cannabis
States with legal pot consider how to protect cannabis workers
Most cannabis dispensaries are cash-only businesses, constantly at risk of being robbed. Indoor growing facilities use harsh lighting, and plants get sprayed with pesticides. Those conditions can create daily hazards for cannabis workers, which is why labor organizers are trying to unionize them as legalization spreads and the marijuana workforce grows. “Cannabis consumers might assume […]
Patient sues Arkansas medical marijuana growers, lab over alleged THC inflation
A new civil lawsuit accuses Arkansas’ largest cannabis testing lab of conspiring with medical marijuana cultivators to inflate the amount of THC in certain products. An elderly, chronic pain patient targets cultivators BOLD Team, Osage Creek Cultivation and Natural State Medicinals as well as Steep Hill testing lab in the litigation. The complaint filed Thursday […]
State medical cannabis programs failing to make enough progress, advocacy group finds
WASHINGTON — A report from a patient advocacy group found the future of medical cannabis in the states is hazy unless costs are decreased, product safety standards are improved and civil rights are strengthened for patients and prescribers. Americans for Safe Access issued its annual State of the States report on Thursday. The organization, a […]
Louisiana medical panel stops enforcement of in-person visits for cannabis patients
The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners is temporarily halting enforcement actions against doctors who recommend medical marijuana via telemedicine. The pause on enforcement comes days after a state Senate committee threatened to revoke the board’s rule-making authority for refusing to lift the in-person visit requirement. LSBME Executive Director Dr. Vincent Culotta confirmed the news […]
Attempt to help states ease banking for marijuana businesses stumbles in Congress
The annual Defense Department policy bill members of Congress released late Tuesday did not include measures to loosen federal marijuana restrictions, to the disappointment of advocates. That leaves few avenues to pass marijuana measures seen as boons to states where the drug is legal before Congress adjourns for the year. As one of the last […]
317,793 arrests for marijuana possession in 2020 despite the growing legalization movement
More than 300,000 people were arrested for cannabis possession in 2020, FBI records show. Meanwhile, the drug is being legally sold for a profit in 19 states. That arrest number may sound high, but arrests have actually been going down each year since 2010 as more states legalize medical or recreational use of the drug. […]
After Issue 4’s failure, what’s next for recreational marijuana in Arkansas?
*This story was updated on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 12 p.m. with additional comments from the chairman of Responsible Growth Arkansas. Arkansans on Tuesday soundly rejected a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana, but advocates promise an improved proposal in 2024. The state was one of five in the U.S. voting on cannabis legalization, but […]
Ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in Arkansas fails
This story was updated at 2:15 p.m, Nov. 9, to reflect the latest vote totals from the Arkansas Secretary of State’s website. The proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in Arkansas was rejected by voters on Tuesday after an opposition campaign from social conservatives and some cannabis proponents who disliked the strictness of Issue 4. The […]
UPDATE: Arkansas Groups voice concern about impact of recreational marijuana proposal on hemp
This story has been updated. It remains unclear if Arkansans will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana at the ballot box in November, but some in the hemp industry are already concerned. For several weeks, hemp insiders have quietly raised questions about the language of the Arkansas Adult Use Cannabis Amendment, proposed by Responsible Growth […]
Arkansas pro-marijuana activists oppose latest recreational effort
The staunchest opposition to this year’s recreational marijuana ballot initiative comes from an unexpected group — Arkansas’ most prominent advocates for cannabis legalization. This band of activists is willing to wait at least another two years to transition the drug’s status in the state from strictly medical to recreational. To them, a vote for the […]