420 with CNW Archives - Page 72 of 305

FridayJul 07, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — Despite Ongoing Challenges, California’s Legal Cannabis Market Remains Huge

Despite facing financial and tax challenges, California's marijuana industry remains unparalleled as the largest cannabis market globally. According to the recent MJBizFactbook report, the state is projected to generate approximately $5.9 billion in legal medical and recreational cannabis sales in 2023. To provide perspective, this revenue could sustain the economy of a small island country. For instance, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that Barbados’s gross domestic product (GDP) will reach $6.1 billion this year. Additionally, the IMF forecasts Fiji's GDP to be approximately $5.4 billion. Given California's colossal cannabis market, its magnitude is not surprising. If California were an…

ThursdayJul 06, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Montana Legislators Override Cannabis Tax Distribution Bill Veto

Last week, lawmakers in Montana defied Governor Greg Gianforte's veto yet again, this time overriding an appropriations bill that contains provisions for directing cannabis tax funds to a program aimed at enhancing habitats. The Montana Wildlife Federation, the Montana Association of Counties and Wild Montana all expressed their approval of the legislature's decision to override Gianforte's veto of HB 868, the appropriations bill. The groups are currently suing the state’s secretary and Gianforte because of the governor's veto of SB 442. The bill, which enjoyed widespread support, seeks to redistribute revenue from Montana's cannabis tax toward county road funding, the…

ThursdayJul 06, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — Florida AG Tells Supreme Court Cannabis Legalization Measure is Misleading to Voters

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is working hard to keep a cannabis legalization initiative off the 2024 ballot. The attorney general recently issued a brief to the Florida Supreme Court detailing why she is opposed to the addition of the legalization measure on next year’s ballot. Moody had received a two-week extension from the court to give her more time to finish the brief, and she submitted it on the Monday deadline. The Attorney General’s office is looking to nullify the marijuana legalization measure based on the argument that its ballot summary’s language is “affirmatively misleading” in several ways. According…

WednesdayJul 05, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Minnesota Marijuana Sales Expected to Reach $1.5B

According to a forecast from a top marijuana law firm, Minnesota's legalized marijuana market will increase to more than $1.5 billion annually by 2029. Nearly 700,000 adult-use and medicinal marijuana users are anticipated to be served by Minnesota cannabis companies as the industry matures. Travis Copenhaver, a partner at the psychedelics and cannabis law firm Vicente LLP, stated at a seminar on marijuana entrepreneurship recently held by Surly Brewing in Minneapolis that the state’s recent legalization of recreational cannabis highlights new economic prospects for entrepreneurs in Minnesota. Vicente's market analysis suggests that Minnesota's legal marijuana market growth will closely resemble…

MondayJul 03, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — NFL to Inject More Dollars into Studying Cannabis as Concussion Treatment

The joint efforts of the National Football League (NFL) and its players' union have resulted in the announcement of a new round of funding for independent research on the therapeutic advantages of CBD as an alternative treatment for pain in concussed players instead of relying on opioids. The amount of $526,525 has been allocated to support two studies, with one led by the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) investigating cannabidiol and noninvasive vagal nerve stimulation (nVNS) as potential remedies for post-concussion headaches. The study, which will be randomized and is the first of its kind, aims to compare…

FridayJun 30, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Congress Passes Spending Bill Extending Blockage of Adult-Use Cannabis in D.C.

Washington D.C. residents won’t be purchasing recreational cannabis any time soon after Congressional lawmakers extended a ban on adult-use marijuana sales in the region. Although residents voted in favor of legalizing adult-use marijuana for adults in 2015, a federal spending bill rider prevents regulators from using local tax rules to create a legal framework for a commercial recreational cannabis market. The rider has been part of fiscal fending passages every year since and has prevented D.C. from launching a commercial market for years. Last week, the Republican-controlled House chose to renew the spending rider under the 2024 spending bill again,…

FridayJun 30, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — More States Ease 280E Code Burden on Marijuana Companies

The United States cannabis sector is reaping the benefits of long-awaited tax relief as more states, currently standing at 20, have sanctioned legislation that grants exemptions to businesses from Section 280E of the federal tax law. During the spring, lawmakers in Illinois, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey passed bills that will enable marijuana companies to reduce their business expenses from state income taxes, despite the fact that these businesses are still illegal under federal law. The expected savings could be substantial for larger businesses, depending on the corporation tax rate imposed by each state. Nevertheless, the state-level exemption does…

ThursdayJun 29, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Nevada Eases Rules on Cannabis Consumption Lounges, Issues Conditional Licenses

Last week, the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board unanimously passed a resolution that loosened rules for cannabis consumption lounges in the state. The measure, which also granted a trio of conditional licenses, reduced air-ventilation standards for cannabis consumption lounges in Las Vegas and other areas in the state. Specifically, the number of complete air changes per hour in a single smoking room has dropped to 20 from 30. This is in line with similar venues, including taverns, cigar lounges and hookah bars. The board also reduced air revolutions in nonsmoking areas of marijuana consumption lounges from 20 times every hour to…

ThursdayJun 29, 2023 4:20 am

420 with CNW — Wisconsin Supreme Court Says Cannabis Smell Provides Sufficient Grounds for Police Searches

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court has declared that the presence of a marijuana-like smell inside a car provides sufficient justification for police to search the vehicle’s occupants. This ruling, delivered last week by the court's conservative majority in a 4 to 3 vote, overturned previous decisions by lower courts that maintained officers could not be certain whether they were detecting the scent of CBD. In 2019, Quaheem Moore found himself subject to a search by two police officers when he was pulled over for exceeding the speed limit. He was alone in the vehicle, which emitted a smell resembling marijuana. Moore informed…

WednesdayJun 28, 2023 4:20 pm

420 with CNW — Colombia Senate Rejects Recreational Cannabis Bill

Cannabis reform efforts in Colombia recently came to a screeching halt after the Columbia senate rejected a recreational cannabis bill. The Senate voted down a measure that would have legalized the sale of adult-use cannabis and opened Colombia up to a multibillion-dollar cannabis industry. Despite the setback, cannabis reform activists in the country, including President Gustavo Petro, have pledged to continue their efforts to legalize recreational cannabis in Colombia. Colombia currently allows the home cultivation of up to 20 plants as well as the sale of cannabis-derived products such as creams and oils for medical use. However, like most countries,…