Author: Marijuana Moment

[ad_1] “Prohibition of alcohol ended nearly 100 years ago and we still have a liquor bill nearly every year.” By Peter Callaghan, MinnPost The lead sponsors of 2023’s recreational cannabis law are sensitive to suggestions that the sweeping law needs “fixing.” Such a word might be interpreted as endorsing Republican talking points that the bill—along with much of the work of the 2023 session—was rushed and that mistakes were made. Instead, top sponsors of House File 100 say changes they are both proposing, as well others filed by other lawmakers, are expected and routine. The law will be “modified,” not…

[ad_1] Recreational sales amounted for more than 76% of the total, an increase from the 70% of sales it represented in 2022. In 2021, the first year adult-use recreational sales were legal, they were just 45 percent of the total. By David Abbott, Arizona Mirror Arizona cannabis sales totaled more than $1.4 billion for the third consecutive year in 2023, as medical sales continued to tank and recreational buyers made up an overwhelming share of the sales. The maturation of the market has followed a trajectory throughout the brief history of the passage of the Smart and Safe Arizona Act,…

[ad_1] “Hopefully this continues to show cannabis workers in Missouri and the rest of the nation that no matter how hard their bosses want to fight them, they’ll still win when they have a union behind them.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent Employees at BeLeaf Medical’s Sinse Cannabis site in St. Louis moved a step closer to unionizing last week, when their employer’s efforts to block union election votes from being counted were rebuffed by a federal labor official. Since September, BeLeaf leaders have argued before the National Labor Relations Board that the employees weren’t eligible to unionize because they…

[ad_1] The bill “is an important step forward in addressing drug use as a health issue by linking people to lifesaving services and treatment and making sure people who possess residual amounts of illicit drugs are not saddled with criminal records.” By Christopher Ingraham, Minnesota Reformer A Minnesota Senate committee has advanced a bill that would eliminate criminal penalties for people found in possession of illicit drug residue. It would also require law enforcement to refer illicit drug users to treatment providers if they request it. The bill (SF3663/HF3952) builds on first-of-its-kind legislation passed last year that decriminalized drug paraphernalia,…

[ad_1] “It was mandated by the General Assembly, but this governor has a different philosophy of civil discourse.” By Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury After top Democrats and community leaders called for the firing of the state’s diversity chief last spring over his “DEI is dead” comments, the General Assembly included language in its budget to redirect funding from the Office of Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion to a loan program to help licensed cannabis sellers unless “equity” is put back into the state’s diversity office title by this summer. In January 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) renamed the Office of Diversity,…

[ad_1] Conducting a recall safely and expeditiously can present a unique opportunity to build a brand’s reputation in the consumer-focused cannabis industry and highlight commitment to consumer safety and well-being. By Joanna Borman and Amy Rubenstein, Dentons In 2023, state legal cannabis sales reached $29 billion. With additional states launching adult-use cannabis sales each year—where consumers have more access and cannabis businesses offer more products—the risk of large-scale, costly product recalls increases too. From December 2023 to January 2024, three cannabis product recalls occurred in the state of California. While strong internal compliance programs offer the best way to prevent…

[ad_1] “Approximately 70 percent of the labels reported THC percentages more than 15 percent higher than what was quantified through the lab.” By Anna Schwabe, University of Colorado Boulder Cannabis flower sold in Colorado claims to contain much more tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, than it actually does, according to my findings published in the peer-reviewed journal Plos One. THC is the psychoactive compound that is derived when cannabis flower—commonly referred to as “bud”—is heated through smoking or cooking. Why it matters Accurate THC reporting is a linchpin for medical patients, recreational consumers and the overall integrity of the cannabis industry. Medical…

[ad_1] Some lawmakers who backed the ban in principle feared it “could have unintended consequences.” By Kyle Pfannenstiel, Idaho Capital Sun A bill to criminalize advertising illegal services or products—like marijuana—in Idaho failed to pass the Idaho Senate on Wednesday. Marijuana is illegal in Idaho and in federal law. But states surrounding Idaho, like Washington, Montana, Nevada and Oregon, have legalized marijuana for recreational use in recent years. House Bill 613 would have allowed misdemeanor charges for ​​”any person who willfully publishes any notice or advertisement, in any medium, within the state of Idaho for a product or service that…

[ad_1] “SB 442 brought Montana together in a time when division is the preferred course of action in politics. I hope my colleagues will still stand with me and cast their vote to overturn the Governor’s veto.” By Arren Kimbel-Sannit, Montana Free Press Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen (R) on Tuesday complied with a state district court order by sending a poll that could give lawmakers the ability to override Gov. Greg Gianforte’s (R) veto of a marijuana tax reallocation measure, a significant step in a now almost yearlong fight about the separation of powers and proper veto procedure.…

[ad_1] “Regardless of Gianforte’s motives in relation to SB442 specifically, he advocates for a troubling precedent.” By Blair Miller, Daily Montanan The Montana Supreme Court on Friday afternoon denied the State of Montana’s request to pause a lower court decision ordering the governor and secretary of state to send out an override poll for a marijuana fund redistribution bill Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) vetoed at the end of the 2023 legislative session. Gianforte and Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen (R) officially filed their notice of appeal on Wednesday of Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Mike Menahan’s district court…

[ad_1] “Now that cannabis is legal and profitable in this state, how do we reckon with the injustice perpetuated by its illegal activity dating back to the 1970s with the proliferation of the War on Drugs policies in the United States?” By Emma Davis, Maine Morning Star Maine legalized recreational marijuana use in 2017, however the criminal records Mainers have for possession and cultivation from before legalization remain. The Judiciary Committee heard proposals on Friday that would seal those records as well as make permanent a committee tasked to review issues with expunging criminal records and finding ways to prevent…

[ad_1] “He should immediately commute the sentences of those sitting in prison for conduct involving amounts of cannabis that are far less than what state-regulated dispensaries routinely handle on a daily basis.” By Sarah Gersten, Last Prisoner Project As President Biden listed off his first-term accomplishments during his State of the Union address, Richeda Ashmeade sat studying for midterms in her last year of law school. Listening to the president tout his executive actions on cannabis, she was acutely aware of those whom his reforms have left behind. Despite all the rhetoric and applause breaks, her father, Ricardo Ashmeade, is…