Welcome to NJ Cannabis Insider
Hello, everyone!
This week we’ve got a lot set up in terms of the overall landscape.
As always, tis the season for everyone trying to figure where they stand and what’s the best position to put themselves in for a market that hasn’t been fully built out, yet.
What’s of paramount importance however is seeing how the positions the players are taking beforehand pan out.
Social equity applicants, MSOs, lobbyists and then some are consistently shifting in order to levy their best strengths.
Within the cannabis ecosystem it’s a delicate dance to say the least.
In the political ecosystem, we have Amanda Hoover with an article on the Republican gubernatorial candidate’s views on cannabis.
Sue Livio delivers with an update on diversity within the overall market.
Jonathan Salant comes through with info on the latest with the MORE Act passing some hurdles in Congress.
For the Q&A this week we also have a VP from Columbia Care talking about what the SAFE Banking Act looks like for big and small businesses alike.
I’ll also be attending and moderating panels at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference next week in New York City — it takes place well within the same timespan as the Cannabis Regulatory Commission meeting on Oct. 15 at 11:30 a.m. Also don’t forget they have a town hall Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. Gotta love packed weeks.
The week after that, I’ll be pulling up to MJBizCon — give me a shout if you’ll be attending either conference.
Until next time ...
— Jelani Gibson
The Lead
GOP gubernatorial candidate stance on cannabis: ‘Voters were misled’
We’re closer than ever to having legal cannabis sales in New Jersey. But could the gubernatorial election change that?
When incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy first ran in 2017, he made cannabis legalization a key part of his platform. It would notoriously take three years, a ballot referendum and months of haggling with the state Legislature to get it done.
Republican gubernatorial challenger Jack Ciattarelli has said he supports decriminalization but not legalization (Murphy said the opposite as the state struggled and failed to legalize cannabis through the Legislature. He worried that decrim would boost the legacy market).
And when Murphy ultimately signed the bills, he cited social justice as his chief motivator, outweighing the lure of tax revenue and jobs.
Ciattarelli has criticized that stance.
“We could have addressed social justice with the decriminalization of marijuana, not the legalization of marijuana,” Ciattarelli said during the first gubernatorial debate. “And it’s not an accident that of our 565 towns in New Jersey, 400 have now passed local ordinances that have said no dispensary in my town.”
As of mid-August, some 70% of municipalities (about 400) had banned cannabis businesses. Some have begun to reconsider now that regulations on the industry are available.
Ciattarelli has also said he would push to de-legalize marijuana if the rollout does not go smoothly.
“Jack believes that New Jersey voters were misled on the marijuana referendum, evidenced by the vast majority of New Jersey municipalities rejecting the idea of locating dispensaries in their community,” Stami Williams, a spokeswoman for Ciattarelli, said in a statement. “Phil Murphy and the Democrats even tried to ban cops from notifying parents if a minor child was caught with drugs and alcohol. Who does that?! Now that voters have seen the result of this new law – and seen how extremists in Trenton like Phil Murphy have used it to handcuff our police – it makes sense that New Jersey voters have a chance to make their voice heard again.”
Murphy signed another law in March that allows police to notify parents when their children are caught with marijuana or alcohol.
Reversing the referendum would not only prove widely unpopular (remember, 67% of voters said yes to the ballot referendum last year) but also could fall outside of his power as governor.
But putting referendums on the ballot isn’t so simple. Questions must go through a Legislative process to get there. In a Democratically-controlled Legislature, getting an anti-legalization question on the ballot would be all but impossible.
“It’s really unlikely that he would be in a position to do something about this,” said Joseph Patten, an associate professor of political science at Monmouth University. “And the political fallout, the boomerang effect on trying to stop it, I don’t imagine he would want to expend all this political capital on doing this.”
But Ciattarelli could use his authority to pump the breaks. Remember: former Gov. Chris Christie made the medical program among the more restrictive in the nation when he inherited it from his predecessor Gov. Jon Corzine.
Under the state Department of Health, he kept the first round of licensing small. And the medical program languished as Christie sought guidance on the clash of federal and state law on marijuana. The state was also slow to adopt rules to govern medical marijuana. Nearly three years passed between the law’s signing and the opening of the first dispensary in Montclair.
