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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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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