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A key House committee has amended a large-scale agriculture bill in a way that would impose a general ban on hemp-derived cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC—with some industry stakeholders saying it could even federally criminalize many CBD products because the measure’s scope covers all ingestible hemp products with any level of THC. If enacted into law, cannabinoids that are “synthesized or manufactured outside of the plant” would no longer meet the definition of legal hemp. At the same time, the legislation that is set to advance through the House Agriculture Committee on Thursday also contains provisions that would reduce regulatory barriers for certain hemp farmers and scale-back a ban on industry participation by people with prior drug felony convictions. Members adopted the cannabinoid ban amendment from Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) as part of an en bloc package with other unrelated changes in voice vote. The overarching bill is expected to clear the committee later in the day before moving to the floor. The move comes following a push from prohibitionists and certain marijuana companies who argued in favor of restricting the cannabinoid products, describing it as a fix to a “loophole” that was created under the 2018 Farm Bill that federally legalized hemp. The ban’s adoption by the panel likely sets the stage for a showdown with the Democratic-controlled Senate, which has yet to release the full text of its version of the Farm Bill. “My amendment will close the loophole created in the 2018 Farm Bill that allows intoxicating hemp products like delta-8 to be sold,” Miller said ahead of the vote. “These products are being marketed to children and sending hundreds of them to the hospital. We must stop teenagers and young children from being exposed to addictive and harmful drugs.” Today, I am offering an amendment to close the loophole Congress created that allows the sale of intoxicating “Delta-8” THC products, which are being marketed to kids and teenagers. Parents strongly oppose these drug-infused products being pushed on children as candy or snacks. pic.twitter.com/4xox6RBc5T — Mary Miller (@Miller_Congress) May 23, 2024 Rep. John Rose (R-TN) said the amendment “contains the clarification needed to decipher accurately the intentional and unintentional products currently developed under the 2018 definition of hemp.” “Hemp is a product that requires and demands the correct guidelines, and if we do not provide these guidelines, we are threatening the safety of Americans,” he said. A Democratic member, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), said her support for the amendment is “related specifically to the benefit that it would have for Virginia farmers as they are trying to understand this ever-changing landscape.” “Greater clarity is incredibly important, and particularly for fiber hemp producers, this amendment would make clear the valuable work that they do and make clear the viability of their product,” she said. Several Republican members of the committee, however, made comments in opposition to the amendment. “American farmers around the country have invested their time and resources over the last six years to develop a domestic supply chain of hemp and hemp products,” Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN) said. “Hemp provides a great opportunity for family farm to diversify their farm income by using him as a rotational crop.” “American farmers deserve the certainty afforded with the current definition of hemp,” he said. “The proposed amendment arbitrarily changes the current congressionally written definition of hemp.” Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) voiced opposition to the amendment, too. He said the “issue is this Congress inadvertently created this problem in the 2018 Farm Bill because they could not reasonably predict, or they they didn’t reasonably predict, that these types of cannabinoids could be synthesized and then they passed this bill through in the intervening time.” “There are now tens of thousands of Americans who have created different businesses, including several in my district now, that are using this process to feed their own kids,” he said. Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) said that, “as a dad of six, I certainly share my colleagues passion for protecting children from accessing dangerous drugs, but this amendment goes too far by eliminating grain and fiber markets and instead protecting children through appropriate regulation to drive down the illicit marketplace.” Paradoxically, select marijuana businesses have found themselves on the same side as prohibitionists in pushing such a ban. In a letter to congressional leaders last month, the U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC) proposed specific language they wanted to see included that would place hemp-derived cannabinoids containing any amount of THC under the definition of federally illegal marijuana. While they’ve focused on the need to address public safety concerns related to unregulated “intoxicating” cannabinoid products such as delta-8 THC, some hemp industry advocates say the effect of the proposed language could be a ban on virtually all non-intoxicating CBD products as well, as most on the market contain at least trace levels of THC, consistent with the Farm Bill definition of hemp that allows for up to 0.3 percent THC by dry weight. “The 2018 Farm Bill has wrongly been used to justify the mass production and sale of unregulated intoxicating hemp products,” USCC Executive Director Ed Conklin said in a press release following the amendment vote. “We support a uniform approach to regulating intoxicating THC products. That means intoxicating hemp products should be regulated the same as cannabis products. We believe that all of these products should be available for sale to adults with strict age gating and safety standards.” “Rep. Mary Miller’s amendment would firmly close the so-called Farm Bill loophole by further clarifying the definition of hemp to strictly cover naturally-occurring, non-intoxicating products,” he said. “Today’s adoption of the amendment is a strong signal that Congress is serious about addressing the national crisis posed by unregulated intoxicating hemp products.” Hemp industry stakeholders have recognized that there’s a need to address legitimate concerns related to the unregulated market that’s proliferated since hemp was federally legalized, but the solution they’ve put forward is to enact strategic regulations to ensure product safety and prevent youth access. Jonathan Miller, general counsel at the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, alerted supporters to the amendment’s introduction on Thursday, saying the group’s members “strongly oppose” the legislation and urged lawmakers to defeat it. “While we have for years strongly supported efforts to regulate hemp and CBD–even testifying to that effect before Congress–the Mary Miller Amendment throws the baby out with the bathwater, devastating a vibrant industry, killing tens of thousands of agriculture and retail jobs, and denying access to popular products that Americans count on for their health and wellness,” he said. Hemp-Killing Amendment in Farm Bill would ban ALL ingestible hemp with any THC, destroying 95% of the market, including CBD. Vote is TOMORROW!! Send an urgent message to your Rep. ASAP using this link asking for a no vote!https://t.co/a5lMTERZKK pic.twitter.com/4ActyIo7Hl — US Hemp Roundtable (@HempRoundtable) May 23, 2024 “If the hemp industry is being attacked by MSOs and [Smart Approaches to Marijuana] at the same time, we must be doing something right,” Jim Higdon, co-founder of the Kentucky-based CBD company Cornbread Hemp, told Marijuana Moment on Thursday. “Our opponents are a Baptist-bootlegger coalition made up of multi-state cannabis operators, prohibitionist organizations, and MAGA extremists,” he said. They are angry that THC has become too legal in America through the 2018 Farm Bill. We will never fully legalize cannabis in America if MSO’s continue to believe that hemp is their enemy.” “The hemp industry is currently doing the hard work to become federally regulated. FDA is refusing to issue those regulations,” he said. “And now cannabis MSO’s are attacking hemp companies for being unregulated, which makes them either dishonest or ignorant. Perhaps both.” Outside of the cannabinoid ban, the bill as drafted would build upon the federal legalization of the crop under the 2018 version of the legislation in several meaningful ways, including by revising the definition of hemp to create separate categories for producers who grow the crop for cannabinoid extraction for human and animal consumption and for “industrial hemp” producers who cultivate it for fiber, grain, oil and seed not intended for consumption. Under the legislation, those who are licensed as “industrial hemp” producers could see reduced regulatory restrictions, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), states and Indian tribes empowered to authorize visual inspections and “performance-based sampling methodologies” for compliance purposes. Farmers growing hemp to extract cannabinoids for human or animal consumption, however, would continue to be subject to more intensive inspections and laboratory testing as prescribed under the 2018 Farm Bill. The revised inspection and testing provisions were “inspired” by a bipartisan bill titled the “Industrial Hemp Act” that was introduced last year by Reps. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), a section-by-section summary said. Also, the legislation would allow USDA to independently accredit laboratories to conduct the sample testing. That would help resolve bottlenecking issues that’s beleaguered the industry, as the current law requires farmers to have their products tested only by a limited number of Drug Enforcement Administration- (DEA) certified labs. Another proposed change to federal hemp statute would make it so USDA, states and tribal entities could choose to eliminate a policy that prevents people with felony drug convictions in the past 10 years from being licensed to produce industrial hemp. However, advocates had hoped to see more expansive language, such as what was described in Senate Democrats’ recent summary of their forthcoming Farm Bill draft. Under that plan, there would be a mandate to eliminate the ban, rather than simply authorizing it, and it would cover all hemp producers, not just those growing it for non-extraction purposes. That said, the Senate Agriculture Committee has not yet released the draft text of their bill, so it remains to be seen if the summary description matches what will ultimately be released. Bipartisan House lawmakers filed standalone legislation last year that would broadly lift the felony ban for would-be hemp producers. The House Agriculture Committee bill also includes a provision that says businesses that “knowingly” misidentify themselves as “industrial hemp” producers potentially subjected to reduced restrictions “shall be ineligible to participate in the program established under this section for a period of 5 years beginning on the date of the violation.” Another component of the legislation would prevent state agencies from denying public assistance benefits to people simply because they have a felony drug conviction or because they’ve failed to “satisfy an action required under a Federal, State, or local law relating to a means-tested public assistance program that was required as a result of a felony drug conviction.” Meanwhile, state marijuana regulators have proposed updating the agriculture legislation with provisions clarifying states’ rights to enact their own regulations for hemp-based intoxicating cannabinoids, citing instances where there’s been litigation asserting that federal law preempts such rulemaking. “Federal clarification of states’ existing authority is thus essential to allow states to continue to protect public health and integrity in the hemp industry—as the 2018 Farm Bill always intended,” three executives with the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) said in a recent letter to congressional leaders. CANNRA had previously recommended to Congress in a letter last year that lawmakers adjust the federal definition of hemp and modify rules around hemp-derived cannabinoids. Lawmakers and stakeholders have also been eyeing a number of other proposals that could be incorporated into the Farm Bill—and which could come up as proposed amendments as the proposal moves through the legislative process—including measures to free up hemp businesses to legally market products like CBD as dietary supplements or in the food supply. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile, the hemp market started to rebound in 2023 after suffering significant losses the prior year, the latest annual industry report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that was released last month found. The data is the result of a survey that USDA mailed to thousands of hemp farmers across the U.S. in January. The first version of the department’s hemp report was released in early 2022, setting a “benchmark” to compare to as the industry matures. Bipartisan lawmakers and industry stakeholders have sharply criticized FDA for declining to enact regulations for hemp-derived CBD, which they say is largely responsible for the economic stagnation. To that end, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf testified before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee last month, where he faced questions about the agency’s position that it needed additional congressional authorization to regulate the non-intoxicating cannabinoid. USDA is also reportedly revoking hemp licenses for farmers who are simultaneously growing marijuana under state-approved programs, underscoring yet another policy conflict stemming from the ongoing federal prohibition of some forms of the cannabis plant. For the time being, the hemp industry continues to face unique regulatory hurdles that stakeholders blame for the crop’s value plummeting in the short years since its legalization. Despite the economic conditions, however, a recent report found that the hemp market in 2022 was larger than all state marijuana markets, and it roughly equaled sales for craft beer nationally. Meanwhile, internally at USDA, food safety workers are being encouraged to exercise caution and avoid cannabis products, including federally legal CBD, as the agency observes an “uptick” in positive THC tests amid “confusion” as more states enact legalization. Americans Want Marijuana Legalization To Prioritize Equity And Benefit Workers, Poll From Advocacy Group Finds Photo courtesy of Brendan Cleak. The post House Committee Approves Farm Bill Amendment To Ban Most Hemp-Derived Cannabinoid Products Like Delta-8 THC appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Delaware legislative panel has approved a bill to launch recreational marijuana sales early through existing medical cannabis dispensaries—disregarding concerns from activists who argue the measure will give current businesses run by multi-state operators an unfair advantage. The House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance and Commerce Committee voted on Tuesday to advance the measure to let current medical providers convert to dual licensees that could serve both patients and adult-use consumers months earlier than the current sales timeline. The legislation is being sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski (D) and Sen. Trey Paradee (D), who championed the legalization law that’s being implemented and have taken