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  2. Kansas lawmakers have voted to table a bill to create a medical marijuana pilot program in the state that has drawn early criticism from advocates who view it as excessively restrictive. The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee took testimony on the legislation in a hearing on Thursday, a little over a week after it was first introduced. But after members heard from supporters, opponents and neutral parties, they accepted a motion to table it until January 13, 2025 in a voice vote—effectively killing the measure for the current session. After several unsuccessful attempts to legalize medical cannabis in a more conventional manner in recent sessions, lawmakers were exploring whether there would be enough support to enact the more limited reform through a pilot program that would have launched later this year. The committee put an abrupt halt to that conversation. “Our goal is to provide relief for patients, while also balancing the concerns of legislators and conservative Kansans,” Sam Jones, COO of Kansas Natural Remedies, which helped draft the legislation, said during the hearing. “By being one of the last states to implement this, I think we’ve learned from other states,” he said. “We’ve tailored this bill to address the things that other states have gotten wrong and to address the things that they may have gotten right. This is a limited bill. This is supposed to be a pilot program. This is a proof of concept for medical cannabis to give proof that medical cannabis isn’t going to cause the end of society.” Under the measure, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment would be responsible for overseeing the program, and regulators could only approve licenses for four vertically integrated cannabis operators across the state. Pharmacies could also be permitted to sell medical marijuana. To participate in the program, patients with one of 16 qualifying conditions—including cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain—would need to obtain a certification from a physicians. There are a number of restrictions built into the legislation, including a ban on smoking marijuana products. While the bill also says that vaporizing cannabis would be prohibited, there’s separate language stating that flower could be inhaled through non-combustable vaporization. Cannabis pills, tinctures, patches and ointments would also be permitted. Patients could not buy more than 200 grams of cannabis for a 30-day supply. There would be a 35 percent THC cap on cannabis products, which would be taxed at eight percent. The bill calls for 20 percent of tax revenue to go toward a “medical cannabis research and education fund,” and the remaining dollars would be deposited into the state general fund. Patients would need to be 21 or older to access medical cannabis. Most state medical marijuana laws set the minimum age at 18, with certain exceptions for minors with serious medical conditions. There would not be a home grow option for patients. And the legislation also appears to lack any equity provisions such as expungements for prior cannabis convictions or licensing prioritization for people most impacted under prohibition. Jones, whose group drafted the legislation, was asked about the equity issue and recognized that such policies were not included because “our intent with this bill is to provide proof of concept for medical cannabis.” “If this goes well, then we can implement a restrictive but more comprehensive medical cannabis bill. And at that time, I think social equity provision be appropriate,” he said. There would be a requirement that a director, manager or officer of a medical cannabis company have held a hemp producer license for the two years prior to entering the marijuana industry. Kelsey Olson, deputy secretary of the Kansas Department of Agriculture, told the committee that that specific provision is “problematic,” pointing out that it’s in “direct conflict” with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy that prohibits licensed hemp farmers from also growing marijuana, regardless of the state’s law. “Once the hemp licensee begins producing medical cannabis, they could no longer grow industrial hemp without having violated the USDA final rule,” she said. “We could easily be neutral if the connections with hemp were removed.” Medical cannabis operators that the department licenses would be able to launch beginning on July 1 of this year. The pilot program would sunset on July 1, 2029. Michael Snyder, a military veteran, testified at Thursday’s hearing about the need to provide the veteran population with an alternative to opioids. “Why are we so concerned about medical cannabis when Kansans are dying every day from overdosing on a prescribed narcotic that turns patients into addicts?” he said. “This is the real issue. A vote against medical cannabis is a vote for continued opioid prescription addiction, overdose and needless suffering.” Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) Director Tony Mattivi, meanwhile, said his agency is “strongly opposed” to the proposal. “I’m very concerned by some of the trends and the data that we’ve seen as we look around the country at other states that have legalized,” he said, arguing that state-level reform is associated with increased rates of opioid overdoses. He claimed legalization would open the door to organized crime that the agency doesn’t have the resources to manage. After the bill’s introduction, the Kansas Cannabis Chamber of Commerce (KCCC) was quick to criticize the legislation, which was previewed last month by Senate President Ty Masterson (R). KCCC President Erren Wright said that the “extreme limitations on medical cannabis in this bill are going to hurt more people than they help.” This medical cannabis pilot program measure was filed about a month after the Kansas House of Representatives rejected a Democratic lawmaker’s amendment to a broader drug scheduling bill that would have removed marijuana entirely from the state’s controlled substances law, effectively legalizing it. Meanwhile, a separate bill to create a limited medical cannabis program has also faced resistance from some legislative leaders. House lawmakers previously passed a medical cannabis bill in 2021, but it failed to get traction in the Senate. Masterson, the Senate president, said late last year he was open to a discussion about a limited medical marijuana program. But in January, he appeared less open to the idea, calling medical legalization a “nonstarter” and suggesting the policy change could lead to a surge in “gang activity” and put kids at risk. He also suggested voters didn’t understand medical marijuana. “I think what people see when they think of medical, they’re thinking of, you know, palliative care and things like that,” Masterson said. Masterson, who also helped kill the House-passed medical marijuana bill in 2021, has downplayed popular support for broader adult-use cannabis legalization, suggesting voters don’t understand the policy change. “If you look at that question, I think most people would answer yes, but they don’t know what they’re actually saying yes to,” the Senate president said. A Kansas Speaks poll from last fall found that 67 percent of Kansans, including a majority of Republicans, support legalizing cannabis for all adults 21 and older. Last year, the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee held several hearings on a medical cannabis reform bill, but members ultimately voted to table it. The panel is now sponsoring the medical cannabis pilot program measure. After the Senate committee shelved the medical marijuana bill, Gov. Laura Kelly (D) issued a statement urging the public to contact their representatives to demand that they take the legislation back up for action, but that did not happen before the end of the legislative session. Kelly, who has long championed cannabis reform, said at the time that she was “disappointed that some legislators are saying they don’t want to move forward with legalizing medical marijuana this year—effectively turning their backs on our veterans and those with chronic pain and seizure disorders.” A year ago, in her 2023 State of the State address, the governor said that there’s a “commonsense way to improve health care here in Kansas—and that’s to finally legalize medical marijuana.” The governor also said in 2021 that she would be “enlisting the efforts of the people of Kansas who really want this” to pressure their lawmakers to get the reform enacted. Members of the state’s Special Committee on Medical Marijuana held final meetings on the issue in December 2022, as they worked to prepare legislation for the 2023 session. Sen. Rob Olson (R), who chaired the special panel, said that he believed Masterson removed him as chair of the Federal and State Affairs Committee in retaliation for holding the medical marijuana hearings. Also in 2022, then-House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer (D) and Assistant Minority Leader Jason Probst (D) said they wanted to let voters decide on legalizing medical and adult-use marijuana in the state. The governor, for her part, previously pushed a separate proposal that would legalize medical cannabis and use the resulting revenue to support Medicaid expansion, with Rep. Brandon Woodard (D) filing the measure on the governor’s behalf. Following President Joe Biden’s announcement in 2022 on pardoning people who’ve committed federal marijuana possession offenses and imploring governors to follow suit, Kelly said that her administration is “focused on legalizing medical marijuana so that Kansans with severe illnesses no longer have to suffer. Kelly added that they will “continue to consider all clemency and pardon requests based on a complete and thorough review of the individual cases.” The governor also said in 2020 that while she wouldn’t personally advocate for adult-use legalization, she wouldn’t rule out signing the reform into law if a reform bill arrived on her desk. Congressional Lawmakers Push Attorney General To Issue ‘Overdue’ Marijuana Guidance, Saying Ongoing ‘Legal Limbo’ Is “Unacceptable’ Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Kansas Senators Kill Bill To Create Medical Marijuana Pilot Program appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  3. With both chambers of Maryland’s legislature having recently passed bills to establish a psychedelics task force to study legal access to substances like psilocybin and DMT, committees in the opposite chambers have now received those measures and voted to advance them along in the lawmaking process. On Wednesday, the House Health and Government Operations Committee approved SB 1009 on a voice vote, with no discussion on the proposal at the hearing. The full Senate approved that psychedelics bill earlier this month in a unanimous 45–0 vote. The House companion, meanwhile—HB 548, which passed that chamber on a 136–1 vote on March 13—advanced through the Senate’s Finance Committee as part of a voice vote on a package of multiple bills on Tuesday. The legislation, if it becomes law, would establish a “Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances” that would be overseen by the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA). It would be charged specifically with ensuring “broad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances” in the state. Members of the task force would be required to examine and make recommendations on issues such as “permitting requirements, including requirements regarding education and safety,” “access to treatment and regulated support” and “production of natural psychedelic substances.” There are also provisions tasking the body with looking into expunging prior convictions for psychedelics and releasing people incarcerated for such offenses, along with a mandate to make recommendations on potential civil penalties for “nonviolent infractions involving the planting, cultivating, purchasing, transporting, distributing, or possessing of or other engagement with natural psychedelic substances.” The governor, legislative leaders and various state agencies would be responsible for appointing the 17-member task force that would specifically consider policies around psilocybin, psilocin, dimethyltryptamine and mescaline (not derived from peyote). Under a recent amendment, the legislation would also give members discretion to put more psychedelics under review as they see fit. The body’s recommendations would be due to the governor and legislature by July 31, 2025. The legislation would sunset after two and a half years. The House version as originally introduced contained more prescriptive requirements to explore and issue recommendations on aspects of psychedelics policy such as “systems to support statewide online sales of natural psychedelic substances with home delivery” and “testing and packaging requirements for products containing natural psychedelic substances with clear and accurate labeling of potency.” That language was taken out in an amendment and also did not appear in the original Senate version as drafted. — 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. — The task force legislation is advancing about two years after a different law took effect creating a state fund to provide “cost-free” access to psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine for military veterans suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injury. A growing number of other states are also pursuing psychedelics reform legislation this legislative session, with a focus on research and therapeutic access. Vermont’s Senate, for example, 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 also 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. 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. Maine lawmakers are advancing legislation to establish a commission tasked with studying and making recommendations on regulating access to psychedelic services. A Missouri House committee unanimously approved a bill to legalize the medical use of psilocybin by military veterans and fund studies exploring the therapeutic potential of the psychedelic. Connecticut lawmakers held a recent hearing on a bill to decriminalize possession of psilocybin. The governor of New Mexico recently endorsed a newly enacted resolution requesting that state officials research the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and explore the creation of a regulatory framework to provide access to the psychedelic. An Illinois senator recently introduced 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 continuing to advance 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. Bipartisan California lawmakers also recently introduced a bill to legalize psychedelic service centers where adults 21 and older could access psilocybin, MDMA, mescaline and DMT in a supervised environment with trained facilitators. 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. Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura Launches His Own Cannabis Brand, Fulfilling A ‘Lifelong Dream’ The post Maryland Legislative Committees Approve Psychedelics Task Force Bills That Already Passed Full Opposite Chambers appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  4. A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official says the agency wants to “correct misperceptions” that its drug scheduling review process is done in a “shroud of secrecy” as it works to reach a final decision on possibly reclassifying marijuana. He also said it sometimes takes up to six months for DEA to complete its analysis of health officials’ recommendations—which is just about how long it has now been since the agency began its current cannabis assessment. In the latest episode of the agency’s “Prevention Profiles: Take Five” series, DEA Senior Prevention Program Manager Rich Lucey spoke with DEA pharmacologist Buki Ebeigbe about the scheduling process and specifically how it relates to the ongoing cannabis review—marking the first time that officials with the agency have discussed its current analysis of marijuana’s Schedule I status publicly in any depth. “I just think it’s important for people to—again, going back to correcting misperceptions and really the issue of transparency and, by us even doing this podcast, just to help people understand the process,” Lucey said. “We don’t want it to necessarily feel as if it’s behind this shroud of secrecy, which I think then lends itself to this idea that it’s a whole arbitrary process.” Transparency has been a key concern for advocates and lawmakers, with DEA declining to say anything publicly beyond confirming that they’ve received the recommendation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and are now carrying out their own review. That process is “independent” of the HHS review, Lucey stressed. That’s right,” Ebeigbe said. “It’s in its process. We’ve received [the HHS analysis], and we’re in the process of writing that recommendation” on cannabis scheduling to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Once that information is compiled and that document is written—that eight-factor document is written—it’s reviewed through our internal process,” she said, referring to the multi-step analysis the agency is completing on the effects of cannabis. “Ultimately, the administrator will make a decision on where to place it—whether to change it or whether to remove it or whatever.” Lucey also commented on the complexity of drug scheduling reviews and what that means in terms of timing. “Right now it’s a ‘wait and see.’ HHS has done their part, and now DEA is doing its part, which is that eight-factor analysis. And that can take anywhere from like three to six months sometimes,” he said. “I mean, it’s not like we’re going to be done in a week. It never happens that way.” While Lucey was speaking generally about the drug scheduling review process, that timeline is notable. HHS delivered its Schedule III recommendation to DEA last August, meaning it’s been more than six months now that the drug agency has been conducting its own review. And there’s significant pressure to complete its work expeditiously. WATCH #DEACampus podcast Prevention Profiles: Take Five! w/ guest Dr. Buki Ebeigbe, a DEA Diversion Control Division pharmacologist. Discover insights into the Controlled Substances Act, common misperceptions, and her journey into DEA. Tune in now: https://t.co/Gz97J1IRKT pic.twitter.com/yrUFO4YjUP — DEA HQ (@DEAHQ) March 27, 2024 Vice President Kamala Harris recently added her voice to that end, urging DEA to finalize its cannabis review “as quickly as possible” and calling it “absurd” and “patently unfair” that marijuana remains in Schedule I alongside drugs such as heroin. The expectation is that, once DEA completes the review, it will publish its decision in the Federal Register, after which point there will be a public comment period. Asked whether those comments will “play a role” in the possibility of rescheduling, Ebeigbe said “that is an unknown—that is an absolute unknown.” In any case, she stressed earlier in the interview that “it’s important for the viewers to know that we read every single comment and we have to respond publicly.” She also noted that, after the public comment period, there’s a possibility the agency will schedule a hearing, which individuals can request if they “would like their opinions heard on a larger scale.” Ebeigbe also broadly defended the scheduling review process, stressing that it is not “arbitrary” and that everything the agency does must be “legally defensible.” One legal question that may be considered concerns international treaty obligations and whether the U.S. would be out of compliance with United Nations (UN) Single Convention treaties if it moved cannabis to Schedule III—an argument that several conservative lawmakers and prohibitionists have insisted DEA take into account, despite differing opinions among legal experts. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra recently 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. The Biden administration was also recently pressed to reschedule marijuana by two coalitions representing military veterans and law enforcement—including a group that counts DEA’s Milgram among its members. Based on a recent poll, President Joe Biden’s cannabis moves stand to benefit him in the election. The survey found the president’s favorability spiked after people were made aware of the possibility that marijuana could be rescheduled under the Biden-initiated review. Where Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Stands On Marijuana Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post DEA Officials Discuss Marijuana Scheduling Timeline, Seeking To ‘Correct Misperceptions’ That Decisions Are Made In A ‘Shroud Of Secrecy’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  5. Vermont’s Senate 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. Senators on Wednesday approved the legislation, S. 114 during third reading on a voice vote. It now advances to the House of Representatives. Lawmakers did not discuss the measure ahead of the final vote, but sponsor Sen. Martine Larocque Gulick (D) said ahead of the bill’s second reading a day earlier that the legislation “will start the state of Vermont on a journey to explore other possibilities and other options to treating mental illness.” Under the proposal in its current form, Vermont would establish an eight-member Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group that would “examine the use of psychedelics to improve physical and mental health and to make findings and recommendations regarding the advisability of the establishment of a State program similar to other jurisdictions to permit health care providers to administer psychedelics in a therapeutic setting and the impact on public health of allowing individuals to legally access psychedelics under state law.” Many people believe psychedelics “never should have been designated as class one drugs to begin with,” Gulick said, “because their power to heal far outweighs their ability to harm, especially when taken therapeutically with a doctor or healthcare practitioner.” As originally introduced, Gulick’s bill would have also legalized use and possession of psilocybin, but lawmakers on the Senate Health and Welfare Committee nixed that section last week to focus instead on the working group. “It could be that decriminalization is going to get in the way of therapeutic use,” Sen. Ginny Lyons (D), who chairs that committee, said at the time. “What we’re looking for is the value of therapeutic use.” The proposed group would review research and scientific literature as well as laws and programs in other jurisdictions. They would also be directed to provide an opportunity “for individuals with lived experience to provide testimony” as well as provide “potential timelines for universal and equitable access to psychedelic assisted treatments. Under language of the bill now approved by the Senate, membership would consist of: A representative of the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, who would be appointed by the school’s dean A representative of the Brattleboro Retreat, a psychiatric and addiction hospital, who would be appointed by the president and CEO A member of the Vermont Psychological Association, appointed by the president A member of the Vermont Psychiatric Association, appointed by the president The executive director of the Vermont Board of Medical Practice or a designee The director of the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation or a designee The Vermont Commissioner of Health or a designee A co-founder of the Psychedelic Society of Vermont In other drug-related actions this session, Vermont’s House also recently passed a bill to legalize and fund safe consumption sites, part of a pilot program aimed at quelling the ongoing epidemic of drug-related deaths. It’s another attempt by lawmakers to allow the facilities following Gov. Phil Scott’s (R) veto of a 2022 measure that would have established a task force to create a plan to open the sites. A growing number of other states are also pursuing psychedelics reform legislation this legislative session, with a focus on research and therapeutic access. For example, 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. Meanwhile, the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates 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. It would be charged specifically with ensuring “broad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances” in the state. A companion measure is also advancing in the Senate. 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. Maine lawmakers are advancing legislation to establish a commission tasked with studying and making recommendations on regulating access to psychedelic services. A Missouri House committee unanimously approved a bill to legalize the medical use of psilocybin by military veterans and fund studies exploring the therapeutic potential of the psychedelic. Connecticut lawmakers held a recent hearing on a bill to decriminalize possession of psilocybin. The governor of New Mexico recently endorsed a newly enacted resolution requesting that state officials research the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and explore the creation of a regulatory framework to provide access to the psychedelic. An Illinois senator recently introduced 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 continuing to advance 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. Bipartisan California lawmakers also recently introduced a bill to legalize psychedelic service centers where adults 21 and older could access psilocybin, MDMA, mescaline and DMT in a supervised environment with trained facilitators. 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. Study Finds Natural Psychedelic Mushrooms Produce ‘Enhanced Effects’ Compared To Synthesized Psilocybin, Suggesting Entourage Effect Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype and Apollo. The post Vermont Senate Passes Psychedelic Working Group Bill To Study How Entheogens Might Benefit Physical And Mental Health appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  6. Great initiative! It's wonderful to see research shedding light on the experiences of women in the cannabis industry. This study is definitely a significant contribution. It reminds me of the diverse conversations you can have on platforms like omegle new, where you get to hear unique perspectives from different individuals.
  7. German legalization officially signed; Congressional marijuana letters; Poll: only 1/10 Americans opposes legal cannabis; DE banking; MA psychedelics 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 Sens. Romney (R-UT), James Risch (R-ID) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration raising concerns that moving marijuana to Schedule III could violate U.S. international treaty obligations and have “diplomatic implications” that could undermine “our ability to ensure other countries continue to enforce their own drug controls…including for deadly narcotics like fentanyl.” Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Barbara Lee (D-CA) sent a letter telling Attorney General Merrick Garland it’s “unacceptable” that the Justice Department has not reissued “overdue” federal marijuana enforcement guidance to discourage interference in state cannabis laws, leaving Americans in a “legal limbo.” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) said he doesn’t “plan on signing” a bill to legalize recreational marijuana sales that lawmakers sent to his desk. “Anybody who thinks I’m going to sign that legislation must be smoking something.” Germany’s marijuana legalization law was officially signed by Bundesrat President Manuela Schwesig and will go into effect on Monday. A new poll from the Pew Research Center found that only one out of ten Americans wants to keep marijuana completely illegal—with a majority saying cannabis legalization bolsters local economies and makes the criminal justice system more fair. The Delaware House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee approved a bill to provide state-level protections to banks that service marijuana businesses. A New Hampshire House Finance subcommittee rejected a marijuana legalization bill amendment to enact a franchise system overseen by the state that would bring the overall proposal more in line with the wishes of Gov. Chris Sununu (R), who reiterated this week that he sees legalizing cannabis as “inevitable.” The Massachusetts legislature’s Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a hearing on a measure to legalize psychedelics that may appear on the November ballot if lawmakers don’t enact it first. Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura is launching his own cannabis brand, fulfilling a “lifelong dream.” “I can’t tell you how truly amazing this feels. To finally be able to LEGALLY share with you, products from a plant that has had such an amazing impact on my life.” Minnesota lawmakers are considering a number of bills to make changes to the state’s marijuana laws—including measures to increase medical cannabis homegrow limits and amend equity business licensing rules. Arizona retailers sold more than $1.4 billion worth of legal marijuana products in 2023, with recreational sales making up a growing share of the market compared to medical cannabis. / FEDERAL The Department of Energy awarded funding to support the development of hemp-based insulated siding. The Senate approved a resolution commemorating National Poison Prevention Week that cites “accidental edible cannabis ingestion” as a key issue. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) refused to answer questions about a marijuana banking bill. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) sent a press release decrying the inclusion of a rider blocking Washington, D.C. from legalizing recreational marijuana sales in a funding bill. The House marijuana banking bill got two new cosponsors for a total of 108. / STATES Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) discussed efforts to name a top marijuana regulator for the state. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed a bill to legalize xylazine test strips. Indiana Republican gubernatorial candidates spoke about their positions on marijuana policy during a debate. A Kentucky representative discussed his opposition to adding new medical cannabis qualifying conditions. A New York senator spoke about his concerns with marijuana legalization at the United Nations Global Conference for a Drug-Free World. An Oklahoma representative authored an op-ed on efforts to crack down on illegal marijuana operations. A Texas Republican House candidate authored a blog post about his support for marijuana reform. Officials with a Florida marijuana legalization campaign authored an op-ed on how their proposed ballot initiative “balances freedom and regulation.” The Connecticut Appellate Court upheld an employer’s right to discharge a worker for being impaired on the job from medical cannabis. New Jersey regulators posted information about the benefits of medical cannabis in treating conditions that affect women. Ohio regulators posted updated medical cannabis patient and caregiver numbers. — 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 An Mobile, Alabama City Council member said he will be filing a marijuana decriminalization proposal. Costa Mesa, California police returned more than 100 pounds of cannabis products seized from a licensed business. / INTERNATIONAL Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the country will not legalize drugs under his leadership. Swiss officials released initial results of a regional marijuana legalization pilot program in Basel-Stadt. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada police said seizures of small amounts of drugs have dropped at a “dramatic” rate since the province enacted a decriminalization policy. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A review affirms “the potential of CBD as a promising treatment option for pediatric patients with” Dravet syndrome. A study found that “when isolating the impact of cannabis use by excluding women who use other recreational drugs and those who discontinue cannabis during pregnancy, no significant association between antenatal cannabis use and [small for gestational age at] birth was found.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The United Food and Commercial Workers discussed support for a federal marijuana banking bill in a newsletter. / BUSINESS Schwazze reported quarterly revenue of $43.3 million and a net loss of $29.4 million. MediPharm Labs Corp. reported quarterly revenue of C$9.1 million and a net operating loss of C$2.9 million. Organigram Holdings Inc. announced pricing for an overnight marketed public offering of shares for total gross proceeds of approximately C$25 million. It is separately investing $2 million in Steady State LLC. Eaze workers voted unanimously to join Teamsters Local 150. / CULTURE Former football player Ricky Williams is launching a psilocybin services facility in Oregon. 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 Virginia gov won’t sign cannabis sales bill (Newsletter: March 28, 2024) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
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  10. Yesterday
  11. A New Hampshire House subcommittee on Wednesday rejected a sweeping amendment to a marijuana legalization bill—declining to pivot to a franchise system that would be overseen by the state and which would bring the overall proposal more in line with the wishes of the governor, who reiterated this week that he views legalizing cannabis as “inevitable.” Instead, the panel moved forward with a so-called agency store model—which would more closely resemble a typical commercial marketplace—despite warnings that the approach would doom the bill in the Senate. The hearing of the House Finance subcommittee was one of the last stops for the bill in the House before a floor vote that would send it to Senate lawmakers. At issue was whether to accept a 38-page striking amendment from subcommittee vice chair Rep. Dan McGuire (R) that would more closely align the proposal with demands made by Gov. Chris Sununu (R) and certain senators or whether to stand by legislation already approved by House policy committees. The full House has already gave initial approval to an earlier version of the legislation, HB 1633, from Rep. Erica Layon (R). But at various House committee hearings, lawmakers such as Sen. Darryl Abbas (R)—who chaired a failed state commission on legalization late last year—warned that the proposal wouldn’t fly in the Senate. McGuire told the panel on Wednesday that even though he didn’t agree with everything in his amendment, it was necessary in order to get legalization across the finish line this year. “We are told from the governor and from our contacts in the Senate that this is what they want: the franchise model,” McGuire said. “We are also told they will not vote for the version the House passed, and we are told that they are either unwilling or incapable of making significant changes in the Senate.” “If we want to see a bill passed—and I’m not sure that everybody does, but for those of us who do—I think we should pass this amendment,” he urged colleagues. But at the meeting, the subcommittee voted 6–3 to reject the franchise amendment, setting up a possible showdown with Senate lawmakers and the governor’s office. “I’m supporting the [House] Commerce Committee’s position on this,” said Rep. Chuck Grassie (D), referring to the separate panel that spent significant time in recent sessions crafting legalization legislation. “I mean, if the Senate has problems with passing a bill, I don’t see why we have to do their hard work here for them. I think they need to debate this. They need to make up their mind on a bill, and they need to send something back to us if we want to see cannabis legalization in the state of New Hampshire.” While discussion on the McGuire amendment dominated the hearing, members of the House subcommittee in the back half of the meeting adopted two other amendments, one from the panel’s chair, Rep. Peter Leishman (D), and one from Layon, the bill’s sponsor. Leishman’s amendment, according to his description, would do away with provision establishing a body to study substance use prevention, treatment and recovery. Instead it would leave that work to an existing governor’s commission on drug and alcohol abuse. The amendment, which passed 8–1, also routes revenue from legal cannabis to the state’s general fund rather than a specified education trust fund, community investment fund and other specific earmarks, and it removes the underlying bill’s allowance for state Liquor Commission to move money without legislative oversight. As for money needed to set up the market, those finances would come from the state Liquor Commission under Leishman’s amendment rather than from the state general fund. The Liquor Commission would also need to send a report on its cannabis oversight and the launch of the legal market no later than three months after the bill’s effective date, with subsequent reports due every quarter thereafter. A number of members of the panel also applauded the work of Layon, who’s spent recent weeks working to build consensus with Senate counterparts and members of a state study commission convened last year to propose legalization legislation of its own—a task the panel failed to complete before a deadline in December. “I would just say, the wok that the [House] Commerce Committee did was basically a Herculean effort on the part of Rep. Layon to make the changes that were expressed to her were needed to get the governor and the Senate on board,” Grassie said. “And I think she pushed it as far as she could.” Layon herself also offered changes to the underlying bill at Wednesday’s hearing, which the panel passed 8–1. One change would clarify that the state’s existing medical marijuana businesses, known as alternative treatment centers (ATCs), would be able to continue cultivating medical marijuana and could sell both medical and adult-use cannabis products at the same locations. Another change would restructure the bill to separate what Layon calls “operational” control over stores from what she calls “regulatory” control. Generally her bill would allow stores under a so-called agency store model, which she described as a system “where the state requires agreement and compliance from private businesses granted limited licenses by the Liquor Commission beyond the traditional health and safety regulatory role of government.” Her amendment divides those two roles—regulation and broader operational control—and says that they’re severable. That means that if the federal government decides to go after the state for its day-to-day oversight of the industry, as Layon and others have warned could happen, the state could still preserve its regulatory authority over cannabis businesses. The change would also allow lawmakers in future years to shift away from the agency store model toward a more traditional private marketplace. “At least if we have these clear lines between the operational control and the regulatory control, there’s an opportunity for the state to pivot if we’ve adopted the wrong model,” she said. One additional change discussed toward the end of the subcommittee hearing was clarifying penalties for public use of marijuana. McGuire’s amendment, and some in the Senate, proposed penalizing a second offense of public consumption with possible jail time. Layon’s bill, meanwhile, failed to specify what kind of misdemeanor would apply to repeat public consumption offenses. Devon Chaffee, executive director of ACLU of New Hampshire, urged the adoption of language specifying a Class B misdemeanor—which would entail up to a $1,200 fine but no possibility of jail time. “With those two little words, you would no longer have to find public defenders for individuals caught smoking in public,” Chaffee told lawmakers. “You would bring the penalties to be much more in line with what the penalties are now currently if you possess less than three quarters of an ounce and are caught smoking in public, and also it would avoid the cost of potentially housing people convicted of this crime for up to a year in our county jails.” Leishman, the panel’s chair, indicated that he’d intended to make that adjustment in his own amendment, though he’d overlooked it. And while members didn’t formally vote on the change, they appeared to agree to adopt the revision. Committee staff will use the coming days to combine and incorporate the two amendments, along with the misdemeanor adjustment. The full House Finance Committee is set to return to the bill Monday and vote on the revised plan. Layon told Marijuana Moment that despite pressure from the Senate to switch to a franchise model, she’s “hardlining on agency stores.” “I think a lot of people see the window for legalization closing with the end of Sununu’s term as governor, and a lot of people are willing to do whatever is necessary to get something signed into law,” she said on Tuesday, following a preliminary hearing and public testimony on McGuire’s amendment. “I want it legalized, but I also want it to be a functional system. I’m very concerned that a franchise model will be stillborn, so I can’t support anything that will leave us in a limbo where penalties are higher yet legal cannabis is not available to purchase in the state.” Whether the decision to steer clear of a franchise model will ultimately derail the proposal, however, is yet to be seen. Meanwhile at an event this week, Sununu said he thinks legalization is “inevitable” in New Hampshire, adding that policymakers have “seen the mistakes other states have made so as not to walk down that path.” He didn’t speak to the McGuire amendment or Layon’s agency store proposal, but he repeated that he’s willing to sign at least some version of legalization bill. “People just want the accessibility for adults, keeping it away from kids,” the governor said, according to to the Concord Monitor. “If they can meet those rough stipulations, I would sign it, because I think that’s one of the safest systems you’re going to get.” He added that as a legalization skeptic, he’s better positioned to consider a thoughtful bill. “There’s no better person to help design a system that could be fraught with problems and risk specifically to kids than the guy that’s most scared of it,” he said. Last year Sununu said he supported a system of state-run retail stores, but lawmakers on a state study commission last year instead pivoted to the idea of a franchise system, which Sununu has said he’s willing to entertain. Officials at the Liquor Commission have said it would be far less costly for private franchisees to build out a system of retail stores than to ask the Liquor Commission to take on that task itself. Lawmakers took testimony on McGuire’s amendment a day before Wednesday’s hearing, at which some advocates took issue with certain provisions in the new proposal. Among them were that the plan’s 12.5 percent franchise fee on purchases—effectively a tax—would also apply to medical marijuana patients. Layon’s bill would establish a 10 percent charge and would exempt medical patients. McGuire’s amendment also lacked any plan to integrate the state’s existing medical dispensaries, known as alternative treatment centers (ATCs), into the planned adult-use system. Lawmakers worked extensively on marijuana reform issues last session and attempted to reach a compromise to enact legalization through a multi-tiered system that would include state-controlled shops, dual licensing for existing medical cannabis dispensaries and businesses privately licensed to individuals by state agencies. The legislature ultimately hit an impasse on the complex legislation. Bicameral lawmakers also convened the state commission tasked with studying legalization and proposing a path forward last year, though the group ultimately failed to arrive at a consensus or propose final legislation. The Senate defeated a more conventional House-passed legalization bill last year, HB 639, despite its bipartisan support. Last May, the House separately defeated a different marijuana legalization amendment that was being proposed as part of a Medicaid expansion bill. The Senate also moved to table another piece of legislation that month that would have allowed patients and designated caregivers to cultivate up to three mature plants, three immature plants and 12 seedlings for personal therapeutic use. After the Senate rejected the reform bills in 2022, the House included legalization language as an amendment to separate criminal justice-related legislation—but that was also struck down in the opposite chamber. New Hampshire Lawmakers Vote To Expand Medical Marijuana Program With New Conditions And Higher Possession Limits Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post New Hampshire House Panel Rejects Franchise-Based Marijuana Legalization Amendment, Setting Up Showdown With Senate And Governor appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  