MJBizMag April 2023 - 27

Washington state
A U.S. judge ruled that Washington state's residency requirement for cannabis company owners and
investors is constitutional.
U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle said a lawsuit arguing that the requirement violates Congressregulated
interstate commerce can't be unconstitutional because interstate marijuana commerce
doesn't exist.
" The residency requirements attempt to prevent any interstate commerce in cannabis and to
prevent cannabis from Washington from moving into states where it remains illegal, like Idaho, " Settle
wrote in his decision.
Separately, legislative efforts to cap the potency of cannabis products in Washington state and limit
high-potency THC to the medical marijuana market failed.
State lawmakers introduced two bills this legislative session that would have imposed heavier
restrictions on marijuana products with more than 35% THC. A Washington state House committee
heard both bills but took no further action.
Without another hearing, both bills will die in legislative limbo.
West Virginia
State lawmakers are proposing a ban on products containing delta-8 THC.
Senate Bill 546 would add delta-8 THC to the state's list of illegal drugs. The move was prompted in
part by an investigation by the West Virginia Agriculture Department, which found that D-8 products
appeal to children who might unknowingly digest the intoxicating hemp-derived compound.
Medical cannabis dispensaries opened in West Virginia in 2021, but the state still has some of the
harshest marijuana laws in the country, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
Wisconsin
Gov. Tony Evers once again included marijuana legalization in his budget, one of several proposals
unlikely to gain favor in the state's Legislature.
This marks the second time Evers has introduced full legalization of marijuana, a position he
campaigned on during the election, which he won with 51.2% of the vote.
Passage of a medical marijuana program in the state also faces long odds. Wisconsin is one of 11
states without a medical or adult-use cannabis program.
Note: Entries sourced from MJBizDaily and other international, national and local news outlets. These developments
occurred before this magazine's publication deadline, so some situations might have changed.
mjbizdaily.com | April 2023 27

https://apnews.com/article/district-of-columbia-maine-business-washington-marijuana-3228ce134a761c6c685a4da691ed5f11 https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2023/mar/01/cannabis-concentration-bills-fail-grow-state-legis/ https://www.wdtv.com/2023/02/22/legislators-propose-bill-ban-delta-8-faux-products-marketed-children/ http://www.wvlegislature.gov/bill_status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=546&year=2023&sessiontype=RS https://mjbizdaily.com/west-virginia-medical-cannabis-market-poised-to-launch/ https://www.mpp.org/states/west-virginia/ https://www.mpp.org/states/west-virginia/ https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/tony-evers-third-budget-again-presses-on-rejected-proposals-like-legalizing-marijuana-expanding-medicaid/article_afdac5b8-0812-5025-b711-74ff2318f0b1.html https://mjbizdaily.com/wisconsin-governor-proposes-medical-recreational-cannabis-legalization/ https://mjbizdaily.com/wisconsin-gov-cannabis-legalization-plans-might-slow-medical-marijuana-progress/ http://www.mjbizdaily.com

MJBizMag April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MJBizMag April 2023