420 with CNW — Florida Gives Black Farmers Medical Cannabis Licenses Under Newly Enacted Law

The state of Florida has awarded medical cannabis business licenses to two Black farmers under a bill that was signed into law last month. Governor Ron DeSantis signed Bill HB 387 into law in late June, finally giving members of the Black farming community a chance to enter the state’s mammoth medical marijuana industry.

The legislation was originally written to allow eligible doctors to use telehealth to renew medical cannabis patient licenses but was later amended to include language that would address the issue of providing Black farmers with Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (MMTC) licenses. These farmers had been part of a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which was sued in the 1990s for racially discriminating against Black farmers in its farm loan and assistance allocation.

Florida’s medical marijuana law requires that at least one medical cannabis business license go to an African-American farmer covered by the class action litigation. But while the state’s medical cannabis bill became law in 2017, the state Department of Health began applications procedures for this special license in 2022.

Regulators initially intended to issue the license to one Black farmer, but other applicants held up the process after making an administrative and legal challenge. Lawmakers responded by passing HB 387, a bill that ordered the Florida Department of Health to issue licenses to all eligible applicants.

Soon after Governor DeSantis signed the measure into law, the state health department issued two licenses to 12 of the individuals who applied for the special licenses in 2022. The legislation also requires the department to approve license applications for applicants who were considered to have met all licensing requirements by an administrative judge.

Terry Donnel Gwinn and Shedrick McGriff are now the first Black farmers to receive a license to cultivate, process and sell medical marijuana. These two farmers were the only ones among the 12 applicants to meet the condition of having no deficiencies in their medical marijuana applications. Furthermore, the two managed to submit the $5 million bond required by the state before they could receive their licenses and begin operations.

Black Americans have had a sordid history with cannabis and cannabis criminalization in the country. For decades, they have been much more likely to be arrested for cannabis use despite similar use rates as white Americans and are also more likely to receive much harsher sentences. As a result, most states included social-equity provisions in their cannabis laws to ensure that Black Americans had the chance to benefit from an industry that was once used to persecute them.

Although Florida doesn’t have a particularly stellar record with cannabis social equity, this development shows that regulators are trying to reinvest in the Black community.

As more equity applicants join the marijuana industry, there will be more opportunities for various companies such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) to register increased sales to the different entities participating in the value chain.

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CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

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420 with CNW — Ohio Advocates Have 10 More Days to Put Marijuana Initiative on Ballot

The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office has revealed that recreational cannabis advocates have only 10 days to put a legalization initiative on the state ballot. Reform activists behind an adult-use cannabis measure failed to meet Ohio’s threshold of verified signatures by 679 signatures and cannot get their measure on the ballot as is.

However, state law grants the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol another 10 days to collect the remaining signatures and qualify the recreational cannabis measure for the ballot. The measure seeks to legalize the purchase, sale, possession and consumption of recreational marijuana for Ohio adults 21 years of age and older.

A coalition spokesman said that campaign representatives collected 222,198 signatures and submitted those signatures to the secretary of state’s office. Under Ohio law, the campaign should have collected at least 124,046 signatures from at least 44 counties.

Once the campaign submitted the signatures, the secretary of state’s office sent each signature to the county of origin’s board of elections for verification. An analysis of the verified signatures found that the campaign needed an additional 679 signatures to qualify their recreational cannabis measure for the ballot.

If the campaign collects enough signatures during the 10 extra days it has been granted, the Ohio ballot board will convene to ratify the language in the recreational marijuana measure and start preparing for the November election.

The measure would allow eligible adults to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and up to 15 grams of concentrates. It would also allow private cultivation of up to 6 cannabis plants for personal use and a maximum of 12 plants per residence. Furthermore, the measure would levy a 10% tax on all recreational cannabis sales, raising around $400 million in tax revenue for the state. According to the bill, 36% of this revenue would be invested in job programs and social equity, another 36% would be directed to areas that legalize recreational cannabis retail, 25% to education and substance misuse programs, and 3% would be used to cover the administrative costs of regulating the recreational marijuana industry.

