EMERALD CUP PICKS CALIFORNIA’S FINEST CANNABIS FOR 2023

The Emerald Cup was back for 2023 last weekend and repeat champions weren’t in short supply. 

This year would see the Emerald Cup’s award show move to the Bay Area for the first time after a long stint in wine country before the pandemic and last year’s show at The Montalbán in Hollywood. While nowhere in the state worth having the cup could be considered neutral territory given how many competitors dot the state from north to south, the Bay is one of the better spots to have it because it’s essentially halfway between L.A. and Arcata — most of the state’s cannabis enthusiasts and businesses lie between that two points, too. The venue at Richmond’s Craneway Pavilion was undoubtedly the most gorgeous the cup has seen since it left the redwoods in the early 2010s for bigger venues closer to population centers.  

But the most beautiful sights to behold on the water’s edge were the glass cases filled with this year’s entries. As the judges, contestants and special guests entered the venue, they were greeted by the cases. The flower entries were the most packed, as people wedged in tight to get pics of all the pretty buds for the social media adventures. 

As the award show kicked off, it was like the final countdown to the big categories at the end began. After making its way through some of the more niche photography and product categories, it was on to the social justice awards. In one of the coolest moments of the night, Luke Scarmazzo came on stage to accept The Social Justice Award on behalf of his good friend Weldon Angelos. 

Angelos was released in 2016. He was originally sentenced to serve 55 years over a cannabis conviction with a mandatory minimum sentence but only served 13 years. After his release, Angelos began advocating for others who remained in the circumstances he was able to escape, eventually founding The Weldon Project. One of the people Weldon has helped get out of prison was his close friend Scarmazzo. 

As he took the stage, Scarmazzo noted he was celebrating 100 days since being released from prison after serving 15 years over medical cannabis. The news received one of the loudest ovations of the night. 

Other awards would include The Pioneer Award going to Amber Senter for her work on Social Equity and The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award going to Mila Jansen for her contribution to the world of hashish over the last 50 years as an entrepreneur, smuggler, and inventor. 

From there we started into the big dog categories of flower and hash. This year’s theme was champions still crushing it. The rest of the evening would feature a carousel of repeat winners or those returning to the podium after a year or two off. 

One of the biggest returns was Ridgeline Farms. After being the only mixed-light cultivator to qualify for the Zalympix finals, the LANTZ hype rolled on this weekend with Ridgeline taking top honors. 

Founder Jason Gellman shared the experience with L.A. Weekly. 

“With all the competition going on these days, The Emerald Cup to me is still the most prestigious and authentic. The judging is taken seriously by a talented group hand-picked for their dedication to the plant,” Gellman said. “As our small cannabis communities have taken a giant hit from the challenges of the industry, it’s as important as ever to stay relevant. I take lots of pride in growing the best herb possible, so when I submit my entries I always feel they have a chance to win.”

After the near-perfect farming conditions up north for most of the last year before monsoon season hit, it was expected Southern Humboldt would be very competitive. Most of the years that a NorCal farmer didn’t win the cup it had something to do with mother nature. Gellman was proud to see what the county did this year. 

“This year, Humboldt County showed up big. Winning is huge, but it’s more about us representing our community as a whole than just one of us,” Gellman said. “Ridgeline took home multiple awards including first in mixed light with my new strain LANTZ, but what we were the most proud of is winning the Breeders cup.” 

Gellman had been working on creating this strain for over four years. 

“Lots of time, energy, money, fails and finally one giant win,” Gellman said. “I knew LANTZ was the one, but this just solidifies it. The cup was a giant success this year and was great to see so many real heads in the game. Overall, it was a great day in the bay” 

Rebel Grown took home top honors in the Full Sun. After regularly gracing the top 10 and top 20 over the years, this time they were able to take first place with their Double OG Chem. 

In indoor, Fig Farms would became the only indoor farm to ever win The Emerald Cup twice after now winning both the past two renditions of the contest. The Blue Face that won the indoor category was also the first-ever indoor flower to win The Emerald Cup’s prestigious best-in-show award. 

“The love we received at the Emerald Cup has elevated to a new level,” Keith Healy of Fig Farms told L.A. Weekly, “Two years at the top spot for indoor flower, and this year going a step further by receiving Best in Show. Fig Farms’s Blue Face is the first indoor flower to receive the Best in Show award, which has been given exclusively to Sungrown flower until now. I am so proud of our team, and truly honored in a way that cannot be put into words.”

