Category: Cannabis Info-2

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KFGO/KVRR) — The White Earth Nation is opening its first off-reservation tribal cannabis dispensary. This follows the signing of a landmark cannabis regulatory compact with the State of Minnesota.

Waabigwan Mashkiki will open soon in the former JL Beers in Moorhead, off Highway 10.

A retail store is also being opened in St. Cloud.

Zach Wilson, CEO of Waabigwan Mashkiki, says, “The ability to open stores in cities like Moorhead and St. Cloud, means we can bring White Earth’s mission of healing and wellness to a broader community.”

Details of a grand opening date and community celebration will be announced at a later time.

05/21/2025 – 06:00 AM

• Zen Leaf Enfield, located at 98 Elm St., adjacent to Enfield Square Mall, joins the local business community ahead of the Mall’s $250 million transformative redevelopment to “Enfield Marketplace”
• Verano provided funds to the Thompsonville Fire Department to purchase a year’s supply of Narcan for their lifesaving efforts combating the opioid crisis, and continues supporting local charitable organizations including Loaves and Fishes and Enfield Food Shelf
• Enfield Mayor, Thompsonville Fire Chief, North Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, and local partners including Loaves and Fishes and Enfield Food Shelf will join Zen Leaf team members and customers to celebrate the dispensary’s grand opening for a ribbon cutting on Friday, May 23^rd
• Verano’s active operations span 13 states, comprised of 157 dispensaries and 15 cultivation and processing facilities with more than 1.1 million square feet of cultivation capacity

CHICAGO, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Verano Holdings Corp. (Cboe CA: VRNO) (OTCQX: VRNOF) (“Verano” or the “Company”), a leading multi-state cannabis company, today announced the opening of Zen Leaf Enfield on May 23, elevating the Company’s Connecticut retail footprint to seven locations and 157 dispensaries nationwide. Zen Leaf Enfield, located at 98 Elm St., will be open from Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. The dispensary will also feature a drive-thru for additional customer and patient convenience.

Zen Leaf joins the Enfield business community adjacent to the Enfield Square Mall as the township prepares for the transformative $250 million Enfield Marketplace project that aims to deliver economic and job growth with new onsite retail, hotel and residential development. With the opening of Zen Leaf Enfield, Verano is firmly planting roots in the community, and will remain actively engaged as a supporter and stakeholder in the Enfield Marketplace project, and looks forward to contributing to Enfield’s long-term success by investing and providing exciting career opportunities in the community.

As part of the Company’s legacy supporting a variety of charitable and community causes, in opening Zen Leaf Enfield, Verano provided critical funds for the Thompsonville Fire Department to purchase a year’s supply of Narcan, enabling firefighters to continue offering lifesaving care for victims of the opioid crisis. The Company also continues to provide support for local charitable organizations, including Enfield Loaves and Fishes and Enfield Food Shelf, and is hosting a food donation drive benefiting both organizations at the dispensary throughout opening weekend.

Opening Weekend Celebration Activities, Deals and Details
Zen Leaf Enfield will host a Grand Opening celebration Memorial Day weekend beginning on May 23^rd, featuring the following:

• A ceremonial ribbon cutting with community leaders and partners including Mayor Ken Nelson, Jr., Thompsonville Fire Chief Dave Deskis, the North Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, Loaves and Fishes, Enfield Food Shelf and more
• DJ Big IC spinning tunes for guests throughout the weekend
• Zen Leaf marketplace convening other local business including an onsite glass blower and various vendor pop-ups
• Complimentary food from Pangea’s Tacos, Burgers and Wraps on Friday the 23^rd, and coffee from Travelin’ Toms Coffee Truck on Saturday the 24^th
• A suite of exciting promotions and special Grand Opening deals will be available for guests to purchase their favorite cannabis products, including 30% off CTPharma^™ and Savvy^™ products and buy two, get one free on Encore Edibles^™ and On the Rocks^™ gummies. Zen Leaf offers daily specials, including the state’s leading 22% off discount for Veterans, 20% off “Medical Monday” deals for medical patients, and up to 20% off the first three orders. Senior citizens and college students are eligible for a 10% discount.
• Several open positions remain available on careers.verano.com for those interested in applying

