420 with CNW Archives - Page 292 of 313

ThursdayFeb 28, 2019 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Edmonton Considers “Notwithstanding Clause” to Allow Cannabis Retail Shops in Malls

Barely four months after recreational cannabis was legalized in Canada, the city of Edmonton has made a proposal to include a “notwithstanding clause” in the law that stipulates the distance between cannabis retail shops and other public facilities, such as libraries and schools. The current separation distances stipulated in the city’s bylaws state that there should be at least 200 meters between cannabis retail stores and schools or libraries. The law also stipulates that there should be at least 100 meters between a cannabis retail shop and provincial healthcare sites, parks and other public recreation facilities. While the approach included…

WednesdayFeb 27, 2019 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Massachusetts Cannabis Regulators Consider Restricting Delivery Licenses to Small Entities

State marijuana regulators in Massachusetts have for long been baffled by how to ensure that there is equity regarding access to the different opportunities available in the cannabis industry. Now that dilemma may be solved if the proposals floated to ring fence cannabis delivery licenses for “equity” applicants are implemented. The Cannabis Advisory Board has suggested that as the state moves towards making it possible for cannabis to be delivered to people’s homes, all the home delivery licenses should be reserved for minorities that suffered disproportionately during the war on drugs that lasted for decades. The board is also suggesting…

WednesdayFeb 27, 2019 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Iowa Poll Shows Widespread Support for Expanding Medical Cannabis Program

A recent poll sponsored by Mediacom and Des Moines Register has found that more than three-quarters (78 percent) of Iowans want to see the medical cannabis program expanded in order to ease access to this new program. Iowan adults voiced their support for suggestions that more qualifying conditions should be included in the law that established the medical cannabis program. The proposed expansion would also include increasing the number of shops from which medical marijuana can be bought. Iowa’s medical cannabis program was launched last year in December with just five dispensaries and one manufacturer allowed to operate within the…

TuesdayFeb 26, 2019 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Two Cannabis Legalization Bills Receive Nod from New Mexico Legislative Committees

Two different bills aimed at legalizing cannabis in New Mexico have been passed by committees in the state senate and assembly. At the start of this month, the Health and Human Services Committee of the state Assembly approved a proposal to allow adults who were at least 21 years old to use recreational cannabis. Under this proposal, adults would be allowed to grow their own cannabis, if they so wished, and upon fulfilling the requirements to obtain a cultivation license from the state. Retailers would also be licensed by the state. The proposal also has provisions that would allow previous…

TuesdayFeb 26, 2019 4:20 am

420 with CNW – North Dakota Cannabis Activists Consider 2020 Ballot Measure

While attempts to legalize cannabis by a ballot measure last year and by legislative means this month were met with defeat, marijuana advocates in the state aren’t giving up, and they are already planning to have another shot at a ballot measure in 2020. Dave Owen, a leading cannabis advocate in the state who played a major role in the ballot measure that was voted upon during the recent midterms says that his organization (Legalize ND) will look to national advocacy groups for funding and support this time round. He revealed that the huge amounts of money poured into the…

MondayFeb 25, 2019 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – New York Prosecutor Drops Marijuana Charges

A group of 35 people in Erie County received an unexpected gift when John Flynn, the Erie County District Attorney, requested that a judge at the Buffalo City Court accept the prosecutor’s request to dismiss the low-level marijuana charges (misdemeanor charges) against the nearly three dozen people. The judge agreed with the prosecutor, and the charges were dismissed. It should be noted that the 35 people weren’t present in court. Their warrants were still outstanding and they had missed their court appearances. In effect, the prosecutor saw no need to continue hunting for those individuals over a substance that would…

MondayFeb 25, 2019 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Does Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Mark the Death of Medical Cannabis Programs?

You may be wondering what becomes of the medical marijuana programs and products once a jurisdiction legalizes recreational pot. Some people even conclude that medical marijuana dies quietly once recreational cannabis becomes legal. Is this true? It may be true that the process of getting a medical marijuana card is a bit cumbersome (find a doctor willing to recommend medical marijuana for your health challenge, then apply and pay license fees, etc.). The legalization of recreational cannabis means that access to marijuana now just requires you to present a valid government-issue photo ID at a dispensary or retail outlet in…

FridayFeb 22, 2019 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – California Rakes in $300 Million in Cannabis Taxes in 2018

The statistics are out; California earned approximately $300 million in taxes during the first year of recreational cannabis sales in the state. This information was released by the Department of Tax and Fee Administration in California on February 19. While the $300 million tax collection is high, it is way below what the state had initially anticipated to collect during the first year of commercial cannabis sales ($655 million). Two reasons may explain why the taxes collected were below the projected figure. First, it is hard to predict with any degree of certainty what quantity of cannabis will be sold…

FridayFeb 22, 2019 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Four Ways Cannabis Entrepreneurs are Using AI in Sales and Ecommerce

As the marijuana industry has grown and become more widely accepted, many tech companies have introduced new products to enable the cannabis industry. Here are the four major AI products that marijuana businesses are deploying to boost sales and make ecommerce more successful. Chatbots The explosion of interest in cannabis means that the limited staff of marijuana companies can easily be overwhelmed if they decided to address each person’s queries without the help of AI. Chatbots have been introduced to engage customers and potential customers quickly and efficiently by providing all the information one needs. For example, the chatbot can…

ThursdayFeb 21, 2019 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – New Jersey Moves Closer to Legalizing Pot as Top Leaders Strike a Deal

Plans to legalize marijuana in New Jersey ground to a halt last year amidst a disagreement between Gov. Murphy and legislative leaders over taxes and a few other issues. However, a compromise deal on the key sticking points has now put the legalization plans back on course. We reported at the end of last month that a new tax proposal had given cannabis legalization plans a breath of life. That proposal sought to provide a middle ground between the Governor who wanted a higher sales tax and Sweeney, the State Senate leader, who was adamant anything higher than 12 percent…