News
Superior town trustees on Monday unanimously voted in favor of an ordinance to allow both medical and retail marijuana to be delivered to residents.
Marijuana 2.0
Axios looks at Colorado House bill 1090, which takes effect next month. The new law permits investment opportunities for publicly traded companies, venture capitalists and private equity firms, which were previously barred.
AWARDS!
Marijuana Business Daily’s announces its inaugural awards that include cultivator of the year, regional game changer and community impact. Not surprisingly, a number of Colorado Leads members are finalists.
Colorado Leads Members: In their own words
Peter Barsoom, CEO of 1906
What do you/your company specialize in?
1906 is on a mission to bring cannabis back to the mainstream. Our unique and innovative line of edibles combines great taste, superior ingredients, and rapid-delivery formulations in a range of experiences that bring the benefits of cannabis and plant medicine to health-conscious adults for whom indulging has to compliment – not deter – a healthy lifestyle. Our lineup delivers unique experiences that promote sleep, energy, arousal, relaxation and a happy mood, all in safe and predictable formulations using single-strain organic cannabis.
What prompted you to enter the cannabis industry?
I got into the cannabis industry because my wife and I were enthusiasts of smoking flower, but we were concerned about the health impacts of smoking. Edibles didn’t seem like a viable alternative because they were too unpredictable, they tasted bad, and they had a lot of unhealthy ingredients. We also were fascinated by plant medicine from Ayurveda, Chinese medicine and other traditions, and then of course, cannabis is one of the most widely-used medicines in history. We saw a major opportunity in the market – to blend the functional benefits of plant medicine with the longstanding benefits of cannabis, and combine those in a healthy, delicious and safe edible. That’s how 1906 was born.
What do you consider to be your most significant business accomplishment?
I am most proud of the fact that 1906 is impacting people in pretty simple and yet profound ways. We are there for intimate and vulnerable moments in people’s lives–we’re there when they want to sleep, or have better sex, or relax after a hard day, and it’s such an honor to be able to help them in these moments. Part of what I’ve learned in this work is that so much of the American population is suffering around these issues. We want to give people permission to seek out a better experience–around sex or sleep or hanging out with their mate after the kids go to bed. We don’t have to suffer. We have lots of plant-based allies, and, as a company, we’re proud to bring them together in an accessible, safe, reliable product.
What do you consider to be your most significant business failure?
Our first packaging design was too big, white, and too subtle.
What is your next business goal?
We will be expanding operations for cannabis chocolates and other edibles to additional states in the next two years. We’re also branching out into new products including beverages and other form factors. This month, we will be introducing 1906 Drops in the Colorado market. People are desperate alternative remedies to the pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter drugs they’re taking. We set out to provide a plant-based alternative giving rise to a whole new category of products. 1906 Drops are pressed tablets (or pills) with the same plant medicines as our chocolates that are fast-acting, portable, zero calories and optimal remedies for health-conscious adults without the side effects of pharmaceuticals.
Vangst takes a look at job benefits
The cannabis recruitment firm Vangst has a summary of the benefits offered by cannabis companies nationwide:
Questions remain over social equity licenses
New Colorado marijuana business licenses reserved for low-income demographics will launch next year. However, questions remain about who exactly qualifies for the licenses and how those licenses should be regulated.
The playing field
Marketwatch takes a deep dive into the mixed results of cannabis equity programs, the hurdles facing people of color trying to break into the cannabis industry and some prominent figures in the industry who made equity and diversity a cornerstone of their business plan.
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We were going to ignore this . . . but just couldn’t. Cannabis and sex. Read More »
Getting what you need
Americans for Safe Access have put out a U.S. travel guide for medical cannabis patients so they have access to safe and legal cannabis.
“There are currently 47 states and four territories with some form of a medical cannabis law, but the rights and privileges they extend to medical cannabis patients vary among them. As a result, patients who travel for personal or employment reasons can find themselves unsure as to how to access medical cannabis in an unfamiliar place.” More »
Thinking outside the box
States with marijuana dispensaries flush with cash are exploring banking workarounds using credit unions, digital currencies, and payment apps. More »
We got this
An interesting Q and A with Natalie Riggins, program manager for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment MMJ Registry, who discusses implementation of new legislation on medical marijuana.
Related: Doctors can recommend cannabis in place of opioids Read »
Cannabis love connection
When cannabis is featured as the way two people met, fell in love and got married in the Vows section of The New York Times, you know things have changed.
Read »
NIMBYers take note
The impacts of regulated retail dispensaries is associated with a decrease in local criminal activity, according to a new study in Regional Science and Urban Economics. The study was conducted in Denver.
“Overall, our results suggest that dispensaries cause an overall reduction in crime in neighborhoods, with no evidence of spillovers to surrounding neighborhoods. … Our results are consistent with theories that predict that marijuana legalization will displace illicit criminal organizations and decrease crime through changes in security behaviors or substitution toward more harmful substances. … Lastly, there is no evidence that increased marijuana use itself results in additional crime.”
CBD and Parkinson’s
CU Anschutz researchers jumped through seemingly endless government hoops to study CBD and Parkinson’s. What they found is that participants reported they felt less irritable and that they were sleeping better. They even saw that some of their motor symptoms, including stiffness and slowness, improved.
The researchers are helping others navigate the red tape to do more studies.
File under “trust, but verify”
President Trump said last week that his administration is allowing states to set their own marijuana policies.
“We’re going to see what’s going on. It’s a very big subject and right now we are allowing states to make that decision,” Trump said. “A lot of states are making that decision, but we’re allowing states to make that decision.”
Streamlining Denver
City regulators are streamlining the application and inspection processes for marijuana license transfer of ownership. Information »
Bloomberg looks at how states are working to create solutions to take tax payments from marijuana businesses.
In the News
Cannabis opportunities on reservations?
Democratic presidential hopeful and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, makes the argument that Indian tribes have the right to legalize cannabis without federal interference, and:
“A number of Tribal Nations view cannabis as an important opportunity for economic development,” she said.
Give us a hug
Is the federal government embracing the reality of cannabis legalization? Okay, that might be a step too far, but it appears the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s position is evolving. The agency wants to fund studies that look at regulations, industry marketing and reasons for medical cannabis use.
Colorado helps others legalize the responsible way
The National Foundation for Women Legislators hosted a Marijuana Policy Summit in Colorado last week, touring cannabis dispensaries and discussing CBD, licensing, potency, revenue and health and safety. About 30 elected women whose states or municipalities are considering legalization, or have already legalized cannabis, attended the summit.
Live like a refugee
Medical refugees. That’s the term now given to people who move to other states to access legal cannabis for medical reasons. Groups, such as Colorado-based American Medical Refugees, help families hoping to connect with those in similar situations and find resources.
Qualified and use cannabis? You’re hired.
More and more employers are dropping cannabis from pre-employment testing. And not just because it’s legal in many states. As The New York Times reports:
“Some employers have already changed their policies on pre-employment drug screening, and not just to address the dissonance in punishing someone for using a legal substance. With unemployment so low, companies are finding that testing for marijuana adds an unnecessary barrier in hiring top talent.”