Dirty vapes in California

PESTICIDES?
Tainted cannabis in California

What happened: A new investigation from The Los Angeles Times found “alarming” levels of pesticides and other noxious compounds in legal cannabis products found on store shelves throughout California. 

Of the 42 products tested, at least 16 should’ve failed state screening — and 25 contained high levels of pesticides not tested by the state. 

What else: Vapes from West Coast Cure contained the pesticide pymetrozine, which is banned in Canada, and vapes from Backpack Boyz contained 25 different pesticides.

Why it matters: One of the key value propositions of legalization is consumer safety. 

California is one of the older and more established cannabis markets in the US, and they still can’t get the testing equation quite right.

It’s one thing to embellish potency — it’s another thing to dupe consumers with products that may make them sick.

In light of the recent EVALI crisis, its crucial state regulators put rigorous testing standards in place. And it’s also crucial brands do their best to ensure that the products they’re selling are as clean as possible. 

-JB

With over 40 states enacting some degree of cannabis reform, it is past time that the federal government respect the will of these states,” Dave Joyce (R-OH) said after cannabis banking protections were removed from a spending bill by a GOP-controlled House committee. 

Joyce vowed to continue efforts to pass the reform, emphasizing its importance for public safety and financial transparency for cannabis businesses.

The spending bill initially included provisions to protect financial institutions working with state-legal cannabis businesses from federal penalties. Read more.

State Sens. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) and Gustavo Rivera (D-The Bronx), citing an investigation by THE CITY, have called to halt issuing loans through New York’s social equity cannabis fund and for those affected by “predatory deals” to be compensated. They demand an investigation into the fund, run by Chicago Atlantic, which was intended to help those impacted by discriminatory drug laws but has been criticized for high interest rates and start-up costs. Read more. 

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) fined Trulieve $350,000 for the death of employee Lorna McMurrey, who collapsed and died from occupational asthma triggered by ground cannabis dust in January 2022. The CCC said Trulieve didn’t comply with workplace safety procedures nor provided adequate personal protective equipment — or reassess hazards after McMurrey’s first hospitalization. Read more. 

New York cannabis entrepreneurs are appropriating well-known brands from other states — without permission, reports Green Market Report. Simply Pure LLC in New York and Glass House Farms are using names of well-known Colorado and California cannabis companies, which say they plan to enforce trademark rights.

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission approved regulated cannabis deliveries by boat to the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, addressing a lawsuit filed by a dispensary on Martha’s Vineyard and to ensure residents' access to medical cannabis. Read more.

US cannabis prices vary from about $200 to $600 per ounce, with the national average at $318.72 per ounce, according to Green Market Report. Washington DC has the highest prices, at $590.27 per ounce.

The nonprofit S3 Collective, founded to “build an objective global framework that enhances the quality and safety of cannabinoid-containing products,” has announced the formation of its Governmental Advisory Committee, which includes Tyler Klimas, former Executive Director of the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board, and Christina Dempsey, former Policy & Research Director of the California Department of Cannabis Control.

German police wanted English soccer fans to “chill out” and smoke some 🌿 instead of drinking alcohol at the Euros, and even asked the arena to serve low-alcohol beer to the Three Lions’ supporters ahead of England’s clash with Serbia on Sunday. 

Read more.

‘Take your marijuana and go somewhere else’: Bay Ridge residents say no to proposed cannabis dispensaries | Brooklyn Paper

A neighborhood battles illegal weed shops: ‘We’ve been begging for help’ | The New York Times

Marijuana was supposed to help Thailand. Why is the country planning to ban it again? | Los Angeles Times

South Dakota marijuana legalization initiative trails in new poll, as state Republican Party opposes ‘dangerous’ proposal | Marijuana Moment

Advocates urge Alabama to resolve medical cannabis licensing legal dispute | Alabama Reflector

NYC retail market wakes up in a daze after smoke shop day of reckoning | Commercial Observer