US (RI): Senate approves bill to legalize cannabis for adults

With little time remaining in the regular legislative session, the Rhode Island Senate has approved a bill to legalize the possession, purchase, and cultivation of cannabis for personal use for adults 21 and older. The original proposal was introduced in March and amended last week by the Rhode Island…

Morocco passes MMJ use legislation

Bill number 13.21 passed the Moroccan Parliament in the first week of June. The bill had been highly contentious all the way through the passage, both domestically and right next door in Algeria. Regardless, medical cannabis is now legal in another country in Africa which hopes to capitalize on at least…

Survey of CA cannabis growers investigates compliance motivations and barriers

California holds a special place in the cannabis industry. After all, this was the place where many aspects of cannabis culture originated, some of which made their way to the current cannabis industry. Because of the pervasiveness of cannabis cultivation in California, the state rightfully assumed that…

MX: Supreme Court moves to end prohibition itself after lawmakers fail to act

Mexico’s Supreme Court has taken a step toward ending cannabis prohibition nationally after the legislature failed to enact the policy change by a court-imposed deadline. Minister Norma Lucía Piña Hernández, who serves on the high court, recently filed a general declaration of unconstitutionality with…

US (NM): MMJ producers seek tax refund worth millions

A major business in New Mexico's burgeoning market for cannabis wants the state to refund millions of dollars in taxes that were levied in recent years on sales of medical cannabis but not against most prescription medications. Integrated cannabis provider Ultra Health said Tuesday that it has asked the…

Ex-Eaze consultants sentenced to prison for cannabis payment scheme

A Manhattan federal judge sentenced two former consultants for Eaze Technologies Inc to prison on Friday for their roles in a scheme to dupe U.S. banks into handling more than…

dicentra

Exploring how to obtain cultivation licenses in Canada

Making the decision to enter the Canadian cannabis industry can be extremely daunting. Although the Government of Canada has made a number of different guidance documents readily available for any cannabis industry hopeful to review, oftentimes deciding how to proceed can still prove to be difficult. If…

US (SD): Sioux Falls, Minnehaha pass ordinances putting MMJ establishments on hold

The Minnehaha County Commission and the Sioux Falls City Council both approved ordinances Tuesday that will delay applications for medical cannabis establishments until the state has outlined regulations they will need to follow. Medical cannabis will become legal in South Dakota on July 1, but the South…

US (CA): County Supervisors Set to Consider Appeal of Sun Valley’s 8-acre cannabis farm in Arcata Bottoms

Decision-time approaches for Sun Valley Floral Farm’s controversial proposal to develop an eight-acre cannabis farm in the Arcata Bottoms. The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will hear an appeal of the Planning Commission’s 5-2 approval vote, back in April. The project has drawn…

US (FL): Florida prioritizing a Black farmer in next batch of MMJ licenses

A Black farmer with ties to doing business in Florida will be at the head of the line for a long-awaited batch of medical cannabis licenses in an application process that state health officials will launch soon, senior aides to Gov. Ron DeSantis said. The aides told The News Service of Florida that the…

Concerns raised over impact of cannabis industry in Jersey Island

Concerns have been raised about how the medicinal-cannabis industry could affect the Island’s character and countryside – with the prospect of security fences being installed along country lanes.  Environment Minister John Young and officers from his department this week answered questions from the Economic…

CAN (ON): Report suggests medical cannabis should be grown indoors only in Niagara Falls

The consulting company hired by the City of Niagara Falls to take on their Cannabis Growing Facilities Land Use Study came back with one strong recommendation. SGL Planning & Design said the City would be best served with licensed cannabis growers using indoor growing facilities, rather than outdoor. SGL…

Japanese company eyeing Cambodia to set up a commercial cannabis cultivation

Japanese-owned Yamato Green Co Ltd expressed interest in commercial marijuana cultivation in Cambodia to export cannabis products to the US and Japanese pharmaceutical industries.The notion was explored at an informal meeting between the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon and…

Bhutan govt. mulls over legalizing cannabis

The government delayed tabling the Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Substance Abuse (NDPSS) Act of Bhutan, as it is considering the medicinal benefits of cannabis…

US Department of Labor finds Campbellsville tobacco, hemp shortchanged temporary agricultural workers

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division enforces the labor provisions of the federal H-2A temporary agricultural workers program to prevent employers from…

US (MI): New outdoor cannabis cultivation bylaw approved at annual Williamstown Town Meeting

