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☆ New York Vowed to Shut Down Illegal Weed Shops. It Just Licensed One.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Ashley Southall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A year after New York legalized marijuana for recreational use, a bright-green sign shaped like the plant’s leaf signaled the arrival of a dispensary called Budega on an industrial corner in Queens. The sleek shop, where customers purchase memberships for points that can be redeemed for weed, is one of thousands of illegal dispensaries that the state vowed to shut down. Their owners would be banned from the legal cannabis market, officials said. The situation exposes lapses in the vetting process, undercutting New York officials’ assurances that those who jumped the line to cash in on cannabis would not be rewarded over those who played by the rules. He owns Budega NYC, a clothing and lifestyle brand whose name he intended to use for his own dispensary.

Persons: Budega, “, ”, Alex Norman Organizations: New Locations: York, Queens, New York

☆ I got severe acne after falling sick from appendicitis. The experience inspired me to start a plant-based-skincare company.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Leila Jordan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementEvans designed her facials business, Saving Faces, to be a calming retreat for her clients. Stella Kalinina for BIBecoming an esthetician set me on a journey to heal myself from the inside out. Stella Kalinina for BIWhen I started my healing journey, I became most connected to my hands. Stella Kalinina for BIFor wellness practices, I started to look at the world around me and find solutions in nature. Stella Kalinina for BIOne of my goals is to pass what I have learned on to my kids.

Persons: —, Jenny Evans, It's, facials, couldn't, Evans, Stella Kalinina, BeautyGrass, Evans handmakes, skincare, I've, I'm Organizations: Service, Business, BI Locations: Los Angeles, Santa Cruz

☆ Brittney Griner felt ‘less than human’ while being detained in Russia, she tells ABC in interview
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Surveying her new surroundings in a Russian penal colony, the enormity of her prison confinement suddenly dawned on Brittney Griner, the WNBA star has told ABC. “There was a huge knife sitting on the table, and I was just like: ‘Now, this is going to be a ride,” said Griner. The mattress had a huge blood stain on it. I had no soap, no toilet paper,” added Griner, who the US State Department deemed wrongfully detained and was released last December in a prisoner swap that involved Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. This is a developing story and will be updated.

Persons: Griner, Robin Roberts, “, ”, Viktor Bout Organizations: CNN, WNBA, ABC, US State Department Locations: Russian

☆ A Holiday for Weed Fans, Complete With Corporate Sponsors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Ashley Southall | More About Ashley Southall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the culture of cannabis, April 20 is a high holiday when those who partake light up in enjoyment and in protest of prohibition. Although the origins of “4/20” are debated — according to popular lore, a group of California high school students in the 1970s met after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke weed — the day has been globally celebrated for years. Until recently in New York, celebrations carried the risk of arrest or fines, so they would often take place in secret locations or places where the authorities were somewhat lenient, like Washington Square Park. In 2020, the police busted a pot party in Manhattan, not because people were smoking weed but because they were flouting social-distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic. And a growing number of celebrations — some with brand sponsors — have emerged, catering to users new and old as well as people who are just “canna-curious.”

Organizations: Washington Locations: California, New York, Manhattan

☆ Here’s what marijuana researchers have to say about 420 or ‘weed day’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —It’s 420 or “weed day,” and people around the world will be paying homage to their favorite guilty pleasure: marijuana. “I worry when people are in an enclosed space because new data is beginning to show that secondhand marijuana smoke may be just as dangerous as the primary smoke,” Page said. “Approximately 3 in 10 people who use marijuana have marijuana use disorder,” according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, some parents told doctors they believed vaping marijuana was safer than tobacco, Boyd told CNN earlier via email. A cloud of marijuana smoke rises as a clock hits 4:20 p.m. during the Mile High 420 Festival in Denver on "weed day" in 2022.

