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Entourage Health faces severance claims from dismissed employees

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Entourage Health Corp., an Aylmer, Ont.-based cannabis grower, laid off 53 workers on June 8 without notice, offering only two weeks’ pay in lieu of notice rather than layoffs. More than 40 former employees have since filed complaints with Ontario’s Ministry of Labor, alleging the company violated the province’s Employment Standards Act, which entitles workers with more than five years of service at companies with payrolls of more than $2.5 million to receive 26 weeks of severance pay.

The company is owned by the pension fund of LiUNA, a major private sector union, which became Entourage’s largest lender and shareholder following a series of investments beginning in 2017. Entourage was taken private by an entity related to LiUNA in April 2025. After struggling with debt and unprofitability, the company laid off most of its leisure workers, and lost most of its bank employees to CCAA. protection at the end of June 2026. Its medical cannabis division continues to operate with 22 employees.

Court filings show Entourage owes LiUNA’s pension fund about $240 million. Efforts to sell the company generated little industry interest, leading to a bankruptcy filing. Former employees, including Benjamin Hessel and Gabriela Ayee, say they were blindsided by the sudden layoffs and worry they won’t get back the severance they were owed in the restructuring. A labor attorney noted that workers laid off in bankruptcy typically become unsecured creditors with limited recourse because secured lenders and government creditors are prioritized. The federal Wage Protection Program offers affected workers a one-time payment of up to $9,275. Neither Entourage nor the LiUNA Pension Fund responded to requests for comment.










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Wyoming Attorney General Blocks State Marijuana Rescheduling That Would Be Triggered By Trump’s Federal Reform

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July 9, 2026

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The attorney general of Wyoming has determined that the state will not reclassify marijuana under state law under a federal rescheduling From the Trump administration.

“The Wyoming Legislature has not legalized medical marijuana, adopted a state-licensed medical marijuana regulatory scheme, or agreed to recognize any other state’s medical marijuana licenses,” Attorney General Keith Kautz (R) said Tuesday. “Therefore, making marijuana subject to a state medical marijuana license in Title III of the Wyoming Controlled Substances Act is inconsistent with the police powers previously exercised by the Wyoming Legislature.”

“The question of whether to remove a type of marijuana from Schedule I of the Wyoming Controlled Substances Act is a matter for the Wyoming Legislature and should not be done through the administrative rulemaking process,” he said.

The Legislature, however, previously enacted a law stating that “if a substance is designated, rescheduled, or eliminated as a controlled substance under federal law,” the drug and substance abuse commissioner “must control the substance under this law in the same manner as federal law” within 30 days.

Under state law, the attorney general serves as the drug and substance abuse commissioner and can formally challenge the state’s automatic rescheduling to prevent it from happening, subject to a public hearing, “giving all interested parties an opportunity to be heard.”

Kautz called a hearing in June to consider the issue, and also accepted public comments via email.

“The Commissioner received eight comments by email. Four of the comments expressed support for leaving medical marijuana and marijuana products in Schedule I of the Wyoming Controlled Substances Act. Four of the comments supported leaving medical marijuana and marijuana in Schedule III of the Wyoming Controlled Substances Act. All of the comments, both by email and in person, focused on the important policy considerations surrounding the legalization of marijuana and marijuana products.

According to the Attorney General, “all marijuana products currently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration are already scheduled under the Federal Controlled Substances Act.” referring to prescription medications such as dronabinol, Cesamet, and Epidiolex. “The Commissioner will continue to appropriately monitor individual substances as they are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.”

“After considering all stakeholder comments, the commissioner has determined that all marijuana products, including marijuana subject to the state’s medical marijuana license, will remain in Schedule I of the Wyoming Controlled Substances Act,” Kautz’s announcement reads. “This decision is final unless changed by statute.”

Under an order issued in April by US Attorney General Todd Blanche, marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license were immediately changed from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Annex, as well as marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

An an administrative hearing now underway is examining a broader rescheduling of cannabisincluding for recreational products.

In Wyoming, activists have tried unsuccessfully to put it down initiatives to legalize medical cannabis and decriminalize possession of marijuana on the ballot.

State lawmakers have also considered legislation on the issue, but Wyoming remains one of the few states without legal access to medical marijuana.

In 2022, the speaker of the Wyoming House introduced a bipartisan decriminalization bill to remove criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of cannabis and replace the state’s current felony charge with a $100 fine. But that legislation he did not receive a vote Despite the support of top GOP lawmakers.

A bill to legalize and regulate adult cannabis in Wyoming he advanced from a House committee In 2021, but at the end of that session it didn’t move anymore.

A A survey released in 2020 has been found It found that 54 percent of Wyoming residents approve of allowing adults in the state to “legally possess marijuana for personal use.”

Meanwhile, other states without comprehensive medical cannabis programs are also grappling with changes to state marijuana laws that could trigger federal redistricting action.

A The GOP senator from South Carolina, for example, said that “medical marijuana is now legal.” under a trigger law in the state.

In May, the governing bodies The Alabama Department of Public Health voted against federal rescheduling of marijuana after health officials said they need more time to determine how to implement the change at the state level.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R), on the other hand, signed the legislation this session block automatic review that could have legalized medical marijuana Under state law, after federal drug rescheduling.

user photo Carlos Gracia.

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There’s product in the German market you wonder how it got in

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July 8, 2026

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Sascha Mielcar, CEO of Canify AG, inspects all the suppliers the company buys from, retesting each batch and discarding anything out of specification. However, cannabis from other companies is reaching German pharmacies that cannot meet these standards. “There is a market in Germany where you wonder how the product got into it,” says Sascha. The certification standards, he believes, are not being strictly applied.

© Canify

“I don’t like the term GMP cleaning, it’s a complex methodology,” says Sascha. His concern is the microbiological purity of what reaches the patients, a product that clears certification abroad and would not survive the same examination in Germany. Canify only sells flowers that are GMP certified, and Sascha would rather turn away business than release something out of spec.

For repair, Canify uses a GMP validated method. “We don’t revel in repairs, but if we do, we do it through a qualified, validated process,” says Sascha. Others in the market use various methods and claim GMP validation, and Sascha is skeptical of the extent of these standards.

From the early days to the international footprint
Canify was among the first movers in the German market. Founded in 2018, obtained GMP certification in 2021 after three years and huge expenses, trading since the end of 2022, imports, processes and releases products from various countries, including Portugal, Canada, Uruguay, Colombia, South Africa, Lesotho, Spain, Denmark and North Macedonia, for its brands and telemedicine and clinical services on its German soil. Its volume grew tenfold in 2024 and fivefold again in 2025, although price compression means revenue has not grown in line with volume. The company has also announced a merger with MG Health, a Lesotho-based grower and manufacturer with GMP I and II certified facilities, a step that Sascha calls Canify vertically integrated on two continents, and what he believes to be the first fully integrated operator of its kind outside of Canada.

© Canify

Cannabis from a bunker in Nato
The manufacturing site has an unusual history. As cannabis was classified as a narcotic, storage regulations were strict, and Canify built its vault inside a former NATO bunker. “It’s a regular piece of real estate, but it’s quite useful,” says Sascha.

© Canify

In terms of product formats, little has changed. Germany remains a compound market where pharmaceuticals are prepared and the main form factor is still dried flower. “We’re using Stone Age form factors, dried flowers,” says Sascha. He doubts whether edibles are legal in Germany and is wary of vaporizers, where the certification covers the device rather than the cartridge, and there are voices calling for the disappearance of these products from the market. Canify is investing in a fully certified device, closer to an inhaler than a vaporizer, designed for precise dosing and high bioavailability. “Germany remains a composite market, the only real way is to work with pharma,” concludes Sascha.

