Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. We have some information on the SAFER Banking Act – will the “R” make all the difference? Nebraska voters may have the opportunity to vote on medical marijuana. There’s some upheaval in the Massachusetts cannabis world. And finally, a Wisconsin politician is on a “Grass Routes” tour.
Continue Reading The Week in Weed: September 22, 2023Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we follow up on three stories: the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ vote on cannabis sales; the situation in New York; and the situation in Alabama. And finally, we see Paul McCartney and the late Jimmy Buffett collaborated on a song about cannabis gummies.
Continue Reading The Week in Weed: September 15, 2023
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we have an update on South Dakota’s ballot initiative. We note the introduction of the Stop Pot Act on the federal level. Maryland sets out qualifications for social equity licenses. New Hampshire has a commission to study legalization. And finally, could we have a new slang term for cannabis?
Continue Reading The Week in Weed: September 8, 2023Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we see the rocky road to a retail market in New York continues to be, well, rocky. Alabama is having problems of its own in dealing with cannabis licensing. Ohioans will vote on adult-use cannabis in November. South Dakota is issuing a lot of medical marijuana cards. The news is not all on the state level, however. Could cannabis move from Schedule I to Schedule III – that’s what HHS is proposing. And finally, what’s that aroma wafting over the U.S. Open?
Continue Reading The Week in Weed: September 1, 2023Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we return to South Dakota, where some people want adult-use to be legal and some want medical marijuana to be rescinded. Then we have a follow-up on the New York situation. We check in on Alabama, where licensing has been an issue. We note that New Hampshire will now be studying legalization. And we turn our attention overseas, to check in on the German legalization process. And finally, we report on a CBD bar in South Carolina.
Continue Reading The Week in Weed: August 18, 2023College athletes around the country may soon be in for an unexpected change in drug testing requirements. The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) recently showed support for removing cannabis from the organization’s banned drug list and testing protocols. The committee will discuss the decision with its members throughout the summer and final action will be decided on in the fall. Action items the committee will focus on include considering whether NCAA drug testing should only be limited to performance-enhancing substances, and seeking approval from the NCAA Board of Governors to stop testing for cannabis at championship events while the ultimate legislative decision is pending. To finalize the decision of cannabis being removed from the NCAA’s list of banned drugs, all three of its divisional governance bodies have to introduce and adopt legislation.
Continue Reading Puff-Puff-Pass the Ball? NCAA Ponders a Different Kind of High Standard for Drug Testing AthletesWelcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we see lots of developments at the state level: New York’s licensing woes continue, Florida’s Attorney General speaks out against a legalization ballot initiative, and Ohio legalization advocates collect thousands more signatures for their ballot initiative. Also, we draw your attention to the latest edition of the PBC Banking Directory, and there’s a familiar name on the PBC Conference speaker’s list! And finally, did smoking pot make Bill Gates “cool” in high school?
Continue Reading The Week in Weed: August 11, 2023Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we see a lot of finger-pointing over CBD regulations. The Senate now has a companion bill to the House’s PREPARE Act. Could South Dakota overturn its medical marijuana law? And finally, a former Minnesota governor looks to launch his own cannabis brand.
Continue Reading The Week in Weed: August 4, 2023Governor Kathy Hochul’s determined efforts to combat illegal cannabis operations in New York have gained even more momentum with a new multi-agency initiative authorized as part of the 2024 Budget. The State aims to curtail the sale of untested cannabis from unlicensed shops through comprehensive inspections and enforcement actions. Additionally, New York City Council’s unanimous passing of a new bill now prohibits landlords from knowingly leasing commercial spaces to stores selling unlicensed marijuana or tobacco products, further strengthening the crackdown on illicit cannabis sales.
Continue Reading Second-Hand Smoke: New York’s Crackdown on Illegal Cannabis Sales Extends to LandlordsWelcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, the news centers around Florida and Ohio, as both states grapple with ballot initiatives. We also note that the country of Albania has legalized medical cannabis. And finally, it’s all aboard the Cannabus!
Continue Reading The Week in Weed: July 28, 2023