Persons: CNN —, Dr, Beth Cohen, Cohen, “, ”, Robert Page II, ” Page, Weed, It’s, ’ ” Carol Boyd, Ann Arbor, Peter Grinspoon, ” Young, Sam Wang, Boyd, Grinspoon, Patrick T, Fallon, Nixon, ” Boyd, ” Grinspoon, ’ ”, Page Organizations: CNN, District of Columbia, University of California, University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center, Drugs, University of Michigan, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Massachusetts General Hospital, Marijuana, Children’s Hospital, Yale Medicine, Drug, University of Colorado’s, Getty, University of Mississippi, US Drug, Administration Locations: United States, San Francisco, Colorado, Aurora, Ann, Boston, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver, AFP

☆ AI is threatening Americans’ jobs. Could guaranteed income provide a safety net?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

That idea of guaranteed income is receiving renewed interest as AI becomes an increasing threat to Americans’ livelihoods. As more Americans’ jobs are increasingly at risk due to the threat of AI, Tubbs and other proponents of guaranteed income say this could be one solution to help provide a safety net and cushion the expected blow AI will have on the labor market. “Then, when we have to deal with that job displacement, we’re better positioned to do so.”Silicon Valley’s infatuation with guaranteed incomeThe idea of a guaranteed income is not new. AFP/Getty ImagesDecades after King’s death, the idea of guaranteed income went on to see a resurgence of support emanating out of Silicon Valley. Other tech industry tycoons, including Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, have also thrown immense financial support behind guaranteed income programs.

Persons: CNN — Michael Tubbs, Tubbs, ”, “, ” Michael Tubbs, Nick Otto, ” Tubbs, Nathan Frandino, Let’s, Martin Luther King, Jr, I’m, ” King, King, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman —, Musk, Rishi Sunak, Zuckerberg, ” Altman, Altman, Sam Altman, Justin Sullivan, Elizabeth Rhodes, Jack Dorsey, Dorsey, Ken Paxton, ” Paxton, overreach, ‘ It’s, ’ Tomas Vargas Jr, Vargas, I’ve, that’s, ” Tomas Vargas Jr, Tomas Vargas Jr, ” Vargas Organizations: CNN, Getty, Global, Monetary Fund, Reuters, Stockton, Civil Rights, Washington DC, Elon, “, UK, Harvard, Facebook, YCombinator, Twitter, UPS Locations: Stockton , California, Silicon Valley, Big, America, Stockton, AFP, San Joaquin, U.S, Washington, Alaska, YCombinator, San Francisco , California, United States, Texas, Harris, Harris County

☆ The Battle Over Zaza Waza: A Lifelong Liberal Joins New York’s Weed War
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Nicholas Fandos | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The informal walking tour came to a pause on Amsterdam Avenue, outside a brick building where a beloved Upper West Side pizzeria had recently been replaced by yet another rogue weed shop. 23 — an entry on an oversize spreadsheet tracking the explosion of unlicensed cannabis stores in her district since New York legalized the drug in 2021. “These guys are currently out of compliance with absolutely everything,” he muttered before moving on to the next shop. At last count, there were 56 unlicensed shops within about 200 square blocks, twice as many as a year ago. Brewer, a 72-year-old former Manhattan borough president, came to be a leading combatant in New York’s madcap battle against illegal weed, you need to know about just one: Zaza Waza.

Persons: Gale Brewer, Sam Goldsmith, Brewer, Zaza Organizations: West Locations: Amsterdam, New York, Manhattan

☆ Mexican drug gangs ‘increasingly targeting’ Australia as meth supplies overtake rivals, police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Drug cartels from North America have overtaken rivals in Southeast Asia to become Australia’s top suppliers of methamphetamine, police said, warning that Mexican gangs are “increasingly targeting” the country. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian meth fell to less than 15% of seizures of the drug, a highly addictive and potent stimulant. A wastewater detection program led by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission projected meth to be Australia’s second most used drug. In 2022, authorities stopped 1.8 tons of liquid meth masquerading as coconut water in Hong Kong before it reached Australia. They were bound for New Zealand, Australia and the surrounding Pacific region, police said.

Persons: Jared Taggart, Taggart, ”, Sam Gor, Terry Goldsworthy, Criminologist John Fitzgerald, Masood Karimipour Organizations: CNN —, Australian Federal Police, Police, ”, Australian Institute of Health, Welfare, Australian Criminal Intelligence, AFP, Bond University, Australian Capital Territory, University of Melbourne, Drugs, New Zealand police, Southeast, Pacific, United Nations Office Locations: North America, Southeast Asia, Australia, AFP, Mexico, United States, Canada, ” Australia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Japan , New Zealand, Hong Kong, Asia, Pacific, Queensland, American, Europe, Ukraine, New Zealand

☆ Modelo maker Constellation's upbeat forecast should send the stock to new highs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Constellation Brands reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings Thursday, driven by strength in its beer business that more than offset continued weakness in wines and spirits. Management's upbeat forecast for fiscal year 2025 should send the stock to new all-time highs. Constellation Brands Why we own it : We like Constellation Brands for its beer franchise, which includes popular Mexican brands Modelo, Corona and Pacifico. More importantly, the sales gains in the beer business are almost entirely driven by volume gains, not higher prices. Management cited Circana channel data as evidence that its beer business outperformed the total U.S. beer category and remained the top dollar sales share gainer.

