All Activity

Ohio marijuana regulators have approved dozens of provisional licenses for existing medical marijuana operators to convert to dual-use licenses, setting the stage for a potentially imminent launch of the state’s recreational market. As of Friday afternoon, the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) has signed off on 62 provisional dual licenses for dispensaries, cultivators, processors and testing labs, just two weeks after regulators started accepting applications. Before opening applications, the department released informational materials to prepare prospective applicants, outlining regulatory requirements they must satisfy in order to be eligible for the hybrid license. Applicants that receive the provisional licenses can’t start selling to adult consumers just yet. They must first prove that they’ve met various requirements, which includes updating point-of-sale technology to distinguish between medical cannabis and adult-use sales, enhancing security and verifying that they will be able to maintain an adequate supply for patients. If they meet those standards, and when any inspection requirements are complete, applicants will be able to obtain a certificate of operation to begin dual sales. “It’s important to keep in mind that a dual-use provisional license does not permit the holder to sell non-medical cannabis; it is issued as a placeholder while the provisional licensee works to meet the necessary requirements to obtain a Certificate of Operation and the Division processes all required documents,” a Department of Commerce spokesperson told Marijuana Moment on Friday. “Following successful completion of that process, Certificates of Operation will be issued based on roughly the order in which completed applications were received.” “As a reminder, there will be no one singular day when sales begin. We will start issuing licenses and it will be up to the retailer based on staffing, stock and other considerations as to which day they will begin sales,” they said. “Given the foundation already laid through the Medical Marijuana Control Program, current medical permit holders positioned to apply for dual-use status who have already undergone many of the comprehensive checks are anticipated to have a much quicker turnaround for issuance of licenses over the summer.” Considering how quickly regulators issued the provisional licenses after opening up applications, the expectation is that dispensaries that are in compliance with the updated rules could become operations within weeks, though the latest they can be issued under state law is September 7. Jason Erkes, chief communications officer at the multi-state operator Cresco Labs, which secured provisional dispensary, cultivator and processor licenses in this first round of approvals in Ohio, told Marijuana Moment that “the speed that the state of Ohio is working at is a testament to their priorities.” “We’ve worked with municipalities all over the country, and Ohio seems to be working at lightning-fast speed, issuing provisional licenses a week after applications were submitted,” he said. “We’ve never seen that anywhere.” “We’re obviously very excited—and so are the consumers across the state,” Erkes said. “We’re ready to flip the switch and welcome people into our stores.” Here’s a list of the currently approved provision dual licensees as of Friday afternoon: BUSINESS NAME LICENSE TYPE CITY TEST ACCOUNT, CULTIVATOR1, LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level I Columbus Cresco Labs Ohio, LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level I Yellow Springs Standard Wellness Company, LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level I Gibsonburg Riviera Creek Holdings LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level I Youngstown CannaMed Therapeutics LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level I Columbus Appalachian Pharm Products, LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level I Jackson Certified Cultivators Corporation Dual Use Cultivator Level I Dayton PharmaCann Ohio LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level I Buckeye Lake FW Green Investments LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level I Cincinnati Green Investment Partners, LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level I Columbus Agri-Med Ohio, LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level II Langsville HEMMA, LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level II Monroe Ascension BioMedical, LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level II Oberlin Ohio Clean Leaf LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level II Dayton FN Group Holdings, LLC Dual Use Cultivator Level II Ravenna Township Verdant Creations Chillicothe Dual Use Dispensary Chillicothe Verdant Creations Newark Dual Use Dispensary Newark Verdant Creations, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Columbus The Forest Cincinnati, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Cincinnati THE FOREST SANDUSKY, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Sandusky Good Day Dispensary, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Lake The Green Goat Dispensary, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Canton Healing Through Cannabis LLC Dual Use Dispensary Springfield GNCO 123 LLC Dual Use Dispensary Columbus Campbell Hill Ventures LLC Dual Use Dispensary Cincinnati B Cubed Operations Ohio, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Hubbard N2 Ohio LLC Dual Use Dispensary Cincinnati Care Med Associates LLC Dual Use Dispensary Cincinnati Greenleaf Apothecaries, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Akron The Green Goat Dispensary, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Piqua Cresco Labs Ohio, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Wintersville Big Perm’s Dispensary Ohio, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Jeffersonville Eagle Dispensaries 2, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Wapakoneta Harvest of Ohio, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Columbus Aron OH LLC Dual Use Dispensary Cincinnati Harvest of Ohio, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Beavercreek App1803, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Columbus Trulieve OH, Inc. Dual Use Dispensary Columbus QUEST WELLNESS OHIO II LLC Dual Use Dispensary Youngstown BCCO, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Carroll The Green Goat Dispensary, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Harpster Big Perm’s Dispensary Ohio, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Athens Daily Releaf, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Dayton Ohio Cannabis Clinic, LLC Dual Use Dispensary Coshocton CREAM Apothecaries Ohio LLC Dual Use Dispensary Elyria Italian Herbs LLC Dual Use Dispensary Ashtabula Cresco Labs Ohio, LLC Dual Use Processor Yellow Springs Standard Wellness Company, LLC Dual Use Processor Gibsonburg Riviera Creek Holdings II, LLC Dual Use Processor Youngstown Noohra Labs, LLC Dual Use Processor Dayton Beneleaves Limited Dual Use Processor Columbus NEN Holdings, LLC Dual Use Processor East Palestine Appalachian Pharm Processing, LLC Dual Use Processor Jackson Certified Cultivators Corporation Dual Use Processor Dayton Ascension BioMedical, LLC Dual Use Processor Oberlin PharmaCann Ohio LLC Dual Use Processor Buckeye Lake Ohio Processing Plant LLC Dual Use Processor Coshocton TEST ACCOUNT, CULTIVATOR1, LLC Dual Use Testing Laboratory Columbus Smithers CTS Ohio, LLC Dual Use Testing Laboratory Columbus One Bond Laboratories, Inc. Dual Use Testing Laboratory Columbus North Coast Testing Laboratories, LLC Dual Use Testing Laboratory Streetsboro Pinnacle Testing and Specialty Lab Dual Use Testing Laboratory Akron As of noon on Friday, regulators had received 235 applications from existing medical cannabis businesses seeking to covert to dual-use licensees. Recently, DCC Superintendent James Canepa has said that the exact timeline for approving certificates remains unclear. However, he previously suggested that businesses with dual licenses approved could begin selling to patients and recreational consumers as early as this month. An FAQ posted by regulators notes that “applications from cultivators, processors, and testing laboratories will receive priority” in order to “help ensure an efficient supply chain.” Applications for the dual licenses opened about a month after the legislature’s Joint Committee On Agency Rule Review (JCARR) gave final approval to the proposed cannabis regulations for the adult-use market under the legalization law voters passed last November. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) doesn’t personally support legalization, but he’s repeatedly criticized the delay in access to regulated products since voters made that choice and possession became legal in December. Legislative leaders had separately discussed putting together a bill to make various changes to the law, including expediting sales, but the plans have largely fallen apart amid disagreement within the GOP-controlled legislature. The Senate did pass an amendment package just prior to legalization taking effect, but the House has not taken it up, nor has it moved to advance a different proposal that originate in the House. Senators also recently filed a separate bill to change various marijuana rules. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 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, as regulators have worked to finalize regulations for the adult-use market, it already implemented a change in February that allows medical marijuana patients and caregivers to obtain or renew their registrations for only one penny. That fee was then totally eliminated with the adoption of a new rule at last month’s JCARR meeting. The fee elimination is part of an initial package of rules that DCC released in February to implement adult-use legalization. Following voter approval of legalization at the ballot, the Department of Commerce was quick to publish an FAQ guide for residents to learn about the new law and timeline for implementation. The governor, meanwhile, has previously pressed the legislature to enact changes to expedite recreational marijuana sales. But he’s indicated that his more immediate concern is regulating the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC. “This is time for the legislature to move,” the governor, who also raised the issue during his State of the State address last month, said. “We can’t do it ourselves.” New Hampshire Residents Support Marijuana Legalization Bill That Lawmakers Killed Last Week, Poll Shows The post Ohio Regulators Issue Provisional Marijuana Licenses To Dozens Of Businesses, Readying Imminent Launch Of Adult-Use Sales appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The governors of Colorado and Maryland say that, as states move forward with marijuana reform, they want the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to finalize the Biden administration’s federal cannabis rescheduling move as quickly as possible. Amid reports that DEA leadership has pushed back against the Department of Health and Human Services and Justice Department proposal to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) told Marijuana Moment on Friday that, while they can’t speak to the potential internal conflict, they’re urging the administration to move forward expeditiously. “I don’t think either of us would be the ones to know if there’s some internal matter,” Polis said during the virtual joint event. But “the sooner this can be completed, the better,” he said. Moore, who issued a historic mass pardon for over 175,000 marijuana and paraphernalia convictions this week, said he’d “echo” Polis’s call for speediness. While he hasn’t heard directly about any potential delay in the rescheduling process based on reported DEA opposition, he said that, “from our perspective, I echo that: The quicker the better.” “Because I know, on the state side, we’re ready to get moving on it,” Moore said. Both officials during Friday’s event also more broadly commended the Biden administration for moving forward with cannabis rescheduling, though they made clear that this should just be viewed as a positive step in the right direction as they push for broader federal legalization. “This action from the president is pro-freedom, reduces taxes, helps our economy, improves public safety and supports where over 30 states are with regards to some degree of medical marijuana legalization,” Polis said. Polis, who has himself granted several rounds of cannabis pardons for thousands of cases, said “governors are really on the front line of cannabis policy,” and so he’s encouraged to see the administrative reform efforts, as well as the work of counterparts like Moore to provide state-level relief. “But there’s a lot more to be done,” he said, emphasizing the need for Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to protect banks that work with state-legal cannabis businesses, for example. “Of course, while we applaud President Biden’s work, it is not yet done, and we continue working to move our country and the industry forward,” he said. “Yes, we’re thrilled with the Biden administration and the major action they’re undertaking, and we hope that this finally helps burst the dam of federal action to lead to progress with where 37 states already are with that.” Moore added that the federal marijuana rescheduling move “was a really important step that the Biden administration displayed—because it wasn’t political, it was data-driven.” “As we’re moving forward on this issue as a state—and as the federal government continues to move forward on this issue when it comes to the rescheduling of cannabis—we also know that you cannot celebrate the benefits of legalization if you’re not willing to wrestle with the consequences of criminalization,” he said. Rescheduling is “just the first step. There’s still more to do,” he said. “There’s still more to do on the statewide level. There’s still more to do on the federal level. And while we do applaud the movements that the Biden administration has made on this issue, we just know collectively as a larger country—if we’re listening to our people and we’re following the data—it just shows that there’s more work and more progress that fundamentally needs to be done on this issue.” When it comes to the DEA’s position on rescheduling, opponents have amplified rumors that agency officials might oppose the proposed change—rumors that a top Biden administration official appeared to acknowledge this month. In early May, Smart Approaches to Marijuana President Kevin Sabet said he’d heard rumors that DEA Administrator Anne Milgram “did not sign off” on the landmark decision, suggesting that the agency wasn’t on board. As it turned out, Milgram did not put her name on the proposed rescheduling rule, leaving it to Attorney General Merrick Garland to sign the document. GOP lawmakers in Congress questioned Milgram about the matter during a hearing, but she replied it would be “inappropriate” to comment. Indications that DEA might not be on board came alongside the rescheduling move itself, with the proposed rule in the Federal Register noting several times that the agency believes “additional information” needs to be collected via public comment or a possible administrative hearing could influence the final scheduling decision. “DEA has not yet made a determination as to its views of the appropriate schedule for marijuana,” the document said. Even before the formal announcement, it had been reported that certain DEA officials had been “at odds” with the Biden administration over the rescheduling push. Asked about the status of the proposed move of cannabis to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act at a recent event in Sacramento, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said his agency made its recommendation based on available science and evidence. Asked whether there was resistance at DEA, he responded, “Talk to the DEA.” “Our scientists reviewed the evidence,” Becerra added. “FDA bases its action on the science and the evidence before us. We took action.” Meanwhile, the White House weighed in on the Maryland governor’s pardons on Wednesday. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden “commends and welcomes” the clemency, which aligns with his call for state-level action after he issued his own mass pardon for people who’ve committed federal marijuana possession offenses. Late last month, Biden also discussed his mass marijuana pardons at a rally in Philadelphia, where he finally acknowledged that his clemency actions did not expunge records after he had repeatedly suggested they did. For his part, Maryland’s governor said he intends to work with lawmakers to facilitate expungements as a follow-up to has pardons. The proposed rule to federally reschedule marijuana, meanwhile was officially posted last month, kicking off a public comment period that’s expected to elicit a major response from supporters and opponents of cannabis reform. A prohibitionist group is asking the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to extend that comment period by another month. The White House drug czar, Rahul Gupta, has also discussed the reform move multiple times over the past month, framing it as a “historic” reform that could open the door to cannabis-based drug development. However, he’s also inflated the impact of a Schedule III reclassification, at one point suggesting it would address racial disparities in marijuana enforcement. The Biden-Harris campaign has also drawn a contrast between the marijuana policy actions of their administration and that of former President Donald Trump, pointing out that DOJ under his administration rescinded federal cannabis enforcement guidance that generally laid out a policy of non-interference with legal marijuana states. Louisiana Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Let Him Pardon Past Marijuana Convictions Photo courtesy of Max Pixel. The post Colorado And Maryland Governors Want Marijuana Rescheduling Finalized ASAP Amid Reports Of DEA Resistance appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The governor of Louisiana has vetoed a bill that would have allowed him and future governors to issue pardons for people with past marijuana convictions. Gov. Jeff Landry (R) rejected the legislation on Wednesday, about a month after it was approved by the legislature. The governor said the bill “appears to be an attempt to have Louisiana accept President Biden’s invitation to the states to join his soft-on-crime, no-consequences-for-criminals agenda.” “On behalf of Louisiana and her great people, I decline such an invitation and will continue to fight to strengthen our criminal justice system and the rule of law in Louisiana,” Landry wrote in his veto message. President Joe Biden has issued two rounds of mass pardons for federal marijuana possession offenses and called on governors to grant cannabis clemency at the state level. Earlier this week, for example, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) issued more than 175,000 pardons for marijuana and paraphernalia convictions. In the meantime, it remains to be seen what the Louisiana governor will do with separate proposals to decriminalize cannabis paraphernalia and regulate hemp products that have also been sent to his desk. The pardon bill from Rep. Delisha Boyd (D) would have made people convicted of cannabis possession eligible for a gubernatorial pardon after paying all court costs associated with the offense, without the need for a recommendation from the Board of Pardons. Individuals could have only received a pardon for their first possession offense, and anyone “who received such pardon shall not be entitled to receive another pardon by the governor pursuant to this Section,” the legislation says. The governor argued in his veto message that the legislation “explicitly violates” a Louisiana Constitution provision saying that a Board of Pardons recommendation is required before a governor can consider granting clemency. “Moreover, House Bill 391 is simply unnecessary as the Louisiana Constitution already provides for an automatic pardon for a first-time nonviolent offense,” he said. Kevin Caldwell, Southeast legislative manager for the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), said his organization is “saddened” by the governor’s veto of the bill. “This legislation would have granted him the authority to pardon tens of thousands Louisianans who have a cannabis conviction on their records,” he told Marijuana Moment in an email. “This is a missed opportunity to help everyday citizens better their lives and economic opportunities.” “This legislation was always about improving opportunities,” Caldwell added. “The strong bipartisan support this legislation achieved is a testament to the level of support sensible cannabis policy has in Louisiana.” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano also criticized Landry’s move to block the measure from taking effect. “Governors and lawmakers around the country are taking steps to right the past wrongs of cannabis criminalization,” he said. “This includes efforts to end the stigma associated with past marijuana convictions and to provide millions of Americans with a fresh start. It’s a shame to see Louisiana’s governor taking the state in a different direction.” Meanwhile, the governor still has several other cannabis bills pending action. One of the proposals, also sponsored by Boyd, would limit the penalty for the possession, sale and use of marijuana paraphernalia to a $100 fine. Under existing law, cannabis paraphernalia carries a penalty of up to $300 and 15 days behind bars on the first offense, which increases on later offenses. A second conviction carries up to a $1,000 fine and imprisonment of not more than six months, while third and subsequent convictions carry fines of up to $2,500 and imprisonment “with or without hard labor” for up to two years. Also, the governor will decide on legislation that would enact regulations for hemp products. As introduced, it would have imposed an outright ban, but it was amended to tighten regulations, including by lowering the amount of THC that can be in consumable hemp products and prevent them from being sold at gas stations. Last month, the governor signed a separate bill to transfer medical marijuana cultivation duties in the state from Louisiana State University and Southern University to private contractors. The latest developments follow a decision by House lawmakers last month to scuttle legislation that would have laid out a regulatory framework for legalizing adult-use marijuana in the state, with members voting 57–37 against the proposal from Rep. Candace Newell (D). That measure, HB 978, would not have legalized cannabis itself but instead would have begun establishing a regulatory system that would take effect if either the state or the federal government later legalized marijuana for adults. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 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. — As it stands in Louisiana, possession of up to 14 grams (or half an ounce) of marijuana is decriminalized, punishable by a $100 fine without the threat of jail time. Last year, former Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) also signed into law a measure that was designed to streamline expungements for people with first-time marijuana possession convictions. Seven in 10 Louisianans support legalizing recreational marijuana possession for adults—and nine in 10 back medical cannabis legalization—according to a survey released last year. While marijuana legalization has stalled in the Louisiana legislature, there have been efforts to end prohibition and tax cannabis sales that have moved without being enacted. For example, a comprehensive legalization measure and complementary cannabis tax bill from Rep. Richard Nelson (R) advanced through committee before the tax proposal was rejected on the House floor in 2021, torpedoing the broader measure’s chances. Lawmakers have also taken several steps to reform other cannabis laws and build on the state’s medical marijuana program in recent sessions. In 2022, for example, the former governor signed a slew of marijuana reform bills, including one key measure that would expand the number of medical dispensaries that can operate in the state and another to prevent police from searching people’s homes over the smell of cannabis. Read the governor’s veto message below: Arizona Governor Signs Bill To Allow Workers’ Compensation For MDMA Treatment, Despite Vetoing Psilocybin Proposal Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post Louisiana Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Let Him Pardon Past Marijuana Convictions appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The governor of Arizona has signed a bill into law that would allow firefighters and peace officers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to get workers’ compensation coverage for MDMA therapy if it is federally legalized. While Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed a separate proposal to legalize psilocybin service centers this week, she gave final approval on Tuesday to legislation that would authorize the Industrial Commission of Arizona to provide public safety officials who have PTSD with compensation for a one-course treatment of MDMA if the drug is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The measure is being enacted weeks after an FDA advisory committee recommended against approving a new drug application for MDMA-assisted therapy, drawing criticism from advocates and certain lawmakers, including a GOP congressman who personally benefitted from psychedelic treatment. The Arizona bill from Sen. David Gowan (R) is fairly limited in its scope, especially compared to the psychedelics services legislation the governor vetoed this week. Not only would it require FDA approval of MDMA, but it also doesn’t create a framework for therapeutic administration. It simply allows officials to approve workers compensation for a course of MDMA-assisted treatment sessions. “If an independent medical examination reveals a treatment protocol of midomafetamine is deemed a reasonable and necessary treatment and follows the treatment guidelines established by the Industrial Commission of Arizona, workers’ compensation coverage may include on complete course of a treatment protocol of midomafetamine as prescribed by a psychiatrist,” the bill text says. The commission would also be required to submit a report about the costs of the MDMA treatment to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee each year starting on or before January 1, 2026. The bill signed by the Arizona governor is reminiscent of other recent psychedelics therapy proposals, including one in California that was recently revised. That legislation would allow select local governments to establish pilot programs where military veterans and former first responders could receive psilocybin treatment with a licensed facilitator. In December, a New York lawmaker also introduced a bill that would create a pilot program to provide psilocybin therapy to 10,000 people, focusing on military veterans and first responders, while the legislature also considers broader psychedelics reform. In Arizona, advocates remain disappointed that the governor rejected legislation that passed with sizable bipartisan support that would have authorized the state Department of Health to license psilocybin-assisted therapy centers in the state, where trained facilitators could have administered the psychedelic. The measure would have significantly expanded on Arizona’s existing research-focused psychedelics law that provides $5 million in annual funding to support studies into psilocybin therapy. Sen. T. J. Shope (R), the bill’s sponsor, said the veto was a “disappointing result after months of hard work and the overwhelming bipartisan support this received in both houses of the Legislature this year.” He added that if lawmakers were still in session, he’d be pushing for a vote to override the veto, but he’ll have to “settle for trying again next year.” — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 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 any case, there are multiple states where lawmakers have been working to promote research into psychedelics amid growing public interest in expanding therapeutic access and ending criminalization. California lawmakers have separately revised a psilocybin pilot program bill to narrow eligibility criteria for participants and facilitators who could administer the psychedelic under the proposal. A New Jersey Assembly committee also recently adopted an amendment to a psilocybin bill that aligns its provisions with a Senate companion version, removing language to more broadly legalize the psychedelic and instead focusing on therapeutic use. Last week the Massachusetts Senate approved a bill focused focused on military veterans that includes provisions to create a psychedelics working group to study and make recommendations about the potential therapeutic benefits of substances like psilocybin and MDMA. Last month, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) signed a bill into law to create a psychedelic-assisted therapy working group that will make recommendations on whether and how the state should regulate legal access to substances such as psilocybin and MDMA. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed legislation last month to create a psychedelics task force responsible for studying possible regulatory frameworks for therapeutic access to substances such as psilocybin, mescaline and DMT. It would be charged specifically with ensuring “broad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances” in the state. Last month in Alaska lawmakers sent the governor a bill to create a state task force to study how to license and regulate psychedelic-assisted therapy in the event of federal approval of substances such as MDMA and psilocybin. Indiana’s governor recently signed a bill that includes provisions to fund clinical research trials into psilocybin. Utah’s governor, meanwhile, allowed a bill to authorize a pilot program for hospitals to administer psilocybin and MDMA as an alternative treatment option to become law without his signature. Maine lawmakers sent the governor legislation to establish a commission tasked with studying and making recommendations on regulating access to psychedelic services. A Connecticut joint legislative panel approved a bill to decriminalize possession of psilocybin. The governor of New Mexico has endorsed a newly enacted resolution requesting that state officials research the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and explore the creation of a regulatory framework to provide access to the psychedelic. An Illinois committee also recently held a hearing to discuss a bill to legalize psilocybin and allow regulated access at service centers in the state where adults could use the psychedelic in a supervised setting—with plans to expand the program to include mescaline, ibogaine and DMT. Lawmakers in Hawaii also considered a bill that would provide some legal protections to patients engaging in psilocybin-assisted therapy with a medical professional’s approval. New York lawmakers said that a bill to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy in that state has a “real chance” of passing this year. A Nevada joint legislative committee held a hearing with expert and public testimony on the therapeutic potential of substances like psilocybin in January. Law enforcement representatives also shared their concerns around legalization—but there was notable acknowledgement that some reforms should be enacted, including possible rescheduling. California Lawmakers Reject Bill To Remove Marijuana Employment Protections For Some Law Enforcement Jobs Photo courtesy of Pretty Drugthings on Unsplash. The post Arizona Governor Signs Bill To Allow Workers’ Compensation For MDMA Treatment, Despite Vetoing Psilocybin Proposal appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A new poll shows that nearly two thirds of New Hampshire residents support legalizing marijuana, while nearly as many said they support a specific cannabis legalization bill, HB 1633, that House lawmakers voted to reject last week. “Support for legalizing marijuana for recreational use (65%) has fallen slightly since May 2023 (72%),” says the new Granite State Poll, from the University of New Hampshire’s States of Opinion Project, “largely driven by a fall in support among self-identified Independents (-12 percentage points) and Republicans (-8).” As for the recently tabled legalization bill—which was just a few votes shy of advancing to the desk of Gov. Chris Sununu (R), who had indicated he’d sign the reform—it had strong support among Democrats and independents, but it was favored by a minority of Republicans. Overall, 61 percent of poll respondents said they back the specific legislation, jut a few percentage points less than overall support for the general concept of legalization. “Only 16% of Granite Staters say they have heard a lot about the details of the bill,” the survey noted, “45% had heard some about it, 28% have heard not that much, and 10% have heard nothing at all.” Among the 1,060 participants who’d heard at least something about the bill, 72 percent of Democrats said they strongly or somewhat supported the legislation, as did 70 percent of independents. As for Republicans, 47 percent said they supported the bill, while 38 percent said they strongly or somewhat opposed it. For much of the legislative session, advocates and lawmakers cited a statistic that 70 percent of Granite Staters supported legalization. A poll from May of last year showed 72 percent support, while one earlier in 2023 found 71 percent support. In February 2022, meanwhile, 74 percent of residents said they supported legalization—close to what the latest data indicates was a high of 75 percent in 2021. The current 65 percent level of support for legalization appears to be its lowest point since 2016. “These results fall in line with the vibe I get from the public,” Rep. Jason Osborne, the House majority leader, told Marijuana Moment in an email. “Now that we have decriminalized up to 3/4 ounce and one can buy legal products right across every border of our tiny state, full retail legalization for NH is just not as important to people as it was a decade ago.” Possession of up to three quarter of an ounce carries a $100 civil fine in the state. Each of its neighbors—Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and Canada—has already legalized adult-use marijuana. Notably, opposition to cannabis legalization in New Hampshire has also generally fallen over the past several years, with just under a fifth (19 percent) of those polled now saying they oppose the reform. Along ideological lines rather than party split, the poll continued, “majorities of self-described socialists (97%) and progressives (95%) and most libertarians (76%), liberals (72%), and moderates (66%) support legalizing marijuana for recreational use, but only 41% of conservatives agree.” Among those who said in the latest survey that they opposed HB 1633, three-quarters (75 percent) said it was because they “don’t want to legalize recreational use of marijuana at all.” But 19 percent said it was because they “want to legalize recreational use of marijuana in another way.” Another 6 percent said they didn’t know or weren’t sure. Whether to support or oppose what most lawmakers agreed was an imperfect proposal to legalize marijuana in New Hampshire was a topic of heated debate ahead of last week’s up-or-down House vote on a conference committee bill that was based largely on a Senate-amended version of the legislation. Many in the House said their opposition was based on the plan to legalize through a state-controlled franchise model, which would have given the state unprecedented sway over retail stores and consumer prices. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Erica Layon (R), initially said she wouldn’t put her name on a franchise bill after it had been amended by the Senate, although she ultimately voted to approve the final version. Last Thursday, after the Senate had passed the legislation, House Democrats tabled the measure—effectively killing it—which sparked accusations that politicians were using the issue to earn the party votes at the ballot box in November. Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for Marijuana Policy Project and a supporter of HB 1633, drew attention to the poll’s indication of majority support for the bill, especially among Democratic voters. She said last week’s action by House Democrats failed to represent the will of the people. “When the House snatched defeat from the jaws of victory last week, it failed to pass a bill with nearly 3:1 support,” O’Keefe wrote in an email to Marijuana Moment. “The House’s refusal to stand with voters condemns cannabis consumers to continued criminalization—possibly for years—and deprives the state of tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue.” “The loudest voices—those who opposed HB 1633 based on the franchise model—were just that, the loudest,” she continued. “They were not representative of voters writ large.” Osborne, the House majority leader, said he was “not surprised about the support of HB 1633.” “While people do want marijuana brought out of the black market for public health and safety, they also just do not want to have to see and smell it everywhere they go all day,” he said. “They are going to prefer it to be sold, just like liquor, in a limited number of specialty stores that are located where they will not interfere with other commerce.” One reason some say the vote to table the bill could be especially consequential is because Sununu is not seeking re-election, and his replacement could significantly impact the likelihood of reform during the next legislative session. Two top Republican gubernatorial contenders, former U.S. Rep. Kelly Ayotte and former state Sen. Chuck Morse, have already said they would oppose the reform if elected. According to the Granite State Poll released this week, Ayotte appears to have a sizable lead, with 53 percent of likely GOP voters saying they have a favorable opinion of Ayotte and 24 percent saying they have a favorable opinion of Morse. Democratic candidate Joyce Craig, a three-term mayor of Manchester whose last term ended in January, has said she’d support legalization. The poll found that 38 percent of likely Democratic voters thought favorably of Craig. Democratic competitor Cinde Warmington, a member of the state’s Executive Council, had a 35 percent favorability rating, but nearly half (47 percent) of Democratic voters said they didn’t know enough about Warmington to say, while only about a third (32 percent) felt that way about Craig. As for Sununu, the poll found that 55 percent of New Hampshire residents approve of his job performance, while 42 percent disapprove. Lawmakers did send two bills to the governor last week that would expand the state’s existing medical marijuana program: one to allow doctors to recommend it for any condition they believe would be improved through cannabis use, and the other to expand the pool of healthcare professionals who can recommend the drug. New Hampshire lawmakers worked extensively on marijuana reform issues last session and attempted to reach a compromise to enact legalization through a multi-tiered system that would include state-controlled shops, dual licensing for existing medical cannabis dispensaries and businesses privately licensed to individuals by state agencies. The legislature ultimately hit an impasse on the complex legislation. Bicameral lawmakers also convened the state commission tasked with studying legalization and proposing a path forward last year, though the group ultimately failed to arrive at a consensus or propose final legislation. The Senate defeated a more conventional House-passed legalization bill last year, HB 639, despite its bipartisan support. Last May, the House defeated marijuana legalization language that was included in a Medicaid expansion bill. The Senate also moved to table another piece of legislation that month that would have allowed patients and designated caregivers to cultivate up to three mature plants, three immature plants and 12 seedlings for personal therapeutic use. After the Senate rejected the reform bills in 2022, the House included legalization language as an amendment to separate criminal justice-related legislation—but that was also struck down in the opposite chamber. This story has been updated with comments from House Majority Leader Rep. Jason Osborne. State AGs And Former DEA Leaders Push Agency To Hold Public Hearing On Marijuana Rescheduling Proposal Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post New Hampshire Residents Support Marijuana Legalization Bill That Lawmakers Killed Last Week, Poll Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) seemed to tacitly acknowledge that part of the reason he recently vetoed a bill to ban intoxicating hemp products was because he hopes the industry will aid in his campaign opposing a marijuana legalization ballot initiative. Amid reports that the governor rejected the hemp legislation to earn the industry’s favor, DeSantis was asked on Wednesday to weigh in on his rationale. While he started by saying the legislation “had some problems” that would have disrupted an industry that was intentionally made legal in the state, he also notably conceded that he believes “the marijuana industry wanted this hemp bill” to pass, and he took that into account when making his executive decision. DeSantis, who recently launched a political action committee called the “Florida Freedom Fund” to oppose the marijuana ballot initiative, said it wasn’t the “primary thing” that led him to veto the legislation, but the idea that the “marijuana industry [was] trying to support this” factored into his thinking. “Some of these people that are funding the marijuana, they came in when we did the medical marijuana, which I implemented because the voters passed it, and they said, ‘We don’t believe in recreation. We just want to do medical. We think it can help alleviate pain or whatever,'” he said. “And those same people that were saying that are now trying this amendment.” He said the legalization initiative “needs to go down” and “needs to go down hard,” adding that, “even if you’re somebody that kind of likes marijuana for whatever reason, which I don’t—but even if you do, this is so far beyond just saying you’re not going to criminalize it. This is saying that it’s going to be rampant all across the state.” DeSantis also downplayed concerns about the intoxicating hemp cannabinoid market, saying it’s “already illegal” for youth to buy the products. “We already have things in law that can go after that,” he said, seemingly making the case for imposing regulations over prohibition to mitigate underage access for hemp, while opposing a similar regulatory framework for marijuana. “Now, looking at it there, the marijuana industry was supporting this hemp bill. I mean, I think the marijuana industry wanted this hemp bill,” he said. “They wanted to curtail that industry, and then they want to be able to get this Amendment 3 passed.” At the congressional level, there have been recent examples of conflicts between the hemp and marijuana businesses over a proposal attached to House spending and agriculture bills that would effectively ban most consumable intoxicating hemp cannabinoid products. But DeSantis again said that one of his concerns with the state-level marijuana legalization bid is partly rooted in his disdain for the smell of the smoke that he says will be widely prevalent if voters approve the ballot measure. The “stench” of cannabis is “everywhere you go—whether it’s New York City, whether it’s San Francisco, whether it’s Denver” post-legalization, he said. “So let’s not do that here.” While he said his “primary” reason for vetoing the hemp ban bill wasn’t to give the industry a giveaway so that it would actively oppose marijuana legalization, he notably didn’t deny that it was at least part of the reason. “I’d say the primary [reason] was I felt an obligation to protect Florida small businesses,” he said. “I was concerned that this bill, as implemented, would potentially hurt businesses that we have green lighted to basically go forward.” The governor also signaled his willingness to reevaluate potential hemp industry regulations in the next session, after voters decide on the marijuana legalization initiative. “I do think we’ll be able to do something next year that will be targeted at the problems—because any industry has got some problems—but that’s targeted in a way that’s going to go after the bad actors, but not drop the hammer on people that are just trying to make a living,” he said. Meanwhile, DeSantis also recently claimed that if voters approve the marijuana legalization initiative this November, people “will be able to bring 20 joints to an elementary school”—and he again complained about the prevalent odor of cannabis that he says would result from the reform. While the governor also suggested that he was confounded by the state Supreme Court’s decision to allow the marijuana measure to make the ballot following Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s (R) constitutional challenge, he previously predicted that exact result while he was running for the Republican presidential nomination. According to a Fox News poll released this month, two in three Florida voters support the cannabis initiative—with the issue proving more popular than the governor himself. The survey showed majority support for legalization across the political spectrum, too. The governor, who predicted voters will reject the marijuana initiative in November, has argued that the state shouldn’t go beyond the existing medical cannabis program and that broader reform would negatively impact the quality of life for Floridians. The Florida Republican Party also formally came out against Amendment 3 last month. Smart & Safe Florida, the campaign behind the legalization initiative, separately announced in March that it was working to form a coalition of veterans to build voter support for the reform, and the campaign has since formally launched that initiative. The campaign additionally released an ad arguing that cannabis currently available on the state’s illicit market is dangerously unregulated. Here’s what the Smart & Safe Florida marijuana legalization initiative would accomplish: Adults 21 and older could purchase and possess up to three ounces of cannabis for personal use. The cap for marijuana concentrates would be five grams. Medical cannabis dispensaries could “acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute marijuana products and marijuana accessories to adults for personal use.” The legislature would be authorized—but not required—to approve additional entities that are not currently licensed cannabis dispensaries. The initiative specifies that nothing in the proposal prevents the legislature from “enacting laws that are consistent with this amendment.” The amendment further clarifies that nothing about the proposal “changes federal law,” which seems to be an effort to avoid past legal challenges about misleading ballot language. There are no provisions for home cultivation, expungement of prior records or social equity. The measure would take effect six months following approval by voters. Here’s the full text of the ballot title and summary: “Allows adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise; allows Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, and other state licensed entities, to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute such products and accessories. Applies to Florida law; does not change, or immunize violations of, federal law. Establishes possession limits for personal use. Allows consistent legislation. Defines terms. Provides effective date.” — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 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. — Economic analysts from the Florida legislature and DeSantis’s office, estimate that the marijuana legalization initiative would generate between $195.6 million and $431.3 million in new sales tax revenue annually if voters enact it. Those figures could increase considerably if lawmakers opted to impose an additional excise tax on cannabis transactions that’s similar to the ones in place in other legalized states. Unlike the governor, U.S. Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) said in April that he does believe Florida voters will approve the legalization initiative. Former DEA Leaders Push Agency To Hold Public Hearing On Marijuana Rescheduling Proposal The post DeSantis Seems To Concede He Vetoed Hemp Ban Bill, In Part, To Engage Industry In Marijuana Legalization Opposition Campaign appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

NC medical marijuana; PA legalization economic impact; Biden backs MD marijuana pardons; Hemp “confusion”; Study: Cannabis benefits for seniors 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… Hold on, just one second before you read today’s news. Have you thought about giving some financial support to Marijuana Moment? If so, today would be a great day to contribute. We’re planning our reporting for the coming months and it would really help to know what kind of support we can count on. Check us out on Patreon and sign up to give $25/month today: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW Nine former administrators of the Drug Enforcement Administration and 18 state attorneys general are formally requesting that the agency hold a public hearing on the Biden administration’s marijuana rescheduling proposal—with the former DEA leaders saying it “could impact the ongoing and devastating drug abuse crisis.” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden “commends and welcomes” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) mass marijuana pardon, pointing out that the president called on governors to “to do their part and to take action” following his federal cannabis clemency moves. The North Carolina Senate gave initial approval to legislation to legalize medical cannabis as an amendment to a House-passed hemp and kratom bill. The other chamber has been reluctant to take up medical marijuana and this is senators’ way of forcing their hand. A new report projects that if Pennsylvania legalized marijuana it would see up to $2.8 billion in recreational sales in the first year of implementation, generate as much as $720 million in state and local tax revenue and create upwards of 45,000 jobs. The California Assembly Labor and Employment Committee rejected a Senate-passed bill to roll back existing employment protections for law enforcement workers who legally use marijuana while off the job—though the sponsor asked for reconsideration. The Congressional Research Service said provisions to ban many consumable hemp-derived cannabinoids in a House agricultural funding bill could “cause confusion” because, unlike separate language in the Farm Bill, the appropriations legislation omits a definition of “industrial hemp.” A study found that “older aged individuals experience considerable improvement in health and well-being when prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products.” There were “significant reductions in depressed mood and in sleep difficulties” and “sizable reductions in pain severity and pain interference.” Minnesota lawmakers codified a state Supreme Court ruling preventing police from using the smell of marijuana as the sole reason to justify vehicle searches—guarding against a potential reversal of the decision by future justices. / FEDERAL A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing the Department of Housing and Urban Development of unlawfully discriminating against medical cannabis patients. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) tweeted that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) mass marijuana pardon “is great news! More states should follow suit.” Former Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) said the leader of a prohibitionist organization is correct that the “experiment with legalizing marijuana” is “not working.” / STATES Oklahoma’s attorney general expressed concerns about illegal marijuana cultivation operations in his state in a letter he sent U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland pushing back against the Department of Justice’s lawsuit over an Oklahoma immigration law. Pennsylvania lawmakers discussed the prospects of legalizing marijuana this session. Iowa regulators filed proposed hemp product rules. Maryland regulators posted guidance about marijuana business ownership issues, advertising, dispensaries, licensed growers and the medical cannabis program. Minnesota regulators posted an enforcement notice sent to businesses selling hemp-derived products. The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday. The New York Cannabis Advisory Board will meet on Wednesday. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 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 Belize’s minister of home affairs and new growth industries said U.S. marijuana rescheduling could boost legalization efforts in that country. The Canadian government’s move to recriminalize public drug possession in British Columbia is being challenged in court. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study concluded that “combining cold brew coffee with CBD in a beverage can enhance antioxidant activity and potentially contribute to individuals’ health.” A study found “reductions in larceny, vehicle burglary, and motor vehicle theft following the opening of high-volume dispensaries” but failed to find “evidence of similar deterrent effects near low-volume dispensaries, and instead, find larceny increases when low-volume dispensaries open in low foot traffic areas,” suggesting that “foot traffic is a significant factor impacting crime near dispensaries.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Democratic Governors Association tweeted, “With the stroke of his pen, Gov. @IAmWesMoore just pardoned 175,000 low-level marijuana convictions in Maryland. This is the most sweeping state-level pardon in American history.” The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board is calling on Pennsylvania and New Jersey officials to issue mass pardons for marijuana convictions. / BUSINESS Aurora Cannabis Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of C$67.4 million and a net loss from continuing operations of C$20.8 million. MediPharm Labs Corp. acquired a medical cannabis delivery method from Remidose Aerosols Inc. Numinus Wellness Inc. is acquiring MedBright AI Investments Inc. Verano Holdings Corp. filed a court response in its ongoing litigation with Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: The post State AGs & Former DEA heads want cannabis scheduling hearing (Newsletter: June 21, 2024) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

We offer competitive compensation and benefits (which vary based on role, location, and business), including physical and mental health initiatives, medical… From FirstGroup - Thu, 20 Jun 2024 22:24:36 GMT - View all Portland, OR jobsView the live link

