Hi all,

Even by the standards of California’s cannabis industry, this was a wild week. And it was a wild week for me to, which is why the newsletter is a day late.

Let’s get to it:

• What comes after the Glass House raids?

Alex

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California’s reeling cannabiz has begun to wrestle with the July 10 federal immigration raids on Glass House farms in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. 

In the immediate region, local news stepped up to cover the story from several angles: 

• The Santa Barbara Independent put out several reports on what happened and the community response.
• CoastalView found the internet awash in misinformation.  
• Led by Glass House, the industry pays $6.4M in Ventura Co. taxes.
  Ventura County Star

I wrote about the allegations it has faced (and denied) about being a major diverter and its tense relationship with organized labor.
WeedWeek

Elliot Lewis, the brash CEO of Glass House rival retailer Catalyst posted deposition footage of Glass House CEO and former Southland cop Kyle Kazan looking very unhappy as he discussed a removed 2022 video shot at an unlicensed Brooklyn dispensary where he affirmed authenticity of Glass House product on shelves and said he had no idea how it got there.

• Lewis also memed his interpretation of the politics involved.

Amid all the noise, Glass House announced a preferred equity refinancing.

In the California cannabiz, Trump may have found an ‘easy target,’ writes SFGate.

• As the industry gets more worried about federal interference, the U.S. EPA is investigating use of illegal pesticides on unlicensed grows in Siskiyou Co. after the board of supervisors in the remote far north declared an emergency.
  KymKemp

Federal:

• After decades, the federal government ended its contract with the University of Mississippi to be the country’s only federally legal grow. A couple years ago, a common argument for states to go MED was the unacceptable quality of OleMiss product. But I liked this 2020 NBC article, where the project’s longtime director Mahmoud ElSohly defended his plants: “I welcome the opportunity for other growers to get involved…so people can’t complain about that anymore.” He added that studies have shown benefits from his biomass.
  Cannabis Wire

Business:

• A post at SECFilings.com discusses how rescheduling could change the industry.
• CSP Daily News announced the creation of the C-Store Cannabis Board.
• Pioneering activist and entrepreneur Steve DeAngelo condemned companies who oppose homegrow.
  @kylekushman420
• Brand Miss Grass has new cinematic ads “with all the vibes.”
  AdWeek

State and local:

• A 2026 REC ballot initiative is gaining traction in Florida.
  FLVoiceNews
• Minnesota’s REC retail license lottery is set for Tuesday. 
• Chinese crime rings are exploiting Michigan’s legal market.
  Crain’s Detroit
• Is cannabis tourism in Vegas a chimera or cash cow?
  Casino Reports
• Michigan also leads the nation in cannabis business violations, MJBiz reports.
  MJBiz
• Colorado AG Phil Weiser expressed concern that the CU Board of Regents violated the free speech rights of regent and equity entrepreneur Wanda James. 
• New York’s shuttered illegal shops aren’t dead yet. 
  Crain’s New York
• Omaha Tribe of Nebraska is the latest tribal government to legalize REC.

Health and science:

• A new study found high levels of heavy metals in popular nicotine vape brands. JUUL can continue selling e-cigs, the FDA ruled.
  Reuters, NY Times
• Longtime weed journo Jeremy Berke rebutted a recent WSJ op-ed that called legalization “disastrous.”
  Cultivated

Fun and interesting:

• Rolling joints is now a professional sport. And it’s coming to Vegas.
  High Times

State:

• A.B. 1332, to allow in-state MED shipments from certain providers, unanimously passed a Senate committee vote.
• Lawyer Dana Cisneros posted on where state pot tax dollars actually go.

Business:

• Meet the winners of the California State Fair’s cannabis awards, the only state-sanctioned agricultural award in the country. Immediately following the awards, Meta shut down Instagram accounts from some of the winning brands.
  SacBee
• Awards sponsor Embarc also sold seeds from the Humboldt Seed Company for a penny each, the only compliant price.
  CBS 
• Connected Cannabis recently sued the DCC over “rigged” aspergillus recalls. The DCC recalled more of its sister brand Alien Labs for aspergillus.
• Overall sales are down, but some counties are up.
  SFChronicle
• The brand Cookies is launching a new tequila drink called Adios.

Local:

• The San Bernardino Co. sheriff’s office staged a big raid on an unlicensed grow in Monterey Co. The feds weren’t involved. 
  Lookout Santa Cruz
• In a closely watched situation, Riverside city council banned pot shops in key districts.
  WeedWeek, Press-Enterprise