Miesiąc: październik 2020

EDITOR’S NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider produces exclusive weekly content and monthly events geared toward those interested in the marijuana and hemp industries. To subscribe, visit njcannabisinsider.biz.

New Jersey’s 12 licensed medical cannabis companies have formed a trade association ahead of an election that will likely lead the state to legalize marijuana for those 21 and older.

The group, the New Jersey Cannabis Trade Association, announced its formation Thursday, marking one of the first times the alternative treatment centers have come together publicly. They signed a joint statement in March calling for online ordering for patients amid the coronavirus outbreak and also called on the state Department of Health to allow home delivery for patients.

The trade association emerged from that collaboration, said Susanna Short, an industry consultant to played a major role in wrangling the dispensaries.

“It took us awhile, and we had a pandemic, had a lot going on. It now is an official, formal trade association,” she said. “Certainly legalization is part of what’s bringing us together at this time and in this way.”

The group plans to focus on expanding and preserving the medical marijuana program, which currently serves 90,000 patients. But it also hopes to shape an approach to a legal marijuana industry.

If voters say yes to a ballot question seeking to legalize marijuana, the existing medical dispensaries will likely be among the first to sell it. That can only happen once lawmakers pass a bill outlining the rules and regulations for the industry.

“It would extend just beyond the enabling legislation,” Short said of the association. “There’s always a need to make sure that policies work in practice. One of the driving forces beyond getting this group together was to have a unified voice among the operators to have a voice to help develop policies that work in real life.”

New Jersey currently has just 12 dispensaries to serve the state’s 90,000 patients. Some have worried that legalization, which could open the industry to 1 million customers, may overwhelm the dispensaries and leave patients without adequate access to cannabis.

“We certainly support adult use and legalization — that the industry does,” said Shaya Brodchandel, chairman of the association and CEO of Harmony, the medical marijuana dispensary in Secaucus. “We just want to make sure that it’s done in a way that the medical program doesn’t suffer and the supply is adequate.”

The existing operators have stayed quiet on the ballot question until now. Initial financial disclosures released last week showed only one medical operator had contributed money to NJ CAN 2020, the main coalition campaigning in support of the ballot question.

Some in the campaign found it odd that the dispensaries had not contributed financially. While they stand to gain from legalization and new customers, they currently have a strong hold on the medical marijuana program, and benefit from the small playing field.

But the trade association has since made a financial commitment to NJ CAN 2020, Brodchandel said. The next spending disclosure report will be published Oct. 29.

The election is Nov. 3, but many people will cast their ballots sooner by mail.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj.

Recently, PerkinElmer, Inc., announced a fully automated liquid handling sample preparation and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis workflow for pesticide residue testing of cannabis and hemp flower samples.

Cannabis reform may be stalled at the federal level, but the number of states that have legalized it in some capacity continues to grow. Heading into the 2020 election, 33 of them and the District of Columbia permit medicinal use. Eleven of these states, as well as D.C., have also legalized recreational use. On November 3rd, four more states — Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota — will vote on initiatives that would legalize recreational cannabis, while a fifth — Mississippi — will decide whether to allow doctors to recommend it to patients.

Polling indicates the measures will pass in all five states.

This shouldn’t be surprising. A Pew Research Center study conducted last September found that 67 percent of Americans feel cannabis should be legal, while 91 percent feel it should at least be legal for medicinal purposes. The issue is no longer just a liberal hobbyhorse, either. A majority of Republicans also believe cannabis should be legal, and as more conservative states continue to vote accordingly, it’s going be harder and harder for federal legislators to rationalize opposing reform at the federal level.

“Most lawmakers are going to respond for their constituents,” Steven Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, tells Rolling Stone. “That’s why the work [we do] around changing laws at the state level is really part and parcel of how we will win at the federal level. Every state that passes adult use means you’re going to gain members of Congress, you’re going to gain two U.S. senators. Even if they don’t become champions, they’re not going to vote no for something their constituents have come to embrace.”

The House of Representatives was set to vote on a federal decriminalization bill, dubbed the MORE Act, in September, but the vote was delayed until after the election. Though the bill would probably not have made it through the Republican-controlled Senate, it’s beginning to feel like it’s only a matter of time before the MORE Act or a similar piece of legislation is going to garner broad bipartisan support. This year’s ballot initiatives should help move the needle, as it’s looking like come November 3rd a few more Republican senators are going to find themselves representing constituencies that support legalization. More are sure to follow.

