TG Branfalt

Connecticut has awarded 16 recipients the state’s first social equity commercial cannabis licenses; the licensees still have to pay a $3 million fee and pass a background check before receiving their final licenses. 

Vermont’s hemp program will be operated by the USDA beginning January 1, 2023, but regulatory oversight for hemp testing and hemp-infused products will remain under the purview of the Vermont Cannabis Control Board.

California’s Department of Cannabis Control may establish standardized cannabis lab testing methods to combat the prevalence of “lab shopping” within the state industry. 

The National Basketball Association Players Association has entered a multi-year partnership for branded CBD products with Harrington Wellness, a CBD brand founded by former player Al Harrington.

New York regulators, after first refusing to publicly release the letters, have posted cease-and-desist letters sent to 66 retail businesses accused of violating the state’s cannabis regulations.

Democratic senators from four U.S. states sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling for his administration to deschedule cannabis and issue pardons to all individuals convicted of non-violent cannabis crimes. 

Arizona’s adult-use cannabis sales reached $75.5 million in April which represents a decrease of $5 million from March.

Cannabis advocates with New Approach North Dakota have submitted more than 25,000 signatures calling for an adult-use legalization ballot initiative this November.

Hightimes Holding Corp. has purchased a cannabis social consumption lounge in California for $6 million in a mostly stock deal although the current stock value for the media company is essentially zero.

CannaSafe Labs has decided to phase out its cannabis lab testing services partially due to ‘lab shopping,’ which is when cannabis brands bring their products to different labs for testing and choose the most desirable results.

Cannabis advocacy group Responsible Growth Arkansas has submitted twice the number of signatures needed to place adult-use cannabis legalization on November’s ballots.

WNBA all-star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to cannabis possession in Russia. Following the plea, Griner now faces up to 10 years in prison.

Nebraska medical cannabis advocates have turned in two petitions exceeding the 87,000-signature threshold for putting medical cannabis reforms on the ballot.

Burb Cannabis Corp. is set to open a retail shop on the University of British Columbia campus this fall.

New Jersey’s medical cannabis taxes were officially phased out as of July 1 under the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act.

Medical cannabis patients in Washington DC are now allowed to self-certify that their consumption is for medical purposes and will no longer need a physician recommendation.

Washington state cannabis regulators this week adopted a motion implementing a bill passed last year which replaces the word “marijuana” with “cannabis” in state law.

California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Cannabis Control, and State Water Resources Control Board have launched their 2022 enforcement program addressing the effects of cannabis cultivation on the environment.

Adult-use cannabis sales in New Mexico have remained consistent, reaching $21.2 million in June after seeing a similar amount in May.

Virginia will maintain its ban on synthetic cannabinoids like delta-8 THC in food and beverages, despite the state’s cannabis legalization policy.

Five former cannabis operators in Santa Barbara, California have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, the unlawful cultivation and sale of marijuana, and perjury.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) signed a bill to permanently exempt hemp from the state’s controlled substances law.

The Teamsters union has successfully recruited more than 500 cannabis industry workers and is looking to organize in multiple states with upcoming cannabis legalization questions on their ballots.