Author: Johnny Green

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Finding The Right Balance Among European Cannabis Industry Regulatory Models

Written by Johnny Green on August 7, 2022. Posted in Business, Policy.

The entire European continent seems to be trending towards legalization for the most part, and for the small group of nations that are still dragging their feet, the writing is on the wall. It’s only a matter of time before they get on the right side of history because every day that goes by is a day that other nations inch closer to beating them to the cannabis revenue punch.

Cannabis policy is not as straightforward as many seem to think. Simply stating that cannabis should be legal in general terms is one thing. Crafting national cannabis policies and regulations is a completely different matter and requires much more thought and planning, and that is just at a national level.

Just as Europe is a continent made up of many nations, so too will it be a continent made up of many different approaches to cannabis policy and regulation. Below is just a small sampling of cannabis policy facets that lawmakers and regulators need to consider when drafting measures:

Home Cultivation – plant limits, canopy size limits, public view restrictions, etc.
Commercial Cultivation – zoning, infrastructure needs, licensing
Commercial Sales – allowed or continued to be prohibited?
Imports/Exports – if yes, what regulations are involved?
Social Use – can people consume in clubs, and if so, under what conditions?

Those are just a handful of things that need to be taken into consideration, and even those have several sub-facets as well. It can be a daunting task, especially when considering that Europe is composed of dozens of countries, each with its own identity, culture, and approach to governing.

Right now there are already several different cannabis industry models in existence in Europe. Malta passed an adult use legalization measure late last year, although its model is based on home cultivation and non-profit entities from which consumers can source their cannabis.

Low-THC cannabis, or ‘cannabis light,’ has been sold all over Switzerland since 2017, and a pilot adult-use cannabis industry program for higher THC varieties is launching this summer in the country as well. Pilot programs are also in operation in Denmark, and hopefully soon, the Netherlands.

All nations need to learn from each other and collaborate to enact continental-level rules and regulations to help ensure that public safety concerns are addressed in a way that still allows the industry to reach its full potential (within reason).

Education is key, and with that in mind, we recommend that people check out a timely report from Augur Associates. The report is titled, ‘Which models for cannabis adults use regulation in Europe? – findings, objectives and proposals for legalisation.’

Augur Associates is a Paris-based consultancy agency dedicated to the sustainable and cutting-edge cannabis and hemp industry. In addition to their latest report, they have also published a number of other reports dealing with the emerging cannabis industry and shifting political landscape.

Their latest publication is a robust 271-page report in its complete version, with the additional option of downloading the summary version. Both options are free at Augur and Associates’ website (previously linked to in this article). The report is also coupled with a number of insightful recommendations from the publishers for lawmakers and regulators to consider.

All eyes are on Europe for the foreseeable future, and information of this value does not come along often, especially for free. Check out the latest report from Augur Associates because the more timely information that you know, the better suited you are to make informed decisions. It could mean the difference between you crushing it in the evolving international cannabis industry or fizzling out not long after you get started.

Cannabis Prohibition Is An Inhumane Governing Policy Everywhere That It Exists

Written by Johnny Green on August 7, 2022. Posted in Policy.

Various arguments and talking points are offered up by cannabis prohibitions to ‘justify’ keeping cannabis prohibition policies in place, however, none of them outweigh the harms of cannabis prohibition. With news surfacing this week regarding WNBA star Brittney Griner’s lengthy prison sentence in Russia related to alleged possession of a cannabis vape cartridge, many cannabis prohibition talking points are being offered up to ‘justify’ what has happened to Griner. None of those talking points are valid and certainly do not in any manner outweigh the inhumane treatment that Griner has endured and will continue to endure until this matter is finally and sufficiently remedied.

When someone makes the claim that ‘Brittney Griner should have known that she was breaking the law,’ they are basing their stance on the inhumane premise that for whatever reason it’s OK to punish people for cannabis-only acts. In Griner’s case, she was allegedly in possession of one semi-used vape pen cartridge from what I understand and is now going to serve the better part of a decade in prison in Russia pending some type of successful, meaningful help from the United States government. What Griner is enduring right now is clearly cruel and unusual punishment, and it’s shameful that cannabis prohibitionists are using the case to further their own harmful agendas.

