The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has released a list of about 100 pesticide products that meet California’s criteria for legal use on cannabis.

Since cannabis is illegal under federal law, there are no pesticide products registered for use specifically on cannabis, notes the DPR in a press release. When cannabis was legalized in California, DPR identified criteria for legal pesticide use on cannabis cultivation in the state. A pesticide meets these criteria if the active ingredients found in the product is:
Continue reading

New York Assembly Bill 1234, which includes marijuana in the legal definition of crops, livestock, and livestock products, has been signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul.

The legislation passed overwhelmingly in both legislative chambers earlier this year, with a 58-3 vote in the Senate and a 141-3 vote in the Assembly. Filed by Assemblymember Donna Lupardo in January 2023 with 21 bipartisan cosponsors, the measure amends Section 301 of New York’s agriculture and markets law to formally recognize marijuana as an agricultural commodity. This aligns it with other crops like fruits, vegetables, and grains under state law.

The bill’s text, spanning just a single page, modifies existing legal language to include marijuana as defined by New York’s marijuana law. Advocates believe this change will provide clarity for farmers and stakeholders in the marijuana industry, granting them access to agricultural resources and protections available to other commodity producers, including giving them the same property tax benefits.
Continue reading

There was over CA$450 Million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in Canada in October, a slight increase from the previous month.

According to data released by Statistics Canada, the nation generated CA$456.27 million in legal marijuana sales, an increase from the CA$451 million sold in September. Ontario had the largest share of marijuana sales for the month with CA$177 million sold. Alberta came second in sales with CA$82 million, followed by British Columbia at $68 million and Quebec at $59 million.

The year-to-date total for marijuana sales in Canada is now around $4.3 billion, resulting in over $800 million in tax revenue.
Continue reading

Today, the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) conducted a public license lottery to select applicants in the Open Retail category for Delaware’s regulated marijuana industry.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock)

This event marks “a significant milestone in fostering a fair and transparent licensing process, ensuring equal opportunities for businesses to participate in the state’s growing marijuana sector”, according to an OMC press release. In total, OMC issued 15 licenses during today’s lottery.

Distinguished guests from the Delaware General Assembly and oversight bodies, along with independent auditors, were present to witness the proceedings and uphold the integrity of the process.
Continue reading

In November, there was over $172 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in Illinois

The $172.8 million in legal marijuana sales in November was more than any other month in 2024, according to the Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer. This brings the year-to-date total to nearly $1.7 billion.

Of the $172.8 million in marijuana sold in November, $149.3 million was purchased for recreational use, with medical marijuana patients purchasing $23.5 million worth of product. $32 million of the recreational marijuana sold was purchased by those living outside of the state.
Continue reading

There’s now over 220 doctors and APRN’s (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) registered to prescribe medical marijuana, with over 2,400 certifications already issued since December 1.

During his Thursday weekly “Team Kentucky” update, Governor Andy Beshear confirmed that more than 220 doctors and APRNs across the Commonwealth have already registered to become official practitioners who can prescribe cannabis to their patients.

Since December 1, Beshear said more than 1,800 Kentuckians have received written certifications for medical cannabis, with 2,480 total certifications issued. A strong majority of these certifications (55%) were issued for chronic pain, with 24% issued for post traumatic stress disorder, 8% for multiple sclerosis, 5% for cancer, 3.5% for chronic nausea, and 2.5% for seizure disorders.
Continue reading

In a unanimous decision, the commissioners of Bernalillo County, home to approximately 672,000 residents including the city of Albuquerque, have updated the county’s Drug and Alcohol-Free Workplace Policy.

The policy now excludes cannabis from the list of illegal drugs when it is used legally outside of work hours for either medical or recreational purposes. This change means that the majority of county employees will no longer face pre-employment or random drug tests for cannabis use.

This move by Bernalillo County mirrors similar actions taken by various cities and counties across the U.S., such as Atlanta, Cleveland, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and St. Louis, where restrictions on cannabis testing for public sector employees have been implemented.
Continue reading

In November, Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) imposed fines on 67 licensed marijuana businesses for a variety of regulatory infractions. Penalties ranged from $333.33 to as much as $19,000, reflecting the seriousness of the violations.

The largest fine, totaling $19,000, was issued to Blue Fox Brands in Lansing for failing to comply with Metrc, the state’s tracking system, as well as for breaches of security and surveillance requirements. Other cited infractions among marijuana operators included noncompliance with annual financial statement submissions, failure to report significant operational or structural changes, and issues related to general operations.

Additionally, some businesses were penalized for improper handling and production practices, noncompliant sales, inadequate waste disposal, and violations of packaging, advertising, sampling, and testing standards.
Continue reading