WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY — 3BUDS LLC, a full-service Delta 8 cannabinoid company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of their hemp dispensary on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre, Tuesday.

The dispensary sells Delta 8, but many wonder what is Delta 8, how is it legal and how does it differ from medical marijuana (Delta 9 THC)?

3BUDS is owned by brothers-in-law, Ted Lasher and Hunter Smetana, along with their “honorary brother” Colby Kluk. The business started online as an e-commerce business that has grown into 3 physical locations in Wilkes-Barre, Wyoming and Scranton.

A new city law bars many employers from testing job applicants for cannabis use, but there are several exemptions to the ordinance.

If you’re looking for a job in Philadelphia, you may no longer need to pass a drug test for marijuana. A new city law bars many employers from testing job applicants for cannabis use. It took effect Jan. 1.

But there are several exemptions to the ordinance and questions about enforcement. If you’re a job applicant or hiring manager, here’s what you need to know about the city’s ban on pre-hire marijuana testing.

The cases against two area residents who were reportedly caught growing marijuana in the front yard of their residence in Redbank Township moved forward in court on Tuesday.

Court documents indicate the following charges against 47-year-old Robert Jason Smyers and 42-year-old Katie Joleen Shreckengost, both of Summerville, were waived for court on Tuesday, January 4, 2022:

– Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony (two counts)
– Intentional Possession of Controlled Substance by Person Not Registered, Misdemeanor

– Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor

The charges have been transferred to the Clarion County Court of Common Pleas.

Court documents indicate Marienville-based State Police filed criminal charges against 55-year-old Terry Hubert Webb. According to a criminal complaint, around 5:20 p.m. on December 4, Marienville-based State Police initiated a traffic stop after observing a vehicle making a traffic violation.

One of the passengers in the vehicle, identified as Terry Hubert Webb, was subsequently found to be in possession of a white powder substance in a plastic baggie. When asked about the substance, Webb reportedly stated it was cocaine, the complaint states.

Philly Startup Leaders is scrapping its programming lineup and launching a new set of startup accelerators focused on the cannabis industry and ethical entrepreneurship.

The nonprofit will launch its two new accelerators in the spring, with 10 spots open for each program. Applications for the “Cannabiz” accelerator opened last week, and the ethical entrepreneurship application window will open Jan. 10.

Philly Startup Leaders’ flagship idea-stage accelerator, Founded in Philly Series I, will have its 10-week format replaced by a workshop program scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 18. It will kick off two other accelerators in the fall focused on industrial innovation and consumer packaged goods.

While the COVID-19 pandemic upended release plans for many movies big and small, it did make the subject matter for some even more relevant.

Take “Freeland,” an indie film about a longtime marijuana farmer whose business model and sole source of income is being threatened by legalization. “Freeland” explores how people cope when their entire way of life is turned upside down overnight, and a global pandemic adds an extra layer of resonance to its story.

“It is about a woman who has worked really hard her whole life, and she’s about to lose everything through no fault of their own,” said Krisha Fairchild, 70, who plays Devi, the marijuana farmer in “Freeland.”

Cannabis company stock prices have taken a nearly year-long hit that some investors might describe as extreme considering the potential for federal marijuana legalization in the foreseeable future. Now, companies in Pennsylvania have more potential bad news coming down the pike from the state's department of health.

Failure to comply with a new order from the state agency could result in suspension or revocation of cannabis operator licenses. Two marijuana producers with a heavy concentration in The Keystone State are Jushi Holdings (OTC: JUSHF), and Trulieve Cannabis (OTC: TCNNF), both of which sell vape products in the state.

Project PA Hemp Home is partially funded by two grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Photo provided by DON Enterprises

Affordable housing constructed with hemp-based building material is nearing completion in New Castle, Pennsylvania.

Project PA Hemp Home is the first full home renovation in the state using hempcrete and HempWood.

The nonprofit corporation behind the project is DON Enterprises, headquartered in New Castle. DON has grown from its core work in disability rights advocacy to become the second largest employer in Lawrence County and a force for economic development, employing over 1,000 people who provide a range of services from attendant care to construction.