News Roll Up: Green Wave Continues as COVID Spreads

“This is an industry that has been built on relationships and one of the barriers to entry we see with the true social equity applicants is not having a seat at the right tables… We aren’t looking for handouts, but more so demanding the equitable opportunity to do the work and prove ourselves.”
— Candace Clark, co-founder of LinkUp and CCRO of Social Equity Empowerment Network
Welcome To The Weekly Roll Up
A Compendium of The Week’s Cannabis News
Vermont
⭐State Officials Clarify Ban on Social Gatherings, Urge Vigilance
⭐ How Vermont’s Election Results Will Shape Cannabis In 2021 And Beyond
⭐ As COVID-19 Cases Rise, Gov. Phil Scott Announces New Mitigation Measures
⭐Newest Gallup Poll Shows Record Support for Making Cannabis Legal
⭐ LISTEN: Trey Anastasio Band’s ‘Burn It Down’
⭐ Delta-8 THC: Is It Legal in Vermont?
⭐ Event Highlights: Small Business Saturday + NECANN-VT and Hemp Fest Signups
Vermont COVID-19 News:
- Vermont COVID program to help with utility bills expands to water, sewer
- Thousands of frontline Vermont workers to begin receiving hazard pay
- Downtown Burlington restaurants to close after new COVID rules
- Banner: The Checkup for Nov. 22: Vermont reports 174 new COVID-19 Cases
- Scott singles out COVID skeptics as case counts spike
- Vermont’s Covid pandemic expected to surge 50% in next six weeks
- Vermont COVID death toll hits 60
- Will new rules hurt winter tourism businesses in Vermont?
Other VT News
- Police searching for men impersonating Vermont Fish and Wildlife officers
- Woolf: Despite low jobless figure, Vermont economy is still in slow recovery mode
- Vermont officials roll out all-payer health care reboot plan
- Vermont to issue free hunting and fishing licenses to Native Americans
- New mountain bike trail link will help connect Vermont
- Albany College of Pharmacy closing Vermont campus
- ‘Just unconscionable’: Law firm report says not enough was done to help dying VT inmate
- Amtrak considers new station in Vermont town of Brattleboro
- Vermont officials: snowmobilers must follow COVID-19 rules
- As cases surge, Vermont National Guard hurries to rebuild field hospital
- VT Biz Mag: News Briefs From October 2020
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Regional
Maine
- Maine medical dispensary converts to recreational
- Wellness Connection to open adult-use cannabis shop in South Portland
- Chamber celebrates Sanford cannabis dispensary’s one-year anniversary
- First Recreational Cannabis Shop Opens in Lincoln County
- Disabled Veteran Makes First Purchase at Haverhill’s Second Pot Store To Send a Message
Massachusetts
- First Worcester Economic Empowerment Pot Store To Open In 2021
- NETA launches grant program to award $25,000 to economic empowerment or social equity cannabis businesses
- Springfield marijuana applications delayed due to coronavirus pandemic
- Ashby’s first cannabis establishment to open ‘soon’
- Northampton adding to pot shop roster
- Boston Media Telling People to Travel To Vermont 😡
Want to travel outside Mass.? HI, VT are low-risk choices for COVID-19, per travel order
New Hampshire
New York
- National Law Review: New York Announces CBD Product Guidelines
- Cannabis Legalization in New York: Déjà vu All Over Again?
- New York Might Be Late To Legalization, But It Can Still Lead
- Can farming hemp help fight climate change?
National
DID YOU KNOW: We now have only six U.S. states where cannabis remains outright illegal.
⭐ After 25 years in prison for selling 3lbs of pot, Michael Thompson receives parole hearing
⭐ US News: Americans Across Party Lines, Regions Embrace Marijuana
⭐ Fresh Toast: Could Marijuana Legalization Unite A Divided Country?
⭐ $6 billion question: Which states are likely to legalize recreational pot in 2021?
Animals
Arts/Entertainment
- Director of BET’s New Doc ‘Smoke’ Explores The Impact Of Pot On Black America
- SXSW wants you to vote on weed and psychedelics panels for 2021 event
- WATCH: Kiss The Ground, a documentary on Netflix about regenerative agriculture
- Rapper Wiz Khalifa and former football player Michael Strahan are being sued by one of the co-owners of their cannabis company Khalifa Kush
- Tommy Chong: “We’re going back to the future with cannabis.”
Banking
- New US Senate panel chair could boost prospects for cannabis banking reform
- Pot banking could get new life on Toomey-led Senate panel
Business
- Partnerships Are Particularly Crucial and Complicated in the Cannabis Industry
- How the Cannabis Industry Can Address Sustainability Concerns
- Here Are Some of the Wild Innovations Happening in the Cannabis Industry Right Now
- Marijuana MSO Curaleaf posts record revenues, discloses CEO change
- Marijuana Use Dominates Positive Drug Testing Rates of Commercial Drivers
- Two California Entrepreneurs Launch CBD And THC Ice Cream
- Red Light Holland Corp. and Halo Labs Inc. signed a non-binding letter of intent to create a joint venture to become a licensed psilocybin manufacturer in Oregon
CBD
- ‘Far from normal’: CBD businesses cling to customers as office workers stay away
- CBD not a narcotic, EU court says, potentially opening new market
Coronavirus/COVID-19
- “COVID Commencers” Add 9 Million New Users to US CBD Market During Pandemic
- Coronavirus and weed: The pandemic changed how we get high
- Dozens of workers at Brookline marijuana dispensary forced to quarantine, limiting orders
Culture
- LISTEN: Trey Anastasio Band’s ‘Burn It Down’
- Marijuana Activist Ed “NJWeedman” Forchion Wages His Own War On Drugs
- OMB Peezy Talks Cannabis And POC Entrepreneurship: ‘We Can Be Moguls’
- Mike Adams’ Sometimes Controversial Take On Cannabis
Education
- New Mexico Highlands University approves industrial hemp certificate program
- UCLA receives $6.4 million to fund cannabis research
- CSU Dominguez Hills Gets Grant To Study Cannabis, Examine Inequities
Federal
⭐ FDA details challenges, research gaps in regulating cannabis-derived products
- As FDA reviews CBD implications for women, industry watches anxiously
- What’s the Position of the FDA on Psychedelics?
- Senate Appropriators Pressure Agencies on Hemp, CBD Regulations
Food & Bev
Growing and Making
- Secrets to Crafting Cannabis and CBD Drinks at Home
- Recipe: Cannabis-Infused Maple Syrup
- Recipe: Cozy Infused Pomegranate Mulled Cider
- Causes of Cannabis Plant Stretching and How to Control It
- Growing Cannabis In Space: Experimenting With Microgravity
- How Climate-Positive Cultivation Is Growing Greener Cannabis
Health and Wellness
- Boomers Favorite New Meds? Cannabis and CBD
- How Cannabis Vaporizer Brands Market Products to Young Women on IG
- Why Getting Your Medical Marijuana Card Has Never Been So Easy
Hemp
⭐ Can the Hemp Business Survive?
⭐ Hemp Industry Daily Exclusive: Best practices to optimize a hemp supply chain
⭐ Hemp & Native American Sovereignty
- CSGA Establishes Guidelines for Pedigreed Feminized Hemp
- NIHC Receives Funding For Hemp Export Market Development
- Vitamin Shoppe Launches CBD Line Using US-Grown Hemp
- Hemp Car: A Better Way To Travel?
- New research could mean wonders for industrial hemp growers
- PURA Launches Hemp Farming Co-Op Campaign
HEMP FACTS
For every ton of hemp produced, 1.63 tons of carbon is removed from the air.
Hypocrisy, Prevarication, and Outright Lies
- Mitch McConnell Press Release: Dems Triple Down On Liberal Wishlist Demands
Insurance
- This past fall, the cannabis and hemp industries watched while thousands of people’s livelihoods went up in smoke
- The implications of medical marijuana in workers’ comp
Law Enforcement
- Multi-state investigation into black market marijuana operations results in raids of 27 Washington homes
- FBI raid of Navajo Nation destroys 250,000 illegal cannabis plants posed as hemp
- National District Attorneys Association is hosting a webinar on marijuana legalization’s “adverse impacts on youth” on December 9
Legalization
⭐Legalization of Recreational Cannabis Finds Success at the State Ballot Box in 2020
- Decriminalization could help ease the nation’s drug epidemic – but the devil is in the details
- Could the success of ballot measures to legalize marijuana add pressure for federal legalization?
- Federal Government To Blame For More States Legalizing
Military/Vets
- Receptra Naturals offers 50% Off CBD Products as Military Appreciation Program
- A Military Veteran Was Fired For Medical Marijuana Use, And People Are Upset
- Veterans with PTSD Are Struggling in the Pandemic. Could Cannabis Help?
