???? EAZE-Y DOES IT
Eaze, originally a delivery business, has opened its first storefronts
One of the largest cannabis delivery companies, Eaze, has opened its first two dispensaries, reports Forbes. The seven-year-old company opened one in San Diego, California and the other was an acquisition in Santa Ana.
The pivot
Eaze pivoted to a vertically integrated model in 2020 after nearly running out of cash. Last August, the company acquired Green Dragon dispensaries, which operate in Colorado and Florida. While delivery will remain the “backbone” of the company, CEO Rogelio Choy said they’ll be looking to expand Eaze and Green Dragon retailers into Massachusetts, New Jersey and Oregon.
The takeaway
“Eaze delivery is more popular than ever, but many customers also want to walk into a dispensary, talk to an expert budtender, and get a feel for the products,” said Austin DeAngelis, CEO of Eaze’s plant touching operations. “Eaze Dispensary brings together the joys of shopping for weed in person with our high standards and values.”
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???? LICENSE AND BRAIN IMAGINING PLEASE
Study shows potential to reliably measure THC impairment
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have identified a new way to measure THC impairment with a brain imaging procedure, reports the Harvard Gazette.
Why it matters
From labour to driving, there isn’t yet a reliable way to measure impairment. While breathalyzer tests and blood tests detect THC, they aren’t able to show when the THC was ingested or if an individual is impaired.
The takeaway
“Identification of acute impairment from THC intoxication through portable brain imaging could be a vital tool in the hands of police officers in the field,” said senior author A. Eden Evins. “We need a method that won’t penalize medical marijuana users or others with insufficient amounts of cannabis in their system to impair their performance,” said Jodi Gilman, lead author.
3 YEARS LATER
Canadian government to host forum on diversity in cannabis
While many US states have already developed equity-focused initiatives to support a diverse cannabis industry, the Canadian government is hosting its first forum focused on the topic this month, reports MJBizDaily.
The current issues identified by stakeholders are:
- underrepresentation of groups that have been historically over-policed under prohibition, such as Indigenous and Black communities
- regulatory barriers preventing Indigenous participating in the industry
- expungement of cannabis-related criminal records
The Cannabis Licencing Outreach Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion forum will run in the afternoon on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27.
WITH TWO Ts
Polish cannabis blockchain start-up Trustt raises €400,000
A Polish cannabis blockchain start-up focused on seed-to-sale supply chain security has raised €400,000.
The plan
Launched in November, the company will use the funds to finish development on its proprietary Trustt Trace platform and begin testing it in the UK, Ireland, Malta, Poland, Denmark and Uganda starting this spring.
The takeaway
Co-founder Mike Sikorski said the tech will reduce costs and time. “If adopted, it would decrease cost and make compliance checks easy, which in effect would stimulate market growth and further increase consumer safety,” he said.