Here are the 2023 Winners:

Sungrown Flower

1st	Sungrown Flower	Rebel Grown – Double OG Chem #15
2nd	Sungrown Flower	Naughty Squirrel – Venom OG
3rd	Sungrown Flower	Greenshock Farms – Peppermint Sleigh Ride
4th	Sungrown Flower	Heartrock Mountain Farm – Lemon Head
5th	Sungrown Flower	Sanctuary Farms – Blunicorn
6th	Sungrown Flower	Esensia – Orange Creamsicle
7th	Sungrown Flower	Rebel Grown – Double OG Chem #5
8th	Sungrown Flower	Farmer and the Felon x Rebel Grown – Natty Bumppo #4
9th	Sungrown Flower	Esensia – Lime Juice
10th	Sungrown Flower	Greenshock Farms – Tropical Sleigh Ride
11th	Sungrown Flower	Esensia – Pixie Dust
12th	Sungrown Flower	Farmer and the Felon – Menage 21
13th	Sungrown Flower	Ridgeline Farms – LANTZ
14th	Sungrown Flower	Farmer and the Felon x Rebel Grown – Rebel Cookies & Lemon Lary OG
15th	Sungrown Flower	Esensia – Honey Dew
16th	Sungrown Flower	Lempire Farmaseed x Dougie Fresh – Wicked Sour
17th	Sungrown Flower	Ridgeline Farms – Ridgeline Runtz
18th	Sungrown Flower	Farmer and the Felon – Lemon Sponge Cake
19th	Sungrown Flower	Esensia – Maracuya
20th	Sungrown Flower	SoHum Royal x Southern Humboldt Royal Cannabis Company x Global Genetics – Blue Nerds

Mixed Light Flower

1st	Mixed Light Flower	Ridgeline Farms – LANTZ
2nd	Mixed Light Flower	Preferred Gardens x Doja Pak – 11:11
3rd	Mixed Light Flower	Local Cannabis Co – Florida Kush
4th	Mixed Light Flower	Local Cannabis Co – Orange 43
5th	Mixed Light Flower	Local Cannabis Co – Ice Cream Cake
6th	Mixed Light Flower	Healing Herb Farms – Crush Mintz
7th	Mixed Light Flower	Preferred Gardens x Duke of Doja / Doja Pak – P41
8th	Mixed Light Flower	Local Cannabis Co – Sherbhead
9th	Mixed Light Flower	Dos Rios Farms – Lemon Creme

Indoor Flower

1st	Indoor Flower	Fig Farms – Blue Face
2nd	Indoor Flower	Sense – Gas Face
3rd	Indoor Flower	Cannabiotix – French Alps
4th	Indoor Flower	Maven Genetics – French Laundry
5th	Indoor Flower	Fig Farms – Animal Face
6th	Indoor Flower	Decibel Gardens – Watermelon Punch
7th	Indoor Flower	Cannabiotix – Blue Flame OG
8th	Indoor Flower	Fig Farms – Dark Karma
9th	Indoor Flower	Team Elite Genetics – Pearadise
10th	Indoor Flower	CannaCruz – Biscotti Bx1
11th	Indoor Flower	Cannabiotix – The Silk
12th	Indoor Flower	Decibel Gardens – Roswell 47
13th	Indoor Flower	Fig Farms – Gelato 41
14th	Indoor Flower	Fig Farms – Moonana Wreck
15th	Indoor Flower	Fig Farms – Zeclair
16th	Indoor Flower	Sattva Cannabis – Purple Push Pop x Cap Junkie
17th	Indoor Flower	Pure Beauty – Spritzer
18th	Indoor Flower	Fig Farms – Lemon Cherry Gelato
19th	Indoor Flower	Cannabiotix – Mountain Sage
20th	Indoor Flower	Sattva Cannabis – Biscotti x Bx1

Sungrown Greenhouse Flower

1st	Sungrown Greenhouse Flower	Chameleon Craft – Bubble Bath
2nd	Sungrown Greenhouse Flower	Cre8 Cannabis – Cre8’s Gelonade
3rd	Sungrown Greenhouse Flower	Chameleon Craft – Mule Fuel
4th	Sungrown Greenhouse Flower	Xotic Flavors – Gushers
5th	Sungrown Greenhouse Flower	Cre8 Cannabis – Cre8’s Jokerz #31

Personal Use Flower

1st	Personal Use Flower	Brandy Schneider – Mountain Cultured Terp Blendz 241
2nd	Personal Use Flower	Derek Roseboom – In The Pines
3rd	Personal Use Flower	Colin Teurfs – Double OG Chem (sungrown)
4th	Personal Use Flower	Parker Moselle & Jackson Moran – Orangutan Titties #3
5th	Personal Use Flower	Matt Jones – Hippie Crippler

