Dec 16 2024

Senate Democrats Push Schumer to Hold Standalone Vote on SAFER Banking Act Before Losing Majority Leader Role

A group of Senate Democrats are pressing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to hold a standalone vote on the SAFER Banking Act immediately, according to staffers from two Senate offices.

The SAFER Banking Act, which seeks to provide marijuana businesses that are legal under state law with access to financial institutions, has stalled in the Senate, despite passing the Senate Banking Committee in September 2023 with bipartisan support. The urgency comes as Democrats will lose the Majority Leader position next month, at the start of the next Congress. Senate staffers speaking exclusively to The Marijuana Herald said that the “handful” of senators pushing for action believe “it would be a terrible look for the Democrats to hand over control without a vote”. They noted that the senators have refrained from publicly criticizing Schumer on the issue out of respect, but added that their patience is wearing thin.

The SAFER Banking Act has been a legislative priority for the cannabis community and for some lawmakers for years, with advocates emphasizing its role in addressing safety and economic concerns for marijuana businesses operating in a largely cash-based industry. Despite Majority Leader Schumer promising a full Senate vote soon after SAFER was approved by the Senate Banking Committee, no vote has been scheduled, with Schumer set to relinquish his role next month.
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Dec 15 2024

California Marijuana Sales Total $346 Million in November, Over $3.8 Billion Year-to-Date

There was $346 million in marijuana and marijuana products sold in California during November.

Marijuana sales in California remained steady in November, with the $346 million in sales representing a slight 0.5% decrease compared to November 2023 and nearly identical to the $345.5 million sold last month. This is according to data released by the Seattle-based research firm Headset.

The state’s total marijuana sales for 2024 have now surpassed $3.8 billion, keeping it on track to exceed $4 billion by year’s end. These sales have resulted in over $820 million in tax revenue.
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Dec 14 2024

Report: Massachusetts Surges to Third in U.S. Pre-Roll Sales, Tops $317 Million in a Year and $1.2 Billion Since Market Launch

Massachusetts now ranks third nationwide for pre-roll revenue, trailing only California and Michigan, according to data from Headset. 

Massachusetts prerolls sales reached $317 million in revenue from December 2023 to November 2024. This achievement is notable given Massachusetts’ modest population size, ranking 16th in the United States. Since the state launched its recreational marijuana market in 2018, pre-roll sales have exceeded $1.2 billion.

Over the past year, pre-roll sales in Massachusetts grew by 29%, with consumers purchasing more than 32 million units. Pre-rolls now account for 19.5% of total marijuana revenue in the state, making them the third-largest product category after flower and vapes. August 2024 marked a high point, with pre-roll sales reaching $29.9 million.
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Dec 14 2024

Vermont: $11.86 Million in Marijuana Sold in October, $116 Million in 2024

There was just shy of $12 million in legal marijuana sold in Vermont in October.

Data released by the Vermont Department of Taxes shows that there was $11.86 million in total marijuana sales in October, garnering the state $1.66 million in taxes. Sales were slightly less than, but roughly on par with, the $12.06 million sold in September.

For 2024, marijuana sales now stand at $116 million, with all-time sales just shy of $250 million.
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Dec 14 2024

New Washington House Bill Proposes Shifting Marijuana Licensing to Department of Agriculture

Washington State Representative Kristine Reeves (D) has prefiled legislation for the 2025 session that would move control of marijuana licensing away from the Liquor and Cannabis Board.

House Bill 1067 seeks to transfer licensing and regulatory authority for marijuana production, processing, and testing from the Liquor and Cannabis Board to the Department of Agriculture. This proposal builds upon a significant shift in regulatory responsibility enacted earlier this year, where marijuana testing labs were placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture. That change, passed during the 2024 legislative session, took effect on July 1 and granted the department the authority to accredit and oversee testing laboratories.

