Author: News Room

A California bill to legalize marijuana cafes—allowing dispensaries to offer non-cannabis food and drinks at their location if they receive local approval—is officially heading to the governor’s desk. Days after the Senate passed a slightly amended version of the legislation from Assemblymember Matt Haney (D), the Assembly concurred with the opposite chamber’s changes on Monday in a 48-7 vote. It now goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). AB 374 would allow local governments to authorize cannabis consumption lounges to prepare and sell non-cannabis foods and soft drinks at their facilities. The sale of alcoholic beverages at the cannabis cafes would…

The Senate Banking Committee will not be voting on cannabis banking legislation next week, despite the suggestions of some key insiders and analysts. While top Senate players on both sides of the aisle have indicated that they’re prepared to move the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act this fall after a “productive” August recess, a Banking Committee spokesperson told Marijuana Moment on Monday that the “markup won’t be next week.” To be clear, no lawmakers involved in the legislation have publicly committed to holding a vote next week. But there’s been amplified speculation about that timeline, with GOP lobbyist…

Nineteen Latin American and Caribbean nations have issued a joint statement acknowledging the need to rethink the global war on drugs and instead focus on “life, peace and development” within the region. Under the current, punitive approach, the countries said at the Latin American and Caribbean Conference on Drugs over the weekend, “the expected results have not been obtained when combating the world drug problem, leaving in many cases the underlying problems to be solved and exploiting and exacerbating vulnerabilities of our territories and societies.” The 17-point statement is backed by representatives of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,…

It’s that time of year: the weed plants are flowering but the first storms of fall threaten to damage your garden.Southern California had the Tropical Storm Hilary coincide with an earthquake. Multiple inches of rain fell in the course of day. Winds howled. On the East Coast, hurricane season is warming up, throwing wind and water at East Coast gardens.We jumped on the phone with master of cannabis horticulture, Ed Rosenthal, for some first aid plant tips. He said a lot of plant first aid is analogous to human first aid. You have to treat and disinfect wound sites, and…

Commissioners on Friday also approved big fines for two cannabis companies that were found to be violating patient access and labor laws. By Sophie Nieto-Munoz, New Jersey Monitor Weed brownies and THC-infused drinks are coming to dispensaries across New Jersey after the state’s cannabis regulators voted to relax restrictions on edibles Friday, nearly a year and a half after legal recreational marijuana sales started in New Jersey. When the Cannabis Regulatory Commission first drafted rules in August 2021, it opted not to allow the sale of edibles that resemble food, citing difficulties in regulating kitchen environments. At that time, commissioners…

Supporters say podiatry patients live with neuropathy and intractable pain—two of the 24 conditions approved for medical cannabis use. By Christen Smith, The Center Square Podiatrists may soon recommend medical marijuana in Pennsylvania, that is if the legislature takes the advice of the state’s advisory panel. The Medical Marijuana Advisory Board voted this week in favor of a recommendation to add podiatrists to a list of more than 1,800 medical providers that includes among others psychiatrists, primary care physicians, specialists, anesthesiologists and oncologists. Supporters say podiatry patients live with neuropathy and intractable pain—two of the 24 conditions approved for medical…

Connecticut broke another marijuana sales record in August, with $25 million worth of medical and adult-use cannabis purchases, state data shows. The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) reported that recreational marijuana sales hit $14 million last month—another record for the adult-use market—while medical marijuana purchases amount to about $11 million. That combined $25 million is more than $2 million above the state’s prior record that was set in June. This is also the eighth month in a row of record-breaking recreational marijuana sales since Connecticut’s adult-use program launched in January. At the same time, the cost of recreational cannabis…

The Justice Department is defending the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) decision to fire an “outstanding” special agent after 16 years of service because he tested positive for THC after taking a CBD product for pain that he said he believed to be legal hemp. That agent, Anthony Armour, filed a lawsuit against DEA in May, seeking a reversal of the termination on several grounds, including a lack of “substantial evidence” that he used an illegal drug, as well as mitigating factors such as his professional record. DEA doesn’t see it that way, though. In a response brief submitted to the…

Maine marijuana sales reached a record high in August, with nearly $22 million worth of purchases, according to new data from the state Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP). This summer has seen numerous states hitting cannabis sales highs, and Maine is no exception. August was the fourth month in a row of record-breaking adult-use purchases for the state. The $21.6 million in sales last month came from 377,050 individual cannabis transactions. Maine’s year-to-date in marijuana sales for 2023 is $140.1 million, meaning the state is well on track to beat its 2022 total of $159 million. Most of August’s purchases…

The vote came after a discussion about the growing popularity of “troches,” an ingestible form of THC that resembles a cough drop. By Christen Smith, The Center Square Officials tasked with monitoring the state’s medical marijuana program said this week edibles don’t belong in Pennsylvania’s marketplace. Concerns about safety, efficacy and legal enforcement gave members of the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board pause. Six abstained from voting on the recommendation at all during its Wednesday meeting. Only two members supported the proposal, while two more rejected it. The vote came after a discussion about the growing popularity of “troches,” an ingestible…