The American Medical Association (AMA) voted to support drug decriminalization recently on June 12. During the AMA’s annual House of Delegates meeting that was held in Chicago, Illinois, said MD/PhD candidate Ryan Englander. “The war on drugs is quite reminiscent of the phrase, ‘The beatings will continue until morale improves,’” Englander said. “We have tried for decades to criminalize our way out of a substance use crisis in this country, and it has not worked … We need to move to something different and better, something that actually works.”

Previously, language from an AMA Board of Trustees report asked that the association “continue to monitor the legal and public health effects of state and federal policies to reclassify criminal offenses for drug possession for personal use.”

During the recent meeting, delegates voted 345-171 to adopt the new position on its drug policy, which updates the association’s stance. Now it seeks for the “elimination of criminal penalties for drug possession for personal use as part of a larger set of related public health and legal reforms designed to improve carefully selected outcomes.”

Englander stated that there is enough evidence of how decriminalization affects residents, citing how Oregon recriminalized hard drugs but Portugal has experienced better success. He stated that Oregon was “instructive, but so is the [experience of] Portugal, where that country decriminalized or removed penalties for personal possession of drugs for personal use, and they were actually able to get people into treatment, and mortality did drop. So there are models that we can use that can work,” Englander explained.

American Society of Addiction Medicine speaker Stephen Taylor proposed that it be sent to the reference committee, stating that “there is, in fact, evidence that decriminalization can have public health benefits if it is done correctly. We would suggest that we have yet to see it done correctly.”

Of course, there were numerous delegates in opposition of endorsing decriminalization as well. “Our policy must reflect the evidence, and currently, the evidence does not support broad decriminalization,” said Bobby Mukkamala, AMA president-elect. “We just have to look at the Oregon experience. In 2020, Oregon decriminalized the possession of just small amounts of illicit drugs with the goal of getting people into treatment, but unfortunately, the outcome was quite different. There was no reduction in mortality and there was no increase in access to treatment… The board doesn’t believe it’s wise to have the AMA support policies that do not have more robust evidence behind them.”

American College of Physicians delegate Marianne Parshley commented that although Oregon appeared to improve when the decriminalization law was passed in 2020, fentanyl use and associated deaths also rose. From her perspective, recriminalization was a way to get bipartisan support for more funding and improving drug treatment programs. “So, it’s complex,” Parshley said. “We need to pay attention to the fact that [the situation] doesn’t instantaneously change if you pass decriminalization and support for treatment.”

The AMA’s drug policies have shifted over the past few years. In June 2022 during another annual House of Delegates meeting, the AMA changed its policy on expungement and called on states to implement record-cleaning services. “This affects young people aspiring to careers in medicine as well as many others who are denied housing, education, loans and job opportunities,” said Scott Ferguson, an AMA trustee. “It simply isn’t fair to ruin a life based on actions that result in convictions but are subsequently legalized or decriminalized.”

At last year’s annual House of Delegates meeting, the AMA adopted a new policy to advocate for substances like psilocybin and MDMA for psychiatric disorder treatments. “The AMA believes that scientifically valid and well-controlled clinical trials are necessary to assess the safety and effectiveness of all new drugs, including the potential use of psychedelics for the treatment of psychiatric disorders,” said Jack Resneck, AMA Immediate Past President, at the time. “The AMA appreciates that lawmakers want to help address the mental health crisis in the U.S., but there are other straightforward approaches that don’t thwart drug safety assessment and regulation, such as increasing coverage and removing barriers to care for evidence-based treatments.”

A report from the Board of Trustees, which was published prior to the 2024 House of Delegates meeting, addressed its disapproval of endorsing decriminalization. “The Board of Trustees believes that it is 1 premature to recommend decriminalizing drug possession offenses as a public health benefit in the 2 absence of evidence demonstrating public health benefits,” the report stated. During the meeting, Mukkamala spoke on behalf of the board and stated that the AMA “must reflect the evidence, and currently, the evidence does not support broad decriminalization.” The board did, however, support the expungement policy change.

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The newest set of data released by the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) shows that the state has once again set a new record for adult-use cannabis sales.

According to the CRA, the state collected $286.8 million in adult-use cannabis sales in March, which made up for 99% of all sales. In terms of product popularity, flower still reigns supreme with $131.4 million in sales. A total of $54.4 million was sold in vape cartridges, as well as $33.9 million in inhalable concentrates, and finally edibles at $26.3 million.

The CRA splits Michigan up into five distinct regions: upper lower/upper peninsula (the region at the top of the state sandwiched between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and also the northern portion of land that borders Canada), mid lower (sometimes referred to as Central Michigan), southwest (containing cities such as Kalamazoo and Lansing), east/southeast (which includes cities such as Ann Arbor but spans all of eastern Michigan with the exclusion of the Detroit area), and Wayne (i.e. Wayne County, which mainly covers Detroit).

