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With so many different strains of cannabis out there, growers are becoming more and more concerned with maintaining desirable genetics. Since no two plants will ever develop identically, cloning has long been the industry standard for preserving cannabis genes. Recent advancements, though, have given growers a new tool: Tissue culture.
The post Cannabis Tissue Culture: A New Alternative to Cloning appeared first on Sensi Seeds.
Manchester United can make it three successive wins by beating Fulham on Sunday as Michael Carrick continues to remould the team.
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Last week, we reported on an emerging trend in the European medical cannabis industry, which is seeing regulators in incoming markets favour alternative modes of administration, challenging the ubiquity of dried flower.
Medical cannabis flower is still overwhelmingly dominant in Europe’s largest existing markets. According to Prohibition Partners, as of December 2025, 77% of all available products in the UK are dried flower, increasing to over 90% in Germany.
Yet, with both Spain and France expected to launch national frameworks this year, effectively omitting traditional flower from their markets, a significant opportunity for manufacturers able to offer alternative administration formats is emerging.
While many consumer-grade devices already exist on the market, those with CE certification, meaning they have passed rigorous European regulatory scrutiny regarding safety, reliability and repeatability, are less readily available.
“Achieving CE certification for a medical device is not trivial as it requires significant multi-year investment, documentation, and independent assessment by a notified body,” Juan Martinez, CEO of Curaleaf International, which launched the UK’s first CE-Certified liquid inhalation device last September, told Business of Cannabis.
“Companies don’t pursue that kind of certification unless they’re committed to operating within long-term medical frameworks.”
A critical differentiator between the incoming frameworks is that while Spain will have no flower at all, France has managed to carve out a middle ground.
France’s incoming regulations permit dried flower, but only when sealed in single-use capsules compatible with CE-certified medical devices. This compromise manages to address regulators’ concerns about diversion and standardisation while preserving patient access to flower-based treatment.
Benjamin Alexander Jeanroy, Managing Partner at Paris-based consultancy Augur Associates, explained: “Spain bluntly prohibits the flower, and that’s it. France found a solution with the authorisation of sealed capsules.
“It’s a little bit more difficult for providers and producers, but it still allows it. So it’s not only resolving the issues that flower brings, but it’s also bringing forward a solution that brings the capacity to access flower.”
Jeanroy characterised the sealed capsule requirement as France’s attempt to “overcome the issues that flower brings – its stigmatisation, and the excuse being used by prohibitionists to prohibit medical cannabis.”
By requiring pharmaceutical-grade device integration, France’s framework sidesteps the perception problems that have plagued the UK and Germany’s more open flower market while maintaining patient choice.
For manufacturers, this framework creates both opportunities and barriers to entry. As a device cannot be marketed or distributed legally within the EU without CE marking, those who have failed to invest the considerable time and costs associated with it find themselves locked out of the market before it’s launched.
“The shortage isn’t CE-marked devices themselves,” Martinez observed. “It’s cannabis companies with established partnerships or proprietary certified devices. That’s becoming a significant competitive advantage as these frameworks materialise.”
CE certification under the Medical Devices Regulation requires cannabis inhalation devices to meet Class IIa standards. This category is for devices with ‘notified body involvement’, such as hearing aids, ventilators, ultrasound scanners and catheters.
“You don’t go for a Class IIa medical device approval if you’re just looking for a quick win,” Martinez said. “You do it because you believe in meeting pharmaceutical-grade standards and cannabis treatment being part of mainstream healthcare.”
Curaleaf began developing its QMID (Quantum Metered Inhalation Device) alongside Jupiter Research LLC, which was involved in the launch of a second CE-certified device in partnership with Somai Pharmaceuticals and Airo a month later, some five years ago.
“We made a deliberate decision at Curaleaf to invest in developing a certified medical device because we believe medical cannabis should stand alongside other prescribed treatments under the same scrutiny.”
“It wasn’t the easiest path – especially as we were the first – as it required time and significant resources, but meeting Class IIa standards confirms that the device satisfies established regulatory and quality criteria. That level of quality assurance simply isn’t present with off-the-shelf vaporisers.”
As Spain and France’s requirements materialise, the five-year investment timeline that once looked speculative appears increasingly prescient.
