Happy 420! Be sure to check out our National Highlights section below for a special blog feature on the history of this beloved cannabis "holiday". In the news this 420: Alabama is closer than ever to legalizing medical cannabis, New Jersey took its first step towards implementing its new adult-use program, and Mississippi and Montana are deciding the fate of their voter-approved cannabis programs -- check out the latest!
NATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
How 420 Became The Official Cannabis Holiday
If you’ve spent any time around cannabis, you are probably aware that the number 420 is associated with the plant; April 20th is the day to celebrate it and 4:20 is the time to smoke it. So how did 420 become linked to cannabis? As it turns out, the term’s origin story is almost as interesting as how the term spread throughout the world. Read our blog to learn everything we know about how 420 became the term for cannabis.
STATEWIDE CHATTER
Alabama
Alabama may be the next state to legalize a medical cannabis program. House lawmakers advanced a medical cannabis legalization bill last week, sending the bill to the full House floor for a vote. The bill would allow people with certain qualifying conditions to access cannabis in the form of capsules, lozenges, oils, suppositories, and topical patches - raw cannabis, smoking, vaping, and candy or baked edibles would be prohibited. The Senate already approved the bill last month, but if it passes out of the House it will need to go back to the Senate for another vote since amendments were made during the bill's consideration in the House. As the bill currently reads, applications for medical cannabis businesses would start being accepted on September 1, 2022. (Marijuana Moment)
Mississippi
The Mississippi Supreme Court heard arguments last week about Initiative 65, the voter-approved initiative to legalize medical cannabis in the state. The arguments have nothing to do with the medical cannabis program itself, but rather on procedural issues - specifically, whether Initiative 65’s placement on the ballot through a signature petition was constitutionally proper. Chief Justice Michael Randolph indicted that the court would issue its opinion as soon as possible, stating he knows many people are waiting on the decision to determine the fate of medical cannabis in Mississippi. If the challenge is struck down by the court, state regulators will have to move quickly to implement the new law. Initiative 65 establishes that specific business and licensing regulations must be created by July 1, and medical cannabis business licenses must begin to be issued by August 15. (Marijuana Moment)
Montana
The Montana House has advanced three competing bills on the regulation of adult-use cannabis in the state. Voters approved a legalization measure during last year’s state elections that would allow cannabis sales to begin in January 2022 and direct a significant amount of cannabis tax revenue toward conservation efforts. However, the bills lawmakers are considering do not follow that plan and suggest several changes to the voter-approved initiative. One of the bills, HB 701, would limit adult-use licenses to existing cannabis providers for 18 months. The voter-approved initiative established that applications would open to all interested applicants by October 1 of this year. The bills – House Bills 701, 707, and 670 – will now be considered and voted on by the Senate. (Cannabis Business Times)
New Jersey
Last Monday, New Jersey’s newly formed Cannabis Regulatory Commission held its first official meeting. The commission will oversee New Jersey’s medical and adult-use cannabis programs, beginning with drafting specific business and licensing regulations for the new adult-use program. According to the new law, the regulations must be established by the end of August, which is also when cannabis business licenses must become available. The commission will meet again this week on April 22. New Jersey's adult-use market is estimated to generate $850 million to $950 million in annual retail sales by 2024. The state is expected to launch it's first legal sales in early 2022. (JD Supra)
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