The marijuana legalization question is on the ballot. Legalization must repair communities ripped apart by the drug war. Legalization MUST be done in a racially just way. This cannot be another method for systemic racism, AGAIN.

—Rev. Dr. Charles Boyer, NJ pastor and founding director, Salvation and Social Justice

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

Vermont

⭐ New Economic Recovery, Resiliency Grants For Vermont Businesses

⭐ USDA Seeks Public Comment on Survey of 18,000 Hemp Producers

 

⭐ Event Highlights: Vets Day Giveaway + Gifting Opportunities + Hallowbean

⭐ Sen Patrick Leahy Releases Vermont Hemp Agriculture Update

⭐ Kavanaugh Fixes Error in Election Opinion After Vermont Secretary of State Complaint

Vermont Cannabis coverage:

• Windsor Selectboard discusses potential cannabis warrant question
• Addison Independent: Federal hemp rules delayed
• Retail Therapy:At AroMed Essentials, Products Soothe Aches + Pains – and Smell Good
• Free Press: How to provide homegrown cannabis to family and friends in a lawful way

More Vermont News:

• Covid outbreaks spreading through community transmission, state says
• Campaign Countdown: Vt. gubernatorial candidates on racial justice
• Chittenden Senate District race: Q&A with Christopher Pearson
• Chittenden Senate District race: Q&A with Michael Sirotkin (D)
• White supremacist Misch facing hate crime charge in Bennington
• Vt. Health Commissioner: Remdesivir still effective after recent study
• Vermont will participate in Covid vaccine trial
• Purdue Pharma pleads guilty in case initiated by Vermont prosecutors
• VT’s approved travel area shrinks as COVID-19 cases grow

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Regional

Maine

⭐ Small Maine marijuana caregivers sue over out-of-staters entering new adult-use market

• Maine Cannabis Chronicle: Diana’s Burn Report

• Lawsuit filed over Maine marijuana retail licenses
• Portland councilors change way marijuana licenses will be awarded
• Maine company that took orders for pandemic supplies faces federal lawsuit
• People protest outside recreational pot store
• WATCH: Collins, Gideon take part in final Senate debate before Election Day

Massachusetts

⭐ Massachusetts Supreme Court Rules Out Workers Comp for Medical Cannabis

⭐ Cannabis equity coalition takes stand against racist attacks on black-operated business in Harvard Square

⭐ An industry grows: A look back on four years of recreational cannabis in Mass.

• Massachusetts to limit number of cannabis delivery licenses
• Cannabis Control Board Official Press Release
• Massachusetts regulators delay vote on cannabis delivery permits
• Massachusetts Loosens Restrictions On Marijuana
• Massachusetts’ largest cannabis companies adjust, plan for rebound

New Hampshire

• Gov candidate Dan Feltes speaks about support for legalizing cannabis during a debate

New York

⭐ What New Yorkers should know about Vermont’s new cannabis marketplace

⭐ New York’s new rules for CBD: Food and drink OK, but not with alcohol or tobacco

• Cuomo to renew push for legal marijuana (and CBD in food), aide says
• Majority Of New Yorkers Support Marijuana Legalization, New Poll Shows As Governor Renews Reform Pledge
• Deficit could spark New York State to legalize recreational marijuana
• Could New York’s limited medical cannabis program hamper a new adult-use market?
• New York Will Legalize Marijuana ‘Soon’ To Aid Economic Recovery From COVID, Governor Says
• Governor Cuomo Announces Proposed Regulations for Cannabinoid Hemp Products
• Will Albany lawmakers push for marijuana in next year’s budget?
• NYC Now Has a (Legal) Psychedelic Clinic for Mental Health

National

⭐ Get Informed, Get Involved: 20 Cannabis Organizations Advocating for Social Equity

⭐ National Cannabis Industry Association Urges DEA to Rescind Interim Hemp Rule

Advocacy

⭐ Drop in political funding by MPP illustrates shift toward marijuana trade groups, MSOs

⭐ Last Prisoner Project Announces Launch of Michigan Cannabis Prisoner Release Campaign

