Tuesday 26 February – State By State Digest: Florida, Idaho Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon San Francisco

FLORIDA

Marijuana Smoking Bill Rolls Along in Florida Senate

A Senate proposal that would allow patients to smoke medical marijuana is ready to go to the full Senate after the Rules Committee unanimously signed off on the measure.

https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/marijuana-smoking-bill-florida-senate/

IDAHO

Idaho State Police Are Not Required to Return Seized Hemp (Yet)

Idaho State Police Are Not Required to Return Seized Hemp (Yet)

 

MICHIGAN

Michigan is looking for advice to help develop rules for legal marijuana

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs is looking for volunteers to help with the development of rules and regulations that will govern the recreational marijuana market.

The state has until December to come up with the rules and then will begin to hand out licenses for the recreational market. Commercial sales of marijuana are expected to begin sometime early next year and pot for recreational use will be available to people who are at least 21.

The four work groups the state plans to form are these:

  • People who already have licenses to operate medical marijuana businesses and want to expand into the recreational market. Under the ballot proposal that voters approved in November, legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use, the medical marijuana businesses that have state licenses will have first dibs on the recreational licenses.
  • Municipalities that are considering allowing licensed recreational marijuana facilities in their community. Currently, 114 communities have passed ordinances allowing medical marijuana businesses and those communities are expected to also allow recreational marijuana businesses. Communities have the right to prohibit marijuana businesses in their towns and at least 280 have already taken action to do that, according to an unofficial list from LARA.
  • Attorneys who represent marijuana clients who have an interest in getting into the recreational market.
  • Individuals or businesses interested in participating in the recreational market as either a licensed business or a user of marijuana.
  • https://www.freep.com/story/news/marijuana/2019/02/25/michigan-advice-rules-recreational-pot/2979367002/

NEW JERSEY

New Jersey Won’t See Legal Marijuana Sales Until January 2020 at Earliest, Top Lawmaker Says

Lawmakers are making progress in negotiations over a sweeping package of legislation to legalize adult-use marijuana, expand the state’s medical program and overhaul the rules for expunging drug-related violations.

https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/new-jersey-legal-marijuana-sales-january/

OREGON

Oregon Plans Hearing for Cannabis Lounge Legalization Bill

Oregon Plans Hearing for Cannabis Lounge Legalization Bill

 

NEW MEXICO

Adult-use marijuana advances in New Mexico as House panel OKs legalization bill

Adult-use marijuana advances in New Mexico as House panel OKs legalization bill

 

SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco Removes More Than 8,000 Marijuana-Related Crimes From People’s Records

Over 8,000 marijuana-related convictions were erased or reduced using a technological approach that prosecutors nationwide should adopt to address a growing backlog of criminal cases eligible for modification, San Francisco’s district attorney announced Monday.

San Francisco is the first California county to announce full compliance with the state’s broad legalization of marijuana that also made an estimated 200,000 past pot convictions eligible for erasure or reduction.

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon credited the nonprofit technology organization Code for America for solving the biggest hurdle to identifying eligible cases dating back decades.

When voters passed Proposition 64 in 2016 to allow adult use of marijuana, they also eliminated several pot-related crimes. The proposition also applied retroactively, but provided no mechanism or guidance on how those eligible could erase their convictions or have felonies reduced to misdemeanors.

San Francisco Removes More Than 8,000 Marijuana-Related Crimes From People’s Records

 

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