Author: Chris Casacchia

[ad_1] Las Vegas-headquartered Planet 13 Holdings on Monday announced a $48.9 million deal to acquire Florida-based VidaCann’s vertically integrated marijuana operation, which includes 26 medical cannabis dispensaries. The stock, cash and debt deal, which was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies, is expected to close before March, according to a news release. The deal also includes a fully operational greenhouse cultivation facility, processing and analytical lab as well as three product lines – Tikun Olam, Stanley Brothers and VidaCann’s house brand. “Acquiring VidaCann would significantly accelerate our time to market and, more importantly, scale in Florida,” Planet 13…

[ad_1] A group of South Dakota lawmakers, regulators and law enforcement officials are raising concerns the state has issued too many medical marijuana cards for patients. Jennifer Seale, the state’s MMJ program administrator, told the Legislature’s Republican-controlled Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee that the program has issued nearly 12,000 patient cards. That total doubles initial projections at least a year ahead of estimates, according to South Dakota Public Broadcasting. The strong demand led some lawmakers on the committee to question the legitimacy of the MMJ card approval process and recommend stricter monitoring, including requiring approval from a primary doctor or board-certified…

[ad_1] Ballot language for an Ohio initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in the state has been finalized for the November election. The Republican-controlled Ohio Ballot Board approved the language Thursday, The Columbus Dispatch reported. If the proposal, known as State Issue 2, is approved by voters, it would allow Ohioans 21 or older to buy and possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana, 15 grams of concentrates and grow up to six plants per person or 12 per household. It would also levy a 10% tax on cannabis sales as well as usual sales taxes. Funds from the 10% tax would be…

[ad_1] Medical cannabis retailers in Mississippi sold $4.4 million worth of products in July, up 15.3% from June, according to state data provided to MJBizDaily. The July total – $4,429,093 – marked the sixth straight month of increased sales since the state launched MMJ retail in late January, Department of Revenue statistics show. Mississippi regulators and state agencies have yet to release monthly sales figures publicly, but an official told MJBizDaily they will at some point. Since the medical marijuana program started in Mississippi, retailers have sold $15,718,622 worth of products. The newest MMJ market in the Deep South has…

[ad_1] Nevada regulators have approved three more applications for marijuana consumption lounge licenses, including two concepts in the Las Vegas market. The Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) on Tuesday unanimously approved applications from Deep Roots Harvest and Global Harmony, which operate Las Vegas cannabis stores, as well as KV Group in the southern Nevada town Pahrump. Nevada regulators have now approved seven consumption spaces, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. In June, the CCB granted the first three conditional licenses for such venues to: Cheyenne Medical in unincorporated Clark County. Common Sense Botanicals Nevada in Washoe Valley, between Carson City and…

[ad_1] Twilio, one of the nation’s largest communications-service providers for retailers, is prohibiting cannabis companies from using its software to reach customers, MJBizDaily has confirmed. The publicly traded San Francisco company provides a communications platform and software that helps companies talk to their customers via text, voice and video. A company spokesperson told MJBizDaily the sale or promotion of cannabis via Twilio’s platform violates “long-standing” policies put in place to comply with federal law. However, according to the company’s list of restricted-use cases, marijuana, CBD and accessory-products companies are prohibited from utilizing its SMS or MMS text messaging in the…

[ad_1] Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine is opposing a ballot measure in November that seeks to legalize adult-use marijuana sales in the state. DeWine, who was reelected in 2022, told the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board “it would be a real mistake for us to have recreational marijuana,” according to Columbus TV station WSYX. He made the comments about the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol campaign the same day the ballot initiative qualified for the upcoming election. The Ohio ballot initiative’s qualification culminated a yearslong, drawn-out process that included lawsuits and tens of thousands of invalidated signatures. If voters approve the measure,…

[ad_1] A Native American tribe in northwestern Minnesota that opened the first adult-use cannabis store in the state this month plans to expand its retail business with a mobile dispensary. The Red Lake Nation aims to roll out the weed truck, a new twist of the food truck concept, to meet strong consumer demand, Minnesota Public Radio reported. The Red Lake Nation mobile dispensary will only be allowed to sell medical and recreational marijuana on tribal lands. The tribe launched recreational marijuana sales at its NativeCare store on Aug. 1, the first day the state’s new law legalizing possession, use and…

[ad_1] Negotiations between New York state lawyers, some social equity applicants and a group of multistate operators to settle two related lawsuits over marijuana retail licensing have ended without a compromise. The state attorney general’s office ended talks this week with the Coalition for Access to Regulated & Safe Cannabis, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reported. The talks began after an Aug. 11 court hearing in which a state Supreme Court justice gave the parties two weeks to reach an agreement. That hearing included oral arguments from New York cannabis regulators and attorneys representing a group of military veterans shut…

[ad_1] Michigan adult-use and medical marijuana retailers generated more than $276 million in sales in July, a monthly record, according to the latest statistics from the Cannabis Regulatory Agency. The July sales total of $276,746,264 was nearly a 32% increase from a year ago and a 6.1% jump from June, MITechNews.com reported. Medical marijuana sales accounted for $6.1 million, or roughly 2.2% of total sales, in July. In the adult-use market, flower accounted for $126,067,097 in sales, or about 46.5%. At this rate, Michigan is once again on pace to crack the $3 billion milestone in annual sales. The state…

[ad_1] Marijuana retailers across the United States are adjusting to handling and securing more cash in-store after Mastercard’s abrupt decision last month to halt millions of dollars in cannabis purchases involving its popular debit card. Operators are also bracing for the possibility that global financial giant Visa will follow suit while facing growing threats their increasingly cash-heavy operations will become even more attractive to criminals. Some marijuana retailers are zeroing in on improving in-store communication with customers and the overall shopping experience in the wake of Mastercard’s exodus. Other retailers told MJBizDaily they are reassessing internal processes, including researching payment-processing…

[ad_1] Medical marijuana regulators in Florida must establish a rulemaking process before blocking operators from utilizing third-party dispensing services, an appeals court ruled. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal sided with Seattle-based Leafly, which filed a legal challenge in 2021 against the Florida Department of Health for banning such services. The ruling allows Leafly and other e-commerce service providers to commence business, Orlando Weekly reported, and unlock a multiyear moratorium on this segment of the industry in Florida, a limited-license market dominated by multistate operators. Leafly and similar third-party websites enable potential customers to view dispensary menus…