New England

Vermont medical cannabis user challenges urine-test regime for workers

Posted on April 8th, 2023 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , .

medical marijuanaRights for medicinal cannabis users in the workplace have not kept pace with the law in states that have embraced medical and even “recreational” use. Now a case in Vermont may push state and federal authorities alike to close the loopholes that allow workers to be dismissed—and denied unemployment insurance—for using state-legal medicine.

The Curaleaf controversies: Russian-lubricated sleaze in US cannabis industry

Kremlin
Small producers have long been wary of the cannabis industry coming under domination by multi-state operators with the worst practices of corporate America. But the revelations of Russian oligarch money in the coffers of leading MSO Curaleaf appear to vindicate even the most cynical observers. These follow a slew of controversies concerning product safety and labor rights at the company.

Oooh, that smell: can it still get you busted?

cannabisWith growing legal and cultural space for cannabis, can the mere smell of the stuff still be sufficient cause for a search that could potentially land you in jail? The answer is that the courts are divided on this question. Meanwhile, cannabis attorneys warn against the fatal error of consenting to a search.

Rhode Island senate approves legalization bill

Posted on June 22nd, 2021 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , .

RhodeWith little time remaining in the regular legislative session, the Rhode Island Senate has approved a bill to legalize the possession, purchase and cultivation of cannabis for personal use for adults 21 and older. S 568 would establish a Cannabis Control Commission to regulate the legal market, tax adult-use sales at 20%, and establish a social equity program to support communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization.

Legalization bill clears Connecticut legislature

Posted on June 19th, 2021 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , .

ConnecticutThe Connecticut state Senate on June 17 approved a cannabis legalization bill—one day after the House passed a revised version of the bill that has the support of Gov. Ned Lamont. The legislation establishes a framework for a recreational market for adults over the age of 21.

The Vilsack Attack?

hempWhat will Biden’s Agriculture Department Mean for Small Farmers and Hemp?

Progressives coast to coast breathed a heavy sigh of relief as Joe Biden took the oath of office, ending the turbulent and reactionary rule of Donald Trump over the past four years.

But hemp cultivation, like the rewriting and replacement of NAFTA, was one of the few areas that actually saw positive change in the Trump years—with bipartisan support. The 2018 Farm Bill that re-legalized the crop after generations of prohibition bore Trump’s signature.

And there are fears that Biden could mean a return to the Washington consensus of a corporate-friendly “free trade” status quo ante, shorn even of the limited populist measures of the Trump era.

For small farmers, including some hemp cultivators, Biden’s choice to lead the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) may provide a case in point.

Progress, obstacles in cannabis industry unionization push

Posted on September 5th, 2020 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , , , , .

grow roomGains are reported from Massachusetts in organized labor's push to unionize the cannabis industry. But significant obstacles remain—from management roadblocking, to the ambiguous status under national labor law of an industry dealing in a federally illegal substance.

New York state gov broaches Northeast cannabis common market

Posted on October 15th, 2019 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , .

New YorkNew York's Gov. Cuomo is broaching a cannabis common market for the tri-state area, joining with New Jersey and Connecticut to harmonize regulations and even cooperate in joint purchasing. But the move is being considered partly as a reaction to the vaping scare, and official statements reveal some dangerous confusion as to the distinction between vaping cannabis extracts and smoking actual cannabis.

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