420 with CNW Archives - Page 267 of 292

WednesdayApr 03, 2019 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Ontario Marijuana Stores Open as Fines Loom

When recreational marijuana was legalized across Canada on October 17, 2018, Ontario decided to start by only availing cannabis through a website run by the provincial government. Brick-and-mortar stores were slated to open in April this year, and yesterday (April 1) was the first day of storefront sales. The provincial government decided to use an unconventional way to select which applicants would be granted the first 25 recreational cannabis retail licenses early this year. It used a lottery to select the lucky 25 businesses to be first to open retail stores. Originally, the plan was to license as many retailers…

TuesdayApr 02, 2019 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – 50 Marijuana Dispensaries in Michigan Get Temporary Reprieve in Court

On Thursday last week (March 28), Judge Stephen Borrello of the Michigan Court of Claims issued a temporary order stopping the state from implementing its decision to close down any medical marijuana dispensary that hadn’t received its license by March 31. The restraining order gives the businesses in question another 14 days within which to get their operations legalized in accordance with the licensing requirements of the state. For long, players in the Michigan medical marijuana industry have been complaining that the state takes an inexplicably long time to process and issue a license to an applicant. This slow bureaucratic…

TuesdayApr 02, 2019 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Colorado House Bill Could Make Marijuana Consumption Lounges Legal

Recreational marijuana has been legal in Colorado since 2012, but the people who buy legal pot have been having a hard time finding where they can consume their purchase. This is now set to change if a bill that has been approved by a House Committee eventually gets the nod from the entire State Assembly and Senate. Under current law, recreational cannabis can only be consumed in private residences and private establishments. The ban on public and open consumption of cannabis remains in place even if the law legalizing recreational cannabis intended to regard recreational cannabis in the same way…

MondayApr 01, 2019 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Congressional Committee Approves Marijuana Banking Bill

On Thursday last week (March 28), the House Financial Services Committee voted to pass a bill that will make it easier for cannabis businesses to access banking services. The bill will now be scheduled for consideration by the entire House after it passed at the committee level when 45 legislators voted in favor while 15 voted against the bill. Marijuana advocates see this committee action as a sign that the Democrats who dominate the House are finally making good on their support for cannabis law reform. The bill seeks to make it possible for marijuana businesses to get access to…

MondayApr 01, 2019 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Michigan Commission Advises the State to Avoid Setting THC Impairment Limit for Drivers

The Impaired Driving Safety Commission, a body that was set up by Michigan’s Governor, has recommended that the state should not set any threshold for the THC content in someone’s blood before that person is regarded as being impaired while driving. This six-member panel was mandated to find a scientifically-backed limit for THC in blood and suggest what provisions should be put in the law to define when a driver is impaired by cannabis. The members of the commission include a toxicologist, a law enforcement officer, a medical cannabis patient, doctors and cannabis use and traffic experts. This panel wrote…

FridayMar 29, 2019 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Mexican Government Official Uses Twitter to Measure Public Opinion on Cannabis Legalization

The Mexican Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection took to Twitter on Monday (March 25) to ask citizens to share their opinions regarding whether recreational cannabis should be legalized in the country or not. The cabinet official oversees the federal police, intelligence services and prisons. Less than 24 hours after the poll was initiated, 81 percent of all the respondents said that adult-use marijuana should be legalized while 19 percent said that it shouldn’t be legalized. More than 82,000 people had participated in this survey by that time, so those percentages should not be taken lightly. It wasn’t immediately clear…

FridayMar 29, 2019 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Why Ohioans Aren’t Rushing to Buy Medical Cannabis

Medical cannabis has been available in Ohio for about three months now, but the latest data shows that the 20,000 people registered on the program haven’t displayed much eagerness to buy all the cannabis available at dispensaries. Here are some reasons that could explain this lack of buyer enthusiasm. High Product Prices One major concern for Ohio medical cannabis patients is the high prices being levied for medical cannabis products. On average, an ounce of cannabis costs $470. This is twice the cost of medical cannabis in Michigan. Why is Michigan significant in this case? Patients from Ohio and other…

ThursdayMar 28, 2019 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Proposed Bill Aims to Make Illinois Medical Cannabis Program Permanent

A bill sponsored by Rep. Bob Morgan seeks to make the pilot medical program in Illinois permanent. The bill also has provisions to include more qualifying conditions for the program. The pilot program was approved in 2013 and lawmakers expanded as well as extended its duration to mid-2020. Under the existing program, patients who suffer from one or more of the 40 qualifying conditions can buy a maximum of 2.5 ounces of medical cannabis every fortnight as long as a doctor approved their enrollment on the program. It should be noted that law enforcement agencies haven’t raised any red flags…

ThursdayMar 28, 2019 4:20 am

420 with CNW – Utah Moves to Hire Software Provider for Medical Marijuana Program

After passing a medical marijuana law in December 2018, Utah has now engaged high gear in moving towards implementing the program. The state is currently looking for a software provider who will design a two-part system that will, in effect, run the entire medical cannabis program. One part of the system will track each medical cannabis plant from the time it reaches eight inches tall to the point when it is bought by a patient registered to use medical marijuana in the state. Tracking the plants is important because the state will be sure that legally grown weed isn’t being…

WednesdayMar 27, 2019 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – New York Cannabis Legalization Process Hits Major Snag

The process of legalizing recreational marijuana in New York has hit a major snag with the announcement that it isn’t included in the state budget for 2020. This means that it may now be harder to pass the legalization bill as a standalone bill. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has been pushing to have the bill included in the state budget for 2020, but it seems things haven’t gone his way. The major issue in the way of legalization appears to be disagreements regarding how the program will be implemented. For example, the legislators are sharply divided about the way in…