doomed
4 days ago
Tilrayâs bunk or Snoopâs best?
I see a clear winner with traction and a bunk grower without anyâŚ
🤣🤑😂
FORBES
LIFESTYLE
VICES
Snoop Dogg Opens Online Cannabis Shop Shipping Direct To U.S. Consumers
Doomed
Contributor
Doomed is freelance writer covering weed news and culture.
Dec 6, 2024,
Hip-hop icon and multi-talented entrepreneur Snoop Dogg on Wednesday opened an online shop selling cannabis flower and other hemp-derived products with shipment direct to U.S. consumers in more than three dozen states, including many that have not legalized recreational marijuana. Also featuring lifestyle products including smoking accessories, premium tobacco cigars and limited-edition merchandise, the new direct-to-consumer marketplace SWED.com launched at 4:20 p.m. EST on December 6.
The launch of the new online shop follows the opening of Snoop Doggâs S.W.ED. cannabis dispensary in Los Angeles and a so-called coffee shop in Amsterdam, where patrons are able to purchase small quantities of cannabis and other weed products. The initials S.W.E.D stand for âsmoke weed every day,â a Snoop Dogg mantra that has grown into an international lifestyle brand.
The online shop will feature a curated selection of authentic Snoop Dogg and Death Row Records branded hemp-derived cannabis products, including THCA flower that contains a non-psychoactive precursor to THC. When heated by smoking or vaping, however, THCA is changed to THC, the cannabinoid most associated with the classic âhighâ achieved from smoking marijuana.
Other products available now or in the coming weeks include rolling trays, cigars, tobacco âbluntâ wraps, pipes, vaporizers and other exclusive merchandise. All products except the THCA offerings can be shipped directly to consumers in the U.S. THCA products cannot be shipped to Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island and South Dakota, although the rest of the line is available to consumers in those states.
âSWED.com is designed to deliver a complete lifestyle experience with products hand-selected by Snoop himself,â the company wrote in a statement about the launch. âFrom Dogg Leaf natural tobacco leaf wraps to exclusive Death Row Records rolling trays and odor-proof backpacks, the site is a one-stop shop designed to offer a premium experience for collectors, connoisseurs, and everyday users alike.â
Contrary to large producers in Canada, Snoop understand the canna culture.
Suits donât partake.
doomed
4 days ago
Large producers purchased poor genetics to start the biz⌠and have been cloning poor genetics.
They been growing bunk nobody wants ever since⌠hence the drop in share prices.
BCBUD all grow from seeds. They rule the market making good money, keeping customer happy.
They have connections and purchase seeds on the world market.
It all starts with good genetics. Contrary to suits, they grow fire.
Home / Cultivation
Veteran cannabis cultivators express renewed interest in seeds over clones
author profile pictureBy Kate Lavin, Editorial director
When Mario Guzman, the creator of cannabis genetics Gelato and Sunset Sherbert, travels to Europe for events, he looks forward to meeting up with longtime friends and exchanging seeds.
âAll of our global friends come, and we share genetics and talk about what weâre all planting for the following year,â Guzman told MJBizDaily during a recent phone call.
He likens the experience to the seed market that has existed for decades in the coffee shops of Amsterdam.
âThey were really the culture of it: The passionate backbone of all seed sales in Europe,â Guzman said of Amsterdam-based growers and seed breeders, adding that until the medical marijuana market got a toehold in the United States, legacy growers brought seeds from outside the United States that later became the bedrock of todayâs black market.
Popping seeds
While demand for product uniformity requires most licensed cultivators to produce marijuana from clones, growersâ affinity for sharing genetics through cannabis seeds is alive and well in todayâs regulated market.
âI still get excited when I pop a three-pack of seeds as opposed to a clone,â said Justin Sheffield, director of cultivation at BeLeaf Medical Co. in Missouri.
âTo have something new, something proprietary, something that you know your team started from seed that no one else has? That still gets us excited.â
BeLeaf operates three cultivation facilities in Missouri with tens of thousands of plants in various stages of cultivation at any time.
Nonetheless, Sheffield said, âWe always have a pheno hunt in the works.â
Bag appeal
Reggie Harris, co-founder of Kansas City, Missouri-based cannabis genetics company House of Kush, said most of his clients are asking for âgood, hearty plants that arenât difficult to grow.â
He believes seeds have become more popular in recent years as companies have become more concerned with mold, disease and pests in the regulated U.S. marijuana market valued at $112 billion.
