MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
A recent study released by Validcare directly addresses the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) safety concerns regarding CBD's effects on the liver, testosterone levels and drowsiness.
The FDA's safety concerns state that CBD in self-dosing individuals could cause liver injury, male reproductive toxicity, or damage males' fertility, and increase the risk of sedation and drowsiness when mixed with alcohol or other drugs that slow brain activity.
The study, completed March 22, 2022, observed the effects of daily consumption of CBD on the liver, testosterone and daytime drowsiness. According to the abstract, the study included 1,061 adults ranging from 18-75 years old from across the U.S.
The adults were divided into two cohorts. Both cohorts followed the same methods and took CBD orally for a minimum of 30 days. The adults "were recruited from 17 individual CBD product companies in this decentralized, observational study and sent their standard CBD regimen from the company of their choice," the abstract states.
The first cohort of the study (cohort 1)—which was peer-reviewed and published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Medicine last year—involved 839 individuals who took CBD produced by 12 companies. Cohort 2 added 222 individuals who took CBD from an additional five companies.
Cohort 1 used liver function as the primary endpoint. In addition to liver function, cohort 2 focused on testosterone levels and daytime drowsiness. The combined results of each cohort found that CBD "is not associated with an increased prevalence of LFT [liver function tests] elevation, testosterone deficiency, nor daytime drowsiness," according to the study.
Rhode Island is on the verge of becoming the 19th state to legalize adult-use cannabis as legislation is expected to receive floor consideration in each chamber of the state’s bicameral Legislature next week.
The momentum on reform comes after state Sen. Joshua Miller and Rep. Scott A. Slater—both Democrats—added a key amendment to their companion bills May 17.
RELTED: Rhode Island Senate, House Lawmakers Align on Cannabis Legalization; Votes Expected
The next day, Senate Judiciary Committee members voted, 9-1, to advance Senate Bill 2430 Substitute A, sponsored by Miller, and House Finance Committee members voted, 12-2, to pass House Bill 7593 Substitute A, sponsored by Slater. The identical bills—the Rhode Island Cannabis Act—now head to their respective chambers with full-body votes expected May 24.
Before the Senate Judiciary Committee vote on May 18, Miller stressed the significance of having both chambers on the same page.
“We are fortunate to not only to have such great staff but be in the position to have identical bills,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for several years, as all of you know, and this is the first year in which we’ve had collaborative and identical bills before both the House and the Senate.”
BrightMa Farms, a South Carolina-based minority-owned vertically integrated hemp company, is working to maximize hemp’s carbon-sequestering properties in its most recent partnership.
The company announced that it has partnered with SonoAsh Engineered Materials of Maryland, a processing engineering company, to make low-carbon green cement products using industrial hemp.
"This agreement represents the type of new thinking required to create generation reductions in upfront carbon emissions and further establishes SonoAsh as a strategically placed process innovation company," said Bruce Sifton, SonoAsh president. "No other upcycling, waste to value process demonstrates both a positive impact on the legacy environmental issues associated with waste coal ash and the new requirements for green building materials."
READ MORE: How BrightMa Farms is Striving to Create Opportunities in Hemp
And Harold Singletary, BrightMa Farms CEO, also expressed the company's excitement for the collaboration.
"BrightMa Farms is excited to enter into this collaboration program with SonoAsh as part of BrightMa's growing hemp cluster in South Carolina," he said. "Industrial hemp refinement from genetics to processing promises carbon negative plastics and raw materials for various vertical industry partners. A SonoAsh collaboration adds enhanced performance building products that support our work to reduce the planet's carbon emissions while building opportunities for rural and farming communities."
Alice Kuo has always had a passion for design.
After earning her undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of California, Riverside, she pursued a Master of Interior Architecture degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Upon graduating from UCLA, she worked for an architectural firm for a few years and received hands-on experience and training—leading her to eventually open her practice, Caisson Studios.
Based in Los Angeles, Calif., Caisson Studios is an interior design company that specializes in residential, commercial and hospitality projects. In 2017, the company acquired its first cannabis-related design project.
"I had my first opportunity of working with a large cannabis group that was starting three [retail] stores," says Alice Kuo, Caisson Studios founder. "That was the beginning of getting into the retail [side] of the cannabis industry."
The Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI)- and woman-owned design firm has worked on roughly 25 cannabis-related design projects throughout California.
