Title: Germany’s Parliament Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill
Date: February 23, 2024
Description: Normally I don’t include international news, but it’s important to note that Germany’s parliament passed a bill today legalizing marijuana nationwide, with a 407-226 vote. The bill now moves to the Bundesrat. It allows possession and home cultivation, and authorizes social clubs for distribution. The bill aims to counter the black market, protect youth, and update cannabis policy, with possession and cultivation legal from April, and social clubs opening in July.
Source: Marijuana Moment (www.marijuanamoment.net)
Title: Veterans Groups Urge Biden Administration to Reschedule Marijuana
Date: Feb. 22, 2024
Description: Veterans groups are advocating for the Biden administration to ease federal restrictions on marijuana. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is expected to issue a decision soon, potentially within weeks, on rescheduling cannabis following a recommendation by the Department of Health and Human Services to reclassify it to a less restrictive schedule. This comes six months after the Department’s recommendation and amid growing calls for policy adjustment from legislators and law enforcement officials.
Title: Proposed Laws in NY State Legislature
Date: February 12, 2024
Description: Two proposed laws in New York’s legislature are being discussed. One would allow out-of-state medical cannabis patients to buy in New York, and the other seeks to repeal the excise tax for medical cannabis. The patient reciprocity bill has strong support, but the tax repeal bill faces uncertainty.
Title: Legal Licensing Kicks Off in Full for New York State Cannabis
Date: February 16, 2024
Description: New York’s Cannabis Control Board approved 109 business licenses, including 26 microbusinesses, 25 retail dispensaries, 24 cultivators, 13 provisional retail licenses, 12 processors, and nine distributors. This marks the first issuance of general business licenses for the state’s legal cannabis program, previously limited to conditional licenses only. A significant portion of the licenses were allocated to Social and Economic Equity applicants, with notable representation of women and minority-owned businesses. The meeting also saw the approval of the state’s first cannabis research licenses and initial approval for home grow regulations, pending a 60-day public comment period.
Title: Governor Hochul Criticizes Cannabis Rollout
Date: February 3, 2024
Description: Governor Kathy Hochul has publicly labeled the rollout of New York’s cannabis program a “disaster,” citing conflicts between the Cannabis Control Board and the leadership of the Office of Cannabis Management. The state’s cannabis program is also currently facing three lawsuits challenging its current licensing round and seeking injunctions. No comment!
Source: https://buffalonews.com/news/
Title: Friendly Flower et al. vs. OCM
Date: January 29, 2024
Description: Plaintiffs allege the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) failed to inform applicants about preferential treatment in the licensing queue for certain social equity groups, which they argue is arbitrary and lacks a rational basis. They seek an injunction against awarding licenses from the first-round applications and demand transparency in OCM’s licensing methodology.
Source: Albany Supreme Court Records
Title: Valencia AG, LLC vs. New York Cannabis Regulators
Date: January 24, 2024
Description: Valencia AG challenges New York’s cannabis licensing process, claiming it violates the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause by favoring women and people of color. The plaintiff seeks to prohibit differential application fees based on gender or race and to halt the processing of applications claiming social and economic equity status based on these criteria.
Source: United States District Court Northern District of New York Records
Title: Criticism of Governor Hochul’s Proposed Cannabis Tax Changes
Date: January 24, 2024
Description: Criticism of Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal to replace New York’s THC potency-based tax structure with a 9% tax on wholesale cannabis products abounds. Stakeholders argue that this new tax approach is unrealistic and could disadvantage New York compared to neighboring states.
Source: https://www.syracuse.com/