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New Mexico Total Cannabis Sales Top $40 Million in July

Adult-use sales accounted for about $23.5 million.

August 8, 2022

Dispensary News News Medical Cannabis State by State: New Mexico

New Mexico’s total cannabis sales have hit another record high for July, bringing in $40.3 million, and “show no signs of slowing down,” according to a press release.

Medical sales accounted for $16,813,947.36 million, while adult-use sales accounted for $23,491,184.55 million, bringing the total cannabis sales to $40,305,131.90 million for July.

According to the release, New Mexico’s July cannabis sales have surpassed every other month, including April, which was the state’s first month of commercial adult-use cannabis sales.

Licensed retailers brought in $22.1 million in adult-use sales and $17.3 million in medical sales for April, bringing the total combined to nearly $39.5 million, Cannabis Business Times previously reported.

According to the release, these five cities had the highest total cannabis sales for July:

CITY	MEDICAL SALES	ADULT-USE SALES	TOTAL
Albuquerque	$6,892,490.04	$7,692,123.42	$14,584,613.46
Santa Fe	$1,624,345.16	$1,875,498.41	$3,499,843.57
Las Cruces	$1,502,159.30	$1,798,714.17	$3,300,873.47
Hobbs	$363,439.59	$1,259,443.22	$1,622,882.81
Rio Rancho	$873,861.25	$742,725.15	$1,616,586.40

“These numbers show that the impressive sales generated in the first month of legalized recreational cannabis sales were no fluke–-and this is only the beginning,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “We’ve established a new industry that is already generating millions of dollars in local and state revenue and will continue to generate millions more in economic activity across the state, creating thousands of jobs for New Mexicans in communities both small and large.”

pattersonic | Adobe Stock

D.C.’s Joint Cannabis Task Force Will Inspect Businesses Starting in September

The task force, which consists of various District government agencies, will visit operating cannabis businesses to verify compliance.

August 8, 2022

Melissa Schiller

Compliance Dispensary News Legislation and regulation News State by State: D.C.

Various government agencies in Washington, D.C., plan to visit cannabis businesses starting in September to verify compliance.

The Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) announced Aug. 5 that after a 30-day grace period, its Joint Cannabis Task Force will launch the inspections next month.

Cannabis businesses operating within the District must comply with regulatory requirements outlined by DC Health, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMS), and the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR).

DC Health requires that edibles and other manufactured cannabis products must be approved by the agency, and that businesses comply with D.C.’s food safety and hygiene laws.

DCRA mandates that businesses operating in the District must be registered with the department, and those businesses must comply with D.C.’s general business requirements.

FEMS requires that businesses comply with D.C. fire code regulations, while OTR mandates that businesses register with the office and pay taxes in the District.

In addition, only dispensaries licensed by ABRA are authorized to sell cannabis in D.C.; currently, seven retailers are licensed to operate in the District, according to the press release.

The Joint Cannabis Task Force will conduct the inspections unannounced, and businesses in violation may be subject to fines or other enforcement action through each respective enforcement agency, the release states.

Photo courtesy of Viola

Viola Refreshes Brand With New 'Vibes System'

The Michigan-based operator is categorizing all flower products into its ‘Viola Vibes System' to simplify the cannabis-shopping experience for consumers.

August 8, 2022

Zach Mentz

State by State: California State by State: Michigan News

Viola is recategorizing all of its flower products in an effort to simplify the cannabis-shopping experience for consumers.

The new Viola Vibes System (VVS) categorizes all Viola flower products into one of four different ”vibes”: Get Up and Go (sativa), Good Times (sativa-hybrid), Kick Back (indica-hybrid), and Lights Out (indica).

Viola’s decision for a brand refresh was spurred by feedback from consumers and company employees alike, according to Viola Director of Marketing Najee Tyler.

“We were doing a lot of consumer research and talking to a bunch of the Viola family and we got the same consensus from a lot of them, which was when they go into stores, they're looking for a certain reason and a purpose between why they're consuming [cannabis],” Tyler said. “The reason why Viola even started was a purpose, which was [Viola Founder and CEO] Al's [Harrington] grandmother and the certain things that she was dealing with at the time. Each one of the vibes is something of a callout as to why people are consuming cannabis. There’s a little bit of something for anybody who's consuming cannabis.”

In addition to providing a ”purpose” for cannabis consumption, the VVS will also simplify the shopping experience for consumers both experienced and new.

“That was the idea behind it: being able to make people feel comfortable with their cannabis-buying experience,” Tyler said. “That was a really big focus for us, just to make it easy for people to identify the products. We still are using our strain names, so it's not like we're going away from that in a sense. The connoisseurs that were into the Viola products before, they still have those strains that they love and are able to pick from those, but [we] definitely wanted to help with the with the buying experience for consumers.”

