With Canadian cannabis legalization slated to commence this summer, Ontario has been proactive in its preparations, being the first province to issue its market regulations and now announcing a partnership with a popular ecommerce platform based in Ottawa to run mobile and online cannabis sales in the province.
Business
Fourth Corner Credit Union Conditionally Approved by Federal Reserve
A Colorado credit union dedicated to serving the cannabis industry is one step closer to becoming fully operational. On Feb. 5, 2018, the Fourth Corner Credit Union was given conditional approval by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City for a master account.
No Crackdown on Pot ‘Gifting’ Businesses in Boston Area
Massachusetts’ legalization of recreational marijuana has created a cottage industry of companies selling the drug under the guise of giving it away for free, or pot “gifting.”
AutoNation Just Decided to Stop Caring About Pot Smoking
The largest U.S. auto-dealer chain has lightened up on lighting up. AutoNation Inc. no longer refuses to hire job applicants who test positive for marijuana in drug screenings.
Arizona Dispensaries Sold Over 43 Tons of Medical Marijuana in 2017
While the Grand Canyon State may have failed to legalize recreational marijuana in 2016, Arizona dispensaries ran full steam ahead with medical marijuana sales in 2017, selling more than 43 tons by the end of the year, according to an end-of-year report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Central Florida Medical Marijuana Firm Sold in $43M Deal
A New York-based company has purchased a Central Florida pot operation for $43 million in cash and stock, amid expectations that the industry will explode following the voter-approved legalization of medical marijuana more than a year ago.
Fourth Company Named as New Brunswick Recreational Cannabis Supplier
With the Picture Province estimating that recreational legalization will create hundreds of new jobs and generate up to $150 million annually in recreational sales, the province has named the fourth New Brunswick recreational cannabis supplier.
Canadian Cannabis Company Scores Supply Deal With Eighth Province
On Jan. 16, 2018, Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX: WEED) announced its arrangement to provide marijuana to the province of Prince Edward Island.
Cannabis Could Be the Most Profitable Ingredient in Skincare
Lord Jones co-founder Cindy Capobianco describes her luxury cannabis-infused product business in much the same manner as any maker of a prestige natural skincare brand.
Weed Startups Want Social Drinkers to Change Way They Get Buzzed
Alcohol companies beware: Cannabis startups are coming for your customers. Now that recreational marijuana is legal in California and seven other states, startups are vying with traditional beverage companies for the attention of consumers planning to ingest a social intoxicant.
California Tax Help for Cannabis Industry Retailers
A video for California retail businesses, one of three in a series by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, to help retailers learn about their tax responsibilities.
California Tax Help for Cannabis Industry Distributors
A video for California distribution businesses, one of three in a series by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, to help distributors learn about their tax responsibilities.
California Tax Help for the Cannabis Cultivator or Manufacturer
A video for California cultivation and manufacturing businesses, one of three in a series by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, to help cultivators and manufacturers learn about their tax responsibilities.
Canopy Growth Forms JV for Greenhouse-Grown Cannabis
Canada’s Canopy Growth Corp said it would form a joint venture with privately owned Canopy Rivers Corp and Quebec-based tomato producer Les Serres Stéphane Bertrand to grow cannabis in a tomato greenhouse.
MassRoots Founder Back in Charge
MassRoots founder, Isaac Dietrich, has found a way to regain control of the company he founded. In an 8k filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, it was confirmed that CEO Scott Kveton has resigned. The filing also confirmed that all other board members are no longer with the company.
Most Canadian Cannabis Producers Expect Consolidation of Competition
While Canadian cannabis producers are preparing for the country’s roll out of recreational cannabis, they are also preparing for a potential shift in the market’s landscape.
Washington State Tracking Software Going Up in Smoke
It looks like the highly talked about seed-to-sale tracking system for marijuana businesses in Washington state is going up in smoke.
Eventbrite Is Pulling Some Cannabis Events From Its Site
For the past two years, Michael Zaytsev has sold tickets to the New York Cannabis Film Festival on Eventbrite. But this year, Eventbrite abruptly pulled the event from its platform and suspended Zaytsev’s account.
