Yes! Cannabis!

GemmaCert Breakthrough Distinguish Difference Between Hemp and Cannabis

GemmaCert cannabis and hemp analyzer. — GemmaCert’s patented technology, packed in a simple, sleek and smart solution, is setting the standard for cannabis quality and potency analysis, ensuring that products are consistent, safe, effective and predictable. Image provided by GemmaCert.

GemmaCert has unveiled the first presumptive field test in the United States to effectively detect the percentage of THC present in cannabis, as low as 0.2%, to accurately distinguish within minutes between hemp and cannabis. This first-in-industry innovation is achieved by GemmaCert’s patented technology combining near-infrared spectroscopy, image analysis, and advanced data analytics. Farmers and law enforcement are set to benefit from a breakthrough technology capable of rapidly differentiating between cannabis and hemp.

The hemp CBD industry has been growing exponentially since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp as having less than 0.3% THC (the active ingredient in cannabis-producing the high sensation). A market boom has ensued. Today CBD products can be found in everything from body lotions to beer. According to New Frontier Data, the CBD market in the U.S. will triple in size from US$ 390 million in 2018 to US$ 1.3 billion by 2022.

Any plant material with THC above 0.3% remains illegal under federal law and must be destroyed. Yet, hemp is identical to cannabis, minus the THC, so dogs and police officers cannot smell a difference. Unsurprisingly, there have been wrongful arrests across the country. Recently a Texas trooper arrested a driver for transporting over a ton of cannabis. The driver was released after almost a month in jail only after lab results proved the crop was legal hemp. A similar case happened in New York around the same time. As GemmaCert’s CEO, Dr. Guy Setton explained: “With GemmaCert unjustified crop destructions and unwarranted arrests could be avoided. Police officers could determine on-the-spot if the substance analyzed is below the permissible THC level.”

Hemp is the crop with the fastest growth in acres planted in the U.S. According to the USDA, farmers more than quadrupled the land planted with hemp from 27,424 acres in 2018 to 128,320 in 2019. GemmaCert will make life much easier and predictable for these hemp farmers. With the ability to detect THC levels as low as 0.2%, they can effectively track their crop and harvest just-in-time to avoid collecting “hot” hemp. “Our potency testing kit with the latest hemp analytical upgrade is a must-have tool for hemp farming and transportation in the era of legalization,” Setton added.

GemmaCert customers received an over-the-air upgrade enabling their devices to distinguish between hemp and cannabis. New customers will receive the capability pre-installed. This innovation strengthens GemmaCert’s position as a market leader for cannabis analytics with customers in over 20 countries.

Lifted Custom Website & App Services for Cannabis Marketing

Lifted custom website and app services. Image provided by Lifted.

Lifted, a cannabis technology platform, launches a new platform to help shops and brands launch custom apps and websites. Their goal is to help businesses sell directly to customers and reduce dependence on marketplaces like Weedmaps.

“Monopoly marketplaces create unhealthy competition and make it difficult to retain customers. It’s more important than ever for shops, delivery services, and brands to connect with customers directly through their own independent online presence. Lifted makes it fast, easy, and affordable for businesses to launch custom mobile apps and websites,” said Michael Boyle, CEO of Lifted. “Custom apps and websites help people build direct relationships with businesses, stay informed, and get rewarded for their loyalty.”

Independent apps and websites
Using Lifted, shops, brands, and creators can easily launch their custom websites and apps. Members can download apps from Apple’s App Store for iPhone and iPad and Google Play for Android devices. Websites use their own domain name and are SEO-optimized to be among the top results in search engines like Google.

Push Notifications and SMS
Using Lifted’s Broadcasts system, businesses can easily send announcements, deals, and offers to all of their members via SMS or app-based push notifications. Analytics tell businesses how many members engage with a broadcast including how many go on to make a purchase.

Loyalty, Points, and Rewards
Shops can offer their members points and rewards for purchases. This gives customers a reason to come back in the future to shop instead of looking for deals from competitors.

Additional features in Lifted include:

Online menus and ordering make it easy for customers to browse products and place orders for pickup or delivery. Menus can sync with existing online menus or POS systems so inventory is always accurate.
Store locator helps brands direct members to nearby retail and delivery services that carry their products.
Private chat allows members to message businesses and cut down on phone calls and in-shop consultations.
Community feeds enable businesses to post cannabis content to their app which won’t get shutdown unlike on Instagram.
Events keep members informed of patient appreciation days, product demos, and special opportunities.
Contests make it fun for members to create and submit their content. Winners can be selected, notified, and awarded points.

