Happy Friday,
At Noon Eastern/9 AM Pacific, we’ll have our fourth episode of This Week in Cannabis LIVE. It’s a program we’re producing alongside our partners at High Spirits: The Cannabis Business Podcast and Cannabis Musings. So, join us on LinkedIn or YouTube later today.
But before you get to that, check out the This Week in Cannabis Puzzle - a fun weekly look at the cannabis news.
Let’s get to it.
-JB, JR, ZH, NM
This newsletter is 418 words or about a 3-minute read.
Today’s newsletter made possible by:
📣 Quotable
“In true Washington swamp fashion, this hemp ban is not being debated on its own, on its merits. Instead, it is attached to a must-pass bill. Once again, Congress created a crisis, to jam through new laws without debate,” said Sen. Rand Paul in an editorial for the Courier Journal following the vote that re-opened the government while also giving the hemp industry a 1-year expiration date.
⏩ Quick hits
NY Cannabis Control Board awards 68 new licenses 🗽
The CCB approved 68 new licenses during its monthly meeting on Thursday. The board also approved tentative marketing rules that keep billboards banned but allow for more leniency on outdoor signs. Applicants from the December 2023 queue are still waiting for review but the board has begun considering waiver applications from existing operators who found out they were too close to schools.
Trump’s DOJ to target cannabis use on federal property
The Department of Justice rescinded Bided-era guidance to not go after cannabis use on federal property like national parks. The move represents a reversal from previous administrations that de-emphasized enforcement of cannabis while it remains federally illegal.
Glass House Brands took a $26 million hit after ICE raid 🧊
After an unprecedented raid from Immigration and Customs Enforcement that left one worker deceased, Glass House Brands reported a $26 million loss in the wake. The company also said it had to entirely restaff its farm. The raid unearthed allegations of potentially underage cultivation work, but thus far no federal or state charges have been filed on that issue. SF Gate has more.
🧳 People moves
Leland Radovanovic joined Nabis as marketing manager.
🍟 Catch up
The House voted on the funding bill to reopen the government, inclusive of the hemp ban. We’ll have more coverage on what’s next, but if you’ve missed our flurry of coverage, it’s linked here: