Latest Cannabis News: August 23, 2022
Latest Cannabis News: August 23, 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
Idaho: A new state-level campaign to legalize medical marijuana in Idaho has kicked off, with advocates hoping to place an initiative on the 2024 ballot. The proposed ballot measure – filed Aug. 16 with the Idaho secretary of state’s office by Kind Idaho – is dubbed the Idaho Medical Marijuana Act of 2024.
Backers said the initiative is “nearly identical” to one they previously attempted to place on the 2022 ballot, which fell short for several reasons.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/new-medical-marijuana-campaign-launches-in-idaho-for-2024-ballot/
Medical
Alabama: Last week, following a six-week notice and comment period, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission voted to approve the previously released proposed rules. This is an important step in keeping the program on the timetable set by the commission. One caveat: We don’t know what the commission approved.
Before the vote, the commission stated that it had received a number of both written and oral comments at a July hearing. The commission further stated that it had made several specific changes, including:
Removing the requirement that dispensaries be located in stand-alone buildings;
Replacing the requirement that facilities have two security guards on premises 24 hours a day with a requirement that facilities have at least one security guard on premises and sufficient security otherwise to protect the facility and its occupants, and removing the requirement that facilities have three-inch doors.
There are apparently several other changes, but they were not discussed during the public meeting last week.
Commission staff indicated that the updated rules should be available to the public on or before August 31.
Source: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/alabama-medical-cannabis-commission-9359993/
Arkansas: The state has certified a recreational cannabis amendment for the Nov. 8 ballot, but the votes will be counted only if supporters prevail in getting the Arkansas Supreme Court to restore its rejected ballot title.
A group of medical marijuana growers and dispensaries, Responsible Growth Arkansas, is promoting the plan to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and over. According to state ethics records, those businesses have devoted $3.4 million to the effort.
This month, the high court granted attorney Steve Lancaster’s petition to put the constitutional amendment back onto the ballot provisionally as an Aug. 25 deadline approached for certifying initiated measures.
Florida: A proposed ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida in 2024 has triggered harsh criticism within the industry, signaling ongoing divides over how adult-use markets should be structured.
The initiative, filed recently with the Florida Division of Elections, has secured financial backing from Trulieve Cannabis, the largest medical marijuana company in the state and one of the nation’s biggest multistate operators.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/florida-recreational-marijuana-ballot-measure-gets-industry-pushback/
Mississippi: By the end of 2022, medical marijuana should be available to patients in Mississippi. That’s the optimistic projection of Ken Newburger, Executive Director of the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association.
Newburger joined David Elliott on WLOX News This Week to update how setting up this new industry is going across the state. He was excited to report that things have been progressing pretty smoothly in Mississippi, especially in comparison to other states. “Most states, when programs like this open, have a very adversarial approach to the cannabis industry. Our state has been very helpful,” Newburger said. “It’s been a nice, collaborative process between the Department of Health, the Department of Revenue, and the industry at large.”
He said most dispensary applicants are getting licensed. And those who aren’t just aren’t compliant with the law yet.
Missouri: Missouri voters haven’t even had a chance to vote on the marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot yet, but regulators are already taking steps to “begin planning” for passage, asking for public comment on “how the new law should be implemented.”
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) said in an announcement on Thursday that if voters approve the cannabis reform measure in November, “it will require the Department to quickly make adjustments to the existing medical marijuana program and implement a new adult consumer program.”
As Missourians familiarize themselves with the reform proposal, DHSS said it would proactively prepare for implementation. Part of that preparation will involve accepting public comments.
North Dakota: State officials in North Dakota announced on Monday that an initiative to legalize cannabis for adults has qualified for the ballot and will appear before voters in the November general election. New Approach North Dakota, the group spearheading the recreational marijuana ballot measure, submitted 26,048 petition signatures in July. On Tuesday, the office of Secretary of State Al Jaeger verified 23,368 signatures as coming from registered voters, far exceeding the 15,582 signatures needed to qualify for the November ballot.
If passed by voters in this year’s general election, the ballot measure would legalize possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and small amounts of cannabis concentrate by adults 21 and older. The initiative also establishes a regulatory framework to govern commercial cannabis production and sales, administered by the state’s Department of Health and Human Services or another agency designated by lawmakers.
Source: https://hightimes.com/news/north-dakota-will-vote-on-recreational-weed-legalization-in-november/
Recreational
California: When California voters legalized recreational marijuana use in 2016, workplace regulations were left in the hands of employers. A new bill proposed by Assembly Member Bill Quirk, D-Hayward, would change that. AB2188 would prevent employers from penalizing workers who use cannabis outside of work hours. Employees could still be fired for being impaired while on the clock. It would also set new standards for employer-administered drug-screening tests.