⭐ NORML 2020 Conference Honors The Late Dr. Lester Grinspoon

Animals

• The Onion made fun of people who give CBD to their pets

Arts/Entertainment

• Musician John Legend Endorses Drug Decriminalization
• Olivia Newton-John, longtime cancer ‘thriver,’ on losing friend Kelly Preston and finding comfort in cannabis
• Gwyneth Paltrow says cannabis is the ‘hero ingredient of the future’ as she invests in cannabis-infused beverage maker

Banking

• Banks Navigate Hazy Regulations to Serve Cannabis Businesses
• A New Hope For Raising Cannabis Capital

Business

⭐ IRS Building Cannabis Audit Teams to Boost Tax Enforcement

⭐ Recreational cannabis brand and product expansion slow in US markets

• How Marijuana Use in the Workplace is Perplexing Employers
• Cultivating Profits: How to Boost Profit Margins as a Grower
• Growing cannabis player Curaleaf poised to capitalize if CT legalization approved
• Top cannabis stocks to bet on for a Biden win
• Aurora Cannabis looks to shore up finances with $500 million shelf offering
• Meadow launches a CRM and text messaging platform for dispensary clients
• Some Cannabis Investors Are Optimistic About the 2020 Election
• As new cannabis vending machines hit the market, challenges remain
• Report Shows Legal US Cannabis Market At $35 Billion By 2025
• WATCH: Emerald Magazine Capital Cathy: Jeanne Sullivan of Arcview Group

CBD

• CBD Product Data Shouldn’t Fly Under the Radar
• A genetic test predicts THC versus CBD in Cannabis plants
• Tobacco company invests $15 million to bring LA cannabis line to THC-free markets
• Could Martha Stewart Convince Older Americans to Try CBD?

Coronavirus/COVID-19

• Top Senate Democrat Includes Pot Banking Protections In New Coronavirus Relief Bill
• The High Priestess: How To Enjoy Cannabis In The Era of Covid
• Study links CBD to peptide that helps protect lungs from COVID-19

Culture

• Nas to executive produce and narrate BET’s new weed documentary ‘SMOKE’
• The Music Never Stops With Jerry Garcia’s Just-Launched Cannabis Collection
• Carlos Santana Talks Cannabis: ‘It’s All About Consciousness, Man’
• Seth Rogen on fighting cannabis stigma and why pot should be as accepted as beer
• Lion Melta does ode to cannabis
• JAY-Z ventures into cannabis market with new ‘MONOGRAM’ company
• The Onion makes fun of Jay-Z’s new cannabis line
• Emerald Magazine: Felisha George: Hip-Hop for Healing and Celebration
• Emerald Magazine: Meet Ngaio Bealum

Education

⭐ Schools And NCAA Could Ban Marijuana Sponsorships

• Panelists Advocate for Psychedelics Decriminalization in Law School Webinar
• Are Marijuana Classes and College Courses Worth It?

Federal

⭐ Feds Say Cannabis Employees are ‘Agricultural Laborers,’ May Unionize Under State Law

⭐ ‘Drug Free USA Forever’ Stamps Launched By DEA, Postal Service And Miss America

• Court upholds IRS authority to investigate Colorado cannabis companies
• Emerald Magazine: SCOTUS Denies Cannabis Reclassification Hearing

Food & Bev

• Why Cannabis-Infused Drinks Are Hit Or Miss
• Canada dry? Cannabis-infused drinks fizzle due to production, distribution challenges
• Hold the alcohol. An intoxicating new marijuana drink may be coming to Michigan
• CBD foods’ appeal grows despite lack of federal approval

Growing and Making

• The Best Cannabis Strains For Beginner Growers
• Why You Didn’t Get The Cannabis Strain You Think You Did
• Emerald Magazine: Halloween Themed Strains to try This Spooky Season
• Cutting booze for Sober October? Here are 9 cannabis drink recipes
• Emerald Magazine: 4 Cannabis-Infused Recipes for the Fall

Health and Wellness

• WATCH: EmeraldLIVE Oct 20th webinar – Sex and Cannabis

Hemp

⭐ Congressional members sent DEA letter asking for clarity on hemp extraction rule