âThe thought before was that having a clone saved time from having to pheno hunt and let the plants grow out â but if you weigh the cost between potential lost crops or the extra time it takes to grow, seeds make sense,â Harris said.
âIt may take a little longer to get a new strain to market, however the risk/reward is worth weighing.â
Thereâs no question, however, that flower âhas to look and smell the partâ to keep consumers loyal to your brand, Harris said. Folks do not buy bunk.
âWith the number of choices out there, cultivators are looking for hits.
âIf you can consistently deliver them, theyâll keep coming back for your genetics.â
International cannabis market
When it comes to what cultivators should look for when vetting potential partners for cannabis seeds, Eugene Boukreev, head of marketing at international seed bank Fast Buds, said âdetailed information about the genetic stability and quality of the seeds should be provided.â
He also recommended that growers ask for:
Confirmation that seeds are tested for germination rates.
Reviews, including references or testimonials from other cultivators.
Boukreev told MJBiz that North American marijuana cultivators have different preferences than their European counterparts.
âNorth American black market growers favor genetics with high THC content for more potent flower, optimized yield, unique terpene profiles that allow for marketplace differentiation,â Boukreev said, adding that resistance to disease and pests also are key priorities.
âEuropean growersâ priorities are a little different.
âThey must remain compliant with stringent THC limits and local regulations, so we see a higher demand for limited-THC strains as well as strains with specific medicinal properties.â
The Vault at MJBizCon
Voice of the Plant is bringing best-in-class genetics from BCBUD, Europe and the United States for a first-of-its-kind collaboration with MJBizCon, taking place Dec. 3-6 in Las Vegas.
âThe community coming together, thatâs the most important part,â Guzman said, âand pushing the culture forward.â
To accomplish that, Voice of the Plant (VOP) is curating The Vault at MJBiz, a section of the trade show floor where seed breeders hand-selected by VOP will offer cash-and-carry genetics for the first time at the worldâs largest cannabis business conference and trade show.
âTrue geneticists arenât just botanists; they really are artists,â Deych said.
Winning cannabis genetics
For Guzman and Deych, comparing how genetics perform with other cultivators in their circle is part of the experience they seek to replicate through The Vault at MJBiz.
âEveryone involved in The Vault, weâre going to open up the best of our genetic libraries to the world,â Guzman said.
âOur hope is to create an environment for people to openly share, like they have been doing in Europe for decades, but now on U.S. soil.â
Guzman and Deych said genetics enthusiasts big and small will appreciate the thought leadership theyâre assembling for The Vault, including representatives from:
Abstrax Terpenes of Irvine, California.
Barneyâs Farm of Amsterdam.
Conception Nurseries of Sacramento, California.
Sensi Seeds of Amsterdam.
âA lot of the big grows and businesses have started to understand the importance of genetics and how that root truly is the center of the business,â Guzman said.
doomed
7 days ago
The Jugewho will decide on CANNABIS FAITH (for newbies anyway, cuz folks in the know donât care about legalization, they donât need a permit to partake, besides lp is bunk and terribly expensive for what it is) IS CANABIS NAIVE
Home / Legal
Historic DEA marijuana rescheduling hearing opens, paused until mid-January
author profile pictureBy Chris Roberts, Reporter
December 2, 2024 - Updated December 2, 2024
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Image of cannabis naive DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge John Mulrooney II overseeing Monday's marijuana rescheduling hearing
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Chief Administrative Law Judge John Mulrooney II hears from attorney Matt Zorn during Monday's marijuana rescheduling hearing. (Image courtesy of dea.gov/live)
Historic hearings on marijuanaâs status under federal law will begin in earnest sometime in mid-January, an administrative law judge for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said during a procedural session Monday.
At that time, hearings will be held âTuesday through Thursday ⌠for as long as it takes,â said John Mulrooney II, the DEAâs chief administrative law judge.
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Thereâs still no exact date when Mulrooney might rule on moving marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 of the Controlled Substances Act, which would have profound consequences for the $32 billion state-regulated U.S. cannabis industry.
That long-awaited date appears to be no earlier than February, when some of the parties designated to participate in the rescheduling process indicated availability to give part of what might be a weekâs worth of testimony.
In the meantime, more filings in the proceedings are due Dec. 13, with documents due Jan. 3 â two âhomeworkâ dates that Mulrooney set on Monday.
