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California Cannabis Companies Fear Industry Will Collapse, New Rules in Oregon Will Allow Higher Purchase Limits, Montana Sees the First of its Legal Cannabis Sales

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CA cannabis companies fear industry will collapse

CA Cannabis Company Leaders Warn Governor Newsom the Industry is “On the Verge of Collapse”

California passed recreational legalization four years ago, but leaders in the industry fear that “excessive taxation” has placed the current system in jeopardy and put business owners in a  position to fail.

On Friday, over two dozen executives from leading cannabis companies in the state sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom. The letter, which was also sent to various leaders of the legislature in Sacramento, asks for the cultivation tax placed on growers to be lifted. The executives also requested a three-year break from the current excise tax and an expansion of retail dispensaries throughout the state. 

A spokesperson for the governor, Erin Mellon, said in a statement that Newsom supports tax reform for the legal cannabis industry and understands that there is a need for change. 

Oregon’s Legal Cannabis Industry Sees Some Changes 

The legal marijuana industry in Oregon will see some significant changes this year. Officials said that these adjustments are to put Oregon in better alignment with other states that have regulated legal cannabis industries. The changes will also place Oregon in a better position to export marijuana, should the plant be legalized nationally. 

The new rules include doubling the limit on how much cannabis consumers can purchase, as well as permitting home delivery across city and county lines. The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission also approved a regulation that will help make sure that hemp products with larger amounts of THC aren’t able to be sold alongside general market products to prevent children from accessing them. 

The New Year Brings Newly Legal Cannabis Sales to Montana

In November 2021, Montanans passed an initiative to legalize recreational cannabis. Beginning January 1st, adults 21 and older in the state can purchase up to an ounce of legal cannabis per day. 

But you cannot purchase legal cannabis everywhere in Montana. Counties where the majority of voters supported adult-use cannabis will automatically be allowed to start their legal sales as of the first of this year. However, counties that did not support the initiative will need to hold an additional vote to “opt-in” to the program. The “green” counties that support cannabis sales are 28 out of Montana’s 56 total counties, and they account for about 80% of the state’s population.

The post California Cannabis Companies Fear Industry Will Collapse, New Rules in Oregon Will Allow Higher Purchase Limits, Montana Sees the First of its Legal Cannabis Sales first appeared on The Marijuana Times.


California Cannabis Companies Fear Industry Will Collapse, New Rules in Oregon Will Allow Higher Purchase Limits, Montana Sees the First of its Legal Cannabis Sales
Source: Marijuana Times

Urban Pharm: Where the Fun Times Roll

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Urban Pharm – San Francisco, CA

Entering Urban Pharm feels like hopping into a steampunk time machine; edgy design can be seen in wall detail metalwork, hearkening to a fantastical era. This time portal re-envisioned Urban Pharm into a recreational cannabis store, as well as one of the longest-running San Francisco torch clubs. I browsed high-quality product, then took a moment to check out a bong and test some oil on an e-nail. “We want this to be a safe place for you to purchase and consume your cannabis,” says manager and marketing specialist Andrew Garcia. It’s a well-stocked inner-city cannabis club with a welcoming vibe. One could be in-and-out or stay a while. They host events like Comedy Night Thursdays and Ladies Night Fridays — the latter of which offers dollar dabs for all!

Urban Pharm - San Francisco, CA

The People

Walking into their lounge in the morning, I overheard fresh ideas brewing. Urban Pharm is a therapeutic hub for artists, startup employees, construction workers and law figures, to name a few. Consultants are attentive. They only recommend products they would consume themselves or recommend to a loved one.“We try to keep the vibe in here like ‘Cheers,’ where everyone knows your name, but if we don’t, we’ll make you feel like we do,”declares Garcia. He invited me to visit Thursday’s comedy night, where I watched the pressure of a mellow crowd cook some entertainers, while others were stand-up professionals. The activity encouraged people to get to know one another and customers at the counter to stay a little longer.

Urban Pharm - San Francisco, CA

The Product

Urban Pharm carries strains appealing to connoisseurs, but people who prefer reliable, popular growers like Northern Emeralds and FloraCal can find their go-to brands here as well. Their house grower, North Country Farms, grew Wedding Cake, a strain testing in at an extremely high 38 percent THC! It sold out within a couple days. The club is focused on terpenes and offers an outstanding concentrate selection. There is something for everyone at Urban Pharm, from encouraging self-care to caring for beloved pets.