Beyond regulatory compliance, Martinez argues that liquid inhalation addresses genuine clinical needs that flower struggles to meet consistently.
“Liquid inhalation allows for consistent and controlled dosing,” he explained. “For patients, it means a fast onset of action with repeatable effects and doses. They can expect a similar experience each time they medicate, which is important when you’re managing symptoms and need reliable relief.”
For prescribers operating within conservative hospital-led frameworks, this consistency is paramount.
“It’s a lot easier to say ‘use X milligrams via this inhaler, up to Y times a day’ and know what that means, versus trying to estimate doses from inhaling flower, where technique and individual variation can lead to different results.
“Certain patient groups, for example, those with severe asthma or chronic lung conditions, might benefit from a vaporised liquid formulation because it can be gentler on the lungs than smoking raw flower. Additionally, some conditions require very fine titration of dosage – neuropathic pain, severe spasticity – and a device can help dial that in more systematically.”
However, Martinez was careful not to position liquid inhalation as universally superior. “This isn’t about declaring liquid formats ‘better’ across the board or trying to replace flower entirely. Cannabis flower remains clinically valuable for many patients,” he said.
“A lot of people get needed results from vaporizing or even smoking flower, and they appreciate the broader spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes in the natural form. We believe that the future of medical cannabis is not about one format winning out over another but rather it’s about offering multiple, clinically appropriate options within a regulated framework.”
Higher regulatory standards inevitably raise questions about affordability and the risk of creating a two-tier system where only well-resourced patients can access pharmaceutical-grade devices.
While Martinez cited cost as a ‘legitimate concern’, as the market matures he believes ‘competition and scale’ will bring costs down.
Martinez acknowledged the concern directly. “Cost is a legitimate concern. Higher regulatory and manufacturing standards can initially increase prices, especially before reimbursement pathways exist.”
While the details of reimbursement in the French market are still being decided by the HAS, it’s likely a considerable portion of the costs of both the devices and the metered doses will be covered for patients.
With France offering both a middle-ground on the question of health care, and likely cost relief for its patient population, Jeanroy states that he is confident ‘France is going to be the model, not Germany, in the development of the medical cannabis framework in Europe at the national and the supranational level.’
As such, he believes a general shift away from flower will ‘definitely be a trend in Europe’ in the coming months.
Martinez offered a similar prediction, noting that he expects ‘diversification rather than convergence’, with already established markets continuing to support flower, ‘while newer frameworks will lean into standardised preparations and device-based delivery.’
He concluded: “The demand will always be there; the question is how much of it we can fulfil through regulated, safe channels. I think by this time next year, we’ll see a noticeable shift with more demand being met inside the legal system than outside of it.”
These challenges and opportunities will be central topics at Cannabis Europa Paris on February 19, where industry leaders will examine whether France’s unique approach justifies the countless delays in the eyes of patients.
The post Is Europe Moving Away From Cannabis Flower? – Why Companies Are Betting on CE-Certified Devices appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
Sixty percent of registered Virginians favor allowing for the sale of adult-use marijuana products by licensed retailers, according to statewide polling data compiled by The Wason Center at Christopher Newport University.
The post Virginia: Most Voters Favor Retail Marijuana Sales appeared first on NORML.
Massachusetts marijuana regulators have unanimously approved rules to license and regulate cannabis social consumption lounges in the state.
Members of the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) voted 4-0 on Thursday to approve the rule, which was unveiled over the summer.
The rules create three new license types related to social consumption: One would let existing dispensaries build upon their business by allowing marijuana use at their facilities, another would permit “hospitality” services by non-cannabis businesses such as cafes and theaters, and another would create an “event organizer” category for entities wishing to allow marijuana consumption at events such as music festivals.
“The Commonwealth has been eagerly waiting social consumption, so we’re proud to move this effort across the finish line,” Shannon O’Brien, chair of the commission, said in a press release. “We look forward to the economic opportunities these new license types will offer to small businesses and entrepreneurs who have been disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs.”
Bruce Stebbins, co-chair of the CCC social consumption working group, said the finalized regulatory package “reflects years of stakeholder engagement, research, and policy discussion and deliberation.”