Lawmakers on a California Assembly committee rejected a Senate-passed bill on Wednesday that sought to roll back existing employment protections for law enforcement workers who legally use marijuana while off the job, failing to advance the measure to the next step of the legislative process. Members of the Assembly’s Labor and Employment Committee voted 3–2 in favor of approving the legislation, but others did not cast votes in either direction. Because the motion to refer the measure to its next committee received fewer than half the panel’s votes, it will not proceed to the Assembly Judiciary Committee at this point. While the bill’s sponsor, Assemblymember Shannon Grove (R), requested the vote be reconsidered at a later date, the proposal is stalled for now. The state Senate, for its part, passed the bill last month on a 31–3 vote. SB 1264 was initially introduced in February as a minor, technical fix to the state’s current employment protection law, which prevents employers for discriminating against workers for pre-hire or off-the-clock marijuana use. In March, however, the proposal was significantly amended to roll back protections for a wide range of public service jobs, including not only police and sheriffs’ deputies but also positions in animal control, law enforcement communications and public administration. A subsequent amendment later revised the list of exempted positions to include only five categories of sworn law enforcement employees: those involved in the apprehension, incarceration or correction of criminal offenders; those who handle civil enforcement matters; workers involved in evidence gathering and processing; and those providing coroner functions. “Just to be frank, I don’t care if your grocery store worker is high,” Grove told the Assembly committee Wednesday. Her chief concern, she said, is that allowing police to use marijuana while away from work could expose local governments could legal liability. “If there is an officer-involved shooting and that officer tests positive,” she said, “the liability for that lawsuit is going to fall on local government.” “They should be held to a higher standard,” Grove said of sworn law enforcement, noting that police officers and sheriffs’ deputies carry firearms and are expected to make split-second, sometimes life-or-death decisions. An amendment from the committee’s chair, Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D), would have further narrowed the bill by including a 2028 expiration date—a change that Ortega said earned her vote. Grove said the amendment was proposed because the committee “wanted the sunset to see if it was effective or working,” adding that she’s “been working with opposition since day one” to craft a bill that could win broad support. But other members of the panel said they still couldn’t support the legislation. Assemblymember Chris Ward (D) said that he was “unconvinced” the measure was necessary, noting that employers, including law enforcement organizations, can already discipline workers for on-the-job impairment. Likening off-duty marijuana use to drinking alcohol off the clock, Ward said he does “not want an officer showing up to work high or drunk, and I try to be very consistent with the rationale there.” He agreed with Grove that law enforcement officers should be held to a higher standard than many other employees, but he disagreed on what that meant. “Generally I think the higher standard is: Be a responsible adult,” he said. “Know that, if you do choose to use recreationally, that you’re doing so at a time and place which is safe and which does not put yourself or others into harm’s way.” Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D) also said he had a problem with testing police for “legal activity that I don’t see as very different from alcohol use.” “We are already are at a time when we’re having trouble recruiting people into law enforcement,” he argued, adding that a positive marijuana test “doesn’t really have much to do with…what your condition is on the job.” The legislation had the support law enforcement groups, such as the California State Sheriffs’ Association and the California Police Chiefs Association, but was broadly opposed by labor unions. Cory Salzillo, a lobbyist for the California State Sheriffs’ Association, said during a prior Senate hearing that the bill would provide needed clarity on whether law enforcement agencies can test applicants and workers for cannabis. “We believed we were exempt under the language of that bill,” Salzillo said of the employment protection bill that took effect in January. “And since its passage and implementation and some more refined legal analysis, there is a little bit less clarity than we initially had. So we think this is a very targeted exemption.” Opponents have included labor groups such as the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW); the Service Employees International Union (SEIU); the California School Employees Association; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); and the California Employment Lawyers Association. Drug policy reform advocacy groups such as the Drug Policy Alliance and California NORML also opposed the rollback bill at Wednesday’s hearing. Kristin Heidelbach, a cannabis workforce development advisor and legislative advocate for UFCW, read a paragraph from the San Diego County Sheriff’s rules of conduct around alcohol, which states that “employees while off duty shall refrain from consuming intoxicating beverages to the extent that it results in unlawful impairment, such as driving under the influence or being unable to care for their own safety or the safety of others.” She also repeated past warnings that while the bill in question applied only to law enforcement, it could encourage further rollbacks to the employment protection. “Is it teachers after that? Is it doctors?” Heidelbach asked. “The better thing to do, really, would be loop cannabis into existing policies that are already in place and trust in our law enforcement. If they’re carrying a sidearm and we trust them to do that, we can trust them to be responsible with cannabis off the job.” Meanwhile in California, lawmakers earlier this week revised a psilocybin pilot program bill to narrow eligibility criteria for participants and facilitators who could administer the psychedelic under the proposal. The legislation would allow the counties of San Francisco, Santa Cruz and San Diego to establish pilot programs where military veterans and former first responders could receive psilocybin treatment with a licensed facilitator. Separately, a campaign to put psilocybin legalization on the state’s November ballot recently announced that it did not secure enough signature to qualify in time for a deadline. Another campaign filed and then abruptly withdrew an initiative to create a $5 billion state agency tasked with funding and promoting psychedelics research last year. A third campaign also entered the mix late last year, proposing to legalize the possession and cultivation of substances like psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, DMT, ibogaine and mescaline. People could buy them for therapeutic use with a doctor’s recommendation. Advocates for that measure still have time to gather and turn in signatures. The California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) has since released its review of that proposal, outlining not only the plan’s policy implications but also its potential fiscal impacts on the state—which the report calls “various” and “uncertain.” Some California municipalities, meanwhile, are pushing forward with reform on the local level. The city of Eureka, for example, adopted a resolution in October to decriminalize psychedelic plants and fungi and make enforcement of laws against personal use, cultivation and possession a low priority for police. It’s at least the fifth local jurisdiction in the state to embrace the policy change. Others include San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Cruz and Arcata. Bipartisan Pennsylvania Senators Say They Have The Votes To Legalize Marijuana, But Governor Needs To Step Up Engagement The post California Lawmakers Reject Bill To Remove Marijuana Employment Protections For Some Law Enforcement Jobs appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

In a filing with the federal government ahead of a key deadline this week, a group of former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) leaders is asking the agency to hold a public hearing on the proposal to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)—saying that the move is “likely the most consequential rulemaking DEA has ever attempted.” “Given the magnitude of the impact of the proposed rule and considering we face an unprecedented drug overdose crisis in this country,” said the group of six former DEA administrators and three former acting administrators, “we write to emphasize that a hearing on this rulemaking is in the public interest.” The group’s ask was submitted one day before a Thursday deadline to file comments requesting that DEA hold a hearing on the rescheduling proposal. “As DEA made clear in the Proposed Rule, additional data and rigorous scientific analysis is needed to determine whether marijuana is appropriately placed into Schedule III,” the former drug enforcement officials wrote. “Sifting through the competing claims about marijuana’s pharmacological effects, potential for abuse, and implications for public safety, are best done at a hearing.” They assert that the rescheduling recommendation “proposes to change the definition of currently accepted medical use, as well as change the way the federal government implements our international treaty obligations.” The request, which comes on the heels of a leading prohibitionist group attempting to extend the public comment period on the rescheduling proposal, is seen by reformers as a way not only to push back on the Biden administration’s rescheduling plan but also to potentially delay the formal implementation of the action amid an effort by opponents to shoot it down. The anti-legalization organization, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), also asked for an administrative hearing on the move, arguing that the rescheduling proposal “fails to consider research demonstrating that marijuana plays a causal role in the development of psychosis, including schizophrenia, in certain individuals.” SAM has for years denied that cannabis itself offers any appreciable medical benefit outside of limited therapeutic uses of some of its components in federally approved pharmaceutical drugs. The group has also argued that the 60-day public comment window on rescheduling that opened late last month should be extended by another 30 days. SAM’s requests were submitted by Torridon Law PLLC, a firm founded by former Attorney General Bill Barr, who led the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Trump administration and who faced criticism after initiating investigations into cannabis industry mergers that were described as improper. SAM’s comment to DEA—one of more than 20,000 that have been posted so far—says DOJ’s proposed rule to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III would be “the most significant relaxation of restrictions on a psychoactive substance” since CSA became law. SAM officials said at a webinar last week that it is weighing “all legal options” to challenge the proposed cannabis move, while encouraging supporters to oppose the pending change. Overwhelmingly, those who’ve so far requested that DEA hold a hearing on the proposed move are opponents to the reform. Others include the Drug Enforcement Association of Federal Narcotics Agents, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis, which focuses on harm caused by marijuana. One reform proponent who’s requested a hearing on rescheduling is attorney Khurshid Khoja, of Greenbridge Corporate Counsel PC. Khoja argues in his letter to DEA that the rescheduling change would, among other things, “sweep currently non-scheduled cannabinoids,” such as THCV and THCA, into Schedule III. National advocacy groups in support of marijuana reform, meanwhile, such as the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), NORML and the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), told Marijuana Moment they do not plan to request a hearing ahead of Thursday’s deadline. Separate from the request for a hearing, the public has until July 22 to submit comments on the overall rescheduling proposal. Rescheduling opponents have also amplified rumors that current DEA officials might oppose the proposed change—rumors that a top Biden administration official appeared to acknowledge this month. In early May, SAM President Kevin Sabet said he’d heard rumors that DEA Administrator Anne Milgram “did not sign off” on the landmark decision, suggesting that the agency wasn’t on board. As it turned out, Milgram did not put her name on the proposed rescheduling rule, leaving it to Attorney General Merrick Garland to sign the document. GOP lawmakers in Congress questioned Milgram about the matter during a hearing, but she replied it would be “inappropriate” to comment. As for what happens next, SAM is holding out hope that DEA could reject the rescheduling recommendation or, alternatively, move marijuana to Schedule II. Sabet pointed to interpretations of international law, for example, that read drug treaties as prohibiting any move outside of Schedules I and II. While DOJ will take all public comments submitted by July 22 into consideration as it weighs the reform, it said in the notice that one of the topics its especially interested in hearing about is the “unique economic impacts” of the rescheduling proposal given that state-level legalization has created a “multibillion dollar industry” that stands to benefit from possible federal tax relief under the reform. Indications that DEA might not be on board came alongside the rescheduling move itself, with the proposed rule in the Federal Register noting several times that the agency believes “additional information” needs to be collected via public comment or a possible administrative hearing could influence the final scheduling decision. “DEA has not yet made a determination as to its views of the appropriate schedule for marijuana,” the document said. Even before the formal announcement, it had been reported that certain DEA officials had been “at odds” with the Biden administration over the rescheduling push. Asked about the status of the proposed move of cannabis to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act at a recent event in Sacramento, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said his agency made its recommendation based on available science and evidence. Asked whether there was resistance at DEA, he responded, “Talk to the DEA.” “Our scientists reviewed the evidence,” Becerra added. “FDA bases its action on the science and the evidence before us. We took action.” Biden ‘Commends And Welcomes’ Maryland Governor’s Mass Marijuana Pardon, White House Says Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Former DEA Leaders Push Agency To Hold Public Hearing On Marijuana Rescheduling Proposal appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The North Carolina Senate has given initial approval to a bill that would legalize medical marijuana, with bipartisan members once again pushing strongly to enact the reform despite consistent resistance from the House. Just one day after senators attached the medical cannabis proposal to a hemp- and kratom-related measure and then advanced it through the Judiciary Committee, the Senate Rules Committee signed off on the legislation and sent it to the floor, where it was approved on second reading in a 33-9 vote, with further amendments. A final Senate vote is expected on Monday, after which point the measure would go back to the House, where its fate remains uncertain. The underlying legislation originated in the House, so the Senate’s choice to amend it with the medical marijuana language further underscores the chamber’s seriousness about getting the job done, even if it has to force the House’s hands on an issue the chamber has appeared reluctant to take up. As revised with this week’s committee amendment from Sen. Michael Lazzara (R), the bill would allow doctors to recommend medical marijuana to patients with certain qualifying conditions. That’s in addition to the original provisions on restricting kratom and intoxicating hemp cannabinoid products such as delta-8 THC. The cannabis text is similar to that of a standalone bill from Sen. Bill Rabon (R), a cancer survivor who has sponsored multiple medical marijuana proposals. The senator previously described his interest in using the hemp legislation as a potential vehicle after his latest standalone stalled in the House. “The people that need and can benefit from medical-grade cannabis are dying. They’re dying every day,” Rabon said in the Rules Committee hearing on Thursday. “They’ve died for six years since I started working on this. I want to know where the compassion in this room is. I want to know because I’m not seeing it.” “People that need help have the right to try to stay alive—to stay with their loved ones another day, to feel good about life—not to be put on morphine so they don’t know what world they’re in, but to have a meal, to be able to clean themselves, to have a conversation with their loved ones before they die,” he said. “They deserve that right.” The senator emphasized that he was speaking from personal experience. As he’s previously disclosed, Rabon said his doctor advised him to use marijuana before he went through serious chemotherapy, and he visited his local law enforcement to tell them that he intended to break the law to use the plant for therapy. Packages of marijuana then regularly showed up in the mail, and he’d take “three puffs” of cannabis after work to treat his symptoms. “If you’re scared of the boogeyman, so what? Sleep with the lights on,” he said on Thursday. “I’m telling you, this is something that we should do. I know. I’ve been there. I’ve lived it. You folks who are so dead set against it haven’t walk in my shoes, but I stand before you and tell you I was close to death a long time ago, and I would have died had I not broken the law and I had not taken the advice of my health care provider and gotten a cannabis product.” “I was ready to give up. I couldn’t eat. There’s not a trash can in this room that would hold how much vomit I’d throw up every day,” Rabon said. “I’m going to push it. I’m going to stay in this legislature until it passes.” On the floor on Thursday, members also adopted an amendment to expand a proposed cannabis production commission to add another pharmacist, as well as an emergency room physician. Rabon said the change was responsive to requests from House lawmakers, adding that further amendments are expected during Monday’s third reading consideration of the bill. Senators also rejected a floor amendment to expand the bill to legalize adult-use marijuana. Here are the main components of the medical cannabis provisions of the bill: Patients would be allowed to access cannabis if they have a “debilitating medical condition” such as cancer, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder. Smoking and vaping would also be allowed, but doctors would need to prescribe a specific method of delivery and dosages for patients under the revised legislation. And they would need to reevaluate patients’ eligibility for the program at least once a year. The bill provides for up to 10 medical marijuana suppliers who control the cultivation and sale of cannabis. Under the bill, a Compassionate Use Advisory Board would be established, and it could add new qualifying medical conditions. Separately, a Medical Cannabis Production Commission would be created to ensure that there’s an adequate supply of cannabis for patients, oversee licensing and generate enough revenue to regulate the program. The measure would further create a North Carolina Cannabis Research Program to “undertake objective, scientific research regarding the administration of cannabis or cannabis-infused products as part of medical treatment.” There don’t appear to be specific equity provisions that many advocates push for as part of legalization legislation. Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R) said in April that he’s had bicameral discussions about the prospect of moving the medical marijuana proposal from Rabon forward as part of the hemp measure. Rabon’s standalone legislation moved through the Senate and was taken up by a House committee last year, but it has not advanced further in that chamber. Certain Democratic senators, such as Sen. Graig Meyer (D), have said that any future proposal would need to include “some type of decriminalization language,” in addition to the limited medical cannabis program. So it’s unclear whether the Democratic caucus would back the amended hemp bill as it’s currently drafted, as it calls for a relatively conservative medical cannabis authorization. House Majority Leader John Bell (R) said last year that while there were “still discussions going on” about the medical marijuana bill, he was “very sure you won’t see that bill move” due to insufficient support among Republicans. He said that was “unfortunately” the case. A previous version of the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act from Rabon passed the Senate but did not get a vote in the House of Representatives in 2022. The Senate president previously acknowledged that opinions are shifting when it comes to marijuana in the state, and he said that Rabon specifically “for a long time has looked at the issue.” House Speaker Tim Moore (R) is among key lawmakers who have downplayed the idea of enacting medical cannabis legislation, saying at one point that “there are a lot of concerns” with Rabon’s bill that moved through the Senate. Rabon also took another step, including medical marijuana regulatory appointments for the yet-to-be-enacted program in a separate measure that passed the Senate in March. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 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. — An Indian tribe in North Carolina launched the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary in April—despite the protests of certain Republican congressional lawmakers. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Ted Budd (R-NC) have also asked federal, state and local officials what steps they were taking to enforce marijuana prohibition ahead of the tribe’s April 20 launch. Meanwhile in North Carolina, a state judge declared in February that anyone who “has the odor of marijuana” will be barred from entering the North Carolina Superior Courts of Robeson County. The order, from Senior Resident Superior Court Judge James Gregory Bell, said that smelling like cannabis is grounds for removal from the courthouse, and the sheriff will be directed to “ask you to leave and come back without the odor owns [sic] your persons.” Pennsylvania Could See Up To $2.8 Billion In Marijuana Sales In First Year Of Legalization And Create 45,000 Jobs, Analysis Finds Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post North Carolina Senate Gives Initial Approval To Bill That Would Legalize Medical Marijuana In Rebuke Of House Opposition appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

President Joe Biden “commends and welcomes” the news that Maryland’s governor has issued over 175,000 pardons for marijuana and paraphernalia convictions, the White House says. At a press briefing on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked whether the president had a response to the Maryland clemency action, and she said “we certainly welcome the news, and it builds on the president’s work to reform how the nation approaches marijuana.” She also used the moment to tout Biden’s role in directing an administrative review into cannabis scheduling that’s resulted in the Justice Department proposing to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The president “has been clear that no one—no one—should be in jail just for possessing marijuana,” Jean-Pierre said. “And he has a record number of pardons for prior federal offenses of simple possession and use of marijuana.” The press secretary noted that Biden has called on governors to “to do their part and to take action” by following his lead to issue state-level cannabis clemency, citing additional pardon moves in Massachusetts and Oregon that were at least partly responsive to his federal proclamation in 2022. Late last month, Biden also discussed his mass marijuana pardons at a rally in Philadelphia, where he finally acknowledged that his clemency actions did not expunge records after he had repeatedly suggested they did. For his part, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said he intends to work with lawmakers to facilitate expungements as a follow-up to has pardons. While the federal pardons didn’t seal records, the Justice Department has been distributing certificates to eligible people who apply for the largely symbolic document. Biden might have adjusted his rhetoric to reflect the realities of the clemency action, but he hasn’t indicated that he’s willing to offer relief for offenses beyond simple possession. In fact, he’s specifically said that growing or distributing cannabis is “a different deal.” To that end, there are still people in federal prison over non-violent marijuana offenses. And advocates have pushed the Biden administration to do more, including keeping his key cannabis campaign pledge to decriminalize marijuana. Meanwhile, the proposed rule to federally reschedule marijuana was officially posted last month, kicking off a public comment period that’s expected to elicit a major response from supporters and opponents of cannabis reform. A prohibitionist group is asking the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to extend that comment period by another month. The White House drug czar, Rahul Gupta, has also discussed the rescheduling move multiple times over the past month, framing it as a “historic” reform that could open the door to cannabis-based drug development. However, he’s also inflated the impact of a Schedule III reclassification, at one point suggesting it would address racial disparities in marijuana enforcement. The Biden-Harris campaign has also drawn a contrast between the marijuana policy actions of their administration and that of former President Donald Trump, pointing out that DOJ under his administration rescinded federal cannabis enforcement guidance that generally laid out a policy of non-interference with legal marijuana states. Pennsylvania Could See Up To $2.8 Billion In Marijuana Sales In First Year Of Legalization And Create 45,000 Jobs, Analysis Finds The post Biden ‘Commends And Welcomes’ Maryland Governor’s Mass Marijuana Pardon, White House Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

As Pennsylvania lawmakers step up their push for marijuana legalization, a new report projects that the state would see up to $2.8 billion in adult-use sales in the first year of implementation, generate as much as $720 million in tax revenue and create upwards of 45,000 jobs. The advocacy organization Responsible PA teamed up with the firm FTI Consulting to produce the analysis, which looks at a number of potential economic impacts of legalization for the Keystone State under different scenarios for how robust the legal cannabis market would be. By comparing the experiences of other states that have enacted the reform, as well as trends in the state’s existing medical cannabis market, analysts determined that Pennsylvania recreational marijuana sales would range from $1.7 billion to $2.8 billion in the first year. Assuming a six percent retail sales tax and a 15 percent wholesale cannabis excise tax, and factoring in other potential tax sources such as income tax from new cannabis workers, the report says the state would bring in $420 million to $720 million in marijuana tax revenue in the first year. Additionally, FTI estimated that adult-use legalization would create between 26,250 and 44,500 new jobs. “Nearly two-thirds of the jobs supported by the adult use market would be direct cannabis jobs, with the remaining third supported indirectly or through induced spending,” it says. To meet demand in the recreational market, analysts also said that the state would need to issue between 43 and 100 new licenses for retailers. There are a number of variables in the report such as the tax rate that are based on theoretical legalization legislation, so it’s possible that the economic impact could be different depending on what cannabis reform plan lawmakers actually enact. For example, this year’s budget request from Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) calls for a 20 percent tax on marijuana sales—though bipartisan lawmakers have said they feel that’s too high. During an X Spaces event on Wednesday, Sens. Dan Laughlin (R) and Sharif Street (D) discussed that issue, while more generally arguing that there are enough members who back legalization in the Senate to get an adult-use bill through. The conversation with the Pennsylvania legislators comes just days after bipartisan state lawmakers announced their intent to file a new bill to legalize recreational marijuana, soliciting support from colleagues. Street was also among advocates and lawmakers who participated in a cannabis rally at the Pennsylvania State Capitol this month, where there was a significant emphasis on the need to incorporate social equity provisions as they move to advance legalization. Laughlin, for his part, also said an event last month that the state is “getting close” to legalizing marijuana, but the job will only get done if House and Senate leaders sit down with the governor and “work it out.” Warren County, Pennsylvania District Attorney Robert Greene, a registered medical cannabis patient in the state, also spoke at that rally. In January, Greene filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to overturn a ban preventing medical marijuana patients from buying and possessing firearms. Two Pennsylvania House panels held a joint hearing to discuss marijuana legalization in April, with multiple lawmakers asking the state’s top liquor regulator about the prospect of having that agency run cannabis shops. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 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 in April, members of the House Health Committee had a conversation centered on social justice and equity considerations for reform. That took place days after Rep. Amen Brown (D) filed a marijuana legalization bill that he described as “grounded in safety and social equity.” “I’m here to get this done,” Brown said at a recent rally, noting that he and other people he knows have a “personal experience” with current marijuana policy. At a prior meeting in March, members focused on criminal justice implications of prohibition and the potential benefits of reform. At another hearing in February, members looked at the industry perspective, with multiple stakeholders from cannabis growing, dispensing and testing businesses, as well as clinical registrants, testifying. At the subcommittee’s previous cannabis meeting in December, members heard testimony and asked questions about various elements of marijuana oversight, including promoting social equity and business opportunities, laboratory testing and public versus private operation of a state-legal cannabis industry. And during the panel’s first meeting late last year, Frankel said that state-run stores are “certainly an option” he’s considering for Pennsylvania, similar to what New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) recommended for that state last year, though a state commission later shied away from that plan. The cannabis proposal the Brown filed in the House in April is an identical companion to a bipartisan Senate cannabis legalization measure that was introduced last year. North Carolina Senators Attach Medical Marijuana Legalization Amendment To Hemp Bill The post Pennsylvania Could See Up To $2.8 Billion In Marijuana Sales In First Year Of Legalization And Create 45,000 Jobs, Analysis Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“We’ve seen it with other really important issues, whether we’re talking about reproductive rights or voting rights, the court can come back and reverse their decision.” By Mohamed Ibrahim, MinnPost The smell of marijuana emanating from a vehicle during a traffic stop was once enough for a police officer to conduct a search of a car and everyone in it. But a decision by the Minnesota Supreme Court shortly after marijuana was legalized that prevents officers from using cannabis odor as the only reason for a vehicle search has put that practice to an end, and Minnesota lawmakers recently enshrined the ruling into law. The language codifying the decision is one of many provisions included in the judiciary and public safety supplemental budget bill passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) at the end of the session in late May. The package includes millions of dollars in grants for services targeting crime victims, as well as changes to statutes ranging from traffic stop reform to law enforcement training requirements. This month, MinnPost is highlighting a specific provision each week. No more searches for cannabis odor only The new language states that a law enforcement officer’s perception of the odor of cannabis cannot be used as the “sole basis” to search a vehicle or any of its contents, the driver or any of the passengers in the car. The original bill the language came from—Senate File 3938, authored by DFL Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten of St. Paul—was more robust, banning officers asking drivers to consent to warrantless searches during traffic stops. The change in statute was inspired by a ruling by the Minnesota Supreme Court in September, where a 5–2 majority ruled that the smell of marijuana alone doesn’t justify a vehicle search by an officer. Oumou Verbeten said in an interview that it was essential to codify the decision in law due to the court’s ability to later overturn it. “We’ve seen it with other really important issues, whether we’re talking about reproductive rights or voting rights, the court can come back and reverse their decision,” she said. “It’s important for us to have this be a part of our strategy to try to pass legislation and codify these rights and other things that are important to us, and not just rely on the courts.” Targeting racial disparities was also a concern, Oumou Verbeten said. According to a 2020 report by the American Civil Liberties Union, between 2010 and 2018, Black and white residents used marijuana at similar rates, but Black people were 3.64 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana use. The legalization of marijuana in Minnesota went into effect on August 1 last year, and individuals 21 and older can now possess up to two ounces of marijuana flower, 800 milligrams of edibles and eight grams of concentrated THC. When it comes to vehicles, however, cannabis use is similar to alcohol in that it is illegal to use or be under the influence of marijuana while driving, and drivers and passengers cannot have open or unsealed packages or containers in the vehicle. When cannabis possession and use were still illegal, officers would routinely use the smell of marijuana emanating from a vehicle as a reason to conduct a search because it gave them probable cause, said Mike Hanson, director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety. But after the decision by the court, and now after the change in law, officers need more evidence before conducting a search or conducting a field sobriety test. “That could be an interview with the driver, or there could be observations of evidence in the car that are in plain view that indicate that marijuana was just recently used in the vehicle,” Hanson said. “So instead of just smelling the odor of marijuana and then conducting the search, the officer has to put more work into building the pieces that make that probable cause puzzle come together to then justify the search.” According to Mike Monsrud, assistant executive director of the Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board, there are no mandated cannabis-related learning objectives for law enforcement since legalization and no plans to institute required trainings. But, he said, all schools that teach the Professional Peace Officer Education Program are required to update their curriculum to align with state law, and state licensing test questions have been updated to conform with new requirements. Currently, there is only one POST Board-approved training course related to marijuana. Beyond odor, other indicators will be key for determining whether a driver is under the influence, said Sgt. Tyler Milless, coordinator of the Minnesota State Patrol’s Drug Recognition Evaluators (DRE). That could include dilated pupils, bloodshot eyes, eyelid flutters or relaxed inhibitions, and enough of those signs could lead to a standardized field sobriety test. “We think about it the same way we think about alcohol—what we’re worried about is impairment,” Milless said. “In our realm of traffic safety, our biggest concern is making sure citizens get home or to their location in a safe manner.” Going forward, the state is currently administering an oral fluid test pilot program, which is a roadside test that involves an officer collecting oral fluid from a driver suspected of being under the influence. The test, which can identify up to six different substances in about five minutes, is used in 26 other states and is aimed at helping officers more quickly determine whether a driver has used a substance other than alcohol. The pilot program, which is completely voluntary at the moment, began in January and has since completed 271 attempts. The results of the pilot program will be compiled into a report for the Legislature, which Hanson said he hopes will permanently fund going forward to keep impaired drivers off the roads. “We still have a significant problem on Minnesota roads with impaired drivers, whether it’s alcohol, whether it’s cannabis or whether it’s a combination thereof, or something else,” Hanson said. “It’s really all about saving lives because impaired drivers are responsible for more than a third of our fatalities every year, so anything we can do to keep an impaired driver off the road is a good public safety strategy.” This story was