Latest Cannabis News: April 26, 2022
Latest Cannabis News: April 26, 2022
Stay up to date with the latest legalization and cannabis news with the C.B. Advisors. Every week, we will release a snippet of what’s happening with each state in the cannabis industry. Did you miss last week? No worries – click here for last week’s cannabis news.
CBD
Kentucky: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced a process Thursday that may lead to executive action allowing medical marijuana in the state, citing widespread support from the public and the failure of a bill to legalize it in the recently-ended legislative session.
Beshear did not give any specific examples of executive orders he may take but laid out steps for the coming months that involve creating an advisory team and a listening tour around the state to receive input from the public on the issue.
South Carolina: South Carolina lawmakers are inching closer to legalizing medical marijuana. The Palmetto state would become the 38th state to do so. But how does South Carolina’s proposed program compare to other states? In a recent House committee hearing, State Rep. Christopher Hart said, “This particular bill, out of all the states that currently have medical cannabis, is the most restrictive and has the most parameters, guidelines, and guardrails in place.”
Wisconsin: Republican lawmakers who control the state Legislature for the first time allowed a Capitol debate on legislation that would legalize marijuana use, but the step forward for proponents won’t result in new cannabis law in Wisconsin anytime soon.
A public hearing in the Wisconsin State Capitol was held Wednesday on a bill that would create a state-run medical marijuana program. But the committee hearing was scheduled weeks after GOP leaders concluded the Legislature’s work for the year — prompting some Democrats who have long supported legalization to accuse Republican bill authors of using the hearing as a “political ploy” in an election year.
Medical
Louisiana: Currently, Louisiana has issued nine licenses for medical marijuana dispensers; those facilities are the only ones authorized to sell medical marijuana to patients. However, several bills advanced Tuesday, April 19, aiming to make the medicine more accessible. HB 768, proposed by Rep. Joseph Marino, would increase the total number of licenses from 10 to 25 issued by the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy. It also states that 30% of those licenses would need to go to businesses owned by women and minorities.
On the other hand, HB 697, proposed by Rep. Tanner Magee, would require the nine currently licensed pharmacies to open additional locations in their region if/when they have 5,000 active, qualified patients. It also requires those pharmacies to offer home deliveries to “patients in each zip code within its region at least once per month.”
HB 425, proposed by Rep. Larry Bagley, would increase the total number of licenses to 20. Other notable laws, HB 135 and 137, also proposed by Rep. Marino, would allow pharmacies to serve qualified out-of-state patients and protect those visitors from prosecution.
Source: https://www.wafb.com/2022/04/20/louisiana-lawmakers-push-more-medical-marijuana-accessibility/
New Hampshire: marijuana legalization is hitting a dead end at the state House in Concord.
On Wednesday, the Senate Ways & Means Committee voted unanimously against a House bill that would make New Hampshire a “cannabis control” state, legalizing marijuana but allowing it to be sold only at state-owned storefronts, much like the current system for liquor. The bill will still get a vote on the Senate floor in the weeks ahead, but given the bipartisan rejection on Wednesday, it does not appear it will have anywhere near the votes to pass.
Source: https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-cannabis-legalization-bill-42022/39779078#
Ohio: Ohio medical marijuana producers will now be required to list THC isomers and minor cannabinoids THCA and THCV on package labels. The updated label rules, which take effect May 2, don’t prohibit products with the minor cannabinoids or THC isomers derived from hemp.
But the rules require them to be measured, labeled, and included as a product’s “Total THC.”
Oklahoma: The state is getting closer to having marijuana rights in our constitution. The effort is moving forward and could be decided by Oklahomans this November.
On Tuesday, the State Supreme Court ruled that State Questions 818 and 819 are legally sufficient for submission to Oklahomans for voting. This November, citizens could be voting on an amendment to add medical and recreational marijuana to the Oklahoma constitution.
Recreational
Alaska: The Alaska House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday to change how the state looks at two aspects of simple marijuana possession. First, House Bill 246 would make records of marijuana possession unavailable to the general public in searches of court cases.
And second, in the future, it would change the charge of marijuana possession for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds from a misdemeanor crime to a violation, more like a speeding ticket.
Nevada: A new lawsuit backed by the Nevada chapter of the ACLU claims that the state’s drug code unconstitutionally continues to list marijuana as a Schedule I drug, enabling police to continue to arrest people over cannabis even though it’s been legalized for medical and adult use.
The suit targets the state Board of Pharmacy, which has scheduling authority over controlled substances. Plaintiffs say that because the board has failed to remove marijuana from Schedule I, people continue to risk being prosecuted for felony crimes such as possession of cannabis with intent to distribute.
New Mexico: New Mexico’s first recreational marijuana consumption lounge opened in Las Cruces near the border with El Paso, Texas, according to media reports. While New Mexico’s adult-use marijuana law allows cannabis consumption areas, it’s unclear how many municipalities will embrace the concept.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/recreational-marijuana-consumption-lounge-opens-in-new-mexico/
New York New York State officials weigh whether to allow pizzerias and other eateries to sell fresh cannabis-infused grub and packaged pot edibles, The Post has learned.
Aaron Ghitelman, a spokesman for the state Office of Cannabis Management, confirmed there had been discussions about awarding such licenses to food preparers — raising the possibility of offerings such as pesto pot pizza or pepperoni with sweet weed sauce.
However, “the regulations regarding infused food products have not been released yet,” Ghitelman stressed.
Oregon: Oregon’s marijuana market has experienced exponential growth, which has led to a crowded marketplace. In response to this reality, the 2022 Oregon Legislature passed legislation requiring the Oregon Liquor & Cannabis Commission to cease issuing marijuana licenses to applicants who applied after Jan. 1.
Virginia: Currently, penalties for individuals caught in possession of between one ounce to one pound are a $25 civil fine. Anything more than one pound is considered a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has proposed an amendment to increase the penalty for personal possession of more than two ounces of marijuana.
Youngkin’s proposal would be substituted for SB 591. It would consider such possession a Class 2 misdemeanor for personal possession of more than two ounces and a Class 1 misdemeanor for more than six ounces and up to a pound.
Youngkin’s proposal follows a recommendation made by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), the Virginia General Assembly’s “watchdog” agency, which suggested that lawmakers add a misdemeanor charge before it becomes a felony
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