The Weekly Roll - May 2nd 2025

Happy Friday!

Welcome back to The Weekly Roll. I hope everyone had a lovely week! Here is what’s happening this week in cannabis and art:

Canada’s Greener Horizons? : The Cannabis Council of Canada is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney's newly elected government to reform the cannabis industry by addressing tax burdens, combating illegal sales, and streamlining regulations. Despite cannabis contributing over $43 billion to Canada's GDP since 2018 legalization, the industry faces challenges including outdated tax structures and illegal market competition that comprises up to 40% of total cannabis sales. Article

Vermont to Push the Recreational Envelope? : Lt. Gov. John Rodgers is pushing for significant changes to Vermont's cannabis legislation, advocating for growers to sell directly to consumers as small cultivators struggle to secure retail shelf space. As the nation's only statewide official with a cannabis cultivator license, Rodgers is also championing public consumption rights, arguing cannabis should be permitted anywhere tobacco use is legal. Article

Interesting Number : 368. The number of licensed dispensaries in New York, up from 41 at the end of 2023. This dramatic increase represents a significant expansion of New York's legal cannabis market, with nearly nine times more retail locations now serving consumers across the state compared to just 17 months ago. The rapid market growth has triggered noticeable price compression, with concentrates and vapes down 15%, edibles down 14%, and flower down 5% over the past year. Article

Largest Canvas Ever : Nigerian teen Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke, who has autism, has broken the Guinness World Record for creating the largest art canvas at 12,303 square meters with his painting "Impossibility is a Myth." The 15-year-old unveiled his record-breaking work on World Autism Acceptance Day (April 2), featuring technicolor hues and emotional expressions that tell his story despite being non-verbal, while also raising funds for The Zeebah Foundation's autism resource center. Article

Have a great weekend! 

Aidan