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A GOP congressman is claiming that the head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) opposes marijuana rescheduling—despite the fact that her agency officially concurred with a recommendation to implement the reform as well as the director’s repeated public comments criticizing research barriers imposed by cannabis’s current Schedule I status. While Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) said during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Thursday that NIDA Director Nora Volkow is “adamantly opposed” to rescheduling cannabis, the agency declined to substantiate that position in a statement to Marijuana Moment—instead pointing to the director’s past remarks and other materials describing how researchers face onerous obstacles in conducting studies into cannabis due to its Schedule I status under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). In response to a directive from President Joe Biden, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) carried out a review into marijuana scheduling and ultimately advised the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to move it from Schedule I to Schedule III. “NIDA concurs with this recommendation,” the letter transmitting the matter to DEA said. Nonetheless, Harris told the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during Thursday’s hearing that Volkow herself is opposed to the reclassification, as well as any move to make “marijuana more broadly available.” The congressman asked FDA Commissioner Robert Califf whether he’d discussed the issue with the NIDA director and then pressed him on whether he was “aware” of her position. “I’m aware of her opinions, yes,” Califf said, notably declining to push back on the rescheduling claim. For drug policy observers, that might raise eyebrows. Volkow has certainly voiced concerns about the potential impacts of broader availability of marijuana products, but she’s been nothing if not consistent about her position that the Schedule I status of drugs—including marijuana and psychedelics, for example—inhibits necessary research because it requires researchers to jump through bureaucratic hoops. She’s said she personally hesitates to conduct cannabis research for that reason. NIDA didn’t directly contest the congressman’s characterization of the director’s position on rescheduling in a statement after the hearing. Instead, it reiterated that the “HHS recommendation to reschedule marijuana is currently undergoing review with DEA,” adding that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that NIDA falls under “does not comment on pending decisions.” However, the NIDA email to Marijuana Moment did cite Volkow’s 2020 comments during a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, where she testified that “legal and regulatory barriers continue to present challenges to advancing cannabis research,” including the Schedule I designation of marijuana under the CSA. “Obtaining or modifying a Schedule I registration involves significant administrative challenges, and researchers report that obtaining a new registration can take more than a year,” she said in the cited testimony. “It would be useful to clarify aspects of the CSA that have been sources of confusion and administrative burden for the research community.” The NIDA email also linked to a 2017 National Academies report titled “The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research,” which explained how the process of obtaining registrations to study Schedule I drugs can be a “daunting experience for researchers.” “The substantial layers of bureaucracy that emerge from cannabis’s Schedule I categorization is reported to have discouraged a number of cannabis researchers from applying for grant funding or pursuing additional research efforts,” it said. “There are specific regulatory barriers, including the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I substance, that impede the advancement of cannabis and cannabinoid research,” one concluding point reads. Again, NIDA didn’t explicitly dispute the idea that Volkow personally opposes rescheduling as Harris suggested, and as Califf seemed to tentatively acknowledge, but the director has made abundantly clear that the current system needs to change in some capacity. A Schedule III reclassification wouldn’t legalize marijuana or make it more broadly available as far as federal law goes, but advocates have touted the reform as one means of reducing the administrative burdens on researchers. Harris, however, is a vociferous opponent of cannabis reform, and he told DEA Administrator Anne Milgram in February that he believes FDA came to a “misguided conclusion” to recommend rescheduling cannabis—challenging the health agency’s scientific standards and imploring DEA to dismiss them as it prepares to make a final determination. He raised a similar point during Thursday’s hearing with the FDA commissioner, stating that he thinks it’s “absolutely wrong” that the agency used a new two-pronged review process to reach its rescheduling conclusion, as opposed to the five-factor review it previously utilized. He said he understood the decision, however, because marijuana—as a chemically complex botanical—could not be determined to fit a different classification other than Schedule I under the prior method. “Well, obviously marijuana has chemistry that is not known and reproducible because, if you go into a marijuana dispensary, there are about—I don’t know, I haven’t been in one— but there are probably 50 different products, all with a different THC concentration, CBD concentration,” he said. “Marijuana is not a drug. It is a group of things.” Harris previewed his line of questioning at the beginning of the hearing, emphasizing that he has “serious concerns about the actions FDA took when recommended” rescheduling. He said the two-factor review the agency used “lacks both substances and data,” and FDA “ignored several factors,” including the impacts of daily marijuana use and THC-related traffic fatalities. “The American people deserve to know the effect that modern marijuana has on the human body,” he said. Califf was also pressed on the cannabis rescheduling issue during a separate House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing last week, where he said there’s “no reason” for DEA to “delay” making a scheduling decision. He also said that, “as a child of the sixties,” it would “be nice if in my lifetime we came up with a regulatory scheme” for cannabis. The commissioner’s comments come as the Biden administration continues to tout its role in issuing cannabis pardons and directing the marijuana scheduling review, including in a presidential proclamation declaring April “Second Chance Month.” President Joe Biden also discussed the marijuana actions in a historic context last month, during his State of the Union address. Vice President Kamala Harris also urged DEA to finish its review and reschedule marijuana “as quickly as possible” while meeting pardon recipients for a roundtable event at the White House last month. Behind closed doors, she also said “we need to legalize marijuana.” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday that it’s now up to the Justice Department to make a final decision on cannabis scheduling, adding that the top federal health agency’s recommendation to reclassify marijuana was “guided by the evidence.” A DEA official recently said it sometimes takes up to six months for DEA to complete its analysis of health officials’ scheduling recommendations—which is just about how long it has now been since the agency began its current cannabis assessment. Meanwhile, last month, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra defended his agency’s rescheduling recommendation during a Senate committee hearing and also told cannabis lobbyist Don Murphy that he should pay DEA a visit and “knock on their door” for answers about the timing of their decision. Certain DEA officials are reportedly resisting the Biden administration’s rescheduling push, disputing the HHS findings on marijuana’s safety profile and medical potential, according to unnamed sources who spoke with The Wall Street Journal. Americans Use Marijuana At Nearly The Same Rate In Legal And Non-Legal States, Suggesting Criminalization Doesn’t ‘Curtail’ Consumption, Gallup Poll Finds Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post GOP Congressman Claims Top Federal Drug Official ‘Adamantly Opposes’ Marijuana Rescheduling, But Agency Endorsed FDA Recommendation appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A second committee in Missouri’s House of Representatives has advanced legislation that would legalize the medical use of psilocybin by military veterans and fund future studies exploring the therapeutic potential of the psychedelic. The bill, HB 1830, would in its current form allow military veterans who are at least 21 and are diagnosed with a qualifying condition such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or substance use disorders to legally access laboratory-tested psilocybin. Meanwhile, aseparate budget proposal that would spend $10 million from state opioid settlement funds to study the use of psilocybin to treat opioid use disorder passed the full House last month. In order to receive legal protections under the veterans legislation that cleared the House Rules – Regulatory Oversight Committee on Tuesday on a 5-3 vote, participants would need to be enrolled, or have sought enrollment, in a study involving the psychedelic. Last month the House Veterans Committee passed the legislation from Rep. Aaron McMullen (R) after adopting amendments to align it with a Senate companion version that previously moved through a panel in that chamber. Rep. Rachel Proudie (D) said at Tuesday’s hearing that she’s in favor of the proposal, calling it “forward thinking…in a world where Big Pharma is certainly on the hook for getting the country hooked on opioids.” “Finding other methods and means to medicate in more natural ways is something that is certainly of interest to me as an individual who suffers with lupus and severe depression,” she said. “For that reason, I am in strong support of this bill.” The measure contains numerous requirements for patients to provide the state Department of Mental Health (DMH) with information about their diagnosis, the person who would be administering psilocybin and other details on the place and time of the treatment sessions. Psilocybin could only be administered over a maximum of a one-year period, with the amount of the psychedelic used in that treatment capped at 150 milligrams, though qualifying patients could be also approved to continue for subsequent one-year periods. The legislation also calls for DMH to provide funding to support research into the therapeutic potential of psilocybin. The measure further expands the state’s Right to Try statute to allow people with life-threatening or severely debilitating conditions to access experimental controlled substances, in addition to those with terminal illnesses as is the case under current law. It would strike language that prohibits the use of Schedule I drugs, an initial step to potentially opening up access to other substances such as additional psychedelics. Additionally, it states that psilocybin research can be done by “an institution of higher education in this state or contract research organizations conducting trials approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.” An opponent of the bill, Rep. Mike Haffner (R)—a veteran himself—said he’s not yet convinced there’s enough evidence to support the proposal. “I’m a combat veteran. I would do whatever I can for the vets,” he said, but “I believe in this one we’re getting ahead of ourselves.” He pointed to a January news article about the federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funding new studies into psychedelics. “The first line on this report says, ‘New research would determine the benefits of psychedelics in the treatments of PTSD and depression,'” Haffner said, implying those benefits were still unknown. Further, Haffner said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noted that psilocybin can cause mood and cognitive changes. “As a result,” he claimed, “there is potential abuse of these drugs, which is a dark safety issue that requires careful consideration.” “Although I’ll do anything I can to help veterans with PTSD,” he repeated, “I think we’re too far ahead of the program on this one.” McMullin, the bill’s sponsor, said for his part that FDA-approved sites conducting trials on psilocybin that he’s visited amounted to a “clinical environment.” “They have crash carts, medical personnel. It’s in a super controlled environment,” he said. “This isn’t out in the wild. We’re not just giving these doses out to individuals on the street. There’s going to be a vigorous follow-through and vetting process, and I’d just like to say that the results of these have been nothing more than miraculous.” He acknowledged that using psychedelics to treat mental health might seem counterintuitive, but he noted that plenty about medicine might seem unusual to the untrained eye. “You know, AC inhibitors that we use today…for low blood pressure is actually from synthesized snake venom,” he noted. “That seems kind of out there, but it’s an everyday thing. We find these compounds in nature, and then we use them to better our mental health or our health as a whole.” The legislation takes its lead from a separate House bill that advanced to the floor of that chamber last year but was not ultimately enacted. Separately this month, Missouri’s House of Representatives gave final approval to a budget bill that would spend $10 million from state opioid settlement funds to study the use of psilocybin to treat opioid use disorder. It’s part of a growing push by state governments to support more psychedelics research. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,400 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. — For example, the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates have both passed legislation to create a psychedelics task force responsible for studying possible regulatory frameworks for therapeutic access to substances such as psilocybin, mescaline and DMT, sending the proposal to Gov Wes Moore (D). It would be charged specifically with ensuring “broad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances” in the state. Vermont’s Senate also recently passed a measure that would establish a working group to study whether and how to allow therapeutic access to psychedelics in the state. If the bill is enacted, a report from the working group would be due to the legislature in November with recommendations on how to regulate the substances. The Indiana governor recently signed a bill that includes provisions to fund clinical research trials into psilocybin. Utah’s governor 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. An Arizona House panel also approved a Senate-passed bill to legalize psilocybin service centers where people could receive the psychedelic in a medically supervised setting. A Connecticut joint legislative panel approved a bill to decriminalize possession of psilocybin. A bipartisan bill to legalize psychedelic service centers in California cleared a Senate committee. 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. Alaska lawmakers are considering legislation to create a task for to study how to regulate access to psychedelics following federal approval. 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 are also considering a bill that would provide some legal protections to patients engaging in psilocybin-assisted therapy with a medical professional’s approval. New York lawmakers also 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. The governor of Massachusetts recently promoted the testimony of activists who spoke in favor of her veterans-focused bill that would, in part, create a psychedelics work group to study the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin. Last month a Massachusetts joint legislative committee held a hearing to discuss an initiative that would legalize psychedelics that may appear on the November ballot if lawmakers decline to independently enact it first. Currently, there are no psychedelic drugs that are federally approved to prescribe as medicine. But that could soon change, as FDA recently agreed to review a new drug application for MDMA-assisted therapy on an expedited basis. At the start of this year, VA separately issued a request for applications to conduct in-depth research on the use of psychedelics to treat PTSD and depression. In October, the agency also launched a new podcast about the future of veteran health care, and the first episode of the series focuses on the healing potential of psychedelics. FDA also recently joined scientists at a public meeting on next steps for conducting research to develop psychedelic medicines. That came months after the agency issued historic draft guidance on psychedelics studies, providing scientists with a framework to carry out research that could lead to the development of novel medicines. Meanwhile in Congress this week, a House panel approved GOP-led bill that would instruct the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to notify Congress if any psychedelics are added to its formulary of covered prescription drugs. California Senators Approve Bill To Legalize Psychedelics Service Centers The post Second Missouri House Panel Approves Bill To Legalize Psilocybin Therapy For Veterans appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Another new poll is showing signs of trouble for a Florida marijuana legalization initiative that will appear on the November ballot—this one showing that fewer than 50 percent of voters currently intend to support the measure. This is the second poll released in the last week showing insufficient support for approval. In order to pass on the ballot, the constitutional amendment needs to reach a high 60 percent threshold. The latest survey from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Mainstreet Research found that a 47 percent plurality of voters back the cannabis initiative, compared to 35 percent opposed and 18 percent undecided. A demographic breakdown shows that Democrats are more supportive of the reform (58 percent) than Republicans (39 percent), but even that percentage is relatively low for Democrats, who at the national level support legalization at 87 percent, according to a Gallup poll from last September. Interestingly, the survey found that voters aged 35-49 are more strongly in favor of Amendment 3 (68 percent) compared to those between the ages of 18 and 34 (48 percent). Typically, legalization polling shows support skewing younger. Only 36 percent of voters over the age of 65 back the marijuana initiative. “Age plays a salient role, with younger cohorts showing higher support,” Dukhong Kim, an associate professor of political science at FAU, said in a press release. The survey involved interviews with 865 Florida voters from April 15-17, with a +/-3.3 percentage point margin of error. This is the second poll of the Florida marijuana legalization measure to come out in less than a week, and it follows the state Supreme Court officially clearing the initiative for the ballot after rejecting the state attorney general’s constitutional challenge. The last survey from USA Today/Ipsos survey found that 56 percent of Florida registered voters back the cannabis proposal, which is still below the 60 percent threshold required for enactment. That said, there has been a mix of polling over the last year on the marijuana legalization initiative, with certain surveys signaling that there is enough support for approval. The latest polling, however, underscores both the challenges and opportunities for the Smart & Safe Florida campaign in the months ahead as they enter into the next phase of outreach and education. Multiple marijuana companies are working to support that effort, donating a total of nearly $15 million to the campaign, including several multi-state operators, according to state filings that were released last week. Trulieve, the main financial backer of the initiative, led the pack again with $9.225 million in donations during the first quarter. That follows the company previously contributing about $40 million as advocates worked to collect more than one million signatures to qualify for ballot placement. Meanwhile, the campaign is now reaching out to military veterans in an effort to build voter support for the the reform. If Florida voters approve a marijuana legalization initiative at the ballot, that could actually “improve quality of life” for residents—in contrast with the governor’s recent comments to the contrary—the CEO of Trulieve said last week. “The sky has not fallen” with Florida’s implementation of medical cannabis legalization under an earlier initiative, “and folks see that choice is a good thing,” Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said during an interview on The Dales Report’s “Trade To Black” podcast. Will Floridians ultimately pass the measure with at least 60 percent of the vote as is required for constitutional amendments in the state? Rivers says, “Hell yes.” The comments about quality-of-life implications of cannabis legalization follow Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) prediction that voters will reject the marijuana initiative this November. He called the proposal “radical” and argued that it will “reduce the quality of life” in the state. DeSantis, for his part, said earlier this month that enactment of the reform would mean “this state will start to smell like marijuana in our cities and towns,” which seems to be a particular concern for the governor, who has previously complained about the smell of cannabis in other jurisdictions. “It will reduce the quality of life,” he said, adding that Florida already has a medical cannabis program that his administration implemented following voter approval of the reform in 2016. “Do we really need to do more with that?” he asked. “Do we want to have more marijuana in our communities? I don’t think it’ll work out well, but it is a very, very broad amendment.” Rivers said that “DeSantis has been consistent for a long time around his comments around the smell and around, you know, not necessarily being excited about having marijuana everywhere. I think there’s some additional education that needs to happen there, which we’ve been working on.” The governor again attacked the proposal on Wednesday, warning that the changes would be “not good for families” and “not good for [the] elderly.” As drafted, the measure if approved would change the state Constitution to allow existing medical cannabis companies in the state like Trulieve to begin selling marijuana to all adults over 21. It contains a provision that would allow—but not require—lawmakers to take steps toward the approval of additional businesses. Home cultivation by consumers would not be allowed under the proposal as drafted. Adults 21 and older would be able to purchase and possess up to three ounces of cannabis, only five grams of which could be marijuana concentrate products. The three-page measure also omits equity provisions favored by advocates such as expungements or other relief for people with prior cannabis convictions. Separately, economic analysts from the Florida legislature and the the governor’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. And 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. 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. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,400 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. — 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.” The Florida Chamber of Commerce released a poll in January showing that a marijuana legalization initiative that may appear on the November ballot enjoys majority support from likely voters—but not quite enough to meet the state’s steep 60 percent threshold for passage. Meanwhile, there’s significant interest in how former President Donald Trump, a Florida resident, will vote on the cannabis initiative, and whether he will publicly support or oppose it. Also, a Florida bill that sought to cap THC potency if voters approved the legalization initiative at the ballot died this session, much to the relief of cannabis advocates and stakeholders. Legislation to restrict consumable hemp products and ban delta-8 THC was approved by lawmakers and awaits DeSantis’s action. Separately, a House subcommittee recently advanced a medical marijuana bill that would waive patient registration and renewal fees for service-disabled military veterans. Despite his opposition to the initiative, DeSantis, the former GOP presidential candidate who dropped out of the race in January, previously accurately predicted that the state’s highest court would ultimately allow the measure on November’s ballot. Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) successfully petitioned justices to prevent an earlier 2022 legalization initiative from receiving voter consideration. DeSantis also weighed in on another relevant cannabis policy issue earlier this year when, while still a presidential candidate, he said that he doesn’t believe the federal gun ban for state-legal marijuana consumers is constitutional. Florida’s former agriculture commission, Nikki Fried, brought a lawsuit against the Biden administration over the rule, though the governor did not get involved. Prior to dropping out, DeSantis also said that if elected president, he would “respect the decisions that states make” on marijuana legalization despite his personal view that the reform has a “negative impact.” Americans Use Marijuana At Nearly The Same Rate In Legal And Non-Legal States, Suggesting Criminalization Doesn’t ‘Curtail’ Consumption, Gallup Poll Finds Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Florida Marijuana Legalization Initiative Lacks Support To Pass In Second Poll In Less Than A Week appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Rates of marijuana use are nearly the same in states that have legalized versus those that maintain prohibition, which suggests that “criminalization does little to curtail its use,” a new Gallup survey found. As advocates have long pointed out, debates about the merits of legalization often ignore the fact that the war on drugs has not stopped people from using cannabis. The difference largely comes down to whether the products are regulated by states or not. And the Gallup polling data released on Thursday reinforces that point. Overall, one in 10 American adults say they’ve used marijuana 10 or more times in the past month, while one in five have used cannabis at least once in the past month. Gallup shared more granular data from the survey with Marijuana Moment on Thursday, revealing that six percent of people reported using cannabis every day, four percent consumed 10-29 days of the last month, five percent used 3-9 days, five percent used 1-2 days and 81 percent didn’t consume any cannabis. Broken down by state legal status, Gallup found that 9.7 percent of adults identify as regular cannabis consumers in states that have enacted legalization, compared to 8.6 percent in non-legal states. “The narrow gap in cannabis consumption among residents of states where it remains illegal compared with those in states where it is legal suggests that its criminalization does little to curtail its use among American adults,” the research firm said. Among people who reported using marijuana 10 or more times in the past month, there are no differences in consumption rates between adults aged 18-29, 30-39 and 40-49, all of which average at 12 percent. A smaller portion of adults 50-64 use marijuana regularly (8 percent), followed by those 65+ (6 percent). Via Gallup. While average use is comparable between legal and non-legal states, there are “statistically significant differences in consumption trends based on region, with the highest usage rates observed in the Middle Atlantic (New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey). Only Pennsylvania has maintained prohibition for adult use. Eleven percent of adults in the East North Central divisions (Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio) use cannabis regularly. In that region, Wisconsin and Indiana continue to prohibit marijuana. Notably, the usage rate in the West (California, Oregon and Washington State) is slightly lower, at 10 percent, despite all three states having established adult-use cannabis markets. Via Gallup. “The lowest usage rates (7 percent) are reported in the East South Central (Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama) and the West North Central (North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri) divisions,” Gallup said. The survey accounted for the fact that people now consume marijuana through a variety of methods, asking respondents to answer “how many days in the last month have you used cannabis products (such as smoking marijuana, vaping liquid THC, or consuming baked goods or gummies) to alter your mood and help you relax?” That caveat about the intention behind use could potentially skew the findings, as there’s a wide variety of reasons beyond mood alteration and relaxation that people use cannabis. For example, it’s commonly used to stimulate appetite or for medical purposes. The survey involved interviews with 6,386 U.S. adults from November 30, 2023 to December 8, 2023. While a minority of Americans report regularly using marijuana, polls have consistently found that there’s increasingly bipartisan majority support for legalizing cannabis. For example, nine in 10 Americans say marijuana should be legal for recreational or medical purposes, a Pew Research Center poll that was released last month found. And most agree that legalization bolsters local economies and makes the criminal justice system more fair. A separate Gallup poll from last November found that support for marijuana legalization reached a new record high nationally, with seven in 10 Americans—including a sizable majority of Republicans, Democrats and independents—backing an end to prohibition. Another survey released last month found that a strong majority of voters in three states—including more than 60 percent of Republicans—support congressional legislation to protect states’ rights to set their own marijuana laws. Pew also released a separate report in February that found eight in 10 Americans now live in a county with at least one marijuana dispensary. The analysis also shows that high concentrations of retailers often “cluster” near borders abutting other states that have “less permissive cannabis laws”—indicating that there’s a large market of people who live in still-criminalized jurisdictions who cross state lines to purchase regulated products. Senator Files Marijuana Expungements Bill That Schumer Has Discussed Including In Banking Reform Package Photo courtesy of Martin Alonso. The post Americans Use Marijuana At Nearly The Same Rate In Legal And Non-Legal States, Suggesting Criminalization Doesn’t ‘Curtail’ Consumption, Gallup Poll Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Democratic senator has introduced a bill to create federal incentives for states, localities and Indian tribes that expunge low-level marijuana records—an equity-focused reform proposal that leadership has repeatedly discussed attaching to bipartisan cannabis banking legislation that’s pending floor action. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) filed the Harnessing Opportunity by Pursuing Expungement (HOPE) Act on Thursday. It would establish a federal grant program to help jurisdictions around the country facilitate cannabis clemency for people who’ve been convicted of offenses that have since been made legal. If enacted, the Justice Department would run a new State Expungement Opportunity Grant Program, which would help cover the administrative costs of identifying and clearing eligible cases. “While cannabis has been regulated in our state since 2017, many Nevadans are still dealing with the effects of past low-level marijuana offenses,” Rosen said in a press release. “Having a record for something that is now legal in our state threatens Nevadans’ ability to get a job, apply for housing, and contribute to our state’s economy.” “That’s why I’m introducing this bipartisan bill to help expunge and seal certain marijuana convictions in states like Nevada where it has been legalized or decriminalized,” she said. “I’ll continue working across the aisle to support commonsense cannabis reform that helps small businesses in our state.” A House version of the HOPE Act was reintroduced by Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) last year. Rosen’s measure is mostly identical, with two key differences in addition to some technical and structural changes. For one, it extends grant eligibility to tribal entities instead of only states and localities as is the case under the House bill. And it would also make grants available to states that “significantly” reduce penalties for cannabis offenses, even if they still involve jail time. The effect of this would broaden the grant eligibility pool to include certain non-legal cannabis states that enact more limited reform. The legislation proposes to appropriate $2 million in funding to support the program for each fiscal year starting in 2025 and ending in 2034. Grants could be used by states to purchase technology used to facilitate expungements at scale, automate the relief process, fund legal clinics to help people get their records cleared and support “innovative partnerships” to provide mass relief. “As the Administration continues to review the federal classification of cannabis, we continue to call for more to be done on criminal justice reform that is outside the scope of the administrative scheduling process,” Saphira Galoob, executive director of the National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR), said. “The HOPE Act will do just that by allowing federal funds to be access by local and state governments that choose to move the ball forward in their own jurisdictions by expunging records of those charged with cannabis-related conduct that is now legal under their laws,” she said. Anthony Lamorena, senior manager of federal affairs at the R Street Institute, said the HOPE Act is a “key piece of legislation that will provide states and localities the resources they need to implement automated expungement or record sealing processes for cannabis offenses.” “This bill provides a second chance for the millions of Americans who have cannabis arrests or convictions and restores their access to education, employment, housing, and other resources they need to remain law-abiding,” he said. “Studies show that access to these life necessities provides the much-needed support to remain crime-free, which allows them to contribute to society and the economy. Our communities are safer and our economy is stronger when individuals no longer face the pervasive barriers of a criminal record.” Under the bill, state governors and local governments “shall submit to the attorney general an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the attorney general may reasonably require” to qualify for the grants. Further, the legislation would require the attorney general to carry out a study on the impacts of cannabis convictions on individuals, as well as the financial costs for states that incarcerate people over non-violent marijuana offenses. Officials in jurisdictions that receive the grants would be required to “publish on a publicly accessible website information about the availability and process of expunging convictions for cannabis offenses, including information for individuals living in a different jurisdiction who were convicted of a cannabis offense in that jurisdiction.” They would also need to “submit to the attorney general a report describing the uses of such funds, and how many convictions for cannabis offenses have been expunged using such funds.” Layke Martin, executive director of the Nevada Cannabis Association, said Rosen’s legislation “would go a long way towards removing the barriers to expungement in many states and, in Nevada, towards sealing cannabis records that might otherwise negatively impact Nevadans in a state where both medical and adult-use cannabis have been legal for many years.” Riana Durrett, director of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Cannabis Policy Institute, said cannabis clemency represents “one important step in addressing the harms caused by the Nation’s flawed and misguided cannabis criminalization laws.” The proposal wouldn’t end federal marijuana prohibition, but it would help facilitate relief at the state level, where most cannabis arrests take place in the U.S. It is also being endorsed by NORML, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and the Last Prisoner Project (LPP). Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has, on multiple occasions, described the HOPE Act as a priority that he intends to incorporate into the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act that cleared committee last September and is awaiting floor action. Bipartisan and bicameral lawmakers have becoming increasingly vocal about different mechanisms through which they might be able to advance the underlying cannabis banking bill, including the possibility of moving it as part of a package with cryptocurrency regulations legislation that could be attached to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization measure. Schumer also recently asked people to show their support for the SAFER Banking Act by signing a petition as he steps up his push for the legislation. A poll released last month by the American Bankers Association (ABA) shows that roughly three out of five Americans support allowing marijuana industry access to the banking system. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) said that that “if Republicans want to keep the House,” they should pass the marijuana banking bill, arguing that “there are votes” to approve it. Schumer told Marijuana Moment last month that the bill remains a “very high priority” for the Senate, and members are having “very productive” bicameral talks to reach a final agreement. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) also said last month that passing the SAFER Banking Act off the floor is a “high priority.” However, he also recently said in a separate interview that advancing the legislation is complicated by current House dynamics. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) separately said during a recent American Bankers Association (ABA) summit that he wants to see the SAFER Banking Act move. He said that, “for whatever reason, the federal government has been slow” to act on the incremental reform that he supports even though he doesn’t identify as “a marijuana guy.” One key factor that’s kept the bill from the Senate floor is disagreement over mostly non-cannabis provisions dealing with broader banking regulations, primarily those contained in Section 10 of the legislation. Bicameral negotiations have been ongoing, however, and recent reporting suggests that a final deal could be just over the horizon. The Democratic Senate sponsor of the SAFER Banking Act, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), told Marijuana Moment last month that the legislation is “gaining momentum” as lawmakers work to bring it to the floor and pass it “this year.” At the close of the first half of the 118th Congress in December, Schumer said in a floor speech that lawmakers would “hit the ground running” in 2024, aiming to build on bipartisan progress on several key issues, including marijuana banking reform—though he noted it “won’t be easy.” Read the text of the HOPE Act below: Senator Presses Attorney General Garland On Marijuana Banking Bill’s Impact On Criminal Investigations Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Senator Files Marijuana Expungements Bill That Schumer Has Discussed Including In Banking Reform Package appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A group that represents state lawmakers across the U.S. is calling on Congress to “quickly” attach a bipartisan marijuana banking bill to unrelated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization legislation and pass the reform. In a letter sent to House and Senate leadership on Wednesday, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) said lawmakers should move forward with plans to use the FAA measure as a vehicle for the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act. “The inability of legal state cannabis businesses to receive financial services from the federal banking system creates an unsafe position for these legal entities, as well as taxation and compliance problems for states that have exercised their authority to legalize cannabis,” NCSL CEO Tim Storey wrote to the congressional lawmakers. “The SAFER Banking Act would provide much-needed banking resources to these legitimate businesses and help facilitate secure, simpler and more enforceable business activity in nearly every state,” he said. While the vast majority of states have enacted some form of cannabis legalization, “legitimate business owners must continue to rely on cash-only cannabis transactions,” the letter says. “This exchange increases the real risk that they, their employees and customers become prime targets for theft, burglary, armed robbery and other crimes that jeopardize the safety of person and property, as well as endanger the greater communities where your constituents live and work and these businesses operate,” it says. NCSL, which represents the legislatures of states and territories across the country, has long advocated for cannabis banking reform, and it also voted to adopt a policy position in favor of federal marijuana descheduling in 2022. “Cannabis will remain illegal under the SAFER Banking Act, and we strongly believe that supporting this legislation is not akin to endorsing its legalization under federal or state law. Instead, support for this act would help to resolve the long-standing tension between federal and state law with respect to banking and other financial services by allowing financial institutions to provide services to these legal businesses without penalty. The legislation would help reduce threats to public safety, enable better monitoring of the financial activity and enforcement of legal cannabis businesses, and demonstrate respect for state authority to legislate in this area.” Congressional lawmakers from across the aisle have been weighing in on the prospects of the SAFER Banking Act—sharing predictions about the prospects of passage, different legislative vehicles to advance the reform Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), the GOP sponsor of the cannabis banking bill, reiterated in an interview with The Dales Report that he believes Congress is in “the best spot we’ve ever been in getting SAFE Banking across the finish line.” Bipartisan members have also been discussing the possibility of combining cryptocurrency regulation legislation with the marijuana banking bill as part of a potential add to the FAA reauthorization, which must pass by May 10. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,400 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. — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) recently reiterated his intent to pass legislation to “safeguard cannabis banking” as part of a “busy agenda” that he hopes to achieve in the “weeks and months ahead,” though he again stressed the need for bipartisan cooperation. He also recently asked people to show their support for the SAFER Banking Act by signing a petition as he steps up his push for the legislation. A poll released last month by the American Bankers Association (ABA) shows that roughly three out of five Americans support allowing marijuana industry access to the banking system. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) said last week that that “if Republicans want to keep the House,” they should pass the marijuana banking bill, arguing that “there are votes” to approve it. Schumer told Marijuana Moment last month that the bill remains a “very high priority” for the Senate, and members are having “very productive” bicameral talks to reach a final agreement. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) also said last month that passing the SAFER Banking Act off the floor is a “high priority.” However, he also recently said in a separate interview that advancing the legislation is complicated by current House dynamics. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) separately said during a recent American Bankers Association (ABA) summit that he wants to see the SAFER Banking Act move. He said that, “for whatever reason, the federal government has been slow” to act on the incremental reform that he supports even though he doesn’t identify as “a marijuana guy.” At the close of the first half of the 118th Congress in December, Schumer said in a floor speech that lawmakers would “hit the ground running” in 2024, aiming to build on bipartisan progress on several key issues, including marijuana banking reform—though he noted it “won’t be easy.” Meanwhile, a Democratic senator on Wednesday pressed Attorney General Merrick Garland about the marijuana banking bill, seeking his perspective on a controversial section concerning broader financial regulations. Garland said he wasn’t familiar with Section 10 of the SAFER Banking Act, but he agreed in theory that the provision could be problematic if it meant people suspected of committing financial crimes could be tipped off in the midst of an investigation. However, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) noted that the language was revised following negotiations and no longer constitutes a threat as amended. Senators Approve Resolution Condemning Russian Imprisonment Of American Who Used Medical Marijuana As Opioid Alternative The post National Conference Of State Legislatures Calls On Congress To Pass Marijuana Banking Bill As Part Of Unrelated Package As Lawmakers Have Discussed appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Colorado’s Senate has approved a sweeping social media bill that, among other provisions, could force platforms to ban users for talking positively online about certain controlled substances, such as state-legal psychedelics, certain hemp products and even some over-the-counter cough syrups. The legislation, SB24-158—a broad proposal concerning internet age verification and content policies—would require social media platforms to immediately remove any user “who promotes, sells, or advertises an illicit substance.” Initially that provision would have applied to all controlled substances under state law—including state-legal marijuana—but an amendment last month from the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Chris Hansen (D), includes language saying that “a social media platform may allow a user to promote, sell, or advertise medical marijuana or retail marijuana to users who are at least twenty-one years of age” so long as the content complies with state cannabis laws. The amended legislation would still apply to numerous other legal and illegal substances. On Wednesday, the Senate voted 30–1 to pass the revised measure on third reading, with four members excused. Earlier this week, the Senate Appropriations Committee also adopted two amendments to the bill, including one adding staff funding for the state attorney