Voters in Williamstown, Massachusetts approved new cannabis zoning bylaws at the annual town meeting Wednesday night. Williamstown residents gathered in the bleachers of Farley-Lamb Field at Williams College for a second outdoor town meeting in two years. Town officials sat on the football field, and…

US (MA): Norwell approves agreement with cannabis cultivation facility

A marijuana grow house on Cordwainer Drive is one step closer to becoming a reality after the Norwell Select Board approved a host community agreement on Wednesday night. The five-year agreement will have Elevated Access, based in Hingham, pay Norwell 3 percent of its gross sales as a community impact…

CAN (BC): Rule changes allow for delivery of cannabis

B.C.’s legal cannabis operators will be allowed to deliver directly to buyers starting July 15. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the government wants to shrink the illegal market and allowing delivery to consumers is an advantage retailers have said they need. The government says only adults…

US (FL) Supreme Court overturns rulings on MMJ

In a 6-1 decision, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the current regulations for distributing medical cannabis are constitutional — a move that will benefit Florida’s established medical cannabis companies while hurting small businesses trying to enter the market.  For medical cannabis activists like Ben…

US (RI): Cannabis legalization bill approved in Senate committee

A Rhode Island Senate committee on Monday approved a cannabis legalization bill that’s being championed by leadership in the chamber. It’s the first time a bill to legalize cannabis for recreational use has ever advanced in the state. The Judiciary Committee—which previously held an April hearing on the…

Germany-based company receives approval to grow MMJ in Zimbabwe

The Ministry of Health of Zimbabwe has approved Amatheon Agri’s license to produce cannabis for medical and scientific use. The company now embarks on an assessment and planning phase for growing and producing an assortment of cannabidiol (CBD) products. The global medical cannabis industry was estimated…

CAN (ON): Supreme Cannabis obtains court order approving arrangement with Canopy Growth

The Supreme Cannabis Company has been granted the final court order from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approving the plan of arrangement with Canopy Growth Corporation, which is going to acquire the Canadian Licenced Producer in a transaction valued at $435 million.   Assuming the satisfaction of all conditions,…

PT: Adult use bill ends up before Parliament

As Europe begins to wake up to the reality that two countries within and just outside its border (Luxembourg and Switzerland) are about to give the region its “Colorado and Washington State” moment – Portugal appears to want to up the ante even more. In a move highly anticipated by insiders, and just…

US (CA): Winemakers collaborate with cannabis growers on new cannabis appelation system

In September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 67 into law, which set the stage for the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Cannabis Appellations Program. Once the program begins to accept petitions, it will establish the world’s first cannabis appellations.   For cannabis growers…

US (CA): Sonoma County approves plan to speed up cannabis cultivation permits

Sonoma County supervisors approved the use of $370,000 in one-time funds last week to deal with the backlog of cannabis permit applications and gather input from the public as it develops cannabis policy goals for a revised ordinance. The action comes after the board unanimously rejected a planning…

US (TX): Governor signs MMJ expansion bill

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a bill to modestly expand the state’s limited medical cannabis program on Tuesday. The legislation adds cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of conditions that qualify patients to legally access cannabis. It also doubles the amount of THC concentration…

US (CA): State offers $100 million to rescue its struggling legal cannabis industry

The California Legislature on Monday approved a $100-million plan to bolster California’s legal cannabis industry, which continues to struggle to compete with the large illicit pot market nearly five years after voters approved sales for recreational use. Los Angeles will be the biggest beneficiary of…

US (GA): Impatience grows over pending MMJ licenses

Representatives of Georgia’s nascent medical cannabis industry are expressing frustration with the state’s process for issuing licenses to grow and process cannabis into a therapeutic oil used by registered patients for conditions including seizures and intractable pain. Georgia legalized low-THC oil and…

Photo by: AP Photo

US: Nevada governor signs law defining wholesale of cannabis for excise taxes

The Nevada Governor June 3 signed a law adding the definition of a wholesale sale to excise tax provisions for adult-use cannabis cultivation facilities. The law includes a measure adding the definition, which clarifies that the term doesn’t include a transfer of cannabis by a facility to another…

US (CA): County files public nuisance lawsuit against Carpinteria cannabis grower

In a report to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors this week, County Counsel Michael Ghizzoni described several enforcement actions initiated by the county against…

US (MA): Chicopee approves $15M cannabis cultivation

Owners of the city’s first cannabis business have been given the go-ahead to expand by opening an about $15 million cannabis cultivation facility in an industrial building that has been partially vacant since 2017. The City Council voted 10-0 with one abstention last week to approve a special permit that…

