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Lawmakers in Vermont have passed legislation to create a psychedelic-assisted therapy working group that would make recommendations on whether and how the state should regulate legal access to substances like psilocybin and MDMA. The measure next heads to the desk of Gov. Phil Scott (R). The Senate approved revised language of the bill, S.114, on a voice vote Friday, signing off on changes made in the House of Representatives. “We believe that what we have before us will continue the intent of what we passed as a Senate,” said Sen. Ginny Lyons (D), chair of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, which considered the House changes at a hearing earlier in the day. “We ask the rest of the Senate to concur with the proposal from the House.” In its current form, the proposal would not itself change the legal status of any substances. Rather, the eight-person task force would “review the latest research and evidence of the public health benefits and risks of clinical psychedelic assisted treatments” and “examine the laws and programs of other states that have authorized the use of psychedelics by health care providers in a therapeutic setting,” according to the latest version of the measure. Both MDMA and psilocybin have been granted breakthrough therapy status by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and recent clinical trials have MDMA on pace for possible FDA approval later this year. Senators had passed an earlier version of the legislation in March, and the latest revisions came as the measure advanced out of a House committee with a striking amendment from Rep. Anne Donahue (R). Those changes removed an earlier provision directing the task force to provide an opportunity “for individuals with lived experience to provide testimony.” The amendment also removed task force members representing the Psychedelic Society of Vermont and the Brattleboro Retreat, a psychiatric and addiction hospital. It replaced them with representatives from the state Department of Mental Health and the nonprofit Vermont Medical Society. The amendment also deleted a provision that would have directed the working group to evaluate the criminalization of psychedelics in Vermont as well as a line that said the task force would “provide potential timelines for universal and equitable access to psychedelic-assisted treatments.” During brief discussion Friday morning in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, some members said they were disappointed with some of the House amendments but nevertheless supported the bill moving forward. “Personally, I’m very disappointed that they took out the conversation about decriminalization,” said Sen. Martine Larocque Gulick (D), a committee member and the sponsor of the bill. “I mean, this is literally a group that’s just going to be talking and looking at data and researching.” “I can’t believe that they won’t look at that, senator,” Lyons replied. “The research will probably get into that.” “It’s too bad that we can’t have it explicitly in the bill,” Gulick responded, “but I am willing to acquiesce at this point. It’s the eleventh hour.” “That’s what happens,” Lyons said. Lyons also explained that some had criticized the provision about hearing testimony from someone with lived experience because, as she put it, “The comment was that one person with lived experience wouldn’t be informative enough.” Lyons lightly ribbed House lawmakers ahead of the panel’s adoption of the latest changes. “All those in favor of concurring with the proposal from the House the day it was supposed to adjourn?” she asked before closing the hearing, prompting laughter among the other panel members. As originally introduced, the measure would have also legalized use and possession of psilocybin. Lawmakers on the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, however, deleted that section to focus instead on the therapeutic working group. The passage of the psychedelics working group bill comes on the heels of the House’s approval earlier this month of H.72, a measure that would legalize and fund a Burlington facility where people could use currently prohibited substances in a medically supervised environment. But Gov. Scott, who vetoed an 2022 measure that would have created a task force to study overdose prevention centers, has indicated he’s not on board with the plan. If enacted, the legislation would create an overdose prevention center (OPC) Burlington, with $1.1 million in funding plus another $300,000 to study the study the impact of the pilot project. The OPC would need to have on-site professionals with training in CPR, overdose interventions, first aid and wound care, as well as medical assessments to determine the need for further emergency care. Vermont would join Rhode Island and Minnesota in authorizing the facilities. New York is considering a similar pilot program that would roll out statewide. Lawmakers in a growing number of states have considered psychedelics legislation this session, with many focusing on psilocybin reform and increased research. This week in Alaska, for example, a Senate panel advanced a House-passed measure that would create a state task force to study how to license and regulate psychedelic-assisted therapy in the event of federal approval of substances such as MDMA and psilocybin. In Maryland, the Senate and House of Delegates have both passed legislation to create a psychedelics task force responsible for studying possible regulatory frameworks for therapeutic access to substances such as psilocybin, mescaline and DMT, sending the proposal to Gov Wes Moore (D). It would be charged specifically with ensuring “broad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances” in the state. Indiana’s governor recently signed a bill that includes provisions to fund clinical research trials into psilocybin. Utah’s governor, meanwhile, allowed a bill to authorize a pilot program for hospitals to administer psilocybin and MDMA as an alternative treatment option to become law without his signature. Maine lawmakers sent the governor legislation to establish a commission tasked with studying and making recommendations on regulating access to psychedelic services. An Arizona House panel also approved a Senate-passed bill to legalize psilocybin service centers where people could receive the psychedelic in a medically supervised setting. A Connecticut joint legislative panel approved a bill to decriminalize possession of psilocybin. A bipartisan bill to legalize psychedelic service centers in California has cleared two Senate committees. The governor of New Mexico has endorsed a newly enacted resolution requesting that state officials research the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and explore the creation of a regulatory framework to provide access to the psychedelic. An Illinois committee also recently held a hearing to discuss a bill to legalize psilocybin and allow regulated access at service centers in the state where adults could use the psychedelic in a supervised setting—with plans to expand the program to include mescaline, ibogaine and DMT. Lawmakers in Hawaii also considered a bill that would provide some legal protections to patients engaging in psilocybin-assisted therapy with a medical professional’s approval. New York lawmakers said that a bill to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy in that state has a “real chance” of passing this year. A Nevada joint legislative committee held a hearing with expert and public testimony on the therapeutic potential of substances like psilocybin in January. Law enforcement representatives also shared their concerns around legalization—but there was notable acknowledgement that some reforms should be enacted, including possible rescheduling. The governor of Massachusetts also 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. Separately, an initiative that would legalize psychedelics may appear on the November ballot if lawmakers decline to independently enact it first. Currently, there are no psychedelic drugs that are federally approved to prescribe as medicine. But that could soon change, as FDA recently agreed to review a new drug application for MDMA-assisted therapy on an expedited basis. At the start of this year, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) separately issued a request for applications to conduct in-depth research on the use of psychedelics to treat PTSD and depression. In October, the agency also launched a new podcast about the future of veteran health care, and the first episode of the series focuses on the healing potential of psychedelics. FDA also recently joined scientists at a public meeting on next steps for conducting research to develop psychedelic medicines. That came months after the agency issued historic draft guidance on psychedelics studies, providing scientists with a framework to carry out research that could lead to the development of novel medicines. Meanwhile in Congress last week, a House panel approved GOP-led bill that would instruct VA to notify Congress if any psychedelics are added to its formulary of covered prescription drugs. New York Senators Approve Safe Drug Consumption Site Pilot Program Bill Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Workman. The post Vermont Lawmakers Send Revised Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Task Force Bill To Governor appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

There continues to be majority support for a Florida marijuana legalization ballot initiative, according to a new poll commissioned by an organization that opposes the reform. But the measure is again coming up shy of the 60 percent threshold needed for passage under the state’s Constitution. The survey done for the Florida Chamber of Commerce by Cherry Communications found that 58 percent of Florida likely voters back the legalization measure, compared to 37 percent who oppose it and five percent who are undecided. In contrast, the survey shows that a separate abortion rights measure that will also appear on the November ballot has 61 percent support, enough to be approved. This is the third poll to come out showing the measure falling short of support needed for passage since the state Supreme Court cleared the cannabis initiative for the ballot, rejecting a constitutional challenge from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R). The Chamber of Commerce joined the attorney general in opposing the measure. “With 144 amendments since its creation in 1968, Florida’s constitution has long been a target of special interest groups with agendas and recreational marijuana is no different,” Chamber of Commerce President Mark Wilson said. “The Florida Chamber continues to lead the fight it has fought for over 20 years against similar proposed amendments that could be addressed legislatively rather than through altering Florida’s foundational document,” he said. The poll involved interviews with 609 Florida likely voters from April 28-May 7, with a margin of error of four percentage points. The language of the questions hasn’t been made publicly available. Marijuana Moment reached out to the Chamber of Commerce, but a representative did not respond. A USA Today/Ipsos poll released last month that found that 56 percent of Florida registered voters and 49 percent of Florida adults overall back the cannabis measure. A separate Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Mainstreet Research poll found that only a 47 percent plurality of voters back the cannabis initiative, compared to 35 percent opposed and 18 percent undecided. A previous poll from the Chamber, released in January prior to the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the measure onto the ballot, found that cannabis legalization had 57 percent support. On Thursday, the CEO of a top marijuana company pushed back against the recent surveys, claiming internal polling shows the measure ahead by a comfortable margin. “Don’t believe everything you’re hearing,” Tulieve CEO Kim Rivers said, adding that there are more “legitimate polls” from the past year that show the legalization measure “well over” the 60 percent threshold for passage. Tulieve isn’t running the campaign, but it has been the main financial backer of the initiative, contributing nearly $50 million. “Our internal numbers remain incredibly strong and closer to 70 [percent], actually than 60 [percent],” she said. “So [there’s] strong bipartisan support across the state.” While the campaign hasn’t shared internal polling, it is the case that prior surveys have shown the initiative in a more comfortable position than the two most recent public polls did. A University of North Florida (UNF) poll released last November found nearly 70 percent of voters are in favor of the reform, for example. Meanwhile, the Florida Republican Party officially come out against a marijuana legalization initiative over the weekend, clearing the way for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to raise money to fund an opposition campaign against the measure. DeSantis also previously predicted voters will reject the marijuana initiative in November and argued that passage would “reduce the quality of life” in the state. — 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. — Economic analysts from the Florida legislature and DeSantis’s office, estimate that the marijuana legalization initiative would generate between $195.6 million and $431.3 million in new sales tax revenue annually if voters enact it. Those figures could increase considerably if lawmakers opted to impose an additional excise tax on cannabis transactions that’s similar to the ones in place in other legalized states. If approved, the measure would change the state Constitution to allow existing medical cannabis companies in the state, such as Trulieve, the campaign’s main financial contributor, to begin selling marijuana to all adults over 21. It contains a provision that would allow—but not require—lawmakers to take steps toward the approval of additional businesses. Home cultivation by consumers would not be allowed under the proposal as drafted. Adults would be able to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis, only five grams of which could be marijuana concentrate products. The three-page measure also omits equity provisions favored by advocates, such as expungements or other relief for people with prior cannabis convictions. Nearly all of the campaign’s financial backing has come from existing medical marijuana businesses, predominantly multi-state operators. Recently, the Florida Division of Elections (DOE) released the campaign finance activity report from the first quarter of the year, showing nearly $15 million in new contributions. Trulieve, the main financial backer of the initiative, led the pack again with $9.225 million in donations during the first quarter. That follows the company previously contributing about $40 million as advocates worked to collect more than one million signatures to qualify for ballot placement. The company’s CEO said recently that, contrary to the governor’s claims, legalization could actually “improve quality of life” for residents. Here’s what the Smart & Safe Florida marijuana legalization initiative would accomplish: Adults 21 and older could purchase and possess up to three ounces of cannabis for personal use. The cap for marijuana concentrates would be five grams. Medical cannabis dispensaries could “acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute marijuana products and marijuana accessories to adults for personal use.” The legislature would be authorized—but not required—to approve additional entities that are not currently licensed cannabis dispensaries. The initiative specifies that nothing in the proposal prevents the legislature from “enacting laws that are consistent with this amendment.” The amendment further clarifies that nothing about the proposal “changes federal law,” which seems to be an effort to avoid past legal challenges about misleading ballot language. There are no provisions for home cultivation, expungement of prior records or social equity. The measure would take effect six months following approval by voters. Here’s the full text of the ballot title and summary: “Allows adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise; allows Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, and other state licensed entities, to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute such products and accessories. Applies to Florida law; does not change, or immunize violations of, federal law. Establishes possession limits for personal use. Allows consistent legislation. Defines terms. Provides effective date.” Smart & Safe Florida announced in March that it was working to form a coalition of veterans to build voter support for the reform. The campaign has since formally launched that initiative. Despite his opposition to the initiative, DeSantis, a former GOP presidential candidate who dropped out of the race in January, previously accurately predicted that the state’s highest court would ultimately allow the measure on November’s ballot. DeSantis also weighed in on another relevant cannabis policy issue earlier this year when, while still a presidential candidate, he said that he doesn’t believe the federal gun ban for state-legal marijuana consumers is constitutional. Florida’s former agriculture commission, Nikki Fried, brought a lawsuit against the Biden administration over the rule, though the governor did not get involved. Prior to dropping out, DeSantis also said that if elected president, he would “respect the decisions that states make” on marijuana legalization despite his personal view that the reform has a “negative impact.” DEA Appears To Question Marijuana’s Medical Value Despite Rescheduling Recommendation Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Another Poll Shows Florida Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative Just Shy Of Support For Passage appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

In the wake of the federal government’s marijuana rescheduling announcement last week that acknowledged the medical benefits of cannabis, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Thursday released a report that appears to question the legitimacy of state medical programs. “Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level; it has been ‘legalized’ or ‘decriminalized’ at the state level for recreational use in 24 states and the District of Columbia, and for ‘medical’ use in 38 states and the District of Columbia,” the annual National Drug Threat Assessment says, appearing to call those state-level changes and the medical value of cannabis into question by putting scare quotes around key words. That’s despite the fact that DEA recently agreed to a Department of Health and Human Services recommendation to move cannabis to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, acknowledging for the first time that cannabis has an accepted medical use in the U.S. The comments make up only a small part of the 57-page annual report, which the agency said analyzes “illicit drug threats and trafficking trends endangering the United States.” The top-level findings, according to a statement from DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, are that the country’s shift toward synthetic substances such as fentanyl and methamphetamine—which she blamed largely on international cartels—has caused unprecedented harm. “The shift from plant-based drugs, like heroin and cocaine, to synthetic, chemical-based drugs, like fentanyl and methamphetamine, has resulted in the most dangerous and deadly drug crisis the United States has ever faced,” Milgram said. “At the heart of the synthetic drug crisis are the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels and their associates, who DEA is tracking world-wide.” “The suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and money-launderers all play a role in the web of deliberate and calculated treachery orchestrated by these cartels,” her statement continued. “DEA will continue to use all available resources to target these networks and save American lives.” In 2022, drug-related deaths killed 107,941 people in the United States, DEA said in its press release about the new assessment. “Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are responsible for approximately 70% of lives lost,” it says, “while methamphetamine and other synthetic stimulants are responsible for approximately 30% of deaths.” The agency press release doesn’t mention marijuana, though this year’s National Drug Threat Assessment itself does include some cannabis-related details. Unlike unregulated markets for synthetic drugs, for example, the DEA report says that the main suppliers of illicit marijuana “are cannabis growers and processors operating inside the United States.” Despite state-level regulation in many states, it continues, “the black market for marijuana continues, with substantial trafficking by Mexican cartels, and Chinese and other Asian organized crime groups profiting from illegal cultivation and sales, as well as exploitation of the ‘legal’ market.” Recently released federal data from 2023, however, show that marijuana seizures at the U.S.–Mexico border have in fact fallen to their lowest level in recent history, dropping 29 percent from 2022. The 2023 figures mark a 98 percent decline in cannabis intercepted at the southern border since 2013. DEA Releases 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment. #NDTA2024 Learn more:https://t.co/Ju0jlNQCFn pic.twitter.com/xjZIfT3ZZr — DEA HQ (@DEAHQ) May 9, 2024 DEA’s report says that while the Sinaloa cartel does collect “billions of dollars in the illicit synthetic trade,” it also “has never stopped trafficking cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.” The Jalisco cartel, meanwhile, which DEA credits as “the main supplier of cocaine to U.S. markets,” also “traffic ton quantities of heroin and marijuana into the United States.” A separate recent budget submission from DEA to congressional lawmakers reflected the agency’s focus on synthetic substances, primarily fentanyl, noting that the ongoing drug overdose epidemic—which includes deaths from substances many users didn’t realize they were taking—claims lives at a rate of one every five minutes. Marijuana and psilocybin are mentioned only briefly, as subjects of further federally approved research. DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment also points to evidence from the University of Mississippi’s Marijuana Potency Monitoring Program indicating that the average delta-9 THC levels “in leafy marijuana is at an all-time high, increasing the potential risk of negative effects on users of any form of the drug, and on children who may consume edibles made with these substances.” An included graph citing the University of Mississippi program shows average THC rising from around 1 percent in 1977 to roughly 16 percent in 2022. THC edibles, meanwhile, “are leading to an increase in child and adolescent admissions to Emergency Rooms,” the DEA report says. Despite warning letters issued for products containing federally unregulated delta-8 THC, which is typically derived from hemp crops authorized under the 2018 Farm Bill, the agency said “the concern remains that children will unknowingly eat THC-infused products, regardless of warning labels, because the products mimic the appearance of the actual product, and the packages look nearly identical to the legitimate product’s packaging.” An included photo from the Lancaster County Drug Task Force in Pennsylvania shows a variety of delta-8 THC products labeled with product names such as Ruffles, Cookie Crisp, Nerds and Frosted Flakes. The DEA report does not clarify that products on state-regulated marijuana markets are almost universally prohibited from mimicking mainstream food products, including depictions of cartoon animals or otherwise appealing to children. Additionally, DEA says in its threat assessment that illegal cannabis grows can wreak havoc on the environment. “Illegal outdoor marijuana grows, usually found on public lands, use toxic fertilizers and pest repellants that endanger non-pest wildlife, damage surrounding plants, and seep into water supplies,” the report says. “These sites are mainly located in remote, difficult-to-access areas and can be expensive for cultivators to maintain but are also challenging for law enforcement to detect and eradicate.” “Indoor cultivation,” it continues, “can operate year-round and offer the drug traffickers a continuous profit stream but can severely damage the homes where the grows are established, creating health and safety hazards to first responders.” The document is largely silent on psychedelics, which have also become the subject of reform discussions at the state and federal levels. It acknowledges the substances in a section on “new psychoactive substances.” “Several of these ‘novel’ drugs have actually been around for decades but experience periodic surges in popularity or return to the illegal drug market with tweaks after the original substance was banned or controlled,” it says. Among others, such as MDMA, “Various plant-based substances also fall into this category, such as psilocybin (mushrooms); ayahuasca; salvia divinorum (Magic Mint, Sally D) and khat.” Far from being a “new” substance, however, human use of psilocybin is believed to go back thousands of years. The existence of psilocybin mushrooms, meanwhile, may stretch back to the time of the dinosaurs’ demise, according to research released earlier this year. Cory Booker Visits Marijuana Manufacturer In California Amid Renewed Push For Federal Legalization Bill Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post DEA Appears To Question Marijuana’s Medical Value Despite Rescheduling Recommendation appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A bill that would create a statewide overdose prevention center pilot program in New York narrowly passed out of a Senate committee this week, though lawmakers on both sides of the issue said they expect further debate on the proposal if it makes it to the chamber floor. The Senate Health Committee voted 7–6 on Tuesday to advance the latest version of the bill, S.339, from Sen. Gustavo Rivera (D). It next proceeds to the Senate Finance Committee. The bill is one “that I feel very, very, very committed to,” Rivera, who also chairs the Health Committee, said at the beginning of the hearing, “and I’m hoping we can get it passed.” New York City became the first U.S. jurisdiction to host locally sanctioned harm reduction centers in November 2021, and early results have been positive. Rivera pointed to the two sites before the vote, saying they “have been saving lives every single day that they’ve been operating.” In the over 30 years that supervised consumption sites have operated globally, he continued, “not a single person who has overdosed in them has ever died.” He also acknowledged that some members of the committee opposed the plan. “We can certainly have a long conversation here,” he said, “or we can have a long conversation on the floor, where I hope to be able to get it at some point soon.” The committee’s ranking Republican member, Sen. Patrick Gallivan, agreed that “the floor would be the most appropriate place to have a longer discussion,” adding that “there are many people who oppose the approach to the expansion or establishment of these centers.” “And I hope that we do get to have a conversation on the floor, sir,” Rivera replied. It’s not the first time the New York Senate panel has considered the legislation. It passed an earlier version a year ago, also on a 7–6 vote. The state’s Assembly passed a similar bill that same month. If the measure becomes law, New York would join Rhode Island and Minnesota in authorizing the facilities. Vermont lawmakers also recently passed a bill to establish and fund a pilot program in Burlington, though the state’s governor has signaled he intends to veto it. The current version of New York’s S.399 would establish a five-year “Safer Consumption Services Pilot Program” under the state’s Department of Health (DOH) that would authorize 10 overdose prevention centers across the state. The department would approve or deny applications from organizations to run the centers following consultation with municipal or community leaders. Entities operating the centers would need to have a community advisory board that would develop policies for soliciting community engagement and feedback in order to address any local concerns. Sites would be co-located at existing DOH-authorized syringe services facilities and would need to comply with other requirements as determined by health officials. The latest changes, sponsor Rivera explained at this week’s hearing, deal with tracking and community reporting around the would-be sites. The bill page on the legislature’s website says the fiscal implications of the proposal are yet to be determined. As for the safer consumption facilities operating in New York City, a study by the American Medical Association (AMA) last July found that the sites had decreased the risk of overdose, steered people away from using drugs in public and provided other ancillary health services to people who use illicit substances. Separate research published by AMA late last year found that the centers have not led to increased crime despite a significant decrease in arrests. Meanwhile the federal government has fought an effort to open an overdose prevention center in Philadelphia, with the Biden administration arguing that the facilities violate federal law. Last month, the court in that case granted the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss a challenge from organizers. The Supreme Court rejected a request to that hear that case in October 2021. DOJ first blocked the Philadelphia nonprofit from opening the overdose prevention center under the Trump administration. Supporters hoped the department would cede the issue under President Joe Biden, who has promoted harm reduction policies as an alternative to criminalization, but the parties could not reach an agreement to allow the facility to open despite months of “good faith” negotiations. Congressional researchers have highlighted the “uncertainty” of the federal government’s position on the facilities, pointing out last November that lawmakers could temporarily resolve the issue by advancing an amendment modeled after the one that has allowed medical marijuana laws to be implemented without Justice Department interference. Meanwhile, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow has tacitly endorsed the idea of authorizing safe consumption sites, arguing that evidence has effectively demonstrated that the facilities can prevent overdose deaths. Volkow declined to say specifically what she believes should happen with the ongoing lawsuit, but she said safe consumption sites that have been the subject of research “have shown that it has saved a significant [percentage of] patients from overdosing.” Rahul Gupta, the White House drug czar, has said the Biden administration is reviewing broader drug policy harm reduction proposals, including the authorization of supervised consumption sites, and he went so far as to suggest possible decriminalization. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) put out a pair of requests for applications in December 2021 to investigate how safe consumption sites and other harm reduction policies could help address the drug crisis. Gupta, the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), has said it’s critical to explore “any and every option” to reduce overdose deaths, which could include allowing safe consumption sites for illegal substances if the evidence supports their efficacy. Cory Booker Visits Marijuana Manufacturer In California Amid Renewed Push For Federal Legalization Bill The post New York Senators Approve Safe Drug Consumption Site Pilot Program Bill appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The CEO of a top marijuana company is pushing back against recent surveys showing insufficient support to pass a Florida legalization ballot initiative this November, claiming internal polling shows the measure ahead by a comfortable margin. After the state Supreme Court cleared the proposal for ballot placement, rejecting a constitutional challenge from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R), two polls came out indicating that the Smart & Safe Florida campaign didn’t have the required 60 percent support for passage. But in an interview with Cheddar on Thursday, Tulieve CEO Kim Rivers dismissed the surveys, saying “don’t believe everything you’re hearing” when it comes to the two most recent polls “in particular.” “We would not put our stock in those polls,” she said, adding that there are more “legitimate polls” from the past year that show the legalization measure “well over” the 60 percent threshold for passage. Tulieve isn’t running the campaign, but it has been the main financial backer of the initiative, contributing nearly $50 million. “Our internal numbers remain incredibly strong and closer to 70 [percent], actually than 60 [percent],” she said. “So [there’s] strong bipartisan support across the state.” Rivers also said during Thursday’s interview that one recent poll she was disputing included “over 10 percent” non-registered voters. It’s unclear what she was specifically referring to, but a USA Today/Ipsos survey that was released last month disaggregated between the general public and registered voters. It found that 56 percent of Florida registered voters and 49 percent of Florida adults overall back the cannabis measure. A separate Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Mainstreet Research poll found that only a 47 percent plurality of voters back the cannabis initiative, compared to 35 percent opposed and 18 percent undecided. Marijuana Moment reached out to Trulieve and the Smart & Safe Florida campaign for clarification. A Trulieve spokesperson said Rivers was referring to a survey that took place “this spring” without further elaborating. A campaign spokesperson declined to comment when reached by phone. Later in the Cheddar interview, Rivers responded to a question about the market potential for her company if cannabis is legalized in Florida. “We believe that Florida could be a $6 billion market opportunity,” she said. “We currently have just under 900,000 medical patients—but look, there’s 22 million residents and 138 million unique tourist visits in Florida. So this market could be massive.” Thank you ⁦⁦⁦@cheddar⁩ for having me on to talk @Trulieve earnings! With a beat across all markets, we are ready for the road ahead! #YesOn3 Cannabis Rescheduling Could be the ‘First Domino’ to Federal Reform https://t.co/9FODCQuZF6 — Kim Rivers (@rivers_kim) May 9, 2024 “Truly we are the market leader. We have 135 locations currently in the state of Florida— over three million square feet of cultivation and production capacity—so you know, for us, of course it could be a game changer,” Rivers said. While the campaign hasn’t shared internal polling, it is the case that prior surveys have shown the initiative in a more comfortable position than the two most recent public polls did. A University of North Florida (UNF) poll released last November found nearly 70 percent of voters are in favor of the reform, for example. Meanwhile, the Florida Republican Party officially come out against a marijuana legalization initiative over the weekend, clearing the way for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to raise money to fund an opposition campaign against the measure. DeSantis also previously predicted voters will reject the marijuana initiative in November and argued that passage would “reduce the quality of life” in the state. — 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. — Economic analysts from the Florida legislature and DeSantis’s office, estimate that the marijuana legalization initiative would generate between $195.6 million and $431.3 million in new sales tax revenue annually if voters enact it. Those figures could increase considerably if lawmakers opted to impose an additional excise tax on cannabis transactions that’s similar to the ones in place in other legalized states. If approved, the measure would change the state Constitution to allow existing medical cannabis companies in the state, such as Trulieve, the campaign’s main financial contributor, to begin selling marijuana to all adults over 21. It contains a provision that would allow—but not require—lawmakers to take steps toward the approval of additional businesses. Home cultivation by consumers would not be allowed under the proposal as drafted. Adults would be able to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis, only five grams of which could be marijuana concentrate products. The three-page measure also omits equity provisions favored by advocates, such as expungements or other relief for people with prior cannabis convictions. Nearly all of the campaign’s financial backing has come from existing medical marijuana businesses, predominantly multi-state operators. Recently, the Florida Division of Elections (DOE) released the campaign finance activity report from the first quarter of the year, showing nearly $15 million in new contributions. Trulieve, the main financial backer of the initiative, led the pack again with $9.225 million in donations during the first quarter. That follows the company previously contributing about $40 million as advocates worked to collect more than one million signatures to qualify for ballot placement. The company’s CEO said recently that, contrary to the governor’s claims, legalization could actually “improve quality of life” for residents. Here’s what the Smart & Safe Florida marijuana legalization initiative would accomplish: Adults 21 and older could purchase and possess up to three ounces of cannabis for personal use. The cap for marijuana concentrates would be five grams. Medical cannabis dispensaries could “acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute marijuana products and marijuana accessories to adults for personal use.” The legislature would be authorized—but not required—to approve additional entities that are not currently licensed cannabis dispensaries. The initiative specifies that nothing in the proposal prevents the legislature from “enacting laws that are consistent with this amendment.” The amendment further clarifies that nothing about the proposal “changes federal law,” which seems to be an effort to avoid past legal challenges about misleading ballot language. There are no provisions for home cultivation, expungement of prior records or social equity. The measure would take effect six months following approval by voters. Here’s the full text of the ballot title and summary: “Allows adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise; allows Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, and other state licensed entities, to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute such products and accessories. Applies to Florida law; does not change, or immunize violations of, federal law. Establishes possession limits for personal use. Allows consistent legislation. Defines terms. Provides effective date.” Smart & Safe Florida announced in March that it was working to form a coalition of veterans to build voter support for the reform. The campaign has since formally launched that initiative. Despite his opposition to the initiative, DeSantis, a former GOP presidential candidate who dropped out of the race in January, previously accurately predicted that the state’s highest court would ultimately allow the measure on November’s ballot. DeSantis also weighed in on another relevant cannabis policy issue earlier this year when, while still a presidential candidate, he said that he doesn’t believe the federal gun ban for state-legal marijuana consumers is constitutional. Florida’s former agriculture commission, Nikki Fried, brought a lawsuit against the Biden administration over the rule, though the governor did not get involved. Prior to dropping out, DeSantis also said that if elected president, he would “respect the decisions that states make” on marijuana legalization despite his personal view that the reform has a “negative impact.” Cory Booker Visits Marijuana Manufacturer In California Amid Renewed Push For Federal Legalization Bill Photo courtesy of WeedPornDaily. The post Florida Marijuana Legalization Measure Has Enough Support To Pass In Internal Polling, CEO Of Company Funding Campaign Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Schumer on legalization; Booker tours marijuana biz; VT safe consumption & psychedelics; Poll: People have good experiences with cannabis Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Free to read (but not free to produce)! We’re proud of our newsletter and the reporting we publish at Marijuana Moment, and we’re happy to provide it for free. But it takes a lot of work and resources to make this happen. If you value Marijuana Moment, invest in our success on Patreon so we can expand our coverage and more readers can benefit: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that “great experiments” with marijuana legalization in states across the U.S. have given Americans “more freedoms” without having negative impacts. “Crime hasn’t gone up. Drug addiction hasn’t gone up.” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) said he is “hopeful” that the state can finally legalize marijuana if Democrats win control of the legislature in the November election under new competitive district maps. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) said he’s “sure I’ll end up vetoing” a bill lawmakers passed to legalize and fund a safe consumption site for illegal drugs. “We’ll see if there’s an override… We want to save lives. We just have a different outlook on how to do that.” The Vermont House of Representatives amended and approved a Senate-passed bill to create a psychedelic-assisted therapy working group to make recommendations on whether and how the state should regulate legal access to substances like psilocybin and MDMA. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) toured a Natura marijuana manufacturing facility in California amid his push to build support for a newly introduced federal legalization bill. A new poll shows that most Americans who have tried marijuana, psilocybin, LSD or MDMA say their experiences were “mostly positive.” New York lawmakers are expressing concerns about the state’s marijuana business financing plan, with one senator saying the deal with a private equity firm places “an outsized, unsustainable debt burden on licensees with the potential to extract all of their profit and then some.” The Virginia Department of Health launched a “special surveillance system” to monitor “adverse events” involving children and teens being exposed to cannabis products. / FEDERAL The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that authorities do not have to provide speedy hearings when they seize property used in drug crimes. The Food and Drug Administration posted a solicitation for sources of CBD and its metabolites for use in animal studies. The Congressional Research Service noted that the Supreme Court is considering the case of a truck driver who was fired after a positive THC drug test he attributes to a CBD product. Rep. James McGovern (D-MA) tweeted, “We’re calling on President Biden: it’s time to deschedule marijuana and resolve more than 50 years of failed, racially discriminatory drug policies.” / STATES Connecticut lawmakers sent Gov. Ned Lamont (D) legislation to restrict intoxicating hemp-derived products. Kansas’s Senate president said medical cannabis “warrants serious discussion” but argued that legalization bills introduced to date would leave the state open to “severe consequences.” A South Carolina senator said he will personally lobby every House member to support his medical cannabis legalization bill if he needs to. The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania heard oral arguments in a case challenging Berks County policies that prohibit people who use medical cannabis from participating in treatment court programs. New Mexico regulators filed revised marijuana rules. Alaska regulators are proposing changes to rules on marijuana plant tracking. Washington State regulators are considering changes to rules to give cannabis businesses greater flexibility to purchase cannabis from other licensees using checks. Colorado regulators are considering rules changes to increase medical cannabis patient application processing fees. West Virginia regulators touted efforts to ensure hemp product safety. New Jersey regulators approved additional recreational marijuana business licenses. — 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 Activists intervened in a lawsuit against Austin, Texas’s voter-approved marijuana decriminalization law that was filed by the state attorney general. / INTERNATIONAL Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin issued an order to close cannabis shops by April 1, 2025. The German Bundestag will begin considering changes to the marijuana legalization law next week. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “contrary to public belief, cannabis users did not differ from non-users in terms of their physical activity levels, sleep quality or blood pressure.” A study concluded that “topical cannabis is presented as a therapeutic alternative for inflammatory diseases.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Cannabis Regulators Association published best practices on regulating cannabinoids for safety. The Baltimore Sun editorial board expressed concerns about marijuana dispensary drive-through windows. / BUSINESS Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of $338.9 million and a net loss of $51 million. Trulieve Cannabis Corp. reported quarterly revenue of $298 million and a net loss of $23 million. SNDL Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of C$197.8 million and an operating loss of C$4.4 million. The Cannabist Company Holdings Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $122.6 million and a net loss of $34.6 million. TerrAscend Corp. reported quarterly net revenue of $80.6 million and a net loss from continuing operations of $14.9 million. Cronos Group Inc. reported quarterly consolidated net revenue of $25.3 million and a net loss of $2.5 million. Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $75.5 million. 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 Wisconsin could legalize cannabis after election, governor says (Newsletter: May 10, 2024) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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“This is government. We can’t have things that are done undercover.” By Rosalind Adams, THE CITY A New York lawmaker called for the state to sever its relationship with a Chicago-based private equity firm helping to fund weed dispensaries run by people impacted by the war on drugs following a report from THE CITY revealing alarming details of the agreement. “The state and the cannabis marketplace would be better served by investing our stake in non-profit community development funding and ending the relationship with these predatory stakeholders,” said state Sen. Gustavo Rivera (D-The Bronx), a member of the cannabis subcommittee. In 2021, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced a $200 million public–private fund that would offer loans to a special class of retail licensees created for people impacted by drug convictions. Those loans would cover the costs of building out their own stores at locations scouted and leased by the fund. New York allocated $50 million to the fund and secured additional private capital through a loan from Chicago Atlantic Group, a real estate investment group. But last month, THE CITY revealed that the cannabis fund is locking licensees into loans as high as $2 million to build out each dispensary with strict repayment terms that experts say are likely to lead those licensees to default. The details of the agreement, which state officials refused to make public, reveal that the state guaranteed Chicago Atlantic Group’s return on its investment no matter how the stores perform—ultimately leaving taxpayers to pay if the dispensaries fail. He said that he was “deeply concerned” that the deal is “placing an outsized, unsustainable debt burden on licensees with the potential to extract all of their profit and then some.” Concerns about the New York Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund’s deal with Chicago Atlantic surfaced last October at a hearing about cannabis legalization led by Sen. Jeremy Cooney (D-Rochester), who chairs the cannabis subcommittee. State officials defended the terms of the loan at the hearing and said they were committed to the success of the licensees’ stores. But some licensees and advocates raised alarms about the high costs associated with the loans. The fund “is exposing the most vulnerable New Yorkers to predatory exploitation,” Eli Northrup, a Bronx Defenders lawyer who works with license applicants, said in his testimony on October 30. At the time, few details were known about the deal that state officials had agreed to in order to secure funding from Chicago Atlantic Group. Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D-Buffalo), who sponsored the original cannabis legalization bills, said in an interview with THE CITY last week that leaders declined to share with her the details of the agreement. Cooney also told THE CITY that he had not seen the agreement. “I do have a problem with the lack of transparency on what the agreement looked like. I’m not the only one who asked for an opportunity to take a look at it but it wasn’t provided.” Peoples-Stokes said. “This is government. We can’t have things that are done undercover.” State agencies denied multiple Freedom of Information Law requests and appeals for the document by THE CITY, which eventually obtained a late draft copy of the agreement as well as internal agency documents that showed the Office of Cannabis Management was also concerned about the deal. Peoples-Stokes said that while she was not surprised by the revelation that the state had agreed to guarantee Chicago Atlantic Group a 15 percent interest rate on its loan to the fund, it showed that the state could have simply directly offered the loans directly to the licensees. “Honestly, we all would have probably been run out of here, but the state should have just funded this themselves,” she said. THE CITY also found that the loans offered to licensees by the fund in at least some cases contained inflated costs. Last year, the fund offered a licensee, Keith Dalessio, a dispensary site in Astoria. When he learned that the loan to cover the construction costs would be at least $1.6 million, it was so astronomical that he wasn’t sure he wanted to accept a loan from the fund at all. Dalessio, who owns a nearby pet shop, later discovered a subcontractor had done the build-out work for only about $250,000, according to invoices reviewed by THE CITY. Eventually he decided to walk away from the fund’s loan offer. Today, the storefront sits empty. The fund has spent more than $2 million on the location between rent and build-out costs. Peoples-Stokes told THE CITY that she still supported providing loans through the fund because they offer an opportunity for people who may not qualify for small business loans. But she added that she wanted to see the costs associated with the loans lowered. “Not every store needs to be a flagship location. There are people who are in business who did not take loans from the fund, and they have beautiful businesses. I’ve been to them,” she said. “The costs of construction can be brought way down.” Cooney told THE CITY the deal with Chicago Atlantic deserved more scrutiny. “New York State should be doing everything it can to support the success of entrepreneurs impacted by the failed War on Drugs,” he said. “The fact that the social-equity fund may be having the opposite impact is very concerning.” THE CITY is a nonprofit newsroom that serves the people of New York. Sign up for our SCOOP newsletter and get exclusive stories, helpful tips, a guide to low-cost events, and everything you need to know to be a well-informed New Yorker. DONATE to THE CITY Most Americans Who Have Tried Marijuana Or Psychedelics Had ‘Positive’ Experiences, Survey Finds The post New York Lawmakers Demand Scrutiny Of State’s Marijuana Contract With Chicago-Based Private Equity Firm appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) paid a visit to a marijuana manufacturing facility in Sacramento this week, touring the operation and speaking with staff as he continues his push for federal legalization. Just weeks after reintroducing the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) with 17 other Democratic senators, Booker took a trip to Natura on Monday, gaining additional industry perspective from a leading manufacturer in the state. John Schmidt, vice president of business development at Natura, said the company was “thrilled” to host Booker “for an insightful dive into the world of cannabis.” With the CAOA reintroduction, the senator is “championing federal reform to prioritize justice and empower states,” he said. “Grateful for his support as we pave the way for a brighter, more equitable future. Cory Booker is truly a champion of cannabis and plant medicine.” At the facility, Booker said “we’re in a weird place in our country where we’ve had this prohibition that has lasted for generations that has really punished folks.” “I’m from Newark where marijuana enforcement is disproportionately focused on low income people, people of color, people who are suffering, people who are struggling. And we have this perverse reality in America where we have people with criminal convictions who are doing things that presidents and congress people and senators have admitted to doing,” he said, according to High Times. “The hypocrisy of that is maddening.” “I came here to, not learn, but connect with these people that are part of a larger movement in America for justice and I’ve just seen that each and every one of you are willing to work in an industry that’s not easy, but also wants to be in a country where freedom’s never been easy,” the senator said. “Justice has never been easy but we need people like us to stand up for it. It’s what makes it possible.” Booker’s visit to the business is all the more notable when considering his evolving position on congressional cannabis banking legislation that stands to benefit state-licensed companies like Natura. While he’s previously opposed the incremental reform without comprehensive, equity-centered legalization enacted first, he’s come to embrace the banking measure as a necessary step. The legalization bill Booker is sponsoring again has dim prospects of passage this