legalization

Expungement meets obstacles in Montana too

Posted on January 20th, 2022 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , .

MontanaVoters in Montana approved a cannabis legalization initiative in 2020, which included language explicitly calling for expungement of past convictions. But the process has been meeting with some resistance from local courts—and plans for a special court to oversee expungement have been dropped.

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.

SAFE Banking Act faces battle in Senate —again

Posted on January 16th, 2022 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , .

capitolCritical legislation that would allow the cannabis industry to access financial services has passed the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives for yet a sixth time—but will likely be killed once again by the Senate, where the Democratic majority is razor-thin.

'Wild West' on the East Coast: post-MRTA free-for-all persists in New York

Posted on January 11th, 2022 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , .

NYCThe boom in "gray market" cannabis street sales in the Big Apple since legalization took effect in New York state has now reached the point of actual unlicensed and unregulated storefront dispensaries—which are apparently tolerated. This development is raising skeptical eyebrows from aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs still waiting for Albany to put a regulation structure in place.

Malta becomes first European country to legalize cannabis

Posted on December 19th, 2021 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , .

MaltaThe Mediterranean island nation of Malta has become the first European Union member state to legalize cannabis. It's a seemingly unlikely candidate, and the country's powerful conservative bloc is still trying last-minute maneuvers to prevent the law from taking effect. But if Malta can pull it off, is the rest of Europe far behind?

German company in talks for cannabis concession in Afghanistan

Posted on December 12th, 2021 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , , .

AfghanistanThe widely denied media reports turned out to be true, even if not all the details were correct. Cannabis Now can confirm that the new regime in Afghanistan is in talks with a foreign company to establish legal cannabis production for the export market.

South Dakota supreme court squelches legalization initiative

Posted on November 30th, 2021 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , , .

South DakotaSouth Dakota was one of four states that voted to legalize cannabis in November 2020. But now the state's supreme court has barred the amendment from taking effect, after a challenge brought with the support of the Republican governor—and based on narrow legalisms.

Advances for cannabis conviction expungement —and obstacles

Posted on November 18th, 2021 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , , , , .

leafNearly 20 states have now approved initiatives or legislation to legalize cannabis, and demands are growing to wipe out past convictions for personal possession. Authorities in some of these states have started to respond—but things are not moving fast enough for advocates of a socially just model of legalization.

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