Canopy Growth Corporation‘s (NASDAQ:CGC) strategy for capturing the U.S. cannabis market was the focal point of a recent fireside chat hosted by Zuanic & Associates. CEO David Klein and CFO Judy Hong provided insights into Canopy USA's (CUSA) growth strategy, financial projections and its significance for investors navigating the evolving cannabis industry. Get Benzinga's exclusive analysis and the top news about the cannabis industry and markets daily in your inbox for free. Subscribe to our newsletter here. You can’t afford to miss out if you're serious about the business. Unique Structure For U.S. Expansion CUSA's innovative structure is designed to comply with NASDAQ and SEC regulations while preparing for potential federal cannabis reform. “The structure allows us to keep Canopy Growth compliant while positioning CUSA to grow independently in the U.S.,” Klein said. This arrangement prevents Canopy Growth from directly financing CUSA but allows for co-investments alongside third-party investors when necessary. Additionally, Canopy Growth holds a beneficial interest in CUSA through exchangeable shares, which can be converted into voting shares once regulatory conditions permit. Hong revealed CUSA's long-term potential, noting it could generate up to $300 million in revenue annually with EBITDA margins of approximately 20%. She emphasized the ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Missouri’s hemp market is experiencing rapid growth, thanks to regulatory gaps in the 2018 Farm Bill. Consumers can now purchase intoxicating hemp products resembling marijuana buds and joints outside state-regulated dispensaries. These products, often sold in CBD shops, coffee houses and farmers markets are creating a parallel market that challenges the state’s licensed marijuana industry. Hemp Vs. Marijuana: A Growing Divide At the MJ Unpacked Conference in St. Louis, industry experts discussed this emerging “civil war” between the hemp and marijuana sectors. David Vaillencourt of Denver-based S3 Collective told the Missouri Independent that the Farm Bill’s descheduling of hemp has blurred the lines. “Now people are saying, ‘Well, basically all marijuana is hemp.'” This has led to two markets operating under vastly different regulations. Get Benzinga’s exclusive analysis and the top news about ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

After years of regulatory delays, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Phase 2 of a clinical trial to assess the efficacy of smoked medical cannabis in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among military veterans. Funded by Michigan's Veteran Marijuana Research Grant Program, the study is poised to be a critical step in understanding how cannabis impacts PTSD symptoms, Marijuana Moment reported. See Also: Healing Heroes: Planet 13’s Initiative For Florida Veterans And First Responders The trial, spearheaded by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), will be a randomized, placebo-controlled investigation involving 320 veterans diagnosed with moderate to severe PTSD. Participants will self-titrate doses of high-THC cannabis flower or a placebo, ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Several major players in the cannabis industry are expanding their product offerings in Canada and the U.S. through new partnerships and innovative product launches. Canopy Growth Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX:WEED) (NASDAQ:CGC) is launching the award-winning California-grown Claybourne brand in Canada, via an exclusive licensing agreement. The initial launch brings Claybourne’s Frosted Flyers Infused Pre-Rolls to Canadian medical and recreational consumers in five distinct offerings, including: Blue Dream 3×0.5g pack (sativa): 42-48% THC (myrcene, pinene and caryophyllene); Strawberry Cough 3×0.5g pack (sativa): 42-48% THC (myrcene, pinene and caryophyllene); Pineapple Express 3×0.5g pack (hybrid): 42-48% THC (myrcene, pinene and caryophyllene); Grape Gasolina 3×0.5g pack (indica): 42-48% THC (myrcene, linalool and caryophyllene); Banana OG 3×0.5g pack (indica): 42-48% THC (limonene, myrcene and caryophyllene); and Variety Pack 5×0.5g pack (Sa-Hybri-Ca): 36-40% THC.    Get Benzinga's exclusive analysis and the top news about the cannabis industry and markets daily in your inbox for free. Subscribe to our newsletter here. If you're serious about ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

