Insights

LOS ANGELES-- Two investors of California-based cannabis brand Cookies have filed a lawsuit alleging that its leaders have been engaging in threats, violence, and financial kickbacks to enrich themselves at the expense of the company's shareholders. The suit names Cookies CEO, Gilbert Milam (also known as Berner), President Parker Berling, CFO Ian Habenicht, board member ...

LOS ANGELES-- April 20th, also known as 4/20, has come and gone, and it looks like it was a record-breaking year for the cannabis industry. According to industry data, this year's 4/20 was the busiest in history for dispensaries by average transaction count. Flowhub, a cannabis retail management platform, reported a 5% increase in average ...

OREGON-- Oregon has become the first state in the US to implement a regulatory framework for the production of psilocybin products and the provision of psilocybin services. The state's regulatory framework was created by M109, the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act. On April 18, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced that it had licensed the first ...

LOS ANGELES-- Over the past few weeks, several states in the United States have been making strides in the area of psychedelic drug regulation, specifically around the compound psilocybin found in magic mushrooms. Three states have been particularly active in this space: Hawaii, Iowa, and Washington. Hawaii’s legislature introduced HB 1340 in January 2023, which ...

LOS ANGELES-- Tech firms tracking sales in the cannabis industry are predicting a "massive" sales day for retailers on April 20th, also known as 4/20, which they have dubbed the industry's Super Bowl or Black Friday. Socrates Rosenfeld, CEO of I Heart Jane, a California-based tech platform helping marijuana retailers, expects a 100% increase in ...

LOS ANGELES-- Cannabis vape pens have emerged as one of the most popular cannabis products due to their convenience, ease of use, and discreetness. According to a report by Headset, vapes were the second-most popular cannabis category, behind only flower, accounting for 23.6% of total sales in 2022. Among US states, Illinois had the largest ...

LOS ANGELES-- Colorado's first-ever psychedelics advisory board meeting took place last week to establish a regulated access scheme for mind-bending therapeutics, which were approved by voters in November. The board's initial focus, however, is on questions rather than answers, with the advisory board having until Sept. 30 to make its initial recommendations. The Natural Medicine ...

LOS ANGELES- In recent years, the cannabis industry has experienced tremendous growth, with more and more states legalizing both recreational and medical cannabis use. With this growth, there has been an increasing demand for cannabis products that are potent and reliable. As a result, many cannabis brands have turned to lab shopping, a practice in ...

LOS ANGELES-- Barky AI and Highten have joined forces to launch Canna-GPT, the world's first Cannabis AI chatbot. With a goal of democratizing cannabis education, the new AI chatbot interface makes it easier for users to ask questions and obtain information about cannabis. Users can simply type their cannabis-related questions into the app and receive ...

LOS ANGELES -- A recent survey conducted by Finland's Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) revealed that attitudes towards cannabis use and possession are changing among the Finnish population. According to YLE News, 53% of respondents said that cannabis use and possession should not be considered a criminal offense. This is a considerable increase from ...

Vertical Disintegration - Who Eats Who? Young America Capital’s investment bankers Jon Lunsford and Sean Santa have published the first of three articles examining vertical disintegration from the standpoint of those raising private capital for cannabis firms and advising them on mergers and acquisitions.  The term is counterintuitive, they write, especially to those who appreciate ...

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, ...