Oct 12 2023

Ohio Senate Passes Resolution Urging Voters to Reject Marijuana Legalization Initiative

The full Ohio Senate has passed a resolution encouraging voters to reject an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana that will be voted on next month.

Senate Resolution 216 was filed by Senators Mark Romanchuk and Terry Johnson with 14 cosponsors, all Republicans.

“[Issue 2] does not serve the best interests of the people of Ohio, will bring unacceptable threats and risks to the health of all Ohioans, especially children, will create dangers in the workplace and unacceptable challenges and costs to employers, will make Ohio’s roads more dangerous, will impose significant new, unfunded costs to Ohio’s public social services, and serves only to advance the financial interests of the commercial marijuana industry and its investors”, states the resolution.
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Oct 12 2023

D.C. Mayor Signs Bill Allowing 1-Year Medical Marijuana Cards for Non-Residents

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has signed into law ordinance that would make several changes to the district’s medical marijuana law.

Today Mayor Bowser signed Bill 25-0368, the Medical Cannabis Clarification and Non-Resident Patient Access Temporary Amendment Act of 2023, into law. The proposal was filed in July by Councilmembers Phil Mendelson and Kenyan McDuffie and was approved overwhelmingly by the full council earlier this month.

The ordinance will allow those who live outside of Washington D.C. to obtain a temporary, one-year medical marijuana authorization. This will give them the same legal protections as medical marijuana patients who live in D.C., and it will allow them to purchase marijuana at licensed dispensaries.
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Oct 11 2023

Most City Workers in Anchorage, Alaska Will No Longer Be Fired for Off-the-Job Marijuana Use

The Anchorage Assembly has voted to loosen the city’s policy regarding marijuana use among city workers.

Anchorage is by far Alaska’s largest city, making up about 40% of the state’s population. Under a rules change approved by city lawmakers marijuana use would no longer be a fireable offense among those employed by the city, as long as it didn’t occur during work hours.

This change, put forth by Assembly Chair Christopher Constant and cosponsored by Assembly Member George Martinez, will officially take effect in 30 days.
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Oct 11 2023

Nevada: In July, $71 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold, Half a Billion Year-to-Date

Nevada marijuana stores sold over $70 million in marijuana and marijuana products in July.

There was $71,615,363 in legal marijuana sold throughout Nevada in July, according to data released by the Nevada Department of Taxation. This is a $3 million increase over the total for June, and is similar to the total for July, 2022 ($71.9 million).

Of the $71.6 million sold in July, $55 million was sold in Clark County, $9.9 million was sold in Washoe County and $6.9 million was sold in “all other counties”.
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Oct 11 2023

Trulieve Has Donated $40 Million to Florida’s Marijuana Legalization Campaign

Trulieve Cannabis Corp has donated an additional $500,000 to a Florida initiative campaign that would legalize recreational marijuana, bringing its total donations to an eye-opening $39.55 million.

The nearly $40 million was donated to Smart & Safe Florida, a nonprofit political organization sponsoring an initiative to legalize marijuana that will be voted on during the November, 2024 general election. The initiative would allow those 21 and older “to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise.”

Under the proposed law, licensed marijuana retail outlets would be allowed to distribute the plant, with any of the state’s licensed medical-marijuana dispensaries allowed to “acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell and distribute such products and accessories.”
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Oct 11 2023

Rhode Island Comes Just $40k Short of Breaking Monthly Marijuana Sales Record for Fifth Straight Month

Marijuana sales in Rhode Island fell just short of breaking the monthly record in September, something it had done for four straight months prior.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulations, in September there was $9,633,351.50 in marijuana purchased through licensed marijuana retail outlets. This is less than $40k less than the record-breaking $9,672,793 sold in August. In July there was $9.46 million sold, and $9.1 million in June.

$2.5 million of the marijuana purchased in September was done by an authorized medical marijuana patient. The remaining $7.1 million was purchased by recreational consumers.
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Oct 11 2023

Study: During COVID-19 Pandemic, “Marijuana Smokers Had Better Outcomes and Mortality”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, “Marijuana smokers had better outcomes and mortality compared to non-users”, according to a new study.

Researchers introduced the study this week at The American College of Chest Physicians’ (CHEST) annual conference, and it was published in the October issue of the Chest Journal.

“Marijuana use is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide, yet the full spectrum of its effects largely remains unknown”, states the study’s “purpose” section. “Although cannabinoids have immunomodulatory properties, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of the potential impact of marijuana use on COVID-19 outcomes.”
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Oct 11 2023

Ukraine Medical Marijuana Bill Advances, One Step Away From Reaching President Zelenskyy

Legislation to legalize medical marijuana in Ukraine has been passed by a key legislative committee in Ukraine, putting it just one step away from reaching the desk of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The National Health, Medical Care and Health Insurance Committee yesterday passed the legislation with overwhelming support. The committee’s vote comes nearly three months after the country’s parliament voted 268 to 137 to pass the bill through its first reading.

The proposal will now need to receive just one more vote by the full parliament before it can be sent to the president. It’s expected the body will approve the bill in the coming days.
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Oct 11 2023

U.S. Census Bureau: Marijuana Sales Resulted in $5.7 Billion in Tax Revenue Since Q3 2021

A new report published by the U.S. Census Bureau gives details on tax revenue made from legal marijuana sales since the third quarter of 2021.

The U.S. Census Bureau has released “a new experimental data product featuring quarterly tax collections at the state level for cannabis sales”. The Quarterly Summary of State and Local Government Tax Revenue report provides quarterly estimates of state and local government tax revenue at a national level, as well as detailed tax revenue data for individual states. The information contained in this survey “is the most current information available on a nationwide basis for government tax collections”, according to the Bureau.

The report found that California garnered the most marijuana taxes in the nation at $1.4 billion. This was followed by Washington and Colorado with $818.5 million and $648.1 million. Washington and Colorado were simultaneously the first states to legalize marijuana in November, 2012, while California legalized marijuana in 2016.
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Oct 11 2023

Federal Marijuana Banking Act Gains Tripartisan Support in US Senate

Federal legislation to allow banks and other financial institutes to work with marijuana businesses has garnered tripartisan support in the United States Senate.

The SAFER Banking Act (S.2860), which was recently given approval by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, has garnered tripartisan support in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has vowed to put it to a vote of the full Senate “very soon”.

As of the time of publication, the proposal is sponsored by Democrats, Republicans and independents, a rarity in today’s political landscape.
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