Cook County hopes to open its own government-run dispensary – Northern News Now

GRAND MARAIS, Minn. (Northern News Now) – Now that recreational marijuana is legal in the state of Minnesota, one Northland county is looking to open up its own dispensary when the cannabis retail industry is regulated by 2025.

Cook County is exploring the idea of opening up a municipal cannabis dispensary of its own. The City of Grand Marais already owns a municipal liquor store.

Cook County Administrator James Joerke said he sees some possibilities since the state allowed for local governments to enter the cannabis business, once the industry is allowed to conduct retail sales.

“We see it as a potential opportunity to generate a new source of revenue,” Joerke said. “The benefit of that would be to offset the need for property taxes.”

Joerke said that ideally the dispensary would be in the heart of Grand Marais and all of the revenue would go back to help residents.

“Supporting law enforcement, public health, you know, social services,” he said. “All of the services that the county provides.”

Grand Marais Mayor Tracy Benson said that, currently, no other county or city government in the nation is running their own dispensary. She would like to see Cook County change that.

“I think we need to get ready

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Two arrested in two dispensary raids in New Brunswick – StratCann

Peace officers with the New Brunswick Department of Justice and Public Safety say they have arrested two people and seized contraband cannabis and other illegal products from two unlicensed cannabis stores.

Authorities seized about 3 kg of dried cannabis, several hundred grams of hash, cannabis edibles, cannabis extracts, and vape pens, as well as cash, an ATM, and more. Both of those arrested were released with a future court date. 

Officers executed a search warrant on March 6 at Cloud Nine Vape (formerly Isla’s Emporium) at 10 Germain St. in Saint John.

A 37-year-old man was arrested and faces two charges under the federal Cannabis Act. He has been released and will appear in court at a later date. In that raid, officers seized:

1.5 kilograms of dried cannabis 211 grams of hashish 21 vape pens containing THC 66 flavoured nicotine pens 42 cannabis edibles 17 distillate cartridges 13 jars and 24 packs of cannabis shatter two cell phones two scales $345 in cash

Then, two days later, on March 8, peace officers executed a search warrant at the Hydrostop at 361 Baig Blvd. in Moncton.

A 41-year-old woman from Moncton was arrested and faces one charge under

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South Bronx’s first legal cannabis dispensary opens – News 12 Bronx

Mar 14, 2024, 9:47pmUpdated 23m ago

By: News 12 Staff

The South Bronx had a grand opening Thursday for its first legal cannabis dispensary.

The Bronx Joint, a family owned business by the Ortecho family, now occupies a space at 952 Hunts Point Ave.

Alexander Ortecho said he has hit the ground running to get the shop to finally open their doors since they were set to open up months ago.

“You have got to be patient, right? With the laws being made as we were getting our license, but it’s a nice opportunity for us to connect with the community out here,” he said.

Aside from the products, murals, and grafitti adorn the entire shop to embrace the Bronx culture.

While Bronx Joint is the South Bronx’s first legal dispensary, it’s just the third in the entire borough.

Bronx Joint is open from Monday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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Theory Wellness, Community Growth Partners file lawsuit against Great Barrington – Story updated: Third dispensary … – theberkshireedge.com

Great Barrington — The town will soon find itself in court against two marijuana dispensaries over Host Community Agreements. Over two weeks after marijuana establishments Theory Wellness and Community Growth Partners, which owns Rebelle dispensary, threatened to sue the town over the previously signed Host Community Agreements, the companies filed their lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court against the town on Thursday, March 14.

Back on February 27 through a letter from attorney David Rich with Todd & Weld LLP of Boston, marijuana establishments Theory Wellness and Community Growth Partners threatened to sue the town over the previously signed Host Community Agreements. The companies are demanding that the town return over $5 million that they paid the town over the years as part of the agreements.

Theory Wellness signed its Host Community Agreement with the town on October 17, 2016, and another one on June 18, 2018.

Community Growth Partners signed its Host Community Agreement with the town on March 20, 2019.

In his letter, Rich claims that both companies were “… forced to tender to the town millions of dollars in unlawful Community Impact Fees, legal fees and additional costs, payments, and reimbursements.” Rich also claims that the town “…

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New Dispensary Promises Customers Tantalizing Taste Of The Forbidden Fruit That Is Marijuana – The Onion

CLEVELAND—Attempting to draw in passersby with that rarest leaf from faraway lands, a new dispensary opened in the area Thursday, promising customers a tantalizing taste of the forbidden fruit that is marijuana. “O, could it be? A merchant whose wares are that seductive and most taboo of herbs?” said local man Jason Kitlinger, noting that the dispensary’s offer seemed too alluring to escape, a siren song beckoning him to partake in the wicked delights of cannabis. “Why, yes—it is none other than that bittersweet flower which they say alters both mind and soul! Have I the strength to shun the bewitching yet verboten pleasures of the vaporizing pen? Alas, I do not. Tonight we dine on the finest THC gummies!” At press time, sources confirmed Kitlinger was high as fuck.

Women Explain How They’d Like To Have Their Bodies Restricted NextOffEnglish

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Nirvana Dispensary Coming Spring 2024 to Mount Laurel, NJ – 94.5 PST

Another marijuana dispensary is about to make its way into South Jersey!

