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Medical marijuana is legal in New Hampshire, but patients have to buy their therapeutic cannabis at one of a handful of Alternative Treatment Centers. Now, legislators are considering allowing patients to grow their own marijuana at home.

The law as it stands

Back in 2013, New Hampshire legalized the use of marijuana as a medical treatment. Under that law — RSA 126-X — patients with certain symptoms can be prescribed the use of cannabis by their healthcare provider. Some of these include:

■suffering from chronic severe pain;

■diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition such as cancer, glaucoma, or HIV;

■a terminal medical condition resulting in at least one of a list of specific symptoms, such as seizures or severe nausea.

After a long legacy of having a medical cannabis program that barely took care of patients, the governor of Georgia has finally signed SB 195—a law that will expand the medical cannabis program to license retailers of low-THC cannabis 

Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 195 into law last week, and now, up to 30 state-licensed businesses can become sellers of high-CBD cannabis, as long as they keep the THC to a minimum. SB 195 will officially go into effect July 1. 

While medical cannabis first got passed in Georgia in 2015, it just exempted patients from criminal prosecution as long as they needed the cannabis for verified medical reasons, and as long as the cannabis possessed was in the form of oil extracts at 5 percent or less THC. Effectively, all it did was decriminalize possession. Without crossing state lines, there was no legal way for medical patients to obtain cannabis oil. 

And there is already a customer base in place. As of now, about 15,000 residents are registered to qualify for the use of high-CBD, low-THC oils, and are just waiting for a legal way to purchase cannabis in their home state. 

The Road Leading To SB 195

In 2019, House Bill 325, also known as the Georgia’s Hope Act, came up with a regulatory commission that would oversee the industry when it did finally get off the ground. However, while putting that framework in place was a big step, it still didn’t take things far enough and create a legal industry.

Destination Germany is the watchword for those in the international cannabis industry—but it is still a rocky path to gaining access for most. Specifically, there is a lot of confusion surrounding API and cannabis classification and issues from a lack of consistent standards.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the process currently is how flower is categorized (especially for imports) once it gets to the country. For a country of rules, this is surprisingly all over the place right now. There is no one single answer—which rules apply depend on both the regulatory requirement at point of cultivation as well as distribution (on a state, not federal, level).

This can also be frustrating even within Germany and the EU—namely because of a lack of homogeneity still, that exists in the treatment of cannabis flower—both within the region and at a sovereign level. This is especially true where pharmaceutical guidelines cross those for irradiating anything bound for consumption by consumers. 

According to the most recent data available, the vast majority of irradiated food within the EU is frozen frogs legs (at 65.1%). The second, at just over a fifth of the market, is poultry. And the third is for dried aromatic herbs, spices, and vegetables (at 14%). According to data from the European Commission, this sterilizing process is also on the decline for food at least, although Belgium is the EU state with the most irradiation regulations.

The Louisiana House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday that effectively decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana. Under the measure, House Bill 652 (HB 652), possession of up to 14 grams (about a half an ounce) of cannabis would be punished by only a fine of up to $100 on the first and second offense. Minor marijuana possession offenses would still be classified as misdemeanors but would no longer carry the threat of time in jail.

“We don’t need to be filling up our jails with misdemeanor offenses of marijuana,” Democratic Rep. Denise Marcelle, a supporter of the bill, told local media.

The bill was approved last week by the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice in advance of this week’s floor vote. The full House approved HB 652 on Tuesday with a vote of 67 to 25. The measure sponsored by Rep. Cedric Glover received significant support from both his Democratic colleagues and members of the GOP majority.

“I think it’s a fairly good compromise,” said Rep. Alan Seabaugh, a Republican and one of the most conservative members of the Louisiana House of Representatives.

Some of Louisiana’s largest cities, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport, have already taken action to reduce the penalties for low-level marijuana possession. In New Orleans, penalties for a first cannabis possession offense are capped at a fine of only $40, while some city leaders are calling for the fine to be dropped even further to $1. In 2018, Baton Rouge eliminated jail time as a possible penalty for possession of less than 14 grams of marijuana. Instead, a fine of between $40 and $100 will be assessed, depending on the number of prior offenses for a particular defendant. Shreveport’s revised ordinance is similar to HB 652.

Nearly a decade ago, Linda Greene was having dinner with some of her friends when she heard that marijuana had been legalized for medicinal use in Washington, D.C. Having lived through the 1960s counterculture, she saw an opportunity.

Greene opened Anacostia Organics in 2019. The push to open the medicinal marijuana dispensary began after Greene saw that of the 15 original cultivator and dispensary licenses issued by the district’s Department of Health, none had been awarded to residents of the U.S. capital, and only two had been awarded to people of color.

