Good morning.
As we wind down the week, remember to nominate your friends, colleagues, bosses, and even yourself for Cultivated Thirty Thirties. Nominations are open through October 24th.
Have a good weekend!
Let’s get to it.
-JB, JR, ZH, NM
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💡What’s the big deal?
MASSACHUSETTS
Ousted Cannabis Chair is back in the driver’s seat
Driving the News: Shannon O’Brien finally made it back to her post as the chair of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission. She presided over her first CCC meeting on Oct. 1, roughly two years after she was forced out of the agency.
O’Brien was first appointed to the Commission in Sept. 2022. One year later she was suspended and a year after that she was officially terminated. Since then, she has been fighting that termination in state court, and last month the Massachusetts Court of Appeals ordered her reinstated.
The case remains in court, but for now, O’Brien can finally get back to back.
What they’re saying: “After a long and difficult two years, I returned to the CCC with an even deeper sense of purpose and gratitude. Through the challenges, I was reminded of the resilience of this industry, the importance of the work the commissioners and staff do together for the people of Massachusetts.”
O'Brien noted that she would be reviewing the last two years-worth of CCC votes to ensure that they remain legally valid.
The first matter she said that she planned to address was to designate an interim chair in the event that O'Brien is not able to attend a meeting or hearing. When she was originally removed as chair, there was no clear interim selected, so the remaining commissioners all claimed the right to serve as acting chair, creating chaos among the agency's leadership.
O'Brien also delegated general counsel Steven Ludzinski to review the last two years of decisions and produce a report on any actions that need to be corrected or amended.
"My concern is that because we have not for two years have an appropriately delegated acting chair. Some of the votes that took place may not be valid," said O'Brien.
Back to work: She noted that it was not her intention to upend two years of work, but she does intend to speed up the commission’s process for establishing new rules while finding ways to ease existing regulations.
With any luck, her effort will be as smooth and successful as her first meeting back, which lasted about a third as long as typical monthly meetings and lacked the chaos of meetings held after her original ouster.
-ZH
📣 Quotable
“Our industry is not their piggy bank. Our wallets are not their budget overruns. It is our time, not just as an industry, but as citizens of this great state, to put our feet down and say, ‘enough is enough.’” House of Dank Chief Operating Officer and general counsel Mike DiLaura said Sept. 30 from the steps of the Michigan State House.
DiLaura and others from the state's cannabis industry were protesting a proposed 24% wholesale tax on cannabis that the legislature included in the most recent version of the state's annual budget.
Michigan Advance has more from the rally.
⏩ Quick hits
California Governor signs bill making emergency hemp regs permanent 📜
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 8 on Oct. 2, which limits the sale of hemp-derived intoxicants into licensed cannabis dispensaries. It also bans the sale of synthetic cannabinoids and inhalable hemp products.
Wisconsin GOP lawmaker propose medical legalization 🩺
Republican legislative leaders introduced a bill on Sept. 29 that would make Wisconsin the 41st state in the nation to legalize medical cannabis. Last year the legislature failed to get a medical bill that would use state-run dispensaries through the Senate. This new version would allow private companies to operate dispensaries. Three of the state's four neighbors have already legalized adult-use, with Minnesota being the latest to launch a market.
Kentucky medical market could launch next month 🌱
Regulators in the Bluegrass State say that the first medical sales could take place by the end of November. More than 70 licensees have been approved to open for business, so now it is a matter of waiting for the first crop to be ready for harvest. The state already has 14,530 registered medical patients.
Nebraska Senator warns about medical cannabis restrictions ⚠️
Sen. John Cavanaugh called for a Oct. 31 hearing to discuss the state's strict proposed medical rules, which include no smokable flower and limited products to five grams as 90-day supply. The state also missed the Oct. 1 deadline to begin issuing licenses. Cavanaugh warned that if the legislature fails to enact what the voters want, they could be encouraged to go back to the polls to pass adult-use.
🚀 Deals, launches, partnerships
New Jersey Expungement help
Blaze Responsibly is hosting an expungement clinic in New Jersey on Oct. 4. The event will take place at Down Bottom Farms in Newark, NJ from 11AM-2PM. Applicants are asked to pre-fill out a form from this link.
🧳 People moves
Chris Yetter is the newest board member for Hydrofarm Holdings, a leading manufacturer and distributor of hydroponics equipment and supplies. Yetter, who was a founder and Chief Investment Officer for Dumont Global replaces outgoing board member Susan Peters, who is retiring.
📰 What we’re reading
Inside Utica's First Cannabis Lounge | Visit Detroit