MMJ Business Daily

Pittsburgh weighing medical cannabis zoning rules

Pittsburgh lawmakers could soon adopt zoning rules governing the city’s newly emerging medical marijuana industry.

The Pittsburgh City Council is weighing rules that would allow dispensaries in commercial zones and permit growers and processors in general or urban industrial zones, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Local lawmakers could decide the issue in the next couple of weeks.

“It’s important that we set some standards that will help these businesses help individuals who need medical attention,” said Councilman Corey O’Connor, who introduced the legislation last week. He added: “I feel like if it is a business, it should be where most

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Pittsburgh weighing medical cannabis zoning rules is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Marijuana Business Conference & Expo convenes with election top of mind

By Bart Schaneman

November’s landmark election will no doubt be a hot topic on the convention hall floor at this week’s Marijuana Business Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, with recreational and medical markets newly approved in seven states amid huge questions over what a Donald Trump administration will mean for the industry.

The nation’s largest marijuana industry trade show will officially open on Wednesday, with more than 8,500 industry professionals and attendees converging at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino to talk about a wide range of topics as well as industry trends, challenges and the industry’s

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Marijuana Business Conference & Expo convenes with election top of mind is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Los Angeles to vote on two possible MMJ regulatory questions in March

Los Angeles voters next year will weigh two options to replace a more restrictive ordinance that currently governs the local medical cannabis industry, now that the City Council has unanimously approved a ballot measure for the March 7 municipal election.

The newest measure, assuming it gets the green light from Mayor Eric Garcetti, would compete against a parallel initiative put forth by the UCBA Trade Association, an organization of longstanding Los Angeles MMJ dispensaries. The UCBA’s initiative would give preference in the licensing process to 135 dispensaries that already qualify for “limited immunity” from prosecution, under the

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Los Angeles to vote on two possible MMJ regulatory questions in March is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Most Maryland doctors not signing up to recommend medical cannabis

A minuscule 1% of Maryland’s 16,000 doctors have registered to recommend medical cannabis to patients, signaling that the state’s industry could face an uphill battle when it comes to its potential patient pool.

In addition, two of the largest hospital systems in the state have prohibited their doctors from registering with the program, the Baltimore Sun reported Monday.

Reluctance on the part of physicians to opt into MMJ programs has led to smaller-than-expected patient pools in states such as Illinois, Minnesota and New York and can be a big hurdle for cannabis industry participants.

So far, only 172

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Most Maryland doctors not signing up to recommend medical cannabis is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Montana dispensaries may not reopen until June

Medical cannabis dispensaries in Montana that were forced to close at the end of August may not be able to begin serving patients again until June 30 next year because of a clerical error in the initiative voters approved on Election Day.

According to the Missoulian, the only way dispensaries could open sooner is if the state legislature takes action to move up the regulatory calendar.

But Montana Republicans, who control both chambers of the legislature, have given no indication if they intend to introduce any cannabis-related legislation in the coming session, which begins in January, the

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Montana dispensaries may not reopen until June is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Some FL localities enacting temporary MMJ business bans

In the wake of the overwhelming success medical marijuana had at the ballot box in Florida on Election Day, some local governments are rushing to enact either bans or moratoriums on dispensaries and treatment centers before the new law can go into effect.

Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton, for example, are two markets in southern Florida that have decided to opt out of the MMJ industry, at least for now, according to the Sun Sentinel. That may change after local officials can establish their own regulations – such as zoning requirements – for MMJ entrepreneurs to navigate.

The

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Some FL localities enacting temporary MMJ business bans is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Map: The post-election U.S. marijuana landscape

By Eli McVey

Nearly 60% of the U.S. population now lives in states that have legalized some form of marijuana use and sales, illustrating the rising acceptance of cannabis nationwide and highlighting the industry’s immense potential for future growth.

Rewind just 10 years and the map was essentially the inverse of where it is now, with pockets of light green dotting a largely white landscape.

Last week, three new states joined the marijuana club: Arkansas, Florida and North Dakota, which legalized medical cannabis. Four others that already had medical marijuana laws on the books legalized recreational: California, Maine

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Map: The post-election U.S. marijuana landscape is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Rec cannabis store gets warning for potential violation of Alaska rules

Alaska’s marijuana regulatory agency has shown some leniency toward a recreational marijuana store in Anchorage that was charged with violating the law by handing out free samples before it had opened.

The mistake stalled the Arctic Herbery’s bid for a retail license, but the Alaska Marijuana Control Board is letting the store’s owner off with only a warning, the Peninsula Clarion reported.

The board decided Thursday not to prosecute Bryant Thorp for the first alleged violation of the state’s commercial marijuana rules, according to the newspaper.

Thorp told the board he had discovered some personal marijuana as he

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Rec cannabis store gets warning for potential violation of Alaska rules is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Alcohol beverage giant Constellation eyes cannabis

The giant beverage company that owns Corona beer and Svedka vodka is considering entering the cannabis industry via MJ-laced libations, a sign that other big players in the alcohol business may eye cannabis as an opportunity rather than a threat.

Constellation Brands CEO Rob Sands confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg that his corporation is “looking at” the marijuana trade. “There are going to be alcoholic beverages that will also contain cannabis,” he observed.

Sands added that it only makes sense for companies like his to get into a market that is expected to rival the salty snacks sector in

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Alcohol beverage giant Constellation eyes cannabis is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Another Canadian medical marijuana firm licensed to export

Aphria, a federally licensed medical marijuana cultivator in Canada, has been chosen to export product to Australian biotech company Medlab Clinical.
Medlab Clinical is conducting trials on the use of cannabis to manage pain in cancer patients, accordi…