Vertosa Partners with Pabst Labs to Debut Pabst Blue Ribbon Cannabis-Infused Seltzer

The new THC beverage from the legacy beer brand, infused by Vertosa, is now available in California.

October 19, 2020

Infused Products News State by State: California Dispensary News

OAKLAND, CA (October 19, 2020) – PRESS RELEASE – Hemp and cannabis infusion technology company Vertosa has announced it has teamed with Pabst Labs, the newly formed licensed cannabis company producing ready-to-drink beverages under the iconic Pabst Blue Ribbon name, to develop and launch Pabst Blue Ribbon Cannabis Infused Seltzer. The new non-alcoholic THC beverage infused by Vertosa is now available in a select group of California dispensaries and direct to California consumers via shop.PabstLabs.com.

“We at Vertosa are absolutely thrilled to partner with the historic, legacy American beverage company that is Pabst Blue Ribbon on their Pabst Labs products as they embark on their journey into the cannabis industry,” said Vertosa Chief Innovation Officer Austin Stevenson. “But this is more than a major milestone for our two-year-old company; the launch of Pabst Blue Ribbon Cannabis Infused Seltzer takes the entire cannabis infused beverage market to a whole new level of household name status and accessibility, paving the way for more innovative infused beverages to reach wider audiences.”

Since its inception in 2018, the Oakland, Calif.-based company, which recently announced its expansion into Canada, has quickly become the go-to cannabis and hemp infusion partner for an ever-expanding roster of both mainstream and niche beverage brands from North America to the UK, including VitaCoco, Calexo, Lagunitas Hi-Fi Hops, Viv & Oak wine, and Soul Grind cold brew by Caliva. They currently infuse more than 100 hemp and cannabis products on the market, including two of the top three ready-to-drink brands in California. Vertosa’s team of scientists, led by CSO/Founder Dr. Harold Han, has designed emulsion systems for cannabinoids that are not only water-compatible, but taste great, are highly bioavailable and have a quick onset of less than 10 minutes.

Vertosa’s approach is never one-size-fits all. To infuse the Pabst Blue Ribbon Cannabis Seltzer, they worked diligently and closely with Pabst Labs for months to custom design an infusion solution to fit the PBR intended experience, including flavor, clarity, mouthfeel, stability and compatibility.

Each can of Pabst Blue Ribbon Cannabis Infused Seltzer features 5 mg THC, a responsible dosage designed to make it a go-to drink for both casual and experienced cannabis users. In addition, PBR Cannabis Infused Seltzer is alcohol-free, preservative-free and contains just 4 grams of sugar and 25 calories per can. Lemon Seltzer is the current flavor available, but additional flavors are already in development.

“Though this is a limited initial launch, we’ve had a really enthusiastic and positive response from dispensaries and customers, and are looking forward to a wider roll out in the coming months. For over 175 years the Blue Ribbon has connected fans across generations around its products, and we think customers, new and old, are going to love the chance to experiment with something different from a brand they trust,” said Pabst Labs Brand Manager Mark Faicol.

Harborside Inc. to Acquire Ownership in a San Francisco Dispensary in the Historic Haight-Ashbury District

The acquisition further expands the company's California retail footprint.

October 19, 2020

Posted by Melissa Schiller

Dispensary News

OAKLAND, Calif. and TORONTO, Oct. 19, 2020 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Harborside Inc., a California-focused, vertically-integrated cannabis enterprise, has reached a definitive agreement to acquire 50.1% of the equity of FGW Haight, Inc., a California corporation which has the conditional use approval necessary to operate a cannabis dispensary and related businesses in the Haight Ashbury area of San Francisco, Calif.

The acquisition further expands Harborside's footprint in the state of California, solidifying a strong presence in the historical and culturally significant Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco.

"We're thrilled to be bringing Harborside's reputation for high-quality products and excellent retail experiences to the iconic Haight-Ashbury district," said Peter Bilodeau, chairman and interim CEO of Harborside. "Upon completion of the acquisition, build-out and receipt of all necessary approvals, our latest retail location will seamlessly blend elevated, contemporary-industrial architecture with the best-in-class service and unbeatable product selection that Harborside has become famous for. We're excited to continue engaging with our consumers and delivering strong value for our shareholders."

Under the terms of the agreement, Harborside will pay an aggregate purchase price of USD $2,179,350 (subject to purchase price adjustments) based on a post build-out and proforma working capital enterprise value of USD $4,350,000. The purchase price will be comprised of: (a) USD $1,265,000 as consideration for convertible notes of FGW entitling the company to such number of underlying shares equal to 29.1% of the shares; and (b) the balance of the purchase price in multiple voting shares valued at CAD$125 per MVS as consideration to certain selling shareholders of FGW for 21% of the issued and outstanding shares.

