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Hawaii lawmakers have approved a bill to allow patients to immediately access medical cannabis once their registrations are submitted, instead of having to wait until their cards are delivered as is the case under current law. At a joint hearing of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and Commerce and Consumer Protections Committee on Wednesday, members approved the legislation from Sen. Angus McKelvey (D), with an amendment lowering the one-time purchase limit to one ounce of cannabis instead of the two ounces that would have been covered by the measure as introduced. Sen. Joy San Buenaventura (D), chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, said at the hearing that she believes regulators are equipped to track those interim sales “using administrative rules as required,” and she said her support it partly informed by personal experience. The chairwoman said SB 3315 could have helped her family as they supported a terminally ill relative, “where we tried every possible prescriptive ability” and “really needed that one-time use.” “So for those reasons, I’m going to be passing [the bill] with amendments” to reduce the purchase limit from two ounces to one ounce. The measure’s approval comes as legislators also weigh proposals to legalize marijuana in the state, with action expected imminently. Historically, it’s been the Hawaii Senate that’s proved more amenable to cannabis reform in the legislature—and the 2026 session hasn’t been any different so far. That was evidenced, in part, after key House lawmakers announced earlier this month that a pair of legalization bills that originated in the chamber were effectively dead for the year. Despite renewed hopes that the proposals—including one from House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee Chairman David Tarnas (D) that would have put the issue of legalization before voters at the ballot—would advance this year, the sponsor and House Speaker Nadine Nakamura (D) said there wasn’t enough support within the legislature to pass them this round. State officials last month released a report on the potential economic impact of recreational marijuana legalization in the state, including revenue implications related to domestic and international tourism. All told, researchers said survey data and comparative analyses indicate that Hawaii could see anywhere from $46-$90 million in monthly marijuana sales by year five of implementation, after accounting for a maximum 15 percent tax rate on cannabis products. Hawaii’s Senate last year narrowly defeated a proposal that would have increased fivefold the amount of cannabis that a person could possess without risk of criminal charges. Had the measure become law, it would have increased the amount of cannabis decriminalized in Hawaii from the current 3 grams up to 15 grams. Possession of any amount of marijuana up to that 15-gram limit would have been classified as a civil violation, punishable by a fine of $130. A Senate bill that would have legalized marijuana for adults, meanwhile, ultimately stalled for the session. That measure, SB 1613, failed to make it out of committee by a legislative deadline. While advocates felt there was sufficient support for the legalization proposal in the Senate, it’s widely believed that House lawmakers would have ultimately scuttled the measure, as they did last February with a legalization companion bill, HB 1246. In 2024, a Senate-passed legalization bill also fizzled out in the House. Last year’s House vote to stall the bill came just days after approval from a pair of committees at a joint hearing. Ahead of that hearing, the panels received nearly 300 pages of testimony, including from state agencies, advocacy organizations and members of the public. Gov. Josh Green (D) signed separate legislation last year to allow medical marijuana caregivers to grow marijuana on behalf of up to five patients rather than the current one. And in July, the governor signed another bill that establishes a number of new rules around hemp products in Hawaii, including a requirement that distributors and retailers obtain a registration from the Department of Health. Lawmakers also sent a bill to the governor that would help speed the expungement process for people hoping to clear their records of past marijuana-related offenses—a proposal Green signed into law last April. That measure, HB 132, from Tarnas, is intended to expedite expungements happening through a pilot program signed into law in 2024 by Green. Specifically, it will remove a distinction between marijuana and other Schedule V drugs for the purposes of the expungement program. The bill’s proponents said the current wording of the law forces state officials to comb through thousands of criminal records manually in order to identify which are eligible for expungement under the pilot program. Meanwhile, in November, Hawaii officials finalized rules that will allow medical marijuana dispensaries to sell an expanded assortment of products for patients—including dry herb vaporizers, rolling papers and grinders—while revising the state code to clarify that cannabis oils and concentrates can be marketed for inhalation. The department also affirmed its support for federal marijuana rescheduling—a policy change that President Donald Trump ordered to be completed expeditiously but has yet to come to fruition. Hawaii lawmakers recently advanced a bill to allow qualifying patients to access medical marijuana at health facilities. — 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. — Regulators are also launching a series of courses designed to educate physicians and other healthcare professionals about medical marijuana as the state’s cannabis proagram expands. The underlying medical marijuana expansion bill signed by the governor in late June, in addition to allowing more patients to more easily access cannabis, also contains a provision that advocates find problematic. Before lawmakers sent the legislation to Green, a conference committee revised the plan, inserting a provision to allow DOH to access medical marijuana patient records held by doctors for any reason whatsoever. The post Hawaii Lawmakers Approve Bill To Let Patients Access Medical Marijuana Immediately Instead Of Having To Wait For Registration Processing appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“It’s clear there were some significant issues with how license applications were evaluated and scored that cast a shadow over the program.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick released a scathing report Wednesday on the state’s marijuana program, concluding that missteps in the 2019 licensing process triggered costly litigation and raised persistent questions about whether licenses were awarded fairly. The nearly three-year audit of the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation alleges “perceived and actual deficiencies” in the application scoring process contributed to more than $12.5 million in costs associated with litigation and administrative appeals. It also raised concerns about the “blind scoring” system used to determine who received lucrative medical marijuana licenses, saying weaknesses in the process make it difficult to verify whether inconsistent results stemmed from error or bias. “It was a monumental task, and I know it was not easy,” Fitzpatrick said in a press release Wednesday, “but at the same time it’s clear there were some significant issues with how license applications were evaluated and scored that cast a shadow over the program and ultimately cost the state millions of dollars.” In an equally scathing 23-page response, the division defended its 2019 scoring system and panned Fitzpatrick’s criticisms as “baseless” and “flawed.” The agency noted Fitzpatrick’s team only reviewed 67 of the applications, or 3 percent, arguing that is too small of a sample to make an overarching claim about the legitimacy of the system. In 2019, more than 2,000 applications were submitted and ultimately 348 licenses were granted—192 dispensary, 86 manufacturing, 60 cultivation and 10 testing facility licenses. Applicants who were denied licenses could appeal the decision by filing a complaint with the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission. Nearly 850 appealed, citing concerns related to inconsistent scoring, conflicts of interest within the contracted scoring company, the division’s authority to limit licenses and other issues, the audit states. The audit also criticized the division for slowly processing requests to transfer ownership of a license and awarding social-equity licenses to applicants who didn’t meet the requirements outlined in the constitution. It recommends that the division improve its procedures for oversight and monitoring of licensed marijuana facilities, as well as the overall market. The division was also accused of being “uncooperative” throughout the audit, with Fitzpatrick expressing surprise at the “adversarial tone the department took with our audit team and the repeated attempts agency officials made to undermine the legitimacy of this report.” Amy Moore, the division director, said this is the first time she has heard the auditor felt that way. In an interview with The Independent, Moore said the division completed 160 requests for information and had more than 70 staff members working “thousands of hours” to assist in the audit, including interviews and hosting site visits. “We were not aware at any point that this level of cooperation was considered insufficient,” she said, adding that she would have addressed it. Moore said despite all the work her team put in, they feel the report has “significant errors and misunderstandings.” “We will absolutely take what is beneficial and constructive from this,” she said. “We will continue to make improvements, as we always have, and I think we’re ready to close the book on this and move forward.” Licenses When the division was working in 2019 to build the framework of the state’s now multi-billion dollar industry, it used a competitive bidding process, the audit states, to award the license application scoring contract to Nevada-based company Wise Health Solutions. The division allowed applicants to create their own unique identifier, the report states, that they included on supporting documents. For example, the company BBMO 3 LLC used the identifying number BBMO0003, while the group Nirvana Bliss III’s identifier was NIRV0003. Fitzpatrick argues the division should not have permitted these identifiers because “graders or reviewers familiar with the applicant could potentially deduce the applicant’s identity.” Of the 67 facility license applications reviewed by the auditor’s office, 12 applications, or 18 percent, included identifiers that the auditor’s office felt could be recognizable. Of those, 83 percent were granted licenses. That’s compared to the rate of 15 percent for the overall population of applications, meaning applicants who chose potentially recognizable identifiers were almost six times more likely to get a license than those who didn’t. “What was meant to be a blind scoring process was able to be circumvented by applicants who provided indications of their identity throughout their applications,” Fitzpatrick said, “and the numbers show applicants who did that won licenses at a greatly increased rate compared to those who followed the rules and remained anonymous.” The division pushed back in its response, saying scorers only graded one or two questions of an application to ensure that no grader would have undue influence over any application. “Due to the small sample size and lack of evidence to the contrary,” the division’s response states, “it is speculation that these applicants received licenses at this rate because of their [identifier] and not due to the merit of their responses.” The division argued allowing applicants to provide their own identifier saved regulators from having to create a number and include it on documents manually. They also argued the risk of having graders identify applicants was “small.” “Manually adding an anonymous identifier to hundreds of thousands of documents presented logistical challenges and created new risks,” the division said, “such as errors or perceptions of agency manipulation of applicant responses.” Moore said that over five years of extensive litigation through the administrative appeals, there’s never been any evidence that a grader knew the identity of an applicant. And