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The governor of Oklahoma is repeating his call to roll back the state’s medical marijuana law, and he claims lawmakers are on board with putting the issue before voters again—despite recent comments from GOP leaders who’ve voiced skepticism about that possibility. In an interview with Family Research Center President Tony Perkins that was released on Wednesday, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) was asked about his push to repeal Oklahoma’s medical cannabis program, which he’s described as necessary to combat youth use and the proliferation of unlicensed operators. Oklahomans were “sold a bill of goods” when medical marijuana was on the ballot in 2018 before he became governor, Stitt claimed. “They thought they were passing something that was going to help someone with chronic pain, and that was the only thing that could help them. But what actually happened is we have more dispensaries now than we have pharmacies.” “The industry is out of control. We grow 32 times more marijuana than actually is consumed legally, so we know it’s brought in cartel activity—Chinese influence, buying land,” he said. “It is not what Oklahomans thought that they were signing up for, and so I’m just asking the legislature, let’s send that back to a vote of the people.” The governor said part of the problem with the initial passage of medical cannabis legalization is that it’s “super easy to get something on the ballot in Oklahoma,” so the state has taken steps to make that process “a little more challenging and a little more representative.” One simpler way to get an issue on the ballot is through an act of the legislature, which he says is a possibility that’s actively under consideration. “We’ve got some great conversations with the House and the Senate. They know it’s a problem. Oklahomans all over are calling our offices saying it’s a problem,” Stitt said. “So I think we’ll get something back to the people. And, if we do, I think they’ll do the right thing and we’ll either remove it completely or we’ll actually regulate it properly.” Despite Stitt’s confidence in the legislature, his push for a medical cannabis rollback has drawn mixed reactions from lawmakers, including those within his own party. Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton (R), for example, initially expressed openness to the idea—but he ultimately determined it’d be “really hard to completely undo” legalization and unfair to licensed medical cannabis operators who “invested their life savings into this program” and are “trying to do this for the Oklahomans that need that product—not for recreational, but for actual medicinal purposes.” “It’s hard to unring that bell,” he said. “What I’m going to suggest to the governor is that we don’t run a state question on that, but instead we continue to push the regulations [and] we continue to regulate the industry.” House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R) has also largely dismissed the prospect of upending the state’s medical cannabis program. He said Oklahomans have already drawn a clear distinction: They support medical marijuana and “resoundingly” oppose adult-use legalization, based on past election results. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R) was asked last month about the governor’s call to have voters revisit the state’s medical marijuana program, and he said he’d “love” to see the state’s medical marijuana program wiped out. However, he cautioned that doing so would mean reimbursing the hundreds of licensees participating in the market because the state would be “taking” a revenue source away from them. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt (D) said she’s “not into revisiting state questions,” and lawmakers should “trust the people, and we should actually implement them as well.” “This legislature, before our time, could have made a decision to put guardrails in place before this state question passed,” the senator said. “Instead, they stuck their head in the sand and let that question pass and be mayhem.” Chris Anoatubby, the lieutenant governor of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, aligned himself with Stitt’s position, stating that the medical marijuana program as currently implemented has “been a problem all over Oklahoma.” He added that he’d “absolutely” support “reforming” the cannabis law. Notably, the governor also said this week that part of his problem with the state medical marijuana legalization movement is that cannabis remains federally prohibited, and he takes issue with the “checkered board of jurisdictions from these different states” with differing marijuana laws. The marijuana industry is out of control and harming our state. More dispensaries than pharmacies 32x more grown than consumed legally Staggering 73% rise in use among young people This isn’t what Oklahoma wanted or expected. Send it back to the people. https://t.co/Ds9RqsrJhP — Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) March 5, 2026 “It just creates all kinds of black market problems, and so I think it’s just overall bad. It’s a bad look. And again, think about that: More marijuana dispensaries in Oklahoma right now than we have pharmacies,” he said. “It makes no sense, and so I’m asking Oklahomans to retake a look at that.” “I’m just frightened by the amount of kids that are doing the gummies and doing these different things and the edibles,” he said. “We understand how harmful it is, and when you have legalized it, then young people think that it must be okay, but there’s just a lot of problems with this industry.” The governor also accepted the premise of the gateway drug theory, saying it’s “pretty common sense” that people who use cannabis could transition to more dangerous drugs. This has become a frequent talking point for Stitt, who similarly said this month that the state’s medical marijuana program has “failed,” and it’s “time to shut this broken system down” amid reports about youth cannabis use. The governor also said during a State of the State address last month that he wants voters who approved medical marijuana legalization at the ballot to revisit the reform. Back in 2022, Stitt similarly used his State of the State address as an opportunity to dig at the voter-approved medical marijuana law, arguing that residents were misled by proponents of the ballot initiative. Meanwhile, in November, Oklahoma activists withdrew an adult-use marijuana legalization initiative that they’d hoped to place on the state’s 2026 ballot. After a short but aggressive signature push to secure ballot placement, Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action (ORCA) ultimately did not turn in its petitions by the deadline, according to the secretary of state’s office. ORCA said following the governor’s speech that the call for an end to the medical cannabis program is “simply an admission of his administration’s failure.” “While we were busy advocating for common sense regulation, his appointees were busy importing thousands of illegal [Chinese Communist Party] grows,” the group said.”Fortunately, the Feds picked up prosecution.. because they weren’t getting held accountable by the State.” “Fortunately, [Stitt] has no power here. It will take a vote of both the House and Senate to propose a vote to cancel SQ 788,” they said.”As we all move forward we must continue to be forward thinking, not backward acting. We look forward to talking and working with lawmakers, now and in the future.” — 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, law enforcement leaders with the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs have been raising concerns about cannabis. Also in Oklahoma, lawmakers last March advanced a bill aimed at protecting gun rights of state-registered medical marijuana patients, although federal law still bars cannabis users from owning firearms regardless of their patient status. Another state bill filed last year by a GOP legislator would criminalize the use of medical cannabis during pregnancy. Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Oklahoma Governor Claims Lawmakers Support His Push To Roll Back State’s Voter-Approved Medical Marijuana Law appeared first on Marijuana Moment. 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“I’ll note at the federal level that marijuana is still a controlled substance.” By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., sidestepped a question Wednesday about whether he would support adding Nebraska to a congressional list protecting state medical cannabis laws from federal interference after Congress left the state off the latest update in January. Ricketts, speaking on his weekly press call Wednesday, said he isn’t on the Senate Appropriations Committee, so he didn’t know why Nebraska was left off a list that currently covers 47 states. The other two not included are Kansas and Idaho, which lack medical cannabis programs. Other states on the list have less expansive laws than Nebraska voters approved in 2024. “I didn’t find out about it until it was raised in the press,” Ricketts said. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., is a member of Appropriations. Her staff did not return multiple requests for comment on the issue in February and again on Wednesday. Since 2014, Congress has prevented the U.S. Department of Justice and related agencies from using federal dollars to interfere with state medical marijuana programs. But despite Nebraskans approving two ballot measures to legalize and regulate the new medicine, national and state medical cannabis advocates say the Cornhusker State became the first not to be added in the dozen years since Congress first passed the provision as part of a spending bill. Nebraska voters legalized possession of up to 5 ounces of cannabis with a health care practitioner’s recommendation and created the regulatory Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission. In February, Ricketts said he has “consistently expressed concern over the dangers of marijuana, especially for our youth” but respects “the will of Nebraskans and the process of the ballot amendments.” “If Nebraska’s laws are at odds with federal laws, a process will have to play out, and I will continue to express my concern for the risks of marijuana if it gets into the hands of kids,” Ricketts said February 16. His staff did not respond at the time to a follow-up question about whether Ricketts specifically opposed adding Nebraska to the federal list, as some advocates have alleged. President Donald Trump has called to downgrade the federal drug classification of marijuana, which could provide a path to more research or medicinal opportunities. Ricketts opposes the change. Asked by the Examiner on Wednesday whether Ricketts would support adding Nebraska to the federal medical cannabis noninterference list, he said his views on marijuana are “very clear.” “Whatever we’re doing needs to be following within the law,” said Ricketts, who, as a senator, can seek to change federal laws. “I’ll note at the federal level that marijuana is still a controlled substance.” This story was first published by Nebraska Examiner. Photo courtesy of Max Jackson. The post GOP Senator Dodges Question About Nebraska’s Exclusion From Medical Marijuana Protections At Federal Level appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

About one in three Americans who use CBD say they take it as an alternative or supplement to at least one medication—particularly painkillers—according to a new federally funded study. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego set out to better understand cannabidiol use trends, analyzing nationally representative survey data for the study, which was partially funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health. Overall, about 35 percent of U.S. adults reported lifetime use of CBD, a non-intoxicating cannabinoid that’s grown in popularity since the federal legalization of hemp and its derivatives in 2018. The 1,008 CBD consumers who participated in the survey were asked about their frequency and methods of use, as well as whether they took the cannabis compound as a substitute or supplement to other traditional drugs. Among lifetime CBD consumers, 32 percent uses it as a substitute or adjunct for at least one medication, with adjunct usage being more common. “Millions of US adults use CBD as a substitute and adjunct for a wide range of health conditions.” For those who reported taking cannabidiol for therapeutic purposes, the “conditions most frequently targeted” were musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders such as joint pain (10.1 percent), psychiatric disorders such as anxiety (7.4 percent) and general disorders or administration site conditions (6.8 percent. “Frequently replaced or co-administered medications included ibuprofen, Tylenol, and other over-the-counter analgesics,” the study authors said. “Only a small proportion of CBD ever users reported ever having a health problem they believed resulted from CBD use (2.4 percent).” “CBD use as a substitute or adjunct to medications was common among US adults particularly for pain medications,” they said. “These patterns underscore the need for better evidence and clearer guidance on dosing, product quality, and co-use with other treatments.” “A key finding is the widespread use of CBD in combination with prescription or over-the-counter medications, highlighting a potential for adverse drug–drug interactions,” the researchers noted. However, while questions remain as to the risk-benefit analysis of concurrent use of CBD with different drugs, “it needs also to be acknowledged that commonly prescribed medicines, e.g., psychotropics for anxiety or opioids for pain, also have potentially severe adverse effects and risk for forming,” the study says. “To the extent that CBD, which has very few side effects and likely very low risk of dependence at low to moderate doses, helps a consumer reduce anxiety and decrease or discontinue a medication with more side effects or risk for forming dependence, this might be viewed as a benefit,” it says. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved a synthetic CBD drug for the treatment of severe epilepsy, “which should not be interpreted as proof of no therapeutic potential for other endpoints, but rather as reflecting in part the difficulty of generating regulatory-grade evidence in a landscape where cannabis has long been federally controlled and clinical research has faced substantial structural barriers,” the authors said. “Recent federal actions underscore this point,” they said, pointing out that, in December, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the federal reclassification of marijuana and laying out plans to incorporate CBD coverage under certain federal health insurance programs. The order “explicitly framed the gap between widespread medical use and limited clinical evidence as leaving patients and clinicians without adequate guidance, and directed agencies to reduce barriers and expand medical marijuana and CBD research, which hopefully will allow for rigorous clinical evaluation of CBD and medical cannabis for promising endpoints,” the study says. Meanwhile, although CBD was federally legalized during Trump’s first term under the 2018 Farm Bill, the availability of products could be jeopardized under separate legislation the president signed into law last year that included provisions that stakeholders say would effectively eradicate the cannabinoid market by severely restricting THC content. CBD isolates wouldn’t necessarily be impacted by the law that takes effect in November, but it’s relatively rare to find CBD such trace amounts of THC so as to meet the new federal definition of legal hemp. With respect to the latest cannabidiol study, it’s far from the only piece of research establishing that people are using marijuana and its constituents as an alternative to other drugs. To that point, another recent federally funded study, published by the American Medical Association (AMA), added more evidence that marijuana can serve as an effective substitute for opioids in chronic pain treatment. Other AMA-published research has found that legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes is “significantly associated with reduced opioid use among patients diagnosed with cancer.” A separate paper published in October similarly found that medical marijuana legalization is “associated with significant reductions in opioid prescribing.” In August, meanwhile, Australian researchers published a study showing that marijuana can serve as an effective substitute for opioids in pain