Latest Cannabis News: August 16, 2022
Latest Cannabis News: August 16, 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.
Dry
Nebraska : Marijuana may be illegal in Nebraska, but a lawyer from the Cornhusker State is free to invest in cannabis operations in states where it is legal, a state ethics board is advising. The eight-member Nebraska Lawyer’s Advisory Committee, which issued an advisory on Thursday, usually weighs in on technical matters concerning the practice of law, such as whether conflicts of interests exist and the duty to represent clients.
But the legalization of medical marijuana in adjacent South Dakota prompted a couple of questions from a Nebraska attorney recently.
CBD
Wyoming: Members of the national and local Libertarian Party are teaming up with Wyoming activists to get a medical cannabis legalization initiative on the state ballot next year.
According to the Casper Star-Tribune, the campaign – which doesn’t yet have a formal name – got the go-ahead this week from the Wyoming secretary of state to begin the signature-gathering process. In addition to the Wyoming Cannabis Patient Act of 2022 – which would legalize medical marijuana – backers are also trying to get adult-use MJ decriminalized with a second ballot initiative, titled the Wyoming Cannabis Amendments 2022.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/push-begins-to-put-medical-cannabis-on-wyoming-ballot-in-2022/
Medical
Alabama: Regulators in Alabama last week signed off on rules for the state’s new medical cannabis law. The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission approved 171 pages worth of rules, which pertain to licensing and regulation of the industry.
The approval of the rules came “after months of development and public input,” according to the Montgomery Advertiser.
The commission will offer up to 12 licenses to grow medical cannabis; up to four licenses for processing it; up to four for distribution. The state will also offer five licenses for “integrated facilities,” which will combine all three services with transportation. There will be no restriction on licenses to transport or test medical cannabis.
Source: https://hightimes.com/news/regulators-approve-medical-cannabis-rules-in-alabama/
Arkansas: The Arkansas Supreme Court has ordered the secretary of state’s office to certify a marijuana legalization initiative for the November ballot—but there’s a chance that the votes will not end up being counted, depending on the final outcome of a pending legal challenge.
On Wednesday, justices on the state’s highest court granted Responsible Growth Arkansas’s motions to expedite the case and for a preliminary injunction that will force the secretary of state’s office to certify the reform measure. The legal dispute centers on the legalization campaign’s effort to overturn the state Board of Election Commissioners’ ruling that the measure’s ballot title is misleading.
What this means is that voters will see legalization on the ballot. But if the court ultimately sides with state officials on the merits of the challenge following certification, the votes on the initiative would not be counted.
Florida: One of the biggest cannabis companies in the nation is throwing millions of dollars behind a proposed ballot measure for 2024 that would legalize adult-use marijuana in Florida.
Trulieve Cannabis, based in Tallahassee, Florida, filed a constitutional amendment with the state Division of Elections on Monday to allow anyone 21 or older to buy and consume cannabis, the News Service of Florida reported. A separate marijuana legalization campaign, led by Sensible Florida, is also underway for the 2024 ballot after having failed to qualify for the 2022 ballot.
But that campaign so far has garnered less than 23,000 signatures, the News Service of Florida reported.
Maryland: Maryland Secretary of State John Wobensmith officially certified an adult-use cannabis legalization measure for the state’s November ballot Aug. 2. Elections officials finalized the language for the referendum, as well as issued a formal summary of the proposal, which was initiated by the General Assembly earlier this year.
The Maryland House and Senate approved a constitutional amendment for the ballot via House Bill 1, asking the state’s constituency if it favors the legalization of cannabis use by those 21 and older by July 1, 2023.
Separately, the General Assembly also passed House Bill 837 during this year’s legislative session to allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis, 12 grams of concentrate, 750 milligrams of delta-9 THC or two plants for personal use. H.B. 837 also decriminalized the possession of up to 2.5 ounces as a civil offense rather than a misdemeanor.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan let both pieces of legislation become law without his signature.
