“Legalize marijuana and expunge records.”

— Ihssane Leckey, candidate for Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District, in response to COVID-infected Michigan prisoner Michael Thompson

Welcome To The Weekly Roll Up – A Compendium of The Week’s Cannabis News

Vermont

Vermont Primary Election Heats Up: What You Need To Know

Vermont Will Advance Pot Tax + Regulate Bill Within Weeks, House Speaker’s Office Says

Racial Inequalities in Policing Cannabis Not Just a U.S. Problem: Harris Feldman’s Story

New Economic Report Highlights Potential Tax and Regulate Revenue in Vermont

The City of Vergennes Tried to Confront Race and Policing—and It Imploded

Vermont DOC Press Briefing on August 5 Regarding Vermont Inmate COVID-19 Outbreak

NECANN launches online convention, the largest digital cannabis industry event worldwide

Rapper Kanye West Files Paperwork in Vermont for Presidential Bid

Donate to the Justice + Equity Fund today! All donations go directly to The Bail Project.

New England

Maine

• First pot licenses could be awarded this month
• Pot Co. Can’t Invoke Constitution In License Fight, Court Told
• Gardiner mulls limits on pot businesses
• Damariscotta Sees Second Medical Cannabis Application
• City Council approves third medical marijuana store for Presque Isle

Massachusetts

• $3 mil in cannabis seized in Savoy; feds say Chinese nationals setting up large grow op
• NETA’s parent company, Parallel, just approved $3 mil for medical cannabis research
• Massachusetts regulators fine Revolutionary Clinics $120,000 in settlement
• Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission Issues $800K in Fines
• Holyoke’s marijuana industry expands as City Council grants four special permits
• Massachusetts Approves 4Front Bid To Enter State’s Cannabis Market
• Massachusetts allows sale of quarantined cannabis vape products
• Mass Control board Issues Second Amended Quarantine Order for Vaporizer Products
• Marijuana company has plans for former Cernak Buick property
• Mass. marijuana regulators asked to revisit recreational delivery, telehealth
• Massachusetts Senator Gives Wicked Chill Response To Blunt-Smoking Constituent
• Massachusetts Medical Program Explodes During COVID Pandemic

New York

• Black residents made up 97% of marijuana arrests in New York State capital 
• Marijuana and the Workplace | New York Law Journal

New Hampshire

• MPP publishes a voter guide for New Hampshire’s primary election next month
• New Hampshire Democratic gubernatorial candidate Volinsky speaks about the economic potential of legalizing marijuana

National

Advocacy

• NORML and HeadCount have launched a voter registration drive
• ACLU launches campaign aimed at pushing govs for release of those incarcerated on drug charges
• The MPP publishes a voter guide for New Hampshire’s primary election next month

Animals

• Are Dog Actors Treated With CBD? – Film Daily
• CBD for Pets: Does It Work?
• Pet owners bonding with their dogs, cats during pandemic

Arts/Entertainment

• Social Media Star Ashley Liz Cooper Launches Cannabis App
• Did COVID-19 Kill ‘Puff, Puff, Give?’ Seth Rogen Revealed If He Would Share a Joint
• Seth Rogen Embraces His Roots
• Jim Belushi Is Bringing A Cannabis Series To Discovery Channel
• Amazon Prime launches Apprentice-style cannabis show The Next Marijuana Millionaire

Banking

• Top White House Official Blasts Marijuana Banking Provisions in Coronavirus Bill
• Q&A: Cali State Treasurer Fiona Ma Talks Cannabis Safe Banking and Social Equity 
• The Importance Of Compliant Cannabis Banking

Business

• 5 Clever Ways Cannabis Brands Can Bypass Ad Restrictions
• Industry veterans share measures they’ve taken to stay afloat amid the downturn
• Changing Habits: How COVID-19 Impacts Cannabis Industry Capital and Finance

• Epidiolex maker GW Pharma turns in flat second quarter on pandemic impact
• Multistate marijuana operator Jushi upsizes debt financing to $33.3 million

