Happy Labor Day — Honoring 144 Years Since the First Celebration
Happy Labor Day — Honoring 144 Years Since the First Celebration
Happy Labor Day — Honoring 144 Years Since the First Celebration Today we mark Labor Day with gratitude and resolve. One hundred forty‑four years after the first Labor Day parade in New York City in 1882, we honor the courage of workers who organized for safer workplaces, fair pay, and dignity on the job. Their struggle built protections many of us rely on today: limits on hours, safer conditions, and the right to organize.
What this day asks of us now Labor Day is both a celebration and a reminder: the gains of the past were won by collective action, and the challenges of today require the same clarity of purpose. Workers now face a mix of old and new pressures — precarious gig and contract work, rising costs of living, automation and AI reshaping jobs, and ongoing fights over bargaining power and workplace equity. These trends affect paychecks, schedules, health, and family life.
A Personal Moment at My Door
While I was writing this post there was a knock at my front door. A man and a woman stood on my porch with literature and a simple message: there’s a government that wants to work for us. I looked through the materials and told them I supported Angie Nixon. They left, and I’m writing this now to say publicly that my transplanted Florida roots are being anchored by a politician who calls herself a “Democratic Socialist.” Count me in.
That moment mattered because democracy is not only about big rallies or headlines — it’s about neighbors showing up, conversations at the door, and decisions we make in our communities. For me, that knock was a reminder that civic life is local, personal, and immediate.
Sidebar Call to Action for the 2026 Midterms
Bring worker issues into the 2026 conversation To everyone watching the 2026 midterms — voters, organizers, union members, small‑business owners, and civic leaders — this Labor Day is a moment to center worker priorities in the public debate. Ask candidates how they will protect workers from wage stagnation, expand access to benefits, strengthen workplace safety and enforcement, and support retraining for technological change.
Practical ways to engage
Ask candidates for concrete plans on wages, portable benefits, and reskilling.
Support civic participation by helping register voters, sharing reliable voting information, and encouraging turnout.
Volunteer locally for nonpartisan voter education and community forums focused on jobs and the economy.
Hold leaders accountable for policies that affect working families and for transparent, fair elections.
Statement from Steven Smith and Company
Steven Smith is firm in his company’s commitment to civic engagement Steven Smith and the company he leads are committed to engaging the many who matter in our democracy — employees, customers, and communities — across the national conversation about work and civic life. That commitment means elevating worker voices, supporting nonpartisan civic education, and creating opportunities for meaningful participation in the issues that shape livelihoods.
Closing Statement for the Majority of Voters That Matter
A message to the majority of voters that matter To the majority of voters who shape our future: your voice matters more than ever. This Labor Day, rest and reflect — then bring your experience and priorities into the public square. Demand policies that protect work, expand opportunity, and ensure technological change benefits everyone. Vote, engage, and insist that elected leaders put working people first. Democracy works best when the many who do the work also have a say in the rules that govern it.
The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.
Before it was a federal holiday, Labor Day was recognized by labor activists and individual states. After municipal ordinances were passed in 1885 and 1886, a movement developed to secure state legislation. New York was the first state to introduce a bill, but Oregon was the first to pass a law recognizing Labor Day, on February 21, 1887.
During 1887, four more states – Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York – passed laws creating a Labor Day holiday.
By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania had followed suit.
By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.
Who first proposed the holiday for workers?
It’s not entirely clear, but two workers can make a solid claim to the Founder of Labor Day title.
Some records show that in 1882, Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor,
suggested setting aside a day for a “general holiday for the laboring classes” to honor those
“who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”
But Peter McGuire’s place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged.
Many believe that machinist Matthew Maguire, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday.
Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire,
later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey,
proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.
According to the New Jersey Historical Society, after President Cleveland signed the law creating a national Labor Day,
the Paterson Morning Call published an opinion piece stating that
“the souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday.”
Both Maguire and McGuire attended the country’s first Labor Day parade in New York City that year.
The First Labor Day
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City,
in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union.
The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.
Many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades, picnics and parties – festivities very similar to those outlined by the first proposal for a holiday,
which suggested that the day should be observed with – a street parade to exhibit “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations”
of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.
This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day.
Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday.
Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday
and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
American labor has raised the nation’s standard of living and contributed to the greatest production
the world has ever known and the labor movement has brought us closer
to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy.
