In this week's edition:

• U.S. Senators work to include cannabis sector in federal stimulus package
• Cannabis legalization efforts at the state-level delayed by coronavirus outbreak
• Cannabis businesses announce coronavirus related layoffs

Federal

• Coronavirus Aid: A group of senators is working to allow cannabis and industry-adjacent businesses to receive federally-guaranteed assistance provided by coronavirus stimulus bills. The group (led by Senator Jacky Rosen [D-NV]) sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting that cannabis businesses be allowed to access Small Business Administration loans available to entities that have been impacted by the coronavirus.
• IRS: A recent report issued by Treasury's Inspector General for Tax Administration has reported that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may have failed to assess over $242 million in taxes against cannabis businesses in California, Washington and Oregon.

States

Stay up-to-date on COVID-19 and cannabis and other businesses in your state with our Dentons US COVID-19 50 State Tracker and our COVID-19 Resource Hub.

• Ballot Measures: The coronavirus outbreak in the US has stalled momentum for ballot referendums to legalize medicinal and recreational use of cannabis. Missouri is one state where cannabis advocates have announced they will not be able to meet the signature requirement for the 2020 election. See, also, Idaho and Oklahoma, below. States such as Arizona, Mississippi, New Jersey and South Dakota are all still expected to have cannabis referendums appear on the ballot in November.
• ID: The Idaho Cannabis Coalition has announced that its campaign to place a medical cannabis initiative on the 2020 ballot has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• OK: Oklahoma cannabis advocates have seen their efforts to place a ballot referendum on legalizing recreational cannabis on the 2020 ballot derailed by the COVID-19 outbreak. Advocates have been barred from collecting signatures by the Secretary of State to mitigate further transmission of the coronavirus, and they are unsure if they will have enough time to collect the required signatures once restrictions have been lifted.
• CO: The Colorado Department of Revenue has released guidance allowing recreational cannabis businesses to resume in-store sales provided they abide by social distancing guidelines. Additionally, the state issued the first legal cannabis delivery license, to the Native Roots dispensary chain. The delivery license permits Native Roots to deliver cannabis products to patients enrolled in the state's medicinal cannabis program who live in the towns of Boulder or Superior.
• IL: As Illinois and the city of Chicago have rolled out orders requiring residents to shelter in place and non-essential businesses to close, cannabis dispensary sales have soared. A new report from the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shows that state dispensaries sold over $36 million of cannabis products in March.
• IL: Legislation that would legalize delivery of cannabis products is gaining momentum as the coronavirus outbreak in IL worsens. State Rep. Sonya Harper (D) has introduced legislation that would allow dispensaries to deliver cannabis products to medicinal and recreational customers and is urging Governor JB Pritzker (D) to take action on the bill.
• IL: In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Governor JB Pritzker (D) has issued an executive order extending to April 30 the application deadlines for cannabis craft grower, infuser and transporter licenses.
• MN: Governor Tim Walz (D) has signed an executive order permitting medicinal cannabis patients to engage in curbside pickup of medical cannabis products. The EO also allows doctors to issue recommendations via telemedicine, extends patient certification expirations and allows temporary caregivers to assist their patients in accessing medical cannabis amid the coronavirus outbreak.
• NY: New York Governor Andrew Cumo (D) has indicated that cannabis legalization is unlikely to occur in 2020 as the state continues to struggle to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
• RI: State regulators have issued new guidance on medical cannabis regulations. The guidance concerns packaging and labeling, approval of business logos, the use of a universal warning symbol, product designation and advertising.
• UT: Governor Gary Herbert (R) signed a bill revising the state's existing medical cannabis laws on March 25. The legislation will now permit qualifying patients to purchase product without having a state-issued card; only a recommendation letter from a physician will be required. These new standards will only apply through the end of the year.
• WA: Governor Jay Inslee (D) has signed a bill into law that will work to increase participation in the state's legal cannabis industry among communities historically targeted by the war on drugs.

International

• Canada: Federal regulators in Canada have issued recommendations urging provincial and city governments to classify medicinal cannabis businesses as essential during the coronavirus outbreak. Despite this recommendation, the government of Ontario's updated closure order does not allow physical cannabis stores to remain open. The closure order, which will take effect April 10 at 11:59 p.m., is scheduled to last 14 days. The Ontario Cannabis Store will continue to operate online and licensed producers can continue production.

Business

• Columbia Care Inc: Columbia Care has received approval to have its common shares traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange.
• Legal: A federal judge for the District Court of Nevada has dismissed a claim brought by a medical cannabis investor seeking to reclaim $4.7 million in loans. Judge Gloria Navarro dismissed the equitable claim of unjust enrichment on grounds that allowing the claim to proceed would undermine enforcement of federal law. The case underscores the continued risk of using federal courts for cannabis-related claims and the need to structure contracts in a manner whereby parties do not need to rely on equitable relief.

Hemp / CBD

• US Department of Agriculture: The USDA has approved regulatory hemp plans for South Carolina, West Virginia and three Indian tribes. To date, the agency has approved state hemp regulatory plans for 14 states.
• CBD Advertisement Lawsuit: A Florida judge trimmed several claims from the Potter v. Diamond CBD Inc. lawsuit. The ruling will prevent plaintiff Kathryn Potter from bringing false advertising claims against products that she did not purchase.
• NY: The New York Attorney General's Office has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Finest Herbalist ordering the business to stop claiming that its CBD products can protect people against the coronavirus.

Medical / Health

• Tumori Journal: A new study published in the Tumori Journal exploring the potential use of cannabis by young adults with cancer found that cannabinoid compounds have the potential to alleviate treatment symptoms. Of the 66 patients that participated in the study, positive benefits were reported by 19 percent of responders for anxiety control, 24 percent for nausea, 29 percent for pain control and improvement of sleep, and 48 percent for appetite improvement.