• Trademark Board Harshes the Mellow of CBD Oil Manufacturer
• Redemption Cannabis forming new nonprofit to help people harmed by prohibition
• Fusion Pharm, Inc.’s CEO is settling an SEC fraud case against him
• Tight capital markets – worsened by COVID-19 – derail Schwazze cannabis acquisitions

CBD

• Grandmother Arrested For CBD At Disney World Sues With Powerful Legal Team
• Cannabidiol Market Size to Exceed $22 Bn By 2026
• The CAN Launches CanCheck System of CBD Standards 
• 7th Circuit Says States Can Regulate Smokable Hemp but Can’t Go Too Far

Coronavirus/COVID-19

• CBD And Self-Care During Coronavirus
• Industry Insider: Cannabis Investors Involved In Shady Coronavirus Mask Deals 
• 5 Impacts Of COVID-19 On Cannabis Industry
• COVID-19, economic downturn could spell doom for CBD 
• Is the Coronavirus Crisis Slowing Down Social Equity in Cannabis?
• COVID-19 pandemic may be the largest ever disruptor of American life and business
• How States Use Tech To Manage Their Cannabis Markets During Covid-19

Culture

• Cannabis, Sex, And The Occult: A Conversation With Sophie Saint Thomas
• High Times Greats: Louis Armstrong
• Blazed Beats: 20 Amazing Songs About Weed
• The South Got Something To Say: A Celebration Of Southern Rap
• Flo Milli Does What She Wants

Dispensary

• Special Feature: Medical Cannabis Continues To Grow
• Curaleaf’s Select Brand Expands Into Florida Medical Market
• Struggling marijuana MSO iAnthus loses Chief Strategy Officer Stavola

Education

• Canna Cum Laude: CCSF Offers Pot Degree
• Column: Local colleges are going to pot
• Cannabis certificate program now offered at local PA college

Federal

• FDA Approves Epidiolex to Treat Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
• FDA Releases Clinical Cannabis Guidance
• Bipartisan senators pushing the DEA to lower production quotas for opioids
• Mexican poppy cultivation and heroin production decreased last year, according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

Food & Bev

• Cannabis Infused Drinks Market to Exhibit Rapid Surge in the COVID-19 Crisis
• Is There An Appetite For Cannabis-Infused Meal Kits Delivered To Your Door?
• Beer Distributor Adds Hemp Beverage To Lineup

Growing and Making

• The Nomenclature of Female Flowers
• 13 Cultivation Considerations
• Grow for Genetic Fit
• How to make a cannabis-infused canna-grapefruit spritz
• Cannabis Infused Banana Coconut Pancakes

Hemp

• State Ag Officials And Hemp Group Ask Congress, USDA For Pilot Program Extension
• The U.S. Hemp Roundtable’s board of directors adopts equity and inclusion framework
• USDA Approves Hemp Plan For Maryland And One More Indian Tribe 
• Georgia sets higher processing fees, out-of-state sales with new hemp law
• Bruce Linton On His $150M Venture: ‘Hemp’s Disruptive Potential Is Higher Than CBD’
• VoteHemp.org petition – tell Congress to change the definition of hemp to 1% THC

Hypocrisy, Prevarication, and Outright Lies

Insurance

• Chris Van Leeuwen: Navigating Insurance In the Cannabis Industry
• Cannabis Property Coverage: Understanding Risk Management & Communication

Law Enforcement

• Albany’s Racial Disparity In Marijuana Enforcement Continues
• How psychedelic drugs are used as a tool of state violence

Legalization

• Federal Legalization Bill Introduced by Minnesota Senator
• Analysis: Congress’s Latest Vote To Protect Legal Pot States From Federal Enforcement
• Blumenauer on Democrats’ cannabis platform, legalization and bringing along Biden
• Sen. Tina Smith introduces marijuana reform bill focused on health, civil rights
• Cannabis Legalization Is Not A Priority for Congress, Biden, or Trump. Here’s Why.

