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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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Oklahoma drug officials have issued guidance warning medical marijuana businesses that they must register with the federal government in order to avoid facing punishments, including potentially having their state registrations revoked. Donnie Anderson, director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBNDD) said in a letter to cannabis industry operatives on Friday that they are required to fill out a new Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration form that was launched in conjunction with the Trump administration’s move to federally reschedule cannabis. Citing state laws, he said that “every registrant who is a distributor or manufacturer of medical marijuana products must comply with federal law and, as such, shall be required to obtain a DEA registration.” “Failure to obtain a DEA registration could result in OBNDD administrative sanctions up to and including the potential revocation of an registrant’s OBNDD registration(s),” the letter says. “This is consistent with the requirements in place for other Schedule Ill registrants currently regulated by OBNDD.” “To ensure compliance with these federal regulations and minimize any impact on lawfully operating entities, OBNDD will not consider pursuing administrative action on medical marijuana businesses registered with OBNDD for the manufacturing or distribution of marijuana without the required DEA registration until January 1, 2027. It is strongly recommended that all OBNDD registrants authorized to manufacture or distribute medical marijuana apply for the appropriate DEA registration within the sixty-day period after the April 28, 2026, publication of the Final Order. By timely submitting an application to the DEA, a registrant will not be subjected to OBNDD administrative action for the manufacturing, or distribution of marijuana without a DEA registration while the DEA application filed within the sixty-day period remains pending. Failure to timely submit an application to the DEA would render any manufacturing or distribution of medical marijuana products without a DEA registration to be in violation of the Final Order. These activities could subject a registrant to OBNDD administrative sanctions up to and including the potential revocation of an registrant’s OBNDD registration(s).” Anderson concluded by saying that “nothing included in this letter is intended to be taken as legal advice concerning the obligations of a registrant set forth in either federal law or Oklahoma statutes.” “This letter is merely being provided to inform medical marijuana businesses of their administrative responsibilities,” he wrote. “If there are additional questions concerning compliance with either federal, state, or administrative law, a registrant should consult with an attorney.” The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA), which licenses and regulates medical cannabis businesses in the state, separately released guidance earlier this week on federal rescheduling and a recently filed lawsuit challenging the reform. “This is an evolving federal conversation, but our focus remains the same: protecting patient health and safety and responsibly regulating the industry,” OMMA Executive Director Adria Berry said. “These announcements have created a lot of questions, but very few answers have been received. OMMA will continue to relay information as released by the DEA and federal government, but, ultimately, we encourage licensees to seek professional counsel as they determine the best decisions for their business.” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), meanwhile, has suggested recently that lawmakers should put a measure on the ballot to roll back the state’s medical cannabis program. He said during his State of the State address in February that voters should “shut it down,” arguing that “liberal activists” conned the state and “opened up Pandora’s box” with legalization. Legislative leaders have pushed back on that idea, however. Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton (R), for example, initially expressed openness to the idea—but he ultimately determined it’d be “really hard to completely undo” legalization and unfair to licensed medical cannabis operators who “invested their life savings into this program” and are “trying to do this for the Oklahomans that need that product—not for recreational, but for actual medicinal purposes.” “It’s hard to unring that bell,” he said. “What I’m going to suggest to the governor is that we don’t run a state question on that, but instead we continue to push the regulations [and] we continue to regulate the industry.” — 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. — House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R) has also largely dismissed the prospect of upending the state’s medical cannabis program. He said Oklahomans have already drawn a clear distinction: They support medical marijuana and “resoundingly” oppose adult-use legalization, based on past election results. Stitt is undeterred, however, claiming in a recent interview that he’s had “some great conversations with the House and the Senate.” “They know it’s a problem. Oklahomans all over are calling our offices saying it’s a problem,” Stitt said. “So I think we’ll get something back to the people.” Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R) was asked about the governor’s call to have voters revisit the state’s medical marijuana program, and he said he’d “love” to see the state’s medical marijuana program wiped out. However, he cautioned that doing so would mean reimbursing the hundreds of licensees participating in the market because the state would be “taking” a revenue source away from them. Back in 2022, Stitt similarly used his State of the State address as an opportunity to dig at the voter-approved medical marijuana law, arguing that residents were misled by proponents of the ballot initiative. Meanwhile, in November, Oklahoma activists withdrew an adult-use marijuana legalization initiative that they’d hoped to place on the state’s 2026 ballot. After a short but aggressive signature push to secure ballot placement, Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action (ORCA) ultimately did not turn in its petitions by the deadline, according to the secretary of state’s office. The post Oklahoma Officials Say Medical Marijuana Businesses Must Register With Federal DEA To Avoid Punishment appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Minnesota House lawmakers have voted to legalize the regulated