A Weekly Roundup of Stories We Found Interesting – From The Profound To The Profane

Marijuana Legalization Makes Black Market Better In Prohibition States
The legal marijuana breeds a better black market. This author from Southern California writes, “Black market drug dealers are now even making house calls – sometimes still wearing their McDonald’s uniform – and, believe it or not, they do their best to help educate their customers on the differences between each strain and the purported therapeutic benefits each might provide… These days, even low-level dealers are out there slinging nine different strains, disposable vaporizers and edibles – lots of cannabis edibles.”

Local Pot Grower in Canada Looks to Other Countries as Greenhouse Jobs Go Unfilled
It was a million-dollar hit for Aphria Inc. when 14,000 harvest-ready marijuana plants had to be tossed out in August. Between bud and trim for oil extraction, it meant the loss of about 2,000 kilograms of retail product. The reason is that the company found itself with nobody to collect the cannabis crop at its Leamington-based greenhouse production facility.

Can Artisanal Weed Compete with ‘Big Marijuana’?
With all this money pouring in, it’s fair to wonder how legalization will change the marijuana industry itself – and whether it can stay true to its hippie roots. The author thinks that a local, sustainable and artisanal model of marijuana production can co-exist with Big Marijuana – much as craft beer has thrived in recent years alongside the traditional macro breweries.

Startup backed by Boehner Goes Public in Canada
The cannabis startup backed by former Speaker of the House John Boehner is set to become one of the most valuable companies in the U.S. weed industry. Acreage Holdings is the latest U.S. cannabis firm to tap the public markets in Canada, where marijuana is legal, through a reverse takeover. The company raised $314 million in a private placement that values it at about $2.8 billion. Acreage shares are set to start public trading on Thursday.

Canna-Bees ‘trained To Produce Honey From Marijuana
A beekeeper has trained a hive of “canna-bees” to produce honey from weed, it has been claimed. Although some people have cast doubt on the claims, experts think that it was plausible that bees could create “intoxicating” honey.

Tech is Coming for the Weed Industry
Blockchain and machine learning has come for marijuana cultivation. Both technologies were on display at this year’s Marijuana Business Daily Conference in Las Vegas.

Where Will Weed Be Legal Next? Asian Countries Race Toward Cannabis Legalization
Several Asian nations have taken note of cannabis legalization movements in North America and other countries, with several moving to chart a similar path.