All Activity

“Every day that goes by, we’re losing time and availability.” By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission cleared the way Monday for the first state-licensed cultivator to put marijuana plants in the ground, while another is taking steps to fight a local zoning decision. The four-member commission voted unanimously to ratify the successful inspection of MahāMotā Cultivation Company in Raymond. This paves the way for the first legal marijuana plants in the state to take root. The commission began meeting last June, and starting Wednesday, the commission will begin accepting applications for product manufacturers. The commission can license four product manufacturers, under agency regulations, which also allow licensing of up to 12 transporters and up to 12 dispensaries. ‘We’re losing time’ Meanwhile, former State Sen. Kent Rogert, a registered lobbyist and sole owner of another licensed cultivator group, KRL Med LLC, said Monday that his company has been stopped in its tracks over a reversal from the Washington County planning and zoning administrator. Rogert said commission staff had been set to inspect the property on May 26, but days before, the county administrator said KRL Med could not use a recommended agricultural exemption to grow marijuana. Hemp, Rogert was told, would qualify, but not marijuana. “Every day that goes by, we’re losing time and availability,” Rogert told commissioners Monday. The former lawmaker said the Washington County rules are “very, very broad, and we definitely fit within that,” but his company is complying with and appealing a stop-work order that also prevents Rogert and his team from going on the property or finishing a greenhouse. Rogert said his group has reached out to the Washington County attorney, but has not heard back. Last year, as state lawmakers considered a broad medical cannabis regulatory bill backed by supporters of the 2024 ballot measure, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) united dozens of sheriffs and law enforcement organizations in opposition. The Washington County sheriff was one such opponent. Upon questioning from commissioners about whether Rogert’s company could grow this year, Rogert said the “days are ticking away pretty fast,” but, if resolved soon, he’s “cautiously optimistic that we can get something done.” Commissioner J. Michael Coffey of Omaha, a retired district judge, asked whether Rogert would pursue litigation. Rogert said he will go through the local appeal first, outside the courts. Commissioner Lorelle Mueting, interim commission chair, offered to help however Rogert needs, and commissioners voted 4-0 to renew KRL Med LLC’s license for six more months, a sign they are at least OK with Rogert trying to move forward. Two other cultivators Another cultivator, Meadowlark Medicinals, delayed its inspection. Mueting did not give a reason why but said when the cultivator is ready, an inspection can be rescheduled. Commissioners on Monday also approved the request of the fourth and final licensed cultivator, Midwest Cultivator Group, to relocate from Omaha to Gretna. The group also faced changing zoning requirements in Omaha, but a leader of the company, Robert Wagner, said Gretna leaders already approved a requested conditional-use permit for the organization. Wagner said while the company is monitoring the movement of other license types, they will be ready to move forward with a “minimal viable product” when possible and after clearing inspection. Product manufacturer applications Commissioner Jim Elworth of Nebraska City made a successful motion, 3-1, to open up applications for product manufacturers beginning Wednesday. The plan is to solicit applications over the next four weeks and, once the commission can assess application fees, ask applicants to submit the payment and comply with any updated regulations at that time. Elworth said the Legislature appropriating funds for the commission’s work influenced his decision to move ahead, rather than wait for pending regulations to be approved first. “I’m just very concerned about waiting that much longer,” Elworth said. Mueting, the no vote, expressed concern that not accepting application fees would make Nebraska an outlier nationwide for another round of applicants. She was also concerned the application time frame was longer than the previous 19-day period for cultivators last fall. However, Commissioner Bud Synhorst of Lincoln agreed to Elworth’s plan with the idea that applicants could amend their application—or back out—later. Elworth said he will work with commission staff so applicants understand that fees will be charged and that there might be other changes later, such as a willingness to take on transportation duties and amend the planned license type. “Let’s get them in hand so we can deal with them as fairly as possible,” Elworth said. The commission’s next scheduled meeting is 1 p.m. July 20, which would be five days after the current set of temporary regulations expires. The regulations can be extended for 90 days. Regulations await sign off Commissioners in April voted unanimously to advance a formal set of regulations to Hilgers for his signature. Hilgers, who opposes medical marijuana, has not yet signed, but if he does, Gov. Jim Pillen (R) would also need to sign off for the regulations to take effect without an end date. After that, commissioners hope to amend the regulations once again to add application fees, as authorized by the Legislature this spring. Hilgers’s office did not respond to a reporter’s question Monday on the status of the regulations, which were sent to him in mid-April. The issue of medical cannabis is also shaping up to be a hot-button issue for 2026 elections, with Hilgers’s general election opponent, Democrat Jocelyn Brasher, a former assistant attorney general, attending Monday’s meeting to see the commission’s work for the first time. “Today’s meeting made one thing clear: That people and patients in Nebraska deserve more than delay, confusion and dysfunction currently happening under Attorney General Mike Hilgers,” Brasher said after the meeting. “As attorney general, I will uphold the will of the people and respect Nebraska voters on medical cannabis.” Asked about the possible hiccup, should Hilgers not sign in time, Mueting told reporters after the meeting: “We anticipate final regulations to be done by then.” Other agency business In other agency action: The commission will end its agreement with the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission this Friday that had allowed the sharing of office space and staff on a limited basis for almost a year. The overlapping structure largely existed because three of the four commissioners—all but Mueting—also serve on the Liquor Control Commission. The commission will seek permanent office space for dedicated staff and pursue changes to a lease agreement to permanently use a hearing room in downtown Lincoln. A job posting for a commission executive director, with a hiring salary of $100,000, is now public. The commission hired legal counsel. The commission had previously received legal help from the chief legal officer of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, an agency that has long opposed medical cannabis, and, recently, an attorney from the AG’s Office. Commissioners in April said the move was about optics and a possible appearance of “impropriety,” not a judgment on past legal help. This story was first published by Nebraska Examiner. Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post Nebraska Officials Approve Start Of Medical Cannabis Cultivation appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Superior Place, My organization is a great believer during ad opinions regarding online websites that will let the webpage novelists recognize that they’ve put in an item worthwhile that will the online market place! toto togel In fact My partner and i examine that last night yet I needed several feelings regarding it and after this I desired to learn that once more due to the fact it is extremely well written. bandar togel

