Cannabis Industry Journal

Aphria & Tilray Merger Creates World’s Largest Cannabis Company

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff

The two companies merging forms the world’s largest cannabis company worth over $3.9 billion. Tilray’s stock climbed 21% earlier this week following the announcement. Aphria shareholders will own 62% of the company.

Featured Articles

January 13, 2021

Leaders in Cannabis Formulations: Part 1

By Aaron Green

In this series of articles, Aaron Green sits down and interviews a number of industry scientists and executives leading cannabis formulation companies. In Part 1, Green chats with Drew Hathaway, senior food scientist at Stillwater Brands, the makers of Caliper and Ripple, to learn more about their technology and plans for growth.

January 12, 2021

QIMA/WQS to Audit Cannabis Companies as CSQ Certification Body

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff

The Cannabis Safety & Quality Certification program, launched by ASI in 2020, just welcomed QIMA/WQS as their newest licensed certification body.

January 6, 2021

Heat-Not-Burn: A Q&A with Mike Simpson, CEO and Co-Founder of Omura

By Aaron Green

In this article, Aaron Green sits down to chat with Mike Simpson, CEO and co-founder of Omura, to learn more about the origins of the company, heat-not-burn technology and design philosophy in cannabis vaping products.

January 5, 2021

The Hidden Costs of Non-Compliance for Consumers

By Mark Slaugh

Over the long run, compliance is key to tracking the consistency and safety of products to avoid long-term liability and costs on consumers. Consumers would be wise to gravitate towards compliant brands and companies that focus on consistent quality and safety to minimize potential long-term negative impacts and costs.

January 4, 2021

The Cannabis Industry and Tax Implications of Entity Structure: Issues to Consider

By Calvin Shannon

This high-level overview should provide some considerations for license holders to think about as they work with advisors to make entity selection decisions or tax elections. Then we’ll take a look at some of the major advantages and disadvantages for C-corporations and S-corporations.

December 30, 2020

An In-Depth Breakdown of Prop 207 in Arizona

By Laura Bianchi, Justin Brandt

In November 2020, Arizona voters approved Proposition 207, ushering in a new adult use cannabis program, placing Arizona among the 13 fully-legalized cannabis states in 2021. In Arizona, the existing medical cannabis license holders will have the first opportunity to apply for and acquire an adult use license, operating as dual licensed dispensaries in the new Arizona market.

December 23, 2020

Smart Plants: A Q&A with Jonathan Vaught, CEO and Co-Founder of Front Range Biosciences

By Aaron Green

In this article, Aaron Green sits down with Jonathan Vaught, Ph.D., CEO of Front Range Biosciences, to learn more about the origins of the company, how he thinks about genetics and the engineering of “smart plants.”

December 22, 2020

Important Security Considerations When Designing Cannabis Facilities

By Heather Bender

This article takes a comprehensive look at the overall importance and requirements of designing secure buildings for this high-value, at-risk industry and explores how to design them in a way that will protect not only the material assets within the building, but more importantly provide safety, security, and peace of mind to occupants.

December 22, 2020

2020 CQC Episode 16, Cultivation Technology

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff

In the 16th and final episode of the 2020 Cannabis Quality Virtual Conference, check out "A Panel Discussion: Integrated Lifecycle of Designing a Cultivation Operation" and "Advanced Technology for Precision Cultivation."

December 18, 2020

Aphria & Tilray Merger Creates World’s Largest Cannabis Company

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff

December 17, 2020

Washington Lab Shut Down for Falsifying Test Results

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff

Praxis Laboratory had their license suspended earlier this month for inflating numbers on potency test results, giving samples higher THC levels than the state actually found.

Columns

January 12, 2021

Advancements in Extraction & the Growth of the Concentrate Category

By Dr. Dominick Monaco

From the use of supercritical carbon dioxide as a solvent, to unique product offerings like live resin or isolates, there have been a lot of advancements in the field of cannabis extraction. The growth of this market segment represents the maturation, development and overall sophistication of the cannabis industry as time goes on.

January 8, 2021

The Evolution of Cannabis Entrepreneurship

By Jonathan Monk

While the early Prop 215 market in California barely resembles today's industry, it's important to remember where we came from. Namely, our understanding of the contemporary cannabis business results from everyone who came before us. As the industry progresses, we will continue to complement established best practices with the requisite innovations that come with new opportunities.

January 7, 2021

Soapbox

Break Up Vertical Integration

By Ryan Douglas

In this excerpt from his book, From Seed to Success: How to Launch a Great Cannabis Cultivation Business in Record Time, Ryan Douglas offers an interesting take on the vertically integrated cannabis business model. He argues vertical integration is not in the best interest of the consumer and that businesses should identify their strengths and seek to specialize in one aspect of the supply chain.

December 22, 2020

The Cannabis Industry Sees Record Growth Despite Continuous Obstacles

By Jay Virdi

Cannabis businesses continue to grow even though conflicting state and federal laws cause major challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic simultaneously advanced and pushed back the growth of the cannabis industry, and security and risk management remained a top priority for business owners and operators across the country. R&D on extraction moves into the spotlight as businesses seek cutting-edge techniques to increase yields, giving them a competitive advantage.

December 2, 2020

Analysis of 2020 Ballot Measures

By Laura Bianchi, Justin Brandt

November 3 was a historic night for legalization across the country. A decade ago, cannabis was illegal for nonmedical use in all 50 states. Now, five new states have made it onto the legalization map. Read on for an analysis of each state’s ballot initiative.

November 18, 2020

Soapbox

The Cannabis Industry, After the Election

By Serge Chistov

In this op-ed, Serge Chistov provides his take on the election outcomes, some political musings and what to expect from the Biden administration when it comes to federal cannabis reform.

November 12, 2020

Soapbox

Being an American Cannabis Entrepreneur in Europe

By Michael Sassano

Michael Sassano, CEO of Somai Pharmaceuticals, discusses why Americans should be building cannabis companies in Europe, as well as challenges that may arise for American entrepreneurs looking to enter the EU market.

November 10, 2020

The Brand Marketing Byte

Spotlight on Aster Farms

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff

In this week’s Brand Marketing Byte, we take a look at Aster Farms, based in Lake County, CA, who made a name for themselves on the Pioneer Intelligence list with sustainable cultivation practices and some earned media attention.

Professional Fields

Cultivation & Growing
Laboratories & Analytics
Edibles & Processing
Dispensaries & Retail

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Upcoming Events & Webinars

January 20, 2021 – 12:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Cannabis Labs Virtual Conference

The Cannabis Labs Virtual Conference is back! For five years now, we have been hosting this complimentary collection of webinar presentations, designed to help attendees better understand some of the more technical aspects of starting and operating a laboratory. We will take a deep dive into cannabis and hemp testing, R&D testing, laboratory accreditation, regulatory compliance, and more. Sign up today for this free virtual event.