iAnthus is one of the more ambitious cannabis companies you may never have heard of. The company has 28 stores in the U.S. where it’s beginning to roll out its “Be.” dispensary brand, starting with a flagship store in Brooklyn.

At MJBiz Con, I caught up with iAnthus CEO and former Goldman Sachs banker Harley Ford to discuss legalization in New York, the future of interstate trade and why he thinks pot stocks are undervalued.

Read the exclusive interview here.

A Canadian analyst argues the worst is over for pot stocks and that institutional investors are getting more comfortable with the idea of cannabis investing. ????WW Canada has more.
MJBiz

Another Canadian analyst expects things to get worse before they get better.
Bloomberg

The Growth Op inspects the top pot games for smartphones. They include Wiz Khalifa’s Weed Farm, Weed Shop 2 and Hempire.

Quick Hits

Former executives from some of Canada’s largest cannabis companies are pioneering the psychedelic drug industry.

Toronto-based MindMed plans to test microdosed LSD as a treatment for ADHD and a molecule derived from the psychoactive compound Ibogaine as a treatment for opioid addiction. (Ibogaine is a psychoactive compound found in Iboga, a shrub native to West Africa.)
Globe and Mail

MJBiz Magazine has a report on how cannabis businesses can improve their environmental practices. However, consumers looking to support environmentally responsible brands should be aware of “greenwashing:” environmental claims which turn out to be empty.

Business Insider talks to John Sandelman, CEO of Ayr Strategies, a vertically integrated cannabis company which generates $12M in annual revenue per shop, twice as much as its closest competitor, Florida-based Trulieve.

Sandelman, a former Bank of America president, says Ayr’s success depends on information flowing from customers to its cultivators and manufacturers.

Billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (D) might want to be president after all. While he previously called legalizing marijuana “perhaps the stupidest thing anybody has ever done,” he’s now moderating his tone. He now says he supports decriminalization and believes the feds shouldn’t interfere “with states that have already legalized.”
WSJ

While more Democrats then Republicans favor REC legalization, supporters in both parties consider it one of their top priorities.
N.Y. Times

In other state political news:

Federal and state regulators dropped a requirement which forced banks to treat hemp companies as suspicious entities. The move clears the way for hemp companies to access the financial system.
N.Y. Times

Canna Law Blog explains the change in greater depth, and has two posts answering questions about hemp regulations. Part 1 Part 2

Two years after REC went on sale, California cannabis businesses are calling for an “emergency summit” with Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and regulators to address the licensed industry’s ongoing woes. In short, high taxes, onerous regulations and the lack of access to legal dispensaries make it difficult for licensed businesses to compete with the illegal market. ????WW California has more.
CNN

Meanwhile in L.A., a well-known black entrepreneur and his company 4thMVMT have attracted suspicion and resentment for their success at winning coveted equity licenses.
L.A. Times

Quick Hits

Six Massachusetts patients with probable cases of Vaping Associated Pulmonary Injury (VAPI) reported using regulated cannabis products bought at legal dispensaries. Of the more than 2,300 cases identified nationwide, almost none have been connected to licensed companies.
Boston Globe

The consensus remains that VAPI is caused by vitamin E acetate oil and that most of the risk is with unlicensed cannabis vapes. However, counterfeits of well known vape brands potentially pose a hazard to consumers who mistake them for regulated products.