Focus includes judgeâs âpigeonholesâ
As expected, Mulrooney heard no evidence or testimony from the select few âdesignated participantsâ during two hours of proceedings Monday.
Nor has Mulrooney absorbed any of the copious information presented to him in pre-hearing filings, he said.
Instead, during his opening remarks and in dialogue with attorneys representing the parties, Mulrooney seemed concerned with narrowing what evidence and testimony he will hear, in part so that a decision can be reached as swiftly as is reasonable.
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âRemember, everybody, this is not a trial whether marijuana is good or bad,â he said at one point.
âI donât know if itâs good. My issues are much more narrow than that.
âIt has to do with addiction potentialand several other little pigeonholes that I have.â
While setting ground rules, Mulrooneyâs focus Monday was determining availability from the 19 designated participantsâ witnesses â and, in some cases, questioning whether the witnesses qualified as experts.
Rescheduling hearing process
Mulrooney established Monday that:
Each of the designated participants will be allowed 90 minutes for testimony from a witness they select.
Opposing parties can cross-examine that testimony for up to 20 minutes.
Parties consolidating their arguments with another designated participant â including some of the pro-marijuana blocs denied full standing in the proceedings and those permitted independent participation â can have up to 120 minutes for two witnesses.
It likely will not be until after February 2025 when Mulrooney concludes hours of testimony and an untold cache of evidence.
No books; experts only
That cache, Mulrooney stressed Monday, must be as brief as possible.
Some witnesses appeared keen to send Mulrooney as much information as possible, including books theyâd written.
âHereâs a spoiler alert,â he said. âI am not going to be reading anybodyâs book,â he said.
âI donât have the lifespan to read mountains of evidence.
âI want the evidence thatâs important.â
Witnesses also must demonstrate in testimony or a written brief why they qualify as an expert.
doomed
2 weeks ago
Lawsuit Says DEA Acting In Bad Faith Over Marijuana
By: Terry Hacienda
November 22, 2024
Lawsuit Says DEA Acting In Bad Faith Over Marijuana
It has been clear the DEA is slow to change for cannabisâŚbut have they done something shady?
It has been clear Anne Milgram, the head of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), is no fan of cannabis and is not pleased with the push to reschedule. Now a lawsuit says DEA acting in bad faith over marijuana. David Heldreth, CEO of psychedelic research firm Panacea Plant Sciences, claims the DEAâs recent actions violate federal law and constitutional principles. Filed in filed in the U.S. District Court for Western Washington, names the Department of Justice, Attorney General Merrick Garland, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram and DEA Judge John J. Mulrooney II as defendants. So whatâs going on?
It is no secret, the current President isnât a fan of cannabis and waited 3 years to fulfill his 2020 promise to help the industry. The timing allowed his administration to pass the decision to the next president. DEA head Milgram has been reluctant about the issue despite recommendation from Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the American Medical Association and the American College of Physicians. All of those agencies recommended the change due to clear research showing the medical benefits of cannabis, especially with cancer, chronic pain, PTSD, and inflammation. For the DEA not to follow goes against all precedent.
Heldrethâs alleges legal violations in the DEAâs rulemaking process. He contends the agency failed to consult Native American tribes despite ignificant impact rescheduling marijuana would have on tribal law enforcement and health services. Additionally, Heldreth challenges the constitutionality of the DEAâs Administrative Law Judges, arguing their appointment by the DEA administrator violates Article II of the U.S. Constitution.
Heldreth is the latest in complaints as a Veteranâs organization is claiming they have been blocked from the hearings, despite the Veteranâs administration working with the industry to figure out a pathway for veterans with PTSD.
Milgam has been obstructive to the late in term admisntrationâs move, working to stop the process. After the announcement to reschedule, Anne Milgram made the unusual request of a âoff the record/no notes meetingâ to top deputies summoned in March for what she called the âMarijuana Meetingâ. What followed with a request to the Department of Justice (DOJ) which would slow the process if not stop it. The DOJ pushed back on the request.
With millions of patients using medical marijuana, including veterans, plus thousands of mom and pop businesses, Milgramâs actions are murky. Science has changed the direction and it seems the DEA is the only agency standing against the movement.
doomed
3 weeks ago
Tilrayâs alcool is fighting Tilrayâs BUNK weed. 🤣😂🤣
Beer Industry Group Pushes Tighter Regulations For Cannabis ProductsâAnd Higher Taxes Than Are Levied On Alcohol.
Published on November 20, 2024 By Ben Adlin
A leading beer industry trade group has put out a statement of guiding principles to address what it calls âthe proliferation of largely unregulated intoxicating hemp and cannabis products,â warning of risks to consumers and communities resulting from THC consumption.
Among other recommendations, the Beer Institute advises in the new document that lawmakers take a âzero tolerance approachâ to THC and drivingâa policy that could prevent casual cannabis consumers from ever being able to legally drive due to how long the drugâs metabolites stay in the body after useâand keep in place the federal ban on combining intoxicating cannabinoids and alcohol.
The group also calls for a federal excise tax on both hemp and cannabis products, âwith the tax rate set higher than the highest rate for any beverage alcohol product.â
Here Is Who Cannabis Users Will Vote for in the 2024 Presidential Election
âFor decades, Americaâs brewers and beer importers have demonstrated their commitment to fostering a culture of moderation and the responsible consumption of our products, all within a robust regulatory and and taxation system,â president and CEO Brian Crawford claimed in a statement last week. âThe current patchwork of intoxicating hemp and cannabis laws and regulations do not meet the same standards to which the beer industry willingly adheres.â
The Beer Institutesâs new guiding principles on hemp and cannabis products donât take a position on legalization broadly, saying instead that âlegalization of consumable cannabis products is for American voters, state legislatures and Congress to decide.â Nevertheless, it emphasizes the the âlack of scientific data regarding the consumption of intoxicating hemp and
The trade group, which represents American brewers, importers and industry suppliers, says that if intoxicating hemp products are legalizedâwhich, under the 2018 Farm Bill, they already are at the federal levelâthen âpolicymakers should implement appropriate regulatory frameworks at the state and federal levels that inform and protect consumers and ensure intoxicating hemp and cannabis products are marketed, sold and consumed responsibly.â
Notably, the groupâs guidance does not evaluate relative harm associated with alcohol versus marijuana consumption. A separate study earlier this year by investigators at the Alcohol Research Group and RTI International, however, found that secondhand harm from alcohol was nearly six times that of cannabis. Perceived harms from opioids and other drugs also outweighed those related to marijuana.
Separate research published earlier this year also found that the use of marijuana alone was not associated with higher risk of a car crash, while alcoholâwhether used by itself or combined with marijuanaâshowed a clear correlation with increased odds of a collision.
âThe Beer Institute supports a âzero tolerance approachâ for THC-impaired driving until proper field measurement technology and protocol are widely available and guidance on safe levels of consumption is established,â the organizationâs new guiding principles document says.
It did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the greater harms attributable to alcohol or its call for a zero-tolerance approach to THC and driving. Because THC metabolites can remain detectable in a personâs blood for weeks or months after consuming marijuana, the policy could bar casual cannabis consumers from ever legally driving.
As for mixing alcohol and cannabinoids, the statement of principles says that policymakers should not only retain the current prohibition on combining alcohol and THC but also âshould prohibit co-location of the sale of alcohol beverages in the same retail venues as intoxicating hemp and cannabis products.â
Other recommendations include ensuring packaging and labeling of cannabis and intoxicating hemp donât appeal to people under 21 and include information like product potency and health and safety warnings.
The group also wants to see âimmediate and sustained medical and safety research on intoxicating hemp and cannabis products, including beverages, to help ensure consumer safety,â according to the report.
In September, the Beer Institute applauded changes backed by California Gov. Gavin Newsomâs (D) that outlawed intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids and required all CBD products be completely free of THC.
âThe Beer Institute thanks Governor Newsom for his leadership in closing an unintended loophole that has enabled the proliferation of unregulated intoxicating hemp products,â Crawford said at the time. âIntoxicating hemp products are being sold as food and beverages, despite not being deemed safe for the U.S. food supply by federal regulators, and in some cases without age restrictions.â
The Beer Institute said in an email to Marijuana Moment at the time that its position âaligns with a bipartisan coalition of 21 state attorneys generalâ who wrote a letter in March urging Congress to amend federal law so that intoxicating cannabinoids are not included in the federal definition of hemp.
Growing evidence suggests that frequent marijuana use is now more common among Americans than regular alcohol use. A recent study found that more Americans consume cannabis every day than drink alcohol on a daily basis. Since 1992 the per capita rate of daily cannabis consumption in the country has increased nearly 15 times over.