You may be permitted to blog post details, though not back-links, with regard to they are really sanctioned and even at area. situs toto Surprise! The things a watch opener this approach content is actually in my position. A whole lot highly valued, book marked, Document can’t anticipate a great deal more! hargatoto togel

Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with extra information? It is extremely helpful for me. pilarhoki

A very awesome blog post. We are really grateful for your blog post. You will find a lot of approaches after visiting your post. pilarhoki slot

“A decision about whether to continue one of the most outdated and destructive drug policies in American history should not exclude the people and advocates most directly affected by it.” By Jason Ortiz, Last Prisoner Project The federal government has finally admitted what millions of people have known for decades: cannabis never belonged in Schedule I. But it’s listening to the wrong voices in deciding how to carry out the process. Schedule I is supposed to be reserved for substances with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. By moving cannabis products produced within state-regulated medical cannabis programs to Schedule III, the government has acknowledged that cannabis has medical value. That admission may be limited, but it cuts through the central justification for keeping cannabis in Schedule I at all. If cannabis no longer fits that category, the criminal penalties tied to its Schedule I status must change too. I have walked the halls of Congress with people who served years, and in some cases decades, for cannabis offenses while legal cannabis businesses opened across the country. I have heard from veterans and patients who fear that using cannabis for pain, trauma or chronic illness could put their freedom at risk. That’s why Last Prisoner Project is petitioning the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to participate in its upcoming hearing on the proposed cannabis rescheduling rule. But the DEA denied our application, along with applications from every other pro-legalization advocacy group in the country. As a result, the only outside voices allowed into the process are organizations that support continued criminalization and the incarceration of people for cannabis offenses. A decision about whether to continue one of the most outdated and destructive drug policies in American history should not exclude the people and advocates most directly affected by it. For any serious federal cannabis reform to be successful and impactful, it must include addressing the damage done to the people who have been incarcerated, supervised, deported, denied opportunity or denied medical access because of prohibition. At Last Prisoner Project, those are the people we work with every day: people coming home after years behind bars, people living with criminal records and families still waiting for relief. Over the last six years, we have helped dismiss, modify or clear more than 250,000 sentences, supported 24 presidential pardons, helped pass 10 bills and worked in 24 states. Alongside our pro bono partners, we have supported thousands of hours of legal work and distributed millions in reentry assistance to people trying to rebuild their lives after cannabis incarceration. But our work is far from finished. One of our constituents, Michael Pelletier, shows what federal prohibition still means in real life. Michael was paralyzed as a teenager after a farm accident and later used marijuana to manage severe pain. In 2006, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole for importing marijuana from Canada. President Trump commuted his sentence in 2021, but Michael still faces the cruelty of federal prohibition. Because marijuana remains federally controlled, he cannot freely use medical cannabis for chronic pain without risking the terms of his supervision. What public safety purpose does that serve? Michael has already lost years of his life to cannabis criminalization. He should not have to choose between pain relief and his freedom. Neither should anyone else. It is time for the federal government to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act entirely, expand clemency and resentencing, clear records, support people coming home and end supervision rules that force patients to choose between medical cannabis and their freedom. As the nation’s cannabis community watches these historic hearings unfold, the question before the country is bigger than whether cannabis belongs in Schedule I or Schedule III. The real question is whether our laws will finally reflect the truth that cannabis prohibition has failed, and the people harmed by that failure deserve relief now. Jason Ortiz is the director of strategic initiatives for Last Prisoner Project, the leading national nonprofit working to free people incarcerated for nonviolent cannabis offenses and repair the harms of criminalization. The post DEA’s Marijuana Rescheduling Hearing Includes The Wrong Voices (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Thank you a bunch for sharing this with all of us you actually realize what you are talking about! Bookmarked. Please also seek advice from my site =). We could have a hyperlink change contract between us! 강남달리는토끼

