Jun 12 2023

Minnesota: At Least 66,000 Marijuana Charges Will Be Expunged August 1

Following the governor’s signature of HF 100, Minnesota officials say that starting August 1st tens of thousands of marijuana charges will be expunged with thousands more put into consideration.

According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the agency HF 100 tasks with handling marijuana expungements, work on establishing the process for marijuana expungements is already underway. They say that starting August 1st at least 66,000 marijuana charges will be expunged with another 230,000 put up for consideration.

As outlined in the legalization bill the expungements will be handled automatically and will not require individuals to submit an application. A Cannabis Expungement Board will be in charge of ensuring records are sealed following expungement. The expungements will apply to all marijuana charges that will become legal under HF 100.
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Jun 12 2023

Alaska Garnered $2.4 Million in Taxes From Legal Marijuana Sales in April, $23.5 Million Fiscal Year-to-Date

Alaska, with a population of less than 750,000, continues to bring in millions each month in marijuana tax revenue.

According to data released by the Tax Division of the Alaska Department of Revenue, the state made a total of $2,398,053 in tax revenue from the legal distribution of marijuana in April alone.

$1,129,976 of this revenue came from the sale of 22,600 ounces worth of marijuana flower. $663,695 of the revenue came from the sale of immature marijuana plants and seedlings, and $604,381 came from the purchase of marijuana trimmings.

In the fiscal year to date (starting July), Alaska has garnered $23,506,717 in tax revenue from the distribution of 229,039 ounces of marijuana flower, 239,921 ounces of immature plants and 403,788 ounces of trimmings.
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Jun 11 2023

Rhode Island Bill to Legalize Psilocybin Possession and Cultivation Scheduled for full House Vote

A measure that would legalize the possession and cultivation of psilocybin (aka magic mushrooms) in Rhode Island has been scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives.

Psilocybin mushrooms

Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as magic mushrooms.

House Bill 5923 has been placed on the official House calendar, with the chamber scheduled to convene at 4pm ET. The House’s consideration of the proposal comes six days after the House Judiciary Committee gave it approval in a 12 to 2 vote.

If passed into law, House Bill 5923 would allow those 21 and older to possessup to 28.35 grams (one ounce) of psilocybin (the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms), for personal use. The proposal would also allow those 21+ to grow psilocybin for both personal use and for sharing with another individual who is also at least 21 years old.
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Jun 09 2023

Nevada Legislature Approves Bill to Increase Marijuana Possession Limit by 250%

A Nevada bill that would drastically increase the possession limit for legal marijuana and marijuana concentrates has been passed by the state’s full legislature.

Senate Bill 277 was passed Friday through the Assembly 28 to 14, five days after it passed the Senate 14 to 6. This allows the legislation to be sent to Governor Joe Lombardo for consideration.

The proposed law would increase the possession limit for dried marijuana from one ounce, to 2.5 ounces, and would double the limit for concentrates from one-eight of an ounce to one-fourth of an ounce. The proposal would also allow dispensaries to obtain dual licenses, allowing them to sell to both medical patients and recreational consumers.
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Jun 09 2023

Massachusetts: Over $146 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in May

There was $146.3 million in legal marijuana sold in May in Massachusetts.

According to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, licensed marijuana stores sold $128.7 million worth of recreational marijuana and marijuana products in May. This marks a slight increase from the $125 million sold in April, and is roughly on par with the $129.4 million sold in March.

Medical marijuana sales for May reached $17.6 million, bringing the total for May to $146.3 million. Since the start of legal sales only March has higher numbers.
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Jun 09 2023

$245 Million in Legal Marijuana Purchased in Michigan in May

In May those 21 and older in Michigan purchased $245 million worth of legal marijuana and marijuana products.

According to data released by Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency, in total legal marijuana stores in Michigan sold $245,919,258.96 worth of product in May. There was $238,867,535 in recreational marijuana sold, and $7,051,723.96 worth of medical marijuana.

The $245 million sold is a very slight decrease from the $246,054,243 sold in April and is $4 million shy of the $249 million sold in March (which remains the monthly record).
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Jun 08 2023

Maine: $17.2 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in May, New Monthly Record

There was $17.2 million in marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in Maine in the month of May.

According to the Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy, there was $17,264,322 in legal marijuana sold in May, a modest but noticeable increase from the $16,289,077 sold in April. This beats the previous record of  $17,042,278 set in August, 2022.

Year-to-date marijuana sales in Maine now sit at $78,903,638, with the total since the start of legal sales in 2020 being $323 million.

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Jun 08 2023

Report Finds 65% of Licensed Truck Drivers Support Federal Marijuana Legalization

According to a new report released by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) a large majority of licensed truck drivers in the US support legalizing marijuana federally and an even higher percentage support loosening marijuana testing policies.

The Impacts of Marijuana Legalization on the Trucking Industry report found that 72% of truck drivers support “loosening marijuana laws and testing policies, and 66% support marijuana being a federally legal substance similar to alcohol.

When asked if marijuana testing policies that examine active THC metabolites should be replace with a standard that measure true impairment, 65% said they support the change.
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Jun 08 2023

Study: Alcohol Associated with Fewer Negative Consequences in Legal Marijuana States

A study published in the recent issue of the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse has found that twins who reside in legal marijuana states are less likely to experience negative consequences from drinking alcohol as compared to their co-twins who live in jurisdictions where marijuana is illegal.

“As more states pass recreational cannabis legalization (RCL), we must understand how RCL affects substance use”, states the study’s abstract. “The current study aims to examine the effect of RCL on lifetime and past-year use of cannabis, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, frequency of cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco use, co-use of cannabis with alcohol and tobacco, and consequences from cannabis and alcohol use.”

For the study researchers used a “unique, co-twin control design of twin pairs who were discordant for living in a state with RCL between 2018 and 2021.” The sample consisted of 3,830 adult twins (41% male), including 232 twin pairs discordant for RCL.
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Jun 08 2023

Study Finds CBD Tincture Effective in Treating Dementia Symptoms Over 6-Month Period

According to a new study published in the journal Clinical Gerontologist, the use of CBD tincture is associated with symptom improvements in those with Dementia.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, and the University of Ioannina, all in Greece.

The objective of the study was to “investigate the beneficial outcomes of giving cannabidiol (CBD) 3% over a six-month period in the BPSD [behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia]”.
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