Tag: THC

Connecticut Cannabis Bill Bans Vaping in Many Public Places
The new bill in Connecticut that legalizes cannabis comes with a surprise. The legislation also bans vaping in many public places. In addition to being banned in health care settings, restaurants, state buildings and more, vaping and smoking tobacco or marijuana will now be prohibited in hotels, motels and other places of lodging, as well as in correctional facilities and halfway houses.
Credit: Andy Dean
Additionally, in all places where vaping is prohibited it will be restricted not only indoors but also outside within 25 feet of a doorway, window or intake vent, according to the Hartford Courant. That means, for example, a restaurant worker who takes a smoke break outdoors will have to do so at a 25-foot distance from the building itself.
The full list of places where smoking is banned in Connecticut now includes:

Any building, rail platform or bus shelter operated by the state (with the exception of public housing)

Any health care institution

Any retail food establishment accessed by the general public

Any restaurant

Anywhere alcohol is sold

In or on the grounds of any school

In or on the grounds of any child care facility

In any elevator

In any hotel room

In any correctional facility or halfway house

In any college dormitory
Landlords and building managers will not be allowed to prohibit the possession or consumption of cannabis but will be allowed to ban residents from smoking it. Connecticut recently joined 18 other states in legalizing recreation cannabis, after a multi-year effort in the state legislature.
Marijuana possession will be legal in Connecticut as of July 1, while retail sales are likely to begin next year. The bill lets people from cities that have borne the brunt of the war on drugs qualify for expedited licenses, in an attempt to reverse disproportionate impacts of marijuana prohibition.
“We had a chance to learn from others and I think we got it right here in the state of Connecticut,” Gov. Ned Lamont said before signing the legislation. “We weren’t the first but we were the first to show we can get it right.”
June 27, 2021
Connecticut Governor Signs Legal Marijuana Bill
The governor of Connecticut on Tuesday signed a bill to legalize marijuana—making it the 19th state to enact the reform. Last week, Gov. Ned Lamont threatened a veto over language on equity licensing that had been added, prompting legislators to revise it.
Credit: Spyrakot
“For decades, the war on cannabis caused injustices and created disparities while doing little to protect public health and safety,” Lamont said in a press release. “The law that I signed today begins to right some of those wrongs by creating a comprehensive framework for a regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, criminal justice and equity. It will help eliminate the dangerous, unregulated market and support a new and equitable sector of our economy that will create jobs.”
Connecticut is the fourth state to legalize cannabis for adult use this year alone, following New York, Virginia and New Mexico. Possession of cannabis among adults age 21 and over will be legal in Connecticut beginning July 1, 2021. Adults cannot have more than 1.5 ounces of cannabis on their person, and no more than 5 ounces in their homes or locked in their car truck or glove box.
Retail sales of cannabis aim to begin in Connecticut by the end of 2022. The sale, manufacture, and cultivation of cannabis (aside from home grow) requires a license from the state. Products that contain delta-8-THC, delta-9-THC, or delta-10-THC are considered cannabis and may only be sold by licensed retailers. Individuals who are not licensed by the state may gift cannabis to others but may not sell it. Individuals may not gift cannabis to another individual who has “paid” or “donated” for another product.
Certain cannabis-related convictions that occurred between January 1, 2000 and October 1, 2015 will be automatically erased. Those seeking to erase cannabis-related convictions outside of that period will require petitioning. The law enacts a tax rate structure on the retail sale of cannabis that includes a new source of revenue for municipalities.
This includes (1) a 3% municipal sales tax, which will be directed to the town or city where the retail sale occurred; (2) the 6.35% state sales tax; and (3) a tax based on the THC content of the product, which will be 2.75 cents per milligram of THC for cannabis edibles; 0.625 cents per milligram of THC for cannabis flower; and 0.9 cents per milligram of THC for all other product types. This means that Connecticut generally will have about a 4% lower tax rate than New York and about the same as Massachusetts.
“The states surrounding us already, or soon will, have legal adult-use markets. By allowing adults to possess cannabis, regulating its sale and content, training police officers in the latest techniques of detecting and preventing impaired driving, and expunging the criminal records of people with certain cannabis crimes, we’re not only effectively modernizing our laws and addressing inequities, we’re keeping Connecticut economically competitive,” Lamont said. “This legislation directs significant new funding to prevention and recovery services, which will be used to help prevent cannabis use by minors and to promote safe, healthy use of cannabis by those of legal age.”
Cannabis use is prohibited in state parks, state beaches, and on state waters.
June 23, 2021
22nd Century Set to Maximize Cannabis Opportunities

