In two weeks and a day, on November 7, Ohio voters will decide the fate of Issue 2.

If approved by voters, Issue 2 would legalize the personal possession of up to two and a half ounces of marijuana, and up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrates. This would apply to those 21 and older, who would also be allowed to cultivate marijuana at a private residence in an enclosed location.

Issue 2 would establish a system of licensed, taxed and regulated marijuana businesses and retail outlets, overseen by a newly-created Division of Cannabis Control (a branch of the Department of Commerce). The state would be required to issue at least 50 marijuana retail licenses, although the Division of Cannabis Control has the authority to issue more than that.
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In response to a plethora of misinformation surround marijuana being allegedly mixed with fentanyl, New York regulators have released a fact sheet to clarify the situation.

The New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has released factsheet titled Cannabis and Fentanyl: Facts and Unknowns. The fact sheet is meant to “address misconceptions about cannabis being mixed with fentanyl”.

The goal of this fact sheet “is to provide evidence where it is available, to share information about what is currently known and unknown, and to provide safety tips to help alleviate some of these misconceptions, often spread through misinformed media coverage and anecdotal reporting.”
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Proponents of an ordinance to decriminalize marijuana in Lubbock, Texas have submitted well more than the required signatures to put the measure to a vote of the people.

“This was a collective effort that could not have been possible without the more than 40 volunteers and the many other citizens that helped us collect these petition signatures and did the necessary work of notarizing, tallying and verifying,” said Adam Hernandez, a communications official for Lubbock Compact, the group pushing the Freedom Act Lubbock.

Hernandez says that “this is only the first part. What will happen next is up to each and every citizen of Lubbock. We need each and every person, especially the ones who have been sitting out of elections, to get registered and make your voice heard at the ballot box.”
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A federal marijuana banking bill, which is sponsored by 32% of the entire US Senate, is now being actively supported by Bank of America, Mastercard and the National Rifle Association (NRA).

In September the SAFER Banking Act (S.2860) passed the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs with bipartisan support, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowing to put it to a vote of the full Senate “very soon”.  The proposed law would provide legal protections for financial institutions, including banks and credit unions, that provide financial services to marijuana businesses that are legal under their state’s law.

Recently the CEO of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urging them to pass the bill into law, and a bipartisan group of 22 attorneys general sent a similar letter to congressional leaders late last month.
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Licensed marijuana stores in Canada sold CA$464.2 ($339) million worth of marijuana and marijuana products in August, a 4% increase over July’s sales total and a 10% increase compared to June.

According to Statistics Canada, total marijuana sales got within $36 million of reaching half a billion dollars for the first time. Year-to-date marijuana sales are now at CA$3.34 billion, a significant increase over the CA$2.9 billion sold during the same period in 2022. This marks a 13% increase.

Ontario remained the top jurisdiction for marijuana sales, rising 7% to CA$188.5 million. This was followed by British Columbia with marijuana sales increasing 4% to CA$73.9 million.
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According to Colorado officials, licensed marijuana retail outlets had a 99% success rate during a string of recent underage sales checks.

According to the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED), which is part of the Colorado Department of Revenue, there has been 285 compliance checks for underage sales conducted at marijuana stores so far this year. Marijuana stores failed in just 1% of these checks.

“While any failure is unacceptable, we are pleased to report this very high compliance rate which is on par with the compliance percentage from 2022″, the MED said in an e-mail.
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Legislation allowing Michigan to enter into marijuana agreements with Indian tribes while exempting them from the state’s marijuana excise tax has been signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Governor Whitmer signed Senate Bill 180 into law today. The proposal, filed by Senator Roger Hauck, were passed by the House of Representatives 90 to 15 and they passed the Senate 29 to 9.

The proposed laws allow “the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) to enter into an agreement with an Indian tribe pertaining to marijuana related business”, and it specifies “that sales of marijuana by a tribal marijuana business on Indian lands would be exempt from the State’s 10% excise tax on marijuana.”
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According to a new report using data from over 13,000 dispensaries across the United States, Oregon has the cheapest medical marijuana in the country.

At an average cost of $6.91 per gram, Oregon’s average medical marijuana prices are half the national average of $13.90. In second in terms of affordability is Maine, with an average gram price of $8.06, followed closely by Colorado at $8.19.

“The comprehensive study on the average price-per-gram of medicinal marijuana has revealed encouraging results,” said Josh Lamb, CMO for Leafwell. “Across various states, patients and individuals seeking medicinal relief will find a diverse landscape of affordable options.”

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A federal marijuana banking bill gained another cosponsor this week in the US Senate.

The SAFER Banking Act is now sponsored by 32% of the entire US Senate, with Senator Tammy Baldwin joining as a cosponsor yesterday (the first new sponsor since October 4).

Late last month the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs passed the SAFER Banking Act (S.2860), with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowing to put it to a vote of the full Senate “very soon”. Since the committee’s approval the measure has gained nine additional cosponsors.
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