420 with CNW – Iowa Poll Shows Widespread Support for Expanding Medical Cannabis Program

A recent poll sponsored by Mediacom and Des Moines Register has found that more than three-quarters (78 percent) of Iowans want to see the medical cannabis program expanded in order to ease access to this new program.

Iowan adults voiced their support for suggestions that more qualifying conditions should be included in the law that established the medical cannabis program. The proposed expansion would also include increasing the number of shops from which medical marijuana can be bought.

Iowa’s medical cannabis program was launched last year in December with just five dispensaries and one manufacturer allowed to operate within the state. The dispensaries sell cannabis oils, capsules and creams. So far, only 1,200 Iowa patients have received the nod to use medical cannabis in the state.

The Iowa Poll also showed a record level of support for the legalization of recreational cannabis. The poll conducted early this month found that there was an equal proportion of Iowans who wanted to see an end to prohibition and those who opposed it.

The figures stood at 48 percent in favor of legalization while another 48 percent didn’t want recreational cannabis allowed in the state. Four percent of the participants in the poll were not sure whether prohibition should be ended or not.

The Iowa Poll has been tracking the sentiments of Iowans about cannabis legalization since 2010. This year’s poll shows a huge jump in support from the 39 percent who expressed support for legalization last year to the 48 percent expressing the same sentiment this year.

This poll results have come out at a time when Iowa lawmakers are considering proposals to expand the medical cannabis program.

One of the changes that is being considered by the senate committee is a proposal to allow medical professionals to recommend the use of medical cannabis for any condition that they think can be alleviated or treated using marijuana. This would be a major change from the current position where the medical marijuana law provides a list of the conditions for which a patient can apply for a medical marijuana card.

Another change that is being considered is to allow nurse practitioners to certify patients as well. Under the current law, only physicians can certify patients who wish to join the medical cannabis program.

The sole manufacturer (MedPharm) has also been lobbying to have the legislators lift the three percent THC cap on medical cannabis products. This restriction may be harder to change since legislators are wary of “opening the door” to cannabis addiction and abuse if THC levels are allowed to get higher.

Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. (TSX.V: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) and The Flowr Corporation (TSX.V: FLWR) (OTC: FLWPF) applaud the legislators in Iowa for being willing to modify the medical cannabis program so soon after its launch.

About CannabisNewsWire

CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – Two Cannabis Legalization Bills Receive Nod from New Mexico Legislative Committees

Two different bills aimed at legalizing cannabis in New Mexico have been passed by committees in the state senate and assembly.

At the start of this month, the Health and Human Services Committee of the state Assembly approved a proposal to allow adults who were at least 21 years old to use recreational cannabis.

Under this proposal, adults would be allowed to grow their own cannabis, if they so wished, and upon fulfilling the requirements to obtain a cultivation license from the state. Retailers would also be licensed by the state.

The proposal also has provisions that would allow previous cannabis arrests and convictions to be expunged from the criminal records of New Mexico residents. However, the proposal allowed employers to maintain zero-tolerance to the consumption of cannabis by their employees.

This bill now waits to be presented before the entire Assembly for debate and a vote.

The second marijuana legalization bill also received a nod from the members of the state Senate Public Affairs Committee. This bill received unanimous support (5-0) when a vote was called.

Under this proposal, adults who were 21 or older could use cannabis for recreational purposes. However, this bill outlaws the home cultivation of marijuana by state residents. Instead, all the recreational cannabis will be bought from retail stores run by the state.

Additionally, the senate bill doesn’t include any provisions to expunge the previous marijuana arrest and conviction records for New Mexico residents.

This senate bill will now be forwarded to two other committees before it is tabled before the entire senate for consideration.

The two bills both have suggestions on how marijuana should be taxed. However, none of those bills proposes any taxes on medical marijuana.

It is clear that there is bi-partisan momentum building up to see the end of cannabis prohibition in the state. In fact, the current governor (Michelle Grisham-D) campaigned on a pro-cannabis platform. While delivering her maiden State of the State address, Gov. Grisham pledged that she would work to include opioid addiction among the conditions for which someone could start using medical marijuana.

She has also indicated that any law that is passed to legalize marijuana should address issues of public safety, regulation of cannabis edibles, workplace intoxication and issues of underage cannabis use.

