Finally, Biden! And Other Weed News

Plus: Dark CBD?

The Broccoli Report 
Monday October 10, 2022
Time to read: 4 minutes, 51 seconds. Contains 971 words.

Good morning!

Sure, it’s Halloween season, but for many of us in weed, it’s also conference szn. I am not hitting any big ones this year—you can read my two cents on the last MJ BizCon and Unpacked here—but my ears and inbox will be open for notable observations and hot tips any attendees care to share. If you are headed out into the conference wilds, I wish you the best of luck pitching, schmoozing, and securing some checks. Let’s get it!

Before we get to the news, a little treat for you to look forward to: A new Lonely Hearts  post is coming soon. If you’d like to list an opportunity on our virtual cannabis jobs board, drop me a line.

This Friday, in our newsletter for paid subscribers we’re digging into what’s happening in California. You’ve read headlines about the dire combination of plunging prices and thriving illicit grows, but you may not have caught just how serious things have gotten for small, mom-and-pop growers trying to cultivate sustainably. I’ll be sharing a no-holds-barred conversation with Nathan Cozzolinno, co-founder of California edible brand Rose, about what’s happening in the flower market right now, why it freaked him out so much that his company started moving other farms’ flower under the Rose brand, and how Rose’s Flower Program is securing double the wholesale price for struggling growers. Subscribe to get the whole picture of what’s happening.

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Above: Paige's Candle Co 

One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance

• In wonderful, long-awaited news from the executive branch, President Biden announced last Thursday that he will pardon 6,500 people who were convicted on federal charges of simple possession of marijuana from 1992 to 2021, plus thousands more convicted of possession in the District of Columbia. Thousands of individuals will now be able to obtain a pardon certificate from the Justice Department to use when applying to a job, housing, or college. Also, as of Thursday, the federal government will stop charging anyone with simple possession. 🍾

• I’ve talked before about the incoming cultural swing towards more artisanal, authentic-to-the-point-of-imperfect branding and cannabis products, but I didn’t see the latest CBD trend coming: “dark CBD.” It’s a new marketing phrase being used to describe “unrefined” cannabis extract, á la unrefined coconut oil. But coconut oil has to be cold-pressed from real coconut to be called unrefined, while dark CBD, like products from Restart CBD, is made via CO2 extraction. That’s the same process non-“dark” CBD products use. I assume it’s supposed to signal that the CBD so-labeled has been refined in some way that allows for more of the original plant matter to be retained in the extract, but if that’s the case, it sounds the term would be better suited to describing rosin extracts.

• I was distressed to read about the tragic death of Lorna McMurrey, a 27-year-old cannabis employee at a Trulieve manufacturing facility who died after inhaling toxic kief dust. Weedweek interviewed a Trulieve employee who worked with McMurrey and reported that the filter of the large-scale flower grinder used in the preroll room wasn’t cleaned as often as safe operation required and that the reportedly asthmatic McMurrey had symptoms of an attack at work before. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined Trulieve $35,219 for violations referring to communicating safe protocols and availability of personal protective equipment, but Trulieve is contesting the fines. 

• Green Muse, one of Portland, Oregon’s very few Black-owned dispensaries, got robbed last week, just weeks after they halted their business license to tighten up on business expenses. In an attempt to recoup some of their losses, they launched a GoFundMe campaign. Three days later, the platform canceled their campaign, saying that the fundraiser “falls under the Prohibited Content section” and that all donations would be refunded. It’s a harsh reminder that when it comes to working in weed, we are operating without a safety net—at least until President Biden follows through on  rescheduling cannabis 👀. On the bright side, Green Muse’s community is rallying to support it—the building owner installed new security doors for free and local farms, musicians, and a nonprofit are all coming together for a Comeback Block Party where people can donate in-person. 

• Congratulations to the creative duo 69&Sunny & Yourmomlikesmymusic. Their music video creation, “Girls Who Smoke Weed,” took home the Shortlist Advocacy award at the Clio Cannabis Awards. Kudos to all of the winners and nominees!

• How We Roll, a new coffee-table book, features ways to roll joints, blunts and spliffs, tips on technique, interviews with celebrities, quizzes, and astrological recommendations. The illustrated guide was created by Noah Rubin, former editor-in-chief of Snoop Dogg’s Merry Jane media site.

• Hempcrete, a mixture of hemp stalk hurds and lime, has been approved for use as a building material in the model U.S. residential building code. This approval paves the way (😏) for building departments to review plans involving hempcrete and provide clear guidance, mostly for its use as a sustainable option for wall infill. It still needs to be approved in the model International Building Code (IBC) to be included in commercial building codes, but residential approval is a step in an awesome direction.

• 024’s scented candles are a go-to for aroma management in my apartment, but I was delighted to discover Paige’s Candle Co., a new-to-me candlemaker making fragrant fantasies with cannabis lovers in mind. Their refreshingly different “Mary Jane” candle features notes of plum, cinnamon, and violet to complement the vetiver and hemp base.

• Edie Parker Flower released another round of beautiful, one-of-a-kind bongs made by glass artist Paul Arnhold. While all come in a relatively uniform tall, slender shape, each is wildly different in color and mood, with astronomical names like Quasar, Milky Way, and Celestial.

See you next orbit,
Lauren Yoshiko