Mississippians could soon see a ballot initiative aimed to fully legalize marijuana during the next general election.

During the past general election, Mississippians voted in droves for initiative 64, which allows regulated medical marijuana.

"I mean it really is time a lot of states are already ahead us there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be doing it," said David Nelms.

Some want to take it a step further. Dr. David Alan, the author of initiative 77, wants to fully legalize the possession, use, and cultivation of marijuana up to 99 plants.

Dr. Alan's reasoning behind it is to both decriminalize and research the plants potential medical benefits.

Oregon businesses growing and selling cannabis want the ability to sell their product to people in other states, but until the federal law changes making marijuana legal, Gov. Kate Brown says her hands are tied, according to the Portland Business Journal.

Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., have legalized the sale and use of marijuana for recreational purposes, and 36 allow medical marijuana use. But under federal law, marijuana remains listed as an illegal drug like heroin, LSD, and ecstasy.

Governor Ralph Northam and his administration celebrated the day he signed the bill legalizing marijuana in Virginia.

"This is yet another example of Democrats, yes Democrats listening to Virginians and taking action on the will of the people," Northam said.

However, David Lewis isn't celebrating the new pot laws. He's been in recovery for more than three years and knows first-hand the dark side of marijuana.

"One night I was at a party," Lewis said. "Someone had just passed me a joint and I hit it. Almost immediately I felt different. It just didn't feel like a normal high from marijuana. I asked the guy what it was and he said it was laced with K -- Special K. Once that happened I really don't remember anything."

Lewis admits he probably should have been hospitalized that night.

Cannabis compliance for licensees is finally emerging from the shadows into the forefront as regulators move from the application phase to the operational phase.

In performing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and reviewing online compliance audit reports and letters to licensees, there are a number of specific issues regulators are required to review, but the majority of warning letters and flagged inspection reports show only a handful of cited issues for the vast majority.

Nebraska Aims To Legalize Medical Marijuana

Beyond just marijuana stocks and cannabis investing more states around the U.S. are working towards legalizing marijuana. Currently, more than have the United States have voted to go legal in some form. Although there is much more work to be done on the state and federal level. Overall cannabis reform has come a long way. However many are waiting for the day politicians can bring an end to cannabis prohibition. By legalizing marijuana on the federal level or even federally decriminalizing cannabis would still be a win. Whether nationwide legalization or federal decriminalization the U.S. cannabis industry would be able to reach other markets and conduct business that was once federally illegal.

Yet marijuana is still illegal under federal law. But hopefully, with more states going legal it will provide a bit of pressure for politicians to advance federal cannabis reform. In recent reports, state lawmakers in Nebraska are working on legislation to legalize medical marijuana as early as this week. Sen. Anna Wishart, who is sponsoring this new cannabis bill spoke on it. The Senator said it will “be debated by the full legislature” on May 12th.

This new cannabis proposal has arrived just 16 weeks after the initial bill was introduced. Back in March, this bill was subject to revisions. During this revision period, it was given the green light by the Judiciary Committee. Some of these specifications would permit patients to buy and hold up to 84 grams of marijuana. As well it must be 2 and a half ounces purchased from licensed dispensaries. However, it does not permit cannabis patients to smoke marijuana which is a situation to be dealt with at a later point in time.

Cannabis Reform In Nebraska Takes A Big Step Forward

At first, this new cannabis bill would have given patients access to cannabis for any condition. This bill was amended in the committee to adhere to a list of certain medical conditions. Conditions patients would need to obtain cannabis. These health issues consist of 17 qualifying conditions, including cancer, Crohn’s disease, glaucoma. As well as HIV/AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, and epilepsy. The hurdle this bill will need to get over is the GOP-controlled unicameral body.

It’s no secret that the cannabis industry is bringing in all kinds of money for the industry, but now, there are official numbers backing it up. Even without full legalization, legal cannabis is reportedly poised to bring in almost $100 billion to the US economy in 2021. 

This is up 30 percent from last year, and the projected number for 2025 is $169 billion. According to the MJBizDaily analysis, this was done by looking at similar industries and using a standard multiplier of 3.5 on projections of sales, and it includes agriculture, manufacturing and retail activity. 

When examined closely across the board, this shows what the future of cannabis will look like and how it will be able to continue to benefit the US economy as the years go on. In this particular instance, the analysts predicted that for every $1 spent by consumers and patients in the retail and medical markets, an additional $2.50 gets put back into the economy. This also has a major impact on local economies throughout the country. 

