Norma Pence

Three-out-of-five Virginians believe that marijuana should be legal for adult use, according to a survey released on Monday. In a poll conducted by the University of Mary Washington, which involved phone interviews with more than 1,000 adults in the state from September 3-15, 61 percent of respondents said they support “the legalization of marijuana for recreational use by adults in Virginia,” while 34 percent said they’re opposed to the policy. That’s a significant increase since 2017, when a similar poll found that just 39 percent of Virginia residents backed legalization. “The latest Mary Washington survey demonstrates, to quote Bob Dylan, ‘the times they are a-changin’ here in the Old Dominion,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the university, said in a press release. The results may add pressure on the state to tackle cannabis reform at a time when the arrest rate for marijuana offenses is steadily rising. Cannabis arrests have tripled in Virginia since 199...

Three-out-of-five Virginians believe that marijuana should be legal for adult use, according to a survey released on Monday. In a poll conducted by the University of Mary Washington, which involved phone interviews with more than 1,000 adults in the state from September 3-15, 61 percent of respondents said they support “the legalization of marijuana for recreational use by adults in Virginia,” while 34 percent said they’re opposed to the policy. That’s a significant increase since 2017, when a similar poll found that just 39 percent of Virginia residents backed legalization. “The latest Mary Washington survey demonstrates, to quote Bob Dylan, ‘the times they are a-changin’ here in the Old Dominion,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the university, said in a press release. The results may add pressure on the state to tackle cannabis reform at a time when the arrest rate for marijuana offenses is steadily rising. Cannabis arrests have tripled in Virginia since 199...

The House of Representatives approved a bill last week to protect banks that service marijuana businesses. But remarkable as it was to see the first standalone piece of cannabis reform legislation clear the chamber, perhaps even more impressive was the extent to which it garnered bipartisan support. Every single Democratic present on the floor except one (229 members) voted in favor of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act , sponsored by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO). And nearly half of all Republicans (91 members) joined them. While advocates anticipated that it would pass, the final tally, 321-103, exceeded many expectations. 2019 marijuana banking bill vote, via GovTrack. What changed since the last time Congress voted on cannabis banking? This was a first-of-its kind vote on standalone marijuana legislation in the chamber. But a useful comparison comes from 2014, when the House voted on a similar but more limited appropriations amendment aimed at preventing the Tre...

The House of Representatives approved a bill last week to protect banks that service marijuana businesses. But remarkable as it was to see the first standalone piece of cannabis reform legislation clear the chamber, perhaps even more impressive was the extent to which it garnered bipartisan support. Every single Democratic present on the floor except one (229 members) voted in favor of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act , sponsored by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO). And nearly half of all Republicans (91 members) joined them. While advocates anticipated that it would pass, the final tally, 321-103, exceeded many expectations. 2019 marijuana banking bill vote, via GovTrack. What changed since the last time Congress voted on cannabis banking? This was a first-of-its kind vote on standalone marijuana legislation in the chamber. But a useful comparison comes from 2014, when the House voted on a similar but more limited appropriations amendment aimed at preventing the Tre...

A yearlong ban on all cannabis vaping sales introduced this week by a Los Angeles City Council member has many in the industry fretting over the future and scrambling to head the motion off before it becomes law. If the city does enact the proposed ban, that could lead to tens of millions – if not […] Possible L.A. vaping ban could be ‘extinction event’ for some marijuana firms, California industry executives say is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs Original Article Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/possible-l-a-vaping-ban-could-be-extinction-event-for-some-marijuana-firms-california-industry-executives-say/

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee ordered state health officials to impose an emergency ban on all flavored vaping products for both e-cigarettes and those containing THC, impacting one segment of the market. The ban will take place after the state Board of Health uses its emergency authority during its next meeting on Oct. 9. It would […] WA to ban flavored vaping products containing marijuana, tobacco is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs Original Article Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/wa-to-ban-flavored-vaping-products-containing-marijuana-tobacco/

Health officials reported on Friday that the majority of those sickened in the vaping health crisis used cannabis vape products containing THC, and many of those in the first two states to report illnesses – Illinois and Wisconsin – said they used counterfeit marijuana products from the illicit market, not licensed MJ companies. The revelations, […] CDC reports majority of patients sickened in vape epidemic used marijuana vaporizer devices – many from illicit market is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs Original Article Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/cdc-reports-majority-of-patients-sickened-in-vape-epidemic-used-marijuana-vaporizer-devices-many-from-illicit-market/

Chicago-based Cresco Labs will sell two cultivation and processing facilities in Illinois to Innovative Industrial Properties, a real estate investment trust company (REIT), for $46.3 million as the multistate operator prepares for a “significant increase in demand” when recreational marijuana sales become legal in the state Jan. 1. The facilities, which will continue to be […] Cresco Labs to sell marijuana facilities to REIT for $46.3M under leaseback deal is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs Original Article Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/cresco-labs-to-sell-marijuana-facilities-to-reit-for-46-3m-under-leaseback-deal/

The U.S. House of Representatives’ vote approving legislation that would pave the way for financial institutions and insurance companies to serve state-legal marijuana businesses without fear of reprisal is a milestone for the cannabis industry. Nevertheless, the 321-103 House vote is but another step on a long and often bumpy legal road toward changing how […] After the SAFE vote in US House, here’s what you need to know about the current state of banking in the marijuana industry is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs Original Article Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/after-the-safe-vote-in-us-house-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-current-state-of-banking-in-the-marijuana-industry/

