Wisconsin City Reduces Weed Fines As Sen. Agard Pushes Legalization, NY College's Cannabis Courses & More

Maryland's Weed Businesses Get Chance For Grants Ahead Of Market Launch

With Maryland recreational cannabis sales scheduled to launch in July, state officials said they started accepting applications for grants ranging from $25,000-$50,000 that will ease the conversion of existing medical marijuana businesses into dual licensees, reported Marijuana Moment.

The Department of Commerce will also start taking additional applications for grants and loans to support social equity licensees as of August 1 by providing capital to start businesses and cover operational costs.

The recently set up Cannabis Business Assistance Loan/Grant Fund (CBAF) will back Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by covering costs for "cannabis-related programs" focused on business development.

Applications will be considered up to June 30 on a rolling basis. Some requirements stipulate that a business applying for a grant needs to have up to 50 employees as of May 1 and to be at least 51 percent "owned by individuals whose personal net worth does not exceed $1.7 million," according to DOC.

Taking Your Cannabis Knowledge To The Next Level: Here's What A NY Community College Has To Offer

Over the past year, Clinton Community College (CCC), a member unit of the State University of New York, has rolled out three brand-new certifications for students over 18 who want to pursue a profession in cannabis or to obtain increased knowledge.

CCC's three certificate courses cover various topics related to the industry. They include manufacturing, job skills for working in dispensaries and advanced skills to become a cultivation technician, as reported Press-Republican.

"It's something that is easier for a community college to jump into quicker than a four-year school because, you know, we're in workforce development here, and workforce development seems to be flexible and move quickly when this type of training comes around," said Angela Kelley, community and workforce specialist at CCC.

Pasco, WA First In Tri-Cities To Lift Marijuana Retail Ban

On Monday, the Pasco City Council reversed its prohibition on retail cannabis sales in a  4-3 vote, making it the first municipality in the area to do so through a zoning change, reported Tri-City Herald.

After a decade of tireless effort by citizen activists and local entrepreneurs, the city of 80,000 finally accepted a vote easing restrictive government regulations on marijuana.

Wisconsin City Reduces Fines For Marijuana Possession

A Wisconsin city will substantially reduce fines for marijuana possession, reported Kenosha News.

On Monday night, the Kenosha City Council voted 10-7 to modify how the municipality hands out fines for first-time offenders possessing a small amount of marijuana.

A related resolution was passed that significantly reduces the bond of those detained.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Melissa Agard continues to advocate for cannabis legalization. She recently stopped in Eau Claire on her Grass Routes Tour to talk about some of the harms of marijuana prohibition. In previous appearances, she called Wisconsin an "island of prohibition."

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