Legal Affairs
Massachusetts Tops $9 Billion in Cannabis Sales, Eyes Cultivation License Freeze
BOSTON – Massachusetts adult-use Cannabis retailers have surpassed $9 billion in gross sales since the market launched in late 2018, according to the state's Cannabis Control Commission. The milestone was reached on February 4, driven ...
What Does Cannabis 3.0 Actually Mean?
LOS ANGELES- If Cannabis 1.0 was legalization and survival, and Cannabis 2.0 was scale and brand proliferation, Cannabis 3.0 is something far more structural. It is the shift from product velocity to process discipline. From ...
Organigram Strikes Deal to Acquire Sanity Group
TORONTO-BERLIN – Organigram Global Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the remaining shares of Berlin-based Sanity Group GmbH that it does not already hold. The transaction builds on Organigram's earlier minority stake and ...
The Garden Returns: Spiritual Plants Launches a New Category of Plant Medicine Rooted in Ritual, Not Recreation
LOS ANGELES, CA — Spiritual Plants today announced its formal market entry as a belief-driven plant medicine platform built around ritual, intention, and repeatable practice—not recreational hype or potency escalation. Founded by cultural strategist and ...
Cronos Introduces Premium Brand to Israeli Medical Cannabis Market
TORONTO – Cronos Group Inc. has launched its premium Cannabis brand in Israel, making five indoor-grown strains available to medical patients through pharmacies across the country. The announcement represents the latest step in Cronos' strategy ...
Washington Senate Committee Advances Home Cannabis Cultivation Bill
WASHINGTON – The Washington State Senate Labor & Commerce Committee has approved Senate Bill 6204, advancing legislation that would permit adults 21-plus to grow limited amounts of Cannabis at home for personal use. Introduced in ...
West Virginia and Mississippi Advance Ibogaine Research Bills
CHARLESTON–JACKSON – Lawmakers in West Virginia and Mississippi have advanced legislation to support research into ibogaine, a psychedelic compound derived from the iboga plant, with the goal of pursuing FDA approval for its use in ...
Massachusetts Tops $9 Billion in Cannabis Sales, Eyes Cultivation License Freeze
BOSTON – Massachusetts adult-use Cannabis retailers have surpassed $9 billion in gross sales since the market launched in late 2018, according to the state's Cannabis Control Commission. The milestone was reached on February 4, driven ...
What Does Cannabis 3.0 Actually Mean?
LOS ANGELES- If Cannabis 1.0 was legalization and survival, and Cannabis 2.0 was scale and brand proliferation, Cannabis 3.0 is something far more structural. It is the shift from product velocity to process discipline. From ...
Organigram Strikes Deal to Acquire Sanity Group
TORONTO-BERLIN – Organigram Global Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the remaining shares of Berlin-based Sanity Group GmbH that it does not already hold. The transaction builds on Organigram's earlier minority stake and ...
Psyence Biomedical Regains Nasdaq Compliance
LOS ANGELES- Psyence Biomedical Ltd. (Nasdaq: PBM) has regained compliance with all Nasdaq continued listing requirements, as confirmed by the Nasdaq Hearings Panel. The company had previously requested a transfer from The Nasdaq Global Market ...
MariMed Launches Wholesale Cannabis Operations in Missouri
LOS ANGELES- MariMed Inc, a multi-state cannabis operator, has initiated wholesale operations in Missouri, marking its expansion into a sixth revenue-generating state. The company's premium product lines—including Betty’s Eddies™ fruit chews, Bubby’s Baked™ confections, Vibations™ ...
LEEF Brands Closes CAD $500K Financing Round
LOS ANGELES- LEEF Brands Inc. , a California-based cannabis extraction and manufacturing company, has successfully closed the second tranche of its private placement financing, securing an additional CAD $500,000. This follows the first tranche, which ...
FDA Restricts Psychoactive Mushroom in Edibles
LOS ANGELES- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning regarding the use of Amanita muscaria (fly agaric) mushrooms and their psychoactive compounds—muscimol, ibotenic acid, and muscarine—in food products. The FDA has ...
How to Read an Income Statement Like A Boss: Lessons from P&G
LOS ANGELES--At Procter & Gamble (P&G), we were taught to analyze financial statements with precision, breaking them down into actionable insights that link business performance to strategy. Cannabis companies can apply these same principles to ...
Aurora Cannabis Expands Distribution in Australia
LOS ANGELES- Aurora Cannabis Inc. has announced a distribution partnership between its wholly owned subsidiary, MedReleaf Australia, and The Entourage Effect, a company that provides distribution and support services to pharmacies in Australia. Under this ...
Weedmaps Founders Propose to Take Company Private
LOS ANGELES- Co-founders Doug Francis and Justin Hartfield of WM Technology, Inc., the parent company of Weedmaps, have proposed to take the company private. They offered $1.70 per share in cash for the approximately 68% ...
