Nicole Kidman’s CBD and Weed-Free Weed Beer
The latest in legal weed, notable drops, and industry news.
The Broccoli Report
Monday, Dec 21, 2020
Time to read: 4 minutes, 34 seconds. 916 words.
Good morning and Season’s Greetings!
Today is the winter solstice, as well as a once-in-400-year celestial occurrence bringing Jupiter and Saturn directly beside each other in the sky. This is a big deal! It’s actually being referred to by astronomers as the Great Conjunction of 2020. Maybe it’ll feel like any other night; maybe you’ll feel a sense of alignment and being more tuned-in—either way, here’s to a special day in our solar system.
We just dropped the last Broccoli Talk episode of the year, where Mennlay and I catch up and talk about the movies, music, and podcasts that helped us get through 2020. You can listen now on Spotify, Apple Music, or here on the Broccoli website.
Every month, we unlock one of our paywalled (and most popular) posts from the previous month. This time, it’s “Where are the weed subscription boxes?” Any subscriber—free or paid—can now read our dive into why this profitable channel has such potential for the cannabis industry, and where we see opportunities for new brands to emerge.
I’m taking the day off this Friday, but don’t worry—we’ve got something special in the works for all you paid subscribers. Keep an eye out for a little something in your inbox soon.
For now, onto the news. ✿
One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
Last Tuesday in Cape Town, South Africa, a group of 300+ Rastafarians marched to protest the exclusion of indigenous people from the cannabis industry during the city’s Grand Parade. The march was organized by the Black Farmers Association of South Africa (BFASA), who called for more inclusion through land allocation to indigenous peoples.
In Mexico, the House postponed its cannabis legalization bill debate to February 2021. This is the third time the current deadline has been extended. Veremos.
California cannabis brand Old Pal releases Old Pal Ale, a straight-up beer without any THC or CBD—just a bud to share with your quarantine pals. If you’re in the South Bay area, you can pick up a 4-pack at any of the three King Harbor Brewing Co. locations.
Nicole Kidman officially joins CBD company SeraLabs as a strategic business partner and brand ambassador. She’ll be the face of the brand, as well as participate in strategy and product development. The actor became a believer in the brand’s products after she suffered an ankle injury last, and a friend recommended trying a CBD topical.
In Oregon, cannabis equity advocates previewed a bill to create a $100M program to support Black, Indigenous, and Latinx-owned businesses. The Cannabis Equity Act would put a quarter of Oregon’s burgeoning cannabis tax revenue and additional funds toward community investment, equity-focused licensing programs, and cannabis conviction expungement, in the form of a pre-allocation taken out before the usual public safety and education allocations.
GOOD BUDS becomes a Certified Living Wage Employer through British Columbia's Living Wage For Families Campaign. They’re the first licensed cannabis grower to make this commitment in B.C. and the second in all of Canada, following Gage Cannabis in Ontario.
A Chicago Sun Tribune piece highlights a sobering statistic: Nearly a year after recreational marijuana’s legalization took effect in Illinois, there’s not a single licensed marijuana business in the state with a majority owner who’s a person of color.
Laundry Day launches an aesthetically soothing line of shapely candles perfect for setting the mood for any and all meditative rituals.
Jay-Z’s cultivation-forward cannabis brand Monogram reveals their inaugural lineup of four strains, available in flower and pre-rolls and presented in simple, strong, all-black packaging. Kudos for a brilliant cross-promo via the link on Monogram’s website for a Tidal playlist titled “Sounds From The Grow Room,” curated by Jay-Z.
California’s Cannabis Advisory Committee approves a slew of legislative changes. Updates include allowing individuals with multiple cultivator licenses to merge the properties where they grow and process their products; allowing outdoor cultivation licensees to utilize light deprivation; and recommending allowing food and non-alcoholic drinks to be served at venues that serve cannabis on-site in lieu of creating an additional licensing requirement.
California-based consumers can jazz up their NYE refreshments with Kaneh Co.’s new 24K Brownie, adorned with chocolate pearls and edible gold dust.
Tonic drops “universal skincare” product Renewal Oil. Its blend of apricot kernel oil, black cumin seed oil, and hemp seed oil includes CBD and CBC—a minor cannabinoid with potentially intriguing skincare benefits.
Following the U.N.’s descheduling of cannabis, Bermuda is taking steps to legalize cannabis for medical and adult use. The Cannabis Licensing Act put forward by the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Kathy Lynn Simmons must pass the House and Governor. If it does, the British territory’s laws will be at odds with those in the U.K.
Things are getting a little stickier for Weedmaps as they gear up to go public. Recent investor disclosures revealed their involvement in an ongoing federal investigation by the Department of Justice of the numerous unlicensed cannabis businesses previously included in Weedmaps listings. No charges have been filed against Weedmaps at this time, but I imagine if there’s anything that makes investors more nervous than cannabis, it’s an association with a federal investigation of illegal cannabis.
John Fetterman, the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post in support of cannabis legalization, criticizing the Democratic party for a “cowardly platform” when it comes to cannabis, and one that will leave them “on the wrong side of history.”
Wishing you all a merry week,
Lauren Yoshiko