Marijuana - The Boston Globe

Mass. marijuana vape sales drop sharply amid health crisis

New Cannabis Control Commission data show a sudden drop in the popularity of cannabis vaporizers after months of explosive sales growth.

After illnesses nationwide, Baker, Walsh eyeing stricter vaping regulations

Vaping illness cases rise to 530 as FDA opens criminal investigation into industry’s supply chain
Federal health officials said 530 people have fallen ill from the mysterious vaping-related lung ailment that has raised alarms across the United States.

In Mass., the schools that took action on vaping largely varied by ZIP code
Amid a cascade of federal warnings and media coverage of the vaping illness, there has been no consistent effort from schools across Massachusetts about informing students and parents.

Walmart to stop selling e-cigarettes amid vaping illness reports

Walmart Inc. will stop selling e-cigarettes in its US locations as the country grapples with a string of vaping-related deaths.

Why the vaping lung illness crisis is exploding now, according to Boston doctors

“We weren’t asking the right questions,” says one doctor who treated patients with the lung injury caused by vaping.

Missouri records first vaping-related death, eighth nationwide

A man in his mid-40s who died at a St. Louis hospital succumbed to a vaping-related illness, Missouri health officials announced Thursday.

Years after Mass. made pot legal, Boston Freedom Rally rolls on

Thousands gathered Saturday on Boston Common for the Boston Freedom Rally, a festival and protest which was for decades a focal point in the fight to legalize marijuana.

House marijuana banking vote officially scheduled for next week, leadership announces

House leadership confirmed Friday that a bipartisan marijuana banking bill will receive a floor vote next week.

Recreational marijuana shops in Ayer, Millbury get approval to open

Two more recreational marijuana stores can open in Massachusetts as early as next week.

US awards $3 million to fill gaps in medical marijuana research, including CBD

The US government is spending $3 million to find out if marijuana can relieve pain, but none of the money will be used to study the part of the plant that gets people high.

Veto overridden on medical marijuana prescribing bill in N.H.

Medical marijuana patients soon will be able to get prescriptions even if they haven’t had the same doctor for three months.

Maine seeks to clear up confusion about marijuana tracking

Across the country

As illnesses spread, fake vape gear sells on LA streets

A short walk from police headquarters in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, a cluster of bustling shops are openly selling packaging and hardware that can be used to produce counterfeit marijuana vapes that have infected California’s cannabis market.

President influences public opinion on marijuana legalization, study finds

When it comes to how Americans view marijuana legalization, the person sitting in the Oval Office makes a difference, a new study reports.

Makers of spiked CBD vapes exploit gaps in enforcement

Some operators are cashing in on the CBD craze by substituting cheap and illegal synthetic marijuana for natural CBD in vapes and edibles such as gummy bears, an Associated Press investigation has found.

New England

High-schoolers’ put use fell in the decade before legalization. Will that continue?

In 2017, about 24 percent of the state’s public high school students said they used cannabis in the previous month, down from 28 percent in 2011.

‘Hempfest’ is coming. And it’s going to be a little different this year

The Boston Freedom Rally, unofficially known as “Hempfest,” is scaling back for its 30th anniversary.

Largest cannabis conference in Northeast coming to Maine

The largest cannabis conference in the Northeast is coming to Maine’s largest city next month.

N.H. House overrides veto of home-grown medical pot bill

New Hampshire House lawmakers have overridden Governor Chris Sununu’s veto of a bill that would allow medical marijuana patients to grow their own supply.

Maine seeks to clear up confusion about marijuana tracking

Maine’s marijuana policy office is seeking to curb confusion about the state’s new track-and-trace system, which is required by law.

This Week in Weed

Legalized Sea Foods: New England-based chain launches marijuana-themed marketing campaign

The restaurant company said it’s launching a new marijuana-themed marketing campaign this week dubbed “Welcome to Legal.”

Nation

Wisconsin lawmakers introduce medical marijuana bill

A group of lawmakers launched another push Friday to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin, introducing a bill that would allow patients to use the drug if they register with the state and create a licensing system for growers.

World

Everybody in North Macedonia wants to be a cannabis farmer

A tiny part of former Yugoslavia is pinning its economic hopes on the medical marijuana industry.

The essential guide to buying and consuming pot in Massachusetts

These are the most common questions marijuana budtenders get asked

Here are the recreational marijuana shops open in Massachusetts

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.

travel

Marijuana getaways in Massachusetts: Where to buy pot and stay the weekend

If you find yourself traveling to a town you know next to nothing about, fear not: We scoped out what to do, where to stay, and where to eat.

Special Report

Canada's lessons in legalizing cannabis

Reporter Naomi Martin takes a look at how Canada's legalization process is playing out. (Caitlin Healy/Globe Staff)

In legalizing marijuana, Canada did everything differently. Here’s what we can learn

Latest local headlines

Fall River mayor wins slot on reelection ballot after arrest for alleged extortion
In the city’s preliminary election Tuesday, Correia came in second place, edging out nonprofit official Erica Scott-Pacheco and earning himself a spot on the November ballot.

Why the vaping lung illness crisis is exploding now, according to Boston doctors
“We weren’t asking the right questions,” says one doctor who treated patients with the lung injury caused by vaping.

Vermont town passes ordinance banning recreational marijuana
A Vermont select board has passed an ordinance banning recreational marijuana sales.

38 patients now reported to have mysterious vaping-related lung illness in Mass.
The statewide count rose from 10 after the state Department of Public Health issued an order requiring clinicians to report any possible cases of severe lung disease caused by vaping or use of electronic cigarettes.

New bill would change local approval process for marijuana companies and put power in the hands of city councils, select boards
The local approval process, which often leaves the fate of a marijuana company in the hands of a single municipal leader, has been widely criticized, particularly since the arrest of Fall River Mayor Jasiel F. Corriea II.

High-schoolers’ put use fell in the decade before legalization. Will that continue?
In 2017, about 24 percent of the state’s public high school students said they used cannabis in the previous month, down from 28 percent in 2011.

Massachusetts laboratory agrees to pay $225,000 for improper marijuana disposal
The state Cannabis Control Commission approved the settlement with MCR Labs at a meeting Thursday.

Another ZBA member resigns after Walsh bans city officials from working with marijuana firms
Bruce Bickerstaff, who co-owned a marijuana firm seeking permission to open in Roslindale, has stepped down from Boston’s Zoning Board of Appeal.

State cannabis agency proposes measure to require more transparency on vape ingredients sold in marijuana stores
The efforts came after the Globe last week revealed regulatory gaps that experts said posed a safety problem.

Amherst company faces subpoena in N.Y. vaping investigation
New York officials investigating a deadly vaping-related lung illness have subpoenaed an Amherst company, saying its product included a toxic chemical.

Legislators ask marijuana regulators to halt license issuing for pot companies in Fall River
Three state representatives from Fall River want marijuana regulators to temporarily stop issuing licenses to applicants in the city, following last week’s arrest of the Fall River mayor for allegedly extorting four marijuana vendors.

NAMES
Mark Wahlberg is getting into the CBD business, because of course he is
First it was Paul Pierce. Then it was Rob Gronkowski. Now, you can count Mark Wahlberg as the latest local celebrity looking to cash in on the CBD craze.

Editorial
Pot shop laws cry out for reform
Pay-to-play schemes legal or illegal, ethical conflicts abound in the highly competitive world of would-be weed purveyors.

Beacon Hill leaders unfamiliar with requested changes to pot law
It has been one of the thorniest issues for marijuana regulators, but legislative leaders on Monday appeared unaware of the Cannabis Control Commission’s months-old request for authority to enforce the mandatory agreements between host communities and marijuana businesses.

After Fall River bribery indictment, Baker joins calls to change local marijuana rules
The state’s system of local control over marijuana businesses — in which a single municipal official often decides the fate of a company — is ripe for abuse, a growing chorus of politicians said.

Connecticut’s new hemp industry beginning to take off
Governor Ned Lamont announced this week that Connecticut has licensed 82 hemp growers, two processors, and 21 manufacturers under a pilot program the Democrat signed into law earlier this year.

State regulators suspend six licenses from marijuana company as one of its owners faces drug charge
Massachusetts marijuana regulators have suspended six licenses from a cannabis company after one of its owners was arrested last month for his alleged involvement in an illegal marijuana-growing operation.

Are marijuana vapes from licensed stores safe? Mass. lacks regulations on additives
As hundreds fall ill from apparent vaping-related lung illnesses, experts are warning that a gap in state marijuana regulations leaves consumers at risk.

Here’s how Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia II allegedly extorted four marijuana companies
Fall River’s mayor was arrested Friday on new charges that he allegedly extorted four prospective marijuana vendors in the city, accepting bribes of cash — and at one point, several pounds of pot — in exchange for local agreements some companies need to get a state license.

Vermont asking doctors to report vaping illnesses for study
The Vermont Health Department is asking the state’s health care providers to report cases of respiratory illnesses linked to e-cigarettes and vaping.

most read on bostonglobe.com

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.