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Good morning folks! Nicolás Rodríguez and Patricio Liddle here, with a fresh lineup of insights to take you through midweek in the cannabis world. From a Colorado giant’s fading flame to Canada’s market chill, today’s lineup digs into the stories shaping cannabis markets at home and abroad. We’ve also got insights on new U.S. licensing markets making their debut, plus a fresh look at voter trends as November ballots approach. Let’s dive in!

Green Majority For Harris, Psychedelics Next In Mass

In a new NuggMD poll, 53% of cannabis users say they plan to vote for Kamala Harris, with 40% favoring Donald Trump, showing once again the crucial role of cannabis reform in the 2024 election. Both candidates show support for federal reform, though stoner voter support for each candidate varies state by state.

Moreover, as we’ve been covering recently, Florida, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska will feature cannabis legalization ballots this November. In Massachusetts, actress Eliza Dushku is rallying for psychedelic legalization, sharing her personal experience with therapy and backing Ballot Question 4. If passed, this measure would create a commission to oversee psychedelics and license therapy centers for adults 21 and over statewide.

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Canada’s Cannabis Freeze, Tilray’s Costly Push

Canada’s cannabis chill is biting hard, with average flower prices barely rising to CAD 5 per gram ($3.70) from CAD 4.80 last year, and sales stagnating after years of double-digit growth.

Village Farms (NASDAQ: VFF) holds the largest share at 15%, with Tilray (NASDAQ: TLRY) trailing at 12.8%, but both saw recent declines. Meanwhile, pre-rolls now rival flower sales, each at 35% of the market, with Decibel (OTC: DBCCF) leading infused joints at 38% market share.

Tilray’s global expansion continues, adding German sales growth of 50%—but rising operating expenses and a jump in share count, now 903.3 million, temper investor confidence.

Green Dragon Burns Out, Safe Harbor Banks In

Green Dragon’s blaze fizzled—17 Colorado stores and a sprawling 400,000-square-foot Florida site are going dark, with 59 Denver staff out by year-end. Entangled in layoffs, lawsuits, and lender woes, the company marks a hard fall for a one-time Colorado staple.

Meanwhile, Safe Harbor (NASDAQ: SHFS) steps in with a $1.07 million credit to a Missouri operator, part of a $5 million loan series aimed at refinancing debt and driving operational efficiency in the state’s budding market.

First Impressions Matter: High Demand Marks Kentucky, Delaware Licensing

Kentucky and Delaware are advancing their cannabis industries, recently hosting lotteries to award initial licenses for cultivation and processing. Kentucky’s medical cannabis lottery drew high interest, with only 26 licenses awarded from nearly a thousand applicants.

Meanwhile, Delaware’s lottery, streamed live, attracted 727 applications across categories including cultivation, manufacturing, and social equity licenses. Both states reflect the strong demand to enter regulated markets, highlighting the importance of carefully planned cannabis regulations.

As California continues to grapple with unlicensed operations—like a recent 6,000-plant bust in San Francisco—Kentucky and Delaware have the opportunity to learn from these challenges and build strong regulatory foundations from the outset.

Stories In The Spotlight:

• Don't Be Fooled By Flashy Numbers: Read Between The Lines With This Guide To Cannabis Earnings Reports

• Impairment Vs Presence Of Cannabis: The International Cannabis Driving Debate Continues

• Sharp Drop In Teen Marijuana Use: Legalization And Demographics Examined

• Ricardo Baca Presents New YouTube Series 'CPG Marketer' To Share Top Marketing Insights With Big Names

Our Writers Today

Nicolás holds a B.A. in International Relations, an M.A. in International Affairs, and an M.Phil in Public Policy. He is a doctoral student in Public and Urban Policy at The New School in New York City. After working for the United Nations in 2014, Nico pivoted his research to studying the relationship between the cannabis industry and economic development.

Patricio is a development economist with extensive experience in IT, finance, and banking. He writes about the economic and social opportunities obscured by over half a century of failed drug prohibition. Beyond his professional expertise, Pato is a committed advocate for social change, passionately working to promote harm reduction and reform drug policies.

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