Cannabis & Tech Today -- Winter 2021 by Innovation & Tech Today

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Innovator of the Year Creates National Standard for Hemp Testing Don’t Get Greenwashed: Tips for Smart People Can You Smoke NFTs? CBD Is Sexy Again: Pinky Cole Talks Branding Crafting the Science of Cannabinoids With Eybna

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

Greed Is Not Good For a hundred years the cannabis plant has been suppressed because it threatened other industries. Paper magnates suppressed hemp because it was cheaper, stronger, and faster to grow than trees. Governments used it as a tool to villainize entire populations.

Charles Warner, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

“ We need legislators and regulators to suppress the lobbyists and embrace the voices of their constituents. Give cannabis a fair chance at becoming an American industry.”

Lobbyists used it to bring more prisoners into privatized prison systems, making money on their labor and getting paid to house them. Pharmaceutical companies suppressed it because it’s a better anti-inflammatory medicine than ibuprofen or Tylenol — cheaper, harder to commoditize, and with fewer side effects. Which, by the way, means pharmaceutical companies don’t make money treating those side effects. Alcohol companies didn’t want competition from a better alternative with fewer side effects. Greed, my friends, is why cannabis has been illegal the past hundred years. Greed and racism. And greed is what stands to destroy the legalized industry right now. As I type these words, businesses across California are considering a strike. If Governor Newsom doesn’t change the tax structure for retail cannabis, the nation’s largest legalized marketplace is facing collapse. Political greed is fueling the regulatory framework in California. If we’re not careful, it will be the fate of the entire legalized industry. This plant helps people. It saves lives. It is fuel, fiber, and food. The world deserves access to it. In fact, if denied access, the world as we know it may not survive. We need alternative building materials, fuel sources, and medicines. This green plant from the gods can help with so many problems, if only we could remove greed from the equation. Going into 2022, my resolution is to shout the good word of cannabis and be the tip of the spear for change. We need this plant. We need legislators and regulators to suppress the lobbyists and embrace the voices of their constituents. Give cannabis a fair chance at becoming an American industry. Embrace its versatility. Help the American people recover from the pandemic. Use this resource to build a sustainable future for our children. When you look back on 2022 from the cusp of 2023, I hope you’ll feel your actions helped create the world in which you wish to live. Get involved, get informed, get in the action. We need you. The plant needs you. People suffering need you. Find out about the National Cannabis Party and see how you can help elect those who want to change these laws and release those locked up over cannabis. Together we can help make the world a better place.

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

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SINCE LAST ISSUE… It has been a busy few months since the fall issue of Cannabis & Tech Today hit newsstands. In-person events are making a comeback. Families and friends are tentatively starting to gather in masked or vaxxed groups. Plus, we celebrated award season! Cannabis & Tech Today selected winners for the third-annual Sustainable Leadership Awards (see page 32) and the Golden Ticket Prize Pack Giveaway at MJBizCon. Golden Ticket Prize Pack Giveaway Presented by Fluence by OSRAM To celebrate the return of MJBizCon, Cannabis & Tech Today partnered with Fluence Bioengineering to create the Golden Ticket Prize Pack Giveaway. The Prize Pack was sponsored by more than a dozen companies offering 25+ prizes worth a grand total of almost $15,000. The third-place winner, Paul Rando, took home Fluence Spydr 2i Lighting, a Smart Pot Transplanter, a Genius Pipe, a Trojan Horse Cannabis goodie bag, and two boxes of King-size cones from Zig Zag. Second place winner, Eboni Carter, won a Green Goddess Supply Armoire, a Rocket Seeds Seed Starter Set, a Genius Pipe, a Paybotic Travel Tote Bag, and four boxes of King-size Zig Zag cones. The Grand Prize winner, Patrick Hughes, won an STM Canna Mini Rocketbox+, authentic Redman tour memorabilia, an autographed box of Wilfred CBD Smokes, one Genius Pipe, from Zig Zag — six (6) boxes of bulk unbleached 1¼ or King size unbleached cones + 5% off cone orders for a quarter, Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference Swag, and a limited-time print subscription to Cannabis & Tech Today. In addition, ten lucky participants won consolation prizes such as a Tom’s Tumbler TTT 1600 Handcrank Bladeless Trimmer, a C&TT subscription, and cones from Zig Zag. SPECIAL THANKS TO: Zoe Wilder, Laurie Wolf, Duke Daniels, James Miller, Sara Goss This publication is dedicated to the dreamers, the innovators, the collaborators, and the doers – who can’t be bothered by those saying it can’t be done. Nicholas and Aria, the future is yours!

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PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Charles Warner cwarner@goipw.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Shane Brisson shane@goipw.com MANAGING EDITOR

Patricia Miller

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Corey Noles

SENIOR WRITER

Ebby Stone

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Tom Blaine Roger Brown Michael Flores Chris Fontes Rachelle Gordon Dan Greene Gina Kranwinkel Jessica McKeil Andrea Morhardt Gia Morón Nadya Nataly Alex Rogers Sara Brittany Somerset Geoff Trotter Kristen Trusko Laurie Wolf Mary Roche

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// CONTRIBUTORS //

As the president and CEO of the National Association of Cannabis Businesses (NACB), Gina Kranwinkel leads the most trusted, ethical, and socially active cannabis trade association in the United States. Her passion initiative – personally and with the NACB – is to champion cannabis social equity programs at the national, state, and local level.

Jessica McKeil is a cannabis writer based in British Columbia, Canada. She has a passion for cannabis tech and scientific breakthroughs, which has led her to work with some of the industry’s biggest brands. She is the owner and lead-writer of Sea to Sky Content (www.seatoskycontent.com); a content company focused on improving organic traffic through the power of words.

Alex Rogers is the founder and CEO of the International Cannabis Business Conference, which offers world-class industry networking as well as investment and capital opportunities. The International Cannabis Business Conference has upcoming events in Berlin and Zurich. Visit www.internationalcbc.com to learn more.

Chris Fontes has been innovating in the industry since early 2018. From his first company, Hemp Exchange, to his current company, Trojan Horse Cannabis, he continues to focus on safety, transparency, community, and quality. Fontes is a member of the Government Affairs Committee of the National Industrial Hemp Council of America.

Tom Blaine serves as Business Development Leader, Horticulture at Owens Corning. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Toledo and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

A pioneer in the cannabis testing space, Roger Brown is the president and co-founder of the first cannabis testing laboratory in Florida — ACS Laboratory. Founded in 2008, ACS Laboratory is a DEA licensed, AHCA licensed, ISO17025 accredited, and CLIA accredited laboratory with the largest state-ofthe-art testing facility in the eastern United States.

Gia Morón is president of Women Grow. Through her leadership, she focuses on the operations and strategic opportunities for the business and greater Women Grow community. Gia is also the CEO of GVM Communications. She sits on the board of Minorities for Medical Marijuana, Advisory Board Member for the National Cannabis Roundtable, and Advisory Board Member for the Cannabis World Congress Business Expo. Editor’s Note: Cannabis & Tech Today is seeking writers from all backgrounds and ethnicities. Interested applicants inquire through submit@innotechtoday.com. 10

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

WINTER 2021

contents COVER STORY

80 Brooke Burgstahler: Mindfulness and Moderation By Patricia Miller Cover Photo: Emily Eizen

Departments 16 Event Wrap-Ups 18 By the Numbers 20 Know Before 22 International 24 NACB 26 Hemp 28 ESG

106 Product Revolution 114 Something Edible with Laurie Wolf 116 Event Calendar 118 Coming Next Issue 120 The Lighter Side

30 Innovator of the Year: SC Labs 32 Sustainability 2021’s Sustainable Leadership Awards 38 It’s Not Easy Being Green 40 Perfecting the Pitch

44 Finance The Future of FinTech 48 What If You Could Smoke NFTs?

52 Legislation Data Security Updates for Retailers

54 Business Innovations Automating Indoor Agriculture 56 Eybna’s Industry-Altering Terpene Tech

60 Social Equity Defining Social Equity in Cannabis 62 Creating Inclusive Policy

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

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contents

66 Tech Zone

Arizona Goes From Dust to Dank 68 Higher Standards for Safety 70 Pods, Mods, Carts, and More 72 Seeding the Home Grow 74 LEDs for Arid Climates 76 Covering Your Assets 78 Safer Sanitation

88 Feature Story Etain Dispensaries Makes Waves on the East Coast

92 Media + Entertainment Cannabis Content Goes Mainstream 94 Food, Sex, and CBD

96 Health & Wellness Advocating for Access

100 The Lab The Fantastic Word of Flavonoids

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

Mem ber • 2017

// EVENT WRAP-UPS //

MJBizCon 2021 The cannabis industry’s most celebrated in-person event made a triumphant return to Las Vegas in October, 2021. The last live MJBizCon was held in December of 2019. The event took place virtually in 2020 to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The tenth annual event featured speakers such as Chris Day of the Global Cannabis Network Collective, Tahir Johnson with the Marijuana Policy Project, Corinne Wilder from Fluence by OSRAM, and Amber Littlejohn from the Minority Cannabis Business Association. Celebrity guests like Redman, Jason Gann, and Josh Kesselman signed autographs with the Cannabis & Tech Today crew. Ample afterparties and postshow networking events added an extra element to the much anticipated event.

CWCBExpo New York Cannabis & Tech Today Editor-in-Chief Charles Warner attended this business-to-business trade show along with the National Cannabis Party and renowned MC Redman. The event welcomed visitors from all over the globe to New York, one of the nation’s largest business, financial, and media markets. CWCBExpo offers educational and networking opportunities for dispensary owners, growers, suppliers, investors, medical professionals, government regulators, and entrepreneurs entering the industry. The three-day expo took place from Nov. 4-6 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.

2021 NACB Social Equity Conference This virtual event took place in Hyperfair, the Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference platform that allows attendees to engage as avatars in a three-dimensional world. The National Association of Cannabis Businesses is fiercely focused on creating a more equitable cannabis industry. This conference, titled “Race Forward: The Future of Social Equity” emphasized the persistent impact of the war on drugs on communities of color and focused on the enduring harm caused by cannabis incarceration. Sessions included discussions such as: Ending the War on Drugs; the Aftermath of Incarceration; the Journey of Social Equity Licensees; and Increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Cannabis Workplace. 16

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

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A look at the metrics shaping the cannabis business market — and our lives

The past year has been loaded with innovations in the cannabis sector. New technologies are emerging at a breakneck pace to keep up with homebound consumers demanding ecommerce, delivery, and custom product offerings. While tech boomed, customers lined up for record-breaking sales in markets both new and old. Let’s take a look at the numbers in the U.S. and across the globe showcasing the herb’s meteoric increase in popularity.

Source: flowhub.com

Increase in Nationwide Cannabis Sales in 2020.

415Billion

(U.S. Dollars)

1.3 Billion

(Canadian Dollars)

Amount Canadians Spent on Dried Cannabis in the First Half of 2021 Source: mjbizdaily.com

268Million

Global Spending by Cannabis Consumers on High-THC Cannabis in 2020

Estimated Number of People Across the Globe Who Consumed Cannabis at Least Once in 2020

Source: newfrontierdata.com

Stores With Order-Ahead Options Sold

Total Capital Raised Is Up

118%

More Than Their Competitors

Over 2020 as of September 10, 2021

Source: flowhub.com

Source: mjbizdaily.com

The Average Size of Retail Space in Cannabis Stores Rose

50% 35%

for Medical Dispensaries

and

for Recreational Shops

Source: mjbizdaily.com

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

Total Global Consumer Spending on Legal and Illicit High-THC Cannabis Is Projected to Grow From $415 Billion in 2020 to

496Billion

by 2025

(U.S. Dollars)

Source: newfrontierdata.com Background: iStockphoto.com

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DEPARTMENTS // KNOW BEFORE

Questions to Ask Before Switching Growing Media By Tom Blaine

Selecting a growing media might seem like a “one and done” decision. But, like many aspects of horticulture, innovations in growing media are bringing a higher level of precision to the growing process. These innovations are prompting cultivators to consider whether it’s time for a switch in their traditional substrate.

entirely in North America can help manage the risk of supply chain delays.

As the essential “groundwork” for cultivators’ operations, growing media allows plants to develop their roots and access water, air, and nutrients. From a control perspective, the selection of medium can contribute to consistency and repeatability from plant to plant and harvest to harvest. With harvest quality and cultivating consistency in mind, here are a few questions that can help growers evaluate whether it’s time to make a growing media switch in 2022.

How well designed is the material? You’ll find a wide variety of growing media available in the marketplace. Some are new to the industry, others are developed through generations of horticultural experience. Owens Corning is using their decades in horticulture to create varieties of mineral wool with different performance properties, including changing its interaction with moisture to either repel or retain water. These insights prompted the development of Hydro-Xtend water dispersion technology, which enables a precision-based approach to nutrient delivery. The system of growing medium consists of plug, block, and slab components and has a water holding capacity of 80-95%.

Where is it made? Amid historic disruptions in the supply chain and delivery delays, the origin of the growing media should be considered. No cultivator wants to delay a harvest because essential production components are stuck at a port of entry. Selecting a growing medium produced

How is it made? Material matters when it comes to nurturing a plant and defending against threats like algae and UV light infiltration. Selecting a growing media with tightly wrapped slabs can help keep nutrients and water in desired parts of the plant. Similarly, using blocks equipped with UV

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

protection can reduce a plant’s exposure to light while also guarding against algae and bacterial growth. Finally, consider the material composition. Choosing a mineral wool manufactured with at least 70% recycled content can help contribute to growers’ environmental sustainability efforts. How easy is it to use? Material matters and in a volatile labor market, ease of handling is essential when working with a growing medium. There are many varieties of substrate to choose from, each with their own benefits and limitations. Mineral wool, for instance, is lightweight, quick to set up, and some providers can offer optimally-spaced precut holes to reduce the labor required to set up a room. Some types of mineral wool can be used comprehensively with plants moving from plugs, to blocks, to slabs as they develop. If you’ve been considering a switch in growing media in 2022, these questions should help you better understand your options and make an informed decision. ❖

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DEPARTMENTS // INTERNATIONAL

International Innovations to Watch in 2022 A cannabis industry revolution is underway. By Alex Rogers It is truly an amazing time to be a cannabis consumer, patient, entrepreneur, or industry investor. Thanks to the ongoing efforts of countless activists around the globe, the cannabis plant and products made from it are legal in more jurisdictions than at any other time since the dawn of international cannabis prohibition.

available to everyone in all of its forms. A portion of sales also support the Last Prisoner Project which seeks to liberate people still incarcerated for cannabis offenses and support their work in the cannabis community. Automatic Inventory Management System The variety of cannabis products available at medical and adult-use retail outlets is significant and increasing daily. There is no end in sight to that trend, which is both a blessing and a curse for cannabis retailers.

Products include topicals, edibles, beverages, transdermal patches, and just about anything else that you can dream up. New products are hitting legal markets virtually every day. While the cannabis product sector continues to evolve, many technology-based ancillary products and services are also being developed and deployed. Inventors are coming up with mind-blowing innovations. Below are two of my favorite examples from the tech sector of the emerging international cannabis industry. Cannabis NFTs Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are a relatively new cultural phenomenon that are growing in popularity with every passing week. Digital art is a particularly popular example of NFTs. Cannabis art is popping up in NFT form, led by CannaCollecta. The company recently launched its first series of exclusive collectable digital cannabis art produced as NFTs on the blockchain. “Reflecting on the plant’s spirited community and interesting history, the initial CannaCollecta NFTs called ‘The Madness Collection’ reflects

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

the fear and scare tactics that struck the chords of society as prohibitionist propaganda first surfaced in the 1930s with films like Reefer Madness,” says Clifford Giesenow, creator of CannaCollecta, regarding his first series of 90 cannabis NFTs now available for sale and auction on the Binance NFT marketplace. The cannabis NFTs are absolutely amazing and sales support two very worthy causes. A portion of sales are donated to Fields Of Green For All, a South African activist and lobbying organization that seeks to make cannabis

It’s more important than ever for dispensaries and inventory facilities to have solid inventory management systems, as well as efficient ways to retrieve products quickly. Unsurprisingly, Germany is home to the best ancillary technology for handling these tasks. KNAPP Smart Solutions GmbH, in conjunction with engineers at Aywick, have developed an automated inventory management robot that complies with relevant regulations and is able to perform the industry-specific required processes. The technology is helping to dramatically improve transaction times and provides numerous other benefits. As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, everyone in the cannabis community will benefit from this technology — whether they realize it or not. ❖

DEPARTMENTS // NACB

6 Tips for Vetting a Cannabis Trade Show How to Measure Value and ROI

By Gina Kranwinkel

The cannabis industry is growing and maturing. Along with it, trade shows are playing an evermore important role in educating about new products, services, and creative ways to expand businesses. Exhibitors are marketing a vast array of goods and services giving growers, processors, and retailers the convenience of one-stop shopping to keep their cannabis operations on the leading edge. So, before you pay for your airline tickets and hotel rooms, how do you decide which trade shows are right for you? How do you know if they’re worth the time and money? Just as when you conduct background checks to vet your new employees and ensure their experience and reliability are what they say they are — the same should be done to verify the quality of exhibitors and speakers at the next cannabis event you choose to attend. One of the cornerstones of NACB is that our members are vetted — meaning, they have to pass a system of checks and balances to ensure 24

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

they are ethical, legal, compliant, and much more. The events you attend should consider doing the same. Does the event take the time to verify and check into all who are exhibiting, speaking, and trying to solicit business from the industry? While this is a component we’d like to see, we know that this takes time and expense in implementing a vetting program. Until these vetting systems are in place with industry events, here are some of the steps you can take and questions to ask before buying your tickets. What do your industry partners, colleagues, and friends say about this event? Did they believe they got their ROI? Is the show sponsor a trade association you belong to or are at least familiar with? If so, you may be able to find some helpful reviews by people you trust and deepen the value of your association membership at the same time. Does the organizer post a list of exhibitors on

its website? A little research should tell you if they’re offering goods and services of interest that are right for the industry. Set up some meetings with attendees and vendors ahead of time to discuss business opportunities. Try to come home with some solid new ideas, if not deals. There are no hard and fast rules, but another way to vet the quality of trade show exhibitors is to look at the cost of exhibitor space and quality of booth design. If it’s high-end compared to other shows, then you know exhibitors and attendees are expecting strong value from the chance to meet each other. Does the value justify the expense? If you follow some of these trade show guidelines for vetting your participation, you will be on your way to measuring your ROI. Best of all, you’ll have solid opportunities and an education that will help carry your business further. ❖

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DEPARTMENTS // HEMP

Turning Hemp Into Delta-9 THC The Secret to Shipping THC Around the Nation, Legally By Chris Fontes Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (D9) is the original tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) most cannabis users are familiar with. What some may not realize, however, is this version of THC exists in hemp in small quantities. According to the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, “hemp” is defined as “Cannabis sativa L. … with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.” Furthermore, hemp is excluded from the definition of “marihuana” from the Controlled Substances Act. This means THC extracted from hemp and later infused into a consumer product is not a controlled substance, as long as the hemp was grown and harvested legally and the final product sold to consumers is at or under the 0.3 percent by dry weight measurement. This was again confirmed by the DEA’s own Interim Final Rule (IFR).

example, a gummy manufacturer would create a product dosed at 25 milligrams of CBD, and the THC milligrams were inconsequential to the formulation so long as it was compliant. Those products all include THC, though the compound is often not advertised or shown on the label for a variety of reasons. This year, innovative companies have been breaking the mold by formulating with the THC milligram in mind instead of CBD, thereby maximizing the 0.3 percent limit. Now we are seeing products on the market that have 10, 15, or even 25 milligrams of THC. Further Innovation Completes the Niche Market Taking the concept a step further, some product manufacturers are fractionating (separating) THC from the extracted hemp oil and reintroducing it in controlled ratios. This means there are 1 to 1, 5 to 1, and 10 to 1 ratios of CBD to THC, creating products similar to what you would find in an adult-use cannabis dispensary. Essentially, there are now legal THC edibles that can be shipped through the mail thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill. Though unrealized by the masses until recently, this new hemp-derived THC market is booming and we are just beginning to see what it will produce.