This is the case because of the daily needs of workers in the industry, including spending on housing, transportation, food, and entertainment. By adding more jobs to the legal and regulated cannabis industry, cannabis keeps on giving back and helping to boost the local, state, and national economies. 

Additionally, the taxes generated from selling recreational and medical cannabis also puts hundreds of millions of dollars into the economy via taxes, which in turn go back to fund local government and state activities. How those tax dollars are funneled back into the local area varies state to state, but some popular uses are funding schools, roads, and addiction treatment programs. 

Data recently released by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency shows that federal law enforcement agents and their state and local partners seized more than 4.5 million marijuana plants in 2020, a figure that is up nearly 20% over 2019. The annual DEA report also shows that federal law enforcement officers made nearly 5,000 cannabis-related arrests in 2020, a year wracked by the social and economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the data published in the DEA’s yearly Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program Statistical Report, approximately 4.54 million cannabis plants were seized and eradicated in 2020, up from about 4 million plants in 2019. The totals include more than 3.7 million cannabis plants seized from 4,151 outdoor grow sites and more than 830,000 plants confiscated from 1,286 indoor cultivation operations.

“In 2020, the DEA continued its nationwide cannabis eradication efforts, providing resources to support the 127 state and local law enforcement agencies that actively participate in the program,” the agency wrote on its website. “This assistance allows the enhancement of already aggressive eradication enforcement activities throughout the nation.”

The data in the DEA report also showed that nearly 5,000 arrests for federal marijuana-related offenses were made by law enforcement officers in 2020. That figure is up slightly over 2019 when 4,718 arrests for federal marijuana crimes were made by agents. 

California saw the largest percentage of both arrests and confiscated cannabis plants in the country, a trend that continues from previous years. In 2020, approximately 82% of the seized cannabis plants and 40% of the marijuana-related arrests nationwide occurred in California. Nationwide, agents seized more than $41 million in assets related to the DEA’s marijuana eradication efforts in 2020.

Cannabis business owners seeking to sell their operations on the secondary market are sitting in the catbird seat, experts say. Multistate operators wishing to expand their footprints are fueling demand, as are investors entering the market anticipating federal marijuana reform.

“With $1.6 billion in capital raised in January alone, public cannabis companies now have a lot of cash on their books, so I think we are going to see a lot of mergers and acquisitions this year,” said Charles Alovisetti, a partner at Denver-based cannabis law firm Vicente Sederberg.

Will Marijuana Stocks Continue To Rise This Month?

California’s Siskiyou County has identified a novel way to evaporate the growing number of illegal cannabis farms sprouting up in a state that seems to forever be on the brink of drought: restrict where water trucks can go.

After multiple failed attempts to legalise medical marijuana, this bill may finally get over the line – and soon.

Access to medical cannabis in Alabama is extremely limited. “Carly’s Law”, which was passed in 2014, permitted the University of Alabama at Birmingham to provide CBD oil to children with debilitating seizures as part of a clinical study. In 2016, “Leni’s Law” was passed to provide an affirmative defence to patients possessing CBD to treat certain debilitating conditions.

Other legislation has been introduced over the years such as HB 243, which wasn’t successful. Alabama’s House has been seen as the place where cannabis legislation goes to die, until now.

Last week, Members approved Senate Bill 46 with a 68 to 34 vote. SB46, which would establish the Compassion Act,  had already passed muster in the Senate with little fuss.

The wide-ranging legislation would also among other things establish the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. It also clearly notes the legislation is not to provide for or enable recreational use of marijuana in the State.

A bill that would legalize marijuana for recreational use in Minnesota is headed to the House floor for the first time.

Spearheaded by House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, marijuana legalization has made its way through various legislative committees in past years, but it has yet to advance to a vote in the full chamber.

The bill passed the House Ways and Means Committee Friday – the 12th House committee it has passed during this session.

It would allow adults age 21 and older to buy and possess marijuana in Minnesota. Adults would be allowed to possess up to two ounces of marijuana in public and ten pounds in their homes under the bill.

The bill ultimately passed the committee 16-10. While the legislation is likely to pass the Democrat-controlled House, it faces further challenges in the Senate. Top GOP leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, have opposed the legislation in years past.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill on Wednesday that would expand access to medical cannabis for school children in need by removing obstacles to its administration.

The new legislation, SB 21-056, removes the discretion from school principals to set policies that regulate storing and administering cannabis-based medicines.

Photo by Green Chameleon via Unsplash

The bill places the responsibility on principals to “create a written treatment plan for the administration of cannabis-based medicine and on school boards to adopt policies regarding actual administration.”

School boards will be called upon to create guidelines on how cannabis medicines should be stored.