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Another problematic union in California.
As Cannabis Wire reported In September, the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) was investigating a complaint from the Teamsters that an entity called National Agricultural Workers Union (NAWU), with strong ties to The Parent Company-owned Caliva, is not a bona fide labor organization.
Now, the ALRB has agreed with the Teamsters.
The ALRB wrote in its Oct. 25 decision that “NAWU has not demonstrated any sincere or good faith effort to organize and represent cannabis workers in California, including its capacity and ability to do so. Nor does the record suggest it had any real intention of organizing workers in California’s cannabis industry.”
As a result, all of NAWU’s labor peace agreements “are null and void.”
British American Tobacco deepens investment into Organigram.
BAT first invested in Organigram back in 2021, and, as of this week, is committing another C$124.6 million from its subsidiary BT DE Investments Inc.
According to the announcement, the money will be “used by Organigram to create a strategic investment pool, named Jupiter,” which will “target investments in emerging cannabis opportunities” in “new markets” as “geographic expansion is a strategic priority.”
BAT has been investing quite a bit in the cannabis industry, from Sanity Group in Germany to Charlotte’s Web. Cannabis Wire first reported on its U.S. lobbying efforts back in 2021.
New York regulators highlight enforcement efforts.
The Office of Cannabis Management sent out an update this week on its enforcement efforts against unlicensed cannabis sellers across the state. It was the “first in a monthly series of enforcement action updates against unlicensed cannabis shops,” to be released on the first Monday of every month.
October’s numbers:
OCM and the Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF) inspected 47 shops and seized:
730 lbs of flower
622 lbs of edibles
45 lbs of concentrate
Worth an estimated value of $6.2 million.
Context: rampant unregulated sales took up a sizable portion of last week’s daylong Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis hearing (read Cannabis Wire’s recap).
Regulators were eager to communicate during the hearing all of the ways that they’re trying to curb unlicensed sales. On Monday, regulators highlighted the October webinar with OCM, the Real Estate Board of New York, and the District Attorney’s office (read Cannabis Wire’s coverage of that webinar), which focused on ways that landlords can help solve the problem.
Chris Alexander, executive director of OCM, said in a statement on Monday that the state has a “zero-tolerance for unlicensed cannabis shops that disregard local communities committed to creating a legal cannabis industry built on equity.” But, the state has just 27 operational licensed stores and thousands of unregulated sellers.
“Collaboration and coordination are necessary to build a successful and equitable adult-use cannabis market. In that spirit, we will continue to work diligently, using our enhanced enforcement powers to seize unlicensed products and fine-tune a more efficient closure process. This work requires an all-hands-on deck approach alongside local government officials and stakeholders to comprehensively address this public health crisis.”
New York regulators are establishing the Medical Cannabis Advisory Council.
The Office of Cannabis Management recently published a document that lays out what they’re looking for in members that will use their expertise to develop “clinical resources that educate health care professionals on how to treat patients with cannabinoid-based medicine.” Regulators are seeking “up to” 13 medical practitioners from across the state to serve on the Council.
Specifically, the Council’s objectives will be: to “assist with the development of resources for practitioners, including clinical guidance documents that evaluate the current scientific literature, and make data-driven recommendations for medical cannabis treatment protocols,” and to “provide guidance to the Office by making recommendations to improve the Medical Cannabis Program for patients and practitioners.”
The Council will focus on inflammatory bowel disorders like Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease, women’s health (including areas like endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and “pelvic and breast disorders”), developmental and behavioral disorders like ADHD and autism spectrum disorders, and mental health areas including anxiety and depression.
Applications will be open until Dec. 4.