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 the Massachusetts ballot initiative that would repeal legalization. We check in on Kentucky and its medical marijuana availability. North Carolina is in the news, but for 2027, not next month. And finally, maybe sending some THC beverages to Congress would help keep hemp legal.
MASSACHUSETTS
Usually, when we talk about state ballot initiatives, we’re discussing plans to legalize cannabis. And back in 2016, we were talking about Massachusetts. Now, the Bay State is back in the news, but for a ballot initiative that would reverse that initiative. So far, polling shows repeal losing badly; it seems that nothing unites Massachusetts voters more than keeping weed legal. But, you never can tell until Election Day; sometimes sure things turn out to be not so sure after all. We’ve been down this road before – looking at you Oklahoma.
KENTUCKY
Although adult-use cannabis is not legal in Kentucky, medical marijuana is. And the state has made progress in setting up its retail offerings. Governor Andy Beshear (D) announced this week that the state is over halfway to being fully rolled out, and medical cannabis is available across all of the state’s eleven licensing regions.
NORTH CAROLINA
Although all the talk right now is about this year’s midterms, spare a thought for 2027. In North Carolina, where neither medical nor adult-use cannabis is legal, could next year be the year that changes? Governor Josh Stein (D) formed a group to come up with a regulatory structure for intoxicating hemp products last year. The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis released an interim report last year, which found the state has one of the largest unregulated cannabis markets in the country. Stein would very much like to change that, and the Council will release a report in December that will contain regulatory recommendations that the state legislature could use to craft legislation in 2027.
AND FINALLY
Herb Light, a company that sells cannabis-infused beverages, is hoping its customers can lobby Congress to repeal hemp recriminalization. Anyone purchasing a 12-pack of their THC beverages can send a six-pack to their representative, along with a note urging them to vote to allow THC beverages to remain legal. You really need to see the “Cheers Against Prohibition” video included in the article linked above.
Be well everyone – we’ll see you next week!