Latest news with #Cannabis
Malaysia Sun
15 hours ago
- Malaysia Sun
Brunei cracks down on int'l drug cartel
Xinhua 20 Jun 2025, 07:45 GMT+10 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has thwarted an international drug syndicate which recruited five Bruneian men, local media reported on Thursday. The local men were recruited as drug couriers smuggling drugs into Europe via Brunei's neighboring country, NCB said in a press release on Thursday. According to local daily Borneo Bulletin, those local men earned a total of 21,000 Brunei dollars (16,354 U.S. dollars) from smuggling Cannabis weighing 68 kg worth over a million Euros. The NCB expressed concern over the troubling trend of Bruneians being recruited for drug smuggling activities and urged them to resist being swayed by the enticing offers from the syndicate.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
LEADING RETIREMENT SOLUTIONS RESCUES CANNABIS INDUSTRY WITH MOST COMPLIANT CANNABIS 401(K) BENEFITS ON THE MARKET
Leading Retirement Solutions' Cannabis 401(k) helps cannabis leadership avoid plan ejections through comprehensive compliance and risk mitigation support SEATTLE, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, 51 states in the U.S. have legalized medical cannabis, 28 U.S. jurisdictions have legalized recreational cannabis, and according to data from Statista, the U.S. market is expected to generate $45.35 billion in 2025. But, despite the continued prosperity of the industry, traditional banking—and vital benefits like 401(k) plans—are out of reach for most state-licensed cannabis companies and their employees. Because they are federally-regulated, most U.S. banks and depository institutions do not want to take the legal risks to work with cannabis, which is still illegal to manufacture, distribute, and dispense under federal law. In particular, banks fear that working in the cannabis industry will violate federal anti-money laundering laws, including The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), which would put them at risk of legal penalties. But, working with cannabis companies doesn't need to be so fraught for financial service providers or cannabis operators. Since 2017, Leading Retirement Solutions has offered stable, safe, compliant and affordable cannabis 401(k) solutions that comprehensively mitigate the risks financial institutions face and protect cannabis companies from plan ejections and legal issues. In fact, they were the very first company to tackle this issue for the industry, with compliance at the forefront. "I certainly had a lot of anxiety about being responsible for rolling out our plan correctly from a legal perspective and communicating about it with employees," said Alissa Jubelirer, a lawyer who specializes in labor and employment law and cannabis at Benesch. In her previous role as General Counsel to Revolution Cannabis Co., she was responsible for rolling out the company's first 401(k) plan with LRS. "LRS did a great job of holding my hand through the process, project managing, and addressing expectations on our end so we could deliver the best possible benefit to our employees. It was just a great experience overall," she said. LRS delivers such services through access to diverse investments specifically approved for cannabis-related plans. Likewise, they implement various layers of oversight to ensure compliance, including rigorous Know-Your-Client (KYC) procedures, a set of standards in the investment industry that help advisors build trust with regulators, as well as thorough risk evaluations and extensive transaction monitoring to detect and report suspicious activity. LRS provides ample education and integrated payroll solutions to make managing contributions simple and to limit plan violations. By ensuring compliance, LRS builds trust with regulators and other key stakeholders at the intersection of cannabis and retirement savings and delivers cannabis companies the most trustworthy cannabis 401(k) services on the market. Consequently, they've maintained a diverse and long-standing roster of cannabis clients, from micro-cannabis businesses to the largest, multi-state operators in the country. As Jubelirer said, "The fact that LRS has been offering compliant 401(k)'s to cannabis companies for as long as they have and that they invested in cannabis when a lot of other plan providers didn't, has led me to recommend LRS time and time again." More About Leading Retirement Solutions: Leading Retirement Solutions is an industry leader in innovative retirement plan solutions for businesses. LRS focuses on improving retirement strategies by offering custom-fit solutions and nontraditional investment opportunities. Their services include plan design, plan administration, recordkeeping, consulting, and more. Leading Retirement Solutions prides itself on helping fellow women-owned businesses, not-for-profit organizations, cannabis, and small businesses, through tax sheltering and employee benefits. For more tips and information regarding retirement plans, contact marketing@ Connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X! View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Leading Retirement Solutions Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Post
6 days ago
- New York Post
FDNY chaplain's signature forged on letter backing Queens pot dispensary
