Latest Cannabis News: May 17, 2022
Latest Cannabis News: May 17, 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
Kansas: Kansas was considered a state to legalize medical marijuana this year possibly, but the latest legislative effort might be faltering. Lawmakers formed a conference committee to hash out a compromise between House and Senate proposals, but only one meeting has been held.
Senate spokesperson Mike Pirner said it’s unlikely a compromise bill will be ready for action when lawmakers return on May 23 to complete this year’s legislative session, Topeka TV station KSNT reported.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/kansas-medical-marijuana-legalization-effort-appears-to-stall/
CBD
Georgia: Georgia regulators took steps last week to expedite hearings on medical cannabis licensing protests after legislation to revive the state’s stalled medical cannabis program died at the end of this year’s legislative session.
According to a Capitol Beat report, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted unanimously on May 5 to turn over the responsibility for hearing the protests to the Office of State Administrative Hearings (OSAH).
Putting that task in the OSAH’s hands was a crucial provision in the legislation that the Georgia Legislature considered this year to address licensing snafus that have held up the state’s medical cannabis program launch.
North Carolina: North Carolina lawmakers could take up and pass a medical marijuana bill in an upcoming short session that runs from May 18 to June 30.
The North Carolina Compassionate Care Act, Senate Bill 711, stalled last year as lawmakers turned to the critical state budget and redistricting issues. The North Carolina bill isn’t without controversy. The measure would call for the state to issue 10 MMJ “supplier” licenses, with each license holder can open up to four dispensaries.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/north-carolina-lawmakers-could-consider-legalizing-medical-marijuana/
South Carolina: Senate Bill 150 has been described as one of the country’s most conservative medical cannabis bills. It allowed patients with qualifying medical conditions to obtain edible-type products from a licensed dispensary. Smokable weed and home cultivation would have remained prohibited, according to Marijuana Moment and other news sites.
The state Senate approved the bill in February, mainly along party lines. But the measure faced stiffer opposition in the House, with lawmakers offering 1,000 amendments at one point. On May 4, Rep. John McCravy raised an order issue, noting that because the bill sets a tax on cannabis products, it should have originated in the House, per the state constitution.
It’s uncertain if the matter can be revived before the General Assembly session ends on June 15.
Source: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2022/05/10/667078.htm
Medical
Delaware: Delaware’s state Senate on Thursday gave final approval to a bill legalizing possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults for recreational use.
The legislation cleared the Democrat-led Senate on a 13-7 party-line vote. Sen. Bruce Ennis of Smyrna, a retired state trooper, was the only Democrat joining Republicans opposing the bill. Last week, the bill passed the Democrat-controlled House on a 26-14 vote.
The measure now goes to Democratic Gov. John Carney, who has previously spoken in opposition to legalizing recreational marijuana but has not said whether he would veto a legalization bill.
Source: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2022/05/16/667747.htm
Florida: For four years, Miami has refused to issue permits for medical marijuana dispensaries, but city commissioners have now paved the way for the first one to open.
Commissioners voted 3-2 Thursday to approve a certificate of use for the first medical marijuana dispensary in Miami, six years after Floridians voted to legalize cannabis for medical services.
There are currently more than 425 dispensaries throughout Florida, but none in Miami.
Hawaii: Last week, the Hawaii Legislature adjourned its legislative session. The Hawaii Senate approved a legalization bill in 2021 that carried over to 2022. Unfortunately, the House never gave it a public hearing or a vote, and several other legalization bills died without a voice.
However, some good news: Both chambers passed HB 2260, which makes significant changes to Hawaii’s medical cannabis program. Most notably, it allows purchases, sales, and inter-island transport between dispensaries and extends the sunset on caregiver cultivation for an unlimited number of patients until December 31, 2024. The extension of caregiver cultivation rights is a huge victory for medical patients and was forged by support from cardholders and advocates like you. You can check out a complete summary of HB 2260 here.
Mississippi: At least 28 cities and a dozen counties altogether opted out of Mississippi’s medical marijuana program by the May 3 deadline, but the state’s health department isn’t keeping an official list of all the municipalities restricting cannabis businesses.
It is also unclear if the Department of Revenue, the other state agency charged with running and overseeing the program, has an official list of local governments that don’t want to participate. The agency didn’t respond to a request for comment by the time of publishing.
Both agencies will soon be accepting applications to administer licenses for the state’s long-awaited medical marijuana program.
Source: https://mississippitoday.org/2022/05/11/cities-opted-out-of-medical-marijuana/
Missouri: The Missouri House voted overwhelmingly last Tuesday to require state regulators to disclose ownership information for businesses granted medical marijuana licenses that the state has withheld from public view.
Democratic Rep. Peter Merideth of St. Louis added the transparency requirements as an amendment to a local government bill approved by the Senate earlier this year. After a brief debate where no one spoke in opposition, the edit was approved 128-6.
The underlying bill, which contains numerous other House amendments, was approved and now heads back to the Senate. The legislative session ended at 6 PM on Friday.
New Hampshire: This session’s last attempt to legalize marijuana in New Hampshire has failed.
This week, the New Hampshire Senate voted down an amendment that would have legalized the possession of up to three-quarters of an ounce of marijuana and three mature plants. A bill that would have legalized retail sales of cannabis at state-run liquor stores also died in the Senate earlier this year. New Hampshire remains the only state in northern New England that has not legalized the drug.
