Marijuana Legalization Bills Died In Three States This Week As Others Move Forward
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March 19, 2021
Canadian Cannabis Sales Slip 6% in January
Statistics Canada released December retail sales for the country this morning, with cannabis sales growth decreasing sequentially
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March 19, 2021
New Mexico pot legalization bill advances as time runs short
Legislation to legalize cannabis in New Mexico advanced Thursday toward a decisive Senate floor vote under a framework that emphasizes government oversight of pricing and supplies and social services for communities where the criminalization of pot led to aggressive policing.
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March 19, 2021
Where’s Montana's recreational weed money going?
While the bill avoids some of the worst fears of marijuana legalization advocates — such as tracking how much pot recreational users purchase — it makes sweeping adjustments to how revenue generated by a 20% tax on cannabis would be allocated
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March 18, 2021
NJ legal weed changes on the way? New rules pushed for drug testing, underage marijuana use
Less than a month after New Jersey legalized weed, the state is already considering a host of changes pressed for by different interests in the Garden State's quickly expanding marijuana universe. The changes include scrapping a provision barring police officers from contacting parents of minors caught with marijuana on a first offense. Police officers, joined by parents and elected officials, have argued it unfairly binds the hands of law enforcement and leaves parents in the dark. Another change would give employers more flexibility in targeting workers believed to be consuming weed on the job, or are otherwise impaired. Discussions include creating a process whereby certain critical employers, such as police departments, can bar their workers altogether from using weed, officials told the USA TODAY Network New Jersey. Still another notable revision — one on the radar of legal weed proponents for years — would open the door to home cultivators in a limited way. So-called "home grow" has long been a feature in other states where marijuana is legal.
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March 18, 2021
Cannabis legalization bill advances to Senate floor
A push to make New Mexico the latest state to legalize recreational cannabis for adults users is still alive at the Roundhouse. With time running out on this year’s 60-day legislative session, a key Senate committee voted 5-4 early Thursday morning to send a retooled House-approved legalization bill to the full Senate for consideration. The Senate Judiciary Committee vote, which came after nearly four hours of debate that stretched well past midnight, put the measure on track to win legislative approval by Saturday’s adjournment.
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March 18, 2021
Legalized recreational marijuana in New York a matter of ‘when, not if,’ lawmakers say
New York is “extremely close” to legalizing recreational marijuana, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told PIX11 Tuesday. “It is a matter of when, not if.” After years of political negotiations and failed deals, New York’s Assembly, Senate and governor are now all working together on the imminent legalization of recreational marijuana. “We’re looking at trying to get it done before we pass the budget,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie explained. The current deal will be finalized once lawmakers come to an agreement on a how to officially determine if a person is driving while impaired from marijuana. Lawmakers have already agreed to address criminal justice concerns in communities of color, “making sure that these communities have the opportunities to really benefit from the economies and the industry that will be created,” Stewart-Cousins said. When smoking marijuana becomes legal for adults, Legal Aid Society Attorney Anne Oredeko believes the state should also automatically remove past marijuana convictions from a person’s criminal record. “If we don’t have automatic expungement, many people are going to walk around still having that scarlet letter on their backs,” she said. A Siena College poll released this week showed 59% of New Yorkers support legalizing recreational marijuana. The New York State PTA has vocalized their opposition to legalization, saying marijuana would have a negative impact on young people if they gain access.
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March 18, 2021
Delaware marijuana bill aims at equity, local footprint
Legislators said March 18 they crafted the bill based on what has been done in the 14 states that have already legalized marijuana – many plagued by out-of-state corporate interests and heavy regulation that cut into local profits.
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After several stalled attempts, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and top lawmakers say a deal to legalize marijuana for adult use is closer than ever before. The Democratic governor and legislative leaders have all told reporters in recent days that negotiations over a marijuana-legalization bill have resulted in major progress. On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, said a deal is "extremely close." “We have continued to ... have negotiations and really have ironed out a lot of what we think would be important in terms of making sure we do this right," she said. The impasse right now is over marijuana use as it relates to impaired driving, said Stewart-Cousins. But she added: “I’m optimistic that it will be resolved sooner rather than later.” Word of an impending deal comes amid recent polling showing broad support of marijuana legalization in New York. In March, a Siena College poll found that nearly 60% of New York voters who responded supported legalizing recreational marijuana. About 30% opposed it and 8% said they either had no opinion or did not know. In New York, some earlier proposals for marijuana legalization were stymied as pro-cannabis activists and Democratic lawmakers said that Cuomo had rejected measures to ensure enough money went to communities of color disproportionately harmed by enforcement of marijuana prohibition. Sweeping legalization has also seen opposition from law enforcement, physicians and educational groups. But New York still approved a law decriminalizing small amounts of possession of marijuana in 2019.
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The legalization of adult use recreational cannabis may soon receive funding. Included in the New York State Budget is funding to create the Office of Cannabis Management, which is a needed first step in legalization. Local experts say a standalone bill to legalize cannabis could be voted on as early as next week, which has potential growers excited for the future. "It gives opportunities to micro businesses, on terms consumption, at-home delivery, its really a great bill for industry," Castetter Cannabis Group CEO Kaelan Castetter told 12 News Tuesday. "It also takes into account equity applicants, economic equity, social equity or disadvantaged farmers," he said. Castetter says he'd expect commercial purchases to be available by the end of 2021 or next year if the legalization bill is passed.
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