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.

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.

By Rebecca Victoria Olmos | TheCannifornian.com Correspondent

Napa Valley, California, is a well-known destination for wine enthusiasts. The region’s Mediterranean climate is ideal for producing wine grapes, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon king red grapes.

In 2021 the average age of Cab drinkers hit over 65, according to one report, with younger demographics, like millennials showing less interest in wine purchases. The SF Chronicle reported that sales of Cabernet and wine generally have steadily declined over the last few years.

Entrepreneurs like Eric Sklar, a former winery owner, have shifted focus to a new crop to reel in visitors that also thrives in the region’s climate: Cannabis.

“[Cannabis is] a way for Napa to get young consumers up to Napa. Once we have them here, we can teach them more about the wine and the Napa valley lifestyle, but they don’t seem very interested in a $200 bottle cab right now.” Sklar shared.

Before pivoting into the cannabis industry, Sklar owned and operated a successful chain restaurant, Burrito Brothers. He recently sold his winery, Alpha Omega, and is now Co-Founder and CEO of the cannabis brand Napa Valley Fume.

His skills and experience in business and politics have prepared him for his time as a cannabis business owner and operator. The wine and weed industries have many similarities.

They are both crops that turn into consumer goods. They are consumables for adult use, can inebriate you, are heavily regulated, and have chemical compounds, like terpenes, that affect the flavor.

Fumé Brands has two different brands, the affordable, Lake Grade, and the premium, Fumé. Both come from similar grows but are separated based on their quality value. The practice is a helpful strategy that Skylar took from his previous business experience.

In wine, blends come from different blocks of grapes the vineyard grows. In the blending process, winemakers end up with leftover barrels that don’t make the cut for their expensive labels, so they bottle it up at a lower price pint.

“[In] cannabis, similarly, we don’t do blending the same way, but you may have a couple rows of plants that maybe didn’t get quite the same sunlight. Maybe the soil’s not quite as rich. And so that may not make the cut for Fumé, but is perfectly good, you know. Really good cannabis and goes into our Lake Grade.”

Sklar aims to operate cannabis tasting rooms in Napa, much like wine tasting rooms. A consumption-friendly space where Fumé brands are offered and education would be a focal point. He believes that much like sommeliers are well versed and trained in the art of wine, so are budtenders in the art of cannabis.

“Eventually, I hope that we also have some tasting rooms of our own in the cannabis country. And our staff in those tasting rooms will help teach people, but, you know, we’re always going to depend on budtenders.”

Adult-use cannabis in California only became legal in 2018. There have been many reports that the industry is struggling at various levels, including over taxation, ongoing competition with the illicit market, and lack of representation.

In Napa Valley, cannabis faces a unique set of regional challenges. One was a complaint from winery neighbors about the smell of the plants. To help local officials understand that odor was a minor issue, Sklar set up an experiment where he placed markers at different spots up to 1000 feet away from the cannabis grow.

“I rolled down the windows. I said, can you smell anything unusual? And they couldn’t smell anything again at 500 feet; again at 250 feet, it was only 150 to 175 feet away that you could smell the cannabis.”

Despite this and other complaints from vineyard neighbors, Sklar remains optimistic about the future of cannabis and wine grapes thriving in the region simultaneously.

“I think it’s really an emotional reaction saying we don’t want anybody to invade our territory with any other thing than grapes. And so they’ve been fighting it,” Sklar shared. “I do think it’s just a matter of time cuz the younger generation of winemakers, the Robin Mondavi’s, Justin Hill, Stephanie Honig, young winemakers considerably younger than I am are saying that this is ridiculous. And I think by the time they’re controlling things, cannabis and grape growing will coexist really well.”

Adult-use, full spectrum and microdose are just a few newly adopted phrases

By CHRISTINE RICCIARDI | cricciardi@denverpost.com | The Denver Post

In 2014, The Cannabist, a subsidiary of The Denver Post, published a robust glossary of need-to-know marijuana terms like flower and dabbing to help ease local consumers into the newly legal recreational market.

Since then, times have dramatically changed. You can buy edibles not just for getting high, but also for fitness and sleep aid. Cannabis “bars” where tokers can legally consume joints and THC-infused beers are on the precipice of opening. You can even score pre-made cannabutter and infused olive oil to stock your kitchen.

As times have changed, so too has the vernacular. Here are 10 more recently adopted terms you should know.

Adult-use: Synonymous with recreational marijuana; also known as retail marijuana. The term is most commonly used by regulatory agencies and public officials to distinguish recreational from medical marijuana. It emphasizes the fact that only adults age 21 and up can legally purchase cannabis.

Cart: Shorthand for cartridge. Cartridges are filled with marijuana oil concentrate and used when vaporizing the substance.

Cannabigerol (CBG): A minor cannabinoid that’s gaining popularity for use in therapeutic contexts, including to reduce inflammation, pain and nausea. The non-psychoactive compound is most commonly found in cannabis strains that are low in THC and high in CBD, including hemp.

Cannabinol (CBN): A minor cannabinoid with mildly psychoactive effects that often resemble sedation. The cannabinoid is gaining popularity as a sleep aid. It’s also been linked to reducing inflammation, helping regulate the immune system, and acting as an anticonvulsant.

Full spectrum: Refers to marijuana products that maintain a variety of cannabinoids such as THC, CBD, CBG, CBN and more, versus products created with a single, isolated cannabinoid. Full-spectrum products are touted as superior because cannabinoids are more effective when working together, a concept known as the entourage effect.

Hospitality: Refers to a type of business (or business license) that provides a space where patrons can consume cannabis. Marijuana hospitality businesses can sell marijuana products or allow patrons to bring their own. The model was legalized by the state of Colorado in 2019, though local jurisdictions need to opt in to allow these establishments. Denver approved a hospitality program in 2021.

Live rosin: A marijuana concentrate extracted from the plant without the use of a solvent, such as butane or propane. After harvest, the plant is frozen (instead of dried and cured) and then put through a press that applies heat and pressure to extract oil. Proponents of this method say the process maintains the plant’s terpene and flavor profile without the use of chemicals. Conversely, live resin is a marijuana concentrate extracted from frozen plants with the use of a solvent.

Microdose: A noun or verb that refers to consuming less than the standard serving size of THC, which is 10 milligrams. Some edibles are sold in microdoses, such as 5 or 2.5 milligrams. Some consumers microdose marijuana throughout the day by eating a little bit at a time. Also used commonly in the context of psilocybin.

Rapid onset: A term for edibles for which the effects will be felt by the consumer more quickly, sometimes as soon as 5 to 15 minutes after ingesting them.

Solvent-free: A marijuana extraction method that does not use chemicals such as butane or propone. Proponents of this method tout it as a more natural approach to extracting oil from the marijuana plant. Live rosin is an example of a solvent-free concentrate because it’s created using a press that applies heat and pressure to extract oil from the cannabis plant. Edibles can also be manufactured using solvent-free oil.

Sources: Crestco Labs, Leafly

By WILL HOUSTON | whouston@marinij.com

Novato’s second round of prospective cannabis business owners received unanimous approval from the City Council.

The council voted last week to conditionally approve three businesses, including a new cannabis delivery business, a 7-year-old cannabis testing laboratory and an all-in-one microbusiness. The businesses must receive state licenses and then return to the city for final approval before they can receive a city license.

The proposed Marin Haven would become the city’s second cannabis delivery business and is proposed to be located at 4 Commercial Drive. Attempts to contact Marin Haven owner Suzanne Brogger on Monday were unsuccessful.

The Velvet Fog Cannabis Co. also received conditional approval from the council. The microbusiness, which would include cannabis product manufacturing, distribution and delivery services, had previously received council approval as part of the first round of cannabis business applicants in 2021.

At the time, Velvet Fog was set to be located at 5400 Hanna Ranch Road, but now proposes to set up shop in a warehouse at 11 Digital Drive because of construction delays at the previous location. The company’s chief executive officer, Michael Clarkson, said he and his business partners plan to open in July or August depending on how the state and local permitting processes last.

Clarkson said they decided to start the business because he felt the cannabis industry focuses too much of its marketing and its jargon toward younger adults, but does not give enough attention to older adults.

“It’s something I think we can provide that niche in the market in our local Marin County,” Clarkson said on Monday.

The third license went to CB Labs, which has been operating since 2015 under the city’s medical marijuana program.

After adopting an ordinance in 2019 to allow for recreational cannabis businesses in Novato, the council inadvertently caused CB Labs to be out of compliance and ineligible for a license. The lab at 1615 Hill Road is located within 600 feet of the Hill Education Center at the Hill Recreation Area, which violated the city’s minimum setback rules for businesses near youth centers such as schools and playgrounds. To address this, the council reduced the minimum setbacks for testing laboratories last year to a range of up to 300 feet, with the distance at the council’s discretion.

“I’m grateful to the city of Novato for allowing us to continue to operate,” CB Labs co-owner Scot Candell, a Larkspur city council member, said on Monday. “We look forward to many years of a flourishing partnership in the future.”

All three businesses are inaccessible by the public. The city does not allow storefront retail sales of cannabis.

While the city does not have a special tax for cannabis businesses, it does enter into “community benefit agreements” where the businesses provide the city or other organizations such as nonprofits a percentage of its gross receipts each year. All three businesses will be providing 1.5% to 4% of their gross receipts in these agreements.

The city staff now plans to accept delivery business applications year-round. While the city has put a cap on the number of licenses it gives out to other businesses, such as cultivation or manufacturing operations, no cap exists for delivery businesses.

“Those are most of the inquiries I get,” Novato senior management analyst Will Morat told the council. He said requests come in every few weeks, if not weekly.

While a majority of Novato voters approved Proposition 64, the statewide ballot measure in 2016 that legalized recreational cannabis in California, some residents have expressed opposition to the change.

“I don’t have a whole lot of appreciation for the City Council allowing pot stores to open in Novato,” resident Sam Roth told the council.

By JACKSON GUILFOIL | jguilfoil@times-standard.com | Eureka Times-Standard
Photo: The Reggae On The River music festival could return this year, depending on the decision from the Mateel Community Center and the festival’s management team. (Times-Standard file)

After a hiatus brought on by a 2019 cancellation, then the pandemic in the subsequent years, the Mateel Community Center’s Board of Directors are discussing whether or not to bring the Reggae On The River music festival back this year.

“We’re trying to come to a consensus internally on whether or not to pursue it happening this year. Some members of the festival management team really think it’s going to happen this year, and some are more skeptical, and that is also true of our board. We try and put out a united front when we’ve come to a consensus, but we’re still debating it internally,” Shiloh Croybaker, general manager of the community center, said.

Croybaker noted he expects an announcement regarding the festival to happen “very soon.”

Reggae On The River, which began in 1984 to benefit the Mateel Tribe, had its last show in 2018. While the festival has historically provided significant benefit to the Mateel Community Center, Croybaker listed a number of issues that contributed to the festival’s decline.

“The event had lost considerable money in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and there was debate about why it was losing money, whether it was financial mismanagement, which is one public claim, or if it was declining sales or bad predictions on attendance. There’s a lot of finger-pointing about who was to blame,” Croybaker said.

2019’s festival was canceled by High Times, a cannabis-themed production company that was putting on the event that year, ending a brief partnership with the Mateel Community Center, which was financially struggling.

Part of the internal discussion over whether to hold the event focuses on how easy it will be to conjure a compelling line-up of artists this late in the year, according to John Bruno, a board member whose wife was instrumental in the festival’s creation in 1983, then putting on the first event in 1984.

“It is just lining up all the right acts to bring the musical population here to our Southern Humboldt area. We have to start advertising at the beginning of the year, and we’re already into March,” Bruno said.

Bruno added the festival’s appeal extends beyond Humboldt County, and his friends in the Bay Area are asking if the festival will happen this year.

Regardless if the event happens this year or in 2023, Croybaker noted that it will be refreshing to attend once again with the usual cast of volunteers and helpers.

“We know that our relaunch is really important and that there will be a tremendous amount of scrutiny. We know we could do it this year, but it has to be really close to perfect,” Croybaker said.

Those seeking updates on the festival may sign up at http://www.reggaeontheriver.com/.

Jackson Guilfoil can be reached at 707-441-0506.

By ISABELLA VANDERHEIDEN | Times-Standard

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors appointed 1st District Supervisor Rex Bohn to serve as a county representative for the California Cannabis Authority (CCA) Tuesday following 5th District Supervisor Steve Madrone’s decision to resign from the appointment. Bohn will represent Humboldt County for the CCA alongside county Treasurer-Tax Collector John Bartholomew.

“The CCA is a Joint Power Authority created by contract between counties with cannabis regulatory or taxing authority,” according to the staff report. “The purpose of the organization is to develop and manage a statewide data platform that will gather, collect, and analyze information from a myriad of data sources into one resource, to help local governments ensure cannabis regulatory compliance and also provide necessary information to financial institutions that wish to work with the cannabis industry.”

Bohn emphasized the need for “more unity” between counties and the Department of Cannabis Control to deliver an across-the-board approach to cannabis taxation.

“I would do it. I mean, it’s not like I don’t have enough committees or anything else. But, I think, after watching yesterday and the importance of getting a focused across the board situation so everybody is on the same page (is important),” he said, referring to the board’s decision to slash the county’s cannabis cultivation tax Monday.

Bartholomew noted that he has served on the CCA “since before it was established as an organization” but questioned whether the $28,000 annual membership was really worth it.

“Data can be tracked from Humboldt County and thereby make the platform that CCA offers useful for county operations and understanding of what’s happening within the cannabis industry here in Humboldt County. Unless the county is going to do that, I don’t know that there’s a lot of value in staying active with the CCA because it’s costing I think $28,000 a year,” he said. “I hate to say this because I’ve been a huge supporter of CCA since the beginning. …I think the county should decide if operators will be required to participate on the CCA platform or not. If not, your board should make a decision for what kind of value the CCA is really providing to the county.”

Bohn made a motion to sit on the board in the meantime. Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson offered a second.

Madrone agreed and encouraged the board to consider a future agenda item regarding future CCA membership.

“The main reason (other counties) are involved, as I understand it, is because they use it as an enforcement tool in terms of trying to use the metric data to figure out if farmers are reporting accurately or not,” he said. “Frankly, it does nothing for enforcement, for compliance, or unlicensed applicants because that’s not the way it’s set up and it costs $28,000 a year for the county to be involved in this and we get very little value out of that.”

County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes said staff could bring back an agenda item to reevaluate the board’s involvement with the CCA at a future date. “Supervisor Madrone and I did discuss this yesterday and given the reductions to the excise tax revenues, this can also be incorporated into the budget process as well,” she said.

During public comment, Natalynne DeLapp, executive director of the Humboldt County Growers Alliance, expressed her support for Bohn’s appointment to the CCA and asked whether it would be possible for California counties involved with the CCA to negotiate a lower cost for membership. DeLapp also thanked the board for approving tax relief for cannabis cultivators.

The board ultimately voted 4-1, with Madrone dissenting for an unknown reason, to appoint Bohn to the CCA.

Isabella Vanderheiden covers Humboldt County government, environment and cannabis news for the Times-Standard. Isabella earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Humboldt State University and has written for several Humboldt County news outlets.

By Rebecca Olmos | TheCannifornian.com Correspondent

While there are a good amount of nonalcoholic spirits on grocery store shelves, why not indulge in a cannabis-infused beverage? Canna-beverages not only replace the alcohol you’re used to having in hand, but they also help keep your spirits lifted. Also, because of the nano-emulsification process needed to break the THC down into drinkable form, cannabis-infused beverages offer a rapid onset (within 15 minutes) and rapid offset, so you can catch a buzz but still be able to move on with your evening.

Here are five delicious infused drinks to try:

1. CANN

CANN social tonics come in two different options, CBD/THC microdose flavors (four milligrams of CBD and two of THC) and their new Hi-Boy cans that are a light 5-milligram dosage. They come in a few different flavors, including grapefruit rosemary, blood orange cardamom, and lemon lavender. 

These delta-8 infused drinks are excellent for consumers looking for a little bit of a higher dosage. While they do offer a light CBD ‘sessions’ version, their classic 1:1 10 milligrams THC:10 milligrams Delta 8 ‘higher vibes’ drinks elevate the vibe just right. They come in lemon ginger, blood-orange bitters, watermelon basil, and lemon hibiscus.

These lemonades are one of the most delicious beverages I’ve come across. They offer indica, sativa, hybrid options in a much heftier 100-milligram dosage. There is one 1:1 CBD choice for users as well, and the experience can be super relaxing. The lemonades are raspberry, black cherry, honey, strawberry hibiscus, and key lime.

The weather outside is still a little chilly, and Kikoko offers lightly dosed herbal tea packets to keep you cozy through the winter. They offer microdose options for any time of the day, uplifting positivi-tea (10mg THC, 5mg CBD), a bedtime tranquili-tea (3mg THC, 5mg CBN), a sexy sensuali-tea (7mg THC), and a comfy sympa-tea (3mg THC, 20mg CBD).

If you love a good soda, these Keef colas will be just for you. The fizzy sweet treats are great on their own or can be added to ice cream to make a delightful float. They come in 10-milligram cans and bottles in flavors: Purple passion, root beer, orange, classic cola, and blue razz. 

These are just a few of many cannabis beverages available on dispensary menus. They should be located in the edible section, but feel free to ask your budtender their beverage selections!