TGOD subsidiary sells 1 mln sq. ft. cultivation facility to Cannara

Canadian cannabis grower Cannara Biotech Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a one million square foot licensed cultivation and manufacturing facility in Valleyfield, Quebec from Medican Organic Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings…

US (CA): Cannabis processing firm pleads guilty to illegal transportation of hazardous waste

WellgreensCA, Inc., a San Diego company engaged in extracting oils from cannabis, along with the owner and a manager, pleaded guilty in federal court today to offenses related to the dumping of hazardous waste in San Diego County in early 2018. In pleading guilty, WellgreensCA, Inc. and owner Lunar…

US (CO): Cannabis regulation bill sails through the legislature

More than seven years after recreational cannabis shops opened in Colorado, the state legislature is sending a unified message of concern about what high-potency products…

Increasing equity in the Vermont cannabis industry

On Monday, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed a bill that seeks to improve social equity in the state’s fledgling marijuana market, and modify the rollout of legal pot sales, into…

The Associated Press

US (LA): Bill allowing use of smokable medical cannabis headed to Governor’s desk

The Legislature gave final passage to one-half of the legislative effort that would result in Louisianans being able to use the raw, smoke-able form of medical marijuana. The bill by Houma Representative Tanner Magee mirrors recently passed efforts in Mississippi and Arkansas to lower the cost of medical…

Farmers could produce crops with seeds from Jersey Hemp

Jersey Hemp is seeking to certify its seeds and distribute them to Island farmers with the company’s new science officer Alisia Ratliff saying that the initiative was part of their expansion strategy to partner with more local growers. Ms. Ratliff, who recently arrived in Jersey after working in the US…

Ghana set to regulate hemp production

Ghana has commenced plans to formulate a legal framework to allow for the cultivation of Indian hemp in the country. Under this legal framework, growers of hemp would need a license to operate. According to the Head of Communications and Media Relations at the Narcotics Control Commission, Francis Opoku…

Adobe Stock: Ryland Zweifel

Bahama community demands representation in cannabis legislation

Local stakeholders demanding representation in the government’s move to regulate marijuana usage in the country are urging the government to amend its proposed legislation to be more inclusive. Last week, an early draft version of the government’s Medicinal Cannabis Bill, 2021, and the Dangerous Drugs…

Zimbabwe welcomes international cannabis investors and establishes green industry fund

Zimbabwe is offering international cannabis investors the option of owning 100% of their operations and the right to choose where in the country they would like to invest. This is a major departure from the country’s existing foreign investment regime which requires significant local shareholding in any…

US (CA): Cannabis grower faces penalties for ‘serious’ air pollution

John De Friel, the owner and CEO of Central Coast Agriculture, illegally ran highly polluting diesel generators as a primary source of power at both of his cannabis operations on Santa Rosa Road west of Buellton, beginning as far back as February 2020, the county Air Pollution Control District has found.…

US (CO): Boulder corrects code to allow cannabis shops to sell hemp, CBD products

Boulder cannabis dispensaries can now not only sell cannabis products but also products made from hemp and CBD. The Boulder City Council unanimously passed a measure Tuesday night to update language of the code that had blocked pot shops from selling products made from cannabis’s non-psychoactive sister…

What has happened with the approval of the Cannabis Bill in Costa Rica?

A few weeks ago, it became known that the President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, keeps turning his back on the proposal of the Citizen Action Party (PAC), to legalize recreational use of cannabis. “This project as such is not on the executive’s priority agenda,” added the president. Carolina Hidalgo,…

US (MA): State launches cannabis delivery license application

After years of stops and starts, the Cannabis Control Commission announced Friday that eligible applicants can now seek pre-certification and licensure as cannabis delivery…

US (OK): Bureau of Narcotics seizes out-of-state cannabis sold in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics is launching an investigation into illegal sale of out-of-state cannabis inside Sooner State lines. Mark Woodward, spokesperson for OBN, said the agency busted a seller from California transporting cannabis to sell to Oklahoma dispensaries. "That's being sold for pennies…

US (NJ): South River council introduces ordinance setting regulations for potential cannabis businesses

The Borough Council introduced an ordinance, which if adopted, will amend the municipal code setting regulations for cannabis establishments within South River. On Feb. 22, Gov. Phil Murphy signed adult-use cannabis reform bills into law, legalizing and regulating cannabis use and possession for adults…

