Method Testing Labs recently became the sixth company licensed to test cannabis in Florida. Based in Tampa, Method provides cannabis testing throughout Florida and Hemp testing throughout the country.

“Having led businesses as a cannabis operator, we understand the business and our customers’ needs and built our laboratory from the ground up based on that experience. We’ve set up multiple testing laboratories, bought third-party lab services, experienced the challenges in the supply chain, and we know the need for transparency of results and patient safety,” said Keith Browning, Method Testing Labs’ CEO.
 
The lab offers a full spectrum of testing and industry-leading turnaround times, issuing all results within 24-72 hours. It was developed with an entirely digitized sample process, using a customized laboratory management system and patient portal, and is ISO 17025 accredited. Built on lean operations and processes, the lab delivers quicker, clearer and more accurate test results.
 
“It is our goal to bring together the most qualified scientists and leading experts in the industry,” said Rob Radke, Method Testing Labs’ President. “With that background in place we’re not only able to offer superior testing, but we also work hand-in-hand with the manufacturers to troubleshoot issues and provide quick results that are easily accessible. We know the industry and work hard to make our partners’ business a success.”
 
Method Testing Labs’ services include analytical testing for cannabinoids, terpenes, heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins, microbials, residual solvents and more. Method Testing Labs’ solutions provide the critical tools needed to cultivate, manufacture and distribute cannabis products, helping to bridge the gap between regulatory compliance and business needs.


Trulieve Cannabis Corp. and Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. are pleased to announce they have entered into a definitive arrangement agreement pursuant to which Trulieve will acquire all of the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares, multiple voting shares and super voting shares of Harvest. Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, shareholders of Harvest will receive 0.1170 of a subordinate voting share of Trulieve for each Harvest subordinate voting share (or equivalent) held, representing total consideration of approximately $2.1 billion based on the closing price of the Trulieve Shares on May 7, 2021.

Trulieve, a leading multi-state operator with a focus on the northeast and southeast regions of the United States, and Harvest, a leading multi-state operator with a focus on the west coast and northeast regions of the United States, have built deep, vertically integrated operations in their key markets, becoming leading operators in the United States, the world’s largest regulated cannabis market.
 
Upon completion of the Transaction, as well as the closing of other previously announced acquisitions by Harvest and Trulieve, the combined business will have operations in 11 states, comprised of 22 cultivation and processing facilities with a total capacity of 3.1 million square feet, and 126 dispensaries serving both the medical and adult-use recreational cannabis markets.
 
“This announcement is the largest and most exciting acquisition so far in our industry, creating the most profitable public multi-state operator. Importantly, our companies share similar customer values with a focus on going deep in core markets. This combination offers us the opportunity to leverage our respective strong foundations and propel us forward with an unparalleled platform for future growth," stated Kim Rivers, Chief Executive Officer of Trulieve. "Harvest provides us with an immediate and significant presence in new and established markets and accelerates our entry into the adult use space in Arizona. Trulieve and Harvest are leaders in our markets, recognized for our innovation, brands, and operational expertise with true depth and scale in our businesses. We look forward to providing best-in-class service to patients and customers on a broader national scale as we create an iconic US cannabis brand."
 
"We are thrilled to be joining Trulieve, a company that has achieved unrivaled success and scale in its home state of Florida," said Steve White, Chief Executive Officer of Harvest. "As one of the oldest multi-state operators, we believe our track record of identifying and developing attractive market opportunities combined with our recent successful launch of adult use sales in Arizona will add tremendous value to the combined organization as it continues to expand and grow in the coming years."
 


Following the just-convened state legislative session, pregnant women eligible for Medicaid can now keep that coverage for a full year post-partum. The measure passed as part of the state budget with bipartisan acknowledgement that new mothers’ health and reducing maternal morbidity and mortality depend, in part, on access to quality health care.

