Gathered before a legislative crossroads, the New Mexico House Health and Human Services Committee made its intent clear on cannabis legalization: Social equity is going to be part of the process.

Today, the committee advanced House Bill 12 to the House Tax Committee, while ultimately tabling a similar legalization bill (House Bill 17) that did not include specific equity language. It was a clear signal to advocates and residents that the state is getting serious about developing a robust cannabis program.

The Drug Policy Alliance has regularly cited H.B. 12 this year as a favorable bill that might usher in a more progressive state marketplace. 

“Legalization must be responsive to the lives of New Mexicans, not solely business interests, and that means centering social justice, as the H.B. 12 introduced by Rep. Martinez, Rep. Andrea Romero and Rep. Deborah Armstrong does,” Emily Kaltenbach, senior director for Resident States and New Mexico for the Drug Policy Alliance, said in a public statement. “New Mexicans are absolutely ready to see marijuana legalization become a reality in the state, but they have made it clear that repairing the damage done by the drug war is non-negotiable. Any legislation considered this session must reinvest back into communities most harmed by drug prohibition, particularly Hispanic/Latino, Black and Native populations in New Mexico.”

According to the Drug Policy Alliance, “nearly three out of four New Mexicans approve of cannabis legalization with provisions in place to ensure tax revenue is reinvested back into communities, including 94% of Democrats, 93% of Independents and 46% of Republicans.”

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind., Feb. 11, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE –– Marc Byers and his team of odor mitigation experts recently announced the launch of Byers Scientific (Byers), which brings two industry-leading companies—Byers Scientific & Manufacturing and Pacific Environmental Analytics—together under one roof. Through this internal restructuring, Byers has expanded its comprehensive and data-driven odor mitigation solutions across multiple industries.

Byers Scientific & Manufacturing, now Byers Mitigation Technologies, has been a leading designer, engineer and manufacturer of equipment for the industrial odor management industry since 2014. Byers’ patented dry vapor-phase odor mitigation systems are an integral part of the odor mitigation plan for numerous industrial-scale facilities. With these vapor-phase systems, in conjunction with its industry-leading MT-6 Molecular Filtration System, Byers is innovating state-of-the-art odor mitigation. This comprehensive approach helps customers and clients achieve regulatory compliance and effectively reduce water and energy consumption to help pave the way for a more sustainable future.

Pacific Environmental Analytics, now Byers Emissions Analysis (BEA), was formed in 2019 to provide a bottom-up approach to assessing and managing commercial agriculture and industrial emissions. Innovated by globally recognized scientists Dr. Alex Guenther and Dr. William Vizuete, BEA employs pioneering gas-phase emissions testing and analysis to determine the impact of cultivation, processing and extraction on air quality using site-specific emissions modeling.

Finally, the newest division, Byers Intelligent Systems, offers other industrial manufacturers the same Bolt-OnTM Cloud-based SCADA (IoT) functionality on-board all Byers’ manufactured equipment. This proprietary technology is made available to other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to increase automation capabilities, improve equipment efficiencies, collect critical data and drive revenue.

By bringing Byers Mitigation Technologies, Emissions Analysis and Intelligent Systems together, Byers equips customers and clients to tackle today’s most complex odor and emissions challenges across various industries. With science and data-driven mitigation and monitoring solutions, Byers helps significantly reduce liability associated with odor and emissions from commercial cannabis, solid waste, industrial-scale composting and more.

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Vertically integrated, multistate operator (MSO) Cresco Labs and its co-founder Joe Caltabiano have ended a multifaceted dispute in a Canadian court after Cresco alleged in a lawsuit that Caltabiano engaged in inappropriate behavior and created a “toxic work environment” while working at Cresco and breached his contract with the company, which he left last year.

On Jan. 29, Cresco filed a civil suit in British Columbia’s Supreme Court against Caltabiano, who was Cresco’s president and a member of its board of directors, and against Ken Amann and Choice Consolidation Corp. (Though it operates in the U.S., Cresco has an office in Vancouver, B.C., and is publicly traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange.)

By Feb. 4, the case was discontinued.

“The claims outlined in the lawsuit have been resolved through a mutual settlement agreement and Cresco has successfully mitigated the regulatory issues referred to in the complaint,” Cresco spokesperson Jason Erkes told Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary in a Feb. 11 email. “The lawsuit has been discontinued in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.”

“This lawsuit was quickly dismissed on Feb. 4,” Shawna McGregor, a publicist who represents Caltabiano, told CBT and CD in a Feb. 12 email. “Had it proceeded, Mr. Caltabiano and Choice Consolidation Corp would have denied the allegations as untrue. Like all legitimate organizations, Choice Consolidation Corp. has every right to exist and operate within the U.S. cannabis marketplace.” 

In its suit, Cresco claimed that Caltabiano bullied and intimidated female employees at the company and “sought to embarrass his female employees at every turn.”

We are in the midst of state legislation filing season, and this year’s flurry of reform bills are buoyed by some serious political momentum out of Washington, D.C., and the growing number of adult-use states in the U.S.

In Connecticut, for instance, the governor specifically cited Massachusetts’ booming industry as a reason to legalize cannabis this year—with an eye on May 2022 for sales. “Our neighboring states are offering recreational marijuana on a legal and regulated basis,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a budget address to the state. “Massachusetts dispensaries are advertising extensively here in Connecticut. And rather than surrender this market to out-of-staters, or worse, to the unregulated underground market, our budget provides for the legalization of recreational marijuana.”

The Connecticut news tops our Week in Review, but there are plenty of other stories to check out in mid-February. Here’s what you need to know:

If Gov. Ned Lamont gets his way, Connecticut will no longer wave the white flag to out-of-state cannabis markets, like neighboring Massachusetts, that are currently deploying advertisements to funnel away potential revenue streams. Read more According to new data from the Colorado Department of Revenue, 2020 was the highest-selling year for cannabis in Colorado. The state is approaching $10 billion in sales since 2014. Read more Fox Rothschild attorneys share their specialized perspectives on the M&A landscape in the cannabis industry, as well as what factors play a role in accelerating consolidations in the rapidly expanding market in the U.S. Read more After South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem supported a lawsuit that questioned the voter-approved amendment from November, Circuit Judge Christina Klinger rules the measure violated one of the state’s constitutional amendments. Read more A city of 11,000, Ontario, grosses $91.7 million in 2020 to take over ‘Highest County’ title in Oregon after local voters overturn ban on cannabis sales. That’s just the start of it. Read more 

And elsewhere on the web, here are the stories we’ve been reading this week:

ESPN: Former Lions Calvin Johnson, Rob Sims believe in the science, potential of cannabis industry. Read more CalCoastNews.com: California Fast-Tracking Cannabis Business Licenses for Refugees. Read more Marketwatch: Best-Performing Marijuana ETF Manager Says the Industry Will Be Transformed By Iconic Consumer Brands. Read more Forbes: Billionaire Beau Wrigley Says His Cannabis Company Will Be Bigger Than the Family Candy Business. Read more The Street: Aurora Cannabis CEO Talks Q2 Results, Cannabis Industry Outlook. Read more 

 

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South Dakota may have been the first state to pass both medical and adult-use cannabis on the same ballot in November 2020, but Gov. Kristi Noem is not in a hurry to implement either.

Initiated Measure 26, the medical cannabis program ballot measure, passed with 69.9% in favor. Based on South Dakota law, constitutional amendments and initiated measures become effective on July 1 each year following an election.

However, Noem said she and leadership in both chambers of the South Dakota state legislature plan to delay implementing a medical cannabis program an additional year, to July 1, 2022, she announced in a press release Feb. 10.

“We are working diligently to get IM 26 implemented safely and correctly,” Noem said in the release. “The feasibility of getting this program up and running well will take additional time. I am thankful to our legislative leaders for helping make sure that we do this right.” 

That announcement came two days after Circuit Judge Christina Klinger struck down the voter-approved adult-use Amendment A, concluding that it violated South Dakota’s requirement that constitutional amendments be limited to one subject, she said in her ruling. That ruling was sparked after Noem instructed state law enforcement personnel to file litigation against Amendment A.

Name: Philip Goldberg

Location: Frederick, Md.

Title: CEO, Green Leaf Medical

One word to describe your cultivation style: Intelligent

Indoor, outdoor, greenhouse or a combination: Indoor

Can you share a bit of your background and how you and your company got to the present day?