RELATED: Viola Spreads The Wealth

Tyler said the feedback to the new VVS has been positive from not only consumers, but also dispensaries and budtenders.

“We've been getting a lot of good reactions. We do a lot of budtender education, and it’s something they feel is very easy to be able to educate on,” Tyler said. “And it's fun. People are coming in [and] asking, ‘Hey, I'm looking for this type of product,’ whatever the case is, and I think it's something that our accounts are able to educate the consumers on: ‘Hey, Viola has this vibe for you,’ and it’s something easy to educate them on the product. … It's just something new and something easy to grasp.”

Viola Vibes System-branded products will first be available in dispensaries in Michigan and California at the end of August, according to Tyler.

Beyond that, Tyler also mentioned Viola is planning for both new products and unique consumer experiences in the coming months.

“We have new products that [are] coming down the line that we are excited about, and then just bringing these things to life,” Tyler said. “I think what we do well is creating consumer experiences where consumers are able to come in and try the products [and] give us some feedback along with budtenders and industry folks. We have a lot of cool ideas for how to bring it to life in an experiential capacity, and that's one of the things that we're really looking forward to. Because it’s one thing to see it on social and see it digitally, but I think being able to come to an actual experience and trial the product, that's something that we are really good at and looking forward to.”

Paul | Adobe Stock

Responsible Growth Arkansas Files Lawsuit to Challenge Officials’ Decision to Reject Adult-Use Cannabis Ballot Initiative

The state Board of Election Commissioners struck down the group’s proposed ballot measure last week after rejecting its popular name and ballot title.

August 8, 2022

Melissa Schiller

Legislation and regulation News State by State: Arkansas

Responsible Growth Arkansas is fighting back after the state Board of Election Commissioners rejected its adult-use cannabis ballot initiative last week.

The group submitted more than 190,000 signatures—more than double the 89,151 signatures required—to the secretary of state’s office last month to get its adult-use cannabis legalization measure before voters this fall.

The ballot initiative, a proposed constitutional amendment, would legalize the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis for adults 21 and older.

State officials announced July 29 that Responsible Growth Arkansas met the signature requirement, and the Board of Election Commissioners was tasked with approving the proposal’s popular name and ballot title to officially qualify the measure for the November ballot.

The board ultimately struck down the measure Aug. 3 after rejecting the popular name and ballot title. Officials expressed concerns that the ballot title did not fully explain to voters the impact of the constitutional amendment.

Responsible Growth Arkansas filed a lawsuit Aug. 4 in the state’s Supreme Court to challenge the board’s decision, according to a KNWA report.

The complaint names John Thurston, Arkansas’ secretary of state and the chair of the Board of Election Commissioners, as a defendant in the case, the news outlet reported.

Responsible Growth Arkansas claims in the lawsuit that the board's decision not to certify the ballot initiative was unconstitutional, and the group asks the court to vacate the board’s decision, according to KNWA. The filing also asks for a preliminary injunction ordering the measure to appear on the November ballot because “it is unlikely that the Court will decide this action before the August 25 deadline for certification for the amendment to appear on the November 2022 ballot,” the news outlet reported.

K.L. Kohn | Adobe Stock

New Jersey Regulators Propose Rules for Cannabis Delivery

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission has proposed amendments to existing regulations, including licensing processes for delivery, distribution and wholesale businesses.

August 8, 2022

Melissa Schiller

Compliance Legislation and regulation News State by State: New Jersey

New Jersey regulators took steps last week to allow cannabis delivery in the state.

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) proposed amendments to the state’s existing regulations, including licensing processes for delivery, distribution and wholesale businesses, according to a WHYY report.

Under the proposed rules, cannabis retailers and delivery services would not be able to sell or deliver more than one ounce of usable cannabis, 5 grams of solid cannabis concentrate or 5 milliliters of cannabis oil, as well as vaporized formulations containing more than 5 milliliters of cannabis oil, multiple ingestible cannabis products containing more than 1,000 milligrams of THC, or more than one ounce of any combination of usable cannabis and cannabis products, the news outlet reported.

The CRC’s proposal would allow cannabis deliveries in municipalities that have opted out of hosting dispensaries, according to WHYY.

The draft rules would also require cannabis retailers to provide educational materials to customers to help promote safe consumption, the news outlet reported.

The CRC will accept public comment on the proposal until Sept. 30.

“Everyone should take a look at [the proposed updates] and provide their thoughts,” CRC Chair Dianna Houenou told WHYY. “We use the feedback that we hear from the public to shape our rules."

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