Author: Tee Corley

Recent Stories by Tee Corley
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Tee CorleyOctober 19, 20216min00

In spite of, or perhaps in light of, the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re seeing the “new normal” still work itself out, resulting in sweeping changes across every industry.

Agricultural workers strike for better pay and conditions. Hiring managers are at a loss for workers. The supply chain is grinding to a halt. As U.S. workers seek more interesting jobs with better pay in fields they favor, FlowerHire, a cannabis talent recruiting agency, is finding that the cannabis industry is filling that void.

The Factors Affecting Cannabis Job Growth in 2021 and 2022

Pre-pandemic, the West Coast reigned in the realm of cannabis reform, with Washington, Oregon, and of course, California, completely legalizing recreational use at the state level.

In the heat of COVID lockdowns and one of the most polarizing elections in U.S. history, Arizona, New Jersey, Montana and South Dakota legalized recreational use in 2020, and Florida reformed its medical marijuana laws.

Marijuana is medically legal in Pennsylvania, and a bill was introduced to legalize it recreationally on 28 September 2021.

And let’s not forget that marijuana became legal in Virginia on 1 July 2021. While the groundwork is still being laid for retail sales, they are currently expected to begin in 2024.

Like a reverse Manifest Destiny, U.S. citizens’ demand for marijuana law reform is making its way to the East Coast, and so are its jobs.

What Does the Data Say?

FlowerHire, a recruiting agency that pairs talent with jobs in the cannabis industry, has some data to share which promises hope for cannabis jobs in 2022.

Founded in 2017, FlowerHire offers job recruiting and retaining services for hemp companies and their employees, plus an AI-driven software called FlowerHire X™ to help them optimize their team. As a result, FlowerHire has unique access to data across the cannabis market. The agency released a report in October 2021 outlining the current state and future outlook of leadership jobs in the cannabis industry.

In short: look out East Coast! It’s a veritable Green Rush. Opportunity is out east as FlowerHire asserts that 80% of new job demand is outside of California, and 68% of people FlowerHire has paced in 2021 have been east of the Mississippi, up from 50% in 2020. If you have experience in management and leadership positions, Florida, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Michigan want you. FlowerHire has based this data on six-figure cannabis jobs with an average salary of $140,000 per year.

So where can you go to find these high-paying careers in cannabis?

According to FlowerHire CEO David Belsky, “Cannabis job growth in Florida came out of nowhere.” Job growth in Florida quite literally went from 0.0% to 7.5% from 2020 to 2021, with the recruiting agency citing Florida-based brands Curaleaf, Trulieve, and Liberty Health as the top hirers.

Pennsylvania, too, saw massive growth, going from 1.1% of FlowerHire’s job placements in 2020 to 8.5% in 2021.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts and Michigan are holding on strong to moderate pieces of the hiring pie. Belsky reports that job creation in these states is happening across all stages of the chain, from cultivation to warehousing to retail.

What Does This Mean for Cannabis Jobs in 2022?

If you’re on the hunt for a job in cannabis, you’re no longer required to uproot your life and set off for sunny (and expensive) California.

Belsky agrees. “This [data] shows that legalization is spreading nationwide and gaining traction leading to more emerging cannabis job markets.”

Indeed, overall investment in cannabis continues to rise as new states come on board. And it’s not just in recreational markets. Leadership positions in medical markets on rising fast, lending credence to what most of us already know: there are medical benefits to cannabis.


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Tee CorleyDecember 4, 20205min00

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor on this first-of-its-kind federal cannabis decriminalization bill. It was a partisan vote despite marijuana being a bipartisan issue. Democrats voted 213 YES and 6 NO, while Republicans voted 5 YES 156 NO.

Just after an election that saw four states legalize marijuana and two states legalize medical marijuana, it’s become clear that most Americans have a progressive view on marijuana. In fact, Pew Research reports that 67% of Americans support marijuana legalization.

As Steven Hawkins, executive director at the Marijuana Policy Project purports, “The prohibition and criminalization of marijuana has led to decades of injustice and devastating consequences, and it’s clear that a strong majority of Americans do not support the status quo.”

And the issue is bipartisan, with two of the legalizing states being Montana and South Dakota. But it’ll take a progressive Senate to pass such a progressive policy. And that’s where the MORE Act may run into trouble.

What is the MORE Act?

The MORE Act is the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act, a historic bill that was approved by the House Judiciary Committee for a floor vote by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, Dec 2, 2020.

The bill will accomplish three main objectives, plus several smaller provisions.

