NL: First results of the cannabis experiment lottery have come in

Thursday was the lottery for the Closed Coffeeshop chain Experiment. 39 growers from a total of 51 applicants are part of this. Almost a hundred applicants were already…

US (CA): Monterey County Board of Supervisors approve cannabis cultivation environmental document

An environmental document covering 45 cannabis cultivation operations representing more than 9.1 million square feet of grow space on the outskirts of Salinas was approved by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Officially known as a mitigated negative declaration, the document evaluates the cumulative…

US (TX): Growing-season hemp potency testing available through Texas A&M AgriLife

The ability to conduct potency tests for the state’s newcomer crop – hemp – during the growing season is coming to Texas A&M AgriLife soon with the new Texas A&M AgriLife Hemp…

Guam regulators argue with tourism officials over cannabis sales and ads

Guam's tourism bureau does not want cannabis use, advertising and sales in Tumon to protect its family-friendly image, but a member of the Cannabis Control Board on Monday…

U.N. removes cannabis from list of most dangerous drugs

A United Nations commission voted on Wednesday to remove cannabis for medical use from a category of the world’s most dangerous drugs, such as heroin, a highly anticipated and long-delayed decision that could clear the way for marijuana research and medical use. The vote by the Commission for Narcotic…

US (NJ): Court rules that state has to change 'unreasonable' system that grants MMJ licenses

A New Jersey court on Wednesday ruled that the state wrongly rejected medical cannabis licenses for several companies and said the system used to rate applicants lacks transparency and creates confusion in the small and competitive cannabis industry. A three-judge appellate court vacated the 2018…

IE: Irish growers say that without policy changes, hemp industry cannot express full potential

Ireland’s fledgling hemp industry will not be able to reach its full potential unless a number of policy changes are made by the Department of Agriculture, say growers. Having been heralded as a possible lifeline for scores of hard pressed small farmers, the development of the hemp sector has largely…

US: USDA to expand hemp crop insurance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding the pilot Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) plan for hemp. The expansion, as well as other improvements to the plan, will begin in the 2021 crop year.“We are pleased to expand the hemp program and make other improvements for hemp producers,” said…

NL: 51 applicants will be selected on Thursday for the controlled cannabis supply chain experiment

Thursday, December 3d of 2020, the selection for aspiring cannabis growers will take place in the Netherlands. These growers have filed an application to legally grow…

Thailand removes cannabis from narcotics list

Thailand's Narcotics Control Board on Wednesday voted to remove cannabis plants from the list of Category 5 narcotics, which will allow wider use of cannabis for medical purposes.  Permanent Secretary for Public Health Kiarttiphum Wongjit and Food and Drug Administration Secretary-General Paisan Dankhum told…

US (MA): Cannabis Control Commission approves final adult use, medical use of cannabis regulations and rescinds colocated regulations

The Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) today approved new medical- and adult-use regulations and phased out 935 CMR 502, Colocated Adult-Use and Medical-Use Marijuana Operations, after bringing sufficient parity to the medical- and adult-use regulations. “I’m excited that the medical- and adult-use…

CAN (BC): Princeton-based grower faces $1.4M lawsuit over for missing payments

Owners of a cannabis cultivation facility under construction near Princeton are facing legal action after allegedly falling behind in contract payments to the facility’s contractor. Ketza Pacific Construction Ltd, launched a civil suit against Castle Rock Farms and B.C. Green Pharmaceuticals on Oct. 23…

US (MD): Growers still learning about hemp production

Hemp growers need to navigate a maze of legal and production challenges if they hope to be successful. That was part of the message in a hemp update roundtable delivered on Saturday, Nov. 7, at a University of Maryland Eastern Shore Conference. This year’s 17th annual Small Farm Conference was delivered…

US: DEA denies request to protect Iowa MMJ program, but state still considering action

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) rejected a petition to exempt Iowa’s medical cannabis program from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) this month, Marijuana Moment has learned. But the activist who filed the request plans to push again for the exemption—and the state itself is considering…

AR: Mendoza set to enter the cannabis market

In Mendoza, Argentina, a bill is underway to regulate all aspects of the production flow of the medical cannabis business, from cultivation and manufacture to research and…

How to maintain compliance at cannabis cultivation sites

Guidelines and regulations continue to change and evolve making operational compliance in the cannabis industry complicated and confusing, no matter what type of cannabis business you own and manage. Just like the dispensaries and retail stores, cultivation sites and grow rooms also have legal…

