Tag: Virginia

Despite disagreements between executive branches and the arbiters of recreational bids in front of them, two states may soon become part of the growing legion of legal cannabis markets. A citizen-led initiative in Florida is awaiting final approval to appear on the November ballot, while Virginia’s governor has yet to make a decision on a bill that may still slink past him into law. Florida The decision on whether the adult-use question will go before voters this fall is in the hands… Read more.

The Virginia Senate and House of Delegates have approved competing bills to regulate and tax recreational marijuana sales, more than two years after the state legalized the possession of cannabis by adults. Each bill now heads to the other chamber of the state legislature, where lawmakers are expected to make several amendments to the measures. Both bills legalize retail sales of cannabis to adults aged 21 and older with a scheduled start date of January 1, 2025, according to a report from… Read more.

Virginia lawmakers this week resumed their quest to legalize adult-use marijuana retail operations in their state, the largest to legalize use and possession without also launching sales. Meanwhile, elected representatives in West Virginia reintroduced a recreational marijuana legalization proposal. In Virginia, state Sens. Adam Ebbin and Aaron Rouse introduced a bill that would allow for adult-use sales to begin in the state in 2025. It’s similar to an effort that failed last year. And the familiar standoff between Virginia’s Democratic lawmakers, who control both chambers… Read more.

When Democrats officially retake full control of the Virginia General Assembly in January, newly sworn-in lawmakers will take with them to Richmond renewed hopes the first state in the South to legalize marijuana possession can finally launch an adult-use market that is projected to top $1 billion in sales within a few years. But one very difficult obstacle remains: Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is said to have national political ambitions and zero interest in setting up a legal marketplace.… Read more.

Two hemp businesses and a consumer filed a lawsuit in Virginia federal court contending the state’s new restrictions on low-THC, hemp-derived products is causing financial harm to hemp companies and inhibiting interstate commerce. The lawsuit by hemp-product retailer Northern Virginia Hemp and Agriculture, North Carolina-based grower and distributor Franny’s Operations and consumer Rose Lane argues the new regulations will cause “millions of dollars of irreparable harm” while banning products that were recently legal exacerbates “potential health problems to thousands of Virginians,” the… Read more.

No updates were provided on the timing for sale close. Columbia Care Inc. (CSE: CCHW) (OTCQX: CCHWF) reported modest first-quarter growth, despite economic headwinds and the closure of several retail locations, according to the cannabis company’s financial results for the period ending March 31, 2023. The U.S.-based cultivator, manufacturer, and retailer of cannabis products said its top-line revenue grew 1% from the same quarter in 2022 to $124.5 million. The growth beat expectations by $1.3 million and was largely driven by strong performance… Read more.

Florida House Committee OKs Hemp Product Restriction Bill Following the approval of a bill related to regulating for hemp-derived products, entrepreneurs are concerned that the bill could put them out of business. The proposed bill, HB 1475, sponsored by Republican Will Robinson Jr. of Manatee County, aims to limit the amount of THC in retail hemp products. This move is in response to the growing popularity of Delta-8, a legal product that has led to proposed hemp regulations in over 20 states in the past two years.… Read more.

THE FIRST THING YOU SEE upon entering the Core Social Justice Cannabis Museum in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood is a digital stained glass window stamped “Cannfessional.” Behind it is a small sound booth, wrapped in cloud-print wallpaper, with a glowing neon chair and a microphone dangling from the ceiling. Facing the chair on the wall is a TV with a camera mounted on top. This is where you reveal your truth. With the Cannfessional, the museum encourages participants to record themselves telling stories… Read more.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is proposing a CBD carveout to a proposed state law that would enact strict regulations on hemp-derived THC products, the Virginia Mercury reports. Under the governor’s plan, hemp products that contain a 25:1 ratio of CBD to THC would not be affected by the broader hemp industry reforms being considered by lawmakers.   Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter told the Mercury on Tuesday that the amendment continues the governor’s “efforts to crack down on dangerous THC intoxicants including synthetic products such as… Read more.

Virginia’s recreational marijuana industry is on indefinite hold. Less than two years after the state became the first in the South to legalize adult-use marijuana for adults 21 and older, the projected start date for legal sales of Jan. 1, 2024, has been effectively scrapped. It’s unclear when – or if – recreational MJ sales will begin. The issue: The legalization bill that the then-Democratic-controlled General Assembly sent to former Gov. Ralph Northam two years ago was a half-measure. Northam signed the bill… Read more.

Both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly voted Friday to pass a bill to toughen regulations on hemp-derived products that contain intoxicating THC through a more robust permitting system and stricter labeling rules. Retail marijuana sales will remain illegal under the proposed law. Proponents of the bill called it a necessary first step toward cracking down on largely unregulated THC products, including increasingly common delta-8 edibles, that have created safety and consumer protection concerns. “I think this will go a long way… Read more.