Latest Cannabis News: March 22, 2022
Latest Cannabis News: March 22, 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
Georgia: Lawmakers tried to revive Georgia’s stalled medical marijuana program Tuesday, advancing different bills through the state House and Senate that aim to issue licenses for businesses to manufacture and sell the medicine.
Both measures attempt to jump-start cannabis oil production following delays since a state commission announced plans last summer to award licenses to six companies. Protests by 16 losing companies alleged the process was unfair, creating a bureaucratic deadlock that still hasn’t been resolved.
Georgia has allowed doctor-approved patients to consume cannabis oil since 2015, but there’s still no way for them to buy it legally.
Kentucky: The Kentucky House of Representatives passed a bill to legalize medical marijuana in the state on Thursday. The legislation now heads to the Senate.
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Jason Nemes (R), was taken up by the full chamber about a week after clearing the House Judiciary Committee. Meanwhile, separate adult-use and medical legalization bills were filed by Democratic lawmakers last month.
The vote on the floor was 59-34.
Source: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/kentucky-house-passes-medical-marijuana-legalization-bill/
Medical
Maryland: With less than a month left in the 2022 legislative session, lawmakers in both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly are deliberating how to reconcile three legislative efforts that look to legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
The House of Delegates passed HB 1 on Feb. 25, establishing a referendum to let voters decide on a proposed constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana in Maryland. If the referendum is successful, HB 837 — sponsored by Del. Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) — would allow Marylanders 21 and over to possess up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana starting July 2023.
Source: https://dbknews.com/2022/03/16/maryland-general-assembly-recreational-marijuana-legalization/
Minnesota: Minnesota’s seed-to-sale tracking system for its medical cannabis industry will be provided by Metrc. This Florida-based company has become synonymous with regulatory compliance in many state markets.
Metrc’s system offers a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, model. Each plant and product is traceable through patented RFID technology, allowing for data tracking for each plant, inventory control, and cultivation management. The system helps ensure accurate reporting of sales and product safety for consumers.
The company’s agreement with Minnesota is its 19th government contract nationwide; it was announced on March 17.
Source: https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/metrc-wins-track-and-trace-contract-in-minnesota/
Mississippi: Mississippians hoping to start medical marijuana businesses are up against a new obstacle: city aldermen.
Despite voters overwhelmingly passing Initiative 65 to create a medical marijuana program in November 2020, the state supreme court struck it down on a constitutional technicality. After months of uncertainty, Gov. Tate Reeves signed the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act in February 2022. Some local business people hoping to get a foothold in the industry are being blocked by their elected officials.
One Mississippi pharmacist’s plans to open a dispensary in Brandon are paused indefinitely, and cultivators hoping to grow the plant in nearby cities face the same hurdles.
Rhode Island: On Tuesday, a Rhode Island Senate committee held the first hearing on a much-anticipated bill to legalize marijuana in the state. But while activists are eager to end cannabis criminalization, the measure faced pushback over a critical provision concerning the proposed process for expunging prior convictions.
The bill from Sen. Joshua Miller (D), unveiled earlier this month, was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee. A companion House version from Rep. Scott Slater (D) has not yet been scheduled for a committee hearing.
This development also comes two months after Gov. Dan McKee (D) included a proposal to end cannabis prohibition as part of his annual budget plan.
South Dakota: On Friday, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed five bills to make changes to the state’s medical marijuana laws, including putting a cap on the number of cannabis plants that medical marijuana patients can grow in their homes.
The Republican governor cast the bills as part of her effort to implement a “safe and responsible” medical marijuana program focused on patients. the voter-passed law placed no maximum cap on the number of plants that may be grown in patients’ homes. Still, lawmakers moved this year to limit the number to four: two flowering and two non-flowering. Another bill Noem signed allows physician assistants and advanced nurse practitioners to recommend medical marijuana to patients. She also signed a bill regulating industrial hemp.
Recreational
California: A few weeks ago, California lawmakers quietly introduced SB-1326, a bill that would amend the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) to legalize interstate cannabis sales, notwithstanding the status of federal law.
Expressly, SB-1326 would authorize the Governor to agree with other states allowing medicinal or adult-use commercial cannabis activity between entities licensed under the laws of the other states and California entities operating with a state license.
If enacted in its current version, the bill would also:
- Limit interstate commercial cannabis activities to out-of-state operators that secure a state license, a local license, permit, or other authorization issued by the local jurisdiction.
- The other states must impose requirements, including product safety, labeling, and testing requirements, on their cannabis licensees that meet or exceed the provisions applicable to MAUCRSA licensees.
- Mandate that the agreement includes provisions for the collection of applicable taxes.
Source: https://harrisbricken.com/cannalawblog/california-might-legalize-interstate-cannabis-sales/
Connecticut: Last week, the Department of Consumer Protection began accepting lottery applications for Product Packager licenses. The application period for product packager licenses will close at 11:59 p.m. EST on June 15, 2022.
Applications can be found at elicense.ct.gov and must be completed through the online portal. Interested applicants can view a description of each license type to determine which license is appropriate for their business.
Illinois: Illinois has won a court order to award 60 new craft cannabis growing licenses, allowing a significant expansion of the industry to newcomers. The development came as a judge lifted the injunction that had held up awarding the licenses until the litigation was settled.
On Monday, Sangamon County Judge Gail Noll restored the applications of 11 applicants who had sued, challenging their disqualifications by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
The agency may now reconsider those applications and is expected to rank all applicants to see who qualifies for a license. In case of a tie among top scorers, the department would hold a lottery to determine the winners.
New Jersey: New Jersey began accepting applications last Tuesday from individuals hoping to get in on the ground floor of the state’s coming recreational cannabis industry. By day’s end, state regulators had attracted plenty of interest.
NJ.com reported that the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission said that by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, it had received 172 applications from individuals interested in opening a cannabis retail store.
Vermont: With medical cannabis laws ending earlier this month, the state Cannabis Control Board put emergency rules to continue legal sales in Vermont.
Board members met on Monday to vote on those and other rules and to discuss their social equity policies and background check procedures. James Pepper, a board chairperson, started the meeting by discussing the prequalification process for cannabis retailers. That process begins Wednesday at 9 a.m. Pepper made it clear that this voluntary process is not required for licensure.
Prequalification is an extra step that requires a $500 non-refundable fee for fingerprint submission, and it will not give the applicant authority to start selling cannabis. When it’s time for the final application, the $500 will be applied to the final application fee.
Virginia: The General Assembly failed to find a path to starting recreational marijuana sales this year, but a bill outlining stricter regulations for retailers selling what one lawmaker called “juiced-up” synthetic products made its way through the legislature last week bipartisan support.
The bill, which is now before Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), explicitly bans sales of any substance that contains more than 0.3 percent or .25 milligrams of THC per serving or more than one milligram per package. The measurements would apply to any naturally occurring or synthetic version of THC such as delta-8, the popular synthetic substitute made from industrial hemp that producers claim is legal.
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