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Shoppers have spent more than $3 billion at 216 licensed Massachusetts adult-use cannabis dispensaries and 11 delivery businesses since sales first launched on Nov. 20, 2018.
The first state east of the Mississippi River to establish a commercial adult-use retail program, Massachusetts first joined the likes of California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington in the billion-dollar sales club in October 2020, according to data from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission’s open data platform.
It took Massachusetts adult-use retailers another 10 months to hit the $2-billion benchmark in August 2021. Since then, 54 more adult-use dispensaries and five more adult-use couriers opened for business to help push the cumulative total past $3 billion, according to a CCC press release.
“These sales figures illustrate the steady growth Massachusetts residents expected when they voted to legalize adult-use cannabis in 2016, and the commission was appointed in 2017,” Commission Executive Director Shawn Collins said in the release. “I’m proud our staff continue to work diligently to ensure applicants move through our licensing process efficiently, marijuana establishments operate within a safe, accessible, and effective regulated market, and our work to ensure equity in the industry and the agency remains front and center.”
The $3-billion milestone comes on the heels of Massachusetts retailers generating a total of $5,986,186 on April 20, 2022, representing a 41.7% increase from last year’s roughly $4.2 million in 4/20 sales, according to CCC.
In addition, adult-use cannabis establishments generated more than $1.3 billion in adult-use sales 2021—the first time the state surpassed $1 billion in gross sales in a calendar year.
Colorado Officials Issue Expanded Advisory Over Cannabis Products Potentially Contaminated With Mold
Colorado officials issued an Expanded Health and Safety Advisory May 18 over cannabis products potentially contaminated with mold.
The Colorado Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) have identified additional flower batches produced by Fresh Baked, LLC that contain unacceptable levels of microbial contaminants, regulators said in the advisory.
The flower, sold on the adult-use market, was not tested or not tested properly dating back to July 14, 2021, according to the announcement.
The products have since been found to contain levels of microbial contaminants above Colorado’s acceptable limits.
The CDPHE and MED are expanding the Health and Safety Advisory issued April 20 to include all adult-use products produced by Fresh Baked before February 25, 2022.
BOCA RATON, Florida, May 18, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Jushi Holdings Inc., a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator, announced that Campbell Hill Ventures, LLC, the company’s 100% owned subsidiary, has been awarded a provisional medical cannabis dispensary license by the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program. The license is designated for 693 Old State Route 74 in Clermont County, Ohio, located just 17.5 miles east of Cincinnati. The new store will operate under Jushi’s retail brand, BEYOND / HELLO, and marks the company’s first retail location in the Buckeye State. This will be the company’s fifth vertically integrated state, accompanying Pennsylvania (by way of its affiliated subsidiaries), Virginia, Massachusetts and Nevada. This summer, the company plans to begin construction on the BEYOND / HELLO Cincinnati store and expects the store to be open by Q1 2023.
“We are very pleased with the outcome of the lottery selection, which allows Jushi to open its first licensed medical dispensary in Ohio and establish our fifth vertically integrated market. Along with this win, we intend to pursue additional retail dispensary licenses through opportunistic acquisitions to expand our Ohio retail store base,” said Jim Cacioppo, CEO, chairman and founder of Jushi. “We look forward to bringing the full Jushi retail experience to Ohio, including our new retail design system, which will provide patients with an efficient, accessible and safe experience that goes beyond the traditional cannabis retail environment. With this newly awarded retail license, along with our existing state-of-the-art cultivation and processing assets, Jushi is well-positioned to support the rapidly evolving Ohio medical market.”
The new dispensary location is a five-minute drive from the Cincinnati Nature Center. Additionally, the new site is a five-minute drive from EastGate Mall and situated close to two major routes, Route 275 and Route 32, as well as several big-box stores along Route 74. Surrounded by local museums, historic sites, parks, breweries, wineries and golf courses, the new store is also approximately 20 miles east of major tourist sites such as Paul Brown Stadium, Newport Aquarium and Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
Currently, three of Jushi’s in-house brands are available in the Ohio medical cannabis market, including Sèchè, a flower line, Tasteology, a brand of premium, real fruit, cannabis-infused gummies and The Lab, a vaporization line. In Q2 2022, Jushi expects to launch additional Sèchè flower product lines, along with its flower brand, The Bank, in Ohio.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised state budget proposal includes eliminating California’s cannabis cultivation tax, but in Santa Barbara County, local officials have decided to keep the tax intact within their jurisdiction for now.
The Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors voted May 17 against altering the current taxation system, which is based on the self-reported dollar value of the crops, according to the Santa Ynez Valley News.
The board did, however, direct its staff to draft ordinance amendments that would implement a “use it or lose it” policy for cannabis operators who have secured cultivation space within Santa Barbara County’s acreage cap but are not currently growing plants, the news outlet reported.
County leaders also want to clarify in the ordinance that transfers of cannabis products between a one business’s operations to a separate business’s facilities—such as seedlings from one operator going to the cultivation facility of another—are considered taxable sales, according to the Santa Ynez Valley News.
The owners of three Lovely Buds cannabis dispensaries in Spokane, Wash., could end up owing their workers as much as $300,000 in alleged unpaid wages and overtime from the past three-plus years.
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) received a complaint in January 2019, and investigators found that the dispensaries’ parent corporation, Cannabis Green, had paid employees overtime only if they worked more than 40 hours at a single store, according to the L&I.
Unable to reach a settlement, L&I officials and the Washington State Office of the Attorney General (AGO) filed a wage-and-hour compliant May 11 in the Spokane County Superior Court, litigation that state officials said was the first of its kind against a cannabis retailer in the state.
The complaint names Cannabis Green and majority owners Elizabeth and Todd Byczek, with Lovely Buds, Lovely Buds North and Lovey Buds Division as the three dispensaries where the alleged claims are being investigated.
“Failing to pay workers the overtime pay and benefits they earned is wage theft—period,” Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in an L&I news release. “All businesses must follow the law. I’m proud to partner with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries to ensure workers’ wages are protected.”
The three named dispensaries opened in August 2014, February 2015 and June 2016, according to retail sales data from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. Combined, the three stores reported more than $10.7 million in total sales in 2021. Since launching, the retail chain has recorded more than $64.8 million in sales overall through the end of 2021.
King County, home to Seattle, will create a Cannabis Safety Task Force in the wake of recent dispensary robberies and violence. The goal is “to develop strategies to prevent criminal activity targeting cannabis businesses and address security concerns at cannabis businesses and to provide a report” to the county, according to council documents.
That report is due no later than Aug. 31.
As KOMO News reports, the King County Sheriff’s Office and Prosecutor’s Office will work with local cannabis dispensary owners and community members to identify and distribute resources to help officers prevent robberies to any extent possible. Part of the intent of this task force is to expand on any cross-jurisdictional capabilities.
This county legislation includes an immediate review of cannabis business tax revenue allocations. Some $4.6 million in cannabis tax revenue was diverted from the sheriff’s office’s budget this year, as KOMO reports. The task force will investigate the matter to determine where, exactly, those previously budgeted dollars have gone.
“A dedicated Cannabis Safety Taskforce will be able to focus on keeping our local communities safe from the pattern of armed robberies targeting cannabis stores and manufacturers across the region,” councilman Regan Dunn said in a public statement. “This legislation sends a strong message that King County plans to hold those committing these crimes responsible for their actions. I could not be more proud of this bipartisan legislation and am grateful to my colleagues for their support.”
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SMITHS FALLS, ONTARIO and OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA (May 18, 2022) - PRESS RELEASE - Canopy Growth Corporation and Lemurian, Inc., a California-based producer of high-quality cannabis extracts and pioneer of clean vape technology, announced today that they have entered into definitive agreements providing Canopy Growth, by way of a wholly-owned subsidiary, the right to acquire, upon federal permissibility of THC in the U.S. or earlier at Canopy Growth’s election, up to 100% of the outstanding capital stock of Jetty.
Founded in 2013, Jetty is a top 10 cannabis brand in California, and a top 5 brand in the Vape Category. Backed by award-winning technology, Jetty has paved the way for the most authentic and natural vape experience available to consumers. As a leader in solventless vape and a pioneer of extraction-related intellectual property (IP), Jetty has achieved strong growth over the past two years while generating positive EBITDA amidst the highly competitive California cannabis market.
These agreements present Jetty with potential opportunities to collaborate across Canopy’s robust U.S. THC ecosystem, which already includes the right to acquire both Acreage Holdings, Inc. and Wana Brands, as well as a significant conditional ownership interest in TerrAscend Corp. The two companies are also exploring avenues through which Jetty could bring the brand and its innovative product line up to the Canadian recreational market to fully realize the North American, cross-border potential of Jetty’s industry leading IP.