Harborside has also agreed to purchase an additional 29.9% of the issued and outstanding shares to get to an 80% ownership of FGW, subject to regulatory approvals. The aggregate purchase price for the subsequent shares will be USD $1,300,650, which will be satisfied in MVS valued at the greater of: (i) the 30 day VWAP of the subordinate voting shares of the company on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) at the time of issuance less a discount multiplied by 100; (ii) C$150 per MVS; or (iii) such other price as may be approved by the CSE .

Lastly, Harborside will also have a right of first refusal to purchase, in its discretion, in whole or in part and in one or more closings, the remaining 20% of the shares, subject to regulatory approvals.

The acquisition is subject to certain material closing conditions, including approvals from regulatory authorities and the CSE. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed on the current terms or at all. Closing of the acquisition is expected to occur on or before Oct. 31, 2020.

HIA Files New Lawsuit Against DEA, Hawaii Farmers Transitioning to USDA Program: Week in Review

This is the second lawsuit against the DEA from HIA and RE Botanicals, who allege the agency is overstepping its authority with its proposed hemp regulations.

October 17, 2020

Theresa Bennett

This week, the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) and RE Botanicals filed another lawsuit against the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for its new interim final rule on hemp. Meanwhile, the state of Hawaii has announced it will be transferring licensing responsibilities to the USDA.

Here are this week’s top headlines you might have missed.

National: The HIA and RE Botanicals have filed another lawsuit against the DEA, alleging the agency is attempting to unlawfully regulate products derived from lawful hemp by misinterpreting the 2018 Farm Bill. Read more
Meanwhile, Vote Hemp President Eric Steenstra spoke with Hemp Grower about how the upcoming election could affect hemp. Read more
Colorado: The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture program has granted Colorado State University Pueblo $275,000 to develop its Industrial Hemp Education, Agriculture and Research (InHEAR) program. Read more
Hawaii: After two recent attempts to enact a law governing hemp production in the state, the legislature kicked oversight and licensing to the USDA earlier this year starting Nov. 1. Read more
Louisiana: A multi-disciplinary team of seven North American universities and federal laboratories, led by Dr. Jeb Fields at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, is seeking input from growers and growing media manufacturers/suppliers across the continent, representing multiple sectors and demographics, to identify needed innovations and constraints when producing specialty crops with soilless substrates. Read more
North Carolina: Avient Biosciences officially launched its 200,000-square-foot industrial hemp research and extraction facility in North Carolina’s Research Triangle region this week. Read more

Connecticut capitol building.

sframe | Adobe Stock

Connecticut Gets New Hemp Regulations Aligned with 2018 Farm Bill

While Congress recently passed a pilot program extension, Connecticut is moving forward with the regulations states will have to follow by 2021.

October 17, 2020

Theresa Bennett

While it’s likely that farmers will have one more year to operate under their pilot programs after Congress passed an extension through 2021, some states are moving forward anyway.

One of those is Connecticut. Gov. Ned Lamont recently signed a bill to revise the state’s program to comply with the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill).

The state’s new hemp plan is still under review by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

One of the main revisions of the program is changing the license fee structure for producers. Under the old law, growers paid $50 per acre of planned hemp plantings; now, fees are $450 for the first acre of planned hemp production and $30 for each additional acre (rounded to the nearest acre) with a cap at $3,000.

Manufacturer license fees have also increased to $75 for filing an application, up from $50, and $375 for a license, up from $250.

The new law also extends the licensing period for producers and manufacturers from two to three years. In addition, it also removes the set $250 fine for producing hemp without a license and instead makes it an infraction, which is typically punishable by fines of between $35 to $90, plus a surcharge and additional fee based on the amount of the fine. The new law does, however, does maintain the set $250 fine amount for manufacturers operating without a license.

The law also eliminates the requirement that hemp growers only use certified seeds. Read the full legislation below.

Connecticut began its pilot program in June of 2019. That year, the state had licensed 82 hemp growers and two processors. That number increased slightly this year to 109 licensed growers and 10 processor licenses, according to data obtained by Hemp Grower.

CT Hemp Law by Tess Bennett on Scribd

hanohiki | Adobe Stock

Michigan Governor Signs Expungement Bill Into Law, Illinois Collects More than $100 Million in Cannabis Tax Revenue: Week in Review

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation into law this week that will automatically expunge criminal records for those convicted of certain cannabis-related offenses.

October 17, 2020

Melissa Schiller

Dispensary News Cultivation Hemp International Legislation and regulation Medical Cannabis News State by State: Colorado State by State: Massachusetts State by State: Michigan State by State: Missouri State by State: Mississippi State by State: New Mexico State by State: Illinois State by State: D.C.

This week, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed multiple “clean slate” bills into law that will automatically expunge criminal records for those convicted of certain cannabis-related offenses. Elsewhere, in Illinois, the state announced that the first eight months of adult-use cannabis sales have generated more than $100 million in tax revenue.

Here, we’ve rounded up the 10 headlines you need to know before this week is over.

Federal: A multi-disciplinary team of seven North American universities and federal laboratories, led by Dr. Jeb Fields at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, is seeking input from growers and growing media manufacturers/suppliers across the continent, representing multiple sectors and demographics, to identify needed innovations and constraints when producing specialty crops with soilless substrates. The United States Department of Agriculture Specialty Crops Research Initiative awarded the researchers a planning grant, which the group plans to use to reimagine and redefine soilless substrate science to better meet the expanding range of crops and productions systems that are transitioning from traditional field soils into soilless substrates. Read more
Colorado: The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture program has granted Colorado State University Pueblo $275,000 to develop its Industrial Hemp Education, Agriculture and Research (InHEAR) program. CSU Pueblo started offering a Bachelor of Science in Cannabis Biology and Chemistry degree this fall, and the grant will allow the school to expand this degree to include hemp agriculture beginning in the fall of 2021. Read more
Massachusetts: A judge has sided with Cambridge, Mass., in the latest ruling in a lawsuit over the city’s cannabis ordinance, which bars existing medical cannabis operators from receiving adult-use cannabis licenses for two years in order to prioritize social equity applicants. Revolutionary Clinics, a licensed medical cannabis dispensary in Cambridge, sued the city over the two-year licensing delay, and while a judge sided with the company in January, Associate Justice Diana Maldonado has now ruled in favor of Cambridge. Read more
Michigan: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed multiple “clean slate” bills into law this week that will automatically expunge criminal records for those convicted of certain cannabis-related offenses. The new law will automatically clear the records of those convicted of cannabis-related offenses that would not have been considered a crime after Dec. 6, 2018, when Michigan legalized adult-use cannabis, although it does not apply to felony convictions that carried a sentence of 10 years or more. Read more
Missouri: The state is inching closer to launching its first medical cannabis sales as EKG Labs, the state’s first licensed testing facility, is testing cannabis for BeLeaf Medical, the state’s first licensed cultivator. BeLeaf co-founder John Curtis told St. Louis Public Radio that while the initial batch submitted to EKG is not large enough to stock dispensary shelves, he expects to send a second batch for testing and have product ready for sale at BeLeaf’s store within the next couple of weeks. Read more
Mississippi: Gov. Tate Reeves has signed legislation that allows the state’s patients to access FDA-approved cannabis medications. The move comes weeks before voters head to the polls to decide on two competing ballot measures that would legalize medical cannabis in the state. Read more
New Mexico: Ultra Health, a New Mexico cannabis company, has successfully filed a Writ of Mandamus against the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) asking the court to rescind an NMDOH mandate that added additional requirements for reciprocal patients to participate in the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program. Santa Fe District Court Judge Matthew Wilson prepared the Writ and signed it on Oct. 13, invalidating the NMDOH mandate and Emergency Rule that attempted to disallow qualified reciprocal participants from accessing New Mexico’s Medical Cannabis Program. Read more
Illinois: The first eight months of adult-use cannabis sales in Illinois have generated more than $100 million in tax revenue. Total adult-use sales have reached more than $431 million since launching in January, reaching a new monthly record of nearly $68 million in September. Read more
Washington, D.C.: D.C. councilmembers have introduced a bill that would allow returning citizens to work in the medical cannabis industry. The legislation would repeal a rule included in the Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Initiative of 1999 that prevents anyone with a felony conviction or misdemeanor cannabis offense from working at a medical cannabis cultivation center or dispensary. Read more
International: Colombia’s legislature is discussing several initiatives that seek to regulate production and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes among adults, and the Congress of Colombia has advanced two bills that would regulate adult-use cannabis. On Sept. 16, the first committee of the Lower House approved the first debate with a narrow vote of 18-17, allowing the first bill to move forward to the plenary of the Lower House. Separately, a group of 38 lawmakers of the opposition and the center-right parties led by Sens. Gustavo Bolivar and Luis Fernando Velasco submitted a second congressional bill that aims to regulate marijuana production and consumption. Read more

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