The approval of retail sales to all adults in Ohio in November may touch off one of the biggest, quickest, and most profitable growth explosions in the history of medical-to-adult transitions. Biggest: Ohio’s $480-billion medical market (per BDSA’s latest estimates) is quite stunted. Its neighboring states have similar populations, but Pennsylvania’s medical-only market is about twice as large as Ohio’s, and Michigan’s adult-use sales are more than 5x Ohio’s current size. Fastest: seeing the delays regulators have caused in New York and elsewhere, initiative crafters mandated a September start ..read more

Cannabis retail gets no respect: not from regulators who have tended to force it into “green zones”, nor from investors who have mostly poured money into cultivation and brands. But that’s starting to change, at least among investors who are now noticing a lot of white space on some states’ WeedMaps pages, and who have seen a lot of their supply-side bets struggle. The three most important factors in retail success, says the old bromide, are “location, location and location.” That starts, in US and Canadian cannabis, with the state or province a retailer has licenses in. A study Global Go Anal ..read more

Not everyone was impressed with President Joe Biden’s remarks on cannabis at Thursday’s State of the Union Address. “I am taking executive action on police reform and directing my cabinet to review the federal classification of marijuana and expunging thousands of convictions for the mere possession of marijuana because no one should be jailed for simply using it or have it on their record,” said Biden. That sounded nice, and some people—mostly people that make big money in those places in the US where cannabis is legal—were notably happy to hear the executive branch once again saying it’s goi ..read more

Since founding its predecessor company in 2009, Raj Grover, Founder & CEO, has established High Tide as a key player in the Canadian cannabis retail market, with more than 150 stores. Building on his start as a consumption accessories retailer, Raj has expanded High Tide’s reach across North America and Europe by acquiring some of the top accessory e-commerce sites in the world and several CBD brands. In this second part of his October 26th interview with Tom Adams for Global Cannabis Times, Raj discusses the keys to High Tide’s success in growing per-store revenue, his take on the importa ..read more

Since founding its predecessor company in 2009, Raj Grover, Founder & CEO, has established High Tide as a key player in the Canadian cannabis retail market, with more than 150 stores. Building on his start as a consumption accessories retailer, Raj has expanded High Tide’s reach across North America and Europe by acquiring some of the top accessory e-commerce sites in the world and several CBD brands. In this October 26th interview with Tom Adams for Global Cannabis Times, Raj discusses his vision for a chain of high-tech discount cannabis clubs, getting ready for regulatory changes and t ..read more

Japan’s parliament recently passed a pivotal bill, essentially altering the nation’s stance on cannabis. This legislation legalizes medical products derived from cannabis, responding to demands for access to cannabidiol (CBD) based treatments. Such treatments, effective in conditions like severe epilepsy, are already in use in Europe and the U.S. The new laws, set to be implemented within a year of their announcement, categorize both cannabis and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), its psychoactive element, as controlled narcotics. This is a calculated move to regulate their usage reports The Japan Ti ..read more

Gallows humor was the common motif of speakers on the opening sessions of the 12th annual MJBiz Conference in Las Vegas Nov. 28 & 29. Pained laughter was the usual response from attendees. The brief ebullience that buoyed the battered industry in August when the Department of Health & Human Services recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration reschedule “marijuana” has turned out to have flipside: investors seem to have decided they will just wait and see what the DEA does before they put any more capital to work in cannabis. Hence “Financing” was the immediate and resounding ..read more

The German government is making significant progress in its cannabis legalization efforts. The Social Democratic Party, the Free Democratic Party, and The Greens, collectively known as the Traffic Light coalition, have reached a consensus on cannabis regulation. Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports that legalization for possession and cultivation is scheduled for April 1, 2024, with cannabis social clubs expected by July 1. Kirsten Kappert-Gonther, a Bundestag member and Health Committee chair, notes the increased allowance for home cultivation, doubling from 25 to 50 grams. Penal consequences for ..read more

On Monday, the New York State Cannabis Control Board unanimously voted to accept a settlement addressing two lawsuits, thereby ending a three-month halt on the opening of recreational cannabis dispensaries statewide. Now, 436 retail licensees entangled in the litigation can open stores and initiate deliveries. This includes 23 dispensaries ready pre-halt. Regulators can also issue new licenses. The state faces a supply bottleneck, with most of its 600,000-pound cannabis stockpile unsold due to legal and bureaucratic delays, leaving many farmers and prospective retailers in financial distress ..read more

Minnesota remains on course to open retail cannabis dispensaries by early 2025, according to interim director Charlene Briner. The state, still in search of a permanent cannabis director following Erin DuPree’s resignation, is advancing its preparations under Briner’s guidance, reported the Star Tribune. Despite the setback in leadership, the Office of Cannabis Management’s work continues unabated. Briner–a veteran in state government–mentioned that if the rule-making process progresses smoothly, Minnesota could start accepting license applications from potential cannabis business owners as ea ..read more