Cannabis & Tech Today -- Vol 5 / Issue 2 by Innovation & Tech Today

CANNA-TECH IN CASCADIA: PACIFIC NW SPOTLIGHT | INSIDE NEW YORK’S LEGAL MARKET MISSTEPS

Hashing It Out

Roger

Volodarsky

Puffco CEO Talks Ten Years of High-Tech Hash

Concentrates and Compliance Issue

Dabber’s Delight Gear Guide

Michigan Mission:

Dreka Gates

Music, Cannabis, Farms, and Blueberries

Pot Has a

Pesticide Problem

Belushi’s Farm: 14 States and Growing

Mindful Mycology

Creating Quality, Compliant Amanita Mushroom Products

Vol. 5 / Issue 2

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FROM THE EDITOR

Patricia Miller, Executive Editor

“ Compliance is a doubleedged sword. It’s tedious, nerve-wracking, and costly for producers. It’s also vital for the safety of customers and the security of operators.”

Health, Hash, and Happiness Most people are introduced to cannabis in the form of flower. It’s approachable — easy to smoke, easy to find, and affordable. It may take time before a cannabis connoisseur dabbles with concentrates. Even those paid to understand the products, like budtenders or dispensary managers, often lack some knowledge around concentrates, its various forms, or the methods used in its production. In this issue, we’ll explore the world of cannabis concentrates and shine some light on the products and people shaping the sector. To help expand our knowledge, we spoke with Puffco CEO Roger Volodarsky to discover how “contemporary hash,” as he calls it, is evolving and what’s on the horizon in terms of technology and processing. Volodarsky describes finally finding his community, a tribe of like-minded connoisseurs who can appreciate his unique, tech-forward approach to consumption. Rather than extreme highs, Volodarsky says low-temperature dabbing offers precision control of the experience. That control is what I most enjoy about Puffco’s products. Just as the

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

processing method affects the final flavor and purity of the product, the way it’s consumed impacts its potency and duration. The entrepreneur also shares his thoughts on compliance and why ignorance too often shapes this country’s cannabis policy. Compliance is a double-edged sword. It’s tedious, nerve-wracking, and costly for producers. It’s also vital for the safety of customers and the security of operators. In this issue, we spoke with leaders from many different areas of the industry to understand the struggle and the importance of regulatory compliance. Some of it is scary, some of it is comforting, but all of it is contributing to the betterment of the industry. Whether you love concentrates and support tighter regulation, or you just want to read about some cool new tech and how the plant is getting safer, this issue has what you’re looking for. If you find an interview you would love to know more about, check out our podcast Cannabis Tech Talks for full-length discussions with many of the professionals profiled in this issue. Until next time,

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SINCE LAST ISSUE… What’s happened since the last issue of Cannabis & Tech Today? Since the last issue of Cannabis & Tech Today hit newsstands, Minnesota legalized recreational cannabis. Gov. Tim Walz signed the bill in May, declaring Minnesotans 21 and older may legally grow and use cannabis at home. The state will also remove all low-level cannabis convictions from its citizens’ criminal records. The bill went into effect Aug. 1. In June, an NCAA panel requested the association omit cannabis from its banned drug list and testing protocols. The panel stated cannabis does not enhance performance and reiterated testing should only apply to performance-enhancing substances. The NCAA has been asked to halt testing for cannabis during championship events while these changes are considered by the three NCAA divisional governance bodies. In another setback for the cannabis industry’s financial system, Mastercard told financial institutions to stop allowing cannabis transactions on its debit cards. “The federal government considers cannabis sales illegal, so these purchases are not allowed on our systems,” a spokesperson for the company told Reuters in July.

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

Patricia Miller

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Lindsey Feth

SENIOR WRITERS

Ebby Stone

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Harrison Bard Hal Bishop Veronica Castillo Jessica McKeil Tami Kamin Meyer Nohtal Partansky Gary Richter Alex Rogers Zack Ruskin David Traylor Masha Ty Andrew Ward Laurie Wolf

CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

Jessica Ferranti

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Rachael Usatch

VIDEO/PODCAST PRODUCER DISTRIBUTION PRINTING

Alan Tuszynski CMG Publication Printers

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SPECIAL THANKS TO: Nikki Golly, Mary Shelley, Tom Brommage, Megan Williams, Laurie Wolf, Judy Siebenaler, Madison Miller This publication is dedicated to the dreamers, the innovators, the collaborators, and the doers – who can’t be bothered by those saying it can’t be done. Nicholas and Aria, the future is yours!

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Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

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contents 62 Puffco Founder and CEO Roger Volodarsky Building a Community Through Hash

By Charles Warner and Patricia Miller Photo: Courtesy of Puffco

Departments 14 Event Wrap-Ups 18 By the Numbers 20 Know Before 22 International 24 Pets 26 Hemp 28 Pre-Rolled

82 Product Revolution 84 Something Edible With Laurie Wolf 86 Event Calendar + Coming Next Issue 88 Relax With the Lighter Side

30 Innovator Profile: One Company’s Mission to Provide Clean Medicine to the Southwest

32 STEM How Cannabis-Tech Collaboration Drives the Industry Forward

36 Sustainability + Cultivation Subpar Products in New York’s Legal Market

42 Finance Future Opportunities With Cannabis Concentrates

44 Legislation The Cannabis Clock Counts Down, Vol. 3

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

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contents 48 Business Innovations The Fallacy of Full Spectrum

50 Technology an Important Tool in Compliance Education

54 Social Impact New York’s Stagnating Equity Program Keeps Applicants in Limbo

56 Regional Spotlight Cannabis in the Pacific Northwest

58 Bringing Clean Concentrates to Market, Affordably

68 Media + Entertainment Belushi’s Farm is Making Something Special in 14 States and Growing

74 Meet Dreka Gates, Queen of the Gates Empire

76 Health & Wellness Is Ignorance Shaping the Safety of the Legal Cannabis Industry?

80 The Lab Can Brands Create Quality, Compliant Amanita Mushroom Products?

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

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// CONTRIBUTORS //

Harrison Bard is the CEO and co-founder of Custom Cones USA, a pre-roll resource in the cannabis industry. From custom-branded pre-rolled cones and wholesale bulk cones, to completely customized pre-roll packaging projects and pre-roll machines, the company offers expertise and solutions to companies in all sectors of the pre-roll space. Veronica Castillo is known as the Traveling Cannabis Writer. Her body of work includes educational and informative insights on cannabis and various plant medicines. She travels the country to provide insight on cannabis-friendly destinations. She is a collaborator, connector, content creator, and traveler specializing in bringing to light hidden gems in the plant space. Follow her journey: #travelingcannabiswriter. Jessica McKeil is a cannabis writer based in British Columbia, Canada. She has a passion for cannabis tech and scientific breakthroughs, which has led her to work with some of the industry’s biggest brands. She is the owner and lead writer of Sea to Sky Content (www.seatoskycontent.com), a content company focused on improving organic traffic through the power of words. Tami Kamin Meyer is an Ohio-based attorney and freelance writer. A dedicated kayaker and dog lover, her byline has appeared in Forbes, MarketWatch, Better Homes and Gardens, and Business.com. She is in her second stint as a member of the Board of Editors of the Columbus Bar Association and served as Marketing/Communications Chair of the American Society of Journalists and Authors from 2018-2021. She tweets as @girlwithapen. Nohtal Partansky is the Founder and CEO of Sorting Robotics. He is a serial entrepreneur and former NASA-JPL engineer. At NASA-JPL, Nohtal was a cognizant engineer on the MOXIE project; an instrument currently on the surface of Mars producing oxygen from the Martian atmosphere. After leaving NASA-JPL, Nohtal founded Sorting Robotics with his two co-founders, Cassio Dos Santos Jr. and Sean Lawlor. Sorting Robotics builds innovative, AI-driven equipment for cannabis manufacturers and vertically integrated brands. Gary Richter, MS, DVM has been practicing veterinary medicine in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1998. As owner and Medical Director of Holistic Veterinary Care in Oakland, California, Dr. Richter understands the benefits of both conventional and holistic treatment methods for the preventative and therapeutic care of pets. He is the author of three books, The Ultimate Pet Health Guide, Longevity for Dogs, and Longevity for Cats. Dr. Richter is the past president of the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine and is a founding member of the Veterinary Cannabis Society.

Alex Rogers is the founder and CEO of the International Cannabis Business Conference, which offers world-class industry networking as well as investment and capital opportunities. The International Cannabis Business Conference has upcoming events in Berlin and Barcelona. Visit internationalcbc.com to learn more. Zack Ruskin is a freelance writer living in San Francisco, where he covers cannabis, music, literature, and culture. His bylines include Rolling Stone, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, Leafly, Variety, and San Francisco Chronicle. For six years, he wrote SF Weekly’s “Pacific Highs” cannabis column, recognized with a 2020 California Journalism Award for Best Column. Follow him on Twitter: @zackruskin.

David Traylor is the senior managing director at Golden Eagle Partners (GEP), an investment bank in the cannabis sector. GEP principals have participated in more than 30 cannabis events around the world, including in the U.S., Canada, Grand Cayman, Frankfurt, Berlin, Dubai, and Davos. Traylor is also an inventor with three U.S. patents, two in bioprocessing. Masha Ty has resolved major challenges for Fortune 500 companies in the areas of Omnichannel Marketing, eCommerce, Application Development, Compliance, Talent Acquisition, Resource Planning, and Brand Activations for over 20 years. At ACS Laboratory, working across the business for cannabis, hemp, and psychedelics compliance, Ty stays on top of legal, scientific, and product development, helping to drive corporate growth and education through client acquisition and retention.

Andrew Ward is a Brooklyn-based journalist, author, and content marketer. His work has appeared in High Times, Rolling Stone, Business Insider, and many more. He is the author of Cannabis Jobs and The Art of Marijuana Etiquette. Editor’s Note: Cannabis & Tech Today is seeking writers from all backgrounds and ethnicities. Interested applicants inquire through goipw.com/editorial-submissions 12

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

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// EVENT WRAP-UPS //

CWCBExpo The ninth annual Cannabis World Conference & Business Exposition brought together thought leaders from the East Coast and beyond. Female entrepreneurs showcased products and ancillary services at the newly launched Women’s Pavilion. University and College Row highlighted more than two dozen educational institutions offering cannabis curriculums. The B2B Networking Bash was especially popular this year. It wouldn’t be a New York event without an Industry Yacht Party, a NORML FORML, and several other after-hours parties to bring together attendees from every sector of the industry. Notable speakers included Dasheeda Dawson (NYC’s Cannabis Czar), Tremain Wright (New York State Cannabis Control Board), Sara Gullickson (Founder and CEO of Cannabis Business Advisors), and many more.

ICBC Berlin GIF and B2B Trade Show With the imminent legalization of Germany’s adult-use market, the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin was perfectly positioned to offer educational and networking opportunities for industry leaders from around the globe. Performer and cultivator Jim Belushi offered his insights to attendees. Some of Europe’s most notable policy advisors provided thought leadership on subjects ranging from legalization to cultivation. 14

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Psychedelic Science 2023 In its fourth Psychedelic Science conference, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies held “the largest psychedelic conference in history,” according to its website. The five-day event offered classes, workshops, and 11 stages of curated educational sessions exploring the world of psychedelic medicine. The event offered several different tracks ranging from plant medicine to business to clinical trials and policy advancements.

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// EVENT WRAP-UPS //

Alternative Products Expo, Dallas

Cannabis Marketing Summit The Cannabis Marketing Summit offered industry-leading keynotes, including Wana Brands Founder and CEO Nancy Whiteman and MJBizDaily CoFounder Cassandra Farrington, plus speakers from Marijuana Venture, Cookies, Green Market Report, and the National Cannabis Industry Association. The event covered topics such as brand identity, public relations, customer loyalty, search engine optimization, and growth hacking. In addition to the CMA Sevens awards show, attendees were also treated to a rooftop after-party celebrating the industry’s most influential marketers.

For those eager to learn more about vapes, hemp, functional beverages, kratom, nootropics, cannabis accessories, and mushrooms, the Alternative Products Expo in Dallas was the place to be. Unlike some industry events, the Alt Pro Expo focuses on networking and exhibitors to bring attendees exclusive show deals, new product innovations, and the latest trending products.

Cannabis Drinks Expo, San Francisco In its fourth annual event, the Cannabis Drinks Expo continued its theme of “Growing the Category.” Eight keynotes and 16 speakers covered topics such as creating consumer pull, educating consumers on cannabis beverages, state bottlenecks, and multistate opportunities. Director and Head of Cannabis at The Boston Beer Company, Paul Weaver, led a particularly well-attended discussion around the emerging category. It concluded with a networking cocktail party connecting speakers with exhibitors and attendees. 16

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

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A look at the metrics shaping the cannabis business market — and our lives Concentrates were once a niche sector of the cannabis industry. Now, refined cannabis oil consumption is growing, in part thanks to a more knowledgeable consumer base. The industry is being driven by a number of factors, including the increasing legalization of cannabis, the growing popularity of concentrates, and the high profit margins associated with concentrates. As demand continues to grow, there will be a need for new products, services, and technologies. This presents a great opportunity for businesses to innovate and create products and services that meet the needs of consumers. Let’s take a look at some of the numbers around cannabis concentrates in the U.S. and abroad. The global cannabis concentrate market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of

The average price of cannabis concentrates in the United States is less than

22.2%

ne G Magazi Source: M

from 2021 to 2028.

16%

of monthly dabbable dollar sales in Jan. 2023 across 14 legal adult-use states.

Cannabis Concentrate Market Size and Share

2021:

3.94B

ghts arket Insi ustom M C : e rc u o S

21% 22%

per gram

Solventless concentrates made up

rch w Resea rand Vie Source: G

Source: BDSA

by 2030:

18.5B

CBtD ract

t: to trea is used

662 2%

orld’s g of the wtion sufferinse. la popu hronic disea from c d View Research ran Source: G

of dabbable sales in California of dabbable sales in Colorado

Source: BDSA

Gen Z males are responsible for

Baby Boomers contribute just

of total concentrate sales.

to the category’s sales.

In 2021, live resin and wax held

33% 24% AND

of the U.S. market share, respectively.

Photos via iStockphoto.com

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Source: MG Magazine

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LOOKING BACK. PRESSING FORWARD. ALWAYS INNOVATING.

