Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what's happening in the world of legalized marijuana.
This week, Oklahoma announced a special election to decide on legalizing adult-use cannabis. Massachusetts regulators said they were aware of safety concerns at a cannabis production facility following a worker's death there. Switzerland legalized medical marijuana. And finally, if you'd like some cannabis in Toronto, Uber Eats is only a click away.
OKLAHOMA
The last time we checked in on the Sooner State, we reported that voters would not be weighing in on whether to legalize cannabis for adult-use in November. This week, we've learned that the state will hold a special election (mark your calendars!) on March 7, 2023 to decide the matter. Oklahoma has one of the largest medical marijuana markets in the country; we'll see if that translates into support for cannabis use more broadly.
MASSACHUSETTS
A worker at a Trulieve production facility in Holyoke died in January, due to inhaling ground cannabis dust. Now, state regulators have revealed that they were investigating the company for safety violations before her death, and many questions are now being raised about the state's Cannabis Control Commission's own internal processes. Although the US Department of Labor's investigation did not find the company had failed to protect employees, the agency did levy a fine against Trulieve for failing to warn employees about the dangers of cannabis dust and improper record-keeping.
SWITZERLAND
Cannabis laws in Europe vary widely from country to country. Switzerland recently joined the UK, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany in allowing marijuana use for medicinal purposes. The law makes it much less cumbersome for doctors to prescribe cannabis, and businesses are projecting the market could grow substantially.
AND FINALLY
Uber Eats is now delivering cannabis in Toronto. As part of a partnership with Leafly, you can order marijuana through the Uber Eats app, although store staff, not Uber Eats drivers, deliver the product. Depending on how things go in Canada's largest city, delivery may expand to other parts of Ontario.
Stay safe and be well everyone – we'll see you next week!
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