first published by MinnPost. Woman Faces Possible 30-Year Prison Sentence In Minnesota For Possessing Bong Water The post Minnesota Lawmakers Codify Court Decision Ending Marijuana Odor As Justification For Vehicle Searches appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A new study on the impacts of medical marijuana on older adults finds that cannabis-based products may provide multiple therapeutic benefits for the demographic, including for health, well-being, sleep and mood. Authors also observed “sizable reductions in pain severity and pain interference among older aged patients [reporting] chronic pain as their primary condition.” The research, published this week in the journal Drugs and Aging, is meant to address what authors call “a general paucity of high quality research” around cannabis and older adults “and a common methodological practice of excluding those aged over 65 years from clinical trials” at a time when older patients are increasingly turning to medical marijuana for relief. “International evidence that older individuals may be the fastest-growing increase in the use of medical marijuana, coupled with their frequent exclusion from controlled trials, indicates a growing need for real-world evidence to assess the effectiveness and safety of these drugs for older individuals,” the paper says. “There were consistent improvements across measures of general health and well-being after 3 months of treatment. There were also sizable reductions in pain severity and pain interference.” The five-person research team, from the UK-based organization Drug Science and Imperial College London’s Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, looked at data from T21, a “large observational study of individuals seeking prescribed cannabis for a range of primary conditions in the UK” that was launched in 2020. The prescribing of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) has been legal in the UK since 2018, authors note, although “there has been a lack of access on the National Health Service and CBMPs is most commonly prescribed via the private sector.” And while national guidelines recommend only two products and one synthetic cannabinoid, “there are currently over 200 unlicensed CBMPs available for prescription in the UK.” “Older aged individuals experience considerable improvement in health and well-being when prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products.” Patient outcomes were measured by self-reported measures of quality of life, general health, mood and sleep. Results showed “consistent improvements in each of the four well-being measures between entry to treatment and the 3-month follow up.” “Older aged individuals who continue on CBMPs report considerable improvement in health and well-being when prescribed CBMPs,” the analysis found. “While the extent of improvement in quality of life and mood was less for older individuals that for those aged under 65 years, it was still substantial and, together with improvements in general health and sleep, suggests that older aged individuals may derive multiple health benefits from CBMPs.” “There were significant reductions in depressed mood and in sleep difficulties.” The levels of improvement on general health, quality of life and sleep, the research says, “were similar for older and younger aged individuals.” Authors said the findings begin to fill a gap in existing marijuana research. “There is currently a lack of published data on prescribed medical cannabis use in older individuals in the UK,” authors wrote. A national survey by the Centre for Medical Cannabis “failed to distinguish older individuals aged over 55 years,” they noted, and population data on marijuana use by people older than 59 is not collected by the country’s Office for National Statistics. Survey data also didn’t differentiate between medical and recreational use. There were some notable differences between the younger and older groups of patients surveyed in the new study. For example, a larger proportion of older patients were female, more reported chronic pain as a primary condition and more likely to be taking multiple prescribed drugs. They were less likely, however, to have used marijuana before and less likely to have reported using it daily prior to the start of treatment. “Theses analyses indicated a substantial reduction in pain severity.” In terms of products prescribed, patients over 64 were “more likely to receive CBD dominant oil and less likely to receive THC dominant flower by prescription.” “Despite these differences, there was evidence of consistent improvement across multiple measures of well-being for these individuals after initiating use of medical cannabis,” the report continues. “Although it appeared that the extent of improvements in both mood and quality of life was lower in those aged 65 years or older compared with younger individuals, the improvements were considerable and contribute to our currently limited understanding of medical cannabis in older individuals.” On this side of the Atlantic, U.S. officials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced this spring that the agency will use $8.4 million to support clinical trials into the safety and efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat chronic pain in older adults. A government notice about the grant program says the research can include “classic” psychedelics—including psilocybin, DMT, LSD and mescaline—as well as similar compounds such as MDMA. Cannabis and ketamine are not considered psychedelics for the purposes of the clinical trials. A federally funded study last year, meanwhile, found that among U.S. adults, cannabis and psychedelic use were both at “historic highs,” while teen marijuana use remained stable. Most Consumers Use Marijuana To Treat Health Issues, But Very Few Call It ‘Medical,’ AMA Study Finds Photo courtesy of Kimzy Nanney. The post Older Patients Using Medical Cannabis ‘Experience Considerable Improvement In Health And Well-Being,’ Study Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Hemp provisions of a large-scale agriculture funding bill that is advancing in the House could “create confusion” for the industry due to a lack of clarity around the type of allowable products, congressional researchers say. In a report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) that was published on Monday, analysts looked at proposed changes to federal hemp rules under two pieces of legislation that recently moved through committee and that have stirred controversy among cannabis stakeholders. Most of the report focuses on how the measures as amended would effectively ban many consumable hemp-derived cannabinoids, including CBD products containing any “quantifiable amounts” of THC. It would also clarify that intoxicating synthetic cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC are prohibited. “Congress is continuing to debate these proposed changes as it proceeds to consider these bills,” CRS said. “These provisions have both supporters and detractors.” Supporters include prohibitionist groups and certain major marijuana companies, while the hemp industry largely opposes the language, even if stakeholders generally agree that there’s a need to create a regulatory framework for consumable hemp products to address public health concerns that have emerged since the crop and its derivatives were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. CRS said the provisions wouldn’t necessarily ban all consumable hemp cannabinoid products, “but would require determinations by [U.S. Department of Agriculture] based on available scientific research and quantification methods.” But hemp stakeholders say the proposal would fundamentally disrupt the cannabinoid market. “This approach recognizes the rapidly evolving landscape of hemp derivatives,” the report says. The provisions CRS described have been included in an Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, as well as the 2024 Farm Bill, both of which were approved in committee in the past month. But unlike the Farm Bill language, the amendment adopted in the separate spending legislation “does not include a definition of industrial hemp, although the bill makes allowances for industrial hemp for use in hemp cannabinoid products,” CRS said. “This exclusion could create confusion since the term is not defined.” Meanwhile, the Farm Bill that advanced through the House Agriculture Committee last month also contains provisions that would reduce regulatory barriers for certain hemp farmers and scale-back a ban on industry participation by people with prior drug felony convictions. Specifically, it would make it so the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), states and tribal entities could choose to eliminate a policy that prevents people with felony drug convictions in the past 10 years from being licensed to produce industrial hemp. However, advocates had hoped to see more expansive language, such as what was described in Senate Democrats’ recent summary of their forthcoming Farm Bill draft. Under that plan, there would be a mandate to eliminate the ban, rather than simply authorizing it, and it would cover all hemp producers, not just those growing it for non-extraction purposes. That said, the Senate Agriculture Committee has not yet released the draft text of their bill, so it remains to be seen if the summary description matches what will ultimately be released. Bipartisan House lawmakers filed standalone legislation last year that would broadly lift the felony ban for would-be hemp producers. Lawmakers and stakeholders have also been eyeing a number of other proposals that could be incorporated into the Farm Bill—and which could come up as proposed amendments as the proposal moves through the legislative process—including measures to free up hemp businesses to legally market products like CBD as dietary supplements or in the food supply. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 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, the hemp market started to rebound in 2023 after suffering significant losses the prior year, the latest annual industry report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that was released in April found. The data is the result of a survey that USDA mailed to thousands of hemp farmers across the U.S. in January. The first version of the department’s hemp report was released in early 2022, setting a “benchmark” to compare to as the industry matures. Bipartisan lawmakers and industry stakeholders have sharply criticized FDA for declining to enact regulations for hemp-derived CBD, which they say is largely responsible for the economic stagnation. To that end, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf testified before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee in April, where he faced questions about the agency’s position that it needed additional congressional authorization to regulate the non-intoxicating cannabinoid. USDA is also reportedly revoking hemp licenses for farmers who are simultaneously growing marijuana under state-approved programs, underscoring yet another policy conflict stemming from the ongoing federal prohibition of some forms of the cannabis plant. For the time being, the hemp industry continues to face unique regulatory hurdles that stakeholders blame for the crop’s value plummeting in the short years since its legalization. Despite the economic conditions, however, a recent report found that the hemp market in 2022 was larger than all state marijuana markets, and it roughly equaled sales for craft beer nationally. Meanwhile, internally at USDA, food safety workers are being encouraged to exercise caution and avoid cannabis products, including federally legal CBD, as the agency observes an “uptick” in positive THC tests amid “confusion” as more states enact legalization. Bipartisan Pennsylvania Senators Say They Have The Votes To Legalize Marijuana, But Governor Needs To Step Up Engagement Photo courtesy of Brendan Cleak. The post Proposed Changes To Hemp Rules Could ‘Create Confusion’ In The Industry, Congressional Researchers Say appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Senate Job Corps & marijuana bill; AZ psilocybin veto; NH legalization; DE cannabis licenses; ND ballot sigs; Study on Reddit & cannabis 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 Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Jack Reed (D-RI) filed a bill to protect Job Corps participants from being automatically expelled for marijuana use, building on separate cannabis drug testing reforms the program already instituted earlier this year. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed a bill to legalize psilocybin service centers where people could have received the psychedelic in a medically supervised setting, saying people with depression and PTSD shouldn’t be the “subject of experiments for unproven therapies.” The North Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee added an amendment to legalize medical cannabis to a House-passed bill that’s focused on restricting intoxicating hemp-derived products and kratom. Bipartisan Pennsylvania senators said they think there are enough votes to pass a marijuana legalization bill—as soon as this session—but that Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) needs to get more involved in crafting the details of a deal. New Hampshire lawmakers and marijuana activists are blaming one another for the failure of a legalization bill last week, with some accusing Democrats of defeating the reform so it can continue to be a campaign issue leading up to November’s elections. The Delaware House of Representatives amended and passed a bill to let medical cannabis businesses convert to dual licensees that could also sell recreational marijuana—but only if they have a labor peace agreement and a plan to support social equity. North Dakota marijuana activists say they are just a few hundred more signatures away from being able to qualify a legalization initiative for the November ballot. A new study found that “young people viewed Reddit as a viable outlet for conversations about cannabis” and that they “formed a sense of camaraderie by providing support in the comments”—but that there is often a “lack of verifiable information being exchanged.” Chelsea Higgs Wise of Marijuana Justice argues in a new Juneteenth op-ed for Marijuana Moment that President Joe Biden should build on his modest cannabis reforms by endorsing reparations for people harmed by the war on drugs. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is facing a federal lawsuit from two companies who say new rules restricting hemp-derived THC-infused drinks will unduly harm their businesses. / FEDERAL The Congressional Progressive Caucus celebrated Maryland’s mass marijuana pardon, tweeting, “Congress needs to pass @RepJerryNadler’s MORE Act to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, expunge marijuana convictions, and reinvest in our communities.” Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) tweeted, “Thank you @GovWesMoore for your leadership and for taking this bold step to remove barriers for Black and Brown people who are disproportionately affected by cannabis convictions. 317,793 Americans are arrested annually for possession of marijuana.” Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) tweeted, “By the ACLU’s estimates, Black Americans are nearly four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than their white counterparts. This [mass cannabis pardon] decision by @GovWesMoore is a victory for justice and equality not just in Maryland, but for the entire country.” Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) tweeted, “Its time we be honest—while we celebrate the abolition of slavery, we also recognize that the systems created by it still persist. The legacy of Jim Crow, the war on drugs, and the prison-industrial complex have still embedded anti-Blackness into our laws and society.” / STATES Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill to give Black farmers more time to fix errors on medical cannabis business license applications. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed a bill to require criminal background checks for owners and employees of medical cannabis businesses. The Montana legislature’s Economic Affairs Interim Committee is considering a proposal to enact a moratorium on marijuana dispensary licenses. A Nebraska senator suggested he will push for marijuana legalization legislation during an upcoming special session. Two additional top New York marijuana regulators have been removed from their jobs. The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights said it “fully supports” Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) mass marijuana pardon. Minnesota regulators published a cannabis equity business license preapproval verification guide. Separately, the Cannabis Advisory Council will meet on Thursday. Michigan regulators will discuss the results of a survey on the state’s marijuana tracking program on Thursday. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 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 Chicago, Illinois’s mayor signed an executive order establishing a Reparations Task Force that notes that “Black people make up only 14% of Illinois’ population, but 55% of the prison population, and are convicted at nearly twice the rate of White people for low-level possession offenses despite similar rates of drug use.” / INTERNATIONAL Jersey ministers told lawmakers they need more time to draft marijuana decriminalization legislation. Canadian marijuana businesses owe C$269.8 million in unpaid taxes. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A review concluded that “preliminary studies demonstrate a significant fraction of airborne particles in cannabis facilities are comprised of fungal spores, bacteria, and plant material, which may also contain hazardous microbial metabolites and allergens” and that “these bioaerosols may pose pathogenic, allergenic, toxigenic, and pro-inflammatory risks to workers.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The chair of the Florida Democratic Party criticized regulators for sending medical cannabis patients an email blast praising Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for signing the state budget into law. / CULTURE The Portland Pickles announced that they are the first sports team to sell hemp-derived THC products at a live sporting event. 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 Pennsylvania cannabis legalization has enough votes to pass, senators say (Newsletter: June 20, 2024) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The goal is to successfully complete a maximum number of daily tasks in order to enhance your doodle baseball rating and experience uninterrupted gameplay.

