A coalition of nine U.S. senators on Monday sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, urging him to direct federal prosecutors to not interfere with marijuana legalization policies enacted by Native American tribes. The letter, led by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), requests that the Justice Department “respect the inherent sovereignty of Tribal governments and cease the enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act on Tribal land as it pertains to the growth, possession, and use of cannabis for medicinal, agricultural, and recreational purposes, where those Tribes have legalized this activity for its own members and those acting in compliance with Tribal law.” “Tribal governments that have chosen to legalize cannabis have determined what is best for their members and residents on their land, and how best to prioritize their law enforcement resources,” it says. “The Department of Justice should respect these sovereign decisions and reallocate their investigative and prosecutorial resources accordingly.” The letter notes that there was previous Obama-era DOJ guidance on prosecutorial discretion for tribal governments that opted to legalize cannabis, but that was rescinded by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2018, along with a separate memo urging prosecutors not to go after states that established regulated cannabis markets.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 03/29/2022 08:57:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/senators-urge-biden-attorney-general-to-respect-indian-tribes-marijuana-policies/

Maryland senators on Monday signaled that they may follow the House’s lead by putting the issue of marijuana legalization on the state’s November ballot and delay creating comprehensive regulations for the market until next year after voters make their decision. Monday’s hearing before the Senate Finance Committee was a whirlwind. There were three marijuana reform bills on the agenda: two from Del. Luke Clippinger (D) that already passed the House and another from Sen. Brian Feldman (D). But rather than tackle each proposal one-by-one, members discussed possible revisions to the Senate bill to more closely align it with one of Clippinger’s bills on setting preliminary rules if voters approve legalization on the ballot. As drafted, Feldman’s SB 833 would have not only placed legalization on the ballot but also prescribed specific regulations for the would-be market, setting tax rates on marijuana products and creating licensing policies, for example. In committee, that language was largely scrapped in a proposed revised version—replaced with most of the provisions of the House-passed HB 837, which largely focuses on topics such as penalties and expungements.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 03/28/2022 17:31:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/maryland-senators-discuss-putting-marijuana-legalization-on-ballot-delaying-regulations-until-next-year-in-committee/

Last month, New York regulators made waves after sending cease and desist letters to more than 50 operators who were allegedly selling marijuana illegally. These “grey market” businesses have cited language in the new state cannabis law that allows “gifting” as a loophole to sell weed without a license. Under New York’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, it’s illegal for unlicensed operators to sell weed, but legal for adults to give each other cannabis for free. As a result, some operators are exploiting that ambiguity to, for example, sell bumper stickers for $50 and include with each one a “gift” of 3.5 grams of weed. Officials at the Office of Cannabis Management say there is no such ambiguity in the MRTA, nor is there a workaround. “There’s not a loophole, there’s not a grey area,” said Chris Alexander, the office’s executive director, in an interview with NY Cannabis Insider last month. “The gifting language that people are relying on is between two individuals outside of a business transaction.” But prosecutors across the state aren’t so sure. DA’s differ on legality NY Cannabis Insider reached out to five district attorneys’ offices this month and found positions differ from county to county.

Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news, 03/29/2022 09:42:00

Open article: https://www.cannabisbusinessexecutive.com/2022/03/new-york-state-cannabis-office-says-gifting-weed-is-illegal-but-prosecutors-arent-so-sure/

The legalization of recreational cannabis in Virginia could do wondrous things for the Old Dominion, where Senate Bill 391 was passed in a historic bipartisan vote on Feb. 16. However, before the commonwealth can generate the $1.3 billion that Headset analysts predict by the year 2025, lawmakers must first clarify which (if any) of the recently proposed amendments will be adopted into official law. It seems that Republicans are not entirely satisfied with some of the details contained in Virginia’s adult-use cannabis law, with at least eight measures being shoved under lawmakers’ noses. Republicans are hoping that the 2021 legal cannabis law—legislation that permits adult cannabis possession of up to an ounce and establishes the guidelines for retail sales to commence in 2024—will be revised before its official enactment. Reenactment Clause Could Alter the Outlook of Virginia’s Cannabis Market A reenactment clause contained in Virginia’s recreational cannabis law requests the legislature to cast another vote in 2022 on an intricate regulatory structure for retail sales. This provides Republicans with a window of opportunity to amend the licensing process, mainly in terms of tax revenue allocation and in regards to which license applicants will be granted priority over others.

Posted By, Cannabis Central, 03/29/2022 08:00:00

Open article: https://www.veriheal.com/blog/virginia-republicans-call-for-revisions-to-the-states-adult-use-cannabis-law/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=virginia-republicans-call-for-revisions-to-the-states-adult-use-cannabis-law