Newsletter
Maryland cannabis legalization bill filed for 2021 (Newsletter: December 25, 2020)
Rand Paul’s Festivus complaint about marijuana edibles study; NBA could permanently stop cannabis testing; Feds decry marijuana “toxicities”
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Cannabis in 2021: Will federal prohibition finally fall? Will growing momentum at the state level influence national policy changes? Which states will be next to experiment with reform?
- Bronwyn Flores: “Supporting local and independent journalism has always been important to me, and now that I am in the cannabis industry I know that most health and policy reporters are overwhelmed with other coverage and not able to give cannabis the spotlight it deserves. You and your team are doing amazing work that fortunately is free, but ultimately is invaluable to the people in this industry. I want to be sure that y’all are able to continue delivering all scoops from all corners of the country/world/internet.”
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
A Maryland delegate pre-filed a bill to legalize cannabis in 2021, and Marijuana Moment got the first look at its text.
- “We have the data and popular opinion on our side to end prohibition… The time for restoring communities and ending prohibition is now.”
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), in his annual airing of grievances for Festivus, complained about a government-funded study on marijuana edibles, and highlighted it in an annual “Waste Report.”
National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver said the league’s temporary end to random marijuana testing could become permanent.
- “We decided that, given all the things that were happening in society, given all the pressures and stress that players were under, that we didn’t need to act as Big Brother right now. I think society’s views around marijuana has changed to a certain extent.”
/ FEDERAL
A Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report suggested that “with the increasing access to marijuana products which are largely unregulated by states that have approved marijuana for medical and personal use, it can be expected that toxicities related to marijuana product use will continue to increase and will exact a significant toll on Americans.”
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) suggested in an op-ed that the president’s pardon power should perhaps be “limited to groups of people who have been clear victims of injustice, like those convicted of marijuana offenses.”
Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) argued that the House-passed federal marijuana legalization bill “really wasn’t a serious attempt to make progress on the issue.”
/ STATES
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) issued clemency to people with marijuana, drug and other convictions.
Georgia regulators are delaying the process for considering and awarding medical cannabis business licenses after receiving a protest from Trulieve GA Inc.
Massachusetts’s top marijuana regulator authored an op-ed about the rollout of delivery services.
A Michigan senator plans to reintroduce a bill to reduce the sentences of people in prison for marijuana.
Among the applicants for a new round of Rhode Island medical cannabis dispensary licenses are a current mayor and former state lawmakers.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,500 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.
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/ LOCAL
The Washtenaw County, Michigan attorney-elect co-authored an op-ed calling for federal marijuana legalization.
Los Angeles, California regulators are suspending until March proactive enforcement efforts against dozens of marijuana businesses that stood to lose their licenses at the start of the new year.
/ INTERNATIONAL
UK regulators announced that the end of the country’s Brexit transition period on January 1 means that patients will no longer be able to access medical cannabis from The Netherlands.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “cannabis use is associated with reduced risk of exposure to fentanyl among people on opioid agonist therapy.”
A study found that “administration of the [cannabis] extract alone or alongside radiation substantially inhibited melanoma cell viability and proliferation in the extract dose response-dependent manner.”
/ BUSINESS
Ayr Strategies closed its acquisition of CannTech PA.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
