Clips
Democrats are focusing on affordability over climate goals as midterm elections loom. [POLITICO]
The vote was a stunning reversal for the House after it advanced legislation that sought to regulate — rather than ban — intoxicating hemp products. [POLITICO]
Lawmakers are debating proposals to ban intoxicating hemp products, which could destroy thousands of businesses. [POLITICO]
City and state officials say they’ve shut down more than 1,300 illicit outlets. It’s believed that thousands more remain in business. [POLITICO]
Businesses are shuttering or laying off workers as sales have plunged by $700 million. [POLITICO]
New York’s governor is taking on the troubled rollout of the state’s weed market. [POLITICO]
States vowed that cannabis licenses would bring equity to places that suffered most in the drug war. Instead, most license holders are wealthy and white. [POLITICO]
Businesses and patients are in limbo due to numerous lawsuits challenging the licensing process. [POLITICO]
A lawsuit filed by disabled veterans has ground the state’s market rollout to a halt. [POLITICO]
Legalization efforts are increasingly focused on staunchly conservative states more resistant to loosening marijuana rules. [POLITICO]
All four defendants signed plea deals admitting guilt to the charges. [POLITICO]
Its social equity program goes further than any other legal cannabis state. It’s also contributing to a rocky rollout. [POLITICO]
Here’s a look at what Joe Biden’s executive actions do — and don’t do — and what it could mean for America’s burgeoning multibillion-dollar marijuana markets. [POLITICO]
And only Congress has the power to stop it. [POLITICO]
Gains in state legislatures slowed down in 2022, but advocates still have the ballot. [POLITICO]
Despite grants and training programs, social equity businesses are struggling to survive. [POLITICO]
Beau Wrigley’s cannabis company is beset by lawsuits filed by angry investors alleging fraud. [POLITICO]
A growing number of states are considering bills to expand research or access to the drugs. [POLITICO]
New Jersey is likely to start sales first, but New York is poised to become the nation’s weed capital. [POLITICO]
iAnthus thought Gotham Green Partners was providing a financial lifeline, but the investment firm is now poised to seize control of the company. [POLITICO]
Las Vegas hopes to become a pioneer in creating public consumption spaces. [POLITICO]
Republicans from statehouses to Congress are pushing legalization bills. [POLITICO]
The state has long cultivated a small business atmosphere around medical marijuana. Now, shop owners fear state rules will favor industry giants. [POLITICO]
Despite struggles in Kentucky and Tennessee, the year looks up for medical marijuana supporters. [POLITICO]
State lawmakers warm up to weed
More than 40 percent of Americans now live in states that have embraced full legalization. [POLITICO]
The Cannabis Freedom Alliance could change the dynamics of the marijuana legalization debate. [POLITICO]
A seeming loophole in federal law is allowing people to buy products designed to get them high. [POLITICO]
The White House press secretary acknowledged Friday that marijuana use has led to five staffers losing their jobs. [POLITICO]
Only a handful of U.S. states remain holdouts. Will 2021 change that? [POLITICO]
Celebrities, cash and questions: A new force roils the cannabis prisoner-release movement
The Last Prisoner Project brings fund-raising heft to a long-starved cause, but its fellow advocates say it isn’t necessarily a team player. [POLITICO]
How state marijuana legalization became a boon for corruption
By making local officials the gatekeepers for million-dollar businesses, states created a breeding ground for bribery and favoritism. [POLITICO]
States that struggled to pass legalization bills in the past now face losing marijuana revenue to their neighbors. [POLITICO]
The HIGH TIMES Interview: Andrew Freedman
Mafen Madness:
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Cannabis in China