“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

• Kristen Bell’s CBD brand Happy Dance is parents’ latest aid for pandemic-fueled anxieties

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

⭐ The cannabis industry is growing at a staggering rate: Start marketing your business before you launch

• 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

• College students are drinking less alcohol, but smoking more weed

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

• Marijuana and Dopamine: Myths and Realities
• 6 Emerging Trends in the Chiropractic Industry

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

• Bass: USAF Not Changing Stance on Marijuana

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

• Indiana gubernatorial candidates agree on body cams, disagree on decrim

Kansas

• Forging a path with an ancient plant that once dotted the Kansas landscape

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

• Second Congressional District race delayed after death of Legal Marijuana Now candidate

Mississippi

• Mississippi Governor Signs Bill Allowing FDA-Approved Cannabis Medications As Legalization Vote Looms

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

• New OMMA Emergency Rules Now in Effect

Oregon

• Watch: Oregon Drug Decrim Campaign’s New TV Ads For Historic Ballot Measure

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

• Marijuana may soon become legal in South Dakota

Tennessee

• Tennessee Hemp Growers Get Another Year to Transition to Federal Program

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.

• D.C. Pot Bill Would Encourage Formerly Incarcerated People To Work In Legal Industry

West Virginia

• W.Va. Selects Out-of-State Cannabis Growers
• West Virginia Licenses Mainly Out-of-State Firms for Medical Cannabis Cultivation

Wisconsin

• Transition to New Wisconsin State Hemp Plan Postponed; Current Pilot Program Extended

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

• How The Economic Crisis is Making Lebanon Reconsider Hashish

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

• Israel plans for medical cannabis stock index

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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