Regulated marijuana sales in the United States are expected to exceed $31 billion this year, according to a recent economic forecast from a firm specializing in cannabis and hemp business consulting, data, and economic research. 

The projection from Portland, Oregon-based Whitney Economics estimates that legal sales of medical marijuana and adult-use cannabis will total $31.4 in 2024. The forecasted amount is an increase of $2.6 billion from 2023, representing a growth rate of 9.14% year over year.

The projection notes that legal sales of cannabis have been suppressed since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing changes in consumer purchasing power, higher interest rates and delayed implementation of regulations in new markets as challenges facing the industry. Despite these factors, overall cannabis growth has remained positive. Legal cannabis sales declined in 10 states, however, an indication that new markets are needed for the industry to continue to grow.

Beau Whitney, chief economist at Whitney Economics, said that the new projection builds on a similar market analysis completed by the company last year.

“We are quite proud of our predictive analytics that resulted in last year’s forecast versus actuals being 98.3% accurate,” Whitney said in a statement about the new projection. “Although there are uncertainties in the near-term outlook, demand for legal cannabis in the U.S. will remain strong throughout the decade, with growth coming from newer markets.”

Regulatory Changes Needed For Continued Growth

The forecast projecting continued growth of regulated cannabis sales was welcomed by executives in the cannabis industry. Some noted, however, that the industry’s continued growth will depend on regulatory changes that permit cannabis businesses to operate like those in any other sector, including engaging in interstate commerce and access to banking services.

David Craig, chief marketing officer of Missouri licensed cannabis producer Illicit Gardens, said “It should be clear by now that cannabis isn’t going anywhere.”

“If the federal government is going to drag its feet on descheduling, then it’s up for the states to take the lead in removing regulatory hurdles to operators, especially multi-state ones,” Craig wrote in an email. “What most outside the industry don’t realize is the extreme burden operating without uniform standards across legal states.”

“It’s time for a coalition of states to come together and standardize the basics: packaging and labeling requirements, compliance fundamentals, marketing, and other restrictions,” he added. “Operating even in two contiguous states right now is practically the same as operating in two different countries. Resolving those disparities is an easy win for business and government alike.”

Sarah Carter, communications director at Symple Seeds, said that it is “fantastic to see the continued growth of the legal cannabis industry.” 

“This significant increase of $2.6 billion from the previous year underscores the momentum and potential within the market.” Carter wrote in an email to High Times. “However, amidst this success, it’s crucial to acknowledge the persistent challenge of limited access to banking for cannabis businesses. This obstacle not only hinders the industry’s ability to operate efficiently but also poses risks in terms of safety and transparency.”

Legislation that would allow businesses in the regulated cannabis industry to access traditional banking services has been passed in the U.S. House of Representatives more than half a dozen times in recent years. An updated version of the bill, known as the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Act is pending before the U.S. Senate. In a statement last fall, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said that he intends “to bring the SAFER Banking Act to the Senate floor with all due speed.”

“Addressing this banking issue is paramount for unlocking the full potential of the cannabis sector,” said Carter. “With proper access to banking services, businesses can streamline operations, improve financial transparency, and foster greater investor confidence. Moreover, it would facilitate responsible business practices and compliance with regulatory requirements.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Monday that her administration will conduct an assessment of the state’s rollout of legal recreational marijuana, saying that the review is needed to ensure the success of the regulated cannabis market. 

New York lawmakers passed legislation legalizing recreational pot nearly three years ago, but the rollout of regulated sales has been plagued by lawsuits and other delays. More than a year after the first licensed recreational pot shop opened in December 2022, only 70 retailers selling adult-use cannabis have been licensed statewide. The figure includes Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) storefronts and CAURD delivery-only services, licenses that were reserved for applicants with past cannabis convictions, as well as previously existing medical marijuana dispensaries that have been co-licensed to sell recreational weed.

In the meantime, the shortage of licensed retailers coupled with the end of criminal penalties for cannabis possession has led to an explosion of unlicensed pot shops, particularly in New York City. An estimated 36,000 unlicensed retailers have opened statewide, according to a recent report, including approximately 1,500 in the Big Apple alone. Critics of New York’s regulated cannabis rollout say the situation threatens the viability of the legal industry.

