Tag Archives: marijuana

Orlando’s ABC News affiliate reports: The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office has released body cam video showing the questioning of two newlyweds after their wedding guests fell ill from cannabis-laced food last February. The sheriff’s office said that it was called to the The Springs Clubhouse in Longwood on Feb. 19 after several guests fell ill from the food. In total, …

The New York Post reports: Thousands of happy stoners flocked to pot shops in New Jersey Thursday — forming lines that snaked around the block at some locations — on the state’s first day of legal marijuana sales. More than 2,000 people snapped up pre-rolled joints, flowers and edibles within hours at Ascend, a luxury cannabis shop in Rochelle Park, …

The Cornell Chronicle reports: Legalization of recreational marijuana reduces demand for costly prescription drugs through state Medicaid programs, according to an analysis by a Cornell researcher and a collaborator. When states legalize marijuana, the volume of prescriptions within the drug classes that align with the medical indications for pain, depression, anxiety, sleep, psychosis and seizures significantly decline, the researchers found. …

The New Jersey Advance reports: New Jersey legal weed sales can begin April 21, state officials announced Thursday. Green Thumb, which uses the RISE banner, confirmed to NJ Advance Media that RISE Bloomfield and RISE Paterson will open next Thursday at 6 a.m. Recreational users will be able to purchase up to 1.0 ounce in a single transaction at 13 …

The New Jersey Advance reports: The long-awaited opening of New Jersey’s recreational cannabis market just got the green light. The Cannabis Regulatory Commission on Monday approved seven medical marijuana dispensaries, formally known as alternative treatment centers, to begin selling adult recreational weed, perhaps as soon the end of this month. The approved centers and their satellite shops will be the …

The New York Post reports: New York State launched its first ads in anticipation of legally selling marijuana later this year with the warning: “Don’t drive high.” Customers will be able to buy cannabis products in licensed retail stores by year’s end, according to the state Office of Cannabis Management. Gov. Kathy Hochul and OCM unveiled 15 second and 30 …

The Washington Post reports: The House on Friday passed legislation that would remove marijuana from the federal schedule of controlled substances, a move that comes as an increasing number of states have passed decriminalization laws. The measure, H.R. 3617, is known as the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or the MORE Act. The House passed similar legislation in December …

The Hill reports: A GOP-backed ban on weed sales in Washington, D.C., was preserved in a sprawling government funding bill passed by Congress on Thursday, despite opposition from advocates who say the provision overrides the will of the District’s residents years after they voted to legalize marijuana. The Harris Rider, a provision barring the legalization of marijuana sales in the …

Austin’s NBC News affiliate reports: After clinching the Democratic nomination for Texas governor, Beto O’Rourke took the stage and made a promise that could possibly define his fall campaign. “And don’t you think it’s time we legalize marijuana in the state of Texas? I do too. We can get that done”, O’Rouke said. A heavy promise, but one that he …

Florida Politics reports: Florida hasn’t moved toward making cannabis legal for recreational adult use yet, but a new poll suggests voters would have no issue with it. A survey released Tuesday by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab revealed that three in four Floridians are ready to legalize pot. But while Floridians may want legalized cannabis, it …

Florida Politics reports: The “putrid” smell of marijuana is among the reasons Gov. Ron DeSantis may remain opposed to legalization in Florida. DeSantis shied away from offering a definitive answer on the issue Wednesday when asked by press at a campaign event in Tallahassee. He did, however, speak out against the smell of cannabis in public places. “What I don’t …

NBC News reports: Uber will allow users in Ontario, Canada, to place orders for cannabis on its Uber Eats app, marking the ride-hailing giant’s foray into the booming business, a company spokesperson said on Monday. Uber Eats will list cannabis retailer Tokyo Smoke on its marketplace on Monday, following which customers can place orders from the Uber Eats app and …

NBC News reports: Rep. Nancy Mace, a first-term Republican from South Carolina, introduced a bill Monday to decriminalize cannabis at the federal level, which she hopes will garner more GOP support for the legalization movement. “This legislation, I believe, has something good for everyone, whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican,” Mace told reporters outside the Capitol, where she introduced …

Gothamist reports: New York’s Cannabis Control Board issued regulations Thursday to allow medical marijuana users and their caregivers to grow their own supply at home. The proposal, now open to public comment for 60 days, would permit the cultivation of up to six marijuana plants in a private residence. The regulation will take effect after the commentary period closes and …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: As part of his platform focused on equality for Floridians of color, Charlie Crist announced Thursday that he would legalize marijuana and expunge criminal records for those arrested on misdemeanors or third-degree felonies related to the drug if he were elected governor next year. At the Florida Capitol, Crist said revenue from state marijuana sales …

Roll Call reports: The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill to decriminalize and deschedule marijuana, finishing a two-day markup in which the panel also approved a series of bipartisan measures designed to lower drug prices. Republicans Matt Gaetz of Florida and Tom McClintock of California joined Democrats to advance the marijuana bill by a vote of 26-15. The measure, sponsored …

The DCist reports: More than a dozen states across the U.S. have already legalized marijuana sales, and later this fall lawmakers in D.C. will start debating whether to join that group. The D.C. Council has scheduled a public hearing on Nov. 19 to consider legislation from Chairman Phil Mendelson that would legalize the sale of recreational marijuana, alongside a separate …

Bloomberg News reports: Amazon.com Inc. has a solution for a potentially crippling shortage of delivery drivers: Recruit pot smokers. The company is advising its delivery partners — the mom and pops that operate the ubiquitous blue Amazon vans — to prominently advertise that they don’t screen applicants for marijuana use, according to correspondence reviewed by Bloomberg and interviews with four …

New Orleans’ CBS News affiliate reports: The New Orleans City Council pardoned thousands of people who have been cited for marijuana possession. According to Council President Helena Moreno, about 10,000 convictions and pending case penalties for small amounts of cannabis possession have been pardoned as well as any future summons. The council hopes that the new move will help the …

Gothamist reports: Small amounts of marijuana found on passengers in New York’s airports are no longer being seized by local authorities, four months after the state legalized recreational cannabis use. A spokesperson at the Port Authority, which operates JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, Benjamin Branham, said they enforce state laws. “New Yorkers 21 years old and older can possess, …