It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership
Interested in growing marijuana in Florida? Unfortunately, home cultivation is prohibited under Florida’s medical marijuana program. If you have been thinking about growing marijuana in Florida, here are 10 things you should know.
1. Growing Marijuana in Florida at Home Is a Crime
Florida’s medical cannabis laws do not specifically cover the cultivation of cannabis. However, Florida law states that possession of 20 grams or less of cannabis is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. Therefore, growing marijuana in Florida is illegal.
Possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis is a felony. Penalties include up to five years in jail and up to a $5,000 fine.
2. Marijuana Growers Must Be Vertically Integrated
In Florida, medical marijuana companies must be vertically integrated. That means that a company is responsible for the cultivation of marijuana, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis products to medical patients. Vertical integration has been challenged by cannabis companies but affirmed by the State Supreme Court.
3. Marijuana Cultivation Jobs Are Growing
Florida is third in terms of total full-time cannabis jobs with 31,444 based on 2020’s numbers. In 2020, the state added 14,891 full-time cannabis jobs. Cannabis cultivation jobs are some of the most in-demand positions in the nation.
4. Florida Black Marijuana Farmers are Waiting for a License
After 4 years of waiting for rules to be developed regarding a new medical marijuana license, black farmers are on the verge of being able to apply. The ruling does not indicate when the license applications will begin being accepted.
A 2017 law required the state to grant a special license to “one applicant that is a recognized class member” of the “Pigford Class,” a designated a protected class of black farmers that won a settlement for a speciall license due to the history of racial discrimination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
5. 19 More Grow Licenses Must Be Issued
At the moment, Florida has 22 licensed operators in the state. However, the medical program has a schedule requiring new licenses to become available as the patient count rises. With more than 600,000 medical cannabis patients enrolled since the start of the program, the state must issue 19 additional licenses on top of the Black farmer license.
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Learn How To Grow Cannabis!
6. Florida Farmers Can Grow Hemp
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) provides farmers with a Hemp Cultivation Portal that allows them to submit applications for permits to grow hemp in Florida.
7. Home Cultivation Proposals Have Failed Several Times
Florida’s road to recreational cannabis legalization has been a failure. A recent citizen’s initiative to legalize recreational cannabis and allow adults to grow weed at home was struck down by the Supreme Court due to misleading language in the ballot initiative.
A new initiative by Regulate Florida is aiming to gain approval and enough signatures after it was rejected by the Supreme Court earlier in the year. It is unclear whether Florida will pass legal cannabis soon.
8. Florida Has an Optimal Grow Climate
Florida’s sunny climate makes it a perfect environment for growing cannabis. However, the state also experiences extreme levels of heat and humidity, which can negatively affect marijuana plants.
Florida’s fertile and healthy soil is ideal for sativa plants. Its optimal cannabis climate has made the Sunshine State the third largest indoor cannabis producer in the nation.
9. Only One Man Can Grow Cannabis at Home
Only one person in the State of Florida is legally allowed to grow marijuana at home. In April 2018, A Florida Court ruled that Joe Redner can grow cannabis at home for medicinal purposes. However, only he is allowed to grow marijuana in Florida.
“
There are over 300,000 jobs in the cannabis industry. CTU trained me for one of them!
The judge’s ruling said that Redner is “entitled to possess, grow, and use marijuana for juicing, solely for the purpose of emulsifying the biomass he needs for the juicing protocol recommended by his physician.”
10. Florida A&M University’s Hemp Cultivation Research
Florida A&M University (FAMU) has partnered with three hemp producers to research the best hemp varieties to grow in Florida’s climate. Researchers hope to identify strains that will “thrive safely, efficiently, and cost effectively” in Florida. In addition, the research intends to determine the best soil preferences and best practices for growing hemp in Florida.
Enroll in Cannabis Training University
Knowing Florida’s state regulations can help you use cannabis safely and legally. If you want to get a complete cannabis education, enroll in Cannabis Training University’s online marijuana school. Our complete curriculum covers all state laws, laws in Canada, and cannabis laws in several countries around the world.
We, at Inspirational Technologies are at the forefront of Inspirational and Frontrunners on the frontier of current technology.
We are often faced with our own personal conflicts which directly influence our interactions with our peers and family.Â
When Inspirational Technologies is an endorsement of the “Cannabis” approach to the medical condition, we say, let’s let the look at the data and the people who say that they benefit for cannabis alternatives.
