Newsletter
NH legal cannabis bill passed by House (Newsletter: February 23, 2023)
HI psilocybin measure hits Senate floor; NC medical marijuana advances again; Bipartisan governors push cannabis banking; MN psychedelics bills
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The New Hampshire House of Representatives approved a bipartisan bill to legalize marijuana that’s sponsored by the Republican majority leader and Democratic minority leader.
The North Carolina Senate Finance Committee approved a bill to legalize medical cannabis, one day after it cleared a separate panel. The legislation has one more stop before hitting the Senate floor.
The Hawaii Senate Ways & Means Committee approved two bills to create new state panels to study the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA. The governor’s office testified in support of the measures, and they now head to the Senate floor.
The bipartisan governors of Illinois, Minnesota and North Dakota spoke about marijuana reform—including the need for Congress to pass cannabis banking legislation.
Minnesota House and Senate lawmakers introduced bills to create a Psychedelic Medicine Task Force that would study issues associated with legalizing MDMA, psilocybin, mescaline, LSD, DMT, ibogaine and other substances for medical use.
The Georgia Senate passed, and then reconsidered its vote on, a hemp bill that as amended would ban delta-8 THC products.
The Iowa House minority leader, minority whip and other lawmakers filed a bill to legalize marijuana.
/ FEDERAL
The Department of Defense issued a memo warning service members not to consume poppy seeds to avoid false positive drug tests.
Customs and Border Protection tweeted, “CBP agents and officers seized more than 41,000lbs of marijuana nationwide during the first four months of FY23.”
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) tweeted, “The failed War on Drugs is a war on people. Passing the EQUAL Act, eliminating the crack-powder cocaine sentencing disparity, is an important step to dismantling these broken, ineffective policies.”
/ STATES
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) tweeted, “A healthy Kentucky is a better Kentucky. From expanding health care to relaunching @kynect_ky, capping insulin costs and signing an EO to provide relief through medical cannabis for those eligible, I’m committed to ensuring every Kentuckian has access to quality care and support.”
The Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on several cannabis reform bills, voting against one proposal to decriminalize marijuana possession.
The Oklahoma House General Government Committee approved a bill to require state and local officials to disclose any interests they hold in medical cannabis businesses.
The South Dakota Senate Health and Human Services Committee rejected legislation to place greater restrictions on the medical cannabis recommendation process but approved separate bills making other changes to the program.
The Utah House Health and Human Services Committee approved a bill to amend medical cannabis rules.
The New Mexico Senate Finance Committee approved a bill amending rules for medical cannabis recommendations.
A Florida senator filed a bill to provide workplace protections for medical cannabis patients.
A Hawaii senator spoke about his marijuana legalization bill.
A New York assemblymember tweeted, “Veterans with PTSD are leading the charge for psychedelic therapy and I’m proud to stand with them.”
California collected $221.6 million in cannabis tax revenue in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Michigan regulators combined the eleven rule sets previously regulating the marijuana industry into one inclusive rule set.
Vermont regulators published guidance on cannabis product registration and will vote on whether to close the application window for outdoor and mixed-use marijuana cultivator licenses on Monday.
A U.S. Virgin Islands Cannabis Advisory Board meeting scheduled for Wednesday was postponed.
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Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of 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.
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/ LOCAL
New York City’s mayor is calling on state lawmakers to pass legislation making it easier for local officials to close unlicensed marijuana retailers.
District attorneys in several New York counties discussed their views on enforcement against unlicensed marijuana sellers.
The official Los Angeles County, California Twitter account posted, “To ensure that cannabis products are safe, @lapublichealth conducts biannual unannounced inspections of businesses. The emblem placards posted at these businesses include a QR code that can be scanned to display the latest inspection results and other health-related information.”
/ INTERNATIONAL
Germany’s ministry of health is disputing claims that a typo in regulations accidentally legalized LSD.
Thailand’s House of Representatives again failed to advance a cannabis regulation bill. Meanwhile, the Democrat Party is campaigning on a pledge to reverse the government’s marijuana reforms.
Ireland’s justice and drugs ministers spoke about their views on drug policy and whether they have ever used illegal drugs.
European Parliament members discussed the war on drugs with Philippine lawmakers.
Guernsey officials awarded a license to research, develop and manufacture cannabis.
The UK House of Commons Home Affairs Committee held a hearing on drug policy issues.
The governor of Kalinga, Philippines is calling on lawmakers to legalize medical cannabis.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review concluded that “cannabinoids in the correct doses and ratio as to the content of individual subgroups can bring relief to people suffering from lack of proper sleep.”
A review concluded that “in addition to its antimicrobial properties against S. aureus and MRSA, cannabis has many other desirable properties for potential antibiotics” and that “cannabis secondary metabolites are active against a wide range of microorganisms, are generally safe, target multiple bacterial processes and structures, have antimicrobial synergies, have a low potential for resistance development, can be produced inexpensively and combined with existing antibiotics to further reduce costs, and contain secondary metabolites capable of penetrating a variety of in vivo environments.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Kentucky Democratic Party criticized the state’s agriculture commissioner, tweeting, “Ryan Quarles promised a hemp boom that would lift up Kentucky farmers. He never delivered. Now some GOP legislators are pushing a bill that would ‘probably end Kentucky’s hemp industry as we know it,’ says the president of the Kentucky Hemp Association.”
The New York Times editorial board is calling on U.S. officials to “reverse course” in the war on drugs and “restore public health” as the focus.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial board is criticizing Pennsylvania regulators for trying to shield certain information about the medical cannabis program from public view.
/ BUSINESS
The Parent Company and Gold Flora are merging.
Schwazze is acquiring two more Colorado marijuana dispensaries.
Tilray Brands, Inc. entered into an agreement to issue 120,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock.
/ CULTURE
Bill Maher and Andrew Sullivan smoked marijuana on a podcast and briefly discussed cannabis policies in the U.S. and UK.
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