Alcohol, tobacco interests eyeing Michigan marijuana market

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By John Schroyer

At a time when Michigan’s medical marijuana regulations are being written – and adult-use proponents are finalizing a legalization measure for the 2018 ballot – representatives from the alcohol and tobacco industries have had a seat at the negotiating table.

It’s not yet clear how the alcohol and tobacco interests will be involved in the marijuana business.

But there are signs the tobacco industry is at least eyeing the retail end of the market. And MJ industry officials have…

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PA gets hundreds of applications for medical cannabis licenses

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Pennsylvania has received hundreds of applications from entrepreneurs interested in obtaining cultivation and dispensary licenses under the state’s new medical marijuana program.

In a live-streamed press conference, state regulators said Wednesday they had received more than 500 packages containing one or more grower or dispensary applications. The winners are expected to be announced by the end of June.

State regulators said 258 applications have been processed. They included 132…

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Colorado lawmakers pass bill adding PTSD to MMJ conditions list

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The Colorado Legislature has approved a bill that would add post-traumatic stress disorder to its list of medical ailments that qualify patients for medical marijuana, a move that could provide a shot in the arm to the state’s MMJ industry.

The state Senate signed off on the measure Tuesday, and the bill now heads to Gov. John Hickenlooper, who has not yet indicated if he will sign it into law.


MJBizConIf Hickenlooper does sign it, the move could result in a boost in the state’s MMJ patient…

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Oregon marijuana company fined $5,300 over butane explosion

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Oregon regulators fined Higher Level Concentrates $5,300 for workplace safety violations following a butane-extraction explosion last year that landed one man in a Portland burn ward.

The Oregonian reported that Oregon OSHA fined the extraction company, which is based in in Astoria, for failure to:

  • Ventilate the building
  • Have an adequate electrical system
  • Obtain city permits


MJBizConThe accident occurred last October, when, according to a lawsuit, William “Chris” West was handling butane…

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Second New York medical cannabis firm launches home delivery

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Vireo Health, one of the five licensed medical marijuana companies in New York, rolled out home delivery for its patients late last week, reportedly the second in the state to do so.


MJBizConVireo, which first obtained permission from the state in January to deliver medical cannabis instead of requiring patients to pick up purchases at storefront dispensaries, has launched its service by offering deliveries in the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn, as well as in Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long…

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Week in Review: RI rec push slows, pushback on California cannabis plan & China opportunity

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By Omar Sacirbey, John Schroyer and Bart Schaneman

Adult-use legislation takes a hit in Rhode Island, California Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal for cannabis regulation faces opposition, and a marijuana-related firm sets up shop in China.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Rhode Island rec resistance

Prospects for legalizing recreational marijuana in Rhode Island hit a speed bump this week
MJBizConafter Gov. Gina Raimondo called on lawmakers to…

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Oregon OKs bill to protect rec marijuana industry from feds

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To protect the state’s recreational marijuana industry from a federal crackdown, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill that prevents rec retail businesses from storing private data about customers’ identities or purchases.

The new law is designed to shield adult-use marijuana consumers by barring retailers from sharing or keeping their personal data. Oregon marijuana retailers have 30 days to destroy the data, according to The Oregonian.


MJBizConSenate Bill 863 sped through the state Legislature…

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Las Vegas may loosen MMJ dispensary rules, allow later hours

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Concerned they’re losing business to medical marijuana retailers in unincorporated parts of Clark County, city officials in Las Vegas are now eyeballing possible rollbacks to city MMJ rules that may let Sin City dispensaries stay open later and serve more customers.

Proposed changes could also give dispensaries more flexibility on what products they can carry, shrink business fees and revamp disposal requirements for expired MMJ, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.


Mirth Provisions“I believe we’re…

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Firm funds $1.85M marijuana research at Ohio University

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Ohio-based Black Elk Biotech has awarded Ohio University (OU) a $1.85 million contract to examine therapeutic benefits generated from cannabis and other natural products.

Black Elk Biotech is a subsidiary of Black Elk, an Ohio company focused on products and medicines derived from fruits, trees, plants and other vegetation.

According to The Post – an independent student-run newspaper on the OU campus – the funding will bankroll research into natural treatments for various medical…

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North Dakota lawmakers OK medical marijuana industry rules

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North Dakota’s legislature has passed a bill establishing a regulatory structure for the state’s upcoming medical cannabis industry.

The measure – which now goes to the governor, who said he would sign the bill – includes several business-friendly provisions.

Dispensaries, for instance, will be able to sell smokable MMJ, which will help attract patients to the program and in turn bolster revenues for the state’s medical cannabis industry.

There’s one caveat, however: A doctor…

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MD’s failed marijuana diversity bill spurs call for special session

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Black lawmakers in Maryland are calling for a special session of the legislature after the failure of a bill designed to mandate racial diversity in the ownership of the businesses that will participate in the state’s new medical marijuana industry.

The legislation would have added seven more licenses to cultivate cannabis, on top of the 15 already allowed. Five would have created diversity ownership, and two would have gone to companies that are suing the state for being removed from the…

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Medical cannabis delivery launches in San Jose, CA, after ban lifted

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Seeking to capitalize on a change in local law, a cannabis delivery company launched an on-demand service to legally bring medical marijuana to patients’ homes in San Jose, California.

San Francisco-based Eaze said that MMJ patients with valid physicians recommendations can use the company’s EazeMD smartphone app to order medical cannabis, The Mercury News reported. The move came after California’s third largest city lifted its ban on home deliveries of MMJ.


Mirth ProvisionsEaze customers in San…

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Does vape lawsuit foreshadow litigious future for cannabis industry?

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By John Schroyer

A turf war over Arizona’s medical cannabis vaporizer market has spilled into the courts, with one multistate marijuana company suing another over an alleged smear campaign.

While the case itself may not be a particular milestone, it’s another hallmark of the industry’s emergence into an atmosphere where high-stakes litigation is commonplace.

In the lawsuit – which is over a year old but was amended in early April to identify Colorado-based Openvape as the primary defendant…

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Arkansas moves from lottery to merit-based MMJ licensing system

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The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission has had a change of heart.

Instead of picking MMJ business winners and losers by random through a lottery, the commission will instead use a merit-based scoring system to award dispensary and cultivation permits.

The change was made to a draft regulation after pushback from stakeholders at a public hearing, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. In other states, lottery permitting systems have commonly resulted in lawsuits.


Mirth ProvisionsThe commission has yet…

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Pharmacies to begin selling adult-use cannabis in Uruguay

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Uruguay has finally authorized pharmacies to begin selling recreational marijuana in July, more than three years after the Latin American nation became the first in the world to legalize the cultivation, distribution and consumption of rec MJ.

The market’s launch has been delayed multiple times. Sales initially were expected to begin in late 2014, Reuters reported.

According to the news agency, 16 pharmacies have registered with the government to sell adult-use marijuana, with the number…

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Week in Review: West Virginia nears legalization, NV distribution plan & Johns Hopkins exits study

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Week in Review: West Virginia nears legalization, NV distribution plan & Johns Hopkins exits study – Marijuana Business DailyWeek in Review: West Virginia nears legalization, NV distribution plan & Johns Hopkins exits study – Marijuana Business Daily

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Nevada to accept rec distribution bids from MMJ license holders

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Nevada’s Department of Taxation hasn’t received enough interest for the state’s new adult-use marijuana market from liquor wholesalers, so it’s opening the distribution business to existing medical cannabis license holders.

The department will soon begin accepting distribution applications from medical cannabis businesses, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a move that will give MMJ businesses another avenue into the upcoming recreational market.

MMJ license holders also will…

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Johns Hopkins backs out of cannabis PTSD study

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Johns Hopkins University has pulled out of a federally sanctioned study on using medical marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder over a disagreement with a research group involved in the study.