Pre-Roll

1st	Pre-Roll – Infused Solventless Extract	Heritage Hash Co. x Huckleberry Hill Farms – Whitethorn Rose Flower x Whitethorn Rose Live Bubble Hash
2nd	Pre-Roll – Infused Solventless Extract	Holy Smoke by Holy Water – Holy Smokes Papaya
3rd	Pre Roll – Infused Solventless Extract	Arcata Fire x Humboldt 36 Farms – Grape Runtz Arcata Fire Hash Hose: Ice Water Hash Infused Preroll (1g)
1st	Pre-Roll – Infused Solvent Extract	West Coast Genetics X Holy Water – Paleta Z x Oz Kush Rosin x Kiwi Resin
2nd	Pre-Roll – Infused Solvent Extract	Cream of the Crop – COTC Diamond Barrel Monkfruit x High C
3rd	Pre-Roll – Infused Solvent Extract	Khalifa Kush – Khalifa Kush Infused Pre-Roll
1st	Pre-Roll – Non Infused	Royal Key x Suprize Suprize – ROLLS Ghost Candy Walls
2nd	Pre-Roll – Non Infused	Huckleberry Hill Farms x CannaCountry Farms – Whitethorn Rose CannaCountry #26 Blend
3rd	Pre-Roll – Non Infused	WeedLove – WeedLove John Lemmon 1g Preroll
1st	Pre Roll – Deluxe	Rosin Tech Labs x Decibel Gardens x LUMA Farms – Roswell 47/Cali-O (Flower) – Papaya (Rosin) – Hash Hole
1st	Pre Roll – Hemp Wrap	Paletas – Paletas Infused Blunt 2.1g – Jealousy Cap Junky (Hybrid)

Solventless Concentrates

1st	Ice Water Hash	Heritage Hash Co x Huckleberry Hill Farms – Whitethorn Rose Live Bubble Hash
2nd	Ice Water Hash	Heritage Hash Co x Mattole Valley Sun Grown – Purple Papaya Live Bubble Hash
3rd	Ice Water Hash	Moon Valley Hash Co – Super Boof 119u-104u
4th	Ice Water Hash	Papa’s Select x Archive Seeds x Emerald Queens Farms – Rainbow Belts 90u Water Hash
5th	Ice Water Hash	Heritage Hash Co x Bon Vivant – Hova Live Bubble Hash
1st	Rosin	FullyMelted x Alien Labs – Zkittlez
2nd	Rosin	El Krem x Purple City Genetics x Ahti Hash x Sunrise Gardens – El Krem Moroccan Peaches Live Rosin
3rd	Rosin	Papa’s Select x Booney Acres – Strawberry Rainbows Premium Live Rosin
4th	Rosin	Punch Edibles & Extracts x Redwood Valley Farms – Rambutan Badder Rosin – Redwood Valley Farms/ Bloomseedco
5th	Rosin	El Krem x Purple City Genetics x Ahti Hash x Sunrise Gardens – El Krem Peach Panther Live Rosin
6th	Rosin	Punch Edibles & Extracts x Luma Farms – Poochies Papaya by Luma Farms Rosin
7th	Rosin	Heritage Hash Co x Bon Vivant – Hova Live Rosin
8th	Rosin	Heritage Hash Co x Emerald Queen Farms – Queens Chem Live Rosin
9th	Rosin	Real Deal Resin x LUMA California – Lemon Limes
10th	Rosin	GOATX RAMBUTAN – GOATX RAMBUTAN
1st	Personal Use Solventless	Brett Byrd – Purple Magic
2nd	Personal Use Solventless	Matt Schackow – Papaya Live Rosin Badder
3rd	Personal Use Solventless	Christian Luevano – Papaya Piss
4th	Personal Use Solventless	Brett Byrd – GAKnana
5th	Personal Use Solventless	Matt Schackow – Lemon Sour

