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Cannabis Industry Update – April 2018

April 25, 2018

With so much happening in the cannabis industry we thought we’d take this time to highlight some of the industry’s most recent happenings.

  • Increasing Support for Decriminalization of Marijuana (Federal): On April 20, 2018, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said he’ll introduce a bill taking marijuana off the federal list of controlled substances — in effect decriminalizing its use at the federal level. The bill is expected to be similar to the one proposed by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) in 2017. In a tweet to his Twitter followers Chuck Schumer stated: “The time has come to decriminalize marijuana. My thinking – as well as the general population’s views – on the issue has evolved, and so I believe there’s no better time than the present to get this done.”

FDA Approves Marijuana-Derived Drug (Federal): On April 19, 2018, advisers for the Food and Drug Administration unanimously supported the first-ever government approval of a medication made from cannabis. The drug, Epidiolex, is made from a purified ingredient in cannabis called cannabidiol, or CBD. It is intended to treat severe seizures in children caused by rare forms of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes.

Cole Memorandum Update (Federal): On January 5, 2018, we discussed the rescission of the Cole Memorandum by the federal government. The Cole Memorandum outlined the federal government’s general policy prohibiting federal prosecutors from pursuing cases against people following marijuana laws in states that have legalized the drug. The rescission of the Cole Memorandum created much concern and confusion at the state level. In a change of direction, President Donald Trump stated on April 13, 2018, that he will support legislation protecting the marijuana industry in states that have legalized the drug. Republican Sen. Cory Gardner (D-CO) said that President Trump made the assurance to him during a conversation. “President Trump assured me that he will support a federalism-based legislative solution to fix this states’ rights issue once and for all,” Gardener said in a statement.

Marijuana Key Issue in Governorship Race (New York): In February 2018, we discussed Governor Cuomo’s statement during his annual budget address that New York should undertake a study of the possible impacts of legalizing recreational marijuana. The issue of legalization recreational marijuana at a state level is becoming a key issue for his campaign, especially in light of Cynthia Nixon’s recent comments. Ms. Nixon, who is challenging Governor Cuomo in a Democratic primary for the governorship, supports the decriminalization of marijuana. “I believe it’s time for New York to follow the lead of eight other states and D.C. and legalize the recreational use of marijuana,” says Ms. Nixon in a video she posted to Twitter.

New Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Poised to Open (New York): In Medical Marijuana 102 we reviewed New York medical marijuana dispensaries and the issuance by the NYS Department of Health (“DOH”) of licenses to five new companies in addition to the original five companies chosen by the DOH to manufacture and sell medical cannabis. The five new companies will be opening up a total of six New York City dispensaries, one of which will be in Manhattan, bringing the total number of medical marijuana dispensaries to nine.

Number of Certified Patients and Practitioners Continues to Rise (New York): In Medical Marijuana 103, we noted that 1,184 practitioners had registered with the DOH for the purpose of certifying patients for medical marijuana use and that 28,077 patients had been certified for such use. That number has grown exponentially since then – the DOH reports that as of April 17, 2018, there are now over 1,500 registered practitioners and over 50,000 certified patients.