a number of steps to build upon the reform this session. HB 408 would create a “conversion license” category, laying out requirements for medical cannabis businesses to apply and also stipulating that the applicants who are denied due to local bans can apply for general licenses for a new location, which must be approved as long as they meet the requirements. Prospective conversion licensees would have to demonstrate that they can continue to meet demand among medical patients, show plans to support the state’s social equity program and enter into a labor peace agreement with a “legitimate” union, for example. “This bill will leverage the existing medical medical program to provide a strong foundation for a successful adult-use recreational programs—providing support for the equity program, saving time and resources and generating tax revenue to state within a short time frame,” Osienski told the committee before the vote on Tuesday. “This will provide an expedient pathway for regulated marijuana to consumers by April 1,” he said. Under the legislation, the Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) would need to open applications for conversion licenses by August 1 of this year. The application window would close on November 1. Conversion licensees could start selling cannabis upon approval. The licenses would expire after four years, but businesses could apply for general licenses prior to that expiration. There would be a $100,000 license fee, and revenue would be used to provide financial assistance to social equity applicants seeking conditional licenses. Some marijuana reform advocates have concerns that the legislation would unduly favor existing operators over new entrants into the market. “It’s imperative that this process is done right,” Zoë Patchell, executive director of the Delaware Cannabis Advocacy Network, told lawmakers. “HB 408 would roll back progress by granting six lucky businesses a golden ticket opportunity that no other business will be awarded.” “HB 408 as written will allow these six businesses to skip line, skip the potential lottery process and grant guaranteed vertically integrated licenses in the limited license market, while all new market participants will be forced to get in the back of the line in hopes of winning a lottery, regardless of how skilled or knowledgeable that business is,” she said. Chris Goldstein, a regional organizer for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, told lawmakers that they should not replicate what he said were mistakes made in New Jersey where medical cannabis businesses were given a leg up in entering the recreational market. “All the promises I’ve seen in New Jersey so far have indeed been broken,” he said. “HB 408 is a model for how not to do things. It’s how New Jersey and some other states have tried it. No state has gotten equity right, and unfortunately, HB 408 is a formula to get it wrong again.” — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — The measure’s advancement comes about two months after the legislature approved a separate bill, which was also sponsored by Osienski, that would significantly expand Delaware’s medical marijuana program. It’s currently pending action by Gov. John Carney (D), who allowed the underlying legalization law to take effect without his signature last year. The legislation would remove limitations for patient eligibility based on a specific set of qualifying health conditions. Instead, doctors could issue marijuana recommendations for any condition they see fit. It would also allow patients over the age of 65 to self-certify for medical cannabis access without the need for a doctor’s recommendation. A Delaware Senate committee separately passed a House-approved bill last month that would enact state-level protections for banks that provide services to licensed marijuana businesses. All of this comes as regulators are rolling out a series of proposed regulations to stand up the forthcoming adult-use cannabis market. The current timeline puts the launch of the market at March 2025, according to Delaware Marijuana Commissioner Robert Coupe. Ted Cruz Suggests Marijuana Rescheduling Might Lead To More People Dying In Car Crashes From Impaired Driving The post Delaware Lawmakers Approve Bill To Launch Recreational Marijuana Sales Early Through Existing Medical Cannabis Dispensaries appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

U.S. Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) criticized the Biden administration’s planned move of cannabis to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) during comments Wednesday at a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing, citing increases in vehicle injury and fatality rates that he attributed to the legalization of adult-use marijuana. Delivering remarks to the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight and Ports, Cruz brought up a number of transportation-related concerns before pivoting to marijuana legalization and federal rescheduling. “Another notable issue is drugged driving,” he said, reading from a prepared statement. “A 2022 research paper found that from 2009 to 2019, legalization of recreational marijuana was ‘associated with a 6.5 percent increase in injury crash rates and a 2.3 percent increase in fatal crash rates.’” “And yet the Biden administration, rather than working to keep our families safe on the roadways, has instead decreed that it will reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I substance to Schedule III,” he continued. “The American Trucking Association quickly followed this news with a letter highlighting that rescheduling marijuana without an explicit allowance for a test for its use would create confusion and result in ‘serious safety impacts to safety-sensitive industries.’” Though little else of the hearing involved marijuana, a representative of the American Automobile Association (AAA) testified that a small proportion of drivers appeared to have increased their dangerous driving behavior during the past few years, including driving after recently consuming cannabis. AAA research, said Jake Nelson, the group’s traffic safety and research director, showed that while driving generally decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, some people actually drove more “and appeared to be riskier than average.” “Nationally, drivers admit to engaging more regularly in behaviors like speeding, red-light running and driving within an hour of using cannabis,” he said. “Most alarming was a 24 percent increase in self-reported drunk driving.” Cruz has been broadly critical of marijuana legalization, though he’s also said at some points that individual states should have the ability to decide how to regulate cannabis. “I think it ought to be up to the states,” he said during a 2018 debate. “I think Colorado can decide one way. I think Texas can decide another.” At the same time, Cruz has also been critical of recommended federal guidance on alcohol consumption. During an interview with Newsmax late last year, the senator drank a beer on camera and said federal health officials “can kiss my ass” if they decided to move forward with a plan to reduce the recommended maximum consumption of alcohol to two drinks per week. “What is it with liberals and wanting to control every damn aspect of your life?” said Cruz, who himself supports government bans on abortion and trans-affirming healthcare. “If they want us to drink two beers a week, frankly they can kiss my ass.” Cruz also laid into a Biden judicial nominee during a 2022 Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, asserting that the judge had been a “partisan advocate for causes,” including “legalizing potent strains of marijuana.” The Biden administration’s drug czar said this week that the Justice Department’s rescheduling determination is “based on science and evidence,” adding that the change will ease research restrictions around the use of cannabis to treat “chronic illnesses, chronic pain and diseases like cancer.” He also suggested incorrectly that the move would allow marijuana to be prescribed by doctors. A report published by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) earlier this month said further action from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be needed before marijuana products become available by prescription. CRS has also noted that rescheduling would not legalize cannabis or bring state-regulated markets—including medical marijuana systems—“into compliance” with federal law. The proposed rule to federally reschedule marijuana was officially posted last week, kicking off a public comment period that’s expected to elicit a major response from supporters and opponents of cannabis reform. Marijuana reform advocates and stakeholders have made clear that they intend to leverage the opportunity, with some planning to support the reclassification while others intend to call for descheduling cannabis altogether. Prohibitionists are expected to oppose the incremental policy change and seek to keep marijuana in Schedule I, and there’s also a looming threat of litigation. While DOJ will take all public comments submitted by July 22 into consideration as it weighs the reform, it said in the notice that one of the topics its especially interested in hearing about is the “unique economic impacts” of the rescheduling proposal given that state-level legalization has created a “multibillion dollar industry” that stands to benefit from possible federal tax relief under the reform. When President Joe Biden announced the administration’s rescheduling action last week, he described it as consistent with his belief that nobody should be jailed over cannabis possession. As a statutory matter, that wouldn’t necessarily apply with simple rescheduling because it’d remain federally illegal. But the White House has not publicly commented on the economic impacts of the incremental reform. Majority Of Texans Support Marijuana Legalization, Including Plurality Of Republican Voters, Poll Finds The post Ted Cruz Suggests Marijuana Rescheduling Might Lead To More People Dying In Car Crashes From Impaired Driving appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The California Senate this week passed a bill would roll back existing employment protections for people who legally use marijuana while away from work, removing them for sworn law enforcement positions that involve certain specified duties. Senators passed the measure on third and final reading Wednesday on a 31–3 margin, sending the bill next to the Assembly for consideration. The bill, SB 1264, from Sen. Shannon Grove (R), was initially introduced in February as a minor technical fix to the state’s employment protection law, which took effect at the beginning of this year and prevents employers for discriminating against workers for pre-hire or off-the-clock marijuana use. In March, the measure was significantly amended to roll back those protections for a wide range of public service jobs, including not only police and sheriffs’ deputies but also positions in animal control, law enforcement communications and public administration. Last month, a subsequent amendment revised the list of exempted positions to include only five categories of sworn law enforcement employees: those involved in the apprehension, incarceration or correction of criminal offenders; those who handle civil enforcement matters; workers involved in evidence gathering and processing; and those providing coroner functions. That version of the bill advanced out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on a 7–0 vote last week and was approved on the floor Wednesday with no additional changes. The legislation “is narrowly drawn to provide a targeted exemption for just those sworn law enforcement applicants and employees who are undertaking difficult duties directly associated related to law enforcement,” Grove said on the Senate floor ahead of the latest vote. “This is the same exemption that the building trades and construction trades currently have in statute,” she said. “The work of both of these professions is important and has important implications for the public’s safety. Peace officers are expected to overcome intense physical challenges and make split-second decisions in life-or-death situations and these responsibilities are generally incompatible with the effects of cannabis use.” “SB 1264 will ensure departments retain the ability to test employees for cannabis use to ensure the highest professional standards are met,” she said. The legislation has the support law enforcement groups, such as the California State Sheriffs’ Association and the California Police Chiefs Association, but was broadly opposed by labor unions. Cory Salzillo, a lobbyist for the California State Sheriffs’ Association, said earlier this month that the bill would provide needed clarity on whether law enforcement agencies can test applicants and workers for cannabis. “We believed we were exempt under the language of that bill,” Salzillo said of the employment protection bill that took effect in January. “And since its passage and implementation and some more refined legal analysis, there is a little bit less clarity than we initially had. So we think this is a very targeted exemption.” Opponents have included labor groups such as the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW); the Service Employees International Union (SEIU); the California School Employees Association; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); and the California Employment Lawyers Association. Drug advocacy groups such as the Drug Policy Alliance and California NORML also opposed the rollback bill. Kristin Heidelbach, a cannabis workforce development advisor and legislative advocate for UFCW, said at an earlier hearing that the union is worried the change could lead to a slippery slope. “We have major concerns with this bill even in its amended condition,” she said, “because we feel that what this does is carve out a huge group of workers [and] that, next year, we’re going to be fighting another group of workers, and the following year we could be carving out another group of workers.” During her 13 years in a labor union, “I’ve watched multiple workers harassed or discriminated against…or threatened with a cannabis test,” Heidelbach said. “Our Black and brown brothers and sisters are disproportionately impacted by this, because they are subject to higher rates of testing.” Even under existing law, “two facts remain,” she added: “You cannot be under the influence of cannabis and go to work. Nothing in current law allows that. Additionally, you have the right to test your workers now.” Meanwhile in California, Assembly lawmakers this week approved a bill to legalize cannabis cafes in the state, months after the governor vetoed a previous iteration of the proposal. The plan now proceeds to the Senate. Assemblymember Matt Haney (D) is again sponsoring the proposal, which would allow on-site marijuana consumption at licensed businesses that could also offer non-cannabis food and non-alcoholic drinks and host live events such as concerts if they get permission from their local government. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed the prior version, saying that while he appreciated that the intent was to “provide cannabis retailers with increased business opportunities and an avenue to attract new customers,” he felt “concerned this bill could undermine California’s long-standing smoke-free workplace protections.” Separately, a California Senate committee earlier this month effectively killed a bill to legalize psychedelic service centers where adults 21 and older could access psilocybin, MDMA, mescaline and DMT in a supervised environment with trained facilitators. The “Regulated Therapeutic Access to Psychedelics Act” was drafted in a way that was meant to be responsive to concerns voiced by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) last year when he vetoed a broader proposal that included provisions to legalize low-level possession of substances such as psilocybin. Instead, the revised bill would have provided regulated access to psychedelics in a facilitated setting, without removing criminal penalties for possession outside of that context. It did not lay out any specific qualifying medical conditions that a person would need to have in order to access the services. Assemblymember Marie Waldron (R), the lead on the Assembly side, is sponsoring a different psychedelics bill focused on promoting research and creating a framework for the possibility of regulated therapeutic access that has already moved through the Assembly this year with unanimous support. An initiative campaign to put psilocybin legalization on the state’s November ballot recently announced that it did not secure enough signature to qualify in time for a deadline. Another campaign filed and then abruptly withdrew an initiative to create a $5 billion state agency tasked with funding and promoting psychedelics research last year. A third campaign also entered the mix late last year, proposing to legalize the possession and cultivation of substances like psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, DMT, ibogaine and mescaline. People could buy them for therapeutic use with a doctor’s recommendation. Advocates for that measure still have time to gather and turn in signatures. The California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) has since released its review of that proposal, outlining not only the plan’s policy implications but also its potential fiscal impacts on the state—which the report calls “various” and “uncertain.” Some California municipalities, meanwhile, are pushing forward with reform on the local level. The city of Eureka, for example, adopted a resolution in October to decriminalize psychedelic plants and fungi and make enforcement of laws against personal use, cultivation and possession a low priority for police. It’s at least the fifth local jurisdiction in the state to embrace the policy change. Others include San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Cruz and Arcata. Congressional Committee Approves Defense Bill With Marijuana And Psychedelics Provisions For Military Service Members The post California Senate Approves Bill To Remove Marijuana Employment Protections For Some Law Enforcement Jobs appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Three in five Texans, including a plurality of Republicans, support legalizing marijuana, according to a new survey. The Texas Lyceum Poll found that 60 percent of adults in the state back the reform—a 14 percentage point increase compared to a 2015 survey they conducted that asked about cannabis policy opinions. This round, 31 percent said they oppose legalization and 10 percent said they were unsure. Of the 31 percent of Texas adults who disagree with legalization, 42 percent said they would at least support decriminalizing marijuana by making possession punishable by a citation and fine, but 47 percent said they were against even that modest reform. “Taken together, 73 percent of Texans support either full legalization or decriminalization of marijuana in Texas according to 2024 polling,” Lyceum said. The survey revealed common demographic trends when it comes to legalization, with support weakest among those aged 65+ (49 percent), Republicans (49 percent) and self-described conservatives (46 percent). Support was strongest among Democrats (72 percent) and people aged 30-44 (71 percent). The poll involved interviews with 1,200 Texas adults, including 926 registered voters, from April 12-21. The margin of error was +/- 2.83 percentage points. Despite the statewide majority support for legalization, voters in the city of Lubbock rejected a local decriminalization initiative at the ballot earlier this month. The city was the the first community to consider the reform on the ballot following Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s (R) legal actions against five other Texas cities with voter-approved decriminalization laws. “Local communities such as towns, cities and counties, they don’t have the authority to override state law,” Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said late last month. “If they want to see a different law passed, they need to work with their legislators. Let’s legislate to work to make sure that the state, as a state, will pass some of the law.” He said it would lead to “chaos” and create an “unworkable system” for voters in individual cities to be “picking and choosing” the laws they want abide by under state statute. Abbott has previously said that he doesn’t believe people should be in jail over marijuana possession—although he mistakenly suggested at the time that Texas had already enacted a decriminalization policy to that end. Meanwhile, activists with Ground Game Texas and Texas Cannabis Collective have been collecting signatures to place local marijuana decriminalization initiatives on the November ballot in two more cities: Dallas and Lockhart. In general, the measures that have already been enacted in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen and San Marcos prevent police from making arrests or issuing citations for Class A or B misdemeanor cannabis possession offenses, unless it’s part of a high priority felony investigation for narcotics or violent crime. In November, Ground Game released a report that looked at the impacts of the marijuana reform laws. It found that the measures will keep hundreds of people out of jail, even as they have led to blowback from law enforcement in some cities. The initiatives have also driven voter turnout by being on the ballot, the report said. Another cannabis decriminalization measure that went before voters in San Antonio last May was overwhelmingly defeated, but that proposal also included unrelated provisions to prevent enforcement of abortion restrictions. At the state-level last year, the Texas House of Representatives passed a series of bills to decriminalize marijuana, facilitate expungements and allow chronic pain patients to access medical cannabis as an opioid alternative. But they ultimately stalled out in the Senate, which has been a theme for cannabis reform measures in the conservative legislature over several sessions. The House passed similar cannabis decriminalization proposals during the past two legislative sessions, in 2021 and 2019. Separately, a Texas Democratic senator brought the issue of marijuana legalization to the Senate floor last May, seeking to attach to an unrelated resolution an amendment that would’ve allowed Texans to vote on ending prohibition at the ballot box. But the symbolic proposal was ultimately shut down. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) agreed to another member’s point of order, deeming the cannabis amendment not germane to the broader legislation. Another poll released in 2022 found that nearly three in four Texas voters (72 percent) support decriminalizing marijuana. More than half (55 percent), meanwhile, said they’re in favor of broader legalization. Seventeen percent said it shouldn’t be legal at all. Last March, the same institution similarly showed that a majority of Texas voters feel that the state’s marijuana laws should be “less strict.” GOP Lawmakers Demand DEA Head Explain Why She Didn’t Sign Marijuana Rescheduling Proposal, Breaking ‘Decades Of Precedent’ Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Majority Of Texans Support Marijuana Legalization, Including Plurality Of Republican Voters, Poll Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Two Republican congressmen are demanding that the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) answer questions about why she broke “decades of precedent” by not signing a proposed marijuana rescheduling rule, instead having it approved by the attorney general. In a letter sent to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram on Wednesday, Reps. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) and Ben Cline (R-VA) expressed their “grave concern” about the official’s “refusal to respond to questions from multiple members” about the scheduling review at a recent House Appropriations subcommittee hearing earlier this month. They challenged the administrator’s position that it would be “inappropriate” to weigh in on that review under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), arguing that there are exemptions built into the law that compel disclosures in a congressional committee setting. The lawmakers said “you were legally compelled to testify and answer questions related to marijuana reclassification despite your refusal and your incorrect legal interpretation of the APA.” “Accordingly, we expect to receive answers to the questions asked by members during the hearing,” they said, adding that they also expect Milgram to respond to any written Questions for the Record (QFRs) from subcommittee members related to the issue. I’m demanding that DEA Administrator Milgram answer questions related to the Biden Administration’s recent marijuana reclassification—including why AG Garland broke precedent by signing the order rather than Milgram. Americans deserve transparency on this serious matter. pic.twitter.com/7MMPsgxP9h — Rep. Andrew Clyde (@Rep_Clyde) May 22, 2024 At issue for the lawmakers is the fact that Attorney General Merrick Garland signed the proposed rule to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Conventionally, the DEA administrator signs off on scheduling proposals, and so some have interpreted the break in precedent to mean DEA or Milgram disagreed with the rescheduling decision. However, it’s not clear that’s the case. Milgram did say at the subcommittee hearing this month that, “stepping out of marijuana,” she was unaware of any instance where a DEA administrator hasn’t signed a scheduling order. In the new letter, Clyde and Cline requested that the administrator answer two questions by June 5, so that they have at least one week to review the response before their subcommittee markup of the budget bill covering DEA: In the FY25 DEA Budget Hearing, you testified that the DEA is the final authority to schedule, reschedule, or deschedule a drug under the Controlled Substances Act. So, why did you NOT sign the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to reschedule marijuana released by the Drug Enforcement Administration on May 16, 2024? Additionally, in the FY25 DEA Budget Hearing, you testified that you were not aware of any instance in which a rulemaking that schedules, reschedules, or deschedules a drug under the Controlled Substances Act is not signed by the Administrator of the DEA. So, did the Department of Justice provide the DEA with justification to break decades of precedent to have the Attorney General ultimately sign the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking? If so, please describe in detail the Department of Justice’s justification to you or the DEA for this decision. They also asked for a copy of a DEA response to the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Council (OLC) that was cited in their analysis of the rescheduling issue and which seemed to signal DEA pushed back against certain justifications for the reform. The Biden administration’s drug czar said this week that the Justice Department’s rescheduling determination is “based on science and evidence,” adding that the change will ease research restrictions around the use of cannabis to treat “chronic illnesses, chronic pain and diseases like cancer.” But he appeared to have oversimplified what the change will mean for legal prescription access to medical marijuana. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — A report published by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) earlier this month said further action from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be needed before marijuana products become available by prescription. CRS has also noted that rescheduling would not legalize cannabis or bring state-regulated markets—including medical marijuana systems—“into compliance” with federal law. The proposed rule to federally reschedule marijuana was officially posted last week, kicking off a public comment period that’s expected to elicit a major response from supporters and opponents of cannabis reform. Marijuana reform advocates and stakeholders have made clear that they intend to leverage the opportunity, with some planning to support the reclassification while others intend to call for descheduling cannabis altogether. Prohibitionists are expected to oppose the incremental policy change and seek to keep marijuana in Schedule I, and there’s also a looming threat of litigation. While DOJ will take all public comments submitted by July 22 into consideration as it weighs the reform, it said in the notice that one of the topics its especially interested in hearing about is the “unique economic impacts” of the rescheduling proposal given that state-level legalization has created a “multibillion dollar industry” that stands to benefit from possible federal tax relief under the reform. When Biden announced the administration’s rescheduling action last week, he described it as consistent with his belief that nobody should be jailed over cannabis possession. As a statutory matter, that wouldn’t necessarily apply with simple rescheduling because it’d remain federally illegal. But the White House has not publicly commented on the economic impacts of the incremental reform. New York Bill Would Legalize Psilocybin Service Centers Where Adults Could Have Supervised Psychedelic Sessions Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post GOP Lawmakers Demand DEA Head Explain Why She Didn’t Sign Marijuana Rescheduling Proposal, Breaking ‘Decades Of Precedent’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A top New York lawmaker has introduced a bill to legalize psilocybin service centers where adults could access the psychedelic in a medically supervised setting, while significantly reducing penalties associated with non-authorized psilocybin activities. The legislation, sponsored by Assembly Health Committee Chair Amy Paulin (D), is one of the latest examples of New York legislators moving to enact psychedelics reform amid a growing state-by-state movement across the country. The intent of the measure is to promote “the health and well-being of the citizens of the state of New York by establishing a comprehensive framework supporting public health and safety through regulated adult use, support services, and cultivation of psilocybin-containing fungi,” it says. Under the bill, the state Department of Health would regulate the program, licensing psilocybin cultivators and certifying facilities to provide psychedelic services to adults. It includes an extensive list of possible conditions that could be treated such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it also says eligibility is “not limited” to those conditions. A person would have to undergo a health screening prior to participating in psilocybin services, however. The use, cultivation and sale of psilocybin without a license or permit would be treated as a “violation” under state statute, meaning the maximum penalty would be a $250 fine and up to 15 days in jail. To that end, it would not broadly decriminalize the psychedelic as other bills have sought, but it would reduce the penalty. The legislation also calls for the establishment of a “Regulated Psilocybin Advisory Board” under the health department to “advise and issue recommendations” related to the program. Among the board’s responsibilities would be a mandate to “develop a long-term strategic plan for ensuring that psilocybin services in the state will become and remain a safe, accessible and affordable therapeutic option, including in therapeutic and medical treatments, for all persons eighteen years of age and older for whom psilocybin services may be appropriate.” Members would additionally be tasked with monitoring and studying “federal laws, regulations and policies regarding psilocybin.” The department would need to create a tax scheme for businesses that derive revenue from the psilocybin services, which would be deductible under the state tax code. Taxes and fees would cover the administrative costs, “including but not limited to education and risks of using psilocybin.” The bill has been referred to the Assembly Health Committee, which is chaired by the sponsor. In February, bicameral New York lawmakers said at a briefing that there’s a “real chance” that legislation to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy will advance through committee this session, emphasizing that delaying action would “neglect” many “people who need help” with certain mental health conditions. “We’re in a mental health crisis, and so we need every tool that’s available to us,” Assemblymember Pat Burke (D), who is sponsoring a separate bill to create a psilocybin therapy pilot program for 10,000 people, said. He added that “we’re here to turn the page” on the broader drug war. Another measure the lawmaker introduced last year would more broadly allow people to receive psilocybin treatment from a certified facilitator in a clinical setting, or at their home if they’re unable to travel. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — New York’s legislature has been exploring a variety of psychedelics policy issues in recent sessions. In December 2022, for example, Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal (D) separately introduced a measure to legalize certain psychedelics such as psilocybin and ibogaine for adults 21 and older. Meanwhile, lawmakers have also recently filed legislation that would allow people in the state to bring legal actions against entities that violate state marijuana laws, potentially empowering ordinary individuals to sue unlicensed cannabis sellers or licensees skirting state law. Earlier this month, a bill that would create a statewide overdose prevention center pilot program in New York narrowly passed out of a Senate committee, though lawmakers on both sides of the issue said they expect further debate on the proposal if it makes it to the chamber floor. Americans Want Marijuana Legalization To Prioritize Equity And Benefit Workers, Poll From Advocacy Group Finds Photo courtesy of Dick Culbert. The post New York Bill Would Legalize Psilocybin Service Centers Where Adults Could Have Supervised Psychedelic Sessions appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A key GOP House committee has approved a large-scale defense bill with a number of marijuana and psychedelics provisions attached, including a proposal to prohibit military branches from testing recruits for cannabis. The House Armed Services Committee passed the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Wednesday. A provision that was included in the Military Personnel subcommittee’s draft NDAA proposal and ultimately incorporated into the legislation passed by the full panel calls for an update from the Department of Defense (DOD) on the status of its psychedelics clinical trials that are being conducted as prescribed under the 2024 version of the bill. Members also accepted an amendment from Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) that would require DOD to issue a report on how many service members have been discharged due to marijuana. Under a section on recruitment, the bill proposes eliminating marijuana testing for enlistment purposes: “SEC. 531 PROHIBITION ON CANNABIS TESTING FOR ENLISTMENT OR COMMISSION IN CERTAIN ARMED FORCES. Subject to subsection (a) of section 504 of chapter 31 of title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of the military department concerned may not require an individual to submit to a test for cannabis as a condition of enlistment of such individual as a member, or the commission of such individual as an officer, of an Armed Force.” That mirrors a proposed amendment to DOD appropriations legislation last year that was led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). Gaetz told Marijuana Moment last week that the NDAA cannabis provision was “a collaborative effort.” DOD told lawmakers last year that marijuana’s active ingredient delta-9 THC is the most common substance that appears on positive drug tests for active duty military service members. And several military branches have taken steps to loosen cannabis-related restrictions, including issuing waivers for recruits who test positive their first time. Mace said her amendment that was adopted as part of an en bloc package on Wednesday would demand a report from DOD “on how many troops have been kicked out over the last decade for using cannabis.” “As more states legalize, we need data to assess whether these discharges serve in the best interest of our national security,” she said. #FY25NDAA AMENDMENT PASSED: We are demanding a report from the DoD on how many troops have been kicked out over the last decade for using cannabis. As more states legalize, we need data to assess whether these discharges serve in the best interest of our national security. — Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 22, 2024 An additional amendment from Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) that was adopted by the panel would require a DOD briefing on sentencing for cannabis-related offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Mace also touted a separate amendment that she says “supports states’ rights by incorporating findings from 38 state marijuana programs into research.” #FY25NDAA AMENDMENT PASSED: Given PTSD & brain injury rates among the veteran community, diverse treatments are crucial. Our #NDAA25 amendment supports states' rights by incorporating findings from 38 state marijuana programs into research. — Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 23, 2024 The legislation as proposed by the Military Personnel subcommittee also includes report language to follow up on provisions in the most recently enacted NDAA that provide funding for DOD-led clinical trials on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for active duty military service members. The report language says the committee “wants to ensure the establishment of the program is progressing without impediment,” and calls on DOD to provide Congress with a status update report by January 31, 2025. Here’s the section: “Section 723 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118-31) established a Department of Defense program to study the effectiveness of psychedelic substances and plant-based therapies in treating post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries. The committee wants to ensure the establishment of the program is progressing without impediments. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services no later than January 31, 2025, on the following with regards to the progress of the program: (1) the Department’s process for funding eligible entities; (2) the Secretary’s selection for lead administrator to carry out the program; (3) a list and description of the eligible entities that have been selected for the program; (4) how the Department notified and selected servicemembers to participate in the program; (5) how many servicemembers have requested participation in the program; (6) how many servicemembers have been selected for participation in the program; (7) any issues the Department is encountering establishing the program; (8) any anticipated delays to implementing the program; and (9) any other information the Secretary deems relevant.” Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), a former Navy SEAL with personal experience with psychedelics treatment who championed the underlying amendment, told Marijuana Moment earlier this year that he planned to separately meet with military leadership to collaborate on how to effectively administer the program. Meanwhile, a top official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) said at a conference this month that he was initially “surprised” by the level of bipartisan support for psychedelic medicine in Congress. He said, at this point, psychedelics policy enjoys a greater level of bipartisanship than marijuana. The conference took place about two weeks after the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee passed a bill to require VA to notify Congress if any psychedelics are added to its formulary of covered prescription drugs. Daily Marijuana Use In U.S. Is Now More Common Than Daily Alcohol Drinking, New Study Finds Image element courtesy of Kristie Gianopulos. The post Congressional Committee Approves Defense Bill With Marijuana And Psychedelics Provisions For Military Service Members appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Daily marijuana use outweighs drinking; Drug czar on rescheduling; Legalization priority poll; NY cannabis civil action bill; MA veterans psychedelics Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… 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 A court held oral arguments in a lawsuit filed by marijuana businesses seeking to block federal enforcement against their in-state activities, with a Department of Justice attorney asserting that the Biden administration’s cannabis rescheduling process “supports the rationality” of ongoing prohibition. White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Rahul Gupta said moving cannabis to Schedule III is “based on science and evidence” and will ease research restrictions—but he misstated its impact by suggesting it will allow doctors to “prescribe marijuana.” The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a veterans-focused bill that includes provisions to create a psychedelics working group and initiate a pilot program on medical marijuana as an opioid alternative. A new poll from the Parabola Center found that Americans want marijuana legalization to prioritize social equity—with policies that benefit workers, medical patients and people who have been harmed by criminalization, rather than large corporations. New York lawmakers introduced legislation that would allow people to file legal actions against unlicensed marijuana businesses. “Empowering everyday New Yorkers with tools against illegal cannabis operators, whose conduct is both unlawful and inundates our communities with untested, unregulated and potentially deadly cannabis, is vital as we continue our enforcement efforts to combat illegal cannabis.” A new study found that more Americans now consume marijuana every day than drink alcohol on a daily basis—for the first time ever. A new study found a “lack of notable ‘next day’ impairment to cognitive and psychomotor function and simulated driving performance” following evening use of THC and CBD by insomnia patients. “Almost all of the cognitive tests conducted, involving attention, working memory, speed of information processing, and other domains, showed no ‘next day’ effects of THC/CBD… In contrast, commonly prescribed sedative-hypnotics are known to impair next-day function.” The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York said it will stop overseeing construction of new marijuana social equity dispensaries as lawmakers grilled Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) nominee to head the agency. / FEDERAL Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) filed a bill directing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to carry out “regionally focused research, development, stakeholder engagement, and technology transfer activities to improve agronomic and agro-economic understanding of effectively integrating hemp into existing agricultural cropping, processing, and marketing systems.” Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) pressed Secretary of State Antony Blinken about Chinese-backed illegal marijuana grow operations in Maine and other states. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) tweeted, “OK has become an epicenter for marijuana trafficking. Chinese organizations are buying land by the hundreds of thousands of acres—bringing in forced labor, drugs & human trafficking. We need to know who is buying our land & how they are using it.” Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) tweeted, “Far too many Americans are sitting in prison for far too long because of our country’s outdated and ineffective war on drugs. While we work to fully legalize marijuana, I’m proud to join @RepBarbaraLee in urging @POTUS to pardon those still incarcerated for marijuana offenses.” The House marijuana banking bill got one new cosponsor for a total of 119. The House bill to create a commission to prepare for marijuana legalization got one new cosponsor for a total of five. / STATES U.S. Virgin Islands Gov.. Albert Bryan Jr. (D) approved cannabis rules. The Tennessee House Republican Caucus chair and Senate minority leader praised the federal marijuana rescheduling decision. A Wisconsin senator said the federal marijuana rescheduling decision could help to legalize medical cannabis in the state. An Illinois senator spoke about her bill to expand the number of medical cannabis dispensaries. Connecticut’s acting healthcare advocate appointed a state cannabis ombudsman. New York regulators sent lawmakers a document criticizing a recent audit of the state’s marijuana licensing program. In a related development, the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus is upset with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) ouster of the state’s top cannabis official. Nevada regulators proposed changes to marijuana tax rules. Massachusetts regulators published a model marijuana equity municipal by-law or ordinance template and related guidance. Missouri regulators published guidance on cannabis item approvals. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL A Chicago, Illinois City Council committee approved a proposed ordinance to give local lawmakers more control over marijuana dispensaries in the downtown area. Denver, Colorado’s Natural Medicine Work Group will meet on Thursday. / INTERNATIONAL Victoria, Australia lawmakers are considering hemp legislation. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A review concluded that cannabinoids have “antiproliferative, anti-invasive, anti-fibroblastic, cell cycle arrest, and proapoptotic effects” on prostate cancer cells. / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS A poll of British adults found that 80 percent in Gen Z support legalizing marijuana. United for Marijuana Decriminalization launched an online tool to facilitate submitting public comments in support of full cannabis descheduling amid the rescheduling process. / BUSINESS Glass House Brands Inc. filed a short form base shelf prospectus. CanPay and CannaPlan are partnering on a cannabis employee benefits program. / CULTURE Rapper Boosie Badazz is calling on President Joe Biden to expunge his marijuana record. 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 Fed cannabis lawsuit arguments (Newsletter: May 23, 2024) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

I will donate and ask my friends Connections NYT and relatives to support this donation campaign.

