JAD’s Mile High Smoke plans to be a Colorado adult-use sales and hospitality business trailblazer when it welcomes its first customers this week.

Coloradans will soon be able to enjoy a new bar-and-lounge atmosphere but without the alcohol.

JAD’s Mile High Smoke plans to open its bar-themed cannabis consumption lounge April 22 on Washington Street, on Denver’s north side, where adults 21 and older will be able to purchase cannabis products as well as smoke, eat and drink on-site.

Josh Davis, the lounge’s owner, has spent the last four-plus years helping other Colorado cannabis businesses get their feet under them as the CEO and founder of Legacy 64 LLC, a Denver-based management consulting firm specializing in compliance, applications and licensing, facility build-outs and inspections, risk management, standard operating procedure writing, and sales and marketing.

With that background and experience, Davis told The Denver Post that he’s the appropriate person to trailblaze a path for consumption lounges in the cannabis sales and hospitality business sector of the industry.

“I am giving recreational users a safe place to come in and consume marijuana,” he told the news outlet. “A safe place to come and get high, be relaxed, stay as long as you want or you have to, because I’m not going to let you leave inebriated.”

JAD’s 4,000-square-foot facility will offer a place for customers to purchase and consume/use cannabis flower, prerolls, dabs, vape cartridges, single-use vape pens and edibles, including THC-infused sparkling water, soda and non-alcoholic beer on tap at its bar, the Denver Post reported.

Under state law, consumption lounge goers will be limited to purchase up to 2 grams of flower, a half-gram of concentrate or 20 milligrams of edibles per visit, the news outlet reported.

JAD’s will also feature a basic food menu, TVs, arcade and video games, and an outdoor patio with a small stage to host bands and comedians during special events.

Brightfield Group has compiled a new report outlining how consumers plan to spend this 4/20. The analytics company’s Brian MacIver breaks down the report and related data and trends.

Cannabis industry members, consumers, and enthusiasts are among those who will gather in-person and virtually to celebrate 4/20, engaging in product deals or purchases, attending rallies, and participating in seshes.

The diversity in celebrations points to the growing appeal of cannabis to people from all walks of life, said Brian MacIver, senior insights manager at Brightfield Group.

“Brands and companies are trying to reach consumers of all ages, of all backgrounds, wherever they’re at, and delivering experiences that best meet their needs, whether that’s retailers or brands putting together some 4/20 deals, artists—the top cannabis artists, like Snoop Dogg, Berner, Cypress Hill, I’m sure are putting on 4/20 … concerts,” MacIver said.

At home, others will consume cannabis to relax before bed, which pairs with the need state of sedation that MacIver said informs many retail cannabis purchases.

A new report from Brightfield, “The Biggest Cannabis Day of the Year: How consumers spend 4/20,” outlines some of the data and trends surrounding April 20 in the U.S.

Of cannabis consumers who responded to a Brightfield survey, 40% plan to visit a dispensary for 4/20 deals, according to the new report.

Highlighting general cannabis consumer preferences, the report states that 40% of consumers surveyed in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021 said “‘price’ is the most important purchase factor to them.”

This 4/20’s deals will run the gamut from percentages off, to buy-one-get-one-for-a-penny deals, to ancillary product bundles, and so on, MacIver said.

He suggested a couple of last-minute 4/20 deal ideas that companies could participate in. “Whether or not they’re feasible I will let kind of retailers and brands dictate that,” he said.

Brands and retailers can partner with local restaurants, for one. “If you buy x amount of dollars’ worth of cannabis products on 4/20, you can get a coupon for a buy-one-get-one-free pizza coupon,” MacIver said of how the promotion would read. “So, when you get the munchies, you can order something on the side.”

Similarly, according to the report, Insomnia Cookies, Del Taco, and Jack in the Box “offer special 4/20 deals – often priced at $4.20.”

Businesses could also reuse Easter baskets from the holiday weekend, MacIver suggests, to bundle together products such as “adult coloring books, Cheetos, maybe some cannabis products, maybe a new hand pipe.”

The percentages of cannabis consumers responding to two questions from Brightfield—if they are aware of 4/20 and if they celebrate the holiday—decreased between 2019 and 2022.

However, MacIver pointed out that the overall base of cannabis consumers is larger than it was three years ago, so retailers by and large should expect more people in their store this 4/20 than they did in 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents another reason dispensaries could see an uptick in foot traffic this 4/20.

“A lot of people were locked [down] at home, people who were more social not going out as much, and just needed something to make their four walls of their apartment or home a little more interesting, or relieve some of that stress and anxiety that a lot of people experienced during the COVID pandemic,” MacIver said.

More people took to consuming cannabis during the pandemic than had been the case previously, MacIver pointed out, and some cannabis consumers began consuming greater amounts during that timeframe.

