Canada meeting with west coast officials.
Canadian MP Carolyn Bennet, who is the minister of mental health and addiction, met with state officials in COlorodo, Oregon, and Washington State last week to learn about their experiences of implementing drug policy reform like broad decriminalization and harm reduction measures to find a way to mitigate the overdoes crisis they are seeing in Canada. “We’ll be sharing evidence, talking to people with lived and living experience, and discussing how our governments can learn from one another,” the minister, who recently authorized a drug decriminalization pilot program in one of Canada’s largest provinces, said ahead of the regional tour. The minister also went to Colorado and learned more about psychedelics reform, at one point meeting with Kevin Matthews, who led the 2019 campaign that made Denver the first U.S. city to decriminalize psilocybin and is actively working to build support for a statewide psychedelics legalization initiative that recently qualified for the November ballot. marijuanamoment.net
weed drinks on the rise.
Weed-infused beverages are popping up in more states and legalization efforts continue to expand in the U.S., with major drink makers including Pabst Blue Ribbon and Constellation already pushing into the market. Cannabis or weed drinks contain marijuana’s psychoactive component, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which gets people high and is still federally prohibited in the United States. CBD beverages have been around for several years with many more states having legislation action allowing low-level THC hemp products without a dispensary license. Leveraging its beer and spirits manufacturing experience, Pabst Blue Ribbon has begun selling a lineup of non-alcoholic “High Seltzers.” Each 12-ounce can contains 10 milligrams of THC, which the company says “is the right amount to have a good time.” Flavors come in pineapple, mango, strawberry and lemon. They’re sold online or at dispensaries in states where medical or recreational marijuana use is allowed. This could be a huge growth driver in the cannabis space as a safe and social way to get high as weed beverage sales only represent 1% of all cannabis sales in the U.S. cnbc.com
News from VRNO.
Verano Holdings Corpo (VRNO) announced yesterday the appointment of veteran executive Lawrence Hirsh to the Company's Board of Directors and as Chair of the Audit Committee. "With the addition of Lawrence to our Board, the Company is adding a seasoned business executive to complement our current group of directors," said George Archos, Verano Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Board Chairman. "With almost 40 years of diverse corporate leadership experience across all facets of business, and as our newest director and chair of the Audit Committee, Lawrence's service will contribute to positioning Verano to meet our long-term strategic growth and operational goals. On behalf of the executive leadership team and the Board, I'm thrilled to welcome Lawrence to Verano, and look forward to leveraging his experience as a director and Audit Committee chair."