DEPARTMENTS // KNOW BEFORE

Know Before You Legalize Practical Compliance and Regulation Advice for Emerging Markets By Ebby Stone

As new states decide to legalize adult-use cannabis sales, regulators are tasked with guiding their constituents into uncharted territory. Many lawmakers pull from existing policies in other states, adapting them to suit the needs of their specific demographics. So why are there still so many bumps in the road on the path to legalization? Cannabis & Tech Today spoke with Allay Consulting Founder and CEO Kim Stuck, a former cannabis regulator, to better understand some of the challenges that come with opening a new market and what citizens and regulators should know before adult-use sales begin. Cannabis & Tech Today: How should emerging markets properly enforce regulations during the first year of legalization and why is enforcement often an issue? For example, New York City is dealing with many unlicensed cannabis vendors that aren’t being shut down. Kim Stuck: New York is not the only state that’s had to deal with this. In fact, California has been dealing with this since the beginning, and they’ve been legalized for a long time. The problem comes down to enforcement and having enough

regulations because they don’t speak regulatory language. If you’ve ever read regulations, they’re very hard to understand sometimes. It’s hard for people to wrap their heads around certain things, like what are they actually asking for? That’s what we help do, is educate in that way and get people ready for those audits and get people comfortable where they can sleep at night, and they don’t think they’re doing something wrong without knowing. It’s very hard because not only are you running a business, but you also have to adhere to all these compliance things, and you have to get your staff to be on board. Allay Consulting Founder and CEO Kim Stuck

regulators to get out there and do something about it. The government doesn’t have a budget to hire more people, and there just aren’t enough people with their boots on the ground to go out and shut down these non-licensed vendors. The other thing that happens is a lot of times the enforcement action they can take isn’t severe at all. When I was in Denver, we were allowed to do enforcement. If I showed up to a place, I was allowed to write a cease and desist. I was allowed to shut them down

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

and make them leave. I could get the police involved if I needed to. I could write them tickets, I could fine them. We didn’t have this issue in Colorado like we did in other states because our enforcement action was really harsh. Whereas in California and New York right now, they don’t have that. C&T Today: What’s a common area of compliance with which your clients have trouble? KS: I feel like people are intimidated by the state

Each company is different and they struggle in different areas. A lot of people want the Good Manufacturing Practice stuff. They think they can do it really quickly. I had a call the other day from somebody looking into getting it, and they’re like, “So can we get this done in three months?” I was like, “No, you don’t have any SOPs in place. You have no training.” It takes months and months of work, and it’s a lot of SOPs and it’s a lot of boring writing and training. I think people struggle anywhere that they don’t really know what something is, but they know they want it. ❖

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DEPARTMENTS // INTERNATIONAL

A Global Compliance Partner Why You Might Need Help to Ensure Compliance Across Borders By Alex Rogers As the legal cannabis industry continues its global expansion, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry service providers are learning that regulatory and compliance issues pile up much faster at the international level than they do with domestic efforts. Every nation has rules, laws, and regulations about the importation and exportation of medical cannabis extracts. Many nations still prohibit such transactions entirely. Global cannabis concentrate pursuits are often a two-edged sword. There is tremendous profit potential, but there is risk involved as well. To help entrepreneurs with their international cannabis endeavors, I recently co-founded The Talman Group, a full-service research and development company based in Slovenia. The Talman Group specializes in cannabis and hemp products and systems development, with an emphasis on regional and international regulatory compliance. Business owners trying to bring cannabis products to the legal international market have two options. The first is to navigate the regulatory and legal labyrinth alone, which never seems to go well. If history is any guide, failure to involve experts can result in 22

Photo: iStockphoto.com/MicroStockHub

potential safety issues for employees and patients. It can also lead to a cannabis company being non-compliant, and as a result, increasing the workload or losing profits. In some cases, it can mean the difference between the entity becoming the next great cannabis company or having to file for bankruptcy and dropping out of the industry forever. The other option is to seek guidance and services from a business specializing in international commerce. By doing so, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry service providers can save time, headaches, and a considerable amount of money.

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Something as simple as coming up with product packaging can be a daunting task. Every jurisdiction has packaging and labeling requirements, including child safety. Some legal markets require warnings on products, while others have requirements depending on the type of outlet through which the product will be sold. Further, these packaging and labeling requirements are constantly evolving. Each company’s strategies must evolve along with the shifting regulatory landscape. In many markets, there are caps on the levels of cannabinoids products can contain. In some cases, cannabinoid levels must be very specific for products to be

sold, such as one-to-one THC and CBD ratios. Someone can have the best cannabis product on Earth, but if it doesn’t meet the evolving specifications, it might as well not exist at all. Beyond the product and packaging, there are logistical hurdles facing the international cannabis industry. Shipping bulk products around the world when they are not legal worldwide is not an easy task. There are a variety of potential pitfalls and stumbling points. Teaming up with experts with established networks will afford entrepreneurs more time to focus on developing and improving their products for a global audience. ❖

DEPARTMENTS // PETS

A Snail’s Pace The Slow Struggle Toward Therapeutic Cannabis Use for Pets By Gary Richter, MS, DVM

As an integrative veterinarian in Oakland, California, it was inevitable questions would arise about the use of cannabis for pets. After Prop 215 passed in 1996 and people had legal access to medical cannabis, and then Prop 64 introduced adult-use recreational cannabis in 2016, many Californians experienced profoundly positive health benefits from cannabis. When those people saw their pets suffering from medical conditions, they naturally turned to their veterinarian to ask if cannabis could provide relief in similar ways. At the time, none of us had the answers. There was no research on the therapeutic use of cannabis for animals and nowhere to find the information we needed. Veterinarians had to blaze their own trail. What we found was that animals benefit from medical cannabis in all the same ways humans do. That seems like an obvious statement now, but back then no one knew for sure. Shortly after recreational cannabis became available in California in 2016, the California Veterinary Medical Board issued a statement informing veterinarians that any mention of the medicinal use of cannabis for our patients could result in disciplinary action. Every veterinarian in the state was “put on notice” that our licenses

were on the line should we discuss or recommend cannabis for animals. What followed were years of veterinary board meetings attended by concerned veterinarians and pet owners imploring the board to allow vets to do their jobs, practice medicine, and provide pet owners with information about cannabis for animals so owners didn’t feel forced to get medical advice from pet store employees, budtenders, and the internet. Six years of countless meetings and the passage of two pieces of legislation later, California is now the first state to allow veterinarians to discuss and recommend cannabis products for their patients. Since those early days of veterinarians exploring the use of cannabis for pets, multiple research papers have been published evaluating the efficacy of cannabis for a variety of medical conditions including arthritis, epilepsy, and anxiety. Cannabis, particularly cannabinoids found in hemp extracts, are effective in treating these conditions and show promise in the treatment of the same spectrum of conditions for which cannabis is routinely used in humans. Much of the veterinary-specific research was summarized in “Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine: A Critical

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Photo: iStockphoto.com/adogslifephoto

Review,” published in 2020, and “Pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of cannabidiol in dogs: an update of current knowledge,” published in 2023. The hard-fought victory in California highlighted the challenges facing veterinarians and pet owners throughout the country. In response, the core group of veterinarians and industry professionals who worked for years to foment change in California, allied and collaborated to create the Veterinary Cannabis Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to education and advocacy to benefit pets, their owners, and the veterinary profession. Since its foundation, the Veterinary Cannabis Society (VCS) has played an active role in

promoting policy and legislative changes in multiple states. Additionally, VCS provides educational resources for veterinarians and pet owners through its website, VCS.pet, and through educational courses provided both live and online. VCS educational content is created by the most knowledgeable resources on the use of cannabis in veterinary medicine and has been made available throughout North and South America. VCS has recently collaborated with the Veterinary Information Network (VIN.com), the world’s largest online educational platform for veterinarians, to provide a sixmodule medical cannabis course for veterinarians that will be available worldwide in September and October 2023. ❖

DEPARTMENTS // HEMP

Hemp’s Unfulfilled Promise A Call for Action From the FDA and Congress By Bharat Ayyar, Sunsoil CEO

After years of hype and fanfare, the hemp industry stands on the brink of disaster. The 2018 Farm Bill was a landmark piece of legislation that legalized hemp cultivation and hemp-derived products, such as CBD oil. It was intended to revitalize the agricultural sector, providing American farmers with a lucrative new crop and offering consumers access to products celebrated for their natural potential to alleviate pain, reduce stress, and aid sleep. Yet, instead of harnessing this potential, the FDA has squandered it. The agency has largely refused to provide regulatory clarity on CBD. The consequences of its inaction are alarming and far-reaching. For hemp farmers, it has been devastating. According to a recent USDA report, the value of hemp production in 2022 plummeted by a staggering 71%, from $824 million to $238 million (after an already large decline the year before). Meanwhile, consumers are hurting too. The FDA’s refusal to regulate CBD has resulted in many low-quality, potentially unsafe products. The FDA’s testing of 147 CBD products found that fewer than half contained the labeled CBD amount. Furthermore, heavy metal contamination was discovered in a

disturbing percentage of CBD products. The FDA maintains that it lacks the authority to regulate CBD oil. Since 2018, it has only enforced against companies making particularly egregious health claims, such as CBD curing COVID-19, but has done little to ensure consumers are buying safe and effective products.

Photo: iStockphoto.com/24K-Production

The result? CBD sales have declined and the product’s reputation has been tarnished among consumers. The FDA’s negligence in regulating CBD is so egregious that, in many states, it has allowed for the de-facto legalization of cannabis. Companies are exploiting a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill to make gummies and seltzers containing intoxicating levels of delta-8 THC. (The 2018 Farm Bill only imposed restrictions on delta-9 THC.) It’s no surprise large retailers, such as Target and Amazon, have shied away from carrying ingestible CBD due to the murky regulatory landscape. This limits CBD’s benefits to potential consumers while keeping prices

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

high and quality uneven. Instead of flourishing under the wings of large retailers, CBD remains a niche product, with opportunistic companies engaging in dubious practices to maximize profits. Clear, concise, and enforceable regulations are needed now more than ever. By setting guidelines for product potency and purity, the FDA and Congress can ensure safety, boost consumer confidence, and invite larger brands to participate in the market. The path forward is clear: regulators must provide the necessary guidance and oversight to prevent further erosion of trust and potential public health risks. Regulatory clarity will protect

Bharat Ayyar

consumers, enhance the industry’s integrity, and open the doors for responsible growth. The hemp industry has immense potential, but realizing that potential requires firm action and clear direction from regulators. The data, the studies, and the industry’s experiences all point to the urgent need for action. The FDA has already dropped the ball once. It’s up to Congress to make sure they don’t drop it again. ❖

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DEPARTMENTS // PRE-ROLLED

Pre-Roll Domination

How and Why Infused Pre-Rolls Are Dominating the Cannabis Market By Harrison Bard, Custom Cones USA CEO & Co-Founder

The cannabis industry is constantly evolving. Each year, more U.S. states introduce medicinal and adult-use cannabis programs, legacy markets mature, more customers become familiar with cannabis products, and companies innovate new form factors. New markets mean new customers, emerging brands, and fresh products marketed to curious consumers. The speed of evolution, however, creates challenges for retailers looking to attract and retain customers in a hyper-competitive market. The Current State of the Pre-Roll Industry Looking for answers to those questions about product mix and SKU count, Custom Cones USA — a producer of pre-rolled cone packaging, machines, and pre-roll compliance — partnered with industry insight authority Headset to author a comprehensive whitepaper on the pre-roll segment of the cannabis industry. The research found that pre-rolls are the fastest-growing product segment in the industry, growing 12% year-over-year (YoY) in the United States and 38% YoY in Canada. More specifically, in 2023 infused pre-rolls have become the largest pre-roll segment, generating nearly 60 million dollars in monthly sales. So how popular are pre-rolls really, and what is driving this growth? 28

Just How Popular Are Infused Pre-Rolls? The data suggests the average cannabis consumer is looking for fast-acting and high-potency products, with the top three product segments being mixed strain pre-rolls, disposable vape pens, and infused/connoisseur pre-rolls. Pre-rolls are quickly becoming the favorite consumer product as the U.S. saw 22% YoY growth in infused pre-rolls, with Canada seeing an astounding 1,426% YoY growth. This is significant, as mixed strain prerolls only grew 440% YoY, and disposable vapes only grew 160% YoY in Canada. These data points are proving notable gains, but what’s driving the expansion? Automated machinery can efficiently produce infused prerolls at a larger scale, allowing producers to keep the price down, making them too affordable to pass up. More specifically, automated, infused pre-roll machines can infuse hundreds of pre-rolls an hour, taking production to the next level. Infused pre-rolls are such a popular market segment that 58.4% of surveyed companies said they produce or sell infused prerolls. Infused pre-rolls are cheaper than the average pre-roll today, and the rising trend of pre-roll multi-packs make them especially appealing to retailers. In 2018, multi-packs of regular and infused

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

“ Overall, pre-rolls are a driving force in the cannabis market as they are the fastest-growing product segment and offer what cannabis consumers are looking for — high-potency products that are affordable and convenient.” pre-rolls made up 27.7% of the market. Now, multi-packs make up 47.62% of the market, representing a growth of around 20% over five years. The rise of infused pre-rolls and multi-packs will continue to push the market forward. The Future of the Pre-Roll Industry Overall, pre-rolls are a driving force in the cannabis market as they are the fastest-growing product segment and offer what

cannabis consumers are looking for — high-potency products that are affordable and convenient. The data iindicates pre-rolls will overtake flower as the largestselling product category by 2030. This trend will lead to more innovation in the infused pre-roll space, increased multi-pack sales, and, as the price of flower and oil comes down, combined with improvements in pre-roll automation, pre-rolls will continue to be more affordable and convenient than ever. ❖

NotTheSameDailyGrind com

NotTheSameDailyGrind

INNOVATOR

PROFILE

Mountaintop Medicine

One Company’s Mission to Provide Safe, Clean Concentrates to the Southwest By Patricia Miller Many people are first drawn to cannabis out of necessity, searching for medicine or a miracle. When asked what inspired him to enter the cannabis industry, Mountaintop Extracts CEO Eric Merryman hesitated. “Inspired?” He lingered over the word before explaining his cannabis journey began with Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) and a diagnosis no one saw coming. His mother was diagnosed with latestage fallopian tube cancer in 2012. One of Merryman’s sons suggested he research cannabis as a potential treatment for his mother’s illness. Before long, she was using RSO regularly and the family was hopeful about her prognosis. Merryman quickly realized he wanted more control over the products his mom was ingesting. Any toxins in the cannabis or residual solvents left during the extraction process could make her health worse. He obtained a license to grow cannabis as a caregiver and dove headfirst into cultivating. Then, in 2015, an explosion at a butane hash oil processing center pushed Merryman and his wife Jennifer into action. The duo

started working with the state of New Mexico and the gas division to create safety standards for light hydrocarbon extraction. Before long, Mountaintop Extracts was up and running, providing clean, safe medical products to patients across the state. As New Mexico enters its second year of legal adult-use consumption, Mountaintop Extracts serves 7080% of the state’s dispensaries. Cannabis & Tech Today sat down with the husband-and-wife founders via teleconference to discuss their journey and the power of innovation. Cannabis & Tech Today: When did you start making RSO for your mother? Eric Merryman: I became my mom’s licensed caregiver and then began to cultivate that medicine for her, and then produce the final product as well. So then I knew exactly what was going into the plant and what was in the final product. We started seeing really good results from the blood work, for about four months. It brought on a bit of hope and relief. And then about month five, that started taking a downturn, towards the negative. So at that point, it became a maintenance

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

medicine because she did ultimately go the chemotherapy route. It aided in her being able to work through that process in a kinder way.

CEO, Co-Founder, and Head of R&D Eric Merryman and President and Co-Founder Jennifer Merryman

C&T Today: You create your products using light hydrocarbon extraction processes. Why is that method most appealing to you? EM: The way I saw it, there was a high level of uncertainty in the integrity or quality of the plant material being used for creating derived or infused products. One of the reasons is that cannabis is a natural remediator for the soil. Depending on what’s in your soil, it could be coming up systemically through the plant. And then also there can be issues that come up in cultivation, whether it be with mildew, mold, or insects people will treat, that then potentially

“ We looked at a need in the community, especially the medical community where you could have a single dose serving with the ability to put it on anything you want.” ~ Jennifer Merryman

come through in the final product being placed on the market. So in my research of the different technologies for processing this oil, I felt I had much more room to address those issues with the light hydrocarbon extraction, as well as preserving the integrity of that plant from harvest to final product. Coming from the building industry, my toolbox was important to me. I felt that I could take that foundational toolbox and even add to it from my past experience in biofuel production, which has a lot of similarities. So it seemed like a really synergistic approach for me. C&T Today: What inspired the development of your latest product, Oasis, Powered by Solcend?

Mountaintop Extracts is one of New Mexico’s leading cannabis concentrate brands. The company specializes in creating fullspectrum products with zero residual solvents.

