Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is urging legislators to legalize the adult-use of marijuana. Pennsylvania officials say the legalization of adult-use cannabis will provide a new revenue stream to direct toward economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling additional funding for grants for small businesses. Wolf was at The Mountain Center in Tobyhanna Tuesday, discussing the legalization of marijuana’s potential benefits. He is urging the General Assembly to take up legislation regarding marijuana’s legalization which they have not done despite multiple requests from Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman this fall. “This year, I again went to the General Assembly and asked them to make legalizing adult-use cannabis a priority for the fall as we work to find ways to overcome the economic hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wolf said. “To date, there has been no movement to advance legislation. So, I’m here today to ask again, and to focus on two particular benefits of legalization – potential economic growth and much-needed restorative justice.” Wolf, joined by state Rep. Maureen Madden and hemp farmer Eric Titus White, discussed how “legalizing cannabis offers the same potential for economic growth that the historic farm bill of 2018 did for hemp farmer following decades of government prohibition of the industry.” Hemp, a once widespread crop in Pennsylvania, was cultivated in the state for more than 250 years. It was grown for seeds, fibers and extracts. Hemp and marijuana are two different varieties of the same plant species, but hemp does not contain high levels of THC, which makes marijuana a controlled substance. “Much of our knowledge about how to grow, process and use hemp was lost after industrial hemp was regulated and banned along with marijuana in the 1930s,” Wolf said. “And Pennsylvania lost the benefits of an industry with a long history of providing jobs and resources here in the commonwealth. When hemp and marijuana were banned, we didn’t just lose jobs, we lost decades of research opportunities, innovation and economic growth.”
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October 14, 2020
Federal Agency Says USDA’s Hemp Rules “Stifle” Industry Growth And Hurt Small Businesses
The federal Small Business Administration (SBA) is calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make a series of changes to its proposed hemp rules that in their current form threaten to “stifle” the newly legal industry. The agency’s independent Office of Advocacy said that while it appreciates that USDA reopened a public comment period on its Interim Final Rule for the crop, small businesses “remain deeply concerned about the impact this rule will have on their ability to legally grow hemp should the rule be finalized without any modifications.” “The rule has already stifled the industry as many farmers have chosen not to grow hemp this year until they are certain about what the requirements are, and whether they can produce compliant crops without the risk of a total loss of their investment due to mandatory destruction of hot crops,” it said in a comment submitted on Thursday, referring to plants that exceed allowable THC limits. “In some instances, [businesses] have noted that the rules are so stringent that they feel as though they are being set up to fail.” USDA announced it was reopening the comment period last month, citing intense demand from stakeholders who have expressed concern about a number of specific regulations. The department outlined 12 areas where it was seeking additional feedback, including several that industry representatives have identified as very consequential. SBA subsequently sent a letter to the agency asking it to lengthen a public comment period from 30 to 60 days, but that wasn’t heeded and the feedback period closed again last week. In its latest comment, SBA focused on five proposed rules that it hopes USDA will revise. That includes regulations concerning prescribed hemp sample collection methods, disposal requirements for so-called “hot hemp,” the 15-day harvest window and the requirement that crops be tested only by labs registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Advocacy appreciates [Agricultural Marketing Service] reopening the comment period to consider additional comments and recommendations in advance of issuing a final rule,” SBA wrote. “Advocacy is concerned that if finalized without modification the rule will inhibit small business growth. Advocacy urges AMS to give full and thorough consideration to the above issues and proposed regulatory alternatives.” SBA’s nine-page letter suggests that USDA’s restrictive rules will benefit large businesses while forcing smaller operators out of the market. “Because hemp is a nascent industry, it has the potential to attract new farmers provided the regulations are not so restrictive as to inhibit industry growth,” it says. “Only those businesses with adequate capital and capacity for large-scale operations would be able to survive and comply with the requirements of the rule.”
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October 14, 2020
Gov. Lamont signs bill on Connecticut hemp production
Today, Governor Ned Lamont will sign a bill on the state's hemp production plan. This bill revises the state’s hemp program to comply with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations for hemp production. By law, the state Department of Agriculture (DOAG) commissioner must prepare a state hemp production plan and submit it to the USDA for approval. Gov. Lamont announced in September 2019 that the state had licensed 82 hemp growers, 2 processors, and 21 manufacturers under a new pilot program he signed into law that June. The law allowed for the cultivation, harvesting, processing, and manufacturing of hemp plants and by-products in the state. As of that time, there were 294 acres of land being used to grow hemp in Connecticut. The pilot program requires the state DOAG to study the growth, cultivation, and marketing of industrial hemp by licensed entities in Connecticut. In accordance with federal law, the state agency is responsible for ensuring that the production is only taking place at sites certified by, and registered with, the state.
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October 14, 2020
The ultimate guide to marijuana legalization
With less than a month to go until the election, cannabis executives, investors, and activists are focused on five key states. On November 3, New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota, and Montana are set to vote on legalizing cannabis for all adults over the age of 21. South Dakota also has a medical-cannabis measure on the ballot, and Mississippi is voting on a medical-marijuana program. Since Colorado and Washington broke ground in 2012 as the first US states to legalize recreational cannabis, nine states and Washington, DC, have joined them. Medical marijuana is legal in 33 states, meaning that a majority of Americans now have some form of access to legal marijuana. Ballot initiatives like the ones voters are considering on November 3 have played a major role in the spread of legal cannabis. Nine of the states that legalized recreational marijuana did so through referendums. Business Insider put together a ballot tracker to help you understand everything you need to know about the far-reaching implications of the cannabis measures voters are weighing. To put the tracker together, we tapped a variety of sources to explain the nuances of each state's ballot measures and where polling stands, including analysts from the investment bank Cowen.
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October 14, 2020
Mexico is poised to become the biggest legal marijuana market in the world. Who will most benefit?
Mexico’s marijuana revolution is on display steps from the nation’s Senate, where for the last nine months activists have maintained a fragrant cannabis garden. Each day, hundreds of people stroll amid a labyrinth of towering green plants, freely lighting joints and getting high. Their wafting smoke is meant to serve as a reminder to senators, who have to walk through the plumes to get to work. Lawmakers have until Dec. 15 to pass pot legislation under orders from the Supreme Court, which two years ago struck down a marijuana ban as unconstitutional. After decades of restrictive drug policies that fueled deadly cartel wars, Mexico is poised to become the biggest legal cannabis market in the world. The looming deadline has intensified debate over exactly what legalization should look like and whom it should benefit. Among the questions dogging lawmakers: How easy or difficult should it be for users to buy and consume pot? And should the estimated 200,000 families growing it now be protected from competition with the large, foreign marijuana firms that have been jockeying for influence? “You have a broad spectrum of people who want to be involved,” said Avis Bulbulyan, a Glendale-based consultant who has advised several U.S. weed companies looking to expand to Mexico. “The question becomes: ‘Who gets to profit off this?’” A bill that would allow private companies to sell marijuana to the public is likely to pass in the Senate within two weeks and then go to the lower house of Congress, said Senate leader Ricardo Monreal.
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October 14, 2020
Why a Pot Smoker’s Paradise May Say No to Legal Weed
Some 80% of its population has used it, including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, even though it’s against the law. But New Zealand might say no to legalizing recreational cannabis in the general election on Oct. 17. Two major opinion polls show support waning for a non-binding referendum to end the prohibition. Why would a country where “weed” is widely used turn down the opportunity to acknowledge its ubiquity and reject laws turning users into criminals? In public discussions and debates, the focus seems to be on the next generation. 1. What’s the proposal? From the age of 20, a person would be allowed to buy as much as 14 grams (about half an ounce) of dried cannabis a day from licensed outlets, and to grow two plants at home (with a limit of four plants per household). There would be shops selling pot of different varieties and strengths, and eventually other products such as edibles, though not gummy bears or anything resembling children’s sweets. Smoking or vaping in public areas or buildings would be prohibited, except in specially licensed cafes. Advertising of cannabis products would be banned. Medicinal cannabis, which requires a doctor’s prescription, has already been legalized in New Zealand. 2. And the arguments? Advocates say the change would reduce harm from cannabis by eliminating illegal supply from gangs, regulating its quality and safety and blocking access to those under 20. It would raise awareness of the health risks, including requiring warning labels. They also say indigenous Maori are disproportionally criminalized by cannabis prohibition, as they are three times more likely to be arrested and convicted for possession of the drug than non-Maori. Opponents say cannabis is a serious drug that harms mental health, particularly among adolescents, and legalizing it will send a message to children that it’s OK. In the run-up to the election, this has emerged as a reason many parents give for voting no despite having smoked pot themselves.
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October 12, 2020
Vermont to legalize recreational marijuana
Vermont will become the 11th state in the nation to allow sales of marijuana for recreational use after Gov. Phil Scott (R) said this week he would not veto a measure passed by the state legislature Scott had vetoed an earlier marijuana legalization bill that did not include specific funding directives he had sought. But in a letter to legislators this week, Scott said he would allow the latest bill to become law without his signature. He said the measure included a sufficient amount of funding to education and prevention campaigns designed to keep children off marijuana, and the implementation of a roadside saliva test aimed at curbing driving under the influence. Scott said more work remained. He called for further legislation that would open the legal market to more minority- and women-owned businesses. Vermont will now begin crafting the regulatory structures that will lead to legal pot sales. The legislation creates a cannabis control board that will establish the rules, along with a significant 14 percent excise tax on all marijuana products. The first marijuana shops are likely to open by 2022, after the new rules are finalized. Vermont is the first state where marijuana has been legalized by an act of the legislature. A similar push in New Jersey, backed by Gov. Phil Murphy (D), stalled earlier this year. Vermont would be the third New England state to legalize recreational pot, after Massachusetts, where recreational stores are already open, and Maine, with stores likely to open soon. Voters in those states, as well as in Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, passed ballot measures legalizing recreational marijuana sales. The number of states where recreational marijuana is legal is likely to increase after November’s election. Voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota will decide on legal marijuana measures; a recent survey of Arizona voters indicated that their measure, Proposition 207, would pass by a wide margin. Voters in Mississippi will decide whether to legalize marijuana for medical use next month. Most other states have legal medical marijuana regimes on the books. Scott, a centrist Republican who voted against President Trump in this year’s GOP primary, has been negotiating with the legislature over legal marijuana for years. He is unlikely to pay any political price, either for his Republican apostasy or for allowing legal pot to become law — a Vermont Public Radio survey conducted in September found Scott leading his Democratic rival, Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, by a 55 percent to 24 percent margin.
