Newsletter
Colorado online cannabis sales law takes effect (Newsletter: August 8, 2023)
WI Assembly speaker: Medical marijuana bill in fall; MN psychedelics task force; Study: Cannabis reduces opioid cravings; USDA & PA hemp event
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
A new Colorado law allowing online marijuana sales took effect on Monday.
Wisconsin’s Assembly speaker said his Republican caucus is crafting medical cannabis legislation that “we hope to bring forward this fall,” but the Senate minority leader is expressing skepticism the party will meaningfully follow through. Meanwhile, a Democratic lawmaker tweeted about shopping at a Michigan marijuana dispensary over the weekend.
The Minnesota representative who sponsored legislation creating a new Psychedelic Medicine Task Force tells Marijuana Moment he isn’t worried that appointments are delayed and the body missed a legally mandated August 1 deadline to hold its first meeting.
A new federally funded study found that “cannabis use to manage opioid cravings is a prevalent motivation for cannabis use among [people who use unregulated opioids] and is associated with self-assessed reductions in opioid use during periods of cannabis use,” concluding that “increasing the accessibility of cannabis products for therapeutic use may be a useful supplementary strategy to mitigate exposure to unregulated opioids and associated harm during the ongoing drug toxicity crisis.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture and Health hosted an event on ways to support and grow the state’s hemp industry.
/ FEDERAL
The National Science Foundation posted a short podcast on the uses of hemp.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said lawmakers are “working to resolve some final issues” before they can advance a marijuana banking bill.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said Minnesota’s new marijuana legalization law is “something to celebrate.”
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) tweeted, “Between 2019 and 2022 there has been a nearly sixfold increase in calls for marijuana related to children and teens 19 or younger and a ninefold increase among those five or younger. We must tackle the cannabis crisis that is poisoning our youth.”
/ STATES
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) tweeted, “On August 1, Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize adult-use cannabis – expanding our economy, creating jobs, and regulating the industry to keep Minnesotans safe. We’ll continue working to move Minnesota forward.” Separately, a Republican senator sent a press release criticizing the state’s new marijuana legalization law.
The chairman of the New York Senate Health Committee, who is sponsoring a bill to allow safe consumption sites for illegal drugs, said he offered to give a tour of such a facility to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). Separately, a judge issued a temporary restraining order on regulators issuing or processing additional marijuana dispensary licenses amid a lawsuit that alleges they have improperly prioritized people with prior convictions over disabled veterans and other groups.
Florida regulators filed rules on hemp extract and kratom.
Vermont regulators published guidance on compliance at cannabis-friendly events.
The Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission warned a psilocybin training program that it will be shut down if it continues to defy a cease-and-desist order.
Maine regulators published an annual report on the medical cannabis program.
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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
Several Missouri cities and counties will decide on local marijuana tax ballot measures on Tuesday.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania City Council staffers have met with activists to discuss a proposed psychedelics decriminalization resolution.
Milan, Michigan officials are being sued by a marijuana company that alleges they failed to follow the city’s permitting process.
Killeen and Bell County, Texas officials discussed the county’s lawsuit that seeks to overturn the city’s voter-approved marijuana decriminalization law.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Israel’s Health Ministry said doctors will be able to prescribe medical cannabis to patients without special licenses starting in December.
The Canada Revenue Agency is reportedly among the biggest unpaid creditors for marijuana businesses.
A UK government spokesperson reacted to criticism that National Health Service delays are driving people with ADHD to use illicit cannabis for treatment.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review concluded that “recent studies have focussed on non-psychoactive cannabinoids in ovarian cancer and have revealed promising pre-clinical results that indicate that these compounds may have potential benefits in the treatment of these cancers.”
A study of rats indicated that “CBD appears to be relatively safe for the treatment of obesity-induced heart disease, as it has anti-inflammatory and partially antioxidative properties.”
/ BUSINESS
Tilray Brands, Inc. is buying eight beer and beverage brands from Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Curaleaf’s Boris Jordan said a member of his family died after smoking marijuana that was “laced with a little bit of fentanyl.”
IM Cannabis Corp. received a notice that it is not in compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement.
/ CULTURE
CNN’s Sanjay Gupta has a new special that focuses on the use of cannabis by older people.
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