management treatment. Another study published earlier this year in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review found that, among drug users who experience chronic pain, daily cannabis use was linked to a higher likelihood of quitting the use of opioids—especially among men. Research published late last year also found that legalizing medical cannabis appeared to significantly reduce monetary payments from opioid manufacturers to doctors who specialize in pain, with authors finding “evidence that this decrease is due to medical marijuana becoming available as a substitute” for prescription painkillers. Other recent research also showed a decline in fatal opioid overdoses in jurisdictions where marijuana was legalized for adults. That study found a “consistent negative relationship” between legalization and fatal overdoses, with more significant effects in states that legalized cannabis earlier in the opioid crisis. Authors estimated that recreational marijuana legalization “is associated with a decrease of approximately 3.5 deaths per 100,000 individuals.” “Our findings suggest that broadening recreational marijuana access could help address the opioid epidemic,” that report said. “Previous research largely indicates that marijuana (primarily for medical use) can reduce opioid prescriptions, and we find it may also successfully reduce overdose deaths.” Another recently published report into prescription opioid use in Utah following the state’s legalization of medical marijuana found that the availability of legal cannabis both reduced opioid use by patients with chronic pain and helped drive down prescription overdose deaths statewide. Overall, results of the study indicated that “cannabis has a substantial role to play in pain management and the reduction of opioid use,” it said. The post Millions Of Americans Use CBD As A Substitute For Painkillers And Other Medications, Federally Funded Study Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A top GOP Tennessee lawmaker says medical marijuana legalization may move forward in the state now that his “biggest objections are being resolved” with the pending federal rescheduling of cannabis as ordered by President Donald Trump. While marijuana reform has long stalled in conservative legislature, House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R) said the push to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) could remove roadblocks at the state level. “My biggest objections are being resolved by the federal government right now in rescheduling cannabis and rescheduling specifically marijuana and allowing the doctors to take over and make a determination on how and if these substances could be helpful,” Lamberth said. Rep. Jeremy Faison (R), who has worked to enact reform in the state, told WKRN-TV that he’d estimate “within the next two or three years, you’re going to see a framework set up here in Tennessee” to provide patients with a means to access cannabis for therapeutic use. “I look forward to the day in Tennessee that we’ve set up a framework where people aren’t just getting high, but there are some very sick people who don’t want to be on opiates or something that comes across from a prescription from the pharmacist,” the lawmaker said. “They want something natural—that’s safe—and we know where it came from and we know it’s not been perverted or filtrated with fentanyl or anything else.” “It’s going to happen soon,” Faison said, adding that the “federal government has realized that they’ve been in the way for a long time.” Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari (D), for her part, said lawmakers “look at the opioid crisis” and “look at people who are addicted painkillers,” and they recognize marijuana “is an alternative” that the state “should have invested in a long time ago.” Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in Tennessee similarly discussed how the federal move to reclassify marijuana could open the door to medical marijuana reform after Trump issued an executive order in December to see through the process. House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) said at the time that rescheduling represents a “first step” to medical cannabis reform in Tennessee, though he noted there are still certain outstanding logistical questions to answer. “There will have to be conversations about who manufactures it, who tests it, who distributes, which medical illness could it be used for, does this require [federal Food and Drug Administration, or FDA] approval and a host of other questions,” Sexton said. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Sen. London Lamar (D), for her part, told WSMV that “if Washington can acknowledge reality, Tennessee can, too.” “Our marijuana laws are stuck in the dark ages—overly punitive, out of step with our neighbors and holding our state back,” she said. “It’s time for the General Assembly to take a serious step forward on cannabis reform.” “Cannabis reform is about freedom, public health and fiscal responsibility. We should be supporting medical researchers who want to study cannabis and patients who would choose cannabis treatments over deadly opioids,” Lamar said. “Our current laws force us to waste tax dollars on incarceration instead of investing in roads, schools and healthcare, and we’re also missing out on economic growth and new revenue.” The post Top GOP Tennessee Lawmaker Says Federal Marijuana Rescheduling Could Open Door To Legalizing Medical Use In His State appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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VA marijuana resentencing; OR & CO medical cannabis in healthcare facilities; UT psychedelics; MD firefighter marijuana protections Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there. Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW The House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees heard testimony from military veterans advocates about marijuana and psychedelics as alternative treatment options—including from one who discussed attending President Donald Trump’s cannabis rescheduling executive order signing ceremony. Virginia lawmakers sent Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) legislation to provide resentencing relief for people with prior marijuana convictions, as bills to legalize recreational cannabis sales are also nearing the finish line. Oregon lawmakers sent Gov. Tina Kotek (D) a bill to allow patients to use medical cannabis in hospices and other healthcare facilities. Utah lawmakers sent Gov. Spencer Cox (R) a bill to support clinical trials into the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy for military veterans with serious mental health conditions. The Maryland Senate passed a bill to protect firefighters and rescue workers from being penalized for off-duty use of medical cannabis, with the sponsor saying marijuana is a safer, viable alternative” to opioids. The Colorado House Health & Human Services Committee approved a Senate-passed bill to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in healthcare facilities such as hospitals, but advocates said recent changes undermine the intent. The Hawaii Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill to allow patients to immediately purchase medical cannabis after their registration is submitted instead of having to wait until their card is delivered. The West Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill to allocate tens of millions of dollars in unspent medical cannabis revenue—with an amendment directing some of the funds to support research on the psychedelic ibogaine. An Oregon bill to ban marijuana edibles containing more than 10 milligrams of THC will not advance in the House of Representatives after being passed by the Senate. The South Dakota Senate Health and Human Services committee rejected a House-passed bill to eliminate the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee, though it could potentially be revived by the full Senate. / FEDERAL The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that medical cannabis can’t be reimbursed under federal workers’ compensation laws. The Congressional Research Service noted federal circuit court splits on challenges to residency requirements for marijuana business licenses. / STATES Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced that the state now has 19 operational licensed medical cannabis businesses. Maryland’s first lady testified in support of state legislation to address sales of kratom, 7-OH and other psychoactive substances Missouri’s state auditor published a report on marijuana taxes. The Georgia House of Representatives rejected a bill to tighten regulations for clinics that administer ketamine and other drugs used for psychedelic therapy. A former Kansas representative authored an op-ed calling on lawmakers to reform marijuana laws. California regulators announced a recall of marijuana products due to the presence of aspergillus. New York regulators approved additional marijuana business licenses and changes to medical cannabis rules. Massachusetts regulators extended for another three years the exclusivity period on marijuana delivery licenses for social equity and economic empowerment businesses. Washington State regulators are proposing changes to cannabis advertising rules. Michigan regulators are warning marijuana retailers to stop using the term “dispensary.” Ohio regulators posted updated marijuana business and sales data. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL The Covington, Georgia City Council rejected a marijuana decriminalization proposal. / INTERNATIONAL Grenada’s governor-general assented to the country’s cannabis reforms. The Isle of Man’s lieutenant governor visited a medical cannabis clinic. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A review concluded that “CBD and THC exert potent and multi-level anti-tumor effects in ovarian cancer models, driven by oxidative stress–mediated apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest.” A study found that “traditional Thai cannabis-based multi-herbal formulation demonstrated non-inferior efficacy to lorazepam and was well tolerated, supporting its use as a short-term alternative for chronic insomnia.” / BUSINESS AtaiBeckley Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $1.1 million and a net loss of $544.8 million. The Cannabist Company Holdings Inc. announced that an ad hoc group of noteholders of its senior secured notes and senior secured convertible notes agreed to a further extension and to forbear from exercising any of their rights and remedies governing the notes until March 17. / CULTURE Basketball player Dillon Brooks was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence after police said his car “smells like a dispensary.” 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 Max Jackson. The post Veterans push Congress on cannabis & psychedelics access (Newsletter: March 9, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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The House had already passed the legislation, which could be revived by the full Senate. By Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight The committee that oversees South Dakota’s medical marijuana program should continue its work for at least another year, a panel of state senators decided. But the full Senate could have the final say. A bill that would repeal the sections of state law that established the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee was rejected 4-3 in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee earlier this week, but a procedural effort is already underway to force it to the Senate floor next week. The bill passed the House of Representatives earlier, 41-26. Current law requires the Legislature’s Executive Board to appoint an 11-member committee made up of two senators, two representatives,and seven non-legislative stakeholders from an array of backgrounds, including medicine, law enforcement, counseling and at least one patient. The committee must meet at least twice a year and make recommendations to the Legislature and the Department of Health. The medical marijuana program itself would continue if the bill had passed, under the regulation of the state Department of Health. Rep. Tim Goodwin, R-Rapid City, introduced the bill. He said the committee made sense when the state was setting up the program after voters approved it in 2020, but that it has since become an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy. He said the Department of Health and the Legislature are equipped to manage the program going forward. The legislation comes amid friction between the oversight committee and the medical marijuana industry. In November, the committee approved 11 motions, primarily calling for tighter regulations, without publishing them in advance or taking public comment on each motion. The South Dakota Catholic Conference, South Dakota Sheriffs’ Association and the oversight committee’s current chair, Rep. Josephine Garcia, R-Watertown, all testified against the bill. Opponents said the oversight committee is a watchdog the public wants in place, and that the committee’s concerns have not yet been addressed. “We also have not determined, actually, the mental psychosis we’re now seeing, with cannabis use,” Garcia said. “Things that are being discussed are stress, anxiety, PTSD, which is not an indication for this type of cannabis use, and it has actually potentiated the mental psychosis.” The state has 18,306 medical marijuana patient cardholders. This story was first published by South Dakota Searchlight. The post South Dakota Bill To Eliminate Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee Fails In Senate Panel appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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“I thought that this fight was winnable. It’s a bill that does not cost the state a cent and that protects children from life-threatening overdoses of marijuana. I was wrong.” By Mia Maldonado, Oregon Capital Chronicle An attempt to limit how much THC can be in an individual edible isn’t advancing this year in Oregon. Senate Bill 1548 was an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the production of individual edibles with more than 10 milligrams of THC, targeting edibles that are meant to be divided into several servings. Sen. Lisa Reynolds, a Portland Democrat and pediatrician, introduced the bill in response to increasing reports of children seeking medical attention after consuming edibles resembling cookies, brownies and gummies. In 2023, children 5 and younger made up one-third of all cannabis-related cases reported to the Oregon Poison Center. Major medical groups supported the bill, and it passed the Senate in a bipartisan 22-5 vote. But it died in the House after marijuana industry lobbyists convinced House lawmakers to hold the bill, Reynolds said in a newsletter. “I thought that this fight was winnable,” Reynolds wrote. “It’s a bill that does not cost the state a cent and that protects children from life-threatening overdoses of marijuana. I was wrong.” Marijuana lobbyists argued the bill would create more plastic waste having to wrap each edible individually and that businesses wouldn’t have the money to buy machinery used to wrap individual edibles. Additionally, lobbyists said the bill would cost the state millions in tax revenue because it would eliminate popular marijuana products. Marijuana products in Oregon are taxed up to 20 percent depending on where they’re sold. Tax revenue from marijuana brought in $ $143.7 million in 2025, according to the Oregon Department of Revenue, and that revenue gets distributed to drug and treatment programs, public schools, mental health services, Oregon State Police and cities and counties across the state. Reynolds challenged those claims, saying the bill is based on Washington’s law that caps single servings of edibles at 10 milligrams of THC. When Washington enacted its law, the price of marijuana didn’t rise, she said. Plus, the law resulted in 75 percent fewer hospitalizations and half as many poisonings reported to poison centers, according to Dr. Julia Dilley, a Multnomah County epidemiologist. Reynolds chairs the Senate Early Childhood and Behavioral Health Committee, which in May heard from experts about how Oregon youth have some of the most elevated rates of cannabis use in the country, and yet they rank at the very bottom when it comes to recognizing the risks. Regulating marijuana in Oregon is of particular interest to Reynolds, who said she believes her brother’s habitual marijuana use in the ’70s contributed