The claims must be filed by April 29 and are available to those who purchased various Select products during a 15-month time period.
Oregon shoppers who purchased vape products that were allegedly mislabeled as 100% cannabis more than two years ago can begin filing $200 claims through the settlement of a class-action lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims that Cura Partners Inc. failed to disclose that 186,000 units of certain Select brand oil products contained botanical terpenes, according to case administrators, who said Feb. 27 they are ready to begin processing claims, The Oregonian reported.
The claimants must be Oregon residents 21 and older who purchased products from the Select Elite, Select Pax and/or Select Dabbables product lines, including cartridges, disposable pens or pods, between Aug. 15, 2018, and Nov. 22, 2019, according to CPT Group, the case administrators.
Curaleaf signed a definitive agreement to acquire Portland, Ore.-based Cura Partners and its Select brand in May 2019 in a $948.8-million all-stock deal. Curaleaf completed that acquisition in February 2020.
The following year, Curaleaf became involved in a separate lawsuit for allegedly mislabeled products associated with a September 2021 recall by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. Those products involved mislabeled CBD tinctures that actually contained THC.
RELATED: Curaleaf to Face Wrongful Death Lawsuit Tied to Mislabeling CBD Products
Those wishing to submit a claim for the recent settlement must do so by April 29, 2022. In addition to the online forms, claim forms are also available by writing to Cura Settlement, c/o CPT Group Inc., 50 Corporate Park, Irvine, CA 92606; or by emailing oregonclassactionsettlement@cptgroup.com.
While the company denies it did anything wrong, and the circuit court for Multnomah County has not decided which side is right, the parties reached a $500,000 settlement. That money will provide $125,000 in plaintiff attorney fees as well as $200 for each approved claim, according to CPT Group.
In addition, the defendant agreed to pay a $110,000 “dishonest conduct” penalty in January 2020, The Oregonian reported.
The approximate costs of the allegedly mislabeled products at issue were $20, according to the settlement. Plaintiffs are entitled to back out of the settlement if the number of approved claims is so high that each class member would receive less than $20 each, according to the settlement.
However, the settlement forecasts that fewer than 1% of those eligible will file claims because of the cash-only nature of Oregon sales as well as the products being sold through third-party retailers, The Oregonian reported.
Those filing claims must show a proof of residency or proof of purchase in Oregon. The packaging on the eligible products did not include the existence of botanically derived terpenes and/or medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) as an ingredient in the product lines, according to CPT Group.
Those with approved claims will receive an electronic payment or paper check.
Any unclaimed funds will be split evenly between the Oregon State Bar and the Oregon Consumer League, a nonprofit advocacy organization focused on consumer protection issues
Affected products include pre-rolls produced by JEM Dutch Acres, LLC, doing business as Earls.
Colorado officials issued a health and safety advisory Feb. 28 regarding potential lead contamination in adult-use cannabis products that were sold in the state.
The Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) issued the advisory in response to the identification of potentially unsafe levels of lead on pre-rolls produced by JEM Dutch Acres, LLC, doing business as Earls.
The pre-rolls were sold between Nov. 26, 2021, and Jan. 3, 2022, at JEM Dutch Acres’ dispensary in Leadville, Colo.
The affected products will have the following license number, batch number and product name on the label:
The advisory instructs consumers who purchased the affected products to destroy them or return them to the store where they were purchased for proper disposal. Those who experience adverse health affects from consuming the affected products should seek medical attention and report it to Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) using a MED Reporting Form.
Cannalean’s THC-infused syrups are designed to be added to any beverage or mixed with food.
LAS VEGAS – Feb. 28, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – The Source+, an award-winning cannabis company with four dispensaries in Las Vegas Valley and Reno, recently launched sales of cannabis-infused syrups from Cannalean, available now at all locations.
“Cannalean syrups are both versatile and delicious, and we’re excited to give our customers another option for cannabis consumption, whether you add them to your favorite fizzy drink or right over your morning pancakes,” said Tina Ulman, director of brands for The Source+. “The work that this small, Black-owned local business has put into bringing such a distinct cannabis product to the market is inspiring and we are looking forward to supporting Cannalean.”
A unique addition to the growing cannabis drink market, Cannalean syrups are gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan and organic syrup offered in seven different flavors. Each 100 mg bottle contains 20 capfuls of syrup, yielding roughly 5 mg of THC each and 100 mg total. Cannalean syrups may be added to any beverage or food item of choice.
Flavors offered at all of The Source+’s locations across Nevada include the Grape Drink, made from organic grapes grown in Central California; OG Watermelon, a fan favorite since its release in 2018, made with organic sugar baby watermelons; Pina Punch, crafted from organic pineapples grown in Oaxaca, Mexico; Plain Jane, an unflavored, simple syrup; and Strawblurry, the first flavor released in 2014, made from organic strawberries grown in Central California; all priced at $15.
The Source+ advocates for accessibility to cannabis, with an emphasis on health and wellness benefits, and always provides 10% off purchases for veterans and senior citizens. Offered at its four locations are more than 80 different strains of cannabis, as well as a variety of concentrates, edibles and related medical cannabis products. Customers are encouraged to utilize The Source+’s online ordering platform and in-house delivery services to minimize time spent shopping in-store. More information on store and delivery, curbside and pickup hours can be found here.
ASL offers another level of accessibility for customers who may be deaf or hearing-impaired.
Chai Beckett, assistant manager at Buzz Box in Portland, Ore., considered a career in American Sign Language (ASL) before landing in the emerging cannabis industry. She had studied ASL in college, taking her coursework as far as she could, but then she found herself at a crossroads: What should she do professionally, after school?
Cannabis won out, but she soon discovered that it wasn’t an either-or proposition.
Last fall, Katalina B., founder of the advocacy group Human Informed Culture, reached out to Beckett to gauge her interest in a new set of ASL classes directed specifically at budtenders. Beckett jumped at the opportunity. It followed a sequence of events that had kept ASL at the very center of her life for years.
“It just seemed like a really cool language to me,” she says, describing her ASL path. “I started getting really into the music scene, interpreting songs. And then it was like, ‘Why don't we have ASL taught at our school? We just have Spanish and French and German. We don't have ASL, but why not?’” From high school, where she petitioned administrators to add ASL as a course offering, through college, Beckett’s interest in the language bloomed. Then came the cannabis industry.
The monthly ASL-for-cannabis classes are taught by Matt Maxey, founder of Deafinitely Dope. Prior to developing his three-tiered series of ASL classes for the cannabis space, Maxey brought his sign language skills to the music world. He’s worked with Waka Flocka Flame, Chance the Rapper and others to bring music to the hard of hearing.
Maxey describes himself as “hard of hearing—severely profoundly hard of hearing.” He wears two hearing aids.
“I can talk, but sign language does help to make things more clear—instead depending on technology,” he says.
Music is important to him, so helping to bridge that language gap became a passion project. But so too is cannabis, and he found a way to bring his education skills to this new marketplace.
“There is a genuine intent in learning how to be more accessible,” he says. “We're just trying to capitalize on that: Keep it moving, provide as many options as possible. But we’re still in the early stages.”
The demand is there, he’s quick to point out: “Everybody that I know who has a hearing loss indulges in marijuana,” he says with a laugh.
In other words, for dispensary employees, it’s paramount to include that customer base’s needs in day-to-day operations.
Buzz Box opened in March 2021, and Beckett says the dispensary prides itself on the surrounding neighborhood’s hyperlocal feel. It’s a tight-knit community. Dispensary interactions reflect that.
“We really love to have a personalized experience with every customer and patient that comes in, which I love so much,” she says. “We just try to get specifics on what they're looking for so that we can give the right recommendations. With any category, like cartridges, extracts, flower, pre-rolls, it’s all about just asking those questions to make sure that they don't get something that's going to be too strong for them or not strong enough. We want to make sure that they know the right dosage and that it's the right effect that they're looking for.”