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canify.com

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Illinois Officials Update Marijuana Dispensaries On Increased Possession Limits And Ability To Add Drive-Thru Windows

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July 8, 2026

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Illinois officials have released guidelines for marijuana businesses regarding a new law doubles the amount of marijuana that adults can legally possess, It allows drive-thrus and curbside pickup at dispensaries and allows them to stay open for longer hours of operation, among other changes.

The reforms are part of an omnibus cannabis bill signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker (D) last month.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), which regulates adult use and medicinal cannabis, released a five-page explanation of some of the key changes to the law that dispensaries should be aware of.

“Dispensaries can begin offering street pickup and drive-thru services. However, before offering drive-through or curbside, licensees must review and approve their systems by the IDFPR,” he says. “Dispensaries may extend their hours to 2 a.m. with local municipal approval.”

As established by law, SB 3222 allows state residents over the age of 21 to possess up to 60 grams of marijuana flower, double the previous law. They can also contain up to 10 grams of concentrated cannabis and infused products with up to 1,000 mg of THC, double the previous limit. Property amounts for non-resident adults are also doubled under the bill and generally set at half of what residents can carry.

“Additionally, registered medical patients in Illinois are permitted to purchase licensed seeds,” the IDFPR said.

Other changes flagged by the IDFPR include:

  • It is no longer necessary to include cannabis products before sale.
  • Dispensaries no longer need to contract with third-party security companies, and can instead hire their own security guards.
  • Dispensaries may begin storing security films for sixty (60) days rather than ninety (90) days.
  • Constables, supervisors and senior officers who were previously prohibited from holding a medical cannabis license solely for a criminal conviction referred to as a “dismissed offense” are no longer prohibited from holding such a license. This also applies to future applicants.

Most of the changes to the legislation went into effect immediately, but IDFPR guidance indicates that a provision allowing all licensed dispensaries to opt for medical licenses will take effect on September 10.

“Any adult-use dispensary with an active license in good standing may elect to obtain a medical dispensary license,” he said. “This medical dispensary license will allow the dispensary to sell cannabis to medical patients at the medical tax rate, up to the allocation of the medical patient.”

As of Sept. 10, “all cannabis products sold to medical cannabis patients must carry a federally mandated warning label,” the IDFPR said. “This label must be affixed prior to sale to the patient and dispensaries are responsible for ensuring that the label is properly affixed to the product.”

The agency also noted that requirements regarding dispensary employee badges and ownership limits for marijuana businesses were lifted.

“This document is for informational purposes only, is not exhaustive, and should not be construed as legal advice, administrative regulation or binding legal pronouncements,” he said. orientationwhich was the first notify Illinois New Joint, says. “The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation advises all licensees to coordinate with their legal counsel and thoroughly review all applicable laws and regulations to ensure continued compliance.”

The IDFPR noted that many of the new changes require updates to the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system, adding that it is considering hosting a potential town hall meeting on the changes and “is reviewing existing administrative rules and plans to propose the necessary rules through the formal rulemaking process for SB 3222 in the coming months.”

The new law also contains a number of cannabis policy updates that do not directly affect dispensary operations and are not addressed in the IDFPR policy.

For example, people with past convictions for possession of 60 grams of marijuana will now have the option to have those records expunged; they will be able to double the previous cut to allow only those with convictions of up to 30 grams to be accepted.

The legislation It also re-criminalizes hemp THC products containing more than 0.4 milligrams per container, in line with the federal ban that will take effect in November.

The state’s list of conditions for medical marijuana is also expanding to include female orgasmic disorder, endometriosis, ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids.

The the governor held a signing ceremony at a marijuana dispensary“I’m proud that Illinois continues to lead the nation in showing what thoughtful and balanced cannabis policy can achieve.”

In 2019, the Pritzker signed the state’s initial marijuana legalization policy.

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