NY Gov. Hochul 'Fed Up' With Slow Marijuana Market Rollout While Maine And Delaware Seek To Loosen Weed Regulations

Washington State Seeks To Allocate Liquor And Cannabis Tax Revenue For Local Needs

A new legislative push from state Sen. Keith Wagoner (R), aims to provide cities and counties in Washington state with more money to cover costs of affordable housing and public safety. The funds would come from the state's liquor and cannabis tax revenues under the two recently announced bills, Senate Bill 5568 and Senate Bill 5404, reported The Center Square.

The move is prompted by a hearing on Senate Bill 5770 – conducted by the Democrats – that would triple the permissible growth rate of property taxes. The policy reform would lead to an increase in already record-high rents.

"My legislation would reject this cruel, unfair and regressive approach, and instead provide local governments with a larger share of the liquor and cannabis tax revenue they were intended to receive in the first place," Wagoner said in a press release.

Governor Hochul Expresses Frustration Over Slow Rollout Of New York Recreational Cannabis Market

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is frustrated with the slow rollout of the New York recreational cannabis market. Hochul is "very fed up with how long it is taking" for new businesses to get the green light to launch recreational cannabis sales, the governor said on Friday during a press conference at an event in Buffalo.

"My team got involved and said, ‘No, go back to the drawing board. Work harder. Get this done.' And no, I'm not satisfied with the pace," Hochul said.

This was prompted by the cancellation of a Cannabis Control Board (CCB) meeting on Wednesday and the fact that the regulators’ agenda for the gathering included the sign-off on three new licenses only, reported Spectrum News 1.

See also: Lawsuit Alleges Bias In New York Cannabis Equity Program, Lawyer Slams ‘Absurd And Offensive’ Claims

Maine Cannabis Stores Seek To Get Rid Of THC Label On Edibles

In the meantime, a new measure introduced in the Maine legislature seeks to eliminate a label on recreational marijuana products like edibles, that informs consumers they contain THC.

With the bill, Rep. David Boyer of Poland addresses concerns raised by some of the Maine cannabis store owners related to the THC labeling that is under current law mandatory for all adult-use edible cannabis products. They called the requirement unnecessary and excessive, as they have already included the symbol on each child-proof packaged product, reported WGME CBS 13.

"We don’t need the Office of Cannabis Policy to parent our children like that. We are more than capable with the symbol on the bag in the package saying that it contains THC," Scott Ouellette, the owner of Upta Camp Edible Company, said.

Now read: Maine To Allow Cannabis Advertising And Deliveries To Commercial Locations

Delaware House Greenlights Loosen Requirements For Medical Marijuana

State Rep. Edward Osienski's (D) House Bill 285 to amend the Delaware Medical Marijuana Act by removing the requirement that a patient has a debilitating medical condition to qualify for a medical marijuana card advanced through the state House on Thursday in a 26-10 vote, reported Cannabis Business Times.

Under the measure, health-care providers are allowed to determine whether a “patient has a diagnosed medical condition for which the patient would receive therapeutic or palliative benefit from the use of medical marijuana." Moreover, the bill would enable patients 65 and older to self-certify their qualifications for a medical cannabis card.

The legislation now heads to the Senate for a review.

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