Latest Cannabis News: February 16, 2021

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.

Dry:

Idaho: A campaign to let Idaho voters decide on medical marijuana legalization next year cleared one of many legal hurdles, state elections division spokesman Chad Houck confirmed Wednesday. Organizers and supporters can now begin gathering signatures from registered voters to get the Idaho Medical Marijuana Act on the November 2022 general election ballot.
Source

CBD:

Alabama: The Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee has approved moving forward with the Compassion Act, or Senate Bill 46, to legalize medical marijuana and form a commission to license growers. Proposed by Republican State Sen. Tim Melson of Florence, the bill passed the committee 8-3 on Feb. 3 and heads to the Senate floor.
Source

Indiana: Indiana lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are once again bringing bills related to marijuana reform to the table this session. Ten bills directly related to the legalization, decriminalization or regulation of marijuana in the state of Indiana have been introduced to the Indiana House and Senate in 2021.
Source

North Carolina: A majority of North Carolina adults support legalizing marijuana for adult use—and three in four say it should be legal for medical purposes—according to a new poll. The survey found that the percentage of respondents who favor recreational cannabis legalization increased by nine points, from 45 to 54 percent, since the firm last polled North Carolina residents on the question in 2017.
Source

South Dakota: The South Dakota Attorney General’s Office is dropping its defense of a voter-approved adult-use marijuana amendment after earlier asserting in court that the initiative was constitutional. The AG’s decision comes after a circuit court judge appointed by Gov. Kristi Noem ruled that the initiative is unconstitutional, setting up an appeal by legalization backers to the state Supreme Court.
Source

Tennessee: Two Tennessee state lawmakers have introduced legislation which would prevent employers from penalizing some employees and applicants if they test positive for marijuana use. HB1330/SB1359 is sponsored by Representative Torrey C. Harris (D-Memphis) and Senator Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) in their respective houses.
Source

Wisconsin: Gov. Tony Evers will unveil his full budget Tuesday evening in a virtual event, but he’s already announced his proposal to legalize and tax marijuana. It’s an idea the governor said could bring the state more than $165 million annually.
Source

Medical:

Arkansas: Arkansas’ circuit judges are responsible for deciding whether people on probation may use marijuana for medical purposes, leaving judges to weigh the potential impacts on public safety and a probationer’s health. Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren has wrestled with the decision a few times in the past year. He recently had to decide whether a woman, who was pleading guilty to a drug crime, would be permitted to use medical marijuana while on probation.
Source

Connecticut: The governor of Connecticut released a budget request on Wednesday that includes a plan to legalize marijuana. But while the proposal places an emphasis on social equity, advocates are expressing expressing concerns about the lack of specifics so far. Gov. Ned Lamont (D), who convened an informal work group in recent months to make recommendations on the policy change, said his budget plan will involve establishing a “comprehensive framework for the cultivation, manufacture, sale, possession, use, and taxation of cannabis that prioritizes public health, public safety, and social justice.”
Source

Delaware: In January, Auditor General Kathy McGuiness’ office put out a report that estimated the state could rake in $43 million in annual tax revenue through legalizing marijuana. Now bill to legalize marijuana in Delaware could be brought to the House floor by next month. Representative Ed Osienski (D-24th Newark) says he is finalizing the language in the bill before filing and presenting to the House. Oseinski says he believes he has the vote to pass the law, and if passed, it could create hundreds of jobs.
Source

Iowa: Iowans would have to pay only $10 every two years for a medical cannabis card that now costs $100 per year under a bill advancing in the Iowa Senate. However, lawmakers on a Senate subcommittee agreed Thursday the fees, along with other parts of the bill, may need changes in order to make sure the program continues to cover the costs of state administration and testing.
Source

Louisiana: A new service is available to Louisiana residents who are interested in using medical marijuana to help alleviate discomfort associated with multiple health issues. Recently, Louisiana Marijuana Card was established to help connect patients with doctors who are willing and able to recommend medical marijuana.
Source

Maryland: A General Assembly committee will hold a hearing Tuesday, Feb. 16, on a bill that would legalize marijuana for recreational use. Medical marijuana is already legal in Maryland. House Bill 32 would legalize cannabis for recreational use and would expunge past marijuana-related criminal offenses.
Source

Minnesota: A bill to legalize marijuana in Minnesota will receive its first hearing in a House committee next week, and legislative leaders are encouraging the public to participate as they solicit testimony on the proposal. The announcement comes about a week after the cannabis reform legislation was filed by House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D), Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and other lawmakers. It would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis and cultivate up to eight plants, four of which could be mature.
Source

Mississippi: After failing to gain the needed three-fifths vote in a first try Thursday night, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann (R) held the Senate over into Friday morning and it passed a legislative alternative to the medical marijuana program voters approved in November. Senate Bill 2765, authored by Senate Medicaid Chairman Kevin Blackwell (R), passed 30-19 on Friday morning at about 1:15 AM. The bill had failed a Thursday night vote, 30-21, needing 31 to pass. The lesser number for passage was needed in the wee hours Friday because some senators were absent, lowering the three-fifths threshold.
Source

New Jersey: Legislators plan to pass a bill this week detailing the penalties and fines faced by marijuana users under 21 years old. This “cleanup” bill is seen as the last hurdle before Gov. Phil Murphy signs into law the full package of marijuana legislation, which would essentially put into action the ballot and constitutional amendment approved by voters in November. But that plan hit yet another snag on Tuesday, when Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Nick Scutari, D-Union, announced that the bill was being held until a yet-unscheduled hearing for Wednesday.
Source

