MJBizMag February 2023 - 27

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS
South Carolina
Lawmakers are planning a bipartisan push to legalize medical marijuana in 2023.
Though South Carolina legalized CBD oil in 2014-a few years before the 2018 federal Farm Bill
made the nonintoxicating cannabinoid available in all 50 states-several recent efforts to legalize THC
products for medical use have failed, most recently in May 2022.
However, two competing proposals to legalize medical cannabis in South Carolina were pre-filed
ahead of the state Legislature's Jan. 10 session.
Even if the Legislature were to pass a legalization bill, it's unclear whether it would survive a veto
from Gov. Henry McMaster.
McMaster received an " F " rating in NORML's voter guide for his opposition to medical use and
support of criminal penalties for simple marijuana possession.
Tennessee
Two universities, a hemp trade group and the agriculture department in Tennessee are joining forces to
research and develop new economic opportunities for the state's hemp industry.
According to The Rogersville Review, the collaboration will be funded by a nearly $5 million grant
awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities to:
* The University of Tennessee.
* Tennessee State University.
* The Hemp Alliance of Tennessee.
* The Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
The project will use the funds to help expand markets for hemp producers who provide benefits to
small and underserved producers and to produce climate-friendly commodities, the Review reported.
The initiative, part of 71 proposals selected by the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, was
one of five hemp-focused projects to receive funding from the program.
U.S. Virgin Islands
This U.S. territory is on the verge of legalizing adult-use marijuana.
A veto-proof majority of lawmakers voted to send The Virgin Islands Cannabis Act to the desk of
Gov. Albert Bryan, who is expected to sign the bill into law.
The bill:
* Legalizes cannabis for adults 21 and older.
* Creates a " regulated system for the cultivation, manufacture and sale of cannabis for adult,
medical and sacramental use. "
* Allows members of religious organizations to grow up to six mature plants.
Companion legislation also expunges certain marijuana-related convictions, Sen. Janelle Sarauw, the
bill's sponsor, said in a news release.
Lawmakers performed " due diligence in protecting the masses and the best interests of our
residents by ensuring that locals and minorities are not locked out of the industry and have an
opportunity to participate in its economic potential, " Sarauw stated, adding that the bill will create an
industry " that is inclusive and diverse, but most importantly, safe. "
Roughly 106,000 people live in the U.S. Virgin Islands, located off the coast of Puerto Rico. Medical
cannabis is legal in the territory, and possession of up to 1 ounce is decriminalized.
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MJBizMag February 2023

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