Several major SMS text marketing services including Twilio, AT&T, Avochato and T-Mobile have dropped cannabis customers, according to Rachel Kurtz-McAlaine, the National Cannabis Industry Association's (NCIA) deputy director of public policy.

• Numerous industry businesses use these services to reach customers and facilitate deliveries and pick-ups.
• Some companies have found workarounds or alternate services which do not monitor their users as closely.
• Some form of the issue could persist until federal legalization.
• NCIA is working to understand the extent of the problem. Businesses can contact Kurtz-McAlaine ( rachel@thecannabisindustry.org ) if they have information to share.

Quick Hit

1. Colorado banned the sale of delta-8 THC, a popular, intoxicating cannabinoid found in hemp, and other similar compounds.
   Hemp Industry Daily

When last year's protests against police violence began, diversity consultancy CannaClusive created The Accountability List, a continually updated document recording various operators' commitment to equity and corporate social responsibility. 

The list is not comprehensive. But while many companies have made statements or social media posts in support of racial justice, the available data suggests far fewer have made a meaningful commitment in their hiring of workers of color. And it's not always clear whether the more diverse companies have diverse leadership.

• As CannaClusive's Kassia Graham put it, "Are [people of color] just an ornament or do they have a voice? And is anyone listening to that voice?"

Companies seeking to update their info on diversity and corporate social responsibility can do so here.

Quick Hit

1. Business Insider profiled Colorado entrepreneur and activist Wanda James, founder of Simply Pure.

Other happenings:

• After the Trulieve/Harvest deal announcement, Business Insider lists 12 operators that are most likely to be acquired.   
• A mutual fund sold about $100M in pot stocks for compliance reasons.
  Barron's
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom(D) proposed $100M in aid to assist with the state's "provisional" license logjam, which threatens thousands of companies with at least temporary closure.
  MJBiz
• MSO Columbia Care is rebranding as "Cannabist," an Apple-inspired retail experience.
  Ad Age 
• The folks at Bengal Capital think MSOs could learn a lot from CostCo.
• To facilitate MED research, the DEA notified several interested growers that it is almost ready to award them federal licenses.
  Marijuana Moment 
• Canna Law Blog explains weed's especially weird legal situation in Washington D.C.
• Several cannabis companies are investing substantial resources in New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) notifications, essentially to tell the Food and Drug Administration what they're making with an eye on future approval. 
  Hemp Industry Daily
• Some people can't get high from edibles. Scientists want to know why.
  Boston Globe
• The team at Horn Creek Hemp had the best reaction to winning a High Times Hemp Cup award.