House Bill 1067 explicitly states that all powers and duties currently handled by the Liquor and Cannabis Board in these areas would transition to the Department of Agriculture. This includes licensing and regulation of cannabis concentrates, useable marijuana, and infused products. Additionally, all records, equipment, and appropriations associated with these functions would also be transferred by July 1, 2026.
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Dec 13 2024

Kentucky Governor’s Office to Oversee Second Lottery for Medical Marijuana Dispensary Licenses

Governor Andy Beshear’s office has announced that it will partner with the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis and the Kentucky Lottery Corporation to oversee the second and final lottery for medical marijuana dispensary licenses.

This event will determine selectees for dispensaries in the Kentuckiana and Bluegrass regions. According to state officials, four selectees will be drawn from counties in these regions, excluding Fayette and Jefferson counties. Separate drawings will determine two selectees each for Fayette and Jefferson counties, which include Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky’s largest cities.

This lottery is part of Kentucky’s implementation of its medical marijuana law, signed by Governor Beshear earlier this year. The law establishes a tightly regulated medical cannabis program, allowing qualified patients access to cannabis products through licensed dispensaries. Kentucky’s approach includes using lottery systems to allocate dispensary licenses across the state’s regions, aiming to ensure fair access.
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Dec 13 2024

New York Court Blocks Marijuana License Processing for Some Applicants

A New York trial court judge has halted state regulators from processing certain cannabis dispensary licenses.

On Thursday, State Supreme Court Justice Sharon Graff issued a preliminary injunction preventing the state from processing licenses for dispensary applicants who had not secured municipal approval by November 17, 2023. The decision followed a lawsuit filed on behalf of four applicants who have secured locations but are awaiting state approval.

The plaintiffs argued that a now-waived rule requiring dispensaries to maintain a 1,000-foot distance from one another jeopardized their locations. Graff agreed, stating that the state created a scenario where a “belated designation of a secured location would be too close to a non-provisional license applicant’s previously designated secured location,” potentially invalidating the plaintiffs’ chosen sites.
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Dec 13 2024

Study: CBD Reduces Alcohol Craving in Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder

In a double-blind randomized controlled, acute cannabidiol administration reduced alcohol craving and cue-induced nucleus accumbens activation in individuals with alcohol use disorder.

Published in the peer reviewed journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have unveiled compelling evidence supporting cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). The study, known as the ICONIC trial, evaluated the effects of a single 800 mg dose of CBD compared to a placebo in 28 individuals diagnosed with AUD.

The randomized, double-blind trial examined outcomes including alcohol craving, cue-induced brain activation in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and stress-induced alcohol cue responses. Findings revealed that participants who received CBD experienced significantly reduced bilateral NAc activation and reported lower alcohol craving during both stress-related and fMRI cue-reactivity tasks.
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Dec 13 2024

Study: Microencapsulated CBDA Shows Prolonged Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Effects

Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) encapsulated in alginate microcapsules shows extended antioxidant activity and reduced cytotoxicity, according to a newly published study.

An image from the study.

The study, titled Alginate-based microencapsulation as a strategy to improve the therapeutic potential of cannabidiolic acid, explores an innovative method for enhancing the bioavailability and effectiveness of CBDA, a compound found in marijuana. The research, published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics and epublished by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, also highlights CBDA’s potential as a natural therapeutic compound.

“Cannabidiolic Acid (CBDA) is a promising natural compound with potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-emetic properties”, states the study. “Its antioxidant activity rivals that of vitamin E, while its anti-inflammatory effects are also remarkable.”
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Dec 13 2024

Delaware: 529 Applicants Advance to Delaware Marijuana Retail License Lottery, to Take Place December 19

The Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) has announced that 529 applicants have advanced to the lottery stage for 15 open retail marijuana licenses in Delaware.

(Photo credit: Vicente LLP).

The highly anticipated Licensing Lottery will take place on December 19, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. in Dover. The event will be broadcast live on Facebook through the “Office of The Marijuana Commissioner” page, providing transparency in the selection process.

Applicants who met the minimum qualifications and paid the required fees were assigned a lottery number. Separate drawings will be held for each county, with results visible during the live broadcast. Following the lottery, the OMC will notify selected applicants and publish the winning lottery numbers on its website.
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