Advancing Legalization and Industry Growth
2016 - 2020
2020
December 10, 2020, Jay-Z launches Monogram, his official cannabis brand, through The Parent Company. Monogram is Shawn ‘JAY-Z’ Carter’s first cannabis business venture, which bolsters superior craftsmanship, quality and consistency across their cannabis product line.
December 9, 2020, US House of Representatives passes the Medical Marijuana Research Act. This Act will help pave a pathway for researchers to study cannabis products that consumers will be using. Researchers should see assistance in streamlining difficult cannabis license processes for conducting cannabis research.
December 4, 2020, US House of Representatives passes the MORE Act in a 228-164 vote. The MORE Act bill decriminalizes cannabis. Moreover, it removes cannabis from the list of scheduled substances listed under the Controlled Substances Act. In turn this eliminates criminal penalties for individuals who manufacture, distribute, or possess cannabis
December 2, 2020, The United Nations Commission for Narcotic Drugs votes to remove medical marijuana from its list of dangerous drugs, paving the way for better global access to cannabis research.
November 24, 2020, Subversive Capital Acquisition Corp, the largest cannabis-focused special acquisition company in US history, agrees to acquire Caliva and Left Coast Ventures to form The Parent Company. Jay-Z and Roc Nation sign exclusive agreements with The Parent Company and Jay-Z becomes the company's Chief Visionary Officer with $36.5 million in equity commitments.
November 4, 2020, South Dakota passes Measure 26, Medical Marijuana Initiative, by ballot measure to legalize medical cannabis in the state. On July 1, 2021 medical marijuana became legal in South Dakota. Patients, who have a debilitating medical condition, are allowed to possess a maximum of 3 ounces of medical marijuana.
November 3, 2020, Arizona passes Proposition 207 and New Jersey passes Public Question 1 by ballot measure, respectively legalizing adult-use cannabis in both states. Arizona and New Jersey will see the legalization, taxation, and recreational use of cannabis for adults aged 21 and older. Certain individuals will be able to petition a court for an order to seal their cannabis related criminal records.
June 29, 2020, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signs House File 2589, expanding the Medical Cannabidiol Act to include even more patient conditions and increase the amount of THC allowed in legal medical cannabis.
June 17, 2020, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signs House File 2581 into law, legalizing the sale and production of consumable hemp products in the state. The HF2581 bill sets forth regulations regarding the legality of production and sale of consumable grade hemp products in the state of Iowa.
April 7, 2020, Charlotte Figi dies due to complications from Covid.
Charlotte was diagnosed with Dravet syndrome at a young age, a rare form of epilepsy. Unable to be controlled by other forms of medication, Charlotte began taking CBD oil and saw a sharp decline in seizures shortly after. Charlotte Figi was a major inspiration in the CBD movement.
January 11, 2020, Hawaii passes legislation decriminalizing possession of 3 grams or less of marijuana. This legislation reduces penalties for individuals possessing up to 3 grams of cannabis, punishable up to 30 days in jail with a $1,000 fine, to a non-criminal violation with a fine of $130. The legislation also provides a process for some individuals previously convicted for marijuana possession to have their cannabis possession conviction expunged.
January 1, 2020, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signs the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, House Bill 1438, into law. It is the first act of a US state legislature creating a regulated cannabis system and authorizes legal retail sales to begin immediately.
2019
December 3, 2019, U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan adds an adult-use cannabis amendment onto the existing Virgin Islands Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act, allowing anyone to purchase cannabis legally in the territory. Brazil allows medical cannabis sales to begin in the country.
December 1, 2019, Michigan begins legal adult-use cannabis sales. Michigan residents will be able to purchase cannabis, legally. Businesses must be licensed under the state’s medical marijuana licensing rules to cultivate upwards of 1,000 cannabis plants.
The majority of Democratic candidates for President express pro-cannabis views while campaigning.
November 19, 2019, Charlotte Figi is the first person under 18 to be featured on the cover of High Times and is named one of that year's "High Times Female 50." Charlotte Figi is considered to be a major inspiration for the CBD movement.
October 29, 2019, The USDA releases proposed regulations under which states can submit legal hemp manufacturing and distribution plans. The U.S. Domestic Hemp Program creates a regulatory framework for hemp production throughout the United States.