general’s office and another that could make the act subject to voter approval in November. Critics say even with the marijuana-related amendment, the bill could create major problems for users trying to post benign—and legal—content around substances like cough medicine. “The updated version would still prevent users from from promoting NyQuil or anti-anxiety medications among many others, even though it exempts marijuana,” R Street Institute Fellow Shoshana Weismann, who first called out the potential problems in the bill’s drug-related language, told Marijuana Moment last month. “And if you promote those medications, you will be reported to law enforcement. That is asinine.” The amended bill also still specifies that its restrictions apply to certain hemp products with more than 1.25 milligrams THC or a CBD-to-THC ratio of less than 20 to 1, as well as most other hemp-containing products intended for human consumption that are not “a dietary supplement, a food, a food additive, or an herb.” Hansen, the bill’s sponsor, has not responded to separate questions or follow-up emails from Marijuana Moment about whether his legislation intends to ban, for example, a 19-year old medical marijuana patient who posts about medical marijuana to their Instagram story, a user posting to Facebook that the use of a Schedule V over-the-counter cough syrup helped them feel better or even potentially promotion by Gov. Jared Polis (D) of the state’s legal psychedelics industry—as a plain reading of the bill might suggest. Hansen said nearly a month ago that he was “working on answers” to those questions. He did not immediately respond to a follow-up email on Wednesday. Kevin Matthews, director of the campaign in Denver that made the city the first in the U.S. to decriminalize psilocybin, said on Facebook after Wednesday’s vote that the bill would “make it nearly impossible to even simply talk about plant and fungi medicine on any social media network without state monitoring.” The measure’s language “severely handicaps the emergent psychedelic ecosystem at all levels to educate the public,” Matthews continued, “and gives broad powers to a state apparatus to take legal action against individuals for expressing their opinion online.” Social media companies would be required to update policies and post them publicly on or before July 1, 2025 under the proposal. Updates to social media policies would also need to be posted online within 14 days of implementation. Companies would also be mandated to submit reports annually to the state attorney general a statement “of whether the current version of the published policies contain definitions and provisions relating to illicit substances,” according to a legislative summary of the bill provided to a Senate committee. Earlier this year, Colorado marijuana regulators also touted industry successes from the past year and promoted their new hospitality rules for the industry, including increased sales limits for cannabis hospitality businesses that allow on-site use. One of the things they touted is a rule about online sales that took effect last August. Customers must still physically pick up the marijuana products from retailers, but now they can browse and electronically purchase cannabis online ahead of visiting the store. Polis has praised the state’s reputation on marijuana and even said in January that Colorado is “leading the nation” on psychedelics, just as it did with cannabis. “Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational use of cannabis, setting a standard for innovation and safety and economic mobility that’s been replicated by states across the nation and countries across the world, who come here to learn what Colorado did right,” Polis said in his latest State of the State address. “Now, thanks to our voters, we’re once again leading the nation on natural medicine, unfreezing 50-plus years of stifled research to learn about the potential benefits for the people of our state and beyond.” As for federal reform, the governor said about marijuana earlier this month that while legalization is the ultimate goal, incremental rescheduling and cannabis banking reform are important “dominoes” that could help pave the way. He said Colorado continues to have “very strong conversations with the White House” about the need for policy change. Colorado has seen more than $15 billion in legal marijuana sales since opening day a decade ago. The state’s nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff (LCS) released a report last August showing that Colorado generated more tax revenue from cannabis than alcohol or cigarettes during the last fiscal year. The Colorado Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED), meanwhile, recently touted an ID verification compliance rate of 99 percent at the state’s cannabis businesses. DeSantis Again Rips Into Marijuana Legalization, Warning November Ballot Measure Would Be ‘Not Good For Families’ The post Colorado Senate Passes Bill That Could Ban Social Media Users Who Post Positively About Drugs—Including Legal Psychedelics appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“While cannabis has arguably gained mainstream acceptance, driving high has not, thankfully.” By Glenn Davis, Colorado Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office As the wave of legalization continues to roll across the U.S., more people are embracing cannabis. And while cannabis has arguably gained mainstream acceptance, driving high has not, thankfully. In a 2022 Colorado survey, 85 percent of cannabis consumers said they do not drive after partaking. However, the state did see 101 fatalities in 2022 involving a vehicle operator with Delta-9 THC above the legal limit at the time of the crash, which illustrates the seriousness of the issue. The Colorado Department of Transportation has been at the forefront of this conversation since Colorado became the first state in the U.S. to legalize recreational cannabis a decade ago. So, as you prepare to partake in 4/20 celebrations, let’s clear the air on a few common questions and misconceptions surrounding driving and cannabis use to keep everyone safe and DUI-free. How long should you wait to drive after getting high? Everyone is different, but here are some general guidelines to help you decide: Wait at least six hours after smoking cannabis containing less than 35 milligrams of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) before driving or performing other safety-sensitive activities. If you’ve smoked more than 35 mg, you need to wait longer. In Colorado, the typical cannabis cigarette product or joint contains approximately 0.5 grams of cannabis, which means consuming about 60 mg to 115 mg of THC. The standard serving size for a cannabis edible is 5 mg to 10 mg. However, consuming similar amounts of THC in edibles will typically have stronger effects than if smoked. Wait at least eight hours after eating or drinking cannabis products containing less than 18 mg of THC before driving. If you’ve eaten more than 18 mg, wait longer. If you’re mixing cannabis with alcohol, you need to wait even longer than that. Mixing cannabis and alcohol Speaking of mixing cannabis and alcohol, combining them enhances the impairing effects of both. It’s a combination that has created some serious problems on Colorado roadways. Why? Research shows that users are more likely to drive or take other risks after using both substances than after consuming cannabis alone. Considering impairment-related fatalities are on the rise nationwide, this is a huge area of focus. Nationwide, over 30 percent of traffic deaths involve an impaired driver (NHTSA). And these deaths are all preventable. “Our advice? Just stay off the road if you’ve had any amount of THC or other impairing cannabinoids.” Consider this: The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) published a report in July 2023 that analyzed 2020 data from more than 21,000 impaired driving cases filed in Colorado. Researchers followed the cases from arrest to final court outcome. The report found that 75 percent of people with detected delta-9 THC in their system also had some other impairing substance present. Alcohol was the most common one. You can’t deny that’s pretty alarming. What’s the legal driving limit for THC? Technically, the limit in Colorado is 5 nanograms—a nanogram is one billionth of a gram—of delta-9 THC per millimeter of blood, but it varies by state. However, there’s a lack of clarity surrounding cannabis intoxication and THC in the blood. It’s something transportation and law enforcement leaders are actively working to address. With that said, Colorado law empowers law enforcement officers to assess impairment through roadside evaluations. That means if you demonstrate signs of impairment—no matter what BAC or THC blood tests reveal—you can be charged with a DUI. Unlike alcohol, cannabis isn’t metabolized in a uniform way or on a predictable timeline—whether you’re smoking or consuming edibles, your tolerance and other factors all play a role. The subjective experience of cannabis impairment also varies wildly. This makes it tricky for consumers to assess if they’re too impaired to drive. Our advice? Just stay off the road if you’ve had any amount of THC or other impairing cannabinoids. What if I get pulled over and have THC in my system because I consume cannabis frequently, but I’m not driving impaired? A common misconception we’ve heard is the belief that having lingering THC in your system from regular cannabis use can result in a DUI, the way an employer drug test would show cannabis in a person’s system. However, drug tests commonly administered by employers detect inactive THC, while impaired driving investigations focus on active THC in the bloodstream. So, if someone drives sober, even with residual, metabolized THC in their system, they won’t test positive for active THC in tests conducted by law enforcement. Plus, blood tests in Colorado aren’t even conducted until after a DUI arrest (based on visible signs of impairment). Can I drive if I’m microdosing cannabis? It can be hard to tell how much you can “safely” consume or if you’re too impaired to drive, especially given the nuances of measuring impairment. So, your best bet? Don’t risk it. If you feel different, you drive different. Numerous studies prove that THC slows reaction time, reduces focus, affects a person’s perception of time and distance and temporarily weakens problem-solving skills. And from our experience, those aren’t things you want working against you when you’re performing an activity that, if it goes wrong, can be deadly to you, other drivers, pedestrians or others who share the roadway. Call a rideshare. Plan a ride ahead of time. Walk home if you can or find a safe place to stay until you’re sober. There are so many resources these days, driving impaired really shouldn’t be on the table. For information and resources on cannabis-impaired driving, visit CDOT’s DriveHighDUI.com website. Visit CDOT’s YouTube channel to learn about the common myths about driving high. Additionally, CDOT has partnered with Learn Brands, an online budtender education platform, to provide a free interactive cannabis-impaired driving safety course. View and take CDOT’s Budtender Training Course. Glenn Davis is the highway safety manager in the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) Highway Safety Office. His areas of focus include impaired driving, police traffic services, motorcycle safety, young driver safety, legislative analysis and speed enforcement programs. Glenn has worked closely with members of Colorado’s cannabis business and advocacy communities since cannabis was legalized in Colorado in 2012. Glenn also represented CDOT on Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’s Marijuana Working Group and is CDOT’s governor appointee to the Marijuana Education Oversight Committee and POST Marijuana Working Group. Schumer And Other Democrats Amplify Calls For Marijuana Reform Ahead Of 4/20, Which Congressman Says Should Be Celebrated ‘Every Day’ The post Colorado Official Clears The Air On Cannabis Consumption And Driving Ahead Of 4/20 Festivities (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Senate committee has approved a resolution calling for the release of a U.S. citizen incarcerated over marijuana in Russia, emphasizing that he was a lawful medical cannabis patient in Pennsylvania using state-legal products as an opioid alternative. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the legislation sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) during an executive session on Tuesday. The concurrent resolution also calls on President Joe Biden’s federal government to step up efforts to secure his release. The measure says the 14-year sentence that Marc Fogel received after being convicted of “drug smuggling” over possession of a half-ounce of cannabis is politically motivated and disproportionate, especially when taking into account the fact that he was using marijuana for medical purposes in accordance with a doctor’s recommendation. “Marc Fogel has undergone three back surgeries, a spinal fusion, a hip replacement, and two knee surgeries to correct various injuries and health issues, which have left him with chronic back pain and a permanent limp,” the measure says. And he “did not wish to use opioids to manage his pain and was instead prescribed medical marijuana for pain management in a manner consistent with the State law of Pennsylvania.” Fogel “stated he intended that marijuana solely for personal consumption, and the Government of the Russian Federation has presented no evidence to the contrary,” the resolution reads, yet he received a 14-year sentence following a “politicized show trial.” The resolution also points out that a Russian lawyer informed Fogel’s family that the typical sentence for the low-level cannabis possession offense in the country is five years of probation, and that Russia has levied lesser sentences on people charged with possession of 1,500 grams of “various narcotics.” “Marc Fogel’s sentence is vastly disproportionate to the severity of his nonviolent crime, wildly dissimilar to the typical punishments for comparable offenses in Russia, and clearly motivated by ongoing political tensions between Russia and the United States,” it says. The measure calls on Russia to immediately release Fogel and for the White House and State Department to “press for his immediate release in all interactions with the Government of the Russian Federation.” It further “urges the Government of the Russian Federation to desist from issuing outlandishly disproportionate criminal sentences to nonviolent United States citizens” and “condemns the Government of the Russian Federation’s continued use of detentions and prosecutions of citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States for political purposes.” The resolution was introduced last July shortly after family of Fogel visited the White House to meet with high-level officials and also raise attention to his case with members of Congress. While the Senate version next heads to the Senate floor, a House companion version has not yet advanced in that chamber. Casey, the Senate sponsor, said the resolution “sends a clear, bipartisan message to Vladimir Putin and dictators like him that the United States won’t stand for the imprisonment of Americans like Marc Fogel.” “Marc is a loving father and schoolteacher who’s devoted his life to educating students around the world. The United States must do everything possible to bring Marc home and show our enemies that Americans aren’t to be used in their political games,” he said. Meanwhile, a separate coalition of more than 20 U.S. senators filed a different resolution this month condemning the arrests of American citizens in Russia, including Fogel. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,400 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Lawmakers have made repeated pleas for the State Department to escalate Fogel’s case, including by formally designating him as wrongfully detained. The resolution also urges that designation. They’ve pointed out that his situation is comparable to that of WNBA player Brittney Griner, who also served time in a Russian prison over possession of cannabis oil that she also lawfully obtained as a medical marijuana patient in Arizona before being released as part of a prisoner swap that the Biden administration negotiated. Signatories also filed a bill last June that would require the State Department to explain to Congress why it has not designated Fogel, as well as other Americans detained abroad, as “wrongfully detained.” Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul also sent a letter to the secretary of state, imploring the administration to “immediately” escalate diplomatic efforts to secure Fogel’s return. In 2022, more than two dozen members of Congress called on the State Department to step up diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Fogel, calling his incarceration over marijuana that he used to treat chronic pain “unconscionable.” The White House said that year it was actively investigating Fogel’s case, and lawmakers have been keeping the pressure on to ensure it’s doing all that it can to secure his release. When asked about the administration’s work to secure the release of other Americans like Fogel who are imprisoned abroad, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre deferred to the State Department, arguing that “every case is different” and saying she didn’t want to get ahead of any ongoing diplomatic efforts. Casey also led a letter with other senators that similarly asked the State Department to classify the citizen, an American teacher, as “wrongfully detained.” That came shortly after other bipartisan members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation again pleaded with the State Department to escalate Fogel’s case, drawing parallels between his and Griner’s cannabis-related convictions. As State Department spokesperson Ned Price explained, officials take into account 11-point criteria when determining whether a given case amounts to a wrongful detention. For example, if the U.S. has reason to believe that due process is being impaired, that the person was arrested solely because they are a U.S. national or that they are innocent of the stated charges, that would warrant a wrongful detention designation. Russia, for its part, has taken a particularly strong stance against reforming cannabis policy at the international level through the United Nations. And it condemned Canada for legalizing marijuana nationwide. Hemp Market Saw Growth In 2023 After Major Declines In 2022, USDA Report Shows The post Senators Approve Resolution Condemning Russian Imprisonment Of American Who Used Medical Marijuana As Opioid Alternative appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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AG pressed on SAFE; OSHA marijuana worker safety; DeSantis slams legalization; DEA psychedelics suit; USDA hemp report; CBD for crack treatment Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Free to read (but not free to produce)! We’re proud of our newsletter and the reporting we publish at Marijuana Moment, and we’re happy to provide it for free. But it takes a lot of work and resources to make this happen. If you value Marijuana Moment, invest in our success on Patreon so we can expand our coverage and more readers can benefit: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other Democratic lawmakers discussed the prospects for marijuana reform ahead of 4/20—with Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) saying it’s a cannabis holiday that should be celebrated “every day.” Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) pressed Attorney General Merrick Garland at a hearing about a section of a marijuana banking bill that he worried could “handcuff law enforcement” prior to being renegotiated by bipartisan lawmakers. Federal officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration hosted a presentation about what the agency is doing to help ensure marijuana industry worker safety even under ongoing federal cannabis prohibition. A new U.S. Department of Agriculture report shows that the hemp market started to rebound in 2023 after suffering significant losses in the prior year—but that there was a mix of economic trends across various uses for the crop. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said the marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot would be “not good for families”—claiming it will allow “toking up” by someone “walking by an elementary school.” A coalition of 20 justice and drug reform advocacy organizations sent a letter calling on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to publicly support legalizing marijuana rather than merely moving it to Schedule III. Researchers are suing the Drug Enforcement Administration over the process the agency is using to receive expert input about its proposed ban of two psychedelics. A new study concluded that CBD is a “powerful and promising therapeutic tool” for people with crack use disorder—finding that those who used the cannabis component had better health outcomes and fewer adverse events than those who took more conventional pharmaceutical treatments. The Minnesota Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party filed to challenge the major party status of the Legal Marijuana Now Party. / FEDERAL Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) discussed the prospects for federal marijuana reform. / STATES New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) cheered the opening of the state’s 100th recreational marijuana dispensary. The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill to revise medical cannabis regulatory responsibilities. A Wyoming representative criticized U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) for supporting marijuana banking legislation. Illinois regulators published an update on changes to municipal and county cannabis tax rates. Washington State regulators posted an updated list of pesticides allowed in marijuana production. New Mexico regulators sent a press release “urging cannabis consumers to follow the laws and practice safe consumption this spring.” Oklahoma regulators acknowledged technical problems with medical cannabis business license renewals. Alaska’s Advisory Task Force on Recreational Marijuana will meet on April 23 and May 7. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,400 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 A former New Orleans, Louisiana police chief said the federal government should reschedule marijuana. / INTERNATIONAL The Brazilian Senate approved a proposed constitutional amendment to clarify that possessing drugs for personal use is a crime. Bavaria, Germany officials are banning smoking cannabis at public Oktoberfest celebrations. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “CBD improved cognition in a rat model of Fragile X Syndrome, the leading monogenic cause of autism.” A study found “preliminary evidence that therapeutic benefits obtained from psilocybin experiences may be linked to changes in psychological flexibility.” / BUSINESS Eaze and its workers reached a tentative agreement to avoid a strike ahead of 4/20. Nature’s Miracle Holding Inc. is acquiring Agrify Corporation. Illinois retailers sold $148.9 million worth of legal marijuana products in March. / CULTURE Nick Offerman spoke about running from the police after smoking marijuana as a teenager. 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 Schumer & lawmakers talk cannabis as 4/20 approaches (Newsletter: April 18, 2024) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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With a legalization ballot measure set to appear on Florida’s ballot in November, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) again attacked the proposal on Wednesday, warning that the changes would be “not good for families” and “not good for [the] elderly.” He also accused the initiative’s cannabis industry backers as being profit-driven. “People aren’t putting tens of millions of dollars behind that out of the goodness of their heart,” the governor said. “They are going to be making a lot of money if that amendment passes, so you’d be making some companies very, very rich.” DeSantis has previously predicted voters will reject the marijuana initiative in November and argued that passage would “reduce the quality of life” in the state. Speaking at an event on Wednesday, DeSantis urged voters to reject ballot initiatives that might seem vague or confusing—including the cannabis measure. “The marijuana one is written so broadly, you are not going to be able to restrict where people use it,” DeSantis said, repeating a claim that the legalization campaign has said is untrue. “Understand: Your life will be impacted by this. It will change the quality of life and our communities. You will smell it when you’re walking down a lot of these streets, particularly in our urban areas.” Watch DeSantis’s marijuana comments, around 41:30 into the video below: DeSantis further claimed that there could be someone “by an elementary school, just sitting there toking up.” Smart and Safe Florida, the campaign behind the ballot measure, has previously said that its proposal gives state lawmakers “the authority to limit outdoor and public consumption just like the FL does for smoking tobacco products.” “You know, I have credibility on this,” DeSantis said at Wednesday’s event, “because I implemented the medical marijuana amendment. It had not really been implemented even though it had passed previously. I did it. I implemented it.” He then immediately disparaged the program. “There are people that have these cards,” DeSantis said. “You know some of them do not have really, truly debilitating—we know how that works. That is what’s happened.” “I did that,” he repeated. “I see the stores in all parts of the state. Do we really need to have, like, 10 times more of that than we do? No, we don’t.” Floridians would need to pass the medical marijuana industry-backed legalization initiative with at least 60 percent of the vote for it to become law. New polling released by USA Today/Ipsos this week suggests that might be a tall order, however: The survey found that 56 percent of Florida registered voters and 49 percent of Florida adults overall back the cannabis measure. 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. If approved, the measure would change the state Constitution to allow existing medical cannabis companies in the state, such as Trulieve, the campaign’s main financial contributor, to begin selling marijuana to all adults over 21. It contains a provision that would allow—but not require—lawmakers to take steps toward the approval of additional businesses. Home cultivation by consumers would not be allowed under the proposal as drafted. Adults would be able to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis, only five grams of which could be marijuana concentrate products. The three-page measure also omits equity provisions favored by advocates, such as expungements or other relief for people with prior cannabis convictions. Nearly all of the campaign’s financial backing has come from existing medical marijuana businesses, predominantly multi-state operators. Last week, the Florida Division of Elections (DOE) released the campaign finance activity report from the first quarter of the year, showing nearly $15 million in new contributions. Trulieve, the main financial backer of the initiative, led the pack again with $9.225 million in donations during the first quarter. That follows the company previously contributing about $40 million as advocates worked to collect more than one million signatures to qualify for ballot placement. As noted by the outlet Florida Politics, which first reported DeSantis’s comments on Wednesday, the governor himself received a $25,000 campaign donation from Trulieve back in November 2020. The company’s CEO said recently that, contrary to the governor’s claims, legalization could actually “improve quality of life” for residents. 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.” The Smart and Safe Florida campaign is soliciting veterans in an effort to build voter support for the reform, saying in an email update that the “goal is to raise awareness among voters about the importance of cannabis as a safer alternative to synthetic opioids for treating PTSD and related conditions among veterans.” Organizers are “looking to engage with veterans across the state of Florida to support our cause.” Despite his opposition to the initiative, DeSantis, the former GOP presidential candidate who dropped out of the race in January, previously accurately predicted that the state’s highest court would ultimately allow the measure on November’s ballot. DeSantis also weighed in on another relevant cannabis policy issue earlier this year when, while still a presidential candidate, he said that he doesn’t believe the federal gun ban for state-legal marijuana consumers is constitutional. Florida’s former agriculture commission, Nikki Fried, brought a lawsuit against the Biden administration over the rule, though the governor did not get involved. Prior to dropping out, DeSantis also said that if elected president, he would “respect the decisions that states make” on marijuana legalization despite his personal view that the reform has a “negative impact.” Coalition Of Justice Groups Pushes Biden To Support Marijuana Legalization Instead Of Schedule III Move The post DeSantis Again Rips Into Marijuana Legalization, Warning November Ballot Measure Would Be ‘Not Good For Families’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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) found. USDA’s National Hemp Report for 2023—which is based on survey data from cannabis farmers who reported on the metrics such as acreage, yield, production, price and value of hemp—shows that industrial hemp value reached $291 million last year, which represents an 18 percent increase from 2022. Last year’s report showed major industry losses in the value and cultivation of the non-intoxicating cannabis crop across every metric that it analyzed. Stakeholders placed much of the blame on inaction from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in regulating CBD. While the industry’s overall value increased last year, the report shows a mix of economic trends within the market. For example, there were increases in hemp grown for flower grew in yield (up 134 pounds per acre on average) and value (up 35 percent). By contrast, the average value of hemp grown for grain totaled $2.31 million in 2023, which is down 36 percent from the prior year. Farmers grew 27,680 acres of industrial hemp in the open last year, which is two percent lower than 2022. In 2023, the value of hemp production in the open and under protection for the United States totaled $291 million, up 18% from 2022. See more #AgStats in the National Hemp Report https://t.co/xeuwXqTpDB — National Agricultural Statistics Service (@usda_nass) April 17, 2024 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 last week, where he faced questions about the agency’s position that it needed additional congressional authorization to regulate the non-intoxicating cannabinoid. Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said at the hearing that FDA is “putting its own bureaucratic priorities over the American people” by refusing to regulate hemp products such as CBD. Meanwhile, in 2020, USDA announced plans to distribute a separate national survey to gain insights from thousands of hemp businesses that could inform its approach to regulating the industry. That survey launched in partnership with National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and the University of Kentucky. The department said it wanted to learn about “current production costs, production practices, and marketing practices” for hemp. Meanwhile, USDA is 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. Federal hemp rules could be further amended as part of the next iteration of large-scale agriculture legislation. The 2018 Farm Bill that legalized the crop was supposed to get updated last year, but it’s been extended through much of 2024. Lawmakers and stakeholders are eyeing a number of proposals that could be incorporated, including measures to free up hemp businesses to legally market products like CBD as dietary supplements or in the food supply and to remove restrictions on participation in the industry by people with certain prior drug convictions. 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. CBD Is A ‘Powerful And Promising’ Treatment For Crack Use Disorder—With Fewer Side Effects Than Conventional Therapies, Study Finds The post Hemp Market Saw Growth In 2023 After Major Declines In 2022, USDA Report Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A new study aiming to explore the efficacy of CBD as a treatment for crack use disorder found that people who took the cannabinoid had better health outcomes and fewer adverse health events compared to those who took more conventional pharmaceutical treatments. “The main implications of this study point to CBD as a powerful and promising therapeutic tool for people with CUD,” says the report, published this month in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. “CBD seems to mitigate the primary symptoms reported by the participants, such as lack of appetite, difficulty in reducing crack use, and the feeling of poor health. In addition, CBD stands out primarily for presenting mild adverse events, the main complaints associated with the use of usual psychotropic drugs.” The study, a double-blind randomized controlled trial, compared CBD to three drugs commonly used in crack use disorder treatment: fluoxetine, valproic acid and clonazepam. “CBD is a safe/tolerable product that presented significantly fewer adverse events compared to the control group,” authors concluded. “The CBD group performed better in more parameters than the control group, reducing crack use, not reducing food intake due to crack use, and greater improvements in self-rated health.” Participants were adults 18 to 65 in Brazil who had used crack regularly for the past year, used at least 20 times within the past month and had a desire or intention to treat their use disorders. While many participants were polydrug users, crack was their “primary drug,” according to both participants themselves and the study team. All told, 25 people completed the study—15 in the CBD group and 10 in the control group, which was given the more conventional treatment. Most of the 90 people who initially met eligibility criteria did not return to complete the full protocol. Among those who did complete the full study, “no significant differences in the reduction of crack use” were seen between the control and CBD groups, indicating that the two treatments may be similarly effective. Likewise, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of self-reported cravings for crack. CBD’s side effects, however, were far gentler than conventional treatment. “There were significant differences between the CBD group in comparison to the control group,” researchers noted, “with fewer episodes in the CBD group regarding diarrhea, constipation, nausea, dizziness, memory impairment, low concentration, tremor, ataxia, and nasal congestion.” Fewer adverse effects from CBD could mean participants are more likely to remain in treatment, researchers noted. Side effects from pharmaceutical treatments can be so uncomfortable, the team wrote, that they “end up contributing to low adherence to treatment of people with CUD in health services, which would favor broad access to CBD.” The 22 authors behind the new study represent academic and official institutions in Brazil, including various departments at the University of Brasília, the Brazilian Federal District’s secretary of health and forensic institute and the Federal University of São Paulo. They explained that it’s “difficult to outline the mechanism of action” behind CBD because the cannabinoid “has a broad spectrum of pharmacological properties that affect multiple targets.” On the other hand, “the multiple-target action seems important for performing a wide range of therapeutic properties,” they continued. “CBD decreases endocannabinoid receptor signaling and inhibits fatty acid amide hydrolase, which may reduce craving and decrease relapse rates in people with CUD.” Future research, the team said, should focus on increasing the sample size of similar trials and instituting more rigorous screening and monitoring of participants. “In addition, by reducing stress and environmental factors while improving emotional regulation, implementing strategies to support these individuals, and using other cannabinoid compositions (e.g., full-spectrum CBD and/or THC), these effects may be enhanced,” they said. “If so, this would be an important advance in the pharmacological treatment of stimulant use disorders.” Past studies have looked at cannabinoids as possible treatments for stimulant use disorders, with most focusing on cocaine or amphetamine use. A 2020 meta-study of 14 studies in animal subjects consuming cocaine, for example, found that CBD appears to have a multitude of effects that mitigate addictive behaviors. While not all of the studies under review were consistent with one another, and the researchers emphasized the need for human trials, authors of that research said the animal studies generally indicated that CBD can reduce self-administration of cocaine and many symptoms of addiction. A 2019 study out of Spain similarly concluded that CBD is “a promising candidate” for stimulant abuse disorders involving cocaine, amphetamine and methamphetamine. Schumer And Other Democrats Amplify Calls For Marijuana Reform Ahead Of 4/20, Which Congressman Says Should Be Celebrated ‘Every Day’ Photo courtesy of Kimzy Nanney. The post CBD Is A ‘Powerful And Promising’ Treatment For Crack Use Disorder—With Fewer Side Effects Than Conventional Therapies, Study Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment. 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In a new letter to the White House, a group of 20 justice and drug reform advocacy organizations are calling on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to publicly support the removal of marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) rather than merely a move to Schedule III, as the government is currently considering. Biden has said repeatedly during his campaign and term in office that “no one should be in jail merely for the use or possession of marijuana,” but advocates in the letter said that “only the descheduling of marijuana will truly decriminalize it at the federal level.” To fulfill his campaign pledge to decriminalize, the letter from the Marijuana Justice Coalition (MJC)—which includes drug reformers, justice organizations, immigrant rights groups and others—tells the president, “you must begin to explicitly support the descheduling of marijuana from the CSA.” “It is incumbent upon you to call on Congress to pass descheduling legislation, such as the Senate-led Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) and the House-led Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act,” it says. “Not only do these bills decriminalize marijuana through descheduling, they include your other campaign pledge on marijuana policy reform—automatic expungements—and establish programming for reinvestment in communities disproportionately targeted by marijuana criminalization.” By contrast, a move to Schedule III “would maintain the federal criminalization of marijuana and most criminal penalties would remain unchanged.” Mandatory minimums would still apply, noncitizens would continue to face deportation over low-level cannabis crimes and patients, such as veterans, would continue to have to break the law to access state-legal medical marijuana, MJC said. “Your administration has the opportunity to finally have federal marijuana policy catch up to public opinion and the state legal landscape that is increasingly rejecting marijuana criminalization,” the coalition wrote. “Pardons for simple possession cases are a good first step but as Vice President Harris recently said at the March 15, 2024 Roundtable Conversation about Marijuana Reform, ‘there is still much more to do.'” Harris also said at the time that “we need to legalize marijuana”—but those remarks were made behind closed doors after the press had already been asked to leave the room. Biden, meanwhile, both as a presidential candidate and while in office, has vocally supported limited cannabis reforms and taken concrete steps to review marijuana laws and forgive Americans with past convictions for minor cannabis crimes. But he’s also consistently overstated the impact of his actions, for example falsely claiming in this year’s State of the Union Address that his administration’s recent pardons around cannabis expunged “thousands of convictions.” During the speech last month, a social media post from Biden’s office repeating that “no one should be jailed just for using or possessing marijuana” was by far his most popular of the night. Biden has continued to tout the marijuana scheduling directive and cannabis pardons he’s issued, including in a presidential proclamation declaring April “Second Chance Month.” As for the ongoing review process that could eventually move marijuana into Schedule III, the White House said this month it’s now up to the Justice Department to make a final decision on scheduling, adding that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommendation to reclassify cannabis was “guided by the evidence.” The full list of signatories on the MJC letter include Better Opportunity to Win Legalization (BOWL), Center for American Progress, Clergy for a New Drug Policy, Doctors for Drug Policy Reform, Drug Policy Alliance, Immigrant Defense Project, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), JustLeadershipUSA, Minorities for Medical Marijuana, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, National Association of Social Workers, National Immigration Project, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Southern Poverty Law Center, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), Sunita Jain Anti-Trafficking Initiative, Supernova Women, The Hood Incubator, Vera Institute of Justice and Veterans Cannabis Coalition. While the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has not given a clear sense of timing for when it will complete and submit its cannabis review, there are heightened expectations that it will come before November’s national elections—both because of past precedent in scheduling matters and because the Biden administration has become increasingly vocal about its role in facilitating the review. The head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under HHS told congressional lawmakers last week that there’s “no reason” for DEA to “delay” making a marijuana scheduling decision. A DEA official noted recently that it sometimes takes up to six months for DEA to complete its analysis of health officials’ scheduling recommendations—which is about how long it’s now been since the agency began its current cannabis assessment. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra last month defended his agency’s rescheduling recommendation during a Senate committee hearing and also told cannabis lobbyist Don Murphy that he should pay DEA a visit and “knock on their door” for answers about the timing of their decision. Certain DEA officials are reportedly resisting the Biden administration’s rescheduling push, disputing the HHS findings on marijuana’s safety profile and medical potential, according to unnamed sources who spoke with The Wall Street Journal. Read the full MJC letter to the Biden administration urging marijuana’s removal from the CSA: Senator Presses Attorney General Garland On Marijuana Banking Bill’s Impact On Criminal Investigations The post Coalition Of Justice Groups Pushes Biden To Support Marijuana Legalization Instead Of Schedule III Move appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Democratic senator on Wednesday pressed Attorney General Merrick Garland about a bipartisan marijuana banking bill, seeking his perspective on a controversial section concerning broader financial regulations. During a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) asked the attorney general for his opinion of Section 10 of the original Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act. “Section 10 of the original legislation would have compromised law enforcement and national security by requiring banks to notify customers when the government requested termination of an account,” Reed said. “In essence, the original language meant that serious criminals could be tipped off that they are under investigation.” “Fortunately, through a bipartisan committee process, we worked to address major flaws in Section 10 and curbed its negative effects,” the senator said. “Do you agree that such a policy would handcuff law enforcement and the intelligence community if the bank had to disclose that their account has been terminated by law enforcement?” Garland replied that while he’s familiar with the SAFER Banking Act itself, he wasn’t up-to-speed on the specific provisions Reed mentioned. “As a theoretical matter without commenting on that, obviously, if we are investigating someone and that person is advised of our investigation, that makes our investigation all the more difficult and may compromise it,” the attorney general said. “But I can’t answer specifically with respect to the statute.” Watch the attorney general discuss the marijuana banking bill, starting at 1:37:27 into the video below: Reed seemed to be using the opportunity at the hearing to reiterate his own concerns about Section 10, which was revised following months of bipartisan negotiations. Republicans broadly favor the language as a means of mitigating the risk of financial regulators taking discriminatory enforcement action against politically controversial industries such as gun manufacturers and payday lending institutions. Prior to the bill’s passage through the Senate Banking Committee last September, Section 10 was also expanded to include a “sense of Congress” provision stipulating that the personal and political beliefs of financial regulators should not influence their decision-making. Separately on Wednesday, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) said at a National Cannabis Policy Summit that the section “helped tie the Democratic and Republican supporters together, and it’s important element of this bill.” He added that it “has been a really tricky piece, though, because the regulators don’t want to be told what to do” and there were “really nitty gritty arguments over every single word in the SAFER Banking Act that affects those customers.” The attorney general, for his part, didn’t express an opinion about the broader banking legislation, though he said last year that the Justice Department is “still working on a marijuana policy” amid an ongoing review into cannabis scheduling. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is currently conducting its own review after receiving a recommendation to reschedule cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Meanwhile, Garland is also under pressure to issue updated guidance to federal prosecutors to discourage interference in state cannabis programs after an earlier memo was rescinded under the Trump administration. Schumer And Other Democrats Amplify Calls For Marijuana Reform Ahead Of 4/20, Which Congressman Says Should Be Celebrated ‘Every Day’ The post Senator Presses Attorney General Garland On Marijuana Banking Bill’s Impact On Criminal Investigations appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Democratic senators, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), are “trying to recruit Republicans” to join them in the push for federal marijuana legalization, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) said at an event ahead of 4/20, which another lawmaker said is a holiday that should be celebrated “every day” this year as advocates work to get reform “across the finish line.” At a press briefing organized by the Last Prisoner Project (LPP) on Wednesday, multiple congressional champions of cannabis legalization marked progress in the fight to end prohibition. As Schumer, Wyden and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) prepare to file a bill to federally legalize marijuana later this month, Wyden said the trio are “out right now trying to recruit Republicans to join in.” “I want you to hear what my message is. I’m gonna say one word: Deschedule,” he said. “Descheduling ought to be a Republican dream… Sometimes I think they’re only for states’ rights if they think the state is right.” Schumer, meanwhile, applauded advocates and discussed his work on legalization and cannabis banking reform in a pre-recorded video that was shared with Marijuana Moment ahead of a National Cannabis Policy Summit on Wednesday. “My commitment to ending federal prohibition on cannabis remains as strong as ever,” he said. “As many of you know, cannabis reform is an issue I’ve cared about, and I’ve been working hard on, for years. And as many of you know, momentum is now in our favor.” “Here in Congress, we’re making some good progress,” he said, pointing to the Senate Banking Committee passage of the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act last September. Schumer also reiterated his interest in attaching a measure to incentivize state-level cannabis expungements to the legislation when it’s brought to the floor. The majority leader also talked about his forthcoming Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) to legalize marijuana. “Cannabis legalization has proven successful at the state level. It’s high time that Congress catches up with the rest of the country,” Schumer said. “Of course, we know none of this is easy, especially in divided government. We need all of you to continue reaching out to members, especially Republican members, so we can make cannabis reform a reality.” Back at the LPP event, Congressional Cannabis Caucus founding co-chair Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) touted his 51 years of work to reform state and federal marijuana laws. He also said it’s “appropriate” that advocates and lawmakers are celebrating 4/20 three days early because, “this year, we ought to be celebrating 4/20 every day.” “Forces are aligned to be able to end this failed war on drugs and mobilize unprecedented support across the country,” he said. “And, frankly, the Biden administration has been doing a little realignment, which I welcome. But it’s time to not just realign but get it done.” “President Biden, if I was interested in mobilizing young people—if I was interested in energizing them—this is a no-brainer,” Blumenauer said. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) also said at the event that “criminalizing marijuana is part of the failed war on drugs and sustained a mass incarceration crisis that has ravaged our communities, destabilized our families and inflicted generational trauma.” The congresswoman applauded the Biden administration for issuing cannabis pardons, but urged the president to significantly expand clemency to the “tens of thousands” of people who remain incarcerated over marijuana. She said the issue is “personal” to her because one of her parents was incarcerated over a drug-related offense. “My story is hardly an anomaly,” she said. “When we’re talking about the war on drugs, cannabis justice and the shameful crisis of mass incarceration, there are no excuses for the problem. No excuses, but there is a solution—and clemency is a part of that solution.” “Cannabis justice is racial justice. Cannabis justice is economic justice. Cannabis justice is reparative. It is restorative justice. And the time to act is now,” she said. Congressional Lawmakers Approve GOP-Led Marijuana And Psychedelics Bills Focused On Veterans Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Schumer And Other Democrats Amplify Calls For Marijuana Reform Ahead Of 4/20, Which Congressman Says Should Be Celebrated ‘Every Day’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“The implications of your decision are very important, because the state Legislature is watching.” By Michelle Griffith, Minnesota Reformer The Legal Marijuana Now Party on Tuesday fought for its right to major party status before the Minnesota Supreme Court, arguing the state’s election laws infringe on its First Amendment rights. The pot party argued its case after the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party in February asked the state Supreme Court to yank the Legal Marijuana Now Party’s major party status, alleging the party hasn’t met the requirements enacted during the 2023 legislative session. Major party status confers significant advantages over minor parties, especially ballot access, negating the need for the expensive and onerous process of collecting signatures to appear on the ballot. The DFL Party argues the Legal Marijuana Now Party did not hold local conventions or have executive committees for at least 45 counties or legislative districts, as the law requires. A party must also certify that it has met the major party requirements, and the Legal Marijuana Now Party told Secretary of State Steve Simon that it held its state convention, eight legislative district conventions and 67 legislative district or county conventions—all on the same day in June 2022 at an address in Bloomington and online via Zoom. The DFL Party said in its petition to the Supreme Court that it was “practically and logistically impossible for 76 separate conventions to be held on one day.” The Legal Marijuana Now Party denies the DFL’s allegations and states it has met all the requirements. “This case is not about whether residents of Minnesota can form a political party. It is not about whether Minnesota voters can vote for the candidate of their choosing, and it is not about whether the state of Minnesota can mandate the manner in which political parties conduct their internal affairs and select their candidates,” said David Zoll, attorney representing the DFL Party. Democrats have an interest in the Legal Marijuana Now Party losing major party status: They believe Republicans have recruited patsy candidates for the Legal Marijuana Now Party ticket, with the sole intent of siphoning votes from Democratic candidates, which they believe has been decisive in a handful of close legislative races. Erick Kaardal, representing the Legal Marijuana Now Party, told the justices that the new election laws are burdensome and inhibit the party’s ability to exercise its First Amendment rights. “The implications of your decision are very important, because the state Legislature is watching. Do we want more of these regulations?” Kaardal asked the justices. “Regulating the internal affairs of major political parties, minor political parties…because that’s where we’re going.” Kaardal is a local lawyer with ties to various conservative causes who also tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election. In a written filing, Kaardal wrote that the DFL-majority Legislature targeted the Legal Marijuana Now Party when it drafted the new major party requirements. The Supreme Court justices on Tuesday questioned all parties about the new major party requirements. “It does strike me that the statutory scheme is awfully detailed and lawfully invasive. Am I right or wrong about that?” Associate Justice Barry Anderson asked Zoll. Zoll said the law wasn’t burdensome and left room for a party to conduct business as it sees fit. Associate Justices Margaret Chutich and Karl Procaccini recused themselves and were not present during the oral arguments. Prior to Tuesday’s oral arguments, the Supreme Court appointed a district judge to determine whether the Legal Marijuana Now Party met the requirements laid out in the new law. The judge recommended that the Supreme Court revoke major party status for the August primary and November general elections. John Woodruff, an assistant attorney general representing the secretary of state’s office, asked the Supreme Court to rule on the case before May 15 to give election officials enough time to understand requirements for the primary and general elections. As for marijuana: It’s now legal. This story was first published by Minnesota Reformer. Minnesota Senators Vote To Decriminalize Drug Residue Photo elements courtesy of rawpixel and Philip Steffan. The post Marijuana-Focused Political Party Pushes Back On Democrats’ Challenge To Its Major Party Status In Supreme Court Arguments appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Researchers are asking a federal court to block the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from proceeding in its attempt to ban two psychedelics, arguing that the agency’s administrative approach to the proposed scheduling is unconstitutional. Panacea Plant Sciences (PPS) filed a complaint and request for injunctive relief against DEA in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington last week. The legal challenge focuses on the agency’s recent scheduling of an administrative hearing to receive expert input on its controversial plans to classify 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC) as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The filing doesn’t speak to the merits of the scheduling proposal—an issue that psychedelics researchers have previously addressed in public comment. Rather, PPS is contesting the administrative hearing process that’s preceding final rulemaking, arguing that DEA’s reliance on administrative law judges (ALJs) to settle such arbitration is unconstitutional based on U.S. Supreme Court precedent. PPS said that because the Supreme Court has held that ALJs are considered “inferior officers,” current statutory removal protections unconstitutionally insulate them from executive control under Article II of the Constitution. That means DEA should not be permitted to subject researchers to an administrative hearing concerning the psychedelic scheduling proposal, the filing says. “The hearing and scheduling poses a significant threat to the company,” it says. “PPS conducts research and development on medical technologies which include the use of DOI or DOC for development and as products themselves. Currently, DOI and DOC are not controlled.” “Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and its implementing regulations, PPS will be required to turn over to law enforcement or destroy our stock of DOI and DOC which means the rule-making acts as an effective taking of property,” the document says. “As a result, when PPS received the hearing notice from DEA, it was faced with a stark choice: either default and lose automatically or defend itself against the DEA’s attempts to schedule DOI and DOC and its use of an ALJ-overseen adjudication,” it continues. “PPS is thus compelled to participate in the DEA’s adjudicatory proceedings.” DEA doesn’t have authority to adjudicate the scheduling question based on this administrative process because ALJs continue to enjoy statutory removal protections, the complaint says. That is, there are current requirements that the judges can only be removed for “good cause” as “determined” by the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). “This degree of insulation is unconstitutional,” PPS said. “Indeed, because DEA ALJs do not satisfy either narrow recognized exception to the President’s unrestricted removal power, any degree of insulation is unconstitutional.” “The DEA’s scheduling hearings has stakes that extend beyond PPS,” it says. “DOI and DOC are widely used in research and development for pharmaceutical drugs related to the mind and other bodily systems. They are also key compounds for the research into schizophrenia and other related illnesses.” “Removing access to these compounds through legal channels and/or making their access more difficult would severely limit science and reduce the reproducibility of experiments and ability to compare to past research. This would lead to reduced development of new treatments and less understanding of medical conditions, which could lead to increased deaths and suffering in the United States and beyond over time.” PPS further argued that separate Supreme Court precedent means it does not have to wait for the outcome of DEA’s administrative hearing to challenge the constitutionality of the process, as subjecting the complainants to that process in and of itself would constitute “an independent, immediate, ‘here-and-now’ injury—one that cannot be remedied through normal channels of appeal.” Therefore, PPS is asking the federal district court to 1) affirm the unconstitutionality of DEA’s ALJ policies, 2) impose a temporary restraining order blocking the agency from moving forward with the DOC and DOI scheduling process, 3) provide temporary and permanent injunctive relief staying DEA’s administrative adjudicative and regulatory proceedings in the case and 4) requiring the agency to withdraw its scheduling proposal until the constitutional issues are resolved. This is the latest development in a years-long dispute over DEA’s efforts to schedule the psychedelics, which it first attempted to do in 2022, only to withdraw the proposal amid pushback from the scientific community. The agency separately withdrew from a proposal to ban five different tryptamine psychedelics in 2022. Last December, DEA announced that it would be trying to enact the DOC and DOI ban again. The agency’s notice about the scheduling proposal still lacks evidence that directly connects the compounds to serious adverse health events or demonstrated a high abuse potential. “To date, there are no reports of distressing responses or death associated with DOI in medical literature,” it says. “The physiological dependence liability of DOI and DOC in animals and humans is not reported in scientific and medical literature.” DEA said that anecdotal reports posted by people online signaled that the substances have hallucinogenic effects, making it “reasonable to assume that DOI and DOC have substantial capability to be a hazard to the health of the user and to the safety of the community.” It did point to one report of a death of a person who had used DOC in combination with two other unspecified drugs—as well as two reports of hospitalizations that it said were attributable to the use of DOC with other drugs—but scientists say that hardly constitutes reason enough to place them in the most strictly controlled schedule. Meanwhile, DEA is also under significant public and political pressure to complete its review into marijuana scheduling after the agency received a recommendation to move cannabis to Schedule III of the CSA from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under HHS told congressional lawmakers last week that there’s “no reason” for DEA to “delay” making a marijuana scheduling decision. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf’s comments came as the Biden administration continues to tout its role in issuing cannabis pardons and directing the marijuana scheduling review, including in a presidential proclamation declaring April “Second Chance Month.” President Joe Biden also discussed the marijuana actions in a historic context last month, during his State of the Union address. Vice President Kamala Harris also urged DEA to finish its review and reschedule marijuana “as quickly as possible” while meeting pardon recipients for a roundtable event at the White House last month. Behind closed doors, she also said “we need to legalize marijuana.” A DEA official recently said it sometimes takes up to six months for DEA to complete its analysis of health officials’ scheduling recommendations—which is just about how long it has now been since the agency began its current cannabis assessment. Meanwhile, last month, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra defended his agency’s rescheduling recommendation during a Senate committee hearing and also told cannabis lobbyist Don Murphy that he should pay DEA a visit and “knock on their door” for answers about the timing of their decision. Certain DEA officials are reportedly resisting the Biden administration’s rescheduling push, disputing the HHS findings on marijuana’s safety profile and medical potential, according to unnamed sources who spoke with The Wall Street Journal. Read the federal court filing in the DEA psychedelics scheduling matter below: Florida Marijuana Legalization Ballot Measure Does Not Have Enough Support To Pass, New Poll Says Photo courtesy of Wikimedia. The post Researchers Ask Federal Court To Block DEA From Banning Two Psychedelics Under ‘Unconstitutional’ Administrative Process appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Two officials with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) spoke this week about the agency’s latest guidance and priorities for “protecting workers within the cannabis industry” in the growing number of state-legal markets. One official called for better tracking and reporting of negative health outcomes after recounting what she described as “the first fatality from occupational asthma in the U.S. cannabis industry”—a Massachusetts worker for the multi-state operator Trulieve who collapsed at work and died in 2022. The Tuesday webinar featured two OSHA representatives: Yasmine Daniels, an industrial hygienist with the agency, and Virginia Weaver, a doctor and medical officer. Daniels began by giving an overview of OSHA’s federal and state guidelines and how those apply to cannabis, while Weaver spoke to the 2022 asthma death and how to better prevent such incidents. “The most important thing is involvement from the industry to train workers and managers to identify and report symptoms of occupational allergy,” Weaver said at the online event hosted by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, an organization that certifies safety practitioners. “Workers who develop a runny nose, rhinitis, congestion, eye or throat irritation, skin rash or hives—or, even more importantly, if it’s already progressed to lung symptoms, with cough, wheezing or shortness of breath—they need to know who to report that to in their workplace as soon as these develop.” Though cannabis is still illegal under federal law, OSHA’s federal or state plans around health and safety standards are nevertheless “applicable to employers engaged in commercial cannabis,” Daniels’s presentation said. That comes not only through federal guidance but also OSHA-approved state plans in 29 jurisdictions, most of which apply to both public and private employees. Some state plans, such as those in Michigan, Oregon and Washington State, include specific guidance and enforcement details around commercial cannabis operations. For example, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) recently issued a state emphasis program “that covers the growing, harvesting and processing of the plant,” Daniels said. “They also provide guidance, working together with the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency.” State guidance on employment conditions can also come from other agencies, such as public health departments, she noted. “So just because there is an OSHA-approved state plan does not necessarily mean that the plan would be responsible for regulations and guidance over this industry.” Among the duties employers have, Daniels said in the Q&A section of the webinar, is to label containers of hazardous chemicals. “It is in fact the employer’s responsibility to do a workplace hazard assessment to determine the employees’ potential of being exposed to that chemical hazard,” she said. “And if in fact there is, then the employer should have a hazard communication program in place.” One way SAMHSA learns about health hazards to marijuana industry workers is through collaboration with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), “which provides us with the latest on worker safety and health research,” Daniels explained. For example, NIOSH evaluations in 2017, 2019 and 2022 flagged potential hazards in jobs harvesting, trimming and processing cannabis. The agency began providing recommendations for how to reduce those hazards and prevent work-related illnesses. OSHA via BCSP “A common theme across all of those HHEs, or health hazard evaluations, is that employees were often exposed to tetrahydrocannabinol—which we know as THC—that was present along surfaces throughout some of the facilities,” she said. “Employees were also found to be exposed to airborne concentrations of endotoxins, which…cause adverse respiratory effects such as chronic bronchitis and asthma.” While OSHA hasn’t set a limit on endotoxins, Daniels said NIOSH consulted with authorities in the Netherlands, who set an exposure limit of 90 endotoxin units per cubic meter of air. Measured concentrations in American workplaces were found to exceed those limits, she said. Within the industry broadly, risks to workers can vary considerably by what kind of business they work for, Daniels added. Growers might be more exposed to mold, pesticides and flammable liquids. Processors might deal with solvents, combustible dust and loud noise. And retail workers could see exposure to various chemicals as well as workplace violence. OSHA via BCSP Daniels said that while the cannabis industry has several unique considerations, guidance from other sectors—like the tobacco industry or even grain production—provides a useful reference for some of the issues facing marijuana employees. Weaver’s portion of the presentation focused on the 2022 death of Massachusetts cannabis worker Lorna McMurrey, 27, who collapsed at a Trulieve cultivation facility. An OSHA investigation published the next year found her death was the result of occupational asthma that led to cardiac arrest and anoxic brain injury. Weaver, who was the lead author on that investigation, said the “first major point” she wanted to make “is that the magnitude of exposures in the occupational setting is way, way more than the recreational setting.” “There are some who think that because a number of cannabis employees may also use the product recreationally, they couldn’t possibly develop any work-related symptoms from it,” she said. “That’s in fact not the case. The exposures in the occupational setting are much greater.” OSHA via BCSP In Washington State, Weaver noted that a review of workers’ compensation claims from legal cannabis employees found 10 cases of marijuana-related occupational asthma, seven of which occurred at indoor marijuana production facilities. A 2020 questionnaire of Washington cannabis workers found that 22 of 31 respondents reported one or more work-related symptoms. Two thirds (65 percent) of those were respiratory issues, followed by eye, nasal and skin-related symptoms. Weaver said better detection protocols at workplaces, referrals to appropriate specialists and robust research into cannabis-related risks are essential to improve health and safety in the industry. “Importantly, we need research because we need to know which exposures and job titles are the highest risk for these respiratory outcomes,” she said. “Because you can’t prevent what you aren’t able to identify.” Weaver added that it would also be helpful “to have diagnostic tests for cannabis sensitization so that we have a better way of diagnosing which symptomatic employees in fact have which responses” to irritants in the work environment. Daniels concluded the event by noting that while legal issues around drug testing weren’t the focus of the presentation, OSHA recently issued a memo about drug testing policies, which she said is important “especially in the culture where marijuana and drug use by employees could become a concern by the employer.” “To summarize, federal law does not prevent employers from conducting pre-employment drug testing or testing based on reasonable suspicion, periodic or random drug testing, depending on the nature of the employment, as well as post-incident drug testing,” she said. “Any action taken under the post-incident drug-testing policy would only be a violation if the employer took that action to penalize the employee for reporting a work-related injury or illness rather than for the legitimate purpose of promoting workplace safety and health.” An OSHA official said last year that the federal government’s ongoing prohibition of marijuana makes the agency’s job “complicated” when it comes to ensuring the safety of workers in the cannabis industry. Andrew Levinson, director of OSHA’s Directorate of Standards and Guidance, said at a late-May meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) that “the cannabis industry is a little bit complicated for federal agencies because cannabis is still illegal at the federal level.” “So there’s kind of state activity going on. We still go out and deal with those issues, but the policy issues there are complicated,” he said, adding at the time that he wasn’t sure if there had been workplace fatalities in the marijuana sector. As for the Massachusetts cannabis worker who died after collapsing at a facility operated by the multistate operator Trulieve, the company paid OSHA $14,502 to settle the case, also agreeing to conduct a study to “determine whether ground cannabis dust is required to be classified as a ‘hazardous chemical’ in the occupational setting,” according to a press release at the time. At last year’s NACOSH meeting Levinson acknowledged the Massachusetts death and said that “we still go out when OSHA would normally go out, but from a policy perspective, the way that we develop materials for specific industries is a little bit complicated by the legal issues.” In June of last year, the leader of one of the country’s largest labor unions is called on President Joe Biden to end federal marijuana prohibition—and he also urged the administration to allow OSHA to “immediately start work on a national workplace safety standard for legal cannabis business, using the regulations set by California as a model.” Congressional Lawmakers Approve GOP-Led Marijuana And Psychedelics Bills Focused On Veterans Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post Federal OSHA Officials Discuss Marijuana Industry Worker Safety appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

ND legalization; VA marijuana sales prediction; KS medical cannabis vote; CA psychedelics; FL ballot campaign veteran coalition 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 The House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee approved GOP-led medical cannabis and psychedelics bills aimed at military veterans’ therapeutic access—even though the Department of Veterans Affairs opposed one measure and asked for changes to the other. North Dakota activists filed a marijuana legalization initiative they hope to qualify for the November ballot. Virginia Democratic senators who sponsored legislation to legalize recreational marijuana sales that was vetoed by Gov. Glenn Younkgin (R) this session said it will likely be 2027 or later before adult-use cannabis commerce can launch under a new governor. A Kansas Republican senator filed a motion to force a vote on a medical cannabis legalization bill that GOP leadership has blocked from advancing. The California Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee approved a bill to legalize psychedelic service centers where people could access psilocybin, MDMA, mescaline and DMT in a supervised environment with trained facilitators. The Florida marijuana legalization campaign is recruiting military veterans to help “raise awareness among voters about the importance of cannabis as a safer alternative to synthetic opioids for treating PTSD” as the ballot vote in November approaches. / FEDERAL The Drug Enforcement Administration is promoting a prohibitionist organization’s data about youth exposure to delta-8 THC products. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said it’s “the goal” to combine marijuana banking reform with stablecoin legislation and a proposal to claw back compensation for executives at failed lenders. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) tweeted about meeting with Washington Department of Financial Institutions officials “to talk about my work to protect legal cannabis businesses through the SAFER Banking Act.” Former Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and former Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) discussed the prospects for passing marijuana banking legislation. / STATES New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said she and legislative leaders have agreed on budget provisions allowing marijuana regulators and localities to padlock unlicensed businesses and set fines for their landlords. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) announced awards of more than $2.3 million in funding through the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund. Utah regulators filed proposed changes to medical cannabis and hemp rules. Oklahoma regulators said they are denying “a large number” of medical cannabis business employee credential applications because they were submitted without a fully completed background check attestation. North Dakota regulators reported that the state now has nearly 10,000 registered medical cannabis patients. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council, located within North Carolina, held a work session to discuss an adult-use marijuana program as the tribe prepares to launch medical cannabis sales on 4/20. Missouri regulators published a podcast about 4/20. Oregon regulators will consider changes to marijuana rules on Thursday. Nevada regulators will hold a workshop on changes to cannabis testing laboratory rules on April 30. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,400 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 Denver, Colorado officials sent a reminder about marijuana use rules ahead of 4/20. / INTERNATIONAL German states are considering enacting hefty fines for violations of the country’s new marijuana legalization law. A Jersey lawmaker is planning to introduce a marijuana decriminalization bill. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study suggested that “cannabis users with [primary spontaneous pneumothorax] might experience lower in-hospital mortality and fewer complications than non-cannabis users.” A review concluded that “psilocybin treatment for depression is safe and efficacious.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The American Bar Association published an article about cannabis law courses at universities across the country. The Illinois Policy Institute published an overview of how the state allocates cannabis revenue. / BUSINESS Wana’s CEO is stepping down. Stiizy is being sued for allegedly selling products billed as hemp but which had high enough levels of psychoactive THC to be illegal. / CULTURE Mike Tyson is refraining from using marijuana ahead of a boxing match against Jake Paul in Texas. 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 Congressional cannabis & psychedelics votes (Newsletter: April 17, 2024) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net