Yes! Cannabis!

High Cookery: Your Guide to Cannabis Cooking and Munchies

Not all cannabis-infused ideas are good, but a new cookbook by Gilad Meiri is well thought out and brilliant. In High Cookery: Your Guide to Cannabis Cooking and Munchies, Meiri celebrates the inseparable relationship of food and this incredibly healing plant. With over 100 recipes, the book is a comprehensive guide to cooking with cannabis and creating dishes to complement and enhance the high experience.

With recent (regional) legalization and the greater acceptance of cannabis, High Cookery is particularly relevant today. Bringing weed out of the half-hidden shadows and into our kitchens, this book is designed to enhance the pleasures of responsible consumption.

The book is broken into two sections: Canna Cooking and Cooking for the Munchies. In the first section, Meiri addresses the complex chemical nature of cannabis, followed by infusion recipes that cover everything from butter to honey to vodka. Using these infusions as a base, he then provides creative recipes both sweet and savory. There is a little bit of everything, including ‘High Fudge Sundaes,’ ‘Healthy Cannackers’ and ‘Weed Chai Masala.’

Crispy Goat Cheese with Beet Jam and a Surprise

“Face it: You’re going to eat” Meiri explains in kicking off the second section of his book, Cooking for the Munchies, so you might as well prepare good food and plan ahead. Here, he provides gourmet recipes to enhance the dining experience beyond stereotypical junk food snacks. From “Unorthodox Combinations” that may seem unconventional but are brilliant when high, to simple recipes that aren’t too complicated to make, even when a bit “lit”, Meiri delivers an inspirational collection of delicious dishes.

In this cookbook, Meiri is humorous, observant and detailed, taking the reader on a delightful culinary exploration of cannabis and cooking. As visually stimulating as it is mouthwatering, the cookbook is sure to be a fixture for entertaining.

Author Gilad Meiri fell in love with cooking as a teenager and has been experimenting in the kitchen daily and passionately ever since. High Cookery is his third cookbook. In addition to his relentless pursuit of gourmet canna cooking recipes, he also founded two tech startups and spends his time backpacking the world with his family. Visit www.highcookery.com for more information.

4Front Ventures and Last Prisoner Project to Supply Hand Sanitizers to Vulnerable Prisoners

4Front Ventures, in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect vulnerable prison populations, will shift some of its manufacturing capabilities at its Washington production facility to begin producing liquid disinfectant – or hand sanitizer. In partnership with the Last Prisoner Project, starting on April 20, the organizations will donate a portion of the subsequent hand sanitizer bottles to select prison populations in need of supplies.

The Last Prisoner Project is a nonprofit coalition of cannabis industry leaders, executives, and artists dedicated to bringing restorative justice to the cannabis industry. Founded by long time cannabis activists, Steven and Andrew DeAngelo as well as artist manager and entrepreneur Dean Raise, the Last Prisoner Project mission aligns with the values of 4Front, which was also founded by advocates working to ensure fair access to cannabis and positive community engagement through meaningful jobs and education.

The Last Prisoner Project is in touch with state Departments of Corrections to determine how to best deliver the disinfectant liquid to those prisons in the most need, on a state by state basis.

“The incarcerated population is extremely vulnerable and at a unique risk to this pandemic, as it is nearly impossible to adhere to the recommended social distancing guidelines amid overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions,” said Leo Gontmakher, CEO of 4Front. “We don’t believe any human being should serve a prison sentence for a cannabis offense, much less face incarceration during a global pandemic like COVID-19. Working with the Last Prisoner Project will allow us to reach a community that is often overlooked or forgotten in situations like this and really makes a difference. On a day like April 20, where cannabis consumers around the world celebrate their love of this healing plant, it is especially important that we help ensure that a cannabis conviction never becomes a death sentence.”

4Front Ventures will also supply hand sanitizer to all of its Mission retail locations and Brightleaf production facilities, for use in keeping all staff and customers/patients safe. The Company will also be identifying medical professionals and first responders in Seattle, Chicago, and Boston, three areas where 4Front has a strong community presence, that are facing supply shortages due to the virus.