September 27, 2019, Weedmaps launches WM Retail, its in-house point of sale system, and rededicates a large part of its operations to offer software and tech for cannabis businesses. Benefits of WM retail include enabling cannabis businesses to streamline their procurement process and sync inventories in real time.
September 25, 2019, U.S. House of Representatives approves, 321-103, the SAFE Banking Act to allow banks and financial institutions to service cannabis businesses.
August 2019, Weedmaps opens the 30,000 square-foot Museum of Weed in Los Angeles, which runs for three months to tell the story of prohibition and help destigmatize cannabis.
July 23, 2019, Matching bills on the MORE Act are introduced to the House of Representatives by Jerry Nadler and to the Senate by Kamala Harris.
This bill is to put forth to decriminalize marijuana. Moreover, it eliminates criminal penalties for individuals who manufacture, distribute, or possess marijuana.
July 2019, Jay-Z enters the cannabis space by signing a deal with Caliva to bring his flagship cannabis brand Monogram to fruition
June 11, 2019, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signs House Bill 1325 into law, legalizing the cultivation of hemp and legal sale of CBD. The law also inadvertently changes the state's standards for marijuana possession, leading to hundreds of marijuana cases throughout the state being dropped.
May 9, 2019, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum signs House Bill 1050 into law, decriminalizing cannabis in the state. Notable changes include reclassification and reduction of criminal penalties for cannabis possession, reclassifies possession of cannabis paraphernalia as an infraction, and more.
April 17, 2019, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signs House Bill 324 into law, legalizing the sale of low-THC medical cannabis oil and allowing cultivation of medical cannabis in the state.
April 4, 2019, Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero signs legislation legalizing adult-use cannabis in the territory. This legislation officially legalizes home growing and possession of recreational cannabis on the island.
February 17, 2019, Barney's luxury store begins offering cannabis products in Beverly Hills, CA. The luxury store will begin selling cannabis related products within its stores, dubbed “The High End”. Products include CBD vape pens, smoking accessories, edibles, and other beauty and wellness related products.
February 13, 2019, Attorney David H. Carpenter publishes CRS Testimony TE10031, Challenges and Solutions: Access to Banking Services for Cannabis Related Businesses, providing Congress with a basis for how the SAFE Banking Act could benefit cannabis businesses.
January 9, 2019, U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan signs Virgin Islands Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act into law, legalizing medical cannabis in the territory. Qualifying patients will be able to apply to the office of Cannabis Regulation for a registration card allowing them to grow, use and access medical cannabis.
2018
December 31, 2018, cannabis and hemp brands are permitted to appear on Times Square billboards for the first time, changing 80+ years of New York advertising policy. The permitted advertisements were made possible by a provision in the 2018 farm bill, which removed hemp, a strain of cannabis, from the federal government’s controlled substances list.
December 25, 2018, Thailand amends its federal drug laws becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to allow the use of licensed medical marijuana. The same day, Israel’s Parliament approves legislation permitting exports of medical cannabis. Israel can expect to generate an estimated $1 billion in medical cannabis export sales
December 20, 2018, then-President Trump signs the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (“The 2018 Farm Bill”) into law, removing hemp from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
December 10, 2018, New Zealand passes legislation making medical cannabis available nationwide. Medical marijuana has been highly restricted in New Zealand. This new legislation allows New Zealanders a much broader use of medical marijuana.
December 6, 2018, Michigan passes Proposal 1, the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, by ballot measure, which legalizes adult-use cannabis in the state. The passing of Proposal 1 in Michigan allows a person who is aged 21 years or older to possess, process, consume or give up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis to another adult. Residents may possess up to 10 ounces of cannabis and up to 12 cannabis plants.
November 20, 2018, legal recreational cannabis sales begin in Massachusetts. Massachusetts becomes the first state on the East Coast to make legal recreational cannabis sales.
November 6, 2018, Missouri Amendment 2 and Utah Proposition 2, the Utah Medical Cannabis Act, respectively pass by ballot measure, legalizing medical cannabis in the states. Residents in Missouri, with qualifying medical conditions, may legally purchase 4 ounces of medical marijuana and are allowed to grow up to 6 cannabis plants at home. Qualified individuals in Utah, during any one 14-day period, are allowed to purchase up to 2 ounces of unprocessed cannabis with no more than 10 grams of THC or cannabidiol.
