Newsletter
Governor signs cannabis legalization bill in Guam (Newsletter: April 4, 2019)
NM decrim signed; AG pushed on marijuana research; Feds hiring joint roller; Fed Reserve wants banking clarity; Yang to pardon drug prisoners on 4/20
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There are now 1,005 cannabis-related bills moving through state legislatures and Congress for 2019 sessions.
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero (D) signed a marijuana legalization bill into law.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed marijuana decriminalization legislation.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers including Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) sent two letters urging Attorney General William Barr to remove Justice Department roadblocks to expanded marijuana research.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse released a job posting seeking a contractor to roll marijuana joints “within a range of varying concentrations of delta-9-THC and analyze strength and stability of them.”
The heads of three Federal Reserve Bank branches joined together to call for clarity in marijuana banking rules.
Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang said that if he’s elected he will pardon all non-violent drug offenders on 4/20 and high five them on their way out of prison.
Voters in three more Wisconsin jurisdictions saw marijuana questions on their ballots yesterday, and five out of six measures passed.
/ FEDERAL
The U.S. Department of Agriculture posted a frequently asked questions page about hemp.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) tweeted that California district attorneys’ moves to expunge cannabis convictions is “a phenomenal example of the amount of good that can come from tech putting its knowledge toward justice. Proud to be an original cosponsor of the Marijuana Justice Act to bring this kind of redemption to Americans across the country.”
/ STATES
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) compared the effort to legalize marijuana to the moon landing. Separately, the attorney general said that police in the state are no longer training dogs to detect the smell of marijuana in preparation for legalization. Meanwhile, a senator who is sponsoring a legalization bill said he is pushing for a vote next month.
The Illinois Senate Executive Committee approved a placeholder marijuana legalization bill.
The Florida House Health and Human Services Committee approved a bill to place a 10% THC cap on medical cannabis flower. Separately, an appeals court rejected a lawsuit seeking to give patients the right to grow their own medical marijuana. And regulators dropped an appeal of a court ruling that found the state’s medical cannabis dispensary cap to be unconstitutional.
The Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill allowing the state to enter into interstate marijuana transportation agreements. Separately, activists working to qualify a psilocybin measure for the 2020 ballot are experiencing intramovement turmoil.
The Tennessee Senate Health Committee held a hearing on a medical cannabis bill.
The Idaho House Ways and Means Committee introduced a bill to allow interstate transportation of hemp and CBD.
Arkansas regulators approved medical cannabis dispensary location and ownership changes.
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/ LOCAL
Denver, Colorado’s mayor is pressing U.S. Attorney General William Barr about a federal policy that automatically denies citizenship applications from marijuana industry employees. City officials are asking cannabis businesses to notify job applicants about the policy.
San Francisco, California’s district attorney announced that his office dismissed and sealed 9,361 marijuana convictions dating back to 1975.
/ INTERNATIONAL
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declined to give a timetable for revealing the language of a marijuana legalization referendum slated to take place next year.
A gray market for marijuana is flourishing in Brussels, Belgium.
/ ADVOCACY
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro spoke about his support for marijuana law reform.
/ OPINION & ANALYSIS
A poll found that Florida voters support Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) handling of medical cannabis, 65%-27%.
/ BUSINESS
Hightimes Holding Corporation has a new president and CEO.
/ CULTURE
Montel Williams settled a lawsuit against a man who he sued for marketing CBD products under his name without permission.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
