A House vote on federal cannabis legalization has been put on hold, according to Politico. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, was originally scheduled to reach the House floor this month.
Vermonters will soon be able to legally purchase adult-use cannabis without having to cross into neighboring Massachusetts. Late Tuesday evening, the Vermont House of Representatives and the Senate reached an agreement on a compromise bill that legalizes, regulates, and taxes retail sales for individuals 21 years and older.
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to make history next month when it finally votes on legalizing cannabis. In an email to members that was obtained by Politico cannabis reporter Natalie Fertig, Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) said the House would consider the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act during a September work period.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and running mate Sen. Kamala Harris will sit down with ABC’s David Muir for their first joint television interview on Sunday evening. Cannabis industry professionals will no doubt be tuning in to see if Biden and Harris are questioned about marijuana. Can Harris push Biden to support federal adult-use cannabis legalization?
The Montana Secretary of State last week certified two complementary petitions — Initiative 190 and Constitutional Initiative 118 — that, if passed, would legalize and tax cannabis products for adults over the age of 21. Backed by New Approach Montana, the legalization measures aim to establish a regulated adult-use cannabis market in Big Sky Country.
The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed an appropriations amendment that protects state-legal cannabis businesses from federal interference. Introduced by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Tom McClintock (R-CA), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), the bipartisan amendment to H.R. 7617 — the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2021 — was approved in a 254-163 floor
The Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) has opened an investigation into several dispensaries for allegedly selling tainted marijuana products, the agency announced Tuesday. The CCB said marijuana strain Cherry OG F3 twice failed microbial testing earlier this year. However, three Las Vegas retail shops continued to sell through inventory despite a March directive to halt sales.
More than a dozen national advocacy organizations have penned a letter to members of Congress asking for their support of the MORE Act, which would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. Known as the Marijuana Justice Coalition (MJC), the consortium includes several civil rights and criminal justice groups, along with pro-cannabis organizations like NORML and the Drug Policy Alliance.
A medical marijuana processor in Oklahoma has been fined $541,000 by the state’s cannabis regulatory agency and told to halt operations after the company allegedly sold products containing harmful pesticides. According to KWTV, Edmond-based Moon Mix, LLC sold contaminated cannabis offerings that tested positive for several pesticides earlier this year.
Illinois has hauled in $52 million in tax revenue from the sale of $239 million worth of adult-use cannabis this year, Governor JB Pritzker announced Tuesday. According to a news release, the Illinois Department of Revenue collected $34.7 million worth of excise taxes and approximately $18 million in sales taxes through the first six months of 2020.
The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission has issued hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines to three cannabis firms for not complying with agency regulations. During a July 9 public meeting, chairman Steven Hoffman and commissioners Jennifer Flanagan, Britte McBride, and Shaleen Title unanimously voted to fine two companies for using banned pesticides on their cannabis plants.
Colorado lawmakers have passed a bill that makes it easier for hopeful entrepreneurs unfairly targeted by the War on Drugs to break into the cannabis industry. Introduced by democratic representative James Coleman on June 9, House Bill 20-1424 quickly passed through the House and Senate and was the final measure approved before the adjournment of the 2020 session.