They'll burn for this one! The owners of a legal Queens marijuana dispensary are under fire for allegedly trying to dupe government officials to back their expansion efforts — by claiming the FDNY's top religious leader is high on the plan. A recently circulated letter supporting Astoria-based Terp Bros' application to open a second dispensary in Ozone Park that was 'purportedly authored and signed' by FDNY Chaplain Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, 'appears to be a forgery,' warned FDNY Deputy Commissioner of General Counsel Don Nguyen in a June 5 letter to Queens Community Board 10. Advertisement The FDNY has 'no position' in general on applications to run cannabis dispensaries in the Big Apple, he added in the letter, obtained by The Post. 3 FDNY Chaplain Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello told The Post he wasn't aware of the letter. Stefano Giovannini The bogus letter addressed to 'legislators, Community Boards and the NYS Office of Cannabis Management' claimed Gigantiello is pushing Terp Bros' plan because 'safe use of Hemp and other Cannabis plants is long overdue.' Advertisement 'We must help those like Terp Bros gain the opportunity to continue working with the community in providing them with a safe, legal way to purchase cannabis and cannabis-related products,' the faux holy man wrote. Terp Bros' co-owners Jeremy Rivera and Alessandro Cottone opened their pot shop at 3610 Ditmars Blvd. in October 2023. In April, Time Out magazine ranked it New York's ninth best weed dispensary out the state's 405 licensed cannabis shops. The letter tries to portray Rivera — an ex-con who spent 11 years in jail for criminal possession of controlled substances and robbery — as a sympathetic figure. 3 Jeremy Rivera and Alessandro Cottone opened their Astoria pot shop in October 2023 and earlier this year, Time Out magazine ranked it New York's ninth best weed dispensary out the state's 405 licensed cannabis shops. Kyle Stevens/Shutterstock Advertisement He, 'his family, and many others like him have paid a great price caused by wrongful and failed policy targeting minorities and the failed war on drugs as it pertains to hemp and other cannabis,' it reads. Gigantiello insisted to The Post he didn't write or authorize the letter — and never even heard of the weed joint until learning of the letter. 'I had no idea. Someone shouldn't be using using my name in any form,' added the monsignor, who made headlines two years after being relieved of his administrative duties for allowing pop star Sabrina Carpenter to film a racy music video inside Our Lady of Mt. Carmel-Annunciation Parish in Williamsburg. 3 Owners of the popular shop didn't respond to messages seeking comment. Helayne Seidman Advertisement The board rejected the pot shop's application in January — and said it didn't get the letter until only a few weeks ago. Board members showed the letter to NYC Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola (R-Queens), who alerted the Fire Department. 'It's very telling that someone would fake a letter from a monsignor because they couldn't deal with the results of a community board vote,' Ariola said. 'If they didn't like the way the board voted, I get it, but forging a letter from an FDNY chaplain is the absolute worst way to try and change their opinion.' The state's Office of Cannabis Management will ultimately decide whether to approve the plan. Messages left for Terp Bros' owners were not returned.
South Wales Argus
07-06-2025
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Ex-drug addict from Aberdare apponited sergeant in army
Gareth Jones, 35, from Aberdare spent 10 years of his life addicted to drugs. At the height of his usage, Gareth was 'totally dependent' and abusing drugs daily. Now he's transformed his life and runs a mental health page called Mental Health Wanderer, is part of the military and runs ultramarathons in his spare time. Gareth Jones ex drug addict turned military sergeant (Image: Gareth Jones) Speaking of his journey Gareth said: 'I was a drug user from the age of 14 and for the best part of ten years. 'I started on Cannabis then the addiction grew to taking pills and Cocaine on the weekend the weekend turned into four-day weekends and then I was totally dependent.' Soon drugs had become Gareth's new 'normal.' He told the Argus 'It got to the point where I was dependent on the drugs but still had a life. 'Everyone was clueless as to how bad my addiction was and when I was clean people would think I was on drugs because they'd never seen me clean.' Gareth Jones ex drug addict in his military uniform (Image: Gareth Jones) For Gareth his wakeup call came when he was arrested by the police. He said: 'I got arrested for suspected attempted murder. I was sitting in my nans garden, and the police arrested me. 'I spent 18 hours in the cell and that was the first time I had suicidal thoughts sitting with a microwavable meal and a spork in the cell. 'That was my wakeup call I was petrified of going to prison.' Having hit rock bottom, Gareth was inspired to start anew and in 2015 he joined the military. He said: 'My life flashed before my eyes and then I had this goal and vision to join the military. 'I did end up doing it I went cold turkey buying the drugs and flushing them down the toilet. 'I was smoking weed up until I joined the army and now, I've been on this crazy adventure.' Gareth Jones running an ultramarathon (Image: Gareth Jones) Currently, Gareth is a member of the Army Air Corps, alongside this he manages a mental health Facebook page and service called Mental Health Wanderer. Gareth's account has a following of 20,000 followers. He started Mental Health Wanderer back in 2020 after completing a month-long running challenge in the space of two days. Since then, he's completed large feats including a run from North Wales to Aberdare and The Snowdonia 100 Mile Ultra. On June 4 he received the news he was going to be promoted from corporal to sergeant. Speaking of overcoming addiction Gareth said: 'I run the account to show people who are struggling like I was you can make something of yourselves life isn't just over because you're a drug user. 'I'm grateful to my kids and wife and everyone that's supported me over the last couple of years because without them I couldn't have done this.'
Glasgow Times
02-06-2025
- Glasgow Times
Man 'threw box of drugs' out window on East Kilbride expressway
Cops claim that a large cardboard box was apparently thrown from a transit van onto the grass verge of the East Kilbride expressway on May 31 at 5pm. READ NEXT: Graphic footage emerges of Ross Monaghan gangland shooting Officers were in a marked vehicle driving behind the van. The van was stopped and the box was recovered. The box was allegedly found to contain 2.1KG of herbal Cannabis. READ NEXT: Man rushed to hospital after 'causing disturbance' at property The driver was informed that a report will be submitted to the procurator Fiscal for the alleged offence.