Earlier this year, the Democratic governor characterized the rollout of legal cannabis as a “disaster,” saying that it was unlikely that the program could be improved without significant changes to the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), the 2021 law that legalized recreational marijuana in New York. Hochul made the comments as she responded to questions about the rollout from the editorial board of the Buffalo News, noting that some areas of New York City have multiple unlicensed weed shops on the same block.

“It’s not every street corner,” Hochul said in January. “It is every other storefront. It is insane.”

Governor Announces Review

On Monday, Hochul said that her administration would complete an assessment of the rollout to identify opportunities to improve the program and ensure its success. The review will be led by Commissioner for the Office of General Services Jeanette Moy, who along with a team of state government leaders will embed with the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) for at least 30 days.

“Today, we take the first step in revamping New York’s legal cannabis industry to ensure its long-term success,” Hochul said in a statement on Monday. “I have full confidence in Commissioner Moy’s ability to identify areas that need improvement, establish standards and processes across agencies, and jumpstart the next phase of New York’s legal cannabis market.”

Lauren Rudick, an attorney who has helped clients submit more than 100 applications for cannabis business licenses, said she appreciates Hochul’s announced review. She added that she hopes the assessment will foster a more transparent process for submitting applications and addressing problems that might come up as applications are reviewed.

“We want to have a system that is repeatable and predictable, so that when someone comes to us for licensing, we can give them a sense as to what they can expect,” Rudick told the New York Times. “But as of right now, it’s ‘be flexible and pivot or die,’ because we just never know what the state is going to throw at us.”

The assessment of New York’s cannabis rollout will include a complete review of the organizational structure, systems and process at the OCM. The review will focus on improving the time it takes to process an application and reducing the application-to-opening timeframe for new cannabis businesses.

Moy’s team has also been tasked with developing key performance metrics and an executive-level licensing dashboard to give policymakers a comprehensive view of the state’s licensing activity. The review will also include efforts to identify and implement policy changes that will streamline the application and licensing process and the development of three-month and six-month plans to continue improving the performance of cannabis regulators.

Cannabis Industry Welcomes Review

Hochul’s review of New York’s rollout of regulated recreational weed is also being welcomed by business operators who have already gone through the licensing process. New Yorker Christopher Louie moved to Colorado to start the brand Made in Xiaolin in 2018. He recently returned to the Empire State to launch the brand there, but says the “rollout of regulated cannabis in New York was a bit fumbled.”

“It is clear that regulators tried to be quick with the rollout, and it has posed some interesting challenges,” Louie wrote in an email to High Times. “For example, the wholesale market is not favorable for our brand right now, and we’re being forced to lower margins on both sides. Additionally, the way the illicit market and the legal market are currently coexisting is eerily reminiscent of the California market – which is not something anyone wants to duplicate. We are hopeful for the future, though, and continue to see small strides toward a more successful legal market that we are proud to be a part of.”

Sasha Nutgent, director of retail at Housing Works Cannabis Co, the first licensed recreational cannabis dispensary to open in the state, said that the review is “absolutely necessary.”

“The rollout of licenses has been extremely slow and is negatively impacting the livelihoods of hundreds of applicants across the State,” Nutgent wrote in an email. “There have been numerous missed opportunities in the legal adult-use cannabis industry, and hopefully Hochul’s move will help to rectify them.”

A cannabis company with operations based in Jamaica announced this week that it has successfully exported cannabis-derived THC products to the United States, where they will be tested at a facility licensed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The company, Pure Jamaican and its GMP-certified, licensed pharma manufacturer Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals, said the shipment marks the first legal export of THC to the United States from Jamaica in a move that elevates the Caribbean island nation’s role in the global cannabis supply chain.

Jamaica legalized the commercial export of cannabis for medical, scientific and therapeutic purposes in 2015, although government regulations for exporting medical marijuana products were not approved until 2021. Pure Jamaican plans to take advantage of the opportunity by legally exporting proprietary pharmaceutical products with cannabis-derived THC, hemp-derived CBD and other cannabinoids to the United States, Brazil and other major markets around the world.

Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness granted permission for Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals to export cannabis-derived THC products to the United States, while the DEA issued corresponding import permits. The company then shipped the products to a DEA-licensed facility where analytic testing was successfully completed. Scott Cathcart, CEO of Pure Jamaican and Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals, said the milestone “is a proud moment for Jamaica and for our group of companies.” 

“Jamaica has long been associated with ‘ganja’ but never before in this context as a producer and legal exporter of THC as a pharmaceutical-grade medicine,” Cathcart said in a statement from the company. “As the only company in Jamaica licensed for pharmaceutical manufacturing of cannabinoids, we are proud to be leading the way to elevating the role of Jamaica in the global cannabis ecosystem.”

Shipment Comes As DEA Ponders Rescheduling

The first legal export of cannabis from Jamaica to the U.S. comes as the DEA is considering a proposal to relax restrictions on marijuana under federal law. Last summer, Rachel Levine, the Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), wrote a letter to DEA head Anne Milgram recommending that cannabis be removed from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. 

The recommendation was issued following an executive order from President Joseph Biden in October 2022 that directed the heads of the Department of Justice and HHS to review the classification of marijuana under federal law. Under the HHS recommendation, which was issued after a review of the available medical and scientific evidence, cannabis would be rescheduled under Schedule III of the CSA, a less restrictive classification than Schedule I that would ease cannabis research and likely lead to the approval of cannabis pharmaceuticals.

If the DEA approves the rescheduling, Seven-10 intends to request DEA permits to ship Pure Jamaican pharmaceutical THC products from Jamaica to patients in the US. Such shipments would be made to patients with a valid prescription and would comply with all relevant regulations from the DEA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as state pharmacy distribution regulations.

Shullette Cox, the president of Jamaica Promotions Corp. (JAMPRO), a trade and investment promotions corporation representing the Government of Jamaica, said that “the growth of the cannabis industry for medicinal purposes has been a priority of the government of Jamaica and particularly, the export of value-added products from Jamaica. The success of Pure Jamaican and Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals is applauded as JAMPRO continues to facilitate the local medicinal cannabis industry and ensuring its role in driving the growth of exports.”

Seven-10 has already begun shipping medicinal cannabis formulations to patients in Brazil, where regulations allowing pharmacy sales of such products went into effect in 2019. Prime Jamaica noted that together, the U.S. and Brazil comprise a market totaling more than 500 million people.

“This is a labor of love and not easy,” said Dr. Ellen Campbell Grizzle, chief regulatory and compliance officer of Pure Jamaican and Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals. “Jamaica has 52 percent of the world’s medicinal plants in our small island nation, and we are very proud to be exploring ways to identify new botanical medicines to bring health, wellness, new exports and economic growth to our country.”

Maine’s regulated adult-use cannabis industry generated more than $200 million in sales last year, an increase of 36% over 2022, according to information from the state Office of Cannabis Policy. But cannabis business owners who feel that Maine’s cannabis market is becoming oversaturated say that the numbers obscure the challenges licensed operators will face in the not-too-distant future.

Maine’s licensed recreational marijuana retailers rang up 3.7 million transactions in 2022, raking in about $217 million in the process, according to information released by state regulators on Monday. The yearly total represents a 36% increase over the $159 million in sales recorded in 2022.

John Hudak, director of the Office of Cannabis Policy, said the 2023 numbers do not tell the whole story about the health of Maine’s cannabis industry.

“The sales numbers are up almost 40%. That’s a strong testament to how the industry continues to grow,” Hudak told the Portland Press Herald. “But hidden in these numbers, too, is a pretty significant decrease in price.”

Cannabis prices decreased by about 16% overall in 2023, Hudak said, a drop that indicates that Maine’s cannabis growers are producing too much weed. While consumers appreciate the lower prices, the drop in profits can be bad news for producers and retailers.

“Even with the increases in overall sales, the decreased prices do make it harder to operate,” Hudak said. “Eventually we’re going to see business closures.”

The Maine legislature legalized recreational marijuana sales in 2018, with licensed sales of adult-use cannabis beginning in October 2020. Earlier legislation that legalized personal possession and home cultivation of cannabis went into effect in 2017.

