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New Global Sales Director announced for Rock River Laboratory

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8 hours ago

January 10, 2026

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Rock River Laboratory, an international provider of agricultural analytics, data management tools and model development, today announced the hiring of David Williams as Global Sales Director to lead its expanded agronomy sales team. In this new role, Williams will integrate and lead representatives from A&L Canada Laboratories in London, Ontario; Auburn, Ind., Agri-Labs; and Frontier Labs in Clear Lake, Iowa, with the Rock River Laboratory team based in Watertown, Wisconsin.

“David’s diverse and dedicated leadership experience stands before him, and we have complete confidence in his ability to form cohesiveness in the expert teams we are assembling,” shares Zachery Meyer, CEO of Rock River Laboratory. “Customer service remains a top priority for our organization, and David’s work will ensure our commitment to customer success, strengthening the value our team members bring to our customers’ challenges and opportunities.”

Williams attended Southern Illinois University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science, Food and Nutrition, specializing in livestock production, and a Master of Science in ruminant nutrition. His experience includes nearly a decade in sales management and production oversight, most recently with Land O’Lakes – Purina Animal Nutrition. Prior to joining Purina, Williams managed a large beef-calf operation and served as assistant farm manager at the university’s beef and pork center, building on a production farming background that began on his family’s farm in southern Illinois.

A decorated infantry veteran, Williams has completed a combat deployment to Iraq, served in the Commanding General’s Mountain Color Guard out of Fort Riley, and continues as a chaplain in the Illinois Army National Guard.

For more information:
Rock River Laboratory
https://rockriverlab.com/

Related Topics:announced Director Global Laboratory River Rock Sales

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Proposed Texas Hemp License Fee Hike Will Force Businesses To Close, Advocates Say

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Cannabis News

Proposed Texas Hemp License Fee Hike Will Force Businesses To Close, Advocates Say

Published

8 hours ago

January 10, 2026

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“Many small businesses cannot absorb this level of cost and will be forced to close rather than innovate.”

By Stephen Simpson, The Texas Tribune

Texas state health officials have proposed raising licensing fees for some hemp businesses by 13,000 percent, among changes that many industry members and advocates say will shut down small operations in favor of larger out-of-state companies.

Proponents of this change say it is necessary to strengthen oversight of an industry that has grown out of control.

At the end of last monthThe Texas Department of State Health Services published a set has proposed rules to tighten regulations on consumable hemp productsThis includes establishing a minimum purchase age of 21, along with age verification requirements and mandatory product recalls, all of which are measures supported by the hemp industry.

However, the two proposed rules that have caused the most heartburn among advocates and businesses are new testing requirements and increases in licensing fees. Manufacturer licenses would increase from $250 to $25,000 per facility per year and retail registrations from $150 to $20,000 per location per year, an increase of more than 13,000 percent.

Industry members say the new requirements to test THC levels in consumable hemp products would eliminate the use of hemp flower to manufacture products such as edibles and combustibles because hemp flowers contain THC levels higher than the new limit. They say eliminating the use of hemp flowers would allow more synthetically derived THC, such as delta-9, to flourish.

“The proposed rules eliminate about 80 percent of what every store sells, including ours, which is natural hemp flower, and it would certainly eliminate the entire THC rule,” Kemah-based owner Scott Stubb. Sublingwell Cannabinoids and Euphoricshe said in a public health agency of the state hearing in the rules on Friday. “Then you add in the fees it’s $20,000 per store, I don’t know, honestly, how we would stay open.”

Hemp distributors say the new license fee is a fundamental restructuring of their ability to operate legally in Texas.

“DSHS’ fiscal analysis assumes that nearly all currently registered retailers will pay the proposed $20,000 fee, generating more than $200 million in annual revenue. This assumption is unrealistic. Many small businesses cannot absorb this level of cost and will be forced to close rather than innovate,” said Heather Fazio, director of the Cannabis Policy Center of Texas. has been submitted for public comment.

Fazio said licensing and registration fees should be structured to recover the reasonable costs of effective regulation, not to function as a revenue mechanism that drives companies out of the regulated market.

“The department’s own calculations show that the increased costs of administering these rules are minimal. In that context, it is not clear why the dramatic fee increases are necessary or justified,” he said.

Supporters of the license fee increase said this is a necessary step to protect children from cannabis products and want more enforcement of penalties for cannabis shops operating without a license.

