Tabla de contenidos para Summer 2020 en Cannabis & Tech Today

The legal marijuana business is booming. A multi-billion-dollar industry in the United States, there are now 11 states (12 if you include Washington D.C.) as of 2020 that have legalized recreational cannabis — and these states are all profiting tremendously off the sales. In Colorado alone, the state’s revenue reached the $1 billion mark in early 2019 after only five years of legalization. Bringing in over $6 billion in total sales, it is a monstrous megalith of an industry. For many, these are extremely exciting figures. Legal cannabis has been something that countless groups of American citizens have been fighting for since cannabis was first prohibited in the 1920s. With a long history of being vilified and criminalized, progressives have pushed their local and federal governments towards legalizing a plant…

There have been some big things going on in the world lately and it is moving quickly. To some this may seem, as former Nabisco executives were fond of saying, a “BGO,” or Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious. At the time of writing, 9 million reported cases of COVID-19 and almost 500,000 deaths have been reported globally, social unrest and protest is everywhere, and supertankers are floating all over the ocean full of oil that cannot be sold. But, when you consider that progress on cannabis legality and acceptance has been moving at a glacial pace over the past hundred years or so, this past March proved to be seismic. Legal cannabis access was deemed an “essential service” in 11 states and Canada. These declarations were more than just public…

“I’ve had many patients bring this up when it comes to COVID-19 and whether we should change that,” says Dr. Jordan Tishler, a Boston-based cannabis specialist, physician, and founder of InhaleMD who counsels patients about using cannabis to treat various medical ailments. He is referring to patients’ worries about smoking cannabis during COVID-19 due to the potential impact inhaling cannabis can have on a patient’s lungs, given that the virus attacks those organs. But, he says, there is a bigger consideration. “I don’t think anyone should smoke this stuff. When smoking cannabis, we know the smoke from it is chemically similar [to cigarette smoke],” says Tishler. However, he also admits scientists have conducted many studies of cannabis smokers who never developed lung-related ailments. So, with the advent of COVID-19, will…

Enhanced farming practices, robust yields, and the development of precision genetics wouldn’t be possible without research. The Greeley area has embraced collaborative research initiatives, like those produced by New Horizon Agro (NHA) and their Evolving Research Farm. The farm spans more than 500 acres and serves as a cooperative research center. Co-op members can test and research the latest agronomic practices to maximize profitability and yield. Collaboration Breeds Innovation Co-Founder of NHA Artie Elmquist shared his inspiration for starting the cooperative: “I got a degree in General Agriculture and graduated from [Colorado State University] in December of ‘87, came back to the family farm. In 2015, I was invited to my first NoCo Hemp Expo and decided my future didn’t lie in traditional agricultural farming. “Being a lifelong sugar beet…

Before Vantage Hemp Co. formed in December of 2018, the leadership team debated about where they would open their facilities. After looking at options across Canada and the United States, they decided on Colorado. “Colorado is well known for the cannabis and hemp industry,” says Harvinder Johal, Vantage Hemp Co. Partner. “That’s where the resources, suppliers, and customers already are. It really kind of became a natural fit.” From their base of operations in Greeley, Colorado, Vantage Hemp Co. — a scientifically-driven CBD extractor — works with large institutional clients such as pharmaceutical companies and retailers around the country and internationally. For the Vantage Hemp Co. team, Greeley’s biggest draw was its rich agricultural history and opportunity for the growing hemp industry. “The Greeley City Council has a keen interest…

DaVinci’s IQ2 portable, dual-use vaporizer provides cooler vapor and precision temperature control for the ultimate in customizable consumption. Track your dose per draw with IQ2’s LED light grid display, plus refine your temperature, determine your length of draw, and track your battery level with industry-leading precision. Now available in onyx, graphite, amethyst, and cobalt. $295 Planetarie’s CBDa Topical Salve believes less is more. Made with minimal ingredients and sourced from high-quality hemp, this salve combines CBDa with organic beeswax and Golden Jojoba to offer a natural, luscious topical. Water extraction ensures only the purest ingredients come in contact with the body’s largest organ — your skin. $80 The Python Series from Tom’s Tumbler offers some of the fastest dry trimming technology available on the market. The Python Series trims 12,000…

