March 31 2021 Happy Hempday In todays report. Nebraska Lawmakers Approve Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Anna Wishart (D), would allow patients with certain qualifying conditions to purchase and possess up to two and a half ounces of cannabis from licensed dispensaries. It would not allow patients to smoke marijuana, however. Members of the Judiciary Committee approved the measure in a 5-2 vote, sending the bill to the full unicameral legislature for consideration. Wishart and Sen. Adam Morfeld (D) have been consistent champions of cannabis reform, and while this bill is a fairly limited proposal to legalize medical marijuana, the pair announced in December that they’re working to [put the question of legalization for adult use](https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nebraska-senators-will-work-to-put-recreational-marijuana-on-the-ballot-in-2022/) before voters in 2022. Their campaign—Nebraskans for Medical Cannabis—is separately collecting signatures for [a medical cannabis legalization measure](https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nebraska-activists-are-already-printing-medical-marijuana-petitions-for-2022-after-supreme-court-defeat/) that they hope to place on the 2022 ballot as well. [https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nebraska-lawmakers-approve-medical-marijuana-legalization-bill/](https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nebraska-lawmakers-approve-medical-marijuana-legalization-bill/) .......... Chicago Cannabis Company Allegedly Involved in Pay-to-Play Scandal The company is now responsible for a number of different grows, as well as 56 retail stores across 15 different, legal states. The bulk of those stores, nine in total, are in Illinois. The brand also produces its own product offerings, including prerolls, cannabis gummies, oils, and other materials for vaping and legally consuming. As of now, what GTI is being accused of is still up in the air. It is not clear if it is coming under scrutiny for political giving, hiring, or something else, but there is reportedly a federal investigation targeting the company. Records reveal that GTI has been known to spread cash to a number of politicians and political action committees who helped to legalize, as many businesses do, but it’s unclear if that is what the business is under fire for. It also isn’t clear if the company’s profitability is under fire, but GTI certainly is profitable. Their revenue doubled since 2020 as of earlier this month, and they are projecting even bigger numbers for the rest of 2021. Nevertheless, [shares for the company have dropped 13%](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/marijuana-company-green-thumb-industries-tanks-on-report-of-federal-probe-202115897.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJqpFu1WvtwkXOsVs6afl_LhpurQar9v2oMtLqEnvs08CN_ZeLjTYJR5Lk1e7TUeMM25KhggtFvf8YiS-keyKhv1Dm566IrCedQuPzNrwvNUU1MlO7MVHPV2ym7pAUfC_yi3Gxp17vOjrAIlUfBuTdcuPSiZLpAOBTdFK9tImSCe) following *The Tribune’s* article. [https://hightimes.com/news/chicago-cannabis-company-allegedly-involved-pay-play-scandal/](https://hightimes.com/news/chicago-cannabis-company-allegedly-involved-pay-play-scandal/) As of now, what GTI is being accused of is still up in the air. It is not clear if it is coming under scrutiny for political giving, hiring, or something else, but there is reportedly a federal investigation targeting the company. Records reveal that GTI has been known to spread cash to a number of politicians and political action committees who helped to legalize, as many businesses do, but it’s unclear if that is what the business is under fire for. It also isn’t clear if the company’s profitability is under fire, but GTI certainly is profitable. Their revenue doubled since 2020 as of earlier this month, and they are projecting even bigger numbers for the rest of 2021. Nevertheless, [shares for the company have dropped 13%](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/marijuana-company-green-thumb-industries-tanks-on-report-of-federal-probe-202115897.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJqpFu1WvtwkXOsVs6afl_LhpurQar9v2oMtLqEnvs08CN_ZeLjTYJR5Lk1e7TUeMM25KhggtFvf8YiS-keyKhv1Dm566IrCedQuPzNrwvNUU1MlO7MVHPV2ym7pAUfC_yi3Gxp17vOjrAIlUfBuTdcuPSiZLpAOBTdFK9tImSCe) following *The Tribune’s* article. [https://hightimes.com/news/chicago-cannabis-company-allegedly-involved-pay-play-scandal/](https://hightimes.com/news/chicago-cannabis-company-allegedly-involved-pay-play-scandal/) ...... An accusation of betrayal mars the rising star of cannabis giant Green Thumb Industries. **HOW KOVLER ENDED UP AS THE ZUCKERBERG OF THIS STORY,** and Neiman with nothing, is a little murky. The lawsuit only hints at what happened, and Neiman’s lawyers are limiting what he can say. By the beginning of May 2014, a core team had coalesced and it consisted of the two of them plus Peter Kadens, Ari Levy, Jeff Goldman, Ryan Suma and Mitch Kranitz, according to the emails.

