Newsletter
Pelosi says cannabis reform is up to Trump (Newsletter: Oct. 1, 2018)
Fed prosecutor threatens legal marijuana biz; Complete history of cannabis, according to scientists; Missouri Senate candidates on marijuana
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Here’s to another year of obsessively following all the key developments in cannabis—from Election Day in November to the 2019 state legislative sessions to the start of the 116th Congress, and beyond…
/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) voiced support for marijuana law reform but suggested that cannabis legislation’s prospects would largely depend on President Trump, even if Democrats control Congress next year.
Marijuana Moment’s latest political analysis looks at where candidates in Missouri’s contentious U.S. Senate race stand on cannabis issues.
A new scientific paper traces the long history of humanity’s relationship with marijuana over the course of thousands of years.
/ FEDERAL
The U.S. attorney for Colorado, who is “leading other U.S. attorneys on marijuana issues” at the Department of Justice, wrote in an op-ed that “you may start seeing U.S. attorneys shift toward criminally charging licensed marijuana businesses and their investors.”
- Separately, he told a reporter that he “will take enforcement action against an unnamed chain of licensed marijuana dispensaries in the Denver metro area that he alleges is an illegal drug-trafficking organization disguised as a legitimate pot business” within the next two weeks, according to a report.
Utah’s U.S. attorney and the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia boosted their Colorado colleague’s anti-marijuana op-ed on Twitter.
Prior to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote to advance the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the floor, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) pointed out that the panel has required FBI investigations for “decades-old marijuana use” but not for sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh.
Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), a U.S. Senate candidate, spoke about marijuana and drug policy reform at a fundraiser at which Willie Nelson also performed. And he addressed the war on drugs at a separate event.
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), in a House floor speech, slammed Congress’s interference in Washington, D.C.’s marijuana laws.
Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) tweeted, “Legalizing marijuana is about keeping the next generation of black kids out of jail… This is a social justice issue.”
Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) tweeted, “The average user of medical marijuana, contrary to popular belief, does not have a chronic illness and very few of them have cancer, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, or multiple sclerosis.”
The U.S. House bill to put marijuana in Schedule II and respect state medical cannabis laws got one new cosponsor, for a total of two.
The U.S. House bill to reschedule cannabis and remove CBD from the definition of marijuana gotone new cosponsor, for a total of four.
Arizona Democratic congressional candidate Bill Brill tweeted about his support for marijuana law reform.
Indiana Republican congressional candidate Wayne Harmon supports legalizing marijuana.
/ STATES
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) vetoed bills that would have allowed schools to adopt policies for parents to administer medical cannabis to students, let businesses give away free medical cannabis, allowed safe injection facilities for illegal drugs, authorized medical and recreational marijuana businesses to use shared space and concerning citations for administrative violations.
- He also signed bills to remove or reduce prior cannabis convictions, ban marijuana businesses from advertising while their licenses are suspended and concerning industrial hemp and on OSHA training for cannabis operators. Separately, regulators revoked a marijuana testing lab’s temporary license.
Texas gubernatorial candidates debated marijuana policy.
Maryland Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous tweeted, “The war on drugs has failed. It’s time to tax & regulate cannabis for adult use.”
Illinois Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker said that legalizing marijuana would potentially generate $750 million in tax revenue for the state. Separately, he detailed some plans for legalization in a candidate questionnaire.
Colorado Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis released an agriculture policy plan that includes hemp.
Here’s a look at where Minnesota gubernatorial candidates stand on marijuana policy.
Emails from Oklahoma regulators reveal that officials were pushing for restrictive medical cannabis regulations even before voters approved the ballot measure in June.
North Dakota regulators defended their estimates of the fiscal impact of the state’s marijuana legalization ballot measure.
Arkansas regulators want medical cannabis implementation advice from the state attorney general.
Here’s a look at ongoing Utah discussions about potential compromise medical cannabis legislation.
/ LOCAL
A judge issued an injunction on Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s restrictive medical cannabis regulations.
Here’s a look at Denver, Colorado’s crackdown on marijuana tour buses.
Boston, Massachusetts is slowly moving forward with the process of permitting recreational marijuana businesses.
Here’s some data on how Savannah, Georgia’s marijuana decriminalization ordinance is being implemented.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Mexican President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador congratulated one of his predecessors for supporting drug legalization after enacting harsh prohibitionist policies.
A Canadian Liberal member of Parliament criticized his government for signing onto a U.S.-led drug war statement.
Singapore’s government said, “Decriminalisation and legalisation of drugs, including cannabis, is not relevant, nor necessary or appropriate in societies such as ours, with the drug situation well under control.”
Jamaica’s agriculture minister is pushing the U.S. to modernize its approach to marijuana.
/ ADVOCACY
Prohibitionist Kevin Sabet of Smart Approaches to Marijuana said he hopes that the Colorado U.S. attorney’s anti-marijuana op-ed is “a sign of things to come.”
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study of high school students found that “although combustible cannabis remained the most popular cannabis administration method, use of cannabis via alternative administration methods was of appreciable prevalence.”
/ BUSINESS
Canopy Growth Corp. withdrew its trademark filing for “Chronic By Dre” marijuana products, admitting it doesn’t actually have a relationship with Dr. Dre.
TD Ameritrade released a video with tips about marijuana stocks.
CNBC analyst Jim Cramer tweeted, “If that trashes my credibility so be it. I have watched loved ones die of tobacco. I have not watched loved ones die of marijuana. When you get your own show you can recommend tobacco all you want, even till the cows come home!”
CBC looks at the crowded marijuana media market.
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