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FROM THE PUBLISHER
Cultivating Change
It’s been just over a year since the pandemic altered our lives and changed the way we connect with each other. So many things were canceled — weddings, funerals, holidays, and conferences… while other things remained the same — like our need to do business and stay connected.
Charles Warner, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
“The last great event I attended was the Emerald Conference in San Diego. The setting was amazing, the sessions were crisp, and the networking was on point. Then… it all came crashing down.”
In fact, the last great event I attended was the Emerald Conference in San Diego. The setting was amazing, the sessions were crisp, and the networking was on point. Then… it all came crashing down. As the news started reporting the first cases of COVID-19, we had a feeling our world was about to change and it was time to focus inward and figure out how to continue driving the industry forward despite the pandemic. Now, more than anything, I think we’ve missed interacting with people. To combat the stuck-athome fatigue and need for connection, we launched the Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference & Expo as a way to unite the industry, “see” our friends, and give businesses a place to network and sell their products. With our third event taking place March 30-April 1, I’m happy to say we’ve been able to join our friends and offer a space for business to take place. Plus, we’ve highlighted some pretty amazing voices along the way. One voice that rang out during the Winter Emerge 2020 Conference was that of Gilbert “Berner” Milam, Jr. He was featured in a Clio Cannabis Awards fireside chat with Run the Jewels and his insights struck such a chord that we followed up after the show for this issue’s cover feature. Milam’s business savvy and raw honesty embody all the qualities that make an excellent leader, and it’s a voice we believe many of our readers will relate to. His commitment to equity is a shining example of what it means to truly create change. We’re highlighting more of those voices calling for change in our Social Equity section. We developed this recurring theme in hopes of providing actionable insights for creating a more inclusive industry. This issue also dives into a trippy topic, exploring the evolving psilocybin movement and its potential for becoming a legal market. If that’s not your cup of tea, expand your mind by taking a deeper look at our Business Innovations section. From touchless harvesting to B Real’s intuitive cultivation controls, you’ll be surprised how much automation is already at work in the industry. While we’ve featured incredible innovators on our covers, I’m especially honored to shine some light on the great work of Dr. Chanda Macias. Her life’s work centers around alternative medicines and she’s tired of patients being punished for their pursuit of wellness. Her passion for medical marijuana is contagious and she shares how she came to the industry and why cannabis therapy is changing lives. While our content is always changing, much like the industry itself, our core values remain the same. In this issue, our hope is that you will be informed, inspired, and educated — and even entertained — so that this important industry can continue to receive the support and understanding necessary to reach its full potential.
2
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
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SINCE LAST ISSUE… Cannabis is an extroverted plant, thriving in group settings, known for sparking debate and creating lasting bonds. With the pandemic, we’re living in the age of Zoom meetings and social distancing and the cannabis community is having to adjust to a virtual, online world. However, this hasn’t stopped cannabis from bringing our community closer together — we’ve just had to adapt. At Cannabis & Tech Today we’ve been hard at work envisioning innovative ways to engage with our readers, which includes exciting projects and virtual events. The cannabis community is incredibly resilient; more screen time and less face-to-face interaction isn’t going to falter our growth. FRESH FACES & NEW IDEAS When we rang in the new year, our publication’s resolution was to build a stronger relationship with our readers. We’ve been expanding our team, bringing on enthusiastic hires dedicated to delivering the stories you care about with integrity and attention to detail. Our new public relations team is boosting our virtual presence, staying up on the latest trends and breaking news while creating exciting campaigns to bring our readers deeper into the world of Cannabis & Tech Today.
GOING VIRTUAL We’ve been glued to online events. This year’s CES highlighted the usual consumer electronics, and even showcased some cannabis products — demonstrating yet again how far into the mainstream the cannabis industry has come. During the event, Managing Editor Patricia Miller was surprised by the appearance of Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who joined a virtual happy hour showcasing the Bartesian cocktail maker. “What I love about CES, be it in person or virtual, is the unexpected encounters,” said Miller. “Mila [Kunis] happens to be on the board of advisors for the brand and took this opportunity to share her favorite cocktails and have some laughs with attendees. It was a taste of Vegas right in my own home.”
SPECIAL THANKS TO: Kristi Dougherty, Julie Dietel, James Miller, Salvador Santana, Montel Williams, Edna Dolan, Christina Zolotova
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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! For print or digital subscriptions, visit cannatechtoday.com, or find us on popular digital newsstands and readers.
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4
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
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contents SPRING 2021
74 Cover Story: Baking with Berner Cover photo courtesy of COOKIES
84 A Prescription for Wellness with Dr. Chanda Macias Cover photo courtesy David Hartcorn
Departments 12 Event Wrap Ups 14 By the Numbers 16 Know Before 18 International 20 Compliance 22 NACB 24 Hemp
42 Finance 46 Legislation 54 Social Equity 94 Product Revolution 102 Events Calendar/ Coming Next Issue 104 The Lighter Side
28 Innovator Profile: Pure Beauty 30 Company Spotlight 32 Sustainability Finding Green Solutions 34 ESG and the Cannabis Industry 36 Farming with Methane 40 Vegan Edibles
48 Business Innovations Future Tripping 50 A Hands-Free Harvest Photo Robert Wagner
8
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
contents
SPRING 2021 56 Tech Zone Michigan’s Marijuana Marketplace 58 Cultivating a Climate of Excellence 60 Overcoming the Cash Problem 62 Optimization Through Cultivation 64 Tried and Tested 66 There’s a Bond for That 68 A Family-Owned Advantage 70 Enlightening the Customer Experience 72 Optimizing the Cultivation Facility
80 Media + Entertainment Cultivation Made Easy with B-Real
84 Health + Wellness A Prescription for Wellness with Dr. Chanda Macias 90 Cannabis for Eating Disorders
92 The Lab Chemdog’s First Legal Grow
10
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
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A DIVISION OF
// EVENT WRAP-UPS //
Winter Emerge 2020 Virtual Cannabis Conference & Expo: December 15 - 17
More than 2,500 attendees explored the Emerge online world, networking with other cannabis enthusiasts and partaking in unique and informative panels — all from the comfort of home. Charismatic Weed + Grub podcasters Mary Jane Gibson and Mike Glazer were the perfect emcees, delighting audiences with their unique brand of humor and insight. Cannabis education, health, and wellness were the true stars of the show. As Grammy-nominated artist Julian Marley perfectly stated during his keynote interview with Managing Editor Patricia Miller, “The herb is really the healing of a nation.” We’re excited to virtually celebrate our budding industry once again at our next Emerge Conference, kicking off March 31 through April 1st.
Winter Hemp Summit: January 14, 2021
Clio Cannabis Awards: December 15-17, 2020
This high-profile event is one of the most anticipated annual presentations in the cannabis space. Their programming works to elevate and celebrate the creators on the cutting edge of cannabis marketing and communications. Their 2020 event took place virtually during the Winter Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference & Expo, highlighting some of the most innovative brands in the industry. PAX Labs, Inc., took home the gold in the Advocacy category for their short film chronicling the work of Dennis Peron in helping California legalize medical cannabis. Charlotte’s Web took home the Grand win for the Partnerships & Collaborations category for their “Trust the Earth Farm Art” which garnered more than 258 million earned media impressions. With inspiring fireside chats and riveting video compilations, the Clios were an eagerly anticipated component of the Winter Emerge line up.
The 3rd annual Winter Hemp Summit was held virtually on January 14, providing attendees with the opportunity to network, strategize, and share their solutions for ensuring the hemp industry continues to thrive during these unprecedented times. The event featured keynote speaker Joel Stanley from Charlotte’s Web, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg, and U.S. Hemp Authority President Marielle Weintraub. The Summit highlighted new opportunities for hemp beyond CBD. “Hemp has taken on foundational infrastructure development, especially with hemp processing capabilities. It is an exciting time for industrial hemp to shine as the versatile crop that we know today. Hemp’s advancement is taking place on a major scale across the U.S. and the globe,” said President and Founder of Hoban Law Group Bob Hoban. 12
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
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A look at the metrics shaping the cannabis business market — and our lives As we transition into the second phase of the pandemic, we’ve faced our fair share of obstacles in the cannabis industry. It seems the hemp market is being hit the hardest. Many cultivators are asking themselves whether there is still a demand for hemp. The 2018 Farm Bill officially took hemp off the list of controlled substances in the United States, causing many farmers to optimistically jump into the market. However, a lack of experience and an overabundance of supply quickly led to unharvested crops and a shortage of processors. However, amidst the uncertainty of what’s to come, there are still bright spots to be found. Let’s take a closer look:
Total Licensed Hemp Acreage for 2020
COVID-19 May Accelerate the Domestication of Hemp Grain Imports
Less than 1,000 acres 1,000-10,000 acres
This includes hemp seeds, hemp oil, oilcake and other solid revenues:
10,000-30,000 acres
2015:...................................$79.5 million
More than 30,000 acres
2016:...................................$69.5 million
USDA program
2017:...................................$65.8 million
No state plan
2018:...................................$75.0 million
Unknown
2019:...................................$89.5 million 2020 through January:.....$6.9 million
According to Hemp Industry Daily, licensed U.S. hemp acreage in 2020 fell by 9% from 2019, but grower numbers increase 27%
Source: hempindustrialdaily.com
Prices for hemp plummeted due to wild speculation about demand and a surplus of raw hemp hitting the market. According to PanXchange, for each percent of CBD present in a pound of hemp, Kentucky farmers in 2019 were earning $4.35. By 2020, that amount had dwindled to just $.74.
50
(in U.S. Dollars) Source: newfrontierdata.com
Change in use of specific product forms since the beginning of 2020: 42%
40 36%
$5 30
$3
27% 20%
20
17%
15%
$2
16% 13%
10
$1 0
27%
Jan 2019
July 2019
Jan 2020
0
FLOWER Now consuming more
EDIBLES
VAPES
Consuming same amount
Now consuming less
Consumers Are Buying More, Less Often:
Average Basket Price Source: mjbizdaily.com
Before 3/23/20
After 3/23/20
Weekly Average Basket Price Before 3/23/20
After 3/23/20
Number of Baskets (in thousands) Before 3/23/20
After 3/23/20
California $57
$69
$59
$68
1,018
1,101
Colorado $50
$61
$50
$61
616
603
$77
$52
$74
232
185
$35
$26
$34
823
777
Nevada $55
Washington $27 14
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
Source: newfrontierdata.com
$4
DEPARTMENTS // KNOW BEFORE
Growing Organic: 3 Key Considerations By Taylor McLamb
(Left) Founder and CEO of Allay Consulting Kim Stuck. (Right) Sir Steven Saxton and Katherine Guevara Saxton founded Green Gorilla to share the benefits of CBD and hemp with people around the world.
When buying cannabis, customers have a growing desire for cultivation transparency and organic products. But, it’s not just customers who should be interested in organic crops. Cultivators benefit financially from offering premium products… but, it’s not as easy as it seems to grow organically. There are a few things you should know before making the switch from traditional farming practices to organic cultivation. Be Aware of Pesky Contaminants Kim Stuck, founder and CEO of Allay Consulting, a nationwide compliance strategy and services provider, works with companies that cultivate THC cannabis, hemp, and now psilocybin, to make sure best practices are being followed. Stuck mentions that the most common mishap she sees is companies not realizing that contaminants could materialize in any part of the growing process. Due to hemp naturally performing bioremediation, it’s more sensitive to toxins located in the soil. Stuck shared a story of a consultant in a facility she was working with, who couldn’t figure out why their crops were coming back with traces of 16
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
a pesticide not found in their facility. After a thorough investigation, they realized it came from a nutrient acquired from a tradeshow. Stuck said that they’ve also found nutrients in some fertilizers that contained high lead levels. “Be aware that you can lose your organic certification if you’re using something on accident that you didn’t mean to use. So, screening everything that comes in the door of your facilities is very important - no matter what,” said Stuck. You Have to Play by the Rules Green Gorilla is a cannabis company that experienced the rigorous certification process firsthand and is currently pioneering the organic hemp market as the first-ever USDA Certified Organic Hemp CBD Brand. They’ve proven themselves through successful test crops and by ensuring every step is done with USDA-organic standards in mind. All farm activities are overseen by a consultation expert. “Farming organically and sustainability not only makes our farm-grown organic hemp a premium but also helps our company be environmentally friendly,” said CEO and Founder of Green Gorilla Sir Steven Saxton.
It’s Going To Be A Long Process - But Worth It. After completing an on-sight inspection, a full review of farm activities, and a comprehensive verification of their inputs to ensure compliance, Green Gorilla’s 1,474-acre Arizona farm was finally certified USDA organic. All of their products are independently lab tested by multiple facilities to ensure each product is a pesticide, herbicide, and solvent-free. While the process to achieve an organic certification is no doubt a thorough one – it’s done to ensure quality and safety. Nearly half of marijuana consumers stated they would pay 50to 100% more for organic products, according to Consumer Reports research. Jamie Schau, the International Research Manager with Brightfield Group, stated that “Marijuana users appear to be more demanding, seeking out quality and safety, than typical consumers.” With competition ramping up, it makes sense for cannabis companies to grow organically, with compliance and safety in mind, both to benefit their customers and to attract an ever more health-conscious market. ❖
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DEPARTMENTS // INTERNATIONAL
Will Mexico Become the Top Legal Cannabis Producer in 2021? By Alex Rogers, CEO of the International Cannabis Business Conference
Mexico and the cannabis plant have a complicated history. For several centuries, the cannabis plant was consumed in Mexico for medical and recreational purposes, and hemp was used to make various finished goods. Mexico’s cannabis scene changed dramatically with the onset of prohibition. After cannabis was prohibited around the globe, Mexico became a top international source for illegal cannabis. Unregulated cannabis from Mexico dominated illegal sales beyond Mexico’s borders for many years, especially in the United States. It is no secret that gangs and cartels largely benefited financially from those sales. Demand for illegal cannabis has waned in recent years in the United States with the rise of the legal cannabis industry, and that evolution is ramping up elsewhere as nations reform their cannabis laws. That has had a huge impact on Mexico’s cannabis trade, which is still largely based on illegal cannabis exports. That is likely to change in 2021. 18
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that cannabis prohibition was illegal, and lawmakers in Mexico have worked ever since to craft a measure to implement the Court’s decision. After a series of delays and deadline extensions granted by Mexico’s Supreme Court, lawmakers in Mexico are likely to finally get a measure to the finish line in 2021. It’s unclear at this time exactly what cannabis legalization will look like in Mexico, but it’s safe to assume that legal exports will be part of the equation. If/when that happens, Mexico will instantly become a legal international cultivation powerhouse. Compared to Canada, cannabis is much cheaper to cultivate in Mexico, giving it a distinct advantage. The cannabis plant grows naturally in Mexico, which is not the case in Canada’s much colder climate, and labor is considerably cheaper in Mexico which is another advantage from the perspective of producing quality cannabis at a lower price.
Uruguay is different from Canada, in that its climate and cost of labor is closer to that of Mexico. But whereas Uruguay limits its domestic industry to residents, Mexico will presumably allow sales to tourists, which is going to be big for helping build Mexico’s legal cannabis industry. Domestic sales will help companies scale up in Mexico, which in turn will help them build the necessary foundation for driving sales abroad. Adult-use legalization in Mexico is going to have a massive butterfly effect on the international cannabis industry, as well as in the region. Once Mexico legalizes cannabis for adult-use it will create a situation in which the United States is sandwiched between two legalized countries. That will increase the pressure on the U.S. to do the same, and once the U.S. gets on the right side of history it will be the biggest cannabis policy domino to fall, likely opening up the floodgates to legalization across the planet. ❖
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DEPARTMENTS // COMPLIANCE
Confronting Fraud During a Cannabis Licensee Compliance Audit By Robert H. Carp, CEO Certified Cannabis Compliance Training, Inc.
iStockphoto.com/AndreyPopov
One of the most serious issues facing cannabis licensees, regulators, and the public is fraud. The most common type of fraud is misreporting cannabis inventory, with management or employees either ignoring internal control and government regulations, or sidestepping them in the name of profit. Fraud in compliance auditing relates mainly to the operations of the licensee, but also to fraudulent reporting on compliance issues. Instances of non-compliance with authorities may constitute deliberate misuse of a license to grow, process, or sell cannabis for improper benefits. Improper benefits are advantages of a non-economic or economic nature gained by an intentional act by one or more individuals among management, those charged with governance, employees, or third parties. Planning and factors that contribute to fraud include: • Poor internal controls • Management override of internal control • Collusion between employees • Collusion between employees and third parties Some of the techniques used in identifying fraud are explained below. Observation: Compliance officers/auditors may observe the extent to which the management and staff are complying with policies, procedures, and internal controls. Observation may reveal a deficient control environment including a lack of ethics and integrity on the part of top management. Inspection: Compliance officers/auditors may examine the record for processing large rounded amounts of raw cannabis and the yields. Interviews: Compliance officers/auditors may interview top managers and key officials 20
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
and note changes in management and employee behavior indicating deception, corruption, red flags, and other abnormal occurrences that indicate fraud. Analytical reviews: Compliance officers/ auditors compare production information from period to period to identify abnormal production data relationships. Walk through: Compliance officers/auditors may trace an original source document through recording processes to test the reliability of the internal control systems and discover opportunity points for fraud. In cases where the management does not give due importance to the irregularities identified, the risk of fraud is higher. If and only if the compliance officer has irrefutable proof of fraud committed by management, they should contact an attorney. The compliance officer should explain the situation, provide documentation, and ask the lawyer for the following: • Guidance in preparing a document for the proper parties.
• Guidance on employment law to ensure the compliance officer is within their rights to report the information, and how to protect their job. • Guidance on the proper parties to report the information to, and how to find them. The attorney will find out from the state exactly to whom the license was issued. There may be multiple stakeholders who should be apprised of the situation, but one or more of them may be involved. The proper way to handle this is to give the information to every shareholder and all people on the license. The compliance officer should contact the licensee and inform them of their findings. If the licensee is not involved, generally they will tell the compliance officer to document everything in order to either fire/prosecute the alleged perpetrators, or if they are involved, they will either fire the compliance auditor, or try to explain it away. In the event of the latter, the compliance auditor only has one choice — report it to regulators. Make sure you're prepared for what you might find! ❖
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DEPARTMENTS // NACB
Creating an Inclusive Industry Strategies for Social Equity Success
iStockphoto.com/Delmaine Donson
By Gina Kranwinkel, President & CEO NACB
More than 100 million people – about onethird of the U.S. – have now or will soon have legal access to cannabis. As legal cannabis booms, there is an unprecedented opportunity to ensure people in communities disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition can participate in and benefit from this industry. The National Association of Cannabis Businesses (NACB) is a national advocate for responsible, inclusive programs aimed at creating these social equity opportunities. Our recent strategies include: Sharing a Social Equity Roadmap with State Lawmakers NACB released Social Equity Guidelines to help lawmakers jumpstart social equity programs. The Guidelines cover best practices and keys to success from diverse social equity approaches already in place. Using this roadmap, states can leverage the legal marijuana industry to foster new minority-owned businesses, thousands of jobs, and substantial tax revenue for investment in local communities. NACB Guidelines cover essential areas: Qualifications for Social Equity Licenses Applicants must live in a designated geographical area where there has been a high rate of arrest and incarceration for marijuana22
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
related activity that is no longer illegal. Applicants and/or those hiring employees who have been arrested or convicted may receive priority for their social equity license application. Benefits for Applicants Applicants receive priority consideration in the licensing process, a reduction in application and licensing fees, technical assistance, and lowinterest loans. Judicial Reform NACB strongly advocates for automatic expungement of arrest records and convictions for minor marijuana-related offenses, such as possession of small amounts of cannabis, sale of small amounts to other adults, and offenses related to the operation of a motor vehicle other than impaired driving. Reinvestment in Disproportionately Impacted Areas (DIAs) Twenty percent of cannabis tax revenue should be invested in DIA communities to enhance education, legal aid, youth development programs, and violence prevention. NACB welcomes social equity licensees into the industry with a free year-long membership. View the NACB Social Equity Guidelines at www.nacb.com.
Gathering the Industry for the 2020 NACB Social Equity Conference NACB convened legal, public policy, and advocacy experts and cannabis business owners in a free, day-long conference that elevated public conversation around social equity and examined cannabis social equity trends and business opportunities. Panelists talked about the importance of diversity and inclusion for cannabis businesses. Attendees also heard from social equity program directors and licensees about the struggles they face. The theme of “making your voice count” in the public policy arena was present throughout the conference. Look for more NACB social equity education events in 2021. Raising Voices for Social Equity NACB’s Call to Action letter makes it simple to raise your voice in support of a social equity program in your state. Download our template letter, sign, and send it to your state representatives requesting they create or expand social equity legislation in your state. Visit our website to get the Call-to-Action template letter and a link to find your legislators’ names and contact information. Momentum is growing for cannabis social equity – will you join us? Visit www.nacb.com to become a member and get involved! ❖
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DEPARTMENTS // HEMP
The Future of Hemp Bioplastics Exploring Horizons and Acknowledging Limitations By Sam White One of the most significant dangers to our wildlife, environment, and global climate is something nearly every person on Earth uses every single day: plastic (single-use plastic in particular). It is devastating oceans and waterways, covering land and beaches, and filling landfills at a staggering rate. This is not a problem we will be able to outrun. Thankfully, there are cannabis companies across the globe dedicated to developing hempbased solutions to our plastic problem. Scientists are using hemp to create biodegradable plastics, called bioplastics, that are harmless to the environment and degrade in just a fraction of the time of standard single-use plastic. The Plastic Plague Almost every household item is made of- and packaged in- plastic. Distribution has items covered in layers upon layers when they ship to stores. Shipping items to your home is no different. In 2018, the EPA estimates 27 million tons of plastic were dumped into American landfills alone. As of 2020, National Geographic reported an estimated 5 trillion tons of plastic and micro-plastic in our oceans. This problem becomes even more serious when you consider it takes approximately 1,000 years for a single piece of plastic to decompose. A More Sustainable Future Compared to plastic’s thousandyear decomposition rate, hemp 24
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
bioplastic takes only 6 months to fully break down. Additionally, the production of hemp bioplastic drastically reduces the amount of greenhouse gas and fossil fuel emissions compared to standard plastics. The Hemp Plastic Company is one business working to alleviate the plastic problem. They’ve created a hemp-based polymer resin that can be used to create a multitude of things that would normally be made of hard plastic: pens, drinkware, dinnerware, food containers, household items, assembly items, and more. CEO of The Hemp Plastic Company Glen Kayll says we have to think outside the box when we think of plastic solutions. “We all should consider that there are hundreds of millions of pounds of plastic consumed in rigid durable goods in the automotive, appliance, consumer products, packaging, construction, industrial, and other industries –– global change needs to include, but also go beyond, grocery bags and drink bottles.” When asked if he ever saw a future that completely replaced plastic with hemp bioplastics, Kayll remarked, “While I don’t know if that’s entirely realistic, since plastic is an exceptional material used in thousands of applications, I can definitely see a future where millions of pounds of fossil fuel plastics are replaced with mother nature’s easy to grow, carbon sequestering, hemp. Why wouldn’t we?” ❖
An Affordable Reality? Hemp bioplastics are amazing, but there are barriers to implementation. According to Hemp Magazine, petroleum-based polypropylene pellets fluctuated between $1.00-$1.15 per pound in 2018. If hemp plastics were to compete with petroleum plastics, the price per pound would need to be no more than $1.27 per pound. Market prices for hemp plastic that year were $2.35 per pound. In North America, most hemp fiber used in manufacturing is imported from Europe. New Frontier Data reported more than 100 million pounds have crossed the Atlantic since 2015. Until domestic cultivation can match demand, the cost of shipping will continue to drive up prices. The hemp industry must create an infrastructure to support large-scale processing, build relationships with established manufacturers, and expand its agricultural footprint before bioplastics can become an affordable reality.
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OF THE
INNOVATOR PROFILE YEAR
Purchasing Power
Can cannabis buying habits make the industry more equitable and sustainable? By Andrea Morhardt What You Can Do Buying ‘ethical weed’ is one solution. • Buyers can support organizations committed to ensuring some of the revenue generated is rerouted to rebuilding communities and preventing unjust and inequitable incarceration. • Ask your dispensary about their ethical practices and if they can’t provide any, find one who can. Or, if you buy online, do just a little research.
Although cannabis consumers are highly focused on safe, high-quality products that are effective, how often are consumers thinking about the ethos with which cannabis companies operate? As the cannabis community continues to evolve, many are realizing that buying responsibly from companies who care can make a real difference in the industry and in the world.
Using your voice, your vote, and your wallet is another solution. • Contact your senators and representatives to rail against bias in marijuana enforcement.
After all, the process of buying cannabis is different from buying other products in so many ways. Legalization creates layers of complexity for the buyer’s journey depending on the geography of that journey. But to really understand just how different buying cannabis is, when compared to buying most other products, it’s important to look in two other directions: equity and sustainability. Equity in the Consumer Journey First, it’s important to take a look back in history — specifically at the American media, where false information has been propagated for decades. Nearly a century ago, in fact, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, now called the DEA, renamed cannabis “marijuana.” In the 1930s, according to Robyn Lawrence, author of Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis, the U.S. government rolled out a rebranding campaign depicting cannabis as “a frightening ‘new’ drug used primarily by Mexicans and African Americans that could turn upstanding, middle class (white) kids into helpless victims and raging monsters.” Then in 1994, Harper’s magazine interviewed former domestic policy chief John Ehrlichman, who admitted in that interview that the 28
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government intentionally criminalized hippies and black people in order to “disrupt those communities.” Ehrlichman is quoted as saying, “We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.” And from there, the rest is history. Today, research conducted by the ACLU shows that there is racial profiling and bias in marijuana enforcement. Black people are 3.6 times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession, despite similar usage rates. Contrary to what many might believe, this disparity has not improved during the last decade. In fact, the trends have become more alarming in most states. But there is hope. Cannabis buyers who are committed to restoring equity can take small steps in order to begin creating a brighter future.
• Support organizations like The Drug Policy Alliance, which works to fund prisoner reentry programs, or invest in communities that have been heavily affected by biased mass incarcerations. Sustainability in the Consumer Journey Sustainability initiatives are making their way onto corporate radar across a variety of industries. And the cannabis sector is no different. Some find it ironic, considering the cannabis plant, on its own, is quite sustainable. Cannabis grows quickly in a wide array of atmospheric conditions after all. Cannabis can also be called eco-friendly. Farmers in Italy have been known to cultivate cannabis in order to decontaminate polluted soil. And the hemp varietal actually absorbs and reduces global atmospheric carbon dioxide. But despite the product’s environmental friendliness, the cannabis sector of the economy is not so environmentally friendly. The legal cannabis sector struggles to live up to the carbon-negative hype of the plant itself.
Photo Francesca Tamse
Photo Robert Wagner
#ecofriendly
Pure Beauty is a Los Angeles company that prioritizes high-quality flower grown with a serious moral compass.
Sustainability in the cannabis industry is hampered by lighting, irrigating, and packaging problems. • Indoor growing practices to generate just 1 kilogram of cannabis can produce as much carbon dioxide as three million cars, according to a study by the Global Footprint Network. • One single plant can consume as much as 150-250 gallons of water to reach the flowering state. • Because of hefty federal requirements, many companies resort to plastic packaging for its affordability. And that plastic can be up to 30 times the weight of the product it contains. What You Can Do How often do consumers give thought to where the product is coming from and where the packaging ultimately goes? According to one Nielsen report, 73% of Millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable goods, and this includes packaging. When more consumers become mindful about where the product is coming from and where the packaging ultimately goes, this percentage can surely increase. Look for responsible dispensaries and packaging take-back programs like one started in early 2020 in Colorado. Unrecyclable vape cartridges and other plastics that go out the door with customers are taken back in an effort to avoid clogging up the recycling system. Equity & Sustainability — One Business Doing Both Many cannabis businesses tout their innovative ideas for remaining profitable and keeping an eye on ethical practices and sustainability.
But there is one company that lets those practices lead and is seemingly keeping that one eye on profitability. The company clearly states on their website, “We will never put profits over a clean and beautiful earth.” Pure Beauty is a Los Angeles company with a brand that combines cannabis with ultra-hip streetwear vibes. The company, who prioritizes a high-quality flower, also has a serious moral compass. The female and minority-owned company views the history of injustice within the industry as a call to action to promote equity and fairness. Pure Beauty donates a portion of their proceeds to fund programming for current and post incarcerated populations. That’s not all. At Pure Beauty, all of the water used in their cultivation is collected from the air. Not one drop comes from the California tap. The cultivation practices have zero runoff because even “eco-friendly” fertilizers and nutrients can contaminate surrounding water supplies, making life inhabitable for indigenous species. Pure Beauty also creates soil “food webs” for insects and then donates by-product soil to public parks. And while they are legally bound to properly package their products, Pure Beauty makes every effort to use as little packaging as possible. Most of the packing material is paper and they’ve been perfecting a child-resistant mylar bag made from plant starch. Just when it seems Pure Beauty sounds too good to be true, they top it off with modesty and say: “We’re not perfect, but we’re trying.” ❖
thepkgco.com info@thepkgco.com
// SPOTLIGHT //
Trade Secrets
Innovators share their strategies for industry domination.
By Ed Rogers
Each quarter, Cannabis & Tech Today speaks with innovative brands from around the country to discover who is leading the call for a more resilient, thoughtful, transparent cannabis industry. This issue, we’re highlighting three brands receiving national attention for their commitment to excellence within the cannabis community.
operators who were very passionate about the product, very customer-centric, but did not have the skills and the foresight and capitalization to build heavy weight infrastructure that could scale to handle millions of customers as opposed to thousands of customers. So I thought “Hey, this is my opportunity to fix all this stuff that’s been broken in cable before it happens in cannabis.”
on things you can’t own. Nobody can own a strain name. It’s not a capitalistic thing, but a brand needs to have its own identity and its own interpersonal and emotional connection to the customer and it needs to have a brand promise that can be replicated. GrowRay Technologies The cannabis space, in many ways, is about collaboration. The industry relies on different
Ash Ganley
sectors coming together to create solutions. Ash Ganley, CEO of GrowRay Technologies understands the fractured nature of the industry and is working to unite growers with technology and science to create a more efficient cultivation ecosystem.
Rich Batenburg Jr
Clear Cannabis Inc. Rich Batenburg Jr., has decades of experience developing scalable business models in various industries. As president and chairman of Clear Cannabis, Inc., Batenburg is using his expertise to develop an infrastructure for the company capable of scaling to a national level. Rich Batenburg Jr.: What was going to happen with cannabis in my mind was exactly what happened with cable. A bunch of mom-and-pop 30
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
Once we have ubiquitous legalization, big food, big pharma, big tobacco, and big agriculture will likely be taking over this industry. It takes money to scale up. There are thousands of inventive, creative, sincere, gentle geniuses in the business that have come up with products. What you don’t see is the massive distribution and commercialization of those products. That’s really our focus. What I liked about Clear Cannabis is it has a trade secret component to it, it has a formula. It’s not based
Ash Ganley: “We realized quickly that the market is not always going to be so high margin that you could hide bad business practices and hide a lack of efficiency in your operation and production. And now that’s happening across the country. As prices are coming down and regulations are increasing in terms of how much electricity you use per square foot, etc., a lot of growers who used pre-legal, scaled-up practices are losing their businesses because they’re not taking those low-margin, high-efficiency lessons from traditional agronomy. That’s what we’re doing, is really learning cannabis from a whole systems technical point of view, knowing all the while that we have to get better. We’re never going to be good enough.
#childresistant
You always have to keep learning. But we’re pushing the envelope, and we know that. So, we have to be curious. We have to be hungry. We have to learn together. The whole issue of legality in cannabis has forced a lot of businesses to operate in a silo or in a vacuum. So it’s a very fractured industry and that has hamstrung innovation in a big way. We’re just trying to approach it from that point of view.
Brandon Lewis: We are filling the need for education around the hemp plant, it’s properties, and where to find the actual science that’s been conducted for decades — which can start with a simple search at the National Institute of Health. We are passionate about assisting people in what to look for in highquality hemp & CBD products even if not from Aspen Green. We believe cannabis will be federally legal within 5 years and consumers will be educated on the value of the whole hemp plant and all of its properties. We also believe laws will become uniform versus how fragmented they are currently at the state level. We also see the industry maturing to focusing on various regions where the plant is grown, much like wine. In our opinion, what Napa is to wine — the Colorado Rockies are to hemp. ❖
Brandon Lewis
Aspen Green Colorado-based Aspen Green is one of only seven USDA Organic certified full-spectrum hemp and CBD brands in the country. Their products are free from toxins, formaldehyde, phthalates, parabens, and sulfates. They’re one of five brands recognized by Realm of Caring for their commitment to transparency, quality, and integrity. To learn more about the company’s commitment to serving the industry, we spoke with Aspen Green President and CEO Brandon Lewis.
thepkgco.com info@thepkgco.com
// SUSTAINABILITY //
Finding a Better Way
Cannabis & Tech Today’s 2020 Sustainable Leadership Award winners share their advice for creating a more resilient industry. By Ebby Stone What does sustainability mean to you? For Cannabis & Tech Today, it means fostering an industry that will thrive while preserving the natural resources necessary for continued growth. For 2020’s Sustainable Leadership Awards, we chose three applicants setting the standard for sustainable energy consumption, packaging, and stewardship. Graham Farrar, president and chief cannabis officer for Glass House Group, discusses why environmental stewardship is central to his company’s mission. Brain Domann, sales and marketing director for Humidi shares solutions to the industry’s packaging problem. And Derek Gould, director of marketing and communications for Solar Therapeutics invites you to join him in creating a more eco-friendly future. In this special feature, we’ll shine a spotlight on how they’re leading the charge, what’s most important to them, and how all companies, big or small, can work toward more sustainable operations.
Glass House Group President and Chief Cannabis Officer Graham Farrar Cannabis & Tech Today: What is Glass House Group’s approach to sustainability? Graham Farrar: We try to really advocate for this low-touch agricultural approach we practice. Cannabis in agriculture is a bit of an outlier, in that it’s a highlyregulated business with a lot of friction, a lot of costs, but you’re not in the single-digit margin
Humidi Sales and Marketing Director Brian Domann C&T Today: How is Humidi helping tackle some of the industry’s environmental issues? Brian Domann: What we really sought for and our ultimate goal has always been, how can we have a net positive impact on the environment? And while we initially wanted to incorporate 32
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
percentage like a lot of ag is — where they’re really struggling to stay alive — which allows us to do things like invest in using beneficial insects instead of pesticides.
tomato guys because they can
There’s a positive circle that starts with that, which is, if we spend twenty grand a month with the beneficial insect’s guys, and then some other companies do, and then the [insect company] can scale up. As they get bigger, the price comes down, and then maybe now it’s available to the
much bigger, and then the insect’s
hemp into our packaging, we also really needed to have a strong product that would be durable and have the shelf life of a traditional product and provide that same protection, integrity for the cannabis, or any of the products that are stored in our packaging. And that’s why, ultimately, we went with canolabased bio plant materials.
compostable in a home compost heap. There are no microplastics leftover and the product will act as a food source for bacteria that are naturally occurring in the soil.
It is the only product on the market that can be fully
afford it now — and then the tomato [industry] is 1000 times bigger than cannabis. So if that industry can take even just a little bit, the size of it makes it that price comes down and then more people can get access to it. So you can start this virtuous cycle. I think cannabis can help blaze that path for the rest of agriculture, which will end up making a lot more difference than we do.
C&T Today: How do you envision the future of cannabis packaging? BD: I’d love to envision the future being a net-zero impact on environmental production, which it’s always hard to get there. But I
think if the cannabis market can lead the charge against plastic pollution and show what’s possible and what can be done for some of these mass packaging markets or consumer packaged goods in general.
#customizable
There are sustainable products out there that are not truly as sustainable as folks think. And the one biggest thing that we’re really trying to articulate, from an education standpoint to an end consumer or a distributor, is that this is the first product that has 0% plastic. There’s not a trace of plastic in these products. Solar Therapeutics Director of Marketing and Communications Derek Gould C&T Today: How does Solar Therapeutics incorporate sustainable practices into its ethos? Derek Gould: The way we’ve incorporated and implemented green infrastructure into our entire facility and its operations is huge. We’re a fullblown power plant. We’re generating about 5.4 megawatts. One megawatt can power about a thousand small homes. Our vision and mission is to replicate what we have here in Massachusetts and demonstrate that in other States. It’s a very arduous process to source these sustainability components, especially when you’re talking about the size of the facility that we’re working in. But, I think being a responsible corporate citizen is crucial. When you are looking at the statistics, indoor cannabis cultivation is trending towards being the second most unsustainable industry in the country — and that’s behind data storage
centers. I think, to take a conscious approach, to make changes even though it costs more upfront, to start implementing those things and demonstrate how to be a leader in the space — and it’s not too late, it’s actually very early and we can make this happen — is major for us. We really want to plant our flag and be the first multi-state operator that’s touting these carbon emissions percentages that are above and beyond. If we could be at 90% emissionsfree, that would be huge; 50 to 60% is where we’re operating right now. I think it’s key, if this industry is to continue to operate and be responsible, you really have to start pivoting and implementing these sustainable approaches. C&T Today: What advice
would you offer operators looking to become more sustainable? DG: You don’t have to go all-in on sustainability right off the bat. There’re a lot of lowhanging fruit and very easily implemented, inexpensive ways, and procedures that can make your facility at least start to be a little bit more sustainable. It’s imperative we start really considering this approach to cultivating cannabis. We’re going to start seeing more states crack down on thresholds for sustainable practices for indoor cultivators because, again, it’s such an energy hog. So, I think to have that foresight and understanding, that this is where we’re headed in this industry and for us to be a stalwart of this movement, is paramount for us. ❖
thepkgco.com info@thepkgco.com
// SUSTAINABILITY //
ESG and the Cannabis Industry Growing a Competitive Advantage from Cultivation to Consumption
By Geoff Trotter
There are an increasing number of publiclytraded companies in the evolving North American cannabis sector, all vying for attention. Yet for this industry to grow, it must embrace the principles of Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Frameworks and navigate the risks and opportunities inherent in ESG issues. Corporations embrace ESG standards for a variety of reasons including access to capital, enhanced risk mitigation and value creation, greater social “license to operate,” customer acquisition, and employee retention. Greater recognition of the competitive advantage linked to this approach is increasingly making ESG a business fundamental for companies across industry sectors. The risks of climate change have brought environmental management to the forefront as a business imperative. For the cannabis industry, energy and water stewardship are two critical environmental issues all companies must be actively managing. Estimated at approximately 40% of operational expenses, the energy required for plant cultivation, temperature control, and product manufacturing makes energy management a vital cost consideration. As global temperatures and the frequency of severe weather events rise, so will the risks associated with energy stewardship and resilience. Similarly, global water scarcity and its material impact on a wide range of industries make water stewardship a vital component to controlling costs and ensuring business continuity in the future. Cannabis companies must implement a systematic approach to environmental management and resource stewardship across the value chain, from seed to storefront. As the multi-industrial applications for cannabis and hemp become better 34
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
understood, the range of social risks and opportunities increase. From a human capital perspective, companies will need employees with a broad range of skill sets and backgrounds to capitalize on the range of potential opportunities. Developing a clear talent acquisition and retention strategy will become increasingly important. Similarly, engagement and collaboration across stakeholder groups provide a range of opportunities. From advancing economic inclusion for marginalized populations to revitalizing distressed rural farming communities, focused stakeholder engagement can mitigate reputational challenges while addressing operational needs and product commercialization. Cannabis companies need a methodical and consistent approach to governance, especially given the rapid evolution of the industry and its regulatory landscape. A focus on governance prioritizes long-term business continuity amongst managing these risks. To manage the complexity inherent in engaging ESG issues across an enterprise, the composition of the board and management team, and their associated experiences, credentials, and effectiveness, can have a profound impact on ensuring ESG becomes a source of competitive advantage. Regennabis and Summit Strategy Group have partnered to provide a range of services that address the most pressing risks and opportunities facing the cannabis industry and the changing business landscape at large. The approach is based on a series of specific steps that all companies should follow when developing an effective ESG program; fig. 1 highlights some of the most critical: (see Fig 1. ESG Framework: a 5-Step Process). ❖ To learn more, please contact geoff.trotter@ regennabis.com.
Fig 1 1. Understanding why ESG is critical to commercial success • Identify the relevancy of ESG trends to your business model, industry, and stakeholder groups. • Assess the competitive landscape and expectations from your key stakeholder groups. 2. Mapping an ESG journey that leads to desired business outcomes • A materiality assessment uncovers ESG threats that present financial risk to the business and opportunities to strengthen engagement with stakeholders. • Assess and understand what you are already doing to address these issues and clearly articulate your desired objectives moving forward. • Create a shared vision of success and engage the stakeholders most relevant to this success to participate in the process. 3. Gauge how you are being perceived • Evaluate how you are being assessed on ESG performance. • What is your current reputation with stakeholders? What are the potential risks associated with these stakeholders? • Assess what is working well with your current reputation, what could be developed to support both perceptions of investment risk and ESG maturity, and the actions that must be
taken and communicated to your key stakeholder groups. 4. Develop an ESG strategy • Integrate material ESG issues into corporate strategy and risk management, ensuring clear targets and performance indicators are established, and the internal systems are in place to track that progress. • Embed the ESG strategy into daily operations and stand up an internal governance structure to oversee enterprise implementation. 5. Communicate and Disclose • Determine your priority audiences and the most important stakeholders to your business. • Determine the right messages and methods for communicating this progress that speaks to the relevant issues and in the language known to your stakeholders. Identify and align around the disclosure frameworks and communications cadence preferable to your key stakeholders. • Communications, specifically with credible disclosure frameworks like SASB and TCFD, ensures the ESG strategy and accompanying narrative is clear, credible, and accurate, which in turn fortifies stakeholder trust and positively impacts corporate reputation and valuation.
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Not only is the system highly effective, it is also extremely efficient and sustainable, generating maximum results. Whether you have experience in growing Medicinal Cannabis or not. With self-learning controls and integrated security, it is undoubtedly the future of horticulture.
// SUSTAINABILITY //
Powered by Poop
How a Versatile Cow Byproduct Could Fuel a New Generation of Farmers By David Wallach
Here’s an interesting fact for your next Zoom call “ice breaker,” an 800-pound cow will produce about 100 pounds of poop a day. There are about 9 million dairy cows in the United States at any given time, producing about 900 million pounds of poop a day. Second in volume only to the House and Senate. It’s a lot of poop, and of course one of the results of their waste is methane. Before we all get on our Impossible Burger soapboxes, there are technologies available today that are harvesting the power of cow poop to help capture methane gasses, recycle water for farms, and even create fertilizer that is cleaner and more abundant than peat moss and other fertilizer components. Yes, there is a peat moss shortage. Peat moss grows naturally in bogs and takes hundreds of years of erosion and decomposition to create. When it comes to growing cannabis, peat moss is an excellent soil component. Using peat moss to grow things isn’t news, even that very “green”
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Impossible Burger is “plant based.” The root word “plant” meaning it also comes from the ground and needs, you guessed it… fertilizer. The availability of high-quality fertilizer like peat moss is on the decline. As farmers look for fertilizer that can help grow quality crops, cow poop could provide the solution by the way of a 200-year-old technology called the anaerobic digester. Subsidizing Sustainability In 1808, Sir Humphrey Davy discovered that the methane in cow manure could be used to create renewable energy. 200 years later farmers around the country have installed “digesters” on their land to help subsidize declining profits as well as reduce their farm’s ecological footprint. Anaerobic digesters can help curtail methane
release by burning the gas and converting it to carbon dioxide. A digester captures the methane before it has a chance to escape into the atmosphere in its pure form. Digesters do more than generate a sustainable source of electricity, they also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Landon Van Dyk from Van Dky-S Holsteins Dairy Farm walks us through the science of poop power. “If we can capture the methane rather than just allowing it to vent to the atmosphere, we can utilize it for beneficial purposes.” The Vander Haak Dairy Farm in Lynden, Washington was the first in the state to install an anaerobic digester. Owner Steve Vander Haak noted, “We’re producing clean renewable energy. We look at the digester as an opportunity to diversify our farm, do good things for the environment, and be able to keep farming.” Filling the Tank If you go back to the math portion of this article, the Vander Haaks’ 500 cows produce a lot of poop, the digester converts their manure, plus food waste from nearby
iStockphoto.com/2ndLookGraphics
// SUSTAINABILITY // Powered by Poop
Anaerobic digesters are preventing more methane from being released into the atmosphere, as well as creating a sustainable form of fertilizer for the cannabis industry.
food processors, into energy and other saleable products. Restaurants and stores all are able to dump their outdated and spoiled food into the digester instead of a landfill. Think of the digester as an extension of the cow stomach, it’s a big concrete tank 16 feet in the ground where farmers put manure and food waste, then heat it up to 100 degrees. It starts with the cows that produced the manure, farmers gather that up and bring it to the digester, where methane gas is produced and a generator turns it into electricity, returning it back to the grid. Van Dyk explains an incredibly complex process in as simple terms as possible. “We collect the manure and add it to our digester. At that point, the bugs that were working in the gut of the cow to break down the complex organic bonds continue to act the same way in the digester. They’re breaking down that energy, creating methane, and they also reduce that fertilizer value from a complex, somewhat unavailable organic material to an inorganic material that’s readily available to plants. A Versatile Byproduct Cliff and Andrea Sensenig have a much smaller dairy farm of about 100 cows in 38
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
Pennsylvania, which isn’t enough to make a digester profitable, as Andrea Sensenig explains. Instead of abandoning their idea, they reached out to other farmers in the community. “We were able to add pigs and chickens. Where you see poop, we see a recycling opportunity. We also add some food waste into the mix to create methane gas and then capture that gas, pipe it into an engine, and it creates electricity. We’re producing enough electricity to power this farm and 140 additional homes.” More than methane, it’s an abundance of clean, very rich fertilizer that when mixed with soil can provide farmers and cannabis cultivators the materials they need to grow, while at the same time helping the environment by recycling… poop. “Through the process… we would separate the liquid from the solids and use the liquid as a fertilizer. It is actually a good fertilizer because it’s more readily available than straight cow manure, so when you apply it you get a faster reaction than you would putting on manure,” says Van Dyk. Andrea Sensenig adds “The food waste we’re getting right now is coming from large chain grocery stores. If we weren’t adding the food
Image courtesy of Dairy Management Inc.
waste to our digester along with the manure, all this food waste would just be added to landfills. What we’re doing is landfill diversion.” Cows for Cannabis Van Dyk farms potatoes but explains how using soil from a digester could work for the cannabis industry. “The pathogens that are in the [digester] manure are essentially very low, they are significantly reduced from regular cow manure.” While anaerobic digesters are still few and far between, they are providing a solution that helps prevent more methane from being released into the atmosphere, as well as creating a sustainable form of fertilizer the cannabis industry can turn to as a resource for fertilizer. To Vander Haak it goes much deeper than that. “If farmers weren’t concerned about sustainability and conservation, there would not be the safe food supply we have today. I want my kids to have the opportunity to follow in my footsteps, in my dad and grandpa and great grandpa’s footsteps. The land is one of our resources and we need to be able to use that land both now and in the future.” ❖
// SUSTAINABILITY //
Vegan Edibles for an Eco-Friendly High By Sam White
The legal cannabis industry and the vegan food industry have arguably had the best glowups of the last five years. Speaking from my personal experience, I can confidently say 2021 will be a great year for both vegans and cannabis users. With these two industries exploding in popularity, innovation, and accessibility, it was only a matter of time before they collided. The demand for vegan-friendly products is at an all-time high and brands across the world are taking notice. Companies of all kinds – food, beauty, furniture, fashion – are taking steps to
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ensure their products are vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable for the environment.
cruelty-free flavors with the medicinal benefits of cannabinoids.
Cannabis brands are no exception. Many cannabis companies are now offering vegan edible selections that are appealing to an audience that abstains from eating any animal products whatsoever.
Several studies, including one published by Nature in 2018, show that a plant-based diet could reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the food system by more than half. With many cannabis brands working toward becoming more sustainable and eco-friendly, taking a turn towards vegan edible products is a no brainer.
There are also incredible moves being made in the culinary cannabis world. During a time where you can infuse any dish imaginable with THC and CBD, vegan chefs are making a statement by combining their bold, creative, and
The Vegan Revolution So what exactly does a vegan diet entail? A fully vegan diet abstains from any and all animal
// SUSTAINABILITY //
products including meat, eggs, milk, cheese, dairy of any kind, honey, or any other animal derivative. Veganism differs from vegetarianism because while vegetarians don’t eat meat, they still typically eat things like eggs, dairy, honey, and depending on the individual, may not care about things like gelatin and other miscellaneous animal products. While veganism is certainly not a new diet, it’s reached incredible new levels of popularity in the last couple of years. Veganism has become so popular that, according to Report Buyer, in 2020 6% of Americans considered themselves vegan, versus only 1% in 2014. Millennials and Zoomers are mostly to blame for this pronounced shift in dietary lifestyle. According to a study done by Finder, Millennials were dubbed the “most plant-based generation in history” and were responsible for bringing veganism into the forefront of food-related social media and culture. Their demand created a slew of new food products in stores and restaurants that cater to the vegan consumer. While young people make up the majority of vegan eaters, people of all ages and lifestyles are turning to a plant-based diet. And the reasons for the switch are many; some people do so for ethical reasons, some do it for the animals, some do it purely for personal taste, and others made the switch because of the many positive benefits on the environment.
The animal agriculture industry is one of the largest causes of methane and CO2 emissions on Earth. In fact, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations claims it is directly responsible for a whopping 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Another stunning statistic shows that, in the United States alone, the animal agriculture industry uses around 30-70 trillion gallons of water every single year. It’s also one of the biggest causes of deforestation and water pollution, cutting down forests to make room for livestock and flooding local waterways with millions of tons of animal waste. Since many cannabis users are also lovers of animals and the environment, there’s quickly become a demand for vegan edibles that are ethically sourced and sustainably produced. Plant-Based Pot Cannabis companies are rising to the demand and making vegan-friendly edibles. The most infamous edible of them all has to be the gummy, but since gummies (THC infused or otherwise) are made with gelatin, a derivative of animal bones and connective tissue, this makes them non-vegan. Other edibles, such as cookies, brownies, and other sweet treats, usually contain milk, eggs, or butter, none of which can be eaten on a vegan diet. Thankfully, there are cannabis companies coming up with some delicious vegan edibles that are just as tasty and effective as their nonvegan counterparts. Brands like DRIVIN Cannabis, Bhang Corporation, and Smokiez are all getting into the vegan market with gummies, chocolates, and hard candies that are all made without using any animal products. Another wonderful vegan-friendly company is Utopia Cannabis, a California-based company with a mission to cultivate ‘clean cannabis’ by using all organic ingredients that are free from
pesticides and harmful chemicals. Utopia is known for their (absolutely delicious) THCinfused vegan macaroons, blasting the market with a uniquely healthy perspective on frequently junk-food adjacent edibles. When asked why it was so important to make their edibles vegan-friendly, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Kaiya Bercow said, “As a lifelong vegetarian, I wanted to produce a cannabis edible that would fit into a natural grocery store and match the active, healthy California lifestyle… Our coconut cookies are Kosher-certified, vegan, gluten free, low glycemic, paleo-friendly, and use all organic food ingredients. We’re proud to have a product with pronounceable and identifiable ingredients and only use cannabis oil manufactured at our extraction facility in Monterey for increased product control.” The culinary cannabis world has also been infiltrated by the vegan lifestyle. There have already been a few cannabis cooking shows streaming on different platforms, but Amazon Prime has come out with a vegan cannabis cooking show called High Cuisine where a group of Los Angeles based vegan chefs compete to create unique and creative THCinfused vegan dishes. If you consider yourself a bit of a chef and want to incorporate some vegan cannabis concoctions into your repertoire, The Vegan Cannabis Cookbook is a good place to start. One of the best and most sustainable things you can do for the environment is to reduce your carbon footprint by ditching meat and dairy products. It’s also important for companies, cannabis companies included, to reduce their emissions by developing products that are produced in more sustainable ways. Ensuring their products are vegan is a great way to do that. It’s also important as consumers that we let these companies know there is a demand for vegan products. With more people going plant-based every year, we’re sure to see greater heights of vegan innovation within the cannabis world in the near future. It’s only a matter of time before an all-vegan cannabis company is born and takes over the cannabis world with a mission to make delicious cannabis-infused treats as sustainable, eco-friendly, and cruelty-free as possible. ❖ Spring 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today
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// FINANCE //
…and the Winner is? Highlighting the companies striving to be the next big name in sustainable cannabis. By Corey Noles Four businesses attended the Winter Emerge 2020 Virtual Cannabis Conference & Expo with high hopes. They were competing in the Investor Pitch Contest hosted by Leafwire and Regennabis. Each business gave its best pitch in hopes of gaining access to a $5 million funding pool managed by Regennabis. In order to qualify and win, the companies had to show a comprehensive plan that included a focus on sustainability in the cannabis industry. Each was given the opportunity to make a 4-minute pitch, followed by a 4-minute question and answer period with potential investors. Geoff Trotter, co-founder of Regennabis, and Peter Vogel, CEO and co-founder of Leafwire, moderated the event. Out of the four presentations came four very distinct and unique ideas.
Just BioFiber Just BioFiber was the event’s clear winner with a project that has global implications environmentally and financially. Dave Ladouceur, CEO of Just BioFiber, explained that the company produces a truly sustainable building solution. The company produces custom building blocks comprised of hemp fiber combined with a proprietary lime slurry mix to create one of the most sustainable building materials in the market. Hemp agriculture can produce 250% more fiber than cotton and 600% more fiber than flax on the same amount of land. Hemp processing uses one-tenth of the energy that it takes over years and years to fully develop a forest for timber construction.
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Ladouceur said the company desperately needs to expand its factory to increase production. He added the company is losing out on millions in business right now because it simply cannot keep up with demand. “We’ve had to stop taking orders,” he said. “There’s backlog because the company is too small to keep up with demand. A 3-5 million annual block production facility could net a substantial profit.” An investment would allow Just BioFiber to stabilize the company, work off the sales backlog and stop turning away orders, become cash flow positive in Q3 2021, and allow them to upgrade their pilot plant to handle 20,000 bricks per month. “It’s an environmental gem that will be a great solution for the people, the planet, and prosperity,” Ladouceur said. Another benefit to the fiber blocks is that construction time for the envelope is cut drastically. The time needed to
frame a 2,000 sq. ft. home is about half the time of traditional wood-frame construction. The blocks also offer a substantial increase in safety. They have a two-hour fire rating at 1,800 degrees. “These things will not catch fire,” Ladouceur said. “We’ve tried with torches directly heating them and nothing. No smoke. No fire.” One judge pointed out that could make the blocks very desirable for places like California where wildfires are a way of life. They can also withstand up to 250+ mile per hour winds. The pandemic hit Just BioFiber particularly hard, which is why the company entered the contest. A $30 million investment to take the company global was called off in early 2020 as the pandemic sent life to a screeching halt. “The company licked its wounds and pushed forward,” he said. After naming Just BioFiber as the winner, Trotter said the next steps in the process would follow close behind.
// FINANCE // …and the Winner is?
“I will be working with each of the investors as a follow-up with Peter [Vogel] to see what opportunity there may be to reach out with each of you for an even longer conversation,” Trotter said. “One that gets into the guts of your businesses to give you really a fair crack at an investment.”
developing a child-proof cardboard packaging system. While not complete, Blesofsky said he believes the next iteration of the cardboard package will be the final product. The company is seeking approximately $9
the company will set the industry standard in sustainable packaging for years to come.
Feel State Inc. In third place was St. Louis, MO-based Feel State Inc. CEO David Melnick made the company’s pitch. Feel State is offering a franchise option for cannabis dispensaries. The Feel State licensing system is designed to offer a turnkey solution for business owners looking to delve into the cannabis space. “We’re giving people new to the industry a way to take the guesswork out of opening a dispensary,” Melnick said. “We’ll provide our partners with the tools needed to succeed.” Feel State will open its first dispensary in St. Louis this spring. The company is finalizing additional deals in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
Gladbrook Holdings Coming in second place was Gladbrook Holdings of Long Beach, CA. Warren Blesofsky, president and co-founder, made the presentation. Gladbrook holds a variety of assets in the cannabis space, including both real estate and retail sales. The project for which the company is seeking investors is its Dial It In subscription service. Dial It In is a medical marijuana subscription service that will deliver your specific, regular order directly to your door. “When the big money came into California, it rushed for recreational marijuana,” Blesofsky said. “It left the medical market mostly neglected.” That space is where he feels Dial It In could provide a valuable service. He said the company will use all-electric automobiles and is developing truly sustainable packaging. In addition to plant-based biodegradable plastic, the company is 44
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
million in funding this year and believes the majority of that will come from private investors. Gladbrook also plans to operate a recreational marijuana leg of Dial It In, known as Discreet St. Between the two businesses, Blesofsky believes
Judges for the competition were Codie Sanchez, managing director and partner of Entourage Effect Capital; Emily Paxhia, cofounder and managing partner for Poseidon Asset Management; Kellie Seringer, portfolio manager at Symmetry Capital Management, LLC; and Lindsay Blackett, CEO of PeakTerra Ventures Inc. The next Investor Pitch Contest will take place during Spring 2021 Emerge on March 30-April 1, 2021. Visit emergecanna.com for tickets and for more information on the contest. ❖
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// LEGISLATION //
The True Cost of the Potency Tax New York Pushes THC Tax as Cannabis Companies Fret Over Illicit Competition By Aaron Smith
iStockphoto.com/400tmax
As New York continues to slow-step its way towards adult-use legalization, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing a unique system for taxing cannabis based on potency. Assuming the Democratic governor succeeds in his latest attempt to legalize recreational marijuana, New York would be the first state to levy a tax based on milligrams of THC. States typically base taxes on retail price, not the pot’s potency. Taxing adult-use cannabis is part of Gov. Cuomo’s plan to dig New York out of its hole. The state is facing a multi-billion-dollar budget gap after the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the economy. Meanwhile, the weed industry is on fire. Legal cannabis sales jumped more than $7 billion nationwide last year, to $17.9 billion, according to Leafly.com. In his State of the State Address on Jan. 13, Cuomo said legal cannabis will eventually create 60,000 new jobs, $3.5 billion in economic activity, and $300 million in tax revenue. New York’s THC triple-tax: Can it compete against the illicit market? New York’s adult-use cannabis faces three potential taxes: the potency tax, a state sales tax of 10.25%, and local sales tax. The proposed potency tax on flower is 0.7 cents per milligram of THC. Concentrates would be taxed at 1 cent and edibles would be taxed at 4 cents. Adult-use cannabis is legal in 15 states and Washington, DC. The only other state with a potency tax is Illinois and it doesn’t work the same way. Illinois, which legalized recreational cannabis in 2020, imposes an extra tax on cannabis that is at least 25% THC. 46
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In New York, the THC tax is intended to “accurately capture” the “true market value,” the budget says. But how will a triple-taxed industry hold up against tax-free competitors? The illicit market is thriving in New York, as evidenced by the smell wafting through Manhattan and Brooklyn. New York only allows processed weed. The flower smoked on the streets of New York is often smuggled from legal states with bumper crops, like California. The potency tax is going too far, according to Patrik Jonsson, regional president for the East for Curaleaf, a multi-state cannabis company based in Massachusetts. Curaleaf is one of 10 cannabis companies operating in New York, and each of them is allotted four dispensaries. Jonsson said he’s opposed to the TCH tax
because “heavy taxation helps to perpetuate the illicit market by creating an unfair advantage to an unregulated illegal segment of the industry.” David Holland, executive and legal director of Empire State NORML, a pro-legalization organization, and co-founder of the NYC Cannabis Industry Association, said the THC tax could “defeat itself as a tax structure” because it would “drive the price of high potency marijuana to unaffordable levels.” Cristina Buccola, a cannabis lawyer with the pro-legalization group Start SMART in New York, said the tax rate should be closer to 20%, to compete with the illicit market. Holland said the tax rate should be even lower, at 8%, to be competitive. They both agreed that, under Cuomo’s proposal, the real tax rate could be as
// LEGISLATION // high as 40%, compared to 0% for illicit dealers. Nick Etten, vice president of government affairs for Acreage, a company with dispensaries in New York, New Jersey, and Illinois, described the 20% tax as the “high-water mark.” “Of course we’re going to get taxed, but coming out of the gate it’s got to be reasonable,” he said. “The concern is that they’ll stick with the legacy [illicit] market if new adult-use cannabis is not affordable.” The price difference could be kept narrow, at least in the beginning, if taxes were “phased in slowly and structured to help control consumer costs,” said Dr. Kyle Kingsley, founder and CEO of the cannabis company Vireo. Don’t hold your breath for adult-use legalization in New York & New Jersey. This is the third year that Cuomo has included his adult-use legalization plan in his budget, but it still hasn’t happened. New York and New Jersey are locked in a neck-to-neck turtle race to be the next to legalize adult-use on the East Coast, behind Massachusetts and Maine. But don’t hold your breath for adult-use. New York and New Jersey both have medical cannabis
programs but have been slow to legalize adultuse, despite its popularity and the promises of politicians. “My estimate is that we will not see a law on the books for at least a year,” said Dr. Allan Tiedrich, who has two clinics in New Jersey providing medical cannabis cards. “It’s too complicated. Jersey has Jersey politics. You have to line the pockets of the right people to get anything done.” New Jersey voters approved recreational legalization in November 2020, and lawmakers were on the brink of finalizing legislation, when politicians butted heads over policy concerning under-aged use. Jonsson of Curaleaf, which has dispensaries in New Jersey, said he’s hoping for adult-use retail to start in 2021. But Buccola and Holland estimated that adult-use retail could take 18 months to become a reality in New York and New Jersey. “We hope that it doesn’t take a couple of years,” said Nick Etten, vice president of government affairs for Acreage, a cannabis producer with facilities in New York and New
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Jersey. “The reality is that [New York] is facing a budget shortfall. People want cannabis and every month or year that it goes forward that we’re not selling adult-use is revenue for the state that could be coming in the door.” But cannabis presents a new frontier for the American regulatory process. Getting legislation right is tricky and time-consuming. “We still need more investment in medical cannabis before adult-use can even roll-out,” said Chirali Patel, a cannabis lawyer and regulatory expert in New Jersey. “Many are optimistic that we will see adult-use sales soon and I’m sure the ATCs [alternative treatment centers] are already planning, but this isn’t a process to be rushed.” Adam Goers, vice president of corporate communications for Columbia Care, which has a footprint in 17 states and Washington, DC, said New York should proceed carefully when considering such a complicated tax structure. But don’t take too long, he said, or investors will lose interest. “If New York overthinks this, they could be in decision paralysis,” he said. ❖
// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS //
Future Tripping Are companies preparing for the psilocybin market too soon? By Taylor McLamb
CAPS by COOKIES are a wellness blend formulated to aid with sleep or provide energy and immune support. (Right) DoubleBlind magazine covers all aspects of psychedelics, ranging from psilocybin to ayahuasca.
Plant-medicine is currently all the rage. From supplements to extracts to fine powders, plantbased medicine is being hailed as the new trendy superfood. Since the dawn of time, humans have relied on Mother Nature to heal wounds, provide relief, and even get high. That said, it has still taken years of education and research to reduce the negative stigma of more controversial plants, like cannabis. With cannabis now being legalized in some international markets and medical professionals finally starting to recognize it as medicine, people are starting to reexamine other maligned plants as well. Psilocybin, the main psychedelic ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” is gaining widespread popularity. Breakthrough scientific research around the compound’s therapeutic potential led several cities (Portland, Denver, Oakland) to decriminalize mushrooms containing 48
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
psilocybin. Researchers at John Hopkins Medicine found that two doses of psilocybin, prescribed with adjutant psychotherapy, showed rapid reductions in depressive symptoms for adults suffering from major depression. Psychedelic Wellness These findings are revolutionary. There hasn’t been a medication developed specifically for depression since the creation of SSRIs in the late 1980s, which come with their own hefty list of negative side effects. While psilocybin remains a Schedule I controlled substance, it’s already been placed on the FDA’s fast track for approval and will be legal for prescription in the next decade. While purchasing psychedelics in a retail environment as we do now with cannabis, may be years away, some companies are preparing for the future and envisioning innovative, psychedelic wellness products. Kim Stuck is the CEO and founder of Allay
Consulting, a nationwide compliance strategy and services provider. She knows firsthand the fast-paced structure of the cannabis industry, which is why Allay launched their psilocybin division. She hopes to provide businesses with insight into emerging regulations once the psilocybin market becomes a reality. With the psychedelic drugs market expected to reach $6.85 Billion by 2027, according to Data Bridge Market Research, many companies are scrambling to figure out how they can get a piece of the pie. Allay provides businesses with a variety of services, including compliance audits, FDA compliance testing, licensing, ISO certification, and their new Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification, which ensures psilocybin is produced and handled safely. “Our entire goal is to help companies succeed and we think psilocybin is a wonderful molecule. We think it can change the world,”
// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS //
(Left) Editor-In-Chief and Co-Founder of psychedelic magazine DoubleBlind Shelby Hartman. (Bottom Right) CEO and Founder of Blue River Terps Tony Ventura
said Stuck. “It’s just going to be really exciting because plant medicines, in my mind, are the future.” Marketing Mushrooms Psilocybin culture is similar to cannabis culture in that both were once deemed illicit but have proven to provide many health benefits. Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of psychedelic magazine DoubleBlind Shelby Hartman knows a thing or two about mushrooms. She noted research scientists can only buy cannabis from the University of Mississippi. This limitation makes research cannabis very difficult to access, such that the whole plant hasn’t been able to work its way through the FDA-approval process. Psilocybin, however, is an isolated compound which will be federally legal in a few years, and accessible to those with a diagnosis from a doctor. Consequently, cannabis and psilocybin may have to be two segregated industries, and it will be quite a long time before consumers could find a blended product, such as a CBD, THC, and psilocybin beverage. Hartman said she doesn’t see an aboveground, recreational psychedelic market happening anytime soon. But, she definitely thinks psychedelic advocates within the cannabis industry plan to start making psilocybin products when there is an opportunity in the future. Award-winning cannabis lifestyle brand COOKIES is an example of a company doing just this. COOKIES recently released their
innovative three-in-one capsule product line, Caps by Cookies, which combines a therapeutic blend of certified organic mushrooms, cannabinoids, and terpenes. Their products are not psychotropic or psychedelic, instead relying on the natural healing properties of Lion’s Mane, Reishi, and Chaga. The fungus, provided by Jeff Clinton of Nammex, are carefully encapsulated by Tony Verzua of Blue River Terpenes and Extracts to create an energizing blend (Daytime Clarity), and a calming wellness blend (Nighttime Bedhead). They are, however, optimistic about incorporating psychedelics in the future. “We’re going to ease into the market. Mushrooms are important to us because any kind of alternative medicine is important to us. That’s what we focus on,” COOKIES CEO and Founder Berner told Forbes. “A THC version will follow, and eventually maybe one with psychedelic mushrooms.”
to talk about it, but the truth is there is no timeline for something like this happening. I think people are really jumping the gun in terms of creating products if they’re hoping to be able to do it legally,” said Hartman. “It’s going to be five to ten years.” That said, it’s still enticing to daydream about futuristic psychedelic products. Hartman mentioned talks of a psilocybin nasal spray, an Ayahuasca transdermal patch, and a psilocybin listerine-like strip that dissolves on your tongue. When psilocybin is finally approved by the FDA, there will be a lot of questions from both businesses and consumers. As Tony Verzura, CEO and founder of Blue River Terps notes, “It’s going to take great tenacity and vision to want to incorporate psilocybin into products.” ❖
Languishing Legality Hartman said companies already established in the psychedelic space, creating adaptogenic products like Four Sigmatic’s mushroom elixirs or MUD/WTR alternative coffee, are also looking to make an impact in the market. DoubleBlind has even discussed possibly releasing a white-labeled psilocybin capsule, but Hartman is realistic in noting these products cannot be legally produced for quite some time. “I know this is a sexy story and everyone wants Spring 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today
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// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS //
A Hands-Free Harvest How Touchless Automation is Streamlining Production and Compliance By Rachelle Gordon
For cannabis operators, being compliant and efficient at the same time often feels like an impossible feat. This is especially true for cultivators, who must go to great lengths to ensure their cannabis is both high-quality and produced within the constructs of the laws of their individual state. In 2017, Matt Mayberry, Karen Mayberry, and Benjamin Wong (all passionate cannabis advocates) were exploring a foray into the legal market when they discovered the multitude of issues producers were facing. One of the main challenges was the archaic systems being used for the vast amount of data needing to be collected for regulators. “We started going to tradeshows to check out the scene and quickly began speaking with growers to determine what challenges they were facing in the current market,” Matt Mayberry (the company’s CEO) explained in an interview with Cannabis & Tech Today. “One of the most striking discoveries was that growers were managing key parts of their businesses with notebooks, whiteboards, and spreadsheets,” Mayberry continued. “Everything from the team’s work schedule, plant inventory tracking, and crop observations were all being documented manually, and there was no practical way to track what happened from harvest to harvest. We saw that these methods were holding cultivators back. And with the industry poised for explosive growth, the current tools available wouldn’t allow them to scale to meet market demand.” The trio realized there had to be a better way. With Matt’s background in software engineering, Benjamin’s previous work in network and electrical engineering, and Karen’s experience in marketing, combined with the fact that all three founders had experience in cultivation in either home-growing or 50
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
Trym’s Grow app monitors light, humidity, temperature, and CO2 levels while the Explore app integrates task scheduling and workflows.
commercial applications, the team set out to build a technology platform that would help growers thrive in the emerging regulated market.
The company provides software solutions
Trym was officially founded in 2018 and launched its first beta app later that summer.
while simultaneously ensuring they remain
designed specifically for cultivators, offering team management, plant tracking, and analytics tools to help producers increase productivity compliant.
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// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS // A Hands-Free Harvest
“Weighing every plant really sucks, but there isn’t a faster way to do it than what Trym has built with Touchless Harvesting,” says Kevin Nelson of Santa Cruz Roots (pictured left).
Trym’s Grow app monitors light, humidity, temperature, and levels while the Explore app integrates task scheduling and workflows. Environmental sensor hardware is also available in order to streamline the company’s software. Compliance Concerns Lead to ‘A-Ha’ Moment If you ask Trym’s founders, they’ll tell you the most exciting addition to their technology suite is their revolutionary Touchless Harvest system. The intuitive platform was designed after the team realized the great lengths cultivators took to weigh each individual plant at the time of harvest. “At Trym, we’re all about helping growers save time and streamline their operations,” Benjamin Wong, COO, said. “When we saw how the growers were harvesting their plants in order to comply with the state regulations, we saw a wide variety of methods being used, all of which caused significant bottlenecks in their harvesting process and ultimately were costing them a lot of time and money. We realized there was a lot of opportunity to improve this process.” The team at Trym noticed growers were required to either hold or interact with something other than the plants while weighing and recording post-harvest. Everything from a pen and paper, to expensive barcode, or RFID scanners were being used, all of which were slowing down operations. Additionally, when you’re weighing hundreds or thousands of cannabis plants, your hands are covered in resinous trichomes. Having to click buttons on a device or pull a trigger on a scanner all day means that the equipment being used 52
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
may quickly become sticky. “We decided that the most efficient way to harvest would be to remove the need to have to touch anything other than their harvested plants and that’s where the idea for Touchless Harvesting came from,” Wong explained. “We achieved the ‘touchless’ aspect by creating a harvest station that includes a rack, a mounted mobile device such as an iPad, and a scale that connects to the iPad via Bluetooth.” Touchless Harvesting Already Revolutionizing Cultivation Operations in California and Beyond For operators in The Golden State, compliance is a seemingly never-ending headache. Trym eases the stress by seamlessly integrating with Metrc (short for Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting & Compliance), California’s seed-to-sale cannabis production data tool. But it’s the touchless harvesting tech that’s getting all the attention. The cultivators who have already tried the company’s system are impressed with the ease of use and astounding speed. “We tested Touchless Harvesting back in November of 2020 with our partner, FloraCal Farms, in Santa Rosa, CA, and their team was able to take down, weigh, record, and report 680 plants all before lunch!” Mayberry proclaimed. “Touchless harvesting is a great convergence of efficiency and compliance,” Andrew Rayl, FloraCal Farms’ Director of Compliance, added. “It allows us to remain in full compliance with even the most conservative interpretations of
harvest regulatory requirements without sacrificing any time.” Kevin Nelson, founder and head cultivator at Santa Cruz Roots, in Santa Cruz, CA, also praised the system. “Weighing every plant really sucks, but there isn’t a faster way to do it than what Trym has built with Touchless Harvesting.” “An ecosystem of integrations…” While efficiency and compliance are indeed the name of the game over at Trym, it’s their dedication to the healing power of the cannabis plant that truly drives their innovation. Their hope is to make life easier for operators while simultaneously improving the overall marketplace for the consumer. The company is currently working on several projects that will significantly expand its environmental monitoring and analytics capabilities, enabling growers to produce bigger yields and higher quality flower. They’re also adding features specifically tailored to largescale operators in California in order to make managing their compliance across multiple licenses as efficient as possible. “We see the future of cannabis tech as an ecosystem of integrations,” said Karen Mayberry, co-founder and marketing director. “No one company can build a perfect solution for the entire industry, and 2021 is going to be focused on strengthening our position in the ecosystem and building our network of integration partnerships. “We want to see the pioneers that built this industry scale their businesses and prosper in the regulated market.” ❖
// SOCIAL EQUITY //
Speaking Up for Social Justice By Chynna Pearson
Highlighting the Voices of Those Working Toward Change
What really needs to change to make the cannabis space more equitable for all people? At Cannabis & Tech Today, we’ve been listening to professionals in different facets of the industry: cannabis law, diversity in hiring, and social equity organizations, to understand the problem and discuss solutions. During the Fall Emerge 2020 Virtual Cannabis Conference & Expo, we
explored the many areas of the industry in need of change and found many speakers reflected similar sentiments over the issues within the cannabis industry and community. While cannabis continues to blossom into a multimillion-dollar industry, there are still certain demographics persecuted for cannabis-
Ru Johnson
Mikelina Belaineh
Johnson is part of Roux Black, a creative consulting firm in downtown Denver that focuses on music and entertainment, politics, booking, and development.
Law graduate Belaineh works for The Last Prisoner Project as the Director of Criminal Justice and is passionate about their work.
Musicians and cannabis have always been together. Regarding the coming relief album compilations being created meant to help make a change within the community, Johnson explained: “I mean conversations around social justice uprisings are always taking place at the dance halls or the casbahs or all these places where musicians and artists congregate and come together. I always say that music and cannabis are first cousins. “The decriminalization of the plant and of the usage of the plant is such a big part of the conversation that we have to still have which of course means the greater conversation of racial injustice that takes place in this country in general. The oppressed part of any of us is the oppressed part of all of us, right? So when you say create a social impact, what does it mean to make real change?”
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related offenses. This persecution is reflected in the industry, as those with prior convictions are often blocked from working in the space or even making purchases. The speakers highlighted below have been campaigning for reform, working to ensure the demographics of the industry are reflective of the communities from which it arose.
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
When asked about the issue of re-entry after incarceration due to cannabis-related offenses: “Re-entry, in and of itself, it’s meant to be a losing battle. It has all these collateral consequences and barriers we are fighting to try to overcome. What [The Last Prisoner Project is] doing is trying to focus on the employment research across the board, whether it is data qualitative, anecdotal, my own experience, like working in reentry services on the ground, is that employment is key and critical to successful reentry.” Their work with The Last Prisoner Project also deals with social equity. On the topic of such and the blatant gap in the diversity of the community, Belaineh explained: “The fact that cannabis is literally creating generational wealth for white America and it is continuing to create generational harm and trauma to Black and brown communities. These two things are existing in what we would like to be a just society, but it can’t be a just society if those two things still exist. There’s a moral imperative piece to this employment thing where if you’re in the industry, and you’re making a profit it just makes sense to bring the folks into the fold who have been incarcerated and traumatized for doing the exact same thing.”
// SOCIAL EQUITY //
Hirsh Jain Jain is the Director of Government Affairs at Caliva, a vertically-integrated cannabis company based in California. While he is a lawyer, his primary role in the company is to ensure adherence to new laws and regulations. When faced with the question of whether there is sufficient diverse representation among lawyers who work in the cannabis industry, Jain says: “The impact of cannabis arrests is felt by certain communities. I don’t know if I would say it’s sufficient but in my anecdotal experience lawyers representing the cannabis industry are more diverse than the industry itself. I think many of us are familiar with the tremendous amount of work that has to be done when it comes to diversifying the industry. I think, obviously, in part that it is a function of historical criminal justice policies, a function of the fact that it costs millions of dollars to start a cannabis business, and there is a huge wealth gap in this country.”
Malia Anderson Anderson is the founder of Ladylike 420, an influencer collective that educates and entertains people with a focus on changing the perception of who cannabis users are and why they use cannabis. On why she got into cannabis and cannabis advocacy, Anderson explained some common hardships she experienced first-hand: “When my dad had liver cancer and I had a medical condition that came on urgently, cannabis was absolutely a part of our medical care. I started researching and got into the advocacy side of social equity because my dad has been in the cannabis industry, or I’m sorry, my dad’s been the “weed man” for almost 50 years. He spent almost 25 years on parole or probation for cannabis-related crime and he had no legal way into legal cannabis. There is no way for him to be a part of it.” Anderson’s father’s story is not an uncommon one. The cannabis industry is not accessible to those who have had prior offenses relating to cannabis.
Tae Darnell Darnell has been making an impact for most of this life. He is currently working as a lawyer. On why the cannabis industry’s demographics are so skewed and what laws have to do with it, Darnell explained: “When you look at the statistics underneath [drug arrests], although the population representation is 13% African American, 26% of the arrests were of African Americans so I think we’re seeing socially how the war on drugs and its fallacy had on an impact on society.” When asked about how and why to spread awareness, Darnell says: “I really saw an opportunity to use media as a vehicle to bring people together, to use media as a vehicle to unite an industry like cannabis and things that spread across the social spectrum. To me, the biggest and first point of emphasis needs to be its impact on the criminal industrial complex. It is a for-profit mechanism.” ❖
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// MICHIGAN TECH ZONE Presented By
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bundant apple blossoms, plentiful herds of white-tailed deer, and over 3,000 miles of freshwater shoreline are just a few of Michigan’s notable attractions. The Great Lakes State is also the second-most agriculturally diverse state in the nation. Thanks to the 2018 Michigan Taxation and Regulation of Marihuana Act (sic), cannabis is now a growing part of their agricultural abundance. With more than 40% of the state covered in water, it’s a wonder Michiganders (Michiganians?) are able to produce so many agricultural commodities. Michigan exports more than 300 commodities commercially, second in diversity only to California. With 10 million acres of farmland, the production of hemp and cannabis is already expanding the state’s impressive agricultural offerings. The legalization of recreational cannabis sales is predicted to have some exciting effects on the state’s economy. Michigan State University (MSU) conducted a study in March of 2020 noting retail sales will have an estimated economic impact in excess of $7.8 billion within the first 4-5 years of production. Part of that impact will come from increased employment. Agriculture employs a large portion of the state’s workforce, responsible for 17% of total jobs, according to Michigan’s state website. That percentage is expected to grow with hemp and cannabis production added to the mix. MSU’s study estimated more than 7,000 people will join the Michigan ag sector to work with marijuana.
A Deeper Look at the Connections Fueling the State’s Cannabis Industry By Patricia Miller
That number doesn’t include the nearly 10,000 who will join the retail and wholesale trade sectors as a result of full cannabis legalization. All of these jobs should add nearly $1.8 billion to the total annual gross state product. It’s an exciting time to live in Michigan. In this Tech Zone, we’ll explore some of the companies working to provide the services and solutions necessary for the cannabis and hemp industries to grow and thrive. Whether it’s climate solutions, financial services, or compliance consulting, the following pages will dive into the ins and outs of Michigan’s emerging marijuana landscape. ❖
iStockphoto.com/marchello74
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// MICHIGAN TECH ZONE Presented By
Cultivating a Climate of Excellence Growing Pains and Building a Business in Michigan’s Tech Zone Over the past 20 months, Kevin O’Connor has had his fair share of ups and downs. Launching his family-owned cultivation facility, Narvona, in a nascent market like Michigan wasn’t easy, especially during a pandemic.
precision temperature control necessary to grow consistently high-quality crops. That was one of O’Connor’s major considerations when choosing Surna. They’ve been operating in the
By Ed Rogers
if you want to have precision, it’s definitely necessary to bite the bullet and pay for it. Explore any and all options that can help you narrow in on that exact temperature and environment you’re looking for.”
“Working with the state and local municipalities has been a challenge, just trying to ensure we’re all on the same page since [cannabis cultivation] is still fresh and new here in Michigan.” But, O’Connor says just getting the doors open was the hardest part. Designing a 35,000 square foot facility with more than 6,000 plants took careful planning. One of the most vital aspects of any grow is the HVAC system. O’Connor enlisted the help of indoor climate specialist Surna during the blueprint stages of construction.
Narvona is a family-owned Michigan cultivation facility specializing in high-quality flower for adult-use and medical markets.
Narvona’s pesticide- and chemical-free luxury cannabis is available for both recreational and medical suppliers, so he wanted to find a company that could address biosecurity. Surna uses air sanitation methods like photocatalytic oxidation, ionization, and HEPA filtration to prevent airborne fungal diseases from spreading.
From Start to Finish
From the Ground Up “Surna helped us engineer and design how our chiller loops work in the grow rooms themselves. They’ve been more than willing to jump on the phone and help me answer any problems we’ve faced since the beginning,” O’Connor shared. Indoor cannabis cultivation is unique in that facilities must account for high heat loads, mold protection, and even special electrical requirements. Traditional HVAC technicians often don’t have the experience or expertise to provide the 58
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cannabis space for 14 years, refining their designs and equipment to create custom solutions for the industry.
Over the past year, Narvona has scaled from zero plants to 6,000. There have been hiccups along the way and hurdles to overcome. O’Connor said the most important aspect of a partnership isn’t the problems, but how you’re able to work through those issues.
O’Connor advises those looking for temperature control solutions to do their due diligence.
“Surna has answered the phone calls and wanted to work toward a solution. They realize that not only is it best for the customer, it’s also best for Surna to have that good start to finish relationship.”
“Don’t base your decisions off of a dollar amount, go based off of your requirements and what you’re trying to produce,” he said. “If you’re okay having limited control over the temperatures and humidity, then that’s fine. But
With four Class C licenses in Michigan, O’Connor is faced with dozens of problems each day. Fortunately, when there’s a climate control issue, he’s found a reliable partner to call on. ❖
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// MICHIGAN TECH ZONE Presented By
Overcoming the Cash Problem Michigan’s incredible growth is creating a cash surplus for weary retailers. By Ebby Stone In December 2018, Michigan became the 10th state in the U.S. to legalize cannabis for recreational use. From January to August of 2020, recreational sales climbed to $65.5 million. As with many recently-legalized states, Michigan’s recreational market is expanding at a break-neck pace. Where Michigan differs is in its average basket size. Customers in Michigan spend more than $84 per transaction, the largest average for any state according to a 2020 study from Headset. This is great news for retailers, but with so much money coming in, how are business owners keeping track of all that cash? Cannabis is still largely a cash-only enterprise, with an estimated 70% of legal cannabis businesses operating without a bank according to New Frontier Data.
Cashless Solutions That doesn’t mean regulators aren’t tracking those dollars. Each cent is accounted for and that leaves an onerous burden on retailers. Cashless payments are one method providing some relief to cash-weary store owners. Dean Scanlon, regional account manager for GreenHouse Payment Solutions, was born and raised in Michigan and understands the complex retail environment. While acknowledging the difficulties with cannabis banking, he believes cashless payment is the most effective way to ensure state compliance and accurate reporting. “Cashless payment makes it safer for the budtenders, easier on the owner to track transactions in real-time, and provides the accounting department the reporting needed to reconcile sales,” said Scanlon.
Compliance and Oversight Michigan is one of few states in the U.S. to house all their cannabis-related regulations within one governmental body. The Bureau of Marijuana Regulation (BMR) oversees both
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medical and recreational cannabis licensing and regulation.
Silvia Cernenchii & Dean Scanlon
Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Director Shelly Edgerton noted, “While many other states have various licensing, regulation, and patient programs spread throughout different departments and agencies, BMR will keep marijuana-related services in one place in order to best enhance consumer protections and make regulations more efficient for business customers.” While this makes compliance easier, dealing with piles of cash can complicate reporting. Each sale is recorded through METRC, the state’s tracking system. Every penny tracked has to match up to The Greenhouse Payment Solutions team at an industry conference daily totals. For Michiganders prior to the pandemic. looking to avoid scrutiny and Study conducted by TSYS in 2018, people will streamline accounting, spend up to 83% more when using a card versus accepting debit cards and other forms of paying cash. cashless payment are an ideal solution. “It is so much easier than counting cash at the end of the day,” Scanlon said.
Paper or Plastic? Compliance and reporting aren’t the only reasons to offer cashless options. According to Scanlon, offering customers an option to pay with their debit card can have a significant impact on how much they’re willing to spend. In fact, according to a U.S. Consumer Payment
Though the recreational market is still in the early stages for Michigan, it’s important entrepreneurs set themselves up for success for the years ahead. Instituting cashless payment options is one innovative way to meet the needs of a growing demographic. “As our industry evolves, we are evolving with it,” Scanlon said. It’s a phrase every cannabis entrepreneur will have to abide by if they’re to thrive in this emergent and quickly changing sector. ❖
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// MICHIGAN TECH ZONE Presented By
Optimization Through Automation How Connected, Smart Technology is Creating Profits for Cultivators By Patricia Miller
Would you be surprised to learn 45% of current paid activities can be automated by today’s technology? That’s according to research from McKinsey Quarterly conducted nearly six years ago. The percentages are even higher now, with advances in automation happening at an exponential rate. For areas like Michigan, there’s a unique opportunity to design facilities with cannabis in mind, rather than retrofitting a space designed for a different industry. For growers looking to compete, automated solutions can be the dividing line separating profit from loss. One area that’s embracing automation is climate control. For large-scale indoor agriculture, precision temperature control is crucial. It’s the difference between growing a crop in a tropical climate versus an arctic or desert climate — temperature and humidity matter. So, why are so many growers using technology scavenged from other industries? Conor Guckian, founder of Accelerated Growth Solutions (AGS), speaks with dozens of growers each week and understands the struggle. “The commercial marketplace is in its infancy with most growers adapting their knowledge from small scale and residential operations. To maintain indoor conditions in those small operations, standard air conditioners and small portable dehumidifiers were used. When trying to control considerably 62
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larger commercial operations using separately controlled standard air conditioners and dehumidifiers, growers often face a litany of problems.” In Michigan, for example, growers have to consider outdoor ambient air temperature when choosing their climate system. Guckian noted that most air conditioners cannot function when outside temperatures fall below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the kind of knowledge that comes with experience and is why professional consultation can ultimately save time and money. It’s just one minor consideration in an entire ecosystem of variables to consider when creating quality cannabis. Some systems are able to account for many of a grow’s major concerns automatically. Guckian was quick to share that AGS can automate temperature, humidity, lighting, CO2 dispersion, and integrate CO2 safety sensors for indoor facilities. Another advantage of automation is the ability to set parameters for operation. For instance, consider the issue of dew points. They reflect the true operational conditions growers require. Vapor pressures in the air are the main driving factors for the growth of plants. These vapor pressures are not dependent on air temperatures and can be difficult to control.
AGS’ automated solutions calculate the desired dew points based on temperature and humidity setpoints and then control indoor environments based on those values. Guckian noted, “Operation based on dew points is one of the main advantages of our systems, providing stability and efficiency. This is especially important when conditions are changed from photosynthesis periods to dark periods and vice versa.” Whether designing from the ground up or modifying an existing facility, automation should be a priority. Lower labor costs, higher operational efficiency, and the ability to replicate environmental conditions for each grow will ultimately define the quality of the product produced and the longevity of the cultivator’s operation. ❖
// MICHIGAN TECH ZONE Presented By
Tried and Tested:
3 Things to Know When Partnering with a Hemp Inspection Lab With Michigan’s hemp sector ramping up, understanding the inspection process is more important than ever.
By Monica Stockbridge
The Adams Independent Testing team saw a need for unbiased third-party testing laboratories in the hemp space and launched their family-owned business in 2019.
After spending their early careers in a thirdgeneration, family-owned testing laboratory for commodity grains, Kia Adams-Mikesh and Mark Adams, along with their father and grandfather, Mike and Steve Adams, turned their attention toward hemp. They realized there was a need for unbiased third-party testing laboratories and decided to bring their expertise to the budding hemp industry. The brother-sister team launched Adams Independent Testing (AIT) in 2019 with a focus on providing Certificates of Analysis (COAs) to buyers and sellers of hemp, testing for potency, pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, terpenes, microbials, and more. Especially in the hemp industry, quick turnaround times and attention to customer service are essential. Existing wait times for results were often between one and four weeks — unacceptable for formulators, processors, and farmers who cannot afford to let biomass languish in a barn or warehouse, waiting for their COA.
When preparing for your hemp inspection, here are three things to look for: 64
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Understand your state’s regulations. Buyers and sellers of any commodity often choose to pursue certificates to prove their product is free from contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals or mold. The USDA has laid the foundation for hemp regulation, such as making sure the THC level is below 0.3%. Still, variances are common when it comes to state regulations. Some states only have regulations for finished products, while others only regulate smokable hemp. Other states have no regulations at all. In such a new industry, the rules are always changing. Choosing to test for as many contaminants as possible helps ensure the highest quality product from start to finish. Sample your product correctly. While there are standard regulations for grain sampling, hemp sampling best practices lag behind. One common example has to do with biomass stored in large plastic totes. Many people will simply scoop biomass from the top of one tote, which does not give a representative sample. Instead, use a probe or other sampling apparatus to get all the way to the bottom of the tote, then the middle, and finally the top. The
other key is to sample from multiple totes, which might represent different fields or strains. This “bottom, middle, top” method works for extracts, too. Know how to read your COA. It’s one thing to receive a COA and another thing to decipher it. There’s no governing standard for consistency among testing results, and different labs handle and represent data differently. Hemp buyers and sellers must look at the “limits of quantification,” which refers to how closely laboratories test for particular analytes, such as THC. One lab may set 0.01% as the limit of quantification, while another may use 1% for the same analyte. The second lab wouldn’t detect a reading for anything under 1%, even if the THC measured above the USDA’s limit of 0.3%. The test isn’t technically fraudulent, but it’s a red flag. Cannabis labs, for example, likely don’t usually set limits of quantification as low as 0.3%. In this type of situation, partnering with an unbiased thirdparty lab offers an important advantage. ❖ Learn more at https://hempinspection.com or follow on Instagram at @hempinspection.
Commercial Cannabis Industry Bonding HOW IS SURETY ONE DIFFERENT? We offer surety bond support of dispensaries, grow/cultivation operations, transport and delivery services, testing labs and microbusinesses. Regardless of recreational or medical purposes, we guarantee same-day quoting, issue, and delivery of your surety bond. Tenemos una solución para cualquier estado crediticio. ¡No rechazamos ningún pedido! Surety One, Inc. is licensed in all fifty states, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
800.373.2804 or 787.333.0222 SuretyOne.com Underwriting@SuretyOne.com
404 Av De La Constitución, #708, San Juan PR 00901 5 W Hargett Street, 4th Floor, Raleigh NC 27601 38 Greensboro Drive, Toronto ON M9W 1E1 Copyright © 2018 Surety One, Inc. Surety One, and the Surety One logo are trademarks of Surety One, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
// MICHIGAN TECH ZONE Presented By
There’s a Bond for That Protection, Compliance, and Surety in Michigan’s Cannabis Industry
By Ed Rogers
Constantin Poindexter
iStockphoto.com/Michail_Petrov-96
State governments are worried about cannabis companies. Will they follow regulations? Are they abiding state laws — and if not, how can the state regain losses from fees or fines caused by the company’s failures? This is where surety bonds come in. Most states require cannabis companies to carry a surety bond to secure their operating license. It acts as a contract between three parties: the business owner, the bond provider, and the state.
What is a Surety Bond? A surety bond agreement is a financial guarantee that the company will follow regulations. If the company makes a mistake that costs the state money, the state can make a claim to the bond provider. Once the money is paid, the business owner must repay the bond provider. This all seems straightforward, except this is cannabis — where nothing is as easy as it seems. Cannabis is federally illegal. So despite the state’s requirement to carry a bond, most financial services don’t work with cannabis operators for fear of federal penalties.
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Surety One President and Chief Underwriter Constantin Poindexter explains, “There has been enough controversy surrounding legal cannabis that offering insurance vehicles has been severely limited. One of the first surety companies to enter the space was hit with a lawsuit alleging, among other things, that the surety conspired with other parties to violate a federal statute.” This lawsuit set a negative precedent for the rest of the industry. “One of the world’s largest reinsurance facilities immediately announced its complete withdrawal from anything cannabis — which pretty much nixed quick growth of insurance programs,” noted Poindexter.
Rise Above the Risks Despite these early hurdles, some operators are able to see cannabis for the opportunity it is. Surety One is one of a handful of companies that have found a way to work with these forward-looking carriers to provide bonds to the industry. But, even if a surety is willing to work with cannabis companies, they’re often not willing to work with “risky” clients.
“Start-ups without an operating history, parties with damaged credit, and other challenges are able to receive a fair review from Surety One, Inc.’s underwriters, where they are simply turned away by others.” He feels in order to be successful in the insurance business, you have to go where there’s risk. “Anyone can [underwrite] all of the easy, low risk stuff, but that doesn’t help the little guy that may not fit neatly into a carrier’s standard underwriting box.”
Ask the Experts In the state of Michigan, some municipalities have instituted surety bond requirements that are costly or cumbersome to the extent that few surety companies will work with them. In these instances, the cannabis company may choose to offer collateral as an added incentive to bond providers. Navigating the rules and regulations of the hemp and cannabis industries isn’t easy. Working with certified professionals is often the best recourse. As Poindexter noted, “My team takes whatever time is necessary to help clients understand what they need, how to apply for it, and ensure delivery of the appropriate surety bond. We turn our back to no one.” ❖
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// MICHIGAN TECH ZONE Presented By
A Family-Owned Advantage Expert Insights From 100 Years of Milling and Sizing Solutions By Ebby Stone
Melissa Fauth
If you, your parents, your grandparents, and great grandparents all had the same job, would you consider yourself an expert in the field? In the Great Lakes State, family-owned businesses are a major part of the economic landscape. From Detroit’s J.W. Westcott Company (140 years in operation) to Grand Rapids’ Meijer, Inc. (87 years in operation), Michigan is home to many long-lived family businesses. Melissa Fauth is president and CEO of the U.S. division of Fritsch Milling and Sizing Inc., a 4th-generation family-owned German business specializing in industrial milling and sizing solutions. While not a Michigan native, Fauth’s expertise is helping cannabis companies nationwide scale their operations. We spoke with Fauth to learn what makes her company unique and what she’s learned from 100 years of industrial milling and sizing. Cannabis & Tech Today: What challenges is Fritsch solving for the cannabis space? Melissa Fauth: Processing operations and laboratories working with cannabis and hemp have lacked access to professional milling instrumentation that was engineered with their unique material in mind. The precision milling systems offered by Fritsch allow clients to prepare their variable starting material with a repeatable outcome, in the most ideal way for 68
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their downstream application needs. The Pulverisette instruments mitigate the occurrence of physical and chemical degradation to maintain the sample integrity and the highest quality yields, for maximized efficiency in production or for analysis. C&T Today: What makes your solutions unique? MF: Commitment, experience, and ongoing developmental processes. Aside from the inherent ROI from material integrity, operational parameter adjustability, controlled and consistent particle size output, temperature mitigation, and ability to follow GLP and GMP principles — the Fritsch Team is unique. The Pulverisette 19 (P19), for instance, has a long history — decades in fact — of serving food, pharma, and agriculture. As the emerging cannabis industry blossomed in the Americas, Fritsch business, application, and engineering professionals proactively invested in external collaborations, R&D projects, experienced successes and failures-putting the best suited technology through rigorous trials to engineer a new generation of instruments that were specifically optimized for the attributes of this valuable crop, that is as unique as you and I are. C&T Today: How is your experience driving innovation within the sector?
MF: Contributions of the past, present and future converge to provide solutions that come from 100 years of technical history, responding to the needs and challenges of today, and striving for continuous improvement as we anticipate the industry goals of tomorrow. This unique position as a 4th generation familyowned business provides our clients a wealth of experience, from the multitude of industries we serve, for size reduction and particle characterization from agriculture to aerospace. C&T Today: What does the future hold for Fritsch Milling & Sizing? MF: Exciting developments are always on the horizon because it is an ongoing process rather than a singular event. Process automation and production system integration for material handling, monitoring, and conveyance have just launched — offering stock, semi-custom, and fully custom engineering with our partner organization Sample Automation LLC. Larger volume systems, new construction technologies for surfaces, materials, power, electronics, and temperature control system configurations are primary focus areas. The opportunities for optimization and development arise from well founded, established, and innovative principles that are quality made in Germany since 1920. ❖
// MICHIGAN TECH ZONE Presented By
Enlightening the Customer Experience Tech Solutions to Set Your Brand Apart By Ed Rogers
Jeremy Jacobs
Recreational marijuana sales started in Michigan just over a year ago. But just because it’s new, doesn’t mean it’s without competition. As of July 2020, there were 111 active adult-use licenses in the state. With so many options available to customers, how can a Michigan provisioning center stand out from the crowd?
Advertising Angst Businesses aren’t setting themselves apart with ad spending. Billboards aren’t available. Most magazines won’t accept ads for the herb. TV and radio are not an option. One solution that is available to retailers is in-store digital screens. Digital menus and signage inform the clientele of what’s available in real-time. The retailer’s logo is constantly visible and customers are engaging with brands via digital imagery in the waiting area. This direct-to-consumer marketing strategy at the point of sale can significantly increase sales and customer retention. Enlighten Chairman Jeremy Jacobs specializes in providing technology solutions for the cannabis industry. With more than 15 years in the sector, he’s had a firsthand view of the evolving retail landscape. He says adult-use markets are unique in their response to digital marketing. “In a rec market, that’s where we 70
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really see tremendous lift with our products. For example, when people use our SmartHub platform for their digital in-store TV menus we see an average of about a 5% increase in cart totals,” said Jacobs.
Integrated Tech With so much tech available to retailers, the recurring question seems to be “How can I integrate these different components so they work together?” For instance, what’s an easy way to connect a point of sale (POS) system to an e-commerce site? Jacobs explained, “If there are 30 major POS companies, and there are 10 listing services like the Weedmaps or Dutchie that bring customers to these dispensaries. You’ve got to get 30 POS companies to integrate with 10 other technology companies for listing, 30 times 10 is 300. So that’s a big challenge and something the industry is struggling with.” However, as one of the largest tech suppliers to the cannabis space, Enlighten is uniquely positioned to solve this issue. Jacobs says a solution is launching in April 2021. “Smart Hub 2.0 is an open API that lets everybody in the cannabis community connect with everybody else in the cannabis community from a data standpoint,” he shared. As more retailers
embrace technology as a business model, the industry will start to evolve rapidly.
Meeting the Customer The digital age of retail is about customization. Customers expect to have options for how they’re making a purchase. Jacobs points to McDonald’s restaurants as an example of this evolution. “You have a lot of ways you can interact with McDonald’s. You can go through the drive through. You can go in and actually talk to a person. You can go in and punch on a kiosk. You can, in the parking lot, get out an app and order there. You can stay home and get on UberEats, DoorDash, or Postmates and order from McDonald’s. There are just a lot of ways a customer can engage with the restaurant.” He says the cannabis space is similar with instore kiosks, drive-throughs in certain areas, e-commerce, listing services, and delivery options. In this way, cannabis companies can offer customers whatever buying experience they want. Jacobs concluded, “Meeting the customer how they want to be met is fundamentally one of the most important things a retailer can do.” ❖
// MICHIGAN TECH ZONE Presented By
Optimizing the Cultivation Facility How Hiring an Architect Can Protect Your Investment By Jade Heiler
Building a cultivation facility can seem like a daunting task, but with the right team of construction industry experts, it can be a much smoother process. As Michigan’s marijuana footprint expands, investing in design services early in the project planning process, even prior to purchasing any property, can prevent costly problems later due to flaws in the facility design. Many cultivators realize this in hindsight. So, how exactly can an architect help? A building has so many parts and pieces that it’s important to have a dedicated leader to coordinate. The architect is the glue that connects the parts into the whole. Looking at a cultivation facility in its simplest form, the architect coordinates the work of many different disciplines, including but not limited to, surveying, civil engineering, MEPS engineering (mechanical/electrical/plumbing/structural), construction, and equipment and furniture supply. There are many common cultivation facility issues that are preventable with the right guidance.
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The high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights that are commonly used in cannabis cultivation generate heat which must be considered in the design of the HVAC system. The cultivator should provide the architect with a desired temperature range, humidity level, and lighting cycle for each room of the facility, and the architect works with the electrical and mechanical engineers to ensure the combined building systems perform for that intended purpose.
Mold Prevention With a high enough humidity level, the air in a grow room can supply enough moisture to support mold growth without any added moisture sources. Jeff Fusee, senior industrial hygienist at Fishbeck, has experience mitigating mold in operational cannabis facilities that were found to have an improperly designed HVAC system. This can be an especially concerning issue for operators in the Great Lakes State. He warns against trying to retrofit an existing building with the assumption that it will be less expensive than building a new facility. It’s even more important to bring in expert engineers
when retrofitting because the existing building systems need to be analyzed for compatibility with the client’s new use.
Property Due Diligence There are several steps involved in the process of acquiring real estate. Surveyors and civil engineers are helpful in this process. They can analyze a property based on its intended use and prevent a client from purchasing a property that requires expensive improvements. Fishbeck has experience supporting clients looking to purchase real estate. “Our Survey team was able to quickly complete an American Land Title Survey (ALTA) showing the property boundary, easements, right-of-way, and topography of the site to aid in the acquisition of property,” recalls Tim Platz, senior surveyor at Fishbeck. This is just a small introduction into the world of facility design, but it is the world we live in as architects and engineers. A building is a major investment and you don’t want to waste time and money on a facility that doesn’t perform as intended. Let the experts design it for you while you just “cultivate” the benefits. ❖
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// COVER STORY //
Baking with
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// COVER STORY //
I
n less than a decade, Gilbert “Berner” Milam Jr., has turned his COOKIES brand into a half-a-billion dollar a year enterprise. He isn’t a tech mogul turned cannabis enthusiast. He doesn’t come from a long history of money or connections. Berner is a hard-working rapper and former budtender who loves weed.
The industry-leading entrepreneur shares how he made COOKIES a household name. By Patricia Miller Images courtesy of COOKIES
Berner started his cannabis career working in dispensaries in the San Francisco Bay Area and quickly became the go-to connection for rappers seeking luxury buds. Berner once hand-delivered a five-foot-tall plant to Wiz Khalifa during a live set. The stunt made an impression. It wasn’t long after that Khalifa signed Berner to his record label, Taylor Gang Records, in 2012. A year later, he trademarked “COOKIES SF” as a manufacturer of t-shirts and sweatshirts, which allowed him to hang a trademarked sign outside his dispensaries. Since cannabis is federally illegal, and you can’t process a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a federally illegal substance, this was the only way to prevent others from using the name and profiting off his work. This clever maneuver was a pivotal step in Berner’s success. His dominion over one of America’s favorite strains allowed the brand to gain global prestige. It’s available in eight medical and adult-use markets nationwide and began operating internationally last year. Forbes reported his Los Angeles dispensary on Melrose can earn upward of $450,000 in a single day. Berner participated in a fireside chat during the Clio Cannabis Awards ceremony held at the Winter Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference & Expo, detailing his climb to prominence alongside friends and fellow musicians Run The Jewels. To discover what combination of drive, innovation, and ingenuity is required for such a meteoric rise, we spoke with Berner from his San Francisco recording studio. Cannabis & Tech Today: You started in cannabis as a budtender. Did you realize early on there was an opportunity in the market for cultivators to start branding their products? Spring 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today
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// COVER STORY // Baking with Berner
behind the selection of the strains that we have, the naming, and the packaging. It’s a full process to me. C&T Today: How do you select specific strains to complement your creativity, like when you’re recording in the studio?
Berner on the legendary COOKIES tour bus.
Berner: In the process of falling in love with the bud, I realized a lack of actual branded products. I knew that from the impact I seen firsthand, this shit was going to be around forever, and I wanted to be a part of it. And so I decided to create a brand around it. C&T Today: Fast forward to when you met, Jigga, your cultivator. How did that relationship start and what led to the partnership? Berner: Bud’s a very big part of the world we’re in out here in the Bay Area, and I was just buying herb from him and enjoyed what he was growing. I was a huge fan, and I wanted to just let him know I wanted it all the time, and went above and beyond to show him how excited I was about it. I even made t-shirts before COOKIES, with the first strain he brought me — Cherry Kush. I made t-shirts and put it in my first music video, and showed him like, “Yo, I want to get this shit out to the world. People deserve to taste the shit you’re creating,” and so we just started building from the Cherry Kush to the Cherry Pie to the Cookies. C&T Today: When you approached Jigga about making a brand out of the strain, did he understand that vision? It was kind of a novel concept, as you said, at the time.
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Berner: To be completely honest, not at first. I think he embraced it. I think when I told him about it, and when he saw it, it was two different things. Again, I used the music career to help boost it. When I did a video with Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, and Big K.R.I.T., it was all over BET and the radio. It was on MTV, the internet, very viral. I decided to wear that “Cookies” sweater. I knew that video was going to get millions of views and I knew it was going to be on TV. I said to myself, “Well, if I really want to launch COOKIES, this is the best way to do it.” When [ Jigga] saw it on TV and the internet, he was like, “Okay, I totally get where you’re going with this.” C&T Today: What goes into the selection process for choosing new strains for your retail operations? Berner: Two things. I mean, if it’s something that we’re going to cultivate and produce, it goes off my palate, which I feel like has been pretty on point. I’ll just smoke through [phenotypes. If we do a pheno hunt, if we do a breeding project, and let’s say we have 20 different varieties of the same strain, which means we have the same parents, I’ll pick the most flavorful, bestlooking, best-tasting, best high in that variety and select it. It’s a fun process, and a lot of good energy goes
Berner: Sometimes when I do my music, I knock out an album in a week, and you have to have different styles of bud to keep that creativity rolling. You can’t just smoke one weed. You’ll smoke something that gets you up and anxious, and then you’ll smoke something that relaxes you because it’s a mellow vibe. Sounds kind of fake, and people that don’t really burn all day wouldn’t understand, but if you burn all day, you understand different herb gives you different feelings. It’s a big part of my creative process from music to design to just all around vibe. It’s pretty important to have a variety on deck. C&T Today: Something you’ve spoken about before is your interest in bringing long-time growers from the illicit market into the legal space. How are you working toward that? Berner: Legalization is going to happen everywhere. Just like I’d rather have that grandma — that old-school recipe — than someone doing it fresh off the cookbook... I just feel like if someone’s been doing something for a long time… if it’s not broke, why fix it, right? If someone’s been growing in the black market, they have experience with the plant... I mean it’s not an easy thing to grow good bud. It’s very difficult, and things change all the time, and you have to be very attentive. It’s not something that you can write a SOP to. You can’t just give someone a book and say, “Here you go.” I’d rather have someone that knows what they’re doing in position to represent our brand. C&T Today: Are there challenges to bringing those OG growers into the space? Berner: Absolutely. I mean, it’s a different game. The way we make money is a lot different. It’s a long-term play. There’s taxes. I think the biggest problem is how long it takes for the bud to get to the shelf. It discourages the growers. I mean the lead time from someone harvesting and putting it in the consumers’ hands is so
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// COVER STORY // Baking with Berner
much different than the market they’re used to, but I think that once they jump in with us, they understand what we’re really doing on a global level, and they’re fired up to be a part of it. Anyone I can bring into the game from the game is a blessing to me because I want to keep this shit as pure as it can be. A lot of opportunists, a lot of money-grubbers are jumping in the business, and they weren’t here risking their freedom. They weren’t getting their bank accounts frozen. They weren’t getting pulled off the planes by the DEA. They weren’t out there on the field, and so I like to see more people from the game in the game. C&T Today: You’ve had a hand in creating and marketing some super innovative products, from the COOKIES X G Pen Connect Vaporizer to all of your different genetics, and now CAPS. What was the inspiration behind the CAPS product line? Berner: Alternative plant medicine. It’s super important that we understand how much cannabis has done for people and how much plants, in general, have done for people. I just reversed my diabetes by drinking green juice as a supplemental meal, and just incorporating more veggies, and understanding that plants are here to help, right? Mushrooms, we all enjoy taking them recreationally, but I started learning later on in life that there were so many medical benefits — like every other plant we enjoy, right? I just think no one focused on combining mushrooms with CBD, CBG, CBN, and even THC, and what that would look like. When we started trying and playing with it, we were pretty impressed. It took some R&D. Wasn’t the easiest thing to formulate. Shout out to our partner, Tony, at Blue River. He did an incredible job. When we started actually enjoying the finished product, it’s a game-changer for my body, and I love to see young people, especially Black and brown people, on the internet talking about how it’s helping them as well because health products aren’t cool to a lot of people. It’s like, “Let’s just get high.” CBD, CBG, and CBN in general are supposed to be helping certain things, so it feels good to put a wellness product in people’s hands that, one, actually works. Two, is innovative, that no 78
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
COOKIE’s Co-Founders Jigga and Berner testing products and sharing a laugh between samples.
one else has done. And three, it’s cool as fuck to them, right? You never see people bragging about a wellness product, and so when I see cats that are trying it and actually really working for them in their lives, it’s incredible. I just think that the thought behind CAPS was really, really innovative, and I got to give my whole team props for that, for sure. C&T Today: What does the future look like for the COOKIES empire? Berner: Man, we just want to keep this shit pure and fun. As long as I’m alive, I want to put my energy into it. No matter how recreational cannabis becomes, I always recognize it’s a medicine. It’s something that unifies people, and so all we’re going to do is keep quality product on the market, and keep expanding in markets that we’re not, and keep our intentions pure. I want to unite people all around the world. I want to make sure when my time comes, that there’s quality herb on the market. I don’t want a bunch of investment bankers or real estate tycoons, no disrespect, to be controlling the experience of cannabis. People from the business that understand the plant, that understand why we’re doing this should be the ones controlling the experience. That’s all I want to do is help implement my vision all around the world, and hopefully, that shit outlives me. C&T Today: Does COOKIES have any new projects on the horizon?
Berner: There’s something we’re working on right now for minorities that’s going to be next level. A lot of people are preaching an equity program, which we have done as much as we can with the program put in front of us, and we’re really proud to open up the first Blackowned store in San Francisco. We’re proud to empower multiple equity brands under the umbrella, multiple minoritybased brands, but what we’re working on is a university in one of our locations where it’s everything from A to Z, from breeding to cultivation to packaging, manufacturing, storefront, lounge, you name it. Everything from the business, A to Z, is in one building. We want to offer minorities a chance to come and learn the business from us, whether they end up working for us with that knowledge or they end up going off to start their own business. That’s something I’m very passionate about that we have in the works. So just giving the “teaching a man to fish” concept. It’s one thing to help someone with their equity license, but it’s another thing to teach them the whole game, and we want to teach all minorities the game, whether it be Asian, Native American, Mexican, Black, it doesn’t matter. We want to teach minorities the business and keep them in. I’m pretty excited about the COOKIES University. ❖
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// MEDIA+ENTERTAINMENT // B-Real in the grow room.
Cultivation Made Easy B-Real and Kenji Fujishima Launch THC Controls By Sara Brittany Somerset / Images courtesy of Pedro Garcia Notoriously unapologetic, lifelong marijuana aficionado, B-Real of Cypress Hill, runs vertically-integrated cannabis company Dr. Greenthumb’s. The hip-hop pioneer continues to expand his canna-business empire with the launch of THC Controls, an industrial automation system that is perfecting indoor cultivation operations. THC Controls fuses together the prized trade secrets and methodology from legendary cultivation sensei Kenji Fujishima, with top-tier technology. Recently launched, the budding operation provides an all-in-one cultivation set-up with a completely automated environment, and a 24/7 support system, for indoor grows to thrive. This turnkey solution is designed to develop the optimal environment for any indoor cultivation operation to scale, by eliminating human error. THC Controls’ ‘cultivation made easy’ model focuses on four pillars needed to execute optimal crop yields by providing automated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, fertigation, and data systems, 80
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and even floor plans, which are customizable to each clients’ needs. Indoor cultivators can now come out of the shadows and set up grows that reflect the multimillion-dollar operations that are indicative of a rapidly expanding industry. THC Controls founding members, B-Real and Kenji Fujishima combine their knowledge of the cannabis plant with techies George Balasanyan and Mitch Wayte’s experience in setting up commercial, FDA-approved buildings from hospitals, to schools, to military-grade facilities. Fujishima, a master cultivator with over two decades of experience, leads operations at THC Controls. “Replicating nature in a controlled environment requires a fusion of trade secrets and the top minds in environmental control to produce the crop yields needed to run a successful cannabis brand,” Fujishima said. “Until now, expert cultivators have had to makeshift their own technology out of what was commercially available for other types of
businesses and are forced to deal with unreliable vendors. The instruments needed to control everything from making sure the build-out is correct, lights stay on, plants are fed, the temperature and humidity stay at a set point, reminders for routine maintenance, to rapid alerts of any malfunction detected need to work together to be the most effective. By merging these services under one roof, we are ensuring that the equipment and maintenance work in harmony so growers can turn their attention to the plants and ensure a consistent high-grade product.” Additionally, the data systems installed by THC Controls are meant to be kept local, away from third-party operators such as app stores and cloud databases that can leave your trade secrets vulnerable to hackers or eyes outside your organization. With no outside investors, THC Controls has complete autonomy to ensure the passion and quality of their work are aligned with Dr. Greenthumb’s brand.
// MEDIA+ENTERTAINMENT //
you that “aha” moment, where you decide the pitch is worth investing in? B-Real: Yeah. It’s tough listening to the pitches! Sometimes I just don’t. Something that’s enough to grab me has to make sense with who we are, and the culture of our brand. We say no to a lot of people. So, we try to do what makes sense for us. Fortunately, some of the collaboration and things that we’ve done up to this point have worked for us well. We try not to overextend and do too much while we’re growing, as we’re still a very young company in a young industry. So, we’re just trying to not be in a rush to get it wrong. So, we thought THC Controls would be a good investment to not only implement it in our cultivation but also get behind it on a wider scale. THC Controls automates the growing process, creating more consistent outcomes for facilities of all sizes.
C&T Today: What made you decide to start a custom cultivation installation company? What made you decide to launch THC Controls? George Balasanyan: We’ve always been in the cannabis space. One of the owners of Dr. Greenthumb’s is related to me, and one day he’s like, “Man, I wish I could just automate this stuff because there are problems occurring.” I told him with my technical background that we could make it happen. So, we tried one room. And now, we’re in multiple facilities. We have about seven million square feet of grow we’re doing this year.
“We have been in this game for quite some time,” said B-Real. “The expertise we have gained in the industry came with so many risks and sacrifices. As the climate is changing, we are finally finding ourselves on the other side and plan to grow Dr. Greenthumb’s as we always envisioned. We are now in a position to benefit others with equal passion for the plant as we continue to grow Dr. Greenthumb’s empire.” THC Controls offers full custom setups. There is no controller out there that is built one standard way for people in cannabis. If you talk tech with 10 different cultivators, they probably have 10 different ways to describe how they cultivate. “You can’t just sell a boxed controller and say, ‘Here’s your stuff and here is what you gonna do with it,’” said Balasanyan, “because
there are sequences and variables.” “In the clothing industry, for example, there are off the rack options versus tailor-made,” Balasanyan said. “THC Controls are the bespoke regulation system. We offer customizable options and program it accordingly.” In this exclusive interview, the team behind THC Controls shares how they developed the idea for the brand and what’s next for the rapidly expanding automation company. Cannabis & Tech Today: B, as a serial entrepreneur, I’m sure you get pitched all day and you’ve launched several successful brands including B-Real TV, Dr. Greenthumb’s, Insane merch, Phunkytips, and now THC Controls. What is it about an idea that gives
We put about two years’ worth of R&D into our business plan before we opened up to sharing the idea with other growers because we wanted to make sure that we’re able to send them a product that’s going to work, without fail. The critical difference between THC Controls and a lot of other control systems is our control system is not designed originally for agriculture. Growing tomatoes and orchids are different. Our system is specifically made for cannabis. That’s why we partnered with Dr. Greenthumb’s. We have all of their cultivators in our network. C&T Today: Kenji, you are a hardcore underground cultivator. What made you decide to finally “go public” so to speak? Kenji Fujishima: Unfortunately, because of the nature of the business, I was always very standoffish about putting my face out there. Regardless, we’ve been cultivating for a long time. The name has been out there for a minute as a cultivator, so that was hard to avoid. But as Spring 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today
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// MEDIA+ENTERTAINMENT // Cultivation Made Easy
INSIDE THE AUTOMATION
Controllers THC Controls supplies controllers equipped with 40 points of input/ output (I/O) capability that are expandable in blocks of 10. Each point on these controllers is capable of reading a sensor (temperature, humidity, CO2, etc.) or controlling equipment (enable fans, modulating fan speed, dimming lights, etc.).
THC Controls proprietary technology allows for complete control over the cultivation process.
far as speaking, even in the world of legal cannabis, I still held onto my old ways. With everything that’s going on now and the confidence of how I feel about what we’re doing and where the cannabis market’s going, I feel like we need to speak out. I’m a cultivator first and foremost and a lot of people have looked to our crew for direction on how to do things. I feel like I really needed to be able to be out there and feel free to talk about the concept of THC Controls now.
C&T Today: So, this model completely works for you and you’re ready to provide it to additional clients? B-Real: Yeah. We feel that it’s highly efficient and we’ve seen great results behind it for us.
Kenji Fujishima: The brainchild of THC Controls was a model that was used for Dr. Greenthumb’s and we decided to expand that to other companies. C&T Today: How long has Dr. Greenthumb’s used THC Controls before officially launching it as a separate company?
Mitch Wayte: We have approximately seven million square feet of grow ops to install in multiple facilities so far this year. ❖
B-Real: It was a project that developed a technology for Kenji and me. It was Mitch and George who came up with the initial concept, the THC Controls.
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
Sensors The sensors that are typical to almost every grow room will be canopy temperature, canopy humidity, VPD, par, and CO2.
C&T Today: Who are some of THC Controls’ current clients? B-Real: I believe Stizzy is another brand that now uses THC Controls. They’re a very sizable brand. I think other companies like Stizzy are being made aware of this whole system. We’ve been in the cultivation business for a long time, and this is what works best for us, so people often look at what we are doing. THC Controls is something that interests a few other brands in terms of recording the data and trying to maintain a level of consistency of product. I would imagine that there’s going to be other companies, small and large, coming to see what THC Controls is about.
C&T Today: Who came up with the initial concept of THC Controls?
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B-Real: I believe maybe just over a year.
Measuring Water Content As it pertains to measuring the water content, electrical conductivity, and temperature of growing media, THC Controls integrates these into their system via standard industrial protocols (Modbus/SDI-12). The sensors are hard-wired and communicate via a field bus that allows the client to read the sensor more reliably and as close to real-time as possible. They also gather more data than a typical wireless solar or battery-powered sensor.
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// HEALTH+WELLNESS //
Dr.’s Orders
How “Dispensary Scientist” Dr. Chanda Macias is Empowering More than Healthcare
By Patricia Miller
When Dr. Chanda Macias was studying breast and prostate cancer, she already knew cannabis could slow the progression of the disease. What she didn’t understand was why a life-saving medication could land patients in prison. This revelation altered the course of her career, taking her across the globe to study natural medicines and advocate for patient access. In 2015, Macias became the first African American woman in the United States to receive a medical marijuana dispensary license. She founded the National Holistic Healing Center in Washington, D.C., before taking over leadership of Ilera Holistic Healthcare (IHH) in Louisiana as its CEO. IHH is a medical cannabis cultivation and processing company working in partnership with Southern University (SU). It is one of only two licensed medical cannabis providers in the state. The partnership made history when they created two separate cannabinoid-based product lines, ALAFIA and AYO, establishing SU as the first Historically Black College/ University (HBCU) in the nation to launch both a hemp and cannabis product, respectively. Macias is also CEO and Chairwoman of the Board of Managers for Women Grow, an organization dedicated to educating women entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry. In this exclusive interview, Macias shares what she’s learned during her journey and why she feels STEM is the future of cannabis. Cannabis & Tech Today: Your background is filled with so many accolades in science and business. How did your years in medical 84
Cannabis & Tech Today // Spring 2021
Whether acting as CEO of Women Grow, running her many businesses, or taking care of her four children, Dr. Chanda Macias is committed to creating a more equitable and compassionate world.
Images Courtesy of Chanda Macias
// HEALTH+WELLNESS //
Chanda Macias: I started off as an undergrad studying breast cancer in women. As a biomedical researcher, it was really important for me to study something I was passionate about, and women’s health was always at the forefront. Then when I thought about what was important to me in graduate school, it evolved a little bit more. It was looking at prostate cancer in men and how it metastasized to bone so rapidly, causing a lot of deaths, and having a severe impact in the African American male population. What was really interesting about both of those situations was that it was known in the literature that medical cannabis definitely had an impact on the symptoms and even slowed the spread of cancer. I just started to dive into it a little bit more, because it was more of a natural medicine and a homeopathic way, instead of some of the more invasive ways to treat cancer. That’s when I learned about the impact the war on drugs had on the African American community and how it created a pipeline to the prison system. So I thought about it a little bit more. The patients I studied who used cannabis could potentially go to prison for a healthcare need. I was completely shocked. It’s hard for people to see from my lens, as a Ph.D. in biomedical research, that they were using medical cannabis for healthcare reasons and they were in prison for it. So that was my introduction to the realities of the cannabis industry. When I graduated with my PhD from Howard University (an HBCU), I decided to go into corporate America and switch from cancer research to more infectious diseases. So I worked for ColgatePalmolive Company focused on oral care health, formulating medicines. I have about ten world patents, three US patents for oral care formulations and research. ColgatePalmolive supported my education for an MBA to fast-track me at Rutgers University. They tapped me to enter the business
world too, one, study supply chain management, which is important, because you need to know how to continuously supply the product or the medicine you’re providing patients with, but also operational analysis. If you’re providing a product, is your business doing the best it can with its standard operating procedures? After I received my MBA, there was a bigger calling for me, I felt, which was to go back into my community at Howard University and study
natural medicines. So, I took a position as the director of STEM education at Howard University, and I wrote about $10 million in grants. I’m really a scientist who knows the business of medicine, if that makes sense. And under one of my grants in particular, it was called the Minority International Research Training [MIRT] program grant, I would take medical students, PhD students, and undergraduate students to different parts of Africa and show them how to conduct biomedical research right there in the field.
Photo Todd Willis
research and business innovation lead you to cannabis?
I worked with many universities. I had this position for about 10 years. So, my kids speak different languages that I can’t speak. We primarily lived in Ethiopia, but we had sites in Ghana, Mali, as well as Nigeria. Our primary focus there was to focus on natural medicine and the efficacy of these natural medicines. During that time, there was a [request for proposal] for Washington D.C., that if you wanted to be in the medical marijuana industry, whether it was in the retail operation or growing and cultivating, you could apply. I decided to apply for it and was awarded the medical marijuana license. So, I was the first African American woman in the nation to receive a medical marijuana license, period, at that time.
“ This inclusive and diverse environment can actually bring compassion back to cannabis, which is where it truly started.”
C&T Today: Your work, in many ways, has centered around innovation. What are some areas of the cannabis space you think need innovation? CM: Well, this is Cannabis & Tech, so the technology behind it is really in the product formulations. When I think about my work at Colgate-Palmolive Company, I looked at formulations that helped oral care diseases like inflammation, dry mouth syndrome, or microbial overload. So in the cannabis space, I really took a step back and decided to look at the ailments and conditions that the patients had and to use different formulations of cannabis to treat the ailments and conditions. And not only different formulations, but different strains. So I was coined “the dispensary scientist,” because I really looked at the genetic Spring 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today
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system is this one system that regulates all the rest of our systems. So the first thing we try to do is to introduce cannabinoids so the body can gain that balance and start to optimize its other systems to work properly. And so with that, depending on the disease or disease states, I look at the strain, the amount of cannabinoids, as well as the terpene compositions, to help patients with that. Let’s say I’m treating a patient for pain. What I see first of all, in most of my pain patients, is they also have a certain amount of depression with that. In order for my patients to get the full effect, I need to really treat both [the depression and the pain] at the same time. So I would go to a hybrid for that patient, something that can treat them systemically to deal with their pain, but also something that can lift their spirits up. When you think about the hybrid of a Lemon Skunk, you actually do have a high composition of limonene. Limonene is a terpene that is natural in lemon and cannabis. Limonene is a natural antidepressant. Now, the terpene composition of limonene will vaporize at 311 degrees. I would set the temperature directly to that setting so they can get the maximum benefit of that product to give them that head lift, to get them out of that depression. And then I would increase the temperature to combustion, so they can feel the effects of the THC throughout the body to reduce the pain levels.
“ STEM is the future of cannabis.” makeup of the different strains and I paired them with a disease or a disease state and helped treat patients that way. And we coined the phrase, “the ailment strain alignment.” C&T Today: How were you able to determine which strains are helpful for specific ailments? CM: Just like you have a system for digestion or a system for immunity or the circulatory system, you have the endocannabinoid system. 86
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That’s why the patient consultation aspect is so important, because we need to be able to give the patients the benefit they’re looking for so they can have the long-term medical effects they need for improved quality of life. Image courtesy of Ilera Holistic Healthcare
We produce endocannabinoids naturally. But what’s happened over time is we’ve lost the ability to produce those cannabinoids that help us create what I call a homeostasis or a balance. In order to get that balance back, we have to reintroduce cannabinoids to our system and that’s where we see disease and disease states start to mediate or at least stop in their tracks. For instance, if you have a propensity for a specific type of cancer, we don’t know what that cancer is from. But again, the endocannabinoid
C&T Today: You’ve been working on one particularly powerful innovation, called HOPE. How did this area of research develop? So one of my roles, outside of being a multistate operator, is being the CEO and the chairwoman of the board for Women Grow. And with that, I have women day-to-day tell me what their needs are, what their advocacy is. One of those issues was the fact that for mothers who had children with autism, conventional medicine was failing them. They felt like they didn’t have any other resources to help their children and ultimately help their success. And
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// HEALTH+WELLNESS // Dr.’s Orders
Ilera Holistic Healthcare was foundational in the development of HOPE, a line of THC and CBD products created to help treat the symptoms of autism. Dr. Macias’ work with Women Grow helps her stay attuned to the needs of women and HOPE sprung from those connections.
