• If he's the nominee, he will be the first major party nominee to support REC legalization.
• Sanders has said he would legalize nationally via executive order on the first day of his presidency, though that probably isn't possible. Marijuana Moment
• In recent weeks, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has been trying to make his views on cannabis more palatable to Democrats. Canna Law Blog gives him a D-.
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) who's competing for the nomination, outlined her plan to legalize REC and prevent "Big Tobacco" from conquering the industry.

Quick Hit

1. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) continues to cultivate ties with the cannabis industry. WestWord

• Angela G., better known as @koala.puffss, (696,000 followers on Instagram) says Instagram deleted her seven times in 12 months.
• Teresa Garibyan a.k.a. @trippy.treez (224,000 followers on Instagram) says she can make up to $1,500 per post.
• A Facebook spokesperson said Instagram does not allow the advertising, sale or promotion of cannabis, including "paid influencer posts, product integrations and affiliate links." It does allow "marijuana advocacy content."
• Google-owned YouTube seems to have similar policies.

• Cannabis real estate company Subversive Capital, raised $225M over two weeks in December.

• CBN is the hot new cannabinoid chasing the sleep aid market.

• Raids on four parcels of land owned by the same person turned up “off-book marijuana sales associated with the farm,” a small volatile extrication lab, about 20 pounds of illegally stored cannabis and “1,000 pounds of cannabis crude," worth up to $1.6M on the California legal market and much more out of state.
• Last year the Orange County Register looked at businesses involved in both markets. They called it the industry's "most widely known yet difficult-to-prove secret."
• A column in MJBiz looks at how lack of unity among operators and the ongoing temptations of illegal market business, hold the state industry back.
• An L.A. Times op-ed called for keeping Big Ag out of cannabis.

• WW California has more.

• The California Department of Food and Agriculture proposed regulations for cannabis "appelations" akin to France's system for recognizing wine's region of origin.

• Colorado cannabis sales hit a record $1.75B in 2019. Denver Post
• Minnesota Democratic lawmakers are pushing a long-odds chance to legalize REC. Pioneer Press
• In Missouri, more than 500 businesses have filed appeals against a MED licensing process they feel selected poorly. MJBiz
• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called REC legalization a "top priority." He says the best chance to make it happen is in the budget process. NY State of Politics
• In Massachusetts, a meeting between industry, regulators and law enforcement was criticized for being closed to the press. Boston Globe
• Despite a state law, Massachusetts pot taxes aren't helping communities most damaged by the war on drugs. Boston Globe
• The Kentucky House passed a MED bill. Kentucky.com
• The New Hampshire House voted to legalize REC without creating an industry. WCVB
• Rob Kampia, a D.C. cannabis activist who has acknowledged past sexual misconduct in the workplace, is under fire for his work supporting an effort to decriminalize prostitution. Washington Post

• " Scientists have determined the liners can attract emulsified droplets of active cannabis ingredients over time when pot beverages are under pressure, leading to a less effective high when consumed."

Quick Hit

1. Cyber hacks and fraud are among the most significant threats facing cannabis businesses, CNN reports.

• The study found that on average the largest Canadian companies have enough cash to operate for six and a half months. The large public U.S. companies had enough cash for 14 months.
• Despite pot stocks still trading near all time lows, investment in private companies has begun to recover. A report from Viridian Capital Advisors found $1.2B invested in the first five weeks of 2020, compared to $886M in the same period in 2019. Bloomberg
• WW Canada has more.

• Though a majority of parliament favors reform, it is unlikely to be swift.
• Germany is Europe's largest MED market. Cannabis Industry Journal

Quick Hit

1. Cannabis may be to blame for a man's unwanted 12-hour erection. New York Post

• Of New Jersey's four medical schools, only one teaches cannabis as anything other than a potentially addictive drug.
• At Rutgers Medical School, cannabis comes up in neurology psychology for second year students. The class touches on the endocannabinoid system as well as CBD and THC.

• Like cannabis, it describes psilocybin reform as advancing along a "two-track" model: local ordinances on one hand and pharmaceuticals.

• The local ordinances, "Do not contemplate a commercial model and it seems unlikely that they will be lucrative."
• However, "The FDA’s willingness to grant breakthrough therapy status to psychedelic drugs, as mentioned above, has put psilocybin approvals in an expeditious place."

• Nearly 100 U.S. cities are exploring psilocybin decriminalization.

• In Dutch, the country's "policy of tolerance" is called gedoogbeleid. Evidently, it has limits.
• A survey found nearly a third of the 20M tourists who visit the city each year would be less likely to come if they couldn't buy pot.

Quick Hit

1. The L.A. Times serves up a guide to enjoying cannabis in Las Vegas.