Cartridges

1st	C02 Cartridge	Huckleberry Hill Farms x Vesuvio Garden- Whitethorn Rose
1st	Distillate Cartridge	MVN Productions – XXX OG
2nd	Distillate Cartridge	Helmand Valley Growers Company (HVGC) – Afghanimal
3rd	Distillate Cartridge	Jetty Extracts – Jetty Vanilla Blossom Cartridge
1st	Live Resin Cartridge	Arcata Fire x Humboldt Trees – Strawberry Zkittlez- Arcata Fire 100% Live Resin Sauce Vape: Original Blend
2nd	Live Resin Cartridge	Absolute Xtracts – ABX Farmer’s Reserve 1g Vape – Honey Banana
3rd	Live Resin Cartridge	PaperPlanes Extracts – Zawtz x Zruntz Live Resin Vape
4th	Live Resin Cartridge	Gold Drop x Lemon Tree – Kiwi Tree Liquid Diamonds
5th	Live Resin Cartridge	Halara x Sweetleaf Collective – Halara Live Diamond Sauce – Forbidden Roses
1st	Solventless Cartridge	Arcata Fire x Humboldt 36 Farms – Arcata Fire All in One 100% live Rosin Vape: Banana Punch
2nd	Solventless Cartridge	Arcata Fire x Royalbudline – Zkittlez Vape – Rosin Syrup All In One (.5g) Vape
3rd	Solventless Cartridge	Arcata Fire x Humboldt 36 Farms – Arcata Fire 100% live rosin syrup All in One Vape: Orange Tree
4th	Solventless Cartridge	Jetty Extracts – Jetty Gas Man Solventless Rosin Cartridge
5th	Solventless Cartridge	Real Deal Resin x Booney Acres – Strawberry Meltshake

Solvent Concentrates

1st	Hydro-Carbon Solid	Jetty Extracts – Jetty Super Lemon Haze Live Badder
2nd	Hydro-Carbon Solid	Beezle Brands x Ember Valley- Orange Peel Live Resin Budder
3rd	Hydro-Carbon Solid	Beezle Brands x Luma Farms – Papaya Live Resin Budder
4th	Hydro-Carbon Solid	Beezle Brands x Ember Valley – Red Runtz Live Resin Budder
5th	Hydro-Carbon Solid	Beezle Brands x Ember Valley – Verzace Live Resin Budder
1st	Hydro-Carbon Liquid	Holy Water x Lemon Tree – Melon Tree/Gas Tree Split Jar
2nd	Hydro-Carbon Liquid	Cannabiotix – Mountain Sage Terp Sugar
3rd	Hydro-Carbon Liquid	Cannabiotix – Blue Flame Terp Sugar

Topical

1st	Therapeutic Topical	Val’s Original x West Valley Patient Center – Val’s Hawaiian Cream (Pono)
2nd	Therapeutic Topical	Hello Again – Hello Again Period
3rd	Therapeutic Topical	Liquid Flower – Deep Relief

Tincture

1st	Tincture	Proof – Bazillion Drops
2nd	Tincture	Queen Mary – Boost
1st	Tincture – Wellness Product	Proof – CBG Elixer Drops

Edibles

1st	Edibles – Beverage	Herba Mate – Herba Mate Lemon Mint
2nd	Edibles – Beverage	Mari y Juana Beverages Co. – ¡Guava! 50mg THC Soft Drink
3rd	Edibles – Beverage	Lagunitas HiFi Sessions – Lagunitas x Absolute Xtracts – Hi-Fi Cloudberry Four Pack
4th	Edibles – Beverage	Mari y Juana Beverages Co. – iPiña! 10mg THC Soft Drink
5th	Edibles – Beverage	Bodega – Bodega Pear Cooler
1st	Edibles – Beverage Enhancer	Atlas Edibles – Alta Infused Peach Iced Tea Drink Mix
1st	Edibles – Gummies	Space Gem – Sour Spacedrops
2nd	Edibles – Gummies	P&B Kitchen – Watermelon Chili Gummies
3rd	Edibles – Gummies	Lost Farm – Yuzu Fizz Sour Dream Live Rosin Gummies
4th	Edibles – Gummies	Lost Farm – Raspberry Wedding Cake Live Resin Gummies
5th	Edibles – Gummies	West Coast Cure – Pink Lemonade Strain-Specific, Vegan, Solventless Ice Water Hash Gummy
6th	Edibles – Gummies	West Coast Cure – Blackcurrant Ashram Kush Strain-Specific, Vegan, Solventless Ice Water Hash Gummy
7th	Edibles – Gummies	Papa’s Select – Rainbow Rubble, Hint of Lychee Gummies
8th	Edibles – Gummies	Papa’s Select x Tar Hill Cannabis – Pink Lemonade Gummies
9th	Edibles – Gummies	Papa’s Select x Sunrise Mountain Farms – Grape Pie + Animal Cookies Gummies
10th	Edibles – Gummies	Bigfoot Cannabis Company – Live Resin Raspberry Lemonade Gummies
1st	Edibles – Sweet	Oui’d Confections – Bonbon Hazelnut Praliné
2nd	Edibles – Sweet	P&B Kitchen – Caramel Filled Dark Chocolates
3rd	Edibles – Sweet	Cosmic Edibles x Hash & Flowers – Plant Based Solventless Peanut Butter Breath Rosin S’Mores Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough
1st	Edibles – Savory	TSUMo Snacks – Chili Limon Cannabis Infused Corn Chips
1st	Edibles – Health Conscious	Queen Mary – Enchanted
2nd	Edibles – Health Conscious	FRUIT SLABS – Tropical Haze FRUIT SLABS
3rd	Edibles – Health Conscious	NUG – Sugar Free Dark Chocolate

