Insights

LOS ANGELES-- As the stock market struggles, the cannabis industry is booming with higher than ever consumer demand. Industry leaders gathered at the recent Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Miami to discuss strategies and insights for success. To capture a variety of consumers, companies need to understand their audience and offer a diverse range of ...

LOS ANGELES-- According to the latest report from New Frontier Data, the cannabis industry in legal markets reached $35 billion in 2022, while total demand in both legal and illicit markets was estimated to be closer to $460 billion. The Cannabis Capital: 2023 Industry Market Report also found that the North American market is still ...

LOS ANGELES--Curaleaf Holdings, an international provider of consumer cannabis products, has expressed its disappointment with the decision made by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission's Board (CRC Board) to deny the renewal of its cultivation and retail licenses for adult-use. The CRC Board's decision overruled the Commission's own staff recommendation that Curaleaf's licenses be renewed. ...

LOS ANGELES-- Curaleaf Holdings, an international provider of consumer cannabis products, has expressed its disappointment with the decision made by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission's Board (CRC Board) to deny the renewal of its cultivation and retail licenses for adult-use. The CRC Board's decision overruled the Commission's own staff recommendation that Curaleaf's licenses be ...

LOS ANGELES-- A group of cannabis institutions, programs, and educators have teamed up to establish The National Association for Marijuana and Cannabis Educators (NAMCE). The nonprofit organization's primary goal is to strengthen the quality and standards of cannabis educators in order to create safer outcomes for consumers and promote employment within the industry. NAMCE's founder, ...

LOS ANGELES-- Portland, Oregon has been named America's most weed-friendly city, according to a new survey by online publications Real Estate Witch and Leafly. The report analyzed various factors, such as the legality of weed, dispensary data, and prices to rank the best places for cannabis in 2023. Portland boasts the most affordable cannabis prices ...

MARYLAND-- Maryland lawmakers have passed a bill that will legalize recreational cannabis sales starting on July 1, 2023. The new law will allow the state's existing 102 medical cannabis operators to have first access to recreational sales, but hundreds of other businesses will also be allowed to enter the market. The Baltimore Banner reported that ...

LOS ANGELES-- The legal cannabis industry in the United States generated over $26 billion in sales last year, according to the 2023 Vangst Jobs Report. The report, released by Vangst, a leading cannabis industry jobs platform, found that there are now 417,493 full-time equivalent jobs supported by the legal cannabis industry in the country. This ...

NEW YORK--As MJ Unpacked, the premier event for the cannabis industry, gears up to take the stage in New York City from April 26-28, the East Coast cannabis market is poised for massive growth. However, despite the exciting prospects ahead, the industry faces significant challenges, particularly when it comes to issues of social equity and ...

LOS ANGELES-- ACT Laboratories and SC Labs, two of the largest cannabis testing labs in the United States, have joined forces to introduce the Trust In Testing Certification. This initiative establishes a national set of strict quality standards for cannabis testing, which will help operators unify their testing protocols across their multi-state footprints and provide ...

KENTUCKY-- Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 47 into law on Friday, allowing private industry to sell cannabis beginning in 2025. This move puts Kentucky on the map in the modern cannabis industry, and it was hailed as a win for cannabis reform by cannabis advocates. The bill, which passed in the state House ...

NEW YORK-- One of the few legal cannabis retailers in New York state, Union Square Travel Agency, has added THC potency disclaimers to its products due to inaccuracies in the current lab testing system. The flawed system is responsible for determining cannabis product potency, which is displayed on labels for customers to see. The disclaimers ...

MISSOURI-- Since the launch of recreational cannabis sales in Missouri, the state has experienced a surge in demand that has caused prices to skyrocket. Within two months of the launch, cultivators have struggled to meet the overwhelming demand, resulting in higher production costs for manufacturers and steeper prices for consumers at dispensaries. As a result, ...

VANCOVER-- Andira Pharmaceuticals has partnered with the University of British Columbia (UBC) to conduct a pharmacologic characterization of its lead compounds for metastatic breast cancer. The collaborative research program will be headed by Dr. Karla Williams, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Oncology, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar, and Assistant Professor at the UBC ...

Hui-lin Lifrom 100 AD The Chinese botanist noted the medical properties of the plant for inducing sleep in pained patients, paving the way for surgical anesthetic. The chinese term for anesthesia- mázui- literally means ‘cannabis intoxication.’   Nicholas Culpeper  1616-1654  "The British herbalist Nicholas Culpeper (1616–1654) wrote ‘The English Physitian’ that hemp extract can assist ...

MISSISSIPI-- Mississippi’s medical cannabis industry is set to see some changes, following the final approval of a new bill that aims to make life easier for the state’s medical cannabis operators. House Bill 1158, passed by both chambers as of last week, now awaits Governor Tate Reeves’ signature. The bill comes less than three months ...

AUSTISN-- The SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, known for its focus on cutting-edge tech, music, and film, also hosted a cannabis track of sessions this year, along with a psychedelics track for the first time. During the cannabis track, consultant Andrew DeAngelo challenged his panelists for answers on why federal legalization had not seen any ...

LOS ANGELES-- A recent study published in the journal Hospital Pediatrics has revealed that a disproportionate number of Hispanic or African American patients are subjected to Cannabis-specific drug screening during the labor and delivery process. The study, conducted by researchers from Harvard Medical School, analyzed the characteristics of 1,924 patients who underwent peripartum toxicology testing ...

LOS ANGELES-- A new study has found that medical cannabis products are generally well-tolerated and can lead to significant improvements in the health-related quality of life of patients. The research, published in the journal Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, assessed the safety and efficacy of cannabis-derived products in 2,833 patients enrolled in the UK Medical ...

OKLAHOMA--Oklahoma voters have rejected a ballot initiative that would have legalized adult-use cannabis in the state. State Question 820, which would have allowed adults aged 21 and over to possess, cultivate, and purchase cannabis for recreational use, was defeated in a vote that saw nearly 62% of voters say no. Despite support from several high-profile ...

LOS ANGELES-- Women-owned and operated cannabis companies have been facing difficulty in securing funding equal to their male counterparts. In 2022, only 1.9% of funding went to women-led or owned startups, highlighting a major funding gap. Many women entrepreneurs struggle with the unfamiliar language of the fundraising process and lack access to the same resources ...

LOS ANGELES-- Adastra Holdings, based in British Columbia, has announced that it has been granted permission by the Canadian federal government to sell both cocaine and psilocybin. However, Health Canada, the federal agency governing the nation's cannabis industry, clarified that sales would only be permitted to pharmacies, hospitals, and researchers. The license allows the company ...

Grower Essentials:  The Gas Lantern Technique   Cannabis cultivation - and agriculture in general - go back thousands of years. And while incredible technological advances have been made, even more so recently, there are some tried and true methods that generation after generation of farmers continue to embrace. As the old adage goes - if ...

WASHINGTON-- American Weed Co, a new cannabis company owned and operated by veterans, has announced it will devote a portion of its revenue to combating the epidemic of veteran suicide and modernizing outdated federal cannabis policies. Co-founders and co-CEOs, Ryan Brooks and Sean Gilfillan, have announced that they will travel to Washington, D.C., next week ...