fewer than 1 percent of challenges, she said, have been successful. “That has been examined thoroughly,” Moore said. “And on the contrary, we have numerous decisions and we can now know without a doubt that the scoring system was implemented in a way that protected anonymity, it provided impartiality and resulted in highly consistent scoring.” But in a system where small differences in scores made a big difference, Fitzpatrick said, even minor inconsistencies could determine who walked away with a lucrative license and who didn’t. “Generally speaking, the scoring was tight,” Fitzpatrick told The Independent Wednesday. “A slight shift in score one way or the other could have resulted in a license being granted or not being granted.” It’s impossible to say whether the scorers used the information “nefariously,” Fitzpatrick said, “but we also can’t say that they didn’t, and that’s, I think, the concern that should be taken from that. It created a huge risk.” Adding to the confusion, the audit found, was the fact that scorers were instructed by Wise Health Solutions to take limited notes while scoring applications to reduce the records available in the event of lawsuits. The auditor’s accusation unearths a line of questioning that lawmakers on a Missouri House legislative oversight committee began in 2020 regarding potential conflict of interests between marijuana industry leaders and leaders of Wise Health Solutions. Lawmakers were, in part, investigating whether groups behind Wise Health Solutions were acting as consultants for applicants that the company eventually ended up scoring. The committee’s inquiry was cut short by the pandemic. Inconsistent scores The audit’s review of the 67 applications found identical answers were often given different scores. It identified 59 instances involving 14 of the 67 applications reviewed, or 21 percent, in which two applicants submitted identical, nearly identical or substantially similar responses and the grader assigned different scores. The audit also identified 38 applications (57 percent) in which at least one response that met the minimum criteria of the evaluation question was assigned a score of zero. The division provided a number of appeal case decisions where the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission weighed in on the issue. In one case, a scorer gave 764 applicants, or 63 percent, a score of zero for one question. Commissioner Philip Prewitt stated in his 2022 decision of the Missouri Delta Cannabis Company LLC’s appeal that the scoring “though harsh, was not inconsistent.” “For us to review the responses and put our own valuation on them would make the scoring not follow the impartiality and consistency that the regulations call for,” Prewitt stated. The division argued that in “years of litigation,” the commission has reviewed analysis by experts, including University of Missouri professor Wes Bonifay, an expert in measurement theory. Bonifay reviewed answers to all the application questions and found they had a 98 percent average consistency, which he called “very reliable.” Commissioners found Bonifay’s analysis “reliable and useful,” in at least one appeal decision. The audit notes the division improved its processes throughout the audit period, but many licensees were allowed to operate without required inspections. And when regulators “did perform inspections, passing grades were sometimes given without the licensee proving compliance.” Fitzpatrick found the division performed minimal inventory inspections to ensure cannabis was not being diverted into the black market. Other findings in the report include the division failing to process business change requests timely or to adequately track the progress of the requests and officials approving microbusiness licenses that were not compliant with constitutional requirements and state regulation. It also concludes the statewide track and trace system, Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting & Compliance (Metrc), does not currently have the capability to identify purchases over the legal transaction quantity limits in real time. The division pushed back on all these claims, even stating some were “egregiously inaccurate.” Regulators argued all licensees must go through rigorous inspection to begin operating, and ongoing inspections may look different than other industries because they could be in person or a review of Metrc records. The division argued the auditor’s team “has not understood basic concepts” of marijuana regulations and licensing. “The [State Auditor’s Office] has failed to obtain the proper expertise,” it wrote, “to legitimately review DHSS’ performance in cannabis regulation.” Fitzpatrick praised his team’s efforts digging into a program that makes up 20 percent of the state’s constitution. “Hopefully parts of the report could be a benefit to the department in the immediate future,” he told The Independent, “and hopefully other parts of it can be a benefit to other state agencies down the road, if they have to go through a similar process that DHSS went through with the cannabis programs.” This story was first published by Missouri Independent. The post Missouri Audit Highlights Marijuana Licensing ‘Deficiencies,’ Drawing Pushback From Regulators appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“It’s a small step. At least it’s not a step backwards.” By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner A legislative committee unanimously advanced small tweaks Tuesday to the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission, presenting a unified front that was a first for legislation on the topic. The eight-member General Affairs Committee voted to advance an amended version of its Legislative Bill 1235. The amended bill would be three pages, down from 28, and would give the group’s five commissioners a salary of $12,500, create a state cash account to help fund commission work, allow the commission to charge fees for applicants up to $50,000 and require fingerprinting for applicants. “It doesn’t make really much progress in terms of getting us to where we need to be in providing available, accessible, safe medical cannabis, but it is not hurting that goal,” said State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, committee vice chair. “It’s a small step,” Cavanaugh added after the committee vote. “At least it’s not a step backwards.” Addressing a ‘few holes’ Voters created the commission during the November 2024 election with overwhelming support. Voters in that same election legalized possession of up to 5 ounces of medical cannabis with a recommendation from any health care provider. State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, committee chair, said after ballot measures are passed, there are typically a “few holes” that need to be filled. In this case, that included funding and the ability to raise fees in a specific account. Holdcroft said the changes would help the commission move forward. Lawmakers last year balked at a more comprehensive legislative framework meant to fund and help the commission do its work. “If down the road it looks like there’s something the Legislature needs to do, then we’ll take another look at it,” Holdcroft said of future legislation. LB 1235 would also include two bills related to alcohol in a committee package—LB 1085 from State Sen. Stan Clouse of Kearney and LB 1128 from State Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk. The package will receive one of the committee’s “priority” designations, increasing its chances of reaching the legislative floor for debate. Last year, a more comprehensive medical cannabis framework fell short 23-22. It needed 33 votes. Provider protections LB 1235, as introduced on behalf of the Medical Cannabis Commission, would have expanded the commission’s power to patients. Voters “exclusively” gave the commission the power to regulate “all phases” of possession, manufacture, distribution, delivery and dispensing of medical cannabis. Commissioners, too, would have been granted control over testing facilities, which patients and industry leaders supported. Commissioners are meant to regulate the new medicine and, eventually, license dispensaries to get the drug to patients. The original bill, which the committee would replace with the scaled-back version, would have restricted health care providers’ recommendations to only in-state doctors, carving out Nebraskans who went to other states in the meantime. The commission has similarly proposed restricting access to licensed dispensaries. Under proposed regulations, patients would need an in-state provider. Those providers would need to register as part of a commission-created directory, and providers would submit patient information to the commission. Participating providers would need to complete annual education on medical cannabis. Advocates have said few, if any, Nebraska medical providers have issued recommendations due to fear of professional or legal consequences. Cavanaugh will present his LB 933 at a hearing Thursday before the Health and Human Services Committee. That bill would protect providers who recommend medical cannabis from criminal, civil or disciplinary action solely for making such a recommendation. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) opposed that section during the attempt to pass the broader legal framework bill in 2025. Commission requested funding So far, commissioners have licensed three cultivators and anticipate licensing a fourth next month. The commission delayed discussing a timeline for other application types—product manufacturers, transporters and dispensaries—until its next meeting, March 16, to see how LB 1235 proceeded. Commissioner Lorelle Mueting of Gretna, interim commission chair, said at a February 2 meeting that it would be important to delay, if the commission could generate some revenue from fees. “There’s no medical cannabis state in this country that has no money to work with,” Mueting said at the time. Holdcroft said Commissioner Bud Synhorst of Lincoln indicated that the commission would not charge $50,000 for fees right away. A higher cap would allow flexibility year over year, so commissioners don’t have to go to the Legislature frequently to ask for increases. Also on Tuesday, the legislative committee unanimously advanced the three newest members for the regulatory commission for full legislative confirmation. The Medical Cannabis Commission consists of up to two at-large members and the three members of the Liquor Control Commission. All three Liquor Control members receive salaries of $12,500 for their separate duties. Due to resignations in 2025 at Gov. Jim Pillen’s (R) request, all three members are up for confirmation this year. Liquor Control members would get $25,000 each year with their dual roles. Patients, families opposed original bill At LB 1235’s public hearing, also February 2, patients, families and most industry advocates opposed the original bill. Representatives for the state’s new licensed cultivators and a new industry group to represent licensed medical cannabis operators supported the bill. Michael Johnson, who was born and raised in Lincoln but worked as a cannabis executive the past 15 years, including in Oregon and Colorado, said it wasn’t right to award an “incredible amount of power” to the commission. He described the commission as “doing everything you can to constrict the industry, to limit patient access, to put up barriers and roadblocks, restrict what products can be sold, to limit what providers can recommend.” “It’s strangling the industry before it gets off the ground,” Johnson testified. John Cartier, attorney general for the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, described the original LB 1235 as a “poison pill” that wasn’t about small technical choices. He said the bill was a path for “a program on paper that is not usable for a large portion of Nebraska patients.” The Omaha Tribe has legalized medical and recreational marijuana on its land. It is focusing on medical cannabis at this time, Cartier has said. Under LB 1235 as introduced, patients, caregivers and providers would have needed to register with the commission to legally access medical cannabis. That would have more than likely stifled the Omaha Tribe’s desire to give Nebraskans seeking the medicine an alternative route. Holdcroft, as chair, had been working with commission representatives and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office on a way to pare back LB 1235. He