Strategic Benefits
Further Accelerates the Growth of the Company’s U.S. THC Ecosystem: Through these agreements, Canopy Growth continues to develop its robust U.S. ecosystem by adding an established cannabis brand that is the market share leader in solventless vapes, holding more than 75% share of the rapidly expanding California market with monthly sales growing by over 45% from February to March 2022. This strategic investment is aligned with Canopy Growth’s U.S. THC strategy and will help position the company to unlock the full potential of the U.S. market upon exercise of the options granted under the agreements.Extraction Technology: Jetty has developed industry-leading capabilities in extraction and clean vape technology. As one of the first brands to bring to market a vape free of fillers and cutting agents, Jetty has built on that legacy with the 2021 launch of its solventless vape and concentrate collection, made from just ice, water, heat and pressure. Their products have received critical acclaim winning Best Vape at the 2021 Cannabis Cup, in addition to consumer success with the top eight solventless vape SKUs in California and the #1 PAX Era pods brand three years in a row. Establishes a foothold in the Largest U.S. THC Market: Jetty is a beloved California brand and upon exercise of the options granted under the agreements, would give Canopy Growth a critical position in the largest and most historically significant THC market in the U.S. Jetty’s established presence as the fifth largest vape brand in the California market is supported by nine years of operations and serving cannabis consumers with unrefined live resin, high THC distillate vapes, infused pre-rolled joints and solventless vape products."Canopy Growth is building a house of premium cannabis brands with a focus on the core growth categories that will power the market’s path forward, now including Jetty - a pioneer of solventless vapes,” said David Klein, CEO, Canopy Growth. “There are significant opportunities for Jetty to scale at the state-level across the U.S. by leveraging Canopy’s U.S. ecosystem, and we’re actively working on plans to bring the brand to the Canadian recreational market.”
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PRESS RELEASE--Cresco Labs Inc. (CSE: CL) (OTCQX: CRLBF) (FSE: 6CQ), a vertically integrated, multi-state operator and the number one U.S. wholesaler of branded cannabis products, today released its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2022. All financial information presented in this release is reported in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP) and in U.S. dollars.
First Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights
First quarter revenue of $214 million, up 20% year-over-yearGross profit excluding fair value mark-up for acquired inventory of $113 million, or 53% of revenue, an increase of 29% year-over-yearFirst quarter adjusted EBITDA of $51 million, or 24% of revenue, an increase of 45% year-over-yearWholesale revenue of $95 million, maintained position as #1 seller of branded cannabis products in U.S. with leading share in the flower, concentrates, and vape categoriesRetail revenue increased 44% year-over-year, to $119 million, or $2.5 million per average store open in the quarter and same-store-sales increased 9% year-over-yearEnded the quarter with $179 million of cash on handOpened four new retail stores, three in Florida and one in Pennsylvania, bringing the company’s total retail footprint to 50Launched branded product portfolio in Florida, including High Supply, Good News® Remedi and Sunnyside* ChewsManagement Commentary
"Q1 was a solid quarter for the Cresco Labs team in a challenging environment for all consumer product categories. While our 10-state footprint saw a cumulative sequential contraction of 4.5%, we held or took market share in most of our states and outperformed the markets with our 2% decline. We understand that an emerging industry’s growth trajectory is rarely linear, especially a highly regulated industry with a fragmented state-by-state structure, conflicting federal and state laws, and the addition of general macro pressures. Notwithstanding, we continue to execute with a clear and focused strategy to obtain market leadership with a portfolio of cannabis brands consumers love and a plan to get them on as many shelves as possible. The strategy remains constant, and the Columbia Care acquisition announced in the quarter simply fits these stated priorities hand-in-glove. We are pairing the best consumer brands with a broad, deep and strategic footprint,” said Charles Bachtell, co-founder and CEO of Cresco Labs.
“The first quarter showed the resilience and strength of the business we have built over the past few years. We remain focused on playing the long game and building a business that will be a lasting leader in the cannabis industry under any regulatory outcome. The compliance-focused foundation of both Cresco Labs and Columbia Care is helping ensure a smooth progression towards deal approval through a reasonable and manageable regulatory process. We recently crossed our first milestone by passing the federal HSR review process on May 16 and we do not expect state regulatory approvals to be an issue for our closing timeline,” Bachtell concluded.
This proliferation of CBD consumers, and of increasing CBD use among existing consumers, is in part driven by the growing availability of CBD products. Most consumers have encountered hemp and CBD products at pharmacies, grocery stores, specialty stores and even gas stations. But which channels are consumers turning to most often?