The cannabis industry, especially Sproutly Canada, Inc. (OTCQB: SRUTF) (CSE: SPR) (FRA: 38G) and Sugarmade, Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD), is glad that New Mexico is in agreement that cannabis would be beneficial to the population there.

About CannabisNewsWire

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – North Dakota Cannabis Activists Consider 2020 Ballot Measure

While attempts to legalize cannabis by a ballot measure last year and by legislative means this month were met with defeat, marijuana advocates in the state aren’t giving up, and they are already planning to have another shot at a ballot measure in 2020.

Dave Owen, a leading cannabis advocate in the state who played a major role in the ballot measure that was voted upon during the recent midterms says that his organization (Legalize ND) will look to national advocacy groups for funding and support this time round. He revealed that the huge amounts of money poured into the state to oppose the ballot measure in the midterms led to the defeat of that effort.

Dave Owen also revealed that come 2020, the ballot measure will be a watered down version of the one of 2018. For example, rather than insist that people should be allowed to grow as much marijuana as they want for their own use, the new ballot measure will propose some restrictions to home grows.

The new ballot measure will also include provisions for licensing as well as excise taxes on marijuana sales. These provisions were lacking in the measure that was rejected by voters during the midterms last year.

The last ballot measure had a provision to expunge marijuana convictions from the criminal records of North Dakota residents. Dave Owen isn’t sure whether the next ballot measure he plans to draft will still have this provision. It should be noted that most of the states that have legalized recreational marijuana have also taken steps to expunge some marijuana convictions from the criminal records of those who qualify for this expungement. It is therefore unclear whether Dave Owen feels that watering down the ballot measure in this regard will win it more supporters.

Polling is an important step during such a campaign for marijuana legalization, and the cannabis advocate admits that they have been finding it hard to get the funds needed to conduct several polls. This lack of funding has compelled the organization to base on assumptions when planning and executing a campaign strategy. Legalize ND intends to change this so that they can work with concrete numbers as they prepare for the polls in 2020.

Dave Owen is confident that the grassroots networks that exist in the state can propel the ballot measure to success if only external help (especially funding) can be sent in by the national marijuana advocacy groups.

All that Redfund Capital Corp. (CSE: LOAN) (OTC: PNNRF) (Frankfurt: O3X4) and SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING) can do is wish both sides good luck as they put their case before North Dakotans for a final decision at the ballot.

About CannabisNewsWire

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – New York Prosecutor Drops Marijuana Charges

A group of 35 people in Erie County received an unexpected gift when John Flynn, the Erie County District Attorney, requested that a judge at the Buffalo City Court accept the prosecutor’s request to dismiss the low-level marijuana charges (misdemeanor charges) against the nearly three dozen people.

The judge agreed with the prosecutor, and the charges were dismissed. It should be noted that the 35 people weren’t present in court. Their warrants were still outstanding and they had missed their court appearances.

In effect, the prosecutor saw no need to continue hunting for those individuals over a substance that would soon be legal throughout the state.

The action taken by John Flynn means that going forward, the District Attorney will no longer be interested in prosecuting such low-level marijuana cases within the jurisdiction.

The Erie County District Attorney isn’t the first to take such action within the state. Flynn is following in the footsteps of the prosecutors in New York City.

The mayor of Buffalo city is also on record for ordering the police in the city to stop arresting people for low-level marijuana crimes, such as possession of small amounts of cannabis.

These actions by prosecutors and the elected leaders seem to acknowledge that while the legislative process to legalize cannabis hasn’t been concluded, the population has gone ahead and started consuming recreational cannabis to such a high degree that it would be hard to clamp down on all of those users.

There is also widespread agreement across the state regarding the need to legalize marijuana for adult-use. Only law enforcement agencies and some members of the medical field still have reservations about adult-use marijuana.

The other disagreements are largely about how the industry will be regulated and where the taxes collected from cannabis will be spent.

For example, sections of lawmakers want the taxes collected from the recreational cannabis sector to be earmarked for revamping the dilapidated infrastructure in the state, such as the aging subway system.

However, others want a large portion of the cannabis taxes to be spent in the impoverished communities that bore the brunt of the war against drugs. The legislators in this school of thought have even threatened to vote against legalization if the law doesn’t stipulate what fraction of the marijuana taxes will go to the underprivileged communities in the inner cities.

