Hi all,

Don’t forget to register for Thursday’s All-Star Virtual Panel (see above) on the business of cannabis hospitality. Our new virtual events are free to attend live, but only California Pro subscribers can access the archive.

Let’s get to it:

• Ohio Gov. seeks to revise new REC law

More soon,

Alex

*

Advertise in WeedWeek

Our advertising policy

*

Send tips, press releases, concerns, feedback and criticism to hello@weedweek.com

*

WeedWeek regularly links to paywalled content.

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

• Senior Site Reliability Engineer, Weedmaps — Remote
• Territory Sales Manager, New Jersey, Terrascend — New Jersey
• Director of Sales, Michigan, Petalfast — Detroit
• Director of Customer Support, POSaBIT — Bellevue, WA
• Sales Account Manager, Heavy Hitters, Mammoth Distribution — LA

*

Looking for your next big move? Follow the WeedWeek job board to get top opportunities in your inbox FREE.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said he’s speaking with leadership in the GOP-controlled legislature about modifying the REC law Ohioans passed this week 57%-43%.

Marijuana Moment: “Specifically, he’s seeking changes to the law that would restrict advertising, mitigate the risk of impaired driving and limit public consumption.” DeWine hasn’t discussed the changes he’s seeking to what he describes as “holes” in the new law.

While he acknowledged the people have spoken, he said, “We’ve also got to live up to our responsibility to all the people in the state of Ohio…that we do this in a very responsible way, we do it in a respectful way,” he said. “And we do it, frankly, the Ohio way.”

He did say he didn’t want Ohioans to be exposed to the smell of weed like he was on recent visit to an unnamed state.

Tom Haren, spokesperson for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CTRMLA) legalization campaign, told The Columbus Dispatch that he “can’t believe in 2023 we’re actually talking about elected officials not respecting the will of the voters and not respecting the outcome of an election.”

Read the story…

Federal:

• The Gallup Poll found 70% of Americans favor legalization, an all time high.
• In Forbes, longtime cannabis journo Will Yakowicz sees that Biden is leaning on weed to help get the youth vote out. However, veteran right-leaning pollster Frank Luntz says its not a top 20 issue among the general electorate.
• Canna Law Blog argues the lawsuit to end federal prohibition wouldn’t really end federal prohibition.

Business:

• Institutional investors are growing more bullish on MSOs. Green Thumb Industries reported a strong Q3. Trulieve and Curaleaf had more mixed results. MarketWatch has more.
  MJBiz
• Attorneys from Duane Morris discuss a federal court’s decision to side with a cannabis business’ bankruptcy plan.
• MSO Ascend Wellness Holdings settled a lawsuit with a Black former manager who was fired by two white managers who he alleged “treated him like a criminal.”
  MJBiz
• U.S. liquor company Constellation Brands, which invested $4B in Canopy Growth in 2018, said it is walking away from its disastrous bet on the Canadian operator.
• Economist Beau Whitney is taking a national survey on delinquent payments.
• Cannabis Law Report and Cannabis Law Journal dropped their fourth annual list of the 200 top weed lawyers.

State and local:

• New York farmers are “at their breaking point,” NY Cannabis Insider reports.
• Operator Sanctuary Cannabis sued Florida over its $1.3M biennial licensing fee, which Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) raised from $60,000 in December.
• In Colorado, a large operator is fighting an aspiring grower in court.
  NBC
• Also, Florida’s conservative-leaning Supreme Court seemed skeptical of Attorney General Ashley Moody’s (R) challenge to a proposed REC ballot initiative in 2024.

Fun and interesting:

• East Bay Express discusses The Beatles’ and Ozzy Ozbourne’s relationship with weed.

Business:

• MJBiz has more detail on the closing of Cookies’ flagship store on Melrose in LA. Bottom line: The landlord wants more money. The brand says it will relocate to a new Hollywood address.
• SCOOP: A lawsuit which alleged some of Eaze‘s partnerships violate state law was dismissed on grounds that California isn’t the proper venue for the case. Eaze is a Delaware registered company.
• The NorCal harvest is late, but growers say it’s of “exceptional quality.”
  Press-Democrat
• In its annual crop report, Sonoma County saw an 82% reduction in cannabis acreage and an 81% decrease in production.
  Sonoma Sun
• Latino-oriented brand Humo and marketer Susie Plascencia settled their lawsuit and released a joint statement. Read WeedWeek‘s coverage here and here.

Local:

• Dispensary High Seas filed a complaint against the city of Costa Mesa (Orange Co.) accusing it of stalling the shop’s opening for no reason. Costa Mesa is one of a few Orange County cities that allow pot shops.
  MJBiz
• The city of Santa Barbara plans to audit its $1.4M haul in annual pot taxes, much of which is self-reported by the businesses.
  Independent.com
• Goleta (Santa Barbara Co.) raised its MED tax.
  Noozhawk
• Nevada County supes accepted a $275,000 state grant to accelerate retail sales.
• Monterey leaders took a step towards allowing dispensaries.
  KSBW
• Visalia (Tulare Co.) took steps toward allowing MED delivery.
  The Sun-Gazette
• Kym Kemp shares a tale from the cannabis crypt.
  Redheaded Blackbelt

Crime:

• The L.A. Times has a harrowing report on a father and son, migrant workers from Mexico, who were shot, dismembered and burned while working on illegal grows in the Emerald Triangle.
• A Ventura county woman who is on trial for fatally stabbing her boyfriend 100 times, says smoking marijuana made her psychotic.
  SF Gate

Company milestones:

• A subsidiary of Ispire partnered with Hempacco to commercialize cannabinoid and nicotine vapor products with Snoop Dogg’s Dogg Lbs brand.
• Cookies products are landing in New York.
• Kiva’s Camino gummies launched in Florida through a partnership with MSO Ayr Wellness.

Job moves:

• Attorney Yelena Katchko joined the Glass House board.