Persons: Jim Cramer's, Bill Newlands, Beer, Crawford, Meiomi, Robert Mondavi, Jim Cramer, Jim, Justin Sullivan Organizations: Constellation Brands, Modelo, Anheuser, Busch Inbev, Molson Coors, Constellation, Modelo Especial, Corona, Pacifico, Management, High, Woodbridge, Lumina, Enterprise, CNBC Locations: Corona, Pacifico, STZ, Pacific, San Rafael , California

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Boeing, Norfolk Southern, Nvidia & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

BlackBerry — BlackBerry shares popped more than 9% after the company announced a partnership with Advanced Micro Devices on robotics systems. Neogen Corp — The food safety stock shed 9% after the company reported a surprise loss of 1 cent per share. The company also trimmed its previous guidance, saying it now expects revenue to range between $920 million and $910 million for the full year. Norfolk Southern announced that it reached a $600 million settlement related to its derailment in East Palestine. Nvidia — Shares fell more than 2%, putting the chipmaker on track for its fifth losing session in six.

Persons: Tilray, FactSet, Goldman Sachs, Molson Coors, Molson, — CNBC's Michelle Fox, Sarah Min, Pia Singh, Yun Li Organizations: Moderna, Reuters, Merck, Boeing, New York Times, Google, American Eagle Outfitters, JPMorgan, Eagle Outfitters, Bank of America, EV, Molson, Pfizer, Neogen Corp, Norfolk Southern, Nvidia —, Netflix Locations: East Palestine

☆ I've traveled to 9 out of 10 countries in Southeast Asia. Here are the 5 biggest mistakes I made along the way.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Going during monsoon season and not planning for the weather. Bangkok during the monsoon season. Marielle DescalsotaIn July, I traveled to Thailand on a reporting trip to cover the budding cannabis industry. I didn't plan for the weather, so I didn't have an umbrella or poncho with me and had to rush to get one at the last minute. This is a common occurrence in countries like Laos, Thailand, and the island of Borneo, which is shared between Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Persons: Marielle Descalsota Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Chakkrawat, Southeast Asia, Philippines, Laos, Borneo, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia

☆ Tara Davis-Woodhall: ‘My entire memo is have fun,’ says the ‘free-spirited’ US long jump star
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It’s hard not to be swept up in Davis-Woodhall’s approach to the long jump, especially when she finds reason to laugh even in the heat of fierce competition. “My entire memo is have fun,” she tells CNN Sport. Long jump is one track and field discipline which governing body World Athletics seems interested in developing, such as by introducing a take-off zone in the place of a fixed board. “I think it might be a little silly,” she says, “just because you kind of take away from the principle of long jump. That’s even more true for an athlete like Davis-Woodhall, currently jumping further and with more confidence than ever before.

Persons: Tara Davis, Woodhall, dally, I’m, –, I’ve, Ben Stansall, Serbia’s Ivana Španović, ”, Davis, don’t, “, “ I’m, “ I’ve, ” Davis, Hunter Woodall, Michael Woods, “ Tara, Hunter, Hunter Woodhall, it’s, Michael Steele, Jon Ridgeon Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Davis, Paris Olympics, Tokyo Olympics, Woodhall, Doping Agency, ”, University of Texas, World Athletics Locations: Glasgow, Scotland, Davis, AFP, “, Albuquerque , New Mexico, Tokyo, Budapest, Hungary

☆ Three booming businesses that make Denver stand out
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Chris Dilella | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Two cities in Colorado are experiencing tech-fueled economic booms, with Denver's skyline transforming and Boulder's gross domestic product surging. However, the influx of people and businesses has brought challenges like a growing homeless population, affordability issues and infrastructure strain. A recent report shows a 24% drop in Denver's cannabis revenue compared with 2021. Major league moneymakersCameron Fleming #73 of the Denver Broncos runs onto the field before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High on January 8, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. A stage for economic successA concert at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre outside Denver.

