Weed at the Farmers Market
Weed at the Farmers Market
Plus: Real tax deductions & a flower-friendly hotel.
Good Morning!
As I’ve been reflecting on the Report’s offerings and how best to serve you readers, I’ve realized two things: 1) The Lonely Hearts Board, our seasonal all-call for gigs, dream jobs, and collaborative opportunities in the cannabis industry, definitely isn’t going anywhere. In fact, the next installment will run next month. A few people have already sent over more unique roles they’re looking to fill —you can go ahead and start sharing your Lonely Hearts ads with me at yoshikolauren@gmail.com, just put “Lonely Hearts” somewhere in the subject line. Peep past iterations for ideas on how this virtual board of entrepreneurial want ads works.
2) It’s high time for a check-in. Readership has doubled over the past year and a half, and I’m curious about your interests in cannabis and what parts you look forward to most when opening these emails. So, I’ll be sending out a survey next week to broadly touch base with all of y’all. I’m hoping to get a better sense of what you find most helpful; whether you’re feeling the podcast version of the Report and what additional perks would make the $8/mo more worthwhile. This survey will also provide an opportunity for any and all subscribers to call out what they’d like to see more of, and which industry experts they’d be most interested in interacting with via future Ask-Me-Anything-styled live chats.
Until then, here are the news updates and notable product launches (or lack thereof) on my mind. Sign up as a paid subscriber for the podcast version of this dispatch.
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One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
In an exciting announcement, New York regulators just hinted at legal cannabis sales being allowed outside of licensed dispensaries and delivery outlets. During a recent town hall meeting, the Office of Cannabis Management’s policy director discussed plans to potentially allow cannabis transactions at farmers' markets, concerts, and music festivals—maybe even the state fair. This would be an unprecedented move by state regulators, one that could make a big difference for farms sitting on hundreds of pounds of product as they struggle to get a foot in at one of the handful of operational dispensaries in the state. Here’s hoping this comes to pass in New York and in other states with similar oversupply issues.
Same goes for a new regulation awaiting the Governor’s signature in Connecticut, which will allow medical and adult-use cannabis licensees to deduct, for state tax purposes, “ordinary and necessary business expenses that would typically be eligible for a federal tax deduction but aren’t because of marijuana’s status as a controlled substance.” A game-changer for cannabis entrepreneurs that will start this fiscal year. A bill along the same lines is on the table in New York this session as well.
Reservations are now open at The Lexi, Las Vegas’ first cannabis-consumption-friendly hotel. Formerly the Artisan Hotel on West Sahara Avenue, a multimillion-dollar renovation transformed and elevated the grounds with totally refreshed rooms, lounge, chapel, pool, and a Cajun-inspired steakhouse will be overseen by executive chef Jordan Savell of Hell’s Kitchen fame. From the same team that developed the Clarendon Hotel in Phoenix, the Lexi follows a similar model, requiring all guests to be over the age of 21 and containing cannabis consumption on one floor of the hotel (where very high-grade air filtration systems have been installed).
A couple of interesting cannabis projects are launching Kickstarter campaigns this month: kawaii accessory maker lilxbun is doing one for a particular rolling tray drop featuring Miyazaki-inspired soot characters, and cannabis-centric entertainment company 69&Sunny is preparing to launch one to fund the publication of Edwin Eats an Edible, a cannabis alphabet book.
Kudos to the next level creativity (and bravery) of whoever shot this award-worthy Reel.
When the going gets tough for small businesses in cannabis, it’s important to remember there is another option besides finding a buyer or throwing in the towel: merging with a like-minded company. You can get some insights into one company’s decision to do so in this interview with Mason Walker, CEO of esteemed CBD cultivator East Fork Cultivars, who merged with fellow Oregon operator Peak Extracts in 2022.
Journalist Meghan O’Dea penned a great read for Grasslands Agency’s blog charting the history of queer activists who were instrumental to early medical marijuana legislation and musing on inclusive storytelling in cannabis marketing today.
High Finds: Lifestyle Goods I Like
Indie jeweler Weird Bits has doubled down on her Hemp Bits collection with a variety of one-of-a-kind hippie chic masterpieces dotted with artisan glass beads, freshwater pearls, and surgical steel piercings. I can visualize a young Drew Barrymore wearing a whole stack of ‘em down the red carpet back in the day.
Comfy & cute hemp set alert: Back Beat Co. dropped a hemp-cotton blend pullover and retro drawstring short combo that looks like a worthy WFH uniform.
Summer means weddings, and, for many, wedding season = uncomfortable shoe season. I thought it might be a good time to share my current go-to topicals for a foot rub: TONIC’s Body Butter and MRNG’s Body Creme. Both are meant to be more of whole-body moisturizers, but the thick consistencies and intoxicating fragrances make for luxurious lube for a foot massage.
I learned how to play the card game Spades recently, and I can’t get enough. However, I’ve been using the same water-damaged deck I’ve had since I was 12. I was surprised at how difficult a time I had finding a cute, vaguely weed-themed deck (product idea! 👀), but this elaborate emerald Bicycle deck will do in the meantime.
The stoniest card shark in the sea,
Lauren Yoshiko