Author: Joy

According to Merriam-Webster, the term “normal” means “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern, characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine.” For example, normal working hours under normal circumstances would just be considered a normal, average day.

So, normal is basically a social expectation based on a statistical majority. Here are a few normal aspects —that I would assume most would agree with— of being in the workforce:

·9-5 working hours or standard business hours.
·Working in an office.
·Standard business trends.
·Essentially, calmness and expected peace in the waves.

Or, as the boomers like to say, “you put your time in for 40 years and work your way up in a company. “

Now, let’s try and figure out normal in relation to Cannabis.

When I think about Cannabis, I truly don’t know what normal is – or what normal is for 8th Revolution.

In my long but short 4.5 years in Cannabis (how can that be short yet feel like longer?) the Farm Bill was a game changer for the space. In my early days, I watched the excitement of the CBD industry literally explode as I sat in on countless project calls where I saw the optimism of farmers and investors who were beyond excited to pivot into the cannabinoid space. The fear of the unknown was practically nonexistent. This was a gold rush, and many started growing acres and acres of CBD. The plan was to scale as big as possible as fast as possible, and sales would take care of themselves. Boy, were they wrong.

I remember my first MJBIZCON in 2018 where everyone was handing out CBD-infused products.

The Farm Bill was early in 8th Revolution’s existence, and a large portion of our business was helping these facilities get up and running. This wasn’t its sole direction, but it was exploding and doing so quickly. Hence, we did what we always do and helped the industry solve problems.

Anyone who has ever started a business understands that it takes time to build traction.

Fast forward a little over 1.5 years, halfway into our business, and we were finally finding our “flow,” or what many like to call “normal.” Then, we experienced a curve ball.

The incoming global pandemic.

This not only changed our business efforts: it disrupted the entire world.

This is what changed in that instant.

Cannabis was deemed essential, and numbers started to wildly increase. The Cannabis industry essentially forever changed again.

The world as we knew it changed completely, and life was no longer as it used to be. Normal was no longer normal, and now, normal became something very different.

This time, the phrase “the new normal” for business meant:

·Remote work.
·Digital tradeshows.
·Explosion of Zoom and Peloton use.

Life is starting to slowly settle down, but not without its own adjustments, yet again, to what now has been perceived as our even newer “normal”:

·Inflation
·Climate issues
·Ukraine-Russia war
·Monkey-pox
·Cannabis businesses are getting re-rated.
·Businesses are starting to push for in-the-office work.

Life is constantly changing ,so really, what is normal?

One of my favorite phrases is ,“a picture is worth 1,000 words,” so here you have what normal is:

By Alex Halperin, Editor and Publisher

While California’s market remains challenging for many operators, the year’s legislative session ended with Gov. Gavin Newsom signing a slew of industry supported legislation designed to normalize the plant and the business surrounding it.

Of these the most closely watched lays the foundation for interstate trade. The bill, the nation’s second after New Jersey, allows the state to make trade agreements with other states, subject to testing, labeling and other requirements. Though interstate trade likely remains a few years off, and could have unpredictable results, the industry generally applauded the law for creating new markets for California products and potentially influencing federal reforms

Additional new laws signed by Newsom include:

• A clarification that insurers can offer coverage for cannabis businesses
• A requirement that child welfare workers consider cannabis use by parents the same way they consider drinking and prescription drugs in how they resolve custody disputes.
• Protections for workers who smoke off the clock.
• A ban on doctors discriminating against patients for using MED
• Permission for delivery services to operate in cities which don’t allow cannabis retail and for temporary retail permits on premises which also have alcohol permits. Both of these have the potential to relieve the state’s dispensary shortage relative to other markets

PLUS: Veterinarians can now prescribe MED.

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Editors’ Note: This is an excerpt from our Monthly Playbook. If you would like to read the full monthly playbook and join the thousands of others you can sign up below.