Urban Pharm - San Francisco, CA

“We try to keep the vibe in here like ‘Cheers,’ where everyone knows your name, but if we don’t, we’ll make you feel like we do.” – Andrew Garcia, Urban Pharm manager and marketing specialist

 

The post Urban Pharm: Where the Fun Times Roll appeared first on DOPE Magazine.


Urban Pharm: Where the Fun Times Roll
Source: Dope Magazine

California Highway Patrol Arrests Licensed Cannabis Delivery Drivers

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While one of the goals of legalizing cannabis is to drastically reduce the number of people arrested for possession of the plant, it unfortunately can’t put an end to all arrests. Though there are still crimes related to marijuana, especially illegal sales and transportation, not all arrests fall into perfect black and white categories, as is the case with two former California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers who were arrested after a traffic stop by current CHP.

“It appears the CHP will stop at nothing to disrupt the lawful and legal transport of items involved in the medicinal cannabis industry,” Barry and Clemann said in a press release.

Rich Barry and Brian Clemann – the former CHP officers – now own Wild Rivers Transport, which is a licensed cannabis transport business. At the time of the arrest they weren’t transporting cannabis, but were simply collecting a payment for cannabis oil when they were stopped. A police canine detected cannabis and the vehicle was searched.  

After identifying themselves as prior CHP officers the pair found themselves being arrested for suspicion of illegal possession of concealed firearms and possession of more than $100,000 derived from the unlawful sale, possession for sale, transportation or manufacturing of a controlled substance.

CHP spokeswoman Jaime Coffee said in an email interview that “in order to legally transport cannabis in California for commercial purposes, a person must possess the appropriate (Bureau of Cannabis Control) license and comply with the BCC administrative regulations.”

What this means is that Barry and Clemann did nothing illegal, since they are a licensed distribution business and they have said that they carried their license from the Bureau of Cannabis Control.

This arrest appears to have no basis. The only issue appears to stem from the fact that the CHP officers seem to have mistaken their identification as “prior” officers and instead heard “retired” officers, according to a press release where they were accused of calling themselves retired police officers. However, even at that, the arrests are for cannabis-related crimes that they were not even committing as they are a licensed business.

Kumin, the attorney representing Barry and Clemann, said in an email interview that “the fundamental issue here is whether the CHP is going to follow the will of the voters of California and the Legislature and stop cooperating with federal authorities in the ongoing federally instigated war on cannabis.”

The pair are suing the California Highway Patrol in San Francisco Superior Court, where they are hoping for a ruling that directs state and local governments not to interfere with the legal distribution of marijuana.


California Highway Patrol Arrests Licensed Cannabis Delivery Drivers
Source: Marijuana Times

Wubba Sauce: Raw Garden’s Clean Green Concentrate

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Wubba Sauce by Raw Garden

Raw Garden’s Wubba Sauce concentrate develops great flavors over the course of a few dabs. I tasted hints of lime, then lemon; it became so aromatic and sweet, I even encountered moments of honey and lavender. It’s incredibly clean, and I enjoyed dabbing it tremendously. With a subtle but strong onset, Wubba Sauce is a graceful, smooth high with a lovely essence. This strain will not immobilize you as much as you might think an indica hybrid could — it’s friendlier and more inspiring. The sauce is made using Raw Garden’s single-source, Clean Green Certified, fresh-frozen, whole-plant flowers — and you can tell. It’s a quality concentrate that doesn’t disappoint.

Wubba Sauce by Raw Garden

Available At…

  1. ATRIUM: 5441 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91367
  2. The Reefinery: 14901 Oxnard St., Van Nuys, CA 91411
  3. One Love Beach Club: 2767 E Broadway., Long Beach, CA 90803

The post Wubba Sauce: Raw Garden’s Clean Green Concentrate appeared first on DOPE Magazine.


