Newsletter
Montana legal cannabis campaign sues for e-sigs (Newsletter: April 16, 2020)
Missouri legal marijuana effort dead for 2020; Virginia gov pushes medical cannabis expansion; 4/20 goes virtual due to COVID
Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day.
Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible…
Subscribers who value this daily dispatch enough to show their support with a few dollars help us keep doing this. Please chip in and help ensure Marijuana Moment’s continued operations.
https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment
/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The organizers of a Montana marijuana legalization campaign are suing state officials for the right to collect ballot initiative signatures electronically during the coronavirus pandemic.
Missouri activists are officially giving up their effort to put a marijuana legalization measure on the November ballot as the coronavirus outbreak has hampered petitioning. The campaign spent the last few weeks exploring alternatives such as electronic signatures but determined there was no legally feasible way forward, and they will now focus on a future election cycle.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) is pushing to expand the definition of medical marijuana products that patients can access through a proposed amendment to a bill that lawmakers sent to his desk. Under the proposal, CBD/THC-A/THC percentage requirements would be replaced by milligram limits.
4/20 celebrations are going online this year as the coronavirus pandemic has prompted orders to avoid public gatherings and take social distancing measures. Wiz Khalifa and Billy Ray Cyrus will take part in one cannabis-themed streaming event, while Melissa Etheridge and The Disco Biscuits will participate in others.
/ FEDERAL
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) said, “I plan to keep pushing to ensure the cannabis industry has the ability to be eligible for SBA relief funds during this COVID-19 crisis. I have spoken to House leadership about this matter and I’m hopeful in one of the next two packages we can get this done.”
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) tweeted, “Marijuana is a legitimate, billion-dollar industry in Colorado. Our small cannabis businesses should have the same access to SBA loans and support as any other business. The next coronavirus response bill must ensure these businesses get the help they need.”
/ STATES
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) revised coronavirus order extends deadlines for medical cannabis registration cards.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld (R) is criticizing current Gov. Charlie Baker’s (R) coronavirus shutdown of recreational marijuana businesses.
Colorado’s attorney general tweeted, “The Tenth Amendment supports our efforts to resist federal preemption, whether of marijuana legalization efforts or adoption of clean car standards above the federal standard.”
Oregon’s attorney general tweeted, “Always ask yourself if the business has proof of their promotional claims, or if the product has been approved by the @US_FDA? Recently, we warned a wellness store in SE Portland that their advertising of CBD products to boost immunity against the coronavirus violated the law.”
A Washington State appeals court ruled that Yakima County can ban marijuana businesses in unincorporated areas.
The Florida Supreme Court will hear oral arguments via Zoom next month in cases concerning medical cannabis regulations and a proposed marijuana legalization ballot measure. Separately, regulators extended an emergency rule allowing doctors to recommend medical cannabis via telehealth during the coronavirus outbreak.
Missouri regulators said medical cannabis businesses may be able to open by August.
Ohio regulators are investigating private medical cannabis clubs that aren’t licensed by the state.
—
Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,000 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.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—
/ LOCAL
The Denver, Colorado police department said it has been seeing an increase in burglaries of marijuana businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study on the effects of cannabis on headaches and migraines found that “headache rating decreased in 89.9% of the sessions,” “an average 47.3% decrease in [headache] severity was reported,” “migraine rating decreased in 88.1% of the sessions” and “an average 49.6% decrease in [migraine] severity was reported.”
A study found “no significant difference in measures of medication abortion satisfaction and pain when comparing marijuana users to non-users” but that “marijuana users often attributed symptom improvement during their medication abortion to marijuana use.”
/ BUSINESS
Molson Coors Beverage Company and HEXO Corp formed a joint venture to explore creating non-alcoholic hemp-derived CBD beverages.
Aphria Inc. reported quarterly net revenues of $144.4 million.
4Front Ventures is partnering with Last Prisoner Project to produce and supply hand sanitizer to incarcerated people and medical professionals.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld a $4 million judgement in favor of El Salvador-based CBD supplier Cromogen Biotechnology over Florida distribution company Earth Science Tech Inc.
Pennsylvania medical cannabis businesses are being blocked from filling open positions due to delays in processing necessary employee background checks, drug testing and fingerprinting amid the coronavirus pandemic.
/ CULTURE
Travel writer Rick Steves said that “because of my notoriety in helping legalize marijuana, I’ve never had to buy marijuana in my life. People just give me marijuana.”
Snopes debunked a social media claim that a photo of a man blowing a tuba into a woman’s behind was taken from an anti-marijuana public service announcement.
Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox.
