420 with CNW Archives - Page 29 of 268

MondayAug 21, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — AMA Study Finds Marijuana Smoking Viewed as Safer Than Cigarette Smoking

According to a recent AMA study, people are beginning to perceive marijuana smoking or being around marijuana smoke as being less harmful than smoking or being around tobacco smoke. Researchers asked 5,035 American adults three times — in 2021, 2020 and 2017 — about their opinions of the hazards associated with both substances. They discovered a significant change over time, with more participants saying they thought marijuana smoke was typically safer than tobacco smoke. Published in the “Journal of the American Medical Association” (JAMA) Substance Use and Addiction, the survey asked respondents whether they believed that smoking one joint of…

FridayAug 18, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — New Paltz Farmers’ Market Draws Marijuana Enthusiasts

In an unprecedented move, New York made history by making marijuana legally available for purchase at a special farmers' market for adults only in Ulster County. The main goal of this creative move was to address the oversupply situation that many marijuana growers are currently in. While stringent security measures ensured that only those with verified IDs could enter the farmer-market space, the scene within the event resembled that of a conventional farmers’ market, complete with sprawling tents, neatly arranged tables, inquisitive consumers and well-informed farmers. The event, held in New Paltz, was New York's first attempt at staging a…

FridayAug 18, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — LA Mayor to Announce Head of City Marijuana Agency

Los Angles Mayor Karen Bass is expected to announce a new official to head the city’s marijuana regulatory agency. Bass is changing leadership in a myriad of city agencies and recently listed the position of executive director of Los Angeles’ Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) on the city employment site. Interested candidates have until 4 p.m. on Aug. 18, 2023, to submit their applications for the DCR executive director position. With an annual salary of $155,681 to $276,075, the DCR executive director will oversee an agency of 55 employees and a recreational cannabis market that sells roughly $1 billion worth…

ThursdayAug 17, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Three States in the Northeast Set July Cannabis Sales Records

Cannabis retailers in the northeast sold a record number of products in July, achieving new sales records and generating millions of dollars. State data shows that cannabis sales in Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts are booming, with Maine selling $20.8 million worth of cannabis products in July alone and breaking cannabis sales records for the third month in a row. Marijuana businesses in Maine saw more than $118 million in cannabis sales over the first half of 2022 and are on track to end the year at a record $159 million in sales. The Cannabis Control Commission reported that recreational…

ThursdayAug 17, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — Gallup Poll Finds Highest Ever Support for Cannabis Legalization Among Republicans

A recent examination of survey data from Gallup shows that Republican backing for cannabis legalization has reached an unprecedented peak on a nationwide scale. However, a deepening partisan schism has emerged over the last couple of decades, with Democrats having swiftly and more openly embraced this cause. Most Democrats and Independents leaning toward the Democratic Party (amounting to 83%) and also Republicans and Independents with an inclination toward the GOP (accounting for 55%) are in favor of dismantling the ban on cannabis. These insights, extracted from Gallup's 2022 survey data, illustrate a disparity of 28% in opinion on the matter…

WednesdayAug 16, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Court Order Halts NY Marijuana Dispensary Openings

A New York court has blocked the official launch of marijuana dispensaries in the state following a decision by a judge to halt the retail licensing process. The court sided with a lawsuit filed by disabled veterans who argued that New York’s licensing policy, which prioritizes entrepreneurs who were harmed by cannabis criminalization, is unconstitutional. Social equity has been a key aspect in many state marijuana programs in the United States, with most programs including provisions meant to reinvest in individuals and communities that were disproportionately affected by the war on drugs. Individuals from Black and Brown communities were and…

WednesdayAug 16, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — Cannabis Industry Lobbying Increases as Looming Government Shutdown Leaves SAFE Banking in Balance

The U.S. marijuana sector persists in allocating substantial financial resources toward influential advocates, aiming to sway senators into endorsing marijuana reform. Nonetheless, this endeavor faces a potential impediment in the form of an imminent government shutdown, capable of profoundly disrupting the legislative schedule of Congress. During the first six months of 2023, marijuana enterprises and industry coalitions invested more than $2.4 million in lobbying efforts directed at the Senate, according to the latest disclosures in federal lobbying records. This falls short of the $2.9 million expended during the latter half of 2022, including the session following the general election, when…

TuesdayAug 15, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Ohio Campaigners Submit 6,500 Extra Signatures to Put Recreational Marijuana on Ballot

The organization spearheading the campaign for the legalization and oversight of marijuana in Ohio recently stated it has amassed nearly tenfold the requisite additional signatures to present the matter to the public for consideration this November. Tom Haren of the CTRMLA conveyed that the group’s collective efforts garnered an additional 6,545 signatures. During the initial days of July, the group formally submitted well over 222,000 signatures to Frank LaRose, the Ohio secretary of state. That number was a substantial surplus in comparison to the stipulated 124,046 necessary for the proposition's eligibility on the November 2024 general election ballot. However, the…

TuesdayAug 15, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — CNN’s Dr. Gupta Discusses Marijuana Use by Seniors

In a recent article titled “Cannabis is Having a Senior Moment,” CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta talked about the increasing rates of marijuana use among older Americans. People aged 65 and older are now the fastest growing group of marijuana users in the country, Gupta said, dubbing the trend a kind of “senior moment” that has left him quite surprised. America is currently home to a massive state-level medical marijuana industry that serves millions of patients and generates hundreds of millions of dollars per year in medical cannabis sales. Surprisingly, a significant portion of medical marijuana patients are older individuals, belying…

MondayAug 14, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Maine Enacts Law Granting Cannabis Businesses Tax Relief

Maine Governor Janet Mills has approved legislation to provide tax relief to players in the state’s marijuana industry. The bill will partially bypass the Internal Revenue Service, which prohibits cannabis businesses from making federal tax deductions through IRS code 280E, and grant licensed cannabis businesses access to state tax deductions. The law expands on previous legislation that already provided licensed medical cannabis operators with tax relief and will allow players in the industry to make tax deductions for business expenses associated with running a manufacturing facility or registered dispensary, or carrying out trade as a registered caregiver. A statement from…