“The governor could severely hamper the nascent cannabis industry if inspired to do so,” said Fruqan Mouzon, chair of the Cannabis Practice Group at McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, and the former general counsel for the state Senate Majority Office.
“We must remember that the CRC – while ‘independent’ – is an executive branch agency. Which means, they are a part of the governor’s administration,” he said.
If they chose, a governor could try to slow down the process of issuing licenses (which is already delayed) or put pressure on the commission to issue new regulations, he said.
But Christie inherited a medical program that had not been set up. Instead, it was merely signed into law. With the CRC already seated and having adopted its rules, Ciattarellii’s could have less influence.
“I suspect there could be some ways, through executive orders, to slow it down,” Patten said. “It is a constitutional amendment, and the governor is responsible for enforcing the law and not subverting it.”
Would Ciattarelli do this? It’s too soon to say. A spokeswoman for his campaign did not return a request for clarity and comment on his latest stance.
Election day is Nov. 2.
— Amanda Hoover | NJ.com
Industry
Data: Women, minority representation declines in cannabis space
The medical and recreational cannabis industries in America continue to be dominated by white men, whose access to capital has helped them land executive positions, according to the latest Women & Minorities in the Cannabis Industry Report MJBizDaily released this week.
Female and minority representation declined this year from 2019, the last time MJBizDaily collected the data, the report said.
“Since the first edition of this report was published in 2017, the cannabis industry has changed significantly—and with it the diversity landscape,” Editorial Director Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier wrote in a summary of the report.
People with drug convictions were once barred from working in the industry, she noted. “Now, social equity is a critical component in every market, new and old.”
Apparently, it’s going to take more time and effort before diversity efforts start paying off. The pandemic disrupted some gains. But the price of entry — $312,000 to start a dispensary, $500,000 to operate a processing facility, and $2.5 million for a vertically integrated operation — remains the biggest barrier to gender and racial diversity in the cannabis marketplace.
On Women:
The number of women executives in the cannabis industry has risen and dipped repeatedly since 2015, when MJBizDaily started keeping tabs every two years. The inaugural year, 36% of cannabis executives were female, but by 2017, just 26.9% women were in top positions. In 2019, women had recouped their losses, holding 36.8% of executive positions, but those gains evaporated this year, with female leadership falling to 22.1%.
For comparison, women held 29.8% of executive positions across all industries in 2020, according to the report.
“It’s hard to say for sure what’s driving the change, but some industry experts suggest that competitive markets tend to favor businesses with men in ownership and leadership positions, primarily because of their established access to capital,” the report said.
Women dominate the testing lab industry, where they hold 53.9% of top-level positions. They are least likely to occupy the investor class at 4.6%.
“Lack of access to capital remains a key challenge for women looking to start a plant-touching business, regardless of the market,” according to the report. “The amount of money needed to start a plant-touching cannabis business can easily surpass six figures, and the networks of investors that can provide that amount of money — such as high-net-worth individuals and venture capital firms — can be hard for women to tap into. If they do find an investor, the women-owned businesses often receive less funding and fewer resources — such as mentorship and strategic guidance — than their male counterparts.”
Among the workforce, medicinal or recreational dispensaries employed the most women at 51.6%.
On Minorities:
Minorities (identified as Black, Latinos, Asian, Indigenous, or more than one category) hold 13% of executive posts in cannabis business this year. This lines up with the percentage of minorities that held top jobs across all industries, according to the report.
Minorities are not monolithic however. If you break down minority executives by race or ethnicity, the representation diminishes dramatically.
Analyzing ownership by race and ethnicity in Colorado, Michigan and Nevada, Nevada is the most diverse state, with 12.8% of owners identifying as Latino, 6.3% Asian and in the mixed race and ethnicity category, 5.1% Black and 2.5% indigenous citizens, the report said. Colorado, the most mature market, is the most white-owned at 83.7%, with 7.7% Latino owners, 4% of Asian owners, 2.7% Black and less than 1% indigenous people. Michigan’s diversity numbers are worse but the authors note Michigan has the newest adult-use market among the three states.
And like women, the overall percentage of minority executives dipped dramatically since 2019, when 28% minorities held these senior leadership positions.
