New Jersey MMJ Market Sees Steady Decrease as a Result of Adult-Use Sales
New Jersey legalized medical cannabis in 2010 and opened the first dispensaries in 2012. In April 2022, the state launched recreational cannabis sales. As the recreational market gains momentum, medical marijuana sales continue to decline steadily. According to state data, the MMJ market peaked in May 2022. Over 20,000 patients have left the program since then. The state is seeing medical cannabis sales figures that are approximately half of what they were six months ago. Industry experts stress that this is not uncommon in states that legalize recreational marijuana with an existing medical program in place. Many patients prefer to not have to pay for a medical card or take the time to visit a doctor to access cannabis. But lawmakers and state agencies want to remind New Jersey residents that the medical cannabis program is still important and there are benefits and perks exclusive to medical card holders, such as higher purchase limits and discounts.
Marijuana Workers in Missouri and California Join Teamsters
Cannabis workers in states across the country continue to unionize and push the labor movement forward for the industry. More marijuana industry workers in California voted to join the local Teamsters, as did cannabis workers in Missouri. According to a press release, 81 workers from the marijuana bottling plant Growpacker joined Teamsters Local 1932. For the first time, cannabis workers in Missouri have joined the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Supervisors and patient-care advocates from Bloc Dispensary in Valley Park, Missouri voted to join Teamsters Local 618. United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) began recruiting cannabis industry workers in Missouri in 2022. UFCW is another prominent union within the marijuana space.
PA Senators Introduce New Legislation to Legalize Cannabis
A pair of bipartisan senators in Pennsylvania have come together to file a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in the Keystone State. On Thursday, Republican Senator Dan Laughlin and Democratic Senator Sharif Street filed SB 846. The duo has filed legislation to legalize marijuana in prior legislative sessions as well. Of this latest filing, Laughlin said in a press release, “With neighboring states New Jersey and New York implementing adult use, we have a duty to Pennsylvania taxpayers to legalize adult-use marijuana to avoid losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars of new tax revenue and thousands of new jobs.” If passed, SB 846 would allow Pennsylvanians 21 and older to legally buy and gift up to 30 grams of cannabis. The bill would also permit medical marijuana patients to grow up to five plants for personal use, but it would not allow recreational consumers to grow their own cannabis.
