CBD OIL

The average dispensary in Las Vegas pulls in about $2 million in revenue per month, while larger stores have reported up to $10 million in single-month sales. Even in 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, legal cannabis statewide in Nevada clocked $789 million in sales. And prospective business owners want in: State-issued licenses have traded hands for as much as $20 million each.

Owning a cannabis company in the Silver State can be an incredibly lucrative endeavor. But for all of the Green Rush’s successes—80 operating dispensaries, 158 grow houses and 110 production facilities—still only one company has a Black woman running the show from the top.

On the remote east side of Sin City, just before houses and roads give way to miles of desert sand, a mom-and-pop-style cannabis store serves thousands of mostly local residents. Top Notch The Health Center, styled as Top Notch THC next to a bright green medical cross on its cream-colored building, welcomes a broad customer base.

Kema Ogden is one of three Top Notch owners and still the only Black woman able to make such a claim in Nevada. Unlike most of her counterparts in the industry, who have sold off their marijuana empires for up to $300 million, Ogden has held onto her dispensary. She’s also still regularly involved in the day-to-day operations.

“We’ve always been focused on being a grassroots company and being a part of the local community,” she said. “The community supports us back, and those relationships that we’ve built over the years really help keep us grounded.”

A former fitness trainer and philanthropist, Ogden would have called you crazy a decade ago if you told her that part of her future would be dealing legal weed. The wife of NFL Hall-of-Famer Jonathan Ogden and mother of two has always had a heart for wellness and helping others. But her humanitarian endeavors had always taken more traditional structures, like a family foundation that runs sports and fitness programs as well as a nonprofit hospital that serves uninsured and low-income families.

With marijuana, she gets the best of both worlds: promoting wellness and making a pretty penny doing it.

“Of course, this is a business for us and we’re always considering opportunities to expand and reach more people,” she said. “But cannabis has become a healthy part of a holistic wellness approach for a lot of our customers.”

Small and Friendly, but Not a Boutique

Top Notch is easily one of the state’s smallest dispensaries, with only 1,500 square feet of retail space. Yet the store is anything but a boutique. It carries over 1,600 cannabis products, including hard-to-find medical specialties like Rick Simpson Oil and patient-grade edibles featuring up to eight times more THC than the state’s limit for recreational products.

Its massive selection ranks Top Notch near the top of all dispensaries in the sheer number of items consumers can choose from. Ogden attributed her store’s large supply to remembering why she and partners got into the business in the first place.

“We try to stay patient-orientated because that’s ultimately why we’re here,” she said. “There’s enough money to be made on retail customers where you can still serve the people out there that really need cannabis to make their lives better.”

Unlike just about every other cannabis store in town, Ogden makes her budtenders available for one-on-one consultations from the time a customer steps into the waiting area to when they walk out the exit. Picture a doctor’s office: the nurse opens the door to the waiting room and calls your name, then walks alongside you before sitting down to discuss your needs. Top Notch doesn’t have licensed medical professionals, but the patient process is otherwise identical.

A Family Atmosphere

For many of the 65 employees at Top Notch, working at the dispensary has been a calling fulfilled. Interviewed employees said their jobs are altruistic in the sense that they can advise shoppers seeking physical and mental support on the plant’s benefits for their ailments.

While most cannabis stores across the Vegas Valley have seen their fair share of turnover and turmoil amidst lucrative ownership changes and restructuring, five of Top Notch’s original six employees continue to work at the dispensary to this day.

Lashawn Griego moved down to Vegas from Denver when the store first opened in late 2015. A former kindergarten teacher and occupational health professional, Griego credits Ogden for creating a family-like atmosphere for employees to thrive.

Griego, who like Ogden is a Black woman, started as a greeter at Top Notch’s front door. In six years, she’s worked her way up to being the store’s general manager and now oversees all of the store’s other employees.

Courtesy of Top Notch THC

“I’ve never really stopped to think about my own accomplishments because this is a company I worked hard to grow in,” Griego said. “We’re all laid back and I don’t look at myself as being a caliber above anyone else here. If we’re slammed, I’ll jump in as a budtender. I’ll get behind the desk and I’ll answer the phones. I’ll be security if they need me to.”

Griego, 49, credits Ogden for helping her ascend to a career she otherwise wouldn’t have realized.

“She just encourages and motivates you and gets you to where you want to be,” Griego said. “She saw value in me before I saw it in myself.”

Blazing a Trail for Others

A January 2021 report from the state’s Cannabis Compliance Board showed Nevada’s marijuana industry is pretty diverse as a whole. Over 38% of people involved in the industry are women, a quarter are Hispanic and nearly 11 percent are Black or African American. The percentage breakdowns for race are relatively consistent with the state’s population of 3.2 million people.

A closer look at the report, though, shows most of the women and minority stakeholders skew toward the bottom levels of the totem pole—think receptionists, budtenders and security. At the top, white men account for nearly three-quarters of company owners.

Previous state initiatives designed to level the ownership playing field have essentially been nothing more than lip service from politicians to underrepresented groups, Ogden said. 2017 regulations incentivizing companies to add women and minorities as owners, executives or board members gave way to a host of new “sham boards” in which minorities received new fancy-sounding titles but had no real impact on the companies they worked for.

Still, Ogden insists there’s hope for the future. Recently appointed by Nevada’s governor to a 12-member Cannabis Advisory Commission, she pointed to a bill at this year’s state legislature that would let cannabis lounges open. The bill would also allow for entertainment operators to apply for permits so patrons could smoke at festivals and music concerts.

