Tag: Arizona

Predatory investors hijacked the cannabis social equity program in Arizona, where only three of the original 26 license winners still have a stake in their businesses, according to allegations filed in court and repeated in the state Legislature. Despite outrage over this controversy, a state lawmaker’s reform proposal aimed at returning the coveted permits to their original winners failed to pass the Senate last month, in part because of interference from Gov. Katie Hobbs’ administration, observers told MJBizDaily. The situation is notable for its strange political alignments: An… Read more.

Arizona has awarded the first round of Justice Reinvestment Grants to 18 community nonprofits, state officials announced last week. The program, created by the state’s 2020 marijuana law, is funded by revenue from taxes on legal cannabis sales. The grants program supports a variety goals of including public and behavioral health, such as substance use prevention and treatment; workforce development and mentorship programs in economically disadvantaged areas; “addressing the underlying causes of crime” and reducing the state prison population; and developing… Read more.

Have you ever pondered the landscape of cannabis regulations across the United States? Amid a shifting legal terrain where nearly half of the states have embraced recreational cannabis and 38 have legalized medical marijuana, the complexities abound. Despite federal law maintaining cannabis as an illegal substance, each state charts its course with unique rules and regulations. Deciding on the optimal cannabis state involves considering various factors, such as whether the state permits medical, recreational, or both cannabis programs, the presence of… Read more.

In the midst of years marked by rapid expansion and recent swift exits, some of the nation's leading cannabis multistate operators (MSOs) have continued to streamline their operations this year, as revealed in the latest update on the activities of several major MSOs in the country. Over the past five months, two of the largest MSOs in the country, Trulieve Cannabis based in Florida and Cresco Labs based in Chicago, have withdrawn from state-legal cannabis markets. This strategic move reflects their ongoing… Read more.

As Arizona’s remaining social equity license holders scramble to open marijuana dispensaries before a looming October deadline, private investors and major cannabis corporations have continued to wrest control away from the individuals the program was designed to benefit. In at least four recent cases, AZCIR found, licensees wound up on the losing end of legal battles, ultimately cutting short their prospects of long-term profits in a budding industry. One social equity license holder signed an operating agreement that would put his business… Read more.

Workers at a Phoenix, Arizona cannabis dispensary went on strike last week after the company, Curaleaf Midtown, failed to negotiate a contract despite the workers voting to join the UFCW Local 99 in June 2022, FOX 10 Phoenix reports. The strike marks the first time cannabis industry employees have gone on strike in Arizona.  The workers are demanding better pay and benefits, better working conditions, and safety. They are also demanding that Curaleaf Midtown reinstate a recently fired worker and start advancing union contract negotiations. According… Read more.

When Arizona set out to legalize marijuana, backers emphasized their intent to make the program equitable and ensure that those who had been most hurt by cannabis criminalization were given priority in the new marketplace. Now, a new lawsuit is raising questions about whether the state is adequately meeting those equity goals. Of 26 business licenses that the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) awarded last year to social equity applicants, nearly all are now owned by other companies or… Read more.

Recreational sales for the month rang in at $100.7 million. Arizona recreational marijuana sales passed the nine-figure mark for the first time in March since the adult-use market launched in January 2021, according to data from the state Department of Revenue. That month, recreational cannabis sales inched past the threshold for a final tally of $100.7 million, in addition to $32 million in medical marijuana sales. In April, however, the adult-use market came down a bit and hit only $86.4 million… Read more.

The Arizona Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled that some convictions for cannabis sales are eligible for expungement under the state’s adult-use cannabis legalization law, AZ Mirror reports. In the unanimous opinion, Judge Brian Furuya reversed a previous ruling from a Maricopa County Superior Court judge that denied expungement of a man’s 2014 cannabis sales conviction. The appellate court order forces the trial court to grant the expungement petition.   The appellate judges concluded that, because transportation of cannabis is now eligible for expungement, and because transportation of cannabis for… Read more.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) last week signed the state’s $17 billion budget bill into law; the budget includes about $5 million dedicated to whole-mushroom psilocybin research, the Arizona Mirror reports. Renowned medical cannabis and psychedelics researcher and principal investigator at the Scottsdale Research Institute Dr. Sue Sisley — who had pushed for the funding — said the $5 million was a good starting point for medical psilocybin trials. Additionally, the funding’s emphasis on whole mushroom research makes it unique from most other studies… Read more.

Arizona is among several states moving to crack down on delta-8 THC, a hemp-derived substance that's largely unregulated. The big picture: Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas and Virginia are all eying legislation to close delta-8 sales loopholes over concerns that kids could consume it, Axios' Tina Reed reports. Details: Delta-8 is chemically similar to delta-9 THC, which is the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. It's manufactured from the cannabidiol, or CBD, that occurs naturally in hemp. Many users report the high that results from consumption… Read more.

A bill proposed in Arizona would allow patients with autism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to access medical cannabis products in the state, the AZ Mirror reports. The measure passed the House Health and Human Services Committee 7-2 on Monday.  Earlier this month, the legislation was approved by a bipartisan 24-6 vote in the state Senate and will move next to the full House after approval by the Health and Human Services Committee.  During testimony on the measure, Aaron Jacobs, the father of a… Read more.

Jupiter Research, a marijuana vape cartridge subsidiary of Phoenix-based Tilt Holdings, refinanced and extended its revolving credit facility. The amount of credit available to Jupiter increased from $10 million to $12.5 million, according to a Tuesday news release. The debt now matures July 21, 2024, instead of July 2023. The interest rate is the prime rate plus 3%. The funds are secured against Jupiter’s property, inventory and accounts receivable as well as through a $6 million guaranty from Tilt. Jupiter initially entered… Read more.