State officials and cannabis legalization advocates reached a deal on Friday, agreeing to allow the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol to retain the signatures they’ve already collected while delaying their campaign until 2023. The Coalition agreed to delay its legalization campaign until next year in exchange for state officials agreeing to accept the more than 140,000 signatures the coalition had already collected, instead of potentially making them start over from scratch.“This guarantees the validity of the signatures we’ve already gathered, and we’ve got a much clearer path if we have to get to the ballot next year,” said Tom Haren, a spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol per Cleveland.com. The Coalition, meanwhile, recently sued after House Republicans refused to take up the marijuana legalization law the group had proposed under a state mechanism called an ‘initiated statute,’ through which members of the public can propose new laws. The House GOP pushed back saying that the group submitted its signatures too late anyhow to be considered during this year’s legislative session.

Benzinga Staff Writer, The Fresh Toast, 05/14/2022 10:00:00

Open article: https://thefreshtoast.com/news/will-ohio-legalize-weed-in-2023-its-complicated-but-a-vague-deal-has-been-reached/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=will-ohio-legalize-weed-in-2023-its-complicated-but-a-vague-deal-has-been-reached

U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-NV, announced last week that she led a bipartisan group of more than 20 of her colleagues to urge congressional leadership to act on banking reform for the cannabis industry. A group of 24 senators wrote a letter to Senate and House leaders May 12, encouraging them to include the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act in the final version of the America COMPETES Act. Federal law currently prohibits financial institutions from providing services to state-legal cannabis businesses, as well as ancillary businesses that serve the industry, forcing these operations to conduct cash-only transactions. “Because of this federally-imposed barrier, cannabis small businesses are repeatedly targeted by criminal actors and fall victim to cash-related safety risks, including growing incidents of theft, robbery, and violence,” according to the announcement from Rosen’s office. “The SAFE Banking Act would finally allow licensed cannabis businesses operating in states like Nevada to have equal access to banking services.” The SAFE Banking Act has passed the House six times, most recently in February as a bipartisan amendment to the America COMPETES Act.

Posted Melissa Schiller, Cannabis Business Times, 05/16/2022 11:14:00

Open article: http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/more-than-20-senators-urge-congressional-leadership-to-include-safe-banking-act-america-competes-act

In recent years, the Iowa Legislature has opened the door to medical marijuana but kept it closed in an attempt to ease restrictions on the possession and use of cannabis. In the current legislative session, a Democratic proposal, Senate Joint Resolution 2003, means to amend the Iowa Constitution to legalize and regulate marijuana from cultivation to use by adults 21 and older. It didn’t go anywhere. That has been the case in the Republican-controlled House and Senate for other attempts to decriminalize marijuana possession or legalize its use. Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, said his chamber has provided “access for Iowans suffering from chronic diseases to medicinal cannabis,” adding, “There is no support among Senate Republicans to legalize recreational marijuana.” Now, a campaign has been launched to show legislators there is indeed broad support for Iowa to join other states in reforming marijuana laws. Legislative leaders and Gov. Kim Reynolds are out of touch with changing attitudes toward marijuana, said Brad Knott, president of the Campaign for Sensible Cannabis Laws. Not only have GOP leaders stymied action on marijuana reform, but Reynolds has repeatedly voiced opposition to legalizing marijuana use, including threatening to veto such legislation.

Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news, 05/16/2022 08:15:00

Open article: https://www.cannabisbusinessexecutive.com/2022/05/iowa-campaign-launched-to-reform-state-marijuana-laws/

Marijuana legalization will not be on the ballot for this November’s election in Ohio, under the terms of a settlement a group backing the effort said it reached Friday with state officials. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol instead said it will delay its legalization campaign until 2023. In exchange, state officials have agreed to accept the more than 140,000 signatures the coalition already has collected, instead of potentially making them start over from scratch. “This guarantees the validity of the signatures we’ve already gathered, and we’ve got a much clearer path if we have to get to the ballot next year,” said Tom Haren, a spokesman for the coalition. The coalition sued state officials earlier this month after Ohio House Republicans refused to take up the marijuana legalization law the group had proposed under a state mechanism called an initiated statute, through which members of the public can propose new laws. The House GOP said the group submitted its signatures too late to be considered during this year’s legislative session. Under the initiated statute rules, the public can force lawmakers to take up a proposed law change if they can gather the needed number of signatures — currently from registered voters in at least 44 counties across the state. If lawmakers don’t enact the law as written within four months, backers of an initiated statute then can collect the same number of signatures again to force it onto the ballot for the following November’s election.

Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news, 05/14/2022 08:45:00

Open article: https://www.cannabisbusinessexecutive.com/2022/05/ohio-marijuana-legalization-effort-delayed-until-2023-under-settlement-with-state-officials/