Alternative Cannabinoids

1st	Alternative Cannabinoid Flower	Pure Beauty – Terry T x Gelato 33 (2:1 CBD)
2nd	Alternative Cannabinoid Flower	Moon Made Farms – Sungrown Mixed Ratio Flower Sapphire Tsu
3rd	Alternative Cannabinoid Flower	Heartrock Mountain Farm – Love Laughter Flower
1st	Alternative Cannabinoid – BREEDER’S CUP	Pure Beauty – Terry T x Gelato 33 (2:1 CBD)
1st	Hemp Flower	Stoney Branch Farms – Godfather OG
2nd	Hemp Flower	Flowgardens – Blue Meringue
3rd	Hemp Flower	Hemp Hop – Abacus Diesel CBD Hemp Flower
1st	Alternative Cannabinoid Edible	Space Gem – Mind Expanding Belt – Sleepy Fig
1st	Alternative Cannabinoid Beverage	Keef – Life H2O Blueberry Lemon +CBN
1st	Alternative Cannabinoid Tincture	Proof – CBG Elixer Drops
1st	Alternative Cannabinoid Cartridge	Chemistry x Emerald Spirit Botanicals – Harmony Rose Full-Spectrum 1:1 CBD Vape
1st	Hemp Derived Ingestible	Green Truth – Weedman’s Sampler Hemp Chocolates
1st	Hemp Derived Topical	Green Revolution – Solace CBD Topical
2nd	Hemp Derived Topical	Metta Hemp – CBD Full-Spectrum Topical Cream

Photos courtesy CAM

CAM SPREADS THE HEAT FARTHER SOUTH THAN EVER

We’re catching up with one of the biggest hitters in California, as she continues to spread her SoCal footprint, Anna Willey of CAM.

Willey is about as famed a female minority legacy operator as it gets. She got her start as a child on the underground NYC delivery scene. Eventually, she would open one of the most popular shops in Colorado. But she knew if she really wanted to crush it long-term, she’d have to move to California. After a short stint in the bay, she’d landed in Sacramento. From there, she coordinates CAM’s statewide growth.

She’s proud to be where she’s at, but you won’t hear her tooting her own horn much, as she surveys the devastation in the cannabis industry. 

“Well, I think that it’s a really, really hard time for legacy operators,” Willey told L.A. Weekly. “There’s so much pride in saying we’re going to bootstrap it and do it on our own.”

But it’s a different time. Running houses and small warehouses was dope. But to start partaking in the economy of scale as cannabis continues to grow, you’re going to be able to need to access funding. 

“When you’re talking to investors. I don’t think people have to mention that oh, by the way, you’ll be giving 62% away to the state, federal and local governments,” Willey said. “So I think that you kind of just got a warehouse and got to lease wherever you could. But you know, 4% tax, I mean, these are just huge. This is like what usual normal business it would make to survive.”

Willey with Hudson from Airfield Supply

But bootstrapping is possible with the heat. She pointed to No Till Kings and Fig Farms as great examples. She emphasized that all of these companies took some risks and owners figured out some parts of the businesses that they might have not been that great in, that sole person, and kind of built a team around people that are good as those parts of the business. 

Our conversation turned to the lack of middle ground in cannabis right now. Sometimes it feels like everyone is either crushing or closing. She believes there should have been a lot more room to be successful in the middle of the pack. 

“Yeah, maybe they’re not like knocking out of the park, but they’re doing what they love. They’re putting out a great product. They’re paying their people, they’re putting food on the table, and they’re doing it as a community,” Willey said, “It’s heartbreaking to watch that smaller farms maybe not have the opportunity to be around next year; it is really, really sad.”

There weren’t a lot of women in cannabis, and when Willey got started there weren’t a lot of brown people either, given the targeted enforcement they faced over cannabis. Especially in her hometown of NYC prior to legalization, just look at all the ACLU data from over the years.

But times have changed a lot. We asked Willey if she thought it was easier for a person like her to get in the game now than when she first did.