Wubba Sauce: Raw Garden’s Clean Green Concentrate
Source: Dope Magazine

Northern Berry: Relaxing, Hashy Blueberry Favorite

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Northern Berry by Full Moon Farms

A visit to Full Moon Farms during fall harvest led to a discovery: Northern Berry is the farm’s house favorite flower, a union of two famous indica strains, Blueberry and Northern Lights #5. This sustainably sun-grown flower’s purple hues indicate its relaxing effects and echo its enticing aroma: the essence of fresh, sweet blueberries grounded by undertones of earthy hash spice. The top terpene in blueberry, caryophyllene, mainly found in sativa strains, may balance some users. Furthermore, Northern Berry is sticky and full of resin — great for pressing fruity rosin. Sharing a joint of this berry delicious indica power plant relaxed muscles after a long drive, and the resultant munchies led us to devour a healthy meal.

Northern Berry by Full Moon Farms

Available At…

  1. The Humboldt County Collective: 1670 Myrtle Ave., Eureka, CA 95501
  2. RCP Sacramento: 1508 El Camino Ave., Sacramento, CA 95815
  3. Up North Distribution: 5550 W End Rd., Arcata, CA 95521

 

The post Northern Berry: Relaxing, Hashy Blueberry Favorite appeared first on DOPE Magazine.


Northern Berry: Relaxing, Hashy Blueberry Favorite
Source: Dope Magazine

A Look Back at One Year of Adult Use Marijuana Sales in California

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For obvious reasons, the cannabis industry in California gets a lot of coverage, both from the “cannabis media” and from more mainstream outlets. As many know, the consumer market in California is huge; by itself, California boasts one of the largest economies in the world. Comprising about 12% of the entire country’s population, California holds 10 million+ more people than live in Texas and its population is roughly the same as those of Florida and New York combined. In other words, it’s big and there are a lot of people there.

In November of 2016 – after 20 years of medical marijuana – voters in CA approved recreational marijuana legalization, with sales beginning in January of 2018. We covered much of the journey of the last year here at The Marijuana Times, from the good news to the most ridiculous. High taxes and restrictive regulations kept a lid on explosive growth, forcing many smaller competitors out of business before they really got started.

Some of the problems were anticipated by activists in the state. “[T]hese problems were foreseeable from the outset, from the time the legislature passed the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (2015), the template on which the current regulations are based,” Dale Gieringer, Director of CA NORML, told The Marijuana Times.

“It was inevitable that CA’s culture of backyard ‘mom & pop’ growers would be unable to compete in a legalized market,” Dale said. “It’s not like the parsley, tomatoes, or grapes we buy in the store are produced by small-scale backyard farmers. Modern day agriculture is performed most economically by large agribusiness enterprises.”

This new reality means that the demand served by small growers before legalization will now be met for the most part by large-scale growers. “Sadly, there was no way that all of these legacy growers could be accommodated under legalization. (I say sadly, because many of them were friends and supporters during the 40-year struggle for legalization),” Dale told us.

And while focus is on the adult use industry, Dale also wants lawmakers to keep an eye on improving the newly regulated medical marijuana program in CA. “[I]t’s most important that access for medical patients be protected and expanded, especially since MMJ has proven to be an effective harm reduction substitute for prescription opiates. Existing taxes and regulations have made it harder for needy patients to get affordable access to the medicine they need.” Along these lines, CA NORML would like to see the state protect medical marijuana patient giveaways as well as create employment and prescription drug protections for medical patients in the state.

Overall, Dale thinks the bureau that oversees adult use cannabis in California is doing a good job, considering the restraints it operates under. “Under Lori Ajax’s leadership, the Bureau of Cannabis Control has been very responsive to industry and consumer concerns. We are especially happy that they have ruled that local governments can’t ban licensed deliveries to residents in their jurisdictions. The problem is that there is only so much BCC can do within the straightjacket of existing state laws. For example, there’s nothing BCC can do to spur local governments to license more dispensaries. Nor can they streamline the laws that have chopped up transportation, cultivation, distribution, testing, manufacturing, etc. into so many rigidly discrete categories.”

The potential of the cannabis market in California is massive. Hopefully they are laying the groundwork for an industry that serves consumers with the best products at the lowest prices – something that should be the goal no matter what the industry.


A Look Back at One Year of Adult Use Marijuana Sales in California
Source: Marijuana Times

Project Cannabis: Plugged-In and Paying Homage to SoCal’s Legacy

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Project Cannabis – Los Angeles, CA

Project Cannabis first opened its doors under the name “The Plug LA” within the last year and is still overcoming its standing as the new kid on the cannabis block. Despite its relative newcomer status, it is quickly sprouting a well-deserved reputation for consistent, top-notch quality product and a pleasing customer experience. Executive vice president of operations Cameron Wald is rightfully proud of the success the business has enjoyed “growing in a compliant market,” all the while competing with the illicit competition of bad actors in the industry.

