Newsletter
Florida poll shows cannabis ballot measure passing (Newsletter: July 8, 2024)
AR medical marijuana expansion; MD gov & NAACP head talk cannabis pardons; Fed cannabis research agenda; Social workers push Biden for decrim
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Arkansas activists said they submitted enough signatures to put an initiative on the November ballot to expand medical cannabis access by allowing homegrow and removing the qualifying conditions list. It would also trigger recreational legalization after federal reform.
A new poll shows that the Florida marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot has more than enough support from likely voters to pass—and the campaign behind the measure launched new radio ads pegged to “Freedom Month.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) spoke with the president of the NAACP about how his mass marijuana pardons can help unlock the economic potential of people targeted by criminalization.
Federal officials with the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health authored a new article outlining priorities for cannabis research—including CBD to treat arthritis, interaction of terpenes with morphine, marijuana’s effects on anxiety and synthesis of rare cannabinoids.
Nearly 150 social workers sent a letter urging President Biden to fully decriminalize marijuana, rather than merely move it to Schedule III—saying that if cannabis remains scheduled, “the individual and collective suffering caused by prohibition will continue growing.”
The Minnesota Department of Revenue said the state has collected $10 million in tax revenue from the first year of hemp-derived THC product sales—but some observers say that undercounts the true size of the industry.
Cathy Jordan, described by fellow activists as the “patron saint” of medical cannabis in Florida, passed away at the age of 74.
/ FEDERAL
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) authored an op-ed about his support for marijuana reform.
/ STATES
Massachusetts’s inspector general will testify before the legislature’s Cannabis Policy Committee on Tuesday.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, located within North Carolina, launched recreational marijuana sales to members of federally recognized tribes.
Kentucky regulators posted guidance on hemp product labeling rules.
Oklahoma’s top medical cannabis regulator spoke about ongoing efforts to tweak rules for the program.
Montana regulators posted generic labels for marijuana products.
The Arizona Medical Marijuana Testing Advisory Council discussed updates to terpene and MCT oil testing rules.
Colorado regulators will host a Natural Medicine Division Rulemaking Work Group on Tuesday.
The New York Cannabis Control Board will meet on Wednesday.
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/ LOCAL
The New Miami Village, Ohio police chief was fired for refusing to take a drug test after the mayor noticed the police department smelled of marijuana.
/ INTERNATIONAL
A Thai government committee voted to reclassify marijuana and hemp as narcotics.
The German Bundesrat approved a law setting a per se THC limit for impaired driving.
The Korean National Intelligence Service warned citizens about consuming cannabis-infused foods when traveling in other countries.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review concluded that “the potential synergistic therapeutic benefits of combining CBD with vitamin B12 underscore a promising avenue for advancing treatment strategies in neurodegenerative diseases.”
A study of psilocybin found that “non-motor symptoms and motor symptoms of [Parkinson’s disease] were improved significantly at one week and one month post-treatment” and that “depression and anxiety also improved significantly post-treatment, and effects were sustained to three months following drug exposure.”
/ BUSINESS
SNDL Inc. entered into a stalking horse purchase agreement for Indiva Limited’s business and assets.
4Front Ventures Corp. has a new board chair and withdrew a previously announced brokered offering.
Companies behind most Cookies dispensaries are being sued for allegedly backing out of a deal to buy a minority interest in a Massachusetts cannabis store.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
