The Washington D.C. Council has passed the Medical Cannabis Clarification Amendment Act (Council Bill 25-581), a notable update to the District’s medical cannabis framework.

The bill, approved by the full council earlier this month, was officially presented to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s today. Mayor Bowser now faces a deadline of October 31 to either sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without a signature.

The proposed law would enhance enforcement measures against unlicensed cannabis businesses. Beginning in 2024, unlicensed establishments could face escalating fines starting at $10,000 for a first violation and increasing to $30,000 for subsequent offenses. The first $100,000 in collected fines will be deposited into the Litigation Support Fund, with additional revenue directed to the Medical Cannabis Social Equity Fund. The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) is also granted new authority to issue cease-and-desist orders and close businesses that pose a threat to public safety.
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The New Jersey Department of State’s New Jersey Business Action Center (NJBAC), with designation and support from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC), has launched the Cannabis Training Academy (CTA).

The CTA was officially launched yesterday, October 16. This no-cost, online cannabis educational platform aids and educates current and aspiring cannabis business owners as they navigate the process of establishing a licensed and regulatory-compliant cannabis business in New Jersey.

Participants in this comprehensive, learner-led program will receive information covering the licensing application process, municipal approval, zoning issues, raising capital, post-licensing topics and general operations. Conditional conversion support will also be available.
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Medical marijuana sales in Germany are projected to surpass €420 million (about $455.2 million) in 2024, with the market on track to hit €1 billion by 2028, according to the German Cannabis Report from Prohibition Partners, a London-based data firm.

The report highlights a 30% rise in medical marijuana sales in state-licensed pharmacies during the third quarter of 2023, with further growth following new laws implemented in April. Germany’s marijuana regulations, which allow for medical use and home growing of recreational marijuana, are some of the most progressive in Europe.

Since legalizing medical marijuana in 2017, Germany now has over 200,000 patients, and physicians can prescribe marijuana for any condition they deem appropriate. The country’s public health care system also reimburses patients for marijuana obtained from pharmacies.
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Michigan’s full Senate has approved Senate Bill 807 through its second reading.

(Photo credit: The Associated Press).

Filed by Senator Sean McCann in April, Senate Bill 807 was approved yesterday by the full Senate. This vote allows the measure to advance to a third and final reading. The vote comes roughly a month after the measure was passed through the Committee On Regulatory Affairs.

The proposed law “would amend the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act to allow an individual who was 19 years old or older to work or volunteer for a marihuana establishment or tribal marihuana business if the individual were supervised by an agent of the establishment or business who was 21 years old or older.”
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In September, Illinois saw marijuana sales above $150 million for the 12th consecutive month.

According to updated numbers provided by the Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer, there was $136.5 worth of recreational marijuana sold in September, in addition to $21.7 million worth of medical marijuana. The combined $158.2 million is a noticable dip from the $165 million sold last month and last September. Still, the state’s legal marijuana industry has continued to remain consistent, with monthy sales above $150 million since September 2023.

Of the recreational marijuana sold in September, $106.1 million was purchased by those living in Illinois, with out-of-state residents purchasing $30.4 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products during the same period.
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The campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, released a policy agenda this week that includes a pledge to “legalize marijuana at the federal level.”

Harris promises to “work with Congress to ensure that the safe cultivation, distribution, and possession of recreational marijuana is the law of the land” if elected next month. This pledge comes nearly two weeks after Harris said in an interview, “I just think we have come to a point where we have to understand that we need to legalize [marijuana] and stop criminalizing this behavior.”
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