MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press
South Dakota voters will get a second chance to make their voices heard on adult-use cannabis legalization two years after they approved an adult-use measure in the 2020 election that was ultimately overturned by the state’s Supreme Court.
South Dakota made history in 2020 when voters approved medical and adult-use cannabis legalization on the same ballot.
“We passed Amendment A and Measure 26 back in 2020 with 54% and 74% of the vote, respectively,” Matthew Schweich, deputy director for the Marijuana Policy Project and deputy director for South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML), told Cannabis Business Times. “Since then, we’ve had to fight to defend both laws. On the medical side, we’ve been successful. There have been efforts in the past two legislative sessions to severely delay implementation of the medical cannabis law, and then this year, there were a whole bunch of efforts to erode the program—make it more difficult for patients to access, make it more difficult for operators to operate. We were successful in defeating those efforts.”
RELATED: Unity Rd. Opens First Medical Cannabis Establishment in South Dakota
Efforts to defend Amendment A, the constitutional amendment to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older, were less successful; a lawsuit brought by law enforcement and backed by Gov. Kristi Noem challenged the voter-approved initiative on the grounds that it violated South Dakota’s one-subject rule.
The Washington State Legislature established the Social Equity in Cannabis Task Force in an effort to reduce barriers to entry to the cannabis industry for individuals and communities most impacted by the war on drugs.
The Task Force will allow approximately 40 additional cannabis retail licenses to be issued for social equity purposes, according to a release. Those licenses will replace the approximately 40 licenses that were canceled, forfeited, revoked or never issued in specific jurisdictions across Washington.
Separately, the Washington Department of Commerce partnered with the state’s Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) and Make Green Go!, a cannabis business development consulting company, to create the Social Equity in Cannabis Technical Assistance Program.
The program includes one-on-one mentoring for social equity applicants seeking retail licenses, as well as an online learning module to help educate operators on a range of business development topics such as accounting, finance, market research, strategies and more.
“The Technical Assistance Mentorship Program will help bolster applicants’ preparations for the Liquor and Cannabis Board’s social equity licensing process and help ensure they are positioned for success,” said Alison Beason, a Commerce Department representative for the Social Equity Task Force. . “The program will provide applicants with industry-specific business education, direct mentorship, and assistance developing business and finance plans while offering valuable insight and guidance navigating the myriad of complexities in establishing a retail cannabis business.”
Detroit has received 90 applications for 60 available adult-use cannabis licenses as the city navigates a three-phase licensing process.
Detroit officials plan to issue 40 retail, 10 microbusiness and 10 consumption lounge licenses in the first phase, according to a Detroit Free Press report.
The application period opened Sept 1 and closed Oct. 1.
The city will issue a total of 160 licenses over the three phases, with half the licenses awarded to social equity applicants. To qualify as a social equity applicant, the business must be at least 51% owned by Detroit residents or individuals who live in other communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs.
Forty of the 90 applications received during the first phase qualify as social equity, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Unintentional loopholes in the 2018 Farm Bill have allowed intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids to create a “wild west” of unregulated products, the head of a major California cannabis trade group claimed this week.
In a white paper released Oct. 19 by Sacramento-based California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA), the group’s members call for urgent reform as they claim the “dangers” associated with intoxicating products being sold as hemp continue to pose a widespread threat to public health.
CCIA represents hundreds of state-legal California cannabis businesses and works to promote the growth of a responsible and legitimate industry.
“Policymakers have inadvertently created a wild west of hemp-derived intoxicants that are putting the health of consumers across the country at risk,” CCIA Board President Pamela Epstein said in the white paper. “The proliferation of these unregulated and untested synthetic cannabinoids is a public health crisis, and we are calling for immediate action to protect public safety.”
In September 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a warning statement, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a health advisory statement cautioning potential consumers about the adverse effects associated with hemp-derived products containing delta-8 THC, which can be synthesized from CBD. Those effects range from vomiting, hallucinations, trouble standing and loss of consciousness, to deep sedation, slowed breathing, irregular heart rates and decreased blood pressure, according to the two federal agencies.
RELATED: Delta-8 THC Has ‘Serious Health Risks’ Warns Two Federal Agencies
The Vermont Cannabis Control Board issued nine new adult-use cannabis licenses at its Oct. 19 meeting, including one cultivation, four manufacturing and four retail licenses.
Regulators awarded the licenses to the following businesses, according to a Heady Vermont report:
Mr. Z Craft Cannabis Inc. – Indoor Cultivator, Tier 3Simple VT, LLC – Manufacturer, Tier 1Encore Herbals, LLC – Manufacturer, Tier 1Green Mountain Hash, LLP – Manufacturer, Tier 2Tilia Processing, LLC – Manufacturer, Tier 3Juniper Lane, LLC – RetailerNative East, LLC – RetailerCapital Cannabis Company Inc. – RetailerKingdom Kind – RetailerA full list of Vermont’s adult-use cannabis licensees can be found here.
The state’s first three adult-use dispensaries opened to serve consumers on Oct. 1.
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) Secretary Russell Redding is looking to boost sales, export markets, and consumer awareness of hemp products through funding research projects.
In an Oct. 17 press release from the PDA, Russell called for proposals for projects from nonprofit marketing and promotion organizations, announcing the PDA will award up to $200,000 in matching funds to aid research projects, with a minimum award of $1,000.
"Hemp has presented a unique opportunity to grow an industry from the ground up, supplying seemingly limitless sustainable construction materials, fiber and food products," Redding said. "These grants will feed a new industry that was once a staple of Pennsylvania's economy and is again presenting opportunities for farm income and jobs as well as new possibilities for climate-friendly, environmentally beneficial products."
The purpose of the grant funding is to reimburse up to 50% of the cost of research projects that are focused on:
Increasing consumer awareness and sales of hemp productsEducating consumers and producers on hemp productsGrowing and developing export markets for hemp productsAccording to the Pennsylvania Bulletin, the PDA will grant funds once the project is completed. In addition, the grant money should be used for one or more of the following purposes:
"To pay the cost of the specific project described in the grant application.To pay the cost of a portion of a Pennsylvania nonprofit agricultural product promotion and marketing organization's contribution to a national or regional agricultural product promotion and marketing project.To pay the cost of programs conducted by an applicant to educate producers and consumers with respect to agricultural hemp products within this commonwealth.To pay the cost of such other activities consistent with the secretary of agriculture's authority under section 1704 of The Administrative Code of 1929, as amended (71 P.S. § 444).”Interested nonprofits must apply by 5 p.m. Dec. 2. All projects must have started on or after July 1 and must be completed by June 30, 2023, according to the release.
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Flower One Holdings, the publicly traded Canadian parent company of Nevada’s Flower One, has obtained an order under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), a federal statute that governs financial restructuring for insolvent businesses. The move comes ahead of executive plans to take Flower One Holdings private by the end of the year.
“The decision to commence CCAA proceedings was made after careful consideration of the Canadian company’s financial position and significant consultation with certain key creditors of Flower One,” according to a press release issued by the company. “The CCAA proceedings are intended to facilitate a restructuring of the Canadian Company’s balance sheet and the injection of additional capital, with a view of Flower One going private by the end of the 2022 calendar year, thereby eliminating the administrative burden and significant expense associated with being a publicly listed company.”
During this process, the U.S.-based operations of Flower One are expected to continue “in the ordinary course and without interruption.”
A court hearing to lay out the restructuring terms is scheduled for Oct. 25. PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. will monitor the CCAA process for Flower One Holdings.
ORANGE COUNTY, California, Oct. 20, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE – TYSON 2.0 boxer, entrepreneur, and advocate Mike Tyson’s cannabis company, announced the launch of an online global marketplace in partnership with LGNDS LLC., a market-leading hemp company, to expand its product portfolio with three new hemp-derived verticals: delta-8 THC, delta-9 THC, and CBD.
TYSON 2.0’s strategic partnership with LGNDS, a Miami-based hemp company known for its global reach and cutting-edge product innovations, marks the company’s first entry into the hemp industry, projected to grow a whopping 22% from $4.9 billion to $18.6 billion by 2027. With hockey-stick-like sales for fan-favored products, this partnership will allow TYSON 2.0 to bring Mike Tyson tested and approved plant-based products to mainstream consumers through an e-commerce site with global shipping capabilities. TYSON 2.0’s delta-8, delta-9 and CBD will meet consumer demand, especially in state markets where adult use of cannabis is still illicit.
“Excited to ring in a whole new line-up of plant-based TYSON 2.0 products that help lift people up,” Tyson said. “I’ve personally tested and approved each and every product, so that my fans can also experience the same safe and effective medicines that I stand behind. Soon folks from coast to coast will be able to join the TYSON tribe.”
Starting in Q4 2022, TYSON 2.0’s hemp-based products will be available across large, small, and C-stores. The first of the new series to launch will be the delta-8 collection starting with Mike Bites delta-8 edibles available in Black Eye Berry, Watermelon, and Sour Apple Punch flavors. Handcrafted in the same manner as the original THC Mike Bites, the new Mike Bites delta-8 edibles will be available nationwide at www.tyson20global.com and at select retail stores based on individual state regulations.
Launched in October 2021, TYSON 2.0 brings innovative, high-quality cannabis products known for purity consistency and wide accessibility to consumers nationwide. Co-founded by Mike Tyson and Chad Bronstein, chairman and president, and led by Adam Wilks, CEO, the company partners with world-class cannabis operators to provide a suite of products designed to appeal to and reach consumers in legal markets. Through licensing, cultivation and agreements, TYSON 2.0 products are available across dispensaries and retail locations in 24 states and select provinces across Canada.
“We are proud to partner with TYSON 2.0 to bring delta 8, delta 9, and CBD products to markets nationwide and around the world-from large and small format retail stores to your local convenience store or gas station,” said the LGNDS team. “With the TYSON 2.0 name behind products, consumers can feel confident they are getting access to the safest, most efficacious CBD and Delta products that have gone through the most rigorous safety standards and quality testing protocols.”
Editor’s note: This is an ongoing article. CBT’s original reporting on Trulieve’s Holyoke, Mass., cannabis cultivation and processing facility can be viewed here.
Trulieve issued a statement Oct. 20 in response to what company officials called “incorrect information” that has circulated about its Holyoke, Mass., cannabis cultivation and processing facility in the wake of a worker’s death.
According to the Tallahassee, Fla.-based multistate operator, that incorrect information includes media reports about personal protective equipment (PPE) and other health protections offered to more than 175 workers at the Holyoke facility. That facility’s health and safety standards have been in question since national media recently learned of Lorna McMurrey’s death. The 27-year-old collapsed Jan. 4 at the company’s Holyoke location and died three days later.
“Unfortunately, some incorrect information has been distributed about Trulieve’s facility in Holyoke and its response to Ms. McMurrey’s collapse on January 4, 2022,” according to the Trulieve statement. “To correct these errors, Trulieve is providing the following information about its facility and the events surrounding Ms. McMurrey’s tragic death.”
The following record is according to Trulieve’s Oct. 20 statement:
Air Quality
Hawthorne Gardening Company (HGC) is shifting its distribution model in Canada to serve its customers better and maximize operational efficiencies, according to Jennifer Pistillo, Hawthorne Canada sales director. The company is stepping away from its regional distribution model and is consolidating its distribution partners to work with two industry leaders who have developed strong relationships with retail and commercial growers. “We remain fully committed to the industry and the continued development of Hawthorne’s signature brands (Gavita, General Hydroponics, Botanicare, etc.),” Pistillo wrote in an email to Cannabis Business Times.
"This reorganization allows Hawthorne to adapt to the new market dynamics, align with strong distribution partners, and prepare for what it sees as the future Canadian market structure," Pistillo said.
Pistillo also noted that the company will continue to serve hydroponic retailers and commercial growers within the Canadian market, but in a different way:
HGC will now serve hydroponic retailers through its two new distributor partners: Quality Wholesale and HydroTek Hydroponics.These distributors are committed to quality service and share HGC’s customer-oriented approach. They will also serve as an extension to the company's sales team.Several HGC customers already work with these distributors, "which will streamline their ordering and fulfillment processes," Pistillo wrote.The company also anticipates this switch will help provide quality, uninterrupted service to its retailers and increase stock availability. Retailers will still be able to purchase HGC products and those they distribute.The company is also finding ways to improve and use its resources to meet growers' needs, according to Pistillo. HGC is dedicating its sales team to focus on growers, "where custom sales and design is needed most," she noted. In addition, the design team "specializes in helping Canadian producers, especially those early in the design phase resulting in savings, increased yields, [and] energy efficiency."
