For the past couple of years, the cannabis industry in the United States has been slowly but surely gathering steam. More than 30 states have legalized marijuana for either medical or recreational use, with the state-legal cannabis industry employing thousands of Americans and providing states with millions of dollars in much-needed tax revenue. However, cannabis advocates have always had their eyes on legislation that would decriminalize the controversial drug at the federal level, and with Democrats controlling the Senate, House and White House, their dream may soon become a reality.

According to Marijuana Moment, a key chairperson may be planning to reintroduce a bill that would legalize cannabis at the federal level as well as promote social equity in the House as early as this week. This version of the legislation will contain at least two major changes compared to the previous version.

Jerrold Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chair sponsored the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (“MORE”) Act, a bill that would federally deschedule marijuana and expunge the records of individuals with prior cannabis convictions. The bill cleared the House late last year in a historic vote, although it stood little chance in the then Republican-controlled Senate and failed to advance.

However, sources close to the issue say the MORE Act may be refiled as soon as this week with Nadler planning to introduce the revised legislation before Congress breaks for Memorial Day recess. A provision that was added before the House floor vote in December that would have prevented individuals with prior cannabis convictions from opening and running cannabis businesses will not be included. This version of the legislation will have significant social equity provisions as well as language that extends to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”), providing individuals with loans, job training, and financial literacy programs, among others.

Consequently, individuals from communities that were unjustly persecuted due to the decades-long war on drugs will be able to conduct business in other industries, not just the nascent cannabis sector. The United States has treated cannabis as a criminal matter rather than a public health issue, Nadler said two months ago when he first announced that he intended to reintroduce the MORE Act. Not only have communities of color been victims of cannabis arrests, prosecutions, and incarceration at a higher rate when compared to their white counterparts, he said, but anti-cannabis policies have also cost the country quite a lot.

Over in the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Cory Booker and Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden have been working on a cannabis reform bill that will be introduced to the Senate soon.

If this bill is eventually passed into law, the entire cannabis sector, including actors such as Gage Growth Corp. (CSE: GAGE) (d.b.a. Gage Cannabis), will be relieved that the regulatory complications they face are becoming streamlined.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Gage Growth Corp. (CSE: GAGE) (d.b.a. Gage Cannabis) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/GAGE

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CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

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Last week, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton reintroduced a legislation that would allow individuals who live in public housing to use cannabis without living in terror of being evicted. Currently, individuals who live in federally subsidized housing are banned from using any controlled substances, even if those substances are in compliance with state law. Additionally, landlords are allowed to evict individuals who do so, regardless of state law. This bill introduced by the congresswoman would change this.

The bill would offer protection to individuals who live in Section 8 housing or federally assisted housing from being evicted for using marijuana in states that have legalized the plant, either for recreational or medical purposes.

Norton stated that people who live in public housing shouldn’t fear eviction or be denied admission for using a product that is legal under the law. She added that medical and/or adult use cannabis was currently legal in the District of Columbia and 36 other states, noting that more than 90% of Americans supported the legalization of medical cannabis.

The bill also directs that the head of the Housing and Urban Development Department implement rules that restrict smoking cannabis at these properties, rules that are similar regulations outlining the use of tobacco.

Norton explained that the Department of Housing and Urban Development, much like the Department of Justice, shouldn’t be permitted to implement federal cannabis laws in states that have legalized cannabis.

This is not the first time the congresswoman has filed this bill, having filed the legislation first in 2018 then again in 2019, without receiving any votes or even a hearing.

Earlier in 2018, an official under the Trump administration stated that she was working on sorting out conflicting state and federal cannabis regulations and how those regulations applied to residency in federally assisted housing. However, it is unclear what came as a result of these efforts.

Additionally, in a committee hearing in 2019, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brought up this same issue, raising concerns about policies that allowed the eviction of residents in public housing and their families for committing low-level offenses such as being in possession of cannabis.

