Two and a half years after Arkansans voted to legalize medical marijuana, qualifying patients could begin buying the product Saturday morning when the state’s first dispensary opened, though the celebratory mood was dampened by confusion about operating hours and fears the dispensary wouldn’t be able to serve all the patients by closing time. Doctor’s Orders […]
marijuana dispensary
Michigan’s unlicensed pot dispensaries to get firm closure deadline
Lawmakers will try to shutter unlicensed medical marijuana providers once and for all, as of June 1, under a bill now on a fast track in the Legislature. Earlier efforts to shut down providers who have not yet obtained licenses under Michigan’s new regulatory setup have been thwarted by court challenges. Under a bill introduced […]
Florida’s largest medical marijuana operator gets more dispensaries after reaching deal with state
Florida’s largest medical marijuana operator gets more dispensaries after reaching deal with stateState health officials have dropped an appeal of a Tallahassee judge’s ruling and agreed to allow Florida’s largest medical marijuana operator to open more dispensaries than a state law allowed. Quincy-based Trulieve challenged a limit on the number of storefronts that was included […]
Alaska adopts rules for on-site marijuana consumption at retail shops
Alaska is set to be the first state with laws on the books regulating marijuana use in retail cannabis shops. Alaska Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer on Tuesday signed off on new regulations that allow on-site cannabis use in retail marijuana shops. The rules go into effect April 11. That’s when freestanding stores can start to apply for […]
New Mexico might become first in nation to endorse state-run medical marijuana shops
New Mexico would become the first U.S. state to set up its own government-operated marijuana stores and subsidize medical cannabis for the poor under a bill brokered between Republicans and Democrats, as a new wave of states weighs legislation that would legalize recreational sales and consumption. The idea for state-run pot shops comes from a […]
A Chicago-based marijuana company is being bought for $850 million
With Illinois’ marijuana industry staring down massive growth as the state considers legalizing the drug for recreational use, a company based in Phoenix is paying $850 million for Chicago-based cannabis operator Verano Holdings. The deal will give Harvest Health & Recreation the right to operate Verano’s cultivation facility and dispensaries in Illinois, as well as […]
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 […]
1st legal marijuana stores are open in Massachusetts, but industry is far from mature
After years of preparation and debate, legal marijuana is now a reality in Massachusetts. Any adult can walk into a store, pay cash and walk out with a joint, which they can smoke, legally, in their home. But the roll-out of the first marijuana stores is only the beginning. In the coming year, marijuana entrepreneurs […]
Michigan medical marijuana facilities given temporary licenses following shortage
More than 70 Michigan dispensaries operating under temporary licenses were forced to shut their doors at the beginning of 2019. In compliance with a set of bills passed in 2016, reforming the way the state regulates the production and sale of medical marijuana. The result was a shortage in medical marijuana, plaguing many areas in Michigan […]
Iowa Medical Marijuana Sales Begin Saturday
More Iowans will have an additional option to find relief for their seizures, unbearable pain and other chronic conditions this weekend, marking what some hope is a first step in broader medical marijuana access statewide. Saturday marks the first day products will be made available in Iowa’s expanded cannabidiol program, which is available to Iowans […]
Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority Collects $6.5 Million In Application Fees
In less than a handful of months, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority already has raked in nearly $6.57 million in application fees. Of that, $5.45 million came from licensing medical marijuana dispensaries, growers or processors, said Melissa Miller, a spokeswoman for the state division overseeing the state’s burgeoning medical marijuana program. The rest — $1.12 […]
The first Massachusetts marijuana retail shops are finally opening; Here’s what you should know
Retail stores that sell recreational marijuana are anticipated to open in Massachusetts. More than two years after Bay State voters approved a ballot question broadly legalizing recreational marijuana, state regulators have provided final sign-offs to the stores, and all that’s left is the “commence operations” notice. The specific opening dates are still unclear. It’s a […]
The World’s Largest Weed Dispensary Is About to Open Near the Las Vegas Strip
Planet 13, a massive weed dispensary opening just off the Las Vegas Strip, will be a sight to behold. Music and lights will pulse through its enormous 40,000 square feet of space. A treasure trove of cannabis products for medical and recreational use will line the walls. All surfaces will be shiny and new. You […]
Marijuana dispensaries without licenses to be ordered shut down in Michigan
Even though the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board approved licenses for 14 more cannabis businesses on Monday, another 215 are facing closure as a Wednesday deadline looms. The 215 marijuana businesses have been operating under temporary emergency rules that expire on Halloween. Those businesses, mostly dispensaries and many in Detroit, will receive cease and desist letters […]
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 […]
New Jersey receives 146 applications for 6 shops as state expands medicinal weed
In another sign of the robust interest in New Jersey’s growing medical marijuana program, the state has received 146 applications to run six new retail shops that would sell the drug to the more than 30,000 people authorized to take it for conditions ranging from anxiety to chronic pain. Would-be operators of the six new […]
Marijuana is not really legal in California if residents don’t have a reasonable way to buy it
California law allows adults to buy marijuana. It allows licensed businesses to deliver marijuana to customers, and it says specifically that cities and counties cannot prevent delivery services from traveling on public roads. Yet even though cities can’t stop deliveries traveling through their jurisdiction, many cities currently ban deliveries to their jurisdiction. That means that unlike deliveries of virtually […]
Oklahoma’s Medical Marijuana Industry Will Be Cash-Only
Oklahoma’s adoption of medical marijuana will be green in more ways than one: Retail dispensaries, processors, growing operations and tax agencies will have to work within a cash-only industry. With marijuana still illegal at the federal level, businesses involved in medical marijuana won’t have easy access to the federal banking system to move money around. […]
