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This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 3797: The Medical Marijuana Research Act, which facilitates clinical cannabis research by establishing a process so that authorized scientists may access flowers and other products manufactured in accordance with state-approved marijuana programs. Elsewhere, in New Jersey, lawmakers agreed on legislation to implement the state’s adult-use cannabis program, with a vote expected later this month.
Here, we’ve rounded up the 10 headlines you need to know before this week is over.
- Federal: Members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted Dec. 9 in favor of HR 3797: The Medical Marijuana Research Act, which facilitates clinical cannabis research by establishing a process so that authorized scientists may access flowers and other products manufactured in accordance with state-approved marijuana programs. It also ends the decades-long monopoly on the cultivation of cannabis for FDA-approved research by requiring federal agencies to license multiple manufacturers in addition to the University of Mississippi. Read more
- New Jersey: New Jersey lawmakers have reached a deal on legislation to implement an adult-use cannabis program in the state. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to take up the bill on Dec. 14, the news outlet reported, and the legislation will go before the full Senate for a vote on Dec. 17. Read more
- Nebraska: Sen. Anna Wishart is working on language to legalize adult-use cannabis that will be added to a medical cannabis legalization initiative that is planned for the state’s 2022 ballot. “In light of the successful ballot measures in South Dakota and yesterday’s vote in the House of Representatives, our team is drafting a ballot initiative to legalize cannabis for adult use,” Wishart wrote in a Dec. 5 Facebook post. Read more
- California: The Humboldt Community Business Development Center (HCBDC) has partnered with the California Center for Rural Policy at Humboldt State University and Sonoma State University for a comprehensive look into the impact of cannabis farming, manufacturing, distribution and retail sales on the overall economy of a research area which includes the legendary Emerald Triangle (Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties). The HCBDC will develop the study through a grant from the California Bureau of Cannabis Control. Read more
- The Cannabis Advisory Committee recommended regulatory changes this week that would help licensed cannabis businesses compete with the illicit market and face new challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The committee held public hearings throughout 2020 and made 17 total recommendations for improving the state’s cannabis industry. Read more
- Minnesota: A University of Minnesota research team has developed a genetic test that can predict whether cannabis will produce mostly CBD or THC, having broad implications for both cannabis and hemp. The team’s findings were recently published in the American Journal of Botany. Read more
- Florida: Sen. Randolph Bracy has announced that he will introduce a bill during the 2021 legislative session to make it easier for people to clear misdemeanor convictions involving the possession and distribution of less than 20 grams of cannabis. The legislation would not automatically expunge records, but it would allow thousands of people to clear their criminal records and waive all court fees to do so. Read more
- New Mexico: A state advisory board recommended this week that the state health secretary consider allowing licensed medical cannabis cultivators to grow more plants to alleviate concerns about the high cost of medical cannabis and the lack of variety. The board voted on the recommendation in response to a petition seeking to either eliminate the limit or significantly increase the number of plants each cultivator can grow. Read more
- Illinois: Multistate cannabis operator Cresco Labs has announced the relaunch and availability of its cannabis-infused chocolates line from its Mindy’s Chef Led Artisanal Edibles brand in dispensaries across Illinois. Previously introduced to the state’s medical market in 2016, the line is now available for the first time to recreational customers. Read more
- Canada: Licensed producer Canopy Growth Corp. will shutter roughly 17% of its indoor cultivation space and all of its outdoor cultivation sites in Canada, which will result in layoffs for about 220 employees. The closures are part of a four-pronged approach that CEO David Klein and other company executives outlined last month to improve margins and turn a profit by the end of the fiscal year 2022. Read more
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