Newsletter
Fed worker union backs legal cannabis & end to tests (Newsletter: August 3, 2022)
Biden daughter-in-law spotted at marijuana dispensary; Senate bill penalizes cannabis edibles; Study: Legalization doesn’t increase youth use
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The American Federation of Government Employees—the largest union representing federal workers—adopted a resolution endorsing marijuana legalization and calling for an end to cannabis testing for most government employees in legal states.
President Joe Biden’s daughter-in-law reportedly shopped at a marijuana dispensary—accompanied by taxpayer-funded Secret Service protection—while the president leaves his campaign promises to free cannabis prisoners unfulfilled.
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and GOP senators representing a quarter of the Senate filed a new bill to increase penalties for manufacturing or selling marijuana products in the form of candy or beverages if there is “reasonable cause to believe” they will be sold to minors.
A new federally funded study concluded that “legalized cannabis retail sales might be followed by the increased occurrence of cannabis onsets for older adults, but not for underage persons who cannot buy cannabis products in a retail outlet.”
/ FEDERAL
The U.S. Department of Agriculture published a short podcast about a House hearing on hemp.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said in a candidate survey that marijuana should be federally legalized.
Alaska Republican congressional candidate Sarah Palin, a former governor, said in a candidate survey that marijuana should be federally legalized.
/ STATES
Georgia Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Charlie Bailey tweeted, “Decriminalization is the first step in undoing the harm nonviolent drug prosecution has caused entire communities. We must fully #LegalizeIt in Georgia, create a thriving recreational industry, and reform our criminal justice system’s entire approach to cannabis.”
The Arkansas secretary of state issued a notification of sufficiency for signatures on a marijuana legalization ballot initiative.
A Wisconsin representative shared the results of a constituent survey he conducted that showed strong support for marijuana reform.
New Jersey regulators proposed revised rules on marijuana wholesale, distribution and delivery businesses, as well as on universal symbols, advertising, labeling and waste management, among other issues.
Connecticut’s Social Equity Council released a new map of disproportionately impacted areas to be used when determining marijuana business license status, but postponed action pending further discussion.
Florida’s Drug Policy Advisory Council discussed a potential ban on kratom.
Michigan regulators named marijuana companies that qualified for the Social Equity All-Star Program.
Rhode Island regulators published an FAQ about hybrid marijuana cultivator licenses.
The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development will begin accepting applications for marijuana revenue-funded community reinvestment grants next week.
Oregon’s Psilocybin Advisory Board will meet on Thursday.
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/ LOCAL
The Kenosha, Wisconsin City Council voted to place a nonbinding marijuana legalization advisory referendum on the November ballot.
/ INTERNATIONAL
The Canadian government is being sued by patients who want access to psilocybin therapy.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the country does not plan to rejoin the International Criminal Court, which is investigating the nation’s bloody “war on drugs.”
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “acidic cannabinoids suppress proinflammatory cytokine release by blocking store-operated calcium entry.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
A poll of Texas Republican primary voters found that they support legalizing medical cannabis to treat serious conditions, 64 percent to 25 percent, and they back medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids to treat chronic pain, 72 percent to 19 percent.
The USA Today editorial board said marijuana legalization should include relief for people who have already been incarcerated due to prohibition.
The San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board is concerned about what it sees as the failures of California’s marijuana legalization law.
An American Enterprise Institute senior fellow authored an op-ed calling on New York regulators to do more to warn about the risks of marijuana use.
/ BUSINESS
New Mexico health insurance companies that are being sued over refusing to cover medical cannabis costs are seeking to move the case to federal court.
Canopy Growth Corporation has a new chief legal officer.
Columbia Care Inc. launched a customer loyalty mobile app.
/ CULTURE
Dave Chappelle and Snoop Dogg smoked marijuana together on stage.
Lawyers for American basketball player Brittney Griner, who is on trial for possessing cannabis vapes in Russia, objected to testimony from a government narcotics expert.
The New York Times looks at why many professional athletes are using cannabis to treat pain.
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