Morocco to legalize medical cannabis

One of the world’s largest producers of illicit cannabis took a major step towards legalization last week, when the Moroccan parliament voted to legalize cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial use last week.  The move could be a major boon to the tens of thousands of farmers who make their livelihood…

US (TN): Governor signs bill to expand MMJ program

The governor of Tennessee has signed a bill to expand the state’s limited CBD program and create a commission to study broader medical marijuana legalization. Gov. Bill Lee…

US (OK): Seed-to-sale tracking company files motion to intervene in class action lawsuit against OMMA

Last month, KFOR reported about a class-action lawsuit filed against the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority hoping to stop the state from implementing a seed-to-sale…

US (SD): Lawmakers headed out of state as part of cannabis summer study

Lawmakers in South Dakota want a firsthand look at how cannabis is grown and sold where it's already legal before cannabis prohibitions are loosened here this summer. The South Dakota Legislature's interim study committee on cannabis met this week for the first time in Pierre, taking testimony from both…

FR: France will authorize CBD products, but not smokable flowers

France will authorize products based on CBD, but the sale of dried flowers and leaves will remain prohibited, AFP learned Tuesday from Matignon. The French ban on this “light cannabis” was invalidated by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in November, in the name of the free movement of…

US (MI): Corporate cannabis companies lobby for caregiver crackdown

A trade group that represents some of the largest cannabis companies in Michigan is lobbying for more regulations for medical cannabis caregivers, pushing some activists to boycott several popular pot brands – including Skymint, Pleasantrees and High Life Farms in Greater Lansing. And if the proposed…

US (MI): bills look to tighten the definition of cannabis to close a gap

Legislation to close a gap in Michigan cannabis law that has allowed some untested products similar to cannabis to be sold passed Thursday in the state House. The legislation…

US (RI): State to seek shutting down cannabis grower who bribed mayor

Brian Bairos was already opening a cannabis cultivation facility in Warwick in 2018 when he decided to try and expand into the retail market in Massachusetts. Testifying in federal court in Boston earlier this month, Bairos recalled that he set his sights on Fall River, setting up a meeting with…

US (RI): State delays lottery for new MMJ dispensaries

Two years after state lawmakers approved an expansion of Rhode Island’s medical cannabis program from three dispensaries to nine, the state is still months away from completing the process to randomly select the six new stores. A lottery to pick six cannabis dispensaries for licensure, originally pegged…

US (FL): Supreme Court affirms state’s vertical integration MMJ model

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday overturned lower court rulings that Florida’s medical cannabis regulatory scheme is unconstitutional, essentially delivering a blow to small companies hoping to enter the state’s marijuana industry. At the heart of the Supreme Court’s ruling is a challenge to the…

DE: Düsseldorf reverses ban on CBD after court backs hemp company

A Düsseldorf court has ruled in favor of German hemp company Hempro International GmbH (Hempro Int.), striking down a citywide ban on the marketing and sales of products containing CBD in natural extract form. Hempro Int. went to Düsseldorf Administrative Court last autumn to contest a July 11, 2020,…

ES: Spain moves towards MMJ regulation

On May 13, the health committee of Spain’s Congress of Deputies approved a proposal to create a subcommittee that will consider other countries’ experiences with medical cannabis. The subcommittee’s findings could pave the way for medical cannabis legalization in Spain. According to a recent poll,…

US (NM): State releases proposed rules for cannabis producers

The state has released the proposed rules for cannabis producers in New Mexico. The proposed rules include requirements for obtaining a cannabis producer, cannabis producer microbusiness, or a medical cannabis producer license in addition to a three-tiered plant count framework and fee system. The public…

US (CA): Santa Barbara judge upholds county review and zoning permit for grower

In a sweeping decision that puts a seal of approval on the county’s embrace of the fast-growing cannabis industry in rural areas, a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge this week tossed out a citizens’ lawsuit that sought to shut down a 22-acre cannabis hoop-house operation on Highway 246. Noting…

US (TX): Senate gives final passage to MMJ expansion bill

The Texas Senate on Tuesday gave final approval to a bill expanding Texas’ medical cannabis program to include all forms of PTSD and cancer, though it underwent significant changes due to a committee substitute. Despite soaring through the House with bipartisan support, the proposal appeared to be doomed…

US (MA): Judge ruled cannabis business cannot withhold $356,000 from city

 An Essex Superior Court judge has denied a cannabis shop's request to avoid paying $356,000 to Haverhill unless the city provides detailed documentation of how the money will be spent. Caroline Pineau, owner of the pot shop Stem on downtown Washington Street, sought permission to place the money in an escrow…

