“[It’s] very unfortunate that the House GOP chose to stay on the sidelines all session long on this issue and then, at the 11th hour, deny a vote in the regular order. But make no mistake, legal cannabis will become law,” Democratic Rep. Steve Stafstrom, who co-chairs the Joint Judiciary Committee, tweeted earlier this week.
It’s a good reminder, yet again, that legalization efforts are far from a done deal—even in states facing the mounting geographic/political pressure of neighboring cannabis markets. New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts: This phalanx of legal cannabis is enough to drive legislative advocacy, but not enough to finish the job on its own. States like Connecticut and many others need willing, engaged participants on both sides of the aisle.
We’ve rounded up some of the major cannabis headlines from the week right here:
As states across the U.S. offer various incentives for residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine, the cannabis industry has lent its support to the cause. Read more After a series of Cannabis Business Times, Cannabis Dispensary and Hemp Grower features on delta-8 THC, Assistant Editor Andriana Ruscitto now addresses delta-10: “Delta-10 is typically produced more predominantly through extraction or converted from delta-9 through isomerization, he says. Transforming delta-9 to delta-10 (or delta-8) is possible because they have the same chemical compounds, just different structures.” Read more Less than a month after debuting on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Colombia-based cultivator Flora Growth is connecting its cannabis pipeline to Europe through a manufacturing and distribution partnership with Hoshi International. Read more After House Republicans threatened a filibuster, lawmakers are now poised to take up the legislation in a special session to legalize cannabis. Read more Associate Editor Tony Lange reports: “The NFL and its players association will provide $1 million to fund up to five research studies to investigate pain management and the effects of cannabinoids on athletic performance in elite football players.” Read moreAnd elsewhere on the web, here are the stories we’ve been reading this week:
NJ.com: “Lawmakers are working to ease the high costs of medical cannabis for New Jerseyans enrolled in financial assistance programs for children, seniors and crime victims.” Read more Marijuana Moment: “Marijuana legalization is set to go into effect in Virginia at the beginning of next month—and now the state is taking a step to educate residents about the rules of the new program.” Read more Fox8: In Ohio, “Huntington’s disease, terminal illness and spasticity were added to the list of qualifying medical marijuana conditions on Wednesday.” Read more Fox13: “After the Wyoming State Legislature declined to advance a bill to legalize medical cannabis this year, advocates are turning to voters with a pair of ballot initiatives for 2022.” Read more Santa Barbara Independent: Santa Barbara County has filed its first public nuisance lawsuits against cannabis businesses—targeting the odor and citing neighbors’ complaints—naming Island View Ranch LLC and Island Breeze Farms LLC as defendants. Read more]]>
