Newsletter
Cannabis banking vote not happening this summer (Newsletter: July 21, 2023)
Marijuana & psychedelics amendments in Congress; FDA CBD delay hearing; Feds pressed for hemp-based plastic alternatives; FL legalization court briefs
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said a marijuana banking bill actually won’t get a vote this summer, despite plans detailed in recent weeks, according to a lobbyist who spoke to him.
The House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services has scheduled a hearing on the Food and Drug Administration’s refusal to regulate CBD and other hemp-derived products. Meanwhile, members of both chambers filed a new bill on the issue.
The House Rules Committee is set to decide whether there will be floor votes on new amendments to defund the practice of drug testing job applicants at certain federal agencies for marijuana and to encourage psychedelics research for military veterans.
The House Appropriations Committee is directing federal officials to take steps to develop hemp-based plastic alternatives, create a device to detect marijuana-impaired driving and combat illegal cannabis grows on public lands.
A Florida marijuana campaign and its supporters filed briefs in the state Supreme Court pushing back against the attorney general’s effort to prevent voters from being able to decide on a legalization initiative on the 2024 ballot.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) tacitly showed support for Wiz Khalifa’s plan to get “stoned af” on cannabis before throwing out the first pitch at a Pirates game this week—but the rapper also went a step further by getting “shroomed out” before he stepped up on the mound.
The Tribal Council of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, located within North Carolina, voted to put a referendum on the ballot to legalize marijuana. If approved, recreational cannabis sales would be open to any adult over 21, regardless of tribal membership.
/ FEDERAL
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy issued awards to law enforcement for “outstanding efforts to stop illicit drug trafficking.”
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) again expressed surprise in a Senate floor speech that the U.S. is moving to enact marijuana reform while at the same time restricting abortion.
Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) said one of his priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill is to “create a separate regulatory framework for industrial hemp.”
The House marijuana banking bill got two new cosponsors for a total of 64.
/ STATES
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D), along with U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), sent a letter urging Multnomah County and Portland officials to address the “crisis” of public drug use.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) tweeted, “New York’s nation-leading cannabis industry continues to grow! With new provisional licenses & the Cannabis Growers Showcase, even more New Yorkers will be able to access opportunities that will benefit their families & communities.”
The Massachusetts legislature’s Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy held a hearing about several marijuana bills.
A North Carolina representative said his psychedelics research bill is “still alive.”
A Rhode Island representative is pushing Gov. Dan McKee (D) to make appointments to the Cannabis Advisory Board.
An Arizona judge declined to grant expungement to a man serving a 16-year sentence for selling an ounce of marijuana.
Arkansas has a new top medical cannabis regulator.
Maryland’s public defender cheered the state’s new marijuana laws and said “we must end this war on drugs.”
Louisiana regulators filed emergency rules on consumable hemp products.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles and California Highway Patrol are partnering with the University of California, San Diego on a study to test various methods to detect cannabis-impaired driving.
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Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,000 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 Berkeley, California City Council approved a “tax holiday” for marijuana businesses.
A judge struck down Highland Park, Michigan’s marijuana business licensing ordinance.
Sheriffs in several Wisconsin counties expressed concerns about marijuana legalization going into effect in neighboring Minnesota.
Los Angeles, California is hiring a new top cannabis regulator.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Brazil’s National Health Regulatory Agency is no longer allowing medical cannabis flower imports.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “in patients with chronic neck/back pain, CBD and Δ9-THC are well tolerated and doses of 1.0 mL bd and 1.5 mL bd showed clinically significant reductions in pain compared to baseline pain scores.”
A review concluded that “there is sufficient epidemiological evidence to suggest that both kratom and cannabis products are used to self-treat pain, and that some individuals actively use both drugs, which may produce potential additive or synergistic therapeutic benefits that have not yet been characterized.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
Women Grow’s president stepped down.
/ BUSINESS
Canopy Growth Corporation announced that vaporizers from its STORZ & BICKEL GmbH subsidiary were certified in accordance with new European Union Medical Device Regulations.
Zen Leaf workers in Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois workers won a tentative contract agreement.
Verano Holdings Corp. has new board of directors members.
/ CULTURE
Wiz Khalifa’s Khalifa Kush brand expanded a partnership with Cresco Labs in Massachusetts.
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