Media

• 5 Clever Ways Cannabis Brands Can Bypass Ad Restrictions

Medical

• Medical Cannabis Market Driven by Growing Trend of Cannabis Legalization in North America
• WeedMD Signs Exclusive Licensing Agreement to Produce Mary’s Medicinals 
• The Rise in Medical Marijuana Card Applications in the United States

Military/Vets

• Disabled Iraq veteran faces five years in AL prison for legally prescribed MMJ 

Podcasts

• New Podcast Dissects One of Colorado’s Most Ambitious Pot Smuggling Rings
• Jake Bullock: Redefining ‘Social Drinking’ With Cannabis

Politics

• Tulsi Gabbard Talks CBD For Military Members, Biden’s Legalization Opposition And Congressional Retirement
• Top House Democrat Talks Marijuana Reform With Major Cannabis Company
• Senate Republicans Really Don’t Want SAFE Marijuana Banking, Or So They Say
• Congressional Researchers Admit Legalizing Pot Hurts Mexican Drug Cartel Profits
• McConnell Attacks Pelosi for Claiming Cannabis Is ‘Proven’ Therapy
• Top House Democrat Talks Marijuana Reform With Major Cannabis Company

Presidential Campaign 

• Could Joe Biden budge on cannabis legalization?
• Neil Young To Sue Trump’s 2020 Campaign For Alleged Copyright Infringement 
• Biden Mocks Drug Testing In Response To Reporter’s Cognitive Assessment Question 

Psychedelics

• D.C. residents to vote on decriminalization of ‘magic mushrooms’ on November ballot
• Psychedelics Decriminalization Initiative Officially Qualifies for the DC Ballot 
• Should DC Police Ease Enforcement Of Psilocybin Laws? Voters Will Weigh In This Fall
• Will Cannabis Entrepreneurs Switch to Psychedelics?
• Canadian gov allowing 4 terminally ill patients to use psychedelics for anxiety
• How psychedelic drugs are used as a tool of state violence
• Is Canada ready to legalize magic mushrooms (psilocybin)?
• A new study shows more Americans are dropping acid. Why?
• UK Home Office rejects claims psilocybin’s current illegal classification blocks research

Social Justice

• Black Lives Matter movement sparks ‘collective awakening’ on marijuana policies
• The U.S. Hemp Roundtable’s board of directors adopts equity and inclusion framework
• ACLU launches campaign aimed at pushing govs for release of those incarcerated on drug charges
• Cannabis social equity makes progress in WA, but licensees face notable obstacles
• Michael Thompson, Nonviolent Cannabis Prisoner, Hospitalized With COVID-19
• Inside a Michigan prison, an elaborate meal to honor George Floyd
• WATCH: The Cannabis Diversity Report

Sports

• CBD may help boost athletic performance
• Mixed martial arts fighters reportedly facing suspensions, fines for positive pot tests

Studies and Surveys

 

• This week, the American Heart Association released a study about the impact of cannabis on heart health. National media outlets (and governors) seized upon this with flashy headlines spelled out in prohibitionist rhetoric, but the real findings are more complex than that:

 

• • Marijuana may hurt heart, more research needed, report finds
• Poll: Will end of federal $600 weekly jobless benefit impact cannabis sales?
• Study: Weed workers will outnumber computer programmers by end of 2020
• Study suggests “potential anti-inflammatory effects of recent cannabis use”
• Study: Use of cannabinoids could be beneficial in traumatic brain injuries, MS treatment
• Survey: Boomers Use Cannabis Medically At Twice the Rate of Millennials
• A new study shows more Americans are dropping acid. Why?

Women

• ‘Everybody Likes Gummies’ – Q&A with Power Player, Wana CEO Nancy Whiteman
• Marijuana branding strategies do’s and don’ts
• Q&A: Cali State Treasurer Fiona Ma Talks Cannabis Safe Banking and Social Equity 
• Cannabis Creative Mennlay Aggrey on Managing Self Care in a Changing World

New Merch in the Heady Store! Explore the Green Goddess Collection in collab with Nikki Laxar, Justice + Equity merch to benefit The Bail Project, and more. Shop now

States 

Alabama

• Disabled Iraq veteran faces five years in AL prison for legally prescribed MMJ 

GoFundMe and Change.org Petition for Sean Worsley, the disabled black veteran arrested in Alabama for medical marijuana that he legally obtained in his home state of Arizona.