“Next steps will include ongoing engagement with municipalities that must opt-in to hosting social consumption and educating residents to ensure the Commonwealth is prepared for this expansion of our $8 billion regulated cannabis industry,” he said.
The enactment of the policy makes Massachusetts the first state in New England to allow cannabis social consumption facilities to open.
Kimberly Roy, another member of the commission, said the vote to advance the package “marks a long-awaited and carefully considered milestone for Massachusetts’ regulated cannabis industry.”
“By finalizing the Social Consumption license-type, the Commission is honoring the will of the voters who envisioned safe, legal spaces for adult-use cannabis, while maintaining strong safeguards to protect public health and public safety,” she said. “This achievement represents years of collaboration among stakeholders, policymakers, and communities across the Commonwealth.”
However, she added, the vote on Thursday “does not conclude the Commission’s work; it begins a new chapter of consumer and public education to ensure this emerging sector operates safely and responsibly.”
Commissioner Carrie Benedon said the “finalization of these social consumption reforms represents a significant milestone for legal cannabis in the Commonwealth.”
“Commissioners and staff have put significant thought and care into crafting a program that will provide economic opportunities for equity participants and small businesses while emphasizing public health and safety,” she said.
Travis Ahern, executive director of CCC, said the social consumption license option “offers the Commonwealth significant regional tourism opportunities, safe spaces for those who cannot consume cannabis at home, the ongoing transition of legacy operators to the legal market,” he said. “Commission staff have worked hard to support the creation of each license type, and we’re excited to get to work setting up the internal infrastructure that will enable these new businesses to serve Massachusetts residents.”
The policy change around social consumption lounges comes amid a push by anti-legalization activists to put an initiative on the ballot next year that would roll back the state’s adult-use legalization law.
An association of Massachusetts marijuana businesses recently urged voters to tell local officials about any cases of misleading signature gathering tactics and “fraudulent messaging” by the campaign behind that effort.
There have been allegations piling up that petitioners working on behalf of Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts have shared false information about what the measure would accomplish, with claims that paid petitioners have used fake cover letters for other ballot measures on issues like affordable housing and same-day voter registration. The state attorney general’s office has confirmed that it has received complaints to that effect, but the campaign has denied sanctioning such activities.
Under the proposed initiative, adults 21 and older could still possess up to an ounce of cannabis, only five grams of which could be a marijuana concentrate product. Possession of more than one ounce but less than two ounces would be effectively decriminalized, with violators subject to a $100 fine. Adults could also continue to gift cannabis to each other without remuneration.
But provisions in the state’s voter-approved marijuana law that allow for commercial cannabis retailers and access to regulated products by adults would be repealed under the proposal. Adults’ right to cultivate cannabis at home would also be repealed. The medical cannabis program would remain intact, however.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s (D) office—which cleared the campaign for signature gathering in September—has stressed to voters the importance of reading their summary, which is required to go at the top of the signature form, before signing any petitions.
Meanwhile, the head of Massachusetts’s marijuana regulatory agency recently suggested that the measure to effectively recriminalize recreational cannabis sales could imperil tax revenue that’s being used to support substance misuse treatment efforts and other public programs.
Whether the cannabis measures will be approved is yet to be seen. Voters approved legalization at the ballot in 2016, with sales launching two years later. Over the past decade, the market has evolved and expanded. As of August, Massachusetts officials reported more than $8 billion in adult-use marijuana sales.
In November, the Massachusetts Senate approved a bill that would double the legal marijuana possession limit for adults and revise the regulatory framework for the state’s adult-use cannabis market. Similar legislation also advanced through the House earlier this year.
Written by Kyle Jaeger for Marijuana Moment | Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps
The post Massachusetts Officials Approve Rules Allowing Marijuana Social Consumption Lounges To Open appeared first on Weedmaps News.
Congress decided to throw another curveball into the mix. On January 23, 2026, Representatives Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Marc Veasey (D-TX) introduced the Hemp Enforcement, Modernization, and Protection (HEMP) Act—a bipartisan attempt to regulate, rather than ban, the consumable hemp market that Trump’s spending bill tried to annihilate just weeks earlier.
According to a statistic by the U.S. Bureau of Labor, more than 18% of new businesses fail during their first two years of operation, and about 55 percent of all businesses do not survive past their fifth year. So how do you successfully launch and run your business?