1st Hemp USA News is a resource of Inspirational Technologies (2021-2023)Inspirational Technologies (2023) AllRightsReservedYour ONE STOP BLOG FOR INFORMATION, EDUCATION, & INSPIRATION OF ESSENTIAL INNOVATION & RENOVATION of You-THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST*This site receives virtually no compensation for sales of some or all mentioned products. We however place humanitarian value over monetary interests. Our monetary income goes back into research, development, discovery and healing.Inspirational Technologies – is Committed to Your Health Wellness Beauty and EnrichmentReporting on Today’s Internal Botanical and Skin Product Benefits
4 Hemp Club was Inspired by Steven Smith’s vision to  “Have an older generation 4H Club, where an older community of adults could carry on what the younger 4H Club envisioned.
Our 4H Platform Uses HEMP as an Agricultural Focal Point, deserving of research, development and with the
4 Hemp key points being Health Hope and Happiness, thru Hemp“.
Cannabis CBD and Me  Inspirational Technologies Inspirational Technologies (2014) @Inspire123tech Background Noise Studios Logos bySteven M Smith
AYR Cannabis Dispensary Strengthens Florida Retail Footprint with Three New Locations
MIAMI, July 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AYR Cannabis Dispensary, a cannabis retail chain owned by AYR Wellness, Inc. (CSE: AYR.A, OTCQX: AYRWF) (“AYR” or the “Company”), a leading vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator (“MSO”), today celebrated the opening of three retail locations in Orange County, Florida. The opening of AYR Cannabis Dispensary locations Orlando (UCF), Winter Haven and Orlando (N. Orange Blossom Trail) expand the Company’s retail presence to 62 locations throughout Florida and brings AYR’s total footprint to 86 stores nationwide.
“We are proud to see our Florida retail footprint exceed 60 locations as we further broaden our reach across the state,” said Sevi Borrelli, AYR’s General Manager, Florida. “Our patients in Florida are our top priority as we launch new initiatives and drive growth for our Company. With nearly one million registered patients across our home state, I am thrilled to see us continuing to evolve our retail presence while building long-lasting relationships with our communities.” Patients are invited to celebrate the opening of the Orlando (N. Orange Blossom Trail) retail location on Thursday, July 27. The grand opening celebration will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:45 a.m. ET, followed by games, prizes, music and refreshments. Each dispensary will offer AYR’s suite of national brands and products. Additionally, consumers and medical patients at each dispensary can access special discounts, rewards and prizes by enrolling in the AYR Cannabis Dispensary Loyalty Program.
AYR continues to expand its presence in Florida, opening 10 new dispensaries statewide through the first seven months of 2023. The Company previously celebrated the opening of dispensaries in Tarpon Springs, Winter Haven, Palatka, Lake Mary, Land O’ Lakes, Orlando and Palmetto Bay earlier this year. To learn more about the company’s nearby dispensaries, product offerings or future openings, please visit http://www.AYRwellness.com.
We, at Inspirational Technologies are at the forefront of Inspirational and Frontrunners on the frontier of current technology.
We are often faced with our own personal conflicts which directly influence our interactions with our peers and family.Â
When Inspirational Technologies is an endorsement of the “Cannabis” approach to the medical condition, we say, let’s let the look at the data and the people who say that they benefit for cannabis alternatives. Â Â
1st Hemp USA News is a resource of Inspirational Technologies (2021-2023) Inspirational Technologies (2023) AllRightsReserved Your ONE STOP BLOG FOR INFORMATION, EDUCATION, & INSPIRATION OF ESSENTIAL INNOVATION & RENOVATION of You- THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST *This site receives virtually no compensation for sales of some or all mentioned products. We however place humanitarian value over monetary interests. Our monetary income goes back into research, development, discovery and healing. Inspirational Technologies – is Committed to Your Health Wellness Beauty and EnrichmentReporting on Today’s Internal Botanical and Skin Product Benefits
4 Hemp Club was Inspired by Steven Smith’s vision to  “Have an older generation 4H Club, where an older community of adults could carry on what the younger 4H Club envisioned. Our 4H Platform Uses HEMP as an Agricultural Focal Point, deserving of research, development and with the 4 Hemp key points being Health Hope and Happiness, thru Hemp“. Cannabis CBD and Me  Inspirational Technologies Inspirational Technologies (2014) @Inspire123tech Background Noise Studios Logos bySteven M Smith
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, has signed a bill banning sales of any consumable hemp products—including cannabis “chewing gum”—to people under 21, an expansion of an existing prohibition on young people being able to purchase smokable hemp.
