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“The rush to provide senior citizens with medical marijuana will require considerable legal, scientific and commercial infrastructures, which, in an ideal world, would avoid repeating historical mistakes by forming with clarity and coordination.” By Emily Dufton Everyone knows that last month was historic for cannabis. Big changes are afoot with medical marijuana’s rescheduling and federal Medicare coverage for hemp. But what many have misunderstood is why. For the first time in 56 years, a form of marijuana has finally escaped Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Cannabis was placed there in 1970, and despite repeated prior legalization attempts—including in the 40 states that legalized medical access and the 24 states that legalized recreational use—for over half a century cannabis remained stubbornly defined as a substance with no accepted medical use and high potential for abuse. Until last month, when Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche moved medical marijuana into Schedule III, a category of drugs with some accepted medical use and “moderate-to-low” potential for dependence. This rescheduling includes medical products currently legal in 40 states and Washington, D.C., and the four cannabis products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are now all Schedule III, which means dispensary owners aren’t subject to heavy tax burdens like 280E. Medical marijuana just became a much more legitimate industry. But what makes this shift even more historic is who it’s intended to benefit: senior citizens. Previous legalization movements all centered on young adults. The decriminalization movement of the 1970s painted cannabis as a maturing baby boomer’s “adult right.” Activists in the 1980s and ’90s argued that medical marijuana was necessary for young men struggling with HIV/AIDS. And in the 2010s and 2020s, the social justice movement promoted legalization as a means to end the mass incarceration of young Black men. Recriminalization movements have been equally concerned with the effect of pot on kids. The zero-tolerance, “Just Say No” drug war of the Reagan 1980s was launched explicitly to save the children. And intoxicating hemp products, accidentally legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill, are scheduled to be made illegal again this November, after opponents warned that they have sent too many children to the emergency room. But the Trump administration’s vocal support for rescheduling medical marijuana is based on something new: concern for the 18 percent of Americans—almost 1 in 6—who are over the age of 65, a number expected to rise to almost a quarter of the population by 2050. A new industry is rising to serve this demographic. Howard Kessler, of the Commonwealth Project, is one of the most vocal proponents of seniors’ medical marijuana use. A video from the Project (which Trump reposted on Truth Social last September) seemed to address the president directly. “You can revolutionize senior health care,” the narrator begins, before listing cannabis’s positive effects on pain, stress, and sleep. The video closes by promising that, “You will deliver the most important senior health initiative of the century, cementing your legacy and transforming aging care. Millions everywhere will thank you.” As a drug historian, I did not see this coming. Medical marijuana’s historic rescheduling is being praised as a win for senior citizens, a demographic that almost never entered the conversation before. For years, prohibitionists argued that today’s cannabis products are too strong, a far cry from yesterday’s tamer, weaker weed. But with these new senior-directed products, this actually is your grandma’s marijuana. The baby boomers who fought for decriminalization in the 1970s are getting it, in 2026, with federal funding from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Director Dr. Mehmet Oz. By centering senior health and wellness, Kessler’s campaign successfully upended decades of drug policy concerns over kids, and this shift will have major impacts on both legalization and re-criminalization campaigns. The attitude of “save the children” that changed laws before might not work when marijuana’s intended users are senior citizens. But a backlash could form just as quickly if unregulated “medical” products start hurting Grandma. That’s why, as a historian, I’m also concerned that this project was rolled out quickly with vocal support but little coordination. There’s a distinct lack of clarity about how this transformation will work. Given marijuana’s half-century in Schedule I, the science behind cannabis medicine is still inchoate. It’s also not entirely clear who’s in charge, since numerous entities are involved with the shift, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, FDA, Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service, as well as legislative, regulatory and law enforcement bodies at the state and local level. And so far no one has addressed its impact on the hemp/marijuana divide. A lack of coordination doomed previous legalization campaigns, and it may harm rescheduling if rolled out in a chaotic manner. At the moment, the outlook doesn’t look promising. As Dr. Gillian Schauer, executive director of the Cannabis Regulators Association, told NPR, “We have been implementing policy that’s far ahead of where the science is… It’s like we’re flying the plane blind while building it without parts.” Last month’s rescheduling was historic, but it’s also incomplete. The rush to provide senior citizens with medical marijuana will require considerable legal, scientific and commercial infrastructures, which, in an ideal world, would avoid repeating historical mistakes by forming with clarity and coordination. It may not be happening yet, but it’s what Grandma deserves. Emily Dufton is the author of Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana in America and Addiction, Inc.: Medication-Assisted Treatment and America’s Forgotten War on Drugs. The post Trump’s Medical Marijuana Move Focused On Helping Ailing Seniors, But Lack Of Coordination Could Cause Backlash (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

An Indiana Republican state senator has announced plans to file legislation to legalize medical marijuana in the 2027 session in light of recent comments from the governor about the issue and as reform advances at the federal level under the Trump administration. “In light of the governor’s openness to consider legislation regarding the legalization of marijuana, we need to consider a feasible marijuana policy that would be the most helpful to Hoosiers and the economy,” Sen. Mike Bohacek (R) said in a press release on Monday. “The use of medical marijuana has been proven to be beneficial for some medical disorders and could help people throughout the state who are suffering find some relief.” Gov. Mike Braun (R) recently said the state is “more likely” to legalize marijuana now that the Trump administration is moving to federally reschedule cannabis. Bohacek said his bill will include “plenty of parameters around the implementation and use of medical marijuana to ensure it’s being properly regulated and distributed by Hoosier healthcare professionals.” “There are plenty of benefits medical marijuana can have, not only in a healthcare capacity, but also on our economy. Indiana has already allowed the sale of delta-8 THC and other similar cannabinoids, so creating a tax policy is a logical next step in expanding the use of THC products. There is potential to bring in millions of dollars in tax revenue every year.” The senator’s press release says the planned legislation will update current laws by establishing a blood concentration that would define THC impairment and create trainings to help law enforcement identify people who are under the influence. “While the legislation I plan to propose would legalize the use of medical marijuana, it would not take away from the safety standards that would need to be established to keep Hoosiers safe,” Bohacek said. “This proposed legislation would not legalize the use of recreational marijuana. Many of our state’s current laws regarding the use of marijuana would remain in place, with some adjustments to account for those who may have medical exemptions,” he said. “This is why I am also working on legislation that would adjust the state impairment laws for those who would use medical marijuana.” The senator is encouraging constituents to contact him with “any questions or comments they may have” about the forthcoming cannabis legislation. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of 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. — Last month, U.S. Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) sent a letter urging the governor to “maintain the state’s prohibitions on marijuana use” despite federal reform. Under an order signed last month by U.S. Acting Attorney General Blanche, marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license immediately moved from Schedule I to Schedule III of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA), as did any marijuana products that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “I think the fact that the feds made that move, that makes it more likely” the state will act to reform its cannabis laws, the governor said recently. “You’re going to need to ask the legislators and the leaders in those two chambers to see what they’re thinking, because I’m clear in terms of where I’m at,” Braun continued. “You’ve got to take what’s evolved over time. [If you] stick your head in the sand, you’re generally going to make the wrong decision.” Meanwhile, at Braun’s direction, state officials have been holding a series of meetings with medical marijuana advocates. In March, the governor said the “crescendo will rise” in the call to legalize marijuana, with regional dynamics and even law enforcement buy-in favoring reform down the line. But for now, he said GOP legislative leadership in the state is “not interested in doing anything soon,” even if “over half of Hoosiers probably smoke it illegally.” Braun said at the time that he thinks lawmakers should take “an additional look at” medical cannabis and that, while he’s personally “agnostic” on legalization, the reality is that Indiana is “surrounded now by four states” that allow either medical or adult-use cannabis. “Over half of Hoosiers probably smoke it illegally,” he said, noting that neighboring Kentucky permits patients to access medical cannabis, while Illinois, Michigan and Ohio have recreational marijuana laws on the books. “I’m going to listen to law enforcement. Even they have changed their opinion in terms of legalizing it and regulating it,” Braun said, adding that he’d compare cannabis to gambling. The state was late in the game to adopt laws allowing adults to gamble, he said, but now it ranks in the top three states nationwide in terms of revenue per capita from the vice. “Some people aren’t going to want it, just out of principle. A lot of our state police and sheriffs are tolerating people going across the border [to buy cannabis]. It’ll be an increasing issue that, so far, our state legislature has kind of dug in against it,” he said. “I’ve been more agnostic about it. I can see points of view, and I’ve seen law enforcement move on it somewhat.” “So that would give you the best description of where the dynamic is in our state,” the governor told WOWO. “I think the leader of the Senate especially, and the Speaker of the House, are pretty—and they control the legislative agenda—not interested in doing anything soon. But I think the crescendo will rise, and that describes in a snapshot where we’re at.” Braun similarly talked about the issue in another recent interview, saying the state is “probably going to have to address” the issue and likening cannabis reform to sports betting. Lawmakers in the state had already signaled that marijuana legalization isn’t in the cards in the 2026 session, meaning another year where Indiana will be an outlier as one of the few remaining states without effective medical or adult-use cannabis laws. The governor separately said in January that he’s “amenable” to the idea of legalizing medical cannabis in the state. Instead, Indiana legislators this session have been focused on efforts to ban hemp THC products—though it seems that fight is over for 2026 after a last-minute push failed in February. Braun has previously said that federal marijuana rescheduling could add “a little bit of fire” to the local push for cannabis legalization in his state. Among Indiana residents, a survey released in January found that nearly three in five back legalizing cannabis for medical and recreational use. Specifically, the annual Hoosier Survey from the Bowen Center at Ball State University (BSU) found that 59 percent of residents are in favor of legalizing cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes. An additional 25 percent back only allowing patients to access medical marijuana, raising the total support for that reform to 84 percent. Braun, for his part, previously said that “it’s probably time” to allow access to therapeutic cannabis among patients in the state. Those comments came alongside a separate poll indicating that nearly 9 in 10 Indiana adults (87 percent) support marijuana legalization. Top Republicans in the legislature, however, have openly opposed marijuana reform. “It’s no secret that I am not for this,” Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R) said in late 2024. “I don’t have people coming to me with really compelling medical cases as to why it’s so beneficial. And any state that I’ve seen pass medical marijuana is essentially passing recreational marijuana.” House Speaker Todd Huston (R) doubted any medical benefits associated with marijuana, calling the substance “a deterrent to mental health.” He and others suggested that lawmakers supportive of the reform merely want to boost state revenue. The post Indiana GOP Senator Announces New Bill To Legalize Medical Marijuana In The State appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced it will soon be rolling out new forms for additional types of state-licensed medical marijuana businesses beyond dispensaries that want to take advantage of federal protections in line with the Trump administration’s cannabis rescheduling process. Last month, DEA launched a registration form for medical marijuana dispensaries only, raising questions about how operators elsewhere along the cannabis supply chain could become federally compliant during a 60-day registration window for expedited processing that is scheduled to close on June 26. But now, the agency says that “in the coming weeks, an updated ‘Medical Marijuana Manufacturer’, ‘Medical Marijuana Bulk Manufacturer (grower/cultivator)’, ‘Medical Marijuana Analytical Lab’, and ‘Medical Marijuana Distributor’ application will be available specifically for handling Schedule III medical marijuana and posted on DEA Diversion’s Registration page.” It’s not clear exactly how soon those forms will be posted, however. In any case, the various DEA cannabis business registration portals are being launched following last month’s announcement by the Department of Justice that marijuana is being moved from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), in phases. Under an order signed by Acting Attorney General Blanche, marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license immediately moved to Schedule III, as did any marijuana products that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The currently available registration form for state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries asks for information about their processes for storage, ordering, dispensing, inventory, maintenance of records and other aspects of their businesses. The application asks about specific details about security measures such as vaults, safes, secure storage rooms, access controls, alarm systems and on-site security personnel. Applicants can choose whether they are requesting to handle marijuana, marijuana extracts or naturally derived delta-9 THC. While only medical marijuana is currently being moved to Schedule III, the application also asks potential registrants whether their firms handle or dispense recreational marijuana. Under last month’s DOJ order there will be an expedited administrative hearing process to consider the broader rescheduling of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, beginning on June 29. The DEA application, meanwhile, also asks businesses to submit information about their state cannabis licenses and to answer questions about criminal and disciplinary histories. It also asks: “Has anyone who will be involved in the ownership or operation of the firm previously manufactured, distributed, and/or dispensed any controlled substance without a DEA registration authorizing such activity?” Presumably, every currently operational state-legal cannabis business has key personnel who have done so, since medical marijuana was, until just days ago, a Schedule I controlled substance that DEA did not broadly authorize manufacturing, distribution and dispensation of. Applicants must additionally list suppliers from which they intend to procure marijuana, and to disclose whether they anticipate repackaging or relabeling cannabis products. They also need to provide lists of individuals with the business that are anticipated to have “access to controlled substances,” including their dates of birth, social security numbers, criminal histories related to drugs. There is also an annual $794 application fee, currently only payable via PayPal, though DEA says “we anticipate having additional forms of payment in the coming weeks.” Application fees are not refundable. In addition to the notice about the forthcoming DEA registration forms for other types of cannabis businesses, the agency also recently updated its lists of controlled substances to formally note that marijuana subject to a state medical cannabis license falls under Schedule III. Blanche’s rescheduling order said that to align with an international drug control treaty “requirement that a government agency serve as the exclusive purchaser of cannabis production,” DOJ is rolling out a process by which the federal government will technically purchase marijuana from producers and then sell it back to them or related entities. “Registered manufacturers must store crops in a facility to which DEA maintains access until that transaction is complete, and each manufacturer registration must specify the areas in which cultivation is permitted,” it said. “All manufacturers registered under this subsection shall establish a nominal price for the purchase of their marijuana crops. The Administration shall then purchase the entity’s crops at that price and sell the crops back to the entity, or a related or subsidiary entity, at the same price with the addition of the administrative fee as calculated under Part 1318.06(a).” Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said they plan to issue new tax guidance for the marijuana industry following the rescheduling announcement. Rescheduling will benefit state-licensed marijuana businesses by allowing them to take federal tax deductions they’re currently barred from under an IRS code known as 280E that doesn’t apply to Schedule III substances. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) also recently posted a draft update to gun purchase form to acknowledge the federally legal status of medical marijuana under rescheduling. The Congressional Research Service published a report on the marijuana rescheduling move’s scope and limitations. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the administration is moving forward with marijuana rescheduling because cannabis reform is “overwhelmingly popular” with voters and because doing so will help people who need access to the drug for medical purposes. During a press event in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump spoke about the medical benefits of marijuana. “A lot of people are suffering from big problems, which this seems to be the best answer,” he said. “They’re very happy about it. So the rescheduling is starting, and that’s a big thing, rescheduling.” The president noted that his administration’s actions on cannabis rescheduling came after his friend Howard Kessler told him about how he used medical marijuana. “He had some medical difficulties, and he came upon this by accident, in a way,” he said. “He had to go through a lot of different medications, and he said this was the one that was much better than anything else. And so he experienced that. He didn’t benefit by it, other than from the standpoint that he lives a much better life now.” “So hopefully you don’t need it,” Trump said. “But if you do need it, I hear it’s the best of all the alternatives.” Separately, the president called on Congress to take action to amend a law that threatens to federally recriminalize hemp-derived full-spectrum CBD products later this year. “We must get this done RIGHT and FAST, especially for those who saw that CBD helps them,” he said in a social media post. “Plus, I am told it will also help our GREAT FARMERS, who we love, and will always be there for.” Days earlier, Trump had complained that federal officials were “slow-walking” following through on his cannabis order. The post DEA Announces New Marijuana Registration Forms For Manufacturing, Distribution And Testing Businesses appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Connecticut lawmakers have sent the governor a bill to expand a pilot program that’s meant to explore the therapeutic potential of psychedelics such as psilocybin and MDMA. The legislation sponsored by the Joint Committee on Public Health cleared the House of Representatives in 122-27 vote on Wednesday after being approved unanimously by the Senate last month. It now heads to the desk of Gov. Ned Lamont (D). If enacted into law, the proposal would build upon an existing psychedelic-assisted therapy program involving military veterans and first responders who elect to participate in clinical trials. The new legislation would repeal and replace the current statute to make it so any adults 18 or older who meet clinical eligibility criteria established by the institutional review board of the medical school selected to administer the pilot program could be eligible to receive psychedelics treatment in a clinical setting, with researchers tasked with studying the efficacy of the novel therapeutics. It would also remove existing language stipulating that the pilot program must end upon federal approval of psilocybin or MDMA by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) or a successor agency. Additionally, the bill would strike outdated language requiring the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to create and facilitate the program by January 2023. Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D) said the legislation is “critically important,” citing recent moves by federal officials to expedite research on and therapeutic access to psychedelics after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the issue last month. “If the fast track is successful and these drugs are approved, our study will end, making us effectively unable both to continue the study and losing the benefit of the investment we’ve already made as a state—but in addition making us ineligible for those federal matching funds,” she said on the floor ahead of the most recent vote. Under the Connecticut bill, SB 191, the officials would be mandated to “establish, within available appropriations, a psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program, to be administered by a medical school in the state.” That program “shall provide qualified patients with MDMA-assisted or psilocybin-assisted therapy as part of a research program approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration,” or FDA, it says. Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria (R) also spoke in support of the legislation, saying “this expanded access is for innovative research. It’s evidence-based research. Mental health and the treatment is critical for the state of Connecticut.” “Expanding it to anybody 18 and older is truly going to help us continue with this pilot program,” she said. To that point, McCarthy Vahey said that under the current structure’s restrictions there has been difficulty recruiting enough participants. “The current pilot is narrowly focused and tailored. And in fact, it will remain the priority to have veterans, first responders and our direct health care workers be the focus of the study,” she said. “But we are being told that some of the folks are having a little difficulty with recruiting. The goal is to get to a cohort of 50, and so this will give them a little bit of leeway to do so.” Rep. Dave Yaccarino (R) noted that he voted against the original psychedelics program legislation a few years ago but said he has since learned about studies showing benefits for “men and women that come in from combat, our firefighters, our police that see tragic events.” “If this helps, and it’s controlled, I think you have to support it,” he said. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of 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, last year, the Connecticut House of Representatives approved a bill to decriminalize psilocybin for adults—despite questions about whether the governor would support it after he rejected an earlier version of the reform measure. That marked the third session in a row that Connecticut lawmakers worked to advance psilocybin decriminalization. In 2023, the reform measure cleared the House but did not move through the Senate. The Judiciary Committee also approved a version in 2024. Lamont also signed a large-scale budget bill in 2022 that included provisions to set the state up to provide certain patients with access to psychedelic-assisted treatment using substances like MDMA and psilocybin. Lawmakers also sent the governor legislation this session to address cannabis product THC potency limits. Separately, legislation to allow medical marijuana use by certain qualifying patients at health facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes and hospices received a committee hearing but did not advance. The post Connecticut Bill To Expand Psychedelics Pilot Program In Anticipation Of FDA Approval Heads To Governor’s Desk appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Massachusetts lawmakers have decided not to take up a proposal that would scale back the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law, leaving it to prohibitionist activists to collect additional signatures to place the initiative on the November ballot. The legislature’s Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions issued a report last week saying that a majority of the panel “voted to recommend that the General Court take no action” on the measure. Under state law, the legislature gets a chance to enact proposed ballot measures after organizers submit an initial round of petitions. If they decline, campaigns can then collect more signatures to refer initiatives to voters. After conducting a review, a majority of committee members “raised substantial concerns regarding the structure, scope, and anticipated impacts” of the proposal, which would repeal state laws allowing the regulated commercial sales of recreational marijuana while continuing to keep the medical cannabis system in place. “The Committee notes that this existing framework represents a comprehensive regulatory system that has been developed over time to balance public health protections, consumer access, and a legal, taxed marketplace for cannabis products,” the panel’s report says. “The Committee finds that the proposal lacks sufficient detail regarding implementation and enforcement mechanisms, including how existing regulatory authority would be modified, transferred, or eliminated. This absence of clarity creates legal uncertainty with respect to the continued applicability of current statutes and regulations, as well as the roles of state agencies responsible for oversight of the cannabis industry.” The report also says that members are concerned the anti-cannabis ballot measure would undermine “public health and safety safeguards,” including “measures designed to limit youth access to cannabis products, reduce impaired driving risks, and ensure product testing, labeling, and potency standards.” “Testimony presented to the Committee highlighted concerns that weakening or eliminating these safeguards could increase public health risks and undermine efforts to promote responsible use within a legal market,” it says. The panel additionally flagged the proposal’s implications for licensing and taxation, saying that “abrupt changes to the current system could disrupt licensed businesses operating in compliance with existing law, create uncertainty in the investment environment, and affect the stability of both large and small operators in the industry.” “Testimony also raised concerns with the proposal regarding substantial impacts on state and local revenue streams derived from cannabis taxation and licensing fees, which currently support a range of public programs and local initiatives, as well as the regulatory structure,” members wrote. “The majority of the Committee therefore finds that, as drafted, the proposal does not adequately address these operational, fiscal, and public safety considerations,” the panel’s report says. Proponents faced skeptical questioning from lawmakers at a hearing of the committee last month, with several members raising concerns about the motivations behind the anti-marijuana measure and its implications for consumers and businesses. Organizers behind the measure must now collect an additional 12,429 certified signatures by July 1 to make the November ballot. Meanwhile, the measure is facing a legal challenge from cannabis industry operatives who say it contains “impermissibly unrelated subjects,” and that the state attorney general’s official summary is “misleading and deficient.” The initiative also proposes “an unconstitutional regulatory taking” by “destroy[ing] the reasonable, investment-backed expectations of affected businesses and individuals and would eliminate the livelihoods of thousands of Massachusetts residents,” the lawsuit, brought by participants in the state’s Cannabis Social Equity Program, says. The state Supreme Judicial Court heard oral arguments on the litigation challenging the anti-marijuana initiative last week. If the “Act to Restore Sensible Marijuana Policy” is passed, the state wouldn’t revert back to blanket prohibition; rather, it would repeal the commercial recreational sales and personal home cultivation components of the law while still allowing adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of cannabis for personal use. Possession of more than one ounce but less than two ounces would be effectively decriminalized, with violators subject to a $100 fine. Adults could also continue to gift cannabis between each other without remuneration. Medical marijuana sales would remain legal. A recent Bay State Poll from the University of Hampshire’s States of Opinion Project found that a majority of Massachusetts adults oppose the marijuana sales and cultivation repeal initiative. The survey came months after cannabis activists filed a complaint with the State Ballot Law Commission, alleging that petitioners with the anti-cannabis campaign used misleading tactics to convince voters to support its ballot placement. The commission rejected the complaint in January, however, and said advocates who challenged the ballot measure raised “unsupported allegations” about the propriety of the signature gathering process that they said warranted official scrutiny. In any case, separate polling has found that nearly half of those who signed the marijuana sales repeal petition felt misled, with many claiming that the measure was pitched to them as a proposal to address unrelated issues such as public education and expanded housing. The anti-marijuana coalition has denied any wrongdoing in the signature collection process and waved off the survey results. An association of state marijuana businesses had separately urged voters to report to local officials if they observe any instances of “fraudulent message” or other deceitful petitioning tactics. Meanwhile, the head of Massachusetts’s marijuana regulatory agency recently suggested that the measure to effectively recriminalize recreational cannabis sales could imperil tax revenue that’s being used to support substance misuse treatment efforts and other public programs. To that point, Massachusetts recently reached another marijuana milestone, with officials announcing in February that the state has surpassed $9 billion in adult-use cannabis purchases since the market launched in 2018. A report from the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) found that legalization is achieving one of its primary goals: disrupting illicit cannabis sales as adults transition to the regulated market. It shows that among adults who reported past-year marijuana use, an overwhelming 84 percent said they obtained their cannabis from a licensed source. The state’s governor recently signed into law a bill to double the legal marijuana possession limit for adults and revise the regulatory framework for the state’s cannabis market. In December, state regulators also finalized rules for marijuana social consumption lounges. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of 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. — CCC recently launched an online platform aimed at helping people find jobs, workplace training and networking opportunities in the state’s legal cannabis industry. Massachusetts lawmakers additionally approved legislation to establish pilot programs for the regulated therapeutic use of psychedelics. Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Massachusetts Lawmakers Decline To Act On Measure To Roll Back Marijuana Legalization appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A federal agency is proposing to update a gun purchase form to acknowledge the federally legal status of medical marijuana under the Trump administration’s recent move to reschedule the drug. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on Friday posted a proposed revised version of Form 4473, which must be filled out by anyone purchasing a gun from a federally licensed firearms dealer. For years, the document has contained a question that asks whether the buyer unlawfully uses cannabis or other federally controlled substances, in accordance with a law that makes it a crime for such persons to possess or purchase firearms. Until now, the question has read: “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance? Warning: The use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under Federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.” But under ATF’s new form, which is part of a suite of new administrative steps intended to reduce burdens on firearms owners and businesses, guy buyers would instead have to attest to the following statement: “I am not an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance. (Warning: You can be an unlawful user under federal law, even if your possession is legal under state law. Federal law does not permit the use or possession of marijuana for recreational purposes.)” The section notably says that only “use or possession of marijuana for recreational purposes” is federally prohibited, leaving out the prior form’s mention of medical cannabis. The change is likely due to the fact that last month, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued an order that immediately moved marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), and similarly rescheduled marijuana products that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A hearing to consider broader cannabis rescheduling is scheduled for this summer. The Congressional Research Service published a report on the current cannabis rescheduling move explaining that certified patients who possess medical marijuana from state-licensed dispensaries now have certain protections under Schedule III. “The order appears to authorize end users to possess marijuana for medical use without a CSA-compliant prescription,” it says. ATF is accepting public comments on the revised gun purchase form through July 7. Kostas Moros, director of legal research and aducation for the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), told Marijuana Moment that the group is “happy to see that the ATF’s new draft form 4473 already takes into account its recently announced rescheduling of cannabis, and thus the form no longer includes medical marijuana use or possession as disqualifying.” Separately last month, Blanche suggested that the Trump administration may soon stop aggressively defending 922(g)(3), the federal law that criminalizes gun possession by people who consume marijuana and other illegal drugs. A reporter asked the acting attorney general at a briefing on the administration’s new gun policies whether DOJ is “reconsidering” its stance of defending laws disarming marijuana consumers or those who have other nonviolent convictions from legal challenges under the Second Amendment. “Yes, of course we are,” he said. “Every case is different. The facts leading up to where we are in a litigation is different, whether we’re at the district court level, whether we’re at the court of appeals.” “It’s not rational, or it’s not possible for us to just unwind on a given Monday. We just recently got out of a case two weeks ago that had been pending for a long time,” Blanche said. “We’ve recently argued some cases in front of the Supreme Court. We’ve had some cases in the court of appeals, and this is something that we’re looking carefully at case by case to make sure that we are doing the right thing—consistent with the Constitution, consistent with the Second Amendment, consistent with this administration’s priorities.” “And so yes, it’s not as smooth as a single day, but it’s also not as clunky as taking forever,” the attorney general said. In March, however, the Trump administration argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that the federal law barring cannabis