Marijuana Business Magazine November-December 2019

Marijuana Business Magazine | November-December 2019 42 Massachusetts Massachusetts became the first state to temporarily ban the sale of canna- bis and tobacco vaping products in response to the vape health crisis. The four-month ban covers sales of all marijuana and tobacco vaping products. The Vapor Technology Association, a national industry trade group, filed a temporary restraining order to stop the ban, but it was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani. Michigan State regulators released detailed instructions on how businesses can apply for adult-use cannabis licenses. There are no statewide caps on licenses, but munic- ipalities can restrict the number. Nearly 1,000 of the state’s 1,773 communities have decided to ban retail stores in their areas. There is a $6,000 nonrefundable application fee for the main applicant, which is the entity or individual seeking to hold the state license. Social equity applicants qualify for reduced fees. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak is creating a multiagency task force to “root out corruption or criminal influences” in the state’s legal cannabis market, spurred by federal charges filed against two businessmen—Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman—with ties to President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. The announcement came a day after a federal indictment in New York detailed a failed attempt by a group with foreign ties to win a retail marijuana license in Nevada by donating money to the political campaigns of two state officials. The governor also called on the task force to investigate “serious allegations of manipulated lab results, and a licensing process mired in litigation.” New Hampshire Medical marijuana patients soon will have the ability to buy MMJ, even if they haven’t had the same doctor for three months—a development that could provide a sales boost to the state’s small medical cannabis market. Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed a bill to eliminate the waiting period, but the state House and Senate voted to override his veto. Lawmakers who supported the bill argued that it was unfair to make patients wait three months when no such rules apply to other drugs, including opioids. Industry Developments | International & State