The legislation, SB 1676 from Sen. Colleen Burton (R), was signed into law last week and took effect on Saturday. It also creates penalties for businesses that market hemp in a way that’s appealing to children and bans products that look like candy or are manufactured “in the shape of humans, cartoons, or animals.”
The bill prohibits the sale of hemp extract “including, but not limited to, snuff, chewing gum, and other smokeless products” to people under 21. A person who violates the revised statute would be subject to a second degree misdemeanor for a first offense and a first degree misdemeanor for a second or subsequent offense within one year of the initial violation.
“Hemp extract products found to be mislabeled or attractive to children are subject to an immediate stop-sale order,” the measure also says.
Additionally, the newly implemented law imposes rules on hemp product packaging. It requires, for example, that the containers mitigate “exposure to high temperatures” and do not appeal to children.
Further, the bill amends statute to make it so hemp products can only be sold if they are “processed in a facility that holds a current and valid permit issued by a human health or food safety regulatory entity with authority over the facility, and that facility meets the human health or food safety sanitization requirements of the regulatory enti
The legislation as introduced would have capped the THC limit for hemp products, but that was amended out in a House committee in April following significant pressure from hemp industry representatives.
DeSantis signed the bill without specifically commenting on it.
The governor separately signed a measure last week that prohibits sober living facilities from allowing residents to possess or use medical marijuana, even if the patient is certified by a doctor to legally use cannabis therapeutically in accordance with state law.
DeSantis’s marijuana policy comments and actions have come under the spotlight since he entered the race—and especially since he said recently that he would not decriminalize cannabis if he’s elected to the White House.
He argued, among other things, that marijuana use hurts the workforce, inhibits productivity and could even lead to death if contaminated. The position has earned him criticism, including by Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
DeSantis also talked about Florida’s medical marijuana program that was enacted by voters, saying military veterans are “actually allowed access” to cannabis under that model. But he said the issue is “controversial because obviously there’s some people that abuse it and are using it recreationally.”
“Misunderstood”
The Hemp Story
Several Republican 2024 presidential hopefuls have also addressed drug policy issues in recent weeks.
For example, former President Donald Trump seemed confused during a recent interview when he was confronted with the fact that his proposed plan to impose the death penalty on drug traffickers would have condemned a woman he pardoned and promoted as an example of a key criminal justice reform achievement during his administration.
At a CNN town hall event last month, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said that he would “end” the war on drugs if elected, emphasizing the need for a treatment-based approach to people experiencing addiction—while at the same time maintaining that he’d seek to increase enforcement against those who sell drugs.
We, at Inspirational Technologies are at the forefront of Inspirational and Frontrunners on the frontier of current technology.
We are often faced with our own personal conflicts which directly influence our interactions with our peers and family.
When Inspirational Technologies is an endorsement of the “Cannabis” approach to the medical condition, we say, let’s let the look at the data and the people who say that they benefit for cannabis alternatives. Inspirational Technologies (2023) InspirationalTech.org for your Health Wellness Beauty and Inspirational Goals
For More Information on Cannabis and CBD and YOU. Click On the Following Link
1st Hemp USA News is a resource of Inspirational Technologies (2021-2023) Inspirational Technologies (2023) AllRightsReserved Your ONE STOP BLOG FOR INFORMATION, EDUCATION, & INSPIRATION OF ESSENTIAL INNOVATION & RENOVATION of You- THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST *This site receives virtually no compensation for sales of some or all mentioned products. We however place humanitarian value over monetary interests. Our monetary income goes back into research, development, discovery and healing. Inspirational Technologies – is Committed to Your Health Wellness Beauty and EnrichmentReporting on Today’s Internal Botanical and Skin Product Benefits
4 Hemp Club was Inspired by Steven Smith’s vision to “Have an older generation 4H Club, where an older community of adults could carry on what the younger 4H Club envisioned. Our 4H Platform Uses HEMP as an Agricultural Focal Point, deserving of research, development and with the 4 Hemp key points being Health Hope and Happiness, thru Hemp“. Cannabis CBD and Me Inspirational Technologies Inspirational Technologies (2014) @Inspire123tech Background Noise Studios Logos bySteven M Smith
Since the beginning of 2023, five new recreational markets have launched, including New York, Missouri and Maryland, where sales began on Saturday. Those states alone added 37 million people to the legal weed column.
