New York Governor Kathy Hochul has vetoed Assembly Bill 10196, which sought to allow licensed marijuana cultivators and processors the option to pay the state’s 9% excise tax annually instead of quarterly.

Introduced in May by Assemblymember Donna Lupardo, the bill passed the Assembly with a vote of 117 to 27 and the Senate with a vote of 52 to 9. It was sent to Governor Hochul’s desk on December 12 but was vetoed this week.

Under current law, cannabis growers and processors must file quarterly tax returns, with payments due on the 20th day of the month following each quarterly period. Assembly Bill 10196 proposed amending Section 495 of the state’s tax law to allow distributors to opt for annual electronic tax filings and payments. The change would have taken immediate effect upon enactment.
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The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has released a list of about 100 pesticide products that meet California’s criteria for legal use on cannabis.

Since cannabis is illegal under federal law, there are no pesticide products registered for use specifically on cannabis, notes the DPR in a press release. When cannabis was legalized in California, DPR identified criteria for legal pesticide use on cannabis cultivation in the state. A pesticide meets these criteria if the active ingredients found in the product is:
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New York Assembly Bill 1234, which includes marijuana in the legal definition of crops, livestock, and livestock products, has been signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul.

The legislation passed overwhelmingly in both legislative chambers earlier this year, with a 58-3 vote in the Senate and a 141-3 vote in the Assembly. Filed by Assemblymember Donna Lupardo in January 2023 with 21 bipartisan cosponsors, the measure amends Section 301 of New York’s agriculture and markets law to formally recognize marijuana as an agricultural commodity. This aligns it with other crops like fruits, vegetables, and grains under state law.

The bill’s text, spanning just a single page, modifies existing legal language to include marijuana as defined by New York’s marijuana law. Advocates believe this change will provide clarity for farmers and stakeholders in the marijuana industry, granting them access to agricultural resources and protections available to other commodity producers, including giving them the same property tax benefits.
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There was over CA$450 Million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in Canada in October, a slight increase from the previous month.

According to data released by Statistics Canada, the nation generated CA$456.27 million in legal marijuana sales, an increase from the CA$451 million sold in September. Ontario had the largest share of marijuana sales for the month with CA$177 million sold. Alberta came second in sales with CA$82 million, followed by British Columbia at $68 million and Quebec at $59 million.

The year-to-date total for marijuana sales in Canada is now around $4.3 billion, resulting in over $800 million in tax revenue.
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Today, the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) conducted a public license lottery to select applicants in the Open Retail category for Delaware’s regulated marijuana industry.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock)

This event marks “a significant milestone in fostering a fair and transparent licensing process, ensuring equal opportunities for businesses to participate in the state’s growing marijuana sector”, according to an OMC press release. In total, OMC issued 15 licenses during today’s lottery.

Distinguished guests from the Delaware General Assembly and oversight bodies, along with independent auditors, were present to witness the proceedings and uphold the integrity of the process.
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In November, there was over $172 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in Illinois

The $172.8 million in legal marijuana sales in November was more than any other month in 2024, according to the Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer. This brings the year-to-date total to nearly $1.7 billion.

Of the $172.8 million in marijuana sold in November, $149.3 million was purchased for recreational use, with medical marijuana patients purchasing $23.5 million worth of product. $32 million of the recreational marijuana sold was purchased by those living outside of the state.
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There’s now over 220 doctors and APRN’s (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) registered to prescribe medical marijuana, with over 2,400 certifications already issued since December 1.

During his Thursday weekly “Team Kentucky” update, Governor Andy Beshear confirmed that more than 220 doctors and APRNs across the Commonwealth have already registered to become official practitioners who can prescribe cannabis to their patients.

Since December 1, Beshear said more than 1,800 Kentuckians have received written certifications for medical cannabis, with 2,480 total certifications issued. A strong majority of these certifications (55%) were issued for chronic pain, with 24% issued for post traumatic stress disorder, 8% for multiple sclerosis, 5% for cancer, 3.5% for chronic nausea, and 2.5% for seizure disorders.
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