Marijuana Retail

Arizona pot legalization supporters prepare to try again, New Jersey is set for a big medical marijuana expansion, tension in Colombia`s coca fields, and more. Things are heating up in Colombia`s coca fields. DEA Marijuana Policy Arizona 2020 Legalization Initiative Campaign Getting Underway. Marijuana legalization supporters are set to try once again to legalize weed via the popular vote after coming up short in 2016. Proponents argue the scenery has shifted enough since then that they can win next year. They will need some 237,000 valid voter signatures by next summe....

As reported by the Associated Press, Illinois new governor signed the legislation into law today making his state the 11th to approve marijuana for recreational use in a program offering legal remedies and economic benefits to minorities whose lives critics say were damaged by a wayward war on drugs. The new law means that nearly 800,000 people with criminal records for purchasing or possessing 30 grams of marijuana or less may have those records expunged, a provision minority lawmakers and interest groups demanded. It also gives cannabis-vendor preference to minority owne....

Democratic Gov. Kate Brown has signed legislation, Senate Bill 970, prohibiting landlords from taking discriminatory action against those who either use medical cannabis or possess cannabis-related convictions. The measure states that a landlord may not take into consideration an applicants status as a medical marijuana patient or whether they have a conviction based solely on the use or possession of marijuana. Often times patients are forced to choose between their health and well-being and suitable housing, said NORML State Policies Coordinator Carly Wolf. No human bei....

Next week, the two key committees will hold hearings on various aspects of federal marijuana policy. The first will be held on Wednesday, June 19th, in the Small Business Committee, entitled Unlocked Potential? Small Businesses in the Cannabis Industry. Currently, in the 10 states that have legalized adult use cannabis and the 33 states that have legalized medical marijuana programs, entrepreneurs and small businesses are unable to access the valuable programs and support of the Small Business Administration. Ultimately, this prohibition on access to resources hampers th....

Marijuana reform advocates scored two victories on Tuesday after a key congressional committee approved a spending bill that included a cannabis banking provision and excluded another rider that previously impeded legalization in the nations capital. The moves came in spite of impassioned objections from a handful of Republican lawmakers. For the first time ever, the House Appropriations Committee passed spending legislation that would provide protections for banks that service marijuana businesses. And a longstanding provision prohibiting Washington, D.C. from using its o....

Nevada is going to pilot a digital banking program for pot businesses, Alabama`s governor signs a medical marijuana study bill, chain pharmacies make recommendations on opioids, and more. MDMA and other Schedule I substances could be opened for more research under a successful amendment to an appropriations bill. Marijuana Policy Nevada to Test Limited Marijuana Banking System. Gov. Steve Sisolak D has signed into law a bill that creates a three-year pilot program where marijuana businesses can use an online system where digital currency can be sent and received. State....

For the study, researchers at the University of British Columbia compared the likelihood of crash responsibility in drivers testing positive for THC and/or other substances as compared to drug-free drivers over a six-year period 2010 to 2016. As reported on by NORML, the state found that, In this multi-site observational study of non-fatally injured drivers, we found no increase in crash risk, after adjustment for age, sex, and use of other impairing substances, in drivers with THC<5ng/ml. For drivers with THC>5ngml there may be an increased risk of crash responsibility, b....

Some Republican senators say there is a chance that Sen. Mike Crapo R-ID, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, will schedule legislation aimed at increasing marijuana businesses access to financial services for a hearing in his panel if it passes the House of Representatives. Sens. Kevin Cramer R-ND and Rand Paul R-KY both told Marijuana Moment they discussed the cannabis banking legislation with Crapo and are hopeful he will bring the bill forward. Ive talked with Senator Crapo about it, said Sen. Paul. I think theres a good chance theyre going to bring it up. The p....

The Transportation Security Administration TSA updated its policy on cannabis over the Memorial Day weekend, changing the medical marijuana section of its What Can I Bring? webpage from reading no to yes with special instructions. Specifically, the agency is clarifying that hemp-derived CBD products may now be carried on planes under certain circumstances. Previously, TSA made no distinction between marijuana and hemp-derived preparations and warned on its website that cannabis products cannot be taken as carry-on items or in checked bags. But since the 2018 Farm Bill fed....

An activist group in North Dakota filed paperwork to begin petitioning for another adult use marijuana legalization ballot initiative in 2020. The group then withdrew the measure so they can amend the language. Members of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission have decided to advance plans to regulate social marijuana use facilities. Governor Jared Polis D of Colorado signed legislation into law that allows physicians to recommend medical cannabis for any condition for which an opiate would otherwise be prescribed. Legislation that would have removed the threat of....

Rep. Matt Gaetz R-FL emphasized the importance conducting clinical trials on medical marijuana at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VA on Tuesday, a topic on which he has often focused. He also criticized the catch-22 of VA cannabis research, arguing that while the department is able to conduct clinical trials on marijuana, it doesnt effectively publicize those studies, leaving veterans who might be interested in participating in the dark. The congressman started by asking whether Mike Colston, director of mental health policy and oversight at the Department of Defe....

Given that legal marijuana businesses are shut out of the traditional banking system by federal laws, proponents of the new push argue that they would benefit if the state approves a measure creating a special class of banks to handle pot money. The state Senate voted 35 to 1 on Tuesday to pass a bill that would allow people to start banks and credit unions that could accept cash deposits from marijuana retailers. Those banks could issue special checks to the retailers that could only be used for certain purposes, including paying taxes and California-based vendors. Stat....

In Vermont, marijuana has been legal since July 1, 2018, when a lawmaker-approved measure took effect. However, the law established no legal means of actually purchasing marijuana they are the only state to legalize marijuana without allowing marijuana retail outlets. The Vermont Senate passed a tax and regulate proposal earlier this session, as noted by the AP, but it wont be acted upon in the House before January. Meanwhile, a legalization bill in New Hampshire could end up similarly delayed. We need to get a tax and regulated system as soon as possible, not necessarily....