Latest Cannabis News: August 20, 2020

Stay up to date with the latest legalization and cannabis news with the CB 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:

South Dakota: South Dakota has submitted its industrial hemp plan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for approval. The plan lays out how the state will regulate industrial hemp, and South Dakota farmers will be able to begin growing industrial hemp once the USDA gives final approval.
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Medical:

Montana: Montana’s secretary of state announced on Thursday that marijuana activists collected more than enough signatures to qualify two legalization measures for the November ballot. One initiative, a statutory change, would create a system of legal cannabis access for adult-use. A separate constitutional amendment would ensure only those 21 and older can participate in the market. If the statutory measure is approved by voters, possessing up to an ounce of cannabis would be allowed, and people could cultivate up to four plants and four seedlings at home.
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New Mexico: The governor of New Mexico is highlighting her work to advance marijuana legalization and is soliciting feedback on the issue from supporters as part of a reelection campaign fundraising effort. In an email blast on Tuesday August 11, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) discussed how she established a working group to get public input on the reform move and urged the legislature to enact legalization. The survey also requests input on the importance of stimulating local economies through legalization and promoting “forward-thinking” policies like cannabis reform.
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New Jersey: The attorney general of New Jersey announced on Tuesday, August 11, that the state will immediately begin allowing patients to obtain medical marijuana recommendations remotely via telehealth services amid the coronavirus pandemic. This comes months before voters in the state are set to decide on a referendum to legalize cannabis for adult use.
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Recreational:

California: Local bans on marijuana businesses in California are helping the illicit market to thrive and are depriving the state and municipalities of tax revenue that could help offset economic losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study. The report analyzes the financial impact from the 75 percent of cities and counties that have implemented cannabis market bans despite the 2016 statewide vote to legalize the plant for adult use. Given the estimated range for demand, analysts said that if the county adopted Sacramento’s four percent tax rate, it stands to generate anywhere from $1.2 million to $5.8 million annually.
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Maine: Marijuana businesses in Maine can begin recreational sales on October 9, the state’s cannabis regulatory body announced on Friday. This comes nearly four years after voters approved a legalization ballot measure—a significant delay in implementation compared to California, Massachusetts, and Nevada, which also legalized for adult-use on the same day in 2016. The first round of cannabis business licenses will be issued on September 8, giving licensees about a month to begin harvesting, processing, and ensuring quality control for their marijuana products. It’s not clear how many licenses will be initially approved.
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Washington D.C: Activists recently filed a new proposed ballot initiative to legalize marijuana sales in Washington, D.C. The measure—titled the “New Modern Day Cannabis Justice Reform Act”—would end prosecutions of cannabis cultivation, sales, and consumption. It would also prevent marijuana from being the basis of police searches and provide for expungements of prior cannabis convictions. The marijuana campaign has not started formally gathering signatures, but it did circulate an independent petition that advocates say amassed about 40,000 signatures from individuals who would presumably be inclined to sign the official form.
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