Tilray Medical Expands Offering in Malta

The Canadian-based global company launches the first medical cannabis oil products in the overseas market.

March 17, 2022

Canada Distribution International Medical Cannabis News

LEAMINGTON, Ontario, March 17, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Tilray Brands Inc., a leading global cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company focused on inspiring and empowering the worldwide community to live their very best life, announced that its medical cannabis division, Tilray Medical, has expanded its medical cannabis offering and launched the first EU GMP-certified medical cannabis oil products in Malta. Tilray’s EU-GMP medical cannabis products are now available in pharmacies across Malta, providing patients with safe and reliable access to high-quality medical cannabis.

Denise Faltischek, Tilray’s chief strategy officer and head of international business, said, “Demand for medical cannabis in Malta is growing rapidly and we are incredibly proud to service patients with the high-quality medical cannabis products they rely on and in the formats they prefer.”

In Malta, patients may obtain prescriptions for medical cannabis and a medical cannabis card through family doctors. Medical cannabis cards are issued by Malta’s superintendent of Public Health.

Tilray has a pioneering track record as a company committed to making EU GMP-certified, pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis products available to patients in need around the world and was the first to successfully export medical cannabis from North America and import medical cannabis products into the EU in 2016.

Nominations Now Open for Cannabis Conference/Cannabis Business Times 2022 ‘Cannabis Leadership Awards’

For the second year, the Cannabis Leadership Awards will honor cannabis professionals who have had a positive impact on their co-workers, communities, and industry as a whole.

March 17, 2022

CBT Staff

News

LAS VEGAS, NV – March 17, 2022 - Cannabis Business Times, the leading B2B publication dedicated to the cultivator/grower segment of the cannabis industry, and Cannabis Conference, the industry’s highest quality educational event and expo for professionals at plant-touching cannabis businesses, announced today that nominations for the 2022 Cannabis Leadership Awards are now open.

With the support of FOHSE – Future of Horticultural Science + Engineering, the Cannabis Leadership Awards will recognize cannabis industry professionals who exemplify the leadership qualities needed to inspire and empower those around them and who work toward the betterment of the entire industry.

Cannabis Leadership Awards recipients will have made significant contributions to the cannabis industry, such as:

Contributing to the industry’s advancement through their innovation and expertise;
Enhancing the lives of employees, customers, communities and the industry at large through their leadership, generosity, charitable giving;
Excelling in environmental stewardship;
Working with legislators and regulators in crafting and updating cannabis laws and regulations in a productive way; and/or
Otherwise making a positive impact on the industry.

Cannabis Leadership Awards recipients will be recognized at a special awards reception at the Cannabis Conference 2022 (Aug. 23-25 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino) and featured in Cannabis Business Times magazine.

“The cannabis industry is full of people who are passionate about the cannabis plant’s potential, and the Cannabis Leadership Awards is an opportunity to spotlight inspiring professionals working to make the world a better place through cannabis and their roles in the industry,” Noelle Skodzinski, editorial director for Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Conference said. “The criteria we use to select the winners extend beyond corporate achievements. We’re searching for people who’ve truly made a significant and positive impact on their teams, the communities in which they operate, and the cannabis industry as a whole.”

James Bradley, Chief Marketing Officer, FOHSE – Future of Horticultural Science + Engineering, added, “As the cannabis industry solidifies its foothold in regions around the world, I believe it's crucial to laude those who are truly raising the bar. The industry continues to face an uphill battle with some of the cultural stigmas surrounding it, which is a big reason why FOHSE has partnered with Cannabis Business Times and their annual Cannabis Leadership Awards ceremony. This is a prime opportunity to elevate the best of the best as a beacon for all entrepreneurs, as well as to show the world how the industry is maturing.”

The Cannabis Leadership Awards recipients will be professionals who work at cannabis cultivation and/or vertically integrated dispensary businesses (with cultivation and retail operations) in North America.

Nominees to the Cannabis Leadership Awards must be employed by and involved in an operation that has an active licensed cannabis cultivation or vertically integrated (cultivation and retail) operation in North America.

The deadline for nominations is May 1, 2022. Nominations for the Cannabis Leadership Awards may be submitted at: www.cannabisconference.com/form/cannabis-leadership-awards/.

To view the Cannabis Leadership Awards Class of 2021, click here.

About Cannabis Conference

Cannabis Conference 2022, presented by the award-winning Cannabis Business Times, Cannabis Dispensary, and Hemp Grower media brands, is the leading educational provider for plant-touching businesses in the legal cannabis and hemp markets. The three-day event will take place at Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., on Aug. 23-25, 2022. The Cannabis Conference exhibition hall will feature 230+ industry-leading technologies, solutions and services for the professional cannabis cultivator and retail businesses. For more information, visit www.CannabisConference.com.

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Illinois Aims to Simplify Cannabis Retail Licensing Process

The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is filing new rules to streamline the applications.

March 16, 2022

Melissa Schiller

Legislation and regulation News State by State: Illinois Dispensary News

Illinois must license at least 50 new adult-use cannabis dispensaries by the end of this year, and after previous licensing blunders, regulators are working to simplify the cannabis retail licensing process.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is filing new rules to streamline the applications in an effort to remove barriers for social equity applicants and expand opportunities for the communities most impacted by prohibition, according to a local KHQA report.

