A Black-owned farm in Florida received a cannabis license for the first time, German officials are looking to California for cannabis industry inspo, and Sen. Booker made a case for federal legalization.
Let’s dive into this week’s cannanews.
After years of delays, Florida finally awarded its first Black farmer commercial cannabis license. The lucky recipients are Robert and Clifford Gwinn from Gwinn Brothers Farms. The Gwinns are joining the ranks of the 22 current commercial cannabis license holders—many of which are giant multi-state corporations.
The special “Black farmer commercial cannabis license” came into existence in 2017. Regulations mandated that the license be set aside for the Black farmers involved in the landmark 1997 Pigford v. Glickman case. The case saw thousands of Black farmers successfully sue the U.S. Department of Agriculture over its discriminatory loan allocation practices.
Unfortunately, this was not the end of the troubles experienced by Florida’s Black farmers. Last year, the application fee for the Black farmer commercial license—dubbed the “Pigford license”—was raised to $146,000. For comparison, the application fee for a standard commercial cannabis license is only $60,000.
Beyond these expensive fees, Florida’s strict commercial cannabis business guidelines create further issues. Florida mandates that cannabis companies handle all business from cultivation to distribution. This makes it all the more difficult for small businesses to obtain licenses without the help of wealthy investors.
All these factors make the Gwinns’ success story all the more impressive. We hope to see more Florida success stories like this in the future!
What do you think of Florida’s approach to cannabis? Do you think the state will ever be able to live up to its massive potential? Let us know in the comments!
Veriheal has satisfied millions of patients nationwide by giving them access to these benefits
German officials are ramping up for legalization! The country’s latest move involved sending a group of lawmakers to sunny California. The group toured cannabis businesses across the state, hoping to gain some insight into how Germany should proceed with its cannabis legalization.
German lawmakers were reportedly most interested in assessing the “opportunities and risks” that come with legalization. Particularly, how social equity licenses worked in practice. As such, the group spent a lot of the trip visiting social equity-licensed dispensaries.
The group of German lawmakers met with California officials and cannabis industry stakeholders in Oakland. During the meeting, California officials emphasized the importance of creating a regulated environment that attracts consumers and producers while diverting business from the illicit market.
With the trip complete—German lawmakers will now put their full attention to legalizing the recreational use of cannabis in the following months. Check in with Veriheal to stay up to date with Germany’s journey to legalization.
What do you think of Germany’s California trip? Let us know in the comments!
Finally, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker recently released a video stressing the need for federal legalization.
In the video, Booker points out the absurdity of continued federal cannabis prohibition given that “most states now have moved to legalize marijuana, whether it’s for medical use or for overall adult use.” This strange state of affairs, Booker states, has caused a “twin crisis.”
On one side, those living in cannabis-illegal states face the risk of being arrested for cannabis possession. On the other side, hopeful cannabis business owners in legal states are barred from traditional financial services. In both cases, communities of color are often the ones receiving the brunt of the damage. This makes true equity all the more difficult to achieve.
What do you think of Sen. Booker’s video? Would you like to see your representative take similar action? Let us know in the comments!
If you’ve ever eaten raw cannabis flower hoping to get high, you were probably disappointed. That’s because you need to decarb your cannabis first. THC (the chemical compound responsible for the “high” and psychoactive effects) doesn’t exist in significant amounts in raw cannabis. Neither does CBD, a cannabinoid known for its beneficial anti-inflammatory effects and…
There are many things that cannabis and its ingredients can do. As more research is conducted, the list of health benefits grows. One recent discovery indicates that the cannabinoid CBD (cannabidiol) might just be the next big thing for treating testosterone imbalances. Studies have outlined that CBD — a non-psychoactive cannabinoid rich in anti-inflammatory and…
In the past few years, improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) have helped different industries evolve, making processes better and more efficient. In general, the agricultural sector has already welcomed the use of AI with open arms. The cannabis industry is also primed for big changes to incorporate the use of AI into the field. From…
With the arrival of 4/20 comes the promise of festivals, mass smoke sessions, and camaraderie with fellow cannabis enthusiasts. But, while cannabis may promote social gathering for some, others prefer to consume their cannabis in the way of the introvert – that is, completely alone. If you’re not exactly a social smoker and still want…
Medical cannabis is more popular than ever before, with 38 states having legalized some form of it for various health conditions. A new federally-funded study has confirmed this, reporting that medical marijuana enrollment is skyrocketing throughout the United States. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),…
Get your medical marijuana card today
Sign up in under 5 minutes
