There was no opposition in the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy to fresh legislation targeting persistent issues with host community agreements and social equity in the new cannabis industry, setting the Legislature up to involve itself in cannabis policy more closely than it has since rewriting voters’ legalization law five years ago. All 16 members of the committee who weighed in on the legislation (H 174/S 72) in the poll that closed late last week were in favor of advancing the bill to put tighter restrictions on the legally-required contracts between marijuana businesses and their host communities, establish a Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund and lay the groundwork for cities and towns to allow on-site cannabis consumption establishments. And all 14 committee members who registered an opinion on a bill (S 73) relative to the expungement of convictions for marijuana possession voted to advance it favorably. The more wide-ranging bill (H 174/S 72), which a spokesperson said is a priority for House Speaker Ron Mariano, addresses aspects of state laws that cannabis regulators and industry entrepreneurs have been increasingly vocal about taking issue with. The Legislature has long maintained a hands-off approach to marijuana policy. Lawmakers passed up their opportunities to act before voters approved decriminalization in 2008, medical marijuana in 2012 and adult legalization in 2016, but then delayed and rewrote significant portions of the 2016 ballot law legalizing marijuana. Otherwise, the Legislature has largely avoided cannabis issues though some provisions in the new committee bill mirror those of a bill that the House passed in early 2020 but which never surfaced in the Senate.

Cannabis Law Report, 02/01/2022 20:06:00

Open article: https://cannabislaw.report/massachusetts-cannabis-bill-sails-through-committee/

Illinois has collected more than $424 million in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales in 2021, and Michigan collected about $246.6 million. Wisconsin still bans the drug in most forms, but the legislature continues to flirt with legalizing medical marijuana. In the two years since launching its recreational marijuana program, Illinois has received more than half a billion dollars in tax revenue, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue. Over $100 million of that will finance programs aimed at investing in communities hardest hit by the drug war, with a large chunk going to fund grants for minority communities disproportionately impacted by gun injuries, child poverty, unemployment, and incarceration, the state says. About $100 million was deposited into Illinois’ general fund. Funds from cannabis revenue will also go to local governments, a marijuana regulation fund, facilitating the process of expunging criminal marijuana charges, administrative costs, a public health campaign, and research on the effects of legalization. Recreational marijuana tax revenue is a “found money” resource, where one previously didn’t exist, by Douglas Berman, a law professor who is the director of the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at Ohio State University.

420 Intel – Marijuana Industry News, 01/31/2022 19:00:00

Open article: https://420intel.com/articles/2022/02/01/while-wisconsin-legislature-considers-medical-marijuana-neighboring-states-reap

A Tennessee lawmaker wants to legalize marijuana use, cultivation, and sales across the state. Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Nashville) introduced HB 1968 on Jan. 25, which he is calling the “Free All Cannabis for Tennesseans Act.” As of Jan. 28, it had been assigned to the Criminal Justice Subcommittee for consideration. The bill would overhaul Tennessee laws to legalize recreational and medical pot across the board. If passed, adults 21 and up in the state would be allowed to use and possess up to 60 grams of marijuana for personal use. They would also be allowed to grow up to 12 marijuana plants on their private property so long as the growing area is not publically visible from the ground and is secured with locks or other devices. Minors with medical conditions would only be allowed to use medical marijuana with parental supervision after consulting with a doctor. The bill also sets standards for retail marijuana operations, making it legal to grow, process, and sell plants, seeds, and paraphernalia with the proper licenses from the Department of Agriculture.

Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news, 02/01/2022 08:53:00

Open article: https://www.cannabisbusinessexecutive.com/2022/02/a-tennessee-lawmaker-is-hoping-to-make-recreational-and-medical-pot-legal-in-the-state/