Good morning and happy Monday.
We hope you all had wonderful Juneteenth holidays with your friends and family. Start your week off right with us.
Let’s get to it.
-JB, JR, ZH
Today’s newsletter is 385 words or about a 4-minute read.
THIS NEWSLETTER MADE POSSIBLE BY:
📣 Quotable
"How do we make sure that we still center equity at a time where there's an administration that does not want to use that word," Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, said at the IgniteIt Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago.
Stratton, who is running to replace retiring Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, said she supports legalization, but is concerned that a fully-inclusive legalization process would be a challenge amid the Trump administration's opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
⏩ Quick hits
DEA's rescheduling hearing invite list skips reform supporters ⚖️
DEA invited seven parties to its June 29 rescheduling hearing, including Smart Approaches to Marijuana and four prohibitionist attorneys general, and rejected every reform supporter who applied. According to one rejected party’s letter, the DEA said supporters don't qualify as "interested persons" under the rule, because they are not aggrieved parties.
Vermont doubles possession limits, dangles interstate trade 🗳️
Gov. Phil Scott signed a cannabis overhaul that doubles the legal possession limit to two ounces and lets Vermont pursue interstate cannabis compacts. Similar to other states that “legalized” interstate commerce, Vermont’s compacts only kick in once federal law, DOJ policy, or the state AG clears the legal risk, so for now it's a framework waiting on Washington to move.
Overhauled Massachusetts Commission approves retail license cap increase ⚖️
The new three-member Cannabis Control Commission unanimously approved emergency rules raising retail license caps to six, possession limits to two ounces, and the ownership threshold from 10% to 20%. The change comes after the new commission was appointed in May with one month left on its legislative deadline to approve new rules.
📰 What we’re reading
7 unexpected takeaways from the newest research on cannabis and brain effects | The Washington Post
Barely Legal: An Assembly Investigation Into N.C. Hemp | The Assembly
A New York Apple Orchard Bet The Farm On Cannabis. Now Ayrloom is The State's Best-Selling Brand | Forbes
How Vancouver's Weed Culture Feeds Its Music and Arts Scene | New Wave Mag