Canada ekes out passing grade on legalization efforts, two years later 

The results are in and Canada eked out a passing grade just after the second anniversary of cannabis legalization. That's according to the Cannabis Council of Canada, the industry's main lobby group, which issued a report card looking at how the sector has performed since nationwide recreational legalization kicked in. The report card, created using data from an Abacus Data public opinion research poll, awarded "B+" grades to Canadians supporting legalization, and how the new laws have kept cannabis away from minors, while issuing "C" grades on consumer awareness, fighting the illicit market and the sector’s investment in jobs and the economy. The country was given a "D" in terms of the progress made in cannabis amnesty programs as well as medical patient access to marijuana, notably on sales taxes.  

Cannabis REIT to give investors new option in placing bets on pot sector

A new cannabis-related REIT is giving investors another entry point to the legal market, Bloomberg News reports. The Subversive Real Estate Acquisition REIT - which has so far operated as a special purpose investment vehicle - will close its merger with Inception REIT later this month. The merger is part of a $183 million deal that will turn the company into a fully-fledged REIT. That should allow it to obtain special tax benefits and potentially acquire more properties. It will also be in position to give cash-strapped pot companies that can’t access traditional banking services a chance to sell their assets and lease them back. These sale-leaseback deals are becoming widely popular in the U.S., with Jushi, Columbia Care and Cresco Labs all participating.   

New York plans to legalize cannabis next year, to issue CBD guidelines for drinks, food

New York is on pace to re-visit cannabis legalization next year, but will also begin regulating hemp-derived CBD products, such as infused drinks and food items, according to Marijuana Moment. Those comments are courtesy of Axel Bernabe, an advisor to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who spoke to Canopy Growth in a video interview. Cannabis reform in surrounding states has pushed New York to reconsider enacting its own pot legislation after two years of failed attempts. Policies for consumer CBD products are expected to take effect at the beginning of 2021, and will likely include creating rules for cannabinoid-infused drinks and food items. 

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