2023-2028

8/16/2024

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The international industrial hemp market is projected to grow by USD 13.90 billion between 2023 and 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 25.25%, according to a Technavio analysis of international hemp market data from 2018 to 2022.

The report predicts year-over-year growth for the industrial hemp market this year at just under 19% and highlights the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region as the world’s fastest-growing hemp market, responsible for about 39% of the predicted growth during the total forecast period.

While hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing primarily CBD or delta-8 THC have attracted much attention in the U.S. since hemp was federally legalized there in 2018, industrial hemp and its numerous byproducts stand to disrupt a much wider range of industries on a global scale. The hemp market’s expected growth, according to the report, is primarily driven by the crop’s textile potential due to the natural durability of hemp fiber and the material’s ability to replace cotton and synthetic fibers. Hemp is also easier to grow and has a smaller environmental impact than cotton crops, and hemp-based textiles are typically used in the manufacture of rope, canvas, clothing, and even furniture.

Hemp can also be used as a biofuel and source of renewable energy, while hemp seeds and hemp seed oil — which are a reliable, vegan, and protein-rich source of important nutrients including linoleic acids, lipids, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids — are frequent ingredients in health supplements and other organic food products.

 

 

End

Tilray Brands Acquires 4 Craft Breweries from Molson Coors

8/14/2024

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Tilray Brands, Inc., owner of cannabis brands Tilray, Aphria, Broken Coast, Symbios, and Navcora, on Tuesday announced it has agreed to acquire four craft breweries from Molson Coors Beverage Company, including Hop Valley Brewing Company, Terrapin Beer Co., Revolver Brewing, and Atwater Brewery.  

The firm’s portfolio already holds craft beers, including SweetWater Brewing Company, Montauk Brewing Company, Alpine Beer Company, Green Flash Brewing Company, Shock Top, Breckenridge Brewery, Breckenridge Distillery, Blue Point Brewing Company, 10 Barrel Brewing Company, Redhook Brewing Company, Widmer Brothers Brewing, along with craft cider Square Mile Cider Company, energy drink brand HiBall Energy, and the hemp-derived Happy Flower CBD sparkling cocktail brand.

In a press release, Irwin D. Simon, Tilray chairman and CEO, said the company “plans to continue to invest in the future of these craft breweries, accelerating their growth and capturing a wide range of new market opportunities.”

“Tilray Brands is proud to be driving the most compelling and unique growth story in the craft beer industry. With the acquisition of these four craft breweries from Molson Coors, we are marking another strategic milestone in Tilray Brands’ growth plan. Our team’s expertise in operational excellence will enable us to unlock the full potential of these brands and businesses. We are confident in our ability to drive revenue, generate cost synergies, and expand national distribution reinforcing our leadership position in craft beer resulting in tremendous growth opportunities for our global beverage business.” — Simon in a statement

Ty Gilmore, president of Tilray Beverages, North America added that the additions “will play a pivotal role in the growth of Tilray Beverages” and cements Tilray as the top craft brewer in the Pacific Northwest and Georgia and anchors the company’s craft brands in Texas and Michigan.

“As we move forward, we will leverage our extensive expertise in product innovation and distribution to unlock the full potential of these brands, strengthen their sales and operations, and expand their reach into key markets across the U.S.,” Gilmore said.

End

Two North Dakota Medical Cannabis Companies Donated Bulk of Legalization Campaign’s Funding

8/14/2024

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Two organizations linked to North Dakota medical cannabis companies have contributed the bulk of the funds to New Economic Frontier, the campaign spearheading the cannabis legalization initiative in the state, the North Dakota Monitor reports. The Secretary of State’s Office announced on Monday the question will appear on November ballots.  

Pure Dakota Health, which operates a chain of three medical cannabis dispensaries in the state, has contributed about $247,000 in regular and in-kind donations to the campaign, according to campaign finance reports outlined by the Monitor, while GR Holding OH-ND LLC, a company associated with multistate cannabis company Curaleaf, donated $40,000. Curaleaf operates four medical cannabis dispensaries in North Dakota.  

There has been only $130 in small-dollar donations collected by the campaign outside of the $287,000 donated by the medical cannabis operators.  

Steven Bakken, chair of New Economic Frontier, told the Monitor that any business, including North Dakota’s medical cannabis providers, would have a chance to apply for adult-use cannabis permits, if the measure passes. 

Paul Chialdikas, senior vice president and central region lead for Curaleaf, said in a statement that the firm has helped other states transition from medical to adult-use markets in the past and has “the infrastructure and expertise to provide a diverse assortment of safe, tested products to adult-use consumers and medical patients alike if the initiative passes.” 

Medical cannabis sales in the state have increased from about $6.4 million in 2020 to $21.6 million in 2023, according to a 2023 Department of Health and Human Services annual report outlined by the Monitor. Those sales have resulted in more than $2.1 million in medical cannabis fees collected during the 2021-23 biennium.

More than 9,500 North Dakota patients were enrolled as of June 30, 2023. 

End

Maine Public Utilities Commission Rejects Plan to Report High Electricity Use to Police

8/14/2024

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The Maine Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday rejected an electric utility’s proposal to proactively report high electricity consumption – which could signal unlawful cannabis cultivation – to police, the Associated Press reports. The three-member panel declined to implement the proposal due to concerns that customers using large amounts of electricity for legitimate purposes could be targeted by police because of the reports.  

The scheme was proposed by Versant Power, who told the panel that the company has a high success rate of identifying illegal cannabis cultivation based on electricity consumption but have no way to communicate that to the police.  

Following the decision, Versant spokesperson Judy Long said the plan was “strictly in the interest of public and worker safety.”  

