Want To Buy A Cannabis Farm In Oklahoma? DOJ On Errors In Weed Arrest Data And Other Pot Reg Updates

As the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference returns to Chicago this September bringing together top CEOs, investors, leaders, advocates and politicians, let's scroll through the latest regulatory changes in the space.

Are Cannabis Lounges Becoming The Norm?

Missourians interested in coming together and enjoying their weed without the stigma or legal restrictions in a safe and social environment could soon do that in St Louis, reported KSDK.

The city will soon weigh in on cannabis lounges, the government's legislative leader said Tuesday. Recreational marijuana sales in the Show-Me State launched in 2023.

Aldermanic president Megan Green touted the economic benefits of such a move, calling it a "boom for the city." Marijuana sales launched in 2023, while medical cannabis sales have been underway since late 2020.

"If St. Louis is a little more lax in regulations and allows more of the cannabis industry to take hold here, it means that not only people from across the state may come, but perhaps tourism from other states like Illinois, where people are looking for products that are lower cost than in their state."

In Nevada, where some cannabis businesses have already been granted a conditional license for cannabis lounges by the state regulator, three more marijuana enterprises got the same chance, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Earlier this week, the Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) gave the green light to Deep Roots Harvest and Global Harmony, which operate Las Vegas cannabis stores, as well as KV Group in the southern Nevada town of Pahrump, to run marijuana lounges.

Former Illicit Marijuana Farm In Oklahoma Up For Auction

Meanwhile, those looking to own their own cannabis farm can buy one in Oklahoma. A former illicit marijuana farm in Johnston County will go on the auction next month, reported The Oklahoman.

On Tuesday, The Johnston County Sheriff's Office revealed that an opening bid of $755.006 on a 19.24-acre lot near Coleman will kick off an online auction that will last from Sept. 11 to Sept. 13.

"We're looking to find buyers who will take ownership of this property and use it responsibly, which was certainly not happening under the previous owners," Johnston County Sheriff Gary Dodd said.

Texas University Police Won't Arrest Those In Weed Possession

Law enforcement is cutting some slack for those possessing small amounts of marijuana, according to College Station's KBTX.

The news station reported that the Texas A&M University Police Department notified the Board of Regents about their recently changed approach to marijuana enforcement.

Instead of arresting those possessing marijuana, UPD will confiscate the marijuana and let go the person if they have less than two ounces and are non-violent, UPD chief Mike Johnson told the Regents earlier this month. After that, the police will take the case for review to the Brazos County Attorney's Office.

"I think that's best for those that are involved, especially when we have so many students coming from different areas where it is not a crime for them to possess certain amounts of marijuana, so they get here and it's a different concept for them and they're trying to grasp that and we're trying to work through that with them," Johnson said.

DOJ Says FBI Should Investigate Potential Errors In Cannabis Arrest Data

After more than a year, an attorney received a response from the Justice Department watchdog regarding a letter detailing concerns about FBI data collection and reporting methods for marijuana possession arrests. The response finally came, suggesting that the FBI should investigate the matter internally.

"We have determined that the matters that you raised are more appropriate for review by another office within the DOJ," the department's s Office of the Inspector General replied earlier last week.

Moreover, a spokesperson for the OIG told Marijuana Moment to contact "the FBI for any further questions on this topic."

Eric Sterling, an attorney and appointed member of the Montgomery County, Maryland Policing Advisory Commission, sent a letter to the Justice Department's Inspector General some 14 months ago requesting an investigation of "wasteful misconduct" by the FBI. In the letter, he noted that the FBI requires police departments to "wrongfully and inaccurately characterize important law enforcement data, and to publish false and misleading data about a very large and important class of police activity, arrests for marijuana violations."

He emphasized that the instructions in the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System manual are unclear as it doesn't distinguish between civil violations and criminal arrests.

For example, the Maryland State Police (MSP) still reports the issuance of fines for possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis as an arrest, even though it is a civil infraction and not punishable by arrest or incarceration.

The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, the place where deals get done, is returning to Chicago this Sept 27-28 for its 17th edition. Get your tickets today before prices increase and secure a spot at the epicenter of cannabis investment and branding.

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