Pennsylvanians want legal weed 🌿

KEYSTONE STATE
Pennsylvania residents overwhelmingly support legalization 🌿

Driving the news: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has been beating the drum on legalization, urging state legislatures to put a bill on his desk.

What happened: It appears that Shapiro is very much in line with voters. According to a new poll from Responsible PA, an organization backing legalization — in conjunction with Change Research — 74% of voters support legalization.

And that includes 53% of Republicans, 62% of Independents, and a whopping 85% of Democrats.

But, voters say they prefer a private model rather than state-run stores, as lawmakers have proposed dueling versions of a regulatory framework, one of which would give the state control of cannabis sales — similar to the state’s liquor stores.

Back up: Pennsylvania has tried to legalize cannabis before to no avail. Shapiro says legalization could add $1.3 billion to state coffers within the first five years, reports The Daily Pennsylvanian.

-JB

“I do not support the legalization of cannabis,” New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte said, per InDepthNH. 

“I don’t think it is the right direction for the state for a lot of reasons. I believe, if you think about our quality of life, if you think about some of the concerns that can flow from that. I know…we talked about safety on our roadways. I think that there are a number of issues that states who have legalized cannabis have experienced in those regards that I just don’t think can be addressed at the moment with the existing technology.”

Ayotte is one of many Republican governors who aren’t in step with voters and don’t support legalization. New bills to legalize cannabis and regulate sales in the Granite State appear to be dead, though Ayotte did crack the door to limited legislation that would allow medical patients to grow at home.

Colorado cannabis regulators sued 🥊

A new lawsuit accuses Colorado’s Department of Revenue and Marijuana Enforcement Division of failing to protect the public. In response, regulators filed a motion to dismiss the case and published a bulletin about how they’re safeguarding the public — but the plaintiff, Justin Trouard of Mammoth Farms, says they’re avoiding the key issues of illegal solvents found in hemp-derived THC products in the Colorado market and unfair taxation. Read more. 

New York touts cannabis industry success 📈

New York’s Office of Cannabis Management is touting its success on social media. The agency says they’ve opened 324 cannabis stores across the state, driving over $1.24 billion of revenue. That’s a far way from the agency’s earlier stumbles in getting the industry off the ground (and an investigation from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office). Check it out.

Virginia lawmakers uphold Governor’s veto 📉

Virginia lawmakers upheld Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s veto on a bill that would legalize cannabis sales in the state. It’s the second time lawmakers have passed a bill, only for it to be vetoed. State lawmakers did, however, reject Youngkin’s proposed changes to a medical cannabis bill. Read more.

Supreme Court sides with trucker who accidentally consumed THC 🤔

The Supreme Court sided 5-4 with a trucker who accidentally consumed THC and was fired from his job after testing positive on a drug test. He consumed a CBD product that was falsely advertised to contain no THC. The opinion allows the trucker, Douglas Horn, to sue the California-based Medical Marijuana Inc under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Read more.

New details on Cannabis NYC official resignation 👀

Dasheeda Dawson, the official in charge of Cannabis NYC, a city agency designed to support the burgeoning industry, announced last week on LinkedIn that she resigned  from her position, in a move that caught many by surprise. The New York Times is now reporting that Dawson was under investigation over an accusation that she tried to pressure another woman into a polyamorous relationship in exchange for a city contract. Read it here. We should also note that Dawson responded to the article to Mekha King on LinkedIn.

Opening more cannabis shops in Canada didn’t increase the number of users, according to new research from Brock University’s Michael J. Armstrong. 

In fact, legalization brought more consumer choice — and may have shifted consumers from less healthy smoking to safer edibles. 

But while more stores didn’t necessarily increase consumption, lower prices did. That’s an important takeaway for policymakers in other countries who wish to follow Canada’s lead in legalizing cannabis, Armstrong writes in The Conversation.

MariMed is expanding its line of Betty’s Eddies with Caramelt Melt Away chews. 

Cannabis writer Javier Hasse is out with a new book, “A Guide to Medical Cannabis,” co-written with Nicolás J. Rodriguez. The book contains some praise from Jeremy — and you can learn more here.

What Will The Trump Administration Do About Cannabis Use By Truckers? | Forbes

Colorado’s marijuana tax revenue keeps falling from its pandemic high, spurring new calls to rein in spending | Colorado Sun

AFL-CIO Backs Oregon's Cannabis Labor Peace Law | Law360