Archive

December News

December 1, 2021

Breez Vs Breeze: Brand Confusion

A trademark battle is in the wind in Cali over the use of Breez – and Breeze – as a cannabis product brand.

Oakland-based Promontory Holdings sued The Breeze Brand of Los Angeles in state court, claiming infringement over Promontory’s California-registered “Breez” trademark, Law360 reported.

Promontory sells popular CBD-THC combo mints, tincture sprays and tablets under the “Breez” brand, while The Breeze sells CBD gummies and vape pens under “Breeze.”

The lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court, could cast light on the legal strength of a cannabis trademarks.

Promontory’s lawsuit, according to Law360, claims that the value of its Breez brand has been harmed and will continue to be harmed because of customer confusion.

More States “In Play” for Legalization

At least four more states will legalize marijuana in some form in 2022 and industry mergers and acquisitions will “noticeably accelerate,” MJBiz CEO Chris Walsh predicted recently at the MJBizCon in Las Vegas.

Walsh said the following states are “in play” for cannabis legalization. Recreational cannabis: Ohio, Missouri, South Dakota, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Maryland, and Arkansas, and for medical marijuana: Nebraska, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Walsh also predicted for 2022:

• Unfortunately, there will be no federal change of marijuana laws, even on banking reform.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will not fully pave the way for ingestible CBD, but states will lead that trend.

• A major, mature recreational market – Colorado, Washington state or Oregon – will see flat overall sales.
• There will be considerable progress in social consumption regulations and the opening of cannabis lounges, if Nevada’s social lounge model proves a success.

Cresco Labs Raises $250K for Cannabis Justice Reform

Cresco Labs announced that its “Summer of Social Justice” initiative raised more than $250,000 for justice reform organizations and supported the expungement process for more than 1,000 people with marijuana-related criminal records.

“As the United States moves to decriminalize cannabis and the industry continues to grow, it is critical that businesses use their platforms and resources to help restore communities and create opportunities for the BIPOC people and their families impacted by the War on Drugs,” said Charlie Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs. “Cresco Labs is committed to continuing initiatives like the ‘Summer of Social Justice’ that will help the cannabis industry to continue to develop into a responsible and respectable one.”

Space X Founder on the Future of Psychedelics

“Generally, people should be open to psychedelics,” Musk said. “A lot of people making laws are kind of from a different era, so I think, as the new generation gets into political power, I think we will see greater receptivity to the benefits of psychedelics.”

-Elon Musk, speaking at CodeCon

Cannabis Research Hindered by Legal Status

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) informed Congress recently that the Schedule I status of controlled substances like cannabis is preventing or discouraging research into their potential risks and benefits. 

“Researchers have reported that obtaining a new registration can take more than a year, that modifying a registration can also be time consuming, and that differing interpretations of the Schedule I registration requirements among local DEA field offices, research institutions, as well as distinct federal and state registration requirements, greatly complicate the process,” the federal agency told lawmakers. “These challenges can impede critical research on Schedule I substances and deter or prevent scientists from pursuing such work.”

Would You Hire Unvaccinated Employees?

For many small businesses, vaccination is shaping up to be a requirement for employment. Many in the private sector see vaccination not just as a safety issue but a financial issue as well, with COVID-19 infections among employees also affecting their bottom line.

Nearly 60% of small businesses indicated that they will only hire workers who are vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a survey by small business review site Digital.com. A little over 20% responded that they are considering a mandate while 19% answered that they will not mandate employees to be vaccinated. The survey polled 1,000 U.S.-based small businesses, most of which were in the South and Midwest.

Recent Stories

Lung, Tongue, and Skin

High Risk, High Cash: The Banking Struggles of Legal Cannabis

The Benefits of Amnesia

Women in Cannabis – Aubrey Amatelli

Building the Best: How the MJBizCon Gets Made

Why is Michigan’s Cannabis Revenue Dropping?

Recent Articles

Jimmy Wohl

Lung, Tongue, and Skin

I went home and told my girlfriend, who, after Googling the name of the business I bought it from, told me that, yes, it was technically weed. But it was CBD. She started laughing, telling me I had been ripped off.

Joe Reefer

High Risk, High Cash: The Banking Struggles of Legal Cannabis

State-sanctioned medical and recreational cannabis programs benefit the average user in many ways. Still, they remain a double-edged sword for dispensary owners, greenhouse growers, and others who earn their living from the cannabis industry. There are plenty of profits to be had, sure, but how exactly are you expected to secure your cash or process electronic transactions when banks refuse to work with you?

Emily Long

Women in Cannabis – Aubrey Amatelli

Aubrey Amatelli wants to help dispensaries and cannabis retailers navigate one of the toughest parts of the industry: money. When the company she worked for right out of grad school was acquired by JPMorgan, Aubrey entered the complex world of payments and has stayed there for her entire career.

Matt Weeks

Building the Best: How the MJBizCon Gets Made

There’s a paradox to business conferences. The best ones manage to swing from buttoned down to wildly unscripted—sometimes seconds apart. For attendees, it’s the combination of personal connections and professional development that makes regular trips to conferences worthwhile. And in an industry like this one, pulling that off is harder than it looks.

Karen Maina

Staff Your Shop And Build Your Tribe

Your shop is not only a smoke shop; It's also a hangout spot and a community hub. It is a place where the regulars know your staff by name, and your staff knows what the regulars need. That's the secret sauce that the big-box chains can't replicate, and it starts with who you put behind the counter. A well-staffed smoke shop is an operational strategy, but it's also a community. In lean economic times, that community is what keeps the lights on. When people feel like your shop is their spot, they don't stop coming in when money's tight. They prioritize it. It all starts with Hiring.

Emily Long

Women in Cannabis – Dr. Chanda Macias

Dr. Macias first fell in love with science while studying at Howard University, where she completed her undergraduate studies and later earned her PhD in cellular and molecular biology. While at Howard, she became especially interested in cancer research due to personal ties. Growing up in a Creole family and predominantly Black community in Louisiana, Dr. Macias watched many women around her battle breast cancer, so at Howard, she decided to focus her research on the BRCA1 gene.

Matt Weeks

Cards Denied: Smoke Shops, Dispensaries, and the Paradox of Modern Banking

It’s almost amazing that the same institutions that brought us the 2008 financial crisis have a problem with selling glass pipes. Almost. The truth is that an industry's past sins are only held against it when the money isn’t right. Big banks were willing to risk cratering the U.S. housing market because the profits were too good to ignore. But the cannabis industry rolls a different kind of paper, so instead of a slap on the wrist, it gets a surcharge.