The past year has undoubtedly been challenging for cannabis retailers navigating setbacks stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, but 2020 has also allowed for quite a bit of industry growth. Cannabis businesses were deemed essential and allowed to remain open in many states during coronavirus-related shutdowns. Also, several states, including Utah, Missouri and Maine, launched their first medical and adult-use cannabis sales, creating new business opportunities.
Here, we reflect on Cannabis Dispensary’s top 10 most popular articles of 2020 as we head into the New Year.
10. South Dakota Becomes First State to Place Medical and Adult-Use Cannabis Initiatives on Same Ballot
In January, South Dakota became the first state to place medical and adult-use cannabis legalization measures on the same ballot (and in November, it became the first state to have both medical and adult-use legalization approved by voters in the same election). Before Election Day, South Dakota was one of just three states with no legal cannabis program on the books whatsoever. Read more
9. Setting Up Shop in Utah: Q&A with True North’s Mike Standlee
True North secured a cultivation license and two pharmacy licenses in Utah’s nascent medical cannabis market. Cannabis Dispensary spoke with founder Mike Standlee in January about the company’s journey to winning its licenses and its longer-term goals in this new market. Read more
8. BeLeaf Medical Launches Missouri’s First Medical Cannabis Cultivation Operation with More to Come: The Starting Line
In June, St. Louis-based BeLeaf Medical became the first medical cannabis cultivator in Missouri to launch operations. The company holds 10 vertically integrated licenses in the state—three cultivation, two manufacturing and five retail. Read more
7. 8 Danger Signals That All Troubled Dispensaries Have in Common
In a September web column, Scott Yahraus, a leading business builder and conflict resolution specialist with significant expertise in the cannabis industry, outlined why running a profitable cannabis dispensary is not as easy as some entrepreneurs think it will be. From having a weak manager to a poorly thought-out store design, Yahraus shared the common warning signs that indicate a dispensary is in trouble. Read more
6. CBG: A New(er) Option for Cancer Treatment?
In February, pre-clinical studies revealed that cannabigerol (CBG) might be efficacious against several cancer cell lines, without the risk of intoxication. Unlike THC, CBG doesn’t have any great affinity for activating CB1 receptors that cause psychotropic effects. Thus, it doesn’t create a classic cannabis high in consumers—though its psychoactive efficacy may help treat certain mood disorders, including anxiety and depression. Read more
5. Massachusetts Cannabis Industry Braces for Reopening and Relief
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker did not deem adult-use cannabis retailers essential like their medical counterparts when the state’s coronavirus-related shutdown orders took effect at the end of March, leaving non-medical dispensaries shuttered until May. Cannabis Dispensary spoke with cultivators and retailers who were optimistic about shutdown orders expiring and hoping for relief from legislation that aimed to provide state-level assistance to businesses ineligible for federal COVID-19 funds. Read more
4. Cannabis Industry Awaits U.S. House Vote on the MORE Act
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act on Dec. 4. Before that, lawmakers had scheduled a September vote on the bill, which would federally decriminalize cannabis by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act. Although the September vote was ultimately postponed, industry stakeholders noticed the impending vote and shared their perspectives on the legislation with Cannabis Dispensary. Read more
3. Nearly 80% of Illicit-Market Vape Cartridges Collected During Buy-Back Program Were Unfit for Consumption
In late 2019, Platinum partnered with Miramar, Calif.’s Mankind Dispensary to allow customers to exchange illicit-market vapes for a Platinum vape product. Testing on the roughly two dozen surrendered vape cartridges then revealed alarming statistics at the beginning of 2020, as the industry still grappled with the fall 2019 outbreak of vaping-related lung illness. Read more
2. JAR Cannabis Co. Prepares to Launch Adult-Use in Maine with Optimism Despite State’s Setbacks
Adult-use cannabis sales have been a slow-go in Maine, where voters approved adult-use legalization in 2016 and sales finally launched in October of this year. In June, Cannabis Dispensary checked in with JAR Cannabis Co. co-founder Joel Pepin to learn how his team was coping with COVID-19, local ordinances and more while waiting to open shop. Read more