Photos courtesy of Mountaintop Extracts

Jennifer Merrymen: We looked at a need in the community, especially the medical community where you could have a single dose serving with the ability to put it on anything you want. If you had a dietary restriction or anything like that, it was just a pourable, non-sugar medicine. It is a plant-based, water-soluble, fullspectrum powder. We were issued a patent on that in Canada and it’s patent-pending here in the U.S. EM: It’s been in the medical market for about a year, but we just had our adult use launch on 4/20 and had a tremendous response there. We’re looking to license that in other states and potentially other countries as well. C&T Today: What are your most successful retail partners doing that sets them apart? EM: It’s truly those budtenders who have a relationship with the Mountaintop product. Not only from an experiential point of view,

but we spend a lot of time and money on education. We have a whole educational package and do frequent events at these dispensaries to support the Mountaintop message. In one of our smaller collaborations, at a dispensary level, we do a full product line for them. You can go in there and get the flower, the concentrate, the vape, the gummies, and our new water-soluble Oasis product from the same strain. C&T Today: What could New Mexico’s regulators be doing to help educate citizens about cannabis products? JM: What we’ll look for our state to be pushing out in terms of education is kind of standardizing the language that’s put on packaging. There is a difference between a distillate derived as full spectrum and a true full spectrum in terms of the light hydrocarbon manufacturing process. That process matters and the language on the packaging matters in terms of not having confusion in the industry for educating the customer base. C&T Today: Is that something you are touching on in your Discover Cannabis program? JM: Yes, most definitely. We are trying to create that base level of understanding because you don’t know what you don’t know as a new entrant. If you just start trying to build up the vocabulary, then the questions start to roll out like, “Wait, why is one so much more expensive or less expensive than another? Is there really a difference?” I think those are points where it would behoove all industry folks to start to have discussions and standardize. ❖

Vol. 5 / Issue 2 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// STEM //

Bridging the Gap How Cannabis-Tech Collaboration Drives the Industry Forward By Nohtal Partansky, Co-Founder and CEO of Sorting Robotics One key factor stands out as a driving force behind progress and success in today’s cannabis landscape: collaboration among the cannabis and tech sectors. As a former NASA-JPL engineer who worked on the MOXIE project, an instrument currently on the surface of Mars producing oxygen from the Martian atmosphere, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative impact that tech integration can have on businesses, workforce upskilling, efficiency, and profit margins. While many cannabis companies are starting to unlock the tremendous potential that lies in embracing technology throughout various aspects of a cannabis business, there are plenty of companies who have yet to experience these transformative results. Let’s explore some of the most impactful ways cannabis-tech collaborations drive the cannabis industry forward.

Streamlining Packaging Processes at Scale Efficient packaging processes are critical for cannabis businesses looking to scale up and reach broader markets. Integrating technology into these processes can significantly streamline operations, reduce manual labor, and enhance the overall efficiency of packaging. Automated packaging solutions powered by AI-driven machines increase speed and accuracy while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Additionally, having an automated, flexible facility is pivotal in preventing costly errors. For example, a mistyped label can be costly to the production process, often more than one might imagine. Having the capabilities to pivot, adjust, and adapt accordingly when necessary throughout an automated process is crucial. Embracing this level of technology in

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Incorporating cutting-edge manufacturing processes allows cannabis companies to optimize operations and unlock new levels of efficiency. By leveraging technology, businesses can also minimize human error, mitigate risks, and create a safer environment for workers.

packaging enables cannabis companies to allocate their resources more strategically, allowing them to focus on product development, marketing, and expanding their brand presence. Moreover, implementing advanced packaging technology fosters a safer and more consistent product experience for consumers, ultimately building trust and loyalty in the industry.

learning, and robotics could revolutionize manufacturing by enhancing precision, reducing waste, and accelerating production timelines.

The Power of Advanced Manufacturing Processes

One product category in particular that has benefited from minimizing spillage waste is infused pre-rolls. With the right technology, equipment, and process, companies can see upwards of a 20% reduction in spillage waste. When we think of this in terms of the entire market, at an annual scale, it can easily add up to hundreds of millions of dollars in savings.

In the quest for improving manufacturing processes, technology serves as an ally. Traditional methods may no longer suffice in meeting increasing demand and quality expectations of consumers. Automation, artificial intelligence, computer vision, machine

// STEM // Bridging the Gap

Embracing technology doesn’t necessarily lead to job losses; rather, it provides an opportunity for upskilling and redeployment of workers to more strategic and fulfilling roles.

Photos courtesy of Sorting Robotics

Upskilling the Workforce

the industry’s capacity to meet evolving consumer demands and regulatory requirements.

One concern that often arises when discussing the integration of technology in the cannabis industry is the potential displacement of the existing workforce. However, the reality is quite the opposite. Embracing technology doesn’t necessarily lead to job losses; rather, it provides an opportunity for upskilling and redeployment of workers to more strategic and fulfilling roles. Incorporating AI-driven machines and automation in various processes requires skilled operators and technicians to manage and maintain these systems. Therefore, collaboration between the cannabis and tech sectors encourages a workforce that is adaptable, tech-savvy, and continuously learning. This synergy empowers employees to become proficient in utilizing advanced technologies and positions them for long-term career growth within the industry.

Efficient Scaling for Long-Term Success For cannabis businesses to remain competitive and profitable in the long run, efficient scaling is imperative. The varying markets across the cannabis industry have, on average, about an 18month boom/bust cycle. The earlier an

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Leaning Into Technology for a Bright Future As the cannabis industry continues its rapid growth, embracing technology is more than a choice — it’s a necessity. By recognizing the potential of cannabis-tech collaboration, businesses can overcome challenges, optimize operations, and create a competitive edge in the market.

operator in the market thoughtfully adopts technology, the more resilient their operations are to these cycles. Technology plays a pivotal role in enabling businesses to scale effectively without compromising on quality or incurring exorbitant costs. By integrating technologydriven solutions, cannabis companies can ramp up production, expand distribution networks, and cater to a broader customer base. Efficient scaling drives financial growth and strengthens

The integration of AI-driven machines, automation, and advanced manufacturing processes can elevate the industry’s efficiency, profitability, and overall potential for innovation. Rather than fearing technology and its perceived impact on the workforce, it is crucial to see it as an enabler of growth and progress. By empowering our existing workforce with technological skills and knowledge, we can drive the cannabis industry forward, revolutionize operations, and pave the way for a thriving and sustainable future. Looking ahead, don’t shy away from the opportunities presented by technology. Instead, embrace it and forge a path of progress and prosperity for the cannabis industry and its workforce. ❖

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// SUSTAINABILITY & CULTIVATION // Presented By

Running Off a Cliff Subpar Products Were One of New York’s First Legal Market Missteps. How Did It Happen?

By Andrew Ward

Photo: iStockphoto.com/24K-Production

Not long ago, New York’s legal cannabis market was being hailed as the eventual gold standard. Today, the market is teetering on abject failure, riddled with internal and external forces doing damage. With projections of $3 billion in annual earnings and a fair and equitable market prioritizing drug war victims, the state seemed on the right track. However, questionable decisions have hindered optimism and market momentum from nearly the start. 36

One of the more controversial issues in the early days of the market’s rollout was the first wave of cultivation licensing going to existing hemp farmers. In the months after that decision, product quality stumbled early while prices were relatively high. Anecdotal reports suggest product quality has improved in the months since the

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

initial market rollout. However, the decision helped fuel negative sentiments toward the nascent adult-use market. While picking on New York’s early market plant quality at this time feels akin to complaining about the interior decorating on the Titanic, it is still worth assessing this critical decision.

Depending on who you ask, hemp producers were incapable of meeting the needs of the early market. Or, the state once again set up a critical market component for failure. Or possibly both. In April 2022 New York State granted 52 conditional cannabis cultivation licenses. The move was, in part, done to support the state’s need for cannabis products and provide a lift to struggling hemp farmers. However, some cannabis cultivation professionals

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// SUSTAINABILITY & CULTIVATION // Presented By Running Off a Cliff

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Dawid Jozwiak

and consultants voiced concerns, with worries such as: • New York’s hemp farmers’ prolonged struggles with generating profits. • Worries that cannabis cultivation was more labor intensive, followed different growing procedures, and held different standards for products. • Some hemp farms were allegedly more focused on producing biomass instead of top-quality flower. Hemp farmers defended their capabilities, with some of the selected 52 farms asserting that they had the experience, noting their ability to grow various CBD and other high-quality cannabinoid-specific cultivars. By September of that year,

cannabis farmers began harvesting. In the weeks after, reports began to surface that consumers should brace for suboptimal products early on. The anticipated letdowns included lots of biomass and subpar flower, with both lacking the aesthetic qualities associated with cannabis. While biomass was typically used for extraction purposes, the lack of high-quality, visually appealing pot left the initial shops with little quality to attract buyers from unlicensed shops and delivery services. In some cases, farmers admitted to the NYC newsroom Gothamist that their first product season was

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

considered “test runs,” with a few potentially unable to meet the standards of smokable flower. Some letdowns were out of cultivators’ control. Bloomberg reported one of the more glaring missteps in the process is the $750 million of cannabis products with nowhere to be sold. Over several months, New York issued over 200 licenses to farmers to ensure the market never ran out of cannabis like some early market states had done. However, with few stores open to sell to, products remained in storage–giving producers no outlets to legally sell their products. If a company wanted to remain state-compliant,

it had to watch products deteriorate. By early February 2023, consumers had several weeks to sample products from the first two shops opened in the state, both in Manhattan. At that time, more than a few consumers and industry professionals told Cannabis & Tech Today they felt the products were “mids,” with some growers feeling the products reflected what outdoor and loop house grow ops had to offer. Some consumers and industry professionals noted that certain products were enjoyable. Still, with taxes applied, the $68 per eighth price further diminished flower quality compared to other states. The product backlog persisted into the summer. Frustrations boiled over so much that one

// SUSTAINABILITY & CULTIVATION // Presented By Running Off a Cliff

Photo: iStockphoto.com/OlegMalyshev

hemp farmer, Tricolla Farms Founder Brittany Carbone, accused the state of executing the market so poorly that it provided farmers with “a headstart running off a cliff,” reported New York Upstate. In early August, Cannabis & Tech Today spoke with Naturae CEO Nicolas Guarino, whose Jaunty brand operates across several extracted cannabis verticals, including edibles, tinctures, and vape carts. He feels product quality concerns were valid in January, but he said the space has caught up. Jaunty uses cannabis flower sourced from various cultivators to make its products. “The biggest challenge that we’ve had in this transition, it’s just that the market hasn’t opened

up quickly enough,” Guarino said, comparing the state to Missouri, which according to NPR surpassed $1 billion in adult-use sales in May 2023, just three months after sales began. Gothamist reported New York had generated $12 million in sales in its first six months of operation. At this time, it doesn’t matter who created a scenario for subpar products. The market’s initial product was no doubt fumbled, leading to less-than-ideal items hitting sale shelves and scores of products not even reaching stores. All the while, unsold products from New York and out of state have allegedly found themselves in the state’s unlicensed shops,

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

with brands selling products in a bid to turn some profit. Just 23 shops have been licensed and can operate in the state. Hundreds more licensees were in the process of opening in the coming months. However, in late August, the New York State Supreme Court upheld a temporary injunction preventing hundreds of conditional adult-use recreational dispensary (CAURD) operators from opening, with the social equityfocused licensing system being challenged in court. The ruling comes off the heels of a lawsuit filed by four veterans, alleging that the prioritization of drug war victims fails to uphold

the parameters of the state’s Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act. The court decision handed down in mid-August will halt any new shops from opening until at least early- to mid-autumn unless a settlement is reached. As of Aug. 22, 2023, the OCM has four cases pending against them. No matter who’s to blame, New York opened an anticipated $3 billion annual market with biomass and weed that few reputable legal or illegal services would sell. This, along with several other botched rollouts, leaves operators like hemp farmers, CAURD applicants, and scores of other market participants and aspiring parties left to wonder what’s next and if it will ever get any better. ❖

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// FINANCE //

In a Gold Rush, Invest in Shovels

Thinking About Future Opportunities With Cannabis Concentrates By David Traylor

Extraction and processing technologies have played a significant role in the cannabis sector over the last 10 to 15 years. The importance of these technologies to the global cannabis sector is only going to increase over the next five years, which should provide opportunities on many different levels.

Waters was well-positioned to jump into Cannabis after many years of success selling their wares to scientific companies since their founding in 1958. The adoption of these biotechnologies in Cannabis has worked well, although technological improvements in extraction are needed. Also, changes to extraction technology can improve the final resulting concentrate. Interesting work conducted by Jeff Raber, Ph.D., showed that when the same chemovar was extracted using the same technology the two resulting concentrates had different ratios of some of the biological molecules, especially terpenes.

Developing a Consistent Nomenclature GEP initially introduced a new idea on cannabis nomenclature in Miami at Benzinga and presented it formally in Berlin at the Global Investor Forum (GlF) in late June. A cornerstone of the new nomenclature is the fact that cannabis is the genus of this amazing plant. As a result, we believe the term should be capitalized and should be inclusive of all forms of the product, whatever molecules it includes. From that broad perspective, it can be broken down into two categories: THC plus (THC+) companies/products or THC minus (THC-) companies/products. All products and companies fit within these two classifications. As a result, Cannabis will be capitalized for the remaining mentions in this article. Processing Technologies Will Continue to Evolve Supercritical extraction technologies using different solvents have been used since the early days of the modern Cannabis age which started with California’s legalization of medical use in 1996 and accelerated when Colorado and Washington legalized adult use in November 2012. Waters, a leading global supplier of highvalue analytical technologies, was an early adopter and seller of their equipment into Cannabis. 42

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Currently, there are companies with proprietary processing technologies, like Herbolea of Florence, Italy. Herbolea has a technology that doesn’t use any of the typical solvents and results in a concentrate that has a broader molecular profile and retains some of the more volatile compounds. In addition, we expect over time that the final products resulting from bioprocessing will not have improved characteristics, but process yields should improve. History has shown over time that bioprocessing yields with a given technology increase. Overall, technology improvements should result in more cost-effective processing with higher yields and the same, or better, finished product quality.

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Michael Burrell

Adoption of Extraction/Concentrate Technologies Will Increase Over time there is no doubt that extraction/ concentrate technologies will continue to gain relevance in the Cannabis sector. It’s estimated there are more than 150 different cannabinoids. Continued adoption and interest in the

// FINANCE //

Cannabis can be broken down into two categories: THC plus (THC+) companies/products or THC minus (THC-) companies/products. All products and companies fit within these two classifications.

potential of what some call “minor” cannabinoids for different treatments will continue to increase, and these depend upon the use of extraction technologies. Extraction technologies will also be critical to the growth of the international market for Cannabis. The frequency and level of crossborder production, exportation, and importation will continue to increase. Many companies currently exporting Cannabis are shipping it as flower or biomass. Over time, we expect that to change to shipping via concentrate to make it more economically feasible. Finally, innovation will continue to create more products with different ratios and mixtures of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Effective extraction processing of these molecules will be necessary to create these new products. Improved Technologies Will Result in Better Products Due to the relatively nascent nature of the Cannabis sector and the lack of history of applied technology, there is significant room for innovation in extraction technologies. Most form factors using Cannabis are dependent on concentrates — vapes, tinctures, sublinguals, topicals, and edibles. In the future, pre-rolls will be part of that grouping when companies

continue to dope these products with additional molecular concentrates. The continued importance of concentrates in the creation of products will drive innovation. Also, we believe better extraction technologies will result in better concentrates, which in turn will produce better products across all of these form factors. The typical Cannabis plant has over 500 compounds — some of them are quite volatile. Better extraction technologies will maintain many of these hard-to-process natural molecules. The result could be a rapid expansion of product offerings with some very exotic products consisting of combinations of these compounds. Finally, the ability to customize the type and level of specific molecules could be an important advancement toward figuring out the Entourage Effect (the synergistic interaction between cannabinoids) and which molecules may be more important than others. Perspectives on International Investment Opportunities The potential for attractive investment opportunities in extraction and other bioprocessing technologies in Cannabis should manifest over time. Notably, these technologies apply to the entire Cannabis sector, whether it is THC+ or THC- products. With the tough

Golden Eagle Partners Senior Managing Director David Traylor speaking at the International Cannabis Business Conference.

market conditions between these two subsectors over the last five years, diversification of risk across the entire Cannabis sector is a smart approach. Also, companies developing and selling processing technologies are “pick and shovel” companies. Beginning with the Gold Rush in the late 1800s, it’s been proven that investments in companies that provide the enabling tools in a given industry prove to be the most lucrative over time. Another notable aspect is that the resultant extraction and bioprocessing technologies are globally accepted. Many companies, services, and products can’t easily straddle state or national borders. Bioprocessing technologies do not face the same cross-border restrictions as other subsectors in Cannabis. ❖ Vol. 5 / Issue 2 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// LEGISLATION //

Cannabis Clock, Vol. 3 Countdown to Federal Legalization By Andrew Behringer

Federal Updates

California

Photo: iStockphoto.com/drnadig

In the realm of cannabis, the Safe Banking Act is a beacon of hope for this budding industry. Currently, federal restrictions mandate the cannabis industry to operate on a cash-only basis. Cash-only poses operational hurdles and safety risks for businesses. This pivotal bill aims to allow cannabis companies access to FDICinsured banks. A much-needed breakthrough, the passage of this bill would change the industry. With the Senate committee vote on the horizon, the Safe Banking Act stands poised to usher in a new era for the cannabis industry. *Editor’s Note: In late August, the Health and Human Services Department recommended moving cannabis from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule III substance. The Drug Enforcement Administration said it will take up the issue but the review process takes time and will require a public comment period. While it is an exciting development with significant implications for the industry’s tax structure, banking, and ability to conduct research, rescheduling has yet to be enacted. 44

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Ryan Herron

State Updates

Welcome to the latest installment of the Cannabis Clock — Cannabis & Tech Today’s countdown to the federal legalization of cannabis. When the Cannabis Clock reaches midnight, we’ve reached federal legalization. The last time we checked in, it was 11:51 p.m. Now, let’s examine the latest developments at the state and federal levels. These will inform the new clock time … and our new countdown.

