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Cannabis and Pride Month: Moving Equity, Diversity to the Forefront

June 24, 2021 by CBD OIL

While Pride month parades, community festivals and other celebrations have been underway all month long, many more events are set for this weekend before June winds down.

Dispensaries across the country have been commemorating the month to honor and recognize the LGBTQ+ community with special events and promotions, but there are other ways the cannabis industry promotes inclusion behind the scenes all year long. However, there is also still more work to do. 

In this special guest interview, Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary asked three cannabis industry leaders from the LGBTQ+ community to share insights on how the industry can better support LGBTQ+ employees and customers, improve equity and elevate diverse perspectives and ideas. Excerpts from the conversation with Ian Hackett, chief marketing officer and head of compliance for Napa Valley Fumé, Clifton Lambert, director of human resources with Jushi Holdings Inc., and Niki Mohrlant, senior director of operations for Jushi’s Beyond/Hello dispensaries, are below. 

 

Q: What has your experience been working in the cannabis industry?

Clifton Lambert, director of human resources, Jushi: “It’s been overall positive. When you come into cannabis, you have to have a very different mindset. The people in this industry are really passionate about what we’re doing and understand how important cannabis is to the LGBTQ+ community. Being a part of the LGBT+ community myself, you do feel that you’re not always recognized the way you want to be. But cannabis just kind of opens up that door because of the connection between cannabis and that community. I’ve been able to be more myself with Jushi than many other places. People embrace it. And I think that we set the tone from the get-go to let people know that we welcome all kinds and encourage you to be yourself. We want you to feel comfortable here.” 

Niki Mohrlant, senior director of operations, Jushi: “To Clifton’s point, I would say it is super accepting. But also I think at this point in my own career, there’s this point of getting in positions where you can be the voice in the room and elevate others. And I think that because cannabis has just such a wide range of different people from all different sorts of backgrounds, for me, it’s just been this unique place to say, ‘Hey, you know, if we’re designing a dispensary, have we thought about genderless bathrooms?’ I don’t need to be the gay person in the room. I need to be the person who’s thinking without making assumptions. I’ve always been welcome to be that person who says, ‘Hey, it, it may not be broken, but we need to fix it.’ And we need to think about who is receiving this, what that journey is, whether it’s our customers or team members or our partners within the organization, what are the optics? How do we make decisions? How do we make considerations for every group and everybody all the time? And sometimes it’s hard. But the one thing that I try to encourage not only my peer group, but anybody around me is like, if you have something to say, you should say it. Then when people have ideas, saving space for them to be heard. And the cannabis industry is ripe for that.”

Ian Hackett, chief marketing officer and head of compliance, Napa Valley Fumé: “My first experience in the cannabis industry was meeting the team at Napa Valley Fumé, and they made me feel very welcome out of the gate. I was rather nervous going out to our farm for the first time, meeting the farm team was intimidating to me for some reason. Perhaps because it was in a very remote place [well outside of the city] and I didn’t have anyone to brief me on what to expect. When I finally got there, the general manager welcomed me with literally open arms and she said, ‘Please get in here, and I need your help.’ To Niki’s point of being that voice in the room that is heard and is respected, it’s not just the LGBTQIA+ voice, it’s the voice that brings a different perspective to the table. And I think that from an LGBTQIA+ community is important to have a voice at the table. I know that having my voice at our table has really helped us as a company move forward from what we plant to how we bring our products to customers. 

“However, I did have slightly different experiences going to trade shows. It wasn’t necessarily that I felt like an outsider, but I didn’t see any LGBTQIA+ representation at the trade shows I’ve been to so far. That is something that needs to change. I don’t let not seeing representation stop me. I think it’s where I am in my career. I am able to walk in, see the table, and take a seat. Now, I want to make room for others at the table to make sure we are building from a point of inclusion.”

Lambert: “We’ve been able to climb the ladder, and now we’re in a spot where we have the ability to raise our voices on important LGBTQ+ issues that affect the masses, and people feel that change. It’s been a rough road getting here, where the real work for change starts.”  

Q: What do some of those changes look like on the ground, and what are you and your companies doing to support LGBTQ+ employees?

Lambert: “One change that’s been most recognized is we added gender pronouns early on into our new hire orientations. Employees get to learn about those pronouns, and we explain to every employee what to do if you mess up and why we embrace this. We provide pronoun stickers for employees and customers so they can display their preferred pronouns. I’ve never seen that in any company ever before, where someone actually took the time to think about it and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to support this because this is something that really affects people, although others may not understand.’ We are here to help people understand in the best way we can and educate them on why we support it.

“We are really are serious about it because we want to make sure that everybody is equally represented and everybody is comfortable.”

Mohrlant: “Being the voice for room and thinking about the optics around where we choose locations, it’s the same thing. These conversations are not always popular. When you’re trying to close a real estate deal, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, but they don’t like gay people in this neighborhood.’ It may not be a popular comment, but it is a comment that should be had. I would go to HR and say, ‘Hey, just so you know, I’m super uncomfortable. They have a lot of discrimination issues in this community and this state, and I’m letting you know that technically, I don’t think I can be gay in the state, and they could fire me for working here. So I just want you to know that I’m aware, and I need you to be aware.’ We pick places all the time and we don’t always have all the best information to make those decisions.

“We started talking about badging, too. If you have a different pronoun or you change your name from what’s on your birth certificate or ID, what’s that process like? That’s always been a thing, if the state doesn’t allow for this, how do we put someone’s name on their name tag or on their badge that’s in line with the state government so that we’re not at risk. So there’s a lot of those little things that come up for people that we have to pay attention to all the time and keep pushing the states or keep pushing the community or keep pushing the jurisdiction to create a better experience for everybody regardless of how they identify.”

Q: How do you communicate the importance of inclusion and diversity to your teams and ensure that everyone is working toward creating a positive culture and environment? 

Hackett: “I think by making sure your HR team and the area leads are adequately trained on inclusivity and to make sure that they are aware of and understand the evolving, proper ways to engage with people is really important to create a positive environment for people to be themselves. Probably the most important as it relates to a positive culture. In the past, it’s where I’ve seen a lot of the most egregious violations is [in HR].”

Mohrlant: “How do you evolve the HR community to pay attention to this? Who are those people? And that’s a really good point because a lot of it starts even from a hiring recruiting standpoint. If you don’t have the voice in the room or the people in the seats, everyone’s scope is just a little bit more narrow.”