The new permits won’t be capped by the state. And less barriers to entry means more minority owners will have a shot at owning a cannabis business.

“Equality is something I’m very passionate about, and the ideas we have out there now are steps in the right direction,” Ogden said. “When we start getting more diversity at the ownership table, I think this industry will flourish in ways we’ve never seen before.”

 

Environmentally conscious manufacturing has never been more important; for the survival of both the planet and your business. The internet makes CBD product comparisons quick and efficient, so consumers can interrogate every aspect of your product and processes before deciding to make a purchase. Sustainability credentials are now a primary decision making factor for your customers.

For business of all sizes, improving resource use and efficiency is a great place to start. This will reduce waste and improve your environmental impact, and has the added benefit of improving your return on investment!

I always recommend investing in stainless steel equipment for manufacturing and distributing CBD oils. Stainless steel is one of the most environmentally efficient raw materials, because of its durability and ability to be recycled. Vessels last an extremely long time, and even once their service life is over, they should never enter the waste stream. Many of our US customers transport their CBD products around the world in stainless steel vessels, which can then either be shipped back for re-use, or re-used at the recipient site.

In terms of finding your ideal equipment supplier, those who have won awards for their environmental initiatives are the cream of the crop; they can be a real asset to your business and will often collaborate on sustainability-themed social content, which is really valuable to get in front of your customers.

Once you’ve investigated the credentials of suitable suppliers, how do you make sure their blending equipment will perfectly meet your needs?

Here are my recommended four points for consideration:

1. 

   Vessel Capacity: Vessel capacity must be considered in two ways; maximum and minimum working capacity. Standard vessels have their capacity listed as ‘brim full’ – suppliers tell you the total overall volume of space in the vessel. However, maximum capacity must allow for 10-20% free space below ‘brim full’, so that if product is being mixed and stirred, there is no overspill. For example; to blend 75L batches of CBD oil, it’s generally recommended to purchase a 100L mixing vessel.

2. Vessel Bottom Shape: Standard vessels have flat bottoms, which makes it difficult to drain them to completely empty. An experienced supplier such as Pharma Hygiene Products has the capability to modify standard vessels, to include a sloped bottom at 3 degrees, which reduces leftover product pooling when draining your oils. Vessels can also be custom-made with a cone or dish shaped bottom, whereby a valve can be positioned in the centre of the base to allow full draining, to reduce waste and increase profitability.
3. Stainless Steel Grade: Stainless steel blending vessels for CBD oils are generally offered in 304 or 316L pharmaceutical-grade material. A simple description of the difference is that 316L grade contains an extra 2% molybdenum, for additional corrosion-resistance. Increased regional and interna­tional legislation concerning CBD products has come hand-in-hand with tighter interrogation of hygiene practices. Contaminant-free materials such as stainless steel are ideal to ensure international pharma-quality compliance for your business’ blending processes. Critically, at Pharma Hygiene Products a comprehensive range of compliance certification is available to confirm the grade of material, to prove surface smoothness, and to guarantee that no cross-contamination from BSE or CJD diseases occurs.

   

4. Lastly, don’t forget to let your supplier know in advance if you have any special requirements for your product or vessel. Some common examples include:

• Flammable product components – Requiring ATEX certified blending equipment.
• Temperature control – Adding a water jacket to your vessel is a simple solution for heating, cooling or maintaining the temperature of your product as it blends.
• Toggles and seals – For airtight, contaminant-free transportation.
• Viewing holes – For easy visual inspection whilst blending.

Your equipment supplier can be a real financial and reputational asset, so be sure to do your homework before making an investment!

At first, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey did not commit to signing a medical cannabis bill when the state legislature passed the legislation by a roughly two-to-one ratio in both chambers May 6.

In a statement from Ivey’s office that night, Press Secretary Gina Maiola said the governor looked forward to thoroughly reviewing Senate Bill 46 and providing the diligence it deserves but did not say whether she would sign it.

The Republican executive provided her ink to the bill Monday, making Alabama unofficially the 36th medical cannabis state, joining the likes of nearby Arkansas, Florida and Louisiana, according to reform organization Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). Mississippi dropped from the ranks of medical cannabis states after its Supreme Court ruled May 14 that Initiative 65 was unconstitutional.

When the Alabama Legislature passed its medical cannabis bill earlier this month, MPP Director of State Policies Karen O’Keefe said the legislation will allow seriously ill patients to finally get the relief they deserve and urged Ivey to sign it into law.

Ivey did just that Monday afternoon.

“I would like to thank Sen. Tim Melson and Rep. Mike Ball for their hard work over the last few years and their commitment to continue to work on this to ensure we have a productive, safe and responsible operation in Alabama,” Ivey said in a statement.

Medical cannabis legislation was first introduced in the Alabama House of Representatives two decades ago. Eight years ago, it was the laughingstock of the lower chamber. Now, a medical cannabis bill claimed supermajority support and the governor’s signature.

After a nearly 10-hour filibuster May 4, House lawmakers reconvened May 6 and considered several floor amendments before passing the Senate-originated bill, 68-34, which will allow registered patients diagnosed with qualifying conditions to access cannabis. The legislation returned to the Senate for final consideration later on May 6, when the upper chamber voted, 20-9, to concur with the House changes.

The Alabama Senate has passed medical cannabis bills three years in a row, but this is the first time the House has passed legislation. Last year, pandemic-related circumstances derailed the lower chamber’s possibility of a vote.

