WeedLife News Network

Cannabis sales in Colorado eclipsed a record $2 billion in 2020, state records show.

According to the Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED), adult-use cannabis shops throughout the Centennial State raked in nearly $1.6 billion year-to-date through November.

Meanwhile, medical marijuana dispensaries sold more than $405 million worth of products during the 11-month period.

By comparison, Colorado dispensaries sold a total of $1.7 million worth of cannabis in 2019.

December figures have not been released, however, between January and November, sales of cannabis were up 25% compared to the same 11-month period in 2019.

Contenders span the country, from the Northeast to the Southwest as well as some of America’s more conservative states. 

American cannabis reform momentum could propel several states to pass legislation this year. Last year saw five states pass ballot initiatives, emboldening the belief that more reform efforts are on the horizon this year.

Violet Cavendish, communications manager at the Marijuana Policy Project, said that 2020 was another banner year for the reform movement. She added, “The clean sweep of state-level legalization victories in November reflects that this is a policy that Americans are in favor of, regardless of political affiliation.”

Several states are already lining up to be part of the cannabis reform class of 2021. The possible contenders span the country, from the Northeast to the Southwest as well as some of America’s more conservative states. 

Adult Use Is In Play For Virtually The Entire Northeast And New England

Practically the entire eastern portion of the U.S. is in play this year. Despite its current legislative struggles, numerous sources consider New Jersey’s passed ballot initiative to signal the remaining Northeast holdouts to enact legislation. Even as it is held up by state lawmakers once again, neighboring states seem to see the writing on the wall. 

Clever Leaves

Indiana farmers have enough to worry about with the learning curve associated with growing hemp – and they’ll also need to be wary of dishonest hemp seed vendors too.

But there is an easy way to avoid being conned.

2021 will be the first year hemp is grown in the state as a commercial crop rather than just for research purposes. There’s lots of interest – and where there is interest and money involved, there will also be unscrupulous parties trying to fleece others.

This story is adapted from From Seed to Success: How to Launch a Great Cannabis Cultivation Business in Record Time (2020) by Ryan Douglas

As states report cannabis sales numbers for 2020, record highs continue across the country. It’s become a billion-dollar business for several states, blowing out levels that states had estimated when originally planning legalization.

Billion Dollar Club

Colorado

The Colorado Department of Revenue reported that cannabis sales in the state passed $2 billion in sales from January – November 2020. Plus, December hasn’t even been added to the total sales figures. Despite the pandemic, the state has continued to break records. Steve Lopez, CEO, The Green Solution (Colorado) said, “With over $2 billion in sales from January through November 2020, we’re continuing to see Colorado break sales records through the pandemic. We debuted over 50 self-serve kiosks at our 21 retail locations across the state last year, and credit high sales to the innovation and creativity in our industry, as well as the measures we’ve implemented to prioritize staff and customer safety.”

Massachusetts

Adult-use cannabis retailers in Massachusetts have now tallied more than $1 billion in gross sales, according to information reported in the state’s mandatory seed-to-sale tracking system, the Cannabis Control Commission. At the close of business on October 30,  the aggregate data reported in Metrc by 80 retailers reached $1,000,521,905. What makes this even more impressive is that the state program is basically only two years old.

No one has died from a marijuana overdose and there is no evidence of anything more lasting than embarrassment. That certainly is not the case with alcohol.  

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article solely belong to the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Fresh Toast. 

The pandemic has produced a number of social changes that we hope may last. An online Harris Poll sponsored by marijuana company Curaleaf found that 45% of cannabis consumers age 21 and up have replaced or reduced their alcohol consumption with marijuana since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and one-third of those who use cannabis recreationally prefer cannabis to drinking alcohol. 

Half of the respondents (50%) said they increased their use because cannabis helped them relax, and 48% said they did so to help them sleep. Of those who said they use marijuana recreationally, a third (33%) said that they prefer cannabis over alcohol.

Interestingly, parents are actually turning to cannabis at higher rates than those without children. Think of the children!  

Hemp is one of the most talked about ingredient in the beauty industry. When it comes to skincare the many benefits of hemp or hemp seed oil makes it’s a hero ingredient. It contains a very little cannabinoid, a compound often used for therapeutic purposes and help in soothing the skin and relieving inflammation. Along with essential fatty acids, hemp oil contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids which improves skin’s health. Nowadays the buzzy ingredient is taking over the world of beauty and skincare, from hand cream and facemask to body oil, creams and cleansers, there is an array of hemp-infused products popping up in beauty supply stores everywhere.

Plabita Sharma, Beauty Training Manager, The Body Shop India lists down the top five benefits of hemp induced skincare products:

Good for sensitive to super dry skin: One of the many benefits of hemp induced skincare product is that it has been found to have significant soothing properties. Its substantial skin-soothing and skin-normalizing effects can help minimize issues related to skin sensitivity, dryness including redness and reactivity. Since all skin types are affected daily by environmental stressors, hemp seed oil soothing mechanism can help and keep everyone’s skin in check.