Not New, but Still Innovative Until recently, product manufacturers had only been targeting cannabidiol (CBD) milligrams for their full spectrum products. For

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

Regulatorily Robust Unlike Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (D8), D9 is fairly well insulated from regulatory issues. While it’s likely a regulatory agency (most likely the FDA) will eventually put some form of

THC and CBD milligram caps on full spectrum hemp products, D9 THC is here to stay as long as the definition of hemp remains untouched. It is unlikely the percent will ever go down as hemp genetics barely support the current limitation. With full spectrum CBD products consisting of the vast majority of product sales, removing all forms of THC from consumer products would crush the industry completely, so it is equally unlikely. Additionally, the 2018 Federal Farm Bill explicitly created a safe harbor for interstate transport of hemp and hemp products (Section 10114(b)), essentially making it academically impossible for states or tribes to make possession of such products illegal (though each state and tribe can restrict retail sales of any hemp products). Hemp-derived D9 products are entrenched in regulatory protections, bringing dispensary grade ingestibles to consumers across the country, and that makes these new product types one of the most significant innovations of the year. ❖

DEPARTMENTS // ESG

Incremental or Radical Innovation? A Strategic Choice With Serious Impact By Geoff Trotter

Photo: iStockphoto.com

Cannabis and the nascent industry is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive solutions to some of humanity’s greatest challenges. It’s a chance to become a major driver of business, societal, and environmental change — transformational change. Be it an ever-increasing need for energy, insecurities around food and resources, the burgeoning degradation of our ecosystem, or facing-up to the realities of climate disruption, we need innovative solutions. It is becoming increasingly clear that we will require a new suite of products, services, strategies, and tactics to address the underlying business models that frame them. If this is the winter of our discontent, then more than ever, we will need to innovate. Throughout my career, innovation has been at the core of my work. In my early career I was involved in product innovation. Later, I was involved in market innovation as I moved from established markets in Europe and the U.S. to developing markets and economies in Asia and Latin America. In recent years, my focus on innovation has centered less on commerce and more on impact and meaning. Most significantly, delivering not only an economic upside for clients but a social

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

and environmental impact for stakeholders, a.k.a ImpactAlpha. I have used and referenced many models and frameworks that outline an approach to organizational innovation. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) outlined four types of innovation: product, process, marketing, and organizational, which I used extensively in those formative years. More recently, I have relied on Greg Satell’s version of his four types of innovation: basic research, sustaining, disruptive, and breakthrough. I believe these frameworks may be relevant to your own innovation needs. I have also found them useful should your innovation needs require delivering success beyond an economic impact, to deliver social and environmental impact as well. No matter the innovation framework used, it has become clear to me that innovation falls into one of two types: incremental or radical — and the choice is a very strategic one. At Regennabis, we often say that our community is “incrementally driving transformational change.” There’s no such thing as an overnight success. Whether in music (The Beatles), sport (Serena Williams), or in

business (you/your company), we all know there have been many hours fine tuning a set of skills, capabilities, and products or services in order that they are finally realized. The same can be said of impact. While impact may appear sudden, it is near-always the result of a persistent focus on knowing what impact goals have been set organizationally along with the unbending application to deliver them, incrementally. Understanding this truth serves the “Impact Innovator” well. In business, and especially so in the cannabis industry, the ability and agility to innovate is critical. Yet to deliver innovation beyond only an economic impact (commercialization) and to deliver a social as well as an environmental impact is paramount. Key Takeaways Models for innovation have been around for a long time and have stood the test of time. Innovation should no longer be singularly focused on commercialization but on creating a more inclusive society and doing less harm to the planet. Radical innovation may well play out, but through an incremental approach your organization has a better chance of hitting the front — and staying there. ❖

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Unifying America’s Fragmented CBD Testing Requirements By Jessica McKeil According to current predictions from market research firm BDSA, the U.S. hemp and CBD market could hit $20.5 billion by 2025. But, the highly variable landscape from state to state threatens this potential growth. This regulatory fragmentation must be resolved before the market reaches the forecasted 40% compound annual growth rate.

Very few states are exactly the same. There is no broad consensus. As many hemp and CBD manufacturers have discovered, the regulations governing CBD in one state don’t easily translate to another. Dixon explained how “each state has its own really unique take on how to regulate cannabis and hemp.”

simple as adopting a regulatory framework from another sector — say cosmetics or the food industry — and applying it to hemp. Hemp is already formulated within a wide range of consumer products, from nutraceuticals to beauty products to foodstuffs. The regulations governing the safety of one doesn’t always work across the board.

Now, however, the dispersed regulatory puzzle pieces of the U.S. consumer hemp market may be coming together, thanks to the team of scientists at SC Laboratories, Inc. (SC Labs). Inspired by a request from an international retailer, SC Labs has pioneered the first-ever national hemp testing panel.

From Dixon’s experience, with the increasing acceptance of these products, “we’ve seen this growing interest, especially on the hemp side of various sized clients, who are really interested in selling products that can meet and exceed stateestablished guidelines in all 50 states.”

No Shortcuts: A Methodical Approach to a Nationally Applicable Testing Panel SC Labs began working on a comprehensive list for the first truly national hemp panel in the spring of 2021, after a request from a large multinational supermarket. Aiming to bring a line of CBD products online across all 50 states, the retailer needed guidance on current testing standards. How could they bring a hempderived product to market and ensure it would meet all available consumer safety standards?

With more than a decade of expertise in Oregon, California, and Colorado (pending), SC Labs is an industry leader in education, testing methodology, and consumer safety. In a recent interview, Alec Dixon, co-founder and director of client relations, and Josh Wurzer, president and co-founder, discussed how these foundational principles formed the basis of the hemp and CBD testing panel — solving the fragmented nature of the American CBD market for the first time.

Wurzer confirmed that “it’s generally not the state’s responsibility to regulate on such a granular level the specifications for every type of nutraceutical sold within the state.” However, in other consumer sectors, like cosmetics or nutraceuticals, direction comes via a national regulatory body. With federal CBD regulations slow to roll out, states have largely been left to their own devices for hemp consumer goods. To complicate matters further, it’s not as

On the surface, this seemed like a simple task: identify which states even had requirements for hemp-based products. But, as SC Labs quickly found out, it was a massive undertaking, requiring a dedicated, full-time researcher since

Left to right: SC Labs Co-Founder Jeff Gray; Director of Client Relations and Co-Founder Alec Dixon; President and Co-Founder Josh Wurzer.

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its inception. The initial phase of the research process uncovered the fact that nearly 50% of states had relevant guidelines. The second step proved significantly more complex. SC Labs then began the process of systematically reviewing each state’s requirements for the specifics. For example, what were the detailed regulations, what tests were required, and what were the requirements for those tests?

Testing requirements for microbiological contamination include testing for mold, yeast, and other living pathogens, including microorganisms linked to adverse health outcomes.

Finally, layered on top of each state’s hemp and CBD testing protocols are the state-level laboratory licensing and accreditations, which also vary from state to state. A lab working in Maine may not meet the accreditation and licensing standards of one in Colorado — meaning the test results also wouldn’t translate well. Every state may have started from the same place, but as SC Labs discovered, each tended to add a bit of local emphasis, a different layer of administration. Researching, compiling, and analyzing a puzzle of regulations was no small feat. Dixon spoke to several notable curve balls. He detailed that California “took a really progressive approach in how they were goingto be regulating microbiology in cannabis testing.” On the flip side, Colorado was the strictest for pesticides in hemp, while Connecticut focused on mycotoxins. In Wurzer’s words, “Very few states are exactly the same. There is no broad consensus.” The Comprehensive Quality Assurance Test Package for Hemp SC Labs worked with this vast accumulation of data to distill it into a set of requirements that would work across the country. The end result? The Comprehensive Quality Assurance Test Package. The panel covers five distinct categories, plus a final foreign material inspection.

Cannabinoids: The detailed panel tests for 15 cannabinoids, including the main active ingredients: CBD and THC. Minor cannabinoids and manufactured cannabinoids, like Delta-8, are also covered. Chemical Contaminants: The panel tests for 104 chemicals, including pesticides, miticides, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, plant growth regulators, and other chemical residues. Microbiological: The microbiological requirements include testing for mold, yeast, and other living pathogens, including specific species of microorganisms linked to adverse health outcomes. Mycotoxins are also included here. Water Activity: An in-depth water activity component measures water content in relation to the risk of mold. Specific formulations can lead to greater risk, depending on ingredients.

ISO accreditation and meets quality testing standards from organizations like United States Pharmacopeia (U.S.P), American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), and American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP). In addition, it has also passed necessary state-level certifications (required in Colorado). Will SC Labs comprehensive testing panel finally nationalize the American CBD market? With consumer safety and product quality top of mind, this is genuinely the first-ever nationally applicable hemp testing panel, designed to work across all markets. As products start hitting shelves across the country — proven via the robust panel developed by SC Labs — the next evolution of the U.S. hemp and CBD market may well be upon us. ❖

Heavy Metals: The heavy metals panels cover the big four: lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. Finally, A National Solution for CBD and Hemp This single panel meets the hemp and CBD testing requirements for all 50 states. In addition, it has received Winter 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// SUSTAINABILITY //

Highest Honors Insights From 2021’s Sustainable Leadership Award Recipients By Patricia Miller Cannabis has the potential to save the world. It takes pollutants out of the soil as it grows. When harvested, it can serve as fuel, food, or fiber. From hemp textiles to biofuels to building materials to medicine, its versatility is virtually unmatched in the natural world. Yet, despite its wonderful properties, the legal industry is gaining a reputation for being unsustainable. It is Cannabis & Tech Today’s mission, in partnership with Regennabis, to prove the cannabis industry can be sustainable, eco-friendly, and a valuable tool in the global fight against climate change. To showcase the brands embracing these ideals, Cannabis & Tech Today launched the Sustainable Leadership Awards. Now in its second year, these awards serve to highlight the great work happening in the industry. Even one small step in the right direction can inspire a cascade of followers. The companies that won this year’s awards are acting as leaders, demonstrating that responsible growth is attainable. The Sustainable Leadership Awards include nine categories. This year, there were three categories for which Cannabis & Tech Today and Regennabis did not award a winner: SDGs, Social Impact, and Event. While the applicants in these categories are doing good work in their respective fields, the advisory board was not presented with enough data to support their applications. Both Cannabis & Tech Today and Regennabis look forward to receiving more inspiring applications from industry innovators next year. To hear more from this year’s winners, visit www. cannatechtoday.com/SLA2021.

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Photos: iStockphoto.com

// SUSTAINABILITY //

Energy Conservation The 2021 Sustainable Leadership Award for Energy Use is awarded to Glass House Brands. The company began using DYNAGLAS panels in its 350,000 square-foot Padaro greenhouse, reducing energy consumption by 20%. The company commissioned a study of its operations from cannabis energy consultancy group Seinergy comparing energy use at Glass House with average greenhouse and indoor cannabis cultivation operations. It found the average indoor grow uses 262 kilowatt-hour per square foot of flower (kWh/SF). The average greenhouse grow used 134 kWh/SF. Glass House’s average was 13 kWh/SF. BDS Analytics reported Glass House Group’s consumer brand, Glass House Farms, was the top-selling flower brand in California in July of 2021. For a large brand to demonstrate such a high-level of energy efficiency sets a powerful example for the rest of the industry. Cannabis & Tech Today: How does the company plan to further reduce its energy consumption? President and Co-Founder Graham Farrar: What we’re most excited about is the technology and efficiency that we expect to take a giant step forward at our new 5.5 million-square-foot facility. The amount of sunlight there is even better; the greenhouses are even more efficiently designed for using every ray of sunlight; the water capture systems are even more efficient; there’s a huge solar field; there’s gas power cogeneration on site; and there’s a robot window washer to keep the glass clean to maximize our light transmission.

Sustainable Packaging Diamond Packaging is being recognized for its commitment to sustainable leadership in the field of packaging. The company’s Greenbox Sustainability Initiative was created to research, design, and implement more sustainable packaging solutions for the cannabis industry. In 2020, 97% of all the company’s packaging was created using renewable or recycled paperboards. It uses wind energy for 100% of its electrical energy requirements. As of 2014, the company achieved “Zero Waste to Landfill” status. Diamond Packaging aims to reduce its energy and water consumption, plus emissions, by 2% per year for the next 10 years. C&T Today: How is the company using technology or innovation to become more sustainable? Director of Marketing Dennis Bachetta: We address these challenges through a continually evolving focus on packaging product safety and improved environmental attributes, including designs, materials, methods, and recovery/recycling waste streams. Diamond developed its Greenbox initiative to research, design, and implement more sustainable packaging solutions that address challenges of the cannabis industry. The core of the initiative — designs, materials, and methods — represents a comprehensive approach to packaging that minimizes environmental impact throughout the supply chain. Winter 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// SUSTAINABILITY // Highest Honors

Innovation in Sustainable Technology One area begging for innovation in this sector is drying and curing. The process involves plastic storage tubs, rudimentary hanging racks, a rotation of glass jars and timers, plus an HVAC system to dehumidify and provide precision temperature control. The process can take weeks or months, depending on location, and is energy intensive. Cryo Cure, a cannabis technology company, is offering an innovative alternative. Its proprietary technology freeze-dries flower in 12-14 hours, saving weeks of drying in a dehumidified, temperaturecontrolled environment. Mildew and degradation during the drying process can result in crop loss, wasting natural resources. This innovation saves energy and natural resources which might have been wasted on improperly cured crops. C&T Today: Why is sustainability important to Cryo Cure? CEO and Co-Founder Tracee McAfee: Sustainability is important to Cryo Cure because we believe that all areas of cannabis need to realize the importance of our carbon footprints. Cryo Cure’s entire process is energy efficient and saves cultivators from excessive bills that normally comes with curing. C&T Today: What advice would you offer cannabis entrepreneurs looking to make their operations more sustainable? TM: The best advice is to be smart about the technology that is out there that can make everyone more sustainable — and talk to your peers.

ESG Standards Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards are metrics analyzed by investors as non-financial factors that play a role in a company’s opportunities for growth or failure. In 2021, Green Hygienics Holdings published its first annual ESG report. It is the first industrial hemp company in the United States to publish such a report using the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) framework. As the largest USDA-Certified Organic Hemp for CBD farm in North America, Green Hygienics Holdings commitment to ESG is a significant step toward creating a more sustainable cannabis industry. C&T Today: What advice would you offer cannabis entrepreneurs looking to make their operations more sustainable? Corporate Communications Officer Heidi Thomasen: Consider implementing sustainable practices right from the beginning. We set forth with a USDA Organic certification when we began so we didn’t have to change processes midway, which was helpful. Also consider moving forward Heidi Thomasen with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in mind as guiding principles and familiarize yourself with SASB industry standards so you have a guideline for what elements of your business you may need to record and report for future ESG reporting if you choose. This will also help you set forth on efficient and consistent record keeping right from the beginning.

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Founder and CEO, Ron Loudoun

// SUSTAINABILITY // Highest Honors

Sustainable Stewardship Recipients of the Sustainable Stewardship Award should demonstrate a commitment to sustainable practices that serve to better their communities and create a stronger cannabis industry. Ilera Holistic Health (IHH) launched the first THC and CBD products in the state, in conjunction with license partner Southern University. It also advocates for expanded treatment options. It is incorporating recyclable packaging and compostable potting materials into its business model, as well as water reduction strategies. IHH developed a multiphase Emergency Preparedness Plan to accommodate the region’s erratic climate. It is also identifying new treatment modalities for patients with autism spectrum disorder, adding to the increasing body of research around medical cannabis. C&T Today: What advice would you offer cannabis entrepreneurs looking to make their operations more sustainable? CEO Chanda Macias: The best advice on sustainability that I could offer to any cannabis entrepreneur is this: know the community you are trying to serve. By understanding things like the people, the climate, the regulatory structure and more, you’ll find unique opportunities to be effective and responsible. There are also some general good practices that I’d recommend for entrepreneurs everywhere to increase the sustainability of their operations. These include identifying environmentally-friendly options like using recyclable packaging and compostable potting materials, conserving water by capturing and recycling runoff from plant watering and feeding activities, and, in sunny climates, look for ways to harness solar panels to offset carbon-based energy sources.

Water Conservation In the cannabis industry, irrigation and sanitation account for the majority of its 2.8 billion gallons of annual water consumption. Sanitation, such as rinsing grow tables and sterilizing equipment, uses water which is often allowed to drain untreated into the environment. Geomat, a water recovery system, is helping curb that waste. Its EPA- and OSHA-approved system collects waste water from the sanitation process and filters it through aerated holding tanks to be reused during the next cleansing process. A Geomat water case study from an indoor cannabis cultivation facility found that of the 35,100 gallons of water used each year to clean and sanitize the grow’s equipment, the company’s Geomat system recycled 31,590 gallons of water for later use. C&T Today: How would you like to see the cannabis sector evolve as far as sustainability is concerned? CEO Al DeChard: Controlled environment agriculture is amidst a revolution and is poised to be the most significant new market category to emerge in a generation. I would like to see all new cultivation facilities and existing farms try to leave the least environmental impact and become a LEED standard for this growing industry. As the cannabis market continues to thrive and reach closer towards federal legalization, I believe companies and communities in the industry have the opportunity to make a difference by establishing and adapting sustainable and efficient practices in all aspects of cannabis.

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

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// SUSTAINABILITY //

It’s Not Easy Being Green

World leaders offer consumers more transparency against greenwashing while retailers scramble to deliver. By Andrea Morhardt A recent nationwide survey conducted by Canivate Growing Systems laid bare the new expectations of cannabis consumers: 64% of consumers are willing to pay more for cannabis that is grown organically with eco-friendly objectives. Climate change was once a future concern that many industries were kicking down the road. But now, it’s an immediate crisis. As a result, today’s consumer wants to know that the companies they buy from care about the future of the planet. Today’s consumer wants to hear about the commitment, the strategies, and the metrics that will drive change. Consumers want companies that are walking the walk to make a difference. But finding cannabis growers who are truly driven by those eco-friendly objectives — and not simply giving them lip service — is a formidable task. Sustainable Cannabis Practices Are Still Rare First, cannabis production overall is not as green and natural as many believe it to be. For example, a recent study set out to answer this question: “Which of the following — a joint, a beer, or a cup of coffee — is more damaging with regard to climate change?” If the cannabis is grown indoors, the answer is the joint. That’s what researchers at Colorado State University concluded when they conducted a study of cannabis greenhouse gas emissions. 38

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Pedram Mehrshahi with co-founders Kim Smith and Matt McNeill.