At the recent Cannabis Market Spotlight: California event in Anaheim, Chelsea Kossower, Puffco's vice president of global expansion, emphasized the need for authenticity in the cannabis industry. Speaking to a crowd of industry peers and enthusiasts, Kossower addressed how brands can best connect with the cannabis community by moving beyond traditional sales tactics. See Also: Ricky Williams’ Highsman Merges With Hemp Brand Frozen Fields Building Connections through Culture During her panel discussion, Kossower highlighted that cultivating real brand loyalty in cannabis involves more than financial investment. "Culture is not something you can just throw money at and buy," Kossower ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Jeff Levers, co-founder of Beard Bros Pharms, shared candid insights into the challenges and potential of California's cannabis industry at the recent Benzinga Cannabis Market Spotlight: California event in Anaheim. He described the industry in three words: "struggle, resiliency and a positive future,” acknowledging the persistent hurdles operators face while expressing optimism for improvement. Navigating California's Cannabis Industry Levers highlighted the ongoing challenges within California's cannabis market, noting that high taxation, regulatory complexities and fluctuating demand have posed obstacles. Yet, despite these issues, he emphasized the resilience shown by industry participants and the potential for a more stable future. According to Levers, California's cannabis market, though challenging, continues ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Psyence Biomedical Ltd. (NASDAQ:PBM) has successfully obtained an extension from the Nasdaq Hearings Panel, giving the company until December 31, 2024, to meet the exchange's continued listing requirements. The decision, reached after a hearing on October 31, allows the company to remain listed while implementing measures to comply with Nasdaq's rigorous benchmarks. Psyence Biomed presented a comprehensive plan to address key requirements, including the $1 minimum bid price, a $1 million market value of publicly held shares and $2.5 million in minimum stockholders’ ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Highsman, the cannabis brand founded by former NFL running back and Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams, has merged with Frozen Fields, a North Carolina-based hemp company and its sister entity Abundant Labs. The merger establishes Top Seed Inc. as the parent company while maintaining the Highsman and Frozen Fields brand identities. Marijuana Meets Hemp: A Partnership For National Competition The consolidation, announced three years after Highsman's launch, seeks to enhance market reach and operational efficiency. According to Williams, the partnership leverages Abundant Labs' research and development capabilities to innovate products, improve margins, and gain greater supply chain control. “We began exploring M&A opportunities about a year ago, seeking to ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Botswana's new president, Duma Boko, delivered his first state of the nation address on Tuesday, during which he announced strategies to diversify the country's diamond-dependent economy. One strategy includes launching the medical marijuana market, writes France 24. “The decline in diamond revenues by over 60 percent in recent years is a clear signal that we can no longer afford to depend on a single commodity,” Boko said. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), diamonds account for 80% of Botswana's exports, a quarter of its GDP, and a third of tax revenues, reports LeMonde. Since 2022, and following the rise of synthetic stones, diamond ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

On November 12, 2024, the Beer Institute introduced a detailed set of guiding principles to regulate psychoactive hemp and cannabis products. “The beer industry believes that the decision to legalize these products should be made by American voters, state legislatures, and federal policymakers.” reads the statement from the beer industry’s oldest trade organization. The trade group came out with some hard rules. Let’s find out where they stand on the ongoing national debate surrounding how to regulate hemp and cannabis products, which they refer to as intoxicating. Differentiated Taxation “The current patchwork of intoxicating hemp and cannabis laws and regulations do not meet the same standards to which the beer industry willingly adheres,” noted Brian Crawford, president and CEO of the Beer Institute. However, the trade group does not advocate for equal taxes. They are recommending the tax rate be set “higher than the highest rate” applied to ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

San Francisco-based Distru, a cannabis ERP platform, has closed a successful $6 million Series A funding round. The funding, led and announced by Poseidon Investment Management, with additional backing from Global Founders Capital, will accelerate Distru’s mission to become the go-to platform for cannabis operators across the United States. Distru has already seen impressive momentum in the cannabis industry, serving operators across 25 states and processing over $2 billion in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) annually. The platform streamlines key business operations such as compliance, inventory management, order workflows, and data-driven decision-making. This has made Distru an essential tool for cannabis businesses seeking to enhance efficiency while staying compliant in a highly regulated market. Read Also: Customer-Centric Cannabis Platform: New Partnership Drives Sales, Efficiency And Loyalty Blaine Hatab, co-founder and CEO of Distru, noted “2024 has been a remarkable year for Distru, marked by efficient growth, achieving strong profitability, and significant product expansion." Hatab highlighted recent integrations with major players in ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Village Farms International, Inc. (NASDAQ:VFF) and Hemp for Victory filed a joint motion seeking to disqualify the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from defending the proposed rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. The parties argue that the DEA is compromised and opposes the rescheduling, suggesting its role should be taken by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure an impartial process. "It is our belief that the DEA cannot lawfully act as the proponent of the Proposed Rule and that its actions throughout the administrative process demonstrate that it opposes the proposed transfer of marijuana to Schedule III and is therefore compromised," Shane Pennington, partner at Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, LLP and counsel to Village Farms and Hemp for Victory commented, "Treating the DEA as the proponent of the Proposed Rule would violate APA and DEA regulations and render these proceedings a sham. Lawyers from the Department of Justice, not the Drug Enforcement Administration, must therefore defend this rule." In August 2023, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra confirmed his agency responded to President Biden’s directive to provide scheduling recommendations for cannabis to the DEA. HHS called for marijuana to be reclassified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act. The motion argues that "Not once in its history as an agency had DEA ever rejected an HHS scheduling recommendation. This time, however, DEA did not just disagree with HHS's views, it opposed them so vehemently that the Attorney General had to refer the interagency dispute to the Office of Legal Counsel for resolution." Read Also: Trump ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