"This reorganization enables Hawthorne to focus on developing, marketing, and supporting their leading signature Hawthorne brands, which spread across lighting, nutrients, growing environment, growing media, hardware, and more, and to continue providing the industry's best technical services support to growers,” Pistillo explained.
In addition to these changes, she noted, HGC is also "ramping up programs which enable proof of concept trials, custom design, and consultations with our team of technical sales agronomists and engineers across all categories."
Germany’s plans to legalize adult-use cannabis have been revealed after a blueprint for policy reform leaked to the RND newspaper group Oct. 19.
The government aims to decriminalize the purchase and possession of small amounts of cannabis, as well as legalize adult-use sales in licensed shops, according to a POLITICO report.
RELATED: Will Germany Legalize Cannabis Before the US?
Germany legalized medical cannabis in 2017, and the coalition that came to power last year unveiled plans for additional policy reform during its campaign.
RELATED: Germany’s New Coalition Supports Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization
Florida medical cannabis patients will be able to purchase cannabis at select Circle K locations starting in 2023.
Green Thumb Industries, a cannabis consumer packaged goods company and owner of RISE Dispensaries, announced that it has entered into a lease agreement with Canadian-based convenience store and gas station chain Circle K to expand its retail footprint in Florida.
Through the agreement, Green Thumb can lease space from Circle K locations in Florida–which currently operates roughly 600 locations in the state, according to a Green Thumb press release. The company plans to roll out “approximately ten ‘RISE Express’ branded dispensaries adjacent to Circle K stores,” next year, according to the release.
Green Thumb Founder, Chairman, and CEO Ben Kovler said opening RISE Express dispensaries at Circle K locations in Florida is a “game-changer.”
“The new RISE Express model is a huge step forward in making it easier and more efficient for patients to purchase high-quality cannabis as part of their everyday routine when stopping by their local convenience store,” he said.
The RISE Express locations will feature a variety of products for patients, including prerolls, edibles, flower, and more. The products will come from Green Thumb’s 28-acre cultivation facility in Ocala, which will be operational by the end of this year, according to the release.
]]>MIAMI, Oct. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Ayr Wellness Inc., a vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, announced the rollout of several brands from its national portfolio to the New Jersey market.
New Jersey cannabis consumers can now purchase products from brands including Lost in Translation (LIT) award-winning, premium whole flower; Kynd premium whole flower; Road Tripper whole flower; STIX pre-rolls; Entourage broad-spectrum, terpene-driven vape cartridges; Secret Orchard fruit-forward vape cartridges; and Wicked soft lozenges. All brands, with the exception of Kynd and Road Tripper, are currently available to both medical patients and adult-use consumers. Kynd and Road Tripper will debut on adult-use menus in the coming weeks.
“Since acquiring Garden State Dispensary, it has been Ayr’s mission to provide an elevated experience for all New Jersey patients and consumers. The introduction of our portfolio of high-quality brands to our menus marks a major milestone in carrying out that mission,” said Jonathan Sandelman, founder and CEO of Ayr Wellness. “We know that our customers have diverse wants and needs, and it’s important to us that we meet them wherever they are in their cannabis journey.”
The portfolio of brands is available at Ayr’s retail stores, operating as Garden State Dispensary, which are in prime locations throughout New Jersey, in the towns of Woodbridge, Union, and Eatontown, as well as in third party dispensaries throughout the state.
For more information about Ayr Wellness, please visit https://ayrwellness.com.
Adult-use cannabis legalization will have a chance at redemption in North Dakota Nov. 8, after a previous reform effort suffered a 20-point defeat in the state’s 2018 election.
Two Canadian cannabis producers are joining forces: The Green Organic Dutchman (TGOD), a publicly traded operator based in Toronto, and BZAM Cannabis, a privately held operator based in Vancouver. The resulting business is expected to be the sixth largest cannabis cultivation company in Canada.
All told, the two businesses generated a total of $85.7 million “pro forma unaudited net revenue” for the past 12 months.
"This is an exciting day for both companies, for our employees, and for our consumers. We are bringing together two rapidly growing companies that share a passion for cultivation, innovation and brand development," TGOD CEO Sean Bovingdon said in a public statement. "Our highly complementary businesses in terms of production footprints, products and distribution networks create a Combined Entity with a leading branded product portfolio along with significant synergies across our operations."
Those synergies include cost-cutting efficiencies up and down the supply chain once the companies combine. For example, BZAM’s British Columbia facility will supply the combined company with THC distillate and extraction capabilities to build on the rising demand for such products under Canada’s ongoing “cannabis 2.0” market rollout. The company that emerges from this business combination is expected to place more than 400 SKUs on shelves across Canada.
2022 Election Preview: Dodging Supreme Court Interference, Missouri Voters Get Crack at Legalization
An adult-use cannabis ballot measure’s destiny was in the hands of the Missouri Supreme Court, and, in rare form, the state’s top justices said it wasn’t for them to decide.
Reform advocates in Florida, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma and South Dakota have not been so lucky in recent years.
Organized by political action committee Legal Missouri 2022 (LM22), Amendment 3 is a constitutional proposal to fully reform cannabis laws in the Show-Me State. This ballot measure will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot and, if passed, will allow Missourians 21 and older to possess, consume, purchase and cultivate cannabis.
The proposal would also allow individuals convicted of nonviolent cannabis-related offenses to petition to be released from incarceration and/or have their records automatically expunged. The criminal justice reform aspect of the constitutional amendment would make Missouri the first state where voters took such a step, according to LM22. Current Missouri law requires those seeking to vacate their convictions to first petition the courts, an expensive and time-consuming process.
While the road to the ballot included the support of pro-reform group NORML, the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP and the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association, among others, the initiative also garnered its share of opposition—notably from Jefferson City resident Joy Sweeney, who serves on the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.
Sweeney filed a lawsuit Aug. 19 in an attempt to remove the measure from the state ballot. The suit claimed LM22 did not gather enough valid signatures and that the group’s initiative deals with too many policy changes in violation of state law. The lawsuit was supported by Protect Our Kids, a political action committee formed by Luke Niforatos of prohibitionist group Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM).
STONEHAM, Massachusetts, Oct. 19, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Theory Wellness will open its fourth adult-use dispensary in Maine Oct. 21, in the heart of New England's premier shopping destination, the Kittery Outlets. The Kittery recreational dispensary is nestled between major national retail brands; the presence of a dispensary in this district demonstrates how far regulated cannabis has come on the East Coast.
The Oct. 21 opening offers Theory a chance to give back to the Kittery community, as Theory is partnering with the local nonprofit Footprints food pantry by donating 10% of its opening week net profits. It's a consistent theme for the company, which has a track record of helping support local nonprofits across New England.
"We aim to support the community with every new location; Kittery is no exception," says Thomas Winstanley, chief marketing officer of Theory Wellness. "While the dispensary itself is in the heart of a shopping district, we're now part of a larger community in Southern Maine. Footprints is tackling a serious issue around food insecurity, and we're excited to help."
In their respective markets, Theory has been an active supporter of nonprofits. While opening their Bangor dispensary, they partnered with the local farmer's market. At their Massachusetts dispensaries, they donated a mobile food pantry in Chicopee, and at their Great Barrington dispensary, they've been an annual contributor to the local farmers' market via Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs, and Women, Infants, and Children benefits.
The new location at 8 Dexter Lane is just minutes off I-95 on Route 1 and opens at 10 a.m. Oct. 21. The dispensary will be open seven days a week, featuring various cannabis and cannabis products from local Maine companies available for any 21+ customers. It will be Theory's fourth Maine dispensary, following locations in Waterville, Bangor, and South Portland.
]]>WAKEFIELD, Massachusetts, Oct. 19, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.., an international provider of consumer products in cannabis, announced the opening of its Frederick dispensary, located at 5420 Urbana Pike Frederick, Md. The new dispensary opening follows the final license transfer of a Herbology retail location previously acquired in the Grassroots acquisition. Curaleaf Frederick opened its doors to patients at 9 a.m. Oct. 19.
Conveniently located near highways I-70, US-15, & US-270, Curaleaf Frederick is uniquely positioned to meet the diverse needs of Maryland's growing patient population. Patients can access a premium selection of vaporizers, edibles, concentrates and whole flower products, including Select Elite and Select Elite Live vapes, Grassroots full-spectrum and strain-specific RSO, Grassroots full-spectrum and strain specific RSO capsules, and Grassroots pre-packaged flower and concentrates. Patients can shop inside the brand-new building with guidance from Curaleaf's knowledgeable staff or pre-ordering and utilizing the location's curbside pickup service.