In fact, the study found that indoor cultivation accounts for 1.7% of Colorado’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. Now, 1.7% might not seem significant, but coal mining produces the same percentage of the state’s gas emissions. Commercial Cannabis Is Often Grown Indoors Even in climates where outdoor growing is feasible, early policies that originally sought to facilitate regulation and guard against theft made indoor growing the only viable option. But even when some of those policies have

been lifted, cannabis growers have opted to remain indoors. Of course, cost is a factor, but this is happening for a variety of other reasons, including: Appearance. Cannabis grown outdoors will not require fossil fuel-burning energy to heat, air condition, or ventilate the plants. However, the flowers and buds on plants grown outdoors tend to have a “rougher” look that is not as aesthetically pleasing to today’s consumer. Consistency. Because of the unpredictable nature of nature itself, growers typically find it

// SUSTAINABILITY //

more challenging to produce a consistent product, which is also important to consumers. Supply. Again, citing the unpredictability of outdoor conditions, growers are reluctant to leave their ability to produce multiple abundant harvests. Consumers, activist groups, and regulatory voices continue to pressure cannabis cultivators to adjust their practices to become more sustainable and eco-friendly. All three groups are sending a very clear message: For the cannabis industry to thrive, sustainable cultivation and manufacturing practices need to be incorporated. Not only because it’s the responsible way to operate, but because a growing number of consumers — and retailers — won’t tolerate anything less. Understanding Greenwashing With so many obstacles in the way, companies, whether they are growing the cannabis or ultimately selling the products, have some difficult decisions to make. Among those decisions is how can companies satisfy the growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable cannabis and remain financially viable? One unfortunate answer is that some companies are regularly “greenwashing” their brand. Think of greenwashing like a hotel labeling itself as “green” just because they provide an option to skip daily linen laundering. How to Discern Greenwashing From True Sustainability During the United Nations’ COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland, world leaders recently met to address the elevated pace of worldwide rising temperatures and natural disasters. Leaders are calling for more alignment between the often-competing interests of financial reporting with environmental, social, and governance (or ESG) reporting: Among the mandates is a baseline of minimum standards that will enable a more direct line of sight into company practices. One of the most significant objectives will be

to make greenwashing much harder for companies to perpetuate. A Company That’s Getting It Right There are companies out there getting it right. One of them is Kloris. Kloris is a cannabis retailer with a management team that made a conscious decision as they began their company to do things as sustainably and responsibly as possible. Why? “We all have to take responsibility for the state of the planet and this has to be reflected in our actions,” said Pedram Mehrshahi, director at Kloris. “You can’t look externally for change without first doing what’s within your own sphere of control. We were fed up with seeing products needlessly wrapped in single use plastic, or with excessive packaging designed to look pretty but that was a nightmare for the environment. Our mission is to be 100% plastic free very soon, we are currently sitting at around 98%,” Mehrshahi said. Within the CBD area specifically, Mehrshahi said the market grew very quickly. Cheap brands flooded the market. These companies sell products that are poorly made, untested, and don’t deliver what they promise, especially in terms of the concentration and quality of CBD. “We realized we needed to counter this with rigorously tested, high-quality products and that this could be done in an environmentallyfriendly way,” Mehrshahi said. Managing the Bottom Line The company has managed to avoid financial turmoil largely because, from the very start, they built their environmental commitments into the business model. By setting an authentic green and sustainable manifesto and performing due diligence from the get-go, the company works only with

manufacturers and suppliers who share the same ethos when it comes to sustainability. As a result, higher costs are more efficiently tolerated and absorbed across the supply chain. This kind of partnership is a game-changer. Unwavering Commitment Is Key What began over a meal discussing the many ways CBD was helping people — from anxiety and insomnia to menstrual cramps and backache — has evolved into a mission to bring ethical, reliable, and science-backed products to consumers. The management team spent months on a global search for the purest CBD, cultivated in the most sustainable and responsible manner. With sustainability and efficacy at the forefront of the company’s purpose, Kloris is committed to harnessing the healing power of nature and combining it with ethical business practices that honor the earth. Mehrshahi emphasized, “We see this as a never-ending journey. We’re always looking to do better, and so we will continue to evolve the business, our products, and processes as fast as we can.” ❖

Winter 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// SUSTAINABILITY //

Perfecting the Pitch Startups share lessons learned from cannabis industry investors. By Ebby Stone

Each day, hopeful cannabis entrepreneurs reach out for investors, advice, and partnerships. There is fierce competition for investment dollars and the pandemic only fueled the fight for funding. That’s why Cannabis & Tech Today, in partnership with the Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference, launched the Cannabis Investor Pitch Contest. During the summer 2021 event, three companies were selected as winners. Third place was awarded to Green Parcel Service; second place went to Forests Medicinals; and first place was awarded to Surge Automated. Cannabis & Tech Today followed up with the winners to discover what they learned and how far they’ve come since meeting with investors to strengthen their business models.

Green Parcel Service Transportation Cannabis & Tech Today: What do people find most surprising about your services?

CEO and Founder Patrick Duddy: Being a transportation company in a state split by a giant mountain range can be tricky, and our customers are surprised by our consistent ability to get their products delivered safely to many dispensaries throughout the mountains and the Western Slope of Colorado.

the momentum from the roll out and build on our platform. This will allow our customers the ability to easily manage their deliveries as well as analyze their supply chain.

to see what is acceptable from a compliance standpoint, and how we can be a leader in the process.

C&T Today: How did the pitch contest help you refine your business strategy?

C&T Today: How is your company helping the cannabis industry evolve?

C&T Today: What’s unique about what your company is offering?

The pitch contest helped us realign our objectives and allowed us to focus on the most important deliverables for 2022. Over the past year, we designed, developed, and implemented an order management system that has streamlined the order placement process for our customers, and has added significant efficiencies to our operation. In 2022, we hope to continue

We are trying to develop ways to reduce paper waste. Currently, we are required by the state to use an excessive amount of paper when making deliveries. In 2021 alone, we used over 250,000 physical pieces of paper while making deliveries. Our goal in 2022 is to reduce paper waste by digitizing required paperwork for deliveries. We are currently working with industry regulators

Founder, CEO, and Chief Creative Officer Sasha Forests: We are creating never before seen products in the cannabis space fueled by scientific and medical research, centering justice and restoration of the communities most impacted by the war on drugs, and utilizing the most human-body friendly extraction and delivery methods available on the market.

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

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// SUSTAINABILITY // Perfecting the Pitch

C&T Today: How did the pitch contest help you refine your business strategy? Emerge showed us how unique we are as a company and reaffirmed our strategy. Having conversations with the judges helped us to refine how to speak to investors. Emerge is a privilege to pitch for because investors and judges know exactly what this market entails. However, that is not always the case. Investors need training on cannabis and Emerge showed us where we could buffer up some of our information to make more sense in translation to those folks looking for great investments like Forests Medicinals. C&T Today: How is your company helping the cannabis industry evolve? Many ways! First, our people. We have an incredible group of folks who are already marginalized in cannabis, including myself, working towards a beautiful and abundantly diverse cohort of managers and future employees. Second, our products will defy the norm of cannabis today. Too often, there is an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” attitude in cannabis. Our products push the bounds of what cannabis is and how it can be experienced. We are going to be tough to beat. Third, our manufacturing philosophy is tech forward and inclusive. Meaning, we want to bring new entrepreneurs into the fold, find ways to offer them royalties, and offer them the most technologically-advanced extractions to work with. Fourth, our culture. We are centered around justice for folks incarcerated. There are a ton of 42

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great companies and initiatives, but my question is always, “Are people out of jail yet?” Until all incarcerated folks are released and their lives repaired, our work is not and will not be done.

Surge Automated C&T Today: What is unique about Surge Automated? Co-Founder and President Joseph C. Long: Surge is a technology company that goes beyond automating age and ID verification. We protect cannabis operators from regulatory violations and consumers from putting their personal data at risk of exposure. No more turning over your IDs to anyone, including websites. It’s vital to understand the risks that ecommerce brings to the industry, as it goes well beyond marijunaspecific regulation. Add delivery on top of the regulation equation and the risks multiply. The regulators are aware of the volume of likely age violations and are gearing up to increase scrutiny and enforcement — it’s already happening in the Canadian market. C&T Today: How is your company helping the cannabis industry evolve? The industry has to take underage access and exposure more seriously, or face increasing resistance from communities and advocacy groups, not to mention daily violation of most state regulations around age verification. By taking on the compliance and infrastructure

overhead, Surge is making it easy and affordable for the industry as a whole to demonstrate their commitment to community safety by protecting against youth access and fraud, while increasing transparency and accountability. C&T Today: What advice would you offer other entrepreneurs looking to enter the cannabis space? It is still a bit of the wild west … essentially a business that was done in the “dark” is now in full sunlight. There are a wide range of players with an equally wide range of experience. Be careful, be patient … and plan for the long game. ❖

// FINANCE //

The Future of FinTech

New technologies and innovative organizations are fueling change in cannabis finance. By Kirsten Trusko, Co-Founder & CEO, Emerging Markets Coalition and Michael Flores, CEO Bretton Woods, Inc. and Senior Advisor, Emerging Markets Coalition

The Emerging Markets Coalition (EMC) is a member-driven advocacy and educational organization for financial services in highly cash-based and underserved markets. Our first targets are the cannabis-related industries (hemp, CBD, cannabis). EMC advocates and drives for the normalization of financial services — enabling these businesses to operate as do other legal businesses in a growing, regulated, emerging market. Why was EMC founded and why did we choose to drive innovation in one of the toughest markets to bank? Because the EMC co-founders have done this before — in an industry that was where cannabis is today — highly cash based, with much misinformation driving unfair vilification of the industry and businesses. Through a coalition like EMC, we went proactively to legislators, regulators, law enforcement, the IRS, consumer groups, and media to share the facts. This proactive transparency fueled the passing of federal legislation, regulation, and tax treatment that was workable for all, and media coverage that focused on facts vs fallacy. That industry now has normalized financial services and we’re seeking to collaborate with cannabis industry leaders to do the same here. Financial Innovation in a Partially Legal Industry Until federally legal, financial institutions will be wary of serving cannabis-related business (CRBs). State chartered banks and credit unions that do serve CRBs are making a risk-based decision that regulators will show leniency given that, while legal in their state, they are conducting business with federally illegal product. In the current regulatory environment, cash is the primary payment method. It is the only payment method unencumbered by the federal and state disconnect on the legality of cannabis. It is not, however, without constraints brought on by the

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

alphabet soup of AML, BSA, KYC (Anti-Money Laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, Know Your Customer) with which banks and credit unions must comply. The compliance burden created by the trifecta of acronyms drives high incremental costs that financial institutions must pass on to their cannabis customers. To address these costs, financial institutions and FinTechs are seeking technology solutions. CRBs are also seeking technology solutions to track and trace all aspects of financial flows from seed to sale. EMC has members offering industry leading services to both sides of the market to meet compliance requirements in holding and moving money without having to add an army of compliance experts. There are risks and costs of running a cash-based business, many of which can be addressed by enabling electronic payments. Federally, EMC is driving electronic payments, gaining buy-in from even the most conservative legislators that this will make cannabis transactions “transparent, traceable, taxable.” Legislators especially like that last point, even when we point out this means fairly taxable. Allowing credit, debit card, and contactless payments drives costs down, provides an audit trail, and significantly reduces risks of theft. The best-known payments alternatives/innovations for CRBs include: • Cash dispensers/ATMs • Cashless ATMs (more to come on this hot topic…) • Payments via the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network • Crypto EMC founders have worked with Washington, D.C. regulators in innovation for years. During after hours discussions, they would share that their biggest fear is that we would “innovate faster than they could

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// FINANCE // The Future of FinTech

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regulate.” Cannabis is similar in that the existing conflicted state and federal legislative and regulatory environments have placed compliance in front of innovation. Payments Options for Cannabis EMC is developing national standards and best practices for all things involving cannabis money. The first to be released is cash management, the next is payments. Cash Dispensers or ATMs ATMs are placed in the CRB so customers can access cash to pay for product. The legal rationale is that the transaction is between the customer and the bank — the CRB is not in the primary transaction. Cashless ATMs Cashless ATM or Point-of-Sale: a merchant takes an order, rounds up the total to an even number, and then runs a transaction, coded as an ATM withdrawal. The difference between the amount of the purchase and the ATM transaction is handed to the customer as change. VISA has put these businesses on notice in a memo that states: “…Acquirers will be subject to noncompliance assessments and/or penalties, when 46

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

they — or their third-party agents — are found in material non-compliance with the Visa Rules,” the memo continues. “When found to have willfully violated the Visa Rules, adversely affecting the goodwill associated with Visa and/ or the Plus system, brand, products and services, an acquirer may be subject to further compliance enforcement.” Translation — cashless ATMs are not permitted by the rules of the major card brands. Automated Clearing House (ACH) ACH refers to the process of transferring money between banks without checks, wire transfers, or cards. These transfers are electronic, the funds go directly from the customer account to the CRBs bank account. To accept ACH from your customers requires a third-party solution. Customers first register through the third-party system, download the mobile app, and then check in at the dispensary through the app and pay at the POS. There are a few good solutions available, the most agile and compliant of whom are EMC members. Crypto A Motley Fool article shares that crypto can offer cannabis companies:

Non-cash transactions. Accepting crypto/ digital currencies as payment avoids cash. Lower money fees. Some banking services in this space have higher fees. Crypto comes with relatively low fees, without a cannabis premium. Transparency. Blockchain technology supports a secure and tamper-proof ledger, to help CRBs track each step in the supply chain. International. Cannabis companies working overseas can make payments fast/lower cost using digital currencies. Cryptocurrency may enable CRBs to minimize their reliance on cash, but this isn’t without challenges. For example, the way cryptocurrencies are taxed is different from regular business income and carries high compliance costs. Volatility is also important to consider as the prices of cryptocurrencies can fluctuate wildly. EMC is collaborating with many organizations and companies to drive normalization of financial services for this market. Learn how you can join in fueling this success at EMCoalition.org ❖

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// FINANCE //

Breaking the Fourth Wall What if you could smoke NFTs? By Nadya Nataly

It is more than digital art. At the intersection of the metaverse virtual realm and cannabis, CampNova and The Crypto Cannabis Club (CCC), are exploring different ways to see and use art through NFTs by minting unique and non-fungible assets intertwined with weed.

Emery Morrison

Fitzpatrick explained that attaching the physical products in the latest NFT partnership makes the NFTs “redeemable” outside of the Metaverse which allows the owner of the NFT to buy CCC’s Crypto Cannabis Club Cannabis brand through CampNova.

The allure — it’s more than a digital bag of weed. Set to formally launch at the beginning of 2022, cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, can go on a crazed cannabis shopping spree as CCC and CampNova are on the verge of breaking the fourth wall of the Metaverse. By expanding its community into CampNova’s lifestyle, technological, e-commerce, and marketing platform, CCC is launching its cannabis brand, Crypto Cannabis Club Cannabis. The brand launch is a physical integration of characters and cannabis strains that open the blockchain space into physical versions of NFTs and a new experience that hasn’t quite been defined in the space. “We have a special NFT cannabis strain so unique that when you smoke it, it digitally enhances your brain,” joked co-founder of CampNova Emery Morrison. “It allows you to experience [with your five senses] what is going on in NFTs and cannabis,” Morrison said. The launch taps into an aspect of NFTs that will turn digital cannabis strains into digital certificates of ownership that can be bought physically and sold along with the artwork. According to Ryan Hunter, an advisor at CCC, a bulk of the NFT owners in the CCC community are already cannabis consumers buying products on a weekly or monthly basis and spending more than $150 per store visit. 48

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

virtual NFT,’’ said co-founder and CEO of CCC Kevin Fitzpatrick.

“The exciting aspect of all of this is to tie the blockchain to physical items,” said Hunter. Furthermore, Hunter pointed out there is already a community curating cannabis NFT art collections similar to the IRL cannabis community seeking premier cannabis products. By merging the NFTs into the cannabis space, the experience segues beyond the traditional smoke sesh. Morrison said it allows the NFT blockchain investors to connect with the story and content of the digitally-inspired cannabis art and IRL cannabis strains. “We’re adding physical products to NFTs because, unfortunately, you can’t smoke the

Ryan Hunter

“We’re on the cusp of something big here,” Fitzpatrick said. “Think of it like a Willy Wonka golden ticket. It’s a new wave of thinking about what the possibilities are here. Even if it means hiding NFTs in packaging to take the NFTs to new potential blockchain investors [who also want to get high on their investments].” So in actuality, one could smoke an NFT. The Crypto Cannabis Club Cannabis brand will offer a collection of weed products including hand-selected, premium, indoor-grown cannabis in eighth-ounce packages. Through its delivery partners like Yams, Hellapaxx, and Smoke On The Water, Morrison said CampNova makes the physical aspect of NFTs accessible to smokers available on CampNovaonline.com via same to next-day delivery throughout California and other legal states. Hunter also explained another unique aspect of the CCC NFT, its owners get a 30% discount when they buy the Crypto Cannabis Club Cannabis brand. Fitzpatrick said he’s hopeful the discount can eventually increase to 100% for investors owning CCC NFTs, but that might be down the road. Stepping beyond weed and art, Fitzpatrick also hinted at an app and tech project in the works expected to use the blockchain Metaverse

// FINANCE // Breaking the Fourth Wall

Co-founder and CEO of CCC Kevin Fitzpatrick

to authenticate the real cannabis strains versus the counterfeit knockoffs. He said the project is intended to provide more authentic cannabis strains and NFTs harder to replicate or resell, while maintaining true and verifiable ownership. “If you think about the illicit market and brand equity, there are a lot of brands,” Fitzpatrick said. “California has brands that have made a name for themselves in cannabis to the point where now people are knocking off their packaging by going to China and getting their packaging recreated and then sticking illicit-market cannabis in that packaging. There’s an opportunity here to tie in a radio-frequency identification to that package and verify through an app.” The NFT craze went up a few notches when Mike Winkelmann, a digital artist known as Beeple, sold an NFT for $69 million at the British auction house Christie’s. Celebrities like former pro wrestler John Cena and singer Shawn Mendes took note and also launched their own set of NFTs. During the 2021 edition of Art Basel Miami, the art world got an inside look at the best in blockchain technology and exclusive celebrity NFTs. And while it may seem that every celebrity has a weed brand on the west coast, not all have quite settled in the NFT space. The Queen Bee, Lil’ Kim, stepped into the cannabis space in October 2021. She announced during MJBizCon that she would launch Aphrodesiak cannabis brand with superbad, inc., and CampNova in 2022. Her announcement was just the first step into the cannabis space as she’s currently steering her brand into the NFT blockchain.

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

The Grammy-Award winning “Lady Marmalade” rapper explained that integrating her physical cannabis products — featuring flower, prerolls, and erotic THC infused oils, with NFTs creates one-of-a-kind digital access to authentic collectibles with artwork and visual experiences she wouldn’t normally release. The authenticity of cannabis NFTs, provides a space separate from music, memorabilia, or Lil’ Kim posters that fans would do anything for. “Linking Aphrodesiak to blockchain and NFTs will provide my fans a rare smoke of high-quality cannabis strains I like,” she said. “There are also exclusive experiences created and curated by me and my team.” “With NFTs, Lil’ Kim is finally able to connect with bidders vying for digital content exclusive from her,” Morrison said. “In the process, this makes her creative work and cannabis brand irreplaceable and unique.” ❖

Crypto Cannabis Club Cannabis is a physical integration of characters and cannabis strains that open the blockchain space into physical versions of NFTs.

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// LEGISLATION //

A Prescription for Privacy Illinois’ new data security and privacy requirements are coming to a state near you. By Dan Greene As of Dec. 1, 2021, cannabis dispensaries and technology vendors operating in the state of Illinois must protect health information with the same stringent security and privacy standards required of medical providers under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). These regulations, applied by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), include fines of up to $10,000 per violation. While Illinois is the first state to place these strict data security and privacy rules on dispensaries that provide medical-use cannabis, it is likely not the last. As the cannabis industry continues to grow and evolve, so does the attention from legislators and regulators. As more state legislatures and regulatory agencies address concerns surrounding the health information cannabis companies access and retain, we anticipate increased data security and privacy requirements placed on cannabusinesses that collect, process, and store client 52

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

personal information, including health information. While we wait for further regulations from other states, cannabis dispensaries and vendors located nationwide should begin taking a critical look at their data security and privacy protocols and start working toward compliance with HIPAA standards. What are the HIPAA requirements included under Illinois’ Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act? HIPAA, a federal statute enacted in 1996, requires covered entities and many of their vendors (called business associates), to protect patient data, such as diagnosis and treatment information, which is known as protected health information (PHI). HIPAA applies to health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and healthcare providers that submit standard electronic transactions. Since cannabis is not currently

covered by health insurance, cannabis dispensaries arguably do not fall within the definition of a “covered entity” under HIPAA, because they do not submit requests for payments in the form of standard electronic transactions. However, under Illinois’ Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act (A280), dispensaries that provide medical-use cannabis to patients must implement data security and privacy standards like those required under HIPAA. IDFPR published specific guidance outlining its interpretation of the Act’s requirement for HIPAA-like privacy and security requirements. Specifically, dispensaries are required to provide customers with a Notice of Privacy Practices and adopt administrative, technical, and physical controls consistent with HIPAA Security Rule standards with special attention given to conducting regular security risk assessments. It is worth noting for those new to HIPAA, that a Notice of Privacy

// LEGISLATION //

Practices is not the same as a website privacy policy or other privacy statements.

meet with counsel to discuss how these new requirements can be efficiently incorporated into existing compliance programs.

