🌿 Nixon’s unearthed cannabis comments, Pennsylvania ponders adult-use, and Thailand’s cannabis teeter-totter

Happy Friday Pre Rollers! Welcome to another edition of The Pre Roll, the cannabis newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the industry happenings you need to know.

Here’s what we’re rolling up this week:

• Nixon’s unearthed cannabis comments

• Pennsylvania ponders adult-use

• Thailand’s cannabis teeter-totter

…and more. Let’s get to it.

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🚨 ROLL CALL

Policy

Cannabisgate. According to newly uncovered remarks made in 1973 to a small group of aides and advisers during a meeting in the Oval Office, President Richard Nixon, who publicly launched the War on Drugs two years prior when he called drug abuse “public enemy number one,” privately described cannabis as “not particularly dangerous.” He also voiced concern about level of punishment for cannabis crimes.

The comments were recorded on a secret White House recording system and only surfaced recently through the efforts of Minnesota-based lobbyist Kurtis Hanna who found them amidst 3,700 hours of recordings on the Nixon tapes.

These personal perspectives of the President are at odds with many of the prominent policies he implemented — including the War on Drugs and the classification of cannabis within the Controlled Substances Act — which have historically disproportionately impacted Black Americans.

Policy

Common law. A bipartisan pair of legislators have introduced a recreational cannabis legalization bill in Pennsylvania. Governor Josh Shapiro recently voiced his support for a recreational market, as he has done repeatedly in the past. State Senator Sharif Street also recently spoke in favor of legalizing cannabis for adult-use in the Commonwealth.

The proposed law, most notably the details of it, have caught the attention of local lobbyists.

This is not the first time the topic has made headlines in Pennsylvania. In March of last year lawmakers presented a bill that would see recreational cannabis sold through state operated liquor stores. In Pennsylvania these stores, branded as Fine Wine & Good Spirits, are controlled by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. In November, lawmakers held a hearing to further discuss the topic of legalizing adult-use cannabis.

Many also point to legal recreational cannabis markets of neighboring states and believe Pennsylvania should follow suit to ensure safe access, right the wrongs of cannabis prohibition, and stop revenue from bleeding across its border.

Policy

Thai teeter-totter. A new bill in Thailand recommends regulating cannabis rather than reclassifying it as a narcotic. The legislation would keep cannabis legal for medical purposes and also no longer contains a clause explicitly outlawing recreational use as previous versions did.

Thailand originally decriminalized cannabis nationwide back in 2022, becoming the first country in Asia — and only the third in the world, after Canada and Uruguay — to do so. This drew a wave of tourists from all over Asia where drug laws are notoriously strict.

Despite the positive momentum, the move also drew a lot of criticism.

With a new government in place earlier this year, the Southeast Asian country was set to ban the recreational use of cannabis a mere year and a half after decriminalization. The new regime had been adamant about making this move since taking office towards the end of last year.

While the decision to recriminalize cannabis was unpopular, it seemed all but a done deal. Recent rumblings suggested a change of course was possible, and it appears they may have been right.

🇺🇸 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

Illinois: The state Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the smell of cannabis alone is not probable cause for police to search a vehicle.

Missouri: Regulators pushed back on Governor Mike Parson’s ban on hemp-derived THC products.

Nebraska: A lawsuit has been filed seeking to invalidate the proposed medical cannabis ballot measures; supporters are sure they met all legal requirements.

South Carolina: The Office of the Attorney General released a statement affirming that the distribution, sale, and possession of hemp-derived THC beverages is legal.

💻 TECH

Dutchie debuts Metrc Connect integration

The cannabis commerce technology platform released the functionality to provide cannabis retailers access to active inventory tracking, performance monitoring, and deep administrative management.

Flourish furthers partnership with Alpine IQ

The cannabis point-of-sale provider integrated with AIQ’s eCommerce and loyalty platforms to increase operational efficiency and customer experience for cannabis dispensaries.

💨 QUICK HITTERS

• AYR Wellness President and CEO David Goubert stepped down from his position; he had been with the company since 2022.

• THC seltzer WYNK revealed a partnership with punk rock music festival Riot Fest.

• The Cannabis Research Institute is ramping up operations in a former COVID-19 testing facility on Chicago’s West Side.

• English footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was charged in connection with £600,000 in cannabis seized in a suitcase at a British airport.

📚 WHAT WE’RE READING

• California legal weed industry in tumult after Times pesticide investigation (Los Angeles Times)

• As neighboring states cash in on legal cannabis, Wisconsin remains boxed out (Madison Magazine)

• Can Zimbabwe Reach its Billion Dollar Cannabis Dream? (TalkingDrugs)

• Economic Impacts of Zoning for Cannabis Businesses (Planetizen)

• US cannabis company Eaze pays supervisors less than those they oversee, workers say (The Guardian)

🎙️ POTCASTS

• Sweet Licensing Deals & Cannabis Sports Drinks (CPG Week by BevNET & Nosh)

• Cannabis Companies and the Corporate Transparency Act (Cannabis Law Now)

📽️ VIDEO OF THE WEEK

🔎 JOB BOARD

• Vice President Sales - US Hemp B2B Channel

  • Wana Brands

  • $165,000—$190,000

• Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Banking

  • LeafLink

  • $105,000—$155,000

• Technical Support Agent

  • Cova

  • $45,000—$50,000

📨 PUFF, PUFF, PASS REEFERAL PROGRAM

Stay tuned for more cannabis industry news next week!

💚,

The Pre Roll Team

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