Author: Eric Sheetz

Only 4% of Cannabis Businesses in Washington State are Black-Owned

The most recent data available from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) shows that among all of the cannabis business owners in Seattle, Washington, only 4% are Black-owned. A new report from King5 News interviews minority business owners who lost their place in the industry when Washington State legalized adult-use cannabis, and how […]

Israeli Company Clones Cannabis Cells—Not Plants—With Up to 12 Times the Potency

Using a bioreactor, a company in Israel cloned hemp cells to culture them into a powdery biomass that contains all of cannabis’s active compounds and can be dialed up to 12 times the potency. Not to be confused with the horticultural practice of cloning, Rehovot, Israel-based BioHarvest Sciences is cloning at the cellular level. One […]

Indiana Gov. Will Not Be Issuing Pardons for Cannabis Offenses, Favors Expungement

Pardons are still a hot topic after President Joe Biden announced on Oct. 6 that he would be pardoning citizens who have federal convictions for cannabis, and asked that state governors do the same to provide relief for people in their regions. However, Indiana Gov. Holcomb recently stated that he would not be pardoning simple […]

Australian Capital Territory Decriminalizes Small Amounts of Drugs Including Heroin, Cocaine

The social experiment of decriminalizing drugs and providing a health-based program instead of locking up drug users is taking hold in Australia’s capital. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT)—home of capital city Canberra—passed legislation on October 20 to decriminalize small amounts of drugs, according to an announcement. It’s the first jurisdiction to do so in Australia. […]

Pennsylvania Marijuana Pardon Project Finds Errors in Pardon Applications

The Pennsylvania Marijuana Pardon Project launched in September, and approximately 3,500 applications were submitted for consideration. While these applications will now wait for official reviews to be conducted, it appears that many submitted their applications with typos. Board of Pardons (BOP) Secretary Celeste Trusty said that numerous applicants have submitted inaccurate information, much of which […]

Activists To Demonstrate For Cannabis Clemency in D.C.

Hip hop icons Redman and M1 of Dead Prez will join cannabis activists in Washington, D.C. on Monday to protest the Biden administration’s failure to release people imprisoned on federal marijuana convictions. The rally, which is being billed as an act of civil disobedience, will bring together cannabis policy reform groups including Students for Sensible […]

Mission Green Campaign Seeks Release for Cannabis Prisoner Parker Coleman

Mission Green, an initiative of justice reform advocacy group the Weldon Project, announced on Thursday that it has filed a clemency petition for Parker Coleman, who is serving a 60-year sentence in federal prison for marijuana distribution. The filing continues Mission Green’s campaign to secure the release of men and women serving time for marijuana […]

Circle K Locations To Open RISE Dispensaries with Green Thumb Industries

Buying cannabis will soon become as convenient as making a quick stop to the local Circle K. Today Green Thumb Industries, owner of RISE Dispensaries, announced plans to expand its footprint in Florida’s medical cannabis market through an agreement with Circle K. Beginning next year, Green Thumb plans to launch its initial phase of the […]

Pennsylvania Grant Program Sets Up $200,000 for Hemp Education, Marketing

On October 17, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced a $200,000 grant program to award organizations striving to promote hemp. The department aims to award grant funds to reimburse “half of project costs,” with a minimum grant amount of $1,000. Special consideration will be given to applicants who “leverage other funding and […]