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“It really is a positive change and we’re really hopeful that this means a bright future for cannabis on Martha’s Vineyard.” By Bhaamati Borkhetaria, CommonWealth Beacon Cannabis businesses on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket will be able to transport marijuana over state waters starting midnight on Friday, under an administrative order by the Cannabis Control Commission. Commissioners last week heard concerns from patients, advocates and residents of the islands, about the looming loss of access to safe and legal cannabis on the two islands because cannabis could not be transported to and from the mainland. The situation was presented as being particularly dire for medical marijuana patients. The commission voted unanimously to pass the administrative order “regarding the transport of marijuana and marijuana products over state territorial waters to and from marijuana establishments and medical marijuana treatment centers in the counties of Dukes and Nantucket.” “This was turned around in a really quick time frame,” said Commissioner Kimberly Roy. “At the end of the day, this was about public health and public safety and patients and consumers alike having access to safely regulated products.” The two islands have long been siloed from the mainland cannabis market because the commission has not written regulations on transporting cannabis over water. The problem stems from the unusual status of marijuana: legal under state law but illegal at the federal level. Transporting cannabis over federal waters could lead to prosecution for operators. This has forced dispensaries on the Vineyard and Nantucket to source all of their marijuana from cultivators on the islands, an expensive move. And now, the only cultivator on the Vineyard is set to close its operations. There are currently two dispensaries on Martha’s Vineyard: Island Time and Fine Fettle. Island Time temporarily shut its doors in May and Fine Fettle has said that without the commission’s intervention, they will close by the end of the summer. The woes sparked a lawsuit against the Cannabis Control Commission, with businesses arguing there are water routes from the mainland to the islands through state territorial waters, rather than federal waters. Island Time, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, was previously cited by the commission when the owner, Geoff Rose, transported cannabis products to Martha’s Vineyard over state territorial waters. According to the lawsuit, the commission ruled that cannabis products cannot be transported from the mainland to the Vineyard or Nantucket. With the new administrative order, cannabis businesses will no longer be reliant only on cultivators on the islands but will be able to transport cannabis and cannabis products to the islands using state water routes. “Today is a great day in providing equity for operators on the islands,” Rose, who plans to reopen his business, said in a phone interview. “I truly appreciate the efforts of the cannabis commission to address this very important issue which has been long overdue for attention. I look forward to continuing to serve patients and consumers with safe and high-quality products.” Adam Fine, the attorney representing Island Time and the other cannabis business involved in the lawsuit said that the plaintiffs are planning to drop the lawsuit following this administrative order. Added Chloe Loftfield, Fine Fettle’s general manager: “It really is a positive change and we’re really hopeful that this means a bright future for cannabis on Martha’s Vineyard.” While the administrative order will provide immediate relief for dispensaries struggling to stock their shelves, the commission will still have to update their regulations to incorporate the change. Commissioner Bruce Stebbins also encouraged the commission to prioritize and expedite the granting of licenses based in Dukes County and Nantucket. This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. New Hampshire House Votes To Table Marijuana Legalization Bill That Passed Senate, Potentially Killing Reform For Years To Come Photo courtesy of Max Pixel. The post Massachusetts Officials Allow Marijuana Transports Over Water To Martha’s Vineyard And Nantucket Amid Supply Concerns appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Arizona House of Representatives has approved a Senate-passed bill to legalize psilocybin service centers where people could receive the psychedelic in a medically supervised setting. Two days after clearing a final House committee, the legislation from Sen. T. J. Shope (R) was approved by the full chamber in a 42-16 vote on Friday. It now heads to the desk of Gov. Katie Hobbs (D). If enacted into law, the Department of Human Services (DHS) would be authorized to license psilocybin-assisted therapy centers in the state, where trained facilitators could administer the psychedelic. The legislation would significantly expand on Arizona’s existing research-focused psychedelics law that provides $5 million in annual funding to support studies into psilocybin therapy. The proposal would establish an Arizona Psilocybin Advisory Board, comprised of members appointed by the governor and legislative leaders. Representatives of the attorney general’s office and DHS, as well as military veterans, first responders, scientists with experience with psilocybin and physicians would be among the members. The board would be responsible for establishing training criteria for psilocybin service center staff, making recommendations on the implementation of the law, and studying the science and policy developments related to psychedelics. By July 31, 2025 and each year after that, members would need to submit an annual report on the status of “medical, psychological and scientific” studies into the safety and efficacy of psilocybin, as well as a “long-term strategic plan” on ensuring that psychedelic-assisted therapy remains “safe, accessible and affordable” to people 21 and older. Medical directors of psychedelic-assisted therapy centers would need to complete at least 132 hours of training under an approved program, which would need to involve lessons on the historical and traditional use of psychedelics, safety and ethics, facilitation skills and preparation, administration and integration. The bill, which is cosponsored by Senate President Warren Petersen (R), states that DHS would need to start accepting applications for psychedelics centers by January 1, 2026. The department would need to promulgate rules for the program, but it would be barred from requiring specific eligible conditions for participation in psilocybin services. Regulators could also license psilocybin centers that are carrying out clinical trials into the psychedelic that could lead to a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug. Meanwhile, in January an Arizona House committee approved a separate bill to protect the $5 million in funding that’s already been designated for psilocybin research from being redistributed amid a state budget deficit. The fund was enacted last year under an appropriations package signed by the governor that mandated research into the medical potential of psilocybin mushrooms for a variety of conditions. A Psilocybin Research Advisory Council that was established under DHS met for the first time last November prior an open application period for potential grant recipients. The grant money must be distributed to applicants with proposals focused on clinical trials that are meant to identify therapeutic applications that could receive FDA approval for treatment of 13 listed conditions. Arizona one of several states where lawmakers have worked to promote research into psychedelics amid growing public interest in expanding therapeutic access and ending criminalization. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — For example, bipartisan California lawmakers have filed legislation to authorize a pilot program that would provide psilocybin treatment to military veterans and first responders. Last month, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) signed a bill into law to create a psychedelic-assisted therapy working group that will make recommendations on whether and how the state should regulate legal access to substances such as psilocybin and MDMA. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed legislation last month to create a psychedelics task force responsible for studying possible regulatory frameworks for therapeutic access to substances such as psilocybin, mescaline and DMT. It would be charged specifically with ensuring “broad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances” in the state. Last month in Alaska lawmakers sent the governor a bill to create a state task force to study how to license and regulate psychedelic-assisted therapy in the event of federal approval of substances such as MDMA and psilocybin. Indiana’s governor recently signed a bill that includes provisions to fund clinical research trials into psilocybin. Utah’s governor, meanwhile, allowed a bill to authorize a pilot program for hospitals to administer psilocybin and MDMA as an alternative treatment option to become law without his signature. Maine lawmakers sent the governor legislation to establish a commission tasked with studying and making recommendations on regulating access to psychedelic services. A Connecticut joint legislative panel approved a bill to decriminalize possession of psilocybin. The governor of New Mexico has endorsed a newly enacted resolution requesting that state officials research the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and explore the creation of a regulatory framework to provide access to the psychedelic. An Illinois committee also recently held a hearing to discuss a bill to legalize psilocybin and allow regulated access at service centers in the state where adults could use the psychedelic in a supervised setting—with plans to expand the program to include mescaline, ibogaine and DMT. Lawmakers in Hawaii also considered a bill that would provide some legal protections to patients engaging in psilocybin-assisted therapy with a medical professional’s approval. New York lawmakers said that a bill to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy in that state has a “real chance” of passing this year. A Nevada joint legislative committee held a hearing with expert and public testimony on the therapeutic potential of substances like psilocybin in January. Law enforcement representatives also shared their concerns around legalization—but there was notable acknowledgement that some reforms should be enacted, including possible rescheduling. Youth Marijuana Use In Colorado Continues To Decline Since Legalization Took Effect, Contradicting Prohibitionist Fears Image courtesy of Kristie Gianopulos. The post Arizona Bill To Legalize Psilocybin Service Centers Heads To Governor’s Desk appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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“I’m just a guy who discovered that you can drink THC instead of alcohol.” By Lynn Bonner, NC Newsline North Carolina legislators talked a lot about drugs on Wednesday, with a Senate committee agreeing to rules for hemp-derived consumables and House members moving to crack down on the sale and use of “gas station heroin.” The state House put on a fast track proposed legislation to make unauthorized sales of the opioid-like substance tianeptine a felony. Simple possession would generally be a Class I misdemeanor, according to information prepared by legislative staff. Tianeptine is sold in dietary supplements commonly found in convenience stores, smoke shops and online. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate it, but has warned against its sale and purchase, NC Newsline has reported. In high doses, tianeptine mimics opioids and can lead to dependance and overdose, according to FDA. At least 11 states have banned tianeptine. A House committee on substance use that met last winter recommended North Carolina take action too. House bill 903 makes tianeptine a Schedule II controlled substance, putting on a list with fentanyl, codeine, oxycodone and dozens of other drugs. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, applauded the move. Putting tianeptine on the controlled substance list will provide law enforcement with a “clear legal framework to address illegal possession and distribution,” he said. The bill moved through two House committees Wednesday with no opposition on its way to a vote of the full House. If the House passes the bill, it would go to the Senate for consideration. In the Senate Judiciary committee, Reilly Thomas Dunn of Raleigh, who co-founded a company with his wife that sells beverages with THC from hemp, thanked the committee for considering a House bill regulating consumables containing THC from hemp. “I’m not a lawyer or a lobbyist,” he said. “I’m just a guy who discovered that you can drink THC instead of alcohol.” His company’s customers include believers, young families, and veterans, Dunn said. “We have been asking for regulation in this space for a really long time because when we do this thing right, it is going to be a huge industry for North Carolina,” he said. The bill sets a limit on how much THC from hemp gummies, beverages and other consumable products can contain. The bill would prohibit sales to people younger than 21, and prohibit passing out samples in parks or public streets. It would be illegal for people under 21 to buy these products or use fake IDs to try to buy them. The bill similarly regulates products containing kratom, the leaves of a tropical tree. Kratom products and hemp-derived consumables would be banned from school grounds. The House passed a version of the bill last year. The Senate added a section to create a “death by distribution” charge for selling or giving someone tianeptine that causes the person’s death. This story was first published by NC Newsline. Congressional Committee Votes To Continue Blocking D.C. From Legalizing Marijuana Sales Photo courtesy of Pexels/Kindel Media. The post North Carolina Lawmakers Eye Regulation Of Hemp-Derived THC Edibles And Beverages appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“What this story describes is not a social equity fund. We must get to the bottom of this.” By Rosalind Adams, THE CITY Citing an investigation by THE CITY, two state senators have called for New York’s social equity cannabis fund to cease issuing loans to dispensary operators and for any “trapped in these predatory deals to be made whole.” “What this story describes is not a social equity fund. We must get to the bottom of this,” State Sens. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) and Gustavo Rivera (D-The Bronx) asserted in a joint statement that pointed to the high interest rates and start-up costs highlighted in the article. They called for an investigation by the state’s inspector general of the public–private fund, which was designed to finance a form of reparation for people whose lives had been disrupted by decades of racially discriminatory drug laws. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The office has repeatedly refused to answer detailed questions from THE CITY seeking greater clarity about the fund’s operations. THE CITY’s investigation found that officials of the state’s Office of Cannabis Management, or OCM, had repeatedly warned the governor’s office for months about how the cannabis investment fund was being managed. They raised red flags about how dispensary operators were being loaded with steep costs and trapped in loans with strict terms that they believed were likely to lead to defaults. And OCM’s own counsel warned in an email that the licensees would likely default on their loans under the proposed terms. The story was based on more than 500 internal agency emails, memos and presentations from July 2022 to July 2023 when the state was having trouble opening more than just a handful of dispensaries. Calling the fund’s practices “unscrupulous,” the legislators said, “We must take action to redress these loan agreements.” Read my joint statement with Senator @LizKrueger in response to reports by @THECITYNY's @RosalindZAdams of internal concerns regarding the operation of New York's Cannabis Social Equity Fund. pic.twitter.com/BltcUXTjhl — Gustavo Rivera (@NYSenatorRivera) June 13, 2024 The fund, announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in her 2022 state of the state agenda, was anchored by a $50-million state contribution that would be augmented by $150 million in private financing secured by the state Dormitory Authority, or DASNY. Its goal was to finance the leasing and building out of 150 dispensaries across the state to licensees who would then get the keys to a ready-to-open store. In return, they are required to pay back the expenses of the buildout costs over a 10-year loan. But the Dormitory Authority had trouble attracting investors, and after a year of failing to find a partner, finally announced a deal with the Chicago Atlantic Group, a private equity fund that is a national lender in the cannabis industry. In their statement Krueger and Rivera said, “We also deserve answers about the unsettling pattern of unheeded warning by agency officials about the clearly predatory loan agreements made by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) and Chicago Atlantic.” Kruger and Rivera also cited the case of a licensee who told THE CITY that he was outbid on a store location he found by brokers retained by DASNY. “It is egregious that DASNY used its approval powers to outbid licensees that had secured their own location and were working with OCM to start their business,” their statement said. THE CITY is a nonprofit newsroom that serves the people of New York. Sign up for our SCOOP newsletter and get exclusive stories, helpful tips, a guide to low-cost events, and everything you need to know to be a well-informed New Yorker. DONATE to THE CITY Congressional Committee Strips Marijuana Banking Protections From Key Spending Bill The post New York Senators Call For Investigation Of State’s Marijuana Social Equity Fund After Exposé Of ‘Predatory Deals’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Rates of youth marijuana use in Colorado declined slightly in 2023—remaining significantly lower than before the state became one of the first in the U.S. to legalize cannabis for adults, contradicting prohibitionist arguments that the reform would lead to increased underage consumption. That’s according to the latest biannual Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, which found that past-30-day use of cannabis among high schoolers was at 12.8 percent in 2023, a dip from the 13.3 percent reported in 2021. In fact, since the first retail cannabis shops opened in Colorado in 2014, youth marijuana use has gradually declined. It’s fallen nearly 7 percentage points since 2013, when past-30-day use among high schoolers was at 19.7 percent. The latest data is all the more notable when considering the dip since 2021, as some expected rates would have increased given that COVID social distancing restrictions were lifted and students generally returned to in-person schooling. “We were very happy to see that dramatic historical drop, but assumed that the drop was at least partially because many youth were schooling from home during the pandemic and not around peers, which was why the dramatic decrease occurred,” Eric Escudero, communications director for the Denver’s Department of Excise & Licenses and the Office of Marijuana Policy, told Marijuana Moment. “We were bracing for a massive surge today in youth who said they used marijuana in Denver. And it did not happen.” In addition to the regulatory safeguards that have been put in place under legalization, Escudero also pointed to the government’s cannabis tax-funded investment in youth prevention. “Denver led the way as the first American city with legalized recreational marijuana, and we made a promise that we would use a portion of marijuana tax dollars on youth prevention,” he said. “We have kept that promise with one of the most highly successful youth marijuana usage prevention campaigns in U.S. history.” For advocates, the new report reinforces a key argument in favor of adult-use legalization. That is, enacting a system of regulated sales where ID checks are mandated would mitigate youth access issues and actually lead to decreased underage use. To that point, the Colorado survey also shows that perceived ease of access is also down among youth, with 40.4 percent of respondents saying it would be “sort of easy” or “very easy” to obtain cannabis in 2023. By contrast, 54.9 percent said the same in 2013 prior to the launch of legal marijuana sales to adults. Last year, Colorado marijuana regulators announced that out of 285 underage sales checks conducted at state-licensed cannabis stores in 2023, there were only four failures—a compliance rate of about 99 percent. Multiple studies have debunked the idea that marijuana legalization increases youth use, with most finding that consumption trends are either stable or decrease after the reform is implemented. For example, a research letter published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in April said there’s no evidence that states’ adoption of laws to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults have led to an increase in youth use of cannabis. Another JAMA-published study earlier that month that similarly found that neither legalization nor the opening of retail stores led to increases in youth cannabis use. Data from a recent Washington State survey of adolescent and teenage students found overall declines in both lifetime and past-30-day marijuana use since legalizations, with striking drops in recent years that held steady through 2023. The results also indicate that perceived ease of access to cannabis among underage students has generally fallen since the state enacted legalization for adults in 2012. A separate study late last year also found that Canadian high-school students reported it was more difficult to access marijuana since the government legalized the drug nationwide in 2019. The prevalence of current cannabis use also fell during the study period, from 12.7 percent in 2018–19 to 7.5 percent in 2020–21, even as retail sales of marijuana expanded across the country. In December, meanwhile, a U.S. health official said that teen marijuana use has not increased “even as state legalization has proliferated across the country.” “There have been no substantial increases at all,” said Marsha Lopez, chief of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) epidemiological research branch. “In fact, they have not reported an increase in perceived availability either, which is kind of interesting.” Another earlier analysis from CDC found that rates of current and lifetime cannabis use among high school students have continued to drop amid the legalization movement. A study of high school students in Massachusetts that was published last November found that youth in that state were no more likely to use marijuana after legalization, though more students perceived their parents as cannabis consumers after the policy change. A separate NIDA-funded study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2022 also found that state-level cannabis legalization was not associated with increased youth use. The study demonstrated that “youth who spent more of their adolescence under legalization were no more or less likely to have used cannabis at age 15 years than adolescents who spent little or no time under legalization.” Yet another 2022 study from Michigan State University researchers, published in the journal PLOS One, found that “cannabis retail sales might be followed by the increased occurrence of cannabis onsets for older adults” in legal states, “but not for underage persons who cannot buy cannabis products in a retail outlet.” The trends were observed despite adult use of marijuana and certain psychedelics reaching “historic highs” in 2022, according to separate data released last year. New Hampshire Medical Marijuana Expansion Bills Head To Governor’s Desk As Recreational Legalization Measure Fails The post Youth Marijuana Use In Colorado Continues To Decline Since Legalization Took Effect, Contradicting Prohibitionist Fears appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A GOP-controlled House committee has voted to maintain a federal ban blocking Washington, D.C. from creating a system of regulated adult-use marijuana sales. At a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Thursday, members approved an en bloc package of Republican amendments to the 2025 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) spending legislation that reinserted the D.C. cannabis rider that had previously been omitted from the base bill at the subcommittee level. This marks another major setback for advocates, as the full committee also voted on Thursday to remove a section of the bill that would’ve provided limited marijuana banking protections. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus and chair of the Appropriations FSGG Subcommittee, said he intends to find alternative avenues to advancing cannabis banking legislation. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his decision to include the D.C. marijuana rider in the en bloc amendment he filed on behalf of committee Republicans, however. Here’s the language: “SEC. 8XX. (a) None of the Federal funds contained in this Act may be used to enact or carry out any law, rule, or regulation to legalize or otherwise reduce penalties associated with the possession, use, or distribution of any schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) or any tetrahydrocannabinols derivative. (b) No funds available for obligation or expenditure by the District of Columbia government under any authority may be used to enact any law, rule, or regulation to legalize or otherwise reduce penalties associated with the possession, use, or distribution of any schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) or any tetrahydrocannabinols derivative for recreational purposes.” The District has been barred from using its local tax dollars to legalize recreational cannabis sales since 2014, when Congress first adopted the rider from Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), who is a member of the Appropriations Committee. It’s been annually renewed each year since, but advocates were initially encouraged to see it removed from the base bill before it was amended out. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said in a press release on Friday that while she’s “pleased to have achieved some victories for D.C. in the bill reported out of the House Appropriations Committee yesterday,” she’s “outraged by the anti-home-rule riders and committee report provisions,” calling the reinsertion of the cannabis rider a particularly problematic development. The congresswoman said she will work to remove anti-home rule riders as the bill moves through the legislative process. President Joe Biden has consistently maintained the D.C. ban in his budget proposals, which made it all the more notable that it was originally omitted from a version in a GOP-controlled subcommittee. The same appropriations subcommittee under Democratic control similarly omitted the D.C. cannabis sales ban and included the banking section in a spending bill for fiscal year 2022, but it did not make it into the final package. Both the House and Senate had excluded the marijuana rider in their respective versions of appropriations legislation in 2022 before it was ultimately retained following bicameral and bipartisan negotiations. Lawmakers in the District have enacted certain workarounds, including allowing people to self-certify as medical marijuana patients, but the congressional blockade has been a consistent source of frustration. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile the House approved a large-scale defense bill on Friday that includes a section to prevent military branches from testing recruits for marijuana as a condition of enlistment has been left intact, despite opposition from the White House. Prior to that, however, the House Rules Committee on Tuesday also rejected proposed amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to prevent security clearance denials based on past marijuana use and codify that military servicemembers can’t be penalized for using or possessing federally legal hemp products and allow veterans to access state medical marijuana programs and eliminate a VA directive barring the department’s doctors from issuing cannabis recommendations. While the panel didn’t allow the VA-specific amendment to advance as part of the NDAA, the reform was approved by the House last week as part of appropriations legislation covering Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies (MilConVA). New Hampshire Medical Marijuana Expansion Bills Head To Governor’s Desk As Recreational Legalization Measure Fails Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post Congressional Committee Votes To Continue Blocking D.C. From Legalizing Marijuana Sales appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a large-scale defense bill that includes a section to prevent military branches from testing recruits for marijuana as a condition of enlistment has been left intact, despite opposition from the White House. While the House Rules Committee on Tuesday blocked a number of pro- and anti-cannabis amendments from floor consideration, the full chamber’s approval of the underlying bill means the military marijuana screening section, as well as psychedelics report language, is advancing. The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in a 217-199 vote on Friday. Because the Rules Committee declined to make in order an amendment that would have eliminated the cannabis testing provision, this language remains intact in the approved legislation: SEC. 532 PROHIBITION ON CANNABIS TESTING FOR ENLISTMENT OR COMMISSION IN CERTAIN ARMED FORCES. Subject to subsection (a) of section 504 of chapter 31 of title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of the military department concerned may not require an individual to submit to a test for cannabis as a condition of enlistment of such individual as a member, or the commission of such individual as an officer, of an Armed Force. The section mirrors a proposed amendment to DOD appropriations legislation last year that was led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). Ahead of the markup on Tuesday, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) put out a statement of administration policy that opposed the NDAA language, asserting that cannabis use is a “military readiness and safety concern.” “Because Joe Biden was running out of ways to turn off young voters, he decided to oppose any cannabis reform that didn’t enrich big pharma,” Gaetz told Marijuana Moment on Tuesday after the OMB document was posted. DOD told lawmakers last year that marijuana’s active ingredient delta-9 THC is the most common substance that appears on positive drug tests for active duty military service members. And several military branches have taken steps to loosen cannabis-related restrictions, including issuing waivers for recruits who test positive their first time. The Rules Committee on Tuesday also rejected proposed amendments to prevent security clearance denials based on past marijuana use and codify that military servicemembers can’t be penalized for using or possessing federally legal hemp products and allow veterans to access state medical marijuana programs and eliminate a VA directive barring the department’s doctors from issuing cannabis recommendations. While the panel didn’t allow the VA-specific amendment to advance as part of the NDAA, the reform was approved by the House last week as part of appropriations legislation covering Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies (MilConVA). Meanwhile, the House-approved NDAA report contains several other marijuana-related directives that were included in the proposal as approved by the House Armed Services Committee. One from Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) added report language for the NDAA that would require DOD to issue a report on how many service members have been discharged due to marijuana. The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the House Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Armed Services on the number of servicemembers discharged from service on the sole basis of marijuana use not later than December 1, 2024. The report shall include the total number of servicemembers discharged over the previous ten years, the number discharged by year, and the state or location these service members resided at the time of discharge. An additional amendment from Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) that was adopted by the panel would require a DOD briefing on sentencing for cannabis-related offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Briefing on Sentencing of Cannabis-Related Offenses Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice In 2019, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that some disparities exist in different stages of the military justice process, including at courts-martial. The committee acknowledges and commends the Department for its numerous initiatives to address identified disparities and to reform the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including by implementing sentencing parameters pursuant to section 539E(e) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022. The committee further recognizes that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has agreed with the Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendation to reschedule Cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. To better understand potential disparities in sentencing outcomes for cannabis-related offenses, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military services, to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than January 31, 2025, on the following: 1) the number of convictions, broken down by service, for cannabis use for the last four fiscal years, disaggregated by time in service, rank/grade, sex, race, and ethnicity; 2) the number of convictions, broken down by service, for cannabis possession for the last four fiscal years, disaggregated by time in service, rank/grade, sex, race, and ethnicity; 3) the number of convictions, broken down by service, for cannabis use and possession, for the last four fiscal years, disaggregated by time in service, rank/grade, sex, race, and ethnicity; and 4) for each of the categories listed above, an assessment of whether any disparities exist based on time in service, rank/grade, sex, race, or ethnicity in the reviewed sentencing of servicemembers, broken down by service. Mace has also touted a separate amendment that she said “supports states’ rights by incorporating findings from 38 state marijuana programs into research.” The committee notes that to date, 38 states have implemented state regulatory programs for marijuana and therefore retain a level of knowledge and lessons learned regarding regulations and trends among producers, products, and consumer habits. The committee believes that the Department of Defense program established under Section 723 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118-31) to study the effectiveness of psychedelic substances and plant-based therapies, including marijuana, in treating post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries should incorporate findings and data collected by State-approved marijuana regulatory programs. The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a report to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than January 31, 2025, on the extent to which the Department is coordinating with States which have regulatory programs for marijuana and incorporating related findings and data collected by State-approved marijuana regulatory programs. The legislation also includes report language to follow up on provisions in the most recently enacted NDAA that provide funding for DOD-led clinical trials on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for active duty military service members. The report language says the committee “wants to ensure the establishment of the program is progressing without impediment,” and calls on DOD to provide Congress with a status update report by January 31, 2025. Section 723 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118-31) established a Department of Defense program to study the effectiveness of psychedelic substances and plant-based therapies in treating post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries. The committee wants to ensure the establishment of the program is progressing without impediments. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services no later than January 31, 2025, on the following with regards to the progress of the program: (1) the Department’s process for funding eligible entities; (2) the Secretary’s selection for lead administrator to carry out the program; (3) a list and description of the eligible entities that have been selected for the program; (4) how the Department notified and selected servicemembers to participate in the program; (5) how many servicemembers have requested participation in the program; (6) how many servicemembers have been selected for participation in the program; (7) any issues the Department is encountering establishing the program; (8) any anticipated delays to implementing the program; and (9) any other information the Secretary deems relevant. Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), a former Navy SEAL with personal experience with psychedelics treatment who championed the underlying amendment, told Marijuana Moment earlier this year that he planned to separately meet with military leadership to collaborate on how to effectively administer the program. The Senate Armed Services Committee is considering its version of NDAA this week but hasn’t made the text of its proposal publicly available. Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday voted to strip marijuana banking protections from a large-scale spending bill. Congressional Committee Strips Marijuana Banking Protections From Key Spending Bill The post U.S. House Votes To Ban Military From Testing Recruits For Marijuana As A Condition Of Enrollment appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“And if we’re able to do this in a way that offsets property taxes and their insurance situation…that’s what I want to see happen.” By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix One of the arguments supporters of the proposed state constitutional amendment legalizing the recreational adult use of cannabis in Florida tout is an increase in revenues to the state. The nonpartisan Florida Financial Impact Estimating Conference said last July that, based on other states’ experience, if Amendment 3 is passes this fall expected retail sales of non-medical marijuana in Florida would generate at least $195.6 million annually in state and local taxes once the retail market is fully operational. It could go as high as $431 million. With that as the backdrop, Smart and Safe Florida, the advocacy group for Amendment 3, held a public discussion in Tampa on Thursday with sitting and former elected officials and other stakeholders about how to use that money for public benefit if the measure gets the 60 percent approval required to become law in November. “We have so many needs across so many different categories, that to me anything that you can help may free up dollars for other things as well,” said Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen. “We need a new criminal courthouse in Hillsborough County. We need fire stations and roads and sidewalks, and clearly schools have tremendous obligations going forward,” he said. “We have wastewater and stormwater projects in the hundreds of millions of dollars, so anything that can help relieve some of this is beneficial, and this is money that is slipping away to the black market. It’s not that the money’s not out there, it’s just not being able captured legally by us and put to good use.” But former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, who served six years as Democrat in the Florida House, said he thinks it unlikely the GOP-controlled Legislature would allocate those funds to local government. “Certainly, when I was there, I would have loved to have seen that happen, but my expectation is that it’s probably not returning,” he said—adding that with collections from gas taxes being reduced in recent years (and with the expansion of electric vehicles), he personally would like to see it invested in agencies like the Florida Department of Transportation for mass transit and roadway projects. Sean Shaw served as a Democrat in the Florida House for one term before he ran as the Democratic nominee for attorney general in 2018. He’s now a candidate for the Hillsborough County Commission. Like several panelists, he was “agnostic” about where the revenues should go, “other than not to the general fund.” “I would want it dedicated for this, this, this, or this, and not into the giant state budget where some things might happen,” he said. "States have generated over $20 billion in marijuana tax revenue since the first markets opened." This is the boost we’re talking about! Vote #YesOn3 Read more at: https://t.co/BqFXbYEFSI pic.twitter.com/JdzlM5exeH — Smart & Safe Florida (@SmartandSafeFl) June 11, 2024 Darryl Jones, a member of the Leon County School Board, noted that Florida Lottery funds were supposed to be distributed to K-12 public schools when that issue came before the voters in 1986. “There were promises made about how that money would go to education. Promises that were not quite entirely fulfilled, so to have this conversation on the front end of the inevitability of this, I think, is important,” he said. Lottery money does go to education, but perhaps not nearly as much as people anticipated. According to the Florida Lottery, approximately 25 cents of every dollar spent on a ticket goes into the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, managed by the Florida Department of Education. Each year that money is distributed between public schools, Florida colleges and universities, and the Bright Futures Scholarship. “Nobody has forgotten the Lottery,” said Shaw. “No one has forgotten the promise made and the promise that was not fulfilled. And we don’t want that to happen again. I think that’s really important for the Legislature to hear that on the front end.” Jake Hoffman, executive director of the Tampa Bay Young Republicans, said, “Everybody is going to have their hands out asking for that money.” His focus was on how to get more of it back into “the regular taxpayer’s pocket.” “And if we’re able to do this in a way that offsets property taxes and their insurance situation—things that are affecting our average Floridian—that’s what I want to see happen,” Hoffman added. What a great conversation this morning about the incredible opportunity we have in Florida to generate up to $431 MILLION annually in new tax revenue when we pass Amendment 3! #YesOn3 pic.twitter.com/NjmtAiNi06 — Smart & Safe Florida (@SmartandSafeFl) June 13, 2024 Other states According to a December 2023 report from the Tax Foundation, 21 states tax recreational cannabis. The Phoenix looked at how three of them distribute the tax proceeds: In Arizona, which started its recreational cannabis program in 2021, one third of those revenues go to community college districts; 31 percent to public safety, including police and fire departments; 25 percent goes to the highway user revenue fund, and 10 percent to the justice reinvestment fund, which is dedicated to providing public health services, counseling, job training, and other social services for communities “that have been adversely affected and disproportionately impacted by marijuana arrests and criminalization,” according to the Arizona Mirror. In Oregon, 40 percent of cannabis taxes go to a state school fund; 20 percent goes to the Oregon Health Authority for mental health treatment or for alcohol and drug abuse prevention, early intervention, and treatment; 15 percent goes to the state police; 10 percent to cities; 10 percent to counties; and 5 percent back to the Oregon Health Authority for a separate program offering alcohol and drug abuse prevention, early intervention, and treatment services. And in Montana, after $6 million is distributed annually to an agency dealing with ending addiction through recovery and treatment programs, 20 percent of adult-use and medical marijuana taxes goes to the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to be used solely for wildlife habitat; 4 percent to the state park account; 4 percent for trails and recreational facilities; 4 percent to nongame wildlife; 3 percent or $200,000 (whichever is less) to veterans and surviving spouses; $150,000 to the board of crime control to fund crisis intervention team training; $300,000 to the Department of Justice for grant funding for purchasing and training drug detection canines and canine handlers; and the rest to the general fund. This story was first published by Florida Phoenix. DeSantis Claims Florida Marijuana Legalization Ballot Measure Will Let People ‘Bring 20 Joints To An Elementary School’ The post Florida Marijuana Legalization Campaign Puts Focus On Tax Revenue Boost To Support Schools And Roads appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Though New Hampshire’s House of Representatives this week defeated a bill that would have legalized adult-use cannabis, lawmakers agreed on two bills Thursday to expand the state’s existing medical marijuana program: one to allow doctors to recommend it for any condition they believe would be improved through cannabis use, and the other to expand the pool of healthcare professionals who can recommend the drug. The bills now proceed to the desk of Gov. Chris Sununu (R). Both measures were revised in bicameral conference committees after the House and Senate passed separate versions of the legislation earlier this session. On the qualifying conditions bill, HB 1278, members of the conference committee agreed to go with the version of the legislation passed by the House in March, recommending that its language be adopted by both chambers. “The Senate has receded from their amendment and acceded to the House position,” Rep. Erica Layon (R) wrote in a House conference committee report, “which empowers providers to certify adults 21 and older for therapeutic cannabis through their own discretion rather than a limited list of conditions.” The report was adopted on a voice vote in both chambers on Thursday. Sponsored by Rep. Wendy Thomas (D), a cancer survivor and medical marijuana patient, the bill would add to the state’s qualifying conditions for medical marijuana “any debilitating or terminal medical condition or symptom for which the potential benefits of using therapeutic cannabis would, in the provider’s clinical opinion, likely outweigh the potential health risks for the patient.” “If the governor signs this bill, it opens up the therapeutic program to more residents of New Hampshire who could benefit from having access to cannabis medicine,” Thomas told Marijuana Moment in an email on Friday. A medical marijuana patient herself, Thomas said at a Senate committee earlier this year that cannabis has helped her manage chronic pain, insomnia, eating issues, gastrointestinal issues, PTSD and anxiety. “I found relief from all of these symptoms,” she said, “some of which are not covered in the program.” She said in her email that other examples of symptoms that could be effectively managed with marijuana that are not specifically listed as qualifying conditions include severe menstrual cramps, symptoms of long COVID and pre-dentist anxiety and post-surgical pain control. The proposal would not do away with the enumerated list of qualifying conditions, which Thomas said was a useful way for clinicians who are less familiar with cannabis to navigate the system. “The point of this is that they would be allowed to…refer a patient to the program for any condition that they think would fit and benefit the patient,” she explained. “This bill sets up two paths for health providers,” Thomas told Marijuana Moment. “For those who are not familiar with cannabis, they can use the legislated symptom and conditions list. For those providers who are cannabis literate, they will be able to recommend the program for a health condition that they think cannabis may be able to help, but that might not be on the list.” — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — The other measure, SB 357, from Sen. Becky Whitley (D), would expand the authority to recommend medical marijuana to any New Hampshire healthcare provider “who is licensed to prescribe drugs to humans and who possesses an active registration from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration [DEA] to prescribe controlled substances.” Those providers would need to be “primarily responsible for the patient’s care related to his or her qualifying medical condition.” It, too, was passed by both chambers on voice votes Thursday. “I am pleased that the House and the Senate came together today to pass my SB 357 out of the Legislature and send it on to the governor’s desk,” Whitley told Marijuana Moment in a statement Friday. “By responsibly expanding who can certify a patient for a therapeutic cannabis prescription, we will ensure that individuals who qualify to therapeutic cannabis will have further access to needed care,” she said. “Therapeutic cannabis has proven to help patients suffering from a number of health issues, and today we took a step forward in ensuring patients are able to access health care in the Granite State.” After that bill was passed by senators earlier this year, House lawmakers made an amendment to the bill that the Senate later rejected. The final bill uses new compromise language, adjusting a previous version passed by the Senate. As passed by the legislature, it would allow out-of-state physician assistants to certify patients for the New Hampshire’s medical marijuana program, and it would update an “outdated reference” in the law’s existing section on physician assistants, according to a House conference committee report from Layon. As for the legislation to legalize marijuana for adults, HB 1633, that proposal was effectively killed when House lawmakers voted narrowly to table the legislation after the Senate’s adoption of the compromise earlier in the day. As negotiated by the conference committee, it would have allowed 15 stores to open statewide beginning in 2026 through a novel state-run franchise system. Though stores would be privately run, the government would have overseen operations, including setting final prices on products. Purchases would incur a 15 percent “franchise fee”—effectively a tax—that would apply to both adult-use and medical marijuana purchases. Rep. Jared Sullivan (D), who spoke out against House members accepting the negotiated version of the bill, described the proposal as “the most intrusive, big-government marijuana program proposed anywhere in the country.” Some legalization advocates said they were disappointed to see pro-legalization lawmakers vote to scuttle the bill. “It’s a sad day to see legalizers kill legalization,” Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, told Marijuana Moment in an email after the House action. “While HB 1633 was an imperfect bill, it is far easier to revise a law than to pass a bill from scratch—especially if the next governor is a prohibitionist.” Marijuana possession wouldn’t have become legal under the bill until 2026, once the state’s licensed market is up and running. In the meantime, possession of up to one ounce of cannabis would carry a $100 maximum civil fine. Home cultivation of cannabis for personal use would remain illegal, and the state’s Liquor Commission would have the authority to enforce that provision. Both leading Republican candidates running to replace Sununu have said they would oppose legalization, though the top Democratic contender says she would support it. New Hampshire lawmakers worked extensively on marijuana reform issues last session and attempted to reach a compromise to enact legalization through a multi-tiered system that would include state-controlled shops, dual licensing for existing medical cannabis dispensaries and businesses privately licensed to individuals by state agencies. The legislature ultimately hit an impasse on the complex legislation. Bicameral lawmakers also convened the state commission tasked with studying legalization and proposing a path forward last year, though the group ultimately failed to arrive at a consensus or propose final legislation. The Senate defeated a more conventional House-passed legalization bill last year, HB 639, despite its bipartisan support. Last May, the House defeated marijuana legalization language that was included in a Medicaid expansion bill. The Senate also moved to table another piece of legislation that month that would have allowed patients and designated caregivers to cultivate up to three mature plants, three immature plants and 12 seedlings for personal therapeutic use. After the Senate rejected the reform bills in 2022, the House included legalization language as an amendment to separate criminal justice-related legislation—but that was also struck down in the opposite chamber. This story has been updated to add additional comments from Rep. Wendy Thomas. Congressional Committee Strips Marijuana Banking Protections From Key Spending Bill Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post New Hampshire Medical Marijuana Expansion Bills Head To Governor’s Desk As Recreational Legalization Measure Fails appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

NH legal cannabis bill dead; Schumer cannabis survey; AMA backs drug decrim; DEA psilocybin lawsuits; PA legalization; Congressman’s psychedelics oped Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there. Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted to table a compromise marijuana legalization bill that the Senate had approved earlier on Thursday, effectively killing the measure and preventing the state from becoming the 25th in the U.S. to legalize cannabis. The House Appropriations Committee voted to remove marijuana banking provisions from a funding bill, with Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) saying he hopes to pursue the reform separately. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sent a survey asking if Democrats should focus on marijuana or other priorities as the November election approaches. The American Medical Association is endorsing drug decriminalization, adopting a resolution calling for the “elimination of criminal penalties for drug possession for personal use as part of a larger set of related public health and legal reforms.” Pennsylvania lawmakers held a rally to step up the push for marijuana legalization, with several noting that any cannabis bill needs to center social equity in order to pass. It’s going to be “really hard to get 102 votes in the House” with any bill primarily favoring “wealthy people” who “play around the margins.” Lawsuits challenging the Drug Enforcement Administration’s refusal to reschedule psilocybin and grant therapeutic access for cancer patients are advancing toward next steps in federal court, with one case heading to oral arguments and another entering mediation over legal fees. Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) argues in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that a Food and Drug Administration panel’s rejection of MDMA-assisted therapy “delays access to potentially life-saving treatments for veterans.” “I can personally attest to the benefits in treating PTS and other cognitive issues through the use of psychedelic substances.” The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Division voted to uphold the revocation of a medical cannabis business’s license over various violations, including selling expired products, having an “unsanitary” processing area and failure to maintain a comprehensive inventory. / FEDERAL The Drug Enforcement Administration posted a prohibitionist organization’s analysis of a study purporting to show that “daily marijuana users aged 18-34 were nearly twice as likely as their peers to exhibit violent behavior.” The National Institute of Justice will host an event about a quantitative analysis method for THC isomers on June 25. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) spoke at an event hosted by the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation. / STATES Texas’s agriculture commissioner attended the grand opening of a hemp processing plant. Alaska’s Senate president said lawmakers ran out of time to pass a marijuana tax reform bill this session. New York senators are calling for an investigation into the state’s loan program for cannabis businesses. An Ohio representative said some changes to the state’s marijuana legalization law are needed but he opposes limiting home cultivation rights. North Dakota regulators filed changes to hemp rules. California regulators sent an update about new marijuana packaging, labeling, advertising and marketing requirements taking effect on July 1. Washington State regulators are asking a federal appeals court to reject a lawsuit challenging the state’s cannabis social equity rules. Minnesota officials will soon begin accepting applications for a cannabis industry employee training grants program. Oregon regulators will hold a hearing on a proposal to allow a limited extension of time for marijuana businesses to comply with new tax rules on Monday. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL New York City officials are being sued over efforts to close unlicensed marijuana businesses. The Minneapolis, Minnesota Planning Commission is considering recommendations for cannabis business rules. Cook County, Illinois officials extended the application window for a cannabis development grant program. / INTERNATIONAL A New South Wales, Australia lawmaker is calling for legalization of cocaine. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A review concluded that “cannabidiol demonstrated potential in treating and preventing different conditions, such as glaucoma, atopic dermatitis, epidermolysis bullosa, and pyoderma gangrenosum.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The South Dakota Republican Party and Catholic bishops are opposing the marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot. / BUSINESS High Tide Inc. reported quarterly revenue of C$124.3 million. POSaBIT Systems Corporation reported quarterly revenue of $3.8 million and a loss of $1.9 million. Trulieve was fined $350,000 by Massachusetts regulators in connection with the death of an employee who collapsed at a cultivation and processing facility after having trouble breathing. Colorado retailers sold $120.2 million worth of legal marijuana products in April. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Cannabis banking setback in Congress (Newsletter: June 14, 2024) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

You presented the problem in a very clear and logical way, making it easy for readers to understand and sympathize. quordle

Regarding the question of whether or not the cannabis industry would be regarded a feminist industry, I do not have a strong stance on the matter. For the same reason that many other industries do, the cannabis sector most likely has a diverse range of businesses and organizations that adhere to a variety of principles, practices, and workforce compositions with regard to gender equality and representation. tunnel rush

A GOP-controlled House committee has voted to strip marijuana banking protections from a large-scale spending bill. While the legislation as introduced and approved by a subcommittee included language to prevent certain federal regulators from penalizing financial institutions simply for working with state-legal cannabis businesses, that was removed on Thursday by the full House Appropriations Committee. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH)—co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, lead sponsor of standalone bipartisan marijuana banking legislation and the chairman of the relevant subcommittee—had secured the banking language in the base bill prior to its removal. But the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a GOP en bloc amendment to the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) legislation that included a provision to eliminate that section from the bill. “With over 40 states enacting some degree of cannabis reform, it is past time that the federal government respect the will of these states,” Joyce said in a statement on Thursday. “This issue is especially pertinent as cannabis regulations have been proven to increase public safety and quality of life for Americans.” “My Financial Services and General Government bill included provisions to do just that and ensure states’ rights to make the best choices for their unique constituencies are protected. Unfortunately, some of my colleagues have taken issue with these public safety measures,” he said. “While the provisions maintain strong bipartisan support, as chairman, I will work to alleviate their concerns but will not delay my responsibility to fund the government and therefore my legislation in the meantime,” Joyce said. “However, let me be clear, I will not abandon this effort in Congress and will continue to work with my colleagues in good faith to ensure they become law.” Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) spoke out against the en bloc amendment, taking aim at the removal of the marijuana banking protections. He said he “strongly” supports the provision, noting that the full House has passed standalone cannabis banking legislation “pretty handily” on several occasions. “That provision allows people to not have to hide their money that they earn legally in the mattress, and can avail themselves of the facilities of federal banks,” Hoyer said. Joyce said he “truly” appreciates Hoyer’s support for the reform, but said it “was withdrawn from this bill, and we’ll hope to exercise this on the floor at some time in the near future.” “I can’t wait for the opportunity,” Hoyer replied. The text of the cannabis banking provision, which advanced out of the House Appropriations FSGG Subcommittee earlier this month, read: SEC. 134. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to penalize a financial institution solely because the institution provides financial services to an entity that is a manufacturer, a producer, or a person that participates in any business or organized activity that involves handling hemp, hemp-derived cannabinoid products, other hemp-derived cannabinoid products, marijuana, marijuana products, or marijuana proceeds, and engages in such activity pursuant to a law established by a State, political subdivision of a State, or Indian Tribe. In this section, the term ‘‘State’’ means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and any territory or possession of the United States. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) said last week that was was “overwhelmingly concerned” with the cannabis banking section, and he threatened to file an amendment to strip the language. Joyce told Marijuana Moment last week that “forcing cannabis businesses to operate in all cash is a magnet for violent crime,” adding that his legislation before being revised “remedies these issues by further safeguarding the safe, adult use of cannabis and increasing the safety of cannabis businesses and their employees.” Meanwhile, the FSGG spending legislation as introduced still omits a longstanding rider from prohibitionist Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) that’s blocked D.C. from using its local tax dollars to legalize recreational marijuana sales. The same appropriations subcommittee under Democratic control similarly omitted the D.C. cannabis sales ban and included the banking section in a spending bill for fiscal year 2022, but it did not make it into the final package. A report attached to the underlying FSGG bill also calls on federal agencies to study state marijuana regulatory frameworks and continue to reconsider federal hiring guidelines related to cannabis use by applicants living in states where it’s legal. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Separately, the House Rules Committee on Wednesday blocked all proposed marijuana amendments—some that were pro-reform and others that were anti-reform—from floor consideration as part of a large scale defense bill. That means a measure included in the base bill to prevent military branches from testing recruits for cannabis as a condition of enlistment has been left intact, despite opposition from the White House. The legislation also includes report language to follow up on provisions in the most recently enacted NDAA that provide funding for DOD-led clinical trials on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for active duty military service members. New Hampshire Senate Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill, With Final House Vote Expected Later Today Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Congressional Committee Strips Marijuana Banking Protections From Key Spending Bill appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“We awarded him this license, and at this point he’s laughing in our faces because he doesn’t care about the regulations of it.” By Tess Vrbin, Arkansas Advocate A Hot Springs medical marijuana dispensary became the first in Arkansas to have its license revoked after a nearly five-hour hearing Wednesday. The board of the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Division voted to uphold Director Christy Bjornson’s May 2 decision to revoke Green Springs Medical Marijuana Dispensary’s license in light of several violations of the rules for medical marijuana handling and sales. Green Springs owner Dragan Vicentic appealed Bjornson’s decision to the ABC board, allowing his business to remain operational before the hearing. He said Wednesday that he plans to appeal the board’s decision to a circuit court judge. Arkansas voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2016 to legalize marijuana for medicinal use. The state has 37 dispensaries besides Green Springs, which was the second to open in 2019 upon being licensed; Suite 443, also in Hot Springs, was the first. ABC enforcement agents found that Green Springs sold 1,882 expired products, Bjornson said. Medical marijuana products expire a year after their testing date and lose potency from then on. Bjornson argued that this would negatively impact the health of the dispensary’s clients. “At best case, they’re getting ripped off. At worst case, something’s going to happen where they’re at risk of harm,” she said. “…They cannot verify that they are keeping up with their treatment plan the way that they’ve been instructed to do by a medical professional.” Bjornson’s decision came after an April ABC board hearing substantiated several charges of violations against Green Springs, according to the board order. In addition to the sale of expired products, the dispensary’s processing area was “unsanitary,” a required “comprehensive inventory” had not been completed, some products were unlabeled and some of the marijuana in the inventory system was unaccounted for in the store. Vicentic said Wednesday that the inventory issues were a result of “human error” and that the processing area is rarely used. ABC enforcement agents Haley Allen, Austin Hodges, Kanoesha Wilson and Blake Miller all testified to the board about the range of findings, mostly resulting from 2023 inspections of the facility. Miller said he made two undercover purchases at the dispensary last year, yielding an unlabeled bottle of bud and an expired marijuana cartridge. Green Springs serves more than 20,000 clients throughout Central and Southwest Arkansas. Some clients posted on social media last year that they bought two-year-old products at the dispensary, according to the board order. ‘Blatant disregard’ After an August inspection, Allen said, she gave Vicentic a list of the expired products she had found at the dispensary and said he was no longer allowed to sell them. Vicentic signed the document at the time, but on Wednesday he claimed the list was illegible and he could not read it. The board’s order states that after a January inspection, Vicentic admitted to selling over 500 expired items. He said at the hearing that many of the items in question were within days of expiration but not yet there, so he reduced the prices in order to sell them more quickly. He claimed the discrepancy between what he believed to be the expiration dates and what ABC agents found was due to errors in the state’s medical marijuana tracking system. Bjornson said Vicentic’s testimony was proof that “he will lie to your face.” “We awarded him this license, and at this point he’s laughing in our faces because he doesn’t care about the regulations of it,” she said. Chip Leibovich, ABC’s senior staff attorney, also chided Vicentic for “blatant disregard” of enforcement agents’ orders, which he called “the biggest violation” at hand. Attorneys from the Hurst Law Group of Hot Springs represented Vicentic. One of them, Justin Hurst, asked Allen if she was aware of any endangerment to Green Springs clients as a result of her inspections. “If we had a recall and something was wrong [with a product], we wouldn’t be able to track down what patient that affected,” Allen said. Board member Jamie Anderson asked if ABC agents are only tasked with bringing up issues with medical marijuana products if someone has been harmed by them. “We definitely want to be proactive and make sure nobody is harmed,” Allen said. The ABC board has held eight hearings over medical marijuana violations in the past five years, and four have been about Vicentic and Green Springs, Leibovich said. According to DFA, Green Springs’s past violations include: Failure to maintain accurate personnel records Failure to maintain video surveillance on the property Lack of commercial grade locks at the facilities Improper signage Other dispensaries have violated rules but have not reached “the point where we don’t want to work with them anymore” or put “the entire integrity of the market at stake,” Bjornson said. Purchases at the state’s dispensaries total $1.1 billion so far in five years, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration last month. Vicentic said he expects further legal action to keep him in business. He did not comment further on the board’s decision. An appeal to the court system will not delay the impact of the decision, which is that Vicentic has 30 days to sell or dispose of the cannabis at the dispensary, DFA spokesman Scott Hardin said. ABC agents will be able to seize any remaining products after the 30-day deadline. This story was originally published by Arkansas Advocate. Pennsylvania Lawmakers Step Up Push For Marijuana Legalization, With Emphasis On Social Equity The post Arkansas Medical Marijuana Regulators Uphold State’s First Revocation Of A Dispensary License appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

New Hampshire’s Senate has now given its final approval to a compromise bill to legalize and regulate marijuana. If the House of Representatives signs off in a vote expected later in the day, the legislation would go to Gov. Chris Sununu (R), who said earlier this week he’d give the measure “a strong look” if it reaches his desk. The proposal, if enacted, would make the New Hampshire the 25th U.S. state to legalize cannabis for adults. Senate lawmakers voted 14–10 on Thursday to approve the final version of the bill, negotiated earlier this month in a bicameral conference committee. “I can certainly support it,” Sen. Shannon Chandley (D) said of the compromise bill ahead of the floor vote. “At this point, it’s not perfect. We know that whenever we pass a major piece of legislation, it is seldom perfect.” “We may need to revisit this, but right now, one of the things that I think is most important is that this bill does address what the people of our state want,” Chandley continued. “More than 70 percent of our residents do not believe cannabis should be illegal.” House action on the negotiated bill is set for later in the day. The outcome at this point is uncertain, as some supporters of legalization have indicated they plan to oppose the bill over its state-run franchise model and other provisions. Sununu, for his part, told a local reporter ahead of the vote that while he still intended to “go through the final final bill,” he believed it met most of the requirements he expressed to lawmakers this session. “I don’t see any red flags there, to be sure,” the governor told WMUR. Ahead of Thursday’s floor votes—the final day for lawmakers to sign off on conference committee bills—some House lawmakers who supported the legalization measure openly doubted whether it would have the votes to pass. Other representatives said that while they favored the policy change in concept, they intended to vote against the bill because of specific changes made in the Senate. Already there was tension between the two chambers on the issue. The House last month rejected an earlier Senate-passed version of the bill that largely resembles the current measure, sending the measure to the conference committee and raising questions on whether members could reach a deal. Based largely on language passed last month by the Senate, the revised measure, HB 1633, would allow 15 stores to open statewide beginning in 2026 through a novel state-run franchise system. Though stores would be privately run, the government would oversee operations, including setting final prices on products. Purchases would incur a 15 percent “franchise fee”—effectively a tax—that would apply to both adult-use and medical marijuana purchases. Marijuana possession wouldn’t become legal until 2026, once the state’s licensed market is up and running. That same year, possession of up to two ounces of marijuana would become fully legal. In the meantime, possession of up to one ounce of cannabis would carry a $100 maximum civil fine—an increase from the state’s current law that decriminalizes up to three-quarters of an ounce—effective immediately on enactment. The proposal would limit each municipality to only a single cannabis retail establishment unless it’s home to more than 50,000 people, though only two cities in the state, Manchester and Nashua, meet that threshold. Local voters would also need to pre-approve the industry in order for businesses to open in that jurisdiction. Home cultivation of cannabis for personal use would remain illegal, and the state’s Liquor Commission would have the authority to enforce that provision. Smoking or vaping marijuana in public would be a violation on the first offense and an misdemeanor for second or subsequent offenses within five years, a charge that could carry jail time. Consuming cannabis in other forms in public—for example, drinking a THC-infused beverage—would carry no punishment, unlike open container rules around alcohol. For someone driving a car, the bill would outlaw consumption of cannabis by any means. Passengers would be forbidden from smoking or vaping cannabis. Driving under the influence of marijuana would remain a crime regardless of where the cannabis was consumed. By contrast, the version of the bill passed by the House in April would have legalize through a so-called “agency store” model preferred by Rep. Erica Layon (R), the legislation’s sponsor, and colleagues in that chamber. Under that approach, the state would oversee a system of privately run stores, with strict limits on marketing and advertising. That version also included a higher personal possession limit of four ounces, and medical marijuana would be been exempt from the state surcharge. Further, personal possession of two ounces of cannabis would have become legal immediately. Most legalization and criminal justice advocates preferred the House bill, though they did welcome some licensing provision changes in the Senate version. And while Layon herself was initially inclined to oppose the negotiated bill, she told Marijuana Moment that she eventually warmed to it after more closely evaluating the Senate changes and recognizing that the franchise approach might still be revised before the market’s launch. “As we were working through it and talking to more people, we didn’t have much time between when the Senate changed the bill and when we had to vote on it,” she said of her earlier opposition. “Now, with that clarity of time, I realize that the Senate made it easier to change.” The next hurdle for the proposal is Sununu, who’s said that he personally opposes legalization but sees the reform as inevitable. Though the governor’s office hasn’t replied to multiple requests for comment from Marijuana Moment in recent weeks, Sununu has previously said that he would accept legislation based on the Senate-passed version of the bill—provided there were no major adjustments. In the interview earlier this week, the governor seemed to speak favorably of lawmakers’ approach to the policy change, contrasting it to other state cannabis systems. New Hampshire “tried to take into consideration that if we’re going to do it, develop the best system not just in the region, but probably in the country,” Sununu said, “and hopefully a system, if it were to go forward, that can be a model that’s built around the concepts of safety and minimizes its access to children.” Today @GovChrisSununu discussed the final version of the cannabis legalization bill (HB 1633) up for a vote tomorrow in the @NHHouseofReps & @TheNHSenate. Asked if he will sign it if it reaches his desk, he said: "I'll take a strong look at it, for sure, yeah." #NHPolitics #WMUR pic.twitter.com/gdGXXJJxaf — Adam Sexton (@AdamSextonWMUR) June 12, 2024 He criticized the so-called “marijuana mile” in South Berwick, Maine, where he said “there’s a pot shop on every corner, and people don’t like it.” Of Massachusetts, he said there are “billboards all over” that “tout marijuana and how it’s easy access.” Other states, he claimed have seen cannabis shops open “directly adjacent” to nearby schools, he added, while Vermont and other states that allow home cultivation for personal use “actually encourages a black market.” Sununu is not seeking reelection this year, which added an additional degree of urgency for some lawmakers who supported legalization. Two top Republican gubernatorial contenders, former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte and former state Sen. Chuck Morse, have already said they would oppose the reform if elected. Meanwhile leading Democratic candidate Joyce Craig, a three-term mayor of Manchester whose last term ended in January, recently sent out a press release in favor of legalization. Lawmakers in the state worked extensively on marijuana reform issues last session and attempted to reach a compromise to enact legalization through a multi-tiered system that would include state-controlled shops, dual licensing for existing medical cannabis dispensaries and businesses privately licensed to individuals by state agencies. The legislature ultimately hit an impasse on the complex legislation. Bicameral lawmakers convened a state commission tasked with studying legalization and proposing a path forward last year, though the group ultimately failed to arrive at a consensus or propose final legislation. The Senate defeated a more conventional House-passed legalization bill last year, HB 639, despite its bipartisan support. Last May, the House defeated marijuana legalization language that was included in a Medicaid expansion bill. The Senate also moved to table another piece of legislation that month that would have allowed patients and designated caregivers to cultivate up to three mature plants, three immature plants and 12 seedlings for personal therapeutic use. After the Senate rejected the reform bills in 2022, the House included legalization language as an amendment to separate criminal justice-related legislation—but that was also struck down in the opposite chamber. Communities Closer To Marijuana Dispensaries Have Lower Opioid Prescription Rates, New Study Finds The post New Hampshire Senate Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill, With Final House Vote Expected Later Today appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Pennsylvania lawmakers are stepping up their push to pass a marijuana legalization bill, emphasizing the need for bipartisan and bicameral collaboration to enact the reform with a focus on social justice. At a “Cannabis Day at the Capitol” rally hosted by DACO and Black Cannabis Week on Tuesday, several legislators underscored their commitment to advancing legalization in the Keystone State. Rep. Chris Rabb (D) gave an impassioned speech, stating that lawmakers “don’t talk about the history that put prohibition on this place—and if we don’t acknowledge the context in which this policy was radically changed in the 1930s, then we don’t do justice to the fight today. And that policy change was born out of racism.” “I’ll say it again, because these are words that a lot of my colleagues don’t want to use—because it may seem impolite or controversial or problematic—but you know what’s more problematic? Racism itself,” he said. “We are here today because there was a time when this plant was associated with people who were marginalized and victimized to benefit other industries who are afraid of cannabis.” Rabb also seemed to draw a line in the sand on the need to incorporate social equity provisions into any legalization bill that advances, saying it’s going to be “really hard to get 102 votes in the House” if the legislation primarily favors “wealthy people” who “play around the margins.” “If this legislation that ultimately is enacted into law is not centered on social equity—and when I say social equity, I don’t just mean Black and brown folks. I mean rural folks, folks with disabilities, the law enforcement community, farmers, all kinds of folks—this doesn’t just happen,” he said. Sen. Sharif Street (D), who has championed legalization legislation over recent sessions, also participated in the rally, echoed Rabb’s points, saying “an essential part of passing adult-use is it’s gotta be making sure that they seal and expunge the records of all those folks who are convicted of cannabis crimes.” “We gotta make sure that Black and brown business folks have a have an opportunity to participate in the recreational adult-use,” he said. The time has come to legalize cannabis, and any bill must center restorative justice for years of disparate enforcement of our cannabis laws, which imprisoned and impedes the upward mobility of Black and brown communities. #MondayMotivation #legalizePA pic.twitter.com/Skt2OgjdV2 — Senator Sharif Street (@SenSharifStreet) June 11, 2024 Rep. Napoleon Nelson (D) said that while Pennsylvania might not be one of the first states to legalize, “we’re going to be the first to do it right.” Brittany Crampsie, spokesperson for ResponsiblePA, told Marijuana Moment that, as lawmakers “consider adult-use legalization in this year’s budget, voters and reform advocates across the state are urging the legislature to pass adult-use cannabis legalization now.” “It is essential that our state no longer trails its neighbors in implementing equitable laws around cannabis,” she said, adding that the organization commends legislators who participated in Tuesday’s event “for calling on their peers in both chambers for leadership and consensus-building at this critical time.” While the rally only featured Democratic lawmakers, ResponsiblePA organized a separate event last month where Sens. Dan Laughlin (R), who is sponsoring cannabis legislation with Street, said the state is “getting close” to legalizing marijuana, but the job will only get done if House and Senate leaders sit down with the governor and “work it out.” “We need to work it out, and that doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” Laughlin said, adding that while he understands Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) has again included legalization in his budget proposal this year, “you need to sit down with House and Senate leadership and try and work out a package where we can get this done.” We are working toward not just for legalization of adult-use cannabis, but also for expungement of cannabis-related criminal charges and an equitable distribution system that embraces diversity and promotes small legacy providers.#legalizePA pic.twitter.com/ztuGRnjZOk — Senator Sharif Street (@SenSharifStreet) June 12, 2024 Warren County, Pennsylvania District Attorney Robert Greene, a registered medical cannabis patient in the state, also spoke at that rally. In January, Greene filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to overturn a ban preventing medical marijuana patients from buying and possessing firearms. Meanwhile, last month the governor’s office said that the Biden administration’s move to federally reschedule marijuana “adds support” for an effort to legalize cannabis in Pennsylvania. Two Pennsylvania House panels held a joint hearing to discuss marijuana legalization in April, with multiple lawmakers asking the state’s top liquor regulator about the prospect of having that agency run cannabis shops. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Also in April, members of the House Health Committee had a conversation centered on social justice and equity considerations for reform. That took place days after Rep. Amen Brown (D) filed a marijuana legalization bill that he described as “grounded in safety and social equity.” “I’m here to get this done,” Brown said at this week’s rally, noting that he and other people he knows have a “personal experience” with current marijuana policy. At a prior meeting in March, members focused on criminal justice implications of prohibition and the potential benefits of reform. At another hearing in February, members looked at the industry perspective, with multiple stakeholders from cannabis growing, dispensing and testing businesses, as well as clinical registrants, testifying. At the subcommittee’s previous cannabis meeting in December, members heard testimony and asked questions about various elements of marijuana oversight, including promoting social equity and business opportunities, laboratory testing and public versus private operation of a state-legal cannabis industry. And during the panel’s first meeting late last year, Frankel said that state-run stores are “certainly an option” he’s considering for Pennsylvania, similar to what New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) recommended for that state last year, though a state commission later shied away from that plan. The cannabis proposal the Brown filed in the House in April is an identical companion to a bipartisan Senate cannabis legalization measure that was introduced last year. Doctor’s Lawsuit Over Psilocybin For Cancer Patients Will Be Argued This Summer, With Separate Rescheduling Case Headed To Mediation Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Pennsylvania Lawmakers Step Up Push For Marijuana Legalization, With Emphasis On Social Equity appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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The American Medical Association (AMA) has formally endorsed drug decriminalization, adopting the policy position at its annual meeting on Wednesday. AMA delegates voted in favor of the decriminalization proposal, 345-171. The body is calling for the “elimination of criminal penalties for drug possession for personal use as part of a larger set of related public health and legal reforms designed to improve carefully selected outcomes.” That’s actually a bolder position than what was included in the AMA Board of Trustees report that delegates initially took up. That prior policy statement simply said the organization should “continue to monitor the legal and public health effects of state and federal policies to reclassify criminal offenses for drug possession for personal use.” Stephen Taylor of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) proposed the revised language, MedPage Today reported. ASAM, which has historically aligned itself with prohibitionists and resisted modest marijuana reforms, came out in favor of drug decriminalization last year. AMA’s new drug decriminalization position builds upon a broader drug policy reform platform that has developed over years. Last year, for example, the organization adopted positions advocating for psychedelics research, opposing the criminalization of kratom, calling for an end to the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine and supporting the continued inclusion of marijuana metabolites in employment-based drug tests. In 2022, AMA delegates also voted to amend its policy position to support the expungement of past marijuana convictions in states that have legalized the plant. The broad drug decriminalization proposal passed despite objections from the Board of Trustees, which said in a report prepared for the meeting that it “believes that it is premature to recommend decriminalizing drug possession offenses as a public health benefit in the absence of evidence demonstrating public health benefits.” AMA President-elect Bobby Mukkamala, speaking on behalf of the board on Wednesday, said the organization’s policy “must reflect the evidence, and currently, the evidence does not support broad decriminalization.” However, the board did recommend adopting a policy supporting “federal and state efforts to expunge, at no cost to the individual, criminal records for drug possession for personal use upon completion of a sentence or penalty.” At Wednesday’s meeting, Ryan Englander, representing AMA’s New England delegation, said the “war on drugs is quite reminiscent of the phrase, ‘The beatings will continue until morale improves.” “We have tried for decades to criminalize our way out of a substance use crisis in this country, and it has not worked,” he said. “We need to move to something different and better—something that actually works.” He also pushed back on arguments that Oregon’s since-rescinded drug decriminalization law is evidence that the reform doesn’t work, noting that there are other case studies such as Portugal where the policy has proved effective at reducing rates of addiction and overdose by taking a public health approach to the issue. Taylor of ASAM said “there is, in fact, evidence that decriminalization can have public health benefits if it is done correctly. We would suggest that we have yet to see it done correctly” in the U.S. Marianne Parshley, a delegate for the American College of Physicians, said there are “several things wrong” with the assessment of Oregon’s decriminalization experience, pointing out that the reform was implemented at a time when fentanyl started become prevalent in the illicit drug supply, exacerbating the overdose crisis nationwide. “It’s complex,” she said. “We need to pay attention to the fact that [the situation] doesn’t instantaneously change if you pass decriminalization and support for treatment.” Doctor’s Lawsuit Over Psilocybin For Cancer Patients Will Be Argued This Summer, With Separate Rescheduling Case Headed To Mediation The post American Medical Association Endorses Drug Decriminalization appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Two separate lawsuits on legal access to therapeutic psilocybin are advancing toward next steps in federal court. An appeals panel this week scheduled oral arguments for later this summer in the case of a Washington State doctor seeking to legally use the psychedelic to treat cancer patients in end-of-life care. A dispute over attorneys’ fees in the doctor’s separate challenge to the scheduling status of psilocybin, meanwhile, is heading to mediation. Regarding the former case, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit this week scheduled arguments for August 19 in a San Francisco courtroom. The underlying lawsuit, brought by Dr. Sunil Aggarwal and his clinic, the Advanced Integrated Medical Science (AIMS) Institute, centers on whether the federal government must allow certain patients access to psilocybin under state and federal right to try (RTT) laws. The laws intend to give patients with terminal conditions the opportunity to try investigational medications that have not been approved for general use. Aggarwal and AIMS contend those laws should allow a legal way for end-of-life patients to access psilocybin, but lawyers for the federal government disagree. In a brief filed to the court in April, attorneys for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) argued that the federal RTT law, signed into law in 2018, “does not provide any exemptions” from CSA restrictions. “As DEA explained, the Right to Try Act does not ‘provide any exemptions from the CSA or its implementing regulations. And it does not ‘give the DEA authority to waive CSA requirements,’” the government’s brief says. “Indeed, the Right to Try Act does not even mention the CSA or controlled substances at all.” Washington State, for its part, adopted its own right to try law in 2017, and dozens of other states have enacted similar policies. Though psilocybin remains a Schedule I controlled substance, it’s been granted “breakthrough therapy” status by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Aggarwal and AIMS have spent years pursuing various legal and regulatory pathways to allow the clinic to use psilocybin in palliative care. The clinic has presented DEA with multiple proposals to legally cultivate or otherwise obtain psilocybin to treat patients under RTT. The agency has denied them all. “DEA has rejected each request,” the clinic argued in its opening brief earlier this year, “but has never addressed the arguments that Dr. Aggarwal has raised in support of them.” “If DEA wants to disclaim authority to grant Dr. Aggarwal access to psilocybin under the CSA and RTT,” AIMS continued, “it must provide a reasoned explanation for how that decision comports with the CSA and the agency’s own precedent.” Eight U.S. states as well as Washington, D.C. have filed a friend of the court brief in support of AIMS’s effort to use psilocybin under state and federal RTT laws. A separate lawsuit by Aggarwal seeking to reschedule psilocybin under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) was recently ordered to mediation under a joint request from his institute and DEA, with the parties set to discuss a possible settlement over attorneys’ fees. As for the case around right-to-try laws, Washington State and eight other jurisdictions—Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.—filed an amicus brief in support of the clinic’s position earlier this year, arguing that CSA doesn’t prohibit the use of controlled substances under RTT. Many of the same states filed a previous amicus brief in 2021 that said DEA’s rejection of the patients’ application amounted to overreach by the agency “The CSA was intended to combat drug trafficking and abuse,” says the latest amicus brief, led by the office of Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D). “It is irrelevant whether a Schedule I substance has a ‘currently accepted medical use’ under the CSA in the context of uses authorized by the RTT Act,” the brief adds. “The RTT Act’s purpose is to provide a unique, targeted exemption from such requirements.” Aggarwal and AIMS have been working since at least 2020 to find a way to legally obtain psilocybin for patients in palliative care, initially seeking to win permission from regulators under state and federal RTT laws. When DEA rebuffed that request, Aggarwal sued. But in early 2022, a federal appellate panel dismissed the lawsuit, opining that the court lacked jurisdiction because DEA’s rejection of Aggarwal’s administrative request didn’t constitute a reviewable agency action. The current Ninth Circuit cases stems from Aggarwal’s responses to that ruling. In February 2022, the doctor filed a formal petition with DEA to reschedule psilocybin from Schedule I to Schedule II under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA)—the denial of which is a reviewable action. He also applied for the regulatory waiver to obtain psilocybin. DEA denied Aggarwal’s petition in September 2022 and rejected the waiver request the next month. The doctor’s Ninth Circuit cases challenge both decisions. As Aggarwal’s efforts have made its way through the courts, a number of studies have strengthened the case for psilocybin’s legitimate medical use. As a result, a federal health agency late last month acknowledged on its website the potential benefits the psychedelic substance might provide—including for treatment of alcohol use disorder, anxiety and depression. The agency also highlighted psilocybin research being funded by the federal government into the drug’s effects on pain, migraines, psychiatric disorders and various other conditions. As for anxiety and existential distress, the agency said a “small amount” of research has studied psilocybin as a treatment for distress in people with serious medical illnesses, like advanced cancer. “A 2020 analysis of 4 small studies in 117 people, most with life-threatening cancer, concluded that psilocybin combined with psychotherapy may be safe and effective for improving anxiety, depression, and existential distress, as well as quality of life,” it says, adding that “Because of limitations in the design of the studies and the small number and health status of the people involved, the authors note that the conclusions may have been biased.” Findings of another recent study suggested that the use of full-spectrum psychedelic mushroom extract has a more powerful effect than chemically synthesized psilocybin alone, which could have implications for psychedelic-assisted therapy. The findings imply that the experience of entheogenic mushrooms may involve a so-called “entourage effect” similar to what’s observed with cannabis and its many components. A separate study recently published by the American Medical Association (AMA) found that single-dose psilocybin use was “not associated with risk of paranoia,” while other adverse effects such as headaches are generally “tolerable and resolved within 48 hours.” That study involved a meta-analysis of double-blind clinical trials where psilocybin was used to treat anxiety and depression from 1966 to last year. AMA published another recent study that similarly contradicted commonly held beliefs about the potential risks of psychedelics use, finding the substances “may be associated with lower rates of psychotic symptoms among adolescents.” Also, results of a clinical trial published by AMA in December “suggest efficacy and safety” of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of bipolar II disorder, a mental health condition often associated with debilitating and difficult-to-treat depressive episodes. The association also published research last August that found people with major depression experienced “clinically significant sustained reduction” in their symptoms after just one dose of psilocybin. In September of last year, researchers at Johns Hopkins and Ohio State universities published a report that linked psilocybin use with “persisting reductions” in depression, anxiety and alcohol misuse, as well as increases in emotional regulation, spiritual wellbeing and extraversion. Those results were “highly consistent with a growing body of clinical trial, behavioral pharmacology, and epidemiological data on psilocybin,” authors of the study said. “Overall, these data provide an important window into the current resurgence of public interest in classic psychedelics and the outcomes of contemporaneous increases in naturalistic psilocybin use.” Last August, a separate study from the American Medical Association (AMA) found that people with major depression experienced “clinically significant sustained reduction” in their symptoms after just one dose of psilocybin. And a survey by Canadian researchers published in October said psilocybin use can help ease psychological distress in people who had adverse experiences as children. Researchers said psilocybin appeared to offer “particularly strong benefits to those with more severe childhood adversity.” Canada, for its part, allowed four cancer patients in 2020 to become the nation’s first people in decades to legally possess psilocybin after being granted permission by the country’s health minister to use the substance for end-of-life care. Later that year, some healthcare professionals also gained the ability to legally possess and use psilocybin themselves. A survey published earlier this year found that roughly 8 in 10 Canadians believe psilocybin is “a reasonable choice” for end-of-life care. Read the mediation order in the psilocybin rescheduling case below: Biden Admin Is ‘Mischaracterizing’ Marijuana Rescheduling Impact As Big Pharma Is ‘Waiting In The Wings,’ Former Massachusetts Regulator Says Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Mädi. The post Doctor’s Lawsuit Over Psilocybin For Cancer Patients Will Be Argued This Summer, With Separate Rescheduling Case Headed To Mediation appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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“These therapies, as a multitude of trials have shown, provide a lifeline for countless individuals for whom conventional therapies have proven insufficient.” By Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) In recent years, a quiet revolution has been unfolding within the realm of treatment for combat-related injuries: psychedelic therapies. Substances like MDMA, psilocybin and ibogaine are now at the forefront of cutting-edge research for their potential to alleviate severe conditions, particularly post-traumatic stress (PTS) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As the mental health crisis deepens and veteran suicide rates continue to increase, it is imperative to embrace and expand access to these innovative treatments, offering hope to those who have been suffering in silence. I can personally attest to the benefits in treating PTS and other cognitive issues through the use of psychedelic substances. While these treatments still carry a stigma, I believe it stems from a lack of education and experience around the clinical use of psychedelics. I understand that when many of my colleagues in the House of Representatives and researchers in this space hear “psychedelics,” they think about how they were abused decades ago. However, this perception could not be further from the reality of the clinical applications we are discussing. Psychedelic substance trials take place in a medical setting and are administered by trained professionals in the medical field. These rigorous, controlled studies have shown that psychedelics, when administered in a therapeutic setting, can lead to profound and lasting improvements in mental health. Unfortunately, just last week, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel rejected the use of MDMA as a treatment for PTSD. This decision is a significant setback. The rejection highlights the persistent barriers and misconceptions that continue to hinder progress with emerging therapies. Despite a growing body of evidence demonstrating MDMA’s efficacy and safety in treating PTSD under controlled, therapeutic conditions, of which I have studied and researched myself, regulatory bodies remain wary. This decision delays access to potentially life-saving treatments for veterans and others who have exhausted conventional options. The advisory panel’s decision underscores the urgent need for continued education, robust advocacy, and more comprehensive research to shift the paradigm and unlock new pathways to healing. Making this news even more disappointing was that the results of the trials showed extremely promising results—“researchers found that a treatment approach that consisted of MDMA given in three eight-hour therapy sessions, four weeks apart, worked better than a placebo in reducing the severity of their symptoms,” and a separate recent trial showed “86% of participants who got the MDMA treatment along with talk therapy saw a reduction in the severity of their symptoms after 18 weeks.” Creating quite the about-face, less than 48 hours after the FDA panel’s decision, a Dutch state commission recommended the “Dutch government should allow treatment with ecstasy chemical MDMA for people with PTSD” and called for the government to act “expeditiously.” For the United States to make progress in this field, we must continue to fund research to expand our understanding of the mechanisms behind psychedelic-assisted therapy and its long-term effects. In the recently passed Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2025, Congressmen Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Lou Correa (D-CA) and I pushed forward two amendments that will ensure we can make progress in the emerging therapies space. The first expresses congressional support for the recently announced VA-funded research into psychedelic-assisted therapies to treat PTSD and depression, encouraging VA to prioritize the proactive training of therapists to administer these treatments in hopeful preparation for FDA approval on psychedelic medication to treat veterans. The second amendment is inclusion of report language for psychedelic treatments for PTSD. I was also able to secure $76.8 million in funding for Neurology Centers of Excellence to expand this crucial research. This follows the success I had in both the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) National Defense Authorization Act and the final appropriations bill that funded the Department of Defense for FY24, which authorized and funded a pilot program to allow service members with PTSD or TBI to participate in clinical trials for psychedelic treatments. We must continue to explore all avenues and think outside of the box when the lives of our service members and veterans are at stake. These therapies, as a multitude of trials have shown, provide a lifeline for countless individuals for whom conventional therapies have proven insufficient. The growing body of research highlights the potential of substances like MDMA, psilocybin and ibogaine to facilitate breakthroughs and healing in ways that traditional therapies often cannot achieve, especially in more severe cases, which are often seen in our veterans and service members. It’s time we move beyond outdated stereotypes and recognize the legitimate, science-backed potential of these substances to transform lives. U.S. Rep. Morgan Luttrell is a Republican member of Congress representing Texas’s Eighth District. He previously served as a U.S. Navy SEAL before leaving the military in 2014 due to injuries sustained in a helicopter crash. Afterward, he underwent psychedelic-assisted therapy in Mexico. Bipartisan California Senators File Bill To Create Psilocybin Therapy Pilot Program For Veterans And First Responders The post GOP Congressman Who Used Psychedelics For Mental Health Slams FDA Panel’s MDMA Rejection (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net