Lambert: “That’s our challenge every day in HR. I really am evaluating that over and over. That’s one thing that we’ve learned in this industry too, is that things change at such a rapid pace. And, of course, generations do the same thing. And making sure that when we’re interviewing folks for these roles, we make sure that diversity is always at the top of mind. Diversity just helps our company be better because you’re getting different thought processes from different people from different backgrounds. Your HR team has to be the champions. We have a lot of control in that process and must lead by example for the rest of the company. We’ve been super intentional in that area.”

Q: What can the industry do to better support the LBGTQ+ community, initiatives and take a lead in this space? What work needs to be done?

Hackett: “As an industry, be thoughtful about the products and experiences we are creating, how they are messaged and how they are marketed. In the cannabis industry, we have a unique opportunity to not only be honest, but we can do that while being creative. There were so many times in other industries like alcohol and tobacco, where they targeted—usually minorities—with a very false narrative that was really damaging to people. We have an opportunity to take those learnings are and take it in a much different direction.

“As Clifton just mentioned, I think companies and hiring managers really need to actively seek diversity in their candidate pool. It is very comfortable and common for people to just hire people they know. But that usually limits diversity. I think it’s about bringing the best talent to the role. I hear people say, well, I want them to have five years or 10 years or whatever years in the cannabis industry. I’d rather hear them say, this role needs to be able to manage a budget, or manage a grow. Or I need them to be able to keep our cultivation or our distribution practice in regulatory compliance. It’s very shortsighted from a diversity perspective, if we say you have to have 10 years of cannabis experience. The legacy market was very close-knit and we need to see more women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ people enter the industry.”

Lambert: “I agree. Folks tend to hire people who look like them or who have similar beliefs or thought processes. It’s not something people do intentionally, but more attention should be focused on that area from the top. If you look at your business, and the diversity is limited, folks like us have to speak up. That’s what I love about this industry, I think we already have that platform established for us where we feel comfortable to speak up to say we need more diversity.”

Mohrlant: “The past year and a half has been so many things for so many people. My partner is in HR, as well, and one of the things that comes up is how to have these conversations. Did we say the right term? is it LGBTQ+? Is it people of color, or is it African American? I think everyone is so fearful to say the wrong thing. When can you have a safe space to have conversations to do it right? It should just be this authentic place.”

Hackett: “Sometimes you need to listen to the messages and not the words, and you can take those words and help the person understand why there is a better option for some of the words that have been chosen. As [cannabis] goes ‘mainstream,’ we must do so with inclusion and diversity as a foundational component instead of an afterthought.”

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Filed Under: Cannabis News

Columbia Care Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Medicine Man, a Rapidly Growing, Vertically Integrated Operator in the Denver Metro Area

June 23, 2021 by CBD OIL

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NEW YORK, June 15, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Columbia Care, a cultivator, manufacturer and provider of cannabis products in the United States, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Medicine Man Denver, a vertically integrated cannabis company that has been serving the Denver metro area since 2009.

"The acquisition of Medicine Man further solidifies Columbia Care’s position as a scaled retailer, cultivator and manufacturer in Colorado, the world’s second-largest cannabis market. Medicine Man is outperforming the broader Colorado market, with sales growth of 42% in 2020, versus 24% for the state and 64% year-to-date through May, versus 25% for the state. The acquisition will add one cultivation facility and four dispensaries, including one co-located adult-use and medical location and three adult-use facilities to Columbia Care’s national footprint.

"We have great admiration for what Medicine Man’s leaders, Sally Vander Veer and Andy Williams, have built over the past 12 years through their tireless leadership, local and state-level advocacy and exceptional business acumen and vision,” said Nicholas Vita, CEO of Columbia Care. "Medicine Man will further cement our position as the leading vertically integrated operator in Colorado, in tandem with our ongoing integration of The Green Solution and will have a positive impact on our financial performance for years to come. We are also confident that the strong alignment of values between our two companies will help Columbia Care continue its growth in Colorado sustainably and responsibly. We are thrilled to bring one of Colorado’s longest-running and most highly respected cannabis companies into the Columbia Care family."

Medicine Man brings a highly experienced and talented team of executives and employees that further bolsters Columbia Care’s strong talent pool. The company’s founders and management team are pioneers of Colorado’s legal cannabis industry. Over the past 12 years, they have built a widely regarded, highly profitable business that has earned strong loyalty amongst its customers and employees. Because of this, Medicine Man has been recognized as a best-in-class retailer, employer and cultivator through numerous awards.

Andy Williams, Medicine Man’s president and co-founder, stated: "Since 2009, the Medicine Man family has helped to pioneer the cannabis industry in Colorado. We have done it responsibly and vigorously for our customers, employees and our family. Our industry is changing and growing now faster than ever. We recognize the need to partner with others in order to continue to compete within, and help to responsibly transform, the industry as it grows. We are proud to be joining our businesses with Columbia Care, a true leader in this next phase of growth in the cannabis industry. Columbia Care is made up of people with family business values and has the horsepower to lead the cannabis industry into the future. We are truly excited to be part of this new team."

"Medicine Man is thrilled to announce our partnership with Columbia Care," said Sally Vander Veer, CEO of Medicine Man. "They are an ideal partner, and I am confident in their ability to uphold the higher standards that our family-owned and operated cultivation and dispensaries have built over the past twelve years. I knew this opportunity was the right fit for our family and employees because of our shared commitment to operational excellence, emphasis on employees and culture, and a customer-first mentality. I look forward to a seamless integration and an exciting next chapter of growth and success."

The upfront consideration of $42.0 million, comprising $8.4 million in cash and $33.6 million in stock, represents a multiple of approximately 4.5x projected 2021 EBITDA. The transaction terms also include a potential additional milestone payment in 2022 if specific performance targets are met.

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Filed Under: Cannabis News

Advanced Container Technologies Offers Packaging to Keep Cannabis Flower Fresher, Longer

June 23, 2021 by CBD OIL

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Rhode Island state Sen. Joshua Miller discusses adult-use cannabis legalization June 22. 

More than a decade ago, Rhode Island state Sen. Joshua Miller chaired a commission that examined cannabis prohibition and the effects of what he called a failed policy.

That was in 2010. When Miller finally had the opportunity to introduce an adult-use cannabis bill Tuesday evening on the Senate floor, the upper chamber spent all of 15 minutes discussing the legislation before approving it in a 29-9 vote.

