Author: Chris Casacchia
[ad_1] An indoor marijuana grower in California has alerted regulators and the state’s track-and-trace system that a certain batch of its flower in the market contains prohibited pesticides. As a result, Grizzly Peak Farms implemented a voluntary recall on its Zoap flower strain after testing from the state’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) confirmed the presence of the pesticide chlorfenapyr. The California Environmental Protection Agency banned sales of the pesticide in February 2020 and its possession and use by growers on Dec. 31, 2020. “This product is being pulled from the market to protect consumer safety,” DCC spokesperson David Hafner…
[ad_1] Cannabis multistate operators with medical marijuana licenses in New York received the green light from state regulators Friday to enter the adult-use market on Dec. 29, exactly one year after the state launched recreational sales. The Cannabis Control Board’s approval had been anticipated for months, but the decision marks a controversial milestone in the rollout of the state’s recreational marijuana market. It follows the New York State Supreme Court’s Dec. 1 decision to lift an injunction that had prevented regulators from handing out new adult-use business licenses. The CCB, at its meeting Friday, approved the following six registered organizations,…
[ad_1] The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency is warning traditional Georgia pharmacies that marijuana possession and sales are federally prohibited. The caution flag stems from the Georgia Board of Pharmacy’s June approval of rules for independent pharmacies to sell low-THC medical cannabis oil products in the state and the ensuing signoff by Gov. Brian Kemp. The DEA, which has largely avoided marijuana enforcement in individual states during the Biden administration, has a different view, however. The notice from the agency’s Diversion Control Division reminds DEA-registered pharmacies that they must abide by federal laws and regulations, Atlanta TV station WXIA reported. The…
[ad_1] Connecticut’s adult-use marijuana market has hit some potholes less than a year after launch, with overall sales of recreational and medical cannabis dipping in October – an uncommon development for a new market. A lack of product selection for consumers and medical patients is prompting shoppers to continue visiting stores in neighboring Massachusetts, a concern local operators have voiced for months. The slowdown in overall sales reflects a combination of other factors as well, including: Regulatory curbs such as product restrictions. More municipalities prohibiting adult-use sales and other cannabis businesses. High barriers for new entrants. Competition from more established…
[ad_1] Retail workers at a Zen Leaf store in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood voted to join Teamsters Local 777. Zen Leaf is a subsidiary of multistate operator Verano Holdings Corp., which is headquartered in Chicago. “The dedication and hard work of these professionals is not just essential to the Chicago cannabis industry, but representative of their solidarity,” Local 777 President Jim Glimco said in a statement. “Together, we will secure a contract with better working conditions, fair wages and the recognition and respect that this profession deserves.” Zen Leaf’s Rogers Park location is their third to join Local 777. In…
[ad_1] A group of Ohio Republican senators proposed a wide-ranging bill that would essentially gut the marijuana law that voters overwhelmingly approved last month. The proposed changes introduced by Republican Sen. Rob McColley, according to the Dayton Daily News, include several provisions that would override the will of voters and limit the true potential of the market, including: Decreasing the number of adult-use stores from 350 to 230. Limiting product potencies and marijuana possession to 1 ounce of flower and 5 grams of extracts. Increase excise taxes from 10% to 15% and initiate a 15% tax on cultivators. Redirect cannabis…
[ad_1] Alabama regulators have issued 20 medical cannabis business licenses to dispensaries, cultivators, processors, transportation providers and testing labs. Licenses are expected to be handed out 28 days after they have been awarded, so medical marijuana production could begin in early January. The Friday development marked the third time the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) has tried to issue MMJ licenses. The first two attempts prompted lawsuits and industry backlash: The first, in June was voided after applicants alleged in lawsuits that the methodology used by the University of South Alabama to score applications was inconsistent. The second try, in August,…
[ad_1] Minnesota’s top marijuana regulator expects the state to launch adult-use sales in early 2025 as planned, despite several key administrative positions unfulfilled and the need to finalize program rules and requirements. “There’s a lot of work happening behind the scenes keeping us on track for a successful launch in 2025,” interim director Charlene Briner told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Briner, who’s under contract through Feb. 15, said she hopes to fill about a quarter of the 120 positions at Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) by spring. Erin Dupree was appointed as the OCM’s first director in September but…
[ad_1] Less than two years after South Dakotans rejected a ballot measure to allow marijuana possession and home grows, advocates have launched a voter initiative to legalize an adult-use market. The ballot measure, submitted by cannabis consultant and Rapid City resident Emmett Reistroffer, needs 17,509 valid petition signatures to qualify for the 2024 election, according to the Business of Cannabis. If approved for the ballot and subsequently passed by voters, the proposal would authorize the South Dakota Department of Health to issue dual-use licenses for the state’s medical marijuana dispensaries to sell recreational cannabis products, the news outlet reported. An…
[ad_1] A promising new path to adult-use cannabis legalization is developing in Hawaii. The state’s attorney general, Anne Lopez, has submitted a comprehensive proposal to create a framework for establishing a retail market for recreational marijuana, Hawaii News Now reported. Lopez has previously opposed adult-use legalization, but her 294-page plan for a recreational marijuana market includes: A 10% cannabis sales tax and a 4.25% excise tax. Grants and other support mechanisms to transition legacy operators into the regulated market. Establishing a regulatory agency to oversee the program, as well as enforcement, social equity provisions and product testing. “The attorney general…
[ad_1] New York regulators delayed discussions to settle two marijuana licensing lawsuits, adding more uncertainty for social equity applicants in the state. The New York Cannabis Control Board (CCB) was set to discuss potential resolutions at it meeting Friday but instead scratched the items from the agenda as regulators seek solutions, according to Buffalo TV station WGRZ. “We continue to work diligently to resolve the pending litigation and ensure continued development of the most equitable cannabis market in the country,” according to a statement sent to WGRZ by the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), the state’s other chief marijuana regulator.…
[ad_1] Missouri regulators revoked the manufacturing license of Delta Extraction, which made infused THC goods that led to the recent recall of more than 60,000 products and millions of dollars in lost sales and inventory for retailers and brands. The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) also accused Delta Extraction of additional violations – on top of the initial accusation that the company violated the rules by using out-of-state, hemp-derived THCA to manufacture infused products destined for Missouri store shelves, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. THCA, when heated, turns into THC. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services…