Ohio Cannabis School Receives Accreditation

The Cleveland School of Cannabis (CSC), located in Independence, Ohio, announced on March 6 that it is the first cannabis school in the U.S. to be recognized through the Middle States Association-CESS. “The accreditation of CSC by Middle States Association-CESS (MSA-CESS) marks a significant step forward for the cannabis industry, driven by a broader acceptance of cannabis and its related fields within the formal education system,” CSC wrote in a press release. “With over 1,100 graduates, CSC has already made substantial contributions to the workforce and knowledge base of the cannabis industry. This formal recognition could pave the way for further advancements in cannabis research, education, and professional development, bridging the gap between the burgeoning cannabis market and academic legitimacy.” Technically, the college received accreditation in December 2023, but the school only recently published the announcement.

For more than 130 years, Middle States Association-CESS has been operating as a voluntary non-profit association that evaluates and performs accreditation of both public and private schools. Accreditation demonstrates if a school is maintaining a specific level of quality and performance through five categories: foundations, governance and organization, student well-being, resources, and teaching and learning.

The press release explained that this decision was made in part because the federal government is researching and discussing cannabis rescheduling. “Following a recommendation by the U.S. Department of Health to reschedule cannabis as a Schedule III substance, CSC’s recognition by the Department of Education could be an early indicator of changing attitudes within the federal government towards cannabis,” CSC wrote. “Rescheduling cannabis would acknowledge its medical benefits and could notably impact the regulatory landscape. This could potentially ease restrictions on research, banking, and taxation within the cannabis industry.”

CSC’s accreditation was awarded in part because it recently moved into a new building with access to a grow lab, processing lab, kitchen, mock dispensary, and virtual reality lab. “CSC’s newest additions were developed to upgrade the learning experience for students to enhance student learning through practical, hands-on education in cannabis cultivation, processing, cooking, and sales,” the press release stated. “This approach not only readies students for the cannabis industry’s intricacies but also boosts their job prospects by offering a deep dive into the sector.”

Additionally, CSC utilizes more recent technological innovations such as VR and gaming engines to create digital versions of their labs for remote students to utilize. For example, it hosts a 16-week “My First Plant” virtual course to teach consumers how to grow cannabis at home.

A spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Education told The Canton Repository in a statement that while CSC is accredited, the school “is not approved by the Department to participate in Title IV or other programs under the Higher Education Act.” Students attending accredited schools are eligible for financial aid, but in this case it’s not clear that CSC would qualify.

CSC has been operating since 2017 and has had 1,100 students graduate through its various programs. On Feb. 29, Cannabis Business Times published an interview with CSC founder Austin Briggs. “It hasn’t been easy running a cannabis business in Ohio,” Briggs said. “For things as little as occupancy permits, we had to fight tooth and nail. For a largely conservative state, Ohio citizens have shown wide support for cannabis, both medical and recreational. But there still seems to be a tremendous amount of resistance from the government in supporting cannabis programs in Ohio. With the passing of Issue 2 and our accreditation, I’m hoping this will be a turning point for Ohio policy.”

CSC President Tyrone Russell also provided a statement regarding how the school trains students and connects them with jobs in the industry. “Workforce development and education is the key to socioeconomic mobility,” said Russell. “Companies have to hire people from their communities, and that only happens if those community members have access to education. In Ohio, you can go to your Ohio means jobs office, and get a grant to be a barber, welder, truck driver, contractor, or nail technician, but not to work in cannabis.”

Other educational institutions have been increasing cannabis education over the past few years.

Back in 2019, the University of Maryland announced one of the first medical cannabis Master’s degree programs. Since then, many other institutions have introduced some form of education program or degree revolving around cannabis. Last November, the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy announced a new medical degree in medical cannabis and dietary supplements.

Earlier this year in January, Roanoke College in Virginia announced its launch of a new cannabis studies program. I commend the faculty for developing a transdisciplinary academic program that fills a significant educational gap,” said vice president for academic affairs and dean of Roanoke College, Kathy Wolfe. “With this program, Roanoke College continues to lead in science, policy, business and community engagement.” 

