The Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) held its inaugural marijuana licensing lottery today, marking the first step in awarding marijuana business licenses in the state.

The event, conducted at 9 a.m., randomly selected from 727 applications across multiple categories, excluding retail licenses, which will be drawn in a separate lottery in December due to the high volume of applications.

The lottery distributed licenses for categories such as cultivation, manufacturing, and testing across Kent and Sussex counties. In the open cultivation category, Kent County awarded 4 licenses out of 31 applications, while Sussex County granted 7 licenses from a pool of 27. The micro-cultivation category saw 6 licenses awarded in Kent and 8 in Sussex, with a similar distribution for social equity applicants.
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A bill that would protect marijuana users in federally assisted housing has gained its sixth cosponsor, with Congressmember Troy Carter (D-LA) the most recent to join the effort.

The Marijuana in Federally Assisted Housing Parity Act, introduced earlier this year by Congressmember Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) in the House and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) in the Senate, seeks to allow state-legal marijuana use in public housing without fear of eviction.

The legislation, which has the support of Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and now Carter, would address the gap between state and federal marijuana laws, protecting tenants who comply with their state’s regulations on medical or recreational marijuana. This would apply to those living in public housing or Section 8 housing.
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The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) has released sales data for the state’s legal marijuana industry for the first time since the end of June.

After a nearly four-month hiatus, the CCC has published marijuana sales data for July, August, September, and the first 13 days of October. Prior to this release, the last data was provided on June 30.

According to the CCC, a total of $536.6 million in legal marijuana was sold between July 1 and October 13. Approximately 90% of these sales — $484.7 million — came from recreational purchases, while medical marijuana patients accounted for $51.9 million during the same period.

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A judge has appointed a mediator to address the ongoing legal battle over Alabama’s medical marijuana licensing.

Montgomery Circuit Judge James Anderson named retired Circuit Judge Eugene Reese as the mediator in an effort to resolve disputes between companies vying for licenses to grow and sell medical cannabis, reports the Associated Press. Anderson emphasized that mediation could lead to a “speedy and just resolution.”

Although Alabama lawmakers approved a medical cannabis program in 2021, legal challenges have delayed its implementation. The dispute revolves around the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission’s process of awarding licenses. Companies denied licenses have accused the commission of violating state law, prompting the court to block the third attempt at issuing licenses in July.
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According to the results of newly released polling, a strong majority of voters in Kansas support legalizing recreational marijuana.

The Emerson College Poll, which covered Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska, asked participants “Would you support or oppose Kansas legalizing recreational marijuana?”

For Kansas voters, 56% said they support the measure, with 30% opposed and 14% undecided. If all 14% who are undecided chose to oppose legalization, the issue would still have a double-digit lead in support.
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A recent poll found that 59% of Nebraska voters plan to support the legalization of medical marijuana in the upcoming general election.

On the November 5 ballot are two medical marijuana-related measures that serve as companions.

The first measure, the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Patient Protection Act, would provide legal protections for patients and healthcare providers who recommend medical marijuana. The second initiative, the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Regulation Act, would allow for the licensed distribution of cannabis to qualified patients, establishing a state commission to oversee its regulation.
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Delaware is advancing its plans to regulate the legal marijuana industry, with the Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) preparing to hold a lottery for business licenses.

A total of 727 applications have been approved to participate, significantly exceeding the number of licenses available. The lottery is set to begin on Thursday and will be livestreamed on the OMC’s Facebook page.

The first round of lotteries will focus on licenses for cultivation, manufacturing, and testing. Each county will have its own lottery. Additionally, due to the overwhelming number of applications for retail licenses, a separate lottery for this category will be held in December.
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