Brightfield Group anticipates consumers will purchase nearly $2.24 billion of CBD products through online channels in this calendar year. That is expected to more than double by 2026 to $4.8 billion.Knowing where consumers purchase CBD products can inform hemp growers on which distribution partner to work with to maximize the odds of selling through their year’s supply. For example, if you mainly manufacture CBD for vape cartridges, it would not be ideal to partner with an online-only distribution business.
Let’s dive into Brightfield Group’s U.S. CBD distribution channel data to learn about the American CBD consumer.
Online Dominates, But Not Everywhere
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic saw us hermit ourselves away from one another, the ease of online delivery was already overtaking our lives. The same holds true for CBD products, with online channels such as CBD marketplaces and brand websites making up the plurality of total projected CBD sales for 2022. Brightfield Group anticipates consumers will purchase nearly $2.24 billion of CBD products through online channels this calendar year. That is expected to more than double by 2026 to $4.8 billion.
But not all product types are bringing in the most revenue from online sales. While Americans are fine with consuming CBD purchased through e-commerce channels, they prefer to obtain pet CBD products from pet stores—$261.6 million of pet CBD products are projected to be sold through pet stores in 2022, compared to $95.6 million purchased online. This trend is expected to maintain through Brightfield’s forecast period, with pet stores accounting for $394 million of pet CBD sales in 2026, compared to $166 million through online sellers.
BERKELEY, Calif., May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Steep Hill has announced that the company's licensee partner, Steep Hill Michigan, a Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) licensed medical and adult-use/recreational cannabis safety compliance testing facility, has earned ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation, an International Standard recognized by governments and industry participants as the standard of excellence for the technical requirements and operational competence of a quality laboratory management system. The accreditation was validated by Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation (PJLA), a Michigan-based ISO assessment and validation.
Steep Hill Michigan CEO, Dr. Jeffrey Kittendorf, said in making the announcement, "Achieving ISO 17025 accreditation is a critical milestone for our operation in Michigan. This accreditation underscores our team's commitment to quality management and continual improvement. It assures our customers that testing performed by Steep Hill Michigan is rigorous and accurate, thereby instilling consumer confidence that products tested by Steep Hill Michigan fully meet all safety requirements."
Testing cannabis is a state requirement and verifies that medicinal and adult-use products are safe for consumption and free from harmful levels of contaminants. Steep Hill Michigan, located on the west side of Ann Arbor provides full-service compliance and research and development testing for Michigan caregivers, cultivators and processors. Its team is committed to providing excellent customer service, quick turnaround times and reliable results. First-time customers can receive up to $100 discount on their first full compliance test until Dec. 31, 2022.
NORWOOD, Mass., May 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- MariMed Inc., a multi-state cannabis operator focused on improving lives every day, announced today it had been awarded a provisional dispensary license (PDL) by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy.
MariMed won this license in the Ohio lottery process. The license allows the company to develop a medical dispensary in Tiffin, Ohio, located south of Toledo and home to the University of Bucharest and Tiffin University. Under the Ohio regulations, MariMed must complete the buildout and pass final inspection by February of 2023.
“We are delighted to enter the medical cannabis program in Ohio,” said Bob Fireman, Chief Executive Officer of MariMed. “We intend to seek additional opportunities to expand our cannabis operations in Ohio including the distribution of our award-winning branded products.”
Ohio cannabis regulations allow for a single company to own cultivation, production and up to five retail dispensaries. In keeping with its strategic growth plan, MariMed will over time pursue other cannabis licenses to increase its operational footprint to the maximum allowable by Ohio regulations.
According to the Ohio Department of Commerce, 2021 medical cannabis sales were just over $350 million with 58 dispensaries in a state with a population of nearly 12 million. Ohio’s legal medical cannabis program currently has more than 260,000 registered patients. With robust adult use cannabis programs in neighboring Midwest states of Michigan and Illinois, discussions for an adult use program continue in the Ohio legislature.
WAREHAM, Mass., May 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Nature's Medicines announces the opening of a new dispensary in Wareham, Mass., just outside of Cape Cod. The new dispensary, located at 3119 Cranberry Hwy, East Wareham, MA, officially opened to the public on Wednesday, April 6.