Professor DorothyBelle “DB” Poli helped to establish the new program. “Students are interested in this industry,” Poli said. “Being the first in the state to approach cannabis from a scholarly perspective is inventive and entrepreneurial. We hope to help bring clarity to tough problems by creating a truly multidisciplinary think tank.”

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Weed Megacorp To Exit Maine Adult-Use Market

Curaleaf, one of the world’s largest cannabis companies, is exiting the adult-use cannabis retail market in Maine with the sale of its licensed dispensary in South Portland. The company’s sole recreational marijuana shop is being sold to Foliage Cannabis Co., which has already begun operations at the retail location, according to a report in local media.

Online news source Mainebiz reports that Curaleaf and Foliage Cannabis have agreed to the transfer of ownership of the South Portland dispensary, although the terms of the deal have not been released. The retail site will be the second dispensary in Maine for Foliage Cannabis, which operates its original shop in South Portland less than a mile from the new location. Curaleaf continues to operate medical marijuana dispensaries in Bangor, Auburn, Wells and Elsworth, Maine, according to a listing for the state on the company’s website.

A company spokesperson for Curaleaf confirmed the move, writing in an emailed statement that “We exited adult use, but remain in the medical market with four stores and have no plans to exit medical.”

Curaleaf mentioned the transaction on March 6 when it reported results for the fourth quarter of last year. The announcement had few details, saying only that the company had “entered into an agreement to sell our Maine, adult-use store.” In a press release, the company reported it had generated $345 million in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2023, representing an increase of 4% quarter-over-quarter.

Curaleaf’s fourth-quarter financial also reporting shows that the company’s revenue for the year totaled $1.35 billion, up 6% from 2022. Profitability was elusive, however, with the firm showing a 2023 net loss of $281.1 million, the equivalent of 39 cents per share. Curaleaf owns and operates 145 retail cannabis locations in 17 states. Worldwide, the company employs about 5,600 people.

Alexis Soucy, a spokesperson for the Maine Office of Cannabis policy, said that Curaleaf will complete the sale of the retail location once the business has been approved for an active license. The conditional license the shop is operating under is scheduled to expire in October. Until the active license is approved, the two companies have arranged for Foliage Cannabis to use its name and branding at the dispensary to be transferred. 

Curaleaf Entered the Maine Rec Market Three Years Ago

Three years ago, Scott Reed, Curaleaf’s general manager in Maine at the time, said that the company had big plans for the state as it entered the recreational market in April 2021.

“We have been proudly serving the Maine medical market with top-quality, locally grown flower, and exceptional customer service for nearly a decade, and we look forward to expanding those offerings to our adult-use customers,” Reed said at the time, according to the report from Mainebiz.

Reed left Curaleaf in July 2022 when the company went through a round of downsizing. He is now the co-owner of Foliage Cannabis Co. with his partner Scott Lever. Together, they’ve been able to independently raise the money needed to open the two retail locations, giving the partners far more flexibility than many other cannabis companies.

“We’re self-funded, so we’re different from a large company with lots of investors,” Reed said. “We can be nimble.”

Earlier this month, the Office of Cannabis Policy released data showing that the state’s retailers rang up $18.01 million in recreational marijuana sales last month, a figure that was up 28.3% from the $14.05 million in sales in February 2022.

Despite the success of Maine’s adult-use cannabis industry as a whole, the picture isn’t as rosy for some companies in the market. A total of 20 licensed businesses including 11 cultivation sites, four manufacturing facilities and five retail dispensaries exited Maine’s recreational marijuana market in 2023.

Overall, however, the industry is still growing. Despite the shuttered companies, the number of cultivation sites in Maine remained stable from 2022 to 2023, while the number of retailers increased by 27 and the number of manufacturers rose by 13.

Curaleaf’s exit from Maine is not the first time the company has left a state’s recreational cannabis market. In January 2023, Curaleaf announced that it was leaving the mature markets of California, Oregon and Colorado. That announcement was followed by the company’s exit from adult-use cannabis markets in Michigan and Vermont.

