Connect with us

Cannabis News

Hawaii Senate Passes Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana Use By Seriously Ill Patients In Health Facilities

Published

2 months ago

on

The Hawaii Senate has passed a bill to allow qualified patients access to medical marijuana in health care facilities.

After receiving a favorable report in committee last week, Sen. Joy San Buenaventura’s (D) legislation advanced to the full floor on Tuesday as part of the consensus schedule with a 25-0 vote. A The version of the house proposal has also moved in this session.

The bill states, “It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to protect the ability of terminally ill patients and chronically ill patients over the age of sixty-five to safely use medical cannabis in specified health care facilities.”

Advocates would like the order to allow health facilities to use medical cannabis, but as written the policy would only allow those, exempting residential treatment centers from the proposed law.

Other exceptions contained in the legislation, SB 2408that medical marijuana may not be used for substance abuse recovery in hospitals, state hospitals or acute general hospital emergency departments “while the patient is receiving emergency services and care.”

Under the proposal, smoking and vaping of cannabis would be prohibited in health care facilities, “provided that the home health agency prohibits smoking or vaping before or during the home health agency staff’s stay at the facility.”

General acute care hospitals could not allow patients with a chronic illness to use medical cannabis unless they were terminally ill.

If a federal regulatory agency, the Department of Justice, or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) takes enforcement action against a health care facility related to its medical cannabis policy, or specifically notifies the facility that it is violating federal law, the health care facility may rescind the policy.

Meanwhile, last week, another Hawaii Senate committee passed a bill allow patients immediate access to medical cannabis once records are submittedinstead of waiting for the cards to be delivered, as is the case under current legislation.

Buenaventura, the head of the Health and Human Services Committee, is also a sponsor of his chamber’s version of the proposal. More of his panels has just passed legislation to legalize low-dose, low-potency marijuanaeven as their peers in the House of Representatives have said, the prohibition of cannabis in the state will not end this year.

The legislation would allow adults over the age of 21 to legally possess and use certain amounts of low-dose, low-THC cannabis, with the product limited to no more than 5 milligrams of THC per serving. In liquid form, twelve ounces can contain 5 milligrams of THC.

Senate committee action follows Senior lawmakers in the House indicated that proposals to legalize cannabis would not move forward In the 2026 session, citing the lack of sufficient support in their chamber.

Despite hopes that those bills – including one from House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee Chairman David Tarnas (D) that would put legalization before voters on the ballot – would advance this year, sponsor and House Speaker Nadine Nakamura (D) said there was not enough support in the legislature to pass this round.

State officials released a report in January the potential economic impact of recreational marijuana legalization on the stateincluding the revenue effects associated with domestic and international tourism.

All told, the researchers said survey data and comparative analysis indicate Hawaii could see $46-90 million in monthly marijuana sales in the fifth year of implementation, after taking into account the maximum tax rate of 15 percent on cannabis products.

The Hawaii Senate narrowly defeated a proposal last year that would have increased the amount of cannabis a person could possess without risk of criminal charges by five times.

If the measure had become law, the amount of decriminalized cannabis in Hawaii would have increased from the current 3 grams to 15 grams. Possession of any marijuana up to that 15-gram limit would have been classified as a civil infraction, punishable by a $130 fine.

The Senate bill that would legalize marijuana for adults, on the other hand, has finally stalled. That measure, SB 1613, did not make it out of committee during one term of the legislature.

While advocates believed there was sufficient support for the legalization proposal in the Senate, it is widely believed that House lawmakers would ultimately defeat the measure, as they did last February with a companion legislative bill, HB 1246.

In 2024, a The legislation passed by the Senate also failed in the House.

It came just days after last year’s House vote to stop the bill approval of a pair of committees at a joint hearing. Prior to that hearing, jurors received nearly 300 pages of testimony, including from state agencies, advocacy organizations and members of the public.

Gov. Josh Green (D) signed separate legislation last year allow medical marijuana caregivers to grow marijuana on behalf of five patients than the current one.

