Legalization news for industry professionals. The cannabis legalization movement has gone mainstream: scroll down to find out which markets are currently working to legalize cannabis for medical and/or recreational use.
Fri / Mar 22nd
Tribal members of the Wisconsin-based Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association recently agreed to prioritize lobbying and campaigning efforts for the legalization of medical cannabis.
Fri / Mar 15th
Hawaii House lawmakers in two key committees this week voted to advance — with amendments — the cannabis legalization bill that was passed earlier this month by the state Senate.
Tue / Mar 12th
Ohio is considering a bill to fund the retirement and replacement of police K9s trained to detect cannabis following the state’s legalization reforms, aiming to use cannabis tax revenue to support the transition and ensure law enforcement adaptability.
Fri / Mar 8th
Hawaii’s House has advanced a bill to facilitate state-led expungement of certain criminal records, potentially affecting over 36,000 individuals with minor cannabis possession charges.
Thu / Mar 7th
A study indicates that beer sales in Canada dropped significantly following the legalization of adult-use cannabis, with a notable decline in canned and kegged beer but not in spirits or bottled beer, suggesting a possible consumer shift from beer to cannabis.
Wed / Mar 6th
Lawmakers in the Hawaii Senate voted decisively to legalize adult-use cannabis on Tuesday but the proposal faces an uncertain future in the House, which rejected a legalization proposal last year.
Mon / Mar 4th
A Pew Research Center analysis has revealed that 79% of Americans now live in counties that contain at least one legal cannabis dispensary.
Mon / Mar 4th
The Michigan Department of Treasury is allocating over $87 million from cannabis tax revenues to various local governments, demonstrating significant financial impact of the legal cannabis industry on municipal funding, education, and transportation within the state.
Thu / Feb 29th
Florida lawmakers’ attempt to impose THC limits on potential future adult-use cannabis sales has failed, leaving potency regulations unchanged as the state approaches a November ballot initiative on legalization.
Wed / Feb 28th
A recent survey by the California Department of Cannabis Control reveals that 86% of Californians believe it is important to purchase cannabis from legal sources, highlighting a growing preference for the regulated market over unregulated alternatives.
Mon / Feb 26th
After much anticipation, Germany became the third EU country to legalize adult-use cannabis following a decisive vote in the Bundestag, marking a significant shift in drug policy and setting a precedent that may influence other EU nations.
Tue / Feb 20th
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is urging state legislators to approve a proposal that would allow medical cannabis dispensaries to also cater to adult-use customers, following voter approval of adult-use cannabis but without the implementation of a market.
Thu / Feb 15th
South Carolina’s Senate has passed a bill to allow medical cannabis for certain serious illnesses, mirroring a conservative approach that emphasizes tight regulation over production and dispensing, and setting a clear distinction from broader adult-use legalization.
Wed / Feb 14th
The U.S. Virgin Islands Cannabis Board voted on Tuesday to approve long-awaited rules and regulations for the territory’s adult-use cannabis industry, which was approved by lawmakers last January.
Fri / Feb 9th
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has called for the legalization of adult-use cannabis, highlighting potential revenue losses to neighboring states with legal cannabis and proposing a 20% tax to generate significant tax revenues in his budget proposal.
Wed / Feb 7th
Hawaii lawmakers are considering three different cannabis reform bills this legislative session, including two that would legalize adult-use cannabis and establish a regulatory authority.
Tue / Feb 6th
Germany’s government coalition says it has arrived at its final cannabis legalization policy which, once enacted, is expected to take effect on April 1 later this year.
Tue / Feb 6th
A Kentucky state representative has introduced “House Bill 420,” a bill to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis, protect consumer employment rights, offer expungement for certain convictions, and establish a tax-funded system to address prohibition impacts.
Mon / Feb 5th
Florida lawmakers have moved forward a bill to cap potency on adult-use cannabis products ahead of potential legalization, setting THC limits for various forms and stipulating the measure would activate once legalization has been enacted.
Wed / Jan 31st
Twelve Senate Democrats have urged the Biden Administration to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, countering a recent HHS recommendation for Schedule III that is currently being reviewed by the DEA.
Wed / Jan 31st
Ohio has released draft rules for its newly approved adult-use cannabis industry, seeking public feedback on regulations including application costs, a lottery-based licensing system, and specific provisions for medical cannabis retailers and vertically integrated companies.
Tue / Jan 30th
A Virginia Senate committee advanced a bill to create an adult-use cannabis marketplace, aiming for sales by 2025, despite uncertainty about its reception by Governor Glenn Youngkin, who has expressed disinterest in facilitating adult-use cannabis sales.
Tue / Jan 30th
A ballot initiative that would change Arkansas medical cannabis policy was rejected by the state’s Attorney General due to formatting and ambiguity issues. The initiative aims to expand medical cannabis access and trigger adult-use legalization if cannabis is federally legalized, and is supported by the state’s medical cannabis industry.
Fri / Jan 26th
According to recent CDC data and analysis by NORML, teenage cannabis use in Seattle, Washington has significantly declined since 2008, with the state’s 2012 cannabis legalization potentially impacting the availability and use of cannabis among high school students.
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