Denver approved the first social equity hospitality license for a cannabis consumption lounge, city officials announced March 21.
Tetra Lounge operated as a private social club during the past few years but closed down after a new licensing mandate went into effect last year, NBC-affiliate News 9 reported.
Tetra’s license approval this week—which now awaits the successful completion of required inspections before the business can start operating—comes nearly a year after city council members overhauled the local cannabis industry by passing two measures last April.
One of those measures set forth a path to license cannabis consumption facilities, such as bars and clubs, where customers could bring cannabis to consume, or the facilities could sell small amounts of cannabis for consumption. That measure also opened the door for the city to implement cannabis tour buses and shuttles.
Before that overhaul, Denver allowed people to use cannabis at private clubs without a licensing system. Now, the city requires establishments to acquire licenses to offer on-site consumption.
While the application process for cannabis hospitality establishments opened for social equity businesses in November, Tetra’s approval came Monday. The club’s owner, Dewayne Benjamin, told News 9 he hopes to open his facility’s consumption lounge before 4/20.
“Getting the license really gives us the foundation to grow and keep establishing new experiences within the cannabis hospitality realm,” Benjamin said. “There’s still a lot of financial aspects that kind of hinder a lot of businesses, but having the opportunity and the input into the industry I think is going to be very beneficial especially with new markets.”
The club will charge a $20 daily membership fee, $50 for a month or $350 for a year, according to News 9.
For the first six years of the city’s cannabis hospitality establishment program, only social equity applicants can apply for licenses, Denver’s Department of Excise and Licenses spokesperson Eric Escudero told The Denver Gazette.
“We want to achieve the full promise of legalization, and that in our mind is making sure there’s equitable access so more people can benefit economically—not just those who have financial advantage or advantage of connections,” he said.
In addition to Tetra, Denver has received two other social equity applications: one for another hospitality establishment and one for a hospitality/sales establishment, according to the Gazette.
Hemp greenhouse. Pathogen propagules can spread through air currents, equipment and tools, potting media, water, and people. Photo of a commercial hemp greenhouse in Kentucky.
Courtesy of Gauthier
The Do’s and Don’ts of Disease Prevention in Greenhouse Hemp
Two University of Kentucky plant researchers weigh in on the best practices for hemp greenhouse sanitation to help minimize the source of infectious pathogens.
Pathogens, such as fungi and bacteria, can cause severe losses in greenhouse and field hemp. Under greenhouse conditions, which are typically warm and humid, pathogens can infect and spread rapidly. Infective propagules (e.g. bacterial cells, fungal spores, survival structures) can stem from infected plant materials, infested potting media, irrigation water, and greenhouse equipment.
When producers neglect disease management, pathogen populations build up and increase the risk for yield loss. In addition, plant debris and soil particles can harbor overwintering propagules for months or years.
Hemp greenhouse with Fusarium wilt (left) and Pythium root rot (right). Photo left of an outdoor container hemp production nursery in Kentucky and photo right of a commercial transplant production high tunnel using a tobacco float system. Once a greenhouse is severely infested, eliminating pathogens may become more difficult, particularly as pathogen propagules spread through air currents (fans), equipment and tools (carts, pruners, pots), potting media (soil or soilless media), water (irrigation, condensation, runoff), and people (shoes and clothing). The limited availability of fungicide products for hemp makes pathogen elimination even more complicated.
Sanitation is an essential component of disease management. The following list of hemp greenhouse sanitation do’s and don’ts can help minimize the source of infectious pathogens.
Hemp greenhouse with powdery mildew. Hemp leaves with powdery mildew (inset). Photo of a commercial hemp greenhouse in Kentucky.
Do's:
1. Discard heavily infected plants, particularly those with untreatable diseases. Removing infected plants from the greenhouse can help minimize the source and spread of pathogen propagules. Diseases such as root rots and vascular wilts are difficult to treat, so it's best to destroy plants infected with them immediately.
2. Isolate infected plants and treat them with fungicide, if available. Producers can manage some diseases (e.g. fungal leaf spots) using fungicides. Fungicides will not bring dead tissue back to life, but they can help protect new growth. And in some situations, fungicides can help plants recover from disease outbreaks through healthy new growth. When possible, isolate infected plants until the disease is eliminated. If using fungicides, diseased plants should be removed prior to fungicide application.
3. Prune infected tissues and remove all clippings from the greenhouse. Similar to removing infected plants, pruning infected tissues (e.g., buds and leaves) can reduce sources of certain pathogens, such as Botrytis tip blight (Botrytis cinerea) and powdery mildew (Golovinomyces spadiceus) pathogens.
4. Remove weeds and volunteer plants to prevent the establishment of a “green bridge” between crops. Many plant species can establish a “green bridge,” meaning they become hosts for disease agents and allow pathogens to survive until a more suitable one becomes available. Remove entire plants, including roots of alternative hosts.
5. Clean and sanitize all surfaces to prevent carryover from one cropping season to the next. Sanitize pots, benches, floors, and tools. Use a commercial disinfectant such as quaternary ammonia compounds (Green-Shield, Quattro, Physan), 10% bleach, peroxide (Oxidate, Terraclean), or 10% Lysol concentrated disinfectant. (See chart below for more information.) Bleach and peroxide are corrosive, so growers should rinse tools after 5 to 10 minutes of exposure. Excess soil and plant debris on floors and benches should be removed prior to disinfestation.
6. Sanitize irrigation systems. Install a water-treatment system if using recycled water. Flush irrigation lines with disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid, or quaternary ammonium compound between crop cycles to remove propagules that may have moved into water lines and emitters.
7. Clean, clean, clean. Use sanitizing footbath mats to prevent movement of propagules to clean areas. Work in clean zones before moving to infected zones or quarantined areas. Clean tools and equipment between zones or blocks.
Don'ts:
1. Do not leave cuttings and culled plants in the greenhouse. Pathogens may overwinter or continue to multiply in debris. Infected plant material should be buried, burned, or placed in cull piles that are located at least 100 yards from the greenhouse. All cull piles will eventually need to be burned. Do not compost diseased cuttings or soil because incomplete composting (temperatures below 160° F) may result in propagule survival.
2. Do not reuse soil or potting media, and do not bring outside soil into the greenhouse. Many soilborne pathogens can remain dormant in soil for months or years.Growers should consider pasteurization and/or sterilization if they want to recycle media or use field soil.
3. Do not move tools or equipment between zones without prior cleaning or disinfestation. Greenhouse tools and equipment can be a means for propagule dissemination. Set up a cleaning zone or washing station, if possible.
4. Do not drag hoses and other tools along floors. Infested soil and plant debris can stick to wet surfaces and be moved to clean areas.
Misbahkul Munir, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Kentucky. He earned his Ph.D. from Clemson University and has been working on hemp fungal pathogens since 2021. His current work includes infectivity and pathogenicity studies for Fusarium bud and flower blight of field hemp. He is also investigating the potential for mycotoxin production by Fusarium spp. in both grain and floral hemp.
Nicole Gauthier, Ph. D., is a professor of plant pathology at the University of Kentucky. She has been working with hemp diseases since 2014. Her work includes identification and speciation of hemp pathogens, overwintering potential of disease agents, and cross infection of fungal pathogens. Gauthier earned her BS in horticulture and her Ph.D. in plant pathology from Louisiana State University.
SeanPavonePhoto | Adobe Stock
Mississippi Cannabis Trade Association Holds Petition Drives for Special Elections on Medical Cannabis
The industry group is holding signature drives in cities that have opted out of the state’s medical cannabis program to give voters a chance to opt back in.
The Mississippi Cannabis Trade Association is trying to ensure medical cannabis access for all those who need it—even patients in cities that have opted out of the state’s medical cannabis program.
The industry group is holding signature drives in local municipalities that have opted out of hosting medical cannabis businesses to give voters a chance to opt back in, according to a local WAPT report.
The law allows Mississippi’s counties and municipalities to opt out of hosting medical cannabis cultivators, processors and dispensaries within three months of the bill being signed into law, but residents can petition for a special election to overturn their city’s decision.