Minnesota: Minnesota’s two medical marijuana providers suddenly face droves of new rivals thanks to a groundbreaking state law that allows the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived THC edibles in mainstream retail outlets such as grocery and convenience stores.
The law – passed by state lawmakers in May – unleashed a cannabis boom when it took effect July 1 and reshaped the Minnesota market into what is likely the only one of its kind in the nation. In effect, the sale of hemp-based, THC-infused food and drinks amounts to what is an adult-use marijuana market.
At the same time, Minnesota’s two licensed medical marijuana providers – owned by Verano Holdings and Green Thumb Industries (GTI), both based in Chicago – now confront an unknown and unlimited number of retailers peddling intoxicating hemp-derived edibles.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/minnesota-hemp-edibles-law-might-hurt-medical-marijuana-market/
North Dakota: North Dakota voters will have the chance to decide on marijuana legalization at the ballot this November. About a month after activists turned in signatures for their reform initiative, Secretary of State Al Jaeger’s (R) office approved the measure on Monday, certifying that the campaign had submitted enough valid petitions to put the measure before voters
New Approach ND was initially cleared for signature gathering in April. It ended up turning in 26,048 submissions—nearly double the amount needed. While a couple thousand were deemed invalid, the state said that activists ultimately came out ahead with 7,786 more good signatures than were required to qualify.
Oklahoma: The Oklahoma attorney general has revised the ballot title of a marijuana legalization initiative that activists hope will be certified to go before the state’s voters in November, making mostly technical changes that the campaign views as satisfactory.
Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws (OSML) turned in what they consider to be more than enough signatures to qualify the legalization measure last month.
A few weeks later, state Attorney General John O’Connor’s (R) office released revised language of the ballot summary that corrects certain deficiencies and adds a fiscal impact note. The original version, the state’s first assistant attorney general wrote in a July 26 letter, “did not comply with applicable law.”
Recreational
California: California lawmakers advanced bills to authorize interstate marijuana commerce, secure employment protections for people who use cannabis outside of the workplace and prevent localities from banning medical marijuana delivery services toward crucial floor votes on Thursday. Legislation that would have legalized psychedelics possession was amended in a way that remains unclear, however.
The Assembly Appropriations Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee each convened to decide the fate of the various drug policy reform measures that had previously cleared the opposite chamber on Thursday. Most have been amended along the way, however, so if they are approved on the respective floors of the chambers they are currently in, they will need to return to their bodies of origin for concurrence before potentially being sent to the governor.
Illinois: More Illinois entrepreneurs now have a chance to get into the cannabis business. Gov. JB Pritzker’s office just issued another round of conditional dispensary licenses. Five more potential business owners were awarded conditional licenses, bringing the total of 182 awarded since last month.
Those businesses will have 180 days to find a storefront location and apply for a full license. All the new licenses went to people qualifying as “social equity applicants” who were selected in a lottery last summer of those selected, 41% are majority Black-owned.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/illinois-grants-more-licenses-for-cannabis-businesses/
Maine: The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) today announced the formation of the Metrc User Workgroup, an 18-member panel tasked with review of the state’s existing, cloud-based tracking software, and with recommending improvements that will make the process of tracking cannabis products more efficient for Maine’s adult-use market.
The Workgroup will meet three times between August and November 2022, with a formal report and recommendations produced by OCP to the Veterans and Legal Affairs Joint Standing Subcommittee by Jan. 1, 2023. Meeting materials, YouTube streaming links, and other information may be viewed at the OCP’s Metrc User Workgroup webpage.
Massachusetts: Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has signed legislation (S. 3096) into law that seeks to promote greater diversity among those participating in the state’s licensed cannabis industry and that lays the groundwork for the establishment of on-site cannabis consumption facilities.
Specifically, the measure creates a “Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund to encourage the full participation … of entrepreneurs from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement.” Money in the fund “shall be used to make grants and loans, including no-interest loans and forgivable loans, to social equity program participants and economic empowerment priority applicants.”
In addition, the bill provides guidance for the eventual licensing of on-site adult-use consumption facilities.
Michigan: Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency is setting guidelines for smokeless THC-containing products, like edibles or drinks. Those also include oils and tinctures, which had sometimes fallen into a regulatory gray area.
Shelly Edgerton is the board chair for the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association. She said the changes started with a conversation over tinctures and oils that have crossed regulatory categories in the state.
The state’s new regulations also double the maximum amount of THC allowed in an adult-use edible package. The new 200mg level brings recreational products more in line with medicinal ones.
New Jersey: New Jersey Senate president filed a bill To Allow Interstate Marijuana Commerce The governor of New Jersey would be authorized to enter into agreements for interstate marijuana commerce with other states that have legalized cannabis under a new bill filed by Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D).
However, the agreements could only be forged if federal law changes, or if the Justice Department issues guidance permitting such activity.
With more state adult-use marijuana markets coming online in the Northeast region, the legislation is timely, proposing to create the policy infrastructure for interstate cannabis commerce that could significantly expand the currently fragmented industry and help resolve possible supply and demand issues.
New York: New York marijuana regulators on Thursday announced that they will be officially begin accepting applications for the state’s first adult-use retailer licenses, reserved for people impacted by the drug war, starting on August 25.
This comes about a month after the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) approved the initial conditional adult-use licensing rules and accepted a mockup of the application form.
In order to qualify for a conditional adult-use marijuana retail license, applicants must have faced a conviction for a cannabis-related offense prior to the enactment of legalization in the state, or have a direct relative with such a conviction, and they must also have experience operating a qualifying business.
Rhode Island: Voters in 31 municipalities will decide at the ballot box this November whether or not to license marijuana-related retailers in their communities.
The towns voting on measures are: Barrington, Bristol, Burrillville, Charlestown, Coventry, Cumberland, East Greenwich, East Providence, Gloucester, Hopkinton, Jamestown, Johnston, Lincoln, Little Compton, Middletown, Narragansett, Newport, New Shoreham (Block Island), North Kingstown, North Providence, North Smithfield, Richmond, Skittett, Smithfield, South Kingstown, Tiverton, Warren, Westerly, West Greenwich, West Warwick, and Woonsocket.
State lawmakers enacted legislation in May legalizing the personal use and licensed retail sale of marijuana to those age 21 or older. Under the law, municipalities were provided with the opportunity to decide whether to opt out of marijuana-related sales and revenue. Voters in the towns listed above will decide ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the ballot question: “Will new cannabis-related licenses be issued in (that municipality) to businesses involved in the cultivation, manufacturing, laboratory testing and retailing of adult recreational use cannabis?”
Vermont: In less than two months, people will be able to buy marijuana in stores across Vermont. Reporter Calvin Cutler visited the state’s largest grow operation to see what it takes for farmers poised to supply the state’s new legal marketplace.
It’s estimated Vermont needs about 500,000 square feet of cannabis canopy to meet demand. Most of the state’s licensed grow operations are outdoors.
Vermont is aiming to mirror the craft beer industry — grown, processed, tested, and sold in-state. All of this weed will make it to the shelves. Right now there are some 60 retailers in the pipeline as Vermont’s budding industry begins to grow.
Source: https://www.wcax.com/2022/08/12/vt-cannabis-farmers-ramp-up-supply-new-marketplace/
Washington: Washington state regulators are weighing the idea of giving those previously convicted of marijuana-related crimes preferential treatment for opening cannabis stores. The Washington State Liquor Cannabis Board is considering the proposed initiative, which would use a point-based system to allot cannabis licenses to individuals.
Former convicts affected by the “war on drugs” policies of previous decades would receive preferential attention in opening cannabis stores under the proposed system.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/washington-may-prioritize-drug-traffickers-cannabis-shop-applications
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