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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Jul 11 2023

California Health Committee Votes 9 to 2 to Legalize Psilocybin, DMT and Ibogaine

Legislation to legalize certain psychedelics in California has been passed by the Assembly Health Committee.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

The Health Committee voted 9 to 2 to pass Senate Bill 58. The vote comes two weeks after the measure was approved 5 to 2 by the Assembly Public Safety Committee, and a little over a month and a half after it passed the full Senate 21 to 16.

Filed by Senator Scott Wiener, the proposal would legalize the possession of up to two grams of DMT, 15 grams of ibogaine, two grams of psilocybin (or up to four ounces of “a plant or fungi containing psilocybin”) and two grams of psilocyn (or up to four ounces of “a plant or fungi containing psilocybin”). The legislation would also allow for “group counseling and community-based healing” and it would legalize “any spores or mycelium capable of producing mushrooms or other material which contain psilocybin or psilocyn.”
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Jul 10 2023

Minnesota: Law Legalizing Marijuana Possession and Cultivation Goes Into Effect in Three Weeks

In just three weeks, on August 1, Minnesota will officially become the 23rd state where marijuana can be legally possessed for recreational purposes.

Starting Tuesday, August 1, those who are 21 and older in Minnesota will be allowed to possess up to two ounces of marijuana in public, and up to two pounds at a private residence. This is thanks to a law narrowly passed in the state’s legislature and signed by Governor Tim Walz in May.

The law also allows those 21+ to possess up to eight grams of marijuana concentrates and 800mg of marijuana edibles, and they can grow up to eight plants at an enclosed location.
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Jul 10 2023

Massachusetts Group Files Paperwork To Put Psychedelics Initiative On 2024 Ballot

A group seeking to legalize certain psychedelics has taken the initial steps towards getting an initiative on the general election ballot in 2024.

A nonprofit political committee called Massachusetts for Mental Health Options has submitted paperwork with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance indicating that they intend to work towards putting an initiative before voters next year.

The initiative will “expand mental health treatment options in Massachusetts by providing new pathways to access natural psychedelic medicine therapy”, including “creating access to natural psychedelic medicine therapy and removing criminal penalties for personal possession of these medicines.”
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Jul 10 2023

$136 Million in Marijuana Sold by Legal Outlets in June in Illinois

Illinois marijuana sales in June were roughly $6 million higher than the month prior.

Sales data gathered and released by the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation shows that there was $136.4 million in marijuana as well as marijuana products sold in June. Marijuana products includes everything from marijuana oil and hash to topicals (ointments, lotions, etc.) and edibles.

The $136.4 million is an almost 5% increase over the sales total for May, and an 8% increase from the total amount of marijuana sold in June, 2022.
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Jul 10 2023

Montana Marijuana Sales Reached $26.9 Million in June

Marijuana sales were above $25 million for the fourth straight month in Montana.

$26,935,335 worth of marijuana and marijuana products were sold legally in June throughout Montana, according to data released by the Montana Cannabis Control Division. This is just $163,344 shy of the monthly record set in March.

A large majority of these sales were to recreational marijuana consumers – $21,848,306 – with $5,087,029 sold to medical marijuana patients.
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Jul 10 2023

In Maine Marijuana Sales Top $18 Million in June, New Monthly Record

For the second straight month Maine set a new monthly record for legal marijuana sales.

There was $18,484,493 in legal marijuana sold in June throughout Maine, according to the Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy. This is a $1.2 million increase from the $17.2 million sold in May, at the time a monthly record. Prior to May the monthly record was $17 million set in August, 2022.

The year-to-date total for marijuana sales in Maine is just shy of $100 million at $97,408,138. The total since the start of legal sales in 2020 is a little over $340 million.
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