therapeutic use of psilocybin for adults 21 and older. The reform was added to broader health policy legislation via an amendment on the floor of the House of Representatives that was adopted by a vote of 114-15 on Thursday. The amended legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration. The psilocybin provisions that are advancing are similar to those of a standalone bill that was approved earlier this year by the House Health Finance and Policy Committee, though that legislation had also contained language to reschedule the psychedelic under state statute, which is not part of the new amendment. Rep. Andy Smith (DFL), who sponsored both the new amendment and the standalone bill, said on the floor that “psilocybin has shown, through a lot of wonderful research, an incredible ability to help those who are struggling with a wide variety of mental health concerns— from depression to addiction recovery, as well as PTSD, especially in veterans or public safety officers and those who have experienced a traumatic event, as well as assault survivors.” Rep. Max Rymer (R) cited a recent psychedelics executive order signed by President Donald Trump, saying that the state legislation could help make Minnesota eligible to receive some federal funds that are being made available to support research on the issue. “The way that I look at this amendment is it creates an offering for people to not get hooked, necessarily, into drugs on an ongoing basis, but actually use a therapeutic like this to almost rewire their brain,” he said. “The testimony that we heard firsthand, from especially a lot of our veterans, was that this was life-changing.” Rep. Nolan West (R) said that the availability of federal funds for psychedelic research is “one of the biggest reasons to do this today.” “Many states are in no way ready to utilize that money. So by being early, we can have a program that will help many people with severe conditions, and we’ll have it paid for by the federal government,” he said. “That money is going to be spent, and it might as well be spent benefiting Minnesotans.” “If you talk to a lot of veterans, or really anybody who has had this experience in this space, on how it’s helped them, it’s a unique intervention that fundamentally improves brain function and can address things unlike anything we’ve seen,” West said. Smith also filed a similar measure last year that did not ultimately advance to enactment. He has said the legislation was informed by recommendations from a state psychedelics task force that was formed under a separate law he sponsored. Under the current legislation, qualified patients 21 and older could receive psilocybin-assisted therapy in an approved private residence or at a licensed treatment facility. A registered facilitator would need to administer the psychedelic. To start, the program would need to involve licensing 20 to 50 facilitators, with at least three approved testing facilities for psilocybin. No more than 1,000 patients could participate in the psychedelic therapy for the first three years of the law’s implementation. “There are 1,000 Minnesotans right now who feel lost, who feel like potentially, that their life is over, that they can’t function,” Smith said ahead of the most recent vote. “Probably not all 1,000 will find this drug helpful, but a lot of them will, and it will lead them to a better life than they thought is possible right now.” The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) would be responsible for overseeing the program and establishing rules, and a new Psychedelic Medicine Advisory Committee would be established. Psilocybin sessions would involve “preparation” with a patient-facilitator consultation, “administration” where patients would receive the psychedelic and “integration” where patients would work with professionals to process the therapeutic experience. Kurtis Hanna, who worked as a volunteer lobbyist to pass prior legislation to establish the state’s psychedelics task force, told Marijuana Moment that he’s “extremely happy” about the latest development. “I couldn’t have predicted that, three years later, the movement would gain this much support,” Hanna, who serves as board president for the Psychedelic Access Project, said. “Advocating for cannabis law reform over the past 17 years was difficult—we narrowly passed medical cannabis in 2014 and adult-use legalization in 2023—so it’s notable and encouraging that psychedelic law reform is resonating differently.” Separately, the Senate Finance Committee earlier this week adopted an amendment directing OCM to “regularly analyze the availability of federal programs to provide funds to support state efforts to establish a psilocybin therapeutic use program for individuals aged 21 and older who have qualifying medical conditions to access and use psilocybin under medical supervision.” — 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 in Minnesota, the state’s first government-run marijuana retailer recently opened its doors, marking another milestone in the state’s adult-use cannabis program. Last September, Minnesota officials granted the state’s first-ever marijuana event organizer license, allowing adults to buy and consume cannabis products on-site at a festival. The first non-tribal marijuana shops opened for sales to adults 21 and older earlier that month. Also last year, the Minnesota city of Eden Prairie sought suggestions from residents on what to name a new, government-branded cannabis gummy product to be sold at municipal liquor stores. Minnesota’s House of Representatives circulated a poll at last year’s State Fair that asked attendees about the idea of allowing localities to enact bans on marijuana businesses within their borders. Most respondents who have an opinion on the issue agree with the policy, despite it not currently being a part of the state’s cannabis laws. Ahead of the enactment of legalization in Minnesota, lawmakers’ separate State Fair polls found majority support for the reform. The governor has also selected a top cannabis regulator for the state who will oversee the adult-use market rollout. Last June, OCM issued the state’s first recreational marijuana license for a cultivation microbusiness. OCM said at the time that it’s taking further steps to build up in the industry and create opportunities to entrepreneurs, including opening a new licensing window for cannabis testing facilities, accepting the first applications for marijuana event licenses and verifying more social equity status requests. Separately, after Minnesota lawmakers passed a bill to end the criminalization of bong water containing trace amount of drugs, the governor signed the measure into law