The Curaleaf team and Frederick Chamber of Commerce will kick off grand opening festivities with a ribbon cutting at 3 p.m. on Oct. 21. The celebration will continue from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 22, with an on-site DJ, games and prizes, live art activations, food trucks, and swag giveaways. Patients can enjoy a 25% discount at the new Frederick location for two weeks following the opening, and starting Oct. 22, they can enter to win $500 in Cura-credits at any Maryland location.
"We are thrilled to welcome patients and build community in our new Frederick dispensary," said Matt Darin, CEO of Curaleaf. "Our team in Maryland remains committed to providing a tailored, educational approach to meeting the diverse needs of patients at every stage of their cannabis journey. We are especially optimistic about the future of Maryland's cannabis market with the Marijuana Legalization Amendment on the ballot this November."
RELATED: 2022 Election Preview: Maryland Appears Poised to Legalize Cannabis
For more information regarding Curaleaf's product offerings and locations in Maryland, along with openings and hours of operation, please visit www.curaleaf.com/locations/maryland.
]]>After the Oklahoma Supreme Court shot down a chance for voters to have their say on adult-use cannabis legalization in November, another opportunity has emerged. Gov. Kevin Stitt declared a special election will be set for March 7, 2023, at which point voters will finally confront State Question 820—a measure that would legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older.
Read the full proclamation below.
The move cuts into the timelines set in the recent state Supreme Court ruling, which would have seen State Question 820 return to voters in November 2024. With Stitt’s executive powers, voters in one of the most bustling U.S. cannabis markets will have a shot at legalizing a new adult-use industry much sooner.
Not for nothing, the 2018 ballot measure that brought about Oklahoma’s medical cannabis market was also passed by voters during a special election.
Once this high-profile midterm election passes, the group behind this ballot measure—Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws, also known around the state as Yes on 820—will continue to work to raise awareness of the March 7 vote.
"After all the delays caused by the new signature count process, we are excited to finally be on the ballot on March 7, 2023, so that Oklahomans can experience the benefits of the State Question without further delay,” Yes on 820 Campaign Director Michelle Tilley said in a public statement. “We are grateful the voices of over 164,000 Oklahomans who signed the petition and want to vote on legalizing recreational marijuana for adults in Oklahoma have been heard.”
We are three weeks from the election on Nov. 8, which may bring another wave of state-by-state cannabis legalization to the industry. Although President Joe Biden, on Oct. 6 , announced presidential pardons for those charged or convicted of federal, simple marijuana possession, the president’s proclamation is not legalization nor is it federal decriminalization of cannabis. The matter of cannabis reform remains largely in the hands of state officials—and voters.
Cannabis in America is no longer simply partisan along major political party lines. Some in politically red (Republican) states support marijuana legalization and many politically red states have legalized medical marijuana to include some recent additions to the medical-state-roster such as Mississippi voting in medical legalization in 2020) and Alabama whose governor signed medical legalization into law in 2021.
Politically blue states have legalized more quickly than politically red states. Most begin with baby steps, either with some sort of medical regime (a robust, exclusively-medical or those with severely limited access to cannabis). After a number of years, eventually these states become more permissive and expand access.
The two exceptions to this medical-to-recreational progression are South Dakota (which legalized both recreational and medical at the same time with ballot measures on the November 2020 ballot, even though the South Dakota Supreme Court the following year invalidated the adult-use measure) and the American inhabited territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands that legalized both by legislation signed by the territorial governor in 2018.
Some people residing in politically red states who support any degree of cannabis legalization are often stymied by the very people they elect or appoint to political and/or judicial positions. As Jessica Piper, a Democratic state representative nominee in Missouri told reporters of the Northwest Missouri news in August 2022, “I wish we could do it legislatively, . . . [that we did not] have to petition our government all the time, but we have to do that because we have a Republican supermajority who doesn’t listen to constituents.”
To date, there are three degrees of cannabis legalization in the U.S. These are the regions in which the following are (state or territorially) legal:
