Georgia Approves New Hemp Law With Lofty Hike in Processing Fee
The new law regulating the state’s hemp industry increases annual processing fees by $40,000 and allows producers to sell hemp products to other states.
Georgia has passed a bill regulating the state’s new hemp industry, which includes increasing processing fees by a lofty $40,000.
The legislation, House Bill 847, increases the annual hemp processing fee to $50,000 a year, up from the $10,000 fee set last year, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Fees to grow hemp remain at $50 per acre.
The fee hike was needed to pay for the government’s cost of running the program, the outlet previously reported, including inspections, enforcement, training and equipment.
Georgia’s new hemp law, which went into effect July 22, also now allows cannabidiol (CBD) to be made from locally grown hemp. It also permits farmers and processors to sell their products to other states.
In addition, it requires anyone transporting hemp to carry appropriate paperwork to show they’re carrying a legal and compliant product. Failure to have the proper paperwork could lead to a misdemeanor charge of up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
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Massachusetts’ Updated Medical Cannabis Regulations Allow Caregivers to Support More Patients
The new rules sparked controversy among industry stakeholders at a public hearing last week.
Massachusetts’ updated medical cannabis regulations allow caregivers to support more patients, but the new rules sparked controversy among industry stakeholders at a public hearing last week, according to a MassLive.com report.
At an Aug. 3 hearing, officials from the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance (MPAA) voiced opposition to the Cannabis Control Commission’s new rules, which would allow caregivers to support up to 10 medical cannabis patients each, the news outlet reported.
MPAA President and Executive Director Nichole Snow said “an arbitrary number of patients per caregiver will likely open the door to a gray market that is indistinguishable from the legally-regulated market,” MassLive.com reported.
Still, others at the hearing, including patient advocates, were encouraged by the new regulations, which they said would allow caregivers to provide medical cannabis at a lower price, according to the news outlet.
Photo courtesy of Curaleaf
Curaleaf Sets Out to Modernize the Cannabis Retail Experience
The multistate operator has taken a strategic approach to refine its in-store and online spaces to tailor the retail experience to each unique customer and patient.
Multistate cannabis operator Curaleaf recently closed its acquisition of Grassroots Companies, expanding its operations to more than 3,000 employees in 23 states across 22 cultivation sites, 30 processing facilities and 88 dispensary locations.
As the company continues to expand into one of the largest cannabis operators in the United States (if not the largest), Chris Melillo, the company’s SVP of retail, says the Curaleaf team is on a mission to modernize the cannabis retail experience.
The company has taken a strategic approach to refine its in-store and online spaces to tailor the retail experience to each unique customer and patient.
“The business is changing and it’s evolving, it’s modernizing,” Melillo tells Cannabis Dispensary. “It’s really about building this ecosystem as we move forward, putting the patient or consumer at the middle, and then building out the ecosystem around the patient. I think it’s really acknowledging the past of where we were [and] where we are today, but ultimately, where is this industry going and how do we appeal to everybody?”
Curaleaf has recognized the need to make cannabis retail appealing for men and women of all age groups, as well as customers and patients with varying levels of experience with cannabis.
This has translated into a redesign of the physical layout of Curaleaf’s stores, which has taken place over the last year, Melillo says.
“[We’re] making it more modern, more inviting [and] a little bit warmer [with] more earth tones—again, appealing to a broader audience,” he says. “I think we’re starting to move away from where it was a little bit more traditional or clinical. … While we still provide a medical service and it’s important for us to understand our roots, [we must] continue to evolve as the industry has opened up and people have become more accepting. It’s become more mainstream now, so we want more … inviting … layouts that are a bit more conducive to what the future of cannabis is going to look like.”
Photo courtesy of Curaleaf
In an effort to make its dispensary locations appealing for men and women of all age groups, as well as customers and patients with varying levels of experience with cannabis, Curaleaf has redesigned the physical layout of its stores, such as this one in Ware, Mass.