Minority executives dominate the consumption lounge and public event sector of the industry (53.3%) but were least likely to be found in cannabis product manufacturing (7.5%). Minority employees made up a robust part of the investor sector, (56.5%) however.
“While the percentage of owners and executives remains low for minorities, the overall employment rate could bode well for the future of the cannabis industry — if companies provide a runway for advancement within their organizations,” according to the report. “Cannabis businesses report significantly more minority employees than companies in the broader economy — 10 percentage points more.
“As the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission works to stand up its equity and diversity efforts, there are some private programs worth studying and replicating,” the report said.
Oregon offers a business “boot camp” and access to funding for women through its Initiative program. Fluresh, a cannabis manufacturer in Michigan, which mentors women and minorities who want to enter the field, and focuses recruiting and training people of color for jobs.
— Susan K. Livio | NJ.com
NJ Cannabis Insider Event
Career Fair & Business Expo Nov. 17 at Stockton U.
Join us for a full day Career Fair & Business Expo in association with NJ Cannabis Insider, New Jersey CannaBusiness Association and Stockton University.
This program will help individuals break into this emerging industry by connecting them to decision makers at top companies that are hiring now. You’ll also learn valuable information from policymakers and business leaders, and have the opportunity to network with industry professionals.
As part of the program, attendees will have the opportunity to take a professional headshot photo for LinkedIn or other use.
Panel topics and participating companies to be announced soon.
NJ Cannabis Insider subscribers should use discount code INSIDER at checkout for $15 off.
Sponsors so far include:
- The Botanist is a retail and product brand created to help wellness seekers. They listen and help guide patients and consumers as they discover cannabis and the power of herbal wellness.
- HBK CPA, a multidisciplinary financial services firm, offering the collective intelligence of professionals committed to delivering exceptional client service across a wide range of tax, accounting, audit, business advisory, valuation, financial planning, wealth management and support services from offices in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, New York and Florida.
- NJ Cannabis Certified, which provides training for all entry level jobs in the cannabis industry, including dispensary training and entry level cultivation and lab technician training.
- UFCW Local 152, represents 14,000 workers in retail stores, healthcare facilities, manufacturing, public sector, and much more across four states.
- New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, the Garden State’s largest trade group, operating as the state’s cannabis chamber of commerce.
- Stockton University, the interdisciplinary minor in Cannabis Studies offers students a foundation for understanding the burgeoning cannabis industry. Stockton recently opened The Cannabis & Hemp Research Institute, which will research hemp cultivation and develop lab testing.
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If you’d like to sponsor, don’t hesitate to reach out to Enrique Lavin or Kristen Ligas.
New York
Cannabis Control Board 1st meeting: a step closer to adult-use market
The first order of business for New York’s Cannabis Control Board (CCB) was to make smokeable medical marijuana legal.
The CCB — a five-member panel charged with approving the comprehensive regulatory framework for the state’s cannabis industry — made the announcement Tuesday at its first meeting.
The board, which had its final appointments by Gov. Kathy Hochul last month, will oversee licensing of cannabis businesses and the approval of various actions taken by the Office of Cannabis Management.
Effective immediately, dispensaries are permitted to sell flower marijuana products to patients participating in the medical cannabis program. Previously only edibles and extracts were permitted.
Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn), a long-time proponent of legalizing cannabis, called it a “major improvement to the program” but said it’s something that should have been permitted from the beginning.
“Patients have complained over and over again that they were sometimes forced to go into the illegal market where it was cheaper to be able to purchase flower because what they were being offered at the dispensary wasn’t providing the kind of relief they wanted or it was too expensive [at a dispensary],” Savino told the Advance/SILive.com.
Adding to the frustration, Savino said, is that not only is cannabis flower allowed to be smoked anywhere that tobacco smoking is permitted, but the flower was produced in a cultivation house regulated and licensed by the state, processed in a facility in the state, and tested in a lab licensed by the state.
“It made no sense whatsoever,” she said.
Expansion of medical program
Another major change to the program allows all practitioners and healthcare providers in the state who are allowed to prescribe controlled substance can now prescribe cannabis to eligible patients.
The following conditions would make a person eligible under the state’s medical cannabis program: chronic pain, cancer, HIV infection or AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathies, and Huntington’s disease.
Prior to Tuesday’s announcement only certain providers -- just 3,367 statewide -- were given permission to prescribe cannabis. Currently, there are 151,070 certified medical cannabis patients in New York State.
Savino said many practitioners have expressed interest in the medical cannabis program, but were excluded. She believes the number of practitioners involved in the program will increase – partially because they are now allowed to prescribe cannabis, and partially because the $50 fee for the mandatory training course has been waived.
“Allowing physicians and healthcare providers to recommend patients and keeping the government out of that decision is far more important. It makes no sense that a podiatrist could write a prescription for OxyContin but he [couldn’t] participate in medical cannabis. A podiatrist would catch diabetic neuropathy before any other doctor would, so what sense did it make to prevent them to participate?” she asked.
“If you ask your doctor and they don’t want to participate then you should go find a new doctor,” Savino said, adding that her office will keep a list of all providers who are participating in the program.
One step closer to adult-use cannabis
The changes to the medical cannabis program are a key step towards the state implementing its adult-use program.
Gov. Kathy Hochul previously said that one of her “top priorities” since replacing former-Gov. Andrew Cuomo was to get the state’s cannabis industry up and running.
Set up by Cuomo, the Office of Cannabis Management cannot set guidelines or issue licenses necessary for residents to distribute, process, farm and open dispensaries and consumption locations until the 13-member board has been filled.
The biggest challenge in developing the adult-use program, Savino said, will be developing the social equity model that is not corporately structured – something she says no state has been able to do.
Because cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, those seeking to open a cannabis business are not able to apply for traditional loans, which are regulated by the federal government.
“The solution lies in Washington,” she said.
“If they’re not prepared to make changes to the Banking Act to take the pressure off of marijuana companies so that they can have access to capital credit the traditional way, or to be able to have access to traditional lending sources and [handle taxes] in a sane way then we will have the same problem that every other state has,” she continued.
— Kristin F. Dalton | silive.com
This story first appeared on silive.com
Q&A with...
Adam Goers
Adam Goers, vice president of Corporate Affairs at Columbia Care talks about how the SAFE Banking Act benefits big and small business, medical supply and entrepreneurship. Answers edited for length and clarity.
Q: What are some of the key aspects of banking in the cannabis space?
A: Two places that have recently legalized, in places that have put forth really big goals of having a big broad social equity goal where diverse businesses make up significant and in New York’s case, half of all licenses — one thing that we have heard, from state and local elected officials in New York and New Jersey is that without the passage of safe banking these programs just don’t work.
Q: How does Columbia Care do banking?
A: Columbia Care has grown from being a very small company. As we’ve grown larger in sophistication of our business operations, that has actually allowed us to gain financial services in pretty much every sector. But if you are a small dispensary owner that owns one dispensary or two, you don’t have the same access to capital or banking services.
So this bill would be nice to have for Columbia Care as a company, but it’s an absolute must for small entrepreneurs and especially for those who want to get into this business and that’s what New York and New Jersey are trying to do.
Q: What is it about being a small business that makes banking inaccessible versus how you’re able to access banking?
A: It’s larger companies, it’s our sophistication and big and significant compliance departments. Perhaps the experience of a CFO has been the CFO of a publicly traded company before. For a bank that’s going to take a risk on working with the cannabis company, they’re going to look at a company with the size and sophistication of Columbia Care and say, ‘I’m willing to work with them.’ But if somebody’s coming in the door with a business plan and how they’re going to make money in cannabis where they have a small dispensary, that bank’s compliance officer is saying ‘You know what? There is way too much unknown, way too much risk for me to take on this small business.’ ‘If I’m going to work with cannabis’ and most banks say no (they’re going to say), ‘I want to work with a company like Columbia Care because they’re big.’ Ultimately it’s the small companies that need this bill to pass the most.
If a lot of entrepreneurs come in or perhaps maybe their experience in cannabis is in the legacy market, that’s not the experience that’s going to win over a bank manager and their compliance department. We’ve seen it left and right. That’s what leads to these businesses having to operate in cash.
