Author: News Room

Conducting a recall safely and expeditiously can present a unique opportunity to build a brand’s reputation in the consumer-focused cannabis industry and highlight commitment to consumer safety and well-being. By Joanna Borman and Amy Rubenstein, Dentons In 2023, state legal cannabis sales reached $29 billion. With additional states launching adult-use cannabis sales each year—where consumers have more access and cannabis businesses offer more products—the risk of large-scale, costly product recalls increases too. From December 2023 to January 2024, three cannabis product recalls occurred in the state of California. While strong internal compliance programs offer the best way to prevent recalls…

A California bill that was introduced last month as a minor technical fix to an existing law protecting workers from employment discrimination over legal marijuana use was substantially amended in committee this week with new section that would roll back the protections for various categories of workers, including those in law enforcement, coroners’ offices and animal control. Under two pieces of legislation signed into law in 2022 and 2023, California employers are now prohibited from asking job applicants about past cannabis use, and most are barred from penalizing employees over lawful use of marijuana outside of the job. The newly…

If you’ve ever driven from California to Oregon by way of Interstate 5, it’s likely that you’ve passed right by the Rogue Valley. This region of southern Oregon, comprised of the two bordering Josephine and Jackson counties, is home to the Rogue River, a 215-mile waterway that moves westward until it hits the coast. Unlike more prominent areas of the Pacific Northwest, such as Portland, Oregon, or almost all of Washington state, southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley has a unique climate perfect for farming. Jessica Clements, founder of Güd Gardens, has been cultivating cannabis in Oregon since 2010. “This little pocket…

“Approximately 70 percent of the labels reported THC percentages more than 15 percent higher than what was quantified through the lab.” By Anna Schwabe, University of Colorado Boulder Cannabis flower sold in Colorado claims to contain much more tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, than it actually does, according to my findings published in the peer-reviewed journal Plos One. THC is the psychoactive compound that is derived when cannabis flower—commonly referred to as “bud”—is heated through smoking or cooking. Why it matters Accurate THC reporting is a linchpin for medical patients, recreational consumers and the overall integrity of the cannabis industry. Medical and…

A Nebraska legislative committee has given preliminary approval to a bill that would tax hemp and CBD products in the state at a whopping 100 percent rate. The cannabis product tax hike is part of legislation designed to bring in more money to state coffers to offset property tax bills, according to an outline of the plan from Sen. Lou Ann Linehan (R), the legislation’s sponsor, that was posted by a Nebraska Public Media reporter. The legislature’s Revenue Committee advanced the underlying measure, LB 388, on a 7–0 vote on Thursday, according to a report in the Nebraska Examiner. The…

Over the last few years, the world of professional joint rollers has exploded with Bruno Van Holland right amongst the front of the pack. Best known as simply Bruno, Van Holland’s attempt to elevate the live rolling experience with his always dapper haircut, tuxedo vest, and giant smile has endeared him to the cannabis world. And I mean that in the most literal sense as I’ve personally accompanied him to the Canary Islands and Denmark, not to mention all of our domestic adventures. Everywhere we’ve been, folks were quick to pull out their phones to catch a shot of Bruno…

Intoxicating hemp products are now banned in South Dakota after Gov. Kristi Noem signed a law intended to remove from the market all products containing delta-8 THC and other synthetic compounds. Under the law, production, sales and distribution of “chemically modified or converted industrial hemp” are illegal. The law specifically bans delta-8 THC, delta-9 THC made from hemp, delta-10 THC, THC-O-acetate, HHC, THCP, and “any other THC isomer, analog, or derivative.” The new law targets gummies, vape pens, pre-rolled joints and smokable flowers that contain the intoxicating compounds, which are commonly called “diet weed” or “marijuana light.” The products have…

An Illinois Senate committee held a hearing on Thursday to discuss a bill to legalize psilocybin and allow regulated access at service centers in the state where adults could use the psychedelic in a supervised setting—with plans to expand the program to include mescaline, ibogaine and DMT. The legislation from Sen. Rachel Ventura (D)—titled the Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens (CURE) Act—was taken up by the Senate Executive Committee, with the sponsor and advocates testifying in favor of the reform. “Psilocybin has so much potential to help Illinoisans from any walk of life,” Ventura said in a press release.…

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is asking people to show their support for a marijuana banking bill by signing a petition as he steps up his push for the legislation. In a new email about the effort, he also reiterated his support for comprehensive federal cannabis legalization. With Congress positioned to pass a final package of appropriations legislation for the current fiscal year, lawmakers have been renewing their call to move the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act. And in an email blast on Friday, Schumer again leaned into the issue. “Can you imagine running a business…

The governor of Indiana has signed a bill that includes provisions to fund clinical research trials on the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin. Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) approved the legislation, which broadly focuses on health care issues, but which was amended to add the psychedelics language, last week. The reform provisions that lawmakers attached to the broader bill were taken from a standalone measure from Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R) that cleared the Senate last month and then advanced through a House committee. Charbonneau said in a press release that the intent of the proposal is to provide funding to “aid Indiana…