Author: Marijuana Moment

[ad_1] “I don’t wish us to continue with a very, very questionable model that’s not in the interests of the CAURD applicants or the state of New York.” By Rosalind Adams, THE CITY This story was originally published by THE CITY. Sign up to get the latest New York City news delivered to you each morning. State senators grilled the acting chief of the state Dormitory Authority about the terms of a high-interest cannabis business loan program recently exposed by THE CITY as part of his confirmation hearing on Tuesday—while the authority says it’s suspending new deals. Gov. Kathy Hochul…

[ad_1] “The statute does not require any business to sell marijuana, or any municipality to adopt, as here, an ordinance to allow marijuana dispensaries within its borders.” By Sophie Nieto-Muñoz, New Jersey Monitor New Jersey’s recreational cannabis law is able to “coexist” with federal marijuana enforcement laws, a state appellate court said in a decision Wednesday. Judge Jack Sabatino, writing for a three-judge panel, affirmed a lower court’s ruling against a group of Highland Park residents who claimed the borough violated federal law by allowing the sale of recreational marijuana, which remains federally illegal. At the center of the legal fight is an ordinance…

[ad_1] “Schedule III will not lift all barriers to research, but it may contribute to the advancement of urgently needed research, which should be prioritized and vigorously pursued.” By Shawn Hauser, Vicente LLP The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) decision to reschedule cannabis represents a historic and critically important shift in U.S. drug policy. By moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the federal Controlled Substances Act, the U.S. government is finally (and officially) recognizing the efficacy and safety of cannabis for medical use. There are valid and important reasons why Schedule III is not the most appropriate classification…

[ad_1] “The lack of knowledge, control, agency or decision-making demonstrated by the individual used to meet eligibility does not meet even the most liberal understanding of owning and operating a business.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent Two Missouri social-equity licensees connected to a Michigan company that used Craigslist to recruit applicants have appealed the state’s decision to revoke their dispensary licenses. The Michigan company, Canna Zoned, was behind two of the 16 microbusiness dispensary licenses issued by lottery in October—Frankenstein Enemy LLC in Columbia and Seashore Rhythm LLC in Arnold. Both licenses were revoked on March 27. Their appeals will…

[ad_1] “Governor Youngkin’s failure to act allows an already thriving illegal cannabis market to persist, fueling criminal activity and endangering our communities.” By Michael Chun, Capital News Service Three years, four sessions and one veto since the first legislative attempt, Virginia still does not have a recreational cannabis market. Potential investors say that makes it hard to plan for the future. Advocates and some politicians say the reasons the governor gave for his recent veto are only exacerbated by preventing recreational cannabis sales. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) recently vetoed House Bill 698 and Senate Bill 448, which would have created…

[ad_1] “People think it should be legal to buy marijuana, but not in this way.” By Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Beacon Six years since Massachusetts opened the first legal recreational marijuana stores on the East Coast, residents are still by and large pleased with cannabis legalization. But they aren’t taking a lax stance on regulations. When asked in a new poll about the rise of some THC-infused drinks skirting the state’s cannabis regulations and tax structure, cannabis consumers and teetotalers alike said the place to purchase marijuana should be behind dispensary doors. Polling on marijuana attitudes from the MassINC Polling Group—surveying…

[ad_1] Activists will need to collect 15,582 valid signatures from registered voters to qualify the initiative. By North Dakota Monitor North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe (R) on Thursday approved a petition for circulation that seeks to put a measure to legalize cannabis on the election ballot. The proposal, if passed, would make it legal for those ages 21 and older to produce, process, sell and use cannabis. It also would appoint a state body to regulate cannabis-related businesses in North Dakota. In order to make it on a ballot, the petition’s backers will have to collect at least…

[ad_1] “Only 73 of the applicants (nearly 500 applicants in all) participated in the survey and these are proposed changes that have not been finalized.” By Carleen Johnson, The Center Square The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) is amending rules for diversity ownership when it comes to pot shops. The idea is to encourage minority ownership and to remove barriers to licensing, including criminal history related to drug use or incarceration. That starts with changing the rubric used to determine scoring for social equity applicants seeking licenses to own and operate marijuana retail shops. The Cannabis Social Equity…

[ad_1] “The private entity here is the one benefiting the most, though the goal of public policy is to benefit the state and to benefit the dispensary owners.” By Rosalind Adams, THE CITY Last June, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced that a much-anticipated deal had finally been reached to fund a $200 million public–private fund that would finance cannabis dispensaries run by the people who have been the most impacted by the war on drugs. “Today’s announcement reinforces New York’s commitment to building partnerships that benefit New Yorkers and setting right the wrongs of the past,” Hochul said…

[ad_1] “We regulate tobacco, we regulate alcohol, we regulate food, yet we’ve got a ton of these products out there now that we’re not regulating.” By Chaya Tong, Georgia Recorder A bill regulating hemp products, licensing and restricting their purchase to customers 21 and older awaits its fate on Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R) desk after state lawmakers successfully passed it during this year’s legislative session. The bill, related to “The Georgia Hemp Farming Act” and sponsored by Sen. Sam Watson (R-Moultrie), would require testing for all hemp-derived products, including CBD and delta-8 edibles and drinks, and prohibit sales to minors.…

[ad_1] “We said we were doing this bill for criminal justice purposes, and to partially correct the very failed multi-billion war on drugs campaign that happened for decades in New Jersey, so this is frustrating. I feel like we’re not headed in the right direction.” By Sophie Nieto-Munoz, New Jersey Monitor For the last two years, people have been able to stroll into New Jersey dispensaries to buy weed. But growing your own cannabis plant remains a third-degree felony. Despite a growing number of nearby states legalizing the growing of marijuana plants at home, bills to do the same in New Jersey have languished…

[ad_1] “When purchasing products, Missourians have a right to know if they will be subject to serious and potentially dangerous side effect.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) launched an investigation into four companies Wednesday as part of an effort to crack down on intoxicating hemp products. The problem, according to Bailey, is the products in question—such delta-8 edibles and vape pens—are not clearly labeled to indicate that they’ll get you high. “When purchasing products, Missourians have a right to know if they will be subject to serious and potentially dangerous side effects,” Bailey stated…