In the days of the Armada, a fleet of warships, the scuttlebutt was the rumor or gossip that would spread throughout the ship. Today, Armada Law Corp presents The Scuttlebutt, a daily summery of news articles that people within the cannabis, hemp and plant medicine industries are chatting about along with links to the full articles.
In today’s news:
California State Court Grants Class Certification For Wage & Hour Claims Against Cannabis Dispensaries
#cannabislawsuit – “A California Superior Court recently granted class certification relative to a class of hundreds of employees against a group of dispensary defendants where the Plaintiffs presented sufficient evidence that the off-the-clock work claims, meal and rest period claims, and reimbursement of necessary business expenses claims predominated over individual inquiries and were typical of the class. The Court did not rule on the merits of the integrated enterprise, alter ego, or joint employer arguments, nor did the Court agree with the Defendant’s arguments that the claims were not typical because the Plaintiffs were not employed by each Defendant. Nonetheless, the ruling is important for employers in general and cannabis dispensaries in particular….”
2024 will arrive before Ohio lawmakers resolve adult-use marijuana law
#cannabisindustry – “Ohio state lawmakers are poised to finish 2023 without making promised changes to the adult-use marijuana legalization initiative voters passed in November.
Instead, the Ohio General Assembly will enter 2024 with advocates, including existing industry operators, pushing for an accelerated opening date for what could be a $2 billion legal cannabis market within a year.
For now, the lack of promised action is easing industry fears of a major rewrite of the new adult-use law, including a state Senate-proposed elimination of a social equity program and a de facto ban on concentrated cannabis.
Ohio became the 24th state to legalize adult-use cannabis when more than 57% of voters approved Issue 2 last month….”
Read More: https://mjbizdaily.com/ohio-may-not-resolve-adult-use-marijuana-law-till-2024/
FDA to consider psychedelic-assisted therapy for PTSD
#psychedelics – “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it will consider approval of psychedelic drug MDMA to be used in therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
If FDA approves the drug, also known as ecstasy, it would mark the first psychedelic-assisted therapy approved for PTSD and follows more than 30 years of clinical research, according to a Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) announcement Tuesday….”
Read More: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4358128-fda-psychedelic-ptsd-mdma-ecstasy/
Warning: New York’s Cannabis Branding Crackdown
Massive Calif. pot company tries to silence explosive LA Times investigation
#californiacannabis – “One of the largest cannabis retail chains in California threatened to sue the Los Angeles Times for defamation for publishing a story regarding alleged ties between the company and illegal cannabis sales.
The story, published Tuesday, found that holding companies owned by Tony Huang, a co-owner of the cannabis company Stiiizy, have owned nine different buildings that were used to house illegal cannabis retailers. The buildings have been the subject of multiple lawsuits, including one from the city of Compton that accused Huang of being “known for his serial operations of various illegal cannabis dispensaries,” according to the Times….”
Read More: https://www.sfgate.com/cannabis/article/calif-pot-company-tries-silence-investigation-18552282.php
Bill Would Allow All Pennsylvania Medical Cannabis Growers to Pursue Retail Licenses
#cannabisindustry – “All 25 of Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis grower/processor licensees may soon be able to obtain retail licenses under a bill that the state Legislature signed off on Dec. 12.
Senate Bill 773 would remove provisions in Pennsylvania’s 2016 medical cannabis law that allowed only five grower/processor licensees to become vertically integrated with dispensary licenses.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Chris Gebhard, R-Lebanon County, aims to break up a retail market that lawmakers have claimed is controlled by only a few companies, a situation they said resulted from the limit on vertically integrated operators….”