“Cannabis advocates say it’s a billion-dollar industry. It’s only fair and appropriate to create fees that help cover the cost of regulating the product and the burden on society for people who profit from the sale of billions of dollars in intoxicating products,” said Betsy Jones, director of policy and strategy for Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth.

Aubree Adams, director of Citizens for a Safe and Healthy Texas, called for more regulations on the industry, including raising the minimum purchase age to 25 and requiring hemp companies to also help pay for public education, data collection, processing, infrastructure and more.

“This problem facing the state is the normalization and promotion of retail groups driven by chemical manipulations and misleading information,” he said.

Multiple veterans also opposed the elimination of products derived from hemp flowers, which many rely on to help them sleep or deal with issues like PTSD and anxiety.

“I spent 16 months overseas and used many different pharmaceuticals that were dangerous and caused me seizures and physical damage. These health products have given me my life back and allowed me to go back to work,” said San Antonio combat veteran Adam Peterson. “A total ban on THC will basically take away access to good medicine that helps me.”

Fazio said removing regulated access to hemp flower won’t take away consumer demand. It will push people into the unregulated market.

“The result goes against the public health goals these rules are intended to advance,” he said.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the Texas Department of State Health Services have proposed new rules aimed at regulating the edible hemp market to comply with Governor Greg Abbott’s (R) executive order.

The two agencies are working together, as neither has jurisdiction over the entire landscape of retailers selling hemp consumables.

For example, the TABC rules would not apply to licensed hemp sellers under the state Department of Health Services, including online stores, gas stations, and online retailers that do not sell liquor and are presumed not to have a liquor license. The same can be said for the 60,000 TABC licensees, such as restaurants and liquor stores. The TABC has yet to propose any changes to licensing fees for businesses selling hemp consumables.

The executive order came after the Texas Legislature spent most of last year debating whether to ban consumer hemp products or impose stricter regulations on the industry. Abbott vetoed the outright ban passed by the House and Senate last summer. The governor then put THC regulations on the agenda for two consecutive special sessions, but lawmakers did unable to find a compromise before the end of the second session.

Instead of calling a third special session, Abbott issued his own executive order, bypassing the Legislature. The decision pits Abbott against Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who has been a staunch supporter of banning consumer hemp products.

After months of uncertainty over whether the Legislature would consider a full ban, THC industry representatives celebrated Abbott’s order at the time, saying it would allow THC to further establish itself as a legal industry in the state.

However, the rules proposed by some industry members are very similar to the ban.

“When the governor vetoed that bill, our voice was being amplified and taking the fee structure in the same bill undermines that outcome,” said Hayden Meek, owner of Denton-based Delta Denton. “A $20,000 fee falls on a multi-state corporation fee; for a single-location store like mine, 20,000 is death by cutbacks.”

This the article appeared for the first time Texas Tribune.

Max Jackson’s photo.

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Cannabis News

Bloemteknik receives £2.5 million investment

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

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Foresight Group has announced a £2.5m investment in Bloemteknik Limited, a Cardiff-based supplier of precision LED lighting systems for commercial greenhouses and vertical farms.

The investment was made through British Business Bank’s Wales Investment Fund and Foresight’s Growth VCTs. The Investment Fund for Wales was launched in November 2023 by the UK government-backed British Business Bank to promote the provision of seed funding to small and medium-sized businesses across Wales. Bloem’s investment was led by appointed fund managers, Foresight, who oversee the Fund’s equity investments of up to £5m.

The investment allows Bloem to scale its operations, strengthen its delivery capability and expand into new international markets. The partnership brings strategic support through board-level guidance, sector expertise and access to Foresight’s global network, helping Bloem build a strong, high-growth business rooted in South Wales.

James Fleet, CEO of Bloem, said: “Bringing GreenFingers to market simply wouldn’t have been possible without Foresight’s support. Their investment has allowed us to turn an ambitious concept into meaningful value for growers. GreenFingers creates a truly self-contained self-optimizing lighting ecosystem, with advanced algorithms to automatically adjust complementary LED spectrums in real-time to maintain consistent DLI in a balanced crop environment.”

Bethan Bannister, Chief Executive of National and Regional Investment Funds at the British Business Bank, said: “It is great to see how the Welsh Investment Fund is accelerating innovative businesses like Bloem’s to bring new products to market. Bloem’s development track record is impressive and with this funding supporting its strategic growth ambitions, we look forward to its success.”

