All signs look favorable for the legalization of adult-use marijuana in Rhode Island in 2021. For many years, the legislative session in January started out with the same optimism, but then hope would fade out as other concerns would prevail, or as other, more pressing issues took precedence. But 2021 feels different. What makes this...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on January 19, 2021 published its finalized federal regulations governing the cultivation of hemp. This comes two years after the crop was legalized at the federal level through the 2018 Farm Bill, which required USDA to develop rules for an industrial hemp program. Since then, USDA has released various...
Last month, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) approved the creation of two types of delivery licenses for adult-use marijuana: delivery operator and courier. The licenses will initially be available only to social equity program participants and to economic empowerment applicants. The CCC’s new rules create two types of delivery licenses. A “marijuana delivery operator”...
The Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts has recently decided that a worker’s compensation insurer could not be required to reimburse an injured employee for medical marijuana expenses he incurred treating chronic pain. PS&H partner, Travis McDermott, was asked to contribute his thoughts on this highly anticipated decision. His insights are included in a recent Massachusetts Lawyers...
While some states’ ongoing efforts to legalize cannabis via voter referendums have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of states will still be presenting the voters with questions regarding legalization of cannabis this year. Arizona, South Dakota, Montana and New Jersey voters will vote on adult recreational use legalization, while Idaho and Mississippi...
Regulations governing the issuance of certain marijuana-related state licenses in Rhode Island do not require that applicants have specific municipal approvals but do require evidence of compliance with local zoning laws. This can create a hurdle that applicants do not anticipate in . In one recent decision, the Superior Court upheld the City of Pawtucket’s...
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance on Thursday, September 10, 2020, to marijuana businesses. The new guidance does not change existing IRS rules, but briefly explains the rules for reporting income, paying taxes with cash, and keeping financial records. The new guidance, which also links to a “Marijuana Industry Frequently Asked Questions” document, confirms that income from...
The 2018 federal Farm Bill changed hemp’s status by removing it from the controlled substances list, and established that hemp was to be treated like an agricultural commodity, sold in interstate commerce to be used as a raw material to make a wide range of products. Many of those products have become familiar to consumers:...
The scope of retail automation is reaching the retail marijuana business. A Massachusetts company, anna, has announced the installation of retail self-serve marijuana vending machines in Pueblo, Colorado, where customers can now buy flower, edibles and vape oils. Each machine can hold and dispense over 2000 products. More machines will be in Colorado and Massachusetts...
As of July 2020, thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have in some manner legalized cannabis for medical purposes. Other states have passed more limited laws and regulations allowing the medical use of only certain low-THC cannabis extracts. In these “legalizing” states – where patients, obeying state law, are being treated with cannabis –...