last May. The change addresses an existing policy that had allowed law enforcement to treat quantities of bong water greater than four ounces as equivalent to the pure, uncut version of whatever drug the device was used to consume. Meanwhile, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said in December that the state is “exploring” how to respond to an impending federal ban on hemp THC products, which would be “very disruptive” to a “thriving industry.” Read the full psilocybin amendment adopted by the Minnesota House below: Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Workman. The post Minnesota Lawmakers Pass Bill To Legalize Psilocybin Therapy appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Most older adults who seek out marijuana do so to avoid negative effects associated with traditional pharmaceuticals or because they’ve exhausted other options to treat conditions like pain or sleep disorders, according to a new federally funded study released by the American Medical Association (AMA). The study, published in JAMA Network Open on Friday, examined the motivations that have driven older adults to become the fastest-growing demographic of cannabis consumers in the U.S. Researchers at the University of Utah Health and the University of Colorado Boulder also looked at product preferences among older adults who expressed interest in experimenting with marijuana. For the community-based, qualitative study—which was supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—researchers interviewed 169 adults aged 60 or older who were “seeking relief from age-related ailments (eg, pain or difficulty sleeping) and improved quality of life.” While the underlying trend of seniors increasingly turning to marijuana has been widely reported, “little is known about the motivations and factors that influence their use of edible cannabis and product choice,” the study authors said. “The findings of this study suggest that older adults are increasingly turning to cannabis for symptom management.” The interviews analyzed for the study—which took place from November 2021 to November 2023 as part of a broader clinical trial—offer preliminary answers to the question about motivations. “Many participants described a reluctance in using traditional pharmaceutical treatments,” the study authors said. “Notably, they had concerns about adverse effects, long-term health risks, or dependency associated with pharmaceutical medications and viewed cannabis as a safer alternative.” “Participants also reported that they had exhausted all pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic options (eg, therapy, acupuncture, or massage) for symptom management so they desired to try cannabis as a last resort,” they said. “Some participants who were experiencing substantial physical and mental health burdens sought to use cannabis to address their new or escalating symptoms related to pain, sleep disturbances, or mood changes.” “Older adults were motivated to use cannabis as an alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals due to concerns about adverse effects and ineffectiveness of medications they have tried previously.” Other older patients said they were motivated to try cannabis because they heard about the benefits “through personal networks, medical talks, and media sources.” A cohort of interviewees said they wanted to give marijuana a try “for recreational use such as for getting high or to improve social gatherings with friends and activities,” while others reported using it as an alternative to intoxicants such as alcohol. “Overall, they really wanted better quality of life, reducing their pain, getting better sleep, and being able to enjoy time with family and friends a little bit more,” Rebecca Delaney, assistant professor of population health sciences at University of Utah Health who co-authored the study, said in a press release. “Across all motivations, older adults were most likely to choose a combination cannabis product, but distributions of motivations differed by the product participants intended to purchase,” the authors said in the AMA-published paper. As far as product preferences are concerned, 58 percent of older adults chose edibles with a combination of THC and non-intoxicating CBD, compared to 29 percent who selected a CBD-dominant product and 14 percent who went for a THC-dominant edible. Interestingly, the most “common drawback” of cannabis with a combination of THC and CBD (or THC-dominant products) cited by the participants was “concern about getting high or being impaired.” For CBD products, the biggest concern was about the perception of “limited efficacy.” The study—which received funding from the National Institute of Aging under NIH—also found that the most common health conditions older adults wanted to use cannabis for were sleep (57 percent), pain (50 percent) and mental health (25 percent). “Older adults were motivated to use cannabis as an alternative approach to address health concerns.” “For the most part, we found that these folks aren’t really interested in getting high. They just want to feel better,” Angela Bryan, senior author of the study, said. The study concludes by reiterating that “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.” “In the absence of medical consultation, they face numerous decisions without clear information about what product can best address their needs,” it said. “With the most common product profile selected being a combination of CBD and THC, expanding research to identify the potential benefits and harms of this treatment option may help inform clinical guidance. Future efforts should focus on equipping practitioners with practical tools and creating accessible patient resources to ensure older adults can make informed choices about edible cannabis products as part of their care.” “The ultimate goal is to develop resources to help people make decisions and find products that meet their needs, and to figure out how we can distill information to patients and physicians,” Delaney, one of the study authors, said. “We would really love to see more of these conversations happening between physicians and patients to make sure that people feel supported and informed when seeking alternative ways to address their pain.” Meanwhile, another recent study involving more than 3,500 patients found that using medical marijuana appears to help people reduce the use of other medications, including opioids, sleeping aids and antidepressants. They also experience far fewer negative side effects after switching to cannabis from prescription drugs. About one in three Americans who use CBD say they take it as an alternative or supplement to at