180-plus marijuana workers unionize in Illinois and California

More than 100 employees at Illinois marijuana stores and 80 at a California cannabis delivery service are joining unions. Teamsters Local 777 reached a tentative agreement with workers at five different marijuana stores owned by Verilife, a subsidiary of PharmaCann, in the Chicagoland area. The collective bargaining agreement covers more than 100 workers at Verilife stores in…

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Cannabis rebrands aim to differentiate retail, not alienate shoppers

  A push toward familiarity and comfort is in, while cannabis shops that resemble the Apple Store appear to be on the way out. Taking a page from contemporary retailers, groceries and restaurants, cannabis companies are overhauling their store interiors to simplify and accelerate transactions using tablet ordering stations, digital signage and menus, and designated…

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US House bill would would grant marijuana companies federal tax relief

    State-legal marijuana businesses would enjoy long-requested federal tax relief under a bill introduced Monday in the U.S. House of Representatives by a key congressional cannabis advocate. The Small Business Tax Equity Act, introduced by Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat who co-chairs the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, would make marijuana businesses obeying state law exempt from Section…

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Washington Shutters Pot Businesses Due to Old Pesticide

  Cannabis regulators have halted operations at several outdoor pot farms and processing facilities on a stretch of former fruit orchards in north- central Washington state after testing found high levels of chemicals related to a dangerous pesticide used decades ago. The sweeping action announced Thursday night by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board renewed…

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YouTube Videos of Intentional Collisions Led to Arrests of California Couple

A California couple was arrested on multiple felony counts of insurance fraud over allegedly staged collisions that were posted on YouTube. Christopher Phelps, 40, of Yucaipa, and his wife, Kimberly Phelps, 40, were arrested on multiple felony counts of insurance fraud, assault with a deadly weapon and child endangerment after the couple allegedly caused collisions…

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Cannasure Quickly Moving New and Renewal Business from Topa in California

It appears one of the nation’s better known cannabis insurance specialists is having to do some scrambling after AM Best announced it was downgrading the credit ratings of Topa Insurance Co. in Calabasas, California, and its subsidiary, Dorchester Insurance Company Ltd. in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Topa and Dorchester provide a sizable amount of insuring…

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Nevada Cannabis Regulators Issue Product Pesticide Advisory for Products

  Nevada marijuana regulators have issued a health and safety advisory about widely available legal cannabis products produced in the Las Vegas area during the last 16 months using plants treated with an unapproved pesticide. The Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board bulletin said Henderson-based Clark Natural Medicinal Solutions treated some plants with Ethephon. According to the…

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