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Cannabis employees are in high demand during economic crash

Politico.com

OUR TAKEAWAY

Despite the economic hardship caused by the pandemic, cannabis companies in a half-dozen U.S. states are hiring thousands of workers. The cannabis industry is playing a pivotal role in the American economy as it is one of the few industries providing jobs and needed services right now, alongside groceries and medical care.

Cannabis banking reform included in latest Congressional COVID relief bill

Leafly.com

OUR TAKEAWAY

The House Democrats and Speaker Nancy Pelosi affirmed the importance of cannabis to the economy in their newly proposed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act. This bill includes language from the SAFE Act which, if passed, would grant safe harbor for banks that provide financial services to legal cannabis companies.

Marijuana delivery moves closer toward reality in Massachusetts

Boston.com

OUR TAKEAWAY

Massachusetts is one of the few states that chose to shut down recreational cannabis sales during the initial COVID-19 lockdown. Now, steps are being taken to allow recreational dispensaries to do what the medicinal market has been allowed to do for years -- deliver.

Cannabis shows promise blocking coronavirus infection: Alberta researcher

CalgeryHerald.com

OUR TAKEAWAY

The federal government of Canada has pledged C$1.1 billion in funding for COVID-19 research, and the anti-inflammatory properties of the cannabis plant have shown promise as a potential treatment for the virus. The University of Lethbridge's Dr. Igor Kovalchuk posits that CBD may be helpful in reducing COVID-19 infection rates and in rebuilding cells after the ravages of the virus. "Our work could have a huge influence," he says. "There aren't many drugs that have the potential of reducing infection by 70 to 80 percent."

OUR TAKEAWAY

Shades of "Gray": May 8, 2020

No one reaches for moonshine or bathtub gin to pour a cocktail. Both are relics of the past because no one is willing to risk blindness or death to save a couple of dollars on alcohol when safe, regulated, and consistent spirits are available.Based on the same logic, legal operators will ultimately prove to be the cannabis industry's winners. At present however, the illicit, legacy market is putting up a fight and has been emboldened by a regulatory framework that has not yet figured out how to support the legal market. For the time being, legal operators are forced to adapt to an environment that is more "gray" ("we will get by") than black or white.