Hi folks,

It’s with a good deal of happiness, and not a little relief, that I can say the first two months of WeedWeek California Pro show promise. (You can expense it.)

We have a growing number of paid subscribers and off-the-charts open and click rates. Most important, we’re breaking news on big companies like Shryne Group, Eaze, Raw Garden and more.  

We’re now looking for someone who can help develop our business strategy. The role would start part-time, or on a project basis, but there’s potential to grow. If you’re the right person for this gig, you have thoughts on how. 

Send your thoughts and a CV to alex@weedweek.com

In the newsletter:

• Layoffs hit cannatech

And lots more.

Enjoy,

Alex  

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More scoops:

Pacific Stone is latest to leave Herbl

California greenhouse flower brand Pacific Stone is ending its relationship with distributor Herbl and switching to Kiva Sales and Service. WeedWeek also learned of another big brand parting ways with Herbl,  the latest in a string of high profile exits from what was once California’s dominant distributor.

Who else is switching to Kiva?

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Shryne Group hit with labor suit

A lawsuit filed in May by a former employee of Stiiizy’s parent company alleges that it didn’t pay him for all hours worked, didn’t provide itemized wage…

Read the story

• In case you missed it: 

  A draft deal between Shryne and a social equity partner would have given the partner negligible control over the business, and little chance to share in its profits, according to four lawyers who reviewed the document.

  Read the WeedWeek exclusive

   

California-based delivery app Eaze laid off as many as 25 employees, Business Insider reported as “pressure mounts.”

• The layoffs include members of the live ops and engineering teams. 
• In an April recording obtained by WeedWeek, CEO Ro Choy said “we live or die” by the engineering team, which had until then avoided layoffs. 
• SCOOP: WeedWeek has learned that Mervyn Lally, a former executive with credit monitoring company Experian, is now leading product and engineering at Eaze. 

Liz Gower posted on LinkedIn that she and others were laid off from the product team at cannatech unicorn Dutchie.

• The extent of the layoffs wasn’t clear at press time, but they parallel the broader tech industry, which is battening down the hatches. 
• Do you know more? Hit me up: alex@weedweek.com or Signal 917-750-9160

Technology company Akerna also announced layoffs.

It’s becoming clear (again) that while cannabis may be recession proof, cannabis companies are not. Most MSOs posted revenue declines in Q1. Of the dozen largest only Green Thumb Industries posted a net profit.
@mjbizdaily

Politics:

• A group of leading executives has engaged the powerhouse law firm Boies Schiller Flexner to sue the federal government over legalization.
  Marijuana Moment

Business:

• “Canopy Growth’s Loss Was Bigger Than Feared,”
  Barron’s
• Drink brand Cann and partner Weedmaps won the first day of pride month with their “Taste So Good” music video. AdWeek also anticipates brands hitting “Main Street USA” in festivals this summer.
• A new marketing campaign aims to alleviate AAPI concerns about the cannabiz. 
• The maker of Nerds and Trolli candies filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Florida Delta-8 maker Top Five Wholesale. 
• Forbes checks out the burgeoning canna travel scene.
• WSJ looks at the cannabis metaverse opportunity, but traffic is light.
• Mary Carreon discusses hemp as a remedy for climate change.
  Riverfront Times
• Honeysuckle Media checked out the upscale Trailblazers Sedona conference.
• The industry was “center stage” at the rave-y Movement Electronic Music Festival in Detroit.
  Detroit News

State and local:

• New York posted the winners of 16 more conditional REC growers licenses. Regulators also approved rules on packaging advertising and testing. 
  David Feder, Marijuana Moment
• In a confusing development, Minnesota approved hemp-derived THC for sale in grocery and conventience stores.
  MJBiz
• In Pennsylvania, Akerna-owned MJ Freeway, the state’s seed to sale tracking provider, is embroiled in a lawsuit with minority-owned tech company TreCom Systems, which was instrumental in helping it win the state contract.
  Grown In
• California regulator DCC has a new map data tool. I’m biased, but WeedWeek‘s interactive maps are better. 
• Illinois awarded equity licenses to 48 veteran-led companies.
  CBS
• Oklahoma had a recall after product samples were tainted with e.coli and salmonella. 
• Detroit began awarding REC licenses.
  Crain’s Detroit Business

Business and strategy:

• Insurance broker Eric Rahn discusses the industry’s fight for directors and officers liability coverage, a key to recruiting top corporate executives.
  MJBiz

Criminal Justice:

• A Maryland attorney has pointed out a potentially important flaw in how the FBI records cannabis arrests. With legalization, cannabis arrests have fallen significantly, but the flaw could affect those numbers. 

Equity:

• PR guy Brett Puffenberger posted a heartfelt tribute to LGBTQ contributions to the cannabis movement.

Health and science:

• Leafly published an essay on cannabis and abortion.
• An exec at EcoBuds, which uses a proprietary “biocide” to decontaminate product warned about ozone as a decontaminant.
  Cannabis Equipment News
• A study found teen use is likelier in legal states. Other studies have not found that to be the case.
  Axios
• A study found that THC concentration in the blood isn’t correlative to intoxication.

Fun and interesting:

• The world’s largest plant is a seagrass meadow in Australia. It’s 4,500 years old and seventy square miles.

• California retailer Harborside provided details of its integration plan with three other companies.
• MSO Tilt Holdings is bringing former NFLer Ricky Williams’ Highsman brand to Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

• Canadian player Fire & Flower named convenience store executive Stéphane Trudel CEO.
• Glass House announced the departure of COO Daryl Kato. 
• Sophia Julio joined MSO Trulieve as a senior recruiter in Chicago.

• NECANN has a busy summer with events in Chicago (June 10-11), Burlington, Vt. (June 25-26), Albany, N.Y. (Aug. 26-27) and Atlantic City, N.J. (Sept. 9-10).
• Law firm Harris Bricken is hosting a June 14 webinar on protecting, monetizing and enforcing cannabis IP.
• Imperious Cannabis Business Expo takes place June 17-18 in Phoenix.
• Arcview Women’s Inclusion Network has a daylong event June 16 in Downtown LA.
• Jessi Cox previewed the Loving the Plant awards to honor “unsung hero’s and OGs.“

• @Berner415 congratulated the first graduates of Cookies U.
• “What do you think? Is this snitching?”
• A mordant meme from @ngaio420
• Commentator Rob McPherson ranked the four worst CEO’s in Canadian cannabis history. (They all got rich.)