Newsletter
Senate cannabis commission bill coming (Newsletter: November 4, 2022)
NY dispensary approvals soon; Marijuana companies push “Buy Legal”; Legalization trails in AR poll; MD campaign ad seeks turnout boost
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) announced he is filing a bill that would direct the attorney general to form a commission to make recommendations on a regulatory system for legal marijuana that models alcohol rules.
A top New York marijuana regulator said the first recreational dispensary licenses could be approved at a meeting in about two weeks from now.
Major cannabis companies including Canopy Growth, Columbia Care, Cresco Labs and Curaleaf are partnering with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) to launch a “Buy Legal” campaign to encourage consumers to purchase marijuana from licensed sources.
A new poll found that Arkansas adults oppose the marijuana legalization initiative on next week’s ballot, 59 percent to 41 percent.
Maryland’s marijuana legalization campaign launched a new ad aimed at boosting turnout by young voters who are likely to support the cannabis referendum on the ballot.
/ FEDERAL
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said President Joe Biden “made an important step forward” with his cannabis pardons but that “I happen to think that we should legalize marijuana in this country.”
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) tweeted, “Glad to see local businesses like @greaternevadacu helping to fill the gap in access to banking for cannabis businesses in NV. We must continue fighting to pass the bipartisan SAFE Banking Act to ensure all legal cannabis businesses have access to banking services.”
Rep. French Hill (R-AR) tweeted, Other states have already shown that recreational marijuana preys upon young people, harms families and communities, and overburdens law enforcement. Let’s not allow the backers of Issue 4—who have raised more than $13M—to buy themselves a pot monopoly in AR! Vote NO!”
Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) tweeted, “It takes a lot of special interests dough to sell Arkansans on weed. Just vote NO on Issue 4.”
Arizona Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters said he thinks “marijuana is best handled at the state level” and that the drug war “hasn’t worked.”
/ STATES
Delaware Gov. John Carney (D) signed bills on labor peace agreement requirements for medical cannabis companies and to terminate the Medical Marijuana Act Oversight Committee.
Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deidre DeJear tweeted, “It’s long overdue to legalize cannabis in Iowa. As Governor, that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
The Colorado campaign supporting the psychedelics legalization initiative on next week’s ballot reported raising more than $5.5 million, including a $1 million contribution from the founder of the shoe company TOMS.
Questions are being raised about potential conflicts of interest by New York’s Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund managers. Separately, the Dormitory Authority canceled a request for proposals to provide banking services for the fund.
Arkansas regulators filed a response in a lawsuit targeting their medical cannabis business licensing award decisions.
Maine regulators are accepting public comments on proposed hemp cultivation rules.
Michigan regulators sent a bulletin about annual financial statement requirements for marijuana businesses.
Massachusetts officials extended the deadline for applications to serve on the Cannabis Social Equity Advisory Board.
Oklahoma regulators published a medical cannabis packaging and labeling guide.
California regulators extended the deadline to apply for cannabis research grants.
New Hampshire’s Therapeutic Cannabis Medical Oversight Board met.
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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.
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/ LOCAL
Voters in several Michigan municipalities will decide on measures to ban or allow marijuana sales on their ballots next week.
The Miami-Dade County, Florida Board of Commissioners passed a resolution urging Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to pardon people for marijuana possession.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said it is time to “reexamine the failure of the last five decades” of the war on drugs.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said the Philippine government needs to do more to investigate killings in the nation’s bloody “war on drugs.”
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada public health officials are submitting recommendations for the federal government’s review of the country’s marijuana legalization law.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study of cannabis-based medicinal products to treat emotionally unstable personality disorder found that they “were effective and well tolerated, as six participants reported a noticeable improvement in their symptoms and functioning.”
A study found that “psilocybin at a single dose of 25 mg, but not 10 mg, reduced depression scores significantly more than a 1-mg dose over a period of 3 weeks but was associated with adverse effects.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
A poll found that U.S. adults support President Joe Biden’s marijuana possession pardons, 66 percent to 23 percent.
The Republican National Committee tweeted about reports of marijuana allegedly being laced with fentanyl.
The American Dental Association is urging patients to refrain from using marijuana before dental visits after a survey found that more than half of dentists reported patients arriving for appointments under the influence of cannabis or another drug.
/ BUSINESS
Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $70.9 million.
The Parent Company divested its wholesale extraction division, SISU Extraction, LLC.
Charlotte’s Web Holdings, Inc. and Tilray Brands, Inc. entered into a strategic alliance to license, manufacture, market and distribute Charlotte’s WebTM CBD hemp extract products in Canada.
Several media and social media companies are facing a potential class action lawsuit over allegations that they facilitated a scam by cannabis investment platform JuicyFields.
Akerna reported that U.S. cannabis shoppers spent a total of $249.6 million on legal cannabis products during this year’s Halloween weekend.
Illinois retailers sold $131.5 million worth of recreational marijuana products in October.
/ CULTURE
The wife of American basketball player Brittney Griner, who was convicted of possessing cannabis vapes in Russia, discussed how she is dealing with the situation.
Actor John Slattery spoke about the growing prominence of marijuana and psychedelics, which he said “makes total sense to me.”
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