The Brittney Griner Case Summarized

For those that have not followed the case, WNBA legend and Olympic champion Brittney Griner was first arrested in Russia back in February, roughly one week prior to Russia invading Ukraine. News of the arrest did not surface until weeks later.

Initially, the United States government was very quiet about how it would approach the case, with people in Griner’s network (fellow players, family members, friends, etc.) making public comments that they were urged to not speak out about the case. Eventually, the Biden administration ramped up efforts to intervene in Griner’s case and applied a similar status (wrongfully detained) to Griner’s case that it already had applied to other cases in which U.S. citizens were subjected to Russia’s criminal justice system.

Ultimately, Griner pled guilty to the charges, however, that does not actually mean that she was guilty of what she was being accused of. For starters, Griner stated in court that, “I’d like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law,” Griner said in English, which was then translated to Russian for the court proceedings, according to Reuters. “I’d like to give my testimony later. I need time to prepare.”

Legal scholars pointed out that a guilty plea in Russia is a sound legal strategy being that roughly 99% of cases result in a guilty verdict in Russia and that pleading guilty is necessary in order to start the prisoner swap process, which is likely the only way that Griner will ever make it back to United States soil.

“Traditionally, the best defense is to admit your guilt and hope you get a lesser sentence,” Willam Pomeranz, the acting director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute in Washington and an expert on Russian law, told ESPN. “There’s not a lot of examples of people raising strong defenses and getting acquitted.”

Brittney Griner Is A Victim Of Prohibition, Politics, And Systemic Inequity

As expected, many people are weighing in on Griner’s 9-year prison sentence and aspects of her case now that the guilty verdict was officially rendered. Some cannabis community members are pointing to Griner’s case and then pivoting to talking points regarding Joe Biden’s unwillingness to free cannabis prisoners in the U.S. Others are pointing to a recent arrest of an NBA player in Texas and asking the logical question of why isn’t that case receiving more attention?

While all of those questions are valid, in many cases the points being made by cannabis supporters miss the main point that prohibition is wrong, it is always wrong, and prohibition is to blame in Griner’s case, Iman Shumpert’s case, as well as every other case in which someone is penalized due to cannabis-only offenses.

Griner’s case is getting significant attention because of additional compounding factors involved, not the least of which are the timing of her arrest leading up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as the pay inequity issues in Griner’s home country that had her going to Russia in the first place. It’s widely reported that Griner was in Russia at the time of her arrest, however, her being a perennial basketball superstar in Russia’s professional women’s basketball league and being compensated over 4 times as much in Russia compared to in the United States is far less reported.

Brittney Griner was traveling to Russia for work and assuming that it was actually her vape cartridge(s), she was taking her meds with her on her work trip. Yes, those meds are illegal in Russia, but that doesn’t make Russia’s policy right. Unfortunately, Griner is now a political prisoner in Russia, and the only realistic way that she will ever be released is via a prisoner swap. The Biden administration has reportedly been in negotiations with Russia, however, the negotiations have failed to yield results so far.

The Biden administration needs to do everything that it can to free Brittney Griner, as well as do everything that it can to free cannabis prisoners in the United States, and those two things are not mutually exclusive and are simultaneously important. Furthermore, everyone everywhere needs to fight for sensible cannabis policies so that no one is ever locked up for cannabis in the first place.

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Recapping A Historic International Cannabis Business Conference In Berlin

Written by Johnny Green on August 1, 2022. Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy, Science.

Whether you are a passionate cannabis enthusiast or just a passive cannabis industry observer, you are surely well aware of the fact that Germany is trending towards implementing adult-use cannabis legalization, and with it, a regulated adult-use industry. Germany may not be the first nation to pursue such a nationwide public policy and industry evolution, however, it is the most significant effort of its kind to date.

Germany is home to the fourth-largest economy on planet earth, with only the economies of the United States, China, and Japan ranking higher (as measured by GDP). Cannabis may be legal at the state level in some parts of the U.S., yet federal legalization still remains out of sight and nationwide cannabis sales are even further out of reach. China and Japan have no current plans to legalize cannabis, and for that matter, the rest of the countries on the list of ‘top ten economies on earth’ will maintain prohibition for the foreseeable future with the exception of Canada.