A multinational investment bank said in a report late last year that marijuana has also become a âformidable competitorâ to alcohol, projecting that nearly 20 million more people will regularly consume cannabis over the next five years as booze loses a couple million drinkers. Marijuana sales are estimated to reach $37 billion in 2027 in the U.S., it said, as more state markets come online.
A separate study out of Canada, where marijuana is federally legal, found that legalization was âassociated with a decline in beer sales,â suggesting a substitution effect.
Data from a Gallup survey published in August of last year also found that Americans consider marijuana to be less harmful than alcohol, cigarettes, vapes and other tobacco products.
At the federal level, meanwhile, Senate Democrats this week released the long-awaited text of an agriculture bill that contains several proposed changes to federal hemp lawsâincluding provisions to amend how the legal limit of THC is measured and reducing regulatory barriers for farmers who grow the crop for grain or fiber. Some stakeholders are concerned the intent of the legislation is to âeliminate a whole range of productsâ that are now sold in the market.
Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, told Marijuana Moment that stakeholders are âtrying to figure all this out,â with questions remaining about the scope of the restrictions that are being proposed.
âWeâre obviously opposed to it, but we donât know how strongly weâre opposed,â he said. âItâs certainly intended to eliminate a whole range of products, but it could eliminate the whole hemp extract industry.â
Miller added that itâs widely understood on Capitol Hill that the bill is unlikely to advance to enactment in the remainder of the session, so there will be additional opportunity to amend it.
In May, GOP House leaders released their own draft version of the agriculture legislation, which could also reduce regulatory barriers for certain hemp farmers and scale-back a ban on industry participation by people with prior drug felony convictions.
But under an amendment adopted by the House Agriculture Committee, it would also remove cannabinoids that are âsynthesized or manufactured outside of the plantâ from the federal definition of legal hemp. The change is backed by prohibitionists as well as some marijuana companies, whoâve described the restriction as a fix to a âloopholeâ in the 2018 Farm Bill.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in a report in June that hemp provisions included in that spending bill could also âcreate confusionâ for the industry due to a lack of clarity around the type of allowable products.
Anti-drug groups, law enforcement and some health organizations have called on Congress to embrace the ban, arguing that âtrying to regulate semi-synthetic cannabinoids will not work.â
In addition to Millerâs amendment in the farm bill, the House Appropriations Committee in July approved a separate spending bill that contains a similar provision to prohibit cannabinoid products such as delta-8 THC and CBD containing any âquantifiableâ amount of THC.
Hemp-derived cannabinoids also came up in a recent federal appeals court decision in which judges ruled that cannabinoids derived from hemp, such as THC-O-acetate, indeed qualify as hemp and are legal under the 2018 Farm Bill. In making that ruling, the court rejected the Drug Enforcement Administrationâs more restrictive interpretation of the law.
How to address hemp-derived cannabinoids has caused some fractures within the cannabis community, and in some cases marijuana businesses have found themselves on the same side as prohibitionists in pushing a derivatives ban.
Lawmakers and stakeholders have also been eyeing a number of other proposals that could be incorporated into the Farm Billâand which could come up as proposed amendments as the proposal moves through the legislative processâincluding measures to free up hemp businesses to legally market products like CBD as dietary supplements or in the food supply.
Also, in September, a Democratic senator introduced a bill that would create a federal regulatory framework for hemp-derived cannabinoids, allowing states to set their own rules for products such as CBD while also empowering the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that certain safety standards are met in the marketplaceâincluding making sure that products arenât marketed to children.
Recent USDA data showed a slight rebound in the hemp economy in 2023âthe result of a survey that the department mailed to thousands of farmers across the U.S. in January. The first version of the departmentâs hemp report was released in early 2022, setting a âbenchmarkâ to compare to as the industry matures.
Meanwhile, USDA announced this month that it is once again delaying enforcement of a rule requiring hemp growers to test their crops exclusively at labs registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), citing âsetbacksâ at the agency that have led to âinadequateâ access to such facilities.
doomed
3 weeks ago
Home / Cultivation
Veteran cannabis cultivators express renewed interest in seeds over clones
author profile pictureBy Kate Lavin, Editorial Director
Nov 18, 2024
When Mario Guzman, the creator of cannabis genetics Gelato and Sunset Sherbert, travels to Europe for events, he looks forward to meeting up with longtime friends and exchanging seeds.