Original Article Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2019/09/27/most-vaping-related-lung-injuries-linked-marijuana-products-cdc-says/

The U.S. House passes a cannabis banking bill with strong bipartisan support, Massachusetts is the first state to nix the sale of all tobacco and marijuana vaping products, a Washington state man sues half a dozen MJ vape companies for allegedly causing his lung illness – and more of the week’s top cannabis business news. […] Momentous marijuana banking vote in US House, vape crisis fallout, MA approves MJ cafes/delivery & more is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs Original Article Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/momentous-marijuana-banking-vote-in-us-house-vape-crisis-fallout-ma-approves-mj-cafes-delivery-more/

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) inserted language into a spending bill report on Thursday directing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to develop technology that can distinguish hemp from its “illicit cousin” marijuana. The provision, which was attached to legislation to fund the Department of Justice for Fiscal Year 2020, is meant to support hemp manufacturers and regulators who must ensure that the crop is at or below a 0.3 percent THC content—the legal definition of hemp under the 2018 Farm Bill. McConnell championed a measure in the wide-ranging agriculture legislation that federally legalized hemp and its derivatives, and he’s since devoted significant efforts to securing protections for the industry. For example, he backed provisions added to a separate appropriations bill last week that provides funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement hemp regulations . . @senatemajldr McConnell secured measure to support @DEAHQ ‘s efforts to develop...

A key Senate committee approved a spending bill on Thursday that again contains a provision preventing the Justice Department from intervening in medical cannabis states —despite objections raised by one senator who ultimately withdrew an amendment he filed to undermine the rider. But while the House of Representatives passed legislation this summer to extend those protections to all state marijuana programs, no members of the Senate Appropriations Committee attempted to insert similar far-reaching language to shield laws allowing recreational cannabis use and sales from federal interference. There are several reasons for that, unrelated to the panel’s feelings about broader reform in general. A  primary factor is that congressional appropriators made a “gentleman’s agreement” earlier this year not to add new policy-related riders to spending legislation out of concern that inserting controversial “poison pills” could jeopardize passage of the overall bills. Sen. Chris Coons (D-...

O’Rourke’s new video shows marijuana history; OR psilocybin campaign launches signature drive; Congresswoman says deschedule for kids with cancer Subscribe  to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… This issue of Marijuana Moment, and our original reporting that is featured in it, are made possible by the generous support of 445 Patreon sponsors . Cannabis industry professionals receive valuable rewards for pledges of $25 and up. Check out the perks of being a sponsor on our Patreon page. https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) , presidential candidate, released a campaign video looking back at his long history of advocating marijuana reform and ending the war on drugs—including how a local dispute on legalization led directly to his career in Congress and...

Maryland medical marijuana regulators put plans to award an additional four cultivation and 10 processing licenses on hold, in wake of a judge’s temporary restraining order barring the state from issuing licenses until Oct. 7. The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission was scheduled to announce the winners on Thursday. Instead, Commission Chairman Brian Lopez said the […] Additional medical marijuana licenses put on hold in Maryland is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs Original Article Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/additional-medical-marijuana-licenses-put-on-hold-in-maryland/

Editor’s note: Sergio Vazquez will appear at the MJBizDaily Latin American Cannabis Symposium, Sept. 30-Oct. 1, in Bogota, Colombia.) Uruguay could see the start of an export stream for hemp as early as 2020, after a period of testing has been completed, marking a milestone for Latin American hemp industry. That’s according to Sergio Vazquez, head of […] Uruguay’s hemp exports could start next year: Q&A with Sergio Vazquez of the agriculture ministry is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs Original Article Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/uruguays-hemp-exports-could-start-next-year-qa-with-sergio-vazquez-of-the-agriculture-ministry/

South Park took another hit at the marijuana dispensary chain MedMen in an episode that aired on Wednesday. As sales start dropping at the fictional cannabis business “Tegridy Farms,” the owner, Randy Marsh, investigates and finds that former customers are increasingly cultivating their own marijuana. “When you grow your own pot, you’re taking weed out of my children’s mouths,” he says. He enlists his son Stan to testify in front of the City Council, raising fictitious concerns about the dangers of allowing home grow. “What’s happened to our country? People are being wronged by a broken system and we must say no more. No more home grown marijuana,” Stan says. “As the son of a proud American farmer, I am concerned about what home grown can lead to.” “People can grow weed wrong and poison themselves,” he continues. “Unscrupulous growers could use cheap irrigation and drown babies. The fact is simple, marijuana must be grown with Tegridy.” When the local government declines to inter...

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) inserted language into a spending bill on Thursday directing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to develop technology that can distinguish hemp from its “illicit cousin” marijuana. The provision, which was attached to legislation to fund the Departments of Interior and Commerce for Fiscal Year 2020, is meant to support hemp manufacturers and regulators who must ensure that the crop is at or below a 0.3 percent THC content—the legal definition of hemp under the 2018 Farm Bill. McConnell championed a measure in the wide-ranging agriculture legislation that federally legalized hemp and its derivatives, and he’s since devoted significant efforts to securing protections for the industry. For example, he backed provisions added to a separate appropriations bill last week that provides funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement hemp regulations . . @SenateMajLdr McConnell secured measure to support the @DEAHQ ‘s effort...