May 08 2024
Senate Bill 4161 —the HOPE Act of 2024— was filed recently by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV). The proposal is a companion bill to House Bill 2677, also referred to as the HOPE Act.
In the Senate, the measure was filed with no cosponsors. The House version of the bill is sponsored by a bipartisan coalition of five lawmakers.
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May 08 2024
The report found that through the first quarter of 2024, states have reported a combined total of more than $20 billion in tax revenue from legal, adult-use cannabis sales. In 2023 alone, legalization states generated more than $4 billion in cannabis tax revenue from adult-use sales, which is the most revenue generated by cannabis sales in a single year.
“State-legal cannabis sales continue to provide significant economic benefits. With over $20 billion generated in adult-use cannabis tax revenue since the first sales began, the legal cannabis industry is providing much-needed funding for crucial services and programs in states across the country. Additionally, the implementation of adult-use cannabis markets has spurred significant job growth, creating hundreds of thousands of new employment opportunities, along with thousands of new small businesses,” said Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies at the Marijuana Policy Project.
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May 07 2024
The study, titled “Assessment of the effect of cannabis use before partnered sex on women with and without orgasm difficulty,” found that cannabis significantly improves the sexual experiences of women facing orgasmic disorders. The study was published in the April issue of the journal, with the full text published online yesterday.
Conducted as an observational study, it gathered data from 1,037 female participants, focusing on those who reported difficulties with orgasms during partnered sex. The research highlighted that a substantial 52% of the respondents experienced challenges in achieving orgasm. 75% of the women were white, 52% identified as LGBTQI+, and 82% were in a relationship.
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May 07 2024
Congressmember John Garamendi (D-CA) added his support yesterday, bolstering the legislation’s backing within the House of Representatives.
Initially introduced in September by a collective of 10 lawmakers, the SAFE Banking Act continues to gain momentum. The bill allows accredited banks and credit unions to provide a suite of banking services, including debit card processing and loans, to marijuana businesses adhering to state regulations. Despite state licensing, these businesses are currently unable to access banking services due to federal restrictions, compelling many to operate solely with cash and heightening their risk of theft.
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May 07 2024
“Because the formal rulemaking process is ongoing and my role in that process is to determine the scheduling of drugs, it would be inappropriate for me to respond to questions on this rescheduling matter”, Milgram said during her opening statement. Despite these remarks, she was questioned about the DEA’s decision to move marijuana to Schedule III by several lawmakers.
When Congressmember Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) questioned her about the DEA’s decision, Milgram responded “There’s a formal rulemaking process for scheduling or rescheduling controlled substances. That process is ongoing. The next step in that process will be a notice of proposed rulemaking and then an opportunity for public comment.”
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May 07 2024
According to data from the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy, marijuana sales reached $19,225,160 in April, marking a slight increase from the $19.1 million recorded last month, and nearly $2 million more than the total sales in May 2023. These sales occurred across 356,951 transactions.
The average price per gram of dried marijuana in April fell to an all-time low of $7.18, down $0.13 from March.
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May 07 2024
Recreational marijuana sales contributed significantly, amounting to $22.11 million, while medical marijuana sales were $4.07 million for the month.
April sales mark the 14th consecutive month that marijuana sales have exceeded $25 million in Montana, as reported by the state’s Cannabis Control Division. The combined total for 2024 now stands at around $103 million. The total for 2023 was $319 million, resulting in over $50 million in tax revenue.
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May 07 2024
Today, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws submitted approximately 30,000 signatures for their initiative to legalize recreational marijuana for individuals aged 21 and older. This count significantly exceeds the 17,508 signatures required to qualify the measure for the November 2024 presidential election ballot. Although the initiative will not be officially placed on the ballot until the state confirms that a sufficient number of these signatures are valid (from registered South Dakota voters), the group has submitted enough signatures that more than 40% would need to be invalid for the measure to fail to make the ballot.
If enacted, the initiative would permit individuals aged 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and cultivate up to three marijuana plants at a private residence. Additionally, it would authorize a system of licensed and regulated marijuana stores to distribute marijuana and marijuana products.
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May 07 2024
The legislation, known as the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, proposes to eliminate marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances, effectively decriminalizing it across the nation. Congressmember Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) added his support as a cosponsor on May 5, increasing the total sponsorship to 88 since its introduction with 34 original sponsors.
The MORE Act also introduces a federal excise tax of 5% on legal marijuana sales in the initial two years, which is set to rise to 8% in the fifth year. Furthermore, it provides for the expungement of previous marijuana convictions and ensures that marijuana users are not denied public benefits.
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May 06 2024
This amount marks a significant 29% drop from 2022 and an even more stark 98% decrease since 2013—a year that saw over 2.4 million pounds of marijuana seized.
This substantial decline in seizures mirrors the rise of the state-legal marijuana markets across the United States, beginning around 2014. These legal markets have profoundly impacted the demand for Mexican cannabis, significantly reducing both its production and exportation.
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