to his severe mental health problems as an adult and his regular admission into psychiatric hospitals. On the Senate floor on Thursday, she expressed support for a Republican resolution to urge Oregonians to refrain from using drugs including marijuana, though she voted against bypassing normal legislative procedures to bring that bill to the floor. Oregon youth are already experiencing more mental health challenges than adults, as youth suicide rates have consistently been higher than the U.S. rate. Reynolds said she plans to bring back more marijuana safety proposals in 2027 and will try to hire a lobbyist. This story was first published by Oregon Capital Chronicle. The post Oregon Bill To Ban Marijuana Edibles With More Than 10 Milligrams Of THC Fails appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“I don’t want to waste the money on something not dedicated to cannabis.” By Henry Culvyhouse, Mountain State Spotlight This story was originally published by Mountain State Spotlight. Get stories like this delivered to your email inbox once a week; sign up for the free newsletter at https://mountainstatespotlight.org/newsletter. Lawmakers cleared a key hurdle Wednesday to free millions of dollars in the state’s medical marijuana fund. In October, Mountain State Spotlight reported $34 million collected from fees and taxes from the medical marijuana program. The Treasurer’s Office said the money could not be spent due to the legal status of marijuana on the federal level, despite dozens of states already doing so. Del. Evan Worrell, R-Cabell, introduced a bill to spend the money. Lawmakers in the House of Delegates passed the bill 79-12 March 4, the last day for bills to leave their chamber of origin during the session. But before delegates took their vote, they took time to carve up what is now estimated to be nearly $38 million. Del. Michael Hite, R-Berkeley, successfully amended the bill to include $10 million each to West Virginia University and Marshall University for research into ibogaine, a hallucinogenic drug that is used in other countries to help people get through withdrawal. Earlier in the session, the House of Delegates unanimously passed a bill approving FDA trials on the drug in the state. Proponents of the amendment argued it was a case of the Legislature backing up a program with funding. But critics questioned the safety of ibogaine—which can cause cardiac arrest—or if the state should put it into pharmaceutical research. The measure passed 47-46. Worrell also amended the bill to put $5 million toward homeless services, stating he wanted to help that population after he unsuccessfully opposed passage of a public camping ban that effectively criminalizes unhoused people. That passed 59-34. Moving forward, the monies will go to Marshall University for research into marijuana WVU for substance disorder research, the Fight Substance Abuse Fund and grants for local law enforcement. Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, said he was satisfied with how the money would initially be distributed under the original law passed in 2017. “I felt like we had a pretty good balance before, when we passed the bill that I wrote, so I’ll be anxious to look at those changes,” Woelfel said. “I don’t want to waste the money on something not dedicated to cannabis.” This article first appeared on Mountain State Spotlight and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The post West Virginia House Passes Bill To Allocate Medical Marijuana Revenue, With Some Supporting Psychedelic Research appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Colorado House lawmakers have approved a Senate-passed bill to allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in healthcare facilities such as hospitals—though advocates have warned that recent amendments to the measure undermine its original intent. Weeks after advancing through the Senate, with amendments, the legislation from Sen. Kyle Mullica (D) cleared the House Health & Human Services Committee in a 10-2 vote on Thursday. It’s now been referred to the House Committee of the Whole before potentially moving to the floor. Reps. Sheila Lieder (D) and Lisa Feret (D) are sponsoring the bill on the House side, and they made the case for the reform before the committee took public testimony on the latest version, which was revised in the Senate to make it so hospitals could voluntarily elect to allow cannabis usage, rather than face a statutory requirement to do so. “This bill was brought to us from a patient perspective,” Lieder said on Thursday. “We want to ensure patients have a continuum of care when they are being treated in a hospital or health care facility.” “There’s been a lot of stakeholdering on this bill in the Senate. Several amendments were passed in the Senate committee without opposition,” she said. “That really brings us to a good place with the hospitals—mainly that participation is not mandated and it’s permissive.” Feret said the legislation “is a really great opportunity for people to have the autonomy to make a decision of how they want to spend their remaining days on this earth and how they want to treat their own pain and giving that autonomy to them.” “Some of the amendments that came through softened it a little bit, and some people are unhappy that it softened,” she said. “But that is the beauty of policymaking a compromise in this building is that we try to get to a good place.” Several advocates testified about those changes, arguing that making it hospitals would have the option—rather than a mandate—to allow medical cannabis use in their facilities would fundamentally undermine the intent of the reform. Jim Bartell, the father of a young California patient who passed and who inspired the policy that’s become known as Ryan’s law in his home state and several others, urged committee members to go back to original language of the bill and “use the original language of ‘shall’ and ‘must'” so that it doesn’t create a patchwork network of health facilities that permit or prohibit medical cannabis use. “For families like mine, this legislation is not theoretical. It’s part of ethical and compassionate care,” he said. Ken Sobel, an attorney with the Cannabis Nurses Network, said the “mandate is critically important because it’s the time that is lost in looking for a facility that allows the use of cannabis that literally compromises the ability to be with your close and loving family member.” “Changing ‘must’ or ‘shall’ to ‘may’ removes that core protection of Ryan’s law,” he said. Lieder, one of the bill sponsors, said in response to the testimony that she had just learned about the amendments that advocates are opposing. So while she moved to report the legislation out favorably, she said she will “gladly continue to work” with colleagues to address the issue. Under SB 26-007, health facilities would be permitted to develop guidelines for the use, storage and administration of medical marijuana. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) would be prohibited from requiring compliance with the policy as a condition of obtaining or renewing a license or certification under the bill. Health facilities would be allowed to suspend the policy change if they risked enforcement action by a federal agency. “In FY 2026-27, workload in the Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division in CDPHE will minimally increase to conduct outreach and education to licensed health care facilities regarding medical marijuana use,” a fiscal impact analysis says. “The department may also require legal services, provided by the Department of Law, related to rulemaking and implementation. This workload can be accomplished within existing appropriations.” Other amendments adopted in the Senate add additional compliance language, clarify that health facilities wouldn’t be required to store or dispense medical cannabis and limit legal liability for health institutions that permit medical marijuana use. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile in Colorado, the state saw over $1 billion in marijuana sales—a milestone the governor touted in December. Gov. Jared Polis (D) also said last month that his state should not have joined a lawsuit supporting the federal ban on gun ownership by people who use marijuana that recently went before the U.S. Supreme Court—and he personally opposes the state attorney general’s “legal position on this.” Photo courtesy of Max Jackson. The post Colorado Lawmakers Approve Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana Use In Hospitals By Terminally Ill Patients appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Virginia lawmakers have sent the governor legislation to provide a pathway to resentencing for people with prior marijuana convictions. The Senate on Friday voted 21-19 to approve the House of Delegates’s changes to SB 62, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas (D). A companion House measure, HB 26 from Rozia A. Henson, Jr. (D), has also advanced this session. Overall, the legislation heading to the desk of Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) 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 relief would apply 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. Similar legislation was approved by lawmakers last session but it was vetoed by then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile in Virginia, legislation is also advancing to legalize recreational marijuana sales. Both chambers have approved differing versions of the reform and a conference committee has been appointed to negotiate a single proposal that can be sent to the governor. The post Virginia Legislation To Provide Marijuana Resentencing Relief For Prior Convictions Heads To Governor’s Desk appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Maryland Senate has passed a bill to protect firefighters and rescue workers from being penalized for using medical marijuana while off duty. About a week after advancing through committee, the legislation from Sen. Carl Jackson (D) advanced on the floor in 33-11 vote on Friday. The Senate last year passed an earlier version that ultimately stalled out in the House. If SB 439 is enacted, state law would be amended to codify that firefighters and other rescue workers who are registered medical cannabis patients could not be penalized over their participation in the state-legal program or for testing positive for marijuana. Employers could not “discipline, discharge, or otherwise discriminate against the fire and rescue public safety employee with respect to the employee’s compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment” based solely on a positive screening for THC metabolites. They also could not “limit, segregate, or classify its employees in any way that would deprive or tend to deprive the fire and rescue public safety employee of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect the fire and rescue public safety employee’s status as an employee,” the text of the bill, SB 439, says. However, employers could continue to set zero-tolerance policies for on-duty impairment from cannabis. That issue came up during an initial floor debate on Thursday, where one member pressed the sponsor about enforceability given the lack of technology to detect active impairment from THC. “My concern is, is that I get some guy—I’m having heart issues, and my heart issues go crazier because some dude sits down next to me is like, ‘Yo man, relax. I’m going to take care of you,'” Sen. William Folden (R) said. “I need really sharp responses. I need these people to be very keenly aware. And these people that are doing this have people’s lives in their hands, so that’s where my concern is.” Jackson stressed that, “if there is signs of impairment that is recognized by the employees, then they will be handled appropriately,” pointing out that similar standards apply to other drugs where active impairment can’t be readily tested for, such as opioids. “Our brave fire and rescue personnel risk their lives daily to protect our communities,” Jackson previously told colleagues at a committee hearing last month. “It is imperative that we provide them with the access to the medical care they need, including physician-approved cannabis treatments without fear of employment repercussions.” “Firefighters endure extreme physical and psychological stress due to the nature of their work. Many suffer from chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and other debilitating conditions resulting from the hazards they face in the line of duty. Traditional treatment options such as opioids and other prescription medications can have dangerous side effects, including dependency, cognitive impairment and a reduced ability to function effectively.” “Medical cannabis has been recognized as a safer, viable alternative that would allow firefighters to manage their symptoms while maintaining their ability to perform at the highest level,” he said. The bill’s advancement comes a year after officials in Maryland’s most populous county said they were moving to loosen marijuana policies for would-be police officers in an effort to boost recruitment amid a staffing shortage. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile in Maryland, lawmakers are also advancing legislation 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. Legislators also took up a bill last month 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. Separately, 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 Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post Maryland Senate Passes Bill To Let Firefighters And Rescue Workers Use Medical Marijuana While Off Duty appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Another Hawaii Senate committee has 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. About a month after clearing a joint House and Senate panel with an amendment, the legislation from Sen. Angus McKelvey (D) moved through the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. The panel also adopted a defective date, March 22, 2075, as a procedural step to flag the bill as needing further discussion before it can be enacted. At its prior committee stop, members adopted a revision to SB 3315, 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 that panel’s hearing last month 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 the bill 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.” San Buenaventura’s committee more recently approved legislation to legalize low-dose and low-potency marijuana, even as members’ counterparts in the House of Representatives have said that cannabis prohibition will not be ended in the state this year. The legislation would allow adults 21 and older to legally possess and use certain amounts of low-dose and low-THC cannabis for personal use, with products limited to a maximum of 5 milligrams of THC per serving. In liquid form, they could have up to 5 milligrams of THC per twelve ounces. The Senate committee action comes after key House lawmakers signaled that cannabis legalization proposals would not be advancing in the 2026 session, citing a lack of sufficient support in their chamber. Despite renewed hopes that those bills—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 in January 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 Max Jackson. The post Another Hawaii Committee Approves Bill To Let Patients Access Medical Marijuana Without Waiting For Registration Processing appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Utah lawmakers have sent a bill to the governor that would promote clinical trials into the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy for military veterans with serious mental health conditions. After advancing through the House last month, the Senate passed the legislation from Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost (D) and Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore (R) on Wednesday, sending it to Gov. Spencer Cox (R) for final approval. The proposal would authorize the Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah to conduct a clinical trial investigating the “safety and feasibility” of psychedelics—including psilocybin, MDMA and DMT—among veterans with treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The trial would be able to go forward if Huntsman received funding through legislative appropriations and donations that match or exceed the amount required for the study. Results from the trail would need to be reported to the legislature’s Health and Human Services Interim Committee. Participants in the study would need to receive the psychedelic treatment in a controlled clinical setting with a qualified therapist who can deliver “trauma-informed preparatory and integrative psychotherapy to the individual before and after administration of the psychedelic drug,” the text of the bill, HB 390, says. If enacted into law, the study would be expected to begin by January 1, 2027. However, the Huntsman Institute could continue to accept donations after that point if they were unable to reach the funding goal in time. Researchers would have to ensure compliance with both state and federal law, including conducting the trial under a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigational new drug application and maintaining Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) authorization to study Schedule I drugs under federal law. The bill’s advancement comes about two years after the governor allowed a bill to become law without his signature that authorizes a pilot program for hospitals to administer psilocybin and MDMA as an alternative treatment option. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile, last year, a federal judge ruled against Utah state and county officials in a lawsuit challenging their prosecution of a Provo City-based religious group that uses the psychedelic fungi as sacrament. That came after U.S. District Judge Jill N. Parrish granted Singularism’s motion for a temporary injunction and ordered police to return psilocybin that was seized last year as part of a raid at its spiritual center. Separately, a Utah lawmaker in January filed a bill for the 2026 session that would decriminalize marijuana and make it so that people caught possessing small amounts of cannabis would not face the threat of jail time for first-time offenses. Utah does have legal medical cannabis under a law the legislature passed in 2018. And that program has significantly grown in the years since, with the state confirming last year that more than 100,000 patients were registered to participate. Photo courtesy of Dick Culbert. The post Utah Lawmakers Pass Bill To Support Clinical Trials On Psychedelics For Veterans’ Mental Health appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Oregon lawmakers have sent the governor a bill to allow patients with debilitating medical conditions to access medical marijuana in certain health facilities such as hospices. The legislation from Rep. Farrah Chaichi (D) cleared the Senate in a 20-8 vote on Thursday after previously being passed by the House of Representatives in a 39-3 vote earlier last month. It now heads to the desk of Gov. Tina Kotek (D). Chaichi said in testimony to the Senate Health Care Committee last week that the bill is “an important tool to facilitate cannabis use as an alternative or addition to opioid use in end of life care.” “While sometimes necessary, opiates are often overly sedative, preventing quality family interaction in someone’s final days,” she said. “As someone who lost my mother while she was intubated, I know how meaningful it is for patients to be present and in the moments of their last days and weeks with their loved ones. This is a quality of life and a quality of care issue. The bill’s goal is to ensure patients who desire this important and valid medical treatment have access across the board.” HB 4142 would require hospice, palliative and home care organizations, as well as residential facilities, to develop rules permitting registered patients with debilitating conditions to use medical cannabis. The reform is similar to—albeit somewhat more limited than—multiple “Ryan’s law” measures that have advanced in state legislatures across the country. Ryan’s law, which is named after a young cannabis patient in California who passed away, generally refers to a policy broadly permitting medical marijuana use in health facilities such as hospitals. The Oregon bill wouldn’t extend to hospitals, but it would build upon the state’s medical cannabis program in a way that advocates say would meaningfully improve quality of life for seriously ill patients. Under the proposal, the Oregon State Board of Nursing would further be prohibited “from disciplining a nurse who discusses the medical use of marijuana with a patient,” according to a legislative summary. It would additionally make it so eligible health facilities could act as medical marijuana caregivers if authorized by regulators. The legislation “exempts residential facilities that provide a patient with medical marijuana from criminal laws related to the possession, delivery, or manufacture of marijuana” and “allows a conditionally designated residential facility to develop a written policy and train staff before the operative date,” the summary says. If enacted into law, the measure would become operative on January 1, 2027. — 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. — Lawmakers in multiple states are advancing similar bills meant to provide patients with access to medical marijuana in health care facilities, with legislators across the U.S. making the case for a policy change they say is necessary to ensure patients have a full range of treatment options at their disposal. The post Oregon Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana In Hospices Heads To Governor’s Desk appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Multiple veterans groups advised congressional lawmakers about the need to continue exploring psychedelics and marijuana as alternative treatment options for the military veteran population at recent hearings on Capitol Hill. And one veterans advocate cited his experience attending President Donald Trump’s Oval Office signing event for a cannabis rescheduling order as an example of progress in the fight for such alternatives. At a series of joint hearings before the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees last month and this week, representatives of veterans service organizations (VSOs) testified about the need to promote innovative approaches in mental health treatment, in part to help mitigate the suicide crisis that’s disproportionately impacted those who’ve served. Dan Wiley, national commander of the American Legion, said on Wednesday that the organization’s “number one priority” is “ending veteran suicide,” which involves finding alternatives to conventional therapies because “pills and therapy have objectively not worked.” “We need stronger transition programs, innovative therapies and improved safeguards to medication management,” he said, while going out of his way to add that, after a decade with the American Legion, “I was proud to be in the Oval Office as the president signed an executive order that reclassified cannabis as a Schedule III drug.” “This allows for federal research on how it can reduce drivers of suicide,” he said. “Now the American Legion does not support use of illegal drugs, but we strongly support research that could result in new, effective treatments.” President Donald Trump signed the executive order Wiley referenced in December, directing the attorney general to expeditiously move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). That has yet to happen, however, so cannabis remains strictly prohibited under federal law. “It’s no secret that, for far too long, doctors have prescribed opioids, which are destructive and addictive to our veterans—and the American Legion, by resolution, supports alternative therapies,” Wiley said later in the hearing. He then echoed his prior point about the importance of cannabis rescheduling to that end. The need for alternatives is “one of the reasons why we were proud to be in the Oval Office on December the 18th, when the president signed the executive order reclassifying cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III,” he said. Also on Wednesday, representatives of the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) addressed the joint committee, providing members with testimony that emphasized the urgency of expanding research into “innovative and emerging therapies” by investing in “new treatment approaches that provide personalized, effective care for mental health and substance use disorders, including psychedelic-assisted therapy.” A piece of “priority legislation” that could help achieve that goal, WWP said, is the “Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act,” which would providing annual funding to establish psychedelics-focused “centers for excellence” at VA facilities, where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine. “Despite significant investments in care, outreach, and awareness across the public, private, and non-profit sectors, ending veteran suicide remains tragically elusive,” the group said. “While risk factors including combat trauma, SUD, and transition stress abound within the veteran community, there are indeed ‘anchors of hope including notable declines in suicide rates among veterans receiving VA health care for anxiety (-40.4 percent), depression (-43.9 percent), PTSD (-34.9 percent), and alcohol use disorder (-16.3 percent).” “With more research and commitment, psychedelic assisted therapy—provided within U.S. borders and through VA—can become the next beacon of light for those hoping to overcome their mental health struggles,” WWP said. “High dropout rates from traditional outpatient mental health care, treatment-resistant diagnoses, and a one-size fits all approach to care are among many factors driving WWP and others to call for accelerated access to evidence-based mental health treatments, expanded psychedelic research, and the elimination of policy barriers that prevent veterans from getting the care they deserve. Direct appropriations to the National Institutes of Health, VA, and DoD for psychedelic assisted therapy addressing difficult-to-treat conditions in veterans and Service members can drive action across the federal system.” The group added that while the most “effective solutions” will involve working with agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that are responsible for drug scheduling decisions, “Congress can make a downpayment on progress by passing the Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act.” “This important legislation would require VA to designate at least five ‘innovative therapies centers of excellence’ and direct them to conduct research on the safety and efficacy of innovative therapies including MDMA, psilocybin, ibogaine, and ketamine as treatments for PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD, and SUD,” WWP said in testimony for the hearing. “Upon establishing the centers of excellence, VA would then be required to submit a report to Congress on its findings and recommendations to improve the delivery of innovative therapies to veterans. While VA has recently expanded its psychedelic-assisted therapy trials and commitment to additional research, centers of excellence have the potential to confirm the agency’s prioritization of exploring these encouraging new approaches and to create a foundational home for more investment to bring evidence-based, safe, and efficacious treatments to veterans sooner. Success here can also drive further exploration into pilot programs at VA that could, for instance, allow for collaboration with academic medical centers with experience in psychedelic research to operate under modified Food and Drug Administration pathways.” Carol Whitmore, commander-in-chief of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), spoke to the issue in written testimony ahead of a joint committee hearing on Tuesday, referencing federal survey data showing that younger veterans “use marijuana and hallucinogens at significantly higher rates than older veterans, reflecting both changing attitudes toward alternative therapies and persistent gaps in treatment effectiveness for younger service members.” “As a result, some veterans are actively seeking alternative treatment modalities outside traditional VA frameworks,” she said. VFW also specifically noted the potential of MDMA-assisted therapy, which research indicates may be associated with “increased emotional regulation, reduced fear responses, and enhanced processing of traumatic memories.” “Research in these areas is accelerating,” the veterans group said, referencing work that’s underway at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Veterans (VA). “However, VA still lacks sufficient resources, statutory authority, and infrastructure to study these options at scale.” “With nearly 2.5 million veterans seeking mental health care through VA, it is uniquely positioned to lead the nation in developing next-generation PTSD treatments. The VFW urges Congress to pass the Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act of 2025, which would establish five specialized VA medical centers dedicated to evaluating and advancing cutting-edge therapies, including stellate ganglion block, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, ketamine infusion, MDMA-assisted therapy, medical cannabis, and other emerging treatments. Creating these centers of excellence would allow VA to standardize research, accelerate clinical innovation, and expand treatment options for veterans who have not found relief through traditional therapies.” Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) emphasized his own interest in promoting alternative therapies, and VFW’s Whitmore told the senator at the hearing that veterans “should not have to start over,” and there are “so many different modalities that the VFW would like Congress to look at [such as] hyperbaric treatment and medical cannabis.” “There are many different things that can be done. A veteran doesn’t want another pill thrown at them,” she said. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) also provided written testimony for Tuesday’s hearing, briefly noting that “interest in understanding alternative therapies, such as psychedelics, to address underlying drivers of suicidality has become increasingly popular in policy and veteran circles, yet more research is needed to fully understand their effectiveness.” Last week, Disabled American Veterans’s (DAV) Coleman Nee urged committee members in written testimony to prioritize the “unique needs of the veteran population,” which includes recognizing the “importance of alternative and emerging therapies, such as psychedelics, which have shown promise in being more effective than traditional methods.” “By exploring and implementing these innovative treatments, we can better support the mental health and well-being of veterans,” he said. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), a proponent of psychedelics and cannabis reform, specifically asked about alternative therapies at an in-person hearing late last month, and Nee told the lawmaker that he’s personally a “huge believer” in the potential of novel treatment options. “I’ve used alternative and naturalistic therapies for my own disabilities. We’ve done a significant amount of work on that and, in fact, we’ve done a significant amount of research,” he said, turning to DAV’s Jon Retzer for additional input. “We really appreciate alternative options [and] research on psychedelics,” Retzer said. The VSO testimony comes as U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. reiterates his own interest in expanding psychedelics access, telling Joe Rogan on a recent podcast episode that the Trump administration is “very anxious” to create a pathway for the novel therapies and that top officials across federal agencies want to “get it out to the public as quickly as possible.” Meanwhile, in November, Kennedy, Vice President JD Vance, the FDA commissioner and other Trump administration officials attended a “Make America Healthy Again” summit that featured a session dedicated to exploring psychedelic medicine. In June, Kennedy said his agency is “absolutely committed” to expanding research on the benefits of psychedelic therapy and, alongside of the head of FDA, is aiming to provide legal access to such substances for military veterans “within 12 months.” The secretary also said in April that he had a “wonderful experience” with LSD at 15 years old, which he took because he thought he’d be able to see dinosaurs, as portrayed in a comic book he was a fan of. Last October, Kennedy specifically criticized FDA under the prior administration over the agency’s “suppression of psychedelics” and a laundry list of other issues that he said amounted to a “war on public health” that would end under the Trump administration. Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype and Apollo. The post Veterans Groups Urge Congress To Expand Psychedelics And Marijuana Access To Mitigate Suicide Crisis appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net