Losing Hopkins is a major setback for the research program, which has been approved by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Any findings that show cannabis can be used to treat PTSD could bolster sales of medical marijuana and persuade federal policy makers and the Department Veterans…

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West Virginia appears poised to legalize medical cannabis

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West Virginia, one of only six states left in the nation with no form of legal cannabis, could soon become the latest state to approve a functioning medical marijuana industry.

Senate Bill 386, which already passed the state Senate in a lopsided vote, is slated for a possible floor vote in the House on Monday, according to MetroNews. The bill was fast-tracked in the House, the Herald-Dispatch reported, in a move to force members to vote on the issue instead of letting it expire when the…

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Groups working to develop standards for cannabis businesses

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By Bart Schaneman

Cannabis trade groups, state officials and marijuana industry leaders are pursuing the development of standards and best practices covering organic certification, labor practices and energy use in a bid to further legitimize and professionalize the industry.

These efforts could bolster both the marijuana sector’s image among consumers and MJ companies’ bottom lines.

Organic certification, for example, could allow cannabis companies to shore up consumer confidence about the safety…

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DC’s medical marijuana program progressing, though more change in store

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By John Schroyer

The District of Columbia’s medical cannabis companies have been ramping up in the past month, largely because of new business-friendly regulations that have reshaped the future in terms of possible market size.

But those companies still face big questions, especially with regard to expansion and uncertainty over the customer base’s potential size.

For instance, District Growers plans to increase its production space by adding 4,000 square feet to its existing 5,200-square-foot…

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Las Vegas cannabis lounge options are taking shape

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Marijuana consumption lounges in Las Vegas are looking more and more as if they’ll become a reality for cannabis entrepreneurs.

At a Clark County marijuana advisory panel meeting Monday, the board “spent most of its first meeting” talking about proposals for such a concept and how cannabis clubs would be regulated, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

A representative from the resort hotel industry said clubs “are the realistic solution to making sure” that marijuana tourists…

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Nevada medical cannabis licenses fetch almost $2 million

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Oregon-based cannabis oil company Golden Leaf Holdings paid $1.925 million to acquire cultivation and extraction licenses from NevWa, a Nevada company that does business as Grassroots.

NevWa’s two licenses allow for distribution and sales in Nevada, including prominent tourist destinations Las Vegas and Reno, according to a news release.


Spring 2017 MJBizConGolden Leaf Holdings’ move comes as Nevada is preparing to introduce recreational marijuana into a state that already has a medical cannabis market.

A preliminary framework for Nevada’s adult-use…

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DC to authorize sixth medical cannabis dispensary

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The Washington DC Department of Health plans to add a medical marijuana dispensary to the five already in operation.

The license application period began March 6 and will end April 7, according to a public notice from the DC Department of Health.


Spring 2017 MJBizConThe new dispensary must be located in either DC City Council Ward 7 or Ward 8. The business will join dispensaries already operating in five other council wards, along with eight licensed MMJ cultivators.

“The council members who represent…

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Another Canadian medical cannabis producer goes public

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Adding to a growing trend among licensed Canadian medical marijuana producers, Hydropothecary Corp. went public Tuesday.

The Quebec-based company started trading on the TSX Venture Exchange after completing a reverse takeover with BFK Capital Corp. last week, the Financial Post reported.


Spring 2017 MJBizConHydropothecary shares opened at 1.82 Canadian dollars ($1.36) and closed at CA$1.55 ($1.16) on Tuesday, according to the Post.

An analyst quoted by the Post estimated Hydropothecary will have an initial…

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Court-appointed receivers an option for troubled marijuana companies

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By John Schroyer

Say your cannabis company is in trouble because you chose the wrong business partner. You want to force that partner out. So you find a lawyer, file suit, have all your ducks in a row, and things are looking good.

Then you hit a snag: Who will run the day-to-day business operations while you and your partner duke it out in court over who gets what in terms of company assets?

