Newsletter
Maine announces cannabis sales launch date (Newsletter: August 17, 2020)
FDA hiring contractor for CBD analysis; Incoming congressman: DNC marijuana vote “shameful”; NAACP & allies push Congress for Sept. cannabis vote
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- David Black: “Thanks, Tom for your diligent and informative information about the important national movement to legalize it. I just renewed for another year for medical marijuana benefits in Missouri. I hope the next ballot will legalize MJ in MO.”
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Food and Drug Administration is hiring a contractor to help test thousands of CBD-infused foods, drinks, oils, cosmetics and other products for cannabinoid content and contaminants such as pesticides and microbes.
- “These studies and the analytical information they obtain will not only be reported to Congress, but will also be used to guide the development of future policy.”
Maine regulators announced that recreational marijuana sales can finally begin on October 9. Voters there approved legal cannabis on the same day in 2016 that those in California, Massachusetts and Nevada also passed initiatives to end prohibition, and those states all began sales years ago at this point.
New York Democratic congressional nominee Mondaire Jones said it is “shameful” that the Democratic National Committee voted against adding marijuana legalization to its 2020 platform, and he argued that it will be up to Congress to push a President Joe Biden on cannabis and other progressive issues.
NAACP, ACLU, National Organization for Women, Human Rights Watch, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human rights and other groups are pushing congressional leaders to hold a vote on a federal marijuana legalization bill by next month.
- “The MORE Act is needed now more than ever before. It can help alleviate public health challenges caused by COVID-19 in jails and prisons by reducing the number of people who are incarcerated.”
A new study sponsored by the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce and Weedmaps shows that California’s marijuana market is lagging behind other legalized states due to local bans that keep the illegal cannabis trade alive and reduce tax revenue.
/ FEDERAL
Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani continues to criticize the marijuana record of Democratic vice presidential designee Kamala Harris.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency tweeted about the availability of crop insurance coverage for hemp growers.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) tweeted, “.@SpeakerPelosi & @SenSchumer aren’t serious about helping Americans get through this pandemic. They’re leveraging their pain to get things unrelated to #COVID19. If they want to help the American people, they’d focus on unemployment/testing & address issues like marijuana later.”
Res. Comm. Jenniffer González (R-PR) tweeted a link to a press release about how legislation she is sponsoring could benefit a medical cannabis company.
The House bill to deschedule marijuana and fund programs to repair the harms of the drug war got four new cosponsors for a total of 87.
Former Housing and Urban Development Sec. Julián Castro tweeted about a Nevada mayor’s work to “create jobs in budding industries such as cannabis sales.”
/ STATES
New Jersey activists plan to ramp up a campaign to pass a marijuana legalization referendum soon.
Connecticut regulators discussed whether to add acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis as medical cannabis qualifying conditions.
The patient advocate on Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee stepped down after receiving threats.
Arkansas regulators issued new medical cannabis cultivation licenses.
Montana regulators held a public hearing on the state’s Hemp Research and Market Development Program.
Arizona’s Industrial Hemp Advisory Council met.
Virginia’s Marijuana Legalization Work Group will meet on Monday.
California’s Cannabis Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday and Friday.
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/ LOCAL
Portland, Maine’s residency requirement for marijuana business owners was overturned by a federal judge.
The Trinidad, Colorado City Council is hosting a public forum on whether to allow marijuana social use areas.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Canadian officials have only approved about half of the security clearance applications submitted by cannabis industry executives.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “cannabis use before and during work negatively relate to task performance, organization-aimed citizenship behaviors, and two forms of counterproductive work behaviors” but that “after-work cannabis use was not related (positively or negatively) to any form of performance as rated by the user’s direct supervisor.”
A study suggested that “CBD increases [cerebral blood flow] to key regions involved in memory processing, particularly the hippocampus.”
/ BUSINESS
iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $30.4 million and a net loss of $237.3 million.
Temescal Wellness announced it will destroy $2.6 million worth of previously quarantined marijuana vape cartridges.
Charlotte’s Web Inc. is being sued for allegedly illegally selling CBD products as dietary supplements.
Organigram Holdings Inc. sent its first shipment of marijuana to Israel.
/ CULTURE
Jimmy Fallon made fun of a book that aims to teach children about cannabis.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
