BudDigest

Ravenna is set to place a moratorium of up to a year on marijuana related businesses that aren’t already doing business in the city.

Ravenna City Council is expected to vote in May on the moratorium on adult cannabis dispensaries in the city. It would exclude Supergood, which opened in 2022 as a medical marijuana dispensary and hopes to expand into the adult cannabis market.

Issue 2 impact in Portage

Voters in Ohio in November 2023 approved State Issue 2, which allows adults ages 21 and older to use and grow cannabis. The measure’s passage made Ohio the 24th state to legalize adult-use marijuana.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – The Board of Aldermen has introduced a new bill that would allow marijuana dispensaries to stay open four hours longer. Currently, stores are forced to close at 8 p.m.

Board Bill 15 would extend operations from 8 a.m. until midnight Sunday through Saturday.

“There’s always people at our front door wanting to come in after that and we unfortunately have to say no and turn them down due to the city rule,” said Christopher Leisure of Greenlight Marijuana Dispensary.

Alderman Rasheen Aldridge introduced the piece of legislation on Friday that would allow dispensaries to shut down at midnight.

“If you’re able to get alcohol that late, why shouldn’t you be able to get weed that late,” said resident Lucas Arendt.

“For me, it was truly about how do we bring in more revenue for the St. Louis area if we potentially lose our earnings tax,” said Aldridge.

“We would love it. This is the only store that we have that closes at 8 p.m. every night,” said Leisure.

Greenlight Dispensary has 20 locations outside of the city and all of them close at later times.

“We’d love to stay open later and keep that tax revenue here in the city,” Leisure

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By Joe Boyle

Additional chairs had to be brought out to seat an overflow crowd of Evergreen Park residents who attended a meeting April 15 regarding a proposed cannabis dispensary for the village.

And many who were in attendance voiced their opposition to having a dispensary in Evergreen Park. Most of the people cited safety, traffic congestion and crime as major reasons for their opposition during the public hearing at the Evergreen Park Village Hall.

The 1937 Group — named after the year in which the U.S. government outlawed marijuana via the Marijuana Tax Act — representatives gave a slide presentation on what they believe would be the merits of having a cannabis dispensary in Evergreen Park.

This is the first minority-owned vertically integrated cannabis company in Illinois. The company was awarded an Illinois retail, craft grow cultivation, and cannabis transportation license in March of 2022.

The guest speakers were Ambrose Jackson, chairman and CEO of The 1937 Group; former Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Sonia Antolec; and Jim Reilly, chief development officer.

Antolec, a legal officer for The 1937 Group, said her father had cancer and her Iraq war veteran brother became addicted to opioids. She said that cannabis provided relief for both

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Moises Reynaga works at Leafology, a dispensary in White Plains, but he has a past he’s not so proud of.

“In 2013, I was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to sell, they sentenced me to probation for five years,” he tells News 12.

But he violated his probation when he went to visit his family in Chile without notifying the courts. And this past December, he was sent to Westchester County Jail in Valhalla.

“The strip searches or surprise inspections in your area of living, being handcuffed, being told what to do all day long. Its a pretty bad experience,” he said.

He had no idea when he might ever get out.

He wasn’t maneuvering the legal system all alone because his employers hired an attorney and spent tens of thousands of dollars on his defense.

“One of the ways we were able to qualify for a license in the state, is that one of our partners was a justice involved individual himself. And so it was always his and us as a team’s plan from the beginning to really try and pay it forward as much as we could,” said Leafology co-founder,

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AVONDALE — A colorful ’60s diner is ready to welcome patrons in Avondale, but they won’t be leaving with full stomachs.

The diner-themed storefront is home to Avondale’s first weed dispensary. Bud & Rita’s, 3425 W. Belmont Ave., opened this week after a year of work to finalize the space, get city clearance and hire budtenders from the area.

The dispensary takes over two long-empty storefronts. A grand opening this weekend will include giveaways, raffle prizes, and free coffee and food from nearby local businesses, including coffee from Dark Matter Coffee, dumplings from Joong Boo Market and burritos from Moonwalker Cafe.

Customers can also enjoy 30 percent off all products for opening weekend.

@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 320px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 90px;}}@media ( min-width: 970px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 90px;}} Inside Bud & Rita’s. Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club Chicago

Nature’s Grace and Wellness and Green & Randle are behind the dispensary, their first Chicago spot as a duo. The team wanted to open another dispensary in Little Village, but the plan was rejected by the zoning board after neighborhood opposition.

Sarah Zematis, of Evanston, founded Green & Randle in 2015. Nature’s Grace was founded

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A piece of dried cauliflower, or broccoli or beet in an opaque white bag with a stop sign and a written warning affixed — that’s a weed edible in the Canadian province of Quebec, where any marijuana products resembling candy, chocolate, chips or any food that may appeal to children are outlawed.

“Lately there’s been [cannabis-infused] sausages,” said François Gagnon, a senior researcher at the Canadian Center on Substance use and Addiction. 

