Michigan takes top headline honors this week in the cannabis industry. The state has begun a regulatory crackdown on businesses that haven’t yet applied for a formal medical marijuana license. Elsewhere, legislators in Tennessee took a step backward in their attempt at legalizing medical marijuana; South Carolina, meanwhile, is moving forward with a newly amended bill. Here are our top stories from the week.
After issuing hundreds of cease-and-desist letters to medical marijuana businesses across the state, Michigan regulatory officials are gearing up to award formal licenses next month. Read more
An amended Tennessee bill would force patients to seek medical marijuana recommendations from out-of-state doctors. The primary sponsor says that the scaled-back legislative language is an attempt to please a wide range of opinions in committee. Read more
South Carolina, which allows only CBD products now, is inching closer to a robust medical marijuana law. Jeff Moore, former executive director of the South Carolina Sheriffs' Association, praised the news. His son has been treating PTSD with medical marijuana in Michigan, where he has access to the plant. “After returning home from war traumatized, my son found that only medical cannabis helped him regain the life taken from him by these horrifying experiences. We are all grateful for the work of this committee, and I hope this bill will help bring patients like my son back home.” Read more
The Pennsylvania Department of Health finalized its medical research regulations, which will allow “clinical registrant” grower/processors to partner with medical schools to study the chemistry behind their products. Those products will then be sold at a limited number of dispensaries in the state. Read more
As Canada inches closer to its formal adult-use legalization later this year, Health Canada officials issued stringent packaging requirements this week. "It’s very important for us to ensure the safety features are there in place," Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor told reporters Monday. "We want to make sure that it's child-proof and that it's tamper-evident." Read more
While the Illinois primary saw lower voter turnout in the city Chicago, a non-binding referendum question still returned 68-percent support for the idea of legalizing recreational marijuana in the state. Read more
Despite Ohio’s rocky, litigious path toward opening a regulated medical marijuana market, the state is now welcoming doctors to apply for a certificate that will allow them to recommend the plant to patients. Read more
…And prospective employees are encouraged by that move and looking forward to a new job market in Ohio later this year. Read more
In California, former NFL running back Ricky Williams is starting up a cannabis-based wellness brand. The San Diego native found brief infamy in the mid-2000s after a number of positive drug tests while playing for the Miami Dolphins. "It's a dream come true for me to merge my passion for healing and my fascination with plant medicines with my entrepreneurial spirit. Cannabis has played an important part in my healing journey, and I feel a responsibility to share what I have learned in the process," said Williams. Read more
We’ll end this week with a look to South America, where the Brookings Institution has compiled a lengthy report on the paradigm-shifting marijuana laws in Uruguay. “Uruguay’s breakthroughs and challenges related to banking, international treaties, access to the product, enforcement, medical cannabis, tourism, and research and evaluation in particular hold immense value to policymakers and analysts elsewhere.” Read more
Top photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