In addition to revamping its brick-and-mortar dispensaries, Curaleaf is also focused on streamlining its online shopping platforms through changes that have been expedited by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
With the everchanging regulations surrounding the coronavirus crisis, the Curaleaf team had to adapt quickly to connect with consumers online, and the company’s patients and customers can now use its digital platforms to get information about products, see the daily menu at local dispensaries, reserve products for purchase and more.
“We just recently went through a complete new relaunch of the Curaleaf website,” Melillo says. “It geolocates where you are, so wherever you are in the country, it’ll put you to your nearest Curaleaf dispensary and it will bring up that menu and let you shop there. You can pre-order online and pick up in an express fashion if that’s what you choose to do, or you can still go in store and have a more traditional experience, [where you] talk to a Curaleaf employee [who] can walk you through features and benefits of any of the formats of the products that we sell, depending on the state you’re in.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has also led Curaleaf to implement new pieces of technology to increase safety for its customers. This includes a virtual waiting room made possible through the Waitlist Me app, which allows the company to monitor its wait and text patients and customers when their order is ready.
The company also offers cashless transactions at its dispensary locations through the use of a handheld ATM that functions like a debit card.
“A lot of technical things that we’ve done over the last four to six months have really propelled cannabis from where it was to where we are today, and I think this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Melillo says. “I think it will continue to progress in a fashion that will not only keep up with traditional retail, but at some point it will have to continue to evolve as a more sophisticated retail business with shopping online, in store, … delivery and product on demand.”
These various retail experiences all play in to the ecosystem that Curaleaf is trying to create, Melillo adds, where those who are exploring the plant for the first time as well as experienced cannabis users can shop in store or request delivery or curbside pickup, depending on their needs.
“We put the consumer at the center of this ecosystem and continue to serve them with whatever they need with high-quality products at a fair value,” Melillo says.
Curaleaf’s modernized approach to retail reflects the broader cannabis movement, he adds. As states across the country continue to legalize medical and adult-use cannabis, change is happening, and Melillo believes Curaleaf should in turn build a customized journey for the patients and consumers that come to its retail outlets.
“It’s a movement, and I think it’s our job to be out in front and lead the change in a responsible way,” he says. “I think modernizing the company and bringing innovative ideas, innovative products [and] new brick-and-mortar retail landscapes to the forefront of the cannabis industry is going to be paramount as we continue to build Curaleaf.”
Feedback on Curaleaf’s changes has been positive from both employees and customers, Melillo says, and the company has seen an uptick in business, although it is difficult to pinpoint whether the increased sales stem from the revamped retail experience, the recent Grassroots acquisition, COVID-19 or all of the above.
“There are a lot of things at play, but we know creating a national brand with a unified look across the country is going to be important for the future of Curaleaf,” Melillo says. “The experience tied with that is critical."
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California Municipalities Go to Trial Against the State in Cannabis Delivery Lawsuit
The cities seek to regain local control and oust cannabis delivery services from their jurisdictions.
A long-running dispute between a slate of California cities and the state itself landed in trial Aug. 6, with a Superior Court judge seeming to underscore that state law will prevail over local rule. At issue: whether cannabis delivery services may operate in jurisdictions that have otherwise banned commercial cannabis activity. The future of delivery in the world’s largest cannabis market is at stake here.
The collective of 24 California cities (as well as Santa Cruz County) argues that a moratorium on cannabis businesses should extend to delivery services that might pass through their borders.
The state insists that delivery is allowed under the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) and cannot be halted by local whims.
Fresno Superior Court Judge Rosemary McGuire wrote that the local governments would need some sort of ordinance on the books to override state law. As of now, “there is no dispute,” at least as far as legislative language is concerned. In fact, the state’s attorneys specifically point to the MAUCRSA language as an immediate non-starter for this type of litigation.
“A local jurisdiction shall not prevent delivery of cannabis or cannabis products on public roads by a licensee acting in compliance with [state law] and local law,” according to Section 26090(e) of the state code.
MAUCRSA outlines what is required of a licensed delivery company, citing particular regulations and protocols to which drivers must adhere. Delivery companies may be based in one county, of course, like a brick-and-mortar retailer, but those businesses are allowed to service customers in any California jurisdiction. According to Cannabiz Media, the state currently has 308 active delivery licenses on the books. More than 60% of California municipalities have maintained some sort of moratorium on commercial cannabis businesses.
The cities involved in this lawsuit include: Agoura Hills, Angels Camp, Arcadia, Atwater, Beverly Hills, Ceres, Clovis, Covina, Dixon and Downey. Also participating are McFarland, Newman, Oakdale, Palmdale, Patterson, Riverbank, Riverside San Pablo, Sonora, Tehachapi, Temecula, Tracy, Turlock and Vacaville, as well as Santa Cruz County.
The next hearing in this case is scheduled for November.
Indeed, despite the judge’s reference to existing state law, the proceedings aren’t over yet. The League of California Cities and local police chiefs have thrown their weight behind the lawsuit, hoping to further cement a sense of local control in the always-evolving cannabis industry.
“I am in complete agreement with this lawsuit. Each community should be able to decide on their own how they chose to deal with the legalization of marijuana,” wrote former Clovis Police Chief Matt Basgall.
Etain's "green wall" is one element of its new flagship Midtown East dispensary.
Etain Health
Etain Opens New Flagship Dispensary
The New York-based cannabis company unveiled its new, 5,000-square-foot store, which will include its rebranded medical cannabis products as well as non-THC health and wellness brands, with a focus on women-owned businesses.
New York, NY – PRESS RELEASE-Etain Health, New York’s only family-run, women-owned vertically integrated agribusiness and medical marijuana dispensary, will unveil its rebranding alongside their cannabis products at the opening of its new flagship facility In New York City on Aug. 6, 2020. The Peckham family, which owns the company, transformed the 5,000-square-foot space into a dispensary and retail location for the commercial distribution of its medical marijuana as well as THC-free products.
The new Midtown East location is only a block from Sutton Place on the iconic Designers Way, and has elements such as a living green wall, an airy mezzanine and a retreat space. Designer Clodagh applied her minimalist approach by filling the space with simple, natural touches that simultaneously elevate and ground the customer experience. Etain has created a unique healthcare and concierge experience by merging this elevated environment with personal consultations and premium products so customers can feel good about investing in their health and wellbeing.
With the opening of the flagship location, Etain Health will continue to sell their cannabis products to licensed New York state patients alongside a variety of diverse non-THC New York based health and wellness brands. Brands featured include botanical wellness products from Nature of Things, organic teas by Rishi, Khushi handmade body balms and butters, Golde superfood face masks and Patriae handwoven hemp and linen textiles including face coverings. A rotating selection of limited-edition merchandise by diverse women-owned brands will also be featured with the first spotlight on BWFW (Buy Weed from Women). Store staff will be outfitted in custom aprons from local women-owned textile designer Utility Canvas and their canvas products will also be available for purchase.
The new retail space will also serve as a showcase of Etain’s renewed branding through the inclusion of a vibrant new logo, vividly-colored photography sourced from a floral photographer in the UK and by embodying the new brand mantra “Take a moment with Etain”.
“This represents the next step in Etain’s growth strategy moving into 2021,” explained Hillary Peckham, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder. “Over the past year we have been re-assessing, recalculating, and re-imagining the brand. What has remained consistent is our commitment to the wellbeing of our clients by creating the highest quality and purest products to meet the needs of our customers.
Etain Health was one of the original five licensees in New York and now has dispensaries in Manhattan, Yonkers, Kingston and Syracuse. Before years end, Etain Health will be unveiling all new product formulations and new consumption methods for patients.
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