12. Minnesota’s former governor Jesse Ventura launching his own cannabis brand, fulfilling a “lifelong dream” by unveiling a line of hemp products. The retired professional wrestler first previewed plans to enter the cannabis space with products featuring his likeness last August, several months after Minnesota enacted adult-use marijuana legalization. Now he’s achieved that goal with Jesse Ventura Farms, a hemp brand that’s being sold in partnership with the cannabis company Retro Bakery. “I can’t tell you how truly amazing this feels,” Ventura said in a blog post. “To finally be able to LEGALLY share with you, products from a plant that has had such an amazing impact on my life. Not to mention the historical significance of being the first U.S. governor to officially put his name on a cannabis brand.” “Each step brings us closer to finally ending this tragic and dangerous war on drugs,” he said. The former governor has long championed cannabis reform, and he was invited to the ceremonial bill signing when current Gov. Tim Walz (D) gave final approval to a much-anticipated legalization bill last May. In a promotional video announcing the brand launch, Ventura said he’s a “huge supporter of the cannabis industry” and that marijuana “saved my family’s life.” A registered Minnesota medical cannabis patient himself, Ventura said last year that he typically vapes marijuana, which he uses to treat non-specific neuropathy in the feet, a condition that causes numbness and an uncomfortable tingling sensation, as well as post-traumatic stress. He said that marijuana helps him sleep through that discomfort. But his passion for reform came to the fore decades ago, when his wife developed a serious seizure disorder that was not responding to traditional pharmaceuticals that she was being prescribed. He has spoken publicly about how he decided to break the law, taking his wife to Colorado at a time before Minnesota even had a legal medical program and obtaining cannabis oil from a friend. He said that after the former first lady started taking cannabis, she never experienced another seizure. The former governor previously shared the story of his wife’s cannabis treatment last year in impassioned testimony during a Senate committee hearing on the legalization bill that’s now being implemented. Meanwhile, Ventura isn’t the only former Minnesota elected official eyeing entry into the legal cannabis business. Former House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D) announced last year that he plans to launch a line of THC-infused beverages. While Ventura is sticking with federally legal hemp products, at least for the time being, Minnesota is gearing up to launch its adult-use marijuana market, though lawmakers have recently floated a variety of amendments to the law that’s being implemented. Where Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Stands On Marijuana Photo courtesy of WeedPornDaily. The post Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura Launches His Own Cannabis Brand, Fulfilling A ‘Lifelong Dream’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  13. Nine in 10 Americans say marijuana should be legal for recreational or medical purposes, a new Pew Research Center poll finds. And most agree that legalization bolsters local economies and makes the criminal justice system more fair. The report, released on Tuesday, found that 88 percent of Americans back legalization in some form, including a 57 percent majority who say it should be accessible for medical and adult use. Just 11 percent said cannabis should be prohibited altogether. There were several common themes in terms of demographic breakdowns. Democrats were more likely to support complete legalization (72 percent), compared to 42 percent of Republicans. However, 82 percent of Republicans and 94 percent of Democrats back legalization for at least medical purposes. “There continue to be ideological differences within each party,” the research firm said, noting that moderate- and liberal-leaning GOP identifiers are significantly more likely to support complete legalization (57 percent), versus conservative Republicans (34 percent). Pew also asked respondents about their views on the societal impacts of recreational legalization, and the results showed that a majority (52 percent) feels the reform is “good” for local economies. A 42 percent plurality additionally agreed that legalization would make the criminal justice system “more fair.” An overwhelming share of U.S. adults (88%) say marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use. Just 11% of Americans say that the drug should not be legal at all. Dive in: https://t.co/JhG9VLqv6i — Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) March 26, 2024 There were larger divides on how legalization affects the use of other drugs (i.e. the gateway drug effect) and community safety. Twenty-seven percent of respondents said that marijuana legalization “decreases” the use of other drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, while 29 percent said it “increases” such use. A plurality (42 percent) said it has “no impact. More people said that legalization causes communities to be “less safety” (34 percent), compared to those who said the reform improves community safety (21 percent). A plurality (44 percent) said it has “no impact. “Sizable age and partisan differences persist on the issue of marijuana legalization though small shares of adults across demographic groups are completely opposed to it,” Pew said. “Older adults are far less likely than younger adults to favor marijuana legalization.” “This is particularly the case among adults ages 75 and older: 31 percent say marijuana should be legal for both medical and recreational use,” the report says. “By comparison, half of adults between the ages of 65 and 74 say marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use, and larger shares in younger age groups say the same.” Via Pew Research Center. Overall, this is the latest in a series of polls over recent years showing majority support for ending marijuana prohibition. For example, a Gallup poll from last November found that support for marijuana legalization has reached a new record high nationally, with seven in 10 Americans—including a sizable majority of Republicans, Democrats and independents—now backing an end to prohibition. Another survey released this 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. “There’s no ‘buyer’s remorse’ among the public when it comes to legalizing cannabis,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said in statement about the new Pew poll. “As more states have adopted legalization, public support for this policy has risen dramatically. That’s because these policies are largely working as intended and because voters prefer legalization and regulation over the failed policy of cannabis prohibition. Elected officials who refuse to take action to end cannabis criminalization do so at their own political peril.” Pew also released a separate report last month 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. Congressional Lawmakers Push Attorney General To Issue ‘Overdue’ Marijuana Guidance, Saying Ongoing ‘Legal Limbo’ Is “Unacceptable’ Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Only One Out Of Ten Americans Wants To Keep Marijuana Totally Illegal, Pew Poll Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  14. “Prohibition of alcohol ended nearly 100 years ago and we still have a liquor bill nearly every year.” By Peter Callaghan, MinnPost The lead sponsors of 2023’s recreational cannabis law are sensitive to suggestions that the sweeping law needs “fixing.” Such a word might be interpreted as endorsing Republican talking points that the bill—along with much of the work of the 2023 session—was rushed and that mistakes were made. Instead, top sponsors of House File 100 say changes they are both proposing, as well others filed by other lawmakers, are expected and routine. The law will be “modified,” not fixed. “As I said many times last year, it won’t be the last time the Legislature hears a cannabis bill,” said Sen. Lindsey Port, the Burnsville DFLer who was the lead sponsor in the Senate. “Prohibition of alcohol ended nearly 100 years ago and we still have a liquor bill nearly every year.” That said, what is being proposed to change the law at the midpoint between legalization and retail sales? Both Port and Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) have said they expect to have an omnibus cannabis bill that will contain all changes in one package. The Office of Cannabis Management’s 100-page proposal—Senate File 4782/House File 4757—is the stage setter. Even though these bills show Port and Stephenson as sponsors, they put their name on top as a courtesy to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). Their own work will likely be affixed to the OCM bill. The long list of changes would adjust how so-called social equity licenses are distributed, change the ownership ratios for such license holders, bring the hemp-derived market regulation under the Office of Cannabis Management sooner and put numerical caps on each type of license rather than let OCM decide how many the market requires. Many of the changes were suggested as ways to get to the same end point as HF 100 but with less risk of litigation. Primary among the OCM proposals is a plan to replace a points-driven system for distributing licenses to enter the new market with what the agency called a “vetted lottery.” Only applicants who meet the social equity criteria and demonstrate that they have the knowledge and wherewithal to run a business would be entered into the first lottery. Later in the process, other applicants would enter a different lottery for remaining licenses. All of these factors would be considered in the “vetted lottery,” interim OCM director Charlene Briner said. The lottery would eliminate potential subjective judgments by staff that could expose the law to litigation. Briner said the current law based on the accumulation of points would likely benefit the “well capitalized and politically savvy” and expose the state to lawsuits that could delay the roll out of retail sales next spring. But what Briner sees as a way of enhancing opportunities for people and communities—defined in the law as social equity applicants—was viewed as hostile to those same applicants during testimony last week. “The proposed lottery system is a cause for alarm from our members who have worked the last 10 months to prepare for a merit-based scoring system,” said John Bartee, president of Cannabis Retailers and Manufacturers Association of Minnesota. Big companies, he said, might be able to put in more applications, or what he called “more tickets to play,” to increase their odds of winning. Many testifiers said it harmed social equity applicants by introducing chance into license awards and might give big companies the opportunity to “flood the zone” with dozens of applicants to increase their odds. Others worried that changing the ownership ratios—something OCM saw as a way to help underfunded social equity applicants get investors—would expose those same applicants to financial predators. Current law says social equity applicants must provide 100 percent of the investment needed. The OCM proposal drops that to 65 percent as a way of helping those applicants find capital when traditional bank borrowing isn’t an option for cannabis. Calandra Revering, founder of Minnesota Association of Black Cannabis Professionals, said the lottery and change in ownership percentages “has created a path for multi-state operators to come in and expand their footprint in Minnesota.” She said other states have seen big businesses partner with social equity applicants to win licenses, only to move them out of the business. “As one of my colleagues who has opened cannabis operations in other states told me, this is called Rent a Minority” and it is on its way to Minnesota thanks to OCM’s proposal, she said. Social equity is a pillar of the law, meant to assure that people and communities harmed by the war on drugs can now benefit from legalization. Race is not mentioned in the current law, but having been from neighborhoods, communities or even families that faced higher levels of arrests and prosecution would give applicants more points. Being a veteran who faced a less-than-honorable discharge due to marijuana use is another way to get points. — 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. — But points would also be awarded for having other tasks completed, such as a business plan, demonstrating knowledge of the cannabis business, being a veteran, having financing and having a security plan in place. While OCM is to determine how many points might be scored for each of these, at least 20 percent must go toward meeting social equity goals. License applicants—cultivators, manufacturers, retailers and combination businesses that could both grow and sell products—who accumulated the most points would win licenses. In the event of ties, a random drawing could be used. Port said Friday she expects her bill to make seven Senate committee stops before returning to the Senate Commerce Committee for final action. Stephenson posted a draft of his proposed bill Monday and will hold a hearing Wednesday in his commerce committee. It makes a few changes to the OCM bill, including some of the provisions detailed below. But for now, it retains most of the major provisions including the lottery plan. Other bills filed: Homegrow for medical cannabis patients: Rep. Jessica Hanson (DFL-Burnsville) introduced HF 3766 that would allow patients enrolled in the medical cannabis registry program to grow up to 16 cannabis plants without a license, double what non-patients can grow for personal use. It also would allow caregivers to grow cannabis for the patients, though still undecided is whether a caregiver is restricted to just one patient or could grow cannabis for up to six patients. The Senate version, SF 4734, is sponsored by Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten (DFL-St. Paul). Patient protection: HF 3760, also by Hanson, would protect medical cannabis patients from sanctions from schools, landlords or occupational licensing boards for being on the registry and using medical cannabis products. Medical cannabis tribal sales: Hanson’s HF 4195 would set up a pilot project to allow the state’s two medical cannabis providers to sell to tribal governments and tribal cannabis businesses. Hanson said last week she does not expect this measure to pass this session. Medical cannabis health conditions: Rep. Kaohly Vang Her (DFL-St. Paul) introduced HF 4789 that would expand the health conditions eligible for medical cannabis. Current law empowers the commissioner of the Department of Health to decide which conditions are covered, but Her’s bill would allow a patient’s doctor to determine if cannabis would be helpful. Menthol flavors: HF 4251 also by Her, would prohibit the Office of Cannabis Management from approving cannabis flower, cannabis products and hemp-derived consumer products that contain menthol or other flavorings. Counterfeit packaging: HF 4377 by Stephenson would ban the sale of empty packaging that looks like approved products and gives the state attorney general the authority to enforce the ban. This is in response to reports of counterfeit packaging entering the state that would violate bans of packages that appeal to children if they contained hemp or marijuana products. Low-potency hemp products: HF 4629 by Rep. Nolan West (R-Blaine) would create a process to allow the sale of some lower-potency hemp products that were made illegal by HF 100. Illegal drug tax repeal: SF 3670 by Sen. Oumou Verbeten (DFL) with Hanson in the House would repeal an existing tax on illegal drugs. Current law requires illegal drug dealers to purchase tax stamps and affix them to illegally sold drugs. Such stamps are rarely purchased, and enforcement, while rare, usually comes as an add-on charge to criminal drug charges. Underage possession: House and Senate bills with bipartisan sponsorship would reinstate misdemeanor criminal penalties for underage people found in possession of marijuana. The criminal penalties were removed in HF 100, though a remnant law assigns petty misdemeanor penalties for any crime without a specific penalty. The bills are HF 4635 and SF 3925, but Port said she opposes adding the penalty, preferring to go after the illegal sale to minors that is contained in HF 100. DNR lands restriction: Cannabis would not be allowed on any state Department of Natural Resources land under a bill by Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) (SF 4538). Cannabis advertising: SF 5054 and HF 5101 by Sen. Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) and Rep. Kristin Robbins (R-Maple Grove) would ban cannabis ads that make any health claims about the products. The current law prohibits only “unverified” health claims. Health labeling: SF 5079 and HF 5103 by Nelson and Robbins would require health labeling on all cannabis products that warn of “risks to mental health, risks to the developing brain, contraindications during pregnancy and breastfeeding, addiction potential, medication interactions, interactions with preexisting medical conditions, and other health risks supported by science.” This story was first published by MinnPost. Arizona Bill Aims To Claw Back Marijuana Social Equity Licenses From Investors And Corporate Dispensaries Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Minnesota Lawmakers Propose Raft Of Changes To State Marijuana Law, Including Homegrow And Equity Adjustments appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  15. It is “unacceptable” that the Department of Justice has yet to reissue federal marijuana enforcement guidance to discourage interference in state cannabis programs, leaving Americans in a “legal limbo” despite promises to update the policy, two Democratic congressional lawmakers said in a new letter to the attorney general. Writing to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday, Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chairs Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Barbara Lee (D-CA) said the department should “correct this oversight and reissue a memo making clear DOJ’s limited resources will not be spent prosecuting those acting in accordance with state or Tribal law.” It’s been over six years since then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the previous Obama-era Cole and Wilkinson memos that generally directed prosecutors not to interfere with state and tribal marijuana laws, respectively. And making matters “especially concerning,” it’s been over a year since Garland signaled that updated guidance was forthcoming, they said. “While we appreciate the historic steps the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to pardon federal simple possession marijuana offenses and begin the formal review of marijuana’s schedule under the Controlled Substances Act, it is unacceptable that more than half of Americans living in jurisdictions with legal marijuana markets are left in limbo without public guidance to prevent unjust prosecution of those complying with their state’s or Tribe’s regulations,” the lawmakers wrote. “Law enforcement, state regulators, small businesses, patients, and everyday Americans are caught in the ambiguity of the federal-state gap, made worse by the delay in reissuing the Cole and Wilkinson Memoranda protections,” they said. Blumenauer and Lee also noted that, for years, they’ve “urged DOJ to act on this commonsense protection,” and they’ve been “consistently disappointed in meetings with agency leadership and DOJ prosecutors on existing policies.” “As congressional allies in the work to undue the harms of the misguided war on drugs, we request answers on the delays in reissuing these protections: Given President Biden and Vice President Harris’ public position that no one should be incarcerated for marijuana possession, what steps is DOJ taking to ensure state- or Tribe-legal actions are not prosecuted? What is the DOJ’s specific timeline for reissuing the Cole and Wilkinson Memoranda protections?” “While Congress works to address the impacts of the federal-state gap on cannabis policy, the urgency of issuing public guidance addressing federal prosecution of those who comply with state and Tribe cannabis laws should inform DOJ’s actions,” the letter concludes. “We look forward to your response and to the long overdue reissuing of these critical, fiscally responsible, and common-sense protections.” When Garland was asked about the issue during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last March, he said that it was “fair to expect” that the updated marijuana policy would be “very close to what was done in the Cole Memorandum.” At an earlier hearing in June 2022, the attorney general said the Justice Department was still “examining a wide range of issues that relate to marijuana and its production, sale and use, and we intend to address these issues in the days ahead.” While there’s still no formal guidance in place, the federal policy of non-interference in state cannabis programs has generally persisted over the recent administrations. But advocates want to see the memo reissued nonetheless for added protections. In the meantime, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is working to complete its review into cannabis scheduling after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended moving it from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Blumenauer separately laid into HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra last week over the “political malpractice” that is the president’s failure to end marijuana prohibition. The top federal health official promised to deliver that message to the White House, but also deferred responsibility for delays in an ongoing review into cannabis’s scheduling status to DEA. The congressman, who has pressed DEA to go further than rescheduling and fully remove cannabis from the CSA, emphasized that “we are missing an opportunity for the American people” by not acting on bolder reform. Lee told Marijuana Moment that she opposes simple rescheduling, arguing that the incremental reform could set the country back “another 50 years” on the path to federal legalization. At a White House meeting this month with people who received marijuana pardons under President Joe Biden’s proclamations, Vice President Kamala Harris also expressed frustration with how long it is taking to complete the marijuana scheduling review that President Joe Biden directed in 2022 and urged DEA to move “as quickly as possible.” Meanwhile, Blumenauer is separately seeking answers from HHS over the agency’s reported request for a legal opinion on the implications of possible marijuana rescheduling from the Justice Department. Read the letter from Blumenauer and Lee to the attorney general on the marijuana memo below: GOP Senators Tell DEA To Reject Marijuana Rescheduling, Arguing It Would Violate International Treaties Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Congressional Lawmakers Push Attorney General To Issue ‘Overdue’ Marijuana Guidance, Saying Ongoing ‘Legal Limbo’ Is “Unacceptable’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  16. Three Republican senators are urging the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reject the top federal health agency’s marijuana rescheduling recommendation, arguing that it would put the U.S. out of compliance with international treaty obligations and make it harder to ensure that other countries continue to enforce drug laws, “including for deadly narcotics like fentanyl.” In a letter sent to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram on Wednesday, Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT), James Risch (R-ID) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) said the agency should adhere to precedent and decline to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has advised. “Any effort to reschedule marijuana must be based on proven facts and scientific evidence—not the favored policy of a particular administration—and account for our treaty obligations,” the Senate Foreign Relations Committee members wrote. “Marijuana is controlled under the Single Convention—which is not surprising given its known dangers and health risks—and the United Nation’s International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has fiercely criticized efforts to legalize marijuana in other countries as a violation of the treaty,” they said. The letter notes that the Senate ratified the Single Convention that contains drug policy mandates for member states in an unanimous vote in 1967. And they pointed out that DEA has previously cited international treaty obligations in denying past rescheduling petitions. “It is important that the DEA continues to follow the law and abide by our treaty commitments,” they said, listing a series of questions they’re asking the agency to answer. To be blunt: rescheduling marijuana may cause the U.S. to violate obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Efforts to reschedule marijuana must be based on evidence, not politics, and @DEAhq must ensure we abide by our treaty commitments. https://t.co/uwWcgontPE — Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) March 27, 2024 For example, the senators asked if DEA still considers it necessary to keep marijuana in either Schedule I or Schedule II to comply with the Single Convention, as it concluded under the Obama administration. They also want to know if DEA has consulted with the State Department “regarding marijuana and any diplomatic implications of a rescheduling decision.” “Has the DEA consulted with key counterdrug partner nations about our shared obligations under the Single Convention and their views regarding a potential rescheduling by the United States?” they asked. “What impact would a potential failure by the United States to uphold its treaty obligations have on our ability to ensure other countries continue to enforce their own drug controls under the Single Convention—including for deadly narcotics like fentanyl?” the senators wrote. Kevin Sabet, president of the prohibitionist group Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), said the organization is “grateful for Senator Romney’s leadership on this critical issue of public health and safety for all Americans “It is well documented that reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug would violate our international treaty obligations,” he said. “The points made by Senator Romney must be seriously considered by the DEA and DOJ before any decision on rescheduling is finalized.” Supporters and opponents of rescheduling marijuana have made competing arguments about the influence of international treaty obligations in the final decision that DEA is expected to hand down. For example, a Democratic congresswoman recently implored DEA to “reject any argument” that rescheduling marijuana under federal law would constitute a violation of international treaty obligations. She also asked the agency to reveal a list of any “outside partners” it has met with to discuss the global implications of a potential cannabis reclassification. Legal experts recently released an opinion that disputes that assessment. In fact, they argued that a move to Schedule III would better uphold the country’s broader obligations under international law to regulate cannabis in a way that protects public health and safety. Another lawmaker who’s raised concerns about treaty obligations is Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), who addressed the issue in a separate letter sent to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram late last month, claiming that any reclassification that puts marijuana outside of Schedule I or Schedule II “would constitute a violation of the Single Convention,” referring to the 1961 United Nations (UN) Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. But as a coalition of 12 senators pointed out in a separate letter to Milgram a week earlier, the UN has since revised global cannabis scheduling policies and allowed other member states, such as Canada, to legalize and regulate marijuana without penalty. Those lawmakers urged DEA to legalize marijuana completely. The UN’s INCB did recently reiterate that it considers legalizing marijuana for non-medical or non-scientific purposes a violation of international treaties. Read the senators’ letter to DEA’s Milgram on marijuana rescheduling and international treaties below: Where Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Stands On Marijuana The post GOP Senators Tell DEA To Reject Marijuana Rescheduling, Arguing It Would Violate International Treaties appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  17. A bill to legalize marijuana nationwide in Germany has officially been signed into law, with the reform set to take effect next week. Bundesrat President Manuela Schwesig signed the legislation on Wednesday, the last step to enactment. Usually German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier would sign legislation, but because he’s currently away on vacation, that responsibility was handed down to the head of the legislative chamber representing individual states. This comes one week after members of the Bundesrat reached a deal with Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and other government ministers and declined to refer the cannabis legislation to a mediation committee that would have delayed implementation by six months. Instead, the law will go into force on Monday as planned. The Bundestag passed the marijuana legalization measure last month. The Bundesrat previously tried to block the proposed reform in September but ultimately failed. Effective April 1, adults will be allowed to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis and grow up to three plants for personal use. Then, beginning July 1, adults could join “social clubs” where they could buy up to 25 grams of cannabis, with a cap of 50 grams per month. That cap is 30 grams for members under 21 