Persons: Amy Sparwasser, Matthew Staver, Jared Polis, Polis, Mike Johnston, moneymakers Cameron Fleming, Dustin Bradford, Deion Sanders, Prime's, John P Kelly Organizations: Denver &, Bloomberg, Getty, CNBC, Denver Department of Excise, Licenses, trailblazer, Industry, State Planning, Denver, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Broncos, Nuggets, Rockies, Avalanche, Analysts, University of Colorado Boulder's, NFL, University of Colorado, Boulder, Rocks Locations: Denver, CNBC's, Colorado, Success, Denver & Boulder, Denver , Colorado, Chicago , New York, Los Angeles, University of Colorado Boulder

☆ How this UK-based firm is growing a more sustainable cannabis
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Vicky Mckeever | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Cannabis plants grow in the clone room at Aurora Deutschland GmbH, a manufacturer of medical Cannabis products, in Leuna, Germany September 11, 2023. But some companies are trying to combat that like U.K.-based cultivator Glass Pharms. It claims to be the world's first firm to grow cannabis indoors in a carbon-neutral way. That is then used to heat and cool Glass Pharms' greenhouse. This means Glass Pharms' greenhouse facility does not take any electricity from the energy grid, nor does it rely on mains water.

Persons: James Duckenfield, Duckenfield Organizations: Aurora Deutschland GmbH, CNBC Locations: Aurora, Leuna, Germany, England

☆ Cramer's week ahead: Earnings from Delta, Constellation Brands and major banks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Friday told investors what to look out for next week on Wall Street, highlighting earnings reports from major banks, Delta Air Lines and Constellation Brands . "Stop worrying about how many rate cuts we're going to get when or where or why or how," he said. He'll also be paying attention to earnings from Delta, which he said has the best financials of its peers. Cramer said Thursday is an important earnings day because Constellation Brands will share its quarterly results. Friday is also a big day for earnings, Cramer said, with reports from Wells Fargo , JPMorgan , BlackRock and Citigroup .

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, it's, Cramer, he'll Organizations: Delta Air Lines, Constellation Brands, Federal, Florida Supreme, Delta, Modelo, JPMorgan, BlackRock, Citigroup, Fed Locations: Florida, Wells Fargo

☆ Germans celebrate as recreational cannabis use becomes legal
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Crowds gathered in Germany overnight to celebrate the legalization of cannabis starting from Monday. Adults can now cultivate up to three cannabis plants for private consumption. From July 1, cannabis will be available in licensed not-for-profit clubs with no more than 500 members – all of whom would have to be adults. The German government said that cannabis would remain illegal for minors and highly restricted for young adults, adding that consuming the drug near schools and playgrounds would be illegal. The move makes Germany the third country in Europe – after Malta and Luxembourg – to legalize the drug for recreational use, removing cannabis from the official list of banned substances.

Persons: Fabian Sommer, Karl Lauterbach, it’s, – Organizations: CNN Locations: Germany, Berlin, Europe –, Malta, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Australia

☆ Here's the 16-slide pitch deck addiction care startup Pelago used to raise $58 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Healthtech startup Pelago just grabbed a fresh round of funding to power its own push. The Series C was an upround for Pelago, said Dr. Yusuf Sherwani, cofounder and CEO. Sherwani said the Series C round may be Pelago's last capital raise before it hopes to IPO. With the Series C funding, Pelago plans to launch a program in the second quarter of the year to refer members who don't complete substance use disorder treatment to inpatient facilities. Check out the 16-slide pitch deck Pelago used to raise a $58 million Series C.

Persons: —, Atomico, Yusuf Sherwani, Sherwani, Pelago, Phillips, we've Organizations: Service, Octopus Ventures, Business, Mental Health Services Administration, Healthcare, Centers for Disease Control, MetLife, GE Appliances, Pelago Locations: Pelago

☆ Oklahoma Was a Legal Marijuana Utopia. Then Came the Mass Murder
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Matt Stroud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +32 min

Fourteen months after the murders, the garage of the abandoned marijuana farm on prairie tableland northwest of Oklahoma City sits frozen and dark. Broadway Avenue in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, about 30 miles south of where Wu Chen, 47, executed four people at a marijuana farm. When Oklahoma legalized medical marijuana, the only real requirement was that Oklahoma residents had to be involved in marijuana growing and selling. But Oklahoma required 75% of any marijuana business to be owned by an Oklahoma resident. Deputies from the Kingfisher County Sheriff's Office were the first to arrive at the scene of a quadruple homicide at an abandoned marijuana farm.