And in July, the governor signed another bill Establishes several new rules for Hawaiian hemp productsincluding the requirement for distributors and retailers to obtain registration from the Department of Health.

Legislators also sent a bill to the governor help speed up the expungement process for people who want to clear their past marijuana-related criminal records– a proposal Green signed the law last April.

This measure, HB 132, of Tarnas, aims to speed up the abolition Green’s pilot program signed into law in 2024. Specifically, it will eliminate a distinction between marijuana and other Schedule V drugs for the purposes of the decriminalization program.

The bill’s sponsors said the law’s current wording forces state officials to manually comb through thousands of criminal records to identify those eligible for expungement in the pilot program.

Meanwhile, in November, Hawaii officials detailed the rules allow medical marijuana dispensaries to sell a wide range of products for patients— including dry herb vaporizers, rolling papers and grinders — while revising state code to clarify that cannabis oils and concentrates can be marketed for inhalation.

The department as well He confirmed that he is in favor of federal marijuana reorganization– The policy change that President Donald Trump ordered to be carried out quickly, but which has not yet been implemented.

—
It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracking and become a Patreon supporter to gain access
—

Regulators are also launching a series of courses designed for this purpose educate doctors and other healthcare professionals about medical marijuana as the state’s cannabis program expands.

The under the medical marijuana expansion bill signed by the governor In late June, it not only makes cannabis easier for more patients to access, but also contains a provision that advocates find problematic.

Before lawmakers sent the legislation to Green, a conference committee revised the plan, including a provision allowing the DOH to access medical marijuana patient records held by doctors for any reason.

user photo Brian Shamblen.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

Become a patron on Patreon!

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Cannabis News

Third cannabis business approved by Jefferson Town Council

Published

20 hours ago

on

May 15, 2026

By











The Jefferson City Council unanimously approved “Green Leevs” as the city’s first cannabis micro-farm at its May 6 meeting. This is the third cannabis business approved by the municipality in order to bring income to the municipality. Retail dispensaries “Greenlight Apothecary” and “Gas and Grass” were previously approved.

Green Leevs are owned by Bill Comeford, Elliot McClendon and Josh Moskowitz. All three are from the local area, Comeford grew up in Jefferson. In New Jersey, a micro-enterprise is a facility with 2,500 square feet of growing space. A micro-farm relies on the craftsmanship of cannabis rather than mass production.

“We have more control, we have more hands, the smaller grow rooms make it easier to inspect each plant,” Comeford said. “If you’re careful, it makes for a better product at the end of the day.”

Green Leeves understands that there are mixed feelings about the Council’s approval of the cannabis industry and hopes that this will ease over time.

Read more at Press Jefferson










Continue Reading

Cannabis News

Virginia Governor Signs Marijuana Resentencing Bill After Lawmakers Rejected Her Amendments

Published

20 hours ago

on

May 15, 2026

By

Virginia’s governor has signed legislation to grant sentence relief to people with past marijuana convictions, even as lawmakers have refused to accept proposed amendments to the legislation that would significantly narrow the scope of reform.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) gave final approval to the bills, Rozia Henson Jr.’s HB 26 (D) and Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas’ SB 62 (D), on Thursday.

Separately, lawmakers and advocates are waiting the governor’s action on separate legislation to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana after amendments to his proposal were similarly rejected by the House and Senate last month. The changes suggested in that legislation included delaying the start of sales by six months, increasing taxes and introducing new criminal penalties for cannabis users.

Retrial reform, on the other hand, creates a process by which people incarcerated or on community custody for certain crimes involving the possession, manufacture, sale or distribution of marijuana will consider changing their sentences to receive an automatic trial.

Spanberger sent proposed amendments to lawmakers last month They had to proactively submit requests for assistance to affected people instead of the courts proceeding automatically. The Senate and House of Representatives, however, rejected the proposal, effectively rejecting it and sending the original legislation to Spanberger’s desk.

Henson, the sponsor of the House version of the bill, said it was ready to accept the governor’s changes, even if he is concerned this would mean that some people with cannabis convictions would fall through the cracks because they “didn’t have a lawyer or didn’t know how to ask.”