Sponsored by Republican Sen. Tim Melson, S.B. 46 proposes implementing a medical program that would open the application process for potential patients by Sept. 1, 2022. Republican Rep. Mike Ball sponsored the bill in the House.

“When we get in politics, we get down here and we focus our attention on what it is we’re after; we tend to tunnel up and we don’t see the other side very well, and there’s so many aspects of this that has been so difficult,” Ball said on the House floor May 6, after bearing the brunt of the filibuster, from opponents on his own side of the aisle, two days earlier.

“And, quite frankly, this has caused me to lose my appetite for politics in this whole process,” he said. “And the people who don’t see it, they’re not bad. They’re just not looking at it.”

Eight years earlier, a Democratic bill for medical cannabis that was introduced by former Rep. Patricia Todd won the 2013 “Shroud Award,” given to the “deadest” bill in the House that session, according to The Associated Press.

“They laughed at me,” Todd said, according to the AP. “I’m glad to see it passed. It’s long overdue.”

Final passage didn’t come without nearly three more hours of floor debate and amendment votes on May 6. Democratic Rep. Laura Hall, 78, said she first introduced medical cannabis legislation to the House two decades ago.

“Twenty years ago, I brought [legislation to the House] in honor of my son, who had just died the year before I was elected, of AIDS,” Hall said. “And I did that with the idea thinking if I could have had access [to medical cannabis]. The only drug that was available to him was a drug called AZT. He could not take that. When he took that medicine, we would have to get up every four hours—that was the regimen to giving him the medication. And he had finally said, ‘Enough is enough. I may get my T cells back and I can function, but I can’t do it on this medication.’”

Azidothymidine (AZT) is an antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS.

Later during the House’s session on May 6, the chamber voted, 87-3, in favor renaming the legislation “Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Compassion Act,” as a tribute to Rep. Hall’s son.

While HIV/AIDS-related nausea or weight loss is one of more than a dozen qualifying conditions included in Alabama’s medical cannabis bill, two other conditions in the Senate’s original version of the bill were removed during an emending process in the House Health Committee—fibromyalgia and menopause or premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

That specific amendment was grouped with several other committee amendments as one package, which passed as a single vote May 6 on the House floor, 72-26.

“This amendment is so disappointing to me as a woman, that all of the issues that specifically impact women were taken out in the Health Committee, which is why I’m going to vote against this amendment,” Democratic Rep. Merika Coleman said. “I support [Rep. Ball] and support the concept, but this body sometimes is so disappointing.”

When enacted, S.B. 46 will create a 14-member Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, which will determine the maximum daily dosages of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that caregivers can provide patients with each of the qualifying conditions—also including cancer, terminal illness, depression, epilepsy, anxiety or panic disorder, chronic pain, spasticity, autism, Tourette syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder and others.

The new commission will also be responsible for issuing up to five licenses for vertically integrated operators, up to 12 cultivation licenses, no more than four processor licenses and no more than four dispensary licenses. Businesses awarded the dispensary licenses can operate up to three sites in different counties, while vertically integrated operators can have up to five dispensing sites in different counties, according to the bill’s text.

Other housekeeping items the commission will be responsible for include overseeing the patient registry, issuing medical cards and outlining regulations from seed to sale.

Some amendments that were rejected on the House floor were adding a THC dosing cap of 10 milligrams, enacting a zero-tolerance policy for diving under the influence, and revisiting the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission’s authority to provide caregiver’s the right to distribute medical cannabis should the federal government reschedule cannabis, so that patients could instead receive their medical cannabis from pharmacies should federal prohibition end. 

“My concern in this issue, is if we create this large bureaucracy that we’re having, this large board that’s going to be there, that this will never go away,” Republican Rep. Matt Simpson said about the commission’s authoritative arm. “And you could have 49 other states that are going to be able to receive medical marijuana through a licensed pharmacist … but the state of Alabama would be required to go through these dispensaries based on this legislation you have.”

Meanwhile, the bill will prohibit the smoking or vaping of cannabis, as well as processing cannabis into a form that is attractive to or targets children, such as candy or baked goods. Instead, S.B. 46 will limit medical cannabis use to forms such as pills, gelatin cubes, oils, creams and topical patches. Patients can possess up to 70 daily doses of cannabis.

In addition, minors cannot use—or be recommended—more than 3% THC. And employers can still drug test and prohibit employees from using cannabis.

Regarding social equity, depending on the business type, either at least one-fourth or one-fifth of all licenses are to be awarded to businesses with at least 51% ownership by individuals of African American, Native American, Asian or Hispanic descent, according to MPP. 

At first, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey did not commit to signing a medical cannabis bill when the state legislature passed the legislation by a roughly two-to-one ratio in both chambers May 6.

In a statement from Ivey’s office that night, Press Secretary Gina Maiola said the governor looked forward to thoroughly reviewing Senate Bill 46 and providing the diligence it deserves but did not say whether she would sign it.

The Republican executive provided her ink to the bill Monday, making Alabama unofficially the 36th medical cannabis state, joining the likes of nearby Arkansas, Florida and Louisiana, according to reform organization Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). Mississippi dropped from the ranks of medical cannabis states after its Supreme Court ruled May 14 that Initiative 65 was unconstitutional.

When the Alabama Legislature passed its medical cannabis bill earlier this month, MPP Director of State Policies Karen O’Keefe said the legislation will allow seriously ill patients to finally get the relief they deserve and urged Ivey to sign it into law.

