Newsletter
Portland votes to take cannabis money away from police (Newsletter: June 15, 2020)
Gov’t agencies testify for USVI legal marijuana bill; Poll: CO voters back psilocybin ballot measure; Sanders & Booker talk drug war & race
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Portland, Oregon City Council voted to take marijuana tax revenue away from the police department.
Multiple U.S. Virgin Islands government agencies testified in favor of a marijuana legalization bill that Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. (D) is asking lawmakers to enact in the territory.
Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) spoke about the racial injustices of marijuana criminalization and the broader war on drugs during a virtual town hall meeting.
- “This demonization of marijuana, the prohibition on marijuana, is ridiculous.”
A poll shows that half of Colorado likely voters would support a measure to decriminalize psilocybin and license legal cultivation and sales of the psychedelic. Activists tell Marijuana Moment they are likely to pursue a 2022 statewide ballot measure.
/ FEDERAL
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy argued in a budget document that marijuana legalization has “created a situation where it is advantageous to grow on private lands due to lack of regulatory enforcement, easy access to domestic or municipal water sources in drought prone California, and ease of ‘farm’ to market access compared to the remote locations of grows located on [National Forest System] lands.”
A Federal Bureau of Investigation recruiter spoke about the marijuana and drug policy for hirees.
The Drug Enforcement Administration published a fact sheet on marijuana concentrates and vaping.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) again spoke about how Democrats’ coronavirus relief bill mentions “cannabis” more times than “jobs.”
The House resolution that cites the war on drugs as a cause of police brutality got one new cosponsor for a total of 174.
California Democratic congressional candidate Shahid Buttar tweeted, “We support the federal legalization of cannabis, for several reasons: 📌 medical freedom 📌 green jobs 📌 transpartisan consensus 📌 civil rights: it dovetails with the goal to #DefundThePolice. Limiting excuses for police interaction will leave more people free—and alive.”
Virginia Republican congressional candidate Bob Good, who ousted Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA) in a primary challenge over the weekend, said the incumbent is “out of step…on drug legalization.”
/ STATES
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said he doesn’t think legalizing marijuana is a good idea.
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) said that legalizing marijuana “has nothing to do with police enforcement, that’s not a law enforcement issue, that’s is a separate political agenda.”
Montana marijuana activists say they are “within striking distance” of having enough signatures to qualify legalization measures for the November ballot.
Missouri regulators filed medical cannabis rules.
Massachusetts regulators are being blocked by Google from running public service announcements about marijuana.
Maryland regulators are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit from a company that was denied a medical cannabis business license.
Alaska regulators are considering changes to rules on curbside marijuana pickup and administrative hold and seizure of cannabis products.
Michigan regulators updated coronavirus bulletins for marijuana businesses.
The Navajo Nation is suing a New Mexico-based tribal member over an alleged illegal hemp growing operation.
The West Virginia Medical Cannabis Advisory Board will meet on Wednesday.
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/ LOCAL
The Louisville, Kentucky City Council voted to ban no-knock warrants following the death of Breonna Taylor in a botched drug raid.
Kansas City, Missouri’s mayor wants to remove marijuana and minor drug offenses from the city’s code.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Israel’s Ministerial Committee on Legislation postponed consideration of a marijuana legalization bill for a week. Meanwhile, police officials are opposing the legislation..
British Columbia, Canada’s provincial health officer is calling for drug decriminalization.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study “examining 7 state and US nationwide surveys found that limited data are available at the state or national level to monitor 8 key dimensions of cannabis use and perceptions,” suggesting that “despite growing public support for cannabis legalization, monitoring public health effects of state and national policies may be difficult owing to a lack of available data in existing population surveys.”
A hypothesis letter suggested that CBD “has the potential to limit the severity and progression of [coronavirus] for several reasons.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
A poll of Arkansas likely voters found that 24% want to increase the number of medical cannabis dispensaries, 19% support legalizing marijuana and 47% back both measures.
The South Dakota Chamber of Commerce is organizing to oppose a proposed marijuana legalization ballot measure but will remain neutral on a separate medical cannabis one.
Drug Policy Action criticized presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s position that people who use drugs should be directed to mandatory rehabilitation programs.
/ BUSINESS
Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. scaled back the number of marijuana dispensaries it plans to sell to Hightimes Holding Corp., from 13 to 10.
Canopy Growth Corp. boosted its CEO’s salary amid broad staff layoffs.
Toys “R” Us (Canada) Ltd. won a trademark case against Herbs “R” Us Wellness Society.
iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. said it does not expect to be in a position to make owed interest payments on time.
AAXLL Supply Co filed counterclaims in a trademark lawsuit from Charlotte’s Web, Inc.
Bloom Farms’s board is being sued for allegedly refusing to let independent auditors examine whether it doctored books to court an investment while its chief financial officer ran a solar energy Ponzi scheme.
/ CULTURE
Friday was the 50th anniversary of baseball player Dock Ellis pitching a no-hitter on LSD.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