My objective is to establish Space Coyote as a well recognized and respected brand among cannabis enthusiasts nationwide. geometry dash online

Bipartisan Pennsylvania lawmakers say the votes are there to pass a marijuana legalization bill as soon as this year, though they stressed that the governor needs to work across the aisle to get the job done—and argued that it would be helpful if the federal government implemented its proposed cannabis rescheduling rule sooner rather than later. During an X Spaces event on Wednesday, Sens. Dan Laughlin (R) and Sharif Street (D), as well as Rep. Amen Brown (D), discussed the prospects of enacting cannabis reform in the current session, expressing tentative optimism even though there are still outstanding issues to resolve. There also appeared to be agreement that the 20 percent tax rate for marijuana that was included in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) latest budget was too high. And while there may be debate among members about Democrats’ push for equity-focused provisions in whatever deal emerges, Laughlin indicated that GOP leadership is more amenable to some version of the reform than might meet the eye. “I’ve been advocating for this for almost three years now, and I will say that, in that time, the attitudes amongst the Senate Republicans has certainly softened,” Laughlin said during the social media event hosted by Pablo Zuanic, managing partner at Zuanic & Associates. “I have what I would refer to as quiet support, where, if we put it up for a floor vote, I think our side could provide enough votes to get to 26” to pass, he said. However, he added that there are still members “concerned about putting their name on it right now,” particularly those in “more rural districts.” https://t.co/pE5zvb0HDS — Pablo Zuanic (@420Odysseus) June 19, 2024 Street, who is sponsoring legalization legislation with Laughlin this session, offered a somewhat more optimistic perspective, saying that he thinks, “pretty ambitiously,” that lawmakers will get a cannabis bill to the governor “by the end of the session.” “I know it’s going to take some work, but I think we can get it done,” he said. “I think that, in terms of the timing, I think there’ll be sales…by the beginning of the by July 2025.” Laughlin left open the possibility that the reform is delayed until next year, even if he hopes to see bipartisan consensus sooner. “I think there’s still a lot of issues to be addressed before we get this done,” he said, adding that legislators don’t necessarily need to pass legalization by the end of the current fiscal year and have until the end of the session in November to finish the job. Street for his part, said he agrees that there’s “still some discussion that’s going to take place before we have a vote” and that there are “probably 26 votes for it if we had a vote.” However, he said “there won’t be a vote until leadership is comfortable that they’re ready to have a vote.” To that end, there have been questions about the willingness of Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R) to move a marijuana bill, despite increased bipartisan support for the reform. She’s previously suggested that she doesn’t see that happening until the federal government moves to end prohibition. Laughlin said he’s “talked to her about the descheduling on the federal level,” and “she feels that that would make that a much easier process for her to be comfortable” to act on state-level cannabis reform. But the Biden administration’s current proposal that’s moving through the process wouldn’t federally deschedule cannabis. It would simply move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), so it’s unclear whether that would move the needle for Ward in the same way as full federal legalization might. Last month, the governor’s office also said that the Biden administration’s move to federally reschedule marijuana “adds support” for an effort to legalize cannabis in Pennsylvania. In the interim, Laughlin said he’s continuing to have conversation with GOP colleagues who are still on the fence, making the case that marijuana legalization is a civil liberties issue that they should get behind, and that the current unregulated market represents a public health and safety concern. Meanwhile, the existing medical cannabis program is “like joining Sam’s Club,” he said. The senator, who is running for reelection, also pointed out that when he’s talking to colleagues, he’s noted that his advocacy for cannabis legalization and sponsorship of reform bills has only been “politically expedient” for him. He said might have “irritated” some people who are strongly opposed to cannabis, but by and large he’s seen a benefit to embracing the increasingly bipartisan issue. “This is 2024, and there is rapidly growing support for this,” he said. “I think people are starting to take notice, so I’m hopeful that we will, at a minimum, get close this year.” SPACES: Pennsylvania AU Legalization Join our panel discussion on Wed June 19th at 4:15pm ET with the sponsors of the legalization bills in the state Senate and House. With OH set to begin AU sales soon, we expect PA to follow. PA is a key market for several MSOs, including… pic.twitter.com/Ma0X1oSunD — Pablo Zuanic (@420Odysseus) June 12, 2024 “The public is ready. I think more and more members are coming on board. And I think we’re getting closer and closer every day,” he said. With bordering states like New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Ohio all either having or implementing adult-use legalization, the lawmakers who participated in Wednesday’s virtual event said that adds urgency to follow suit, so that residents aren’t going out of state to obtain cannabis and so that Pennsylvania can stop losing out on tax revenue and other economic opportunities to its neighbors. But part of getting a legalization across the finish line means this session means having a governor who’s willing to hold those bipartisan and bicameral conversations so they can reach a workable compromise, Laughlin said. “The governor certainly carries a lot of weight in Pennsylvania, and if we could get him to be a little bit more active in the negotiation process, that would be helpful,” he said. “But I also think that if we don’t get this done this year, I feel pretty strongly that, next session, we will get there. The public opinion on cannabis has changed drastically just in the last eight years that I’ve been in the Senate.” Street gave the governor more leeway when it comes to his work on the issue so far, saying “at some point, somebody’s gonna get folks to roll up their sleeves, figure this out and hash out of deal.” “The governor is a smart guy. He’s a talented guy,” he said,” and Shapiro’s leadership on the issue “makes it that much more likely to get done.” The conversation with the Pennsylvania legislators comes just days after bipartisan state lawmakers announced their intent to file a new bill to legalize recreational marijuana, soliciting support from colleagues. Street was also among advocates and lawmakers who participated in a cannabis rally at the Pennsylvania State Capitol this month, where there was a significant emphasis on the need to incorporate social equity provisions as they move to advance legalization. Laughlin, for his part, also said an event last month that the state is “getting close” to legalizing marijuana, but the job will only get done if House and Senate leaders sit down with the governor and “work it out.” Warren County, Pennsylvania District Attorney Robert Greene, a registered medical cannabis patient in the state, also spoke at that rally. In January, Greene filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to overturn a ban preventing medical marijuana patients from buying and possessing firearms. Two Pennsylvania House panels held a joint hearing to discuss marijuana legalization in April, with multiple lawmakers asking the state’s top liquor regulator about the prospect of having that agency run cannabis shops. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 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 in April, members of the House Health Committee had a conversation centered on social justice and equity considerations for reform. That took place days after Brown (D) filed a marijuana legalization bill that he described as “grounded in safety and social equity.” “I’m here to get this done,” Brown said at a recent rally, noting that he and other people he knows have a “personal experience” with current marijuana policy. At a prior meeting in March, members focused on criminal justice implications of prohibition and the potential benefits of reform. At another hearing in February, members looked at the industry perspective, with multiple stakeholders from cannabis growing, dispensing and testing businesses, as well as clinical registrants, testifying. At the subcommittee’s previous cannabis meeting in December, members heard testimony and asked questions about various elements of marijuana oversight, including promoting social equity and business opportunities, laboratory testing and public versus private operation of a state-legal cannabis industry. And during the panel’s first meeting late last year, Frankel said that state-run stores are “certainly an option” he’s considering for Pennsylvania, similar to what New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) recommended for that state last year, though a state commission later shied away from that plan. The cannabis proposal the Brown filed in the House in April is an identical companion to a bipartisan Senate cannabis legalization measure that was introduced last year. North Carolina Senators Attach Medical Marijuana Legalization Amendment To Hemp Bill The post Bipartisan Pennsylvania Senators Say They Have The Votes To Legalize Marijuana, But Governor Needs To Step Up Engagement appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Republican North Carolina senators are taking a new approach to advancing medical marijuana legalization in the state—successfully fighting to attach an amendment enact the reform to a hemp- and kratom-focused bill that cleared a Senate committee. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved the legislation to regulate intoxicating hemp cannabinoid products such as delta-8 THC. But prior to its passage, members adopted an amendment from Sen. Michael Lazzara (R) containing language that would allow doctors to recommend medical marijuana to patients with certain qualifying conditions. The text is similar to that of a standalone bill from Sen. Bill Rabon (R), a cancer survivor who has sponsored multiple medical cannabis proposals. Rabon, who has become known for leveraging different legislative tactics to force the issue, previously described his interest in using the hemp legislation as a potential vehicle after his latest standalone stalled in the House. The senator told the committee on Wednesday that it makes sense to use the intoxicating hemp bill as a vehicle to legalize and regulate medical cannabis given that the crops are the same species and have the same components, albeit legally defined differently. “That’s not too hard for folks in this room to figure out,” he said. “It’s just a matter of one coming from the quote-unquote the hemp plant, the other coming from quote-unquote the bad M-word, the marijuana plant, both of which have the same genus and the same species being cannabis sativa. So it doesn’t take really smart people to see that they are the same thing.” Under the approved amendment, patients would be allowed to access cannabis if they have a “debilitating medical condition” such as cancer, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder. Smoking and vaping would also be allowed. Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R) said in April that he’s had bicameral discussions about the prospect of moving the medical marijuana proposal from Rabon forward as part of the hemp measure. Rabon’s standalone legislation moved through the Senate, as well as a House committee, last year, but it has not advanced further. Certain Democratic senators, such as Sen. Graig Meyer (D), have said that any future proposal would need to include “some type of decriminalization language,” in addition to the limited medical cannabis program. So it’s unclear whether the Democratic caucus would back the amended hemp bill as it’s currently drafted, as it calls for a relatively conservative medical cannabis authorization. House Majority Leader John Bell (R) said last year that while there were “still discussions going on” about the medical marijuana bill, he was “very sure you won’t see that bill move” due to insufficient support among Republicans. He said that was “unfortunately” the case. A previous version of the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act from Rabon passed the Senate but did not get a vote in the House of Representatives in 2022. The Senate president previously acknowledged that opinions are shifting when it comes to marijuana in the state, and he said that Rabon specifically “for a long time has looked at the issue.” House Speaker Tim Moore (R) is among key lawmakers who have downplayed the idea of enacting medical cannabis legislation, saying at one point that “there are a lot of concerns” with Rabon’s bill that moved through the Senate. Rabon also took another step, including medical marijuana regulatory appointments for the yet-to-be-enacted program in a separate measure that passed the Senate in March. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 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. — An Indian tribe in North Carolina launched the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary in April—despite the protests of certain Republican congressional lawmakers. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Ted Budd (R-NC) have also asked federal, state and local officials what steps they were taking to enforce marijuana prohibition ahead of the tribe’s April 20 launch. Meanwhile in North Carolina, a state judge declared in February that anyone who “has the odor of marijuana” will be barred from entering the North Carolina Superior Courts of Robeson County. The order, from Senior Resident Superior Court Judge James Gregory Bell, said that smelling like cannabis is grounds for removal from the courthouse, and the sheriff will be directed to “ask you to leave and come back without the odor owns [sic] your persons.” North Dakota Activists Say Marijuana Legalization Initiative Needs Just A Few Hundred More Signatures For November Ballot The post North Carolina Senators Attach Medical Marijuana Legalization Amendment To Hemp Bill appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A new study examining a Reddit community aimed at providing young people with information about cannabis finds that although responses to posts “were generally thorough and responsive,” nearly all came from “opinions and personal experiences” rather than reliable sources. While youth seem increasingly to be turning to online platforms like Reddit to answer questions about marijuana, researchers said, there’s a “lack of verifiable information being exchanged,” which could allow misinformation to spread “and inadvertently worsen the efforts to reduce cannabis harm.” But the shortcoming may reveal an opportunity, authors of the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE this month, said. Interventions—including, potentially, on Reddit itself—that “provide understandable and accurate information in accessible formats may increase young people’s ability to access and practice harm reduction.” Reddit’s most ubiquitous cannabis community, r/trees, is intended for adults 18 and older; its third rule is “No Minors.” For years, some members of the community have instead directed younger redditors to r/saplings, a subreddit that describes itself as “a place to learn about cannabis use and culture.” “Young people viewed Reddit as a viable outlet for conversations about cannabis.” The moderator’s pinned post from eight months ago emphasizes that the community “IS MEANT FOR ALL AGES” and emphasizes that “NO THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE SUPPORT UNDERAGE SMOKERS.” Instead, it says, the subreddit exists “FOR PEOPLE TO GET HELPFUL AND ACCURATE ADVICE, REGARDLESS OF AGE.” Researchers from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Purdue University’s Department of Public Health and the University of Minnesota’s School of Social Work, however, found that comments on the r/saplings often weren’t grounded in clear, concrete information. “Our findings suggest that young people view Reddit as a viable outlet for conversations about cannabis,” they wrote, noting that during their yearlong study period, which began before the COVID-19 pandemic and went through October 2020, both posts and comments increased. That increase, the study says, suggests Reddit “may play an increasingly important role in youth socialization related to cannabis.” It notes that when the study began, in October 2019, r/saplings had 53,000 members, which grew to 62,000 members by October 2020. Today the group’s membership stands at 96,000. The researchers looked at 213 randomly selected posts and 2,546 comments across four time periods: before the pandemic, when lockdown was in place for many countries, as lockdown guidelines lifted