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More cannabis bills hit CA gov’s desk (Newsletter: September 1, 2022)
AR legalization ad focuses on supporting police; Mexican must legalize marijuana soon, Senate president says; Aspen psychedelics initiative
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Arkansas marijuana legalization campaign launched a new ad highlighting their ballot initiative’s provisions directing cannabis tax revenue to law enforcement.
- “Our brave men and women in law enforcement deserve our support. You can vote to support our law enforcement by voting for Issue 4 this election.”
California lawmakers sent Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) a bill to allow medical marijuana patients across the state to have access to delivery services despite opposition from local officials. It’s among a dozen cannabis bills pending the governor’s signature, including measures on interstate marijuana commerce, streamlining record sealing, medical cannabis recommendations for animals and industry insurance coverage.
Mexico’s Senate president thinks the country will be “falling behind in the world” if it doesn’t legalize marijuana soon. Legislative leaders say passing a cannabis legalization bill will be a priority in the new session starting on Thursday.
Aspen, Colorado activists are collecting signatures for a local ballot measure to decriminalize psychedelics.
/ FEDERAL
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that while two brothers who sought to dismiss cannabis charges against them “convincingly argue that it is irrational for the government to maintain that marijuana has no accepted medical use,” Congress’s decision to place it in Schedule I nonetheless survives a rational basis test.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) tweeted, “More than 15 times as many Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021 than in 1971, when Pres. Nixon declared the War on Drugs. Meanwhile, Pres. Biden’s #BorderCrisis is helping cartels flood our communities with fentanyl.”
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) tweeted, “While Representatives and Senators have debated, deliberated & compromised on cannabis in Congress, @WhiteHouse could have paid attention to what 48 of 50 states have made legal at some level. Merrick Garland – deschedule cannabis from the CSA now!” Democratic challenger Annie Andrews replied by saying, “You voted no on the MORE Act that would decriminalize marijuana.”
Rhode Island Democratic congressional candidates all said they support federally legalizing marijuana during a debate.
/ STATES
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) criticized lawmakers for failing to pass medical cannabis legislation.
South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial candidate Joe Cunningham, a former congressman, reposted an attack ad that Gov. Henry McMaster (R) released that criticizes the challenger’s support for marijuana reform, but adding an outro that says, “I’m Joe Cunningham, and I approved this message.”
Arkansas’s attorney general told the state Supreme Court that the ballot title for a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot is “misleading.”
A Colorado representative spoke about efforts to revamp the state’s marijuana-impaired driving laws.
An Indiana senator tweeted, “On September 20th, the first study committee studying our cannabis laws will meet. I’m looking forward to serving on this committee and advocating for Indiana to catch up with the rest of the nation and listen to the vast majority of Hoosiers who want action on cannabis reform.”
An Ohio representative tweeted, “It’s time to legalize marijuana in Ohio. Let’s pass my bill #HB382!”
A Nebraska senator tweeted, “For those of you who, like me, are still reeling from the challenge after challenge thrown our way to stop Nebraskans from having the ability to vote on legalizing medical cannabis, do not despair. We will not quit until sick and suffering Nebraskans have access.”
Illinois regulators filed changes to rules on the cannabis cultivation privilege tax.
California regulators are proposing changes to rules on cannabinoid testing.
Washington State regulators initiated rulemaking on cannabis advertising and canopy sizes.
The Michigan State Police said approximately 3,250 cases involving alleged marijuana impairment could have been false positives as a result of CBD being converted to THC during the laboratory analysis process.
Oregon’s Measure 110 Oversight & Accountability Council approved all remaining funds to be distributed to behavioral health resource networks under the voter-passed drug decriminalization measure.
Alabama regulators will begin accepting medical cannabis business license applications on Thursday.
Missouri regulations published a list of certified hemp samplers.
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Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy 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.
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/ LOCAL
Lincoln County, Mississippi voters overturned the Board of Supervisors’s ban on medical cannabis businesses.
New York City mayor’s office tweeted, “In New York City, we’re saying ‘Yes!’ to new opportunities for people impacted by the War on Drugs and ‘No!’ to illegally parked commercial vehicles in our neighborhoods. A City of Yes means more opportunities for all New Yorkers.”
A judge dismissed lawsuits challenging Detroit, Michigan’s recreational marijuana business licensing rules. City officials will begin accepting applications on Thursday.
The Tuscaloosa, Alabama City Council voted to allow medical cannabis dispensaries.
Clark County, Nevada commissioners say they will not support any marijuana social use lounge rules that don’t include provisions to prevent impaired driving.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo signed a medical cannabis regulation decree.
The Pakistan National Assembly Standing Committee on Science and Technology directed the government to promote its medical cannabis and hemp policy to “enhance its exports so it can contribute to growth of economy.”
A member of Victoria, Australia’s Parliament is being urged by the Privileges Committee to apologize for leaking part of a committee report on use of cannabis.
A Philippine senator spoke about the nation’s bloody “war on drugs” in a hearing about the nominee for the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study concluded that “cannabidiol might prove useful as an adjunct for potentiating the psychological treatment of anxiety-related disorders.”
A study found that “low-level contamination of edible CBD products with heavy metals and phthalates is pervasive” and that “there is substantial discrepancy between the product label claims for CBD potency and the amount measured in both edible and topical products, underscoring the need for tight regulations for CBD product label integrity to protect consumers.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Oklahoma State Chamber Research Foundation Legal Center, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation and the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association praised a state Supreme Court procedural order in a case on whether a marijuana legalization initiative can appear on the November ballot.
The Hemp Industries Association and prohibitionist organization Save Arkansas From Epidemic both suggested that the marijuana legalization initiative on Arkansas’s November ballot could have unintended consequences for hemp.
MSNBC’s Ari Melber broke down the drug policy implications of Jay-Z’s verse in a new DJ Khaled song.
The Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association is a new organization that seeks to “promote the exploration, development, and advancement of the cannabis industry for the benefit of all Indigenous communities.”
The ACLU of New Jersey tweeted, “Large and well-resourced multi-state companies are already dominating NJ’s cannabis industry just months after legal cannabis sales began. We have until 9/30 left to tell @NewJerseyCRC: make NJ’s cannabis industry inclusive + diverse.”
/ BUSINESS
Curaleaf is cutting staff in California and is closing a Sacramento facility.
POSaBIT Systems Corporation began trading on the OTCQX Best Market.
Jelly Belly Candy Co. asked a federal judge to declare that a man who conceived the company’s name isn’t the founder of the company, which says it doesn’t want to be associated with his separate “legally murky CBD and marijuana food” venture.
/ CULTURE
Basketball player Montrezl Harrell had a felony marijuana trafficking charge reduced to a misdemeanor possession offense and pleaded guilty.
Singaporean Olympic swimmer Joseph Schooling was suspended from participating in upcoming competitions by the country’s Defense Ministry after admitting to using marijuana.
The Onion joked about a new study showing that psilocybin can help reduce problematic alcohol use.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