Here’s everything you need to know about which states are voting to legalize cannabis this cycle:

Recreational or medicinal? Recreational. Medicinal cannabis has been legal in Arizona since 2011.

What are the details? Proposition 207: The Smart and Safe Arizona Act would legalize the sale and possession of cannabis for adult use (21 and over). Residents would be allowed to possess up to one ounce of cannabis and five grams of THC concentrate, and to grow up to six cannabis plants in a household. Prop 207 would also allow people to apply to have their criminal records expunged for certain cannabis-related crimes.

What else? Cannabis products would be taxed like cigarettes or alcohol, with a 16 percent excise tax on top of the state’s 5.6 percent sales tax.

Will it pass? We’ll see, although it’s looking good.

Though Arizonans voted against legalization 51-48 in 2016, a poll released this summer found that 62 percent of Arizonans support legalization, compared to 32 percent who oppose it. But in September a Monmouth University poll found that only 51 percent of registered voters support Prop 207, while 41 percent opposed it. Another poll conducted later in September found that 57 percent of voters support the measure, while 38 percent oppose it.

Recreational or medicinal? Medicinal.

What are the details? Initiative 65 allows for cannabis to be prescribed to treat a variety of conditions, from cancer to Chrohn’s disease to intractable nausea. Also on the ballot is Initiative 65A, an alternative bill that restricts the use of medicinal cannabis to the terminally ill.

What else? Mississippi is one of the most conservative states in America, and its legislature was none too pleased when Initiative 65 qualified for a spot on the ballot this November. This led lawmakers to drum up Initiative 65A, a vague but substantially more restrictive measure they hope will siphon support from Initiative 65.

Will it pass? Probably. Recent polling shows that 81 percent of residents support medicinal cannabis, including 76 percent of Republicans. When respondents were given the choice between Initiative 65 and Initiative 65A, 52 percent said they’d vote for Initiative 65, compared to just 23 percent who preferred Initiative 65A. The research firm that conducted the poll concluded that Initiative 65 “stands a strong chance of passage.”

Recreational or medicinal? Recreational. Voters approved a medicinal cannabis measure in 2004, and then an expansion in 2016.

What are the details? Montana I-190 would allow for the sale and possession of cannabis for adult use. Residents would be permitted to have up to four cannabis plants and up to four seedlings in their home. I-190 would also allow for anyone serving a prison sentence for cannabis-related offenses that would be decriminalized by the measure to request re-sentencing or expungement.

A second measure, CI-118, would establish that I-190 would only apply to adults 21 and over. Should I-190 pass and CI-118 be voted down, anyone 18 and older would be able to legally purchase and use recreational cannabis.

A 20 percent tax would be levied on all recreational cannabis products.

What else? The bill is not without its opponents in the traditionally conservative state.

On October 16th, anti-legalization group Wrong For Montana petitioned the state’s Supreme Court to remove I-190 from the ballot, arguing that the bill, which holds that the state allocate half of the revenue generated from cannabis sales to environmental conservation programs, violates state law. “According to the Montana constitution, Article III, Section IV, you cannot allocate the revenue from an initiative, as funds must be allocated from the general fund by the Montana Legislature,” Wrong For Montana’s Steve Zabawa told local station KGVO.

New Approach Montana, the pro-legalization advocacy group responsible for the initiatives making their way onto the ballot, told Marijuana Moment that the measures “were filed in January, have already been vetted and approved by the Montana attorney general,” adding that “the opposition campaign has been spreading misinformation across Montana for weeks, and this lawsuit announcement is just the latest chapter.”

That’s not all. Days later, Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme posted a statement to the Justice Department’s website outlining a host dubious claims about the effects of cannabis, including that it leads to an increase in “traffic fatalities,” that it is addictive, that it leads to methamphetamine use, and more. “Fellow Montanans, let’s be sure we take a close look at these proposals before voting on CI-118 and I-190,” he concluded.

As Paul Armentamo, deputy director of NORML, explained to Marijuana Moment, Alme’s scare tactics are only just that, and ultimately don’t hold any real weight with the public. “Were the alleged ill effects of legalization as significant or pervasive as the U.S. attorney opines, the real-world ramifications would be readily apparent, and public support would be heading in just the opposite direction,” he said. “But this has not been the case.”

Will it pass? Despite all the opposition, signs are pointing to yes. A recent poll by Montana State University found that 49 percent of likely voters support I-190, while only 39 percent oppose it.