Green Leaf Medical was formed in 2014 by myself and my brother, Kevin Goldberg. I had been running an advertising agency I started from the ground up in 1998 and Kevin was working at a law firm he founded shortly after graduating from Catholic University School of Law in 1995. After forming the company in 2014, we spent the next two years positioning Green Leaf to secure one of a limited number of licenses to cultivate medical cannabis in Maryland. In August of 2016, we were notified that our application had been approved and that we had received the highest score out of 146 applicants for cultivation. We then began the arduous task of raising capital to construct our 42,000-square-foot cultivation facility. We raised approximately $9 million through the sale of equity. The construction took 12 months and when it was completed, we had a state of the art, fully automated cultivation facility. We began cultivating in September 2017 and had our first harvest in January of 2018. At this point, we developed the gLeaf brand that is associated with all our products. The facility currently produces approximately 1,000 pounds of dry cannabis per month. From there, we acquired the first extraction and dispensary licenses issued in the state.

Colorado cannabis businesses have sold nearly $10 billion in cannabis products since statewide cannabis sales started in 2014, according to new data released by the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) on Tuesday.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the data indicates that 2020 was a record-breaking year for the Colorado cannabis industry. The state sold $2.19 billion in cannabis products, a 25% increase from 2019, which totaled $1.75 billion.

In December 2020 alone, the state sold nearly $36.7 million in medical cannabis and $149.7 million in adult-use cannabis, totaling over $186.3 million in cannabis products, roughly a 30% increase compared to December 2019 sales.

The data shows that Colorado ended 2020 with nearly $9.98 billion in total cannabis sales to date, which indicates that the state could have already surpassed the $10 billion mark from January and February sales, or it will happen soon.

Additionally, tax revenue is collected from the cannabis dispensaries that collect 2.9% in-state sales tax, 15% in cannabis retail sales tax and a 15% excise tax on wholesale/transfers of retail cannabis. Revenue is also generated from cannabis license and application fees, according to the state’s cannabis tax report.

In 2020, the state collected nearly $387.5 million in total tax revenue and fees for the year, ending 2020 with over $1.5 billion collected in tax revenue and fees to date.

As the state-by-state markets continue to grow, major players outside the cannabis industry are looking for a way in. And those already with a footprint in the sector are poised to go bigger.

Earlier this month, a blockbuster deal kicked off the 2021 cannabis merger-and-acquisition season, when Ireland-based Jazz Pharmaceuticals inked a $7.2-billion deal to acquire United Kingdom-based GW Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of the Food and Drug Administration-approved Epidiolex. It was the biggest handshake yet for the cannabis industry, and it could be just the beginning of what’s to come in a global market still in its infancy.

At Fox Rothschild, a Philadelphia-based law firm with a national cannabis practice group, Partner Melissa Sanders and Associate Jared Schwass told clients there is much more room for businesses to expand in an alert they released Feb. 1.

Sanders advises corporate clients on a wide range of business matters, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, private placements of securities, financing transactions and ownership transition programs. Schwass is an attorney in the corporate department and a member of the firm’s Cannabis Law Practice Group. He advises businesses entering and operating in the legalized cannabis market on regulatory compliance, risk mitigation and business transactions.

“At the end of 2020, we saw an uptick in merger-and-acquisition activity as the industry shook off some pandemic-related instability, and we expect that trend to increase significantly in 2021,” they said in the alert.

“Despite abundant money available to the large multi-state operators (MSOs), most cannabis companies still have relatively limited avenues to raise capital due to the federal illegality of the industry,” they said. “However, that may change soon with the democrats now controlling both houses of Congress and the White House.”

If Gov. Ned Lamont gets his way, Connecticut will no longer wave the white flag to out-of-state cannabis markets, like neighboring Massachusetts, that are currently deploying advertisements to funnel away potential revenue streams.

During his budget address on Feb. 10, Lamont announced his legislative proposal for adult-use legalization, with cannabis sales to begin in May 2022. The proposal offers a comprehensive framework for the cultivation, manufacture, sale, possession, use and taxation of cannabis that prioritizes public health, public safety and social justice, according to a fact sheet he also released Feb. 10.

Revenue from taxing the adult-use cannabis market in Connecticut would generate roughly $100 million by fiscal 2026, according to Lamont’s proposed budget.