Persons: Wu Chen, Mike Simons, Kevin Stitt, Sean Hannity's, Dan Newhouse, Liu, Chen, Yi Fei Lin, Mark Woodward, —, OBN, Adria Berry, BI Adria Berry, I'm, Barb Miuccio, Jeremy Grable, Jeremy, Barb, she's, Barbara Miuccio, Treez, Matt Stacy, Stacy, Stitt, Jeremy they'd, he'd, OMMA, didn't, Barb didn't, Barbara, Stacy —, she'd, Stacy hadn't, BI Jonathan Riedlinger, Riedlinger, Lin, Qirong Lin, Hechun Chen, Qiang Chen, Fang Lee —, Wenbo Lin, Wu Chen —, Wenbo Lin didn't, Reidlinger, Jed Green, Matthew Alan Stacy, Barb —, — he's, He'd, Woodward, Helen Carillo, He's, Kevin Pham, Pham, BI Pham, ProPublica, recriminations, Green, It's, they're, I'd, Ken Thompson, Thompson, Chen didn't, He'll, Jonathan Riedlinger, Kiki, I've Organizations: Oklahoma City, Broadway, BI, Marijuana, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, Republican, Sean Hannity's Fox, Fox News, Chen Inc, Narcotics, BI Adria, Oklahoma's Army National Guard, OBN, Business, Oklahoma State Bureau of, Sheriff's, Prosecutors, CSI Accounting Services, Whitney Economics, NBC, Cannabis, Virginia Slim, Florida . Police Locations: Oklahoma, Kingfisher County , Oklahoma, Ames , Oklahoma, Kingfisher , Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, California, Arkansas, Republican Washington, China, Kingfisher County, Dallas, Moore , Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, He's, Moore, Kingfisher, Hennessey , Oklahoma, OMMA, Mexico, Edmond, Tulsa, Russia, Bulgaria, Armenia, Steakhouse, Virginia, Florida, Miami Beach, Miami

☆ A Legal Pot Pioneer Was Busted in Idaho With 56 Pounds. He Has a Plan.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Corey Kilgannon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In retrospect, the Idaho shortcut might have been a bad idea. Or perhaps the fateful moment was when Mr. Beal decided to avoid the cold by staying in the minivan conked out on the shoulder of Interstate 84. That forced the helpful state trooper to come over and get a noseful of the 56 pounds of weed that Mr. Beal was bringing back to New York. In reality, there were any number of chances for Mr. Beal, 77, to avoid his current situation: facing felony drug trafficking charges carrying a potential 15 years in prison. Mr. Beal has spent nearly six decades challenging pot laws and is a fixture of New York’s graying counterculture, famous for handing out joints at rallies.

Persons: Dana Beal —, —, Beal Locations: Idaho, America, New York

☆ A bunch of analysts just hiked price targets for these 2 stocks, giving them over 65% upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-20 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Eight analysts upgraded their target prices on two Canadian stocks in the past week, giving both more than 65% upside potential. Wedbush Securities analysts Gerald Pascarelli and Antoine Legault hiked their price target for the stock's U.S.-listed shares to $2.50, giving it an upside of 18%. Investment banks Beacon Securities and Alliance Global Partners are significantly more bullish on the stock, giving it upside of 110% and 75%, respectively. VerticleScope reported revenue of $17.9 million, compared to $16.6 million expected by analysts. However, analysts believe the worst is behind it, as all eight covering the stock raised their price targets after the company's earnings.

Persons: Gerald Pascarelli, Antoine Legault, Nick Anderson, MKM Roth, Anderson, Canaccord Genuity, Aravinda Galappatthige Organizations: CNBC, Cresco Labs, Wedbush Securities, Mar, Investment, Beacon Securities, Alliance Global Partners, Capital Markets, National Bank Financial Locations: Mar, U.S

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York will evaluate its troubled recreational marijuana licensing program after lawsuits and bureaucratic stumbles severely hampered the legal market and allowed black-market sellers to flourish, Gov. Hochul, a Democrat, has described the state's recreational marijuana rollout as a “ disaster." The Office of Cannabis Management has just 32 people reviewing license applications but has received about 7,000 applications since last fall, a spokesman said. The state's review will embed Jeanette Moy, the commissioner of the state's Office of General Services, and other state government officials, in the cannabis management agency for at least 30 days. “We have built a cannabis market based on equity, and there is a lot to be proud of," said Chris Alexander, executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, Jeanette Moy, Chris Alexander, Moy Organizations: —, Cannabis, Democrat, Cannabis Management, New York Cannabis, General Services Locations: ALBANY, N.Y, — New York, New York City, New