According to Brightfield’s report, “Women cannabis consumers are 13% more likely to celebrate 4/20 than men, and they are even more likely to spend on 4/20.”

In a gender breakdown of which Brightfield survey respondents are participating in which types of 4/20 celebrations, a greater percentage of women plan to celebrate than men in every category. Out of respondents who aim to purchase new smoking pieces for the holiday, for example, 18% of women plan to do so versus 9% of men. And 43% of women who responded plan to use more cannabis than usual at home this 4/20, compared to 35% of the men.

“The other thing that I thought was interesting [was who is] doing creative activities, like adult coloring books, maybe playing some music …,” MacIver said. “Sixteen percent of males reported that they were going to be doing some kind of creative activity during 4/20. That was 50% higher for women at 24%.”

This reflects a broader trend of women consuming cannabis in increasing numbers, MacIver said. In Q4 2020, Brightfield reported that cannabis consumers who responded to a survey stating that they had used cannabis in that quarter were 48.7% female, 50.8% male, and 0.5% other. In Q4 2021, those numbers changed to 49% female, 50.3% male, and 0.7% other.

Will 4/20 always be synonymous with cannabis?

MacIver said where the holiday is headed isn’t quite clear. The three-percentage-point dip in respondents surveyed by Brightfield who agree with either the statement “I usually celebrate 4/20” or “celebrating 4/20 is very important to me” could reflect the fact that COVID’s not over and a lot of people still aren’t going out. It could also mean that, as cannabis consumption becomes more normalized, per MacIver, consumers might feel like they “don’t necessarily need a day to consume more because [they] are already consuming more in their day to day.”

“I’m not sure where that’s going to be going, but it’s definitely something that we’re going to be keeping a close eye on moving forward and trying to suss out the reason,” MacIver said of the dropping figures regarding who’s celebrating the holiday.

Brightfield’s Evergi platform, which the company announced in 2021, surveyed the U.S. population in Q4 2021 and found that 14% of respondents had tried CBD while 18% of respondents had tried THC cannabis, MacIver said.

“People are actually using THC-rich cannabis at a higher rate than CBD, so, again, just kind of tying into that 4/20 idea that a lot of people are getting high, a lot of people enjoy getting high, obviously a lot of people are using it as medication and it has all those benefits,” MacIver said. “But the fact that THC has kind of overtaken CBD, despite the fact that it’s not a national market yet, is kind of another good indicator of that widespread diversity."

While it remains unclear if the former chairperson was forced to step down, Gov. Brian Kemp thanked him for this service.

As roughly 20,000 medical cannabis patients await a low-THC oil program rollout in Georgia, a key personnel change was made to the commission that’s in charge of regulating the program.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced April 18 that he appointed Sid Johnson to chair the seven-member Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission, which is tasked with overseeing the state’s regulated licensing, cultivation, production, manufacturing and sale of low-THC oil (containing a maximum of 5%), as well as dispensing to registered patients.

Johnson is a former state Administrative Services commissioner and a current University of Georgia faculty member. He replaces outgoing medical cannabis commission chair Dr. Christopher Edwards, whose departure remains unclear as to whether it came voluntarily, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.

Kemp thanked Edwards for his “dedicated service at the helm of the commission,” in a press release announcing the change.

“[Edwards] helped institute many policies and procedures that will allow the commission to continue its critically important work, and we wish him well as he continues his distinguished medical career,” Kemp said.

The commission, which was established in 2019, includes a chair and two members appointed by the governor, two members appointed by the lieutenant governor, and two members appointed by the state speaker of the house.

While the commission attempted to license six companies last year to serve the market, 16 unsuccessful applicants challenged the licensing process, which has since stalled the rollout of the program.

As a result, roughly 20,000 patients enrolled in the program have nowhere to legally purchase the low-THC oil, despite being legally allowed to possess it since 2015.

RELATED: Legislation to Revive Georgia’s Medical Cannabis Program Dies at End of Legislative Session

With the change to the makeup of the commission, Kemp said in Monday’s press release that he is looking forward to the insight that Johnson will bring in his new role as chair.

“[Johnson] has a keen understanding of how local, state, and federal policies interact and impact citizens, and with his wealth of experience he will assuredly be successful in navigating the commission’s mission in the years to come,” the governor said.

As a UGA faculty member, Johnson promotes the university’s public service mission through consulting and leadership development for the state and local government agencies.

In addition to the appointment, Kemp announced his office will be directing $150,000 from the Governor’s Emergency Fund to the commission for the purpose of expedited protest hearings at the Office of State Administrative Hearings.

As the commission members continues to work toward fully implementing a low-THC oil program, Georgia remains one of 13 states that has yet to legalize the commercial sale of medical cannabis without low-THC restrictions.

