Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at a cannabis vending machine in Colorado, changes to Amsterdam’s cannabis laws, plans by a member of Wu- Tang Clan to open a cannabis lounge in New Jersey and more. Enjoy.
The Shape of Things to Come
There’s evidence the retail cannabis experience may be going in a high-tech direction. A cannabis dispensary in Aurora, Colorado is now home to the country’s first fully automated cannabis vending machine.
According to Tiney Ricciardi, reporting for The Denver Post, consumers who visit the Terrapin Care Station dispensary in Aurora, Colorado can now purchase cannabis directly from a vending machine. The machine, which makes it possible for customers to order marijuana products via a touch screen, dispenses the cannabis of their choice once payment is received.
Here’s how Riacciardi describes the process:
• Customers walk up to the machine, scan their ID, and use a touch screen to examine the menu and fill their digital basket.
• The machine, called ACE—for Automated Cannabis Experience—can hold up to 1,152 products. Since the machine is refrigerated, consumers can order concentrates that need to be stored at a certain temperature, as well as flower, edibles, vape oil cartridges and other items.
• Once they are ready to check out, customers pay using cash and can watch through a 38-by-30-inch glass window as the ACE grabs, bags, seals and places a purchase sticker on their order before dispensing it like any other high-tech vending machine.
The dispensary also pointed out that in an effort to “maximize diversity,” the machine can be programmed to interact with customers using a variety of languages.
Ricciardi noted in the article that the machine does not currently accept debit cards.
Terrapin Care Station developed ACE in partnership with Canadian vending machine company BMC Universal Technologies.
Colorado’s Governor, Jared Polis, tweeted about the ACE, describing it as “the first fully automated cannabis kiosk on the market.” A New Hampshire lawmaker, Rep. Jessica Grill, responded to Polis’s tweet about the vending machine, by saying that the technology “is the future New Hampshire deserves.” Adult-use cannabis is not yet legal in New Hampshire.
It appears consumers will have to go to a different vending machine to get their munchies.
To learn more, we suggest reading Tiney Ricciardi’s article in the February 9, 2023 issue of The Denver Post.com.
www.denverpost.com/2023/02/09/terrapin-care-station-marijuana-vending-machine-aurora/
Travel Tips
There’s some news mature consumers and others who are planning a trip to Amsterdam need to know before they go. Starting in May new laws go into effect that are designed to “improve liveability” for residents there and that includes new restrictions on cannabis use.
According to Antoinette Radford, reporting for the BBC, under the new regulations it will be illegal to smoke cannabis on the street in Amsterdam’s red light district.
Radford noted that, contrary to its freewheeling reputation as a cannabis mecca, under current laws in the Netherlands it is a criminal offense to possess, produce or deal drugs. However, the Dutch have had a “toleration policy” that allows coffee shops to sell cannabis under strict conditions. One of those conditions is that coffee shops must not cause any nuisance and the government has ordered them to stop attracting foreign drug users.
Amsterdam’s cannabis cafes are said to attract millions of tourists a year. However, locals have complained the cafes attract street dealers and that drug and alcohol abuse is driving up crime rates—thus the new restrictions.
Said a spokesperson for the city, “The atmosphere becomes dire, particularly at night. A lot of people are under the influence [of drugs and alcohol] and hang around for a long time. This comes at the expense of a good night’s sleep for residents and the liveability and safety of the whole neighborhood.”
Diederik Boomsma, leader of the local Christian Democrats, said, ‘Amsterdam needs to finally get rid of its image as a Walhalla for paid sex and drugs. [Our] message to tourists: “Welcome! But if you’re coming just to snort, swallow or smoke drugs: don’t”.’
To reinforce the new initiative, the Amsterdam city council will launch a “stay away” campaign in the spring to target tourists who plan to travel to the capital for drugs, alcohol and sex purposes.
To learn more, we suggest reading the article by Antoinette Radford in the February 10, 2023 issue of BBC.com.
www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64591394
You can also read the article by Senay Boztas in the February 9, 2023 issue of Dutch News.NL.
Celebrity Spotlight
In news that some may say both bakes the cake and takes the cake, a member of the famed rap group Wu-Tang Clan has announced plans to open a cannabis lounge in New Jersey.
That’s the word from Christopher Burch, writing for the online publication NJ.com. Burch reports that Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon — also known as Raekwon The Chef — is opening a cannabis lounge called Hashtoria in Newark, N.J.
