Legislative & Licensing Update: March 02, 2022
Updates from Virginia & Georgia to South Dakota & the Virgin Islands
And, a report of 428k jobs in the cannabis industry.
The Minnesotamedical cannabis market changed in a big way for the better this week, with flower sales finally beginning on Tuesday.
A Virginia House General Laws subcommittee killed a Senate-passed bill that would have allowed recreational marijuana sales to begin in September through existing medical cannabis dispensaries.
The Georgia House Regulated Industries Committee approved a bill to increase the number of medical cannabis business licenses.
The South Dakota House State Affairs Committee defeated a Senate-passed marijuana legalization bill BUT the chamber “smoked it out” meaning that the bill will still come to the floor.
Florida regulators chose BioTrack to manage the state’s medical cannabis tracking system.
The Pennsylvania Senate Law and Justice Committee held a marijuana legalization hearing meant to inform a reform bill being drafted by the panel’s chairman.
The Maryland House advanced legislation Wednesday to legalize recreational marijuana in the state if voters approve a constitutional amendment in November.
Connecticut: Lottery applications for adult-use hybrid retailer licenses are now available.
New York hemp farmers will be able to grow marijuana under a new bill. Beware the program that has certain restrictions and not just anyone with a hemp license will be permitted for marijuana.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) said he expects recreational marijuana sales to launch at existing medical cannabis dispensaries “within weeks”—as soon as March.
An Illinois judge set a March 25 hearing to plan a settlement conference in a case challenging the state’s marijuana business license awarding process.
U.S. Virgin Islands regulators held a virtual town hall and unveiled proposed medical cannabis rules on Monday. The Virgin Islands will launch a medical cannabis program later this year. Under the proposed rules, there are limits for each license type and for each island. Applications are expected to open up within 55 days.
A report by Leafly found that the legal cannabis industry employs over 428,000 full-time workers and created an average of 280 new jobs per day in 2021. This marks the fifth year in a row of annual jobs growth greater than 27%.