Among these regions, the east/southeast region collected the most in total adult-use cannabis sales with $128,929,767, followed by $79,432,048 in the southwest region, $31,845,920 in Wayne, $29,373,053 in upper lower/upper peninsula, and lastly, $17,209,468 in the mid lower area.

In total medical cannabis sales, the southwest area led with $141,535, followed by Wayne with $945,992, east/southeast with $809,515, upper lower/upper peninsula with $81,273, and finally mid lower with $79,695.

The state has 785 licensed retailers operating, in addition to 260 processors, eight Class A cultivators, 112 Class B cultivators, and 845 Class C cultivators.

Despite record-breaking adult-use sales, medical cannabis continues to decline, and the state only collected $2.1 million sold at 213 provisioning centers. As of March 2024, Michigan has a total of 107,040 medical cannabis cardholders, 8,302 caregivers, and 191 physicians in total. The state received and approved 2,636 initial applications for medical cannabis cards, alongside 1,158 approved renewals. Out of the 27 medical conditions approved to be treated with medical cannabis, the highest percentage by far is chronic pain, which affects 62.95% of all approved patients. Other significant percentages above one percent includes patients who suffer from severe and chronic pain (48.82%), arthritis (21.98%), post-traumatic stress disorder (8.32%), muscle spasms (6.83%), severe nausea (5.99%), cancer (2.83%), inflammatory bowel disease (1.33%), and glaucoma (1.13%).

The CRA also reported that the Marijuana and Tobacco Investigation Section (MTIS), along with the Michigan State Police, worked together to conduct 37 seizures of illegal cannabis products. This resulted in the “confiscation of 14,929 plants, 11,165 pounds of flower, and 3,133 units of marijuana product.”

The most recent record in Michigan’s March 2024 sales topples the previous record set in December 2023. Tallied numbers for the entirety of 2023 show that the state surpassed $3 billion.

At the end of February, the Michigan Department of Treasury announced how adult-use cannabis tax revenue funds will be granted through its Marihuana Regulation Fund. The money was acquired with taxes from the state’s 737 licensees during FY 2023, with a total of $290.3 million. “This week, many Michigan municipalities and counties will begin seeing their share of adult-use marijuana payments appear in their banking accounts,” said State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks. “Through a partnership, the dollars received from the adult-use marijuana taxes and fees are distributed to our participating communities. These dollars may be spent how our local units deem fit to their needs.”

The agency stated that 269 of the state’s municipalities would be receiving a portion of $87 million (approximately $59,000 for every licensed retail store or microbusiness in its jurisdiction), while $101.6 million would be granted toward education and an additional $101.6 toward transportation. “The tax funding for municipalities and counties that comes from the marijuana excise tax is a very important benefit of the legal cannabis industry in Michigan,” CRA Executive Director Brian Hanna said. “The CRA is committed to doing our part in supporting our licensees so that they can continue to grow the local economy throughout the state with good-paying jobs and increased revenues for local government budgets.”

Michigan wasn’t the only state to break a few records last year. Connecticut’s monthly cannabis sales increased every month through December for a total of $274 million since sales began in January 2023. Maryland also saw an increase month-to-month in 2023 as well.

Adult-use cannabis in Illinois just passed the four-year mark, and 2023 was a particularly strong year for the state’s sales. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation stated that total sales amounted to $1.2 billion last year, with 42 million items sold, which is a 15% increase from numbers in 2022 according to CBS News. “The legalization of adult use cannabis was the start of uplifting the communities most impacted by the failed war on drugs,” Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton said last year. “The benefits from these sales will be used to continue investing in our economic growth in historically disinvested populations.”

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The campaign to legalize cannabis in Florida is alive and well, as the state’s Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that voters will be able to decide the next chapter of cannabis reform on this year’s November ballot.

With an already bustling medical market, Florida’s potential move into the recreational cannabis space has been highly anticipated since the Sunshine State first moved to introduce medical reform in 2016. Cannabis businesses also have a hefty investment in the reform measure, with Trulieve contributing more than $40 million to the campaign, alongside an additional several million dollars from a handful of other medical cannabis treatment centers.

While the momentum ahead of Election Day feels significant, it’s possible that there may not be enough support to pass the measure under the state Constitution — at least when it comes to the results of a new poll.

The Latest Poll on Florida Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization

In Florida, measures must gain 60% support in order to pass. A new USA Today/Ipsos survey suggests that a majority of registered Florida voters, 56%, support the measure — along with 49% of Florida adults overall. Forty percent said that they would vote against it, and just 4% said that they were unsure.

Democrats and independents were most supportive of the measure (69% and 63%, respectively), while 39% of registered Republican voters  said they would vote in favor of the measure. The survey also found that support varied by region, with those in central Florida more likely to say they are in favor of recreational cannabis legalization than those in north or south Florida (54%, 49% and 38%, respectively).

While there are no differences in self-reported plans to vote for recreational cannabis legalization by gender or age, white Floridians were more likely than Hispanic Floridians to say they would vote in favor of recreational cannabis legalization later this year (55% vs. 32%, respectively).

The poll was conducted April 5-7 and included 369 Republicans, 264 Democrats and 316 independents.

Various Poll Results Point to Uncertain Outcomes

The poll is notable as the first to come out following the Florida Supreme Court’s decision to clear the measure for the ballot and reject the state attorney general’s constitutional challenge.

It’s also the most recent survey among a slew of similar recent efforts to gauge Floridian support of recreational cannabis, with varying results.

A November 2023 poll from the University of North Florida found that 67% of respondents said they would vote yes on a constitutional amendment to allow adults in Florida to purchase and possess small amounts of cannabis for personal use. It also notes that 70% of respondents supported recreational cannabis in Florida as of Spring 2023 along with 76% showing support in Spring 2022.

The most recent poll notably gave respondents the specifics of the proposed amendment, rather than simply asking if respondents supported or opposed legalization of recreational cannabis.

The measure, Amendment 3, would allow those over the age of 21 to possess up to three ounces of cannabis and five grams of cannabis concentrates. It would also allow existing medical cannabis dispensaries authorization to sell cannabis for adult use. The initiative is sponsored by Smart and Safe Florida.

The poll results represent some of the gaps Smart and Safe Florida must close to see legal recreational cannabis in Florida as the organization enters its next phase of outreach and education.

That said, Florida voters approved legal medical cannabis in 2016 with a vote of 71% to 29%. With more than six months until Election Day, it’s anyone’s guess how the cards will ultimately  fall.

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Federal officials in New Mexico are apparently targeting state-licensed marijuana companies at border checkpoints and seizing regulated cannabis products, according to media reports. 

New Mexico legalized medical marijuana in 2019, followed by the legalization of adult-use cannabis in 2021. Regulated sales of recreational weed began in the state on April 1, 2022, just under a year after Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the legalization bill into law.

Since then, New Mexico’s licensed cannabis businesses have seen little interference from federal authorities, much like other weed-legal states over the last several years. The situation has changed recently, however, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seizing regulated cannabis products at least a dozen times over the last two weeks, according to Ben Lewinger, executive director of the New Mexico Chamber of Commerce. Although 12 such seizures have been reported, the actual number could be even higher.

“There still is a lot of stigma and a lot of fear so I imagine this is underreported,” Lewinger told KRQE 13 television news. “It’s hurting small businesses. It’s hurting all of us because of the loss of tax revenue.”

CBP officers are permitted to establish immigration checkpoints to help stem smuggling and human trafficking within 100 miles of the international border with Mexico. In states with legal weed, these checkpoints are generally navigated without incident by licensed cannabis companies moving products within the state. But recently that has changed, although seemingly only in New Mexico. Lewinger said he believes the state’s cannabis businesses are being targeted by federal officials in the state and called on the Biden administration to step in.

“Our brothers and sisters in California and Arizona, which also share a border with Mexico, they’re not seeing this kind of same increased activity. It seems like this is a situation that is particular to New Mexico and I think what needs to happen is The White House needs to direct the Department of Homeland Security to stop wasting resources on a product that poses no threat,” Lewinger said. “It’s just clearly outside of the scope of Customs and Border Patrol.”

Nick Spoor, operations manager at Top Crop Cannabis Co., told reporters that the company has regularly transported cannabis products through CBP checkpoints successfully.

“Normally they don’t have dogs, usually it’s just a, ‘are you a U.S. citizen, yes’ and then they wave you through,” said Spoor.

But that changed when CBP agents seized products from one of the company’s vehicles at a checkpoint on Valentine’s Day.

“We’ve been going through that checkpoint for over a year, no questions asked, so obviously we’re doing everything compliantly. It was manifested product,” said Top Crop Cannabis Co. CEO Matt Chadwick. “So, I was shocked, a little blown away and taken back.”

Ethan Ramsey, an employee with Las Cruces cannabis producer Head Space Alchemy, was arrested by the CBP last week while attempting to go through an immigration checkpoint, according to a report from The Paper. The driver had been stopped at a checkpoint on Interstate 25, about 25 miles north of Las Cruces while delivering samples to a cannabis lab in Santa Fe. 

Rob Duran, a managing partner of Head Space Alchemy, was following in another vehicle. The Paper obtained an audio recording of the interaction with CBP officials. 

“We’ve been instructed to seize all cannabis—all illegal products,” the CBP officer can be heard saying. “It’s still federally illegal.”

When Duran asked how the company and CBP could reach a solution to the situation, he was told that he could talk to a supervisor or contact the regional office. 

“I can’t tell you anything that they [haven’t] already told you,” the officer says on the recording. “Or I can’t go above what they’re telling you … Everything’s going to get seized.”

When Duran asks about Ramsey, he is told that the employee has been arrested.

“He’s under arrest,” the agent says. “That’s what happens when someone gets placed under arrest. You’re trying to get a definitive answer out of me. I don’t know where we’re at. We’ve just started this process. We’ve just started this case, so I can’t give you a definitive answer.”

Between last week’s seizure by CBP and an earlier one, Duran says the company has lost about $20,000 in product. More significantly, his workers now have a record with the federal government because of the interactions.

“In both cases, [employees] have had their pictures taken and been fingerprinted, and have also been told that their names are going to now be in a federal database as being caught at a federal inspection checkpoint with cannabis,” Duran says.

When contacted by local media, a CBP spokesperson denied allegations that officers in New Mexico are targeting licensed cannabis businesses.

“Although legal for medical and/or recreational use in many states, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Therefore, U.S. Border Patrol agents will continue to take appropriate enforcement action against those who are encountered in possession of marijuana anywhere in the United States.”

Chadwick of Top Crop Cannabis Co. said that his business can handle the loss from CBP interference. But he says that other companies could be irreparably harmed by the product seizures.

“People’s lives are at stake here. Businesses are at stake here. And it can affect some people with, like I said, very dire circumstances and they could lose everything they’ve had,” said Chadwick. “They’ve put their hearts and souls into their businesses and it’s not fair.”

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We’re announcing the return of the highly-anticipated High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan 2024! 

It’s the fifth year we’ve set up a competition in Michigan—one of our most enthusiastic event markets—and the most recent rundown of winners showcases Michigan’s finest products. With a massive 20-category breakdown this year, we’re proud to display the winners of a variety of categories, as determined by our Michigan judges.

Anybody can be a Judge and you don’t need to be an esteemed member of the cannabis community—just have the passion and grit needed to determine the next year’s winners. Act fast, as product submissions will be taken May 27 through June 7 in the Detroit area. Judge Kits go on sale June 22.

Judges will analyze products in their Judge Kits and a backpack full of potent submissions, using a variety of criteria. For the categories involving flower, pre-rolls, vape pens, and concentrates, judges will take note of a product’s aesthetics, aroma/scent, taste/flavor profile, burnability, effects/effectiveness, and terpene profile. Edibles have a slightly different list of considerations, including packaging and labeling. For categories like Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals, judges will rank them based on ease of use as well. They’ll have about three months to narrow down their choices. Saturday, August 24 is the judging deadline for Cannabis Cup Judges.

On Sunday, September 15, the winners will be announced! The entry categories include the following:

1. Rec Indica Flower (4 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
2. Rec Sativa Flower (4 entries max per company)  (state-licensed adult-use)
3. Rec Hybrid Flower (4 entries max per company)  (state-licensed adult-use)
4. Rec Pre-Rolls (3 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
5. Rec Infused Pre-Rolls (2 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
6. Rec Solvent Concentrates (2 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
7. Rec Non-Solvent Concentrates (2 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
8. Rec Distillate Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
9. Rec Non-Distillate Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
10. Rec Edibles: Solvent Gummies (3 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
11. Rec Edibles: Non-Solvent Gummies (3 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
12. Rec Edibles: Non-Gummies (3 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
13. Rec Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals (3 Entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
14. MEDICAL Indica Flower (4 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
15. MEDICAL Sativa Flower (4 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
16. MEDICAL Hybrid Flower (4 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
17. MEDICAL Pre-Rolls (4 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
18. MEDICAL Concentrates (4 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
19. MEDICAL Infused Pre-Rolls (4 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
20. MEDICAL Edibles (3 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)

Entry Requirements

One entry requires a $250, non-refundable fee, while two entries require a non-refundable fee of $100 per entry. Three or more entries requires a $100 refundable deposit per entry held, refunded when all entries are successfully submitted. Entry fees are waived for sponsorships. As medical patients are allowed to have higher amounts of certain forms of cannabis in Michigan, entry requirements vary for adult-use and medical products as follows:

Recreational:

• Flower: (228) 1-gram units. We will not accept any 3.5-gram entries.
• Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (228) units: Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2-gram flower-only each;
• Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 3-gram flower-equivalency or 1-gram concentrate-equivalency each by METRC equations.
• Concentrates & Vape Pens: (228) .5-gram units. We will not accept any 1-gram entries. Batteries are required for Carts.
• Edibles: (100) units with 100mg THC max.
• Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals:  (60) units with 500mg THC max

Medical:

• Flower: (228) 1-gram units. We will not accept any 3.5-gram entries.
• Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (100) units: Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2-gram flower-only each;
• Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 5-gram flower-equivalency or 5-gram concentrate-equivalency each by METRC equations.
• Concentrates & Vape Pens: (100) .5-gram units. We will not accept any 1-gram entries. Batteries are required for Carts.
• Edibles: (100) units with 200mg THC max.

Looking Back at Events in Michigan

Let’s take a look back at a few past highlights in the Midwest. Michigan has hosted many Cannabis Cups with notable faces over the years, and we have some signature years underneath our belts. 2018’s High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan festivities, for instance, were headlined by Lil Wayne, Waka Flocka Flame, Vic Mensa, Machine Gun Kelly, Yo Gotti, and more. 

The 2019 Michigan Cannabis Cup showcased amazing submissions of strains like Critical Mass by Mrs. Berry Kush or Tropicana Cookies by COCO Extracts.

Last year, at the High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan 2023, winners received the coveted High Times Cannabis Cup trophy, a longtime symbol of quality in the cannabis community. It was designed by Alex and Allyson Grey, made from zinc and 24k gold plating.

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Thinking back just 10 years ago, the previous U.S. cannabis landscape stood in stark contrast to the one we enjoy today. The United States currently has 38 states with legal medical or recreational cannabis, with 74% of Americans living in a legal cannabis state and 79% living in a county with at least one cannabis dispensary. 

With nearly 15,000 dispensaries throughout the nation, retail cannabis stores now outnumber the roughly 13,500 McDonald’s locations in the country.

Given the prevalence of legal cannabis throughout the nation, and as reform becomes a prominent political talking point among state lawmakers and even in the executive branch, it’s perhaps unsurprising that American attitudes surrounding cannabis legalization have become overwhelmingly supportive over the years.

Most Americans Continue to Support Cannabis Legalization

Pew Research Center has consistently monitored this progression, with its most recent report affirming that U.S. citizens are indeed incredibly supportive of legal cannabis. The survey was conducted Jan. 16-21, 2024 among 5,140 adult participants.

Nearly nine in 10 U.S. Americans (88%) said that cannabis should be legal for medical or recreational use, and a majority (57%) said that they believe cannabis should be legal for both medical and recreational purposes. About a third (32%) said that cannabis should only be legal for medical use, while just 11% of respondents said that cannabis should not be legal whatsoever.

The survey also took a closer look at American attitudes surrounding the impacts of legalization, with 52% saying it’s good for local economies (17% said it is bad while 29% said it has no impact). Respondents were also asked about reform’s impact on the criminal justice system, with 42% saying that legalizing recreational cannabis results in more fairness (18% said recreational legalization makes criminal justice less fair and 38% said it has no impact).

Negative Impacts of Cannabis Reform and Party Divisions

American views were more mixed when it came to recreational cannabis legalization and some of the more negative potential implications.

Around the same amount of respondents said that adult-use cannabis legalization increases (29%) or decreases (27%) the use of other drugs (42% said it has no impact), and more Americans viewed recreational cannabis legalization as creating less safety (34%) for communities over more (21%), with the majority (44%) saying that it does not have an impact on community safety.

While cannabis reform has steadily gained more bipartisan support over time, the survey shows that Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents still tend to show more support than their Republican counterparts. Democrats largely believe that recreational cannabis is good for local economies (64%) and makes the criminal justice system more fair (58%), while fewer Republicans said the same (41% and 27%, respectively).

Consequently, Republican respondents tended to cite the negative potential impacts of cannabis reform more than Democrats, with 42% saying it increases the use of other drugs (compared to 17% of Democrats) and 48% saying it makes communities less safe (compared to 21% of Democrats who said the same).

While the long-term impacts of cannabis reform are still being studied, it should be noted that numerous studies have debunked the assertion that cannabis reform encourages the use of other drugs. Similarly, studies have shown cannabis legalization is not associated with an uptick in car crashes, a rise in use among youth or youth perceptions of cannabis.

American Attitudes ‘Largely Unchanged’ in Recent Years

Looking closer at other demographics, Pew echoes myriad other studies and surveys finding that older adults are far less likely than younger adults to support cannabis legalization. Pew reported similar trends when it came to attitudes around the impacts of cannabis legalization, with younger respondents far more likely to report that cannabis is good for local economies and makes the criminal justice system more fair.

The polling is largely consistent with Pew’s previous reports. The 2022 survey also reported that 88% of American adults supported legal medical or recreational cannabis, with 10% stating cannabis use should not be legal at all.

Speaking to the survey results, Paul Armentano, deputy director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) advocacy group, said that the increasing support can be linked to a lack of “buyer’s remorse” surrounding cannabis legalization among voters.

“As more states have adopted legalization, public support for this policy has risen dramatically,” Armentano said. “That’s because these policies are largely working as intended and because voters prefer legalization and regulation over the failed policy of cannabis prohibition. Elected officials who refuse to take action to end cannabis criminalization do so at their own political peril.”

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Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) published a new dataset, showing the price per gram of “usable cannabis” sold in the state’s adult-use cannabis and medical marijuana markets, according to a March 11 press release. 

The dataset’s category “usable cannabis” essentially means flower and includes raw flower in whole, ground, or pre-rolled form, without additional extracted materials.

Currently, a gram of cannabis in California is hovering around $12 per gram, which is slightly up from years prior. The Register Citizen reports that the average price per gram of cannabis in Connecticut has increased steadily for months since October 2023, when the cost of cannabis was at $9.68 per gram—its lowest since adult-use sales kicked off in the state. The price of flower in Connecticut has increased, going from an average of $11.93 per gram in January to $12.28 per gram in February. 

“In February, the average price per gram of usable cannabis was $12.28,” the announcement reads. “The new dataset includes data collected since the market opened in January 2023.”

According to High Times Trans-High Market Quotations in the March issue, which does not track the price per gram, the average price of an ounce across America was $296. This means that when you’re buying in bulk, the average price per gram dips to around $10.

The state recorded $15.6 million in adult-use cannabis sales during the month of February, plus an additional $9.4 million in medical cannabis sales, for a total of $25 million in total cannabis sales, state data shows. It represents a $2.6 million decrease in total cannabis sales from January, when sales were down $2.6 million from the previous month. 

The dataset was added as part of the Department’s monthly data release, which to date has included total retail sales, number of products sold, average product price, and types of products sold. The most recent data for each dataset have also been published in accordance with the Department’s monthly cannabis data schedule.

The data will continue to be updated monthly on or after the 10th of each month. Going forward, DCP will make announcements when new datasets have been made publicly available, and the DCP will no longer issue monthly press releases related to existing datasets.

Reporters and members of the public who are interested in new monthly data published to existing datasets should check ct.gov/cannabis monthly on the 10th or the first business day after the 10th of each month.

The data does not include taxes collected at the point of sale on adult-use transactions, and medical cannabis patients do not pay taxes.

Connecticut Doubles Limit on Cannabis Purchases

Last November, Connecticut regulators doubled the amount of adult-use cannabis consumers can purchase in a single transaction.

Connecticut’s cannabis regulatory agency announced an increase in the amount of cannabis that can be bought in a single transaction by doubling the state’s limit on recreational marijuana purchases. Under the new regulations approved by the DCP, adult-use cannabis consumers are permitted to purchase up to a half-ounce (about 14 grams) of cannabis flower or its equivalent beginning next month. 

The limit on purchases of medical marijuana has not been changed. It remains at 5 ounces of cannabis flower or the equivalent monthly, with no limits on purchases in a single transaction.

“DCP has continually reviewed available supply and demand since prior to the launch of the adult-use cannabis industry in January 2023,” DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said in a statement from the agency. “As more retailers, production companies and other supply chain licensees have come online, the capacity of the industry has increased. We are confident this measured approach to adult-use sales has resulted in a healthy market for businesses, and a safe and fair marketplace for adult-use cannabis consumers and medical marijuana patients.”

Connecticut collects data through BioTrack, the state’s Seed-to-Sale Tracking System, a real-time inventory system used to track an individual cannabis plant from the point it is planted as a seed or clone to the point of sale.

All medical and adult-use cannabis licensees are required to input data into this system, showing the movement of cannabis products as they are grown, manufactured, tested, and ultimately sold. (Information about the person who purchases the final cannabis product is not recorded.) 

Connecticut officials record cannabis sales data every month, so you can map the steady march of adult-use cannabis sales by looking at month-to-month sales on one of their many graphics.

DCP does not make revenue projections, set sales expectations, collect taxes, nor do they regulate prices. The DCP also provides information to protect consumers from common scams and other threats.

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The office of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Tuesday that cannabis consumers “have purchased more than $678.4 million worth of adult-use cannabis products and $331.6 million in medical products since April 1, 2022,” and that, to date, “the state has recorded more than 21 million transactions with $75 million in cannabis excise taxes going to the state general fund and local communities.”

“This is a huge milestone for New Mexico’s cannabis industry,” Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Nearly two years after beginning sales, New Mexico is on the map as a premier hub for legal and safe cannabis and the thriving business community that comes with it.”

The $1 billion threshold represents a significant milestone for New Mexico’s legal weed industry, which opened for business in April of 2022. (The state officially legalized adult-use marijuana a year earlier, in 2021, when Lujan Grisham signed into law the Cannabis Regulation Act.)

Almost one year exactly, Lujan Grisham announced that the state had hit $300 million in adult-use pot sales.

“In just one year, hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity has been generated in communities across the state, the number of businesses continues to increase, and thousands of New Mexicans are employed by this new industry,” Lujan Grisham said at the time. “I’m excited to see what the future holds as we continue to develop an innovative and safe adult-use cannabis industry.”

In that announcement, the governor’s office said that monthly sales “have remained consistent throughout the last year, with March 2023 marking the highest adult-use sales at $32.3 million,” and that, as of March 2023, “more than $27 million in cannabis excise taxes has gone to the state general fund and to local communities.”

“To date, the state has recorded more than 10 million transactions. More data on sales and licenses can be found here,” the office said in a press release at the time.

In Tuesday’s announcement of the $1 billion milestone, the governor’s office said that “Albuquerque remains the top city in the state for cannabis sales with more than $202 million in adult-use products being sold since legalization,” while “Sunland Park, one of the many communities that has been positively impacted by cannabis tourism, recorded $57.4 million in adult-use sales.”

It isn’t a surprise that Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, would boast the highest sales tallies. The city reportedly has more cannabis dispensaries than it does liquor stores.

Tuesday’s press release from the governor’s office indicated that smaller communities in New Mexico “are also reaping the benefits of the flourishing cannabis industry.”

“Municipalities like Las Vegas, Silver City, and Deming have each seen more than $5 million in adult-use sales since April 2022,” the press release said. “As of March 1, 2024, the state has issued 2,873 cannabis licenses across New Mexico, including 1,050 retailers, 878 manufacturers, and 459 micro producers.”

Lujan Grisham’s signing of the Cannabis Regulation Act in 2021 made New Mexico the 18th state to legalize adult-use marijuana.

“The legalization of adult-use cannabis paves the way for the creation of a new economic driver in our state with the promise of creating thousands of good paying jobs for years to come,” Lujan Grisham said at the time. “We are going to increase consumer safety by creating a bona fide industry. We’re going to start righting past wrongs of this country’s failed war on drugs. And we’re going to break new ground in an industry that may well transform New Mexico’s economic future for the better.”

Her office projected that “sales of adult-use recreational cannabis could amount to $318 million in the first year, creating over several years what could be more than 11,000 new jobs,” and pointed to preliminary estimates that suggested “the excise tax will raise at least $20 million for the general fund in the first full fiscal year, with significant growth in subsequent years.”

“As we look to rebound from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, entrepreneurs will benefit from this great opportunity to create lucrative new enterprises, the state and local governments will benefit from the added revenue and, importantly, workers will benefit from the chance to land new types of jobs and build careers,” the governor added then.

“This legislation is a major, major step forward for our state,” she continued. “Legalized adult-use cannabis is going to change the way we think about New Mexico for the better – our workforce, our economy, our future. We’re ready to break new ground. We’re ready to invest in ourselves and the limitless potential of New Mexicans. And we’re ready to get to work in making this industry a successful one.”

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California was the first state to legalize medical cannabis back in 1996, 20 years later ushering in adult-use legislation. Now, the Golden State has the single largest cannabis market in the world. 

As cannabis has gradually become more ingrained into the fabric of the state, and the country as a whole, it appears that California residents are increasingly more supportive of the market.

The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) recently released survey data exploring the modern-day stances of Californians regarding the state’s cannabis market. The survey was conducted by FM3 Research as part of the DCC’s Real California Cannabis Campaign, which aims to help consumers easily find and verify licensed dispensaries in the state.

FM3 Research interviewed more than 1,000 California adults to compile the data.

Growing Support and the Responsibility to Uplift the Legal Market

One of the most prominent discoveries from the survey shows that 62% of Californians believe that Proposition 64, the voter initiative that legalized recreational cannabis, has had a positive impact on the state. The initiative was originally passed with 57% voter support, so the figure implies that cannabis reform in California has garnered more support over time.

The poll also found that 86% of Californian adults believe that it is important to purchase cannabis from the legal market, while similarly 72% said they believe consumers have a responsibility to verify they are purchasing cannabis from licensed retailers.

Even though California boasts the largest cannabis global cannabis economy, illicit sales are still highly prominent. A 2022 Reason Foundation report said that roughly two-thirds of total cannabis sales in the state still come from the illegal market. 

The California Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) also recently released its first annual report detailing the money, illegal cannabis plants/products and firearms obtained in its seizure operations from last year. In 2023, the task force said it seized more than $312 million in illegal cannabis, 189,854.02 pounds of cannabis, eradicated 317,834 cannabis plants, served 188 search warrants, seized 119 firearms and seized $223,809 of money on-site.

Though, according to DCC Director Nicole Elliot, the UCETF has made serious progress in eliminating illegal operations, leveraging the resources of more than 20 state agencies and departments alongside the taskforce’s local and federal partners. 

“The UCETF’s progress in 2023 reflects California’s ongoing commitment to disrupting and dismantling illegal cannabis activity,” Elliott said. “I look forward to working with all our partners in 2024 to build on this progress.”

Education Gaps in the California Cannabis Industry

While it appears to be a widely shared belief that residents must take it upon themselves to seek out legal cannabis retailers, the survey also sheds light on some education gaps surrounding the legal cannabis market among Californians. 

The survey found that 85% of respondents living in areas where retail cannabis is not allowed either incorrectly believed that cannabis was allowed in their region or simply didn’t know what the local laws were at all.

Elliott highlighted this piece, saying that education and enforcement are two crucial pillars that help to support a well-regulated cannabis market.

“The Real California Cannabis campaign will provide cannabis consumers with information that empowers them to make informed decisions regarding their cannabis purchases,” Elliott said. “These smart choices support safer communities, local businesses, and our continuous efforts to disrupt the illegal market.”

Though, when it comes to actually identifying a licensed or unlicensed cannabis business, respondents also appeared to be split: 44% said that it was easy to identify if a retailer was licensed, while 42% said it was difficult to recognize the distinction.

Additionally, the polling results showed that 88% of respondents who have consumed cannabis said they would purchase it from a licensed retailer and more than half (56%) said they have used cannabis.

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Long Beach, California is on track to establish an ordinance that will give cannabis retailers a minor tax break and reward the ones in good standing on their payments with a bigger tax break, cutting their local tax in half.

At a Jan. 23 meeting, Long Beach City Council members voted to request an ordinance be drafted to lower rates for businesses that meet hiring and compensation markers and are up to date with their current tax payments.

City leadership has been aware about the significant tax burden impacting cannabis businesses across California. Not only in Long Beach, but California’s entire cannabis supply chain faces a chronic debt problem, and the SF Gate called it an “extinction event” last year. In one move, state law recently shifted the burden of excise taxes from distributors to retailers. Over a dozen cities and counties in the state cut taxes to assist retailers with this dilemma.

The tax break fulfills a goal set on April 20, 2023, when the Long Beach City Council vowed to lower tax rates as part of the 2024 annual budget, the Signal-Tribune reported. “We should be aiming to create a positive feedback loop: reduce the tax burden on local operators, allow them to be competitive and expand their businesses, while rewarding those high road employers and operators who make investments back into our community, all while nurturing a new revenue source for the city,” said Councilmember Joni Ricks-Oddie, who brought the item forward.

As of the last count available in 2023, Long Beach was home to 32 retail cannabis stores and 37 cultivators. During the Prop. 215 era, the city was home to even more medical cannabis dispensaries.

Long Beach Post News reports that Tuesday’s vote advanced a cut at 1 percentage point for retailers with the opportunity to qualify for an additional 3 percentage-point drop if they meet “good standing requirements.” Cannabis cultivators would also get a similar tax break. Their square-footage tax was cut from $14.96 to $13.09, the equivalent of a 1 percentage point cut.

The Tax Burden Imposed on California Cannabis Businesses

A tax break couldn’t come sooner. The city of Long Beach currently imposes a 6% excise tax on medical cannabis transactions and 8% on recreational adult-use cannabis sales, on top of the city’s sales tax of 10.25% and the state’s excise tax of 15%. The state taxes have been imposed since adult-use cannabis use became legal in California in 2016

Long Beach adult-use cannabis sales generated $9 million tax revenue of around $13 million in cannabis tax revenue the city expected to collect in 2023. Several city council members expressed concern over the unpaid taxes, preferring to bring those payments up to date before giving businesses any kind of special tax breaks.

“I do think we should have a heavy hand for those businesses that haven’t been compliant with our taxes,” Councilmember Al Austin said at Tuesday’s meeting. “The city needs that revenue.”

In order to be eligible for the larger tax breaks, retailers would have to be up to date with licensing and tax payments, and they would have to meet several other requirements. They would also have to ensure that at least 40% of their staff are Long Beach residents and that they are paying their employees between 110% and 115% of the state’s minimum wage. Retailers would also have to support equity businesses by keeping their products on shelves or providing mentoring and incubation support for equity operators.

If the changes are fully implemented, the tax cuts are projected to cost the city about $3 million annually.  The 1 percentage point cut for retailers across the board is expected to cost the city just over $1 million, according to data presented to the council.

Many local residents complained in recent months that the equity program to support cannabis stores from low-income, justice-impacted residents has resulted in just one successful equity applicant and asked the city to do better.  Others said there’s a great opportunity in the city. Long Beach Green Room owner Adam Hijazi, for instance, said that Long Beach could cut tax rates in order to support legal cannabis businesses and create a cannabis destination in the city. 

The city hopes to follow in the footsteps of other California cities like Santa Ana, in providing tax relief by prioritizing businesses that are in good standing, and the ones that give their employees more than minimum wage or provide career opportunities. 

Santa Ana took a similar step and implemented a 1% tax cut for most cannabis stores in the city and an additional 2% for “high road” employers. 

The council will still have to vote on the ordinance twice before the changes take effect, something that’s expected to happen in the coming months.

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