Posts by Josh LeBaron

Looking ahead to the next couple of years, two states stand out as likely the next big marijuana markets: New Jersey and Illinois.

Both states have followed a remarkably similar path toward full legalization, with Illinois a near mirror of the process in New Jersey, only one year behind.

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Facebook Inc., will repeal its moratorium on cannabis and related search results, according to MarketWatch. Their decision came just days before the legalization of adult recreational marijuana sales in Canada this past Wednesday.

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The Trump administration is seeking public comment about whether cannabis and other drugs should be reclassified under international drug treaties.

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One of the biggest issues currently facing the cannabis industry is the lack of legal access to banking. Cannabis companies such as dispensaries are currently being creative with cash-only businesses or using cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, to skirt around current federal regulations which bar them from banking. However, if Canopy Growth’s CEO Bruce Linton is to be believed, that issue may be rectified as early as January of 2019, when according to him, canna-businesses will be able to begin to bank legally. Linton calls the unprecedented, upcoming move “a Christmas present,” to the cannabis industry.

Link to story: http://bit.ly/2CVQqu7

Here are 18 industries cannabis is disrupting | As legal cannabis goes mainstream, it’s creeping into everything from CBD-oil infused beauty products, to houses made of hemp, to banking for marijuana retailers.

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The future looks very green indeed. But since New Year’s Day 2014, when Colorado opened the world’s first regulated recreational marijuana market, the business climate for weed companies has proven immensely difficult for a range of reasons, including high taxes, rapidly changing regulations and a still robust illicit market.

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As marijuana companies across Canada brace for the historic rollout of the country’s recreational program next week, some businesses have their sights set on bigger opportunities they see coming in the United States.

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Voters in Michigan, North Dakota, Colorado, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin and Utah will see these marijuana questions on election day.

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A White House drug office official has offered assurances that a marijuana policy panel will be objective and dispassionate as it examines the impact of legalization in some states, a Colorado senator said.

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Technology will continue to play a key role in helping the cannabis industry cope with managing data and implementing compliance measures.

Link to story: http://bit.ly/2DQoHMz