Ivey did just that Monday afternoon.

“I would like to thank Sen. Tim Melson and Rep. Mike Ball for their hard work over the last few years and their commitment to continue to work on this to ensure we have a productive, safe and responsible operation in Alabama,” Ivey said in a statement.

Medical cannabis legislation was first introduced in the Alabama House of Representatives two decades ago. Eight years ago, it was the laughingstock of the lower chamber. Now, a medical cannabis bill claimed supermajority support and the governor’s signature.

After a nearly 10-hour filibuster May 4, House lawmakers reconvened May 6 and considered several floor amendments before passing the Senate-originated bill, 68-34, which will allow registered patients diagnosed with qualifying conditions to access cannabis. The legislation returned to the Senate for final consideration later on May 6, when the upper chamber voted, 20-9, to concur with the House changes.

The Alabama Senate has passed medical cannabis bills three years in a row, but this is the first time the House has passed legislation. Last year, pandemic-related circumstances derailed the lower chamber’s possibility of a vote.

Sponsored by Republican Sen. Tim Melson, S.B. 46 proposes implementing a medical program that would open the application process for potential patients by Sept. 1, 2022. Republican Rep. Mike Ball sponsored the bill in the House.

“When we get in politics, we get down here and we focus our attention on what it is we’re after; we tend to tunnel up and we don’t see the other side very well, and there’s so many aspects of this that has been so difficult,” Ball said on the House floor May 6, after bearing the brunt of the filibuster, from opponents on his own side of the aisle, two days earlier.

“And, quite frankly, this has caused me to lose my appetite for politics in this whole process,” he said. “And the people who don’t see it, they’re not bad. They’re just not looking at it.”

Eight years earlier, a Democratic bill for medical cannabis that was introduced by former Rep. Patricia Todd won the 2013 “Shroud Award,” given to the “deadest” bill in the House that session, according to The Associated Press.

“They laughed at me,” Todd said, according to the AP. “I’m glad to see it passed. It’s long overdue.”

Final passage didn’t come without nearly three more hours of floor debate and amendment votes on May 6. Democratic Rep. Laura Hall, 78, said she first introduced medical cannabis legislation to the House two decades ago.

“Twenty years ago, I brought [legislation to the House] in honor of my son, who had just died the year before I was elected, of AIDS,” Hall said. “And I did that with the idea thinking if I could have had access [to medical cannabis]. The only drug that was available to him was a drug called AZT. He could not take that. When he took that medicine, we would have to get up every four hours—that was the regimen to giving him the medication. And he had finally said, ‘Enough is enough. I may get my T cells back and I can function, but I can’t do it on this medication.’”

Azidothymidine (AZT) is an antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS.

Later during the House’s session on May 6, the chamber voted, 87-3, in favor renaming the legislation “Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Compassion Act,” as a tribute to Rep. Hall’s son.

While HIV/AIDS-related nausea or weight loss is one of more than a dozen qualifying conditions included in Alabama’s medical cannabis bill, two other conditions in the Senate’s original version of the bill were removed during an emending process in the House Health Committee—fibromyalgia and menopause or premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

That specific amendment was grouped with several other committee amendments as one package, which passed as a single vote May 6 on the House floor, 72-26.

“This amendment is so disappointing to me as a woman, that all of the issues that specifically impact women were taken out in the Health Committee, which is why I’m going to vote against this amendment,” Democratic Rep. Merika Coleman said. “I support [Rep. Ball] and support the concept, but this body sometimes is so disappointing.”

When enacted, S.B. 46 will create a 14-member Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, which will determine the maximum daily dosages of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that caregivers can provide patients with each of the qualifying conditions—also including cancer, terminal illness, depression, epilepsy, anxiety or panic disorder, chronic pain, spasticity, autism, Tourette syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder and others.

The new commission will also be responsible for issuing up to five licenses for vertically integrated operators, up to 12 cultivation licenses, no more than four processor licenses and no more than four dispensary licenses. Businesses awarded the dispensary licenses can operate up to three sites in different counties, while vertically integrated operators can have up to five dispensing sites in different counties, according to the bill’s text.

Other housekeeping items the commission will be responsible for include overseeing the patient registry, issuing medical cards and outlining regulations from seed to sale.

Some amendments that were rejected on the House floor were adding a THC dosing cap of 10 milligrams, enacting a zero-tolerance policy for diving under the influence, and revisiting the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission’s authority to provide caregiver’s the right to distribute medical cannabis should the federal government reschedule cannabis, so that patients could instead receive their medical cannabis from pharmacies should federal prohibition end. 

“My concern in this issue, is if we create this large bureaucracy that we’re having, this large board that’s going to be there, that this will never go away,” Republican Rep. Matt Simpson said about the commission’s authoritative arm. “And you could have 49 other states that are going to be able to receive medical marijuana through a licensed pharmacist … but the state of Alabama would be required to go through these dispensaries based on this legislation you have.”

Meanwhile, the bill will prohibit the smoking or vaping of cannabis, as well as processing cannabis into a form that is attractive to or targets children, such as candy or baked goods. Instead, S.B. 46 will limit medical cannabis use to forms such as pills, gelatin cubes, oils, creams and topical patches. Patients can possess up to 70 daily doses of cannabis.

In addition, minors cannot use—or be recommended—more than 3% THC. And employers can still drug test and prohibit employees from using cannabis.

Regarding social equity, depending on the business type, either at least one-fourth or one-fifth of all licenses are to be awarded to businesses with at least 51% ownership by individuals of African American, Native American, Asian or Hispanic descent, according to MPP. 