California, the first state to legalize medical cannabis, is often considered the industry’s holy grail. However, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the Golden State. A new pathogen called HLVd, or ‘Hop Latent Viroid,’ has recently infiltrated cannabis farms, affecting nearly 90% of them by 2021. This invasive organism, now detected across North America and Europe, has wrought financial damages approximated at around $4 billion.

suffice to adequately protect the industry. By establishing mandatory testing and compliance protocols, California, and others, can solidify its industry leadership while ensuring plant health and economic viability.

Although non-hazardous to humans, HLVd is deeply damaging to cannabis plants, lowering yields and cannabinoid levels. To fight this virus, the cannabis industry urgently requires robust regulations and compliance standards with thorough testing procedures for the plants. Voluntary compliance may not

The state’s new adult-use program sets an example by prioritizing medical patients with various benefits like designated lines, curbside pick-up, access to concentrates, and lower tax rates. Maryland has also demonstrated a strong commitment to social equity in the cannabis industry. A generous $40 million social equity

Maryland has officially joined the states legalizing adult-use cannabis, with impressive sales figures from its inaugural day: $3.5 million from the adult-use market alone and an additional $1 million from medical sales.

WHY THERE IS A GROWING NEED FOR CANNABIS CFOs

COMPLEX FINANCIAL REGULATIONS The cannabis industry operates under complex and ever-evolving financial regulations. Cannabis CFOs are crucial in navigating through these regulations, ensuring compliance, and avoiding legal pitfalls.

FINANCIAL PLANNING AND ANALYSIS As the cannabis industry grows, there is a need for skilled CFOs who can accurately assess financial performance, conduct cost analysis, and develop strategic financial plans to drive profitability and sustainable growth.

CASH MANAGEMENT Due to federal restrictions, many cannabis businesses operate on a cash-only basis. CFOs with expertise in cash management are essential in implementing efficient cash-handling processes, reducing security risks, and ensuring proper documentation for tax and regulatory purposes.

TAX COMPLIANCE The cannabis industry faces unique tax challenges, including 280E limitations and complex state and local tax regulations. Cannabis CFOs help businesses optimize their tax strategies, maximize deductions, and ensure compliance with all tax obligations.

CAPITAL FUNDRAISING AND INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

With the rapid growth of the cannabis industry, CFOs play a critical role in securing capital funding, managing investor relations, and evaluating investment opportunities. Their financial expertise and ability to communicate financial strategies effectively are vital in attracting and retaining investors.

BUSINESS SCALABILITY AND EXPANSION As cannabis businesses expand across regions and enter new markets, CFOs are instrumental in assessing financial feasibility, managing budgeting and forecasting processes, and ensuring efficient financial operations during periods of growth and expansion.

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// LEGISLATION // Cannabis Clock, Vol. 3

Maryland

fund has been established, in addition to an annual $5 million grant program. With such progressive steps and robust social equity support, Maryland is undeniably a state to watch in the cannabis industry. Delaware has become the 22nd state to enact adult-use cannabis legislation, notably without the governor’s signature. This development marks a significant step forward for Delaware’s cannabis industry, despite reservations from the governor. In the previous legislative session, the governor decided to veto the bill that would legalize adult-use cannabis sales. His primary concerns were around the potential impact on Delaware’s children, the safety of roadways, and the wellbeing of the poorest neighborhoods in the state.

Delaware

Minnesota

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Kruck20

Photo: iStockphoto.com/StevenGaertner

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Ultima_Gaina

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Brendan Beale

State Updates

The United States Virgin Islands

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Despite still opposing the legalization of cannabis, he chose not to impede the legislative process any longer. As a result, the bill passed into law without his signature.

way for innovative approaches to cannabis sales. The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) has recently joined the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam to become the third U.S. territory to pass adult-use cannabis legislation. This move is primarily aimed at boosting local tourism, with the governor stating it was essential to “get some money going.” However, success hinges on carefully establishing the necessary infrastructure to ensure the smooth and responsible operation of the cannabis market. With careful planning and commitment to compliance, the cannabis industry can become a significant economic driver for the USVI, boosting local businesses and creating job opportunities.

What Time is It? The evolution of cannabis legislation across America’s states and territories continues to reshape the industry, creating new opportunities and challenges.

Minnesota, the 23rd state to legalize adult-use cannabis, is poised to kick-start its market in August 2023. In a novel move, a tribal nation-owned medical dispensary has announced plans to commence adult-use sales on the same day, despite the delayed availability of licenses.

Hopefully the Safe Banking Act will pass, but there are no guarantees. It has failed before and could fail again. Politics are unpredictable. On the state level, what is happening in California could significantly impact the entire industry. However, with the positive news coming out of new adult-use states, there is forward momentum.

This move echoes the independent cannabis retail programs established by tribal nations in states such as Arizona, Nevada, and New York. The Minnesota scenario presents an opportunity for tribal nations to play a significant role in the adult-use cannabis market and potentially pave the

After examining the information covered in this article, as well as considering the developments throughout the country, the new stage of the cannabis clock is at 11:54 P.M., representing a progress of three minutes forward. Let’s hope for the best, but don’t forget to plan for the worst. Until next time. ❖

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// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS // Presented By

The Fallacy of Full Spectrum … And What One Company is Doing to Fix It By Jessica McKeil

Whistler Technologies President, Daniel Lantela

It’s hard to ignore the fullspectrum obsession that’s currently flooding the cannabis market. Advertised as better and more effective than distillates and isolates, “fuller”-spectrum cannabinoid- and terpene-rich extractions have become the only choice for many. This is doubly true within the cannabidiol (CBD) sector. Yet, the reality is that many fullspectrum products, especially edible options, are glaringly devoid of a robust terpene profile. That’s because, until recently, there were no commercially viable ways to preserve the plant’s natural and highly volatile aromatic profile within an oil, edible, or topical. Now, new technology could upend how we approach fullspectrum edibles. For patients and consumers alike who prefer nonsmokable extracts, Whistler Technologies’ Terp Reactor makes a terpene-rich edible oil possible, simplifying the entire process from wet hash through to final formulation. The Full-Spectrum Fantasy in Edible Oils In the beginning, when the fullspectrum label was first developed, it helped differentiate a phytochemically rich extraction from a distillate one. Over the years, the meaning evolved to

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

speak to the possible synergies between the plant’s cannabinoids and terpenes. According to this idea, a fuller-spectrum product produces greater therapeutic potential. The theory, known as the Entourage Effect, was popularized by Dr. Ethan Russo. It hypothesizes that cannabis’ phytochemical properties are more effective when used together than in isolation. While still in the early days of scientific analysis, it’s been widely adopted as a marketing tactic, especially in the CBD market. Full-spectrum oil has quickly become the bread and butter of the CBD industry — and it’s working. According to a survey by the Brightfield Group, a whopping 82% of CBD consumers surveyed preferred full- or broad-spectrum (THC-removed) products over isolates. But with literally thousands of full-spectrum options flooding the market and little to no regulated definition, this label has quickly become superfluous. Unlike more robust product labels, like organic, there are no industry guidelines for slapping the term “full spectrum” on cannabis-derived products. Consumers may find the promise of full spectrum appealing, but there are few brands out there with genuinely

full-spectrum products. What’s missing? In a word, terpenes. You’d be hard-pressed to find a full-spectrum CBD oil with a colorful terpene profile. Or a truly full-spectrum edible. Of course, live-flower processing and solventless extraction have helped improve terpene retention for the smokable recreational market, but there has never been a scalable solution for creating full-spectrum edibles and topicals. Most are still produced with distillate or isolates; when not, the terpenes are largely destroyed during the standard ethanol or CO2 extraction processes. Terpenes Missing From the Full-Spectrum Promise Even though full spectrum is presumed to be more effective, patients who choose (or require) edibles and topicals instead of inhalables have been, for the most part, excluded from these benefits. Sure, there are terpene-rich live rosin dabs and vape pens, but vaping and smoking aren’t always great options in the medicinal world. It’s a full-spectrum conundrum that has been on Daniel Lantela’s radar since 2015. As CSO for Whistler Medical Marijuana Corp., and now president and founder of Whistler Technologies, he’s dedicated the last eight years

// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS //

For patients and consumers alike who prefer non-smokable extracts, Whistler Technologies’ Terp Reactor makes a terpene-rich edible oil possible, simplifying the entire process from wet hash through to final formulation.

to developing a viable way to create a truly full-spectrum, terpene-rich cannabis oil — and to do so at scale. When he first began working on this problem, Canada’s medical program didn’t allow for the production of smokable extractions. So at first, Lantela and his team wanted to develop a better edible oil than what was available at the time. But this mission quickly became more than just a regulatory workaround. Among patients and consumers seeking a non-inhalable experience, Lantela discovered an eager market for a fuller-spectrum edible experience. So, at a time when there were no commercially available technologies capable of preserving a rich terpene profile in oils, the Whistler Technologies Terp Reactor was born. Full-Spectrum Oils Are Getting an Upgrade The simplicity of the Terp Reactor belies its innovation. For the edible and oil manufacturer, it removes a significant number of steps between extraction and final formulation. As Lantela explained, “Instead of drying the cannabis and doing a solvent extraction, then dewaxing and dissolving it back into oil, we’re just taking the trichomes off the plant and putting them right into the oil.”

The wet hash goes straight into the Terp Reactor. No drying or freeze-drying is required. The Reactor then gently mixes water, hash, and a hydrophobic, nonvolatile carrier oil (like MCT oil) under carefully controlled conditions to capture terpenes and ensure consistent decarboxylation. For perhaps the first time in the industry, it’s now possible to consistently infuse the live properties of flower into an oil and do so at scale. Once decanted from the Reactor, it’s ready to use and can be further formulated into topicals, other edibles, sublinguals, and suppositories. A Fuller Spectrum for Greater Therapeutic Effect The terpene profile of Terp Reactor oils rivals that of live rosin. According to Lantela, at Whistler Technologies’ sister company, Earth Wolf Farms, they “usually see a 10:1 or a 5:1 cannabinoid-to-terpene ratio in our live rosins, and we see the same thing in our oils.” Remarkably, the Terp Reactor typically produces a higher terpene ratio than what is found in dried cannabis flower. Circling back to patients and the therapeutic potential of the Entourage Effect, Lantela believes

such a robust terpene-rich profile could unlock medical benefits that the current body of scientific research has failed to capture. As an example, he cited a 2018 study in Biochemical Pharmacology, which compared the anti-tumor effects of a pure THC extraction to a “botanical” ethanol extraction prepared from live cannabis flower. The study found an entourage effect, yet the researchers determined terpenes could not be directly attributed to these effects. But, the botanical extraction had a cannabinoid-to-terpene ratio greater than 100:1. What would happen if this same study was replicated with a terpene-rich oil containing 10:1? As Lantela points out, studies like this are worth a redo with the fullspectrum oils now possible via the Terp Reactor. Transforming Edibles Into Full-Spectrum Experience With consumers in both the recreational and medical sides of the market increasingly using flavor and aroma to drive their purchasing decision, Whistler Technologies’ Terp Reactor has arrived at a pivotal moment for producers. By simplifying the processing, it protects the profile and delivers on the promise of a full-spectrum edible. ❖ Vol. 5 / Issue 2 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS // Presented By

Hittin’ the Books By Tami Kamin Meyer

In 2014, when Max Simon noticed how complicated it was for cannabis entrepreneurs to understand and implement compliance regulations, he decided to do something about it. He established Green Flower, a comprehensive, on-demand training platform specifically for the cannabis industry. “A Compliance Training Mandate is part of licensing requirements,” he said. What makes it that much more difficult for cannabis professionals to comply is that laws regarding compliance training differ in all states. “I hope federal reform will bring a unified philosophy to compliance training,” said Simon. Dale Sky Jones, executive chancellor of Oaksterdam University, agrees. Oaksterdam launched the United States’ first formalized educational program for the cannabis industry in 2007. The absence of federal oversight is a challenge for the marijuana industry, so Jones advises cannabis entrepreneurs to “Set up your business based on federal standards because they will be here someday. For example, federal regulations already in effect govern labor law, product testing, and labeling requisites for companies nationwide for consumer health and safety. Therefore, it is advantageous to comply with those regulations at the outset of establishing a cannabis business rather than playing ‘catch-up’ later and risking it.” “One thousand to $1,500 in additional costs to meet federal standards versus not complying can

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Max Simon, Green Flower

lead to huge fines and costly penalties,” said Jones. But, she laments, the current protocol for compliance training is not industry-friendly. “Usually, compliance companies only offer training to owner-operators after licensing, but that’s too late. Compliance is elementary for a cannabis company from day one,” she said. Compliance training is currently aimed at owners, but employees in a cannabis entity need to be educated about it, too, said Jones. “Unless a person is already hired and then trained through the company on compliance and other requisite matters, there is no outside way to train jobseekers under current rules,” Jones said. How Tech is Leveling the Playing Field Technology is at the heart of how Green Flower operates. “Green Flower saw this huge challenge. Using technology, we developed a curriculum customized to each state for (cannabis) operators,” said

Photo: Chris Vicari Photography

Technology an Increasingly Important Tool in Compliance Education

Simon. After that, Simon’s entity earned accreditation in all 50 states “so Green Flower can be the training compliance partner for operations across the country.” Green Flower delivers its educational offerings via e-technology. “Our sophisticated e-learning curriculum is 100% online,” he said. The online platform generates reports about people’s progress and issues digital badges to reward students for their accomplishments. “We use all forms of technology to deliver a quality program,” said Simon. Technology has also enabled Green Flower to establish partnerships with universities across the country for its cannabis education curriculum. “We use our materials with a school’s brand, supervision, and oversight,” Simon said. Its newest higher education partners include Gonzaga University, Louisiana State University, and The University of Arizona.

// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS // Presented By Hittin’ the Books

Degrees and Certificates | Scottsdale Community College

https://www.scottsdalecc.edu/degrees-certificates/business-entrepreneurialism-and-management/cannabis-business-fundamentals-5929n-ccl

allowing a digital-based curriculum to be shared across Learning Management Systems (“LMS”). That allows academic programs to use OU’s curricula as a basis for their programs, like Highland College in Illinois.