⭐ USDA Seeks Comments On A Request For Information Collection On Domestic Hemp Production

• USDA Releases, Then Rescinds, Hemp Loan Notice Following Congressional Action
• This Is Proof We Need More University Research On Hemp
• Editor’s Notebook: Think hemp isn’t on the ballot this year? Think again
• Hemp Protein Nutrition, and Why You Should be Using Hemp Protein as an Ingredient
• Podcast: Hemp Wood Alternatives: Sustainable Building Materials

Insurance

• Mass. High Court Says Pot Patients Cannot Get Reimbursed
• Comp insurer doesn’t have to pay for medical marijuana: Court

Law Enforcement

• The DEA launched a new operation to “identify and prioritize ongoing drug trafficking investigations with a nexus to violent crime”
• Many recent cannabis busts in Ontario involved medical grows, police say
• Three arrested in series of cannabis delivery robberies throughout the East Bay

Legalization

⭐ Polls show marijuana legalization leading as Election Day nears

⭐ State And Local Pot Regulators Demand Congress Prioritize Federal Legalization Bill

⭐‘New Jersey Will Legalize’ And New York And Pennsylvania Will Follow, Says Cannabis Industry Expert

• Addiction Medicine Doctors Group With Prohibitionist Roots Embraces Federal Marijuana Reforms
• Don’t Hold Your Breath For Federal Cannabis Legalization
• Will budget deficit force marijuana legalization discussion?

Media

• Jay-Z’s pot brand uses mobile billboards to highlight differing cannabis laws
• Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg Throttled Traffic to Progressive News Sites

Military/Vets

• US military warns troops in Japan not to try ‘instant relaxation drink’ containing hemp
• Amicus Briefs Filed in Support of Dr. Sue Sisley’s Petition to Facilitate Medical Cannabis Research for Veterans with PTSD

Podcasts

• SF Weekly: Frak’s ‘B-List Celebrities’ + Cannabis Banking
• The rich history and promising future of psychedelic therapy
• Driscoll Green: How marijuana shapes local and national elections
• Green Rush Podcast: Fotmer CEO On Uruguay, A Sleeping Giant In The International Cannabis Space

Politics

⭐ Cannabis, no longer so divisive, draws more conservative support

⭐ Democratic Women’s Caucus pushes for equal business opportunities for medical marijuana

⭐ The Next Green Rush Requires A Blue Wave: Why Cannabis Investors Need Dems To Win

⭐ Minority Leader Pledges to Advance Pot Descheduling if Dems Take Control of US Senate

• A Green Wave Goes to Washington | Foley Hoag LLP – Cannabis and the Law
• High Times: Gun and Cannabis Stocks on the Rise Prior to Election
• MG Magazine: Election Day 2020: Cannabis on the Ballot
• AOC says Big Banks Got to Republicans on Marijuana, which is Bad for Minorities
• Election could stoke US marijuana market, sway Congress
• Swing States: A Closer Look

• Marijuana on the Ballot

Presidential Campaign

⭐ Harris Will Give Biden ‘Honest’ Input On Legalizing Pot And Other Issues As Part Of ‘Deal’

⭐ Trump v. Biden: CANNABIS LEGALIZATION | Cozen O’Connor

• Things This Election Will Decide That Have Nothing to Do With Trump or Biden
• Trump Campaign Orders Mississippi MMJ Activists To Cease Using President’s Name
• Kamala Harris Touts ‘Commitment’ To Marijuana Decriminalization And Expungements Under Biden Administration
• President Obama Hilariously Bashes Trump For Bragging About Support From Dictators

Psychedelics

⭐ Father Of The Psychedelic Movement, Timothy Leary : Fresh Air

⭐ Psychedelic drug ballot measures in the 2020 election, explained

⭐ First, It Was Weed — Now, Voters Have a Chance for Legal Psychedelics

⭐ Ann Arbor Decriminalizes Mushrooms & Psychedelic Plants

• Inside the Movement to Decolonize Psychedelic Pharma
• ‘My Psychedelic Love Story’: Film Review | AFI 2020
• The Past, Present and Future of Psychedelics
• Can Psychedelic Therapy Ease The Socioeconomic Burden Of Addiction?
• Journey Colab bags $3M from ‘moonshot’ fund to push new development model for psychiatric treatments
• Numinus Becomes The First Canadian Psychedelics Company To Legally Harvest Magic Mushrooms

