The best books for the connoisseur and canna-curious in your life.

The post Leafly’s last-minute gift guide to epic weed books of 2023 appeared first on Leafly.

The post Leafly’s last-minute gift guide to epic weed books of 2023 appeared first on Paradise Found.

The Rochester Public Library in Rochester, New York is recognizing the vast potential for jobs in the state’s budding new market. And while cannabis sales in the state launched last December, Rochester’s own first dispensary—Herbal lQ—opened up just a month ago, on Aug. 30, but began as a temporary pop-up. 

New dispensaries means new job opportunities. City leadership plan on capping dispensaries in the city at nine—which amounts to one dispensary per every 12,500 residents. Under the proposal, new cannabis businesses would not be allowed to sell products until January 1st, 2025.

With a job boom forming in the city, the Rochester Public Library Business Insight Center will host “Get Weeding with the RPL,” a five-week workforce development course to prepare city residents for careers in New York State’s legal cannabis industry, a Monday press release from the city reads. The event runs on Saturdays Sept. 30 through Oct. 28 in the Bausch and Lomb Public Library Building’s Kate Gleason Auditorium, 115 South Ave.

“As we prepare for legal cannabis dispensaries to operate in our region, it is important to make sure we have a pool of qualified employees ready to start working in these businesses as soon as they open,” said Mayor Malik D. Evans. “The City of Rochester puts a lot of consideration into our processes to make sure cannabis businesses are set up to succeed in our city, especially for Black and Brown people who were most negatively affected by the war on drugs. I want to thank the Rochester Public Library’s Business Insight Center and our partners at the Cannabis Workforce Initiative and the Cannabis Employment and Education Development Unit for holding these valuable training sessions to give our residents a jump start into careers in this new industry.”

Those who are able to complete the initial coursework will be awarded a certificate in Cannabis Career Exploration and Worker Rights, which would fine tune them as a candidate to work as budtenders at legal dispensaries. Those who complete the in-person, five-week are then eligible to participate in an 8.5-hour virtual Responsible Vendor Training course.

“Get Weeding with the RPL,” is hosted in partnership with the NYS Cannabis Workforce Initiative (CWI) and the New York State Department of Labor’s Cannabis Employment and Education Development Unit (CEED). 

There are plenty of opportunities. The in-person component of the training, the announcement reads, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on five consecutive Saturdays: Sept. 30; and Oct. 7, 14, 21, and 28. You must attend all sessions in order to receive the certificate.

“The cannabis industry is bringing exciting new career opportunities to communities across New York State,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “The Department’s Cannabis Employment and Education Development (CEED) Unit is here to help New Yorkers gain the skills they need to have successful careers in the wide array of careers growing in this new economic engine.”

“We are excited to be partnering with the Rochester Public Library to offer the Cannabis Career Exploration and Worker Rights Certificate program,” says Esta Bigler, Co-Chair of CWI. “It is critical to be out in the community, raising awareness of the range of cannabis jobs that will be available. We want to emphasize how important it is for communities negatively impacted by the prohibition of cannabis to have access to the opportunities opening up and to know they have rights on the job. These are real opportunities, and we believe this kind of training is key to helping folks find their path to good jobs in this new industry.”

Sales of legal, regulated adult-use cannabis launched on December 29, 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office announced last year. “We set a course just nine months ago to start New York’s adult-use cannabis market off on the right foot by prioritizing equity, and now, we’re fulfilling that goal,” Governor Hochul said. “The industry will continue to grow from here, creating inclusive opportunity in every corner of New York State with revenues directed to our schools and revitalizing communities.”

When sales began the state launched the Seeding Opportunity Initiative, designed to help the state fulfill the goals of New York’s Cannabis Law by building an adult-use cannabis industry that rights some of the wrongs resulting from the disproportionate impact of cannabis prohibition.

WXXI reports that Herbal IQ-Rochester was the first dispensary to open, but in doing so, operators had to battle “myriad legal hurdles that have kept licensed dispensaries from opening.” One of the final tests was a recent court injunction that halted the issuing of new licenses in the city, stemming from a lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed by four disabled veterans who argued that the state’s policy of giving priority to people previously convicted of a cannabis offense is unconstitutional.

The post Rochester, New York Public Library Launches Cannabis Worker Certification appeared first on High Times.

The post Rochester, New York Public Library Launches Cannabis Worker Certification appeared first on Paradise Found.

Two companies in the cannabis space, Green Flower and Curaleaf, announced in an August 8 press release that they are partnering with the University of Nevada, Reno to offer a full scholarship to the university’s online cannabis education program.

2News in Reno reports that the scholarship will be available to local students for one of the four available online cannabis education certificate programs that are provided at the university.

“We are thrilled that Curaleaf and University of Nevada, Reno are working together with us to offer online cannabis education programs to support the training and development of potential future employees in such an impactful way,” said Max Simon, Green Flower CEO. “The knowledge and skills students gain through these programs positively impacts their careers in the months and years ahead.”

Green Flower produces online training and content designed to help people get a foot in the door and succeed in the cannabis industry. Green Flower also partners with colleges and universities to help job seekers and professionals succeed in the increasingly competitive cannabis marketplace.

It’s a full scholarship, and the recipients will also have an opportunity to connect with someone at the company who funded their scholarship to talk about their long-term career goals and learn more about opportunities in their field.

Hurry, because applications for scholarships are only available through Aug. 11. Scholarship awardees will be chosen during the week of Aug. 14.

