Jul 05 2024

Washington State Sold $600 Million in Legal Marijuana in First Half of 2024

Washington State saw another nearly $100 million in legal marijuana and marijuana products sold in June.

According to data released by the Liquor and Cannabis Commission, there was approximately $100.2 million in legal marijuana sales in June. This is a slight decrease from the $101.8 million sold in May, and it’s around $9 million less than the record-breaking $109.6 million sold in June 2022.

The yearly total for marijuana sales is now $600 million, putting the state on track for $1.2 billion in total sales for 2024. This would be nearly identical to the $1.25 billion in marijuana sales for 2023.
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Jul 05 2024

Arkansas: Enough Signatures Submitted to Put Marijuana Initiative on November Ballot

An initiative campaign in Arkansas to expand medical marijuana and create a trigger for the legalization of recreational marijuana has submitted well more than enough signatures to put their measure to a vote this November.

Today, Arkansans for Patient Access (APA) submitted 111,402 signatures for their initiative, with signatures spread across 62 counties. This is well above the 90,704 signatures required across 50 counties in order to make the November Ballot.

The initiative would expand the state’s medical marijuana law, passed in 2016, to allow patients to grow their own marijuana at a private residence, with the limit set at seven mature plants and seven immature plants, and it would remove the retail prohibition on certain smokeable marijuana products such as pre-rolls.
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Jul 05 2024

Florida Poll: 64% of Likely Voters Support Amendment 3 to Legalize Marijuana, Third Poll to Find Support Above 60%

According to newly released polling, a strong majority of likely Florida voters support Amendment 3 which would legalize recreational marijuana for everyone 21 and older.

The poll, first reported by Florida Politics, found that 64% of Florida likely voters support Amendment 3. Given Amendment 3 is a constitutional amendment, it requires 60% support to be enacted into law.

The survey was conducted using 1,065 respondents, all registered voters who said they were likely to vote this November, from June 26–June 29. The poll has a margin of error of +/-2.9 percentage points.
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Jul 04 2024

Study Finds Outdoor Marijuana Cultivation 50 Times Greener Than Indoor Cultivation

A recent study published in ACS Agricultural Science & Technology found that outdoor marijuana cultivation has a significantly lower environmental impact compared to indoor cultivation.

“Environmental impacts of cannabis production are of increasing concern because it is a newly legal and growing industry”, states the study’s abstract. “Although a handful of studies have quantified the impacts of indoor production, very little is known about the impact of outdoor cannabis agriculture.”

Researchers from the University of Michigan and McGill University (Canada) note that “Outdoor production typically uses little direct energy but can require significant fertilizer and other inputs due to dissipative losses via runoff and mineralization. Conversely, fertilizer high in nitrogen can be counterproductive, as it produces flowers with decreased cannabinoid content.”
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Jul 04 2024

Missouri Sees $700 Million in Licensed Marijuana Sales in First Half of 2024

There was another $120 million in legal marijuana sales in Missouri in June, bringing the yearly total to around $700 million.

In June, there was $120.9 million worth of legal marijuana sold, a slight decrease from the $123.7 million sold in May and nearly identical to the $121 million sold in June 2023.

Cumulative sales have reached $2.66 billion, with the total for the first half of 2024 standing at approximately $696 million. Continue reading

Jul 04 2024

This July Fourth, I’m in My 26th Year Behind Bars for Marijuana

By Edwin Rubis, Truthout , republished with special permission

When the clock strikes 10:00 pm, I’ll be sitting in the darkness gazing out a grimy, metal barred window. Miles away, the starlit sky will explode with cheerful colors. Two seconds after each rocket reaches its apex point, the blast will resonate through the walls. The city of Talladega, Alabama, will be celebrating, and in 10 minutes it will be all over. The illuminating colors will turn into an ashen graying smoke, disappearing into the night sky.

For the past 26 years, I’ve watched this same so-called Independence Day celebration from afar, staring out a barred window and wishing I was free. But my days go by with no hint of freedom: without a patriotic flag to wave, eating the same cold mystery meat, the stale bread and over-sugared cereal, using the same aerobic exercise equipment and cheap rubber basketballs and soccer balls which keep me playing like a pet in a cage to stay fit, surrounded by metal fences topped with razor wire and armed guards surveilling the perimeter of the ground I’ve learned to call home.
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Jul 04 2024

Of the Five Statewide Marijuana Initiatives on the November Ballot, Polls Show Four Likely to Pass

This November, voters in five states—North Dakota, South Dakota, Florida, Arkansas, and Nebraska—will decide on various marijuana initiatives. Polls indicate that four out of these five measures are likely to pass.

According to recent polling, all but North Dakota have enough support for their marijuana initiatives to be passed into law. This, of course, doesn’t mean that North Dakota won’t vote to legalize, it just means that there may be more work to be done in the coming months than in some of the other states.

Here’s a look at the five states with marijuana initiatives set to be considered this November, and where they stand in the polls.
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Jul 04 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris Supports Legalizing Marijuana and Sentence Reform

With reports that President Biden is considering whether to remain in the race, increased attention has been directed towards Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the most likely candidate to replace him at the top of the ticket.

President Biden has been the most consequential president in U.S. history regarding marijuana law reform. For example, he pardoned thousands of federal marijuana offenders, initiated the review that led to the DEA recommending marijuana be rescheduled, and in 2022 he became the first president to sign a standalone marijuana bill into law with the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. However, Biden has also refused to support the legalization of marijuana, putting him at odds with the majority of his own party.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been a strong supporter of Biden’s moves to reschedule marijuana and pardon offenders. Following the DEA’s announcement, she said, “Currently, marijuana is classified on the same level as heroin and more dangerous than fentanyl. We are finally changing that. I want to thank all of the advocates and everyone out there for helping to make this possible.”

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Jul 04 2024

Maryland’s Legal Marijuana Sales Pass Half a Billion Dollars in First Half of Year

Maryland’s legal marijuana market has achieved a significant milestone, surpassing half a billion dollars in sales within the first half of the year.

According to the Maryland Cannabis Administration, $94 million worth of legal marijuana and marijuana products were sold in June, bringing the year-to-date total to $556.2 million.

In June, recreational marijuana consumers contributed approximately $65 million to the total sales, while medical marijuana patients accounted for the remaining $29 million. This follows May’s record-breaking sales, where $96.8 million was generated.
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Jul 04 2024

3 States Will Vote to Legalize Recreational Marijuana this November

Voters in three states will have the opportunity this November to legalize recreational marijuana.

In Florida, voters will consider Amendment 3, the first of the three initiatives to be officially placed on the ballot. The initiative, proposed by Smart & Safe Florida, would legalize the possession, use, and licensed distribution of marijuana for those 21 and older. The possession limit would be set at three ounces of dried marijuana flower and five grams of marijuana concentrates. Amendment 3 would also establish a system of licensed, regulated, and taxed marijuana retail outlets, supplied by licensed growers and processors.

A University of North Florida poll released in November found that 67% of likely voters support Amendment 3, exceeding the 60% needed for it to pass as a constitutional amendment. A recent Fox News poll also indicated strong support at 69%.
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