Tabla de contenidos para Spring 2021 en Cannabis & Tech Today

One of the most serious issues facing cannabis licensees, regulators, and the public is fraud. The most common type of fraud is misreporting cannabis inventory, with management or employees either ignoring internal control and government regulations, or sidestepping them in the name of profit. Fraud in compliance auditing relates mainly to the operations of the licensee, but also to fraudulent reporting on compliance issues. Instances of non-compliance with authorities may constitute deliberate misuse of a license to grow, process, or sell cannabis for improper benefits. Improper benefits are advantages of a non-economic or economic nature gained by an intentional act by one or more individuals among management, those charged with governance, employees, or third parties. Planning and factors that contribute to fraud include: • Poor internal controls • Management override…

Hemp bioplastics are amazing, but there are barriers to implementation. According to Hemp Magazine, petroleum-based polypropylene pellets fluctuated between $1.00-$1.15 per pound in 2018. If hemp plastics were to compete with petroleum plastics, the price per pound would need to be no more than $1.27 per pound. Market prices for hemp plastic that year were $2.35 per pound. In North America, most hemp fiber used in manufacturing is imported from Europe. New Frontier Data reported more than 100 million pounds have crossed the Atlantic since 2015. Until domestic cultivation can match demand, the cost of shipping will continue to drive up prices. The hemp industry must create an infrastructure to support large-scale processing, build relationships with established manufacturers, and expand its agricultural footprint before bioplastics can become an affordable reality.…

Here’s an interesting fact for your next Zoom call “ice breaker,” an 800-pound cow will produce about 100 pounds of poop a day. There are about 9 million dairy cows in the United States at any given time, producing about 900 million pounds of poop a day. Second in volume only to the House and Senate. It’s a lot of poop, and of course one of the results of their waste is methane. Before we all get on our Impossible Burger soapboxes, there are technologies available today that are harvesting the power of cow poop to help capture methane gasses, recycle water for farms, and even create fertilizer that is cleaner and more abundant than peat moss and other fertilizer components. Yes, there is a peat moss shortage. Peat moss…

As New York continues to slow-step its way towards adult-use legalization, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing a unique system for taxing cannabis based on potency. Assuming the Democratic governor succeeds in his latest attempt to legalize recreational marijuana, New York would be the first state to levy a tax based on milligrams of THC. States typically base taxes on retail price, not the pot’s potency. Taxing adult-use cannabis is part of Gov. Cuomo’s plan to dig New York out of its hole. The state is facing a multi-billion-dollar budget gap after the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the economy. Meanwhile, the weed industry is on fire. Legal cannabis sales jumped more than $7 billion nationwide last year, to $17.9 billion, according to Leafly.com. In his State of the State Address on Jan.…

State governments are worried about cannabis companies. Will they follow regulations? Are they abiding state laws — and if not, how can the state regain losses from fees or fines caused by the company’s failures? This is where surety bonds come in. Most states require cannabis companies to carry a surety bond to secure their operating license. It acts as a contract between three parties: the business owner, the bond provider, and the state. What is a Surety Bond? A surety bond agreement is a financial guarantee that the company will follow regulations. If the company makes a mistake that costs the state money, the state can make a claim to the bond provider. Once the money is paid, the business owner must repay the bond provider. This all seems…

Building a cultivation facility can seem like a daunting task, but with the right team of construction industry experts, it can be a much smoother process. As Michigan’s marijuana footprint expands, investing in design services early in the project planning process, even prior to purchasing any property, can prevent costly problems later due to flaws in the facility design. Many cultivators realize this in hindsight. So, how exactly can an architect help? A building has so many parts and pieces that it’s important to have a dedicated leader to coordinate. The architect is the glue that connects the parts into the whole. Looking at a cultivation facility in its simplest form, the architect coordinates the work of many different disciplines, including but not limited to, surveying, civil engineering, MEPS engineering…

Your mom smokes weed. It’s not even a joke anymore; it’s a fact. Your mom goes into dispensaries and Gen Z’s TikTok-hop around offering well-informed advice on how to use CBD for arthritis, and which strain to use to make her husband (your dad) want to have sex with her (you’re welcome). Do you know what is a joke? The cannabis strain names offered to this sweet woman who shoved your enormous head from her precious, powerful temple. The thing is, friend, the strain isn’t always indicative of how the cannabis will make you feel. Sometimes a strain is named after people — like Jack Herer, the legend — or places, like Kush in the Himalayas. Or how they smell (Lemon OG, Cheese, etc.), but rarely are they named for…

Cannabis is an extroverted plant, thriving in group settings, known for sparking debate and creating lasting bonds. With the pandemic, we’re living in the age of Zoom meetings and social distancing and the cannabis community is having to adjust to a virtual, online world. However, this hasn’t stopped cannabis from bringing our community closer together — we’ve just had to adapt. At Cannabis & Tech Today we’ve been hard at work envisioning innovative ways to engage with our readers, which includes exciting projects and virtual events. The cannabis community is incredibly resilient; more screen time and less face-to-face interaction isn’t going to falter our growth. FRESH FACES & NEW IDEAS When we rang in the new year, our publication’s resolution was to build a stronger relationship with our readers. We’ve…

When buying cannabis, customers have a growing desire for cultivation transparency and organic products. But, it’s not just customers who should be interested in organic crops. Cultivators benefit financially from offering premium products… but, it’s not as easy as it seems to grow organically. There are a few things you should know before making the switch from traditional farming practices to organic cultivation. Be Aware of Pesky Contaminants Kim Stuck, founder and CEO of Allay Consulting, a nationwide compliance strategy and services provider, works with companies that cultivate THC cannabis, hemp, and now psilocybin, to make sure best practices are being followed. Stuck mentions that the most common mishap she sees is companies not realizing that contaminants could materialize in any part of the growing process. Due to hemp naturally…

More than 100 million people – about one-third of the U.S. – have now or will soon have legal access to cannabis. As legal cannabis booms, there is an unprecedented opportunity to ensure people in communities disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition can participate in and benefit from this industry. The National Association of Cannabis Businesses (NACB) is a national advocate for responsible, inclusive programs aimed at creating these social equity opportunities. Our recent strategies include: Sharing a Social Equity Roadmap with State Lawmakers NACB released Social Equity Guidelines to help lawmakers jumpstart social equity programs. The Guidelines cover best practices and keys to success from diverse social equity approaches already in place. Using this roadmap, states can leverage the legal marijuana industry to foster new minority-owned businesses, thousands of jobs,…

The legal cannabis industry and the vegan food industry have arguably had the best glow-ups of the last five years. Speaking from my personal experience, I can confidently say 2021 will be a great year for both vegans and cannabis users. With these two industries exploding in popularity, innovation, and accessibility, it was only a matter of time before they collided. The demand for vegan-friendly products is at an all-time high and brands across the world are taking notice. Companies of all kinds – food, beauty, furniture, fashion – are taking steps to ensure their products are vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable for the environment. Cannabis brands are no exception. Many cannabis companies are now offering vegan edible selections that are appealing to an audience that abstains from eating any animal…

Plant-medicine is currently all the rage. From supplements to extracts to fine powders, plant-based medicine is being hailed as the new trendy superfood. Since the dawn of time, humans have relied on Mother Nature to heal wounds, provide relief, and even get high. That said, it has still taken years of education and research to reduce the negative stigma of more controversial plants, like cannabis. With cannabis now being legalized in some international markets and medical professionals finally starting to recognize it as medicine, people are starting to reexamine other maligned plants as well. Psilocybin, the main psychedelic ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” is gaining widespread popularity. Breakthrough scientific research around the compound’s therapeutic potential led several cities (Portland, Denver, Oakland) to decriminalize mushrooms containing psilocybin. Researchers at John Hopkins Medicine…

Abundant apple blossoms, plentiful herds of white-tailed deer, and over 3,000 miles of freshwater shoreline are just a few of Michigan’s notable attractions. The Great Lakes State is also the second-most agriculturally diverse state in the nation. Thanks to the 2018 Michigan Taxation and Regulation of Marihuana Act (sic), cannabis is now a growing part of their agricultural abundance. With more than 40% of the state covered in water, it’s a wonder Michiganders (Michiganians?) are able to produce so many agricultural commodities. Michigan exports more than 300 commodities commercially, second in diversity only to California. With 10 million acres of farmland, the production of hemp and cannabis is already expanding the state’s impressive agricultural offerings. The legalization of recreational cannabis sales is predicted to have some exciting effects on the…

