Apr 28 2023

Colorado Senate and Two House Committees Pass Psychedelics Bill

Colorado’s full Senate and two House committees have passed a bill to create a regulatory framework for legal psychedelics including psylocibin (magic mushrooms), ibogaine and DMT.

Psilocybin mushrooms (aka "magic mushrooms").

Psilocybin mushrooms (aka “magic mushrooms”).

Earlier this week The Colorado Senate voted 25 to 10 to pass Senate Bill 23-290, sending it to the House. On Thursday the measure was passed through the House Finance Committee 8 to 2, and today it was passed by the House Appropriations Committee in a unanimous 11 to 0 vote. It’s now been sent to the House floor for consideration.

The legislation is in response to a voter-approved initiative that legalized certain psychedelics while tasking the legislature with establishing a regulatory framework. Proponents of the measure are working to get it approved through the legislature prior to the end of the session on May 6.
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Apr 28 2023

Missouri to Issue Dozens of Licenses for Marijuana Microbusinesses in October

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has announced their licensing plans for marijuana microbusinesses.

When voters approved Amendment 3 in November, 2022, they tasked the DHSS with creating a lottery process for granting a limited number of new small business licenses called “microbusinesses.” Microbusinesses are marijuana facility licenses issued only to eligible entities and individuals, and are designed to allow marginalized or under-represented individuals to participate in the legal marijuana market.

There are two types of microbusiness licenses: dispensary and wholesale. A microbusiness dispensary facility is licensed to engage in the process of dispensing marijuana product for medical or adult use. A microbusiness wholesale facility is licensed to engage in the process of cultivating and/or manufacturing marijuana product for medical or adult use.
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Apr 28 2023

California Committees Vote to Establish Marijuana Catering License

California legislation that “would add acting as a cannabis caterer for a private event to the definition of commercial cannabis activity” has been passed by two Assembly committees.

(Photo credit: New Food Magazine)

Filed by Assemblymember Ash Kalra, Assembly Bill 471 was passed late last month by the Committee on Business and Professions Committee by a vote of 14 to 3. Yesterday the measure was passed through the Committee on Governmental Organization, with members voting 17 to 4 in favor.

Assembly Bill 471 has now been sent to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, with passage in that committee allowing it to be debated on the Assembly floor.
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Apr 28 2023

North Carolina Legislation to Decriminalize Marijuana and Hash Passed Through First Reading in Senate

North Carolina Senate Bill 705 would decriminalize the possession of up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana and allow for automatic expungements.

Filed by Senator Mujtaba Mohammed along with four cosponsors, the measure – titled the Equity in Justice Act of 2023 – has been passed through its first reading and assigned to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee.

In addition to making several changes not related to marijuana laws including a reformation of police policies, Senate Bill 705 would reclassify the possession of up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana and up to “three-twentieths of an ounce” of hash as an infraction instead of a misdemeanor, meaning it would no longer carry the potential of jailtime or a criminal record.
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Apr 27 2023

Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Passed Through Final Reading in Texas House, Sent to Senate

Yesterday a Texas measure to decriminalize the possession of marijuana and marijuana concentrates was passed by the House of Representatives through its second reading. Today, the House passed the bill through its third and final reading, officially sending it to the Senate.

(Photo credit: WDIV-TV)

The final vote on House Bill 218 was 87 to 59. This sends it to the Senate, with passage in that chamber sending it to Governor Greg Abbott for consideration. Bill sponsor State Representative Joe Moody says that Governor Abbott has expressed support for the measure.

If passed into law HB 218 would remove criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana or marijuana concentrates such as hash and oil. Those caught with up to an ounce could still be given a citation of up to $500, but there would be no possibility of arrest or a jail sentence.
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Apr 27 2023

New Mexico Breaks Monthly Record With $47 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in March

There was more legal marijuana sold in New Mexico in March than in any month prior according to data released by the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department.

In March New Mexico consumers purchased $47,759,256 in legal marijuana and marijuana products. $32,359,270 of this was from recreational marijuana sales, with the remaining $15,399,985 coming from the purchase of medical marijuana. These numbers are a roughly 15% increase over the $40.2 million sold in January and the $41 million sold in February.

According to the department, there are 633 marijuana outlets throughout the state (27 more than in February), with 1,013,476 total transactions. This marks the first time the state surpassed 1 million total transactions for legal marijuana sales.
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Apr 26 2023

Study of 183 Million People Finds Marijuana Does Not Increase Stroke or Heart Attack Risk

According to a new meta-analysis of over 183 million people the risk of adverse cardiovascular events including myocardial infraction (heart attack) and stroke “does not exhibit a significant increase with cannabis exposure”.

marijuana use

(Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The study was published by the journal Toxicology Reports, and is titled Cannabis and Adverse Cardiovascular Events: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.

For the study “a systematic search for publications describing the adverse CV events of cannabis use, including acute myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke, was performed via PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases.” Data on effect estimates in individual studies “were extracted and combined via random-effects meta-analysis using the DerSimonian and Laird method, a generic inverse-variance strategy.”
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Apr 26 2023

Colorado Governor Announces Statewide Cannabis Loan Program

On Monday Colorado Governor Jared Polis and the Cannabis Business Office (CBO) announced the Cannabis Business Loan Program for social equity licensed cannabis businesses in Colorado.

The CBO (a department within the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade), has partnered with mission-based lender NuProject to provide financing that is not otherwise available to cannabis businesses through traditional lenders.

“This landmark loan program will create and retain 239 good-paying jobs and promote equity in the cannabis industry by providing growing businesses access to funding. I am committed to saving small businesses money and ensuring our state remains a great place to start and run a business in every industry”, said Governor Polis in a press release. “Thank you to NuProject for partnering with Colorado on this exciting milestone and working to support innovation in Colorado’s cannabis industry.”
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Apr 26 2023

Georgia’s First Medical Marijuana Dispensaries to Open Within Days

The regulatory body overseeing Georgia’s medical marijuana program has issued five licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries, allowing them to open within days.

Georgia officials today issued licenses for marijuana dispensaries in Macon, Marietta, Pooler and Savannah.

“It’s an understatement to say that significant progress has been made in getting safe and secure medication to certified patients across Georgia,” said Sid Johnson, who serves as chair for the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission. “They’ve waited a long time for this relief.”
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Apr 26 2023

Montana Legislature Passes Bill to Alter How Marijuana Tax Revenue is Used

A measure to reappropriate some of the revenue generated from marijuana taxes was passed today through its third and final reading in the House of Representatives.

Montana’s House of Representatives has passed Senate Bill 442 with a vote of 82 to 17. The vote comes a few weeks after it was passed by the Senate, 49 to 1. The House saw more opposition to the measure with some arguing that it would reverse the will of the voters who approved very specific uses for marijuana taxes when they voted to legalize marijuana in 2020.

Given SB 442 received minor amendments in the House, it will need to receive one final vote by the Senate before it can be sent to Governor Greg Gianforte for consideration, in what is considered to largely be a technicality at this point.
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