Massachusetts lawmakers have approved compromise legislation to legalize recreational marijuana use and sales in the Commonwealth. The bill has been sent to Governor Baker, who is expected to sign it. The new law would make a number of changes to the recreational marijuana law that voters approved in a referendum last November, (see Opportunities and Risks...
As the prospect of legalized recreational marijuana nears for Commonwealth residents, some serious attention needs to be given to the unique issues Massachusetts-based marijuana businesses will face in the coming years and months. On top of strict regulations, legislative uncertainty, and limited access to banking, taxpayers in this industry must contend with some unique federal...
Marvin Washington, a former National Football League player, and others have filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York City against Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the acting head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Charles Rosenberg. Other plaintiffs include two children who use medical marijuana, an Iraqi war veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder, and...
In May 2017, we reported on Callaghan v. Darlington Fabrics and the Moore Company, a Rhode Island Superior Court decision that applied workplace anti-discrimination protections to medical marijuana users. Massachusetts has now joined the club. In Barbuto v. Advantage Sales and Marketing LLC, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has concluded that the Commonwealth’s general anti-discrimination law, M.G.L....
The Rhode Island House Committee on Judiciary has recommended passage of a revised bill recommending a study commission for marijuana legalization. The former bill was sent back to the Committee last week as the composition of the proposed commission was considered by some to be too “anti-marijuana.” The revised bill, H 5551 Substitute A4, would add...
Legalization of recreational marijuana in Rhode Island will not happen in 2017, as the Rhode Island House Committee on Judiciary has approved a bill recommending a study commission for marijuana legalization. The bill, H 5551 Substitute A2, would create a 17 member Special Legislative Commission to study the effects of legalizing recreational marijuana use on residents...
NASCAR reportedly stripped the logo of Veedverks, a Colorado based medical marijuana company, off of the hood of driver Carl Long’s car last week. NASCAR claims that the logo did not receive prior approval as is required under NASCAR rules. The situation illustrates the difficulty that marijuana companies are having promoting their brands in ways...
There are only a few lenders willing to finance activities in the marijuana industry, largely because marijuana is considered an illegal drug under federal law. As most banks are federally insured, loans provided to those in the marijuana industry are not likely to be insured. With banks unable or unwilling to take the chance, private...
Heads of three RI state agencies have sent a letter to the RI House Judiciary Committee, supporting a bill that would create a 15 member study commission to make recommendations to the General Assembly about the legalization of recreational marijuana use by March 1, 2018. Bills to legalize marijuana use in RI have failed in...
Although the heads of 3 RI state agencies have requested a commission to study recreational marijuana legalization, a representative for Governor Raimondo said the governor has not closed the door to the possibility of legal marijuana in the 2017 session. “The governor’s primary concerns are safety and proper regulation, and she will give strong consideration...
