Ohio Republicans have begun to propose legislative changes to the recently passed Issue 2, the Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative (Initiative), passed by over 57% of Ohioans in November. House Bill No. 341 (the Bill) was introduced on November 28 by Representative Gary Click (R) and does not currently have
Continue Reading Ohio Marijuana: House Member Introduces Bill to Amend Recently Passed Adult-Use Law
On November 7, 2023, voters in Ohio approved Ohio Issue 2, the Marijuana Legalization Initiative (the Initiative), which legalizes marijuana for recreational use in Ohio. Among its key provisions, the Ohio Initiative creates a new Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) within the Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) to regulate marijuana
Continue Reading Ohio Legalizes Adult-Use Marijuana
Exciting news for New Yorkers came on March 28, 2023, when the Second Circuit Court of Appeals entered an Order in the Variscite NY One case, lifting the injunction that prevented the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) from issuing Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses in several New York State
Continue Reading Court Lifts Injunction on NY Cannabis Licenses, Clearing Path for More Dispensaries
The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) will open the application period for Social Equity marijuana retail licenses on March 1, 2023. The application period will close on March 30, 2023.
More than 40 marijuana retail licenses that were forfeited, canceled, revoked, or never issued will be made available to social equity applicants in specific jurisdictions across the state.
Continue Reading WA Application Period for Social Equity Marijuana Retail Licenses Opens March 1
The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) has announced that it will open the social equity retail license application window on March 1, 2023. The application window will remain open for 30 days, and 44 total retail licenses will be distributed. The WSLCB has provided a checklist to assist
Continue Reading Washington Cannabis: Social Equity Licensing Application Window Opening Soon
In late October, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) sent comprehensive License Application Forms to more than six hundred medical marijuana industry hopefuls throughout the state. The deadline to apply for one of Alabama’s 12 cultivator, four processor, four dispensary, five “integrated facility,” secure transporter, and state testing laboratory licenses is December 30, 2022.
Continue Reading The Marijuana Licensing Game is Officially Afoot in Alabama
On October 6, 2022, President Biden took his first steps to overhaul federal policy on marijuana. In doing so, he pardoned individuals with federal offenses for simple marijuana possession and initiated review as to how the drug is classified.
Continue Reading Biden Speaks Bluntly About Marijuana Reform
After ten years of cannabis legalization, Washington is poised to establish a social equity cannabis program. Social equity applicants who qualify have the opportunity to obtain cannabis retail licenses from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB). This post focuses on the WSLCB’s draft rules, which may undergo
A few weeks ago, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA). The nearly 300-page bill is comprehensive and is unlikely to pass before the midterm election (if at all, thanks to
Continue Reading How Would the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act Work?
On its face, it appears to be counterintuitive: United States federal courts recognizing and enforcing workplace rights for employees working in an illegal industry. After all, we would not expect a judge to lend a sympathetic ear to the employee of an arms trafficker or an interstate fraud ring. However
Continue Reading Federal Discrimination Statutes and the Cannabis Industry: An Illegal Industry Still Subject to Federal Laws