Michigan is distributing nearly $100 million to 302 entities and tribes as part of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act.

A total of 108 cities, 36 villages, 80 townships, and four tribes will receive payments exceeding $58,200 for each licensed retail store and microbusiness within their jurisdictions.

The funds are sourced from the Marihuana Regulation Fund, which receives revenue from the state’s 10% excise tax on adult-use marijuana sales and other associated fees. In the 2024 fiscal year, more than $331 million was available for distribution. This includes over $116 million allocated to the School Aid Fund for K-12 education and another $116 million directed to the Michigan Transportation Fund.
Continue reading

Legislation to legalize the personal cultivation of marijuana in Washington State has received committee approval for the first time ever.

House Bill 1449, filed by a group of 16 state representatives in January, has been given approval by the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee, by a vote of 9 to 6. Although a similar measure has been introduced for years, this is the first time in state history that a bill to legalize personal marijuana cultivation has received committee approval. The measure now moves towards a vote by the full House of Representatives.

Under the proposed law, those 21 and older would be allowed grow up to six cannabis plants at a private residence, with up to 15 allowed per household if more than one adult lives there. Although the current possession limit for cannabis in Washington is one ounce, HB 1449 would allow those who grow marijuana to possess whatever is harvested from those plants.
Continue reading

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today signed SB59, which passed the House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support, providing students with free breakfast before the school day, as well as funding Summer EBT and free lunch programs.

“Free school breakfast will help ease the burden on families just trying to put food on their tables and make sure kids are fueled and ready to learn,” said Governor Sanders. “Delivering for our kids is a bipartisan issue, and I’m proud to see us working together to take action.”

SB59 guarantees each student free breakfast regardless of if they qualify for free or reduced meals under federal law. The legislation also repurposes Medical Marijuana tax revenue to ensure both Summer EBT and Arkansas’ free lunch and breakfast programs are fully funded into the future.
Continue reading

New Hampshire’s House has given approval to legislation that would allow individuals with past marijuana-related offenses to petition for annulment of their records, as well as legislation to allow patients to grow their own marijuana.

The House of Representatives today gave approval to House Bill 53, as well as House Bill 196.

Filed by State Representatives Wendy Thomas (D), Heath Howard (D), and Jim Kofalt (R), House Bill 53 would allow qualified patients, as well as designated caregivers, to grow up to three mature cannabis plants, three immature plants and up to 12 seedlings. The measure was approved overwhelmingly, 328 to 42.
Continue reading

Legislation to remove criminal penalties for possessing and using marijuana and marijuana-infused products for those 21 and older has been given approval by the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

House Bill 75 was filed by State Representative Kevin Verville (R) in December 2024. Today, the measure was given approval by the House of Representatives. The measure will now be sent to the Senate for consideration.

The measure would legalize cannabis for everyone 21 and older by removing criminal penalties for possessing and using dried marijuana, as well as marijuana-infused products such as concentrates and edibles. The proposal would not establish a regulated recreational cannabis market.
Continue reading

Eight state-licensed cannabis companies in New Mexico have filed a federal lawsuit, accusing the U.S. government of refusing to return more than $1 million in marijuana seized at interior Border Patrol checkpoints.

The lawsuit, originally filed in October, was refiled on February 14 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.

The plaintiffs—Mesilla Valley Extracts, Royal Cannabis (Baked Chicken Farm), Super Farm (Smokey Road Farms), Impact Farms, Chadcor Holdings NM (Top Crop Cannabis), Mylars, Rollin Love, and Desert Peaks Farms—allege that federal authorities unlawfully confiscated their products despite their compliance with state law. Though impounded vehicles were returned in October, the government has not relinquished the seized cannabis or currency.
Continue reading

The Washington State House Consumer Protection & Business Committee has scheduled votes for tomorrow, February 21, on three marijuana-related bills that could impact business ownership, home cultivation, and out-of-state investments in the state’s legal marijuana market.

Among the bills up for a vote is House Bill 1348, which would allow Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) to own up to 100% of a licensed marijuana business or its parent company. Under the bill, corporate officers and directors would be considered the applicants or owners and required to meet licensing qualifications. However, ESOP participants, administrators, and trustees would not be classified as owners, true parties of interest, or subject to residency, background checks, or financial disclosure requirements.

House Bill 1449, also up for a vote tomorrow, would permit adults 21 and older to grow up to six marijuana plants at a private residence, with a cap of 15 plants per household. While Washington law currently limits possession to one ounce of marijuana, this bill would allow home growers to retain all harvested marijuana from their plants, regardless of the quantity.

Continue reading

Idaho Governor Brad Little plans to sign legislation that would establish a mandatory minimum fine for marijuana possession.

The proposal, House Bill 7, passed the state Senate on Tuesday with a 27 to 8 vote, having already been approved by the House 54 to 14. With its passage through both chambers, a spokesperson for the governor confirmed he will sign it into law. Even if Little decided to veto the measure, it has more than the two-thirds support required for lawmakers to override it.

Currently, possessing less than three ounces of marijuana in Idaho is a misdemeanor with fines of up to $1,000, but no set minimum. Once signed, House Bill 7 will establish a mandatory minimum fine of $300.
Continue reading