Rooted In Community: Meet Fernando Bent-mullings
I have always wanted a business of my own to pass down to my son, and at the same time help the people I love with career opportunities. When cannabis became legal to sell in Colorado I knew it was only a matter of time before Massachusetts (MA) would as well. When MA finally voted on it and overwhelmingly voted for it, I felt this could be our families opportunity to get into an industry where the sky was the limit and the amounts of opportunities it could bring our family were worth giving it a shot.
Amazon’s 420-Friendly Announcement: Shifting Policies and Dubious Takeover?
On June 1, 2021, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Amazon, Dave Clark, announced a monumental decision. Dave Clark publicly announced on the Amazon website that the company has revised their policies pertaining to drug testing. Amazon will no longer conduct drug tests that screen for marijuana. However, this policy does not apply to individuals whose jobs are regulated by the Department of Transportation.
Michigan-based Network Seeks to Help Expunge Marijuana Convictions under Clean Slate Act
Several months ago, the Governor of Michigan signed a Marijuana Expungements Bill, allowing people who have faced misdemeanor convictions prior to the state’s legalization of marijuana in 2018 to have the charges erased from their record. This “Clean Slate” legislation aims to help remediate cycles of poverty, job insecurity, and other long-term consequences that result from possessing a criminal record.
Cannabis company opens its flagship dispensary in N.J. It’s the 17th in the state
In November 2020, New Jersey became the 17th state to legalize marijuana. The marijuana industry is slowly growing and becoming accepted in New Jersey. Medical dispensaries started to open up, and it is likely weed sales will be legal for those 21 and up soon to follow.
Failing forward with Jaisyn Melenciano, CEO of SVN Cloudz
I learned about the health benefits of cannabis and how it can help people with so many physical, emotional, and mental disparities which is what my brand, SvnCloudz is all about. My entire career has been based on helping others in any way possible. Cannabis is a positive, legal, and evolving industry that will give me a chance to help others.
The NFL is Exploring the Benefits of Marijuana and CBD
The NFL is looking into research on the different effects of cannabis and cannabinoids on players. In 2020 they changed some of their drug testing policy to be less about punishment and more about education and helping their players. The goal is to find the effects of cannabis on athletes and how cannabis could be possibly used for pain management instead of opioids.
Municipalities Cannot Maintain a Stranglehold on Marijuana
Holyoke Massachusetts has created an effective system to take advantage of the cannabis industry, but they are the exception, for the most part towns have created too many barriers to marijuana businesses making it very hard to succeed in MA – this requires state oversight and a potential reworking of the licensing process in order to fix. In addition this requires reeducation surrounding pot to make sure people are making laws based on facts, not opinions. I am skeptical that will happen under the current gubernatorial administration.
One year later and where is cannabis equity? Where is restorative justice in the industry?
Cannabis companies should provide opportunities for professional growth and restorative justice. Furthermore, existing companies need to cut back on profits and directly re-distribute economic capital to employees, those impacted by the war on drugs, and especially those looking for ownership.
Big Night for Marijuana Legalization
The outcome of the 2020 Election shows the continued support and trend of liberalizing cannabis regulations across the country.
- Oregon’s New “THC in Milligrams” LimitEarlier this month, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed into law HB 3000, an omnibus bill covering a wide range of hemp-related issues. Unlike other cannabis bills passed last session, HB…
- Oregon Psilocybin: Advisory Board and Licensing UpdateOn March 18, Governor Kate Brown appointed members to the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board, which held its first meeting on March 31. Since then, the Board has met monthly and…
- FY22 Agriculture Appropriation Bill: A Good Omen for the Hemp IndustryOn June 29, the House Appropriations Committee (the Committee) released the draft of the fiscal year 2022 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill (the…
- California Ketamine Clinics: Implications From Epic Medical Management, LLC v. PaquetteThe corporate practice of medicine doctrine (“CPOM”) and state anti-kickback prohibitions vary from state to state. While some states have statutory prohibitions, other states rely upon case law for CPOM.…
- What You Need to Know When Buying a Cannabis Business, Part 5: Structuring the PurchaseBuying a cannabis business does not occur in a matter of days, and transactions fall apart for a variety of reasons, as we discussed in Part 1 of this blog series focused…
- Why Most Cannabis Businesses Should Ditch Their SOW ModelsLately, in my review of certain cannabis transactional agreements like cannabis intellectual property (IP) licensing agreements, manufacturing agreements, and distribution agreements, I’m seeing a really high number of statements of…
- Ketamine Clinics: What is a “Referral” Under the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute?In a prior post, we discussed the federal anti-kickback statute (the “AKS”) and the implications for ketamine clinics. In short, the federal AKS prohibits anyone from paying or receiving anything…
- Cannabis Litigation: Attempt to Plead Around the “Illegality” Defense FailsAs the country moves toward decriminalizing and even legalizing marijuana, federal courts largely remain closed to commercial disputes involving marijuana by operation of the illegality defense. We’ve written about the…
- Cannabis Trademarks: Cointreau Sues Potential CBD CompetitorLast month we discussed the recent lawsuits brought by the Wrigley Company against five cannabis businesses it accuses of infringing its trademarks. Cointreau is now following Wrigley’s lead, suing the…
