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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/ 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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