What should be applauded in the meantime is the proactive step taken by the prosecutors to stop going after people who commit low-level marijuana infractions as the politicians are hashing out a law to legalize adult-use cannabis. Phivida Holdings Inc. (CSE: VIDA) (OTCQX: PHVAF) and Plus Products Inc. (CSE: PLUS) (OTCQB: PLPRF) are hoping that the lawmakers put the interests of New Yorkers first so that the best law is made for that jurisdiction.

About CannabisNewsWire

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – Does Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Mark the Death of Medical Cannabis Programs?

You may be wondering what becomes of the medical marijuana programs and products once a jurisdiction legalizes recreational pot. Some people even conclude that medical marijuana dies quietly once recreational cannabis becomes legal. Is this true?

It may be true that the process of getting a medical marijuana card is a bit cumbersome (find a doctor willing to recommend medical marijuana for your health challenge, then apply and pay license fees, etc.). The legalization of recreational cannabis means that access to marijuana now just requires you to present a valid government-issue photo ID at a dispensary or retail outlet in order to buy cannabis. Viewed from this angle, some patients may opt to buy recreational marijuana and use it to manage their symptoms.

However, one key reason why the legalization of recreational cannabis cannot mark the death of medical marijuana is that patients often require customized or specially formulated cannabis products to manage their symptoms or treat the qualifying conditions for which they were enrolled on the medical cannabis program. For this reason, the commencement of recreational sales cannot signal doom to medical cannabis.

Secondly, the legalization of recreational weed also boosts medical cannabis because it widens the market for marijuana products. That wider market generates a lot of interest among researchers and business entities. Consequently, more research will be conducted, and this research can result in a better understanding of how cannabis can be used to treat different conditions. This is clearly happening in Canada where recreational sales have sparked greater interest among cannabis researchers and innovators.

Thirdly, players in the cannabis industry may be unwilling to turn their backs upon their medical cannabis clients because these patients are more reliable clients when compared to recreational users. You see, a patient needs medical cannabis while cannabis is just a want to a recreational user. This means that addressing the needs of patients results in more assured business when compared to chasing the wind as you try to keep up with the fickle interests of recreational users. From a business perspective, medical cannabis ensures steady sales so it will stay despite the legalization of recreational sales.

More importantly, recreational cannabis normalizes medical cannabis. Patients are often viewed as disguised stoners in jurisdictions where only medical cannabis is legal. However, the end of cannabis prohibition often results in more information becoming available to people in that area. Consequently, they will develop a greater appreciation of the medical benefits of cannabis and patients will no longer have to be on the defensive as they use medical cannabis.

As you can see, the end of cannabis prohibition doesn’t necessarily mean that medical cannabis programs will suffer a slow death. MustGrow Biologics Corp. and Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) insist that different people have different needs, so it may not be right to think that the commencement of recreational sales means the death of medical cannabis.

About CannabisNewsWire

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – California Rakes in $300 Million in Cannabis Taxes in 2018

The statistics are out; California earned approximately $300 million in taxes during the first year of recreational cannabis sales in the state. This information was released by the Department of Tax and Fee Administration in California on February 19.

While the $300 million tax collection is high, it is way below what the state had initially anticipated to collect during the first year of commercial cannabis sales ($655 million). Two reasons may explain why the taxes collected were below the projected figure.

First, it is hard to predict with any degree of certainty what quantity of cannabis will be sold if the state doesn’t have any historical data to rely upon when making those projections. Any figure arrived at is therefore likely to be a “guesstimate” at best.

Secondly, most city and local authorities, up to 75 percent of them, banned any business activity related to cannabis within their jurisdictions. This meant that recreational cannabis could only be accessed in a few areas within the state.

This same scenario played out in all the states where recreational cannabis was legalized. However, those local authorities gradually came around and permitted cannabis businesses to open so that residents can get jobs and the local authorities can also collect taxes.

California also expects more local authorities to come on board and cannabis sales will soar once access is ramped up in more cities and municipalities.

Another important fact to note about the taxes collected by California in 2018 is that the other states that also ended prohibition in 2016 earned “peanuts” if their collections are compared to California’s.

For example, Nevada collected only $69.8 million while Massachusetts is likely to collect $60 million once it completes its first year of recreational sales.

The collections in those other states are understandable because none of them comes even close to the size of California’s economy.

