According to new polling, a strong majority of likely Arkansas voters support significantly expanding the state’s medical marijuana program.

The poll, commissioned by Talk Business & Politics and conducted by Hendrix College, was conducted between September 5 and 6, with a margin of error of +/- 4.6%. All participants were registered to vote and said they were “likely” to vote in the November 5 election.

Issue 3, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024, is supported by 54% of likely voters, with 35.5% opposed, and 10.5% undecided.
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A new WRAL News poll reveals that 70% of North Carolina voters support the legalization of medical marijuana.

The survey, conducted with 771 registered voters, found that support for medical marijuana spans across all demographics, including age, race, income, and political affiliation. Even among voters identifying as very conservative or over the age of 65, a majority expressed support.

Despite such widespread support, North Carolina remains one of just 12 states that haven’t legalized medical marijuana.
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NBA legend and marijuana entrepreneur Carmelo Anthony will be a headline speaker at MJBizCon, the world’s largest cannabis business conference and trade show, this December at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Carmelo Anthony, who played from 2003 to 2022 and is a 10-time NBA All-Star, will discuss his new role at Grand National, a venture he co-founded with Jesse Horton, Brandon Drew and Jordan Pierce to increase diversity and representation in the cannabis industry. Anthony will headline a panel on December 4 titled “Empowerment + Innovation: Reshaping the cannabis landscape while championing diversity and inclusion to propel community and culture forward.”

The discussion will highlight Grand National initiatives to improve community engagement and cultural inclusivity as well as the launch of its first brand, STAYME7O Cannabis.

According to MJBizDaily, the founders of Grand National also will share strategies to promote diversity and inclusion while showcasing real-world examples of how these efforts are creating a more equitable cannabis industry. Marijuana business and public relations expert Zoe Wilder will lead the panel discussion.

You can find the conference schedule and get tickets to MJBizCon by clicking here.

[Editor’s Note: The Marijuana Herald is a media partner for MJBizCon, but we were not paid for this article.]

The number of U.S. senators and representatives sponsoring federal legislation to allow marijuana banking has grown to 167.

Earlier this month Congressmember Betty McCollum (D-MN) joined as a cosponsor in the US House of Representatives for the SAFE (Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act) Banking Act (H.R. 2891), bringing the total number of bipartisan sponsors to 130. Combined with the 37 sponsors for the Senate’s SAFER (Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation) Banking Act (S.2860), the total number of sponsors supporting marijuana banking stands at 167, significantly more than any other marijuana-related measure.

Both bills would provide explicit federal protections for banks and credit unions that offer financial services to state-legal marijuana businesses. The measures would also allow state-legal marijuana businesses to take standard IRS tax deductions. These changes would impact medical marijuana dispensaries in 38 states and recreational marijuana stores in 23 states.
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The results of a new study suggests that more than 5 million Americans undergoing treatment for depression could benefit from psilocybin therapy, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms.”

Dried psilocybin.

The research, published online by the journal Psychedelics, involved scientists from Emory University School of Medicine, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of California-Berkeley.

The study aimed to estimate the demand for psilocybin-assisted therapy (PSIL-AT) for major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD). According to the research, between 24% and 62% of patients undergoing treatment for depression could be eligible for psilocybin therapy, depending on the criteria used to evaluate eligibility. This amounts to between 2.2 million and 5.6 million people.
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The campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida has raised over $90 million.

According to the Florida Division of Elections, the nonprofit political committee Smart & Safe Florida has raised $95,352,144 for their marijuana legalization initiative, Amendment 3, as of September 6. The majority of these funds — $87.77 million — came from Trulieve, a multi-state marijuana company that operates medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the state.

The $95 million raised is more than triple any previous marijuana legalization initiative in any state. For context, California’s Proposition 64 campaign raised $25 million in 2016, and Ohio’s Issue 2 raised $7 million last year; both initiatives were successfully passed into law.
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According to new data released by the United States Census, there was nearly $9 billion in taxes garnered between 2021 and Q2 2024, with the actual number likely being much higher as some states have yet to report data for 2024.

According to the Census, legal marijuana states garnered $8.7 billion in tax revenue from the legal distribution of marijuana between the middle of 2021, and the end of June 2024. Among the legal marijuana states, California by far brought in the most marijuana tax revenue at around $2 billion, followed by Washington ($1.3 billion) and Colorado ($898 million).

It’s worth noting that some states, such as Washington and New Jersey, have not reported tax data for Q2 2024, meaning the actual number is likely considerably higher than the $8.7 billion being reported.
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In March 1973, President Richard Nixon privately admitted that marijuana wasn’t “particularly dangerous,” despite having launched the War on Drugs (primarily a war on marijuana) just two years earlier.

This remark, captured by Nixon’s secret Oval Office recording system, revealed a more nuanced view of cannabis than his public policies suggested.

During a conversation with aides, Nixon said, “Let me say, I know nothing about marijuana. I know that it’s not particularly dangerous, in other words, and most of the kids are for legalizing it. But on the other hand, it’s the wrong signal at this time.” Nixon also criticized overly harsh punishments for marijuana offenses, calling a 30-year sentence “ridiculous” and noting, “The penalties should be commensurate with the crime.”
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August marijuana sales in Rhode Island broke the previously monthly record.

In Rhode Island, there was $8.23 million worth of recreational marijuana sold in August, in addition to $2.01 million in sales made by medical marijuana patients, according to the Department of Business Regulations. The combined $10.25 million is a new monthly record for the state, which legalized marijuana in 2021. The previous monthly record was $10.20 million sold in December 2023.

The year-to-date total for marijuana sales is now approximately $79 million, spread across 2,142,155 different transactions. The average transaction amount was $36.83.
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The Pakistan National Assembly has passed legislation to legalize and regulate the cultivation, manufacturing, and sale of marijuana and its derivatives for industrial and medical use.

“This legislation aims to establish a clear regulatory framework to generate government revenue through taxation and to promote the development of supply chain for industrial and medicinal cannabis”, states the objective section of the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Act. “[This measure is designed to] ensure public health and safety by regulating the cultivation, extraction, refining, manufacturing and sale of cannabis and its derivatives in accordance with international obligations and best practices.”

In addition, the measure aims “to promote local development of Cannabis based medicinal and industrial products, export generation and attracting Foreign Direct Investing (FDI), undertake research, development, and capacity building initiatives in collaboration with international counterparts to promote the growth and development of the Cannabis industry in Pakistan.”
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