Recreational Marijuana Archives

“MORE” Votes for Cannabis Reform? We Shall See on September 21

by Ryan Holz | Sep 4, 2020 | Banking/Financial Services, Legislation, Medical Marijuana, Recreational Marijuana, Social Equity | Federal

On September 21, 2020, the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the “Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act” or “MORE Act.” We have written about the MORE Act previously here and here. The MORE Act does not legalize marijuana nationwide, but it does remove cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (thus decriminalizing it under federal law and allowing states to decide whether to legalize). It also requires the expungement of certain marijuana-related criminal records and provides for grants to communities impacted by the War on Drugs.

Shaky Dominos: Pennsylvania Eyes Recreational Legislation and Voters in Montana, Mississippi and South Dakota Will See Marijuana Ballot Initiatives in November

by Irina Dashevsky | Aug 27, 2020 | Legislation, Medical Marijuana, Recreational Marijuana | Mississippi, Montana, Pennsylvania, South Dakota

In a recent post we explored where things stood at the federal level with respect to marijuana decriminalization and legalization. The takeaway was that the focus on criminal justice reform and economic variables continue to propel cannabis to the forefront of a national discussion.

Revamped High Times Cannabis Cup Sparks Great Interest and Long Lines in Illinois

by Douglas Sargent | Aug 27, 2020 | Recreational Marijuana | Illinois

Tuesday marked not only the start of Illinois’s inaugural High Times Cannabis Cup, but also a completely new iteration of the venerable event. For the first time ever, the general public will be judging the entries and deciding the winners, prompting eager marijuana enthusiasts to line up literally around the block to buy “judge kits.”

IDFPR Tiebreaking Rules Are Finalized, Paving the Way to Issue Dispensary Licenses in Illinois

by Douglas Sargent | Aug 13, 2020 | Legislation, Litigation, Recreational Marijuana | Illinois

Good news for those awaiting the issuance of cannabis dispensary licenses by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR): the department’s tiebreaking rules are now finalized, which clears what seems to be the last remaining hurdle before issuance. As we discussed previously, the IDFPR’s emergency rules for breaking ties on applicant scoring expired before the department was able to issue licenses. Without a tiebreaking mechanism in place, the IDFPR has not issued any of the 75 new dispensary licenses.

Update—Florida Supreme Court to Hold More Arguments in Florigrown Case

by Irina Dashevsky | Jul 15, 2020 | Litigation, Medical Marijuana, Recreational Marijuana | Florida

In a rare move, the Supreme Court of Florida has asked for a second round of oral arguments in the Florigrown matter. As we wrote about here, this case will determine whether Florida’s medical marijuana licensing framework, which effectively requires vertical integration by each licensee, is constitutional.

Arizona Group Files 420,000 Signatures Supporting Recreational Marijuana on November Ballot

by Douglas Sargent | Jul 10, 2020 | COVID-19, Recreational Marijuana | Arizona

Last week, Smart and Safe Arizona reportedly filed 420,000 signatures with the Arizona Secretary of State in an effort to legalize adult-use marijuana. The proposed measure would permit those 21 or older to possess up to an ounce of cannabis and cultivate up to six plants for non-commercial purposes at home, as well as allow for the expungement of certain marijuana convictions.

Virginia’s Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Went Into Effect Yesterday—What Does That Mean and What’s Next?

by Douglas Sargent | Jul 2, 2020 | Enforcement, Recreational Marijuana, Social Equity | Virginia

As we wrote about here, Virginia enacted a law decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana earlier this year. Unfortunately, there seem to be a lot of misconceptions about what that law—which became effective yesterday—actually means.

Will We See a Record Number of States Legalize Marijuana in 2021? One Expert Thinks So

by Douglas Sargent | Jun 26, 2020 | COVID-19, Legislation, Medical Marijuana, Recreational Marijuana, Social Equity | Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota

It is hard to underestimate the impact that the coronavirus and its related fallout—economic and otherwise—will have on the cannabis industry. Some of that impact will be decidedly negative. For instance, as we wrote about recently, cash is harder to come by for cannabis companies right now.

Sorry, You Did Not Win an Illinois Dispensary License. Now What?

by Akshita Singh and Ryan Holz | Jun 15, 2020 | Legislation, Medical Marijuana, Recreational Marijuana, Social Equity | Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada

As we arrive at the middle of June, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) has not issued any conditional adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses and, as we recently wrote about here, it may be a while before the licenses are issued. Nevertheless, those licenses will be issued eventually, and it is important that cannabis entrepreneurs begin evaluating their next steps.

Early May Sales Figures Show Promise, Including New Record Highs in Illinois, Oregon, and Oklahoma

by Douglas Sargent | Jun 12, 2020 | COVID-19, Medical Marijuana, Recreational Marijuana | Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon

As we’ve discussed on our blog and our podcast, we have been closely watching how marijuana sales fare in the face of the recession created by the coronavirus. Sales figures for marijuana in May are still rolling in, but early returns appear favorable.

Topic: Recreational Marijuana

Shaky Dominos: Pennsylvania Eyes Recreational Legislation and Voters in Montana, Mississippi and South Dakota Will See Marijuana Ballot Initiatives in November

Revamped High Times Cannabis Cup Sparks Great Interest and Long Lines in Illinois

IDFPR Tiebreaking Rules Are Finalized, Paving the Way to Issue Dispensary Licenses in Illinois

Update—Florida Supreme Court to Hold More Arguments in Florigrown Case

Arizona Group Files 420,000 Signatures Supporting Recreational Marijuana on November Ballot

Early May Sales Figures Show Promise, Including New Record Highs in Illinois, Oregon, and Oklahoma

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