In less than a decade, Gilbert “Berner” Milam Jr., has turned his COOKIES brand into a half-a-billion dollar a year enterprise. He isn’t a tech mogul turned cannabis enthusiast. He doesn’t come from a long history of money or connections. Berner is a hard-working rapper and former budtender who loves weed. Berner started his cannabis career working in dispensaries in the San Francisco Bay Area and quickly became the go-to connection for rappers seeking luxury buds. Berner once hand-delivered a five-foot-tall plant to Wiz Khalifa during a live set. The stunt made an impression. It wasn’t long after that Khalifa signed Berner to his record label, Taylor Gang Records, in 2012. A year later, he trademarked “COOKIES SF” as a manufacturer of t-shirts and sweatshirts, which allowed him to hang…

When Dr. Chanda Macias was studying breast and prostate cancer, she already knew cannabis could slow the progression of the disease. What she didn’t understand was why a life-saving medication could land patients in prison. This revelation altered the course of her career, taking her across the globe to study natural medicines and advocate for patient access. In 2015, Macias became the first African American woman in the United States to receive a medical marijuana dispensary license. She founded the National Holistic Healing Center in Washington, D.C., before taking over leadership of Ilera Holistic Healthcare (IHH) in Louisiana as its CEO. IHH is a medical cannabis cultivation and processing company working in partnership with Southern University (SU). It is one of only two licensed medical cannabis providers in the state.…

1 Stratos Slow Burn Joints – $14 2 Terp Timer by Octave – $149 3 USDA Certified Organic Full Spectrum Hemp Extract by Aspen Green – $55-$145. 4 K20 by The Packaging Company – Call for pricing or visit www.sativapower.com. 5 CompactDry Plates by Hardy Diagnostics – Pricing varies, to learn more visit https://hardydiagnostics.com/cannabis/. 1 Customized Plastic Packaging from Alpha Packaging – to learn more, visit https://www.alphap.com. 2 CAPS by COOKIES – $55. 3 ePac Flexible Packaging – Free quotes available at www.epacflexibles.com/quote-request. 4 Precision Batching Equipment by Green Vault Systems – $130,400. Complete Precision Batcher: $275,000 5 MPAK Spray Dispenser by Packaging Concepts Associate Holdings – Call for pricing. 1 Eossi Beauty Facial Glow Oil #8 – $50. 2 Facility Design Services by Surna – Visit www.surna.com to review…

Winter Emerge 2020 Virtual Cannabis Conference & Expo: December 15 - 17 Weed + Grub Clio Cannabis Awards: December 15-17, 2020 This high-profile event is one of the most anticipated annual presentations in the cannabis space. Their programming works to elevate and celebrate the creators on the cutting edge of cannabis marketing and communications. Their 2020 event took place virtually during the Winter Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference & Expo, highlighting some of the most innovative brands in the industry. PAX Labs, Inc., took home the gold in the Advocacy category for their short film chronicling the work of Dennis Peron in helping California legalize medical cannabis. Charlotte’s Web took home the Grand win for the Partnerships & Collaborations category for their “Trust the Earth Farm Art” which garnered more than…

Mexico and the cannabis plant have a complicated history. For several centuries, the cannabis plant was consumed in Mexico for medical and recreational purposes, and hemp was used to make various finished goods. Mexico’s cannabis scene changed dramatically with the onset of prohibition. After cannabis was prohibited around the globe, Mexico became a top international source for illegal cannabis. Unregulated cannabis from Mexico dominated illegal sales beyond Mexico’s borders for many years, especially in the United States. It is no secret that gangs and cartels largely benefited financially from those sales. Demand for illegal cannabis has waned in recent years in the United States with the rise of the legal cannabis industry, and that evolution is ramping up elsewhere as nations reform their cannabis laws. That has had a huge…