There are a few ways to benefit from the program: All applicants who do not receive a full scholarship will still be eligible for a $500 partial scholarship toward the cost of their chosen program. All scholarships must be claimed by Aug. 21, 2023.

In the United States, Curaleaf currently operates in 19 states with 152 dispensaries. It’s also the largest vertically integrated cannabis company in Europe. 

Students who are interested can learn more about the scholarship and application process here.

Cannabis Reform in Nevada

In Nevada, home to University of Nevada, Reno, sweeping changes are coming to the industry.

The Las Vegas Sun reports that Senate Bill 277 allows adult-use cannabis customers to purchase up to 2 and a half ounces of cannabis flower or one-quarter ounce of THC concentrate, which is an improvement from one ounce and one-eighth ounces, respectively. 

Under the new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2024, retailers that offer both adult-use and medical cannabis products will be required to hold only one license rather than specific licenses for either.

Sen. Dallas Harris (D-Las Vegas) introduced the bill. “It’s going to cut down on some of that administrative burden for a lot of our operators, which are generally dual licensees to begin with,” Harris said. “It made sense when we originally set up our structure so that we had separate licenses because we had medical first, then we had adult use. But now given the industry is up on its feet, I think it just makes sense to streamline that process.”

The new law also contains a provision that creates an appeals process for ex-convicts who want to apply to the Nevada Cannabis Control Board (CCB) for an agent card, which allows individuals to work with cannabis in the state.

The law also lowers some of the annual and overhead fees levied by the CCB—as much as 90%, in some cases. The fee drops are substantial: The fee to issue a cannabis establishment license for a cultivation facility has been reduced from $30,000 to $3,000, and the renewal of such a license decreased to $1,000 from $10,000.

The post University of Nevada, Reno Announces Cannabis Scholarship appeared first on High Times.

The post University of Nevada, Reno Announces Cannabis Scholarship appeared first on Paradise Found.

In the ever-growing weed media landscape, it can be hard to find people who get the culture and community right. Documentary journalist Luc Carlin is one of them.

The post High Design by LMC: Discover YouTube’s best cannabis documentaries appeared first on Leafly.

The post High Design by LMC: Discover YouTube’s best cannabis documentaries appeared first on Paradise Found.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday announced the launch of a new state-sponsored education campaign designed “to promote responsible cannabis use by adults.”

The state legalized recreational marijuana use for adults last year when Lamont signed a bill into law. Adults aged 21 and older can now legally possess small amounts of marijuana, and Connecticut officials have said that legal weed sales could start by the end of this year.

In the meantime, the state wants would-be customers to know the ropes before entering an era of legalization.

Lamont’s office said on Tuesday that the education campaign “contains a collection of materials that cover how to safely store and dispose of cannabis and cannabis waste, and what to do in case someone, such as a child or pet, accidently ingests cannabis.”

The materials include “videos, brochures, flyers, and social media graphics,” the governor’s office said, and they are “available for anyone to use and can be downloaded for free on the state’s adult-use cannabis website at ct.gov/cannabis.”

“Protecting public health and safety includes providing people with the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions to keep their families safe,” Lamont, a Democrat, said in a press release announcing the campaign. “We’re working to educate the public about the steps they can take to protect themselves and their families from accidental ingestion and over-consumption. We encourage adults who choose to use these products to do so responsibly.”

The campaign is similar to efforts undertaken by other states that have legalized cannabis for adults. In New York, which also legalized weed last year and is currently preparing for the launch of its own regulated marijuana market, subway advertisements and billboards went up in the spring as part of the state’s “Cannabis Conversations” campaign.

Similar to the program launched Tuesday in neighboring Connecticut, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said the PSA campaign would “inform the public on the state’s Cannabis Law, including who can consume, where to consume, and how to consume safely,” and “provide parents and caregivers with tools to protect youth, remind New Yorkers of the risks of driving while impaired by cannabis, and other messages to help keep New Yorkers safe and healthy as the new industry develops.”

“With the ‘Cannabis Conversations’ campaign, we’re following through on our commitment to provide New Yorkers with the information they need to safely navigate the new Cannabis Law,” Hochul said in a statement at the time. “Education is the best tool to keep New Yorkers healthy as we continue to ramp up this safe, inclusive, and equitable industry.”

Lamont’s office said the materials for Connecticut’s education campaign “were created by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services,” and “are encouraged to be used by cannabis and non-cannabis business owners, medical facilities, community health organizations, and others who would like to help promote safe and responsible cannabis practices in their communities.”

Tuesday’s launch of the campaign is also apparently only the first step.

Lamont’s office says that “the Department of Consumer Protection plans on adding more content to the campaign that concern other health and safety topics related to cannabis, including responsible use, where consumption is permitted, and how to read and understand cannabis product labels,” and that in the fall, “the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services will launch a multimedia campaign to educate the public about state laws related to cannabis.”

The post Connecticut Launches Education Campaign to Promote Responsible Weed Use appeared first on High Times.

The post Connecticut Launches Education Campaign to Promote Responsible Weed Use appeared first on Paradise Found.

Heading back to school? Ever thought about giving cannabis college a try? You wouldn’t be the only one.

The post Back to school: COVID-19 boosts cannabis college enrollment appeared first on Leafly.

The post Back to school: COVID-19 boosts cannabis college enrollment appeared first on Paradise Found.