But that’s left plenty of holdouts — overwhelmingly in more conservative territory, particularly in the deep South. And there are increasing signs of a legalization backlash in deep red America: Voters in four states — Arkansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota and South Dakota — have rejected adult-use referendums in the last nine months. Every county in Oklahoma voted against a March referendum that would have legalized possession and sales for adults.
“The lower hanging fruit are increasingly picked,” said Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies at legalization advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project. “It’s going to require moving into states that are in many respects more challenging.”
Here’s a look at this year’s legalization action and what potentially lies ahead:
Legislation passed
‏‏‎ ‎
MARYLAND
Adults lined up to buy legal weed on July 1, less than two months after lawmakers sent Democratic Gov. Wes Moore legislation establishing a recreational market. The state sold nearly $10.5 million worth of weed during its first weekend of sales. Making such a tight deadline to launch sales was a feat in itself, in part spurred by policymakers’ concerns that an illicit market could become more entrenched if the rollout took longer. That meant allowing existing medical marijuana operators to be the first to serve the adult-use market, which could make it more difficult for social equity applicants — entrepreneurs from marginalized groups who are prioritized for licensing — to break in when the state issues additional licenses in January.
Lawmakers are sure to return to the issue in next year’s legislative session. Democratic state Sen. Jill Carter — a key legalization advocate — praised a provision that would direct 35 percent of cannabis tax revenues to a fund for community reinvestment for areas that were disproportionately impacted by marijuana enforcement. But she’s concerned that the bill does not get rid of criminal penalties for distribution, nor does it provide a pathway for unlicensed weed sellers to get into the regulated industry.
“They need us to be intentional about bringing them into the fold,” Carter said.
MINNESOTA
Minnesota has forged its own unique legalization path. The state enacted a medical program in 2014, but didn’t allow smokable flower products to be sold until 2022. Then last July, the state legalized low-potency, hemp-derived beverages and edibles. The launch of that market sparked a boomlet of new cannabis businesses, but also raised public health concerns due to the lack of licensing and testing requirements.
Democrats won full control of the legislature in November, opening a pathway to full legalization. In May, a bill legalizing possession and sales for adults cleared both chambers — by just one vote in the Senate.
“We successfully avoided some of the pitfalls that in other states have led to the continuation of the illicit marketplace,” said Democratic state Rep. Zack Stephenson, the chief sponsor of the House bill, citing lower taxes and tough penalties for illicit sales as two important elements. “We created a lot of incentives to participate in the fully regulated marketplace.”
The recreational market isn’t expected to launch until 2025, although Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has suggested that Native American tribes could start adult-use sales much earlier.
DELAWARE
For the past five years, Democratic state Rep. Ed Osienski has been trying to legalize adult-use cannabis in the First State. This year, the indefatigable legalization advocate managed to shepherd a pair of cannabis bills to Democratic Gov. John Carney‘s desk in March: one to legalize marijuana possession for adults and another to set up a regulated market.
While Carney remains opposed to legalization — he vetoed one of Osienski’s bills last year — the governor allowed the bills to become law without his signature.
“My views on this issue have not changed,” Carney said in a statement. “I believe we’ve spent far too much time focused on this issue. … It’s time to move on.”
The licensing process for the adult-use market will begin in the summer of 2024.
Lawmakers overwhelmingly passed legislation in March establishing a medical program after years of failed efforts. The stumbling block had long been the Senate, but both GOP-led chambers backed the bill this year by two-to-one margins. The bill was strongly supported by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who previously issued an executive order legalizing marijuana possession for medical purposes.
However, Kentucky’s program will include some significant restrictions: home cultivation and smokable products won’t be permitted, and there will be potency caps on all products. The program isn’t expected to launch until 2025.
“The legislation is not going to allow the industry to flourish as it should,” said C.J. Carter, director of the Kentucky chapter of Minorities for Medical Marijuana.
