March 31, 2023

This Week in Cannabis News: March 31, 2023

By
Jay Rosenthal
March 31, 2023

Welcome to episode 36 of This Week in Cannabis News.
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Cannabis news: week of March 31, 2023

New York cannabis lawsuit dismissed, opening door to more dispensaries

On Tuesday, the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit removed a temporary restraining order in four out of five state regions in NY that was slowing down dispensary roll outs. The ruling enables regulators to commence the distribution of social equity licenses in Brooklyn, Central New York, Mid-Hudson, and Western New York. Obviously, this is really good news for New York’s cannabis roll-out and hopefully will help open the doors to opening more doors!

Good Grades dispensary opens in Jamaica, Queens

Kudos to the team at Good Grades in Jamaica, Queens. Yesterday at 2 pm, they officially opening their dispensary - making it the first women-owned, CAURD licensee to open. For those that don’t know - CAURD stands for Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensaries - the first tranche of licenses available for justice involved individuals in New York.

Maryland readying adult-use cannabis roll-out

Maryland is putting the final touches on their roll-out of adult-use cannabis that is expected this summer. Recall that Marylanders passed adult-use in November 2022 and the legislature has been building out the program for how and where the program will launch, and importantly, how much taxes to collect and when.

Kentucky approves medical cannabis

Kentucky will have a medical cannabis program. Today, it appears that Democratic Governor Andy Beshear will sign a bill legalizing medical cannabis. The Kentucky House passed the bill on Thursday and the and the Senate in Kentucky passed it two weeks ago.

Adult-use cannabis in Montana could be in trouble

Montana launched adult-use cannabis sales last year, now a Montana state senator is looking dismantle the program, kind of. According to MJ Biz Daily, Republican Keith Regier’s bill would:

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  • Prohibit non-medical cannabis sales.
  • Increase the state tax on medical cannabis from 4% to 20%.
  • Lower the THC cap on flower to 10% (not a typo)
  • Lower the THC levels in individual edibles to 5 milligrams.
  • Cap the THC percentage in concentrates at 10% (not sure how that would work)

A good reminder that legalization efforts are not over, even when legalization advocates appear to have won.

Germany adult-use cannabis may not proceed

It looks like our friends in Europe are having continued trouble even starting the cannabis conversation. According to Business of Cannabis Europe, Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) said this week that it no longer expects a legal cannabis market in the near future.

Cookies in California offers for military

To show appreciation for active duty military personnel and veterans, Cookies in California is offering 1 cent gummies at their dispensaries.

Featured cannabis expert: Jason Tarasek, Minnesota Cannabis Law

Earlier this week, Dutchie held a webinar focused on Minnesota. Minnesota’s path toward legalization is in full effect, with bills being considered in that state’s legislature. That follows a unique approach to legalizing hemp-derived, THC food products last year - causing an influx of edibles and beverages to be lightly regulated and on the market right now in Minnesota. Our webinar talked about the current legislation being considered, the possible timeline for passage, and how Minnesota businesses are getting ready for the new market. Jason Tarasek from Minnesota Cannabis Law joined the webinar - and we wanted to share his thoughts for you today. So here is this conversation with Jason Tarasek of Minnesota Cannabis Law, recorded on Tuesday this week during a Dutchie webinar.

The full on-demand version of this webinar is also available.

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About the author
Jay Rosenthal
Lead Content Producer @ Dutchie