New York

Compliance costs, lost market share could take toll on cannabis edibles firms under new Washington state rules

Compliance costs, lost market share could take toll on cannabis edibles firms under new Washington state rules A Washington state marijuana trade association is warning regulators that new packaging, labeling and product design rules for cannabis-infused edibles and beverages might decimate edibles manufacturers’ bottom line. According to experts, the cost for some businesses to comply […]

Lack of cannabis tracking data in WA sparks confusion, missed business opportunities

Lack of cannabis tracking data in WA sparks confusion, missed business opportunities A dearth of comprehensive price and sales data and incorrect figures about marijuana commerce have sowed confusion among cannabis businesses in Washington state since regulators rolled out a new traceability system more than a year ago. Cannabis analytics companies that long relied on […]

Seattle firms merge, plan combined cannabis tracking tech company

Seattle firms merge, plan combined cannabis tracking tech company Dauntless, a 6-year-old company that develops point-of-sale and tracking software for the cannabis industry, acquired Soro, a cannabis sales and customer relationship management company. The two businesses, both based in Seattle, plan to create a platform that serves growers, packagers and retailers across the United States, […]

Cannabis data firm Headset to partner with global analytics company Nielsen

Cannabis data firm Headset to partner with global analytics company Nielsen Global measurement and data analytics company Nielsen has formed an alliance with Seattle-based cannabis analytics firm Headset to provide insights about the U.S. marijuana market to consumer packaged goods (CPG) businesses. According to a news release, the two firms are joining forces as New […]

WA tells marijuana edibles makers to end output of gummies, hard candies

WA tells marijuana edibles makers to end output of gummies, hard candies Washington state regulators ordered local edibles makers to cease production of cannabis-infused gummies and hard candies, warning they might appeal to children. The unexpected decision dealt a major blow to the state’s infused-product businesses. Companies were “completely blindsided,” said Oliver Stannard, director of […]

Washington state regulators approve new rules for marijuana edibles

Washington state regulators approve new rules for marijuana edibles After months of back and forth with cannabis-infused products makers and MJ trade associations, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board approved new packaging, labeling and product design regulations for edibles. The rules: Designate approved colors and shapes for edible products. Specify approved font, background and […]

Washington state cannabis regulators will soon take up mandatory pesticide testing

Washington state cannabis regulators will soon take up mandatory pesticide testing Washington state regulators are discussing changes to the recreational marijuana program, including implementing mandatory pesticide testing in the near future. The prospect of mandatory pesticide testing has been a cause for concern among smaller cultivation operations. They worry that any added operational costs could […]

Cannabis company Leafly removes CEO over company management ‘concerns’

Cannabis company Leafly removes CEO over company management ‘concerns’ Leafly, the popular online marijuana strain and dispensary guide for consumers, removed Chris Jeffery as CEO less than a year after he was hired by the Seattle company. Privateer Holdings, the Seattle-based private equity firm that acquired Leafly in 2011, confirmed to Marijuana Business Daily that Jeffery was out. […]

Expanding after launch: Q&A with Van der Pop’s April Pride

Expanding after launch: Q&A with Van der Pop’s April Pride April Pride originally wanted to sell “beautiful products” for storing and sharing marijuana. She launched her Seattle-based company, Van der Pop, in January 2016 with the aim of putting together a cannabis paraphernalia business. But she quickly pivoted to a female-focused lifestyle brand. Van der […]

Washington state cannabis businesses want mandatory pesticide testing, worrying small growers

Washington state cannabis businesses want mandatory pesticide testing, worrying small growers Washington state marijuana business owners are urging regulators to require cultivators to test adult-use crops for pesticides, a move that has triggered alarm bells among smaller growers. Some cultivators hope such a move – already adopted in other states – would inspire confidence among […]

WA cannabis regulators OK new deadline for packaging, labeling and design rules

WA cannabis regulators OK new deadline for packaging, labeling and design rules The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis board voted Wednesday to give marijuana retailers, cultivators and concentrates and infused product manufacturers until Jan. 1, 2020, to comply with all packaging, labeling and design rules that regulators approved last year.   The new regulations: Require […]

Washington hemp oversight restored after state allocates $100,000 for regulators

Washington hemp oversight restored after state allocates $100,000 for regulators A $100,000 infusion for Washington agriculture regulators has saved the state’s hemp oversight program – but the lifeline has failed to convince the largest grower to plant another crop. The money came in the final budget agreement at the Washington state legislature, according to Capital […]

How marijuana entrepreneurs can outsmart black-market competitors

How marijuana entrepreneurs can outsmart black-market competitors Whether you’re operating in a newly medical or recreational marijuana market, illicit cannabis sales are an ever-present threat to the legal industry. Marijuana entrepreneurs can’t control how the black market operates, but there are ways to encourage customers to instead buy from a licensed, regulated business. Put simply, […]

Regulatory switch will cost Washington state marijuana edibles producers $895

Regulatory switch will cost Washington state marijuana edibles producers $895 Cannabis businesses in Washington state will need to pay an annual fee of $895 to produce cannabis-infused edibles starting next month. The new charge stems from a special license endorsement that will be required of edibles makers starting April 1, when the state’s Department of […]

Marijuana cultivators find ways to shorten curing process

Marijuana cultivators find ways to shorten curing process In an ideal world, cultivators would have the luxury of time when it comes to drying and curing their cannabis. They’d take 30-60 days – waiting, sniffing, eyeing and “burping” – to achieve the ideal cannabinoid and terpene profile for each lovingly grown flower. But in the […]

Vermont Senate gives initial OK to recreational cannabis sales

Vermont Senate gives initial OK to recreational cannabis sales Vermont’s Senate is poised to give final approval to legislation establishing a commercial recreational marijuana market, after giving a preliminary thumbs-up by a lopsided 23-5 margin. The bill will receive a final Senate vote – probably on March 1 – before heading to the House, where […]

Did the first medical cannabis drive-thru in New England just open?

Did the first medical cannabis drive-thru in New England just open? What is thought to be the first medical marijuana dispensary drive-thru window in New England started doing business this month in Brattleboro, Vermont. About 10 medical marijuana customers per day have used the drive-thru window since Southern Vermont Wellness opened it March 6, said […]

Rhode Island lawmakers raise questions about plan to legalize recreational cannabis

Rhode Island lawmakers raise questions about plan to legalize recreational cannabis Rhode Island lawmakers held their first joint hearing on a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana, but the measure received considerable pushback and prospects look dimmer without some reworking or compromises. The Providence Journal reported the state’s Senate Finance and Judiciary committees lawmakers had several criticisms […]

Rhode Island starts allowing medical cannabis sales to out-of-state patients

Rhode Island starts allowing medical cannabis sales to out-of-state patients Rhode Island began allowing the state’s three medical marijuana dispensaries to sell cannabis to out-of-state MMJ patients this month. But it’s “far too early” to assess what impact sales to out-of-state-residents will have on Rhode Island’s cannabis supply or retail receipts, Chris Reilly, a spokesman […]

Despite reluctance, adult-use marijuana could be a priority for RI lawmakers in 2019

Despite reluctance, adult-use marijuana could be a priority for RI lawmakers in 2019 Opportunities for new and brisk cannabis businesses could develop in a number of states that might legalize adult-use marijuana in 2019, according to some industry experts. One state on that radar is Rhode Island. And, noting some hesitancy, the state’s Democratic lawmakers […]

Cannabis business takeaways for week ending Feb. 1 (SLIDESHOW)

Cannabis business takeaways for week ending Feb. 1 (SLIDESHOW)   Cannabis business takeaways for week ending Feb. 1 (SLIDESHOW) is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs Laura Hamiltonhttps://mjbizdaily.com/cannabis-business-takeaways-feb-1-slideshow/

Rhode Island budget to boost medical marijuana dispensary fee from $5K to $250K

Rhode Island budget to boost medical marijuana dispensary fee from $5K to $250K The Rhode Island General Assembly has approved a state budget that includes a proposal to increase the fee medical marijuana dispensaries pay for licenses from $5,000 to $250,000. Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo says she will sign the budget Friday. Previously, the governor […]

Cronos Group reports boosted cannabis revenue but wider losses in Q4

Cronos Group reports boosted cannabis revenue but wider losses in Q4 Cronos Group, a Toronto-based licensed cannabis party, posted sizable fourth-quarter revenue, the company said in an earnings report Tuesday, but its net loss for the period grew sharply – fueled in large part by financial reporting requirements. Cronos reported fourth-quarter revenue of 5.6 million Canadian dollars ($4.2 […]

Tilray expects GMP approval, cannabis sales from Portugal this summer

Tilray expects GMP approval, cannabis sales from Portugal this summer Tilray’s facility in Portugal is expected to receive Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification in the coming months, which the Canada-based cannabis company says will open the door for the first shipments from its European facility as early as this summer. Monetizing European demand for medical cannabis […]

Vireo enters Arizona medical cannabis market

Vireo enters Arizona medical cannabis market Vireo Health, a Minneapolis-based cannabis group, said it is expanding into Arizona with the acquisition of Arizona Natural Remedies (ANR). Vireo declined to disclose the value of the acquisition. The company, which started trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange earlier this month, will now operate in seven states. ANR operates […]

Cresco closes in on approval to enter Michigan marijuana market

Cresco closes in on approval to enter Michigan marijuana market Cresco Labs, a Chicago-based multistate cannabis operator, said it received prequalification licensing approval to enter the Michigan cannabis market. The company, which earlier this month said it plans to acquire Florida-based medical marijuana group VidaCann for $120 million, would have production and retail operations in 11 […]

Los Angeles hiring cannabis social equity program manager

Los Angeles hiring cannabis social equity program manager The Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) in the city of Los Angeles is looking for someone to run its social equity program. The project is part of a handful of efforts in California intended to get minorities and those negatively affected by the war on drugs involved […]

Louisiana medical marijuana grower plans ‘limited release’ of product in May

Louisiana medical marijuana grower plans ‘limited release’ of product in May A Louisiana medical cannabis cultivator is planning to release a limited amount of product in May, which could temporarily alleviate some frustration from the ongoing delay in the program’s rollout. However, it’s still not clear when sales would begin. GB Sciences, which has the […]

Chart: Medical cannabis license growth still sizzling in Oklahoma

Chart: Medical cannabis license growth still sizzling in Oklahoma Nine months after Oklahoma voters approved one of the most business-friendly medical marijuana initiatives in the country, the number of licenses and patient approvals continue to rise at a feverish pace. Low barriers to entry for both are driving the growth, namely: Businesses have no license […]

Ohio medical cannabis participation rate remains low

Ohio medical cannabis participation rate remains low Ohio’s licensed medical marijuana dispensaries have had to face the reality that only 28% of Ohioans who signed up for the state’s medical marijuana registry in the first three months made a purchase during that time. The Enquirer of Cincinnati cited a number of factors as culprits – […]