[author: Susan Ryan]

Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana.

Let’s start in Kentucky where medical marijuana legalization passed the state House unanimously.  It now moves to the state Senate, and if it passes there, it will move to the governor’s desk.

In Vermont, possession of marijuana is legal, but buying and selling are not.  The state House passed a bill this week to set up a market for adult-use sales.  There are several steps still to go before stores will open, including convincing a reluctant governor to sign the law.

Moving next door to New Hampshire, the state House passed a recreational cannabis legalization bill.  Note: it would not allow for a marketplace; if Vermont sets one up, one can only assume they’ll have some out-of-state customers.

In federal news, the USDA okayed five state and tribal hemp programs.  Washington and Wyoming had their programs approved.  The Otoe-Missouria Tribe, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and the Santee Sioux Nation were also given a green light.  Heading in a different direction, Georgia is looking at a bill to re-criminalize hemp.

And finally, in the melee that was the latest Democratic Presidential debate, marijuana legalization got a mention.  Sanders promised to legalize cannabis on day one of his presidency.  Warren released a new plan for legalization.  Bloomberg called for decriminalization and expungement.

See you next week!