Washington Weed Companies In Hot Water Over DDT Use, Alabama's Cannabis Licensing & More Reg Updates

Lawsuits In Alabama Seek To Delay Cannabis Licensing Announcement

On Monday, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission will announce the companies that have been chosen to manufacture, test, transport and distribute cannabis under the 2021 law.

Out of 90 applicants qualified by the commission, roughly a quarter must be at least 51% owned by individuals of African American, Native American, Hispanic or Asian descent.

Brittany Peters, a spokesperson for the commission, told AL.com in an email the number of social equity applicants is higher, or roughly one-third of those qualified for the license.

The commission "will satisfy the minority criteria set by the statute," Peters wrote. "If this cannot be accomplished in the current offering of licenses, then a future offering of licenses may be necessary."

However, Alabama Daily News reported that a possible applicant has sought an injunction from two courts to delay the announcement.

Redbud Remedies was among three organizations to bring a lawsuit against the commission this year, claiming that file-size restrictions on the agency's online application portal caused their documents to be discarded. The other two applicants Med Shop Dispensary and Thera True Alabama had their applications considered by the commission following Montgomery Circuit Judge James Anderson ruling in April. Redbud Remedies didn't.

In May, the company appealed to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. Last week it requested the court for an emergency stay in the selection of dispensary licenses. Redbud Remedies also filed a motion for injunction pending an appeal filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court.

Unapproved Pesticide Found In Washington State Marijuana Farms & Facilities

The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) temporarily shut down several outdoor cannabis farms and processing facilities in north-central Washington earlier this year after tests showed high levels of chemicals related to DDT/DDE, a pesticide that was banned in the US in 1972.

Some two months following the move, the state cannabis regulator said that cannabis licenses are situated in the "five-mile stretch of land along the south end of the Okanogan River and north of Lake Pateros," reported Marijuana Business Daily. Eighteen cannabis licensees are located in that area, it was revealed at a June 7 LCB meeting.

Moreover, based on results that LCB has received for 97 out of 124 samples of water, marijuana foliage, oil and rosin from the north-central area of the state, over half show detectable levels of DDE.

Regulators lifted the ban on one business, with four remaining on administrative hold.

This Michigan City Poised To Vote On Rec Cannabis Sales: Anti-Marijuana Push In Riverview

A group of anti-marijuana activists in Michigan is seeking to overturn an ordinance approved in December by a city council that would allow marijuana businesses to open in Riverview, reported Detroit Metro Times.

Riverview's residents may soon be presented with a ballot proposal to ban cannabis sales after their elected leaders have already approved of such sales.

Let Riverview Vote, an initiative led by former Riverview Councilman Elmer Trombley, submitted 580 signatures to include their issue on the August 8 ballot - a time when voter turnout is usually low.

Québec Cannabis Industry's Consistent Growth Thanks To SQDC

The Société québécoise du Cannabis (SQDC), a government corporation that directs the distribution and sales of cannabis in Québec, reported total sales of $601.9 million in fiscal 2022-2023 in contrast with the $600.5 million in the prior fiscal year, reported Green Market Report.

Following four years of continuous broadening of its sales infrastructure, the SQDC declared it has now reached a level of steady progress.

"From both a volume and a dollar standpoint, the company's sales remained stable in comparison to the preceding fiscal year, this despite the addition of 10 new stores, bringing the number of points of sale in operation to 97 on March 25, 2023, and 98 today," the company said in a statement.

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