WeedLife News Network

How the industry's challenges and regulations are really opportunities

Lauren Carpenter has over a decade of experience building prolific teams and leading successful strategy for some of the most diverse business coalitions and campaigns in California, including dozens of Fortune 50 companies.

Before Carpenter co-founded cannabis retailer Embarc, she served as chief strategy officer for Sweet Flower, and director of government affairs for Western states at MedMen. Carpenter brought her extensive cannabis experience in government, regulatory, public and community affairs to Embarc and into her role as CEO. Carpenter has become a trusted advisor to elected officials and continues to work with government agencies throughout the state and across the country to implement thoughtful cannabis regulations within communities to create mutually beneficial operations.

We spoke with Lauren for our Higher Calling series, where we chat with leaders in the cannabis space.

Lauren, tell us...

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I was born in San Francisco and my earliest memories are in the city, but I spent my childhood beginning at about 5 years old in Sacramento. Like many 18-year-olds, I left for college swearing I'd never return to my hometown. Fast forward and I'm back in Sacramento, as my pre-cannabis career was in public affairs on legislative issues, and living here now allows me to travel to any of our stores and be home in time to sleep in my own bed that night.

Scottish CBD health and wellness business Voyager has launched a bespoke skincare division as it looks to tap into a fast-growing market.

Perth-headquartered Voyager has a growing range of CBD and hemp seed oil products.

A new report sheds some light on cannabis sales. While flower remains the top product being sold, other products are creeping in.

As marijuana becomes more popular, crowds are embracing new products. While marijuana flower remains the top product up for sale, other markets are growing.

As tracked by cannabis data platform Headset, marijuana flower sales grew from $4.92 billion in 2020 to $5.49 billion in 2021, according to Headset. Still, its share of the market fell, with pre-rolls, edibles, and more taking a cut.

The report, provided by MJBizDaily, reveals a variety of interesting findings. Marijuana flower sales experienced a price drop across states like California, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. This is expected, with prices increasing the minute states launch legal markets, and then a price drop once the market finds its footing and normalizes.

It appears shoppers are becoming more knowledgable of the products they purchase, with dispensary workers reporting flower-buying habits shifting according to things like terpenes and other cannabinoids. These trends fluctuate depending on location; for example, on the East Coast, consumers purchase according to potency.

“The one thing that’s consistent is that the primary purchase decision is potency,” said Mike Bibbey, vice president of Ethos Cannabis, a marijuana retail business in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

A new report sheds some light on cannabis sales. While flower remains the top product being sold, other products are creeping in.

As marijuana becomes more popular, crowds are embracing new products. While marijuana flower remains the top product up for sale, other markets are growing.

As tracked by cannabis data platform Headset, marijuana flower sales grew from $4.92 billion in 2020 to $5.49 billion in 2021, according to Headset. Still, its share of the market fell, with pre-rolls, edibles, and more taking a cut.

The report, provided by MJBizDaily, reveals a variety of interesting findings. Marijuana flower sales experienced a price drop across states like California, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. This is expected, with prices increasing the minute states launch legal markets, and then a price drop once the market finds its footing and normalizes.

It appears shoppers are becoming more knowledgable of the products they purchase, with dispensary workers reporting flower-buying habits shifting according to things like terpenes and other cannabinoids. These trends fluctuate depending on location; for example, on the East Coast, consumers purchase according to potency.

“The one thing that’s consistent is that the primary purchase decision is potency,” said Mike Bibbey, vice president of Ethos Cannabis, a marijuana retail business in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

While more than half of drivers said they did not get behind the wheel while intoxicated, 42% admitted they did.

A recent report revealed that more than 40% of U.S. drivers who use both alcohol and marijuana reported driving under the influence of one or both of the substances, according to a new study.

Researchers used data from 34,514 drivers aged 16 and up who reported past-year alcohol and cannabis use. They answered questions as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2016 to 2019.

While more than half of respondents said they did not get behind the wheel while intoxicated, 42% admitted they did.

The study also found drivers who used both substances were nearly three times more likely to drive while under the influence of marijuana and more than 3.5 times as likely to drive under the influence of both alcohol and cannabis.

Previous studies have concluded that both alcohol and cannabis can impair cognitive function and motor coordination, making it dangerous for anyone under the influence to get behind the wheel, especially younger drivers with less experience.

You want to allow cananbis use but your business sits on Federal land, now what?

Ski resorts are caught in the middle of murky legal issues surrounding state and federal cannabis policies.

China Peak Mountain resorts have been forced to position some workers to enforce federal cannabis policies around their property. The recent happenings at this establishment make it a perfect example to describe the contrasting state and federal laws.

