Global Advocacy & Policy

1,500+ Pending Cannabis Cases Dropped by Connecticut Chief State Attorney’s Office

Published

2 years ago

April 6, 2023

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Ganjapreneur reports

In a follow-up to the state’s recent cannabis legalization policy, Connecticut’s chief state attorney’s office has dropped 1,562 possession charges as state lawmakers draft legislation to halt cannabis-specific prosecutions moving forward.

Connecticut’s chief state attorney’s office has dropped 1,562 cannabis possession charges following a review of more than 4,000 pending cases, CT Insider reports. The review and dismissal of cases came as state lawmakers are drafting a bill to order the state Division of Criminal Justice to stop prosecuting cannabis-only cases. The proposal is part of the follow-up to the full legalization of cannabis in Connecticut.

Another 624 cases reviewed by Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin’s prosecutors will be modified to drop cannabis from the overall charges.

“It has been the shared position of this committee and the division that persons charged with a possession of a cannabis-type substance offense that has subsequently been decriminalized should not be prosecuted for that offense. Thus, identifying these cannabis cases could not be accomplished merely by conducting a computerized review of pending cases. The 4,248 cases statewide including 2,139 pending and 2,109 in re-arrest status. This was no small task and quite labor intensive.” — Griffin in a letter to the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee via CT Insider

In an interview with CT Insider, State Rep. Greg Howard (R), who is also a police officer, called the review “remarkable.”

“…When the chief state’s attorney testified, he assured us that while the statute doesn’t specifically say that it was retroactive to pending cases, he understands the legislative intent,” Howard said, “he accepts that, and he has made that clear to all of his state’s attorneys and obviously they have been hard at work about that.”

The bill ordering the criminal justice division to stop prosecuting cannabis cases last week passed the committee 27-10 along party lines. It moves next to the full chamber for consideration.

Source: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/1500-pending-cannabis-cases-dropped-by-connecticut-chief-state-attorneys-office/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=millennials_and_gen_z_make_majority_of_legal_cannabis_purchases_new_mexico_first_year_cannabis_sales_hit_300k_and_more&utm_term=2023-04-05

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Global Advocacy & Policy

Green Check Expands Financial Services Access to Cannabis Businesses Within Sovereign Nations

Published

2 months ago

September 25, 2024

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PRESS RELEASE

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Green Check (GC), the leading fintech provider of financial service solutions and industry insights in the cannabis market, announced a new feature that enables access to banking services for licensed cannabis-related businesses (CRBs) operating within indigenous communities.

This update helps to address a crucial gap in financial services available for the growing number of CRBs on indigenous lands, which has increased by nearly 25 percent since January 2023. Historically, state-issued license requirements have created barriers for financial institutions in serving businesses licensed by sovereign nations.

CRBs with tribal licenses can now onboard seamlessly onto the Green Check platform, expanding access to banking for CRBs on sovereign land. It will include comprehensive regulatory rules in future updates, streamlining the onboarding process, and simplifying access to essential financial services for these businesses.

“While this is just the beginning of our efforts to enhance banking services for CRBs with sovereign nation licenses, we view it as a positive stride in the right direction,” said Stacy Litke, VP of Banking Programs at Green Check. “This new feature marks a crucial step toward inclusivity and pushes us toward our goal of democratizing business and financial services for the cannabis industry, as a whole.”

To support this expansion, Green Check enlisted the expertise of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) whose mission is to create opportunities and equity for Indigenous people while empowering their communities through policy, programming and outreach.

“ICIA is honored to collaborate with Green Check to help transform banking solutions for CRBs that align with tribal governance rather than state regulations,” said Mary Jane Oatman, executive director of ICIA. “In a landscape where financial institutions often face unique regulatory challenges, it is important to provide tailored support that respects and upholds tribal sovereignty. We are not only facilitating the growth of tribal programs, but also navigating this intricate and often uncharted regulatory environment.”

“Green Check is paving the way for sustainable financial growth for all communities,” said Jay Wright, product marketing manager at Little Beach Harvest, a Shinnecock Nation cannabis dispensary located in Southampton Long Island. “With this expansion, Native Vision meets banking expertise.”

To learn more and to follow along for company news, visit greencheckverified.com.

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Global Advocacy & Policy

New Brunswick says it is unable to enforce its provincial cannabis laws on First Nations land, while other provinces take a different stance.

Published

8 months ago

April 2, 2024

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https://stratcann.com/news/new-brunswick-says-it-cant-enforce-its-cannabis-laws-on-first-nations-reserves/StratCann

The new comments come following proposed changes to the province’s Cannabis Act and stand in contrast to statements and actions taken by other provincial governments.

The province’s Public Safety Minister, Kris Austin, reportedly told media recently that there is nothing the province can do to enforce its provincial cannabis rules on businesses operating on First Nations reserves. She instead argues the issue is up to the federal government to enforce.

The comments from Austin came following the introduction of new legislation in New Brunswick meant to give officers from the Department of Justice and Public Safety (JPS) more power to deter illicit stores in the province.

The provincial government recently introduced Bill 29 , which will, if passed, create amendments to its Cannabis Control Act with the goal of increasing compliance with provincial rules, reducing the sale of illegal cannabis, and preventing young people from consuming the drug.

As reported by the Telegraph-Journal, Austin said: “you can’t seize property on First Nations reserves … unless you’re talking about a property that would be involved in violent crime.”

“Our understanding is when it comes to cannabis … that we’re not able to do that.”

The Telegraph-Journal went on to report that Austin made similar statements about jurisdiction in 2023, passing the buck to the federal government.

New Brunswick says it can’t enforce its cannabis laws on First Nations reserves

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Global Advocacy & Policy

Media Report: More than 15k marijuana convictions expunged since recreational legalization

Published

2 years ago

March 22, 2023

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Since legalizing recreational marijuana, the state of Missouri has granted more than 15,000 expungements at the misdemeanor and felony levels for nonviolent marijuana offenses.

That includes 65 in St. Louis City, 304 in St. Louis County, 55 in Jefferson County, and six in Franklin County. The Supreme Court of Missouri tells News 4 that St. Charles and Lincoln Counties had not reported any expungement data as of Tuesday morning.

More at

https://www.kmov.com/2023/03/21/more-than-15k-marijuana-convictions-expunged-since-recreational-legalization/

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