States struggle to regulate pesticide use in legal-cannabis industry
In the absence of federal guidance on the use of pesticides, the nine states that have legalized cannabis for commercial use are building a patchwork of regulatory polices in an effort to ensure that the end product is safe for consumers, reports the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
NorCal marijuana growers face steep losses as wildfires subside
The wildfires that swept across Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa counties in Northern California last week devastated the region’s legal cannabis growers, torching their crops and facilities at peak harvest time and leaving smaller farmers at risk of collapse.
As with wine, California growers want exclusive names for their cannabis
The notion of terroir — the belief that climate, soil and farming practices combine in a unique crop — is centuries old and one of the issues with California's decision to legalize cannabis. State officials say they will set up a body to decide if certain parts of the state deserve "their own exclusive appellations for cannabis, like Champagne and Bordeaux wine in France, says the Wall Street Journal.
Native Americans set to lead the hemp market
While the rest of the nation debates whether to allow industrial hemp farming, the Navajo Nation is already planning for the first crop. Some are hoping that the controversial plant will help bring money to Native American reservations, the same way that casinos have, says Reuters.
Kosher pot coming to a dispensary near you
Medical marijuana producers are carving out a niche market with kosher weed, now that rabbis have agreed to inspect their facilities, says the New York Times. “There’s no question that the number of patients that desire kosher products, coupled with battling the stigma associated with medical marijuana, made this a wise economic investment,” says Ari Hoffnung, chief executive at Vireo Health, which became the first medical marijuana company in the U.S. to receive a kosher certification this January.