New Mexico: A New Mexico legislative committee Monday advanced a social equity and microbusiness-focused adult-use marijuana legalization bill while tabling a more industry-oriented measure. The early step indicates what direction the Legislature appears to be headed and reflects a pronounced national trend to include social justice and equity provisions in virtually every recreational legalization effort.
Source

New York: The governor of New York on Tuesday revealed details of an amended budget plan to legalize marijuana, with new provisions to allow cannabis delivery services and a refined approach to penalties for unlawful sales. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) first announced that he would be sending a revised version of his reform proposal to the legislature on Monday. The hope is that these changes will satisfy lawmakers and advocates who took issue with several components of his original plan, which was filed last month.
Source

North Dakota: North Dakota lawmakers already weighing whether to legalize and tax recreational marijuana also will decide a bill to lessen criminal penalties for possession. Rep. Shannon Roers Jones, R-Fargo, on Tuesday introduced House Bill 1201 to the House Judiciary Committee. The bill would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana and related paraphernalia.
Source

Ohio: Ohio’s Medical Board is still considering seven conditions to potentially add to the state’s list of approved conditions for Medical Marijuana. Ohio’s Medical Board is still considering seven conditions to potentially add to the state’s list of approved conditions for Medical Marijuana.
Source

Oklahoma: Medical marijuana sales in Oklahoma reached a record $831 million-plus for 2020, more than twice that of 2019. Several other states with legal cannabis programs also posted record sales figures for 2020, including Colorado and Illinois. According to Oklahoma Tax Commission data, medical cannabis retailers in the state tallied more than $831 million in total revenue in 2020, The Norman Transcript reported.
Source

Rhode Island: A top Rhode Island senator says a bill to legalize marijuana in the state will be introduced this month, possibly as early as next week. Rather than wait until later in the session for budget negotiations, Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey (D) told The Public’s Radio that he wants to put the legislation in front of lawmakers sooner so they can work out regulations and decide on key policies such as how to address expungements and tax allocation from cannabis revenue.
Source

Utah: A year after Utah implemented its medical marijuana program, lawmakers are proposing bills that they say will reduce issues with the current law — one that would let any doctor recommend marijuana and another that would allow marijuana to be prescribed for those addicted to opioids in pain settings. SB170 would allow any doctor to recommend medical marijuana to up to 15 patients without becoming a qualified medical provider in the Utah Medical Cannabis Program. It would also add podiatrists to the list of specialists who can recommend the plant for pain conditions.
Source

New Mexico: New Mexico legislators are sprinting amid the pandemic to come up with a framework for regulating and taxing recreational marijuana after voters ousted key opponents of marijuana legalization in 2020 elections. Four Democrat-backed proposals with a social-justice bent are competing for traction at the Legislature, along with a Republican proposal aimed at stamping out the illicit marijuana market.
Source

West Virginia: A West Virginia House leader recently circulated an internal poll among Republican lawmakers, inquiring about what kind of policies—including marijuana legalization—they’d be willing to support to increase revenue to the state as part of a plan to eliminate the personal income tax. The survey listed 12 examples of potential policy changes that could be enacted to offset an estimated $2.1 billion revenue loss if the income tax is repealed. But while Majority Whip Paul Espinosa (R) put legalizing cannabis in that list, he said in a follow-up interview that it doesn’t necessarily signal that it’s something the legislature would pursue.
Source

Recreational:

California: Medical marijuana industry workers are now able to get the COVID-19 vaccine in California — ahead of teachers, school bus drivers and grocery store workers. State officials advanced them to Phase 1A with other healthcare workers. Jerred Kiloh, the president of Cannabis Business Association and owner of Higher Path dispensary in Sherman Oaks, said it was high time that people like him were recognized as medical workers.
Source

Maine: Maine’s 15 licensed adult-use retailers conducted 33,521 transactions worth $2.47 million in sales in January alone, the Portland Press Herald reported, citing statistics from the state’s Office of Marijuana Policy. The average price of flower has dropped from $16.67 per gram to $14.57 per gram, according to the newspaper.
Source

Massachusetts: The number of medical cannabis cardholders in Massachusetts has soared by more than 30,000 in the past year and now is at its highest level since the state’s first dispensary opened in June 2015. There are currently 100,000 medical marijuana patients in Massachusetts, the Boston Business Journal reported, up from 67,742 registered cardholders in March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic was taking hold in the U.S.
Source

Nevada: People of color make up nearly half of the Nevada marijuana industry workforce, but the executive-level positions for cannabis companies skew significantly whiter, according to a new survey. According to the survey conducted by the state’s Cannabis Compliance Board, 63 percent of marijuana license owners identified as white, compared to just 5 percent who were Black, 12.8 percent who were Hispanic or Latino, 6.3 percent who were Asian, and 2.5 percent who were American Indian or Alaskan Native. More than 10 percent answered with “Prefer not to answer.”
Source

Washington: A landmark drug decriminalization and treatment bill in Washington State cleared its first legislative hurdle on Monday, with a panel of lawmakers voting to advance the measure just hours before a key deadline. The House Public Safety Committee voted 7–6 to approve the Pathways to Recovery Act, HB 1499, which would remove penalties for “personal use” amounts of illegal substances and expand outreach and recovery services.
Source