MMJ Business Daily

North Dakota governor inks bill delaying medical cannabis rollout

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed legislation on Thursday that will delay the rollout of the state’s medical marijuana program by several months, to give lawmakers and regulators more time to iron out the details.

The law took effect Dec. 8, 2016. But lawmakers pushed back that date, which is when state health regulators must begin implementing the program by drafting regulations governing areas such as licensing and enrolling patients.

Under Senate Bill 2154, that process is postponed until either July 31 or the start date stipulated in any new legislation – whichever occurs first, according to the Bismarck

…

North Dakota governor inks bill delaying medical cannabis rollout is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Cannabis oil maker files trademark suit against WA grow

Headspace, a multimillion-dollar marijuana oil company in Southern California that sells a product called The Clear, filed a trademark infringement suit against a Washington state MJ cultivator, Podworks, for using a the name Top Shelf Clear for one of its products.

The trademark suit is believed to be the first in Washington involving cannabis, according to KING5.com. It comes amid a growing number of trademark disputes in the marijuana industry.

Cannabis is illegal under federal law, which complicates efforts by MJ companies to secure a U.S. trademark. In Washington, however, Headspace has a state copyright for the name,

…

Cannabis oil maker files trademark suit against WA grow is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Maine lawmakers approve three-month rec sales delay

Maine’s legislature on Thursday unanimously approved a three-month delay in the start of recreational marijuana sales.

The bill may still be vetoed by Republican Gov. Paul LePage, however, because some key provisions he had supported were not included in the bill, the Portland Press-Herald reported.

If the bill does become law, it means the earliest that adult-use cannabis sales could begin in Maine would be February 2018, instead of the initially anticipated opening time frame of fall 2017.

The legislature backed the bill with total support from lawmakers in both chambers, who all agreed the state needed additional

…

Maine lawmakers approve three-month rec sales delay is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Week in Review: Marijuana industry trademarks, cannabis banking & Oregon rec sales

By Omar Sacirbey, John Schroyer and Bart Schaneman 

A prominent marijuana pipe maker sues to defend its trademark, another state seeks Trump’s guidance on MJ banking, and adult-use cannabis sales continue to drop in Oregon.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Trademark rights

Roor might be the Gucci of marijuana paraphernalia.

Both the German glass pipe maker and the iconic Italian handbag label purvey high-end products, are counterfeited ruthlessly and have sought aggressively to protect their trademarks in court.

But some of the businesses targeted by Roor lawsuits in

…

Week in Review: Marijuana industry trademarks, cannabis banking & Oregon rec sales is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Medical marijuana sales surge in AZ in 2016 amid patient growth

Medical marijuana patients in Arizona bought a record 29 tons of cannabis products in 2016, a 53% increase over the 19 tons that were purchased in 2015, according to a report from the state Department of Health Services.

The sales surge could be attributed to an increase in medical marijuana patients. The program had 114,439 patients registered at the end of 2016 compared with 88,500 at the end of 2015. That’s a patient increase of 29%, according to Phoenix New Times.

Of the total product sold last year, about 27 tons were flower, and the rest edibles and

…

Medical marijuana sales surge in AZ in 2016 amid patient growth is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Arkansas governor signs two medical marijuana bills into law

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed two medical marijuana bills this week that will make it easier for doctors to recommend MMJ and pushed back the deadline for rulemaking governing the new program.

The first measure, House Bill 1026, extends the deadline for rules to be finalized to 180 days from 120 days after last November’s election, when Arkansas voters approved a constitutional amendment establishing the new MMJ program, Little Rock TV station KATV reported.

That means the launch of the Arkansas MMJ program will be delayed by at least two months.

The physician-related legislation, meanwhile, loosens the requirement governing

…

Arkansas governor signs two medical marijuana bills into law is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Hawaii’s MMJ cultivators get green light to start growing Feb. 1

The Hawaii Department of Health’s seed-to-sale tracking software is ready to go online Feb. 1, which means licensed medical marijuana dispensaries finally can begin growing MMJ that day.

The state’s medical marijuana program has been delayed while the DOH attempted to link its tracking system with the software used by the eight companies approved to grow and sell medical marijuana, Honolulu Civil Beat reported. Hawaii’s legislature legalized dispensaries in 2015.

Heath regulators awarded eight licenses to dispensary operators last April and given them the green light to open their doors in July, Honolulu Civil Beat reported. Some had hoped to open

…

Hawaii’s MMJ cultivators get green light to start growing Feb. 1 is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

New Market: Maine’s tourism industry a potential boon for rec MJ businesses

By Bart Schaneman

As an East Coast tourist mecca with a dramatic coastline, Maine’s recreational marijuana market should generate plenty of opportunities for cannabis businesses – provided delays don’t hamper the industry’s rollout.

New Market: Maine’s tourism industry a potential boon for rec MJ businesses is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

San Diego, San Francisco delay cannabis implementation

San Diego and San Francisco, two of the most populous cities in California, moved to delay cannabis-related businesses.

The San Diego City Council on Tuesday unanimously extended a moratorium on recreational marijuana retailers until December, and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved temporary restrictions on indoor marijuana cultivation until the city approves permanent zoning restrictions.

The moratorium in San Diego, California’s second-most-populated city, was set to expire this weekend, but councilors said they would need more time to draft cannabis market regulations, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The council can lift the moratorium as soon as

…

San Diego, San Francisco delay cannabis implementation is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Under legal pressure, Seattle MJ retailer changes name

Facing a lawsuit from an Oregon tea company, a Seattle cannabis retailer has decided discretion is the better part of valor and announced it is changing its name to avoid legal entanglements.

The company, formerly known as Stash Pot Shop, said in a news release Tuesday it was threatened with legal action by Portland-based Stash Tea Co. The tea company is protective of its trademarked name and has sued other marijuana-related businesses, including Oregon-based Stash Cannabis Company, according to the release.

The Seattle shop has changed its name to Lux Pot Shop.

Trademarks are becoming an increasingly

…

Under legal pressure, Seattle MJ retailer changes name is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs