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Showing posts from January, 2024

MedMen Crisis Deepens: Leadership Shakeup as Stock Crashes to Zero

LOS ANGELES – MedMen Enterprises Inc., once considered a cannabis unicorn, may be facing the legendary creature’s fate after a dramatic plunge in valuation and the sudden exit of more key executives.  Chief Executive Officer Ellen Deutsch Harrison stepped down January 19 after less than seven months in the role. Hot on her heels, Executive Chairman Michael Serruya, whose private equity fund invested $100 million in MedMen in 2021, departed January 24. Their exits mark the latest in a series of rapid changes in the company’s executive suite since 2020. Once nicknamed “the Apple Store of weed” and credited with revolutionizing the dispensary experience, fourteen-year-old MedMen’s history is littered with executive turnover , financial missteps , and TMZ-worthy scandals . Co-founder Adam Bierman is among the former executives and investors who have sued the company, alleging fraud, financial mismanagement , and breach of contract, among other things. After Harrison’s and Serruya’s d

Roanoke College announces new Cannabis Studies Program

SALEM, Va. — Roanoke College faculty voted Wednesday to approve the creation of a transdisciplinary Cannabis Studies Program that will allow students to obtain a Bachelor of Science in either the science of cannabis or the social justice and policy issues surrounding cannabis regulation. In launching this new academic program, Roanoke College will become the first institution of higher learning in Virginia – and one of only a handful on the East Coast – to offer a four-year degree in this rapidly growing field, positioning graduates for career success in an industry that is expected to reach at least $40 billion this year. “I commend the faculty for developing a transdisciplinary academic program that fills a significant educational gap,” said Kathy Wolfe, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College. “With this program, Roanoke College continues to lead in science, policy, business and community engagement.” Roanoke College aims to guide the commonwealth to improve

Bright Green Corporation to acquire platform technologies from C2 Wellness Corp.

GRANTS, New Mexico  – Bright Green Corporation (NASDAQ: BGXX) today announced the agreement to purchase assets from C2 Wellness Corporation, a Wyoming registered company with an address at 30 N Gould St, Ste R, Sheridan, WY, that owns certain platform technologies and associated intellectual property invented and developed by the scientific team of C2. The purchase is for 5 million shares of common stock of Bright Green Corporation payable to all shareholders of C2. The implementation of the transaction has been approved by the board of both companies. The primary assets relate to: Novel cannabinoid molecules and their associated intellectual property. Novel cannabinoid prodrugs, and their associated intellectual property. Novel proprietary cannabinoid formulations, designed to target lymphatic delivery, and their associated intellectual property. Novel proprietary nano-encapsulated cannabinoid formulations, in self dissolving polymers, and their associated intellectual property

Trulieve Employees Unionize in First-Ever Election for AZ Cannabis Agriculture Workers

PHOENIX – On Thursday, January 25, workers at the Trulieve Cannabis Corp central Phoenix production facility voted 37-4 in favor of unionizing with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 99. The successful union election at Trulieve Magnolia is the first for Arizona agricultural workers in the cannabis industry, and only the second-ever union election to be administered by the Arizona Agricultural Labor Relations Board (AERB). Established in 1993, the AERB’s statutes are patterned after the National Labor Relations Act, which specifically excludes agricultural workers from its jurisdiction. The last and only time workers petitioned for union recognition through the board was in the year 2000 when workers at the Eurofresh tomato hothouse in Willcox voted to join UFCW Local 99. Employees at the facility who were eligible to participate in Thursday’s vote included those in certain job classifications within the Cultivation and Post-Harvest departments. Followin

