News Roll Up: Maine Tops $250K in Adult Use Sales + Biden Promises Decrim + USDA Surveying Hemp Businesses

“I don’t believe anybody should be going to jail for drug use…We should decriminalize marijuana.”
— Presidential Candidate Joe Biden in ABC Town Hall, October 15
⭐ New Feature in the Roll Up: Look for the star on our top news items ⭐
Welcome To The Weekly Roll Up
A Compendium of The Week’s Cannabis News
Vermont
⭐ Vermont Has Finally Passed Tax and Regulate. So What’s Next?
⭐ Exhibitor Signups are LIVE for Virtual Vermont Hemp Fest
⭐ Event Highlights: UVM Hemp Training + New NECANN Vermont Dates
⭐ WATCH: ShiftMeals Womxn in VT Food System Webinars
Other coverage of Vermont cannabis + hemp:
⭐ VPR: What You Need To Know About Vermont’s New Tax-And-Regulate System For Cannabis
⭐ North Country Public Radio: What New Yorkers should know about Vermont’s new cannabis marketplace
- Times Argus: What to expect with Vermont cannabis legalization
- Fresh Toast: Bernie Sanders Celebrates His Home State’s Pot Reform Milestone
- MJBizDaily: Impending adult-use marijuana program will test ‘made in Vermont’ ethos
- VTDigger Press Release: Cannabis Coalition responds to governor’s action on S.54 with renewed effort to reform next session
- Middlebury Selectboard to consider cannabis voter approval
- Valley Reporter: Instant karma brings Moretown farmer Rossbach replacement hemp
- Hemp Industry Daily: Hemp businesses look to blockchain to provide transparency to customers
VT Politics + Pandemic:
- Chittenden Senate District race: Q&A with Philip Baruth (D)
- VTDigger: Pandemic, new consumer outlook create new markets for Vermont produce
- BFP: Burlington storyteller Ferene Paris Meyer finds the beauty and struggle in Vermont
- WMUR: Vermont officials issue travel restrictions for Grafton County
- WaPo: Vermont wants tourism back, safely. But will travelers play along?
- WCAX: Investigation into letter calling for arrest of Vermont lawmakers
- WCAX: Vermont weigh stations report more deer and hunters
- Fox Chicago: All middle and high schoolers in Vermont to get access to free condoms under new bill
Regional
Maine
⭐ High Times: Maine’s First Weekend Of Legal Cannabis Sales Tops $250K
- Maine unveils new legal adult-use cannabis sales
- Launch Of Maine’s Legal Pot Sales Inspires Rambling Police Department FB Post
- Newscenter Maine; After the first week of recreational marijuana sales, industry leaders are excited about the future
- MJBizDaily: Maine’s recreational cannabis retailers sell nearly $100,000 on opening day
- Recreational sales are open so why the short supply?
Massachusetts
- In Plymouth, home delivery of pot moves closer to reality
- Springfield’s third pot dispensary preps for opening
- From CBDs to sanitizer: $63k grant will help Heritage Hemp
- Judge Sides with Cambridge, Mass., in Latest Ruling Over Cannabis Ordinance
- Wendell anticipates AG approval of new marijuana bylaw
New York
⭐ “A Perfect Example of Targeting”—Marijuana Injustice in Southeast Brooklyn
⭐ New York Will Legalize Pot By April, Regulate CBD-Infused Drinks, Gov Advisor Says
- NY extends hemp pilot program, giving cannabis industry legal ‘breathing room’
- A New York senator introduces bill to create a public bank that could accept funds from pot businesses
- Washington County back in yellow, cut off from Vermont
- WATCH: NY-25 Congressional candidates Joe Morelle, George Mitris debate on News 8
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National
More national coverage of VT tax-and-regulate:
⭐ Vermont Passes Legislation to Regulate Cannabis for Adults
- Mountain Times: Marijuana to be sold in Vt. starting May 2022
- Eagle Times: What to expect with Vermont cannabis legalization
- New Boston Post: Vermont Legalizes Recreational Marijuana — Governor Says It’s About Racial Justice
⭐ WATCH: How pot advocates across the U.S. are fighting to end the war on cannabis
⭐ USDA Wants To Survey 18,000 Hemp Businesses About How They Grow + Sell
Advocacy
- Hemp Industry Members File New Federal Action Challenging DEA’s Regulatory Overreach
- DPA Leads Extensive Coalition of Organizations Representing Directly Impacted People in Calling on Congress to Support Marijuana Reform
Animals
- Is Cannabis and CBD Safe for Animals? A Look at the Evidence
- What does CBD Have In Store For Horses?
Arts/Entertainment
Banking
⭐ The Challenges Of Running A Legitimate Cannabis Business Out Of A Duffel Bag Filled With Cash
- California Cannabis Banking: Financial Institutions Get Some Cover
- Vireo Launches CBN Product into New York Medical Cannabis Market
Business
⭐ ‘I’d be better off going after a bank’: Pot companies beef up security for Croptober
⭐ The Rise of ‘Weedfluencers’ is Leading to Industry Distrust
- From Sports to Brews to Buds, Campbell Consulting Evolves with the Times
- Burns & Levinson hosts fourth annual state of the cannabis industry conference virtually on October 29, 2020
- Magic Johnson And Uncle Bud’s CBD Brand Enter China Via Tmall Partnership
CBD
- Is CBD Legal? The Legal Status of CBD in 2020
- How To Stand Out In A Crowded CBD Market
- Using CBD Oils To Battle Anxiety & Depression During COVID-19
- During COVID-19, students have turned to CBD to manage their stress
Coronavirus/COVID-19
- Vermont’s Burlington Airport Is Now Offering COVID-19 Testing
- Coronavirus Infections Surging in Europe and Most States
- Quarantining with Cannabis: 12 Problems We Never Thought We’d Have
- COVID-19 has forced many executives in the cannabis industry to change their habits
Culture
- Flashback Friday: My Grandfather Discovered THC
- Archaeology Marijuana – An Archaeology of Marijuana
- WATCH: Family Feud features question on where parents go to smoke pot
- TikTok Star Nathan Apodaca Loves Cannabis, Wants To White Label A Strain
Education
⭐ Green Flower and Last Prisoner Project Partner to Provide $50,000 in Scholarships
Federal
⭐ DEA recruits cite ‘monkey noises’ among claims of racism
- Supreme Court Declines To Hear Marijuana Case Challenging DEA’s Restrictive Classification
- Time running out to weigh in on DEA rule about hemp extracts
- DEA Attempts To Block New Cannabis Product After It Draws Similarities to Marijuana
Food & Bev
- Collective Arts Brewery Launches Collective Project to Produce CBD Infused Beverages
- Health And Wellness A Key ‘In’ For Cannabinoid-Based Drinks
- Pabst’s entry into cannabis-infused drinks might untap interest in the category
Growing and Making
- 9 best pot strains of the 2020 harvest
- How to Ensure Proper Airflow in Your Indoor Cannabis Grow
- Why the Dutch know more about the seeds
- Expert Insights on the Keys to Successful Cannabis Production
- Cooking with cannabis: How to elevate the flavour of your edibles
- Three great recipes for your favourite cannabis beverages
- Searching For A Healthy-ish Cocktail? – Try Our CBD Bloody Mary
Health and Wellness
Hemp
⭐ Hemp Industry Daily launches annual industry survey for business data
⭐Federal Agency Says USDA’s Hemp Rules “Stifle” Industry Growth And Hurt Small Businesses
⭐ USDA Approves Hemp Plans For Six Additional States And Three Indian Tribes
- The hemp hype dies down – POLITICO
- 3 Sustainable Uses Of Hemp – Emagazine
- Hemp Is Not Marijuana… Unless You Ask The DEA
Insurance
- Marijuana Companies Seek Disaster Relief
- German patient wins court case to have cannabis covered by insurance
- 6 Questions About Cannabis Insurance
Law Enforcement
- Father knows best? Cops find weed and cash hidden inside baby’s crib
- Kinder eggs full of cannabis and cash stashed in steering wheels: What you see on the front line against smugglers
Legalization
⭐ In the cannabis patch, a patchwork of safety standards – and in some cases, none at all
- Marijuana advocates seriously eye federal legalization after election
- Cannabis In The 2020 Election: Where Legalization Is On The Ballot
Medical
- Time For Doctors To Get On Board With THC As A Medical Treatment
- New technology passes cannabis to brain through blood-brain barrier
- CBD & Cannabis for Endometriosis
Military/Vets
