Marijuana Business Magazine May-June 2019

Marijuana Business Magazine | May-June 2019 20 Vermont Dispensary Claims To Be New England’s First MMJ Drive-Thru Southern Vermont Wellness in Brattleboro, Vermont, opened what is thought to be the first medical marijuana dispensary drive-thru window in New England. The MMJ business serves about 30-50 patients per day and expects about 10 customers per day will use the window. Patients cannot order cannabis products through the drive- thru window since the dispensary takes patients only by appointment. Instead, they must place their orders online or over the phone, then pick them up at the window. Turnaround times can be as little as 20-30 minutes. Eaze Into Oregon San Francisco-based cannabis tech company Eaze made its first on-demand delivery expansion outside California by launching its online platform in Portland, Oregon, through a partnership with Kaleafa , a family- owned dispensary located in that city. In November, Eaze launched an online marketplace, Eaze Wellness, to ship CBD products to 41 states and the District of Columbia. Eaze offers technology to retailers and brands that support regulatory compliance, track- and-trace integration, inventory management and on-demand delivery. Cannabis Industry Training for Minorities Uplift Maryland , a firm specializing in cannabis indus- try training and education for minorities, concluded a six-part training program with modules that cover financing, banking, accounting and taxes. More than 350 people registered to attend the program, which was funded by a grant from the Maryland Medical Can- nabis Commission. Uplift was started in August 2018 by entrepreneur and real estate investor Kevin Ford Jr. Oklahoma City Thunder Accelerator Takes Canna-Tech Biz A technology accelerator sponsored by the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder and MidFirst Bank included a marijuana-focused tech firm in its latest class of startups. The Thunder Launchpad accelerator selected Oklahoma City-based Cannbot , a chat service and data-collection startup automating user experience for the cannabis industry, to its latest class of 11 startups. Cannbot has more than 100 dispensary clients. Costco-Like Delivery Company Joins Silicon Valley Accelerator Flower , a California cannabis delivery business with a wholesale model like Costco, joined Y Combinator , a Silicon Valley startup accelerator whose alumni include Airbnb, Dropbox, DoorDash and Reddit. Y Combinator provides seed investment, mentorship and resources for companies they believe in, from military equipment to food delivery services.  New Delivery Service Starts in California Emjay , which touts itself as a high-end marijuana delivery service, rolled out in Los Angeles and Oakland. The company, which delivers a selection of cannabis products, partnered with the Barneys New York store in Beverly Hills and Beboe , an upscale line of cannabis vaporizer pens and edible pastilles. Emjay will join the luxury specialty retailer as its exclusive white-glove delivery service for cannabis products at The High End, a cannabis lifestyle and wellness concept shop. MJ Firm Opens Female-Led Store in Sacramento Nug , a diversified cannabis company in California, opened its first retail location in the Midtown neighborhood of Sacramento. Nug Sacramento opened in partnership with Amplified Cannabis , a local indoor cultivator whose products will be featured in the store. The new store will be led by an all-woman management team, including general manager of retail sales Sandra Truitt, who has more than two decades of retail experience at Whole Foods Market, and Dr. Michelle Oram, a public health adviser. Compost for Kush KushCo Holdings , a diversified ancillary cannabis company in Garden Grove, California, signed a long-term development and distribution agreement with Ieko for the production of compostable and biodegradable packaging products for use in the cannabis and CBD industries. Ieko, which has offices in Los Angeles and Shanghai, is a sustainable materials company led by Robert Meers, a former Reebok and Lululemon executive. New Cannabis Law Practice DeJoy, Knauf & Blood , an upstate New York business advisory and CPA firm, launched a cannabis and hemp advisory practice. The new section will be led by partner Amy Brisson, CPA, and senior manager Morgan Hopkins, CPA. Company News | U.S. & Canada