Marijuana - The Boston Globe

VAPING ILLNESSES

Mass. marijuana stores given OK to resume sales of some vaping products

Massachusetts marijuana stores will soon be able to sell vaping products again after cannabis regulators announced Thursday the retailers can sell any products that are newly manufactured and tested for specific contaminants.

Vaping 101: A crash course on how it worksMass. banned vape sales more than two months ago. And now business in N.H. and Maine is booming

Mass. health panel moves to lift ban on nicotine vape sales, passes new restrictions

Massachusetts stores were allowed to resume selling unflavored nicotine vaping products after health officials approved new regulations.

Mass. health officials concede lung patients may have used illicit vapes, too

One day earlier, state officials said six people who got ill had used regulated marijuana vapes.

Six with lung illness linked to regulated marijuana vapes, state says

THE LATEST FROM THE CDC

Vaping illness death count surpasses 50 in US

The 52 deaths in 26 states are among the 2,409 hospitalized cases that have been reported across the nation this year.

CDC finds possible cause of vaping illnesses — but can’t confirm whether legal vapes are safeOfficials list pot vape brands reported in US outbreakHunt for deadly vapes hindered by marijuana’s legal patchwork

Across New England

Maine student vaping about doubles in 2 years, survey says

The Maine Center for Disease Control said the use of e-cigarettes among high school students has almost doubled since 2017.

Vape shop near N.H. high school in danger of being forced out

A New Hampshire vape shop that’s about a quarter of a mile down the road from a high school is at risk of being denied a license to continue operating.

Senate OKs Trump’s FDA nominee despite unclear vaping agenda

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Dr. Stephen Hahn to lead the Food and Drug Administration despite concerns about how he will confront the growing problem of underage vaping.

MLB officially removes marijuana from banned substances list for baseball players

Major League Baseball and the MLB players union announced Thursday that the league will begin to treat marijuana consumption by players in the same way that alcohol use is handled.

Dozens apply to open marijuana businesses in now-legal Maine

The first week of applications to open marijuana businesses in Maine has been busy.

Vermont should legalize marijuana sales, top health department official says

A top Vermont health official is endorsing the legalization of recreational marijuana sales.

Across the country

Chicago prosecutor to vacate 1,000 marijuana convictions
A top prosecutor in Illinois on Wednesday filed motions to vacate more than 1,000 low-level marijuana convictions.

Hearing on medical marijuana for ailing pets delayed in New Mexico

NJ lawmakers considering referendum to legalize recreational marijuana

GOP support grows for medical marijuana in Wisconsin

New England

Massachusetts on target for sizeable share of pot money

Massachusetts tax collectors are expecting to haul in between $93 million and $173 million in legal marijuana revenue this current budget year and could collect as much as $189 million in the next budget year.

Massachusetts on target for sizeable share of pot money

Massachusetts tax collectors are expecting to haul in between $93 million and $173 million in legal marijuana revenue this current budget year and could collect as much as $189 million in the next budget year.

Sudbury forum addresses youth vaping, prevention

Sudbury parents and other community members are invited to learn more about youth vaping and how to prevent it, at a public information session on Monday, Dec. 9.

Danvers High to host forum on vaping risks

At a time of growing concern nationally about the health risks of vaping, parents of teenagers and other community members are invited to a free seminar on the subject in Danvers.

Man charged for growing 63 marijuana plants; says he thought he could grow 99 with medical marijuana card

A North Attleborough man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he illegally grew 63 marijuana plants in a detached garage next to his home.

This Week in Weed

Walsh, Janey cut deal on marijuana licensing in Boston

The Boston City Council is poised to vote Wednesday on a historic ordinance authored by Boston City Councilor Kim Janey to completely overhaul the city’s process of picking prospective marijuana operators.

Nation

New law sets standards boosting New York’s hemp industry

New York’s fast-growing hemp industry is getting a boost from a new law allowing the state to regulate the growth and sale of cannabis-derived extracts such as CBD oil, which is soaring in popularity as a wellness product.

World

Pot shop proximity jumps in Canada after a slow retail rollout

Canada’s pot industry is having a rough year, but that hasn’t dashed the hopes of retailers looking to cash in on the newly legalized commodity.

The essential guide to buying and consuming pot in Massachusetts

These are the most common questions marijuana budtenders get asked

Your guide to shopping at Massachusetts’ recreational marijuana stores

The hidden titans of pot

Massachusetts legalized the sale of recreational marijuana with the ambition to be different — and better. But two years since the law went into effect, troubling signs loom. This three-part series uncovers stealth moves by large investors poised to dominate this nascent industry and outmaneuver regulators.

These companies test the limits — and brag about it

No firm is allowed to own or control more than three recreational marijuana stores. But two companies — Sea Hunter and Acreage — are testing the limits.

Inside one battle that could change the marijuana industry

The race to open Mattapan Square’s first pot shop raises questions about trust and who gets to cash in.

For sale in the pot industry: political influence

Marijuana may be the hot, new retail business in town, but it largely plays by the old political rules.

