Hi all,

I’m back from Vegas a little worse for wear after a fun two nights so this week’s newsletter will be a bit shorter than usual.

Send along your Vegas party pictures and I’ll try to include a bunch in High Society.

Alex

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“A plant divided:” Can weed and hemp get along?

Intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids have rocketed into a $28B industry, about as big as licensed cannabis. The companies manufacturing and selling these hemp-derived intoxicants are largely unaffected by 280E and other challenges faced by the federally illegal cannabis industry.

These developments infuriate many within the cannabis industry, but don’t expect hemp companies to apologize for their good fortune. “It’s kind of absurd to characterize the situation as unfair competition,” said Jody McGinness, executive director of the Hemp Industries Association. While the cannabis industry sells a federally-illegal product, “Hemp operators waited until it was legal.”

Hemp and cannabis are the same plant. Can they get along?

It’s complicated…

The WeedWeek Job Board is the best way to access a deep bench of cannabiz talent.

Post five jobs for just $99 with code: WWTalent99

• Employee Relations Manager, Schwazze — Denver
• Director Corporate Accounting, Curaleaf — Stamford, Conn.
• Key Account Specialist, Petalfast — Santa Barbara

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Federal:

• Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) who is challenging Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination, thinks the president should smoke up.
  Politico

Business:

• Lab results on potency are “routinely and systematically inflated” in Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts and Oregon, according to a report obtained by MJBiz.
• Tobacco company 22nd Century Group is selling the unit that made hemp-derived cannabinoids for Cookies at a steep loss.
  Winston Salem Journal
• Industry confab MJBizCon in Las Vegas closed out a tough year for the industry.
  MJBiz
• Tech shop Treez and seed-to-sale tracker Metrc have teamed up to provide what it calls the industry’s first “global product catalog.“
• Prelude, an AI-powered supply chain solution raised a $5.2M seed round from Casa Verde and Rackhouse Ventures.
• LeafLink and Heady put together a “crash course in cannabis advertising.“
• A start-up called MailOrder420 plans to ship compliant weed nationwide.
• Mega-dispensary Planet 13 is opening its first Illinois store, 30 miles north of Chicago.

State and local:

• NPR looks at the Oregon lawsuit trying to open up interstate trade.
• New York’s regulator cleared settled lawsuits clearing the way for 436 dispensaries to open.
  N.Y.Times
• A bill in newly REC Ohio would allow cities to prohibit sales.
  Cincinnati Enquirer
• A New Hampshire panel charged with drawing up guidelines for legal REC came up empty handed.
  Marijuana Moment

Health and science:

• Young adults report “significantly” lower tobacco and alcohol use after legalization, a study found.
  Marijuana Moment

Fun and interesting:

• Berner is casting for a movie Splash City which he wrote with David Mansanalez.
• “Awesomely fierce drag queens who smoke weed.”
  Riverfront Times (St. Louis)

State:

• The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) issued a embargo to three companies warning that each had a batch of product that could be “adulterated” with “poisonous or deleterious” substances.
  SFGate
• Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill designed to help small farmers.
  Cannabis Business Times
• The DCC said it wants to target the landlords of unlicensed businesses.
  NBC
• Q3 pot tax revenue fell to $269M.
  Forbes

Business:

• Delivery service Speedy Weedy has apparently shut down, the latest sign of trouble in delivery. Rimon Law attorney Justin Keller posted his thoughts on Grassdoor’s recent closure, first reported by WeedWeek.
• Cannabis Business Times checks out Autumn Brands’ “no-spray” cultivation.

Local:

• Lawyers squared off in front of a judge over Humboldt County’s proposed Measure A ballot initiative, which growers fear would wipe them out.
  Eureka Times-Standard
• An anonymous Santa Cruz licensed owner called for police to crack down on cannabis robberies.
  Lookout
• Regulators in Lake County have called for a temporary moratorium on video cameras in weed fields.
  Lake County Record-Bee
• Stanislaus County may vote on a pot tax measure next November.
  Modesto Bee

Company milestones:

• Air filtration company Greentech Environmental, announced a partnership with San Diego-based Innovative Solutions.
• Beard Bros. Pharms launched a new Rick Simpson Oil product.
• Cookies is opening a shop in Fresno.
• Revelry Herb Company and grower Seven Leaves joined Petalfast’s stable of brands.

Job moves:

• WeedWeek advertiser FundCanna hired Terme Hayempour as director of partnerships.

Anna Willey, founder of California Alternative Medicine or CAM, spoke at the return of Blunt Talks, November 12 in LA.