Sponsored by Miller and nine of his Democratic colleagues, Senate Bill 568 would allow adults 21 years and older to possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis or 5 grams of concentrate and grow up to six plants for personal use. The measure would also expedite the expungement process for those with misdemeanor cannabis records.

“It is a historic day, as it is the first time a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis has reached the floor of either legislative chamber in Rhode Island,” Miller said. “We have arrived at this point about 10 years later than I would have liked, and it is important that we act expeditiously to enact a regulatory framework.”

Miller pointed out that neighboring Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed adult-use cannabis legislation earlier that day. And neighboring Massachusetts opened up shop for adult-use retail in 2018.

And with Vermont and New York’s legislatures legalizing cannabis in 2018 and 2021, respectively, Rhode Island and New Hampshire are the only two states remaining in New England where prohibition remains intact.

“The longer we wait, the more we put Rhode Island’s eventual cannabis retailers at a disadvantage,” Miller said. “The longer we wait, the more Rhode Island customers are getting into the habit of traveling to a nearby shop over the border, and the more they are building relationships with those companies. And with cannabis so readily available, whether on the black market or readily in neighboring states, Rhode Island must address all of the societal ills, but we will lack the regulatory framework and revenue stream. This legislation is therefore urgently needed.”

Under S.B. 568, cannabis use would be prohibited in public places and unsealed containers would be prohibited from the passenger areas of a motor vehicle.

The legislation aims to create a five-member Cannabis Control Commission to oversee a competitive and accessible licensing structure that Miller said would prevent monopolization of the new market by limiting business entities to one license. The licensing structure would generate tax revenue through a 7% sales tax, a 10% cannabis excise tax and a 3% local sales tax, which would return to municipalities where the point of sale occurred.

In addition, every community would be eligible for at least three retail licenses, but any municipality can opt out if it chooses. Communities can also pass local ordinances to regulate the time, place and manner of cannabis operators, however they cannot impose any additional fees or contingencies.

And on the social equity front, the legislation would create a fund to provide technical and grant assistance to qualified individuals who have been directly and indirectly impacted by prohibition. One-third of the licenses would be reserved for individuals from impacted communities.

“In the development of this bill, we wanted to ensure as many Rhode Islanders as possible have an opportunity to participate in this new economy,” Miller said. “That is why we set low barriers to entry with accessible tiered licensing fees.”

Licensing fees from the 11-tier system range from as low as $100 for up to 1,000 square feet of outdoor grows, to $5,000 for manufacturing and testing entities, and up to $20,000 for the largest cultivators and retailers.

While the bill passed by a 76% majority in the Senate, it competes with two other legalization measures: Gov. Dan McKee introduced a proposal in March that includes a three-year initiative to roll out retail licenses; and House Bill 6370 was introduced by Democratic Rep. Scott Slater on May 28.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Rhode Island state Sen. Samuel Bell discusses adult-use cannabis legalization June 22. 

With the Senate-approved bill getting introduced in March, the upper chamber had the opportunity to make some really important improvements to it, Democratic Sen. Samuel Bell said Tuesday on the floor.

“That being said, I do think there are a couple things that the House bill does right that we might be able to modify,” he said. “I think we should make expungement automatic, and I think the tiering structure here is set up in such a way that it allows certain larger cultivators to potentially dominate the market. It’s something that I hope we can tweak. With that being said, I think it’s a really excellent piece of legislation.”

Republican state Sen. Gordon Rogers, who voted against the bill, said the legislation has two shortfalls. First, Rogers said the 3% local sales tax that will be returned to municipalities only takes dispensaries into account and not cultivators. In turn, cultivation-dominant communities absent of retail will be left out, he said.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Rhode Island state Sen. Gordon Rogers discusses adult-use cannabis legalization June 22.

Second, Rogers said he’s in favor of a central distribution facility that would act as a middleman between cultivators and dispensaries.

“Let’s say something happens with a fungus or something; it’s growing, it’s a public health issue, you have a central place to find out where it’s coming,” he said. “If it’s coming from growers shooting off the dispensaries, it’s kind of erratic. But if you have a central distribution hub where this can be followed, [there is] control and testing.”

Miller said authors of the bill considered such a distribution center but decided not to go with that concept because of what they observed at operations of retailers in Massachusetts.

“Some of them actually only use maybe one or two cultivators,” Miller said. “And so, the central distribution would just be another security component that would be a burden both to the cultivator and the security, and the tagging and the tracking that you want to go through with the marijuana.”

S.B. 568 will now go to the House for consideration, although only a week remains before the Legislature adjourns June 30. Earlier this month, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi told WPRI-TV that the lower chamber would focus on passing a budget first and possibly push back adult-use cannabis legislation to a special session later this year.

But the Senate’s approval of S.B. 568 on Tuesday is just another example of the momentum behind the nationwide movement to end prohibition, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a statement.

“The American people are sick and tired of our failed prohibitionist policies and finally their elected officials are enacting the will of their constituents,” he said. “We call upon the Rhode Island General Assembly to follow the Senate’s lead and quickly approve this bill.”

Filed Under: Cannabis News

Essential Elements to Set Up a Green, Zero-Waste Grow Facility

June 23, 2021 by CBD OIL

Clean, ecologically sound production methods are the ideal for any cultivation or farming activity. Taking from the earth only what is needed to grow the crop and leaving behind little in the way of chemicals and land/water loss is the goal; with cannabis grow facilities, it can also be a reality.

This type of production does require some capital investment into state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, with standards that are equal to or even surpass current EPA and USDA regulations. While cannabis growing does not yet have access to the organic certification, that doesn’t mean growers can’t abide by and even go beyond the rules, to grow clean, healthy and environmentally sound cannabis.

There are a few essential elements required to make this kind of operation a reality.

Ecologically advanced use of power

  • For any indoor facility, one of the key elements is lighting. Using as energy efficient a system as possible is key. The best option at the moment is LEC lighting, which provides a spectrum of light that is very close to natural. This makes checking on plant progress more realistic and, with the inclusion of UV-B in the spectrum, can improve yields as well. In addition, the LEC bulbs have a long life—up to 2 years—which means lower maintenance costs as well.
  • The demand for high-quality, organically grown cannabis continues to increase

    Another aspect of growing that tends to use a lot of power is the cooling system. A standard HVAC system will be power intensive, so alternative ones like water chilled climate control systems are just as effective and 30% more power efficient. These systems are also able to reuse wasted power by feeding it back into the system, creating an additional 10% energy reduction. In addition, when the outdoor air temperature dips below 45 degrees, a water chilled system can switch to using the outside air, creating 60—70% in energy savings.

Efficient management of water resources

  • Cultivators depend heavily on water to ensure that the plants are hydrated and able to absorb the nutrients they need to grow and thrive. The result for many however is an excessive waste of water. This is a problem when a grow facility is leveraging municipal water resources. A water meter helps to manage and track usage but to ensure that it is used as efficiently as possible, a “top feeding” method of usage ensures minimal water waste (5% or less).

Effective waste management

  • Wastewater is a byproduct of any water intensive cultivation method but there again, managing the systems to ensure that what water isn’t reused and becomes “gray water” is still as clean as possible is the ideal. A high-quality filtration system keeps sediment, chlorine and other harmful elements out of the water supply — and out of the municipal sewage system. Further, by using organic matter throughout the growing process, the wastewater that is produced will meet every federal standard for organic food production.
  • All plant waste in a grow facility—for example: stems and fan leaves—is disposed of according to state and local laws. With cannabis plants, that requires a certain level of security, including locked dumpsters that are only unlocked and placed outside when the removal trucks arrive on site.

Organic farming practices

  • Using OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) listed soil is an essential part of clean, environmentally friendly growing. To ensure the proper nutrients are available for each harvest, once a crop is gathered, the soil is transferred to a local landscape company to compost and reuse.
  • Pesticides need to obviously be avoided and all fertilizers need to be USDA approved as organic and all nutrients need to be certified by OMRI to ensure they don’t contain any synthetic materials.

Considering all of these aspects is essential to creating an ecologically friendly grow facility with tremendous yields that are clean and safe for the end consumer, as well as minimizing the impact to the earth.

analysis analytics business cannabis compliance cultivation ecologically ecology efficiency efficient energy farm farming government grower growing indoor industry light lighting manage management marijuana market organic outdoor product recreational regulation regulations regulatory resource safety state sustainability sustainable thc usage waste water

About The Author

Anthony Franciosi

Founder

Anthony Franciosi also known as Ant, is an honest to goodness farmer whose fingers are as green as the organic cannabis he grows. He is the proud founder of Honest Marijuana – an all natural, completely organic marijuana growery in Colorado. Anthony is also an industry expert contributing his advice to a variety of publications including Bustle, Medium, Elite Daily, Dope Magazine, Sierra Magazine, Marijuanadventure and more. 

Filed Under: Cannabis News

UPDATE: Louisiana Gov Signs Smokable Medical Cannabis Bill

June 23, 2021 by CBD OIL

The issuance of adult-use cannabis licenses in New York may be delayed as Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state Senate leaders are reportedly in conflict over who should lead the Office of Cannabis Management (OMC) and Cannabis Control Board (CCB).

As previously reported by Cannabis Business Times, Cuomo signed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) into law in March, making New York the 17th state to legalize adult-use cannabis. 

The OMC and CCB were created under the MRTA to oversee the state’s adult-use cannabis market and enforce a comprehensive regulatory framework for adult-use, medical and cannabinoid hemp. The OMC is “governed by a five-member board, with three members appointed by the governor, one appointed by each house,” Cannabis Business Times previously reported.

According to Politico, lawmakers have argued that the Cuomo administration has taken little action to prepare for the state’s adult-use cannabis market. The governor has yet to enact any MRTA provisions or nominate an OMC executive director and CCB chairperson, which are the first steps to a marketplace being established and licenses being issued. 

The debate between Cuomo and Senate leaders has left some industry stakeholders questioning Cuomo’s motives and commitment to establish a recreational marketplace, Politico reported.

“I think he’s still quite ambiguous about the state moving forward, despite the fact that he negotiated the bill and he signed the bill,” state Sen. Liz Krueger said in an interview.

And Sen. Diane Savino told Politico that while the OMC may have a website, it doesn’t exist in any other form, which is a problem.

According to Politico, Cuomo was expected to issue his nominees for OMC executive director and CCB chairperson earlier this month; however, the talks reportedly fell apart due to conflict from the Senate.

The Senate voted against nominating Norman Birenbaum, the state director of cannabis programs, as the OMC executive director due to his previous track record, Politico reported. Cuomo then considered nominating Karim Camara, the executive director of the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based Community Development Services, as the CCB chairperson and leaving the OMC executive director spot unfilled; however, some argued that leaving the position open was a way for Birenbaum to serve the role unofficially–causing the 2021 session to close without any nominations. 

According to Politico, Cuomo and the Senate both agreed on electing Cuomo’s assistant Axel Bernabe as the OCM executive director, but Bernabe declined.

Next Steps

If there are no nominees for either position soon, lawmakers could wait to see what happens or pass a bill that would take Cuomo out of the process; however, Krueger said that is unlikely as it would further complicate the process.

Krueger told Politico that there is a reasonable chance that the state will have a different governor within months. “In which case, I don’t wish to delay moving forward [with] cannabis, but it may be a short delay,” she said. 

She added that while creating and establishing the state’s adult-use cannabis market would be difficult without Cuomo’s involvement, there is no reason why the state can’t move forward in implementing some of the MRTA’s provisions, especially those related to cannabis research.

And Savino told Politico that most of the changes could happen without OMC board members or new regulations being established first.

“It could happen right now, but [the Department of Health] is hiding behind [the idea] that, ‘We need to wait for the Office of Cannabis Management and the Cannabis Board to be convened and new regulations to be promulgated.’ That’s just not true,” Savino told Politico. “The statute does not require that for the changes that could go into effect, [like] adding in all health care providers who are allowed to prescribe medication currently, to add in all conditions, to allow the sale of flower product.”

But administration spokesperson Colin Brennan directed Politico to a June 4 statement where he said that once the Cannabis Control board is in place, MRTA provisions can start to be implemented. 

Lawmakers are worried that the delays could extend the state’s timeline for recreational cannabis sales even past 18 months, which was the original timeline for adult-use sales to begin.

And although adult-use cannabis sales have yet to begin in New York, adults can still legally possess cannabis. Savino told Politico if the state doesn’t make a move to establish a marketplace soon, “the illegal market is going to run the table in a state where we just recently hailed the passage of legalizing marijuana. That makes no sense.”

