Rep. Melanie Morgan Accused Of Silencing BIPOC Cannabis Businesses, Circle K Weed Sales In Question & More

Weed Sales At Circle K Stations In Question

Florida may not allow medical marijuana patients to buy cannabis at certain gas stations, as it was announced last week. The state’s Health Department told the Washington Examiner that state regulators have not approved the deal between multi-state cannabis operator Green Thumb Industries Inc GTBIF and Alimentation Couche-Tard ANCTF Circle K, a convenience store chain.

Under the announced deal, Green Thumb would sell licensed cannabis at Circle K gasoline retailers in Florida. Financial terms between the two parties weren’t disclosed, but it was noted that Green Thumb would lease space from Circle K locations, and the sales would start in 2023 at 10 of the company’s 600 locations in the Sunshine State.

With Florida having only legal medical marijuana, sales would be limited to residents with MMJ cards, which is about 700,000 people.

"This project has not been approved by the State," the department said. "Florida has never approved a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center to operate out of a gas station."

This doesn’t mean that the plan is out of the question. The deal could “certainly be approved” if it is compliant with the statute and current rules, according to Sally Peebles, Jacksonville-based partner at the national cannabis law firm Vicente Sederberg and co-chair of the state’s Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee, writes Green Market Report.

“Real estate is the most expensive part of an MMTC’s operations, and if a company can figure how to compliantly utilize an existing building that already has foot traffic directed to it and would also be convenient to patients, then it would be a savvy smart move,” Peebles said. “I imagine some construction would still be needed and some retrofitting to adhere to the vast security requirements that MMTCs are subject to, but not an impossible lift.”

WA Rep. Melanie Morgan Accused Of Silencing BIPOC Cannabis Business Owners

Washington Representative Melanie Morgan (D-Parkland) could be facing allegations that she obstructed social equity efforts in the cannabis Task Force, reported Local Today. As per an independent investigation, Morgan took secret actions to silence BIPOC business owners. 

First, Morgan was accused of abusive and bullying behavior by a Task Force employee, which resulted in a state House of Representatives-ordered investigation into workplace misbehavior. 

Mike Asai of Black Excellence in Cannabis has been monitoring the task force since its launch, as it was supposed to carry out actions that are important to him. Asai, one of the first medical cannabis retailers in downtown Seattle, has been attempting to acquire a new license for six years. At the moment, there are no black-owned pharmacies in the city of Seattle, which is why the question has been raised in the task force's recent work. 

“What you have here is the illusion of inclusion,” Asai said, “of thinking you have a black representative who is for the black community. But it is the illusion.”

Per the report, Morgan shut down a chat box that was used for online communication between the community and the task force, seeing it as a “distraction.” 

According to Asai, this was a way to silence the community. 

Furthermore, Morgan was accused of often canceling the meeting to slow down the work of the task force.

King 5 reached out to Morgan, who called the report “misleading, politically motivated” and “incomplete.” The representative confirmed she has appealed. 

Alabama Medical Marijuana Regulators Plan To Enable Law Enforcement To Track Products From ‘Seed To Sale’

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) launched business applications Monday, offering instructions for the new medical marijuana program, reported 1819 news.

Some law enforcement agencies previously expressed concerns about its policing procedures in relation to the program, but it appears that AMMC has their back. The Commission’s external affairs director Brittany Peters said that there is a plan to implement systems that would allow law enforcement to track the entire medical marijuana process from “seed to sale.” 

"The Commission is and will continue to work closely with state and local law enforcement agencies to ensure that they are knowledgeable about Alabama's medical cannabis program and have access to relevant information in the regulatory tracking systems maintained by the Commission," Peters told 1819 News.

"The statewide seed-to-sale tracking system allows the Commission to track cannabis throughout cultivation, transportation, processing, testing and dispensing of medical cannabis."

Peters added that the commission also intends to form a registry for tracking physician certifications, patient and caregiver registrations as well as medical marijuana cards, recommended daily dosages and the type of medical marijuana recommended.

Photo: Benzinga Edit; Sources: Wikimedia Commons, Pham Van Ninh and Add Weed on Unsplash