MW: Malawi growers protest cannabis license fees

Malawi's new Cannabis Regulatory Authority this week said the country is ready to become the latest in Africa to produce the plant for medicinal and industrial use. Malawi…

Uzbekistan allows Maltese firm to grow medical cannabis

A Malta-based firm will be allowed to grow and produce medical cannabis in Uzbekistan, state news agency UzA reported on Thursday, in the first such deal for the Central Asian country. The region has a long history of growing cannabis but the drug is prohibited, despite regular calls for its…

US (GA): State opens applications for medical cannabis producers

Georgia has opened the application process for businesses that want to manufacture cannabis oil for medical use in the state. The General Assembly legalized the treatment for…

US (CA): Tehama County moratorium on industrial hemp cultivation extended

By unanimous vote, the Tehama County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday extended the moratorium pertaining to the cultivation of industrial hemp until March 1, 2021. The vote…

US (MN): Lawmakers urge federal agencies to provide clarity on hemp rules

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, Sen. Tina Smith and Reps. Collin Peterson and Betty McCollum called on the leaders of four federal agencies to streamline hemp rules. Currently, contradictory federal guidelines are leading to uncertainty in the market and preventing Minnesota farmers and Tribes from fully reaping…

US (GA): Medical cannabis commission looking for growers, manufacturers

The state panel in charge of Georgia’s medical cannabis program is opening the search for businesses interested in growing the leaf crop and converting it into cannabis oil.…

MW: Malawi ready to produce cannabis for industrial and medical use

Malawi is ready to start commercial production and processing of cannabis for medicinal and industrial use, the southern African country’s new Cannabis Regulatory Authority said on Tuesday. Malawi’s parliament passed a bill in February that makes it legal to cultivate and process cannabis for medicines…

Local resistance still troubles candidates cannabis experiment

What is the best place for growers in the cannabis experiment of the government? Candidate Project C also meets resistance of the local residents and police in Etten-Leur…

MK: North Macedonia moves to legalize cannabis use

The government in North Macedonia is considering allowing recreational use of cannabis in cafes and hospitality places in the capital, Skopje, and in other tourist hotspots, like the lakeside town of Ohrid, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said. “The idea is to allow consumption of cannabis in cafes, both in…

GU: License limits and monopolies discussed at cannabis hearing

Various stakeholders in Guam's potential recreational cannabis industry met for the second time Friday night to discuss the draft regulations, again raising the issue of "vertical integration," but also expressing concerns with license fees and rumors about limiting licenses. Some speakers during the…

US (VA): Nelson supervisors show support for medicinal cannabis grower to locate in county

The Nelson County Board of Supervisors has unanimously endorsed the application of a medical cannabis cultivator to set up shop in the county, bringing with it potentially 100…

US (OR): Commission approves cannabis license stipulated settlements

At its regular monthly meeting on November 19, 2020, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission approved eight recreational cannabis license stipulated settlements. Additionally,…

US (RI): Lawmakers weigh potential model for legal cannabis

In their first action on the issue since the chamber’s leaders signaled support for legalizing recreational cannabis, Rhode Island senators on Wednesday night began considering a proposal to set up a system for legalized cannabis in Rhode Island. The proposal — made by Gov. Gina Raimondo in her…

US (MI): Conflicting opinions slow MMJ project in Pontiac

Early last year, a developer brought a vision to Pontiac for a medical cannabis complex, months after residents voted to allow processors and dispensaries to operate in the city. As a community benefit, a grocery store potentially operated by Hollywood Markets, would front the proposed $40 million…

US (MA): Whately green lights outreach meeting for proposed cultivation site

The Selectboard has approved a remote community outreach meeting for a group proposing an indoor cannabis cultivation site on Lasalle Drive. The remote meeting was approved Wednesday on the condition that abutters are notified that they have the option to attend in-person or make other arrangements to…

US (UT): Audit finds Utah's cannabis licensing process rife with bias

A scathing audit of the Utah Department of Agriculture released Wednesday concludes that senior leadership corrupted the process by which the state selected businesses for cannabis cultivation licenses. KaeCee Kingsley is a co-owner of a cannabis operation that applied and narrowly missed out, on a…