The Benefits of Using Hydroponics for Cannabis Cultivation
LOS ANGELES--Hydroponics, the practice of growing plants in a water-based, nutrient-rich solution rather than soil, has become increasingly popular among cannabis cultivators. This method offers several advantages, particularly when it comes to optimizing growth, enhancing ...
The Global Growth of Hydroponics in Cannabis Cultivation
LOS ANGELES--The hydroponics industry is experiencing unprecedented growth worldwide, driven largely by its increasing adoption in the cannabis sector. As cannabis legalization expands across continents, cultivators are turning to hydroponic systems to meet the demand ...
Vireo Goes on Shopping Spree Becoming a New Cannabis MSO
NEW YORK--Cannabis multistate operator (MSO) Vireo Growth has taken a significant leap forward by securing $75 million in equity financing and acquiring four companies, including three single-state operators and a delivery and analytics platform. This ...
Federally Funded Survey: Cannabis Use By Teens Hits Historic Low
WASHINGTON, D.C- (NORML) Federally funded survey data provided by the University of Michigan reports that teen marijuana use has declined significantly over the past decade and is now at historic lows. Consistent with data previously reported by the Centers ...
Organigram Expands Market Presence with Strategic Investments and Acquisitions
LOS ANGELES- Organigram Holdings Inc., a Canadian cannabis producer, is actively broadening its market reach through strategic investments and acquisitions, supported by British American Tobacco (BAT). In November 2023, Organigram secured a follow-on strategic equity ...
Tennessee Judge to Rule on Hemp Product Regulations by December 24
LOS ANGELES- A Davidson County Chancery Court judge is expected to decide by December 24, 2024, on a request to block new state regulations affecting hemp-derived products in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) ...
What You Need to Know When Planning Cannabis Tax Strategies for 2025
NEW YORK--Every CFO needs to know that Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) presents a significant challenge for cannabis businesses operating in the United States. This provision, enacted in 1982, was originally designed ...
How Cannabis Companies Can Raise Capital in a Challenging Environment
NEW YORK-The cannabis industry has seen impressive growth over the last decade, but the landscape has become more challenging as businesses face regulatory hurdles, tax burdens, and market saturation. Despite these obstacles, cannabis companies can ...
Canopy Growth Finalizes Acquisition of Acreage Holdings
LOS ANGELES- Canopy Growth Corporation, a Canadian cannabis company, has completed its acquisition of Acreage Holdings through its U.S. subsidiary, Canopy USA, LLC. This transaction grants Canopy USA full ownership of Acreage Holdings, a multi-state ...
Virginia Democrats Plan to Reintroduce Cannabis Sales Legislation Amid Governor’s Opposition
LOS ANGELES- In Virginia, Democratic legislators are preparing to reintroduce a bill to establish a regulated market for adult-use cannabis sales. This initiative follows Governor Glenn Youngkin's veto of similar legislation in March 2024, citing ...
Exploiting the 2018 Farm Bill Loophole: The Rise of Legal Hemp in the Non-Legal Cannabis Market
LOS ANGELES--The regulatory landscape for cannabis in the United States has changed significantly since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized the cultivation of hemp and its derivatives. This legislation inadvertently created a ...
Section 280E Tax Law Challenges Cannabis Industry
LOS ANGELES- Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code presents significant financial challenges for cannabis businesses by prohibiting the deduction of ordinary business expenses associated with the trafficking of Schedule I or II controlled substances, ...
Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader Proposes Medical Cannabis Legalization for 2025
LOS ANGELES- Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard (D-Madison) has announced plans to introduce legislation to legalize medical cannabis in Wisconsin during the 2025 legislative session. This initiative builds upon previous efforts that have encountered resistance ...
Cannabis Business: A Month-by-Month Year in Review for 2024
LOS ANGELES- Wow...2024 flew by but left a lot of casualties as the emerging market of cannabis, continues its emergence in 2024. Here's what went down in case you were away from your desk: January ...
Brownie Mary: The Unlikely Heroine of Cannabis Advocacy
SAN FRANCISCO–In the quiet streets of San Francisco during the 1970s, an unassuming elderly woman with frizzy hair and a grandmotherly smile quietly built a legacy that would forever change the trajectory of cannabis legalization ...
Japan Enacts Stricter Cannabis Laws with Severe Penalties
LOS ANGELES- Japan has recently implemented stringent measures against cannabis use, introducing penalties of up to seven years in prison for consumption. Previously, while possession and cultivation were illegal, personal use was not explicitly prohibited. ...
Psychedelics Show Promise in Alleviating End-of-Life Psychological Distress
LOS ANGELES- Recent studies indicate that psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, may help reduce depression, anxiety, and existential distress in patients with terminal illnesses. A systematic review published in Psychopharmacology analyzed data from various studies and found ...
Medical Cannabis Set to Launch in Ukraine in Early 2025
KYIV- After Ukraine legalized cannabis for medical use earlier this year, a key lawmaker announced that the first cannabis-based medicines could be available as early as next month. Olga Stefanishyna, a member of Ukraine’s parliament ...