According to a press release published last week, Medicinal Genomics has hired Sherman Hom, Ph.D. to be their first director of regulatory affairs. Dr. Hom is coming from a position at New Jersey’s Division of Public Health and Environmental Laboratories (PHEL) where he was the leading research scientist for the state’s cannabis testing lab as well as coordinating their pre-analytical activities for SARS-CoV-2 testing.

As project manager for the state’s cannabis testing lab, he was responsible for validating microbial testing in cannabis. He has also been a professor of microbiology, a lab manager, a senior research scientist, a writer and an inventor, according to the press release.

“My passion is regulatory affairs,” says Dr. Hom. “For the last 4 years, we’ve been building a facts and comparison database of required state medical cannabis testing. It’s formidable. Of course, the states will all have the same regulations eventually. In the meantime, it’s my job to help them craft the safest, most efficient and effective set of regulations possible. I’m here because I know Medicinal Genomics shares that passion.”

At first, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey did not commit to signing a medical cannabis bill when the state legislature passed the legislation by a roughly two-to-one ratio in both chambers May 6.

In a statement from Ivey’s office that night, Press Secretary Gina Maiola said the governor looked forward to thoroughly reviewing Senate Bill 46 and providing the diligence it deserves but did not say whether she would sign it.

The Republican executive provided her ink to the bill Monday, making Alabama unofficially the 36th medical cannabis state, joining the likes of nearby Arkansas, Florida and Louisiana, according to reform organization Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). Mississippi dropped from the ranks of medical cannabis states after its Supreme Court ruled May 14 that Initiative 65 was unconstitutional.

When the Alabama Legislature passed its medical cannabis bill earlier this month, MPP Director of State Policies Karen O’Keefe said the legislation will allow seriously ill patients to finally get the relief they deserve and urged Ivey to sign it into law.

Ivey did just that Monday afternoon.

“I would like to thank Sen. Tim Melson and Rep. Mike Ball for their hard work over the last few years and their commitment to continue to work on this to ensure we have a productive, safe and responsible operation in Alabama,” Ivey said in a statement.

Medical cannabis legislation was first introduced in the Alabama House of Representatives two decades ago. Eight years ago, it was the laughingstock of the lower chamber. Now, a medical cannabis bill claimed supermajority support and the governor’s signature.

After a nearly 10-hour filibuster May 4, House lawmakers reconvened May 6 and considered several floor amendments before passing the Senate-originated bill, 68-34, which will allow registered patients diagnosed with qualifying conditions to access cannabis. The legislation returned to the Senate for final consideration later on May 6, when the upper chamber voted, 20-9, to concur with the House changes.

The Alabama Senate has passed medical cannabis bills three years in a row, but this is the first time the House has passed legislation. Last year, pandemic-related circumstances derailed the lower chamber’s possibility of a vote.

Sponsored by Republican Sen. Tim Melson, S.B. 46 proposes implementing a medical program that would open the application process for potential patients by Sept. 1, 2022. Republican Rep. Mike Ball sponsored the bill in the House.

“When we get in politics, we get down here and we focus our attention on what it is we’re after; we tend to tunnel up and we don’t see the other side very well, and there’s so many aspects of this that has been so difficult,” Ball said on the House floor May 6, after bearing the brunt of the filibuster, from opponents on his own side of the aisle, two days earlier.

“And, quite frankly, this has caused me to lose my appetite for politics in this whole process,” he said. “And the people who don’t see it, they’re not bad. They’re just not looking at it.”

Eight years earlier, a Democratic bill for medical cannabis that was introduced by former Rep. Patricia Todd won the 2013 “Shroud Award,” given to the “deadest” bill in the House that session, according to The Associated Press.

“They laughed at me,” Todd said, according to the AP. “I’m glad to see it passed. It’s long overdue.”

Final passage didn’t come without nearly three more hours of floor debate and amendment votes on May 6. Democratic Rep. Laura Hall, 78, said she first introduced medical cannabis legislation to the House two decades ago.

“Twenty years ago, I brought [legislation to the House] in honor of my son, who had just died the year before I was elected, of AIDS,” Hall said. “And I did that with the idea thinking if I could have had access [to medical cannabis]. The only drug that was available to him was a drug called AZT. He could not take that. When he took that medicine, we would have to get up every four hours—that was the regimen to giving him the medication. And he had finally said, ‘Enough is enough. I may get my T cells back and I can function, but I can’t do it on this medication.’”

Azidothymidine (AZT) is an antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS.

Later during the House’s session on May 6, the chamber voted, 87-3, in favor renaming the legislation “Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Compassion Act,” as a tribute to Rep. Hall’s son.

While HIV/AIDS-related nausea or weight loss is one of more than a dozen qualifying conditions included in Alabama’s medical cannabis bill, two other conditions in the Senate’s original version of the bill were removed during an emending process in the House Health Committee—fibromyalgia and menopause or premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

That specific amendment was grouped with several other committee amendments as one package, which passed as a single vote May 6 on the House floor, 72-26.

“This amendment is so disappointing to me as a woman, that all of the issues that specifically impact women were taken out in the Health Committee, which is why I’m going to vote against this amendment,” Democratic Rep. Merika Coleman said. “I support [Rep. Ball] and support the concept, but this body sometimes is so disappointing.”

When enacted, S.B. 46 will create a 14-member Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, which will determine the maximum daily dosages of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that caregivers can provide patients with each of the qualifying conditions—also including cancer, terminal illness, depression, epilepsy, anxiety or panic disorder, chronic pain, spasticity, autism, Tourette syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder and others.

The new commission will also be responsible for issuing up to five licenses for vertically integrated operators, up to 12 cultivation licenses, no more than four processor licenses and no more than four dispensary licenses. Businesses awarded the dispensary licenses can operate up to three sites in different counties, while vertically integrated operators can have up to five dispensing sites in different counties, according to the bill’s text.

Other housekeeping items the commission will be responsible for include overseeing the patient registry, issuing medical cards and outlining regulations from seed to sale.

Some amendments that were rejected on the House floor were adding a THC dosing cap of 10 milligrams, enacting a zero-tolerance policy for diving under the influence, and revisiting the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission’s authority to provide caregiver’s the right to distribute medical cannabis should the federal government reschedule cannabis, so that patients could instead receive their medical cannabis from pharmacies should federal prohibition end. 

“My concern in this issue, is if we create this large bureaucracy that we’re having, this large board that’s going to be there, that this will never go away,” Republican Rep. Matt Simpson said about the commission’s authoritative arm. “And you could have 49 other states that are going to be able to receive medical marijuana through a licensed pharmacist … but the state of Alabama would be required to go through these dispensaries based on this legislation you have.”

Meanwhile, the bill will prohibit the smoking or vaping of cannabis, as well as processing cannabis into a form that is attractive to or targets children, such as candy or baked goods. Instead, S.B. 46 will limit medical cannabis use to forms such as pills, gelatin cubes, oils, creams and topical patches. Patients can possess up to 70 daily doses of cannabis.

In addition, minors cannot use—or be recommended—more than 3% THC. And employers can still drug test and prohibit employees from using cannabis.

Regarding social equity, depending on the business type, either at least one-fourth or one-fifth of all licenses are to be awarded to businesses with at least 51% ownership by individuals of African American, Native American, Asian or Hispanic descent, according to MPP. 

Delta 8 THC (delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol) sprung onto the scene late last year in a big way. While similar to the much more widely-known delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol that produces a lot of the psychoactive effects associated with ingesting cannabis, delta 8 THC can be derived from hemp with less than 0.3% delta 9 THC. Given the legality of hemp-derived products following the 2018 Farm Bill, delta 8 THC can be produced in some states where delta 9 THC still remains illegal.

While delta 8 is considerably different in its psychoactive effects from its cousin, it does overlap in some ways. It can still produce some more manageable, less “heady” versions of delta 9’s effects like euphoria and relief found in the many medical applications of cannabis. DeltaVera, a company that launched less than six months ago, aims to share that more manageable THC experience with the masses.

The sharp rise of the delta 8 market means that DeltaVera is poised for growth. With distribution contracts inked, exciting partnerships in the works and a large surge in consumer demand, the founders of DeltaVera are at the ready to capitalize on this lesser-known molecule and bring it to the forefront of the nascent hemp industry. Starting out as a small family business, Sam and Craig Andrus launched DeltaVera with their third founder, PK Isacs.

We sat down with Sam Andrus and PK Isacs, two of the founders of DeltaVera, an award-winning brand, to ask them about their plans for expanding, how they became entrepreneurs and why they think delta 8 is the next big thing in cannabis.

Cannabis Industry Journal: Tell me about your company. How did you get started in the cannabis space?

Sam Andrus: I had an early start in the Delta 8 THC industry on the sales side. We knew we wanted to get into the market, but observed a number of aspects in the space that needed to be addressed: the most important being quality control, transparency and brand trust. With this as a backdrop we launched DeltaVera. Highly curated, approachable, transparent and value-oriented with a strong focus on reliability and trust. The DeltaVera family is made up of three operating managers and the sales team. We are three founders with complementary skill sets: Craig, who has domain expertise in finance, governance and startups, PK who has experience in business and marketing and my sales experience round out the management team.

We have yet to solicit outside capital and have funded ourselves internally as we create our brand and refine our product offering. That said, we are seeing numerous opportunities in strategic partnerships and expansion, which will require additional capital. And we are excited to start this expansion process.

CIJ: What makes the Delta 8 space so remarkable? Why are your SKUs primarily formulated with Delta 8?

Sam Andrus & PK Isacs: Delta 8 THC is an alternative/complement to delta 9 THC, CBD and other cannabinoids. Its status as non-federally scheduled and its less potent psychoactive effects make it appealing in its own right. Delta 8 THC can help with healthier sleep patterns and with pain management in a way that CBD can’t, without a strong “head high” that many of our customers like to avoid. Additionally, it’s shorter lived and doesn’t give you any negative residual effects, which makes it beneficial for people on tighter schedules. These factors make it easier for us to approach markets that are inaccessible to both delta 9 THC and CBD, such as older demographics. In a world where delta 9 is legal, there will still be a place for delta 8.

While we are very proud of our suite of smokable products, we are currently focusing our efforts on edibles: our Delta Discs are our mainstay, though we are expanding our product line to include nano-emulsion products such as liquid shots and nano gummies. They strongly appeal to our target demographics; additionally, the edible market is growing very quickly in states that allow the sale of hemp-derived consumables.

CIJ: Continuing on the delta 8 front – right now it is considered a cannabinoid legal for interstate commerce, much like CBD, correct? Do you think that will change? 

Sam & PK: That is currently the case. Delta 8 THC is newer, and as such, it has even more ambiguity in regards to its legal future. But what’s most exciting (and our most challenging task right now), is informing consumers about the benefits of delta 8. We are one of a few companies solely focused on the consumption of delta 8, because of its similar benefits to delta 9 and CBD – our products are the perfect happy medium: a high with less psychoactive effects and all the health benefits of both, making it a desirable alternative to all consumers.

In addition, we are looking at some combinations of delta 8/CBDA, delta 8/CBN, delta 8/THCV and are very excited to begin test marketing these combinations. These proprietary blends of minor/major cannabinoids can cater to a niche target demographic as they can be curated to have very specific and unique effects when combined in the right quantities with the right delivery system. They will also be able to serve a larger customer base as these cannabinoids can all be derived from hemp.

CIJ: How do you think the FDA would regulate your product? Do you welcome federal oversight?

Sam & PK: Regardless of whether or not we are regulated we are committed to a high level of transparency and trust. As noted in unregulated markets, like the supplement market, you don’t always know what you are getting in terms of purity and potency. We are changing that paradigm by adding unique QR codes to our sustainable containers which reference COAs [certificates of analyses] specific to the contents of the case. A lot of the space is naturally trying to avoid that kind of regulatory interference, but we are currently doing our best to self-regulate and make sure that our consumers are fully informed about what they’re receiving.

We will be the first to say that there aren’t as many laws governing delta 8 THC as there could be, and that’s why we’ve spent so much time and money on self-regulation. All of our products have very clear nutritional information in addition to test results down to one hundredth of one percent. As for what category these products should fall under: we have a wide range of products, and each one has its place under a different umbrella of regulation. We hope that the federal government will take advantage of the vast array of studies that have been conducted on delta 8 THC since it was first extracted in 1942 to step up to this product that is, in our experience, helping so many people.

CIJ: Tell me about how your business has grown so far.

Sam & PK: When we sell to a retailer, we try to provide them with as much material as possible on what delta 8 THC is and what differentiates DeltaVera’s products. Still, we’ve had some difficulty in places with limited delta 8 THC exposure. That being said, when someone tries our product, there is a high likelihood that they become a repeat customer (and they tell their friends). Given our newness to the market (Our brand launched in January 2021) initial indications are – we have a good rate of repeat orders, and we’ve heard the same from our brick-and-mortar partners.

Our distribution network has grown tremendously; we’ve taken a three-pronged approach to distribution: partnerships with like-minded companies in compatible spaces, an e-commerce market on our website, and a commission-based sales structure to reach brick-and-mortar establishments. To date, most of our distribution takes place in the latter two spaces, due to the added time and commitment involved in forming partnerships. As a company we are taking a more creative approach on how we present our product and alternative ways to consume it. We have some exciting collaborations in the works; follow us on social media to stay up to date with everything on the horizon. We are very enthusiastic about our partnerships however, with our first collaboration with WaxNax, a Denver-based company revolutionizing the cannabis dabbing experience, hitting the shelves this week.

CIJ: What is your marketing plan?

Sam & PK: We are working on building a social media presence. Natalie, who is leading the charge on social media, recommended we take an organic approach to build our base. We want to avoid falling into the “paid ad”, “spam” vibe as long as we can. We are currently focused on building a community through delta 8. Our mission is making DeltaVera a brand for all lifestyles, athletes, creatives, travelers or business professionals. We’re confident in our product, and have faith that it can speak for itself.

CIJ: How do you ensure quality in your products?

Sam & PK: Our products are of guaranteed quality with our licensed growers and manufacturers. We provide COAs, informing the retailer & consumer about each product, displaying full panel tests on cannabinoids and heavy metals. These preliminary and secondary lab tests ensure our product is below 0.3% delta 9 THC in all our products. Through third-party labs, we run full panel tests which pick up a variety of cannabinoids; for most of our products we focus on the level/purity of delta 8. Our products are screened for both contaminants and heavy metals.

All this information is housed conveniently on our website that can be reached through our QR codes.

CIJ: What are your plans to grow the business in the future? 

Sam & PK: We feel very confident in our three methods of distribution: partnerships, e-commerce and a commission-based sales structure. We’ve made tremendous ground on partnerships, and are very excited about numerous partnerships we have in the pipeline. We’ve reached out to some incredible groups in the CBD space, the THC space and a few groups that you wouldn’t normally associate with cannabinoids, but with whom we’ve workshopped some really creative ideas that we’re really looking forward to bringing to market.

Readers can use promo code “CIJ” to get 15% off their first order here. 

At first, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey did not commit to signing a medical cannabis bill when the state legislature passed the legislation by a roughly two-to-one ratio in both chambers May 6.

In a statement from Ivey’s office that night, Press Secretary Gina Maiola said the governor looked forward to thoroughly reviewing Senate Bill 46 and providing the diligence it deserves but did not say whether she would sign it.

The Republican executive provided her ink to the bill Monday, making Alabama unofficially the 36th medical cannabis state, joining the likes of nearby Arkansas, Florida and Louisiana, according to reform organization Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). Mississippi dropped from the ranks of medical cannabis states after its Supreme Court ruled May 14 that Initiative 65 was unconstitutional.

When the Alabama Legislature passed its medical cannabis bill earlier this month, MPP Director of State Policies Karen O’Keefe said the legislation will allow seriously ill patients to finally get the relief they deserve and urged Ivey to sign it into law.

Ivey did just that Monday afternoon.

