Montana lawmakers are pausing the state’s rulemaking process for the new recreational marijuana industry slated to come online on January 1. There is bipartisan concern that the state isn’t following legislators’ intent for the policy. Lawmakers last session passed a massive policy to guide regulation and taxation of recreational marijuana, which voters made legal more than a year ago. It’s now the state department of revenue’s job to carry out that policy through rulemaking, but Republicans and Democrats on the Economic Affairs Interim Committee agree those rules need amending. Lawmakers and business owners have concerns over restrictions on tribal licenses and the state’s plan to take responsibility for workforce training — something that isn’t happening in other industries. The department must send rules for the new industry to the Montana Secretary of State’s office early next week.

Mmp News Author, Medical Marijuana Program Connection, 12/12/2021 00:50:00

Open article: https://mmpconnect.com/montana-marijuana-rules-in-limbo-weeks-before-recreation-sales-begin/

As many already anticipated, anti-cannabis Governor Holcomb of Indiana made a recent announcement stating that he will NOT consider medical marijuana, decriminalization, or any type of regulatory infrastructure until cannabis is federally legal; but that he’s ‘open’ to allowing regulated sales once prohibition ends. During a year-end interview with Indy Politics conducted earlier this week, Holcomb was asked what he thought about lawmakers starting the process of setting up some type of licensing and retail structure so when cannabis does become legal, Indiana will be ready to launch its own program. “I don’t mind that at all,” the governor replied.  It’s much different than what other “legal” states have been doing thus far, and the approach is not without benefits. Instead of rushing headfirst into legalization with no regulatory framework in place, then scrambling to deal with issues at the last minute as they come up, Indiana can look at other states for guidance to creating their own plan with as little room for error as possible.   Although Holcomb is on board with getting a game plan in place for the future, he made sure to emphasize that cannabis legalization is not a top priority for him and that no circumstances will sway him to act on this matter before the federal government does.  

Alexandra Hicks, CBD Testers, 12/12/2021 19:00:00

Open article: https://cbdtesters.co/2021/12/13/its-official-indiana-will-not-legalize-cannabis-until-federal-govt-does/

The governor of Kentucky says medical marijuana is “the future,” and part of that future should involve letting farmers grow cannabis to sell to other states. Gov. Andy Beshear (D) talked about how legalizing medical marijuana is a priority for him in the coming legislative session during an interview with 44 News that aired on Wednesday. He also expressed openness to broader legislation that would allow adults 21 and older to grow and possess cannabis without having a medical reason for it. “This is the future. It’s where things are going,” he said of medical marijuana. “It’s time we joined so many other states in doing the right thing.” Beshear, who called on lawmakers to pass the reform during a State of the Commonwealth address in January, said that “it is past time” to legalize cannabis for medical use and that the plant “can provide some relief for folks that would otherwise turn to more damaging substances.” Kentucky is uniquely situated to benefit from the policy change, he added.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 12/09/2021 11:20:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/kentucky-governor-wants-to-let-farmers-sell-marijuana-to-other-states/

The Economic Affairs Interim Committee unanimously voted on Thursday to stall the rulemaking process for implementing the state’s new recreational marijuana program, with lawmakers asserting that some of the Department of Revenue’s (DOR) interpretations of House Bill 701, a law passed this session regulating recreational marijuana, stray too far from its legislative intent. As the January 1 implementation deadline for the program inches closer, the committee postponed all decisions on the new rules proposal until its next meeting on Monday. Until then, Sen. Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, and Sen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, will work with DOR to clarify and amend the rules to more closely match legislative intent. “I would say that trying to pass a comprehensive rules package that is on a key piece of legislation that affects everyone in Montana is a very difficult task. We have to be precise, in our wording, phrasing and it’s very important to get that accurate. We only get one opportunity at this, and we need to make sure that we get it right,” Ellsworth said. During Thursday’s meeting, lawmakers and members of the public weighed in on equity among tribes in the implementation process, how licensing fees should be handled, warning labels on marijuana packaging and who should benefit from a moratorium on new licenses.The Hamilton legislator was specifically concerned about the language surrounding Native American tribes’ ability to expand their marijuana grow operations under their automatic combined-use licenses and whether dispensaries or the DOR should be tasked with coming up with training standards for industry employees.

Marijuana Moment, Marijuana Moment, 12/10/2021 09:30:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/montana-lawmakers-reject-marijuana-rules-weeks-ahead-of-legal-sales-launch/

A top Rhode Island lawmaker on Thursday said that a bill to legalize marijuana in the Ocean State is nearly finalized, with just one major provision left to resolve following months of negotiations—and that he expects the issue to be resolved early in the new year. House Speaker Joe Shekarchi (D) told WPRI-TV that while legislators are “still not there” on a final product, he’s “happy to report that we’ve worked down to almost one issue that’s left, but it’s not there yet.” That issue relates to who should regulate the cannabis market—a new independent commission or the state Department of Business Regulation (DBR). The speaker, who previously said that he’d be open to a compromise on the question of who should regulate the market, floated the idea that there could ultimately be “some combination thereof or some hybrid version of it.” Top lawmakers have been in talks for months to reconcile competing legalization proposals that have been brought forward by the House, Senate and governor’s office—and at one point planned to convene a fall special session to enact the resulting deal, but that hasn’t happened.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 12/10/2021 08:19:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/rhode-island-marijuana-legalization-bill-will-be-ready-in-early-2022-top-lawmaker-says/

Back in September, Wikileaf reported on South Dakota’s struggle to get marijuana on the shelves after its voters chose to legalize the product for both medicinal and recreational use in a first-of-its-kind election year. That struggle was due in large part to the state’s own governor, Kristi Noem, who led a legal fight against her own citizens. Though Noem lost her bid against medical marijuana, she seems to have won out in her push against recreational weed. That’s all thanks to a technicality. Medical marijuana passed in South Dakota through a ballot measure, which passed with an astonishing 70% supermajority. Measure 26 allows people diagnosed by a physician to have a debilitating medical condition to get a medical marijuana card that approves them to possess up to three ounces of marijuana. Governor Noem tried to delay the implementation of Measure 26, but ultimately failed, and then did a 180 to switch her tune in sudden support of the measure. 

Marie Edinger, Wikileaf, 12/09/2021 07:45:00

Open article: https://www.wikileaf.com/thestash/south-dakotas-marijuana-legalization-rescinded/