Prices Dropped More Than 50%

The early days of regulated recreational marijuana sales in Maine saw limited supply, resulting in high prices for consumers at the state’s retailers. But as more licensed operators ramp up their businesses, oversupply has become a significant issue for Maine’s legal cannabis industry.

The average price of a gram of smokable cannabis flower was $16.68 when recreational marijuana sales began three years ago. In December of last year, the price had dropped to $7.53 per gram.

Mark Benjamin, owner of the Botany cannabis dispensary in Rockland, said foot traffic has climbed steadily since he opened the shop in late 2021. But with falling prices coinciding with an increase in licensed retailers, he and his staff have created new incentives to encourage customers to spend more. 

“There may be tens of millions of dollars flowing into (the market), but it is certainly spread out across more stores,” said Benjamin.

With his business thriving, Benjamin is set to open a new Botany shop in Belfast, Maine in the next few days. But he acknowledges that some business owners have had a more difficult time succeeding, particularly those who do not have ready access to capital.

“Everyone was dropping and dropping their prices in order to get enough cash in the door to cover their costs,” he said. “The weaker players are starting to drop out of the market,” he said.

Hayden Stokes and Zach Dolgos are the owners of The Happy Canary, a cannabis cultivator that has been supplying Maine’s medical cannabis industry for the last six years. In December, they opened their Blue Lobster dispensary in Casco, Maine, the town’s first recreational marijuana retailer. Stokes said they hope to gain the license needed to grow for the adult-use market soon, seeing vertical integration as the key to the company’s success.

“Having our own retail is a big part of the solution,” he said.  “When you have your own retail, you can set your own fate.”

Hudak said that he believes that Maine’s cannabis industry will see a few more years of sales growth before the yearly total begins to plateau. David Vickers, owner of Origins Cannabis Company in Augusta and Manchester, said that he believes much of the industry’s growth will come from southern coastal towns.

“You’re going to continue to see people flocking to Maine,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve hit the summit yet, but I think we’re certainly getting there. There are only so many people in Maine.”

Vickers, Stokes and Benjamin all operate businesses that serve or will soon serve both the recreational and medical cannabis markets. They believe many medical marijuana businesses will soon either switch to recreational marijuana or end operations completely.

In April, the Office of Cannabis Policy released a report warning about a “mass exodus” of the industry’s medical caregivers. In 2016, the number of caregivers hit a peak of about 3,250. By December 2023, the number had fallen to 1,763.

“I’m seeing the medical side suffering as the recreational side increases,” Vickers said. “That to me, long term, may not be a good thing for Maine. We have so many small farmers that may very likely lose their livelihood.”

With its rise in popularity, what comes next, and how will it impact each person in the country? Here is the cannabis outlook for 2023.

Legalization of Cannabis Throughout the Country

When discussing cannabis legalization, it’s essential to differentiate between the levels of legal use. Since cannabis use is illegal on the federal level, individual states have their own laws about whether and in which ways cannabis is legal.

One type of legalization is for medical use. This allows people to use cannabis products as a form of medication. State residents usually receive a medical card, similar to a prescription, allowing them to buy cannabis products.

Another type of legalization is for recreational use. This allows adults to use cannabis products without a medical card while following local laws and guidelines for smoking in public areas.

Five states had recreational legalization measures on their ballots in November: North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas, and Maryland. The push for legalized use is at an all-time high heading into 2023, with 68% of Americans saying they support legalizing marijuana, according to a poll conducted by Gallup.

In a sign of changing attitudes, President Joe Biden granted a federal pardon in October that restored full political, civil, and other rights to any person previously convicted of minor marijuana possession charges, according to the White House. This action may indicate that state-level pardons and federal decriminalization is around the corner.

The Cannabis Industry

The federal legal status and state-by-state patchwork regulations have left many investors wary of cannabis businesses and products. However, as public and legal acceptance grows, many expect the same for the industry. In fact, cannabis data company BDSA projects that cannabis sales will grow from $30 billion in 2021 to $57 billion in 2026, according to a news release.

“Over the next 12 months, I predict that every major institutional investor in the U.S. will make an investment in this industry,” equity company Privateer Holdings co-founder Brendan Kennedy told Yale Insights.

Social Equity

When legalizing cannabis, many states consider the need to reconcile the wrongs done by the War on Drugs, the name for U.S. efforts to combat illegal drug use with harsh penalties.

