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🌟Arkansas Supreme Court Orders State To Keep Counting 18,000 Signatures For Medical Marijuana Expansion Initiative!🌿 The Arkansas Supreme Court has ordered the secretary of state to continue counting about ✍️18,000 signatures for a medical marijuana expansion ballot initiative regardless of his argument that they’re invalid because of the manner in which the petitions were processed. Secretary of State John Thurston (R) notified the Arkansans for Patient Access (APA) on Monday that after going through the 🌟150,000 signatures submitted by the campaign last month, only 88,040 were valid, whereas they needed 🌟90,704. Advocates promptly filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court challenging that determination and requesting an expedited hearing, which justices have now granted. The secretary of state is facing a Friday deadline to consider the ✍️18,000 signatures that he declined to count because the petitions were signed by representatives of a third-party canvassing company the campaign hired, as opposed to the amendment sponsor. The state’s medical 🌿marijuana has proved popular since its implementation in 2019, with 🌟officials announcing in May that at least 102,000 residents have registered for patient cards, exceeding expectations. #Medical #Expansion https://lnkd.in/ghMWAVbv

A report by Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) looks at how new technologies are reshaping how SMBs pay and get paid, amid a changing banking landscape As SMBs embrace digital solutions, the landscape of commercial banking is evolving rapidly. New technologies and innovative players are reshaping how SMBs pay and get paid, presenting both challenges and opportunities for traditional financial institutions. In its latest report, Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) reveals the ✨B2B commercial payments market represents a staggering US$145tn opportunity within the broader US$200tn 📈market for both commercial and money movement transactions. The impact of these changes is already evident in markets worldwide. In Brazil, for instance, the central bank's instant payment system now accounts for 39% of all electronic payments. Meanwhile, in the US, RTPs have become the most common payment type, accounting for nearly half of B2B purchasing spending in 2024. The 🚀point-of-sale (POS) landscape is also evolving, with many SMB owners adopting quick response (QR) codes and contactless, tap-to-pay acceptance methods. “We're seeing rapid adoption of new technologies like Tap to Phone or softPOS solutions, particularly among street vendors and in the restaurant sector,” VCA’s report details. #BusinessFinance #TechTransformation #Innovation #FinancialTechnology

🌿California governor approves consumption cafes, vetoes cannabis events bill☕️! The day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed small farmers to sell their cannabis products directly to consumers, he signed a separate measure to legalize marijuana cafes akin to those in the Netherlands. “Lots of people want to enjoy legal cannabis in the company of others and many people want to do that while sipping coffee, eating a sandwich or listening to music,” the bill’s author, Assembly Member Matt Haney, said in a Monday statement. “That is now finally 🌿legal in California, and there’s no doubt that cannabis cafes will bring massive economic, cultural and creative opportunities and benefits to our state.” Last year, Newsom vetoed a similar bill proposed by Haney that would have allowed California marijuana retailers to operate traditional kitchens and host events on their premises, saying it did not do enough to offer workplace protections. The cannabis cafe bill Newsom signed into law Monday might be the only relief California operators get from the state for some time. Newsom’s initial $291 billion budget proposal for the 2024-25 fiscal year does not include any cuts in taxes or fees as the state faces a $38 billion budget deficit. The Origins Council, which serves about 800 members from the state’s famed Emerald Triangle of legacy growers, voiced disappointment in the governor’s decision, which was followed closely in other regulated markets. Assembly Bill 1111 would have allowed farmers to obtain a license to sell marijuana products directly to consumers at licensed cannabis events in government-sanctioned jurisdictions, expanding on legislation that allowed marijuana retailers and brands to sell products at the California State Fair in Sacramento for the first time this year. #California #Cannabis #ConsumptionCafes #Legislation https://lnkd.in/gS9yyqUy

