FDA warns hemp companies not to make CBD for animals
U.S. health authorities on Thursday ordered three hemp companies to stop marketing CBD products for animals, warning that the cannabinoid might not be safe for them or the food supply.
Opinion: The battle for directors and officers liability coverage in the cannabis industry
With the number of lawsuits in the cannabis space tripling in the past two years, directors and officers liability insurance is in hot demand.
Narrow adult-use marijuana initiative makes South Dakota ballot
An adult-use marijuana initiative is headed to the ballot again in South Dakota this fall, but this one is narrow in scope: It paves the way for possession and home grow but not a regulated, commercial market.
Canadian cannabis sales rebound strongly in March to record CA$358.8M
Canadian sales of regulated recreational cannabis hit an all-time high of almost 358.8 million Canadian dollars ($279.6 million) in March, according to Statistics Canada retail sales data released Thursday.
NJ marijuana paraphernalia shop workers to unionize in labor board first
Employees at the Wonderland Smoke Shop, a marijuana accessories store in West Berlin, New Jersey, submitted a petition to unionize.
Ukraine war, supply-chain woes cause cannabis fertilizer shortage, increased costs
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ongoing supply-chain issues are causing a global fertilizer shortfall, leading cannabis growers to brace for higher prices.
Rhode Island becomes 19th state to legalize adult-use marijuana
Rhode Island officially became the 19th state in the U.S. to legalize adult-use marijuana when Democratic Gov. Dan McKee on Wednesday signed into law a bill passed by state lawmakers the day before.
How to effectively tell your cannabis company’s story to investors
Cannabis entrepreneurs must keep in mind that investors will reward strong businesses regardless of the broader economic environment.
Arizona’s Item 9 Labs strikes $12.8M deal for Canada’s Sessions Cannabis
Item 9 Labs Corp., an Arizona-based company that invests in marijuana-related businesses, signed an agreement to acquire Wild Card Cannabis, which includes Sessions Cannabis, one of the largest franchise MJ companies in Canada.
Oregon marijuana entrepreneur countersues Curaleaf exec for $625M
Nitin Khanna, a marijuana entrepreneur in Oregon, filed a nearly $625 million countersuit against an investor group that includes Curaleaf Holdings Executive Chair Boris Jordan over a failed CBD company.
NJ sells $24M of recreational cannabis in first month; more licenses issued
In the first month of recreational cannabis sales, New Jersey retailers sold $24 million worth of adult-use products.
Oklahoma recalls 99 medical marijuana products, suspends lab’s license
Oklahoma regulators are accusing a testing lab of reporting passing results for dozens of contaminated medical marijuana products, leading to a recall affecting 33 cultivation and processing businesses.
Canadian cannabis producers’ overdue excise taxes more than triple to CA$52M
Unpaid federal excise duty is piling up in Canada’s cannabis industry, with excise debt more than tripling to 52.4 million Canadian dollars ($40 million) as of March 2022, up sharply from CA$16 million owed in March 2021, according to an MJBizDaily analysis of Canada Revenue Agency data.
Rhode Island legislators pass bill legalizing recreational marijuana
Rhode Island is poised to become the 19th state in the U.S. to legalize recreational marijuana, after House and Senate legislators on Tuesday passed limited-license, social equity-focused legislation.
Registration is now open for MJBizCon 2022 in November
Registration for MJBizCon 2022 is now open, as the world’s largest cannabis business event prepares to welcome cannabis industry professionals back to the Las Vegas Convention Center on Nov. 15-18.
Hundreds of cannabis store workers in Quebec go on strike
Upwards of 300 employees at approximately two dozen cannabis stores in Quebec went on strike over the weekend after the province-run Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) suspended the union’s leadership, along with 75 employees, over apparent dress-code violations, according to the union representing the workers.
Minnesota lawmakers approve THC from hemp for adult use
Minnesota adults older than 21 will be able to buy intoxicating hemp-derived THC products in grocery and convenience stores under a bill that lawmakers approved late Sunday.
Nerds candymaker sues cannabis company over trademark allegations
Chicago-based Ferrara Candy Co. filed another lawsuit in a federal court against a cannabis company for allegedly infringing on the trademark for its popular Nerds brand.
Marijuana MSO MedMen successfully fends off $60 million Arizona lawsuit
Marijuana multistate operator MedMen Enterprises said it prevailed in a $60 million breach-of-contract lawsuit involving its 2018 purchase of a vertically integrated medical cannabis operation in Arizona.
Reliable and legal cannabinoid seeds in Europe: Q&A with Enecta’s Jacopo Paolini
Enecta co-founder and Chief Science Officer Jacopo Paolini discusses how his company developed a certified cannabinoid variety and how long it will take to see other cannabinoid-producing plants win government approval,
Colorado expands recall for tainted marijuana flower
Colorado regulators expanded a product recall for marijuana flower produced by a vertically integrated business in Boulder.
Has Canada reached cannabis retail saturation? Not yet, data firm says
Canada’s cannabis industry has been sounding the alarm about oversaturation of retail stores, with the CEO of Sundial Growers warning of “massive store closures” and some stores closing or going up for sale in Ontario.
However, every Canadian province except Alberta could actually handle more recreational cannabis stores, according to an industry analyst.
Hemp farmers eligible for new $6 billion USDA disaster relief fund
Hemp growers who lost crops during natural disasters in 2021 and 2020 are eligible for relief payments from a new $6 billion fund through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Verano prevails in interstate marijuana trafficking lawsuit
Illinois-based multistate operator Verano Holdings said it won a lawsuit in which it was accused of transporting marijuana from its home state to Arkansas.
Samuel Adams brewer, Entourage Health to launch THC teas in Canada by July
Boston Beer Co. plans to launch nonalcoholic THC-infused teas in Canada by July and is tapping marijuana producer Entourage Health to produce the cannabis.
Los Angeles revamps cannabis rules to speed permit approvals, boost social equity
Los Angeles has revised its cannabis ordinance and tweaked some other related rules in an effort to speed up business license application processing and approval timelines.
US appeals court: Hemp-derived Delta-8 THC products are ‘lawful’
Delta-8 THC derived from hemp is “lawful” and eligible for trademark protection, a federal appeals court ruled in a vaping dispute.
New York approves 58 more hemp cultivators to grow adult-use marijuana
New York increased the number of conditional adult-use marijuana cultivation licensees from 88 to 146 after the state’s Cannabis Control Board approved 58 new applications.
Second Delaware bill to legalize adult-use marijuana loses in House vote
A second bill to create an adult-use marijuana industry in Delaware failed in the House by one vote when a lawmaker fell ill.
FDA chief ‘very committed’ to making progress on CBD, other cannabinoids
The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says he is “very committed” to making progress on CBD but says his agency needs more authority to do so.
Canadian cannabis producer Canopy Growth shuts ESG unit in latest layoffs
Canopy Growth Corp. dissolved the Social Impact and Advocacy team, which led the company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, during its latest round of cost-cutting layoffs.
Marijuana MSO Ascend Wellness borrows additional $36.5 million
Marijuana multistate operator Ascend Wellness Holdings tacked on $36.5 million of additional borrowing to its existing senior secured credit facility.
Massachusetts House votes in favor of reforming cannabis social equity
Lawmakers in the Massachusetts House joined their Senate counterparts in approving legislation to promote greater diversity in the state’s licensed cannabis industry.
Cresco Labs secures $38 million tax breaks for New York cannabis facility
Multistate operator Cresco Labs succeeded in its push to get $38 million in tax breaks for a planned cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facility in Ulster County, New York.
California gov’s marijuana tax plan fails to fix key problems, industry officials say
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to eliminate the state cultivation tax on marijuana is a welcome move, according to industry officials.
But they argue the governor’s plan fails to go far enough to help an industry beset by high taxes, burdensome regulations and a robust illicit market.
Canopy inks option deal to buy CA cannabis extractor for at least $69M
Smiths Falls, Ontario’s Canopy Growth Corp. entered a deal giving it the right to buy California-based Jetty Extracts for at least $69 million (89 million Canadian dollars) in cash and stock.
Actor Sacha Baron Cohen drops lawsuit over ‘Borat’ marijuana billboard
Actor Sacha Baron Cohen dropped a lawsuit against Massachusetts marijuana cultivator and retailer Solar Therapeutics, which featured his popular “Borat” character on a highway billboard without permission.
Opinion: Financing challenges continue to plague mainstream cannabis industry
Financing challenges are at the top of a long list of growing pains cannabis companies are facing.
$5 million plan to use marijuana taxes for hemp processing fails in Colorado
A Colorado proposal to use $5 million in marijuana tax collections to help buy machines to process hemp fibers failed.
Rhode Island lawmakers change adult-use cannabis legalization bill
Legislators in Rhode Island revised a bill to legalize adult-use cannabis with the hope the changes could help the measure pass the state’s General Assembly.
Ohio awards 70 provisional licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries
The number of medical marijuana storefronts in Ohio could soon more than double after the state’s pharmacy board approved 70 provisional dispensary licenses.
Aurora Cannabis sets more closures, selling Sun greenhouse at fraction of cost
In a bid to slash costs and become profitable, Aurora Cannabis is closing its flagship Aurora Sky facility in Edmonton, Alberta, as well as shuttering an outdoor farm in British Columbia and the company’s prized Anandia testing and genetics division.
DEA-endorsed marijuana research grower debuts on Nasdaq; shares soar
Bright Green Corp. on Tuesday became the first U.S plant-touching company to trade on a major exchange in the United States – in this case, the Nasdaq.
Cannabis REIT buys, leases back Tilt Holdings property in $40 million deal
Cannabis industry real estate investment trust Innovative Industrial Properties (IIP) announced a $40 million acquisition and leaseback deal for a Tilt Holdings marijuana production facility in Taunton, Massachusetts.
WA sues marijuana retailer for alleged $300,000 of unpaid wages
Washington state regulators have taken Spokane-based Cannabis Green to court, claiming the marijuana retail chain owes at least 70 employees as much as $300,000 in unpaid wages and overtime from the past three years.
Vermont issues first recreational cannabis cultivation license
Vermont regulators issued the first license to grow recreational cannabis for the state’s impending adult-use market.
Illinois’ marijuana social equity program labors to become operational
Illinois, once lauded for creating a potential social equity blueprint for the marijuana industry, continues to struggle to get its program off the ground.
US lawmaker Blumenauer sees clearer pathway for cannabis banking reform
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer expressed optimism Monday about the odds of cannabis banking reform finally being passed by the full Congress, citing growing bipartisan support and the increased risk of violent attacks on state-legal marijuana businesses that handle cash.
Tribe to expand medical marijuana cultivation in South Dakota
The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe is building two new cultivation facilities to support its medical cannabis dispensary in South Dakota, citing high demand.