CAN: MMJ grow licenses exploited by criminals, police say

A lack of oversight into who is growing medical cannabis and how much is being grown is allowing criminals to sell pot on the illegal market, according to police and pot activists. That's creating tension in residential neighbourhoods in Winnipeg where large amounts of plants are being grown and with…

Grower congratulates Mexican Senate for advancing cannabis legalization

PharmaCielo and MINO Labs S.A. de C.V. congratulate Mexican Senate members for advancing the much-needed cannabis legislation and subsequent reform by voting to move forward…

US: Incoming senate banking committee chairman open to cannabis banking reform

Incoming Senate Banking Committee Chairman Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) is open to supporting legislation that would provide cannabis businesses with access to banking services, according to recent reports in Politico. “I am sympathetic to the idea that people who are involved in [the] cannabis industry —…

US (MT): Montana Department of Revenue prepares for marijuana legalization

On November 3, 2020, Montana voters approved initiatives regarding the sale, possession and taxation of marijuana for adults 21 and over. Per Initiative 190, the Montana…

US (MI): Cannabis regulatory agency announces social equity program application now online

The Marijuana Regulatory Agency’s (MRA) social equity team will now accept applications for the social equity program online.  For more information on the social equity program and submitting the application online, please see the social equity page. On December 2, 2020 the social equity team will host an…

MX: Mexican Senate committees gave initial consent to advance cannabis legalization

Key Mexican Senate committees on Wednesday approved a bill to legalize marijuana nationwide—and a full floor is expected soon. The joint panels gave initial consent to advance the legislation during a virtual hearing on Friday, and have now reconvened in person to formally push it to a floor vote. The…

US (CA): Temporary hemp ban gives Contra Costa County time to make rules

Farmers looking to start growing industrial hemp for profit will face a closed door in Contra Costa County until at least the start of 2021, even though the crop became legal almost two years ago in the eyes of the federal government. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to temporarily ban…

US (CA): Bureau of Cannabis Control announces new API for license search data

The Bureau of Cannabis Control (Bureau) announced today the launch of a new Application Programming Interface (API). The API allows stakeholders to obtain license data that…

US (KY): Kentucky hemp application portal opened on Nov. 16

The window to apply for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s 2021 hemp licensing program opened on Monday, Nov. 16, Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Ryan Quarles has announced. “We believe there will be a long-term hemp market in Kentucky, but across America the hemp industry has been having a difficult year,” Commissioner…

Guyana and Panama looking into establishing hemp sectors

The governments of Guyana and Panama say they are looking into establishing hemp sectors, as the number of countries exploring the crop in Latin American continues to quickly expand. Developments in both countries were announced this month. Guyana’s government is reviewing feasibility studies, and has…

US (CA): San Francisco delays cannabis tax implementation

Officials in San Francisco, California last week delayed the implementation of the city’s cannabis taxes until the end of 2021, Law360 reports. The Board of Supervisors also cut industry operators’ tax burdens by raising the threshold for when they will start collecting taxes from the first $500,000 of a…

US (RI): New House Speaker says state will 'absolutely' consider legalizing cannabis in '21

Cannabis legalization has a solid chance of advancing in Rhode Island in 2021, two top House lawmakers said in a new interview. Incoming House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi (D) said on WPRI-TV’s Newsmakers program on Friday that the chamber is “very close” to having majority support for the policy change and…

El Monte Police Department

US (CA): Baldwin Park cannabis grower missed years of payments before El Monte police conducted raid

Baldwin Park is cutting ties with a cannabis grower selected to become one of the city’s few legal cannabis businesses after El Monte police raided the company’s warehouse and found it was already growing without a permit. The company, W&F International, was years behind on the required payments under a…

US (CA): Bureau of Cannabis Control awarded almost $30M in research grants to public universities

The Bureau of Cannabis Control (Bureau) announced today that it has awarded $29,950,494 in public university research grant funding to universities across California. “The research conducted through these public university grants will provide critical information for evaluating our legal cannabis system…

Israel planning to legalize rec cannabis within 9 months

Israel is planning to legalize cannabis for recreational use within nine months while balancing “liberalism and responsibility,” Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn said Thursday. Nissenkorn presented the recommendations of an interministerial team that has been reviewing the matter, alongside Likud MK…

CAN (SK): Decision on proposed cannabis production operation delayed again

A proposed cannabis production facility five kilometres south of Casa Rosa in the RM of Edenwold has been tabled for the second time, as the proponent seeks to deal with local…