This is not good for your health at all and I strongly condemn it. fnf go

The Massachusetts House has unanimously approved a military veterans-focused bill that includes provisions to create a psychedelics working group to study and make recommendations about the potential therapeutic benefits of substances like psilocybin and MDMA. Lawmakers also approved an amendment to create a pilot program to examine medical cannabis as an opioid alternative for veterans. The chamber passed the legislation, an earlier version of which was introduced by Gov. Maura Healey (D) in November, in a 156-0 vote on Wednesday. The Honoring, Empowering and Recognizing Our Servicemembers and Veterans (HERO Act) is a wide-ranging proposal focused on veterans, but it cleared the House with two key drug policy reform provisions attached. The psychedelics measure wouldn’t immediately create a framework for legal access, but it would require the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services (EOVS) to convene a working group to study “alternative therapies for mental health treatments for veterans” and exploring “whether psychedelic therapy is associated with improved outcomes among veterans with diagnosed mental health disorders.” The panel would need to “evaluate literature, research trials and expert opinions to determine in psychedelic therapy is associated with improved outcomes regarding mental health treatment for veterans.” And it would be required to issue recommendations “regarding the provision of psychedelic therapy to treat veterans with mental health disorders in Massachusetts.” The legislation limits the scope of psychedelics that should be studied to psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine. The secretary of EOVS would need to appoint to the working group two members representing medical centers that serve veterans, two members representing health insurance companies, two members representing veterans service organizations, one member representing an organization that’s currently studying psychedelics therapy and any additional members seen fit to complete the research. The working group would need to file a report with findings and recommendations with the clerks of the House and Senate and two joint legislative committees no later than January 1, 2025. Under an amendment from Rep. Alyson Sullivan (R) that was adopted on the floor as part of a broader package, the bill would also establish a pilot program meant to explore the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis as an opioid alternative for veterans. The state Department of Public Health would oversee the three-phase program. The first stage would require the department to study the medical literature and delivery devices for cannabis, while consulting with veterans’ service organizations (VSOs) as it evaluates “current medical marijuana programs within the commonwealth” and collaborates with other states on the use of cannabis “to combat opiate use disorder.” It would need to develop a “basic program structure” for the pilot program, which would involve identifying health professionals and veterans willing to participate. For the second phase, the department would launch the program in or near Boston, staff it and “produce a marketing campaign including local veterans and celebrities to reduce the stigma of medical marijuana.” “The department may provide additional support for veterans at the center, including: (A) on-site housing, provided in conjunction with non-profit organizations focused on ending homelessness; and (B) alternative health care, which may include: (1) acupuncture, (2) natural medicine, (3) yoga and (4) massage therapy,” it says. The third part of the effort would involve an evaluation of the results, after which point the department would need to “construct a statewide civilian pilot program to use medical marijuana to treat medical conditions that are currently being treated with opioid- based medicine and combat opioid use disorder.” The passage of the HERO Act comes about two weeks after a Massachusetts joint legislative committee advised the legislature not to pass a broader psychedelics legalization initiative. But activists are in the process of collecting additional signatures to put the reform before voters on the November ballot. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Lawmakers were required to consider the psychedelics measure, spearheaded by the campaign Massachusetts for Mental Health Options (MMHO), after the state certified advocates had submitted enough valid signatures in an initial petitioning round last year. The legislature had until May 1 to make a decision before the campaign was cleared to collect another 12,429 signatures by July 3 to secure ballot placement. Earlier this month, the Special Joint Committee on Ballot Initiatives issued a majority report that formally recommended against passing the measure as drafted. The campaign first filed two different psychedelics reform initiatives in August, and after the state attorney general determined that they both met the constitutional requirement for ballot placement the following months, activists decided to pursue the version that included a home cultivation option. Eight cities across Massachusetts have enacted policies to locally deprioritize enforcement of laws against psychedelics, an effort that has been led by BSNM: Salem, Somerville, Cambridge, Easthampton, Northampton, Amherst, Provincetown and Medford. Meanwhile, a different Massachusetts legislative committee advanced a bill in February that would legalize psilocybin therapy in the Commonwealth and set up a framework to license facilitators who would supervise medical, therapeutic and spiritual applications of the drug. Rep. Mike Connolly (D) also filed a bill in 2021 that received a Joint Judiciary Committee hearing on studying the implications of legalizing entheogenic substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca. Daily Marijuana Use In U.S. Is Now More Common Than Daily Alcohol Drinking, New Study Finds Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype and Apollo. The post Massachusetts House Approves Veterans-Focused Bill On Psychedelics Therapy And Marijuana As An Opioid Alternative appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“I don’t wish us to continue with a very, very questionable model that’s not in the interests of the CAURD applicants or the state of New York.” By Rosalind Adams, THE CITY This story was originally published by THE CITY. Sign up to get the latest New York City news delivered to you each morning. State senators grilled the acting chief of the state Dormitory Authority about the terms of a high-interest cannabis business loan program recently exposed by THE CITY as part of his confirmation hearing on Tuesday—while the authority says it’s suspending new deals. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) appointed Robert Rodriguez, formerly New York’s secretary of state, as acting president of the Dormitory Authority last month. The governor had put the agency, which typically finances public construction projects like schools and hospitals, in charge of creating a $200 million cannabis “social equity” fund that would be used to lease and construct 150 cannabis dispensaries for licensees impacted by drug convictions. Licensees matched to dispensaries leased and built out by the state were required to use loans from the cannabis fund to cover the costs of the renovations, which they had no control over. Borrowers, attorneys and state sources had told THE CITY the state loans were virtually impossible to pay off, thanks to unrealistic projections for sales of legal marijuana products and inflated construction costs. The state contributed $50 million to the cannabis fund and eventually approved up to $150 million from Chicago Atlantic, a private equity investment fund, last June. The terms of Chicago Atlantic lending the cannabis fund money were kept secret despite requests from lawmakers and public records requests until THE CITY obtained a late draft of the document last month. At Tuesday’s hearing, senators led by Liz Kreuger (D-Manhattan), an architect of the 2021 cannabis legalization law, and Gustavo Rivera (D-The Bronx) used the confirmation hearing as an opportunity to press Rodriguez about the details of the cannabis fund, questioning whether its deal with Chicago Atlantic is fair for the retail licensees. “People are arguing—including people who went into these deals—that they will never have the revenue to pay back their loan,” Krueger said. She pointed to some of the terms of the agreement reported by THE CITY, including how a licensee can be removed from its dispensary location for late payments. “That’s a fairly radical action compared to what would happen if you were late on your mortgage for your home—for, I think, most business fields. Do you happen to know whether that information is correct?” Krueger questioned. “I’ll have to look into that,” Rodriguez responded. Krueger also asked Rodriguez to confirm whether it was true that if the licensees fail and default on their loans to the fund, the state would still be on the hook for payments. THE CITY first reported the state’s liability in the agreement with the private equity firm. “Chicago Atlantic would actually still hold the state of New York responsible for continuing to completely pay back the total loan, is that your understanding?” the state senator asked. Rodriguez didn’t have a clear response to that question, either. The loan program has already drawn scrutiny from state legislators, including Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D-Buffalo), who raised concerns about the high construction costs of the dispensary build-outs. Krueger and Rivera both raised the build-out expenses to Rodriguez, as well. The acting Dormitory Authority president told the committee that “the expenses related to construction have been verified by third parties” and that they’ve “tried to secure lower costs.” “That’s something that we continue to evaluate for the upcoming stores, as well,” he added. Rivera asked Rodriguez for a commitment to running the loan program in an equitable way. “I just want to make sure we’re on the record,” the senator said, “that the role your agency will play in this process is making sure that these folks get the economic support that they require from the fund that was created specifically for this purpose.” Krueger told the New York Post on Monday that the Dormitory Authority is no longer issuing loans through the cannabis fund. During the hearing, Krueger said this information may have changed and she had heard that the cannabis fund operators were considering a new model. Jeffrey Gordon, a spokesperson for the Dormitory Authority, said that DASNY will stop seeking out leases or overseeing construction of any dispensaries. So far, the fund has signed 24 leases. From now on, the cannabis fund will only lease dispensary locations already acquired by Chicago Atlantic to potential licensees. “The transition is from the lease side of the Social Equity Investment Fund program to the purchase side of the program,” Gordon wrote in a statement to THE CITY. During the hearing, Krueger clarified that she was using the opportunity to get answers to questions about the Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) loan program, and that she didn’t expect Rodriguez to have every answer immediately. “My purpose in asking all of these without the answers is I very much hope you know the answers very soon,” she added. “I don’t wish us to continue with a very, very questionable model that’s not in the interests of the CAURD applicants or the state of New York.” 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. Marijuana Rescheduling Process ‘Supports The Rationality’ Of Federal Prohibition, DOJ Argues In Hearing On Cannabis Businesses’ Lawsuit Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post New York Agency Will Stop Overseeing Marijuana Dispensary Construction As Lawmakers Grill Governor’s Nominee appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

More Americans now consume cannabis every day than drink alcohol on a daily basis, according to a newly published study that explores how marijuana use habits have changed in recent decades. Since 1992, it says, the per capita rate of daily cannabis consumption in the country has increased nearly 15 times over. The rise in frequent cannabis use coincides with an increasing number of states that have ended marijuana prohibition, though the study’s author, Carnegie Mellon University professor Jonathan Caulkins, says it’s not clear whether legalization led to increased use or the whether broader consumption by the public boosted support for policy changes that were later enacted. While report notes the national marijuana use rate “mirrors changes in policy, with declines during periods of greater restriction and growth during periods of policy liberalization,” Caulkins stops short of attributing use patterns to policy changes themselves. The correlation between legalization and greater use “does not mean policy drove changes in use,” the report says. “Both could have been manifestations of changes in underlying culture and attitudes. However, whichever way causal arrows point, cannabis use now appears to be on a fundamentally different scale than it was before legalization.” The rise in daily marijuana use comes after rates hit a record low in the early 1990s. “Reported cannabis use declined to a nadir in 1992, with partial recovery through 2008, and substantial increases since then, particularly for measures of more intensive use,” the new research says. “From 1992 to 2022, there was a 15-fold increase in the per capita rate of reporting daily or near daily use.” In 2022, for the first time ever, more Americans said they consumed cannabis on a near-daily basis than alcohol. The findings draw on data from the federally funded National Survey on Drug Use and Health, previously known as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. The survey has been conducted annually since 1990 and four times before then, in 1979, 1982, 1985 and 1988. Responses show that while far more Americans drank alcohol daily than consumed cannabis 20 years ago, those use patterns have radically changed. “Whereas the 1992 survey recorded 10 times as many daily or near daily alcohol as cannabis users (8.9 vs. 0.9M),” the study says, “the 2022 survey, for the first time, recorded more daily and near daily users of cannabis than alcohol (17.7 vs. 14.7M).” The research was published on Wednesday in the journal Society for the Study of Addiction. Caulkins acknowledges in the paper that some methodological changes have been made to the federal survey over the years—for example switching from a paper-based to a digital survey, making minor sampling changes and adding a $30 incentive payment for respondents—and admits the government typically advises against making comparisons between survey designs. But ultimately he argues his conclusions are valid. “The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) discourages comparing rates of use before and after the redesigns,” he writes. “However, changes in survey wording or methods that make a 10% or 20% difference in responses are small compared to the much larger changes over the time span examined here.” He also notes that changes in politics and social acceptability of marijuana use may have exaggerated the trend of increasing use. “Of particular note, willingness to self-report may have increased as cannabis became normalized, so changes in actual use may be less pronounced than changes in reported use,” the study says. “On the other hand, cannabis product variety exploded after state-legalization.” “Nonetheless, the enormous changes in rates of self reported cannabis