said testimony led to scaling back and that the commission already had some authority without the Legislature needing to step in. Some industry groups in favor Nancy Laughlin-Wagner, CEO of Midwest Cultivators Group, the state’s first licensed cultivator, said the original bill would have provided the commission “the authority it needs to fully operationalize this program.” “This bill establishes several critical operational infrastructures that must be in place before medical cannabis can be responsibly made available to the patients who so desperately want and need it,” Laughlin-Wagner testified. Laughlin-Wagner said patient and provider registries would be “truly foundational” to a program. The bill would have explicitly excluded such registries from public records laws. Robert Wagner, executive director of the new Nebraska Cannabis Trade Alliance, said industry leaders support “clear, stable rules” to allow the industry to be “economically viable.” He said that requires high standards, but not so high that “good actors” are pushed out. “Every industry needs certainty, and the medical cannabis industry is no different,” Wagner said. A second commission vision The same day the General Affairs Committee heard LB 1235, the committee also considered Cavanaugh’s LB 934, which would have made the commission’s seats elected rather than appointed by the governor. No one testified against the bill, though some committee members questioned the idea. “What you’re asking for is for us to defy the will of the people and take a different course,” said State Sen. Bob Andersen of Sarpy County. Cavanaugh responded that it might not follow the “letter” of what voters passed but that it was “faithful” to their “will.” “The question really is not whether it’s a change in what the voters voted for but whether or not the change is respectful to the spirit and the desires of the voters,” Cavanaugh said. The committee did not discuss the election-related bill Tuesday. ‘Got what you voted for’ At LB 934’s hearing, Holdcroft and State Sens. Jared Storm of David City and Barry DeKay of Niobrara had also honed their resistance to Cavanaugh’s election bill on one supporter, Amy Burgess, a cannabis business owner since 2020. Burgess had said the commission had been “set up for failure,” noting the up-or-down election and lack of legislative support after the vote. Storm argued the “marijuana industry” wrote the ballot measures; they were written by families and other local advocates after years of legislative stalling. “That’s why we voted for the one option that we have, and now we are saying this option was compromised,” Burgess said. Storm responded, “But you got what you voted for.” Burgess reiterated the current commission wasn’t working as imagined. Holdcroft, at one point, told Burgess she wrote the ballot initiatives. Burgess responded that she didn’t. “Someone here did,” Holdcroft responded. “And you cannot sit there and say, ‘That was all we were given, that’s what the people voted for,’ because that’s what the people put forward in the referendum.” DeKay said conversations should have taken place sooner to iron out language—legislative proposals had been nearly annual endeavors since 2016. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, the nonprofit that led the successful 2024 ballot measures, made two earlier petition attempts in 2020 and 2022. The group opposed the original version of LB 1235 but supported Cavanaugh’s LB 934. Burgess told DeKay it “doesn’t always work that way.” “Well,” DeKay responded, “that’s part of life then.” This story was first published by Nebraska Examiner. Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Nebraska Lawmakers Approve Tweak To Change Medical Cannabis Commission Rules appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Arizona lawmakers are considering at a pair of measures that would make the act of creating “excessive” amounts of marijuana smoke a nuisance crime punishable by jail time, even if the person is using cannabis in compliance with state law in their own homes. Sen. J.D. Mesnard (R) is sponsoring the two proposals—one that would amend state statute legislatively that would put the issue before voters at the ballot. Members of the Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee are set to consider the proposals this week. The lawmaker said he decided to push the issue due to the smell of marijuana in his own neighborhood. Both versions of Mesnard’s legislation stipulate that “it is presumed that a person who creates excessive marijuana smoke and odor causes a condition that endangers the safety or health of others.” The reason behind having both a proposed bill and resolution is related to the potential legal challenges of lawmakers changing the voter-approved marijuana legalization law. The legislation would establish “a presumption that the creation of excessive marijuana smoke and odor is injurious to health, indecent, offensive to the senses and an obstruction to the free use of property that interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property,” a summary of the proposal says. If enacted, the loosely defined offense of creating “excessive” marijuana smoke under the bill and resolution would be considered a class 3 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a maximum $500 fine and up to one year of probation. “I’m hearing from some people that, depending on their neighbor situation, they may not be able to have their kids go outside because the marijuana smoke is so potent,” Mesnard, the sponsor, said. “It can even creep into your own house or, in my case, into my garage.” “But experiencing now what’s happened, even in my own neighborhood, is a pretty frustrating situation,” he told The Arizona Daily Star. “You should be responsible neighbors if you’re going to smoke pot… It can be a real issue for families, especially with kids.” Asked about the seeming double standard given that no such nuisance offenses exist for smoking cigarettes or cigars on a private property, the senator said, “I’ll concede I hadn’t thought about it.” “I’m pretty sure that marijuana smoke has a different impact than, say, other smoke that might make you cough,” Mesnard said. “I don’t want my kids to get high. If someone wants to get high on their own, let them get high on their own.” — 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. — In the background of this legislation, anti-cannabis activists are working to put an initiative on the state’s November ballot that would significantly roll back its voter-approved marijuana legalization law. A GOP congressional lawmaker said recently he’d like to see his state take that action—but he also acknowledged that President Donald Trump’s recent federal rescheduling order could complicate that prohibitionist push. Under the proposal, possession would remain lawful if voters chose to enact the initiative—and Arizona’s medical marijuana program would remain intact—but the commercial market for recreational cannabis that’s evolved since voters approved an adult-use legalization measure in 2020 would be quashed. A findings section on the latest initiative states that “the proliferation of marijuana establishments and recreational marijuana sales in this state have produced unintended consequences and negative effects relating to the public health, safety, and welfare of Arizonans, including increased marijuana use among children, environmental concerns, increased demands for water resources, public nuisances, market instability, and illicit market activities.” “Arizona’s legal marijuana sales have declined for two consecutive years, resulting in less tax revenue for this state, while some patients have relied on recreational use of marijuana instead of utilizing the benefits of this state’s medical marijuana program,” it says. The initiative would also instruct the legislature to make conforming changes by amending existing statute as it relates to the commercial industry, including tax and advertising rules. In order to make the ballot, the campaign will need to collect 255,949 valid signatures by July 2. If the proposal goes to voters and is approved, it would take effect in January 2028. It remains to be seen if there will be an appetite for repeal among voters, as 60 percent of the electorate approved legalization at the ballot in 2020. What’s more a poll from last year found majority support for medical cannabis legalization (86 percent), adult-use legalization (69 percent) and banking reform (78 percent). Photo courtesy of Martin Alonso. The post Arizona Senators Take Up Bills To Criminalize ‘Excessive’ Marijuana Smoke, Even On Private Property appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The shift to digital medical cannabis cards will “enhance convenience for patients and caregivers,” the state health secretary said. By John Hult, South Dakota Searchlight South Dakota medical marijuana cards will soon be primarily digital. The cannabis card news came Tuesday at the Capitol during a meeting of the House of Representatives’s Health and Human Services Committee. Rep. Josephine Garcia, R-Watertown, had planned to testify on her bill to create digital cards, but instead sat down before the committee and asked its members to table it. Garcia is the chairwoman of the state’s Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee, which had discussed legislation to require the Department of Health to provide digital cards. On Tuesday, Garcia announced that the Department of Health had agreed to pursue digital cards without legislation. The department is looking for vendors now and will select one during the summer, Garcia said, reading from a letter to the committee from Health Secretary Melissa Magstadt. The vendor will build the digital card system in the fall. Once the system is ready, the department will begin issuing digital cards to anyone who doesn’t ask for a plastic card. No implementation date was offered, and the department did not immediately respond to a request for an implementation time frame. The shift to digital cards will “enhance convenience for patients and caregivers,” the letter said. Magstadt was in the room for the hearing and thanked Garcia for reading the letter. The committee voted 13-0 to table Garcia’s bill. Patients with a medical recommendation for marijuana pay initial and annual fees for plastic, driver’s license-sized cards, which let them legally purchase marijuana products at dispensaries around the state. Recreational marijuana use remains illegal in South Dakota. Digital cards would be accessible on patients’ smartphones. This story was first published by South Dakota Searchlight. The post South Dakota Will Begin Issuing Digital Medical Marijuana Cards, Officials Announce appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has missed a congressionally mandated deadline to publish a list of known cannabinoids as federal hemp laws are set to change later this year in a way that stakeholders argue will upend the existing market. As part of appropriations legislation that President Donald Trump signed last year, many hemp products that were legalized during his first term in office under the 2018 Farm Bill will be prohibited once again starting in November. The spending measure included separate provisions, however, to have FDA and other relevant agencies study the cannabinoid marketplace and develop lists of cannabis components. After the bill was signed, FDA was given 90 days to publish 1) a list of “all cannabinoids known to FDA to be capable of being naturally produced” by cannabis 2) a list of “all tetrahydrocannabinol class cannabinoids known to the agency to be naturally occurring in the plant” and 3) a list of “all other know cannabinoids with similar effects to, or marketed to have similar effects to, tetrahyrocannabinol class cannabinoids.” Further, the agency was tasked with providing “additional information and specificity about the term ‘container’” with respect to hemp product THC serving sizes. In the bill, the term is defined as “the innermost wrapping, packaging, or vessel in direct contact with a final hemp-derived cannabinoid product in which the final hemp-derived cannabinoid product is enclosed for retail sale to consumers, such as a jar, bottle, bag, box, packet, can, carton, or cartridge.” The lists and information was due last week, on February 10, but FDA did not follow through by the deadline. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), of which FDA is a component, told Marijuana Moment last week that it was the agency’s intention to provide the lists in time and that they would be published in the Federal Register. However, that’s yet to materialize—and officials did not provide clarification when asked for an update. Hemp stakeholders say this missed deadline is all the more reason for Congress to pass legislation delaying the implementation of the pending hemp THC ban that’s set to take effect in November. “We’re disappointed, but not surprised,” Jonathan Miller, general counsel of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, told Marijuana Moment on Tuesday. “The FDA has been quite slow in meeting congressional deadlines when it comes to hemp in the past, and in some cases ignoring congressional deadlines.” “But this just makes it even more imperative for Congress to pass an extension” of the hemp policy change, he said. “There is a whole lot of work to do, and the FDA is going to be in the middle of this, and there’s not enough time to come up with a thought-out regulatory regime to replace the ban.” “This episode makes it clear why we need to have the extension,” Miller said. The purpose of the FDA directive is related to how federal law will distinguish between legal hemp products under a new, narrower definition in the recently enacted legislation and marijuana, which remains illegal under U.S. law. Since 2018, cannabis products have been considered legal hemp if they contain less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry weight basis. However, the law that is set to take effect in November specifies that, within one year of enactment, the weight would apply to total THC—including delta-8 and other isomers. It would also include “any other cannabinoids that have similar effects (or are marketed to have similar effects) on humans or animals as a tetrahydrocannabinol (as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services).” The new definition of legal hemp would additionally ban “any intermediate hemp-derived cannabinoid products which are marketed or sold as a final product or directly to an end consumer for personal or household use” as well as products containing cannabinoids that are synthesized or manufactured outside of the cannabis plant or not capable of being naturally produced by it. Legal hemp products would be limited to a per-container total of 0.4 milligrams of total THC or any other cannabinoids with similar effects. Hemp stakeholders are paying particularly close attention to the “container” definition for cannabinoid products. “It’s going to open up a window into how the FDA is thinking about these issues. And you know, one of the key issues here is, what is a container?” Miller said. “That could make a really big difference in terms of what products would be eligible.” “We’re hopeful that the 0.4 milligrams per container does not stay. We’re hoping to see that change,” he said. “But, you know, defining what a container is is going to be very important for any regulatory solution.” The Hemp Enforcement, Modernization, and Protection (HEMP) Act represents a potential alternative to the outright THC ban that was included in the spending bill Trump signed, affirmatively allowing the sale of consumable hemp products to adults 21 and older. That includes edibles, beverages and inhalable items. If the legislation is enacted, there would be various regulatory restrictions for the market. For example, packaging couldn’t appeal to youth and would need to be tamper-proof. It would also need to list all cannabinoids present and include QR code linking to a certificate of analysis. Hemp product makers would be prohibited from adding substances like alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, nicotine, melatonin or others “with effects that could interact with cannabinoids or enhance or alter their effects.” There would also be manufacturing and testing requirements, and hemp businesses would need to register their facilities. Additionally, there are provisions mandating the establishment of a total cannabinoid cap on hemp products. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would be charged with proposing cannabinoid limits within 60 days of enactment. Meanwhile, alcohol retailers recently came together to encourage Congress to delay the enactment of the law Trump signed to federally recriminalize hemp-derived THC beverages and other products. The coalition is calling on lawmakers to pass recently introduced legislation, the Hemp Planting Predictability Act, that would give the hemp industry two more years before a federal ban on THC products would take effect—which stakeholders hope will better position them to negotiate a broader regulatory compromise. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), who is cosponsoring the proposal, appeared at a press conference last month alongside farmers who are concerned about the looming federal hemp ban’s impact on their businesses. For what it’s worth, four in five marijuana consumers say they oppose the recriminalization of hemp THC products under the spending bill Trump signed in November. However, it should be noted that that poll was conducted weeks before he issued a cannabis rescheduling order and took steps to protect access to full-spectrum CBD. Trump signed an executive order last month directing the attorney general to complete the process of moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Part of that announcement also hold implications for the forthcoming hemp law. The president’s order also urged Congress to examine updating the definition of hemp to ensure that full-spectrum CBD is accessible to patients. A further redefinition of hemp would be part of a novel proposal to allow Medicare recipients to access non-intoxicating CBD that’d be covered under the federal health care plan. To effectuate that, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be announcing “a model that will allow a number of CMS beneficiaries to benefit from receiving CBD under doctor recommendation at no cost,” a White House official said during a briefing that Marijuana Moment first reported leaked details from ahead of the signing event. For what it’s worth, an executive with a hemp company that’s been collaborating with the agency on the initiative said the rules for CBD health care coverage were internally finalized weeks ago. Trump seemed endorse a more flexible CBD policy last summer when he shared a video calling for that specific reform while promoting the health benefits of cannabidiol, particularly for seniors. Meanwhile, a separate recently filed Republican-led congressional bill would stop the implementation of the hemp ban under the enacted appropriations legislation. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Hemp businesses and industry groups have warned about the potential ramifications of the ban, but despite his support for states’ rights for cannabis and a recent social media post touting the benefits of CBD, Trump signed the underlying spending measure into law without acknowledging the hemp provisions. GOP political operative Roger Stone said recently that Trump was effectively “forced” by Republican lawmakers to sign the spending bill with the hemp THC ban language. However, a White House spokesperson said prior to the bill signing that Trump specifically supported the prohibition language. The Democratic governor of Kentucky said that the hemp industry is an “important” part of the economy that deserves to be regulated at the state level—rather than federally prohibited, as Congress has moved to do. Also, a leading veterans organization is warning congressional leaders that the newly approved blanket ban on consumable hemp products could inadvertently “slam the door shut” on critical research. The post FDA Misses Deadline To Publish Cannabinoid List And Define Hemp ‘Containers,’ Drawing Industry Criticism appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Local officials in Pennsylvania’s second most populous city are calling on state lawmakers and the governor to urgently agree on a plan to legalize marijuana this year. The Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution noting that despite legalization being enacted in surrounding states and the Trump administration’s “historic” move to federally reschedule marijuana, “Pennsylvania continues to treat cannabis possession as a criminal offense in many circumstances, resulting in ongoing arrests, prosecutions, and incarceration that disproportionately impact communities of color and low-income residents.” Pennsylvania “is now surrounded by four of its five neighboring states—New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Maryland—that have legalized adult-use recreational cannabis, creating an uneven regional landscape in which Pennsylvania residents routinely cross state lines to purchase legal cannabis,” the resolution says. “This regional disparity has caused Pennsylvania to fall significantly behind other states, resulting in the loss of substantial tax revenue, job creation, and economic opportunities as consumer spending flows out of the Commonwealth each day.” Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) this month again included marijuana legalization in his budget request to lawmakers, as he has done for the past several sessions. But while the House of Representatives last year passed a bill to legalize cannabis with sales in state-run stores, the Republican-controlled Senate has so far not advanced any plan to end prohibition. “Poll after poll demonstrates overwhelming bipartisan support” for the reform, the Pittsburgh resolution says, calling on state lawmakers to “act with urgency and pass comprehensive adult-use cannabis legalization during the 2026 legislative session.” “Meaningful cannabis reform must prioritize decriminalization, social equity, expungement of prior cannabis-related offenses, expanded patient and veteran access, and inclusive economic opportunity for small businesses, workers, and communities historically harmed by prohibition,” the resolution sponsored by Councilmember Barb Warwick (D) says. Meanwhile, as Pennsylvania’s governor promotes his latest call for marijuana legalization in the Keystone State, a coalition of drug policy and civil liberties organizations are urging him to play a leadership role in convening legislative leaders to get the job done this session. In a letter led by the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) and sent to the governor earlier this month, the coalition noted that legalization has consistently made it into Shapiro’s budget requests, “reflecting both sound fiscal policy and the clear will of the people of the Commonwealth.” “This competitive disadvantage grows more pronounced with each year of inaction,” the letter, which was also signed by groups including the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Doctors for Drug Policy Reform, Last Prisoner Project (LPP) and Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), said. Pennsylvania House Democratic lawmakers have separately called on the GOP-controlled Senate to come to the table and pass a bill to legalize marijuana. At a press conference this month, three Democratic members of the House who have championed adult-use legalization stressed the need to move on reform, laying blame for inaction on the Senate where even supporters of the policy change have so far been unable to deliver on the issue. Reps. Rick Krajewski (D) and Dan Frankel (D), who sponsored a bill to legalize with state-run shops that advanced through the House last year, said they understand that the novel regulatory approach they envisioned may be “controversial” to some members, but that’s all the more reason for the Senate to bring their own ideas to the conversation to finally enact the reform. House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D) said in December that legalizing marijuana is one way to create a “very important” revenue source for the state—and that it’s an achievable reform if only legislators could find “the will to do it.” Bipartisan Pennsylvania lawmakers who’ve been working to enact adult-use legalization over recent sessions without success so far have also recently said that President Donald Trump’s federal marijuana rescheduling order could grease the wheels in 2026. For what it’s worth, another top GOP senator—Sen. Scott Martin (R), chair of the chamber’s Appropriations Committee—said in December that he was skeptical about the prospects of enacting legalization in the 2026 session, in part because of the