Newsletter
Senate passes veterans cannabis measure (Newsletter: November 3, 2023)
Schumer & GOP on SAFER Banking; Federal psilocybin amendment; DEA wants more THC in 2024; Marijuana letter to Biden; TX decrim; Hemp market economics
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The U.S. Senate passed a spending bill including a provision that would allow Department of Veterans Affairs doctors to issue medical cannabis recommendations to military veterans. The House approved similar, but slightly different, language in July.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wrote in a constituent letter that it’s a “moral responsibility” to attach criminal justice provisions to a marijuana banking bill—citing expungements and resentencing provisions from his separate legalization legislation. Meanwhile, Republican senators want to move ahead with a floor vote despite new anti-cannabis House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) election creating uncertainty about the bill’s prospects in that chamber.
The House Rules Committee will consider an amendment from Reps. Robert Garcia (D-CA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) that would prevent the Department of Justice from interfering with state and local medical psilocybin laws.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing a massive increase in manufacturing of marijuana components such as delta-9-THC and other forms of tetrahydrocannabinol for 2024. This comes days after it moved to boost 2023 levels for THC and psychedelics.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) revealed that he voted in favor of the marijuana legalization initiative on Ohio’s ballot—though he said it was “a hard decision.”
The Lubbock, Texas city secretary certified that activists collected enough signatures to put a marijuana decriminalization initiative on the ballot if local lawmakers don’t enact the reform themselves.
The Marijuana Justice Coalition and the Cannabis Freedom Alliance—which represent advocacy organizations from opposite ends of the political spectrum ranging from ACLU to Americans for Prosperity—sent a letter urging President Joe Biden to fully deschedule marijuana, not just reschedule it.
A new report from Whitney Economics shows that sales of hemp-derived cannabinoids in the U.S. outpace the legal marijuana market and are on par with craft beer sales.
The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation is allowing some previously recalled marijuana products to return to dispensary shelves.
/ FEDERAL
The Senate marijuana banking bill got three new cosponsors for a total of 34.
/ STATES
Florida’s agriculture commissioner announced that inspectors uncovered more than 8,700 hemp-extract packages that they deemed to be attractive and/or marketed to children.
Wisconsin’s Senate minority leader spoke about her marijuana legalization bill.
Wyoming lawmakers are considering legislation to ban intoxicating hemp-derived products.
Kentucky regulators filed hemp and medical cannabis rules.
Virginia regulators published a report on consumable hemp products.
Nevada regulators suspended a marijuana business’s cultivation and production licenses.
Colorado regulators circulated a bulletin about an aggravated robbery at a marijuana business.
Washington, D.C. regulators began accepting applications for new medical cannabis business licenses.
The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth will participate in an interim study on preventing accidental ingestion of marijuana by children.
Rhode Island’s Cannabis Advisory Board held its first meeting. Separately, regulators will consider marijuana equity and other issues on Friday.
Oregon’s Psilocybin Advisory Board will meet on Friday.
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/ LOCAL
A New York City Council member filed a bill to make it easier to shut down unlicensed marijuana businesses.
Las Vegas, Nevada police are stepping up training of officers to detect impaired driving ahead of the launch of marijuana consumption lounges.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Canada’s Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the extradition of two men who allegedly tried to smuggle marijuana into the U.S. Separately, Vancouver, British Columbia police raided psilocybin dispensaries.
Ireland’s first medical cannabis clinic is opening.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “comparisons of the self-reported effects of cannabis to conventional sleep aids revealed that participants reported feeling more refreshed, focused, better able to function, fewer headaches, and less nausea the morning after using cannabis for sleep than after using more conventional sleep aids or no sleep aids” but that “they indicated they were more sleepy, anxious, and irritable in the mornings following the use of cannabis relative to other sleep aids.”
A study found that CBG “significantly reduced mechanical hypersensitivity in male and female mice with [cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy] and reduced pain sensitivity up to 60–70% of baseline levels, 24 h after the last injection.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Washington Examiner editorial board criticized Reps. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for working to legalize marijuana.
/ BUSINESS
Beckley Waves is acquiring Nue Life.
Planet 13 Holdings Inc. unveiled plans for its Las Vegas, Nevada marijuana consumption lounge.
Magnolia Bakery is partnering with Green Thumb Industries Inc. on cannabis-infused chocolates.
Trulieve Cannabis Corp. is partnering with DAV on a campaign to support military veterans.
Washington, D.C. businesses sold $4.4 million worth of medical cannabis products in September.
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