US: State regulators create Cannabis Regulators Association to inform policy

Cannabis regulators from across the United States have formed a non-partisan organization, the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA), to better share institutional knowledge and regulatory best practices. Cannabis regulators from 19 states have joined CANNRA, which is being created in order to assist…

U.S. cannabis regulators form Cannabis Regulators Association

State cannabis regulators from across the United States announced formation of a non-partisan organization, the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA), to better share…

US (IL): Towing lot eyed for marijuana growing site in Rolling Meadows

A one-time concrete plant and existing towing yard on the north side of Rolling Meadows could soon become part of Illinois' burgeoning recreational marijuana industry. The…

GACP and GMP in the medical cannabis industry

The distinction between Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), particularly for the drying step of medical cannabis flowers, has recently created some confusion in the cannabis industry. These basic rules are namely the rules on GACP and GMP. For the…

US (OK): Muscogee (Creek) Nation passes legislation for medical cannabis exemption

Muscogee (Creek) Nation passed legislation that would allow certain exemptions related to medical cannabis within the reservation boundaries. NCA 20-083 amended Title 14 Crimes & Punishment section E and W that would exempt medical cannabis license holders from being in possession of a controlled…

US (NY): Prospective hemp growers decry New York rules favoring large corporations

Lobbyists for the hemp industry in New York say new rules released by state regulators for how to bring CBD products to market, favor big corporations over small farmers. CBD is a chemical found in cannabis. CBD products are required to have less than 0.3 percent of THC, the psychoactive chemical found…

Is Israel going to legalize cannabis for adult use?

At the beginning of 2020, it was expected that at least one, if not multiple countries, would legalize cannabis for adult use. Mexico seemed like the most likely candidate given the fact that Mexico’s Supreme Court mandated it via a 2018 ruling. However, once the pandemic hit in 2020 lawmakers in Mexico…

US: Senate committee urges hemp THC rule change

Senate appropriators on Tuesday released several wide-ranging spending bills and related reports for the 2021 fiscal year that include a variety of provisions related to cannabis and hemp. Perhaps the most consequential new provision from the Senate Appropriations Committee—at least in the…

Testing and regulations in New Mexico

The New Mexico’s Medical Cannabis Program is solely overseen by the New Mexico Department of Health. Dominick Zurlo, the director of the state’s Medical Cannabis Program, said some other states’ medical cannabis programs are overseen by multiple different agencies.  “New Mexico is fairly unique in this way…

US: House leadership announces vote on federal legalization next month

Less than a week after an Election Day in which voters in five states approved ballot measures to legalize cannabis in some form, a top leader in the U.S. House of Representatives announced that the body will hold a floor vote on a bill to end federal cannabis prohibition next month. While the…

US (NJ): Governor appointed two members to commission for overseeing newly legal cannabis industry

Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday named two appointees to a commission that will oversee the new legal cannabis industry in New Jersey. The chair of the commission will be Dianna…

US (CA): Bureau of Cannabis Control has decided to postpone notification for grant recipients

On September 17, the Bureau of Cannabis Control (Bureau) announced a Request for Proposals for university research grants for public universities in California. The Bureau has $30 million to be disbursed for research projects related to the implementation and effect of Proposition 64. The application…

US (IL): Tax incentives proposed to aid Pekin cannabis growing, processing plant

The Pekin City Council is being asked to provide tax increment financing dollars to cover some of the costs to develop a $12.7 million cannabis growing and processing plant in…

CAN (BC): Court rules City of Richmond 'unreasonable' in cancelling cannabis greenhouse building permit

The City of Richmond “unreasonably cancelled” a building permit application for a cannabis greenhouse on a property in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), a BC Supreme Court…

JM: Jamaica’s medical cannabis industry held back by restless bankers

Jamaica’s Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce is striving to resolve banking issues impacting the country’s fledgling medical cannabis industry. It seems many banks in the country are balking at funding medical cannabis operations out of concerns for their relationships with banks in the USA;…

CR: Promoting registration of products for the Cannabis and Hemp industry

The production and commercialization of derivatives of Cannabis and Hemp are taking their first steps in Costa Rica. The legal firm BLP, achieved, last year, the approval of the first registrations of products with CBD, which is a cannabinoid derived from the Cannabis plant. Subsequently, other…

US (NY): Governor Cuomo says time is 'ripe' for cannabis legalization

The “pressure will be on” to legalize cannabis in New York and lawmakers will approve it “this year” to offset economic losses from the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said on Thursday. And since voters in neighboring New Jersey approved a cannabis legalization referendum on Tuesday, that…