use, particularly of DND [daily or near daily] use, suggest that changes in actual use have been considerable,” it continues, “and it is striking that high-frequency cannabis use is now more commonly reported than is high-frequency drinking.” Speaking to the Associated Press about the report, Caulkins said that roughly 40 percent of consumers use marijuana on a daily or near daily basis, which he called “a pattern that is more associated with tobacco use than typical alcohol use.” Writing in the Washington Monthly about his findings, Caulkins, joined by Stanford University professor Keith Humphries, argue that market forces have also led to significantly more powerful marijuana. “Legalization and commercialization have produced a spectacular rise in the potency of marijuana products,” they wrote. “Until the end of the 20th century, the average potency of seized cannabis never exceeded 5 percent THC, its active intoxicant. Now, the labeled potency of ‘flower’ sold in state-licensed stores averages 20-25 percent THC. Extract-based products like vape oils and dabs routinely exceed 60 percent.” “Back in the 1990s,” they add, “a person averaging two 0.5-gram joints of 4 percent THC weed per week was consuming about 5 milligrams of THC per day on average. Today’s daily users average more than 1.5 grams of material that is 20-25 percent THC, which is more than 300 milligrams per day. That is far more THC than is consumed in typical medical studies of its health effects.” Caulkins and Humphries point out, however, that “marijuana is becoming something of an old person’s drug,” emphasizing that frequent cannabis use among youth is rare. “On the positive side, the kids are mostly all right,” they said. “Just 2 percent of 12-17 year-old marijuana consumers consume daily or near daily. As a result, youth account for just 3 percent of the 8.3 billion annual days of self-reported marijuana use in the country.” By age group, people aged 35 to 49 consumed more frequently than people 26 to 34, who themselves consumed more frequently than people from 18 to 25 years old. Overlooking heavy, frequent and long-term use, say Caulkins and Humphries, increases the risk of harm to users’ memories, concentration and motivation. But the biggest risk, they warn, “may concern serious and lifelong conditions such as schizophrenia.” “Regulators need to take seriously their responsibility to protect the public from cannabis companies,” they write, noting that the market isn’t led by a “hippy-led anti-materialist cottage industry” but is instead increasingly dominated by large corporate players. “Cannabis isn’t fentanyl, but it isn’t lettuce, either,” the pair conclude in their Washington Monthly op-ed. “The vastly increased use of the drug is not all benign, and we may come to regret it if we fail to recognize and respond to these trends.” While Caulkins’s new study doesn’t attempt to address whether people are actively substituting marijuana for alcohol, a study earlier this year out of Canada, where marijuana is federally legal, found that legalization was “associated with a decline in beer sales,” suggesting a substitution effect. “Canada-wide beer sales fell by 96 hectoliters per 100,000 population immediately after non-medical cannabis legalization and by 4 hectoliters per 100,000 population each month thereafter for an average monthly reduction of 136 hectoliters per 100,000 population post-legalization,” found researchers from University of Manitoba, Memorial University of Newfoundland and University of Toronto. Sales data also show that Canada generated more excise tax revenue from marijuana ($660 million) than wine ($205 million) and beer ($450 million) combined in the 2022–23 fiscal year, as MJBiz reported. At the state level in the U.S., cannabis sales have also been outpacing booze in several legal jurisdictions. For instance, Michigan marijuana sales outpaced purchases of beer, wine and liquor combined during the most recent fiscal year, according to a report from the legislature’s nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency. In Illinois, legal cannabis brought in $451.9 million last fiscal year—about $135.6 million more than alcohol. Colorado in 2022 generated more income from marijuana than alcohol or cigarettes—and nearly as much as alcohol and tobacco combined. Similar milestones have been seen in Arizona and Washington State. A multinational investment bank said in a report late last year that marijuana has become a “formidable competitor” to alcohol, projecting that nearly 20 million more people will regularly consume cannabis over the next five years as booze loses a couple million drinkers. It also says marijuana sales are estimated to reach $37 billion in 2027 in the U.S. as more state markets come online. A separate study published in November also found that marijuana legalization may be linked to a “substitution effect,” with young adults in California “significantly” reducing their use of alcohol and cigarettes after the cannabis reform was enacted. Data from a Gallup survey published last August also found that Americans consider marijuana to be less harmful than alcohol, cigarettes, vapes and other tobacco products. A survey released by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Morning Consult last June also found that Americans consider marijuana to be significantly less dangerous than cigarettes, alcohol and opioids—and they say cannabis is less addictive than each of those substances, as well as technology. In 2022, a survey showed that Americans believe that cannabis is less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. Cannabis Use Before Bedtime Does Not Cause Next-Day Impairment Of Cognitive Ability Or Driving Performance, Study Shows The post Daily Marijuana Use In U.S. Is Now More Common Than Daily Alcohol Drinking, New Study Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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A new report from an equity-focused marijuana advocacy organization finds that nearly two thirds of American adults want legalization laws to prioritize social equity (68 percent), end cannabis arrests (68 percent) and ensure that people have legal access to marijuana products (65 percent). The vast majority—85 percent—also think legalization should benefit people who use marijuana as medicine, while 63 percent said the policy change should benefit those who use cannabis for pleasure. The study, “American Values and Beliefs About Marijuana Legalization,” claims to be the first of its kind to document “the beliefs that American adults hold about who should benefit from marijuana legalization and who they trust to create good, equitable cannabis policy.” It’s unusual in that its questions focus on how marijuana policy should be made and who should be involved in making it, while the bulk of prior polls on legalization typically focus more simply on whether voters support the underlying policy change to end prohibition. Published on Wednesday by the Parabola Center for Law and Policy and conducted in collaboration with the nonprofit research institute RTI International, the survey asked Americans to select which groups they most trust to craft good marijuana policy. Majorities trusted people with lived experience (67 percent), those who use marijuana (56 percent) or people working for social equity (55 percent). Fewer than a quarter of respondents, meanwhile, trusted pharmaceutical company executives (24 percent), the federal government (22 percent) or tobacco (18) or alcohol (13 percent) executives to make good policy. Parabola Center for Law and Policy To arrive at the figures, Parabola Center surveyed 404 American adults aged 21 and older. Roughly half of respondents watched six educational videos featuring marijuana policy experts before taking the survey, while others answered questions prior to watching the videos. Figures used in the current report’s findings “are based on data from the 203 participants who answered survey questions before watching the videos,” it says. As for those who answered questions after watching the video, the report explains that a separate aim of the research is “to find out if educational videos can increase support for equity in marijuana policy.” Findings about the impact of the educational videos will be published at a later date, authors said. For now, they noted that “we observed a pattern of effects showing that public education can be used to decolonize U.S. cannabis policy by educating people about corporate culture and promoting policies that benefit small businesses and people who use cannabis.” Parabola Center for Law and Policy Less than half of the survey’s respondents said marijuana legalization should benefit pharmaceutical companies (40 percent), large corporations (29 percent), the tobacco industry (28 percent) or alcohol companies (19 percent). Majorities, meanwhile, said legalization should advance the interests of people who use marijuana for medical use (85 percent) or pleasure (63 percent), cannabis industry workers (73 percent), people who’ve been harmed by enforcement of prohibition (61 percent), locally owned and small businesses (57 percent and 56 percent, respectively) and everyday people (59 percent). Minorities of respondents also said they thought legalization should prioritize creating a sharing community (49 percent) or preserving marijuana culture (42 percent). Just over a quarter (27 percent) said they care about keeping marijuana illegal. Parabola Center for Law and Policy “Before federal legalization occurs, it is important to preemptively examine who will benefit from marijuana legalization and what policies will need to be put in place to ensure equitable access to marijuana and equitable distribution of profits from the marijuana industry,” the report says, adding that in the context of cannabis, “equity means support for individuals and communities who have been harmed by cannabis criminalization and the War on Drugs.” “Historically, policies championed by large businesses including the tobacco, alcohol, and pharmaceutical industries have led to large profits for those industries, pushed out small business owners, and negatively impacted vulnerable communities,” it adds. “These industries, along with others with financial interests, are trying to exert influence on upcoming policy changes.” Shaleen Title, Parabola Center’s co-founder and one of the initial members of the Massachusetts Cannabis Commission after that state enacted legalization, said the report’s findings reveal a mismatch between how most cannabis policy decisions are currently made and what the survey’s respondents said they would prefer to see. “These survey results refine the idea that most Americans support legalization—it’s because they support people, not because they care about corporate profits,” she told Marijuana Moment in an email. “As policymakers navigate the evolving cannabis landscape, if they want to be responsive to voters, then they should prioritize the needs and concerns of the public, particularly those communities most harmed by the War on Drugs, over the financial interests of large corporations.” Title added that while there is “risk in all industries that the largest corporations exert undue influence over policy,” in cannabis policy she’s noticed “a particular quirk where industry profit is often conflated with justice.” “Policies that primarily benefit the largest corporations, such as rescheduling (which reduces their tax burden), the SAFER Banking Act (which increases their access to financial services and capital), and early sales in newly legal states (which gives them a head start in new markets), are frequently framed as positive incremental steps toward justice, even when such policies do little to change the harmful impacts of prohibition,” she explained. “I hope our survey results encourage the public and policymakers to think more critically about who particular policies will benefit, rather than lumping all marijuana-related reform together.” “With the cannabis landscape rapidly evolving,” Title added, “it’s critical for policymakers to understand public sentiment about who should and shouldn’t benefit from cannabis legalization.” Parabola has played a key role in balancing the push for cannabis reform while highlighting the nuances of the debate that might otherwise be overlooked as momentum continues to build. Late last year, a separate Parabola Center report analyzed the prospects of federal legalization and found the shift would threaten to “disrupt and force the transformation of existing intrastate cannabis markets.” Earlier in 2023, the group also rolled out a marijuana “Anti-Monopoly Toolkit,” which provided an overview of state and federal policy priorities to prevent corporatization and consolidation that could threaten small cannabis businesses in the industry. In 2022, the center also sounded the alarm about the influence of the tobacco and alcohol industries in shaping federal cannabis reform and encouraging lawmakers to rethink the idea of modeling legal marijuana regulations after those that are in place for booze. And in 2021, the organization proposed changes to a House-passed federal marijuana legalization bill that sought to ensure that the market be equitable and empower communities that have been most impacted by prohibition. As for future publications from Parabola Center, it said in the new report that it plans to release “experimental findings that show public education about cannabis policy is a promising tool to promote policies that benefit small businesses and people who use cannabis,” previewing a preliminary takeaway that “participants who saw educational videos had greater agreement that when it comes to cannabis policy, they care about creating a sharing community.” Feds Begin Accepting Marijuana Rescheduling Comments, With Key Reform Groups Previewing How They Plan To Influence The Process The post Americans Want Marijuana Legalization To Prioritize Equity And Benefit Workers, Poll From Advocacy Group Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The federal government’s move to reschedule marijuana “supports the rationality” of the overall law prohibiting cannabis, attorneys for the Justice Department argued in a court hearing on Wednesday. But both DOJ and major marijuana companies suing the government to try to block enforcement against their in-state activities generally agreed that rescheduling doesn’t largely impact the case at hand. The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts’s Western Division held the hearing to take oral arguments days after granting the marijuana firms’ request to make the hearing accessible to the public and press. The suit against the federal government—Canna Provisions v. Garland—is being led by multi-state operator Verano Holdings Corp. and the Massachusetts-based cannabis businesses Canna Provisions and Wiseacre Farm, along with Treevit CEO Gyasi Sellers. Plaintiffs are represented by the law firms Boies Schiller and Flexner LLP and Lesser, Newman, Aleo and Nasser LLP. Litigator David Boies—whose list of prior clients includes the Justice Department, former Vice President Al Gore and plaintiffs in the case that led to the invalidation of California’s ban on same-sex marriage—is leading the suit. Both parties were given an opportunity to address the standing and merits of the case amid the Justice Department’s pending motion to dismiss the suit. A DOJ lawyer contended that the businesses have not been directly harmed by the policy of prohibition, while defending the rationality of the existing law under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Plaintiffs disputed that position, pointing out that the ongoing risk of prosecution—as well as banks’ reluctance to service marijuana businesses—underscores the injury they’ve incurred. Boies himself