“We’re thrilled to welcome guests at Zen Leaf Enfield, and share in the local community’s enthusiasm as Enfield prepares to turn the page on an exciting new chapter with the transformational $250 million redevelopment of Enfield Square Mall into Enfield Marketplace,” said George Archos, Verano founder and Chief Executive Officer. “We are grateful to the entire community, including the village leadership and many organizations we have had the pleasure partnering with as we plant roots for a bright future together in Enfield for years to come.”

“As Connecticut’s legal marijuana industry continues to grow, Zen Leaf has positioned itself as a leader, and I believe they will be a great community partner that will operate their business ethically and responsibility within the parameters of state law,” said Ken Nelson Jr., Mayor of Enfield. “Zen Leaf brought a high caliber of professionalism throughout the planning process, and the team has been very open and transparent with the Enfield community. I would like to thank Zen Leaf for investing in our community, and wish them all the best in opening their Enfield location.” 

Zen Leaf Enfield adds another convenient outlet for Connecticut cannabis consumers that complements existing Zen Leaf locations in Ashford, Meriden, Naugatuck, Newington, Norwich and Waterbury. Verano’s operations in Connecticut also include the 217,000 square foot state-of-the-art CTPharma cultivation and processing facility in Rocky Hill, where the Company produces a variety of CTPharma^™ branded products, including flower, vapes, concentrates and topicals; Savvy^™ flower and vapes; On the Rocks^™ Live Rosin edibles; and Encore^™ Edibles gummies and chocolates.

For additional convenience and accessibility, patients can choose to order ahead at ZenLeafDispensaries.com for express in-store pickup. More information is available on the Company’s Investor website, and product images, logos and b-roll footage are available for download in Verano’s Media Kit (credit “courtesy of Verano”).

About Verano

Verano Holdings Corp. (Cboe CA: VRNO) (OTCQX: VRNOF), one of the U.S. cannabis industry’s leading companies based on historical revenue, geographic scope and brand performance, is a vertically integrated, multi-state operator embracing a mission of saying Yes to plant progress and the bold exploration of cannabis. Verano provides a superior cannabis shopping experience in medical and adult use markets under the Zen Leaf^™ and MÜV^™ dispensary banners, including Cabbage Club^™, an innovative annual membership program offering exclusive benefits for cannabis consumers. Verano produces a comprehensive suite of high-quality, regulated cannabis products sold under its diverse portfolio of trusted consumer brands including Verano^™, (the) Essence^™, MÜV^™, Savvy^™, BITS^™, Encore^™, and Avexia^™. Verano’s active operations span 13 U.S. states, comprised of 15 production facilities with over 1.1 million square feet of cultivation capacity. Learn more at Verano.com.

Media
Verano
Grace Bondy
Director, Communications
Grace.Bondy@verano.com

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company’s beliefs regarding future events, plans, strategies, or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company’s control. Generally, such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “future”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “projects,” “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases, or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “will continue”, “will occur” or “will be achieved”. Forward-looking statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements herein, including, without limitation, the risk factors described in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, in each case, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except as may be required in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice regarding forward-looking information and statements.

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Far-red lights can improve yield and the quality of specific cannabis strains, and reduce energy costs and carbon emissions amid energy-intensive cannabis cultivation, according to a new study.

Published in Nature this week, this Australian government-funded study, conducted by researchers from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Southern Cross University, analyzed whether the daily light period to which cannabis plants were exposed could be shortened from 12 to 10 hours by supplementing with far-red light, without sacrificing plant yield or cannabinoid content.