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October 12, 2020
Adult-use recreational marijuana sales begin in Maine Friday
After years of anticipation, legal sales of adult use marijuana begin in Maine Friday. It comes four years after the state voted to legalize recreational pot through a referendum vote. Adults 21 years of age or older with a valid ID will be able to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of a combination of marijuana and marijuana concentrate that includes no more than five grams of marijuana concentrate. It remains illegal to consume marijuana in public spaces. "As soon as those doors are opening, there's nothing more rewarding than seeing people who are really stoked to come in and buy legal cannabis," Theory Wellness Market Director Thomas Winstanley said. Theory Wellness, a Massachusetts-based company run by two Colby College graduates, is one of just eight stores that have received an active license from the state allowing them to open. "For us, it's incredibly exciting because we do love this state, and it's exciting to see the proliferation on a broader scale of cannabis legalization," Winstanley said. While Theory Wellness is set to open its South Portland location on the Maine Mall Road, more than 200 other hopeful shops are still in the in the licensing and application process. "It would be a slower launch, but a launch none the less," Maine Office of Marijuana Policy Director Erik Gundersen said. With shops licensed and ready, Gundersen says he expects supply to be low, and demand could be high. "That's pretty much par for the course in every jurisdiction that's launched a program has seen those type of shortages and it'll mature over time," Gundersen said. Gundersen says it will mature as more shops, cultivation sites, extraction locations and manufacturing facilities open. One of those is JAR Cannabis Company, which is looking to open multiple shops. "We have to make sure the cultivation centers are licensed and online, our manufacturing and extraction facility is ready to go. And then at that point once those licenses are in order, we'll be ready to open up the retail stores," JAR Co-owner Joel Pepin said. Pepin believes that when more stores are licensed and operating, Maine could be positioned to be one of the premiere designations for recreational marijuana. "I believe Maine has a high number of talented cultivators. There's some tremendous extraction artists and coupled with retail shops across the state, I think Maine's gonna be known nationally to visit for adult use marijuana," Pepin said.
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October 12, 2020
What legalizing retail marijuana sales will look like
On Wednesday, Gov. Phil Scott decided to let a bill establishing a marijuana marketplace become law, making Vermont the 11th state in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana sales. Over the next few years, state officials will stand up a regulated statewide market for marijuana and issue licenses to marijuana cultivators, product manufacturers, testing labs and dispensaries. Recreational marijuana dispensaries could open as soon as October 2022. And the state’s existing medical dispensaries can receive licenses to sell their products to the public starting in May 2022. Here’s what the rollout of the new cannabis marketplace will look like. The Cannabis Control Board is the new three-member body that will regulate Vermont’s cannabis industry. The governor will appoint the board in consultation with a Cannabis Control Board Nominating Committee composed of members of the governor’s administration, three members of the Vermont House and two Vermont state senators. The board is expected to be in place by January 2021. But Scott said Wednesday he thinks the law’s timeline for setting up the panel is “too aggressive and may need to be extended.” Once appointed, the control board will have authority over licensing, regulation and enforcement of Vermont’s nascent cannabis industry. In April, it will also make recommendations to the Vermont Legislature about additional policy changes and resources the state needs to have in place before the market opens up. These will include recommended policies around cannabis-related advertising, land use and efficiency requirements for cannabis businesses. In his letter on Wednesday, the governor asked lawmakers to make several changes before dispensaries start setting up shop in Vermont. Scott wants the Legislature to pass policies to improve racial equity in the marijuana industry. He wants legislators to ban the sale of marijuana vaping products, which currently would be allowed. And he wants them to prohibit businesses from advertising marijuana products in a way that would appeal to children. In June 2021, the board will begin the rulemaking process — writing the regulations that will govern cannabis establishments. Vermont has five medical marijuana dispensaries, and the new law gives these companies a head start. They can apply for licenses and sell products to the public about five months earlier than the new retail sales companies. Medical dispensaries could start selling marijuana to people without prescriptions as soon as May 2022. Scott criticized the marijuana legislation for giving medical dispensaries “an unfair head start on market access.” He said this gives the existing dispensaries an unfair advantage over women-owned and minority-owned business applicants and other small growers and entrepreneurs trying to break into the industry. Rep. John Gannon, D-Wilmington, who helped craft the legislation in the House, said medical dispensaries will be limited to one retail location each.
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October 12, 2020
Police investigating after up to $17,000 worth of hemp plants stolen
New York State Police are investigating after thousands of dollars worth of hemp plants were stolen from a farm near Mayfield. The plants, which are worth an estimated $11,000 to $17,000, went missing on September 18. Officers believe the suspects were stealing marijuana plants, which are related to hemp, to process and then sell as the drug. Anyone with information regarding this incident or the sale of “fake” marijuana, most likely in the Mayfield, Gloversville, Amsterdam area, is asked to contact (518) 630-1700.
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