A South Dakota legislative board has adopted a report from a committee dispatched by the Legislature to study draft legislation on medical and adult-use cannabis in the state.
The committee drafted nearly two dozen bills that would change South Dakota’s medical cannabis program, according to The Globe, as well as an adult-use legalization bill that committee chairman Bryan Breitling told the news outlet would be a “fail-safe” if the state’s Supreme Court upholds a lower court injunction against South Dakota’s voter-approved Amendment A.
The Legislature’s 15-member executive board voted to accept the committee’s report, although the vote does not represent endorsement of any of the draft bills, The Globe reported. The legislation will likely surface during the state’s upcoming legislative session, according to the news outlet.
South Dakota’s cannabis study committee broke into two separate panels, one on adult-use and one on medical cannabis, and received testimony from legal and health experts, cannabis advocates, and local leaders, The Globe reported.
Ascend Wellness Holdings (AWH) launched the soft opening of its Newton, Mass., dispensary, its second dispensary in the state and its first retail location to offer delivery services.
The Ascend Newton dispensary will be celebrated with a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony in early December, according to a company press release, with delivery services beginning on opening day. Delivery will be available within a 25-mile radius, with customers able to select a two-hour delivery window.
The dispensary is approximately 5,000 square feet and will carry AWH-owned brands such as Ozone and Ozone Reserve, partner brands such as Flower by Edie Parker and Lowell Smokes, and other popular third-party brands, according to the company.
"We are thrilled to expand our presence across the flourishing Massachusetts cannabis market with the opening of Ascend Newton, the second of three Ascend dispensaries planned for the state," said AWH Founder and CEO Abner Kurtin in a press release. "Strategically located just outside of downtown Boston with delivery capabilities, the new location will help to better serve customers in the suburbs with best-selling products and a best-in-class shopping experience."
According to AWH, the opening of the Ascend Newton dispensary will create approximately 50 jobs for the local community.
Scott Anthony Promoted to Director of Sales of Cannabis Conference
Anthony will be responsible for growing the Cannabis Conference sales team to expand exhibiting and marketing opportunities for suppliers that serve the plant-touching segment of the rapidly growing cannabis market.
CLEVELAND, OH – NOVEMBER 22, 2021 –Cannabis Conference, the leading event for plant-touching businesses in North America that brings together thousands of industry professionals, is pleased to announce the promotion of Scott Anthony to Director of Sales.
Anthony has been instrumental in the rapid growth of Cannabis Conference, as well as its award-winning media brand Cannabis Business Times (CBT) since CBT’s acquisition and print launch in 2015. In this new role as Director of Sales, he will work to expand the sales team for Cannabis Conference—which provides exhibiting and marketing opportunities to solutions providers for cultivators, dispensary operators and extraction professionals within the legal cannabis and hemp industries. Anthony will also be overseeing the sales growth of Cannabis Business Times, Hemp Grower and Hemp Grower Conference.
“Based on Scott’s strong track record over the past six years navigating the rapidly evolving cannabis and hemp markets, he is the right person to lead the continued growth of the industry’s most important conference for licensed operators,” Cannabis Conference and Cannabis Business Times’ GroupPublisher Jim Gilbride said.
Cannabis Conference Director of Sales Scott Anthony
“It's been exciting to witness the exponential growth in these markets since we launched CBT,” Anthony said. “Cannabis Conference creates an invaluable opportunity by taking the foundation of CBT’s high-quality educational and marketing platform and translating it into a curated in-person experience. Each year, exhibitors are excited to get in front of thousands of targeted decision-makers that are looking for solutions to better their businesses. I'm looking forward to guiding our talented sales team to expand these marketing and event opportunities in 2022.”
According to Grandview Research, the global cannabis market will surpass $70 billion by 2028. In addition, the United States’ CBD market forecast is expected to experience 202% growth over the next five years, reaching $16 billion in 2026, according to Brightfield Group.
In alignment with the industry’s exponential growth, Cannabis Conference has grown from a small event in Oakland, Calif, to an established industry conference that brings 3,000+ cannabis professionals to Las Vegas. In 2022, 200+ exhibitors will span 85,000 square feet, offering products and solutions exclusively for cultivators, retail dispensaries and manufacturing professionals. These providers include (but are not limited to) software, plant inputs, equipment, consulting and legal services, and more. Cannabis Conference 2022 will also offer 40+ industry-leading educational sessions, guided by the expertise of 90+ presenters and panelists.