year. Democrats only hold a narrow majority in the Senate and would need GOP buy-in to advance it through the chamber. And it’s highly unlikely that the GOP-controlled House would take it up, especially under the leadership of anti-cannabis Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). The bill’s reintroduction came one day after the Justice Department announced that it is moving to reschedule cannabis in a historic policy shift. At a presser unveiling the latest CAOA, Booker also said lawmakers got to the “one yard line” with the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act last Congress, and “it was a step in the right direction” with certain equity provisions attached. That’s a notable rhetorical shift compared to the press conference unveiling the original CAOA in 2021, where Booker vowed to block any efforts to advance cannabis banking reform before legalization is enacted. Meanwhile, in January, the senator also reintroduced a bill to allow people living in federally assisted housing to use marijuana in compliance with state law without fear of losing their homes. While Booker has long championed cannabis reform, he’s also said it’s been “frustrating” to see marijuana legalization fall short of equity goals, which he said is partly due to ongoing federal prohibition. And while he’s pushing for reform, he characterized cannabis as a “dangerous” drug that hasn’t been studied enough. Schumer Says ‘Great Experiments’ With Marijuana Legalization By States Have Given Americans ‘More Freedoms’ The post Cory Booker Visits Marijuana Manufacturer In California Amid Renewed Push For Federal Legalization Bill appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) says he’s “sure” he’ll end up vetoing a bill that would legalize and fund a Burlington facility where people could use currently prohibited drugs in a medically supervised environment, explaining that he’s “philosophically and pragmatically opposed” to the measure despite support from local leaders. “I’m sure I’ll end up vetoing that, and we’ll see if there’s an override,” the governor said of the bill, H.72, at his weekly press conference on Wednesday. “That one is something that I am opposed to. We’ll see if they have the votes.” Lawmakers would need a two-thirds supermajority to overcome Scott’s veto. The proposal, which cleared the legislature with a final House vote on Tuesday, would create an overdose prevention center (OPC) in the city of Burlington, with $1.1 million in money from the state’s opioid settlement fund and another $300,000 to study the impact of the pilot project. The facility would need to have on-site professionals with training in CPR, overdose interventions, first aid and wound care, as well as medical assessments to determine the need for further emergency care. Beyond establishing a site where people could use drugs in a medically supervised setting, the bill also now includes a Senate-added requirement that the facility provide drug-checking services, and it contains language on criminal immunity for OPC staff, property holders and others to ensure they aren’t subject to arrest or prosecution as the result of good-faith overdose prevention efforts. If it becomes law, Vermont would join Rhode Island and Minnesota in authorizing the facilities. In his recent comments, however, Scott argued the state should instead “go with a strategy that works,” calling for more funding for prevention, treatment and “trying to put people on a better path.” Asked by a reporter whether he disagrees with claims from the bill’s supporters that it would help save lives, Scott replied, “Well, it may save lives, but how much are we going to lose because we didn’t get them into treatment or keep them from using in the first place with prevention.” “Again, that’s our philosophical difference,” he continued. “I think we’re all on the same page. We want to save lives. We just have a different outlook on how to do that.” Watch Scott’s comments, around 24:34 into the video below: House lawmakers approved a previous version of the bill in January, and the Senate last week amended and approved the measure. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives signed off on the Senate-made changes, teeing up the proposal to be transmitted Scott’s office. Sponsored by Rep. Taylor Small (P/D) and 28 House colleagues, the bill is another attempt by lawmakers to allow overdose prevention centers following Scott’s veto of a 2022 measure that would have established a task force to create a plan to open the sites. Though he hadn’t explicitly indicated earlier this session that he intended to veto the bill, Gov. Scott said in January, after it passed the House, that he didn’t believe “that a government entity should be in the business of enabling those who are addicted to these drugs that are illegal.” Scott wrote in his 2022 veto message on the earlier legislation that “it seems counterintuitive to divert resources from proven harm reduction strategies to plan injection sites without clear data on the effectiveness of this approach.” An earlier House-passed version of H.72 would have instead created two overdose prevention centers (OPCs) in undeclared parts of the state, with $2 million set aside in funding for the facilities. A broad amendment adopted in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee last month, however, narrowed the pilot program to a single site in the city of Burlington, where officials have expressed interest in hosting a facility. In addition to endorsements from the current and former mayors of Burlington itself, this year’s proposal has support from advocacy groups including the Drug Policy Alliance, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, National Harm Reduction Coalition, the American Diabetes Association, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, Johnson Health Center, Broken No More, Recovery Vermont and the Vermont Association for Mental Health Addiction and Recovery. Though Rhode Island and Minnesota have state laws on the books allowing safe drug consumption sites, New York City became the first U.S. jurisdiction to open locally sanctioned harm reduction centers in November 2021, and officials have reported positive results saving lives. An early study published by the American Medical Association (AMA) found that the facilities had decreased the risk of overdose, steered people away from using drugs in public and provided other ancillary health services to people who use illicit substances. And separate research published by AMA late last year found that the centers have not led to increased crime despite a significant decrease in arrests. Meanwhile the federal government has fought an effort to open an overdose prevention center in Philadelphia, with the Biden administration arguing that the facilities violate federal law. Last month, the court in that case granted the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss a challenge from organizers. The Supreme Court rejected a request to that hear that case in October 2021. DOJ first blocked the Philadelphia nonprofit from opening the overdose prevention center under the Trump administration. Supporters hoped the department would cede the issue under President Joe Biden, who has promoted harm reduction policies as an alternative to criminalization, but the parties could not reach an agreement to allow the facility to open despite months of “good faith” negotiations. Congressional researchers have highlighted the “uncertainty” of the federal government’s position on such facilities, pointing out last November that lawmakers could temporarily resolve the issue by advancing an amendment modeled after the one that has allowed medical marijuana laws to be implemented without Justice Department interference. Meanwhile, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow has tacitly endorsed the idea of authorizing safe consumption sites, arguing that evidence has effectively demonstrated that the facilities can prevent overdose deaths. Volkow declined to say specifically what she believes should happen with the ongoing lawsuit, but she said safe consumption sites that have been the subject of research “have shown that it has saved a significant [percentage of] patients from overdosing.” Rahul Gupta, the White House drug czar, has said the Biden administration is reviewing broader drug policy harm reduction proposals, including the authorization of supervised consumption sites, and he went so far as to suggest possible decriminalization. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) put out a pair of requests for applications in December 2021 to investigate how safe consumption sites and other harm reduction policies could help address the drug crisis. Gupta, the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), has said it’s critical to explore “any and every option” to reduce overdose deaths, which could include allowing safe consumption sites for illegal substances if the evidence supports their efficacy. New Hampshire Senate Committee Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill With Amendments Photo courtesy of Jernej Furman. The post Vermont Governor Signals Veto Of Drug Safe Consumption Site Bill That Passed Legislature appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A majority of Americans have tried marijuana—and most say they had a positive experience—according to a new poll. The survey from YouGov also found that one in five Americans have used psilocybin mushrooms, and an even greater majority of those respondents described the experience as positive. Most people who have tried other psychedelics like LSD and MDMA also said it was a good time. As the federal government moves to reclassify cannabis and more states pursue psychedelics reform, the poll offers fresh insights into how people have personally used the substances and where they stand on changing drug laws. YouGov asked respondents about four substances: marijuana, psilocybin, LSD and MDMA. By far the most commonly used was marijuana (57 percent), followed by psilocybin (20 percent), LSD (16 percent) and MDMA (11 percent). For each substance, people who said they’ve used it reported a positive experience, most prominently for psilocybin (65). The rest were roughly equal: marijuana (57 percent), MDMA (56 percent) and LSD (55 percent). About one and four people who’ve used the drugs described the experience as equally positive and negative. And 20 percent of people who’ve consumed marijuana, LSD or MDMA said it was a negative experience, but only eight percent said the same of psilocybin. Via YouGov. Notably, when asked whether the substances should be legalized, only marijuana received majority support at 60 percent. Compare that to psilocybin (27 percent), MDMA (16 percent) and LSD (15 percent). However, among people with personal experience using the drugs, there’s majority support for legalization for each of them except LSD. “A total of 78 percent of marijuana users support its legalization. 63 percent of psilocybin users want psilocybin legalized, and 55 percent of MDMA users support MDMA legalization,” YouGov said. “There is more division among LSD users regarding its legalization: 38 percent would support it and 43 percent would oppose it.” The survey involved interviews with 1,134 American adults from April 25-28, with a four percentage point margin of error. Via YouGov. Meanwhile, another recent survey found that nearly three in five Americans consider alcohol or tobacco to be “more harmful” to a person’s health than marijuana. Nine in 10 Americans say marijuana should be legal for recreational or medical purposes, a Pew Research Center poll that was released in March found. And most agree that legalization bolsters local economies and makes the criminal justice system more fair. Pew also released a separate report in February that found eight in 10 Americans now live in a county with at least one marijuana dispensary. The analysis also shows that high concentrations of retailers often “cluster” near borders abutting other states that have “less permissive cannabis laws”—indicating that there’s a large market of people who live in still-criminalized jurisdictions who cross state lines to purchase regulated products. A poll from Gallup that was released last month found that rates of marijuana use are nearly the same in states that have legalized versus those that maintain prohibition, which suggests that “criminalization does little to curtail its use.” Wisconsin Governor ‘Hopeful’ Marijuana Legalization Can Pass If Democrats Win Control With New Competitive Election Maps The post Most Americans Who Have Tried Marijuana Or Psychedelics Had ‘Positive’ Experiences, Survey Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“At the end of the day, there needs to be proper attribution as to what the child actually consumed.” By Graham Moomaw, Virginia Mercury Virginia officials are instructing health care providers to start keeping track of “adverse events” involving children and teens being exposed to cannabis products. In an April 24 letter to clinicians, State Health Commissioner Karen Shelton said her agency had received enough reports of minors getting sick from products containing CBD and THC, chemical compounds found in cannabis, that the state was establishing a “special surveillance system” to keep tabs on the issue. “Reported symptoms for these adverse events have included vomiting, hallucinations, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, altered mental status and anxiety,” Shelton wrote, adding that “some hospitalizations have occurred” as a result of minors consuming cannabis products. The letter specifically asks that local health departments be made aware of any cannabis-related hospitalizations in patients under 18 years old and any “clusters of adverse events” affecting multiple minors. “After a hospitalization or cluster is reported, VDH staff will collect information about the illness(es), possible exposures, and laboratory results,” the letter says. The Health Department provided data showing an increase in emergency room visits involving minors being exposed to cannabis, and said the new surveillance system will help bolster those tracking efforts. In 2019, there were 52 ER visits. By 2023, the number had grown to 377. That data only covers emergency room visits and doesn’t reflect every incident reported to health officials. “As a result of these data, the special surveillance system was established in order for VDH to receive these reports directly and better assess the impact of adverse events related to consumption of products containing THC or CBD among children in the Commonwealth,” said Health Department spokesperson Cheryle Rodriguez. The letter also points to an online portal allowing anyone who had an adverse experience with cannabis products to submit a report to the Health Department with information about what happened, where the product was obtained and how it was labeled. The agency also noted that lab testing is available to “support patient and product testing.” The tracking system set up by health officials is the latest government effort to mitigate the downsides of cannabis, as policymakers continue to debate what to do about adult use of marijuana and products close enough to weed to produce a similar high. Earlier this year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) pointed to health risks to children as one of his reasons for vetoing legislation that would have legalized retail sales of marijuana for purely recreational use. “The most concerning consequence of cannabis commercialization is its impact on adolescents and our children,” Youngkin said in his veto statement, which also cited data showing increases in calls to poison control centers for children who consumed cannabis edibles. There have been numerous news stories in the past few years of THC-related overdoses at Virginia schools, some of them being serious enough to require hospitalization. Last year, a high school in the city of Richmond took the unusual step of banning all candy after four students suffered “medical distress” after eating edibles believed to contain a form of THC, the intoxicating element found in marijuana, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. As lawmakers have relaxed Virginia’s laws on adult possession of small amounts of marijuana, they’ve taken steps to crack down on legally murky products like delta-8 THC, which produces a high similar to marijuana but has gone largely unregulated because it’s typically derived from hemp plants. Michelle Peace, a forensic science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University who specializes in vaping and cannabis research, said data collection and better testing will help health officials “get their arms around” the issue. “It’s important to know how pervasive the problem is,” Peace said in an interview. Peace has been doing her own research into the vaping habits of Virginia K-12 students by testing the contents of vape equipment confiscated by school officials. Out of 369 submissions, 82 percent contained nicotine and 18 percent had some form of THC. Much of that THC was “very highly concentrated,” Peace said, making it more likely that the user would experience negative effects. “At the end of the day, there needs to be proper attribution as to what the child actually consumed,” Peace said. This story was first published by Virginia Mercury. Democratic Congressman Lays Out New Marijuana Agenda To Reflect Renewed ‘Optimism’ Amid Rescheduling Move Photo courtesy of Pexels. The post Virginia Officials Launch ‘Surveillance System’ To Track Cannabis-Related ‘Adverse Events’ Among Children appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Vermont’s House of Representatives has passed a bill that would create a psychedelic-assisted therapy working group to make recommendations on whether and how the state should regulate legal access to substances like psilocybin and MDMA. House lawmakers passed the measure, S.114, on a voice vote Wednesday, a day after adopting an amendment discussed in an earlier committee hearing. That change directs the Vermont Psychological Association to collaborate with the state Department of Health to help staff and provide technical assistance to the working group. The Senate, for its part, passed an earlier version of the legislation in March, but there have been a number of changes since the legislation landed in the House—so the measure will require a concurrence vote in the originating body before it can head to the governor’s desk. In its current form, the proposal would not itself change the legal status of any substances. Rather, the eight-person task force would “review the latest research and evidence of the public health benefits and risks of clinical psychedelic assisted treatments” and “examine the laws and programs of other states that have authorized the use of psychedelics by health care providers in a therapeutic setting,” according to the latest version of the measure. As originally introduced, the measure from Sen. Martine Larocque Gulick (D) would have also legalized use and possession of psilocybin. Lawmakers on the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, however, deleted that section to focus instead on the therapeutic working group. There was little floor discussion in the House ahead of Wednesday’s vote. One member, however—Rep. Tristan Roberts (D)—spoke to how psychedelic-assisted therapy helped him address childhood trauma that caused him night terrors. “I now recognize that my night terrors were my body’s way of asking me to face my fears,” he said. “Psychedelic-assisted therapy gave me the tools to to do that that I hadn’t found in 40 years of looking.” “I sleep much better now. Depression and anxiety are more often symptoms that move through me; they are not me,” he continued. “I felt for the first time in memory that I could appreciate and add to the beauty in life. Psychedelic medicine helped me uncover again my true nature.” Last week the measure advanced out of committee with a striking amendment from Rep. Anne Donahue (R). The committee’s changes removed task force members representing the Psychedelic Society of Vermont and the Brattleboro Retreat, a psychiatric and addiction hospital. It added representatives from the state Department of Mental Health and the nonprofit Vermont Medical Society. The amendment also deleted a provision that would have directed the working group to evaluate the criminalization of psychedelics in Vermont. It also removed struck a line that said the task force would “provide potential timelines for universal and equitable access to psychedelic-assisted treatments.” Another change removed an earlier provision directing the task force to provide an opportunity “for individuals with lived experience to provide testimony.” Donahue said her own life experiences with mental health care have left her skeptical of assurances from psychedelic-assisted therapy advocates. “I have lived the life of somebody who has been told, ‘Oh, this is safe, this is safe, this is safe.’ You know, ‘We in psychiatry and mental health know what we’re doing is safe. This is safe, this is safe, this is safe,’ and having my life practically destroyed,” she told colleagues at the hearing. “I see the new ads on TV about, ‘Oh, your distracted mother, calm her down with this drug!’ That’s a drug that’s prohibited in nursing homes, because it’s used to keep their behaviors in line. And it causes early, premature death. But, you know, give it to mom because she needs to be calmed down!” “But the FDA is really actively involved in working on it,” she continued, “and I think that [Vermont should be] following their lead rather than saying, you know, we need to jump the gun potentially.” Both MDMA and psilocybin have been granted breakthrough therapy status by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and recent clinical trials have MDMA on pace for possible FDA approval later this year. House passage of the psychedelics working group bill comes on the heels of the House’s approval earlier this week of H.72, which would legalize and fund a Burlington facility where people could use currently prohibited substances in a medically supervised environment. But Gov. Phil Scott (R), who vetoed an 2022 measure that would have created a task force to study overdose prevention centers, has indicated he’s not on board with the plan. If enacted, the legislation would create an overdose prevention center (OPC) Burlington, with $1.1 million in funding plus another $300,000 to study the study the impact of the pilot project. The OPC would need to have on-site professionals with training in CPR, overdose interventions, first aid and wound care, as well as medical assessments to determine the need for further emergency care. Vermont would join Rhode Island and Minnesota in authorizing the facilities. Lawmakers in a growing number of states have considered psychedelics legislation this session, with many focusing on psilocybin reform and increased research. This week in Alaska, for example, a Senate panel advanced a House-passed measure that would create a state task force to study how to license and regulate psychedelic-assisted therapy in the event of federal approval of substances such as MDMA and psilocybin — 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. — In Maryland, the Senate and House of Delegates have both passed legislation to create a psychedelics task force responsible for studying possible regulatory frameworks for therapeutic access to substances such as psilocybin, mescaline and DMT, sending the proposal to Gov Wes Moore (D). It would be charged specifically with ensuring “broad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances” in the state. Indiana’s governor recently signed a bill that includes provisions to fund clinical research trials into psilocybin. Utah’s governor, meanwhile, allowed a bill to authorize a pilot program for hospitals to administer psilocybin and MDMA as an alternative treatment option to become law without his signature. Maine lawmakers sent the governor legislation to establish a commission tasked with studying and making recommendations on regulating access to psychedelic services. An Arizona House panel also approved a Senate-passed bill to legalize psilocybin service centers where people could receive the psychedelic in a medically supervised setting. A Connecticut joint legislative panel approved a bill to decriminalize possession of psilocybin. A bipartisan bill to legalize psychedelic service centers in California has cleared two Senate committees. The governor of New Mexico has endorsed a newly enacted resolution requesting that state officials research the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and explore the creation of a regulatory framework to provide access to the psychedelic. An Illinois committee also recently held a hearing to discuss a bill to legalize psilocybin and allow regulated access at service centers in the state where adults could use the psychedelic in a supervised setting—with plans to expand the program to include mescaline, ibogaine and DMT. Lawmakers in Hawaii also considered a bill that would provide some legal protections to patients engaging in psilocybin-assisted therapy with a medical professional’s approval. New York lawmakers said that a bill to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy in that state has a “real chance” of passing this year. A Nevada joint legislative committee held a hearing with expert and public testimony on the therapeutic potential of substances like psilocybin in January. Law enforcement representatives also shared their concerns around legalization—but there was notable acknowledgement that some reforms should be enacted, including possible rescheduling. The governor of Massachusetts also 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. Separately, an initiative that would legalize psychedelics may appear on the November ballot if lawmakers decline to independently enact it first. Currently, there are no psychedelic drugs that are federally approved to prescribe as medicine. But that could soon change, as FDA recently agreed to review a new drug application for MDMA-assisted therapy on an expedited basis. At the start of this year, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) separately issued a request for applications to conduct in-depth research on the use of psychedelics to treat PTSD and depression. In October, the agency also launched a new podcast about the future of veteran health care, and the first episode of the series focuses on the healing potential of psychedelics. FDA also recently joined scientists at a public meeting on next steps for conducting research to develop psychedelic medicines. That came months after the agency issued historic draft guidance on psychedelics studies, providing scientists with a framework to carry out research that could lead to the development of novel medicines. Meanwhile in Congress last week, a House panel approved GOP-led bill that would instruct VA to notify Congress if any psychedelics are added to its formulary of covered prescription drugs. White House Declines To Say Whether Biden Supports Marijuana Rescheduling Proposal From DOJ The post Vermont Lawmakers Approve Psychedelic Therapy Task Force Bill, Putting It One Step Away From Governor’s Desk appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

