MMJ Business Daily

Partnerships Present Promise, Peril for Expansion-Minded Marijuana Companies

By Omar Sacirbey

As the marijuana industry grows and new markets come online, many cannabis businesses are looking to expand outside their home states and develop far-reaching brands.

Doing so often involves hooking up with an in-state partner, given that many marijuana markets have implemented some type of residency requirement for ownership or investment, while others at least favor companies with a local connection when granting business licenses.

But figuring out whether or when you need a partner can be complicated, as can ensuring a smooth relationship once a deal is inked.

Hawaii, for example, allows out-of-state entrepreneurs to own

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Partnerships Present Promise, Peril for Expansion-Minded Marijuana Companies is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Pennsylvania Poised to Legalize Medical Marijuana

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a medical marijuana legalization bill by a 149-43 vote late Wednesday afternoon, putting it on the path to become the 24th state with legalized medical cannabis.

Because it was amended in the House of Representatives, the bill must now return where it started, in the state Senate, which could take it up as early as Monday. The Senate version of the bill passed that chamber 40-7 in a vote last May, but it’s not clear how members feel about the amended version.

Gov. Tom Wolf has urged the legislature repeatedly to legalize

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Pennsylvania Poised to Legalize Medical Marijuana is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Cannabis Businesses Respond to Obama’s SCOTUS Nominee

After President Barack Obama announced his choice for the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, a number of marijuana industry executives and stakeholders weighed in, saying Judge Merrick Garland looked like a positive choice for the cannabis trade.

Several focused on a statement Garland reportedly made in 2012, when he suggested that federal judges should rely on the opinions of scientists when evaluating scientific matters. That attitude could extend to cannabis, several executives said.

“While we can’t say for certain how he will be on the Bench if his nomination is accepted, Garland appears to be a safe choice

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Cannabis Businesses Respond to Obama’s SCOTUS Nominee is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Alaska Releases MJ Business Applicant List

Nearly 200 marijuana business licenses applications have been submitted in Alaska since the state opened its application process on Feb. 24, according to a state list.

As of March 14, there were 47 retail dispensary applications, 89 “standard cultivation site” applications, 42 “limited cultivation site” applications, eight applications for concentrate production facilities, six applications for product manufacturing facilities, and three testing site applications. That’s a grand total of 195 applications.

Many applicants made multiple submissions.

There is no cap on how many licenses will be awarded, and no application deadline. Instead, the board will accept applications on a

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Alaska Releases MJ Business Applicant List is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Dispensary Raids Ramping Up Across Michigan

In the past week, law enforcement raids against Michigan medical cannabis dispensaries have been ramping up, and storefronts all across the state have been targeted.

In total, at least 16 dispensaries have been hit by various law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, multiple sheriff’s offices and the Michigan State Police. All of the raids are tied to allegations that the dispensaries were knowingly selling cannabis to individuals who were not registered MMJ patients.

The raids began last Thursday, in northern Michigan, where a dozen dispensaries were raided in two counties, according to MLive.com. At

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Dispensary Raids Ramping Up Across Michigan is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Cannabis Industry Awaits Ruling in Long-Running Lawsuit Over Federal Preemption

By Omar Sacirbey

Arizona attorney Steven White is leaving the legal profession to concentrate on his marijuana business, but he’s fighting perhaps the biggest battle of his career before moving on.

White argued his last case on March 3 in a lawsuit pitting his client – plaintiff White Mountain Heath Center of Sun City, Arizona – against Maricopa County, which is trying to prevent the dispensary from opening.

The outcome of the case has national implications that could reverberate across not only Arizona, but also every state with legalized medical or recreational marijuana.

If White Mountain loses, the ruling could set a

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Cannabis Industry Awaits Ruling in Long-Running Lawsuit Over Federal Preemption is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Washington Governor Vetoes Hemp Farming Bill

Upset over not receiving a state budget from lawmakers, Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee last week vetoed a raft of 27 bills that had been sent to his desk, including a bipartisan measure in support of hemp farming.
The bill, which sailed through the l…

California Court Ruling Could Halt MMJ Deliveries in LA

In a ruling that could adversely affect hundreds of medical marijuana businesses in Los Angeles, a three-judge panel of the state’s Second District Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling to block an MMJ delivery smartphone app.

The judges agreed that marijuana deliveries violate Proposition D, a voter-approved law that limits the number of medical cannabis dispensaries in Los Angeles. The ruling could provide the city with all the ammo its needs to target other MMJ delivery services in the city.

The lawsuit involved Los Angeles-based Nestdrop, which offers an app that helps medical cannabis patients order home delivery

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California Court Ruling Could Halt MMJ Deliveries in LA is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Detroit Council Enacts Dispensary Fees of Nearly $4k

Any of the medical cannabis caregiver centers in Detroit proper that survive the ongoing licensing process will have to pony up almost $4,000 in fees to the city, under new rules approved by the city council.

Licensing and inspection fees will be a new experience for Detroit dispensaries; until now, they’ve operated almost completely without any government oversight. But under the new rules, any business applying for a license during the only permitting window available – the month of March – will have to pay $1,470 just to apply for a license, and then a $2,276

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Detroit Council Enacts Dispensary Fees of Nearly $4k is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Ohio Medical Cannabis Initiative Needs Work, Says AG

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has declined to give the green light to a constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana, stating that the summary language was not a fair or truthful reflection of the proposal.

In a statement, DeWine cited three problems with the “Medical Use of Marijuana” proposal by Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, a group backed by the Marijuana Policy Project.

Number one, DeWine wrote, the summary language of the proposal states that not more than 15 medical marijuana cultivation facility licenses will be issued, but the proposed amendment has provisions for issuing

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Ohio Medical Cannabis Initiative Needs Work, Says AG is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs