Newsletter
Congressional Dems omit cannabis riders from spending bills (Newsletter: May 2, 2019)
Texas marijuana decrim still alive despite lt. gov.; Colorado delivery & tasting room bills to gov; Facebook compares cannabis & broccoli in tech demo
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There are now 1,054 cannabis-related bills moving through state legislatures and Congress for 2019 sessions.
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Congressional Democrats didn’t include marijuana amendments that advocates wanted in key spending bills released this week, but Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) says the strategy has changed now that the party has a House majority.
Texas’s lieutenant governor declared a House-passed marijuana decriminalization bill “dead,” but a key Senate committee chairman he cited in doing so says he was misquoted and is actively working to bring the cannabis legislation to the floor.
Bills to allow marijuana delivery services and cannabis tasting rooms are heading toward the desk of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D). Just one more House vote—seen as a formality— is needed on the latter proposal.
The Connecticut legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee advanced the third and final piece of a marijuana legalization package that’s expected to be combined into a single bill for House and Senate floor action.
Facebook displayed huge images of marijuana and tempura broccoli at its developers conference to show off the powers of its AI tech in spotting platform policy violations.
/ FEDERAL
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an ad campaign to discourage marijuana-impaired driving.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) tweeted, “I met with Illinois community bankers yesterday to discuss my legislation to incentivize community banks to lend more to small businesses and create good-paying jobs as well as the need to change the law to ensure legal cannabis companies can access banking services.”
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said he doesn’t believe “we’re ever going to get this administration on board [with marijuana reform], and that means it’s going to have to be a new president that gets this done.”
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) tweeted, “Cannabis policy reform is about more than legalization – it’s about righting the wrongs of the failed War on Drugs.”
The Senate marijuana banking bill got one new cosponsor, for a total of 22.
The House marijuana banking bill got one new cosponsor, for a total of 169.
The House bill to deschedule marijuana and withhold funding from states with discriminatory enforcement got one new cosponsor, for a total of 37.
The House bill to deschedule marijuana got one new cosponsor, for a total of 26.
/ STATES
Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor tweeted in support of increased cannabis research.
The Minnesota House of Representatives approved agriculture legislation containing hemp provisions.
The Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee approved a bill to allow the smoking and inhalation of medical cannabis.
The chairman of Alabama’s House Judiciary Committee referred a marijuana decriminalization bill to a subcommittee for further consideration.
A Vermont representative is seeking to attach language mandating the use of seat belts to a pending marijuana legalization bill.
Rhode Island regulators rejected a petition to add opioid dependency as a medical cannabis qualifying condition.
Michigan regulators said that medical cannabis patients can immediately participate in the program after online registration is complete by using their approval email before they receive registry cards. Separately, the are conducting a survey to inform the development of a marijuana social equity program.
Alaska marijuana regulators say they’re not getting enough help from the state Department of Public Safety.
Hawaii regulators sent an advisory about unapproved CBD products.
The Boston Globe looks at lobbying and influence in the Massachusetts marijuana industry.
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/ LOCAL
The Las Vegas, Nevada City Council approved a proposal to license marijuana social consumption lounges.
San Francisco, California’s district attorney is traveling to Portugal to learn about the country’s drug decriminalization policy.
Seattle, Washington’s mayor said there needs to be a “real evaluation nationwide” of marijuana legalization.
New York City’s former police commissioner tweeted critically about “the insanity around the legalization of recreational marijuana.”
/ INTERNATIONAL
Liberals and Conservatives in Canada’s House of Commons united to defeat a bill to expunge records for marijuana possession.
New Zealand’s justice minister is expected to reveal details about a marijuana legalization referendum next week.
The Philippine presidential palace criticized a former New Zealand prime minister’s endorsement of decriminalizing drugs.
The government of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh introduced and then withdrew a proposal to allow medical cannabis cultivation.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study examined “ultrasound-assisted extraction and microwave-assisted extraction as alternative methods” to commonly used procedures to extract cannabinoids from cannabis.