consumers from owning guns is constitutional under the Second Amendment. And last month, Solicitor General D. John Sauer sent the justices a letter saying that the Trump administration’s move to federally reschedule marijuana should not impact their decision in that case, U.S. vs. Hemani. Moros of SAF told Marijuana moment that ATF “may soon be forced to revise the form even further following what we hope will be a favorable ruling” in that case. Separately, ATF moved earlier this year to loosen rules that bar people who consume marijuana and other illegal drugs from being able to lawfully purchase and possess guns by making it so fewer people would be affected. The interim final rule from ATF, which is currently open for public comment through June 30, seeks to update the definition of “unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance” under an existing policy that has been interpreted to deny Second Amendment rights to people who have used illegal substances a single time within the past year. The post New ATF Gun Form Recognizes Medical Marijuana’s Federally Legal Status Under Trump’s Rescheduling Move appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Study: Older adults see marijuana as Rx alternative; MN psilocybin amendment passes; LA psychedelic treatment vote; MA anti-cannabis ballot lawsuit 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 White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Sara Carter Bailey clarified that marijuana is “still illegal” following the Trump administration’s cannabis rescheduling move. “Executive-level Schedule III allows for doctors and research and for medicine, for medicinal purposes.” The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control released guidance warning state medical cannabis businesses that they must register with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in order to avoid sanctions—up to and including revocation of state registrations. The Minnesota House of Representatives passed an amendment to legalize the regulated therapeutic use of psilocybin for adults 21 and older. The Louisiana House of Representatives approved a Senate-passed bill to create a psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program, using opioid settlement dollars to fund clinical trials aimed at developing alternative treatments such as psilocybin, ibogaine and MDMA. A new federally funded study published by the American Medical Association found that “older adults are increasingly turning to cannabis for symptom management”—with many motivated to try marijuana “as an alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals due to concerns about adverse effects.” “As cannabis legalization becomes more widespread, older adults are increasingly turning to it not just for recreational use, but to manage symptoms associated with aging, including pain, sleep disturbances, and mental health concerns.” Former Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission general counsel Christine Baily argues in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that a legal challenge to a ballot measure to roll back cannabis legalization “has already served a vital public purpose” even if the state Supreme Judicial Court rejects the lawsuit. “The legal challenge will hopefully inform Massachusetts voters about what is at stake for the industry.” Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA) visited a hemp business and pledged to help address farmers’ concerns about the looming federal recriminalization of hemp THC products as well as possible changes at the state level under legislation to legalize recreational marijuana sales. A Pennsylvania senator said his bill to create a new board to regulate medical cannabis and hemp is “laying the foundation” for recreational marijuana legalization, the push for which is bolstered by the Trump administration’s federal rescheduling move. “Some of our more conservative members are watching the president kind of wade into this, if you will. And times are changing pretty rapidly.” Drug policy experts say the White House’s new National Drug Control Strategy reveals contradictions with some of the Trump administration’s actions on marijuana and in other areas of policy, including harm reduction. NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano argues in a new op-ed that the Trump administration’s marijuana rescheduling move is an “important and welcome step forward” but “falls well short of the comprehensive changes necessary to provide nationwide relief to patients—and it fails to harmonize state and federal marijuana policy.” “Let’s hope it doesn’t take federal officials another 50 years to act accordingly.” / FEDERAL Senate and House lawmakers sent letters urging federal officials to reverse Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration guidance ending funding for drug harm reduction measures. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) wrote in an op-ed about why he won’t switch parties that he remains “pro-weed.” Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) is pressing the Food and Drug Administration about its support for psychedelics through its National Priority Voucher program. The House bill to protect people from being evicted from public housing for marijuana got one new cosponsor for a total of one. / STATES California regulators announced recalls of marijuana products due to failure to list allergens on ingredients lists. The Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet’s Office of the Inspector General issued a report finding that regulators’ medical cannabis business licensing process was “fair and transparent.” Illinois regulators published guidance on child-resistant cannabis product packaging rules. Texas regulators issued a correction to previously announced medical cannabis business licensing scores and awards. California regulators are conducting a survey about how federal marijuana rescheduling will affect the state’s regulated cannabis market. Arkansas regulators renewed almost all of the state’s medical cannabis business licenses while delaying a few over paperwork issues. Massachusetts regulators are hosting a cannabis industry career fair on May 20. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of 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 The Boston, Massachusetts Cannabis Board will meet on Wednesday. / INTERNATIONAL Prince Edward Island, Canada’s health minister wants to increase the minimum legal age for cannabis. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study concluded that “alternatives to opioids, such as cannabis, are desired by patients and physicians alike.” A review concluded that “findings suggest a therapeutic potential of psychedelics for some aspects of symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder.” / BUSINESS Cresco Labs Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of $151.3 million and a net loss of $17 million. Litigation accusing Cresco, Verano and Cannabist of mislabeling marijuana products to get around Illinois THC potency limits has been dismissed. 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: The post White House drug czar says cannabis is “still illegal” after rescheduling (Newsletter: May 11, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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“The administration, on the one hand, is moving in a direction of liberalizing access to cannabis, but at the same time, in the strategy, it talks about the dangers of doing so.” By Aneri Pattani, KFF Health News The White House’s newly released strategy for tackling the nation’s drug and addiction crisis calls for a number of ambitious public health approaches that some experts say are laudable but will be hampered by the administration’s own actions. The sweeping 195-page National Drug Control Strategy, published May 4, advocates for making access to treatment easier than getting drugs, preventing young people from developing addictions in the first place, increasing support for people in recovery, and reducing overdose deaths. Those broad goals are widely supported by public health researchers, addiction treatment clinicians, and recovery advocates. But accomplishing such goals will be difficult in the face of the administration’s mass layoffs of federal employees, cancellation of research and community grants, attacks on organizations and practices that serve people who use drugs, and cuts to Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for low-income people that is the largest payer for addiction and mental health care nationwide. Many components of the National Drug Control Strategy are “things that we would agree with and that we fully support,” said Libby Jones, who leads overdose prevention efforts at the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, a public health advocacy group. But there are “disconnects in what the strategy says is important and then what they’re actually going to fund,” she said of the Trump administration. “Those inconsistencies feel particularly loud in this strategy.” The White House’s National Drug Control Strategy, released every two years, is a touchstone document meant to lay out the federal government’s coordinated approach to what in recent decades has been one of the country’s defining problems. Since 2000, more than 1.1 million people have died of drug overdoses. Although deaths have decreased recently, the numbers remain elevated compared with earlier decades, and research suggests overdose death rates among Black Americans and Native Americans are disproportionately high. The strategy document published this week is the first of President Donald Trump’s current term. In keeping with the administration’s approach to addiction issues, it places heavy emphasis on law enforcement efforts to reduce the supply of illicit drugs. The document repeatedly refers to the ongoing “war” against “foreign terrorist organizations” — the Trump administration’s term for drug cartels — and touts increased enforcement at U.S. borders. It also outlines plans to implement artificial intelligence technologies to screen for illicit drugs brought into the country and wastewater testing to detect illegal drug use nationwide. The second half of the strategy focuses on reducing the demand for drugs through public health prevention efforts, addiction treatment, and support for people in recovery. It promotes the role of religion in recovery and calls for the widespread use of overdose reversal medications, such as naloxone. In a news release, the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy called the document a “roadmap” that will “continue dismantling the drug supply and defeating the scourge of illicit drugs in our country.” The Trump administration did not respond to requests for comment about how the strategy aligns with its other actions. In December, Trump signed a reauthorization of the SUPPORT Act, which continues several grants related to treatment and recovery and the requirement for Medicaid to cover all FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder. In January, he announced the Great American Recovery Initiative, including a $100 million investment to address homelessness, opioid addiction, and public safety. However, few details have been provided about the initiative, and in January, about a month after the SUPPORT Act passed, billions of dollars in addiction-related grants were abruptly terminated and reinstated within a frantic 24-hour period. That “whiplash” left “a sense of instability and uncertainty in the field,” said Yngvild Olsen, a national adviser with the Manatt Health consultancy. She led substance use treatment policy at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, under the Biden administration and left about six months into Trump’s second term. That insecurity was exacerbated by the president’s 2027 budget request, which proposes cuts to several addiction and mental health programs and the consolidation of key federal agencies working on those matters. Jones’ group and nearly 100 others in the field have signed a letter asking Congress to reject the proposals, as it did with similar requests last year. The national drug strategy adds new, potentially contradictory information to this confusing landscape. Increasing Access to Treatment One of the most significant public health goals in the strategy, mentioned at least half a dozen times, is to make it easier to get treatment than it is to buy illegal drugs. National data underscores the necessity: More than 80% of Americans who need substance use treatment don’t receive it. The administration’s actions on health insurance may make it difficult to improve that statistic. Medicaid is the main source of health care coverage for adults with opioid use disorder. When implemented, the Medicaid work requirements in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act are projected to strip that coverage from about 1.6 million people with substance use disorders. The last time Medicaid rolls were purged — after covid-era protections expired — many people who had been receiving medication treatment for opioid addiction stopped it and fewer people started treatment, according to a study published last year. Olsen, who is also an addiction medicine doctor, said she loves the strategy’s emphasis on making treatment readily available to anyone who wants it. But she said that’s “hard to really imagine when now people may have to pay for it themselves because they may be losing their Medicaid insurance coverage.” One analysis estimated the upcoming Medicaid changes could lead 156,000 people to lose access to medications for opioid use disorder and result in more than 1,000 additional fatal overdoses per year. People with private insurance may be affected, too. The Trump administration has refused to enforce Biden-era regulations aimed at bolstering mental health parity, the idea that insurers must cover mental illness and addiction treatment comparably to physical treatments. And recently, the administration said it would redo those regulations altogether, raising fears that addiction treatment could become increasingly unaffordable. The administration did not respond to specific questions about how it reconciles its actions on Medicaid and parity with the goal of increasing treatment. Prioritizing Prevention The strategy highlights preventing addictions before they begin as one of the keys to reducing demand for drugs. It calls for “promoting a drug-free America as the social norm” and implementing school and community-based programs that are backed by science. “Investing in primary prevention, before drug use starts, saves lives and resources,” it says, citing several studies about the cost-effectiveness of such programs. Yet, the president’s budget proposes cuts to these types of programs, and federal layoffs have decimated the agencies that would implement such work. The White House’s most recent budget request proposes cutting roughly $220 million from SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and nearly $40 million from the Drug-Free Communities program. Since the new administration started, SAMHSA has lost about half of its staff, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is down about a quarter. “It’s not clear to me that they’re really going to be able to have the funds or the people to be able to carry that out,” Olsen said of the strategy’s prevention goals. Another wrinkle appears in the strategy’s discussion of marijuana. The document points to marijuana use as one of the drivers of increasing drug use disorders and reports that “convergent evidence from multiple sources” suggests cannabis use increases the risk of psychosis. It calls for developing new tools to treat marijuana withdrawal and addiction. However, just two weeks ago, the White House moved to reclassify medical marijuana to a lower tier of scheduled substances and is moving to hold a hearing to do the same for marijuana broadly. “The administration, on the one hand, is moving in a direction of liberalizing access to cannabis,” Jones said, “but at the same time, in the strategy, it talks about the dangers of doing so.” “There’s a disconnect there that just makes you question: Which one do you believe?” she added. The administration did not respond to specific questions about its marijuana policies. Stopping Overdose Deaths One of the more surprising elements of the National Drug Control Strategy comes in the last paragraph of the final chapter. It focuses on public drug-checking programs, which often involve using test strips to help people who use drugs determine whether there are more-dangerous substances, such as fentanyl or xylazine, in the batch they bought. That helps them determine whether or how to safely use those drugs. “Rapid test strips and similar technologies that detect fentanyl and other drugs are an important tool that should be legal,” the strategy document says. However, SAMHSA announced in a recent letter that it would no longer pay for test strips, as part of the Trump administration’s “clear shift away from harm reduction and practices that facilitate illicit drug use.” The administration has similarly attacked harm reduction programs in an executive order and its budget requests. It did not respond to specific questions about how this position interacts with the drug control strategy. Regina LaBelle, a Georgetown University professor who served as acting director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy during the Biden administration, wrote about the contradiction in a blog post: “It is the height of rhetoric over reality to champion a tool while simultaneously cutting off the funding used to acquire it.” KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. This article first appeared on KFF Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The post White House Drug Strategy Shows Trump Administration’s Conflicts On Marijuana And Other Issues, Experts Say appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“To rectify this state/federal conflict…cannabis must be removed from the Controlled Substances Act altogether.” By Paul Armentano, NORML The Trump administration’s decision to reclassify state-authorized medical cannabis products and recognize state-licensed medical cannabis providers is a historic first step toward bringing federal drug policy into the 21st century. For over 50 years, the federal government had clung firmly to its “Flat Earth” position that marijuana lacks any legitimate medical utility and belongs in the same federal classification as heroin. And for much of this time, government officials went to extreme lengths to enforce this intellectually dishonest policy—even going so far as to threaten the livelihoods of physicians who dared to discuss medical cannabis options with their patients. But patients, physicians and advocates bravely and steadfastly fought back. Over time, scientific, political and public consensus became too great to ignore. Forty states, beginning with California in 1996, have legalized physician-authorized access to medicinal cannabis products. Many of these state-level programs have been in place for decades, much to the satisfaction of patients and their