Newsletter
Dem senator “disappointed” colleagues blocked cannabis banking amendment (Newsletter: July 17, 2018)
GOP shuts down more marijuana votes; Major counties org backs federal reform; A look at the Border Patrol’s friendlier cannabis past
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The National Association of Counties, which represents the U.S.’s 3,069 county governments, adopted platform planks calling on the federal government to respect state marijuana laws and increase cannabis businesses’ access to banks.
The U.S. House Rules Committee blocked floor votes on amendments to let cannabis businesses access banks and to allow Washington, D.C. to spend its own money legalizing and regulating marijuana sales.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), answering a question Marijuana Moment suggested to BuzzFeed’s editor, said he is “disappointed” that fellow Democrats blocked his cannabis banking measure from advancing last month.
American border officials are now applying lifetime visitation bans on Canadians who’ve used cannabis or work in the industry, but Marijuana Moment dug up a little-noticed U.S. Customs and Border Protection blog post about when the feds were “not overly concerned with marijuana.” The post title: “Did You Know… Marijuana Was Once a Legal Cross-Border Import?”
A study concluded that a “jay-dar” phenomenon exists. That is, people can often identify marijuana consumers based on appearance alone.
/ FEDERAL
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is requesting public comment concerning its plans to revise agency fact sheets on drug-impaired driving.
A former congressional aide was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after being convicted of taking a $5,000 bribe to help keep an illegal marijuana business open.
The U.S. attorney’s in Arizona plans to start prosecuting people caught smuggling marijuana from Mexico for illegal border crossing as well as drug charges.
Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), a U.S. Senate candidate, spoke about ending the war on drugs in a speech at the NAACP convention.
/ STATES
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced his administration is seeking up to six new applicants to operate medicinal cannabis dispensaries. He also tweeted to tout his administration’s moves to expand medical marijuana access. Separately, a senator pushing recreational legalization is floating “committee hearings and voting session, just for marijuana” next month.
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed a bill making changes to the Cannabis Control Appeals Panel.
Oklahoma’s attorney general is assigning a team of lawyers to advise the Health Department on recently enacted medical cannabis regulations.
Oregon regulators updated the list of pesticides that can and can’t be used on marijuana.
/ LOCAL
The Oregon, Ohio City Council is considering placing a marijuana decriminalization ordinance on the November ballot.
Denver, Colorado’s mayor is proposing to double its affordable housing fund to $300 million using marijuana taxes.
Northampton County, Pennsylvania’s district attorney said that the mayor of Easton is incorrect in claiming that the city doesn’t have the authority to treat marijuana possession as a citation akin to a parking ticket.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Lawmakers in Thailand are considering legalizing medical cannabis.
/ ADVOCACY
The Oklahoma and Tulsa County Republican parties are calling on lawmakers to reinstate the will of voters on medical cannabis.
Scott Gagnon, who has served as chairman of the Maine affiliate of prohibitionist group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, seemed to imply that cannabis legalization is part of a Russian plot, but he walked back the comments after I called him out about it.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “add‐on CBD may be an efficacious long‐term treatment option for [treatment‐resistant epilepsies].”
A study found that “liberal [state medical cannabis]laws were significantly associated with higher prevalence of [serious mental illness].”
A study concluded that “greater preference for alternative music (rap, heavy metal, punk, reggae, rock, electronic) was associated to more favorable attitudes toward use of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs.”
A study of hemp fiber boards found that their “acoustic insulation factor was higher compared with boards intended to be used as thermal insulation, such as mineral wool or light fiberboards with four times greater thicknesses.”
/ OPINION & ANALYSIS
A poll found that 38% of U.S. adults think marijuana legalization will have a positive impact on Canada, while 24% say it will have a negative impact.
/ BUSINESS
Employees of marijuana dispensary chain MedMen are reportedly walking out over the company’s alleged theft of their tips.
The founder of High Sobriety, a drug rehab facility that allows patients to use marijuana, left the company over a dispute about the specifics of how cannabis should be incorporated into treatment.
The New Yorker looks at marijuana producer Lowell Herb Co.’s efforts to hire people with criminal records.
/ CULTURE
Willie Nelson’s company launched a line of CBD products.
Architectural Digest visited the home of rapper Wiz Khalifa, which has an area dedicated to celebrating marijuana and includes a “weed wall” dedicated to famous cannabis consumers like Snoop Dogg, Bob Marley and Willie Nelson.
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