To do so, clear communication is required.
Maxey’s classes get right to the matter at hand: framing ASL education with the typical words and phrases that make up an exchange inside a dispensary.
“We learned things like ‘sativa,’ ‘hybrid,’ ‘indica,’” Beckett says. “We learned the different sizes—eighth, gram, quarter-ounce. We learned about different smells, like if it's ‘funky,’ if it's ‘sweet,’ if it's ‘lemony,’ different terpenes. Those words can really help cater the experience. Why should hearing people be the only ones to have these extraordinary experiences that are catered to them in dispensaries?”
Without the proper communication tools like ASL, deaf or partially deaf customers may be stuck merely pointing at menu items or going to the trouble of writing down their questions for the budtender. This can add a degree of discomfort to what is sometimes an already complicated commercial transaction. Cannabis can be a confusing product to navigate, especially for those who are new the market. Even knowing the basic alphabet signs can go a long way in welcoming customers who need sign language.
Watch this video to learn from Maxey:
Maxey has seen a lot of success so far. ASL isn’t super difficult to learn, and budtenders have joined his classes with hopes of bringing the work back to their teams. He says Deafinitely Dope has worked with budtenders all over the U.S., across a variety of medical and adult-use markets. Demand is everywhere, even if it’s not as straightforward as it seems on first blush.
“Deafness is a spectrum,” he says. “It’s not one-size-fits-all. You may have people who have hearing loss and don't know sign language. You may have people who have hearing loss and only use sign language. You may have people who really can't hear, but can hear a lot with their hearing aid. All of that is still included in the spectrum. Whether they talk, don't talk, whether they sign, they’re always trying to figure out how to communicate with you. Never assume that, ‘Oh, you’re deaf? You know sign language.’”
It's a matter of meeting customers and patients where they feel most comfortable, and being prepared to do so.
The 14,000-square-foot super "deal store" will serve the Coachella Valley.
PALM DESERT, Calif., March 1, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Cannabis 21+ , a premier family, women, veteran and privately owned licensed cannabis dispensary operator in California, has expanded again, opening its largest store yet in Palm Desert. This is the first of seven Riverside County locations set to open in the next 18 months.
"We know how to run high-volume stores, as our San Diego SDRC-branded locations serve almost 1,500 customers per day, but we've never had the square footage and service options that this new location offers,” said CEO Sean St. Peter, co-founder of Cannabis 21+. “Coachella Valley residents and tourists will be delighted by the variety and value we are bringing to the community, including six large kiosks that our supply partners will staff to highlight the benefits of their product lines."
Manager Nick Smith added "Cannabis dispensaries should provide all the value of storefront retail-like, face-to-face assistance, product education and instant access to products. We strive to make shopping for cannabis fun, fast and budget-friendly, without any of the hassles or worries some associate with cannabis. Our stores are bright, open and have plenty of parking, getting people aged 21 and above back to their daily lives with a smile on their face whether they are brand new to cannabis or long-time consumers."
This latest edition of what is expected to be 20 locations by the end of 2023 took over two years to get permitted by Riverside County officials and remodeled what was originally constructed as a boutique grocery store. Cannabis 21+ Palm Desert has 15 stations where visitors are offered one-on-one private consultation covering the 1,500-plus products it will carry.
Cannabis 21+ prides itself on being a "deal store," which only carries items it can offer at the lowest price for one unit, and the value gets greater when customers tap into their daily deals and bundled offers which its well-trained budtenders go over in a fun and fast fashion.
"We helped create the reputation for many of California's biggest brands and still support them, but we also like give innovative new companies an opportunity to succeed, which our customers love," St. Peter said.
The new Palm Desert Market is located at 39225 Washington St., Palm Desert, California 92211. For more information, visit ShopC21plus.
Cannabis Business Times’ interactive legislative map is another tool to help cultivators quickly navigate state cannabis laws and find news relevant to their markets. View More