Ashley Rogers, Investment Manager at Foresight, commented: “Bloem has shown strong early traction in a rapidly growing market with a differentiated product and an experienced team. We are excited to support their growth and innovation, especially as they expand into new geographies and continue to build their market-leading proposition.”

For more information:
Bloemteknik
Sophia House Cathedral Rd Cardiff CF11 9LJ, United Kingdom
+44 (0) 2920 660250
(email protected)
bloemteknik.com

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Massachusetts Hits $10 Billion Marijuana Sales Milestone, With Top Official Saying Consumption Lounges Will Bolster Industry In 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

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Massachusetts hit a 2025 marijuana sales milestone of $1.65 billion a year for adult use, bringing the state’s total cannabis purchases to more than $10 billion since the launch of the recreational market, officials announced Thursday.

A top regulator also said the addition of social consumption halls could give the industry another boost in 2026, and President Donald Trump’s directive to federally regulate cannabis will create more research opportunities in the state.

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) released the latest data on Thursday, saying officials are anticipating an even higher sales record this year as the state prepares. launching a new license category or social consumption venue.

By 2025, when recreational and medical sales are combined, the state could see about $1.8 billion in annual legal marijuana purchases. Overall, since 2018, there have been about $10.8 billion in combined sales of medical and recreational cannabis.

“Massachusetts’ cannabis industry continued to mature in 2025 as the number of cannabis businesses reached its highest point since adult-use sales began in 2018,” CCC President Shannon O’Brien said in a press release. “While gross sales remain high, the Commission will seek to remove regulatory barriers through the new Red Tape Commission in 2026, helping licensees stabilize and plan for the future as the industry continues to evolve.”

Travis Ahern, CCC Executive Director, he said Beyond the expansion of the social consumption arena, Trump’s order to move marijuana from Schedule I to III of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) will bring benefits to the state.

“Commissioners and staff are working hard to prepare for a potential expansion of the social consumption industry and the possibility of new research opportunities should the federal government reschedule cannabis,” he said. “With critical changes on the horizon, the Commission continues to adapt its policies, protocols and oversight to continue building a safe, fair and efficient cannabis industry for Massachusetts.”

Marijuana merchants in Massachusetts registered a new annual record of 46.3 million transactions in 2025, the CCC said, up 3.4 million from the previous year.

In the background are Massachusetts election officials has organized a hearing to investigate a complaint challenging the signature collection process In support of the ballot initiative to roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law.

This came about two weeks after the Secretary of the Commonwealth Electoral Division confirmed the anti-cannabis campaign. it has collected enough signatures for the members of parliament to take action before potentially being put on the November ballot.

As detailed in the latest complaint, the campaign has been mired in controversy over allegedly deceptive signature-gathering tactics. Paid petitioners have been accused of using fake letters on other ballot measures, such as affordable housing and same-day voter registration.

The The state attorney general has confirmed that he has received complaints for that And a state association of marijuana companies urged voters to report them to local officials if they observe them Instances of “spoof mail” or other fraudulent solicitation tactics. The campaign has denied the allegations.

The office of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell (D), that is He cleared the signature collection campaign in September—stressed to voters the importance of reading their summary, which should go at the top of the signature form, before signing any petition.

The Massachusetts legislature received the initiative for consideration Wednesday when the 2026 session began. Unless annulled, members of parliament have until May 5 to act on the proposal. If they decide not to pass it in the legislature, the campaign would have to go through another round of petitions and get at least 12,429 certified signatures by July 1 to get on the November ballot.

Meanwhile, the head of Massachusetts’ marijuana regulatory agency recently suggested measures to effectively recriminalize the sale of recreational cannabis. dangerous tax revenues being used to support substance abuse treatment efforts and other public programs.

Massachusetts lawmakers recently joined a bicameral conference committee to hammer out a deal. double the legal limit for possession of marijuana for adults and reviewing the regulatory framework for the state’s adult cannabis market.

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CCC has also launched a targeted online platform helping people find work, on-the-job training and networking opportunities in the state’s legal cannabis industry.

State legislators have also been pondering imposing stricter restrictions on intoxicating hemp-derived products and a plan allowing individual entities to control a greater number of cannabis establishments.

Also in Massachusetts Legislators working on state budgets butted heads with CCC officialswho said critical technology improvements can’t be made without more money from the legislature.

Massachusetts lawmakers also passed a bill establishing a pilot program for the regulated therapeutic use of psychedelics. And two committees Hearings to discuss additional measures related to psilocybin were held separately.

user photo Brian Shamblen.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.