Aurora Cannabis, a Billion-Dollar Pot Producer, Posts $6M in Revenue
Most interviews with Cam Battley — Aurora Cannabis Inc.’s zealous executive vice-president — inevitably yield considerable enthusiasm about the company’s outlook.
Eaze is Moving Into Recreational Marijuana Delivery With New Funding
The cannabis industry has lit up in the last year, including weed delivery startup Eaze, which just raised $27 million in Series B financing and claims a 300 percent year-over-year increase in gross sales.
Charities Just Say No to Cannabis Companies Contributions
Charity organizations are reluctant to take donations from cannabis companies, even if the state has legalized the industry. Organa Brands learned this the hard way.
Tilray to Supply EU Cannabis From Portugal
Canadian cannabis producer Tilray says it will invest 20 million euros in a medical cannabis operation in Portugal after winning federal licences there.
How Will Legalizing Recreational Cannabis in Cali Affect the Wine Industry?
Back in 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana, and in a few months, recreational use will be legal there too. Many are wondering how the development will impact the state’s wine industry.
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals’ Cannabis-Based Epilepsy Gel Fails Study
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Monday its synthetic cannabis-based gel to treat epilepsy failed a mid-stage study, sending the U.S. drug developer’s shares plunging 50 percent.
Best Practices: Cannabis Executives Share Social Media Advice
Here, CEOs and cannabis executives share their advice on using social media to reach customers, suppliers, investors and the press.
You Can Scream for Cannabis Ice Cream in Colorado on National Ice Cream Day
Summer is hot and ice cream is cool, but cannabis ice cream is even cooler. With National Ice Cream Day on July 16, 2017, cannabis consumers in Colorado have three options: get high and eat ice cream; make cannabis-infused ice cream or go to a dispensary and buy cannabis ice cream.
Aphria Inc. CEO Calls on Cannabis Companies to Disclose, Improve Cash Costs
The chief executive of licensed marijuana producer Aphria Inc. is calling on his competitors to disclose and reduce their production costs well in advance of the coming legal recreational market.
Beyond The Marijuana Index: MJIC CEO Talks Company’s Desire To Be ‘Amazon Of Weed’
MJIC Inc., the company behind the much-discussed Marijuana Index*, tracks U.S. and Canada-traded weed stocks and has been used as the base for the main cannabis ETFs out there. However, the media seems to have emphasized only one of the company’s multiple business segments.
Report: Crown Corporation Should Sell New Brunswick Recreational Cannabis
Canada’s recreational cannabis legalization is planned for a rollout in July 2018, but provinces and territories are in charge of drafting and establishing jurisdiction-specific rules, so they’ve been working hard to create rules that fall within the country’s legalization framework.
Marijuana Shipment Businesses Under Investigation by Denver’s Better Business Bureau
Two online marijuana shipment businesses are under investigation by Denver’s Better Business Bureau. On June 15, 2017, the BBB announced that it was investigating Denver Marijuana and Denver Smoke Buds for illegally mailing marijuana, among other reasons.
New York Cannabis Company Valley Agriceuticals Sold for $17 Million
Multi-state cannabis company iAnthus Capital Management has now planted its flag in New York with Monday’s announced acquisition of Valley Agriceuticals.
Increasing Number of Financial Institutions Banking Marijuana Money
It seems the advent of the Trump Administration has yet to dissuade banks from serving state-legal marijuana businesses. According to a marijuana banking update issued by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a growing number of financial institutions are banking marijuana money in the United States.
California Roll Out: Oakland Medical Cannabis Permit Application Now Available
On May 23, 2017, in California, the Oakland medical cannabis permit application was released for those interested in cultivating, manufacturing, distributing, delivering, transporting and testing medical cannabis.
Marijuana Employment Seeing Rapid Growth in Oregon
On May 23, 2017, the Oregon Employment Department’s Workforce and Economic Research Division released the most recent results of its marijuana employment tracking, identifying rapid growth in the recreational sector.
