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AZ adult-use cannabis sales begin (Newsletter: January 25, 2021)
VA legal marijuana bill clears key committee; WA lawmakers approve cannabis homegrow; SBA weighs in on USDA hemp rule; MO hotel cannabis license bill
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There are now 415 cannabis-related bills moving through state legislatures and Congress for 2021 sessions.
- Dave Lewis, former Montana lawmaker: “I worked on the initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in Montana. I found Marijuana Moment to be very helpful with intelligence on other states.”
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Virginia Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee amended and approved a marijuana legalization bill that was introduced by the governor and top lawmakers. The panel rejected an amendment to strip cannabis home cultivation rights from the legislation, which now heads to the Judiciary Committee.
Arizona recreational marijuana sales officially began after regulators approved applications from existing medical cannabis dispensaries. This is the fastest that sales have launched in any state following voter approval of legalization.
The Washington House Commerce and Gaming Committee approved a bill to legalize marijuana home cultivation. Most other legal states already let adults cultivate their own cannabis, but it’s still a felony in Washington.
The Small Business Administration said the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s final revised hemp rules fix a number of problems with the earlier draft but that “some concerns remained unaddressed.”
A Missouri representative filed a bill to create a new “medical marijuana lodging establishment” license to let hotels and Airbnbs allow guests to consume cannabis on site.
/ FEDERAL
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said hemp rules it recently filed won’t be placed on hold under an executive order President Joe Biden issued concerning regulations from the final days of the prior administration.
Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL) tweeted, “Floridians voted OVERWHELMINGLY in support of #medicalmarijuana & it’s time state laws & employers catch up. Proud to see @TinaPolsky & @DuranForFlorida introduce a bill similar to my Fairness in Federal Drug Testing, protecting vets and other employees who use cannabis legally!”
/ STATES
Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor tweeted, “Dear Diary, It has been 478 days since @GovernorTomWolf and I first called for immediate decriminalization and a path to legalization of adult-use cannabis. Yet still, no action on this commonsense issue to let people choose for themselves.”
New York’s lieutenant governor tweeted, “Not only will legalizing adult-use cannabis be a step towards righting the wrongs of an unjust system, it will provide much-needed revenue for New York!”
South Dakota’s House majority leader and minority leader spoke about efforts to implement voter-approved marijuana initiatives.
The Utah House Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee approved a bill to block cities from banning hemp cultivation.
A Florida senator filed a bill to let medical cannabis dispensaries sell recreational marijuana. Separately, Senate Democrats tweeted about another bill to protect public employees from being fired for medical cannabis use.
Hawaii lawmakers filed marijuana legalization legislation.
New Mexico marijuana legalization bills could be filed this week.
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruled that a person who purchases a legal amount of marijuana for another person is not guilty of distribution when they transfer it to the person who provided the funds.
Michigan regulators created a marijuana Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workgroup. Senate Democrats tweeted, “BIPOC communities have suffered the most under the drug war yet benefitted the least from the cannabis industry. We must nip discrimination in the bud via #CJReform & equity programs that strengthen this growing business.”
California regulators sent a notice about restrictions on marijuana billboard advertising. Separately, they proposed emergency regulations on sharing marijuana business information with financial institutions.
Oregon regulators published a draft of marijuana compliance testing requirements.
Colorado regulators will host town halls on marijuana social equity and delivery on Wednesday and on February 11.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 400 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.
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/ LOCAL
Detroit, Michigan’s planning commission will hold a hearing on proposed marijuana rules on February 4.
San Francisco, California officials are conducting a survey on the growth of the marijuana industry and the effectiveness of the city’s Cannabis Equity Program.
/ INTERNATIONAL
The government of the Netherlands will continue to allow the supply of cannabis medicines to the UK until July despite Brexit.
The Isle of Man’s parliament approved regulations allowing medical cannabis cultivation.
Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that Catalonia lacks the power to regulate marijuana clubs.
Japan’s government is considering increasing marijuana penalties.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study of chronic pain patients found that “approximately one-third of patients in the cohort remained on medical cannabis for six months” and that “pain intensity and pain-related interference scores were reduced and [quality of life] and general health symptoms scores were improved compared with baseline.”
A study found that “cannabidiol can selectively kill a subset of Gram-negative bacteria that includes the ‘urgent threat’ pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
A poll found that India residents oppose legalizing marijuana, 55%-36%.
The Commonwealth Dispensary Association has lost several of its member businesses in the wake of a boycott over its decision to sue Massachusetts regulators over marijuana delivery rules that favor equity applicants.
Marijuana activist Jason Robert Karimi has been charged by federal prosecutors with allegedly threatening an unnamed member of Congress, including saying he would “cause you pain in every way possible” and “make it so you can’t even walk in anything but a wheelchair.”
/ BUSINESS
HEXO Operations Inc. is voluntarily recalling cannabis vape pens due to a hardware defect.
Choice Consolidation Corp. is a new special purpose acquisition corporation formed by former Cresco Labs and Green Thumb Industries Inc. executives.
Cresco Labs closed an overnight marketed offering of subordinate voting shares for total gross proceeds of approximately $125 million.
Canadian retailers sold C$261.4 million worth of legal marijuana products in November.
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