Jul 13 2023

New York Legislation Would Allow Out-of-State Patients to Take Part in Medical Marijuana Program

A New York lawmaker has filed legislation that would allow medical marijuana patients who live outside New York to take part in the state’s medical marijuana program while visiting.

Assemblymember Crystal Peoples-Stokes filed Assembly Bill 7826 last month, and it was swiftly assigned to the Assembly Health Committee.

The proposed law establishes reciprocity for out-of-state patients, allowing qualified medical marijuana card holders from other states to participate in New York’s medical marijuana program. This means that in accordance with local laws, tourists to New York who are qualified patients will be allowed to purchase marijuana and marijuana products from licensed dispensaries.
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Jul 12 2023

Hearing Scheduled for Massachusetts Bill to Legalize Curbside Marijuana Pickup

A legislative proposal that would allow marijuana stores in Massachusetts to sell marijuana via curbside pickup has been scheduled for a hearing on July 18.

The Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy has scheduled a hearing at 10:30 AM on July 18 to consider House Bill 121. Under the proposed law, a marijuana establishment “may create retail drive-up curbside pickup for the sale of medical and recreational marijuana, including but not limited to both external and internal curbside pickup.”

The establishment “must seek approval from the town or city where the establishment is located. The establishment’s drive-up curbside pickup must be in compliance with all town or city ordinances regulating drive-up curbside pickup.”
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Jul 12 2023

Pennsylvania Senate Committee Votes to Allow Doctors to Recommend Medical Marijuana for Any Condition, Legalize Edibles

Pennsylvania’s Senate Law and Justice Committee has passed legislation that would allow physicians to recommend medical marijuana and medical marijuana products for any reason or ailment they see fit.

The committee voted 10 to 1 to move Senate Bill 835 to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Passage through Appropriations would allow the measure to be considered by the full Senate.

Filed by Republican Senator Mike Regan, who chairs the Law and Justice Committee, SB 835 would make Pennsylvania one of the only states to allow doctors to recommend medical marijuana for any ailment they deem it useful, rather than requiring the patient to have one of a set list of medical conditions. Under current Pennsylvania law someone must have one of 24 medical ailments in order to be legally recommended medical marijuana.
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Jul 12 2023

California Governor Signs Bill Allowing Marijuana to be Sold at Events Such as County Fairs

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law legislation that allows marijuana to be sold legally at a variety of events.

San Diego County Fair.

Assembly Bill 128 allows state regulators to issue licenses for Cannabis Event Organizers, which would be defined by law as “a licensee authorizing onsite cannabis sales to, and consumption by, persons 21 years of age or older at a county fair event, district agricultural association event, or at another venue expressly approved by a local jurisdiction.”

The proposal was signed into law by Governor Newsom on July 10. The measure was passed with overwhelming support in the state legislature, with a 75 to 1 vote in the Assembly and a 40 to 0 vote in the Senate.
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Jul 12 2023

Rhode Island: Another Record-Breaking Month With $9.1 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in June

For the second straight month marijuana sales in Rhode Island set a new monthly record.

There was $9,170,619.08 in legal marijuana and marijuana products sold in June throughout Rhode Island, according to data released by the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulations. This surpasses the $8.89 million sold in May, at the time a monthly record.

$2,877,986.35 of the $9.1 million sold in June was purchased by medical marijuana patients, with $6,401,678.67 being purchased by recreational consumers.
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Jul 12 2023

Germany Ministry of Health Releases Draft Cannabis Legalization Bill

By Thomas Edward, High Times

Germany continues to inch closer to a new era of cannabis legalization.

Last week, the country’s ministry of health unveiled a draft bill providing details on new regulations for personal use and cultivation of marijuana.

It has been a longtime coming for Europe’s largest economy, with German policymakers driving to reform the country’s cannabis laws for the last year.
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Jul 12 2023

Minnesota Adds IBS and OCD to Medical Marijuana Program

The Minnesota Department of Health has officially added irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to the list of qualifying medical marijuana conditions.

As of July 1, Minnesota patients certified with either IBS or OCD can enroll in the state’s medical cannabis program. Patients certified by a participating health care practitioner as having either of these conditions can buy medical cannabis at a medical cannabis dispensary starting Aug. 1, 2023.

“As we continue to learn more about the benefits of medical cannabis, it’s important that we add this therapy option as a potential treatment to relieve conditions that can be debilitating,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham.
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Jul 12 2023

Arkansas: Over $140 Million in Medical Marijuana Purchased in First Half of 2023

The Arkansas medical marijuana industry continues to grow with sales reaching $141 million between January and June.

According to the Department of Finance and Administration, the $141 million sold in the first half of the year is a 5% increase from the sales during the same period in 2022.

Dispensaries sold nearly 30,000 pounds of marijuana, marking  a 23% increase from 2022. The 23% increase in marijuana sold by weight paired with the just 5% increase in revenue generated indicates that prices have seen a significant drop between 2022 and 2023.
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Jul 11 2023

North Carolina Medical Marijuana Bill Dead for the Year Despite 36 to 10 Senate Vote

Despite being overwhelmingly approved by the state’s Senate, a North Carolina bill to legalize medical marijuana is likely dead for this session, says House Speaker Tim Moore.

In March the North Carolina Senate voted 36 to 10 to pass a medical marijuana bill that was filed by Senator Bill Rabon along with a bipartisan coalition of 12 cosponsors. The “Compassionate Care Act” would allow patients with a “debilitating medical condition” such as cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder to possess and consume medical marijuana if they receive a recommendation from a licensed physician.

The law would require patients to renew their recommendation annually, and it would allow 10 medical marijuana suppliers to control the cultivation and sale of cannabis, with each allowed to operate up to eight dispensaries. A Compassionate Use Advisory Board would be established to consider adding new conditions that would qualify an individual to become a medical marijuana patient. The measure would also establish a Medical Cannabis Production Commission to regulate and oversee marijuana supplies.
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Jul 11 2023

Maryland: Over $20 Million Worth of Marijuana Sold in First Week of Legal Sales

In the first week of legal recreational sales consumers purchased over $20 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products.

Legal recreational marijuana sales began in Maryland on July 1, and according to data released by the state between July 1 and July 7 there was $20.9 million in marijuana sold. $10.4 million of this came during the first weekend, including $6 million on Sunday.

Maryland’s marijuana law allows licensed marijuana stores to sell marijuana as well as marijuana products such as concentrates, topicals and edibles, to anyone who’s at least 21 years older. The purchase limit is 1.5 ounces of dried marijuana flower, up to 12 grams of concentrated marijuana products such as hash or oil, and marijuana edibles infused with up to 750 mg of THC.
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