California’s Insurance Department Talks Cannabis Protections With Stakeholders
On May 23, 2017, Dave Jones, Insurance Commissioner for the California Department of Insurance, brought together a group of 63 insurance-related stakeholders to discuss cannabis protections for state-legal cannabis businesses.
California’s New Cannabis Rules: The End of the Beginning?
All three of the California agencies charged with implementation of the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act released their initial draft of new cannabis rules on April 28, 2017. This long-awaited event puts some meat on the ‘til-now skeletal ideas of what is going to happen in California as the expansion of the state-legal cannabis industry into adult recreational use moves forward.
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company: Riding High on Legal Marijuana
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has positioned itself to benefit from the rising support for marijuana without directly cultivating the plant itself, so as to avoid any legal repercussions.
Report: Medical Cannabis Patients Outspending Recreational Consumers
On April 26, 2017, New Frontier Data, an analytics firm, announced that it had released The Cannabis Industry Annual Report: 2017 Legal Marijuana Outlook, revealing some compelling data on the market habits of medical cannabis patients and recreational cannabis consumers across the country.
Dirt to Dispensary: Sonoma County Hosting Cannabis Workshops
Sonoma County, California, is taking a proactive step to help local medical cannabis stakeholders get up to speed on county requirements for zoning, permitting and compliance across the supply chain.
4 Pitfalls to Avoid in Your Cannabis Career
When it comes to the cannabis industry, it’s difficult to even find an accurate comparison in business. Every business in this industry is effectively a startup in addition to the fact that we’re in one of the newest and fastest growing industries in the world; that makes it like a startup on steroids. To say it’s unpredictable and risky is an understatement.
Canopy Growth to Launch Online Marijuana Store in April
Online sales could be one way recreational marijuana is sold after legalization. Canopy Growth, the parent company of Tweed, Bedrocan, and Mettrum, is preparing to launch a website that will sell marijuana from all three producers in one place.
Sean Murphy Weighs in on the Future of Medical Cannabis
At the California Cannabis Business Expo on March 8, 2017, entrepreneurs and investors interested in the science and technology of medical cannabis were given a crash course in the future of cannabis, and cannabidiol, as an alternative to pharmaceuticals by Hemp Business Journal founder Sean Murphy.
After January 2018: Learn to Jump Through California’s Hoops
in January 2018 two distinct California state laws will come into effect, the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act and the Adult Use Marijuana Act, the mandating act for a new adult-recreational industry. So the question is: what hoops is an entrepreneur going to have to jump through to avail himself of this double opportunity?
Science and Medicine of Cannabis: What Role Will FDA Play in MMJ?
Stephen Goldner, Senior Forensic Toxicologist at Quantum 9, learned early on how to work with the FDA, having developed the FDA-approved liquid dose form of methadone with his mentor John Broich. Hear Goldner discuss what role the FDA would likely play in life after medical cannabis legalization.
Gummies and Mints Are Hits in the Edible Marijuana Markets
Gummies and mints are turning out to be marijuana hits at recreational dispensaries. “From the beginning, cannabis consumers embraced our gummies as well as our approach to crafting edibles,” said Americanna CEO and founder Dan Anglin.
World of Cannabis Summit: Munchies B Gone Reduces Cravings
Say goodbye to post-cannabis munchies with this chewing gum. Munchies B Gone helps cannabis users regulate their marijuana-induced hunger by reducing cravings.
World of Cannabis Summit: Flex Mod Solutions
Dano Keys of FlexMOD Solutions provides insight to the company’s sophisticated manufacturing system for cannabis production.
Startups Focused on Growing Cannabis Industry
These people quit their day jobs to capitalize on the growing marijuana industry by building their own cannabis related business
GW Pharmaceuticals Takes A Step Toward Diversifying
The company announced Tuesday positive top-line results from a mid-stage placebo-controlled study of a proprietary combination of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and cannabidiol, or CBD, for treating glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM.
Smart Business Opportunities in the Emerging Legal Cannabis Industry
The cannabis industry seems unstoppably ascendant at the moment. Medicinal marijuana is now legal in 28 states plus D.C., while recreational marijuana is legal in nine states plus D.C., which opens the doors for a lot of new business opportunities.