More Cannabis Companies to Donate Proceeds to Support Relief Efforts in Ukraine
The cannabis industry continues to step up and help raise money for humanitarian efforts in support of Ukraine.
Recently, we published an article about a joint effort between a cannabis dispensary, MediThrive, and a dozen cannabis brands in California supporting aid in Ukraine (1). Now, more cannabis companies have declared their intent to donate proceeds to humanitarian organizations working in Ukraine.
Helmand Valley Growers Company (HVGC) is a US veteran owned and operated cannabis manufacturing company in California that donates 100% of their profits to promoting veteran health through cannabis. They recently announced their pledge to donate their profits to World Central Kitchen until the end of April. World Central Kitchen is a non-profit organization working to provide chef-prepared meals to communities affected by the violence in Ukraine (2).
“We at Helmand Valley Growers Company want to do our part, and we hope that you do the same,” said Chief Executive Officer Bryan Buckley in a video outlining their pledge (3).
Another company donating profits is Lime Cannabis Co., a cannabis manufacturer in California. “We have many team members who’ve been directly affected by war. Giving back is a core part of our brand promise, so in March, we’re donating a portion of our sales to Hope for Ukraine,” said Sergey Vasilyev, Co-founder & CEO, Lime Cannabis. “We’re in a strong growth mode so supporting a community in need just feels good, and right.” Hope for Ukraine is a non-profit organization working to provide various kinds of support to Ukraine’s most vulnerable communities (4).
References
Ep 24, Part II: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Khan
December 12th 2024Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn, co-founder of MCR Labs, discuss the discrepancies between current regulations and data on mycotoxins and pesticides in cannabis products. They highlight the need for updated regulations based on new data, emphasizing the importance of accurate testing and labeling. They also discuss the issue of result manipulation, particularly in THC content, and the need for public health officials to address this. Yasha suggests making testing data public to enhance oversight and suggests a national entity to manage this data for better consistency and public safety.
Ep 24, Part I: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Khan
November 21st 2024Evan Friedmann interviews Yasha Khan, co-founder of MCR Labs, about his journey into the cannabis industry and his efforts to promote transparency and integrity in laboratory practices. Yasha discusses the origins of MCR Labs, which began in Massachusetts to meet the needs of the soon-to-be legal medical cannabis market. He explains the challenges faced, including result manipulation by labs and the impact on public health. Yasha's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) project aimed to gather testing data from 37 states, revealed significant discrepancies in potency and mold results. Despite some states' reluctance to share data, Yasha has made much of this data public, leading to collaborative research and publications on various aspects of cannabis testing.
