The tri-state weed race is shaping up to be a marathon. New Jersey beat neighbors in New York and Pennsylvania out of the gate by starting adult-use cannabis sales in April. But many smokers in The Garden State still face ridiculous hurdles to safe access and consumption, thanks to a few restrictions. Over the Hudson River in New York City, millions are free to consume anywhere they can smoke tobacco. They just can’t buy it legally quite yet. And across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf is urging PA lawmakers to present a legal framework for a recreational market so he can sign adult use into law. With 420-friendly Lt. Gov. John Fetterman leading primary polls, help should be on the way soon. This NJ dispensary is booming thanks to Pennsylvania’s bad weed laws. That’s why New Jersey could see its early lead in the tri-state race evaporate, especially if lawmakers and regulators don’t address major holes in the state’s current cannabis policy. It’s nice that NJ police officers are ready to escort you across the street to one of the state’s 13 (and counting) dispensaries. But that same officer might also bust you for smoking your taxed weed in a local park, in a parked car, or even your rented home or apartment.

Calvin Stovall, Leafly, 05/17/2022 07:20:00

Open article: https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/new-jersey-weed-laws-that-need-to-change

As New York’s regulators work on the rules that will guide the launch of the state’s adult-use cannabis industry sometime later in 2022, lawmakers are already introducing bills that could reshape it. Nearly a dozen bills introduced in May cover everything from underage use to a solution for consumers who can’t grow cannabis at home. There are some noteworthy broader bills, too, like one that would create the “adult-use substances authority,” which would oversee cannabis regulators and another that would bring oral fluid testing to New York’s roadways for testing related to cannabis impairment. This comes as the initial phase of adult-use sales is beginning to come into focus. At its May 5 meeting, the Cannabis Control Board, within the Office of Cannabis Management, awarded 36 conditional adult-use cultivator licenses, bringing its total to 88, as Cannabis Wire reported. These farmers will harvest the first crop of cannabis to be sold to New York’s adult-use consumers. First sales, Board Chair Tremaine Wright said during the meeting, are expected to take place “later this year.”

Alyson Martin, Cannabis Wire, 05/16/2022 20:00:00

Open article: https://cannabiswire.com/2022/05/17/new-york-lawmakers-just-introduced-a-bunch-of-cannabis-bills/

King County, home to Seattle, will create a Cannabis Safety Task Force in the wake of recent dispensary robberies and violence. The goal is “to develop strategies to prevent criminal activity targeting cannabis businesses and address security concerns at cannabis businesses and to provide a report” to the county, according to council documents.  That report is due no later than Aug. 31. As KOMO News reports, the King County Sheriff’s Office and Prosecutor’s Office will work with local cannabis dispensary owners and community members to identify and distribute resources to help officers prevent robberies to any extent possible. Part of the intent of this task force is to expand on any cross-jurisdictional capabilities. This county legislation includes an immediate review of cannabis business tax revenue allocations. Some $4.6 million in cannabis tax revenue was diverted from the sheriff’s office’s budget this year, as KOMO reports. The task force will investigate the matter to determine where, exactly, those previously budgeted dollars have gone.

Posted Melissa Schiller, Cannabis Business Times, 05/18/2022 11:49:00

Open article: http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/king-county-seattle-cannabis-safety-task-force

A key congressman involved in bicameral negotiations on a large-scale manufacturing bill says he’s optimistic about the prospects of including marijuana banking reform in the final version of the legislation that gets signed into law. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), a longstanding champion of cannabis legalization who is serving as a conferee on the America COMPETES Act, talked about the state of play and steps he’s taking to secure the banking language during a press briefing on Monday. He said that there is a concerted effort among conferees in both chambers to make sure that the House-passed Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act is attached to the final conference report that’s sent to the president’s desk. And while Senate leadership has yet to cede the issue, he’s confident that the bicameral panel will seal the deal. “There is a strong base support among the conferees for keeping this [marijuana banking] language and enacting it,” he said. “We think that this is a perfect opportunity to get some actual movement on this.” “We’ve got a vehicle that needs to be acted upon relatively soon.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 05/16/2022 16:51:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/congressman-says-theres-tremendous-momentum-to-pass-marijuana-banking-in-bicameral-conference-on-manufacturing-bill/

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) policies on drug testing truckers and other commercial drivers for marijuana are unnecessarily costing people their jobs and contributing to supply chain issues, a congressman said in a letter to the head of the department on Monday. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) cited DOT data showing that tens of thousands of drivers are being disqualified because of stringent drug screening policies around THC. He said that while nobody wants drivers impaired on the roads, there aren’t tests that can detect active impairment—so people are being penalized for using cannabis while off duty, days or weeks before they’re tested. “These disqualifications deny people the right to earn a living, reduce the workforce when drivers are desperately needed, and penalize people of color and patients who legally use medical cannabis,” he wrote. “This crisis must be treated with urgency.” The congressman told Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg that his department “should rapidly reform requirements for testing drivers and returning them to service, as well as develop an accurate test for impairment.”

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 05/16/2022 14:56:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/congressman-urges-transportation-department-to-reform-marijuana-testing-policies-for-drivers/