Hi all,

The hemp/weed civil war continues to heat up.

In today’s newsletter:

• SCOOP: West Coast Cure asks judge to dismiss pesticides suit

See below,

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.

*

Are you registered to vote?

SCOOP: West Coast Cure asks judge to dismiss pesticides suit

The parent company of California cannabis brand West Coast Cure (WCC) asked a judge to throw out a proposed class action lawsuit alleging the presence of banned pesticides in its vapes.

Read the story

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ban on intoxicating hemp products took effect. As promised, a hemp industry group sued.
SFGate, WeedWeek, Daily Journal

Meanwhile in Washington D.C., Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) proposed a bill to regulate intoxicating hemp.
MJBiz

It would:

• Ban ““artificially or synthetically derived cannabinoids of any kind.”
• Impose a national ages restriction of 21.
• Create a new FDA department called the “Center for Cannabinoid Products.”

While it seems unlikely that the bill would pass Congress this year, it indicates awareness of the issues raised by hemp products.

Federal:

• Longtime weedbeat scribe Will Yakowicz reports on how the GOP learned to love weed.
  Forbes
• An LA Times Op-Ed argues rescheduling would “exacerbate a bad situation.”
• A new report urges the Feds to take a more active role in pot policy.
  Law360
• A doctor argues the presidential candidates should talk about what comes after legalization.
  Washington Post
• There will be a “deschedule not reschedule” rally Dec. 2 at the DEA Museum in Arlington, Va.
  @beardbrospharms

Business:

• A former CEO and CFO at Yelp-like service Weedmaps agreed to pay $175,000 fines to settle allegations that the company issued “misleading” user number metrics. The company has also agreed to pay $1.5M to settle the issue with the U.S. SEC.
  Green Market Report
• Ancillary firms are looking to help with the industry’s ongoing crisis with unpaid bills.
  MJBiz
• The industry “dodged a bullet” when disgraced hip-hop mogul Diddy’s bid to join the cannabiz fell through in 2023, CelebStoner says. I remember thinking at the time that Diddy had dodged a bullet on a bad deal.
• A new docuseries seeks to tell of the rise and fall of MedMen.

State and local:

• A Colorado report blames the state market’s struggles on a maturing national market.
  Marijuana Moment
• Florida advocates are optimistic that the upcoming REC ballot initiative will pass. Canna Law Blog answers your questions about the vote.
  MJBiz
• Kentucky awarded its first license to a testing lab. Most other licenses will be awarded via lottery.
  WLKY
• New York City is investigating sheriff Anthony Miranda in connection with his enforcement of unlicensed smoke shops.
  ABC
• There was a shakeup at the New Jersey cannabis commission.
  Green Market Report
• Illinois sales growth remains slow. Sales are climbing in Michigan and Ohio.
  New Cannabis Ventures, ABC
  
• Allegedly ‘predatory’ contracts continue to surface in Missouri’s social equity program.
  Missouri Independent
• Connecticut’s equity agency has “questionable business practices,” an audit found.
  NewsTimes

Health and science:

• Rolling Stone reports on mothers who smoked legally and got their kids taken away.

Fun and interesting:

• Cannabis and Tech Today interviewed DARK Sheik, the “motherbrain behind pro-pot pro wrestling promotion HOODSLAM.”
• @moonmadefarms highlights a 2005 autumnal equinox performance in San Francisco.

State:

• Gov. Newsom has through Monday to sign the cannabis-related bills on his desk, including the Amsterdam-style cafe bill and the
• The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) shut down another testing lab.
  MJBiz

Local:

• LA County called on Google and Yelp to deplatform unlicensed shops. I previously wrote about how the illegal market games Google.
  LA Times, WeedWeek
• Catalyst Cannabis CEO Elliot Lewis highlighted a sub-optimal parking situation at his Santa Ana shop.
• West Hollywood’s Emerald Village cannabis lobby is inviting brands to sponsor its Halloween block party.
  @emeraldvillageweho
• A Sacramento city councilman could block cannabis lounges.
  SacBee
• The Santa Barbara Co. Board of Architectural Review granted preliminary approval to a processing facility that has long been in limbo.
  Coastal View
• In Mendocino, wildlife officers uncovered environmental threats posed by unlicensed grows.
  MendoFever
• North Bay luminaries shared their views on an industry in transition.
  North Bay Business Journal

Crime:

• A botched October 2023 raid in LA got even stranger when a cop’s gun allegedly got sucked across a room by an MRI machine. (The M stands for magnetic.)
  SFGate

Upcoming:

• Bongmaker Puffco is hosting its annual PuffCon festival this weekend in DTLA.
  @puffco
• The second annual Latinas in Cannabis Summit is September 28 (tomorrow) in Hollywood.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Luke Scarmazzo (@lukescarmazzo)