Newsletter
Biden once called for using flamethrowers in war against cannabis (Newsletter: November 29, 2019)
McConnell’s new marijuana machete; Harris revisits cannabis & music controversy; Seattle push to decriminalize all drugs
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) accepted a machete that “was used on the eradication of thousands of clandestine marijuana plants.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D), a presidential candidate, in a 1989 speech that Marijuana Moment unearthed a video of, said that part of his anti-drug plan would involve “getting governors to go out in the mountainsides with flamethrowers” to eradicate cannabis plants.
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), a presidential candidate, joked about the controversy she sparked earlier this year regarding which music she listened to while smoking marijuana.
- “I definitely was not clear about what I was listening to.”
/ FEDERAL
President Trump declared December as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month.
Former White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Deputy Director Thomas McClellan is being sued for allegedly profiting from insurance and healthcare fraud carried out by an addiction treatment center he had an ownership stake in.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) spoke during a hearing about a woman who was “sentenced to more than a decade in prison for having three marijuana cigarettes.”
Rep. Matt Getz (R-FL) tweeted, “Federal prohibition against marijuana has not worked. It has impaired research and it has stopped states from being able to unlock cures.”
/ STATES
Virginia’s attorney general said he is optimistic the state will decriminalize marijuana and take steps toward broader legalization.
Vermont’s attorney general spoke about his support for legalizing marijuana sales.
Arizona’s Senate majority whip filed a bill to ban certain additives in marijuana products.
Washington State regulators sent a reminder that marijuana vaping product ingredient disclosure forms are due on Monday.
Michigan regulators sent a bulletin with updated information on testing and packaging requirements for marijuana vape cartridges. They also announced they will send report templates to hemp licensees next week.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,000 cannabis 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.
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/ LOCAL
Seattle, Washington activists are planning a campaign to press the City Council to decriminalize all drugs.
Miami, Florida-area police continue to make marijuana possession arrests even though local prosecutors have stopped pursuing such cases.
Here’s a look at how Denver, Colorado’s minimum wage law might impact marijuana businesses.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Here’s a look at where UK political parties stand on drug policy ahead of next month’s elections.
The Bahamas health minister rejected opposition party calls to quickly decriminalize marijuana.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review concluded that “legalisation of medical cannabis has so far not had an effect on rates of use or cannabis use disorders among youth, but it has increased the frequency of use among adult cannabis users.”
A review concluded that “preclinical study of cannabinoids points to an effect on pain and inflammation, fundamental features of rheumatic diseases” but that “the findings of the few randomized controlled trials (RCTSs) of cannabis-based medicines in rheumatic diseases are limited by short study duration, small study samples, and methodology flaws.
A study of people’s ability to detect marijuana by smell found that “open and casually packaged cannabis was identified with high accuracy, while material packaged in doubly vacuum-sealed plastic was correctly identified at rates no different from chance.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
A poll found that New Zealand adults support an upcoming marijuana legalization referendum, 48%-39%.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board cheered the advancement of congressional marijuana reform legislation.
/ BUSINESS
Canopy Growth Corporation is working to open five new locations of its Tokyo Smoke retail subsidiary.
/ CULTURE
Musician Willie Nelson said he has stopped smoking marijuana due to breathing issues.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
