💸 The Tape

Eaze Inc. is back in the sunshine—quite literally—instead of shuttering its Northeast Florida cultivation facility and closing up shop, the cannabis company is doubling down on the Sunshine State. After flirting with calamity last October, when it nearly pulled the plug on operations in California, Colorado, Michigan, and Florida, Eaze pivoted hard. Now armed with a fresh $10 million in Series B funding, the formerly beleaguered brand has decided that Florida is just too hot a prospect to pass up.

Case in point: Eaze will not only keep its sprawling 400,000-square-foot Palatka cultivation center open; it’s ramping up production and adding employees. Think of it as the cannabis industry’s version of a rags-to-riches comeback story. And that’s only the beginning. Plans for three more retail stores—Yulee, Live Oak, and Gainesville—could turn the tide on Eaze’s fortunes, especially in Florida’s somewhat paradoxical medical-only market.

Here’s the irony: while other states have gone full-throttle on recreational weed, Florida voters nixed Amendment 3, which would have legalized adult use. Eaze’s CEO, Cory Azzalino, hints that, strange as it sounds, staying medical might actually be a boon. Under Florida’s quirky regulations, Eaze holds a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (MMTC) license, basically giving it the golden ticket to cultivate, process, transport, and dispense without the typical competition you’d find in more open markets. It’s like a micro-monopoly, but one strictly supervised by the Office of Medical Marijuana Use.

Of course, Eaze nearly went up in smoke financially last summer, when Netscape founder James Clark and his investment group foreclosed on Eaze’s assets over a $54 million debt. Rather than letting the entire operation go to pot—pun absolutely intended—Clark’s group took over, reorganized as Eaze Inc., and commenced its own brand of phoenix-like resurrection. The new capital injection allowed Eaze to double cultivation capacity in Palatka from 32,000 to 64,000 square feet, readying the facility to pump out high-grade, indoor-grown flower for over 40 dispensaries statewide.

With robust demand and fewer MMTC permit holders to crowd the space, Eaze’s plans for a brand refresh and expanded delivery services in 2026 look promising. The moral of the story? In the topsy-turvy world of cannabis, sometimes failing to legalize can ironically light the path to bigger, better business. And for Eaze, the future just got a whole lot greener.

📈 Dog Walkers

Aurora Launches In Germany

With Germany’s cannabis market heating up faster than a short squeeze, Aurora Cannabis has decided to put some skin in the game with IndiMed, its new locally grown medical marvel. Cultivated under GACP and EU-GMP guidelines (translation: top-notch standards), the brand’s first offering, Island Sweet Skunk, arrives poised to charm patients craving high-quality relief. Fresh off Aurora’s Leuna facility assembly line, this sativa-dominant flower boasts 20% THC and less than 1% CBD, hitting shelves January 27. By nimbly tackling Germany’s strict regulations and capitalizing on the country’s pro-cannabis momentum, Aurora cements its place at the top of the global medical cannabis food chain, confidently eyeing new horizons and conjuring the spirit of cannabis innovation on a continental scale in style.

Abolish The DEA

Turns out, the DEA’s credibility is about as solid as a house of cards—especially with cannabis users. A recent poll reveals that 96% of marijuana consumers don’t trust the DEA to support rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to III, with just 4% buying what they’re selling.

🗞️ The News

Aurora Cannabis Launches First Domestically Grown Medical Cannabis Brand in Germany Under New Cultivation License

Medical cannabis exports from Canada doubled in first half of 2024

Explosion at Maryland cannabis facility injures 2, officials say

📺 YouTube

Why Derek Maltz was named Acting DEA Administrator | Trade to Black

What we covered:

✅ On our latest Trade To Black Podcast, Charlie Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs (OTC: CRLBF), will join us to talk about his recent trip to Washington over this past weekend, where he attended a number of Presidential inauguration events for the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump.

We'll learn about the latest news involving cannabis reform, including the rescheduling of cannabis, along with banking reform regarding SAFE Banking, and his take on rumors online about a potential executive order for cannabis by the Trump administration.

Some of the notable events over this past weekend included the Vice President's Ball featuring VP JD Vance, plus a number of other high-profile events. We'll ask if the topic of cannabis was addressed with members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and what elected officials' sentiments are towards cannabis, and if there is growing sentiment to finally see change under the new Trump administration.