MJBizMag April 2023 - 19

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS
California
Regulators are rolling out a $20 million grant program to help incentivize dozens of counties and cities
to establish or expand retail cannabis programs.
The Department of Cannabis Control's Local Jurisdiction Retail Access Grant aims to provide local
jurisdictions with resources to expand access to marijuana in underserved areas while prioritizing
markets that support social equity opportunities.
Local jurisdictions are eligible for grant funding if they do not have a marijuana retail program or
have plans to implement one.
The application window for Phase I funding ends April 28. The $20 million grant program will award
the first half, up to $10 million, by June 20.
Colorado
The Colorado Energy Office is offering " free technical assistance and access to financing for cannabis
cultivators " as part of a program to boost energy efficiency.
The inaugural round of applications for the Cannabis Resource Optimization Program (CROP) will
be for " cultivators who are seeking technical assistance and do not already have access to assistance
through their utility providers, " according to a news release.
Technical assistance provided by contractor Resource Innovations will include marijuana-facility
audits " to identify impactful efficiency improvements, such as installing LED fixtures or upgrading
HVAC systems. "
The Colorado Clean Energy Fund will work with business owners " to secure low-interest financing to
implement these improvements, " the news release stated.
Connecticut
Attorney General William Tong is suing five store operators for allegedly selling products containing
delta-8 THC, in violation of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
" The five retailers we are suing today offered some of the most egregious look-alike edibles posing
the worst risks for accidental youth poisoning, " Tong said in a statement. " None of these edibles are
tested or approved for sale in Connecticut, and packaging statements regarding THC content and safe
serving sizes are not to be trusted. "
Warning letters also are being sent to vape stores in the state, notifying them that a state-issued
marijuana retail license is required for sales of products containing more than 0.3% THC.
Regulated adult-use marijuana sales in Connecticut kicked off in January.
Delaware
Lawmakers in the state House of Representatives approved a bill in March that would legalize
possession of up to an ounce of marijuana.
House Bill 1 passed on a 28-13 vote. Twenty-five votes are needed in the state House to override a
veto from Gov. John Carney, who vetoed an adult-use legalization bill last May.
A companion measure, HB 2, which would set up a framework for commercial sales, passed the state
House in another decisive vote.
As written, HB 2 would set a $5,000 application fee for marijuana entrepreneurs. Applications would
receive a " score, " which a state cannabis commissioner would use to determine whether to issue a
license.
Localities would have the option to ban commercial marijuana activity. Edibles and smokable flower
would both be allowed.
mjbizdaily.com | April 2023 19

https://cannabis.ca.gov/2023/02/california-launches-20m-grant-program-to-expand-consumer-access-to-regulated-cannabis/ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DYONEwri4OrlnP9ohY_OUqxuegNftK22/view https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Press-Releases/2023-Press-Releases/Attorney-General-Tong-Announces-Crackdown-on-Illegal-Sale-of-Delta8-THC https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Press-Releases/2023-Press-Releases/Attorney-General-Tong-Announces-Crackdown-on-Illegal-Sale-of-Delta8-THC https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/AG/Press_Releases/2022/2-9-23-William-Tong---Letter-to-Retailers-re-Delta-8---Unaddressed.pdf https://mjbizdaily.com/connecticut-marijuana-retailers-report-brisk-adult-use-sales-in-first-week/ https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/07/delaware-marijuana-lawmakers-vote-favor-legalizing-weed-marijuana-dispensary/69976489007/ https://apnews.com/article/health-dover-marijuana-legalization-government-and-politics-fcc67976a41183e105ffd5b1370b05be https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail/129969 http://www.mjbizdaily.com

MJBizMag April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MJBizMag April 2023