Newsletter
Census Bureau tracks cannabis tax revenue (Newsletter: October 10, 2023)
CA gov signs & vetoes marijuana bills; Drug war impact on environment; Kratom bill in Congress; AZ equity cannabis licenses
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The U.S. Census Bureau released its first-ever set of data on state marijuana revenue, showing that cannabis sales generated more than $5.7 billion for public coffers during an 18-month period—a remarkable federal admission amid ongoing prohibition.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill to prohibit employers from asking job applicants about prior marijuana use.
- He also vetoed bills to legalize cannabis cafes and to institute strict new requirements for marijuana packaging while signing several additional measures, including one to eliminate the use of single-use plastic tags to track cannabis plants.
Bipartisan lawmakers in the House and Senate filed a new bill to federally regulate and protect consumer access to kratom.
A new report from the International Coalition on Drug Policy Reform and Environmental Justice details how the war on drugs undermines climate efforts and environmental justice.
Just four of 26 Arizona marijuana social equity lottery winners still have an ownership stake in their licenses. Existing corporate dispensaries now own half the licenses outright, with private investors holding equity in 10 more.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said companies can voluntarily destroy recalled cannabis products, but they must first consult with regulators.
/ FEDERAL
A spokesperson for Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) said prohibitionist group Smart Approaches to Marijuana’s blast text message about her is a “bold-faced lie.”
/ STATES
Florida’s agriculture commissioner touted actions to seize THC-O products.
Pennsylvania’s Senate minority leader said Democrats in the chamber mostly support legalizing marijuana but that it will need Republican backing to advance.
Wisconsin’s Senate minority leader tweeted, “Wisconsin Legislative Republican math is knowing that 69% of Wisconsinites support #cannabis legalization, but not scheduling a single public hearing for the bill to #LegalizeIt.”
An Ohio representative spoke about his support for legalizing marijuana, while another representative appeared in a video for an opposition campaign working to defeat the legalization initiative on the November ballot.
A New York judge is allowing additional marijuana dispensaries to open amid an ongoing injunction.
Illinois regulators filed revised cannabis rules.
Maine regulators posted guidance on cannabis testing requirements.
Oklahoma officials made arrests over untagged marijuana plants at a licensed medical cannabis grow facility.
Oregon regulators will hold three hearings on draft psilocybin services rules in November.
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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.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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/ LOCAL
The Anchorage, Alaska Assembly is expected to consider a measure to allow city employees to use marijuana while off duty on Tuesday.
The Tucson, Arizona City Council approved a marijuana dispensary that is tied to the social equity process but which some have raised ownership questions about.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that cocaine or alcohol intoxication may have been the cause of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death in a plane crash.
The European Pharmacopoeia Commission adopted a monograph on cannabis flower.
The New South Wales, Australia government reportedly plans to file legislation to expand an existing pre-court diversion system for cannabis to include all illicit drugs.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study of hiring managers “demonstrated a modest negative hiring bias against recreational marijuana content, with stronger negative effects for alcohol content” but found that “social networking content related to medicinal marijuana content did not have a significant effect on perceptions of employment suitability.”
A review concluded that “chronic and acute administration of CBD seems not to impair cognition in humans without neuropsychiatric disorders” and that “preclinical studies report promising results regarding the effects of CBD on the cognitive processing of animals.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Democratic Governors Association tweeted, “From record job growth to legalized sports betting to medical cannabis, Gov. @AndyBeshearKY has spent the last four years making progress on the issues that matter to Kentuckians.”
The Wall Street Journal editorial board criticized New York’s marijuana business licensing priorities.
/ BUSINESS
The Cannabis Company Holdings Inc. delivered a notice of partial redemption to holders of its outstanding senior secured notes saying that on October 23 it will redeem $25 million of the total $38.2 million principal amount currently outstanding.
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