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Hawaii lawmakers vote to legalize cannabis (Newsletter: Feb. 8, 2019)

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Iowa medical psilocybin & MDMA bill; List of witnesses for congressional marijuana banking hearing; Study sheds light on cannabis cultivation tips

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There are now 590 cannabis-related bills moving through state legislatures and Congress for 2019 sessions.

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

The Hawaii Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a marijuana legalization bill in committee.

An Iowa Republican lawmaker filed legislation to legalize psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine for medical purposes.

Marijuana Moment exclusively obtained the list of witnesses for next week’s congressional hearing on marijuana businesses’ access to banks. It includes California’s state treasurer as well as representatives of pro-legalization group Law Enforcement Action Partnership, a medical cannabis dispensary and financial institutions.

A study concluded that marijuana harvest sizes are driven mostly by light intensity, finding “little evidence that tuned-spectrum lights have a significant increase in yield versus general-purpose, broad-spectrum lights”—a result that seems to counter cannabis industry conventional wisdom.

/ FEDERAL

Former House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and several marijuana companies are launching the National Cannabis Roundtable, a new federal lobbying outfit.

Agriculture Sec. Sonny Perdue said that one of his undersecretaries “fields more questions about hemp than probably anything in the Farm Bill.”

White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Jim Carroll is moving to reorganize the agency.

Vice President Mike Pence spoke at a meeting of directors of High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area programs.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the attorney general nomination of William Barr.

Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL) spoke in a House floor speech about how “violent drug wars that are ravaging Central America” fuel immigration to the U.S.

Rep. French Hill (R-AR) spoke about fentanyl-laced marijuana in a House floor speech.

Former Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) called Trump allies’ plans to erect a border wall made of hemp “a win for USA security & taxpayers, farmers, veterans & environmentalists.”

The House bill to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to study medical cannabis got five new cosponsors, for a total of 30.

/ STATES

California’s treasurer tweeted about how she will testify before Congress next week about “banking access for public safety as well as creating a paper trail for tax purposes.”

Florida’s chief financial officer sent a letter to President Trump asking that he take administrative action to allow banks to serve marijuana businesses.

The Colorado House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill adding autism spectrum disorders as medical cannabis qualifying conditions.

The Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill to increase the amount of marijuana possession that constitutes a misdemeanor from one ounce to two ounces.

The Kentucky House Committee on Health and Family Services approved a resolution calling on the federal government to “expedite research on the safety and effectiveness of the use of marijuana for certain health purposes.”

The Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a bill that would theoretically allow interstate marijuana sales.

Mississippi activists say they’ve already collected about 40,000 signatures in support of a proposed 2020 medical cannabis ballot measure.

Massachusetts regulators delayed implementation of the state’s social equity program for marijuana business licensing.

Nebraska senators who are working to legalize medical cannabis challenged Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) and the state attorney general to a debate on the topic.

More than a third of Vermont’s House of Representatives filed a bill to legalize marijuana sales.

Kansas lawmakers introduced medical cannabis legislation.

Ohio regulators released an update on the growth of the state’s medical cannabis program.

Missouri regulators have collected more than $3 million in medical cannabis business license application fees so far.

Here’s a look at pending Oklahoma medical cannabis reform legislation.


Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 500 cannabis bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

We followed more than 900 pieces of cannabis legislation in 2018. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.

/ INTERNATIONAL

The Canadian government released data showing that the number of people using marijuana in the country is similar to pre-legalization levels.

/ ADVOCACY

The Joint Executive Council of Veterans Organizations of Kentucky passed a resolution calling on lawmakers to legalize medical cannabis.

The New York State Association of Counties released a report raising concerns about marijuana legalization.

WIRED looks at psilocybin advocates’ efforts to decriminalize the drug.

/ BUSINESS

Canopy Growth plans to invest up to $500 million in hemp production in the U.S.

Ecomedics S.A.S. is the first Colombian company authorized to export cannabis into Canada.

/ CULTURE

NFL player David Onyemata was cited for marijuana possession.

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Tom Angell is the editor of Marijuana Moment. A 20-year veteran in the cannabis law reform movement, he covers the policy and politics of marijuana. Separately, he founded the nonprofit Marijuana Majority. Previously he reported for Marijuana.com and MassRoots, and handled media relations and campaigns for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

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