CAN: Measures in place to prevent abuse of medical cannabis program, Health Canada says

Health Canada says a "range of measures" are in place to combat abuse of its medical cannabis growing regulations, which have recently come under fire from the mayor of Leamington, Ont. In a statement on Wednesday, the agency also said it is "committed to working with all stakeholders to address issues…

US (IL): House approves cannabis equity licensing bill

Legislation revamping the state’s system for awarding cannabis dispensary licenses passed the House on Tuesday. The measure is meant to address shortcomings in the 2019…

Aurora Europe

Denmark to continue MMJ trial program

The medical cannabis program in Denmark is set to continue, with patients being able to access MMJ medicine for at least the next four years, as well as granting local cannabis companies to continue growing permanently. Such a decision was reached yesterday when the majority of Danish parties indeed voted…

Adult-use legalization ignites debates in Luxembourg parliament

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has a date with destiny – namely, recreational reform by the fall of this year (legislatively at least). But the devil is, as always, in the details. Here is the intriguing development. Theoretically, or at least legislatively, Luxembourg is supposed to approve a…

US (MN): Governor signs bill legalizing smokable MMJ

The governor of Minnesota on Tuesday signed a large-scale bill that includes provisions to expand the state’s medical cannabis program, in part by allowing patients to access smokable cannabis products. Earlier this month, a bicameral conference committee approved the reform, in addition to several other…

CAN (ON): Petition calls on Ottawa to more oversight on regulations

Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald wants the federal government to strengthen the rules around medical cannabis production in wake of what she says is a growing problem in the…

US (NY): New York bans Delta 8 THC

Delta 8 THC, a hot new cannabis product that has swept across New York in the past year, now appears to be banned under new state Health Department regulations. The new regulations, which came out last week, prompted at least one Upstate New York retailer, Empire CBD, to close all six of its locations…

US (NV): Grower's permit revoked citing 'threat to public health and safety'

The Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) has suspended a North Las Vegas cannabis store’s cultivation license, citing a “present threat to public health and safety.” An emergency telephonic board meeting was held after agents visited NLV Wellness, LLC’s cultivation facility on May 19. According to news…

GR: Parliament approves bill on MMJ production and sale

Parties voted for a draft law allowing the cultivation and sale of pharmaceutical cannabis in Parliament’s plenary session on Friday night. A roll-call vote, requested by main opposition SYRIZA, registered 158 votes for and 33 against. The bill was rejected by MPs of the Communist Party of Greece, Greek…

JM: Subsistence farmers will help fill demand in cannabis industry

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Audley Shaw has reiterated that subsistence farmers will play a key role in the development of the local cannabis industry. “Jamaica has some of the most experienced and knowledgeable local cannabis farmers who have been growing high-grade ganja for decades.…

US (NY): Growers rushing to meet "tidal wave" of demand

In New York and New Jersey, the race is on to grow legal weed. In Orange County, N.Y., there are plans to build a large cannabis cultivation and processing plant on the…

US: "US trade officials should represent the cannabis industry after legalization"

When cannabis is federally legalized, it should be normalized in global commerce with U.S. trade representatives advocating for domestic cannabis business interests, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) said on Wednesday. While that hasn’t necessarily been addressed in legalization…

Fresh debate rages over regulation of medical Cannabis in Nigeria

The recent decision by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to go after supermarkets, confectionary stores and others dispensing Cannabis cookies has raised the debate whether medicinal values of Cannabis cannot be isolated from other uses. The governor, on Monday, May 13, 2019, was in…

US (MO): Court ruled cannabis license applications cannot be kept secret

A state appeals court ruled Tuesday that medical marijuana regulators in Missouri cannot keep license applications secret. In a decision that could upend the state’s…

US (SC): York County-based grower approved by DEA for cannabis research

For the last 50 years, the University of Mississippi was the only location in the US that had Federal approval to grow marijuana for research. "Until literally on Friday, they…

US (LA): Governor says cannabis legalization ‘is going to happen’

Just a day after a bill to legalize cannabis in Louisiana stalled in the state legislature, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said on his live radio program Wednesday that cannabis legalization “is going to happen in Louisiana eventually.” “In the past, as a legislator and as governor, I’ve been opposed to…

US (CA): Commercial cannabis cultivation tax refunds available for Humboldt County

Due to a recent court ruling, Humboldt county residents can submit an application for a full or partial refund on a now overruled cannabis tax. Placed and passed on the November 2016 ballot, Measure S initiated the Commercial Marijuana Cultivation Tax which taxed those who cultivated cannabis in…

