Cannabis Reg. Update: Veterans Employed In Marijuana Industry Eligible For Home Loan Benefits, Oklahomans To Vote On Legalization This Fall & More

Oklahoma Advocates Turn Over Signatures, Statewide Vote On Legal Marijuana This Fall

Oklahomans might finally get to decide on marijuana legalization this fall as advocates have turned in over 164,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office to place the initiative on the November ballot, reported U.S.News.

Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws submitted far more than approximately 95,000 they need to qualify State Question 820 for the ballot.

Keeping in mind the extra signatures, campaign advisor Ryan Kiesel, said that it’s “very unlikely that there's a credible challenge to our process that could delay this."

If and once approved by voters, marijuana use will be legal for adults over 21 to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis and to cultivate up to six mature plants and six seedlings for personal use. 

Veterans Employed In Marijuana Industry Eligible For Home Loan Benefits, Lenders Concerned About Cannabis Prohibition

On the heels of newly published documents by the House Appropriations Committee which address hemp manufacturing, CBD advertising and home loan benefits for veterans employed in legal marijuana markets,  medical cannabis research for veterans and alternative treatments for PTSD such as psychedelics, the VA said military veterans are eligible to receive home loan benefits even if their income is from a state-legal cannabis business.

Still, the department warned in a memo on Monday, that some lenders may refuse to issue loans to veterans who use marijuana, touting instability in the cannabis industry due to federal prohibition as the main reason.

“It may be difficult for lenders to establish the stability and reliability of Veterans’ income derived from marijuana-related industries,” the memo said. “As such, lenders may find it problematic to rely on such income when underwriting VA-guaranteed loans.”

However, due to hemp being federally legal, veterans who work with it should not be affected when applying for loans.

“Income from employment in industries that are not prohibited at the federal level, such as the legal hemp industry, is not problematic for underwriting purposes,” the memo stipulates.

California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Reveals Enforcement For Illegal Cannabis Growing Season

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the Dept. of Cannabis Control and the State Water Resource Board have teamed up to authorize enforcement teams for the 2022 cannabis growing season.

Their mission is to tackle illicit cannabis cultivation that affects water resources as well as harms sensitive habitats leading to drought conditions.

“California’s streams, which are common victims of illegal water diversions, play an important role in ecosystem biodiversity and habitat value, the press release published on Wednesday said. “Tributary streams are often critical in providing clear, cold water for larger waterways. Many sensitive aquatic species such as southern torrent salamanders, coastal tailed frogs, steelhead, and coho salmon rely on these tributaries in the late summer months to maintain water quality and temperatures necessary for survival.”

Over the past four years, CDFW in collaboration with its partners destroyed more than 19.2 million illegal cannabis plants and 918,591 pounds of illegally processed cannabis statewide.

Benzinga photo. Source: Image from Shutterstock