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In the newsletter:

• BREAKING: Catalyst CEO alleges Glass House signed “fake union” contract

And so much more,

Alex

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BREAKING: Catalyst CEO alleges Glass House had “fake union” contract

The CEO of retailer Catalyst Cannabis posted a video on social media in which he claimed to show contracts Glass House Farms entered with a “fake union…to avoid collective bargaining.”

If the documents are authentic, Glass House could be one of the dozens of companies the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) has notified of a possible violation of California’s labor requirements for cannabis companies. The resulting penalties could reportedly include loss of license. 

The video escalates a dispute between two major California players. Glass House didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Read the story…

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ICYMI:

• With only a month left to pass bills, I spoke to Sacramento cannabiz lobbyist Amy Jenkins about labeling, hemp and other key legislation for the industry.
• SCOOP: Jack Herer’s son was sued in a nasty IP dispute over monetizing the iconic activist’s legacy. Free to access.

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National:

• The DEA considers D8 THC products illegal when they’re synthesized from CBD.
  Marijuana Moment
• A Washington Post op-ed called for the FDA to involve itself in legalization.

Business:

• MSO Tilt Holdings cut its ties with equity brands.
  MJBiz
• Family office Big Plan Holdings invested $35M in Silver Therapeutics, a northeast-focused MSO.
  Benzinga
• New Cannabis Ventures suggests pot stocks could fall even further.
• The ETF launched by venture firm Poseidon shut down after less than two years.
  MJBiz
• The Inc 5,000 list of fastest growing U.S. companies included edibles ingredient maker Azuca (#214), distributor Nabis (#1,340) and decontamination company Willow Industries (#1,583, it’s third straight year).
• A new spot for edibles brand Cheeba Chews spoofs pharmaceutical ads.
  AdWeek
• Voting is now open for the Emjays International Cannabis Awards which will be presented during MJBizCon week in Las Vegas. They honor ancillary products and services.
• Honeybee Collective co-founder Chris Becker weighed in on the worst thing that can happen to your brand.
• Young adults are losing interest in alcohol.
  Axios

State and local:

• New York’s State Assembly Speaker said he doubted the legislature would hold a special session to change state law, after an injunction halted the equity licensing process. Green Market Report dug into the court filings.
  North Country Public Radio
• An Alabama judge paused the state’s MED licensing process.
  WBRC
• A group of Stamford, Conn. homeowners have filed a lawsuit to stop commercial cannabis sales statewide.
  CT News Junkie
• A Florida court opened the door to e-commerce portals such as Leafly, which filed the lawsuit, operating in the state. Meanwhile, MSOs are betting big on the state.
  Orlando Weekly, MJBiz 
• Ohioans are set to vote on a REC ballot initiative in November.
  CNN

Health and science:

• UCLA took a look at the cannabinoid HHC.

Crime:

• An Illinois man, 20, admitted to fatally stabbing his father Perron Thurston, after he suggested the son shouldn’t smoke up before work at a cafe.
  NY Post

International:

• Germany is set to loosen its rules on weed.
  France 24 English

Fun and interesting:

• The widely followed Instagram account @theblacklistxyz conducted a survey of consumption habits.
• Weedmaps writes about the joy of finding weed in another country.

State:

• The growing hub of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties are the two fastest heating counties in the continental U.S.
  Santa Barbara Independent
• SoCal is bracing for a potential hurricane on Monday.
  USAToday
• The state is seeking applicants for $48M in pot-tax funded community reinvestment grants.
  Marijuana Moment

Business:

• A bank is struggling to locate the borrowers who took out a $50M loan for Green Sage, a failed operation in Oakland, and then vanished.
  KQED
• Lindsey Bartlett profiled Fig Farms, one of the hottest brands around.
  Forbes
• Lindsay MaHarry profiled WildLand, a regenerative farm in Mendocino.
  High Times

Local:

• Madera (Madera Co.) moved towards allowing its first pot shops.
  Madera Tribune
• Cotati greenlit Sonoma’s first consumption lounge, to be opened by Mercy Wellness.
  NorCal Public Media
• Eight companies applied for retail licenses in Healdsburg (Sonoma Co.)
• Mendocino regulators received $17M to deal with a licensing backlog.
  North Bay Business Journal
• California City (Kern Co.) could open up to more retail.
• Residents of Fresno’s relatively low income Pinedale neighborhood successfully pushed back on a new shop opening.
  GWWire
• Two Berkeley post office clerks were accused of stealing (and selling) weed they find in the mail.
  Berkeleyside

Company milestones:

• MSO 4Front Ventures is the latest MSO to leave California.
  Green Market Report
• Tasi Bank, a division of the Bank of Guam, debuted cannabis banking services.
  SF Biz Journal
• Cookies opened a shop in Harrison, N.J., near Newark and New York City.
• The Humboldt Legacy Project, dedicated to preserving and empowering legacy culture announced a new collaboration.
  KymKemp.com
• Binske joined the Petalfast stable of brands.
• Stiiizy opened a store in Oxnard (Ventura Co.).
• Off the Charts opened Sacramento’s second equity dispensary, not including equity delivery services.
  SacBee

Job moves:

• Attorneys Griffen Thorne, Jonathan Bench, Jihee Ahn, Simon Malinowski and Jesse Mondry were promoted to partner at Harris Bricken.
• Matt Barron, an investor with close ties to Cookies, joined the board of Unrivaled Brands. 

A Wana Brands crew came out for tribute band Killer Queen’s show at Red Rocks, outside Denver. 

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