Sep 02 2024

Oklahoma Has the Highest Percentage of Medical Marijuana Patients in the Nation, Followed by Maine and Pennsylvania

By a considerably margin, Oklahoma has the highest percentage of medical marijuana patients in the nation, according to an analysis by The Marijuana Herald, using state regulatory data and data compiled by the Marijuana Policy Project.

As of September 2024, 38 states have legalized medical marijuana, with Nebraska voters potentially making it the 39th this November. Among these states, some have notably higher enrollment rates, with a few standing out.

Oklahoma leads the nation with the highest percentage of medical marijuana patients, with approximately 9.5% of the state’s population enrolled in the medical marijuana program. This high enrollment reflects the state’s relatively liberal medical marijuana laws, including the absence of a list of qualifying conditions, which simplifies the process of obtaining a medical marijuana card. Oklahoma also boasts more dispensaries per capita than any other state, despite having a moratorium on new marijuana stores in place since last year.
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Sep 02 2024

Oregon: $84 Million in Marijuana Sold in August, Most Since May 2022

In Oregon, there was around $84 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in August, bringing all-time sales to nearly $7 billion.

(Photo credit: Ed Andrieski/AP Photo)

According to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, licensed marijuana stores sold exactly $83,991,372 worth of product in August. This is the highest monthly total since the $84.8 million sold in May 2022. Monthly sales have remained above $75 million for 19 straight months.

All-time marijuana sales are now $6.87 billion, with the year-to-date total standing at around $645 million. The monthly high remains $110 million sold in April 2021.
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Sep 02 2024

Colorado: Legal Psilocybin Centers to Open By Summer 2025

Colorado’s Department of Revenue has officially set the stage for psychedelic-assisted therapy, finalizing regulations that will allow providers to offer this innovative form of mental health care beginning in 2025.

The newly established rules outline requirements for businesses entering the psilocybin industry as healing centers, cultivators, and manufacturers.

“These therapies will naturally be controversial because they represent a complete paradigm shift in the way mental health services are provided,” said Dr. Brooke Allen, a neurologist at Roaring Fork Neurology. “Using psychedelics as a catalyst to induce meaningful change that is patient-led by their own inner healing ability is very different from the current model of dampening symptoms, and with many fewer side effects and likely better efficacy.”
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Sep 02 2024

American Cancer Society Urges California Governor to Veto Bill to Legalize Marijuana Cafés

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is calling on California Governor Gavin Newsom to veto legislation that would legalize marijuana cafés, despite a lack of scientific evidence linking secondhand marijuana smoke to increased cancer risks.

Late last month, California’s Legislature approved Assembly Bill 1775, sending it to Governor Newsom. The proposed law would “authorize a local jurisdiction, if specified conditions are met, to allow for the preparation or sale of noncannabis food or beverage products, as specified, by a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed, and to allow, and to sell tickets for, live musical or other performances on the premises of a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed.”

In a press release sent this week, the ACS says “Cancer advocates across the state urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto the bill because it violates Proposition 64, which explicitly states that smoking marijuana is prohibited wherever smoking tobacco is prohibited. This bill would also undermine the state’s smoke-free restaurants law and compromise its enforcement, thus threatening to roll back decades of hard-won protections of everyone’s right to breathe clean, smoke-free air.”
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Sep 02 2024

Both Major Party Candidates for President Support Legalizing Marijuana: Why That’s So Unprecedented

In a historic shift for U.S. politics, both major party candidates in the upcoming presidential election have expressed support for legalizing marijuana.

This marks the first time in American history that candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties have aligned on this issue, signaling a significant change in the political landscape surrounding cannabis policy.

In past elections, support for marijuana reform was a rarity among major party candidates. While there were occasional advocates for decriminalization—such as Jimmy Carter in the 1970s and more recently, Joe Biden during his 2020 campaign—outright support for legalization has been non-existent. Even during the last few election cycles, where public support for legalization was growing, candidates were often cautious, if not outright opposed, to endorsing full legalization.
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Sep 02 2024

Florida Campaign to Legalize Marijuana Has Raised Over $80 Million, Far More Than Any Other Marijuana Initiative in U.S. History

A campaign to legalize marijuana in Florida has raised over $80 million, according to the state’s Division of Elections.

Smart & Safe Florida, the political committee behind Amendment 3 to legalize recreational marijuana, has raised $82.6 million as of the end of August. This includes $11 million raised in the middle of August, $10 million from Trulieve and $1 million from Verano Holdings.

The $82 million raised is significantly higher than any previous marijuana legalization initiative in other states. For context, California’s Proposition 64 campaign raised $25 million in 2016, and Ohio’s Issue 2 raised $7 million last year; both initiatives were successfully passed into law.
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Sep 01 2024

Kentucky Medical Marijuana Applications Surpass 2,600, Including Over 2,200 Dispensary Licenses

There was a rush of medical marijuana applications submitted prior to the August 31 deadline, reports the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis (KOMC).

According to the KOMC, there has been a total of 2,650 applications submitted for those wanting to enter the legal medical marijuana industry as of August 30. This includes 2,282 applications for dispensary licenses. This number is likely to increase once the KOMC releases application data for the 31st.

In July, only 28 applications were submitted, with just a few hundred more in the first half of August, leading some to believe that the industry lacked enthusiasm. However, applications surged in the days leading up to the deadline.
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Sep 01 2024

New Mexico: $48 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in August, Year-to-Date Total Passes $340 Million

State data reveals that New Mexico sold nearly $50 million worth of legal marijuana in August.

According to data released by the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department, there was $48,072,161.91 worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold via licensed marijuana stores in August. $36,513,095.44 of this was purchased by recreational marijuana consumers, with $11,559,066.49 purchased by medical marijuana patients.

Sales were distributed across 1,148,950 different transactions.
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Sep 01 2024

New Saliva Test Offers Rapid and Simultaneous Detection of Alcohol and THC

A new study published in the journal Talanta highlights the development of a novel microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μCD-PAD) that can simultaneously detect ethanol and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in saliva, offering what researchers describe as a non-invasive, rapid, and cost-effective method for on-site analysis.

For the study, which was also published online by the US National Institute of Health, researchers introduced a capillary-driven device that requires no sample preparation, allowing saliva of varying viscosities to flow seamlessly into the detection zone. This method employs a colorimetric approach, enabling easy quantification of both ethanol and THC using a smartphone camera.

Within just 10 minutes, the device produces a homogenous color signal, which can be analyzed via a smartphone, making it highly user-friendly. The device was further optimized to detect legal limits of ethanol and THC concentrations up to 24 hours after marijuana consumption, with a detection time of 30 minutes.
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Sep 01 2024

Nevada: $58 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in July, Nearly Half a Billion Year-to-Date

In July, Nevada’s licensed marijuana retail outlets and dispensaries sold nearly $60 million worth of product.

(Photo credit: Peter Kim – Fotolia)

According to data released by the Nevada Department of Taxation Cannabis Tax Revenue, there was $58.6 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in July. This is roughly $1 million more than the sales total for June, but considerably lower than the $73 million sold in May.

The year-to-date total is now approximately $475 million. Around 75% of these sales came from Clark County, around 13% came from Washoe County, and the remaining 12% came from “all other counties”.
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