First, the MORE Act would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. Currently, marijuana is a Schedule I drug, a categorization that designates the drug as having no medical purpose. Schedule I drugs also tend to carry with them hefty criminal charges and fines for possession and distribution.

Second, the Act would require federal courts to expunge prior cannabis-related convictions and provide for resentencing at no charge to the individual. This measure aims to restore unnecessary damage done to the individuals’ life by the War on Drugs. Why? Because fines and convictions make it difficult to get a job, for starters.

Third, the Act would require a 5% tax on cannabis sales, the proceeds of which would go to funding grants and resources for communities adversely affected by the War on Drugs.

Key provisions of the MORE Act

The MORE Act does indeed demand more. In addition to the above legislation, the MORE Act would:

  • Lift barriers to licensing and employment in the cannabis industry.
  • Allow VA doctors to prescribe medical marijuana to veterans.
  • End the criminalization of cannabis at the federal level, both going forward and retroactively.
  • Removes the conflict between state and federal cannabis laws.
  • Automatically expunge federal cannabis arrests, charges, and convictions at no cost to the individual.
  • Create the Office of Cannabis Justice to oversee the social equity provisions in the law.
  • Ensure the federal government could not discriminate against people because of cannabis use.
  • Protect immigrants from being denied citizenship over cannabis.
  • Open the door to research, better banking and tax laws, and help fuel economic growth as states are looking for financial resources.

Interestingly, the Act would also change the legislative language from marijuana or marihuana to cannabis. Read all the provisions in detail here.

 


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Tee CorleyJuly 21, 20206min01

The psychedelic industry is seeing a boom in the creation and expansion of ketamine clinics. The growth is in this industry has come about as the acceptance of the medical marijuana industry spread across North America. A group of medical professionals believes that this stigmatized substance may offer effective treatment for those suffering from mental health crises.

Known colloquially as special K, super acid, and cat valium, ketamine was added to the U.S. schedule of controlled substances in 1999. A “dissociative anesthetic,” ketamine has a street reputation for its dream-like high.

The illegal use of ketamine for recreation shrouds this medication in the familiar stigma that befell medical marijuana.

As the world changes and cases of mental health disorders rise, however, progressive medical researchers like Dr. Robert McIntyre of the Canadian Rapid Treatment Centre of Excellence (CRTCE) sees potential in ketamine for people who haven’t found relief with SSRIs, benzodiazepines or other prescription antidepressants and antianxiety medications.

What does the research say?

Dr. McIntyre recently released two new research studies in which patients suffering from suicidality, major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and bipolar disorder (BD) were introduced to a new treatment: IV ketamine.

According to the researchers, these community trials were performed on patients who have previously tried prescription antidepressants in the past with little to no effect.

In February 2020, Dr. McIntyre and his team performed a review of the current data surrounding ketamine. The sheer number of trials the researchers analyzed, totalling 119 relevant and completed random clinical trials, suggests that Dr. McIntyre isn’t alone in recognizing the potential for IV ketamine.

Furthermore, these trials showed that IV ketamine given in a single dose of 0.5mg/kg over the course of 40 minutes had positive results lasting for a week. A few studies delivered 2 doses per week over the course of two weeks with positive results.

In his team’s study, published in May 2020, Dr. McIntyre and his team tested a single dose of IV ketamine on patients with treatment-resistant mood disorders. Specifically, this study measured the effects of IV ketamine on people with anxiety, irritability and agitation (AIA) and treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD).

While the research is preliminary, with most studies, like this one, in phase II, the results are promising. Dr. McIntyre told us that these studies suggest “IV ketamine is effective in rapidly treating AIA and suicidal ideation in adults with treatment-resistant mood disorders.”

Why IV ketamine?

Yes, there are other ways for patients to get treatment with ketamine. Contacting your local dealer is not one of them.

Ketamine can be made into powders and pills, but these methods of administration are simply not as effective as taking ketamine intravenously and under the care of a medical professional. Dr. McIntyre explained that oral routes of administration are only about 10-20% bioavailable.

In March 2019, the FDA approved an intranasal form of ketamine called esketamine. This method is 50-60% absorbed by your body.

IV ketamine can be administered in under an hour and is 100% bioavailable. This means patients can get in and out and feeling better much more quickly and efficiently.

How soon will IV ketamine disrupt the pharmaceutical market?

Unfortunately, that’s a tough call to make. However, Dr. McIntyre points out that in the past decade, phase I, II and III trials have greatly increased. Phase III trials can make or break a product.

