As 2019 comes to a close, so does another year of cannabis features and b2b journalism at Cannabis Business Times. Here, the CBT editors take a look back on their favorite stories this year and reflect on what they liked best.
Noelle Skodzinski, Editorial Director
Vaping-Related Lung Illness Web Coverage
The vape crisis was a harsh and sad blow to the industry (not to mention to the victims' families), especially while the causes behind the related deaths and thousands of illnesses remained unclear. CBT editors worked tirelessly and closely as a team to explore every theory and possibility, bringing together vape experts, scientists and other industry leaders to examine all potentialities. It also aimed to help clarify for industry businesses what they could do to educate their customers about the realities of the dire situation and how to help the industry and its patients and consumers move forward, safely. Read more
Michelle Simakis, Editor
Going Public Series – Business Feature, July 2019 & August 2019
This year saw the continued easing of global cannabis regulations and the ratcheting-up of competition, and industry leaders everywhere scrambled to fortify their market positions by creating full-service organizations through the acquisition of synergistic products, licenses, locations and expertise. 2019 was an even bigger year for cannabis stocks, which raised questions about how ready most cannabis companies are to go public, what that truly entails and whether every cannabis company should go public. CBT contributor Paul Barbagallo sought to answer some of these questions in a special two-part series.
Read Part I here
And Part II here
Jonathan Katz, Managing Editor
The Science Void – Cover Story, September 2019
“Bad science” has plagued the cannabis industry, leading to incorrect assumptions about plant growth and disease. This feature article takes on some commonly held misperceptions in the industry and separates good science from bad science. It includes an in-depth look at a mysterious condition that some people in the industry refer to as “dudders” and calls into question some of the science behind its existence. Read more
Brian MacIver, Senior Editor
Diversify & Differentiate – Cover Story, October 2019
Brothers Nathan and Aaron Howard co-founded East Fork Cultivars to help their ailing brother, Wesley, who lived with neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition that causes tumors to form on nerve tissue such as the brain, spinal column and nerves. After their brother’s passing, they, along with company CEO Nathan Walker, navigated the treacherous cannabis industry waters during the nascent industry’s most volatile period to date. This story shares the lessons they learned, the friends they lost, and what it takes to find yourself in this vast world. Read more
Andrea Sparr-Jaswa, Science Editor
Sativa vs. Indica – Guest Column, October 2019
In this continuation of the conversation around the indica-sativa debate, director of agronomy services at Agrios Global Holdings, Dr. Curtis Livesay, evidences recent research as he makes the case for moving past this conflicted classification system once and for all. Livesay's work was brought to life in a subsequent discussion between the author and CBT in one of the publication’s most successful webinars to date. Read more
