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Enjoy some of Illinois’ best deals at Verilife this Green Wednesday

✇Leafly
By: Leafly Staff

This Green Wednesday, Verilife is celebrating the season by offering a special discount to their customers. They’re marking down some of their top products, and that’s not all. On the week of 11/23, any customer who stops by any Illinois Verilife location can get a chance to redeem a doorbuster with just a single in-store […]

The post Enjoy some of Illinois’ best deals at Verilife this Green Wednesday appeared first on Leafly.

Illinois Announces Launch of Cannabis Disparity Study

✇HighTimes Magazine
By: Nicole Potter

The Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office (CROO) announced on Feb. 7 that it launched its Cannabis Disparity and Availability Study, which tasks a contract group to find examples of discrimination within the local cannabis industry.

According to CROO, the study “will collect and analyze data and report on whether discrimination exists in the Illinois cannabis industry,” CROO states on its website. “If there is a finding that discrimination exists, the Disparity Study will evaluate the impact of the discrimination on the State and its residents regarding entering and participating in the State’s cannabis industry. The Disparity Study will include recommendations for reducing or eliminating any identified barriers to entry.“

The study will examine laws and court cases that involve cannabis and cannabis and disparity studies, conduct interviews and create focus groups for public input, and compile data in relation to the state’s cannabis application process and business information.

A final report is required to be sent to the General Assembly and governor within 12 months, including any “potential remedies” to amend current cannabis regulation. “This effort is a vital assessment of the state’s cannabis social equity licensing system,” said Acting CROO Officer Erin Johnson. “We look forward to seeing a final report that truly incorporates the voices of Illinois social equity applicants and our new cannabis businesses.”

This comes nearly one year since the state issued a request to find someone to conduct the Disparity Study in Feb. 2022. This led to the hiring of the Nerevu Group, which is a minority- and women-owned contractor group based throughout Illinois, as well as some out-of-state locations.

“Along with our partners, Nerevu is honored to support CROO, IDFPR and IDOA in building an even more inclusive and equitable cannabis industry,” said Nerevu Group Founder and President Reuben Cummings. “This study is essential in identifying potential disparities and suitable remedies. We are excited to initiate this project and look forward to connecting with the greater cannabis community.”

Legal adult-use cannabis sales began in 2020, and in July 2022, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that 149 condition state licenses would be issued and available for social equity applicants. “Illinois is leading the way in addressing the War on Drugs as no state has before, and dispensary ownership that reflects our state’s diversity is a product of that commitment,” said Pritzker. “These licenses represent a significant step toward accountability for the decades of injustice preceding cannabis legalization. Illinois will continue to deliver on the promises of putting equity at the forefront of this process.”

Just a few months later, two of the state’s first social equity cannabis dispensaries, Ivy Hall Damen and Green Rose Dispensary, opened in November 2022 in Chicago.

According to Nigel Dandridge, the co-founder of Ivy Hall Damen, it’s taken a long time for his business to open up. “We’ve been working to get a seat at the table for a while now, and we’re finally able to do that,” said Dandridge. “When this industry first opened up, we didn’t see anyone in our community benefiting, or even being able to participate. So it was kind of hypocritical. I think it’s important that we can show you what we’re doing. We want everyone to benefit. Our staff’s been working hard, and we’re just excited to share it with everyone.”

Falling in line with other states in the U.S., Illinois Rep. La Shawn Ford recently introduced House Bill 1 to legalize psychedelics in January. Ford’s bill would allow residents 18 years and older to seek out supervised psychedelic therapy. “I want to be clear that this is a health measure. My proposal does not allow retail sales of psilocybin outside of a regulated therapeutic setting and ensures that medicines purchased for therapeutic use at a service center must be used under medical supervision, and cannot be taken home,” Ford said. “Only licensed facilitators will be allowed to provide treatment at closely regulated and licensed healing centers, approved health care facilities, in hospice, or at a pre-approved patient residence.”

The post Illinois Announces Launch of Cannabis Disparity Study appeared first on High Times.

Federal Court Orders RAW to Stop Making False Claims About Papers, Foundation

✇Green Market Report
By: Adam Jackson

The maker of Raw Rolling Papers will have to pivot production by the end of spring to comply with a federal court order telling the company to stop making false claims about its organic hemp line and a nonexistent charitable foundation.

Raw’s competitor Republic Brands took the company to court alleging that Raw’s labels included false information. The owner of a suite of rolling papers that include OCB and Top branded papers eventially obtained the permanent injunction against RAW’s distributing arm, HBI International.

On Jan. 31, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ordered HBI to stop making certain claims about its products and “immediately” cease manufacturing, ordering, or replenishing its inventory with goods that fail to conform to the court’s order.

The injunction order follows a jury’s verdict that HBI, the distributor of rolling paper brands RAW and Juicy Jays, engaged in unfair competition and violated the Illinois Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act through its packaging and promotional activities.

According to the findings, HBI marketed its papers as having been made by artisanal craftsman in “Alcoy, Spain,” referred to Alcoy as the “birthplace of rolling papers,” and affixed an “Alcoy” stamp to some of its products.

However, in a Jan. 19 ruling, the court found that HBI “makes no rolling paper in Alcoy, Spain, whatsoever.”

HBI has also claimed on packaging and in interviews that it contributes its funds and sales proceeds to a 501c charity referred to as the “RAW Foundation,” which the court found in a Dec. 6 ruling to be “nonexistent.”

The court enjoined HBI from continuing to state, imply, or suggest that it operates or contributes funds or sales proceeds to a charitable entity or foundation referred to as the “RAW Foundation” or making reference to the “RAW Foundation” in text or images.

The RAW makers must stop production and sales of all promotions and products that use the Alcoy stamp or references the fake foundation, which happens to be much of the current inventory, by the end of May.

The order also permanently prohibits HBI from making any statement or communication, or engaging in any promotion or advertising activity that states, implies, or suggests that:

  • RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers are “unrefined;”
  • RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers are made with natural hemp gum, or that the adhesive used in RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers is made from or contains hemp;
  • RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers are, or ever were, the world’s first or world’s only organic (or organic hemp) rolling papers;
  • The bulk paper used to make RAW Organic Hemp rolling paper products is made in Spain;
  • RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers are made using wind power or are powered by wind;
  • HBI uses or used the center of the hemp stalk for its RAW Organic Hemp rolling papers;
  • HBI or its founder Joshua Kesselman invented rolling paper pre-rolled cones;
  • The OCB Organic Hemp papers are knock-offs, “RAWnabees,” copies, or fake versions of RAW.

The post Federal Court Orders RAW to Stop Making False Claims About Papers, Foundation appeared first on Green Market Report.

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