10/27/18--Some Arkansans hoping to use marijuana for medical use pleaded with the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission to approve dispensaries so the drug will be available. State voters approved marijuana use for certain medical conditions nearly two years ago, but no businesses have yet been approved to dispense the drug. Read
Tag: Medical
Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority announces legislative changes to program
7/9/19--The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority says it is currently taking steps to implement statutory modifications to the state’s medical marijuana program that was made during the 2019 legislative session. All changes will be implemented through August and November, and will be followed by permanent rule promulgation activities in 2020. Read Medical marijuana edibles officially hit the market in Arkansas
6/14/19--Medical marijuana edibles are now available in Arkansas – one month after marijuana sales began in the state. The state’s two operating dispensaries – Doctor’s Orders and Green Springs Medical – received their first shipment of marijuana gummies on Friday. Both dispensaries, located in Hot Springs, anticipate added variety of edible products in the near future. Read Texas expands access to medical marijuana
6/15/19--Gov. Greg Abbott has signed House Bill 3703 into law expanding who can access medical marijuana products in the state of Texas. Effective immediately, specialty doctors will be able to prescribe medical marijuana to treat multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, ALS, terminal cancer, autism, and many kinds of seizure disorders. Read Five new conditions added to medical marijuana program
6/14/19--Five new conditions were accepted for treatment to the state’s growing medical marijuana program at a recent Board of Physicians meeting. The five conditions will be added to the Medical Marijuana Program’s regulations, and are ultimately subject to approval by the Regulations Review Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly. Read Marco Island moves closer to having medical marijuana dispensaries
6/4/19--The City Council voted Monday to direct the city attorney to prepare a resolution stating that medical marijuana dispensaries are permitted on Marco Island. The motion, presented by councilor Jared Grifoni, passed 5-2. Chairperson Erik Brechnitz and councilor Howard Reed voted against it. Read Editorial: Missouri’s new marijuana industry is already seeding state politics with cash.
5/9/19--Missouri’s medical marijuana industry players have already donated more than $15,000 to a political action committee controlled by Gov. Mike Parson, whose administration will decide who gets growing licenses and what regulations they’ll face. There’s no law against giving money to politicians as they’re making decisions that directly affect the donor’s business — but, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Board's recently published editorial, there should be. Read Catoosa to vote on reducing distance between marijuana dispensaries
5/10/19--The Catoosa city council will vote next week whether to reduce the distance allowed between medical marijuana dispensaries. Currently, city law says they have to be 1,000 feet apart, but the city council could change that to 500 feet. Read
Grubhub for weed: Detroit marijuana dispensaries launch delivery service
5/10/19--According to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, three licensed dispensaries or provisioning centers are now able to provide a delivery service service legally: Utopia Gardens LLC in Detroit, Lake Effect Group LLC in Portage, and BotaniQ in Detroit. Patients are required to have their medical marijuana card verified and the product can only be delivered to the address on the card. Read First Arkansas marijuana dispensary set to open Monday, plans to limit initial sales
5/9/19--Green Springs Medical will be the first dispensary to open in Arkansas to sell medical marijuana. Owners Dragan Vicentic and Bruce Simpson have a plan in place to help as many patients as they can. Read Panel recommends anxiety, autism for medical marijuana
5/10/19--A panel of physicians recommended the State Medical Board of Ohio vote next month to include anxiety and autism spectrum disorder as qualifying conditions for medical marijuana use. The committee’s recommendation comes after the Medical Board sought online petitions from the public requesting qualifying conditions to add to the current list of 21 conditions. Read Unprecedented release of marijuana licensing information
5/13/19--In an ongoing effort to improve transparency in marijuana licensing and the industry, Governor Steve Sisolak and Executive Director of Taxation, Melanie Young announced the passage of Senate Bill 32, permitting the release of details regarding who applied for licenses, who received licenses, their ranking, score, and the process of issuing marijuana license. Read Augusta explores municipal marijuana farm
5/13/19--The city of Augusta owns roughly 600 acres of fallow farm land southeast of downtown. Twenty-five acres of that land are suitable for supporting a municipal marijuana farm. County Commissioner William Fennoy, in whose district the land is located, said he sees the potential for an influx of revenue flowing to the city coffers, but he also has some concerns regarding start-up costs. Read CBD In Georgia: From medicine cabinets to Metro Atlanta cocktails
5/13/19--Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday signed a bill into law that allows Georgia farmers to grow hemp. The crop is the source of products ranging from rope to soap to CBD oil. It is suddenly a ubiquitous trend, showing up even on Atlanta menus. Read Not too long ago, a marijuana supplier was a drug dealer. Now it’s a ‘creditworthy tenant,’ as Chicago weed companies grow.