Social Justice

⭐The Quest For Equal Opportunity: Social Equity Initiatives Within State-Legal Pot Programs

⭐ The fight to free America’s cannabis prisoners

• BET Presents New Documentary: ‘Smoke: Marijuana + Black America’
• EquityWorks! Incubator: Lowering Barriers For BIPOC Cannabis Entrepreneurs
• How The Cannabis Industry Can Help Expunged Individuals Enter The Legal Market
• Hazey Taughtme wants more Cannabis entrepreneurs to join the industry
• Cannabis influencers: Preaching for racial and social justice
• Pennsylvania’s efforts towards criminal justice reforms
• Adding a racial lens to the legislated review of the Cannabis Act
• Behind the Racial Equity Advancement Fund
• Q&A: Athol’s Elev8 Cannabis dispensary to focus on equity and inclusion
• Cannabis equity coalition takes stand against racist attacks on black-operated business in Harvard Square

Sports

• Sonics legend Shawn Kemp to open Seattle’s first Black-owned marijuana dispensary
• Baseball player Luis Campusano was arrested on felony marijuana possession charges
• Big Drew Leaves Radio For Marijuana Industry
• NFLPA Releases Guidelines On CBD

Studies and Surveys

⭐ How to Vote for Cannabis Research on November 3rd

• Cannabis reduces OCD symptoms by half in the short-term
• CBD: It Won’t Cure Ailments but It Can Help with Pain, Nausea
• Study Finds 15% Of Seniors Use Cannabis To Treat Symptoms Of Aging
• International study finds 79% of individuals who microdose report improvements in mental health
• Study: More Seniors Using Cannabis to Treat Common Ailments
• Study: Medical cannabis initiation may be associated with self-reported reductions and cessation of alcohol use among medical cannabis patients
• Study: No evidence that cannabis users experienced higher rates of work-related injuries
• Study finds evidencethat cannabis use during [medication-based treatment for opioid use disorder] does not poses a strong threat to patient outcomes

Travel/Tourism

• Edmonton-area grower pushing for cannabis tourism
• Colorado Tourism Is About More Than Weed, Readers Say

Women

⭐ Female Cannabis Leaders: Why Are There So Few?

• Cannabis influencers: She’s persuasive and blunt about inclusivity
• Women-Owned Marijuana Company Hopes to Get a ‘Fair Shake’
• Women Grow Leadership Summit is Latest Conference to Pivot Online for 2021
• 5 cannabis products Laganja Estranja can’t live without

States

⭐ Legal cannabis backers tout potential money for states

⭐ Going Green: The Five States Voting On Cannabis This November

Arizona

• Arizona Marijuana Opponents Release Five Misleading Attack Ads Ahead Of Legalization Vote Next Week
• Why the LDS Church ‘strongly opposes’ Proposition 207 on recreational marijuana

California

⭐ California’s marijuana legalization law, Prop 64, is broken and needs reform

⭐ Why California’s New Cannabis Terroir Laws Are A Win For Legacy Growers

• Were killings at Aguanga marijuana grow ‘a message’?
• Last West Virginia county approves cannabis dispensaries
• San Diego Sues to Collect Unpaid Cannabis Taxes
• LA Cannabis Department to Start Taking Applications for Delivery, Distribution and Other Services
• Wine Helps with Cannabis Classification

Colorado

• How the 2020 National Election Impacts Colorado’s Marijuana Industry
• Colorado marijuana market report finds maturity in the industry
• Court Allows IRS to Investigate Colorado Cannabis Companies
• Colorado marijuana vape aerosol testing rules address key health issues
• Exclusive: Colorado’s Governor Jared Polis Talks Legal Cannabis
• Colorado Governor Tells Texas Not To Legalize Marijuana So His Own State Can Get More Tourists

