Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, New Hampshire makes another attempt to legalize adult-use cannabis. Minnesota works on rules for its cannabis industry. Meanwhile, on the federal level, the administration’s drug czar makes complimentary remarks about medical marijuana. And finally, as Passover approaches, you can stock up on kosher for Passover THC gummies.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire stands along among the New England states as a jurisdiction where adult-use cannabis is forbidden. As regular readers will recall, they’ve huffed and puffed, but they haven’t been able to blow the prohibition house down. In the latest installment of this saga, the Senate Judiciary Committee has found three bills passed by the House to be “inexpedient to legislate.” This means they’ve voted against them. The bills will go to the full Senate floor, where they could still be approved, despite the committee’s disapproval. The ultimate destination of any of these bills is Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) who has been clear about her opposition to adult-use cannabis. If this situation reminds you of Virginia, good noticing!
MINNESOTA
Minnesota is coming closer to opening a retail market. The state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) submitted draft rules to an Administrative Law Judge for approval last week. The judge has 14 days to approve or disapprove, so we should have a decision shortly. Assuming the rules are given the go-ahead, OCM could begin issuing business licenses, as soon as the rules are published in the State Register.
DRUG CZAR
The new director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is journalist Sara Carter, and she’s had some good things to say about medical marijuana.
I don’t have any problem if it’s legalized and it’s monitored. I do believe that cannabis for medicinal purposes and medical reasons is a fantastic way of handling…the illness and the side effects of the medication and those illnesses. So I’m not saying we’ve gotta make it illegal.
AND FINALLY
Passover will soon be upon us, but that no longer means that cannabis is off-limits for observant Jews. Tokin’ Jew, a Jewish cannabis company with a keen eye for puns, is now offering kosher for Passover gummies.