“I think that I think for women and for minorities or for anyone that I think it’s, I think it’s getting easier, and it’s getting better than it ever has been,” she replied. “I will say that there’s so much opportunity for people that want it. And I didn’t think it was that bad then either. So I think I’m always looking at it from the perspective of a kind of work ethic.”

Willey emphasized to farms that are struggling that whatever you can do to stay in business for another year is going to give you the best opportunity to win. She said you never know what’s right around the corner, just look how many people the COVID boom helped keep afloat. 

We asked Willey when she first got the chance to do business with women that looked like her.

“I would honestly say not until I came to California. In Colorado, it was my fellow peers, dudes. I think that there are a lot of home-growers in Colorado that kind of either cobble together a couple of bucks or did it with their friends and opened up a shop. It was a lot more peer-oriented than it is now,” Willey said. 

Keep an eye out for CAM flowers all over SoCal. It’s some of the best bang for the buck in the state and absolute heat. My favorite at the moment is the Biscotti BX1, but the Kush Mints has won a lot of stuff. 

CONGRESS PUSHES BACK AGAINST VA ON POT AND PTSD

The nearly decade-long battle to get American veterans access to medical cannabis continued on Capitol Hill this week. 

With the exception of seeing little kids with extreme forms of epilepsy like Dravet’s Syndrome, nothing went further in changing the national conversation around medical cannabis than supporting vets with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This movement was a direct result of first-hand experiences with medical cannabis safety and efficacy when it came to PTSD, as more veterans continue to take their own lives. In its own 2017 study on cannabis and PTSD, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) noted over one-third of patients seeking cannabis for medical purposes list PTSD as the primary reason for the request, and 15% of VA patients at outpatient clinics are using medical cannabis in the last six months. 

Cannabis Caucus founder Rep. Earl Blumenauer picked the fight up this week, to get vets access to cannabis. He originally started pushing the effort in 2014. In 2016, things looked great, but the language ended up getting stripped in final negotiations by then-Illinois Senator Mark Kirk. 

At the time, Blumenauer noted, “It’s incredibly frustrating and disappointing that despite broad bipartisan, bicameral support, a handful of out-of-touch lawmakers put politics over the well-being of America’s wounded warriors. Our veterans deserve better. We will continue to seek every opportunity to make sure they have fair and equal treatment and the ability to consult with, and seek a recommendation from, their personal VA physician about medical marijuana.”

But things are looking up. On Wednesday, Blumenauer passed an amendment to end the VA’s prohibition on providers assisting veterans in accessing state-legal medical cannabis. Not only did it pass, it passed unanimously in a voice vote. In this heavily divided Congress, surely that is a reasonable sign of how bipartisan supporting veterans is. 

After the amendment passed on Wednesday, Blumenauer told L.A. Weekly,

“Veterans in Oregon and across the country have shared with me how medical cannabis has literally saved their lives. It is a gross injustice that the VA continues to prohibit its providers from helping veterans access medical cannabis. My amendment with Brian Mast would finally allow the VA to help veterans complete forms in compliance with state-legal cannabis programs, allowing them to access a far less addictive alternative to opioids in managing PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other chronic conditions.”

Blumenauer also came out against the VA’s move to strongly advocate against medical cannabis as a treatment for PTSD this week. This recommendation came despite the VA noting some participants from its own focus groups, “spoke about the benefits of newer pharmacologic treatments (e.g., ketamine) and were interested in exploring other newer treatments such as psilocybin, cannabis, LSD, and other psychedelics.” 

The VA cited that same 2017 study we mentioned before when it came out strongly against using cannabis for PTSD. But that study’s own authors noted there are very few methodologically rigorous studies examining the effects of cannabis in patients with PTSD. 

“We found only two observational studies, which suggest that cannabis is potentially associated with neutral effects on PTSD or depression symptom severity, and employment status, and negative effects in terms of violent behavior, drug and alcohol abuse, and suicidal ideation,” the authors noted in their findings. “However, the strength of evidence is rated as insufficient due to the potential for bias in the two included studies in this review and the small number of controlled studies reporting data on benefits and harms of cannabis for treating PTSD symptoms.”

So how can something that notes how limited the information being used is be the ethos for the VA’s prohibition on medical cannabis for PTSD? And with all the discussion around vets and cannabis, how is this still what they are citing in the debate all these years later? How has the VA not pushed this research further in that time period?

In a letter to the VA’s leadership, Blunenauer said, “The Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense have a long history of claiming the best interest of our veterans and servicemembers only to deny the reality of medical marijuana as a key treatment option for those impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder.”

