Marijuana Business Magazine - May-June 2018

Rhode Island A state commission delayed until 2019 its recommen- dation on whether to legalize recreational marijuana. The group, which has met four times since October, was expected to release its findings to lawmakers on March 1. A spokesman for the House speaker said that while the com- mission delayed making a recommendation, legislation on the issue could still be passed this year. Washington state Marijuana businesses must now pay an annual fee of $895 to produce cannabis-infused edibles. The new charge stems from a special license endorsement that edibles makers were required to get starting April 1, when the state’s Department of Agriculture began regulating infused product makers. The fee will go toward enforcing the state’s sanitary processing requirements. Applications are being accepted through the state’s Department of Revenue Busi- ness Licensing Service. Utah Roughly 160,000 signatures have been gathered in support of a medical marijuana ballot initiative, an effort being led by Utah Patients Coalition. MMJ advocates needed West Virginia A bill that would have made several changes to the state’s medical marijuana law failed when the legislative session ended in March. West Virginia’s medical marijuana program was set to launch in 2019, but the bill’s failure and an opinion from the state treasurer have put the rollout on shaky ground. State Treasurer John Perdue wrote a letter to the governor and other state leaders, expressing concerns about the federal illegality of cannabis. – Kate Lavin Note: Entries sourced from Marijuana Business Daily and other international, national and local news outlets. These develop- ments occurred before this magazine’s publication deadline, so some situations may have changed. Pennsylvania The state Department of Health will issue permits for universities and hospitals interested in research- ing medical marijuana. Drexel University, Penn Medicine and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia have expressed interest in adding marijuana research to their programs. In 2016, Thomas Jefferson University in Phila- delphia announced a Center for Medical Cannabis Educa- tion & Research to study medical cannabis and educate doctors. The same year, the University of Pittsburgh Medical School expressed interest in collaborating with medical marijuana businesses to research MMJ. 113,000 signatures to qualify for the November vote, and around 120,000 signatures have been verified by county clerks. Advocates had until April 16 to collect a minimum threshold of signatures in 26 of Utah’s 29 senate districts, and some of the districts were still a few signatures short as of late March. May-June 2018 • Marijuana Business Magazine • 29