BudDigest

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Legally Rooted Cannabis Dispensary opened on Jan. 27, 2023 as the first medical marijuana dispensary in Meridian and one of the first dispensaries to open statewide. The dispensary opened just as the first crop of medicinal-grade marijuana and products became ready to sell.

Looking back on the past year, co-owner Ashley Toney said the changes in both the industry and the patients has been astounding.

“I’m really just kind of speechless because everything, it took off so fast,” she said.

As the dispensary opened, the Mississippi Department of Health, which is tasked with issuing medical marijuana licenses for patients, prescribers, cultivation facilities, processing facilities and facilities for testing, waste disposal and transportation, was overwhelmed with applications. At one point, MSDH had more than 900 applications for patients alone.

Toney said the backlog created long wait times for patients to get approved for a medical marijuana card after completing their application. The wait time at the beginning, she said, was roughly 30 days.

MSDH has since beefed up staffing and cleared its backlog, and most patients receive an answer within a few days, Toney

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Legally Rooted Cannabis Dispensary opened on Jan. 27, 2023 as the first medical marijuana dispensary in Meridian and one of the first dispensaries to open statewide. The dispensary opened just as the first crop of medicinal-grade marijuana and products became ready to sell.

Looking back on the past year, co-owner Ashley Toney said the changes in both the industry and the patients has been astounding.

“I’m really just kind of speechless because everything, it took off so fast,” she said.

As the dispensary opened, the Mississippi Department of Health, which is tasked with issuing medical marijuana licenses for patients, prescribers, cultivation facilities, processing facilities and facilities for testing, waste disposal and transportation, was overwhelmed with applications. At one point, MSDH had more than 900 applications for patients alone.

Toney said the backlog created long wait times for patients to get approved for a medical marijuana card after completing their application. The wait time at the beginning, she said, was roughly 30 days.

MSDH has since beefed up staffing and cleared its backlog, and most patients receive an answer within a few days, Toney

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A Napa, Calif., winemaker sued an Orange County cannabis dispensary for allegedly infringing its “BUTTER” trademark with its cannabis, chocolate, and apparel products, among others.

1815 Carnegie Santa Ana Corp. uses JaM Cellars Inc.’s “distinctive yellow and black trade dress” and stylization of the letter “T” to capitalize on the winemaker’s brand that it’s spent years and more than $25 million in advertising and marketing to build, according to JaM Cellsars’ lawsuit filed Jan. 26 in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

JaM Cellars has owned the US trademark for “BUTTER” for wine since 2011, the …

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ENCINITAS — The city’s first of four cannabis shops is set to open by the end of the week. The Cake House, a Southern California recreational cannabis chain, will be the first marijuana dispensary to open in the city since residents approved Measure H in 2020.

While recreational cannabis is legal statewide, individual cities and counties can choose whether or not they allow businesses to sell it. Measure H, a voter-backed initiative allowing for the regulated sale and cultivation of cannabis in Encinitas, required the city to regulate cannabis retail sales.

In 2022, the city chose four cannabis enterprises through a lottery process out of 200 applicants: The Cake House at 583 South Coast Hwy., ECR Encinitas4 LLC at 211 North El Camino Real, STIIIZY at 1030 North Coast Hwy. and Siesta Life Encinitas LLC at 1038 South Coast Hwy.

In a presentation to the Encinitas City Council on Jan. 24, city staff provided status updates on each of the four dispensaries, noting that The Cake House had obtained its state license and was nearing completion.

Employees prepare to open The Cake House, the first of four dispensaries coming to Encinitas. Photo by Samantha Nelson

ECR Encinitas4 LLC is not far behind, having already obtained

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Governor Phil Murphy said he does not support legal cannabis home grow in NJ because he wants to give the new market time to flourish. But is this even a logical and valid point?

Or is it the case that, once again, lawmakers are so completely out of touch with reality and information, knowledge, science, and wisdom about cannabis that they’re leading us from a place of utter blindness?

Sativa Cross, along with other New Jersey cannabis advocates and professionals, held a protest for legal home growth last week at the State House to get their attention.

There is zero evidence to support the claim that home grow damages the conventional markets. Some people suggest it’s quite the opposite.

See Legal NJ Cannabis, Buy More Legal NJ Cannabis

A cannabis plant is truly free advertising for dispensaries. A beautiful plant in a friend’s yard is the billboard for cannabis products that reminds shoppers they need to swing through the dispensary on the way home.

Live plants are especially educational. They convey harmlessness. This can stimulate curiosity in dispensary products and convert the wary into shoppers.