Importantly, IDFPR guidance also states that these requirements apply to vendors of cannabis dispensaries Photo: iStockphoto.com/Tero Vesalainen that receive patient data from dispensaries. This would include call centers that handle patient calls from medical licensed cannabis dispensaries, vendors that host patient medical data, and vendors that perform data analysis that requires the use of identifiable medical information. How does HIPAA define administrative, technical, and physical controls, and what constitutes a risk assessment? Under HIPAA, administrative controls refer to the processes, policies, and procedures used to protect health information against a breach or unauthorized disclosure. Technical safeguards refer to technology, including firewalls, encryption, and backups. Physical safeguards, like facility access controls, device and media controls, and workstation use procedures, protect the physical facilities that house an organization’s sensitive patient data. IDFPR focuses on two HIPAA safeguards in its guidance — security risk analysis and encryption of health information at rest and in transit. Although HIPAA does not prescribe a timeframe for a security risk analysis, the IDFPR guidance states that medical cannabis providers should conduct a security risk analysis annually. IDFPR also states that not encrypting computers or networks where data is transmitted or stored and not encrypting emails containing patient data would constitute a violation. Creating and implementing these types of controls and safeguards requires specific knowledge of data security and privacy best practices, making this a daunting ask for some canna-businesses. Dispensaries and technology vendors that host health information should

timeline, sophisticated operators are already preparing as if it does, as we may soon see some states follow the precedent set by Illinois. It is best practice to implement data security and privacy controls even if HIPAA does not directly apply to your organization at present. Preparing your canna-business now will ultimately protect you and your customers from financial and reputational harm and allow the business to have a smooth transition into complying with additional regulatory requirements if HIPAA ever does become directly applicable to cannabis dispensaries. What can cannabis companies do to prepare? Here are the key questions cannabis dispensaries and vendors should ask themselves as they evaluate readiness for new requirements:

Could Illinois signal a trend for other states? Other states may embrace Illinois’ use of HIPAA guidelines as an easy way to adopt data protections for cannabis data. From a health consumer perspective, HIPAA has been in place for over two decades and is well understood by businesses in the medical field. Since many dispensaries distribute cannabis primarily for medical purposes, requiring dispensaries to adopt HIPAA standards is an easy, if not clumsy, manner of protecting this data. Additionally, current cyber threat trends suggest threat actors target health information, especially in fastgrowing industries that have not yet been held to sophisticated data protection standards. Arguably, the states that lean into the HIPAA framework are preparing the industry for eventual federal requirements under HIPAA, a likely outcome once federal rescheduling occurs. While enforcement of HIPAA in the cannabis industry at the federal level is on an uncertain

• Should I draft my Notice of Privacy Practices and train staff on its use? • Should I hire or appoint additional privacy and security personnel? • Is my training program appropriate and adequate? • Should I consider additional administrative, technical, or physical controls to prevent unauthorized access? • Is my annual risk analysis sufficient? • Should I change my vendor management protocols? • Does my incident response plan consider relevant notification requirements? • How should I document these compliance measures? • Do my employees know what to do when a patient requests records? Partnering with sophisticated legal and technical counsel that work on these initiatives can help canna-businesses amend their data protection practices to comply with current and future regulations and safeguard their customers sensitive health information. ❖ Winter 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS //

A Climate of Change Unpredictable weather and automation technology are pushing agriculture indoors. By Jessica McKeil

By 2050, there will be nine billion people on planet earth. That’s two billion more mouths to feed than today. In an increasingly unstable environment thanks to climate change, how will farmers pivot to meet the needs of the global population?

worth of U.S. crop insurance payouts linked to climate-fueled temperature increases. As stated by the Climate Atlas of Canada, “Farmers are used to planning for uncertainty, but climate change is bringing new extremes, seasonal shifts, and increased variability.”

technologies, like the kind orchestrated by American Growor, take charge of the environment to ensure every outcome is predictable, crops are more consistent, and most importantly for farmers, profitability is achieved.

To improve yield, make better use of limited resources, and mitigate the risks posed by climate change, the future of farming is moving indoors. Advances in automation and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) will make this move feasible.

This is an issue Dan Olshwang (CEO) and Eitan Braverman (CMO) of American Growor know all too well. The team has 50 years combined experience researching and growing with CEA, addressing the inherent risks of conventional agriculture that have increasingly become a priority for their customer base.

Cannabis Accelerating Technological Advances in CEA In 2020, the global cannabis market reached $20.47 billion, as reported by Fortune. There is no sign of it slowing down anytime soon. Tech Crunch estimates that by halfway through 2021, the cannabis sector had already attracted a 165% increase over 2020 investment levels. The astronomical investments thrown into cannabis are a lightning rod for the entire CEA sector.

Controlled environment agriculture is nothing new, but it’s experiencing somewhat of a renaissance thanks to its widespread application in commercial cannabis cultivation. Could the technological advances accelerated by the indoor and greenhouse cannabis industry translate to food crops to help feed the world? Solving for Unpredictability Through Total Control According to Scientific American, between 1991 and 2017 there were roughly $27 billion 54

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

Olshwang explained that controlling the environment is all about reducing “the volatility to a minimum and increasing profitability to a maximum.” To reduce the inherent risks associated with outdoor farming, American Growor has developed state-of-the-art, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cultivation tech that automates the indoor environment and dynamically responds to changing parameters. Instead of leaving it up to mother nature, CEA

Technically speaking, farmers have been working with CEA methods since the first recorded use of greenhouses in the 1500s. But in the 21st century, CEA has been taken to entirely new levels of automation and control that go well beyond the simple protection offered by a layer of glass.

// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS // As technological innovations have made CEA much more viable over the last century, there has been an exponential increase in investment. This has proven especially true in the last few decades, thanks to the rise of legal cannabis markets in the U.S., Canada, and beyond. Yes, the established agricultural sectors (tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and other traditional crops) pioneered climate-controlled cultivation, but it’s the money funnelling into cannabis that’s fuelled greater innovation and visibility. Steve Graves, head of business development with Fluence by OSRAM, has personally witnessed the impact of how the advances in CEA for cannabis are spilling over into fruits and vegetables. Fluence builds LED lighting systems for cannabis cultivation that combine different spectra, intensities, and other lighting strategies to produce flowers with highly marketable cannabinoid profiles. But, they also use the very same technology for greenhouse-grown strawberries, albeit crafted in a way that elicits different marketable characteristics, like color, morphology, and Brix content. Graves explained that the value propositions of CEA are similar across crops, but for Fluence, it is “profoundly impactful to the profitability of a cannabis operation.” He stated, “We have seen much more adoption of LED technology within cannabis, allowing our business to scale and support other segments of the industry.” Braverman at American Growor agreed that the current obsession with cannabis production has accelerated the entire CEA sector forward. In Bravermans opinion, “There are a lot of advances in technology because of the cannabis space, but we are only seeing these advances because a lot of money is pouring in.” The Future of Agriculture Will Hinge on Increased Automation In a world rocked by climate change, a large portion of global cultivation will have to move indoors — and perhaps sooner rather than later. But, this is only the first step. To ensure this move also produces more with the same resources and hopefully helps to feed

two billion more people, any CEA will have to adopt increasingly intelligent automation. Automation is key to growing less with more because it ensures the intentional and efficient application of every resource. Olshwang from American Growor explained, to ensure that a system can produce enough output to make it valuable, “The only way to do it is to fully control the environment — to optimize the environment.” Olshwang and the team at American Growor have incorporated dynamic AI into their cultivation systems, which enables even inexperienced farmers to run an efficient farm. Total environmental recipes, curated for each crop and cultivar, automatically adjust on a daily basis to meet the specific needs of the plants. These types of AI-driven advances in automation mean less labor, more efficient inputs (nutrients, energy, etc.), and better, healthier outcomes. The Future of CEA Is Already Here Cannabis-driven advances in CEA, including AI-driven automations, are already attainable — and rapidly increasing the yield, quality, and consistency across crops. As only one example from the world of cannabis, in an American Growor case study, the system improved cannabinoid profile, increased total yield per plant by 30 grams, and reduced the total duration by 2.5 weeks — compared with another leading lighting system. Similarly, Fluence worked with a large-scale greenhouse tomato operation to improve yearround production. After installing Fluence’s VYPR series across 10 acres, the case study measured energy savings of 3.6 million kilowatthours and a 10% increase in fruit production, among other benefits. As Olshwang summarized, the key will be to “orchestrate all the components, all the elements that serve as inputs, to optimise the growth of the plant and the health of the plant.” Through advances in automation, control, and increased sharing of tech developments, climatechange resistant cultivation to meet the demands of a growing population may finally be achievable. ❖

The established agricultural sectors (tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and other traditional crops) pioneered climate-controlled cultivation, but it’s the money funnelling into cannabis that’s fueled greater innovation and visibility. Winter 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS //

Deepening the Research Diving Into Eybna Technologies’ Industry-Altering Discoveries By Patricia Miller You’ll often hear people say cannabis science is in its infancy. While it’s true there is much more to learn about the plant, some regions of the world have been studying cannabis intensely for decades. The field of cannabis science was pioneered by Raphael Mechoulam in the 1960s. His research, based in Israel, laid the foundation for our modern understanding of the herb. Nearly 60 years later, Israel remains a leading force in the study of cannabis. Nadav Eyal, CEO and co-founder of Eybna Technologies, is building on this body of research and pioneering his own studies on terpenes, cannabinoids, and their interactions with the endocannabinoid system. In 2020, Eybna discovered a cannabinoid formulation that effectively blocked the novel coronavirus from penetrating living cells. The combination, known as the NT-VRL formulation, is now undergoing clinical study as a potential treatment for the disease. While NT-VRL is a remarkable discovery, it may ultimately pale in comparison to Eybna’s more recent revelation around receptor-specific cannabinoid formulations. In this interview, Eyal discusses what inspired him to study cannabis and how his latest research will change the industry forever. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Hear the whole interview at www.cannatechtoday.com/podcasts. Cannabis & Tech Today: What drew you to study cannabis? Nadav Eyal: My journey through the cannabis industry started back in 2008. I was very involved in my mother’s treatment with cancer. That’s when I was exposed to the term medical cannabis, but at the same time in Israel, it was very early days for the medical program. Unfortunately, my mother didn’t use cannabis and she passed away. The same year, I joined military intelligence in the army. So this was a turning point in my life that 56

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

drew me into the cannabis industry. In military intelligence I was doing mostly data science, big data, and understanding how data can help us to make better decisions. Ultimately, I found we could use data science methods to change the language from conversations about strains, such as OG Kush and Super Lemon Haze, to conversations about molecules such as limonene, and CBN, and THCV, which allows us to apply real science to the cannabis industry. It also allows us to avoid the inconsistency of cannabis products in order to let people that have real medical conditions enjoy the benefits of the plant. C&T Today: Last year, you found a combination of cannabinoids with the potential to treat or even prevent coronavirus infections in human lung cells. When did you realize you had made a significant discovery? NE: In this research, one of the things that I remember is the phone call I got from the lead manager, calling me and asking, “What the hell did you give us here?” Because what happened is that in the research, she found that the NT-VRL formulation was blocking the penetration of the coronavirus to the cells. This opened our eyes to terpenes being a very useful immunity product. So we decided to do another test versus a cytokine storm. We found that the same NT-VRL formulation worked better than dexamethasone, which is a steroid used in hospitals to treat conditions of inflammation. So these two [findings] together were strong enough for us to take it a few steps forward and prepare a clinical study in Israel. It is going to take the formulation we developed and test it versus coronavirus in human trials. This is ongoing right now, and we’ll be happy to share more results moving forward. C&T Today: You recently developed a line of

phytochemical formulations targeted to specific wellness goals. How are these formulations unique in the industry? NE: Since the beginning of the company we have been envisioning this line that we launched in the last two months. It’s basically a new category of product called receptor-specific formulations. So what does it mean? If we try to break down how the different compounds in the plant are activating the human body, the smallest resolution we can measure is the interaction between one compound and one receptor. So for example, we are familiar with the endocannabinoid system and the CB1 and CB2 receptors. The endocannabinoid system itself has six small receptors. And the same as the endocannabinoid system, we have other systems in the body such as the dopamine system, the serotonin system, and the GABA system. All of them are being activated by the phytochemicals found in the cannabis plant. So in the last six years of research, we were mapping the interactions of thousands of compounds in the cannabis plant with different receptors in the human body. We were able to measure which one of them is activating which type of receptors in our body.

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// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS // Deepening the Research

Today, we are selling formulations that are composed only of the ingredients that are effective to produce a certain effect, such as pain relief or sleep. What people are still underestimating is the fact that when you have a thousand compounds, which is whole-plant medicine, there are some compounds that are contradictory to each other. So if you want a sleep medication, you do not necessarily want the compounds that are good for daytime effects, and vice versa. So the receptor-specific line is the first step to be able to introduce globally a line of natural formulations that are targeting indications that are important for human wellness. And everything we are now doing is to take the conversation from getting high to a conversation about wellness. Because there are people in the recreational markets that are looking to just get high, but there are a lot of people worldwide, especially the elderly population, that can benefit from the cannabis plant much more than from the pharmaceutical drugs they are using today. But until we introduce products that are actually effective, people will never switch. So we are already partnering with some of the largest brands in the cannabis industry and the CBD industry to launch different effect-specific products that are all using our receptor-specific formulations. I believe 2022 is going to be a year of change and innovation in the industry. C&T Today: Thanks to Israel’s approach to medical cannabis, you’re able to conduct

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

really thorough research. You’re doing trials with living organisms, conducting cellular research, and creating computer-aided investigations. This is a lot of data that’s adding to the understanding of cannabis on a global level. What have you found most surprising during your experiments? NE: First of all, I’m surprised that not a lot has been done on cannabis. There are so many new things we were able to discover in the last three years of research. Every day, we are learning that there are unknown capabilities for this plant. In collecting a lot of data from a lot of different sources, we can actually solve the hard questions. So, sometimes in life you need different angles and different points of view to understand the full picture. By doing research, from computational biology to In Vitro, and connecting it with the data from patients and ethnobotanical data, and bringing everything to the table for the R&D team of Eybna, we were able to come up with insights that are very innovative and hopefully will be very valuable to the whole industry. The last part is the fact that the cannabis industry is still building itself and everything is possible. There is a very much an increased demand for innovative products coming from California and the rest of the U.S. The ability to see how research is being used, then coming back into products, and turning into the ability to improve the quality of life of people worldwide — it’s just a cycle that is exciting. What we are going to see is that the cannabis

industry as a whole is going to change — not just the tobacco and alcohol industry — but is going to completely change also the pharmaceutical industry and allow people to enjoy what we recognize today as preventative medicine. This will allow this field of preventative medicine to become scientifically supported and eventually to dramatically improve quality of life on a global scale. That’s exactly where Eybna is looking in the next five years. Cannabis is still in its beginning. There is so much this plant is going to bring to the world. ❖

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// SOCIAL EQUITY //

Let’s Be Clear What does social equity in cannabis really mean? By Gina Kranwinkel

If I get one more question about the term social equity in cannabis, I’m going to … answer it again, because there’s serious confusion about what social equity means and why the social equity programs being created in states across the country are good for the cannabis industry. Social equity seems like a term that should be easy to define. However, it isn’t being used consistently by our industry or by state social equity programs. At the same time, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs are also being created, and there’s misunderstanding about this concept, too. Let’s have a conversation so we’re all on the same page. In the past few years, cannabis social equity programs have been developed by more than a dozen states and cities as part of legalization. The primary goal of these programs is to ensure that people from communities disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition and discriminatory law

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

enforcement are included in the emerging legal cannabis industry. The National Association of Cannabis Businesses (NACB) created a Social Equity Model that has served as a roadmap for policy and program development in this area. These policies and programs give the promise of hope for the continued movement towards social equity in the industry. “Social equity” refers to remedying the harm that was caused by the prohibition of cannabis. The key term here is “harm.” Some continue to deny the fact that people of color have been disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition. Incarceration rates tell a different story. In 2018, 84% of those sentenced at the federal level for cannabis were people of color, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission. A 2020 report by the American Civil Liberties Union indicated that though cannabis usage rates are the same, on average black people are 3.64 times more

likely than white people to be arrested for possession of cannabis. In some states, that ratio is closer to 9:1. It has been established that cannabis prohibition has its roots in racist beliefs. If you question this, Google Harry Anslinger, the U.S. government official who created the war on drugs, and who made public statements like, “Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men’s shadows, and look at a white woman twice.” Anslinger was the commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Federal Bureau of Narcotics for 32 years. His racist beliefs and actions had a large and lasting influence on the beliefs and action in drug enforcement nationwide. Now, recognizing that some communities and individuals have paid a much higher price in the war on drugs than others is foundational to the success of social equity programs. This aspect of cannabis history deserves more attention than I can

// SOCIAL EQUITY //

give here, so please take time to research this topic. What you learn might either solidify your beliefs or honestly, shock you.

attention and benefits they need in order to remedy the harm and access the necessary tools to succeed in the industry.

Let’s move on to DEI, which refers to programs and practices for increasing participation by those historically underrepresented in society. Many states have merged DEI into their social equity programs with the intention of helping as many people as possible. Though this has been done in good faith, it’s not effective. When social equity and DEI are merged, those who truly were harmed by the war on drugs feel slighted and are left fighting to receive the

So, what is the solution? As we race forward with social equity programs, let’s keep the idea of those who were harmed at the forefront and create two different programs — programs which satisfy two different needs. The first step is making sure that social equity programs adhere to the fundamental concept of providing a remedy, and identify what harm was caused to whom. Social equity programs that follow this concept will ensure that those harmed by cannabis

They help organizations be flexible and open to how an individual works best and find ways to give employees the diverse resources they need to succeed on the job.

available that reduce unconscious bias, from masking candidates’ names from interviewers to pre-hire assessments that control for adverse effect on protected classes. Fortunately, reducing bias in talent acquisition is a priority for 93% of companies. These are only a few elements that not only can provide greater productivity through diverse thoughts but also lead to increased productivity, all by being more inclusive. Cannabis companies can and should be ahead of this curve. Like social equity, DEI deserves more attention than I can give it here, so again I encourage you to learn more.

As DEI programs continue to evolve, we have learned that small changes in operational procedures — changes that don’t have to be costly — can lead to significant results. Examples include, some organizations now use non-gender-specific pronouns like them/they to be more inclusive. Others are revising job descriptions to remove gendered language, and including “college degree preferred, not required” in some job postings. Hiring technologies are

prohibition are included in the industry. When social equity programs succeed, new minority-owned businesses and thousands of jobs are created. Considerable tax revenues are available for investment that strengthens communities. Then, DEI programs can support everyone being a part of the industry in greater, more proportionate numbers. The primary goals of good DEI programs are to ensure everyone has a voice and feels included in their workplace. Effective DEI programs recognize that people have diverse needs and requirements in order to get their job done.

Let’s clear up the confusion about who will act on social equity and DEI, too. State and local governments push social equity programs forward, but it is our responsibility as neighbors, citizens, business owners, and employees to push for greater diversity in cannabis as well. Social equity and DEI programs are both urgently needed to ensure that everyone can take ownership in and have access to the benefits of the legal cannabis industry. The cannabis industry needs diverse participation to make the most positive impact possible. We all need to understand these basics in order to move the industry ahead. ❖

Winter 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// SOCIAL EQUITY //

Creating Inclusive Policy Have we lost focus on why social equity programs were established? By Gia Morón Since the emergence of the legal cannabis industry, community leaders from marginalized communities have called out the imbalance and lack of representation of ownership. These advocates created a new awareness that, in addition to safe and legal access, a focus needed to be placed on social equity, justice, and reinvestment as an integral part of any new legislation. But it has been an uphill battle. As more states legalize medical and adult-use cannabis, Black and Latinx cannabis activists continue to highlight unfair processes and selections of licensees. Diverse application teams and advocates remain committed in lobbying for change in these patterns of injustice. It is a cycle seen too many times state over state, and industry leaders are raising their voices louder to demand fair and equitable opportunities pushing for new or amended legislation. Issues often lie in how policy is written, what’s included, and what’s left out of legislation. As we see today, states are beginning to respond to advocate demands for social equity and justice. In my home state of New York, for example, several organizations, including Women Grow, came together to push for change. After several years of lobbying, the Marijuana Regulation Taxation Act (MRTA) passed. This piece of legislation was critical for impacted communities across the state. The bill offered social equity applicants options at various entry points in the soon-to-be-legal New York adult-use market. Like many states, New York’s current entry price is astronomical for the average person. So, where would that leave a start-up business owner, who has no access to the kind of capital and other resources needed to ensure success in this emerging market? New York currently has ten medical license holders. Only one company is women owned and led. All of the current license holders will 62

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

Photo: iStockphoto.com/kate_sept2004

have access to the New York adult-use market when it officially launches in the near future. To date, among license awardees in New York, there is not a single person of color. Yet the state remains one of the most diverse in the country with over 300 languages spoken. It was the advocates who worked tirelessly with NY legislators Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes and Senator Liz Krueger — who sponsored the MRTA bill. In March of 2021, the MRTA passed in New York, making history. Social Equity was a big part of this bill, with 50% of the adult-use licenses earmarked for social equity applicants. While traditional vertical licenses will not be awarded, the structure was broken down to create affordable options for smaller operators. This bill also includes micro licenses and cooperative options. Other states saw this as a breakthrough in the framework of how social equity can work for the

people most impacted. New York is still awaiting regulations for operators but this bill serves as a first step in a better direction for applicants. Why is this important? When the industry discusses the so-called war on drugs, it is actually referring to a war on people — predominantly Black and Latinx from low-income communities. Through advocacy, cannabis social equity was developed to ensure that people and communities most harmed have an opportunity to participate in the expanding number of states we see entering into this market. According to an article in Cannabis Industry Journal, “Where Are We Now? Social Equity in the US Cannabis Industry,” of the 19 states with adult-use cannabis, 13 have social equity programs created to help marginalized people enter and lead in the industry. In its 2021 Jobs Report, Leafly touches on Black ownership in the industry, citing racial

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// SOCIAL EQUITY // Creating Inclusive Policy

NT DRUG ENFORCEME

TER AND POLICY CEN

orporate Social w to Effectively Inc Fair and Square: Hois Laws and Regulations Equity Into Cannab Author: Shaleen Title

Table of Contents

................................1 .................................... .................................... ...........................2 .................................... .................................... About the Author ......... ...2 .................................... ......... ......... ......... .................................... .................. .................................... Executive Summary 2 .................................... .................................... ......... equity program for? l ......... socia ......... your is Who .................. ........3 ......... receive? .................. ......... ipants ......... partic le ......... What benefits do eligib .................................... ......... am 3 progr ......... ing ........................... ng an effective licens .................................... Principles for creati .................................... .................4 Got Here .................. .................................... Introduction: How We .................................... am ......5 Progr ......... Equity ........................... for Launching an abis Industry ......... Grounding Principles ...5 ework for the Cann .................................... sive Social Equity Fram .................................... Creating a Comprehen 6 .................................... .................................... equity program for? .................................... Who is your social ......... ......... ......... ........8 e? le participants receiv .................................... eligib ......... do its ......... benef ......... What .......... 11 ing program .................. ......... licens ive ......... effect ......... an ng ........................... Principles for creati .................................... .................................... Closing Thoughts .........