“Our constituents, many of whom are over the age of 60 and have underlying health conditions, are imprisoned because of a plant that has now been deemed an ‘essential’ service by jurisdictions across the country during this time of crisis. Our justice system’s response to this pandemic is effectively sentencing nonviolent cannabis offenders to death. Releasing cannabis prisoners now is not only the right thing to do from a justice perspective, but also from a public health perspective,” said Sarah Gersten, Executive Director of Last Prisoner Project. “While we continue to push the justice system to right its wrongs, we are working diligently to do everything we can to make sure our constituents are receiving the essential sanitary tools they need to protect themselves. At its roots, the cannabis community is an activist community, and it’s entirely keeping with the culture to step up and help those where we can. We are humbled by the response of the cannabis community in general, and especially Leo and the team at 4Front.”

Omura, Sava, and Tso Sonoma Providing Relief During COVID-19

Omura bento box. Image provided by Omura.

Omura, a next-generation heat-not-burn platform for the consumption of whole flower cannabis and hemp CBD, announced a partnership with the delivery platform Sava and luxury brand Tso Sonoma to launch a California Cannabis Community Give Back Program to assist in relief for patients or users experiencing anxiety during the mandatory quarantine. The program will donate free devices to users as well as donate 10% of flower sales to feed California medical workers in partnership with their brands.

Omura, Sava, and Tso Sonoma California Cannabis Community Give Back Program

“We are seeing private companies step up to the plate to give back during this time,” explained Mike Simpson co-founder and CEO of Omura. “We are all uniquely Californian businesses and brands and we want to help lead the charge in cannabis to start giving back both monetarily and through true medicinal relief that cannabis offers during this time of high anxiety.

“Together, we want all of our brands to be part of helping those who need it most, get the help they need. Omura will be donating to charities across the state of California that directly support the hospitals and healthcare industry.”

Omura launched into retail with six premium flower brands in California this January and will be expanding across recreational and medical states in the US as well as Canada throughout 2020. The brand is also partnered with Greenlane Distribution for national distribution in the United States.

BlosumCBD Vegan-Friendly CBD Gummies

BlosumCBD Vegan CBD gummies. — Vegan CBD gummies. Image provided by BlosumCBD.

BlosumCBD, a California-based online CBD store, has announced that the company is now offering its CBD oil in gummy form. The company has released two new products: Broad-Spectrum CBD Vegan and Full-Spectrum Multivitamin Gummies. These new products are designed to give customers a less-intimidating method to incorporate infused organic CBD as a part of their health and wellness routines.

While CBD gummies have been on the market from competing brands for some time, BlosumCBD has become one of the first companies to take the extra step of ensuring that their gummies are not only completely THC-free but are also vegan-friendly and third-party lab tested for potency and quality. The Broad-Spectrum Organic Vegan CBD Gummies is available with a dosage of 25 mg of CBD per gummy. Unlike other brands, these gummies are made with only natural ingredients, including MCT coconut oil.

As for the second new product that BlosumCBD has released, Full-Spectrum Multivitamin CBD Gummies. These gummies contain 10 mg of CBD per gummy. Like the Broad-Spectrum Organic Vegan CBD Gummies, these gummies are GMO-free.

“This is a very exciting time for BlosumCBD as we explore new ways to help people improve their lives. We are experiencing a dramatic shift in the wellness industry as more people are turning to CBD products to help their bodies achieve the best performance possible,” said Anthony Kay, director of operations at BlosumCBD.

With the addition of these new products, consumers will now have the option to decide if they prefer full-spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD products. Some customers have concerns about low levels of THC in full-spectrum CBD products. This is despite the fact that BlosumCBD’s full-spectrum products contain less than 0.3 percent of THC and do not get you high at all.

Now, the broad-spectrum CBD product gives consumers an option that is completely THC-free. Instead, BlosumCBD has confirmed that its broad-spectrum products contain flavonoids and terpenes for added health benefits.

Given the popularity of CBD gummies as an easy method for consuming CBD, BlosumCBD’s newest gummy products have been developed specifically to mimic the taste and consistency of gummy bear candies. With the addition of natural flavors including strawberry, orange and grape juice concentrate, elderberry juice concentrate, and annatto, customers have the option to purchase either product in several fruit flavors.

As a result, BlosumCBD has managed to produce full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD products that offer several benefits to consumers. They are easy to administer, highly portable, and can be discreetly used. As a disclaimer, consumers are urged to consult a physician before incorporating CBD products as part of any ongoing regime as the new products are not intended to diagnose or treat any pre-existing medical conditions and they’re not FDA approved.

STRAIN and Helix BioTrack Are Bringing Dispensaries Closer to Their Customers

Customer using the STRAIN cannabis dispensary mobile app. Image provided by STRAIN.

STRAIN, an all-in-one mobile app and platform for cannabis sales, marketing, and customer service, is proud to announce a partnership with Helix Technologies’ subsidiary, BioTrack, enabling dispensaries that use this software to integrate with STRAIN’s features while enhancing connection and customer engagement.

In the first partnership of its kind, the STRAIN and Helix BioTrack integration invites cannabis dispensaries to white-label the mobile app that will enable consumers to browse product menus, submit orders, receive special offers, and build and redeem loyalty points, limiting the in-store time, and allowing for more efficient cannabis product sales.

Dispensaries that partner with STRAIN will obtain their own branded app, seamlessly integrating its functions with the dispensary Helix BioTrack seed-to-sale software, automatically syncing metrics, inventory, loyalty programs, and customer profiles, including ID renewals, between platforms.

“These days, dispensaries need to be more creative, not only to focus on sales, but also customer service, retention, and building awareness of what they can bring to their customers,” said Manuel Ramirez, CEO of STRAIN, who has spent the last 10 years of his product and software development career identifying customer “pain points” when it comes to reaching consumers and processing orders.

“While there are online directories and online ordering systems that make it possible to order their products, these platforms lack the functionality for a seamless, real-time connection between dispensaries and their customers,” he said.

With the integration between STRAIN and Helix BioTrack, dispensaries will be able to re-route at least 30% of their orders through their branded mobile app. “With this partnership, we’re projecting more than 100,000 cannabis consumers will not only be able to place their orders but will have access to everything within their favorite dispensary right in their pocket,” said Ramirez.

“STRAIN offers our clients a new way to reach and retain their customers in a branded platform,” said Moe Afaneh, COO of Helix BioTrack. “Customers are looking for a fast, efficient, and user-friendly way of getting their cannabis. STRAIN’s functionalities bring the dispensary right to the consumer while allowing our clients to maintain their compliance requirements for seed-to-sale tracking.”

STRAIN also offers an effective solution to the marketing and advertising challenges cannabis dispensaries face. “Our platform excels in building customer awareness, retention, and providing a seamless customer experience, offering dispensaries various avenues to reach their customers,” said Ramírez.

Hippo Premium Packaging Creates Brand Identity For Military Meds

Hippo Premium Packaging designed the brand identity and packaging for Military Meds – a new brand of fully tested and compliant cannabis products that support veterans in the California market. Image provided by Hippo Premium Packaging.

Hippo Premium Packaging, a custom packaging and branding solutions company for the legal cannabis industry, announced it created a new logo, brand identity system, and packaging designs for Military Meds.

Military Meds is a new company in the California cannabis market. The brand is centered around military veterans and donates a portion of proceeds to veteran’s organizations. The company also provides job training and other support to vets in need.

Hippo developed a complete brand identity for the new company. Incorporating a camouflage look, Hippo designed the brand to stand out on the shelf and reflect the veteran-centric essence of the company. Hippo also created the packaging for Military Meds’ full line of products and incorporated a “soft-touch” premium paper that conveys the exceptional quality of the product.

“The packaging is beautiful,” said Danny Nunan, CEO of Military Meds. “We couldn’t be more pleased.”

Kary Radestock, Co-Founder and CEO of Hippo Premium Packaging, said that it was an honor to work with Military Meds. “I am thrilled to be able to help create this brand,” Radestock said. “My father is a veteran, so this cause is very close to my heart.”

Military Meds will initially roll out a product line of premium quality vape cartridges, tinctures, and oils. The products will be available at finer California dispensaries in early April.

“We look forward to introducing the public to our brand,” Nunan said. “My father was in Vietnam and got cancer from exposure to Agent Orange. Had cannabis been legal back then, it could have helped ease his pain. I want to make sure that today’s vets have access to quality, tested products that meet their specific needs.”

Send-a-Friend Cannabis Peer-to-Peer Pickup Service Takes Off

Pelican Delivers landing page. Image provided by Pelican Deliveries.

They say a friend with weed is a friend indeed. And that is ringing especially true for Pelican Delivers, which has seen demand for its Send-a-Friend cannabis peer-to-peer pickup service soar since its launch just a few weeks ago.

Pelican Delivers is an online marketplace that connects consumers in 11 states with a selection of local dispensaries for the purchase of their favorite recreational and medical cannabis products. Launched in 2019, the company holds the only cannabis pickup software patent in the industry, which allows users to place an order for any THC or CBD product for pickup or peer-to-peer pickup. According to the company’s founders, before the emergence of COVID-19, customers were evenly split between the pick-up and the recently launched Send-a-Friend — peer-to-peer pickup options. But, as times changed, so did customer preferences. Now, Send-a-Friend is an overwhelmingly popular choice. Which, in turn, has opened the door for on-demand driver opportunities for independently contracted drivers.

Here’s how Send-a-Friend works:

From Pelican’s website, users type in their address and view local dispensaries near them.
Users shop for their favorite flowers, vaporizers, concentrates, edibles and other cannabis products.
The user places their order and chooses Send-a-Friend for peer-to-peer pickup.
Once the order is placed, the dispensary receives, confirms and fills the order.
Pelican sends text alerts to the customer regarding order status.
A Pelican Friend picks up the customer’s order and releases payment to the retail store.
Upon arrival, the Pelican Friend validates the customer’s age and identity and gifts their cannabis.

“Who knew we would be in the middle of a pandemic that has kept us all at home. In these really unsettling times, it’s meant a lot to us to be able to play a role in ensuring that our customers have the products they need, that dispensaries have regular business, and that we have been able to provide an income opportunity for individuals who may have been laid off from their jobs,” said Dave Comeau, co-founder.

Pelican Delivers partners with the top state-licensed cannabis dispensaries, including Budeez, Better Buds, and Herbarium, to ensure customers have access to the highest quality products and service. For participating dispensaries, the service provides a complete online sales solution that is easy to use and takes just minutes to set up. Pelican recently integrated with the Metrc California State Traceability System, so it can readily onboard cannabis retail stores in minutes. Likewise, Pelican works with independently contracted drivers for reliable and professional peer-to-peer pickup.

The business is powered by sophisticated proprietary, patented software that facilitates orders, real-time lead generation for drivers and cannabis retail stores, escrow, release, and transfer of funds, and authentication of customer identity before ordering. It is also integrated with other POS software, including Greenbits, KlickTrack and Dauntless/Karona. All state and interstate commerce laws and compliance regulations are strictly adhered to.

Cannabis Delivery is Thriving During Coronavirus Self-Isolation

Delivery man delivering cannabis. Image provided by Driven Deliveries Inc.

Driven Deliveries Inc., a California online cannabis retailer and direct-to-consumer delivery company announced that over the last couple of weeks the company has experienced record growth and demand with a greater than 100% increase in sales. Following California’s decision to deem cannabis deliveries an “essential business,” Driven is increasing infrastructure to provide California customers safe access to legal cannabis through the government-mandated quarantine.

“Driven Deliveries was founded on the bedrock principle of enabling universal access to cannabis to California’s population,” said Driven Deliveries’ CEO Christian Schenk. “Driven is the only service that provides deliveries to 92% of California’s population, giving millions of people access to on-demand legal cannabis from the security and safety of their own home during this very difficult time”.

Driven Deliveries’ proprietary logistics system, acquired from Budee Inc, designed to expand efficiently based on demand in a given area, performed flawlessly during the surge in demand. “Our major launch came earlier than expected,” said Sal Villanueva, President Driven Deliveries. “The operations team has done an amazing job integrating Driven’s 3 brands on a unified platform giving Driven the ability to rapidly support the additional demand,” he added.

The impact of coronavirus has required Driven to scale its driver network to meet the increase in demand. To comply with Government orders to stay home, Driven expects further growth as people continue to incorporate delivery services into their new routines.

Finally, Driven continues to innovate in ways to make delivery both easier and safer. Driven’s delivery system allows consumers to leverage electronic payment methods as well as cash, making it significantly more convenient than other options. In addition to the extra steps being taken to ensure safe deliveries through the use of protective disposable gloves and continuous sanitization, Driven is also exploring new ways that technology can be used for a contact-free delivery while still meeting the ID verification requirements.

Driven Deliveries understands that anxiety and stress are increased around the country and that both medical and recreational customers want access to cannabis without the risk of exposure associated with visiting a dispensary.

