Author: Kate Robertson

[ad_1] A Mississippi marijuana laboratory alleged that cannabis products sold in gasoline stations and convenience stores in the state contain potentially dangerous contaminants and far more delta-9 THC than is legal. Steep Hill Mississippi representatives said at the lab operator tested products and found some contained 12%-14% THC and a long list of pesticides, according to the Jackson-based Clarion Ledger. The products in question were advertised as hemp-derived, which are legal under the 2018 Farm Bill but aren’t federally regulated. Hemp is defined as containing no more than 0.3% THC, but more potent products can be made from hemp. Medical…

[ad_1] Florida’s top marijuana regulator said his agency “would hope” to issue 22 new medical cannabis licenses within the next six months, a move that would nearly double the number of license holders in the state. Christopher Kimball, director of the Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU), shared the news in a Q&A session after presenting to the House Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee on Wednesday, according to Doral TV station WFOR. Rep. Allison Tant, a Tallahassee Democrat, asked the OMMU director if the additional licenses would be approved within the next six months because some of her constituents are “chomping at…

[ad_1] New York-based marijuana multistate operator Curaleaf Holdings will begin trading Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Curaleaf’s shares will trade as CURA on the Canadian exchange, according to a news release. The company’s senior management team, including CEO Matt Darin and Executive Chair Boris Jordan, will ring the Toronto-based exchange’s opening bell on Thursday. Curaleaf’s shares will be delisted from the Canadian Securities Exchange at the close of markets on Wednesday. No action is necessary from shareholders.  The company received conditional approval last week to list on the TSX. Curaleaf had applied in October to list on the…

[ad_1] The South Carolina chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) advocacy group is shutting down after seven years. The group lost four board members, including its treasurer, this year, making it difficult for the group to continue its work, founder Scott Weldon told The Post and Courier of Charleston. Weldon said the group was fined $2,000 after it continued fundraising after failing to renew its nonprofit status. “I had to make a decision,” Weldon, who is also a park ranger and podcaster, told the newspaper. “Do I want to continue to deal with this…

[ad_1] Scotts Miracle-Gro’s audacious $1.7 billion foray into the marijuana business over the past decade is a sensitive topic for the father-son team whose family helped build the lawn and garden giant. Scotts CEO Jim Hagedorn told MJBizDaily the hundreds of layoffs and debt saddling the Ohio company’s cannabis subsidiary, Hawthorne Gardening Co., “almost took Scotts down.” Now, Jim Hagedorn and son Chris, who is Hawthorne’s general manager, are mapping out a change in strategy for the cannabis cultivation supplies company. The two hope to transform Hawthorne into a stand-alone marijuana juggernaut, and they’re ready to do some deal-making with…

[ad_1] Low wholesale cannabis prices are behind the closures of Massachusetts marijuana retailers and producers in 2023. At least 17 marijuana businesses have either lost or returned their licenses to operate in the state, according to MassLive.com. Not all shuttered entirely, however, the news site reported. Some might have stopped operating in the adult-use market but are still working in medical marijuana, for example. And the number could be higher because some cannabis companies might be planning to sell their licenses rather than give them up. That’s because prices have tanked: The average cost of an eighth of marijuana in…

[ad_1] Arizona’s Court of Appeals ruled in favor of MedMen Enterprises in a breach-of-contract lawsuit, the cannabis multistate operator’s second victory over Whitestar Solutions. MedMen, headquartered in Los Angeles, initially won the case in May 2022. Scottsdale, Arizona-based Whitestar filed the $60 million lawsuit in 2020, alleging breach-of-contract and fraudulent inducement in connection with its 2018 purchase of EBA Holdings, which was doing business as MedMen Scottsdale. In the initial case, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, MedMen said the suit and claims were baseless. The judge agreed with MedMen and canceled a scheduled jury trial. Whitestar later appealed, but this…

[ad_1] New York-based marijuana multistate operator Curaleaf Holdings received conditional approval to list subordinate shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Final approval will come once the company has met the conditions set by the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), according to a news release. Curaleaf plans to voluntarily delist from the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) once its TSX listing is approved. The company applied to list on the TSX in October, following fellow MSO TerrAscend, which made the move to the TSX in July. Uplistings such as these are efforts to access a wider pool of investors. “We are now one…

[ad_1] An Oklahoma City marijuana grower charged with murder dodged jail time and is serving 10 years of probation. LaRue Bratcher negotiated an Alford Plea in February, meaning he accepted – but did not plead guilty to – the charge of manslaughter by resisting criminal attempt, according to Oklahoma City TV station KOCO. The defense attorney in Bratcher’s case, Clay Curtis, explained to KOCO that the “charge says you unnecessarily killed someone while they were committing a crime against you.” Bratcher, who is Black, was charged with first-degree murder in 2020 after allegedly shooting and killing Daniel Hardwick, a white…

[ad_1] New York-based multistate operator Curaleaf has exited the Vermont cannabis market after selling its remaining assets in the state to CBD company Zenbarn Farms. The deal includes a medical marijuana dispensary in Bennington, a medical/recreational cannabis outlet in Montpelier and a greenhouse cultivation and manufacturing facility, VTDigger reported. A Zenbarn co-owner told VTDigger that the company “plans to close the recreational side of the Montpelier dispensary.” The terms of the deal were not disclosed, and Curaleaf did not respond to an MJBizDaily query seeking more details. Zenbarn Farms, a social equity licensee, plans to produce premium, organic marijuana with…

[ad_1] Minnesota’s newly passed adult-use marijuana law might have created a loophole that allows hemp cultivators to sell flower products that are more potent than the 0.3% THC limit. That means hemp growers could gain a foothold in the market more than a year before the state plans to launch adult-use marijuana sales in early 2025, according to Minneapolis-based nonprofit online news outlet MinnPost, citing the podcast Weed Wonks. Chris Tholkes, director of Minnesota’s Office of Medical Cannabis, told Weed Wonks that the department doesn’t have authority to inspect and regulate hemp flower, only processed products. “Our regulatory authority is…

[ad_1] LAS VEGAS – After a tough year for most cannabis operators, attendees at MJBizCon 2023 said they aren’t banking on sweeping legislative reform such as the rescheduling of marijuana to grow their businesses in the coming year. Rather, they are hoping for more incremental policy changes, such as SAFER Banking and new opportunities to open in emerging state markets. They’re also shifting their attitudes away from viewing fellow operators as competition and instead looking to partner with them to find synergies. “The best days are to come,” said Jesse Channon, chief commercial officer at New York-based multistate operator The…