Under current Georgia laws and penalties, possessing 1 ounce or less of cannabis is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year of incarceration and a $1,000 max fine, while possessing more than an ounce is a felony punishable by up to 10 years of incarceration and a $5,000 max fine.

Dispensary employees at a provisioning center that is set to open on 4/20 in the southwest part of the state authorized UFCW union representation.

Workers at a cannabis retail facility in Battle Creek, Mich., haven’t even opened their doors to the public yet, but they already voted to form a union with support from their store owner.

Heritage Provisioning employees will host a grand opening April 20 for their new facility in the southwest part of the state—about 20 miles east of Kalamazoo—but they decided to celebrate early with a unionization announcement on April 18.

Heritage has two other provisioning center locations, in East Tawas and Manistee, but the Battle Creek workers agreed to authorize the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 951 for union representation, according to a UFCW press release.

“I’m really excited to be a part of something bigger than just myself,” Riley Boles, a worker at Heritage Provisioning, said in the release. “My dad is a union member and I’m proud to not only become one also, but to make history as the first UFCW 951 organized cannabis facility.”

Workers at the dispensary unanimously signed up to join the Local 951 and will form a committee that will soon start to bargain for their first contract they hope represents a lasting career in the industry, according to the release.

The UFCW 951 labor union represents more than 28,000 workers across Michigan in a variety of industries, including grocery, retail, food processing and pharmacy. Those workers are employed at companies such as Meijer, Kroger, Rite Aid and many others.

Cannabis workers are now among those whom the union represents.

“UFCW 951 is committed to raising the standards for all workers in this unique and rapidly developing industry,” John Cakmakci, UFCW 951 president, said in the release. “We celebrate with the workers today and look forward to bargaining a contract that will give them the guarantees and protections in the workplace they deserve, along with competitive wages and quality health care. I’m excited and hopeful this will serve as a pathway to expanding union coverage to include more workers in the cannabis industry.”

The retail workers in Battle Creek join a growing wave of cannabis unionization in places like St. Louis, Somerset, Mass., Manistee, Mich., Portsmouth, R.I., Victoria, British Columbia, Hanover, Mass., Warwick, R.I., Joliet, Ill., Fall River, Mass., Skokie, Ill., and others.

In Battle Creek, the provisioning center is owned and operated by William McKenzie, CEO and founder of Left Coast Holdings, a company that is expanding with multiple dispensaries throughout Michigan.

McKenzie offered his support of the Battle Creek workers’ unionization effort, according to the UFCW 951 press release.

“We see our company values strongly aligned with those of the UFCW,” McKenzie said. “It felt like a synergistic move to partner with the union; creating a platform where people can get a good paying job that turns into a career.”

The award-winning cannabis company will host a grand opening celebration on 4/20.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – April 18, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – The Source+ will debut the award-winning cannabis company’s first East Coast dispensary in Northampton, Mass. on cannabis industry holiday, 4/20. Located at 58 Pleasant St., The Source+ will celebrate its grand opening with live music, karaoke, merchandise raffles and more starting Tuesday, April 19, through Wednesday, April 20.

“We are thrilled to bring The Source+ to Northampton, where we look forward to cultivating a new cannabis community,” said Simon Nankervis, CEO of The Source+. “We chose Northampton because the city and its residents have been leaders in de-stigmatizing cannabis and enabling its community to participate in all of the benefits our products have to provide to patients and customers. We are excited to expand our Source+ community to Massachusetts.”

As one of the first medical dispensaries to open in Nevada in 2015, The Source+ has remained a leader in the state, now with recreational sales, and was the first company to introduce solventless cannabis products to Nevada with the launch of internal product line CAMP.

The Source+ will enter the East Coast with its new location, which spans 5,280 square feet. The modern, welcoming showroom displays and offers more than 39 strains of cannabis and a wide selection of brands, including a variety of edibles, concentrates, tinctures and other cannabis products.

The Source+ will host a “4/20 Eve” karaoke party at local bar, The Majestic Saloon, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Tuesday, April 19. The dispensary will ignite the anticipated grand opening and 4/20 celebration from 5 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, with product promotions, live jazz-inspired music from Lemon Street Band, tarot card readings and bites from The Majestic Saloon.

The Source+ in Northampton is now open Sunday through Thursday from noon – 7 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from noon – 9 p.m. More information is available by calling The Source+ at 413-842-4000, as well as on the website and on Instagram.

As a cause driven business, the company has prioritized giving back to its communities since its inception, supporting local partners by donating over $700,000 to Nevada and national nonprofits including UNICEF, Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada, The Nevada Homeless Alliance, The Cupcake Girls and more.

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