In this week’s cannabis roundup, Minnesota legalizes adult use of cannabis — including Delta-8 THC products; New York announces plans for cannabis grower markets and medical cannabis may be on the cards for Iceland.
Minnesota legalizes adult use of cannabis
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has signed into law a bill allowing adults to use cannabis. This makes Minnesota the 23rd state in the country to end a factory ban.
After a long process of discussion and voting in committees, Governor Tim Walz signed the bill into law, known as HF 100, on Tuesday. Starting August 1, Minnesotans 21 and older can own and grow cannabis at home without breaking the law. However, it will take 12 to 18 months for the government to establish a retail system.
“This has been a long journey with a lot of people involved,” Walz said. “What we know now is that blocking isn’t working. We’ve offended a lot of people who are going to start the deletion process from those records. It’s going to take us a while to get this going and get that going. We’re going to get some people in position to be able to get this to work, but I stress To Minnesotans that a lot of thought has gone into this. A lot of things learned in other states have been incorporated into how we’re doing this, and the thoughtful thought about this legislation gives us a good guiding principle.”
Democratic Representative Zack Stephenson, the sponsor of the House, said that “While Minnesota may be the 23rd state to legalize cannabis, I think we passed the best bill in the country that Minnesotans can be proud of. We’ve built a model that will work in Minnesota specifically.” And I think Minnesotans are going to be really pleased with the results of this work.”
Jesse Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota (and celebrity wrestler), who has been a staunch advocate of changing the law, attended the signing ceremony. He spoke enthusiastically during legislative hearings about his personal experience illegally obtaining medical marijuana to treat his wife’s severe epilepsy.
This was a big day in our family’s life because now the ban is ending. It’s been longer than I’ve been alive, Ventura said, because it’s a plant made by God. “We were always told it was all in here for us to use. Now in Minnesota, we will be able to use this plant after years of Prohibition. We didn’t want any families to go through what the First Lady and I went through.” Now, today, they never have to. Because the ban ends today on cannabis.”
One interesting addition is that Minnesota will emerge as an exception by embracing hemp-derived cannabinoids, such as the debate Delta 8 THC, within the state’s legal cannabis industry. By contrast, 14 other states, including those with well-established markets for cannabis that see hemp-derived products as a significant challenge, have either banned or implemented strict regulations on these hemp-derived products.
Hemp growers markets coming to new york
New York state regulators have announced plans to introduce hemp growers’ markets in the state, possibly within a month. During a meeting at the virtual town hall, John Kaggia, director of policy at the New York Office of Cannabis Administration, shared details about the proposed model called “New York Cannabis Growers Show. “
“The solution we’re working on right now…is what we call the New York Cannabis Growers Show,” Kaggia said.
The idea is to create a farmers’ market-like setup where licensed farmers can meet and organize events in partnership with a retailer. At least three farmers and a retailer will collaborate to host these markets. However, there are some requirements for setting up and operating such marketplaces. First, the local town or city where the event is planned must agree; Second, a retailer must be involved to facilitate physical sales.
One of the main drivers behind this initiative is to enable farmers to sell their remaining stock from last year’s crop. Currently, there are only 13 operating retailers in the state, which has created a huge bottleneck for about 200 growers growing outdoor cannabis in 2022. These growers have been eagerly awaiting their products to come to market.
According to Kagia, if farmers have a farm or other suitable place where they want to organize an event, the office will provide support. In addition, they are open to the idea of collaborating with existing events such as concerts, festivals or farm gatherings, allowing cannabis sellers to participate.
While the exact timeline for the launch of the cannabis growers markets remains uncertain, Damien Fagon, chief equity officer of the Office of Cannabis Management, expressed optimism about launching the markets within a month after the meeting. He stressed that the responsibility for organizing these markets will largely fall on the shoulders of the farmers themselves.
“A lot of this will be up to you guys to organize and self-regulate,” Fagon told the farmers. “A lot of what we want to do here is create guidelines for this beta and see what you do with it, and let you run it.”
Fagon reassured farmers that they can be confident of maintaining their current cannabis shipping capacity, even though it is a temporary arrangement set to expire on June 1. If the deadline is not extended, it could disrupt the entire cannabis supply chain in the state.
To address this concern, Fagon stated that Assembly Bill A7430 is expected to be passed by state legislators before the end of the month. This law is crucial to solving the case. “It’s a must-have bill,” he said. “This is what was communicated.”
The proposed measure, sponsored by the association’s majority leader, Crystal People-Stokes, aims to extend the expiration of the growers’ and processors’ temporary distributor license by a full year, moving the deadline to June 1, 2024.
Proposed pilot project that could legalize medical cannabis in Iceland
After a recent debate in the Alþingi (Icelandic Parliament), the officials propose for a four-year pilot project that would allow the use of medical cannabis, as well as the cultivation, production, and distribution of medical cannabis-based products.
If the proposal is approved, the country’s Ministry of Health will collaborate with the Minister of Culture and Trade to set up a working group. This group will be responsible for preparing a bill that would enable companies to apply for licenses to produce and distribute cannabis medicines. To proceed with the pilot program, the department must submit the invoice by December 31. The four-year program is expected to start on January 1, 2024.
Currently, the only prescription cannabis-based drug legal in Iceland is Sativex. Sativex contains CBD and THC in isolated forms and is used to treat side effects associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and muscular dystrophy. However, access to Sativex is highly regulated and can only be prescribed by licensed neurologists. CBD products without THC are already legal in Iceland.
Documents released by Alþingi reveal that the proposed project will adopt a structure like the one implemented in Denmark in 2018. The primary goals of this model are to enhance understanding of the effects of cannabis and ensure that patients do not have to resort to obtaining it. illegal cannabis products. By taking this approach, the project aims to promote safe and legal access to cannabis-based products while promoting research and knowledge about the potential of the plant.
