Legalize cannabis. Release those incarcerated for related offenses. Expunge records. Direct funding to the Black and brown communities devastated by the war on drugs.

And while we’re at it, abolish the private prisons profiting off of the targeted devastation of our communities.

— US Representative-Elect Cori Bush, MO-01

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

12/4/2020 Editor’s Note: This Roll Up has been updated with the US House of Representatives MORE Act vote results.

Vermont

⭐ US House of Representatives Approves Bill to Make Cannabis Legal in Historic Vote

⭐ MORE Act Approved by US House Rules Committee

⭐ Pot prosecution of paralyzed NEK man raises policy concerns

🚨  Sign the Petition: Dismiss All Charges Against Bruce Prosper Jr. and Family

⭐ Eight Ways to #ShopSmall This Holiday Season

⭐ What’s The Buzz Around Delta-8 THC?

⭐Event Highlights: Holiday Markets + Restorative CBD Yoga + Last Prisoner Project Letters

⭐ Recipe: Cannabis-Infused Maple Syrup

⭐ Tim Fair: Vermont’s Path to an Adult-Use Cannabis Market

Other Top Vermont Headlines:

• As deadline looms, Vermont urges residents to take advantage of COVID-19 relief programs that end in December
• Vermont State Police getting body cameras
• Editorial: Retailing cannabis will help Middlebury’s downtown prosper
• VTDigger: Vermont reports 101 new Covid cases and two more deaths (12/2)
• State Officials Investigating Spoiled COVID Tests, Offering Re-testing
• 3 more Vermonters die of COVID; Barre tests don’t make it to lab
• Vermont crosses 4,000 Covid case threshold; concerns over long-term care facilities
• Bostonians Are Moving to Vermont—and Vermonters Aren’t Happy About It
• Vermont’s Ski Season Begins in Earnest Amid Pandemic as More Resorts Open
• To Survive The Pandemic, Vermonters Took A Hike
• Alum donates big gift to Northern Vermont University
• Construction On New Vermont Amtrak Station Set For 2022
• U of Vermont Medical Center continuing cyber-attack recovery
• Former Vermont Tax Chief Is New State Tax Administration Czar

👉   Get The Roll Up, the most important cannabis
news of the week – directly to your inbox. Sign up now.

Regional

Maine

• Maine’s adult use marijuana sector posts healthy sales in first month
• Maine’s First Month of Adult-Use Sales Reach $1.4 Million
• Majority of those surveyed in North Yarmouth would allow pot businesses
• Politics & Other Mistakes: Down to seeds and stems again
• Jim Fossel: Portland referenda could echo around Maine
• Marijuana delivery driver robbed at gunpoint, assaulted in Portland

Massachusetts

• Two sons of Boston were arrested for cannabis. Now they plan to open Hyde Park’s first legal pot shop
• Social Equity Applicants Favored for Massachusetts Cannabis Delivery Licenses
• WCVB Boston: Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission approves regulations for home delivery of pot.
• Cannabis retailers vow to fight marijuana delivery regulations poised for passage Monday
• For medical marijuana patients, “Green Wednesday” kicks off buying season

New Hampshire

• Kathy Sullivan: Large number of bills await Republican majorities

New York

• New York Nursery Suing Sheriff Over Destroyed Hemp Plants
• See ya later, bud. New CBD regs could crush small hemp farms
• The Hempire State: Ithaca poised to cash in on cannabis economy
• Pot Reform Gains Favor in New York

National

⭐ Inside Curaleaf Billionaire Boris Jordan’s Hunger To Become The ‘Frito-Lay’ Of Cannabis

⭐ America Must Protect Its Craft Hemp And Cannabis Growers. Here’s Why.

⭐ Cannabis And Hemp: Predictions for 2021

Advocacy

• Famous Figures Join DPA in Urging Congress to Pass Equitable Pot Reform

Animals

• What To Do if Your Pet Gets Into Your Cannabis

Arts/Entertainment

• Filmmaker Terry Gilliam says he wants to try psilocybin for first time on his 80th birthday
• We knew Willie Nelson Loves His Weed, But Some Other Celebs May Surprise You
• Ben Affleck had a ‘dissociative panic attack’ after smoking weed on ‘Dazed and Confused’ set
• Alyssa Milano, Will.i.am invest in leading European cannabis startup
• 8 Celebrities Cashing In On Cannabis

Banking

• Is Cannabis Banking Reform Finally on the Horizon?

