As the cannabis industry anxiously awaits direction from the White House, it appears that states are not going to be as patient. As more states move forward with cannabis bills, we’ll continue providing relevant updates on the latest cannabis laws and legislation that affect our industry and your business. Something we missed? Let us know here and we’ll make sure to include it in next week’s update!
August 1
Governor Bruce Rauner of Illinois has signed a law requiring public schools to allow parents to administer medical marijuana at school to eligible children.
Michigan court passed a ruling that bans ‘wet cannabis,’ a phase all cannabis must go through before it can be consumed.
A petition to get State Question 797 to be put up for a vote on the Nov. 6 ballot has compiled enough signatures. The signatures must be verified by the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s Office, and a review must be conducted before the question can go on the ballot.
Maine has made significant amendments to its medical marijuana law, including a measure providing a deduction for medical marijuana-related business expenses otherwise prohibited by federal tax law.
A Pennsylvania lawmaker has announced he plans to introduce a legislation to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana.
July 1
Two Tennessee Republican Lawmakers have introduced the Tennessee Responsible Use of Medicinal Plants (or TRUMP) act. The bill would expand medical research into treatments with cannabis and cannabis extracts.
Compliance regulations in California went into effect on July 1st, placing stricter rules on testing, packaging, and labeling of products.
A law (H.511) legalizing adult-use marijuana in Vermont took effect Sunday, July 1.
Massachusetts reached its July 1 deadline to begin recreational sales.
July 8
State Question 788 was approved June 26 – The Oklahoma State Department of Health released a draft of proposed rules on July 8 which included a ban of all smokable forms of cannabis, requiring pharmacists to be present in dispensaries as a part of the approval process, and limits to the number of dispensaries to 50.
Two lawsuits have been filed against the state of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Department of Health, including one by an organization sponsoring two proposed ballot initiatives for the 2018 ballot in Oklahoma:
July 25
A group of bipartisan lawmakers has introduced the Marijuana Data Collection Act (MDCA), which calls upon the National Academy of Sciences to collect and synthesize relevant data and create a formal federal report on the cannabis industry in each state.
July 27
Oklahoma lawmakers proposed new emergency rules that were almost immediately criticized by constituents. The changes came officially after Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter Declared the state Board of Health overstepped its bounds. In the same week, the state also made MMJ business applications available online.
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced a bipartisan bill that would allow states to regulate marijuana without federal interference. The STATES Act would amend the Controlled Substances Act to include a framework that says it no longer applies to those following state, territory, or tribal laws.
S2720 has been introduced to New Jersey Senate to legalize possession and personal use of marijuana for persons aged 21 and over. The bill also creates a Division of Marijuana Enforcement and licensing structure.
A strong partisan bill has been introduced in Delaware, HB110, to amend Title 16 and Title 30 of the Delaware Code, creating the Delaware marijuana Control Act.
A California Assembly Bill has been introduced to add and repeal Section 11361.9 of the Health and Safety Code relating to cannabis. AB2520 would create the California Illegal Cannabis Task Force, which would analyze existing statutes to determine if they adequately address illegal cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, sales, and diversion of cannabis to other states. This committee would also recommend necessary revisions or new provisions.
Colorado Governor officially passed a bill to allow school nurses to administer medical marijuana to students with medical marijuana registry cards while at school. Click here to learn more about HB1286.
A moderate partisan bill has been introduced in Maine. LD1064 is an act that would require that health insurance policies cover medical marijuana.
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Check here for previous cannabis bill tracker updates dating back to March 2017.
Learn more about BioTrackTHC’s Seed-to-Sale Tracking and Cannabis Business Solution that can help business owners stay compliant with all of their state’s respective regulations and compliance codes.