least one medication—particularly painkillers—according to a federally funded study published in February. Similarly, another recent federally funded study, published by the AMA, added more evidence that marijuana can serve as an effective substitute for opioids in chronic pain treatment. Other AMA-published research has found that legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes is “significantly associated with reduced opioid use among patients diagnosed with cancer.” A separate paper published in October similarly found that medical marijuana legalization is “associated with significant reductions in opioid prescribing.” Meanwhile, earlier this year, it was reported that senior residents in Arizona independent living communities could see a different kind of care service available in their neighborhoods: Kiosks allowing them to view and buy marijuana products from licensed dispensaries. For what it’s worth, President Donald Trump last year shared a video promoting the health benefits of cannabis—suggesting that covering CBD under Medicare would be “the most important senior health initiative of the century.” The post More Older Adults Are Using Marijuana As An Alternative To Pharmaceuticals, Federally Funded Study From American Medical Association Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Trump administration’s drug czar is clarifying that move to federally reschedule marijuana doesn’t make cannabis broadly legal. “It’s still illegal,” Sara Carter Bailey, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), said in an interview with Newsmax this week. “Executive-level Schedule III allows for doctors and research and for medicine, for medicinal purposes.” She was answering a reporter’s question about the potency of marijuana products during an interview about the administration’s new National Drug Control Strategy. That document, released this week, raises alarm about “high-potency” marijuana and expresses concerns that international cartels and crime groups “exploit” state cannabis legalization laws. It also discusses the forthcoming federal recriminalization of hemp THC products that is scheduled for later this year under a law signed by President Donald Trump. In the Newsmax interview, Carter went on to say that “we also have a problem out there with illicit marijuana grows.” “These are grows that are connected directly to the [Chinese Communist Party], grows connected directly to Sinaloa cartel and [Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación], and we’ve seen the potency go as high as 90 percent in some products,” she said. “So we are watching that. We’re monitoring that, and our law enforcement community is on board. They are targeting these illicit growth and getting them out of our country.” “This is what’s most important. We should not allow adversarial states or adversaries to be purchasing farmland in the United States, even through straw men, to grow illicit marijuana and to not only poison our people, but poison our soil,” Carter said. “Our greatest resource is our nation’s people. That is the greatest resource, and we are here to protect them, and President Trump is at the forefront of that fight.” Under an order signed last month by U.S. Acting Attorney General Blanche, marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license immediately moved to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), as did any marijuana products that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Congressional Research Service published a report on marijuana rescheduling last week explaining that while certified patients who possess medical cannabis from state-licensed dispensaries now have certain protections under Schedule III, the industry as a whole isn’t “immediately” considered to be in “full compliance” with federal law. “Thus, the order appears to authorize end users to possess marijuana for medical use without a CSA-compliant prescription,” the congressional report said. As it concerns non-end users participating in the state-legal cannabis industry, however, “the final order may make it possible for them to comply with the CSA, but may not bring them into full compliance with federal law.” Prior to being confirmed as drug czar, Carter voiced support for medical cannabis, while stating that she doesn’t have a “problem” with legalization, even if she might not personally agree with the policy. “I don’t have any problem if it’s legalized and it’s monitored,” she said in 2024. “I mean, I may have my own issues of how I feel about that, but I do believe that cannabis for medicinal purposes and medical reasons is a fantastic way of handling—especially for people with cancer and other illnesses, you know—of handling the illness and the side effects of the medication and those illnesses. So I’m not saying we’ve gotta make it illegal.” The post White House Drug Czar Clarifies That Marijuana Is ‘Still Illegal’ Following Trump Administration’s Rescheduling Move appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Louisiana lawmakers have passed a 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 and ibogaine, also adopting a new amendment that adds MDMA to the scope of the legislation. The proposal from Sen. Patrick McMath (R) was amended and approved by the House of Representatives in a 97-0 vote on Thursday, weeks after passing the Senate in a unanimous vote. Because an amendment adopted on the House floor added MDMA to the bill, and the Health and Welfare Committee previously made technical amendments to the proposal last month, it must now go back for an additional vote in the Senate before potentially heading to the desk of Gov. Jeff Landry (R) for consideration. Rep. Neil Riser (R), who presented the legislation to the House, said the amendment adding MDMA “put us in positive correlation” with a psychedelics executive order recently signed by President Donald Trump “so that we can look at all different alternatives, including those that are beyond ibogaine that were listed it in the executive order.” He discussed psychedelics as a much-needed alternative treatment option for military veterans and others dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), saying that “for every soldier that’s killed in action, five commit suicide when they get home.” “So clearly, the best methodology of treatment that we’ve been using at the [Department of Veterans Affairs] or elsewhere really does not work,” he said. “There’s also the firemen and police officers that suffer from this post-traumatic stress.” Riser told colleagues that “you’ll look back on a lot of pieces of legislation that you voted on and voted for.” “This will be a piece of legislation that you