Business

⭐ Nielsen predicts Amazon entry into U.S. CBD retail at MJBizCon hemp forum

• This Dr. Bronner’s $25 Soap Smells Like Cannabis and Has a Message, Too
• How to Establish an SEO Strategy for Your Cannabis Dispensary
• The 10 Best U.S. Cities To Start A Cannabis Brand In Right Now
• Black Woman Owned Hemp Farm Founder Launches CBD Business Kit For the Individual Who Wants to Find Space in the CBD Marketplace
• Subversive Capital Buys Caliva & Left Coast, Launches The Parent Company
• Meet Lovepot, The Home Delivery Florist For People Who Love Pot
• Pot Goes Organic From California to Uruguay: Cannabis Weekly
• Teddy Scott: The Complex World of Multi-State Cannabis Operations
• Can Cannabis Farms Weather Wildfire Season?
• MJ Brand Insights: The Future of Cannabis Events

CBD

• Why did the hemp CBD market stagger through 2020?
• Hemp and CBD oversupply, regulations, nature and COVID in 2020

Coronavirus/COVID-19

• Hemp and CBD oversupply, regulations, nature and COVID in 2020
• Coronavirus Pandemic Affecting Banking Relationship With Cannabis Industry

Culture

• What BET’s SMOKE: Marijuana + Black America showed us
• Grandma spends the last hours of her life smoking cannabis with her grandson
• Best Country Music Songs About Drugs, Getting High
• Paging Dr. Greenthumb: Rapper B-Real Expands His Weed Empire
• Inside Elevationism, the Practicing Religion at the International Church of Cannabis
• 7 Ways Cannabis Can Light Up the Holidays, Even in 2020

Education

• New Mexico university to offer industrial hemp certificate

Federal

• DEA Asks Federal Court To Dismiss Marijuana Rescheduling Lawsuit—Again
• Federal health officials solicit public for data on CBD treatments for pain
• DEA Denies Request To Protect Iowa MMJ Program, But State Still Considering Action

Growing and Making

• Pairing beer and weed: a match made in heaven
• Cannabis-Infused Gummies- Cooking With Cannabis 101
• Herb Diet: A Newbie’s Guide to Cooking With Cannabis
• Meet the Gangster-Free Weed Growers Who Hide in Plain Sight
• Growing Cannabis: What Are The Most Essential Tools For Home Growers?
• The Herb Column: Living Earth

Hemp

⭐ USDA Expands Hemp Crop Insurance Program For Farmers In Some States

• Biden climate strategy is an opportunity for U.S. hemp industry
• Gene-editing cannabis biotech to breed hemp seeds in San Diego

Hypocrisy, Prevarication, and Outright Lies

Insurance

• Court Upholds Unemployment Benefits for Fired Cannabis Patient
• Cannabis not a risk factor for on the job safety

Legalization

⭐ These States Could Have Marijuana Legalization On Their 2022 Ballots

• Which States Are Poised to Advance Marijuana Legalization Reforms in 2021?
• Conservative Groups Call For Marijuana Legalization Ahead Of House Vote
• Americans are voting to legalize weed. It’s unlikely the next Congress will do the same.

Medical Cannabis

• Open For business? Rules of reciprocity in states with medical cannabis

Podcasts

• Addressing the Arbitrary THC Limit in Hemp with Vicente Sederberg’s Shawn Hauser
• Audio: United Cooperative President talking with NW MO farmers about growing hemp
• Cannabis Legalization & Hemp After The Election

Politics

⭐ GOP Lawmakers Slam Marijuana Legalization Vote Planned In Congress This Week

• Dem Congressman Criticizes Planned Pot Legalization Vote, Joining GOP Members
• House could vote to lift nationwide pot prohibition this week-but Mitch could block effort
• A Deeper Dive Ahead Of A Key Day In Congress For Cannabis
• GOP Lawmakers, Celebrities Push Trump To Free Pot Prisoners Before Leaving Office
• Biden needs to listen to voters on legalizing marijuana
• Pot Stocks Get a Lift After a Symbolic Win From the UN
• Pot stocks rally as Trump administration proceeds with transition to Biden

Psychedelics

⭐ Psychedelic mushrooms at center of effort to help dying patients

⭐ Will mushrooms go the way of cannabis? Legalization efforts are growing

• Shrooms and Weed: How They Compare and Interact
• New doc ‘My Psychedelic Love Story’ remembers Timothy Leary
• Hemp And CBD Media Outlet PuraPhy Expands To Functional Mushrooms And Psychedelics
• People are increasingly open to psychedelic therapies. What’s driving that change?
• Beyond the Self: Why Psychedelics Should Be Legalized
• Jewish psychedelics reformer Rick Doblin wants to see therapeutic MDMA legalized
• Mike Tyson Says Psychedelics Inspired Boxing Return

Social Justice

⭐ Curio Wellness launches $30M fund to help women and minorities own a cannabis dispensary

⭐ Nas and Weedmaps to Release PSA For Cannabis Legalization, Equity and Empowerment of Black Entrepreneurs