The findings suggest that far-red light treatments sometimes enhanced cannabinoid yield in specific strains and, when paired with a 10-hour light schedule, offered about 5.5% energy savings.

This would be significant for high-consuming cannabis farming. Cannabis growers in the U.S. use about 1% of the country’s total energy, which is more than cryptocurrency mining and all other crops combined, according to a recent study.

Far-red light, which sits just beyond the visible spectrum, naturally occurs in sunlight during the early hours of the morning, late in the afternoon, and in shaded spots. Plants have evolved to recognize this kind of light as a cue that they may be shaded by other plants, prompting them to grow taller in search of more sunlight. When far-red light is paired with regular red or white light, it doesn’t just trigger growth, but it also enhances photosynthesis. This effect, known as the Emerson enhancement effect, highlights how plants can make more efficient use of different light wavelengths when they work in combination.

Far-Red Light Works Only On Specific Cannabis Strains

The research team explored several lighting schedules across three cannabis strains: Cannatonic, known for its high CBD content, and Hindu Kush and Northern Lights, both rich in THC. They compared a traditional 12-hour light cycle with a shortened 10-hour version, along with variations where far-red light was introduced, either at the end of the light phase, the start of the dark phase, or both. In addition to observing changes in plant height, they measured total biomass, which included flowers, leaves, and stems, and analyzed the concentration of various cannabinoids.

The results showed that adding far-red light made all the cannabis plants grow taller, especially when the light was used at the end of the day or both before and after lights-off. In some strains, like Cannatonic and Hindu Kush, far-red light combined with a full 12-hour light cycle increased the total weight of the plants, but most of that extra weight came from leaves and stems, not flowers. In fact, flower weight decreased in these cases.

The way cannabinoids responded also depended on the strain. Cannatonic had the highest levels of CBD and THC when grown under a regular 12-hour light cycle or when far-red light was added at both ends of the day, but this did not lead to a clear increase in the total amount of cannabinoids per plant, and flower size often dropped. Hindu Kush showed some THC increases with far-red light, especially when it was used both before and after the lights went off. Northern Lights performed better using far-red light right after the main lights turned off, as it led to a strong boost in THC and a 70% increase in total cannabinoid yield compared to the regular light schedule.

Researchers, therefore, suggest that growers could increase the potency of these specific cannabis strains while reducing lighting time and carbon footprint by using far-red light.

As these effects were seen only in specific cannabis strains, growers should test for themselves whether far-red light works on other strains.

Nevertheless, the use of far-red light could potentially help reduce the carbon footprint and make cannabis growing more sustainable, while also maintaining or even boosting yield and quality, and reducing energy costs.

“These findings have significant implications for the cannabis industry, specifically for energy consumption, with electricity being a significant cost for cultivation. Consequently, the preference is to achieve productivity improvements without extending, and ideally reducing, the duration of the artificial lighting period,” the study reads.

This is not the first time that the use of far-red light in farming has been studied. Some research shows that its use produced taller cannabis plants but decreased yields, while another study on far-red light in lettuce cultivation showed that intermittent supplementation of far-red light accelerated leaf and bud development, leading to increased yields.

This study is in line with others that have analyzed the use of far-red light when growing cannabis. Some research shows that its use produced taller cannabis plants but decreased yields, while others have found that using far-red light in cannabis farming increased plant height but also decreased both flowering and the concentrations of cannabinoids like CBD, THCVA, CBGA, and terpenes in the flowers, compared to a high red-light ratio.

A teaching assistant caught driving under the influence of cannabis was fined £120 after claiming she used the drug as a medicine for ‘pain management’.

Mother of one Megan Washington, 26, was stopped by police in her Vauxhall Insignia with a youngster in the passenger seat after a tip-off she might have been smoking the drug before getting behind the wheel. 

Tests showed Washington was slightly over the limit for THC, the principal active ingredient of cannabis, and also BZE, the breakdown product of cocaine. 