Events are undergoing a digital transformation and attendees are reaping the rewards, enjoying all the benefits of walking around a crowded conference hall without the inconvenience or claustrophobia. Why not jump into the action from your couch or home office? The Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference will wow attendees September 8-10, while offering an additional 90 days of access to extended sessions and bonus materials. Whole Plant Expo Online will infiltrate the information superhighway October 1 – November 30 with more than 100 speakers. CannaCosmo Health & Beauty Virtual Expo takes place September 29-30 and CannaVest USA Virtual Expo will connect investors to startups November 17-18. HAVE YOU ATTENDED ANY VIRTUAL EVENTS THIS YEAR? WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK! What did you like? What would you have changed? If an event offered…

It’s been an eventful few months since our spring issue featuring Al Harrington hit newsstands. Much has happened around the world and we’ve had some exciting developments at Cannabis & Tech Today, as well. The publication launched its very own podcast, Cannabis Tech Talks, to unexpected acclaim. Hosted by various members of staff, Cannabis Tech Talks dives into unexplored facets of cannabis innovation, speaking with industry leaders and emerging innovators pioneering the space. The 2020 Nichee Awards recognized our humble efforts and awarded us the “Best Podcast” of the year during their virtual award show in May. Check it out for yourself at cannatechtoday.com/podcasts/ or on Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or wherever you find your podcasts. Our sister publication Innovation & Tech Today hired a new managing editor, Joe Toppe. His background…

While owning a cannabis business sounds glamorous, there are certain elements no one looks forward to. Inspections and licensing are one such area, often riddled with red tape and inconvenient paperwork. However, without the wonderful world of inspections, the legal cannabis industry would be a dangerous, dirty, unreliable world — particularly for consumers. Since the inspection process is unavoidable, what are some of the key considerations when preparing for an inspector’s visit? While every state has its own standards, there are a few commonalities shared by most jurisdictions. First, be aware that it’s standard practice for a cannabis business to work with a variety of inspectors and auditors. Entities such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the state licensing body, insurance companies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), fire…

The United States was once a hotbed of hemp innovation. Since the 17th century, American farmers and homesteaders planted hemp as an industrial crop to make rope, sails, clothing, paper, and thousands of other products. For hemp enthusiasts and CBD fans, the story of hemp in America is a familiar one. After being made illegal as a Schedule I drug thanks to the 1970 Controlled Substances Act, it’s been a long fight for activists who have been trying to bring back this once invaluable crop. Finally, in late 2018, hemp was made federally legal and removed from the list of scheduled drugs. Now, only two years later, the United States is the third-largest producer of hemp in the world, behind China and Canada. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the U.S.…

Do cucumbers prefer blue light during flowering? How is the chemical profile of a cannabis plant influenced by the duration of exposure to infrared light? Believe it or not, these are the kinds of questions farmers often find themselves asking. As cannabis research has amped up, cultivators are starting to find the answers they need through scientific research. Lighting impacts plant quality, harvest size, and flavor profiles, so it makes sense that many indoor growers are creating light strategies for each cultivar. The more precise the lighting, the more consistent the outcome. This consistency is crucial for medical cannabis. When a patient is taking several different medications and then introduces cannabis into that regimen, physicians need the chemical profiles of the plant to be the same for every dose. If…

Whether you run a brick-n-mortar storefront or an e-commerce site, the past few months have likely altered your business in profound ways. Tens of millions of people across the globe have tested positive for COVID-19 and those numbers continue to rise. The economic impact is still being tallied and many businesses are trying to adapt — offering online purchasing options, contactless delivery, and curbside pickup. It doesn’t take an in-depth analysis to see that in-store sales have diminished while online revenue has increased. Just look at the grocery store. Online grocery orders for pasta grew by nearly 700% from the previous year, according to Statista’s market research. As consumer behavior has shifted, business owners have shifted, too. For cannabis suppliers, the “essential” designation from lawmakers meant a rapid change from…