Recreational or medicinal? Recreational. New Jersey legalized cannabis for medicinal use in 2010.

What are the details? New Jersey Public Question 1 would legalize the sale and possession of cannabis for adult use (21 and over). Details about possession limits would be hashed out after passage by the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which was established in 2019 when the state revamped its medical cannabis program.

What else? Cannabis products would only be taxed at the 6.625 percent state sales tax rate, although local governments would have the option of slapping on an additional 2 percent. Recreational cannabis figures to be a boon for the state’s economy considering its proximity to New York and Pennsylvania, which have yet to pass legalization measures. The low tax rate should help New Jersey dispensaries compete against the area’s robust black market.

Will it pass? Almost certainly. Though a ballot measure to legalize cannabis failed to pass in 2018, recent polling found that 65 percent of voters are in favor of Public Question 1, while just 29 percent are opposed.

Recreational or medicinal? Both.

What are the details? Two legalization measures will be on the ballot in South Dakota. South Dakota Initiated Measure 26 would allow physicians to prescribe cannabis to registered patients in order to treat a number of conditions. Constitutional Amendment A would allow for recreational adult use (21 and over).

As the Marijuana Policy Project points out, South Dakota currently has some of the nation’s harshest possession laws. The state even has an “internal possession” law, meaning if someone simply tests positive for cannabis, even if it was consumed in a state where it is legal, you still can be held criminally liable for possession in South Dakota.

What else? In the off chance that Constitutional Amendment A passes but Initiated Measure 26 does not, the former requires the creation of a medicinal cannabis program.

Will it pass? Probably. A poll released in September suggests that a majority of South Dakotans support both measures, with 70 percent of respondents saying they planned to vote for Initiated Measure 26, and 60 percent saying they planned to vote for Constitutional Amendment A. The poll was commissioned the state Chamber of Commerce, which opposes legalization, and conducted by No Way On A, a group that, as its name implies, opposes Constitutional Amendment A.

Shawn Kemp, the former six-time NBA All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection, is set to open a cannabis dispensary in Seattle next week.

Kemp, who starred with the Seattle Supersonics from 1989 to 1997 and battled Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the 1996 NBA Finals, is set to open Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis on Oct. 30.

KOBE BRYANT’S 2008 NBA FINALS JERSEY ON DISPLAY AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

“My name is on this company and I have worked hard to bring Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis to fruition,” Kemp said in a press release. “I want to provide nothing short of the best selection, customer experience and prices in Seattle. I have incredible partners in Matt Schoenlein and Ramsey Hamide to make sure we deliver on that promise to our customers, who are our top priority.”

Kemp partnered with Schoenlein and Hamide, the co-founders of Main Street Marijuana, to establish the business. The marijuana retailer has been one of the most popular in Washington state since marijuana was legalized in 2014. The company has produced more than $150 million in sales and more than $55 million in excise tax.

SCOTTS MIRACLE-GRO IS MAIN FINANCIAL SUPPORTER OF PUSH TO LEGALIZE WEED IN NEW JERSEY: REPORT

Kemp said he also hopes to serve as a role model in the community.

“I hope that Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis will be an inspiration for people to get involved with the legal cannabis industry, especially people of color,” he said.

Kemp’s store is the latest Black-owned dispensary in Seattle. Kush21 has been in the area since 2016 and has six locations in Washington.

The shop is set to open near the Climate Pledge Arena and the Space Needle. The Climate Pledge Arena will welcome the NHL’s Seattle Kracken during the 2021-22 season and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm in 2022.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXBUSINESS.COM

Kemp played in the NBA until 2003. He is also the part-owner of Amber’s Kitchen in the Belltown district of Seattle.

Shawn Kemp, the former six-time NBA All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection, is set to open Seattle’s first Black-owned cannabis dispensary next week.

Kemp, who starred with the Seattle Supersonics from 1989 to 1997 and battled Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the 1996 NBA Finals, is set to open Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis on Oct. 30.

KOBE BRYANT’S 2008 NBA FINALS JERSEY ON DISPLAY AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

“My name is on this company and I have worked hard to bring Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis to fruition,” Kemp said in a press release. “I want to provide nothing short of the best selection, customer experience and prices in Seattle. I have incredible partners in Matt Schoenlein and Ramsey Hamide to make sure we deliver on that promise to our customers, who are our top priority.”

