Regulations

While the budget rider protecting medical cannabis from federal interference remained intact with the new omnibus package, recreational industry protections have been stripped.

The new insurance option will only apply to federally-eligible hemp producers in select counties and states, however.

Oregon cannabis regulators have issued a statewide ban on including CBD and THC in alcoholic beverages; the ban takes effect starting January 1.

Lawmakers in Massachusetts have proposed the banning of cannabis advertisements from billboards; proponents of the ban say that billboards flout state laws that prohibit the advertising of cannabis to minors.

Cannabis-infused edible products go on sale tomorrow throughout Canada, except for in three provinces — Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta — where the edibles rollout has been delayed.

Quebec officials announced the province will delay its cannabis edibles roll-out until January 1 as officials finalize rules and suppliers make the proper adjustments.

Ontario officials will move forward with a plan to let private businesses store and distribute cannabis products — a right currently reserved only for province-run stores.

The Nevada Bar warned in 2017 that attorneys working with cannabis companies could face discipline but, three years later, no disciplinary actions have been taken against lawyers who advise and invest in the cannabis space.

Detroit has joined the 79% of Michigan municipalities to opt-out of the adult-use cannabis industry, in return forfeiting their share of the state’s 10% excise tax imposed on adult-use sales.

The vaping-related pulmonary illness crisis sweeping the nation is a perfect example of how cannabis prohibition directly hurts Americans, and why legalization and regulation is the safest way forward.

A top CDC official suggested that cannabis vaporizer regulations could go a long way to protect consumers from the ongoing, vape-linked lung disease crisis.

The USDA has released draft rules for the federal hemp industry and should soon be able to launch its review process for individual states’ hemp programs.

In an effort to boost regional cannabis policy collaboration among New England states, Maine has adopted the same cannabis product warning labels as Massachusetts.

Georgia’s medical cannabis program appears to be stalling as the governor and legislative leaders have not yet appointed a commission overseeing the program’s expansion.

California cannabis and hemp operator Kushy Punch was raided by state officials last week, who said the company was distributing cannabis on the unregulated marketplace. Kushy Punch’s CEO said the allegations are “completely false.”

The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board granted a two-month extension to the state’s long-troubled seed-to-sale traceability system Leaf Data Systems, provided by MJ Freeway.

Connecticut health officials have recommended adding chronic pain and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome as qualifying conditions for the state’s medical cannabis program.

Meg Sanders is co-founder of the Canna Provisions Group — a boutique dispensary in Lee, Massachusetts — and co-owner of the successful MiNDFUL dispensary brand in Colorado.

The latest round of medical cannabis reforms in Massachusetts has done away with the $50 annual patient registration fee.

New Hampshire lawmakers have blocked a governor veto against medical cannabis expansions in the state; the veto would have cemented the state’s three-month waiting period before approved cannabis patients could access their medicine.

The SAFE Banking Act, which would normalize banking for the cannabis industry, is expected to receive a House vote next week.

Draft rules for the federal hemp industry have been submitted by the USDA to the White House Office of Management and Budget; the rules should be released publicly within “a matter of weeks.”

Cannabis regulators in Massachusetts will soon require extra ingredient details on cannabis vape cartridges, extracts, and concentrates amid the breakout of a deadly, vape-linked pulmonary illness.

Illinois regulators have named the 26 companies selected to provide health and safety training for the state’s upcoming adult-use cannabis dispensaries.