During a follow-up investigation into recent #vehicle #burglaries, the #Opelousas Police Department (OPD) made a drug bust that yielded over $12,000 worth of narcotics. Shane Witt, 43, faces two counts of #possession with intent to distribute schedule I narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia. During the investigation, officers made contact with residents of a home in the 1800 block of Alonzo St. and discovered evidence of narcotics #trafficking at their house. Invest

Rio Grande #Valley Sector Border Patrol (RGV) agents disrupted three #smuggling attempts resulting in seven arrests, and the seizure of more than 101 pounds of #marijuana. #Harlingen Border Patrol Station agents working near the river in #Bluetown, #Texas, discovered and followed the shoe prints of several individuals making their way #north from the Rio Grande. The prints led agents to a refuge where agents discovered two #bundles of marijuana. The marijuana weighed over 101

Though #Senate hearings on #adult-use #recreational #marijuana have had a sense of “when, not if” the drug would be legal, at least one #senator is calling for more skepticism. While the three previous hearings have focused on the potential for boosting state #tax #revenues and reducing the harm of #marijuana activity already happening, Sen. Judy #Ward, R-Blair, warned of public health and safety concerns. “The hearings have seemed one-sided, and the topics covered have been

The #cannabis industry is pushing #lawmakers to get a #marijuana reform bill to #President #Biden’s desk before the #November midterms, fearing that a #Republican takeover of #Congress could doom its chances. In an in-person lobbying blitz last week, more than 20 chief executives of top cannabis companies urged lawmakers in both parties to pass the #SAFE Banking Act, a bill to allow them to work with #US #banks that the industry is confident will win enough #GOP support to p

It’s no April Fool’s joke. #NewMexico’s 118 #medical #marijuana #dispensaries will be licensed to serve all adults starting the morning of #Friday, April 1, 2022. After waiting nearly a full year since legalizing marijuana for all #adults last April, New #Mexicans age 21 and older will finally get their chance to legally purchase the plant. Every adult 21 or older may legally buy and possess up to 2 #ounces of #cannabis, 16 #grams of cannabis #extract, or up to 800 milligram

#California-based #MedMen #Enterprises said it is exiting the #Florida #medical #cannabis market with the sale of its #business #license and all its assets for $83 #million. The move significantly shrinks the multistate operator’s national footprint. MedMen sold all its #MMJ #assets in the state to #FortLauderdale, Florida-based #Green Sentry #Holdings in an all- #cash deal that includes the company’s seven #dispensaries, its #cultivation operations and existing inventory. As

#Marijuana #cultivator and product manufacturer Flora Growth acquired CBD brand #JustCBD for $16 #million plus 9.5 million privately issued shares. The share compensation is subject to adjustment under certain circumstances, according to a regulatory filing. JustCBD’s brand portfolio includes #CBD- #infused consumer packaged goods products such as #gummies, #tinctures, and #topicals. The company operates a manufacturing facility and #distribution center in #Florida. Its direc

Rio #Grande #Valley (RGV) Border Patrol agents intercepted six narcotic smuggling attempts resulting in the seizure of more than 1,200 #pounds of #marijuana, methamphetamines, and cocaine. Agents observed a possible narcotic smuggling event near the Rio Grande #south of #Sullivan City, #Texas. McAllen Border Patrol Station (MCS) agents spotted the Chevrolet #Tahoe as it traveled north and attempted to conduct a vehicle stop. The driver failed to yield and led agents on a vehi

Drug Smugglers will go to any lengths to ship their narcotics in and out of the #US U.S. #Customs and Border Protection officers have found drugs hidden in an endless list of places. The latest #seizure was discovered by CBP officers in #Louisville. They seized four pounds of #marijuana that was concealed inside a box of #Lucky #Charms cereal. Narcotic Detector #Dog “Kary” was working outgoing freight on when he alerted to a shipment of cereal headed to a private residence in

#SanDiego, home to one of the largest municipal #cannabis markets in #California, is lowering #tax rates on local manufacturers and growers in an effort to boost production overall. Despite a projected #revenue shortfall because of the tax break, the #City Council voted 6-3 to lower the rates for #marijuana #producers and #growers from 8% to 2%. The move was in response to industry insiders who have contended for years that high state and local taxes have discouraged compani

#Tennessee #US Customs and Border Protection Officers (CBPOs) in #Memphis have seized 2,509 lbs of drugs since the beginning of this fiscal year. The countries of origin for most of the drugs were #China, #Mexico and #Brazil. #Fentanyl, #heroin, #cocaine, #ketamine, #DMT, #marijuana, prescription #opioids and steroids are among the contraband intercepted at the port in the express #consignment #environment. In the first month of 2022, they seized nearly 1,000 lbs of drugs, an

#Amazon wants to start selling #cannabis, but they say they are on the legal bandwagon for other reasons. The company has endorsed legislation by #US Representative #Nancy Mace to end the #federal prohibition on #pot. Reports claim this is the first time it has backed a #Republican-led bill on the issue. #Legalizing pot could also open the door to a #lucrative new market for the largest #online retailer. But the #tech giant says they are not interested in selling pot. “There

Gabriel Monico Guevara, 40, of #Albuquerque, made an initial appearance in federal court today, facing charges of possessing firearms during, in relation to or in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and #possession with intent to distribute #marijuana. Guevara will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing. According to a criminal complaint, Albuquerque #police executed a search #warrant on Guevara’s residence and a smoke shop he owns through a limit

In #Louisville CBP agents seized a total of 2,079 #pounds of illicit drugs during the month of #January. Officers seized 282 shipments in January that contained various drugs. The narcotics arrived from India, the #UnitedKingdom, #HongKong, #Mexico, and #Canada. CBP seized: 1,113 pounds of #Marijuana, 300 pounds of Methamphetamine, 179 pounds of drug precursors, 137 pounds of Khat, 108 pounds of scheduled narcotics, 103 pounds of cocaine, 75 pounds of Ketamine, and 64 pound

A #Republican-controlled #Pennsylvania #Senate committee on held what was billed as the first of a series of hearings on the potential legalization of #recreational #marijuana use for #adults. During the two-hour #Law and #Justice Committee hearing in #Harrisburg, lawmakers and panelists #wrestled with questions about whether legalization would stamp out the #black #market, make marijuana safer from deadly contaminants, or do anything to prevent users from dipping joints in e

Twenty alleged drug dealers and their associates have been arrested and charged in “Operation Shut Down Corner,” announced DEA Special #Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. The operation – which involved more than 150 agents and officers from the #North #Texas OCEDTF Strike #Force – focused on #Hamilton #Park, a north #Dallas neighborhood that has long been plagued by crime driven by a violent gang known as the #HamiltonParkPosse. During the investigation, DEA agents and their

#Pennsylvania regulators recalled #hundreds of #medical #marijuana #vape products because the state says they contain ingredients unapproved for #inhalation. The mandatory recall could have disastrous consequences for #producers, processors and retailers who rely on the vape market for sales. The state health department released a list of more than 500 cannabis vape products with ingredients not approved by the #US #Food and Drug Administration. “Although some of these added

#Australia’s Department of #Health, preparing to overhaul its #medical #cannabis regulations, is poised to require that all products imported into the country’s small but #growing market be produced in accordance with Good #Manufacturing Practice (#GMP). The move would effectively shut out non-GMP-compliant manufacturers operating overseas by bringing production rules governing imported medical cannabis products into line with those produced domestically. The proposed rules,

A five-year lawsuit about overtime pay has ended after security guards for #Colorado-based #marijuana security company #Helix TCS agreed to drop the action. The case was closely watched in the industry because of the broad implications it could have had on how state-legal #marijuana businesses compensate employees. According to Law360, Helix and a representative for the guards “said in a joint stipulation they would end the suit with #prejudice.” It was unknown whether the pa

#US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations seized over 2,027 pounds of #Marijuana within the trailer of an inbound #commercial #shipment at the #Blue #Water Bridge, Thursday evening. CBP officers referred a commercial shipment carrying food items bound for #Columbus, #Ohio for an additional examination. During a secondary inspection CBP officers ultimately discovered 15 wooden crates containing marijuana inside the trailer. “Our Officers continue to i