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Omar Sacirbey

Omar has been a professional journalist since 1998, covering everything from international business and Wall Street to politics and religion. His stories have appeared in Newsweek International, the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today and other major outlets. Omar graduated from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1998, and prior to that he was a Bosnian diplomat. He is based in Boston.

Massachusetts marijuana retailer challenges community impact fees

Published April 12, 2021

A marijuana retailer in Haverhill, Massachusetts, is alleging in a lawsuit that officials in the store’s host city are violating state law by not justifying the need for so-called community impact fees. “We believe the city is asking for a large amount of money in impact fees without demonstrating any actual impacts to the community. […]

Cannabis REIT injects $30 million more into Pennsylvania grow expansion

Published April 6, 2021

A unit of multistate cannabis operator Jushi Holdings received an additional $30 million from Innovative Industrial Properties, a marijuana-focused real estate investment trust (REIT), for the first phase of expanding an MJ cultivation facility in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Assuming full payment of the additional funding and completion of the expansion, the San Diego-based REIT said in a […]

Illinois breaks monthly recreational cannabis sales mark at $109 million

Published April 5, 2021

New stores, stimulus checks, warming temperatures and tourists combined to help drive Illinois recreational cannabis sales to yet another monthly record with $109 million in purchases in March. Illinois adult-use retail sales increased 24% over the previous monthly sales record of $88 million set in January, the Chicago Tribune reported, quoting figures from the Illinois […]

Cannabis industry’s success is spurring more competitive salaries, benefits

Published April 4, 2021

The cannabis industry continues to pay competitively, with statistics from recruiters showing year-over-year compensation increases for most top, mid- and lower-level positions. There is less evidence of the “insane lack of discipline on pay” that some marijuana companies exhibited three or four years ago, said Dan Walter, a compensation specialist and managing consultant for San […]

Cannabis MSOs urged to recruit from mainstream business talent pools

Published April 4, 2021

Vertically integrated multistate operators need dozens of different skill sets on staff, debunking the fantasy of a one-stop shop for job candidates. That said, there are a few sectors and mainstream companies that marijuana hiring managers like to lean on. “When we’re building out our manufacturing or CPG (consumer packaged goods) side of the business […]

Cannabis industry job numbers are climbing, and here’s why

Published April 4, 2021

If job creation and hiring are measures of an industry’s growth, then cannabis is going gangbusters. That means cannabis executives must use diligence and savvy when sifting through resumes. While the quality of candidates for marijuana jobs has improved significantly in recent years, only a handful of applicants will be a truly great match for […]

Florida governor not in favor of limiting THC in marijuana

Published April 2, 2021

While saying marijuana products available today might be too potent, Florida’s governor said he does not support capping THC in his state’s medical cannabis market. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ comments on THC caps is significant because Florida is one of several states considering imposing THC limits on marijuana products. The Florida measure, HB 1455, would cap […]

Marijuana MSO Parallel moves into Illinois with $100 million acquisition

Published April 1, 2021

Atlanta-based Parallel, one of the largest privately held multistate marijuana operators in the United States, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire six stores belonging to an Illinois retail chain for $100 million. The acquisition of Windy City Cannabis, expected to close in the second half of this year, is comprised of $60 million in […]

Marijuana giants Greenlane, KushCo to merge in all-stock deal

Published March 31, 2021

Two of the marijuana industry’s biggest ancillary companies, Greenlane Holdings and KushCo Holdings, entered into an all-stock merger agreement. Under terms of the deal, KushCo, based in Garden Grove, California, will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Boca Raton, Florida-headquartered Greenlane, according to a news release. The transaction is expected to close in the late […]

Vermont appoints regulators to oversee recreational cannabis industry

Published March 30, 2021

Advancing efforts to launch Vermont’s recreational marijuana industry, Gov. Phil Scott announced his three appointees for the state’s Cannabis Control Board. According to Montpelier-based VTDigger, the governor’s picks are: James Pepper, a deputy state’s attorney for the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs. Pepper would chair the board. Julie Hulburd, human resources director at the Vermont […]

Expanding Ayr acquires New Jersey medical cannabis company

Published March 29, 2021

Ayr Wellness, a multistate marijuana operator with offices in New York and Toronto, agreed to a $101 million acquisition of GSD NJ, a vertically integrated medical cannabis company. Ayr, which changed its name in February from Ayr Strategies to Ayr Wellness, said in a statement it will pay: $41 million in cash. $30 million in […]

Dialing in flower cultivation is at the center of the booming cannabis industry

Published March 28, 2021

Innovation in the cannabis industry is accelerating, with creative entrepreneurs developing emulsions, fast-acting formulas and other delivery enhancements for an ever-expanding universe of products.