presented the plaintiffs’ case. He cited “inconsistencies” in federal enforcement, with the government generally taking a hands-off approach to state programs but also noted situations such as the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) threats against Georgia officials if they seek to implement their own unique medical cannabis law allowing distribution through pharmacies. Judge Mark G. Mastroianni, an Obama appointee, also seemed to tentatively accept part of the plaintiffs’ argument that they have standing in the case because prohibition adversely impacts marijuana businesses’ ability to access banking services, at least to some extent. The judge made clear several times throughout the roughly 90-minute heating that he was interested in whether the Biden administration’s recent announcement that it is initiating rulemaking to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the CSA affects the underlying arguments on either side. The Justice Department attorney first emphasized that marijuana has not yet been rescheduled because it must still go through the process of public comment and a possible administrative hearing before the rule is potentially finalized. But he said the fact that the process is unfolding “supports the rationality of federal marijuana policy.” However, “it doesn’t fundamentally change all of the arguments,” he said, “because here we’re dealing with plaintiffs who are engaged in recreational marijuana businesses and even reclassifying something to Schedule III doesn’t doesn’t legalize it.” “I think that this development underscores the rationality of the measured approach that the government has taken, which is to to allow these programs to go into effect to avoid friction between the federal government and the states,” he said. “And it allows a body of evidence to develop, which is currently informing the federal government’s decision making regarding marijuana.” Boies said earlier in the hearing that he agrees a possible Schedule III reclassification “doesn’t really affect the arguments” because the federal government would “continue to assert” that marijuana is illegal, subjecting the businesses to the same issues. “There was no suggestion that they’re going to permit our clients who are here to continue their operations legally,” he said. The government attorney did say, however, that rescheduling could make it more likely that banks would be willing to work with state-licensed cannabis businesses. In general, the cannabis businesses have said in their lawsuit against the federal government that the prohibition of marijuana has “no rational basis,” pointing to officials’ largely hands-off approach to the recent groundswell of state-level legalization. At issue in the case is the degree to which in-state cannabis activity affects interstate commerce, with the government arguing that cannabis legalization attracts out-of-state tourists. DOJ argued in a filing last month that “it is rational to conclude that the regulated marijuana industry in Massachusetts fuels a different kind of marijuana-related interstate commerce: marijuana tourism.” “As the Supreme Court held decades ago, Congress has the authority to regulate businesses that cater to tourists from out of state, even if the businesses’ transactions occur wholly in-state,” DOJ said in the brief. Plaintiffs, meanwhile, contend the Constitution’s Commerce Clause should preclude DOJ from interfering in state-legal activity because it is regulated within a state’s borders. Boies also said at Wednesday’s hearing that there’s an argument to be made that “the net effect of legalizing it is to reduce” illicit interstate cannabis commerce, in part because he argues that Massachusetts’s regulatory framework effectively mitigates that risk. In the background of the lawsuit, President Joe Biden announced last week that his administration is formally moving to reschedule marijuana, with a proposal published in the Federal Register this Tuesday to place cannabis in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Attorney General Merrick Garland, a chief defendant in the marijuana industry litigation, signed off on the proposed rule last Thursday. But reclassifying cannabis as Schedule III would not federally legalize it, so it seems unlikely that rulemaking will influence DOJ’s position in the federal court case at hand. Cannabis Use Before Bedtime Does Not Cause Next-Day Impairment Of Cognitive Ability Or Driving Performance, Study Shows Photo elements courtesy of rawpixel and Philip Steffan. The post Marijuana Rescheduling Process ‘Supports The Rationality’ Of Federal Prohibition, DOJ Argues In Hearing On Cannabis Businesses’ Lawsuit appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A new study suggests that using marijuana before sleep has minimal if any effect on a range of performance measures the next day, including simulated driving, cognitive and psychomotor function tasks, subjective effects and mood. The report, which drew data from a larger study investigating the effects of THC and CBD on insomnia, looked at outcomes from 20 adults with physician-diagnosed insomnia who infrequently used marijuana. “The results of this study indicate that a single oral dose of 10 mg THC (in combination with 200 mg CBD) does not notably impair ‘next day’ cognitive function or driving performance relative to placebo in adults with insomnia who infrequently use marijuana,” says the paper, from researchers at Macquarie University in Sydney, the University of Sydney, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Gold Coast-based Griffith University and Johns Hopkins University. “The use of cannabis by night as a sleep aid is highly prevalent and there are legitimate concerns that this may lead to impaired daytime (‘next day’) function, particularly on safety sensitive tasks such as driving,” the 11-author team wrote in the report published last week in the journal Psychopharmacology. Results, however, showed “no differences in ‘next day’ performance in 27 out of 28 tests of cognitive and psychomotor function and simulated driving tests relative to placebo.” “We found a lack of notable ‘next day’ impairment to cognitive and psychomotor function and simulated driving performance.” Participants were randomly given either a placebo or 2 milliliters of cannabis oil containing 10 milligrams of THC and 200 mg CBD. Researchers said the THC amount was selected “based on prior studies showing that 10 mg oral THC produced discriminable subjective drug effects (e.g., increased ‘drowsiness’) without altering cognitive and psychomotor performance among infrequent cannabis users”—in other words, the amount someone might take if their goal was to use cannabis as a sleep aid. In a second lab visit, participants who received the placebo were given the THC–CBD mixture, while those who had the cannabis oil were given the placebo. Cognitive tests were administered within two hours of participants waking, while driving performance, which was measured through a fixed-base driving simulator, was tested 10 hours after administration. Subjects were also asked how about experienced effects—for example how “stoned,” “sedated,” “alert,” “anxious” or “sleepy” they felt—at baseline and then after 30 minutes, 10 hours, 12 hours, 14 hours, 16 hours and 18 hours. “Almost all of the cognitive tests conducted, involving attention, working memory, speed of information processing, and other domains, showed no ‘next day’ effects of THC/CBD,” the report says. No significant differences were seen between the THC–CBD and placebo results in 27 of the 28 cognitive performance tasks. There was what researchers described as “a small reduction in percentage accuracy”—about 1.4 percent—in the so-called Stoop color and word test, a measure of cognitive interference, however, but researchers said that finding was “not clinically meaningful” because both groups demonstrated “a very high percentage of accuracy (i.e., >97%)” on the test. “Importantly, no significant difference in accuracy was observed on the more difficult ‘hard/incongruent condition’ of the Stroop-Word Test, which requires participants to match the meaning of the word presented, not the printed colour of the word,” authors added. “For comparison, the morning after alcohol consumption (i.e., the hangover state) produced significantly greater interference on the Stroop-Word Test, but not the Stroop-Colour Test, relative to the alcohol-free control group (i.e., no hangover state).” No differences were observed in terms of driving performance, meanwhile. “None of the simulated driving outcome measures were significantly different between THC/CBD and placebo,” the study says, adding: “This is consistent with our recent meta-regression analysis, which concluded that driving-related skills in occasional cannabis users recover within ~8 h after ingesting 20 mg oral THC.” “There were no impairing effects of THC/CBD given by night on simulated driving performance assessed the following morning at ~10 h post-treatment; coinciding with a time that many people might commute on roads (e.g., driving to work in ‘rush-hour’),” the authors wrote. By contrast, they noted that”commonly prescribed sedative-hypnotics are known to impair next-day function,” pointing as examples to benzodiazepine and zopiclone. The researchers acknowledged the relatively small sample size of the study and that the findings were based on only a single dose of cannabis oil. “This precludes any conclusions regarding the effects of repeated dosing with THC, with or without CBD, on daytime function in insomnia disorder, which is more representative of how some people use medical cannabis for sleep in the community,” they wrote. “However, it is hypothesized that the chances of detecting ‘next day’ impairment are less likely with repeated dosing due to the development of at least partial tolerance to the impairing effects of THC.” Though some cannabis users anecdotally report feeling residual effects of cannabis use the day afterward, another recent study found no evidence that marijuana consumption causes a hangover the next day. A report published last December, meanwhile, examined neurocognitive effects in medical marijuana patients, finding that “prescribed medical cannabis may have minimal acute impact on cognitive function among patients with chronic health conditions.” Another report, published March in the journal Current Alzheimer Research, linked marijuana use to lower odds of subjective cognitive decline (SCD), with consumers and patients reporting less confusion and memory loss compared to non-users. A separate 2022 study on marijuana and laziness found no difference in apathy or reward-based behavior between people who used cannabis on at least a weekly basis and non-users. A Washington State University study published late last year found that most cannabis consumers with sleep issues preferred to use marijuana instead of other sleep aids to help get to bed, reporting better outcomes the next morning and fewer side effects. Smoking joints or vaping products that contained THC, CBD and the terpene myrcene were especially popular. “Unlike long-acting sedatives and alcohol, cannabis was not associated with a ‘hangover’ effect,” an author of that study said, “although individuals reported some lingering effects such as sleepiness and changes in mood.” Quality of sleep often arises in other studies into the potential benefits of marijuana, and generally, consumers say it enhances their rest. Two other 2023 recent studies, for example—one involving people with chronic health conditions and another looking at people diagnosed with neurological disorders—found that sleep quality improved with cannabis use. Marijuana Use Linked To Increase In Light Physical Activity, Study Challenging ‘Lazy Stoner’ Stereotype Finds Photo courtesy of Carlos Gracia. The post Cannabis Use Before Bedtime Does Not Cause Next-Day Impairment Of Cognitive Ability Or Driving Performance, Study Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Newly introduced legislation in New York State would allow people in the state to bring legal actions against entities that violate state marijuana laws, potentially empowering ordinary individuals to sue unlicensed cannabis sellers or licensees skirting state law. Identical companion bills, S.9441 in the Senate and A.10248 in the Assembly, were introduced in the legislature last week. The Senate bill, from Sen. Jeremy Cooney (D), has been referred to the Finance Committee in that chamber, while the Assembly measure, from Assemblymember John Zaccaro Jr. (D), will begin in the Judiciary Committee. As written, they would enable private individuals to file civil lawsuits against anyone violating a part of the state’s cannabis law that prohibits unlawful cultivation, processing, distribution or sales of cannabis or cannabis products. Individuals would be able to bring the actions under the New York False Claims Act. “Empowering everyday New Yorkers with tools against illegal cannabis operators, whose conduct is both unlawful and inundates our communities with untested, unregulated and potentially deadly cannabis, is vital as we continue our enforcement efforts to combat illegal cannabis,” a justification memo attached to the bill says. “Illegal cannabis operators undermine the legal cannabis industry in New York, whose cannabis processors, cultivators, distributors and retail dispensary licensees followed the rules only see their hard work damaged by those who violate the cannabis law,” it says. “New York must lead when legitimate business is compromised by the conduct of bad actors… Authorizing a qui tam plaintiff to bring a civil action for violations of cannabis law under the New York False Claims Act adds another layer of legal protection for everyday New Yorkers.” The legislative proposal to essentially deputize New Yorkers against illegal marijuana activity comes on the heels of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) ouster of the state’s top cannabis regulator and amid a much-delayed rollout of the state’s legal marijuana market. A news report earlier this year found that despite state officials levying more than $25 million in fines against unlicensed retailers for selling cannabis products since last year, only a tiny fraction of those fines had been collected by either the New York Tax Department or the Office of Cannabis Management. In an attempt to rein in unlicensed sales, Hochul in February called on big tech companies such as Google and Meta to “do the right thing” by taking steps to stop promoting illicit marijuana shops, which have proliferated across the state. She accused social media and search engine companies of passively undermining the legal market that’s being implemented by allowing unlicensed retailers to be featured on their services, giving consumers the false impression that they are legitimate businesses. “Let us give you the list of legal vendors. I know who’s legal. We all know who’s legal. And then you have a responsibility to make sure that you’re not posting the locations of illegal shops,” the governor said. “Now I’m calling on all these platforms to step up, do the right thing and be part of the solution. Don’t be complicit in helping jeopardize the public health and the livelihoods of these legitimate business owners.” While litigation has contributed to some of the state’s delays, Hochul has signaled that she holds the state’s regulatory bodies partly responsible. When her office became aware that the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) only intended to approve three additional licenses at a meeting earlier this year, for example, it intervened and made clear that the number was insufficient. The meeting was subsequently cancelled. The governor also foreshadowed at a February meeting that she was eyeing potential leadership changes within the state’s marijuana regulatory apparatus because of the implementation issues. Following the ouster of OCM Executive Director Chris Alexander, advocates at the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition said they were “shocked and dismayed” by the action. While they acknowledged the state has encountered obstacles in its rollout of legal marijuana, they said a New York State Office of General Services (OGS) report wrongly put the blame on Alexander. “The fact that the head of one of the state’s few Black-led agencies has been scapegoated for all the challenges identified in the OGS report is unconscionable,” they said. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Separately New York lawmakers are calling for further investigation into the state’s marijuana contract with a Chicago-based equity firm that critics say put investors over the state’s effort to prioritize social equity in its marijuana rollout. Earlier this month, a Senate committee also passed a bill that would authorize the launch of 10 overdose prevention centers statewide under a harm reduction pilot program. 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. New York City became the first U.S. jurisdiction to host locally sanctioned harm reduction centers in November 2021. New Hampshire Senate Panel Amends House-Passed Marijuana Legalization Bill, Sending It To Final Floor Vote The post New York Bills Would Let People File Legal Actions Against Unlicensed Marijuana Businesses appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Biden administration’s drug czar said this week that the Justice Department’s recommendation to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is one “based on science and evidence,” adding that the change will ease research restrictions around the use of cannabis to treat “chronic illnesses, chronic pain and diseases like cancer.” But he appears to have oversimplified what the change will mean for legal prescription access to medical marijuana. “It’s been quite a bit of science that has developed over the last few years, certainly since more than a half century ago when those placements happened, that show us that this may not be where it belongs,” Rahul Gupta, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), said in comments to WGCU, referring to cannabis’s current Schedule I status. “So the move to Schedule III, where there are recognizable medical benefits to a substance, is one that is a recommendation based on science and evidence,” he added. “It does make sense to make sure that we’re pursuing science and evidence when it comes to medications and use those medications for Americans with chronic illnesses, chronic pain, diseases like cancer.” It appears the drug czar may have oversimplified the process of accessing medical marijuana once the rescheduling move takes place, however, suggesting that the change itself could make cannabis federally legally available to patients. “Any drug that is between Schedule II and Schedule V can be prescribed when appropriate by a licensed provider who has a DEA registration, like I do,” Gupta told WGCU. “For a full Schedule I, there is no approved medical use. So this change would allow providers, clinicians across the country to be able to prescribe marijuana as a Schedule III drug.” As @POTUS said, too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. That’s why our Administration is taking historic action to reform our nation’s outdated laws. https://t.co/a9F9611w7g — Rahul Gupta (@DrGupta46) May 21, 2024 A report published by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) earlier this month disagrees. It says further action from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be needed before marijuana products become available by prescription. “If marijuana were moved from Schedule I to Schedule III, it could in theory be dispensed and used by prescription for medical purposes,” the report from congressional researchers says. “However, prescription drugs must be approved by FDA. Although FDA has approved some drugs derived from or related to cannabis, marijuana itself is not an FDA-approved drug.” CRS has also noted that rescheduling would not legalize cannabis or bring state-regulated markets—including medical marijuana systems—“into compliance” with federal law. Broadly, Gupta in the recent interview positioned Schedule III as a middle ground between making marijuana legally available to medical patients while preventing drug use by young people. “Today, the science takes us in a direction that there are some medical uses of marijuana. We must allow Americans to take advantage of that, for example, those who are suffering from chronic pain, other chronic illnesses, cancer, this may be something of a better option for them,” he said. “At the same time, we must understand that for children whose brains are still developing, up to the age of 22 to 25, it’s important that any illicit substance, whether it be marijuana or others, not interfere in the development of the brain.” “Prevention for young people of any drugs is still important and key,” he continued. “But at the same time, allowing us to be able to have appropriate science-based categorization of drugs that can help Americans is important. Of course, the increasing concentrations of THC and others are something that concerns all of us. And one way to address that is by having it as Schedule III.” Gupta also said that “too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana over the past more than a half century.” “That’s why, back in 2022, President Biden had requested that Department of Justice and Health and Human Services services conduct this review,” he said. Biden administration officials have been touting the president’s actions on cannabis since 2022, including rounds of pardons he’s granted to people with past drug-related federal convictions. Vice President Kamala Harris last month, for example, reiterated at an event last month she doesn’t believe “people should have to go to jail for smoking weed.” “We have issued—as an administration with President Biden’s leadership—more pardons and commutations than any recent administration at this point in their term,” she said. “For example, on marijuana: We have pardoned all people for federal convictions for simple marijuana possession.” Advocates have been encouraged to see the administration continue to grant and promote clemency for people criminalized over drugs, but they’ve also emphasized that thousands of people remain incarcerated over federal marijuana offenses. In March, 36 members of Congress implored Biden to grant clemency to all Americans currently in federal prison over non-violent cannabis convictions by commuting their sentences, pointing out that the pardons he’s issued to date for simple possession cases did not release a single person from incarceration. A former drug czar who served under President Barack Obama recently took a sharply different position on marijuana rescheduling than Gupta. Former ONDCP Director Gil Kerlikowske recently said that cannabis is “not medicine” and that rescheduling was “all Big Cannabis.” “This isn’t people my age that are just old hippies that want to open up a pot shop somewhere” Kerlikowske said on the podcast of former U.S. Rep. Mary Bono (R). “This is a huge business like Big Tobacco. Absolutely.” Meanwhile, the proposed rule to federally reschedule marijuana was officially posted last week, kicking off a public comment period that’s expected to elicit a major response from supporters and opponents of cannabis reform. Marijuana reform advocates and stakeholders have made clear that they intend to leverage the opportunity, with some planning to support the reclassification while others intend to call for descheduling cannabis altogether. Prohibitionists are expected to oppose the incremental policy change and seek to keep marijuana in Schedule I, and there’s also a looming threat of litigation. While DOJ will take all public comments submitted by July 22 into consideration as it weighs the reform, it said in the notice that one of the topics its especially interested in hearing about is the “unique economic impacts” of the rescheduling proposal given that state-level legalization has created a “multibillion dollar industry” that stands to benefit from possible federal tax relief under the reform. When Biden announced the administration’s rescheduling action last week, he described it as consistent with his belief that nobody should be jailed over cannabis possession. As a statutory matter, that wouldn’t necessarily apply with simple rescheduling because it’d remain federally illegal. But the White House has not publicly commented on the economic impacts of the incremental reform. On Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and colleagues have reintroduced legislation to federally legalize cannabis and impose certain regulations. The bill’s prospects are dubious in the current divided Congress, however. Meanwhile, the top Democrat in the U.S. House said 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 Schumer filed. In a recent interview with Fox News, former DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson said it “absolutely looks like” the agency will follow through with moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the CSA. Biden has separately issued two rounds of mass pardons for people who’ve committed federal marijuana possession offenses. Again, a Schedule III reclassification would not legalize cannabis or free people still incarcerated over cannabis. 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. California Lawmakers Approve Bill To Legalize Marijuana Cafes, Months After Governor’s Veto Of Earlier Measure The post Biden Drug Czar Says Marijuana Rescheduling Is ‘Based On Science And Evidence’ But Misstates Impact On Prescription Access appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Obama drug czar criticizes marijuana reform; NH legalization; CA cannabis cafes; LA medical cannabis changes to gov Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Hold on, just one second before you read today’s news. Have you thought about giving some financial support to Marijuana Moment? If so, today would be a great day to contribute. We’re planning our reporting for the coming months and it would really help to know what kind of support we can count on. Check us out on Patreon and sign up to give $25/month today: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW The Drug Enforcement Administration has officially begun accepting public comments on the Biden administration’s cannabis rescheduling proposal, and key reform groups spoke to Marijuana Moment to preview their strategy on influencing the process. Former Obama administration White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske claimed that marijuana is “not medicine” and criticized the Biden administration’s rescheduling move, suggesting that it’s orchestrated by “Big Cannabis.” The New Hampshire Senate Finance Committee amended and approved a marijuana legalization bill, sending it back to the floor for a final vote in the chamber this week before it returns to the House for concurrence on recent changes. The California Assembly passed a bill to legalize cannabis cafes, months after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed a previous version of the proposal. The new legislation contains changes to address the governor’s concerns about smoke-free workplace protections. Minnesota lawmakers sent Gov. Tim Walz (D) a bill to make several changes to the state’s marijuana legalization law—including allowing all military veterans to be eligible for cannabis social equity business licenses. Louisiana lawmakers sent Gov. Jeff Landry (R) a bill to transfer medical cannabis cultivation licenses from universities to private businesses. / FEDERAL Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramasway criticized President Joe Biden for allegedly flip-flopping on marijuana. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) tweeted, “It’s time federal regulations catch up with the times. We must pass commonsense national cannabis reform ASAP.” Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) tweeted, “Chinese criminal organizations moved to my state in record numbers to turn OK farmland into marijuana operations. We need oversight on who is purchasing our land.” Rep. Josh Brecheeen (R-OK) spoke about his concerns with marijuana legalization during a House hearing. Several members of Congress discussed their views on using the Farm Bill to enact restrictions on intoxicating hemp products. / STATES Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) touted the Biden administration’s marijuana rescheduling and pardons moves. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) budget request proposes to strip $6.5 million from a cannabis social equity fund. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council, located within North Carolina, plans to approve an ordinance allowing recreational marijuana sales next month. New York officials are ending a cannabis social equity business loan fund that a key lawmaker called “predatory.” Arkansas regulators proposed rules on medical cannabis registration, testing and labeling. Oregon regulators filed temporary rules on procedures and requirements for presumptive testing of hemp plants. Montana regulators posted a marijuana packaging and labeling application for wholesalers and retailers. Washington State regulators published guidance on a new law concerning marijuana temporary excise tax exemptions. Michigan regulators published guidance on marijuana package tags. New Jersey regulators posted a new webpage about municipal cannabis policies. Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Board will meet on Wednesday. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL The Ann Arbor, Michigan City Council voted to dedicate $1 million in marijuana revenue to social services. / INTERNATIONAL The Philippine House Human Rights Committee held the first hearing in its investigation of the country’s bloody “war on drugs.” The Victoria, Australia government is launching a trial on whether medical cannabis impairs driving ability. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “most patients with psychiatric disorders received cannabinoid drugs for pain” and that “doctors reported a positive effect on symptoms in at least 75% of the cases.” A study of rats found that “use of the oily extract of Cannabis sp. in a 2:1 ratio of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): Cannabidiol (CBD) effectively reduced hippocampal neuron deaths from amyloidosis induced in chronic aluminum chloride intoxication.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Democratic National Committee tweeted, “President Biden reclassifying marijuana will remove longstanding barriers to critical research into medical benefits of marijuana that could benefit veterans, seniors, and people with chronic illnesses.” The New York Daily News editorial board is calling on state lawmakers to legalize and fund safe consumption sites for illegal drugs. / BUSINESS Glass House Brands Inc. withdrew its defamation lawsuit against Catalyst Cannabis Co., citing “serious concerns about Catalyst’s financial viability, which could render a judgment worthless, and harassment threats by Catalyst to Glass House’s customers, and its customers’ customers.” Mississippi Green Oil LLC and its principals are being sued for allegedly violating securities regulations by soliciting unregistered loans that were never repaid. 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 Feds accept cannabis rescheduling comments (Newsletter: May 22, 2024) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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