A blog chronicling the evolution and implementation of cannabis laws in the United States
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana.
West Virginia’s House voted Tuesday to legalize doctor-prescribed marijuana to treat certain medical conditions following Senate passage of a similar measure last week.
A federal judge from the U.S. Northern District of Illinois recently ruled that an Illinois state law banning (i) medical cannabis cultivation centers and dispensaries from making campaign contributions to any political committee established to promote a candidate for public office, and (ii) candidates and political committees from receiving such contributions, violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The…
Continue Reading More Green on the Horizon for Illinois MMJ Businesses and Lawmakers
Seyfarth Synopsis: In response to recent comments from senior members of the Trump Administration, lawmakers are exploring novel ways to protect the burgeoning marijuana industry (and the many jobs that it is projected to create) in states where it is legal, including legislation that would prevent state and local agencies from using state resources to assist federal enforcement efforts.
Continue Reading Sanctuary States … from Federal Marijuana Enforcement?
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana.
The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Board gave approval for state-licensed dispensaries to deliver medical marijuana to patients and caregivers once the state’s MMJ program has launched.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb 8 (Reuters) – The prospect of Senator Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general has cast uncertainty over the country’s nascent legalized marijuana industry, souring deals and disrupting share prices since the longtime critic of the drug was nominated.
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana.
Cannabis Industry Market Map: 60+ Companies Across CPG, Payments, Analytics, Compliance, And More
(CB Insights, 31 January 2017)
Startups are finding new ways to tailor technologies specifically to cannabis businesses.
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana.
In a major positive step for the cannabis industry, the New York Stock Exchange last month listed a new real estate investment trust called Innovative…
Continue Reading The Week in Weed: January 27, 2017
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana.
DENVER (AP) — Denver is starting work Wednesday on becoming the first city in the nation to allow marijuana clubs and public…
Continue Reading The Week in Weed: January 20, 2017
On January 10, 2017, Alabama GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions began confirmation hearings with the Senate Judiciary Committee for his potential role as Attorney General in the upcoming Trump administration. During these hearings he was asked questions that shed light on possible differences between the Trump administration Department of Justice’s stance on marijuana as compared to the Obama administration.
In response to a question about federalism as it relates to marijuana laws from Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, Sessions stated:
“One obvious concern is that Congress has made the possession of marijuana in every state an illegal act. If that is not desired any longer, Congress should pass a law to change it. It’s not the attorney general’s job to decide which laws to enforce. We should enforce the laws as effectively as we are able.”Continue Reading Jeff Sessions Senate Confirmation Hearing Hints at Enforcement Attitudes Towards Marijuana
As we enter a new year, and approach the one year anniversary of New York’s Medical Marijuana Program, we are given an opportunity to look back and reflect on the performance of the program, and what lies ahead.
In some ways, the program has been vastly successful. As of January 3, 2016, 807 practitioners have registered for the Medical Marijuana Program, and 12,067 patients have been certified by their practitioners.
However, the Medical Marijuana Program has also been criticized for its limited access, high prices, and the regulatory hurdles which have discouraged doctors and patients from participating, and have hurt medical marijuana companies trying to grow their business. For instance, some patients have to travel upwards of three hours to receive the required medication. Further, many companies have invested in large grow spaces, but due to the restrictive nature of the law, demand has remained low. Consequently, these companies are using only a marginal fraction of their overall capacity for growth.Continue Reading New York is Lighting A Fire Under its Budding Cannabis Industry
