BudDigest

Joyleaf, a first-of-its-kind dispensary in Roselle, will host a full day of events Thursday to celebrate its official opening of its store located at 711 E. First Ave.

Beginning at 9:30 a.m., Joyleaf will welcome local public and elected officials, as well as members of the New Jersey cannabis community, for a ribbon-cutting and networking event, including remarks from Joyleaf’s co-founder, a cannabis industry veteran and the founder and former CEO of online grocery delivery service FreshDirect, Jason Ackerman.

Later in the day, beginning at 3 p.m., Joyleaf will welcome cannabis consumers and the Roselle community for an informative and immersive celebration of the cannabis plant that will include live entertainment, giveaways, discounts and deals and the ability to experience the cannabis plant with all five senses. Light refreshments will be served throughout the day.

“While we started welcoming customers in December, as with any new business, we spent the first couple of months focused on refining our customer service and customizing it to fit the needs of our home in Roselle. We are now ready to ‘officially’ open and will mark the occasion with a ribbon-cutting and free celebration for our current loyal customers, as well as the

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Ellis Soodak opened Verdi, the first legal adult-use dispensary in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, about a month and a half ago. Already, he’s grappling with a regulatory issue that he believes could destroy businesses: advertising and marketing restrictions.

“We are really struggling to break even. I know for a fact that there are several stores that are really hurting,” Soodak said. “We’re being set up to fail, 100 percent.”

New York’s Cannabis Control Board finalized regulations that govern the state’s legal cannabis industry in September, including rules for how weed businesses are and are not allowed to advertise their products and stores. The rules prevent dispensaries from buying billboard ads, and stop all companies from using marketing techniques that could be attractive to children.

Business owners and prospective licensees in the Empire State’s cannabis industry have been criticizing the Office of Cannabis Management’s rules for advertising as overly broad and stringent since they were first proposed at a CCB meeting in 2022. Now that an increasing number of dispensaries are opening across the state, store owners are saying they’re prohibited from doing basic advertising, and potential customers don’t even know they exist.

“It’s an existential thing,” Soodak told NY Cannabis Insider. “The fact of the

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Discover Excellence At Illa Canna Weed Dispensary, Jefferson Park’s Premier Cannabis Destination.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, February 28, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Over the past decade, Los Angeles, California, has been at the forefront of a remarkable transformation within its cannabis industry, reflecting broader trends of acceptance and integration of cannabis into the fabric of Californian culture and commerce. Known for its vibrant diversity and innovative spirit, Los Angeles has nurtured the cannabis sector from its nascent stages to a sophisticated, regulated industry, marked by significant legislative milestones, technological advancements, and a notable shift in public perception towards cannabis and its myriad uses.

The journey of transformation began with the gradual relaxation of laws surrounding cannabis, which catalyzed a surge in the establishment of both medical and recreational dispensaries throughout the city. This pivotal regulatory shift opened the floodgates for entrepreneurs and innovators to delve into the expansive possibilities within the cannabis space, leading to a rapid expansion of the market. This expansion was characterized by the introduction of a wide array of cannabis products and services, designed to cater to a diverse clientele with varying needs and preferences, from therapeutic to recreational uses.

As the industry evolved, Los Angeles emerged as

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Office of Cannabis Management Executive Director Chris Alexander said, “New York state leads the nation in its commitment to equity in cannabis. To protect what we are building, we have to make sure that our legal dispensaries have a real shot to thrive against illicit operators. I want to thank Governor Hochul, and our partners across the state for the steadfast commitment to getting this right. The stakes are too high and it’s time we close down these illicit shops, and hold tech companies accountable.”

The Cannabis Place Chief Executive Officer Osbert Orduna said, “Together, we can send a powerful message that unlicensed cannabis stores have no place in our communities, and that we are committed to upholding the rule of law and protecting the safety and welfare of all New Yorkers. It is imperative for the legislature, regulatory agencies, and local governments to work collaboratively to ensure the integrity and success of New York’s cannabis market. I would like to thank the many advocates, legislators, the OCM and the Governor for their combined efforts to build a legal, safe, regulated market for consumers with true social and economic equity.”

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DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Television Iowa Capitol Bureau) – More medical marijuana dispensaries could soon be coming to Iowa. Tuesday, a House subcommittee unanimously approved a bill that would double the number of dispensary licenses to 10.

Democratic State Rep. John Forbes of Polk County says that right now, medical marijuana isn’t accessible for most Iowans. “Patient access to medical cannabis here in the state of Iowa is a concern, especially in certain areas of the state. People have to drive two hours plus. Most people won’t do that,” Forbes said.

But – the bill would also cap the number of dispensaries a license holder could have. Tim Coonan, a lobbyist representing the Green Leaf Cannabis Company said, “It’s a highly regulated, highly speculative. Right now, it’s in its infancy and so I think in line with that, the idea of facilitating the opportunity for more market players, there may be more value in that.”