The adult-use measure would establish a state Department of Commerce with the authority to regulate, license and penalize recreational marijuana retailers, testing labs and any individual who needs a cannabis-related license. If it is successful, the legalization initiative would require that regulators issue qualified medical marijuana operators with retail adult-use license within nine months of being ratified.

The legalization of marijuana in Ohio would not only be beneficial to companies that directly deal in the substance, it would help ancillary actors such as to Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) because there would be an entire ecosystem created around the marijuana industry.

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420 with CNW — Luxembourg Starts Implementing Marijuana Legalization Law

Luxembourg has finally begun implementing legislation that legalized the possession, use and personal cultivation of marijuana. Advanced by the Luxembourg parliament last month, the marijuana legalization bill took effect last week and makes Luxembourg the second nation in the European Uniont to end the era of marijuana prohibition after Malta.

The bill advanced via a 38 to 22 vote about two year after lawmakers first proposed the idea of ending cannabis prohibition. The ministers of Homeland Security and Justice tabled the legalization bill in 2021, setting the stage for marijuana legalization in the country. Justice Minister Sam Tanson said at the time that the idea of the legislation was to decriminalize cannabis consumption while attracting consumers and revenue away from the illicit cannabis market.

The legislation allows adults to possess up to three grams of marijuana and cultivate up to four plants in a secure, private location at their homes. It also outlines penalties for exceeding allowable cannabis cultivation and possession limits, with people found possessing over three grams of cannabis being subject to a prison sentence of up to six months. Under the cannabis legalization bill, adults are also prohibited from consuming cannabis products in public.

The Ministry of Health has also launched a website to educate the public about the recent changes to the country’s cannabis policies and the reasons behind the policy change. It provides basic information on cannabis and outlines the rules and regulations involved in home cultivation.

For instance, the website notes that marijuana seeds meant for home cultivation will not be considered narcotics anymore and can be purchased online or in physical shops. According to the website, the cannabis legalization bill is the first step in a pilot project to expand access to recreational cannabis in the country. The website also explained that by passing policies to regulate home cultivation, the government wants to regulate cannabis consumption in the country while reducing the risks and harms associated with the cannabis market.

As the June debate drew to a close, Tanson argued that the war against cannabis in the country is an “absolute failure,” a sentiment echoed by lawmakers and drug reformists in several other territories. In the wake of this failure, Tanson said, lawmakers and regulators have to consider another path and seek better solutions.

She also said that the legislation was created with a crime-prevention and risk-reduction approach, allowing adults to plant and consume cannabis within the privacy of their homes while outlining consequences for taking part in cannabis-related activities that are still prohibited such as public possession, transportation and consumption of cannabis.

This legalization of cannabis in Luxembourg is likely to open additional market opportunities for enterprises akin to Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX), which supply the equipment that growers need to get a bountiful harvest of indoor-grown marijuana.

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420 with CNW — State Cannabis Associations Implore Senate to Pass Cannabis Banking Law

A group of state cannabis associations is asking Senate leaders to advance bipartisan cannabis banking legislation as soon as possible. The American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH) alongside marijuana trade associations from 16 other states sent a letter to Senate Banking Committee chair Sherrod Brown and committee member Tim Scott emphasizing the need for immediate cannabis banking reform.

ATACH was joined by trade associations representing cannabis businesses from Hawaii, Arizona, Alaska, Alabama, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, California, Washington State, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Montana, Mississippi, District of Columbia and Missouri. These entities joined together to urge the committee to pass the SAFE Banking Act “without further delay.”

The SAFE Banking Act would protect financial institutions that serve state-legal cannabis businesses from legal reprisals by the federal government.

Although cannabis is now legal in dozens of states, federal law still classifies it as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. As a result, this makes it almost impossible for cannabis businesses to access financial or banking services because federal law forbids these institutions from serving businesses that are involved with federally controlled substances.

This has forced many cannabis businesses to operate on a cash-only basis, significantly increasing the risk of robberies and making it difficult for them to honor their tax obligations.