The answer for at least four marijuana-related companies has been a court-appointed receiver. And it’s an…

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Study: Cannabis is making a dent in beer sales

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Almost 30% of Americans say they are now buying legal marijuana instead of beer or would consider doing so if it were sanctioned in their states, according to a study by Cannabiz Consumer Group.

The results shed light on a potentially large customer base for cannabis companies.

Research by Cannabiz Consumer Group, also known as C2G, shows that 27% of U.S. beer drinkers say they have or would switch to legal marijuana, based on the answers of 40,000 participants surveyed in 2016. Wine and…

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New York’s medical marijuana reforms could expand patient pool

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Two changes to New York’s medical marijuana program – one this week and the other coming next week – could bolster the state’s lagging MMJ patient pool.

A new rule allowing physician assistants to certify patients for MMJ took effect Wednesday, the Albany Times Union reported, following an earlier regulation that permitted nurse practitioners to do the same.

And on March 22, chronic pain will formally be added to the list of qualifying conditions that allows patients to register to…

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Cannabis public use measures could spur MJ sales, businesses

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By Bart Schaneman

From Alaska to Massachusetts, a number of states are weighing measures to allow people to consume cannabis in public places such as clubs and other venues.

Legalizing cannabis clubs and other venues for public consumption could spur MJ sales and create new business opportunities, said industry officials.

In particular, the move could lead to increased sales of marijuana flower. And it could give marijuana retailers an opportunity to add ancillary businesses – such as a coffee shop…

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An industry in flux: Cannabis mergers, acquisitions on the rise

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By John Schroyer

Cannabis industry mergers and acquisitions have been on the rise over the past year, and industry watchers say the number of sales and transactions is almost certain to continue as the marijuana trade at large matures.

A few examples from recent months:

  • One of the oldest marijuana dispensaries in Denver was sold to a Colorado chain.
  • The two top-selling recreational marijuana retailers in Washington state went on sale with an initial price tag of $50 million.
  • A 58,000-square-foot MJ…

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Denver may allow marijuana shops to stay open later

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The Denver City Council may roll back the mandatory closing time for cannabis retailers from 7 p.m. to either 10 p.m. or perhaps midnight under a proposal being considered by a special committee.

But don’t expect an imminent decision. The issue will remain unresolved for at least a few more weeks, as the council solicits additional public input.

Mandated closing times for Denver marijuana shops makes them less competitive than many other retailers that are technically located in other…

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Toronto cops: Medical marijuana outlets linked to organized crime

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High-profile Canadian medical marijuana dispensary owners Marc and Jodie Emery were arrested, jailed and released on bail last week, while Toronto police accused the couple of links to “high-level drug traffickers.”

The Emerys own Cannabis Culture, a brand which includes dispensaries in Vancouver, Toronto and Hamilton, as well as a magazine and other retail offerings.


Spring 2017 MJBizCon Police took 250,000 Canadian dollars ($185,984) in cash in several currencies, 65 kilograms (143 pounds) of…

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Florida medical cannabis bills make for hazy business climate

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Medical marijuana isn’t shaping up to be the big business opportunity in Florida many cannabis executives were hoping for.

Although medical marijuana was approved overwhelmingly by Florida voters in November, the shape of the MMJ industry is still very much in question. And state lawmakers don’t appear to be moving toward any kind of solution.


Spring 2017 MJBizConA whopping six bills are competing in the Florida Legislature, the Sun Sentinel reported, and each would set up a regulatory framework for…

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Recreational marijuana home delivery kicks off in Oregon

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Oregon’s recreational marijuana businesses are leading the way in the U.S. rec industry with a new service: delivery of adult-use cannabis to a customer’s home.

According to Portland TV station WCSH 6, rec marijuana customers can now order from licensed dealers and have product delivered to their home.

Legal deliveries of adult-use cannabis are a new phenomenon. Medical cannabis deliveries, by contrast, are permitted in certain places in the United States.