Florida

• Medical marijuana is a game-changer – The Famuan
• Florigrown, Again: South Florida Hospital News

Georgia

• Deporting Brandon: How one mistake caused this teen to be uprooted from Georgia home

Idaho

• Idaho Activists Submit 2022 Medical Marijuana Initiative Following 2020 Complications

Illinois

• Illinois pot shops are now rolling in bud, so why does an eighth of weed still cost $80?
• Marijuana in Illinois: A 10-month scorecard
• Marijuana eases budget pain for Chicago and Cook County
• Successful marijuana license applicants in Illinois to get court hearing on lawsuit
• Foxx quietly starts expunging 1,200 pot convictions after COVID-19 delays

Indiana

• Indiana Attorney General Candidate Calls For Cannabis Legalization

Kansas

• Kansas Residents Support Legalizing Marijuana By A Large Margin, Poll Finds

Kentucky

• The Entire U.S. Hemp Fiber Industry Is One Factory In Kentucky
• Kentucky cannabis company files proposed new CBD label regulation

Louisiana

• Louisiana Senate Education Committee amends a House-passed bill that would have allowed school personnel to administer medical cannabis to students – by replacing it with language to simply conduct a study on the issue

Maryland

• After more than four years, cannabis firm Herbiculture is finally getting its big shot

Michigan

• Michigan prisoner serving 40-year sentence on marijuana-related charges receives parole board hearing
• Detroit Officials Announce Proposal To Allow Adult-Use Cannabis Sales in City

Minnesota

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

Mississippi

• Mississippi Supreme Court Won’t Consider Challenge To Medical Marijuana Measure Until After Election
• Espy endorses medical marijuana initiative. Could it be a boon to his campaign?
• Over 300 police chiefs come out in opposition of Initiative 65, call it ‘extremely problematic’

Missouri

• Marijuana Dispensary Opening in Kansas City after Successful Amendment
• Missouri regulators investigating complaint about moldy medical cannabis sold at a dispensary

Montana

• Montana Supreme Court Rejects Challenge To Marijuana Legalization Initiative
• Montana Marijuana Legalization Ballot Measure Has Solid Lead In New Poll

Nebraska

• ‘They’re not going to stop us’: Medical marijuana advocates push forward
• Nebraska Medical Cannabis Advocates Launch Initiative Signature Drive for 2022

Nevada

• Nevada: The Candidates to Watch this Election – NORML
• Weed industry: CCB jeopardizes jobs amid stellar sales
• Planet 13 Doubles Size in Las Vegas, Nevada
• Nevada hosting public health focused, ‘Cannabis and Vaping Summit’ in January
• Nevada cannabis companies face penalties for violations
• Nevada pot market regains footing after strict COVID-19 restrictions, fewer tourists

New Jersey

⭐  New Jersey Lawmakers Approve Bill Providing Medical Marijuana Patient Insurance Benefits

⭐  Meet the man selling marijuana across from Trenton’s City Hall. Even the mayor is a fan of ‘NJWeedman’

• NJ Legal Marijuana Advocates Beats Rivals in Fundraising
• Pot Sales Could Start Just Weeks After Election Day Under Key Senator’s Plan
• Cory Booker Urges New Jersey Voters To Legalize Marijuana As Data Shows Supporters Outraising Opponents
• Marijuana May Become Legal in NJ after Virtual Forum Next Week

• No, marijuana won’t be legal right away if the N.J. referendum passes. Here’s what you can’t do.

New Mexico

• Navajo Nation sues 33 farmers over hemp, marijuana farms
• Santa Fe, New Mexico City Council approved an ordinance to ban no-knock warrants
• Cannabis Manufacturing Explosion Injures Two in New Mexico

Ohio

• ‘Arbitrary’ THC limit causes consternation among Ohio’s hemp farmers
• High prices, too few options: Ohio medical marijuana patients voice concerns in new survey
• Nonprofit wants to recycle Ohio’s medical marijuana waste

Oregon

• Former Gov. John Kitzhaber Urges “No” Vote on Measure 110, Which Decriminalizes Drug Possession
• Portland City Council votes to grant licenses to most marijuana store applicants

Pennsylvania

• Pa. House amends DUI law decriminalizing trace amounts of medical marijuana
• HACC nursing student who uses medical marijuana can’t avoid drug test she is sure to fail: Pa. court
• State-Owned Liquor Stores Are Key To Pennsylvania Cannabis Legalization

South Dakota

• Groups backing legal marijuana in South Dakota have big money advantage, mostly from one PAC
• Retired South Dakota Police Officer Endorses Legalization in New TV Ad
• Former Federal Prosecutor Endorses Legalization Initiative In South Dakota In New Ad
• South Dakota Governor Urges ‘No’ Vote On Marijuana Legalization Initiative In New Ad
• South Dakota: Oglala Sioux Enacts Ordinance Legalizing Marijuana Use on Tribal Lands

Tennessee

• GOP Tennessee Senator Calls For Medical Marijuana Legalization in New Campaign Ad

Texas

• Marijuana Legalization In Texas Would Generate Billions In Tax Revenue, New Economic Analysis Shows

Utah

• Brown disagrees with Democratic pledge to decriminalize marijuana

Virginia

• Virginia Bill To Ban Police Searches Based On Pot Smell Gets Gov-Suggested Changes
• Virginia NORML Calls for Legalization to Protect Marijuana Consumers from Potentially Tainted Products

Washington

• Seattle’s First Black-Owned Dispensary, Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis, To Open
• Seattle’s top pot retailers during pandemic rack up sales, but face higher costs

Washington DC

• Workers at DC’s first solely Black-owned marijuana dispensary unionize

West Virginia

• West Virginia regulators select Metrc to run state’s medical cannabis track+trace system

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin Celebrates Hemp, and Anti-cannabis Republicans Rejoice
• Nathan Grajeda: Legalizing marijuana in Wisconsin would be a win for the Latino community
• Wisconsin’s hemp pilot program to get extended

International

Africa

• Rwanda Enters Medical Marijuana Export Market
• Nigeria: Concerns over plans to legalise cannabis farming
• Why countries in southern Africa could become leaders in the cannabis sector
• Cash-strapped Zimbabwe to woo cannabis farmers

Asia

• Indian stoners face a moral crusade
• Is Japan ready to embrace CBD?
• Phillipines: Duterte urged to set De Lima free after favorable testimony

Australia

• Australian Billionaires Back Medical Cannabis Production
• Victoria’s Industrial Hemp Taskforce Reports In
• Industrial Hemp Trial Green Lit in Victoria

Canada

• The U.S. election could change the cannabis industry. Is Canada ready?
• Canadian cannabis sales grow to nearly CA$245 million in August
• Don’t leave cannabis out of Canada’s post-COVID recovery plan
• Canadian Chamber of Commerce to Review Cannabis Act
• Nova Scotia veterinarians report significant spike in cases of dogs consuming cannabis

Dominican Republic

• Dominica parliament amends marijuana legislation

Europe

• Top EU court to issue final ruling on France’s CBD ban on Nov. 19
• European Parliament signs off on raising EU THC limit to 0.3%
• Canadian Cannabis Industry Pros Dish On Pivoting To Europe (Spoiler: It Has A Lot To Do With Regulations)
• Ukrainians support medical cannabis legalization, Zelensky’s poll shows
• German Cannabis Flower Market is Ready to Explode
• Activists push to keep medical cannabis high on agenda
• Scotland Yard chief who devised force’s drugs strategy suspended after admitting to cannabis use
• Scotland: CBD coronavirus sales soar by 300%

Mexico

• Legalization in Mexico: An imperfect victory
• Cannabis Firms Celebrate Día De Muertos 2020

New Zealand

• New Zealand Voters Approve Euthanasia but Reject Legal Cannabis in Referendum
• New Zealand Marijuana Legalization Trails In Early Referendum Results, But More Votes To Be Counted
• New Zealand seeks proposals to educate doctors on medical cannabis

South America

• New Uruguayan decree could position country as cannabis logistics hub

UK

• Government urged to sell cocaine and ecstasy in pharmacies
• Medical Cannabis the cure for UK’s chronic pain issue

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