HOPE FOR REFORM
Schumer is pushing to progress the SAFE and HOPE acts.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is working on “interim, bipartisan cannabis reform” initiatives with Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) while working toward full federal legalization, according to Marijuana Moment.
The interim proposals include SAFE Banking, which would protect financial institutions from federal consequences for working with state legal cannabis businesses, and the HOPE Act, which would expunge cannabis convictions.
“The conversation between Leader Schumer and Congressman Joyce was part of an ongoing, broader discussion between both parties and chambers to determine what reform can pass this Congress,” said a Joyce senior staffer. “It is evidence of the sincere efforts by both the leader and the congressman to find common ground for substantial, bipartisan progress on this issue. The congressman remains hopeful that an agreement can be made and progress can be achieved.”
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LOW SALES
Colorado cannabis sales haven’t recovered—not even on 4/20
Despite hopes that 4/20 would help Colorado cannabis sales bounce back, that was not the case, per Westword.
According to the Department of Revenue:
- April 2022 sales in the state reached more than USD $153 million
- April 2021 sales were 26% higher, at USD $206.3 million
- March 2022 sales reached USD $162.5 million
2021 saw record-breaking sales for retailers in the state. But ever since, monthly sales have dropped.
LESS TESTS
Why Utah stopped testing medical cannabis for some contaminants
As of April 2021, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food stopped requiring medical cannabis cultivators to test for salmonella, E.coli and some molds, reports the Salt Lake Tribune.
The department is citing supply chain issues and a lack of access to equipment such as pipette tips to collect samples.
General tests for contaminants such as the total yeast and mold have continued, but unfortunately for medical cannabis consumers, “There is no way the state can say with certainty that products on dispensary shelves are free of pathogens like E.coli, salmonella or mold.”