October 31, 2018, Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled that the law prohibiting recreational cannabis use to be unconstitutional, and mandates the government to formally legalize adult-use cannabis in Mexico.
October 17, 2018, legal recreational cannabis sales begin nationwide throughout Canada. Canada becomes the first G7 country to legalize recreational cannabis for all adults. However, it is up to each province to set age limits and decide how to sell cannabis.
September 26, 2018, Virginia approves the state's first medical cannabis companies for licensure. From 51 cannabis licensure applicants, 5 were granted approval. The first wave of medical cannabis companies will produce only CBD or THC-A oils, which do not provide the high that delta 9 (THC) provides.
September 21, 2018, Northern Mariana Islands Governor Ralph Torres signs House Bill 20-178, the Cannabis Act of 2018, legalizing adult-use cannabis in the territory. House Bill 20-178 allows a person who is 21 years of age or older to possess and transport up to 1 ounce of marijuana, 16 ounces of cannabis products in solid form, 72 ounces in liquid form, 5 grams of cannabis extract, and 6 immature cannabis plants. Individuals may also legally give the above amounts of marijuana to other adults aged 21 years and older.
September 18-October 9, 2018, the DEA announces it has approved certain Canadian companies to ship medical cannabis legally into the U.S. The DEA has permitted marijuana imports, from Canada into the United States, in the form of capsules containing CBD and THC for research purposes. A surprising approval from the DEA as it has been historically strict due to the status of cannabis being a Schedule 1 substance.
September 7, 2018, Elon Musk smokes cannabis on Joe Rogan's podcast.
August 15, 2018, major beverage corporation Constellation Brands (makers of Modelo and Corona) invests $4 billion into cannabis company Canopy Growth Corporation, at that time the largest equity investment in a cannabis stock in history.
August 1, 2018, Manhattan DA Cy Vance announces he will stop prosecuting simple cannabis possession cases. However, cases where the individual was selling marijuana and cases where the individual is deemed to be a safety threat to the public, or is under investigation for a violent offense, will the Manhattan DA prosecute cannabis possession cases
July 19, 2018, Canadian company Tilray becomes the first cannabis company to complete an IPO on the NASDAQ.
June 25, 2018, the FDA approves Epidiolex, a medicine derived from cannabidiol, as treatment for seizure disorders associated with two rare forms of epilepsy. This is the first FDA-approved drug to be derived primarily from the cannabis plant.
June 19, 2018, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signs the Cannabis Act, passed by the country’s House of Commons and Senate, into law and legalizes adult-use cannabis. Canada becomes the first G7 nation to legalize adult-use cannabis on a country-wide scale, and the second nation in the world overall after Uruguay.
June 2018, Oklahoma passes State Question 788, Medical Marijuana Legalization, by ballot measure. Individuals in Oklahoma, with a medical cannabis license, may possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana and up to 8 ounces of marijuana in their residence. No specific qualifying conditions are required to receive medical marijuana.
May 14, 2018, Kansas Governor Jeff Coyler signs Senate Bill 282 into law, allowing the legalization of CBD oil sales in the state.
April 11, 2018, Former Speaker of the House John Boehner announces he will join the board of Acreage Holdings, then the largest cannabis company in the US; former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld (also GOP) is also announced as a board member
March 22, 2018, Indiana passed legislation authorizing the legal sale of CBD for any purpose.
March 21, 2018, Utah Governor signs House Bill 195, the "right to try" and grow medical cannabis, into law. Under House Bill 195, terminally ill patients have the right to try a cannabis based treatment.
February 27, 2018, Canadian company Cronos Group became the first cannabis company to be uplisted on the NASDAQ.
January 22, 2018, Vermont became the first state to legalize adult-use cannabis entirely through the legislative process, signing H.511 into law. However, the law does not include sales of cannabis or revenue provisions.
January 4, 2018, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinds the Cole Memorandum, thus restoring the ability of US Attorneys to enforce federal law even in states that have legalized adult-use cannabis.
January 1, 2018, legal recreational cannabis sales begin in California. California residents, aged 21 years and older, may possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis and grow up to 6 cannabis plants at home. Legalized recreational cannabis sales in California was a huge milestone in the mainstreaming of cannabis.
2017
December 2, 2017, World Health Organization’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence issues new guidance that says CBD possesses no abuse potential and should not be subject to international drug laws.
October 31, 2017, The FDA sends letters to four major CBD companies, including the Stanley Brothers (producers of Charlotte's Web), warning the companies not to make medical claims about the benefits of CBD or to market CBD as dietary/wellness supplements
September 20, 2017, North Carolina's first industrial hemp processing plant open in Asheboro, producing CBD, oil and dehulled seed.
August 25, 2017, Disjointed, created by David Javerbaum and Chuck Lorre, premieres on Netflix as the streaming service’s first original multi-cam sitcom. The series stars Kathy Bates as the owner of a Los Angeles cannabis dispensary and highlights issues surrounding cannabis as a tool for health and the history of the legalization movement. It lasts only one season due to low ratings.
July 18, 2017, New Hampshire passes legislation decriminalizing cannabis. Possession of ¾ an ounce, or less, of cannabis amounts to a violation - similar to a speeding ticket. Individuals may qualify to have their cannabis criminal charges annulled, if charged prior to 2017.
July 9, 2017, Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla signs Act 42-2017 into law, which officially legalizes medical cannabis in the territory. Act 42-2017 will see the creation of a Regulatory Board, providing control and structure over legal medical cannabis in Puerto Rico.
May 12, 2017, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad expands the Medical Cannabidiol Act to include more patient conditions than epilepsy. The law to expand conditions that receive access to medical cannabis took place immediately. Medical marijuana became accessible to thousands more. More conditions include Parkinson’s cancer, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease and more.
April 19, 2017, West Virginia Governor James Conley Justice II signs Senate Bill 386 into law, legalizing medical cannabis in the state. West Virginia is now the 29th state to allow the use of medical cannabis. Patients will require a written certification from their doctor to legally access medical cannabis.
April 2017, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signs House Bill 1148 into law, legalizing CBD oil as treatment for patients with seizures.
January 30, 2017, Maine officially approves the passage of Question 1, An Act to Legalize Marijuana, which originally passed by ballot measure on November 8, 2016. This referendum would legalize cannabis for recreational use in the state of Maine.
January 1, 2017, Nevada’s first adult-use cannabis dispensaries open to the public. Legal cannabis dispensaries saw thousands of patrons waiting in line to purchase legal adult-use cannabis in Nevada.
2016
December 20, 2016, US Patent is granted to Cannabis Sativa Inc. for high-CBD cannabis cultivar "Ecuadorian Sativa"
December 15, 2016, Massachusetts passes Question 4, the Massachusetts Legalization, Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Initiative, by ballot measure, legalizing adult-use cannabis.
November 9, 2016, California passes Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, and Nevada passes Question 2, by ballot measure, legalizing adult-use cannabis in those states.
November 8, 2016, Arkansas passes Issue 6, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment; Florida passes Amendment 2; and North Dakota passes Measure 5, respectively by ballot measure, to legalize medical cannabis in the states. American presidential candidates, both Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, support at the very least state's rights to do as they please with marijuana policy.
September 8, 2016, Ohio’s House Bill 523, legalizing medical marijuana becomes effective. Qualifying individuals with certain medical conditions may purchase medical marijuana, with the recommendation from an Ohio licensed physician.
August 5, 2016, Puyallup Tribe reaches agreement with the State of Washington to pursue a tribally-sovereign medical marijuana operation.
July 17, 2016, Hawaii Governor David Ige signs Act 228 into law, allowing Hawaii's Department of Agriculture to cultivate industrial hemp for research.
June 8, 2016, Ohio Governor John Kasich signs House Bill 523 into law, legalizing medical cannabis in the state. The Ohio law will not allow consumers to legally smoke or grow marijuana at home. However, cannabis oils, patches, plant material, and edibles can be legally sold in state-licensed dispensaries.
May 4, 2016, German Cabinet approves medical cannabis for patients who are seriously ill. Medical cannabis will become legalized in Germany for medicinal purposes only.
April 23, 2016, inaugural National Cannabis Festival is held in Washington, DC. It is the largest cannabis cultural festival in the U.S., and the most-attended cannabis event produced by a woman of color (Caroline Philips).
April 6, 2016, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signs Senate Bill 3, legalizing medical marijuana. Individuals in Pennsylvania with serious conditions such as cancer, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, and more, would be able to gain access to legal medical marijuana.
