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Photo courtesy of Viola Brands

A cannabis store opened in New Jersey by Al Harrington and business partner Dan Pettigrew marks the latest round of former NBA players expanding their reach in the cannabis industry.

Harrington, who played 16 years in the league and grew up in nearby East Orange, New Jersey, recently launched Village Hoboken, the first retail store on the East Coast under the duo's Viola Brands.

"It's one of my biggest accomplishments since I've been in this space," Harrington told MJBizDaily.

Harrington isn't the only former hoopster grabbing headlines in a different arena as the NBA season tips off.

Hall of Famer Gary Payton teamed up with Green Label Rx founder Jason McKnight to launch Greater Purpose, a Los Angeles-based wellness brand that fuses cannabis and recovery for athletes and professionals.

Harrington and Payton both were drawn to the plant after experiencing the positive effects cannabis had on their loved ones.

After helping his grandmother, Viola, find treatment for her glaucoma with cannabis, Harrington teamed up with Pettigrew to establish the brand to help others in her honor.

Harrington frequently touts marijuana's medical benefits, particularly in helping people with addiction ween off hard recreational drugs and opiates.

Meanwhile, before Payton's mother died of cancer in 2020, he administered THC-infused rubs, which provided her temporary pain relief.

"We're coming to help people naturally," Payton said. Read story >

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More Headlines

• New York City's illicit marijuana crackdown is unconstitutional, judge rules. Read story >
• Massachusetts cannabis commission chooses new executive director. Read story >

Insights on growing & manufacturing cannabis

Funding shortage for LED rebates leaves marijuana lighting vendors on hook

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A rebate program aimed at encouraging indoor farmers – those growing cannabis and other crops - to switch to LED lights proved so popular that utility company Xcel Energy ran out of money to pay for it.

The funding shortfall has left cannabis ancillary companies such as Scynce LED on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Arizona-based company has about $500,000 in unpaid rebates for lighting it shipped to clients before Xcel suspended the program.

"We found out we were not going to get paid until sometime in 2025, which blew up our budget for the year," said Nick Pastushan, CEO and majority owner of Scynce LED.

"We'd already bought and paid for all these lights, and we even have amounts due to us from the 2023 (rebate) program that got carried over."

Xcel's rebate program was offered to indoor farmers in Colorado, Minnesota and New Mexico, rolling out between July 1, 2022, and April 1, 2023.

The Minneapolis-based utility company recently notified participants that the program was in trouble because it didn't have the money to provide rebates for projects that already had been submitted. Read story >

Missouri establishing cannabis reference testing lab to improve standards

Photo by Matthew Staver for MJBizDaily/Emerald

Missouri regulators are launching a reference testing lab in an attempt to improve industry standards and better analyze the contents of cannabis products.

The move comes at a time consumer safety concerns are rippling across the U.S. marijuana industry.

Missouri's Division of Cannabis Regulation will oversee the operation at the State Public Health Laboratory in Jefferson City, where newly hired scientists are training on equipment, testing protocols and procedures.

According to a recently published annual report on Missouri's medical and adult-use program from the Department of Health & Senior Services, testing will include:

• Identifying and quantifying the levels of cannabinoids in cannabis products.
• Moisture content.
• Screening for contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, mold and other pathogens.

State officials earmarked $3.8 million in fiscal year 2024 and $2.4 million in fiscal year 2025 to establish the lab, which is expected to be fully operational by fall 2025. Read story >

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CPAs offer 280E guidance to Treasury, IRS ahead of marijuana rescheduling

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In a letter to the U.S. Department of Treasury and the IRS, the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) is trying to provide guidance aimed at cannabis businesses and tax professionals ahead of potential marijuana rescheduling.

"Since the beginning of decriminalization and legalization of marijuana across a growing number of states, cannabis businesses and their CPAs have struggled to walk the tightrope of an industry that is locally legal but federally illegal," Melanie Lauridsen, vice president of tax policy and advocacy for the AICPA, wrote in the letter.

