Cannabis businesses would be less likely to face federal government intervention and have better access to banking as a bipartisan bill introduced Tuesday in the House of Representatives would reclassify marijuana, recognizing that it has some medical value. Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen and Republican Don Young of Alaska want to reclassify cannabis as a schedule II […]
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Massachusetts Legalization Advocates Facing Uphill Battle
Massachusetts marijuana advocates are facing an uphill battle after the state’s attorney general openly said she’s against full legalization and a Boston city councilor introduced a proposal that would make it illegal for cannabis shops to open near each other. Attorney General Maura Healey said though she supported decriminalization of a small amount of marijuana, […]
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Denver-Area Marijuana Growers Face Regulatory Actions
Marijuana cultivators around the Denver metro area are having a tough spring. Six commercial operators were recently ordered to quarantine hundreds of cannabis plants due to a potential pesticide violation. The quarantine puts the cultivators’ businesses on hold indefinitely, as they can’t sell any of their crop until the quarantine is lifted. The names of […]
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Marijuana Businesses Getting Big Boost From Partnerships With Cannabis Celebrities
By John Schroyer High-profile celebrities partnering with private companies for mutual gain is hardly a new concept. In the marijuana industry, however, it’s one that’s been gaining traction since recreational sales began just over a year ago. At least three cannabis companies have inked deals with big names that have long been associated with marijuana. […]
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IL MMJ Patient Pool Balloons, More Growth Possible
The Illinois medical marijuana customer base has grown rapidly in the past few weeks. State health officials reported that roughly 2,500 residents have applied for MMJ cards, an increase of roughly 150% from earlier in March. Thus far, about 1,600 MMJ patient applicants have been approved by the state, according to an Illinois TV station. […]
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Hemp Products Market $620M in 2014, Industry Group Says
According to a study by the Hemp Industries Association, the 2014 market for hemp products sold in the U.S. had a total retail value of $620 million. That number includes food and body care products, valued at $200 million, along with other popular items such as non-dairy milk, shelled seed, soaps and lotions, the trade […]
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Chart of the Week: Arizona’s Cannabis Cultivation Over-Capacity
By Becky Olson According to data gathered by Benchmark Commercial Real Estate (BMCRE) in Arizona, the amount of square footage approved for potential cannabis cultivation massively exceeds what the current medical marijuana – or even the future recreational – in-state market will bear. The state already has just over one million square feet of built-out […]
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Ohio MJ Ballot Measure Backers Cleared to Start Gathering Signatures
A well-funded effort to legalize both medical and recreational marijuana in Ohio cleared its latest hurdle Friday when a campaign group was granted permission to begin gathering signatures for the 2015 ballot. ResponsibleOhio, which is behind the controversial ballot measure, now has until July to collect at least 305,591 signatures to get their initiative before […]
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Restraining Order Prevents Approved IL Grower From Proceeding
A temporary restraining order keeping a cultivation site in Illinois from opening will remain in place, as a lawsuit by a separate grower who was denied a producer’s license winds its way through the courts. A Cook County judge ruled that Cresco Labs, which was awarded an MMJ cultivation permit, would have to wait to […]
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Week in Review: WA Regs Criticism, 1st City Owned Rec Shop + Tribes Move Towards MJ
By John Schroyer and Tony C. Dreibus A prominent cannabis executive and former governor badmouths Washington State’s recreational marijuana rules, the first-ever municipally-owned cannabis shop draws criticism, and more Native American tribes ponder joining the marijuana industry. Here’s a closer look at several notable developments in the cannabis industry over the past week.
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Three Maine Tribes Consider MJ Cultivation, Sales
Three Maine American Indian tribes are considering growing and selling marijuana on their lands, part of a growing number of tribes considering cannabis as a revenue source. The Maliseet, Passamaquoddy and Micmacs tribes are considering the economic benefits of legalizing marijuana on native lands, while the state’s fourth recognized tribe, the Penobscot Nation, has said […]
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Oregon Recreational Marijuana Rules: Q&A With Liquor Control Commission Chair Rob Patridge
By John Schroyer Oregon will become the fourth state in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana possession when a measure voters approved last year goes into effect this July, but getting the actual industry up and running will take a good bit more time than that. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) is knee-deep in the […]
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The pandemic pivot and how cannabis companies reacted to COVID-19.