A newly published study of high school students in Canada found that the proportion of those who said marijuana was easy to access fell in recent years, during a period in which the country legalized cannabis for adults and retail sales locations opened across the country while people also spent months social distancing amid the COVID-19
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32Even as federal drug policy reform efforts picked up in 2023, U.S. states continued to lead the country’s push for marijuana legalization during the past year. States passed news legalization measures, launched adult-use retail sales and set a raft of sales records as markets matured. Lawmakers at the state-level also continued to adjust laws around
33In the latest development from Alabama’s nascent medical cannabis industry, several companies including Southeast Cannabis, TheraTrue 3 Notch Root, Alabama Always, and Jemmstone are set to make their legal case against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) today, as reported by the Alabama Political Reporter. The applicants are contesting the commission’s methods of awarding medical cannabis licenses, asserting that the AMCC’s decisions during a crucial December 12 meeting were procedurally flawed, specifically criticizing the handling of application scoring and electronic files, as well as a restrictive 10MB limit on submission portals. Alabama Always, LLC is also seeking expedited discovery in its lawsuit against the AMCC, alleging violations of the Alabama Administrative Procedure Act and the Open Meetings Act. They argue that this discovery is essential to challenge the Commission’s rejection of their license application effectively. Concurrently, 3 Notch Roots and Jemmstone are looking to consolidate their cases with Alabama Always, as they are addressing similar grievances against the AMCC’s actions. This series of lawsuits is indicative of growing discontent with the AMCC’s transparency and fairness, potentially setting the stage for a major legal battle. Earlier this month the AMCC made headlines with their decision to award Trulieve — a publicly-traded company out of Florida — the only license reserved for “minority-owned” businesses. Cannabis operators from Alabama and other states decried the decision, pointing out that large corporate brands should not be allowed to capitalize on licensing provisions intended to boost market diversity. The outcomes of today’s hearings are anticipated to have far-reaching implications not only for Alabama’s medical cannabis industry but also for the national conversation around how a legalized cannabis market should function, and who should be granted opportunities to participate. In the latest development from Alabama’s nascent medical cannabis industry, several companies including Southeast Cannabis, TheraTrue 3 Notch Root, Alabama… Read More
34New York’s governor has vetoed legislation that would have allowed licensed marijuana growers to sell products to tribal retailers. The bills, sponsored by Sen. Michelle Hinchey (D) and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo (D), who respectively chair the state Senate and Assembly agriculture committees, would have given a release valve to hundreds of cannabis farmers who have
35Florida officials say they’ve arrested two paid canvassers charged with allegedly falsifying signatures on petitions to put a marijuana legalization initiative on the state’s 2024 ballot. As the state Supreme Court weighs a legal challenge to the ballot measure that was brought by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R), the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
36Lawmakers in Ghana’s Parliament voted this month to legalize the cultivation of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes, according to AfricaNews.com. Under the December 14 decision, the country’s Interior Minister was given the authority to begin issuing cultivation licenses. Licenses are ultimately expected for every aspect of the cannabis industry including cultivation, distribution, processing, sale, import, and export, according to the report. Notably, the new law includes a 0.3% THC cap for cannabis crops grown in the country, which matches the restrictions for industrial hemp crops grown in the U.S. Experts predict that cannabis and hemp cultivation could prove to be a significant boon to the country because the crop will grow readily in every region of Ghana and will bring a multitude of employment opportunities, the report said. The move marks Ghana’s next step in aligning itself with the international trend of reforming cannabis laws, which lawmakers had set as a priority in 2020 with the Narcotics Control Commission Act. Other African countries that have legalized medical cannabis and/or industrial hemp include Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco, South Africa, Eswatini, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe; South Africa has also decriminalized the personal possession of cannabis. A 2022 report described the cannabis sector in Africa as “poised” for significant growth, and New Frontier Data reported in 2019 that approximately one-third of the world’s cannabis consumers live in Africa. Lawmakers in Ghana’s Parliament voted this month to legalize the cultivation of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes, according to… Read More
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