Jan 10 2024

New Florida Bill Would Make Medical Marijuana Cards and Renewals Free for Veterans

Legislation to remove the financial burden of receiving and renewing medical marijuana authorization cards for veterans has been filed in the Florida Senate.

Senate Bill 1514 was filed Friday by Senator Victor Torres (D). Today the measure was assigned to the Senate Health Policy Committee, the Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services and the Fiscal Policy Committee.

“A qualified patient who is a veteran, as defined in s. 1.01(14), is not required to pay the fee for the issuance or renewal of a medical marijuana use registry identification card.”
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Jan 10 2024

Connecticut: $27 Million Worth of Marijuana Sold in December, $274 Million in 2023

December broke the monthly marijuana sales record in Connecticut.

There was $27.5 million worth of legal marijuana sold in December in Connecticut, breaking the previous monthly record by over $1 million. This is according to data released by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.

The majority of these sales were to recreational consumers at $17.1 million, while medical marijuana patients purchased $10.3 million.
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Jan 10 2024

Delaware Committee Approves Bill to Allow Physicians to Recommend Medical Marijuana for Any Condition

A key legislative committee in Delaware has given approval to legislation that would greatly expand the number of people eligible to become medical marijuana patients.

Delaware’s House Health & Human Development Committee passed House Bill 285 today. Filed by State Representative Edward Osienski along with a bipartisan group of eight cosponsors, the proposed law would amend the Delaware Medical Marijuana Act by removing the list of qualifying medical conditions. Instead, health-care providers would be authorized to recommend medical marijuana to anyone they feel could benefit from it, regardless of their particular condition.

In addition, the bill would “patients aged 65 and older to self-certify their qualification for a registry identification card without a written certification from a health-care provider.”
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Jan 10 2024

Rhode Island: $10.2 Million in Marijuana Sold in December, New Monthly Record, With Over $100 Million Sold in 2023

For the first time ever legal marijuana sales passed $10 million in a single month in Rhode Island.

There was exactly $10,216,190 worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in December, the most in any single month in Rhode Island history. This is according to data compiled and released by the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulations.

Of the $10.2 million in marijuana sold, $2,409,314 was purchased by medical marijuana patients, while $7,806,876 was purchased by recreational consumers.
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Jan 09 2024

Illinois: Record-Breaking $181 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in December, Almost $2 Billion in 2023

There was $181 million worth of marijuana sold in December, a monthly record for Illinois.

According to data just released by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, $153.9 million in recreational marijuana sold in December, in addition to $27.9 million in medical marijuana sold during the same period. The combined $181.8 million was around $17 million more than the previous month, and 7% more than the previous December.

Of the $153 million in recreational (“adult use”) marijuana sales for December,  $36 million was purchased by those visiting from outside the state, while $117.9 million was purchased by Illinois residents. Only patients who reside in Illinois can use medical marijuana dispensaries.
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Jan 09 2024

Legislation to Legalize Personal Marijuana Cultivation Filed in New Jersey Senate

A legislative bill that would allow marijuana to be grown for medical and recreational use has been filed in New Jersey’s Senate.

Senate Bill 1985 today was “Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee”. The measure was filed by Senator Vin Gopal along with cosponsors Senators Troy Singleton, Patrick Diegnan, Shirley Turner and Andrew Zwicker.

The proposed law  would legalize “growing or possessing up to six marijuana plants for personal recreational use, and up to 10 plants for personal medical use, by persons aged 21 or older.”
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Jan 09 2024

Bipartisan Washington State Bill Would Ban Marijuana Concentrates With Over 35% THC

Legislation that would prohibit most recreational marijuana concentrates (oil, wax, hash, etc.) in Washington State has been refiled in the House of Representatives.

Sticky Frog Live Resin Sugar, which is sold throughout Washington State with THC percentages often between 80 and 97%.

House Bill 1642 is sponsored by State Representative Lauren Davis along with a bipartisan coalition of 11 cosponsors. The measure was first filed in January, 2023 and assigned to the House Committee on Regulated Substances & Gaming. Yesterday the measure was “reintroduced and retained in present status”.

The legislation “Prohibits licensed cannabis retailers from selling cannabis concentrates with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration greater than 35 percent, except for cannabis retailers with a medical cannabis endorsement who may continue to sell these products to qualifying patients and designated providers who are entered in the Medical Cannabis Authorization Database.”
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Jan 09 2024

US Legislation to Allow Marijuana Banking Sponsored by Lawmakers From 37 States

Federal legislation to allow banks to provide financial services to state-legal marijuana businesses is sponsored by lawmakers from 37 different states.

The SAFE Banking Act in the US House of Representatives has 98 sponsors, while the SAFER Banking Act has 35 sponsors in the Senate. Although the SAFER Banking Act is an updated version of the SAFE Banking Act (filed five months later in September) and includes several additional provisions, both measures would allow banks and other financial institutes like credit unions to provide services to marijuana businesses that are legal under their state’s law.

In September the Senate version of the bill received approval by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer saying November that the full Senate is “getting close” to a vote.
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Jan 09 2024

In US Over 2.3 Million Marijuana Expungements Issued Since 2018

According to an analysis by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, state courts have either expunged or sealed the records of more than two million marijuana-related cases since 2018.

According to publicly available data, state and local courts have expunged an estimated 2.3 million marijuana-related cases. States that have been most active in providing relief to those with past convictions include California, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.

Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws in recent years providing explicit pathways to either expunge, seal, annul, or otherwise set aside the records of those with low-level marijuana convictions. In some jurisdictions — such as California, Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri, and New Jersey — courts automatically review past records and notify those who meet the state’s criteria for expungement. In other jurisdictions — such as Arizona and Massachusetts — laws require those seeking legal relief to petition the courts to have their records reviewed and vacated.
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Jan 09 2024

$283 Million Worth of Medical Marijuana Sold in Arkansas in 2023, Over $1 Billion Since 2020

2023 was a record-breaking year for medical marijuana sales in Arkansas.

According to data released by the Arkansas  Department of Finance and Administration, there was $283 million worth of medical marijuana and medical marijuana products sold throughout 2023. Sales included marijuana flower as well as a variety of marijuana products such as tinctures, lotions and capsules.

The $283 million in sales brings the total since 2020 to over $1 billion, and the total since the start of medical marijuana sales in 2019 to $1.035 billion.
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