The whole parliament did not agree with the change, however, and now HB 26 and SB 62 The laws that were originally approved have been implemented.

The relief will apply to people with convictions or convictions for conduct that occurred before July 1, 2021, when a state law that legalized personal possession and home cultivation of marijuana went into effect. State and local corrections officials should identify and notify eligible individuals of their rights to provide notice of relief and then work with courts to automatically schedule hearings.

Henson said last month that the resentencing legislation was “built for people who are still paying the price for something that Virginia has made legal.”

“If the commonwealth were to change the law, it still has the duty to review the consequences of the people punished according to the old one,” he said.

The governor’s office said in a press release when he proposed his amendments that they “clarify that there will be no tolerance for violent crimes in Virginia, from armed robbery to possession of firearms to distribute fentanyl, heroin and other dangerous drugs.”

But Henson said he shares the “governor’s commitment” to making sure violent offenders are not eligible for this relief; and that commitment is reflected in the bill itself, which excluded people convicted of violent acts under Virginia law.

Spanberger’s release last month made no mention of the actual major changes to the bill, which was the removal of automatic leniency provisions for people with cannabis convictions.

The governor’s amendment also proposed removing the deadline for court filings on the retrial.

In the previous session, members of parliament approved similar legislation, but the then government vetoed it. Glenn Young (R).

Separately, Spanberger signed several other reform bills last month, including measures protecting the parental rights of marijuana users and giving patients access to medical cannabis in hospitals.

Cannabis policy reform organizations, on the other hand, sent a letter earlier this month asking the governor to enact the adult-use marijuana sales bill.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

Continue Reading

Cannabis News

Cannabis operators report mixed results as rescheduling reshapes the financial outlook

Published

2 days ago

on

May 14, 2026

By

The rescheduling came mid-quarter and rewrote the tax math for each medical sales operator, but the underlying revenue picture remained uneven in early 2026, with acquisitions driven at one end of the scale and continued top-line compression at the other.

Vireo Growth: Back on $106 million deal
Vireo Growth Inc. reported Q1 GAAP revenue of $106.2 million, up 333.5% year-over-year, driven almost entirely by recent acquisitions rather than organic growth. The company completed the Schwazze acquisition in March, adding 45 dispensaries and two manufacturing facilities in Colorado and New Mexico. At the end of the quarter, it closed Eaze and Hawthorne Gardening, FLUENT Corp. announced an acquisition agreement and executed a California dispensary joint venture with Glass House Brands. Treating all acquisitions as closed on January 1, 2025 on a pro forma basis, revenue was $210.2 million and adjusted EBITDA was $42.2 million. The company ended the quarter with $137.8 million in cash.

John Mazarakis, CEO of Vireo, said: “Performance in the first quarter met our expectations and we are excited to welcome Schwazze, Eaze and Hawthorne to Vireo. We are focused on integration and optimization across the platform, while remaining opportunistic regarding growth opportunities associated with further acquisitions.”

Cresco Labs: $151 million, 280E relief and Texas license
Cresco Labs reported Q1 revenue of $151 million, down from $165.8 million in Q1 2025. Adjusted gross margin was 50.7% and adjusted EBITDA margin of $33 million was 21.7%. Cash at the end of the quarter was $67 million against a $310 million secured term loan. The company was conditionally granted a Texas Compassionate Use Program license after the quarter ended and opened two new dispensaries in Ohio.

Management said, “Moving the state’s legal medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III is the most impactful reform this industry has seen, and it validates the work we’ve been executing for years. We’ve built the operational foundation and balance sheet discipline to reap the immediate benefits of rescheduling, and position Cresco to take advantage of the broader path to normalization.”

Jushi Holdings: 4% growth, 460 basis point margin expansion
Jushi Holdings reported first-quarter revenue of $66.4 million, up 4% year-over-year, with gross profit margin up 460 basis points to 45%. Adjusted EBITDA was $11.4 million, up 17.2%. The margin improvement was driven by higher production volumes in Ohio, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and the performance of grower processors. Jushi brand products accounted for 58% of retail revenue in vertical markets. The company refinanced $132.3 million in debt during the quarter, providing $160 million in new debt through 2029.