5/11/19--The marijuana industry is surging in Illinois and around the country, but despite all the growth many of those companies have continued to operate in the same spaces they launched in, until now. At least half a dozen marijuana companies in Chicago have moved or expanded their headquarters in the past several months. Executives had been waiting for certainty in an industry built on sales of a still federally illegal drug. Read Design’s new leaf
5/7/19--Marijuana-inspired objects and décor are becoming more elite. With dozens of states having legalized marijuana for medicinal or recreational use, or both, in recent years, designers are seizing the opportunity to define the look of a growing industry and lifestyle. And as the drug loses its outlaw, déclassé status, going from “weed” to a “flower”. Read Why aren’t Ohioans rushing to buy medical marijuana?
3/28/19--According to an article published in Cincinnati Enquirer, several medical marijuana patients say they aren't rushing to buy marijuana because the prices are just too high. The average price has hovered around $470 per ounce in Ohio, and prices aren't expected to drop by much any time soon. Read Medical marijuana oils pulled from shelves at 13 out of 15 dispensaries
5/8/19--Medical marijuana oils for vaping were pulled from the shelves this week after a labeling error was discovered by the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy. It's the first time state officials have halted sales of a product since medical marijuana sales began in mid-January. Read
Medical marijuana firms want to open more storefronts in Florida
5/7/19--Two medical marijuana operators, Surterra Florida LLC and Curaleaf Florida LLC, want the state to give them the same treatment as Florida’s largest medical-marijuana firm, after health officials allowed Quincy-based Trulieve to open more dispensaries than a state law allowed. Read Medical marijuana tensions spill into Louisiana Legislature
5/7/19--A feud between Louisiana State University's grower GB Sciences and Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain spilled into the Legislature on Tuesday, as lawmakers consider reworking oversight of therapeutic marijuana to end disagreements that have slowed release to patients. Read Who’s who in your local cannabis industry? That may be a secret
4/24/19--Depending on where marijuana-based businesses are located, publicly available information on who’s selling legal marijuana in select cities can be scarce, as is information about how they were approved to operate. Proponents of access to information, certain members of the media, and some interested citizens maintain that the public should know who’s profiting from this highly regulated industry. Read Jefferson City eyes regulating medical marijuana facilities
4/14/19--Jefferson City is pursuing ways to regulate medical marijuana facilities, including proposing a required buffer between these facilities and some schools, churches and child care centers. On May 20, the Jefferson City Council will hold a public hearing and vote on the proposed zoning code amendment that outlines some medical marijuana facility regulations. Read Smokable medical marijuana is now legal in Jacksonville and other parts of Florida
3/21/19--Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into a law a measure repealing a ban on smokable medical marijuana. Trulieve, the state’s largest medical marijuana operator, was the first of Florida’s 14 operators to sell whole-flower products, for use in joints, pipes or bongs. Curaleaf also was approved by the state to start selling smokable marijuana. Both have locations in Jacksonville. Read Smoking medical marijuana becomes legal in Florida
3/19/19--Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday that now makes smokable medical marijuana legal in the Sunshine State, which had been a priority for the Republican governor since taking office in January. However, qualified patients may have to wait a bit before they are prescribed a smokable form of pot. Read Medical marijuana dispensary near Oklahoma school causing controversy
3/8/19--The Moore Police Department says Ivy League Cannabis is less than 600 feet away from Vista Academy. But the state of OKlahoma requires dispensaries to be at least 1,000 feet away from any school. The owner says he wasn't aware the high school was nearby when he went through the application process. Read Virginia lawmakers allow medical marijuana to be dispensed in lollipops and lozenges
3/8/19--Virginia lawmakers have tweaked medical marijuana laws so the drug can be dispensed in lozenges, lollipops and lotions, and so school children certified to use it will be protected from expulsion and their nurses from prosecution. The Virginia Board of Pharmacy in November awarded licenses to five medical marijuana dispensaries to cultivate the plant, extract the oil and sell to customers who are registered with the state to use the product. Read Use medical marijuana? You could lose your job.
2/15/19--Employees could be drug tested at work for medical marijuana under Senate Bill 227. The bill would allow employers to drug test employees and prospective employees for medical marijuana, and would give employers the discretion to take action based on the results. The bill would not make drug testing mandatory, so it would be up to the employers to do so, said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville. Read
Why medical marijuana patients are concerned about their safety
2/15/19--Thousands of Pennsylvanians have turned to medical marijuana since the drug became legally available last year, but dispensaries and their customers are living in fear. Since the federal government considers marijuana a Schedule 1 narcotic -- the same class as heroin -- banks and credit card companies are keeping their distance, meaning patients must carry large amounts of cash and go to great lengths to keep it safe. Read
Medical marijuana update: Trulieve’s edible deal and lawmakers debate smokable marijuana
2/14/19--Florida growers are working on deals to get edibles in the state, while lawmakers are again taking up the issue of smoking medical marijuana. Meanwhile, medical marijuana company Trulieve announced it has signed a deal to sell edible products in Florida from Colorado company Love’s Oven. Read Bill to expand conditions list for medical marijuana shot down before it could advance to house floor
2/13/19--A bill that would have opened the door for more people to qualify for medical marijuana in Arkansas failed to move past the House rules committee after it didn't get a motion to advance the bill on the House floor. This happened despite desperate pleas from people in support of the expansion. The bill would have added nearly 40 conditions to the list that was approved by voters in 2016. Conditions such as asthma, A-D-D and Autism failed in the committee. Read Medical marijuana sales slump in Maine
2/14/19--Medical marijuana sales are down in Maine for the second straight year, a decrease that some dispensary owners blame on unfair competition. They say competition from patients growing their own plants or using illegal delivery services has forced them to cut prices. Read
New York’s medical marijuana industry fears threat of legal recreational pot
2/13/19--New York supporters of medical marijuana claim that without protection for medical pot stores, they'll be driven out of business should recreational marijuana be legalized, as is likely. Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled his proposal for recreational pot last month. The medical industry argues it doesn't allow them to stay competitive. The governor's proposal is now being debated by the legislature, with an expected deal to be reached sometime before April. Read West Memphis officials optimistic about new medical marijuana dispensaries
2/11/19--Three medical marijuana dispensaries are set to open in West Memphis this year, the first of their kind in the Mid-South. Though medical marijuana is fairly new in the area, many have welcomed it with open arms, including city officials of West Memphis, who said it will do nothing but benefit the people and economy of the city. Read Opioid addiction, autism, four other ailments to get more study as qualifying conditions
1/9/19--Opioid addiction, autism, general anxiety, chronic anxiety, depression and insomnia were selected for more study as qualifying conditions for medical marijuana in Ohio. A committee of the Ohio State Medical Board met in Columbus to select those conditions as Ohio prepares for the first sales of medical marijuana. Read
Medical marijuana cards in Arkansas mostly white, middle-aged men
1/9/19--The number of Arkansans approved for medical marijuana cards has grown by about 400 since late October to more than 6,700, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. The ADH fiscal year 2018 Medical Marijuana report, released in July 2018, shows a majority of the 5,459 people approved for medical marijuana cards at the time were white, middle-aged men and the most prevalent qualifying medical condition was intractable pain unresponsive to medicines, treatment, or surgery for over six months. Read Medical marijuana: Five things you should know
1/4/19--Blade NewsSlide writer Jeremy Schneider presents five things to know about medical marijuana in Ohio. Read Medical marijuana dispensary opens in Roland
1/1/19--Pharm 788, a new medical marijuana dispensary, is now opened in Roland, Oklahoma. Staff members say they had a steady flow of traffic throughout the day. So far the response from the community has been positive. Currently, 805 dispensaries have been approved by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, and more than 1,300 people are now allowed to grow medical marijuana. Additionally, over 26,000 patients can legally buy the drug in Oklahoma. Read Patients should talk with their doctor about medical marijuana
1/1/19--Missouri doctors and patients have legal protections under the state’s constitution to discuss medical marijuana as a treatment option for the first time beginning on Dec. 6, the day the law went into effect allowing doctors to recommend medical marijuana to patients with serious and debilitating illnesses. As implementation of the law rolls out in Missouri, it’s important that doctors and patients begin their conversations about treatment early. Read State rejects marijuana research supplier permits
12/10/18--Eight applicants were denied permits to supply medical marijuana research projects late last week. A news release from Gov. Tom Wolf office said none of the eight applicants met the “rigorous requirements of the application review process.” Another permit application period will be held in early 2019. Read
How far would you drive for medical marijuana in Ohio? Wintersville dispensary may be first to open.