Then Sen. Kamala Harris and Ocasio-Cortex also filed a bill in the same year that would protect individuals convicted of low-level drug offenses from being evicted from federally assisted housing or being denied access to the same. Furthermore, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley also brought to the house in 2020 a legislation that included a clause which would prevent landlords from evicting individuals for manufacturing cannabis extracts, as long as they were in compliance with the law.

The push to avoid unfairly treating residents of federally subsidized housing who need medical marijuana is similar to the equal treatment that cannabis industry actors such as Gage Growth Corp. (CSE: GAGE) (d.b.a. Gage Cannabis) long for, especially from the federal government that even denied state-legal cannabis firms access to coronavirus relief funds in the different stimulus packages that were approved.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Gage Growth Corp. (CSE: GAGE) (d.b.a. Gage Cannabis) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/GAGE

About CNW420

CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

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Minnesota, home to one of the strictest medical cannabis programs in the country, is one step closer to an adult-use market. For the first time ever, a bill that would legalize recreational cannabis and expunge minor cannabis convictions has advanced far into the legislature and is expected to receive a full floor vote in the Minnesota House during its final hearing this week. The bill, which was authored by Democratic House Leader Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley, has been through a dozen hearings so far and is especially focused on criminal justice.

To help develop the landmark legislation and drum up support, Winkler held forums in at least a dozen cities. By involving tons of people in the process, listening to their issues, and addressing those issues, the campaign built up a lot of support, Winkler says. As expected, the bill received plenty of support from Democrats in the House while four Republicans voted in its favor in committee. As the legislation moves to final passage in the Minnesota House, Winkler expects to garner more supporters.

Cannabis reform advocates and Democrats in the state have framed the adult-use bill as a racial equity issue. Despite relatively similar usage rates, Black Minnesotans are 5.4 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana compared to their white counterparts. A report from the ACLU of Minnesota published in 2020 showed that in terms of racial disparities in marijuana possession arrests, Minnesota ranks eighth in the country. Additionally, Black and Hispanic communities were victims of intense policing and harsh sentences for years under the guise of cannabis policies.

Consequently, every community Winkler visited pointed to social equity as a top priority when it comes to adult-use cannabis legislation, and that equity was one of the main reasons he threw his weight behind cannabis reform. He calls the state’s continued efforts to prohibit and criminalize cannabis using the criminal justice system as a “public policy failure.”

According to Republican Rep. Pat Garofalo, most Republicans are apprehensive about the adult-use bill due to its complexity. Like most cannabis reform legislation, it touches on several issues including labor laws, criminal and sentencing laws, and taxation, among others. He says that even though the proposal needs more work, the fact that Democrats accepted his amendment to direct some cannabis tax revenue to a tax relief account as a “big step in the right direction.”

On the other hand, law enforcement has expressed concern over the proposal citing negative health effects such as increased addiction rates and impaired driving.

If Minnesota eventually establishes a regulated marijuana market, it will be one fewer state without recreational cannabis, and that would potentially exert more pressure on the federal government to enact reforms that could ultimately allow sector players such as Gage Growth Corp. (CSE: GAGE) (d.b.a. Gage Cannabis) to operate across state lines, unlike the current legal regime which bars cannabis from crossing state boundaries.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Gage Growth Corp. (CSE: GAGE) (d.b.a. Gage Cannabis) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/GAGE

About CNW420

CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

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As more states legalize cannabis, the pioneers who launched the first state-legal cannabis sectors in the country may soon see their profits drop due to increasing competition. Colorado, for instance, has had a fantastic run so far. Its recreational cannabis industry has raked in nearly $10 billion dollars and filled the state’s coffers with billions of dollars in cannabis taxes. However, now that next door neighbor New Mexico has legalized recreational marijuana, some cannabis operators in Colorado fear their profit margins will start thinning once New Mexico launches its cannabis industry in 2022.

Colorado launched recreational cannabis sales in 2014, and since then, the state’s cannabis industry has been on fire. Not only has it earned business owners and the state billions of dollars, but it has also helped boost tourism numbers through “cannabis tourism.” Folks from around the country come to Colorado to sample the state’s cannabis products, and some dispensaries in border towns and cities such as Trinidad have come to rely a great deal on out-of-state visitors.

Were their home states to legalize cannabis, these visitors would have no reason to come all the way to Colorado. According to The Other Place is Greener Dispensary general manager Michael Evans, up to 65% of their customers are from out of state with 45% coming from Texas and 20% from New Mexico. When New Mexico launches its cannabis market, he says, his dispensary will be cut off at Raton Pass as customers wouldn’t have to drive all the way to border towns in Colorado for recreational cannabis. They could just get some at a location much closer to home.

Since cannabis business are extremely limited in where they can advertise or sell their products, losing such a large percentage of their clientele would be devastating. In Colorado, for instance, businesses in the cannabis space cannot sell their products at restaurants or clubs. Additionally, cities and municipalities are allowed to ban social consumption of cannabis, and in some cases, they can even forbid dispensaries from operating in their jurisdictions.

New Mexico, on the other hand, allows both indoor and outdoor “cannabis consumption areas,” and people will also be able to consume cannabis in designated casinos, hotels, tobacco stores and cigar bars. For most New Mexico residents who would like to consume cannabis, staying at home would be the much better option.

According to Evans, Colorado businesses that rely heavily on out-of-state visitors will have to offer those consumers incentives to keep them coming. This is the only way they will be able to maintain their sales as more states launch their own cannabis programs.

Cannabis companies such as Gage Growth Corp. (CSE: GAGE) (d.b.a. Gage Cannabis) in different parts of the country have generally learned to be resilient in the face of the challenges they face, so sector players in Colorado will likely find new ways to thrive despite losing a sizeable fraction of their clientele visiting from out of state.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Gage Growth Corp. (CSE: GAGE) (d.b.a. Gage Cannabis) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/GAGE

About CNW420

CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

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Gage Growth Corp. (CSE: GAGE) (d.b.a. Gage Cannabis), a leading high-quality craft cannabis brand and operator in Michigan, has announced its participation in three upcoming conferences. The company is committed to innovating and curating the highest-quality cannabis experiences possible for cannabis consumers across the state of Michigan. Gage is also focused on bringing internationally renowned brands to market. The cannabis leader plans on presenting at the Eight Capital Seed to Scale Conference, which is focused on emerging opportunities in U.S. cannabis. That conference is slated for Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at 10 a.m. ET. The company will also be involved in the Canaccord Genuity Cannabis Virtual Conference, scheduled for Tuesday, May 11, 2021, at 12 noon. Gage executives will be part of a panel discussion and will also be involved in virtual one-on-one meetings with conference participants. The company will also be involved in both a fireside chat and presentation at Benzinga’s Global Small Cap Conference, scheduled for Thursday, May 13, 2021.

To view the full press release, visit https://cnw.fm/AueiH

About Gage Cannabis Co.

Gage Cannabis is innovating and curating the highest-quality cannabis experiences possible for cannabis consumers in the state of Michigan and bringing internationally renowned brands to market. Through years of progressive industry experience, the firm’s founding partners have successfully built and grown operations with federal and state licenses, including cultivation, processing and retail locations. Gage’s portfolio includes city and state approvals for 19 Class C cultivation licenses, three processing licenses and 13 provisioning centers (dispensaries). For more information, visit the company website at www.GageUSA.com.

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A legislation that was recently introduced in Congress will exempt marijuana consumers in legalized states from a federal restriction that prohibits unlawful users of a controlled substance from owning a gun. The bill, which was filed last week by a pair of Republican co-sponsors along with Rep. Don Young, has been christened the Gun Rights and Marijuana Act.

This exemption will only be applicable to those who don’t violate local marijuana laws but do live in tribal jurisdictions or states that allow the use of cannabis by adults. However, the federal restriction on firearm ownership for consumers of other drugs and the classification of cannabis as a Schedule 1 controlled substance would remain unchanged under the legislation.

Rep. Young, who also happens to be a Congressional cannabis caucus co-chair, stated that the federal government had no business hindering states from reforming cannabis laws or imposing excessive restrictions on responsible citizens, which barred them from exercising their rights. He added that the bill, HR 2830, helped bridge this gap as it dealt with both cannabis and gun rights, giving individuals from both sides of the aisle something to support.

The legislation has been advanced to the House Judiciary Committee.

One of the bill’s original cosponsors, Rep. Brian Mast, stated that cannabis laws should be determined by individual states instead of the federal government. He added that the second amendment clearly indicated that every American had the right to bear arms.

Another initial cosponsor of the legislation, Rep. Rodney Davis, stated that state-legal cannabis use was not to be used as an excuse to prohibit individuals from owning or buying firearms, which is a constitutional right that is well-defined. Under the existing law, Americans who are addicted to any controlled substance or are regarded as unlawful users are barred from possessing guns. This has been clearly stated under the Controlled Substances Act.

This is not to mean, however, that law enforcement actively screens firearm owners for substance use. However, individuals wishing to purchase firearms are required to fill out an ATF form by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which asks them whether they are unlawful users of or are addicted to any narcotic drug, stimulant, depressant, cannabis or other controlled substances. It is a felony to lie on the form.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden supports states that establish their own policies but is still not on board with the federal legalization of marijuana.

This proposed bill, together with others making their way through Congress, not only aim to remove some of the hurdles cannabis companies such as Gage Growth Corp. (CSE: GAGE) (d.b.a. Gage Cannabis) face, but they also could address some of the challenges that people who legally use cannabis face.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Gage Growth Corp. (CSE: GAGE) (d.b.a. Gage Cannabis) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/GAGE

About CNW420

CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

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A DR Z Leaf dispensary in the state of Oklahoma recently filed a suit in an attempt to stop the execution of a cannabis tracking program in the coming weeks. The litigation, which was filed by the medical cannabis operator, also disputes whether the state’s Department of Health is operating ultra vires by implementing the seed to sale system and making it mandatory for more than 10,000 medical marijuana businesses to pay for it.

The business filed the suit in the District Court of the Okmulgee County last week and questions the legality of the contract between Metrc, an organization based in Florida, and the state of Oklahoma.

The lawsuit demonstrates the strain in the relationship of the state and some medical cannabis businesses over the growing number of regulations and the costs of observing those regulations. According to the state, as of March 2, there are 10,587 active medical cannabis business licenses in throughout the state.

The state established its medical marijuana market in 2018. Since then more regulations have been introduced in an attempt to meet the industry’s best practices.

Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (“OMMA”) spokeswoman Terri Watkins stated in an interview last week that the state did not comment on unsettled lawsuits. Bronwyn Flores, the spokeswoman for Metrc, also refused to comment on this litigation, which has listed OMMA and the state as defendants.

An affiliate of Fox TV in the state, KOKH, mentioned that a few medical marijuana business operators had complained about the seed tracking program and, in particular, the prices imposed by Metrc. For instance, wholesalers are charged 25¢ per package for an RFID tag while cultivators are charged 45¢ per plant for the same.

Flores stated that the fees for plant tags and the company’s software were the same in the 16 markets the company served. Metrc is party to seed-to-sale contracts in fifteen states, including Washington, DC, and Oklahoma.

These tracking programs in legal cannabis markets are provided by a solo software provider in order to ensure that inventory tracking can be performed through a centralized system. A competitive bidding process is used to award contracts. The company’s system will be replacing the compulsory monthly reports that medical cannabis businesses in the state of Oklahoma were submitting.

The transition from a manual to an electronic system may have been costly for some businesses, given that many of them were doing their reports on paper. Flores explained that entering an established market comes with its own set of issues but added that, from the company’s view, execution had been running smoothly.

Licensed marijuana sector players in different parts of to lots of complicated regulations, and it no wonder that some sector actors in Oklahoma are protesting the frequent changes to the laws governing their activities.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Gage Growth Corp. (CSE: GAGE) (d.b.a. Gage Cannabis) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/GAGE

About CNW420

CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of two informative articles each business day. Our concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. Articles are released each business day at 4:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Eastern – our tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.

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