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Legal cannabis doesn’t lead to more deadly car crashes, study finds (Newsletter: April 23, 2019)

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POTUS candidate Seth Moulton on marijuana; McConnell touts hemp leadership in reelection bid; VT gov’s legal cannabis regulatory concerns

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is making hemp a centerpiece of his reelection campaign, boasting in a speech that he appointed himself to the Farm Bill conference committee to make sure his legalization provision made it into the final legislation.

  • “How does my job as majority leader help you? Help Kentucky? At the top of the list I would put hemp… Who appoints the conferees? I do. Who did I appoint? Myself.”

Marijuana Moment’s latest presidential candidate overview takes a comprehensive look at Rep. Seth Moulton’s (D-MA) cannabis record. He endorsed Massachusetts’s legal marijuana measure prior to voters approving it—something Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) did not do.

A study concluded that “there is no statistically [significant] relationship between marijuana legalization and fatal crashes” and that the “concerns of policy makers and the public that legalizing marijuana will worsen road safety are not entirely founded.”

/ FEDERAL

Former Federal Reserve System Governor Laurence Meyer spoke about how past marijuana use came up in his FBI background check for the job.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a presidential candidate, spoke about her views on marijuana during a CNN town hall.

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), a presidential candidate, discussed his evolution on marijuana legalization.

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) hosted a roundtable meeting to discuss banking access with marijuana businesses.

Sen. Angus King (I-ME) sent a press release about his support for marijuana banking legislation.

Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) visited a medical cannabis dispensary.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) tweeted, “We cannot allow people of color to be excluded from the legalized marijuana industry. If legalized in NY, it is critical that revenue earned from marijuana be invested in the communities that have been targeted by the discriminatory War on Drugs.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) suggested that Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) should focus on marijuana reform instead of the Mueller report.

/ STATES

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s (R) office is raising constitutional concerns over how a marijuana legalization bill proposes to structure a regulatory body. Separately, regulators released proposed hemp rules.

The Colorado Senate approved a bill to continue the legal regulation of marijuana past a scheduled sunset of September 1.

A California Assembly committee heard a bill to ease marijuana businesses’ banking access.

The Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on a bill to lower penalties for drug possession on Tuesday.

A Nevada judge scheduled oral arguments for May 24 in cases brought by marijuana companies trying to block the awarding of additional licenses.

Maine regulators released draft marijuana legalization rules.

Washington State regulators released a list of approved shapes for marijuana edibles.

Substantive Illinois marijuana legalization bill language could be filed as early as next week.

Michigan regulators will hold a public hearing on proposed medical cannabis rules on May 23.


Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,000 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.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.

/ LOCAL

The Jefferson County, Alabama sheriff announced a policy of issuing citations instead of making arrests in low-level marijuana cases.

The Nassau County, New York legislature voted to opt out of allowing marijuana sales if the state legalizes.

The Denver, Colorado City Council defeated a bill to loosen restrictions on marijuana social use businesses.

Macon-Bibb County, Georgia commissioners are considering a proposed marijuana decriminalization ordinance.

/ INTERNATIONAL

Uganda’s government is moving to allow medical cannabis exports to Canada and Germany.

Jamaica’s national security minister wants to make it easier for Rastafarians to enter the medical cannabis industry.

The UK Home Office said the government “has no plans to decriminalise recreational cannabis.”

/ ADVOCACY

The Sierra Club tweeted, “More widespread legalization of pot means more environmental regulation, control, and transparency—still, the legal cannabis market looks a lot like the Wild West right now.”

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study found that cannabis “oil users report benefit for all [Parkinson’s disease] symptoms with few side effects, while smokers/vapers see greatest benefit in tremor and non-motor PD symptoms.”

A study of patients with cancer-related pain concluded that “cannabis use is associated with decreased in-hospital mortality and is not associated with any difference in duration of hospitalization.”

A study found that “patients with multiple sclerosis who initiated medical cannabis treatment experienced improved symptomology with good tolerability and were able to decrease or altogether discontinue opioids, stimulants and benzodiazepines.”

/ BUSINESS

A federal judge rejected Pure Hemp Collective’s motion to close a patent infringement case filed against it by United Cannabis Corporation.

/ CULTURE

Jeopardy featured a question about the first legal recreational marijuana sale in the U.S.

John Cena and tWitch played a game of “marijuana strain or show dog.”

Italian swimmer Andrea Vergani  was provisionally suspended after testing positive for marijuana.

Actor Vincent D’Onofrio tweeted, “I do not smoke weed. I’d love to smoke weed and would smoke it all the time. But I have the kind of brain that doesn’t work with the weed. It works against the weed. It is a battle I left behind many moons ago.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son said the actor and former governor inspired him to stop smoking marijuana and instead focus on being “high on life.”  

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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

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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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