Filed Under: Cannabis News

Legalization in the Northeast: Where the Dominoes are Falling

June 23, 2021 by CBD OIL

2021 has been very fruitful for cannabis legalization in the northeastern United States. First New Jersey legalized adult use cannabis, then came New York, then Connecticut, and now it is looking like Rhode Island should be able to get it done this year. Although technically not in the Northeast, Virginia also legalized adult use cannabis this year.

Quintessential New England: The Rhode Island coastline.

Those states are following in the footsteps of Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont who have all legalized cannabis previously. In addition, legislators in Pennsylvania and Delaware are both trying to advance bills to legalize adult use cannabis. While New Hampshire has a lot of support for legalization, progress in the legislature has stalled for now. And that just about covers the entire Northeast.

In a very interesting chain of events, the Northeast is legalizing adult use cannabis at a rapid pace in 2021. The incremental progress is similar to the history of legalization in the western United States and the events leading up to 2016.

In Rhode Island, senators approved Senate Bill 568 and now heads to the House where a legislative session ends in less than a week. While it is doubtful that representatives will be able to get it done before the end of the month, it is entirely possible that they could pass the bill and legalize cannabis before the end of this year.

Following Connecticut and hopefully Rhode Island, Pennsylvania lawmakers are building bipartisan support for legalization and are expected to introduce a bill soon.

Filed Under: Cannabis News

HIA Supports Delta-8 Production, But Calls for Market Regulation

June 23, 2021 by CBD OIL

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Rhode Island state Sen. Joshua Miller discusses adult-use cannabis legalization June 22. 

More than a decade ago, Rhode Island state Sen. Joshua Miller chaired a commission that examined cannabis prohibition and the effects of what he called a failed policy.

That was in 2010. When Miller finally had the opportunity to introduce an adult-use cannabis bill Tuesday evening on the Senate floor, the upper chamber spent all of 15 minutes discussing the legislation before approving it in a 29-9 vote.

Sponsored by Miller and nine of his Democratic colleagues, Senate Bill 568 would allow adults 21 years and older to possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis or 5 grams of concentrate and grow up to six plants for personal use. The measure would also expedite the expungement process for those with misdemeanor cannabis records.

“It is a historic day, as it is the first time a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis has reached the floor of either legislative chamber in Rhode Island,” Miller said. “We have arrived at this point about 10 years later than I would have liked, and it is important that we act expeditiously to enact a regulatory framework.”

Miller pointed out that neighboring Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed adult-use cannabis legislation earlier that day. And neighboring Massachusetts opened up shop for adult-use retail in 2018.

And with Vermont and New York’s legislatures legalizing cannabis in 2018 and 2021, respectively, Rhode Island and New Hampshire are the only two states remaining in New England where prohibition remains intact.

“The longer we wait, the more we put Rhode Island’s eventual cannabis retailers at a disadvantage,” Miller said. “The longer we wait, the more Rhode Island customers are getting into the habit of traveling to a nearby shop over the border, and the more they are building relationships with those companies. And with cannabis so readily available, whether on the black market or readily in neighboring states, Rhode Island must address all of the societal ills, but we will lack the regulatory framework and revenue stream. This legislation is therefore urgently needed.”

Under S.B. 568, cannabis use would be prohibited in public places and unsealed containers would be prohibited from the passenger areas of a motor vehicle.

The legislation aims to create a five-member Cannabis Control Commission to oversee a competitive and accessible licensing structure that Miller said would prevent monopolization of the new market by limiting business entities to one license. The licensing structure would generate tax revenue through a 7% sales tax, a 10% cannabis excise tax and a 3% local sales tax, which would return to municipalities where the point of sale occurred.

In addition, every community would be eligible for at least three retail licenses, but any municipality can opt out if it chooses. Communities can also pass local ordinances to regulate the time, place and manner of cannabis operators, however they cannot impose any additional fees or contingencies.

And on the social equity front, the legislation would create a fund to provide technical and grant assistance to qualified individuals who have been directly and indirectly impacted by prohibition. One-third of the licenses would be reserved for individuals from impacted communities.

“In the development of this bill, we wanted to ensure as many Rhode Islanders as possible have an opportunity to participate in this new economy,” Miller said. “That is why we set low barriers to entry with accessible tiered licensing fees.”

Licensing fees from the 11-tier system range from as low as $100 for up to 1,000 square feet of outdoor grows, to $5,000 for manufacturing and testing entities, and up to $20,000 for the largest cultivators and retailers.

While the bill passed by a 76% majority in the Senate, it competes with two other legalization measures: Gov. Dan McKee introduced a proposal in March that includes a three-year initiative to roll out retail licenses; and House Bill 6370 was introduced by Democratic Rep. Scott Slater on May 28.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Rhode Island state Sen. Samuel Bell discusses adult-use cannabis legalization June 22. 

With the Senate-approved bill getting introduced in March, the upper chamber had the opportunity to make some really important improvements to it, Democratic Sen. Samuel Bell said Tuesday on the floor.

“That being said, I do think there are a couple things that the House bill does right that we might be able to modify,” he said. “I think we should make expungement automatic, and I think the tiering structure here is set up in such a way that it allows certain larger cultivators to potentially dominate the market. It’s something that I hope we can tweak. With that being said, I think it’s a really excellent piece of legislation.”

Republican state Sen. Gordon Rogers, who voted against the bill, said the legislation has two shortfalls. First, Rogers said the 3% local sales tax that will be returned to municipalities only takes dispensaries into account and not cultivators. In turn, cultivation-dominant communities absent of retail will be left out, he said.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Rhode Island state Sen. Gordon Rogers discusses adult-use cannabis legalization June 22.

Second, Rogers said he’s in favor of a central distribution facility that would act as a middleman between cultivators and dispensaries.

“Let’s say something happens with a fungus or something; it’s growing, it’s a public health issue, you have a central place to find out where it’s coming,” he said. “If it’s coming from growers shooting off the dispensaries, it’s kind of erratic. But if you have a central distribution hub where this can be followed, [there is] control and testing.”

Miller said authors of the bill considered such a distribution center but decided not to go with that concept because of what they observed at operations of retailers in Massachusetts.

“Some of them actually only use maybe one or two cultivators,” Miller said. “And so, the central distribution would just be another security component that would be a burden both to the cultivator and the security, and the tagging and the tracking that you want to go through with the marijuana.”

S.B. 568 will now go to the House for consideration, although only a week remains before the Legislature adjourns June 30. Earlier this month, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi told WPRI-TV that the lower chamber would focus on passing a budget first and possibly push back adult-use cannabis legislation to a special session later this year.