It means that they need to hire lots of guards. That means they’re driving significant amounts of money to other cannabis businesses to pay for products they’re going to sell, to pay for utilities, to pay their taxes, going down to the IRS and dropping off significant sums of money, paying their employees in cash, etc. All of those types of things, cost a lot of money, thinking of only living your life in cash; but then also it makes you a tremendous target for organized crime and for theft.
Q: Take me through the logistics to function on two track processes in the adult-use and medical market
A: First things first. It’s making sure that we can continue to serve our medical patients, many of whom are suffering from debilitating life conditions. Two, it’s really putting the investment dollars into building our facilities to grow our facilities where we’re cultivating cannabis — and we’ve been doing that for a year in anticipation that this (New Jersey) bill was going to pass.
The biggest thing we can do to help beyond just doing our part to continue serving medical patients and getting ready for adult-use is to help that next group of entrepreneurs get started.
The D.C. Report
MORE Act makes progress in Congress
The House Judiciary Committee has passed legislation ending the federal ban on marijuana, preparing it for a vote by the full House.
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, would remove cannabis’ classification as a Class 1 drug along with heroin and thus end the conflict between federal and state law.
And it would tax cannabis on the federal level, using the money to help individuals and communities most affected by the war on drugs.
But in the Senate, nothing yet.
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, who is drafting the legislation with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., told NJ Cannabis Insider that progress is being made, but there is no timetable for bringing a bill up for a vote.
Their bill would decriminalize cannabis and leave it to the states to decide whether to make it legal, expunge the records of those convicted of nonviolent marijuana crimes, and tax weed to help hard-hit communities.
What the senators and their staffs are doing now is incorporating some of the ideas they received from the cannabis industry, advocates and other interested parties that they solicited once they announced their bill’s framework.
Booker declined to discuss any of the details, nor whether the comments received emphasized some issues over others except to say, “There has been some very good stuff.”
He did say that none of the suggestions involved subjects that he hadn’t thought of, but instead were more like tweaks to the provisions the senators wanted to include.
As for a timetable, Booker said that was up to Schumer, who also is trying to pass President Joe Biden’s social spending bill that addresses climate change and expands health care and child care, extends the debt limit, and fully funds the federal government through the end of next September.
But Booker said he would like to see the Senate vote on the marijuana legislation this year.
“I just think that this an issue where most of America is already on board,” Booker said. “Every day we wait, injustice is happening, people being arrested for mere possession, people who are suffering because they can’t get a job because we haven’t expunged their records. So justice delayed is justice denied.”
— Jonathan D. Salant | NJ.com
Briefly
Power players hold conversations about education, equity, sports and policy
On Friday, Oct. 8 from 3-9 p.m., Cannademix hosts a free hybrid in-person and virtual conference, “Where Cannabis Meets The Community!” at Middlesex County College in Edison. Cannabis industry leaders break down fact from fiction to deliver reliable and accountable information. Panels will cover education, equity, sports and policy.
Featured speakers include, Nadir Pearson, founder & CEO of Student Marijuana Alliance for Research and Transparency (SMART); Rob Mejia, adjunct professor Stockton University; Edison Councilwoman Joyce Ship-Freeman; Leo Bridgewater, founder of Bridge H2O, national director of Veterans Outreach for Minorities for Medical Marijuana; Jessica Gonzalez, Cannabis & Intellectual Property attorney at Hiller, PC; Tahir Johnson, director of Social Equity and Inclusion at US Cannabis Council; Alan Ao, founder and president of Plants and Prescriptions; Jonathan Casillas, two-time Super Bowl champion and founder & CEO of Jade’s Garden; Eugene Monroe, former NFL player and CEO at Heart Community Capital; Dominique Easley, NFL Super Bowl champion and co-founder at Legacy Partners; Jordan Reed, former NFL player and co-Founder at Legacy Partners; Lizzie Kirshenbaum, associate director of Government Relations at Weedmaps; Fruqan Mouzon, Cannabis & Government Affairs attorney at McElroy Deutsch, Mulvaney, & Carpenter; Dasheeda Dawson, Cannabis Program Supervisor for City of Portland, Oregon; Highland Park Councilman Matthew Hersh, director of Policy and Advocacy at Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey. For more information or to register for ticket, go here.