"It's imperative that the federal government's tax administration bodies provide guidance to these profitable businesses and their advisers in advance of the rescheduling of marijuana to help ensure a clear understanding of their federal tax obligations and mitigate non-compliance." Read story >

Nebraska medical cannabis ballot initiatives go to trial amid early voting

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Opening arguments began Tuesday in an extraordinary last-minute challenge lodged against a Nebraska medical marijuana legalization campaign as voters continued to cast ballots a week before Election Day.

The main question hanging over the lawsuit against Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana - brought by an anti-cannabis former state senator and later joined by Nebraska's top elections official – is whether votes cast for two MMJ legalization measures will count.

Legalization advocates characterized the lawsuit as a desperate, last-ditch ploy to yank the measure by any means necessary from the ballot, where it seemingly is likely to pass.

But with the trial scheduled to last at least the rest of this week, it's unknown whether an answer will come before Election Day. And early voting in Nebraska has been underway for more than three weeks. Read story >

More Headlines

• Kentucky awards 26 medical marijuana business licenses in lottery. Read story >
• Florida lawmakers could add cannabis permits if adult-use ballot initiative passes. Read story >
• Marijuana operator Green Dragon to cease operations by year-end. Read story >
• Costa Rica awards 57 licenses for cultivation, production of hemp derivatives. Read story >
• Delaware awards first adult-use permits for marijuana cultivation, manufacturing. Read story >
• Maine testing lab 'irregularities' prompt widening adult-use cannabis recall. Read story >
• Michigan marijuana company Skymint's equipment for sale in November auction. Read story >

E L E C T I O N   W E E K

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MJBizCon Conference Agenda Now LIVE!

It's time to celebrate the launch of the most comprehensive MJBizCon to date — we're talking 200+ speakers and four full days of sessions.

This year we're doubling down on our Cultivation track. Below are a few session highlights (check back each week for more):

CULTIVATION

Thursday, Dec. 5 • 10:50 - 11:30 a.m.

Dr. David Hawley steers the company's global Crop Science program, encompassing photobiological research, horticultural services, and data analytics on vine crops, leafy greens, berries, ornamentals, and cannabis. Fluence's scientists have identified specific and diverse lighting strategies that consider crop yield, morphology, quality, and economics that maximize commercial growers' objectives, whatever their crops and production objectives may be.

CULTIVATION

Thursday, Dec. 5 • 3:40 - 4:20 p.m.

Maria McIntyre

Head of Cannabis, bioMrieux

Maria McIntyre is a trailblazer in cannabis microbiology and has exhibited a lifelong enthusiasm for human health and public safety reflected in science, education, and innovation. 

With a distinctive education in both biology and chemistry, her career led her to research and development roles within food science, pharmaceuticals, regulatory compliance and microbiology.

Jason Mac Donald

Sr. Director of Production Operations, Native Roots Cannabis Co.

Jason has been a pioneering figure in the Colorado cannabis industry, setting the bar for cultivation best practices, environmental sustainability standards and superior product quality. As the individual at the helm of the largest indoor grow in Colorado, and who has been on the ground floor of the industry since legalization in Colorado, he has played an important role in moving the industry forward as a whole.

Caleb Counts

Caleb Counts is a leading Northern California cannabis cultivator and entrepreneur whose pioneering innovations have defined the California cannabis industry and continue to drive its success. His career is dedicated to evolving the cannabis landscape, and he continues to thrive amid political and market turmoil. Caleb launched Connected Cannabis Co. in 2013 with a mission to transform the cannabis world by fostering collaboration and creating unity. 

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The cannabis industry has experienced significant turbulence and transformation in 2024. This session is a must-attend panel discussion for anyone looking to stay informed about the latest challenges and opportunities in the cannabis industry. The panelists will provide a comprehensive update on key industry developments from the past year. Attendees also will hear a forecast about how the industry landscape will change in 2025 and how businesses can leverage new opportunities to chart a path to success. Register now >

R E S O U R C E S

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