Photo: felix brönnimann
22nd Century Group has announced new initiatives to strengthen and maximize revenue opportunities in its hemp/cannabis franchise. Included in these developments are strategic partnerships with two plant breeders in the northern and southern hemispheres, providing the company with year-round growing capabilities, close partnership activities with Aurora Cannabis, and the establishment of a newly created Canadian subsidiary.
“The addition of breeders who specialize in alkaloid-based plant cultivation to our network of strategic partnerships provides us with the competitive edge to commercialize our second-generation IP and technologies,” said James A. Mish, CEO of 22nd Century Group, in a statement. “As cannabis regulation evolves, we believe that companies able to control the traits and consistency of the plants will command a premium price and margin in the marketplace. 22nd Century is well positioned to capitalize on the tremendous potential in the global legal cannabis space by creating hemp/cannabis plants that have stable, specific cannabinoid levels at commercial scale for various end-use markets.
“As a matter of preparedness, earlier we announced a $40 million registered direct offering through Cowen and Company,” Mish continued. “Cowen is well-known as a pioneer in the cannabis institutional markets, and with this registered direct placement, 22nd Century is now squarely positioned in the mainstream of the cannabis equity space. Proceeds from this offering will be used as needed for future strategic growth opportunities as our hemp/cannabis market activity continues to increase. With the Special Equities Group as our financial advisor on this transaction to the company, we now have ample financial flexibility for this franchise as we advance our revenue-generating initiatives later this year.”
Incorporated in April 2021, 22nd Century’s Canadian subsidiary will serve as a base for the company’s expanded activities in tobacco, hemp/cannabis and its yet-to-be announced third franchise.
22nd Century Canada will also serve as a hub for expanded reduced nicotine tobacco activities in Canada, to include a possible future launch of VLN and the potential expansion of its reduced nicotine tobacco-growing programs.
June 8, 2021
New York Latest State to Ban Delta-8 Products
New York state has joined a growing number of U.S. states that have expressly prohibited delta-8 THC and other THC isomers derived from hemp. However, lawmakers in the Empire State did make several small concessions to hemp producers, including a modification to limits on smokable hemp and removing a requirement that all cannabinoids over 0.05 percent THC be listed on product labels.
The delta-8 THC ban is part of the state’s revised regulations for hemp products. The new rules state that hemp cannabinoid products may “not contain synthetic cannabinoids, or cannabinoids created through isomerization, including [delta] 8-tetrahydrocannabinol and [delta] 10-tetrahydrocannabinol.”
New York has also placed a ban on hemp prerolls, cigarettes and any “flower product labeled or advertised for the purpose of smoking.” But the state health department says it will allow the sale of hemp flower, so long as the flower is not branded as an item for smoking, according to Hemp Industry Daily.
Hemp vapes are legal for customers over 21 and must carry “a warning stating that smoking or vaporizing is hazardous to your health.”
At least six states have considered or are currently updating their laws to specifically govern delta-8 THC, joining at least 11 that already have laws on the books addressing the minor cannabinoid, which can produce psychoactive effects in some people, although they are considered to be less potent than the delta 9-THC common in marijuana.
The labeling requirement remains in place for CBD and THC amounts in a product, just not for all cannabinoids in a product. The New York updates come six weeks after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a law making a first-in-the-nation attempt to regulate hemp operators working with flower and cannabinoid products the same way the state oversees marijuana operators, designating a new category for “cannabinoid hemp” that will be governed by a new Office of Cannabis Management.
New York’s health department told hemp and marijuana operators that it won’t require track-and-trace systems for hemp products, as some marijuana operators have requested. “Unlike medical marijuana and adult–use cannabis markets, cannabinoid hemp products can enter interstate commerce and it would be impractical to impose a state level seed–to–sale requirement on an industry not limited to intrastate,” regulators wrote. The state legalized recreational marijuana earlier this year.
Michelle Bodian, a cannabis attorney with the Vicente Sederberg firm in New York City, said that the state has the “potential to set a model for the rest of the country in regulating consumable hemp products.” But she added that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration needs to implement a single set of health-and-safety regulations. “Until there are national standards from FDA concerning cannabinoid hemp products, it continues to be very difficult and impractical for businesses to comply with these very specific state testing and labeling requirements, let alone all the other unique requirements.”
May 21, 2021
Alabama Medical Marijuana Bill Faces Filibuster
Legislation to authorize medical marijuana in Alabama stalled Tuesday in the state House of Representatives after Republican opponents used a filibuster to at least temporarily delay a vote.
Credit: Sharon McCutcheon
Representatives adjourned shortly before midnight without a vote after nearly 10 hours of debate on the Senate-passed bill. The bill is expected to return to the House floor on Thursday, according to the AP.
The lengthy debate brought impassioned discussion that included lawmakers expressing fervent opposition or how they changed their minds on the issue after the illnesses of family members
The bill would allow people with a qualifying medical condition to purchase marijuana after getting a recommendation from a doctor. More than a dozen conditions, including cancer, a terminal illness, depression, epilepsy, panic disorder and chronic pain would allow a person to qualify. The bill would allow marijuana in forms such as pills, skin patches and creams but not in smoking or vaping products.
May 6, 2021
U.S. House Passes Cannabis Banking Bill