“I would like to thank Sen. Tim Melson and Rep. Mike Ball for their hard work over the last few years and their commitment to continue to work on this to ensure we have a productive, safe and responsible operation in Alabama,” Ivey said in a statement.

Medical cannabis legislation was first introduced in the Alabama House of Representatives two decades ago. Eight years ago, it was the laughingstock of the lower chamber. Now, a medical cannabis bill claimed supermajority support and the governor’s signature.

After a nearly 10-hour filibuster May 4, House lawmakers reconvened May 6 and considered several floor amendments before passing the Senate-originated bill, 68-34, which will allow registered patients diagnosed with qualifying conditions to access cannabis. The legislation returned to the Senate for final consideration later on May 6, when the upper chamber voted, 20-9, to concur with the House changes.

The Alabama Senate has passed medical cannabis bills three years in a row, but this is the first time the House has passed legislation. Last year, pandemic-related circumstances derailed the lower chamber’s possibility of a vote.

Sponsored by Republican Sen. Tim Melson, S.B. 46 proposes implementing a medical program that would open the application process for potential patients by Sept. 1, 2022. Republican Rep. Mike Ball sponsored the bill in the House.

“When we get in politics, we get down here and we focus our attention on what it is we’re after; we tend to tunnel up and we don’t see the other side very well, and there’s so many aspects of this that has been so difficult,” Ball said on the House floor May 6, after bearing the brunt of the filibuster, from opponents on his own side of the aisle, two days earlier.

“And, quite frankly, this has caused me to lose my appetite for politics in this whole process,” he said. “And the people who don’t see it, they’re not bad. They’re just not looking at it.”

Eight years earlier, a Democratic bill for medical cannabis that was introduced by former Rep. Patricia Todd won the 2013 “Shroud Award,” given to the “deadest” bill in the House that session, according to The Associated Press.

“They laughed at me,” Todd said, according to the AP. “I’m glad to see it passed. It’s long overdue.”

Final passage didn’t come without nearly three more hours of floor debate and amendment votes on May 6. Democratic Rep. Laura Hall, 78, said she first introduced medical cannabis legislation to the House two decades ago.

“Twenty years ago, I brought [legislation to the House] in honor of my son, who had just died the year before I was elected, of AIDS,” Hall said. “And I did that with the idea thinking if I could have had access [to medical cannabis]. The only drug that was available to him was a drug called AZT. He could not take that. When he took that medicine, we would have to get up every four hours—that was the regimen to giving him the medication. And he had finally said, ‘Enough is enough. I may get my T cells back and I can function, but I can’t do it on this medication.’”

Azidothymidine (AZT) is an antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS.

Later during the House’s session on May 6, the chamber voted, 87-3, in favor renaming the legislation “Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Compassion Act,” as a tribute to Rep. Hall’s son.

While HIV/AIDS-related nausea or weight loss is one of more than a dozen qualifying conditions included in Alabama’s medical cannabis bill, two other conditions in the Senate’s original version of the bill were removed during an emending process in the House Health Committee—fibromyalgia and menopause or premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

That specific amendment was grouped with several other committee amendments as one package, which passed as a single vote May 6 on the House floor, 72-26.

“This amendment is so disappointing to me as a woman, that all of the issues that specifically impact women were taken out in the Health Committee, which is why I’m going to vote against this amendment,” Democratic Rep. Merika Coleman said. “I support [Rep. Ball] and support the concept, but this body sometimes is so disappointing.”

When enacted, S.B. 46 will create a 14-member Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission, which will determine the maximum daily dosages of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that caregivers can provide patients with each of the qualifying conditions—also including cancer, terminal illness, depression, epilepsy, anxiety or panic disorder, chronic pain, spasticity, autism, Tourette syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder and others.

The new commission will also be responsible for issuing up to five licenses for vertically integrated operators, up to 12 cultivation licenses, no more than four processor licenses and no more than four dispensary licenses. Businesses awarded the dispensary licenses can operate up to three sites in different counties, while vertically integrated operators can have up to five dispensing sites in different counties, according to the bill’s text.

Other housekeeping items the commission will be responsible for include overseeing the patient registry, issuing medical cards and outlining regulations from seed to sale.

Some amendments that were rejected on the House floor were adding a THC dosing cap of 10 milligrams, enacting a zero-tolerance policy for diving under the influence, and revisiting the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission’s authority to provide caregiver’s the right to distribute medical cannabis should the federal government reschedule cannabis, so that patients could instead receive their medical cannabis from pharmacies should federal prohibition end. 

“My concern in this issue, is if we create this large bureaucracy that we’re having, this large board that’s going to be there, that this will never go away,” Republican Rep. Matt Simpson said about the commission’s authoritative arm. “And you could have 49 other states that are going to be able to receive medical marijuana through a licensed pharmacist … but the state of Alabama would be required to go through these dispensaries based on this legislation you have.”

Meanwhile, the bill will prohibit the smoking or vaping of cannabis, as well as processing cannabis into a form that is attractive to or targets children, such as candy or baked goods. Instead, S.B. 46 will limit medical cannabis use to forms such as pills, gelatin cubes, oils, creams and topical patches. Patients can possess up to 70 daily doses of cannabis.

In addition, minors cannot use—or be recommended—more than 3% THC. And employers can still drug test and prohibit employees from using cannabis.

Regarding social equity, depending on the business type, either at least one-fourth or one-fifth of all licenses are to be awarded to businesses with at least 51% ownership by individuals of African American, Native American, Asian or Hispanic descent, according to MPP.