Jim Cacioppo, president and CEO, said: “The recent scheduling of state-licensed medical marijuana for Schedule III is an important milestone for the industry, eliminating 280E tax limitations for medical operations and supporting a more favorable long-term operating environment.” Medical sales accounted for about 60% of Jushi’s 2025 revenue, making this material relief.

iAnthus Capital: Revenue falls to $33.5 million
iAnthus Capital reported first-quarter revenue of $33.5 million, down $4.6 million from 2025’s first quarter. Gross margin was 47.5%, up 477 basis points from the 2025 quarter. The company did not provide a management comment in the press release.

Country farms: international export record, fourth consecutive quarter of net income
Village Farms International reported first quarter consolidated net sales of $50.2 million, up 27% year-over-year, with net income of $2.9 million and adjusted EBITDA of $9.9 million, up 118% year-over-year. International export sales increased 171% to a record $14.6 million, driven by demand for EU-GMP compliant products in Germany. Pure Sunfarms had the top Canadian market share in dried flowers for the 15th consecutive month. The company started planting the first half of its Delta 2 greenhouse expansion and expects its Phase II facility in the Netherlands to reach full capacity by the end of 2026, which would quadruple Dutch production.

Michael DeGiglio, President and CEO, said: “Our first quarter results reflect a strong start to the year and continued momentum in our largest markets, with adjusted EBITDA growth of 118% year-over-year, significantly outpacing revenue growth of 27%, driven by our international business and continued leadership in Canada.

Cronos Group: Record revenue, $822 million in cash
Cronos Group reported Q1 net income of $45.2 million, up 40% year-over-year and a record quarter, with net income of $15.7 million and adjusted EBITDA of $5.1 million. Israel led growth PEACE NATURALS grew 53% for ninth consecutive record quarter. In Canada, the Spinach brand took first place in vapes with a 9.8% share of the national market, and maintained its top spot in edibles at 20.8%. The company ended the quarter with $821.9 million in cash and authorized a new $50 million stock repurchase program. The deadline to close the acquisition of CanAdelaar, one of the ten licensed growers in the Dutch Controlled Cannabis Supply Chain Experiment, has been extended to September 9, 2026 to allow time for regulatory approvals.

Mike Gorenstein, chairman, president and CEO, said, “Cronos achieved net earnings and gross profit in the first quarter as we continue to execute against our unlimited product strategy and the additional supply from Cronos GrowCo’s expansion fuels the next phase of our growth.”

Org chart: Revenue down 9%, Sanity Group acquisition closes after quarter
Organigram Global reported fiscal second quarter net income of $59.8 million, down 9% year-over-year, with adjusted EBITDA of $0.9 million, down 82%. Lower vape and pre-infusion sales drove the decline, along with a $5.8 billion dent in the U.S. hemp business. The company achieved a record quarterly harvest of over 32,000kg at its Moncton facility, up 56% year-on-year, and launched 10 SKUs in Australia targeting over 4,000 pharmacies. At the end of the quarter, Organigram acquired Sanity Group, one of Germany’s leading cannabis companies, and updated its 2026 guidance to net revenue of more than $350 million.

James Yamanaka, CEO, said: “Q2 reflected our poor performance in vaporizers and temporary challenges in pre-infusion production, compounded by slower industry growth. We have acted quickly to address these issues, and the operational changes and product improvements we have implemented are already beginning to stabilize performance.”

Greg Guyatt, Chief Financial Officer, said: “The financial impact of the competitive and operational challenges encountered earlier in fiscal 2026 is believed to have materialized in the first half of the year, and we are now beginning to stabilize performance. We expect to resume a trajectory of margin expansion and improved profitability during the second half of the year, supported by positive revenue and international sales growth. The Sanity Group.”

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending

Copyright © 2021 The Art of MaryJane Media