Canada is currently the only G-7 nation that allows regulated adult-use sales and has served as the top ‘legal cannabis economy’ on the planet since launching nationwide adult-use sales in late 2018. Once Germany launches nationwide cannabis sales, which could come as early as 2023, it will instantly take over the title of being home to the largest cannabis market in the world.

Germany’s economy is over twice the size of Canada’s economy, and the same is true when comparing the two nations’ populations. Canada only shares a physical border with one country, the United States, and many border states now have their own adult-use industries. Germany, on the other hand, shares physical borders with nine countries – the most in Europe. Barring any unforeseen policy changes, Germany will be an adult-use sales oasis in the region to a large extent, with Germany and the surrounding countries’ populations adding up to roughly a quarter billion people. The significance of legalization in Germany cannot be overstated.

Given the context of what is going on in Germany right now, Berlin served as an amazing backdrop to the International Cannabis Business Conference which took place on July 19-20th at the Hotel Estrel. It was the fifth installment of the B2B conference in Berlin, the largest of its type in Europe, and with so much excitement about what is going on right now in Germany, it proved to be an experience of a lifetime.

The attention of virtually every member of the emerging global cannabis industry has been squarely on Germany this year, and it was very evident throughout the conference that the excitement level was off the charts with so many people finally meeting in person to discuss everything. You could really sense that everyone was eager to get back to attending events in person, to learn more about what is going on in Germany and Europe, and to share what is going on in their own respective jurisdictions.

A major theme of this year’s historic conference involved cohorts representing over 85 countries traveling to the event, creating almost a ‘United Nations of cannabis’ environment. One thing that we have always strived to do at the International Cannabis Business Conference is to connect people from all over the globe, and it was exciting to see that on full display at this year’s Berlin conference on such a grand scale.

Germany, for obvious reasons, is a very exciting place for cannabis and what is going on there will have a butterfly effect on the rest of the world. However, there is plenty of other significant things happening elsewhere on the planet, and that was evident in much of the networking that occurred throughout the two-day B2B conference. Entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors, and industry service providers from nearly every corner of the world were comparing notes, striking deals, and discussing plans for the future.

It was very inspiring to see each and every time, and it was truly symbolic of the current state of the cannabis industry. The cannabis industry is going global. Historically, legal cannabis markets were entirely confined by national borders. Exports and imports have slowly ramped up in some nations over time, but make no mistake – the future of the cannabis industry will largely play out on the world stage and the cannabis plant is going to go mainstream at a global level in the coming years, which was talked about over and over at the Berlin conference by participants in discussions that often included representatives from multiple continents.

The most historic moment of the conference, and arguably the most historic moment of any cannabis conference to date, came via the day one keynote address provided by Mr. Burkhard Blienert. Mr. Blienert currently serves as Germany’s top drug policy official and is overseeing the nation’s adult-use cannabis legalization and industry implementation process. It is the first time in history that a currently-serving official at that level has ever spoken at a cannabis conference, and right in the middle of the public policy reform process no less. Hearing from Mr. Blienert in the midst of everything that is going on in Germany and Europe was truly special and an experience that attendees will no doubt cherish for years to come.

The two-day conference was packed with other world-class speakers and panels, videos of which can be found on the International Cannabis Business Conference YouTube channel. Topics for panels and presenters included, but are not limited to:

Ongoing activism and advocacy
Medical cannabis policy
Cannabis policy in Germany
Shifting cannabis policies in Europe
Evolving industry standards and regulations
Emerging markets
Supply chain and logistics
Legalization models
Cultivation
Sustainability
Consumer trends
Investing opportunities

If you have been involved in cannabis for any significant duration of time, then you know firsthand that there are certain times and places when you realize that you are in the midst of history being made. For people in attendance at the International Cannabis Business Conference B2B event in Berlin this summer, it was absolutely one of those times. The networking and learning opportunities were unmatched, and never before has such a wide array of cannabis industry representatives from so many different countries come together under one roof at the same time.

As always, it isn’t an International Cannabis Business Conference event without an amazing after-party, and this year’s after-party was particularly epic. Multi-Grammy awarding-winning reggae band Morgan Heritage kicked off their European tour at this year’s after-party event in Berlin. They were joined on stage by reggae pioneer Rocker-T, and collectively they rocked the house. The concert in such an intimate setting was the perfect way to unwind and celebrate after networking and learning. International Cannabis Business Conference founder Alex Rogers also rocked the mic on stage with the crew for a time, proving once again that the International Cannabis Business Conference works hard and plays hard.

The International Cannabis Business Conference team is already working hard on the next conference in Berlin which is currently slated to take place June 29-30, 2023. It’s quite possible that it could be the first conference in the new adult-use legalization era in Germany, which is an extremely exciting thought. With so much going on in the emerging global cannabis industry right now, particularly in Europe, the 2023 conference in Berlin is a must-attend. We look forward to seeing you there!

Another Grim Reminder Of Singapore’s Horrific Cannabis Laws

Written by Johnny Green on July 30, 2022. Posted in Policy.

More and more people around the globe are taking part in new cannabis freedoms thanks to cannabis policies being reformed either by citizen initiatives or by legislative action. Every victory is worth celebrating each and every time.

However, there’s still a lot of reform work that needs to occur, with another very grim reminder coming this week in Singapore where a man was executed for doing nothing more than reportedly selling cannabis – something that is now legal in several jurisdictions for medical and/or adult-use. Per The Province:

A tweet from writer, researcher and community organizer Kokila Annamalai noted that confirmation had been received that the man was executed at Changi Prison after earlier being convicted of cannabis trafficking.

Many people who commented on Annamalai’s post voiced frustration.

“Killed for selling the plant my dad grows in his back garden in Canada,” one poster wrote. “I’m hoping that the rise of social media disrupts the Singaporean government’s media stranglehold on narrative and leads to real change,” added another.

Singapore law is such that selling cannabis results in an automatic death penalty. While it seems unclear exactly how much cannabis the person was caught selling, Singapore’s law has a threshold of 500 grams of cannabis. Anything above that and it’s an automatic death sentence.

From what it sounds like from some of the social media comments, the person that was executed was perhaps cultivating cannabis. If so, it doesn’t take much to get to the 500-gram limit. It is not uncommon for one plant to yield thousands of grams of cannabis if the grower knows what they are doing.

Per the reporting out of Singapore, the execution was the 6th for a drug offense just since late March. Singapore’s government has offered up several excuses for keeping its inhumane policies in place, however, none of them will ever be able to justify executing someone for doing nothing more than selling/cultivating a plant that is exponentially safer than alcohol.

Lawmaker In India: Promote Cannabis, Not Alcohol

Written by Johnny Green on July 30, 2022. Posted in Policy.

Historically, cannabis was portrayed as ‘the scourge of man’ in film and by mainstream media. The related reefer madness-induced stigma was simultaneously perpetuated by lawmakers across the globe. Meanwhile, alcohol is embraced by most cultures and political majorities around the world and has been for a logn time, which is unfortunate given how much safer cannabis is compared to alcohol.

In fact, a team of international researchers once determined that cannabis is roughly 114 times safer than alcohol. Given that mathematical fact and the scientific research backing it up, why is cannabis illegal in so many places, and yet alcohol is permitted?

According to the World Health Organization, “The harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 disease and injury conditions,” and “Worldwide, 3 million deaths every year result from harmful use of alcohol. This represents 5.3% of all deaths.”

Conversely, no one has ever died in recorded human history from consuming cannabinoids alone. There have been examples of cannabis being contaminated and people dying from consuming the contaminants, but never from consuming the cannabinoids alone. Clearly, given those facts, cannabis prohibition policies are not based on science.

While it’s very important to highlight the hypocrisy of cannabis prohibition and simultaneous permitted alcohol consumption and sales, it’s also important to refrain from shaming people for alcohol use. Just as consuming cannabis is a personal choice, so too is the choice to consume alcohol. Prohibition of either substance doesn’t work.

With that being said, given the difference between the two from a safety standpoint, the more that people consume cannabis instead of alcohol is always a good thing, and something that governments should encourage as part of a harm reduction strategy.