physicians. No jurisdictions have ever repealed their medical marijuana laws—proof positive that these programs are working as intended and that abuses are minimal. Further, 69 percent of family physicians, nurse practitioners and other health professionals nationwide now agree that cannabis has well-established medical uses. And over one-quarter of clinicians acknowledge having recommended it to their patients. According to an extensive 250-page review issued by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2023, more than 6 million patients use medical cannabis under their physicians’ supervision. The public health agency concluded, “No safety concerns were identified in our review that would indicate that the medical use of marijuana poses unacceptably high safety risks for the indications where there is some credible scientific evidence supporting its therapeutic use.” This includes the use of cannabis for the mitigation and management of chronic pain. Nearly a decade ago, researchers affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences determined that there exists “conclusive evidence” that cannabis is “effective” in treating chronic pain conditions. Yet it took until just recently for the federal government to finally acknowledge this reality. But while the administration’s medical cannabis rescheduling order is an important and welcome step forward, it still falls well short of the comprehensive changes necessary to provide nationwide relief to patients—and it fails to harmonize state and federal marijuana policy. Specifically, this new order does not aid patients residing in the 10 U.S. states that do not yet regulate medical cannabis use. They will continue to have to fend for themselves. And they will continue to risk arrest and prosecution for doing so. Further, this federal policy change provides no legal remedies for either the thousands of businesses or the millions of consumers who reside in the 24 states that have legalized recreational marijuana for adults. Even with this change, adults who sell or consume cannabis in accordance with their state laws are still technically breaking federal law. To rectify this state/federal conflict—and to provide state governments with the explicit authority to establish their own adult-use cannabis regulatory policies, like they already do with alcohol—cannabis must be removed from the Controlled Substances Act altogether. Doing so would affirm America’s longstanding principles of federalism and appeal to Americans’ deep-rooted desires to be free from undue government intrusion into their daily lives. Let’s hope it doesn’t take federal officials another 50 years to act accordingly. Paul Armentano is the Deputy Director for NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. This op-ed was first published by OtherWords. The post Trump’s Marijuana Rescheduling Move Is A ‘Step Forward,’ But Still ‘Falls Well Short’ Of Needed Changes (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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“You’re a constituent. Let’s see what is in the realm of possibility.” By Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury “We needed this rain,” farmer and entrepreneur Graham Redfern said from his front porch in Caroline County Wednesday as U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA), who represents Virginia’s 7th District in Congress, approached. The lawmaker was there to learn about the crops and products at Redfern Hemp Co., one of the state’s small businesses whose future hangs in the balance between soon-to-start federal restrictions on hemp THC products and Virginia’s not-yet-finalized retail cannabis market. The rain was one certainty for Redfern, and a welcome one at the start of his planting season. But another, he said, is that most of his products will become illegal later this year, when the federal hemp crackdown kicks in. “It’s scary,” Redfern said of thinking six months forward. He added that some of his staff members are thinking about looking for other jobs. Redfern’s company, which employs 14 full-time staff and 5 part-time staff, makes body creams, dog treats, chocolates and gummies from hemp. His products offer calming and pain management effects for customers, while other parts of the hemp plant help create oils, birdseed and fibers. Tamra Herndon, a longtime customer of Redfern, said the products have been helpful for her mental and physical health. As an amputee, she experiences “phantom pain” where her left leg used to be, along with joint pain from walking on her prosthetic leg. The combination of THC and CBD in Redfern’s products helps both ease aches and calm anxiety. “I’ve been able to be more active,” she told Vindman as she accompanied him on the farm tour. In light of the looming federal changes, he’s exploring a “pivot”: utilizing hemp fibers to stabilize plastic in the recycling process. The move is meant to reduce the rise of micro plastics, which are increasingly entering waterways and food sources. He’s also mulling whether and how to transition his business into selling cannabis products, as the fate of lawmakers’ proposed retail cannabis market rests with Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D). Business owners struggle to navigate state, federal shifts Redfern said he invited Vindman to his farm to implore him to advocate on behalf of the hemp industry to Spanberger, who is mulling whether to sign into law or reject the retail cannabis market framework that cleared the legislature this year, half a decade after recreational pot was legalized in Virginia. The multi-pronged plan to roll out a weed market passed with bipartisan support, but Spanberger didn’t sign it and instead sent it back to lawmakers with amendments. They rejected her tweaks, setting up the choice for her to sign the plan lawmakers proposed or veto it entirely. But even if the legislature had accepted the governor’s changes, Redfern said, some of them would be difficult for him and other small business owners to meet. State lawmakers’ bill also stipulates that businesses’ agricultural, production and commercial spaces must operate within a 20-mile radius. Redfern’s farm is in Caroline County—a rural area—along with a small storefront nearby. His commercial kitchen, where products are tested and created, is in Richmond. “I can’t sell my farm and I don’t want to build out another kitchen when I already have one,” Redfern said. “I’ve been in this business for six years. That alone won’t allow me to go in and take my current business model that’s working and transition into the marijuana market. The problem is [the legislation] is also not giving me a pathway to even get there.” Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, author of the House version of the bill, said he was “frustrated” by the governor’s changes but is open to working with Spanberger on future iterations of the bill. “It’s a long process, but good legislation sometimes takes time,” he said. Instead of delaying the cannabis marketplace’s launch until July 2027, as Spanberger pitched, Redfern urges her to veto the bill and then hash it out with lawmakers as state budget negotiations continue. They have a tight timeline; the current state budget lapses July 1. Other small businesses in Virginia are also eager to see how the state-level debate plays out. Richmond-based restaurateur Jay Bayer of Bingo Beer had previously established a partnership with Pure Shenandoah to produce THC seltzers. The low-dose products offer an alcohol alternative for health-focused people that aren’t totally sober. Bayer said late last year he hoped the partnership could evolve into a marijuana-based product pending Virginia’s legal market as a pivot amid the federal changes. Redfern also asked Vindman to explore adjustments to the federal Farm Bill that Congress is in the process of rewriting. Lawmakers added a provision to the government spending bill last fall that sets forth the future ban on most hemp-based products. “You’re a constituent,” Vindman replied. “Let’s see what is in the realm of possibility.” While hemp and marijuana are both types of cannabis plants, it’s the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol—or THC—that has come under scrutiny by federal lawmakers. “Cannabis, which hemp is, will produce cannabinoids,” Redfern said.