Curaleaf executive chairman Boris Jordan said during a third-quarter investor conference call in November that the company is exiting “low-margin, low-growth” markets it now serves in a bid to improve profitability. 

“Throughout 2023, the company’s been focused on improving efficiency metrics and dialing in operations to maximize its existing base,” Jordan said, according to a report from Cannabis Business Times. “We have taken significant steps to eliminate redundancies, strategically reduce headcounts [and] exit unprofitable markets. Most of these actions occurred in the first half of the year. And in the third quarter we took the final steps in our asset optimization plan.”

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Study: No Association Between Rec MJ Laws, Use Among Middle School Youth

A long standing argument against the legalization of cannabis has cited that legal access could lead to an increase in youth cannabis use. As states across the country continue pushing forward with reform measures, research is continually providing insight on just how merited that assertion is in actuality.

Fresh off the heels of a recent study showing the prevalence of delta-8 THC use among high school seniors — a hemp-derived cannabinoid that is widely available outside of the legal cannabis industry and in states with or without legal cannabis programs — some may wonder how many teens are using cannabis in recreational states and whether reform has escalated these trends.

A new study published in the journal Addictive Behaviors looked to investigate how legal cannabis laws have impacted adolescent use and examined lifetime and past 30-day (P30D) cannabis use among middle school-aged adolescents in Nevada versus New Mexico.

It ultimately affirmed what many studies in the past have: Initiating state-licensed cannabis sales is not associated with an increase in cannabis use among young people.

We’re still exploring the impacts of cannabis use, for better or worse, given the limited scope of research on the plant over the last several decades. However, despite the many benefits cannabis and its compounds may offer us, it’s widely accepted that cannabis use during adolescence can be especially impactful on development. 

To examine how adult-use cannabis legalization has influenced adolescent cannabis use, researchers behind the recent study used data from the 2017 and 2019 NV Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the NM Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey, state-run surveys for Nevada and New Mexico respectively designed to monitor health behaviors among U.S. students.

Researchers used difference-in-difference analyses to compare behaviors surrounding lifetime and past 30-day use in Nevada and New Mexico during the same period. At the time, Nevada had legal adult-use cannabis sales and New Mexico did not.

According to the analysis, the odds of lifetime and past 30-day use increased in both states during the observed time period, specifically among students who were female, older, non-white or attending a Title 1 school. 

Ultimately, researchers noted that there was “no difference in lifetime and P30D marijuana use by adult-use sales status.” 

Rather, cannabis use in both states followed similar trajectories. Researchers still noted this as a point of concern, given the negative health consequences of cannabis use at an early age, though whether or not cannabis was legal in a given state didn’t appear to be an influencing factor.

“We did not find compelling evidence that implementation of adult-use marijuana sales was associated with an immediate increase in lifetime or P30D marijuana use among middle school youth in Nevada which aligns with previous research,” the study notes.

Indeed, many other studies from the past have come to a similar conclusion: Cannabis reform does not appear to be correlated with an increase in use among young people.

A 2022 policy paper looked broader, reviewing data on consumption among eighth, 10th and 12th grade students, finding that youth consumption either “decreases or remains flat in regulated markets.”

“State legalization of cannabis has not, on average, impacted the prevalence of cannabis use among adolescents. In other words, states with medical and/or adult use laws are not seeing larger increases in adolescent use relative to states where use remains illegal,” the report states, additionally noting that educational early prevention methods can help to combat youth consumption.

The same appears to be true when focusing explicitly on medical cannabis laws, as a 2021 study “found no evidence between 1991 and 2015 of increases in adolescents reporting past 30-day marijuana use or heavy marijuana use associated with state MML (medical marijuana law) enactment or operational MML dispensaries.”

Another study tackled an adjacent inquiry: Does a state’s legal or illegal adult-use cannabis status impact children’s attitudes around cannabis use and perceptions of its risks? Researchers concluded that individual, child-level characteristics were the primary factor influencing young people’s attitudes toward cannabis, not state policy.