years old. Die Bundesratspräsidentin hat heute in Vertretung f. d. Bundespräsidenten folgende von Bundestag & Bundesrat verabschiedeten Gesetze unterzeichnet: – Cannabisgesetz – Wachstumschancengesetz – 2.Haushaltsfinanzierungsgesetz '24 Der Auftrag für die Verkündung im BGBI ist erteilt. — Cerstin Gammelin (@BPrSprecherin) March 27, 2024 Social clubs cannot be located near schools or playgrounds, and each jurisdiction could have only one club for every 6,000 residents. Clubs will be limited to 500 members and will need a a social club permit, which would be valid for up to seven years with the possibility of receiving an extension. There will be an official analysis of the effects of legalization on youth safety that must be completed within 18 months of enactment under the newly signed law. Officials are eventually planning to introduce a complementary second measure that would establish pilot programs for commercial sales in cities throughout the country. That legislation is expected to be unveiled after its submitted to the European Commission for review. Last month’s floor vote in the Bundestag came weeks after leaders of the coalition government announced that they’d reached a final agreement on the legalization bill, resolving outstanding concerns, primarily from the SPD. A final Bundestag vote on the legalization bill that was initially planned in December was ultimately called off amid concerns from SPD leaders. — 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 had already delayed their first debate on the legislation, which was ultimately held in October, ostensibly due to the conflict in Israel and Palestine. They also pushed back a vote scheduled for November as supporters worked on improvements to the bill. At a meeting in December, the health minister took questions from members, some of whom oppose legalization. At several points, he pushed back against lawmakers who suggested that legalization would send the wrong message to youth and lead to increased underage consumption, saying their arguments “misrepresented” the legislation. Lawmakers also previously made a raft of adjustments to the bill, mostly designed to loosen restrictions that faced opposition from advocates and supporters in the Bundestag. They included increasing home possession maximums and removing the possibility of jail time for possessing slightly more than the allowable limit. While Germany’s Federal Cabinet approved the initial framework for a legalization measure in late 2022, the government also said it wanted to get signoff from the EU to ensure that enacting the reform wouldn’t put them in violation of their international obligations. The framework was the product of months of review and negotiations within the German administration and the traffic light coalition government. Officials took a first step toward legalization in 2022, kicking off a series of hearings meant to help inform legislation to end prohibition in the country. Government officials from multiple countries, including the U.S., also met in Germany last November to discuss international marijuana policy issues as the host nation works to enact legalization. A group of German lawmakers, as well as Narcotics Drugs Commissioner Burkhard Blienert, separately visited the U.S. and toured California cannabis businesses in 2022 to inform their country’s approach to legalization. The visit came after top officials from Germany, Luxembourg, Malta and the Netherlands held a first-of-its-kind meeting to discuss plans and challenges associated with recreational marijuana legalization. Leaders of the coalition government said in 2021 that they had reached an agreement to end cannabis prohibition and enact regulations for a legal industry, and they first previewed certain details of that plan last year. A novel international survey that was released in 2022 found majority support for legalization in several key European countries, including Germany. Meanwhile, the United Nations’s (UN) drug control body recently reiterated that it considers legalizing marijuana for non-medical or scientific purposes a violation of international treaties, though it also said it appreciates that Germany’s government scaled back its cannabis plan ahead of the recent vote. Delaware Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Banking Bill That Aims To Provide State-Level Protections The post Germany’s Marijuana Legalization Bill Is Officially Signed Into Law And Will Take Effect On Monday appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  18. Recreational sales amounted for more than 76% of the total, an increase from the 70% of sales it represented in 2022. In 2021, the first year adult-use recreational sales were legal, they were just 45 percent of the total. By David Abbott, Arizona Mirror Arizona cannabis sales totaled more than $1.4 billion for the third consecutive year in 2023, as medical sales continued to tank and recreational buyers made up an overwhelming share of the sales. The maturation of the market has followed a trajectory throughout the brief history of the passage of the Smart and Safe Arizona Act, Prop. 207, in 2020, leaving medical sales in the dust at less than one-third that of the recreational market. Recreational marijuana sales for 2023 totaled about $1.1 billion, and medical contributed $348 million for total 2023 sales reaching $1.43 billion. Recreational sales amounted for more than 76 percent of the total, an increase from the 70 percent of sales it represented in 2022. In 2021, the first year adult-use recreational sales were legal, they were just 45 percent of the total. Since January 2021, recreational sales have totaled $2.8 billion, while medical has brought in slightly more than half that at $1.65 billion. The medical market dropped below $40 million in July 2022, and has not come near that mark in the ensuing months. Medical sales reached a peak of $73.4 million in April 2021, but since the inception of the dual market, medical sales have reached new lows seemingly every month. Recreational sales, which began in late January 2021, have fluctuated between $80 million and $93.5 million since July 2022. Since then, they hit a high-water mark of $100 million in March 2023 settling in at the mid- to lower-$80 million range. But recreational sales did dip in January 2024, registering just $76.8 million, the lowest since February 2022’s $72.8 million. It is the first time since June 2022 that monthly recreational marijuana sales fell below $80 million. The medical side has seen consecutive record-worst months, coming in at $25.4 million in December 2023 and just $21.5 million in January 2024. The state collects a 16 percent excise tax on recreational sales in addition to the standard sales tax; medical patients pay roughly 6 percent in state sales tax. Local jurisdictions charge an additional 2 percent or so for all marijuana sales. In January, medical sales contributed $1.8 million in sales tax revenue and recreational was nearly $12.3 million in excise tax, with an additional $6 million in state sales tax. For the entirety of 2023, the recreational market contributed $172.8 million in excise tax; since January 2021, recreational sales have generated more than $451 million in excise taxes. One-third of revenue raised by the excise tax is dedicated to community college and provisional community college districts; 3 percent to public safety, including police, fire departments, fire districts and first responders; 25 percent to the Arizona Highway User Revenue Fund; and 10 percent to the justice reinvestment fund, which is dedicated to providing public health services, counseling, job training and other social services for communities that have been adversely affected and disproportionately impacted by marijuana arrests and criminalization. The Arizona Department of Health Services has reported a steady decline in medical cannabis program participation, as the number of qualifying patients continues to drop every month. As of February, there were 111,168 qualifying patient cardholders, a drop from January’s 113,694, which was in turn 2,000 patients below the 115,914 in December 2023. At the height of the medical market, there were 299,054 qualifying patients. In February, Arizona medical cannabis consumers purchased 4,754 pounds of marijuana in various forms, down from 4,808 reported in January. So far this year, Arizona medical marijuana patients have purchased 9,562 pounds. This story was first published by Arizona Mirror. Arizona Convenience Stores And Smoke Shops Must Stop Selling Delta-8 THC Products, Attorney General Says Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post Arizona Marijuana Sales Surpassed $1.4 Billion In 2023, With Bulk Of Transactions Coming From Adult-Use Buyers appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  19. A Delaware legislative panel has approved a bill that would enact state-level protections for banks that provide services to licensed marijuana businesses. The bill, filed by Rep. Ed Osienski (D) and Sen. Trey Paradee (D), has the endorsement of state Treasurer Colleen Davis (D). Its approval on Tuesday by the House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee comes amid mounting pressure on Congress to enact federal cannabis banking reform. “This legislation will provide more financial transparency, customer convenience and a much safer environment when retail marijuana traction transactions begin,” Osienski, who also sponsored legislation that legalized marijuana last year, told the committee ahead of the vote. “The way things are operating right now in Delaware increases the costs to legal marijuana businesses, which then those increased costs get passed on to the customers,” he said. “What we’re trying to do here in Delaware is to compete against the illegal market. So this is good legislation to help those in Delaware that are getting into this industry to be able to have banking services that our other businesses have the opportunity to have in Delaware.” The Delaware measure is designed to clarify that banks, credit unions, armored car services and accounting services providers are not subject to state-level prosecution simply for working with cannabis businesses. “This Act aims to facilitate the operation of cannabis-related businesses by helping to ensure that such businesses have access to necessary financial and accounting services,” the bill synopsis says. Davis, the treasurer, said in a press release last week that “H.B. 355 will provide state-level legal protection, and a clear legal framework for banks, payment processors, and other financial service providers to follow.” “It can also ease concerns about federal enforcement and regulatory compliance among these businesses—since it allows them to demonstrate to federal agencies that they’re following a clear legal framework, ultimately leading to a safer and more transparent marijuana industry,” she said. A press release from Davis’s office also says that, in addition to providing the basic protections, the bill would effectively boost the economy, enhance safety and promote competition. The banking bill comes as regulators are rolling out a series of draft regulations to stand up the adult-use cannabis market. The current timeline puts the launch of the market at March 2025, according to Delaware Marijuana Commissioner Robert Coupe. Coupe also weighed in on the banking measure, stating that the “inability to access traditional banking services presents a serious challenge for Delaware’s marijuana businesses.” “Cash-intensive operations leave the businesses vulnerable to theft and other crimes, and present additional obstacles in their efforts to comply with tax laws,” he said. Meanwhile, a Delaware Senate committee approved a House-passed bill last week to significantly expand the state’s medical marijuana program by removing limitations for patient eligibility based on a specific set of qualifying health conditions. Instead, doctors could issue marijuana recommendations for any condition they see fit. The legislation would also allow patients over the age of 65 to self-certify for medical cannabis access without the need for a doctor’s recommendation. — 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. — The new financial services legislation, meanwhile, is the latest example of a state proactively seeking to provide marijuana banking protections as federal reform continues to stall. However, congressional leaders have signaled that they intend to prioritize the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act this year. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) recently asked people to show their support for a marijuana banking bill by signing a petition as he steps up his push for the legislation. Schumer told Marijuana Moment earlier this 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. Ongoing federal marijuana prohibition has created a “real problem” for banks amid the growing state legalization movement, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently said, adding that it would be “desirable” for Congress to pass reform legislation to address the issue. Virginia Governor Says Anyone Who Thinks He’ll Sign A Marijuana Sales Bill ‘Must Be Smoking Something’ The post Delaware Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Banking Bill That Aims To Provide State-Level Protections appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  20. A Massachusetts joint legislative committee held a hearing on Tuesday to discuss an initiative that would legalize psychedelics that may appear on the November ballot if lawmakers decline to independently enact it first. Members of the Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions took testimony from subject matter experts, supporters and opponents of the measure, which is being spearheaded by the campaign Massachusetts for Mental Health Options (MMHO). This hearing comes about three months after Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin’s (D) office certified that activists had collected 96,277 valid signatures for the reform measure—about 20,000 more than required to force consideration by the legislature. If lawmakers decide not to legalize psychedelics by May 1, activists would then have until July 3 to submit at least 12,429 additional valid signatures to put the proposal before voters on the November ballot. At Tuesday’s hearing, the manager of Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS), a division of the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) that oversees the state’s novel psychedelics program, offered neutral testimony on the Massachusetts initiative for informational purposes. She described her state’s licensing process, training requirements for facilitators and how psilocybin is administered to clients. “In Oregon, we understand that we must balance thousands of years of cultural and anthropological information, along with decades of scientific research, to inform our work,” she said, adding that OPS “will continue to adjust administrative rules each year and collaborate with our main partners, with licensees and with the