Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what's happening in the world of legalized marijuana.
This week, we see a lot of action on the state level. The New Hampshire House passed an adult-use bill. Virginia, on the other hand, failed to pass any legislation involving an adult-use market. Iowa, North Carolina and Kansas all considered cannabis bills. And finally, we have yet another celebrity who is *not* associated with CBD products.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Stop me if you've heard this before! The New Hampshire House of Representatives (the largest state legislative body in the country, just fyi) voted in favor of adult-use cannabis. The bipartisan legislation passed by a vote of 234-127, a sizable victory. The bill now goes to the House Ways & Means Committee, then back to the full House, and then to the Senate. The Senate has voted legalization down in the past, and Governor Sununu (R) is not a fan, so it's not likely that 2023 will be any different.
VIRGINIA
Virginia legalized adult-use marijuana in 2021. And it's legal to use it, if you grow it yourself, meaning you have to get high on your own supply. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Early predictions were that a legal market would start no later than January 2024. The problem? 2021 also brought a state election, and control of the governor's office and the House of Delegates changed hands. Governor Youngkin (R) is widely believed to have scuttled the legislation that would have set up a legal market, and the legislative session has ended.
But don't think that Virginia lawmakers did nothing as regards cannabis this session. They did pass a bill tightly regulating THC products derived from hemp. Views on this action were mixed.
I think this will go a long way in making sure that our communities are safe and that folks are buying what they purport to buy
House of Delegates Majority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-ScottThis is a first step toward a complete mess
Sen. Scott Surovell, D-FairfaxOTHER STATE ACTIONS
Democrats in the Iowa legislature introduced an adult-use cannabis bill. Although polling shows a majority of Iowans support legalization, many lawmakers, including the governor, do not.
Meanwhile, in North Carolina, the Senate passed a bill to legalize medical marijuana. If it passes the House, it seems to have a good chance of getting signed into law, as Governor Cooper (D) has previously indicated support.
And finally, in Kansas, the Senate held a hearing on medical marijuana, which may not seem like much, but considering no form of cannabis is legal in the state, it's a bigger deal than you'd think.
AND FINALLY
It's not just Clint Eastwood who has to debunk phony CBD endorsement claims. Dolly Parton issued the following statement recently:
Stay safe and be well everyone - we'll see you next week!
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