Just two days after an Ohio Senate committee voted to essentially gut a voter-approved marijuana legalization law, the full Senate has voted to approve legislation that would instead keep most of the legalization initiative intact while allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to begin selling recreational marijuana.

The Senate voted 28 to 2 to pass the legislation that would allow those 21 and older to begin purchasing marijuana from medical marijuana dispensaries even if they are not medical marijuana patients. The proposal would also retain the ability for adults to cultivate up to six marijuana plants for personal use, although it would reduce the household cap from 12 plants to six plants.

The proposed law would also allow for the automatic expungement of past marijuana convictions, something that was not included as a provision in Issue 2, and it would increase the marijuana tax rate from 10% to 15% while allowing localities to institute a city tax of up to 3%.
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A coalition of six governors has sent a letter to President Biden urging his administration to reschedule marijuana by the end of the year.

Today, Colorado Governor Jared Polis led a letter to the Biden administration with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

The Governors applauded President Biden for reconsidering the classification of cannabis and encouraged the federal government to reschedule cannabis. Governor Polis, and the Governors, “expressed their hope that the Drug Enforcement Administration will reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III this year”, according to a press release.
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Legal marijuana sales in Nevada were over $68 million in September.

According to the Nevada Department of Taxation, there was exactly $68,562,873 in legal marijuana sold in September. This is around $1 million less than the total sales for August. Total sales for the fiscal year so far (starting July 1) is $209,681,401.

The $68.5 million in marijuana sales resulted in $9,838,661 in taxes for Nevada. The $209.6 million fiscal year-to-date sales have resulted in $30,494,808 in taxes.
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In October there was a little over $26 million in legal marijuana purchased in Montana.

In total there was $26,260,538 worth of legal marijuana sold in November, resulting in nearly $5 million in taxes, according to the Montana Cannabis Control Division. The vast majority of this – $21,732,434 – was sold to recreational consumers, while $4,528,104 was purchased by medical marijuana patients.

Year-to-date marijuana sales now stands at around $265 million. Total sales since January, 2022 is $570,657,982, resulting in $90,823,873 in tax revenue. $424,984,713 of these sales were for recreational use, with $145,673,269 of the sales going to those who are authorized to purchase medical marijuana.
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Legislation that would make alterations to voter-approved Issue 2 has been introduced in Ohio’s House of Representatives.

State Representative Jamie Callender (R) has filed House Bill 354, a measure that would make some changes to Issue 2 while not going nearly as far as a measure recently passed through the Senate General Government Committee (that bill is scheduled for a vote of the full Senate tomorrow). Introduction of the measure comes just two days before Issue 2 takes effect, allowing everyone 21 and older to possess and grow marijuana for recreational use.

Whereas the Senate bill would completely ban the personal cultivation of marijuana, the House bill would retain the right, and it would also make no changes to the possession limit established under Issue 2, which voters approved 57% to 43%.
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Ohio’s full Senate is set to vote tomorrow on a bill that would make drastic changes to the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law that’s set to take effect Thursday.

Yesterday Ohio’s Senate General Government Committee voted 4 to 1 to give approval to provisions that would make numerous changes to Issue 2, the marijuana legalization initiative approved by voters last month. Now, the full Senate is set to vote on the measure tomorrow, December 6. Passage in the Senate would send the provisions to the House of Representatives.

Some of the proposed changes to Issue 2 include:
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After resetting the application process in October, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) has issued 20 new licenses for medical marijuana businesses.

Through AMCC’s recently established procedures, members of the Commission received presentations and participated in discussions with applicants during public presentations held late last month. At its meeting on December 1, 2023, the commission “ranked applicants and voted to award medical cannabis business licenses to the following applicants.”
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A coalition representing thousands of military veterans has sent a letter to President Biden asking that his administration reschedule marijuana in a “timely” manner.

The letter to President Biden was sent by multiple military groups including Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Balanced Veterans Network, Hemp for Victory, Realm of Caring, Hero Grown, Texas Veterans for Medical Cannabis and the Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance. The coalition is asking the president to ensure that the rescheduling of marijuana  “is concluded in a timely manner”.

“Thank you for the historic action taken by your administration to initiate a review of the scheduling status of cannabis. This process represents a significant opportunity for our nation to lead with science over fear, and begin righting the wrongs of prohibition”, states the letter.
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Just three days before Issue 2 is set to take effect, a Senate committee has voted to make drastic changes to the new law.

The Senate General Government Committee voted 4 to 1 today to include a set of marijuana provisions in an unrelated alcohol measure. Senate President Matt Huffman says he plans to put the measure to a vote of the full Senate as soon as Wednesday. If it passes the Senate, and then the House of Representatives, it will be sent to Governor Mike DeWine for consideration.

Under Issue 2, approved by voters last month, the personal cultivation of up to six marijuana plants at a private residence is allowed for those 21 and older, as is the possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and 15 grams of marijuana concentrates. The law mandates that the Division of Cannabis Control, a newly established branch of the Department of Commerce, issue marijuana business licenses within nine months.
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