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

bis Distinguished Canna currently serves as and vicepolicy activist who of Parabola Center ey and longtime drug r. Title is co-founder ted Indian-American attorn ement and Policy Cente 40 List. She was appoin Shaleen Title is an to Boston's 40 Under ence at the Drug Enforc Resid named in the was of ioner ers 2021 in ission Policy Practit Coalition, and of five inaugural comm Regulators of Color rer to serve as one for her focus on chair of the Cannabis ey general, and treasu was widely recognized tts governor, attorn as a regulator, she as commissioner, she by the Massachuse 2020. During her time ive. Before her term ission from 2017 to bis ry more fair and inclus Cannabis Control Comm er of the Minority Canna the cannabis indust memb make board to ng efforts foundi a as ent a process of racial justice and her ation campaigns, and guidance to implem state marijuana legaliz for created to give states worked on multiple zation providing a space of the first model bill g organi draftin ofit the nonpr led a n, she r to Supernova Wome Business Association iliation. She is an adviso Program. reinvestment and reconc g Group Mentorship around the world about bis, and the THC Staffin of governmental bodies women of color in canna front in rs with d partne testifie ly bis policy and has outlets and she routine ate nt lecturer on canna by numerous media law degree, and gradu Shaleen is a freque has been interviewed a business degree, marijuana laws. She reform. Shaleen holds restorative justice in s to support drug policy ization organ leading drug policy degree in accounting.

abstract=3978766

ble at: https://ssrn.com/

Electronic copy availa

Shaleen Title Photo: iStockphoto.com/SolStock

disparity as the major challenge. Today, there is about 2% Black ownership of plant touching (cultivation and dispensaries) businesses in the U.S., and of that, less than half of the owners are full vertical businesses with a fraction of that percentage operating in multiple states. While Latinx ownership may be slightly higher, the percentage has yet to reach double digits. For further clarity, there are over 35,000 cannabis businesses operating in the U.S., with a combined ownership of Black and Latinx businesses they still do not make up 10% of the national market share.

framework for regulators. Big cannabis businesses could also benefit from the report and use it as a guide when considering how to best support social equity programs.

Listen to the people doing the work. As we look at the industry today versus 3-5 years ago, social equity has made progress, but the criteria for equity seems to be changing. Why? Recently, former Massachusetts cannabis regulator Shaleen Title authored a report that was released by Ohio State University — Moritz College of Law: Fair and Square: How to Effectively Incorporate Social Equity Into Cannabis Laws and Regulations. It is an outlined

The first three points of Title’s report speak to the demands of impacted communities: governments need to acknowledge they created the problem and be responsible for repairing; social equity is everyone’s responsibility to repair; and the most important point she makes is, “speak to the communities directly impacted.” How can we effectively improve programs if we are not connecting with the impacted community? It’s the most important voice

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

Replicating failing programs will not correct our growing social equity gap. The people who are in communities working with the people and relaying messages to legislators can offer the best insight to addressing what is beginning to sound like a diluted definition of social equity. These programs were put in place as a response to the impact of the war on drugs on specific communities.

missing from the table. Translation is lost if all parties are not heard. Stay focused. Include instead of exclude. Policymakers and businesses cannot lose sight of why social equity programs were created. They are necessary and a must for people who feel voiceless in a rapidly growing industry that has historically excluded and persecuted them. There are lives and livelihoods at stake. Impacted communities must be given the opportunity to build businesses and create generational wealth in an industry that criminalized neighborhoods, for a product once deemed illegal, and today is seen as one of the fastest growing and most profitable markets. Collectively we have an opportunity to build a stronger foundation by uplifting the people who have been pushed aside. These programs have yet to be perfected, but there is still time to keep working on improving. We must be the architects of this blueprint. We must include the people most harmed. ❖

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FROM DUST TO A Cannabis Tech Zone in the Heart of the Desert Section compiled by Ebby Stone

Photos: iStockphoto.com

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

DANK What comes to mind when you think

Arizona also has some of the lowest

of Arizona? Do you envision the

labor costs in the country, according

sprawling Grand Canyon in all its

to the Arizona Department of

majesty? Maybe you think of

Agriculture. The state boasts 80+

turquoise gemstones or saguaro cacti.

airports and more than 66,000 miles

Beyond Arizona’s Hoover Dam and

of highway — a great pairing for

113,000 square miles of unique

importing and exporting goods.

geology is a thriving tech center that is embracing cannabis faster than any other state in the nation. Since legalizing adult-use cannabis

While Arizona may seem too dry for agriculture (it’s home to four deserts), it has plenty of rivers and streams to support farming. Its warm climate

sales in January 2021, Arizona has

allows for year round production of

already earned nearly $1 billion in

many crops. The Arizona agricultural

cannabis revenue. Jobs are opening

sector exports vegetables, nuts, fruits,

up rapidly to meet demand.

wheat, cotton, eggs, beef, and milk to

Employment company Vangst reported

more than 70 countries across the

the Grand Canyon state will create

globe.

25,000 cannabis jobs over the next five years. Since 2017, positions in the cannabis sector have increased from 120,000 to over 320,000 in the first quarter of 2021. What’s so alluring about this

Since legalizing medical marijuana in 2010, the state has been evolving its understanding of the plant and in many ways preparing for its recent legalization of adult-use sales. Now that the market is open, there’s no

southwestern state? Companies might

end in sight for this robust cannabis

be drawn to its low corporate tax

marketplace. This section will explore

structure (just 4.9%), or its robust

some of the people and companies

workforce of more than 3 million

making the Grand Canyon State a

people with a median age of 37.

thriving cannabis tech zone. ❖

Winter 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// ARIZONA TECH ZONE Presented By

Higher Standards for Safety

Arizona Labs Step Up to Meet Unprecedented Demand

Does ibuprofen undergo testing for heavy metals? How much pesticide is in your wine? If a product is available for public sale in a regulated market, there’s an assumption that it’s been tested for safety. This is not always true. When Arizona legalized medical cannabis in 2010, patients were just grateful to have access to medicine. It wasn’t until November 1, 2020 that the state enacted SB 1494, requiring medical and adult-use cannabis be tested for potency and contaminants. Two days later, recreational cannabis use was passed into law. The result was a flurry of activity for cannabis testing labs. Suddenly both recreational and medical products had to be tested for heavy metals, microbials, herbicides, pesticides, and more. Many labs scrambled to keep up with demand. Others were able to keep up even as the pandemic delayed shipments and created equipment shortages. Ethan Sasz, founder and owner of Plant Safe Powered by Paradigm said his clients were grateful for his efficiency when labs across the state were backed up. “We have four times the amount of instrumentation that 68

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

most labs have today,” Sasz said. “We have the corporate model of a large business, but with a local presence.”

The Grand Canyon State is already proving to be one of the fastest growing cannabis markets in the country. At the time of this writing,

In response to the community’s plea for increased safety during the COVID-19 crisis, Sasz revised Plant Safe’s practices to offer safe, secure transportation and delivery of samples throughout the state. The demand for testing has since lessened, but retailers are now acutely aware of the value of a collaborative, resilient laboratory partner.

Arizona is set to pass a billion dollars in sales in

Consumers,as well as retailers, respond to safety testing and prefer brands with a history of transparency. More than 61% of buyers 18-27 will pay extra for organically grown cannabis, reported Statista. Safety, especially for medical cannabis, is paramount to consumers.

state. We want to set up a state where we are

“Safety is a big part of the evolution of the cannabis industry and other biological businesses. As a clinical lab first, we had to provide empirical results for patient safety. We are bringing that same ideology into the cannabis space,” Sasz said. As the Arizona marketplace grows, so will expectations around testing and transparency.

testing laboratories are scaling up in preparation.

its first year of recreational sales. Demitri Downing, CEO and founder of Arizona Cannabis Industry Trade Association, told Channel 12 News he hopes to see the state play a pivotal role once cannabis becomes federally legal. “We want to set up an export manufacturing as many products as possible, cultivating as much product as possible,” Downing said. When that day comes, nationwide safety regulations will certainly follow. Cannabis With a fleet of vehicles trained to pick up samples, plus proprietary testing and certification software, Plant Safe is looking to the future. “We strive to be the gold standard and set the benchmark for other labs in the state,” said Sasz. ❖

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Pods, Mods, Carts, and More Arizona’s Vape Market Heats Up Vaping technology has come a long way since Hon Lik developed the first commercially successful electronic cigarette in 2003. Vapers can customize their devices and purchase a huge variety of cartridges, from pre-filled and flavored to refillable or even artificially intelligent pods that report user data to an app. As Arizona residents develop a taste for vapes, manufacturers will have to find ways to keep up. It’s a sector that’s growing quickly. Dataanalytics firm Headset reported a 20% increase in recreational vapor pen sales from 2019 to 2020 in California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington state. Credence Engineering President Jim Ellis said he has expanded his inventory to meet the demand from Arizonans and the larger cannabis marketplace. “Our dispensing pump is the most accurate in the industry and our filling systems have the shortest path from vessel-to-cart.” His equipment is also set up to switch rapidly between different oils. “Changeover from one lot to the next is the quickest in the industry at under three minutes,” Ellis said. The global cannabis vaporizer market is expected to expand by 3.5 times its current size by 2031, according to Fact Market Reports. Brands will need to find high-volume processors who can keep up with large orders. Ellis told Cannabis & Tech Today Credence already offers higher volume solutions for its most assertive clients. “We are offering several throughput levels, from 1,000 per hour up to 18,000 per hour.” Vape users often prefer the discretion of vaping, which produces less “smoke” and odor than other forms of combustion. With Arizona’s social scene picking up again since the 70

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

The Credence Engineering Team

pandemic, it’s a good atmosphere for vapes. Data analytics company Zenreach found foot traffic to Arizona bars and nightclubs has increased 33% since January 2021. It’s also a popular method of consumption among college students. A 2019 study from Monitoring the Future found 14% of college students had vaped cannabis in the last 30 days, along with 17% of their non-college-attending peers. The state is home to 48 colleges and universities and nearly 700,000 students — a prime demographic for vape sales. As retailers work to meet the demand, it will be brand variety that gives dispensary owners an edge. Lilach Mazor Power, founder and managing director of the Giving Tree dispensary told Phoenix New Times the shop is working to

expand its retail footprint. “Our way to expand and grow is through brands,” Power said. There are 123 active dispensaries in Arizona, according to the Cannabiz Media license database. With so many retailers looking for products, brands need ample inventory and established manufacturing relationships to outsupply their competition. Ellis also advises brands to look for partners with exceptional customer service. “At Credence Engineering we are continually developing new features, so we give free upgrades to Credence owners. We provide loaner machines in the event that a customer runs into problems and needs the seamless throughput.” In Arizona’s competitive climate, reliable partners and strong contingency plans could be the difference between profit or loss. ❖

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The Seeds of Change Arizona’s home grow laws open the door for hobbyists. What would convince you to grow your cannabis at home? Research from New Frontier Data (NFD) found that of the 6% of cannabis consumers who grow at home, 32% grow to avoid pesticides. Nearly half (52%) do it for convenience and 46% grow at home because it’s cheaper than purchasing retail. With the passage of Proposition 207, Arizonans 21 and older can legally grow up to six plants at a time, or up to twelve if there’s another adult in the residence. It’s an exciting time to be a home grower. For decades cannabis cultivation has been a whisper told in secret only to the closest of friends. Now, growers can discuss their techniques openly in public forums, on the internet, and in-person at one of the many cannabis expos held across the country. Arizona’s new laws allow home growers to plant their crop in any enclosed area of their property. As long as it’s locked away from minors and invisible to public view, it’s good to grow.

Photos Andy Diaz

Often the biggest hurdle to starting one’s own grow is, well … starting it. Finding seeds can be a challenge in a new market like Arizona. Some dispensaries offer clones or seeds for public sale. Several websites will ship directly to customers. Landra De Loach, CEO of Rocket Seeds said she hopes to encourage home growers while supporting the cannabis industry. “Our goal is to support small breeders and farms across the globe,” De Loach said. “We are helping set a standard for small home grower needs while working to make sure the privilege of growing at home is not taken away.”

and harvesting dates. These QR codes also detail when the seeds were packaged and offer growing advice from breeders.

Many home growers are using the plant medicinally and require specific strains or varieties to treat their ailments. One difficulty when growing from seed is tracing the genetic lineage. To combat this issue, Rocket Seeds partners with Seed Tracker Technology to offer personalized QR codes to breeders. The result is a scannable packet which allows customers to see the lineage of the seed as well as the planting

Noah Wylie, master grower at The Mint Dispensary in the East Valley told the Arizona Republic home growers should take it slow. “I warn people … crawl before you walk. Learn to get your plant to grow all the way to fruition, harvest it, dry it, cure it,” Wylie said. “Then you can build from there. Don’t run out and buy thousands of dollars of equipment.”

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

With a reliable source of seeds, home growers can get started on their cultivation journey. The first few grows are always a bit tricky, but thanks to widespread legalization there are many resources to help the novice grower.

With more information available to the public, more people can take the power of the plant into their own hands. After all, what’s the number one reason people decide to grow at home? According to NFD, 70% of home growers do it just because it’s fun to have a green thumb. Why not give it a try? At the very least, you know you’ll enjoy the fruits of your labor. ❖

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A Bright Idea Innovations in LED technology are a perfect fit for Arizona’s arid climate. nothing else like it in the market. By putting out that much power, growers can finally reach the upper thresholds of what cannabis is capable of with some of the highest photosynthetic photon efficacy figures in the market. C&T Today: What are the advantages to growing with LEDs in a desert environment? BS: When we were first exploring opportunities in the cannabis space, one of the local facilities where we were working had a problem. They were using 1000W DE HPS fixtures. Many operators switch to night cycles in the desert as their AC systems have to work a little bit less running at night than they do during the day. One evening when nobody was there, the air conditioning lines froze over and stopped working. Cooked the entire crop. Destroyed everything. And of course, there’s no insurance. So, especially in the desert, you need to have a lighting solution that works with the environment. And when you’re working with high-intensity LEDs like Fohse, we’ve engineered and patented thermal management systems in our fixtures so that you don’t need to rely as much on air conditioning to keep the room cool.

For many growers, cannabis is an indoor crop. While energy intensive, indoor cultivation offers more consistent yield and appearance. But in hot, arid environments like Arizona, is there a solution for keeping indoor temperatures down while keeping quality high? Cannabis & Tech Today spoke with Brett Stevens, CEO of Fohse Inc., to learn how Arizona growers can utilize LED lighting to lower temperatures and optimize yields.

Cannabis & Tech Today: Why has the cannabis industry been slow to adopt LEDs?

time didn’t take it upon themselves to innovate for cannabis specifically. The problem was that these LEDs were maxing out between like 630800 Watts, and not a lot of photons. So, early adopters said, “Well, yeah, I definitely saved on all my energy bills, and I produced light more efficiently per watt, but my yields went down.” No cannabis producer out there is in the business of saving electricity. They’re in the business of growing and selling weed. And if they could save electricity along the way — great. So that was the uphill battle that LED had to face.

Brett Stevens: The LED manufacturers who had been in the agricultural industry for a long

Now, what Fohse can offer the industry is our flagship model, the A3I 1500-watt LED. There’s

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

C&T Today: How does LED lighting help manage the temperature of a grow facility? BS: All but one of Fohse’s models uses 100% passive cooling, so no fans in the fixture itself, which just increases the efficiency. For example, we’ve worked over 16,000 square inches of aircraft-grade aluminum surface area into our A3i model, which effectively takes all the heat generated by the diodes and dissipates it. Plus, when the plants are growing a lot faster under high-intensity LEDs, they’re putting a lot more moisture into the environment, which allows a cultivator to take advantage of the effects of evaporative cooling. That’s really what’s ideal about deploying LED technology in the Arizona space. ❖

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Covering Your Assets How to Retain Talent in Arizona’s Competitive Marketplace “The United States now has more legal cannabis workers than dentists, paramedics, or electrical engineers,” said NewLeaf Captive CEO Philip Burghardt. “It’s on track to outpace manufacturing’s 525,000 workers by 2025.” If those numbers surprise you, you haven’t been watching the explosive growth of Arizona’s cannabis sector. In just one year, the state’s industry has outpaced some of the nation’s established legacy markets. Burghardt feels the largest increases to Arizona’s tech sector in 2022 will be in the labor market. He created NewLeaf Captive, a group health insurance provider, to serve the cannabis industry’s growing workforce. “I understand the challenges this industry faces day in and day out, including the demand for quality employees and the ability to retain those employees,” Burghardt said. Finding insurance through a cannabis company has been nearly impossible since the legal industry began. Now, with 39 states offering some form of legal cannabis, it’s high time industry employers started offering insurance. “Conflicting state and federal laws, emerging standardization of business practices, and rapidly evolving regulations have largely discouraged insurers from participating in this market,” said the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in a statement on cannabis and insurance. Cannabis is still an illegal substance under the Controlled Substances Act and the threat of federal prosecution has largely kept insurance companies out of the cannabis space. A 2020 report from New Dawn Risk reported there were only six insurers offering cannabis coverage in the U.S.

