Cannabis and Hemp Industry Investment News
The U.S. cannabis brand STIIIZY is expanding its footprint with the opening of its newest retail location in Hawthorne, CA on April 12th. As the brand’s 44th dispensary, the new storefront is located at 12831 Crenshaw Blvd, Hawthorne, CA.
Perfectly located on Crenshaw Blvd at El Segundo Blvd, STIIIZY Hawthorne is a convenient stop for South Bay locals and tourists alike. Designed for the modern cannabis consumer, STIIIZY Hawthorne provides a sleek, welcoming environment and a knowledgeable team ready to help its customers find the perfect product for their needs. For seasoned aficionados or those who are new to the cannabis scene, the STIIIZY Hawthorne dispensary offers an extensive selection of premium products, including world-class flower, innovative concentrates, delicious edibles, and state-of-the-art accessories.
The STIIIZY Hawthorne grand opening marks the company’s ninth retail store launch in the past year — proving how the brand recognizes the growing demand and is answering the call to bring its quality products to consumers by scaling its operations in licensed states with a successful expansion strategy.
“STIIIZY Hawthorne is more than just a dispensary, it’s a hub for cannabis culture in the South Bay. As we continue to expand and establish our brand’s presence across the map, it’s especially meaningful to continue this growth within our home state of California—where it all started,” said Tak Sato, President at STIIIZY. “With our roots here, every California store we open reinforces our deep connection to the local communities that have supported us from the beginning. Now with 44 operating stores, we are dedicated to bringing STIIIZY to more markets statewide and beyond.”
The cannabis sector faces a multifaceted landscape marked by economic challenges, shifting regulations and market volatility. Thriving in this environment requires industry businesses to move beyond reactive measures, embracing forward-looking risk management strategies. By adopting comprehensive mitigation plans and maintaining proactive vigilance, cannabis companies can stay competitive and flourish in 2025.
Building resilience against climate risks
The cannabis industry is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with outdoor growers at risk from droughts and wildfires, and supply chains disrupted by hurricanes and floods. Events like the Eaton and Palisades wildfires, two of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history, underscore the urgency for climate preparedness.
To mitigate these challenges, businesses must adopt comprehensive climate resilience measures. Innovative insurance products, such as parametric coverage, can provide financial protection where traditional insurance falls short. Catastrophe modeling tools offer insights into potential risks, enabling targeted infrastructure investments such as improved irrigation systems and reinforced facilities. Collaborating with brokers can help companies identify vulnerabilities and create plans to sustain long-term stability.
Strategic M&A and addressing profitability challenges
Tide Turns in Italian Industry’s Favour as It Continues Its Fight for Survival Image Cannabis NewsFebruary 24, 2025
The Italian hemp industry has received unexpected support from the centre-right Forza Italia party, strengthening its position against an existential threat from the wider government. As the Meloni administration continues its relentless efforts to impose a ‘grotesque crackdown’ on all commercial
Marijuana Politics Marijuana Business News by Business of CannabisAsake's Partners with El Blunto to Launch High-End Cannabis Brand, GIRAN Image Cannabis NewsFebruary 21, 2025
LOS ANGELES, February 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- El Blunto, the world's leading producer of premium blunts, has partnered with GRAMMY-nominated Afrobeats artist Asake to launch GIRAN, a high-end cannabis brand. The collaboration kicks off with two diamond-infused pre-roll products, featuring top-shelf
Cannabis Technology News Marijuana Business News by PR NewswirePlanet 13 Continues to Grow the Iconoclast Universe
[PRESS RELEASE] – LAS VEGAS, Feb. 12, 2025 – Planet 13 Holdings Inc., a leading vertically integrated multistate cannabis company, announced an exciting new partnership to co-brand, package, and produce premium cannabis products for legendary boxing champion Mike Tyson, wrestling icon Ric Flair, and
Wynk, a leading brand in hemp-derived THC-infused beverages, is expanding into Florida, marking an exciting milestone in its growth across the Southeast. After successful launches in Texas and Georgia, Wynk is thrilled to introduce its light, social THC seltzers to Floridians. From Jacksonville to Miami, Wynk is now available in hundreds of retail locations across key metros, offering consumers a refreshing way to experience the perfect balance of THC and CBD.
Florida’s burgeoning interest in hemp-derived products reflects the growing demand for innovative ways to enjoy THC, especially as infused beverages become more accessible to adults. With a 1:1 THC to CBD ratio, Wynk delivers a consistent, feel-good buzz that’s ideal for social settings, making it a standout choice in Florida’s dynamic cannabis market.
