Author: admin

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) issued fines on Thursday to Curaleaf and Ascend Wellness — two of the state’s largest cannabis companies — for self-reported improper pesticide use and record-keeping violations, The Boston Globe reports. Regulators fined Ascend Wellness $85,000 for failing to comply with the state’s track-and-trace system which is supposed to keep track of all cannabis products produced and/or manufactured in the state, from seed to sale. The error ultimately left about 900 cannabis products that could not be tracked by regulators. “Ascend is fully committed to adhering to the regulations set forth by the CCC and…

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) on Thursday approved two new cannabis cultivation licenses, Alabama Daily News reports. The new licenses were won by Pure by Sirmon Farms, LLC and Blackberry Farms, LLC but the licenses will not be issued for about two weeks, according to an Alabama Daily News report. Once they have received the licenses, the companies will be able to join the seven other licensed cultivators, the report said. Alabama awarded its first medical cannabis licenses last year but the process was stymied by a series of lawsuits filed by companies whose applications had been denied. Plaintiffs…

The Nebraska Supreme Court can opt to take up the case, bypassing the Court of Appeals, which it has done with other cases related to ballot measures. By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner A district court ruling has been appealed in the lawsuit against Nebraska’s successful ballot measures to legalize and regulate medical cannabis. John Kuehn, a former state senator and former member of the State Board of Health, filed the appeal Thursday with the Nebraska Court of Appeals. Kuehn alleges that not enough valid petition signatures were collected to appear on the 2024 ballot. Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong…

Ohio cannabis dispensaries with provisional dual-use licenses, which allow operators to conduct both medical and adult-use sales, sold more than $11.5 million worth of adult-use cannabis products during the first five days of legal sales, according to data from the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control. The dual-use licenses were issued earlier this month and licensees were permitted to begin adult-use sales starting August 6. Five days later, cannabis retailers posted 138,466 receipts for the week totaling more than $11.5 million. Additionally, dispensaries sold about $1.9 million worth of medical cannabis products during the same time period, WKYC reports. Kathleen Olivastro,…

Six years after Canada legalized marijuana sales nationwide, a new government report shows that daily or near-daily use rates by both adults and youth have held steady. Meanwhile, the vast majority of consumers now say they obtain cannabis legally, with only 3 percent of respondents reporting purchasing from illicit sources. By comparison, in 2019—a year after shops opened—16 percent reported buying marijuana from an illegal source. Health Canada, the country’s national health agency, announced the results of its 2024 Canadian Cannabis Survey on Friday. The polling was conducted from April into early July of this year and included responses from…

Just seven of Missouri’s 24 social equity cannabis dispensary applicants had their licenses approved by officials. The other 17 dispensary license winners were found ineligible by the Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) for “failure to provide adequate documentation” that the licensee met the criteria, according to the agency’s October 10 report.   Another 15 of the 33 wholesale licenses needed to create cannabis cultivation facilities were also deemed ineligible. In all, less than half – 25 of the 57 licenses – were certified by the agency.  Licenses that were unable to be certified are subject to revocation, the report states, but those…

South Dakota lawmakers on Tuesday voted to increase the price of a medical cannabis business license by nearly 70%, South Dakota Searchlight reports. The 4-1 vote by the Legislature’s Rules Review Committee raises the fee to $9,000 from $5,310.  Emily Kerr, the state medical cannabis program administrator, told the committee that the fee increase will cover the program’s administrative costs, including three new employees who oversee the program and process medical cannabis card applications, inspect dispensaries and grow operations, and investigate complaints.    Kerr said that the state is averaging about 13,000 medical cannabis cardholders at any given time and that…

Some people want to reap the fantastic benefits of the cannabis plant but don’t want to feel high or experience feeling disoriented or confused, but the good news is that CBD Flowers are widely available these days and are also legal in many places. According to the latest estimates, there are roughly 500 compounds inside the Hemp plant, although most of these compounds are yet to be researched or understood fully. One compound that is well known and very popular is CBD – short for Cannabidiol. CBD, whether in the form of oil, softgels, flowers, etc., is one of the…

The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights is calling on the international community to move away from punitive, criminal drug policies, saying that the global war on drugs “has failed, completely and utterly.” “Criminalisation and prohibition have failed to reduce drug use and failed to deter drug-related crime,” Commissioner Volker Türk said on Thursday at a conference in Warsaw that included leaders and experts from across Europe. “These policies are simply not working—and we are failing some of the most vulnerable groups in our societies.” Türk urged a shift to a more evidence-based, human rights-centered approach to drug…

As a mediator specializing in cannabis-related conflicts, I’ve witnessed firsthand the increasing need for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in this rapidly evolving industry. With three-quarters of Americans now living in states where recreational or medical marijuana use is legal, the landscape of potential disputes has expanded dramatically. Currently, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana, while 14 states permit its use for medicinal purposes. Yet cannabis with more than .3 percent THC by dry weight remains illegal under federal law. This has created a complex legal environment, ripe for controversy. Participants in the cannabis industry deal…