US (OH): Franklin County opts-in for state cannabis cultivation program for unorganized territory

Franklin County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to opt-in to all four tiers of the state adult-use cannabis cultivation program for the unorganized territory. They also approved two contracts for services at the jail. The vote on cannabis means that those eligible in the unorganized territory can…

US (CA): Sonoma County supervisors proposal to facilitate license access

Sonoma County supervisors punted Tuesday on a proposal to make it easier for cannabis growers to obtain a permit from the county, saying further examination of the environmental effects and more public input is needed. The proposed rules, approved by the county Planning Commission and more than a year in…

US (MP): Supreme Court overturned voter-backed cannabis initiative

Mississippi will remain in the minority of states without a medical cannabis program after the state Supreme Court on Friday overturned an initiative that voters approved last fall—a decision that also limits other citizen-led efforts to put issues on the statewide ballot. At the heart of the ruling is…

Cannabis compliance and track-and-trace

From a compliance standpoint, the legal cannabis industry is a two-way street. On one side you have cannabis consumers who have an obligation to adhere to common sense…

US (MT): Governor signs cannabis legalization implementation bill

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) on Tuesday signed House Bill 701, landmark legislation that implements and regulates the recreational cannabis program that voters approved in a ballot initiative last year and funds a substance abuse prevention program that the new governor has championed since his first…

US (AL): Governor signs MMJ legislation

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed medical marijuana legislation Monday as conservative opposition to the issue gradually faded after decades of debate. The program will allow…

Prohibition Partners

Spanish government to examine benefits of legalizing medical cannabis

Today, the Comisión de Sanidad y Consumo (Spanish Congressional Health and Consumer Affairs Commission) voted to establish a subcommittee with the express purpose of exploring the potential of medical cannabis legalization by examining policies in other countries and producing a report for the…

Suriname to implement regulatory framework for industrial hemp cultivation

The production of industrial hemp can lead to a new form of industry and thus to the economic development of the country. To this end, President Santokhi installed the Presidential Working Group on "Implementation of Industrial Hemp Cultivation" on Friday 7 May. President Santokhi emphasized that in…

Japan considering lifting ban on cannabis-based medicines

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has decided to lift the ban on domestic use of cannabis-based medicines. Because it is subject to the Cannabis Control Law in Japan, doctors who are treating epilepsy patients have called for the lifting of the ban.  For this reason, the Ministry of Health, Labor and…

US (CA): Comeback plan proposes millions in funding to address environmental impacts, public health and safety concerns, and equity and inclusion

Governor Newsom’s California Comeback Plan released today proposes $100 million General Fund in grant funding for local governments to complete environmental studies, license reviews, and mitigate environmental impacts. The proposal supports a broader effort to transition cannabis businesses into the…

US: MMJ research growers receives DEA approval

The U.S. government has approved new growers of research cannabis for the first time in more than 50 years, people involved in the process said, widening the capacity to study the drug’s medical value. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s action after years of delay means researchers will be able to…

US (MN): Regulations give hemp growers more leeway on THC cap

Minnesota has adjusted its hemp rules to let farmers remediate crops that go over the federal limit of 0.3% THC if they do not exceed a full 1.0%. The change was among updates to the Minnesota hemp program recently approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the state Department of Agriculture…

US (MA): Report says cannabis businesses received $2.5M in unlawful fines

Advocates, lawmakers, and former regulators urged a legislative committee on Tuesday to provide more oversight of required contracts between municipalities and cannabis…

ZW: 54 cannabis producers received their license

The Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (Zida) is developing a medicinal cannabis sector-based strategy to promote investments into the country. To date, 54 local and foreign investors have been licensed. The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement is…

US (CO): Denver to issue new cannabis licenses, but not for certain neighorhoods

Denver begins accepting new applications for cannabis business licenses next month — but not for certain neighborhoods. The city’s Department of Excise and Licenses on Friday…

US (MO): Amendment now requires regulators to turn over medical cannabis business ownership information

The Missouri House voted Tuesday afternoon to require state regulators to turn over ownership information for businesses granted with medical cannabis licenses to legislative oversight committees. The amendment, which was approved 82-59, was sponsored by Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis. He said the…

Medical cannabis bill to be finalized in Bahamas

Following consultation with the Bahamas Christian Council (BCC), various medical professionals and Bahamians in the cannabis business abroad, Attorney General Carl Bethel said yesterday he expects to submit a redrafted medical marijuana bill to a Cabinet subcommittee for review this weekend. Once the…

US: USDA approves Minnesota's revised hemp plan

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved Minnesota’s revised hemp production plan marking the first year the state is not operating under the 2014 pilot program rules. The new hemp regime follows some federal guideline changes, including opening up the testing window from 15 to 30 days and…

US: Schumer says cannabis legalization mush pass before cannabis banking reform

With Democrats in control of the Senate this session, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) doesn’t plan to jeopardize a cannabis legalization bill he’s working on by advancing a more modest cannabis banking measure first. In an interview with The Ringer that was released on Tuesday, the senator…

US (HI): State revokes medical cannabis license from company

The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) has issued a Notice of Violation and Order (NOVO) to Pono Life Sciences Maui, LLC, and its individual licensee, Dr. William Mitchell, Jr. The order revokes the company’s and individual’s medical cannabis dispensary license, requiring the immediate closure of Pono…

US (CA): Former city officials sentenced for accepting bribes

Two California men were each sentenced today to two years in prison for accepting bribes in return for a guarantee of a city permit to open a commercial cannabis dispensary. According to the plea documents, former Calexico, California, City Councilman David Romero, 37, and Bruno Suarez-Soto, 29, a former…

US: Zkittlez lawsuit ignites cannabis industry

On May 3, candy giant Mars Wrigley issued a lawsuit against Ukiah, California-based Terphogz, the company behind cannabis-infused candy Zkittlez, for trademark infringement. In a lawsuit, Mars Wrigley alleges that Terphogz had “simply helped itself” to the company’s registered “Taste the Rainbow” slogan…

US (CA): Grower, manufacturer settles false advertising lawsuit for $300,000

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced a consumer protection False Advertising Law settlement in a civil action against Cannacraft, Inc. Cannacraft is a…

How one small cannabis company landed in the middle of the Bridging Finance scandal

When MJardin Group Inc. needed new capital to help fund its North American cannabis ambitions, it frequently turned to a familiar financier: Bridging Finance Inc. The Toronto-based private lender's relationship with the beleaguered cannabis producer plays a major role in the scandal that rocked Bay…

Forced labor and the cannabis industry

As the cannabis industry continues to internationalize, it would do well to pay attention to the issue of forced labor. Enforcement activity against the importation of goods…

US (TX): Agriculture commissioner consultant arrested over hemp license scandal

The top political consultant to Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller was arrested Thursday on allegations that he participated in a scheme to solicit money and campaign contributions for state hemp licenses issued by Miller’s Texas Department of Agriculture. The consultant, Todd Smith, ultimately took…

US: New standard THC dose to be used in cannabis research

A top federal health agency announced on Friday that it has determined the standard dose of THC that should be used for cannabis studies moving forward. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) said in a notice to researchers that there is a “new requirement to measure and report results using a…

US: "Robocalls can be costly for the cannabis industry"

Robocalls are not only a nuisance. They can be costly for the cannabis industry. That’s the assessment an attorney made during the North Coast Cannabis Industry Conference on Wednesday during a discussion about the legal ramifications of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. “Everybody hates getting…

US (NM): State turns down request for higher cannabis plant counts

The state of New Mexico on Wednesday turned down a request from multiple medical cannabis producers for an immediate increase in plant counts to avert what they predicted…

US (WV): Eligible West Virginians can now apply for medical cannabis

The West Virginia Office of Medical Cannabis is telling eligible West Virginians with serious medical conditions that they can now register for a medical cannabis patient card. Governor Jim Justice signed the ‘Medical Cannabis Act’ into law on April 19, 2017. Tonight, some are saying West Virginia is…

US (NC): Cherokee council legalizes medical cannabis on tribal land

The tribal council for the Cherokee in western North Carolina voted Thursday to legalize medical marijuana on tribal lands. The tribal land will be the first area in the state with legal possession of pot. The vote makes possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by people 21 and older legal on tribal…

US (NM): Department of Health revokes license of Santa Fe cannabis supplier that had fire

The state Department of Health has permanently revoked the license of New MexiCann Natural Medicine in connection to an explosion and fire at the company’s Santa Fe…

US (WI): Hemp growers in Wisconsin will be able to avoid crop destruction if their lot has a high THC test

Hemp growers in Wisconsin will be able to avoid crop destruction if their lot has a high THC test.  Brian Kuhn leads the hemp program for Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. He says the changes will help growers get some value for a crop that tests too high in Delta 9 THC.…

