The major news this week was the official start of adult-use cannabis sales in Massachusetts, where two dispensaries hosted grand openings for recreational customers on Nov. 20. (Voters approved the state’s adult-use law in 2016.) In other news, Michigan began laying the groundwork for implementation of its newly passed adult-use cannabis law, which will go into effect Dec. 6. (Don’t expect to see retail stores anytime before early 2020, however.)
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Federal: U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy, a longtime opponent of cannabis reform, has changed his tune. In an op-ed published this week, the potential 2020 presidential candidate voiced his support for federal legalization. Read more
The Washington Post surveyed the fragmented national cannabis industry and found the theme that stakeholders have been discussing for the past several years: falling prices. What can growers and state regulators do to combat this economic trend? Read more
Massachusetts: Two dispensaries began adult-use sales this week, following a lengthy licensing process that included an unexpected delay on testing licensure. Cultivate and NETA both saw a surge of new customers on Nov. 20. Read more
Oklahoma: “The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority has removed the addresses of growers and processors from its online commercial license database after industry advocates expressed concern that the information would make them targets of crime,” according to the Associated Press. Read more
Ohio: In Ohio, a “racial quota” that affected how state regulators issued medical marijuana licenses has been ruled unconstitutional. One of the companies that had been passed over, due to the racial quota, was PharmaCann, which successfully sued the state and won a license. (MedMen subsequently bought PharmaCann in a blockbuster deal earlier this year.) Read more
Michigan: The state’s newly approved adult-use legalization measure will go into effect as a law on Dec. 6. Retail stores won’t be licensed until early 2020, state leaders says, but home-grow and possession will be legal for adults 21 and older—subject to an array of legal stipulations. Read more
MLive.com published a great overview of the state’s medical marijuana market, which has been plagued by delays in its licensing process throughout 2018. Read more
New York: The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle provided a look at where Victor, N.Y.-based Constellation Brands is heading in the cannabis space. Earlier this year, the massive beverage manufacturer poured $4 billion into Canopy Growth Corp. Read more
International: The UK will see its first cannabis restaurant open Dec. 1. Read more
Greece issued its first two medical cannabis cultivation licenses. Read more
Top photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
