Ohio is one step closer to legalizing recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. The secretary of state has verified all signatures in a petition to put before lawmakers in Columbus. Now that petition will go to the Ohio legislature where they will have four months to make a decision on it. The spokesperson for the group advocating for legalization says if the Ohio House and Senate don’t pass their initiative then they will collect more signatures to get it on the ballot in November. “We are expecting a vigorous debate but we expect this to pass because it is popular among Democrats, Independents and Republicans,” said Tom Haren with the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. One Gallop Poll shows nearly 70 percent of Americans support legalizing recreational pot. Advocates say that if all goes smoothly, by spring of 2023 recreational marijuana could be legal in Ohio.

Mmp News Author, Medical Marijuana Program Connection, 01/30/2022 02:05:00

Open article: https://mmpconnect.com/ohio-1-step-closer-to-legalizing-recreational-marijuana/

A campaign chaired by a former Arkansas lawmaker has filed a constitutional amendment to put marijuana legalization on the state’s 2022 ballot—and it’s facing pushback from advocates who are working on two separate reform initiatives. Eddie Armstrong, a Democrat who previously served as minority leader in the state House of Representatives before leaving office in 2019, first unveiled the plan to pursue legalization through the ballot late last year. Now that Armstrong’s group Responsible Growth Arkansas has formally filed the measure, its details are available. The Arkansas Adult-Use Cannabis Amendment would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to one ounce of marijuana. Existing medical cannabis dispensaries would be permitted to sell in the recreational market starting March 8, 2023, giving them an advantage. Under the proposal, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) would be responsible for regulating the market and issuing marijuana business licenses. There would be a two-tiered approach to cultivator licensing, with the first tier being reserved for eight existing dispensaries and the second tier going to 12 other applicants through a lottery system. The measure would also repeal and replace certain provisions of the state’s medical marijuana law, which was approved by voters at the ballot in 2016. Language would be updated for rules on advertising, packaging, labeling, and purchase limits.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 01/27/2022 10:27:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/former-arkansas-lawmaker-files-marijuana-legalization-initiative-for-2022-ballot-to-compete-with-two-other-measures/

A majority of Americans said they wouldn’t have an issue voting for someone who occasionally smokes marijuana, according to a new poll. The YouGov survey, which involved interviews with 4,096 adults, comes about a week after a U.S. Senate candidate made waves after releasing a campaign ad where he smokes a cannabis blunt while discussing the racially disparate harms of prohibition. It found that 58 percent of Americans would be “willing” to vote for a candidate with who they agree on most issues “who occasionally smokes marijuana in their free time.” Twenty-one percent said they wouldn’t be willing to cast that vote. Democrats were more likely to be fine with a casual cannabis toker running for office, with 68 percent saying they’d be open to voting for someone who partakes, compared to 15 percent who said they wouldn’t. Nearly half of Republicans (47 percent) said they’d be willing to make that vote for a marijuana consumer if they align on most issues. It’s another sign of the normalization of cannabis as more states move to legalize for medical and adult use. A 2020 Gallup survey also demonstrated the growing acceptance of marijuana, with respondents finding cannabis consumption to be more morally acceptable than gay relationships, medical testing of animals, the death penalty, and abortion While Democrat Gary Chambers’s recent ad showing him openly smoking made national headlines, he’s not the first to be public about cannabis consumption while seeking office. Anthony Clark, an Illinois candidate who ran an unsuccessful primary challenge against a Democratic congressional incumbent in 2020, also smoked marijuana in a campaign ad while discussing his personal experience with cannabis and the need for federal reform. He also hosted what he called the “first-ever congressional weed party” in a campaign video.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 01/27/2022 12:00:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/majority-of-americans-say-theyd-vote-for-a-politician-who-smokes-marijuana-poll-finds/

Frankly, with all things considered, it may be fair to assume that tech is one of the most cannabis-friendly industries to work in. There aren’t many industries that have been more welcoming to the cannabis community than tech. And the industry’s adoption of cannabis couldn’t have come at a better time. Because cutting-edge technology has been crucial in connecting cannabis brands and products with their consumers while meeting the expectations of regulators, it’s only natural to wonder how accepting employees in the tech industry are about the substance itself. Some of the signs that indicate an increasing level of acceptance of cannabis may surprise you. Only 5-6% Private Sector Cybersecurity Companies Drug Test For Cannabis In recent years, the FBI has had trouble selecting the best and brightest talent in the cybersecurity space due to their restrictive drug testing regulations. Private sector companies on the search for the best talent in the cybersecurity world don’t have the same problem given the fact that they don’t drug test nearly as much.

Jordan Smith, The Fresh Toast, 01/28/2022 08:00:06

Open article: https://thefreshtoast.com/technology/getting-high-on-the-job-and-other-ways-the-tech-community-is-embracing-weed/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=getting-high-on-the-job-and-other-ways-the-tech-community-is-embracing-weed

The Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy is polling its members on legislation that appears to address the persistent issues with host community agreements and social equity in the new cannabis industry, and that would pave the way for social consumption sites in Massachusetts. Members of the committee have until 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 28, to weigh in on redrafted legislation that would 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 within their borders. The poll opened late in the afternoon on Wednesday, Jan. 26. The legislation, which a spokesperson said is a priority for House Speaker Ron Mariano, appears to address some of the issues that the Cannabis Control Commission has most vocally been asking lawmakers to act on. Committee co-chairs Rep. Daniel Donahue and Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz recommended favorable reports for two bills redrafted in committee to incorporate parts of about a dozen other related proposals.

420 Intel – Marijuana Industry News, 01/27/2022 19:00:00

Open article: https://420intel.com/articles/2022/01/28/cannabis-committee-advancing-bill-pave-way-social-consumption-sites-mass