Author: News Room

Original Art By Anthony Haley As the end of the year 2022 approaches and we begin the cusp of 2023, I write this story in hopes that most of us in the cannabis industry will reflect on the lessons A Christmas Carol has ingrained in all of us. Most in the emerging cannabis industry probably feel akin to Bob Cratchit, trying to feed our Tiny Tim’s while quietly, or not so quietly resenting those Scrooges at the top.  For the purpose of this article, the amount of cannabis companies that went under in the past calendar year will be metaphorically…

“While it was always likely going to be a bit of a long shot to pass something as comprehensive as full descheduling through the Senate, many of us at least hoped that other, more incremental marijuana reform bills would move forward.” Erik Altieri, NORML Executive Director With the 117th Congress coming to a close, it is clear that Democratic leadership will not be able to deliver on their oft-repeated promises regarding cannabis reform. For the past two years, we have heard assurances from the likes of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and others that cannabis reform legislation would be…

Last chance turns to no chance as omnibus spending package moves forward without any cannabis banking provisionsAs the 117th Congress wraps up its business this week, cannabis legalization advocates and industry leaders are ruefully admitting defeat. After two years of Democratic control of the House and Senate, all the leading legalization bills as well as the SAFE Banking Act have perished well short of passage. The last possible vehicle for cannabis reform—a must-pass omnibus spending package—moved toward acceptance on Monday and Tuesday without any mention of cannabis banking reform. Advocates had hoped to include elements of the SAFE Banking Act…

A congressional spending bill released on Tuesday not only excludes the marijuana banking and expungements reform that advocates had hoped for, but also preserves a rider that blocks Washington, D.C. from implementing regulated, adult-use cannabis commerce. Adding to the frustration of advocates, the slew of additional drug policy reforms that the House included in its versions of various appropriations bills it advanced earlier this year were all omitted from the final deal. The omnibus development represents the second major setback for supporters of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act during the lame duck session. After the proposal was…

NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Curaleaf Holdings Inc., a leading international provider of consumer cannabis products, announced the addition of two members to its board of directors, effective Dec. 31, 2022.Michelle Bodner is a Wall Street-trained entrepreneur with expertise in operations, real estate and executive coaching. She has delivered advisory services to government agencies, banks, large corporations, nonprofits and early and mid-stage companies in multiple disciplines. In 2015, Bodner was engaged by Curaleaf (then Palliatech Inc.) as a consultant responsible for the company’s New York State license application. Since that time, Bodner has held multiple positions at Curaleaf including tenures as…

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says that two top Republican senators re ultimately to blame for keeping marijuana banking out of a large-scale spending package that was released on Tuesday—but he pledged to “go back at it next year.” At a Democratic Senate leadership briefing on Tuesday, the majority leader was pressed on the exclusion of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act from omnibus appropriations legislation, which supporters had hoped would be used as the vehicle for the reform during the lame duck session. Schumer placed the blame at the feet of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell…

 A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the western edge of Humboldt County, Calif., overnight, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter was located off the coast, about 14 miles due west from the city of Fortuna.The area is well known in the cannabis industry as a thriving region for cannabis cultivation. Part of the Emerald Triangle, Humboldt County boasts hundreds of cannabis cultivation licenses and untold numbers of illicit grow operations. A search of the California Department of Cannabis Control database reveals more than 2,000 annual and provisional licenses have been issued to growers in Humboldt County since 2019, though some…

The Washington, D.C. Council has unanimously passed a bill to make sweeping changes to the medical marijuana program in the nation’s capital. That includes eliminating cannabis business licensing caps, providing tax relief to operators, further promoting social equity and creating new regulated business categories such as on-site consumption facilities and cannabis cooking classes. It would also provide a pathway for current “gifting” operators that sell non-cannabis items in exchange for “free” marijuana products to enter the licensed market, while empowering officials to crack down on those who continue to operate illegally. The Council first approved a multi-part amendment from the…

In Norway and Denmark, they have a word for creating an atmosphere of coziness and contentment—hygge. The concept sprang from a region that endures long, cold, dark winters, and their action plan for combating them. When the days grow shorter, and the frost creeps along the window panes, evoking hygge is essential to finding joy in simple, warm comforts like hot chocolate! Hot chocolate is easy to make, and a fresh pot goes appreciated from coast to coast, no matter how low or high your wintertime temps are. Below, discover seven ways to enjoy delicious, cannabis-infused hot chocolate this winter…

The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) filed an emergency rulemaking action Dec. 14 to implement Assembly Bill 195.The legislation, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in June, requires all cannabis products leaving licensed dispensaries via delivery to be recorded in a statewide track-and-trace system, according to the DCC website.In addition, A.B. 195 would have required the DCC to incorporate cannabis delivery into the state’s existing track-and-trace program by Jan. 1, 2023. However, under the measure, the DCC is permitted to “adopt and readopt emergency regulations to implement that requirement, as specified,” according to the bill text.The DCC has filed the…