Image courtesy of Ilera Holistic Healthcare
Image courtesy of Chanda Macias
“ It’s really important to hear our children’s needs… We heard their cry and we implemented a solution for them.” so, these mothers are the people who actually created the demand for multi-state operations to include autism as a qualifying condition. The HOPE line was developed in Pennsylvania by autism advocate Erica Daniels of Hope Grows for Autism, and research scientist Dr. Oludare Odumosu, who created the two formulations of HOPE that treat the symptoms of autism. IHH brought HOPE to Louisiana to help that autism patient population, especially those who don’t have a voice, those who are unrepresented and deserve some quality of life. It’s really important to hear our children’s needs, and it was done through the mothers. We heard their cry and we implemented a solution for them. C&T Today: I’d also like to touch on your time as the director of STEM education for Howard University. Do you foresee a future in which STEM skills are foundational 88
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elements for a career in cannabis? CM: Definitely. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. When I think about all these different scientific advances that we’re making in education and research, I think definitely that’s the science aspect. It’s growing so much in the STEM industries. But then we talk about technology, which is needed for our systems to integrate and start to speak to each other in our operations. Also, developing more technology to help patients with their treatment plans. Or, even developing more technology to keep track of medicines from seed to cell, there’s always room for growth and improvement. When I think about what that looks like in terms of engineering, I remember a couple of years ago the automatic flower dispenser was made and it measured the weight and put it into a package, whereas historically we had to weigh everything out manually. So when I think about the
instrumentation development in this industry, there’s so much room for growth. STEM is the future of cannabis. C&T Today: What does the future of the cannabis industry look like? CM: What it looks like to me is the industry is still growing through a passion for healthcare, but it is diverse and inclusive with all populations, from women to African Americans to other minorities having equal access to the industry. With the banking laws changing via the SAFE Banking Act, it’s important we have access to loan programs that can help build our businesses. That’s one of the bigger issues for us actually being able to participate in this industry. I also think about walking into a board room and everyone’s reflected, even those with disabilities. This inclusive and diverse environment can actually bring compassion back to cannabis, which is where it truly started. ❖
// HEALTH+WELLNESS //
More Than Just the Munchies Can medical marijuana help those suffering from eating disorders? By Taylor McLamb Marijuana makes you hungry, that’s a nobrainer and backed by numerous scientific studies. That is why it could be the perfect remedy for those suffering from a health condition that makes food unappetizing. What about people who can’t eat due to a crippling fear and anxiety associated with food? Eating is normal, right? However, there are a growing number of people who live in a constant battle over the grief and despair of what they do or don’t eat. Cannabis as a potential therapy may help alleviate those food-related fears.
Dr. Joseph Rosado and Tamara Pryor, PhD.
According to the National Eating Disorder Association, it’s estimated that 30 million Americans have struggled with an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or orthorexia at some point over their lifetime.
I surprised myself by replying that I could eat. Typically, the anxiety and shame after eating a meal would cause me to hyperventilate. With cannabis, I was at peace. Cannabis was like a warm hug, not completely eliminating, but softening the edges of my anxiety. I was able to eat the pizza and enjoy it. Why didn’t I find this plant sooner?
There are many arguments around whether medical marijuana can help those with eating disorders. On paper, it seems obvious — marijuana gives you “the munchies” (a term referring to the plant’s appetite-stimulating qualities), so of course it would help! However, eating disorders have many layers. The strict rules and behaviors surrounding food can be different from one patient to the next. It may be easy to eat with marijuana, but how do you solve the guilt or depression that soon follows? A Gateway to Recovery For years, I was terrified of food. What started as an innocent desire to get healthier turned into a full-blown obsession. Food made me feel like I was out-of-control. It was no longer about weight, it was about obsessively managing the amount of food I allowed myself to eat. I told 90
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myself I wasn’t sick, I was disciplined, I was strong — when in reality, I was wasting away. No one deserves to live a life like that. The first time I tried cannabis in college, it was in the depths of my disorder. My friend offered me a hit from his bong and I felt an immediate, full-body sensation of relief and euphoria. My friends were discussing plans to order pizza and
Of course, cannabis works differently for everyone. For me, it was a gateway into my recovery. I also had the support of my therapist, dietician, and doctor to help me work through the deep-rooted psychological issues of why I feared food. A Healthier Option Cannabis & Tech Today spoke with Dr. Joseph Rosado, the first physician to recommend medical marijuana to a terminally-ill pediatric patient in the state of Florida. When recommending medical marijuana, Rosado stressed the importance of first addressing the
// HEALTH+WELLNESS //
and interpersonal therapy have proven effective. The combination of an SSRI and CBT is more effective than either by itself. Medical marijuana as an alternative route, however, requires further study. “I don’t believe anyone can say cannabis is going to cure eating disorders,” said Pryor. “However, due to lack of research, we cannot say whether it could be helpful as an adjunctive treatment to the proven therapies.” While cannabinoids have been known to stimulate appetite, Pryor shared a double-blind, controlled study of adults with anorexia nervosa who were also in a behavior management program and showed no benefit from the application of 9-tetrahydrocannabinol. The medication caused drowsiness and sleep disturbances in anorexia nervosa patients. In contrast, a 2014 randomized, controlled trial in which dronabinol, an isomer of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), was administered to women with severe relapsing anorexia nervosa found that the medication was associated with weight gain, though only a small amount.
Enthusiastic attendees at the annual NEDA Walk in New York, united by their passion in bringing awareness to eating disorders and raising funds to provide life-saving resources to those who need it.
underlying issues that fuel the disorder. “By addressing what I believe is the root cause, which is anxiety and depression, the eating disorder isn’t going into the bulimia and anorexia side of things,” said Rosado. “The medical marijuana is going to support [patients] with that, but also stimulate their appetite to help them eat.” Only one class of medication has been approved to treat eating disorders, the SSRI Fluoxetine (Prozac) for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Rosado said that some medications can have unwanted side effects and supplementing with medical marijuana could be a healthier option. Rosado noted medical marijuana has been helpful managing psychiatric conditions such as
depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, which often are associated with eating disorders. However, he also stressed that the use of medical cannabis has to go hand in hand with counseling and psychotherapy to work through the underlying issues of the disease. Researching a Remedy Dr. Tamara Pryor, PHD and Fellow of Academy for Eating Disorders, has researched and studied eating disorders for 30 years. Now, Pryor stands as the executive clinical director and director of clinical research at EDCare in Denver. Pryor noted that while there is still a long way to go in terms of the clinical treatment and pharmacological treatment of eating disorders, two evidence-based treatments, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
“Anecdotally, patients report various benefits from different strains of cannabis, such as improved sleep, decreased anxiety, or less fear related to eating,” said Pryor. “Cannabinoids profoundly affect eating behavior, but how they relate to diagnosed eating disorders and how agonists or antagonists may be used to facilitate recovery requires further study.” A Journey Worth Taking While marijuana allowed me to enjoy food with ease, my recovery would have been nearly impossible if it weren’t for the help of my treatment team. I can now enjoy food without the help of cannabis, and I’ve come to a place of acceptance and love for myself and my body. If you or a loved one is suffering from an eating disorder, there is no shame in asking for help and getting treatment. If considering medical marijuana, it’s important to recognize there is still a lot of research to be done. With that in mind, recovery from an eating disorder, while a difficult journey to take, is one absolutely worth fighting for. ❖ Spring 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today
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// THE LAB //
Often Imitated, Never Duplicated
How One Man’s Closet Clone Became One of America’s Most Beloved Cultivars By Patricia Miller / Images courtesy of Canna Provisions On a warm summer night in 1991, Greg Krzanowski was prepping for a Grateful Dead concert in Deer Creek, Indiana. While perusing offerings from his fellow concert-goers, he stumbled onto a bag of herb that would become a foundational strain in the world of cannabis. Krzanowski had just found what would later be called Chemdog, a cultivar now known from coast to coast for its diesel-like aroma and potent THC content. It’s the granddaddy of strains like Sour Diesel, OG Kush, and numerous other hybrids. Krzanowski, aka “Chem,” liked the herb so much, he decided to reach out to the people who supplied it and ask for a bit more. His contacts mailed him a few ounces of flower with thirteen errant seeds, and Chem made the most of them. From those seeds grew a thirty-year legacy and a thirty-year-old Chemdog clone. Both of which are now foundational elements of Canna Provisions, a Massachusetts cultivation facility, and dispensary brand. Chem joined Canna Provisions as their director of cultivation and his first legally-grown flower hit shelves in April of this year. This is especially poignant for Krzanowski, as he was sentenced to three years probation and a cash forfeiture of $300,000 for possession of marijuana in 2013. The experience nearly turned him off growing forever, but he found his way back to the soil and joined Cannabis & Tech Today from his Canna Provisions post in Western Massachusetts. In this exclusive interview, Chem details his passion for growing and shares a sneak peek into what he’s bringing to market next. For the full interview with Chem and to learn more about 92
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Greg “Chem” Krzanowski has been growing “Chemdog” for the illicit market for more than thirty years. He’s shown here harvesting a plant from his first legal crop.
// THE LAB //
Chem relishes working on his first legal grow as director of cultivation for Canna Provisions. Company CEO and Co-Founder Meg Sanders teamed up with COO and Co-Founder Erik Williams to create their unique brand. They asked Chemdog to bring his years of experience to their Massachusetts-based facilities.
Canna Provisions, visit www.cannatechtoday. com/Chemdog.
when I got an ounce of the Chemdog and it actually had thirteen seeds in it.
Cannabis & Tech Today: When did you first become interested in growing cannabis?
I was so thrilled there were actually seeds from that bag, because I was like, “Wow, I think I just hit the lottery.” Little did I know…
Greg Krzanowski: I grew my first plant when I was 16. I was in my brother’s apartment and I’m like, “I’m going to grow a plant in your closet, just let me do it.” I grew for a little bit, but then all his roommates started clipping the buds off the plants. So when I moved out of my [parent’s] house when I was 18, that’s when I really started. I found the Chemdog [strain] when I was 18. That was the first true plant that I grew, that I took really good care of and went full force. I started growing when I was 18 and didn’t stop until I was 39, when I got in trouble. So I was growing half of my life at that point. C&T Today: When you tried Chemdog initially, did you recognize how unique it was? GK: As soon as I saw the bag and I smelled it, I knew it was something very special. Then once I smoked it, I was like, “Wow, this is some of the best tasting pot I’ve ever smoked.” It was just beautiful. I knew it was something special. Thank God I had exchanged phone numbers with the people I got the pot from and linked back up with them about a month later. That’s
I don’t know why I wanted to preserve it so much, but I just knew it was something special and I’ve always had a passion for growing. So I just went with it and thank God I did. Since then I’ve had the same clone for… it’ll be thirty years this August. C&T Today: As legal cannabis rolled out in different states, were you surprised to see so many Chemdog-derived strains hitting the shelves? GK: It is everywhere. I’m humbled by it. It just shows it’s a very well-liked strain out there that spawned off many other strains and many other hybrids. That’s why it’s on all the shelves — it’s very powerful and it’s good medicine. I would say probably 85% of the stuff out there [called Chemdog] isn’t really what it’s labeled. They’re just throwing the label on it to sell it. A lot of the strains, I can take one smell and know this isn’t it. They just use the name. I don’t want to mention names, but there are a few well-known celebrity brands out there right now claiming to sell Chemdog, and it’s just not Chemdog.
C&T Today: Does cultivating the plant in a legal setting allow you to spend more time on R&D or look closer at Chem genetics than you’ve been able to before? GK: Oh, for sure. We have a very high-tech facility. Everything is just there at our disposal, so there’s plenty of time to do research. You have the space and the tools to do it. So we’re going to perfect it. There’s definitely a difference growing in the legal market versus the illicit market. You’re more open about things. You can get things accomplished without looking over your shoulder. You can do a lot more research and development. To have a high-tech facility makes a big difference. C&T Today: Are you working on any new strains to debut with Canna Provisions? GK: Oh yeah, we have a lot. Too many to list. But our first crop, we’re going to be doing a lot of the flavors. I’ll just name off a few, like Wedding Cake, MotorBreath 15, Las Vegas Purple Kush, Chemdog 91, Chemdog 4, Chemdog D, Mac One, Chem Select, Chem’s Sister, Zookies, Zkittles, Urkel, Corey Haim Stardog… just to name a few. Then we started just a ton of other seeds that are just going to blow people’s minds. We’ll wait to announce those, but that’s a little preview of what we’re going to bring to the market. ❖ Spring 2021 // Cannabis & Tech Today
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ePac Flexible Packaging – Carbonneutral HP printers plus sustainable inks and films all work together to underscore ePac Flexible Packaging’s dedication to creating a circular economy. Whether it’s their lay flat and standing pouches or just rollstock, ePac has custom-printed solutions for businesses of all sizes. Customize your perfect package and have it to your door in 15 days or less. Free quotes available at www. epacflexibles.com/quoterequest.
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MPAK Spray Dispenser by Packaging Concepts Associate Holdings – Cannabis products are evolving every day and so too are the variety of packaging options available to manufacturers. Give your clients a spritz they’ll remember with the MPAK Spray Dispenser. Now available in both childresistant and non-child-resistant varieties, this little spray bottle is as safe as it is sleek. Check out their new twist, tab, and button lock systems. Call for pricing.
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TTT3000 by Tom’s Tumbler – You worked hard to cultivate gorgeous buds. Preserve those trichomes, crystals, and each nug’s delicate structure with the hand-trimmed quality of the TTT3000. Trim 50+ pounds of dry or 100+ pounds of wet flower an hour in Tom’s largest tumbler. Ships with MeshNets, ½ and ¼ inch, and a kief screen. Their innovative bladeless technology is ideal for craft cultivation or industrial applications. Get yours for just $4,699.
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Mercenary AllNatural Insecticide by Cultured Biologix – Mercenary’s all-natural oils, natural emulsifiers, and surfactants create a powerful barrier against pests. Containing no alcohols, it acts as a non-toxic respiratory inhibitor and octopamine antagonist to inhibit breathing, movement, feeding, and reproduction of adult and juvenile insects without impacting the plant's health. Apply once a week for prevention or every day for heavy infestations. Available in 4 oz, 16 oz, ½ gallon, or gallon sizes. $25-500.
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Events At Cannabis & Tech Today, we miss seeing friends and colleagues at in-person events. Fortunately, we’ve been connecting in virtual reality through the Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference & Expo, taking place quarterly. Plus, recurring Re-Emerge gatherings offer attendees a chance to revisit their favorite sessions and network in a familiar and immersive setting. While virtual smoke sessions and speeches are still a safe solution for getting together, in-person events are starting to make a comeback. We’re highlighting some that we’re most excited about below. Dates are subject to change. Check event websites for updates.
International Cannabis Business Conference Global Investment Forum / Austin, TX / 6-7 Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo / New York, NY / 27-29
JUNE Native American Cannabis & Hemp Conference / Temecula, CA / 14-15 USA CBD Expo / Atlanta, GA / 16-18 Cannabis Science Conference East / Baltimore, MD / 28-30 iStockphoto.com/Weedezign
Coming Next Issue WELCOME TO THE PARTY, ILLINOIS The plague year wasn’t all bad for the great state of Illinois. It became the 11th state to legalize adult-use and we’re highlighting all the innovations taking place in the new market. We’ll speak with the thought leaders entering the space, the local governments about their challenges and victories, and discover why this area is primed for growth in 2021.
THE COMPLEX WORLD OF CONCENTRATES Let’s take a deeper look at concentrates. Is there more to this expanding market than just shake turned into oil? Yes! And we’re going to dive into what makes it great, who’s revolutionizing the space, and all the amazing technology going into its creation and its enjoyment.
COVERING YOUR COMPLIANCE Ensuring every aspect of your business is in compliance with laws and regulations is perhaps the most important thing an entrepreneur can do in the world of cannabis. But, it isn’t fun and it isn’t easy. Let’s break down some of the complexities and make it easier to digest in this issue’s compliance spotlight.
CUSTOMIZING YOUR CANNABIS We’re starting to understand more nuances of the cannabis plant. What cannabinoids are interacting to create specific effects? How do flavor profiles, terpenes, and unique physiology help geneticists develop new, exciting strains? We’ll answer these questions and more with an exploration of terpenes, ingestion methods, and the science behind the buds. iStockphoto.com/JonGorr
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RELAX // THE LIGHTER SIDE
If Cannabis Strain Names Were Correct and Not Utterly Bizarre By Adrienne Airhart Your mom smokes weed. It’s not even a joke anymore; it’s a fact. Your mom goes into dispensaries and Gen Z’s TikTok-hop around offering well-informed advice on how to use CBD for arthritis, and which strain to use to make her husband (your dad) want to have sex with her (you’re welcome). Do you know what is a joke? The cannabis strain names offered to this sweet woman who shoved your enormous head from her precious, powerful temple.
Alaskan Thunderfuck What, is your mom going to feel like she’s trapped in an avalanche unable to call for help, or that Thor’s mighty hammer will strike her down upon inhalation? Come on. This strain should be called, “Ooh, Feel How Soft The Cat Is Right Now, Watch Out Here It Comes Again, Grab The Cheez-Its!” as it is a creative, chill sativa with a creeper tendency and a penchant for inciting munchies. Creeper strains come on like one of Saturn’s moons, slowly retrograding your life, adding a desperate need for a snack and a blankie. You’ve been warned.
Don’t be afraid to ask your budtender about the effects a strain will have on your body. They’ll tell you. We’re still the boss of these kids! Don’t resent that they get to sell weed without losing their parents’ respect. ❖
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Green Crack Why do we do this? Sure, this is a super sativa that helps with focus and creativity similar to the effects of a stimulant, but it will not encourage you to start your own business, get mad at your friends for not investing in said business, or break up your marriage. It will help you, “Get Shit Done and Try To Have Sex With Your Platonic Friend Morgan” (Morgan, I know you still watch my IG stories!). Its got aphrodisiac effects, drives focus, and uplifts your mood tremendously. Save on Xanax and switch to cannabis. Just… try it as a microdose before you jump in.
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The thing is, friend, the strain isn’t always indicative of how the cannabis will make you feel. Sometimes a strain is named after people — like Jack Herer, the legend — or places, like Kush in the Himalayas. Or how they smell (Lemon OG, Cheese, etc.), but rarely are they named for how they’ll make you feel and what they’ll make you do. And they should be.
White Nightmare I choose to feel threatened by this one, gentle reader. Blue Dream remains one of the most popular strains, and its crossbred progeny like White Nightmare offers cannasseurs a taste of that creative spark with just a touch of anxiety. This strain should be called, “Get the DIY Stuff Out and Await Existential Crisis” because it will wreak havoc on your sense of corporeal being. You’ll do that face where it’s like a smile but with scared eyes. And you’ll beg for the sweet release of sleep. Use it for its productivity and to create the next great TikTok about how we all have ADHD (I hate you) and then do some serious self-care. We love that journey for you.
Adrienne is a stand-up comedian and writer and has been a cannabis professional for nearly a decade. You can find her everywhere at @craydrienne.
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