The lounge is expected to open in Newark’s Four Corners Historic District in March of 2023. Hashtoria’s three other lounges are located in Oregon, where the company is based. Raekwon is a founding member of the Hashtoria brand collective.
Burch points out that New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission recently voted to allow customers to consume marijuana where it is sold in certain licensed locations. New Jersey is the eighth state to do so.
Hashtoria also has plans to launch what it describes as an exclusive clothing line, custom strains, and digital content.
If you go, don’t forget to bring the ruckus.
To learn more, you can read Christopher Burch’s article in the February 9, 2023 issue of NJ.com.
www.nj.com/business/2023/02/wu-tang-clan-rapper-to-open-cannabis-lounge-in-nj.html
New Product Showcase
Two former teammates on the Detroit Lions football team have launched a new product line that blends electrolytes, vitamins, and water-soluble cannabinoids—including CBD, CBG, CBC, and CBN—into a recovery-focused sports drink.
That’s the word from TG Branfalt, reporting for Ganjapreneur.com. According to Branfalt, the players—Calvin Johnson Jr. and Rob Sims—call their product Primitiv Performance. It was developed in collaboration with a company called CYP that is said to focus on innovating higher standards of cannabis consumption by developing what it describes as the fastest-acting, most bioavailable, and predictable products for the cannabis and healthcare markets through the integration of its High-Performance Nano Emulsion technology.
According to James Barr, co-founder of CYP, the nanotechnology used in the product line “allows consumers to feel the active ingredients shortly after use because the cannabinoids are so small that they mostly bypass the intestinal system and enter directly into the bloodstream, therefore creating a more targeted, predictable, and bioavailable product.”
Said Johnson, “I’ve long been an advocate of cannabis as a holistic way to help my body recover from the trauma it faced each day on the gridiron and knew there were many other ways to unleash the power of this plant into our daily lives. Primitiv Performance was designed to showcase these non-psychoactive phytocannabinoids by showcasing them in a way that is familiar to people already incorporating a rehydration drink mix or topical cream into their daily lives, all while further educating consumers about the power of this plant.”
Regarded by many as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, Calvin Johnson Jr., played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, all with the Detroit Lions. He was nicknamed “Megatron” after the Transformers character of the same name.
Rob Sims was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. In 2010, he was traded to the Detroit Lions and ended up playing for the team for several years.
Together Johnson and Sims operate several cannabis facilities across the state of Michigan, under the brand name Primitiv. They have also formed a partnership with Harvard University to support medical cannabis research.
You can learn more by reading TG Branfalt’s article in the February 9, 2023 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
You can also visit the company website by clicking on the link that follows.
Stats of the Week: Jobs in the Cannabis Sector
This week’s magic number is 108,000. According to a new study by CannabizTeam, an executive search and recruitment firm, that’s the number of new cannabis-related jobs that will be created in 2023.
This can be good news for mature consumers and others who are looking for a second job or want to investigate a new career path.
That’s the word from Arturo Garcia, writing for the online publication com.Born2Invest. He notes that according to a new report by Leafly and Whitney Economics, America’s legal cannabis industry is now employing nearly twice as many full-time workers as in 2019. In January 2022, there were already 428,059 Americans working full-time in the cannabis sector, up from 321,000 in 2020.
Garcia also makes the point that according to the report, job growth is evident in all three major areas of the cannabis industry—cultivation, product testing for cannabinoids and terpenes, and retail.
He also writes that there will also be opportunities for manufacturers of various equipment, including agricultural equipment and lighting equipment used in growing cannabis, as well as chemical analysis equipment, and merchandising materials.
In addition, Garcia predicts that cannabis firms will need managers, warehouse workers, programmers, marketers, and salespeople, as well as lawyers and public relations specialists. In addition, biologists, chemists, farmers, food and beverage experts, horticulturists, and client advisors have experience advising on cannabis products.
While some of this may sound fanciful, given the constant reports of cutbacks by various companies in the sector, opportunities still exist, both in entry level positions and with firms that serve the industry as vendors or consultants.
To learn more, we suggest reading the article by Arturo Garcia that appeared in the February 6, 2023 issue of the publication Born2Invest.com.
born2invest.com/articles/the-u-s-legal-cannabis-industry-will-create-108000-new-jobs-in-2023/
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.