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

Dispensaries and ancillary cannabis companies employ nearly 21,000 people in Arizona. Leafly ranked it as number four in the nation for cannabis jobs. How are all these people protecting themselves and their families from unexpected medical payments? It’s largely up to the individual to secure private health insurance. “In all other industries, a large percentage of workers will elect a lower paying job with a better benefit package vs. a high paying job with little to no benefits offered,” Burghardt said. With more than a hundred dispensaries and dozens of ancillary companies operating, that’s a lot of competition for talented employees — and a lot of uninsured workers. “To attract and retain these skilled employees, which companies have invested time and money in, these employers will need to offer group health insurance to compete,” Burghardt said. While many employers might be happy to offer

insurance, paying large premiums while establishing a company in a new market could be expensive and risky. That’s one reason why NewLeaf is offering operators a portion of their cash back for unused coverage. Despite the reluctance of the federal government to embrace the legalized industry, there are some positive pieces of legislation on the horizon. The Clarifying Law Around Insurance of Marijuana (CLAIM) Act would expand coverage options for businesses and remove federal barriers for insurers to work with legal cannabis-related businesses. Until then, there are still insurance options available to cannabis businesses. “Choose a provider that empowers members to navigate the healthcare system while leveraging the convenience of modern technology. This puts members in control of their healthcare experience,” Burghardt said. ❖

// ARIZONA TECH ZONE Presented By

Safer Sanitation Finding New Solutions to the Battle Against Bacteria, Mold, and Pathogens In November 2021, several Arizona cannabis companies recalled products due to Salmonella or Aspergillus contamination. Recalls cost cannabis companies time, money, and reputational harm. A similar situation in Michigan impacted more than $200 million worth of cannabis product, reported the Detroit Free Press. Often these recalls could be avoided with proper cleaning protocols. Bill Frazier, National Sales Director for Clean Control Corporation (CCC) said the cannabis industry needs consistent cleaning practices to avoid contaminating products with mold and bacteria. “Our company is addressing the need for cannabis-specific standard operating procedures, whether it’s a cultivator grow house, transportation, processing facility, or dispensary.” CCC is offering these SOPs at no cost on its website. The company’s technology, a bleach alternative called OdoBan® Disinfectant and Odor Eliminator, is safe for use in grow facilities, kills 99.99% of bacteria (including COVID-19), and costs .35-.50 cents per gallon depending on dilution. For Arizona operators, there are some regulations around cleanliness and sanitation. For instance, all trucks, trays, buckets, receptacles, as well as machinery, saws, cleavers, etc., must be cleaned each day. But Frazier said those requirements aren’t enough. “Cleaning rooms when moving plants and enacting common cleaning procedures like OdoBan shoe-baths can help reduce contaminants significantly.” These sanitation regulations are especially important for edibles. The founder of the Arizona-based Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards, Lezli Engelking, said cannabis is a unique industry with unusual risks. “Food safety regulations are critical to protecting the safety of patients, consumers, workers, and the public from unsafe processes

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

Clean Control Corporation Sales and Production Project Manager Walker Davison with National Sales Director Bill Frazier.

and products,” Engelking said in an interview with Food Safety Magazine. “Yet, among the states that have legalized either medical and/or adult-use cannabis, very few measures have been implemented directly involving food safety.” Engelking also warned that traditional solvents and cleaners are often not effective against the resins from cannabis extracts. Cannabis-specific cleaners, while limited, are designed specifically to combat this issue. As the industry evolves, regulations around sanitation will only become more strict. Cannabis companies need to enact forwardthinking policies, so they’re prepared as new regulations are released. Frazier said his own near-death experience and subsequent use of medical cannabis drew him to the industry. He is now committed to making cleaning, disinfecting, and odor elimination a priority for the entire cannabis industry.

“We quickly saw the need for cleaning information and advice. We are offering 40+ years of cleaning, disinfection, and odor elimination experience to the cannabis industry. Our cannabis cleaning SOPs are available to anyone, free of charge,” Frazier said. In addition to innovative cleaning products, operators will increasingly rely on technology to keep their processes hygienic. “To assist in meeting these food safety requirements, we will see operators begin to rely more on automated technology related to environmental monitoring and surveillance to assure sanitary practices are effective and being followed,” Engelking said. If cannabis companies are going to avoid massive recalls, product loss and build consumer confidence, it will take more than advances in technology. Companies will have to create their own policies to deal with internal safety, sanitation, and cleanliness. ❖

Progressive. Innovative. Exclusive. Health Insurance for the cannabis industry. Love 280E? Love Insurance Premiums? Of course not. Keep more of your money with NewLeaf Captive • Level Funded Plan functions much like an insured policy with one important difference… • While you pay a fixed monthly payment as you would with a fully insured plan, you enjoy the financial advantages of partial employer-funding because your company retains 100% of the unspent claim funds. • Reduce turnover of quality employees by offering high level of benefits, national coverage, care directives, telemedicine and much more. • Easy tech platform for your HR teams and your employees. It should be easier to get better healthcare at a lower cost, and with NewLeaf it is. www.newleafcaptive.com

// COVER STORY //

MINDFULNESS and

Moderation Brooke Burgstahler Is Creating a New Culture Around Consumption By Patricia Miller

Photo Emily Eizen

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

// COVER STORY //

C&T Today: Considering your background in seemingly unrelated fields, what drew you to the cannabis space? BB: To be perfectly honest, my relationship with cannabis started as a consumer and an avid consumer at that. I developed an authentic relationship, an adoration and respect for the plant simply as a consumer. When I moved out to Los Angeles, I was looking for work and someone connected me with a producer at Merry Jane, which is Snoop Dogg’s media company. I auditioned for the job. I wrote a cannabis news story, and I went into the office and I pitched my pitch. That first opportunity working on Merry Jane News was what opened my mind to an understanding that this was a possible career path for me. That first opportunity really does seem like many moons ago, and the transition in the quality of storytelling and the depth of information available then to now is mind-boggling.

Photo Kelly Tatham

My first introduction to Brooke Burgstahler was through World of Weed News on Instagram, which she develops, produces, and hosts. Her clever, quick news stories draw you in and leave you wanting more. When we met over Zoom for this interview, her warm smile and infectious laugh immediately put me at ease. While humor often doesn’t come through in transcripts, Burgstahler is damn funny. I found myself lingering over inconsequential questions, reluctant to end our conversation. Her entry into the cannabis space grew from her love of acting. Burgstahler earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theater from the University of Miami, Florida. She’s acted in Mad Men, Speak for the Dead, Greatest Party Story Ever, and Black-ish, to name a few. But her foray into cannabis started with a position at Snoop Dogg’s media company Merry Jane. She wrote and co-produced Merry Jane’s 2018 mini series Prisoners of Prohibition, documenting the struggles of incarcerated individuals serving long sentences for nonviolent cannabis-related crimes. The series won a Gold Telly for excellence in video and television. Her second degree from the University of Miami, a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism, likely played a part in the series’ success. While Burgstahler continues to act, produce, and host her heart out, she’s also launching

Budding Mind. The online wellness platform offers educational content around plant medicine, alternative healing, spirituality, and science. As a 500-hour certified yoga instructor, she feels wellness hinges on balance and moderation. In this interview, Burgstahler describes the challenges of being a cannabis content creator, from struggles with advertisers to having her IG account “shadow banned” for its connection to the forbidden herb. She also reveals how cannabis has broadened some horizons while possibly limiting others. She joins us from her home in Los Angeles, California. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Cannabis & Tech Today: You studied broadcast journalism and theater in college. I love that your degrees translate perfectly to what you’re doing with World of Weed. Brooke Burgstahler: It’s kind of hysterical. Well, I didn’t want to go to college. I wanted to be an actress right out of high school. Thank God my parents were more intelligent than I was at that stage of my life and forced me to go to college. I still thought when I graduated that I would never use my broadcast journalism degree. But, I’m very grateful to be, not only putting my degrees to use, but to be putting them to use in a very unique and niche way.

C&T Today: You’ve added a lot of education to the cannabis space yourself. Especially a project you did with Merry Jane Media called Prisoners of Prohibition, which earned a Golden Telly. What surprised you most while making that series? BB: At the time, I think it was like 2017 that we made that, or 2018. What’s wild is that, I kid you not, there was just nothing on the internet. There was no leading source that I could turn to, to verify or vet information. Frankly, it was difficult for me to even find statistical information of how many people are in jail for weed. How many people are serving life for cannabis? These numbers were really loose. There wasn’t anyone that had really directed their focus, with the exception of ACLU, on hammering in these data points. I worked largely with Amy Povah, who is one of the OG cannabis activists. She is the founder and runs CAN-DO clemency, which is “Clemency for All Nonviolent Drug Offenders.” I worked very closely with her and a couple of cannabis lawyers, Bruce Margolin, being one of them, to really gel together this story. And I’m not crediting myself in any way as being the first to put this out there. It was an era in the cannabis space where it was a new story. There was something very exciting about that from a journalistic perspective… Winter 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// COVER STORY // Mindfulness and Moderation

My heart feels very, very connected to these [imprisoned] individuals because life in prison is a death sentence. And to be serving time in prison for a plant that someone like me is able to buy in pretty pastel pink packaging is … I can’t imagine the mind fuckery that these people must be experiencing day to day. C&T Today: I appreciate that you can tell long-form stories that capture massively important topics, but you also create these small, digestible bits for social media. What are the challenges you face as a content creator in the cannabis space? BB: I primarily make content for digital spaces when it comes to cannabis because, well, we don’t see a lot of cannabis content on TV. Advertisers aren’t ready to put their dollars behind anything of that nature … For World of Weed, Budding Mind, my own Instagram pages, I create super short-form, little nuggets of edutainment. I have never been able to advertise any of the content. My opportunity for an audience is based on people who organically find me or when people share my content, maybe I’ll gain some new followers that way, but I’ve had plenty of ads shut down. I can’t get a video on TikTok to save my life because they don’t allow for cannabis content unless you’re Generation Z and you know how to work that system better than I do. It’s both a beautiful thing and then it gets very disheartening. I’m currently shadow banned on Budding Mind. C&T Today: What does “shadow banned” mean? BB: It means I was a ding dong and I used a hashtag that I shouldn’t have and Instagram has put me into IG prison. The traditional ways that someone uses a social media platform in order to get their message out there, they’ll use hashtags, they’ll use advertisements, all those things in the cannabis space we aren’t able to do. When it comes to Budding Mind, it is very health-oriented, conscious, consumeristic cannabis content. Nevertheless, you do one wrong thing and the algorithm knows. You’re not allowed to talk about cannabis on Instagram, even though plenty of people do. I used the hashtag “cannabis community” over and over again, and I believe I’m being punished for it. Sometimes it’s difficult to know. But nevertheless, I have other avenues of 82

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Photo Emily Eizen

WE SELL

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// COVER STORY // Mindfulness and Moderation

“ There’s a political movement and political awareness that is inherent to having a relationship with this plant.” Photo Emily Eizen

expression and being in this space, much like acting or pursuing the creative fields in general, you can’t take a “no” as a “no.” You just have to say, “That’s a no from you. Okay, I’ll keep going.” C&T Today: Speaking of social media, BigMike Straumietis has a major presence online. How did you connect with BigMike and Advanced Nutrients to create World of Weed? BB: I love BigMike. He is like a big Teddy bear covered in kief. I started working with Advanced Nutrients and BigMike on a program called The Next Marijuana Millionaire, which was BigMike’s brainchild — a reality entrepreneurship game show. It was a magical time, and I absolutely adored working on the project. To me, the show was on the leading edge. For reasons I don’t actually know, because I wasn’t part of the actual 84

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production and distribution side of things, the show never made it to air. Maybe it just was a little bit too soon for that. But, that stemmed the beautiful relationship between me and Advanced Nutrients, and I started making content with them, hence World of Weed. C&T Today: I think the way we are able to use technology to convey information about cannabis is probably pivotal in ending prohibition — we can educate people about the plant and overcome decades of misinformation. BB: I am so grateful for the digital platforms allowing me to express my reverence for this plant and to distill information from the other voices of this industry out to a broader audience. The medicinal benefits of cannabis are also a large part of why we’re able to have this

conversation today. Studies and [scientific research] are what have legitimized this plant. I believe that medical cannabis is what has enabled recreational cannabis and will continue to do so. To me, that’s the only reason we’re able to have these conversations. C&T Today: What’s your vision for your wellness startup, Budding Mind? BB: Budding Mind is my heart and soul. I feel like I’m sometimes at a crossroads with social media, the blessing and the curse of it all. The fact that I was able to build a brand and gain a following in this digital realm is a blessing. The curse is that sometimes I’m stuck inside of my phone, just doom scrolling, trying to build this brand. I would love for Budding Mind to expand outside of those digital spaces. Budding Mind is my way of giving back to this plant and encouraging people to view cannabis

// COVER STORY // Mindfulness and Moderation

through the lens of wellness — the conscious relationship with your consumption and how that conscious consumption expands outside of your relationship with cannabis. It expands to what you’re putting in your body, what you’re eating — a conscious relationship with everything we do in life. When it comes to weed, I really want to see people having the most healthy relationship with the plant as possible.

“ Budding Mind is my way of giving back to this plant and encouraging people to view cannabis through the lens of wellness.”

When I was growing up, a lot of what I saw in the cannabis space, a lot of the images I saw, or the people represented in the space, they didn’t look like me. There was one archetype of a stoner. And it was typically someone who was male and grungy and smoking a fat blunt … so Budding Mind was really born from wanting to perpetuate imagery of the cannabis consumer like me. I don’t necessarily mean like a white female, I mean someone who cares about what they do in life and how they interact with the things around them. How they can be mindful of their purchases, mindful about what they support, mindful about how they behave towards other people. Cannabis is just another thing in the grand scheme of that lifestyle. Budding Mind is just my expression of adoration and devotion for this little leaf that has done so many things for me. C&T Today: You mentioned earlier your first love is acting. You’ve appeared on several major networks in hit shows and you’re still vocal about cannabis, despite its lingering stigma. Do you worry your advocacy for the plant might affect the types of roles you’re offered? BB: Oh, totally. I have no idea if it has had any effect on my acting career so far, but when I first moved out to LA, it was in pursuit of an acting career. I started working at Merry Jane, and I remember telling my parents, and they were totally disapproving. They made me swear not to tell anyone, and I didn’t post about it or share any of my work for a long time. You could call that shame. I was really careful. Then eventually, when I was working on Prisoners of Prohibition, I was like, “Why would I not be proud of this? Why would I not want to use my audience in my community to spread this story?” And that really flipped the switch for me and made me 86

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

Photo Emily Eizen

realize cannabis is not just about getting high. There’s a political movement and political awareness that is inherent to having a relationship with this plant. There should be no shame around being a more aware person. I had someone tell me recently, “Why would you want to work for a company that doesn’t want you to use cannabis? If cannabis is a part of who you are, then why would you want something that makes you change who you are?” Frankly, at this point if you Googled me, it would be a little difficult to skirt around the fact that I’m a cannabis advocate. But, I’ve sown my seeds and I think — more power to me for unabashedly being an advocate for this plant. C&T Today: What are you most looking forward to in 2022? BB: I have my Budding Mind podcast, which

is starting to pick up speed in the new year. I have a long roster of interviewees. I’m really excited about this podcast because it enables me to expand my conversations outside of cannabis. There are a lot of brilliant minds and thought leaders I want to talk to who work within the cannabis universe, but there are a lot of people, acupuncturists and shamans and microdosing experts, that I think are all related [to the cannabis space]. It all fits under this umbrella of the expansion of self and of consciousness and of your potentiality. I also have a tangible thing that is going to be born into the world, hopefully in 2022. And I’ve been sworn to secrecy on that, but very, very excited. Beyond that, I’m going to keep on making my cannabis content and trying to be the best voice for this plant that I can be — and the most positive representation of a cannabis consumer I can be — one that doesn’t scare away the moms and the politicians. ❖

// FEATURE STORY //

Sell It Like Peckham Etain’s women- and family-owned dispensaries are making waves on the East Coast. By Sara Brittany Somerset

Etain Co-Founders Amy, Keeley, and Hillary Peckham.

Etain Health, New York State’s only familyrun, women-owned, vertically-integrated agribusiness and medical marijuana dispensary chain, was one of the original five licensees in New York in 2015. The company currently has dispensaries in Yonkers, Kingston, Syracuse, and a flagship in Midtown East in New York City, that sell all sorts of cannabis lotions and potions. Named after a significant figure in Irish mythology, Etain was an unrivaled beauty whose story is one of perseverance and transformation, like the founder’s Irish grandmother, Frances “Granny Franny” Keeffe, a woman who “filled the smallest moments with music, laughter, and joy,” according to her family. Her playful approach is reflected in the company’s product line of whole cannabis

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

flower in fruity flavors, including Mango Mezzo. During Granny Franny’s battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, her daughter and granddaughters, the founders of Etain, began researching medical cannabis and discovered all the potential benefits it could provide to ease her suffering. In looking for palliative measures, doctors recommended that the family look into cannabis. Sadly, the family matriarch passed away before having the opportunity to consume cannabis to potentially alleviate her pain. At Etain, every customer is considered a member of the family. Etain, like Granny

Franny, serves as a reminder that “no matter challenges may arise in life, an enduring spirit will always win out in the end — even if in a new, unexpected form.” Franny’s granddaughter Amy Peckham, Etain’s CEO, since 2015, has spearheaded bids to win licenses for growing, processing, transporting, and dispensing medical marijuana in several states. A graduate of Iona College, Amy previously served as corporate secretary and management advisor for Peckham Family Holdings, one of the largest construction material companies in the Northeast. Her daughter, Hillary Peckham, serves as COO of Etain, overseeing production, formulation, extraction, dispensary operations,

// FEATURE STORY //

and patient education. Recognized as one of New York State’s “30 Under 30” business talents in 2016, Hillary has managed the rapid roll-out of Etain’s successful manufacturing and dispensing operations throughout the state. Hillary’s sister Keeley Peckham is the chief horticultural officer of Etain. Keeley Peckham is the architect of the company’s state-of-the-art cannabis cultivation and processing operations. In addition to achieving a 30% increased yield over standard methods, her cultivation practices involve zero pesticides and minimal environmental impact, yet effectively prevent pests and plant disease. Keeley is a graduate of Tulane University and the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx’s

School of Horticulture and Landscape Design. Her unique, creative imprint is evident in Midtown, New York City’s flagship dispensary. The open and airy boutique boasts a “living wall” of foliage. It carries various products such as time-release THC capsules and an oral cannabis spray. “We are born and bred New Yorkers, I’m a fourth-generation New Yorker,” Hillary told Forbes when explaining why Etain has chosen to stay put in a market where the few licensed medical marijuana businesses are run mainly by large multistate operators that continue to merge into even larger canna-corporations and restructure. In keeping with the company’s vision, it made

sense to continue to expand in the immediate area. Such decisions made by the women-led Etain leadership team tend to diverge from the sometimes overly ambitious plans of maledominated canna-corps. Business Insider estimates that white men hold 70% of C-suite positions at North America’s largest publicly traded cannabis companies. Hillary Peckham is among the women working in weed to change that image. Hillary initially started working at Etain right out of college. Before that, she had summer jobs as a swim-team coach for five years. After Etain was founded, she hit the ground running. She spearheaded the now-famous collaboration with poet Jasmine Mans who founded the apparel company Buy Weed From Women.

Winter 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// FEATURE STORY // Sell It Like Peckham

At a recent Etain pop-up at The Stone Age in the Flatiron district, known as the “Women in Weed” event, the “Good Weed, Good Women” goodie box was showcased, featuring a Buy Weed From Women T-shirt, signature tote bag, and preview samples of Etain’s upcoming CBD line. Collaborations such as this are at the core of Etain’s ethos. Hillary Peckham feels that it is vital to have women in the industry, set that example, and promote women. “It has definitely been challenging to get recognition, and it’s not something you get extra credit for. You have to work harder. But I wouldn’t change anything.” Peckham is easily described as fair-skinned, youthful-looking, even cherubic. In an interview with The Cut, Peckham explains it is easy for people to mistake her for an intern rather than a C-Suite level executive. “Many people questioned if I’d graduated college or was old enough to be in the cannabis 90

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industry. It’s been challenging just to exist in the space and get respect for all the work we have done. Still, it’s something I think is really important to set an example for others and maintain because there aren’t a lot of opportunities for women-owned businesses in the space, and it’s very challenging to operate. We also make it a priority in all of our lobbying efforts to make sure women are represented,” she told The Cut.

cannabis growing and processing site and medical dispensary in the state. The company was approved for a 30,000-square-foot growing facility in the North region of New Jersey.

Ageism, ableism, and sexism have all unfortunately come into play, time and again, but Peckham remains undeterred. Her perseverance is paying off, as Etain has been granted a recommended selection for a vertically-integrated permit in New Jersey.

“Over 117,000 patients are currently enrolled in New Jersey’s medical marijuana program, but the state only has 23 dispensaries open to provide this necessary medical aid to that population,” said Amy Peckham. “Approving additional cannabis growing, processing, and dispensary licenses in the state will immensely help the program, providing patients with more variety and reducing their travel time to obtain their medicine. We cannot wait to bring our high-quality products and formulations to the patients and customers of New Jersey.”

