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A federal judge in Oklahoma has ruled that a federal law prohibiting people who use marijuana from owning firearms is unconstitutional, the latest challenge to firearms regulations after the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority set new standards for reviewing the nation’s gun laws.
Lawyers for Jared Michael Harrison had argued that their client's Second Amendment right to bear arms was being violated by a federal law that makes it illegal for “unlawful users or addicts of controlled substances” to possess firearms.
Recently, lawsuits filed by out-of-state resident applicants seeking licensure in Oklahoma, Maine, and Missouri allege that these states’ durational residency requirements create discrimination by favoring in-state residents to the detriment of non-residents who are otherwise restricted from applying for a cannabis license if the state’s regulation requires that the applicant be a resident of the state for a certain period of time prior to submission of the application. As such, the non-resident plaintiffs have moved to bar those states, such as Missouri and Maine (Mark Toigo v.
Today, talk of legalization knows no bounds. Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have reportedly flirted with the idea of forming a "bloc" that will legalize adult-use marijuana at the same time and by imposing the same statutory scheme. Activists are pushing measures to put legalization on the ballot in 2020 in Arizona, Arkansas, Montana, and Oklahoma.
When it comes to state legalization – whether it’s medical or adult-use – there is either effort on the legislative front or at the ballot box (or in cases like New Jersey, the battle moves from one arena to the other).
Most people in the cannabis industry know Oklahoma is going through a Wild West phase right now. The state’s loose medical marijuana regulations have sparked a chaotic dispensary boom. As of last week, there were more than 1,600 dispensaries serving 161,000 registered MMJ patients.
Acreage Holdings has licenses in 17 states, of which 12 are operational, while the company has licenses to process in 12 states, seven of which are now in operation. The company has licenses to operate 68 retail dispensaries in 12 states, of which 21 are currently operational in 10 states. The Botanist is its retail concept designed to appeal to both adult use and medicinal consumers.
The move to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use has been shifting to conservative states like Oklahoma, North Dakota and Utah — a reflection of the country’s changing attitude toward the drug, which federal law classifies as an illegal narcotic.
When we look back, 2018 may be known as the year that marijuana legalization won.
If you’re like me and follow cannabis news on a daily basis, it’s easy to feel complacent and convince yourself that the fight for medical cannabis is over. After all, a constant barrage of overwhelming positive polls on the issue could make one think focus can finally be shifted toward recreational cannabis and changing federal law.
Going green has taken on a new meaning in the U.S. Thirty states plus the District of Columbia now allow legal use of medical marijuana. Eight of those states, along with D.C., also have legalized recreational use of marijuana. The numbers in both categories could be higher in the not-too-distant future.
Two states appear to be on course to legalize recreational marijuana in 2018. Another state could also join the ranks of those allowing legal use of medical marijuana. Here's what you need to know.
