REPUBLICAN BILL
GOP cannabis legalization bill will be heard by Congress: Mace
In an interview on the Psychoactive podcast with Drug Policy Alliance founder Ethan Nadelmann, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) said her States Reform Act will get a hearing in Congress, but that it could happen after the Democrat-led Marijuana Opportunity, Expungement and Reinvestment (MORE) Act gets its hearing, reports Marijuana Moment.
“Personally, I want to respect the process and MORE is going to come up again and let Democrats do MORE Act. It’ll die in the Senate,” she said. “And so when that’s done, we will do our hearing, and there was nothing done in exchange for it. I just made the ask and we’re making it happen.”
She also commented on her own party’s opposition to her cannabis bill and the attacks she’s had from fellow Republicans campaigning for her spot.
“It’s quite bizarre, quite frankly,” she said. “Our voters are uniquely astute on policy and on the issues, and we do march to the beat of our own drum. They don’t want someone who’s going to toe the party line. They want someone who’s fiscally conservative, socially moderate on these issues.”
Recall, Mace is facing a Republican challenger in her primary this year. And the most important person in the Republican party – former President Donald Trump – has endorsed her challenger.
Enjoy Cannabis Daily each morning at 7 a.m.
HYPROCRITE
Is Biden’s ban on cannabis investments hypocritical?
In response to reports that the Biden administration may deny security clearances to employees who invest in cannabis securities, US Cannabis Council CEO Steven Hawkins issued a statement pointing out that the Biden 2020 campaign didn’t seem to have a problem accepting donations from cannabis companies, reports Benzinga.
“The guidance from Director Haines says that investing in the burgeoning cannabis securities market ‘could reflect questionable judgment and an unwillingness to comply with laws, rules, and regulations.’ This is frankly offensive and wrongheaded,” reads the statement. “It also begs the question: If President Biden feels this way, why does he happily accept campaign donations from individuals in the cannabis industry?”
A quick search on the Federal Election Commission’s site – fec.gov – shows that indeed, an unsurprisingly long list of cannabis-related donors, from employees at Eaze Wellness, Pax Labs, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control and Marijuana Policy Project, contributed to the Biden 2020 campaign.
Hawkins also reminded Biden of his campaign promises. “During the 2020 election, President Biden pledged to decriminalize cannabis and issue pardons to free non-violent cannabis offenders and expunge cannabis offenses. We are still hopeful that the President will deliver on these promises, but we are discouraged by his unforced errors on personnel. An evolution on the issue is overdue.”
DATA ON FYRE
A deep dive on Hifyre’s data platform
In a Q&A with MJBizDaily, Hifyre president Matthew Hollingshead said its retail technology was built “with data at the centre of everything we did.” (Centre, not center. Hifyre is Canadian!)
The highlights:
- In addition to capturing sales data at the retail level, Hifyre is designed to recommend products to members of the Spark Perks loyalty program
- Recently acquired Wikileaf and PotGuide are an effort to own “the entire customer journey” through content
- He perceives Leafly and Weedmaps as competitors, not retailers who compete with Fire & Flower
Begging the question: what’s stopping other tech platforms from building similar features? Hollingshead’s answer: “Because we’ve built purposefully from the beginning, and we built it in house, we’re not just going out and acquiring this and acquiring that, partnering with somebody else to fill this other gap – we’ve built for longevity.”
“…WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY”
Peel NRE could join the cannabis industry
Infrastructure, transport and real estate investment group Peel is consulting the public before formally applying to local government to create a new medical cannabis cultivation and research facility, reports BusinessCann.
The project will be Peel’s first cannabis-related initiative, and reflects the Isle of Man’s potential as it readies itself for becoming a hub for cannabis cultivation and production.
“We are bringing other partners that will be announced shortly,” said Stephen Oliver of The Canna Consultants, who is working with Peel. “We’re in talks with a NASDAQ listed company who’ve been involved in 400 cultivation sites across the globe, the vast majority in Canada and North America. So we’re bringing in the best people with the best track records.”
