Marijuana Business Magazine February 2020

Marijuana Business Magazine | February 2020 38 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in January promised to legalize recreational cannabis in the state as part of his 2020 agenda. The governor made the promise during his annual State of the State address. Cuomo also appointed Norman Birenbaum as director of the state’s cannabis program. Birenbaum previously had been the top medical marijuana regulator in Rhode Island and is expected to help legaliza- tion efforts in New Jersey’s upcoming legislative session. North Dakota In what a regulator hailed as a sign of “successful implementation” of North Dakota’s medical cannabis program, the eighth and final dispensary in the state opened in Dickinson. The other dispensaries in North Dakota are in Bismarck, Devils Lake, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot and Williston. Ohio A year after legalizing medical marijuana, Ohio has 46 MMJ dispensaries, with another dozen planning to open. More than 400 applicants sought licenses for dispensaries. State dispensaries had sold nearly 6,000 pounds of plant material and more than 236,000 units of products such as edibles, patches and oils to be vaped, as of late December. Oklahoma Supporters of recreational cannabis in Oklahoma refiled a petition to legalize adult-use marijuana in the state. The original petition was criticized by those who feared it would hurt Oklahoma’s fast-growing medical marijuana industry. Michelle Tilley, the executive director of the Oklahoma branch of the American Civil Liberties Union who filed the new paperwork, said the petition was redrafted to make sure there were greater protections for the existing medical marijuana industry and its patients. Oregon As of Jan. 1, Oregon made official the ability for the state’s Liquor Control Commission, which regulates the licensed marijuana market, to deny cannabis production licenses based on supply and demand. The permanent rule officially puts an end to the state’s previous regulatory structure, which essentially allowed anyone with enough money to get a license, with no cap on the number of permits issued. The regulatory move was largely made to help curb the state’s overproduction and oversupply of marijuana flower. Industry Developments | International & State