To say the cannabis industry is at a unique juncture in history would be an understatement, wouldn’t it? A global pandemic and worldwide recession – both unforeseen nine months ago – have government leaders looking for ways to create new jobs and replace lost tax revenue. Decades of racism and unfair treatment by the legal system have caused dissatisfaction among many Americans and led to social unrest across the country. The prospect of these conditions resolving anytime soon seems to grow more remote every day. The National Association of Cannabis Businesses (NACB) is wrestling with these issues just like you. As an organization dedicated to advancing sound public policy and responsible business practices, we spend every working moment on initiatives to help our members and future members cope with these…

Driving through Northern Colorado, one can’t help but notice the striking contrast between the white-capped mountain ranges towering in the distance and the lush, green fields spanning into the horizon on either side of I-25. It’s a region that in recent years has become synonymous with hemp, thanks in no small part to the annual NoCo Hemp Expo that’s been taking place there since 2014. The event is now the world’s largest hemp conference and exposition and draws thousands of global visitors to Northern Colorado every year. Cultivation It’s not the expo that’s brought in hemp cultivation, rather it’s Northern Colorado’s unique pairing of pristine soil, ideal climate, and forward-thinking local governments that offer regional farmers a dreamscape for industrial agriculture. Nearly a quarter of all industrial hemp produced in…

Globally, the industrial hemp market was estimated at $4.7 billion in 2019, according to Grand View Research. Greeley and Northern Colorado are poised to play a major role in the sector, hosting several manufacturing companies that are working collaboratively to produce a vast array of products. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle ReBlocks, a building block manufacturer, is working with hemp stalks and recycled plastic to produce building materials. Their building kits are available in different sizes and layouts, with each kit preventing more than 15,000 pounds of plastic from entering the landfill. Though ReBlocks only needs the fibrous component of hemp, ReBlocks Director of Sales and Marketing Adam Dietrich is focused on collaboration. “We want to have partnerships in which we share that overhead and really work toward a group think, where…

This year, 49% of B2B marketers are replacing live events with webinars in response to the pandemic, according to data analytics company Statista. It’s not a pivot that’s been easy to do. Most event planners are focused on customer experience, lining up all-star speakers, and hosting in the best possible location for their demographics. If one had to choose between attending a conference in Burlington, Vermont or Las Vegas, Nevada, most would be inclined to choose Las Vegas because of it’s relatively centralized geographic location, affordable air fares, and abundance of after-hour activities. Platforms Are the New Location Now that event location is irrelevant, the focus has shifted to which platform will offer the most engaging experience and the highest return on investment for both attendees and exhibitors. In an…

When cities and states began to initiate stay-at-home orders in the middle of March, so many things were uncertain. While most recreational and medical cannabis businesses were deemed essential and allowed to stay open, it was unclear how successful business would be. Here, we’re breaking down those early days of quarantine, looking at the month of March and a very unique 4/20 to see how businesses fared when COVID-19 hit. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, as you’ll see this year’s 4/20 did not quite live up to last year’s. However, with people stuck inside for weeks on end, the general uptick in cannabis sales isn’t all too surprising. Check out the stats below. Percentage sales growth of March 16, 2020 compared to March 16, 2019 Cannabis Retail Statistics…

When President Donald Trump signed the $2.2 trillion CARES Act on March 27, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, a multi-billion-dollar industry was left out in the cold. With recreational marijuana legalized in 11 states and medicinal cannabis permitted in another 33, the cannabis industry is a bustling enterprise both in the United States and globally. In 2019, Barclay’s released a report estimating that if legalized today, the marijuana industry would generate $28 billion in pre-tax dollars and $41 billion by 2028. And that’s just pot. CBD products are expected to add another $2.1 billion to the till in 2020, roughly the same amount United Airlines reported it lost in the Q1 of 2020 due to the coronavirus. Despite the ever-increasing number of states permitting recreational and medicinal marijuana…