California is justified to be optimistic about future tax revenues from recreational marijuana because an analysis of the 2018 taxes shows that there was a general upward trend from one quarter to the next. This clearly paints a bullish picture for the industry going forward.

More reason for optimism also comes from the fact that the earnings in just 2018 triple or more than triple the annual taxes that the state had ever collected from the sale of medical marijuana throughout the 23 years when medical cannabis was available in the state.

While California seems to be on course to collect $1 billion as tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales within three years, industry players are crying out for a reduction in the taxes levied. It remains to be seen whether their calls will be heeded by the lawmakers since any change requires a supermajority before Proposition 64 can be amended.

Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTCQB: MCOA) and Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG) congratulate California for setting a record of taxes earned from recreational cannabis sales.

About CannabisNewsWire

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – Four Ways Cannabis Entrepreneurs are Using AI in Sales and Ecommerce

As the marijuana industry has grown and become more widely accepted, many tech companies have introduced new products to enable the cannabis industry. Here are the four major AI products that marijuana businesses are deploying to boost sales and make ecommerce more successful.

Chatbots

The explosion of interest in cannabis means that the limited staff of marijuana companies can easily be overwhelmed if they decided to address each person’s queries without the help of AI.

Chatbots have been introduced to engage customers and potential customers quickly and efficiently by providing all the information one needs. For example, the chatbot can take a potential customer through the different cannabis strains that may help to ease the symptoms that the client is experiencing. These bots have revolutionized the way cannabis businesses attend to their customers at a time when people make a query and expect an answer to it “yesterday.”

Finding Leads

One of the hardest aspects of selling is to find prospects. Cannabis businesses are turning to AI tools, such as Node, to generate lists of potential customers. This is a more reliable method than the traditional way of buying lists of prospects who often turned out to be uninterested in what one was selling.

Filtering Prospects

It is one thing to get a list of prospects and it is another matter to filter them into warm or cold prospects. That is where AI comes in. Artificial intelligence systems are now available to analyze data in order to establish which particular products a potential customer has been searching for.

The findings of such AI systems can help sales personnel to concentrate their efforts on those individuals that are most likely to make a purchase instead of spending time and effort on people with a low possibility of making a purchase. An example of this type of AI system is Netra. This system understands consumer preferences by analyzing the visual content on different social media platforms.

Sales Forecasting

As you may know, there is always a multitude of demands competing for the resources that any company has at its disposal. The same applies to cannabis businesses. One of the best ways to determine how to allocate those scarce resources is by forecasting sales so that intelligent decisions can be made for the company.

AI systems have been deployed to forecast cannabis sales so that businesses can plan for the future more effectively, such as by making decisions on when to scale up or down.

While some people may think that AI has come to take cannabis jobs, the truth is that AI can only go so far. For example, AI fails dismally at comprehending the nuances of language based on different contexts and humans have to step in at such points. Cannabis businesses should therefore regard AI as an aid to their workforce rather than as a tool to cut back on human employees. Green Hygienics Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: GRYN) and Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) look forward to seeing even more AI products in every aspect of the cannabis industry.

About CannabisNewsWire

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – New Jersey Moves Closer to Legalizing Pot as Top Leaders Strike a Deal

Plans to legalize marijuana in New Jersey ground to a halt last year amidst a disagreement between Gov. Murphy and legislative leaders over taxes and a few other issues. However, a compromise deal on the key sticking points has now put the legalization plans back on course.

We reported at the end of last month that a new tax proposal had given cannabis legalization plans a breath of life. That proposal sought to provide a middle ground between the Governor who wanted a higher sales tax and Sweeney, the State Senate leader, who was adamant anything higher than 12 percent was unacceptable.

In the deal that has been reached, marijuana would be taxed by weight instead of the earlier plan to impose a sales tax. This new plan will insulate the state from witnessing a drop in tax revenue if marijuana prices eventually reduce as has been the case in other states where marijuana has been legal for several years.

The second major bone of contention that has also been reportedly resolved under the new deal has to do with the manner in which the marijuana industry will be regulated. Previously, the legislative leaders had wanted a separate commission to take charge of overseeing most aspects of the new industry. However, the Governor was uncomfortable with that proposal.

Under the new arrangement, an independent commission will still be set up to oversee the cannabis industry. The change in this regard is that the state governor will have the power to appoint three of the five individuals who will constitute the Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

Legislators are also working on a bill to expunge cannabis convictions from the criminal records of New Jersey residents. This law will help to address some of the historical wrongs that were committed against racial minorities, such as African-Americans, who were unduly targeted during the war on drugs that lasted decades.