Neatleaf Secures $4m in Funding Led by AgFunder

SANTA CRUZ, Calif.  — Neatleaf™, a first-of-its-kind cultivation management platform that uses data, AI, and robotics to help the cultivation industry manage their crops and improve their yields, has secured $4 million led by AgFunder, one of the world’s most active foodtech and agtech investors. The company’s flagship product, the Neatleaf Spyder, is a fully autonomous robotic platform that scans indoor cultivation crops generating millions of data points on plant health and growth metrics. This data is analyzed and turned into actionable insights for the cultivation team to assess, monitor, and remedy. “We believe that data is one of the most crucial tools a farmer can have today,” said Neatleaf Founder and CEO Elmar Mair. “Our AI-driven technology will save growers time and money but more importantly, allows them to grow healthier, more profitable crops through daily management and forecasting tools. This funding will allow us to increase production and deliver the benefits of auto

240 Logistics Launches FlyWheel Platform

CHICAGO  — 240 Logistics (240L) has launched a groundbreaking technology solution for cannabis retailers that will synchronize the supply chain from seed to sale using data to streamline inventory management, improve sell-through rates, and optimize auto-replenishment. FlyWheel™ uses real-time insights to help retailers make informed decisions, improve cash flow, reduce the 280e tax burden, and mitigate the risk of slow-moving stock tying up valuable resources, all while integrating with state-specific compliance systems. As cannabis legalization expands across the U.S. and rescheduling discussions heat up, 240L is aggressively rolling out the platform to help brands position themselves in the growing market. The technology is currently available in California, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Michigan, Minnesota and Oregon. 240L will host an educational webinar and demonstration of FlyWheel on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 4:00pmEST. Interested participants

High Tide Founder and CEO Raj Grover Makes Grow Up’s 2024 Top 50 Cannabis Leaders in Canada List

CALGARY, AB  – High Tide Inc. (NASDAQ: HITI) (TSXV: HITI) (FSE: 2LYA) is pleased to announce that its Founder and CEO, Raj Grover, has made Grow Up’s 2024 Top 50 Cannabis Leaders in Canada list. The list, which was selected by Grow Up’s industry advisory committee, recognizes influential leaders in the cannabis industry who are trailblazers in the growth, development and innovation of the cannabis industry, and celebrates their dedication to elevate the industry. The full list is available at  Grow Up Top 50 . “I am honoured to be included in this list. This would not have been possible without the continuous hard work and dedication of the High Tide team. Our innovative mindset has resulted in our ability to achieve significant milestones in the five years since Canadian legalisation, despite broader industry challenges that have seen some of our peers fall by the wayside. Our success is also due to the loyalty and commitment of our customers, that continue to support our business in

Measuring Light in the Garden

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Nearly all life on Earth requires light to survive, and cannabis is no exception. While cultivators can certainly grow a plant with any common light source, cannabis plants will only thrive under specific spectrums and wavelengths that need to change depending on the stage of growth. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to manage light for optimal plant health and a robust harvest. What is light and how do plants use it? Light is a form of energy that produces different wavelengths based on the activity levels of particles emitted from the light source. This energy is defined by photons moving at different speeds, which produce varying wavelengths that appear as different colors to the human eye. When we see all the colors together, we see a white light that can vary from a red to a blue hue. Plants have specialized pigments within cells to capture light that’s used to create chemical energy to help generate glucose, which is one of the key ingredients for new plant growth. They primar

Indiva Announces Private Placement Under the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption up to $4,000,000

LONDON, Ontario — Indiva Limited (TSXV:NDVA), a Canadian producer of cannabis edibles, is pleased to announce a private placement offering pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption of a minimum of 20,000,000 units of the Company and a maximum of 40,000,000 Units, for minimum gross proceeds of $2,000,000 and maximum gross proceeds of $4,000,000. Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company and one-half Common Share purchase warrant. Each Warrant is exercisable into one Common Share at a price of $0.15 per Common Share for a period of 36 months from the date of issuance. The Warrants will be governed by the terms and conditions set forth in the certificates representing the Warrants. The Company shall be entitled to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants to a period of thirty days if, for any ten consecutive trading days, the volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange equals or exceeds $0.30. If an Acceler

Organigram Shareholders Approve C$124.6 Million Investment from BAT, Appoint Karina Gehring to Board of Directors

