Insights
Delaware Awards First Cannabis Cultivation and Manufacturing Licenses in Initial Lottery
LOS ANGELES- Delaware has initiated its adult-use cannabis licensing process, awarding the first cultivation and manufacturing permits through a lottery held on October 24, 2024. This inaugural lottery, organized by the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC), drew from over 1,260 applications to randomly allocate licenses across cultivation, manufacturing, and social equity categories for the ...
Older Adults Increasingly Turn to Cannabis for Pain and Sleep Relief
LOS ANGELES- A growing number of older adults in the U.S. are turning to cannabis for managing sleep disturbances and chronic pain relief, especially as cannabis gains legal and social acceptance. Recent studies suggest that 21% of people aged 50 and older have used cannabis in the past year, with primary reasons including pain management, improved ...
What Is The Clean Label Movement: How Does It Apply To Cannabis?
LOS ANGELES — The clean label movement, which has transformed the food, beverage, and wellness industries, is also becoming a vital focus within the cannabis sector. Today’s consumers are informed, health-conscious, and increasingly demand transparency not only in what goes into their products but how they are produced. Cannabis companies are now being called upon ...
Mastering Employee Compliance: Navigating State-Specific Complexities in Cannabis
LOS ANGELES — Operating a cannabis business in the U.S. requires more than just understanding the industry's shifting landscape; it demands staying ahead of ever-evolving, state-specific regulations. Nowhere is this more critical than in managing regulatory employee compliance, where failure to adapt can lead to costly setbacks. With states like New Jersey, New York, and ...
Mastering the Cannabis Market: 4 Key Strategies for Cultivation Success with BigMike
LOS ANGELES — The U.S. cannabis industry, projected to reach nearly $40 billion by the nearing close of 2024, presents both substantial opportunities and escalating challenges for cultivators. With rising competition, price compression, and increasing compliance costs, particularly in saturated markets like California, Colorado, and Oregon, profitability is no longer guaranteed by product quality alone. ...
The Normalization of Cannabis: Insights from California’s Consumption Lounges
LOS ANGELES — Cannabis has come a long way from its stigmatized past, with consumption lounges playing a pivotal role in normalizing its use. In California, legalization of these lounges is reshaping how consumers interact with cannabis, providing safe, regulated environments for enjoyment and education. This article explores the history, growth, and future of cannabis ...
Florida Chamber of Commerce Launches Campaign Against Cannabis Legalization Amendment
LOS ANGELES- The Florida Chamber of Commerce has launched an online campaign opposing Amendment 3, a ballot initiative that could legalize adult-use cannabis in the state. Through its website, flbizagainsta3.com, the Chamber aims to educate voters on what it views as the economic and social risks of cannabis legalization. The campaign is spearheaded by the ...
Kamala Harris Pledges to Federally Legalize Cannabis
LOS ANGELES- Vice President Kamala Harris has announced a commitment to federally legalize cannabis if elected in the 2024 presidential race. Her campaign emphasizes that legalizing recreational cannabis will address systemic inequalities, particularly those affecting Black men who have been disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of cannabis laws. Harris' proposal is part of a broader ...
Nebraska Officials Scrutinize Medical Cannabis Petition Signatures
LOS ANGELES- Nebraska state officials are questioning the validity of signatures supporting two medical cannabis ballot initiatives, sparking a legal battle over whether the measures should remain on the upcoming November ballot. Secretary of State Bob Evnen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers have raised concerns about the legitimacy of roughly 49,000 signatures on each petition, ...
Delaware Receives Over 1,200 Cannabis Business License Applications Ahead of Market Launch
LOS ANGELES- Delaware officials have received 1,269 applications for cannabis business licenses, significantly surpassing expectations, as the state prepares to launch its adult-use cannabis market. The Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) opened the application window from August 19 to September 30, collecting approximately $4.1 million in fees. The high demand has prompted the state ...
Missouri Health Department Requests $877K to Enforce Hemp Product Ban
LOS ANGELES- The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has requested $877,000 to fund the enforcement of Gov. Mike Parson’s ban on intoxicating hemp products. The request is part of a preliminary budget for the upcoming fiscal year and would be available if approved by lawmakers in the state's budget by May 2024. ...
Opinion: The Spectacular Fall From Grace of California Cannabis
LOS ANGELES-California cannabis’ fall from grace has been nothing short of spectacular. High taxes and fees, local bans, contaminated products making it to market, and misdemeanor penalties for commercial-scale unlicensed grows have hurt the regulated marketplace and emboldened an increasingly organized underground. Far from the idyllic personification of mom-and-pop growers bucking the system to provide ...
Trulieve Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Florida GOP Over Cannabis Legalization Ads
LOS ANGELES- Trulieve, Florida's largest medical cannabis operator, filed a defamation lawsuit against the Republican Party of Florida on Wednesday, accusing the party of spreading misleading advertisements about Amendment 3. The amendment, which will appear on the ballot in November, seeks to legalize cannabis for adults aged 21 and older. The lawsuit claims that a ...