Based in Southern California, Lifted was founded in 2016 and serves hundreds of dispensaries and delivery services in the United States and Canada.

Luxury Bong Company My Bud Vase Ad Now Playing In New York’s Time Square

My Bud Vase ad by High Herstory. Video screenshot from My Bud Vase: The Bong Song!

High Herstory, a female-focused video agency, created and produced the first live-action advertisement of its kind — running on a digital billboard frequently purchased by brands like Samsung in New York City’s Times Square.

High Herstory’s ad features a diverse selection of women consuming cannabis while educating viewers on the care and keeping of glass smoking accessories. In the cannabis industry, heavily regulated products come with heavily regulated advertising restrictions, oftentimes eliminating a cannabis brand’s ability to participate in mainstream marketing and media practices altogether. Just last year, Honeysuckle Magazine, an award-winning, women-owned, internationally distributed media company, spearheaded a historic initiative that empowered cannabis brands to run on a Times Square billboard for the first time in history.

Modeling the ad in the form of a musical number, High Herstory’s video was created for luxury bong company My Bud Vase and is inspired by traditional commercial campaigns for brands like Olay and Lumie. The cannabis industry, led by forward-thinking women including High Herstory, My Bud Vase, and Honeysuckle Magazine, are finding creative ways to bypass the censorship of cannabis content that they’ve experienced firsthand on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. This strategy was executed in hopes of eradicating decades of negative stigmas surrounding cannabis consumption in a public area with plenty of foot traffic.

“Seeing the video span three stories in Times Square felt like a special moment for New York cannabis culture. We are so excited to change perceptions through our work,” says High Herstory Co-Founder, Jenny Joslin. “I am proud that our ads tend to feature a diverse selection of women from many walks of life,” says Annette Mia Flores, Co-Founder of High Herstory. “Directing a set full of women with their own unique narratives and experiences with cannabis is special. Creating a fun piece of art together, in hopes of shattering stigma and negative perceptions, was very powerful for us. Our common goal was palpable and inspiring,” continues High Herstory Co-Founder, Kendall Watkins.

High Herstory’s billboard is strategically placed above street level, and situated directly across from the NASDAQ, on W 43rd Street and Broadway.

Vegan Rolling Papers From Cannabitch

Cannabitch Brands vegan rolling papers. Images provided by Cannabitch Brands.

Cannabitch Brands has released a new line of vegan rolling papers that celebrates diversity and inclusivity and seeks to show that boss babes and womxn of all kinds use cannabis, too. Cannabitch Vegan Rolling Papers is a thriving, woman-owned small business based out of Fort Collins, Colorado.

“Cannabis users come in all shapes, colors, and sexual orientation, and we’re about the mass representation of anyone who identifies as female,” says Jahna Eichel, founder of Cannabitch Vegan Rolling Papers. “We want to see more women involved in all aspects of the cannabis industry, and we want women, and those who identify as such, to feel empowered during their smoke sesh.”

Cannabitch’s mission is to create an ethically-made product that fosters a culture of diversity and inclusivity. Their motto is to “pass joints, not judgments,” and that is a message that has resonated with womxn everywhere. They launched their papers in September 2019, and have already fulfilled orders from every state in the U.S., as well as Mexico and Canada.

The holographic colors and badass womxn featured on the packaging make Cannabitch kitschy and cool. They passed over the toxic chemicals, bleaches, and animal parts used in most rolling papers, and instead, created a quality paper that is all-natural, super thin, burns evenly, and lets your bud shine through. Cannabitch hopes that more womxn will feel comfortable being known as cannabis users if they’re using Cannabitch vegan rolling papers.

The Marijuana Business Operations Guide Reaches 100,000 Sold Copies

The Marijuana Business Operations Guide book. Image provided by Robert Carp.

