Social equity is an important part of any forward-thinking cannabis regime. Some states do it better than others, and not all social equity policies are equal – but any state wishing to move forward with a robust program that...more
Just before the midterms last year, President Biden made two historic announcements that he described as steps to “end” the federal government’s “failed approach” to marijuana. First, he issued mass pardons for federal...more
We write blog posts about cannabis, but most of the time the posts are about things that are happening in the cannabis world. This post is about whether something should happen in the cannabis world. Specifically, should...more
There may be no area of the law where it is more important to have legal counsel than in the United States cannabis industry. The cannabis industry has developed within the context of conflicting and evolving federal and...more
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission held its regularly scheduled monthly public meeting last Thursday. Although the commission did not make any significant decisions during the meeting, we did learn some important...more
In the waning days of 2022, FDA issued an updated Food Code with several important updates. FDA is responsible for more than a quarter of the U.S. economy, and the Food Code impacts virtually every American.
Originally...more
What if we told you the United States Supreme Court would legalize medical marijuana? That the unlikely hero of the story was Clarence Thomas? And that he would work with the most liberal justices to make it happen. Sometimes...more
There is a moment in the movie Wall Street, just before a fresh-faced Charlie Sheen as Bud Fox interviews for a coveted position with a peak-of-his-fame Michael Douglas playing the iconic Gordon Gecko, where Sheen looks in...more
Oh Daddy! It’s not “Rumours” or one of your “Dreams” – although it may be “Second Hand News” to our most knowledgeable readers: A federal court in Washington recently upheld the state’s cannabis residency requirement for...more
Texas is increasingly a purple political state. The motto of the state's capital city implores its citizens to keep it weird. Recent polling shows that Texans overwhelmingly support medical cannabis. Every one of Texas'...more
Attention Alabama medical cannabis applicants! You can buy your flowers tomorrow, and if you haven’t made Valentine’s dinner reservations already it’s probably too late (you’ll be happy later you didn’t go out on Valentine’s...more
Ah, South Carolina. Its siren song has tempted cannabis advocates for years with its diversity – political, geographic, geologic, and otherwise. But to date, nada.
That may change soon, as the South Carolina Compassionate...more
In the pilot episode of NBC’s Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope, deputy director of the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department, promises her constituents she will fill in “the pit” that has become a hazard to her community...more
We have long suspected that North Carolina may be the next great cannabis market. In describing North Carolina as “the sleeping giant of the South,” we wrote recently:
From Murphy to Manteo, North Carolina is a state that...more
1/26/2023
/ Cannabis Products ,
Dispensaries ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Licenses ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
North Carolina ,
Patients ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
Suppliers
If you give me an opportunity to quote George Harrison, I’m going to do it. In “Taxman,” he wrote:
Should five percent appear too small Be thankful I don’t take it all ‘Cause I’m the taxman -
I suspect “The Quiet One”...more
Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind” is an anthem to love and growing old. Among its many great lines is “wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then.” Can you tell I recently turned 40?
But I write today not about what I...more
1/19/2023
/ Alabama ,
Applications ,
Banks ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Deadlines ,
Insurance Industry ,
Licenses ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Real Estate Market ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government
Lost for many in the avalanche of news about the midterms, voters in five states went to the polls last month to vote on proposals allowing adult-use cannabis, often referred to as recreational cannabis.
Originally...more
I’m not proud of it, but I’m the resident cynic amongst the editorial staff here at Budding Trends when it comes to federal marijuana reform. And after all, someone has to temper the frivolous whims of others. But we’re...more
1/5/2023
/ Banking Reform ,
Banking Sector ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Farm Bill ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Legalization ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Proposed Legislation ,
SAFE Act
Like many sports fans, we’re suckers for next-season predictions immediately following the prior season (even when Notre Dame is inexplicably ranked in the Top 10). At the time of this writing, applications have just been...more
A year ago we wrote about Alabama’s then-new alcohol laws, which allowed (1) ABC Board-licensed businesses in the state to deliver wine, beer, and spirits to customers’ homes and (2) wineries anywhere in the country to ship...more
Lost for many in the avalanche of news about the midterms, voters in five states went to the polls last month to vote on proposals allowing adult-use (often referred to as “recreational”) cannabis....more
I don’t think the great Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits was talking about Congress when he wrote “that’s the way you do it, money for nothing,” but the recent midterm elections reminded me of that cynical refrain.
A few...more
11/28/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Federal Elections ,
Lame Duck Session ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government
I was relieved to learn that Albert Einstein never actually said that “[i]nsanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” because it seems like a really bad idea to start a blog post...more
Applications for the Alabama medical cannabis licenses were issued on October 24 and are due December 30. We are at DEFCON 2. Many of my phone calls each day involve screaming (rarely by me)....more
Welcome to the third installment of the Editors’ Roundtable, in which our editors – Whitt Steineker, Jay Wright, Hunter Robinson, and Slates Veazey – discuss cannabis issues in the news and take a stab at where the cannabis...more