Author: buddigest

Kentucky Democrats in the state House and Senate are looking to adopt adult-use cannabis reforms with the introduction of two similar proposals, Senate Bill 36 and House Bill 105, which seek to put the legalization question to voters on the next general election ballot in 2026, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports.

If approved by voters, the ballot initiative would legalize the use and possession of up to one ounce of cannabis and establish a regulated marketplace for cannabis products. Additionally, cannabis homegrows of up to five plants would be allowed for personal use. The bills were filed during the first week of the state’s legislative session, shortly after the legalization of medical cannabis took effect in the state on January 1.

The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. David Yates (D), supports legalizing adult-use cannabis as he believes regulation would be safer and would provide more public benefits from a tax perspective. However, he sees the ballot initiative as something that could be more palatable for some of their fellow lawmakers.

“It also gives some of those politicians cover if they need it. They get to say that they’re not going to make a decision on [the bills], but they’re going to let

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New cannabis industry regulations proposed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Service’s Division of Cannabis Enforcement would require the registered designated contact for all the state’s cannabis microbusiness licenses to be the owner or partial owner of the company, the Missouri Independent reports.

Under the state rules, each microbusiness operator assigns a person to be their designated contact with the state. The proposed rulechange aims to prevent “predatory” middleman business practices, according to the agency, where a person registered as the designated contact for a cannabis licensee can intercept official communications, keeping the operator in the dark about some business and licensing dealings.

“These revisions are intended to ensure microbusiness licenses are issued to eligible individuals… and to address the trend of predatory arrangements in microbusiness licensing. Specifically, these draft rule revisions should mitigate the ongoing efforts of ineligible entities to acquire licenses by taking advantage of eligible individuals.” — Division of Cannabis Enforcement statement, in a press release

The designated contact role was originally designed to improve communication between industry operators and officials.

Notably, many individuals are currently registered as the designated contact for multiple cannabis entities, including one Missouri consultant who appeared on 329 social equity

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A bill to create a legal framework for adult-use retail cannabis sales in Virginia passed through the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services committee last week, Cardinal News reports. The proposal was referred to the House Finance and Appropriations Committee. 

The measure would allow the state Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) to begin issuing adult-use cannabis licenses on September 1, but would not permit legal sales to commence until May 1, 2026.  

Sen. Aaron Rouse (D) Virginia Beach, during a presentation of the bill, told the Senate panel that the legislation “prioritizes public safety in creating a well-regulated marketplace that keeps adult products out of the hands of kids.”  

“The safety and security of all Virginians is a top priority of this legislative body and in recent years we have seen an unchecked proliferation of illegal and unregulated marijuana stores. This has put Virginians at risk.” — Rouse via Cardinal News 

Virginia lawmakers passed adult-use reforms in 2021, during the administration of Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam; however Republican Glenn Youngkin was elected in 2022 and has vowed to not allow legal sales to progress during his time in

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Officials in Toronto, Ontario, Canada will stop cracking down on illegal cannabis shops in the city due to budgetary and safety concerns, CBC reports. During a council budget committee last week, Carleton Grant, the city’s executive director of municipal licensing and standards, said shutting down the shops should be the responsibility of law enforcement. 

“We’ve made efforts over the last five to six years to close them down, to put up concrete blocks that are only to be removed within 24 hours. We have boarded up buildings. We have been countersued for locking a tenant into a business. We have used every tool available to us.” — Grant via CBC  

The city received C$8.97 million in 2018 from the Ontario Cannabis Legalization Implementation Fund to help municipalities with local costs associated with adult-use cannabis legalization, including enforcement, but the funding ran out by the end of 2024, Grant said.  

Grant added that the municipal bylaw enforcement officers who investigated and shut down the shops “do not have arrest powers and are not permitted or trained to use force while carrying out enforcement activities,” which “makes the enforcement of unlicensed cannabis dispensaries challenging

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The two largest cannabis industry groups in the U.S. – the National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR) and US Cannabis Council (USCC) – last week announced they are combining the organizations to form the United States Cannabis Roundtable (USCR). The group said the combination will establish “a singular voice” representing in the industry to the 119th Congress and the administration of President Donald Trump (R). 

In a statement, Charlie Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs and chairperson of both NCR and USCC, called the newly elected Congress and the new presidential administration “a pivotal time for the regulated cannabis industry” noting that Trump “has publicly supported and pledged to advance commonsense cannabis reform.”    

“As the chairman of both groups, I have seen first-hand the incredible talent of each organization and know that the combined group will be the unified authority advocating on behalf of the legal cannabis industry and a resource on all things cannabis for members of the Trump Administration and Congress.” — Bachtell in a press release 

During the campaign Trump endorsed a states’ rights legislative approach to cannabis, reclassifying cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA), and the

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Several Republican lawmakers in the Indiana House of Representatives have introduced a proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis, FOX 59 reports.

Authored by state Rep. Heath VanNatter (R), the proposal would legalize cannabis possession and consumption by adults aged 21+ and establish a taxed-and-regulated system for the production and retail of cannabis. The program would include a 10% excise tax on cannabis sales

”It’s time for Indiana to join our neighbors and most of the rest of the country in legalizing marijuana,” VanNatter said.

“This unique approach of moving directly to a regulated, adult-use market allows us to engage law enforcement early in the policy-making process to address issues comprehensibly, pragmatically, rather than piecemeal.” — VanNatter, in a statement

The proposal’s future is unclear as its survival in the House is far from guaranteed, and it may face an even tougher battle in the Senate where lawmakers like state Sen. Liz Brown (R) are more favorable to decriminalization language, suggesting that adult-use legalization would be a step too far, the report said.

If approved, however, Indiana would be the first state to jump from cannabis prohibition straight to an adult-use program (there are currently no exceptions for medical use under state

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Advocates with the Smart & Safe Florida campaign have launched a new cannabis legalization initiative that aims to appear before voters in 2026, CBS reports. The new campaign comes just a few months after the Amendment 3 legalization campaign failed last November with only about 57% voter support (constitutional amendments in Florida require a 60% supermajority of voter support to pass).

The new ballot initiative is a revamped version of last year’s proposal but advocates have taken steps to address some of the concerns highlighted by critics of Amendment 3, including new language that specifies “smoking and vaping of marijuana in any public place is prohibited” and new rules against cannabis advertising and packaging that could be considered “attractive to children.” Additionally, like the previous proposal, the new initiative would allow the state’s current medical cannabis operators to begin servicing Florida’s adult-use market. However, the initiative would also require lawmakers to “adopt legislation for the licensure and regulation” of other adult-use operators, the report said.

The new initiative would also exempt new operators from state rules requiring the cannabis industry to be vertically integrated, which would enable wholesale operations and other specialist roles for the industry.

Last year’s cannabis reforms

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A New York Supreme Court Judge on Monday ruled that warrantless raids on unlicensed cannabis shops by the New York City Sheriff’s Office and Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) must cease and that violation notices affixed to the shops by OCM and law enforcement must be removed.

Plaintiffs in the case include Super Smoke n Save LLC, in Saratoga Springs; Two Strains Cannabis Co. LLC, in Queensbury; Brecken Gold Athletics NYC LLC, in Manhattan; and Breckenridge Café NYC LLC, and 7 Leaf Clover, both in Brooklyn.

In the Decision and Order, Justice Thomas Marcelle said the agency and law enforcement officials carrying out the raids acted outside their authority and that inspections of businesses suspected of selling cannabis without a license can be conducted by “only OCM.” Marcelle noted that “OCM inspectors are trained on the statutory, scientific, and administrative distinction between hemp and marijuana” while “sheriff deputies are not.”

“In sum, how respondents conducted their enforcement activities against petitioners was a far cry from an administrative inspective seeking to cull evidence of regulatory violations. The court often hears cases, like those from agriculture and markets, involving state inspectors inspecting businesses – there, regulators

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During her State of the State address on Tuesday, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) said she plans to use tax revenues from medical cannabis to provide free meals in schools throughout the state.   

“I’ve already announced that Arkansas will participate in summer EBT this year. And today, I’m announcing my plan to use medical marijuana money to make both this program and our free lunch and breakfast programs financially sustainable for years to come.” — Huckabee Sanders during State of the State, 1/14/25 

According to state Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) data, medical cannabis sales in Arkansas totaled $250 million through November 2024 and the two state taxes on medical cannabis sales generated $28.5 million in 2024, DFA spokesperson Scott Hardin told KATV.   

Sanders suggested also using medical cannabis tax revenues for the summer EBT program in an effort to end the state grocery tax, which she referred to as the state’s “most regressive.” 

There are over 109,000 medical cannabis patient cards issued in Arkansas. Voters approved the medical cannabis law in November 2016. Medical cannabis sales carry a 6.5% sales tax which is

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Workers at three Ayr Wellness dispensaries and a delivery depot in Nevada last week ratified their first union contract. The dispensary and delivery workers are unionized with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 711. 

Included in the contract are the implementation of armed security at dispensaries, improved access to affordable health care, and better scheduling opportunities.   

In a statement, Chase Payne, an Ayr Wellness budtender from the Las Vegas Eastern Ave. Location, said the “contract represents more than just words on paper; it’s a testament to our resilience, unity, and unwavering commitment to the cannabis industry.” 

“We fought for fair wages, safe conditions, and respect – not just for ourselves, but for everyone who will come after us. This victory proves that when we stand together, we are unstoppable.” — Payne in a press release 

Steve Shehata, an Ayr Wellness budtender from the Las Vegas Decatur Blvd. Location, added that the workers are “laying the foundation for more growth and opportunity within our industry and ensuring that we have livable wages, affordable health care, and an all around sound quality of life.” 

UFCW has emerged as

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