Newsletter
MN legal cannabis bill approved in second committee (Newsletter: January 20, 2023)
NJ marijuana consumption rules & 280E fix; VA psilocybin bill defeated; Wiz Khalifa urges weed smoking at PA gov’s inauguration; NY’s 2nd dispensary
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Minnesota House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee approved a marijuana legalization bill—the second panel to do so in the span of a week.
The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission filed proposed rules on marijuana consumption areas. A public comment period is open through March 18.
The New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee approved Assembly-passed legislation to decouple state tax policy from the federal 280E provision, thereby allowing marijuana companies to deduct business expenses in their state filings.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced that the state’s first recreational marijuana dispensary owned by a person harmed by the drug war—and the second legal shop overall—will open on Tuesday.
A Virginia House Courts of Justice subcommittee voted to kill a bill that would have allowed people with serious illnesses to use psilocybin therapeutically without fear of prosecution.
After performing at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) inauguration party, Wiz Khalifa urged attendees over 21 to smoke marijuana—even though recreational cannabis isn’t legal in the state.
/ FEDERAL
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a California cannabis grower can’t use the federal racketeering statute to sue former business partners because marijuana is still federally illegal.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) tweeted about efforts to “raise awareness of the dangers improperly stored cannabis edibles pose to children,” saying that “kids, who don’t know the difference between these products & popular candies, can be harmed when they ingest them.”
/ STATES
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) authorized the release of $46.5 million in funds to support the implementation of marijuana legalization.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) said he will name his appointees to the Cannabis Control Commission this month.
Louisiana Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Nelson previously sponsored a marijuana legalization bill.
The Oregon secretary of state’s office published an audit in the implementation of the state’s voter-approved drug decriminalization law.
The South Dakota Senate approved a bill to add new medical cannabis qualifying conditions and make other changes.
The Mississippi House Drug Policy Committee approved a bill to decriminalize fentanyl test strips.
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands House Cannabis Committee chairman said he wants to remove marijuana from pre-employment testing by government agencies.
A South Carolina senator filed a revised medical cannabis bill.
A Nebraska senator introduced a marijuana legalization bill.
An Indiana senator filed a bill to legalize hemp flower sales.
A Missouri judge granted the state’s first marijuana expungement for an incarcerated person.
Prosecutors are asking the North Carolina Supreme Court to reject an appeal from a man who claims that police violated his Fourth Amendment rights when seizing a package containing marijuana.
Nevada regulators issued a health and safety bulletin about cannabis products treated with an unapproved pesticide.
The California State Fair Cannabis Awards is now accepting submissions.
Illinois regulators issued cannabis transporter licenses. Separately, they extended the deadline for social equity marijuana dispensary license applications.
Georgia regulators took public testimony about proposed medical cannabis rules at a meeting.
Texas regulators posted answers to frequently asked questions about consumable hemp products.
Tennessee’s Medical Cannabis Commission will meet on Monday.
Alaska’s Advisory Task Force on Recreational Marijuana will meet on Monday.
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/ LOCAL
Denver, Colorado officials are accepting applications to participate in a marijuana business education course.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Canadian officials are acting in ways that contradict internal guidance on waivers for the use of psychedelics by therapists, documents indicate.
The director of Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency testified at a legislative hearing that he will never support medical cannabis.
A German lawmaker tweeted, “The latest figures from Canada on the legalization of #Cannabis show once again: the legalization works! Legal specialist shops are the number one source of supply, the illegal market is being pushed back more and more.”
Colombian officials extradited to the U.S. the brother of a lawmaker who is charged with conspiring with guerrillas to smuggle large quantities of cocaine.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “older veterans are using medical cannabis as a means of harm reduction as an adjunct or substitute for other medications and substances with limited guidance from their healthcare providers” and that they report that “there exists an inconsistency across the Veterans Health Administration system regarding the interpretation and application of cannabis policies.”
A review concluded that “psychedelics have a unique mechanism of action that might be well suited for treating anxiety and depression associated with cancer.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Mississippi Democratic Party tweeted that it “stands with those that support the safe and regulated use of cannabis.”
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 360 endorsed a New Jersey psilocybin legalization bill.
NORML celebrated the life of musician David Crosby, who was a member of the organization’s advisory board and passed away on Thursday.
The Veterans Cannabis Project has a new executive director.
/ BUSINESS
Columbia Care Inc. closed four dispensaries and consolidated cultivation operations in several states, while also reducing its corporate headcount by approximately 25 percent.
Curaleaf is reportedly the subject of an “open inquiry” by Massachusetts officials for potentially “hiding financial ties” to a Russian oligarch.
Parke Bank in New Jersey reported the apparent theft of cash from a vault that held $9.5 million for cannabis-related customers.
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Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.