Blumenauer went on to note the updated June 2023 VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of PTSD perpetuates this misguided denial of services to our nation’s veterans. 

“For decades, I have heard from veterans across the country that medical cannabis has been a life-saving treatment for PTSD,” Blumensauer told the VA and DOD leadership. “I urge you to reconsider the antiquated and insufficient recommendation against the use of cannabis or cannabis derivatives in treating patients with PTSD.”

Etienne Fontan of Berkeley Patients Group and Veterans Action Council was pleased with Blumenauer’s success. 

“We want to thank Blumeneur and the Cannabis Caucus for keeping true to their words to help veterans gain cannabis access via the VA. Many politicians talk a lot of talk, but very few walk the line like they have for us. We are grateful for their continued support on this issue,” Fontan told L.A. Weekly, “This has been the work of many hands and organizations to get us to this point, and we are not across the line yet. This is a significant first step in the direction that many veterans want to see nationwide. It must still get through the House, and the President must sign it, and we will remain skeptical until the process plays out fully.”

Fontan closed by noting activists have been disappointed too many times in the past with promises that never see fruition.

THE CANNABIS TRENDS WE’RE BUYING IN 2023

This week we’re excited about what’s to come for the cannabis industry in 2023. 

Last week we covered the fact that life is less than perfect in cannabis while highlighting some of the things we believed caused a lot of our headaches in 2022. This week, the opposite. We’re highlighting the things we think are going to help everyone turn it around. 

Finally Fixing LA’s Equity Program 

Here in Los Angeles, one of the biggest calls to action from the cannabis industry for the new mayor’s office continues to be the repair of the L.A. Social Equity Program. It was awesome to see 100 Social Equity Individual Applicants were randomly selected to apply for retail cannabis licenses last month, but the couple hundred people who invested their lives into putting their ducks in a row for the program are going to demand more. And while the new mayor’s office is separate from the scandals of the fall, they may have to pay the bill if a class action lawsuit ends up developing from the then-racist city council having original control over the program that drained so many coffers. 

Standardized Testing?

It originally looked like we would have standardized lab testing this year. It seems a little hazy at the moment, but we wanted to put it on here to push the idea. Currently, cannabis labs have no fixed standard operating procedures. A lot of the time they’re just following the instructions for whatever hardware they bought. Then adjust the standard operating procedure to their liking. That’s where you see the variations in testing numbers from lab to lab. The idea of people shopping around their cannabis at labs to get the best numbers possible is a real thing. This is more so an issue with potency and terpene testing as opposed to heavy metals and pesticides.

Wider Access in America

It’s critical that California cultivators get access to more shelf space soon. While the state continues to drag a bit, the idea of stocking shelves all over the world with cannabis grown in California is appealing to people. The first shelves will probably be domestic, and step one is having as many states with legal access to cannabis as possible for when that day comes. And it’s not that far out. Some regulators figure it will be a few more years. Whenever it is, it’ll certainly make people’s lives a lot easier. We don’t think it will happen this year, but we’ll be talking about the mechanics of it by December a lot. 

The Pace of Change is Fast

I know it’s going to take some time for the other stuff I mentioned, but it’s easy to see how fast things are moving for cannabis all over the world. It’s like a snowball with a rocket sled behind it pushing it even faster as it grows and grows rolling down the mountain. Now is everyone hoping to get sucked up by the snowball a saint? Doubtful. But the bigger the snowball gets, the more opportunities there will be for nice people to take part. Plenty of people entering the cannabis space now aren’t haters, they were just scared to go to jail back in the day. 

THE CANNABIS TRENDS WE’RE LEAVING IN 2023

As 2022 comes to a close, we again look back at one of the most brutal years ever on both sides of the cannabis marketplace in California. 

And I assure you, that is no exaggeration. On the recreational side, more and more farms went under or simply chose not to plant a crop this year. And those are the moms and pops feeling it — not those with cash reserves to burn while they wait for more shelf space to open up across the state and beyond its borders in the not-too-distant future. 

But those without a permit had plenty to gripe on as well. At one point during the harvest, you could get machine-trimmed pounds for $50 a pop. This stuff would have been worth $1,200 to $1,500 a decade ago. It’s not the heat by any means, but it’s still shocking. The underground market is also prepping the transition of enforcement next year from the CAMP program to rebranded EPIC program. The big difference? Private parcels will face much more scrutiny in 2023 compared to CAMP’s targeting of public lands much of the time. A lot of people really needed a good one this year because of this. Despite the perfect conditions, they faced a flooded bottom-dollar market come harvest. 