Spring 2017 MJBizConOregon’s Liquor Control…

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Week in Review: Los Angeles marijuana vote, Canada rec rollout & new cannabis standards

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By John Schroyer, Omar Sacirbey and Bart Schaneman

Los Angeles voters approve a groundbreaking marijuana initiative, Canada adult-use legalization may take longer than anticipated, and an influential standards-setting group eyes cannabis.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

L.A. industry now hitched to uncertain city rules

Those outside Los Angeles may not have heard wedding bells for the city’s cannabis industry and local officials, but…

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Report: Oregon marijuana industry has $1.2B economic impact

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Oregon’s cannabis industry has produced an economic impact of more than $1 billion, according to a new report.

The report, by economist and marijuana business insider Beau Whitney, found that the Oregon cannabis market created more than 12,500 jobs with an average wage of $12.13 an hour, which translates into roughly $1.2 billion in economic activity for the state.

The job figure is only for plant-touching companies, such as retailers and growers, and doesn’t include ancillary marijuana…

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Montana’s medical marijuana industry on the rebound

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By John Schroyer

Just a few months after Montana voters resurrected the state’s medical cannabis industry, dispensaries appear to be leaping quickly back into business.

“It’s turned 182,” Billings dispensary owner Rich Abromeit joked, combining a reference to Initiative 182 – the ballot measure voters approved in November – with the 180 degrees the state’s industry seems to have spun since last year.

The Montana industry seemed to be in dire straits a little more than a year ago after a

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White House’s words won’t deter rec marijuana states

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By John Schroyer

Despite ominous overtones from the White House, the eight states that have legalized recreational cannabis are proceeding full-bore, whether it’s with existing infrastructures or plans to establish new markets.

Governors and attorneys general responded in unison: They’ll honor voters’ wishes, and conduct business as usual while awaiting specific policies.

The cannabis industry’s future was called into question Thursday when President Donald Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, said “greater enforcement” could…

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Week in Review: White House threat, CA growers at risk & unique cannabis investment fund

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By John Schroyer

The Trump administration hints at possible enforcement on recreational cannabis businesses, thousands of Northern California cultivation jobs are in jeopardy, and a new marijuana investment fund is in the works.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

White House signals potential crackdown

The cannabis industry erupted when the White House press secretary on Thursday intimated the recreational market could be in for a serious fight.

During a news conference, Press…

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Alaska MJ entrepreneurs find way to ship product – commercial flights

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By John Schroyer

The legal marijuana industry in the United States has been built by pioneers willing to risk the wrath of authorities.

That tradition is continuing in Alaska, where a retail shop owner has pushed the legal envelope by flying across her immense state with carry-ons full of marijuana inventory for her store.

She’s done so with the explicit blessing of state officials, ranging from Alaska’s Marijuana Control Office to airport police, many of whom are eager to establish a functional system under which cannabis businesspeople…

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New Market: Once Maryland fixes problems, ample MMJ opportunities await

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This is the 12th article in a series looking at the potential cannabis market in states that are rolling out new marijuana programs. The first eight articles examined states that approved recreational or medical marijuana initiatives in the 2016 election. This new round of installments focuses on states that have approved new markets through legislation. Click here for previous articles.

By Bart Schaneman

Maryland’s medical marijuana program rollout has been rife with stumbles, delaying what could become one of the largest markets on the…

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Two MA lawmakers to rewrite rec marijuana law

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A pair of Massachusetts lawmakers have been appointed to apparently rewrite the recreational marijuana legalization law approved by voters last November.

The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act is an initiated state statute, instead of an amendment to Massachusetts’ constitution. That means legislators still have the legal ability to make changes to the law, despite what was approved by voters.


Spring 2017 MJBizConAccording to TV station WWLP, pro-cannabis state Sen. Patricia Jehlen and state Rep. Mark Cusack, both Democrats, have been appointed to…

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San Francisco mulls creation of ‘Department of Cannabis’

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San Francisco would have a “Department of Cannabis” if a member of the city’s Board of Supervisors has his way.

