Jul 24 2023

Albania Parliament Votes 69 to 23 to Legalize Medical Marijuana

The Albania Parliament on Friday voted to legalize medical marijuana.

By a vote of 69 to 23 with three members abstaining, the Albanian Parliament has passed a law that allows for the legal cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes. is a country on Southeastern Europe’s Balkan Peninsula with a population of around 2.8 million.

The new law creates the National Agency for the Control of Cannabis which will serve as the primary regulatory body for medical marijuana. They will handle the processing and production of medical marijuana products.
Continue reading

Jul 21 2023

Canada Legal Marijuana Sales Reach CA$415 Million in May

Canada saw a slight increase in legal marijuana sales between April and May, according to new data released by Statistics Canada, a government entity.

According to Statistics Canada, legal marijuana stores throughout the nation sold CA$415.6 ($314.7 million) worth of marijuana and marijuana products. This is a 1.2% increase over April, despite April typically being  a busy month for marijuana sales due to the 4/20 marijuana holiday. The CA$415 million sold is also a11.2% increase over the total sales numbers for May, 2022.

In May, Ontario had the largest number of sales at CA$162.5 million, a 1.5% increase from April. This is followed by Alberta with CA$74.3 million (2.3% increase from May) and British Columbia CA$64.8 million (a 5.4% decrease from April).
Continue reading

Jul 21 2023

Marijuana Possession, Cultivation Now Legal in Luxembourg

For those 21 and older, recreational marijuana is now legal in Luxembourg.

As of today, July 21, Luxembourg joins Malta as the only countries in the European Union to have officially legalized recreational marijuana. The change is law is due to legislation passed last month by Luxembourg’s Parliament in a 38 to 22 vote.

Under the new law adults are allowed to grow up to four plants at a private residence and possess the marijuana it produces. However, in public settings the possession limit is set at just three grams.
Continue reading

Jul 21 2023

Study: Marijuana Consumers Use Fewer Opioids Following Neck Fusion Surgery

According to a new study marijuana consumers who undergo a neck fusion surgery use fewer opioids following than surgery than those who don’t use marijuana.

For the study, published in the North American Spine Society Journal, researchers with the University of Connecticut School of Medicine examined opiod use following neck fusion surgery in over 2,600 patients with and without a history of using marijuana. Participants were monitored for 60 days following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery.

Researchers found that not only were marijuana consumers less likely to immediately fill their opioid prescription, they were also considerably less likely to be using them at the 60 day mark.
Continue reading

Jul 21 2023

New York Opens Application Process for Marijuana Farmers Markets

Just two days after New York officials voted to allow marijuana farmers markets, the state has opened up the application process.

On Wednesday the state Cannabis Control Board (CCB) passed a handful of new rules including legalizing marijuana farmers markets. These are referred to as “Cannabis Growers Showcases” where growers and retailers can “bring their product to market and allow licensees to sell such products simultaneously.” Today, the application process opened for businesses wanting to take part in the new rules.

“The Cannabis Growers Showcase (CGS) initiative allows licensed cannabis growers and processors to showcase New York cannabis products to consumers at events where consumers can purchase those cannabis products from licensed retailers”, states the Office of Cannabis Policy’s website. “Licensed Adult-Use Conditional Cultivators (AUCC), Adult-Use Conditional Processors (AUCP), and Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) who have been approved for licensed activities by the Office of Cannabis Management can participate in a CGS.”
Continue reading

Jul 21 2023

Minneapolis Mayor Makes Psychedelics “Lowest Enforcement Priority”

Minneapolis, Minnesota Mayor Jacob Frey has issued an executive order making the possession and cultivation of psychedelics such as psilocybin the lowest law enforcement priority for city police and officials.

Minneapolis city hall.

The city’s police chief says he will follow the mayor’s order which also prevents local resources from being used to aid in any state or federal enforcement of psychedelic laws.

The move by the mayor is reminiscent of Seattle in 2003: the city made marijuana the lowest enforcement priority almost a decade before the first states legalized the plant in 2012.
Continue reading

Jul 20 2023

Marijuana Unions Notch Victories in Illinois and New Jersey

Labor unions in Illinois and New Jersey recently declared victories in contract disputes that impact dozens of employees.

(Photo credit: Teamster.org).

According to a press release Teamsters Local 777 has reached tentative agreements for cannabis consultants and agents-in-charge at Zen Leaf dispensaries in Chicago and Schaumburg, Ill. Zen Leaf’s parent company, Verano, is the third Multi-state Operator (MSO) that Local 777 has successfully bargained agreements with after launching a campaign to organize the cannabis industry less than three years ago.

Improvements included in the agreement include wage increases ranging from $17 to $20 over the next three years, paid time off, employer-funded retirement contributions, overtime allocated by seniority, and the replacement of “at-will” employment with a just process for addressing disciplinary matters.
Continue reading

Jul 20 2023

Triple-Blind Trial Finds CBD Reduces Seizures in 66% of Patients With Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy

A large majority of patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy saw a reduction in seizures following four-weeks of CBD treatment, according to a new study.

Titled The effect of cannabidiol on seizure features and quality of life in drug-resistant frontal lobe epilepsy patients: a triple-blind controlled trial, the study is published in the recent issue of the journal Frontiers in Neurology. It was conducted by researchers at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Babol University of Medical Sciences, all in Iran.

“Treatment-resistant epileptic seizures are associated with reduced quality of life (QoL)”, states the study. “Recent research showed the efficacy of add-on therapy by cannabidiol (CBD) on refractory epilepsy.” With that in mind, researchers “attempted to extend data on the efficacy and safety profile of CBD in patients with frontal lobe treatment-resistant epilepsy.”
Continue reading

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.
Continue reading

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.
Continue reading