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Former Michigan House speaker, 3 others plead guilty to cannabis bribery scheme

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A former Republican Michigan House speaker accepted more than $100,000 in bribes from would-be cannabis business operators in exchange for help obtaining licenses, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

The corruption allegations unveiled Thursday against Rick Johnson, 70, and three others amount to “the largest public corruption scandal in the state’s capital in 30 years,” according to The Detroit News.

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Johnson served as speaker of the state House from 2001 to 2004 and later chaired Michigan’s medical marijuana board from 2017 to 2019,

It is also the latest example of public corruption connected to preferential licensing in legal marijuana – and perhaps the most high-profile case to date.

According to U.S. Attorney Mark Totten of the Western District of Michigan, Johnson, took “cash and benefits from at least two companies” and later voted in favor of granting them licenses.

The companies were not identified, but one was operated

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Oregon voters approve pro-labor change to state cannabis law

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Voters in Oregon appear to have approved an organized labor-friendly change to state cannabis law that’s had mixed results in other states.

With more than 80% of ballots counted, 55.7% of state voters cast yes ballots on Measure 119, which will require cannabis operators in the state to submit a “labor peace agreement” to regulators before receiving or renewing business permit, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

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The voter initiative’s main sponsor was the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555, which spent more than $2.8 million on the campaign after a failed attempt to impose a labor peace agreement (LPA) requirement through the state Legislature.

Several other states, most notably California, require cannabis businesses to have an LPA as part of licensing

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Infused beverages lead marijuana product sales spike on Election Day

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Marijuana product sales jumped nearly 6% on Election Day compared to the previous three Tuesdays, according to Seattle-based cannabis industry analytics provider Headset.

Nearly every product category experienced an increase in sales in the 15 regulated U.S. marijuana markets tracked by Headset.

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THC-infused beverages were the product of choice for many cannabis consumers on Election Day; sales in that category jumped 14.2% on Tuesday, the biggest increase in any segment.

Beverages typically account for 1% or 2% of retail sales, although infused beverage sales spike during the holidays, when social gatherings increase, according to Headset Data Analyst Mitchell Laferla.

“In 2024, the Beverage category saw the largest spike in total sales across all categories on 4/20, 4th of July, and Labor Day,”

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Republican lawmakers will get chance to prove whether GOP is good for cannabis

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Is Republican control of the U.S. government better for marijuana reform than a Democrat-led administration, and have statewide adult-use cannabis legalization efforts simply maxed out?

After the GOP’s decisive nationwide victory on Tuesday sent former President Donald Trump back to the White House – and delivered control of the Senate to Republicans – the $32 billion U.S. legal marijuana industry is about to find out.

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Three decisive defeats for adult-use legalization on Election Day mean reform efforts are likely to shift away from individual states and toward Washington, D.C., where Democratic lawmakers have traditionally been more consistent backers of marijuana bills.

There, advocates will have to present a newly united front if they hope to win over conservative lawmakers.

“This is not the

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