will truly be proud to know that you change people’s lives,” he said. If the legislation is enacted into law, the psychedelics program would be overseen by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), which would be responsible for facilitating clinical trials involving substances that hold therapeutic potential. The bill says that eligible participants would include people with opioid use disorders, co-occurring substance use disorders and treatment-resistant neurological or mental health conditions. Any studies would need to go though the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigational drug approval process. Researchers would also need to be permitted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to conduct trials involving the Schedule I controlled substances. Patients participating in the studies would need to go through mental and physical health screening, and researchers would also be required to develop processes that ensure safety and compliance, with adverse event reporting rules, training and licensing for therapists and policies for tracking and handling the psychedelics. There are also provisions authorizing academic institutions to collaborate in the clinical trials to bolster FDA approval prospects to develop prescription drugs based on psychedelics. Researchers would also be encouraged to collaborate with institutions in other states that have similar programs in place. If a drug is approved and developed as a result of the pilot program clinical trials, there would be a revenue sharing requirement. Under the bill as amended on the House floor, it says that “not less than a two and one-half percent of net sales” would go to the state, though a prior committee amendment had put that amount at 20 percent. Under SB 43 as amended, Louisiana would participate in a national consortium for research and drug development. If a therapy does gain FDA approval, revenue tied to the intellectual property rights of that drug would go to the consortium (except for the portion specifically earmarked for Louisiana). Last year, McMath also sponsored a resolution approved by the full chamber that called for the establishment of a task force to study and make recommendations on the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics for veterans. — 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. — Separately, the Senate also recently passed a bill to let patients with terminal and irreversible conditions use medical marijuana in hospitals. At the same time, however, advocates are alarmed that lawmakers are advancing legislation that threatens to send people to jail for up to one year if they smoke marijuana within 2,000 feet of a school property—including a college campus. Another Louisiana lawmaker, meanwhile, recently introduced a bill to create an adult-use marijuana legalization pilot program in the state to determine whether the reform should eventually be expanded and permanently codified. Rep. Candace Newell (D)—who has long championed legislation to end cannabis criminalization and filed a similar legal marijuana pilot program measure last session—is sponsoring what’s titled the “Adult-Use Cannabis Pilot Program Regulation and Enforcement Act.” Getting the bill across the finish line could prove complicated in the conservative legislature, however. Newell’s earlier version of the pilot program legislation didn’t advance to enactment last year, and lawmakers that session also rejected other marijuana reform proposals such as one that would have established a tax system to prepare the eventual legalization of adult-use cannabis. Photo courtesy of Mark Groeneveld. The post Louisiana House Passes Bill To Create Psychedelic Therapy Pilot Program Funded By Opioid Settlement Dollars appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“Even if the the court ultimately rules against the plaintiffs and allows the petition to be placed on the ballot, this litigation challenge has already served a vital public purpose.” By Christine Baily, C Bailey Law LLC The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) heard arguments concerning the fate of ballot initiative petition that threatens to eliminate the legalized adult-use marijuana industry on Monday. The case, Caroline Pineau, et al. v. Attorney General and Secretary of State, SJC-13927, involves a challenge to the certification and summary of the petition by the state attorney general that, if successful, would repeal laws that govern the legalized adult-use cannabis industry in the state while also impacting the medical industry and patient access. The litigation concerns an initiative entitled “An Act to Restore a Sensible Marijuana Policy” and the attorney general’s certification and summary of the petition. Unless SJC rules in favor of the challengers, the initiative is likely to appear on the November ballot for voters’ consideration. The petition states that the proposed law, if enacted, “continu[es] the medical program” and “repeal[s] Chapters 94G and 64N of the General Laws which govern the possession, use, distribution, cultivation, and taxation of marijuana not medically prescribed,” a.k.a., recreational or adult marijuana. Under Article 48 of the state Constitution, as amended, the attorney general has a duty to review all properly submitted petitions, certify that they meet constitutional requirements (including that its provisions are related or mutually dependent), and draft a “fair” and “concise” summary for voters. The plaintiffs in the suit challenging the petition, represented by Vicente LLP’s Adam Fine and Tim Swain, are cannabis social equity grant recipients and registered Massachusetts voters. At Monday’s oral argument, Fine made compelling arguments, including that the petition violates constitutional standards by including unrelated—and in some cases contradictory—policies. They warned that if the petition were to succeed, the new law would eliminate the state’s social equity mandate “to promote and encourage full participation in the regulated marijuana industry by people from communities that have previously been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement.” This would also include policies that support social equity applicants and licensees, like the dedicated Social Equity Trust Fund. In their argument, the plaintiffs’ attorneys also addressed other concerning aspects of the petition, including that it would increase penalties for simple possession of marijuana. The Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition (MCC), the state’s largest cannabis industry group, participated as an amicus curiae or “friend of the court,” represented by myself. In its amicus brief, MCC argued that the attorney general’s certification and summary were based on a version of state law that had recently been amended. In other words, Massachusetts voters will be considering a petition and summary based on a prior version of state statute, and thus potentially unaware of the substantial amendments the initiative would make. MCC also argued that neither the petition nor the summary accurately reflected the impact of the repeal of part of the law on the medical program and patient access. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), the state agency charged with overseeing the adult and medical program, interpreted and implemented the laws to reflect that the medical and adult programs were interrelated, in other words, the programs cannot be surgically divided by repealing the adult-use focused statutes. Concerningly, the repeal would impact individuals who purchase adult marijuana for therapeutic and medicinal purposes. Relatedly, the repeal would eliminate the requirement that municipalities enter into a host community agreement with applicants, an early and essential opportunity to identify critical public health concerns. Ultimately, MCC warned in its brief that if the court were to affirm the attorney general’s certification and summary, voters would be confused and misled and placed in an untenable position, and therefore, the ballot text does not withstand constitutional scrutiny. Challenges to an attorney general’s certification and summary of a petition are difficult cases to win. And, based on Monday’s oral argument, it did not seem likely that the court is inclined to rule in the plaintiffs’ favor. Justices are aware that if it were to rule against the attorney general, Massachusetts voters would not have the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to enact legislation via the ballot box. That said, we cannot know for certain what SJC will do with this case until it issues a decision, which will likely be by June. Even if the the court ultimately rules against the plaintiffs and allows the petition to be placed on the ballot, this litigation challenge has already served a vital public purpose. “By filing this amicus brief, MCC is standing up for both the cannabis industry and the will of the voters,” Dominguez, the group’s executive director, said. “Our voters deserve to know that the ballot question in front of them will dismantle a legalized industry that they voted to create and that, if passed, will recriminalize simple cannabis possession, minimize patient access and move consumers into the illicit market and away from a regulated and taxed system with strong public health and safety protections.” “And this is all before any mention of the ballot question’s downstream effects of killing thousands of jobs, hundreds of local businesses and billions in needed tax revenue for our cities and towns,” he said. By exposing the serious omissions in the attorney general’s summary and the consequences of repealing parts of the state’s cannabis laws, the legal challenge will hopefully inform Massachusetts voters about what is at stake for the industry. Should the initiative appear on the ballot, voters will be aware that there are several reasons to vote “No” in November. Christine Baily, a former general counsel to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission,  is an experienced legal strategist and regulatory expert specializing in the cannabis industry. Through C Baily Law LLC, she provides comprehensive legal services, and through Grey Birch Associates, she offers court-appointed receivership and turnaround support for distressed corporate assets. Photo elements courtesy of rawpixel and Philip Steffan. The post Massachusetts Supreme Court Hears Case Challenging Marijuana Legalization Rollback Initiative (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

GOP senator urges IN gov not to legalize; Lawmakers push FDA on psychedelics; CA marijuana drive-thrus vote; Study: Psilocybin for cocaine addiction 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… Before you dig into today’s cannabis news, I wanted you to know you can keep this resource free and published daily by subscribing to Marijuana Moment on Patreon. We’re a small independent publication diving deep into the cannabis world and rely on readers like you to keep going. Join us at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW Reps. Brian Mast (R-FL), Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Dina Titus (D-NV) filed an amendment that would allow military veterans to get medical cannabis recommendations through their Department of Veterans Affairs doctors. A bipartisan coalition of 32 members of Congress sent a letter urging the Food and Drug Administration to expedite approval of psychedelic therapies and proceed with “transparency, urgency and scientific rigor.” Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) sent a letter urging Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) to “maintain the state’s prohibitions on marijuana use” after the governor said federal cannabis rescheduling makes state-level legalization “more likely.” The California Assembly Appropriations Committee approved a bill to allow marijuana dispensaries to offer drive-thru windows to serve customers, subject to local approval. A new study published by the American Medical Association found that “psilocybin shows promise as a novel treatment for cocaine use disorder.” “Psilocybin-treated participants showed significantly greater percentages of cocaine abstinent days, higher rates of complete abstinence from cocaine, and a decreased risk of cocaine lapse over time.” Connecticut lawmakers sent Gov. Ned Lamont (D) a bill to reinstate THC potency caps for cannabis flower, reversing a reform recently adopted in separate legislation. An Ohio judge heard oral arguments on a motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent state officials from enforcing a new law restricting hemp THC product sales. / FEDERAL The White House released a Counterterrorism Strategy that includes significant focus on efforts to combat drug trafficking. White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Sara Carter spoke about the Trump administration’s National Drug Control Strategy in several TV interviews. The Drug Enforcement Administration is promoting webinars for National Prevention Week. Nebraska independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn tweeted, “Nebraska has a $72 million budget deficit. Property taxes are crushing working families. Medical marijuana and industrial hemp would be an economic lifeline for Nebraska farmers and generate millions in tax revenue.” / STATES The Pennsylvania House Majority Policy Committee is promoting the inclusion of equity provisions in marijuana legalization legislation. The Kansas Silver Haired Legislature included medical cannabis legalization in its legislative priorities. Texas officials appealed a temporary injunction on hemp product restrictions, which allowed enforcement to resume, but then a court reinstated the injunction. Oklahoma regulators published guidance on federal marijuana rescheduling and litigation challenging it. Massachusetts regulators published guidance about Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund requirements. New York regulators approved additional marijuana business licenses. Montana regulators sent a newsletter with updates on various cannabis issues. The U.S. Virgin Islands Cannabis Advisory Board will meet on Thursday. — 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. — / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study suggested that “Cannabis sativa L. leaf co-products represent a valuable and underutilized source of bioactive compounds with significant antimicrobial potential.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS Prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana is asking supporters to help fund its legal challenge to federal marijuana rescheduling. / BUSINESS Trulieve Cannabis Corp. reported quarterly revenue of $286.8 million. TerrAscend Corp. reported quarterly net revenue of $65.5 million and a net loss from continuing operations of $6.8 million. The National Labor Relations Board rejected BeLeaf Medical’s argument that workers who made pre-rolls at its facility in St. Louis, Missouri are exempt from federal labor law protections. Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. closed on a $56.5 million secured term loan. / CULTURE Mike Tyson dodged a question from Jimmy Kimmel about whether he smokes marijuana at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, though he did generally discuss his use of psychedelics. 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 Congress considers veterans’ medical cannabis amendment (Newsletter: May 8, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

This sounds like a fantastic event! It's great to see a conference focusing on womxn in the cannabis and psychedelic industries. The agenda looks packed with insightful discussions, especially the panel on compliant marketing – a crucial topic as the industry evolves. My own Granny used cannabis oil for pain management later in life, so I truly appreciate the focus on wellness and patient insights. Hoping this conference helps break down stigmas and empowers more women in the field!

A bipartisan coalition of 32 members of Congress is urging federal health officials to expedite ongoing reviews of psychedelic therapies. “For many individuals, current treatment options remain insufficient, deepening an already urgent public health crisis,” the lawmakers, led by Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Lou Correa (D-CA), co-chairs of the Congressional Psychedelics Advancing Therapies Caucus, wrote in a letter to the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “As Members of the House of Representatives, we have heard from countless Veterans, clinicians, and families seeking evidence-based alternatives.” The letter to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary says lawmakers are “encouraged” by his recent statement that psychedelic treatments are “a top priority for this FDA and this administration.” FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last month announced steps that they say will help with “accelerating” therapeutic access to psychedelics for patients dealing with serious mental health conditions. That move followed a psychedelics executive order that President Donald Trump signed. The lawmakers’ new letter said they want FDA to pursue “‘an expeditious and rapid review’ of promising treatments, especially those that address urgent unmet needs in PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and other neuropsychiatric conditions”—but they also “understand and respect the agency’s role in ensuring that any new treatment meets rigorous standards of safety and efficacy.” They said that recent developments, including the public release of documents related to the rejection of approval for MDMA-assisted therapy during the Biden administration “highlight the complexity of evaluating innovative treatment modalities and underscore the need for clear, consistent expectations for this emerging field.” The lawmakers have a number of questions they want Makary to answer: Special Protocol Assessment (SPA): How does the FDA communicate and apply any remaining data concerns beyond clearly defined primary endpoints and control conditions when pivotal trials are conducted under an SPA? Are improvements underway to make regulatory expectations more predictable for therapies in emerging fields? Methodological Standards and Interagency Coordination: What steps is the FDA taking to clarify methodological expectations for entactogen- and psychedelic-assisted clinical trials—including strategies to mitigate functional unblinding and expectancy effects—and how is the agency coordinating with federal partners such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to streamline research pathways for populations with urgent unmet needs, including Veterans with PTSD. Review Integrity and Subject-Matter Expertise: How does the FDA ensure that qualified experts with relevant experience conduct reviews of entactogen- and psychedelic-assisted therapies? What steps are in place to ensure consistency, objectivity, and independence in the evaluation process? Final Guidance Timeline: What is the expected timeline for finalizing the FDA’s June 2023 guidance on clinical trials involving rapid-acting novel therapeutics, including entactogen- and psychedelic-assisted therapies? They are also encouraging FDA to provide clarity in any new guidance concerning: Strategies to mitigate functional unblinding and expectancy bias; Standards for adverse event monitoring and safety reporting; Provider training, licensing, and participant safeguards; The evolving role of psychotherapy in conjunction with pharmacological intervention; Generalizability of findings across diverse patient populations; and Consistency in regulatory expectations across entactogen and psychedelic drug development programs. “We remain committed to ensuring that Veterans and others living with treatment-resistant mental health conditions have access to safe, evidence-based care,” the lawmakers wrote. “We respectfully urge the FDA to continue its evaluation of entactogen- and