federal classification of cannabis that’s now expected to change. Of course, marijuana would still be federally illegal under Schedule III, so it’s unclear if a simple loosening of the law would move the needle enough from his perspective. — 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. — A top aide to Pennsylvania’s governor said in September that lawmakers should stop introducing new competing legalization bills and instead focus on building consensus on the issue—while emphasizing that any measure that advances needs to contain equity provisions if the governor is going to sign it into law. Sen. Dan Laughlin (R), for his part, said in August that the House “needs to pass the language in my bill and send it to my committee” after which point he “can negotiate with the Senate and the governor.” The senator separately said recently that supporters are “picking up votes” to enact the reform this session. Meanwhile, bipartisan Pennsylvania senators in October introduced a bill that would allow terminally ill patients to use of medical marijuana in hospitals. Separately, the leading Republican candidate in the race to become the next governor of Pennsylvania dodged a question about her stance on legalizing marijuana—saying she doesn’t have a “policy position” on the issue and arguing that the sitting governor’s proposal for reform “way, way overstated” potential revenue. The candidate, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R), pointed to neighboring Ohio, which launched its own adult-use cannabis market this year, saying “they generated about $115 million in revenue.” And while the populations of both states are relatively comparable, Shapiro’s budget projected $536.5 million in cannabis revenue in the first fiscal year of implementation. She did, however, say that if Pennsylvania moves forward on enacting the reform, she’ll “make sure that it’s banked appropriately.” Meanwhile, a Pennsylvania Democratic senator recently said that federal marijuana rescheduling would be “very influential” in advancing legalization in his state, giving “political cover” to GOP members on the fence about reform. Polls have shown bipartisan support for legalization among voters, but the reform has consistently stalled in the legislature, due largely to GOP opposition. But not all Republican members are against the policy change—and one recently said she felt her party should seize the “opportunity to snatch” the issue from Democrats. Photo courtesy of Max Jackson. The post Pennsylvania Lawmakers Should Legalize Marijuana This Year, Pittsburgh City Council Resolution Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Former White House drug czar bashes rescheduling; OK GOP divided on medical marijuana; MD psychedelics vote; MA cannabis sales milestone 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… Free to read (but not free to produce)! We’re proud of our newsletter and the reporting we publish at Marijuana Moment, and we’re happy to provide it for free. But it takes a lot of work and resources to make this happen. If you value Marijuana Moment, invest in our success on Patreon so we can expand our coverage and more readers can benefit: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW Former White House Drug Czar William Bennett said President Donald Trump is wrong about rescheduling marijuana, calling it a “gateway drug” that is “massively destructive.” “I love Donald Trump. I love almost everything he does, but I don’t love this.” Virginia lawmakers passed bills to legalize recreational marijuana sales, provide resentencing relief for past convictions and allow medical cannabis access in hospitals for seriously ill patients—setting up negotiations on the reforms between the Senate and House of Delegates. Oklahoma’s GOP House speaker and Senate president pro tem are rejecting Gov. Kevin Stitt’s (R) push to put medical cannabis back on the ballot and roll back legalization—saying that voters have already decided they support legal access. The Hawaii Senate Health and Human Services Committee and Commerce and Consumer Protections Committee held a joint hearing on bills to legalize marijuana, allow hemp-derived cannabinoid product sales and expedite medical cannabis access. The Maryland House Health Committee approved a bill to extend the Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances for a year and require a new report with recommendations to ensure “broad, equitable & affordable access to psychedelic substances.” The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission reported that retailers have now sold more than $9 billion worth of recreational marijuana products since legalization—including a huge surge in purchases ahead of a recent big snowstorm. / FEDERAL The National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse will meet on March 9. / STATES Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) touted his mass marijuana pardon action. Texas’s attorney general is suing kratom retailers. The Oklahoma Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee approved a bill to allow counties and municipalities to add a local tax on medical cannabis. A Missouri senator discussed her bill to criminalize public marijuana smoking. Illinois regulators published guidance on cannabis labeling, stability testing and retention samples. Virginia regulators launched a new medical cannabis program dashboard. Massachusetts regulators published a guide on how marijuana revenue is allocated. The California Board of State and Community Corrections released $125 million in grant funding to support local governments’ efforts to address public health and safety impacts associated with marijuana legalization. — 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 The Amsterdam, Netherlands City Council is expected to consider banning tourists from accessing cannabis cafes after next month’s elections. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A German study found that “eight months after legalisation, no significant short-term effects on cannabis use or [driving under the influence of cannabis] were observed.” A study found that people who inject drugs “in states with recreational cannabis laws were less likely to use opioids daily” and that “cannabis legalization may potentially reduce opioid-related harms.” / BUSINESS Compass Pathways plc announced it achieved its primary endpoint in an ongoing Phase 3 trial of its synthetic psilocybin formulation for treatment-resistant depression. Rhode Island retailers sold $10.2 million worth of legal marijuana products in January. 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 Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post Virginia cannabis bills passed by House and Senate (Newsletter: February 18, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Hawaii senators have taken up a pair of bills to legalize marijuana—with one proposal contingent on federal reform or changes to the state Constitution and the other omitting provisions allowing for commercial sales. Members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and Commerce and Consumer Protections Committee took up the measures—SB 2421 and SB 3275 from Sen. Joy San Buenaventura (D)—at a joint hearing on Tuesday. The panels also discussed separate legislation allowing for the sale of certain hemp-derived cannabinoid products and permitting one-time medical cannabis sales for patients with pending registration applications. The hearing comes after key House lawmakers signaled that legalization proposals that originated in that chamber would not be advancing in the 2026 session, citing a lack of sufficient support to get them crossed over and potentially enacted. In the Senate, SB 2421 would create a Hawaii Cannabis and Hemp Office within the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to oversee the regulation of a adult-use cannabis market if there’s a constitutional change at the state level or change in federal marijuana laws permitting such a reform. “In addition to legalizing medical use cannabis, numerous states and jurisdictions, including Hawaii, have opted to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of non-medical use cannabis,” the bill text states. “These decisions are motivated by a variety of compelling reasons, including the prioritization of more serious crimes, advancements in criminal justice reform, evolving public opinion, and long-standing social equity concerns within the context of cannabis regulation.” The legislation also notes that states with legal cannabis markets “have witnessed substantial benefits from the revenue generated through taxes, including use and licensing fees, as well as general excise and sales taxes on the non-medical adult-use cannabis industry.” “In light of the task force report, the legislature finds that the legalization of cannabis for personal use is a natural, logical, and reasonable outgrowth of the current science of and attitude toward cannabis. The legislature further finds that cannabis cultivation and sales hold the potential for economic development, increased tax revenues, and reduction in crime. Accordingly, the legislature is prepared to move forward with the legalization of non-medical adult-use cannabis if specific changes are made at the federal level or if the electorate approves a state constitutional amendment to legalize cannabis.” The state attorney general’s office submitted testimony ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, recommending a series of changes related to hemp provisions, packaging requirements and penalties for the unlawful sale of cannabis to minors, for example. It also noted that the legislation as drafted lacks specific language on appropriating funds for the regulation of a marijuana market, stating that it’s “essential that funds be appropriated for the timely implementation of a substantial regulatory program and for law enforcement, nuisance abatement, and a public education campaign prior to legalization, among other things.” The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, which would be tasked with regulating the adult-use cannabis market, testified that it “acknowledges the complex nature of the cannabis issue, involving considerations related to public health, safety, and economic opportunities. The commitment to public health protections, including an extensive public health and education campaign, reflects a responsible approach to mitigate potential risks associated with cannabis use.” “The Department would like to underscore the significance of the clear separation of operations between the DCCA and the Hawaiʻi Cannabis and Hemp Office, as delineated in the proposed legislation,” it said. “This clear separation ensures that the Hawaiʻi Cannabis and Hemp office operates independently, fostering effective governance and decisionmaking in the field of cannabis regulation.” For its part, the state Department of Health (DOH) said that while it “appreciates that this measure acknowledges and prioritizes the implementation of public health protections in connection with adult-use cannabis policy”—and regulating marijuana is “preferable to an unregulated illicit market”—legalization “should be expected to result in a net negative impact on the health of the public.” “As such, the Department remains highly concerned about the public health and environmental impacts that the increased accessibility of cannabis and opening of an adult-use marketplace will bring,” it said. Karen O’Keefe, state policies director of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), commented to the committees that it “makes sense to create an independent Hawaii Cannabis and Hemp Office,” and that advocates “also strongly support adult-use legalization, but urge the committee to amend the bill so legalization takes effect without waiting on a trigger.” “While cannabis is not risk-free, it is far less dangerous than alcohol, tobacco and some medications. Hawai’i should treat adults like grown ups who are allowed to make their own decisions about the plant,” O’Keefe said. “While states have revised some laws to try to keep up with best practices, no cannabis legalization law has been repealed. That’s because they enjoy strong popular support, which increases post-legalization.” In its written testimony, the Hawai’i Alliance for Cannabis Reform (HACR) said the bill from San Buenaventura represents “a thoughtful and comprehensive bill to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older, contingent on a trigger, such