12/10/18--Cresco Labs' CY+ dispensary, the first medical marijuana retail shop in Ohio, is unlikely to be close to home for most Cincinnati-area residents. It's located about 240 miles northeast of Cincinnati, and it's so far the only one of 56 licensed medical marijuana retail outlets in the state to undergo final inspection for a certificate of operation. Read
Inside Michigan’s first medical marijuana mega growing operation
12/10/18--VB Chesaning, the first licensee under the Michigan Medical Facilities Licensing Act, has converted an old dairy farm into 20,000 square feet of space for growing, manufacturing, and packaging marijuana for medical use — and they’re still expanding. It holds permits to grow up to 6,000 marijuana plants at one time. Their product isn’t available for direct sale to the public. Rather, it is purchased by licensed retailers, who then sell it to medical marijuana patients. Read Emergency petition asks the Utah Supreme Court to undo the legislature’s medical marijuana bill
12/10/18--A pair of emergency petitions are asking the Utah Supreme Court to grant a referendum on the legislature's replacement bill for Proposition 2, the medical marijuana ballot initiative. The filings by a group called "The People's Right" asks the state's top court to allow a referendum on the legislature's action. It would allow them to go before voters to challenge the vote by lawmakers to swap out Prop. 2. They also seek to overturn the legislature's bill to keep Prop. 2 as the law of the land. Read State approves license for one Lansing medical marijuana dispensary
12/7/18--The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs' Medical Marihuana Licensing Board approved the state operating license application for HG Lansing. Lansing's medical marijuana ordinance limits the number of dispensaries that can operate citywide to 25. Read Groups sue to block medical marijuana compromise in Utah
12/6/18--A pair of advocacy groups in Utah sued to block a compromise agreement legalizing marijuana for medical use, accusing the Mormon church of unconstitutional domination and interference in a process that led to the gutting of a measure approved by voters. The lawsuit alleges the revised initiative creates overwhelming obstacles for suffering patients who want to obtain the drug. It also asks a judge to set aside the revision passed by lawmakers and keep the original version that won with 53 percent of the vote in November. Read Medical marijuana laws take effect in Missouri
12/6/18--Medical marijuana is now the law in Missouri. However, the drug won't be available to patients right away. The Department of Health and Senior Services is still working on rules and regulations surrounding the licensing of dispensaries and cultivators, as well as how patients will obtain licenses. Read Growing access to medical marijuana in NY
11/19/18--The Medical Marijuana program first started four years ago in New York and since its conception, it has grown considerably. The Department of Health released its two-year report outlining some of the successes of the program and ways it can grow. Read Democratic marijuana lobbyist wins statewide race after Florida recount
11/19/18--Nikki Fried, a marijuana lobbyist seen as a rising star in her party, appeared to have narrowly won the race for state agriculture commissioner Monday, after her opponent, Republican Matt Caldwell, conceded. Democrats clung to Fried’s win as a sign that all is not lost for them in the nation’s largest battleground state. The race between Fried and Caldwell was the subject of a historic statewide recount. Read New momentum in veterans’ fight for medical marijuana
11/19/18--Military veterans lobbying for an end to federal classification of marijuana as a lethal substance with no redeeming medicinal value may be closer to that goal than ever before, given the midterm election results. Between the Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives, last week’s forced resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and a federal lawsuit led by a 12-year-old girl with epilepsy, the marijuana prohibition drama is set to unfold on multiple fronts. Read Medical marijuana sales in Maryland set to blow through one expert forecast, reach $100 million
Medical cannabis cardholders, growers dropping off in Oregon