The approximately 4,326-square-foot Wareham dispensary offers a large floor plan with open conference spaces to promote an educational experience for new patients to explore all of the options available to them. Also new to the Wareham location is a curated and customer-first shopping experience that eliminates the need to wait in line. Customers can walk the store and examine all of the products displayed in the dispensary. Store leaders will be available to them at any time as well for a one-on-one product explanation before the customer meets with their budtender.
Nature's Medicines is pleased to extend their welcoming hospitality, educational experiences and low prices to the Wareham and Cape Cod area. Of the opening of the Wareham location, Dispensary Manager Jacqueline Robillard said, "We try to create a mature shopping experience where customers can talk with employees at our education hub about different products and their effects. Our menu is quite extensive. We're really happy to be here and we're here to help."
The Wareham location is Nature's Medicines' third recreational dispensary to open in Massachusetts, with two already in business in Uxbridge and Fall River.
After missing a May 1 deadline to begin issuing licenses to entrepreneurs hoping to participate in Vermont’s forthcoming adult-use cannabis market, the state’s Cannabis Control Board awarded its first cultivation license May 16.
Regulators issued the license to an indoor grower in Rutland County, according to a local WCAX report, and Cannabis Control Board Chair James Pepper told the news outlet that dozens more applications are nearing approval.
“We expect to license another handful of people next week,” he said. “You know we can’t issue licenses until we have the staff in place to ensure that we are giving licenses to the right people and have the team in place that can ensure compliance with our regulations.”
Adult-use sales in Vermont are expected to launch Oct. 1.
As 2022 legislative sessions have ended for roughly half of state legislatures in the U.S., adult-use cannabis legalization proposals have remained unfinished business.
Rhode Island is on course to change that.
House and Senate lawmakers sponsoring companion legislation—Senate Bill 2430 and House Bill 7593—that aims to legalized the sale and possession of up to 1 ounces of cannabis for those 21 and older, unveiled a key amendment May 17 that they say will move their efforts forward with committee votes this week and full-chamber votes next week.
While Sen. Joshua Miller and Rep. Scott A. Slater—both Democrats—introduced their legislation March 1, the latest version announced Tuesday includes a provision to provide automatic expungement for previous cannabis convictions. Specifically, those with any prior civil violation, misdemeanor or felony conviction for possession of cannabis that would be decriminalized by the bill would receive expungement free of charge and without a hearing.
In addition, their amendment would push back the launch date for commercial adult-use sales to Dec. 1—two months after originally proposed. Also, their latest proposal would eliminate the current registration fees charged to patients and caregivers in Rhode Island’s medical cannabis program.
Based on committee testimonies and debate since their March 1 introduction, Miller and Slater said they anticipate their underlying legislation and proposed amendment to gain approval in the House Finance and Senate Judiciary committees May 18, before full-floor considerations in each chamber ensue on May 24.
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, which is moving forward with a grassroots effort to get two medical cannabis legalization initiatives on the state’s November ballot after losing two of its major donors, has now sued the state to ease its ballot requirements.
The group filed a lawsuit May 16 that seeks to overturn a rule that requires petitioners to gather signatures from a large number of rural counties in the state, according to the Associated Press.
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana collected the required number of valid signatures to get its medical cannabis legalization measure before voters in the 2020 election, but the Nebraska Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the ballot initiative violated the single-subject rule outlined in the state constitution.
Now, after filing two new medical cannabis initiatives with the Nebraska Secretary of State to get the issue before voters this November, the group must collect roughly 87,000 signatures by July 7.
The Nebraska Constitution requires the signatures to come from at least 5% of registered voters in 38 of the state’s 93 counties, AP reported, which is meant to prevent groups from collecting signatures only in larger cities.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed legislation to increase funding for medical cannabis enforcement and crack down on illegal sales in the state.
One of the bills recently signed into law will provide grant funding for county sheriffs to dedicate a full-time deputy to assist with the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority’s (OMMA) compliance visits to medical cannabis operations, according to The Oklahoman.
RELATED: Oklahoma Bill Would Give Cannabis Taxes to Law Enforcement for Inspection Oversight
That legislation’s sponsors said the bill was meant to allow law enforcement officers to help OMMA officials in instances where licensed medical cannabis businesses are unwilling to allow inspectors on their property, which the sponsors said has happened 181 times between April 2021 and February 2022, The Oklahoman reported.
The bill creates a revolving fund that earmarks $5 million annually for county sheriffs to dedicate an officer to the OMMA for one year, according to the news outlet.