“And now our neighboring states are offering recreational marijuana on a legal and regulated basis,” Lamont said in his address. “Massachusetts dispensaries are advertising extensively here in Connecticut. And rather than surrender this market to out-of-staters, or worse, to the unregulated underground market, our budget provides for the legalization of recreational marijuana.”

Lamont’s 163-page proposed cannabis legislation, An Act Responsibly and Equitably Regulating Adult-Use Cannabis, states that prohibition has failed, and Connecticut needs a new approach to protect public health and safety, especially for communities of color disproportionately harmed by cannabis arrests and convictions. According to Lamont’s summary, the proposal provides expungement for cannabis possession convictions prior to Oct. 1, 2015, as well as expungement by petition after that date.

Ascend Wellness Holdings (AWH), a cannabis operator serving medical and adult-use cannabis across five states, announced its new partnership with 1906 to bring “Drops” to Illinois dispensaries.

Drops are in 1906’s best-selling line of swallowable pills, each ranging from 2.5mg of THC to 2.5-25mg of CBD per dose; they are tasteless and calorie-, gluten- and allergen-free, according to the release.

“The introduction of Drops means Illinoisans will finally have access to low-dose, rapid-onset cannabis in a non-combustible format,” the release states.

Drops are fast-acting and are available in six formulations that use organically-grown and pesticide-free cannabis. They are designed to elevate or help a person’s sleep, energy, anxiety, focus, mood or libido, the release states.

In addition to Drops, AWH announced it is also launching new live resin cartridges and PrePacks through its premium cannabis product line, Ozone.

"The live resin cartridges capture the essence of the whole flower in a vaporized form, and each strain of premium flower is extracted at the right time in sub-zero conditions to ensure the maximum amount of cannabinoids and terpenes are captured," the release states.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Feb 4, 2021 - PRESS RELEASE - THC Therapeutics, Inc. (THCT), a forward-thinking, publicly-traded technology company, whose mission statement is, "Better Health through the Science of Nature," is pleased to announce today that the company has joined the Las Vegas Medical Marijuana Association (LVMMA).

THCT plans to leverage the diverse membership of dispensary owners, production facilities, cultivators, labs and various companies to further the company’s growth strategy.

As mentioned in our previous press release, the company is moving forward with its financing plans by potentially raising up to $75 million via a Reg A+ offering. Investors that are interested in more information regarding the planned offering may contact the company at the email address below.

Parker Mitchell, the ceo of THC Therapeutics states, "I am excited that THCT is now a member of the LVMMA and is presently attending the meetings and events. We look forward to the opportunities that this association can provide. Through this partnership, and others like it, we will create a foundation for rapid growth."

https://lvmma.org

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After Hotbox Farms co-owners Steven Meland and Jeremy Breton opened the doors to their dispensary in 2019 in Ontario, Ore., customer lines continued to form, as they did for other dispensaries in town. 

It was 5 a.m. when he heard somebody banging on his window from the darkness outside.

Dan Cummings, the community development director in Ontario, Ore., a city of roughly 11,000 people in the eastern part of the state, had spent some early mornings at his office in the days leading up to that clatter.

Earlier that week, in November 2018, Ontario voters overturned the city’s ban on cannabis sales, with 56.8% of 3,383 balloters showing their support for a local measure that would impose a 3% tax on adult-use retail.

Four years earlier, when Oregonians approved Measure 91 to legalize cannabis cultivation and adult-use statewide during the 2014 general election, residents in Malheur County, where Ontario is located, were on the other side, voting 68.3% against that measure. Under the state law, counties and cities that opposed the measure by at least 60% had the option to outlaw cannabis legalization in their municipalities. The Ontario City Council did just that when its members voted to prohibit cannabis retail in 2015.

But when a citizen-led petition gathered enough signatures to get a new pro-cannabis retail measure added to the Ontario ballot in 2018, Cummings said he started writing community development codes ahead of time in case voters lifted the ban. A couple statutes he wanted to establish included a licensing and permit program for dispensaries as well as 1,000-foot buffer zones between fellow retailers and between a retailer and schools, city parks and residential areas. In addition, potential dispensary owners had to show proof they owned property that met those buffer-zone parameters before receiving city permits.

