See you at the Midwest Cannabis Forum tomorrow

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TOMORROW | Midwest Cannabis Forum TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW

MIDWEST CANNABIS FORUM
The Midwest Cannabis Forum Is Tomorrow. Here's What's On the Table.

When we first conceived this event, we timed it deliberately — we wanted rescheduling momentum to have built and the Farm Bill fight to be fully in focus.

Both happened.

So tomorrow at Salvage One, we're spending a full day working through what it all means.

The agenda moves fast, because the industry does too.

Jay and Brad will be emceeing a packed program covering Midwest market dynamics state by state, the hemp beverage revolution unfolding outside dispensary walls, a clear-eyed rescheduling panel focused on what's real versus hype, the Farm Bill fight over hemp's future, workforce economics, social equity in Illinois, and — to close — how finance and banking are actually evolving in the age of rescheduling.

Interspersed throughout: a "4 minutes and 20 seconds" format putting single voices at the mic for the fast, punchy takes the room needs to hear.

Look for a full recap and takeaways in upcoming emails.

See you in Chicago!

-JR

On Tuesday's Cultivated Live, Jay sat down with Brad Spirrison — journalist, cannabis media veteran, and founder of Grown In — to talk about the outlet's history covering the Midwest cannabis market, what's behind its relaunch, and why the region is increasingly impossible to ignore.

Then: a preview of the Midwest Cannabis Forum, happening this Thursday at Salvage One in Chicago. What's on the agenda, who's in the room, and what questions the industry needs to be asking right now.

In case you missed it »

“Cannabis operators have spent years being treated as unfinanceable despite running real businesses with real revenue,” FundCanna Founder and CEO Adam Stettner told Cultivated about the company’s new $60 million credit facility from an institutional investor. .

“The fact that we were able to secure this capital is a meaningful signal for the entire industry, that a lender who knows this space deeply can bring traditional capital to cannabis and that institutional investors are beginning to separate stigma from underlying business fundamentals. This is a step forward for everyone in the cannabis industry.”

Curaleaf announces 1-for-3 reverse stock split

Curaleaf announced a 1-for-3 reverse stock split effective around June 5, to prepare for a potential “up-listing” to a marquee U.S. exchange like the Nasdaq, CEO Boris Jordan said. The split will consolidate every three shares into one share. The stock fell about 3% on the news, and is trading at $3.31 per share, meaning if the split were to happen today, the consolidated shares would be around $9.93. $CURLF ( ▼ 0.3% )

VANGST*
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Competition for qualified talent is intensifying at every level. Operators who move fast win. Those still relying on generic job boards and gut-feel screening are falling behind.

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Here's what sets them apart: Vangst handles the entire workforce management stack — payroll, workers' comp, insurance, taxes, HR, and scheduling — so your team can focus on the business, not the paperwork. 

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Hemp industry braces for November ban with no congressional fix in sight

The Marijuana Policy Project warned that companies built around hemp-derived THC products "will go away entirely" when new federal restrictions take effect in November, with executive director Adam Smith saying a congressional fix is unlikely under the current Congress.

Delaware lawmakers split on how to regulate hemp-derived THC

Four competing bills are moving through the Delaware legislature, pitting licensed cannabis operators — who want hemp-derived THC products folded into the regulated market with a strict 0.4 milligram THC cap — against hemp retailers backing a separate licensing path with a more permissive 10 milligram limit and lower tax rate.

New Jersey moves to loosen hemp beverage rules ahead of November deadline

A Senate committee advanced legislation that would let liquor stores sell wine bottle-sized containers of THC drinks until federal restrictions kick in this November, with Senate President Nick Scutari sponsoring the measure to extend the state's current sell-through deadlines and allow bottles containing up to 200 milligrams of total THC.

Genetic risk may explain who develops psychosis from cannabis use

A new meta-analysis in Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science identifies three distinct genetic pathways linking cannabis use disorder to psychosis, suggesting some people are biologically predisposed to the outcome. Researchers point to the glutamate system as a potential marker for elevated risk, though clinical applications remain years away.

Europe is now the world’s second-largest cannabis market by value, with projected market potential ranging from roughly €22 to €31 billion (about $26 to $36 billion) annually, according to a new report from the Global Cannabis Network Collective (GCNC) and Whitney Economics. Download the full report »

Jeremy will be moderating the State of the Cannabis Industry panel at the 2026 Online Cannabis Career Summit by Green Flower Media on June 11.

It’s free — register »

Tampa-based THC beverage designed for athletic recovery, alcohol fatigue | Florida Business Observer