Happy weekend everyone,

Let’s get to it:

• Puffco patent suit: A sign of things to come?
• Pharma’s working on drugs to treat weed addiction

And so, so much more.

Enjoy,

Alex

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Tiffany Kary reports in Bloomberg that at least 17 studies are underway in the U.S. for pharmaceuticals to treat cannabis use disorder.

• One of them, Microdoz Therapy plans to treat cannabis abuse with psychedelic mushrooms and talk therapy. 
• “I think the coronavirus increased mental health problems in general and addiction in particular,” Pier Vincenzo Piazza, CEO of French company Aelis’, which is developing a treatment for cannabis overuse, said. 
• The drug isn’t likely to be up for approval until around 2027, he estimates.

Read the whole thing

Federal:

• The FDA banned Juul e-cigs. What, if anything, this means for weed vapes is unclear. 
• A bipartisan group of 23 state attorneys general called on Congress to stop the sale of (typically unlicensed) cannabis products that resemble popular food brands.
  Marijuana Moment
• A spending bill did not include protections for licensed cannabis activity.
  Marijuana Moment
• Industry lobby U.S. Cannabis Council says it remains “optimistic” that banking reform will pass this year.
• After being urged by the Biden administration, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear cases related to MED reimbursement for injured workers.
• A federal proposal would slash the maximum allowable amount of nicotine in cigarettes.
  N.Y. Times

Business:

• MJBiz has a good story on market conditions in three states: Colorado, Washington and Oregon:

  “It’s going well for almost nobody,” said Matt Walstatter, who sold his Oregon store, Pure Green, in 2019 to focus on cultivation.

• In a new book, Can Legal Weed Win? UC Davis economists Daniel Sumner and Robin Goldstein ask tough questions. (I’ll be posting an interview with them soon.) 
  Time 
• Major league baseball teams can now sell CBD sponsorships.
  ESPN
• Some weed ETFs are packing it in.
  Green Market Report
• A new video ad from Cheeba Chews tries to walk the line between playful and serious.
  AdWeek
• Andrew Ward looks into the practice of “rainbow washing.“
  Benzinga
• MJ Brand Insights and Pioneer Intelligence put together a list of the 10 hottest Black-led brands. 

State and local:

• Florida regulators have been sued for allegedly failing to provide public records and allowing an investment firm to have more licenses than state law permits.
  Politico 
• New York regulators are accepting public comment on proposed regulations.
• Nebraska activists need tens of thousands more signatures to get MED on the November ballot.
  KETV (ABC)
• An explosion at an Ilera Healthcare factory in Pennsylvania injured six.
  WTAJ (CBS)
• North Dakota activists are confident they’ll get REC on the November ballot.
  Inforum
• New Mexico’s top regulator resigned.
  NM Political Report
• Kentucky’s new MED committee met for the first time.
  High Times

Health and science:

• The N.Y. Times looked at teenagers getting sick from excessive use.
• The American Medical Association called for automatic cannabis expungements. 

Criminal justice:

• Facing eight years on a psychedelics charge, Denver Rabbi Ben Gorelick plans to plea religious freedom.
  High Times

International:

• REC is landing in Germany.
  Canna Law Blog

Fun and interesting:

• In a series of three video podcasts, architect and designer Margit Whitlock talked MED vs. REC with cannabis pharmacist Dr. Leah Johnson.  
• More psychedelics are popping up in fiction.
  WSJ

• New York chose Social Equity Impact Ventures, led by NBA great Chris Webber, to manage its $200M equity fund.
  MJBiz
• Alternative Biologics, creators of Muscle Milk, have a new hemp-infused beverage called Gym Weed. (Pictured)
• In California, Jones Soda has partnered with Kiva Sales and Service for its new Mary Jones soda, another win for the distributor. (Kiva also distributes beverage brand Cann.)
• Canadian operator Cronos Group reached a milestone in producing synthesized THC-V, part of Cronos’ partnership with biotech firm Ginkgo Bioworks.
• The Cure Company opened its first dispensary in Inglewood, Calif. near LAX.
• Texas Original opened Houston’s first permanent MED pickup location.

• Unrivaled Exec Colin Landforce asks if there are any “truly national” weed brands?
• Real or a meme? After assisting with a big bust, this K9 cop got to wear a $50,000 watch and a $15,000 chain.
  @jungleboys 
• Lincoln Barnett III shares photos of the New York “ice cream truck.“
• “Stay chill this cancer season.”
  @p.u.s.s.y.w.e.e.d.