Two Democratic members of Congress have filed a new bill aimed at supporting marijuana-focused research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Establishing and Developing University Cannabis Agriculture Techniques and Excellence (EDUCATE) Act of 2026, filed last week by Reps. Troy Carter (D-LA) and Dina Titus (D-NV), would award grants to fund cannabis research while also creating a new scholarship program to support students who are pursuing careers in marijuana or hemp. Under the legislation, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would award grants on a competitive basis to support research on the cultivation and processing of marijuana, including studies focusing on: The optimization of cultivation and harvesting practices for marijuana crops. The examination of soil health, water conservation, pest management, and sustainability impacts of marijuana agriculture. The evaluation of economic development opportunities for minority and disadvantaged farmers in emerging marijuana markets. Workforce development, training, and extension activities related to marijuana agriculture. The bill would authorize the allocation of $5 million a year to fund such research grants from fiscal years 2026 through 2030, with at least 25 percent earmarked for HSIs, and there would be a requirement to give priority to institutions that have partnerships with minority and small-scale farmers or community-based agricultural organizations. The EDUCATE Act also seeks to create a new Marijuana Agriculture Studies Scholarship Program that would award grants of up to $10,000 per year to undergraduate or graduate students at HBCUs and HSIs who are studying food and agricultural sciences and are intending to pursue “a career in marijuana or hemp agriculture, marijuana cultivation, plant science, agricultural technology, agricultural science, or agricultural policy.” — 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. — The legislation authorizes USDA to spend up to $100,000 on the scholarships per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. The department would need to submit annual reports to Congress on the grants awarded, the studies they funded and participation in the scholarship program. The bill also contains provisions to clarify that institutions of higher education and individuals awarded funding under the new program could not be denied federal benefits or subject to prosecution or civil penalties due to marijuana-related activities in accordance with the legislation. “The legal, responsible use of cannabis has been a major economic driver in Nevada and across the country and deserves further research,” Titus said. “The EDUCATE Act would enable students to explore and study jobs in the cultivation, research, business, and policy sectors of the legal marijuana market by providing federal funding to institutions of higher education.” Read the full text of the new marijuana research and scholarship bill below: The post Feds Would Create Marijuana-Focused Scholarship Program For Students Under New Bill In Congress appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

What a fantabulous post this has been. Never seen this kind of useful post. I am grateful to you and expect more number of posts like these. Thank you very much. M88

Positive site, where did u come up with the information on this posting? I'm pleased I discovered it though, ill be checking back soon to find out what additional posts you include. 강남달리는토끼

It is my first visit to your blog, and I am very impressed with the articles that you serve. Give adequate knowledge for me. Thank you for sharing useful material. I will be back for the more great post. dax69 alternatif

Thank you for taking the time to publish this information very useful! 강남달리는토끼

Military recruit marijuana amendment in Congress; NORML challenges rescheduling non-invite; CA GOP governor candidate on cannabis; Study: CBD for acne 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… BREAKING: Journalism is often consumed for free, but costs money to produce! While this newsletter is proudly sent without cost to you, our ability to send it each day depends on the financial support of readers who can afford to give it. So if you’ve got a few dollars to spare each month and believe in the work we do, please consider joining us on Patreon today. https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW Virginia lawmakers sent Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) budget legislation that includes provisions to legalize recreational marijuana sales that the governor negotiated with lawmakers after she vetoed a previous plan to enact the reform. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) filed a National Defense Authorization Act amendment to expand marijuana waivers for military recruits by directing the Department of Defense to “develop a program” for people who were not permitted to enlist following a positive THC test “so that such potential enlistees are permitted to reapply.” The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is asking the Drug Enforcement Administration to reconsider its decision to exclude the group from participating in the federal cannabis rescheduling hearing starting next week—saying the “public interest will be substantially harmed if the record omits the consumer perspective.” California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton told Marijuana Moment that there is a “regulatory burden and a tax burden that is too high” on the cannabis industry—saying it undermines the “goals of legalization, which is a thriving industry that provides a product safely that people want to consume.” A new scientific review concludes that “CBD-containing hemp extracts show biologically plausible and clinically promising adjunctive potential for mild-to-moderate inflammatory acne.” “The current evidence positions CBD-containing hemp extracts as promising adjunctive cosmeceuticals for inflammatory acne.” A Maine Republican representative is launching a campaign to defeat a proposed initiative to roll back marijuana legalization that could appear on the ballot next year. / FEDERAL The U.S. Sentencing Commission published updated fact sheets on cases concerning marijuana and other drugs. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) tweeted, “Every American should be able to enjoy a reasonable amount of weed and guns. Perhaps not together for safety reasons, but definitely individually.” / STATES Florida’s attorney general signed an emergency rule classifying 7-OH compounds under Schedule I. Arkansas’s attorney general praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on gun rights for marijuana consumers, without directly mentioning cannabis. A Pennsylvania senator tweeted, “Medical marijuana patients shouldn’t automatically lose their Second Amendment rights just for participating in a state-legal program. I’ve worked to try and end that blanket prohibition since 2024, and now the high court agrees it’s too broad.” A New York Senate candidate is pushing to give localities more authority to regulate public marijuana consumption. A lawsuit challenging Oregon’s restrictions on interstate marijuana commerce was dropped by the plaintiffs. Colorado regulators published average market rates for retail marijuana. The Guam Cannabis Control Board will meet on Wednesday. Colorado regulators will hold a hemp rulemaking hearing on June 30. — 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. — / INTERNATIONAL Thailand’s government posted an update about enforcement of stricter medical cannabis rules. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “using data reported by college campuses, we observe that arrests and disciplinary incidents for drug law violations decreased following the legalization of recreational marijuana.” Results of a study of rats “highlight the therapeutic potential of CBD- and THC-containing [cannabis oil] in mitigating early liver damage associated with” metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. / BUSINESS Maryland retailers sold $105 million worth of legal marijuana products in May. / CULTURE Bill Maher cheered the Supreme Court’s decision on marijuana consumers’ gun rights. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post New Virginia legal cannabis sales plan heads to governor’s desk (Newsletter: June 23, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Where sophistication meets desire—book your dream date with Delhi Escort Services tonight. Trained to offer more than companionship, they provide an immersive experience of elegance, sensuality, and intellectual engagement. Let them turn an ordinary evening into an extraordinary affair you will never forget.