âAll of our global friends come, and we share genetics and talk about what weâre all planting for the following year,â Guzman told MJBizDaily during a recent phone call.
He likens the experience to the seed market that has existed for decades in the coffee shops of Amsterdam.
âThey were really the culture of it: The passionate backbone of all seed sales in Europe,â Guzman said of Amsterdam-based growers and seed breeders, adding that until the medical marijuana market got a toehold in the United States, legacy growers brought seeds from outside the United States that later became the bedrock of todayâs regulated market.
Popping seeds
While demand for product uniformity requires most licensed cultivators to produce marijuana from clones, BCBUD growersâ affinity for sharing genetics through cannabis seeds is alive and well in todayâs regulated market.
âI still get excited when I pop a three-pack of seeds as opposed to a clone,â said Justin Sheffield, director of cultivation at BeLeaf Medical Co. in Missouri.
âTo have something new, something proprietary, something that you know your team started from seed that no one else has? That still gets us excited.â
BeLeaf operates three cultivation facilities in Missouri with tens of thousands of plants in various stages of cultivation at any time.
Nonetheless, Sheffield said, âWe always have a pheno hunt in the works.â
Bag appeal
Reggie Harris, co-founder of Kansas City, Missouri-based cannabis genetics company House of Kush, said most of his clients are asking for âgood, hearty plants that arenât difficult to grow.â
He believes seeds have become more popular in recent years as companies have become more concerned with disease and pests in the regulated U.S. marijuana market valued at $112 billion.
âThe thought with Canadian licensed producers was that having a clone saved time from having to pheno hunt and let the plants grow out â but if you weigh the cost between potential lost crops or the extra time it takes to grow, seeds make sense,â Harris said.
âIt may take a little longer to get a new strain to market, however the risk/reward is worth weighing.â
Thereâs no question, however, that flower âhas to look and smell the partâ to keep consumers loyal to your brand, Harris said.
âWith the number of choices out there, cultivators are looking for hits.
âIf you can consistently deliver them, theyâll keep coming back for your genetics.â
International cannabis market
When it comes to what cultivators should look for when vetting potential partners for cannabis seeds, Eugene Boukreev, head of marketing at international seed bank Fast Buds, said âdetailed information about the genetic stability and quality of the seeds should be provided.â
He also recommended that growers ask for:
Confirmation that seeds are tested for germination rates.
Reviews, including references or testimonials from other cultivators.
Boukreev told MJBizDaily that North American marijuana cultivators have different preferences than their European counterparts.
âNorth American growers favor genetics with high THC content for more potent flower, optimized yield, unique terpene profiles that allow for marketplace differentiation,â Boukreev said, adding that resistance to disease and pests also are key priorities.
âEuropean growersâ priorities are a little different.
âThey must remain compliant with stringent THC limits and local regulations, so we see a higher demand for limited-THC strains as well as strains with specific medicinal properties.â
The Vault at MJBiz
Voice of the Plant is bringing best-in-class genetics from Europe and the United States for a first-of-its-kind collaboration with MJBizCon, taking place Dec. 3-6 in Las Vegas.
âThe community coming together, thatâs the most important part,â Guzman said, âand pushing the culture forward.â
To accomplish that, Voice of the Plant (VOP) is curating The Vault at MJBizCon, a section of the trade show floor where seed breeders hand-selected by VOP will offer cash-and-carry genetics for the first time at the worldâs largest cannabis business conference and trade show.
âTrue geneticists arenât just botanists; they really are artists,â Deych said.
Winning cannabis genetics
For Guzman and Deych, comparing how genetics perform with other cultivators in their circle is part of the experience they seek to replicate through The Vault at MJBizCon.
âEveryone involved in The Vault, weâre going to open up the best of our genetic libraries to the world,â Guzman said.
âOur hope is to create an environment for people to openly share, like they have been doing in Europe for decades, but now on U.S. soil.â
Guzman and Deych said genetics enthusiasts big and small will appreciate the thought leadership theyâre assembling for The Vault, including representatives from:
Abstrax Terpenes of Irvine, California.
Barneyâs Farm of Amsterdam.
Conception Nurseries of Sacramento, California.
Sensi Seeds of Amsterdam.
âBCBUD has known the importance of genetics and how that root truly is the center of the business,â Guzman said.
Canadian large producers bought bad genetics to start their business.
