Author: Chris Casacchia

[ad_1] Eaze Technologies and union negotiators said Wednesday they reached a settlement to avert a work stoppage across California on April 20, the biggest retail day of the year for the marijuana industry. The tentative agreement for employees at Eaze and its cannabis delivery subsidiary, Stachs, ended nine months of intense negotiations and the lingering threat of an unprecedented strike on 4/20. The staffers were represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 5, 135, 324 and 770. According to an MJBizDaily report on April 12, 500 of the company’s delivery and depot employees in Los Angeles, Orange County,…

[ad_1] Nancy Whiteman, the co-founder and CEO of Wana Brands cannabis edibles company, will relinquish the top post in May to focus on philanthropic endeavors. Whiteman will be succeeded by Wana’s chief marketing officer, Joe Hodas, who’s been at the company for four years and in the cannabis industry for 12 years, according to a news release. Whiteman to remain on Canopy USA board An industry vanguard who established one of the largest edible brands in the industry in 2010, Whiteman will remain a board member at Canopy USA, the parent company of Colorado-headquartered Wana Brands, California-based Jetty Extracts and…

[ad_1] A multiagency task force in California seized more than $53 million worth of illegal cannabis products in the first quarter of 2024. The seizures by the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF), which was established in 2022, included 54,137 unlicensed cannabis plants and 31,866 pounds of illegal marijuana products, according to a news release. “As we continue to cultivate a legal marketplace, we’re taking aggressive action to crack down on those still operating in the shadows – shutting down illegal operations linked to organized crime, human trafficking, and the proliferation of illegal products that harm the environment and public health,”…

[ad_1] The New Hampshire House passed another adult-use cannabis legalization bill, but getting it through the Senate has been a perennial challenge. The legislation passed Thursday in the House would allow 15 medical marijuana dispensaries to sell recreational cannabis under regulation of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission, according to New Hampshire Public Radio. New Hampshire is the only New England state that hasn’t legalized adult use. Advocates, operators and consumers hope this is the year, considering outgoing Republican Gov. Chris Sununu and key GOP senators have signaled an openness for approval. However, the Senate roadblocked legalization efforts last year and a similar…

[ad_1] Disgruntled California workers at Eaze Technologies and its cannabis delivery subsidiary, Stachs, reiterated plans to go on strike – just before the unofficial marijuana holiday of April 20 – for many of the reasons industry workers are unionizing nationwide. “We just want to be treated like the valuable employees that we are,” Eaze driver Lori Riehle said during a Wednesday news conference at the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 770 headquarters. Riehle delivered an impassioned speech in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles that highlighted the daily struggles many of her clients face and how much they…

[ad_1] Recreational marijuana sales in Ohio could begin in two months, far ahead of previous estimates as regulators move quickly to establish the newest adult-use market in the Midwest. “We could have retailers, recreational licensed retailers, in Ohio by mid-June,” state Rep. Jamie Callender told Cleveland TV station WEWS. “We should begin to see legal recreational sales of marijuana in Ohio certainly before July 4th weekend.” The Independence Day holiday is one of the best days of the year for cannabis retailers. Previous estimates put the launch of recreational sales in the fall or winter. Lawmakers can’t agree Part of…

[ad_1] Massachusetts-based marijuana multistate operator MariMed on Tuesday announced it had closed a $5.3 million acquisition of Community Wellness & Compassionate Care Center in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The cash, debt and stock transaction finalized April 5, giving the MSO a second Maryland store. MariMed, in a news release, said it is seeking additional dispensary acquisitions to reach Maryland’s retail cap of four stores per owner. “Maryland is a fantastic, high-growth adult-use market,” CEO Jon Levine said in a statement. “Maximizing our footprint there has long been one of our top strategic priorities, and this agreement gets us closer to that…

[ad_1] A California auditor has released several recommendations for better marijuana business licensing processes and policies by local municipalities. The analysis, conducted by California State Auditor Grant Parks, assessed cannabis permitting processes in Monterey and Santa Barbara counties as well as the municipalities of Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego and South Lake Tahoe. The recommendations, first reported by The Sacramento Bee, were not tied to specific jurisdictions and intended to provide best practices for local regulators and governments. To prevent favoritism, ensure fairness and reduce the risk of corruption, the audit recommended: Blind scoring, or removing identifying applicant information, before review.…

[ad_1] Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blasted the recreational marijuana initiative that will appear on the state’s November ballot, calling it “radical” and predicting its failure on Election Day. “They are very, very extreme,” DeSantis said of the cannabis proposal and an abortion-rights initiative that’s also on the November ballot, Miami TV station WFOR reported. “Once voters figure out how radical both of those are, they’re going to fail.” Speaking specifically about the adult-use marijuana initiative, DeSantis said, “It’s basically a license to have it anywhere you want.” “So no time, place and manner restrictions” he continued. “This state will start to…

[ad_1] Despite growing optimism that Hawaii would launch an adult-use cannabis market this year, hopes vanished this week when House Finance Chair Kyle Yamashita declined to hold a vote on the legalization bill. Legislative priorities shifted to meeting response and recovery demands in the wake of the deadly Maui fires in August and away from Senate Bill 3335, which would have allowed recreational marijuana sales and personal cultivation. “Ensuring the recovery of our communities continues to come at an extraordinary cost to the state budget, and the full cost of implementing the legalization of adult-use cannabis is unknown,” Yamashita said…

[ad_1] The second state-approved cannabis consumption lounge will open in Las Vegas on April 5. Marijuana multistate operator Planet 13 Holdings will have a grand opening in a week for its 3,000-square-foot consumption, food and entertainment space dubbed Dazed! Consumption Lounge. The venue, which features bong-shaped chandeliers, VIP booths with flat-screen TVs and a speak-easy secret entrance, is located within Planet 13’s 112,000-square-foot store adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip. “Our goal has always been to make Planet 13 a destination, one of the must see stops that visitors plan their trip around, and with the opening of our Dazed!…

[ad_1] California cannabis producer and retailer Glass House Brands reported fourth-quarter improvements in gross profits and margins for the fourth quarter of 2023, leading to record revenue of $160.8 million for the full year. Revenue in the fourth quarter hit $40.4 million, up 35% from the same period a year ago, Glass House executives said during a Thursday earnings call with analysts. The Long Beach-based company’s wholesale business drove the gains, bringing in revenue of $26.8 million, up 71% year-over-year. Glass House’s retail business, which includes 10 California stores, saw revenue slide to $9.6 million, down 5% as product discounts…