- At the forefront of transforming CBD accessibility among the Military Community
Podcasts
- Shawn Gold: Encouraging Creativity with Cannabis
- John Fetterman and Legal Recreational Marijuana in PA
- Cannabis and Indigenous Communities
- Healing Hearts Podcast to Feature PA Cannabis Growers New Series of Seven Episodes Coming Soon for Patients
- Cannabis strain names don’t mean much, give ‘false sense of diversity’
- The Roll-up #172: Free the Old Guy, Part II: He’s Coming Home
Politics
⭐ Kamala Harris Promises ‘No Incrementalism’ in Marijuana Reform
⭐ Biden’s Pot Decriminalization Plan Is ‘Not Enough,’ Cory Booker Says In New Documentary
Psychedelics
⭐ High Times: Exploring the Potential Impact of the Psychedelic Medicine
- Psychedelics Get $50000 Boost from Navy SEAL Foundation
- Fans Of Psychedelics Will Soon Have A Hotline They Can Use To Help Them Navigate And Process Their Trips
- California lawmaker pushing to decriminalize psychedelic drugs
- Breaking Barriers So Psychedelic Experiences Can Become Mainstream
- Could DMT-Assisted Therapy Help Treat Mental Health Disorders?
- Jewish psychedelics advocate working to turn drug into legal medicine
- Psychedelics advocate wants to turn club drug into legal med
Social Justice
⭐‘Longest-Serving Cannabis Offender’ to Be Released Early From 90-Year Prison Sentence
⭐ Candace Clark: Empowering Social Equity Applicants Nationwide
⭐ Marijuana Dispensary Owner Details What Black People Face When They Enter The Business
- N.J. filmmaker’s documentary examines cannabis legalization and its impact on Black Americans
- NBA Champion Matt Barnes To Launch Eaze’s Social Equity Cannabis Business Incubator Nationally
Sports
- NBA star Larry Hughes teams up with Al Harrington to launch Missouri dispensaries
- Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr drugs testing reportedly doesn’t include marijuana [a]
Studies and Surveys
⭐Women Are More Likely To Ditch Prescription Drugs For Pot
- Study: Cannabis THC Levels Have Increased Around the World
- Federal Report: Pot Treatment Admissions Among Youth Decline Sharply In Legalized States
- Study Examines How Cannabis Use Affects Heart Disease
- review examined “compelling pre‐clinical evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of [cannabinoids] to improve wound healing by modulating key molecular pathways.”
- Psychedelic drug triggers growth of new brain cells in mice
Travel/Tourism
Women
⭐Mother’s love: Three Indonesian women want cannabis legalized to help their children
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States & Territories
Alaska
Arizona
- New Arizona law prompts Pima County prosecutors to drop some marijuana cases
- Arizona may see a marijuana shortage after legalization
California
- Judge nixes lawsuit challenging California home pot delivery
- Industry reacts to California cannabis delivery lawsuit outcome: ‘It’s not a win’
- California Universities Receive $30 Million to Study Cannabis
- California’s first cannabis chief to leave state agency in December
- More marijuana shops coming to California post-election
- Regulatory maze, money prevent craft marijuana farmers in California from offering own brands
- ‘The war on drugs failed’: California lawmaker will push to decriminalize psychedelics
Colorado
- Black Cannabis Equity Initiative Discusses Opportunity, New Colorado Laws
- How Will More States Legalizing Cannabis Affect Colorado?
- Colorado Marijuana Dispensaries to Remain Open
- Scarface of Colorado Marijuana Scott Pack’s Rise and Fall
- Colorado summer cannabis sales thrive despite collapse of state’s tourism industry
- Marijuana Delivery One Step Closer to Reality in Aurora
- Colorado extraction company taps cannabis veteran to lead expansion into Europe, South America
Connecticut
- There’s A ’50-50 Chance Connecticut Will Legalize Marijuana In 2021, New House Speaker Says
- A 2021 Legislative Session Via Zoom? Legal Cannabis?