Quebec has some of the strictest regulations on cannabis sales and products of anywhere in North America that has legalized the substance. That includes regulations on packaging, dosing and advertising. All dispensaries are operated by the provincial  government, not entirely dissimilar from Pennsylvania liquor stores.

At a Pennsylvania House Health subcommittee hearing Thursday, both Canadian and American public health experts praised Quebec’s regulation. They said other American states that rushed into legalization saw increases of calls to poison control and ER visits, cannabis related DUIs, upticks of excessive use, and more. In particular, the experts urged lawmakers to consider a state-run dispensary system, much like how liquor is currently sold.

“If you do it wrong, it can take as long to untangle as the harms of the tobacco

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Table of Contents

Arizona’s record-breaking cannabis market

In the landscape of booming and busting cannabis markets, Arizona emerges as a standout success story. A naturally beautiful state that attracts a sizeable group of tourists every year, Arizona skyrocketed past $1 billion in total cannabis sales for 2023. Unlike its northern neighbor of Nevada, Arizona has exceeded $1 billion in sales for three consecutive years, with 4.9% increase from ‘22 to ‘23 to boot. (Nevada, conversely, suffered from a nearly $115 million shortfall from FY 2022 to 2023 despite several millions more tourists than Arizona.)

Cannabis taxation and market comparisons

Compared to other states with recreationally legal cannabis, Arizona packs a considerably lower tax rate, levied as a 16% excise levy. Compare:

Nevada levies a 25% tax rate, combining both wholesale and retail excise taxes Washington has an absurdly high 37% retail excise tax rate Montana taxes recreational cannabis sales at 20%

As of FY 2022, the per capita rate for excise taxes is also incredibly lower in Arizona than other recreationally legal states, at only $18. The only two states as of FY 2022 that had a lower per capita rate were both Maine and Michigan.

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As the cannabis market in New York continues to grow, discerning consumers are on the lookout for premium products like Silly Nice’s Frosted Flower. Known for its exceptional potency and unique terpene profile, the Frosted Flower is now available at selected dispensaries throughout the state, making it easier for enthusiasts to enjoy its vibrant and euphoric effects.

Where to Find Silly Nice’s Frosted Flower

Currently, Silly Nice’s coveted Frosted Flower can be found in the following dispensaries across New York State. Due to its popularity, it is advisable to call ahead or purchase directly from the dispensary’s website to ensure you secure your stash, especially for the weekends. Here is a list of dispensaries where you can find the Frosted Flower:

Culture House NYC
958 6th Ave, New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 704-8080| Website NugHub NY
Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn
Phone: (718) 530-0273 | Website Black Market Cannabis Dispensary
89 Main St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Phone: (845) 264-6224 | Website FlynnStoned Cannabis Company
219 Walton St Syracuse, NY 13202
Phone: (315) 299-9334 | Website Northern Lights
100 Broadway, Unit 8 Menands, NY 12204
Phone: (518) 472-0278| Website The Flowery
3022 Veterans Rd. West Staten Island, NY 10309
Phone: (718) 554-4109| Website Cannabis Realm
475 Central Ave, White Plains, NY 10606
Phone: (914)

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Congressional Democrats are pushing for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to “swiftly” remove cannabis from Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act, The Hill reports.

Led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (MA) and John Fetterman (PA) and Reps. Barbara Lee (CA) and Earl Blumenauer (OR), the lawmakers wrote their request in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.

“We are now nearing eight months since the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III — and 18 months since President Biden directed HHS and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to begin the process of reviewing marijuana’s scheduling,” the letter reads. “It is time for [DEA] to act.”

“While we understand that the DEA may be navigating internal disagreement on this matter, it is critical that the agency swiftly correct marijuana’s misguided placement in Schedule I. We trust that the DEA is working as quickly as possible toward a decision on how marijuana is scheduled, as Vice President Kamala Harris recently reassured stakeholders.” — Letter excerpt, via The Hill

From the Senate, the letter was signed by Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) and Democrats Chuck Schumer (NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Ron Wyden

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Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey last week launched an investigation into illegal vape and cannabis products after receiving reports that some distributors may be violating the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA) — which focuses on fraudulent or deceptive business practices — and selling products that are harming children.

“Under state law, Missourians have a right to live free from fraud and deception in the marketplace, and they have the right to know exactly what is in the products they consume. When purchasing products, Missourians have a right to know if they will be subject to serious and potentially dangerous side effects like psychotic episodes, severe confusion, hallucinations and other life-threatening problems. This is especially important when potentially dangerous products appear to be marketed directly at children. As Attorney General, I will use every tool at my disposal to halt the sale of dangerous, illicit products that harm Missouri consumers, especially children.” — Bailey in a press release 

According to Bailey’s office, the investigation targets delta-8 THC products, citing an incident in March when six elementary school students in St. Louis County had to be picked up from school after consuming “Nerds Rope Bites” and “Mad Monkey

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