Cannabis Briefs for September 17, 2024
September 17, 2024•New Jersey is the latest state to crack down on the hemp THC category, with Governor Phil Murphy recently signing a bill that limits sales to businesses with cannabis licenses.There is a carve-out to grant cannabis licenses to liquor stores, which will then be able to stock hemp THC drinks. Businesses without cannabis licenses must pull hemp THC products from their shelves within one month. Murphy said the new law was necessary to stem the expansion of hemp THC products that “are sold outside of the regulated market for cannabis even though they can have similar effects, may contain harmful chemicals and other contaminants, and often are sold without appropriate testing and labeling.”
•August saw record setting cannabis sales in states across the U.S., capping a summer of strong adult-use sales for Michigan, Maryland, New York, Missouri, Maine, and Connecticut. In Michigan, sales totaled $295.4 million, with nearly 100% coming from adult-use sales. Maryland’s August sales totaled $100.6 million, with $73 million coming from adult retail. August in New York was a banner month as well, with sales reaching $97.8 million, over $20 million more than July. In Missouri, August sales reached $126.2 million, with the adult-use market making up $110 million. Recreational sales for Maine—medical sales are not yet available—reached just under $25 million. Finally, Connecticut’s cannabis market grew to $25.6 million, with the adult-use marketing contributing $17.9 million to the total.
•Mary Jones has added Cola and Zero Cola flavors to its portfolio of hemp delta-9 (HD9) beverages and edibles. Both colas are made with new formulas, and come in 12-ounce cans with either 5 or 10 mg of infused THC. Mary Jones HD9 Cola is sweetened with natural cane sugar, while Zero Cola is sweetened with sucralose. The new colas join the HD9 Berry Lemonade, Green Apple, MF Grape, and Orange & Cream soda flavors that launched Mary Jones’ hemp-infused line last January. The lineup now also includes gummies and 2-ounce shooters. The HD9 line is available online and in liquor stores and other retail venues in multiple states.
•A bipartisan group of Pennsylvania lawmakers, led by representatives Aaron Kaufer (R) and Emily Kinkead (D), has introduced a bill to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state. If passed and signed into law, Pennsylvanians would be allowed to have up to 30 grams of cannabis that, at retail, would carry 8% sales and 5% excise taxes. The proposed legislation would also consolidate the state’s medical and retail markets under the department of agriculture. In the current version of the bill, cannabis companies would be limited to one adult-use retail license.
Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning. You will also receive the Cannabis edition as part of your subscription.Tagged : cannabis, Mary Jones