Kemp partnered with Schoenlein and Hamide, the co-founders of Main Street Marijuana, to establish the business. The marijuana retailer has been one of the most popular in Washington state since marijuana was legalized in 2014. The company has produced more than $150 million in sales and more than $55 million in excise tax.

SCOTTS MIRACLE-GRO IS MAIN FINANCIAL SUPPORTER OF PUSH TO LEGALIZE WEED IN NEW JERSEY: REPORT

Kemp said he also hopes to serve as a role model in the community.

“I hope that Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis will be an inspiration for people to get involved with the legal cannabis industry, especially people of color,” he said.

The shop is set to open near the Climate Pledge Arena and the Space Needle. The Climate Pledge Arena will welcome the NHL’s Seattle Kracken during the 2021-22 season and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm in 2022.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXBUSINESS.COM

Kemp played in the NBA until 2003. He is also the part-owner of Amber’s Kitchen in the Belltown district of Seattle.

Everyone loves their life. So, all want to be healthy. No one wants to writhe in pain. However, leading a healthy lifestyle is not as easy as it seems. It includes regular exercising and intake of nutritious food. 

Apart from this, it also includes the use of other healthy products such as CBD oil. If you have any apprehensions about this, then do not skip to read below.

There are many myths about Cannabis in general. Despite saying this, CBD oil has become quite popular. One of the major reasons behind this is the research studies conducted on its benefits and side-effects. Like any other product, this also is beneficial only if used in the proper amount. Medical experts do not advise the excess intake of this oil.

Taking cognizance of all this, here, some of the points have been discussed that will show you why many celebrities are also including CBD oil in their lifestyle. Before that, it will be good to understand what it is.

What is CBD Oil?

The full form of CBD is Cannabidiol. This is a derivative of Cannabis. In Cannabis plants like Cannabis Sativa, a natural chemical is found. This is known as a cannabinoid.

For your information, Cannabidiol is a type of cannabinoid or THC. It is bereft of “high” effect. The main cause of this effect in marijuana is from THC. Interestingly, you may find at most of the Cannabis dispensaries CBD with THC for sale.

You may opt for any depending upon your requirement. However, CBD is more preferred by health enthusiasts.  This oil is an extract of CBD and is prepared by a dilution process.

Anti-inflammatory

The welling in body parts is a problem faced by athletes a lot. You may also find soreness in your legs or other parts of the body. CBD oil could be highly useful in resolving this problem of yours. It offers you comfort and reduces pain considerably. Perhaps that is why patients having arthritis prefer this oil.

Anti-Depression effects

The properties of CBD oil makes it a perfect option for patients suffering from clinical depression. You may find many doctors who prescribe it all around the world. It allows you to relax and remain stress-free. However, it is always important to consult an expert about the dosage of it for better results.

Bursts with healthy ingredients

CBD is a great source of some of the most important minerals, such as Vitamins (B, C, and E), Phosphorous, zinc, magnesium, and many more. This way, you remain healthy and strong from inside.

Conclusion

The decisions in life are yours to make. Leading a healthy lifestyle is always considered good. When you embrace it, then you will see the difference with time. In addition to CBD oil inclusion in your life, you may start taking more veggies. These will boost up your immunity and make you stronger. Walking and doing regular exercise is equally important.

Ganja Goddess CEO Zachary Pitts joined the Southern California Coalition and the California Cannabis Couriers Association in filing a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles over its latest cannabis delivery licensing plan. As the head of a delivery service that spans the state, Pitts has been working closely with officials in LA to get the city’s delivery licensing program up and running.   

In July, however, the city altered its plan and focused its program on social equity applicants—barring non-social equity applicants from the LA delivery license until 2025.

It’s the latest in a number of twists and turns in Los Angeles, each one seemingly reversing course on a plan to include as many prospective businesses as possible in this booming marketplace. 

We spoke with Pitts to learn more about the lawsuit and about the larger picture of cannabis delivery this year.

Eric Sandy: Why was it important for you to be attached to this lawsuit?

Zachary Pitts: We had the trade organizations, and I’m part of both of them actually. We felt like i[the lawsuit] needed a face of someone who was working with city, who was in the original system, who would be applying for the license and had material losses because of the city going back and changing the law after years and years of delays. There were particular circumstances that we felt like I represented very well. And there are plenty of delivery services in a similar situation as me, but we felt it needed someone who had invested in leases and employment and in setting up a license in the city of LA.

ES: And what is the main argument here?