When quizzed, Washington – who is understood to work at a secondary school – said she been using cannabis for pain management, but was seeking professional help to wean herself off it. 

She claimed she had not realised that the drugs were still in her system and would not have driven if she had known. 

There was no evidence the manner of her driving was erratic. 

The reason for her pain issues and why she had traces of cocaine in her system were not disclosed. 

A former legal secretary, according to her social media pages she is currently studying a BA Honours degree in English Literature at the Open University.

Megan Washington, 26, was stopped by police after a tip-off she might have been smoking cannabis before getting behind the wheel

Teaching assistant Megan Washington told a court she been using cannabis for pain management, but was seeking professional help to wean herself off it

Megan Washington outside Chester magistrates court where she was fined £120 and banned from driving for 16 months after admitting two counts of drug driving

Washington, from Winsford, Cheshire, admitted two charges of drug driving.

She was also ordered to pay £133 in costs and surcharge and banned from driving for 16 months. 

The incident occurred at 2.50pm on February 9 when Washington was driving her car through the village of Moulton, Chester magistrates court heard. 

Scott Woodward, prosecuting, said: ‘Police stopped a Vauxhall Insignia after there was information given that there may be someone under the influence of cannabis driving it. 

‘There was also a young passenger in the vehicle. 

‘The defendant informed the officers that she was a regular cannabis user. 

‘Therefore the officer requested a roadside DrugWipe which was positive for cannabis. 

She was subsequently arrested and taken to custody. 

Megan Washington told a court she had used cannabis for pain management but was ‘trying to get myself off it’

Megan Washington told a court she had sold her car after being caught drug driving as the incident had ‘freaked me out a bit’

‘The defendant has no previous convictions.’ 

Tests showed Washington had 2.8 micrograms of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 60 micrograms of benzoylecgonine (BZE) per litre of blood. 

The legal limit for the drugs is micrograms per litre and 50 micrograms per litre respectively. 

Washington declined to have the court’s duty solicitor represent her. 

She told the hearing: ‘I can only apologise. I did not realise. 

‘If I realised that there was anything still in my system I would not have driven that day.’ 

She added: ‘It was for pain management. 

‘I had a doctor’s referral and I am trying to get myself off it. 

‘I’ve now sold the car as this freaked me out a bit.’ 

The court legal advisor told JPs: ‘She has a clean driving licence. 

‘I would think a defence would ask you to take a common sense approach. 

‘Your concern would be was if there any evidence of obvious impairment of driving. 

‘But the car was flagged up for some reason on the ANPR and pulled over because of the vehicle itself – not because of any evidence of impairment of driving. 

‘It has been found that people that regularly who smoke cannabis build up a tolerance so that it is basically permanently in their system. 

‘The legal limit is very, very low so if you are someone who smokes cannabis weekly, regularly, you are permanently over the limit.’ 

Sentencing Washington, JP Olga Randall told her: ‘The fine would have been £180 because you pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. 

‘You are working towards getting off any form of drugs. 

‘Hopefully by the time you start driving again you’ll be back on track.’ 

According to the NHS ‘very few’ people in England are likely to get a prescription for medical cannabis. 

It is only likely to be prescribed for children and adults with rare and severe forms of epilepsy, adults with vomiting or nausea caused by chemotherapy and people with muscle stiffness and spasms caused by multiple sclerosis.

New Jersey cannabis retailer Pipe Dreams has implemented a system that converts digital currencies to dollars instantly at checkout, allowing the store’s customers to use cryptocurrency for their marijuana purchases.

The system, from PDX Beam, allows customers to pay by scanning a QR code with their crypto wallet and complete a transaction in 15-30 seconds in an industry that’s notorious for struggling with payment processing and banking.

Pipe Dreams owner Mahmoud Heikal said the store averages 2,000 transactions per month, and he estimates 12 per month are crypto conversion sales.

“It’s just another way for me not to say no to money,” Heikal told MJBizDaily.