Halcyon Holdings Shifts Focus On Hand and Surface Sanitizer Production To Help With The Shortages

+Frontline in partnership with Halcyon Holding. — Image provided by Halcyon Holdings.

In times of crisis, businesses often need to pivot. Some do it for their own survival. And others do it to save those around them. This week Halcyon Holdings, the parent company to a variety of businesses in the cannabis industry, announced that it will adjust its focus temporarily to include the production of a new, non-CBD, multi-use hand and surface sanitizer.

The new product combines the market expertise of Halcyon’s product development team with that of its partner organization, Hatfield McCoy Mountain Legacy +Frontline. The +Frontline brand extension was set-up specifically to create medical products in short supply due to COVID-19. StarmanRx rounded out the trifecta, providing its formulation savvy.

“When we heard about the shortages in disinfectants, we immediately put our heads together with Halcyon’s product developers and jumped to action. Together, we have the resources and connections that allow us to develop and produce a superior antimicrobial disinfectant in mass quantities to address the lack of availability,” explained Courtney McCoy, distillation specialist, +Frontline. “The product is especially beneficial because it is safe and effective for use on both hands and surfaces.”

The fast-acting, broad-spectrum penetrating anti-microbial disinfectant is made according to government standards from pharmaceutical, kosher-grade products. And while Halcyon says the product is appropriate for use by military and medical first responders dealing with a pathogenic combative situation, it can be used in households and businesses with various spray bottles.

“In typical times, Halcyon is focused on the cannabis space. But we could not sit by and not take an active role when we have at our fingertips the resources and expertise that can fill a gaping void in essential supplies needed to combat COVID-19,” said Isaac Montanya, CEO, Halcyon. “Once Courtney got the ball rolling and Tim Charles from StarmanRx jumped in to drive formulation and quality control, there was no stopping us.”

“We love this disinfectant because it is powerful, yet safe, and made in America. It kills dangerous organisms on contact with no harmful ingredients,” added Charles. “The active ingredients are Grain/Ethyl Alcohol (80 percent), and hydrogen peroxide (three percent); and inactive ingredients include purified water, emollient (propriety kosher blend), and lemon oil.”

The Georgia Hemp Company Offers Delivery and Curbside Pick-up

Image provided by The Georgia Hemp Company.

In states like Illinois, Colorado and Oregon, hemp and cannabis-related businesses are deemed essential during the COVID-19 Pandemic. There are many reasons for this, the first and foremost reason being the healing benefits of the plant, helping people with their anxiety, pain, immune system support and much more. For the Georgia Hemp Company, this means operating during this uncertain time.

The Georgia Hemp Company is offering limited touch curbside pick-up from 11 am-4 pm daily at the shop in Sandy Springs, along with the online store up and running for all of those who feel more comfortable having orders delivered to their home. Everyone can use code ATLANTA to save 15% on pick-up or delivery orders.

“The Georgia Hemp Company staying open is so important to me, I have anxiety and with all that is going on, and I need to make sure I can keep it under control,” says Katie Mcphee, “I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t able to get my tincture oil.”

The Georgia Hemp Company rolled out the limited touch pick up on March 16. From the beginning, they saw a need to not only keep customers safe but also their employees. Keeping the shop operating means hours for employees, hours that might not be there if CBD and cannabis was not an essential business.

“We need to keep our operations moving as an essential business,” says Joe Salome, co-owner and founder of The Georgia Hemp Company. “Our employees depend on this job to pay for rent, food and patients depend on our products for wellness.”

Jumping into action, the company felt like it needed to do as much as it could to keep customers safe. They are not allowing anyone to enter the shop. Customers must place their order online, and then come and pick it up at the table outside the shop, keeping a 6-foot distance between both employee and customer. Sanitizing happens daily, along with making sure to throw away gloves after any cross-contamination.

The Georgia Hemp Company has seen a spike in CBD edibles, CBD beverages and CBD smokable hemp flower since the COVID-19 outbreak. They offer many more products such as the 200mg brownie mix, 4 different CBD gummy selections starting at 10mg, and a 500mg CBD infused chocolate bar. Smokable hemp flower continues to be the number one product sold at the shop, with oils/tinctures being close behind.

“Making sure that our customers are taking care of is so important to me. I am proud to be working in this industry during this time,” says Ashley Cardenas, store manager. “We hear stories everyday about how CBD has changed someone’s life, I don’t want to take that freedom away from them.”