☕️ Dynamite

Has marijuana legalization officially won? April 20, 2021 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( [Daily Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [Fundrise]( Good morning. A statement from Morning Brew, Inc.: “Morning Brew is aware of recent reports circulating of a Newsletter Super League that would create an international competition over inbox space, upending existing internet communications systems that have been in place since the 1960s. We can neither confirm nor deny these reports...but if invited, of course we'd join are you kidding?" MARKETS 1-DAY PERFORMANCE Nasdaq -0.98% 13,914.77 S&P -0.53% 4,163.26 Dow -0.36% 34,077.63 Bitcoin -1.98% $56,103.58 10-Year +1.9 bps 1.603% Tesla -3.40% $714.63 *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 6:00pm ET. [Here's what these numbers mean](. - Markets: Tech stocks [dropped]( and Tesla dragged down the S&P after a car crashed on Saturday, killing two, with no one in the driver's seat. - Nation: With closing arguments having concluded, the jury in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial is [now deliberating]( in one of the most consequential civil rights cases in years. Many businesses in Minneapolis have boarded up their windows, and schools are closing for in-person learning Wednesday through Friday as we await a verdict. CANNABIS [Cannabis Is Officially Mainstream]( [A marijuana nugget shaped like a rocket taking off ]( Francis Scialabba Today, on 4/20, a record 43% of Americans live in states where they can legally ponder the fact that we're all just pieces of furniture when you really think about it. For everyone else, it might not be much longer. In their latest survey, Pew found that 60% of US adults now [support]( legalized recreational and medical use and an additional 31% back medical marijuana. We'll save you a trip to the Calculator app: That leaves just 8% of adults who oppose legalized marijuana. With the public behind them, more politicians are backing legalization. This month, New Mexico [became]( the 17th state to allow recreational use. Even the traditionally anti-pot South is cracking; starting in July, Virginia will allow adults to watch Cats as it was meant to be consumed without breaking the law. - States are also [addressing]( unjust outcomes from the war on drugs. New York, Illinois, and Vermont are automatically expunging criminal records of some marijuana-related charges, and other states will prioritize awarding licenses to entrepreneurs from impacted communities. Zoom out: North America's turning into the greenest continent in the world. Canada legalized recreational cannabis in 2018, and Mexico [could follow]( soon. Growing weed, growing pains Making the transition from the frisbee team's homemade brownies to direct-to-consumer Botanical White Grapefruit gummies takes work. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law and many banks [are reluctant]( to work with the industry, making it harder to access loans, secure payment processing, and procure other financial services. And a lack of federal standards has led to inconsistency around testing, labeling, and marketing. Legalization can bring big economic opportunity: The US marijuana industry already supports 300,000+ full-time jobs—more than the number of dentists in the country. And in Q1, Illinois made more off cannabis taxes than it did off liquor taxes. But the pot industry isn't a sure bet. Canada's legal market kicked off with an investment boom, but today many cannabis businesses there [are struggling]( due to tightly regulated distribution, restrictions on marketing, and less demand than expected. Bottom line: "Legalization will eventually win, and the vast majority of states, if not all, will soon join the ranks of the legalizers," Vox writes. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Pew%3A%2091%25%20of%20US%20Adults%20Now%20Support%20Legalized%20Marijuana%20in%20Some%20Form%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2021%2F04%2F19%2Fpew-91-us-adults-now-support-legalized-marijuana-form%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A SOCIAL MEDIA [Facebook Joins the Club]( [FB audio copycat]( Francis Scialabba Like a middle schooler who saw all the cool kids wearing Hollister tees and said, "I want one!", Facebook announced yesterday an [aggressive move]( into audio formats. New features include rooms for hosting live audio discussions, a feed of short audio clips similar to Instagram's Reels, and tools for podcasters. - "At a high-level picture here, we think audio is also going to be a first-class medium," CEO Mark Zuckerberg told tech journalist Casey Newton. That's not exactly a spicy take. After the social audio startup Clubhouse caught fire during the pandemic, internet companies including Spotify, LinkedIn, Twitter, Discord, Slack, and Reddit have all announced some sort of "[social audio](" function to host spontaneous conversations. The number of Clubhouse copycats has sparked a heated debate over whether live audio can work as a standalone product or exist simply as a feature in a social media company's suite of offerings. For proponents of the "feature" argument, you have some new ammo: Clubhouse installs globally are [down 68%]( in April compared to March. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Facebook%20Reveals%20Its%20Big%20Push%20Into%20Audio%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2021%2F04%2F19%2Ffacebook-reveals-big-push-audio%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A MARKETING [McDonald's Takes a Dynamite Approach to Marketing]( [BTS K-pop band music video clip "Boy with Luv"]( Giphy There's famous, and then there's "get fast food named after you" famous. McDonald's [announced]( a new partnership with Grammy-nominated K-pop sensations BTS as part of its Famous Orders program. Starting May 26, you can order the new celeb meal: 10-piece McNuggets with sweet chili and cajun dipping sauces, medium fries, and a medium Coke. Big picture: This is the third celebrity collab for the fast-food chain since September, when its Travis Scott meal led to a significant sales bump and a [Quarter Pounder shortage](. And while the burger brand’s previous partnerships have been applauded by investors, BTS is a whole new song and dance. - The Korean boyband has 34.5 million Twitter followers, 31.8 million TikTok followers, and was the [top-selling act]( of 2020 globally, beating out artists like Taylor Swift and Drake. Looking forward…the BTS meal is the first partnership that McDonald's will make available globally, but it definitely won't be the last, especially when it hears about the Morning Brew meal: four cups of coffee in a wet drink holder being carried six blocks to the office. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=McDonald%27s%20Announces%20BTS%20Meal%20as%20Next%20Collab%20in%20Famous%20Orders%20Program%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2021%2F04%2F19%2Fmcdonalds-announces-bts-meal-next-collab-famous-orders-program%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A SPONSORED BY FUNDRISE [Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Stock Market](#) [Fundrise]( Listen, the stock market can be great. Sometimes it’s stable, everything’s in the green, and you put “investing genius” in all your dating profiles. But the stock market can also be unpredictable. And when you wake up to see all your highly considered positions in the red, you should give yourself some peace of mind by [diversifying your portfolio](. Here’s where [Fundrise]( comes in. They make it easy to [invest in private market real estate](, an alternative to the stock market, but one that used to only be accessible to the ultra-wealthy. Fundrise has changed that. Now, with just a $500 minimum investment, you can access real estate’s historically strong, consistent, and reliable returns. No need to feel all that stock market stress, reader. [Start diversifying with Fundrise today](. GRAB BAG [Key Performance Indicators]( [Crowded bus station in New Delhi]( Workers crowd a bus station in New Delhi, India, after the capital went into a week-long lockdown. SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images Stat: Last week, more people globally were [infected]( with the coronavirus (5.2 million) than in any other week during the pandemic, according to Bloomberg. Covid-19 is currently ripping through lower-income countries, which have been far slower than wealthy ones to vaccinate their citizens. Quote: "They will not be able to represent their national teams at any matches." UEFA's president said players who compete in soccer's breakaway Super League could [be banned]( from competing in the World Cup and the European Championship. The legal battle over the future of European fútbol has begun. Read: Hollywood mega-agent Ari Emanuel's second act. ([New Yorker]() �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Key%20Performance%20Indicators%3A%20April%2020%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2021%2F04%2F19%2Fkey-performance-indicators-april-20%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A SPACE [One Small Step for Man, One Giant Step for Drones]( [Video of NASA Ingenuity's first flight on Mars]( NASA The Perseverance rover's younger brother, the Ingenuity helicopter, became the [first aircraft]( to fly on another planet when it took off on Mars early Monday morning. And just like any baby of the family, it worked for 40 seconds and everyone made a big deal about it. Two of the biggest hurdles Ingenuity had to overcome: - The extremely thin atmosphere on Mars. The helicopter's rotors had to spin >2,500 rpm—5x the average rpm of a helicopter on Earth—just to "bite into" something. - 173 million miles between the two planets. Even if something did go wrong, the radio signals would take too long to reach a human operator for much to be done. Ingenuity had to fly completely on its own with no direct contact from its handling team on Earth. What's next for the lad? The $80 million helicopter's air-time is being heralded as a "Wright brothers moment" for space travel, opening up future drone missions to areas that might be inaccessible to rovers and astronauts. But first, a few more test flights over the next two weeks. Gotta learn to walk before you can fly around craters, baby bro. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=The%20Ingenuity%20Helicopter%27s%20Flight%20Called%20a%20%27Wright%20Brothers%20Moment%27%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2021%2F04%2F19%2Fingenuity-helicopters-flight-called-wright-brothers-moment%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A WHAT ELSE IS BREWING - [Apple]( is reinstating the social media app Parler on its App Store, months after taking it down due to harmful content. It's also hosting its spring event today. - [The union]( defeated by Amazon in a vote this month is officially filing an objection to the results. - [IBM]( posted its first revenue gain in five quarters. - [GameStop CEO George Sherman]( is stepping down, handing even more power to the company's largest shareholder and e-commerce vet Ryan Cohen. - [Coca-Cola]( said case volumes in March have returned to 2019 levels thanks to easing Covid-19 restrictions. - [The US’ largest coal mining union]( said it would back Biden’s push for renewable energy in exchange for job opportunities in the sector. BREW'S BETS These plusses add up. With [Walmart+]( you get free shipping, no order minimum, as well as free delivery from your store*. It’s a membership that will save you time + money. [Your 15-day free trial awaits](.* “Ooh, Kayla, those lash extensions look great, where’d you get them?” “They’re not extensions, Krista, it’s Thrive Causemetics mascara, and it has over 11,800 five-star reviews.” [Become Kayla and get 15% off your entire first order here](.* New pod alert: Columbia University sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh spent years embedding himself in the exclusive worlds of crack gangs, teenage kids of billionaires, and most recently, Facebook and Twitter. He explores our digital revolution in the new pod, Sudhir Breaks the Internet—[check it out](. What they're really thinking: Hear Ikea customer complaints through the [ears of an employee](. Tech Tip Tuesday: Learn how to use Google Chrome's [Reading List]( feature, which is similar to Pocket. *This is sponsored advertising content FROM THE CREW [Getting Real on Feeling Like a Fake](#) [Founder's Journal]( Our cofounder and CEO, Alex Lieberman, is no stranger to faking it til he makes it. And he’s discussing just that on [this episode]( of his (he didn’t pay us to say this) terrific podcast, Founder’s Journal. On “How to Deal with Imposter Syndrome,” Alex shares some techniques for dealing with self-doubt and anxiety while growing a successful business. Listen to Founder’s Journal on [Spotify](, [Apple Podcast](, [Stitcher](, or wherever you get your podcasts. GAMES [Do You Want the Good Lands or the Badlands?](#) To celebrate National Park Week, we're going to ask you five trivia questions about these natural treasures. How to grade yourself: Get a 5/5 and maybe you should consider a second career as a Park Ranger. Get a 2/5 or worse, and you must remove "Love National Parks!" from your dating profile. - It’s one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. - It’s the oldest national park. - It’s the most visited national park. - It’s the state where Great Sand Dunes National Park is located. - It’s the national park where Managing Editor Neal Freyman took this picture :   SHARE THE BREW Enjoying the Brew? Consider sharing it with a friend. When you do, we don’t just give you a pat on the back and say, “Well done old sport.” You earn rewards like our classic coffee mug or T-shirt. [Click here to get free swag.]( Hit the button below to start sharing the Brew. [Click to Share]( Or copy & paste your referral link to others: [morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=4904f90a]( ANSWER 1. Grand Canyon 2. Yellowstone 3. Great Smoky Mountains 4. Colorado 5. Grand Teton ✢ A Note From Fundrise (Here's all the [legal jargon]( we know you love reading.) ✤ A Note From Walmart *Free shipping – Excludes freight & Marketplace items. Free delivery - $35 order min. Restrictions apply.             Written by [Alex Hickey](, [Matty Merritt](, and [Neal Freyman]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. WANT MORE BREW?  Retail newsletter → [Retail Brew](  Tech newsletter → [Emerging Tech Brew](  Marketing newsletter → [Marketing Brew](  Recommendations newsletter → [Sidekick](  Business podcasts → [Business Casual]( and [Founder's Journal]( [ADVERTISE]( // [CAREERS]( // [SHOP]( Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here](. View our privacy policy [here](. Copyright © 2021 Morning Brew. All rights reserved. 22 W 19th St, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10011