[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, we see how the SAFE Banking Act is faring in the Senate. We also check in on North Carolina, where medical marijuana could get a vote. We note that Connecticut joined the group of states allowing tax deductions for cannabis companies. We give a shout-out to two members of our cannabis group with an article on medical cannabis and workers’ compensation. And finally, we advise you not to count on smoking cannabis at the Minnesota state fair.

SAFE BANKING

Last month, we reported that the SAFE Banking Act got a hearing in the Senate Banking Committee. Now, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) says the bill could move to markup before the end of June. Before you get too excited, note that the committee has other issues on its plate, including fentanyl and executive compensation, so there’s always the possibility that SAFE will miss out. Baby steps…

NORTH CAROLINA

June could see action in North Carolina as well as on Capitol Hill. The Tarheel State is one of the few that prohibits the use of medical cannabis for any purpose. The Senate passed a bill to change that, but the House so far has been silent on the issue. Now, however, after a Health Committee hearing in March, members of the committee are planning to update the House Republican Caucus on the measure, looking for a floor vote in the coming weeks.

CONNECTICUT

Add Connecticut to the list of states that allow cannabis businesses to deduct expenses from their state tax bill. Last month, we saw New Jersey take this action, followed by Illinois just a couple of weeks ago. Will other states join in? Only time will tell.

MEDICAL CANNABIS AND WORKERS’ COMP

For those of you that subscribe to Law360, have a look at this article, “What Courts Say About Workers’ Comp and Medical Marijuana,” written by two members of our cannabis practice group, Alexandra Hassell and Anthony Califano.

AND FINALLY

As we move into summer, we start to see state fairs cropping up across the country. Minnesota, where adult-use cannabis will be legal on August 1, is no exception. So will attendees be able to smoke in public? The answer is unclear at the moment, but don’t count on it.

Be well everyone – we’ll see you next week!