Newsletter
Cannabis banking sponsors talk strategy for Senate passage (Newsletter: September 30, 2021)
Federal legalization vote delayed; CA gov OKs marijuana in hospitals; MS gov on cannabis special session; Elon Musk: Psychedelics are the future
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to debate and vote on a bill to federally legalize marijuana on Wednesday, but consideration of unrelated business ran long and now the cannabis legislation action is expected on Thursday.
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the lead sponsors of marijuana banking bills in the House and Senate, spoke to U.S. Hemp Roundtable stakeholders about the path ahead for the incremental reform legislation while the broader cannabis legalization debate is pending.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill requiring hospitals to allow certain patients to use medical cannabis.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said a draft medical cannabis bill that’s circulating needs some changes before he will be ready to call a special session to pass it. Lawmakers had hoped he would do so this week after reaching a deal on the cannabis measure.
Elon Musk said he thinks “people should be open to psychedelics” and that “as a new generation gets into political power I think we will see greater receptivity” to their benefits.
/ FEDERAL
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is considering a case challenging the Drug Enforcement Administration’s role in regulating hemp.
U.S. Department of Agriculture is launching a new portal that lets hemp producers, states and tribes submit information on license applications and production.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) tweeted, “First-time drug offenders—no matter their age—deserve a second chance to pursue a productive life. That’s why I am so proud that the Judiciary Committee voted to advance my bipartisan bill with @JohnCornyn to expand federal expungement.”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MN) spoke about her support for decriminalizing drugs in a House floor speech.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) highlighted his concerns about tax provisions in cannabis legalization legislation, tweeting, “When pro-marijuana lobbyists lobby for taxing marijuana, it might be time to get new pro-marijuana lobbyists.”
Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA) tweeted, “Former [Pennsylvania] colleagues of mine are trying their best to pass an adult use cannabis bill and I’m supportive of doing the same in Washington. We must make sure to include social justice reforms as well to these efforts.”
The House bill to deschedule marijuana and fund programs to repair drug war harms got one new cosponsor for a total of 74.
/ STATES
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and Republican challengerJack Ciattarelli debated marijuana legalization.
New Hampshire’s House minority leader discussed his plan to put a marijuana legalization referendum on the 2022 ballot.
Mississippi’s House speaker pro tempore said a proposed medical cannabis program that lawmakers are considering will generate enough revenue to pay for itself.
The South Dakota legislature’s Medical Marijuana Subcommittee voted to recommend that medical cannabis home cultivation be made illegal, and acted on other recommendations.
California regulators announced that consolidated marijuana rules have been approved and are in effect.
New York regulators missed a deadline to issue regulations allowing medical cannabis home cultivation.
Newly released records indicate that Pennsylvania officials’ lack of communication about federal rules on addiction treatment funding and medical cannabis caused confusion for providers and harm for patients.
The Arizona Department of Economic Security is seeking input on a proposed policy prohibiting the use of federal funds for marijuana-related activities.
The Nevada Cannabis Advisory Subcommittee on Social Equity, Diversity & Inclusion will meet on Monday.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,200 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.
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/ LOCAL
The Austin, Texas City Council’s Public Safety Committee asked city departments to review hiring policies that disqualify people for marijuana use.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Italy’s Council of Ministers extended the deadline for local officials to certify signatures on a marijuana referendum until October 30.
Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada’s police chief is supporting drug decriminalization.
A Malaysian lawmaker called on the government to legalize hemp and medical cannabis.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review concluded that “in multiple animal models of epilepsy, CBD was shown to improve cognition” and that “studies in humans demonstrate neutral or positive effects of CBD on cognition in epilepsy.”
A study of voter attitudes about New Zealand’s marijuana legalization referendum found that “support for cannabis legalization was not based on broad demographics, but rather specific views concerning the medicinal benefit, morality of cannabis use, health risk of frequent cannabis use, political party affiliation, and knowledge of the proposed regulatory controls.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The New Jersey Democratic Party tweeted, “FACT CHECK: Jack Ciattarelli claims that ‘people didn’t understand’ marijuana legalization, but 67% of NJ voters approved the 2020 referendum to legalize adult-use cannabis.”
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is urging the Canadian federal government to decriminalize drugs.
The Tulsa World editorial board is calling on the U.S. Senate to join the House in approving marijuana banking legislation.
/ BUSINESS
Tumblr changed its policies to allow certain cannabis businesses to advertise on the platform.
Jushi Holdings Inc. is acquiring The Apothecarium2 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
DoubleBlind Magazine partnered with other brands to put up a digital billboard about psychedelics in Times Square.
Red Light Oregon, Inc. conducted a survey of Oregonians’ views about psilocybin services.
The Wall Street Journal looks at marijuana-related employment issues that more companies are grappling with as legalization spreads.
/ CULTURE
Showtime’s Billions has an ongoing plotline about cannabis banking and investments.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
