A federal lawsuit filed last week seeks to strike down a Missouri requirement that medical marijuana licenses go to businesses owned by residents of the state. A constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2018 that legalized medical marijuana requires facilities to be “majority owned by natural persons who have been citizens of the state of Missouri […]
marijuana business
Jay-Z launches Monogram, his own cannabis line
Jay-Z is growing his empire. The 50-year-old rapper and music mogul announced Friday that he is launching his first line of cannabis in a joint venture with Caliva, a California-based weed company. The rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, teamed up with Caliva last year when he became the brand’s chief brand strategist. Since […]
A prior marijuana conviction could be a good thing for owners of Michigan pot businesses
A previous marijuana-related conviction could help entrepreneurs hoping to open a recreational marijuana business in Michigan. Michigan officials are trying to attract a wider variety of businesses to the booming recreational marijuana industry, not just those with deep pockets. The Marijuana Regulatory Agency, a subdivision of the state Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Administration that regulates […]
Slow Going For Efforts To Diversify The Massachusetts Marijuana Industry
One big complaint about Massachusetts’ legal marijuana industry: Who is getting all those profits? Efforts to change have been slow moving. Opening today, in Boston, is the first marijuana business in the state to apply through what’s called the social equity program. It was designed to give a leg up to people and communities disproportionately […]
Who’s profiting off the millions that Illinois’ marijuana business is bringing in? State officials are keeping that secret.
Marijuana entrepreneurs are starting to rake in millions of dollars a month in Illinois as customers line up to buy newly legal weed, but who’s profiting from those sales remains secret. Regulators say state law bars the release of almost all the information businesses have to submit to get lucrative licenses to grow or sell […]
10 Michigan communities will vote whether to ban or allow marijuana business
Municipalities across Michigan on Tuesday, Nov. 5, are expected to vote on whether to ban, allow or limit recreational marijuana business within their borders. Michigan voters in November 2018, by a 56%-44% margin, voted in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana possession, personal use and businesses, such as retail stores, growers, testing facilities, transportation and processing […]
Selection process for Missouri marijuana licenses needs racial equity boost, advocates say
As she applies for a state license to make marijuana-infused products for medicinal use, Keyonna Gray is thinking of people in her north St. Louis County neighborhood who were incarcerated for nonviolent marijuana offenses or battled addiction to opioids or other drugs. “I look at it as a way of creating jobs,” said Gray, a […]
38 Attorneys General Ask Congress To Bring Marijuana Money Into Banking System
The attorneys general of 38 states and territories sent a letter to congressional leaders on Wednesday, urging them: Please, let us bank the money generated by the country’s booming cannabis business. Most states and several U.S. territories have legalized medical marijuana, and 10 states and the District of Columbia have legalized adult recreational use. But federal law […]
Ex-Detroit Lion Calvin Johnson gets pre-approval for medical marijuana business
The second time was the charm for former Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson to get preliminary approval for a license to open a Michigan medical marijuana dispensary. Johnson, along with his wife, Brittney, were approved for pre-qualification status on a 4-0 vote Thursday. The location for the dispensary hasn’t been determined yet. Johnson and business partner Robert Sims […]
Growing Marijuana Industry Struggles To Attract Employees Of Color
As marijuana becomes legal around the country, blacks and Latinos are often left out of new business opportunities. Advocates say people of color are often reluctant to join the growing legal marijuana economy because they were targeted far more often than whites during the war on drugs. Studies show members of such communities were arrested […]
