Last year, when censors rejected a Super Bowl ad from cannabis brand Acreage Holdings, it was both a sign of cannabis’ mainstream emergence, and also an indication of America’s ongoing complicated relationship with the plant. Now, the political headwinds around legalization are starting to turn, and the cannabis industry has reached a critical point in […]
Compliance and Regulations
Cannabis and EHS Regulations Part 4
The Carrot and the Stick The last two articles in our series discussed some of the benefits of designing a progressive, comprehensive environment, health and safety (EHS) program in the cannabis industry. We described the “carrot” of increased business growth due to being an industry leader and implementing a top shelf EHS program. In turn, […]
Accreditation: Adding Value to Supply Chains
In the first installment, we established the differences between first, second, and third party certification. For this article, we will delve deeper into third party certification by exploring the difference between certification and accreditation. The terms certification and accreditation are often used interchangeably, though they have very different meanings. As certification has become the buzz word […]
Call for National Lab Testing Standards
Medical and Recreational Marijuana: Legal Issues, Operational Challenges and Regulatory Hurdles That Marijuana-Related Businesses Frequently Encounter PART 3 of 6: An Overview of How the Lack of National Standards for Laboratory Tests of Marijuana Products Affects the Public Health and the Marijuana Industry This article is the third part of a six-part series discussing the […]
Environmental Health and Safety Compliance in The Cannabis Industry: Starting at Ground Zero (Part 3)
By Grant Gilezan & Gerald Hincka In Part 2 we discussed envisioning the scope of your environmental, health and safety (EHS) compliance program so you can determine whether you want to pursue a “good enough” program or set yourself apart by pursuing a program that goes above and beyond to protect its employees and the […]
Using Quality as a Competitive Differentiator in the Cannabis Industry
In the aftermath of the recent vaping epidemic, cannabis consumers and businesses are paying more attention to quality than ever. For the sake of the industry’s long-term growth, let’s hope that concern translates into action with both time and monetary investments in improving and promoting high quality. Today’s savvy cannabis businesses should recognize that focusing […]
2020 Cannabis Industry Outlook
The New Year marks a noteworthy turning point in our country, economically, politically, and culturally. The decade ahead will likely include transformation and accelerate innovation within the cannabis industry, in continuation of previous years’ trends and with continued advancement towards legalization in some states and adoption of new rules in others. From where I sit […]
THCP: Newly Discovered Form of THC Could Help Explain Potency Variations in Cannabis Strains and May Lead to New Product Label Requirements
The pharmacological effects of most cannabinoids remain a mystery. Despite more than 120 identified cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, very few other than THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) have been isolated and characterized in terms of their pharmacological properties. The newest identified cannabinoid is THCP (tetrahydrocannabiphorol) and is many times more potent than THC. THC […]
Certification | The Latest Cannabis Buzz (word)
This is the first in a series of articles designed to educate and assist both the public and private sector understand the challenges related to producing safe, quality consistent cannabis products, and the role third-party certification plays in that process. Future articles will cover conformity assessments, the difference between certification and accreditation, combined with tips […]
Cannabis Regulations and EHS – An Overview
By Grant Gilzean & Gerald Hincka Congratulations! Your company has completed the permitting process for your cannabis business. You understand and have managed the operational and commercial risk in your particular state, and have likely immersed yourself in necessary zoning laws, tax abatement districts, occupant density within fire codes, and other regulations within the local […]