The voters of South Dakota spoke in favor of adult-use cannabis legalization by way of passing Amendment A in the November election, but the state’s governor and a circuit judge aren’t listening.

In allowing a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state-passed ballot measure to proceed through an executive order, Gov. Kristi Noem opened the door for Circuit Judge Christina Klinger to reject the voters’ will by striking down the approved adult-use amendment in a ruling she issued Feb. 8. Klinger said Amendment A violated South Dakota’s requirement that constitutional amendments be limited to just one subject.

Article XXIII of the South Dakota Constitution states: “No proposed amendment may embrace more than one subject. If more than one amendment is submitted at the same election, each amendment shall be so prepared and distinguished that it can be voted upon separately.”

In the conclusion of her ruling, Klinger said, “Amendment A is unconstitutional as it includes multiple subjects in violation of Article XXIII, and it is therefore void and has no effect. Furthermore, Amendment A is a revision as it has far-reaching effects on the basic nature of South Dakota’s governmental system. As a result, Amendment A was required to be submitted to the voters through the constitutional convention process set forth in Article XXIII.”

The measure in question, Amendment A, read on the state ballot: “An Amendment to the South Dakota Constitution to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana; and to require the legislature to pass laws regarding hemp as well as laws ensuing access to marijuana for medical use.”

Voters approved Amendment A with 54.2% showing their support. Measure 26, the medical cannabis program ballot measure, also passed with 69.9% in favor.

Cannabis Business Times magazine (Cannabis Business Times) and Cannabis Dispensary magazine (Cannabis Dispensary) announced today the 2021 Best Cannabis Companies To Work For – Cultivation and Dispensaries categories. The February issue of Cannabis Business Times magazine features the top honorees in Cultivation, and ranking companies in both Cannabis Dispensary and Cannabis Business Times are highlighted in a series of articles online linked below.

The award program recognizes and honors the best companies across the cannabis industry that excel in creating quality workplaces for employees.

The winners for this year’s awards in the Cultivation category are:

Napa Valley Fumé, Lake County, California; The Grove, Las Vegas, Nevada; Dragonfly Wellness, Salt Lake City, Utah; ARL Healthcare (MariMed), New Bedford, Massachusetts; and Stability Cannabis, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The winners in the Dispensaries category are:

Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation, Austin, Texas; Velvet, Martinez, California; Dragonfly Wellness, Salt Lake City, Utah; HPC Dispensary, Port Hueneme, California; Jushi Holdings Inc., Boca Raton, Florida; JardínPremium Cannabis Dispensary, Las Vegas, Nevada; and The Grove, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Leading industry publications Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary developed the awards in partnership with the Best Companies Group (BCG), a global research organization that conducts industry-leading employee survey engagement and satisfaction surveys. Through this work, Cannabis Business Times, Cannabis Dispensary, and BCG identify and recognize the best employers in the cannabis cultivation industry and dispensary market and provide these organizations with valuable employee feedback.

Profiles of the companies that earned the distinction as one of the Best Cannabis Companies to Work For are available in the February issue of Cannabis Business Times magazine, and online at CannabisBusinessTimes.com, and CannabisDispensarymag.com.

IJSSELSTEIN, Netherlands, Feb. 5, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – The development of LED lighting for greenhouse horticulture is constantly developing. The Dutch Powerhouse Monarch from Oreon was introduced one year ago at Fruit Logistica in Berlin with a light output of 3,100 µmol/s. The fixture now achieves an output of 3,700 µmol/s with the LowBlue spectrum with 3.7 µmol/J efficiency. That is twice as much as with a traditional High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamp.
“More than 12 years ago we were the first to provide a commercial greenhouse project with water-cooled LED lights,” Oreon Sales Director Jan Mol said. “Last year, we launched the first 1,000W LED fixture. Oreon is constantly innovating and is always looking for new ways to improve the fixture and we have succeeded again. Thanks to the water-cooling technology, we cannot only get an extremely high light output, but we also guarantee a consistent light output over a longer period of time. Our LED fixtures have a long lifespan: L90 B05 - 50,000 hours, which means that a water-cooled LED fixture can retain more than 90% of its light output in at least 95% of the fixtures after 50,000 hours.”

Mol added: “Every greenhouse, every grower, every cultivation strategy and light requirement is different. In addition, the crop, grow area and height of the greenhouse influence the number of fixtures and thus the investment. You cannot make one standard lighting plan; everything is custom made. That is why we can now offer three variants of the Monarch.”

