[author: Susan Ryan]

Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, New York finalized a settlement that will allow dispensaries to open. In other settlement news, Alabama agreed to throw out a scoring process that had led to lawsuits, and heard presentations from applicants. We see some interest in legalizing in Pennsylvania, as yet another neighbor allows adult-use. The news from New Hampshire is grim for proponents of legalization. And finally, add Green Wednesday to your list of holiday shopping opportunities.

NEW YORK

As we reported last month, New York reached a settlement in a lawsuit that was preventing retail dispensaries from opening. Well, it’s now been finalized. This means provisional licensees can open their doors and a new round of licenses can be awarded next year.

After months of the harmful impact on legal operators trying to open, there is some great holiday daze for the entire cannabis community.

Osbert Orduna, CEO of The Cannabis Place

ALABAMA

Speaking of states that have had a hard time getting their act together, we have an update on the Alabama medical cannabis licensing situation. The process had been stalled for a second time by a lawsuit concerning the procedure the state’s Medical Cannabis Commission used to score applications. Well, things are back on track now, as the parties reached an agreement in mediation that basically throws out the old scores, and starts the process all over again. Applications went before the Commission to make presentations earlier this week. Third time’s the charm, right?

PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania is bordered by many states, among them New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Ohio. What do all those states have in common? That’s right, they have all legalized adult-use cannabis. Pennsylvania also borders Lake Erie, and what jurisdiction is on the other side of that lake? Canada, where cannabis is also legal. Granted, Pennsylvania’s neighbor to the southwest, West Virginia, only allows medical marijuana, but still, now that Ohio has legalized, the Keystone State is largely surrounded. For an in-depth look at the issues concerning legalization in the state, have a look at this report put out by City and State Pennsylvania. And for the best commentary on the situation, we turn to Senator Fetterman.

In states where it has been legalized, somehow the world hasn’t spun off its axis. It wasn’t pandemonium or cats and dogs living in sin.

Senator John Fetterman, D-PA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

File this under “You had one job.” As we reported last month, New Hampshire set up a Commission to Study With the Purpose of Proposing Legalization, State Controlled Sales of Cannabis and Cannabis Products (seriously, was there no way to make that name shorter?). The Commission wrapped up its work with no proposal. A lack of consensus among the Commission members and some last-minute instructions from Governor Chris Sununu (R) seemed to have doomed the Commission to merely contemplating, rather than actually proposing, legalization.

AND FINALLY

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday – so many days around Thanksgiving Day have special names to describe spending. Add to that list, Green Wednesday. The day before Thanksgiving has been given this moniker by the industry, due to its historically strong sales. This year, traffic on Wednesday outpaced Friday, according to Weedmaps. Far be it from us to suggest that the prospect of spending time with family may be causing an increased need for herbal refreshment.

Be well and we’ll see you next week.