Reducing Barriers Of Entry Into The Cannabis Industry

It's been a rough day for the markets but not for cannabis stocks. Shares of Cronos Group, Tilray, Canopy Growth and Aurora were all higher. Emily Flippen, Investment Analyst at Motley Fool, joined Cheddar to discuss. New data shows that in 2018, marijuana arrests rose to their highest level in 20 years in the state of Virginia. According to the Virginia State Police Crime in Virginia report, marijuana arrests have more than tripled since 1999 and increased by 3.5 Percent since 2017. Of the nearly 29,000 arrested, approximately 52% of those individuals were under the age of 24. Virginia Attorney General, Mark Herring, joined Cheddar to discuss his efforts to decriminalize marijuana in 2020. California sales of legal cannabis are expected to top $3 billion this year, more than Washington and Colorado's markets combined. So why are so many California cannabis companies cutting their workforce or scaling back growth plans? Well for starters, the black market in The Golden State is thriving and expected to bring in $8.7 billion this year alone. But that's just one of the many problems the legal cannabis industry in California is facing. Sonia Luna, Founder & CEO, Aviva Spectrum, joined Cheddar to discuss.

There's a catch-22 at work in the legal cannabis industry: People who live in federally subsidized housing can't use cannabis at home. It doesn't matter if it's legal in their state, it doesn't matter if they're registered medical cannabis patient. If a public housing resident uses cannabis, they risk serious consequences, like eviction. Edie Moore, the Executive Director of Chicago NORML, joined Cheddar to discuss what this means for Chicago residents living in public housing when recreational pot is legalized January 1st.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, who is hosting a cannabis summit on December 11, told Cheddar on Tuesday he is bringing together legislators and experts in an effort to push forward his calls for reform.