“Florida presents a fantastic opportunity for Wynk, and we’re thrilled to bring our THC-infused beverages to the state,” said Phil McFarland, General Manager of Wynk. “We’ve witnessed strong demand for cannabis beverages, and Florida’s market is prime for products like Wynk.”
As demand for cannabis-infused beverages and alcohol alternatives continues to grow, Wynk’s expansion into Florida is set to provide an enjoyable and accessible option for consumers. With the help of the leading beer distribution network in the state, including North Florida Sales, Daytona Beverage, Wayne Densch, Carroll Distributing, City Beverage, and Tri Eagle Sales. Wynk’s signature THC seltzers will be available across a wide range of retail locations in regions such as Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Daytona Beach, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and beyond.
Cheba Hut is teaming up with the Last Prisoner Project (LPP) for the fourth consecutive SmokeOut Injustice day. It’s all about turning tasty meals into real change and raising funds to support cannabis criminal justice reform. Last year, the team at Cheba Hut raised $133,872 for LPP.
While cannabis culture has evolved since Cheba Hut’s founder Scott Jennings toasted his first sub 27 years ago, thousands of Americans are still locked up for cannabis-related offenses—even in states where it’s been decriminalized. Cheba Hut and LPP are here to change that.
The Last Prisoner Project uses legal advocacy, public education, and legislative action to work toward one mission: freeing every single person still incarcerated for non-violent cannabis crimes. With over 75 Cheba Hut locations nationwide, the brand is partnering with LPP to make sure this mission stays in motion.
Cheba Hut is stepping up by supporting the Callwood family in New Mexico, who has been directly impacted by cannabis-related injustices. Elliston Callwood, sentenced to 48 years for 11 pounds of cannabis, is now running a thriving dispensary in Albuquerque with his family, thanks to LPP’s advocacy.
“I served over 30 years for something that’s now legal. Connecting with the Last Prisoner Project changed my life,” said Callwood. “Now, my family and I have turned that experience into something positive by opening our own dispensary.”
The American Dream is Under Attack Illinois Black Hemp Association Shines Light on the Businesses Impacted By Recent Proposed Legislation Efforts
The 2018 Farm Bill provided a promise of opportunity by invigorating farming, entrepreneurship and innovation that more owners, employees and consumers are beginning to enjoy, but now, the American Dream is under attack. Expansions & revisions of federal Farm Bills were designed to sustain
Cannabis Legalization Does Not Lead To Increased Cannabis Use in Youth, Report States
The Marijuana Policy Project examined national and state-level data on percentages of student cannabis use before and after cannabis laws were enacted. In a January 9, 2025, press release, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) announced it had compiled data from various reports related to the effect of
‘Who knows what they’re going to do?’: US cannabis industry braces itself for Trump administration
The industry looks back wistfully on a past year of promise but little delivery, and wonders what next under Trump
For those awaiting the end of cannabis prohibition in the US, 2024 began on a hopeful note, but as the year comes to a close, many of those hopes remain unfulfilled.
“The big issue is rescheduling, and there was a lot of excitement about that, but it’s been sort of mired down,” said Alex Halperin, who has covered the cannabis industry in his newsletter WeedWeek since 2015. Rescheduling would mean that cannabis is no longer federally banned under the Controlled Substances Act.
Joe Biden has been promising to reform federal cannabis law since his 2020 campaign, and rescheduling seemed like the most significant step the president was likely to take. But recent developments mean it won’t happen during his administration, if at all.
The Oregon lawmaker has championed cannabis policy changes on Capitol Hill for nearly three decades.
Half a century ago, a Republican hog farmer delivered the most convincing argument for cannabis legalization Earl Blumenauer has ever heard.
Stafford Hansell, a 60-year-old state senator, was a lead sponsor of Oregon’s groundbreaking 1973 marijuana decriminalization bill.
Hansell held up a cigarette and a bottle of alcohol, and explained that they each killed tens of thousands of people every year. Then he held up a bag of weed, and said it doesn’t kill anybody.
Fifty years on, cannabis is still federally illegal. But in that time, the issue has gone from fringe to mainstream, with more than half of Americans now living in states where adults can legally possess the drug. And the “cannabis czar” – as Blumenauer became known during 14 terms in Congress championing the issue – has seen it all.
Cannabis conundrum: Legal doesn’t mean clean; illicit isn’t always dirty
California cannabis regulators and industry defenders argue that despite the proliferation of pesticides found in legal weed, licensed products are still safer and purer than those sold on the underground market. That isn’t always true, according to an analysis of tests conducted by The Times. Of 16
By Michael H. Sampson, Esq.