Florida’s hospitals wholeheartedly supported this proposal as it reflects their longstanding commitment to giving every baby the best start in life and every pregnant woman the best care she needs for a healthy pregnancy and delivery.
 
The causes of maternal morbidity and mortality are many and complex. In Florida, there were 28.6 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019, according to the Florida Department of Health. Tragically, many of these deaths are avoidable.
 
Florida’s hospitals are dedicated to doing all they can to reduce pregnancy risks and promote healthy deliveries.
 
One example of that commitment is their ongoing work with the Agency for Health Care Administration, Department of Health, and Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative to reduce C-section rates as part of the national Healthy People initiative. In March 2021, that work expanded with the launch of My Birth Matters Florida, a consumer- and health care provider-focused educational campaign on the risks of unnecessary C-sections and to promote vaginal deliveries when possible. The campaign, which is being championed by State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees, offers free educational materials and resources for parents and providers, including posters, brochures, videos, and social media messages.
 
While lifesaving in certain cases, medically unnecessary C-sections can pose serious health risks for women such as hemorrhage, uterine rupture, cardiac events, and increased postpartum readmissions; and for babies, complications include infection, respiratory issues, and longer hospital stays in the neonatal intensive care unit. Women who deliver via c-section for her first birth have a much greater chance of having a C-section for subsequent births, increasing their risk for major complications.
 
The national Healthy People 2030 initiative goal for C-section deliveries for low-risk females with no prior births is 23.6 percent.
 
Florida has been making strides to reduce its C-section rate. Between 2015 and 2019, the rate decreased nearly a full percentage point, from 37.3 percent to 36.5 percent. In late 2020, AHCA and DOH recognized 15 Florida hospitals for meeting or exceeding the Healthy People 2020 goal for C-section deliveries (23.9 percent). An additional 10 hospitals were given an honorable mention for being within 1 percent of meeting the target goal.
 
Just like raising a baby, it takes a village to address all of the factors that contribute to poor maternal health. Florida’s hospitals are committed to leading the way and to delivering a healthier beginning and a healthier future for moms and babies. They are doing their part to encourage women to talk with their physicians about avoiding C-sections when medically unnecessary. The My Birth Matters campaign is just one way Florida’s hospitals are making Florida the healthiest place for moms and babies.


Holy Cross Health is now offering a new miniaturized, wireless monitoring sensor to manage heart failure. The Abbott CardioMEMS™ HF System is the first and only FDA-approved heart failure monitoring device that has been clinically proven to significantly reduce hospital admissions when used by physicians to manage heart failure.

Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization for Americans over age 65. The device allows patients to remotely share daily sensor readings from their homes to their health care providers, allowing for personalized care to reduce the likelihood of hospitalization. Innovative telehealth, like the CardioMEMS HF System, reduces the need for in-person appointments. Data from a recent clinical trial found that the remote monitoring technology reduces heart failure hospital admissions by up to 58 percent.
 
Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s demands. The CardioMEMS HF System features a sensor that is implanted in the pulmonary artery (PA) during a minimally invasive procedure. Increased PA pressures appear before weight and blood pressure changes, which are often used as indirect measures of worsening heart failure.
 
The CardioMEMS HF System, from global health care leader Abbott, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for commercial use in the U.S. The GUIDE-HF clinical trial followed the CHAMPION trial, which studied the effectiveness of the CardioMEMS HF System in New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification System class III heart failure patients who had been hospitalized for heart failure in the previous 12 months.


Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the United States, announced it has been named a winner of a Silver Stevie® Award for Achievement in Growth in the 19th Annual American Business Awards®. The awards recognize businesses that have excelled in further developing their operations through various avenues such as mergers and acquisitions and corporate expansion.

"After an unprecedented 2020, we are proud to be recognized for our growth and expansion into new markets," said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve. "We look forward to building on this momentum as we drive further expansion across North America, including operations in Pennsylvania and the opening of Massachusetts in our northeast hub, bringing our high-quality cannabis products and unmatched customer service to more patients and consumers."