Industry stakeholders have been asking for cannabis banking legislation to finally allow them access to services such as bank accounts, cashless payments and financial aid.

The coalition of marijuana trade associations argued in their letter that the current status quo, which has denied cannabis businesses access to traditional financial services. is “untenable,” with dire safety and public health consequences. Operating on a cash-only basis makes cannabis businesses a prime target for violent robberies, the letter noted, adding that cannabis businesses in Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan and Washington are already dealing with violent robberies.

Speaking in a recent press release, ATACH President Michael Bronstein said with every moment that Congress fails to act on cannabis banking, state legal businesses and their workers continue to suffer from armed robberies, break-ins and violent encounters that have even taken innocent lives.

Unfortunately, the recent letter came only a day after Committee chair Jerrod Brown reportedly said that his panel wouldn’t be holding any votes this week. This means that cannabis banking legislation likely will not pass during the summer session because once July draws to a close, senators will not reconvene until September.

When cannabis banking becomes a reality, a new spurt of growth in the marijuana industry could come, and that growth is also likely to lift ancillary enterprises such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX), whose niche is in supplying what cannabis companies need for their operations.

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420 with CNW — How to Make Marijuana Websites Compliant with ADA Requirements

For more than 30 years, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has protected people with disabilities from discrimination in all public places on the basis of their disabilities. This legislation ensures that all public places, including schools, public transportation and office buildings, are designed to accommodate the needs of people living with disabilities. Now that ecommerce is one of the most dominant forms of trade across the country, businesses in America’s state-legal cannabis sector should also make their websites ADA-compliant.

In many ways, websites have replaced the brick-and-mortar stores of old. They allow people to visit different “shops” and make purchases from the comfort of their homes. For people with disabilities, ecommerce websites can save a lot of hassle, especially if the sites also offer home deliveries.

Making your website ADA-compliant will make it more navigable for people with disabilities, and could help you attract and retain customers. Although the ADA Act currently doesn’t apply to business websites, taking the plunge will likely do more good than bad for your business.

Andrea Golan, a lawyer at Vicente, a cannabis law firm in Denver, said that California does not extend the ADA Act to websites while some courts in other states view websites as public places and expect them to be ADA compliant.

Liz Hartsel from Fortis Law Partners in Denver, said that even if the ADA Act does not explicitly cover websites, businesses are at risk of being sued if they are inaccessible to people with disabilities. It is a matter of when you will be sued, not if, Hartsel explained, adding that as a business owner, it is in your best interest to make your websites ADA-compliant.

Making your business more accessible to consumers is always a win, and it may help you stand out from the rest of the competition. It will also save you the hassle of dealing with a lawsuit if you are sued. Hartsel notes that she has seen some 50 cases involving website accessibility in the last two years, and they all settled without a trial. According to Barclay Damon partner Rob Thorpe, settling a lawsuit will be less expensive than defending one in court, so most companies prefer to settle when they are sued.

If you are currently facing an accessibility-related lawsuit, Hartsel recommends immediately making the website more accessible and ADA compliant. Since websites are always being updated, Hartse recommends making your website accessible in the present and keeping it as accessible as possible as time passes.

This includes making sure there are alt tags to allow the use of screen readers if there are a lot of images or providing ways such as captions to allow hearing and vision-impaired people to access the information in videos. In addition, figuring out the best color contrast balance will make it easier for people with color blindness or limited vision to read your website.

The need to adhere to ADA requirements doesn’t only apply to marijuana companies. Even companies such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) should consider the needs of persons with disabilities when designing their websites.

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420 with CNW — Ohio to Move Medical Cannabis Regulation Away from Board of Pharmacy

Ohio lawmakers have passed an operating budget with provisions that effectively remove the Board of Pharmacy as the entity in charge of the state’s cannabis industry and replace it with a new Division of Marijuana Control. The new regulatory agency for all cannabis-related matters will function under the auspices of the Ohio Department of Commerce.