Cannabis Conference is the leading educational provider for plant-touching businesses in the legal cannabis and hemp markets. Cannabis Conference 2022 will take place at Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., Aug. 23-25, 2022. The event will bring together more than 3,000 industry professionals, as well as 200+ exhibitors of industry-leading technologies, solutions and services for cannabis cultivation, extraction and retail businesses. The Cannabis Conference educational program includes 40+ sessions and 90+ speakers, with content guided by the Cannabis Conference 2022 Advisory Board of esteemed, plant-touching operators. Cannabis Conference is produced by B2B publisher GIE Media, Inc., in Cleveland, Ohio. For more information, visit www.CannabisConference.com.
LeafLink Expands Logistics Services to Solve Cannabis Transportation and Fulfillment
The solutions allow cannabis brands and retailers to cut logistics costs and reinvest in their businesses.
NEW YORK, Nov. 22, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE –LeafLink, a unified B2B platform for cannabis, announced the expansion of its logistics services, originally launched in Michigan in April 2020, to Massachusetts, California and Oregon. Since its launch, LeafLink has worked with trusted partners to build the largest logistics network in the cannabis industry, delivering over $325 million a year in wholesale cannabis orders.
With the expansion of its logistics services, LeafLink accelerates the growth of its full platform across North American legal cannabis markets. LeafLink is the platform that cannabis businesses trust to handle mission critical functions. More than 10,000 cannabis businesses use LeafLink to transact $4.6 billion+ in wholesale commerce and $430 million+ in payment volume a year. The company estimates that 42% of U.S. wholesale cannabis orders flow through its marketplace.
LeafLink's logistics offerings are unique to the markets they're in and are built specifically for the intricacies of the cannabis industry. In Michigan and Massachusetts LeafLink offers a transportation solution that enables cannabis brands to increase reliability, efficiency and transparency in their shipping practices. While in California, the company offers a retailer-focused solution for the warehousing and fulfillment of a retailer's inventory with a technology layer that allows buyers to restock from that inventory as needed—increasing profit margins by reducing stockouts, unlocking bulk discounts and streamlining inventory operations.
The Oregon offering combines the transportation model from Michigan and Massachusetts, with reliable, efficient and quick storage and delivery of products across the state. The overall value-add of LeafLink's logistics offering is that it allows brands and retailers to cut costs associated with transportation and fulfillment so they can invest in core competencies like product development, brand building and customer experience without ever missing a sale.
LeafLink has a robust selection process for partnering with locally licensed operators to bring the offering to life. The collaboration of these partners is instrumental in bringing value to cannabis brands and retailers through best-in-class service and operating procedures. Transporters also see value in working with LeafLink by tapping into the volume of orders brought through its wholesale marketplace, and through the ease of working with LeafLink's technology to create efficiency and automate compliance.
"Our logistics partnership with LeafLink has exceeded my expectations across the board," said Abbe Schnibbe, CEO of Plymouth Armor Group, LeafLink's partner in Massachusetts. "Through our work together, our company has been able to increase our operational efficiency, while simultaneously expanding our sales and marketing reach. From the start, it has been a true partnership in every sense of the word—every decision from the strategic level down to daily route optimization is made in lockstep across both our teams."
Looking toward 2022, LeafLink plans to expand its logistics offering across the country to further serve its network of customers looking to streamline their delivery and fulfillment. Specifically, the company is targeting Illinois and Colorado for early 2022 launches.
pabrady63 | Adobe stock
Industry Stakeholders Ask New Jersey Cannabis Regulators to Allow Edibles in Adult-Use Market
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission previously announced that cannabis-infused cookies, brownies, gummies or any products that resemble food will not be permitted for sale.
The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) may reconsider a ban on the sale of edibles in the state’s adult-use market, according to New Jersey 101.5.
Regulators’ interim regulations for the state’s forthcoming adult-use cannabis market include a rule that prohibits dispensaries from selling cannabis-infused cookies, brownies, gummies or any products that resemble food.
However, at its last meeting, the CRC invited input from invited guests and the public about how to handle these products, New Jersey 101.5 reported, and some provided feedback indicating that regulators should reconsider the ban.
“Any form of edibles should be permitted as long as the regulatory procedures are followed,” Ken Wolski, executive director of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana, told the commission, according to New Jersey 101.5. “There should be no arbitrary exclusions placed on cannabis products.”
The CRC’s interim rules could be changed at any time, although regulators must adopt permanent rules for New Jersey’s adult-use cannabis industry by next August, the news outlet reported.
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
Melissa Schiller
Zach Mentz
Posted by Tony Lange