⭐ Sean Worsley, Purple Heart Vet Jailed in Alabama, Released on Parole
Podcasts
- Different Leaf: Climate Change and Eco-Friendly Growing
- The Healing Hearts Podcast goes in-depth on PA’s medical cannabis program
- Cannabis After Covid – 7 Ways The Cannabis Industry Will Change After COVID-19
- Dude Grows: Soil Grow Nitrogen Toxicity, Improvised Grow Tents, & Lime Green Leaves All Over
- How a Facility Increased Yields by over 50% in 2 Years Using Science
- Ministry of Hemp: Hemp Shoes: A More Sustainable Future, With 8000Kicks
Politics
⭐ Cory Booker Presses Supreme Court Nominee On Cannabis Criminalization, War On Drugs
- AOC, Progressives Up in Arms with Dems for Pulling Marijuana Bill
- AOC Wants To Work With Republicans To Legalize Marijuana And End War On Drugs
- Warren, Feinstein, Capito, Clark, Stivers Call Out DEA’s “Foot-Dragging” on Critical Regulations to Combat the Opioid Crisis
Presidential Campaign + Elections
⭐ Cannabis Firms Consider IPOs Anticipating a Biden Presidency
⭐ Who are 2020’s top marijuana legalization campaign donors? We’ve got all the data
- The cannabis industry could be a big winner on Election Day
- Cannabis Is On The Ballot This November. What Can We Expect?
- Biden Talks Pot Decrim, Trump Promotes Criminal Justice Record At Dueling Town Halls
- Harrison says he’s for broadband, decrim, against police defunding in 1-on-1 interview
- Trump Health Policies: 5 Ways Trump Winning Again Would Affect Your Health
Psychedelics
⭐Slate: Why D.C. and Oregon Should Vote Yes on Psychedelics
- Cannabis Marketing Pioneer Notches Another Industry Milestone—An Agency Focused On Psychedelics
- Meet the Woman Diversifying Psychedelic Culture
- How the DEA is Impeding the Use of Psychedelics by Religious Groups
- Community leaders speak on Ann Arbor’s decriminalization of psychedelics
- Top Colorado Springs Official Touts Psychedelics’ Medical Benefits At Decrim Hearing
- In D.C., Initiative 81 Secures Key Endorsements Ahead of November Election
Social Justice
⭐ Advice for cannabis executives who want to address social justice
- Black Ownership in Cannabis Industry Discussed at Howard Theatre Event
- Black and Indigenous entrepreneurs struggle for traction in Canada’s cannabis industry
- The face of legal cannabis doesn’t reflect Canada’s population: It’s mostly white and male
- This Millennial Founder Is Making CBD Less Serious & More Diverse
- Top California Luxury Weed Brand’s New Line Will Donate All Profits To Social Equity
- How The Cannabis Industry Can Help Expunged Individuals Enter The Legal Market
Sports
- Joe Rogan Condemns NFL for Prohibiting Medical Marijuana
- NBA Veteran Al Harrington Talks Black Representation in Cannabis
- What Isiah Thomas Learned On The Court Helped Him Find Success In Cannabis
- Baker Mayfield latest pro athlete to sign with CBD company Beam
- Can CBD help athletic performance?
- Source: Baker Mayfield’s Deal With CBD Company Sparked NFLPA Letter
Studies and Surveys
- Study: Medical Cannabis Does Not Create Cognitive Decline in Seniors
- Study: Cannabis May Help Patients with OCD Symptoms
- Study: Misinformation around CBD for cancer is widespread on medical crowdfunding campaigns
- Study: Inhaled cannabis appears to have short-term beneficial effects on OCD
- Study: Perceived benefits associated with microdosing greatly outweigh challenges
- Study: Cannabis extracts show remarkable antioxidant activity and strong antimicrobial properties against both ATCC and Staphylococcus aureus
- Study: Benefits of cannabidiol in treating symptoms of periodontal diseases outweigh the substance’s disadvantages
- Study: MDMA-assisted psychotherapy “provided to patients with severe or extreme, chronic PTSD appears to be cost-saving while delivering substantial clinical benefit.”
Women
⭐ Meet North Carolina’s First Female Hemp Farmer In 75 Years
- How Cannabis can be a blessing in disguise for women
- Olivia Newton-John shares advice to women fighting breast cancer
- Women empowering women: Small business owners to share their stories
States
⭐ How Are States Allocating Cannabis Tax Revenue? Well, It’s Kind Of Complicated
⭐ Mid-American Growers Forms Partnership to Boost Cannabis Education in the Midwest
⭐ Four States Could Legalize Cannabis Next Month
⭐ Vox: The states where marijuana legalization is on the ballot in 2020
Alabama
⭐ Disabled Iraqi War vet imprisoned for medical cannabis possession granted parole
- Alabama regulators begin accepting hemp license applications
Arizona
- Support For Pot Legalization In Arizona Has Grown Significantly, Two New Polls Show
- A self-dealing gambit or an overdue change? Recreational pot ballot measure debated
- Gilbert will ban recreational pot sales if AZ voters approve Prop 207, with one exception
California
- San Francisco: Grants available for cannabis equity applicants and businesses
- California outdoor marijuana cultivators to designate products by growing region
- Cannabis Businesses Back Ballot Initiatives
- San Francisco Dispensary Employees Ratify Union Contract
- How the new California cannabis appellations law borrows from the wine industry
- California Cannabis Farmer Can’t Sue Sheriff for Destroying Crop
- California without CBD regulatory framework
- Sacramento, California, opens 10 retail cannabis permits for social equity
- Cannabis Cup: People’s Choice Edition Headed To Southern Cali
Colorado
- State Hemp Contract Paused Over Potential Conflict of Interest
- GUEST COLUMN: Follow Vermont’s lead, put a cap on pot potency
- Colorado marijuana sales eclipse $200 million (again) in August
- Colorado Adopts New Marijuana Waste Rules to Encourage Composting
- CO AG Phil Weiser Keynote Address: Symposium on the Economics and Law of Cannabis Markets
Connecticut
⭐ Connecticut Aligns State Hemp Program with Federal Rules
- Lamont Signs Hemp Law, Looks Ahead to Marijuana
- Fledgling Hemp Industry Primed To Grow
- Curaleaf Continues To Expand, Brands Dispensary Locations in Connecticut
Florida
- Curaleaf opens in Panama City: New marijuana dispensary is 33rd Florida location
- Jacksonville city councilman renews effort to allow civil citations for possession of small amounts of marijuana
- Looking for some weed? If at a Florida beach, perhaps just wait for the next wave to arrive
- Florida’s Insane Marijuana History
Illinois
- IL Hits New Milestone – $100 Million In Tax Revenue Collected Since Pot Sales Began
- Craft growers sue Illinois to release licenses
- CEO of Chicago-Based Cresco Labs Talks Legal Marijuana Industry Challenges
- ‘Delay Is Incredibly Costly:’ Lawsuits Pile Up In Fight For Illinois Cannabis Licenses
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
- The sun won’t set on Kentucky hemp
- What Do California and Kentucky Have in Common? It’s Cornbread Hemp
Louisiana
Maryland
- Maryland Lawmakers’ Agenda to Include Enhancing State’s Legal Cannabis Industry
- $50,000 to Establish Agricultural Processing Study in Western Maryland
Michigan
- Michigan Governor Signs Marijuana Expungements Bill As Part Of Criminal Justice Package
- Gov signs bills extending the court-ordered receivership process to pot businesses
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
- Missouri Begins Testing Medical Marijuana, Expected To Hit Dispensary Shelves Soon
- Missouri Launches Medical Marijuana Sales At State’s First Dispensaries
- Missouri’s medical marijuana ambitions begin today
- What to expect from early days of Missouri cannabis as first stores open their doors
Montana
- Pot Legalization Initiative Faces Last-Minute Legal Challenge In State Supreme Court
- Montana’s Catholic bishops urge ‘no’ vote on legalizing recreational marijuana
- Montana Voters Poised To Legalize Marijuana, New Poll Shows
Nebraska
- Kate Bolz Speaks on Gambling Initiatives, Medical Marijuana
- Nebraskans Have Already Filed to Legalize Weed in 2022
Nevada
- Minorities for Medical Marijuana goes to Nevada
- Nevada dispensary association exec: ‘Cannabis industry is hugely important to our recovery’
New Jersey
- Another New Jersey Poll Shows Marijuana Legalization Passing By A Huge Margin
- New Jersey Legal Marijuana Advocates Release New Ads As Campaign Data Shows Opponents Vastly Outspent
- What Happens If New Jersey Legalizes Adult-Use Cannabis?
