Cannabis Regulatory Update: Californians Can Soon Buy Weed At Farmers Markets, New Legalization Efforts In MO, SD & TX

Missouri Veterans Commission Receives $5M From Medical Cannabis Program,

The Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services recently announced that it’s giving some $5 million to the Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC).

The move represents the third transfer of funds to the organization, as per a press release. Currently, the organization's fund totals $13,978,820.

“We are happy to see the veterans served by MVC continue to benefit from these contributions,” Lyndall Fraker, director of the section of Medical Marijuana Regulation with DHSS said earlier this month.

Missourians can buy cannabis in over 180 dispensaries, representing a 20% increase from last fall, Fraker added.

"MVC will use these new funds for increasing support for Missouri veterans and veteran operations across seven facilities statewide,” said Paul Kirchhoff, executive director of Missouri Veterans Commission.

An additional scheduled transfer is expected this fall.

Sacramento Came Up With A Win-Win Solution For Affordable Housing & Busted Growers 

The property owner in Sacramento, CA, who gets busted for running an illegal marijuana operation now has an opportunity to donate the house to Habitat for Humanity, instead of paying penalties.

The  program, Justice for Neighbors and oversseen by the Sacramento City Attorney’s Office, was launched in 2006. It's goal is to target what they call “major physical and criminal nuisances that degrade the quality of life in the City’s neighborhoods.”

Under the program, the house is redesigned and offered to a family in need that can buy the property with a 30-year fixed rate at 0% interest mortgage, KRCA 3 writes.

“Strip it all back down to the studs, and then from there, we rebuild,” said Leah Miller, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento. “We’re going to redo the siding; we’re going to put in new installation, new electrical, new drywall. Everything in here is going to be brand new.”

So far, the two houses have gone through the process of remodeling while the third home in South Sacramento is currently under reconstruction.

“This program is a great example of the city thinking outside the box,” said Emilio Camacho,  Sacramento's senior deputy city attorney .

Bill To Allow Sale Of Cannabis Products At CA Farmers Markets Advances Through Legislature, Next Stop Assembly Chamber

A proposed bill that will allow cannabis growers in California to sell their cannabis products at licensed events, such as farmer markets was advanced in the state assembly last week, reported Eater LA.

Assembly Bill 2691, sponsored by Assm. Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa) was approved by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee in April.

It has passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee and is heading to the Assembly Chamber and then the Senate before reaching Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

Under the measure, cannabis cultivators will be allowed to sell at eight farmer markets per year, if, of course, fulfill all requirements, such as state cultivation license and valid local license, and permit, to name a few. 

South Dakotans To Decide This Fall On Ballot Measure Legalizing Recreational Cannabis

South Dakota Secretary of State added Initiated Measure 27 to the list of ballot questions for the November 2022 election on Wednesday, providing the voters with yet another chance to weigh in on the legal status of recreational marijuana, reported KELOLAND.

Representatives from South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML) confirmed earlier this month, that they have garnered the necessary number of signatures to place the measure before the voters this fall.

“We are very pleased that we’ve qualified for the ballot and we are extremely thankful to everyone who signed our petitions, our volunteers, our staff and our supporters,” SDBML Director Matthew Schweich said. “We look forward to being on the ballot in November and we’re confident we can win again and restore the will of the people of South Dakota.”

SDBML proposes to legalize the personal use, possession, and cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and older. Unlike in 2020, when the organization proposed a Constitution amendment, the organization is using an initiated measure. In order to qualify the measure for the ballot, they must collect 17,000 signatures of registered voters.

Texas Cannabis Activists Land Another Victory

Cannabis activists in Texas said on Wednesday that they have garnered enough signatures to qualify a cannabis decriminalization initiative for the local November ballot in Killeen.

The move comes on the heels of Ground Game Texas’s latest successful effort – a decriminalization bill that Austin voters greenlighted earlier this month.

For Killeen, Ground Game Texas political director Mike Siegel told Marijuana Moment that the campaign had collected over 2,400 signatures and 1,400 have already been pre-verified.

In a quickly growing and thriving community like Killeen, there’s no excuse for the continued over-policing and incarceration of community members for marijuana use,” Julie Oliver, executive director of Ground Game Texas said in a press release. “On the heels of voters approving our similar initiative in Austin last week, we’re proud to give Killeen voters the same opportunity to end enforcement of marijuana offenses—which disproportionally hurts diverse communities like Killeen.”

Photo: Courtesy of Tim Foster on Unsplash