US (CA): Santa Barbara County denies appeal of Santa Maria Valley cannabis farm

A cannabis cultivation operation proposed by Abel Maldonado east of Santa Maria survived an appeal by an adjacent world-renowned vineyard Wednesday and was granted unanimous approval by the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission. However, the project planned for a site about 6 miles east of Santa Maria…

US (IL): Bill would create new cannabis licenses to allow greater minority participation in Illinois

A long-awaited plan to create 110 new recreational cannabis retail licenses and expand minority ownership in Illinois is expected to be introduced in Springfield this week. The new licenses would be in addition to 75 pending licenses that are to be awarded in a lottery for businesses with perfect…

MX: Lawmakers failed to meet Supreme Court deadline with legalization bill

Mexican lawmakers have failed to meet a Supreme Court deadline to end cannabis prohibition after spending months going back and forth on a legalization bill that passed both chambers of Congress in differing forms. The result is a lot of uncertainty. The court first deemed prohibition unconstitutional in…

US (NM): MMJ producers get an extension on licensing deadline

New Mexico medical cannabis producers that intend to continue doing business after commercial cannabis sales begin next year will not be required to renew their license this…

US (LA): House of Representatives approved bill to allow whole-flower cannabis

The Louisiana House of Representatives on Monday approved a bill that would expand the state’s current limited medical cannabis program by allowing patients to purchase…

US: The cannabis data collection act reintroduced

The bipartisan Marijuana Data Collection Act was introduced, led by Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Rand Paul (R-KY) and U.S. Reps. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) and Don Young (R-AK).   This legislation would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor, and relevant state…

Poland slowly getting to raise hemp THC level to 0.3%

The Polish government has tentatively agreed to increase the THC limit for industrial hemp from the current 0.2% to 0.3%. The preliminary accord was reached in mid-April at a meeting attended by representatives of the ministries of agriculture and health. Officials also struck a tentative agreement to…

US (IL): Cannabis Industry Association of Illinois released a statement on need to issue social equity licenses

The Cannabis Business Association of Illinois believes social equity licenses must be issued as soon as possible and the General Assembly should focus on ensuring any change to cannabis law puts awards for social equity applicants at the forefront. This is no time for distractions. We have made clear…

US (OK): Seed-to-sale requirement suspended due to ongoing legal battle

The state of Oklahoma's contract with a Florida-based cannabis "seed-to-sale" tracking company could change after an Okmulgee County judge signed an order that temporarily stops enforcement of a requirement that businesses fully integrate with the platform. A copy of the order, signed Thursday, states…

US (KY): Kentucky Department of Agriculture licenses 2021 hemp growers, processors

Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Quarles announced the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) has licensed 445 hemp growers to cultivate up to 12,000 acres and 140 hemp processors and handlers for 2021. The Department has also licensed 3.7 million square feet of greenhouse space for…

Jersey's medicinal cannabis industry profits to be taxed at 20%

Companies growing medicinal cannabis in Jersey will pay 20% tax on profits, Senator Lyndon Farnham has confirmed. He said planning and environmental issues related to the…

US (TX): State to expand medical cannabis program

Texas was often viewed as one of the most restrictive states in terms of medical cannabis, especially in 2015 when it approved the Compassionate Use Program, which covered only one condition – intractable epilepsy – and allowed patients to consume only “low-THC” products (from 0.3% to 0.5% THC) while…

US (MA): Grow Lab's progress was slowed down by COVID

It wasn’t that long ago when Brewster was in the lead to become the first town in the area to open a cannabis-based business. But the town’s two licenses have been stuck on idle for the past two years while cannabis businesses elsewhere have moved forward. Orleans hosted five forums for prospective…

ZA: Indigenous growers protesting cannabis licensing process

Black South African agricultural organizations are not content on standing by while the country’s legal cannabis industry kicks off on a racist foot. Last week, the Black Farmers’ Association of South Africa and allies held a protest in the capital city of Pretoria calling out the government’s agency…

US (MA): Grower must reapply for product manufacturing permit

When Twisted Growers LLC received a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals in January of 2020 to cultivate and process adult-use recreational cannabis at 415…

US (CO): Hemp company asks Montezuma County to lift ban on commercial cannabis farms

A hemp grower has requested that Montezuma County commissioners lift the ban on commercial cannabis operations in the unincorporated parts of the county. Green Lynx Farms near Mancos hopes to transition from growing hemp in its greenhouses to cultivating cannabis for the wholesale market. A poor hemp…