Hi all,

It’s never a quiet week in weed. Let’s get to it.

• ICE raids Glass House farms

Read up,

Alex

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Glass House farms in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties saw standoffs between masked federal agents and protestors Thursday after the Feds served warrants on one of the state’s largest growers.

The standoffs were at a Glass House Farm in Carpinteria (Santa Barbara Co.) and at its massive greenhouse near…

Read the story

Federal:

• Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has declared war on the “loophole” which gave rise to the intoxicating hemp industry. His support for legalizing industrial hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill created the loophole.
  Louisville Public Media
• A photo suggested former congressman and Trump ally Matt Gaetz (R) was offered a lucrative contract by Trulieve to advance the MSO’s agenda in Washington. Cultivated suggests right-wing influencers may be the industry’s best friends right now. 
  The Daily Beast
• A Marijuana Moment op-ed argues against big tobacco’s proposal for the future of legalization.
• A WSJ opinion piece called for legalization to be reversed.

Business:

• Investor and consultant Seth Yakatan predicts publicly-traded MSO Ayr Wellness, is headed for “a wind down, receivership or sale of assets,” despite $500M in revenue. Ayr declined to comment beyond saying that it is keeping the market updated. 
• Ayr is hardly the only player who owes hundreds of millions. Kraig Fox at Ubet Advisory posted on the creditors coming rush to recoup their money.

State and local:

• Distru exec Azam Khan posted on Ohio’s strict new marketing and eCommerce rules.
• A Massachusetts lab appealed a shutdown order.
  Boston Globe
• Oregon lab Green Leaf said it closed due to “sustained industry pressure to produce fraudulent test results.“
• Despite crackdowns, unlicensed shops continue operating in New York City. And dispensaries are becoming hangouts.
  Crain’s New York, NY Times

Health and science:

• Custom Cones USA decided to stop offering printed rolling papers, for fear of them posing a health risk to consumers.
  Marijuana Venture

Fun and interesting:

• High Times, publishing again, revisited its past coverage of oil holiday 710.
• Canna Law Blog argues Hollywood holds the key to normalization.

State:

• Bill AB 564 to repeal the recent excise tax hike passed a senate committee by unanimous vote. Despite strong support in the legislature so far, a group of non-profit recipients of pot tax revenue said they would fight the bill.
• The California Department of Cannabis Control is hiring a PR firm.
  PRWeek
• Activists celebrated 50 years of decriminalization in California.
  Marijuana Moment
• The State Fair’s second annual cannabis experience kicks off today.
  ABC

Business:

• CalMatters reported on the state of the industry as the tax hike took effect. 
• An arbitration ruling ordered Cookies to pay $8.4M to its former social equity partner in a now closed shop on SF’s Haight St.
• Executive search firm FlowerHire, now going remote, said goodbye to its Manhattan Beach office, an industry hang out known for its happy hours.

Local:

• Santa Rosa has created a CannaPass to promote the local scene.

Crime:

• The state says it has seized nearly $500M in illegal product in the last quarter.