TGIF Investors! Forget Snoop Dogg’s full-time blunt roller. Why pay $50K a year when the new pre-roll robot can roll 1,000 joints per hour?

Plus, Aurora Cannabis bounces back. Debt paid, growth ahead.

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

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TOP STORY

How Cannabis Companies Can Pay 'Zero Taxes' — The Industry's Best Kept Secret

Briefly: The cannabis industry, grappling with stringent tax regulations, particularly Section 280E, may find solace in an unconventional strategy: Employee Stock Ownership Plans.

What Happened: In an interview on Benzinga’s Cannabis Insider, Darren Gleeman, managing partner at MBO Ventures, sheds light on how Employee Stock Ownership Plans could be the linchpin for financial and operational rejuvenation within the cannabis sector.

How It Works: At the core of the discussion is the ingenious application of ESOPs to circumvent the financial strain imposed by Section 280E. “When you own a company that’s owned 100% by your employees in this Employee Stock Ownership Plan structure, the government says, we’re going to allow you to pay zero taxes,” explains Gleeman.

But Still: Despite the apparent advantages, the uptake of ESOPs in the cannabis industry remains modest.

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FIVE ZINGERS

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ONE FOR THE ROAD

Snoop Dogg Sparks Debate With Studio Video Showing Grandkids Present As He Smokes Weed

Briefly: Snoop Dogg has ignited a fiery online discussion after posting a video on Instagram in which he appears to be smoking cannabis in a recording studio with his granddaughters present.

So Basically: The video shows Snoop surrounded by equipment in a studio environment. While he's puffing heavily on a blunt, two young girls can be seen laughing and dancing to the music as they interact with their grandfather.

So Then: This detail sparked outrage among some commenters, igniting a heated debate about the appropriateness of smoking around minors, particularly when the smokers are grandparents and parents.

So What? Some defended Snoop, arguing that his actions were no worse than smoking cigarettes around children or even driving with them in a car. One commenter pointed out the hypocrisy of criticizing marijuana use while condoning other potentially more harmful activities often normalized in society, like alcohol.

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