Upon hearing they won an adult-use license in New Jersey, Amy and her team left the Benzinga Capital Market’s conference in Times Square. She delivered a keynote, then headed to a nearby Irish pub to celebrate. This license allows Etain to move forward with plans to open a

This approval will allow the company to open its first location outside of New York and expand its presence in the tri-state area, where residents of the Big Apple and the Garden State alike will hopefully continue to buy weed from women. ❖

// MEDIA+ENTERTAINMENT // Presented By

Doob Tube: Mainstreaming Marijuana Television Cannabis-specific streaming platforms are on the rise, offering a unique outlet for creators and brands. By Rachelle Gordon

Cannabis brands, entertainers, and influencers are in a tough spot. Despite massive followings and high demand (no pun intended), potthemed content is all but banned across the board, from mainstream television to radio to social media. Accounts continue to be deleted from major platforms like Facebook (now Meta), YouTube, and Instagram, often at the height of their popularity. Cannabis-centric shows have made their way to Netflix, Hulu, and even HBO, but they’re often watered down and fail to authentically represent the community. So as the old saying goes, if you want something done right, do it yourself. Cannabisspecific streaming platforms such as Social Club TV, 420 Media’s Cannected TV (and the soon to be launched CBD TV from the team behind Cannabis & Tech Today) are now filling the gap, providing an outlet for creators and brands to reach their target audiences while simultaneously giving consumers an opportunity to access innovative content they may not otherwise see. Diverse programming covering a range of topics offers something for everyone, from the canna-curious medical consumer to the heady 92

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

boys and everyone in between. Highlighting unique voices from across the industry, cannabis streaming channels are providing an inclusive space for creativity free from censorship or caricatures of the community.

too does the need for programming that represents the evolving demographics of cannabis users. Classic “stoner” characters like Cheech & Chong simply fail to resonate — the audience nowadays is just too diverse.

Streaming Platforms Offer Authentic Content Not Found in Mainstream Media In a digital age where “if you can dream it, it’s online somewhere,” and virtually anyone has a shot to become an overnight viral sensation, streaming is all the rage. Long gone are the days when major networks and Hollywood studios were the only way to reach a wide audience. As a growing number of independent content creators forgo the traditional avenues of distribution, and consumers demand more and more content targeted toward their extremely specific interests, the big players simply can’t keep up.

“When we first started, we wanted to make sure that we reached a broad audience. We recognized there was no quality TV network producing or distributing content for one of the fastest growing consumer bases in the world,” explained Josh Otten, co-founder and CEO of Social Club TV. “Just because someone consumes cannabis doesn’t necessarily mean they want to watch a bunch of shows just about cannabis — we touch on business and culture.”

“In essence, the playing field has become leveled now the niche content has an outlet,” said Brenda Gallagher, programming director for televisionsyndication.com. As the legal cannabis marketplace grows, so

Cannabis-centric streaming channels provide a more accurate representation of the rapidly expanding community, especially since they often highlight actual industry professionals and consumers as opposed to actor portrayals. This authentic programming is more likely to win the hearts of those tuning in. “Viewer demand for customization of the streaming network is led by how the interviewer makes the audience feel,” Gallagher noted. “A

Photos: iStockphoto.com

streaming broadcast by real people feels more intimate, and the viewer can connect with the person or people on the show.” Marketing Frustrations Also Drive Cannabis Streaming’s Success It’s no secret that there’s a wide range of issues facing the legal cannabis space, and PR is one of them. Between the plant’s current Schedule I status in the eyes of the federal government, and legal states’ banning many types of advertising, it’s impossible for cannabis companies to take full advantage of the multitude of marketing channels available today. From random account deletions on Instagram to rejected targeted ads by Google, the frustrations facing legal cannabis operators hoping to grow their businesses are fierce. “We are constantly running into challenges with social media platforms, despite the fact that we sell cannabis protection — not cannabis itself. It’s difficult to build a community with unclear rules, unwelcoming bans, and everchanging algorithms,” lamented Bruce Kennedy, social media manager for Boveda, makers of two-way humidity control terpene shield packets. “Our industry needs a better space to thrive in.”

Even when given the go-ahead by mainstream channels, cannabis content is still subject to intense scrutiny not seen by the majority of other types of programming.

any other. Creativity and authenticity are

“With cannabis, you are put in a marketing box of where you can get coverage,” said Scott McKinley, creator of The Dab Roast, an interview show similar to Hot Ones where guests are asked questions paired with dabs.

relevant content they may not find through

“All of my videos on YouTube get agerestricted, which keeps a lot of press from publishing the video link. Also, you cannot monetize cannabis content through YouTube — you have to sell your own advertising.” McKinley finds platforms like Social Club TV especially useful in broadening his show’s reach. “Social Club TV has an audience of its own. I’m happy to stream our first season in as many places as possible to give our sponsors the biggest shot at getting seen.” High Demand and Low Barriers to Entry Shape Future of Cannabis Streaming Streaming platforms provide a way for the cannabis community to connect in a way unlike

celebrated while fears of censorship are removed. Brands and creators have the ability to market themselves and consumers can access other channels. That sentiment will likely lead to an increase in engagement as more people “cut the cord” and take control of their entertainment. “People want information that isn’t corrupted by mainstream media or spoon-fed to them through the government — they want information from authentic storytellers,” Otten said. “Our goal is to be a destination for the audiences and the creators that want to reach them.” And while cannabis streaming platforms will likely remain forces to reckon with, McKinley is hopeful for what’s ahead, looking forward to the day when programs like The Dab Roast are just as common as the latest sitcom or cooking competition show. “I think things are changing and we will see an all-cannabis channel on traditional cable… at some point.” ❖

Winter 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// MEDIA+ENTERTAINMENT // Presented By

Food, Sex, and CBD Slutty Vegan Founder Pinky Cole shares her journey from television producer to restaurant royalty. By Ebby Stone

Slutty Vegan CBD gummies are available nationwide, offering organic, pectin-based edibles to vegans and meat-eaters alike. What stands out most among her accolades is a commitment to philanthropic work in her community. Since launching the business, she has already provided life insurance to 25,000 Black men, paid the tuition of 30 Clark Atlanta students, and founded the Pinky Cole Foundation to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. As a former television producer and casting director, Cole is well versed in the world of entertainment and uses all her experience to leverage a creative, provocative brand strategy that’s paying dividends across the Deep South. In this interview, Cole explains what inspired her to enter the CBD space and how she’s handling the demands of motherhood and entrepreneurship. Cannabis & Tech Today: What was happening in your life when you launched the Slutty Vegan brand? 94

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Pinky Cole: I started Slutty Vegan in 2018. It was really just a concept that popped in my brain. I’m like, “Okay, I’m going to do this thing. I want some vegan food on a late night, and I’m going to just create this little movement.” At the time I had already had my dream job, I was a casting director. I knew it was going to be a good side hustle, but I had no idea that it would turn into one of the most popular concepts in the country. C&T Today: What inspired the name Slutty Vegan? PK: So I said, if I can connect the two of the most pleasurable experiences, and that’s sex and food — as a television producer, I know what makes people want to pay attention. I know what bores them. I know what makes them want to change the channel. If I could create a dialogue around something racy and something that’s been coined as boring and tasteless, if I can merge those two worlds, I knew that I would have something people would pay attention to.

Photo: Drea Nicole Photography

In the two years since launching her first Slutty Vegan location, founder Aisha “Pinky” Cole has amassed a national following. With revenues topping $4 million in the first six months, Cole’s vegan junk food is bringing communities together in four locations and growing. She’s now using that momentum to move into the CBD space.

// MEDIA+ENTERTAINMENT //

Photo: CaF Productions

“ As long as I continue to foster what the community needs, the community will always take care of me.”

PK: First of all, a lot of people around me use medical marijuana, and some people don’t use it medically. So I’ve realized the whole [cannabis] world was a world that I could exist in. I know there are so many health properties.

C&T Today: You’re a new mother to a 5-month old, right? Something coming up more often is the use of CBD as a momfriendly alternative to frequently used relaxants like wine or prescription medications. How do you feel about CBD as a tool in your self-care arsenal?

So to be able to offer a unique product to people in my community that can help them with their pain, can help them with their anxiety, it’s a no brainer. And it’s a game changer. Especially because we are moving into a space where more people are using CBD and more people are using marijuana. Because Slutty Vegan is such a forward-thinking brand, I knew that it would be right on brand to do something like that.

PK: Well, I love it. I eat my own CBD gummies now, when I have a long day at work and I come home and I just want to wind down. I’m usually very tense because I’m dominating all my meetings. I’m having all my calls. I’m coaching, I’m leading, I’m guiding people, I’m doing so much. So by the time I get home, I’m just exhausted. So when I take a CBD gummy, it really allows me to take the edge off and I can just chill.

Even beyond that, when I thought about the vegan and plant-based space, the gummies that we use are whole plant extracts with organic ingredients. They include a base that doesn’t have animal gelatin in it. People who are plantbased and vegan don’t have to compromise when they try our CBD gummies.

There’s nothing better than being able to come home and take your clothes off and relax. Take a gummy, just chill, sit back, and reflect on the day. Those are the little things that mean a lot to me, so I recommend it. The working mom has so many pressures on her to be an entrepreneur, to be a leader in the workplace. Then to come

C&T Today: How did this passion for food and branding translate to the CBD space?

home and be a mom and a homemaker — sometimes we just need some time for ourselves and that’s okay. C&T Today: How is community engagement part of your strategy for success? PK: The reason I’m successful is because of the community. None of this would be possible if it weren’t for the people who stand in line for two hours a day to support me. I’m very honored and blessed that I can utilize my platform and resources to create an ecosystem for people to have better opportunities because it’s good karma. That good karma comes back to me in the form of more customers in my store. I love helping people. I love giving people opportunities. I love giving them resources to be better and get out of their circumstances. I love helping entrepreneurs. Just recently I did an activation where I signed up 40 entrepreneurs to get their LLCs. Things like that show me that as long as I continue to foster what the community needs, the community will always take care of me. ❖

Winter 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// HEALTH+WELLNESS //

Advocating for Access

Changing the Trajectory of the Medical Cannabis Revolution By Andrea Morhardt Medical cannabis is gaining traction and acceptance. Studies show it can ease physical ailments like chronic pain and muscle spasms. It can also help relieve emotional and mental health problems like anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. The benefits of medical cannabis are being proven, with more studies emerging every day. Plus, according to the National Library of Medicine, patients undergoing chemotherapy find relief and see remarkable results when using cannabis as an anticancer agent. Despite this progress, many obstacles to medical cannabis access remain in the way. In addition to legal and legislative barriers, many physicians are not yet convinced that the health benefits of medical cannabis outweigh the risks. According to one study, “Colorado Family Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Medical Marijuana,” nearly all physicians agreed on the need for further medical education about medical cannabis. Patients will have to overcome these obstacles to gain full access to medical cannabis and the relief it can provide. That day will come, but progress is slow going. That’s why medical cannabis advocates are creating a movement to accelerate that progress. What is a medical cannabis advocate? A medical cannabis advocate works to ensure safe and legal patient access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. Advocates work to overcome various barriers to access by creating momentum in multiple ways: • Developing policies to open up access to

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

medical cannabis for more patients and researchers • Facilitating legislation, education, and research • Breaking down political, social, and legal barriers • Firing up grassroots movements • Partnering with medical cannabis providers and insurance agencies to create innovative solutions

New Jersey attorney Anne Davis turned to medical cannabis when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Drivers of the Medical Cannabis Advocacy Movement Every day, notable new developments pop up in the medical cannabis revolution. Patients are demanding alternatives to traditional pharmaceutical remedies. Federal approval is on the horizon. Plus, insurers are seeing the benefits of medical cannabis — both in costs and outcomes. Medical cannabis advocates see the writing on the wall. They feel that patients today deserve the same options that patients a decade or two in the future will enjoy. These advocates sense the gravity of the situation for so many patients today. And they realize there is no time to waste. Patients Want Medical Cannabis Anne Davis is a successful attorney, mother, and community leader in New Jersey. She is also a national expert on medical cannabis and a sought-after presenter for healthcare law and advocacy initiatives. She was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting

multiple sclerosis (MS). Shocked by the diagnosis, Davis conducted thorough due diligence about treatment options. Many of the traditional medications offered to her would result in unfortunate side effects and harm vital organs. As a result, frequent lab testing was recommended to monitor those organs. To avoid both scenarios, Davis decided to use her professional knowledge about medical cannabis. The decision to ignore the traditional pharmaceutical treatments, however, was not supported by her physician. “I knew from my years in the industry cannabis was effective and had zero side effects. I was well aware of the research that indicates cannabis has neuroprotective qualities, in addition to symptom relief. For that reason, I decided to use it every day as part of my treatment plan,” Davis said.

// HEALTH+WELLNESS // Advocating for Access

According to the latest Gallup poll, 68% of Americans support marijuana legalization.

Advocacy groups like Americans for Safe Access, the Veterans Cannabis Project, and the Cannabis Patient Advocacy Association are creating forward momentum for cannabis patients.

Studies indicate that Davis’ story is more common than you might think. A survey of MS patients conducted in 2019 showed that more than 40% of patients said they used medical cannabis in the past three months. Of course, MS patients are not alone. According to Statista, 51% of cancer patients report that medical cannabis manages their symptoms very well.

sooner. Claims data shows that employees who used cannabis for pain management filed 20% fewer medical claims. Of course, the efficacy of medical cannabis is just as important. The results of various new studies are emerging and they continue to be quite encouraging.

Medical Cannabis Is Likely to Receive Federal Approval Although the federal government continues to label cannabis an illegal substance and employers and insurance companies don’t cover cannabis like other medicines, all signs indicate change is coming. The SAFE Banking Act now allows banks and other financial institutions to provide support services to cannabis companies without the risk of violating the law. The Act will help cannabis companies more easily operate their businesses. In September of 2021, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted to advance the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act. This bill would federally legalize cannabis. The bill would also remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. According to the latest Gallup poll, 68% of Americans support marijuana legalization. Medical cannabis advocates realize there are still hurdles to overcome and they are working to bridge the gap. Until cannabis becomes legal at the federal level, patients who can afford it are paying out-of-pocket to get their hands on 98

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

medical cannabis. That’s how badly they want to avoid traditional medicine and its side effects. For patients who can’t afford to pay out of pocket, insurance agencies may soon be coming to the rescue. Insurance Coverage Is on the Horizon Bennabis Health is the first health care plan in the nation that covers medical marijuana. The company has been marketing its proposal to workers’ compensation carriers. Wondering why they think they have a chance? We’d all like to think that insurance companies put patients first. But demutualization has driven insurance companies to become laser-focused on the bottom line. However, the good news for medical cannabis is that it makes sense from a profitability perspective. A recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that cannabis enables employees to return to work

Consider a new study reported in Frontiers in Psychiatry about medical marijuana and depression. The study found an increasing number of patients who failed to respond to traditional anti-depressants are now using medical cannabis to find relief. Medical cannabis users experience less severe symptoms of depression than non-users. Further, medical cannabis users reported improved quality of life, better sleep, and less pain. Medical Cannabis Advocates: Moving Public Policy Forward For decades, young people have been advocating for cannabis — both recreational and medical. Since the 1990s, groups like Students for Sensible Drug Policy have been developing strategies and solutions to overcome challenges facing the medical cannabis market. Other advocacy groups like the Americans for Safe Access, Veterans Cannabis Project, and The Cannabis Patient Advocacy Association are fighting for cannabis patients. These groups are creating forward momentum every day. They now have a seat at the table when it comes to decisions that will impact the future of the cannabis market. Their voices are growing louder and they are being heard. ❖

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// THE LAB // Presented By

Fantastic Flavonoids The Next Evolution in Cannabis Innovation By Roger Brown Cannabis is brimming with fragrant, colorful, and therapeutic compounds ripe for exploration and extraction. Yet, innovators have barely scratched the surface in developing products that utilize the plant’s complete spectrum profile. While consumers are aware of major cannabinoids and terpenes, the industry hasn’t introduced therapeutic flavonoids in a meaningful way quite yet. However, the cannabis industry is always searching for new innovations, and flavonoids have the potential to be just that. Not to mention, they smell and taste great, too. Flavonoids are exciting, not only for their unique wellness properties but also for their capacity to introduce a vast array of new products that have yet to be seen in this everevolving industry. What are flavonoids? Flavonoids are not exclusive to hemp and cannabis. You can find 8,000 varieties of flavonoids in almost every plant species, including vegetables, fruits, and herbs, as well as products such as wines and chocolate. Flavonoids provide pigment, flavor, and environmental protection for plants, preventing damage from environmental stressors like bacteria, fungi, insects, and the sun’s UV rays. Studies have also shown that flavonoids are highly therapeutic to humans. These tiny compounds are making a big splash in the cannabis industry. According to Market Reports World, the flavonoids market will reach $1.2 billion by 2024, bolstered by the increased interest from brands and innovators. However, there’s still a significant gap between industry interest and consumer education. The general public is largely unaware of flavonoids, despite news of their remarkable therapeutic properties beginning to circulate in the mainstream. 100

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

Researchers are finding that flavonoids provide an array of benefits beyond functioning as antioxidants and anxiolytics (anti-anxiety).

A 2020 review of existing literature concluded that botanical flavonoids, including Apigenin, block the synthesis of inflammatory mediators.

A study published in the American College of Nutrition found that 500mg of the botanical flavonoid Quercetin taken each day over eight weeks helped reduce stiffness and pain for women with rheumatoid arthritis.

Flavonoids and the Healing Potential of Full Spectrum Despite the troves of flavonoids research, the cannabis industry hasn’t focused on testing for these compounds or on developing flavonoidbased products. Innovators need to start investing in understanding how flavonoids occur, how to extract them, and how they may play a role in the entourage effect — a process by which cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other compounds interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). Once they do, brands can produce strains with profiles to tailor the consumer experience. They can also infuse strains with botanical flavonoids or create custom flavonoid extracts.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School found that Caflanone, a flavonoid extracted from a rare cannabis strain in Jamaica, may potentially be a therapeutic drug against COVID-19. Caflanone recently received the “Orphan Drug” designation from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A review of Kaempferol found that it controls and modifies critical processes, including apoptosis (cell death), inflammation, and metastasis (cancer spread).

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// THE LAB // Fantastic Flavonoids

these extraordinary compounds will surely capitalize on the market’s growth.

Tailoring an individual’s cannabis experience depends on understanding how the cannabis compounds work together to create its therapeutic, flavor, and fragrance profiles. Like cannabinoids and terpenes, flavonoids act as anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, and antibacterials. These factors make their presence fundamental to maximizing the therapeutic powers of the full spectrum from controlling pain to producing mood-altering, uplifting results. Why Brands Should Look Beyond Cannabinoids and Terpenes It’s time for the industry to look beyond cannabinoids and terpenes alone and begin proactively testing products for flavonoids while utilizing the vast scientific information available to create tailored products. We must continue learning about these compounds based on evidence, not anecdotal information. Pharmacokinetics — the study of drug movement through the body — and studies on bioavailability — the extent a substance becomes available in the body — are integral to understanding how flavonoids function. As an industry, we must prioritize testing for these compounds as the first step in formulating effective compounds for developing new products. Those who take advantage of

Innovative Niche Product Potential It’s clear that ingestible products are today’s most significant growth sector in the cannabis industry — exemplified by cannabis beverages’ rise in popularity. Developing flavonoid extracts, for example, is an effective strategy for entering a new segment of the market that acts as both an ancillary and distinct product. Since flavonoids provide flavor, fragrance, and pigments, botanical extracts open the door for experimentation. Combining cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids can create delicious, endocannabinoid-activating experiences.

by providing easy-to-understand Certificate of Analyses (COAs) illustrating the product’s specific compound profiles. As this information becomes readily available and better understood, brands, consumers, and budtenders can access it and seek out blends and products that meet their specific needs. The Future of Flavonoids At ACS Laboratory, we trust that more brands will begin regularly testing for flavonoids. Additionally, we need to investigate how to best extract flavonoids from cannabis/hemp to begin flavonoid-based product innovation. By committing to testing and research initiatives, brands can learn more about the compounds present in their products, and consumers will have the tools to make informed decisions on their paths to personalized usage. We are excited to continue exploring the vast potential of cannabis and hemp. Innovation is key to creating comprehensive options that elevate cannabis’ full spectrum potential and research studies are the key to proving efficacy. ❖

Thanks to the public’s growing interest, hybrid plant wellness products are also rising. Botanical/CBD blends are on the market in several forms, including teas, tinctures, and capsules. Some brands are combining the medicinal properties of CBD, CBG, CBN and terpenes with the healing powers of mushrooms and cordyceps. Flavonoids are a dynamic botanical to add to the cannabis repertoire. And since they represent popular flavors and aromas including chamomile, ginger, and berry, there are many ways brands can add them to edibles, beverages, tinctures and more. There is a clear path to entering this niche: more frequent and improved testing can help close the information gap on flavonoids Photo: iStockphoto.com/vaaseenaa

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B R O U G H T T O YO U B Y G R E E N G O D D E S S S U P P LY

Growing Up The home grow just became more sophisticated. As more states legalize cannabis across the nation, a new hobby is on the rise. In-home cultivation is more accessible than ever. States from New York to New Mexico have legalized personal cultivation and thanks to advances in technology, anyone can give it a try. In New York state, adults 21 and over can grow up to six plants in their residence (12 if there are multiple adults in the home). For many, the biggest question is not if they’ll grow, but how to do it. Many metropolitan residents have the will but not the space to cultivate. Closets in New York City are seldom walk-ins and yards are virtually non-existent. Plus, in a small space, discretion is crucial. Nobody wants their home to smell like a grow room. Innovations in in-door growing technology are making these concerns obsolete. The Armoire by Green Goddess Supply was designed to be odorless, elegant, and to blend seamlessly into the home. CEO Eric Robichaud said The Armoire was created to help people become self-sufficient. “We’re a small, scrappy start-up, and the founders have spent millions of dollars and over 6 years of our lives inventing, patenting, and bringing The Armoire to the market. We use them ourselves and are incredibly passionate about helping our customers and teaching them

how to grow at home,” Robichaud said. This discrete system blends into the user’s interior design and is available in several finishes. “Our furniture-inspired looks make this an attractive, stealthy option that doesn’t have to be hidden,” Robichaud said. “The product isn’t built from wood or metal, but a special synthetic material that is anti-mold, anti-mildew, won’t rust, and has the highest possible rating for fire retardancy. It was built with ergonomics in mind and our unique, proprietary grow protocol makes it incredibly easy for the beginner to master right out of the box.” That’s not a promise most grow machines will make. You can plant a seed, but you can’t force it to grow. Every Armoire purchase includes ninety days of Concierge Service. Customers are encouraged to call, ask questions, and participate in video walkthroughs with techniques and tips. “We’re on a mission to empower the average home user to take control and grow their own clean, organic flower at home — quickly, easily, and inexpensively,” Robichaud said. Each state is developing their own protocols for safety and quality. While those regulations are refined, growing at home can offer a qualitycontrolled alternative to dispensary cannabis.