and as students returned to school the next fall. They observed that over the course of the early months of the pandemic, the type of information sought on r/saplings changed. Areas such as “places to acquire” and “future use” were most common early on, with posts around strain selection, how users obtained cannabis and how to grow the plant. Later on during the study period, the study says, “the theme of ‘consequences’ and the topic of ‘tolerance’ became more prominent,” with more questions like, “Is using a plastic water bottle bong unsafe?” and “Any reason I’m getting way higher than normal with the usual weed/amount?” “Users were responsive to posts,” authors noted. On average, posts received 12 comments, with one garnering 200 and only 11.7 percent (25) receiving no responses. Moreover, the community seemed to have good intentions. “Generally, comments were thorough and responsive to the materials shared in the post,” the report says. But few pointed posters to verifiable sources of information: “Most often, the comments were based on opinions or personal experiences. Although rare, some referenced or directed individuals to other sources (e.g., YouTube, websites); of these, only two comments referenced a credible source (e.g., public health department).” But many comments, as in other communities on Reddit, were based on personal anecdotes or opinions. Others referenced second hand experiences, such as by “some people I know,” while others expressed only brief support or opposition to an earlier comment. Still, researchers noted that “commenters ultimately formed a sense of camaraderie by providing support in the comments.” And they acknowledged that sense of community could potentially be valuable for young people learning how to navigate a sensitive and sometimes dangerous world. “Other prior work has similarly demonstrated that young people use social media as an important source of information and support about sensitive topics,” the study says. “Given the increase in subreddit activity and engagement, Reddit may play an increasingly important role in socialization related to cannabis.” The appetite among young people for reliable information about cannabis, the authors said, could also provide opportunities to encourage safer behavior. “Interventions that provide understandable and accurate information in accessible formats may increase young people’s ability to access and consequently practice harm reduction strategies,” they wrote, adding that Reddit “may be one possible tool in such interventions.” “Young people want to reduce harms associated with cannabis use and may be open to harm reduction information if shared on platforms with like-minded individuals in an easily accessible format.” “Other studies have similarly demonstrated that social media is not only a valuable source of information but also provides support for harm reduction and recovery,” the research adds. “Nevertheless, r/saplings may not always be an adequate source of confirmable information on cannabis.” Young people aren’t alone in their efforts to seek out more information about cannabis use and safety, of course—some adult users, medical marijuana patients and even doctors acknowledge feeling they lack a sufficient understanding of the drug. As for legalization’s impact on youth use of marijuana, multiple studies have debunked the idea that the reform broadly increases youth use, with most finding that consumption trends are either stable or decrease after the reform is implemented. Use by heavy users may increase, however. For example, a research letter published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in April said there’s no evidence that states’ adoption of laws to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults have led to an increase in youth use of cannabis. Another JAMA-published study earlier that month that similarly found that neither legalization nor the opening of retail stores led to increases in youth cannabis use. Data from a recent Washington State survey of adolescent and teenage students found overall declines in both lifetime and past-30-day marijuana use since legalizations, with striking drops in recent years that held steady through 2023. The results also indicate that perceived ease of access to cannabis among underage students has generally fallen since the state enacted legalization for adults in 2012. Rates of youth marijuana use in Colorado, meanwhile, declined slightly in 2023—remaining significantly lower than before legalization. That’s according to results of the biannual Healthy Kids Colorado Survey released this month that found that past-30-day use of cannabis among high schoolers was at 12.8 percent in 2023, a dip from the 13.3 percent reported in 2021. A separate study late last year also found that Canadian high-school students reported it was more difficult to access marijuana since the government legalized the drug nationwide in 2019. The prevalence of current cannabis use also fell during the study period, from 12.7 percent in 2018–19 to 7.5 percent in 2020–21, even as retail sales of marijuana expanded across the country. In December, meanwhile, a U.S. health official said that teen marijuana use has not increased “even as state legalization has proliferated across the country.” “There have been no substantial increases at all,” said Marsha Lopez, chief of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) epidemiological research branch. “In fact, they have not reported an increase in perceived availability either, which is kind of interesting.” Another earlier analysis from CDC found that rates of current and lifetime cannabis use among high school students have continued to drop amid the legalization movement. A study of high school students in Massachusetts that was published last November found that youth in that state were no more likely to use marijuana after legalization, though more students perceived their parents as cannabis consumers after the policy change. A separate NIDA-funded study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2022 also found that state-level cannabis legalization was not associated with increased youth use. The study demonstrated that “youth who spent more of their adolescence under legalization were no more or less likely to have used cannabis at age 15 years than adolescents who spent little or no time under legalization.” Yet another 2022 study from Michigan State University researchers, published in the journal PLOS One, found that “cannabis retail sales might be followed by the increased occurrence of cannabis onsets for older adults” in legal states, “but not for underage persons who cannot buy cannabis products in a retail outlet.” The trends were observed despite adult use of marijuana and certain psychedelics reaching “historic highs” in 2022, according to separate data released last year. Senate Bill Would Protect Job Corps Students From Being Automatically Expelled Over Marijuana Use The post Youth See Reddit As ‘Viable Outlet’ For Marijuana Info, But Posts Often Have ‘Lack Of Verifiable’ Facts, Study Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

North Dakota activists say they’re only a few hundred signatures away from reaching the threshold to qualify a marijuana legalization initiative for the November ballot. Just two months after filing the cannabis measure and launching the campaign, New Economic Frontier announced on Wednesday that they’ve collected 15,179 of the 15,582 required signatures for ballot placement. And they’re promoting petitioning events across the state—including drive-through collections in Fargo and Bismarck this upcoming weekend—to close that gap. The campaign has been internally verifying the signatures throughout the process, with activists reaching the halfway point earlier this month. In order to make the ballot this November, they will need to submit the petitions by July 8. “We’re blown away by the support from our community,” Steve Bakken, chairman of New Economic Frontier, said in a press release. “The success of our signature drive so far shows just how passionate North Dakotans are about economic progress.” “We’ve thoughtfully developed this initiative right here at home, making sure it aligns with our local values and needs. With the upcoming drive-through events, I’m confident we’ll hit our goal,” he said. Under the legalization measure, adults 21 and older would be able to possess up to one ounce of marijuana flower, four grams of concentrate and 300 milligrams of edibles that they could buy from a limited number of licensed dispensaries. Adults could also grow up to three plants for personal use, with a six-plant cap per household. The state Department of Health and Human Services or another agency designated by the legislature would be responsible for regulating the program. Regulators would need to establish rules to implement the law by October 1, 2025. North Dakota voters rejected an earlier cannabis legalization proposal at the ballot box two years ago. The new proposal would limit regulators to approving licenses for up to seven cannabis manufacturers and 18 retailers. There are also provisions meant to avoid creating intrastate monopolies, such as limiting licensees to no more than four dispensaries. Currently, there are eight medical cannabis dispensaries operating in North Dakota. The initiative requires regulators to develop separate application processes for those businesses to become dual licensees and non-existing companies that wish to become recreational operators. Some of the those dispensaries are among the nearly two dozen locations that the campaign says have petitions available on site for supporters to sign. Others include smoke and vape shops, hemp product retailers and record store. Unlike other legal states, the proposal in North Dakota doesn’t appear to contain criminal justice reform components favored by equity advocates such as expungements or licensing prioritization for people harmed by the drug war. It also doesn’t seem to contain any references to a proposed tax scheme for legal sales. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 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 2021, North Dakota’s House approved a marijuana legalization bill sponsored by Rep. Jason Dockter (R), but it was ultimately defeated in the Senate after advancing through committee. Following that defeat, some senators devised a new plan to advance the issue by referring it to voters on the 2022 ballot. The resolution moved through a key committee in 2021, but the Senate also blocked it. There have been repeated attempts by activists to enact legalization in the Peace Garden state over the years. Advocates with the separate group North Dakota Cannabis Caucus started collecting signatures to qualify a constitutional amendment legalizing cannabis for the 2022 ballot, but they did not gather enough by deadline. New Approach ND previously led an effort to place a legalization measure on the 2018 ballot that was defeated by voters. They filed another initiative for 2020, but signature gathering complications largely caused by the coronavirus pandemic got in the way. North Dakota voters approved a medical cannabis ballot measure in 2016. Last year, North Dakota’s governor signed a bill allowing patients admitted to hospice care to self-certify as medical marijuana patients. The North Dakota House of Representatives also approved a resolution last year that encourages residents to buy U.S. flags that are made out of hemp and manufactured in the state. Delaware House Passes Bill To Launch Recreational Marijuana Sales Early Through Existing Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post North Dakota Activists Say Marijuana Legalization Initiative Needs Just A Few Hundred More Signatures For November Ballot appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“If President Biden wants to truly celebrate the spirit of Juneteenth, he needs to take bolder action instead of well-intended half-measures that don’t come close to solving the problem.” By Chelsea Higgs Wise, Marijuana Justice Juneteenth is a day of joy when we celebrate the end of slavery in the United States, but for too many Black Americans, the harms of slavery never fully went away. Instead, they morphed into newer forms of discrimination and oppression. Shortly after the end of slavery, Jim Crow laws emerged that kept newly freed Black Americans from having the same rights as their white counterparts. While the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century ultimately ended the Jim Crow era, like slavery, it too was replaced with a newer form of oppression that targeted people of color—the war on drugs. While drug laws had been targeting Blacks and immigrants since the early 20th century, it wasn’t until President Richard Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1971 that it became an all-out assault, resulting in mass incarceration. This modern-day slavery has caused untold emotional and economic damage to the individuals and communities that were brutally targeted by law enforcement. More than a half-century later, these damages have been compounded and felt by multiple generations of Black and Brown people in this country. The ongoing criminalization of marijuana has been one of the main drivers of racially discriminatory arrests and convictions. While about half of the states have legalized marijuana over the last dozen years, it still remains federally illegal throughout the country. Additionally, President Biden pledged to decriminalize marijuana during his 2020 campaign. Unfortunately, he has yet to follow through on this promise. Yes, President Biden deserves some credit for issuing pardons for simple marijuana possession. But let’s be clear—pardons don’t restore rights and benefits nor do they end future marijuana arrests. Not a single person was released from prison, and little has been done to address the economic harms that have been caused by the hundreds of thousands of marijuana arrests that continue to take place every year. While President Biden has yet to fulfill his promise to end marijuana criminalization, he still can take bigger steps in that direction. Right now, Biden’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is proposing to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the CSA. While this move would technically put marijuana in a less restrictive category, the reality is that Schedule III maintains virtually all of the same criminal penalties as Schedule I. However, for a limited time, the public has the opportunity to officially tell the DEA and President Biden it’s time to decriminalize marijuana by removing it—or descheduling it—from the CSA. To assist with this, United for Marijuana Decriminalization, a coalition of organizations dedicated to ending the war on marijuana, created a tool that makes it quick and easy to comment. But descheduling marijuana alone will only end future harms. If we are ever going to come anywhere close to repairing the damage caused by decades of racist drug law enforcement, the economic harms suffered by those arrested must be atoned for. Government-funded programs offering services to those disproportionately targeted by racist drug war enforcement exemplify how reparations can be implemented. Direct payments to individuals who experienced arrest and incarceration for drug offenses are also crucial for reparations. This concept is supported by existing research and data on the economic harms inflicted on those directly impacted by the drug war. A 2023 report from the California Reparations Task Force revealed that nearly 2 million Black Californians should receive $115,260 (in 2020 dollars), or $2,352 for each year of residency in the state, from 1971 to 2020. These figures highlight the necessity of addressing the physical, emotional and economic damage caused by racist drug war policing, yet this public compensation remains unpaid. If President Biden wants to truly celebrate the spirit of Juneteenth, he needs to take bolder action instead of well-intended half-measures that don’t come close to solving the problem. Emphatically and unequivocally calling for marijuana decriminalization by descheduling it from the CSA would be a strong step in that direction. Even better, President Biden could take the step that those who ended slavery and Jim Crow failed to take when those harmful institutions were repealed—he could call for economic reparations for those who have had their lives devastated by drug arrests. Chelsea Higgs Wise is a social worker who has worked with individuals harmed by previous marijuana arrests and currently serves as executive director of Marijuana Justice, an organization dedicated to ensuring those most harmed by criminalization are prioritized by marijuana reform legislation. This piece was first published by Marijuana Justice. Maryland Governor Pledges To Work With Lawmakers On Marijuana Expungements To Build On His Mass Pardon Move The post On Juneteenth, Biden Needs To Build On His Modest Marijuana Reforms With A Call For Drug War Reparations (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The positions will be filled with individuals who love our industry, are great with customer service, and will show up on time every day. $16.28 an hour From The Herbery NW - Wed, 19 Jun 2024 15:58:03 GMT - View all Vancouver, WA jobsView the live link