Newsletter
Feds want cannabis rescheduling input this month (Newsletter: April 9, 2018)
Congressman touts “awesome” marijuana; GOP sen’s conflicting states’ rights thoughts; “Smoke Weed With Jeff Sessions”?
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is asking for public comment about whether marijuana should be rescheduled under international drug control treaties.
Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) invited Fox News host Tucker Carlson to visit his district to experience California’s “awesome” marijuana.
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said he respects the right of states to enact medical cannabis laws but isn’t in favor of changing federal marijuana policy to allow them to do so.
/ FEDERAL
Washington, D.C. marijuana activist Adam Eidinger moved to Maryland with the goal of helping to unseat anti-legalization Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD).
Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) tweeted, “The Marijuana Justice Act would offer a safer alternative for pain relief to millions of Americans.”
/ STATES
Maryland House and Senate leaders reached a deal on legislation to expand medical cannabis business licensing with the aim of increasing ownership by people of color.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) spoke about his continued support for an official study of marijuana legalization. Democratic challenger Cynthia Nixon said she wants to legalize marijuana “one hundred percent. It’s a moneymaker. And it’s a justice issue. We have people, particularly African-American men, sitting in jail for something that white people do with impunity..”
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) said that legalizing marijuana is up to lawmakers.
New Mexico Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Pearce, currently a congressman, said he doesn’t think relatively poor states such as his can handle legalizing marijuana.
Michigan Democratic gubernatorial and attorney general candidates spoke at the Hash Bash event.
Pennsylvania regulators will vote Monday on whether to allow dispensaries to sell whole-plant medical cannabis. Separately, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) tweeted a video about a girl who uses medical cannabis for autism. He also tweeted about coming expansions to the program.
Alaska regulators delayed consideration of rules allowing on-site consumption at marijuana retail locations.
The Minnesota House’s deputy Democratic leader tweeted, “as soon as Republicans are out, marijuana is in.”
A West Virginia delegate issued a debate challenge to a federal prosecutor who is threatening to interfere with the state’s medical cannabis program.
The New Hampshire Senate Health and Human Services Committee will hold a Thursday hearing on a bill to allow medical cannabis home cultivation. And next Monday the legislature’s marijuana legalization study commission will accept public comment.
A New Jersey senator filed a bill to allow medical cannabis for any condition and to make other changes to the program.
California’s top marijuana regulator spoke about legalization implementation.
A growing number of states are moving to ban fake urine products that people are using to beat drug tests.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Mexico’s Supreme Court will consider a case that could allow a man to grow his own marijuana on Wednesday.
/ ADVOCACY
The conservative Heritage Foundation published a piece calling on the U.S. government to hold Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte accountable for his nation’s bloody “war on drugs.”
WDRB-TV news reported that the Kentucky Education Association voted to support legalizing medical cannabis as a way to raise revenue to fund the state pension system, but later deleted the story. The organization’s president said the vote never happened.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found “critical preclinical evidence supporting treatment of epilepsy and autistic like behaviors linked to [Dravet syndrome] with CBD.”
A study concluded that “the majority of patients reporting to be using medical cannabis instead of prescription opioids for treating their chronic pain have [Prescription Monitoring Program] records consistent with this claim.”
A study concluded that “prenatal marijuana use was not independently associated with lower average birthweight or gestational age” but “postpartum marijuana use was associated with depressive symptoms and shorter breastfeeding duration.”
Dozens of people in the Midwest ended up at emergency rooms after consuming synthetic cannabinoids that were potentially laced with rat poison.
NPR looks at federal roadblocks to marijuana research.
/ BUSINESS
ZipRecruiter CEO Ian Siegel spoke about how the marijuana industry is the fastest-growing job category in the U.S.
Citibank is asking a California marijuana dispensary to stop using the name Citidank.
Business Insider examines pharmaceutical companies’ interest in developing marijuana-based medicines.
TD Bank is discouraging some clients from investing in the marijuana industry.
VICE is organizing an event called “Smoke Weed With Jeff Sessions” for Friday.
Marijuana Business Daily analyses the nearly 1,000 California marijuana businesses that received cease-and-desist letters from regulators.
/ CULTURE
Netflix is releasing a show about the bloody Philippine “drug war.” The 12-episode is directed by a support of President Rodrigo Duterte. A Change.org petition is asking for the series’s cancellation.
Musician Liz Phair shared a joint with podcaster Joe Rogan, saying she prefers marijuana to alcohol.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