Source: https://www.wcax.com/2022/05/13/nh-lawmakers-reject-marijuana-legalization/
Ohio: An initiative to legalize marijuana will not appear on Ohio’s November ballot, the campaign behind the measure announced on Friday. But activists did reach a settlement with state officials in a legal challenge that will give them a chance to hit the ground running in 2023.
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CTRMLA) filed a lawsuit last month seeking declaratory judgment amid concerns that they might be challenged over the timing of the group’s initial signature submission for the reform measure.
Oklahoma: New laws recently signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt will increase funding for local enforcement of the medical marijuana industry and target illicit sales of cannabis in Oklahoma.
Each of the bills moved through the Legislature last week. As a result, county sheriffs can now receive grant funding to dedicate a full-time deputy to assist with compliance visits conducted by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.
The new law intends to allow enforcement officers to help the medical marijuana authority in situations where licensed marijuana businesses are unwilling to let their property inspections.
Rhode Island: After months of behind-the-scenes negotiation, legislation to legalize adult use of marijuana is headed for votes in legislative committees next Wednesday
Legislative draftsmen are still putting the final touches on the reworked legislation, which will not be made public until sometime next week ahead of the anticipated voting on Wednesday.
The last seen version would allow up to 33 retail licenses to be distributed in six zones statewide, including at nine medical marijuana dispensaries that could be hybrid recreational and medical retailers.
Recreational
California: The governor of California unveiled an updated budget proposal on Friday that calls for eliminating the state’s marijuana cultivation tax and revised cannabis tax revenue allocations.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) May revised budget would take steps intended to combat the illicit market and make the legal industry more competitive, in large part by zeroing out the cultivation tax that marijuana businesses currently incur.
It’s a move that stakeholders have been pushing for, especially as businesses have struggled to keep up with rising inflation and reduced demand compared to peak coronavirus pandemic levels. On Friday, the governor emphasized that he was explicitly committed to exploring ways to minimize the influence of illicit growers and sellers on undercutting legal, licensed businesses.
Maine: Maine has clarified some of its marijuana rulemaking procedures in a move supporters said would protect medical users and growers.
The bill to clarify new rulemaking parameters for the state Office of Marijuana Policy went into effect late last month as an emergency measure. Supporters of the proposal said it makes changes to the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act to make it easier to understand.
The Maine Legislature approved the bill unanimously. Supporters said the changes would cut down on the need to interpret marijuana policy rulemaking last week. They said that would aid patients, caregivers, and small businesses in the industry.
Source: https://www.pressherald.com/2022/05/16/maine-clarifies-marijuana-rules-to-help-medical-users/
Michigan: A Michigan marijuana company filed a lawsuit against the City of Detroit Wednesday to allow existing medical dispensaries to receive recreational licenses, yet another potential setback in getting the recreational cannabis industry up and running in the city.
If the city follows the current ordinance, medical facilities would not be given a shot at getting a recreational license until 2027, when the medical businesses would have likely already closed their doors from lack of sales, the plaintiffs say. They’re asking the court to intervene and stop Detroit from prohibiting dispensaries that sell both medical and recreational cannabis.
New Jersey: Atlantic City is taking a leap of faith and gambling on weed to boost tourism and become an East Coast convention mecca.
But since casinos are under the federal ban on weed, cannabis businesses cannot be located in any of the nine gambling halls. So the city is looking outside the casinos, primarily along Atlantic and Pacific Avenues, to add weed to diversify its economy.
New York: New York’s cannabis regulators plan to host educational workshops this week to support entrepreneurs seeking licenses in the adult-use market.
The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will hold two virtual sessions on May 17 and 18 to offer information for those applying for the first round of Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses, Syracuse.com report.
The “Get Ready, Get Set” workshops will focus on the eligibility criteria for applicants who have been negatively impacted by cannabis prohibition and how the organizations that work with those applicants can support them, the news outlet reported.
At 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17, the OCM will host a workshop titled “Am I Eligible for a CAURD License? How do I Apply for a Conditional License?” That workshop will be followed by one called “How to Support Individuals with a Cannabis Conviction in Applying for License,” which will be held at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18.
Vermont: Vermont lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday that retains limits on high-potency cannabis, despite efforts to remove them by some activists and officials who worry the caps will undercut the soon-to-open market for legal weed.
The Senate, which passed a bill striking the THC limits last month, approved by voice vote a different, House-backed measure that restored the caps. S.188 now heads to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk.
Sen. Dick Sears (D-Bennington), who opposes potency limits, said he supported S.188 because House lawmakers were unwilling to budge. The bill contained other necessary adjustments to the state’s cannabis law.
Washington: Washingtonians can receive a DUI for driving after using cannabis, the state’s Supreme Court concluded Thursday. This decision upholds the state’s decade-old law regulating marijuana use behind the wheel of a car.
All nine justices rejected Douglas Fraser’s argument that his 2017 DUI was based on an arbitrary and vague standard for THC levels in the blood. Although the justices acknowledged that the correlation between THC levels and impairment is challenging to pinpoint, they found that blood measurement nevertheless provides a useful and constitutionally acceptable measurement.
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