WICKED GOOD LAWS
Massachusetts Senate approves new cannabis laws
The state of Massachusetts is working to improve upon its current legislation after the Senate approved a set of new reforms by 39-0, reports the Boston Globe.
What’s new
- Reduced “impact fees” charged by municipalities to licensed cannabis companies
- Allowing cannabis lounges in a limited number of volunteer communities
- Improving equity by diverting 10% of excise taxes to grants and no-interest loans to “economic empowerment” applicants
“With this bill, Massachusetts will reclaim our leadership role, carving a path to make equity a reality in the cannabis industry,” said Democratic Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz. “Lowering entry costs and opening up new avenues to capital will put this multibillion-dollar industry within reach for many talented equity entrepreneurs.”
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MORE STORES, MORE SALES
Canadian cannabis boost came from more stores, not Covid-19: researchers
A persistent narrative that the stress caused by Covid-19 made more Canadians turn to cannabis through the pandemic is false, according to two researchers from Brock University and the University of Ottawa, reports the Conversation.
Instead, sales increases should be attributed to the number of stores, which increased from just over 100 in 2018 to 1500 by 2021.
“It’s important to understand why cannabis sales grew, because Canadian regulators need to understand the increase was an industry feature, not a pandemic side effect,” they write. “The federal and provincial governments should take this into account as they work on adjusting cannabis regulations.”
HMM…
Rockwool says Russian operations will continue
Hydroponic substrate maker Rockwool, which is used by many cannabis cultivators, explained its decision to continue operations in Russia in a statement posted to its website after critics suggested it should shut down in the wake of the country’s attacks on Ukraine.
The company has four factories employing 1,200 people in Russia, according to the statement—10% of its worldwide workforce.
“We understand that some people disagree with the decision to continue operating and we acknowledge the strong feelings that might create,” reads the statement. “But we are convinced it is the right thing to do. There are of course many considerations, above all else, our employees and their families. If we withdraw from Russia, it will first and foremost punish our own people and put at risk the livelihoods of their families. We do not want to do that.”
BIG UK NEWS
Cannabis for pain study could launch in the UK
If approved to move ahead, 5000 adults could participate in a study examining the potential benefits of cannabis to treat pain, reports BusinessCann.
That’s if the 100-person feasibility study goes well. Tony Samios of LVL Health, which is coordinating, said cannabis treatment for pain could be available through the National Health Service (NHS) “within the next few years.”
“We’re hoping we will provide the data that the [National Institute for Health and Care Excellence] and the NHS require to get it prescribed… absolutely millions could benefit.”