And with Pipe Dreams’ location in Asbury Park, Heikal expects to see more customers based on the expected influx of tourists who descend on the area to vacation on the Jersey Shore.

‘Millions of crypto users’

“There are millions of crypto users all over the world – it’s a trillion-dollar industry,” Heikal said.

“People have money that isn’t being utilized. This allows people to get real-world use out of it.”

In 2025, about 28% of American adults, or 65 million people, own cryptocurrencies, according to research firm Security.org.

Heikal plans to incorporate the PDX Beam crypto-payment system into his network of smart vending machines he leases to stores in four states.

“Some franchise partners sell cannabis products, some just sell accessories,” Heikal said.

Payment processing continues to be a challenge for cannabis businesses, which don’t have access to traditional banking services because of the federal prohibition against marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act.

Although marijuana businesses can accept crypto as payment, not many do.

“Most people aren’t doing it because they’re scared,” said cannabis attorney Jean Smith-Gonnell, a partner in the Charlotte, North Carolina, office of the Troutman Pepper Locke law firm.

“It’s a new area people are interested in, but they’re very wary.”

Are crypto risks worth potential rewards?

While some say cryptocurrencies could solve the cannabis industry’s banking and payment problems, the volatility and risk associated with digital assets make it an impractical option for most marijuana retailers.

“I worry that it won’t bring in a bigger customer base and that putting the infrastructure in place could be costly,” Smith-Gonnell said. “The juice isn’t worth the squeeze, to be honest.”

In a 2023 post on her law firm’s website, Smith-Gonnell and co-authors Matthew Orso and Trey Smith outlined the benefits and risks associated with accepting cryptocurrency for marijuana transactions.

According to Smith-Gonnell’s post, the benefits of cryptocurrencies are:

• They are readily available to consumers.
• They make transactions seamless and instant.
• The networks are impenetrable.

Crypto also allows marijuana businesses to bank themselves by maintaining custody of their funds without involving financial intermediaries.

But the risks could outweigh the benefits: Marijuana businesses might face challenges converting large amounts of crypto into fiat currency.

Cryptocurrencies also are taxed as property, so fluctuations in its value might be taxed as capital gains or losses.

“Crypto is still something everyone is watching,” Smith-Gonnell said.

“It’s just going to take time and understanding how it works. There’s just a lack of knowledge.”

Margaret Jackson can be reached at margaret.jackson@mjbizdaily.com.

WALTHAM, MA — Though there are cannabis dispensaries in neighboring communities, Waltham hasn’t had its own. That is, until now.

Uma Flowers is open in Waltham as of 10 a.m. Tuesday. The business is located at 196 Bear Hill Rd. from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Customers will be able to shop in-store, but they can also preorder products online for pickup, officials said.

Priyanka Patel is listed as the owner, according to the CCC, giving the business an expedited application process as a woman-owned operation.

However, to call it an expedited process wouldn’t exactly be correct.

Uma and Waltham reached a host community agreement in May 2023, and the company filed for a special permit to open at the Bear Hill Road location all the way back in 2021.

“We are absolutely thrilled and grateful to finally open our doors here in our home City of Waltham after such a long journey,” said co-founder Tejal Patel. “The process took longer than we ever expected, but every step was worth it to become part of this wonderful community. We can’t wait to serve our neighbors and be a positive addition to the community.”

Founded by Waltham residents and sisters-in-law Priyanka and Tejal Patel in 2019, the company operates a dispensary in Pepperell and another in Morristown, New Jersey.

Join host Anthony Varrell and guest Anthony Coniglio, CEO of NewLake Capital Partners, for a sharp, no-nonsense breakdown of what tariffs really mean for the cannabis industry. Capital markets take center stage as the pair reflects on the latest earnings season, noting that hemp is also eroding more market share than previously thought.

While headlines paint a dire picture, we dig into the facts: the actual exposure to tariffs is limited on cannabis production and labor. That said, imported items like vape cartridges and packaging could see cost increases, and that creates challenges, especially in price-sensitive markets.

