States can’t wait. That’s the rallying cry for a new initiative that seeks to set up an interstate market for cannabis between states where recreational and medical cannabis are legal.

Called the Alliance for Sensible Markets, the non-profit coalition of business and advocacy leaders is committed to legalizing commerce between participating legal markets by 2021.

The timeline of cannabis in America is certainly a tumultuous one. From being spiritually and ritualistically used by Native Americans, to being vilified and criminalized by early 1900’s government officials leading to a 75 year prohibition, to an explosive “war on drugs” that had a choke hold on American culture for over two decades, marijuana and its users have been on a seriously wild ride.

The most lenient states permit consumers to purchase almost every CBD type irrespective of its source or intended use.

As of 2018, all 50 states have officially legalized the use of hemp-based CBD products. In the United States, governing officials initially classified CBD, hemp, and marijuana as harmful substances. However, recent medical insight encouraged federal authorities to legalize industrial hemp and CBD on a national level.

For routine CBD consumers, legalization may be good news. Though CBD-based products are manufactured and distributed throughout the United States, you’ll need to remember that each state has set its own rules regarding CBD use.

The history of cannabis laws and regulations in the United States is a complicated, convoluted affair that has arguably only gotten more confusing as more and more states launch legal medical and recreational marijuana programs. The result can sometimes be, well, a bit odd.

The following is a short list of some of the stranger cannabis regulations currently on the books in the US. 

1. Don’t transport marijuana by boat in California 

Make sure not to run fowl of the law in California. (wiroklyngz/123rf)

Increasing demand for safety and high-quality medical products has added impetus to cannabis testing services and will contribute to the growth of the global cannabis testing market, which is set to grow by 13.4% by 2025.

According to a Global Market Insights, Inc., report, the growing prevalence for these tests by cultivators and manufacturers will bolster the industry trends. The Bureau of Cannabis Control, as of March 2018, had issued about 26 temporary licenses to testing laboratories in California.

For the past century, America has been in a fierce debate regarding the legal status of marijuana. And while individuals on both sides of the issue are passionate about their positions regarding the morality and safety of cannabis, those against legalization have largely had their way— until very recently.

Cannabis is the new must-have product in legal States, opening up an industry that didn’t exist before, and diverting money from the longstanding cannabis black market. But change doesn’t always come cheap, and depending on where you live, the taxes are steep, and the price of cannabis is skyrocketing.

About 10 years ago I used to pay about $50 for an 1/8 of good stuff in New York. Around that time, I could get that same 1/8 in Oregon for $10-15 less, highlighting one of the big price differences that has often existed for cannabis between the East and West coasts of the US, a standard that could be changed or erased by the inclusion of a legal cannabis market.

Nevada is currently investigating new instances of tainted cannabis flower being sold in multiple dispensaries across the state following a recall. 

A Detailed Look at Cannabis Sales in California, Oregon, Arizona, Colorado and Nevada