In a development little noted in the cannabis world, earlier this month Apple opened its app store to pot delivery services. 
The Verge

• In the past, the tech giant has wavered on its 420-friendliness.
• Delivery apps will be able to operate as long as they are geo-restricted to a legal jurisdiction.
• Google's Android does not currently allow cannabis delivery apps. 

In an interview with WeedWeek, Chris Vaughn, CEO of California delivery service Emjay and before than founder and CEO of booze delivery app Saucey, described delivery as "probably the biggest opportunity in cannabis." 

• While no cannabis company is big enough to sway Apple, he suggested the company is picking up on prevailing trends such as legalization in New York and Amazon's decision not to test employees.
• Emjay had been preparing its Apple iOS app before the announcement and has now submitted it to the company for feedback. "We had a feeling this was coming," he said.
• Delivery apps have the potential to offer a smoother, more intuitive shopping experience than the mobile web.
• "I think Google will follow quickly," Vaughn said. 

The legalization movement has scored some major victories in conservative states, but Politico reports GOP Senators in MED and REC markets remain skeptical of legalization. Even with full Democratic support, which is not a given, legalization appears unlikely to have the 60 votes necessary to clear the Senate. 

• The industry hoped former Sen. Cory Gardner's (R-Colo.) evolution on the issue would be a model for other Republicans. However, Republicans from other legal states have mostly disappointed. This might be because Gardner was facing (and lost) a close election in a state where cannabis is a priority for voters.
• Bank reform could have a better chance. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) opposes legalization, no matter what his constituents want, but is a lead sponsor of the SAFE Banking Act, which would enable the industry to access the financial system. 

In more news from the right:

• MJBiz checks out Oklahoma's booming MED market.
• Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says federal laws against marijuana may no longer be necessary. The comment came as the court declined to hear a challenge to industry-hated tax rule 280E. The federal government's "willingness to look the other way on marijuana is more episodic that coherent," Thomas said.
  NBC
• Georgia's supreme court ruled lawyers who work for cannabis businesses can face disciplinary action.
  Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Mississippi is consulting with Utah and Oklahoma on developing rules for its MED market.
  Mississippi Today
• Wyoming could be the next red state to go green.
  WyoFile

Doings:

• FiveThirtyEight has a deep dive into what the industry can do about corrupt testing labs. "THC inflation is pernicious," a chemistry professor said.
• The Parent Company acquired popular West Hollywood dispensary Calma for $11.5M, part of its plan to consolidate California.
  WeHoVille, New Cannabis Ventures
• Best Startup compiled the 70 best cannabis companies and startups in L.A.
• The Hemp Industries Association recommended regulation, not prohibition of Delta-8 THC. But California could ban it.
  Canna Law Blog
• Mexico's Supreme Court decriminalized REC use. A bill to create a legal industry remains tied up in the legislature.
  BBC
• E-cigarette company JUUL agreed to pay $40M to North Carolina in the first of a series of lawsuits accusing the company of deceptive marketing practices that hooked teenagers.
  N.Y. Times 
• For the first time, Congress will allocate funds for harm reduction programs for people addicted to opioids.
  N.Y.Times
• Longtime executive Michael Sassano argues the industry's biggest boom is yet to come.
  Cannabis Business Executive
• Psychology Today unpacks "the neural mechanisms of marijuana," i.e. how it gets you high.