US (VA): Hemp growers, testers face regulatory hurdles

Robert Mills, owner of Briar View Farms in Callands, began growing small acreages of hemp as part of research with Virginia Tech and Tyton BioSciences in 2017. Soon, he will finish harvesting the 16 acres he grew this year, up from the 6.5 acres he grew last year. “It’s a high risk crop,” Mills said.…

Results of US elections might hold different outcomes for the cannabis industry

As the results of the US elections are slowly coming in, there have been high hopes in the cannabis industry that things are going to change. Cannabis is still federally illegal in the States, which hampers the possibility of cannabis companies to capitalize on the movements of cannabis goods across…

US: A breakdown of the states that yesterday passed cannabis regulations

Uncertainty surely surrounds the US elections, but the same cannot be said regarding the cannabis ballots that took place in Arizona, South Dakota, Montana, Mississippi, and New Jersey: all of them were successful, with states legalizing recreational use or implementing a medical cannabis program. Let's…

The high risk of insuring cannabis

The tension between federal and many states’ laws regarding cannabis likewise presents a high risk for insurers. For example, insurers that provide coverage to cannabis businesses engaged specifically in selling cannabis can be criminally liable for aiding and abetting in the sale of cannabis or…

US (CA): Greenhouse cannabis measure headed for victory

Voters were passing a measure to allow commercial production of cannabis in greenhouses in unincorporated areas of Ventura County, semi-official final returns showed early Wednesday.  With more than 76% of the precincts reporting, 57% voted in favor with 178,792 votes counted while 43% were opposed with 134,597…

US (AZ): No testing lab is fully certified yet

According to the latest available ADHS list of certified testing laboratories, each of the two state testing labs closest to full certification can currently offer only five out of the seven tests required under state law. These seven tests include potency analysis of each product, as well checks for…

US: On the Election Day, cannabis legalization got approved in five states

Even though the Election Day has not given a final result as to who is going to be the next President of the United States, voters in four states have approved the legalization of recreational cannabis, and other two states have approved increased access to medical cannabis.  Arizona voters have approved Proposition…

CAN (AB): Alberta issued almost $100,000 in fines to cannabis businesses

Alberta’s AGLC has taken regulatory action against at least 25 cannabis growers and retailers since legalization began on October 17, 2018. The AGLC, the Alberta Gaming,…

New law in Costa Rica sees role for hemp in farming modernization

Costa Rica has legalized hemp farming and processing under a recently signed law that puts oversight under the Central American nation’s agriculture and health agencies. The new law also sets a framework for cannabis for medicinal and therapeutic applications. Published in mid-September, the legislation…

A guide to social equity in cannabis

In 2019 alone, the industry created over 33,000 new jobs, according to Leafly’s annual Cannabis Jobs Report. And those jobs come with a median salary that’s 10.7 percent higher than the national average, according to a 2019 Glassdoor report. But people of color — particularly Black people — who’ve been…

US (MA): The majority of employees of a cannabis cultivation and processing facility are “agricultural laborers”

In a recent decision, the Regional Director of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for Region 1 (covering most of New England) found that a majority of employees of a cannabis cultivation and processing facility were “agricultural laborers” within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act…

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CAN (ON): Leamington waits to follow Kingsville’s lead on ‘light pollution’ bylaw

One day after Kingsville’s town council unanimously approved a bylaw to stop light pollution from greenhouses and odours from cannabis production, Leamington’s council voted unanimously to seek more information from growers and the public before considering a light pollution bylaw. Kingsville’s bylaw…

US (CA): Napa Valley nervous over cannabis

Napa Valley sells most of its wine to Gen X and baby boomers. If the valley wants to keep thriving as millennials become a more important part of the market, it will have to add cannabis. This was one of the points made Wednesday during a panel called "Is Cannabis a Good Thing for the Napa Valley," part…

US (IL): Craft cannabis cultivation looking to be established in Pekin

A new local business is looking to establish a craft cannabis grow facility in Pekin’s Riverway Industrial Park. Riverway Craft Laboratories, LLC, has requested a $500,000 tax-increment funding incentive from the city of Pekin to assist with the facility’s establishment. In a presentation at Monday’s…

US (NY): Governor Cuomo announces proposed regulations for cannabinoid hemp products

