Mar 20 2024

Washington Governor Signs Bill Providing Exemption From 37% Marijuana Excise Tax to Patients

Legislation providing patients with an exemption to the state’s marijuana excise tax has been signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee.

House Bill 1453 was signed into law by Governor Inslee following widespread support in the legislature; it passed the House of Representatives 82 to 14, and it passed the Senate 36 to 13. The measure will be officially enacted into law in June.

The measure “Provides a tax exemption from the 37 percent cannabis excise tax for qualifying patients and designated providers with a recognition card on purchases of cannabis products that are labeled as Department of Health (DOH)-compliant product and tested in accordance with the DOH’s rules.”
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Mar 20 2024

US House: Federal Marijuana Banking Act Gains Three New Sponsors, Now Has 107

The SAFE Banking Act, which already had more sponsors than any marijuana-related bill in the United States Congress, has garnered three new sponsors.

Yesterday Congressmembers Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Chrissy D Houslahan (D-PA) and Gwen D Moore (D-WI) signed on as cosponsors to the SAFE Banking Act. The measure now has 107 sponsors, representing 24.5% of the entire House. An updated Senate version of the bill, the SAFER Banking Act, has 36 sponsors.

Both the SAFE and SAFER Banking Acts would allow banks and other financial institutions (credit unions, for example) to provide banking services to state-legal marijuana businesses. This included debit and credit card services and access to business loans. The SAFE Banking Act was filed in April, while the SAFER Banking Act was filed in September.
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Mar 20 2024

Michigan Marijuana Sales Jump to $260 Million for February

Legal marijuana sales in Michigan saw a significant uptick from January to February, despite the month being two days shorter.

According to the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency, there was $261,036,389 worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in February. This is an over $18 million increase from the $242,812,694 sold in January, and an increase of $45 million compared to total sales for February, 2023.

Of the $261 million in sales, just $2,178,744 was sold to medical marijuana patients, with the remaining $258,857,645 sold to recreational consumers.
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Mar 20 2024

Missouri: $113 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in February

There was over $113 million in marijuana sold legally in February in Missouri.

In total there was $113.4 in legal marijuana sold in February, an increase of $3.6 million from the total sales for January, despite the month being two days shorter. This is according to data compiled and released by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The $113.4 million represents a roughly $10 million increase from marijuana sales for the previous February. Of the $113.4 million sold, $98.3 million was sold to recreational consumers, with $15.1 million sold to medical marijuana patients.
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Mar 19 2024

Hawaii: Third House Committee Passes Senate-Approved Bill to Legalize Marijuana

A third committee in the Hawaii House of Representatives has passed a bill to legalize marijuana which has already been approved by the full Senate.

The House Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee voted today to pass Senate Bill 3335, which would legalize recreational marijuana for everyone 21 and older. If the measure is passed by the full House of Representatives, it will be sent to Governor Josh Green for consideration.

If enacted into law, the measure would legalize the possession, personal cultivation and license distribution of marijuana. The legal marijuana industry would be overseen by the Hawaii Cannabis Authority and Cannabis Control Board, established within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The Authority would handle licensing, regulatory oversight and so forth.
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Mar 19 2024

The 5 States Most Likely to Legalize Medical Marijuana By December

Only 12 states have not enacted laws legalizing medical marijuana, with that number likely to shrink by the end of the year.

medical marijuana states

Since California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, 37 others states have followed suit, although with varying approaches. Nine other states have passed laws allowing the medical use of low-THC / high-CBD products.

Among the 12 states that have not legalized medical marijuana, a handful have serious efforts underway to change that.
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Mar 19 2024

Vermont Committee Approves Bill to Remove Criminal Penalties for Possessing or Selling Psilocybin

A comprehensive psilocybin bill has been passed through a key committee in the Vermont Senate.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

The Senate Committee on Health and Welfare voted today to pass Senate Bill 114, filed by Senator Martine Gulick along with eight cosponsors. Its official title calls it “An act relating to removal of criminal penalties for possessing, dispensing, or selling psilocybin and establishment of the Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group.”

According to its official legislative summary, this bill “proposes to make findings regarding the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, to remove criminal penalties for possession of psilocybin; and to establish the Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group to examine the use of psychedelics to improve physical and mental health and to make recommendations regarding the establishment of a State program similar to Connecticut, Colorado, or Oregon to permit health care providers to administer psychedelics in a therapeutic setting.”
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Mar 19 2024

Official White House Page Says “President Biden and Vice President Harris Believe No One Should Jailed for Using or Possessing Marijuana”

The official page for the White House on the social media platform X just posted a pro-marijuana message, pointing out that the current administration has “pardoned tens of thousands of people for federal marijuana possession.”

“President Biden and Vice President Harris believe no one should be jailed just for using or possessing marijuana”, states the post made this morning. “That’s why our Administration has pardoned tens of thousands of people for federal marijuana possession.”

The post comes just a few days after Vice President Kamala Harris called on the federal government to reschedule marijuana “as quickly as possible”, emphasizing that “nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed.”
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Mar 17 2024

Rhode Island Bill to Decriminalize Drug Possession Scheduled for Public Hearing

Legislation that would decriminalize the personal possession of all drugs in Schedule I through V has been scheduled for a public hearing on March 21.

Rhode Island State House.

House Bill 7315 was filed in January by State Representative Jose Batista along with seven cosponsors. On Friday, the measure was scheduled for a public hearing and potential consideration in the House Judiciary Committee. The hearing will take place on March 21.

According to its official title, HB 7315 “Makes the possession of small amounts of schedule I through V controlled substances, except for the possession of marijuana, civil violations punishable by a ($100) fine for a first offense and up to ($300) for subsequent offenses.”
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Mar 17 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris Says “We Need to Legalize Marijuana”

For the first time as sitting Vice President, Kamala Harris says marijuana should be legalized nationwide. The comments came soon after she called on marijuana to be rescheduled “as quickly as possible.”

“We need to legalize marijuana”, Harris said in a recent meeting with marijuana pardon recipients. Although this comment was said during a closed-door meeting, an official working for VP Harris confirmed with us that she did in fact make this comment.

Speaking on rescheduling efforts, Harris recently said “I cannot emphasize enough that they [the DEA] need to get to it as quickly as possible. We need to have a resolution based on their findings and their assessment. This issue is stark when one considers the fact that on the schedule currently, marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin ― as dangerous as heroin ― and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd, not to mention patently unfair.”
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