Category: Marijuana News

Funds from the state’s medical and recreational cannabis program are benefiting the Missouri Veteran’s Commission.   Lindsey Fox/FLICKR” class=”uk-display-block uk-position-relative uk-visible-toggle”> click to enlarge

Funds from the state’s medical and recreational cannabis program are benefiting the Missouri Veteran’s Commission.

For Missouri veterans, the state’s marijuana programs are looking a lot like green gold.

As of today, the Department of Health and Senior Services has transferred more than $29 million from Missouri’s medical marijuana program to the Missouri Veterans Commission since the program’s inception in 2018. Today alone, DHSS moved $13 million such funds from the medical program.

“These funds will help MVC continue to support the existing infrastructure of our seven Veterans Homes,” said Executive Director Paul Kirchhoff in a statement.

In addition, DHSS transferred $3.8 million in funds from the recreational cannabis program to three recipient agencies — the veterans’ commission for health care services, Missouri’s State Public Defender for low-income legal assistance and a DHSS-run drug addiction treatment program.

The funds come from the voter-adopted Constitutional Amendment 2, which established the medical program, and Constitutional Amendment 3, which legalized adult use.

All the fees and taxes from the medical program, minus expenses, are

Read More Here...

Europe’s first legal, albeit experimental, cannabis dispensary last week was given final approval by Swiss regulators. The dispensary, run by the Sanity Group and the Swiss Institute for Addiction and Health Research (ISGF), received approval to conduct a study on the controlled dispensing of cannabis to adults by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG).

The study, titled “Grashaus Projects” is scheduled to launch later this year, and cannabis will initially be dispensed through a flagship shop in the municipality of Allschwil, with another location in Liestal to follow. Sanity Group is the only German company participating in the Swiss pilot projects, which aims to learn more about the effects of controlled access to cannabis in an effort to provide a solid scientific basis for possible decisions on future cannabis regulation in Switzerland.

In a statement, Prof. Dr. Michael Schaub, Scientific Director of the ISGF, who will lead the study, said its insights “can contribute to an informed health policy discussion on the responsible use of cannabis and serve as a basis for decisions on long-term regulation.”

“In addition, we want to investigate whether we can gain better access to high-risk users with, for example, mental

Read More Here...

Europe’s first legal, albeit experimental, cannabis dispensary last week was given final approval by Swiss regulators. The dispensary, run by the Sanity Group and the Swiss Institute for Addiction and Health Research (ISGF), received approval to conduct a study on the controlled dispensing of cannabis to adults by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG).

The study, titled “Grashaus Projects” is scheduled to launch later this year, and cannabis will initially be dispensed through a flagship shop in the municipality of Allschwil, with another location in Liestal to follow. Sanity Group is the only German company participating in the Swiss pilot projects, which aims to learn more about the effects of controlled access to cannabis in an effort to provide a solid scientific basis for possible decisions on future cannabis regulation in Switzerland.

In a statement, Prof. Dr. Michael Schaub, Scientific Director of the ISGF, who will lead the study, said its insights “can contribute to an informed health policy discussion on the responsible use of cannabis and serve as a basis for decisions on long-term regulation.”

“In addition, we want to investigate whether we can gain better access to high-risk users with, for example, mental

Read More Here...

Loading…Loading…Loading…Celebrity Collab To Bring Cannabis Lounging To Newark, New West Hollywood’s Place To Unwind

A celebrity-legal trio revealed their plan to expand the dispensary for downtown Newark, which will eventually feature a consumption lounge, in the early months of next year, reported NJ.com.

Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan, hip-hop radio personality Charlamagne tha God and a South Carolina civil rights lawyer were granted a Class V license by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission for Oregon-based Hashstoria to launch marijuana sales and “legally expand the cannabis industry” in Newark.

The Hashstoria dispensary and lounge, where cannasseurs can buy, smoke or consume marijuana products, was designed by Rachael Grochowski of RHG Architecture + Design. 

West Hollywood, California also got a cannabis consumption lounge last week. PleasureMed is owned and operated by Brian Robinson and it includes two restaurants – Irie and Hind, a a dispensary and consumption lounge.

The 6,500-square-foot facility is located at 7733 Santa Monica Boulevard, reported Eater LA.

Top Cannabis Players Ramp Up Retail Footprint In Florida

Meanwhile, three cannabis multi-state operators grew their retail footprint recently.

Trulieve Cannabis Corp. TRUL TCNNF kicked off sales at 4256 Lafayette Street in Marianna on Saturday, Oct. 28. Located along U.S. Highway 90 and less than five miles from Interstate 10, the new dispensary offers greater convenience to Florida patients

Read More Here...

We are seeing in an uptick in China-related matters involving cannabis brands. Here are three tips for cannabis brands that are getting their products made in China:

1. Sign a Contract

As I recently wrote in our sister blog, “while having a contract provides no guarantee of smooth operations or favorable dispute resolution, a well-drafted agreement can mitigate many risks.” Moreover, it “is almost guaranteed, though, is that if a dispute arises and you do not have a contract, you will have no chance of legal recourse in China.”

We see far too many companies doing business in China without proper contractual protection. In some cases, this is because they mistakenly assume a Chinese court would not enforce a contract anyway. Others assume that an exchange of emails and WhatsApp messages with their supplier would be considered a contract, if push came to shove.

The bottom line is that Chinese courts regularly enforce written contracts. Moreover, the existence of such a contract greatly reduces the likelihood of a dispute, precisely because the Chinese supplier is likely to know that a breach of a written contract is very damning in the eyes of a local court. At the same time, in

Read More Here...

Medical cannabis sales in Arkansas have totaled $211.3 million this year, according to Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) data outlined by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The state has collected $23.5 million in tax revenue from medical cannabis sales so far this year and $113 million since the state’s first dispensaries opened in 2019.

According to DFA data, Arkansas dispensaries have sold 44,949 pounds of cannabis this year.

In a statement, Scott Hardin, a DFA spokesperson, said that since medical cannabis sales launched in the state in May 2019, patients have spent more than $965 million.

“This included $31 million in 2019, $182 million in 2020, $265 million in 2021, $276 million in 2022 and $211 million through September this year. With monthly sales averaging $23.4 million, we remain on track to set a new sales record this year.” — Hardin, in a statement, via the Democrat-Chronicle

According to state data, there are currently 96,056 active medical cannabis ID cards issued in Arkansas. In January, the state counted 99,955 active ID cards.

In August, DFA said that the average price per pound of medical cannabis was $4,545 – a marked decrease

Read More Here...

Researchers at Duke University are exploring how psychedelics function in the brain by dosing larval zebrafish with DOI, a compound similar to LSD. Minel Arinel, a graduate student in the Department of Neurobiology, said that while “Clinical trials just ask whether people with psychiatric disorders get better, there’s not much of a mechanistic understanding of what exactly is happening” when someone is under the influence of psychedelics. 

Arinel’s current project seeks to understand how brain cells, and which ones, change to impact a fish’s movement and perception after being dosed with DOI. 

“It really changes their sensitivity to the dark. At lower concentrations of DOI, they move way more in the dark, but as the concentration increases, they start moving less and less. They kind of just float around in the water and lose motor control.” — Arinel to Duke School of Medicine Magnify 

Arinel added that the research won’t immediately lead to cures for neurological disorders any time soon.   

“We cannot say, ‘We gave this drug to a fish, so we’re going to cure PTSD,’ or anything like that,” she said.  

Another study by Duke researchers is investigating how the substances

Read More Here...

Company’s 50% owned asset signs management deal and brands dispensary ‘Pineapple Express Hollywood’

LOS ANGELES, CA, Oct. 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pineapple Express Cannabis Company. (OTC: PNXP) (the “Company”), a publicly traded company, today announced that it has commenced management and operations of its flagship dispensary location at the famed corner of Hollywood & Vine on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Company confirmed the exact location for Pineapple Express Hollywood as 1708 Vine Street, Hollywood, Ca.

“We are delighted to launch our first store under our Pineapple Express brand at the iconic intersection of Hollywood and Vine street just steps away from Capitol Records,” stated Matthew Feinstein, chairman and CEO of Pineapple Express Cannabis Company. “This is the first of 10 stores that our Company’s 50% owned asset, Pineapple Consolidated Inc., has successfully achieved licensing for and is building out in metro Los Angeles. We are excited for our upcoming announcements regarding rolling out our development roadmap and retail footprint throughout Los Angeles.”

About Pineapple Express Cannabis Company

Pineapple Express Cannabis Company. (the “Company” or “Pineapple Express”) is based in Los Angeles, California. The Company’s operating subsidiary, Ananas Growth Ventures, serves as an incubator, helping early-stage ventures and

Read More Here...

Pineapple Express Cannabis Company

Company’s 50% owned asset signs management deal and brands dispensary ‘Pineapple Express Hollywood’

LOS ANGELES, CA, Oct. 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pineapple Express Cannabis Company. (OTC: PNXP) (the “Company”), a publicly traded company, today announced that it has commenced management and operations of its flagship dispensary location at the famed corner of Hollywood & Vine on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Company confirmed the exact location for Pineapple Express Hollywood as 1708 Vine Street, Hollywood, Ca.

“We are delighted to launch our first store under our Pineapple Express brand at the iconic intersection of Hollywood and Vine street just steps away from Capitol Records,” stated Matthew Feinstein, chairman and CEO of Pineapple Express Cannabis Company. “This is the first of 10 stores that our Company’s 50% owned asset, Pineapple Consolidated Inc., has successfully achieved licensing for and is building out in metro Los Angeles. We are excited for our upcoming announcements regarding rolling out our development roadmap and retail footprint throughout Los Angeles.”

About Pineapple Express Cannabis Company

Pineapple Express Cannabis Company. (the “Company” or “Pineapple Express”) is based in Los Angeles, California. The Company’s operating subsidiary, Ananas Growth Ventures, serves as an incubator, helping early-stage ventures and startups

Read More Here...

Ahead of her appearance at Business of Cannabis: New York at the end of the week (November 03), we caught up with Arana Hankin Biggers, CEO of Union Square Travel Agency, to discuss the importance of the CAURD programme, and how its been to be one of the first legal cannabis dispensaries in the state. 

BofC: Hi Arana, for our readers who might not be familiar, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got into the cannabis industry? 

Arana: I’m relatively new to the cannabis industry. When adult- use cannabis became legal in NYS on April 1, 2021, I formed a team with a few friends and old colleagues in pursuit of a license.

I had worked in real estate development, and NYS politics for close to a decade prior, building and implementing initiatives that provided economic opportunities to communities of color, and finding creative ways to support local not for profits and artists. The cannabis industry allowed me to bring all of these skills together for the first time, and gave me the opportunity to be a part of a new and emerging industry, while prioritizing social justice.

BofC: Tell us about Union

Read More Here...