Newsletter
Legal cannabis reduces illegal growing in national forests, study finds (Newsletter: July 16, 2019)
Former GOP rep says Trump will help legalize by 2020; BVI considers legal marijuana bill; SXSW wants cannabis panel ideas
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
A study found that legalizing marijuana reduces illegal cultivation on public lands.
- “Outright, national recreational cannabis legalization would be one means by which illegal growing on national forests could be made to disappear.”
Former Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) spoke to Marijuana Moment in a recent interview about why he believes President Trump will help achieve broad cannabis reform in 2020. He also addressed former House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) industry involvement, decriminalizing psychedelics and the role marijuana played in his failed reelection effort last year.
Officials in the British Virgin Islands are reviewing draft marijuna legalization legislation.
SXSW is asking people to suggest marijuana-focused panel ideas for the Cannabusiness Track at next year’s festival. The deadline for submissions is this Friday.
/ FEDERAL
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), a presidential candidate, and Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) introduced legislation allowing certain federal prisoners to petition courts to take a “second look” at their cases. Booker tweeted, “There are hundreds of thousands of people behind bars–most of them people of color–who were sentenced under draconian laws during the height of the War on Drugs that we have since recognized were unfair. But many of the changes we’ve made to these laws have not been retroactive.”
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), a presidential candidate, spoke about his support for letting states set their own marijuana laws during an Iowa campaign appearance.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a presidential candidate, made a joke about marijuana legalization.
Presidential candidate Andrew Yang signed a bong.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) said he is “going to bring the Food and Drug Administration kicking and screaming and hollering in to getting [hemp-derived CBD] issues resolved.”
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) spoke with local law enforcement officials about marijuana issues.
Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) said he supports legalizing marijuana.
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) tweeted, “People of color are disproportionately targeted in marijuana-related offenses. We should all follow Illinois’ lead to expunge these discriminatory and unnecessary offenses.”
/ STATES
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) tweeted, “I’m all about connecting the dots. It’s time to connect the dots between racial disparities and economic inequity by legalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana.”
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) discussed medical cannabis on his podcast.
An Oklahoma representative is pushing for an interim study on the safety of medical cannabis.
A New Mexico senator said it’s been difficult to get marijuana incarceration data from state officials.
Ohio regulators published updated medical cannabis patient and caregiver numbers.
Hawaii medical cannabis patients can apply for two-year registration renewals starting on Thursday.
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/ LOCAL
Columbus, Ohio City Council members unveiled the text of a marijuana decriminalization proposal they intend to vote on soon.
Los Angeles, California officials released a report on the health implications of marijuana regulatory options for local jurisdictions.
Denver, Colorado officials announced that the city is hosting a marijuana management symposium in October.
/ INTERNATIONAL
A spokesman for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he is “seriously considering” severing ties with Iceland over its United Nations resolution criticizing human rights violations in the nation’s bloody “war on drugs.”
CNBC looks at growing momentum for medical cannabis in Asia.
/ ADVOCACY
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture urged the Food and Drug Administration “to expeditiously create a clear regulatory framework for hemp products.”
A representative of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials testified in a congressional hearing that “marijuana legalization and opioid addiction may lead to more people driving while impaired.”
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “a 12-week course of nabiximols, a combination of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, resulted in significantly fewer days of illicit cannabis use compared with placebo, and was well tolerated by participants.”
A study found that “the number of foster care entries attributable to parental drug use increased substantially from 2000 to 2017 (from 39,130 to 96,672 removals, an increase of 57,542 removals [147.05%]), even when entries for other removal reasons mostly declined.”
/ OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Wisconsin State Journal editorial board is calling on lawmakers to legalize medical cannabis.
The Bismarck Tribune editorial board said it wouldn’t be wise to legalize marijuana in North Dakota.
The Columbus Dispatch editorial board said it supports the City Council’s cautious consideration of decriminalizing marijuana.
/ BUSINESS
CBD company Heavenly Rx now owns a quarter of Jones Soda.
/ CULTURE
Former basketball player Paul Pierce is facing a lien from someone who loaned money for his CBD business.
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