Complying with Complex State Laws on Legal Cannabis Consumption Can Be Confusing
Confusing Laws on Legal Cannabis Consumption
Regulations on cannabis consumption are complex and confusing for both companies and customers in legal states, with even more rules involved when it comes to combining the plant with alcoholic beverages.
The laws and regulations surrounding legal cannabis are complex and often hard to understand. There is a good reason why compliance jobs are some of the fastest-growing and highly sought-after in the growing U.S. cannabis industry. Each case is different – depending on the state, the individual, the business, and so on. Regulations tend to get even more complex when alcohol comes into question. Even US Military has made amendments to help vets but the state laws are still a bit hostile towards marijuana.
Whether consuming cannabis inside of rental properties should be allowed has been called into question for over 20 years – ever since California first legalized the plant medicine in 1996. It depends on a specific landlord and patient, but if there is a no-smoking policy in a lease agreement that a tenant signs, technically a landlord could likely evict someone for smoking cannabis.
Are there any charges on Marijuana possession charges in New York?
Since the state of New York has decriminalized the possession of dried marijuana in small amounts, but many people in the state still consider the possession of marijuana no crime. However, depending on the amount and kind of marijuana that a person possesses, he could be facing serious charges or even felony charges.
For those who are caught with hash or hash oil (BHO/wax), or in possession of any amount up to seven grams, is a misdemeanor punishable by a year in prison and a fine of up to $1,000. More than seven grams but less than an ounce can result in felony charges carrying up to seven years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Those in possession of an ounce or more face fifteen years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
States where THC oil is considered a felony
States, where possession of marijuana or THC oil can make you face felony charges, are:
-
New York
-
Florida
-
Texas
-
Idaho
-
Alabama
Medical Marijuana Card
If a patient has a valid medical card, vaporizing and consuming edibles is usually allowed. The highly unfortunate part of this is the fact that patients from lower-income households are most likely to rent and be subject to the cannabis policy. This is up to the landlord, but because weed is still illegal federally, a judge could rule in favor of eviction even if the tenant is a medical cannabis patient. This is also true for vacationers taking “weed holidays” who choose to stay in Airbnb locations. Again, this is up to the property owner. And of course, these same restrictions aren’t typically placed on alcohol consumption, despite the fact that alcohol has been proven to be more dangerous.
States with Medical Marijuana reciprocity
It’s basically one state accepting the validity of the medical marijuana program and laws of another state and considering them equal to their own. This means that if you hold a medical marijuana card in your state you can then continue to use your card in another state which has reciprocity when you travel. So states that accept out-of-state medical marijuana card reciprocity are:
-
Arizona
-
Arkansas
-
Hawaii
-
Maine
-
Michigan
-
Nevada
-
New Hampshire
-
New Mexico
-
Oklahoma
-
Puerto Rico
-
Rhode Island
-
Washington, DC
Because of these complex and confusing restrictions on consuming cannabis, the need for more spaces that allow public consumption will continue to increase. As state laws currently exist, it is unlawful to hold both a liquor license and a medical cannabis license in the same establishment. State lawmakers think that alcohol and cannabis should not be in the same space as each other, and that is unlikely to change. For instance, Oregon recently banned cannabis-infused alcoholic beverages. There is significant evidence to suggest that people tend to drink less booze in states where cannabis is legal.
Even though the law is confusing and complex, there is still a growing market for wine and beer infused with cannabis. Businesses producing cannabis infused-beverages in this part of the market are removing the alcohol from their beer or wine. Alcohol-free wine containing THC has been a thing for a few years now and has been increasing in popularity. T-Pain even tried a weed wine and interviewed the winemakers on his show ‘T-Pain’s School of Business, explaining the complexities of maintaining compliance in the process. There are some industry analysts predicting that CBD drinks could help bars and restaurants to turn around slumping sales. One Pennsylvania Brewery is already doing just that, offering craft beers that are infused with terpenes from specific herb strains in the state.
As we continue moving forward with cannabis legalization, consuming cannabis and fair housing is an issue that should be addressed with compassion and discussed more frequently during election cycles. Voters should press their state officials about this issue, as it affects many people. Former NFL players are investing in the cannabis industry and NFL is ready to make changes on their substance abuse policy. This means more scientific studies need to be conducted to determine whether combining alcohol and marijuana consumption – in both consumables and public spaces – is safe. State laws should reflect the findings of these scientific studies, and not be based on the feelings of lawmakers and regulators.