as federal legalization or a constitutional amendment legalizing adult-use of cannabis in Hawai‘i.” “Its regulatory framework puts public health, public and consumer education, and equity at the forefront,” the group said. “We are grateful that the bill would preserve access to medical cannabis, while creating new opportunities for small, Hawai‘i-based businesses, legacy growers, and social equity applicants.” “Hawaii’s cannabis laws needlessly ensnare hundreds of people—disproportionately Native Hawaiian people—in its criminal justice system every year. Long after jail sentences are complete and fines are paid, cannabis arrest records derail lives, making it hard to get a job, education, and housing,” it continued. “SB 2421 would also include state-initiated expungement to stop derailing lives for many prior cannabis records.” “Like alcohol prohibition a century ago, cannabis prohibition has failed. It wastes taxpayer dollars, perpetuates racial disparities, puts consumers at risk, and locks people up for minor offenses in overcrowded jails and prisons. SB 2421 would grow the economy, increase freedom, and promote health and safety. It would also move sales above ground so consumers can buy a lab-tested, regulated product and workers don’t face felonies.” “We would prefer cannabis legalization without waiting for a trigger,” HACR said. “Voters support legalization, and the longer the delay, the more harm is done.” Under the other proposal, SB 3275, adults 21 and older would be able to buy, possess and cultivate certain amounts of low-dose and low-THC cannabis for personal use. The legislation further provides protections for parents and employees who use marijuana in compliance with the law, and it describes public safety safeguards such as packaging restrictions and cultivation standards. The state attorney general’s office voiced opposition to the proposal, stating that, as currently drafted, the bill “effectively legalizes a level of non-medical adult-use cannabis without the necessary resources and regulatory scheme required to safely and effectively administer a non-medical adult-use cannabis program.” MPP, meanwhile, said that “Hawai’i should treat adults like grown ups who are allowed to make their own decisions about the plant.” “SB 3206 would take a significant step in that direction, but only if it also legalizes adult-use possession,” it said. “SB 3206 should also be revised to avoid pushing.” HACR, for its part, said “Hawaii’s existing cannabis laws “needlessly ensnare hundreds of people—disproportionately Native Hawaiian people—in its criminal justice system.” “Long after jail sentences are complete and fines are paid, cannabis arrest records derail lives, making it hard to get a job, education, and housing,” it said. “Like alcohol prohibition a century ago, cannabis prohibition has failed. It wastes taxpayer dollars, perpetuates racial disparities, puts consumers at risk, and locks people up for minor offenses in overcrowded jails and prisons,” it said. “Legalizing and responsibly regulating cannabis and THC-infused products would grow the economy, increase freedom, and promote health and safety. It would also move sales above ground so workers don’t face felonies.” “SB 3275 is a significant step in the right direction. However, it needs amendments to regulate and license cannabis sales, so that consumers can purchase a lab-tested, safe product, and to ensure responsible packaging and labeling,” it continued. “It’s time to move cannabis to the legal, regulated market and to stop derailing lives and pouring tax dollars down the drain.” Historically, it’s been the Hawaii Senate that’s proved more amenable to cannabis reform in the legislature—and the 2026 session hasn’t been any different so far. That was evidenced, in part, after key House lawmakers announced earlier this month that a pair of legalization bills that originated in the chamber were effectively dead for the year. Despite renewed hopes that the proposals—including one from House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee Chairman David Tarnas (D) that would have put the issue of legalization before voters at the ballot—would advance this year, the sponsor and House Speaker Nadine Nakamura (D) said there wasn’t enough support within the legislature to pass them this round. At Tuesday’s joint Senate committee hearing, members also took up a bill, SB 3206 from San Buenaventura, that would allow licensed hemp processors to sell hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing up to 5 milligrams of THC per serving to adults 21 and older. Flower hemp products could also be sold under the legislation. And the measure would further increase the THC limit for tinctures to 5 milligrams per serving. The panels additionally discussed a proposal, SB 3315 sponsored by Sen. Angus McKelvey (D), that would let patients and caregivers make a one-time medical marijuana purchases while their applications to become registered participants in the program are processed. State officials last month released a report on the potential economic impact of recreational marijuana legalization in the state, including revenue implications related to domestic and international tourism. All told, researchers said survey data and comparative analyses indicate that Hawaii could see anywhere from $46-$90 million in monthly marijuana sales by year five of implementation, after accounting for a maximum 15 percent tax rate on cannabis products. Hawaii’s Senate last year narrowly defeated a proposal that would have increased fivefold the amount of cannabis that a person could possess without risk of criminal charges. Had the measure become law, it would have increased the amount of cannabis decriminalized in Hawaii from the current 3 grams up to 15 grams. Possession of any amount of marijuana up to that 15-gram limit would have been classified as a civil violation, punishable by a fine of $130. A Senate bill that would have legalized marijuana for adults, meanwhile, ultimately stalled for the session. That measure, SB 1613, failed to make it out of committee by a legislative deadline. While advocates felt there was sufficient support for the legalization proposal in the Senate, it’s widely believed that House lawmakers would have ultimately scuttled the measure, as they did last February with a legalization companion bill, HB 1246. In 2024, a Senate-passed legalization bill also fizzled out in the House. Last year’s House vote to stall the bill came just days after approval from a pair of committees at a joint hearing. Ahead of that hearing, the panels received nearly 300 pages of testimony, including from state agencies, advocacy organizations and members of the public. Gov. Josh Green (D) signed separate legislation last year to allow medical marijuana caregivers to grow marijuana on behalf of up to five patients rather than the current one. And in July, the governor signed another bill that establishes a number of new rules around hemp products in Hawaii, including a requirement that distributors and retailers obtain a registration from the Department of Health. Lawmakers also sent a bill to the governor that would help speed the expungement process for people hoping to clear their records of past marijuana-related offenses—a proposal Green signed into law last April. That measure, HB 132, from Tarnas, is intended to expedite expungements happening through a pilot program signed into law in 2024 by Green. Specifically, it will remove a distinction between marijuana and other Schedule V drugs for the purposes of the expungement program. The bill’s proponents said the current wording of the law forces state officials to comb through thousands of criminal records manually in order to identify which are eligible for expungement under the pilot program. Meanwhile, in November, Hawaii officials finalized rules that will allow medical marijuana dispensaries to sell an expanded assortment of products for patients—including dry herb vaporizers, rolling papers and grinders—while revising the state code to clarify that cannabis oils and concentrates can be marketed for inhalation. The department also affirmed its support for federal marijuana rescheduling—a policy change that President Donald Trump ordered to be completed expeditiously but has yet to come to fruition. Hawaii lawmakers recently advanced a bill to allow qualifying patients to access medical marijuana at health facilities. — 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. — Regulators are also launching a series of courses designed to educate physicians and other healthcare professionals about medical marijuana as the state’s cannabis program expands. The underlying medical marijuana expansion bill signed by the governor in late June, in addition to allowing more patients to more easily access cannabis, also contains a provision that advocates find problematic. Before lawmakers sent the legislation to Green, a conference committee revised the plan, inserting a provision to allow DOH to access medical marijuana patient records held by doctors for any reason whatsoever. Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Hawaii Senators Take Up Marijuana Legalization Bills After Key House Lawmakers Signal Reform Is Dead For 2026 Session appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Virginia’s legislature took action on a series of marijuana bills on a key deadline Tuesday—advancing proposals to legalize cannabis sales, provide a pathway to resentencing for prior marijuana convictions and allow medical cannabis access in hospitals for seriously ill patients. On Tuesday’s crossover deadline to move bills from one chamber to the other, the House of Delegates and Senate passed differing versions of marijuana sales legislation that will now be sent to the other body for consideration. The House approved its measure from Del. Paul Krizek (D) in a 65-32 vote, and the Senate moved its proposal from Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D) in a vote of 21-19. Krizek said ahead of the vote that his bill is “about fixing a status quo that it’s not working.” “In fact, it’s a mess right now. Adult possession of cannabis is legal, but sales are unregulated, and that means no testing, no standards and no oversight whatsoever,” he said. “This bill will replace that gray market—it’s a $5 billion illegal market out there—with a regulated system that protects public health with testing, labeling, packaging and strong enforcement and penalties, and keeps products away from minors.” Aird, for her part, quipped on the Senate floor on Tuesday that she sought to “clear up the smoke” around her legislation by explaining its provisions. The Senate had already advanced a cannabis resentencing measure, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas (D), on third reading on Monday. And on Tuesday, the House companion from Del. Rozia Henson, Jr. (D) received final approval in that chamber, with members voting 63-34 to cross it over. While both House and Senate marijuana sales measures are aimed at giving adults a legal means of buying cannabis, the possession and home cultivation of which was legalized in the state in 2021, there are several substantive differences that will need to be resolved before the reform potentially goes to the governor’s desk. Those differences between the chambers’s versions include the start date for legal sales, cannabis tax rates and conversion fees for current medical marijuana businesses to participate in the recreational market and the form of the regulatory body that will oversee the industry, among other issues. With respect to the Senate bill, members recently clashed in committee about amendments to the body’s version that would have added new penalties for illegal cannabis activity. The amendments at issue from the Courts of Justice Committee included penalties for consumers who buy from unlicensed sources, the recriminalization of cannabis possession by people under 21 and making sales a class 1 misdemeanor for a first offense and a crime punishable by mandatory jail time for a second offense. As revised, the bill would have also raised the penalty for unlicensed cultivation to a felony punishable by up to five years in jail and made it a felony to transport with intent to distribute cannabis across state lines. But the Finance and Appropriations Committee reversed the amendments last week amid pressure from a coalition of advocacy groups that sent a letter to senators saying they undermined the “intent” of the legislation and