Author: News Room

Connecticut saw yet another month of record-breaking marijuana sales in September, with medical and recreational purchases exceeding $25 million for the first time, new state data published on Tuesday shows. Adult-use cannabis sales hit $14,388,751 last month—the ninth month in a row of record-topping recreational marijuana purchases since the market launched in January. Medical cannabis sales totaled $10,814,987. All told in September, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) reported $25,203,738 in legal cannabis purchases, which is up about $250,000 from August. Adult consumers bought 376,035 total cannabis products, while patients purchased 284,116 medical marijuana items. At the same time,…

“It’s time that we pass legislation that decriminalizes cannabis, removes existing felonies and establishes a regulated market.” By Indiana Rep. Blake Johnson (D) Across the country, states—including most of our neighbors—have realized the benefits of cannabis legalization, yet Indiana has continued to ignore them—a fact that has us falling far behind in our competition for resources and talent. The production and sale of cannabis is a big business. In states where cannabis has been legalized, states have brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, providing additional resources for schools, public health, infrastructure and other critical needs. The Statehouse has…

Signature gathering has officially kicked off to qualify an initiative for California’s 2024 ballot that would spend $5 billion to create a state agency focused on advancing research and development of psychedelic therapies. Known as the TREAT California Act, the measure would not itself change the legal status of any substances. Rather, it would establish a state agency called the Treatment, Research, Education, Access and Therapies (TREAT) Institute, which would identify opportunities for advancing scientific research and development into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. The initiative would create a state constitutional right to conduct research in California using all psychedelic…

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) was the sole Democrat to vote against a marijuana banking reform bill during a committee markup last month. In a new interview, the senator described his vote as an effort at making important equity improvements while there’s still a chance to do so. “I’m worried that if we pass a bill with all of the fees and the revenue that comes, and not begin to address the issue of restorative justice, we’re not going to go back and get those communities,” Warnock said during an appearance on Crooked Media’s Lovett or Leave It podcast that…

“At this point, there really isn’t much of any way you could call it a social equity program, because most of the social equity qualified applicants have been bought out or pushed out of the licenses that they made possible.” By Natasha Yee, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting This story was originally published by the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. As Arizona’s remaining social equity license holders scramble to open marijuana dispensaries before a looming October deadline, private investors and major cannabis corporations have continued to wrest control away from the individuals the program was designed to benefit. In at…

“If a licensee wishes to voluntarily destroy product on hold, they should contact the department to discuss.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent Companies around Missouri have been required to store nearly 63,000 recalled cannabis products since early August. But if they want to destroy that product, they can now consult with state cannabis regulators about how to do it, after a September 29 hearing on the recall was postponed until at least December. Licensed cannabis businesses may not take action on the recalled product without permission for the state, said Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the agency that oversees the state’s…

Federal lawmakers have introduced legislation that would regulate kratom products across the country, renewing a similar push made late last session. The proposal, now titled the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, is expected to have bipartisan support in both chambers. On the Senate side, the measure is sponsored by Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), is expected to sign on as a cosponsor after Congress returns to work next week, advocates say. Booker was also a sponsor of last year’s legislation, which at the time was called the Federal Clarity for Kratom Consumers Act In the House,…

The U.S. Census Bureau has released its first report on state-level marijuana tax revenue data following what the agency calls “a complete canvass of all state agencies” going back to July 2021. In the 18-month period between then and the end of 2022, the data show, states collected more than $5.7 billion from licensed cannabis sales. The launch of the report, which the agency plans to update on a quarterly basis going forward, signals that at least some parts of the federal government are now beginning to treat the cannabis industry as a legitimate sector of the economy. The Census…

California’s governor has dealt the cannabis industry and marijuana reform supporters a mixed bag of actions on bills. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) over the weekend vetoed a measure to legalize cannabis cafes that supporters said would have given consumers new opportunities t0 socialize and allowed businesses to expand their operations. But he also vetoed marijuana packaging legislation that industry operators said would have burdened them with excessive restrictions. Meanwhile, he signed several other bills into law that will make changes to the state’s marijuana laws in areas such as equity, tracking, testing and licensing. The latest actions by the governor…

A new report from an international coalition of advocacy groups says global drug prohibition has fueled environmental destruction in some of the world’s most critical ecosystems, undermining efforts to address the climate crisis. As policymakers, governments, NGOs and activists work to craft urgent responses to protect tropical forests, which are some of the largest carbon sinks on the planet, the report says that “their efforts will fail as long as those committed to environmental protection neglect to recognize, and grapple with, the elephant in the room”—namely “the global system of criminalized drug prohibition, popularly known as the ‘war on drugs.’”…