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the New York State Department of Health has filed proposed regulations to regulate cannabinoid hemp products in New York State. In accordance with legislation signed earlier this year by the Governor, the Department is creating a Cannabinoid Hemp Program. The…

US (CA): Decision delayed on cannabis cultivation operation west of Buellton

A cannabis cultivation business already in operation west of Buellton appears headed for approval by the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission, which continued a public…

European parliament votes in favor of raising hemp THC limit

The hemp industry is booming across the globe. Many international farmers have cultivated the hemp plant for years for the purpose of creating textiles, however, in recent years many hemp farmers have cultivated the plant for another purpose – CBD. Hemp farmers, especially new ones, are scrambling to…

IE: Cannabis plan for State-owned bogs goes up in smoke

Proposals to transform Ireland’s State-owned bogs into vast cannabis farms have gone up in smoke, it has emerged. Bord na Móna last year held meetings with then minister for health Simon Harris and then minister of State for natural resources Seán Canney about giving over thousands of hectares of its…

US (MI): State expands eligibility to grow, sell cannabis

The state of Michigan is expanding the eligibility to apply for cannabis growing, processing, and selling licenses in an effort to minimize the illegal market for cannabis.…

US (NV): Cannabis company with unlicensed employees could lose its license

Two Nevada cannabis companies are facing hefty fines and a possible loss of their licenses as part of the latest round of complaints filed Tuesday by the state’s Cannabis…

US (MI): Evart Council increases available grower licenses

Changes in the Evart marijuana ordinance that allow for a total of six grower facilities were passed at a recent city council meeting. At the Monday, Oct. 19 council meeting, the council voted to make three amendments to the existing marijuana ordinance for the city of Evart. The amendments to the…

US (DE): Delaware prepares to expand MMJ industry

With fewer than a million residents, federal law prohibiting sales between states and a continued prohibition on recreational use, Delaware may not seem like a hot market for cannabis. As the state considers a new crop of applicants for potentially lucrative medical cannabis licenses, however, its…

US (IN): USDA approves Indiana state hemp plan

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the Indiana State Hemp Plan for commercially growing and processing hemp. In Indiana, hemp processing and production are regulated through the Office of the Indiana State Chemist (OISC). The approved hemp plan takes OISC’s pilot hemp program and transitions…

NL: Dutch cannabis grower allowed to grow cannabis without opium dispensation

Startup cannabis grower Fyta Company is allowed, after a judge intervened, to grow cannabis in the Netherlands. The Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport threatened to…

US (CA): Department of Food and Agriculture announces vacancies on the industrial hemp advisory board

The California Department of Food and Agriculture's (CDFA) Pest Exclusion Branch is announcing two (2) midterm vacancies on the Industrial Hemp Advisory Board (IHAB). The Board advises CDFA and makes recommendations on matters including, but not limited to, industrial hemp law and regulations,…

US (CA): Lemoore approves second cannabis cultivation site

The City of Lemoore has moved forward with several lease agreements this year with cannabis operations — the most recent being a 19-acre site for processing and manufacturing cannabis. In a unanimous vote, the Lemoore City Council approved a project development agreement and cannabis regulatory permit…

US (OH): 'Arbitrary' THC limit causes consternation among Ohio's hemp farmers

April Curatti invested thousands of dollars into a plot of hemp at her Marysville farm only to be told she couldn’t sell the crop after a test showed its THC levels were too high. “We know all the risks involved,” Curatti said, but she still described the experience as devastating. Her story isn’t…

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US (CA): San Diego files first lawsuit seeking unpaid cannabis taxes

San Diego has filed its first lawsuit based on a failure to pay the city’s cannabis tax, a new stream of revenue that city officials expect to climb to nearly $30 million annually during the next five years. The city filed suit against Grizzly Peak Farms for failure to pay tax on cannabis products the…

US (CA): Wine helps with cannabis classification

By next year, California will start considering appellations for cannabis, similar to the AVA system for wine. So the question will soon be, where is the Napa Valley of cannabis? It's fascinating because Napa Valley Vintners are very supportive of appellations for cannabis – as long as those cannabis…

US (OR): OLCC greenlights solution for streamlining license applications advocates for additional resources

At its regular monthly meeting on October 15, 2020, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission moved forward with plans to streamline the agency’s recreational marijuana licensing…