the “will of the people” by adding criminal penalties for certain cannabis-related activity. Despite some key differences, both chambers’ commercial sales bills largely align with recommendations released in December by the legislature’s Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market. Since legalizing cannabis possession and home cultivation in 2021, Virginia lawmakers have worked to establish a commercial marijuana market—only to have those efforts consistently stalled under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who twice vetoed measures to enact it that were sent to his desk by the legislature. Here are the key details of the Virginia marijuana sales legalization legislation, SB 542 and HB 642: Adults would be able to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in a single transaction, or up to an equivalent amount of other cannabis products as determined by regulators. The House bill sets the state date for legal sales as November 1, 2026, while the Senate measure would allow them to begin on January 1, 2027. The Senate bill would set an excise tax on cannabis products of 12.875 percent, in addition to a 1.125 percent state sales tax and a mandatory 3 percent local tax. The House measure would apply an excise tax of 6 percent as well as a 5.3 percent retail sales and use tax, while allowing municipalities to set a local tax of up to 3.5 percent. Under the House bill, the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would oversee licensing and regulation of the new industry, while the Senate legislation tasks that to a new combined Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Control Authority. The House bill calls for revenue to be distributed to a new Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund (60 percent), early childhood education (10 percent), the Department of Behavioral & Developmental Health Services (25 percent) and public health initiatives (5 percent). The Senate proposal, meanwhile, would put 30 percent toward the equity reinvestment fund, 40 percent for early childhood eduction, 25 percent to the behavioral and developmental health services department and 5 percent to public health initiatives. Local governments could not opt 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. Existing medical cannabis operators could enter the adult-use market if they pay a licensing conversion fee that is set at $15 million in the Senate bill and $10 million in the House measure. 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. It would also investigate the possibility of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority becoming involved in marijuana regulations and enforcement. “Now that we’ve passed the critical midway point, lawmakers can get the bills into conference and negotiate an answer to the question that Virginians are asking: ‘After five long years of waiting, when can sales finally begin?’” JM Pedini, development director for the advocacy group NORML and executive director for Virginia NORML, told Marijuana Moment on Tuesday. Newly sworn-in Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) supports legalizing adult-use marijuana sales. Meanwhile, House and Senate lawmakers also advanced separate legislation to provide resentencing relief for people with prior marijuana convictions. The legislation would create a process by which people who are incarcerated or on community supervision for certain felony offenses involving the possession, manufacture, selling or distribution of marijuana could receive an automatic hearing to consider modification of their sentences. The measure applies to people whose convictions or adjudications are for conduct that occurred prior to July 1, 2021, when a state law legalizing personal possession and home cultivation of marijuana went into effect. Also on Tuesday, the House passed on third reading a bill to enact what’s known as “Ryan’s law,” a policy change providing that patients with terminal illnesses who are registered cannabis patients can access medical marijuana at health facilities such as hospitals. The chamber approved that legislation, HB 75 from Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra (D), in a 95-1 vote. It would require healthcare facilities to establish policies “to address circumstances under which an eligible patient would be permitted to use medical cannabis.” Under the House legislation, healthcare facilities could suspend medical cannabis allowances if a federal agency such as the Department of Justice or Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services takes enforcement action on the issue or issues a rule or notification expressly prohibiting use of medical cannabis in health facilities. The Senate passed differing legislation concerning the use of medical cannabis in health care facilities earlier this month. — 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, the Virginia House last week approved a bill to protect the rights of parents who use marijuana in compliance with state law. Under the proposal from Del. Nadarius Clark (D), possession of use of cannabis by a parent or guardian on its own “shall not serve as a basis to deem a child abused or neglected unless other facts establish that such possession or consumption causes or creates a risk of physical or mental injury to the child.” “A person’s legal possession or consumption of substances authorized under [the state’s marijuana law] alone shall not serve as a basis to restrict custody or visitation unless other facts establish that such possession or consumption is not in the best interest of the child,” the text of the bill, HB 942, states. Separately, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry recently published a new outlining workplace protections for cannabis consumers. The post Virginia Lawmakers Pass Bills To Legalize Marijuana Sales, Resentence Past Convictions And Allow Medical Cannabis In Hospitals appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Massachusetts has reached another marijuana milestone, with officials announcing that the state has surpassed $9 billion in adult-use cannabis purchases since the market launched in 2018. According to the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), Massachusetts recreational marijuana sales hit the $9 billion mark as of February 4. The update also notes that the state saw $1.65 billion in cannabis purchases in 2025 alone, and sales this year have already reached $151 million—with a “notable increase of sales preceding the region’s large snowstorm” in late January. “Every billion-dollar cannabis sales milestone is a reminder that this new sector supports thousands of jobs and transitions thousands of customers from the unregulated market,” Shannon O’Brien, chair of the CCC, said in a press release. “Each purchase is an investment in a legal, local business offering safely tested products to adult consumers to help fund any number of state operations and services.” CCC Executive Director Travis Ahern added that sales achievements like this “demonstrate the significant impact of a highly regulated industry that is still less than a decade old.” “The entire Commonwealth stands to benefit because cannabis tax revenue supports vital programs and services, from the [Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority] to the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund and substance abuse treatment programs,” Ahern said. Broken down by product type, cannabis flower has continued to be the most popular option for adult consumers, accounting for $13.9 million in the past week from February 9-15. That was followed by vape products ($7.8 million) and pre-rolls ($4.2 million). Also, since 2019, licensed medical cannabis dispensaries have grossed about $1.57 billion in sales. Combined medical and adult-use marijuana sales first surpassed $7 billion back in March 2024. Meanwhile, Massachusetts officials recently rejected a challenge to a ballot initiative that seeks to significantly roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law by repealing regulated sales. Weeks after cannabis activists filed a complaint with the State Ballot Law Commission under the Secretary of State’s office—alleging that petitioners with the anti-cannabis campaign used misleading tactics to convince voters to support its ballot placement—the body last month overruled the objection. This represents a setback for advocates and industry stakeholders who have flagged numerous accounts of alleged misconduct by petitioners working on behalf of the Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts. It also comes as new polling shows nearly half of those who signed the marijuana sales repeal petition feel misled, with many claiming that the measure was pitched to them as a proposal to address unrelated issues such as public education and expanded housing. For what it’s worth, the anti-marijuana coalition has denied any wrongdoing in the signature collection process and waved off the survey results. Relatedly, the head of Massachusetts’s marijuana regulatory agency recently suggested that the measure to effectively recriminalize recreational cannabis sales could imperil tax revenue that’s being used to support substance misuse treatment efforts and other public programs. Whether the cannabis measures make the cut is yet to be seen. Voters approved legalization at the ballot in 2016, with sales launching two years later. And the past decade has seen the market evolve and expand. Massachusetts lawmakers also recently assembled a bicameral conference committee to reach a deal on a bill that would double the legal marijuana possession limit for adults and revise the regulatory framework for the state’s adult-use cannabis market. Last month, state regulators also finalized rules for marijuana social consumption lounges. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — CCC recently launched an online platform aimed at helping people find jobs, workplace training and networking opportunities in the state’s legal cannabis industry. State lawmakers have also been considering setting tighter restrictions on intoxicating hemp-derived products and a plan to allow individual entities to control a larger number of cannabis establishments. Also in Massachusetts, legislators who were working on a state budget butted heads with CCC officials, who’ve said they can’t make critical technology improvements without more money from the legislature. Massachusetts lawmakers additionally approved a bill to establish a pilot program for the regulated therapeutic use of psychedelics. And two committees have separately held hearings to discuss additional psilocybin-related measures. The post Massachusetts Hits $9 Billion Recreational Marijuana Sales Milestone With Surge In Purchases Ahead Of Big Snowstorm appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Maryland lawmakers have approved a bill to extend a psychedelics task force through the end of 2027 to develop updated recommendations on expanding therapeutic access to the novel drugs and potentially creating a regulatory framework for broader legalization. Days after holding an initial hearing on the legislation from Del. Pam Guzzone (D), members of the House Health Committee voted 18-1 to advance it on Friday. A Senate companion version sponsored by Sen. Brian Feldman (D) was separately taken up in the Finance Committee on Thursday. Discussion on the House bill was limited, with no amendments or debate. Both chambers’ proposals are aimed at building upon a current law that created the Maryland Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances. That panel released an initial final report to state lawmakers last year, with recommendations for the phased implementation of a wide range of reforms to provide legal therapeutic access to substances such as psilocybin. Members of the task force have already advised that it was ultimately recommending a “multi-pathway framework for safe, broad, and equitable access to natural psychedelic substances, with an initial focus on psilocybin.” The psychedelics task force was formed following Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) signing of a pair of bills into law in 2024. The 17-person body, overseen by the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA), was charged with studying how to ensure “broad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances” in the state. SB 336 and HB 427 would continue that work, maintaining the panel through December 31, 2027. In the interim, the