⭐ Meet Cindy De La Vega, San Francisco’s First Latina Equity Partner

• Where can Black women entrepreneurs go in search of funding? Here are some sources
• The Uproar Over Shawn Kemp’s Weed Shop Ownership Further Highlights Industry’s Diversity Woes
• NCIA Committee Urges Revamp of Illinois Social Equity Licensing Process

Sports

• Ian McCall, Dean Lister turn to psychedelic drugs after revealing addiction, depression issues on ‘Real Sports’ segment
• Punishments for Cannabis, Cocaine & Other Recreational Drugs to be Reduced in 2021 WADA Code
• Mike Tyson smoked weed before boxing return: ‘I can’t stop’
• New Super Bowl Ad To Tout High Points of Cannabis
• These Four Former Pro Athletes Are Using Psychedelics To Heal Their Brain Injuries

Studies and Surveys

⭐ Cannabis As Harm Reduction? Study Shows Patients Who Use It Drink Less Alcohol

⭐ Cannabidiol (CBD) in cannabis does not impair driving, landmark study shows

• A study of cancer in dogs found that “CBD is effective at hindering cell proliferation and induction of autophagy and apoptosis rapidly across neoplastic cell lines.”
• New Study Identifies Link Between Personality Traits And Psychedelic Experiences
• A study concluded that “hemp oil has abundant potential to be used as an inedible source for the manufacture of bio-diesel.“

Women

⭐ 8 takeaways from FDA’s conference on CBD and gender

• Black women don’t get much startup funding. These founders are trying to change that
• Women Entrepreneurs In The Cannabis Industry
• New York State of Mind: Rosie Mattio Is Redefining the Industry’s Image

👉   Enjoying yourself? Subscribe to The Roll Up now.

States

Alaska

• Now that industrial hemp is legal, Alaska’s industry must follow

Arizona

• Arizona Supreme Court establishes a procedure for filing & hearing civil cannabis cases
• Cannabis Gummies Are Flourishing in Arizona
• Secretary of State certified Arizona voters’ approval of Proposition 207

California

• California Cannabis Sales Are ‘Very Strong’ Despite Coronavirus, State Officials Say
• 2021 bodes well for California marijuana companies, business opportunities
• Psilocybin in California: Where research and legalization efforts stand
• LA Times Editorial: Oregon voted to end the war on drugs. CA should watch and learn
• Cannabis Excluded From San Francisco Apartment Smoking Ban

Colorado

• Countless Coloradans left out of Polis’ marijuana conviction pardoning
• Waka Flocka’s Cannabis Brand Dro Partners With Retail Giant Zumiez

Connecticut

• Still a close vote: Lawmakers outline two paths to recreational cannabis in Connecticut
• It’s All in the Details: Connecticut Moves Toward Legalizing Marijuana
• Connecticut Lawmakers Will Put Pot Legalization On Ballot If Legislature Rejects Bill

Florida

• Recreational marijuana supporters hope Florida turns green

Georgia

• Georgia opens application for medical marijuana producers

Illinois

• Legal group to help Illinoisans clear marijuana convictions
• Illinois weed sales on pace to top $1 billion in 2020, expert says
• Steep pot prices will get even higher in some Illinois communities come Jan. 1
• Cannabis MSO Acreage inks $12 million loan to expand Illinois operation

Iowa

• Some of Iowa’s first legal hemp crops set on fire because THC exceeds federal limits
• DEA Denies Request To Protect Iowa Medical Marijuana Program

Kentucky

• Hemp Co. Says It Lost $5M In GenCanna Dealings
• Former GenCanna building sold to Florida based investment group
• Kentucky ag department taking hemp program applications

Louisiana

• Medicinal marijuana being used as treatment for autism

Maryland

• Maryland lawmakers plan push to legalize marijuana
• Maryland Farmers Still Learning About Hemp Production

Michigan

• Will Detroiters Get Their Share of the Recreational Cannabis Industry?
• Detroit City Council Approves Adult-Use Cannabis Sales
• Michigan adult-use cannabis sales exceed $400 million in first year
• Green generating green: 1 year in, rec marijuana adds $73M to Michigan budget
• Michigan’s recreational marijuana industry celebrates birthday after ‘incredible’ first year

Minnesota

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

Mississippi

• In Voting To Make Weed Legal, Mississippians Rejected the Advice of Political Leaders

Missouri

• Start of retail sales drives pre-holiday application surge among Missouri medical cannabis patients
• Where to get medical marijuana certification in the Springfield area, fall 2020
• Medical cannabis dispensary opens in Washington, Missouri

Montana

• Company wants to open marijuana quality assurance lab in Billings

Nevada

• Niko Price Suspended, Fined $8,500 by Nevada State Athletic Commission
• Planet 13 Announces Second Closing Under Its Asset Purchase Management
• “Green Wednesday” brings high sales to local cannabis industry

New Jersey

• New Jersey Prosecutors Told to ‘Seek Adjournment’ for Low-Level Cannabis Cases
• Senators, justice advocates debate N.J. legal weed bill that’s still stalled by disputes
• New Jersey Prosecutors Must Suspend Pot Possession Cases, State AG Says
• New Jersey Lawmakers Want To Put Marijuana On The Ballot Again, To Steer Revenue To People Hurt By Drug War
• NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission reports that state’s legalization referendum generated $2.3 million in fundraising, with supporters accounting for 99.5% of that
• It may still look like a bank, but this building is now N.J.’s 13th medical marijuana dispensary

New Mexico

• The Election Revived Cannabis Legalization Bill in New Mexico
• Medical cannabis dispensaries report increase in sales during pandemic
• Podcast: Growing Forward: Major Players In Cannabis And Barriers To Entry

Ohio

• Patients, caregivers say Ohio medical marijuana prices too high, and acquiring it compounded by coronavirus

Oklahoma

• How One of the Reddest States Became the Nation’s Hottest Weed Market

Oregon

• Gov Takes First Step To Regulate Psilocybin Mushroom Therapy By Forming New Board

Pennsylvania

• Ayr Strategies Moves Forward with $57 Million Pennsylvania Acquisition
• Medical marijuana dispensary to open this week in Harrisburg

Rhode Island

• Coming soon to a college in Rhode Island: Cannabis 101
• Bringing strict standards to marijuana growth, harvesting

South Carolina

• Marijuana Legalization Dead On Arrival In South Carolina

South Dakota

• New S.D. legislator wants restrictions on pot
• South Dakota Police File Lawsuit to Block Measure Legalizing Marijuana Approved by Voters
• Legal team to fight for ballot measure that legalized marijuana in South Dakota
• Final version of industrial-hemp rules is now ready for S.D. legislative panel

Tennessee

• Another medical cannabis bill to be filed in Tennessee legislature

Texas

• Texas Lawmakers Have High Hopes for Marijuana Legislation
• Hemp potency testing available through Texas A&M AgriLife

Virginia

• Virginia Considering Social Equity Options Ahead of Legalization
• Va. task force on marijuana legalization outlines potential industry guidelines
• Northam offers details on path to marijuana legalization in Virginia
• Second Medical Dispensary, Green Leaf Medical Of Virginia, Opens In Richmond

Washington

• Two-Track Effort To Allow Psychedelic Mushrooms In WA Launches Amid Broader Drug Decrim Push
• Proposed pesticide, heavy-metal testing rules in Washington state roil marijuana cultivators

International

• TheHill: UN commission votes to remove pot from list of most dangerous drugs
• United Nations approves WHO recommendation to reschedule cannabis in historic vote

Africa

• Malawi ready to produce cannabis for industrial and medicinal use
• Critics say Malawi fees for hemp, marijuana are too high
• Cannabis to emerge as biggest cash crop in Zimbabwe, says Treasury
• What history teaches us about shaping South Africa’s new cannabis laws

Asia

• Thailand to Allow Cannabis & Hemp in Cosmetics, Food
• Maltese company plans to produce medical cannabis
• Senator: Cannabis will not harm Guam’s family friendly image

Australia

• NSW Government to consider different penalties for possession of drugs

Canada

• Weed at the bar? The tourism industry wants Ontario pot venues open by spring
• Beasters: How Weed From British Columbia Came To Be
• Aurora Cannabis shuts CA$250 million greenhouse ‘indefinitely’
• UN Ambassador Bob Rae reveals he has invested in pot industry

Europe

• Europe Aligns With U.S. On Industrial Hemp THC Requirements
• In Germany, EU court’s CBD decision brings additional political support for access
• Canada’s cannabis boom closely watched in Europe
• CBD firm Pure Sport aims to be first government accredited
• How Poland’s History Made The Nation A Leader For Industrial Hemp
• Poll found that Slovaks oppose lowering penalties for cannabis, 61%-36%.
• Georgia opens application for medical marijuana producers

Israel

• ‘Farm Factories’ in Israel Produce High Yields of Produce, Including Cannabis
• It’s time to reconsider halacha’s stance on cannabis: Opinion
• Courtyard of historic Argentine synagogue transformed into small weed grow-op

Mexico

• Mexico Will Legalize The World’s Largest Legal Cannabis Market
• Mexico’s president talks legal cannabis as bill advances
• Mexico’s Cannabis Legalization Bill Will Boost Business, But There Are Concerns

New Zealand

• Another cannabis referendum? Vote proposed on decriminalisation
• Government to urgently legalise pill testing before the summer festival season

South America

• Colombian cannabis producers raise fresh rounds of capital
• Recreational Cannabis in Colombia – Coming Soon?

UK

• Meet the Nottinghamshire man set to become country’s first medical cannabis billionaire
• Cancard to Provide Cannabis Med Card to UK Patients