US (MO): Inside the Kansas City-based lab that checks medical cannabis

Before medical cannabis is sold at Kansas City dispensaries, it has to be tested.  Operations inside Green Precision Analytics located in Kansas City are nearly nonstop these days. The crew has to run seven to nine different tests on every batch of product they receive. The tests have to be completed before…

Cannabis production licenses in Ecuador

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) will grant seven types of licenses for the production of non-psychoactive cannabis and industrial hemp in Ecuador, according to the regulations approved this October 19th. The cannabis industry, which has pharmaceutical, textile, and food uses, among…

US (IL): Zoning request for proposed cultivation center pushed back

The Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission granted a 60-day continuance Wednesday to a recreational cannabis company seeking zoning relief for a grow cultivation center…

US (OR): Vineyards lose lawsuit against nearby cannabis operation

Two Oregon wine grape growers have failed to convince a state judge their grapes would be harmed by odors from a neighboring marijuana operation. Yamhill County Circuit Court…

US (NY): Governor to renew push for legal cannabis

After failing for the past two years, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is prepared to call again for the legalization of adult-use recreational in New York in 2021. Cuomo also wants to issue…

US (MA): Williamstown Planning Board, Ag Commission work on cannabis production bylaw

Two town committees are working on parallel paths to bring next year's annual town meeting a cannabis cultivation bylaw on which voters can agree. Specifically, the Planning…

US (CT): Hemp program is set to expand after new bill is signed

Connecticut took a major step toward expanding industrial hemp production this week by aligning the state’s pilot program with federal requirements. At a refurbished tobacco factory in Suffield, Gov. Ned Lamont signed a bill that keeps Connecticut hemp businesses, which produce CBD (cannabidiol) and…

US (IL): Craft cannabis growers seek court order to get their licenses

Now the craft cannabis growers want their licenses too. An association of entrepreneurs applying for licenses to grow relatively small amounts of pot, infuse edibles and other…

US (CA): Santa Barbara County implementing consultant’s cannabis recommendations

A consultant’s recommendations for improving cannabis permit and license application management, processing time and customer service are already being used by Santa Barbara…

IE: Irish growers want to produce medical cannabis

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) is looking to diversify what its members grow. The group wants to meet with the Department of Health to discuss the possibility of changing…

US (WV): West Virginia selects out-of-state growers

After years of delay, West Virginia took a big step earlier this month by selecting the first growers for its medical cannabis program, but state-based companies largely were left out in favor of out-of-state firms including a political donor. The Office of Medical Cannabis within the Department of…

USDA to interview hemp businesses about how they grow and sell

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is planning to distribute a national survey to gain insights from thousands of hemp businesses that could inform its approach to regulating the industry. In partnership with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and the University of…

US: Washington DC bill would let cannabis convicts work in medical industry

The D.C. Council is considering a bill that would take steps towards repealing the prohibition on returning citizens working in the medical cannabis industry. The bill, introduced Friday by five councilmembers, would seek to change the stipulation in the D.C. Code, repealing a section of the Legalization…

US (MD): Lawmakers’ agenda to include enhancing state’s legal cannabis industry

Minorities for Medical Marijuana’s website has posted an 80-page report titled “Understanding Social Equity” compiled by Chris Nani, an attorney and founder of Endo Insider, a…

US (CA): Fort Bragg City Council welcomes future indoor commercial cannabis cultivators

“These businesses have already proven to us they are good neighbors. I welcome them to Fort Bragg,” said Mayor Will Lee at Tuesday night’s regular council meeting. The council…

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"Mexican Senate will vote on marijuana legalization bill by end of October"

The Mexican Senate will likely vote on a bill to legalize marijuana within the next two weeks, the chamber’s majority leader recently said. Activists have been eagerly awaiting action on the reform legislation since the Supreme Court deemed personal possession and cultivation of cannabis unconstitutional…

Rwanda to allow cultivation of medical cannabis

The Rwandan government will issue licenses for growing cannabis for medical use, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said late Tuesday, following Monday's cabinet decision that…

European cannabis reform going forward despite COVID

A funny thing is happening across Covid-stressed Europe. Governments are either inching forwards reluctantly on aspects of the cannabis question, or they are being challenged…

CAN (ON): Zoning Bylaw amendment puts lid on cannabis cultivation in the Holland Marsh

In its Oct. 6 virtual meeting of Committee of the Whole, Bradford West Gwillimbury Council received a 55-page report on Agricultural cannabis, proposing a new town-initiated Zoning By-law Amendment that would ban the cultivation of cannabis on the specialty muck soils of the Holland Marsh, and establish…

US (CA): Appellation of origin for CA-grown cannabis

California cannabis connoisseurs can celebrate — a new law inspired by the wine industry requires that cannabis must be grown in the “sun and soil” of a city or county in order to be labeled with a regional designation. So when that product has an ‘appellation of origin’ label from the Mattole Valley in…

"It is difficult for cannabis and hemp industries to coexist," says Chairman of Bahamas National Commission

While industrial hemp may be a viable industry in The Bahamas, Bahamas National Commission of Marijuana Chairman Quinn McCartney yesterday theorized it may be difficult to have a coexisting cannabis industry. McCartney’s comments follow statements from Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Michael…

Mexico poised to become one of the biggest cannabis markets in the world

Mexico’s cannabis revolution is on display steps from the nation’s Senate, where for the last nine months activists have maintained a fragrant cannabis garden. Lawmakers have until Dec. 15 to pass pot legislation under orders from the Supreme Court, which two years ago struck down a cannabis ban as…

US: Navajo Nation cracks down on cannabis cultivation

Problematic cannabis cultivation on Navajo Nation lands has led to a new resolution to clarify the Nation’s stance. The Navajo Nation is an American Indian territory covering more than 17.5 million acres of north-eastern Arizona, south-eastern Utah and north-western New Mexico. The Navajo Nation doesn’t…

France to give MMJ away for free, expects beginning of experiment in 2021

In 2021, the French government will begin a medical cannabis experiment that involves giving out free cannabis.  Last week, the French government published a decree that announces the experiment, which patients have been waiting for, officially. According to their announcement, up to 3,000 patients will be…

US (CA): 25-acre cannabis cultivation approved by Santa Barbara County

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has approved a 25-acre cannabis cultivation project on West Highway 246 after denying an appeal filed by neighbors concerned about odor. Planning and Development Director Lisa Plowman said the board already had approved two nearby cannabis projects after…

CAN (ON): Huron County Warden addresses growing cannabis operations

Central Huron staff are currently looking into how municipalities can control cannabis operations in their communities. Central Huron Mayor and Huron County Warden, Jim Ginn, says it’s becoming a problem in several municipalities. He says in many cases, the municipal council doesn’t even know they’re…

Health chief plants cannabis as Thailand eyes medicinal market

Thailand's health minister helped plant cannabis seedlings Thursday as the government nurtures plans to harvest the multibillion-dollar potential of medical marijuana. The kingdom in 2018 became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise medical marijuana, although many Thais have long used the herb…

Slovenian hemp and MMJ growers call on govt. to update laws

Hemp growers and supporters have called on the Slovenian government to regulate hemp growing in the country so that farmers producing industrial hemp could be internationally competitive and the industry may grow. They have also called for the commitments for legalisation of medical marijuana to be met.…

US (WA): WSLB issues emergency suspension to Okanogan County cannabis producer

Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) officers today issued an emergency suspension to Tier 1 producer El Rey de La Kush (license number 428922) located in…

US (ME): State cannabis industry now eligible for sustainable energy grants

One of Maine’s most energy-intensive industries will no longer be shut out of the state’s energy efficiency incentive programs. The trustees of Efficiency Maine, a ratepayer-funded agency that promotes sustainable energy usage, voted 5-2 on Wednesday to reverse a ban on giving energy-efficiency grants to…

US (OK): Lab accused of falsifying test results surrenders license

A laboratory that operated in Tulsa will not pay fines over allegations it falsified cannabis test results after the business surrendered its license during an investigation by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. The OMMA announced in August its desire to revoke the operating license for F.A.S.T.…

US (CA): Board of Supervisors denies appeal against cannabis cultivation project in Santa Barbara

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors rejected an appeal filed against a 23-acre cannabis cultivation project by Castlerock Family Farms at its Tuesday meeting. The board voted 4 to 1. The lone “no” vote cast by 4th District Supervisor and board vice chair Peter Adam. Filed by the Santa Barbara…

"One month to finalize the design, and the construction will be about three to four months"

Plants in the ground within six months and cannabis products on shelves by this time next year are the goals of the owners and operators of one of the companies now approved for medical cannabis cultivation in West Virginia. “We’re going to have probably a month or so finalizing the design and then the…