MMJ Business Daily

Second Canadian medical cannabis firm target of class-action suit

A second Canadian medical cannabis producer embroiled in a controversy over tainted marijuana is the target of a proposed class-action lawsuit by patients who unwittingly consumed prohibited pesticides.

According to the Globe and Mail, Mettrum, in addition to OrganiGram, was found selling MMJ containing pesticide myclobutanil, which emits hydrogen cyanide that, when lit, and can cause serious health problems.

A court must certify the proposed lawsuits targeting the federally licensed producers before they can proceed.

The suit against Mettrum was filed in Ontario Supreme Court, while the separate OrganiGram suit was filed earlier in Nova Scotia Supreme Court, the

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Second Canadian medical cannabis firm target of class-action suit is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Alaska officials to take another look at public cannabis consumption

The Alaska Marijuana Control Board voted 4-1 to revive a proposal to allow and regulate on-site cannabis consumption at cannabis retail stores.

Tuesday’s vote was an about-face from a Feb. 2 meeting in which the board rejected a public consumption plan.

Board member Brandon Emmett floated a motion to restart the effort, while board members who helped kill the proposal last month threw their support behind a second try, according to Alaska Dispatch News.

Board members noted there is already a regulation, albeit vaguely written, that would permit public consumption spaces. Plus, at least five marijuana

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Alaska officials to take another look at public cannabis consumption is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

State treasurers ask Trump for legal clarification on cannabis

The state treasurers of both Illinois and Massachusetts this week asked the Trump administration for legal clarity on where the new president stands on marijuana.

On Tuesday, Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, asking for specifics on how the Department of Justice plans on enforcing federal cannabis laws, the Associated Press reported.

A day before that, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs sent President Trump a letter requesting clarification on exactly what his administration’s overall MJ policy will be and how it could affect stakeholders such as medical cannabis patients, doctors who

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State treasurers ask Trump for legal clarification on cannabis is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Massachusetts cannabis businesses warily await lawmaker tinkering

By Omar Sacirbey

Cannabis industry advocates in Massachusetts know changes are coming to the law that voters passed last November legalizing recreational marijuana.
But how modest or extreme those changes will be, and whether they’ll constrain the mar…

Crucial Los Angeles marijuana ballot measure passes easily

The Los Angeles marijuana industry took a big step toward legal legitimacy Tuesday with the passage of Proposition M, a city ballot measure that sets the stage for a new municipal permitting system.
Crucial Los Angeles marijuana ballot measure passes e…

Canada’s rollout of rec cannabis legalization may take longer

Although Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s liberal government signaled it would legalize recreational marijuana this spring, it looks as if actual implementation may take a bit longer.

A bill to formally legalize marijuana in Canada is still expected in the near future, Bloomberg reported, but the government will “take its time” with specific regulations that will allow the rec industry to get up and running, according to a lawmaker who’s spearheading Trudeau’s legalization bid.

“We will take as much time as it takes to get it right,” Bill Blair, parliamentary secretary to the Canadian justice minister, told Bloomberg.

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Canada’s rollout of rec cannabis legalization may take longer is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Bill extending rec rules to MMJ industry sent to CO governor

A bill sent to Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s desk would apply rules governing the state’s recreational marijuana business to medical cannabis licensees and product manufacturers.

The legislation, approved by Colorado lawmakers, includes provisions aimed at helping MMJ businesses in a variety of areas, local broadcaster Denver 7 reported. It’s not clear whether Hickenlooper will sign the measure, which won wide backing in the legislature.

According to Denver 7, the bill would:

• Allow MMJ licensees to move their businesses anywhere in the state, with state and local approval. Currently, MMJ licensees can move their businesses

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Bill extending rec rules to MMJ industry sent to CO governor is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Oregon’s recreational marijuana chief resigns

The top regulator in charge of Oregon’s recreational marijuana program is stepping down, adding to a growing trend of cannabis overseers who are leaving the industry for the private sector.

Rob Patridge said in a news release Tuesday he is resigning as chair of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission to take a position at an unidentified consulting firm.

His resignation, effective Friday, follows the retirement of the state’s lab testing chief in December.

Patridge has guided the OLCC since July 2013, and he was instrumental in designing the state’s recreational regulatory framework. He was first appointed to

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Oregon’s recreational marijuana chief resigns is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Canadian medical cannabis producer hit with class-action suit

Canadian medical marijuana producer Organigram, having already replaced its CEO, now is the subject of a class-action lawsuit involving pesticide-contaminated cannabis.

A Halifax-based law firm alleged in its Friday filing that the lead plaintiff consumed Organigram’s MMJ products for almost a year before learning the cannabis could be contaminated with potentially toxic pesticides, the Montreal Gazette reported.

The firm also said in its suit that upwards of 2,000 Canadians may have purchased medical marijuana products containing either myclobutanil or bifenazate, pesticides that are not approved for use on cannabis.

Myclobutanil in particular is controversial throughout the cannabis industry.

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Canadian medical cannabis producer hit with class-action suit is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Election first step to clarity for L.A.’s legal cannabis industry

By John Schroyer

The outcome of Los Angeles’ municipal election Tuesday could enable the city to surge to the forefront of the regulated cannabis industry, or it could prove a major setback for thousands of marijuana businesses.

Residents will vote on four proposed changes to city laws, and two of the questions are about marijuana.

Election first step to clarity for L.A.’s legal cannabis industry is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs