🏪 Vireo Growth to acquire Cannabist assets across 5 states for up to $35M
FLUENT Selling NY License, Certain Operations. Ascend Wellness Prepares for Uplisting. Greenlight Expands Ohio Footprint. King City Gardens x Jeeter (Ohio). California Cannabis Awards Winners.
⚽For any subscribers that follows EPL (English Premier League), I’ll be starting up an FPL league for Cannabis industry friends again—reply if you want to join.
🌿 Industry
Federal Marijuana Rescheduling Hearing Wraps Up, With DEA Judge Laying Out Next Steps. — Marijuana Moment
Post-hearing briefs (max 50 pages) and proposed transcript corrections are due by August 17; the judge will then write his recommendation, but the final decision rests with DEA Administrator Terrance Cole — no timeline given
California Cannabis Awards Crowns 2026 Golden Bear Winners. The fifth annual awards recognized excellence across flower, concentrates, edibles, beverages, wellness products, pre-rolls, vape cartridges and more.
The awards are part of the California Cannabis Experience, a first-of-its-kind educational and retail activation at the California State Fair that showcases California’s cannabis culture, agriculture, innovation and craftsmanship
2026 Golden Bear Winners
Sun Grown Flower: Greenshock Farms — Pink Rider
Mixed Light Flower: Ridgeline Farms — Blueberry Caviar
Indoor Flower: Wood Wide — Woodzy
Pre-Rolls: One of a Kind x Joy Ridge Farms — Dutch Treat
Cartridges: Moon Valley Cannabis — Neon Panther Live Rosin All-in-One
Concentrates: Moon Valley Cannabis — Neon Panther Ice Water Hash
Edibles: Emerald Sky — Blue Dream Live Rosin GrooveBar
Beverages: St. Ides — Lychee Pear High Tea
Wellness: Emerald Bay Extracts — Super Lemon Haze RSO Tablets
Georgia’s Expanded Medical Marijuana Law Generates Huge Boost In Number Of Registered Patients. Since the start of June, the number of registered medical marijuana patients has grown ~22%. — Marijuana Moment
There were about 34,000 active patients in the program at the beginning of last month, that number has now grown to more than 41,400
THC drinks hit $239M. Hemp-derived THC beverages generated $239 million in mainstream retail sales in the 52 weeks ending June 27, 2026, up 135% YoY, even as total alcohol dollars fell 3.3%. — Forbes
As of July 20, legislation seeking to delay the change remained stalled at the committee stage. The National Restaurant Association has separately urged Congress to delay the ban
Major Alcohol Industry Lobby Backs Bill To Keep Hemp THC Drinks Legal, But It Wants More ‘Discussion’ On Tax Rate. The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) is particularly applauding the legislation’s provisions that would create a three-tier framework for sales of cannabis-infused beverages, modeled on the system that is currently in place for alcohol. — Marijuana Moment
The new Lawful Hemp Protection Act, introduced by Reps. Andy Barr (R-KY) and Angie Craig (D-MN), would put in place a number of regulations for manufacturing, labeling, sales and taxation of hemp-derived products, including an age limit of 21
The new 60-page bill, which a press release from Barr’s office says is supported by the White House, would keep many hemp products that are now on the market legal for people over the age of 21, again changing the definition of hemp to allow concentrations of up to 1 percent total THC on a dry-weight basis
Significant jump in unit sales at Illinois cannabis retailers. The pace accelerated from 7.3% growth during the same period a year earlier, but prices are sliding as value brands lead the way. — MJBizDaily
Coming on the heels of a record year in 2025, it’s interpreted as a sign that demand keeps growing six years after the state legalized adult-use cannabis
Prices, meanwhile, keep sliding. Industrywide, cannabis prices have fallen for several years amid the oversupply experienced in more mature markets. Even so, store counts keep rising. Illinois now has 288 dispensaries, up 10% from a year ago, as new license holders open their doors, Crain’s reported
THC potency inflation, lab shopping continuing in Oklahoma cannabis. Oklahoma marijuana authorities haven’t yet opened their cannabis testing laboratory. In the meantime, major problems continue to flourish. — MJBizDaily
Familiar complaints of THC potency inflation, unsafe product and unscrupulous operators profiting via “lab-shopping” continue to plague the $600 million Oklahoma cannabis industry
That’s in part because, despite spending nearly $5 million over the past three years to develop a state-run “reference lab,” the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) lab is still not yet up and running, authorities say
Arkansas Medical Cannabis Sales Total $140M During First Six Months of 2026, Down Slightly From 2025. Arkansas medical cannabis sales fell 2.6% during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, even as state cannabis tax revenues held steady and active patient cards increased 7.7%.
💵 Deals
Vireo Growth to acquire Cannabist assets across 5 states for up to $35M. The deal includes up to 25 dispensaries and is expected to close in stages through the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, pending court authorization and regulatory approvals. Vireo will acquire certain cannabis cultivation, manufacturing and retail operations from subsidiaries of Cannabist across five markets: Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and West Virginia. Total consideration for the transaction, subject to certain regulatory approvals, will be up to $35M, comprised of up to $18.75M in cash payable at closing and up to $16.25M in seller notes. Upon closing each market, Vireo will deepen its presence in Colorado with eight dispensaries and enter four new state markets.
FLUENT Selling New York License, Certain Operations. FLUENT has entered into a definitive agreement with a third-party operator, pursuant to which, among other things, the purchaser will acquire Etain LLC, the company’s operating entity in New York. The purchase agreement was entered into on July 22, 2026. The transaction contemplates the sale of Etain’s Registered Organization license, certain of the company’s New York operating assets, and associated leases in New York in exchange for cash consideration, subject to customary purchase price adjustments.
📄 Company Updates
Parallel Closes 2 Florida Cannabis Facilities Comprising 330K Square Feet; Lays Off 211 Workers. Parallel Florida LLC, the corporate parent company of Surterra Wellness, which operates 44 dispensaries across the Sunshine State, filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) with the Florida Department of Commerce on July 21, notifying government officials of the company’s layoffs during a 14-day period that began on July 6.
Ascend Wellness prepares for uplisting to US exchange. The company filed a proxy statement with the SEC and called a meeting of stockholders to vote on a reverse stock split.
🏬 Retail
Greenlight Expands Ohio Footprint With 4 New Dispensaries, Manufacturing Operations. The expansion brings Greenlight’s Ohio portfolio to eight dispensaries – the maximum number permitted under Ohio law. The expansion includes two newly developed Greenlight dispensaries, two established dispensaries now operating under the Greenlight brand, and expanded manufacturing capabilities designed to support Greenlight’s retail operations and future wholesale growth throughout Ohio. With these additions, Greenlight now operates 34 branded dispensaries across five states.
Trulieve opens Medical Dispensary in Marco Island, FL.
Curaleaf Expands Florida Presence with Edgewater Dispensary Opening. The opening expands Curaleaf’s Florida footprint to 74 and its nationwide count to 166.
Planet 13 to open Sarasota, FL dispensary. The 2,600 sq ft dispensary reflects Planet 13’s capital-efficient Florida store model, combining low build-out costs and attractive store-level economics with the company’s premium retail standards and flexibility for future merchandising. The location serves a high-income coastal market with strong year-round demand from both residents and seasonal visitors.
Premo Cannabis opens second NJ dispensary in Dover. Premo’s second location is in Morris County.
The Grass Cab opens in Maywood, NJ. A Black woman-owned and operated business, the boutique dispensary also aims to offer cannabis education, responsible-consumption initiatives and engagement programs.
🌱 Product
Mfused Introduces LIVE: A New Standard for Premium Cannabis Vapes. LIVE is a new collection of limited-release, specially tuned, cannabis vapes designed to deliver the fullest expression of fresh frozen cannabis. Combining real live resin or live rosin with a carefully balanced distillate blend and purpose-built hardware, LIVE delivers authentic flavor, exceptional potency and a consistently elevated experience for consumers who demand uncompromising quality.
King City Gardens x Jeeter Partner in Ohio. Through this exclusive partnership, King City Gardens will manufacture, launch, and distribute Jeeter products throughout Ohio.
MariMed’s Betty’s Eddies™ Expands Core Lineup with New Multi-Vitamin Inspired Betty’s Bite-A-Mins. Betty’s Bite-A-Mins, a daily wellness chew that combines full-spectrum cannabis, CBD, and essential vitamins in one delicious bite.
True Terpenes Launches LOUD Flavors: A New All-Natural, Higher-Intensity Flavor Platform Built for Today’s Consumer. Each of the first ten all-natural flavor profiles prioritizes taste intensity and flavor fidelity in vape and pre-rolls, helping brands build consumer loyalty by meeting their expectation for immediate, recognizable high-intensity flavor. Crafted using a molecule-by-molecule formulation approach, each LOUD Flavor keeps individual flavor notes distinct and longer-lasting throughout the experience.
Señorita Brings THC Beverages to Lollapalooza for the First Time. Through this new partnership, Señorita will offer its Mango Margarita and Lime Jalapeño Margarita at select GA Cocktail, GA+ and VIP bars throughout Grant Park.
THC-beverage channel mix skews to liquor. Of the $239M in mainstream THC-drink sales, liquor stores drove $132M, convenience $55M (fastest-growing), and food/grocery $49M.
Tilray Brands launches ZONNA, a fast-acting THC pouch brand. Tilray launched ZONNA, offering smoke-free, fast-acting THC pouches designed to sit between the gum and lip.
🎙️ Interviews
Cultivated Live — Building Rove to $100M with Paul Jacobson. Rove operates across 16 states and 3,000+ dispensaries with ~$100M in annual revenue.
Cannabis Investing Network — Uplisting is an Underappreciated Game Changer.” The hosts discuss turning bullish and why uplisting is an underappreciated catalyst, featuring Hirsh Jain of Ananda Strategy.
High Spirits — Ep. 145 (July 15) with Graham Farrar (Glass House). Farrar makes the case for California appellation and the state’s legacy status.
High Spirits — TWICL (July 10): “What Actually Happened at the DEA Hearings + Virginia’s 2027 Timeline.” Ben Larson and Marc Hauser break down the DEA rescheduling hearings and Virginia’s retail timeline.