Jefferson University received $2 million in additional funding to support research in support of research on developing medical uses for industrial hemp and its derivatives.
/ BUSINESS
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co.’s stock rose on news of increased sales from its marijuana cultivation supplies business.
Massachusetts legal recreational marijuana sales have crossed the $100 million mark.
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Trump campaign attacks Biden’s drug war record. Poll: 2/3 AZ voters back legal marijuana; Booker calls out cannabis arrest disparity
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The White House Office of Management and Budget is reviewing draft Food and Drug Administration guidance on marijuana and CBD research.
President Trump’s reelection campaign is attacking presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as “the chief architect of mass incarceration and the War on Drugs, which targeted Black Americans.”
- “Joe Biden’s policies destroyed millions of black lives. Joe Biden may not remember. But we do.”
A poll found that two-thirds of Arizona likely voters support a marijuana legalization measure that is on track to qualify for the November ballot.
- “All signs point to 2020 being the year that recreational marijuana finally becomes legal in Arizona.”
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) cited racial disparities in marijuana enforcement as an example of what’s motivating police accountability protests.
- People “can’t get a job, can’t get a loan from the bank for doing things that two of the last three presidents have admitted to doing.”
In an op-ed, NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri makes the case for how legalizing marijuana is just one part of the broader fight for racial justice, but an important one.
- “Of course, marijuana prohibition isn’t the sole cause of America’s racial inequities, nor is it the sole reason why certain members of the police continue to engage in racially-aggressive policing and misconduct. But its criminalization is one of the tools commonly used to justify and perpetuate these injustices.”
/ FEDERAL
The Drug Enforcement Administration has been given temporary authority to “enforce any federal crime committed as a result of protests over the death of George Floyd” and to “conduct covert surveillance” on protestors.
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) spoke during a Judiciary Committee hearing about a man who died of coronavirus while serving a federal prison sentence for marijuana.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said, “We hold more prisoners, by far, than any other country in the world. This is largely due to the failed war on drugs, which disproportionately and unjustly targeted people of color.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said that “too often marijuana arrests and prosecutions are a gateway to criminalizing the minority population.”
/ STATES
U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. (D) reiterated his call for lawmakers to pass marijuana legalization legislation and celebrated federal approval of the territory’s hemp program.
Maine regulators are being sued over a decision not to enforce a state residency requirement for marijuana business licensees.
California regulators are seeking funding to hire 87 officers to enforce marijuana rules.
The Connecticut legislature’s Regulations Review Committee approved adding Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and certain instances of chronic pain as medical cannabis qualifying conditions.
Massachusetts regulators are investigating the looting of multiple marijuana dispensaries.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,500 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.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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/ INTERNATIONAL
The UK secretary of state for health and social care pledged to look into medical cannabis access delays.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review concluded that “there is substantial evidence for the effectiveness of cannabis and cannabinoids in treating cancer-related pain; specifically, oromucosal THC/CBD spray” and that “there is conclusive evidence for the effectiveness of cannabis and cannabinoids in relieving chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting; specifically, oral THC.”
A study found that hemp protein products “may improve chronic inflammatory states and promote regenerative processes.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights led more than 400 organizations in calling on Congress to enact policing reforms, including legislation to “prohibit the use of no-knock warrants, especially for drug searches.”
Students for Sensible Drug Policy is organizing a virtual lobby day next week.
/ BUSINESS
Hightimes Holding Corp. plans to launch a marijuana delivery service in California next month.
PetSmart is being sued for allegedly using false and deceptive practices to sell hemp products for pets.
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MI lawmakers vote on letting their spouses get marijuana licenses; MedMen closes all stores; Study discovers cannabis use at ancient biblical site
Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day.
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There are now 1,506 cannabis-related bills moving through state legislatures and Congress for 2020 sessions.
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Louisiana lawmakers sent Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) a bill to let doctors recommend medical cannabis for any debilitating condition they see fit. They also approved legislation on marijuana business banking access, legal immunity for doctors and a study on the cannabis industry workforce.
The Michigan House of Representatives is set to vote Tuesday on a bill to let elected officials’ spouses get medical cannabis business licenses. Meanwhile, many people with past drug convictions remain ineligible.
Researchers discovered evidence of marijuana use at an ancient biblical site in Israel.
- “It seems likely that cannabis was used at Arad as a deliberate psychoactive, to stimulate ecstasy as part of cultic ceremonies.”
MedMen has closed all of its marijuana stores nationwide following the looting of several locations over the weekend.
/ FEDERAL
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), in a letter to Attorney General William Barr about transferring incarcerated people to home confinement, cited the case of a man who died from coronavirus while serving a marijuana sentence.
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) said in a press release that “the history and trauma of racism and Jim Crow is not a memory of the past, but is a reality still today, exacerbated by the fact that Black Americans are disproportionately the targets of injustices ranging from mass incarceration and police brutality, to the War on Drugs and COVID-19.”
Virginia Democratic congressional candidate Qasim Rashid tweeted, “We must decriminalize & stop the drug war, invest in treatment, invest in training officers, stop militarization of police, and divert those resources to education & healthcare.”
New York Democratic congressional candidate Suraj Patel tweeted, “Sentencing disparities, selective enforcement of the law, and police brutality disproportionately harm Black Americans. We must legalize marijuana and retroactively expunge all marijuana related records.”
/ STATES
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed a bill tying state approval of cannabis-based medicines to federal law.
West Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stephen Smith tweeted, “We’re the only leading campaign that supports full cannabis legalization. With that extra $194mil/year, what would you fix first?”
The Rhode Island Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit from a medical cannabis patient who was fired by his employer for refusing to take a drug test.
The Virginia State Police reported that marijuana arrests declined more than eight percent from 2018 to 2019.
Missouri regulators have approved more than 50,000 medical cannabis patients and caregivers.
Ohio regulators sent reminders about medical cannabis vaporizer requirements and the issue of dispensaries permitting entry to non-patient juveniles.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,500 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.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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/ LOCAL
A majority of Baltimore, Maryland mayoral and City Council candidates said in a survey that they would “actively support establishing overdose prevention sites.”
/ INTERNATIONAL
A former New Zealand prime minister is part of a campaign urging voters to approve a marijuana legalization referendum.
Maltese regulators said they are weighing five applications to cultivate cannabis for medical and research purposes.
Colombian regulators touted a new digital tool they are using for medical cannabis licensing.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “inhaled cannabis acutely reduced PTSD symptoms by more than 50%” and “higher doses of cannabis predicted larger reductions in anxiety and intrusions,” but “cannabis did not appear to improve or worsen PTSD symptoms in the long-term.”
A study concluded that “hemp supplementation improved HDL cholesterol, tended to support psychometric measures of perceived sleep, stress response, and perceived life pleasure and was well tolerated with no clinically relevant safety concerns.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Minority Cannabis Business Association issued a statement of solidarity with people protesting police violence.
/ BUSINESS
PAX Labs launched a web-based desktop app to control its vaporization devices after Apple removed its former product from the App Store.
Acreage Holdings, Inc. announced it entered into two agreements worth up to $60 million in gross proceeds.
Leafs by Snoop is the most recognizable cannabis brand, according to a survey conducted by Green Horizons.
Oklahoma dispensaries sold more than $73 million worth of medical cannabis products in May.
/ CULTURE
A survey found that 49.5% of MMA fighters currently use marijuana, and 76.5% say they have used CBD products.
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Biden puts medical marijuana in disability plan; Lawmakers tie war on drugs to police brutality; Study: Cannabis use can put THC in semen
Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day.
Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible…
By starting a $10 per month pledge on Patreon—or about 45 cents per issue of this newsletter—you can help us rely less on ads to cover our expenses, hire more journalists and bring you even more marijuana news.