“For those who are health conscious or healthchallenged, being able to ensure clean, organic flower with no mold or pesticides is important,” Robichaud added. Innovations like these are creating an entry point for people across the country to grow their own sustainable, high-quality cannabis. As Robichaud emphasized, “We’re making it more accessible to the casual home consumer who doesn’t want to get a PhD in botany to figure it all out.” ❖

The Armoire by Green Goddess Supply was designed to be odorless, elegant, and to blend seamlessly into the home. “Our furniture-inspired looks make this an attractive, stealthy option that doesn’t have to be hidden,” said Green Goddess Supply CEO Eric Robichaud.

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// PRODUCT REVOLUTION //

G Pen Roam — This all-in-one portable vaporizer provides waterfiltered concentrate vaporization on-the-go. Featuring a spill-proof, self-contained borosilicate glass hydrotube, a fully Quartz tank, and powerful 1,300mAh Lithium-Ion Battery, the G Pen Roam heats to temperature within seconds of activation to deliver smooth and flavorful draws with ease. $200

Stündenglass Kompact — Seth Rogen made the original go viral. Now, Stündenglass is making the gravity bong portable. The Kompact uses gravity to propel smoke with kinetic energy and deliver a powerful contactless experience. Engineered with precision-machined hardware, it holds two borosilicate glass globes for gravitationally-delivered water filtration: flipping the device pulls water through the two way aluminum steel upstem and pushes smoke out. Arrives pre-assembled in a durable, convenient carrying case designed for consumers on the go. $600 Vapor-Static Extraction Machinery by Boulder Creek Technologies — This sustainable system applies proven industrial processes to large-scale cannabinoid extraction, lowering operating costs by 80% over contemporary extraction methods. Like a digital vaporizer, Vapor-Static Extraction heats biomass to generate vapor. Cooled vapor becomes a fog and is hit with an electrostatic charge to create distillation-ready concentrate with no sugars, no chlorophyll, and low wax content. Starting at $250,000 Storz & Bickel Mighty+ — The creators of the beloved Volcano debuted this powerful dry-herb vaporizer in late 2021. It features a USB-C socket with super-charge functionality able to charge to 80% in just 40 minutes. A pre-set temperature superbooster plus a 60-second rapid-heat function add to its efficient design. The MIGHTY+ also includes a hands-free stand and a scratch-resistant, ceramic-coated filling chamber. $399

American Security CashWizard — This smart safe is perfect for improving operational efficiency while removing the threat of internal theft. This RSCI Level 1 container is the retail industry’s toughest smart safe with proprietary software designed for any courier. Assign up to 500 unique user pins, access your accounting dashboard from anywhere, and manage your cash flow from wherever your day takes you. Now with seven sizes to choose from, a spill-resistant keypad, and anti-pry doors, your cash will feel more secure than ever. Visit www.americansecuritysafes.com for options and pricing. 106

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// PRODUCT REVOLUTION // Jetty’s Solventless Vape — This vape is made from live rosin that’s extracted using only ice, water, heat, and pressure. Purified for maximum potency, it delivers the true essence of the plant from start to finish. Jetty’s unique extraction process is a solventless breakthrough, boosting potency and delivering consistent flavor that’s true to the strain, from first hit to last. Now with multiple strains and .5g or 1g varieties. Available across California, Jetty’s can be found in 510-thread battery cartridges or PAX Era pods. Visit www.jettyextracts.com to find a retailer near you.

MXXN Non-Alcoholic Replacement Spirits — Pronounced “moon,” this innovative beverage is the spirit industry’s first 1:1 non-alcoholic replacement for gin, tequila, and bourbon. Available in three options, MXXN’s Kentucky Oak can be subbed for your favorite bourbon, London Dry for your favorite gin, or the Jalisco Agave for tequila. Visit www.enjoymxxn.com for availability.

Benching and Racking Solutions by Surna Cultivation Technologies — Don’t let the space limitations of indoor growing hold you back. Surna provides durable and customizable benches, trays, and racks to help you grow efficiently. Start with the essentials and get equipped with Ebb and Flow benches that make irrigation a breeze. Expand your horizons with rolling benches, or go vertical with a multi-tier racking solution. Visit www.surna.com for design tips and pricing.

Lively Spirits Purejuana — Skip the hangover from your adult beverages with this dry spirit made from live cannabis. This zero-alcohol, flash-frozen cannabis powder is an all-natural way to create craft cocktails without the drawbacks of liquor. Taste the plant’s unadulterated cannabinoid spectrum in strain-specific single-serving packets. Sold across California in 10-count boxes at three color-coded potency levels, with each shotpack comparable to a single alcoholic drink. $19-23

Hydrology9 NX by Cloudious9 — This elegant vaporizer first appeared in the summer 2021 issue of C&TT. It works with both concentrate and flower. The water-filtered vape has six temperature settings and offers a choice between a concentrate atomizer or a convection flower heating chamber. The NX sensor recognizes which heating chamber is in use and automatically adjusts the temperature for the optimal smoke. $250

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// PRODUCT REVOLUTION // Dr. Dabber Boost EVO TDE Accessories — The Boost EVO eRig turned heads with its innovative, portable design in 2020. Now, Dr. Dabber has released three versatile attachments to transform the eRig into an everything rig. These “Traditional Dab Experience” glass attachments include the J-Perc attachment for easier filtration, a Ball Rig for a higher resistance pull, and a Whip attachment to easily connect your favorite water pipe to the EVO. $75-120 Hitoki Trident — Elevate the way you smoke with this luxurious, high-tech hookah. First featured in the fall 2021 issue of C&TT, the Trident is a patent-pending laser combustion smoking device. Its combustion method works like a magnifying glass under the sun, eliminating the need for a lighter. The technology creates a cleaner smoke, allowing the user to enjoy the full flavor of their flower. Now available in three chic colors: 24K Gold ($650), Black ($500), and Rose Gold ($500).

Plus Sleep Cloudberry Gummies — Plus has designed dual-action edibles to combine fast-acting and long-lasting formulas in one product. Fall asleep quickly with 5mg of nano-emulsified THC for a rapid 8-minute onset. Stay asleep with a blend of CBN, CBD, and 10 sleep-promoting terpenes delivered via extended release technology. Ready to wake up refreshed? Available in California. $18 Mode — No need to worry about accidentally overestimating your dose. With Mode, a cannabis dosing device and companion app, you’re in control of your experience. This powerful tool for health and wellness first appeared in the summer 2021 issue of C&TT. It offers an Inhale & Exhale Haptic Guidance feature so users know precisely when to stop inhaling to receive their preferred dose. Simply put your cartridge into the device, set it to the dose you want, and you’re good to go. Mode has universal 510 cannabis cartridge compatibility and is now available for preorder. $100

Jerry Bag by Rebelle — Looking for a smell-proof, leather wallet, elegantly designed for discretion? Rebelle’s line of artisanal, rock-and-roll inspired bags are handmade in the heart of New York from Italian leather. Don’t just stash your goods, rock your stash with this unique collection available in three distinctive styles: Jerry, Jimi, and Janis. $195-225

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// PRODUCT REVOLUTION // WaveWasher Ultrasonic 420 Cleaning Machine — Don’t waste time scouring your bong the old fashioned way. This cleaning machine was first featured in the fall 2021 issue of C&TT. Soured bong water and harmful bacteria are eradicated with WaveWasher’s easy-to-use design. Take the hassle out of water-pipe maintenance with the press of a button. Warm water and ultrasonic sound waves sanitize your smoking accessories with 50-100% less isopropyl alcohol, ensuring your devices are clean and your lungs are happy. $250

The Atomic Closer by STM Canna — Close 72 pre-rolled joints in 40 seconds with this ultra-compact, tabletop closing system. Perfect for facilities of all sizes, it folds finished joints with a neat crown or dimple instead of a twist, resulting in a professional, clean, even-burning preroll. Lower costs and reduce bottlenecks with an easy-to-clean closing solution. Visit www.stmcanna.com for pricing.

CAPS by COOKIES — Experience all the benefits of medicinal mushrooms with award-winning cannabis brand COOKIES’ revolutionary three-in-one capsule product line. The capsules combine a therapeutic blend of non-intoxicating organic mushrooms, cannabinoids, and terpenes to either boost energy (Clarity) or prepare you for a good night’s rest (Bed Head). First featured in the spring 2021 issue of C&TT, these capsules are gluten-free, vegan, and shockingly effective. $55

Curaleaf Select Squeeze — This fast-acting THC-infused beverage enhancer uses nano-emulsification technology to transform any beverage into a THC drink. Squeeze was first featured in the summer 2021 issue of C&TT. Feel the effects in as little as 15-30 minutes with an assortment of delicious flavors. Become your own cannabis mixologist, test new flavor concoctions, and elevate your expectations. Each bottle contains 150 mg of THC. $35

Grove Bags With TerpLoc — When it comes to the business of cannabis, every gram matters. Improperly stored product shrinks margins and damages reputations. TerpLoc packaging is custom designed around the unique properties of the cannabis plant, combining active humidity control with antimicrobial properties to maintain low oxygen levels and an ideal cannabis climate. Extend your shelf life and preserve 37% more terpenoids than traditional packaging. Visit www.grovebags.com for options and pricing.

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What is Pick•See? Pick•See is a full-featured Field Service Management (FSM) Tool created from within the Retail Industry to address the particular needs of the Producers, Retailers, and Rep Agencies. Pick•See makes field data reporting simple and allows you to go beyond traditional email, paper forms, and spreadsheets. Pick•See Web and Mobile Reports provide 24/7 access to online field data.

What Data Management and Reporting Solutions does Pick•See Provide? Pick•See Reports and Forms: Create any audit or survey with photos and even signature capture. It can be used for daily Health and Safety checks. Pick•See Geo-Tag Check-In: Provides the ultimate level of accountability for the mobile worker to their employer and the company to their clients. The Geotag IS NOT a tracker but a location/time stamp. It allows companies to KNOW their staff was on location, provides a layer of security and safety, and is invaluable for health contact tracing. Pick•See Mobile: Pushes data reports and images from the field to the Pick•See Cloud and then pulls down any new tasks, lists, or forms – all in Real-Time! Pick•See Portal: This allows you to share information from the field with your team or clients. View reports online or export data to spreadsheets, PDF documents, and even batches files of compressed images. Pick•See Admin Tools: Provide a vast array of administrative, CRM, form, and file management functions built specifically for the retail sales and service industry. Pick•See Financial Tools: Allow you to tie sales and revenues to store visits and service times for a complete ROI analysis. View reports on dashboards or create your own with our custom report builder.

While many other FSM providers can cost tens of thousands to set up, license, manage and train, you can have a Pick•See Solution set up for less than $10k. Monthly user fees max at $40 per person, training is included, and many support options are available. When you sign on with Pick•See, we don’t pass you off to a 3rd party ‘implementation’ company. We’re with you from the initial consultation through the setup, training, and dedicated support. Competitors often have “minimum spends” and do not want your business if your budget is below it. Pick•See is affordable for any sized organization. Even if you have only one rep, you can access the Pick•See Hub and have the same features. Pick•See does all its development and data storage domestically. Nothing is managed or stored offshore. As Pick•See is a Software as a Service (SaaS), when we make something new or make something better, you get something new and better, with nothing to download or install, it just happens. As not all States have yet legalized the recreational use of cannabis, many of the big-name players are afraid to provide their services to the retail cannabis industry. Pick•See is here for you now. All you have to do is call 1.877.705.PICK (7425) or email info@pick-see.com.

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RELAX // Something Edible With Laurie Wolf

Chicken Pot Pies

SERVES 4 What You’ll Need: 2 tablespoons butter 4 teaspoons canna-butter or canna-oil, at 5mgTHC per teaspoon 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced 1 carrot, peeled and sliced 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped 1/3 cup a.p. flour 2 cups chicken broth 1/3 cup half and half 1 cup frozen peas 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped Salt and pepper Flour (for rolling out the pastry) 1 box frozen puff pastry or two pie-crusts 1 large egg, beaten Directions: 1. In a large saute pan, over low heat, melt the

One of the ultimate comfort foods, this cannabis-infused pot pie will hit all

butters. Saute the celery, carrot and thyme for 10

the taste and feels buttons. If you don’t eat chicken you can substitute tofu,

minutes.

jackfruit, or even a vegetable like cauliflower or eggplant. Just cook the

2. Add the flour to the mixture and cook for 2 minutes,

vegetables first, and change the broth to a vegetable stock. Remember that

stirring frequently. Add the broth, half and half, and

cannabis can take time to kick in, so don’t eat more, too much cannabis is an

mix well until the vegetables are coated and the

unpleasant experience. Just the right amount of cannabis? Delightful.

mixture starts to thicken. Stir in the chicken. Season

I infused this recipe with one of my favorite strains, Sirius Black. This beautiful,

with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool slightly,

deep-purple, indica-dominant cannabis is a tiny bit tart and also has grape-like

about 20 minutes.

sweetness. I find that I am quite loquacious after imbibing in this strain. I like to

3. Heat oven to 340.

freeze the butter in ice cube trays for later use. #Don’tFearTheEdible

4. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry and cut to fit the tops of 4 -8 ounce ramekins. 5. Divide the chicken mixture among the 4 ramekins and top with the pastry. Brush the pastry with the

Laurie Wolf is the author of such cannabis cookbooks as Marijuana Edibles, HERB, The Medical Marijuana Dispensary, and Cooking with Cannabis. Her recipes have been featured in High Times, Dope Magazine, Culture, and more. She is also the founder of Laurie + MaryJane, an edible company offering everything from almond truffle bites to vegan chocolate cookies. And remember, #Don’tFeartheEdible! 114

Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

beaten egg and make slits to allow the steam to escape while baking. 6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

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BARCELONA AUDITORI DE CORNELLÀ 10 MARCH 2022

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The ICBC International Cannabis Business Conference seeks to be different. Our multi-pronged approach to networking and information gathering focuses on business, and a lot more. We also offer a heavy dose of culture, politics, science, history and advocacy. ICBC provides gritty basic information along with nuanced and esoteric facts, providing well-rounded and useful information and tools for

Extractors

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Coming Next Issue LIGHT ME UP In our annual Sustainability and Cultivation issue, we’ll explore the innovative technologies changing the face of cannabis. One area seeing huge strides is lighting. The spring issue will feature insights from leading brands in the lighting space. How are they reimagining tried and true technologies to create brighter, more efficient cultivation facilities across the U.S.? Spectral tuning, high-efficiency LEDs, and strategies to maximize yield while minimizing environmental impact — all this and more in our spotlight on lighting.

THE THREE P’S … AND WE DON’T MEAN PUFF, PUFF, PASS Corporate social responsibility means prioritizing three things: people, the planet, and profits. Capitalism has taught us all too well how to prioritize profits — but how can companies shift their focus to include environmental consciousness and social stewardship? In this issue, Cannabis & Tech Today will speak with the people and companies who are getting it right and share their secrets for sustainable success.

PACKED WITH POSSIBILITIES Everyone knows packaging needs a reboot. If it’s not wrapped in layers of plastic, it’s not compliant, right? Regulations are strict, but innovations in packaging are starting to gain ground. When will hemp become commonplace? How can customers help turn the tide toward renewable solutions? Find the answers to these questions and become the change you want to see in the world when you flip through this issue’s focus on sustainable packaging.

When wil hemp be l come common place in canna bis packagin g? Photo: iStockphoto.com/24K-Production

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Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

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RELAX // THE LIGHTER SIDE

Fearless Cannabis Predictions for 2022 and Beyond By Charles Warner The cannabis industry is rapidly

2028

evolving right before our eyes. New states are legalizing and coming New York), as are countries like Malta and Mexico. Poll numbers are rising every month showing that people of all walks of life are open to

2022 The National Cannabis Party celebrates its one-year anniversary and becomes the fastest growing political party in the United States.

legalization of cannabis and the

2024

economic and social benefits that will

7-Eleven begins to sell weed in states where it is legal. Amazon and Uber start shipping and delivering cannabis.

go with it. Republicans have even latched onto

Photo: wikimedia

online (Montana, New Mexico, and

Cannabis is legalized in the United States. We know — this should happen sooner — but our politicians are too busy gerrymandering districts and “mean tweeting.” It’s not until President Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is sworn in that the People’s President makes cannabis legal across the U.S. … despite a lawsuit led by Idaho, North Dakota, and other ass-backward states to prevent legalization.

cannabis (because they know it is a can’t get it done, watch the Republicans take this issue and make it theirs. It’s such a winning issue,

2029

even the normally conservativeleaning Koch Industries has entered

2025

the game to influence change and, of

The first sports stadium to be named after an MSO occurs. Cresco at Wrigley Field becomes the name of the Cubs ballpark for an estimated $150 million a year — and yes, you can buy weed at the ballpark. Take me out to the ballgame is a little different now: “Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the crowd. Buy me sativa and Crackerjacks, I don’t care if I ever get back…”

course, make a bunch of money. Because things are changing rapidly with regard to cannabis and hemp, we at Cannabis & Tech Today want to give you a glimpse into the future. We have consulted our experts, insiders, and on occasion a trusty Magic 8 Ball that we got at Spencer’s, to bring you Fearless Predictions for 2022 and Beyond. With absolutely no surety at all, here are our predictions for your enjoyment.

2026 Hemp farmers receive subsidies like oil companies. This helps fuel adoption of hemp as a source for almost everything and creates a huge economic and domestic employment boom. Photo: iStockphoto.com

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Cannabis & Tech Today // Winter 2021

Hemp is officially planted in the White House Rose Garden.

2030 Facebook and Google finally stop discriminating against cannabis brands and advertising.

2040 COVID-19 is finally over. Photo: iStockphoto.com

Did we get it right? Are we way off? Let us know what you think by tagging us on social with #CannabisPredictions. What’s your vision for the future of cannabis? ❖

Photo: flickr.com/@whitehouse45

winning issue), and if the Democrats

Cannabis & Tech Today -- Winter 2021

Articles inside

The Lighter Side

Event Calendar

Product Revolution

Food, Sex, and CBD

Covering Your Assets

Safer Sanitation

Pods, Mods, Carts, and More

LEDs for Arid Climates

Seeding the Home Grow

Higher Standards for Safety

Creating Inclusive Policy

Eybna’s Industry-Altering Terpene Tech

What If You Could Smoke NFTs?

ESG

NACB

Perfecting the Pitch

It’s Not Easy Being Green

Hemp

International

Event Wrap-Ups

Know Before