Author: News Room

“The recreational market has tripled reported totals over the medical side for two of the past three months.” By David Abbott, Arizona Mirror Arizona’s recreational cannabis sales hit the $100 million mark in March for the first time since sales began, while the medical market maintained a tenuous equilibrium around the $30 million mark per month. The recreational market has tripled reported totals over the medical side for two of the past three months. The Arizona Department of Revenue reported that, in April, recreational sales reached nearly $86.5 million, while March sales were just shy of $101 million, marking the…

A coalition of marijuana businesses and advocacy groups has launched a new super PAC that will work to “raise the profile of cannabis as a national issue in the 2024 election and beyond.” And part of the strategy will involve finding industry partners to ask their customers to make “round-up” donations at the point of sale when shopping at dispensaries. The U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC) announced on Wednesday that it and its member businesses have formed the “Legalize America” super PAC, which unlike traditional political action committees can accept contributions of any size but cannot directly coordinate with political candidates.…

Californians’ supports for legalizing marijuana is now even higher than when they approved the reform at the ballot in 2016, a new poll shows, and a solid majority of voters also want cannabis retailers to be operating in their own neighborhoods. The survey from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) that was released on Monday found that 64 percent of residents support marijuana legalization. Likely voters are even more supportive, with 69 percent backing legalization. When legalization was on the ballot seven years ago, the reform passed with a slimmer majority, with 57 percent of the vote. The overall…

A powerful U.S. Senate panel is calling on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to facilitate medical marijuana access for veterans and explore the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. They’re also asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take steps to promote the hemp industry and cannabis genetics research. Reports attached to 2024 Fiscal Year spending bills that recently advanced through the Senate Appropriations Committee touch on a number of cannabis issues. The text was released days after the panel approved the underlying legislation, including one bill that was amended to allow VA doctors to discuss and recommend medical…

A New Jersey Senate committee held a hearing on Monday to discuss a bill that would legalize the possession, home cultivation and gifting of psilocybin mushrooms for adults 21 and older while also creating a system of licensed businesses to provide access to the psychedelic and related services in supervised settings. The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee took up the legislation from Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D)—hearing testimony from experts and people whose lives have been directly impacted by psychedelics—about a year after the measure was originally filed. Scutari said in opening remarks that the proposal addresses…

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is highlighting marijuana banking reform is one of several key legislative priorities that he intends to push through using bipartisan cooperation when the Senate reconvenes next month. The Republican sponsor of the cannabis bill, meanwhile, says this is the “best” time to get the job done—but cautioned that passage could be jeopardized if Democrats move to significantly expand the scope of the legislation. In the first half of this year, the majority leader was focused on getting President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees confirmed and fending off GOP-led regulatory rollback legislation. But in an interview…

“This bill represents the best side of the legislative process—working together across the aisle to solve a problem.” By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has signed legislation that may finally allow Black farmers to get involved in the medical marijuana industry, despite years of disrespect and frustration in the Black farmers community. The bill (HB 387) was originally crafted to allow physicians to use telehealth methods to renew medical marijuana certifications for qualified patients. But in the last week of the legislative session, the measure was amended and language was added from Sens. Darryl Rouson (R)…

A California Assembly committee has approved a Senate-passed bill to legalize the possession and facilitated use of certain psychedelics. The Assembly Public Safety Committee advanced the legislation from Sen. Scott Wiener (D) in a 5-2 vote, with amendments, on Tuesday—about one month after it was approved by the full Senate. It now heads to the Assembly Health Committee before potentially moving to the floor. “These substances have significant healing potential, and there’s growing research showing that potential,” Wiener said in opening remarks. “Had the war on drugs not started in the 60s and 70s, we would probably be in a…

Connecticut officials are encouraging adults to use “safe and healthy gardening practices” if they choose to grow their own marijuana plants when that activity officially becomes legal on Saturday. The state Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) published a notice on Tuesday that reminds people about the upcoming policy change, the delayed rollout of which was part of a broader cannabis legalization bill that Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed into law in 2021. Separately, the governor also signed new marijuana omnibus legislation on Monday that seeks to build upon the state’s legal cannabis program. With respect to home grow, as of…

The attorney general of Florida has submitted a brief to the state Supreme Court detailing the reasons she is seeking to keep a marijuana legalization initiative off the 2024 ballot. The Florida Chamber of Commerce and an anti-drug organization also filed briefs opposing the measure, which is being almost entirely funded by the multi-state cannabis company Trulieve. After being granted a two-week extension by the court, Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) filed the initial brief on Monday’s deadline. As expected, her office is again pushing to invalidate the cannabis measure, arguing that the way its ballot summary is written is…