As you may already be aware, 2018 was an incredible year for cannabis, with advances in both social perception and support of cannabis use as well as legal advances on a grand scale. Efforts to legalize cannabis are now happening across the globe, in places like Asia and South America in addition to more than 31 states in the Unites States enacting some form of cannabis decriminalization or legalization program. If you want to stay up to date on everything that changes on a daily basis, there’s arguably no better resource out there than Marijuana Moment, with daily updates and an email newsletter that is the most comprehensive in the industry.
For our purposes, CannaVenture® has its eye on the following news:
California
California officials have admitted that they state has made a mess of things in its first year of legalization but with the new year comes big changes and the end of Prop 215 laws that have allowed the grey area, semi-legal market to continue to flourish publicly. The state also has many cities and counties that have approved social consumption initiates that allow both consumption and sales on site at events, a huge step forward and an important pilot effort in showing other regulatory agencies that it is possible to do so responsibly.
Canada
While many have always pictured our northern borders to be friendly to cannabis and socially liberal about its use, Canada made big headlines this year by legalizing cannabis on the federal level and then proceeding to sell out of legal cannabis within 48 hours nationwide. Not only is cannabis legal, it is legal to consume wherever tobacco is consumed, and is explicitly legal to consume in Canadian National Parks, a HUGE advantage and something we have our eyes on for future CannaVenture possibilities.
Colorado
According to the most recent report from Colorado, outdoor businesses contributed more than $62 billion to the state’s economy, and remains a growing sector that is engrained in Colorado’s culture and quality of life, adding to the economic stability of the state. Couple that with the millions of dollars that cannabis brings in in revenue each month and we’re looking at projected growth all around. Unfortunately, Colorado has yet to figure out social consumption, and public consumption (consuming in parks and on trails) remains largely illegal unless you’re on private land.
Oklahoma
Coming straight out of right field with some of the most liberal cannabis policies in the country, Oklahoma isn’t wasting any time rolling out its medical program. Not only are you allowed to consume cannabis anywhere that tobacco is allowed (a HUGE plus for adventurous cannabis consumers like the CannaVenture Crew), the program also has no list or limitations on qualifying conditions. This means that anyone can qualify for a medical cannabis card. To make the deal even sweeter, they’re establishing temporary medical licenses that can be awarded to individuals who possess a medical card or recommendation in another state that would afford them all of the legal protection of an Oklahoma patient for up to 30 days. Keep your eyes on Oklahoma; they’re riding the cannabis train full steam ahead into 2019.
National Parks (U.S.A.)
Lastly, just a reminder that the national government shutdown has greater implications than walls and borders; it affects our parks as well. Parks like the Rocky Mountain National Park are shutting down )or already shut down) due to an inability to staff and maintain the parks during this time. As you consider your elected officials and whether or not to take a stand and advocate for consumption laws or cannabis legalization, don’t forget to remind those in power that their efforts have ripple effects that extend to the natural beauty we have tried to protect for so many years.
2019 will bring with it many changes in national and local policy surrounding both cannabis and the outdoors. Stay tuned to our pages as we try to stay up do date on the most relevant news to outdoor cannabis enthusiasts, and head over to Marijuana Moment if you’re in need of the full scoop on everything cannabis news.
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