Ever since former Ohio Governor John Kasich signed House Bill 523 into law and launched the state’s medical marijuana program, both the pharmacy and commerce departments had been tasked with overseeing the fledgling medical cannabis program. While the commerce department handled marijuana cultivators, processors and testing laboratories, the pharmacy department regulated retail operations and dispensaries as well as maintained Ohio’s registry of caregivers and medical marijuana patients.

Putting two departments in charge of medical cannabis proved to be a major headache for companies in Ohio’s medical cannabis market. These companies had to deal with both departments and all the bureaucracy that came with each. Large vertically integrated companies that were involved in cultivation, processing and sale had an especially challenging time dealing with both departments.

Ohio Medical Cannabis Industry Association’s government affairs director Charlie Trefny states that this system of shared governance would lead to disagreements due to different interpretations of rules. In some cases, Trefny says, the two departments would give cannabis companies different responses regarding the same issues. This includes providing conflicting feedback on critical issues such as product labeling, which could have dire consequences for medical cannabis operators.

Companies that aren’t vertically integrated were also forced to interact with both pharmacy and commerce. For instance, the pharmacy department would have to review labels attached to products from cultivators or processors resulting in cases where it would reject product labels that had been approved by the commerce department.

Medical cannabis operators have been asking regulators to grant the sector one regulator rather than two since its inception to make the regulatory environment more business-friendly. Trefny noted that consolidating regulation under a single department will make the medical cannabis supply chain more efficient as well.

According to language included in the recently approved operating budget, the pharmacy department will have to transfer its oversight of retailers, dispensaries and the state medical marijuana patient and caregiver registry to the commerce department by Dec. 31, 2023.

On the other hand, medical cannabis operators aren’t pleased with language included in the bill that would allow standalone processors to receive additional cultivation licenses and allow level 2 cultivators to expand their growing space to 15,000 square feet.

The improvements, which are likely to result from streamlining the regulation of medical cannabis in the state, could have additional benefits such as allowing ancillary firms operating in the same space, including Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX), to do brisk business with marijuana companies as demand grows.

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420 with CNW — Why Employers Are Ditching Pre-Employment Cannabis Testing

The changing legal framework surrounding marijuana makes it more difficult for companies to screen for marijuana-consuming applicants. According to an article by the Washington Post, the rapidly evolving state legislation concerning marijuana, combined with a shortage of eligible workers, has led to an increasing number of employers no longer requiring applicants to undergo a marijuana drug test as a condition for employment.

Amber Clayton, the senior director of knowledge center operations at the Society for Human Resource Management, explained that employers are grappling with the challenge of navigating these laws while ensuring the safety of their workforce. “We need to find a way to balance compliance with these laws while still maintaining a safe and productive work environment,” Clayton said.

Denise Polliciella, the founder and an attorney at Cannabis Attorneys of Michigan, voiced concerns over the exclusion of marijuana users from employment opportunities. She argued that many capable individuals are being sidelined unnecessarily, because marijuana use does not impede their job performance in any way.

Some employers, as reported by online work news platform Business, believe that eliminating mandatory marijuana drug tests could compromise workplace safety. This is due to the potential side effects of marijuana, such as hallucinations, disorientation, dizziness, fatigue and drowsiness.

Business noted that certain industries and professions, including school bus drivers, airline pilots and federal contractors, are heavily regulated, requiring drug testing for job candidates and employees. Marijuana is among the substances prohibited in these cases.

Michigan recently discontinued marijuana testing for most state jobs, with exceptions for law enforcement officers, healthcare providers and employees operating heavy machinery, according to CBS News.

According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 30% of U.S. adults support the legalization of marijuana for medical use, while 59% support its use for both medical and recreational purposes. Business highlighted the growing number of states, including the District of Columbia, three territories, and 37 states, that have legalized marijuana either for medical, recreational, or both purposes. This indicates a response to public demand.