New Mexico
- New Mexico to Allow Out-of-State Medical Marijuana Patients
- Explosion at New Mexico cannabis plant critically injures 2
North Carolina
- Meet North Carolina’s First Female Hemp Farmer In 75 Years
- OPINION: Cannabis Prohibition is a Gateway to Arrests and Harmful to POC
Ohio
- Dissatisfaction with Ohio’s medical marijuana program is widespread
- Discrepancies in Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Prices Reflect Barriers for Patients
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
- MPP Publishes Pennsylvania Voter Guide
- How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Pennsylvania
- Lt. Gov discusses legalization efforts for recreational pot use in Pennsylvania
- Governor Points To PA’s Hemp Industry In Making Pitch For Legal Recreational Weed
- Pennsylvania Governor Again Calls On Lawmakers To Legalize Marijuana
- New medical marijuana dispensary opening in Wilkes-Barre
Rhode Island
- UFCW and Ocean State Cultivation Center agree to finalize union contract
- Warwick considering new rules to limit marijuana dispensaries
- UFCW, medical marijuana grower ink labor contract in Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
- Analysis: If Texas Legalizes Cannabis, It Could Collect More Than Half A Billion A Year
- Is the City of Dallas Ready to Loosen Marijuana Possession Charges?
- Texas could limit housing options for homeless people with criminal records
Virginia
- VA Gov Signs Pot Reform Bill As State’s First Medical Dispensary Prepares To Open
- Richmond’s first licensed medical marijuana production facility set to open first dispensary
Washington
- Washington Social Equity Program Off to a Bumpy Start
- New coalition advocates for Washington’s cannabis companies
- City council votes to allow more marijuana shops in Everett
Washington, D.C.
West Virginia
- W.Va. Selects Out-of-State Cannabis Growers
- West Virginia Licenses Mainly Out-of-State Firms for Medical Cannabis Cultivation
Wisconsin
International
Africa
- East Africa Could Become a Major Cannabis Export Hub
- RCU partners with EduCann and Schindlers to bring cannabis education to South Africa
- Rwanda Approves Growing Of Marijuana For Medical Purposes
- Rwanda Approves Medical Cannabis Cultivation and Export Guidelines
Asia
Australia
- Push to allow medicinal cannabis patients to drive wins parliament support
- ONJ: Australia should see cannabis as medicine not a drug
- Medicinal cannabis company turning the region green
Canada
- Highs and lows of 2 years of legal cannabis in Canada
- COVID-19 pandemic a ‘boon’ for legal cannabis in Canada as pot industry turns two
- Access barriers stall Canadian medical cannabis market
- Analysis highlights lack of diversity in Canada’s legal cannabis industry
- Canadian legal medical cannabis system forcing patients to self-medicate
- Alberta lifting retail cannabis store cap in November
Europe
- Ireland could be ‘major player in cannabis production’
- Farmers Across Ireland Push for Cannabis Legalization
- Ukraine: Zelensky initiates survey on issues including legalizing medical cannabis
- Spain: A paradise of weed for Europe’s drug traffickers
- Over 27% of Europeans have tried cannabis at least once
- Germany Officially Distributing Uruguay-Grown Medical Cannabis
Israel
Mexico
- Mexican Senate Will Vote On Marijuana Legalization Bill By End Of October, Majority Leader Says
- U.S. detains Mexico’s ex-defense minister on DEA warrant
New Zealand
- Don’t Expect Results On Saturday’s Pot Legalization Vote For A Few Weeks
- Cannabis referendum: Medical Association now neutral
- Jacinda Ardern outlines priorities for cannabis reform, regardless of whether referendum passes
South America
- Congress of Colombia Advances Two Bills to Regulate Adult Use Cannabis
- Aurora Cannabis lists some Uruguay assets for sale as regional CEO departs
UK
- UK’s CBD market scrambles to prepare for March novel food deadline
- Amazon launched a pilot program for CBD sales in the UK
- Brexit could prove to be a boon for Britain”s medicinal cannabis industry
- The importance for transparency within the CBD Industry
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