RI Is Close
MM is reporting that RI is Close to a deal on a bill to legalize marijuana in the state is finally coming together. "While there are still certain outstanding issues to resolve such as which agency should be tasked with regulating the market, lawmakers have made significant progress and have reached compromises on a number of topics, Sen. Josh Miller (D), sponsor of one legalization proposal, said during a panel hosted by Johnson & Wales University. Miller warned that he couldn’t be especially specific on details given that negotiations are ongoing, but he expressed optimism that legislators are nearing an agreement. One issue that’s nearing consensus concerns the number of marijuana business licenses that could be authorized. Miller’s bill, which was approved by the Senate earlier this year, proposed as many as 150 cannabis shops, whereas Gov. Dan McKee’s (D) plan called for 25 and Rep. Scott Slater (D) wanted just 15 in his separate House bill. The senator said that “we’re probably down to more in the 30, 40 range.”
NY Misses Deadline
New York is soon to be the 2nd largest cannabis market in America, only behind California. However the program is off to a tough start after the state missed a deadline to issue medical marijuana home cultivation rules. “A lot of state legislators and regulators … are going to look at the New York model, not just in the way it’s designed, but in the way it ultimately plays out to understand whether this works,” said Brookings Institution scholar John Hudak during Wednesday’s Business of Cannabis event in New York. Another important date to look at in NY is the deadline of municipalities to opt out of legal cannabis sales within their borders. These municipalities have until the end of the year to opt-out which has created a rush to prohibit businesses since they can later opt back in. This sit back and wait methodology municipalities have been using will create a very fragmented market in NY. Municipalities which opt out will be sacrificing millions in tax revenue.
Trulieve Pittsburgh Location
Trulieve recently announced the opening of Harvest Pittsburgh on Thursday, October 21. This medical only dispensary will be located on 200 Federal Street. With this opening, Trulieve will have a footprint of 17 active dispensary locations in the state with one yet to open. Trulieve's 2nd largest state footprint is located in Pennsylvania behind Florida. By number of facilities, Trulieve has the largest footprint out of all the MSOs in the United States.