Rich in Antioxidant: Hemp seed oil is a rich source of antioxidant and helps in promoting repair and rejuvenation of skin. It can also protect the skin from environmental damage, such as over-exposure to sunlight which can accelerate premature sign of aging like fine lines, dark spots and more.

Promotes clearer skin: Acne is a most common concern for oily skin however incorporating a skincare product enhanced with hemp oil could mean the difference between pimple-ridden skin and a clearer complexion. Hemp oil is perfect for most skin types as it can moisturize without clogging your pores. It can even help to balance out oily skin, hydrating it and regulating the skin’s oil production. Dryness can also cause your skin to overproduce oil, which in turn, can stimulate acne. Hemp oil can prevent dry skin without clogging pores. This helps reduce acne that’s caused by excess oil.

A bill that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Virginia and set the framework the potential billion-dollar industry got its first hearing before state lawmakers Tuesday morning.

Governor Ralph Northam (D) has publicly backed the effort, which as currently written would allow sales to those 21 and older starting in January 2023.

Although many lawmakers and activists expect the legislation to pass this year, what the regulatory framework looks like will be hotly debated in the weeks to come.

Though SB 1406 is far from a finished product, the measure sponsored by state Senators Louise Lucas, Adam Ebbin, and Joe Morrissey, all Democrats, includes several broad reaching provisions currently:

You can read the full bill as it is currently constructed here.

The amount of liquid marijuana seized in Japan has been surging, putting police and customs authorities on high alert.

The estimated amount of marijuana in liquid form confiscated by Tokyo Customs in 2020 jumped nearly 70 times from the previous year’s level. A customs official described the situation as “an explosive increase.”

The liquid extracted from marijuana plants has a higher content of hallucinogenic tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, than dried cannabis and can be used in a similar way to electronic cigarettes.

“Many users are youngsters,” an official at Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department said. “My impression is that it has been in wider use for the past 10 years or so.”

According to Tokyo Customs, the liquid marijuana seizure amount was roughly 400 grams for the whole of 2019, but it jumped to some 9 kilograms in the first half of 2020 and to 18 kilograms in the following five months through the end of November.

There were big expectations for the cannabis-infused food and beverage space leading up to the start of last year. Venture capital investment was increasing, seasoned executives were jumping into the trendy space and established players pledged to launch products. 

But 2020 was not the breakout year for cannabis that some had anticipated. 

“Our neighboring states have made efforts to address unjust marijuana laws, and it’s time for us to do the same,” said Senator Karen Tallian.

It has been said that Indiana will be one of the last states to legalize marijuana. The state is run by a bunch of holy-rolling Republicans who believe weed is the root of all evil. And they just can’t seem to wrap their heads around marijuana being good for the people and the state’s economy. 

Therefore, as long as the ultra-conservative beast continues to bed down in the Capitol, weed isn’t going to make any headway. However, some state lawmakers plan to hold the anti-pot goons accountable in the next session. They aren’t asking for full-blown legalization — like neighboring Illinois and Michigan — just the elimination of criminal penalties for those caught in possession. 

Indiana Senator Karen Tallian recently introduced legislation aimed at decriminalizing marijuana statewide. The bill, which is similar to others she’s supported over the years, would allow those caught in possession of up to two ounces to be dealt with through a ticket rather than the criminal justice system.

As it stands, Hoosiers caught in possession of any amount of cannabis can be convicted of a misdemeanor, punishable with up to 180 days in jail and fines reaching $1,000. If they have as much weed as Tallian believes should be decriminalized, they can be slapped with a level 6 felony and do as many as two and a half years in jail and pay up to a $10,000 fine. 

An advisory group is recommending new taxes on marijuana sales to raise millions of dollars that would be used to improve diversity and help disadvantaged groups succeed in the industry.

Data collected by the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency in December show that only 3.8% of those with an ownership interest in licensed recreational marijuana businesses in Michigan are Black and only 1.5% are Hispanic or Latino, according to an agency report

The voter-approved Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act of 2018 directed the agency to create a plan to "promote and encourage participation in the marijuana industry by people from communities that have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition and enforcement and to positively impact those communities."

The agency's Racial Equity Advisory Workgroup released its recommendations Tuesday aimed at improving access to capital for Black and brown businesses, along with technical, educational and other forms of assistance. Implementing some recommendations would require action by the Legislature.

The agency "is committed to making Michigan the model agency in the country, including being a leader on diversity, equity and inclusion in the marijuana industry," the report said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, facing a huge budget deficit, rolled out a plan to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use in 2021.

The plan includes using tax revenue to help fill the state's nearly $4 billion budget gap for the next fiscal year. However, the CEO of the National Cannabis Industry Association told FOX Business that it could go up in smoke if taxes are too high.

“We definitely want to make sure that taxes are not so prohibitive that it pushes the market back underground,” Aaron Smith told Kristina Partsinevelos. “I hope that we can come to a place where it’s taxed in a manner that it’s somewhat similar to alcohol.”

Cuomo, during his State of the State last week, said the industry will eventually lead to 60,000 new jobs, $3.5 billion in economic activity, and $300 million in tax revenue.