420 with CNW Archives - Page 61 of 301

WednesdayAug 30, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — Registration for Medical Marijuana Cards in South Dakota Nearly Doubles State Projections

More than two years have passed since the legalization of medical cannabis in South Dakota, and an impressive count of more than 11,500 individuals from the state now possess medical marijuana cards. This substantial figure stands in stark contrast to the initial projections made back in 2021 when the program was launched, as Jennifer Seale, the medical cannabis program administrator at the state Department of Health, pointed out. Initially, the state had envisaged a cardholder count of 6,000 by 2024, a projection that Seale shared with the members of the Medical Cannabis Oversight Committee in Pierre during a recent session.…

TuesdayAug 29, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Why Canadian MJ Companies Are Increasingly Flagging Each Other for Noncompliance

An escalating number of Canadian marijuana enterprises are submitting grievances against their industry counterparts, alleging infractions or expressing concerns. This escalating trend is a product of fierce rivalry and struggling companies resorting to any available advantage, as experts point out. According to Canada’s federal marijuana regulatory authority, the past year witnessed 706 instances of such grievances filed by regulated marijuana establishments against fellow regulated operators. This figure represents a notable surge compared to the records from 2021, which documented 214 formal complaints, and the statistics from 2020, when the count stood at 182 complaints, as data from Health Canada showed.…

TuesdayAug 29, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — Court Ruling Puts New York’s Cannabis Equity Program in Jeopardy

Efforts to launch an equitable recreational cannabis industry in New York hit another roadblock after a state Supreme Court judge ruled that the licensing process violated state law. The most recent state Supreme Court ruling has now deemed the licensing process for social equity applicants unconstitutional and banned the state Office of Cannabis Management from providing any new retail recreational cannabis licenses until Aug. 25, 2023, when there will be further arguments on the matter. Like other states with recreational cannabis markets, New York sought to launch an industry that provided equitable access to victims of the failed drug war…

MondayAug 28, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Medical Cannabis Firm Sues DEA Over Unjustifiable Licensing Delays

A medical marijuana company that focuses on developing cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals has filed a suit against the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over “exponential delays” in the agency’s licensing process for cultivating medical research cannabis. MMJ BioPharma Cultivation sued the DEA in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, claiming that the DEA’s licensing process, which can take several years, has prevented innovation which could help patients and which hamper the company’s business. The Rhode Island-based medical cannabis company asked the federal court to compel the DEA into action and hopefully streamline its licensing process. MMJ said in its…

MondayAug 28, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — State Cannabis Regulators Urge Congress to Look Beyond CBD While Enacting Cannabinoid Regulations

State cannabis regulators are informing congressional legislators that, in addition to providing the FDA with more regulatory power, their investigation into the absence of federal regulations for CBD products derived from hemp must consider other cannabinoids that are becoming more widely available, such as delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol. Last Friday, the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) sent lawmakers a letter with proposals for developing a framework for all hemp-derived cannabinoids in reply to a request for expert advice on CBD laws from major Senate and House committees. The group members' combined experience managing state cannabis initiatives served as the basis for the application.…

FridayAug 25, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — NIH-Funded Research Finds Near Record-Level Use of Cannabis, Hallucinogens, Alcohol by Middle-Aged Adults

Research funded by the National Institutes of Health has revealed historic high levels of cannabis, hallucinogens and alcohol use among adults aged 35 to 50 years old. The NIH-funded study stated that the use of hallucinogens and marijuana by middle-aged adults, which has been on an upward trajectory for several years, peaked in 2022. Furthermore, younger adults who also took part in the annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel study reported record high levels of hallucinogen, cannabis, and vape use. The report showed a significant increase in past-year hallucinogen and cannabis use as well as nicotine vaping in the past…

FridayAug 25, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — German Cabinet OKs Recreational Marijuana Legalization Plan

The German government approved a preliminary statute, marking a significant step toward legalizing recreational cannabis. Under the upcoming legislation, adults would be permitted to own a maximum of 25 grams (approximately 0.9 ounces) of marijuana and cultivate up to three plants for personal use. Moreover, they could participate in not-for-profit "marijuana clubs," comprising up to 500 members, where the legal growth and purchase of the substance would be permissible. The bill's journey to becoming law is not yet complete. The legislation must be approved by German parliamentarians who are slated to reconvene on Sept. 4, 2023, after their summer recess.…

ThursdayAug 24, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Analysis Shows Ohio Stands to Collect $404M in Annual Cannabis Taxes

Ohio has the potential to witness a substantial boost in its yearly tax revenue, reaching an impressive $403.5 million from the sales of recreational marijuana, according to a fresh analysis by researchers at Ohio State University. The researchers base their tax revenue estimations on the initial years of sales, drawing insights from comparable markets in other states. The study primarily hones in on the patterns of cannabis sales in Michigan, a neighboring state with a similar population size. Additionally, Michigan's tax structure bears a striking resemblance to the one that Ohio would likely adopt if the legalization measure gets the…

ThursdayAug 24, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — Health Insurance Premiums Lower in US Jurisdictions with Medical Marijuana

A recent International Journal of Drug Policy study has found that U.S. states with medical marijuana programs have seen major reductions in health insurance premiums. Compared to states without legal medical marijuana, the study observed that people in states with medical marijuana are paying lower insurance premiums. Analysis of 10 years’ worth of National Association of Insurance Commissioners private health insurance data revealed that once a state legalized medical marijuana sales, health insurance premiums “dropped dramatically.” Although the premium reductions were modest after the implementation of medical marijuana laws, yearly health insurance premiums in states with medical marijuana markets fell…

WednesdayAug 23, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Germans Hold Rally Calling for Cannabis Legalization

Demonstrations rocked the German capital city of Berlin last weekend as hundreds of Germans joined the country’s yearly marijuana legalization protests. Held just days before the German country met to discuss the fate of a draft measure that would get rid of Germany’s ban on cannabis, several hundred protestors joined the annual Hanfparade (Hemp Parade) and called on the government to legalize cannabis. The rally began at the Berlin Rotes Rathaus (Red town hall) before the protestors walked a route that took them through the Unter den Linden boulevard and to the government district. Held every year since 1997, the…