That is a point that seems to be embraced by at least one lawmaker in India who is ramping up calls to regulate cannabis like alcohol. Per excerpts from Scroll.in:

A Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Chhattisgarh has suggested the promotion of bhaang and cannabis as alternatives to liquor, claiming that those who consume the former rarely commit serious crimes, PTI reported on Monday.

While I don’t agree with some of the rhetorical alcohol shaming that is part of the conversation in India right now, I do agree with the sentiment on the pro-cannabis side to some degree.

Just as someone can consume alcohol responsibly and should be allowed to do so, so too should people be allowed to consume cannabis responsibly if that is their choice, and that should be true in India as well as everywhere else.

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Push For Adult-Use Legalization Gains Momentum In Colombia

Written by Johnny Green on July 30, 2022. Posted in Policy.

Colombia is not new to the international cannabis scene. For many decades Colombian cannabis has served as a top source for cannabis consumers around the world, albeit in an unregulated fashion.

The South American country is most associated with a different intoxicating substance, cocaine, however, Colombia also cultivates tons and tons of cannabis.

I don’t know who was the first person to smuggle cannabis out of Colombia, but I do know that international smugglers such as Robert ‘The Tuna’ Platshorn went to Colombia as early as the 1970s to purchase cannabis by the boat load and sailed literal tons of cannabis back to North America.

Sun-grown cannabis grows very well in Colombia’s climate with far less effort and inputs compared to industrial cannabis cultivation operations found elsewhere on the planet.

A cultivation expert that I know and who travels to Colombia often once told me that a pound of cannabis can be cultivated in Colombia for just $7. That puts Colombia in a very advantageous position to reap the benefits of the emerging international cannabis industry.

That is a sentiment that appears to be shared by an increasing number of lawmakers in Colombia, including President-elect Gustavo Petro, who has served as a vocal critic of the war on drugs.

Petro recently met with the Biden administration to discuss, among other things, drug policy reform. Per excerpts from Reuters:

Colombian President-elect Gustavo Petro on Friday met with representatives of U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration in Bogota, the Colombian capital, where they discussed topics including drug trafficking, the environment and economic development.

Petro, a 62-year-old economist who will become Colombia’s first leftist leader next month, has been roundly critical of the U.S.-led war on drugs and was elected on promises to tackle deep inequality and climate change and to seek peace with remaining leftist rebels.

An adult-use cannabis legalization measure was recently introduced in Colombia by Colombian Sen. Gustavo Bolivar, and hopefully it gains support.

With cannabis reform on the move around the globe, and Colombia uniquely positioned to gain a huge share of the international market via exports, the time is ripe for reform in the South American nation.

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Will The United States Ever Legalize Cannabis Federally?

Written by Johnny Green on July 26, 2022. Posted in Policy.

The negative impact of cannabis prohibition in the United States goes far beyond the country’s borders. Every country around the world enacts its own cannabis laws, however, prohibition in the U.S. largely drove prohibition abroad over the years.

Yet, whereas much of the world followed the United States’ lead when it came to enacting prohibition policies, countries such as Uruguay, Canada, and Malta didn’t wait around and have zoomed past the U.S. when it comes to ending cannabis prohibition for adult use.

For that matter, many states within the U.S. have already taken matters into their own hands and passed legalization measures at the state level. Every passing year seems to result in more states passing legalization either via legislative action or through the ballot box.

Lawmakers at the federal level have tried for some time, to varying degrees, to pass an adult-use legalization measure. Unfortunately, it has failed to happen, with bill after bill dying a slow death in Congress.

There is optimism that something could happen this session in Congress, with the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act finally being introduced in the Senate. The measure was teased for quite some time prior to being introduced and was essentially hyped as a measure that the Senate could finally support after the Senate has failed repeatedly to pass measures previously passed by the House.

I don’t personally have a lot of hope for this specific measure passing, partially because some advocates do not think that it goes far enough, and mostly because Congress is dysfunctional, and getting anything reasonable passed these days seems to be extremely difficult.
Only time will tell. No one knows for sure when cannabis will be legalized federally in the U.S., and anyone that says otherwise is likely trying to sell you something.