task force would be required to submit an updated report to legislators with additional findings and recommendations by October 31 of this year. Beyond the extended timeline for the task force to study and develop the report, the current law would not change under the legislation. The multi-step regulatory framework that members recommended last year “involves phased implementation of complementary elements from medical/therapeutic use and supervised adult use, to deprioritization, and to commercial sales,” the report said. “This model broadly and inclusively serves the needs of Maryland’s diverse population while enabling unified safety standards, accountability, and viable economic pathways for small businesses.” The first phase of the plan would be to create an advisory board to establish safety parameters, data monitoring, practice guidelines, licensing protections, public education campaigns, training for facilitators, law enforcement and testing facilities, as well as “immediate restorative justice measures,” the report states. Under phase two, the state would implement “deprioritization measures” to mitigate the harms of criminalization, provide for supervised medical and adult-use consumption facilities, allow personal cultivation for “permitted individuals” and promote research processes. Finally, phase three would be contingent on the “demonstrated safety outcomes and provider confidence” based on the prior steps. Should those factors be satisfied, the last phase would lead to a commercial sales program for adults “who maintain an active license to use natural psychedelic substances,” coupled with an evaluation of the state’s “readiness for expanding to additional natural psychedelic substances.” “Safety and oversight measures ensure responsible and gradual expansion of access while maintaining capacity to identify and respond to emerging issues swiftly,” the report said. “This approach plans for long-term learning and improvement: starting small, utilizing built-in evaluation and accountability mechanisms from the outset, gathering real-world data, and committing to an iterative approach to policymaking.” Notably, the task force said it did not support “delaying state action pending future federal [Food and Drug Administration] approval.” “The Task Force recognizes that implementing such a comprehensive framework requires careful sequencing and coordination, with particular attention to scope of practice issues that may significantly affect the viability and safety of different pathways. However, the order of implementation must carefully consider professional regulatory frameworks and safety concerns raised by medical organizations and health care providers. The Task Force’s recommendation for simultaneous implementation of multiple pathways does not mean that all components must activate on the exact same day, but rather that Maryland should avoid the sequential approach seen in other jurisdictions where implementing one pathway causes others to ‘languish,’and/or bolster black and gray markets.” Rather, the task force said, the multi-phase approach to psychedelics reform “establishes foundational systems that support all pathways equally, followed by a coordinated launch of medical, supervised adult use, and deprioritization pathways, with commercial sales following once product safety systems are operational.” Members also said that the model envisioned could be used by other states to develop their own laws that “adapt to their own circumstances and values.”At this point, the task force is only looking at psilocybin, mescaline and DMT. While the legislature empowered members to investigate potential regulations for other psychedelic substances, they decided to take a more conservative approach in their initial work. As originally introduced, the House version of the task force legislation contained more prescriptive requirements to explore and issue recommendations on aspects of psychedelics policy such as “systems to support statewide online sales of natural psychedelic substances with home delivery” and “testing and packaging requirements for products containing natural psychedelic substances with clear and accurate labeling of potency.” That language was ultimately removed, however. The task force legislation advanced about two years after a different law took effect creating a state fund to provide “cost-free” access to psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine for military veterans suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injury. — 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, earlier this month, Maryland lawmakers took up a bill to protect the gun rights of medical marijuana patients in the state. Members of the House Judiciary Committee discussed the legislation from Del. Robin Grammer (R), who has sponsored multiple versions of the cannabis and gun rights measure over recent sessions, but they have not yet advanced to enactment. Meanwhile, a Republican congressional lawmaker representing Maryland who has built a reputation as one of the staunchest opponents of marijuana reform on Capitol Hill—and whose record includes ensuring that Washington, D.C. officials are blocked from legalizing recreational cannabis sales—may be at risk of being unseated in November due to redistricting in his state. Photo courtesy of Dick Culbert. The post Maryland Lawmakers Approve Bill To Extend Psychedelics Task Force Through 2027 appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The first-ever White House drug czar says that while he loves President Donald Trump and “almost everything he does,” that affection doesn’t extend to the pending proposal to federally reschedule marijuana, which he described as a “gateway drug” that’s harming youth. William Bennett, who served as education secretary under former President Ronald Reagan before becoming the first director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), told Fox News Digital that cannabis “clouds focus and attention, which you obviously should have if you’re going to school.” “So it clouds that, it interferes with that, it inhibits that. It is also the gateway drug. It leads to the use of other drugs,” he said. “Almost anybody who uses a so-called ‘more dangerous’ drug than marijuana has entered through the portal called marijuana.” “I love Donald Trump. I love almost everything he does, but I don’t love this.” Although Bennett said it’s possible to “concede the fact that marijuana can have some positive effects,” people can “at the same time understand that it’s, on the whole, a negative.” Marijuana is “massively destructive of attention and focus among young people,” he said. “If you combine the dropout rate, the fact that attendance is down at schools and the use of marijuana among young people…it’s just another bad thing to happen to children.” The rescheduling proposal that the former drug czar opposes wouldn’t federally legalize marijuana. Rather, moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)—which Trump ordered the attorney general to do in an executive order in December—would recognize its medical value, free up certain research barriers and allow cannabis businesses to take federal tax deductions. A White House spokesperson defended the administration’s rescheduling push in an earlier interview with Fox News Digital, stating that it’s part of his “pledge to expand medical research into applications of marijuana and cannabidiols.” “The president’s historic action paved the way for the development of promising new treatments for American patients, especially veterans—and the presence of several leaders from law enforcement and veterans groups at the Oval Office signing is indicative of how President Trump continues to push the envelope to support our nation’s heroes,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said. Desai used the same statement in defending Trump’s cannabis action from criticism in December. Bennett, for his part, said he is hopeful the marijuana reform push can be reversed. “America’s always been a self-correcting society,” he said. “We do a lot of dumb things and bad things, but then we correct, and we can correct on this one.” The rescheduling plan has been met with mixed reactions on Capitol Hill. For example, prohibitionist Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) half-jokingly told Marijuana Moment last week that he felt the Justice Department should “take about 20 years” to finish the rescheduling process. In December, Harris separately said Trump doesn’t have the authority to unilaterally reschedule marijuana via executive order. But while lawmakers could overrule any administrative move to enact the reform, it would be a “heavy lift” in the Republican-controlled Congress, he acknowledged. Another GOP lawmaker on the other side of the debate, Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chair Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), recently told Marijuana Moment that while marijuana rescheduling might not be at the top of the agenda for the Justice Department or White House amid competing interests, he and bipartisan colleagues will be ready when “opportunity does present itself.” Joyce separately said last month that he doesn’t think the attorney general would seek to undermine the president’s executive order to move marijuana to Schedule III despite any personal reservations she may have about the policy change. A DOJ spokesperson told Marijuana Moment last month that it had no “comment or updates” to share on the topic. However, an agency official more recently told Salon that “DOJ is working to identify the most expeditious means of executing the EO.” That phrasing is notable, signaling that the department is uncertain about the administrative pathway to finalize rescheduling. The hope among advocates and industry stakeholders was that the process would be more simple, with a final signature on the existing reform proposal that was released following a scientific review initiated under the prior Biden administration. DOJ has been notably silent on the issue in the weeks since Trump signed the order—even as the White House recently touted the president’s order as an example of a policy achievement during the first year of his second term. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Trump’s first pick for attorney general this term who ultimately withdrew his nomination, raised eyebrows last week after posting on X that he’s been told the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is actively drafting a rescheduling rule and intended to issue it “ASAP.” There’s some confusion around that point, however, as a rule is already pending before the Justice Department—and a new rule would presumably be subject to additional administrative review and public comment. Earlier this month, meanwhile, the White House declined to comment on the status of the rescheduling process, deferring Marijuana Moment to the Justice Department. A Democratic senator told Marijuana Moment earlier this month that it’s “too early to tell” what the implications of Trump’s cannabis order would be—saying that while there are “things that look promising” about it, he is “very concerned about where the DOJ will land.” “The ability of the Trump administration to speak out of both sides of their mouth is staggering,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said. “So I’m just going to wait and see right now. Obviously, there’s things that look promising—to end generations of injustice. I really want to wait and see.” — 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. — Also last month, two GOP senators filed an amendment to block the Trump administration from rescheduling cannabis, but it was not considered on the floor. Meanwhile, last month, DEA said the cannabis rescheduling appeal process “remains pending” despite Trump’s executive order. A recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report discussed how DOJ could, in theory, reject the president’s directive or delay the process by restarting the scientific review into marijuana. Attorney General Pam Bondi separately missed a congressionally mandated deadline last month to issue guidelines for easing barriers to research on Schedule I substances such as marijuana and psychedelics. The post Former White House Drug Czar Says Trump Is Wrong To Reschedule Marijuana, Calling It A ‘Gateway Drug’ That’s ‘Massively Destructive’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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