The Cannabis Policy at China Peak Mountain

China Peak Mountain is a ski resort in California, located 110 kilometers northwest of Fresno. However, it operates primarily on federal lands. Therein lies the dilemma.

California cannabis legislation permits the recreational and medical use, sales, and cultivation of cannabis plants, but federal laws do not. Cannabis is a Schedule I substance according to the Controlled Substances Act. Other substances in this group include heroin, psychedelics, and cocaine.

This patchwork of cannabis policies has left ski resorts like China Peak Mountain in a confused state, unsure of which cannabis consumption laws to stick to. The Fresno-based resort currently adheres to federal laws and frowns against all forms of cannabis consumption on its grounds.

A new reefer madness study on cannabis reveals there is not much evidence to the claims.

Did you hear about the latest study that claims, “using cannabis has negative impact on your ability to think’ and that ‘it may continue after you stopped using’. Yes, in essence, the study suggests that by using cannabis you will experience a detrimental effect on your cognition and that it may be permanent irrespective if you are “youth” or “adult”

Of course, one would expect that with such outlandish claims that at the very minimal the researchers would provide substantial evidence, however, by their own admission the “quality of evidence is low or moderate” despite them claiming that it was “of high quality”.

Furthermore, none of the media publications that covered the research posted any data on the findings but simply regurgitate the same drivel as what the official study said in its PR release.  

In today’s article, we’re going to be taking a closer look at some modern day Reefer Madness and how this anti-cannabis rhetoric becomes a part of the national conversation.

Let’s start with the Abstract of the research.

As you can see, that what the study did was utilize Meta-analyses on particular papers found on the databases of PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Google Scholar. They then took all of these studies and compiled them to compare all the data.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – The city has endorsed eight applications to open recreational marijuana businesses here.

The next step is for the applicants to obtain approval from the state.

The applicants approved for licenses are Earth & Ivy, Puffin Store, Maryjayne's Touch, NB Green Delivery, LBOZ, NBFC, DC Vitality, and Fathom Cannabis, according to a public notice.

The city is permitting cannabis retailers in CAN-RD zones. The city is supporting Earth & Ivy, 355 George St.; Puffin Store, 382 George St. and Maryjayne's Touch, 70 Easton St. for retail licenses. 

As of 2021, the legal marijuana industry already employs around 321,000 people part time.

The data, taken from the 2021 Leafly Jobs Report produced together with Whitney Economics, gives hope to the thousands who have suffered from job loss and lay offs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The report states that job growth doubled in 2020, and only continues to grow.

There is no doubt that the cannabis industry is one of the fastest-growing in the country: it now employs more people than electrical engineers, paramedics, and dentists.

“There has been a seismic shift of workers from retail and restaurants to cannabis,” says Viridian Staffing chief executive of cannabis recruiting, Kara Bradford, to the Washington Post.

“There is a sense that this is a booming industry that’s fun and interesting, with a lot of opportunities to move up quickly.”

Cannabis has been used by humans for thousands of years as a treatment for many medical conditions and is now the subject of much research because it contains chemicals which show medical promise.

Medical Cannabis

Medical cannabis can help with nausea, loss of appetite, pain, insomnia, arthritis, and even depression. It can also help to reduce tremors and spasms caused by conditions like multiple sclerosis.

Medical cannabis can be taken in many forms, including smoking, vaporizing and ingesting through food, e.g. oil or butter in baking or tea. It can be used to make homemade edibles (cannabis-infused foods).

Although medical cannabis is legal in some states in America, its use remains controversial. Opponents say that it is addictive and can impair memory, judgment, coordination and reaction time. Supporters point out that there are no recorded cases of fatal cannabis overdose.

Cannabis for Business

It can be used in the construction industry to build insulation panels, which are fire resistant and also soundproofing materials! It’s naturally pest resistant, so it can be used in the agricultural industry to make textiles or clothing.

Pet Age recently spoke with Dave Merrell, founder of Healthy Hemp, to learn more about his brand and how its products play a role in the health and well-being of companion animals. 

How has the pet hemp market changed over the years since you founded Healthy Hemp Pet in 2014? 

When we first came out with our products, a lot of people thought we were getting animals “high.” Our biggest challenge was educating wholesalers of the benefits and effects of hemp so they could educate their customers.  

The market has matured a lot since back then. Now it’s flooded with hemp (or CBD) pet products that greatly differ in quality. This has a lot to do with the extraction process and the quality of the key ingredient, the hemp oil from the plant – more on that later.  

Why was it important for you to partner with Purdue University for a pharmacokinetic study in 2020? 

Aside from the incredible pet recovery stories from our customers, there is still little published research on CBD and animal health. CBD pet products have been in the market for almost a decade; it’s time for further research to investigate how full spectrum hemp can improve the lives of our pets, especially the ones who are navigating complicated conditions such as cancer. 

Purdue’s study investigated the pharmacokinetics (the movement of a substance through the body) of our coconut CannaDrops full spectrum hemp oil in dogs so they could pinpoint the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) before adverse effects occurred. Next, that MTD will be helpful with our prospective dog oncology trial with Purdue. We soon hope to understand whether CBD in dogs enhances or interferes with the activity of important anti-cancer therapies, and if CBD has anti-cancer activity.  

What made you choose the extraction process that you currently use for your products? 

The two main types of extraction processes are CO2 and ethanol. We use a third type, evaporative extraction.  We are always looking for ways to improve our products. When I learned about the extraction process that Vapor Distilled uses, evaporative extraction, which is basically hot air, I visited their facilities. I was drawn to this new extraction process because it is chemical free and solvent free. After we had a sample tested and found that the extract retained much more of the natural terpenes, it was an easy decision to switch from the CO2 extraction method we had been using.   

Delta-8 THC is a hemp-derived compound that’s closely related to delta-9 THC, commonly called THC.

Over the past year, you may have seen something called  delta-8 THC  or “delta 8” appear in convenience stores and pharmacies alongside CBD gummies, oils and lotions.

Delta-8 THC is a hemp-derived compound that’s closely related to  delta-9 THC  – what’s commonly called THC and is the psychoactive component of cannabis that’s responsible for the high that users feel.

Yet there’s been a dearth of research on this compound. As public health scholars, we decided to conduct  the first survey of delta-8 THC users  to find out who was using it, why they were using it and what sort of effects it had.

The latest cannabinoid to storm the market

The 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act – also known as the farm bill –  legalized the sale of hemp-derived compounds . The  widely available CBD  is a hemp-derived compound.

Delta-8 THC is another. It’s an isomer, or chemical analog, of THC. The difference is in the position of a double bond in the carbon ring, which makes delta-8 THC  have a lower affinity  for the CB1 receptor of the endocannabinoid system in our brains. For this reason, it may be less potent than THC and cause a less-intense high.

In 1979, the New York Times wrote about TV actor Howard Hesseman and his Dr. Johnny Fever DJ character on WKRP in Cincinnati for 80 episodes from 1978-1982:

"Dr. Johnny Fever, as Mr. Hesseman makes clear in his portrayal of the disk Jockey, has ingested a fair share of drugs in his lifetime. He is one of the first characters on commercial television to openly espouse a style of life alien to much of middle America."

Hesseman, who passed away at 81 on Jan. 29, explained in the article:

“I think maybe Johnny smokes a little marijuana, drinks beer and wine and maybe a little hard liquor. And on one of those hard mornings at the station, he might take what for many years was referred to as a diet pill. But be is a moderate user of soft drugs, specifically marijuana."

"The network, needless to say, is terrified about that element,” he added.

A chain of video rental stores will now be used as cannabis dispensaries in Ohio, increasing the number of dispensaries in a state that sorely needs them.

Remember the abandoned video store near the home where you grew up in? It may now be a cannabis dispensary. At least, if you live in Ohio.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that over a dozen video rental properties belonging to Family Video are candidates for housing dispensaries and cannabis businesses. These locations will be selected through a lottery starting this Thursday, with over 1,500 applications submitted for 73 new medical cannabis licenses.

The 12 Family Video locations in question received 192 applications from various contenders. While Family Video’s parent company announced that would be shutting down operations last year, Keith Hoogland, their CEO, said that the real estate branch was still in operation. It has been contacted by a variety of cannabis businesses looking to pursue rentals.

“I think after a certain period of time, they realized they could capitalize on the situation,” said Adam Thomarios, CEO of Klutch Cannabis.

Ohio legalized medical marijuana in 2016, with dispensaries finally opening their doors in 2019. The process has been a slow and rocky one, with patients complaining over long wait times and expensive products. The addition of the 73 licenses would increase the state’s dispensaries to 130, with authorities hoping to grow the business, provide better demands to patients, and make it run smoother.

As various forms of Cannabis have been made available around the country, Fremont County Prevention and WASCOP encourage families, schools and communities to have honest and educated conversations about the risks associated with using Cannabis.

For the purpose of this discussion, Cannabis can be broken down into four categories. This includes FDA-approved prescriptions, Hemp products, CBD products and Marijuana products.

In Wyoming,

“When it comes to Cannabis, there’s a lot to talk about,” Tauna Groomsmith, Fremont County Prevention Director said.

“It is important to understand and know the various forms that Cannabis products come in, the potential benefit vs risk as well as any potential legal issues. That’s what we want families to talk about.”