Project Cannabis - Los Angeles, CA

COO Cameron Smith credits the loyal following the dispensary has fostered in part to the Los Angeles aesthetic imbued in every corner of the store. “We want it to be [as] authentic to the Cali ethos as the birthplace of the cannabis movement,” he says. In this vein, the store will pay homage to LA’s rock ‘n’ roll history by featuring the vinyl records of local bands while also highlighting the work of emerging visual artists and spoken word poets.

Project Cannabis - Los Angeles, CA

The Product

Boasting a 36,000-square-foot cultivation facility that produces around 600 pounds of flower a month, the boon of vertical integration is passed on to Project Cannabis’ customers, who enjoy competitive prices on high-grade flower. The shop currently curates its home-grown product under three labels at three different price points: “The Plug” is the best choice for those on a budget and offers a rotation of strains; “The Classix” pays tribute to the ‘90s in packaging designed to look like a mixtape and highlights California staples such as Sour Diesel, Blue Dream and Chem Dawg 4; “Triple 7” is the ultra-premium label recommended for connoisseurs, with a “Sunday Driver” strain that tests at 26 percent THC. They also offer an enticing $99 ounce deal in a variety of strains. Whatever your budget or tolerance, Project Cannabis is holding.

Project Cannabis - Los Angeles, CA

“We want the store to be as authentic to the Cali ethos as the birthplace of the cannabis movement.” – Cameron Smith, Project Cannabis COO

The post Project Cannabis: Plugged-In and Paying Homage to SoCal’s Legacy appeared first on DOPE Magazine.


Project Cannabis: Plugged-In and Paying Homage to SoCal’s Legacy
Source: Dope Magazine

Supernova Women: Bay-Area Women Build Equity for Communities of Color

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When some stars reach the end of their life, they explode. The cosmic event — known as a supernova — emits light so bright that it can outshine entire galaxies. Though it results in the death of the star, it’s a source of enrichment for the universe. Supernova Women, an Oakland-based nonprofit organization, takes their namesake and inspiration from that sprawling surge of energy.

“Essentially, [a] supernova is an explosion of energy that [helps] form other galaxies,” explains Amber E. Senter, co-founder and executive director of the organization. The dynamism of Senter’s organization helps launch other businesses and projects in the Bay Area and beyond. Supernova Women was founded in Oakland in 2015 with the mission to empower and create opportunity for people of color in the cannabis industry nationwide. Its co-founders — Senter, Nina Parks, Sunshine Lencho and Andrea Unsworth — formed the nonprofit while working on their own respective projects in the cannabis industry.

Supernova Women: Bay-Area Women Build Equity for Communities of Color

They’d meet to smoke near Lake Merritt or the Bay to discuss issues in the industry. “The industry was very white,” Senter says, “so we decided to use our knowledge and our talents to help get as many black and brown people involved in the industry as possible.”

Supernova Women aims to lower the barrier of entry into the industry by raising funds and awareness through advocacy, education and networking events. They work with other groups, including the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) and local incubators; the group was one of the first to work with the state and the individual cities of Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles to implement equity programs. Recent efforts include helping delivery businesses added as a type of cannabis license in California.

“ …we decided to use our knowledge and our talents to help get as many black and brown people involved in the industry as possible.” – Amber E. Senter, Supernova Women co-founder and executive director

The organization’s panel discussions feature Bay Area ganjapreneurs such as San Francisco-based attorney Kyndra Miller and Kiki Taylor, who co-owns the iCANN Berkeley dispensary alongside her mother, Sue Taylor. In 2019, Supernova Women plan to focus attention on linking people with capital. “Networking is important because folks need access to capital,” Senter illustrates. “Money is the most important piece of the puzzle — if there’s no money, there’s no business.”

Supernova Women: Bay-Area Women Build Equity for Communities of Color

The post Supernova Women: Bay-Area Women Build Equity for Communities of Color appeared first on DOPE Magazine.


Supernova Women: Bay-Area Women Build Equity for Communities of Color
Source: Dope Magazine