PA’s Psychedelic Push, West NY’s Canna-Delivery, & RAW’s Massive Donation

Pennsylvania inches toward psychedelic legalization, cannabis delivery comes to New York, and RAW Rolling Papers makes a massive donation.

Let’s dive into this week’s canna-news.

Pennsylvania’s Psychedelic Renaissance

Last month, a group of Pennsylvania therapists, researchers, and psychedelic advocates gathered for The PhilaDelic Conference on Psychedelic Studies at Penn University. The Conference was a strong showing of the growing movement to legalize psychedelics in the Keystone State. Let’s check in on the progress this movement has made thus far and what the state still needs to do.

On the advocacy front, Decriminalize Nature Philadelphia’s founder, Colette Condorcita, recently met with Philadelphia City Council members. Condorcita asked the Council members to focus on deprioritizing the arrest and prosecution of individuals using plant-derived psychedelics. She emphasized that, for many, these substances offer the potential for immense mental benefits. Condorcita’s message was met with positive reactions from the City Council Members, signaling good things to come.

At the state level, a bill promoting psilocybin research, which stalled in the past, is gaining new traction. The Psilocybin Data Act’s new-found life is due in large part to shifts in the Pennsylvania House’s balance after the recent election. The bill has the support of Psychedelic advocacy groups, like Reason for Hope, founded by Brett Waters.  

Despite all these positive developments, however, advocates are weary of repeating the inequalities seen in cannabis reform. They emphasize the need for diverse representation in research and equitable access to psychedelic-assisted therapy. Victor Cabral, a social worker, had one possible solution. He suggests incorporating these therapies into medical insurance plans to ensure accessibility for all, particularly marginalized communities.

Western New York Finally Get’s Cannabis Deliveries

New Yorkers may soon be able to order cannabis from the comfort of their homes. Introducing Canterra, a novel online cannabis delivery service set to launch in Western New York. This makes Canterra the first service of its kind in the region!

This announcement represents a significant development in Western NY’s slowly developing retail market, which launched nearly 2 years ago. In fact, the region only recently opened its first brick-and-mortar cannabis dispensary.

The company’s site went online earlier this week and should be taking orders by the time of writing. Canterra’s delivery service is available for customers in Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, Wyoming, Genesee, Orleans, and Monroe. The company hopes to expand its delivery network by year’s-end to give users even shorter delivery times.

Matthew Krupp, Canterra’s co-founder, explained that the platform aims to transform the local cannabis industry by offering a more accessible and responsible experience for consumers. The company prides itself on collaborating with local farmers in the region to supply its inventory, further bridging the gap between consumers and the local industry.

RAW’s Donation Fuels The JUSTÜS Foundation’s Mission

RAW Rolling Papers has announced a significant donation of $100,000 to The JUSTÜS Foundation — a non-profit dedicated to assisting legacy cannabis operators in their transition to the legal market.

The JUSTÜS Foundation is led by cannabis activist Steve DeAngelo and COO Scheril Murray Powell Esquire. Their work seeks to foster an inclusive and diverse legal market that benefits both legacy operators and the larger community.

With The JUSTÜS Foundation’s expertise, Raw is looking to dole out three 20k grants to deserving legacy operators to help them launch their new legal cannabis ventures. The grant application window opened on August 1st and will continue through August 31st. Successful applicants will be encouraged to contribute to the community by “paying it forward” upon achieving success in the legal cannabis industry.