Below is more information about the newly introduced Senate measure via a news release from our friends at the National Cannabis Industry Association (sent to us via email on June 21st):

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shumer (D-NY) along with Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) which is now the Senate’s only pending legislation that would provide comprehensive cannabis policy reforms across the nation.

The landmark bill would remove cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act and move regulatory responsibility from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies to protect public health and safety. The legislation would also allow the state-regulated medical and adult-use cannabis industries already in place in 37 states to operate without federal interference.

The Senate Democrats’ CAOA would also institute a federal excise tax of 5-25% on cannabis on top of the already-hefty state taxes imposed on the industry, concerning advocates for small cannabis businesses and equity operators.

“We applaud the authors of this legislation for working to bring federal law into harmony with the states and the vast majority of voters who have called for an end to prohibition,” said Aaron Smith, co-founder and chief executive officer of the National Cannabis Industry Association. “We look forward to working with Senators on both sides of the aisle to improve the tax provisions in this bill on behalf of small cannabis businesses and eventually pass it into law.”

The long-awaited CAOA Act was introduced after a bill sponsors circulated a discussion draft last year. NCIA and other advocacy organizations provided comprehensive feedback to the bill’s authors last year. Notable changes to the legislation include:

Increases the permissible THC by dry weight from the current 0.3 percent to 0.7 percent and refines the definition of “hemp,” and consequently “cannabis” by taking into account the total THC in a cannabis product, rather than just delta-9 THC.
Changes to the weight quantity to qualify a person for felony cannabis distribution or possession charge under the section from 10 pounds to 20 pounds.
Provides that a court shall automatically, after a sentencing review, expunge each federal cannabis conviction, vacate any remaining sentence, and resentence the defendant as if this law had been in place prior to the original sentencing.
Enables a noncitizen who has received a deportation order based on a cannabis-related offense to file a motion to reconsider that decision. If the motion to reconsider is filed within 30 days of the removal order, the motion may allow for the cancellation of the deportation order.
Establishes a new 10-year intermediary lending pilot program in which SBA would make direct loans to eligible intermediaries that in turn make small business loans to startups, businesses owned by individuals adversely impacted by the War on Drugs, and socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses.
Removes the requirement to maintain a bond for any cannabis business that had less than $100,000 in excise tax liability in the prior year and reasonably expects excise tax liability in the current year to be below such amount.
Incorporates rules similar to rules currently applicable to permitted malt beverage producers and wholesalers.

Whitney Economics submitted a report outlining concerns with the tax plan, finding that the CAOA would impose an additional $1.1 billion in taxes on the already-struggling and cannabis industry.

“Introducing this far-reaching bill is a historic and important effort but we hope that the Senate moves quickly to pass the bi-partisan SAFE Banking Act which would provide tangible and immediate relief to small businesses and improve public safety by opening access to banking and financial services in our industry,” added Smith.

The SAFE Banking Act has been approved by the House of Representatives seven times and the Senate version of the bill (S. 910) enjoys the support of a bipartisan group of 43 co-sponsors but has yet to be brought to a vote in that chamber.

Laws to make cannabis legal for adults have passed in 19 states as well as the District of Columbia and the territories of CNMI and Guam, and 37 states as well as several territories have comprehensive medical cannabis laws. The substance is legal in some form in 47 states.

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The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) is the largest cannabis trade association in the U.S. and the only organization broadly representing cannabis-related businesses at the national level. NCIA promotes the growth of a responsible and legitimate cannabis industry and works toward a favorable social, economic, and legal environment for that industry in the United States.

Help Build A Worldwide Digital Cannabis Community

Written by Johnny Green on July 20, 2022. Posted in Business.

It is no secret that it is a very exciting time for many cannabis enthusiasts and advocates all over the world. Cannabis reform continues to spread across the planet at an ever-increasing pace, and with it, the spread of the emerging legal cannabis industry.

Many cannabis-related opportunities that used to not exist are now very much a reality, especially when it comes to employment and pursuing a career in cannabis. The cannabis industry is the most exciting and fastest expanding large industry on earth, with no limit currently in sight when it comes to how large the industry will become.