💸📉Weak US outlook to hit remittances! A 📉SLOWDOWN in US consumption could hurt Philippine remittances and exports, though this is still outweighed by domestic risks, Fitch Ratings said. “Fitch expects some of the main channels of impact would be via weaker US demand for goods imports and outbound tourism, lower remittances and the effects on financial channels and commodity prices,” it said in a report. The rating firm expects US consumption growth to decelerate gradually over the next 12 months and slow to 1.4% in 2025 from 2.2% this year. US consumer confidence dropped by the most in three years in September amid mounting fears over the labor market, though more households planned to buy a home in the next six months, Reuters reported. The Conference Board’s 💳consumer confidence index dropped to 98.7 last month from an upwardly revised 105.6 in August. The decline was the largest since August 2021. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index rising to 104 from the previously reported 103.3. The Philippines is among the countries that could experience spillover effects from the anticipated weakness, Fitch Ratings said. Latest data from the local statistics authority showed that the United States remained the top destination for Philippine-made goods in July, with exports valued at $1.06 billion, equivalent to 16.9% of the total for the month. Meanwhile, 💸remittance inflows may also be dampened by the expected slump in US consumer demand. “A slowdown in US consumption generally affects US economic activity more broadly, with negative repercussions for the country’s labor market and income growth. Data from the Philippine central bank showed that 💸cash remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) rose by 2.9% to 💵$19.332 billion in January to July. The US accounted for 📈 41.1% of the cash remittances. #Remittances #USEconomy #FinancialImpact #GlobalFinance #MoneyTransfers https://lnkd.in/geyzbBwi

U.S. health authorities need to play a larger role in cannabis policy, report says!🌿📜💡 With more Americans using ever-stronger marijuana, a 📜federal advisory panel is calling for a public health approach that’s a big departure from “Just Say No.” We’d like the federal government to step up to provide some leadership in this area,” said Dr. Steven Teutsch of the University of Southern California, who chaired the committee behind the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report. The CDC and the National Institutes of Health sponsored the report. A CDC spokesperson said Thursday that the agency would study the recommendations and that more money would be needed to implement them. 📈An estimated 18 million Americans report using marijuana daily or near-daily, more than the number who drink alcohol that often. Today, 38 states and the District of Columbia allow the medical use of marijuana and many of those states also allow adult recreational use, with taxes and regulation of sales similar to alcohol. Florida voters will decide on recreational use in November. Marijuana remains 🌿illegal under federal law, although the government is taking steps to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous drug while still illegal. “Now you go into the 🌿stores, it’s hard to find products that are less than 20% THC,” said Beau Kilmer, co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center and a report committee member. For teens, cannabis can get in the way of learning and increase the risk of mood and anxiety disorders. Regular use during pregnancy can raise risks for the baby. * Develop and evaluate health campaigns about cannabis, specifically for parents, young people, pregnant women and people 65 and older. * Monitor cannabis cultivation, sales, use and health impacts. * Create best practices for state regulation, including ways to limit youth access. Public health “took a back seat” as states passed cannabis laws, Teutsch said. “Financial interests played a substantial role in influencing those policies.” #Cannabis #CannabisPolicy https://lnkd.in/gk5yAW97

💳✨ Amex: Restaurant Sector Digital Payment Innovation Helps Meet Diner Demands!🚀 The restaurant industry is undergoing a digital transformation. 🚀While the evolution is being driven by a growing demand by customers for seamless, efficient and personalized experiences, innovations in payment technologies are at the transformation’s center — and will define its future. That’s why developing convenient and seamless 💳digital payment and ordering capabilities should be top of mind for all 🍽️restaurants looking to cater to their customers’ preferences as well as support their own operational and business needs, she said. As they explore new technologies, restaurants will still need to carefully consider how to integrate these tools and ensure their own brands can stand out from a more crowded pack. On the business side, restaurants are equally driven to embrace 🌐innovation by the need to keep up with diners’ emerging behavioral demands. According to American Express’ latest 💳Digital Payment Trendex, 27% of consumers surveyed said they always or almost always use mobile wallets and/or apps on a smartphone for in-store purchases. Merchants are responding in kind, as 🔝68% of merchants surveyed already accept mobile wallet payments, and an additional 30% plan to adopt them within the next year or would consider adopting them. Similarly, merchant-branded payment apps have witnessed an increase, with 🔝40% offering their own payment apps, compared to 29% in 2021. #Amex #DigitalPayments #RestaurantInnovation https://lnkd.in/gvUX9Hg4

🏦🔍Banks lag Criminals in Tech Race, RedCompass Labs Finds! Survey reveals US financial institutions are 8 months behind in adopting new technologies for financial crime detection, struggling with emerging threats The study of #300 senior payments professionals at US banks highlights significant challenges in the sector's ability to keep pace with rapidly evolving financial crime threats. The survey found that banks estimate they are lagging an average of #8.2 months behind criminals in adopting and leveraging new technologies for financial crime detection and prevention. Despite this lag, #75% of banks surveyed expressed confidence they can eventually close this gap. However, experts warn this optimism may be misplaced given current detection rates. Human 💻trafficking-related crimes topped the list of threat priorities, with 31% of banks focusing on detecting commercial-front brothels used to conceal exploitation. Other key priorities include combating people smuggling (30%) and labour trafficking (30%). Larger banks showed a stronger focus on labour trafficking (39%) and elder financial abuse (39%). When asked about barriers to more frequent model updates, banks cited internal governance (27%), complexity (26%) and change management processes (24%) as key obstacles. #Banking #TechRace #CyberCrime https://lnkd.in/gnjQyrdq

🌿💚It’s Hypocritical To Ban Marijuana While Allowing Alcohol, Florida Legalization Campaign Says In New Ad! The 🗳️campaign behind a Florida marijuana ⚖️legalization ballot initiative has rolled out a pair of new ads as the election approaches—one calling out the hypocrisy of criminalizing cannabis while 🥂alcohol is legally available and another featuring a county sheriff making the case for ending marijuana prohibition. Smart & Safe Florida has been churning out numerous ads in recent weeks, while promoting endorsements from officials and organizations meant to underscore the marijuana measure’s bipartisan appeal. For its 🍃latest, it focused on one of the most common 🍃pro-reform arguments; that is, it doesn’t make sense to ban adult-use cannabis when alcohol is legal, especially considering the relative harms of each substance. Amendment 3 will legalize 🍃marijuana for adults—safe, lab-tested and from a store, not the street,” he says. “It’s time to give responsible adults the freedom to make their own choices. Vote yes on Amendment 3. Illicit marijuana laced with 🚫illegal drugs like fentanyl have destroyed lives. I know because I’ve seen it firsthand,” he says. “Amendment 3 will save lives by making marijuana safe, regulated and lab-tested. #LegalizeMarijuana #FloridaCampaign #CannabisReform https://lnkd.in/grtVwBDF

🌍✈️74% of Travelers View Digital Wallets as Essential Gear for Vacations!💳✨ ✈️The travel and hospitality sectors have long been anchored in traditional payment methods, like cash and credit cards💳. As consumers and employees voice their frustrations with outdated systems, adopting real-time 💳payment solutions could revolutionize the industry. A shift is underway, as ✨74% of travelers said they regard 💳digital wallets as essential to their experience, specifically pronounced among affluent and millennial travelers, with use rates at ✨83% and 82%, respectively. Customers using digital wallets spend an average of $44 per visit at restaurants, more than the $33 spent by those using traditional payment methods. This trend reflects a broader consumer preference for seamless, efficient payment solutions that enhance the overall travel experience. The demand for instant tip payouts in the 💳hospitality sector revealed another layer of this transformation. Nearly ✨82% of hospitality workers expressed a strong preference for receiving tips instantly, with 85% of those who already benefit from such systems reporting high satisfaction. Seventy-eight percent of employees expressed satisfaction with instant payments in business settings compared to 70% across all payment types. This escalating preference for speed in financial 💳transactions reflects a broader cultural shift toward immediacy, and companies that adopt these technologies will likely see improvements in employee satisfaction and retention. #TravelSmart #DigitalWallet #CashlessTravel https://lnkd.in/eWzyP79e

🌿Colorado’s Marijuana Legalization Law Is An Example Of ‘American Democracy,’ Senator Says, But He Wishes State Would’ve Done Things ‘Differently’ With THC Caps! It’s no secret that Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) was opposed to Colorado’s historic marijuana legalization ballot initiative over a decade ago when he was the state’s governor. But while he’s since become a vocal supporter of the reform, he said in a new interview that there are “some things I wish we’d done differently,” including putting THC caps in the ballot measure, as opposed to adding them years later. To be honest, in the beginning, 🤔I didn’t like Colorado being a test tube, where this was going to be one of the great social experiments of the 21st century, and we didn’t have the data,” the senator said Concerns about the potential expanded access to 🌿high-THC products for youth informed Hickenlooper’s opposition at the time, but once voters approved 📜legalization, he said he knew he needed “to do the best I can to follow their will. While the constitutional amendment legalizing cannabis did not set specific 🌿THC caps for edibles, regulators did later adopt rules that established a 10mg limit for edibles, with a maximum 🌿100mg allowance per package. Colorado’s current top cannabis regulator also recently 🗳️discussed the history of the state’s first-in-the-nation adult-use marijuana market, noting that she expects the lessons learned over the years will inform how her office approaches setting up Colorado’s new legal psychedelics program. #Colorado #MarijuanaLegalization #THCCaps #Cannabis #Policy https://lnkd.in/eKGDkjAN