The outlook on national legalization continues to look promising and there has been lots of movement on the local front - including Rhode Island which recently opened its dispensary applications window. Check out the latest!
NATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
U.S. Cannabis Legislation Suddenly Seems More Likely
The U.S. could legalize marijuana at the federal level as soon as 2021 if Joe Biden is able to win the presidential election and Democrats take control of the Senate. (Bloomberg)
Coalition Of Justice Groups Urges Congress To Pass Marijuana Legalization Bill
A coalition of civil rights and drug policy reform groups—including the ACLU, Human Rights Watch, Drug Policy Alliance and NORML—is circulating a letter to members of Congress, imploring them to sign onto a comprehensive marijuana legalization bill that places an emphasis on restorative justice. The legislation was approved by the Judiciary Committee last year, and it’s been referred to several other committees that have yet to act on it and clear a path to the House floor. So far, it has amassed 76 cosponsors since its introduction. (Marijuana Moment)
STATEWIDE CHATTER
Colorado
Colorado marijuana regulators are looking for feedback on a proposal to create a franchise cannabis business model to promote equitable participation in the industry by people from communities harmed by the war on drugs. When legislators initially approved a bill to create an accelerator program for marijuana businesses, it was only designed to give eligible entrepreneurs an opportunity to share a cannabis facility with an existing company. But following stakeholder meetings, regulators laid out a proposal to let those entrepreneurs functionally serve as franchises of current larger marijuana businesses, operating out of separate facilities but sharing branding, advertising and intellectual property under certain conditions. (Marijuana Moment)
Hawaii
Hawaii lawmakers passed a bill allowing medical marijuana edibles, a move that could significantly boost the roughly $16 million-$20 million-a-year market. The legislation has been sent to the desk of Gov. David Ige, a Democrat, who has been resistant to some cannabis policy reforms. The bill enjoyed strong support in the Legislature. The Hawaii Cannabis Industry Association (HCIA) praised the Legislature’s action, which came in a session shortened by the coronavirus pandemic. (Marijuana Business Daily)
Massachusetts
Regulators in Massachusetts are considering eliminating the vertical-integration requirement for medical cannabis operators, a move that would open up the industry to stand-alone operations that would cost less to launch. Dispensaries in the state currently are required to cultivate and process most of the medical marijuana they sell, but they can buy limited amounts from other operations. (Marijuana Business Daily)
New Jersey
The governor of New Jersey said on July 14 that legalizing marijuana could simultaneously help the state recover economically from the coronavirus pandemic while also promoting racial justice. During an interview on the radio program Jim Kerr Anytime, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) recognized that the state is going to need to be innovative to generate revenue amid the health crisis. A co-host said cannabis could be part of the solution and the governor agreed. The state will vote on legalization this November. (Marijuana Moment)
Rhode Island
The state is currently accepting applications from businesses hoping to win a license to operate one of six additional medical marijuana dispensaries. The department will be accepting applications through December 15, 2020, with the application fee set at $10,000. All applications will be reviewed to determine if they will qualify to be placed into a lottery system to award the licenses. The date of the lottery has not yet been announced, but will take place sometime after December 15. Unlike all other licensed compassion centers in the state, these six new dispensaries will not be permitted to cultivate their own cannabis. (Providence Journal)
Meanwhile, figures show the existing three dispensaries enjoyed another record-breaking year for sales. For the fiscal year that ended June 31, the three dispensaries together sold about $59.7 million worth of medicinal marijuana, reports the state Department of Business Regulation. (Providence Journal)
West Virginia
The state is projecting a spring 2021 launch date for its cannabis program. Jason Frame, executive director of the Office of Medical Cannabis, said the COVID-19 pandemic has not slowed the ongoing approval process for growers, processors and dispensaries. He expects all grower applications to be finalized by the end of summer. (Logan Banner)
Comments