TORONTO — At Organigram Holdings Inc.’s annual general and special meeting held on January 18, 2024, an ordinary resolution approving the previously announced C$124.6 million follow-on strategic equity investment by the Investor in the Company, was approved by the affirmative vote of 96.169% of the votes represented at the Meeting (or 86.926% of the voted represented at the Meeting excluding the votes attached to the common shares held by the Investor in accordance with Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions and the rules of the Toronto Stock Exchange). Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the other conditions to closing contained in the subscription agreement with the Investor dated November 5, 2023, as amended on December 20, 2023, the closing of the first tranche of the Investment is expected to close on or around January 23, 2024. In addition, a special resolution approving the amendment of the Company’s articles to c

Flora Is for Locals, by Locals

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After a decade of finding their feet amidst intense brand competition and strict regulatory oversight, Michigan’s dispensaries are beginning to see a return to the familiar: forging wellness-centric community connections that center on the plant and its benefits. During the legal market’s infancy, some opportunistic brands prioritized revenue at the expense of developing community, but today’s licensed operators are more in tune with the movement’s origins and are focused on building hyper-local relationships. Flora is among the leaders in the effort. With a choose-your-own-adventure retail journey gently guided by budtenders the store calls “florists,” a next-door coffee shop and cafe that inspires visitors to stay for a while, and neighborhood input through every step of the design and development process, Flora considers itself a dispensary for the people of East Lansing by the people of East Lansing. It’s a place where seasoned consumers and first-timers come together to explore

Illicit Sales Outpace Legal Market by More than 3 to 1

WASHINGTON – Illicit cannabis sales exceeded $74 billion in 2022, outpacing the country’s legal sales of $28 billion by a staggering 164 percent according to New Frontier Data ’s latest report about cannabis consumers in America. The stark gap presents clear opportunities for legal operators who can appeal to the frequent consumers who’ve become dependent on unregulated channels and the millions of adults who’ve shown an interest in cannabis but remain hesitant to try it. To understand the underlying issues driving the industry’s multi-billion-dollar problem, New Frontier Data surveyed more than 5,500 U.S. adults across all market types. The demographically representative sample was surveyed during Q1 2023 and includes consumers who rely on a broad range of sources to procure cannabis. U.S. cannabis consumer in a snapshot Approximately 42 percent of U.S. consumers source cannabis from state-regulated markets. Thirty-four percent live in adult-use markets. Eight percent are regis

Weed Measurements and Prices Updated for 2024

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Walking into a cannabis dispensary for the first time can be pretty intimidating, especially if you’re unfamiliar with all of the industry terms. From trying to figure out why the person at the front desk took your driver’s license to racking your brain for unfamiliar terms like “eighth” or “zip,” that initial trip can be an overwhelming whirlwind, which is why this article should be your real first stop as a new cannabis consumer. Consider this your cheat sheet when it comes to understanding cannabis retail . We’ll teach you about the quirky colloquialisms and show you how they’re still alive and utilized by budtenders making recommendations today, all so you can understand how to successfully order yourself some dank weed in 2024.  Measuring weed Weighing weed is a bit of a mixed bag—unless you’re equally fluent in both the largely universal metric system and the imperial approach used in the United States. While the world debates the values and benefits of using imperial versu

StickIt Technologies Engages CHF Capital Markets and ITG Independent Trading Group

TEL AVIV  — StickIt Technologies Inc. (CSE: STKT), the parent company of StickIt Technologies Inc., an Israeli technology and cannabinoid company, is pleased to announce that it has retained CHF Capital Markets Inc.  and an Independent Trading Group effective immediately. The CHF services agreement for investment community outreach, corporate communications, and digital marketing is for a 12-month period with quarterly reviews and may be subject to termination with two months’ notice. Under the terms of the agreement, which is subject to the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) approval, CHF will receive a monthly retainer, reimbursement of any expenses incurred, and an incentive stock option to be made available with terms (length and vesting periods) similar to those of Directors and Insiders. Upon termination of this contract, the options will expire in 30 days. ITG will trade shares of the Company on the CSE/ NEO/ TSXV and all other trading venues with the objective of maintaining