Alaska

• Alaska Gov. Pulls Funding for Hemp Pilot Program

Arizona

• Arizona Gov. Opposes Cannabis Legalization Initiative

Arkansas

• In Medical Cannabis, a Rush to Renew
• Medical marijuana sales surpass $120 million in Arkansas

California

• DEA Reveals Details Of Investigation Into California Pot Companies in Court Filing
• State, cities battle over marijuana home-delivery rule
• Local ballot measures across California could significantly expand industry footprintrint
• Court ruling: Company can pursue case, force Santa Cruz police to return seized plants
• Cali regulators send notice about changes to cannabis business tax return procedures
• Regulators accepting feedback for pot equity applicant grant program

Colorado

• Colorado Appeals Court: Not All Drug Convictions Trigger Deportation
• Littleton likely to vote on a ballot measure to legalize marijuana sales in the city
• Colorado Youth Pot Use ‘Has Not Significantly Changed’ Since Legalization, Data Shows
• Hemp farmers find niche market in CBD
• Yeti Farms doubles plant count for medical cannabis
• Colorado regulators seeking nominations for the Hemp Advisory Committee

Florida

• ‘Cold corporate heart’: NC great-grandmother sues Disney after CBD oil arrest
• Meeting the Cannabis Demand in Florida: Q&A with Brady Cobb 
• Plant a seed: Fledgling industry’s early entrants see profitable harvest
• Trulieve opens medical marijuana dispensary in Englewood
• Marion County Teacher, Veteran Appeals Termination For Medical Marijuana Use 

Georgia

• A Lethal Traffic Stop in Georgia
• Hemp farming regulations signed into Georgia law

Illinois

• Illinois urged to apply adult-use marijuana tax revenue to social equity

• Illinois hits $61 million in recreational marijuana sales in July
• Recreational reefer revenue resets record in Illinois

Louisiana

• Louisiana man serving life for $30 marijuana sale set to be released under deal with DA

Maryland

• Md. cannabis dispensary trade association launches diversity initiative

Michigan 

• Michael Thompson, Nonviolent Cannabis Prisoner, Hospitalized With COVID-19

• Michigan regulators issued notice about pre-rolls contaminated with human saliva
• MI may allow stand-alone adult-use cannabis licenses earlier than expected
• Michigan Attorney General Pushes Governor On Marijuana 

Minnesota

• Federal Legalization Bill Introduced by Minnesota Senator

Mississippi

• Mississippi farmers can start applying for hemp license

 

Missouri

• Nearly two years later, why are Missouri patients still waiting for medical marijuana?
• Social Justice & Beyond: Where’s the opportunity?
• When Missouri dispensaries will begin selling MMJ and why it isn’t being sold yet
• After Unsuccessful 2020 Signature Campaign to Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis in Missouri, Group Looks to 2022

Montana

• Marijuana Legalization Proceeds in Montana amid COVID-19

Nebraska

• Nebraska lawmakers send hemp bill Gov. Pete Ricketts’ desk
• Gov. Ricketts (R) tweeted part of an AHA paper expressing concerns on health impacts of pot use, but didn’t mention the doc calls for federal rescheduling:

Nevada

• Nevada OKs partial settlement in marijuana licensing lawsuit
• Rep. Steve Horsford (D-NV) conducting a survey on which cannabis issues Congress should focus on:

New Jersey

• NJ marijuana legalization campaign heats up | KYW
• New medical marijuana dispensary says it will open in N.J. this fall
• Hoboken Approves Their First Medical Cannabis Dispensary
• TerrAscend Receives Approval to Commence Cultivation at its New Jersey Greenhouse

New Mexico

• Special Feature: Medical Cannabis Continues To Grow
• NM’s medical marijuana industry sees sharp spike in sales during pandemic
• NM Medical Cannabis Program Surpasses $92M for the First Time 

Ohio

• Ohio regulators considering resolutions on medical cannabis employee policies
• Ohio medical marijuana firms seek expansion to meet demand 
• Plymouth votes to decriminalize marijuana

Oklahoma

• Why Oklahoma’s Medical Marijuana Program Works
• For Oklahoma seniors, legal marijuana is a new frontier
• Oklahoma regulators release an updated list of licensed medical cannabis testing labs

