CBD OIL

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Michigan saw a significant increase in adult-use cannabis sales, according to a new report from Headset.

Michigan legalized adult-use cannabis in 2018 and had its first sale on Dec. 1, 2019. Although the state legalized recreational cannabis nearly two years ago, sales have yet to launch in the state’s most populous city, Detroit. 

Despite the pandemic and Detroit sales not yet launched, the data report from Headset, a company that provides leading insights into cannabis consumer trends, disclosed that adult-use cannabis sales in Michigan increased by 482% between January and December 2020, topping $500 million in sales.

Within eight months of the state’s first adult-use sale, Michigan’s medical and adult-use markets brought in $595 million combined, surpassing the Nevada market last year, which legalized recreational sales in January 2017.

The report revealed that traditional flower accounted for the majority of recreational sales at 47.8%, followed by vape pens at 20.6% and edibles at 14.9%.

Medical cannabis also saw a consistent increase in sales throughout the year. That market led cannabis sales in the state between January and June 2020; however, recreational sales took over the market in the second half of the year, exceeding medical by $5 million in July.

Looking forward, the report states that adult-use sales may continue to gross more sales than medical. Furthermore, the anticipation of adult-use cannabis hitting the Detroit market this year may further boost the predicted increase in sales of recreational cannabis.

Boulder, Colorado, Jan. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PRESS RELEASE — Surna Inc. announced today that it recently signed a sales contract valued at $3.2 million.

The project in Arizona is for an approximately 53,000-square-foot facility. Surna is under contract to provide custom air handlers, heat recovery chillers and its StrataAir vertical racking air flow system for the cultivation, processing, drying and office spaces (the mechanical engineering design was done by Surna through a previous contract in October). Surna will also provide its SentryIQ environmental controls, and system start-up.

Tony McDonald, CEO, commented: “For the second time in six months, Surna is announcing its largest-ever single contract with this latest contract being nearly 15% larger than the previous record. Over the last several years Surna has invested heavily in technology R&D as well as in our engineering capabilities. The result has been an expanding portfolio of product and system offerings and enhanced engineering sophistication. With Surna’s expanded array of technology offerings, our engineering and sales teams were able to present several options to the client, giving them the opportunity to compare and contrast design approaches and choose the solution best tailored to their particular goals, budget and cultivation methods.”

Indiana Sen. Karen Tallian has introduced two pieces of legislation that would legalize and regulate medical and adult-use cannabis, as well as hemp, according to a local WLWT report.

S.B. 87 would create a Cannabis Compliance Commission to regulate cannabis and hemp in the state, while S.B. 223 would decriminalize the possession of up to two ounces of cannabis, WLWT reported. Currently, Indiana law allows cannabis possession charges for any amount of cannabis, according to the news outlet.

Tallian told WDRB that she has been working for a decade to reform Indiana’s cannabis laws, and that with more states adopting legalization, it is time for Indiana to embrace reform.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam proposed an adult-use cannabis legalization bill Jan. 13, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

The legislation, which is co-sponsored by Sens. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) and Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria), would allow sales to launch Jan. 1, 2023, and calls for the licensing of cultivators, processors, distributors/wholesalers, retailers and testing labs, the news outlet reported.

The bill imposes a possession limit of one ounce, and levies a 21% tax on adult-use cannabis sales, according to The Virginian-Pilot. Municipalities would be allowed to impose an additional 3% tax on dispensaries, the news outlet reported.

A portion of the tax revenue generated from an adult-use cannabis market will be directed to pre-kindergarten access for at-risk children, according to The Virginian-Pilot, as well as substance abuse prevention efforts in schools.

The legislation also includes provisions to automatically expunge past cannabis-related misdemeanor offenses, the news outlet reported, as well as a system for petition-based expungements for felonies.

The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority will regulate and oversee the adult-use cannabis industry under the bill, and will include a governor-appointed, seven-member Cannabis Control Advisory Board, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

Northam’s proposal also outlines “diverse participation” plans, which include a licensing process meant to support those identified as social equity applicants, as well as low- or no-interest loans and waived or reduced application and licensing fees for qualified applicants, the news outlet reported.

The legislation also includes a home grow provision that would allow Virginians to cultivate up to two mature and two immature plants per household, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

Northam initially announced plans to introduce a cannabis legalization bill in November, and a separate bill to legalize adult-use cannabis has been introduced this year by Del. Steve Heretick (D-Portsmouth).

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, cannabis businesses—many of which were deemed “essential” during coronavirus-related shutdowns—have become accustomed to implementing policies and procedures to keep their employees and customers safe, from mask-wearing and sanitation protocols to how they handle COVID testing at their facilities. Now, as the first vaccines are released across the country, primarily to frontline and health care workers to start, Bianchi & Brandt partner Laura Bianchi says cannabis businesses should develop internal policies regarding vaccination.