Karger’s “Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids” journal revealed that there are approximately 3.6 million legally registered medical cannabis patients alone. The Post mentioned that certain states have implemented laws to protect workers’ marijuana use during their personal time, leading some employers to consider excluding THC, the primary psychoactive component in cannabis, from their drug testing protocols, according to the National Library of Medicine.

As workplace rules evolve to accommodate workers who use marijuana, the demand for cannabis products is likely to grow as more employees feel comfortable using this substance for recreational or medicinal reasons. When this happens, the industry will grow faster, and entities such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX), which focus on addressing the needs of cultivators could see an uptick in their sales.

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420 with CNW — Meta to Let Hemp and CBD Firms Advertise on IG, Facebook

CBD and hemp firms recently scored a major win after Facebook’s parent company Meta loosened its hemp and cannabis advertising policies. In a recent notice, Meta announced the changes to its advertising policies and noted that companies in the cannabis space would now be allowed to advertise non-ingestible cannabidiol products under certain limitations. The social media giant also said that CBD-infused products that have 0.3% or less of THC can be promoted on its platforms if those products meet certain conditions.

America’s state-level cannabis industry has been incredibly lucrative from its inception, generating billions of dollars in sales and creating hundreds of thousands of new job opportunities. However, since the plant is illegal at the federal level and classified as a Schedule I controlled drug with no medical application, America’s cannabis industry is severely limited.

One of the most significant limitations is that the players in the cannabis sector are prohibited from advertising their products on most conventional platforms, making it extremely difficult for them to attract customers and boost sales.

With Meta’s recent announcement, hemp and cannabis retailers will be able to promote their products to the billions of consumers that use platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and recent addition Threads. Cannabis businesses will require written approval from parent company Meta as well as proof that their products are compliant with local laws and certified with Legitscript before they can prompt their products on Meta platforms.

Furthermore, the social media conglomerate has revised its hemp advertising policies to allow hemp businesses to promote their goods on Meta in the Canada, Mexico, and U.S. markets as long as they comply with local laws, industry guidelines and codes. Businesses will not require written permission to promote products with less than the legal threshold for THC (0.3%) in these three markets.

Meta will also publish hemp-related ads that seek to educate the public, advocate for or give “public service announcements related to CBD” without the need for written permission as long as they do not promote prohibited products.

The company said in a statement that it wants people to discover new products and services and learn about them on its platforms. Meta cautioned that ads containing CBD products will not be allowed to state or claim that the products can prevent, treat, cure, diagnose or mitigate any medical issue in humans and animals. Additionally, Meta’s ban on advertising THC-containing products or psychoactive cannabis products will remain active, the company said.

As more cannabis companies gain access to running adverts on various social media platforms, the industry is likely to grow, and this growth could deepen the reach of ancillary companies such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX), which indirectly benefit from the progress registered by cannabis enterprises.

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420 with CNW — Michigan Registers a Record-Setting $261M in June Cannabis Sales

June witnessed a remarkable achievement in marijuana sales in Michigan as the figures soared to an unprecedented peak, nearing a staggering $261 million. The lion’s share of this impressive total, amounting to $254,153,133, was contributed by adult-use marijuana purchases, while medical cannabis sales reached $6,643,877. This remarkable feat exceeded the previous record set in March by a margin of more than $10 million.

According to data from the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA), the majority of cannabis purchases consisted of flowers, followed closely by vape cartridges and infused edibles.

Despite these remarkable sales records, Michigan continues to witness a noteworthy decline in the average cost of marijuana. The price of an ounce of recreational cannabis now lingers around $90, a substantial decrease compared to December 2021, when it was approximately $180. Similarly, the average ounce of medical marijuana in the previous month was valued at about $100.

While the cannabis market in Michigan continues to mature, businesses face persistent challenges due to federal prohibition. The absence of access to traditional financial services has forced the industry to rely heavily on cash transactions, making it an attractive target for criminal activities.

Highlighting the urgency of addressing this issue, the attorney general of Michigan emphasized the need for Congress to enact marijuana banking reform.