States have carried out “great experiments” with marijuana legalization that have given Americans “more freedoms,” including in conservative jurisdictions, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says. As Schumer continues to push for cannabis banking legislation and a legalization bill he recently unveiled, the senator was asked on Wednesday whether there’s a policy disconnect between his advocacy for marijuana reform and his call for a crackdown on the nicotine product Zyn. The majority leader didn’t directly address the question but said generally that “the bottom line is that there have been great experiments in the states on legalization of marijuana.” “Crime hasn’t gone up. Drug addiction hasn’t gone up. People have more freedoms,” he said. “I think overwhelmingly the American people support decriminalization,” Schumer said. “Even in conservative states, it’s on the ballot—look at Ohio—and it wins overwhelmingly.” With respect to the Zyn-specific question, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) criticized Schumer in January over what he views as a double-standard with the proposed crackdown. After the majority leader asked federal agencies to investigate the health impacts and marketing of the nicotine pouches that have been popularized on social media in a way that he says appeals to youth, Fetterman said he opposes Schumer’s position because it’s a matter of “freedom and personal choices,” drawing parallels to his reasons for supporting marijuana legalization. “When I am going to have a decision, I’m going to err on the side of more freedom and personal choices and those kinds of things,” Fetterman said. “And I made that same argument when I wanted to legalize marijuana.” Schumer didn’t weigh in on the Zyn aspect of the reporter’s question on Wednesday, but he has repeatedly discussed his interest in advancing cannabis policy reform with the remainder of the session. Last week, for example, the senator signaled he’s not giving up hope on attaching a marijuana banking bill to must-pass aviation legislation. But Republican leaders in both chambers represent roadblocks for the reform. Schumer, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and a coalition of other Democratic senators also officially reintroduced a bill to federally legalize marijuana last week. That came one day after the Justice Department announced that it is moving to reschedule cannabis in a historic policy shift. Schumer also said last week that while the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) decision to propose marijuana rescheduling is a “historic step forward,” he remains “strongly committed” to advancing the cannabis banking and legalization legislation this session. Meanwhile, the White House on Wednesday declined to say whether President Joe Biden personally supports the DOJ cannabis reclassification plan following the review that he directed. Marijuana Seizures At U.S.–Mexico Border Continue To Fall As More States Legalize, Federal Data Shows The post Schumer Says ‘Great Experiments’ With Marijuana Legalization By States Have Given Americans ‘More Freedoms’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The governor of Wisconsin says he’s “hopeful” that the November election will lead to Democratic control of the legislature, which will position the state to finally legalize marijuana. At a stop on his “Pothole Patrol” tour on Tuesday, Gov. Tony Evers (D) was asked about the recent vote to legalize cannabis on tribal land in Ho-Chunk Nation and how that relates to the broader reform push in Wisconsin. “We’ve been working hard over the last five years, several budgets, to make that happen,” he said. “I know we’re surrounded by states with recreational marijuana, and we’re going to continue to do it.” But the GOP-controlled legislature has so far failed to pass even limited medical cannabis legislation, even a conservative bill was filed in January that the Assembly speaker had promoted. Republicans have also consistently stripped marijuana proposals from the governor’s budget requests. Evers pointed out that polling consistently shows that a majority of Wisconsinites favor adult-use legalization, and it would “obviously bring revenue into the state of Wisconsin.” “We’ll continue to do it,” the governor said. “I’m hopeful that the election this fall will make a difference in the way the legislature works and we’ll actually get this done.” Republicans have controlled both the Assembly and Senate since 2011, but Democrats are significantly more optimistic about their odds this year after the governor signed new legislative districting maps following a state Supreme Court ruling that will make the upcoming election more competitive, potentially putting majority control of the chambers in play. For the time being, however, legalization is unlikely to be taken up any further this year. A Wisconsin Democratic Assemblymember tried to force a vote on a medical cannabis compromise proposal in February, as an amendment to an unrelated kratom bill, but he told Marijuana Moment he suspects leadership intentionally pulled that legislation from the agenda at the last minute to avoid a showdown on the issue. That move came as the GOP speaker retreated on his own limited cannabis legislation that a top Republican senator criticized as anti-free market because it would’ve created a system of state-run dispensaries. Sen. Melissa Agard (D), who has long championed legalization, slammed Republicans for what she described as a “smoke and mirrors” medical marijuana proposal. The state Department of Revenue released a fiscal estimate of the economic impact of a legalization bill from Agard last November, projecting that the reform would generate nearly $170 million annually in tax revenue. Also, a legislative analysis requested by the minority leader estimated that Wisconsin residents spent more than $121 million on cannabis in Illinois alone in 2022, contributing $36 million in tax revenue to the neighboring state. Evers and other Democrats have insisted that they would be willing to enact a modest medical marijuana program, even if they’d prefer more comprehensive reform. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of Wisconsin lawmakers formally introduced a measure to decriminalize marijuana possession in December. Sponsors had hoped the limited, noncommercial reform would win enough support to clear the state’s GOP-controlled legislature and become law in parallel with the separate medical cannabis bill. Pennsylvania GOP Senator Says State Is ‘Getting Close’ To Legalizing Marijuana, But Lawmakers Must ‘Work It Out’ With Governor Photo courtesy of Max Pixel. The post Wisconsin Governor ‘Hopeful’ Marijuana Legalization Can Pass If Democrats Win Control With New Competitive Election Maps appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

NH & PA legalization; VT safe consumption site bill to gov; Illicit marijuana seizures decline; State cannabis revenue rises 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… Before you dig into today’s cannabis news, I wanted you to know you can keep this resource free and published daily by subscribing to Marijuana Moment on Patreon. We’re a small independent publication diving deep into the cannabis world and rely on readers like you to keep going. Join us at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to say whether President Joe Biden supports rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III as agencies in his administration have determined, saying he is “going to let that review process continue.” The Congressional Research Service said in a new report that it “appears likely” cannabis will be rescheduled, though it reminded lawmakers that they can “enact marijuana legislation before or after DEA acts” to more fully “eliminate the gap” between federal and state laws. The New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee amended and approved a House-passed marijuana legalization bill—the first time a proposal to legalize cannabis has ever advanced in the chamber. A Pennsylvania Republican senator said the state is “getting close” to legalizing marijuana, but the job will only get done if House and Senate leaders sit down with Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and “work it out.” Vermont lawmakers sent Gov. Phil Scott (R) a bill to legalize and fund a safe consumption site for illegal drugs, with supporters saying it will help to curb the state’s ongoing epidemic of overdose deaths. Customs and Border Protection data shows that seizures of illicit marijuana shipments at the U.S.-Mexico border continue to decline as more state legalization laws come online and give consumers places to buy cannabis safely and legally. States have now generated more than $20 billion in adult-use cannabis tax revenue since the first legal markets launched a decade ago—with a record annual haul of more than $4 billion in 2023, according to a new Marijuana Policy Project report. The chairman of the Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee said the state Medical Cannabis Commission’s ongoing involvement in litigation over its business licensing decisions has turned it into a “money pit.” / FEDERAL The National Institute on Drug Abuse posted a notice about funding research to “investigate the roles of endocannabinoids and the effects of cannabinoid exposure in the developing brain.” Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) tweeted, “I cosponsored the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act when it was first introduced in 2022. I’m proud to support it again. Legalizing cannabis is good policy — and long overdue.” Here’s a look at where all 100 senators stand on marijuana banking legislation. Former Rep. Mary Bono (R-CA) hosted the head of prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana on her podcast. Maine Republican congressional candidates Mike Soboleski and Austin Theriault said they are OK with federal marijuana legalization. The House bill to reduce restrictions on hemp growers got one new cosponsor for a total of 13. / STATES Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) recognized the work of marijuana regulators as part of Public Employee Appreciation Week. Colorado lawmakers sent Gov. Jared Polis (D) a bill to streamline marijuana regulations. Montana’s House speaker is calling for a special session to consider marijuana tax revenue distribution and other issues. Nebraska Senate candidates discussed their support for legalizing marijuana. A California senator authored an op-ed calling on Santa Cruz officials to approve a cannabis dispensary application. Alaska regulators approved rules on marijuana special investigator hiring standards. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission is looking for a new executive director. Oklahoma officials said they seized approximately 32,000 cannabis plants and 2,000 pounds of harvested marijuana as part of an investigation of medical cannabis businesses suspected of administrative and criminal violations. The New York Cannabis Advisory Board met. Washington State regulators are hosting public sessions on marijuana social equity rulemaking this month. — 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 At least 47 Ohio municipalities have enacted moratoriums on recreational marijuana businesses. Detroit, Michigan officials are considering restrictions on marijuana billboards. / INTERNATIONAL Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is moving to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic. The Canadian federal government approved British Columbia’s request to recriminalize public drug possession. A German lawmaker and member of the European Parliament will discuss cannabis reform under European Union law on Thursday. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “medical marijuana, when used to treat agitation in dementia patients, is just as effective as the standard pharmacological treatments.” A study conducted by federal officials found that “an estimated 321,566 community-dwelling children in the US lost a parent aged 18 to 64 years to drug overdose.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS A poll found that Americans support rescheduling marijuana, 45 percent to 28 percent. The Republican Party of Florida’s chairman said that county GOP chapters cannot contradict the state party’s stance opposing the marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot. The founder of Bay Staters for Natural Medicine reportedly “appears to be coordinating an opposition campaign…in tandem with prominent anti-drug advocacy groups” against a Massachusetts psychedelics legalization initiative that he at one point supported. / BUSINESS Green Thumb Industries Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of $275.8 million. Verano Holdings Corp. reported quarterly net revenue of $221.3 million and a net loss of $4.8 million. Charlotte’s Web Holdings, Inc. reported quarterly consolidated net revenue of $12.1 million and a net loss of $9.6 million. Leafly Holdings, Inc. has a new president and chief operating officer. Incannex Healthcare Inc. completed a pre-Investigational New Drug meeting with the Food and Drug Administration regarding development of its CBD-containing treatment for opioid use disorder. Compass Pathways plc announced there was “durable improvement in symptoms” with a phase 2 study of its psilocybin treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post White House & Congress on cannabis rescheduling (Newsletter: May 9, 2024) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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New Hampshire’s Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a marijuana legalization bill on Wednesday, marking the first time in state history that a panel in the chamber has signed off on the reform. Legalization advocates said the action represents the proposal clearing a major hurdle on its way to the desk of Gov. Chris Sununu (R). “The odds of New Hampshire legalizing cannabis this year just dramatically increased,” Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, told Marijuana Moment in an email. “For the first time ever, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a legalization bill after first amending the bill in a way that addresses Gov. Sununu’s parameters.” Before approving the House-passed measure, HB 1633, members of the Senate committee adopted a sweeping amendment from Sen. Daryl Abbas (R), who chaired a failed state commission on legalization late last year. Among other revisions, Abbas’s amendment increases the proposed penalties for public consumption of marijuana to include the possibility of jail time and levies a franchise fee—effectively a tax—on medical marijuana purchases. In its current version, the bill would allow 15 stores to open statewide under a novel state-run franchise system, under which the state’s Liquor Commission would oversee the look, feel and operations of the retail shops. The bill next heads to the Senate floor, where further amendments could be made before it proceeds to a second Senate committee. Though O’Keefe and other advocates said they’re pleased to see New Hampshire make progress toward legalization, they’re also concerned about some of the changes made by Abbas’s amendment, which, among other changes, would impose a “franchise fee”—essentially a tax—on medical marijuana sales and step up penalties for public consumption of marijuana to include the possibility of jail time. “While this is a huge step forward, we hope to see floor amendments to restore important provisions, including exempting patients from sin taxes,” she said. Along with Abbas’s revisions, the Judiciary Committee at Wednesday’s hearing also considered two competing amendments to the proposal—one from panel member Sen. Cindy Rosenwald (D) and another from Senate President Jeb Bradley (R)—but did not adopt either. Rosenwald’s amendment differed from Abbas’s in that it would have offered more substantial legal and professional protections for lawful users of marijuana, given licensing priority to existing medical marijuana operators in the state, reduced allowable serving sizes of infused edibles to no more than 5 milligrams THC—as opposed to 10 mg per serving, as is common in nearby states—and exempted medical patients from taxes. Bradley’s proposed changes, meanwhile, would have eliminated the possibility for vertical integration by cannabis businesses, removed provisions limiting asset forfeiture around marijuana activity, limited THC content in cannabis products to no more than 15 percent, mandated that products be tested for a list of contaminants already in place in Canada and required that workers in the industry complete mandatory mental health and reporting trainings. Home cultivation would remain illegal under all three of the proposals. Text of the amendments was not immediately available online. Members said they didn’t begin receiving copies of the proposals until about an hour before the hearing began. “One of the things I was saying before we even started all this would be much better if we had one 40-page amendment, not three that all come out this day,” Abbas told colleagues. “We’re doing the best we can with the time we get, but I know which one I’m going to support.” One of Abbas’s main goals with his measure, he said, is dissuading people from consuming cannabis in public. In past hearings, the senator has repeatedly lamented being able to smell marijuana in public spaces. Compared to the House-passed bill, his amendment steps up the penalty for the second and subsequent offenses to an unspecified misdemeanor, which could result in jail time. “There’s really no excuse to be violating that law in the first place, never mind twice,” Abbas said, saying that the smell of marijuana in public is the “number one complaint that I hear over anything else.” ACLU of New Hampshire and other civil rights advocates have opposed that change, warning that it will lead to disproportionately severe and lasting consequences and may end up costing the state more money because it will be required to provide defense lawyers for defendants who cannot afford one. Abbas’s amendment also limits municipalities to no more than a single cannabis retail establishment unless it’s home to more than 50,000 people. Only two cities in the state, Manchester and Nashua, meet that threshold. Local voters would need to approve the industry in order for businesses to open in that jurisdiction. The panel’s vote in favor of advancing the amended bill fell 3–2, with Abbas joined by two Democrats in support. The two other Republican members of the committee cast votes in opposition. Abbas explained to colleagues that he’s not excited about the prospect of legalization, but he feels it makes more sense for New Hampshire to regulate marijuana as it becomes more widely available in New England. “Is this a huge win for the state? I’m not saying that,” he said. “I just have concerns right now because we’re dealing with what we can’t control. We can’t control what they do in Maine. We can’t control what they do in Vermont. We can’t control what they do in Massachusetts.” “A lot of the problems that can come from this, I think we got it—we’re already dealing with it,” Abbas added. “This was my best guess to mitigate some of those negative impacts.” Speaking to the local publication InDepthNH this week, Tim Egan, a former state representative who’s now a lobbyist for the New Hampshire Cannabis Association, said he believes there are enough votes in the Senate, which has defeated numerous House-passed legalization bills in prior sessions, to finally send a proposal to the governor’s desk this year. “I think this is the year,” Egan said. Sununu, who’s remained a skeptic of legalization, said recently that he’ll only sign the bill if specific provisions are included. “Fundamentally I don’t really love this idea anyway,” he said, but he explained that he sees legalization as “inevitable.” Lawmakers did not directly reference the governor or his required provisions when discussing proposed amendments Wednesday, but Abbas has said repeatedly in past hearings that he believes his changes would pass muster with Sununu. The legalization proposal passed out of the House a month ago amid warnings from Abbas and some other senators that the bill would be dead on arrival in their chamber. Sununu similarly said he wouldn’t sign the bill in its House-passed form. The bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Erica Layon (R), told Marijuana Moment in a brief comment ahead of Wednesday’s hearing that she’s “hopeful that the Senate will pass a version of this legislation which can pass the House.” In March, when a House subcommittee was considering a bill, members rejected a sweeping amendment backed by Abbas that would have replaced Layon’s plan with a franchise model. Layon has warned senators not to take House lawmakers’ votes for granted if they make considerable changes to her bill. Opponents of cannabis reform, meanwhile, put out a call to action on Wednesday encouraging residents to lobby lawmakers to vote down the proposal. If you're in New Hampshire, it's time to take a stand! Despite warnings, NH is pushing forward with HB1633 to legalize marijuana. Let's safeguard our communities and youth. Say NO to legalization by filling out the voter voice form here: https://t.co/4EldXj3PZ8… — SAM (@learnaboutsam) May 8, 2024 With only several months left in Sununu’s term, observers are also weighing how the governor’s potential replacements would greet legalization. At least one possible successor, former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R)—one of a handful of gubernatorial candidates that’s entered the race—said recently that she opposes legalizing marijuana for adults. “I don’t think legalizing marijuana is the right direction for our state,” said Ayotte, who represented New Hampshire in the Senate from 2011 to 2017 and was previously the state’s attorney general from 2004 to 2009. As approved by the House last month, HB 1633 would allow 15 retail stores statewide and impose a 10 percent state charge on adult-use purchases. Medical marijuana would be exempt from the tax. Retailers would be regulated through the agency store model, with significant restrictions on marketing and advertising. Lawmakers worked extensively on marijuana reform issues last session and attempted to reach a compromise to enact legalization through a multi-tiered system that would include state-controlled shops, dual licensing for existing medical cannabis dispensaries and businesses privately licensed to individuals by state agencies. The legislature ultimately hit an impasse on the complex legislation. Bicameral lawmakers also convened the state commission tasked with studying legalization and proposing a path forward last year, though the group ultimately failed to arrive at a consensus or propose final legislation. The Senate defeated a more conventional House-passed legalization bill last year, HB 639, despite its bipartisan support. Last May, the House defeated marijuana legalization language that was included in a Medicaid expansion bill. The Senate also moved to table another piece of legislation that month that would have allowed patients and designated caregivers to cultivate up to three mature plants, three immature plants and 12 seedlings for personal therapeutic use. After the Senate rejected the reform bills in 2022, the House included legalization language as an amendment to separate criminal justice-related legislation—but that was also struck down in the opposite chamber. Congressional Researchers Say It’s ‘Likely’ Marijuana Will Be Rescheduled, But It Wouldn’t Fix Federal-State Policy Gap The post New Hampshire Senate Committee Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill With Amendments appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The White House has declined to say whether President Joe Biden personally supports the Justice Department’s plan to reschedule marijuana following a review that he directed. Speaking with reporters on Air Force One on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about the president’s position on DOJ’s plans to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). “We’re going to let that review process continue, so I’m not going to get ahead of that,” she said, adding that Biden has been “very clear” that he “doesn’t believe any American that possesses marijuana only should go to jail.” Jean-Pierre has repeatedly avoided commenting directing on the administration’s position on the specific rescheduling proposal. However, she said last week that the review the president directed is part of fulfilling the pledge he made to voters in the 2020 election. Biden has issued two rounds of mass pardons for people who’ve committed federal marijuana possession offenses. A Schedule III reclassification would not legalize cannabis or free people still incarcerated over cannabis. It should also be noted that, during his run for the presidency, Biden pledged to move cannabis to Schedule II—a stricter category compared to what’s been proposed by his administration. In any case, the press secretary said on Wednesday that the president’s stance on the issue is why he directed” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Justice Department “to review rescheduling marijuana.” “They’re doing that—that process has moved, right? [It] went through HHS, now it’s at DOJ. I just don’t want to get ahead of that,” Jean-Pierre said. The White House has also so far been unwilling to confirm where the rescheduling proposal is in the process. While the press secretary said it’s with DOJ, the Justice Department confirmed that the review is complete. The expectation is that it should have been submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review before it’s published in the Federal Register and opened up for public comment. The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also told lawmakers during a committee hearing on Tuesday that it would be “inappropriate” for her to comment on the agency’s recent marijuana rescheduling determination because the rulemaking process is “ongoing.” — 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 press secretary also said last month that Biden has been “very, very clear” about his support for decriminalizing marijuana. Days earlier, Jean-Pierre reiterated that HHS made its rescheduling recommendation to DEA based on a review that was “guided by evidence [and] by science,” which is “what we believe here in this administration.” In any case, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have also become increasingly vocal about marijuana policy reform actions in the lead-up to the November election. Separately, the top Democrat in the U.S. House said last week that the Biden administration’s move to reschedule marijuana is a “step in the right direction,” but it should be followed up with congressional action such as passing the legalization bill Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) filed. On the opposite side of the spectrum, a Republican senator said that marijuana is a “gateway drug,” and Democrats’ moves to legalize it reflect “pro-criminal, anti-American policies” that will “stimulate more crime on American streets.” He also argued that cannabis banking legislation “facilitates an entire infrastructure and an ecosystem for more drug usage in America.” Marijuana Seizures At U.S.–Mexico Border Continue To Fall As More States Legalize, Federal Data Shows The post White House Declines To Say Whether Biden Supports Marijuana Rescheduling Proposal From DOJ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net