125. The Wise Body: What Women's Hormones, Cycles, and Lived Experience Have to Teach Psychedelic Medicine Stephanie Karzon Abrams of Galilea on why psychedelic care must account for women's cycles, life stage, and the knowledge that predates clinical trials. Episode Summary The research on psychedelics was built around male bodies. Women were treated as a confounding variable — their cycles, hormones, and life stages filtered out of study designs rather than centered in them. The result is a clinical landscape where practitioners are guessing, women are underserved, and the knowledge that has existed for generations in women's bodies and lineages is treated as anecdote rather than data. Stephanie Karzon Abrams is the co-creator of Galilea and founder of Beyond Consulting, a practice focused on psychedelic-informed female care: what it requires, what the research does and doesn't tell us, and what women's lived experience is already teaching practitioners who are paying attention. Key Takeaways Hormonal landscape will influence a woman's psychedelic experience — but the research is contradictory enough that we cannot yet say with certainty in what direction. GLP-1 medications slow gastric emptying and interfere with the onset of prodrugs like psilocybin, which must be metabolized into active psilocin in the gut. The distinction between knowledge and knowing is the foundation of the Wise Body framework. Knowledge can be published and replicated. Knowing is generational, intuitive, lived. Psychedelic therapy is more like surgery than a prescription. It requires preparation, skilled practitioners, and mandatory aftercare. We don't yet have adequate data on how diversity, culture, comorbidities, and socioeconomic background affect outcomes. And the ecosystems and communities that hold these medicines are not ready to be scaled. Timestamps Resources Stephanie Karzon Abrams | Galilea, Beyond Consulting Psychedelics & the Whole Self: A Gathering for Womxn Ep. 33 | Therapeutic Psilocybin Use: Tea, Lemon Tek, and Healing Follow April on Substack Visit aprilpride.com Original Substack post: https://aprilpride.substack.com/women-hormones-psychedelics-practitioner-education Hosted by April Pride IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@aprilpridecreates YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@aprilpridecreates Get full access to APRIL PRIDE at aprilpride.substack.com/subscribeCatch the full episode here

This article is an appealing wealth of useful informative that is interesting and well-written. I commend your hard work on this and thank you for this information. I know it very well that if anyone visits your blog, then he/she will surely revisit it again. pilarhoki

The on-line world might be bogged downwards with the help of counterfeit web logs without a proper personal message nonetheless put up was basically awesome not to mention value typically the read through. Regards for the purpose of showing this unique when camping. togel sgp Maintain the fantastic perform, My partner and i examine handful of content with this internet site and also I do believe your net website will be genuine intriguing and contains received bags regarding great details. toto togel That is thus gorgeous and also imaginative. I recently really like the particular shades and also anyone who receives that inside the email will probably be beaming. situs toto We'd mention the fact that this may be a a good place associated with a terrific man, i will be pleased to look at the. dax69 login Continue the great function, We study couple of articles about this web site as well as I believe that the internet weblog is actually actual fascinating and it has obtained groups associated with wonderful info. slot online The online world is usually bogged decrease having untrue information sites without the need of authentic meaning even so the write-up seemed to be excellent in addition to worthwhile this understand. Appreciate it intended for giving that by himself. koi toto

Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! akongcuan Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! olxtoto Surprise! The things a watch opener this approach content is actually in my position. A whole lot highly valued, book marked, Document can’t anticipate a great deal more! situs toto You make so many great points here that I read your article a couple of times. Your views are in accordance with my own for the most part. This is great content for your readers. dax69 login This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing blog that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. akongcuan Essentially I actually learn them a short while ago nonetheless I had put together quite a few opinions regarding this now Needed to read simple things them just as before for the reason that it is well crafted. koitoto

The expansion into Eugene suggests that there is growing demand for spaces where women can connect, learn, and support each other professionally. I also find it notable that the effort is backed by experienced women leaders, which adds credibility and strengthens the sense of collaboration in the industry. Although EaglerCraft is unrelated to cannabis, I see a similar theme of community-building and shared interests bringing people together.

Playing granny super horror game. We can explore more strange room here. Be careful with granny.

Let's play wordle unlimited puzzle game together. It's fun time.