Green Flower is seeking to establish university partnerships with schools in all 50 states. “It brings credibility to have a mainstream university help develop the workforce,” he said. Scottsdale Community College was the first public university in Arizona to offer a certificate in cannabis, said Dr. Bobra Crockett, residential faculty and cannabis business program director. It offered its first non-credit beta class in January 2021 based on the belief that Arizona voters would approve recreational cannabis in the November 2020 election. Arizonans did. A student can earn a certificate in Cannabis Business Fundamentals after successfully completing four online courses. They are: Introduction to Cannabis; Social Equity and Current Issues; Legal and Regulatory Environment, including Compliance; and

(Left) Dr. Bobra Crockett, residential faculty and cannabis business program director, Scottsdale Community College and (right) Dale Sky Jones, executive chancellor of Oaksterdam University.

Supply Chain Management. Currently, Scottsdale’s cannabis curriculum is accredited only in the state of Arizona, so out-ofstate students are generally not accepted. However, the school does offer a non-credit course for out-of-staters open to anyone in the U.S. Classes use the Canvas management learning system and include videos, podcasts, and guest speakers, said Crockett. The school began offering its cannabis certificate in Fall 2022 and celebrated its first graduates in May 2023.

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

While Crockett and fellow administrators have discussed offering the cannabis curriculum in person, the school’s research indicates online courses are “trending,” she said. The Pros and Cons of Online Education “The pandemic forced a lot of transitions. It was painful at the moment but I’m glad,” said Jones. It forced her and her colleagues to overhaul and reimagine their programs. One significant change brought on by the pandemic is converting Oaksterdam’s curricula into SCORM format, which are files

While online education is a convenience for many, it isn’t for everyone. “The digital and experience divide in our student base is huge. Our student body ranges in age from 18 to 96 years old,” she said. Jones notes that some students in the school’s Social Equity program were incarcerated, so they have little computer experience. To counter that, “we are regularly trying to instill best practices as a standard,” she said. Oaksterdam’s cannabis education program taps into technology in various ways. In addition to a fully interactive experience over Zoom with subject matter expert faculty and other students, plus a fulsome LMS for self-paced programs, the school offers a full-blown Employer Toolkit for compliance. The kit features templates for various videos and checklists a cannabis operator needs to ensure their venture meets compliance regulations in areas such as hiring, onboarding, documentation, and exit strategies. “We utilize various technological platforms so employers can plug-in and play. Technology gives us the opportunity to try and fail. A sandbox to test systems is key,” Jones said. ❖

// SOCIAL IMPACT //

Mental Bondage

New York’s Stagnating Equity Program Keeps Applicants in Limbo By Ebby Stone New York City has a culture all its own. It feels massive, yet it’s just a tiny island. It’s impersonal and overwhelming but surprisingly intimate. For an outsider, it’s hard to imagine finding a sense of community amid high rises and countless strolling strangers. For NYC residents though, there’s a connectedness and a fierce loyalty to the neighborhoods they call home. As the state started rolling out its legal cannabis program, it became the focal point of significant hype, on its way to becoming the nation’s largest cannabis economy. While this will almost undoubtedly still prove to be true, the way the state launched its legal program left many residents frustrated and out of patience. The Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) program, meant to bolster communities and help those most in need, has stalled. Only 23 of the 463 dispensaries licensed have opened since the recreational market launched in December, according to New York Public Radio’s Gothamist. The rest of the licensees and applicants are in limbo. The delay is all the more painful when would-be legal operators have to watch unlicensed dispensaries earn millions selling imported, untested products from other states. In September, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) voted to expand the state’s adult-use licenses to the general public starting in October. CAURD licensees have been unable to sign leases or open shops since May due to pending lawsuits against the CAURD program. As a result, new applicants will not be required to qualify for the CAURD program. Shanduke McPhatter, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes Inc. (G-MACC), is unimpressed with NY’s approach. “It’s terrible, the lack of communication from OCM. It’s just turmoil for 54

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

went in, there was never nothing positive offered to me. There was no mediation, there was no nothing. It was just support for violence and crime.” G-MACC works to break the cycle of violence and incarceration by offering workshops and mentoring events to former inmates. Its programs center around gun and gang violence prevention. McPhatter sees the legal cannabis industry as an opportunity for people in his community to learn a trade that could create generational wealth. Shanduke McPhatter, Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes Inc. (G-MACC)

a person who has put everything there to focus on that. You put in your application, you’re going to get business deals and leases — and OCM can’t even tell you where the application is. It says ‘still processing.’ That’s it. Once they say they got it, that same screen is all you see the whole time. This is months now. I don’t think that’s savvy tech.” McPhatter launched G-MACC to help create opportunities for young people in his community. “I wanted to bring something to my community that I felt if I had, then I would never have went through the things that I went through.” McPhatter started selling cannabis at a young age, living what he referred to as the “gangster lifestyle” to survive. McPhatter emphasized that Brooklyn didn’t hold much promise for a young man with few economic prospects. By the time he was 16, McPhatter was in prison on Rikers Island. “From 16 to 30, I went back and forth. I was arrested many times and did two state bids. But each time I came home, I came home to the same negative opportunities. And before I even

“I have children that I want to pass cannabis down to as well. In alcohol, there are a lot of billionaire families passing down businesses that wouldn’t have had a chance when alcohol prohibition was here. But their families worked hard to say, ‘Okay, now you don’t even know what we had to go through for us to pass this down to you.’ I want to be able to tell that story to my children, but pass them down the business of cannabis, to be able to sustain my grandchildren, great [grandchildren], and so on, and be able to have my mission of helping the community through cannabis.” New York’s licensing process set out to create opportunities for underprivileged groups. Equity applicants under the CAURD program include those most impacted by cannabis convictions, minority- or women-owned businesses, distressed farmers, and servicedisabled veterans. This is a vision that, if rolled out properly, could have huge implications for many New York communities. Khari Edwards, head of corporate responsibility at AYR Wellness, believes in that vision. As the former vice president of external affairs at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn, Edwards saw his community bankrupted by a web of intersecting

// SOCIAL IMPACT //

with other social services, facilitated by the housing department and career counseling providers. An event he helped coordinate in New Jersey earlier this year drew more than 200 attendees. “In New Jersey, everything’s online. You could file for the certificate online, and most people — boom — expunged right at that moment,” Edwards beamed.

Shanduke McPhatter launched his non-profit G-MACC to help create opportunities for young people in his community. He feels the cannabis industry will bring jobs and generational wealth to areas most impacted by the war on drugs. Khari Edwards (right) is the head of corporate responsibility at AYR Wellness.

sociological issues. He felt the neighborhoods he served didn’t have access to preventative care or primary care providers, so the emergency room became the only option. “The emergency room broke the hospital because the reimbursement rates in hospitals were 40 cents to the dollar. So if you come into the emergency room and it costs the hospital $1,000, we’re getting $400. So how do we pay for salaries? How do we pay for lights? So I started to see how healthcare played a real impact in overall communities.”

He added, “When you don’t have a healthy community, it’s because you don’t have jobs, because you don’t have education, you don’t have resources.” He saw legal cannabis as an opportunity to bring those assets into the communities he was serving. Edwards started offering expungement clinics to help non-violent cannabis offenders. After a few poorly attended events, he realized he needed to offer more services to entice attendees. He paired the expungement clinics

He has an eye for finding the relationships between people and the political and social constructs that create their circumstances. “One thing I learned in my government/ hospital life, there’s something called a public charge. That public charge means that you have people in your community who are taking public money based on needs that they shouldn’t have. So now somebody with a record is a public charge because you have to increase social service support for them because they can’t get a job. Or you have to find a way to get them in housing or your homeless population goes up. So when you want to reduce that public charge, give people a chance to be free.” He added, “I use that word ‘free’ legitimately because you’re captive. You may not be physically in bondage, but you’re mentally in bondage.” The CAURD applicants who received licenses in the early days of the program are struggling to stay afloat. Many are paying rents or mortgages on unused buildings, begging investors not to jump ship, and signing over future profits for financial help today. While New York’s equity program could become a shining example across the country, for now, many applicants will remain in mental bondage until regulators and politicians can break their chains. ❖ Vol. 5 / Issue 2 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT: PACIFIC NORTHWEST // Presented by

Cannabis in

a i d a c s a C The Pacific Northwest is Still America’s Cannabis Coast Section Compiled by Hal Bishop

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Eric Barrett

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

// REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT: PACIFIC NORTHWEST //

The Pacific Northwest is arguably the best climate in the country for growing cannabis. Its fertile soils, abundant moisture, and 200+ days of sunshine offer ideal conditions for agriculture. The region is a major agricultural hub in the United States, known for its production of cannabis, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.

area leads the nation in sustainable agriculture. Many farmers in the region use organic farming practices, which help protect the environment. The PNW is also home to innovative agricultural technologies, such as vertical farming, hydroponics, and even aeroponics (adapted from NASA technology).

Three states make up the PNW: Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Depending on who you ask, the northern tip of California is also included. The

Many growers feel crushed by high taxes, oversupply, and fierce competition. But despite these legitimate concerns, the region is still home to some of

the earliest legal marketplaces in the country with the highest quality cannabis in America, and some would argue, in the world. It’s likely that if interstate commerce were federally legal, cannabis from the PNW would be sought after nationwide. Entrepreneurs in established cannabis economies have had years to refine their products and create innovative solutions for some of the industry’s problems. New technologies and services from the area are

spreading coast to coast and ancillary, non-plant-touching companies are reaping the rewards. While agriculture is a vital part of the economy, technology and innovation are a huge part of the PNW’s prosperity. In this Regional Spotlight, Cannabis & Tech Today will explore some of the companies and technologies ensuring the PNW remains America’s Cannabis Coast.

Vol. 5 / Issue 2 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT: PACIFIC NORTHWEST // Presented by

Solventless

Solutions Bringing Clean Concentrates to Market, Affordably Sticky, gooey, golden concentrates are a marvel. A highquality concentrate amplifies terpenes and cannabinoids, elevating taste and potency. Today’s manufacturers are taking the craft of distillation to new heights, leveraging modern and time-tested technologies to enhance the plant’s best qualities. The Pacific Northwest (PNW), with more than a decade of legal cannabis, is at the forefront of concentrate innovation. There are three methods for creating concentrates: solvent, solventless, and solvent free. Many producers in the PNW prefer solventless extraction because it offers a cleaner, more sustainable final product due to the absence of harsh chemicals or complex machinery. Guy Rocourt, founder of Guy Rocourt Consulting, feels the PNW is at the heart of cannabis production and culture. “These regions have a rich history and deeply rooted cannabis culture that contributed significantly to the industry’s development,” he told Cannabis & Tech Today. Rocourt is an expert in solventless extraction methods. He’s spent the last twenty years advocating for the plant and studying concentrates.

As co-founder and CEO of Papa & Barkley, a California-based cannabis company, Rocourt realized solventless extracts were the most direct route to creating clean wellness products for his customers. Now, he’s offering other companies his expertise to help build their solventless brands. He’s consulted for some of the PNW’s largest operators. He says Guy Rocourt Consulting is “pushing back against the industry trend of reducing cannabis to isolated active pharmaceutical ingredients (distillate).” Three Approaches to Concentrates While solventless techniques offer lower yields, they preserve a fuller spectrum of the plant thanks to gentler processing methods. Solvent-based extraction chemically strips THC and CBD from the trichome heads. These oils are then separated from the solvent and recombined with terpenes to create commercialgrade concentrates. This process often leaves residual solvents in the final product, impacting taste and creating unhealthy by-products for consumers. Solvent-free products are made the same way but are further distilled to remove trace

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Guy Rocourt

chemicals. Terpenes are added after the final distillation to impart flavor and aroma. Solventless extraction, conversely, preserves the trichomes and separates them from the rest of the plant. These collected trichome heads are then pressed into rosin, with no need to add flavonoids or remove lingering chemicals. The resulting product is a true full-spectrum material, indicative of the original strain’s smell, taste, and effects. Consider this. You love a certain strain, let’s say it’s Ice Cream Cake. This award-winning strain is beloved for its strongly sedative effects and vanilla aromatics, evocative of a sugary dough. Medical users appreciate its

// REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT: PACIFIC NORTHWEST //

Mountaintop Extracts, 7c-Slurricane Concentrates

Nature’s Heritage, Live Rosin

Nature’s Heritage, Bubble Hash

calming influence for treating pain and anxiety. Now, imagine a commercial manufacturer takes leftover material from different strains, mixes it into butane, and creates a flavorless distillate. To make this distillate fly off the shelves, the producer tosses in vanilla and sugar terpenes and labels the resulting oil “Ice Cream Cake.” Seems a bit deceptive, doesn’t it?

Baskets containing rosin dabbables had an average basket size 46% higher than the nonrosin-buyer’s average basket size. It’s insights like this that drive Rocourt’s consulting business. He understands the value solventless products bring to dispensaries and says his clients are often surprised to hear they can maintain profits without opting for large-scale, solvent-based solutions.

processes. The volatile nature of solvent-based extraction techniques can also play a role in zoning restrictions.

As a medical user, you might rely on the effects of the original strain and find yourself confused as to why this inexpensive vape cart tastes right but doesn’t feel the same as the gorgeous flower of the same name. This is why solventless concentrates are special.

“Clients often inquire about how we can maintain reasonable profit margins with lower extraction rates from solventless methods.” He explained, “Solventless extractions indeed yield less compared to high-tech methods, but we emphasize maximizing the goodness from the plant through these techniques, which we believe justifies the effort and will be valued by the customer, especially when educated about the many benefits of solventless products.”