☆ New York Must Figure Out How to Fix Cannabis Mess, Hochul Orders
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Ashley Southall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Kathy Hochul has told New York officials to come up with a fix for the way the state licenses cannabis businesses amid widespread frustration over the plodding pace of the state’s legal cannabis rollout and the explosion of unlicensed dispensaries. The main goal of the review, to be conducted by Jeanette Moy, the commissioner of the Office of General Services, is to shorten the time it takes to process applications and get businesses open, officials said. The state Office of Cannabis Management, which recommends applicants to the board for final approval, received 7,000 applications for licenses last fall from businesses seeking to open dispensaries, grow cannabis and manufacture products. But regulators have awarded just 109 so far this year. The agency has just 32 people assigned to evaluate the applications.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, Jeanette Moy Organizations: New, Cannabis Control Board, General Services, of Cannabis Management Locations: New York

☆ Harris says it’s absurd and unfair that marijuana is treated more seriously than fentanyl under federal law
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Michael Williams | Samantha Waldenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —Vice President Kamala Harris said Friday that it is “absurd” and “patently unfair” that marijuana is treated the same as heroin and other Schedule I drugs – and more seriously than fentanyl – under federal law. “Marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd, not to mention patently unfair,” Harris said during a roundtable on the administration’s plans for cannabis reform. The administration began the process of reconsidering how marijuana is treated under federal law just before the midterms in 2022. Andy Beshear - and alluded to her own role in what she described as an unequal criminal justice system. Harris’ own feelings on marijuana reform have evolved in line with her career.

Persons: Kamala Harris, ” Harris, “ I’m, Biden, Harris, Joe Biden, Xavier Becerra, Fat Joe, Andy Beshear, ”, “, ” Biden, Bill Clinton’s, CNN’s Holmes Lybrand, Kevin Liptak Organizations: Washington CNN —, White, Black, Democratic, US Health, Human Services, Kentucky Gov, Union, Los Angeles Times Locations: California, Francisco’s

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris and rapper Fat Joe led a White House discussion Friday on easing marijuana penalties, with Harris saying it’s “absurd” that the federal government classifies marijuana as more dangerous than fentanyl, the synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of deaths annually the United States. Fat Joe, a Grammy-nominated artist and philanthropist whose real name is Joseph Cartagena, moderated a subsequent closed-door discussion that included Kentucky Gov. President Joe Biden has issued pardons to thousands of people for federal marijuana possession and commuted long sentences handed down for nonviolent drug offenses. “Marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd. Cartagena opened the roundtable by saying he's hot on the issue of price transparency in health care “but, today, when the vice president calls me, I stop everything."

Persons: Kamala Harris, Joe, Harris, it’s, Joseph Cartagena, Andy Beshear, Joe Biden, Beshear, Biden, “, ”, ” Biden Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Kentucky Gov, Gallup, of Health, Human Services, Justice, Drug Locations: United States, California, Kentucky, U.S, America . U.S, Milwaukee, Cartagena

☆ Inside Startupland's 'Shroom Boom'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Frohman is part of a small but growing community within the startups industry that is experimenting with small doses of psilocybin to improve focus and productivity. Business Insider spoke with multiple founders and investors who microdosed, but wished to be anonymous. The person declined to share their name for publication, but their identity is known by Business Insider. Vancouver-based Filament Health is working to expand access to natural psychedelics through an extraction and drug-discovery process, while brick-and-mortar shops Shroomyz and Fun Guyz are further fueling the Canadian "'Shroom Boom".

Persons: Scott Frohman, Frohman, hasn't, Microdosing, James Fadiman —, Koel Robinson, Robinson, Richard Laver, Steve Jobs, Peter Grinspon, Grinspon, Peggy Van de Plassche, Van de Plassche, She's, Justin Zhu, I'm, microdosing, they're, It's Organizations: Business, Rocket Beverage Group, Erewhon, Foods, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, BMO, PsyMed Ventures, Noetic Fund Locations: Florida, San Francisco, Denver, Minneapolis, In Oregon, California , Iowa, Washington State, Vermont, Massachusetts, Vancouver, Palo Santo

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