“It’s never great politically if your opponent’s on TV and you don’t have the funds to respond back.” By Emma Davis, Maine Morning Star As voters exited the Woodfords Club polling location in Portland on June 9, Alex Perez and Hairo Roque, both from Connecticut, asked them to sign a petition to roll back the recreational use of cannabis that Mainers legalized a decade ago. Similar scenes played out in Poland and other municipalities across the state on Election Day. This effort to repeal recreational cannabis had seemingly gone quiet after the campaign missed the winter deadline to submit signatures to get on the November ballot. Now with about 40,000 of 67,682 signatures needed (at least 10 percent of total votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election), the campaign is eyeing the November 2027 ballot, said Caroline Alcock of Massachusetts, the group’s general consultant. The campaign appears to be almost exclusively driven by out-of-state interests, meanwhile local cannabis supporters are getting organized in opposition. “To make a bad poker reference, they are ‘pot committed,’” state Rep. David Boyer, who spearheaded legalization efforts back in 2016, said of the campaign’s sole donor, Smart Approaches to Marijuana. Colin Mack of Brunswick, who is listed as the initiative’s proponent on the secretary of state’s website, told Maine Morning Star after the election that he’d thought that the effort was over. Though, he said he hasn’t been involved aside from being the local person to submit it to Augusta. The proposed ballot referendum would do away with the commercial cultivation, sale, purchase and manufacture of cannabis starting in 2028, while still allowing personal use and possession of up to 2.5 ounces. It would also create new testing and tracking requirements for medical cannabis, which the Maine Legislature rejected earlier this year. The petition is valid until the spring of 2027, 18 months after it was , and Alcock said the campaign plans to continue signature collecting through the summer. Out-of-state influence SAM Action, the political arm of Smart Approaches to Marijuana bankrolling the campaign, contributed $2 million back in December. As a nonprofit, the group isn’t required to disclose its financial sources. SAM Action did not respond to multiple requests for comment. (The local Maine affiliate wound down shortly after the 2016 referendum and is not involved in the current petition, as far as its former lead Scott Gagnon knows.) SAM Action is also the sole donor behind a similar anti-cannabis campaign in Massachusetts. In both Maine and Massachusetts, there have been accusations of some signature gatherers misrepresenting the initiatives, leading Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) to encourage voters to read the full petition before signing. Alcock said the talking points the campaign has provided to collectors are not misleading. “We believe that it’s more of a strategy of opponents,” Alcock said of the accusations. “We are not out there telling anyone to be deceptive to voters or use anything aside from approved, verified talking points about it.” While state law and the Maine Constitution require petition circulators to be a resident and registered voter in Maine, those residency requirements are largely unenforceable because of federal court rulings. In 2020, Bellows was sued by a group that argued the requirements violated “core political speech” protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. A district court granted the group — which included We the People PAC, now-Minority Leader for the Maine House of Representatives Billy Bob Faulkingham, a nonprofit and a professional signature-collector — a preliminary injunction and in 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled that the residency requirement was likely unconstitutional. The state entered into a consent order with the group, which continues today for all Maine citizen initiatives, to allow out-of-state circulators as long as they formally agree to submit to Maine’s jurisdiction for any investigation or prosecution of any alleged violation of Maine law. Building a defense Since the anti-cannabis petition resurfaced at the polls, Boyer has begun preparing to go on the defensive. When the petition began circulating in the winter, Boyer opened a bank account and started having initial conversations with local and national groups about organizing an opposition campaign. “I’m gonna have to dust it off and get registered with the state and start raising money,” Boyer said after signature collectors were spotted at polling places earlier this month. His campaign isn’t aiming to get a competing question on the ballot, but rather to raise money for “vote no” signs, mailings, television ads and other ways to oppose the petition. “We don’t need all the money they have,” Boyer said. “We don’t have to match one to one, but you know it’s never great politically if your opponent’s on TV and you don’t have the funds to respond back.” This story was first published by Maine Morning Star. Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen. The post Maine GOP Lawmaker Gears Up To Fight Anti-Marijuana Ballot Initiative appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The taxes and regulations on marijuana are “too high,” according to California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump. At an event in Sacramento on Thursday, Marijuana Moment asked Hilton—who is running against former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Sec. Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, in a general election to become California’s next governor—about his cannabis policy position and challenges facing the state’s industry. The GOP candidate said that after studying the issue and spending “some time with the industry,” he came to understand that there is a “regulatory burden and a tax burden that is too high.” “The original intent” of legalization was to “bring the industry, as it were, into the open—and you’ve actually seen the illegal industry growing even more since these policies” were implemented, Hilton told Marijuana Moment. “So we’ve got to make a change.” He said he’s “actually in a conversation in great detail with the industry to look at the specific parts of the regulatory and tax burden that need to be changed in order to achieve the goals of legalization, which is a thriving industry that provides a product safely that people want to consume.” As he’s previously discussed, the gubernatorial hopeful said the voter-approved Proposition 64 that legalized marijuana for adult use in 2016 serves as “another example of the corruption that we see here with the system in California,” because, he claims, millions of dollars in tax revenue from cannabis sales that were supposed to be earmarked for substance misuse treatment went to “Democrat political organizations…in small grants that they made deliberately hard to track.” “When you look at the websites of those organizations, this is taxpayer money. What do they do? Democrat political activity, voter registration, ballot harvesting—all of these things,” he said, without naming specific groups. “It’s an example of how, after 16 years of one-party rule, they’ve built this corrupt machine, and it’s one of the reasons we really need change in California.” Hilton’s criticism of the implementation of cannabis reform notwithstanding, it’s another sign of the times that both the Republican and Democratic contenders to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) back the fundamental aims of marijuana reform policies. Not all California Republicans are on board with the reform, however. The vice chair of the Senate Budget Committee recently floated the idea of putting a new initiative on the state ballot to “reverse” Proposition 64, arguing that voters were misled and voicing concerns about the health impacts of marijuana use. “We have seen significant negative consequences of this legalization, both here as well as in other states,” the senator, who was speaking at a hearing at which lawmakers approved a bill to legalize marijuana dispensary drive-thru windows in California, said. Becerra, who previously served in Congress and as California’s attorney general, meanwhile, facilitated a scientific review process during his time as HHS secretary under the Biden administration that ultimately resulted in a recommendation to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). But it was was the Justice Department under Trump in April that saw the process at least partially through, moving medical cannabis authorized by states to Schedule III. Marijuana could be fully rescheduled depending on the outcome of administrative hearings that begin this month. A Schedule III reclassification of marijuana doesn’t fully federally legalize it in the way states like California have, but it represents another meaningful step towards normalizing the cannabis industry. Marijuana businesses can claim tax deductions if they work with Schedule III drugs; they’re barred from doing so for Schedule I and II drugs under an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code known as 280E. — 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, California regulators recently adopted emergency rules changes for 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. They also launched a new AI tool to help businesses identify marijuana product packaging may appeal to kids in violation of state rules. Separately, Newsom 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, the governor 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. Separately, the state attorney general says Indian tribes cannot independently engage in marijuana commerce with licensed cannabis businesses without first obtaining their own commercial license from state officials. California officials recently awarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects. Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post Trump-Endorsed GOP California Gubernatorial Candidate Says Marijuana Taxes And Regulations Are ‘Too High’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Virginia lawmakers have approved legislation to legalize recreational marijuana sales that was recently negotiated with the governor following her veto of an earlier proposal to enact the reform. The Senate passed a large-scale budget measure that includes the cannabis provisions in a 23-16 vote on Monday, and the House of Delegates approved it 71-22. It now heads to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D). “Today, with the passage of the biennium budget, Virginia also formally adopted its adult-use cannabis retail marketplace,” Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D), who sponsored the Senate version of the previous legalization measure and negotiated with the governor on the final agreement, told Marijuana Moment after the vote. “Countless leaders paved the way for this moment, and too many Virginians have experienced real consequences because of our delay in establishing this market. Now, that changes.” “While our framework is not perfect, it protects consumers, supports small businesses and creates real economic opportunity,” she said. “Like the first steps we took years ago, today’s action is another milestone in a long journey as we continue to build, strengthen and support a safe, responsive and successful cannabis marketplace.” Del. Paul Krizek (D), who led the House version of the earlier bill, called passage of the new plan “a big deal, in more ways than one.” “The language in the budget we just passed for the regulation of an adult-use retail cannabis marketplace reflects both Gov. Spanberger and the General Assembly’s shared focus on protecting consumers and children, encouraging entrepreneurs and equity, while ensuring strong penalties for bad actors, criminal organizations and illegal out of state operators,” he told Marijuana Moment. “Virginia has waited for this moment for more than five years, and finally can see the light at the end of the tunnel.” The new plan differs significantly in several ways from the earlier legislation that lawmakers passed earlier this year and that the governor vetoed. For example, it sets the launch date for recreational marijuana sales at July 1, 2027, which is what Spanberger proposed via amendments to the legislature’s previous plan that had contemplated opening the market on January 1. The newly passed deal also sets the legal public marijuana possession and per-transaction purchase limit at 2 ounces, an increase from the current legal limit of one ounce. The legislation lawmakers passed earlier this year would have allowed adults to possess up to 2.5 ounces. The bill also cedes to Spanberger on language to increase a marijuana excise tax from 6 percent to 8 percent after two years of legal sales. By way of compromise, the new agreement would make public consumption of marijuana punishable by a civil penalty of $250—a significant increase from the $25 in current law but less harsh than the class 4 criminal misdemeanor the governor sought in her proposed changes to the previous bill. The penalty increase would not take effect until July 1 of next year, however, raising the possibility that lawmakers could pass legislation next session to rescind it. Advocates have expressed opposition to the cannabis penalty increase, saying it will “deepen racial and economic disparities.” Lawmakers passed the initial cannabis sales bills in March, but the governor then suggested changes to the legalization proposal—including delaying the start date for sales by six months, increasing taxes and instituting new criminal penalties for cannabis consumers. The legislature in April declined to take up the amendments during a one-day reconvened session, however, effectively rejecting them. Spanberger then issued a veto. Spanberger said last week that she was having “really productive” and “incredible” conversations with lawmakers about crafting a compromise approach to legalizing adult-use cannabis sales, and Marijuana Moment previously reported on the ongoing talks. Following Spanberger’s veto, top lawmakers have been openly discussing the possibility of including provisions to legalize adult-use cannabis sales in still-outstanding budget legislation that they are due to pass by July 1. The effort to keep the issue alive was a topic of discussion at the first meeting of the legislature’s Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market since the governor’s move to kill the previous proposal to regulate adult-use marijuana sales. The governor, meanwhile, has tried publicly explain her veto—including by saying it is her view that “taking a little bit longer” to launch the market is not something she sees as “negative” because it is more important to get the details right than to do it fast. A recent survey found that bipartisan majorities of Virginia voters wanted Spanberger to sign the cannabis legislation into law, and that they specifically disagreed with her desire to slow the launch timeline for legal sales. The governor recently acknowledged in a separate interview that “a lot of people are not pleased” with her veto of the cannabis legislation. “Friends and family are displeased as well,” she said. Spanberger has repeatedly responded to criticism of her cannabis amendments from the bill sponsors and advocates by saying the suggested changes came after she spoke to the leaders of other states that have already implemented adult-use marijuana markets. A spokesperson for Spanberger declined to name any other governors she talked to about cannabis in response to a question from Marijuana Moment, however. The governor separately recently sought to explain her veto in an earlier interview, reiterating that she supports launching a legal cannabis market but worried about what she called a “rushed timeline” and “far more stores across Virginia” than she thinks are appropriate. Personal marijuana possession and home cultivation of marijuana has been legal in Virginia since 2021, but then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) twice vetoed bills to provide consumers with a way to legally purchase regulated adult-use cannabis. Aird and Krizek, the sponsors of the earlier legalization measures, had urged colleagues to vote against the governor’s amendments—even if that meant risking a veto from Spanberger when the legislation returned to her desk. Here are the key details of the new cannabis plan in the budget and how it compares to legislation that Spanberger vetoed—SB 542 and HB 642—as well as her previously proposed amendments to those measures: Adults would be able to purchase up to 2 ounces of marijuana in a single transaction, or up to an equivalent amount of other cannabis products as determined by regulators. That would represent an increase from the limit in current law of 1 ounce. Lawmakers previously proposed setting the amount at 2.5 ounces and the governor only wanted 2 ounces. Legal sales could begin on July 1, 2027. Lawmakers previously set the date for January 1, 2027, but the governor wanted it pushed back to July 1. There would be an excise tax of 6 percent on cannabis sales as well as a 5.3 percent retail sales and use tax, and municipalities would be allowed to set an additional local tax of up to 3.5 percent. Starting on July 1, 2029, the state excise tax would increase to 8 percent, in line with the governor’s previously proposed amendments. Revenue would be distributed to the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund, early childhood education, the Department of Behavioral & Developmental Health Services and public health initiatives. The earlier measure passed by lawmakers would have allocated specific percentages to each, but the new language doesn’t specify what portion of revenue will go to each program. The governor, in her amendments, wanted to put all revenue into the general fund while earmarking it “for purposes such as early childhood education, behavioral health, public health awareness, prevention, treatment, and recovery services, workforce development, reentry, indigent criminal defense, and targeted reinvestment in historically disadvantaged communities.” Her amendment also sought to eliminate support for the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund. The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would oversee licensing and regulation of the new industry, and will also take on oversight of hemp, which is currently under the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The body would be governed by a five-member board of directors appointed by the governor, whereas the bill previously passed by lawmakers contemplated a seven-member body with four appointed by the governor, two appointed by the speaker of the House and one appointed by the Senate Rules Committee. The definition of what constitutes a legal hemp product would be narrowed by removing a provision from current law that allows those containing more than 2 milligrams of total THC per package if they also have a ratio of CBD to THC that is 25:1 or more. Up to 350 retail marijuana stores would be allowed to be licensed to operate across the state, the same number that lawmakers had approved and greater than the 200 the governor had proposed. Local governments would not be able to out of allowing marijuana businesses to operate in their area. Delivery services would be allowed. Serving sizes would be capped at 10 milligrams THC, with no more than 100 mg THC per package. Public use of marijuana would be a civil violation punishable by a $250 fine. That is ten times more than the $25 fine under current law, but less harsh than than the class 4 criminal misdemeanor crime the governor had proposed. Possession of cannabis by people under the age of 21 would be punishable by a $25 fine and mandatory participation in a substance abuse treatment or education program or both. The governor had suggested treating underage possession as a class 1 misdemeanor, punishable with a mandatory minimum fine of $500 or 50 hours of community service, as well as the suspension of drivers licenses for at least six months. Existing medical cannabis operators could enter the adult-use market if they pay a $10 million licensing conversion fee. Cannabis businesses would have to establish labor peace agreements with workers. A legislative commission would be directed to study adding on-site consumption licenses and microbusiness cannabis event permits that would allow licensees to conduct sales at venues like farmers markets or pop-up locations. That provision was also included in the earlier legislation lawmakers passed but was suggested for deletion by the governor. Advocates celebrated the passage of the marijuana legislation. “Virginia voters have made clear for years that they want a regulated retail cannabis market,” JM Pedini, development director for the advocacy group NORML and executive director for Virginia NORML, said. “With this budget agreement, the commonwealth has taken an important step toward aligning state law with public opinion and replacing an unregulated marketplace with one that better serves consumers, strengthens public safety and provides clear rules for businesses, regulators and local communities.” Meanwhile, the governor signed several other reform bills this session—including measures to provide resentencing relief for people with past cannabis convictions, protect the parental rights of marijuana consumers and allow patients to access medical cannabis in hospitals. The post Virginia Lawmakers Approve Bill To Legalize Recreational Marijuana Sales appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A top marijuana reform group is asking the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reconsider the decision to exclude it from participating in a hearing on the Trump administration’s cannabis rescheduling proposal that is scheduled to begin next week. Counsel for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), which represents the interests of people who use cannabis, filed the “emergency request for reconsideration” on Friday, saying that the “public interest will be substantially harmed if the record omits the consumer perspective.” DEA last week announced that it had selected participants for the marijuana rescheduling hearing—and only opponents of the reform have been invited to take part, some of whom have filed litigation in an attempt to block the reform. No reform supporters who expressed intent to participate were invited. “NORML’s exclusion, if not corrected immediately, will deprive NORML and the cannabis consumers it