Still, Dr. McIntyre’s review of existing analyses shows what kinks still need to be resolved. For example, we have yet to control for size, weight and gender. Additionally, long term studies need to be conducted to determine the efficacy of repeated doses and how well ketamine is tolerated over time.

Our advice? Keep an eye on this market. The potential for a better way to treat complex mood disorders via IV ketamine seems apparent—an implication too important to ignore.


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Tee CorleyJuly 14, 20208min02

You’ve worked hard on your commercial grow space. Like a mad scientist, you test pH levels, precisely measure moisture, and strictly harvest your hemp at its peak maturity.

But when you’re growing large, leafy plants in tight spaces, finding the best lighting for your plants may be your biggest headache. Are your plants getting too little or too much light? Do you need to buy multiple lights to get you from seed to harvest? Can’t one light do it all?

Kind LED Lighting is declaring a resounding, “Yes!” Kind LED invites you to kick up your feet and rest your mind. This trusted brand has recently released the most important innovation in LED grow lamps since, well, LED lights. It’s called the X².

The Kind LED X² Difference

This commercial LED light was designed with the help of motivated engineers, agricultural scientists and hydroponic experts. Kind LED’s X² brought these fields together for revolutionary results: larger, more potent yields and a superior return on investment.

As the legal status of hemp and marijuana continues to relax, more entrepreneurs are trying their hands at commercial grow operations. Fortunately for new indoor farmers, the makers of the X², who have been growing commercially for several decades, have plenty of experience reconciling common problems.

Greenhouse and indoor grow operations are restricted by practical and scientific puzzles. For example, tight spaces can be hard to fill with light, especially as the canopy expands and provides shade for lower leaves. In turn, growers struggle to find the “right” amount of light. As the plant grows through its stages, it needs different lighting spectrums which could cost thousands in regular bar lights.

Naturally, balancing the intensity, heat and spectrum is too big of a job for a single grow lamp⁠—until now.

The X² steps ahead of the rest as it’s the only light you’ll need from seed to harvest. Fully tunable and customizable, the X² comes with an optional compatible 3-channel controller that gives you complete control over intensity and spectrum. And for those of you looking to scale your operation, rest assured that the controller can adjust over 500 X² lights simultaneously.

Built to accommodate gardeners with limited space, the X² utilizes three concentric squares made from LED light bars. This design ensures your plant is getting maximum photons from top to bottom.

The light that plants predominantly use for photosynthesis ranges from 400–700 nm. Referred to as Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR), this range includes red, blue and green wavebands, which match the LEDs on the X². With the X², you have full control over your spectrum.

With larger, healthier yields, you can expect a better return on your investment. LED lights always held promise for indoor gardeners. They’re cooler than standard HIDs and use about half of the electricity. Don’t waste money on high electricity bills from lighting and air conditioning.

With over 75,000 hours of lifetime use, you can expect to save money on replacing burnt out lamps, too. This LED light comes with a 5-year warranty to boot. The deluxe heatsink keeps your plants and electronic elements cool, preserving the life of your equipment for years to come.

Why is this grow lamp so important?

It wasn’t long ago that LED lights hit the market with promises of using less electricity while emitting intense light and keeping their cool.

But the people behind Kind LED, as well as many other cannabis growers, were quickly disappointed. They found LEDs didn’t have the intensity and spectrum needed to effectively grow large, potent plants. Forced back into using energy-sapping, heat-producing HIDs, Kind LED felt there must be another way.

Ever since, Kind LED has been leading the industry in LED lighting innovation. The promises of LED lighting may have been too good to be true, but they were also too good to ignore. Kind LED bar lights have now become the world’s number one selling LED grow lights, but they didn’t stop there.

The X2 is an important step in cost-saving, heat-reducing LED lighting. Kind LED’s engineers ensured that this light is intense or dim depending on your plants’ needs and within an effective PAR for healthy growth. This light eliminates the need to move plants to special grow stations based on their growth stage. The X² saves growers time, money, headaches and valuable space.

Kind LED Lighting X² Features & Specs

Let’s get down to the details. The specs on this LED grow lamp are impressive.

  • Dimensions: 39.4” x 39.4” x 4.3”
  • Weight: 40.2 lbs
  • Spectrum: 3-channel, fully adjustable
  • Has a true PPF of 1650 Îźmol/sec
  • Efficacy of 2.22 Îźmol/J
  • Max wattage: 750w
  • >75,000 lifetime hours
  • 5-year warranty
  • Control light spectrum, intensity and timing for more than 500 X2s with the compatible controller
  • Large heatsink keeps your plants and electronics cool
  • Retail price: $1,695; optional controller: $299.95

 


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