The 50 additional adult-use retailers are required under Illinois’ Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA), which passed in 2019 to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state. IDFPR plans to issue 55 conditional licenses across the existing 17 BLS regions detailed in the law, KHQA reported.

Under the IDFPR’s proposed rules, qualified social equity applicants can apply for the licenses online with certain basic information, such as the name of the organization, a list of principal officers and contact information, as well as a $250 fee, according to the news outlet.

The application window is expected to open during late summer or early fall of this year, KHQA reported, depending on when the rules are finalized.

Regulators will then launch a lottery process to issue the licenses, and the IDFPR’s new rules stipulate that principal officers cannot be included on more than one lottery entry, according to the news outlet, and applicants cannot have more than one entry across all 17 regions.

The IDFPR will post a list of applicants participating in the lottery, with the date of the lottery announced in the coming months, KHQA reported. Regulators will then publish the certified results of the lottery, and applicants will have 45 days to prove social equity and eligibility criteria in order to receive a license.

The qualify for a license, businesses must have at least 51% ownership and control by one or more individuals who have resided for at least five of the previous 10 years in a Disproportionately Impacted Area, according to KHQA.

Applicants may also be eligible for a license if their business has at least 51% ownership and control by one or more individuals who have been arrested for or convicted of any offense that can be expunged under the CRTA, have impacted family members, or meet certain alternate criteria which will be included in the forthcoming lottery rules, KHQA reported.

Trulieve Launches Nationwide Supplier Diversity Initiative

Minority, LGBTQIA+, women, veteran, disability and small business owners are encouraged to register as corporate suppliers to support Trulieve’s operations in 11 states.

March 16, 2022

Posted by Tony Lange

News State by State: Florida State by State: Georgia

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., March 16, 2022 – PRESS RELEASES – Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the United States, launched its nationwide Supplier Diversity Initiative. The initiative provides education and professional development resources, while creating mutually beneficial business relationships with a supplier base reflective of the customers and communities Trulieve serves.

Suppliers nationwide are encouraged to register with Trulieve's supplier database. Through the company's comprehensive Supplier Diversity Initiative, Trulieve will consider all varieties of products and services from marketing and software, to cleaning supplies, training, construction and other ancillary services that support Trulieve's day-to-day operations.

"Trulieve's Supplier Diversity Initiative showcases how cannabis leaders can positively impact local business communities while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the cannabis industry," Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said "As Trulieve broadens its services and operations, we look forward to establishing new professional relationships with diverse business owners who wish to be active participants in this rapidly growing sector."

As corporate members of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Women's Business Enterprise National Council, Small Business Administration, Veterans in Business Network, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and Disability Inclusion, Trulieve is actively seeking partnerships with diverse suppliers by participating with these certifying organizations and attending council events.

In November 2021, Trulieve published its inaugural Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report establishing several long-term Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The Supplier Diversity Initiative is the latest extension of Trulieve's commitment to creating a more inclusive and accessible cannabis industry aligned with the company's ethics and governance standards. Since entering Georgia, Trulieve has already allocated a significant portion of its supplier contracts to local minority, woman and veteran-owned companies—well above the state's recommended 20% diversity threshold.

For more information on Trulieve's Supplier Diversity Program or to register as a supplier, please visit trulieve.quantumsds.com or email Diverse.Partners@Trulieve.com.

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California’s Sonoma County Cuts Taxes for Local Cannabis Farmers

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a measure to slash taxes by 45% to aid the local cannabis industry, which is struggling to survive under county and state tax policies.

March 16, 2022

Melissa Schiller

Grower/Agriculture Legislation and regulation News State by State: California

California’s Sonoma County is cutting taxes for local cannabis farmers in an effort to aid the industry, which is struggling to survive under county and state tax policies.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a measure March 15 to slash local cannabis growers’ taxes by 45%, retroactive to July 2021 and effective through June 2023, according to The Press Democrat.

During this time, county officials will study the benefits and costs of taxing cultivators by gross receipts rather than square footage, the news outlet reported.

“If we don’t take action, we are killing permitted businesses in this county,” James Gore, chair of the board, told The Press Democrat.

The 45% tax reduction could reduce Sonoma County’s projected annual baseline cannabis tax revenue by $1.64 million, according to the news outlet. County staff originally recommended a 10% reduction to ensure reserves in the county’s cannabis fund, but all five supervisors agreed to more substantial tax relief for cannabis farmers as long as the fund could continue to cover operational costs.

Sonoma County is home to 171 licensed cannabis cultivators, The Press Democrat reported, and they are taxed at different rates based on their square footage of outdoor, indoor and mixed light crops.

Local jurisdictions can also charge an excise tax of up to 15%, according to The Press Democrat, and the state taxes growers by the ounce.

California Sen. Mike McGuire has introduced legislation to end the state’s flat-rate cannabis cultivation tax, and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has committed to supporting the bill as long as the state does not reduce the cannabis revenue it earmarks for First 5, the state-chartered organizations that handle local health care and social service issues in early childhood, The Press Democrat reported.

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