The northeast dominoes continue to fall.

Top Democratic lawmakers in Connecticut said they're close to a deal with Gov. Ned Lamont (D) to legalize REC. A vote could come as soon as next week.
Hartford Courant

• Issues including homegrow and equity benefits remain unsettled.
• They'll have to move fast since the legislative session ends on June 9.
• If a bill doesn't pass it could appear on the ballot in November 2022.
• Marijuana Moment has more.

Nearby, businesses in New York and New Jersey are already racing to stave off pot shortages. And HeadyNJ beefs about corporate cannabis in New Jersey and Massachusetts.
New York Times

• Down the coast, Delaware could also go REC soon. MJBiz checks out some of the longer shot states states where reform this year is still on the table. 

In cannabis, so much happens even as nothing seems to change. 

Events in recent months indicate the momentum for legalization has never been stronger. But the same laws blocking the industry’s access to banking, interstate trade and other routine business activity have left brands facing the same obstacles they’ve encountered for years. 

I wrote a story for MJBrand insights discussing how some of the industry's biggest operators think about strategy at this weird moment:

“None of us actually know what’s going to happen,” said Steve Allan, CEO of The Parent Company, a portfolio of brands including Caliva and Jay-Z’s Monogram.  Allan suspects federal legalization is several years off, but in this volatile and uncertain climate, he said Parent aims to maintain “high optionality.” In other words, he doesn’t want to pursue a strategy that depends on a politician voting a certain way."   

Read the whole thing.

More interesting stuff from MJInsights:

• This MSO is behind some of the industry's hottest brands.
• For spring, a round-up of five cool new products.

Goings on: 

• The Biden Administration is continuing to uphold industry-hated tax rule 280E.
  MJBiz 
• Luxury edible company Hervé, known for its infused macarons, raised $3M.
  Green Market Report
• At The Street, Debra Borchardt argues many single state operators are more promising companies than their MSO counterparts.
• Big Candy is angry at cannabis companies for imitating their trademarks.
  N.Y.Times
• The CEO of Village Farms, Canada's leading flower producer, discussed his U.S. strategy.
  New Cannabis Ventures
• Lawyer Robert Hoban discusses the success of Colorado's pot tax dollars.
  Forbes
• LeafReport found mislabeling is rife in the world of CBD pet products.
• Delivery service Eaze hosted a demo day for its equity business incubator Momentum. 
• High flying pot PR firm Mattio launched Confluence, an influencer marketing firm.
• Lots of Americans are calling poison control after overdoing it on edibles.
  Insider
• On LinkedIn, a guy named Sal Ali ranted about why he's so fed up with the cannabiz.