Jul 19 2023

Missouri: Over $121 Million in Marijuana Sold Legally in June, $629 Million Year-to-Date

Missouri marijuana retail outlets and dispensaries sold over $121 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products in June.

According to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, consumers purchased $95.2 million worth of recreational marijuana. This is in addition to $26 million in medical marijuana sales, bringing the total for the month of June to $121.2 million. This is roughly $300k more than the previous month, bringing in a little over $10 million in tax revenue for the state.

Accumulative marijuana sales in Missouri now stand at $1.23 billion, with year-to-date sales reaching $629 million. Year-to-date tax revenue is around $50 million.
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Jul 19 2023

New York Officials Vote to Legalize Marijuana Farmers Markets and Almost Double Retail Licenses

Officials in New York have voted in favor of rules changes that allow marijuana farmers markets to operate throughout the state, while also almost doubling the number of provisional licenses for marijuana retail outlets.

Today the state Cannabis Control Board (CCB) passed a handful of new rules, including the above-mentioned changes allowing for marijuana farmers markets. The Board also voted to regulate marijuana research and ban the sale of delta-8 THC, and they approved 212 new provisional retail licenses (bringing the state total to 463).

Specifically the Board is referring to marijuana farmers markets as “Cannabis Grower’s Showcases” where growers and retailers can “bring their product to market and allow licensees to sell such products simultaneously.” To be considered a showcase there must be at least three growers and one licensed retail outlet.
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Jul 18 2023

Report: Global Marijuana Infused Products Market Valued at $30 Billion, to Grow to $150 Billion by 2030

A new report by Data Bridge Market Research states that the global marijuana infused products market is currently valued at almost $30 billion, and is expected to see rapid growth in the coming years.

marijuana infused products market

In the report Data Bridge Market Research predicts that the cannabis infused products market which was $29.68 billion in 2022, would rocket up to $150.51 billion by 2030, and is expected to undergo a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.5% during the forecast period 2023 to 2030.

“Cannabis is increasingly recognized as an effective treatment for many conditions, including nausea and vomiting brought by chemotherapy, restlessness, muscle tightness, and chronic discomfort”, states the report, pointing out some of the key drivers of market growth. “CBD and THC-infused edibles are becoming increasingly popular in all legal states. Furthermore, customers and investors are becoming more interested in infused beverages.”
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Jul 18 2023

Marijuana Becomes Legal in Luxembourg on July 21

Last month Luxembourg’s Parliament passed legislation to make their country just the second in the European Union to legalize marijuana possession and cultivation. On July 21 the law takes effect.

“On July 17, 2023 the law amending the amended law of February 19, 1973 concerning the sale of medicinal substances and the fight against drug addiction, providing for the legalization of the domestic cultivation of cannabis under certain conditions, has been published in the Official Journal”, said the country’s Ministry of Health. “It will enter into force on the fourth day following the day of its publication, i.e. Friday, July 21, 2023.”

The Chamber of Deputies voted 38 to 22 last month to pass the bill that has been in the works for years. On July 21 Luxembourg will join Malta as the only European Union countries with legal recreational marijuana.
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Jul 17 2023

Ukraine Parliament Votes 268 to 137 to Legalize Medical Marijuana

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) has passed legislation to legalize medical marijuana through its first reading.

The measure received a 268 to 137 vote in the parliament. It will need to be passed through one more reading before it can be sent to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for consideration. President Zelenskyy is in support of the law and says he’ll quicky sign it into law if it reaches his desk.

The measure has been stalled in the parliament for around two years, but gained momentum earlier this year as Zelenksyy increased calls for medical marijuana legalization.
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Jul 17 2023

Ohio Adds Irritable Bowel Syndrome to List of Medical Marijuana Conditions

Ohio officials have officially expanded the state’s list of medical conditions that qualify an individual to become a legal medical marijuana patient.

The State Medical Board of Ohio voted recently to add irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to the state’s medical marijuana program. Proponents of the change noted that 10% to 15% of US adults have IBS, with multiple peer-reviewed studies indicating that marijuana and its compounds may help treat the ailment or at least improve its symptoms.

The board rejected proposals that would have also added autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder to the list of qualifying conditions.
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Jul 17 2023

Study: Dystonia Patients Saw “Significant Subjective Improvement” From Marijuana Use

In a new study “Dystonia patients who use medical cannabis under clinical observation reported significant subjective improvement during 30 months of use in average.”

The study is titled A single-center real-life study on the use of medical cannabis in patients with dystonia. It was published in the recent issue of the journal Frontiers in Neurology, and it was conducted by researchers from Tel Aviv University, the University of London, Chaim Sheba Medical Center and Bar-Ilan University, all in Israel.

“While cannabis-based medicine is being commonly used in patients with movement disorders, there is a scarcity of publications regarding the effect of cannabis on dystonia”, states the study’s abstract. “We aimed to describe medical cannabis use in patients with dystonia and related pain.”
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Jul 17 2023

Study: CBD Reduces Seizure Frequency and May Have a “Wide Range of Beneficial Effects”

A new study published by the Journal of Child Neurology has found that “in addition to reduced seizure frequency, CBD may have a wide range of beneficial effects beyond seizure control that warrant further investigation.”

The objective of the study was to “increase understanding of the impact of cannabidiol (CBD) on outcomes beyond seizure control among individuals with Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.”

Qualitative interviews were conducted with caregivers of individuals with Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome treated with plant-derived, highly purified CBD medicine (Epidiolex in the USA; Epidyolex in Europe; 100 mg/mL oral solution). Symptoms and impacts of Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome on individuals were explored, as were the effects of CBD. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
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Jul 16 2023

Idaho Group Aims to Put Medical Marijuana Initiative on 2024 Ballot

A group called Kind Idaho is working to put their medical marijuana legalization initiative to a vote of the people in 2024.

Kind Idaho’s initiative would legalize medical marijuana for those with a qualifying condition who receive a recommendation from a physician. The possession limit would be set at four ounces, with patients allowed to grow up to six plants for personal use. The initiative would also establish a licensed and regulated system of medical marijuana dispensaries.

The initiative campaign is funded in part by the Marijuana Policy Project, a group that has led successful initiatives to legalize medical and recreational marijuana in numerous states. The language of Kind Idaho’s initiative is identical the initiative proposed by Idaho Citizens Coalition in 2020 and 2022 (the Coalition “gifted” the initiative to Kind Idaho so they could lead the new effort).
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Jul 15 2023

North Carolina Tribe May Legalize Recreational Marijuana, Open Medical Marijuana Superstore to All

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) will soon vote on whether or not to legalize recreational marijuana for everyone 21 and older.

The EBCI, located on 57,000 acres in the western part North Carolina, legalized medical marijuana in 2021. The tribe recently began accepting applications for those wanting to become patients for their soon-to-open medical marijuana superstore, which is a refurbished bingo hall the tribe spent $50 million to renovate. At the moment the application process is open to anyone 18 and older, regardless of whether or not they’re a member of the tribe. Although a person applying would need to have one of around 20 medical conditions, no doctor’s recommendation is required.

The requirement to have a medical condition may soon vanish, with the EBCI Tribal Council voting to place a referendum on the September 7 general election ballot that would legalize recreational marijuana for everyone 21 and older, with no requirement to be a member of the EBCI.
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