1. Taking the Time to Plan
A frequent issue in start-up businesses is diving straight into opening the business. However, taking the time to plan will help to ensure that your business starts on the right foot. Taking the time to do your research and due diligence can give you a great foundation for success when opening your business’ doors.
Before starting a business, it is a good idea to:
Furthermore, all start-up businesses should map out a business plan that includes: how much it costs to operate, an estimated revenue, and who would buy the product- or service- and why.
2. Finding Trustworthy Advisors
Another big mistake which entrepreneurs make is thinking that they are able to do everything on their own by not surrounding themselves with wise counsel. It is crucial to find and onboard trustworthy advisors who will discuss business ideas, strategies, challenges, and progress.
Five recommended consultative services include:
3. Forming Contracts
Relying only on verbal or handshake agreements is one of the most common business mistakes and is a predictable source of legal problems.
If you would like your business to run smoothly, it is important that you create a clear, professionally written contract with all your:
Moreover, contracts help to protect all parties involved in the agreement; so, do not feel reluctant to ask for things to be put in writing.
4. Marketing and Advertising
There is only so much that a business can accomplish by word-of-mouth. Business Owners can lose out on potential customers and revenue if they do not have a marketing plan or advertise their company.
When it comes to marketing for businesses, a great place to start is social media. You can create a business profile on different platforms and use them to promote your business. Content can consist of posts such as a behind-the-scenes look at running the business or offering giveaways and promotions. Social media is an easy way to broaden your network of customers.
In addition, make sure that you are familiar with the federal regulations that are related to marketing and advertising. For instance, you could violate a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulation if you unintentionally send out a newsletter to someone who requested to opt out of the mailing list.
Creating a thorough business plan, having the right advisors on your team, being strategic about hiring, and advertising your business are some of the important steps towards successfully running a business.
Sources:
https://www.bls.gov/bdm/us_age_naics_00_table7.txt
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7398-startup-mistakes-to-avoid.html
https://www.thehartford.com/business-insurance/strategy/small-business-mistakes/common-mistakes
The post How to Prevent the Common Mistakes Business Owners Make appeared first on Connor & Connor PLLC.
A new 2025 YouGov survey involving over 31,000 U.S. adults reveals overwhelming support for both recreational and medical cannabis legalization across the country. Americans are also strongly in favor of federal cannabis reform, which would allow for crucial banking access, expanded research, and interstate commerce. This consistent public demand signals a likely continuation of the green wave in policy and markets.
It seems like every other day, we’re seeing headlines about cannabis legislation shifting, new states going green, and the industry booming. But what do everyday Americans really think about it all? Well, a massive 2025 YouGov survey involving over 31,000 U.S. adults has just dropped, and the message is crystal clear: the vast majority are still waving their “legalize it!” flags high.
Remember when talking about cannabis felt a bit taboo? Those days are rapidly fading into the rearview mirror. The YouGov data shows significant, widespread support for both recreational and medical cannabis use. And honestly, are we surprised? The benefits of medical cannabis are becoming increasingly undeniable, offering relief for everything from chronic pain to anxiety. For recreational use, it’s often less about escaping reality and more about adult enjoyment – just like a glass of wine after a long day.
Think about it: as more states successfully implement regulated adult-use markets, the scare tactics of the past just don’t hold up. Tax revenues are boosting state budgets, new jobs are being created, and consumers have safer, tested products. It’s hard to argue with tangible, positive outcomes, right?
While state-level changes are fantastic, the big kahuna is federal legalization. And guess what? Americans are overwhelmingly on board here too. This isn’t just about convenience for consumers; federal reform would unlock a cascade of benefits for the entire cannabis industry and beyond.
This robust support isn’t just a flicker; it’s a consistent flame indicating that cannabis legalization is not a fad, but a societal shift. It tells policymakers that they’re lagging behind public opinion if they’re not actively pursuing reform.
We’re witnessing a fascinating evolution in perception, where cannabis is increasingly viewed through a lens of health, wellness, and personal liberty rather than moral panic. The data speaks volumes: Americans are ready for a fully legal, well-regulated cannabis landscape from coast to coast.
So, grab your favorite herbal tea (or, you know, something else if you’re in a legal state!), because the future looks decidedly green.