public.” Sam Chapman, executive director of the Healing Advocacy Fund who was the campaign manager of Oregon’s voter-approved psilocybin initiative, spoke in favor of the Massachusetts measure. However, he recognized that “we still have a lot of work to do to continue to actually make these services affordable, especially for the populations we believe stand to benefit most.” Jared Moffat, a spokesperson for New Approach, a national organization that is financially supporting the Massachusetts campaign, told the committee that “a lot of states across the country are looking at these types of policies—and I would expect in the next five to 10 years we’re going to see a wave of more states come on board,” pointing to recent psychedelics policy developments in Utah and Indiana as examples. “I think Massachusetts has a really great opportunity to learn from Oregon and Colorado and other states, but to also become a leader for other states,” he said. James Davis, founder of Bay Staters for Natural Medicine (BSNM), spoke against the measure. He voiced concerns about the regulatory body that would be established under the initiative and the potential costs of accessing plant-based medicine. “Psilocybin saved my life—save lives—but it will save no one’s life if it is still prohibited by the cost,” he said. Another witness at the hearing testified in favor of Bay Staters’s proposed amendments to the measure “in order to have regulation that isn’t so over-regulated to the point of detriment where we’re going to have to repeal things back and have to have a system that where we could create it with less barriers to entry initially.” Here are the key details of the Natural Psychedelic Substances Act: Adults 21 and older could legally possess, grow and share certain amounts of psychedelics. The covered psychedelics and possession limits are: DMT (one gram), non-peyote mescaline (18 grams), ibogaine (30 grams), psilocybin (one gram) and psilocin (one gram). Those weight limits do not include any material that the active substances are attached to or part of. The penalty for possession of amounts of up to double the limit would be a $100 civil fine, with amounts above that remaining criminalized. A Natural Psychedelic Substances Commission would be created to oversee the implementation of the law and licensing of service centers and facilitators. The body, which is modeled on the state’s existing Cannabis Control Commission, would be required to enact rules for regulated access of at least one psychedelic by April 1, 2026. Regulations for the rest of the substances would need to be created by April 1, 2028. It would also need to start accepting applications by September 30, 2026. A Natural Psychedelic Substances Advisory Board would “study and make recommendations” to the commission about issues such as public health, regulations, training for facilitators, affordable and equitable access, traditional use of psychedelics and future rules, including possible additions to the list of legal substances. Psychedelics purchased at licensed facilities would be subject to a 15 percent excise tax, and localities would have the option of imposing an additional two percent tax if they permit the centers to operate in their area. Revenue would be used to fund regulation of the program. There are no provisions on expunging prior convictions for activities that would be made legal. Local governments could enact regulations on the time, location and manner of service centers, but they could not outright ban them from operating in their area. Adults could propagate psychedelics in a maximum 12X12 ft. space. There would be civil legal protections related to professional licensure, child custody and public benefits for people who participate in a legalized psychedelic activity. The effective date of the law would be December 15, 2024. The commission and advisory board would need to be created by March 1, 2025. The campaign first filed two different psychedelics reform initiatives in August, and after the state attorney general determined that they both met the constitutional requirement for ballot placement the following months, activists decided to pursue the version that included a home cultivation option. — 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. — Eight cities across Massachusetts have enacted policies to locally deprioritize enforcement of laws against psychedelics, an effort that has been led by BSNM: Salem, Somerville, Cambridge, Easthampton, Northampton, Amherst, Provincetown and Medford. Meanwhile, a different Massachusetts legislative committee advanced a bill last month that would legalize psilocybin therapy in the Commonwealth and set up a framework to license facilitators who would supervise medical, therapeutic and spiritual applications of the drug. Separately, Gov. Maura Healy (D) in January drew attention to testimony around a veterans-focused bill that she’s introduced to create a psychedelics work group that would study the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin. Another bill would authorize the Department of Public Health to conduct a comprehensive study into the potential therapeutic effects of synthetic psychedelics like MDMA. Rep. Mike Connolly (D) also filed a bill in 2021 that received a Joint Judiciary Committee hearing on studying the implications of legalizing entheogenic substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca. Connecticut Lawmakers Approve Psilocybin Decriminalization Bill In Joint Committee Vote Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype and Apollo. The post Massachusetts Lawmakers Take Up Psychedelics Legalization Ballot Initiative appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
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  23. With a bill sitting on his desk that would legalize the retail sale of marijuana in Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) said recently that people “must be smoking something” if they think he’s going to sign it into law. It’s the latest and clearest comment from the governor on where he stands on the legal sales proposal, which supportive lawmakers have spent months working to craft and pass through the legislature. The legislation, SB 448 in the Senate and HB 698 in the House, was formally transmitted to Youngkin’s desk on March 11, and he has through April 8 to act it. His options are to sign it into law, veto it, allow it to become law without his signature or return it to lawmakers with suggested amendments. While Youngkin has not committed to vetoing the bill, he didn’t mince words about the chances of it winning his signature. “I don’t plan on signing that bill,” he told local CBS affiliate WTKR at an event in Cheseapeake last week. “I had somebody ask me the other day, ‘Are you going to sign the legislation?’ and I’ve been talking about this for 60 days and I said, ‘Anybody who thinks I’m going to sign that legislation must be smoking something.'” House Speaker Don Scott (D), who supports the legislation, added that the governor “has not signed that bill, and I don’t anticipate he would.” For months, Democrats working to pass legal sales legislation have said they’ve received little or no response from Youngkin’s office despite efforts to reach out and see what the governor might be open to. Meanwhile, representatives for the governor have been referring to the same comments he made following his State of the Commonwealth speech in January, in which he said he didn’t “have any interest in” signing the Democratic-led bills. As far back as October, Sen. Adam Ebbin (D), who was then working to draft a legal sales bill, told Marijuana Moment that Youngkin “has been a challenge to deal with because he hasn’t been forthcoming with his views on what he’s willing to support.” “I’m not sure what the governor will sign, since he’s been kind of cagey and not really supportive in his public statements,” Ebbin said at the time. Lawmakers in support of the sales bill now believe a veto is likely, though the governor has stopped short of pledging to block the bill outright. If he does, there currently aren’t enough votes in the legislature to overcome a veto. Asked about the governor’s stance earlier this month, Del. Paul Krizek (D), the legislation’s sponsor in the House, told Marijuana Moment that “it seems pretty clear that he is not a fan of a legally regulated retail market.” “He even said something to the effect that that he would not want a cannabis store on every street corner,” Krizek added—a hypothetical the lawmaker said was “not at all accurate and the opposite of what our bill would allow.” And Sen. Creigh Deeds (D) has told local media: “We were advised that the governor wasn’t going to sign the [cannabis market] bill under any circumstance.” Use, possession and limited cultivation of cannabis by adults is already legal in Virginia, the result of a Democrat-led proposal approved by lawmakers in 2021. But Republicans, after winning control of the House and governor’s office later that year, subsequently blocked the required reenactment of a regulatory framework for retail sales. Since then, illicit stores have sprung up to meet consumer demand. Though Democrats retook control of both legislative chambers in last November’s elections, the governor is still an obstacle. Cannabis is “an area that I really don’t have any interest in,” Youngkin said back in January. “What I want us to work on are areas that we can find a meeting of the mind and press forward for the betterment of Virginia.” Already the governor has vetoed one of the several marijuana-related measures passed by lawmakers this session, standing in the way of a bipartisan measure that would have protected the parental rights of lawful marijuana users. Though that proposal repeatedly passed the Senate on unanimous or near-unanimous votes, Youngkin’s veto message criticized it for “aiming to address a non-existent problem”—a claim advocates have said is untrue. At one point earlier this session, it appeared the retail cannabis bill could become part of a grand deal between Youngkin and legislative Democrats. In December, Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas (D) alluded to a compromise involving a sports stadium project the governor supported. But that deal never materialized and Democrats left the governor’s proposed area plan out of budget legislation. Here’s what the retail sales legislation would do if it becomes law: Retail sales could begin as of May 1, 2025. Adults would be able to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in a single transaction, or up to an equivalent amount of other cannabis products as determined by regulators. A state tax of 11.625 percent would apply to the retail sale of any cannabis product. Of that, 8 percent would go to the state, local governments would get 2.5 percent and 1.125 percent would fund schools. The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would oversee licensing and regulation of the new industry. Its board of directors would have the authority to control possession, sale, transportation, distribution, delivery and testing of marijuana. Local governments could ban marijuana establishments, but only if voters first approve an opt-out referendum. Locations of retail outlets could not be within 1,000 feet of another marijuana retailer. Cultivators would be regulated by space devoted to marijuana cultivation, known as canopy size. Both indoor and outdoor marijuana cultivation would be allowed, though only growers in lower tiers—with lower limits on canopy size—could grow plants outside. Larger growers would need to cultivate plants indoors. Secure greenhouses would qualify as indoor cultivation. Only direct, face-to-face transactions would be permitted. The legislation would prohibit the use of other avenues, such as vending machines, drive-through windows, internet-based sales platforms and delivery services. Existing medical marijuana providers that enter the adult-use market could apply to open up to five additional retail establishments, which would need to be colocated at their existing licensed facilities. Serving sizes would be capped at 10 milligrams THC, with no more than 100 mg THC per package. No person could be granted or hold an interest in more than five total licenses, not including transporter licenses. People with convictions for felonies or crimes involving moral turpitude within the past seven years would be ineligible to apply for licensing, as would employees of police or sheriff’s departments if they’re responsible for enforcement of the penal, traffic or motor vehicle laws of the commonwealth. An equity-focused microbusiness program would grant licenses to entities at least two-thirds owned and directly controlled by eligible applicants, which include people with past cannabis misdemeanors, family members of people with past convictions, military veterans, individuals who’ve lived at least three of the past five years in a “historically economically disadvantaged community,” people who’ve attended schools in those areas and individuals who received a federal Pell grant or attended a college or university where at least 30 percent of students are eligible for Pell grants. “Historically economically disadvantaged community” is an area that has recorded marijuana possession offenses at or above 150 percent of the statewide average between 2009 and 2019. Tax revenue from the program would first cover the costs of administering and enforcing the state’s cannabis system. After that, 60 percent of remaining funds would go toward supporting the state’s Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund, 25 percent would fund substance use disorder treatment and prevention, 10 percent would go to pre-K programs for at-risk children and 5 percent would fund a public health and awareness campaign. Adults could also share up to 2.5 ounces with other adults without financial remuneration, though gray-market “gifting” of marijuana as part of another transaction would be punishable as a Class 2 misdemeanor and a Class 1 misdemeanor on second and subsequent offenses. A number of other new criminal penalties would be created. Knowingly selling or giving marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia to someone under 21, for example, would be a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a maximum $2,500 fine, as would knowingly selling cannabis to someone reasonably believed to be intoxicated. It would also be a Class 1 misdemeanor to advertise the sale of marijuana paraphernalia to people under 21. Knowingly obtaining marijuana on behalf of someone under 21 would be a Class 1 misdemeanor. People under 21 who possess or use marijuana, or attempt to obtain it, would be subject to a civil penalty of no more than $25 and ordered to enter a substance use disorder treatment and/or education program. Illegal cultivation or manufacture of marijuana, not including legal homegrow, would be a Class 6 felony, punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a $2,500 fine. People could process homegrown marijuana into products such as edibles, but butane extraction or the use of other volatile solvents would be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Other cannabis-related bills before the governor include a proposal to resentence people serving time for past cannabis offenses and protect public-sector workers from employment discrimination based on lawful medical marijuana use. A sales bill did advance through the Democratic-controlled Senate last session, but it stalled in committee in the House, which at the time had a GOP majority. Bipartisan Majorities Want Congress To Pass Bill Protecting States’ Rights To Legalize Marijuana, Poll Of Voters In Three States Finds Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Virginia Governor Says Anyone Who Thinks He’ll Sign A Marijuana Sales Bill ‘Must Be Smoking Something’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