Nirvana Dispensary, a medical cannabis dispensary is coming soon to Mount Laurel! They’ll be located at 1134 Route 73.

They’ve already got the building set up with the signage now on display. Check out the pictures of the progress they’re making from Facebook community page ‘A View from Evesham’:

Judging from their pictures on their social media pages, this will be an aesthetically gorgeous, modern retail experience.

“Visit our dispensary and immerse yourself in an inviting atmosphere that combines elegance, comfort, and education. Experience the soothing ambiance as you explore our extensive range of products, learn about their benefits, and engage with our friendly team,” their website reads.

The location has come a long way come a long way since they began renovations. You may remember it as the old Boiling Seafood restaurant and Kazumi, along with a string of other restaurants over the years.

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When will Nirvana Dispensary open?

No word yet on an exact opening date, but according to their website and social media pages, they will be opening this Spring!

If you’re new to the cannabis industry, this looks like a promising place to start if you’re a medical use customer. Their experience staff is dedicated

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Biden Budget Includes Rider Blocking D.C. Cannabis Sales, Again

The Biden Administration has again included a rider in the president’s budget released this week that will prevent Washington D.C. from dedicating funds toward implementing its voter-approved adult-use cannabis marketplace.

The rider was first proposed by U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) in 2014 following the District’s overwhelming approval of Initiative 71, which legalized cannabis possession and cultivation for adults. The proposal also calls for local officials to license and regulate an adult-use cannabis industry — but Congress, which has the final say on the Washington D.C. budget, agreed to the rider blocking the initiative’s sales provision and has continued to do so throughout the nearly ten years since voters passed the local cannabis legalization policy.

Democratic lawmakers have previously sought to remove the rider the but provision has always returned following bipartisan and bicameral discussion.

D.C. officials have stated they would move swiftly to enact a regulated cannabis marketplace if allowed. In the meantime, the city’s unregulated cannabis market has thrived.

In aiming to increase access to regulated cannabis products, officials recently adjusted the local medical cannabis regulations so that any D.C. resident aged 21+ can self-certify for the program and immediately shop at licensed retailers.

Adults in Washington D.C. are

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Oregon Lawmakers Pass Bill to Cap Cannabis Licenses

The Oregon Legislature last week passed a bill to cap the number of cannabis licenses in the state – an attempt to mitigate oversaturation in the state’s industry. According to the staff member summary, the bill would cap production and retail licenses at one each per 7,500 residents 21-and-older, and at 12,500 per resident 21-and-older for processor and wholesale licenses.    

The legislation comes as Oregon’s legal cannabis market experienced a decline last year to $955 million in sales. The market had peaked in 2021 with $1.2 billion in sales. Retail cannabis prices in 2023 fell to $4 per gram.   

The measure would also allow inter-agency cooperation for inspections and enforcement of industrial hemp operations, including allowing for National Guard assistance to support the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and law enforcement in inspections and enforcement of industrial hemp laws.  

Additionally, the bill directs the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission OLCC, in consultation with ODA, to create a map of locations of premises licensed to produce cannabis or industrial hemp and Allows law enforcement agencies to accompany the department to industrial hemp operations throughout the state. It also directs the

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Massachusetts Gov. Issues Sweeping Cannabis Possession Pardons

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) announced Wednesday she is moving to pardon all misdemeanor cannabis possession convictions issued by the state; the pardon action first requires approval from the Governor’s Council, then will take immediate effect.

The pardons will cover all Massachusetts misdemeanor cannabis convictions before March 13, 2024.

Most people will not need to take any action for the pardons to take effect, the governor said.

“Massachusetts decriminalized possession for personal use back in 2008, legalized it in 2016, yet thousands of people are still living with a conviction on their records – a conviction that may be a barrier to jobs, getting housing, even getting an education.” — Healey, via the Associated Press

“Nobody should face barriers to getting a job, housing or an education because of an old misdemeanor marijuana conviction that they would not be charged for today,” Healey said in a press release. “We’re taking this nation-leading action as part of our commitment to using the clemency process to advance fairness and equity in our criminal justice system.”

President Biden (D) in 2022 pardoned all low-level federal cannabis possession convictions; notably, Biden’s presidential pardons did not lead to the release of anyone serving prison time

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California Allows Cannabis Cultivators to Reduce License Sizes

The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) just published some new guidelines for cannabis cultivators following the passage of SB-833. Among other things, California will let cannabis cultivators reduce their canopy size and thereby reduce license costs. This will be a huge benefit. I write a lot about the woes that California’s cannabis industry faces – often due to overly burdensome regulation – but in this case, I think the DCC’s guidelines will have a positive impact on certain cannabis cultivators in the Golden State.

California has about a zillion different types of licenses for cannabis cultivators. They are based on size (specialty cottage, specialty, small, medium, and the relatively new large) and type (indoor, outdoor, or mixed-light). And there are separate licenses for nurseries and processors (you might think processing is manufacturing, because that would make sense, but you’d be wrong!).

Having more than a dozen different types of licenses guaranteed problems. One of those problems is that the state did not create a mechanism to easily change between license size. With the opening of large licensing in 2023, the state made it possible to go “up” in size, but not down. This was a big problem for a lot

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