Author: Marijuana Moment

[ad_1] “It was a successful year for New Jersey’s growing cannabis market, affirming the efficacy of our approach to building a market on a framework of social equity and public safety.” By Sophie Nieto-Muñoz, New Jersey Monitor The long-awaited opening of Jesse Marie Villars’ cannabis dispensary in Lambertville was a longtime goal for the previously underground entrepreneur, and a sign that New Jersey’s cannabis market is flourishing in parts of the state. Baked by the River, which welcomed customers on December 16, is one of 57 dispensaries that opened in the Garden State this year, the first full year recreational…

[ad_1] “When you’re putting these things into the stream of commerce and you look at the 10th Amendment, there’s really nothing in the U.S. Constitution that says that we can’t clearly legislate this type of issue.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent A Republican state senator has filed legislation to renew last spring’s failed effort to regulate intoxicating hemp products in Missouri, such as Delta-8 drinks and edibles. Delta-8 THC products can be sold in stores in Missouri because the intoxicating ingredient, THC, is derived from hemp, not marijuana which is a controlled substance. And hemp is federally legal. There’s no…

[ad_1] “Maintaining a program that lauds the success of the few who find recovery through mandated treatment at the cost of the many who don’t is a twisted calculus, valuing one person’s abstinence over others’ lives.” By Morgan Godvin, Oregon Measure 110 Oversight and Accountability Council via Oregon Capital Chronicle Experts—and editorials—have recently claimed that no one has been imprisoned for drug use for years, long before Oregon’s Measure 110 was approved in 2020. But that is not accurate. You don’t have to be sent to prison to be incarcerated for drug use. I know. Between 2013 to 2014, I…

[ad_1] “It may cause some dispensaries to actually shut down. It’s going to cause them to lose several weeks of sales.” By Heather Harrison, Mississippi Free Press After an anonymous phone call alleged that Rapid Analytics cannabis testing lab was not conducting the proper procedure for pesticides, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) placed an administrative hold on all medical cannabis products that underwent testing at the Natchez, Mississippi-based facility, lab spokesperson Mamie Henry said. “They have no basis for anything, except an anonymous call, which has shut the entire industry down pretty much because we do 70 percent…

[ad_1] “We must not let this unique opportunity slip away when both sides of the aisle are willing to address the challenges facing this industry.” By Russell Rosendal, Salal Credit Union Most people working in cannabis are well-versed in the numerous operational and financial hurdles this industry faces as a result of federal prohibition. But among the most challenging of these hurdles for state-legal cannabis businesses is not having access to essential financial services. This situation has forced many legitimate businesses to operate in the shadows, while their employees are excluded from mainstream banking services. The passage of the Secure…

[ad_1] “We identified important progress being made, but it’s clear there is still much work to be done.” By Ben Botkin, Oregon Capital Chronicle Measure 110 has helped the growth of treatment and recovery services for drug addiction, but the state can do more to better manage the program, according to a report released Wednesday by the Oregon secretary of state’s office. Lawmakers mandated the financial review, which looks at services that were established starting in 2022, two years after voters passed Measure 110, decriminalizing possession of small amounts of drugs and putting a share of cannabis revenue into treatment…

[ad_1] “Any lawsuit will likely include claims relating to the department’s regulatory authority in other areas of the marijuana industry.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent Missouri’s crackdown on a cannabis company accused of illegally importing THC concentrate could lead to a showdown over the state’s authority to regulate the industry. Delta Extraction had its license to manufacture cannabis products revoked in November, months after a massive recall pulled more than 60,000 products off the shelves—which the state says were illegally made with a hemp-derived THC concentrate imported from out of state. As the legal battle continues to drag out, the…

[ad_1] Administrative Law Judge James Timberland noted that the district had no policies applying to off-duty conduct, and that the educator’s actions did not involve the school, students or staff. By Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch An Iowa educator who was fired after police found three pounds of marijuana at her home is entitled to jobless benefits, a judge has ruled. According to state records, Amy Garrison-Perkins was employed by the Waterloo Community School District as a behavior interventionist at Expo Alternative High School earlier this year. In September, police went to the school and served a search warrant on…

[ad_1] Issues included “failure to provide documentation that the facility would be operated by eligible individuals.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent Missouri cannabis regulators may revoke 11 of the 48 social-equity cannabis licenses issued in October after finding they didn’t meet eligibility requirements. Nine were dispensaries and two were wholesale facilities. Among those who could face license revocation is Canna Zoned, a Michigan company that secured two of the 16 dispensary cannabis licenses—in Columbia and Arnold. Both of Cana Zoned’s licenses have been deemed ineligible, according to information the state provided to The Independent Friday evening. State records show Canna…

[ad_1] “We are proud to end unnecessary industry prohibitions on those who have the legacy skills and expertise to thrive in Massachusetts’s regulated industry—and deserve the economic benefits now that marijuana is legal.” By Nurys Camargo and Ava Callender Concepcion, Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission via CommonWealth Beacon This fall, the Cannabis Control Commission’s regulations to implement Massachusetts’s equity reform law became official, representing the most wide-ranging changes to the Commonwealth’s regulated marijuana marketplace in six years and a historic accomplishment for advocates, operators, regulators and the legislature. As a result, our agency is now entrusted with oversight of local contracts…

[ad_1] “Because petty misdemeanors in Minnesota are not deemed criminal offenses, there is no right to counsel, which means no public defender.” By Maren Schroeder, High Level Strategies via Minnesota Reformer On May 30, 2023, Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed cannabis legalization into law. More recently, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the smell of burnt cannabis on its own is no longer probable cause for vehicle searches. This, combined with the legalization of cannabis, puts new rules into play for Minnesota consumers. However, it is not a free-for-all out there. With criminal penalties still in place, Minnesota needs to…

[ad_1] “This is the most pressing deadline of all the cannabis items right now.” By Andrew Hensel, The Center Square A bill signed by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) late last week makes changes to the licensing policies for the state’s cannabis businesses to bring equity to the industry. Adult cannabis sales have been legal in Illinois since 2020. Even with limited license holders for the production, transportation and sale, the state’s industry has generated billions in sales and hundreds of millions in tax revenue for the state. Now law, Senate Bill 1559 waives annual license fees for existing cannabis transportation…