But the Senate’s approval of S.B. 568 on Tuesday is just another example of the momentum behind the nationwide movement to end prohibition, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a statement.

“The American people are sick and tired of our failed prohibitionist policies and finally their elected officials are enacting the will of their constituents,” he said. “We call upon the Rhode Island General Assembly to follow the Senate’s lead and quickly approve this bill.”

Filed Under: Cannabis News

Issuance of Adult-Use Cannabis Licenses May Be Stalled in New York

June 23, 2021 by CBD OIL

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Rhode Island state Sen. Joshua Miller discusses adult-use cannabis legalization June 22. 

More than a decade ago, Rhode Island state Sen. Joshua Miller chaired a commission that examined cannabis prohibition and the effects of what he called a failed policy.

That was in 2010. When Miller finally had the opportunity to introduce an adult-use cannabis bill Tuesday evening on the Senate floor, the upper chamber spent all of 15 minutes discussing the legislation before approving it in a 29-9 vote.

Sponsored by Miller and nine of his Democratic colleagues, Senate Bill 568 would allow adults 21 years and older to possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis or 5 grams of concentrate and grow up to six plants for personal use. The measure would also expedite the expungement process for those with misdemeanor cannabis records.

“It is a historic day, as it is the first time a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis has reached the floor of either legislative chamber in Rhode Island,” Miller said. “We have arrived at this point about 10 years later than I would have liked, and it is important that we act expeditiously to enact a regulatory framework.”

Miller pointed out that neighboring Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed adult-use cannabis legislation earlier that day. And neighboring Massachusetts opened up shop for adult-use retail in 2018.

And with Vermont and New York’s legislatures legalizing cannabis in 2018 and 2021, respectively, Rhode Island and New Hampshire are the only two states remaining in New England where prohibition remains intact.

“The longer we wait, the more we put Rhode Island’s eventual cannabis retailers at a disadvantage,” Miller said. “The longer we wait, the more Rhode Island customers are getting into the habit of traveling to a nearby shop over the border, and the more they are building relationships with those companies. And with cannabis so readily available, whether on the black market or readily in neighboring states, Rhode Island must address all of the societal ills, but we will lack the regulatory framework and revenue stream. This legislation is therefore urgently needed.”

Under S.B. 568, cannabis use would be prohibited in public places and unsealed containers would be prohibited from the passenger areas of a motor vehicle.

The legislation aims to create a five-member Cannabis Control Commission to oversee a competitive and accessible licensing structure that Miller said would prevent monopolization of the new market by limiting business entities to one license. The licensing structure would generate tax revenue through a 7% sales tax, a 10% cannabis excise tax and a 3% local sales tax, which would return to municipalities where the point of sale occurred.

In addition, every community would be eligible for at least three retail licenses, but any municipality can opt out if it chooses. Communities can also pass local ordinances to regulate the time, place and manner of cannabis operators, however they cannot impose any additional fees or contingencies.

And on the social equity front, the legislation would create a fund to provide technical and grant assistance to qualified individuals who have been directly and indirectly impacted by prohibition. One-third of the licenses would be reserved for individuals from impacted communities.

“In the development of this bill, we wanted to ensure as many Rhode Islanders as possible have an opportunity to participate in this new economy,” Miller said. “That is why we set low barriers to entry with accessible tiered licensing fees.”

Licensing fees from the 11-tier system range from as low as $100 for up to 1,000 square feet of outdoor grows, to $5,000 for manufacturing and testing entities, and up to $20,000 for the largest cultivators and retailers.

While the bill passed by a 76% majority in the Senate, it competes with two other legalization measures: Gov. Dan McKee introduced a proposal in March that includes a three-year initiative to roll out retail licenses; and House Bill 6370 was introduced by Democratic Rep. Scott Slater on May 28.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Rhode Island state Sen. Samuel Bell discusses adult-use cannabis legalization June 22. 

With the Senate-approved bill getting introduced in March, the upper chamber had the opportunity to make some really important improvements to it, Democratic Sen. Samuel Bell said Tuesday on the floor.

“That being said, I do think there are a couple things that the House bill does right that we might be able to modify,” he said. “I think we should make expungement automatic, and I think the tiering structure here is set up in such a way that it allows certain larger cultivators to potentially dominate the market. It’s something that I hope we can tweak. With that being said, I think it’s a really excellent piece of legislation.”

Republican state Sen. Gordon Rogers, who voted against the bill, said the legislation has two shortfalls. First, Rogers said the 3% local sales tax that will be returned to municipalities only takes dispensaries into account and not cultivators. In turn, cultivation-dominant communities absent of retail will be left out, he said.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Rhode Island state Sen. Gordon Rogers discusses adult-use cannabis legalization June 22.

Second, Rogers said he’s in favor of a central distribution facility that would act as a middleman between cultivators and dispensaries.

“Let’s say something happens with a fungus or something; it’s growing, it’s a public health issue, you have a central place to find out where it’s coming,” he said. “If it’s coming from growers shooting off the dispensaries, it’s kind of erratic. But if you have a central distribution hub where this can be followed, [there is] control and testing.”

Miller said authors of the bill considered such a distribution center but decided not to go with that concept because of what they observed at operations of retailers in Massachusetts.

“Some of them actually only use maybe one or two cultivators,” Miller said. “And so, the central distribution would just be another security component that would be a burden both to the cultivator and the security, and the tagging and the tracking that you want to go through with the marijuana.”

S.B. 568 will now go to the House for consideration, although only a week remains before the Legislature adjourns June 30. Earlier this month, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi told WPRI-TV that the lower chamber would focus on passing a budget first and possibly push back adult-use cannabis legislation to a special session later this year.

But the Senate’s approval of S.B. 568 on Tuesday is just another example of the momentum behind the nationwide movement to end prohibition, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a statement.

“The American people are sick and tired of our failed prohibitionist policies and finally their elected officials are enacting the will of their constituents,” he said. “We call upon the Rhode Island General Assembly to follow the Senate’s lead and quickly approve this bill.”

Filed Under: Cannabis News

Columbia Care Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Medicine Man, Vertically Integrated Operator in Denver Metro Area

June 23, 2021 by CBD OIL

It’s been a busy year for federal cannabis legislation. Will all the activity lead to legalization – or even incremental progress on changing federal law? 