A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention further compounds these findings, showing a steady decline in cannabis use in high school students from 2011 to 2021.

The market is still in its infancy, and we’re bound to see more reports on the topic as time goes on. But as it stands, the argument that legal cannabis will increase use among young people appears to have weak footing, and naysayers may need to look elsewhere for concrete arguments against reform.

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Cannabeginners: Cannabichromene (CBC) Explained

Despite being made through the same biochemistry that converts CBG into THC or CBD, Cannabichromene (CBC) has received a lot less research and attention. Like CBD, CBC is non-intoxicating so it won’t make you feel high, and it has some unique and promising medical benefits with more research happening every year. While CBC has been less researched than some of the more well-known cannabinoids, there are still hundreds of patents on it. 

The Discovery and History of Cannabichromene

There is some debate over which group of researchers were the first to isolate CBC in 1966, but it was either Raphael Mechoulam and his colleagues looking at hashish or another team using a different extraction method and hemp. Since CBC was first isolated from cannabis, as is the case with many other cannabinoids, CBC or CBC-like compounds have been found in non-cannabis sources. CBC has been found to be “the second most abundant phytocannabinoids in some strains of marijuana in the United States,” and is specifically “more plentiful in freshly harvested dry-type cannabis material.”

CBC is made through a similar chemical conversion that creates THC or CBD, beginning with olivetolic acid and geranyl diphosphate combining to make CBGa. In the next step, the CBGa combines with a CBC-synthase to form CBCa, which is decarboxylated into CBC. Research has also shown that, similar to the genetic mutation that allows for CBG-rich cultivars, there is a mutation to allow for CBC-rich cannabis plants as well. Just like THC can be further decarboxylated into CBN, CBC can be decarboxylated to a very poorly researched cannabinoid, Cannabicyclol (CBL). 

What is Chromene?

Word nerds out there might be thinking, “I know what the “cannabi” half of cannabichromene means, but what is a chromene?” Chromenes are chemicals commonly found in nature which are used in a wide range of products including food, cosmetics, and agrochemicals. Just like cannabis has cannabichromene, all kinds of other plants have their own specialized chromenes. Chromenes are such an incredibly broad class of chemicals that, included in its scope, are groups of chemicals like alkaloids and anthocyanins

What are the Medical Effects of Cannabichromene?

CBC has been demonstrated to be an effective painkiller in multiple studies, both as an analgesic and antinociceptive pain reliever. Though most of the research on CBC as a painkiller has focused on animals, it is believed to have similar effects in humans. The research around CBC and pain has also shown it to be an effective tool for reducing inflammation, with one study calling it the cannabinoid 2nd most likely to produce anti-inflammatory effects. What really makes the anti-inflammatory effects of CBC unique is that they are completely independent of the endocannabinoid system and other commonly used methods of action, which still has researchers puzzled. In a clear example of the ensemble/entourage effect, the dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effects of CBC were “augmented when CBC and THC were co-administered.”

Studies have shown that CBC can be an effective treatment for fungal activity and has antibacterial effects, noting the “antibacterial activity was strong, and the antifungal activity was mild to moderate.” So while CBC may not be a way to deal with the Last of Us cordyceps zombies, it may be able to do something for your athlete’s foot. Another very unique property of CBC is that it works as a neurogenic, it helps with creating new brain cells, aiding in healthy recovery after brain damage by controlling neural stem/progenitor cells. While most cannabinoids work to reduce pain and inflammation, CBC, CBG and CBD appear to be the only cannabinoids presently known to possess benefits for aiding in spinal cord or brain injuries. 

CBC’s ability to help the brain isn’t just limited to physical ailments, it also has been shown to display “pronounced antidepressant effect[s].” Another study, which looked at both THC and CBC, found that CBC “may contribute to the overall mood-elevating properties of cannabis,” but the researchers noted that the “exact mechanism underlying such activity is still unclear.” While these findings are very promising, these studies were done on rodents, not people, and people are not the same as rodents, so more research needs to be done looking at CBC in humans. 