Operators like Trulieve and GTI continue to post strong numbers, others show declining year-over-year revenue and margin compression. Varrell and Coniglio explore how top operators are adapting—stockpiling inventory, delaying purchases, and adjusting supply chains. They also dive into the real risk: a pricing gap that could send consumers back to the illicit market.

Is this an existential threat or just another overreaction in a hypersensitive industry?

Retail competition from unregulated hemp products also emerges as a key concern. While site-specific diligence on smoke shops is tricky due to their ubiquity, state-level enforcement could eventually shift the playing field. Same-store sales are also discussed—largely absent from cannabis earnings because the numbers likely don’t tell a strong story.

Michael Bronstein joins the second half of the show with updates on the Texas House’s expansion of the teacup medical cannabis program. Though still restrictive, it increases licenses and allows limited inhalation. More significantly, Texas is moving to regulate intoxicating hemp through THC caps, synthetic bans, and tighter product labeling. This could influence other red states and set national precedent ahead of the Farm Bill.

Tune in to get real-world insights, strategic context, and a level-headed take on how the cannabis sector is navigating global trade tension.

Superfly Dispensary is officially lighting up the Upper West Side. Opening its flagship location at 57 West 86th Street, this licensed cannabis dispensary is the creation of lifelong friends and longtime neighborhood residents who previously worked together in a beloved local restaurant. Now, they’re serving a different kind of menu—one filled with thoughtfully curated cannabis products and a generous dose of community spirit.

More than just a dispensary, Superfly is designed as a creative hub for locals and visitors alike. With roots in hospitality and culture, the shop brings a unique, neighborhood-first approach to New York’s emerging adult-use market. Listed on Weedmaps and anchored in transparency, service, and inclusivity, Superfly is elevating what a modern cannabis experience can look like.

To kick things off in style, Superfly is hosting a Grand Opening celebration on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 4:20 PM. The event is open to the public and will feature live music, complimentary light bites, and a chance to explore the dispensary’s one-of-a-kind layout—including their Farm display showcase windows that bring product education to life.

Throughout the evening, guests can meet the team, mingle with industry leaders, and enter exclusive raffles. Prizes include an AIRE Spa voucher and even an electric scooter—adding a layer of fun to an already elevated experience.

At the heart of Superfly’s mission is the belief that cannabis belongs in conversations about culture, wellness, and community. That’s why the store will host monthly programming centered around art, education, and local creatives. From panel discussions to music performances, Superfly aims to create a space where people feel seen, heard, and welcomed—regardless of their level of cannabis experience.

The dispensary’s product selection reflects this intention. Every item on the shelves has been handpicked to meet a high standard for quality, potency, and safety. Whether you’re searching for premium flower, edibles, pre-rolls, concentrates, or vapes, Superfly’s team is trained to guide shoppers with care and clarity.

Superfly is also proud to champion equity-driven brands and highlight local growers and producers across New York State. As legalization continues to unfold in NYC, Superfly’s focus remains on education, access, and community uplift. Their events, partnerships, and retail programming are intentionally designed to dismantle stigma and reframe cannabis as a positive cultural force.

To learn more or browse their menu, visit hellosuperfly.com or find them on Weedmaps.

The store is located at 57 West 86th Street, just steps from Central Park and easily accessible from the 1, B, and C subway lines. Doors open daily with knowledgeable staff ready to assist, whether you’re shopping solo, stopping by after work, or joining one of their community events.

Superfly’s arrival marks a major moment not only for the Upper West Side, but for NYC’s wider cannabis culture. By blending neighborhood hospitality with modern dispensary excellence, Superfly is helping redefine how cannabis is discovered and experienced in the city.

For those in the area—or those looking to explore something new—stop by Superfly on May 21 for a grand opening that promises music, education, and elevated vibes from start to finish.