Four businesses attended the Winter Emerge 2020 Virtual Cannabis Conference & Expo with high hopes. They were competing in the Investor Pitch Contest hosted by Leafwire and Regennabis. Each business gave its best pitch in hopes of gaining access to a $5 million funding pool managed by Regennabis. In order to qualify and win, the companies had to show a comprehensive plan that included a focus on sustainability in the cannabis industry. Each was given the opportunity to make a 4-minute pitch, followed by a 4-minute question and answer period with potential investors. Geoff Trotter, co-founder of Regennabis, and Peter Vogel, CEO and co-founder of Leafwire, moderated the event. Out of the four presentations came four very distinct and unique ideas. Just BioFiber Just BioFiber was the event’s clear winner…

For cannabis operators, being compliant and efficient at the same time often feels like an impossible feat. This is especially true for cultivators, who must go to great lengths to ensure their cannabis is both high-quality and produced within the constructs of the laws of their individual state. In 2017, Matt Mayberry, Karen Mayberry, and Benjamin Wong (all passionate cannabis advocates) were exploring a foray into the legal market when they discovered the multitude of issues producers were facing. One of the main challenges was the archaic systems being used for the vast amount of data needing to be collected for regulators. “We started going to tradeshows to check out the scene and quickly began speaking with growers to determine what challenges they were facing in the current market,” Matt…

Over the past 20 months, Kevin O’Connor has had his fair share of ups and downs. Launching his family-owned cultivation facility, Narvona, in a nascent market like Michigan wasn’t easy, especially during a pandemic. “Working with the state and local municipalities has been a challenge, just trying to ensure we’re all on the same page since [cannabis cultivation] is still fresh and new here in Michigan.” But, O’Connor says just getting the doors open was the hardest part. Designing a 35,000 square foot facility with more than 6,000 plants took careful planning. One of the most vital aspects of any grow is the HVAC system. O’Connor enlisted the help of indoor climate specialist Surna during the blueprint stages of construction. From the Ground Up “Surna helped us engineer and design…

After spending their early careers in a third-generation, family-owned testing laboratory for commodity grains, Kia Adams-Mikesh and Mark Adams, along with their father and grandfather, Mike and Steve Adams, turned their attention toward hemp. They realized there was a need for unbiased third-party testing laboratories and decided to bring their expertise to the budding hemp industry. The brother-sister team launched Adams Independent Testing (AIT) in 2019 with a focus on providing Certificates of Analysis (COAs) to buyers and sellers of hemp, testing for potency, pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, terpenes, microbials, and more. Especially in the hemp industry, quick turnaround times and attention to customer service are essential. Existing wait times for results were often between one and four weeks — unacceptable for formulators, processors, and farmers who cannot afford to…

Notoriously unapologetic, lifelong marijuana aficionado, B-Real of Cypress Hill, runs vertically-integrated cannabis company Dr. Greenthumb’s. The hip-hop pioneer continues to expand his canna-business empire with the launch of THC Controls, an industrial automation system that is perfecting indoor cultivation operations. THC Controls fuses together the prized trade secrets and methodology from legendary cultivation sensei Kenji Fujishima, with top-tier technology. Recently launched, the budding operation provides an all-in-one cultivation set-up with a completely automated environment, and a 24/7 support system, for indoor grows to thrive. This turnkey solution is designed to develop the optimal environment for any indoor cultivation operation to scale, by eliminating human error. THC Controls’ ‘cultivation made easy’ model focuses on four pillars needed to execute optimal crop yields by providing automated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC),…

At Cannabis & Tech Today, we miss seeing friends and colleagues at in-person events. Fortunately, we’ve been connecting in virtual reality through the Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference & Expo, taking place quarterly. Plus, recurring Re-Emerge gatherings offer attendees a chance to revisit their favorite sessions and network in a familiar and immersive setting. While virtual smoke sessions and speeches are still a safe solution for getting together, in-person events are starting to make a comeback. We’re highlighting some that we’re most excited about below. Dates are subject to change. Check event websites for updates. MAY International Cannabis BusinessConference Global Investment Forum / Austin, TX / 6-7 Cannabis World Congress & BusinessExpo / New York, NY / 27-29 JUNE Native American Cannabis & HempConference / Temecula, CA / 14-15 USA CBD…