Home grows help spread awareness about cannabis plants in a different way than cannabis marketers

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New Lawsuit Challenges Licensing and Fee Schedule Advantages For Women and Minorities; Claims White Men Denied Equal Protection

January 25, 2024 – A lawsuit filed yesterday in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York challenges the advantages given to women and minority applicants in retail licensing by the Office of Cannabis Management. The plaintiff, Valencia AG, LLC, based in Jamesville, NY is owned by “males of light pigmentation who might best be described as Caucasian or white men,” according to the complaint. Valencia filed an application with OCM on October 12, 2023 seeking a microbusiness cannabis license. Not falling into any of the categories for SEE status, Valencia was unable to request any sort of priority status in its application.

Believing that priority would be given to applicants that attested they either owned or rented space that was immediately ready to open, and relying

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With hopes high for an adult-use vote this fall, the Florida Legislature advanced a bill to limit where new dispensaries can set up shop.

House Bill 1053, which unanimously cleared committee on Thursday, proposes to increase the minimum distance required between cannabis cultivation, processing, and dispensary centers from the existing 500 feet to 1,500 feet, while also extending the buffer zone from K-12 schools to daycare centers, churches, and post-secondary educational institutions.

Sources in the state told Green Market Report that the implications of such a modification are far-reaching, as it imposes far stricter zoning regulations than those currently in place. The rules could derail plans for numerous applicants set to launch operations in the state this July.

More specifically, the expansion of proximity rules would severely impact site selection for new applicants and even newer license holders who are in the process of expanding their retail presence, especially in densely populated areas.

“It’s going to be hard pressed, especially in populated areas, to find locations,” said Matthew Ginder, a partner in the cannabis law practice group at Greenspoon Marder.

According to Sally Peebles, a Jacksonville-based attorney with Vicente, the bill would particularly affect the slew of new licensees looking to

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Some Connecticut liquor stores and other markets have started selling THC-infused seltzers under a “loophole” relating to product serving sizes, according to a CT Insider report.

Under state law in Connecticut — where cannabis was made legal in 2021 and later became available for purchase by adults in January 2023 — cannabis consumables including flower products, concentrates, and infused edibles and beverages are only available for purchase via state-licensed dispensaries. But lately, some THC-infused seltzer products are also being retailed in other markets including convenience stores and state-licensed liquor stores following adjustments to the products’ listed serving sizes in what insiders are calling a “loophole” in state law, the report said.

Per a Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection spokesperson, “a package containing less than 1 milligram of THC per serving and less than 5 milligrams per package is not considered cannabis, and may be produced and sold without a license.”

Some manufacturers, according to the report, are taking advantage by creating products that contain fewer than five milligrams of THC overall and labeling them as being more than five servings, regardless of the product’s volume (typically 7.5 or 12 ounces).

State Rep. Michael D’Agostino (D) said that lawmakers are planning

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Lawmakers in the Delaware House of Representatives voted this week in favor of a proposal that would expand the state’s medical cannabis program by letting patients aged 65 or older self-certify for the program, Marijuana Moment reports. The self-certification process would not require a doctor’s input.

The bill would also remove the program’s medical condition-based eligibility requirements in favor of allowing doctors to certify for medical cannabis access anyone that they believe would benefit from the program.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ed Osienski (D), said that the bill was crafted according to feedback from the state’s cannabis patients.

“Drawing from their insights, we identified numerous ways to improve our medical marijuana program. HB 285 recognizes the need to remove outdated restrictions and breaks down the barriers that hinder patients who could truly benefit from improved access to medical marijuana.” — Rep. Osienski, via Marijuana Moment

The bill passed the House in a 22-10 vote on Thursday and moves next to the state Senate for consideration, where a companion version of the bill has been sponsored by Sen. Kyra Hoffner (D).

“…It is time to update our medical marijuana law and make it easier for the people who rely on these

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Please join us for our latest cannabis business webinar, focused on “Cannabis Loans and Investments”.

In 2024, a constellation of factors makes things very interesting for both cannabis industry investors and businesses:

More states are open for business and investment than ever before In the macroeconomic environment, interest rates are high (especially compared to a few years back), but rates are projected to come down again Many cannabis businesses are struggling, but marijuana may move to Schedule III at some point this year, increasing margins

Whether you’re an investor eyeing favorable debt or equity terms, or a cannabis entrepreneur seeking to secure finance, this webinar has you covered. Equip yourself with financial insights that can help you stride confidently in this ever-evolving industry.

Topics of focus:

The intricacies of the cannabis financial landscape Risk management Navigating lending complexities Capitalizing on investment opportunities Potential impacts of the proposed re-scheduling of marijuana

We’ll also tackle some of the pressing issues such as regulatory challenges and how to navigate the cannabis industry with secure financial strategies.

Don’t miss out: this is your step towards becoming a well-informed player in the world of cannabis loans and investments.

Register

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