In a rarely seen legal battle unfolding in a DEA courtroom in Arlington, Virginia, the future of two key psychedelic research compounds, DOI and DOC, hangs in the balance. The DEA's move to classify the substances as Schedule I drugs has sparked fierce resistance from researchers, neuroscientists and drug policy reform advocates, who argue that such a decision could cripple promising scientific studies. In late 2023, the DEA renewed its push to classify DOI and DOC as Schedule I substances, following a previous attempt that was paused in the spring of 2022. While the agency had withdrawn its original proposal, it signaled intentions to approach the issue with greater strength. Now, the dispute has escalated to an in-person hearing, the first of its kind since the 1980s when MDMA was added to Schedule I, with many viewing it as a rematch.  As Psychedelic Alpha reported, the case has attracted little public attention despite the consequences it may have on research. The petitioners, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and neuroscientist Raul Ramos are represented by attorneys Brett Phelps and Robert Rush, who aim to highlight the implications for psychedelic research and public health. Research At Risk Opponents of the DEA's proposed scheduling argue ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Medical marijuana telehealth company Leafwell is partnering with the Oklahoma-based cannabis retailer, Mango Cannabis. Under this collaboration, Mango Cannabis will expand its offerings to include virtual clinical care for its patients. This will increase patient access and education, enabling patients to receive their medical marijuana cards through an expedited and streamlined process. "Mango Cannabis has always put the patients first," stated Jon Pattah, chief marketing officer of Mango Cannabis. "Virtual clinics allow more people access to informed cannabis care or a medical marijuana card. Through this partnership, we can offer patients across different states a safe and specialized healthcare experience." Mango employees will direct qualified patients to Leafwell's platform to connect with state-licensed physicians through a virtual clinic, providing access to hundreds of healthcare providers in more than 30 specialties. This will allow patients to receive customized care, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to their individual health needs. Get Benzinga's exclusive analysis and the top ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

At C4, in Chico, California, the benefits of automation go beyond efficiency—they also create opportunities for community development. In the quiet hum of a manufacturing facility in Chico, California, lies a story as old as the American dream. It's about a man who turned adversity into opportunity, using grit, ingenuity, and a commitment to better his community. From the fields to the factory floor, it's a reminder of the enduring belief that work is not just about profit, it's about purpose and building something that lasts while uplifting others along the way. At the heart of this story is Dave Petersen, a former Green Beret and PSYOP specialist, who found his calling in cannabis. After years of serving his country and battling PTSD, Petersen built a business that combines cutting-edge automation with a mission to educate and empower the next generation. His Chico California Cannabis Company (C4) isn't just about making products, it's about making progress. Get Benzinga’s exclusive analysis and the top news about the cannabis industry and markets daily in your inbox for free. Subscribe to our newsletter here. You can't afford to miss out if you’re serious about the business. Rediscovering Purpose: A Revelation That Sparked A Journey After serving multiple tours in Afghanistan and Kosovo, Petersen faced the challenges of reintegration and PTSD. Disheartened by traditional treatments that emphasized pharmaceuticals, he turned to gardening with cannabis, initially as a suggestion from friends in the industry. What began as an experiment became life-changing. Dave Petersen in Chico, California. “I was out in the sun, grounded to the earth, and working with these plants. Slowly, my symptoms began to subside—better sleep, less hypersensitivity to noise, and improved overall health,” Petersen told Benzinga Cannabis in an exclusive interview. The experience inspired him to transition from military service to the cannabis industry, seeing firsthand the plant's medicinal benefits. Read Also: EXCLUSIVE: From Surviving Chavez’s Venezuela To The CBD Crash – CEO Reveals How To Profit In A Market Stuck ...Full story available on Benzinga.com