5 April 2017
FEDERAL
COMMENTARY MJ BIZ DAILY
Prospects brighten for cannabis reform in Congress, but most bills face uphill battle
CALIFORNIA
California moves to unite conflicting cannabis laws
http://www.sacbee.com/news/article142771664.html
California is one step closer to resolving tricky legal conflicts on its path to becoming the nation’s largest marijuana economy.
Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration released documents outlining proposed changes to square the state’s new recreational pot law with its longstanding law on medical marijuana.
The two laws took different approaches in many areas, including the potential size of marijuana grows and how many licenses businesses could hold in cultivation, distribution and manufacturing.
The Democrat governor’s administration has stressed that one regulatory framework is needed to avoid duplicating costs and confusing businesses.
Maryland House passes bill that would add medical marijuana licenses
The House of Delegates approved legislation Tuesday that would overhaul Maryland’s system for regulating medical marijuana while expanding the number of grower’s licenses to open the industry to minorities.
The 90-45 vote, enough to override a possible veto by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, sends the bill to the Senate with less than a week remaining in the General Assembly session.
MISSOURI
Kansas City, Missouri Voters Pass Cannabis Decriminalization Measure
Kansas City, Missouri Voters Pass Cannabis Decriminalization Measure
NEVADA
Nevada to accept rec distribution bids from MMJ license holders
TEXAS
Republican legislators sign on to medical marijuana bill in Texas
http://txcann.com/republican-texas-legislators-medical-marijuana-bill/
Two Republican legislators in the Texas House of Representatives have signed on as authors of legislation which would establish a whole plant medical marijuana program.
Rep. Jason Isaac, a Republican from Dripping Springs, had previously joined together with Rep. Eddie Lucio III, a Democrat from Brownsville, to author HB 2107, which would expand the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) established in 2015. Now Rep. James White, a conservative from Hillister, has signed on as well. This could signal that medical marijuana is now a Republican issue.
During the Texas GOP’s 2016 state convention, delegates voted in favor of supporting medical marijuana. This coupled with a Texas Tegna Poll showing 71 percent of Texas voters supporting medical marijuana demonstrates that legislators have little to fear when coming out in support of such a policy.
Republicans control a majority of the House’s 150 seats, currently holding 95 of them.