Newsletter
GOP cannabis bill officially filed in Congress (Newsletter: November 16, 2021)
Biden signs marijuana research via infrastructure bill; Republican Party slams GOP reps’ legalization plan; NY could add trans people to equity list
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and GOP cosponsors filed a new bill to federally legalize and tax marijuana.
Mace’s home-state South Carolina Republican Party swiftly trashed her legalization bill, claiming it would cause “rising crime, violence and mental health issues in children.”
President Joe Biden signed a large-scale infrastructure bill that includes provisions aimed at letting researchers finally study the marijuana that consumers actually buy from dispensaries—instead of using only government-grown cannabis.
A New York senator introduced a bill to make it so transgender and non-binary people would qualify as social equity applicants under the state’s marijuana legalization law.
/ FEDERAL
Deputy Solicitor General Eric Feigin argued before the Supreme Court that claims of religious exemptions to marijuana laws are “frivolous.”
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) thanked an outgoing staffer for her work on marijuana legalization and other issues in remarks submitted for the Congressional Record.
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) said he’s optimistic about the prospects of his marijuana banking legislation becoming law.
Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) tweeted, “We’ve legalized recreational cannabis use in nearly a third of the country, but the VA won’t agree to simply study the potential benefits on the mental and physical wellbeing of our veterans? THIS is reefer madness.”
Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) tweeted, “It is illogical that the VA is hamstrung from understanding either the benefits or risks of cannabis to treat veterans when many states have legalized medical marijuana. Our bill ensures that unnecessary hurdles are cleared so our veterans can receive the treatment they deserve.”
Arizona Republican congressional candidate Josh Barnett tweeted, “Now the deep state is blaming marijuana for all the cardiac arrests and heart attacks that young athletes are having. I got news for you! It’s not weed that’s causing it but I know what is.”
/ STATES
U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. (D) and lawmakers spoke about a marijuana fact-finding tour they took to Colorado.
Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, a former congressman, discussed his support for legalizing marijuana in his campaign announcement video.
South Dakota’s Senate president pro tempore spoke about the prospects for marijuana reform legislation.
An Oklahoma court will hear one marijuana activist’s legal challenge to other activists’ proposed legalization ballot initiative on December 14.
New Jersey regulators posted information about marijuana business license applications.
Michigan regulators released applications for the Medical Marijuana Operation and Oversight Grant program.
Arizona’s deadline to take a required class to qualify as a marijuana social equity applicant is on Wednesday.
New Mexico’s Department of Agriculture is pushing hemp farmers to fill out a federal survey.
South Carolina regulators published a list of permitted hemp transporters.
Washington State’s Social Equity in Cannabis Task Force will meet on Tuesday.
The Louisiana House Medical Marijuana Commission will meet on Thursday.
Vermont regulators will consider marijuana social equity issues on Friday.
Iowa regulators will hold a meeting on the medical cannabidiol program on Friday.
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/ LOCAL
Aurora, Colorado built a new recreation center using marijuana tax revenue.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota officials have received 79 applications for medical cannabis dispensary licenses.
/ INTERNATIONAL
India’s government is reportedly planning to decriminalize drugs.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study’s results pointed to the “possible role of cannabis in cancer pain management and its potential to reduce racial disparities. “
A study concluded that “THC-related biomarkers were not associated with impairment in regular cannabis users” and “are relatively poor indicators of cannabis-induced impairment.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Cannabis Regulators Association has a new president and new member states.
The Boston Globe editorial board criticized Massachusetts’ progress toward building an equitable marijuana industry.
/ BUSINESS
Amazon executives in India are being questioned by police investigating whether its platform has been used to smuggle marijuana.
Trulieve Cannabis Corp. reported quarterly net revenue of $224.1 million.
The Parent Company reported quarterly net sales of $39.7 million and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $16.2 million.
Schwazze reported quarterly revenue of $31.8 million.
Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of $24.5 million and a net loss of $13.5 million.
Gage Growth Corp. received court approval for its acquisition by TerrAscend Corp.
Village Farms International, Inc. acquired 70 percent ownership of ROSE LifeScience.
Small Pharma Inc. is preparing a Phase IIb clinical trial on DMT- assisted therapy for the treatment of major depressive disorder.
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted, “Due to inflation 420 has gone up by 69.”
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