CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice signed the medical marijuana banking bill into law Tuesday, allowing bidding for financial institutions to provide banking services related to the state’s medical marijuana program.

RELATED: Medical Marijuana Banking Bill Passes West Virginia House

The legislation, House Bill 2538, also establishes the Medical Cannabis Program Fund for collecting fees related to the program and the Treasurer’s Medical Cannabis Fund allowing the state treasurer to collect monies for banking services.

Justice said Tuesday he fully supports opening access to medical marijuana.

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Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration is walking back its public plans for expanding New Jersey’s medical marijuana program after fielding concerns from state legislative leaders, a senior administration official said Tuesday.

“The medical announcement is on hold based on our conversations with the legislature. We determined at the time being, we’re going to work on passing this legislatively,” the official told POLITICO. “That’s not to say at a later juncture we’ll not increase supply rapidly … [but] right now, we’re on hold. We’re all in on the legislative strategy.”

COLUMBIA, S.C. — PRESS RELEASE — A hard-hitting billboard in support of legalizing medical cannabis in South Carolina launched Wednesday about a mile away from the statehouse.

The 48-foot digital bulletin features Steven Diaz, a Columbia-based Marine veteran and veterans advocate who was awarded the Purple Heart after he was severely injured by an IED in Iraq. It reads, "Medical cannabis would help veterans like me. Will our legislators?" Viewers are directed to HelpSCvets.com, where they can contact their lawmakers to urge their support of the Compassionate Care Act, which would establish a comprehensive medical cannabis program in South Carolina. The billboard was produced and paid for by the Marijuana Policy Project, which is working with Compassionate SC, a local coalition of patients and advocates supporting the Compassionate Care Act.

Today at 11:15 a.m., Diaz and other local veterans will join Compassionate SC at a news conference in front of the billboard at 600 Blossom St. 

"When seeking help, veterans already face stigma," Diaz said. "They shouldn’t be stigmatized further for wanting medical cannabis as a treatment option. They should be able to access it legally and safely without fear of being arrested. When our heroes feel safer in a combat zone than here at home, the system is failing them.

"It is time for South Carolina to enact a comprehensive medical cannabis law," Diaz said. "There are countless patients who would benefit from it, including a large number of veterans."

Thirty-two states, D.C., and four U.S. territories have adopted comprehensive medical cannabis laws. Medical cannabis is allowed in the treatment of PTSD in 31 of those states. The only state with a medical cannabis law that does not cover PTSD is Alaska, which has made cannabis legal for adults 21 and older.

"Military veterans around the country are finding significant relief from medical cannabis," said Marine veteran Matthew Nichols of Charleston. "There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating it is a safe and effective treatment for PTSD, chronic pain and other conditions. It is certainly safer than a lot of the painkillers and other narcotics that are being prescribed."

"Veterans need the right to explore other means of treatment with fewer side effects," said Donald Howell, a Navy veteran and Purple Heart recipient who served in multiple combat arenas.

COSTA MESA, Calif., March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE -- PRESS RELEASE -- Sipp Industries, Inc., a multifaceted corporation specializing in manufacturing and distribution of commercial and consumer products, and the first publicly traded company in America whose primary focus is the production and sales of hemp-infused beer, has announced that it has granted distribution rights to existing partner Sparta Beverage for the sale of Major Hemp HIPA in cans throughout the state of Kansas.

Kansas City and Wichita represent the two largest beer-drinking markets in Kansas. It is home to a number of large colleges and universities, professional sports teams and a vibrant social scene. President of wholly-owned subsidiary Major Hemp, Ted Jorgensen, stated, “We are thrilled to announce our official entry into the state of Kansas, which represents a huge market to distribute our hemp-infused IPA. I’ve been on the road with HIPA in many parts of the country and I haven’t met people more enthusiastic about drinking our beer than Kansans. The team at Sparta has been doing a fantastic job in Missouri thus far and we are all excited to enter another new state, which is now our fourth one.”

Sipp Industries reports that it is currently in discussions with new distributors in the states of Wisconsin, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Arkansas, all of which have expressed strong interest in carrying Major Hemp HIPA. The company plans on entering many more major markets by the end of 2019.

In addition to on-going efforts to expand into new territories, the company is also putting the finishing touches on a marketing campaign which it plans to launch in the spring.

Chief Executive Officer, Syman Vong, said, “As we look for additional brewery partners in multiple regions and launch our CBD-infused beer, we anticipate that our supply will increase significantly. In collaboration with our brand ambassador ,we plan to initiate aggressive and interactive marketing campaigns both on and offline to target prospective customers which we expect to yield significantly more demand for our hemp-infused craft beers."