For crops that require high light intensities, such as roses and cannabis, the new high efficiency variant with 3,700 µmol/s is extremely suitable. This has a narrow beam radiation of 120° and can therefore also be used in high-tech greenhouses, for lettuce as example. Thanks to the high light output, fewer fixtures are needed and, due to the very high efficiency, significant savings can be made on energy costs.

No two situations are the same. That is why there is now also a narrow-beam version with a lower output (3,471 µmol/s) and efficiency (3.4 µmol/J). We look at the best option by means of a tailor-made lighting plan. The grower can decide whether he or she is going for a lower one-off investment or a saving in energy costs in the longer term.

The Monarch with wide-beam optics (3,506 µmol/s and 3.5 µmol/J) is suitable for the illumination of high-wire crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers. The crop grows closer to the top of the greenhouse and therefore a wide radiation (140°) is desired in order to evenly illuminate the largest surface as possible. This Monarch is also a good option for traditional lower greenhouses. Since it is a 1,000W LED fixture, traditional HPS lighting can be replaced one-on-one (using the same cabling). For the grower, this results in more light on his crop or lower power consumption with the same light intensity.

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The Wyoming legislature has proposed a new bill on smokable hemp to the senate judiciary committee for consideration, which could take effect July 1. 

Senate File 90 would prohibit the sale of smokable hemp to anyone under the age of 21 and prohibits using smokable hemp in public.

An individual who knowingly or intentionally smokes a product containing hemp in public is guilty of a misdemeanor and will be charged up to $50 for the first offense, up to $100 for the second and up to $500 for the third offense, the proposed legislation states.

The legislation also proposes that a person who sells, offers, gives away or delivers smokable hemp or smokable hemp products to a person under the age of 21 is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $250 for the first offense, $500 for a second violation within 24 months and $750.00 for a third or subsequent violation committed within 24 months.

In addition, the legislation also states that the court may allow the defendant to perform community service and be granted $10 for each hour of work performed under the first and second violation and $5 per hour under the third violation. The pay will be credited to the defendant's fine and court costs.

Retailers who knowingly sell, offer, give away or distribute smokable hemp or smokable hemp products to a person under the age of 21 will be charged with the same fines but will not have the option to perform community service.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers will propose regulating and taxing adult-use cannabis in his 2021-23 biennial budget, he announced in a statement Feb. 7.

Legalizing cannabis is expected to generate more than $165 million annually in the state, beginning in the second year of the biennium, according to the statement. Under the governor’s proposal, that money would increase revenue, create jobs and reduce costs associated with the state’s criminal justice system.

The proposal also includes legalizing medical cannabis, which would provide a pathway for those suffering from chronic or debilitating pain and illness to utilize the medicine they require, the statement said.

“Legalizing and taxing marijuana in Wisconsin—just like we do already with alcohol—ensures a controlled market and safe product are available for both recreational and medicinal users and can open the door for countless opportunities for us to reinvest in our communities and create a more equitable state,” Evers said. “Frankly, red and blue states across the country have moved forward with legalization and there is no reason Wisconsin should be left behind when we know it’s supported by a majority of Wisconsinites.”

In 2019, a Marquette University Law Poll found that 59% of Wisconsin voters supported adult-use legalization and 83% supported legalizing medical cannabis with a doctor’s prescription.

Under the governor’s new proposal, Wisconsin would join 15 other states, including neighboring Michigan and Illinois, in legalizing adult-use cannabis. But when Evers proposed decriminalizing adult-use cannabis and legalizing medical cannabis two years ago, it was rejected by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature. The democratic executive faces the same challenge with his most recent proposal.

This week, the West Virginia Office of Medical Cannabis announced the winners of the state’s medical cannabis dispensary licenses. Elsewhere, in California, the Office of Administrative Law approved proposed emergency regulations to allow cannabis businesses to access banking services.

Here, we’ve rounded up the top 10 headlines you need to know before this week is over.