Once that expungement bill is in place, the Governor, State Senate leader and the leader of the state Assembly will have plenty of work to do to mobilize votes among the legislators so that the marijuana legalization bill passes in both Houses before it can reach the desk of the Governor to be signed into law.

Now that the bickering seems to have come to an end, there is widespread hope across the industry that an enabling law will soon be passed so that a roadmap to the implementation of that law can be known to all concerned. Golden Developing Solutions Inc. (OTC: DVLP) and Green Growth Brands Inc. (CSE: GGB) (OTCQB: GGBXF) wish New Jersey a smooth path to legalization now that the major stumbling blocks have been addressed.

About CannabisNewsWire

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

CannabisNewsBreaks – Beverage Trade Network Issues Update Ahead of Cannabis Drinks Expo

Beverage Trade Network (“BTN”) this morning issued a news release detailing the upcoming Cannabis Drinks Expo, which is hailed as the first-ever event focusing on the cannabis-infused beverage industry. Per the update, the trade event is scheduled to take place on July 25, 2019, in San Francisco. BTN notes that the Cannabis Drinks Expo will give the worldwide drinks industry, and North America in particular, an opportunity to come together and look at ways to address the legalization of cannabis while examining avenues to protect the future of the larger beverage industry. In addition to a trade show floor, the Cannabis Drinks Expo will feature a one-day business conference hosting renowned speakers from the cannabis drinks industry who are scheduled to discuss a wide range of important topics.

To view the full press release, visit http://cnw.fm/FFx3T

About Beverage Trade Network

Beverage Trade Network is a producer of competitions, conferences, expos and trade shows for the alcohol beverage trade industry around the world. BTN is the alcohol beverage industry’s leading network and is committed to helping importers and distributors find new suppliers from all over the world. BTN hosts events in London, New York, and San Francisco, including the highly acclaimed International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show (London and San Francisco), the London Wine Competition (London) and the USA Trade Tasting show (New York).

About CannabisNewsWire

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com

420 with CNW – New York City Legislators Consider Banning Pre-Employment Cannabis Tests

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has outlined his plan to legalize recreational marijuana and this has put New York in pole position to become the 11th state where adult-use cannabis is legal. This development has prompted some lawmakers in New York City to draft a bill that seeks to ban employers from conducting marijuana drugs tests before hiring an employee.

Councilman Jumaane D. Williams is the NYC lawmaker who has filed a draft law that will stop marijuana tests from being part of the hiring process in the city.

Councilman Williams feels that the legislators and the city should be creating more avenues through which people can find jobs, but the drugs tests do the opposite by making it harder for jobseekers to get hired.

He adds that pre-employment drugs tests for marijuana should be done away with now that preparations were in advanced stages to legalize recreational cannabis. Why should employers continue to test prospective employees for a substance that will soon legal?

The bill tabled by Williams provides exceptions to this ban on pre-employment drugs tests. People who intend to get jobs where safety and security are paramount, as well as jobs with the federal government or its agencies would not be covered by this ban on pre-employment drugs tests. Additionally, individuals who are required to undergo drugs testing as a condition for securing a grant or contract from the federal government will not use this local law as a reason to skip the required drugs tests.

If passed, the bill will take effect one year from the time of its enactment as part of the city’s laws. This will remove the ambiguity that has been observed in various jurisdictions, such as Massachusetts, where marijuana is legal but an employee can still be fired for testing positive for THC.

It is good that the lawmakers in New York City have been proactive in tabling this bill instead of waiting to take action after recreational cannabis becomes legal across the state. In such a case, there would be a legal grey area since the existing laws permit pre-employment marijuana tests, which would run counter to the freedom granted by the law legalizing recreational pot.

It remains to be seen what form the final bill will take once the Committee on Civil and Human Rights discusses it and presents it to the full council for debate and a vote. Generation Alpha Inc. (OTCQB: GNAL), Global Payout Inc. (OTC: GOHE) and the whole marijuana industry say kudos to Councilman Williams and the other two co-sponsors of this reform that will remove the ambiguity regarding the use of legal cannabis and its effects on one’s prospects of getting hired.

About CannabisNewsWire

To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com