“Public opinion has shifted dramatically in favor of sensible reforms that expand health-based approaches while reducing the role of criminalization in drug policy,” according to Drug Policy Alliance.

Because the War on Drugs disproportionately affected minority groups, 13 states have created regulations that require some of the money from cannabis sales to benefit those groups, according to the Cannabis Industry Journal. For example, these regulations require assigning a set number of cannabis business licenses to people previously charged with marijuana possession, investing in community programs, offering financial aid, or funding educational efforts.

“The goal of social equity laws is to ensure that people from communities disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and discriminatory law enforcement are included in the new legal marijuana industry,” according to the National Association of Cannabis Businesses. “Policymakers are working to address criticisms that outsiders are setting up legal cannabis businesses and profiting by doing the same things their less fortunate neighbors were arrested and given jailtime for just a few years ago.”

Bank Access

One of the hurdles to growth in the cannabis industry is that federal laws prevent cannabis businesses from using the country’s banking system. However, if legislation passes, it would give legal cannabis businesses banking access.

“Proceeds from a transaction involving activities of a legitimate cannabis-related business are not considered proceeds from unlawful activity,” according to the bill summary.

With growing legal acceptance, expanding investment opportunities, and more changes on the horizon, 2023 is looking to be a positive year for the cannabis industry and the number of people who have access to marijuana products.

The demand for this superior cannabis continues to grow as consumers across the board prefer fresh products such as craft beer and organic food.

These high-end buds are higher in price compared to regular cannabis. However, here’s why paying a little extra for top-notch quality is well worth it.

Hand-Crafted

Each craft cannabis batch requires a small, dedicated team of farmers. Each plant requires individual attention to maintain the plant’s quality. These farmers shape and feed each cannabis plant-based on the strain. As it grows, they focus on maximizing its flower size, total yield, and euphoric effects.

The cannabis farms are a live environment and share a common problem, pests. They can damage crops, but these farmers use proven organic methods to control them.

With their consumers in mind, they emphasize clean and healthy growing techniques. That helps keep the facility clean and avoids the use of pesticides or chemicals.

Craft cannabis offers a choice that guarantees premium quality bud with a flavor difference you can taste compared to mass-produced weed.

Quality comes from farmers who meet the demands of cannabis from start to finish. After it is harvested, the stems and sugars leaves are hand-trimmed from the buds, maintaining the hands-on quality that makes the cannabis decidedly “craft.” In contrast, many major marijuana distributors process commercial weed through machines.

Is it Similar to Craft Beer?

There are many parallels between craft cannabis and craft beer.

Businesses in both industries emphasize that their products are “hand-made.” They also value resource management and practice sustainable methods, which is apparent in their attention to detail in their products, operations, and environmental impact.

Each industry relies on a devoted consumer base as craft businesses typically can’t mass-produce products in the same way major companies do. This makes the relationship between customers and businesses much more important.

That means the businesses typically give a more quality level of care to their products and can adapt to their customers’ evolving tastes, crafting a relationship that’s representative of the industry.

Where Do I Find It?

Finding a craft cannabis business in your area may require some research. Typically, craft cannabis is grown in smaller facilities and sold in local businesses.

Smaller cannabis cultivators, rather than chains, may be the best place to start.

Remember, true craft cannabis is “hand-made” throughout the cultivation cycle, meaning it’s hand-dried, hand-trimmed, and hand-packed.

Crafted cannabis should be rich in terpenes. According to WINK Cannabis, much of what you see on the craft market is cannabis with high terpene percentages, between 2-5%, that looks and smells amazing.

Remember, quality takes time and energy, which can raise costs for consumers. However, craft cannabis is the best cannabis on the market, and you get what you pay for.

As legalization continues to open up more markets, this niche field within the cannabis industry will likely continue to grow. Scope out dispensaries near you and consider making your dollar go further by purchasing top-notch quality.

While there are plenty of options when it comes to edibles, like cookies, chocolates, caramels, and mints, gummies are king. Seattle-based cannabis market intelligence firm Headset predicts that sales of edibles will hit $3 billion in 2022, and nearly three-quarters of those sales (71%) will be gummies.