Free, 2-day virtual event on N.J. application process
Blaze Responsibly is hosting a free, two-day virtual event Oct. 9-10 (9:45 a.m.-3 p.m., both days) to talk through New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission rules, the types of licenses available and the application process.
The event includes networking and tips for crafting a business plan. Register to attend here.
NY Cannabis Insider virtual event Oct. 28
Legalized in March, New York’s adult-use cannabis industry is poised to become one of the most lucrative marijuana markets in the U.S. But license applications aren’t yet available and the state’s Cannabis Control Board is just getting started, so what can entrepreneurs do today to best position themselves for this emerging multibillion-dollar opportunity?
On Thursday, Oct. 28, New York Cannabis Insider will bring together some of the industry’s biggest thought-leaders for a half-day virtual conference that focuses on this issue — preparedness. (Tickets are available here. Use code NYState1028 for a subscriber discount).
The mayors of Albany, Ithaca and Hamilton, along with business leaders, attorneys, consultants and union representatives, are lined up to discuss how the licensing process has played out in other states, what to expect out of the law’s strong social equity component, and the importance of building government and local support when starting a cannabis business.
“The Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act is a much-needed step to end the social and racial injustice of the criminalization of marijuana — and, it’s a matter of equity,” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan shortly before the bill was passed in March. Sheehan is one of three mayors set to speak at the Oct. 28 conference on a panel entitled, “Choosing the Path Forward — Municipalities and Adult-Use Cannabis.”
Joe Rossi, a Syracuse native and managing director of Park Strategies, will join Sumer Thomas, an attorney and senior project manager at Canna Advisors, to explain how business owners should think about social equity in both their mission and hiring. The two will also relay best practices for gathering local stakeholder support — an often-overlooked component of starting any cannabis venture.
Another panel will go deep into the state’s anticipated licensing options, including the advantages and limitations of each. It will feature Nick Agrippino, the leader of Bowers & Company’s Cannabis and Hemp Niche; Jason Minard, general counsel at Hempire State Growers; and Kristin Jordan, the founder and CEO of Park Jordan, a commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm serving the cannabis industry.
StaffBuffalo’s Maggie Shea and Lauren Lewis will join Nikki Kateman of the Local 338 labor union for a conversation about how to find the best candidates to help bring your cannabis business to life.
Over 400 people attended our first New York Cannabis Insider gathering in May. This time around we’ve added all-new topics and built in more time for networking.
The conference is sponsored by Eaze.com, a leading cannabis software platform and marketplace. Supporting sponsors include Bowers & Company, StaffBuffalo, Park Strategies, Canna Advisors and the New York Cannabis Growers & Processors Association.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Nick Agrippino, Leader of Bowers & Company’s Cannabis and Hemp Niche.
- Kristin Jordan, Founder and CEO of Park Jordan, a commercial real estate brokerage and advisory services firm serving the cannabis industry.
- Nikki Kateman, Political & Communications Director for Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW.
- Jason Minard, General Counsel at Hempire State Growers.
- Joe Rossi, Managing Director of Park Strategies.
- Maggie Shea and Lauren Lewis, Partners with StaffBuffalo, a certified women-owned, full-service staffing firm.
- Sumer Thomas, Senior Project Manager with Canna Advisors.
- Mayor Kathy Sheehan, City of Albany.
- Mayor Svante Myrick, City of Ithaca.
- Mayor RuthAnn Loveless, Village of Hamilton.
NJ Cannabis Insiders should use code NYState1028 for a discount on tickets. Click here to purchase tickets.
Contact us
Publisher & editor : Enrique Lavin, elavin@njadvancemedia.com
Sales & events : Kristen Ligas, kligas@njadvancemedia.com
Technical support: support@njcannabisinsider.biz
Subscriptions: subscriptions@njcannabisinsider.biz
Reporters
Jelani Gibson is the lead reporter for Cannabis Insider. He previously covered gun violence for the Kansas City Star.
Amanda Hoover is a reporter covering the cannabis industry for NJ.com and The Star-Ledger. She previously covered crime and courts across New Jersey.
Susan K. Livio is a Statehouse reporter for The Star-Ledger and NJ.com who covers health, social policy and politics
Jonathan D. Salant is Washington correspondent for The Star-Ledger and NJ.com.
Archives
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