San Francisco and San Diego are moving to erase thousands of marijuana convictions en masse, a step that could prove life-changing for some and could especially help minorities.

Retail cannabis stores are months away, but some companies have been quietly operating for more than a year, delivering marijuana via a legal loophole.

Critics say the piecemeal approach doesn’t go far enough.

District Attorney George Gascon said his office will dismiss nearly 3,000 misdemeanor cases and review nearly 5,000 felony cases for possible action.

The Republican House leader is calling for the delay of recreational cannabis sales in Maine until next year, or until lawmakers approve needed regulations.

In some cases, industry operators say, bottlenecks have already slowed the supply chain from farms to storefronts.

Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Friday the extension of an enforcement moratorium on cannabidiol, or CBD oil, products until the legislative session ends in mid-March.

“I am convinced that we must discuss it, as part of the solution to the violence and insecurity in Mexico,” Enrique de la Madrid said late Thursday.

Democratic Sen. Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces introduced a bill that would provide a purely monetary penalty for low-level marijuana violations. The changes would free up resource for courts, prosecutors and defense attorneys.

A state laboratory is auditing two marijuana testing facilities in Alaska amid concerns with discrepancies in potency-testing results between the sites.