More coverage

Eight takeaways from the Spotlight series on the state’s burgeoning marijuana industry

Marijuana company’s expansion plans test Mass. law

Massachusetts marijuana regulators investigating whether companies violated license limits

Beyond Massachusetts, states struggle to limit marijuana behemoths

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The Daily Rip, written Monday through Friday, dives into the top marijuana headlines of the day, in New England and around the world.

Special Report

Welcome to Big Marijuana’s factory floor

Inside the headquarters of Canada's Canopy Growth Corp., the world’s largest marijuana company that critics call the "Walmart of Weed." (Video by Caitlin Healy/Globe Staff)

Inside the Walmart of Weed: From rural Canada, Big Marijuana seeks to dominate global market

Latest local headlines

Vermont Health Department launches cannabis education site
The Vermont Health Department is offering a new resource to help people learn about how cannabis affects their bodies, minds, and health.

In some Maine communities, marijuana market already locked
Maine will start accepting marijuana business licenses this month, but the market is already closed in some communities.

Walsh signs marijuana ordinance at City Hall ceremony
The event marked a somewhat remarkable evolution in tone, if not in opinion, by Walsh, a strong opponent of legalization in 2016.

Hospital launches ‘No Safe Vape’ campaign in New Hampshire and Vermont
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health has launched a new education campaign in New Hampshire and Vermont about the dangers of vaping.

Inside the Walmart of Weed: From rural Canada, Big Marijuana seeks to dominate global market
The rise of corporate pot thrills Wall Street investors, but sparks fears of worsening inequality and a repeat of health problems seen with alcohol, tobacco, and addictive pharmaceuticals.

‘You are essentially condemning us’: In packed hearing, Baker administration hears from ex-smokers on vape sales ban
It was the first time vape consumers could speak face-to-face with Governor Charlie Baker’s administration since Baker banned sales of nicotine and marijuana vapes in September.

Lottery will determine Rhode Island’s 6 new medical marijuana licenses
Rhode Island’s medical marijuana regulators have unveiled how they plan to issue licenses for six new dispensaries in the state and new rules that would not allow the new operations to grow their own cannabis at first.

Rhode Island lawmakers to address flavored vaping products
Rhode Island House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello says he’ll consider whether to ban the sale of flavored vaping products in the next legislative session.

Marijuana company’s workers vote to unionize, a first in Mass.
About 115 employees of Sira Naturals will join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

State health officials to host public hearing on Baker’s vape sales ban Friday
Though state officials posted notice of the public meeting as required, information about the hearing was difficult to find on the state health department’s website Thursday.

Here’s how much money people in Massachusetts spent on (legal) marijuana in the first year of sales
Exactly one year ago, people in Massachusetts spent more than $440,000 at the state’s first two recreational marijuana on their opening day of sales.

MARIJUANA MOMENT
Rhode Island governor says she will pursue legal marijuana in 2020
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo says she’ll make another attempt to legalize marijuana in the state next year.

Boston City Council approves sweeping changes to marijuana licensing
The vote followed months of negotiations between Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Councilor Kim Janey.

‘A huge change’: How Massachusetts’ first year of recreational marijuana sales went for consumers, police, neighbors
One year ago this week, Massachusetts’ first legal recreational marijuana sales began in Northampton and Leicester. Since then, the state has licensed 33 cannabis stores, which together have generated $364 million in revenue.

It’s been a year since Mass. started selling recreational marijuana. Some frustrations remain
The doomsday scenarios envisioned by opponents of legalization have largely failed to materialize. But the state’s cannabis market is having growing pains.

We asked Massachusetts’ 5 marijuana regulators about the first year of pot sales. Here’s what they said
For the one-year anniversary of recreational marijuana sales starting in Massachusetts, we asked the five Massachusetts cannabis control commissioners how they feel about the industry’s first year, what could have gone differently, and what they hope to accomplish in the next year.

GLOBE MAGAZINE
Your guide to shopping at Massachusetts’ recreational marijuana stores
Here’s everything you need to know about the state’s recreational marijuana stores.

Marijuana entrepreneur faces $50,000 fine
A Massachusetts man who founded a company to cultivate recreational marijuana faces a $50,000 fine for allegedly selling $1.3 million in unregistered securities to about 40 investors.

Proposal in Brookline would force town pot shops to be appointment-only until 2022
Brookline Town Meeting members are expected to vote on a proposal this week that would require all adult-use marijuana stores to operate with appointments only for at least two years, taking away the only walk-up-friendly recreational marijuana dispensary in the metro Boston area.

MARIJUANA MOMENT
Where presidential candidate Deval Patrick stands on marijuana
The latecomer to the race does not have an especially reform-friendly record on drug policy issues compared to many of his rival contenders, and questions remain about where he stands on legalization for adult-use of marijuana — or even medical use for that matter.

Are recreational marijuana shops preparing to open in your town? Check our maps

Data released by the Cannabis Control Commission show where marijuana operators have set up shop and where they hope to.

All 2020 presidential candidates now support marijuana legalization efforts — even the Republicans

Bill Clinton “didn’t inhale” marijuana, and it was Obama’s “mistake,” but now all 12 official Democratic candidates told the Globe they support full nationwide legalization, Canada-style.