News Briefs: August 12, 2019

By
HeadQuest

Lobbyists Cashing in on Cannabis Boom

Lobbying firms are taking advantage of the cannabis boom as a number of bills on the industry move through Congress and state legislatures. On the plus side, firms creating lobbying groups focused on cannabis businesses is an acknowledgement of the industry’s explosive growth. On the downside, “big marijuana” like Big Tobacco stands to rake in billions, while ordinary Americans foot the bills.

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Bernie Sanders Promises to Legalize Marijuana, Disclose UFO Secrets

Senator Bernie Sanders made two announcements recently on Joe Rogan’s podcast – one that he plans to reveal UFO and alien secrets should he become President, and second that he will deschedule marijuana and make it federally legal.

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Curaleaf Back in Trouble with Feds

U.S.-based medical and cannabis operator, Curaleaf finds itself in more problems since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publicized that the firm was making unsubstantial health claims about its products. While the CuraLeaf did remove all claims after being warned by the federal agency, it has now been accused of violating federal securities law. Simply put, Curaleaf’s health claims is reasoned as a securities violation because the spreading of falsified material is trusted as a scheme to increase the firm’s securities market prices.

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Navy to Sailors and Marines: Stay Clear of CBD

A Navy policy statement released last week states that enlisted personel who test positive for THC or other controlled substances for which they have no valid prescription are subject to mandatory administrative processing and could receive a discharge characterized as “Other Than Honorable” (OTH), which can affect future veteran’s benefits and employment opportunities. That means staying clear of CBD too, as the military feels the canibanoid would interfere with Navy and Marine Corps drug testing programs and “result in the reporting of unlawful THC levels.”

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Vape Carts, Pouches Lead Tobacco Growth

Vape cartridges and tobacco-free nicotine pouches have been category standouts so far in 2019. According to an industry insider, growth for vape cartridges was 160.6% year over year; tobacco-free nicotine products, which can take many forms, including pouches, lozenges and even nicotine-infused toothpicks, saw a 237% increase.

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Recent Stories

Recent Articles

CBD 3
By
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.
banking 2
By
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?
WIC 2
By
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.
MJ 1
By
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.
staffing 1
By
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.
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By
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.
2026-06-01_20-45-52
By
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.
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By
Karen Maina
Print Lives! Why Flyers and Posters Still Work
Smokeshop and counterculture enthusiasts enjoy discovery as part of the experience. Customers enjoy browsing. When they walk into a shop, they don't simply grab a product and leave. They look for something new. This is the main reason flyers and posters still work. Smokeshops and dispensaries are highly visual environments. You want to see bold artwork, psychedelic graphics, and street-style posters that naturally capture attention.