- Vermont Added To Connecticut’s COVID Travel Advisory List
Florida
- Florida Cannabis Company Sues Former CEO Over New CBD Venture
- Take heed, Florida pols. Even Trumpy states just legalized weed
- Florida mom accused of giving toddler son THC through vaping pen
Georgia
Guam
Hawaii
Illinois
- Gov. JB Prtizker’s pot legalization law interpretation, blocking shops relocation, costing Illinois $135mil
- Illinois cannabis industry seeks end to MMJ-recreational retail relocation rule
- Cannabis taxes save 350 jobs in Chicago
- New Leaf Illinois offers help to wipe marijuana charges from record
- Pot firm tied to fading Illinois political dynasty claims it lost out after state mishandled its application
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
- Kentucky Ag Department Taking Hemp Program Applications
- Kentucky tobacco company buys stake in Texas hemp cigarette maker
- Division Of Air Quality Responds to Vertical Complaints
- UK to host Virtual Hemp Field Day
Michigan
- Michigan hopes to teach others as nation moves closer to full marijuana legalization
- Michigan cannabis firm to expand footprint to four states after $45M raise
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
- Montana medical marijuana providers cautiously optimistic about legalization
- Montana Gets Ready to License the Recreational Cannabis Industry
Nevada
New Jersey
- How ‘Magic’ Mushrooms Caused a Snag in NJ’s Marijuana Legalization
- New Jersey recreational cannabis bill advances, but differences remain
- N.J. Black leaders: Levy a cannabis tax to repair the harm done by the drug war
- Marijuana Mom Petitions NJ Gov For Rec License, Fears Small Businesses Will Be Overlooked
New Mexico
- NM Might Increase Medical Marijuana Purchase Limit to 15 ounces
- As war on drugs winds down, New Mexico at a crossroads
North Carolina
- Decriminalize Pot + Study Legalization, NC Governor’s Racial Equity Task Force Says
- In the weeds: Greg Atkinson navigates the changing markets for hemp products
Ohio
- Ohio Cannabis Regulators Update Advisory Committee on MMJ Program
- Buyers start to pick up Ohio medical marijuana dispensaries after first year of operation
Oregon
- How will Oregon’s new psilocybin therapy program work?
- Oregon grower lends cannabis scent to a Dr. Bronner’s fund-raising soap
Pennsylvania
- Meet Pennsylvania’s anger translator, and Donald Trump’s Worst Nightmare
- Pennsylvania Lawmakers Target Lieutenant Governor’s Pot and LGBT Flags With Budget Amendment
- John Fetterman and How Legal Recreational Marijuana in Pennsylvania Would Impact the Hemp Industry
Rhode Island
- The New Jersey Effect? Rhode Island Committee Hears Cannabis Legalization
- Legal marijuana in Rhode Island? What a difference a massive budget deficit can make
South Dakota
- Eye on KELOLAND: What’s next for marijuana in South Dakota
- What will it take to sell legal pot in South Dakota?
- Bracing For Cannabis
Texas
- Texas Democrats Say Marijuana Can Help The Economy, But Republicans May Stand In The Way
- New TX Weed Reform Laws Face Stiff Foe in Patrick
- Texas lawmaker understands path ahead for marijuana legalization
- In economic crisis, Texas Democrats push to legalize marijuana
- Weed Law: The Bills Before the Texas House on Marijuana
Utah
- Utah Lawmakers Considering Medical Cannabis Program
- Audit finds free spending and cronyism by ex-state agency head
- More Utah doctors will be able to recommend medical cannabis under new bill
Virginia
- Virginia Governor Calls For Marijuana Legalization In 2021
- Northam: ‘We are going to move forward with legalizing marijuana in Virginia’
- 8 big decisions facing Virginia lawmakers as they debate legalization
Washington
- Shawn Kemp’s 5% Stake in Shawn Kemp Cannabis Highlights How Far Seattle Is from an “Equitable Industry”
- WA regulators to hear public comment on cannabis pesticide testing rules
- Washington Joins National Cannabis Regulatory Organization
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
International
⭐ Mexico to become the world’s largest regulated cannabis market
Australia
- Israel’s first commercial medical cannabis export lands in Australia
- More Than 100,000 Jobs Could Be Created In Australia If Cannabis Was Legalised
- Women found unconscious cautioned for lockdown breach after eating cannabis cookies
Canada
- Canada Is Allowing People With Depression to Do Psychedelic Mushrooms
- Canadian Officials Respond To Psychedelics Decriminalization Petition, Saying No Legal Changes Needed
- Report: Canadian cannabis firms received millions in pandemic subsidies
- Medical marijuana grow licences exploited by criminals to sell weed on the illegal market, police say
Europe
- EU top court rules that CBD is not a narcotic drug
- Italians Love Cannabis Light. What Is It?
- Can The U.S. Break Down Trade Barriers To Enter Europe’s CBD Food Market?
Israel
- The Israeli Government Plans to Legalize Marijuana
- Israel Is Looking To Use The Canadian Cannabis Industry Framework To Roll Out Legalized Market
- With legalization on the horizon, Israeli cannabis firms start thinking big
- Nissenkorn publishes draft cannabis legalization bill for public comments
Mexico
- Merry Xmas! Mexico could definitely legalize marijuana by Dec 15
- Mexican Senate approves cannabis legalization bill, ending monthslong delay
New Zealand
UK
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