Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana.

We bring you an update on Virginia and New Jersey.  New bills appear in New Mexico and Minnesota.  Lawsuits hover over the rollout of legalized marijuana in South Dakota and Mississippi.  Will an amendment banning future legalization succeed in Idaho? Democratic Senate leaders express support for federal legalization.  And finally, Martha Stewart promotes her CBD products for pets.

virginia

Adult-use legalization bills advanced out of both House and Senate committees this week.  That sets up a floor vote today.  Assuming the bills pass, a bicameral conference committee would then sort out the differences in the bills.  This looks promising for proponents of legalization, but one should not count ones’ chickens before they’re hatched.

new jersey

Which brings us to New Jersey.  Back in November, a legalization ballot measure passed easily.  And then, the legislature started the process of enacting legislation, which so far, has gone nowhere.  The latest development involves a vote on a clean-up bill dealing with underage possession.  Further bulletins as events warrant.

new mexico

Momentum is on the side of legalization in the Land of Enchantment.  Five bills could appear this term, and the Governor is strongly in favor of adult use.  Voters also support some form of legalization or decriminalization.

minnesota

The road to legalization looks a bit rockier in Minnesota.  House Democrats began a campaign this week to pass legislation, although the Republican-controlled Senate seems unlikely to go along.  Partly a response to legalization in South Dakota, and partly out of concern for social justice issues, Democrats say marijuana is coming.  Republicans say the focus should be on recovering from COVID.

lawsuits

Speaking of South Dakota, even after a successful ballot initiative, the courts can still get involved.  A judge heard oral argument this week on whether the ballot initiative passed in November is unconstitutional.  There’s no timeline for a ruling, and the case is ultimately expected to wind up in the state’s Supreme Court.  Meanwhile, the Mississippi Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on overturning the medical marijuana ballot initiative on April 14.

idaho

Perhaps a more efficient way for opponents to prevent legalization is to make it illegal.  As we’re reported before, an Idaho state Senator seeks to do just that.  The state Senate passed Senator Grow’s measure on Wednesday.  It now goes to the state House.  And yes, we’ve noticed the irony of the sponsor’s last name.

federal legalization

Now that Democrats control the U.S. Senate, will federal legalization happen?  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) hope so.  Stating that the “war on drugs is a war on people,” the three promise legislation in a matter of weeks.

and finally

As regular readers will doubtless recall, Martha Stewart recently released a line of CBD gummies pâte de fruit.  But why should humans have all the fun?  Now, her dogs can enjoy as well.

Stay safe and be well everyone – we’ll see you next week!

Marijuana Today Daily Headlines
Tuesday, February 2, 2021 | Curated by host Shea Gunther

// Three US senators announce plans for major federal marijuana reform (Marijuana Business Daily)

// Virginia Marijuana Legalization Bills Sail Though Committees As Key Friday Deadline Nears (Marijuana Moment)

// Black entrepreneurs are underrepresented in Michigan’s recreational marijuana industry (Detroit Metro Times)

These headlines are brought to you by Curaleaf, one of the leading vertically-integrated cannabis operators in the U.S. With legal medical and adult use marijuana dispensaries, cultivation sites, and processing facilities all over the United States, Curaleaf has served more than 350,000 medical cannabis patients and looks forward to helping many more long into the future. Swing over to Curaleaf.com to learn more about this very cool company!

// Top Minnesota Lawmakers File Marijuana Legalization Bill For 2021 (Marijuana Moment)

// West Virginia awards medical cannabis dispensary licenses many to MSOs (Marijuana Business Daily)

// Biden’s USDA Takes First Meeting With Hemp Industry To Learn About Market Needs (Marijuana Moment)

// Arizona’s new recreational cannabis firms see strong sales possible supply issues on horizon (Marijuana Business Daily)

// New Jersey Lawmakers Approve Clean-Up Marijuana Bill To Resolve Governor’s Underage Concerns (Marijuana Moment)

// Idaho Lawmakers Approve Resolution That Would Quash 2022 Marijuana Legalization Initiatives (Marijuana Moment)

// Oregon first U.S. state to decriminalize possession of hard drugs (CTV News (AP))

Check out our other projects: • Marijuana Today— Our flagship title, a weekly podcast examining the world of marijuana business and activism with some of the smartest people in the industry and movement. • Marijuana Media Connect— A service that connects industry insiders in the legal marijuana industry with journalists, bloggers, and writers in need of expert sources for their stories.

Love these headlines? Love our podcast? Support our work with a financial contribution and become a patron.

Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Can Minnesota finally legalize recreational cannabis this year?