Newsletter
Medical cannabis states see lower teen use, new study finds (Newsletter: Feb. 15, 2019)
Missouri lawmakers approve expungement bill; NYC Councilmembers file 12 marijuana proposals; How cannabis ruined Ronald Reagan’s Valentine’s Day
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
A study found that states that legalize medical marijuana experience reduced teen cannabis use rates.
- “Some people have argued that decriminalizing or legalizing medical marijuana could increase cannabis use amongst young people… However, we saw the opposite effect.”
The Missouri House Special Committee on Criminal Justice approved a bill to expunge past marijuana convictions for medical cannabis patients.
New York City Council members filed a dozen separate marijuana-related proposals, including measures on equity for people harmed by drug war, ending pre-employment drug testing, child custody for cannabis consumers and endorsing the federal Marijuana Justice Act.
Marijuana once completely ruined a romantic Valentine’s Day evening in the White House for Ronald and Nancy Reagan. In a 1981 diary entry, the president steamed about depicted cannabis use in a film the couple watched that night.
- “A truly funny scene if the 3 gals had played getting drunk but no they had to get stoned on pot.”
/ FEDERAL
The House and Senate approved an appropriations bill that continues protections for state medical cannabis laws, as well as a rider blocking Washington, D.C. from spending its own money to legalize marijuana sales, through September.
President Trump will declare an emergency to build his proposed Mexican border wall and will reportedly shift money from the Department of Defense’s drug interdiction account, as well as asset forfeiture funds, to pay for it.
The Senate voted to confirm William Barr as attorney general. He has pledged—both in writing and during his confirmation hearing—that he would not go after state-legal marijuana businesses.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved a bill to prohibit the federal government and its contractors from asking about criminal histories of job applicants prior to conditional offers of employment.
Surgeon General Jerome Adams tweeted about how people who broke in an abandoned home to smoke marijuana found a tiger inside, adding that in addition to cannabis’s potential health risks, another danger is that “you could get eaten by a tiger.”
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) sent a press release about his cosponsorship of legislation to legalize medical cannabis for military veterans.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) said he thinks marijuana banking legislation, as well as other reforms, will pass this Congress.
Former Rep. John Delaney (D-MD), a presidential candidate said he’s “supportive of medical marijuana” and that “everyone should have it available to them as prescribed by their doctor.”
The House bill to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to study medical cannabis got three new cosponsors, for a total of 34.
/ STATES
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) appointed a senior advisor on cannabis in the Office of Business and Economic Development. Meanwhile, the state hasn’t allocated any money to pay for an expected youth marijuana prevention program.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is reiterating her request that lawmakers not legalize hemp.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) said that more than 12,000 people have already used an online form to send feedback about marijuana legalization. Meanwhile, the state attorney general declined to state his position on legalizing cannabis.
The Virginia House of Delegates approved legislation allowing registered agents to procure CBD or THC-A medical cannabis products for patients, sending it to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam (D). Other legislation that is advancing would protect students who use medical cannabis from being punished by schools for it and increase the amount of THC that can be included in legal products.
The Maryland State Prosecutor charged a marijuana activist with illegal wiretapping for surreptitiously streaming a meeting with a staffer for U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) on Facebook Live, a prosecution that would not have been possible if the meeting took place over the border in Washington, D.C., where only one party needs to consent to the recording of a conversation.
The Washington State Senate Law and Justice Committee approved a bill to erase certain marijuana convictions.
New Mexico senators filed a bill to legalize marijuana and sell it through state-run stores.
Georgia lawmakers introduced legislation to expand the state’s CBD medical cannabis law to allow cultivation and dispensaries.
North Carolina senators filed a bill to exempt up to three ounces of marijuana from being considered a controlled substance.
New Jersey’s Senate president toured a medical cannabis cultivation facility.
The Massachusetts legislature’s Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy has a new chair who is expected to be more supportive of efforts to ensure equity in the cannabis industry. Meanwhile, the state’s Cannabis Advisory Board voted to recommend the creation of a new license type for marijuana delivery companies and that for a period of five years those licensees should only be granted to co-ops, microbusinesses and people disproportionately harmed by the drug war.
Louisiana medical cannabis program might be delayed again due to a dispute about background checks.
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/ INTERNATIONAL
Jamaica’s government plans to lobby the U.S. to ease restrictions on banks’ ability to work with marijuana businesses.
Mexican regulators still haven’t granted permits for the sale of medical cannabis products.
/ ADVOCACY
Americans for Prosperity – Georgia, a Koch-funded group, announced its support for legislation to expand the state’s limited medical cannabis law.
The Republican Party of New York tweeted, “Teachers and law enforcement are speaking out against @NYGovCuomo and Albany Democrats’ rush to legalize marijuana. Cuomo is hellbent on ignoring facts and dangers to appease the far-left.”
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “the impact of decriminalization of marijuana did not seem to affect the incidence of drugged driving with marijuana in CA.”
/ OPINION & ANALYSIS
A poll of Canadians found that 48% support decriminalizing all drugs and 66% back supervised injections sites.
/ BUSINESS
Flow Kana raised $125 million.
Canopy Growth Corporation reported $83 million in quarterly net revenue.
Maine medical cannabis sales dropped for the second year in a row.
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