  24. DE marijuana banking bill; SD legalization initiative; NH cannabis amendment; CT, ME & VT psychedelics; Poll: bipartisan support for federal reform 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 Top staffers in Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez’s (D) office spoke to Marijuana Moment about how they approached drafting a cannabis legalization bill that lawmakers are now advancing toward passage this session. South Dakota marijuana activists say they’ve crossed the halfway point toward collecting enough signatures to put a legalization initiative on the November ballot. Delaware’s Treasurer Colleen Davis (D) is supporting a new bill to provide state-level protections to banks that service cannabis businesses, saying it will lead to “a safer and more transparent marijuana industry.” The Connecticut legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee approved a bill to decriminalize psilocybin—though Gov. Ned Lamont’s (D) office says he has “concerns” about the reform. The Vermont Senate gave initial approval to a bill to create a Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group to “examine the use of psychedelics to improve physical and mental health” and make recommendations for legal access. The Maine legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee approved an amended bill to create a commission charged with recommending a “legal framework for the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs, including but not limited to psilocybin.” The New Hampshire House Finance Committee held a hearing on an amendment to a marijuana legalization bill that would include a state-run franchise model of cannabis stores that is favored by Gov. Chris Sununu (R). A new poll of voters in Missouri, Ohio and Wyoming found bipartisan majority support for a bill in Congress to let states enact their own marijuana laws without federal interference. A National Labor Relations Board official ruled that workers at Missouri marijuana business BeLeaf Medical have the right to count ballots in a union election that the company is challenging. / FEDERAL Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) posted on Facebook about President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign focusing on marijuana to reach young voters, saying, “It is about damn time. I use every opportunity to point out the political benefits of embracing cannabis reform. Thankfully, it is not too late for them to reverse course.” New York Democratic congressional candidate Paula Collins spoke about how her role as a cannabis tax attorney would be useful in helping to shape federal legalization legislation. / STATES Maine Gov. Janet Mills’s (D) brother reportedly aided in the transfer of a property involved in illegal marijuana cultivation to a Chinese national. Idaho’s attorney general claimed that legalization of marijuana and other drugs has “ruined other states, and Idaho demands just a bit better for our citizens and communities.” Florida’s agriculture commissioner is calling on Congress to enact restrictions on intoxicating hemp products. The Missouri Senate debated a bill to restrict hemp-derived products. The Minnesota House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee held a hearing on a bill to provide medical cannabis patients with increased home cultivation limits. New York lawmakers who are part of a group called Socialists in Office are supporting drug decriminalization legislation. A Guam senator is calling for a temporary pause of marijuana testing requirements. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, located within North Carolina, said the launch of their marijuana dispensary on 4/20 will only be open to medical cannabis patients. A Washington, D.C. Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration official said that federal law does not interfere with implementation of the District’s medical cannabis program. Pennsylvania regulators posted an update on the medical cannabis program. Washington State regulators published a newsletter with updates on various cannabis issues. — 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. — / INTERNATIONAL Saint Lucia’s commerce minister said establishing a robust cannabis industry is a priority for the government. Ireland’s health minister provided lawmakers with an update on the nation’s medical cannabis program. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A review concluded that “CBD has shown promise in managing pain, moderating immune responses, and mitigating ischemia/reperfusion injury, underscoring its potential in postoperative care” for cardiac surgery. A study’s results suggest considering cannabis use by patients in opioid maintenance treatment “as a harm reduction strategy to reduce the intake of more dangerous drugs.” / BUSINESS AFC Gamma, Inc. provided $34 million in debt capital across two senior secured credit facilities to High End Holdings, LLC and Green Sentry Holdings, LLC d/b/a Sunburn Cannabis. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Hawaii AG’s office describes cannabis plan (Newsletter: March 27, 2024) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. 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  28. Lawmakers in New Hampshire on Tuesday heard public testimony on a newly proposed amendment to a marijuana legalization bill that that would transform the measure into a state-controlled franchise model of commercial sales, a novel framework that has the support of Gov. Chris Sununu (R). The 38-page striking amendment from Rep. Dan McGuire (R) would replace the current text of HB 1633 from Rep. Erica Layon (R), who has warned that the franchise model—under which the state would oversee day-to-day operations of private licensees—could put New Hampshire at legal risk in the event of lawsuits or federal prosecution. The approach in her original bill would instead adopt a more traditional licensing approach and set strict limits on ads and marketing. Since introducing the legislation in January, Layon has spent weeks working to build consensus with Senate counterparts and members of a state study commission convened last year to propose legalization legislation of its own—a task the panel failed to complete before a deadline in December. She’s also reached out to Sununu’s office, though she told colleagues at a hearing earlier this month that she had yet to actually speak with the governor. Sen. Darryl Abbas (R), who led the state study commission last year and previewed the shift to a franchise model at that hearing, has maintained that Layon’s bill won’t fly in the Senate—a criticism he repeated at Tuesday’s hearing. Lawmakers have also stressed the importance of currying favor from the governor, who issued a set of requirements to the study commission late last year about components that a bill would need to include to win his support, including a 15-store limit on retailers statewide and a ban on all political lobbying by the industry. Some on the commission blamed the last-minute demands for the body’s failure to arrive at a consensus by its deadline, though members were already at odds before the governor’s office sent the memo. At Tuesday’s hearing on his new amendment, McGuire told members of the House Finance Committee that he spoke with the governor’s office to get a sense of what Sununu would approve. “I personally met with the governor’s representative,” McGuire said. “He gave me a list of things the governor has said would make such legislation acceptable. Number one on that list is what’s called the franchise model. That’s what this amendment represents.” He likened the model to how McDonald’s works, with private operators running individual stores that together are overseen by the corporate entity itself. Under his striking amendment, New Hampshire’s Liquor Commission would run the state’s marijuana industry, with private operators responsible for day-to-day operations. McGuire said the amendment would create 15 stores at first. That’s among the requirements set by Sununu, though McGuire said that “it’s clear that in the long run, there will have to be many, many more stores,” asserting that there are more than 70 retailers in Vermont and hundreds of stores in Maine. Layon, for her part, for the first time indicated some openness to the franchise proposal, though she said she would introduce separate language ahead of a scheduled Wednesday committee meeting that is meant to divide the state’s handling of marijuana business and regulatory matters. “We need to have the regulatory portion separate from the business model and liquor,” she told the committee. “I plan to come with language that will have franchise separate and compartmentalized from the whole rest of the implementation, so we can see if the franchise model does in fact work in the state of New Hampshire.” Lawmakers have until April 4 to pass the measure out of committee. Abbas, the senator, said at the hearing that he thinks the amendment represents “a fair compromise.” “I believe it does have the support of the chamber that I sit in, and in meeting and having conversations with a lot of interested parties, this could actually become law,” he said. A franchise model “really creates a partnership with the individual franchisees, and I think there’s a lot of benefits to that,” he added. “Every franchisee would be working together, putting forward this business model.” While lawmakers’ top-level concern is around whether or not to adopt a franchise model, advocates worked to draw attention at Tuesday’s hearing to other provisions in the new amendment they say still need work. Submitted testimony from the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), for example, called out a number of sections in the new amendment as problematic, including franchise fees—effectively a tax—on purchases by medical marijuana patients. Patients were exempt under Layon’s own bill. “Almost no other adult-use state imposes a ‘sin tax’ on medical cannabis,” wrote Karen O’Keefe, MPP’s director of state policies. “There is no reason patients shouldn’t be able to buy cannabis without the added fee at the location closest to their home.” O’Keefe also criticized the bill’s punishment for public consumption of marijuana, which could impose jail time for a second offense. She said it’s “a harsher penalty than the status quo” under the state’s existing decriminalization law, under which a second offense for possession or public use carries a $100 civil fine. “There is no possible jail time now,” she said. “It would be wrong to start jailing cannabis consumers again as part of legalization.” Some in the state’s existing medical marijuana industry, such as the alternative treatment center (ATC) GraniteLeaf Cannabis, have also criticized the new amendment. Like MPP, one of GraniteLeaf’s complaints is the tax on medical marijuana. Unlike HB 1633 in its current form, which would exempt medical patients from its 10-percent agency fee surcharge, the amendment would set a 12.5 percent franchise fee that would also apply to patients. Another complaint lodged by GraniteLeaf is the amendment’s lack of integration of the state’s therapeutic cannabis program (TCP) into an adult-use program. “HB 1633 would create a path forward for the TCP by requiring that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Liquor Commission develop a plan and propose it to the legislature later this year,” the ATC said in a post about the proposed changes. “The proposed amendment does not attempt to align or integrate the TCP n any way. Instead, it would create a new system of franchise retail stores and put them into direct competition with the TCP. Matt Simon, director of public and government relations at GraniteLeaf, told the panel the company can’t support the amendment as written. “To be clear, we would be willing to go along with all of the requirements that have been clearly stated by the governor on this issue. Some of them we don’t necessarily agree with, but we’re willing to live with them,” he said. (Disclosure: Simon supports Marijuana Moment’s work with a monthly Patreon pledge.) Currently only seven ATCs exist across the state at which patients can obtain medical marijuana, Simon explained. “The vision for the franchise model, as I understand it, is that patients could buy cannabis at the franchise stores, which I think would be great,” he said. “Unfortunately, the amendment is completely silent on how those sales are supposed to take place, how they’re supposed to be regulated. There needs to be an integration with the current program for that to work at all.” McGuire has said the amendment will likely receive further changes ahead of committee action on the bill. Sununu, for his part, has said that while he believes legalization in the Granite State is “inevitable,” he’s also “not a huge believer” in the idea. Last year the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee, led by Rep. John Hunt (R), worked extensively on marijuana reform issues during the session and attempted to reach a compromise to enact legalization through a multi-tiered system that would include state-controlled shops, dual licensing for existing medical cannabis dispensaries and businesses privately licensed to individuals by state agencies. But lawmakers reached an impasse on the complex legislation, which was being considered following Sununu’s surprise announcement that he backed state-run legalization. Meanwhile the Senate defeated a more conventional legalization bill, HB 639, despite its bipartisan support. In May, the House separately defeated a different marijuana legalization amendment that was being proposed as part of a Medicaid expansion bill. After the Senate rejected reform bills in 2022, the House included legalization language as an amendment to separate criminal justice-related legislation—but that was also struck down in the opposite chamber. Bipartisan Majorities Want Congress To Pass Bill Protecting States’ Rights To Legalize Marijuana, Poll Of Voters In Three States Finds Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post New Hampshire Panel Hears Testimony On Amendment To Pivot Marijuana Bill To Governor-Backed Franchise Model appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net
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