Last year, Michigan regulators unveiled their commitment to fund research on the therapeutic benefits of marijuana for military veterans by allocating tax revenue generated from adult-use cannabis sales. This time, the CRA recommended granting $20 million to two universities as part of the Veteran Marijuana Research (VMR) Grant Program. Additionally, officials announced the distribution of nearly $150 million in marijuana tax revenue to various beneficiaries, including a transportation grant, public schools and localities.

In recent developments, state officials in Michigan changed the state’s employment policy, eliminating pre-employment drug testing for marijuana for most government job applicants. This adjustment reflects a progressive stance toward cannabis use.

Michigan is not the only state experiencing remarkable growth in cannabis sales. Massachusetts achieved record-breaking marijuana sales of nearly $152 million in June, marking the highest monthly figure since the state’s adult-use market was launched in November 2018. Similarly, Connecticut witnessed a surge in marijuana sales, reaching a record high of $24 million in the six months following the launch of its recreational cannabis industry.

In Maryland, where the adult-use cannabis market began this month, marijuana sales surpassed $10 million during the opening weekend, indicating a promising start for the industry in the state.

These soaring sales figures coming out of Michigan suggest that it isn’t only marijuana companies that are benefiting from this boom. Ancillary companies such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) may also be seeing an increase in business.

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420 with CNW — Five Challenges Marijuana Equity Companies Face

Social-equity founders in America’s state-level cannabis industry are facing a myriad of challenges despite enjoying purported industry support. Social equity refers to a set of policies designed to give people who were disproportionately affected by the drug war a leg up in the cannabis industry.

These policies are meant to give communities that endured over policing and harsh sentencing for decades due to prohibitionist cannabis laws a chance to benefit from a drug that was once used to persecute them. However, despite the good intentions behind social-equity provisions, founders from communities of color and lower-income communities still struggle to carve a space for themselves in the lucrative marijuana sector.

Lack of capital is one of the chief issues hindering the success of social-equity founders. Although social-equity provisions allow them to get their foot into the door, they offer little support afterward.

Social-equity applicants have an even harder time securing capital because cannabis is still illegal at the federal level and applicants have extremely limited options for sourcing capital. This makes it difficult for social-equity founders to open and grow businesses in the cannabis sector, especially since they often have to pay extremely high state taxes and fees.

Limited connections also hinder the growth of cannabis businesses owned by social-equity founders. Since they often come from lower-income communities with little generational wealth, these founders typically don’t have the connections they may need to navigate the cannabis industry.

Without the right connections, these individual may struggle to source capital, secure deals and find more opportunities for growth.

High taxes prevent social-equity, founder-owned businesses from achieving their true potential. America’s state-level cannabis industry is notorious for its complicated and costly taxes, with cannabis businesses in most states paying more taxes compared to the alcohol industry.

Cannabis’s status as a federally prohibited drug also deprives cannabis businesses of tax benefits, such as tax deductions for certain expenses.

Furthermore, local and state governments often enforce excise taxes in ways that favor larger businesses over small businesses, which tend to be owned by social-equity founders. High taxes at every step of the value chain increase operational costs and raise prices, making it harder for social-equity founders to compete with illicit sellers who can price their products significantly cheaper.

Misreading contracts can be a costly mistake for social-equity founders. As they often struggle to access capital, these founders are more likely to do the majority of the work themselves, including the legal work.

Retaining a cannabis attorney may be a little costly, but it will ensure that paperwork is handled efficiently and save the potential financial and reputational cost of misreading contracts.

Long-term resources will be critical to the survival of social-equity, founder-owned businesses in the cannabis space. Navigating the cannabis industry can be a significant challenge, and even large businesses with major financial backing have seen their fortunes turn. With little to no connections and limited access to capital, social-equity businesses face a high risk of bankruptcy or closure.

As these challenges are gradually addressed, equity businesses could thrive and create more business opportunities for ancillary entities such as Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) that sell cultivation equipment and other products designed to meet the needs of marijuana-touching businesses.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Advanced Container Technologies Inc. (OTC: ACTX) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/ACTX

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