Author: buddigest

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Division has revoked Green Springs Medical’s license to sell medical marijuana, the first revocation of a dispensary license in the five-year history of the industry in Arkansas.

The revocation stems from serial violations, with the selling of more than 1,800 expired products being the latest. According to an ABC news release, it conducted an undercover purchase of expired products in October after it had issued the Seneca Street location a verbal warning.

This month marked five years since Green Springs became the second of 38 dispensaries to open. It’s the only one inside the Hot Springs city limits. The release said the dispensary can appeal the revocation to the ABC Board.

“Despite receiving over 50 violations and warnings over the last four years, Green Springs has continued its pattern of noncompliance,” Department of Finance and Administration Regulatory Administrator Trent Minner said in the release. “A license to operate in the medical marijuana industry in Arkansas is a privilege not to be taken lightly. When state law is consistently disregarded, ABC has a duty to revoke the license.”

The 678 pounds Green Springs reported in first quarter sales ranked seventh statewide and beat its previous first quarter by 17%. The 2,400

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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Arkansas state officials said Thursday that the license of a medical marijuana dispensary in Hot Springs was revoked due to ongoing violations.

According to the Department of Finance and Administration, the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division issued a license revocation for Green Springs Medical Dispensary. State officials said this is the first revocation issued since the medical marijuana industry launched in 2019.

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DFA officials said the dispensary has had ongoing violations, including selling expired items, sanitation issues, maintaining inventory, records and several others.

“For the safety of the industry and patients, ABC has a responsibility to ensure compliance with the law,” Trent Minner, leader of the Department of Finance and Administration’s Regulatory Division, said. “Despite receiving over 50 violations and warnings over the last four years, Green Springs has continued its pattern of noncompliance.”

State officials noted that Green Springs can appeal the revocation to the ABC Board, in which it can remain open pending the appeal. If appealed, the ABC will determine whether to uphold the revocation. If the ABC Board revokes the dispensary’s license, it can appeal to the Circuit Court.

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The ABC revoked the dispensary license for Green Springs Medical Dispensary in Hot Springs due to ongoing violations, including selling expired products.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division (ABC) announced the revocation of the dispensary license for Green Springs Medical Dispensary in Hot Springs due to ongoing violations, including selling over 1,800 expired products.

This is the first revocation issued by the ABC since the Arkansas medical marijuana industry launched in mid-2019. 

“Arkansans approved a strictly regulated medical marijuana program,” said Trent Minner, leader of the Department of Finance and Administration’s Regulatory Division, which includes ABC. “For the safety of the industry and patients, ABC has a responsibility to ensure compliance with the law. Despite receiving over 50 violations and warnings over the last four years, Green Springs has continued its pattern of noncompliance. A license to operate in the medical marijuana industry in Arkansas is a privilege not to be taken lightly. When state law is consistently disregarded, ABC has a duty to revoke the license.”

According to reports, agents conducted an undercover purchase of expired products in October 2023 following a verbal warning.

Prior violations

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Jersey Canna chocolate edibles from the independent micro manufacturer Inclusion Gourmet LLC are now available in New Jersey cannabis dispensaries.

Inclusion Gourmet is the first independent legal New Jersey cannabis chocolate manufacturer to get on dispensary shelves. CEO David Little prefers the term “confectioner,” which means candy maker, to manufacturer or maker.

Technically, Jersey Canna by Inclusion Gourmet is the 2nd chocolate maker to market after the large corporate Multi-State Operator (MSO) Verano introduced the infused chocolate edibles Encore fairly recently.

Infused cannabis chocolates are now available in the legal New Jersey adult-use cannabis market after the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJCRC) expanded the initially allowed types of edibles. NJCRC Executive Director Jeff Brown noted they wanted to take the time to ensure proper standards were followed to avoid food poisoning.

Which NJ Dispensaries Have NJ Chocolate Edibles?

Jersey Canna is working with many independents ,along with a few small and large MSOs. Jersey Canna chocolates can be found in the following dispensaries currently:

Aunt Mary’s Dispensary in Flemington (an MSO) Ayr Dispensary in Eatontown (an MSO) Ayr Dispensary in Union Twp. (an MSO) Ayr Dispensary in Woodbridge (an MSO) Nova Farms in Woodbury (an MSO) The Botanist (an

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The state said an investigation involving undercover agents found the dispensary had sold more than 1,800 expired products.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division (ABC) has issued the state’s first revocation of a dispensary license since the medical marijuana industry launched in 2019.

The ABC revoked the dispensary license for Green Springs Medical Marijuana Dispensary in Hot Springs due to “ongoing violations, most recently selling more than 1,800 expired products,” according to the Arkansas Department of Finance (DFA). 

After giving Green Springs a “verbal warning,” ABC enforcement agents went undercover to purchase some of the dispensary’s expired products in October 2023. 

“For the safety of the industry and patients, ABC has a responsibility to ensure compliance with the law,” Trent Minner, leader of DFA’s Regulatory Division, said. “Despite receiving over 50 violations and warnings over the last four years, Green Springs has continued its pattern of noncompliance. A license to operate in the medical marijuana industry in Arkansas is a privilege not to be taken lightly. When state law is consistently disregarded, ABC has a duty to revoke the license.”