Photo: Feelgoodsk | Dreamstime
The U.S. House of Representatives on April 19 passed legislation that would allow banks to serve cannabis companies in states where it is legal, reports Reuters.
The bill clarifies that proceeds from legitimate cannabis businesses would not be considered illegal and directs federal regulators to craft rules for how they would supervise such banking activity.
Banks have generally been unwilling to do business with companies that sell marijuana or related products, fearing they could run afoul of federal laws.
That has left companies in the marijuana industry with few options, including relying on just a handful of small financial institutions or doing business in cash.
Thirty-six states have legalized medical cannabis while 17 states now allow adult use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Lawmakers voted 321-101 to approve the bill and send it to the Senate.
April 21, 2021
Cannabis Consumers Have 6 Archetypes, Says Euromonitor
The legal cannabis is expected to increase more than 200 percent by 2025. According to research by Euromonitor International, global market research company, the market will rise from $30 billion in 2020 to over $90 billion in 2025 as consumers increase their usage in diverse parts of their lives, according to Euromonitor International.
Shane MacGuill
In a recent white paper, Breaking Stereotypes: Getting to Know the Cannabis Consumer, Euromonitor explores six adult cannabis consumer archetypes making up the emerging legal cannabis consumer base in 2021. “Cannabis user profiling is also relevant for cannabis-adjacent FMCG industries as more global consumers have access to cannabinoid-infused products,” says Shane MacGuill, senior industry manager for Nicotine and Cannabis at Euromonitor. “Cannabinoid consumers report drinking less alcohol, smoking less and taking fewer consumer health products across markets.”
The report, lists the six archetypes as:

The Seasoned Consumer: Long time regular consumers who use cannabis to enhance their well-being. 24% of these consumers suffer from high or extreme stress while 64% are strongly in favour of recreational legalization.

The Casual Social: Younger, newer consumers leveraging cannabinoid products as part of their wider lifestyles. 75% of them take vitamins or health supplements at least monthly, while 61% are strongly in favor of recreational legalization.

The Dabbler: Occasional cannabis users, familiar and comfortable with the substance but unlikely to see it as a key part of their lifestyle. 68% are in favor of its legalization for medical use while 45% believe legal cannabis should be at least as widely available as tobacco and alcohol.

The Canna-curious: A broad consumer group with an interest in adult-use cannabis consumption if legalized in their countries but with limited knowledge about cannabinoid products. 56% are in favor of legalization for medical use, while only 43% support adult-use liberalization.

The Unsparked: Consumers who are outwardly negative towards cannabis use but express enough uncertainty that many could be persuaded to engage further. 18% of these consumers believe that cannabis is unsafe, while 8% see cannabis as something that enhances a user’s lifestyle (8%).

The Naysayer: Strongly against adult use – only 8% in favor of legalization – they are not an immediate target for producers and brand owners. 51% state that they either have no or low levels of daily stress – the least stressed of all profiles.
Seasoned cannabis consumers are established, long-standing and often traditionalist cannabis users “who will form the backbone of the legal industry” as it evolves, according to MacGuill, who quthored the report, adding that companies need to understand and address the priorities of this group without alienating newer consumers whose product and brand priorities are often divergent
“As legalization expands and the normalization of cannabinoid use continues, organizations need to understand the motivations of the modern cannabis consumer and look beyond typical stereotypes,” MacGuill states. “The legal cannabis industry must mirror the views and values of its consumers, given its history and the nature of its often counter-cultural evolution. Industry players can only achieve this with a nuanced segmentation and holistic understanding of participants in the sector.”
April 20, 2021
Academics Caution Against Big Tobacco Takeover of Cannabis

