M4MM
Cultural Fluency Is Cannabis’ New Growth Lever—How Brands Like Spiritual Plants Speak the Language
The Rise of the Meaning-Led Buyer Consumers aren’t just choosing what works. They’re choosing what aligns. Across categories—from food to fitness to finance—people are opting for brands that reflect their identity, not just their needs. ...
Enter the Garden: Inside Spiritual Plants’ Routine-Friendly Path to Plant Medicine
Cannabis marketing has settled into two scripts: clinical wellness copy that flirts with medical territory, and recreational branding that leads with strength and speed. Neither speaks well to consumers who want something quieter—products they can ...
ANNOUNCING: New Podcast Show ‘Spiritual Plants with Craig Rose’ Brings Culture, Plant Medicine, Market Reality Into One Conversation
Produced by Highly Capitalized Network and sponsored by Spiritual Plants, the new series is hosted by Craig Rose, Co-Founder and Chief Spiritual Creative of Spiritual Plants LOS ANGELES — February 10, 2026 — Highly Capitalized ...
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 ...
UCLA Partners with Terpene Belt Farms to Research Cannabis Flavors
LOS ANGELES – Terpene Belt Farms, a subsidiary of Nexus Agriscience, has been selected as the industry partner in a University of California-led research funded by a $1.23 million grant from the California Department of ...
Virgin Islands Sets Fall 2026 Target for Legal Cannabis Retail Launch
CHARLOTTE AMALIE – The U.S. Virgin Islands Office of Cannabis Regulation has accelerated its timeline for the start of licensed Cannabis sales, with executive director Joanne Moorhead stating that regulated retail operations are now expected ...
Florida Cannabis Legalization Initiative Fails to Qualify for 2026 Ballot
LOS ANGELES – Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd announced that the Smart & Safe Florida campaign failed to submit the required number of valid signatures to qualify its proposed constitutional amendment for the ballot. ...
Cultural Fluency Is Cannabis’ New Growth Lever—How Brands Like Spiritual Plants Speak the Language
The Rise of the Meaning-Led Buyer Consumers aren’t just choosing what works. They’re choosing what aligns. Across categories—from food to fitness to finance—people are opting for brands that reflect their identity, not just their needs. ...
Enter the Garden: Inside Spiritual Plants’ Routine-Friendly Path to Plant Medicine
Cannabis marketing has settled into two scripts: clinical wellness copy that flirts with medical territory, and recreational branding that leads with strength and speed. Neither speaks well to consumers who want something quieter—products they can ...
ANNOUNCING: New Podcast Show ‘Spiritual Plants with Craig Rose’ Brings Culture, Plant Medicine, Market Reality Into One Conversation
Produced by Highly Capitalized Network and sponsored by Spiritual Plants, the new series is hosted by Craig Rose, Co-Founder and Chief Spiritual Creative of Spiritual Plants LOS ANGELES — February 10, 2026 — Highly Capitalized ...
Vireo Takes 86% Stake in Schwazze’s Convertible Notes in $62M Deal
DENVER – Vireo Growth Inc., a multistate Cannabis operator, has entered into definitive agreements to purchase about 86% of the senior secured convertible notes held by Medicine Man Technologies Inc., which operates as Schwazze, for ...
France Upholds Pesticide Ban, Guaranteeing Survival of the Bees
LOS ANGELES- Over the past decade, France has stood at the center of Europe’s fight to protect pollinators from the devastating effects of pesticides. In 2018, the nation became the first EU member to ban ...
OPINION: The People Have Spoken: It’s Time to End Federal Cannabis Prohibition (and Release the Epstein Files)
LOS ANGELES- With 87% of Americans supporting Cannabis legalization — and nearly 80% demanding the release of the Epstein files — public consensus on reform and transparency has never been stronger. The question now is ...
How Professional Services Firms That Serve Cannabis Can Thrive in the Wellness Industry
NEW YORK- Professional service providers — from accountants and attorneys to brand strategists and tech consultants — have played an indispensable role in legitimizing and professionalizing the Cannabis sector. These same firms now have a ...
Curaleaf Executive Vice Chairman Adopts Automated Share Sales Plan
STAMFORD – Joseph F. Lusardi, executive vice chairman of Curaleaf Holdings Inc., has put in a place an automatic securities disposition plan (ASDP) to sell company shares, a move designed to handle tax obligations tied ...
Oregon Invites Input on Psilocybin Service Center Regulations Through New Advisory Panel
SALEM – State health officials in Oregon are seeking participants for a rules advisory committee that will shape permanent guidelines on the temporary use of licensed Psilocybin Service Centers, as applications close in less than ...
California Enacts Law Requiring Intoxicating Hemp Sales Through Licensed Cannabis Outlets
LOS ANGELES – Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 8 into law on Thursday, directing intoxicating hemp-derived products into California's tightly controlled Cannabis distribution system and barring their sale elsewhere. The measure addresses gaps in ...
Case Study: Better Data, Better Decisions: How Clean Inputs Strengthen Cannabis Strategy
LOS ANGELES- In a highly regulated and competitive industry like cannabis, data isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet — it’s the foundation of effective decision-making. Yet many operators still struggle with messy, inconsistent, or incomplete ...
NY Cannabis Board Hits Equity Target With 57% of Licenses to Social Equity Holders
NEW YORK – New York regulators reported that social and economic equity applicants now control 57% of the state's adult-use Cannabis licenses, a figure that clears the program's initial benchmark and signals steady advancement in ...
Australia’s Medicinal Cannabis Imports Hit Record Highs
SYDNEY – Figures released this week by Australia's Office of Drug Control paint a picture of robust expansion in the country's regulated Cannabis sector, with imports leading the charge alongside steady advances in domestic output ...
California Reinstates 15% Cannabis Excise Tax Through 2028
LOS ANGELES – A measure signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last month took effect on Wednesday, dialing back California's Cannabis excise tax to 15% and holding it steady at that level until at least the ...
Trump Video Fuels Cannabis Stock Surge, Yet Analysts Question Depth of Policy Shift
LOS ANGELES – A recent video posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social, touting support for CBD products under the Farm Bill, triggered a sharp but fleeting uptick in valuations for major multi-state Cannabis ...
Ex-Curaleaf Executive Files Suit Alleging Ignored Warnings on Inventory Shortfalls at Illinois Facility
LOS ANGELES – A former compliance director for Curaleaf Holdings Inc. has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Cannabis MSO of overlooking repeated alerts about missing inventory and unlicensed pesticide applications at its Illinois cultivation ...
Alcohol Trade Group Welcomes Hemp-Derived THC Beverage Maker as First in Category
WASHINGTON – The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), a key advocacy organization for the beverage alcohol distribution sector, has accepted CannaBuzz, a Kentucky-based producer of hemp-derived THC drinks, as its inaugural associate member ...
Verano Secures $75M Credit Agreement
CHICAGO – Verano Holdings Corp. has finalized a $75 million revolving credit facility, drawing $50 million immediately to pay down higher-cost debt and leaving $25 million on tap for future needs. The deal, arranged by ...
