Good morning.
We’re officially getting into the summer doldrums with a rescheduling decision likely a few weeks away. But we’ll have plenty of awesome reporting to tide you over in the coming days.
Let’s get to it.
-JB, JR
Today’s newsletter is 516 words or about a 4.5-minute read.
💬 Quotable
“I’ve always been very pro-weed,” Sen. John Fetterman said in a press release, indicating that he signed on the recently re-introduced Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which would federally deschedule cannabis.
“In a very libertarian slant: I’m not going to judge anyone for using it to knock the edge off of life. I think your path to wellness should be without judgement or punishment—legal, safe, and regulated.
“But it is time for Congress to stop dicking around and make weed legal.”
⏪ In case you missed it
On Tuesday’s episode of Cultivated at the Canadian Securities Exchange, Jay sat down with Emma Andrews, CEO of Nextleaf Solutions. $OILS.CSE ( 0.0% )
Emma unpacked the company's evolution from a patent-driven extractor to a multi-brand consumer goods company — with a Canada-wide presence in softgels, oils, and vapes under brands like Glacial Gold and Yard.
🏃 Quick hits
Oklahoma spent $5 million building a lab to fix cannabis testing and it still isn't open
Oklahoma's $600 million cannabis market continues to be plagued by THC potency inflation and lab shopping, with one industry voice telling Oklahoma Watch that submitting the same product to seven different labs produces seven different results, while the OMMA reference lab authorized in 2023 and funded at nearly $5 million still hasn't opened.
Massachusetts made delivery the default statewide, 13 towns opt out
Under the April overhaul that made cannabis delivery legal across all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns by default, the CCC has certified 13 municipal delivery waivers as of July 15, with towns that already host retail establishments ineligible to ban it.
Pentagon maintains a “drug-free” workplace
The Pentagon issued a July 9 memo clarifying that Schedule III reclassification does not alter the UCMJ prohibition on cannabis use, possession, or distribution, with civilian DoD employees covered by a parallel drug-free workplace policy.
Trump's acting AG dodges on broader rescheduling ⚖️
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told senators he'll give recreational rescheduling "careful consideration" if confirmed permanently, stopping short of a commitment. The catch: he also signaled no problem with federal prosecutors going after simple possession in national parks.
Nebraska's cannabis commission set its fees
The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission approved a 3-0 fee schedule setting cultivator and manufacturer licenses at $20,000 with $23,500 annual renewals, dispensary licenses at $15,000 with $18,000 renewals, and a $13,000 annual seed-to-sale tracking fee, while also hiring its first two dedicated staff and still not indicating when it will approve its first product manufacturer or dispensary licenses.
🤝 Deals, launches, partnerships
Vireo scoops up Cannabist assets
Vireo Growth agreed to acquire cultivation, manufacturing, and retail operations from The Cannabist Company across Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and West Virginia for up to $35M, adding 25 dispensaries and pushing its pro forma network to roughly 230 locations nationwide. $VREOF ( ▲ 0.29% )