represents of meaningful participation in prehearing procedures, witness presentation, exhibit designation, cross-examination, legal briefing, and any other proceedings necessary to compile a complete record,” Joseph A. Bondy, who serves a chair of NORML’s board of directors, wrote to DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “The prejudice is immediate. It cannot be cured after the hearing closes.” According to several rejection letters Marijuana Moment has seen from cannabis reform supporters, DEA said they do not meet the definition of an “interested person” to participate because they are not “adversely affected or aggrieved by any rule or proposed rule issuable.” NORML said in its request for reconsideration, however, that “DEA’s denial rests on a mistaken premise: that NORML is not adversely affected or aggrieved by the proposed rule because NORML supports removing marijuana from schedule I and recognizes that schedule III is preferable to schedule I.” “That is not NORML’s position. NORML supports removal from schedule I. But NORML does not concede that schedule III is the correct final federal treatment for marijuana,” Bondy wrote. “NORML’s position is that marijuana should be removed from the CSA schedules and regulated under a cannabis-specific federal framework directed to public health, consumer safety, product integrity, youth prevention, truthful labeling, testing, research access, impaired-driving policy, anti-diversion, state-regulated market realities, and illicit-market displacement.” “Schedule III may be better than schedule I. But it is not complete relief. It is not a coherent federal endpoint. And it is not a framework that recognizes adult cannabis consumers as lawful consumers rather than patients, research subjects, registrants, or offenders. NORML’s position is therefore directly adverse to the proposed rule. NORML does not seek participation merely to endorse the transfer of marijuana to schedule III. NORML seeks participation because the proposed rule would leave millions of adult cannabis consumers federally exposed, federally unrecognized, and subject to continuing criminal and collateral consequences, even when they participate in state-regulated adult-use systems enacted by voters and legislatures.” The attorney wrote that the injury from Schedule III status for marijuana is “not mere ideological disappointment.” “NORML’s members would remain subject to federal controlled-substance status and the legal consequences that flow from it. Adult-use consumers who lawfully participate in state-regulated markets would remain outside coherent federal recognition,” Bondy said. “Schedule III would preserve federal illegality for cannabis activity outside federally authorized medical, research, or registrant channels. It would continue federal-state conflict, public confusion, stigma, collateral consequences, and consumer-safety harms.” Beyond the consumers the group represents, NORML as an organization would also be “injured in its own right.” “A final schedule III rule that medicalizes marijuana while leaving adult-use consumers federally exposed would require NORML to devote additional organizational resources to public education, legal referrals, member communications, administrative advocacy, litigation support, chapter coordination, legislative advocacy, and correction of public confusion concerning the scope and consequences of federal rescheduling. That impairment of mission and diversion of resources independently supports NORML’s status as an interested person.” “Excluding NORML from the hearing would cause immediate and irreparable procedural prejudice, impair the completeness and balance of the administrative record, and disserve the public interest in a full and reasoned proceeding concerning the federal legal status of marijuana,” the request for reconsideration says. The hearing, which will be overseen by a DEA administrative law judge, will begin on June 29 and is set to conclude no later than July 15. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in April issued an order that immediately reclassified state-licensed medical cannabis, as well as marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Under a separate order the acting attorning general signed, the upcoming hearing will consider more comprehensively moving marijuana to Schedule III. In order to be considered for participation in the hearing, parties needed to file requests articulating their interest in the proceeding, the objections or issues they wish to be heard on and their position on those issues. “The purpose of the hearing is to ‘receiv[e] factual evidence and expert opinion regarding’ whether marijuana should be transferred to schedule III of the list of controlled substances,” Blanche’s initial notice, filed in April, said. The attorney general also selected an administrative law judge (ALJ) to oversee the proceedings. “The ALJ’s authorities include the power to hold conferences to simplify or determine the issues in the hearing or to consider other matters that may aid in the expeditious disposition of the hearing; require parties to state their position in writing; sign and issue subpoenas to compel the production of documents and materials to the extent necessary to conduct the hearing; examine witnesses and direct witnesses to testify; receive, rule on, exclude, or limit evidence; rule on procedural items; and take any action permitted by the presiding officer under DEA’s hearing procedures and the” Administrative Procedures Act, Blanche wrote. A prior hearing process on the marijuana rescheduling process that was initiated by the Biden administration stalled last year amid litigation over alleged improper communications and witness selection. The current marijuana rescheduling process is being challenged with several lawsuits that have been consolidated by a federal appeals court. Those pieces of litigation against the cannabis reform have been filed by state attorneys general, marijuana legalization opponents and a cannabis-focused biopharmaceutical corporation. Meanwhile, the already-enacted rescheduling of state-licensed medical cannabis is already having broad impacts. 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. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has posted a draft update to a gun purchase form to acknowledge the federally legal status of medical marijuana under rescheduling. The revised section in question 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 U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said they plan to issue new tax guidance for the marijuana industry following rescheduling. The reform 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. Even DEA, which has long opposed cannabis legalization and was accused of stalling the rescheduling process initiative by the Biden administration, has launched a registration process for state-legal marijuana businesses to take advantage of federal benefits that come with the reform. The Department of Transportation, on the other hand, issued guidance saying that use of state-legal medical cannabis is still no excuse for a positive drug test by truck drivers, pilots and other safety-sensitive workers. A congressional committee recently voted to block federal officials from taking further steps to carry out cannabis rescheduling. Read NORML’s emergency request for reconsideration below: The post NORML Asks DEA To Reconsider Its Request To Participate In Marijuana Rescheduling Hearing appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net