The Marijuana Business Operations Guide, written by cannabis business author Robert Carp, has reached 100,000 copies sold worldwide. The book, originally published in 2015, is part of a series of eight books including cannabis taxes, standard operating procedures, cannabis licensing and compliance written by the author. The Marijuana Business Operations Guide, the author’s first book in the series, provides both novices and licensed cannabis enterprises with industry-accepted practices such as security, dispensing both medical and adult-use cannabis, processing and cultivation operational guides, and compliance checklists. “When the book first was published, the forty-page business plan included was the most widely circulated blueprint for obtaining financing and creating operating procedures for any sort of cannabis licensee. It has provided entrepreneurs, as well as investment capital firms with operating guidelines and budgets for starting any sort of licensed cannabis enterprise,” according to the author Robert Carp. Carp has spoken at every major cannabis trade show in the United States on creating a sustainable, profitable and compliant business model.

Due to the federal illegality of cannabis, the book utilizes a state licensing approach for creating cannabis businesses. The book provides specific information for the entire lifespan of a cannabis business, starting with the business plan, and ultimately ending with different exit strategies, including a step by step approach to taking the business public. Carp has worked and advised every major cannabis player in the industry, both in the United States and other foreign countries where it is legal. Within the book are several chapters that guide the most critical parts of the business, including facility design, inventory control, compliance, operating agreements, licensing agreements (cannabis can not be sold or moved across state lines, so edible manufacturers must license the intellectual property for production in other states), security, and the chain of custody protocols which every state mandates for licensing.

Many parts of the book have been utilized by different state governments to help focus the application process for licensing. The chapters on minimizing the environmental impact of cannabis production, waste management, security and employee guidelines have been adopted by most states as part of their licensing requirements. Carp has also written the Marijuana Business Licensing Guide, a four hundred page book that provides carefully crafted answers to the many different parts of the state licensing process. “As the industry matures and approaches federal legalization, it is my goal to help licensed facilities and people seeking licenses to understand and create a profitable business model that complies with all parts of state and federal requirements,” Carp stated.

Cannabis Brand CAFE Contributes Over $350,000 to Local Community Initiatives

(Top) CAFE logo. Image provided by CAFE. (Bottom) CAFE supports Gay Pride 2019. Video screenshot from “Thank You Toronto: CAFE Community Initiatives in 2019”.

CAFE detailed the extent of its 2019 community initiatives in ensuring the protection of, and integration with, the local communities in which its stores are located. Since its first retail location opened in Toronto in 2016, CAFE has promoted a cannabis inclusive environment for its communities, rather than an exclusive environment only for cannabis consumers, through not only its legendary espressos and hot beverages, but also through community initiatives and charitable events.

“The first year of legalization in Canada was a very busy year for us. We are humbled to have such an amazing team that really went out of their way to create these incredible memories for such meaningful charitable causes,” exclaimed David Shuang, Head of Public Relations for CAFE.

“CAFE is firmly committed to operating its stores in a manner which protects and promotes the surrounding neighborhoods and residents, and this has been consistently demonstrated throughout our history”, stated David. “The significant contributions we have made have ensured that our stores serve not only Toronto’s cannabis consumers but its neighborhoods as well in a manner which is responsible while respecting the safety of the communities we are honored to be a part of. Going forward we will continue to abide by this core philosophy as the leader in cannabis retailing in Toronto, and Ontario, and maybe even internationally soon,” winked David.

CAFE is a lifestyle brand that values the power of education and community to cultivate meaningful, shared experiences that inspire and enhance lives. CAFE Cannabis and Fine Edibles strives to create a distributor environment that caters to finer tastes, offering a deep, rich coffee experience with a comprehensive bouquet for the discerning cannabis connoisseur. A cozy and relaxed atmosphere mixed with only the finest marijuana products, CAFE is Canada’s premier cannabis distributor and cafe destination.

New Hampshire Lawmakers Advance Cannabis Legalization Bill

(Top) Marijuana flower bud. (Bottom) New Hampshire state seal. — (Top) Marijuana flower bud. Photo by Esteban Lopez on Unsplash. (Bottom) New Hampshire state seal. Image provided by Marijuana Policy Project.

The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee approved a bill Tuesday (13-7) that would legalize possession and limited cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and older in New Hampshire. A full House vote on HB 1648 is expected to take place on Thursday, February 6, 2020. Currently, medical marijuana sales are allowed in New Hampshire, but not for adult recreational use.

HB 1648 would allow adults 21 and over to possess up to three-quarters of an ounce of cannabis, five grams of hashish, and up to 300 mg of cannabis-infused products (currently a violation punishable by a civil fine). It would also permit the cultivation of up to six plants (including up to three mature ones) at home in a secure location that is not visible from other properties. Read the summary of HB 1648.