For decades, myths and tales have surrounded cannabis like no other plant

Opponents demonise it, supporters praise it as a universal remedy: for decades, myths and tales have surrounded cannabis like no other plant. Here is how cannabis is viewed around the globe.

Mythical plant

This is the hemp plant of legend. Intoxicating cannabis can be obtained from certain varieties, so its cultivation is strictly regulated in Germany. Unlike 200 years ago, hemp plants in the country are completely out of the public eye, paving the way for myths generated from the camps of supporters and opponents alike.

French troops brought home hashish

The use of hemp as an intoxicant has a comparatively recent history in Europe. French soldiers, who took home hashish made from the resin of female cannabis plants from Napoleon's Egyptian campaign in 1798, played a key role in spreading it. While Napoleon banned hashish in Egypt, it became popular in Paris.

Prescribed for menstrual cramps

Since the 1990s, the UK has been discussing the legalisation of cannabis. There was a rumour at the time that Queen Victoria was prescribed cannabis for menstrual cramps. The only evidence: in 1890, her personal physician John Russel Reynolds noted in a medical journal the "great value" of cannabis in treating an array of conditions.

Parchment or hemp?

Urban legend has it that the American Declaration of Independence was written on paper made from hemp. That's not quite true: the document, vacuum-sealed and behind thick panes of glass at the National Archives in Washington, DC, was written on parchment paper. The first two drafts, on the other hand, were probably written on hemp paper.

Hemp oils are often used as a dietary supplement, but many people do not realize that they can also be used externally as a skin and body care product. There are actually many ways that hemp seed oil can be used to care for and improve skin, hair, and nails.

Here are some of the best ways to use hemp oil in body care and make the most out of every drop of oil.

#1 Tackling Acne

People are increasingly turning to hemp oil as a way of treating and reducing the signs of acne. This might sound counterintuitive as acne is caused by a buildup of oil on the skin, but it may be useful for people with extremely dry skin. 

Gently rubbing a small amount of hemp oil on to clean skin at least once a day may help protect the skin’s lipid layer and hydrate.

Additionally, hemp oils may be helpful for cleansing and removing makeup. They have the advantage of providing the skin with additional vitamins and minerals. Hemp oil works by dissolving the oils and waxes in makeup and can be particularly useful when dealing with stubborn waterproof eye makeup.

Serve, protect and deliver?

A homeowner in Tea, South Dakota was more than a little surprised after opening her door for an anticipated food delivery and finding a police officer instead.

“But your driver got arrested for stuff he didn’t take care of, so I figured I’d complete the Door Dash for you,” he continues, handing off the food to the woman, whose surprise has by now turned to outright laughter.

“Thank you so much,” responds the still-laughing woman.

A Facebook post by Tea Storm Chasers notes the driver was arrested. According to New York Post, the non-profit group that describes itself as a media outlet monitoring police scanner calls and chases storms uploaded the video.

At the current growth rates, the cannabis industry will support over 400,000 jobs this year, so it is best to fill these positions with competent individuals who have been appropriately trained.

Thousands of students across the United States of America are looking to study cannabis-related programs in top universities across the country. To some, graduating with a degree in cannabis may seem strange, but the truth is that cannabis job openings are opening up faster than ever. Recently, it was reported that cannabis jobs would increase by 161% in the U.S. by 2029.

With everything going on in the world, this development is not a surprise. The cannabis industry is one of the mature industries growing quickly. From 2019 till this moment, the sector has increased by 47%. It is also looking to be an economic driver in many emerging markets around the world today. In 2020, the total annual sales were about $18 billion. The U.S. cannabis industry is worth over $60 billion now and is projected to be worth at least $100 billion by 2030.

The Legality of Cannabis Degrees

The absence of federal legislation for cannabis substances has cast doubt on the legitimacy of these programs. Not to mention the lack of federal accreditation agencies for cannabis degrees. The ANSI National Accreditation Board’s Cannabis Testing Lab Accreditation Program has accredited laboratories across the country to investigate important cannabinoid and terpene properties. Relevant tests on pesticides, microbial contaminants, heavy metals, and residual solvents can also be performed by these labs.

Cannabis degrees are not limited to only research; the space has prepared students for opportunities in engineering, math, technology, chemistry, and engineering. The industry still has a lot of expansion to do. Students passionate about the plants need to be equipped with knowledge of lucrative business opportunities in the industry, as well as how they can focus on medical cannabis innovations.

This means that colleges have rules and regulations guiding the degrees. As soon as federal legislation is quickly passed, proper accreditation agencies will be established and funded.

Spread the love and support local hemp farmers with The Sisters of the Valley’s new CBD-rich strain.