Photo: Terre Di Cannabis from Pixabay
Big Tobacco must be prevented from utilizing “its profit-driven product engineering of addictive and deadly products, predatory marketing practices and anti-regulatory expertise” to dominate the legal cannabis industry, according to Andy Tan and Shaleen Title.
Writing in Tobacco Control, the academics say the tobacco industry has a demonstrated history of resisting government regulation, co-opting scientific experts, engineering tobacco products to be more addictive and using substantial marketing budgets to maximize sales and profits of its products. “If tobacco companies are permitted to dominate the legal cannabis industry, this will risk exacerbating public health harms on groups that are disproportionately harmed by tobacco use,” they write.
Driven by declining sales of tobacco products and spreading legalization of cannabis, the tobacco industry has been diversifying into cannabis in recent years.
In January 2016, Philip Morris International invested $20 million in Syqe Medical, which developed a medical cannabis inhaler. In June 2018, Imperial Brands invested in Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies.
In December 2018, Altria Group invested $1.8 billion in Cronos, a Canada-based multinational cannabis company. Imperial Brands in July 2019 acquired a stake in Auxly Cannabis.
If tobacco companies are permitted to dominate the legal cannabis industry, this will risk exacerbating public health harms.
Andy Tan and Shaleen Title
And just last month, BAT signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Organigram, a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly traded Organigram Holdings.
In their piece, Tan and Title urge authorities to restrict Big Tobacco’s participation in the cannabis industry, for example by placing limits on the seizes of cannabis businesses by enforcing regulations on how many stores or plants one individual can own.
Tan is associate professor of communication at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania.
Title is a distinguished cannabis policy practitioner in residence at the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center of the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
April 14, 2021
New Mexico Legalizes Marijuana, Expunges Records
The governor of New Mexico on Monday signed a bill to legalize marijuana in the state, as well as a separate measure to expunge records for people with prior, low-level cannabis convictions.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) gave final approval to the legislation, a key accomplishment for her administration after she listed legalization as a 2021 priority, according to Marijuana Moment. Although lawmakers failed to pass a legalization bill before the regular session’s end last month, the governor convened a special session to ensure they got the job done.
“The legalization of adult-use cannabis paves the way for the creation of a new economic driver in our state with the promise of creating thousands of good paying jobs for years to come,” the governor said in a press release. “We are going to increase consumer safety by creating a bona fide industry. We’re going to start righting past wrongs of this country’s failed war on drugs. And we’re going to break new ground in an industry that may well transform New Mexico’s economic future for the better.”
“As we look to rebound from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic,” she said, “entrepreneurs will benefit from this great opportunity to create lucrative new enterprises, the state and local governments will benefit from the added revenue and, importantly, workers will benefit from the chance to land new types of jobs and build careers.”
Provisions of the legalization bill and expungements legislation were initially included together in the same package that passed the House during the regular session but later stalled on the Senate floor. When the special session started, however, supporters split up the legislation to win favor from Republicans and moderate Democrats who expressed opposition to the scope of the original proposal.
With Lujan Grisham’s action, New Mexico is the third state to formally end cannabis prohibition within the span of days. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a marijuana legalization bill into law late last month, just hours after lawmakers sent it to his desk. In Virginia, lawmakers last week accepted amendments to a legal cannabis bill that were suggested by Gov. Ralph Northam (D), giving final passage to the bill that they had initially approved in February.
April 13, 2021
New York Poised to Legalize Recreational Marijuana
State lawmakers in New York have agreed to legalize marijuana for recreational use in a late-night session. The move positions the state to join at least 14 other states already allowing residents to buy marijuana for recreational and not just medical use. New York’s past efforts to pass marijuana legalization have failed in recent years.
Credit: Terre di Cannabis
“My goal in carrying this legislation has always been to end the racially disparate enforcement of marijuana prohibition that has taken such a toll on communities of color across our state, and to use the economic windfall of legalization to help heal and repair those same communities,” Sen. Liz Krueger, Senate sponsor of the bill and chair of the Senate’s finance committee, said.
Democrats who now wield a veto-proof majority in the state Legislature that made passing the bill a priority this year, and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration has estimated legalization could eventually bring the state about $350 million annually, according to a story in the Associated Press. Cuomo has pointed to growing acceptance of legalization in the Northeast, including in Massachusetts, Maine and most recently, New Jersey.
The legislation would allow recreational marijuana sales to adults over the age of 21, and set up a licensing process for the delivery of cannabis products to customers. Individual New Yorkers could grow up to three mature and three immature plants for personal consumption, and local governments could opt out of retail sales. The bill also sets aside revenues to cover the costs of everything from regulating marijuana, to substance abuse prevention, according to the AP.
The legislation would take effect immediately if passed, though sales wouldn’t start until New York sets up rules and a proposed cannabis board, according to the AP. Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes estimated Friday it could take 18 months to two years for sales to start.
New York would set a 9% sales tax on cannabis, plus an additional 4% tax split between the county and local government. It would also impose an additional tax based on the level of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, ranging from 0.5 cents per milligram for flower to 3 cents per milligram for edibles.
New York would eliminate penalties for possession of less than three ounces of cannabis, and automatically expunge records of people with past convictions for marijuana-related offenses that would no longer be criminalized, according to the AP. That’s a step beyond a 2019 law that expunged many past convictions for marijuana possession and reduced the penalty for possessing small amounts.
The bill allows cities, towns and villages to opt out of allowing adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries or on-site consumption licenses by passing a local law by Dec. 31, 2021 or nine months after the effective date of the legislation. They cannot opt out of legalization.
March 28, 2021