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Senator does impression of McConnell talking cannabis (Newsletter: Oct. 19, 2018)

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Study: CBD reduces public speaking anxiety; Missouri medical marijuana campaign finance reports; SXSW announces 2019 cannabis panels

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) recounted a funny marijuana conversation he had with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) on the Senate floor. In the video, the Colorado senator has a spot-on impression of the majority leader acting shocked that Utah is about to legalize medical cannabis.

South by Southwest announced that a slew of marijuana-focused panels will be featured at its 2019 event. Everything from CBD to technology, sex to aging and race issues to feminism will be covered through the lens of cannabis at SXSW2019.

A study concluded that CBD reduces anxiety during public speaking.

Marijuana Moment analyzed recently filed Missouri medical cannabis campaign finance reports. Take a look at how the various committees stack up.

/ FEDERAL

Conference committee negotiations on the Farm Bill, to which advocates are hoping to attach hemp legalization language, may slide into 2019 as a result of a potential need for lawmakers to spend time considering emergency hurricane relief legislation.

Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), a U.S. Senate candidate, spoke about his support for marijuana legalization at a CNN town hall.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) said, “If Missouri is willing to resoundingly support medical marijuana, I think the tide changes nationally, and I think we’re in the home stretch.”

Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) tweeted, “Modernized federal #Marijuana policy that respects states’ rights would be welcome news!”

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) tweeted, “Ending marijuana prohibition isn’t a radical idea. It’s common sense. Let’s expand legalization nationwide and create good jobs, generate tax revenue, expunge prior offenses and bring restorative justice to the communities that were harmed by the failed ‘war on drugs.'”

Competing New Hampshire congressional candidates agreed that states should be able to set their own marijuana policies.

South Carolina congressional candidates debated marijuana policy.

Louisiana Democratic congressional candidate Jim Francis tweeted, “I am 100% in support of legalizing marijuana.”

/ STATES

Iowa gubernatorial candidates debated medical cannabis expansion.

Connecticut Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont spoke about racial disparities in marijuana enforcement during a debate.

Massachusetts regulators approved a final license for a marijuana testing lab, a key step toward getting recreational sales online. And a commissioner proposed allowing microbusinesses to conduct cannabis home deliveries.

An Oklahoma judge ruled that municipalities cannot place greater restrictions on medical cannabis businesses than are allowed under state law.

Colorado regulators are accepting public feedback on proposed changes to the process for adding new medical cannabis qualifying conditions.

Florida Republican lawmakers are uring Gov Rick Scott (R) to seek a temporary injunction on a court ruling invalidating portions of the state’s medical cannabis law.

Washington State regulators arrested marijuana business licensee for illegal possession and distribution.

Indiana lawmakers held a study committee meeting on medical cannabis, but did not muster enough votes to pass a resolution in support of legislative changes.

California employment regulators tweeted about their presence at an upcoming marijuana industry conference.

Kentucky’s agriculture commissioner visited a hemp farm.

Oregon regulators will meet next week to consider proposed marijuana rule changes.

/ INTERNATIONAL

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted, “The old approach to #cannabis didn’t work. It was too easy for our kids to get it and gangs & drug dealers were reaping the profits. That changes from now on. #promisekept” Meanwhile, the leader of the Conservatives won’t commit to not repealing legalization if his party takes over the government.

/ ADVOCACY

A staffer for prohibitionist group Smart Approaches to Marijuana appeared to be  wildly off-message in an interview, admitting, “The industry’s not targeting necessarily 12- or 13-year olds.” That seems to run counter to the group’s repeated claims that cannabis businesses are making gummy bears and “pot tarts” to appeal to kids.

The Southern Poverty Law Center released a report detailing racial disparities in Alabama marijuana enforcement.

The Missouri Catholic Conference said it opposes one of the state’s medical cannabis ballot measures because it would “create a tax-funded stream of revenue for potentially unethical biomedical research.”

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

An analysis suggests that car crashes are up as much as 6% in states with legal marijuana, as compared with neighboring states that maintain prohibition.

A study concluded that marijuana “has a potential link to stroke owing to cerebrovascular effects of cannabinoids.”

/ OPINION & ANALYSIS

A poll found that 61% of Delawareans support legalizing marijuana.

/ BUSINESS

Aurora Cannabis will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on October 23.

As of August, Colorado retailers had sold more than $1 billion worth of marijuana products this year, generating $200 million in tax revenue.

The Securities and Exchange Commission obtained a final judgement against a founder of a medical cannabis company and twenty affiliated entities for allegedly seeking investments without having a registration statement on file.

/ CULTURE

Musician David Crosby joined NORML’s advisory board.

Former NBA player Charles Barkley said that basketball players who claim to use marijuana medicinally are “full of shit.”

Comedian Conan O’Brien tweeted, “Now that Canada has legalized marijuana, maybe Canadians will finally mellow out.”

A South Dakota judge denied a motion to dismiss a marijuana case against rapper Chief Keef.

The Onion poked fun at Canada’s legalization of marijuana.

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Photo courtesy of Kyle Jaeger.

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Tom Angell is the editor of Marijuana Moment. A 20-year veteran in the cannabis law reform movement, he covers the policy and politics of marijuana. Separately, he founded the nonprofit Marijuana Majority. Previously he reported for Marijuana.com and MassRoots, and handled media relations and campaigns for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

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