[author: Susan Ryan]

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

Before we get to COVID-19, let’s examine some non-virus news, shall we?

What would have been our big story of the week is that the Alabama state Senate has approved medical marijuana in the state.  The measure now moves to the state House, where it may meet with a frostier reception.

Staying in the south, Mississippi has not one, but two, medical cannabis measures on the November ballot.  Those in favor of legalization are fearful that multiple choices may confuse voters and divide the vote, leading to no legalization at all.

If you were betting on hemp legalization in Idaho, you are about to be disappointed.  Although the state Senate passed a measure to legalize the crop, a House committee voted it down.

Moving on to the federal government, hemp farmers may have reason to rejoice, as USDA secretary Sonny Perdue recently described the interim final rule on hemp as a “draft.”  This designation allows farmers another growing season to use older rules.

And just because sports are shut down doesn’t mean there isn’t sports-related cannabis news.  The recently approved NFL collective bargaining agreement eliminates suspensions for positive marijuana tests.

So, what’s happening in the world of cannabis in the age of COVID-19? No surprise, demand is up, and home delivery is now a thing.  It’s a measure of how much times have changed that dispensaries, once unthinkable in a country that viewed marijuana as “Reefer Madness,” are now considered essential businesses.  For info on which states view them as such, see our blog post here.

See you next week!