Federal cannabis reform hasn’t passed into law, but it’s not for lack of trying. In 2021 alone, several high-profile cannabis bills have been proposed in both chambers of Congress, while others have been promised later this year.

Moving into the second half of 2021, let’s examine the most prominent federal cannabis bills, assess their current status, and with the help of industry experts, make some predictions about the future.

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act

Introduced in the House by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) & other Democratic representatives

May 2021

The current flagship legislation for comprehensive cannabis legalization, the MORE Act was first introduced in the summer of 2019. It passed a full floor vote in December 2020, making history as the first bill to explicitly legalize cannabis to pass in Congress.

Since the bill’s inception, however, momentum has been slowed by a lack of bipartisan support – particularly related to the bill’s strong social equity provisions, which would devote federal grants to help communities hurt most by the War on Drugs. 

“In order to pass the Senate, you’re going to need to get 10 Republicans on board with a descheduling bill without alienating Democrats, and I think that can be pretty tricky,” said Morgan Fox, Director of Media Relations for the National Cannabis Industry Association in a phone interview. “Particularly since in the GOP, the main sticking point tends to be social equity.”

Last month, Rep. Nadler reintroduced the MORE Act, highlighting advancements in state-level cannabis reform in an accompanying statement: “Since I introduced the MORE Act last Congress, numerous states across the nation, including my home state of New York, have moved to legalize marijuana. Our federal laws must keep up with this pace,” said Nadler, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee.

The Common Sense Cannabis Reform for Veterans, Small Businesses, and Medical Professionals Act

Introduced in the House by Reps. David Joyce (R-OH) and Don Young (R-AK)

May 2021

Perhaps recognizing the desire among their Republican party for simple legalization without any social justice provisions, two GOP representatives introduced a bill that would remove cannabis from the DEA’s Controlled Substances schedule, provide protection for cannabis-related financial services companies, and offer blanket protection for veterans to use medical cannabis in accordance with state laws. 

Reps. Joyce and Young, who are members of the bipartisan Congressional Cannabis Caucus, may have introduced the bill as an opening for House Republicans to support plain legalization without attaching their vote to the kind of progressive reform measures included in other legislation.

“One of the reasons the Joyce bill was introduced in the House was to see which Republicans are completely against legalization and which ones are okay with a simple, straightforward bill that only deschedules and doesn’t include any social justice or restorative issues,” said Fox.

Untitled Comprehensive Cannabis Reform

Upcoming in Senate by Senators Cory Booker (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

(Announced) February 2021

This piece of federal cannabis legislation is distinct from others in one important way: No one has seen it. From what the Senators have been saying about it for several months, the legislative package will focus on legalizing cannabis reform, while also striving to “right the wrongs of this failed war [on drugs] and end decades of harm inflicted on communities of color,” and “enact measures that will lift up people who were unfairly targeted in the War on Drugs.” Its promised social justice and equity measures have made it highly anticipated by the industry, but details are scant.

“Nobody to my knowledge outside of their offices has gotten a look at the actual language yet,” said Fox. “So far we’ve been hearing it’s going to be pretty heavy on restorative justice and social equity provisions…but again, we don’t know exactly what that looks like. So I think it’s going to be pretty important, once we see the details, to do a line-by-line with the MORE Act and see how they compare and contrast.”

Dasheeda Dawson, Cannabis Program Manager for the City of Portland and Chair of Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition (CRCC), said it’s fair to expect the Senate legalization package to go even further than the MORE Act when it comes to restorative justice, given the history of the Senators involved.

“We expect MORE will be the baseline for the Schumer, Booker & Wyden efforts in the Senate,” said Dawson in an email to Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “Much of the foundation of the MORE Act was built on Booker’s Marijuana Justice Act of 2017. If anything, because of the additional time and New York’s landmark legalization bill, I believe the Senate bill will be a slight step above the MORE Act as it pertains to restorative justice and equity.”  

The Secure and Fair Enforcement in (SAFE) Banking Act

Introduced in the House by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO)

March 2021 – passed April 2021 

The SAFE Banking Act is a more incremental reform step that would allow cannabis businesses access to the same kind of banking products available for other businesses, including credit and insurance. It also provides legal protection for ancillary businesses that provide service to the cannabis industry, such as contractors and packaging companies.

The bill has now passed a full floor vote in the House twice: once in September 2019, and once this past April, after its most recent introduction by Rep. Perlmutter. Now that even more Americans support full cannabis legalization, some in the industry hope the time is finally right to at least allow cannabis companies access to relatively basic business tools.

“SAFE Banking enjoys the support of the banking industry and many Republicans, so it could be seen as a fallback option should comprehensive legalization ultimately fail,” said Kris Krane, Founder of 4Front Ventures and President of Mission Dispensaries. 

But others believe that incremental progress could actually represent a step backwards for cannabis equity.

“On surface the SAFE Banking Act is a helpful band-aid for those already privileged to be participants in this developing industry,” said Dawson. “Passage of SAFE would be an incremental step that actually would further the gap in equity for this industry, even if it temporarily relieves small cannabis business[es] from the oppression of cash-only business management. There’s also risk that it will encourage much bigger industry players, like Amazon, to begin their money moves to position themselves for future domination.” 

In an early June blog post, Amazon announced it would no longer screen prospective hires for cannabis and its policy team would be “actively supporting” the MORE Act.

For now, the SAFE Banking Act awaits a hearing in the Senate after passing a floor vote in the House – just like the MORE Act.

The Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act

Introduced in the Senate by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

May 2021

Like the SAFE Banking Act, the Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act is a more incremental cannabis bill that would confirm the legal status of cannabidiol (CBD) and other hemp-derived supplements in foods and beverages. The bill is a companion to the Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2021, which was introduced in the House in February.

The Hemp Access act is designed to help bring clarity to a lucrative yet confusing industry: hemp and CBD. Right now, these products are sold in a gray area, since they’re not technically approved under federal law. Under the Farm Bill of 2018, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was supposed to create guidelines to regulate this prominent sector of the cannabis industry. To date, however, not much progress has been made outside of a few statements and official updates.

“The Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act is a bill that only exists because the FDA has not done its job of regulating hemp-derived cannabinoids as an ingredient,” said Dawson. “I suspect this bill will be supported because it essentially compels the FDA to treat hemp-derived CBD specifically like a dietary supplement.”