So, it’s no shocker that gummies dominate a list of the top-reviewed cannabis edibles in the U.S. 

There are currently no actual central marketplaces where people can buy cannabis products and then rate or review them. And with cannabis being an especially fractured market thanks to its federally illegal status and each state having its own rules and product availability, there’s also no national “Amazon” of weed where we can find customer ratings. 

To find the top-reviewed cannabis edibles in the U.S., we looked at the only metric we can: how patients and customers rate cannabis edibles with their dollars. We turned to two intelligence firms plugged into point-of-sale systems nationwide for that data: Headset and Colorado-based intelligence firm BDSA. 

Three companies, two focused solely on cannabis gummies, currently dominate the game, racing to reach as many states as possible. They each offer many options when it comes to flavors and technology. In fact, nearly every slot in the top-selling products in legal states (except Washington) Headset analyzed is taken by some flavor or product made by one of these brands.

And between the three, they cover most of the 19 legal adult-use states and some medical-only ones.

These are the top-rated cannabis edibles across the U.S.

Wyld

This Oregon-based juggernaut is laser-focused on gummies—a product that Forbes calls “The Edible That Devoured America.” Wyld offers traditional flavors like raspberry and strawberry and less-common huckleberry and marionberry. It’s quickly establishing itself as the “it” cannabis edibles brand. 

You can buy Wyld in Oregon, Colorado, California, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, and Washington.

Kiva

California-based Kiva’s slogan is “Cannabis confections you can count on.” The wide variety of products it sells proves that out. With chocolate bars in flavors like birthday cake and s’mores; mints with names like Tart Cherry and Blackberry CBN; espresso-, blueberry- and peppermint-flavored chocolate “bites;” and a line of chews, there’s bound to be something you’ll like. Oh, and did we mention they also make top-selling gummies?

Kiva is sold in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, and Oklahoma.

Wana Brands

This Colorado-based giant is expanding quickly with its unique lines of gummies. That’s probably why it’s among customers’ top choices, according to Headset and BDSA. Sure, Wana sells traditional “indica” or “sativa” gummies in flavors like strawberry, watermelon, and the always popular “assorted flavors.” It’s also a pioneer in fast-acting technology that allows for the quicker onset of the cannabis “high” meant to mimic the feeling of smoking cannabis flower. It also released a gummies line made with live rosin. This unique concentrate is made by freezing the entire cannabis plant and extracting its cannabinoids and terpenes through a heating process with no solvents. Wana Brands strongly focuses on cannabinoids, with a line of CBD-only gummies and THC gummies fortified with CBD and other cannabinoids. 

Wana Brands has the largest footprint of the top three, with sales in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Oregon.

Incredibles

Colorado-founded Incredibles (sometimes called “Incredibles Edibles”) is a top seller in several states, with its chocolate bars, gummies, tarts, and mints. The company is one of the first big legal cannabis chocolate-bar makers, and the results show. Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries, which operates retail outlets in several states, acquired Incredibles.

You can find Incredibles in Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, Virginia, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Ohio.

Grön

Grön’s sugar-coated gummy “pearls” are a big hit in Arizona, Oklahoma, and Oregon. Their big focus on the “minor cannabinoids,” like CBG, and a line of flavors that range from blueberry lemonade to passion orange guava, give the company an advantage. They also carry a line of chocolates.

It’s a short list of edibles brands that customers say stand out. Still, as more states go legal and more entrepreneurs can enter the game, expect these numbers to grow.

Contrary to popular belief, hemp and marijuana are not two different species of plants. The only actual difference between hemp and marijuana is their THC content. According to the Agricultural Act of 2018, hemp contains 0.3% or less THC than traditional marijuana (cannabis that can get you high). 

Hemp is a versatile plant that manufacturers use to create several products, including paper, clothing, and building materials. Keep reading to learn more about the many uses of this billion-dollar crop. 

Hemp Paper 

Not all paper is made from trees. In fact, hemp paper dates back to the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.–9 A.D). According to the American Forest & Paper Association, Chinese court official Ts’ai Lun invented paper using a mixture of mulberry bark, hemp, and water. Lun mashed these ingredients into a pulp, pressed out the liquid, and then hung the remaining mat to dry in the sun. The end result? Paper. 

Lun’s invention didn’t hit the Middle East until 300 years later. It took another 500 years for Europe to catch up. Once word spread to Europe, paper became a popular product. People used it to print books, bibles, and legal documents. 

By 1690, the U.S. had built its first paper mill in Pennsylvania. In the beginning, the U.S. paper mills used Lun’s method. But, as the demand grew, the technique and materials changed. Thanks to the MarijuanaTax Act of 1937, the mills switched from hemp to wood, which was cheaper and legal.

Hemp Foods and Beverages 

Hemp seeds make for a tasty and nutritious topper on yogurt, salads, oatmeal, rice, and veggies. They’re also packed with vitamins (vitamins B and E), minerals (sodium, iron, calcium, sulfur, and potassium, to name a few), and fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6). What’s more? Hemp seeds may produce anti-inflammatory effects. 

Other hemp-based foods include: 

• Hemp seed butter (an alternative for those with a nut allergy).
• Hemp flour (gluten-free and delicious).
• Hemp honey (ideal for sweetening coffee, tea, baked goods, etc.).
• Hemp milk (a non-dairy milk alternative).
• Hemp protein powder (vegan and nutritious).

Hemp can be made into just about anything, including vodka and chewing gum. 

Hemp Building Materials 

Hemp lumber is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional lumber. It has a harvest time of four months (most trees used for lumber can take anywhere between 20 to 80 years). It’s also durable, and according to HempBuild Magazine, it’s 20% harder than oak wood. 

HempWood (owned by Fibonacci LLC, and founded by Greg Wilson) launched a new, sustainable wood alternative in 2019. According to the company’s website, HempWood can be used for flooring, furniture, or other construction materials. Plus, when it comes to price, HempWood is much more affordable than most domestic hardwoods. 

HempWood isn’t the only hemp-based building material out there. Hempcrete (that’s right, a hemp-based concrete alternative) is another versatile construction material. It’s made from hemp hurd (a part of the plant that was previously considered “waste”), lime, and other natural ingredients. Hempcrete is plant-based, energy-efficient, and 100% recyclable.  

According to the Hemp Foundation, the hemp plant has more than 50,000 known uses, from paper to medication. And thanks to the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, American farmers are allowed to grow hemp as a rotational crop. Even so, there are restrictions in place. But, if we keep fighting, hemp may be the answer to a greener tomorrow.

Despite its name being inspired by “Comic-Con,” CannaCon is all about business. The self-proclaimed “nation’s leading B2B cannabis conference” launched in 2014, drawing 6,000 attendees, according to CannaCon founder Bob Smart.

Expect hundreds of exhibitors, including media outlets, advisory firms, lighting companies, and manufacturers. Plan on hitting up seminars with titles like “The Future of Plant-Based Medicine,” “Improving the Customer Experience at Retail,” and “Pheno Hunt: How to Bag the Big One.”

Expect a safe space, no matter your cannabis knowledge level. And there will be no apparent consumption on site.

“CannaCon is a business show—a safe niche,” Smart said in a 2017 interview. “We made a space where any business guy who’s not in the industry can show up, walk around and feel comfortable. 

But it’s not all business. The professional weed party promoters at Sensi Magazine’s official after-parties are legendary in the industry. And if you can’t get into that event (there could be a line around the block, even if you have a ticket), have no fear. There are typically plenty of unofficial after-parties planned around the event too.

The event is big business itself, taking advantage of the rollback of COVID-19 restrictions with seven events plotted out so far for 2022 and 2023 and thousands of expected attendees.

CannaCon breaks its events out roughly by region and mostly sticks to legal adult-use cannabis states, with Mississippi being its sole exception. The Magnolia State is the newest medical state in the U.S., though there are no dispensaries currently open.

Here are the currently scheduled CannaCons nationwide—no West Coast dates have been announced.

2022

• Denver (West), Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24-25, at the Denver Convention Center at 700 14th St.
• Richmond, Virginia (South), Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14-15, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center at 403 N. 3rd St.

