New Law Could Let Small Cannabis Growers Ship Direct to Customers
Democratic Reps. Jared Huffman and Val Hoyle re-introduced the SHIP Act, historic legislation allowing direct-to-consumer shipments by USPS and commercial carriers by small cannabis growers and manufacturers.
The act aims at leveling the playing ground against the large multi-state operators that now control the cannabis marketplace through superior resources and infrastructure.
Small growers (one acre outdoors or 5,000 square feet indoors) and manufacturers (under $5 million in yearly revenue) under the plan will enjoy the option of opting out from the traditional model(s) of distribution which many times prices out the smaller participant.
Age verification measures are covered in the act and states can prohibit (as states do not restrict cannabis shipments by means through the territories) in the licensing of the transportation of cannabis at the state level.
Those in support note the direct-to-consumer model which has been historically effective for the smaller traditional farmers is invaluable in the preservation of the culture of craft cannabis and stemming wholesale marketplace consolidation.
The act has the full support from many industry groups such as the National Craft Cannabis Coalition and Minority Cannabis Business Association who see the act as invaluable in the preservation of marketplace innovation and diversification as endpoint legalization approaches.
Nature’s Tiny Army: How Beneficial Insects Are Revolutionizing Cannabis Pest Control
Cannabis plantations are becoming increasingly biological in their pest control by utilizing swarms of beneficial insects rather than toxic pesticides in a bid to save the crop.
This biological approach uses natural predators in the form of parasitoid wasps and ladybugs and even microscopic nematodes which crawl into insects and consume them from the inside.
These are Heterorhabditis bacteriophora nematodes that kill numerous pest species by entering through the body orifices and injecting bacterial kill agents inside the host, and Amblyseius swirskii mites regulating whiteflies and thrips.
The technique is increasingly popular globally, particularly in medical cannabis production, since it is usually cheaper in the long run compared to chemical applications.
Entomologists point out the fact that preserving biodiversity and native plant communities is effective in keeping beneficial insects vibrant and pest populations in natural control.
Strategies involve learning about the subject on the humidity and shelter requirements for useful insects in addition to avoiding over-reliance on even organic pesticides such as potassium soap with the potential for upsetting the thin ecological equilibrium growers aim for.
Music Becomes the Ultimate Marketing High
Cannabis companies are getting in tune with music culture in non-traditional ways in honor of the centuries-old relationship between cannabis and the music world.
Budr Cannabis launched in-venue cannabis ordering at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, where concertgoers can order weed on their mobile device and pick up at in-venue kiosks.
While Mango Cannabis sponsored a 10,000-attentee fest at the New Mexico store grand opening party by offering free admission with spending over $50.
Artist collaborations are on the upswing too, where California shop Ursa Extracts collaborated with band Slightly Stooped on the release of limited-time-only Stoopid Fruits live resin carts.
The approach goes even bigger than co-branding—cannabis companies are getting out to music festivals like Cannafest and Northern Nights in order to reach the target audience face-to-face in places other than mere industry trade shows like MJBizCon.
The music marketing platform helps cannabis companies navigate through advertising prohibitions as they form actual relationships with consumers already connecting cannabis with bohemian music from the 1920s jazz club era through to today’s festivals.
Why UK Police Still Don’t Know Medical Cannabis is Legal
Nearly seven years after the UK legalized medical cannabis in November 2018, many UK police officers remain unaware of this crucial legal change, leading to troubling encounters with legitimate patients.
Despite cannabis-based products for medicinal use being legal, allowing specialist doctors to prescribe them for various conditions, patients regularly report having their legal medication get confiscated, they facing arrest, and have to put up with roadside drug tests even when presenting valid prescriptions.
Recent incidents include arrests of patients quietly using prescribed cannabis and a formal complaint filed against police chief Sir Andy Marsh for comments linking cannabis smell to “crime and disorder.”
The knowledge gap stems from insufficient police training, with surveys showing 28.5% of officers unaware of medical cannabis’s legal status and 88% wanting more education.
The complexity of cannabis laws—legal with prescription but still a controlled Class B drug for recreational use—requires nuanced understanding that many forces lack.
Most UK medical cannabis comes from private clinics rather than NHS, contributing to perceptions it is less “official.”
This systematic failure wastes police resources, undermines public trust, and causes unnecessary stress for patients simply using prescribed medication, highlighting the urgent need for mandatory officer training and clear national guidelines.
Turkey Opens Pharmacy Doors: Parliament Approves Medical Cannabis Sales
Turkish Parliament approved landmark legislation for the sale in licensed pharmacies of medical cannabis products in a historic reversal in the country’s cannabis-derived medical policy.
The new act, formally the “Amendments to Certain Health-Related Laws and Decree Law No. 663,” strictly controls production and distribution of cannabis-derived medicinal products in low THC content incapable of providing psychoactive effects.
Sales will only occur in licensed pharmacies, and usage will still strictly be for prescription medical treatment in the watchful eye of the physician. The pharmaceutical-grade model supplies products approved and regulated by the Ministry of Health and strictly distinct from illegal recreative cannabis.
Turkey is the latest in a growing list of countries including Germany, Canada, Israel, Australia, and the Netherlands embracing medical cannabis for patients in chronic pains, cancer, and multiple sclerosis.
Turkish Pharmacists’ Association member Taner Ercanli stressed the products showed analgesic and antidepressant effects with strict quality controls in effect.
This act has Turkey embracing medical cannabis as a legitimate medical alternative with strict controls in effect in the hope of forestalling abuse and assuring patient safety through proper pharmaceutical channels.