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s new disability plan includes a pledge to “prioritize the research needed to advance science-based federal policies related to the use of marijuana for medical conditions, chronic pain, and disabilities.”
A new congressional resolution filed by Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Karen Bass (D-CA) and Barbara Lee (D-CA) highlights the war on drugs as a driver of police brutality against people of color. It comes as protests erupt over the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
- “The system of policing in America, and its systemic targeting of and use of deadly and brutal force against people of color, particularly Black people, stems from the long legacy of slavery, lynching, Jim Crow laws, and the War on Drugs in the United States and has been perpetuated by violent and harmful law enforcement practices.”
Rapper Berner, whose Cookies cannabis dispensary in Los Angeles was looted on Saturday night, says justice for people brutalized by police is more important than business.
- “As a human living in the world we’re living in today, I cannot expect anything less until justice is served. We can rebuild our store, but you cannot bring someone back to life.”
A study found that THC can be detected in the semen of some frequent marijuana consumers.
- “It is puzzling that some, but not all, semen samples tested positive for THC. There were no obvious factors that were strongly associated with detectable semen THC.”
/ FEDERAL
A Department of Justice statement of interest supporting a Colorado church’s lawsuit challenging coronavirus-imposed restrictions notes that marijuana dispensaries are classified by the state as critical businesses.
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in a dissenting opinion in a case in which the majority rejected a California church’s challenge to restrictions on attendance at religious services during the coronavirus pandemic, wrote that comparable secular businesses, such as cannabis dispensaries, are not subject to similar occupancy limits.
A federal judge rejected Grandpa Bud LLC’s claim that its marijuana growing operation retroactively banned by Washington State county officials is a protectable property under the Constitution.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) tweeted, “Any time you mention marijuana more times than jobs in a 1,800-page bill costing $3T that’s supposed to support jobs, it’s obviously not a very serious bill. We need to consider real solutions to solve the public’s problems, not Pelosi’s desire to implement her liberal agenda.”
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) tweeted, “The history & trauma of racism and Jim Crow is not a memory of the past, but is a reality still today, reinforced by the fact that Black Americans are disproportionately the targets of injustices ranging from mass incarceration & police brutality, to the War on Drugs & COVID-19.”
Kentucky Senate candidate Mike Broihier tweeted, “We need to come to terms with the failed War on Drugs. Our communities have been treated like war zones. And African-American casualties keep growing.”
/ STATES
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) extended a coronavirus executive order allowing online ordering and curbside pickup at marijuana dispensaries and letting doctors issue medical cannabis recommendations via telemedicine.
Vermont Democratic gubernatorial candidates all agreed on legalizing marijuana sales during a debate.
North Carolina Democratic agriculture commissioner candidate Jenna Wadsworth tweeted, “Decriminalize marijuana. Dismiss past misdemeanor possession charges. Free people from a broken, overcrowded, & sometimes corrupt prison system. Combat the school to prison pipeline. Alleviate an overburdened court system from unnecessary possession cases. Legalize cannabis.”
Texas regulators adopted hemp seed certification standards.
Kentucky regulators announced they have licensed 960 hemp growers to grow up to 32,000 acres and 150 hemp processors and handlers for 2020.
Vermont regulators announced that hemp rules they filed have taken effect.
A New Mexico senator said lawmakers should consider legalizing marijuana as a revenue booster during an upcoming special session.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,500 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.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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/ INTERNATIONAL
A majority of Israeli government ministers support legalizing marijuana or regularizing the medical cannabis market.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review concluded that “current evidence does not suggest that prenatal cannabis exposure alone is associated with clinically significant cognitive functioning impairments.”
A study found “a high prevalence of work-related allergic- and particularly respiratory symptoms in the employees of one indoor cannabis grow facility in Washington State.”
/ BUSINESS
Canopy Growth Corporation reported C$115 million in quarterly revenue and a net loss of C$1.3 billion.
CannTrust Holdings Inc. announced that Canadian regulators reinstated one of its marijuana licenses.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
