Slow start to New York’s legal pot market leaves farmers holding the bag
US News reports that New York’s cannabis market doesn’t have enough licensed retailers to sell the 300,000 pounds of cannabis grown by farmers in the state.
The publication highlights that another growing season is now underway, and farmers still sitting on much of last year’s harvest are in a financial bind, with their being directly tied to the launch of the state’s recreational market as the process for licensing new dispensaries has moved slower than expected.
Brittany Carbone, co-founder of Tricolla Farms, said: “What we really need to see is more retailers get open, and that’s going to actually give us the sustainable solution.”
Colorado governor signs bill to allow online cannabis sales
Marijuana Moment reports that the new bill strikes language from existing statute that explicitly prohibits cannabis from being sold on the internet, while adding regulations to provide for online commerce.
Under the new regulations:
- Customers will need to physically pick up the cannabis products from the retailer, but they can browse and purchase online ahead of visiting the store.
- Retailers will be required to verify the name and age of the customer at the time of the online purchase.
- Retailers will have to provide shoppers with “digital versions of all warning or educational materials that the retail marijuana store is required to post and provide on its licensed premises.”
- Customers will have to “acknowledge receipt” of those materials before finishing their purchase.
The bill aims to “reduce cash in the marijuana space, which is something that is exceedingly important to do because when there is a tremendous amount of cash in any industry, it can lead to some troubling outcomes—specifically things like robbery,” stated Sen. Kevin Van Winkle.
Arizona bill aims to expand shrinking medical cannabis market
MJ Biz Daily reports that the bill aims to significantly cut the price of medical cannabis cards, at a time when sales and patient registration have fallen dramatically, lowering the price of cards from $150 to $50 for the general public.
Additionally, veterans would receive cards for free and the bill would expand the list of qualifying conditions to include autism spectrum disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The publication highlights that the number of qualifying medical canis patients in Arizona through April fell to 127,266, a drop of nearly 85,000 patients since April 2022, and that the total number of medical patients has decreased nearly 57% from 295,295 in December 2020, the last month before recreational retail sales began.
