New Jersey Officials Abolished Cannabis Cultivation License Cap
New Jersey’s marijuana legalization law included a provision that capped the number of cultivation licenses at 37 for the first two years. That restriction will expire on February 22nd, and the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) has opted not to renew it. The goal of removing the license cap is to encourage growth and diversity in the state’s cannabis market. Currently, there are only 17 cannabis cultivation facilities in the entire state. According to the CRC, New Jersey would need approximately 850 more growing facilities to be on par with the national average.
Legal Cannabis Consumption Spaces Remain a Rarity in Canada
Although marijuana has been federally legal for almost five years, Canada’s market for legal social consumption spaces remains largely underdeveloped. Part of the reason is that smoking and vaping regulations fall under the umbrella of municipal and provincial governments, and they have been slow to address the issue at all. Many industry insiders feel this is a missed opportunity for cannabis tourism in Canada. Currently, none of Canada’s three largest recreational cannabis markets – Alberta, Ontario, and British Columbia – have formally moved to create regulations for social consumption spaces. The lack of regulations hasn’t stopped a few businesses from operating in a legal gray area to create their own cannabis consumption spaces. Some creative cannabis businesses leverage the idea of “consumer testing” to allow for some on-site consumption.
Colorado Offering Incentives to Marijuana Cultivators as Part of Energy Efficiency Program
According to a news release from the Colorado Energy Office (CEO), the state will begin accepting applications on February 15th for the Cannabis Resource Optimization Program. According to the release, the program will offer “free technical assistance and access to financing for cannabis cultivators”. A contractor, Resource Innovations, will provide the technical assistance, which will include audits that can help cultivators identify areas where they can make changes to optimize energy efficiency. The Colorado Clean Energy Fund will then work with the cultivation businesses to help them gain access to low-interest financing options to implement the changes.
