Newsletter
NM lawmakers approve legal cannabis bill in committee (Newsletter: January 29, 2020)
Santa Cruz decriminalizes psychedelics; NH legal marijuana bill advances; AOC praises Colorado legalization
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The New Mexico Senate Public Affairs Committee approved a marijuana legalization bill. There’s a little more than three weeks left in the session, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) has asked lawmakers to send the legislation to her desk by then.
The New Hampshire House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee approved a noncommercial marijuana legalization bill, with a full floor vote expected on February 6.
The Santa Cruz, California City Council passed a measure to decriminalize psychedelics such as psilocybin, mescaline, ibogaine and ayahuasca. It’s the third city to enact psychedelic reform in less than a year, following Denver and Oakland.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), speaking at an Iowa town hall event for the presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), said that Colorado is doing a “great job” using tax revenue from marijuana legalization to fund schools.
/ FEDERAL
A federal judge sentenced a Michigan medical cannabis dispensary operator who prosecutors say violated state laws to nearly 16 years in prison.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), a presidential candidate, spoke about her support for marijuana reform.
Rep. James Comer (R-KY) sent a letter urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make changes to hemp rules.
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) tweeted a link to a “must read” article for anyone who wants to “learn about the future of cannabis.”
California Democratic congressional candidate CJ Barina tweeted, “There is no reason that cannabis should still be illegal in the United States.”
/ STATES
Delaware Gov. Jay Carney (D) and the state’s agriculture secretary celebrated federal approval of the state’s hemp plan.
Nevada’s treasurer spoke about efforts to reduce marijuana businesses’ reliance on cash.
The New York Assembly majority leader said someone is impersonating her and calling legislative offices asking them to oppose marijuana legalization. The Senate majority leader said that the chances of passing legalization this year are as good as those last year. And Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) director of cannabis programs spoke about efforts to craft cannabis legislation.
The Indiana Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee approved a bill allowing the state attorney general to pursue cases declined by local prosecutors, such as those involving marijuana possession.
The Rhode Island Senate and House Judiciary Committees approved legislation to remove lawmakers’ effective veto over cannabis regulations.
The Massachusetts legislature’s Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy held a hearing on legislation to ban marijuana billboards and make other cannabis policy changes.
Delaware lawmakers will consider legislation to let medical cannabis patients grow their own medicine and possess firearms on Wednesday.
Maryland regulators are accepting hemp applications.
Pennsylvania marijuana arrests declined last year, according to preliminary data.
Colorado generated more than $302 million in marijuana tax revenue last year.
Michigan regulators announced the participants of marijuana social equity work groups.
Here’s a look at pending Hawaii marijuana reform legislation.
A man was arrested after he smoked marijuana in a Tennessee courtroom.
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/ LOCAL
The Berkeley, California City Council approved a proposal to allow on-site consumption at marijuana dispensaries.
A San Francisco, California supervisor plans to file legislation next month to create a permitting system for safe consumption sites for illegal drugs.
Ann Arbor, Michigan activists are having a hard time finding a City Council sponsor for a measure to decriminalize psychedelics.
The Detroit, Michigan City Council voted to extend a moratorium on recreational marijuana businesses.
/ INTERNATIONAL
A Nepalese lawmaker filed a marijuana legalization motion.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review concluded that “CBD components of cannabis might be useful to treat and prevent [Alzheimer’s disease] because CBD components could suppress the main causal factors of AD” and that “it was suggested that using CBD and THC together could be more useful than using CBD or THC alone.”
A study found that “recent use of psychedelics was associated with increased positive mood through experience of personal transformation and feelings of connectedness to others.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture submitted comments on proposed federal hemp rules.
NORML criticized the framing of a SXSW marijuana panel, tweeting, “Imagine being so brazen in your greed that you host a whole panel at @sxsw about how descheduling might cost you your monopoly status on the cannabis market by making it more accessible to consumers.”
Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Fight for the Future released a scorecard that tracks how colleges handle facial recognition technologies.
/ BUSINESS
Leafly laid off 18% of its workforce.
Creditors are requesting that GenCanna be put into bankruptcy.
Eaze released a report tracking consumer trends in the marijuana industry.
/ CULTURE
Singer Miley Cyrus speculated that she wasn’t invited to the Grammy Awards because of her love for marijuana.
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