“After the discussion and today’s ruling in that docket, we have clear direction from the commission, and we will remain vigilant in protecting customers’ private information while continuing to work as mandated with law enforcement.” — Long via the AP 

The proposal was backed by Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster and Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. Law enforcement officials in Maine have been attempting to target illicit cultivation operations in the state in which rural homes are gutted and turned into high-yield indoor cannabis farms, the report says, adding that dozens of the illegal grows have been busted in the state.

End

California Taskforce Seizes 2.2 Million Illicit Cannabis Packages

8/14/2024

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The Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) in California seized more than 2.2 million illicit cannabis packages during a recent sting operation in Los Angeles, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) office announced on Tuesday.

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration led the operation with assistance from the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) and other state agencies. The operation targeted 11 storefronts in the Los Angeles Toy District; the businesses were also manufacturing and selling “bulk packaging used in the illicit cannabis market to deceive customers and thwart state safety and quality regulations,” according to a press release.

In total, law enforcement seized 2,279,000 contraband packages and 31 banker boxes and garbage bags filled with cannabis.

The governor’s office said many of the illegal products were marked with the California symbol designating legal cannabis, while others resembled popular food and candy products that could be appealing to children.

“California is committed to supporting our safe and legal cannabis market. We will not tolerate criminal activity that undermines the legal market, especially when it puts children at risk. This successful operation in the Toy District reinforces our commitment and sends a clear warning to criminals choosing to operate outside the safer legal industry.” — Newsom, in a press release

“Illegal [cannabis] packaging is dangerous to consumers, especially when it is ripping off well-known brands that are attractive to children, and needs to be removed from the marketplace,” DCC Director Nicole Elliott said in a statement.

Earlier this month, UCETF announced the task force has seized over $120 million worth of illicit cannabis products since January.

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North Dakota Cannabis Legalization Initiative Approved for November Ballots

8/14/2024

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The ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis in North Dakota has qualified for the November election, the Associated Press reports.

Advocates with New Economic Frontier, the group sponsoring the legalization proposal measure, submitted more than 22,000 signatures in July. On Monday, Secretary of State Michael Howe said that officials verified nearly 19,000 signatures — more than enough to qualify the initiative for voter consideration.

If approved by voters, the proposal would legalize the personal use, possession, and cultivation of cannabis by adults aged 21 and older. The policy would also set purchasing and possession caps at one ounce of dried cannabis flower and four grams of cannabis concentrates. The rules would also set limits of 1,500 milligrams of total THC in a single product and 300 milligrams in edible form.

Burleigh County Commissioner Steve Bakken argued in the report that legalizing cannabis would free up police resources to tackle more important issues, such as fentanyl and the opioid epidemic. State Rep. Matt Ruby (R), who sat on the sponsoring committee, said “Our goal now is to educate voters on why we believe this to be a great step forward for our state.

North Dakota voters approved a medical cannabis legalization policy in 2016 but rejected an adult-use proposal 55%-46% in 2022, and voted down a similar measure 59%-41% in 2018.

“The people of North Dakota soundly rejected the idea of recreational marijuana in 2018 and 2022, but here they are again,” said Patrick Finken, who chairs the Brighter Future Alliance, an organization opposed to the reforms, the report said.

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Minnesota Law Banning Cannabis Smoking in Multi-Unit Dwellings Now in Effect

8/12/2024

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A Minnesota law barring cannabis smoking in multifamily homes – defined as those with at least three units – is now in effect, FOX 9 reports. The law does provide exceptions for medical cannabis patients. 

Under the law, landlords are responsible for reporting violators of the law to the Office of Cannabis Management which can impose a $250 fine for each violation; however, there are more than 40,000 medical cannabis patients in Minnesota, so enforcing the smoke-free policy could be tricky.  

Cecil Smith, CEO of Minnesota Multi Housing Association, told FOX 9 that “Obviously there’s going to be some tension that’s going to arise when people have an expectation of a smoke-free building, and they’re smelling weed.” 

In an interview with FOX 9, Kayla Fearing, of Healing Fear Consulting who lives in a multi-family unit, called the law “very discriminatory” adding that, technically, she needs to drive 15 minutes from her home if she wants to smoke cannabis.  

“They’re trying to find places, whether it’s a private trail, places that they can smoke that are in public, that aren’t necessarily ‘in public.’” — Fearing to FOX 9 

Fearing, though, said that “if your neighbors don’t want you smoking, don’t smoke.” 

“I think we just got to be respectful of people,” she said.

Under the law, lawsuits can also be filed against landlords and homeowners’ associations that fail to enforce the policies. 

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Delaware to Begin Accepting Adult-Use Cannabis Industry Applications August 19

8/12/2024

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Delaware officials will begin accepting adult-use cannabis license applications next week, Monday, August 19, Delaware Public Media reports. Once an application is deemed eligible, it will be put into a lottery set to take place in October.  

Under the state’s adult-use law, the state will award 60 cultivation licenses, 30 manufacturing licenses, 30 retail licenses, and 5 testing facility licenses. Applications are required to include a comprehensive business plan, safety and security plans, operations, training, and staffing plans, and whether the applicant has any criminal, civil, or regulatory experience. 

A portion of each license category is designated for micro license applicants and 47 for social equity applicants. The state has already conducted and closed the pre-screening process for social equity applicants but is still accepting applications from applicants who believe they would qualify for a social equity license under the state’s definitions. The state has earmarked $6.2 million for social equity applicants, including $4.2 million from industry application fees and another $2 million allocated by state lawmakers.  

The Office of the Marijuana Commissioner plans to begin awarding cultivation and manufacturing licenses before the end of the year with retail and testing licenses expected by early next year.  

Delaware legalized cannabis for adult use last year. 

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