DFA cites additional violations such as failure

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Brian ChilsonREVOKED PERMIT: Dragan Vicentic is the sole owner of Green Springs Medical dispensary.

The state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division revoked the license of dispensary Green Springs Medical of Hot Springs today after a series of violations that included the selling of more than 1,800 expired products, the ABC said in a statement.

The decision by state regulators marked the first time the ABC has revoked a medical marijuana permit since the industry launched in 2019.

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The revocation, detailed in this letter from ABC, was the result of ongoing violations, including an undercover purchase of expired products made by ABC enforcement agents in October. The purchase followed a verbal warning, according to the statement from ABC. 

Scott Hardin, a spokesman for ABC, said the dispensary has indicated it will appeal the decision, which immediately stays the revocation until the ABC board holds a hearing on the case. Hardin said the matter was likely to be heard at the ABC’s June meeting. A decision by ABC board can be further appealed to circuit court.

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With the decision stayed, the Green Springs can remain open until the ABC rules on the case. A person who answered the phone at the dispensary this

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O’FALLON — HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is excited to share that it is now home to St. Clair County’s first milk dispensary, in partnership with Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes (Milk Bank WGL). This joint effort with Milk Bank WGL increases access to lifesaving, critical nutrition for pediatric patients in need.

Located in the Women and Infants Center at HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, 1 St. Elizabeth’s Blvd. in O’Fallon, the milk dispensary will act as a hub where families can purchase pasteurized donor milk for short-term emergency use. Breast milk is an essential nutritional therapy that provides numerous benefits, including infection-fighting factors, growth hormones, and improved nutrition and digestion.

“There are several reasons why mothers and caretakers may need our dispensary services,” said Amanda Schaefer, MSN, RN, HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Women and Infants Center Manager. “They may struggle with low breast milk supply, they may be experiencing an illness or taking a medication that is hindering their ability to breastfeed, or they may have had a child through adoption or surrogacy. We are happy and proud to be the first in our area to provide this service to moms and babies.”

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Milk donations are collected

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Chicago-based multistate cannabis company Verano Holdings is opening its fifth marijuana dispensary in the state later this week, the company announced.

Zen Leaf Naugatuck, a hybrid dispensary serving both medical patients and adult-use customers located at 585 South Main St., is scheduled to open Friday morning as Verano’s third social equity joint venture cannabis storefront in the state and fifth overall in Connecticut.

To prepare for the opening, company officials said they’ve hired 20 new local employees to help run the shop. As part of the company’s social equity plan, Verano officials said they’ll fund several youth education initiatives in the surrounding area.

Verano plans to open three more social equity joint venture dispensaries across the state in the future. The company also owns and operates CTPharma, a 217,000-square-foot cultivation facility in Rocky Hill that the company purchased in 2021. The company’s other Zen Leaf dispensaries are located in Meriden, Newington, Norwich and Waterbury.

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Cannabis workers at Sunnyside, a subsidiary of Cresco Labs CRLBF in River North, Illinois, voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 777.

“We are thrilled to welcome another Cresco location to Teamsters Local 777,” stated Jim Glimco, president of Local 777. “Dispensary workers are seeing their counterparts at other locations organize with the Teamsters and they want to secure the benefits of a union contract for themselves. We look forward to helping these workers get their first contract and continuing to organize workers in the cannabis industry across Illinois.”

Pro tip: Learn all about the future of the cannabis industry at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference this October in Chicago. Hear directly from key industry players and policymakers. Get your tickets now by following this link, and access a 20% discount using the code JAVI20.

The River North dispensary is the sixth location to organize with Local 777. In the fall, Local 777 secured strong first contracts for the five other organized locations in Elmwood Park, South Beloit, Schaumburg, Rockford and Buffalo Grove, Ill., which provide significant improvements for dispensary workers.

See more: ‘We Don’t Plan On Stopping!’ Teamsters’ New Cannabis Contract In Illinois Raises Bar For Big Industry Players

“With all the negative news lately, watching unions win has been incredibly heartening,” said Quinn Shaffer, a wellness advisor at Sunnyside. “Getting to be a part of that in my

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Photo Courtesy of Michael Erkan

On April 17, New York State’s 100th and Ulster County’s first licensed cannabis dispensary, Big Gas Dispensary, opened its doors to the public in its new permanent location, the former New Paltz Stewart’s Shops gas station site.

Community members gathered inside the store for the highly anticipated event, with New Paltz Mayor Tim Rogers and County Executive Jen Metzger making supportive appearances.

“This is huge for New Paltz,” said Justin Salsberg, a New Paltz local and recreational cannabis user. “Having it here locally just makes sense.”

Originally founded in 2023, Big Gas has been operating for the past year exclusively as a cannabis delivery service in the Hudson Valley, with the ultimate goal of opening an in-person location. Owners Zymia Lewis and Kareem Haynesworth are residents of Middletown but chose New Paltz for the location of their dispensary due to their perception of New Paltz being “cannabis-friendly.” 

The opening of a cannabis retailer in the New Paltz area has been years in the making. Despite New York State legalizing adult-use cannabis on March 31, 2021, nearly two years passed before the first licensed retail dispensary opened in New York City on Jan. 24, 2023. 

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