psychedelic-assisted therapies with transparency, urgency, and scientific rigor as the agency carries out its statutory responsibilities.” In addition to Bergman and Correa, other lawmakers who signed the letter include Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Nancy Mace (R-SC), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI). HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said recently that the Trump administration is “very anxious” to create a pathway for access to psychedelics therapy and that top officials across federal agencies want to “get it out to the public as quickly as possible.” In an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience in February, Kennedy said he’s confident “we’re going to get it done,” with plans to develop and finalize rules that would enable patients with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression to access psychedelic substances like psilocybin and MDMA in a “very controlled setting.” “Everybody in my agency…is very anxious to get a rule out there that will allow these kind of studies and will allow access under therapeutic settings, particularly [for] the military soldiers who have suffered these injuries to get access to these products,” the HHS secretary said. “We’re working through that process now. We’re all working on it and trying to make it happen.” “I think that we’re going to get it done,” he said. Last June, Kennedy said his agency is “absolutely committed” to expanding research on the benefits of psychedelic therapy and, alongside of the head of FDA, is aiming to provide legal access to such substances for military veterans “within 12 months.” Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins also disclosed in April that he had an “eye-opening” talk with Kennedy about the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine. And he said he’s open to the idea of having the government provide vouchers to cover the costs of psychedelic therapy for veterans who receive services outside of VA as Congress considers pathways for access. Bipartisan congressional lawmakers introduced legislation this session to provide $30 million in funding annually to establish psychedelic-focused “centers for excellence” at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine. A U.S. Senate committee held a hearing last month on a bipartisan bill to promote research into the therapeutic potential psychedelics by creating a new office at VA that would advance the development innovative treatments for serious mental health conditions and assist in reviewing the scheduling status of drugs like psilocybin, ibogaine and MDMA. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) has said ibogaine represents an “astonishing breakthrough” in the nation’s current “sick care system” that’s left people with serious mental health conditions without access to promising alternative treatment options. The post Bipartisan Lawmakers Push FDA To Speed Up Approval Of Psychedelic Therapies appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A bill that would allow California marijuana stores to offer drive-thru windows to serve customers is heading to a floor vote in the state Assembly. The measure, which cleared the Assembly Appropriations Committee in a 13-1 vote on Wednesday, says that licensed cannabis retailers and microbusinesses with storefronts could sell marijuana products “to a customer in a motor vehicle in a drive-through located on the premises.” Under AB 2697 from Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D), which last month was approved by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee, cannabis businesses would need approval from the local jurisdictions in which they operate in order to add the drive-thru option. Assemblymember Jessica Caloza (D) told colleagues before the most recent vote that the bill will address a “regulatory inconsistency” under which “licensed cannabis retailers can offer curbside pickup as a remnant of COVID pandemic adaptations” but “generally cannot fulfill orders for customers sitting in their car at a drive-thru.” The legislation would “make legal cannabis more accessible and will help the legal market compete with illicit market,” she said. Mark Smith of Chuck’s Wellness Center, a retailer in Placerville, said the bill is “about improving access.” “A significant portion of customers rely on cannabis as medicine, including seniors, veterans and individuals living with chronic conditions that affect mobility—exactly the population this regulated system is meant to serve,” he said. “For many, even simple tasks like exiting a vehicle and navigating a retail space can be physically difficult or prohibitive.” “A drive-thru model addresses this gap in a controlled, compliant manner,” Smith said. “It reduces physical barriers, supports [Americans With Disabilities Act]-conscious principles and creates a more inclusive retail environment without changing who has access—only how that access is provided.” Amy O’Gorman Jenkins of the California Cannabis Operators Association said the proposal “supports the fiscal interests of the state at a time when you see cannabis revenues in sharp decline.” “Anything we can do to offer practical solutions to keep consumers in our stores is really, really important,” she said. The bill next heads to an Assembly floor vote before potentially going to the Senate for consideration. — 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. — California regulators recently adopted changes to the state’s marijuana licensing process that are intended to make it easier for businesses to qualify for benefits in line with the Trump administration’s recent move to federally reschedule medical cannabis. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), meanwhile, recently took credit for helping to lead the push for the state to legalize marijuana and discussed his own limited experience with using cannabis. In October, however, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis products directly to patients via common carriers like FedEx and UPS, stating that the proposal “would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.” Newsom did sign a bill earlier that month aimed at streamlining research on marijuana and psychedelics. In September, the governor also signed a measure into law to put a pause on a recently enacted tax hike on marijuana products. California officials recently awarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects. Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post California Bill To Allow Drive-Thrus At Marijuana Dispensaries Advances To Assembly Floor Vote appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net