Legislation still alive
‏‏‎ ‎
NEW HAMPSHIRE
A familiar story played out this legislative session in New Hampshire: the House passed an adult-use legalization bill, only for the proposal to die in the Senate in May.
Sununu’s newfound support for a marijuana monopoly model spurred lawmakers in the House to briefly consider attaching such a proposal to separate legislation. Though that effort ultimately did not go anywhere, lawmakers ended up sending a bill to Sununu’s desk last week that would create a commission to study state-controlled cannabis sales. The commission is tasked with producing a report that proposes legislation by Dec. 1.
NORTH CAROLINA
A bill to legalize medical marijuana is stuck in the North Carolina House. The bill passed the state Senate by a vote of 36-10 earlier this year — as it did last year — and now is running into procedural hurdles in the House.
House Speaker Tim Moore (R) told local news that he won’t bring the bill to the floor until a majority of Republican lawmakers say they’ll vote yes, something he says he does with every bill. Senate Rules Committee Chairman Bill Rabon (R) — the lead sponsor of the legislation — in retaliation added an amendment to an unrelated bill not allowing it to become law unless the medical marijuana legislation is also enacted.
If the bill can make it through the House, it will likely be signed by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who supports medical marijuana legalization.
Market launches
‏‏‎ ‎
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut launched recreational weed sales in January after legalization was approved in 2021. Existing medical marijuana dispensaries were the first to be able to serve customers over age 21, while social equity businesses were able to follow soon after through partnerships and joint ventures with established businesses.
Before the adult-use market could launch, Connecticut’s law required that there be a total of at least 250,000 square feet of approved grow space to ensure medical marijuana patients would have enough supply. Adult-use cannabis sales have been growing every month, while medical marijuana sales started falling in March. The state saw nearly $23 million in cannabis sales in May.
MISSOURI
Missouri’s new adult-use marijuana market is off to a robust start, with sales skyrocketing after the launch in February. The state surpassed $1 billion in marijuana sale this May.
The state also saw a 350 percent increase in cannabis industry jobs over the past year, surpassing all other state markets in job growth, according to a recent report from cannabis recruitment firm Vangst.
However, Missouri has not yet awarded microbusiness licenses, which were included in the legalization framework as a way to help small entrepreneurs and people harmed by disproportionate drug enforcement. The framework faced criticism from grassroots advocates during the legalization campaign because it bars microbusiness licensees from doing business with other licensees.
MISSISSIPPI
The Magnolia State’s much-anticipated medical market launched in late January. The relatively wide-open licensing rules have enticed lots of weed entrepreneurs to set up shop. More than 300 businesses have received licenses, including roughly 180 dispensaries.
But those businesses will be competing for a pretty small group of customers, owing to relatively stringent enrollment rules.
Lawmakers made changes to the program this year in hopes of making it easier to enroll. Among the adjustments: The Mississippi Department of Health will only have 10 days to approve a patient’s application, down from 30 days previously; and health care providers will be permitted to assist their patients in filling out the necessary paperwork to get a medical card.
Alabama is still working on implementing its medical program after lawmakers passed a bill to legalize medical cannabis last year. The state has the distinction of offering the most difficult application process of any state, according to industry officials with experience applying for licenses in restrictive medical programs.
As has become expected in any merit-based, limited license cannabis program, regulators have run up against legal challenges from applicants who lost out on the potentially lucrative licenses. It’s unclear whether the program will be able to launch sales by the end of the year as expected, after a judge enjoined state regulators from issuing final licenses amid litigation.
An effort to put a recreational use referendum on the ballot next year is being almost entirely bankrolled by Trulieve, the state’s largest cannabis operator. If successful, it could have significant political ramifications for next year’s presidential election as well, potentially reshaping turnout in a massive state that’s always crucial in national votes.
The legalization campaign has already collected in excess of 1 million signatures, surpassing the threshold needed to make the ballot. But Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody has asked the state Supreme Court to reject the legalization petition, arguing that it misleads voters in several ways, including by failing to point out that the drug remains illegal at the federal level.
OHIO
The Buckeye State has two potential avenues to legalize adult-use marijuana: Voters could have a chance to weigh in on a ballot initiative in November, or the state legislature could pass a bill. But legalization bills have gone nowhere in previous sessions, and a ballot initiative was rejected by voters in 2015.
For one, the group leading the push — the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol — has learned from the failed 2015 initiative, which proposed a marijuana monopoly of 10 cultivation licenses for the campaign’s wealthy backers. This year’s initiative does not create a monopoly and would impose a relatively low 10 percent tax rate on adult-use sales. The campaign expects to turn in more than enough signatures to make the November ballot on July 5.
Meanwhile, a bipartisan pair of lawmakers introduced a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, which could serve as another avenue for legalization if the ballot initiative does not succeed.
Other states:
Advocates are aiming to get adult-use marijuana on the ballot in South Dakota in 2024, after a question failed at the polls in 2022. They’re also working to get medical marijuana questions before voters in Nebraska, Idaho and Wyoming — the latter two states could also see decriminalization initiatives at the ballot box in 2024.
We, at Inspirational Technologies are at the forefront of Inspirational and Frontrunners on the frontier of current technology.
We are often faced with our own personal conflicts which directly influence our interactions with our peers and family.Â
When Inspirational Technologies is an endorsement of the “Cannabis” approach to the medical condition, we say, let’s let the look at the data and the people who say that they benefit for cannabis alternatives.
1st Hemp USA News is a resource of Inspirational Technologies (2021-2023)Inspirational Technologies (2023) AllRightsReservedYour ONE STOP BLOG FOR INFORMATION, EDUCATION, & INSPIRATION OF ESSENTIAL INNOVATION & RENOVATION of You-THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST*This site receives virtually no compensation for sales of some or all mentioned products. We however place humanitarian value over monetary interests. Our monetary income goes back into research, development, discovery and healing.Inspirational Technologies – is Committed to Your Health Wellness Beauty and EnrichmentReporting on Today’s Internal Botanical and Skin Product Benefits
4 Hemp Club was Inspired by Steven Smith’s vision to  “Have an older generation 4H Club, where an older community of adults could carry on what the younger 4H Club envisioned.
Our 4H Platform Uses HEMP as an Agricultural Focal Point, deserving of research, development and with the
4 Hemp key points being Health Hope and Happiness, thru Hemp“.
Cannabis CBD and Me  Inspirational Technologies Inspirational Technologies (2014) @Inspire123tech Background Noise Studios Logos bySteven M Smith
Ron DeSantis signed a bill prohibiting sober living facilities from allowing residents to use or possess medical marijuana even if the individual has a recommendation from a physician. Florida legalized medical marijuana in 2016 when voters passed a constitutional amendment.
DeSantis, who is in a volatile primary race for the Republican presidential nomination with Donald Trump, signed the legislation this week, reported Marijuana Moment
Under the new bill, applicants seeking to operate drug recovery residences under the Florida Department of Children and Families need to declare that they do not permit the use of cannabis, which “includes marijuana that has been certified by a qualified physician for medical use.” Residents will be permitted to use other pharmaceutical drugs prescribed by doctors, “so the law explicitly singles out medical marijuana,” noted Marijuana Moment
Why It Matters: Cannabis As A Treatment For Drug Addiction
Medical marijuana has been found to be a viable alternative to current replacement therapies used to treat opioid addiction. The opioid overdose epidemic is arguably the worst public health crisis in U.S. history. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows overdose deaths are hovering near record numbers. It report noted that just under 110,000 people died from drug overdoses last year.
Research: Medical Marijuana Can Help
Growing pre-clinical and clinical evidence appears to support the use of cannabis for addictions, notes a study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The evidence summarized in the study, which is one among many, demonstrated the potential that cannabis has to ease opioid withdrawal symptoms, reduce opioid consumption, ameliorate opioid cravings, prevent opioid relapse and reduce overdose deaths.
Addiction:Â Florida Hit Especially Hard
In the area of synthetic opioids and fentanyl, Florida reported over 5,900 fatal overdoses in 2022. Emergency Medical Services noted that in 2022, teams responded to over 105,400 overdose calls, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Earlier this week, DeSantis signed a bill on Monday enabling medical marijuana patients to use telehealth to renew their physician approvals for MMJ. The bill will also help Black farmers get valuable medical marijuana licenses after years of delays.
Shortly after that, DeSantis signed legislation removing fentanyl test strips from Florida’s list of prohibited drug paraphernalia, which health officials and advocates view as an important step in curtailing the number of opioid overdoses in Florida.
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