Volume 1, Issue 5
The Newsletter’s Aim
Weeding the News – a breakdown of the month’s cannabis news, important events, and top-notch accounting tips – aims to entertain and inform you as we watch the cannabis industry transform before us.
© 2025 BTA Corp. All rights reserved.
What’s on the Docket
Virginia makes tentative strides toward cannabis legalization, while Indiana residents will have to keep waiting for legal bud. An investigation in California’s dispensaries has uncovered troubling revelations about the state’s cannabis. Meanwhile, a Florida man’s cannabis concentrate efforts literally blew up in his face, an Ohio cop finds himself in hot water, and we provide updates on the Los Angeles fires while hearing from a seasoned cannabis cultivator.
Cannabis in Los Angeles and Beyond
Derek S. Maltz has been named as Acting Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Maltz is seen as a cannabis “skeptic,” who tends to favor a more conservative approach to rescheduling cannabis and has espoused outdated myths about the plant. Read more.
Various metrics, including revenue and patient growth, indicate the Florida cannabis market is having a hard time achieving the same level of success as other states, such as Massachusetts. Other states, e.g., Colorado, are also reportedly struggling financially. Read more.
Virginia remains a mixed bag for cannabis enthusiasts. On the one hand, a House subcommittee pushed a bill to legalize cannabis sales, and despite a veto threatening to shut it down, the bill was recently passed. On the other hand, a ban on intoxicating hemp products has been upheld by a federal appeals court. Read more.
© 2025 BTA Corp. All rights reserved.
Indiana residents still cannot obtain legal cannabis, as lawmakers recently shot down an attempt to legalize marijuana in this Midwestern state. Read more.
Amplify, an actively managed exchange-traded fund, has announced that it liquidated its U.S. Alternative Harvest ETF (MJUS). The effect on cannabis stock is that MJUS assets will be absorbed by the Seymour Cannabis ETF (CNBS). Read more.
Cannabis sold in California dispensaries is inundated with pesticide contamination, according to a recent study. Pesticide contamination was also found last year, with several products being recalled. Read more.
Texas’s Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has insisted a ban on THC products will be imminent this year, as he has made it one of his top “25 priorities.” He has previously made several allegations about cannabis, such as cannabis products sold at retailers in his state test higher for THC than what some “drug dealers supply”; cannabis products are being sold to children and are endangering citizens’ lives. It should be noted that, despite highly restrictive laws, cannabis is plentiful in Texas, with thousands of dispensaries and 24-hour delivery services. Read more.
Abroad
Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s Prime Minister, is attempting to ban hemp-derived products. Read more.
UPDATE: Los Angeles Fires
© 2025 BTA Corp. All rights reserved.
Palisades Fire
- Acres burned: 24,000
- Structures destroyed: 6,800
- Deaths: 12
- Missing people: 2
- Containment: 100% as of February 1, 2025
Eaton Fire
- Acres burned: 14,000
- Structures destroyed: 9,400
- Deaths: 17
- Missing people: 12
- Containment: 100% as of February 1, 2025
See our last issue for resources to help you find (or provide) relief.
Upcoming Events
CannaDataCon 2025
Miami Beach, Florida, Feb 5-7
A two-day meeting of cannabis leaders across a wide range of sectors, from technology to regulation. Open to the public through a live stream. You also request to attend in person by contacting cannadatacon@deltaemerald.com.
Lucky Leaf Expo Minneapolis 2025
Minneapolis, Minnesota, Feb 28 to March 1
A conference for cannabis professionals to discuss developments in the industry relative to the Minnesota scene.
NECANN Boston 2025
Boston, MA, March 21-22
A cannabis convention dating back to 2014 dedicated to increasing marketing opportunities for cannabis professionals.
Benzinga Cannabis Market Spotlight
Somerset, NJ, March 4
A networking event where industry insiders come together, establish connections, and help shape New Jersey’s future in cannabis.
Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference ‘25
Chicago, IL, June 8-10
A conference for helping cannabis entrepreneurs raise capital, seal deals, and forge partnerships.
The Situation Report
A Florida man suffered severe burns to his face and hands after the butane gas he was using to extract THC exploded in his face. Read more.
© 2025 BTA Corp. All rights reserved.
Adam Levin, former chairman/founder of Hightimes Holding Corp. (parent company of High Times magazine), has pleaded guilty to fraud concerning a scheme to inflate “High Times’s” stock. Several years back, Levin was ordered to pay more than $600,000 for his fraud-related activities. Read more.
A man was arrested at the Des Moines airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle over 50 pounds of cannabis into the state. Read more.
An Ohio police officer has been arrested for allegedly purchasing cannabis; purportedly he was still in uniform (and arrived in his police-issued vehicle). Read more.
Abroad
A gang in Swansea, Wales, turned an abandoned school into a giant grow lab for cannabis, authorities say. Three men have been arrested in connection with the lab, with one man allegedly fleeing police before being caught. Read more.
Industry Insight: Craft/Commercial
John Michael Mead
Commercial/craft cannabis cultivation management/consulting
As more cannabis MSO “weed factories” shut down across the country, some see it as the end, while others, like me, see it as the beginning of the “commercial craft” cannabis era.
The battle between commercial low-quality cannabis and artisanally-grown high-quality cannabis has been going on for decades. While one side focuses only on profits, the other focuses on quality. But one thing will remain: the demand for quality cannabis that only passionate growers can cultivate and only big companies can market and distribute.
Investors would be wise to invest in multiple craft cannabis operators. In the same way the beer industry went “micro,” craft brewing companies can keep their integrity while letting conglomerates like Anheuser-Busch fund them and help with distribution. If the same model happens with cannabis, I can see a symbiotic relationship between craft and commercialism – one that allows craft producers to thrive without “selling out.”
Much-Needed FAQs
Instead of answering questions that have been asked all the time, we offer a few questions that should be asked. If asked, the questions would save you a lot of time and trouble. Trust us.