Oregon

• Oregon regulators approved pot business violation stipulated settlement agreements
• How OR cannabis tax dollars could boost Black entrepreneurs and right past injustice

Pennsylvania

• Pittsburgh University Partners with Cannabis Firm on 10-Year Research Program
• Pennsylvania wraps up medical marijuana research partnerships
• Rep. Lamb votes against bill to protect legal-cannabis states from federal prosecution

Puerto Rico

• The Medical Cannabis Industry Is Booming In Puerto Rico

Rhode Island

• First cannabis testing laboratory licensed by The Rhode Island Department of Health

South Carolina

• Hempgrid aims to strengthen the hemp supply chain

Tennessee

Texas

• Texas Lawsuit Challenges State’s New Ban On Smokable Hemp
• Texas Passes New Hemp Industry Regulations
• Regulators now accepting license applications to make, sell consumable hemp products

Utah

• Utah State researchers debunk myths to find optimal hemp growth 
• Weber County officials weigh change to let second cannabis grower start operating

Virginia

• Dharma Pharmaceuticals Teams Up with CB2 Insights to Study Health Outcomes
• Opinion: Commentary: The Path to Marijuana Legalization

Washington

• Washington State regulators propose rules on a pot consultation and education program
• Cannabis social equity makes progress in WA, but licensees face notable obstacles
• Washington State regulators consider pot rules and a compact with an Indian tribe

International  

Australia

• Policing Cannabis Costs Australia $1.1 Billion Every Year
• Australia sees record month for medical cannabis approvals
• More than two million Australians smoke cannabis – and it’s costing the economy $4.5billion a year
• Australia’s largest medical cannabis deal to relieve 30+ physical ailments
• Canadian, Australian firms team up to market CBD products in Asia

Canada

• Canadian cannabis firm Cronos posts $31.3M operating loss in Q2
• Cannabis Canada: Second Cup widens pot push as coffee sales slump 
• Canada defers regulatory fee deadline for cannabis industry
• Transform Drug Policy Foundation Finds Positive Outlook On Cannabis Legalization
• With all licenses reinstated, CannTrust aims for cannabis product relaunch
• B.C. changes regulations around cannabis sales to permit online purchases

European Union

• Europe’s New ‘Seed-to-Shelf’ Cannabidiol Blockchain Tracking Tool
• Amid legal uncertainty, Dutch CBD producers launch tool to verify product supply chain
• Tilray recalled cannabis extracts in Germany due to incorrect THC content
• A Number of Jews Are Returning To Germany To Work In The Cannabis Industry
• Uruguay Exports 1000 Pounds of Cannabis To Switzerland 

Israel

• Israel’s first medical cannabis center to open in November
• Israel’s health minister presented reforms aimed at lowering the price of medical cannabis by 50%

Jamaica

• Star Buds Opens in Kingston, Jamaica, with Deli-Style Dispensary Experience
• Five years on: Stakeholders weigh in on Jamaica’s ganja industry 

Mexico

• Cannabis Creative Mennlay Aggrey on Managing Self Care in a Changing World
• Congressional Researchers Admit Legalizing Pot Hurts Mexican Drug Cartel Profits

New Zealand

• A budding industry for cannabis products in New Zealand
• ‘Medicinal cannabis saved my son’s life’
• New Zealand surf lifesaving champ’s season wiped out after failing a cannabis test
• The green fairies at the forefront of New Zealand’s fight to legalise cannabis 
• Cannabis referendum: how NZ’s ex-illicit growers are poised to transform the proposed legal market
• Reefer Madness follows criticism of cannabis referendum bill

Peru

• Peru rejects U.S. gov report claiming an increase in cocaine production in the country

South Africa

• South Africa Cabinet Advances Cannabis Legalization Bill

Thailand

• Thailand Plans to Widen Medical Marijuana Production

UK

• Culture out of crisis: The future of the cannabis industry
• It’s time Britain regulated cannabis like alcohol – the benefits are clear
• Campaigners demand reform as official figures show one in five found guilty of cannabis possession is black
• Cocaine, cannabis use will lead to shorter bans for athletes, says UK anti-doping agency

Uruguay

• Uruguay’s president signs decrees authorizing export of medical cannabis and hemp