Rhode Island regulators are expected in the coming weeks to announce the licensing application period for six new medical cannabis dispensaries. The new licenses awarded by the Department of Business Regulations will be assigned using a lottery system, according to Providence TV station WPRI. Currently, Rhode Island has only three operating dispensaries, called compassion centers in […]
Read MoreMarijuana Legalization and Regulatory News for Cannabis Businesses
Marijuana businesses fight state efforts to limit THC content in flower, concentrates
Lawmakers in several states have sought to limit the amount of THC in cannabis – moves that, if successful, would likely result in costly business adjustments, loss of sales to illicit markets and other disruptions. Marijuana industry officials fighting back against the limitations say the proposals are based on questionable science, including a controversial study […]
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Utah’s top medical marijuana regulator is stepping down
Less than a week after the first medical marijuana dispensary in Utah opened its doors, the state’s top cannabis regulator announced he is resigning. Andrew Rigby, director of the state’s medical marijuana and industrial hemp program, is leaving his post later this month, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Rigby, who took the job in early 2019, […]
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New Michigan rule could increase business for cannabis growers
Michigan regulators agreed to phase out medical marijuana caregivers, a move that could generate more business for the state’s licensed cannabis growers and processors. Authorized caregivers who grow cannabis have been the biggest supplier of marijuana products to retailers. Starting Oct. 1, medical cannabis caregivers will be prohibited from selling product to licensed businesses, the Marijuana Regulatory […]
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Mexican Senate commissions approve marijuana bill legalizing recreational use
Three Senate commissions in Mexico acting together passed legislation on Wednesday to legalize all forms of cannabis, bringing the Latin American country one step closer to launching the world’s largest adult-use program by population. The bill now goes to the full Senate and, once approved there, the lower legislative chamber. The measure might well be […]
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Arkansas can resume issuing medical cannabis licenses, judge says
A medical marijuana dispensary applicant in Arkansas lost a legal challenge to obtain an MMJ license, which means the state can restart the permitting process. In response to Medicanna’s lawsuit contending regulators had broken Arkansas rules by awarding an MMJ license to a company that had scored lower on its application, a Pulaski County Circuit […]
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Maine’s recreational marijuana launch delayed until June
Adult-use cannabis sales in Maine will likely kick off in June, three months later than initially anticipated. Recreational sales were expected to begin in March. But a state revenue forecasting committee telegraphed the delay by changing the date it projects the first sales tax revenue from marijuana to arrive, the Portland Press Herald reported. The process to […]
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More than 35,000 in Missouri approved to buy medical cannabis
In a sign of strong demand that bodes well for the nascent medical marijuana market in Missouri, regulators already have approved more than 35,000 patient registrations. Medical cannabis sales won’t begin in Missouri until late summer at the earliest, but 35,532 patients have successfully registered to use MMJ to treat certain qualifying conditions. The number of registered […]
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Missouri medical marijuana complaints spike 70%
Licensing appeals by medical marijuana companies that were denied licenses to operate in the state have reached more than 800, roughly a 70% increase in about two weeks. At least 845 appeals have been filed with Missouri’s Administrative Hearing Commission. That is about a 69% jump from late February, when more than 500 appeals had […]
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Cannabis ETFs post steep declines in line with marijuana stocks, but longer-term prospects appear bright
Cannabis-focused exchange-traded funds have emerged over the past few years in the United States, Canada and now Europe, but their recent sharp declines have mirrored tumbling marijuana stocks and made it tougher for some ETF operators to attract investors. But the longer-term outlook for ETFs – where baskets of marijuana securities are traded as one stock […]
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Week in Review: UN drug chief ponders validity of cannabis control treaties, coronavirus effects on marijuana sector, US authorities loosen hemp testing rules & more
The United Nations narcotics enforcement agency president considers whether drug control treaties are outdated, experts share insights on how the coronavirus might affect the marijuana industry, MJ labs could see new opportunities in testing hemp – and more of the week’s top cannabis business news. UN drug chief questions drug control conventions The head of the […]
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Florida legislators seek partial THC cap in medical marijuana
Florida would cap the amount of THC in medical cannabis at 10% for patients younger than 21 under a state Senate bill amendment filed Friday, a move that could be disruptive to the state’s fast-growing MMJ industry. The measure, however, isn’t as stringent as a proposal floated by Florida House lawmakers to cap all medical cannabis […]
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Setting salaries and recruiting the best North American cannabis jobs in 2020.