MJBiz - August 2023 - 18

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS State by State
Arkansas
Twenty-seven changes made to Arkansas' medical marijuana laws by the state Legislature are
unconstitutional and thus " void, " a state judge ruled. The state attorney general plans to appeal to the
Arkansas Supreme Court.
At issue is lawmakers' ability to amend a voter-approved constitutional amendment. In the time
since Arkansas voters approved legalized MMJ sales in 2016, state legislators passed at least 27 laws
that tweaked various aspects of the program.
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Morgan " Chip " Welch ruled that lawmakers can amend state MMJ laws,
though " only by referring any such amendment to the people. " He then voided all 27 laws.
The judge's ruling stemmed from a lawsuit brought by Good Day Farm Arkansas and Capital City
Medicinal, two state-licensed cannabis companies.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said in a statement that he plans to appeal the ruling to the
state Supreme Court.
California
A statewide enforcement effort initiated nearly 100 search warrants in the second quarter of 2023,
leading to the seizure of more than $100 million of unlicensed marijuana products and plants,
according to the latest state data.
Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce, which was created last year to coordinate efforts between
state, local and federal agencies, more than doubled the amount of illegal cannabis seized in the
recently ended quarter compared to the first three months of the year.
Enforcement efforts included:
* Serving 92 search warrants, a 338% jump.
* The seizure of more than $109 million in illegal marijuana, a 104% increase from the first quarter.
* The eradication of 120,970 plants, up 130%.
The task force includes more than two dozen agencies, including the Department of Cannabis
Control, Department of Fish and Wildlife and the state's Office of Emergency Services.
Colorado
The executive director of Colorado's Department of Revenue wants marijuana businesses in the state
to pay higher licensing fees to fund enforcement initiatives.
Mark Ferrandino told marijuana business owners and other industry stakeholders at a June 5
meeting that the fee increases were needed to support the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division
(MED), which is running at a deficit.
The MED has had an annual budget of $11 million-$15 million the past few years and is proposing a
roughly 8% fee increase, which would bump retail license fees from $4,940 to $5,930.
Meanwhile, Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill allowing licensed marijuana stores to collect online
payments.
Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a medical marijuana bill into law that grants MMJ licenses to a group of
Black farmers and allows patients to renew authorizations via telehealth.
After the MMJ bill passed the Legislature in May, there was speculation DeSantis might veto it as
a result of the Black farmer licensing component, which was added later, because the governor has
worked to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the state.
As for telehealth, as of July 1, the state's 828,000 registered medical marijuana consumers won't
have to renew with their doctors in person every 210 days, although new MMJ registrations still must
be conducted in person.
18 August 2023 | MJBizMagazine

MJBiz - August 2023

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