“It really is an evolving topic, as it has been all year long,” Bianchi tells Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “It changes week to week, but I do think that cannabis companies are prepared [to handle the vaccine] because they had to deal with [the pandemic] in such a front-facing manner throughout the entirety of 2020. I think for a lot of businesses, they could say, ‘Everybody work remotely,’ and they haven’t had to come up with the thoughtful policies and procedures to keep everybody safe. Cannabis companies for the most part have, so I think that puts them ahead of the curve in going, ‘OK, now let’s figure out this next phase. How do we adopt and implement things that will make sense for our patients and our staff?’”

Businesses should be prepared to move quickly once the COVID-19 vaccine is available to the general public, Bianchi says, and when developing their policies regarding vaccination, business owners should consider that in many markets, cannabis companies operate medically. Dispensaries must be prepared to deal with ill patients who may be in higher-risk populations, and Bianchi says many of her cannabis clients are considering requiring their employees to be vaccinated for this reason.

“We always advise [that] there has to be exceptions for people who have some sort of medical issue or seriously held medical beliefs,” she says. “But this is a health care facility, so we can’t place other people and patients at risk. If we can require people to take the vaccination, it’s a benefit not only to the business owners and to all of their employees, but [also] to the patients who come in.”

Many states are “at will” employment states, Bianchi says, which means that employers have the right to establish company and workplace policies, requirements and conditions—such as those relating to mandatory vaccination—as long as they don’t violate any constitutionally protected class or right.

In addition, this past December, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) determined that an employer’s act of requiring employee vaccinations alone would not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Bianchi says, which could further strengthen an employer’s position on required vaccinations.

Although it appears, then, that employers can legally require employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Bianchi says the issue is likely going to be the subject of debate and litigation going forward.

“Employers really do need to weigh the risks and benefits of requiring vaccinations to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees, clients and business as a whole, versus any potential liability related to implementing such a requirement,” she says.

Many of Bianchi’s clients have asked how to approach mandatory vaccination from an operational standpoint, and she has advised them to be as detailed as possible in their policies and procedures. First and foremost, she says employers should issue a uniform vaccination policy in writing, and this policy must be carefully constructed.

For example, in many facilities, such as dispensaries and cultivation and manufacturing operations, employees cannot work remotely to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and they work in close proximity to one another. In these situations, Bianchi says it might make sense for employers to require mandatory vaccination.

“A lot of our clients also have corporate offices, and for corporate offices, there’s a little bit more flexibility in saying, ‘If we don’t want to implement a must-have vaccination policy, can some of these individuals work remotely?’” she says. “Even that can be a slippery slope because you want to make these rules and requirements cohesive across the board, but there is some flexibility where maybe you’re in a location where you don’t always have to be on-site to do work.”

In most cases, Bianchi advises companies to evenly apply vaccination policies across the board, and business owners should meet with their attorneys to go over exceptions to mandatory vaccine policies, including requirements for employees looking to prove that they are in a situation where they would be exempt from such a policy.

If an employee refuses to follow a mandatory vaccination policy for reasons outside of the allocated exemptions, Bianchi says an employer could legally take disciplinary action, including termination.

“Again, most states are ‘at will’ employment states, so if an employer implements a COVID-19 employee vaccination policy … and an employee simply refuses, that employee may be subject to discipline, up to and including termination,” she says. “This is also something employers may opt to contractually require through an employment agreement. In that case, an employee’s refusal would be deemed a breach of contract and in the same manner, be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.”

Employers should also consider whether they will pay for mandatory vaccines if they are not covered by health insurance, as well as the timeframe for employees to be vaccinated.

“A lot of our employers are saying, ‘We’ll do this as a group—either we’ll take our employees to a certain location, or we’ll have them come to us,’” Bianchi says. “[Many businesses] did this with COVID testing, as well, [to make] it easier for employees, so they’re not searching for a location, they’re not paying fees—the employers are taking that on when they can.”

Creating a vaccination policy for seasonal workers at cultivation facilities could also pose a challenge, she adds, and employers must decide whether to require these types of hires to receive the vaccine, as well.

“You’ve really got to think about how do we keep everybody safe?” Bianchi says. “They’re going to go home to their families, [and] we’ve seen how quickly [the virus] can spread. This is an industry where it can and certainly does spread fast, so we’re trying to think of those things ahead of time, and every business has to figure out how to function financially but also help employees who may be in vulnerable financial situations get through this.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, cannabis businesses—many of which were deemed “essential” during coronavirus-related shutdowns—have become accustomed to implementing policies and procedures to keep their employees and customers safe, from mask-wearing and sanitation protocols to how they handle COVID testing at their facilities. Now, as the first vaccines are released across the country, primarily to frontline and health care workers to start, Bianchi & Brandt partner Laura Bianchi says cannabis businesses should develop internal policies regarding vaccination.

“It really is an evolving topic, as it has been all year long,” Bianchi tells Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “It changes week to week, but I do think that cannabis companies are prepared [to handle the vaccine] because they had to deal with [the pandemic] in such a front-facing manner throughout the entirety of 2020. I think for a lot of businesses, they could say, ‘Everybody work remotely,’ and they haven’t had to come up with the thoughtful policies and procedures to keep everybody safe. Cannabis companies for the most part have, so I think that puts them ahead of the curve in going, ‘OK, now let’s figure out this next phase. How do we adopt and implement things that will make sense for our patients and our staff?’”

Businesses should be prepared to move quickly once the COVID-19 vaccine is available to the general public, Bianchi says, and when developing their policies regarding vaccination, business owners should consider that in many markets, cannabis companies operate medically. Dispensaries must be prepared to deal with ill patients who may be in higher-risk populations, and Bianchi says many of her cannabis clients are considering requiring their employees to be vaccinated for this reason.

“We always advise [that] there has to be exceptions for people who have some sort of medical issue or seriously held medical beliefs,” she says. “But this is a health care facility, so we can’t place other people and patients at risk. If we can require people to take the vaccination, it’s a benefit not only to the business owners and to all of their employees, but [also] to the patients who come in.”

Many states are “at will” employment states, Bianchi says, which means that employers have the right to establish company and workplace policies, requirements and conditions—such as those relating to mandatory vaccination—as long as they don’t violate any constitutionally protected class or right.

In addition, this past December, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) determined that an employer’s act of requiring employee vaccinations alone would not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Bianchi says, which could further strengthen an employer’s position on required vaccinations.

Although it appears, then, that employers can legally require employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Bianchi says the issue is likely going to be the subject of debate and litigation going forward.

“Employers really do need to weigh the risks and benefits of requiring vaccinations to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees, clients and business as a whole, versus any potential liability related to implementing such a requirement,” she says.

Many of Bianchi’s clients have asked how to approach mandatory vaccination from an operational standpoint, and she has advised them to be as detailed as possible in their policies and procedures. First and foremost, she says employers should issue a uniform vaccination policy in writing, and this policy must be carefully constructed.

For example, in many facilities, such as dispensaries and cultivation and manufacturing operations, employees cannot work remotely to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and they work in close proximity to one another. In these situations, Bianchi says it might make sense for employers to require mandatory vaccination.

“A lot of our clients also have corporate offices, and for corporate offices, there’s a little bit more flexibility in saying, ‘If we don’t want to implement a must-have vaccination policy, can some of these individuals work remotely?’” she says. “Even that can be a slippery slope because you want to make these rules and requirements cohesive across the board, but there is some flexibility where maybe you’re in a location where you don’t always have to be on-site to do work.”

In most cases, Bianchi advises companies to evenly apply vaccination policies across the board, and business owners should meet with their attorneys to go over exceptions to mandatory vaccine policies, including requirements for employees looking to prove that they are in a situation where they would be exempt from such a policy.

If an employee refuses to follow a mandatory vaccination policy for reasons outside of the allocated exemptions, Bianchi says an employer could legally take disciplinary action, including termination.

“Again, most states are ‘at will’ employment states, so if an employer implements a COVID-19 employee vaccination policy … and an employee simply refuses, that employee may be subject to discipline, up to and including termination,” she says. “This is also something employers may opt to contractually require through an employment agreement. In that case, an employee’s refusal would be deemed a breach of contract and in the same manner, be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.”

Employers should also consider whether they will pay for mandatory vaccines if they are not covered by health insurance, as well as the timeframe for employees to be vaccinated.

“A lot of our employers are saying, ‘We’ll do this as a group—either we’ll take our employees to a certain location, or we’ll have them come to us,’” Bianchi says. “[Many businesses] did this with COVID testing, as well, [to make] it easier for employees, so they’re not searching for a location, they’re not paying fees—the employers are taking that on when they can.”

Creating a vaccination policy for seasonal workers at cultivation facilities could also pose a challenge, she adds, and employers must decide whether to require these types of hires to receive the vaccine, as well.

“You’ve really got to think about how do we keep everybody safe?” Bianchi says. “They’re going to go home to their families, [and] we’ve seen how quickly [the virus] can spread. This is an industry where it can and certainly does spread fast, so we’re trying to think of those things ahead of time, and every business has to figure out how to function financially but also help employees who may be in vulnerable financial situations get through this.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, cannabis businesses—many of which were deemed “essential” during coronavirus-related shutdowns—have become accustomed to implementing policies and procedures to keep their employees and customers safe, from mask-wearing and sanitation protocols to how they handle COVID testing at their facilities. Now, as the first vaccines are released across the country, primarily to frontline and health care workers to start, Bianchi & Brandt partner Laura Bianchi says cannabis businesses should develop internal policies regarding vaccination.

