Apr 08 2024

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Begins Seizing Marijuana From State-Legal Marijuana Businesses and Arresting Employees

United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has begun seizing massive amounts of marijuana from state-licensed marijuana businesses in New Mexico, while detaining and in some instances arresting employees.

(Photo credit: Eric Risberg/Associated Press).

Over the past two months the CBP has confiscated hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of marijuana transported by state-licensed marijuana companies as they pass through interior border checkpoints in New Mexico. It’s also been reported that a handful of marijuana employees have been arrested.

In an audio recording of one of the seizures, a Border Patrol agent can be heard saying “We’ve been instructed to seize all cannabis—all illegal products. It’s still federally illegal.”
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Apr 08 2024

Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act Gains 27th Sponsor in US Congress

Legislation to allow Veterans Affairs doctors to recommend medical marijuana is continuing to garner support in the US House and Senate.

(Photo credit: Getty Images Plus)

Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act (H.R. 2682) was filed on April 18 in the House of Representatives by Congressmember Barbara Lee (D-CA). The following day, a companion measure with identical language was filed in the Senate by Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI).

The Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act would allow veterans “to use, possess, or transport medical marijuana and to discuss the use of medical marijuana with a physician of the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] as authorized by a State or Indian Tribe, and for other purposes.” Under current law VA doctors are not allowed to even discuss medical marijuana with patients.
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Apr 07 2024

High Times Announces 2024 Michigan Cannabis Cup, Where Anyone Can Be a Judge

High Times has officially announced the return “of the highly-anticipated High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan 2024!”

“It’s the fifth year we’ve set up a competition in Michigan—one of our most enthusiastic event markets—and the most recent rundown of winners showcases Michigan’s finest products”, says High Times. “With a massive 20-category breakdown this year, we’re proud to display the winners of a variety of categories, as determined by our Michigan judges.”

According to High Times, anybody can be a Judge, as long as they “have the passion and grit needed to determine the next year’s winners.” Product submissions will be taken May 27 through June 7 in the Detroit area. Judge Kits go on sale June 22.
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Apr 06 2024

SAFE Banking Act Garners 113th Sponsor in US House

The SAFE Banking Act now has 113 sponsors.

Yesterday Representative Lois Frankel (D-FL) joined the growing list of sponsors for the SAFE Banking Act, a measure to explicitly allow marijuana banking. The measure, introduced in September, has more sponsors than any other marijuana-related bill in US history. In the Senate, the updated SAFER Banking Act has 36 sponsors, with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer saying recently that the chamber will work to pass marijuana banking in the “weeks and months ahead”.

Both the SAFE Banking Act and SAFER Banking Act would make it clear that any bank or financial institution could provide financial services to marijuana businesses that are licensed under state law. Proponents of the measure say this change is vital; under the status quo marijuana stores are forced to operate as a cash-only business, putting them at an increased risk of robberies.
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Apr 05 2024

US Senate Majority Leader Says the Senate Will Work to “Safeguard Cannabis Banking” in “Weeks and Months Ahead”

In a letter sent to Senate colleagues, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that in the “weeks and months” ahead, the Senate will work to pass a variety of priorities including to “safeguard cannabis banking”.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (photo credit: Greg Nash/The Hill).

“In the weeks and months ahead, we have the opportunity to make progress on bipartisan bills that enhance our national security, advance online safety for kids and promote innovation, expand the Child Tax Credit, work on a path forward on Tik Tok legislation, combat the fentanyl crisis, hold failed bank executives accountable, address rail safety, ensure internet affordability, safeguard cannabis banking, outcompete the Chinese government, lower the cost of prescription drugs like insulin while expanding access to health care, and more”, said Senator Schumer. “There are many important, bipartisan issues this Congress could address this year, and I hope our Senate Republican colleagues don’t allow the ultra-right wing of their party to derail progress on these bipartisan bills.”

When Schumer says “safeguard cannabis banking”, he is referring to the SAFER Banking Act, which currently has 36 sponsors, representing 36% of the entire Senate. This includes having support from Republicans and every independent senator. The measure would provide explicit federal protections to banks and other financial institutions that provide financial services to state-legal marijuana businesses.
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Apr 05 2024

Massachusetts Marijuana Sales Passed $150 Million in March, With 633 “Active Strains”

March marijuana sales easily passed $150 million in Massachusetts.

In March, Massachusetts saw a total of $154 million in legal marijuana sales, marking a $4 million increase compared to March of last year and a more than $10 million increase from the previous month. These figures fall just $4 million shy of the record-breaking $158 million in sales seen in December, according to data from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC).

Only $17.2 million of the $154 million in sales was attributed to medical marijuana patients, while the remaining $136.8 million was for recreational use. Continue reading

Apr 04 2024

As US Government Considers Rescheduling Marijuana, Canada Prime Minister Says International Treaties Were No Issue for His Country

As the DEA continues its review of marijuana’s scheduling status, with some lawmakers warning that a change could be in violation of international treaties, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says for his country it has not been an issue.

Canada legalized recreational marijuana for everyone 18 and older in 2018, becoming just the second country to do so following Uruguay. In a recent interview with journalist Mathieu Kassovitzt, Trudeau was asked about any potential downsides of legalizing marijuana, which Trudeau strongly supported.

“The only downside we were extremely worried about was that it would place us in non-compliance with certain international treaties on drug control”, said Trudeau. “We thought they could punish Canada because we’re not aligned with the treaties.”
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Apr 04 2024

Hawaii Marijuana Decrim Bill Given Approval by House, Already Passed Senate

Hawaii’s full House of Representatives has advanced a bill to decriminalize marijuana through its second reading; the measure has already been approved through the state’s full Senate.

Senate Bill 2487 would decriminalize the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for everyone 21 and older, while reducing the penalty for possessing one to two ounces.

Last month Senate Bill 2487 was passed through the Senate with overwhelming support, the vote being 24 to 1. Today, the proposal was passed through its second reading in the House, with a third and final reading expected next week. If the House does pass the measure through its final reading, as is expected, it will be sent to Governor Josh Green.
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Apr 04 2024

Florida Marijuana Legalization Campaign Has Raised $55 Million, More Than Any Prior Legalization Effort

The campaign behind a Florida initiative to legalize marijuana that will be voted on this November has raised over $50 million, more than any previous legalization campaign.

On April 1 the Florida Supreme Court ruled that Smart & Safe Florida’s initiative to legalize recreational marijuana will appear on this November’s ballot. Now, the campaign has announced that they’ve raised an additional $15 million in support of their initiative from new partners, bringing the total to $55 million. For comparison, proponents of California’s Proposition 64 raised $25 million in 2016, while those behind Ohio’s Issue 2 raised just $7 million last year; both initiatives were given approval by voters.

According to a report by MJBizDaily, over $40 million of the $55 million was raised by Trulieve, the leading medical marijuana retailer in Florida with 134 locations statewide. The new donors to the initiative include:
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Apr 04 2024

Here’s Every Marijuana-Related Bill in US Congress With Double-Digit Sponsors

There’s a variety of marijuana-related bills currently active in the United States Congress, but only a select few have garnered enough support to have double-digit sponsors.

According to recent polling, 88% of US adults want marijuana legal for at least medical purposes. Separate polling shows that 63% want lawmakers to pass federal marijuana banking legislation. Despite such widespread and bipartisan support, lawmakers in Congress continue to slow-walk any legislation that would change federal marijuana laws.

That being said, there is some reason for optimism among marijuana reform advocates, including the growing support for a handful of marijuana-related bills.
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