legal marijuana

Massachusetts becomes first state to blanket pardon low-level marijuana charges

Published

3 weeks ago

April 8, 2024

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Massachusetts is now the first state to pardon the crimes of offenders charged with simple pot possession — after President Joe Biden did the same two years ago.

Gov. Maura Healey’s first-in-the-nation plan to issue a blanket pardon for simple marijuana possession was met with the unanimous approval of the Governor’s Council on Wednesday, when councilors expressed broad support but wondered if it went far enough for the potentially hundreds of thousands of people hit by the state’s now-defunct marijuana laws.

Healey’s pardon, according to the request for consent she sent to the council, would apply to “all adult persons who, on or before the date of this letter, have been convicted of a misdemeanor of possession of marijuana.”

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crime

Brookline teenager who had ‘magic mushrooms’ jumped from 6th-story window: Police

Published

4 months ago

December 26, 2023

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A Brookline teen was severely injured after he had “magic mushrooms” and jumped from a sixth-story window, according to police who arrested a drug dealer accused of targeting local kids.

Brookline Police are now warning parents after this incident and the arrest of a 22-year-old man in Brookline Village.

Based on a tip, Brookline detectives began investigating a suspected drug dealer who goes by the name Niko. He was allegedly selling drugs to underage teens.

Read the rest of this story on BostonHerald.com.

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business

After Massachusetts cannabis worker died from asthma attack, state pushes marijuana industry to take extra safety steps

Published

4 months ago

December 21, 2023

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After a Bay State cannabis worker suffered an asthma attack and died, the state Department of Public Health is pushing the local marijuana industry to take extra safety steps to prevent work-related asthma.

A Trulieve Cannabis Corp. employee who was packaging ground cannabis into pre-rolls at the company’s Holyoke processing facility suffered an asthma attack and later died in the hospital last year. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated, and the company later settled with OSHA.

DPH and OSHA confirmed that the death of the 27-year-old production technician was the first known occupational asthma fatality in the U.S. cannabis workforce.

Read the rest of this story on BostonHerald.com.

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BAT

Can A Lawsuit Save Small Cannabis Businesses

Published

6 months ago

November 8, 2023

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Marijuana has become increasing mainstream. With 90% of the public open to it being legal in some form. Companies from Pfizer to Miracle Grow have jumped in and other “vice” companies from BAT, Molson Coors, and Heineken to the $22+ billion market. It seems great, but the industry is struggling. Can a lawsuit save small cannabis businesses?

The Biden administration has been incredibly slow following up on his campaign promise to bring on federal legalization, the Trump term did nothing, rescheduling is just starting and California and New York have ongoing major issues. The House passed SAFE Banking 7 times and now the Senate is on board with SAFER Banking and the new House Speaker is not a fan of helping the industry. Small businesses continue to struggle.

Some cannabis companies have turned to superlawyer David Boies who is suing Attorney General Merrick Garland to strike down marijuana restrictions now in place under the federal Controlled Substances act. This could provide the relief mom and pop businesses need.

three people standing on roadside near building during nighttime

What the public doesn’t understand and Congress refuses to address is owning a small business is a major, hard endeavor, and currently, federal policy makes it even harder. Small businesses receive very little tax write-offs, can’t use Small Business Adminstration loans, major banks won’t touch them and ding the owners and employees for personal loans if revealed they work for a weed company.

Ted Olson, a conservative attorney who knows Boies and has opposed him shared “His timing is good. this is the sort of thing this court is looking at”.

“An overwhelming percentage of the American people believe marijuana sales should be legal and also safe and regulated”, said Boies

There are mixed winds about cannabis right now, the public wants it and Ohio just switched to full recreational. But Congress is in disarray and the Speaker doesn’t drink, smoke or swear and discourages is staff from doing any of it. Maybe the lawsuit can force the current administration to update the laws and help small businesses.

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