MMJ Business Daily

Week in Review: MMJ Hopes Revived in PA, Regs on Tap in Detroit & Presidential Debates Go Green

By John Schroyer and Omar Sacirbey

Medical marijuana legalization gains steam in Pennsylvania, Detroit gears up to regulate dispensaries, and cannabis takes center stage at another presidential debate.

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

MMJ Back in Play in PA

Baby steps.

That’s what people behind a push to legalize medical cannabis in Pennsylvania have been taking for most of the year.

Now, they hope to take a big leap forward.

A state House of Representatives task force issued formal recommendations this week for an MMJ legalization bill, and

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Week in Review: MMJ Hopes Revived in PA, Regs on Tap in Detroit & Presidential Debates Go Green is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Week in Review: MMJ Hopes Revived in PA, Regs on Tap in Detroit & Presidential Debates Go Green

By John Schroyer and Omar Sacirbey

Medical marijuana legalization gains steam in Pennsylvania, Detroit gears up to regulate dispensaries, and cannabis takes center stage at another presidential debate.

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

MMJ Back in Play in PA

Baby steps.

That’s what people behind a push to legalize medical cannabis in Pennsylvania have been taking for most of the year.

Now, they hope to take a big leap forward.

A state House of Representatives task force issued formal recommendations this week for an MMJ legalization bill, and

…

Week in Review: MMJ Hopes Revived in PA, Regs on Tap in Detroit & Presidential Debates Go Green is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Lawsuit Against Colorado MJ Exec, Consulting Firm Tossed

A lawsuit filed by a would-be medical cannabis cultivator in Illinois against a prominent Colorado cannabis executive has been tossed out of court “with prejudice,” meaning the issue cannot be re-litigated.

Medponics Illinois filed the suit after an unsuccessful attempt to land a cultivation license in Illinois.

The suit targeted Kayvan Khalatbari, a longtime staple of the Colorado cannabis industry, and a well-known cannabis consulting firm he co-founded called Denver Relief Consulting.

Medponics claimed that Khalatbari was breaking state law because he had a controlling interest in more than three cultivation operations in Illinois.

Khalatbari has an ownership stake in Cresco Labs – which

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Lawsuit Against Colorado MJ Exec, Consulting Firm Tossed is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Third Round of Pesticide-Related Marijuana Recalls in Denver

Pesticide use is becoming a big topic in Denver these days.
This week, the city announced a third round of recalls for cannabis products tied to pesticides.
The first one was issued just last month, when Mahatma Concentrates voluntarily issued a recall…

New Jersey Gets Fifth Dispensary

New Jersey’s medical cannabis program is finally coming into full swing.

The fifth dispensary in the state opened its doors this morning after getting final approval Wednesday from the New Jersey Department of Health.

Breakwater Treatment & Wellness – located in southern New Jersey’s Middlesex County – will see patients by appointment only for now. The dispensary plans to grow enough cannabis to eventually serve up to 3,000 patients, an executive told NJ.com.

It’s the second permit New Jersey has granted in two months, breaking a logjam in dispensary openings.

The sixth and final dispensary, Foundation

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New Jersey Gets Fifth Dispensary is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Cultivation Company Works Its Way Into Chicago Marathon

Need more proof that the general business community and the public have become more accepting of marijuana?

Bank of America allowed Illinois-based medical cannabis cultivation company Cresco Labs to sponsor the Chicago Marathon last weekend, and nary an eyebrow was raised.

The roughly 45,000 athletes who participated in the race received bags with a Cresco insert titled “State of Relief.” Illinois prohibits cannabis companies from marketing their products to the general public, so Cresco’s insert highlighted the state’s MMJ program and the use of marijuana as a medical treatment.

Cresco’s Chicago Marathon sponsorship is part of a $1 million

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Cultivation Company Works Its Way Into Chicago Marathon is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

South Dakota Tribe Begins Cultivation for Marijuana Resort

A South Dakota Native American tribe that’s planning a recreational marijuana “resort” has formally begun cultivation for its planned New Year’s Eve opening.

The Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe, which already operates a successful casino in eastern South Dakota, is planning a big marijuana-centric tourist attraction for its reservation, which will reportedly include a consumption lounge, nightclub, arcade games, bar and food service.

The new cultivation operation that will supply the resort with marijuana has 65 strains in early growing stages, and the tribe hopes to harvest 80 pounds of cannabis after about 14 weeks, according to

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South Dakota Tribe Begins Cultivation for Marijuana Resort is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Going Public Comes With Unexpected Potholes, Pitfalls for Cannabis Entrepreneurs

By John Schroyer

Taking a marijuana company public is often viewed as a great exit strategy, usually by entrepreneurs who are dreaming of a big payout.

It can also be a quick route to disaster, however, especially in situations involving a reverse merger – the most common method of going public in the marijuana space.

Aside from increased scrutiny, regulations, reporting requirements and costs, entrepreneurs who spent blood, sweat and tears building up their companies can lose control of the business literally overnight. In a worse-case scenario, founders can even be forced out of the company completely.

This appears to be 

Going Public Comes With Unexpected Potholes, Pitfalls for Cannabis Entrepreneurs is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Illinois Cannabis Lab Ready to Start Testing

The first medical cannabis testing lab in Illinois is ready for samples.

The lab, run by the University of Illinois at Chicago, will test MMJ for harmful microbes, pesticides, solvents and fungal poisons, the Associated Press reported.

The move is a big step forward for both cultivators and dispensaries, since state law mandates that all medical marijuana must pass stringent cleanliness standards via a lab before it’s sold to patients.

At this time, there are a dearth of labs in the state, which could hamper initial sales.

One lab that was trying to set up shop in Illinois

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Illinois Cannabis Lab Ready to Start Testing is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Democratic Debate Reveals Support for Marijuana

Marijuana business owners who took in Tuesday night’s Democrat presidential debate in Las Vegas likely went to bed with high hopes after hearing what the two leading candidates said about cannabis legalization.

Responding to a question posed by a moderator, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said he would probably vote to legalize marijuana in Nevada next year if he was a resident of the state. A proposal to legalize recreational cannabis in Nevada will appear on the ballot in November 2016.

“I suspect I would vote yes,” said Sanders, who confirmed he has smoked cannabis in the past.

Former Secretary

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Democratic Debate Reveals Support for Marijuana is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs