Newsletter
House panel extends medical cannabis protections (Newsletter: May 18, 2018)
Research amendment also adopted; Warren back safe injection sites; MI Senate bans marijuana-infused alcohol
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to continue protecting state medical cannabis laws from federal interference. The move circumvents the problem of congressional leadership blocking floor voters on marijuana measures that has persisted over the past several years. During the same bill markup, Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD), a legalization opponent, successfully offered an amendment encouraging the U.S. Department of Justice to expeditiously approve applications to grow cannabis for use in research.
/ FEDERAL
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spoke about his efforts to legalize hemp.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) endorsed safe injection facilities for illegal drug consumers.
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) tweeted, “Voters across America are already working to stop our country from repeating the same mistakes of the past. We need to move a step further — it’s time to legalize marijuana at the federal level.”
The U.S. Government Accountability Office said that anti-drug agencies need to “better
assess strategic efforts.”
Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) testified in support of military veterans’ access to medical cannabis during a House hearing on veterans issues.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) tweeted about a House committee vote to extend medical cannabis protections.
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) cheered the medical cannabis vote as well.
Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) said that legalization “means that Americans will be faced with new forms of the addictive chemical found in marijuana, THC.”
/ STATES
The Illinois Senate sent a bill allowing medical cannabis at schools to the desk of Gov. Bruce Rauner (R).
The Michigan Senate voted unanimously to ban marijuana-infused alcoholic beverages.
New York Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon said she would no longer use the word “reparations” to refer to racial equity measures concerning the marijuana industry.
Kansas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Svaty is optimistic that the state could legalize marijuana next year.
California Democratic treasurer candidate Fiona Ma is calling on the state to take steps to allow marijuana businesses to access banks.
Pennsylvania regulators filed new rules to shield public access to information about scorers of medical cannabis business license applications.
The Ohio Ballot Board approved a proposed marijuana legalization ballot measure for signature collection.
Oklahoma officials will meet on Tuesday to begin planning potential implementation of a medical cannabis ballot measure.
Alaska regulators are overwhelmed with marijuana business license applications.
Oregon regulators are considering new rules concerning marijuana harvesting, which are intended to reduce diversion.
/ ADVOCACY
The Marijuana Policy Project is retaining its former communications director, Mason Tvert of VS Strategies, on a contract to serve as its national spokesperson and to coordinate media relations.
National Urban League CEO Marc Morial said New York Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon earlier suggestion that marijuana legalization could help provide reparations to communities of color “unfortunately demonstrates a shallow grasp of the vast structural inequities in our economy.”
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “in recent years, youth have been increasingly likely to use marijuana as their first drug and sequence of initiation is associated with race/ethnicity, gender, and age.”
A study of cannabis consumers concluded that the “vast majority of participants overestimated the quantity of marijuana that they used in their preparations.”
/ OPINION & ANALYSIS
The New York Daily News editorial board endorsed marijuana legalization.
/ CULTURE
Musician Gene Simmons says he was “judgemental, arrogant and uninformed” before he found out about the medical benefits of cannabis.
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