Happy Monday, Cannabis Investors! Illicit cannabis sales are 3 times higher than legal marijuana sales in America. Here’s why Americans still insist on buying illegal weed.

Plus, find out how the Canadian cannabis market benefits from businesses selling directly to the government in an exclusive video interview with JoinCraft founder and CEO John Prentice from the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Miami. If you have missed it, do not worry! Our next Cannabis Conference is in Chicago on Oct 8-9. Get your tickets here.

Also, check out the newest episode of Cannabis Insider, also available on Apple and Spotify.

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TOP STORY

DEA Chief Warns Congress: Illicit Drugs Are As Easy To Get As Pizza Delivery

Briefly: DEA Administrator Anne Milgram told Congress this week that social media and other technology have made it easier than ever to buy illegal drugs.

What: In 2022, more than 100,000 Americans lost their lives to illicit drugs, according to the CDC, and 42% know someone who has died from these substances.

Why: This epidemic is due in large part to the ease of getting these drugs. Milgram compared illegal transactions to ordering food on Uber Eats.

Quoted: “We’re losing 22 Americans, teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18, every single week right now to illegal drug use said Milgram.

But: Despite intensified efforts, the DEA has acknowledged the challenge of keeping pace with the influx of fentanyl at the southern border, primarily produced and smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico.

Click here to read more.

PRESENTED BY BEVERLY HILLS MD

Doctor: “Doing This Every Morning Can Snap Back Aging Skin (No Creams Needed)”

Looking younger was once thought to be a luxury that only women who had access to plastic surgery and costly professional treatments could enjoy. So while the rich and famous stayed ‘ageless’ — the rest of us just learned to accept our lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin as an inevitable part of life. A Game-Changing Discovery is finally leveling the playing field, as more women learn to fight back against their body’s “aging switch.” You read that right. According to experts, not only is it possible to slow down the appearance of aging — but most women can easily do it themselves. That’s why the latest anti-aging trend isn’t plastic surgery or expensive creams, but a simple daily ritual that takes less than a minute to perform. (In fact, if you’ve noticed one of your friends looking suspiciously more youthful and rejuvenated in recent months — there’s a good chance they’re already doing it at home.)

However, if you’re interested in looking significantly younger without the cost and hassle of seeing a professional, this science-backed “shortcut” is certainly worth trying at home.

Watch the video below to see how it's done.

ZINGERS

Mitch McConnell's Cannabis Gambit: How The Farm Bill Unwittingly Fueled A THC Boom

Is It Safe To Breastfeed After Consuming Marijuana? New Research Explores THC Levels In Infants

The Best States To Launch Your Cannabis Business In 2024 - According To Marijuana Legal Experts

Planet 13 Wraps Up VidaCann Acquisition To Enter Florida Market With $63.4M Deal And 26 Cannabis Dispensaries

Contradictory Moves In Global Cannabis Legalization: Thailand, Morocco And Pakistan Take Different Paths

ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD

Banking Reform Could Stem Cannabis Dispensary Attacks

Briefly: In addition to normalizing investment in the industry, cannabis banking reform could help curb another issue: robberies.

So Basically: Last week, two armed men, along with their getaway driver, were arrested for robbing a courier transporting over $436,000 from multiple cannabis dispensaries in Massachusetts.

Back Up: Currently there is no banking access for any and all cash gathered at or by a marijuana company that is involved in touching the actual cannabis plant.

So What? Due to this cash-only situation at retail weed shops, workers are sitting ducks for robberies, theft or worse. Attacks have increased across the country in recent years.

What Next: The Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Banking Act would give cannabis companies normalized access to banking and financial services and allow dispensaries to accept credit cards rather than cash only.

But First: The federal government would have to reschedule cannabis to enable banking access. The DEA's stated intention to do so could not come a moment too soon.

Click here to read more.

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