Author: Marijuana Moment
[ad_1] “There is some under representation, no doubt. And the microbusinesses are aimed at creating some more equity for people that are underrepresented.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent For the first time, a state official has publicly vowed to push for a demographics survey of cannabis business owners—addressing a key criticism of the medical marijuana program that the Black community was left out of the burgeoning billion-dollar industry. At a June 22 outreach event in St. Louis, Abigail Vivas, chief equity officer with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said she would advocate for a survey where license holders…
[ad_1] New Jersey’s cannabis legalization law is “about righting the wrongs of the failed drug war, period, hard stop.” By Sophie Nieto-Muñoz, New Jersey Monitor A recent move intended to increase the number of cannabis businesses run by people with prior convictions for marijuana offenses or who live in economically disadvantaged parts of the state was rejected by New Jersey’s cannabis regulators Tuesday in a stunning about-face. The Cannabis Regulatory Commission voted in June to give those applicants—called social equity applicants—the first shot at wholesale, distributor and delivery services licenses for one year starting in September. But Tuesday, the commission voted…
[ad_1] “New Yorkers are stuck with the OCM symbol for now, but CCB’s rejection of low-hanging regulatory fruit offers valuable lessons to other state regulators.” By Dr. David L. Nathan, Doctors for Cannabis Regulation With cannabis legalization sweeping across the United States, state regulatory bodies face pressure and scrutiny in their efforts to build a legal industry from the ground up. When formulating regulations, they balance the needs of public health, public safety and social justice. Fortunately, industry standards and recommendations from time-tested consensus standard organizations make some of their choices easy. Unfortunately, even when handed a “no-brainer” standard on…
[ad_1] The Office of Social Equity will provide technical assistance to social equity applicants seeking to enter the state’s cannabis market. By Bryan P. Sears, Maryland Matters Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Monday announced nearly a dozen appointments to two new cannabis-related entities, just after adult-use sales became legal in the state. The governor appointed Audrey L. Johnson as acting executive director of the Office of Social Equity and Courtney Davis as its deputy director. Johnson comes to the agency from Johns Hopkins University and Health System where she served as senior director for economic innovation and strategy since 2021.…
[ad_1] “We’re letting [lawmakers] know we’re still here, we’re still waiting, we’re still pushing.” By Ashley Murray, States Newsroom Days after meeting with high-level White House officials, the family of an American teacher imprisoned in Russia walked the halls of the U.S. Capitol complex Thursday, pleading with U.S. leaders to remember that Marc Fogel is staring down a 14-year sentence in a penal colony on a marijuana charge. Fogel, 61, an international baccalaureate history teacher from Pennsylvania with a lengthy resume, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in August 2021. He was accused by Russian authorities of having marijuana in…
[ad_1] “We want to hear the public’s thoughts, concerns, and feedback, especially from those within the cannabis industry, the medical patient community, and those who have been disproportionately impacted by criminal enforcement of marijuana laws.” By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current Rhode Island’s newly-formed Cannabis Control Commission wants to know what issues surrounding marijuana are important to you. The three-member commission is tasked with overseeing regulation and licensing of recreational and medical marijuana in the state. The tour was announced by Commission Chair Kimberly Ahern during the panel’s inaugural meeting on June 29. “The purpose of these public meetings is for…
[ad_1] “I am an honest and hard-working person and I will do whatever I can to improve our community.” By John Hult, South Dakota Searchlight Two law enforcement hopefuls were offered forgiveness for cannabis use by the South Dakota Law Enforcement Officers Standards Commission on Wednesday in Pierre. The vote for Parkston Police Officer Kody Beckers makes him eligible for certification in the state in spite of a seven-year-old guilty plea to THC wax possession during his freshman year of college in Minnesota. THC is the compound that gives marijuana its high. A future Roberts County sheriff’s deputy, meanwhile, was…
[ad_1] “We see this as a resource not only to reduce harm, but to also bring in resources to help our people recover.” Buy Max Nesterak, Minnesota Reformer The Red Lake Nation’s tribal council voted on Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana and begin selling it—to both tribal and non-tribal members—on August 1. The move could make Red Lake Nation the first entity to operate a recreational dispensary in the state, and gives the tribe a significant head start in the green rush to claim a piece of the projected $1.5 billion market. While possessing recreational marijuana will become legal across Minnesota…
[ad_1] “To me, it just seems outrageous that Greenleaf, which has been fighting worker organizations at its dispensary tooth and nail, is insulting its workforce once again.” By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current Amid growing tensions with its workers over labor standards and unionization, a Portsmouth marijuana dispensary is taking aim at the state’s recreational cannabis law. Greenleaf Compassion Center filed a complaint in federal court on Monday, contending that the marijuana legalization law signed in May 2022 violates the U.S. Constitution and national labor standards. The lawsuit comes on the heels of a second settlement agreement between the company and…
[ad_1] “It is my position as a commissioner, we owe a responsibility of transparency to the people of this state.” By Ralph Chopoco, Alabama Reflector The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission Monday formally voted to delay granting licenses for the growth, manufacture and production of medical cannabis until a third party reviews how applications for the licenses were scored earlier this year. The decision, following a June 16 meeting where the commission decided for delay amid controversy over the process, also signaled a rejection of calls to restart applications entirely. Two commissioners, health care attorney Loree Skelton and Charles Price, a retired Montgomery…
[ad_1] “We don’t really know what’s going on behind the doors of each and every lab in each and every state.” By Amanda Hernández, Stateline Amid the growing acceptance and legalization of cannabis use across the country, a concerning reality has emerged: The state-by-state patchwork of safety regulations can leave marijuana consumers wandering through a haze of uncertainty, exposing them to potential risks. Under federal law, marijuana is illegal—period. So, it’s up to individual states to determine their own regulations and safety standards. Those inconsistent regulations are part of a broad debate about the U.S. cannabis industry. The 47 states…
[ad_1] “There’s this divide between the federal and the state perspective on the topic that puts banks in a kind of tricky position.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent Missouri’s marijuana businesses will have fewer obstacles when it comes to accessing banking, but they must now get fingerprint background checks from all their new employees and contractors, under legislation that Gov. Mike Parson (R) signed on Thursday. Few banks nationwide serve cannabis businesses and their owners—or even their auxiliary partners —because most want nothing to do with a business that sells a product the federal government still considers illegal. That’s true even…