Business

We have been covering the proposed marijuana legalization bill in Vermont very closely this legislative session, so you can imagine my disappointment when this letter came to my inbox today, stating that Vermont Governor Phil Scott vetoes legalization bill.Governor Scott states that he want to get this right and that perhaps they need to move a little bit slower on this issue in both his letter and his press conference.

According to data from the last three years recently published in the 2017 Marijuana Business Factbook, the average startup cost for a large-scale wholesale cannabis grow-op is $42 per square foot.  However, the actual startup costs also end up varying based on a number of factors. Outdoor and combination methods of cultivation tend to cost between $10 and $17 per square foot, and greenhouse grow setups average at $50 per square foot.

Although the cannabis industry is weathering through some tough times with the current administration in the U.S., the election last November made it clear that this moment and industry is only going one way with the public: forward.  This was pronounced even further by a recent study done by Marijuana Business Daily, where it was discovered that, if the U.S. government legalized marijuana federally, legal marijuana sales could be even bigger than ice cream!As reported by Forbes:Annual ice cream sales are only $5.1 billion. Total recreational cannabis sales in the U.S.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions directs prosecutors to seek toughest drug charges, harshest practices of the drug war.  How will cannabis industry professionals respond to Jeff Sessions memo?In a two-page memo sent to more than 5,000 assistant U.S. attorneys across the country and all assistant AGs in Washington, the policy orders prosecutors to “charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense.”The tough approach had fallen out of favor in recent years with a bipartisan movement to undo the damaging effects of mass incarceration.

To give law enforcement the upper hand when combating hooligans, thugs and other unsavory products of uncivil society, Nevada lawmakers are pushing for a policy that would give police departments emergency access to the live surveillance feeds of medical marijuana dispensaries.

On Monday, the Senate Finance Committee heard a proposal (Senate Bill 329) that aims to strengthen the state’s medical marijuana program by offering more security for the businesses most exposed to criminal activity.

However, the bill is somewhat controversial, as industry leaders are concerned that it might open up the possibility for police to conduct clandestine investigations without permission.

An Oregon Congressman with his finger on the pulse of the marijuana legalization movement does not believe the cannabis industry should be too concerned about a federal crackdown at the hands U.S.

In addition to legalizing recreational weed in California, Proposition 64 allows individuals who have been convicted of low-level marijuana offenses to have their convictions reduced or dismissed.

Marijuana-related businesses received critical support last week as more U.S. senators agreed to throw their support behind three essential bills.
Undeterred by the ominous smoke signals from the Trump administration, H.R. 2215 (Safe Act of 2017), H.R. 1823 (Marijuana Revenue and Regulations Act), and H.R. 1810 (Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2017) all received new cosponsors.
H.R. 2215 – Safe Act of 2017
A bill to allow marijuana businesses’ unfettered access to America’s financial institutions received three new cosponsors last week. Now with 35 cosponsors, H.R.

Earlier this month, the Nevada Tax Commission approved a measure that will allow medical marijuana dispensaries to acquire temporary licenses to sell recreational marijuana. Early sales begin on July 1st, giving dispensaries a little over a month to handle the additional paperwork needed to secure a chance at this lucrative opportunity.

“It’s great news for everybody,” Ben Sillitoe, CEO and co-founder of Las Vegas dispensary Oasis Cannabis, told Marijuana Business Daily.

The state Department of Taxation began accepting applications on May 15th, and will continue to accept them until the 31st.

(photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)


Willie Nelson believes that Attorney General Jeff Sessions shouldn’t knock marijuana until he tries it.
Rolling Stone recently caught up with the outlaw country legend before his 84th birthday to talk about his upcoming tour, as well as the current state of pot politics.
When asked about Sessions’ comment that cannabis is “slightly less awful” than heroin, Nelson replied:
“I wonder if he’s tried both of them. I don’t think you can really make a statement like that unless you tried it all.