The Green Leaf Cannabis Company doesn’t have a license but wants in. “Our thought was that to open it up to more market players, it would be wise to limit the number of licenses being held by one entity to three, since that’s the max being held right

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A bill advancing through the Iowa Legislature would allow for more dispensaries to sell medical marijuana in Iowa.

House Study Bill 684 would increase the maximum number of dispensaries in the Iowa Medical Cannabidiol program to 10, changing the portion of Iowa Code that currently caps that total number at five.

License holders would only be able to hold three medical cannabidiol dispensary licenses under this legislation, a move advocates called an arbitrary condition that could limit businesses from expanding in the state’s marketplace.

A House subcommittee advanced the bill by unanimous vote, 3-0, for consideration by a full committee on Tuesday.

Ethan Kedar Astaphan and Weijia Peng were found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of Juan Hernandez, pictured. (Photos from the family’s Help Me Find Juan website)

The owner and manager of an unlicensed California marijuana dispensary were convicted of murdering their college student co-worker with a ketamine injection and dumping his body in the desert because they thought he stole money and pot.

Ethan Kedar Astaphan, 30, and Weijia “James” Peng, 34, were found guilty in a Los Angeles courtroom of first-degree murder in the killing of Juan Carlos Hernandez, whose body was discovered in a shallow grave near Barstow, California, in 2020.

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“I’m sad my son is not coming back,” Hernandez said outside after court, the Los Angeles Daily News reported. “I’m glad they got caught, and they’ll be paying for what they did. Now we’re just figuring out what’s next and how to heal.”

Astaphan’s attorney, Larson Hahm, argued for a second-degree murder conviction, saying the killing wasn’t preplanned, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.

Astaphan, the manager at the unlicensed and now dismantled VIP Collective, and Peng, the owner, killed Hernandez on Sept. 22, 2020, taking

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The Annapolis City Council is currently deliberating on a significant proposal introduced by Alderwoman Elly Tierney, aiming to pause new non-medical cannabis dispensary applications for nine months. This strategic moratorium is designed to provide the council with the necessary time to craft comprehensive zoning regulations for these establishments. This move comes in the wake of Maryland’s legalization of recreational cannabis last year, a development that the city has yet to address through formal legislation.

AdvertismentProactive Steps Towards Regulation

In July 2022, the Annapolis City Council made a pivotal decision to allow medical cannabis dispensaries within commercial zoning districts. This decision, however, was made before the state legalized recreational cannabis use. The proposed moratorium reflects a desire to approach the regulation of cannabis dispensaries in a proactive manner. Drawing lessons from the city’s experiences with short-term rental property regulations, the council aims to develop standards that ensure the safety, health, and welfare of the public. The pause would also allow the city to consider how dispensaries could impact local communities and business districts.

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As Maryland navigates the challenges and opportunities presented by the legalization of recreational cannabis, local governments are faced with the task of integrating dispensaries

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“Integrity has no need of rules.” Albert Camus, French philosopher (1913-1960)

Today, unfortunately, it seems that we have more rules and less integrity. At least this seems to be the case for one section of the California cannabis industry. Recently, a video went viral of dispensary owners in a meeting talking about how much money they saved by not paying their “mom-and-pop” vendors.

“You know what’s so cool,” one owner asked. “How much money we’ve saved by not paying the vendors that have gone out of business…I’m talking about these mom-and-pop brands that come and go.”

There surely must be other cases. To learn more about what’s going on in the California cannabis space, Benzinga reached out to the founders of Stone Road, which has a farm in Northern California and operations across five states. Stone Road has been stiffed for tens of thousands of dollars.

“The reason that all these mom-and-pop shops went out of business was because you had retailers like this holding invoices for 100+ days thus forcing small businesses into bankruptcy,” said Lex Corwin, Stone Road’s CEO and co-founder.

Corwin recently opened up on social media about the struggles his company had. He suggested that the black market actually operates with more

Read More Here...

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“Integrity has no need of rules.” Albert Camus, French philosopher (1913-1960)

Today, unfortunately, it seems that we have more rules and less integrity. At least this seems to be the case for one section of the California cannabis industry. Recently, a video went viral of dispensary owners in a meeting talking about how much money they saved by not paying their “mom-and-pop” vendors.

“You know what’s so cool,” one owner asked. “How much money we’ve saved by not paying the vendors that have gone out of business…I’m talking about these mom-and-pop brands that come and go.”

There surely must be other cases. To learn more about what’s going on in the California cannabis space, Benzinga reached out to the founders of Stone Road, which has a farm in Northern California and operations across five states. Stone Road has been stiffed for tens of thousands of dollars.

“The reason that all these mom-and-pop shops went out of business was because you had retailers like this holding invoices for 100+ days thus forcing small businesses into bankruptcy,” said Lex Corwin, Stone Road’s CEO and co-founder.

Corwin recently opened up on social media about the struggles his company had. He suggested that the black market actually operates with more

Read More Here...