California Marijuana Workers Should Be Prioritized For COVID Vaccines, Companies Say “Over the course of the last nine months, industry workers have been providing essential medicine to thousands of Californians every day,” the coalition of more than 20 cannabis firms wrote in a letter to the California Department of Public Health’s Community Vaccine Advisory Committee. “Despite numerous health and safety measure instituted at great expense by employers, this work has been done with inherent risk.” Almost all states where cannabis is legal for medical or recreational purposes declared that the industry serves an essential purpose and could continue to operate amq id the pandemic. Advocacy groups had pushed governors and state officials to ensure that medical marijuana patients in particular can maintain access to the cannabis they need. “Despite a global pandemic, California’s cannabis industry has continued to work tirelessly to provide quality products in a safe manner,” David Spradlin, CEO of the marijuana company Perfect Union, said in a press release. “Even after following health and safety measures, cannabis workers face inherent risk going to work and cannot shelter in place.” “And unlike traditional retail, many that visit cannabis dispensaries are also those most vulnerable to severe COVID-19 complications, including the immune-compromised and elderly,” he said. “I urge state policymakers to explicitly include essential cannabis workers in Phase 1B of the vaccine rollout to keep our patients and staff safe.” Twenty-three other marijuana businesses signed the letter, including Wyld, Carter’s Aromatherapy Design, Maven Genetics, Megan’s Organic Market, PLUS Products, Loudpack and Vet CBD. https://www.marijuanamoment.net/california-marijuana-workers-should-be-prioritized-for-covid-vaccines-companies-say/ .................................................................................. Biden’s Commerce Secretary Pick Wants Marijuana Sold In Government-Run Stores 1. 2. President-elect Joe Biden’s pick to run the U.S. Department of Commerce is a governor who supports not only legalizing marijuana but selling it through government-run stores. Biden announced on Friday that Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) is getting the nod for Commerce secretary, a cabinet position where, if confirmed by the Senate, she will be responsible for representing business community interests and promoting economic growth. And while the incoming president might not be in favor of legalization himself, his nominee to lead the country’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic has come to embrace the policy change, with a unique twist. In a budget proposal last year, Raimondo called for a state-run regulatory model for cannabis—rather than allowing sales through a privatized commercial market as is the case in all other states that have legalized to date. Having the government control the industry would “allow the state to control distribution, prevent youth consumption, and protect public health,” her proposal to lawmakers said. “My view: it is only a matter of time,” Raimondo told The Providence Journal last month. “I think we should do it. Yes, I support the state-run model because from all the work we have done it is the most controlled way to do it, arguably the safest, and the way to maximize state revenue.” Although the would-be commerce secretary wants the government to make money selling marijuana, she is not herself a cannabis enthusiast. She said in an earlier interview that “I’ve never used marijuana. I’ve never smoked. I’ve never vaped,” calling herself a “super boring governor.” https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bidens-commerce-secretary-pick-wants-marijuana-sold-in-government-run-stores/ ........ https://eatdrinkri.com/2020/08/06/an-open-letter-to-governor-gina-raimondo-from-the-owners-of-the-thirsty-beaver/ ........ https://www.abc6.com/its-not-the-full-story-woman-who-took-photo-of-governor-raimondo-speaks-out/ .............................................................................................. Study suggests West Coast hemp growers escaped smoke damage from wildfires Preliminary data out of Oregon suggests that industrial hemp crops may have been spared major damage from the West Coast wildfires that blazed across California, Oregon and Washington and endangered outdoor cannabis operations last year. According to research by FSOil and Iverson Family Farms published in late November, hemp plants grown within as little as 8 miles of a wildfire were still found mostly free of contaminants and safe for human consumption. The results corroborate what the majority of cannabis cultivators in all three West Coast states have said: that their crops were relatively unaffected by smoke and ash, and that they didn’t anticipate a rash of testing-lab failures or product shortages. Several sources attributed that to th