Hi all,

Hope everyone is staying dry and warm. Let’s get to it.

In the newsletter:

• The end of MedMen

Lots more too,

Alex

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COOKIES SUED OVER NYC LOCATION

A entity with ties to Cookies’ multi-state retail partner TRP sued the brand in New York State courts days before Cookies’ Herald Square clothing store converted into a dispensary called Culture House.

The plaintiff alleges that Cookies’ partnership with a New York license winner violated their agreement to be its exclusive retail partner in the state. Cookies denies the allegation.

Culture House claims it is involved “in advocacy and social impact initiatives to enrich communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs,” but declined to say what those efforts are.

Read the story

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PLUS: Pax sues Stiiizy for patent infringement (Unlocked)

SoCal-based MedMen, the once high-flying MSO which opened a MED shop, years too early, on New York’s Fifth Ave. is in its death throes. The company, whose stock hit zero in January, became a symbol of green rush excess and hubris, before the cannabiz realized this isn’t an easy game for anyone.

Politico published a long postmortum of MedMen’s travails in 2020, and it just got smaller and sadder since, exiting Florida and New York, then Arizona and Nevada and then finally West Hollywood, a flagship store for six years.

While MedMen flew a little too close to the sun, the cannabiz still faces most of the same problems that crushed it. And as Seth Yakatan pointed out, it won’t be the last to go.

Federal:

• Twelve Senate Democrats called on Biden to de-schedule weed.
  NBC
• While a student at Yale, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen overprepared for her first time smoking up.
  Marijuana Moment

Business:

• The N.Y. Times Magazine profiled Cookies CEO Berner.
• High Country News assesses the state of the west’s cannabis economy.
• Pot stocks, especially MSOs, have shown signs of life.
  New Cannabis Ventures
• Journalist Lindsey Bartlett editorialized that that misogyny still permeates the cannabiz.
  Denver Post
• PuffCo CEO Roger Volodarsky discussed hash’s exciting last decade.
  Cannabis & Tech Today
• A former worker sued MSO Trulieve for racial discrimination.
  Law360

State and local:

• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued five cities, including Austin, for decriminalizing.
  Texas Tribune
• Launched in Colorado more than seven years ago, venerable edibles brand 1906 is exiting the state’s depressed market.
  Westword
• New York regulators were sued by a business alleging state equity policy discriminates against white men.
  MJBiz
• In preparation for opening, Las Vegas consumption lounges submitted DUI prevention plans.
  KVVU
• In Massachusetts, federal prosecutors sought records linked to a suspended regulator as part of a grand jury probe.
  Boston Globe
• Arkansas’ attorney general rejected language for an industry supported ballot initiative.
  Arkansas Advocate
• Maine is still calling for a federal crackdown on unlicensed Chinese-owned grows.
• An Oregon distributor withdrew its lawsuit challenging the ban on interstate trade.
  MJBiz, WeedWeek
• An equity license holder was denied a New York City location because it’s too close to a shop owned by MSO Green Thumb Industries.
  Green Market Report
• Washington state lawmakers moved to allow home grow and reject potency limits.
  NORML

Health and science:

• The N.Y. Times asks if edibles are safer than smoking.
• “Flower-free February: It’s a thing.”
  LA Mag

Psychedelics:

• Shroom Maps exists and the logo looks a bit familiar.
• Bon Appetit discovers the luxurious world of magic mushroom chocolate.

Fun and interesting:

• Four things to do with mids. 
  @_oystergirl
• Infused buffalo wing sauce in Illinois. It’s a collaboration between Good News Cannabis and the West Town sport bar The Fifty/50.
  WGN

Michigan’s Pleasantrees trolled SF fans before the NFC championship. Though the Niners got the best of the Detroit Lions, Pleasantrees had been more successful rattling Tampa Bay and LA tokers.
Detroit Free Press

Business:

• Lawyer Katie Neer and legally trained consultant Hirsh Jain commiserated about the New York and California markets, respectively.
• Glass House Brands commenced growing at a massive new Ventura Co. green house.
• MSO The Cannabist, formerly Columbia Care, acquired house of brands Ciencia Labs.
• SF 49ers legend Joe Montana has done well investing in distributor Nabis.
  SFGate
• A video that circulated on social media appeared to catch an executive at dispensary chain Off The Charts talking about taking advantage of small vendors. A response from OTC is expected, according to Blacklist.
• UFC warned fighters to stop consuming to avoid running afoul of state athletics rules.
  Marijuana Moment

Local:

• Humboldt growers strongly oppose March ballot initiative Measure A. Here’s a video discussion of it at @redwoodroots.family.
  Mad River Union
• A La Puente (LA Co.) council member is embroiled in a controversy over transporting hundreds of plants south from Humboldt.
  Red Headed Blackbelt
• Sacramento’s equity program is making progress.
  Sacramento News Review
• Fresno got its seventh pot shop: Seaside (Monterey Co.)-based Higher Level.
  The Business Journal

Company milestones:

• Berner says he’ll personally run Cookies’ new location on Melrose Ave. in LA. It opens this month. He’s also been posting about Splash City, a movie he’s filming in SF.
• Leef Brands, agreed for AG Advisors to manage its huge grow in Santa Barbara County.
• A Golden State opened a shop in Redding.
  Record Searchlight

Crime:

• Six bodies were found murdered in a remote stretch of San Bernardino County’s High Desert, northeast of LA. Five have been arrested in what was apparently a dispute over illegal weed.
  AP
• A Central Valley gold club allegedly hosted an unlicensed cannabis business.
  SFGate
• For 16 years the feds continued to pursue Charles Lynch for opening a Morro Bay (SLO Co.) MED shop in 2006. Why?
  LA Times

Recognition:

• Retailer Catalyst honored its top budtenders.

Upcoming:

• CCIA is gathering stakeholders in Sacramento on February 9. NCIA is gathering them in Sacramento February 22.
• Tech shop Meadow is planning its Meadowlands 2024 retreat for early fall.