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Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we note that Illinois adult-use dispensaries will now be able to sell medical marijuana. Virginia’s hemp ban is in place as of this week. And speaking of hemp, as we so often do, it’s come up in the Texas Senate race. And finally, Matthew McConaughey reveals why he decided to stop smoking marijuana.
ILLINOIS
Starting next month, Illinois adult-use license holders can apply for a medical dispensary license. This will allow one-stop shopping at a single location. More choices for medical users and more customers for dispensaries with both licenses – sounds like a win-win. There’s a $5K application fee, and an additional $10K renewal fee. Reduced tax rates for medical customers will not go into effect until the license is approved.
VIRGINIA
Back in June, Virginia lawmakers passed a budget bill that contained a ban on sales of any consumable hemp product containing more than 2% total THC per package. Despite the best efforts of hemp companies who sued the state to stop the change, the law went into effect earlier this week. U.S. District Judge Robert S. Ballou, from Virginia’s Western District, denied motions for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary inunction on Aug. 14.
Plaintiffs entered and invested in a heavily regulated and rapidly evolving industry. Federal and state governments have repeatedly altered the legal status and regulatory treatment of hemp-derived THC products. Against that backdrop, plaintiffs’ expectation that their products would remain lawful for sale indefinitely is not obviously reasonable.” – Judge Ballou, in his opinion
So that’s a lot of inventory that’s now illegal.
TEXAS
Continuing with our hemp theme, the issue has cropped up in the Texas Senate race. Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee, has a history of opposing intoxicating hemp. In fact, he’s currently a defendant in a lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on the products. Texas State Representative James Talarico, the Democratic nominee, is hoping his support for legal hemp sales may gain him some supporters. Granted, this is not the biggest issue in the race, but you never know what might put someone over the top on Election Day.
AND FINALLY
Alright, alright, alright. Matthew McConaughey has quit smoking pot. Apparently, he used some potent cannabis and ended up missing his own birthday party. Instead, he decided to listen to Janet Jackson’s song “That’s the Way Love Goes” 24 times. Maybe better to get where you’re going and then light up?
Be well everyone – we’ll see you next week.
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