How many former regulators does it take to record a podcast? This week, former Colorado cannabis czar Andrew Freedman joins the REGULATED crew to share his perspective on the industry, regulatory trends, and more. Andrew has continued to be a thought leader since he joined the private sector, and he recently announced the launch of a cannabis-focused venture capital fund.

The Miami Herald's Samantha Gross joins Christian Bax for an in-depth discussion of Florida's cannabis scene in 2020. Samantha Gross and the Miami Herald recently launched a new (free!) cannabis newsletter, In The Weeds.

What do mushrooms, robots, and airplanes have in common? Not much, except that they are covered in the first REGULATED news update of 2020!

Christian and Tony react to the deluge of Florida cannabis rulemaking activity. Recorded on-location from two equally beautiful locations - Jamaica and Jacksonville.

The cannabis industry presents a number of challenges that make acquiring “out of the box” operational know-how, branding, and other support systems attractive. Between licensing deals and acquisitions, the industry has already seen some savvy operators gain a quasi-national profile. Is franchising a good fit for cannabis and CBD?

Our guest this week is Caroline Fichter. Caroline is a partner at the Bundy Law Firm in Kirkland, Washington, and her practice focuses on franchise law and commercial litigation. As a litigator in an early adopter state, her perspective on the positives and pitfalls of franchising in the cannabis and CBD context is highly valued.

The REGULATED team appeared at Florida A&M University’s College of Agriculture and Food Sciences for a fast-paced discussion of Florida’s legal cannabis and hemp industries. This week, we are sharing the audio from that live session with students and faculty.

Let’s be honest: it feels like everybody has a cannabis-related client in 2019! First, it was the lobbyists. Then the lawyers and CPAs got in on the action. Now, it seems like every actor, musician, athlete, and former politician has a client, investment, or endorsement related to cannabis, hemp, or CBC. So many big names are flocking to the industry that it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction. Can you?

Pat is a former chief tax counsel for the Committee on Finance for the United States Senate and served as co-chair of the Regulatory and Tax Structure Working Group of the California Blue Ribbon Commission on marijuana legalization. He is also a prolific writer on cannabis tax issues and one of the best policy follows on Twitter.

By popular demand, REGULATED will continue to provide audio of important (and digestible) public statements and testimony related to regulated industry. This week, we are sharing a condensed version of the recent Centers for Disease Control telebriefing on lung injuries associated with e-cigarette use, or vaping. The principal deputy director of the CDC, state epidemiologist at the Illinois Department of Health, and an official from the CDC’s environmental health labs participated in the call, which included a question and answer session.

This week, REGULATED takes a deep dive into the adult-use marijuana constitutional amendments that may appear on Florida’s 2020 ballot.

The United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (116th Congress) hosted public health officials for a chat on e-cigarettes. This week, REGULATED is sharing the testimony of the CDC’s principal deputy director, Dr. Anne Schuchat.

Have you heard of Kratom? Tons of the product are sold each month in Colorado, but the CDC has linked nearly 100 deaths to its usage. So is this a crisis or an opportunity?

There has been a firestorm in the vaping industry since the first vaping-related death on August 23. Congress has held hearings, law enforcement is investigating, and, yes, the White House is involved. While the likely culprit appears to be black market THC vapes, this week’s REGULATED assesses the state of the crisis and some of its collateral effects.

This week, Tony Glover highlights the American Gaming Association’s recent contributions to sports betting research. Christian Bax revisits Rhode Island with a story that shows how mobile betting can contribute to the local economy while causing mild regulatory heartburn.

Christian Bax interviews Dylan Conley, Chairman of the City of Providence Board of Licenses, on his innovative proposal to protect and grow the city’s nightlife.

Christian Bax and Tony Glover examine Utah’s flirtations with (and ultimate reluctance to implement) a state-run dispensary system and share a key mushroom research development from Johns Hopkins University.

Now that municipalities on the West Coast are moving to decriminalize and private investors are preparing to deploy tens of millions, it’s time to start paying attention.