This last week resulted in a number of cannabis news stories making headlines, from California to Florida and beyond.
Florida patients received support from their Governor, while supporters of a likely presidential candidate found out just how out of touch he is with voters. Below is a recap.
California officials give final approval to cannabis regulations
What happened: California’s three cannabis licensing authorities finally approved state regulations for the state’s cannabis industry.
California is home to the oldest legal medical cannabis industry in the nation and passed an adult-use legalization initiative in 2016.
Why it matters: California is the most populous state in the nation and by far the most complicated when it comes to implementing a regulated adult-use cannabis industry.
The state of California has experienced its fair share of bumps in the road, and hopefully the newly approved regulations, which took effect immediately, will help smooth things out.
Florida’s Governor calls for allowing smokable forms of medical cannabis
What happened: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis demanded that the state legislature pass a reform measure that allows smokable forms of medical cannabis.
Florida voters had initially approved a medical cannabis measure that intended to allow smokable forms of medical cannabis but the legislature prohibited it.
Why it matters: With Florida’s Governor demanding that patients get access to smokable forms of medical cannabis, it will hopefully yield results.
Smokable forms of medical cannabis are more beneficial to some patients because it’s cheaper, is better at treating certain conditions, and provides effects quicker than other forms of cannabis.
Smokable cannabis can also be vaporized, which is an excellent consumption method with many different benefits.
Michael Bloomberg proves that he is way out of touch with voters
What happened: Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is possibly running for president in 2020.
While speaking at the U.S. Naval Academy this week Bloomberg described cannabis legalization as “perhaps the stupidest thing anybody has ever done.”
Why it matters: The most recent Gallup poll found that a record 66% of U.S. voters approve of cannabis legalization.
Michael Bloomberg is clearly on the wrong side of history when it comes to cannabis policy. It will be very difficult for him to win in 2020 if he is that out of touch with voters.
Oregon Senator introduces a measure to allow cannabis exports
What happened: Oregon has the lowest legal cannabis prices in the nation, and has made many headlines in recent years for having an excess of over 1 million pounds of cannabis flower.
A Senator in Oregon introduced a bill this week that would allow Oregon to export cannabis to other states if/when other states pass laws to allow imports, at the Governor’s discretion.
Why it matters: The United States government allows the importing of cannabis from Canada into California.
With that in mind, it makes perfect sense that states should be allowed to import and export cannabis if they choose to do so. It would benefit not just Oregon, but also other states around the nation.
High Times to purchase Spannabis
What happened: Iconic cannabis media entity High Times announced that it will be purchasing Spannabis.
Spannabis is one of the most popular cannabis events on the globe, and the largest cannabis event that takes place in the European Union.
Why it matters: This deal merges two of the biggest brands in the entire cannabis industry and culture.
It marks yet another expansion in High Times’s ongoing quest to push its reach and influence in the new era of the cannabis industry.