Rocourt weighed in on this contrast. “While many in the industry settle for standard products with isolated active ingredients like THC or CBD, we keep the ‘plant’ in plant medicine. We achieve this by using solventless extraction methods that retain the full spectrum of plant material, including cannabinoids and terpenes.” Advantages for Retailers Solventless concentrates are the oldest form of extracts; traditional hash has been created and traded for thousands of years. Newer solventless products, like live rosin, are quickly gaining popularity, especially in mature markets. Data analytics company BDSA found solventless products drive higher basket sizes in dispensaries. 60

Presented by

Solventless Production It’s not just customers who benefit from solventless concentrates. For producers, solventless extraction equipment offers comparatively low start-up costs. A manufacturer could create a solventless facility for thousands of dollars, whereas a butane or carbon dioxide equivalent could cost hundreds of thousands. Safety regulations are another consideration. Solvent-based extraction facilities are closely regulated due to potentially dangerous materials and

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Cannabis consumers and manufacturers are becoming smarter with every passing year of the legalized industry. But as cannabis moves further away from being a “movement” and closer to becoming an “industry” like any other, Rocourt hopes people won’t forget about the plant’s roots. “I established my consulting company to counteract the industry’s downward spiral towards commoditization. We’re advocating for the preservation of whole plant medicine, sharing knowledge that leads to more effective products for consumers while enabling businesses to meet their KPIs. Our mission is to ensure the cannabis industry retains the plant in plant medicine, even as it gains legality. We are fundamentally focused on advocacy.” As operators in the PNW strive to differentiate themselves in fiercely competitive marketplaces, keeping production costs low and quality high will be paramount to success. Solventless extracts are one area where this is possible, offering strong margins with minimal processing costs. With the country’s most educated customers, concentrates are a key segment for growth opportunities.❖

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// COVER STORY //

Vibe With Your Tribe How Puffco CEO Roger Volodarsky is Building a Community Through Hash

By Charles Warner and Patricia Miller

Photos: Courtesy of Puffco

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

// COVER STORY //

While Cannabis & Tech Today covers many brands at the forefront of innovation, few announcements excite this author as much as Puffco’s. The brand changed the concentrate experience with its creations, allowing users to enjoy concentrates without the stigma often associated with dabbing. In this interview with Puffco Founder and CEO Roger Volodarsky, he explores what inspired him to take concentrate consumption to the next level and how this revelatory experience is connecting him with a likeminded community that’s elevating the hash space to a more refined, precise realm. He shares ten years of insights around consumer preferences, the evolution of hash, and what it means to finally find your tribe. Cannabis & Tech Today: As far as the consumer’s taste from 2013 to now, what kind of trends are you noticing? RV: I think the most exciting part of contemporary hash is the constant evolution. So year one, I started in the cannabis space and the only thing we know concentrates as, except for traditional hash, is what we were calling wax, which we then learned was [butane hash oil] B. H. O. Year two, live resin becomes a thing. Now, they’re freezing the flower before they process it. Then the next year, distillate became a thing. Distillate was not popular at all and it just hit the scene. The year after that, flower rosin happens, and the year after that hash rosin happens. This whole time, while all that is going on, we see the way people consume and the devices they use

constantly evolve to focus on flavor, to focus on vapor. Then we hit this pivotal moment where people discover that lowtemperature dabbing is a thing and no longer do you just have to torch until something is red, and then cough for an hour, and go through all this process. Now it’s easier to do and you’re getting way more flavor and your high is not intense anymore. It’s actually more pleasurable. The past 10 years, I could probably spend an hour talking about how every single year there is a leap, and this is still happening today … The story of cannabis as it relates to hash, to me is the fastest-growing innovative area of cannabis. It’s also the fastest growing in terms of community. But to be in the contemporary hash space is to exist in a space that is constantly evolving. It’s constantly getting better, and it always feels that the future is more promising than today. C&T Today: What do you wish that people understood about concentrates that maybe they don’t? RV: There’s a lot of preexisting perceptions about concentrates, and I don’t think a lot of it is positive. If we look at traditional hash, it has been vilified across the world. Even though you can go to almost any place in the world and find it, it has been extremely vilified and people have seen it close to other drugs that are super addictive and hard, like heroin and opium. So there’s that stigma that comes from the old world, but then contemporary hash hit the scene in the early 2010s, which is what Puffco was born out of. Those days were filled with lots of videos of people taking these

Roger Volodarsky (left) founded Puffco in 2013 with a mission to create better devices for concentrate users. Ten years later, Puffco is one of the most technologically advanced dab device manufacturers in the country.

really big rips on red hot nails, coughing their brains out, some of them passing out. And that only reinforced this perspective that concentrates are extremely strong and for people looking to get blasted, not just a little bit high, not for medicine, you’re using it to get absolutely ripped. That’s just not where it is today. Where it started, I think a lot of us fell in love with concentrates because we were able to get a more intense high than we were from flower. But over time, with the introduction of low-temp dabbing, I found that I actually turned to concentrates fully in

2015. It was an era where we were calling flower pre-run, meaning something that had not yet been turned into hash. The reason I loved it was not for its potency, but actually for the control I got over my high. If I take a low-temp dab, the onset of effects comes faster and it goes away faster. When it goes away, it’s leaving me with a less residual stoniness or being burned out. For the people who think concentrates are this intense thing for super users, they’re really for people who want better control over their high, specifically those who are using during the day.

Vol. 5 / Issue 2 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// COVER STORY // Vibe With Your Tribe

If you’re smoking at night, it’s fine, but if you need to smoke midday and recover and do your job or have conversations and be responsible, I think it’s most effective for that. If you’re looking for the nuance and flavor of the plant, it is no better represented anywhere than it is in contemporary hash. The number one thing I want people to know is you can turn to concentrates for intensity, but more and more these days, people are turning to it for flavor and control over how high they can get. So I wish more people knew that and just didn’t see it as this crazy super user thing that it sometimes has the perception of being. C&T Today: How does Puffco continue to innovate as a techforward cannabis company? How do you transform your ideas into reality? RV: I’m not an engineer, I’m not a designer … I tried hiring a few engineers early on and it felt like I would give them my ideas and I would never see anything that truly reflected it. That changed when I hired our first lead engineer, Avi Bajpai. He’s currently our chief technology officer. He started at the company with one junior engineer and today we have around 15 mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, software designers, and industrial designers. And now we have a crazy process for designing products that has a lot of thought. But really where it all starts is with the experience, the feeling you get from the dab is priority number one. Everything else comes down to how we want it to look. How do we want users to engage with it? What stigmas are we trying to dissolve through design? But

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

“ For the people who think concentrates are this intense thing for super users, they’re really for people who want better control over their high.”

// COVER STORY // Vibe With Your Tribe

The new Puffco Peak Pro (above) and the Puffco Proxy (far right) are just a few of the company’s innovative offerings. Each device can be paired with custom glass to create unique, functional art.

nothing is more important to Puffco than the experience you get when you engage with contemporary hash. You can see that through the evolution of — what I’ll call to your readers — our engine, which is our atomizers or our chambers, they’re constantly evolving. It’s almost every year or every two years we’re coming out with a new technology that can vaporize your hash better. One of the biggest leaps we made was with our 3D Chamber, where we effectively completely changed how hash oil was being heated. Previously, it was heated from the bottom. That’s just how everybody knew to do it. And we said we don’t want to heat from the bottom anymore. We want to heat from the sides. We don’t want heat where the oil is static. We want heat where the oil goes when you inhale. And so we completely rethought how oil should be vaporized and made sure that it’s something that would give people the feeling that, “Oh my God, this is a level up from where I was before.” C&T Today: What do you think regulators are getting wrong when it comes to this industry? 66

RV: I think regulation is a challenging thing because you have people who are learning about something, then trying to regulate, and that to me is the biggest problem with regulation. Not to say that these politicians are evil or they’re out to get us, they just don’t understand and they’re trying to keep people safe from a state of ignorance. That to me is the biggest problem when it comes to regulation and compliance. A perfect example of this is potency caps. For some politicians, it’s become a new vehicle for fear and outrage or saying that potency caps are something that need to happen when it’s actually harmful to people. You have a lot of veterans out there that need high-potency product to use. Also, with devices like Puffco devices, you can get something that is high potency and control the effects that it has on you. Also, the human endocannabinoid system can only absorb so many cannabinoids at any given time. So putting a potency cap on something, it’s something you don’t need to do because the body naturally does it.

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

You can only get so high, nobody is going to the point where it’s turning toxic. It’s just going to get them a little bit sleepy, maybe a little bit paranoid, but it won’t hurt them. The problem with this is people hear the word strength, and when you relate strength to a lot of other substances, you’re talking about toxicity. If you’re talking about alcohol, too much alcohol can kill you. If you’re talking about Tylenol, too much Tylenol can kill you. We don’t have this understanding of cannabis as something that there’s almost no way to get too much of. It’s not the same as everything else. Unless you have the approach of curiosity, “I’m here to understand why people are using this; what does it mean to them?” You’re not going to create good regulation. You have to approach it with curiosity. And unfortunately, that is typically not the path of regulators. For some of them, it is. There are people out there that are so curious. I think Colorado has been a state that has done a great job trying to understand the needs of growers, entrepreneurs, and consumers, and providing a safe regulated market that also has

great tax benefits to the state. I think some markets do well, but if they’re here to regulate and not understand, that is going to harm the space as a whole. C&T Today: After 10 years in business, what are you most proud of? RV: I am proud of the community we created … When we started this journey, we felt like outsiders. These days we feel like we’re at home, at home within the greater community, at home within our niche, concentrate, contemporary hash community. We’re seeing all walks of life connect through the same thing that we all love and that’s contemporary hash. And if there’s any honor or privilege that I feel I have, it’s sharing and contributing to a large community of like-minded individuals coming from all walks of life. That’s my absolute favorite thing. There’s nothing better that I could think of than that, and that also includes this Puffco community of employees that I feel really pushes the limits of what’s possible in technological and human development. Community is at the core of what we love, what we grow, and what we’re here for. ❖

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// MEDIA+ENTERTAINMENT //

Growing Coast to Coast How Belushi’s Farm is Making Something Special in 14 States and Growing By Patricia Miller Photo courtesy of Belushi's Farm/Tyler Maddox

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

// MEDIA+ENTERTAINMENT //

met Jim Belushi for the first time in 2019 at his riverside farmhouse in southern Oregon. Belushi’s cousin Chris greeted me at the airport and drove me to the farm where Jim met me outside, a half-smoked cigar between his fingers and an inviting smile on his face. Belushi’s Farm was just finding its footing, and he graciously took me on a tour of the property, from barns to greenhouses, lingering eagerly over his favorite cultivars. It’s easy to fall in love with this region of Oregon. Its climate is ideal for cannabis production, offering gentle rain storms and cool breezes, even during the height of summer.

of Photo courtesy

ler Maddox Belushi’s Farm/Ty

It’s inspiring to see how the farm has grown and changed, implementing newer technologies into the greenhouses and bringing in a larger staff to tend to an expansive variety of cultivars. Belushi’s Farm has grown from one license in Oregon to 14 licenses across the country. In this interview, Belushi shares how he’s adapting to growth and what’s changed for the farm as it’s matured into a multistate headquarters with a full-time film crew. Growing Belushi wrapped its third season earlier this year, offering viewers a glimpse into the industry with a bit of reality TV mixed in. This interview is adapted from Episode 132 of Cannabis Tech Talks. Listen to the full episode at cannatechtoday.com/podcasts or visit the Cannabis & Tech Today YouTube channel to see the interview in action. Cannabis & Tech Today: What have you found most rewarding about sharing Growing Belushi with the world? JB: Well, there are a lot of people out there who are still very ignorant about cannabis, intelligent people who just don’t know anything about it. The most rewarding thing is bringing on new consumers and giving them a little confidence. The whole purpose is to bring confidence to cannabis. So I think

Vol. 5 / Issue 2 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// MEDIA+ENTERTAINMENT // Growing Coast to Coast

Photo courtesy of Belushi’s Farm/Tyler Maddox

the most rewarding thing is seeing people be educated a little bit, bringing their confidence up to take a shot at it. C&T Today: Growing Belushi is available on cable and streaming channels. I think it’s important for viewers to have access to it that way, where they can watch on their own time without feeling judged for being curious about something that has been considered taboo for so long. JB: Yeah, and the show is not about stoners. Nobody’s getting high on my show. It’s not like

we’re sitting around smoking grass. It’s really about the industry. It’s about the struggle in the industry, and it’s about the medicine. You can’t make a lot of claims on TV; they cut a lot of stuff out where we were talking about how it helps people. Discovery doesn’t want to get a lawsuit. Last season we did a whole section on making [Rick Simpson Oil]. And we had to cut out the special ingredient and couldn’t claim it helped with cancer. I think they ended up cutting the whole thing. But again,

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

those kinds of things I’ve saved and put them on YouTube. There is so much material we shot that the parameters of Discovery wouldn’t allow, but on YouTube you can put it up. So I’m starting a YouTube channel with the extra episodes, with extra scenes that were cut out.

got from these young people about cannabis. They were saying things that were said in the United States in the 60s.

C&T Today: How are you seeing international perceptions change around cannabis?

“Oh, it leads to harder drugs!” I was shocked. There is a prevailing sentiment that is still present on that side of the world about cannabis. So the more TV shows we do, the more press we do … It’s floating it up, but I think it’s still slow.

JB: We shot something where I went and spoke at a school. These young people — college age — I couldn’t believe the blowback I

C&T Today: Belushi’s Farm is now licensed in 14 states. What’s been the biggest change during that evolution?

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// MEDIA+ENTERTAINMENT // Growing Coast to Coast

Photo cour tesy

JB: We had choices, in every state, of different growers. I have to go down there and check it out to make sure their context is right, that they’re on the medicine trail and not just on the money trail.

there and most, if not all, are in it for a reason. I have to make sure in every state that they’re doing it the way I believe, but I’ve learned a lot from them, too. It’s fun collaborating with them.

[We] make sure their standing operating procedures are similar to ours. Checking out their equipment, making sure they have dehumidifiers. Checking out their grow, checking out how they process it, and what they’re manufacturing. Some of them are manufacturing fantastic edibles. There are some great cooks out

On the show we go through in Massachusetts and make brick hash and do the whole process. We’ve got this guy, Vinny, he’s a scientist. Hell, that brick hash is fabulous. It’s selling out everywhere in the state, and it’s like, “Wow, can we bring this brick hash and this formulation processing to Shelbyville in

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

Illinois?” What’s difficult is a lot of travel.

of Belushi ’s Farm/Tyl er Maddo x

C&T Today: Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers?

you can’t exist without him. That’s just not true. Sometimes you get rid of a grower, get a new one, and suddenly things really bloom. So don’t be afraid.

JB: Well, to the industry folks, don’t give up. Hold on. And don’t be afraid to fire your grower. There are a lot of growers out there, good ones. Growers are like chefs, temperamental. Everybody asks me what’s my number one advice for someone that’s growing, my number one advice is don’t be afraid to fire your grower. Don’t let him box you in a position where

To the high-end consumer, we’re bringing great weed to your state because the birth of it’s in Oregon. When they break down those federal lines and we can ship it, it’s going to be Napa wine. We grow the greatest cannabis. I don’t know, it’s the air, it’s the water. It’s like pizza crust and bagels in New York. It’s like, why is it so good there? It’s the water. ❖

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// MEDIA+ENTERTAINMENT //

By Veronica Castillo

Baton Rouge, Louisiana is a city that historically has been ranked as having “one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes.” According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “out of every 100,000 Black adults, only 380 become business owners.” Dreka Gates is one of those business owners. She was born and raised in Baton Rouge and always knew she would be successful. Gates is a determined and ambitious strategist. She didn’t cave when things didn’t work as planned or when her support system faded. Instead, Gates turned her disappointment into passion and used that passion as fuel. She became a boss: owner of multiple businesses, social media influencer, model, YouTuber, and gardener. Instead of giving up, she started building empires. In less than two decades, Gates has built an impressive business portfolio. She is the co-founder and co-owner of the Bread Winners’ Association music label, which manages several musical artists. She’s released EPs, albums, and mixtapes, and has taken performers from $250 shows to platinum-selling records. Gates is also a social media sensation. Though she didn’t initially love the idea of social media, her rise to fame came fast with an engaged following of over three million.

Meet Dreka Gates, Queen of the Gates Empire

Music, Cannabis, Farms, and Blueberries Gates continued to follow her passion and became a cannabis business owner. She joined the team of owners and partners of BE Provisions, a start-up cannabis cultivation and dispensary brand located in Cassopolis, and launched Jungle Love (cannabis/ marijuana), and Jungle Healing (CBD and Delta 8) in 2021. Later that year, she launched DREKA, a whole-body wellness company offering bath, skin, overall wellness, and hair products. The Gates family also owns and operates a 40+ acre blueberry farm in Mississippi. I visited BE Provisions in 2022 to tour the dispensary and cultivation facility in Cassopolis, Michigan. Gates and BE’s director of cultivation guided my tour to

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

help me discover more about the business and the team. Gates has witnessed cannabis heal loved ones and the plant is a part of her total body wellness routine. She also believes nature is the ultimate medicine. A year after the official opening of BE, I interviewed Gates and the team full of nerves. I left feeling empowered by the company’s motto: BE Bold, BE Free, BE You. A year after our first meeting, Gates and I caught up to discuss her career before cannabis, what a day in her life looks like, what’s happening with BE, and more. Cannabis & Tech Today: What was your life and career like before becoming a cannabis business owner?

