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This week, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the state’s adult-use cannabis bill into law, making Illinois the 11th U.S. state to legalize and regulate recreational cannabis. Elsewhere, Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill that would set up a legal framework for adult-use cannabis sales.
Here, we’ve rounded up the 10 headlines you need to know before this week is over.
- Illinois: Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the state’s adult-use cannabis legalization bill into law June 25, making Illinois the 11th U.S. state to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis, and the first to do so through its legislature. The legislation mandates that starting Jan. 1, 2020, individuals 21 and older can legally possess up to 30 grams of flower, five grams of THC concentrate and five grams of THC in a cannabis-infused product. Read more
- Maine: Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill June 27 to set up a legal framework for adult-use cannabis sales in the state. “Over the course of the last several months, my administration has worked quickly to implement the law regarding Maine’s adult-use recreational marijuana market as Maine voters asked the state to do two and a half years ago,” Gov. Mills said. Read more
- New York: Lawmakers in New York state have voted to eliminate criminal penalties for public possession and use of marijuana after efforts to legalize cannabis stalled. Gov. Cuomo, a Democrat who proposed his own plan for legalization earlier this year, said he’ll sign the decriminalization bill. Read more
- New Hampshire: Gov. Chris Sununu has signed a bill expanding the list of providers who may prescribe cannabis to include physician assistants. Another bill that would allow medical marijuana users to grow their own plants awaits his signature. Read more
- Pennsylvania: Three clinical research centers have been chosen to investigate the potential benefits and risks of using medical marijuana to treat health conditions. Drexel University College of Medicine will partner with Agronomed Biologics LLC, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University will partner with MLH Explorations LLC, and Penn State College of Medicine will partner with PA Options for Wellness as part of the research effort. Read more
- Utah: The July 1 deadline for interested farmers to turn in their cannabis cultivation applications to the Utah Dept. of Agriculture is fast approaching. Ten applicants will be chosen to receive cannabis cultivation licenses under the Utah Medical Cannabis Act. Read more
- The Utah Senate has confirmed seven physicians for its medical marijuana Compassionate Use Board. The board will be responsible for approving medical cannabis patient cards issued to applicants under the age of 21 and will also hear cases of applicants seeking medical marijuana to treat conditions not currently approved under the law. Read more
- Massachusetts: Under a new “initial access certification” program that begins July 1, the Cannabis Control Commission will let new medical marijuana patients buy an initial 14-day supply of marijuana before their registration card comes in the mail. The Boston Business Journal reported in April that some medical marijuana patients said they had to wait weeks to get their patient cards in the mail. Read more
- Florida: A group called Sensible Florida has been gathering petitions to force a vote on legalizing adult-use marijuana in Florida. So far, the group has collected less than 10 percent of the petitions it needs to make the ballot, but a recent poll citing 65-percent public support for legalization may reinvigorate the group's efforts. Read more
- Delaware: With days left in the legislative session, two last-minute bills to expand medical marijuana users’ rights await consideration in the Delaware General Assembly. One bill would expand who has access to medical marijuana, and the other would allow some approved patients to grow their own medical marijuana. Read more