How Advanced Nutrients is Unlocking Profit Potential for Cultivators
LOS ANGELES — In the competitive world of cannabis cultivation, plant health has become synonymous with profitability. As the industry matures and consumer expectations rise, the pressure on cultivators to consistently produce high-quality cannabis has never been greater. At the heart of this challenge lies a critical but often overlooked factor: plant stress. Early Nutrient ...
Arizona Court Rules THC Metabolites Alone Cannot Justify License Suspension
LOS ANGELES- The Arizona Court of Appeals has ruled that the presence of THC metabolites in a driver’s bloodstream is not sufficient grounds for suspending their driver’s license unless the driver is shown to be impaired. This decision, made in the case of Aaron Kirsten, upholds provisions in the 2020 voter-approved cannabis legalization law, Proposition ...
Vermont Halts New Cannabis Retail Licenses
LOS ANGELES- Vermont's Cannabis Control Board has temporarily stopped accepting new retail cannabis license applications, citing concerns about market saturation in certain regions. The pause, which takes effect on October 25, comes after issuing just over 90 retail licenses in less than two years. The Board aims to reassess market dynamics and will draft new ...
FBI Data: Over 200,000 Arrests for Cannabis Possession in 2023
LOS ANGELES- Despite growing momentum for cannabis legalization in the U.S., over 200,000 people were arrested for cannabis possession in 2023, according to new data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting system. The report, which covers 94% of the U.S. population, shows that 84% of the cannabis-related arrests were for possession alone. The data also ...
Harris’s Comments Over Cannabis Reform in the 2024 Presidential Race
LOS ANGELES- Harris's comments come amid a broader debate over cannabis reform in the 2024 presidential race. While Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz has suggested that cannabis legalization should be handled by individual states, Harris's stance signals a push for federal-level reform. Walz has emphasized the need for incremental steps, such as allowing veterans access ...
Los Angeles County Targets Unlicensed Cannabis Dispensaries with “Deplatforming” Motion
LOS ANGELES- Los Angeles County has approved a new initiative aimed at reducing the visibility of unlicensed cannabis dispensaries on major online platforms such as Google and Yelp. The motion, introduced by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and passed by the Board of Supervisors, seeks to address the ongoing issues posed by illegal cannabis operations in the ...
Colorado’s Cannabis Market Faces Decline Amid National Expansion
LOS ANGELES- Colorado, once a leader in the legal cannabis market, is now grappling with declining sales and tax revenues. A report from the state's Legislative Council Staff attributes this downturn to market saturation, oversupply, and the expansion of cannabis legalization in other states. The state’s cannabis market has contracted by 17% among licensed growers, ...
Allegations of Predatory Contracts Surface in Missouri’s Social Equity Cannabis Program
LOS ANGELES- Missouri’s social equity cannabis licensing program faces scrutiny amid allegations of predatory investor contracts. Designed to benefit disadvantaged individuals, the program has seen reports of investors using deceptive agreements to gain control of licenses meant for marginalized groups. Destiny Brown, one of 16 winners of a microbusiness dispensary license, claims she unknowingly signed ...
Georgia Pharmacy Defies Federal Ban, Sells Low-THC Cannabis Products
LOS ANGELES- A licensed pharmacy in Augusta, Georgia, has begun selling low-THC cannabis products, directly challenging federal regulations enforced by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Living Well Pharmacy, owned by Vic Johnson, is one of the 40 pharmacies approved under Georgia's 2019 medical marijuana law to dispense cannabis with a THC content of 5% ...
Critical Factors for Optimizing the Employee Lifecycle in Cannabis Businesses
LOS ANGELES — The cannabis industry is rapidly growing, fueled by increasing legalization and broader societal acceptance. With this growth comes a unique set of challenges, especially in the realm of human resources. For cannabis businesses, managing the employee lifecycle—from hiring to retirement—requires not only adherence to complex regulations when it comes to their employees, ...
South Carolina AG Confirms Legality of Hemp-Derived THC Beverages
LOS ANGELES- South Carolina Solicitor General Robert D. Cook issued a legal opinion on Sept. 16, affirming that nonalcoholic beverages containing hemp-derived delta-9 THC are legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, provided they contain no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight. The opinion was in response to a request from South Carolina House Speaker ...
The High Stakes of Cutting Corners in Regulatory Employee Compliance
LOS ANGELES — In the cannabis industry, regulatory compliance is not a mere formality, but it’s a vital safeguard against financial losses, legal challenges, and operational disruptions. An often overlooked yet incredibly high-stakes area of cannabis business operations is regulatory employee compliance management. While compliance is notoriously complex for cannabis businesses, failing to stay in ...
