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:
#californiacannabis – “On November 29, 2022 the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution (Resolution 22-143) extending the temporary reduction of Measure S taxes and suspending 100% of the Measure S taxes for tax year 2023 and tax year 2024….
This resolution also authorized and directed the Treasurer-Tax Collector to take actions consistent with the resolution. As such, the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office will accept payments in any amount toward the outstanding balance of Measure S cannabis excise taxes through December 31, 2024.”
#psilocybin – “A Utah bill that would narrowly legalize medical psilocybin — more commonly known as “magic mushrooms” — has hit a dead end.
At least for now.
The bill, SB200, faltered at its first legislative hurdle on Wednesday when the Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted unanimously to carry on with its business without taking action on the bill.”
https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/2/22/23611028/magic-mushrooms-psilocybin-medical-utah-legislature
#psychedelics – “Minnesota lawmakers are hoping to join the ranks of states that are advancing psychedelics reform this session, introducing legislation to establish a task force to study and advise on the potential legalization of substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine.
The House bill is being sponsored by Rep. Andy Smith (D), while the Senate companion is being carried by Sen. Kelly Morrison (D). These developments come as legislators work expediently to enact marijuana legalization in the state.
Under the new proposals, a “Psychedelic Medicine Task Force” would be established in order to “advise the legislature on the legal, medical, and policy issues associated with the legalization of psychedelic medicine in the state.””
#californiacannabis – “Legal pot sales in California shrank last year, falling 8% compared with 2021. This is the first time cannabis revenue has dropped since the sale of cannabis became legal in 2018.
Customers purchased $5.3 billion worth of legal pot products in 2022, according to data released Wednesday by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. That represents an 8% drop, or a decrease of $473 million, from what customers purchased in 2021.”
https://www.sfgate.com/cannabis/article/california-legal-pot-sales-drop-17800119.php
#cannabislaw – “A Florida federal judge on Thursday ordered a Chinese vape maker to stop marketing its “Elfbar” brand electronic cigarettes in the U.S., finding that VPR Brands LP, which makes and sells “Elf” brand vapes, is likely to succeed on its claims that the Elfbar vapes infringe its trademark.
In the order, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon found that VPR has shown there is a likelihood of confusion and the company stands to suffer harm if Shenzhen Weiboli Technology Co. Ltd. is allowed to keep selling the Elfbar vapes, given the similarities between the products and how they are marketed.
In November, VPR asked for an injunction blocking Shenzhen Weiboli from continuing to use the Elfbar mark, arguing the alleged infringement is costing VPR about $100 million because of the effect on future sales.”
#cannabislaw – “AK Futures LLC has renewed claims against two distributors it says are part of “an advanced, well-funded, international network of counterfeiters” that are infringing its “Cake” brand of electronic cigarette products.
In a pair of complaints filed this week, AK Futures launched suits against Leaf of Vape LLC and Dr. Haze Inc., nearly three weeks after a California federal judge dismissed both companies from another suit AK Futures had filed in the same district against LCF Labs Inc.
In the two nearly-identical complaints, AK Futures alleges that the companies had been its own customers, were familiar with the brand and did regular business in California before they worked with LCF to create and distribute knockoff “Cake” products.”
https://www.law360.com/articles/1578889/delta-8-vape-maker-renews-ip-claims-over-cake-products