The main reason why researchers have had trouble pinning down the exact mechanism through which CBC interacts with our body is that it isn’t just one method of action. CBC has been shown to have “ low affinity for CB1 and CB2 receptors,” meaning it doesn’t have a strong interaction with our endocannabinoid receptors. Instead, CBC has activity with various TRP receptors (sensing pain) and adenosine receptors (where caffeine interacts).

A Quick Hit

CBC is the lesser known relative of THC and CBD, made through the same chemical conversion process from CBGa. Despite being the subject of a lot less research than other cannabinoids, CBC has been proven to have a range of unique medical properties including acting as an antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, painkiller, and neurogenic compound.

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Estate Grown

About two and a half hours north of San Francisco lies a lesser-known wine region within a small valley that—with walk-in availability, bottles of pinot noir priced around $40, farm-fresh cheeses, fine dining, apple orchards, vineyards, and redwood groves—feels unpretentious, but appropriately vacation fancy. Driving there on the first weekend of November 2023, the grapevine leaves are turning rasta colors—red, green, and gold—as the valley unfolds, driving west towards the Pacific Ocean. The rolling hills and roadsides are primarily lined with evergreen oaks and redwoods, cut with the occasional yellow-leaved alder or statuesque giant golden ginkgos. After Boonville, in a tiny town called Philo, there is a unique cannabis hospitality concept, a hotel that also grows its own cannabis and offers it for purchase onsite. Checking into The Madrones, the lobby is on the left, within the giftshop that leads to the restaurant. On the right, there’s a 1920s Art Deco apothecary-themed cannabis retailer, The Bohemian Chemist.

High Times Magazine, March 2024

While stepping outside to puff a joint at most hotels feels like an anxiety-ridden exercise in not getting caught, The Madrones boasts an open-air cannabis consumption lounge in an enclosed courtyard behind the lobby. The model feels like a winery tasting room where you’d enjoy a taste or a glass of wine in an opulent environment onsite and then buy a bottle to take home.

The 2023 cannabis harvest is complete, and The Bohemian Chemist is hosting its first cannabis pick-up party for its club members. The hotel is in the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, the southernmost point of the famed Northern California cannabis cultivation region, the Emerald Triangle. The idea is that club members pick up a box of freshly harvested, dried, and cured cannabis flowers, then join in on a discounted weekend at the hotel and a few other harvest-themed activities.

The interior of The Bohemian Chemist was designed to look like an apothecary. Photo by Nik Zvolensky.

A Unique Harvest Weekend

While harvest-themed parties are common in the wine industry, applying the concept to release this year’s cannabis crop is quite novel. The Bohemian Chemist’s harvest weekend starts with a Friday evening cannabis and wine pairing led by Jamie Evans, the founder of the cannabis blog and lifestyle brand The Herb Somm.

“I think what makes the Anderson Valley so unique is the growing region that we have here,” Evans says. “And so just some fun facts about Anderson Valley: it’s approximately one mile wide and 15 miles long, and it’s surrounded by redwoods. And down the middle of the valley, you have the Navarro River, and we’re actually quite close to the coast as well. So, factoring all those things in, it’s an ideal region for growing grapes. We’re getting pinot noir, chardonnay, and cool-climate grapes that do extremely well here.”

To pair the wine and cannabis, Evans focuses on terpenes.

“If you haven’t heard of terpenes before, they are the organic compounds that give cannabis all the wonderful aromas and flavors that you receive when you’re smelling through your favorite strains, but they’re not just found in cannabis alone,” Evans explains. “They’re found in many fruits, flowers, and spices; they’re even found in wine.”

The first pairing combines The Bohemian Chemist’s African Sherbet—Lemon Sherbet and African Orange bred by Equilibrium Genetics—with a 2022 pinot noir rosé from Long Meadow Ranch winery. The cannabis and the grapes were grown within a mile of each other. 

The African Sherbet has a light floral aroma. Evans passes out wine glasses of pink rose petals to smell alongside sniffing wine glasses of African Sherbet and the rosé, which tastes like white peaches.