ZP: The reason that we’re suing the city is it’s really the last option. We really didn’t want to, but there’s just no other path for us. The city originally created a system that was fair, a system that myself and many other delivery operators spent lots of time helping to [develop] with individual communities throughout the city that were interested in how cannabis was going to change the economy and the city and all and their neighborhoods. I worked closely with the council members, and I thought we had really come to a collaborative effort that was really successful. In some ways, we had gotten all different parts of the industry onboard. We had gotten so many neighborhoods and communities onboard. Unfortunately that was passed back in 2017, and the city just took way too long and bungled way too many things in its licensing process. It had problems rolling out, on every level, quickly and efficiently the licenses and doing the inspections and verifying everything that they need to verify.

The city also have problems properly establishing who is a social equity candidate and dispensing those licenses for the storefronts. And then right before we finally, after years of delays, thought we were coming up, inside of about nine days, they changed the law and prevented a very large portion of us from getting a license for another five years, which is just untenable. There’s no way that we can survive. Every small operator or anyone who had any legacy in this business—they were out of options. We can move out of the city permanently, and many have already. At this point, the only people who can last until 2025 are those with millions of dollars in the bank in investments or a large corporation.

It’s really quite unfortunate, because the way that it was set up was that the applicants who are not social equity, like myself, would be contributing to the success of the social equity applicants. We would be paying fees. We would be incubating. We would be providing funds to really see success from the social equity applicants. It’s just frustrating and it’s disappointing. And it really ends up hurting a lot of people without helping anyone. And the only result that I can see is that you’re more likely to have failure from the social equity candidates, because they’re not getting the incubation and the funding. It ensures that the illicit market remains robust in LA. We’re already competing against people who aren’t paying the huge taxes that we are, who aren’t facing the regulatory climate that we are. And now, we don’t even have an option of licensing.

ES: In terms of the timeline, that most recent rule change that you’re describing happened in July, correct?

ZP: That is correct. It was very sudden, the change. As recently as May or June, there were delivery operators in meetings with the [Department of Cannabis Regulation] about when they were going to start the pilot program for delivery and when there were going to start the general rollout. They assured us it was coming very soon and that we’d be really excited and happy about when it comes out, obviously. And then they reversed course and ended up changing it very suddenly. Between the public notification of the changes they were proposing and when it actually happened was so fast—it was just in a matter of two weeks or so. We sent letters, we went to the meetings to explain, like, “I don’t know why this is happening! Please don’t do it! It’s hurting way too many people.” It just fell to deaf ears. Given our options, I guess, the legal route is the only option that we have left. We really hope we can come to some sort of resolution.

ES: Right now, in the fall of 2020, when delivery is top of mind for businesses and consumers, what is the state of delivery in the city Los Angeles?

ZP: If you’re outside of the city of LA and hold a license in a city outside of LA, you can deliver into LA. If you’re a storefront, you can deliver in LA. There are delivery options, but these are options that in many ways are hurting the city. They’re not getting the same sort of tax revenue that they could be if [delivery] was licensed within LA.

„They changed the law and prevented a very large portion of us from getting a license for another five years, which is just untenable.”

– Zachary Pitts

This is actually one of the problems with the delays in LA: For a lot of delivery companies, their only option to survive was to make an agreement with a storefront where they would take over and become part of the storefront’s company. They would manage the delivery arm. A lot of the storefront owners, they have enough on their hands. They’re not familiar with delivery. It’s a different type of business in many ways. But with these contracts, it’s a pretty predatory practice in some ways. They are not really making that much money. It’s not really offering them long-term viability. And then other people have just left the city and they’re giving their money and licensing fees and a good portion of their tax dollars to [some other] city outside of LA.

ES: And that can include cities within Los Angeles County, right?

ZP: Yeah, and so people have found a way to do it legally. I think in the end, though, it just ends up hurting the local businesses in LA and it ends up hurting the city—the tax revenue it’s making.

For me, personally, this is a community that I feel part of. I was born in LA. I grew up in LA. I’m connected to it. I have a lot of employees in LA. And. in my particular instance, we have distribution and manufacturing [licenses] in LA, and in a pretty inefficient manner we kept on a lot of employees in LA while we tried to wait out the licensing delays. We sunk a lot of costs into that, and we have a lot of allegiance to this community. We just want a way. We want a fair chance that was given to us and then taken away.

ES: Could you provide a sketch of Ganja Goddess as things stand today: where you hold delivery licenses and what the company looks like in 2020?

