Author: Kate Robertson

[ad_1] Oklahoma regulators are cracking down on medical cannabis growers that don’t have the proper signage on their facilities. The state’s Medical Marijuana Authority filed petitions on Oct. 31 to revoke the licenses of 165 marijuana facilities that allegedly failed to heed signage rules, according to Oklahoma City TV station KFOR. Senate Bill 1737, a law that took effect late last year, requires all commercial cannabis growers to have signs around the outside of their property, according to an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) news release. Signs must: Be at least 18 inches by 24 inches. Have standardized black font that’s…

[ad_1] Seven in 10 Americans support marijuana legalization, according to a new Gallup poll – an all-time high since the Washington DC-based analytics and advisory company began polling on the topic in 1969. In that first poll, only 12% of respondents supported marijuana reform. Support for marijuana legalization plateaued at 68% for the past three years. By contrast, in 2013, more than half of respondents said they supported marijuana legalization. The steady increase in support for cannabis reform aligns with the growth in self-reported use of marijuana. Gallup’s annual Consumption Habits survey in July showed that 17% of respondents smoke…

[ad_1] A coalition of hemp cultivators in Alaska filed a lawsuit arguing that the state’s new regulations for intoxicating hemp-derived products are unconstitutional. The Alaska Industrial Hemp Association and four companies filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Anchorage, according to news website Alaska Beacon. Defendants named in the lawsuit are: The Alaska Department of Natural Resources and its commissioner, John Boyle III. The state’s Division of Agriculture and its director, Bryan Scoresby. The state of Alaska. Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom. Under the state’s new rules, hemp-derived products with intoxicating levels of delta-8 or delta-9 THC must be approved…

[ad_1] Connecticut regulators are increasing the limit on how much adult-use cannabis that retailers can legally sell per transaction. The increase, which kicks in Dec. 1, is the result of Department of Consumer Protection reviews of marijuana supply and demand and assurances that medical cannabis patients will take priority over adult-use consumers, CT News Junkie reported. Recreational marijuana retailers will be allowed to sell up to a half-ounce of flower or the equivalent, which would be up to 14 1-gram pre-rolls or eight 1-milliliter vape cartridges. MMJ patients still will be allowed to buy up to 5 ounces of cannabis…

[ad_1] Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) has proposed a ban on cannabis industry involvement in unlicensed marijuana-related events and activities. That includes events where marijuana consumption is permitted, such as ticketed or money-generating film screenings or art exhibitions as well as cannabis dinners, according to Denver alt-weekly Westword. The proposed ban – put forward Monday at the MED’s public rulemaking hearing – would apply to growers, manufacturers, retailers and other licensed marijuana businesses, Westword reported. Cannabis entrepreneurs and their representatives said a ban would further restrict an already hamstrung industry, with tight marijuana advertising restrictions and only five licensed marijuana…

[ad_1] New York state’s unique Cannabis Growers Showcase program (CGS) has helped ease the burden of unsold marijuana worth hundreds of millions of dollars amid a dearth of adult-use retailers, according to local growers. Cultivators and brand representatives want the showcases to be allowed to continue after the Jan. 1, 2024, expiration date, particularly with forthcoming competition from the state’s large medical cannabis companies. The showcases, which range from farmers market-like setups to more conventional retail experiences, were designed to help marijuana cultivators sell off a glut of inventory left over from last year. Events can last for a single…

[ad_1] The parent company of a marijuana retailer in Illinois filed a lawsuit alleging that another store is opening too close to one of its existing outlets in Chicago. Under state law, marijuana retailers are not allowed to be located within 1,500 feet of each other – unless the two entities were licensed under Illinois’ social equity program. The lawsuit, filed this week in Cook County by GRI Holdings, argues that while social equity licensees should be permitted to open stores close to locations owned by large multistate operators, regulations should not permit social equity businesses to locate so close…

[ad_1] Sorting Robotics, a Los Angeles-based industrial automation company for the cannabis industry, raised $2 million in debt financing from investment groups Kiso Capital and Prospeq. The funds will be used to boost inventory to meet demand and accelerate sales and market penetration, according to a news release. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Kiso is a financial-services company headquartered in San Jose, California; Prospeq is a Phoenix-based venture capital and private equity firm. “The debt financing is crucial for Sorting Robotics, providing essential capital that drives our innovation without diluting ownership,” Nohtal Partansky, Sorting Robotics’ co-founder and CEO,…

[ad_1] Hemp-derived cannabinoids such as delta-8 and delta-10 THC could be legal to sell in Georgia after the state’s Court of Appeals ruled such products aren’t controlled substances.The decision follows a Georgia crackdown on hemp-derived THC products that included a 2022 raid on retailer Elements Distribution, the plaintiff in the case, according to Atlanta TV station WXIA.The Gwinnett County district attorney’s office, which worked with local authorities in the raids, could still appeal the decision to the Georgia Supreme Court.After passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which federally legalized hemp, states have taken different approaches to regulating hemp-derived cannabinoids. “I…

[ad_1] Kentucky’s new medical cannabis law won’t take effect until 2025, according to Gov. Andy Beshear. In making that announcement, Beshear also said that Sam Flynn will serve as the executive director of the medical cannabis program, according to Louisville TV station WLKY. Flynn formerly was the chief of the labor and education cabinet. The governor, who in March signed into law a bill legalizing Kentucky’s MMJ program, also noted that updates about the state’s medical marijuana program will be published on the new Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program website. Beshears also formed the Team Kentucky Medical Cannabis Workgroup, Kentucky Today…

[ad_1] Certain hemp-derived products in Alaska will now be regulated by the state’s marijuana regulatory agency under new regulations passed by lawmakers. The change doesn’t affect all hemp products, only derivatives containing intoxicating delta-8 or delta-9 THC as well as some “so-called ‘full-spectrum’ hemp products intended to help with epilepsy and pain,” according to the Anchorage Daily News. Some of those “full-spectrum” products include cannabinoids that are limited by Alaska’s industrial hemp program. Under the new regulations, such products must be approved by Alaska’s Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office and will be available for purchase only in stores licensed to…

[ad_1] Shannon O’Brien, the suspended chair of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, dropped her lawsuit seeking to block the suspension after being granted a hearing over the matter. The hearing is scheduled for Nov. 7, according to The Boston Globe. State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, who suspended O’Brien with pay on Sept. 14, granted the hearing. An Oct. 6 court date for the injunction was canceled after the lawsuit was dropped. Beyond Goldberg saying “several serious allegations” were made about O’Brien, the reason for the suspension remains a mystery. It’s not clear if the hearing will be made accessible to the…