It wasn’t long ago when cannabis events were considered rare. Historically, the events were dedicated to protesting prohibition policies, and in some cases, included musical entertainment. That all changed in the last decade thanks to cannabis reform victories. While protest-based cannabis events are still vital to the continued success of the cannabis reform movement, professional cannabis industry events in legal jurisdictions are more common now. When I started the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) series in 2014 in California, which I am proud to say is the longest-running cannabis B2B event in the state, industry events were hard to find. Now, and towards the latter part of the last decade, in-person cannabis events are being held all over the globe. Though in-person events can be very fun and fulfilling for…

How can you garner more attention for your brand? Even when a company has a fascinating background, technology, or IP, catching the eye of the media can be difficult. However, media coverage doesn’t have to be elusive. When publishers and content creators are wading through story ideas, the primary question they’re asking is, “Does this provide value to my readers?” Value can mean many things to many people. That’s why Cannabis & Tech Today turned to a recent ‘Meet the Press’ roundtable hosted by Cannabis LAB (CLAB) to reveal how businesses and PR professionals can add value to their proposals and widen their exposure. This session was moderated by Charles Felix, owner of Cannabis News Florida. Charles Felix: What does “value” mean to you? Editor-in-Chief of Cannabis & Tech Today…

Hemp has some incredible properties. Not the least of which is its ability to pull heavy metals and other contaminants from the soil. It’s one of few crops that will leave the soil in better shape, albeit lacking some nutrients, than when it was planted. Further, hemp seed genetics are increasingly important as farmers strive to grow fields with high concentrations of specific cannabinoids, like CBD or CBG. They must also be low in THC or risk destruction by the federal government for exceeding limits set in the 2018 Farm Bill. Northern Colorado is pushing the boundaries of soil and genetics research, propelling the industry into center stage for industrial agriculture. Soil Science Healthy plants start with living soils. In Greeley, many farmers are using a unique product known as…

When it comes to cannabis cultivation, patience is a virtue. This is especially true when it comes to the curing process. After many months of careful tending during the life cycle of the plant, the harvested buds endure another several weeks of drying and curing before the cannabis can finally be consumed. Tracee McAfee and Greg Baughman knew there had to be a better way. The Michigan-based caregivers had been enjoying Baughman’s homegrown bounties for many moons when McAfee wondered, “How can we enjoy this beautiful bud right off the stalk?” Devoted followers of “Guru of Ganja” Ed Rosenthal, they thought back to one of the famed cultivator’s books in which he mentioned freeze-dried marijuana as some of the best he had ever consumed. “We figured, well, if Ed said…

Every summer I reacquaint myself with the taste of berries, melons, and tomatoes at their peak of ripeness. Summer fruits burst with sweetness and flavor. The difference is quite remarkable. If you can manage it, eating seasonally is good for you and good for the planet. Currently, the planet needs all the help it can get. We all do. These are crazy days. I don’t know about you, but cannabis has been a friend during these worrisome times. Behind our masks, we have sad, scared faces, along with lots of stress and anxiety. It’s been tough, hang in there, and be woke. #DontFearTheEdible Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta with Goat Cheese Bruschetta is a perfect way to use leftover bread and showcase foods at their peak of freshness. Tomato-basil is one…

They say that “Necessity is the mother of invention.” I would like to add a corollary to that adage. How about: “Cannabis is the mother of innovation”? Cannabis has been sparking invention and innovation since before the first stoner looked in the fridge and created a salty, sweet, savory snack from whatever disparate ingredients were found therein. Seriously. If you’ve never made a grilled hot link and peanut butter sandwich with a maple honey dipping sauce, or a Cap’n Crunch and Chipotle Tabasco marshmallow treat, you aren’t getting high enough. And now I’m hungry. Hang on while I get a snack… Where was I? Ah yes. Here we go: Cannabis innovation isn’t confined to the culinary arts. From music to science to everything in between, stoners have always been creating…