Dreka Gates: Before getting into the cannabis industry, I worked in the music industry for 15 years, developing and managing multiplatinum-selling artist Kevin Gates. Together we launched the Bread Winners’ Association music label, signing artists like OG Boobie Black and Yung Mazi. I also launched my whole body wellness company, DREKA. I’m a creator and a builder at heart and at my core, so building things, especially businesses, is something that I absolutely love and do very well. C&T Today: Why did you decide to enter the cannabis industry? DG: I am a lover of all things dealing with nature. There’s no greater healing than the power of healing that comes from plants,

// MEDIA+ENTERTAINMENT //

cannabis included. I have witnessed its magic with loved ones and have seen someone who has never smoked use cannabis to get off of antidepressants and painkillers for chronic pain. There’s just so much taboo surrounding cannabis and for all of the wrong reasons. I’m here to change that! You can’t overdose/ die from cannabis use alone. The same thing can’t be said about prescriptions. Cannabis is a safer, healthier alternative, even for those of us who deal with anxiety, and insomnia, or who just need to take the edge off. We can all do that safely with cannabis. I love cannabis! C&T Today: I’d love to hear about your journey to co-owner and partner at BE Provisions. DG: It was beautiful how the partnership began and I don’t believe anything happens by chance. Back in 2017, I took a few courses on all things cannabis, learning from seed to sale. I was fascinated and decided that one day I was going to get into the business. I was contacted by BE and after our first meeting, I knew that it was “meant to BE.” We all had the same work ethic, goal, and style of building a business, and also shared the passion to build a business that would continue to grow and benefit future generations. We love cannabis and we know it can save lives and create jobs for many people. This interview is helping me see the impact that we’re having on the communities we’re in and those that we plan to expand to in the future. We’re legitimately developing communities, it’s amazing! C&T Today: What does a day in the life of Dreka Gates look like?

DG: My days can be different from day to day; it all depends on what I have going on. My home base is in Mississippi, but I still travel a lot. I spend almost half of the month traveling. My goal is to wake up before everyone else does so that I’m able to work out and have time for myself to meditate and power myself up for the day. Once 9 a.m. hits, I start addressing several emails, calls, and texts that all require time and energy. This lasts all day but in between that time, I go outside and play around in my garden and with my animals on the farm. That really helps me stay grounded and keeps my creative energy flowing; it makes me happy! The kids are homeschooled on the farm so I see them periodically throughout the day. I also have to create content so I’ll do that as well. BE is in Michigan, so I’m not there every day but I do take frequent trips, get regular updates on harvests and new strains, and we have virtual meetings when I’m not there. We’re constantly growing (no pun intended) so coming up with new ideas is a daily thing. C&T Today: Are there any changes, products, or collaborations coming later this year or in 2024? DG: We have so many amazing things coming up for BE. We just opened our new location in Crystal, Michigan, and will be opening several new locations within the state of Michigan, including Battle Creek, Big Rapids, Hastings, and Niles once the township votes there. We also have a special product collaboration with someone very special coming up. I am also opening a dispensary in the state of Mississippi, so stay tuned! ❖

Vol. 5 / Issue 2 // Cannabis & Tech Today

You Don’t Know You Don’t Know You Don’t Know You Don’t Know

// HEALTH+WELLNESS //

How Ignorance is Shaping the Safety of the Legal Cannabis Industry

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

What You Don’t Know By Patricia Miller

// HEALTH+WELLNESS //

Journalists are tasked with the job of exploring ugly truths. While there’s a lot to love about legal cannabis, there are some unpleasant realities when it comes to commercial cultivation. The National Library of Medicine identified more than 350 pesticides that can be used on cannabis. Some are approved for use on fruits and vegetables, but there’s little research on what happens when those substances are ignited and inhaled. Research published in 2019 by the National Center for Biotechnology Information noted, “Currently no research exists on the toxicity of pyrolyzed pesticides in humans from smoking cannabis.” This industry is asking policymakers and consumers to consider cannabis a medicine, yet research on inhaled pesticides is nonexistent. Regulators from California to Maryland are creating rules with huge implications for their fellow citizens and one question is becoming increasingly important: Which pesticides, if any, are permissible in a smokable substance? Overlooked and Unregulated Cannabis & Tech Today spoke with Kim Stuck, founder and CEO of Allay Consulting and a former Colorado cannabis regulator. She’s using her years of experience in regulations to offer advisory services to cannabis companies across the country. When she helped create Colorado’s earliest regulations for adult-use cannabis, she admits some areas were overlooked.

“When I was a regulator, the first set of regulations didn’t have any pesticide testing. We didn’t even think about pesticides being a contaminant,” Stuck shared. She added, “We had to change the regulations to reflect that, to make sure the product was safe.” Public health is a concern in the cannabis space. A lack of federal oversight means each state is stitching together its own rules. While lawmakers are carefully planning how to earn revenue by taxing the industry, some are failing to enact effective health and safety regulations. “There are a lot of states that are not taking public health seriously when it comes to cannabis,” Stuck confided. Legalized states across the country are encountering many of the same problems with pesticide contamination. Washington, Vermont, and Nevada issued recall notices to manufacturers in 2023. In Washington, state officials found DDE in samples collected from grows along a five-mile stretch of the Okanogan River. The substance is a chemical remnant of DDT, a cancer-causing pesticide banned in the U.S. in the early 70s. DDE is not one of the 59 pesticides banned by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. Why? Because it’s not a pesticide sprayed on crops. It was pulled out of the ground by pot plants, one of nature’s most effective soil cleaners. Apple orchards formerly lined that stretch of the Okanogan River. Forty years ago, orchards were treated with DDT. Visually,

those lush farmlands were perfectly healthy, but a chemical analysis would say otherwise. It’s only cannabis that could pull up the dormant chemicals, much to the horror of unsuspecting growers and consumers. Whether it’s unknown pollutants or commonly used agricultural pesticides not approved for cannabis, contaminated products are springing up from coast to coast. In Vermont, regulators recalled a batch of flower after a citizen reported headaches and nausea. Lab results tested positive for Eagle 20, a pesticide approved for many fruits and vegetables but not for cannabis. An investigation is underway to determine how the flower hit shelves without undergoing Vermont’s rigorous testing requirements and cannabis registration process. Inhalation Versus Ingestion Inhaled pesticides interact with the body differently than when ingested. Michelle Perro, a former pediatrician and co-founder of the non-profit GMO Science, told BBC News that early symptoms of pesticide exposure can include headaches, nausea, dizziness, and respiratory secretion. She added, “Exposure by inhaling pesticides through our lungs can be more toxic because our gut contains microbes that help to detoxify pollutants.” Fungicides can also be altered by combustion and inhalation. Myclobutanil, a common fungicide, turns into hydrogen cyanide when heated. Hydrogen cyanide is a toxic gas, the same substance used during the

Photo: iStockphoto.com/jeffbergen

Vol. 5 / Issue 2 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// HEALTH+WELLNESS // You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

atrocities at Auschwitz. Many states are now prohibiting its use on cannabis. Sulfur, a popular treatment for powdery mildew, is not recommended for treating cannabis — but few states prohibit its use. When heated, it becomes sulfur dioxide, a colorless gas that reacts with the moisture of mucous membranes to form sulfurous acid, a severe irritant according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Inhalation can cause sneezing, coughing, throat and lung irritation, trouble breathing, and even lung spasms. Repeated exposure can cause loss of smell, headache, nausea, and dizziness. New Mexico does not require testing for the presence of sulfur in cannabis. Mountaintop Extracts, a cannabis concentrate company based in Albuquerque, NM, implemented a sulfur-testing procedure based on a standard created for the wine industry in Northern California. Owners Jen and Eric Merryman quickly realized some of the flower they received to process into concentrates contained sulfur. Thanks to their testing procedures, they send back any product tainted with the substance. Unfortunately, many operators in the state aren’t aware sulfur contamination is an issue. Eric explained some growers may not know the substance is in their grow at all. “It could be systemically drawn in from the soil as well. In one case, someone had put lava rock or basalt as their base bed and then brought in their soil. Well, the sulfur leached out from the lava rock and infiltrated their whole crop.”

Stuck said her company receives frequent requests for help with GMP compliance. “It’s required in New York, it’s required in Florida, it’s kind of a trend we’re seeing. When you require companies in the manufacturing space and extraction space to get GMP certification, you don’t need as many health regulators because you already know those companies have to and are following good manufacturing practices that are essentially set up by the FDA,” Stuck noted.

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Johny87

Know What You’re Smoking It’s not just pesticides causing concern. With unlicensed distributors, like the illegal dispensaries operating all over Manhattan, there’s no way to know what’s in the products. Illegal vendors don’t adhere to regulations for testing. Shanduke McPhatter, founder and executive director of the non-profit Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes, said unlicensed dispensaries pose a safety concern for consumers. “If you have somebody who’s just trying to make you believe they have that ‘fire,’ and they’re putting fentanyl and stuff [in the cannabis] … That’s why it’s important to make sure you know what you’re smoking,” McPhatter cautioned. During an interview at MJ Unpacked in early 2023, McPhatter told Cannabis & Tech Today how a young man he grew up with smoked tainted cannabis from an untrustworthy dealer. His personality was permanently altered. “He ended up being

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

somebody who just stood on the corner holding incense, not talking to nobody. So that [experience] has always made me cautious.” He feels illegal dispensaries could pose a similar threat to unsuspecting customers. “Those illicit stores have to be addressed,” he added. Finding Solutions It’s not all doom and gloom. Regulators in every adult-use state are catching safety issues, finding new contaminants to test for, and recalling tainted products. The system is working. Regulated cannabis is safer than unregulated cannabis and it’s getting safer all the time. Many states are starting to require Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification, a set of regulations created by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that requires a quality approach to manufacturing. It’s a consumer protection that addresses record keeping, personnel qualifications, sanitation, cleanliness, and a variety of other issues that can impact consumer health and safety.

Receiving a GMP certification can be cost-prohibitive, ranging from $4,000-20,000, depending on the certification company. Stuck added, “It is definitely a barrier to entry and I don’t love that. But at the same time, I guarantee that New York’s cannabis products are going to be very safe because of this.” Improved safety standards and stringent testing requirements are improving the industry’s public health outcomes. Dedicated business owners who care about their customers are also adding to the safety and quality of products hitting the shelves. As is always a theme in this publication, knowledge is powerful. The more informed every customer and operator becomes, the safer this space will be. Stuck agrees, “You don’t know what you don’t know. These companies are not being malicious, they’re not trying to do the wrong thing. They just don’t know what they’re supposed to be doing because nobody is telling them what they’re supposed to be doing.” ❖

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// THE LAB //

Mindful Mycology

Can Brands Create Quality, Compliant Amanita Mushroom Products? By Masha Ty, Corporate Growth and Education, ACS Laboratory highly toxic, necessitating caution and proper preparation. Legality A. muscaria enjoys a privileged legal standing compared to magic mushrooms throughout much of the world. In the United States, its active compounds are not on the DEA’s Controlled Substances Act (CSA) list. As a result, brands sell extracts in various forms, from oils to edibles, nationwide. Still, its legal status is not so simple. States can criminalize A. muscaria at any time, similar to the recent bans on hemp-derived Delta-8 THC in 17 states and counting. Louisiana law already explicitly outlaws A. muscaria sales and many states could follow.

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Nastco

Fascination with the legendary Amanita muscaria is rising alongside a global mushroom movement spanning psychedelic to medicinal products. But a pressing question looms: Can brands rise to the challenge of creating legal A. muscaria mushroom extracts that meet both quality and compliance standards? The answer lies in deeply understanding this unique mushroom species, safely extracting its active ingredients, and adhering to best practices when producing and marketing A. muscaria mushrooms to consumers. 80

Understanding Amanita Muscaria A. muscaria, or “Fly Agaric” or “Toadstool,” is a captivating psychoactive mushroom with a distinct red or orange cap adorned with white dots and a tall white stalk. Revered by ancient tribal peoples from Siberia to Eastern Europe, A. muscaria holds a rich history of use for purposes ranging from mind-altering and spiritual to medicinal and nutritional. It’s important to note that there are hundreds of Amanita species, and muscaria is just one of those.

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

A. muscaria’s active ingredients

include muscimol, ibotenic acid, and muscarine, making its psychoactive effects wholly distinct from classic psychedelic (psilocybe) also known as magic mushrooms. A. muscaria is not considered a psychedelic, but rather a deliriant. Magic mushrooms, rich in psilocybin and many other active compounds, can elicit hallucinations and ego-dissolving experiences. A. muscaria’s chemical composition, on the other hand, can be relaxing and sedative or downright euphoric and “dreamlike.” It can also be

A. muscaria’s legal status becomes even more complicated when brands start marketing their products, specifically ingestible extracts. That’s where FDA oversight comes into play. The FDA approves food, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices for sale in the U.S. It also regulates their safety, efficacy, and labeling according to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act. The FDA does not consider A. muscaria a drug but rather a food. As such, the organization can take legal action against any brand making unapproved health claims or violating the FD&C’s food safety and labeling standards. Action against CBD companies since 2017 offers a clear case study

// THE LAB //

for this risk. Over the past six years, the FDA forced countless CBD brands to either cease selling, re-brand, or reformulate products for infractions such as: • Publishing blogs about CBD and COVID-19 research. • Claiming products “ease muscle discomfort.” • Creating products that appeal to children, like infused hard candies and cookies. • Formulating ingestible products for food-producing animals. • Selling formulas with “unsafe food additives,” like Delta-8, which are not generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA. Considering that A. muscaria possesses mind-altering properties, it’s reasonable to anticipate that the FDA and state agencies could step in as more Amanita brands enter the market. Safety A. muscaria’s safety profile is another risk for brands selling extracts to a broad consumer base. The irony is that A. muscaria mushrooms can be highly beneficial. The species contain muscimol, a psychotropic compound researchers have studied for epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease due to its sedative, muscle-relaxant effects. Yet this vibrant species can also be hazardous, causing adverse outcomes ranging from vomiting and confusion to coma and toxicity in rare cases, depending on how it’s prepared and ingested. Research indicates that raw A. muscaria’s adverse effects occur primarily from its ibotenic acid content. Ibotenic acid is an excitatory neurotoxin that can

cause nausea, restlessness, and agitated delirium at high doses. Dehydrating A. muscaria decarboxylates ibotenic acid, reducing its ratio to muscimol, but the conversion rate is low so the remaining substance may still contain ibotenic acid levels. To produce safe ingestible products, A. muscaria brands must carefully extract, convert, and filter the final product through a multi-step process. The resulting extract should meet purity and potency requirements, with specific limits for contaminants and pesticides and minimal ibotenic acid. ACS Laboratory, for example, tests A. muscaria to ensure it’s free from pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and bacteria, as well as ensure that the A. muscaria does not contain any psilocybin or psilocin. Only a DEA-registered third-party laboratory can confirm these essential legality, safety, and quality standards, minimizing liability risks. Blunders & Best Practices for Production, Marketing & Testing The A. muscaria market is in its very early stages. Still, pioneer brand blunders and achievements provide valuable insights for others looking to capitalize on the growing A. muscaria trend. Blunders Late last year, Chillum, a hemp dispensary in Tampa, faced regulatory action from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services after selling edibles containing A. muscaria mushroom extracts. The Department ordered the shop to stop selling the products, considering the mushroom a

dangerous ingredient that is not approved for use in food. Additionally, lab testing indicated a hemp joint containing A. muscaria powder had high levels of toxic heavy metals. Chillum complied with the order. It threw out the joints and returned the edibles to its supplier, Psilo Mart, but dispensary owner Carlos Jose Angel Hermida didn’t give up. Chillum later resumed selling the edibles with labels warning against human consumption. According to the new label, these products are for “education” or “spiritual purposes” only. Since February, Florida has cited five additional businesses across the state for similar infractions. One takeaway here is that brands selling A. muscaria extracts should carefully consider how they label products containing unapproved food additives. But the bigger takeaway is ensuring products are safe to consume. Best Practices On the other side of the spectrum, Toronto-based company Psyched Wellness conducted preclinical studies on its “Calm” A. muscaria extract. The organization spent millions of dollars formulating, testing, and gaining GRAS certification for the proprietary extract known as AME-1. As a result, Psyched Wellness is the first and only company in the U.S. that can legally sell a psychedelic food supplement without a prescription. Another critical distinction between Calm and many emerging A. muscaria brands is dosage, labeling, and marketing.