The House of Representatives passed a similar bill in 2019, HB 481, that would have legalized cannabis in the state. That bill, which unlike HB 1648 would have created a regulated and taxed market, ultimately died in the Senate after being referred for “interim study” by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Polls published by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center in 2019 found that an overwhelming amount (68%) of Granite Staters are in favor of legalizing cannabis. Notably, support for legalization is more popular than any elected official in the state.

“Like most Granite Staters, this committee understands that it’s time for New Hampshire to stop prohibiting cannabis. Adults in the “Live Free or Die” state should not be punished for their choice to use a substance that is objectively less harmful than alcohol. Now that New Hampshire is literally surrounded by jurisdictions where cannabis is legal for adults, our current policies can no longer be justified in any way. It’s time for the House, Senate, and Gov. Chris Sununu to work together and move cannabis policies into the 21st century.” said Matt Simon, New England political director at the Marijuana Policy Project.

Revlon Launches New Hair Color Line Using Cannabis Oil

Emmy-nominated TV chef, Katie Lee is Revlon's Total Color Ambassador. — Emmy-nominated TV chef, Katie Lee is Revlon’s Total Color Ambassador. Image provided by Revlon.

Formulated without common hair color ingredients like ammonia, parabens, sulfates, silicones, mineral oil, phthalates, and gluten, while enriched with Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Total Color leaves hair silky soft with rich, vibrant color that lasts.

Revlon introduces new Total Color, its first high-performance, clean and vegan permanent hair color with 100% full coverage even on the most stubborn grays. The Company has created an innovative color formula for Total Color that is infused with nourishing oils, botanicals, and formulated without many traditional hair color ingredients. Revlon Total Color reinvents the at-home hair color experience delivering 100% full coverage, healthy shine, and up to 6 weeks of color vibrancy, all in a creamy nourishing formula that is gentle on hair and respectful of the scalp for clean hair color without compromising performance.

The unique Total Color formula nourishes hair during every step of the color process, providing natural-looking color and brilliant shine with less breakage. Formulated without common hair color ingredients like ammonia, parabens, sulfates, silicones, mineral oil, phthalates, and gluten, while enriched with Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Total Color leaves hair silky soft with rich, vibrant color that lasts. The easy-to-use squeeze bottle has a targeted, no-drip applicator tip to ensure a fast, effortless experience and precision at the roots.

“Revlon Total Color represents a significant milestone in clean beauty with real innovation in the hair color category,” said Silvia Galfo, Revlon Global Brand President. “Clean beauty has primarily been about makeup and skincare, but now consumers have a choice in at-home color without having to compromise product performance.”

Dermatologist-tested, each Total Color box includes a cream colorant and developer formula along with a post-color, multi-use Botanical Enriched Conditioning Gloss infused with Camellia oil and carefully selected botanical extracts by shade family – chamomile for blondes, cranberry for reds, sesame for brunettes and black tea for dark brown/black – to nourish each hair’s cuticle for healthy, long-lasting shine. Made with FSC Certified Material, the carton and insert are fully recyclable.

Revlon tapped bestselling cookbook author and Emmy-nominated TV chef, Katie Lee, to be its Total Color Ambassador in the new campaign launching this month. Katie will appear in the TV and digital ads and share her Total Color experience with her followers on her channels. Her shade, Revlon Total Color in Medium Natural Brown (#50), enriches her natural brunette color with added vibrancy and glossy shine.

“I strive to make choices that fit my healthy lifestyle,” said Katie Lee. “For the first time, I can get clean hair color without compromising vibrancy and the condition of my hair with Revlon Total Color.”

Nation’s Largest CBD Event Is Back, This Time In Las Vegas

(Top) Man taking CBD hemp extract oil. Photo by R+R Medicinals on Unsplash. (Bottom) USA CBD Expo logo. Image provided by USA CBD Expo.

Following its successful inaugural event in Miami, FL last summer, USA CBD Expo is heading to Las Vegas to showcase the growing wellness trend rising in popularity across the globe. Taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center from February 13-15, industry insiders and the general public are invited to learn about the benefits of CBD from experts, sample the latest products, and discover the industry’s latest innovations.

