The COVID-19 crisis has led to an unprecedented level of federal aid to businesses and individuals alike but much of it does not apply to cannabis businesses. Here is a breakdown of how these recent aid packages affect the marijuana industry
Read MoreAs we’ve written about extensively, the SAFE Banking Act has gone through several twists and turns. The proposed bill would remove restrictions on banks and insurance companies that effectively prohibit them from offering services to marijuana-related businesses. Because of these restrictions, most cannabis businesses are forced to operate in cash only, which causes a multitude of problems, from safety to logistics to tax oversight.
Read MoreIn November, we wrote about a lawsuit filed against Amazon by a New Jersey man claiming he was wrongfully terminated due to a failed marijuana drug test despite being a patient in the state’s medical marijuana program. Now, New Jersey state lawmakers have advanced a bill that would require workers’ compensation to cover medical marijuana.
Read MoreKentucky is well-known for its support of the hemp industry, but it has been slow to come around on marijuana. That may be changing.
Read MoreYesterday, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a bill impacting Host Community Agreements. These State-required contracts are the lynchpin of the license application process in Massachusetts because marijuana businesses must enter into such agreements with the city or town where they operate as a precursor to getting a license from the State. In particular, the bill would provide the Massachusetts’s Cannabis Control Commission with the explicit power to regulate and enforce Host Community Agreements and would prohibit Host Community Agreements from including any financial obligations for the company other than a “community impact fee” of up to 3% of gross sales. The bill also authorizes cities and towns to waive the State’s Host Community Agreement requirement. However, it is unclear if any cities or towns would actually exercise that right.
Read MoreThere were numerous fits and starts with the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act (the “SAFE Banking Act”) in 2019, and 2020 is off to a similar start with U.S. Representatives asking Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), the Senate Banking Committee Chairman, to reconsider proposed changes to the SAFE Banking Act.
Read MoreIndiana Senate Democratic Chairwoman Karen Tallian (D-Ogden Dunes) has introduced a bill (SB 114) that would put an end to jail time for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Specifically, the bill would amend Indiana law to make possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana a Class C infraction rather than a misdemeanor for first time offenders.
Read MoreIt now appears that Floridians will not have the opportunity to legalize marijuana by ballot initiative in the upcoming 2020 election. Make it Legal Florida, the organization attempting to get the issue on the 2020 ballot, announced on Monday that they will not be able to secure enough petition signatures to qualify the issue for the election.
Read MoreTo kick off 2020, we thought it would make sense to provide an update on what’s been going on in Illinois over the last few weeks (there’s been a lot) and is continuing to keep us extremely busy.
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