Things We’re Leaving Behind in 2022

Nepotism-Based Shelf Space 

As the cannabis industry continues to do circles around the eye of the storm with people falling off the ship left and right, now is not the time to play favorites for shitty reasons. The main determining factor that should go through your head before you stock an item is whether it’s the best you can do for whatever tax bracket you are trying to serve with the said item. That’s regardless of whether you’re talking discount eighths or the mountaintop, purchase from the same ethos. Screw the free doughnuts; never buy cannabis products because someone brought free doughnuts — you’re going to have a bad time. 

Getting Shot Over Big Piles of Money

As we exit 2022, the cannabis banking situation still hasn’t been figured out. It looked like it had a chance a couple of weeks back, but it fell short without the support or at least ambivalence of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The industry currently finds itself in two camps at the moment. The first is those that wanted bank accounts yesterday for their own personal safety and that of their staff. The second is those who want it as a bargaining chip to protect social equity in the national legalization debate to come. Both are great takes. Hopefully, it happens soon for the sake of nobody getting murdered over weed money. But given what happened in the Senate, we’re probably not all going to make it alive, so be careful. 

Overproduction

There are few things that can devastate the market price of a commodity quite like overproduction. It’s a huge factor on both sides of the marketplace. On the recreational side, it has created a race to the bottom. The “top shelf” just under the true exotics is getting cheaper and cheaper, as people edged each other out 50 cents at a time to get us to this current bummer. On the illicit side, a ton of that oversupply on the recreational side finds its way to the streets. And it doesn’t have a home as it did in the past. That part is thanks to how many places have become less sketchy to grow. Why fly a box in from California when you can drive home from Maine or Oklahoma? Overproduction is the biggest factor in those $50 pounds we mentioned earlier, too. 

Photo: Maria Oswalt

CURE ACT WOULD OPEN FED JOBS TO FORMER POT SMOKERS

The House Oversight and Accountability Committee moved forward with a bill that would expand federal employment opportunities for people who used cannabis at some point in their lives.

The Cannabis Users’ Restoration of Eligibility Act passed the committee in a 30-14 vote. It would allow federal agencies to consider applicants with a prior history of cannabis use when they are making employment and security clearance decisions. 

NORML, the nation’s oldest cannabis reform organization, praised the move by Congress. 

“Applicants for federal employment and security clearances should not be unfairly disqualified solely for their past cannabis use,” NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox said. “While it is disappointing that the committee did not see fit to stop federal agencies from discriminating against those responsible adults and patients who are current consumers of cannabis, this legislation will nonetheless open up new opportunities to millions of Americans, increase the talent pool available to federal employers, and ultimately make our country safer.”

Fox went on to note many agencies are already reducing the impact cannabis use has on their hiring processes. 

“The Office of Personnel Management has similarly recommended that all federal agencies limit the window of time during which one’s past cannabis use is considered for denial of employment,” Fox said. “And a growing number of states are taking steps to protect the employment rights of responsible cannabis consumers and increase the opportunities available to them. Congress should do the same, and this overwhelming bipartisan vote today shows that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are moving in the right direction.”

After the FBI loosened its policy on marijuana smokers in the summer of 2021, it famously said that smoking marijuana more than 24 times would disqualify potential candidates. As Marijuana Moment noted at the time, there was no explanation of how the FBI got to that number. Use prior to someone’s 18th birthday would not disqualify them, so you had to have broken the law 24 times as an adult. 

The concept of opening the door for more people with a history of cannabis use is nothing new, but a decade ago in the months after Colorado and Washington kicked off our grand legalization experiment, it was a little “too soon” for some lawmakers. Then FBI Director James Comey joked to Congress that the amount of people who smoke weed these days is making the hiring process a bit trickier for the nation’s chief law enforcement agency, 

“I have to hire a great workforce to compete with those cyber criminals and some of those kids want to smoke weed on the way to the interview,” Comey said at the time according to The Wall Street Journal. 

While still a senator, Jeff Sessions got mad at Comey claiming his words could be construed as something supportive of cannabis use. Comey clapped back that was certainly not the case, but his hiring reality, and he was determined to not lose his sense of humor regardless of how serious a job it is to run the FBI. 

Gallup noted in 2021 nearly half of all Americans have smoked marijuana at some point in their lives. It seems like preventing half the population from getting a government job is absolutely madness. As more and more states move forward with legalization, it will become even more unsustainable to prevent our best and brightest from serving their country in some capacity because they smoked a little bit of cannabis. 

Hopefully, the CURE Act will continue on its path through Congress and onto the president’s desk, to give these people a shot at doing whatever they see fit in service to the rest of us.