Unfortunately, finding the right job in the legal cannabis industry is not as easy as some may think given how young the industry is and how fast it has expanded in such a short amount of time. Conversely, finding the right candidate is also not easy for prospective cannabis employers. Finding a strong candidate with a proven track record can be difficult.

Thankfully, there is a new app being developed that will help both candidates and prospective cannabis employers, as well as the international cannabis community in general. The CanMar Hub is a new social tech platform community app positioned as the very first of its kind, devoted to bringing the global cannabis and psychedelics community together.

The app provides access to quality features such as networking, B2B deals, a global business directory, industry events, marketplace, education, CanTank for investors, jobs, news, and so much more. The creators of the CanMar Hub app are currently looking for beta testers, which is a great opportunity.

People do not need to be coders in order to help beta test, although basic knowledge of technology is a plus. Now is the time to get in on the action, as downloading the app in the future will be done so by invite only. Beta testers that join now get 3 personal invites to send out to their peers.

You can claim your exclusive invitation to be one of the first beta testers at:

Want to learn more? Send an email to hello@canmar.io.

The Future Of Cannabis Dispensing

Written by Johnny Green on July 20, 2022. Posted in Business.

I am proud to state that I am on an ever-growing list of lucky people that get to live where cannabis is legal for both medical and adult use. Oregon, where I live, legalized cannabis for medical use in 1998 and then for adult use in 2014. I am extremely thankful that I do not have to be subjected to the inhumane public policy that is cannabis prohibition.

Additionally, I am very thankful that I can make legal purchases at regulated dispensaries. Before legal dispensaries existed in my area I had to make my purchases from the unregulated market where options are limited and customer service is basically nonexistent. Being able to walk into a fixed storefront that has set hours and choose from a buffet of cannabis products is an amazing thing that every consumer and patient should be able to legally do.

With all of that being said, there’s one major hiccup to the dispensary model that exists in most places where cannabis commerce is allowed to operate. For those that have never visited a dispensary, it can prove to be a very time-consuming ordeal, especially on a busy day.

If I had to estimate it, from the time that I pull up to a dispensary until I finalize my purchase it takes anywhere from tens of minutes all the way up to an hour. I have family in Las Vegas that go to very popular dispensaries that tourists shop at, and they have told me that their purchasing experiences take well longer than an hour from start to finish.

Part of what takes so long is waiting in line, however, at the heart of the issue is how inefficient the storage and retrieval of cannabis products is at virtually every dispensary. To be clear, I am not talking about the decision-making process. I am referring to after the decision is made regarding what to purchase, how long it takes for a budtender to compile everything, and if it’s flower having to weigh it out and package it all. If it’s a product that isn’t in the display case and the budtender needs to go to the back to a secure area to retrieve something, that just makes things take even longer.

Not only does all of that take a long time, speaking from personal experience, it is kind of awkward standing there at the register in silence waiting for what was purchased to be handed to me. It’s definitely better than living under prohibition, however, there is clearly plenty of room to boost efficiency when it comes to storing and retreiving cannabis products.

With that in mind, I am really impressed by a new invention that is debuting at the International Cannabis Business Conference this week in Berlin, Germany. The CANNASTORE is the first automated dispensing system specifically designed for cannabis products and is sure to revolutionize the cannabis dispensing process.

The hardware system in its standard design is already used in several thousand German pharmacies, however, this new version is even more impressive. The CANNASTORE was tested and developed over two years, and is capable of dispensing products within 6 to 12 seconds. That works out to 500 units in an hour. The CANNASTORE can hold up to 40,000 units before needing to be restocked.

The timing of the CANNASTORE’s debut is in itself very significant given the current political and industry context in Germany. It is no secret that Germany is going to launch an adult-use cannabis industry in the near future, and whether that is this year or next year one thing is for sure – once sales do launch a lot of people are going to be purchasing cannabis in Germany, and being able to serve up cannabis in as efficient of a way as possible is vital to helping prevent bottlenecks at the point of purchase.

The CANNASTORE is not only going to help customers’ purchasing experiences, it is also going to directly contribute to helping Germany’s cannabis industry reach its full potential and the significance of that cannot be overstated.