Marijuana sales in Colorado exceeded $1 billion as of August of this year, with tax revenue from those sales coming in at $200 million, according to a report from the Colorado Department of Revenue and its Marijuana Enforcement Division. It’s the earliest point in any of the four years Colorado has had legal recreational marijuana that […]
Policy & Legal
Canada Is Already Experiencing Cannabis Shortages
Canadians loved their legal weed so much that many stores ran out of stock of the first day of legalized cannabis and no one is sure when the shortages will end. Across the country, smokers of all pedigrees (including one brilliant dude named Tim) either logged onto a website or waited for hours outside a store to get […]
Ohio’s new medical marijuana industry has a big problem: What to do with its money.
When Ohio’s medical marijuana dispensaries finally open their doors later this year or early next year, they’re expected to rake in a ton of cash. But they’re unlikely to head straight to the bank with it. Most banks and credit unions won’t handle proceeds from marijuana-related businesses because the drug is still considered an illegal controlled substance by […]
Canadian legalization creates opportunities for Colorado marijuana businesses
Nationwide recreational marijuana legalization makes Canada a fertile landscape for ganjaprenuers. While some Colorado companies are already cashing in on opportunities north of the border, the effect on the local cannabis landscape is expected to be mostly invisible to consumers, industry advocates say. People began lining up in the wee hours of Newfoundland time Wednesday morning to make […]
Cannabis Industry Continues to Mature, But Getting Title Insurance Still Problematic
By: Leo G. Aubel, Partner, Howard & Howard As conflicting state and federal laws regarding cannabis production, distribution, sales and marketing continue on their collision course, two major hurdles for the U.S. cannabis industry have come into focus: banking and title insurance. The purchase, sale, lease, and use of real estate by the cannabis industry in […]
Congressman Issues ‘Blueprint To Legalize Marijuana’ For Democratic House In 2019
Goal is to have Congress pass legislation by the end of 2019 Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer, one of Congress’s most vocal marijuana proponents, sent Democratic leadership a memo Wednesday outlining steps Congress should take to legalize the Schedule I drug. “Congress is out of step with the American people and the states on cannabis,” Blumenauer wrote […]
Canada Makes Marijuana Legal, and a National Experiment Begins
MONTREAL — Canada on Wednesday became the first major world economy to legalize recreational marijuana use, beginning a national experiment that will alter the country’s social, cultural and economic fabric, and present the nation with its biggest public policy challenge in decades. Newfoundlanders became the first Canadians to be able to smoke pot legally, when […]
Cannabis Workers Lack Formal Safety Training: Study
By Spencer Mahoney There’s a looming need to establish formal health and safety training in the rapidly growing cannabis industry. That’s the conclusion of a survey of cannabis workers who told Colorado State University occupational health researchers that they received inconsistent training, despite their likely exposure to biological, chemical and physical hazards. The study, its […]
State estimates legalized marijuana could bring in $287.9M in new tax revenue
Legalizing recreational marijuana in Michigan could draw in far more tax revenue than what proponents have been advertising, according to a new analysis from the nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency. Should Michigan voters agree to legalize recreational marijuana — on the Nov. 6 ballot as Proposal 1 — the state could bring in up to $287.9 million in […]
Canada Is Legalizing Marijuana Wednesday. Here’s What You Need to Know.
Canada is poised on the edge of a cultural revolution and dramatic social experiment as it prepares to legalize marijuana on Wednesday. Although the move has been planned since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was elected in 2015, the country is scrambling to get ready for the big day because while the federal cannabis act sets […]
Marijuana is emerging among California’s vineyards, offering promise and concern
It is the fall harvest here in this fertile stretch of oaks and hills that produces some of the country’s best wine. This season, though, workers also are plucking the sticky, fragrant flowers of a new crop. Marijuana is emerging among the vineyards, not as a rival to the valley’s grapes but as a high-value […]
Marijuana and the midterms
Elections can hold significant consequences when it comes to the future of marijuana policy. In 2016 voters in California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada approved ballot initiatives legalizing adult marijuana use. While voters in Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota elected to either legalize or expand medical cannabis access. The outcome of the 2018 midterm elections will be […]
Canadians Already Smoke a Lot of Pot. Now It’s About to Become Legal.
HAMILTON, Ontario — Up on the third floor of a commercial building near the city’s edge is a vision of Canada’s future. To the sound of throbbing music, hundreds of people jockey around the marijuana-infused products laid out for sale in a pop-up cannabis market. Marijuana cinnamon buns. Marijuana cereal bars and gluten-free cookies. Marijuana […]
Canadian cannabis industry workers will be able to enter U.S. for pleasure travel
U.S. Customs and Border Protection says Canadian citizens working in the cannabis industry should be able to enter the U.S. for reasons unrelated to the marijuana industry. The agency updated its website Tuesday, providing a measure of clarity after a vague statement last month left the industry and investors facing uncertainty about travel of any kind […]
Trump to push for federal marijuana reform, GOP congressman says
President Trump plans to pursue federally legalizing medical marijuana following next month’s midterm races, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, California Republican, said Thursday. The Trump administration has made a “solid commitment” to reform marijuana laws, and the president has spoken in support of federally legalizing the plant for medical purposes, Mr. Rohrabachertold Fox Business Channel. “I have […]
Canada to Open More Than 100 Pot Shops as It Becomes the Second Country to Legalize Marijuana
Mat Beren and his friends used to drive by the vast greenhouses of southern British Columbia and joke about how much weed they could grow there. Years later, it’s no joke. The tomato and pepper plants that once filled some of those greenhouses have been replaced with a new cash crop: marijuana. Beren and other […]
Low-THC Marijuana Products Could Be A Big Hit in Canada
When Canada launches its fully recreational marijuana market in the next week, the cannabis industry is expected to not only serve those die-hard customers who have dedicated years, maybe even decades to the black market but also those curious people new to cannabis. It is those neophytes on the scene, those with little concern for […]
What Cannabis Companies Should Know About Data Security and Breach Response Requirements
Cannabis companies should remain mindful of the importance of creating and maintaining a comprehensive written data security program. No cannabis company should aspire to being subject to response costs, regulatory fines, and potential lawsuits that follow the theft or inadvertent disclosures of legally protected or commercially sensitive data or, even worse, harming customers by enabling […]