“It’s about impossible to create any industry in the industrial hemp world without taking the plant to maturity, which will then create cannabinoids, which will then now be marijuana.” THC derived from marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, but some states have legalized it. Hemp also contains the compound. Congress’s 2018 Farm Bill opened the door for enterprising hemp farmers to expand their portfolios, so long as they kept their products below a specific concentration of THC. Congress’s updates last year will further restrict, and essentially ban, most hemp products. Last week, the U.S. House passed its newest version of the Farm Bill, and it will now advance to the U.S. Senate for review. However, bipartisan efforts to undo the forthcoming illegality of hemp did not survive. As the nation’s legislature continues to deliberate matters, Vindman noted his interest in continuing hemp talks in D.C. At the state level, he said that his office has had a friendly relationship with Spanberger, so he planned to talk with her to relay Redfern’s concerns. This story was first published by Virginia Mercury. The post Congressman Pledges To Help Virginia Hemp Farmers As Federal THC Product Ban And State Marijuana Changes Loom appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“This bill does not legalize adult-use cannabis, but eventually we probably will. If we have this board set up ahead of time, they can do it in a professional manner.” By Ian Karbal, Pennsylvania Capital-Star A state Senate committee has advanced a bill to create a Cannabis Control Board that would allow more oversight of the existing medical marijuana program. It would also regulate hemp-derived products, which contain intoxicating cannabinoids and are currently sold in head shops and gas stations around the commonwealth. The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie), who has advocated for the legalization of recreational marijuana, says it would not legalize adult-use cannabis in Pennsylvania, but he hopes it can serve as a step towards that goal. “I think we need the board whether we ever legalize adult-use cannabis,” Laughlin said. “But if and when we do legalize adult-use cannabis, this is kind of laying the foundation for that.” The bill has the support of cannabis industry groups, and has garnered several co-sponsors who have been hesitant on previous efforts to legalize recreational marijuana. It’s also earned opponents who are in favor of a broader legalization effort. How would the board work? Senate Bill 49 would take regulatory authority of the existing medical marijuana program from the state Department of Health and transfer it to a new Cannabis Control Board—sort of like how the Gaming Control Board oversees gambling in the commonwealth. ‘While the Department of Health has worked hard within its authority, it was never designed to manage a rapidly growing industry, resulting in a program bogged down by slow responses, inconsistent oversight and a lack of clarity—frustrating patients and legitimate businesses,” Laughlin said in a statement. The new board, he said, would be able to move more quickly and to make decisions affecting the program without always requiring the approval of the legislature. “The goal is obviously, if we create this board ahead of time, we can run all things cannabis in Pennsylvania in a professional manner,” Laughlin said. “And if you have a board that is set up, and they are allowed to promulgate regulations, we won’t have to pass a separate bill every time something pops up.” The panel would also take on the regulation of hemp-derived products like delta-8 THC and other intoxicating cannabinoids. These products, which are available for sale at stores around Pennsylvania, proliferated after the 2018 federal Farm Bill redefined hemp in an attempt to allow farmers to more easily grow the crop, even when it contains trace amounts of delta-9 THC, the intoxicating substance in marijuana. But the legal change also opened a loophole, allowing people to process those hemp plants into products with other intoxicating compounds derived from it, like delta-8 THC. The items are now commonly found in stores across the state, face virtually no regulatory oversight, and are generally not evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has warned that the proliferation of the products has led to an uptick in calls to poison control centers and reports of so-called adverse events. The agency says the products can be mislabeled or contain potentially harmful chemicals. And Laughlin says, in some cases, they’re sold to young Pennsylvanians without ID requirements. The effort to create a cannabis control board in Pennsylvania has earned praise from the pro-cannabis lobbying group, Responsible PA, which represents many cannabis businesses like dispensaries operating under Pennsylvania’s medical program. Their clients’ products face significantly more regulation than over-the-counter hemp-derived products. “I would say this is a step forward,” said Monica McCafferty, a Responsible PA spokesperson. “We know that about 70 percent of Pennsylvanians do want adult-use legalization, so we as an advocate group are focused on that, but Senate Bill 49 is a step forward.” She praised the effort to regulate hemp-derived products and also called it a move in the right direction, “in terms of keeping the conversation going and ultimately getting to a place where we have comprehensive cannabis regulation.” Some sellers of medical cannabis have also embraced the effort. “While licensed marijuana operators adhere to some of the nation’s strictest safety and testing protocols, 87 percent of Pennsylvanians are unaware that hemp-derived products are not currently held to those same requirements,” said Marcus Peter, the vice president of external affairs for Terrapin, a company that was among the earliest recipients of a marijuana grower/processor licenses through Pennsylvania’s medical program. “By establishing a Cannabis Control Board, we can ensure that every operator—regardless of the product’s origin—meets the same high bar for consumer safety and lab-tested quality.” Notably, the federal definition of hemp is set to change again in November in an attempt to close what’s known as the “hemp loophole.” The change in law will severely restrict the amount of THC that hemp-derived products sold in stores can contain, and ban synthetic cannabinoids altogether. Will it lead to legalization? While Laughlin has stressed that his bill would not legalize recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania, he told reporters that he hopes it will be “a step that’s needed to make that happen.” “This bill does not legalize adult-use cannabis, but eventually we probably will,” he added. “If we have this board set up ahead of time, they can do it in a professional manner.” Laughlin has long been a supporter of legalizing cannabis since a time, he said, the stance was “cutting edge” for a Republican. As it stands, the Republican-controlled Senate remains the largest obstacle to legalizing recreational cannabis. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), for his part, has included legalizing cannabis in each of his annual budget proposals since taking office. House Democrats have also expressed support for legalization, and passed a bill to that end last year, which died in the Senate. But Laughlin is hopeful that times are changing. More Republicans, he said, have expressed openness to legalizing cannabis for recreational use in recent months and years. That’s been especially true since the Trump administration took steps to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I to Schedule III substance, which acknowledges potential medical benefits and clears the way for more research on its effects. “Some of our more conservative members are watching the president kind of wade into this, if you will. And times are changing pretty rapidly,” he said. It’s unclear what practical effects, if any, rescheduling could have in marijuana-related criminal cases, the existing medical market, or how the substance is treated in the commonwealth. Sen. President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) is one of the bill’s co-sponsors. As Senate president, she plays a key role in deciding which committees bills are sent to, and whether they receive a floor vote in the chamber. In the past, she’s expressed hesitance about efforts to legalize recreational marijuana for adults in Pennsylvania. A spokesperson for Ward did not respond to questions from the Capital-Star about her support of the bill or where she stands on recreational legalization. On the other hand, Laughlin’s bill was opposed by all Democrats on the Senate Law & Justice Committee, where it received a 6-5 vote Monday. Sen. Dawn Keefer (R-York) joined every Democrat on the panel in opposing it. A spokesperson for Senate Democrats said the caucus is in favor of full legalization, but opposes what they see as a stop-gap measure, especially as key figures in the Republican party continue to oppose recreational cannabis. Their statement cited a recent comment from Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacey Garrity, who told a Philadelphia NBC station, “I don’t support legalizing recreational marijuana… [The legislature is] never going to pass it, not as long as Senate Republicans are in control of the Senate.” “Senate Democrats have long championed legalizing recreational marijuana as the right and smart move for the Commonwealth,” the spokesperson said. “SB 49 does not move us closer to this goal. Senate Democrats are committed to ensuring that cannabis products are safe and regulated, but SB 49 does not meet our standards. “Perhaps most importantly, the Republican candidate for Governor made it clear that Senate Republicans are not interested in legalizing adult-use recreational cannabis,” they said. “Pennsylvania is leaving money on the table by entertaining distractions about a regulatory board in the absence of a conversation about legalizing adult-use marijuana.” A spokesperson for Shapiro did not respond to questions about whether the governor supports the effort. All of Pennsylvania’s neighboring states, save West Virginia, have legalized recreational marijuana. The Independent Fiscal Office has estimated that regulated recreational marijuana could bring in $140 million in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, which would grow to over $430 million annually by 2031. Laughlin said he thinks the Cannabis Control Board bill has a “very good chance” of receiving a full Senate vote in June. This story was first published by Pennsylvania Capital-Star. The post Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana And Hemp Regulation Bill Sets The State Up For Broader Recreational Legalization, GOP Senator Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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