Regulatory framework for Maine’s recreational cannabis industry signed by Governor

Bethan Rose Jenkins, Cannabis News Writer/Editorial
July 8, 2019
The Governor of Maine has signed the state's recreational cannabis industry rules into law. Following a successful vote in November 2016 that completely legalized weed for adult-use and sale, the Democratic state is finally pushing ahead with the establishment of a recreational market. Back in 2017, Maine...
Congress is debating allowing interstate cannabis sales

July 8, 2019
Thor Benson / Cannabis News Box Contributor Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon have introduced a bill that would allow interstate cannabis sales. Oregon has famously been producing more cannabis than its residents can consume, and the state recently passed a bill that would...
Colorado’s annual cannabis projected to hit $1.6 billion this year

Bethan Rose Jenkins, Cannabis News Writer/Editorial
July 5, 2019
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis recently expressed his joy at the state's impressive revenue from legal cannabis sales. By August of 2018, figures surpassed the $1 billion mark in the Democratic-steered state, which legalized cannabis for recreational use in January 2014, following a successful voter initiative on November ...
Following cannabis legalization in Illinois, these states are likely to follow suit

Bethan Rose Jenkins, Cannabis News Writer/Editorial
June 27, 2019
Adults aged 21 and over will soon be able to purchase and possess up to 30 grams of cannabis in Illinois, thanks to the passing of HB 1438 on Thursday, May 30. It was on this date that the Illinois House voted to legalize adult-use cannabis with a vote of 66-47. The measure that will legalize recreati...
Ex-Rep. Rohrabacher says that the U.S. federal government is focused on legalizing cannabis

Bethan Rose Jenkins, Cannabis News Writer/Editorial
June 27, 2019
It's only a matter of time before cannabis becomes legal at the federal level in the United States. Congress has been weighing up the pros and cons of legalization for quite some time now and former Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher thinks 2020 could be the year of legal weed in the U.S. Rohrabacher, who...
Poll: Most New Yorkers support recreational cannabis consumption

Bethan Rose Jenkins, Cannabis News Writer/Editorial
June 19, 2019
A new poll from Siena College indicates that recreational cannabis use in New York is strongly supported by the state’s residents. Back in the 1970s, possession of CBD and/or cannabis in the State of New York was decriminalized. Then, in 2014, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Compassionate Care Act int...
Will Wisconsin be negatively impacted by cannabis legalization in Illinois?

Bethan Rose Jenkins, Cannabis News Writer/Editorial
June 18, 2019
While Wisconsin may not be turning a shade of green anytime soon, the landscape that surrounds it is gradually bursting into color. Recreational cannabis legalization recently swept across Wisconsin's neighboring state Illinois, making it the 11th U.S State to legalize the plant for adult use. Illinois...
Recreational cannabis use in New Mexico could pass in 2020

Bethan Rose Jenkins, Cannabis News Writer/Editorial
June 18, 2019
Lawmakers in New Mexico were on the cusp of recreational cannabis legalization earlier this year. However, a bill to legalize adult-use weed fell flat after four anti-pot senators rejected the measure. Fortunately, cannabis proponents in New Mexico could get their hands on legal weed by as early as next ...
On the cusp of legalization, New York employers scrap cannabis-testing rules for workers

Bethan Rose Jenkins, Cannabis News Writer/Editorial
June 14, 2019
As New York inches closer to legalizing recreational cannabis, employers are contemplating rewriting their drug testing policies. With a CBS News poll revealing how 65 percent of New York voters support cannabis legalization, a large proportion of employees working for companies across the Democ...
Oregon cannabis regulators could be gaining authorization to reject cultivation licenses

Bethan Rose Jenkins, Cannabis News Writer/Editorial
June 14, 2019
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) may soon be allowed to deny the state's cannabis cultivation businesses the necessary licenses to conduct operations. Regulators are pushing for this new rule, which would be effective dependent on supply and demand. Oregon – a Democratic-leaning state – is ch...
Small-scale cannabis growers in California establish co-ops to cut costs and remain competitive

Bethan Rose Jenkins, Cannabis News Writer/Editorial
June 14, 2019
Small cannabis cultivators in California are trying to keep up with large scale corporate cultivators. Moderately sized cannabis farmers are teaming up to establish cooperatives that could give them a competitive streak against large scale corporations. By dividing their operating costs, local sma...
New cannabis bill introduced by New York lawmakers for regulatory oversight

Bethan Rose Jenkins, Cannabis News Writer/Editorial
June 13, 2019
Lawmakers in New York are feeling optimistic about a new cannabis legalization bill that they believe will get further than a previous bill did at the FY 2019 New York State Executive Budget. The bill aims to streamline a set of governmental rules for the regulation and oversight of a cannabis reta...