11/5/18--Medical marijuana patients and growers across Oregon are abandoning the state’s MMJ program, according to reports. The number of patients registered with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) is reportedly half of what it was a year ago. Statewide, registered patients dropped 41%, from 59,137 to 34,892. Read Missouri votes to legalize medical marijuana
11/6/18--Amendment 2, a constitutional amendment to allow medical marijuana, passed by a margin of 66 percent to 34 percent. Under the new law, qualified patients who have approval from their physicians will receive identification cards from the state that will allow them and their registered caregivers to grow up to six marijuana plants and purchase at least four ounces of marijuana from dispensaries on a monthly basis. Read Utah voters approve medical marijuana
11/7/18--With nearly three-quarters of precincts reporting, Utah's medical marijuana ballot measure was leading by a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent, and NBC News and Salt Lake City's local Fox affiliate both projected that it was approved. Read Residents beg Commission to approve marijuana dispensaries
10/27/18--Some Arkansans hoping to use marijuana for medical use pleaded with the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission to approve dispensaries so the drug will be available. State voters approved marijuana use for certain medical conditions nearly two years ago, but no businesses have yet been approved to dispense the drug. Read
A list of local doctors (so far) ready for medical marijuana
10/27/18--The state map of physicians allowed to recommend marijuana treatment shows a cluster in Northeast Ohio. There are 319 doctors with a certificate to recommend (CTR), and the State Medical Board of Ohio adds more each month. The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program requires applicants to have an unrestricted Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) license and at least two hours of training. Read States’ rights and federal wrongs: The misguided attempt to label marijuana legalization efforts as a ‘states’ rights’ issue
5/3/18--Advocates for liberalization of the federal statutes outlawing marijuana have argued that the issue of whether and how to regulate marijuana should be left to the states to decide. Congress should re-examine how federal law regulates marijuana, but Congress should be guided by the judgment of the FDA as to the costs and benefits of liberalizing marijuana use. Read Watch: Medical marijuana being harvested in Ohio
10/7/18--Agri-Med Ohio in Meigs County harvested its first crop of marijuana for medical use in early October. Video Sheriff’s Office: $3.1 million of illegal marijuana seized in 3 months
10/5/18--The El Paso County Sheriff's Office seized about $1.5 million worth of processed illegal marijuana and $1.6 million illegal marijuana plants from July 1 to September 30. New numbers were made public on Friday for the office's third-quarter statistics on illegal and black market marijuana enforcement efforts. Read Effort to amend Oklahoma marijuana rules began before vote
9/27/18--Records show that efforts to amend OKlahoma's medical marijuana law began weeks before residents even voted on the issue. The public wasn't made aware of the potential amendments until a coalition of health professional groups held a news conference July 9. The state Board of Health then approved the amendments the next day. Read
Firm signs agreement to grade Arkansas marijuana applicants
9/27/18--Boston-based Public Consulting Group has signed an agreement with Arkansas to grade the more than 200 applications for the state's first medical marijuana dispensary licenses. The consulting firm was picked last month after it submitted a price of about $99,500 to review and score the applications. Read Opioid alternative? For some, marijuana helps control chronic pain
9/27/18--According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, which published its latest monthly report on the state’s medical marijuana program in August, more than 87 percent of medical marijuana patients suffer chronic pain as their qualifying medical condition — that’s nearly 155,500 people. Read 71 Ohio doctors approved to recommend medical marijuana in September
9/12/18--Ohio has added 71 physicians to the list of doctors able to recommend medical marijuana, bringing the total number to 293 certified since April. Read