White House Working On Cannabis Pardons, Las Vegas Consumption Lounges & More Industry Updates

White House Is Working On Cannabis Pardon Certificate Application

The White House is examining a draft application form for marijuana pardons certificates. President Biden promised this past October he will pardon all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession.

"No one should be in jail just for using marijuana," Biden said at the time.

More than 6,500 individuals with prior convictions for simple weed possession are supposed to be impacted by the pardons and thousands more to be pardoned under D.C. law.

While the relief was automatic, industry advocates fought for applications that individuals can use to get certificates as proof of granted clemency, reported Marijuana Moment.

“The application asks applicants to confirm that the petitioner is U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident who was lawfully in the country at the time the marijuana offense occurred; the alien registration or citizenship number of a lawful permanent resident or naturalized citizen applicant; information regarding the specific court in which the applicant was charged or convicted and the date of said conviction, if any; information regarding the applicant’s race, gender, and ethnicity; identifying information regarding the applicant’s date and place of birth; and documentation of the applicant’s charge or convictions,” reads the official notice.  

Las Vegas Greenlights Cannabis Consumption Lounges Regulations

The Las Vegas City Council green-lighted marijuana consumption lounge rules reported MJBiz Daily. The board said yes to a few new provisions that are slightly loosening the strict rules.

So, even though the council lept a 1,000-foot buffer between consumption lounges, which is something industry leaders and advocates have been opposing, it added an option for businesses to obtain a waiver from the city council to bypass the measure.

Other restrictions that were approved by Mayor Carolyn Goodman and other board members include a 300-foot buffer between weed consumption lounges and city parks, places of worship, public recreation facilities, and family/group-care service providers. These loungers can’t be located in the city’s casino, resort or medical districts.

First Pot Smoking Lounge In Maryland Launches

The Ceylon House in Burtonsville, Montgomery County is billing itself as the first cannabis lounge in Maryland. The idea behind it is having something like a bar to unwind with friends, but instead of alcohol and other beverages, customers can enjoy some ganja, writes Fox 5.

"I also have problems, back problems. So we figured it’d be a nice place to sit down and meet people," says customer Linda Biddy, who along with her friend Karen Holland, is a registered medical marijuana patient. They visited the lounge on Wednesday.

"We’ll come in and sit down and relax," Holland said at the Ceylon House.

Virginia Cannabis Control Authority Worried About Budget Cuts

Virginia regulators want the new Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to be in charge of the state’s medical marijuana program, writes Virginia Mercury. Lawmakers would like to see stricter rules on weed-related advertising.

Unfortunately, that authority was challenged by recent budget cuts approved last month by the Republican-controlled House of Delegates.

Chief administrative officer Jamie Patten told policymakers they are worried about budget cuts and “what it would mean to us being able to operate.”

Photo: Benzinga edit with images by succo, ganjaspliffstoreuk on Pixabay