West Virginia: The Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC) announced the winners of the state’s medical cannabis dispensary licenses this week. Patient registration opened shortly after, on Feb. 3. Read moreNew Jersey: The New Jersey Assembly Community Development and Affairs Committee has voted to advance a new adult-use compromise bill, lawmakers’ second attempt to pass an adult-use implementation bill that Gov. Phil Murphy will sign into law. Murphy refused to sign an earlier version of adult-use legislation until lawmakers added penalties for underage cannabis use, but that attempt at a “cleanup bill” fell apart when Black lawmakers voiced opposition to the proposal, arguing that the penalties outlined in the legislation would disproportionately impact minorities. Read moreIdaho: Lawmakers have voted to advance a joint resolution that would implement a constitutional ban on cannabis. The proposed constitutional amendment would ban all psychoactive drugs that are not already legal in Idaho, but the list of banned substances could be adjusted if drugs are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Read moreMinnesota: House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler reintroduced an adult-use cannabis legalization bill alongside other Democrat lawmakers Feb. 1. Winkler’s proposal would expunge past cannabis convictions; direct funds to public health awareness campaigns, youth access prevention and substance abuse treatment; provide grants, loans, technical assistance and training for businesses; require the testing and labeling of medical cannabis products; place restrictions on product packaging based on dosage size; and allow home cultivation. Read moreVirginia: An adult-use legalization bill is moving through the Virginia Legislature, with the Senate Judiciary Committee voting to advance the legislation this week. S.B. 1406, which is sponsored by Sen. Adam Ebbin and backed by Gov. Ralph Northam, would legalize the production, sale and use of cannabis for adults 21 and older. Read morePennsylvania: Gov. Tom Wolf included adult-use cannabis legalization in his state budget proposal Feb. 3. Wolf’s call for legalization is part of a broader plan to combat the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and follows a similar legalization push he made last summer. Read moreIllinois: Rep. La Shawn Ford is renewing a push to create new cannabis retail licenses in the wake of a controversial licensing process aimed at issuing 75 dispensary licenses in the state. Ford introduced legislation Feb. 3 that would create up to 110 additional retail licenses, and expects the bill to be called in the House later this month. Read moreCalifornia: The Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved the proposed emergency regulations to implement processes for cannabis businesses to authorize release of information to financial institutions. The adopted regulations are intended to facilitate greater access to financial services for licensed cannabis businesses that face challenges obtaining banking, insurance and other financial services commonly available to other businesses. Read moreNew Mexico: Four legalization bills have been introduced in the New Mexico Legislature to date—two in the Senate and two in the House. The New Mexico Legislature is just about halfway through its 60-day legislative session. Read moreSouth Dakota: Rep. Mike Derby and Sen. Brock Greenfield filed legislation Feb. 3 that would implement the state’s adult-use cannabis program, which voters approved in the 2020 election. H.B. 1225 includes a provision that would void the proposed laws if Amendment A, the voter-approved ballot initiative, gets overturned in a pending lawsuit. Read more

Indiana Rep. Vanessa Summers has introduced legislation to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state, according to a local WTWO/WAWV report.

The bill, H.B. 1154, would create a cannabis regulatory agency to license adult-use businesses and regulate the industry, the news outlet reported.

The legislation shares several similarities with Illinois’ Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, according to WTWO/WAWV, including an expungement process that would allow those with past cannabis-related convictions to clear their records.

Summers’ legislation has been referred to the House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code, the news outlet reported.

In the Senate, Sen. Karen Tallian has introduced additional cannabis legalization bills, including S.B. 87 to regulate cannabis and hemp and S.B. 223 to decriminalize the possession of up to 2 ounces of cannabis.

South Dakota Rep. Mike Derby (R-Rapid City) and Sen. Brock Greenfield (R-Clark) filed legislation Feb. 3 that would implement the state’s adult-use cannabis program, which voters approved in the 2020 election, according to a KELO report.

H.B. 1225 includes a provision that would void the proposed laws if Amendment A, the voter-approved ballot initiative, gets overturned in a pending lawsuit, the news outlet reported.

Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom and South Dakota Highway Patrol Col. Rick Miller filed the lawsuit challenging Amendment A in November, arguing that it violates the state’s one-subject rule, as well as the amendments and revisions article of the South Dakota Constitution.

Gov. Kristi Noem then issued an executive order in January that allowed the legal challenge to proceed and asked the court to invalidate the election results.

Judge Christina Klinger heard arguments in the case last week, KELO reported.