“Theoretically it could move pretty easily, since it’s pretty narrowly-focused and is mandating something the FDA promised to do anyway and just hasn’t gotten around to yet,” added Fox when asked about the prospects of the bill in the Senate.

Despite all this activity, industry insiders are still pessimistic about federal cannabis legislation – particularly on a comprehensive scale.

“I think there’s definitely a chance of something passing this year but I don’t necessarily think that it’s going to be a comprehensive descheduling bill,” predicted Fox. 

“At this point, we don’t expect federal legalization to happen this year,” said Dawson. “There is still too large of a gap in cannabis competency at the federal level, across legislators and would-be regulators.”

 

Filed Under: Cannabis News

Rhode Island Senate Waits a Decade, Approves Adult-Use Cannabis Bill in 15 Minutes

June 23, 2021 by CBD OIL

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Rhode Island state Sen. Joshua Miller discusses adult-use cannabis legalization June 22. 

More than a decade ago, Rhode Island state Sen. Joshua Miller chaired a commission that examined cannabis prohibition and the effects of what he called a failed policy.

That was in 2010. When Miller finally had the opportunity to introduce an adult-use cannabis bill Tuesday evening on the Senate floor, the upper chamber spent all of 15 minutes discussing the legislation before approving it in a 29-9 vote.

Sponsored by Miller and nine of his Democratic colleagues, Senate Bill 568 would allow adults 21 years and older to possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis or 5 grams of concentrate and grow up to six plants for personal use. The measure would also expedite the expungement process for those with misdemeanor cannabis records.

“It is a historic day, as it is the first time a bill to legalize and regulate cannabis has reached the floor of either legislative chamber in Rhode Island,” Miller said. “We have arrived at this point about 10 years later than I would have liked, and it is important that we act expeditiously to enact a regulatory framework.”

Miller pointed out that neighboring Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed adult-use cannabis legislation earlier that day. And neighboring Massachusetts opened up shop for adult-use retail in 2018.

And with Vermont and New York’s legislatures legalizing cannabis in 2018 and 2021, respectively, Rhode Island and New Hampshire are the only two states remaining in New England where prohibition remains intact.

“The longer we wait, the more we put Rhode Island’s eventual cannabis retailers at a disadvantage,” Miller said. “The longer we wait, the more Rhode Island customers are getting into the habit of traveling to a nearby shop over the border, and the more they are building relationships with those companies. And with cannabis so readily available, whether on the black market or readily in neighboring states, Rhode Island must address all of the societal ills, but we will lack the regulatory framework and revenue stream. This legislation is therefore urgently needed.”

Under S.B. 568, cannabis use would be prohibited in public places and unsealed containers would be prohibited from the passenger areas of a motor vehicle.

The legislation aims to create a five-member Cannabis Control Commission to oversee a competitive and accessible licensing structure that Miller said would prevent monopolization of the new market by limiting business entities to one license. The licensing structure would generate tax revenue through a 7% sales tax, a 10% cannabis excise tax and a 3% local sales tax, which would return to municipalities where the point of sale occurred.

In addition, every community would be eligible for at least three retail licenses, but any municipality can opt out if it chooses. Communities can also pass local ordinances to regulate the time, place and manner of cannabis operators, however they cannot impose any additional fees or contingencies.

And on the social equity front, the legislation would create a fund to provide technical and grant assistance to qualified individuals who have been directly and indirectly impacted by prohibition. One-third of the licenses would be reserved for individuals from impacted communities.

“In the development of this bill, we wanted to ensure as many Rhode Islanders as possible have an opportunity to participate in this new economy,” Miller said. “That is why we set low barriers to entry with accessible tiered licensing fees.”

Licensing fees from the 11-tier system range from as low as $100 for up to 1,000 square feet of outdoor grows, to $5,000 for manufacturing and testing entities, and up to $20,000 for the largest cultivators and retailers.

While the bill passed by a 76% majority in the Senate, it competes with two other legalization measures: Gov. Dan McKee introduced a proposal in March that includes a three-year initiative to roll out retail licenses; and House Bill 6370 was introduced by Democratic Rep. Scott Slater on May 28.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Rhode Island state Sen. Samuel Bell discusses adult-use cannabis legalization June 22. 

With the Senate-approved bill getting introduced in March, the upper chamber had the opportunity to make some really important improvements to it, Democratic Sen. Samuel Bell said Tuesday on the floor.

“That being said, I do think there are a couple things that the House bill does right that we might be able to modify,” he said. “I think we should make expungement automatic, and I think the tiering structure here is set up in such a way that it allows certain larger cultivators to potentially dominate the market. It’s something that I hope we can tweak. With that being said, I think it’s a really excellent piece of legislation.”

Republican state Sen. Gordon Rogers, who voted against the bill, said the legislation has two shortfalls. First, Rogers said the 3% local sales tax that will be returned to municipalities only takes dispensaries into account and not cultivators. In turn, cultivation-dominant communities absent of retail will be left out, he said.

Rhode Island Capitol TV | ritv.devosvideo.com

Rhode Island state Sen. Gordon Rogers discusses adult-use cannabis legalization June 22.

Second, Rogers said he’s in favor of a central distribution facility that would act as a middleman between cultivators and dispensaries.

“Let’s say something happens with a fungus or something; it’s growing, it’s a public health issue, you have a central place to find out where it’s coming,” he said. “If it’s coming from growers shooting off the dispensaries, it’s kind of erratic. But if you have a central distribution hub where this can be followed, [there is] control and testing.”

Miller said authors of the bill considered such a distribution center but decided not to go with that concept because of what they observed at operations of retailers in Massachusetts.

“Some of them actually only use maybe one or two cultivators,” Miller said. “And so, the central distribution would just be another security component that would be a burden both to the cultivator and the security, and the tagging and the tracking that you want to go through with the marijuana.”

S.B. 568 will now go to the House for consideration, although only a week remains before the Legislature adjourns June 30. Earlier this month, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi told WPRI-TV that the lower chamber would focus on passing a budget first and possibly push back adult-use cannabis legislation to a special session later this year.

But the Senate’s approval of S.B. 568 on Tuesday is just another example of the momentum behind the nationwide movement to end prohibition, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Executive Director Erik Altieri said in a statement.

“The American people are sick and tired of our failed prohibitionist policies and finally their elected officials are enacting the will of their constituents,” he said. “We call upon the Rhode Island General Assembly to follow the Senate’s lead and quickly approve this bill.”

Filed Under: Cannabis News

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