“It really is an evolving topic, as it has been all year long,” Bianchi tells Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “It changes week to week, but I do think that cannabis companies are prepared [to handle the vaccine] because they had to deal with [the pandemic] in such a front-facing manner throughout the entirety of 2020. I think for a lot of businesses, they could say, ‘Everybody work remotely,’ and they haven’t had to come up with the thoughtful policies and procedures to keep everybody safe. Cannabis companies for the most part have, so I think that puts them ahead of the curve in going, ‘OK, now let’s figure out this next phase. How do we adopt and implement things that will make sense for our patients and our staff?’”

Businesses should be prepared to move quickly once the COVID-19 vaccine is available to the general public, Bianchi says, and when developing their policies regarding vaccination, business owners should consider that in many markets, cannabis companies operate medically. Dispensaries must be prepared to deal with ill patients who may be in higher-risk populations, and Bianchi says many of her cannabis clients are considering requiring their employees to be vaccinated for this reason.

“We always advise [that] there has to be exceptions for people who have some sort of medical issue or seriously held medical beliefs,” she says. “But this is a health care facility, so we can’t place other people and patients at risk. If we can require people to take the vaccination, it’s a benefit not only to the business owners and to all of their employees, but [also] to the patients who come in.”

Many states are “at will” employment states, Bianchi says, which means that employers have the right to establish company and workplace policies, requirements and conditions—such as those relating to mandatory vaccination—as long as they don’t violate any constitutionally protected class or right.

In addition, this past December, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) determined that an employer’s act of requiring employee vaccinations alone would not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Bianchi says, which could further strengthen an employer’s position on required vaccinations.

Although it appears, then, that employers can legally require employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Bianchi says the issue is likely going to be the subject of debate and litigation going forward.

“Employers really do need to weigh the risks and benefits of requiring vaccinations to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees, clients and business as a whole, versus any potential liability related to implementing such a requirement,” she says.

Many of Bianchi’s clients have asked how to approach mandatory vaccination from an operational standpoint, and she has advised them to be as detailed as possible in their policies and procedures. First and foremost, she says employers should issue a uniform vaccination policy in writing, and this policy must be carefully constructed.

For example, in many facilities, such as dispensaries and cultivation and manufacturing operations, employees cannot work remotely to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and they work in close proximity to one another. In these situations, Bianchi says it might make sense for employers to require mandatory vaccination.

“A lot of our clients also have corporate offices, and for corporate offices, there’s a little bit more flexibility in saying, ‘If we don’t want to implement a must-have vaccination policy, can some of these individuals work remotely?’” she says. “Even that can be a slippery slope because you want to make these rules and requirements cohesive across the board, but there is some flexibility where maybe you’re in a location where you don’t always have to be on-site to do work.”

In most cases, Bianchi advises companies to evenly apply vaccination policies across the board, and business owners should meet with their attorneys to go over exceptions to mandatory vaccine policies, including requirements for employees looking to prove that they are in a situation where they would be exempt from such a policy.

If an employee refuses to follow a mandatory vaccination policy for reasons outside of the allocated exemptions, Bianchi says an employer could legally take disciplinary action, including termination.

“Again, most states are ‘at will’ employment states, so if an employer implements a COVID-19 employee vaccination policy … and an employee simply refuses, that employee may be subject to discipline, up to and including termination,” she says. “This is also something employers may opt to contractually require through an employment agreement. In that case, an employee’s refusal would be deemed a breach of contract and in the same manner, be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.”

Employers should also consider whether they will pay for mandatory vaccines if they are not covered by health insurance, as well as the timeframe for employees to be vaccinated.

“A lot of our employers are saying, ‘We’ll do this as a group—either we’ll take our employees to a certain location, or we’ll have them come to us,’” Bianchi says. “[Many businesses] did this with COVID testing, as well, [to make] it easier for employees, so they’re not searching for a location, they’re not paying fees—the employers are taking that on when they can.”

Creating a vaccination policy for seasonal workers at cultivation facilities could also pose a challenge, she adds, and employers must decide whether to require these types of hires to receive the vaccine, as well.

“You’ve really got to think about how do we keep everybody safe?” Bianchi says. “They’re going to go home to their families, [and] we’ve seen how quickly [the virus] can spread. This is an industry where it can and certainly does spread fast, so we’re trying to think of those things ahead of time, and every business has to figure out how to function financially but also help employees who may be in vulnerable financial situations get through this.”