Residents must collect 1,500 signatures to get a special election, WAPT reported, and once the signature requirement is met, the city has 60 days to hold the election.
The Mississippi Cannabis Trade Association held a petition drive last weekend in Ridgeland, which opted out of the medical cannabis program earlier this month. The City Board of Alderman said they wanted additional time to understand the Mississippi State Department of Health’s rules and regulations.
"We wanted it from the start,” Letha Crump, a resident of Brandon, another city that has opted out of the program, told WAPT. “Now we've got to fight back again for the same thing we voted for to begin with."
Adobe Stock
Michigan Cannabis Workers Unionize With UFCW Local 876
Authentic 231 dispensary employees in Manistee organized earlier this month under vertically integrated cannabis company Left Coast Holdings.
Cannabis dispensary employees in Manistee, Mich., a Lake Michigan coast city in the northwest part of the state, unionized earlier this month with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 876.
The organized workers at the Authentic 231 retail facility in Manistee operate under vertically integrated cannabis company Left Coast Holdings (Heritage Farms), which owns multiple dispensaries throughout the state.
Left Coast ownership initiated the unionization, according to a UFCW press release.
Local 876 President Dan Pedersen said the Authentic 231 workers represent the first cannabis dispensary in the state to organize.
“UFCW 876 looks forward to building a strong relationship with both owners and workers of Authentic 231, in providing job guarantees and protections to this rapidly growing industry,” Pedersen said in the release. “It is UFCW 876’s goal this effort serves as a model for sustaining unionizing efforts, by building stronger communities with stronger jobs.”
Left Coast ownership served as the facilitator in seeking a union for its employees, as well as the development of a Labor Peace Agreement to extend the upcoming bargaining agreement for all locations, according to UFCW.
“We as an ownership group share a lot of the same values as UFCW 876, so it was a natural decision to promote the unionization of our retail assets,” Left Coast CEO William McKenzie said in the press release. “It’s an exciting time to be in the cannabis industry, and we’re excited to help the UFCW expand their fight for workers’ rights into this burgeoning space. We see our pro-union stance as a great benefit in a state like Michigan.”
There are more than 42,000 UFCW members in Michigan and over 1.3 million UFCW members nationwide.
From left: Aaron Baldwin, Melissa Nelson, and Richard Baldwin, co-owners of SBIH
Chelsea Mitchell Photography
South Bend Industrial Hemp Partners With South Dakota Farm to Expand Footprint
The partnership with Dakota Hemp will allow the Kansas-based SBIH to increase hemp hurd and fiber availability across the country.
South Bend Industrial Hemp (SBIH), a Kansas-based company that grows and processes its own hemp for grain, fiber, and CBD, has partnered with Dakota Hemp LLC to increase industrial hemp processing capacity in the Midwest.
Dakota Hemp is a cultivator located in Wakonda, South Dakota. In a press release, SBIH said the goal of the partnership is to increase hemp hurd and fiber availability while decreasing shipping costs based upon customer location.
“John Peterson [owner of Dakota Hemp] and his team are top-notch South Dakota farmers and soon-to-be processors. This was a natural progression to where we feel the hemp industry needs to go to be successful: small regional facilities working together to build the supply chain and service farmers across the Midwest,” said Melissa Nelson, co-owner of SBIH, in a news release.
SBIH opened its decortication facility in June of 2021, making it the first fiber processing facility in the state. The decorticator can run at a capacity of 1.8 tons per hour.
Last year, SBIH partnered with growers across Kansas, along with some in Oklahoma and Nebraska, to grow 1,000 acres of hemp for fiber. Of those acres, SBIH grew 160 for dual-purpose fiber and grain production. (SBIH has a 2,500-acre farm on which the team also grows crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, and milo.)
In 2021, South Dakota ranked no. 8 in most acres of hemp harvested in the country, with 1,700 total. Kansas ranked no. 18 with 400 acres harvested total
Legislative Map
Cannabis Business Times’ interactive legislative map is another tool to help cultivators quickly navigate state cannabis laws and find news relevant to their markets. View More
Tony Lange
Melissa Schiller
Theresa Bennett