ZP: The central delivery hub that we have is in Northern California, in Oakland. And the way that we operate is we’re an overnight delivery. We’re not really trying to compete on speed. People place orders, and then we try to get it to them sometime in the next day. By slowing things down, we can reach most of California. The inefficiency of not having an LA hub really does hurt us.

ES: Could you describe why and how delivery has become so central to the growing cannabis market? In 2020, part of this answer may be kind of obvious, but what trends have you seen over the past six months?

ZP: Back in March, we had a huge increase and then it came down and leveled out—though it’s still at a much higher rate than it was before the pandemic. At the very beginning, people were almost—I don’t want to say the words “hoarding,” but they were making sure they had a very large amount of supplies and expecting that they weren’t going to be going out or getting deliveries at all. Now, people are just more used to getting deliveries on a regular level instead of planning out three months in advance. What’s happening in delivery was something that was going to happen anyway. The pandemic just jumped us ahead a couple of years. This happened in every aspect of our economy. I never used to get groceries delivered, because I was always kind of picky about how I chose my produce and things like that. But now it’s something that I’ve used a number of times. I’m sure there are even people who hadn’t used Amazon before and now are using it somewhat regularly. It’s the same thing with cannabis.

It’s something that can be delivered that a lot of people have already enjoyed. It has a history tied to delivery during the illicit days. But it’s just become very obvious how easy and convenient and safe it is for people. I think there’s also another aspect to it—branding and lifestyle. The retail shops that were surviving against places like Amazon and Walmart, they’re the ones who are able to create a brand curation and a lifestyle that people are attracted to. You can’t get that from something that just does everything, like Amazon or Walmart. That’s where there’s been a lot of success in delivery and in cannabis in general—creating that brand. That’s another aspect of ecommerce, where websites have started to replicate that online and curate an experience—curating a menu that people are attracted to and that they feel that they can trust.

ES: Along those lines, what are some of the ways that a delivery company like yours can, engender customer loyalty to really boost that connection that might occur over the counter at a storefront?

ZP: There’s still a lot of customer service to delivery—keeping the customer informed about how it’s being delivered, helping the customer when they contact us when they have questions. We have to have really robust education resources built in to the buying experience. We need to have really detailed information about the listings for each product that we carry. We need to be able to explain to people who are new to cannabis and who are still learning. Even if they have one or two years of experience, it’s different than alcohol. Often, there isn’t that legacy of knowledge about cannabis. We try to hit it on every level: We have newsletters, we have blog posts, we try to write up information or really detailed FAQs. We try to create as many resources as possible, so that people feel comfortable and feel like they understand what they’re doing and how to learn more themselves and how to get a positive experience. And if they have a positive experience with us, that creates a lot of loyalty. It creates a legacy of loyalty that is really important for this industry, because customers are so new to cannabis in general.

ES: A lot of other states and cities, of course, are inevitably going to roll out delivery regulations and licensing processes. We see this in Massachusetts right now. What have you learned in dealing with cities and regulators that you suggest other jurisdictions think about when they go to write their delivery regulations? This might be an intimidating thing for a city council member in Chicago or wherever. What would you sort of recommend that these folks think about?

ZP: I think the key is that a lot of people are very new. A lot of the regulators are very new to cannabis, obviously, but the operators and consumers aren’t necessarily as new.

I think there’s a lot of value and explaining what your goals are to the people that you’re trying to regulate. So, for instance, the primary goal of the Bureau of Cannabis Control [in California] is consumer safety, employee safety and raising revenue for the state. With consumer safety, I think probably the most important thing is science-based testing. There is not as many peer-reviewed studies as there should be on how to safely consume cannabis, what cannabis does to different people, et cetera.

I think that’s one of the most important things, but then leaders tend to go very heavy on the fears of theft and armed robbery. With delivery, we have a very low rate of theft or robbery just because of the fact that instead of them coming to us, we’re going to them. We tend to do so much pre-verification of the customer anyway. It’s a very difficult thing to rob from us. I understand their inclination, but at the same time this isn’t nuclear waste. It’s not going to get into the wrong hands and hurt tons of people. It’s a product like any other. And once you bring it into the normal marketplace, you end up with the very fact that if you’re a legal, licensed business you can call the police. Previously, especially in California, if you were robbed, even though it was legal to call the police, it was probably going to end up worse for you than if you don’t. That very fat alone has revolutionized the industry and our ability to deal with theft and crime in a safe manner.