The BeLeaf Buzz: January 2025

Originally sent to subscribers in January 2025. View the original email.

Welcome to The BeLeaf Buzz

Welcome to the fifth issue of The BeLeaf Buzz, presented by BeLeaf Medical — your monthly source for cannabis industry insights, local stories, and company highlights. Stay connected as we present upcoming events, introduce our team, and share curated news relevant to our business.

A Message from Our CEO Kevin Riggs:

Happy New Year to everyone! Quite a year 2024 was for the BeLeaf family; and growing pains would best sum it up. A lot of great obstacles were overcome, and many new challenges were presented. Our team has worked through and adapted to changes that have been shared with you all through the previous investor communications. I am very proud of our team that continues to lead with so much strength, integrity, and resilience. And I am truly humbled by the amount of growth that has happened, both individually amongst our team members, and as a company. We are all joined together for the love of this magical plant. Looking forward to a very exciting 2025!

Grow facility

Buzz-Worthy BeLeaf News

January 12 & 25, 2025 — SWADE Best Buds is Back for Dry January!
Our brand SWADE Cannabis is happy to introduce the second iteration of our fan-favorite series: Best Buds: Happier Hour—an infused culinary pop-up experience celebrating Dry January with elevated non-alcoholic cocktails and bites by Lazy Tiger & Press. Make Reservations Here →

SWADE Best Buds Happier Hour

December 12, 2024 — Mitch Meyers feat. in MJU OnPoint Webinar Series
MJ Unpacked launched its highly anticipated webinar series, MJU OnPoint, Dec. 12, 2024. Titled “Industry Insights & Predictions for 2025” the webinar brings together cannabis industry’s respected leaders to discuss key trends and challenges shaping the market. Watch Webinar Recording Here →

January 31, 2025 — BeLeaf Nominations for Best of the Industry 2025
The final voting round is now open for Greenway’s annual industry awards, and BeLeaf Medical has received several nominations across categories. We kindly appreciate if you would cast your vote and thank you for your continued support and valuable contributions to BeLeaf. Vote Here Through Jan 31st →

Greenway Best of the Industry 2025 nominations

Industry News

December 4, 2024 — Federal Rescheduling Testimony Hearings Booked Jan 21st – March 6th, 2025
DEA ALJ witness testimonies will be held in Q1/2025, after which there are several procedural steps prior to a final rule. Read More →

January 3, 2025 — MoCann 2024 Year End Cannabis Industry Review
In this article, MoCannTrade and the Missouri cannabis industry celebrate another historic year and look ahead into Missouri’s 3rd year of Adult Use in 2025. Read More →

More Stories:

Team Spotlight

Sara Walker

Sara Walker — Executive Assistant, CEO and Board of Directors
Sara joined BeLeaf Medical in August of 2023 as the Office Administrator and worked closely with the Human Resource Department on many projects. She has her B.A. in Communications from the University of Missouri and has utilized her education and skill set within the K-12 education realm for 15 years leading up to joining our team. She also has a passion for holistic wellness and holds a coaching and yoga certification and is a huge believer in plant medicine for overall wellbeing.

Upon joining our team, she quickly became the face of the BeLeaf Medical corporate office with her warm smile, superb communication, organizational skills, and her positive go-getter attitude. Her initial role at BeLeaf quickly grew, and she began assisting in many capacities across the company – employee onboarding, company newsletter, volunteer program, BeLeaf University, company holiday parties, and assistance to the leadership team and the Board. She was promoted in October 2024 to Executive Assistant to the CEO and Board of Directors and has been transitioning into her new role to begin in January 2025.

Sara’s favorite quote: “The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and the acceptance of love.”

Cannabis 101

IRC Section 280E: A Turning Point for Cannabis Businesses

As conversations around the federal rescheduling of marijuana intensify, one of the most exciting opportunities on the horizon is the potential reform of Section 280E under the Internal Revenue Code. Currently, cannabis businesses face a unique tax burden under IRC Section 280E, which disallows most expense deductions beyond the cost of goods sold (COGS). This stems from marijuana’s federal classification as a Schedule 1 controlled substance.

Change could be on the horizon, with federal rescheduling hearings set for 2025. Rescheduling would allow cannabis companies like BeLeaf to deduct expenses like rent, wages, and marketing—unlocking significant profitability and growth potential. Meanwhile, BeLeaf continues to prioritize strong financial management and efficiency to navigate 280E effectively.

Fun Fact: Section 280E was introduced in 1982 in response to a court case involving a cocaine dealer who successfully claimed business expense deductions. While the law was designed to prevent illegal drug operations from taking advantage of tax benefits, it now impacts state-legal cannabis businesses, making them one of the highest-taxed industries in the U.S. Despite this, the industry continues to thrive and grow, reinforcing the resilience and long-term potential of cannabis investments.

Upcoming Industry & Sponsored Events

For assistance or any inquiries, please feel free to contact Joey Pintozzi at Joey.Pintozzi@beleafco.com.