Psyched Wellness understands that regulators get uncomfortable with overtly psychoactive products. So, they designed a formula to be consumed as a microdose for stress reduction, muscle tension, and restorative sleep rather than tripping out. Psyched Wellness goes even further by lab-testing its extract for stability and toxicity, although it does not publish a Certificate of Analysis (COA) on its website. Transparent brands that want to avoid regulatory and consumer suspicion should test products for potency and purity. Tests should analyze muscimol and ibotenic acid levels and rule out potential contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, and chemical solvents. Potency tests must also include psilocybin and psilocin to rule out these federally scheduled compounds. Further, brands must consider publishing the COA with the results on their website to prove their product is safe and compliant. The Bottom Line A. muscaria products are unregulated in the U.S. and many countries, signifying an enormous opportunity for brands to expand their portfolio. However, organizations that rush to market without properly manufacturing, testing, and labeling their products will likely be penalized and potentially harm innocent consumers. Bad actors can also damage the entire industry’s reputation and cause statewide Amanita bans, preventing consumers from accessing this incredible compound. The future of the United States A. muscaria industry lies in the choices brands make today. ❖

Vol. 5 / Issue 2 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// PRODUCT REVOLUTION //

DaVinci ARTIQ — Cool, smooth, and refreshing are three words you wouldn’t normally associate with a vaporizer. DaVinci’s new ARTIQ eliminates harsh hits and offers vapor that’s 90% cooler than traditional methods. Its extended air path with bottom airflow cartridges chill out hot vapor for a remarkably smooth session your lungs will love. $59

G Pen Dash+ — Pairing conduction and convection heating, the Dash+ dry herb vaporizer is the first hybrid heating vape to hit the market at an approachable price point. A magnetic mouthpiece with a spiral ceramic air path adds to the convenience of the Dash+ and an automatic shut-off feature conserves battery life while adding peace of mind. $150

Greenstar Elite Jumbo Twin Gear Slow Masticating Juicer — Cannabis leaves are loaded with vitamins and nutrients that usually go to waste after harvest. Greenstar’s juicers extract every drop of nutrient-dense juice from cannabis leaves to ensure no cannabinoid goes to waste. Twin gears grind with precision for higher yields and higher mineral and enzyme content in each sip. Plus, its homogenizing accessories allow you to create nut butters, sorbets, and sauces in addition to any variety of flavorful, nutritious juice. $600

Tyson 2.0 x G Pen Hyer — This portable e-nail in Tyson’s signature red features smart heating technology and a constant temperature output to create consistent, efficient vapor production for every session. Its lightweight, anodized aluminum casing works with concentrates or dry herb to turn any glass-onglass water pipe into a powerful vape device. The Tyson 2.0 + G Pen Hyer comes with a hemp travel case shaped like a boxing glove to ensure your next smoke sesh is the undisputed best. $270

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

VIBES Release Papers — Thousands of nonviolent cannabis prisoners are still trapped behind bars. VIBES partnered with Last Prisoner Project to create rolling papers designed to elevate the conversation around incarceration. Each paper is emblazoned with the name of a cannabis prisoner and a QR code that allows supporters to sign the Cannabis Clemency Now petition, requesting the release of all federal cannabis prisoners, and encouraging participation in the letter-writing program which sends letters to featured inmates. $3/Pack, $150/Box.

// PRODUCT REVOLUTION //

Jones Soda Co. — Mary Jones cannabis-infused beverages continues to add to its tasty lineup with two new flavors: Cola and MF Grape. Jones Soda pulled from its classic, non-cannabis flavors to offer two customer favorites now infused with THC. The pure cane sugar drinks are available at select California dispensaries in two potency levels: 10 mg and 100 mg. $7-12

Jetty Extracts Dablicator — Jetty’s innovative, discreet oil applicator dispenses oil directly into a joint or a bowl, allowing you to finesse any product with a precision amount of full-spectrum Live Resin or Live Rosin. Its heat-resistant metal Direct Dab Tip is a mess-free way to apply oil wherever you need it without any waste. Available in several one-gram varieties including Dos Peaches Solventless, Strawberry Mimosa Live Resin, and Dazed & Confused Solventless. $50

Curio Wellness Good Night Tablets — Ready to drift into a satisfying, deep sleep? These patented edibles feature a pulserelease technology formulated to release a dose of THC and CBD immediately upon consumption and again three hours later so you can fall asleep and stay asleep. Expected onset 30-60 minutes. $36

DABPRESS Manual Heat Press Machine — Are you ready to start making your own concentrates? This affordable press offers dual 3x3-inch heated plates that can handle up to 3.5 grams of biomass per press, perfect for entry-level enthusiasts. At just 11-inches tall this manual machine can exert up to two tons of pressure, ensuring you get every drop of oil from your material. Discover what a dab press can do for you. $239

RXDco Bi-Tri Tube — In an industry first, the Bi-Tri Tube offers multi-zone, child-resistant packaging for pre-rolls. Don’t throw away cash and damage your joints by stuffing more than one into a single tube. Patent-pending Bi-Tri Tubes offer separate zones for each pre-roll, protecting and preserving product integrity in a convenient, reusable package. Customize Bi-Tri Tubes for your unique brand and stand out on the shelf. Visit RXDco.com for pricing.

Vol. 5 / Issue 2 // Cannabis & Tech Today

RELAX // Something Edible With Laurie Wolf

Herb + Spice and Everything Nice Laurie + MaryJane’s Infused Seasonings Make DIY Edibles Easy PART 1 OF 2 OF THE HERB + SPICE SPECIAL RECIPES BY LAURIE WOLF

Cooking with cannabis is a delightful experience, but it is not always the most straightforward. How much do I add, when do I add it, how do I make it taste good? There are typically ten or more steps involved in preparing, measuring, and infusing. It is not unpleasant, but it is timeconsuming and if you’re anything like me, messy. But stay with me, because I have found the fastest, easiest way to infuse your food every day. I’m proud to say that cannabis has been a happy part of my life for over fifty years. Yep, I’m old! At 15 I was smoking the occasional joint, sneaking it out of view of my mother who would have immediately disowned me. Now, I put a little cannabis in my food every day. I still enjoy an occasional joint but only on days that end with ‘y.’ And, whereas I used to enjoy cannabis simply for its high, I now enjoy it for the health benefits and the flavors as well. I have a couple of serious health issues, a seizure disorder and I struggle with severe depression, and I found that a daily dose of cannabis helps me to manage both issues. Despite my long-term love affair with cannabis and food, it has been quite a journey to find my footing with the interplay of the two. I used to say that cooking with cannabis

was akin to cooking with a foultasting herb. With a few notable exceptions (white chocolate, peanut butter, and mushrooms are perfect companions to cannabis), I’ve never enjoyed the taste. That is so far from the truth now that all I can say is, “Cannabis, my love, I’m so sorry for all the hurtful things I’ve said.” My edible company, Laurie + MaryJane, started in the medical days when edibles were upwards of 500mg THC and taste became an immediate challenge. These were days of very little regulation and delightfully stoned budtenders. Each week I would make infused treats for the budtenders and develop dishes for cannabis publications, trying new recipes and flavor combinations. It was a constant challenge to get just the right balance of flavors. Over time I found a few different flavor combinations from my spice cabinet that I would keep on hand for my edibles. One night, as I finished my joint, I believe it was a nice Peanut Butter Pie from Noble Farms, I had an epiphany. Instead of adding the spices to my cannabis, what if I added cannabis to my spices? And boom – Herb + Spice took form. A series of cannabis and hempinfused spice blends, Herb + Spice is our newest product line, and I’ve never been so excited. These

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

infused seasoning blends are the ideal way to incorporate CBD or a combination of CBD and THC, into your food life. The reason that I am completely, madly, in love with this product is that we use cannabis and hemp as a dried herb among the special blends of spices and flavors. So rather than working against the flavor, we are working with it. Our gentle decarbing process (heating the plant to activate the THC and CBD) leaves the most important cannabinoids and terpenes available to give you the robust, sustained feelings we love. There is no solvent or extraction of any kind used in this process, it is the absolute purest form of ingestion. There are a few rules, but they are simple and easy to follow. Herb + Spices can be used to finish your dishes, just sprinkle it right on top. Or use the blends in whatever recipe you want to elevate. Remember that edibles of any form can take anywhere from forty-five minutes to two hours to take effect. So grab your apron, sharpen those knives (safely), and get ready for a culinary journey that will have both your taste buds and imagination buzzing. Let’s cook up some magic in the kitchen! As always, it’s important to consume cannabis responsibly and be mindful of dosage when

cooking with it. Start low and go slow until you find the right balance for your desired effects. With proper knowledge and experimentation, cooking with cannabis can elevate your culinary experience while offering potential therapeutic benefits along the way. So whether you’re looking to add a sprinkle of CBD goodness or infuse your entire meal with THC-induced bliss, cooking with cannabis opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. Just remember: moderation is key. You don’t want your dinner guests floating off into space before dessert! Let the culinary potential of Herb + Spice elevate your cooking experience to new heights.

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

Something Edible // RELAX

Breakfast Delight With Sugar + Spice

Serves 2

Sugar + Spice Blend: Sweet meets sassy in this tantalizing blend. With a dash of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and a sprinkle of magic, it adds that perfect touch of sweetness to your favorite treats. Warning: may cause uncontrollable cravings! What You’ll Need: • 1-1/2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt • 4 teaspoons Herb + Spice Sugar + Spice blend • 1-1/2 cup fresh strawberries, sliced • 2/3 cup raspberries • 2/3 cup granola • Shredded mint Directions: 1. P lace two serving bowls on your work surface. 2. I n a medium bowl, combine the yogurt and Sugar + Spice blend. 3. D ivide the yogurt in half and place in each of the bowls. 4. S prinkle the fruit and granola on the yogurt, holding some back for sprinkling over the top. 5. T op with the remaining yogurt and fruit/ granola mixture. Top with shredded mint.

Skewered “Special”Chicken With All-Purpose Spice Blend

Serves 4

All-Purpose Blend: Elevate your culinary creations with our versatile all-purpose seasoning. Carefully crafted with a harmonious blend of herbs, spices, and a hint of something special, this seasoning adds depth and flavor to any dish. Infuse your meats, vegetables, or even popcorn for an instant burst of something special. A culinary masterpiece in a single jar. What You’ll Need: • 1 -1/2 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut in small pieces • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1/4 cup soy sauce • 1 red onion, cut in 1-inch pieces • 4 teaspoons Herb + Spice All-Purpose Blend Directions: 1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, olive oil, and soy sauce. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes. 2. D ivide the chicken between eight skewers, threading the red onions onto the skewer with the chicken. 3. Grill the chicken over coals, or in a skillet, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Sprinkle each skewer with the spice blend.

Shrimp Tacos With Taco Seasoning

Serves 4

Taco Seasoning: Give your tacos a fiesta of flavors with the Herb + Spice Taco Seasoning. Bursting with cumin, chili powder, garlic, and more, it’ll make every bite a spicy sensation. Sprinkle or stir, this blend is fire. What You’ll Need: • 2 tablespoons cooking oil • 8 corn tortillas • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 3 scallions, sliced • 1-1/2 lb. shrimp, thawed and peeled • 4 teaspoons Herb + Spice Taco Seasoning blend • Guacamole • Sour cream Directions: 1. In a medium skillet, heat the oil. One at a time fry the tortillas until light golden brown, flip and cook on the other side. Continue with the remaining tortillas. 2. Add the olive oil to the pan and heat. Add the scallion and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the shrimp, sprinkle with the spice blend, and cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. 3. Divide the shrimp between the tortillas. Top with the guacamole and sour cream.

Vol. 5 / Issue 2 // Cannabis & Tech Today

// COMING UP //

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Coming Next Issue RETAIL REVOLUTION If you just opened up shop in a newly legalized state or need to differentiate your brand in a crowded marketplace, Cannabis & Tech Today has the tips you need to succeed. We’ll speak with established MSOs and successful family-owned brands to learn what gives them an edge over the competition.

MJBIZ CONNECTIONS It’s the biggest event of the year and C&TT will be on-site speaking with the innovators and entrepreneurs invigorating the industry. What are the predictions for next year? Which celebs will be debuting new collaborations and activations? Find the answers to these questions and more in the most anticipated issue of 2023.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH In this Regional Spotlight, C&TT explores one of the nation’s oldest cannabis markets with an in-depth look at Colorado. After nearly a decade of legalization, what’s worked and what hasn’t? How is a regulated marketplace creating a hotbed for innovation and creativity? Don’t miss our insider’s look at cannabis technology in the Centennial State.

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

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RELAX // THE LIGHTER SIDE

Comedian Jon Gabrus Wants to Know More

The Popular Improviser, Actor, and Podcaster Details His Career Philosophy and His New, Personalized Collaboration With PAX By Zack Ruskin

Comedian Jon Gabrus lives by a simple credo: when in Rome, get stoned.

Featuring illustrations by Gabrus’ college rugby pal, artist Matt Braun, the design’s iconography includes a bevy of beloved stoner pairings, including pizza, a video game controller, a sword, and the ubiquitous inclusion of the High and Mighty host’s unofficial mascot: his Boston Terrier, Arthur. Together, they still only represent a sliver of what Gabrus admits is a bit of a false premise when it comes to listing things that go well with weed.

Gregarious, fast-talking, and unrelentingly hilarious, the Long Island native has built an impressive, THC-assisted career in Los Angeles as an improviser and actor. Earlier this year, his High and Mighty podcast hit a milestone with its 420th episode, while Gabrus has appeared onscreen in series like TruTV’s 101 Places to Party Before You Die, MTV2’s Guy Code, and TVLand’s Younger.

“The real joke is that just about everything pairs well with it,” he said.

But whether he’s hosting a weekend travel TV series with his best friend or sitting in on the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast as his long-running character, Intern Gino Lombardo, a central theme of the work Gabrus does is that it’s dually powered by both cannabis and an insatiable curiosity to know more about everything. “I consider myself a professional conversationalist,” Gabrus shared during a recent Zoom call. “Talking into a mic is a huge part of my life, whether it’s stage performance or podcasting, and both go hand in hand for me with a little cannabis.” To see this practice in action, simply watch an episode of the series he recently shot with his bestie, Adam Pally. Over the course of eight episodes, 101 Ways to Party Before You Die exemplifies the type of organic, free-form conversational comedy that could be considered Gabrus’ sweet spot. “We kinda brought podcast energy to the show,” Gabrus said. “It’s like extended conversations, and since we’re stoners, they go off topic. We’re eating ice cream in Denver talking about Liam Neeson pissing his pants. You just forget the cameras are there because it’s

Cannabis & Tech Today // Vol. 5 / Issue 2

For Gabrus, that includes digging into a good book when he’s stoned, though he cautions such an experience is best categorized as a “level 20 stoner activity” likely not suitable for newbies. “But the good thing,” he adds, “is there are always graphic novels for when you go too far.”

a dude you’ve been getting high with for 20 years. It just comes naturally.” Building on that idea, Gabrus also shared that he feels cannabis can be a great conduit for inducing curiosity. “I’ve always lived by a ‘when in Rome’ attitude,” he explained. “I’m always game to play along, and if I have some anxiety, cannabis can help me back that down a little bit and allow me to be a little more present. It’s performance enhancing for other people for me to be on cannabis.” To bring that point home, Gabrus recently partnered with PAX to produce a limitededition collection of customized Era vape pens.

Reflecting on the curiosity that’s powered much of his work to date, Gabrus credits cannabis with helping him to take a genuine interest in whatever the topic or opportunity in front of him may be. “If someone is really, really interested in something, then I can get myself in a place where I want to hear about it,” he said. “It’s just fun to talk to someone passionate about something and, in my book, whatever that thing or subject is, hardly matters. If I meet someone who’s like, ‘Bro, I fucking love yarn,’ I’m like, ‘Yo, hit me with it.’ I’m curious whenever anyone is super into something, unless, of course, it’s like antisemitism or QAnon or some shit. But if they’re really into something, I want to sit down and hear from them.” ❖ Jon Gabrus x PAX Era collection: www.pax.com/ products/pax-x-jon-gabrus-era

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