In her new column "On Brand," Jackie Bryant talks to marketers about one of the most alluring customer groups, cannabis newbies:
WeedWeek

They're “very much a real market segment, one that is fairly easy to figure out,” says Ryan Goldstein, CMO of cannabis branding and marketing firm Petalfast and CEO of A.P. Keaton. “Low-dosed and inconspicuous products are the intuitive entry point for canna-curious consumers,” he says.

Not everyone agrees.

*

"On Brand" is brought to you by Mattio Communications.

Amid the complications of running a licensed cannabis business, environmentalism isn’t always a top priority. But, for many operators, cleaning up their act makes financial sense.
WeedWeek

• As competition intensifies, the lower production costs that can come with energy savings are a competitive advantage.
• As an added bonus, environmental consciousness attracts an important segment of consumers. 
• The head of a new group called the Sustainable Cannabis Coalition says energy efficiency and standardized practices could help reduce the cost of producing a pound from $500 to $100.

Every cultivator "has an opportunity to improve."

The week's happenings:

• Cannabiz execs are increasingly optimistic New York will legalize REC this year.
  MarketWatch
• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said cannabis reform is a priority.
  Marijuana Moment
• The Wall Street Journal's Heard on the Street column says pot stocks are "ready to roll." (Paywall)
• However, November saw declines in year over year sales growth.
  New Cannabis Ventures
• The stock of Weedmaps' parent company is on fire.
  MJBiz
• Bloomberg takes a look at the potential of delta-8 THC, the hemp-based cannabinoid that gets you high.
• A judge ruled MedMen must pay its former CFO at least $500,000 to cover his legal fees in an ongoing lawsuit against the company.
  MJBiz
• Dispensaries left the Commonwealth (Massachusetts) Dispensary Association, after the group sued the state to contest a policy that reserves delivery licenses for equity businesses.
  Masslive
• A leaked recording of Hadley Ford, former CEO of MSO iAnthus, conveys his perspective on an arrangement that will leave current shareholders with just 2.75% of the company.
  New Cannabis Ventures
• The New York Times takes a look at cannabis in Canada, two years after legalization.
• A study in the journal Nature says found CBD has important antimicrobial properties, which could have widespread implications for medicine.