Marijuana Business Magazine January 2020

Oklahoma The state Supreme Court ruled that cities may approve some regulations for medical marijuana businesses in their jurisdictions. The court ruled that legislative amendments to the voter-approved law allowing medical marijuana enables cities to use “standard planning and zoning procedures” as they relate to MMJ businesses. But the amendments do not permit Oklahoma cities to prevent medical marijuana businesses from opening. Oregon The state Court of Appeals placed a stay on the ban of flavored cannabis vape products ordered by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown. The ruling to put the governor’s executive order on hold came in response to a lawsuit by California- based company Herban Industries against the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Pennsylvania A poll conducted by Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster found that 58% of registered Pennsylvania voters support legalizing recreational marijuana, but an identical majority said they are “less likely” to support a plan to sell cannabis products through state-run liquor stores. The survey of 482 registered voters had a margin of error of 6.1%. Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo is asking a judge to declare the Legislature’s control over new medical marijuana and hemp regulations unconstitutional. Raimondo said the Democratic-controlled Legislature, in provisions of the state budget, violated the constitutional guarantee of separation of powers by giving itself the right to veto—and thereby control—executive regulations. The budget also adds six medical marijuana dispensaries, giving Rhode Island a total of nine. South Dakota Groups that support marijuana legalization submitted petitions containing more than 80,000 signatures to the South Dakota secretary of state for two separate marijuana reform ballot initiatives for the 2020 election. One measure would create a medical marijuana program for qualified patients; the other would legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older and require the state Legislature to approve a hemp cultivation law.