Like businesses in virtually any other industry, businesses in the cannabis industry require many different types of insurance coverage – not just property or product liability insurance. Cannabis-related businesses, for example, should consider general liability, management liability, and cyber coverages.
And, make no mistake, insurance coverage is available for the cannabis industry. That said, many insurance companies have been reluctant to sell insurance to businesses in this unique industry because marijuana has been a Schedule I controlled substance and federally illegal.
The more limited insurance options for cannabis-related businesses often means they face higher insurance premiums, and lower available policy limits, than do businesses in other industries.
The decision to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance to a Schedule III controlled substance – if the DEA signs off and lets it take effect – may encourage some previously reluctant insurance companies to more willingly write insurance coverage for the cannabis industry.
Pa. lawmakers say it’s high time to legalize recreational marijuana
Now a pair of House lawmakers is working on legislation to legalize recreational marijuana in the commonwealth.
State Reps. Rick Krajewski, D-Philadelphia, and Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, said Monday they are looking for sponsors for what they are calling “landmark” marijuana legislation that could generate significant revenue and help communities that have suffered the impacts of the “war on drugs.”
“We’ve heard from public health experts. We’ve heard from criminal justice and social equity advocates. We’ve learned directly from states across the country how to get this done safely and efficiently, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in public revenue,” said Krajewski, who, as chairman of a Health subcommittee, held five hearings on the issue this past session. “It’s time to move forward in Pennsylvania before we fall further behind.”
Krajewski and Frankel said the state would build a strong marketplace with a public health focus, raise significant state revenue and support individuals and communities harmed by laws that levied harsh penalties for simple marijuana possession.
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These 2 Marijuana Stocks Could Surge Under Trump's Second Term
The legal cannabis market is projected to reach $102.2 billion globally by 2030, growing at a sizzling 25.7% annual rate, according to a report by Grand View Research. This dramatic growth is expected even without U.S. federal support, but that equation could shift dramatically under President-elect
Coalitions and advocates want to see marijuana decriminalized
In 2022, LEX 18 reported on pushes for the decriminalization of marijuana in the commonwealth and the next year there was a lot of discussion about medical marijuana. Now, in 2025, Kentucky will begin a medical cannabis program. But advocates like Robert Matheny, the owner of KY CBD Farmacy, say it
Few lawmakers on Capitol Hill have taken a more pro-cannabis stance than Gaetz, and his selection has left the weed industry feeling like it’s Christmas morning.
“He’s very vocal on this issue, and he’s on our side,” said Boris Jordan, CEO of Curaleaf, the largest cannabis company in America. “Sometimes it takes an unpleasant person to get something radical done.”
More than half of Americans live in a state where recreational cannabis is legal, but the industry is hampered by the lack of federal legalization and regulations. Companies face challenges accessing banking services, high federal tax rates and a ban on interstate commerce, some of which the DOJ has the power to address.
The Biden administration began a process two years ago to lessen federal restrictions on marijuana, and the Trump administration will either shepherd it over the finish line or derail it. [Read More @ Politico]
Minnesota cannabis regulators say they’ll hold a lottery in the coming weeks to determine who will operate the state’s first legal marijuana businesses, but the Office of Cannabis Management is facing pushback this week after it rejected around two-thirds of the applicants it deemed ineligible.
It’s been more than a year since Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis law took effect. People over 21 may possess, use and grow marijuana with some limitations. The Red Lake and White Earth tribal nations — which are independent — have been operating dispensaries for around 16 months.
Lawmakers anticipated that it would take much longer to vet and license recreational marijuana businesses elsewhere in the state. The first to apply are people the statute considers social equity applicants, including those who live in high poverty areas, people harmed by the war on drugs, and military veterans.
More than 1,800 people applied for 282 licenses, so the state is using a lottery to determine who will move forward in the process. But the Office of Cannabis Management on Monday notified around 1,150 applicants that their names would not be going into the hat.
In a phone interview with MPR News on Tuesday, Charlene Briner, the interim director, said that the reasons varied from documentation problems to violations of ownership requirements. She said other applicants tried to game the lottery or submitted information that appeared to be fraudulent. [Read More @ MPR News]
Beer Industry Group Pushes Tighter Regulations For Cannabis Products—And Higher Taxes Than Are Levied On Alcohol
A leading beer industry trade group has put out a statement of guiding principles to address what it calls “the proliferation of largely unregulated intoxicating hemp and cannabis products,” warning of risks to consumers and communities resulting from THC consumption. Among other recommendations