Supervisor Jeff Sheehy – concerned about the “onslaught” when recreational marijuana becomes legal in California on Jan. 1 –  sees the need for a department whose only duty is to oversee the city’s cannabis market, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. He has requested that the city attorney’s office prepare legislation to submit to the Board of Supervisors.


Spring 2017 MJBizCon The proposed agency would regulate recreational…

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Rumblings in CA legislature over marijuana licensing delay

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Many industry observers have doubted the capability of the California state government to meet the January deadline for having a cannabis business licensing system up and running, and now a state senator has broached the topic as well.

Sen. Holly Mitchell, a Los Angeles Democrat, suggested the state delay licensing specifically for recreational marijuana businesses in order to first resolve the issue of how registered companies will be able to pay their taxes and fees without any guarantee of banking services.


Spring 2017 MJBizCon“Does the legislature have…

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New Market: Ohio medical cannabis program set to be big, but license rules could curb growth

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This is the 11th article in a series looking at the potential cannabis market in states that are rolling out new marijuana programs. The first eight articles examined states that approved recreational or medical marijuana initiatives in the 2016 election. This new round of installments focuses on states that have approved new markets through legislation. Click here for previous articles.

By Bart Schaneman

Ohio’s medical cannabis program is expected to be large, generating up to $400 million in annual dispensary sales several years down the…

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Arizona group readies filing for rec cannabis legalization initiative

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The first salvo in the recreational marijuana legalization fight for the next election cycle looks set to be fired Thursday, in Phoenix.

Safer Arizona 2018, a grassroots activism group, plans to file paperwork with the secretary of state’s office to place an adult-use cannabis legalization initiative on the 2018 statewide ballot, the organization announced Wednesday.


Spring 2017 MJBizConThe group must collect at least 150,642 signatures of registered Arizona voters between Thursday and July 2018 for the initiative to make the ballot.

Spokesman Dave Wisniewski…

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Oregon mulls putting medical, rec cannabis under one regulator

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Oregon lawmakers are considering putting the state’s medical and adult-use marijuana programs under the oversight of one regulatory agency.

The move would put Oregon in the same company as its neighbor to the north, Washington state.


Spring 2017 MJBizCon According to the Blue Mountain Eagle, the co-chairwomen of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Marijuana Regulation have offered bills that would transfer regulation of MMJ to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission – which currently oversees recreational sales – from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).

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Alaska regulators seize imported CBD oil in raids

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Alaska officials raided an unspecified number of recreational cannabis shops and seized “thousands of dollars worth of imported CBD oil,” the Alaska Journal reported.

A news release from the Alaska Marijuana Control Office confirmed Thursday that “several retail stores” appeared to be in violation of state laws that mandate specific testing, labeling and packaging for marijuana products. But executives from those shops told the newspaper they were confused because the seized oils were derived from hemp, not marijuana.


Spring 2017 MJBizConThe incident…

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Colorado marijuana sales hit $1.3B in 2016, up 30% from year earlier

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Colorado’s marijuana dispensaries and recreational stores sold $1.3 billion in products last year, up 30% from 2015 and nearly double the total in 2014 when adult-use sales began.


Spring 2017 MJBizConAccording to state data, last year’s sales total is up from $996.2 million in 2015 and nearly $700 million in 2014. Colorado averaged more than $100 million in sales per month last year, the Denver Post reported. Summer was particularly strong, with combined sales totaling $376.6 million in July, August and September, according to the newspaper.

But it wasn’t…

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Nevada recreational marijuana sales could begin as early as July

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Marijuana dispensaries in Nevada could have recreational product on the shelves as early as July, a development that would make the state the first new adult-use market created through last November’s election.

During an appearance before a panel of state lawmakers, the Nevada Department of Taxation outlined a timeline for the rules governing the new market, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Regulators plan to hold a town hall forum in March to present temporary regulations that would allow existing medical cannabis dispensaries to…

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