Marijuana News: Illinois Decriminalizes, Medical Marijuana in Florida, and More

There has been a lot to celebrate lately in world of marijuana legalization news. Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both seem to support federal marijuana legalization, Illinois just decriminalized marijuana, California voters will decide on recreational marijuana this November, and marijuana patients in Florida can now get their medicine. Why not toke one in honor of these latest little milestones and victories in marijuana legalization efforts?

Illinois marijuana users in can breathe a small sigh of relief thanks to a recent decision to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana within the state. Instead of facing court, arrest, and potential jail time, people who get caught carrying less than 10 grams of marijuana, intended for personal use, will now be hit with just a fine, set at a maximum of $200. This makes Illinois the seventeenth state to decriminalize marijuana possession in small amounts, and the country's third largest state so far to do so. Medical marijuana is currently regulated in Illinois under a pilot program that's recently been extended into 2020 and expanded to make marijuana available to PTSD and terminal illness patients, but before now, possession of non-medical marijuana in any amount was considered a criminal offense instead of a minor civil offense.

For those of us in Colorado and other states where recreational marijuana is legal and we can just walk right into one of the many marijuana dispensaries and buy some bud or even clones–not to mention the marijuana deals , daily specials, and the wide variety of marijuana strains—the idea of a possible $200 fine just for carrying a joint in your pocket seems ridiculously harsh and unfair, but for people in Illinois, it's a big improvement.

Prior to the bill's signing, people who got caught with even weed residue could potentially be arrested on the spot and taken to jail. Or, you might just get a ticket, all depending on the cop's sole decision. While Chicago and approximately 100 other cities in Illinois had already taken the step of giving police officers the ability to issue citations for minor marijuana offenses rather than making arrests, many of the state's lawmakers had concerns about whether or not the police were being unbiased in how they handled marijuana crimes. Democratic Senator Heather Steans, one of the bill's sponsors, stated, “We’re treating people really differently across the state, and we should be really getting out of that.”

Meanwhile in Florida medical marijuana advocates are celebrating the smallest steps towards progress in a state where marijuana laws have been notoriously harsh. Florida approved the medical use of non-euphoric, high CBD marijuana strains for people who have cancer or other debilitating diseases two years ago, but due to delays and obstacles in getting licenses for dispensaries, it was just last week that the first medical dispensary was able to make its first sale. Still, only high CBD strains that are virtually void of THC are available in Florida, such as the Charlotte's Web strain often prescribed to children who need it for its medical benefits. This means that no matter how much you smoke of the medical weed in Florida, you won't at all get high. That might change with a proposed amendment that will be on the November election ballot. Amendment 2 would make medical marijuana available to more patients and it would also allow for strains containing higher THC content. Not a huge step forward, but a step nonetheless.

Across the country, attitudes about marijuana are rapidly changing as cannabis makes the mainstream news daily and more and more states opt to reexamine and transform their marijuana laws. Marijuana is big business, and for the many states struggling with budget issues, cannabis legalization is beginning to look very appealing. California voters will decide on Proposition 64 this November, a California marijuana legalization initiative that would legalize recreational marijuana sales and impose a 15% sales tax, which if it passes, is expected to generate upwards of one billion dollars in tax revenue in the first year alone. With Hillary Clinton representing a Democratic Party platform that urges a pathway towards federal legalization and Donald Trump contradicting the Republican Party platform by recently saying that both medical and recreational marijuana laws should be left up to the states, marijuana consumers, activists, and entrepreneurs have a lot to be hopeful for.

Tagged in: CannaSaver medical marijuana dispensaries

Florida Marijuana Legalization and What it Means for the South

Posted by CANNASaver on Saturday, 12 November 2016 in Canna Blog

What Medical Marijuana Means for the South

Florida has passed medical marijuana into legalization, and they could be responsible for more expansion of the industry than they realize. Since Florida is in close proximity to some particularly anti-marijuana southern states, we may see some similarities between what has been happening in Colorado and what could happen to Florida, but there is a chance that their participation in the industry could lead to a much faster acceptance in surrounding states.

I am from Tennessee, which is not a great place to live if you want marijuana to be an important part of your life, as even with heartbreaking stories of kids with ailments that could be extremely effectively remedied by medical cannabis, the push to get any sort of new state legislation on the plant has always failed. But now that Florida will be cultivating medical marijuana there is most likely going to be an overflow of black market sales from Florida to surrounding states, as that market never completely disappears, even in Colorado where you would think recreational sales would have helped squelch that presence there are still many people who use dispensary deals to make extra money on the side.

Some time ago Colorado came under scrutiny from surrounding states because it was said that their law enforcement was having to deal with more and more issues coming from recreational sales, people crossing state lines with products either just bought for themselves or in some cases just general trafficking. While this is of course a negative it does begin to tear down arguments against marijuana use, especially when you see your state’s populous leaving to go somewhere else to spend their money. This has an interesting effect of encouragement on the public from surrounding states, and can help push a state government to more seriously consider just what it is their state may be losing out on by not having their own medical or recreational programs in place.

The initial effect is generally some degree of exodus, and we will probably see many of the people that genuinely need cannabis for medical purposes moving to Florida from surrounding states. In Colorado’s case this heavily impacted the real estate market, and should they decide to move forward with recreational sales they will also see a great rise in their already substantial tourism industry. But even more important is the presence of an acceptance of marijuana in the south.

The south really has made no advancement in marijuana acceptance or legislation, with the exception of some instances where CBD products are available in medical capacities, but recreational might as well be a curse word. But now that Florida has begun their journey to solidify their own medical market, the southern states will have to sit by and watch as Florida rakes in money that could be theirs if they were to think about some form of legalization. This presence alone is important, as the previous closest place to watch deal with the marijuana industry was Washington D.C. I believe.

I left Tennessee to come to Colorado to be a part of this industry and gain as much experience as I could so that someday I could return and help my home’s market expand as much as possible, but the main reason I left was because I felt that southern states would be among the last to accept any kind of industry existence. But now that Florida has begun their journey I am much more hopeful that the south will take a much harder look at just what can be gained from participation in this growing marijuana world. I just hope that it goes well, so that I can go home someday and help the people close to me.

Tagged in: CannaSaver medical marijuana

Marijuana News - Florida's First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opens and Illinois Decriminalizes

Marijuana News: Illinois Decriminalizes, Medical Marijuana in Florida, and More

Florida Marijuana Legalization and What it Means for the South

What Medical Marijuana Means for the South

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