“Nothing in this bill says that workers are able to use cannabis and come to the workplace high,” said California Employment Lawyers Association Legislative Counsel Mariko Yoshihara. “It simply allows a person to use cannabis off the job, like any other legal substance, without facing discrimination.”
Source: https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/cannabis-pot-employee-discrimination-bill-17385595.php
Connecticut: As the state’s Social Equity Council approved another dozen applications for cannabis licenses this past week for Connecticut’s new recreational market, a spate of legal challenges looms overhead. As of Friday morning, 13 lawsuits were pending against the council on behalf of applicants denied cannabis licenses. One of the lawsuits, brought on behalf of a company whose application for a retail license was refuted, sought to stop the council from approving further retail applications from equity applicants until the appeal is resolved.
The state Department of Consumer Protection oversees the regulation of the adult use market in Connecticut, and the state Department of Economic and Community Development is also named as defendants in the lawsuits.
Source: https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/CT-s-cannabis-licenses-are-being-approved-17385572.php
Illinois: Teamsters Joint Council 25 and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced today that they have entered into a joint agreement that will give Teamsters Local 777 exclusive jurisdiction for organizing cannabis workers in Illinois. The agreement is a huge step toward the union’s efforts to organize the rapidly-expanding industry.
“We will be dedicating significant resources to organizing cannabis workers in Illinois and fighting to get them strong contracts,” said Sean M. O’Brien, Teamsters General President. “The Teamsters will be leading the fight to legalize and unionize this industry, both at the state level and nationwide.”
Maine: A Maine law requiring medical marijuana dispensaries to be owned by Maine residents has been struck down by the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision upholds a lower court ruling that found Maine’s residency requirement violates the U.S. Constitution by restricting interstate commerce.
Under Maine’s Medical Marijuana Act, a dispensary cannot be licensed to sell medical marijuana unless all the officers or directors are residents of Maine. Two years ago, the state’s largest cannabis company challenged that requirement. Wellness Connection and its parent company said it violates the Constitution’s “dormant commerce clause,” which prohibits states from passing laws that discriminate against or excessively burden interstate commerce. U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen agreed, noting that Maine allows qualified nonresidents to purchase medical marijuana.
The state and a coalition of medical marijuana caregivers appealed. And this week, the First Circuit ruled against them.
Nevada: After months of delay, Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board approved a set of statewide regulations for cannabis lounges in June. But local jurisdictions can add their own restrictions. The city of Las Vegas has also been working on updating its code to accommodate marijuana lounges and is expected to take up the issue in October. And after an hour-long discussion Tuesday, Clark County commissioners decided to table the matter for another month.
Commissioners mulled over sticking points from the location of the lounges to operating hours to prevent the skunk-like smell of smoldering marijuana from wafting through neighborhoods.
“There’s not any notion of consensus here,” Chairman Jim Gibson said. “We’re going to have to get a better feel for how the operations will be conducted.”
Source: https://lasvegassun.com/news/2022/aug/21/not-yet-regulatory-delays-keep-lid-on-marijuana-co/
New Jersey: The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission has submitted updated rules for the state’s personal-use cannabis market for public comment. New Jersey residents are invited to give feedback on the proposed rules up to Friday, September 30, 2022.
The rules, which amend the initial regulations adopted by the NJ-CRC in August 2021, establish licensing instructions for cannabis wholesale, distribution, and delivery businesses. They also clarify the working space for micro businesses to exclude the square footage of bathrooms, enshrine the adopted Universal Symbol, and simplify labeling requirements for cannabinoids to ensure consumers can make informed choices.
To further ensure the safety of consumers, the rules also require cannabis retailers to provide safe-use information to customers and keep detailed records of products’ movement through the sales process.
Source: https://www.nj.gov/cannabis/about/news-events/20220802.shtml
New York: New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Kevin D. Kim today announced the launch of Cannabis NYC, a first-of-its-kind initiative and suite of services to support the equitable growth of the cannabis industry in New York City — a key pillar of Mayor Adams’ Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery.
Housed at SBS, Cannabis NYC will support cannabis entrepreneurs and their workers as the industry develops. The initiative will work with industry stakeholders to create good jobs, successful small businesses, and sustainable economic opportunities while also addressing the harms of cannabis prohibition. Cannabis NYC services will also include the city’s first-ever technical assistance for cannabis license applicants and other business services to take entrepreneurs beyond licensing to a thriving operation.
The Cannabis Business Advisors have more than thirty years of combined industry experience, spanning across the U.S. and around the globe. C.B. Advisors offers a comprehensive suite of services, including application and licensing preparation, operational analysis, merger and acquisition support, policy and procedures, exit strategy guidance, and business development planning.
Contact Info@thecannabisbusinessadvisors.com for more information on how to apply for a cannabis business license.
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