“This year, we’ve really been learning a lot. As far as our cannabis, we’re leaning a lot into landrace, a lot into old-school varieties,” says Jim Roberts, who owns and runs the cannabis venture and hotel with his partner in business and life, Brian Adkinson.

The second pairing is a 2019 Anderson Valley chardonnay with an African landrace, Swazi Gold. Both express an apple/pear aroma and taste citrusy.

“What I like to say is light, uplifting strains with light, crisp white wines,” Evans says. “More bold sedating strains. I like to pair that with red wine to really keep it balanced, more relaxing.”

The Brambles plays host to events held within a redwood grove. Photo by Nik Zvolensky.

The Pairing

When I meet Adkinson, he tells me he and Roberts met in San Francisco’s Castro District in 2012. He’s originally from Kansas, and Roberts is originally from Southern California. Roberts used to have an interior design business, which is the current location of The Madrones.

“The Anderson Valley is unique in that it’s an east/west facing valley instead of a north/south facing valley in California. It’s an east/west valley that actually buts up against the coast, and that’s what creates our ideal climate conditions; we literally pull the fog in at night—it gets really, really cold—and then push it out during the day,” Adkinson says as we begin the tour of their homestead cannabis grow. “This particular spot is the highest spot in the Anderson Valley looking down the length of the valley.”

The property has rose and shade gardens, with a 5,000-square-foot cannabis grow in front of the home where Adkinson and Roberts live. These days, Adkinson focuses on running the hotel, while Roberts focuses on cannabis cultivation.  

Roberts’s mother, Rosemary Roberts, introduced him to weed in high school as she grew it and gave it to him.

“I’m jumping right out there; I’m completely out of the closet for a second time,” Roberts says of his decision to start a cannabis brand in 2020 after previously cultivating under Proposition 215. “Everything’s been a fight.”

Not only have they had farming challenges and issues with banking for the aspect of their business that does not include cannabis cultivation due to mere association, but they’ve also had to combat the stigmas around cannabis use. One of their strategies to do that relies on high-end design.

“We knew when we created our packaging we had to have something that was going to be palpable and approachable to a bougie wine person,” Adkinson says. “We decided that instead of doing that ’60s/’70s vibe, that we wanted to push things back to the 1920s, [and] we went with a real Art Deco vibe.”

The packaging—which won a 2023 Clio Award for packaging brand design—has elements of Egyptian-inspired imagery, like a scarab, that was popular in the ’20s. The retail shop displays jars Roberts purchased through an auction house, featuring items from a Hungarian pharmacy that had been in the same family since 1810.

Chef Jason Azevedo introduces the courses. Photo by Nik Zvolensky.

A Cannabis Club

Tom Butler and his wife Cristal Butler—who live in Roseville, California, near Sacramento—became members of the cannabis club at The Bohemian Chemist about three weeks before the harvest event while they were previously visiting Anderson Valley. They returned to pick up their shipment—a box including flowers alongside pre-rolls and vape cartridges—to participate in the weekend’s events.

“I’m [retired], and she’s retiring in two months,” Tom Butler tells me after we finish the farm’s drying room tour. “We’re going to start traveling more. We like to come up here and spend time in Mendocino.”

Tom Butler says his favorite type of cannabis he’s tried from The Bohemian Chemist has been Blue Dream and that he’s more of an evening partaker for relaxation and typically uses a Pax flower vaporizer.

The Butlers are staying at The Madrones’s adjacent property, The Brambles, located in a redwood grove. While there’s no smoking inside the hotel rooms, visitors staying at The Madrones or The Brambles have plenty of space to smoke outside. I take advantage of this fact, puffing on Maui Pineapple pre-rolls—The Bohemian Chemist calls them “Giggle Sticks”—before and during the harvest festival dinner.

There’s nothing quite like a trip to witness the beauty of Mendocino County firsthand, especially in the fall. My weekend getaway to the Anderson Valley was filled with delicious food, wine, and sungrown cannabis.

“This is the off-the-beaten-path experience,” Roberts says. “It’s an authentic working community.”

This article was originally published in the March 2024 issue of High Times Magazine.

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