2023

• Biloxi, Mississippi (South), Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum at 2350 Beach Blvd.
• Oklahoma City (South), Friday and Saturday, March 31-April 1, at the Oklahoma City Convention Center at 100 Mick Cornett Drive.
• Albuquerque, New Mexico (West), Friday and Saturday, May 19-20, at the Albuquerque Convention Center at 401 2nd St. NW.

If you’re a business owner, know that the program was designed with your needs front of mind—“from seed to seed money,” as the company says in its promotional material.

CannaCon calls itself “a one-stop shop for all of your cannabis business needs” and touts its events as an opportunity to “network with like-minded entrepreneurs who are also building a bold, new industry.”

Tickets range in price from $50 for a one-day pass to the expo, to $110 for a one-day pass that includes the seminars. A two-day pass is either $80 or $160, depending on whether you plan on attending the seminars.

So, put on your best casual outfit (remember this is cannabis—even “business casual” might be too dressy for this crowd). Then, pop an edible, and get ready to rub elbows with some of the biggest, brightest names in cannabis—and take home a lot of swag.

Generally considered to be two different species of the same plant, people have for decades seen sativa and indica strains as two completely different beasts regarding their effects. 

Today, there’s a movement away from defining strains simply as indica or sativa and toward “chemotype,” a strain defined by its actual chemical composition. For example, a strain that’s technically an indica may provide an effect more like the stereotypical sativa high depending on the cannabinoids and terpenes it possesses.

But it will likely take years for such complexities to be understood by your average, casual consumer (if they ever are). That’s why dispensaries and edibles manufacturers still primarily describe their products in a way their customers will understand: indica and sativa. It’s essential to understand what those labels are widely believed to mean. That way, you know what to expect. In this article, we’ll focus on cannabis indica, starting with the plant itself:

Plant Characteristics

There is some disagreement about whether or not the cannabis indica plant is a different species than the cannabis sativa, but they typically look different.

Cannabis indica plants are typically short, dense, and have a bushier appearance with wide and short leaves compared to the typical cannabis sativa plant. Cannabis sativa plants are typically more tree-like in comparison.

Indica plants grow naturally in the Middle East and Asia mountains, where the climate is dry. Cannabis indica is traditionally the source of the famous hashish (resin) produced in India and Morocco.

Thanks to its native inhospitable growing climate, cannabis indica plants have a relatively fast growing cycle—half that of some cannabis sativa strains. It takes about seven weeks for an indica to flower and be ready for harvesting.

Indica’s Effects

The stereotypical indica high is a “body high,” meaning you’ll primarily feel it in the body as opposed to the more cerebral, creative effects in a sativa strain. Here’s a trick on how to remember this: Indica is felt “in-da-body,” while you can think of the first two letters of “sativa” standing for “stay awake.”

The body high is often a heavy feeling that’s perfect for relaxation, sleep, and pain relief. Just know: You might not want to leave the couch! Indica is also thought to stimulate the appetite or be more likely to give you “the munchies”— a good or bad thing, depending on who you are.

Popular Indica Strains

Northern Lights is quite possibly the most famous strain of cannabis, period, let alone indica. Cannabis database Leafly calls its effects “euphoric” and says it relaxes muscles while “easing the mind.”

Also popular among indica fans: anything purple. And when we say “purple,” we literally mean the flower has blue, red, or purple hues. Helpfully, the word is typically in the strain’s name too. So, whether you’re going for Purple Trainwreck, Purple Punch, or Grizzly Purple Kush, you can expect a high THC count (upward of 24% in some cases) and a body high that could leave you couch-locked with a bag of chips in your lap.

These days, Kush is giving Northern Lights a run for its money in popularity. The earthy-tasting, body-relaxing OG Kush strain has been combined in so many forms that it’s hard to keep up! There’s Bubba Kush, Pre-98 Bubba Kush, Commerce City Kush, King Louis OG, and even Charlie Sheen OG. 

Kush’s diversity and popularity are apparent in its celebration within hip-hop culture.

To sum up, the way we understand weed is changing, but the simplest way to categorize it is by its two most common species: indica and sativa. That’s how you’ll see it labeled at most retail stores or dispensaries and in everyday conversation with casual smokers.

Indica is known for its bushy appearance and body high and comes in the form of many popular strains you’ll hear about in stoner movies and hip-hop tracks. The more you know!