USA CBD Expo is an invaluable experience for anyone affiliated with – or interested in – the CBD industry. The event provides retailers and buyers with the opportunity to evaluate new products, learn about industry trends, and network with more than 300 vendors. With an anticipated 14,000 attendees, exhibitors can take advantage of educational seminars and networking events with key players across all facets of the CBD industry.

“After seeing the excitement and success behind our Miami event – where we hosted more than 13,000 attendees – we feel energized, ready to deliver and exceed expectations for Las Vegas,” said Jason Monti, USA CBD Expo partner. “Nevada is at the epicenter of the booming legal cannabis market, and CBD has an enormous role in that. The opportunities are endless for both consumers and business owners, and we’re excited about creating a platform that allows so many components of our industry to come together.”

PureKana, the presenting sponsor, will partner with MONTKUSH who is producing an upcoming unscripted television show about the hemp industry. Filming will take place for the duration of the event, to capture the key components of the burgeoning CBD and hemp industry from seed to sale.

“The team is excited to contribute to the growth and success of this event through our sponsorship participation and floor exhibition,” said Kathy Casey, Chief Customer Officer at HeavenlyRx, which owns PureKana. “We see this partnership as the ideal opportunity to connect with key stakeholders in the CBD space, help educate consumers about plant-based wellness, and further establish ourselves as a trusted and innovative leader in the space.”

USA CBD Expo aims to bring together hundreds of leading CBD brands and products from vape manufacturers, holistic and health food producers, pet care brands, and more. For additional information about the expo, visit their website.

NCIA Releases Full Report on Vaping Illness and Related Policy

The Key to Consumer Safety: Displacing the Illicit Cannabis Market – Recommendations for Safe Vaping Report. Image provided by NCIA.

In response to an outbreak of respiratory illnesses primarily associated with unregulated cannabis vape cartridges found in the illicit market in recent months, the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) Policy Council, with the help of experts in several fields, has produced an extensive report that explores the known and potential causes of the condition and offers ways for producers, regulators, and lawmakers to prevent such issues from occurring in the legally regulated market. NCIA is also sharing this report with key congressional committees.

The report – titled “The Key to Consumer Safety: Displacing the Illicit Cannabis Market – Recommendations for Safe Vaping” – discusses topics such as vaporizer liquid formulations, vaporizer delivery devices, possible contaminants, and best practices for testing. It also recommends ways to displace the illicit market and make sure that unregulated products don’t find their way into the legal market, including decreasing the financial burdens that prevent legal providers from being competitive with the illicit market, methods for identifying counterfeit products, creating more accessible pathways for unlicensed operators to enter the regulated market, and increasing non-criminal enforcement against illegal cultivation sites.

“The cannabis industry has a serious and disruptive illicit market problem that is directly affecting public health and safety. While the Center for Disease Control has not yet definitively determined the proximate cause for every injury or death, the overwhelming preponderance of the evidence points to additives in illicit market products,” the report states. “NCIA’s Policy Council urges consumers to only purchase regulated and tested cannabis products from the state-legal market. Reliable vaping products manufactured using suitable vaporizer hardware and liquid formulations created from high-quality ingredients are common in the legal cannabis market. The same cannot be said for the unregulated market. We must stop the flow of illicit, unregulated, and untested products to consumers… We also need to lower taxes, so that the legal market can fairly compete with the illicit market. This effort will take a collaborative approach, with law enforcement, state-legal cannabis businesses, and state cannabis taxing and licensing authorities working in concert.”

Earlier this month, the CDC ended its “state of emergency” regarding this illness, known as EVALI, as the number of new cases being reported has sharply declined. While discussing the sources for the products linked to specific cases, the agency inaccurately grouped regulated cannabis businesses with completely unregulated businesses such as illegal pop-ups and unlicensed storefronts as the sources for 16% of the cannabis products associated with EVALI cases. This is even though only a handful of cases have been associated with licensed businesses, which are greatly outnumbered by unlicensed stores in California.

Cannabis is legal for adults in eleven states as well as the District of Columbia and the territories of CNMI and Guam, and 33 states, as well as several territories, have comprehensive medical cannabis laws. The substance is legal in some form in 47 states. Dozens of states are set to consider cannabis-related legislation or ballot initiatives this year.

Read the full report The Key to Consumer Safety: Displacing the Illicit Cannabis Market – Recommendations for Safe Vaping.