They grow mold at scale and they Gamma irradiate, burning terps.
Night and day with BCBUD.
It all makes it easy for buyers.
doomed
4 weeks ago
They were off to a bad start 6 years ago.
They have the same problem today.
Mold.
Sell mold to a sick Canadian once and you are done for. Words move fast with todayâs techs.
Recalls are you best ads. Keep them up!
Home / Cultivation
California cannabis recalls highlight importance of decontamination
By Arthur de Cordova, Guest Columnist
November 15, 2024
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Just Released! Get realistic market forecasts, state-by-state insights and benchmarks with the new 2024 MJBiz Factbook member program, now with quarterly updates. Make informed decisions.
Image of a petri dish swab at a cannabis lab
(Photo by Matthew Staver for MJBizDaily/Emerald)
(This is a contributed guest column. To be considered as an MJBizDaily guest columnist, please submit your request here.)
Image of Arthur de Cordova
Arthur de Cordova (Courtesy photo)
In August, Californiaâs Department of Cannabis Control issued five marijuana product recalls that cited the presence of aspergillus, bringing the total number of such recalls to 21 for 2024.
This sharp rise in mold-related recalls â particularly for aspergillus â has cannabis cultivators across the state on high alert.
While most strains of this common mold are harmless, certain species can cause severe respiratory problems in people with weakened immune systems, asthma or underlying lung conditions.
With the health of consumers and the profitability of cultivators at stake, a âdecontamination stepâ or âkill stepâ in the cultivation process can act as a proactive safeguard.
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Aspergillus and cannabis
Aspergillus thrives in warm, humid environments and can be found in soil, decaying vegetation and even the air.
Its tiny spores can travel long distances, making them difficult to contain in indoor or outdoor grow operations.
While most people are not affected by aspergillus exposure, certain species can cause infections, ranging from mild allergies to invasive aspergillosis, a potentially fatal condition.
Given that medical cannabis is often used by immunocompromised patients, the stakes are even higher when it comes to ensuring mold-free products.
Reacting to mold
When a marijuana product fails a state-mandated lab test because of high levels of mold, the options for cultivators are costly.
Failed products are typically remediated or turned into extract, both of which result in reduced profit margins.
Specifically, remediated flower is flagged in Florida-based Metrcâs cannabis track-and-trace systems and labeled with an âRâ in the supply chain, which negatively affects its market appeal and drives price erosion.
This reactive approach is not sustainable for marijuana cultivators trying to maintain a competitive edge and profitability.
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Additionally, when the federal government decides to regulate cannabis, officials likely will approach it like any other agricultural commodity or medical product and require cultivators to treat flower for mold and pathogens before testing.
The milk industry, for example, pasteurizes all milk before sale out of an abundance of caution.
Cannabis decontamination
A microbial control step or decontamination step can significantly reduce the presence of mold before marijuana products are submitted for lab testing.
A decontamination step aims to reduce the microbial levels present in the flower, typically through a sanitization or sterilization process.
By integrating this precautionary measure into their standard operating procedures, cultivators can avoid the financial and reputational damage associated with failed lab tests and product recalls.
Despite the benefits, some operators in the industry have been hesitant to adopt a decontamination step, afraid that it signals a mold issue within the grow facility.
However, the reality of cultivating agricultural crops is that mold and other pathogens are ever-present threats that spread through air, water and human contact, regardless of how clean a facility might be.
Fortunately, solutions exist that do not compromise the quality of the marijuana flower.
Decontamination solutions
Several solutions exist to eradicate aspergillus and other molds and pathogens from cannabis:
Radio frequency treatment is a method approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture to kill pathogens in the food industry; it generates heat evenly throughout cannabis flower and has negligible impact on terpenes, trichomes or appearance.
X-ray radiation emits photons that penetrate the flower and deactivate harmful pathogensâ DNA.
Ozone gas significantly reduces microbial levels on plant material, including cannabis.
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Protecting your brand
For marijuana cultivators, a product recall can be catastrophic â not only in terms of lost revenue but also in terms of damaged public perception.
If a consumer purchases a recalled product or one that contains mold, they will likely not give the brand a second chance.
With many of the nationâs largest regulated marijuana markets increasingly saturated, consumers can easily switch to another brand.
Product recalls have the power not only to damage a brandâs reputation with consumers but also the entire distribution system.
In an industry as competitive as marijuana, cultivators doesnât get a second chance.
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