United Nations calls for global ban on cannabis advertising
United Nations calls for global ban on cannabis advertising
Leafly – "Seeds of Change" report. Santa Barbara County approves 87 acre grow. Antioch Wants to Become the Bay Area's Next Big Cannabis Hub. SLO $3.2M net loss on Cannabis program since 2018.
Top News
United Nations calls for global ban on cannabis advertising. The United Nations on Thursday called for a global ban on all advertising that promotes cannabis products, in a move that it said could mimic its efforts to lead a global effort to limit tobacco marketing and use. The UN can only recommend such a move, and it would be up to member nations to implement and enforce any kind of advertising ban. “A comprehensive ban on advertising, promoting and sponsoring cannabis would ensure that public health interests prevail over business interests,” the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime wrote in its annual World Drug Report. “Such a ban would need to apply across all jurisdictions,” the global agency added.
New ‘Seeds of Change’ report rates states on cannabis equity, finds most lacking. Leafly published a new report—Seeds of Change: Strategies to create an equitable cannabis industry—which finds a majority of legal adult-use states lack the laws and policies needed to create a fair and equitable cannabis industry. “Seeds of Change” is a multifaceted exploration of the cannabis industry and social justice. The report introduces the Leafly Equity Score, which assesses the progress of individual states in implementing the policies that create a truly equitable industry. The 2021 report found Colorado and California leading the nation in implementing equity measures in their state cannabis industries. They were followed closely by Illinois and New York. At the low end of the list were Alaska, Maine, Montana, and South Dakota, which lacked the most basic equity measures such as automatic sentence expungement and licensing equity programs. The full report can be found here.
Santa Barbara County Approves “Gargantuan” Cannabis “Grow.” A zoning permit for SFS Farms, 87 acres of outdoor cannabis cultivation at the western end of the Sta. Rita Hills, the county’s most successful wine region, was approved by the County Board of Supervisors this week with few concessions to the neighboring vintners. SFS Farms, owned by investors in Colorado and Manhattan Beach, is the largest “grow” approved by the county to date. If it were up and running today, it would be one of the largest cannabis operations in the U.S.; 87 acres is about 65 football fields’ worth of pot. In all, applications for 900 acres of cannabis cultivation have been submitted to the county for the wine country between Lompoc and Buellton.
SFS Farms is by no means the largest cannabis operation in the county review pipeline. A 147-acre operation is proposed on Drum Canyon Road, northwest of Buellton, and there are four proposals for the Cuyama Valley that range from 105 acres to 200 acres in size.
Antioch Wants to Become the Bay Area's Next Big Cannabis Hub. The East Bay city of Antioch is aiming to be the "cannabis capital of Northern California" with the approval of two major cannabis cultivation and distribution facilities. On Tuesday, the Antioch City Council unanimously approved a use permit for San Francisco-based cannabis company Radix Growth to take over a former Kmart store that has been empty for three years. Radix Growth has plans to turn the 95,000 square foot space on E. 18th Street into an indoor cultivation facility, distribution warehouse, delivery service, and retail dispensary. As KPIX reports, the approval for this project comes after the city has already welcomed in Coco Farms, which has plans to build a 130,000 square-foot "indoor canopy for cultivation."
SLO County grapples with a $3.2 million loss on cannabis. San Luis Obispo County supervisors discussed the county's struggling cannabis program on June 22, with staff highlighting a $3.2 million net loss since 2018 and a dearth of operational businesses. After nearly four years, SLO County has 20 permitted and licensed cannabis operators with their doors open, including just 15 total acres of cultivation. The end result for the county's coffers: a $3.2 million deficit and ongoing hit to the general fund. "That's tied to production," SLO County Chief Administrative Officer Wade Horton told the Board of Supervisors. "When you look at the acreage that's in production today, it just does not generate enough tax revenue to cover the cost of the program." According to cannabis industry members, the slow rollout is a result of SLO County's cumbersome permitting process, which can keep applicants in the project review stage for several months or even years. When projects do make it to the finish line, neighbors' appeals or lawsuits can torpedo them, they said.
Long Island officials want ban on cannabis cookies ‘clearly targeting’ kids. Cannabis-laced snacks that mimic popular brand names — including “Trips Ahoy!” and “Double Stuf STONEO” — are being hawked to kids and should be banned by the state Health Department. The products, which are currently legal under the state’s medicinal marijuana program, contain delta-8 THC and were being sold as of Wednesday at a store in Long Beach, said State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, D-Long Island.
Planet 13 — Grand Opening of Orange County (Santa Ana) SuperStore. The Orange County SuperStore is located at 3400 W Warner Ave Santa Ana, CA. A grand opening ceremony will take place at the new SuperStore on July 1, 2021 at 10 am PT. P13 OC is Planet 13's 3rd retail outlet and marks the Company's first foray into California. The SuperStore has been planned as a 55,000 square-foot consumer experience, with 16,500 square-feet devoted to the dispensary retail area. The remaining areas in the complex, to be built as phases 2 and 3, are expected to include memorabilia sales, ancillary retail and a cannabis consumption lounge, all enhanced by additional immersive experiences. With all 3 phases operating, P13 OC is expected to be California's largest dispensary complex. Strategically located, the Orange County SuperStore is seven miles south of Disneyland, four miles from South Coast Plaza, the largest mall in Southern California, and only 2 stoplights from the 405 freeway.
Curaleaf — Expands Presence in New Jersey with New Dispensary and Cultivation Facility. Curaleaf Edgewater Park, the Company's second dispensary in New Jersey and 107th dispensary nationwide. Curaleaf Edgewater Park is a 7,640 square foot dispensary conveniently located off the Burlington Pike at 4237 Route 130 South. In addition, the Company announced that its second New Jersey cultivation facility, located in Winslow, completed its first harvest and is now fully operational. The new site has tripled Curaleaf's cultivation capabilities to serve both the existing New Jersey medical market and the forthcoming adult-use market.
Deals
Binske — Licensing Deal with Michigan Cannabis Cultivator, Six Labs. Praetorian Global, the parent company of the award-winning, international cannabis brand Binske, today announced the signing of a major licensing deal with Michigan's licensed cannabis producer, Six Labs. The brand's expansion into Michigan further solidifies its position as one of the fastest growing and most widely distributed cannabis brands in the world. Michigan marks Praetorian Global's 18th licensing deal, with additional deals to follow in the coming months. The Binske product suite currently boasts over 100 SKU's in its portfolio centered around the primary product categories of flower, vapes, extracts and edibles.
Agrify — Expands Relationship with Current Customer Nevada Holistic Medicine, Further Increases Presence in Attractive Nevada Market. Agrify will build-out of Nevada Holistic Medicine’s 12,400 square foot state-of-the art facility. Under the terms of the agreement, Agrify will provide architectural, engineering, construction and horticultural consulting services, installation and lease of 140 Vertical Farming Units (VFUs), and five years’ use of the Agrify Insights™ software platform in exchange for at least $12 million of production-based and monthly SaaS fees.