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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:

• Governors urge Biden to reschedule cannabis this year

• New York injunction lifted at last

• Grassdoor shuts down entire operation

…and more. Let’s get to it.

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🚨 Roll Call

Policy

Request to reschedule. Democratic governors from six states sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to ensure cannabis is rescheduled by the end of the year. They indicate the move would better align with state policy and public opinion, have positive economic and tax benefits, and increase public health and safety.

The following signed off on the letter:

• Governor Jared Polis, Colorado

• Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois

• Governor John Bel Edwards, Louisiana

• Governor Wes Moore, Maryland

• Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey

• Governor Kathy Hochul, New York

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended in late August for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.

This process was initially initiated in October of last year at the direction of President Biden.

Policy

Time for takeoff. The months-long injunction that has kept the nascent New York cannabis market at a standstill has been lifted at last.

The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has been blocked from issuing and approving new retail licenses since a judge from the Supreme Court of the State of New York initially issued a temporary restraining order in August. The decision resulted from a lawsuit filed by a group of service-disabled military veterans alleging the agency’s process for prioritizing applicants violated the state’s Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act.

The veterans will be given dispensary licenses as part of the settlement agreement.

Regardless, this should provide a much needed boost for the flailing cannabis market. Almost a year into New York’s legal cannabis industry, merely 27 dispensaries have opened statewide — 11 in NYC.

Business

Grassdoor is gone. California-based Grassdoor, a cannabis delivery juggernaut, began insolvency proceedings and closed its doors at the end of November. The news was shared with company employees by interim CEO Chi-Chien Hou. All employees were laid off as a result.

🇺🇸 State of the Industry

Alabama: Medical cannabis business licenses were finally handed out to 20 applicants, but a prospective processor has already filed a lawsuit after being rejected despite being awarded a license in the previous two rounds.

Florida: A new poll shows 67% of voters support a proposed state constitutional amendment for recreational cannabis legalization.

New Hampshire: Governor Chris Sununu introduced two non-negotiables — a 15-store cap at the beginning, and a ban on political contributions and lobbying by license holders — to the commission looking into a state-run model for cannabis sales.

New Jersey: New legislation to allow home-grow cannabis has been put forward by a group of state senators.

📊 Business

Curaleaf granted conditional approval from TSX

The international cannabis consumer products company has received conditional approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange to list its subordinate voting shares.

💻 Tech

Green Check integrates with Meadow

The cannabis fintech announced an integration with the all-in-one cannabis POS system to optimize sales reporting, saving cannabis businesses time and money while confirming compliance.

🌏 Around the World

Germany: A final vote on cannabis legalization, which was originally expected to take place this week, is being delayed until next year.

Japan: Parliament passed a bill to legalize medical products using substances derived from cannabis.

Luxembourg: The new coalition government is abandoning a plan for recreational cannabis legalization.

💨 Quick Hitters

• Nihon University in Japan scrapped its American football program in the midst of a cannabis scandal involving members of the team.

• Robbers stole 100 pounds of cannabis at gunpoint from a Culver City, California dispensary.

• The head of Minnesota's Office of Medical Cannabis is stepping down after five years on the job.

📚 What We’re Reading

• What Recreational Cannabis Means for Dispensary Design in New York (Metropolis)

• Traces of cannabis found in pre-modern human bones for the first time (New Scientist)

• Pennsylvania is surrounded by states where cannabis is legal for adults. We’re getting left behind. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

🎙️ Potcasts

• Can Alcohol and Legal Cannabis Coexist? (VinePair Podcast)

• Illinois' pot experiment, four years in (Crain's Daily Gist)

📼 Video of the Week

🔎 Job Board

• Sr. Manager, Compliance

  • Curaleaf

  • $90,000—$120,000

• Director of Retail Operations

  • Cloud9 Cannabis

• Wholesale Account Executive

  • Revolutionary Clinics

📨 Puff, Puff, Pass Reeferal Program

Stay tuned for more cannabis industry news next week!

💚,

The Pre Roll Team

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