A tax on medical marijuana is now on it’s way to the governor’s desk after passing out of the House Tuesday morning.

The proposed tax on gross sales would start out at 4 percent in July and drop down to 2 percent a year later, funding state regulation over the industry.

Caferro says the new state regulations on the drug will include seed-to-sale tracking of all medical marijuana, meaning the state will be able to see who grows what plant and which patients buy it. The regulations also call for lab testing for the drug, and inspections of providers’ shops.

Source: Medical Marijuana Tax, Tracking Bill Awaits Governor’s Signature | MTPR

DES MOINES — Early Saturday morning, legislators announced an agreement to expand Iowa’s soon-to-expire law that merely decriminalized possession of cannabis oil for treatment of chronic epilepsy.

 …the proposal won approval in the House on an 83-11 vote. The Senate voted on the plan shortly after 7 a.m. and it passed on a 26-14. The bill would let Iowa doctors prescribe cannabis oil to Iowans who suffer from any of 15 debilitating conditions.

Source: Iowa legislature approves broader medical marijuana law | AM-1300 KGLO — Your Hometown News Station

Separate medical marijuana bills are currently moving through the Florida House and Senate after voters approved Amendment 2 in November

Lawmakers are far apart on agreeing what the law will allow, however.

For example, while the Senate bill bans smoking. The House bill bans smoking, vaping and edibles – and also allows fewer licenses.

As a result, Dr. Adelberg worries the needs of patients will ultimately be lost in the shuffle

“They’re trying to craft a set of laws that are going to appease certain moralities associated with marijuana, vs the scientific facts,” he says.

Read more from the Source: Frustrations for local doctors, lawmakers as medical marijuana rollout continues in Florida – wptv.com

According to local Ohio news on medical marijuana:

Prospective medical marijuana cultivators now know what Ohio rules for getting growers’ licenses looks like. They were finalized last Monday and application forms were released Friday.Ohio’s medical marijuana law allows people with 21 medical conditions, including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV/AIDS and epilepsy, to purchase and use marijuana after getting a doctor’s recommendation. The law doesn’t allow smoking.

Ohio has set some of the highest licensing fees in the country. Larger growers must pay a $20,000 application fee and a $180,000 license fee. Smaller grow operations must pay $2,000 to apply and an $18,000 license fee.

Source: Ohio rules for medical pot growers bring access questions | fox8.com

Licenses for Ohio marijuana cultivators must be renewed annually. The Fox News outlet summarizes applicants concerns regarding both the number of licenses being issued and the size of the facilities to be approved:

Up to 24 licenses — 12 for large growers, 12 for small growers — will be made available, with some growers and patient advocates raising concerns that the total 336,000 square feet available won’t be enough to produce an adequate crop. Estimates of the Ohio patient population vary widely, from 185,000 to 325,000 people.

Like in other states, Ohio marijuana businesses must deal with banking issues. Rules will require cannabis testing by public universities, non of which have announced intent to participate. According to Fox,

The largest, Ohio State University, had not made a decision as of last week on whether it would conduct the testing. Others, including Kent State University and the University of Cincinnati, say they have no plans to become testers.

Read more about Ohio Regulations…

No other state is licensing businesses where people can buy and consume recreational cannabis products, a fact that legalization advocates say merely forces the clubs underground.

The legalization referendum narrowly endorsed by Maine voters in November includes references throughout the ballot initiative to “social clubs” where adults age 21 and over buy and consume recreational marijuana on premises. The fully licensed social clubs were envisioned as places where users could legally gather – similar to a bar or smoking lounge – to use marijuana in a carefully controlled and monitored atmosphere.

Lawmakers are debating whether to delay licensing of marijuana “social clubs” in Maine, following the lead of other legalization states facing concerns about public health or unwanted scrutiny from federal officials.

Source: Lawmakers mull delaying marijuana ‘social clubs’ in Maine – Portland Press Herald

A fascinating study in Health Affairs last year by a father-daughter pair of public policy researchers found that Medicare prescriptions for things like painkillers, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications dropped sharply in states that introduced a medical marijuana program.

Source: Study: Nationwide medical marijuana laws would save lives — and a billion taxpayer dollars – The Washington Post

Colorado lawmakers back off plans to regulate “Amsterdam-style” marijuana clubs.

“Given the uncertainty in Washington, this is not the time to be trying to carve off new turf and expand markets and make dramatic statements about marijuana,” Hickenlooper told the Denver Post last month.

Sponsors of the club bill said that they had little choice but to back off, leaving Colorado with its current spotty club landscape.

Colorado already has about 30 private pot clubs, according to legislative analysts, but they operate under a patchwork of local regulations and sometimes are raided by law enforcement.

The House amendment passed Thursday effectively removes club regulations, and the remaining bits of the bill are relatively minor. The bill could face yet more changes before a final vote. Lawmakers who bemoaned the club bill’s demise cited U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, who has hinted that states violating federal drug law won’t be tolerated.

Source: Colorado backs off plans for ‘Amsterdam-style’ marijuana clubs – LA Times

This morning law makers finally approved the much anticipated medical marijuana initiative. There are still several steps before the drug will be for sale.

After 67 days in the legislature and over 40 pages of legislation, the compassionate care act is finally being written into law. The department of health already hired new staff members to take over as implementation proceeds.

Arvy Smith is the Health Department’s deputy state health officer. She says it will take anywhere from 12 to 18 months before medical marijuana will be available for purchase.

Source: Senate Bill 2344 – the Medical Marijuana Bill – has one last step

The Pennsylvania Department of Health issued draft regulations on Tuesday that would govern how doctors become registered to prescribe medical marijuana and certify patients to receive the drug when it becomes available.

Source: Pa. releases draft medical marijuana regulations for doctors

Several proposals to loosen New Hampshire’s regulations on the use of marijuana got hearings at the Statehouse Tuesday.

Source: N.H. Senate Weighs Whether to Loosen State’s Marijuana Laws | New Hampshire Public Radio