MMJ Business Daily

First Cannabis Harvest Underway in Alaska

The first legal commercial marijuana harvests have commenced in Alaska, meaning the state is one step closer to kicking off the latest adult-use cannabis market in this country.

At least seven of the 12 licensed cultivators in the state have begun harvesting their grows for soon-to-open rec shops, according to the Alaska Dispatch News. Some began harvesting up to a month ago, the paper reported.

Those cultivators which look like they’ll be first to market include Greatland Ganja, Rosie Creek Farm, Subsistence Products, Pakalolo Supply Co., Tanana Herb Company, Green Rush Gardens, and Elevated Innovations.

Thus far, 17

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First Cannabis Harvest Underway in Alaska is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Delaware Names Second Medical Cannabis License Winner

Delaware has revealed the winner of the state’s second medical cannabis business license, and officials said they hope to announce the name of the company that will receive the third and final permit soon as well.

Multi-state MMJ force Columbia Care will receive the second licensee to grow and dispense medical marijuana in Delaware, where cannabis businesses must be vertically integrated. Columbia Care already has operations in California, Arizona, Massachusetts, Illinois, New York and Washington DC.

The company said in a news release it expects both its manufacturing facility and dispensary to open in the second half of 2017.

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Delaware Names Second Medical Cannabis License Winner is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Chart: New York Medical Marijuana Patient Count Rising, But Still Has Long Way to Go

By Eli McVey

After an abysmal start, New York’s fledgling medical marijuana program is finally building momentum.

Since late January – shortly after the first dispensaries opened – the number of registered patients has grown by an average of 32% a month.

There are now around 7,600 medical cannabis patients in the state, up 1,500% from 481 nearly eight months ago.

But the overall total remains small relative to New York’s market potential, and the state’s licensed medical cannabis companies are still struggling.

New York’s MMJ program began registering patients in December 2015, and the first dispensaries opened in

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Chart: New York Medical Marijuana Patient Count Rising, But Still Has Long Way to Go is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Alaska Rec Marijuana Sales Could Begin Before November

Alaska, the newest adult-use cannabis market in the United States, could begin serving customers before the start of November.

That’s according to Cynthia Franklin, the director of Alaska’s Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, who said in an email to Marijuana Business Daily that the Marijuana Control Board is doing “an excellent job of moving toward full industry operations and investment.”

“I cannot tell you the exact date the first retail marijuana store in Alaska will open, but I can assure you it will be long before February and perhaps before Nov. 1,” Franklin wrote.

She expressed frustration with prior reports

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Alaska Rec Marijuana Sales Could Begin Before November is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Nevada Moves Medical Marijuana Card Application Online

Nevada has begun allowing applicants for medical marijuana patient cards to apply online, a move that could increase the state’s patient pool by streamlining the application process.

The move is the result of negotiations between the Nevada Dispensary Association and state officials, Riana Durrett, the association’s executive director, told the Las Vegas Sun. “Everything is online now.”

The improvements are meant to help patients who may be homebound or who live in remote areas, Durrett said, according to the Las Vegas Sun. The online system also removes the need to get in a car.

Under the previous system, the

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Nevada Moves Medical Marijuana Card Application Online is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Maryland Legislator Faces Probe for Medical Cannabis Role

The ethics staff for Maryland’s General Assembly has launched a preliminary investigation into a state lawmaker’s role in the medical cannabis industry.

Dan K. Morhaim is a 22-year veteran of the legislature and is the clinical director of Doctors Orders Maryland. The start-up is one of fifteen companies to recently receive a preliminary medical marijuana cultivation license and one of fifteen to receive a processing license for the state’s emerging MMJ program.

Morhaim, a physician, also lobbied for the legalization of medical marijuana in the state, according to the Baltimore Sun. He disclosed his cannabis industry affiliation to a General

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Maryland Legislator Faces Probe for Medical Cannabis Role is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Week in Review: Cannabis Election Map Set, Credit Unions Get Serious, Puerto Rico Fight

By John Schroyer and Omar Sacirbey

The November cannabis election map is essentially finalized, credit unions get serious about marijuana businesses, and a Denver attorney weighs in on the MJ software battle in Puerto Rico.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

The Magnificent … Nine

The nationwide electoral map for cannabis advocates and companies is basically set, following this week’s news from Missouri that a medical marijuana campaign lost a fight for a spot on the November ballot.

The nine states in play are:

• Arkansas (medical)

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Week in Review: Cannabis Election Map Set, Credit Unions Get Serious, Puerto Rico Fight is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

DC Mayor: Double Amount of MMJ Patients Can Buy

The five medical cannabis dispensaries in the nation’s capital could see a big boost in sales if Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser gets her way.

She wants the city council to double the amount of MMJ patients are allowed to purchase each month, to 4 ounces from 2 ounces. City lawmakers must sign off on the change.

Bowser said the change would help accommodate the needs of patients, the Associated Press reported.

As of Sept. 1, 3,986 patients were registered with the city’s MMJ program, according to Washington DC statistics. To serve those patients, the city

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DC Mayor: Double Amount of MMJ Patients Can Buy is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Michigan Gov Signs Medical Marijuana Bills

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into law a package of bills that will establish a statewide regulatory framework for the state’s long-standing medical cannabis industry.

Snyder signed three out of five bills that were approved by the state legislature over the last week and a half, MLive.com reported. The trio include the centerpiece, House Bill 4209, which establishes a licensing system for MMJ businesses. The next bill legalizes infused products, while the third mandates that MMJ businesses use a seed-to-sale tracking system.

“We can finally implement a solid framework that gives patients a safe source from which

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Michigan Gov Signs Medical Marijuana Bills is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

NY Medical Marijuana Company Faces Tough Financial Time

One of New York’s five licensed medical marijuana businesses that’s allowed to grow and distribute MMJ is having a tough time with its finances, which has led it to search for investors to help it recapitalize.

According to a report from Politico, the New York company, Bloomfield Industries, has skipped payments to vendors and is considering relocating its Long Island City cultivation operation. The company founder, Richard Yost, even asked that the state health department sign off on new owners taking over control of the firm, a request regulators are “reviewing.”

Company executives told Politico they’re confident that

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NY Medical Marijuana Company Faces Tough Financial Time is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs