Newsletter
Senators approve medical cannabis access for veterans (Newsletter: August 5, 2021)
AR marijuana ballot measure; Poll: Canadians back psychedelic therapy; Neil deGrasse Tyson talks psilocybin use by dogs and cats
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to let Department of Veterans Affairs doctors issue medical cannabis recommendations to military veterans. Similar measures have passed the House before but have never been enacted into law.
Arkansas activists are collecting signatures to put a marijuana legalization measure on the state’s 2022 ballot.
A new poll found that 82 percent of Canadian adults support allowing psilocybin-assisted therapy for terminally ill people. Sixty-nine percent say the treatment should be available for people with PTSD.
Neil deGrasse Tyson asked a lot of questions about psilocybin on a recent podcast, including whether cats and dogs ever indulge in mushrooms containing it and what the effects of eating cicadas infected with psychedelic-producing fungus would be.
/ FEDERAL
A Drug Enforcement Administration assistant special agent spoke about the need to expand marijuana research.
Customs and Border Protection asked a federal court to dismiss Ashh Inc.’s lawsuit challenging the agency’s seizure of grinders, pipes and vaporizers for hemp as drug paraphernalia.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) posted a Twitter thread about the need for drug law reform.
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) sent a press release mentioning the marijuana research provisions he got included in a bipartisan infrastructure bill.
/ STATES
South Dakota lawmakers are quietly working on legislation to potentially change the voter-approved medical cannabis law.
Colorado regulators are hosting work group meetings about the implementation of a new law to enact restrictions on marijuana concentrates.
Michigan regulators issued a bulletin on rules for selling immature marijuana plants.
Oregon regulators published a marijuana product and tax categorization guide.
Oklahoma regulators released an updated list of licensed medical cannabis dispensaries.
The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission will meet on Thursday.
Ohio regulators will discuss medical cannabis drive-thrus and other issues on Monday.
Alaska regulators will hold a public hearing on marijuana licensing caps on Monday.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,200 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
The Clark County, Nevada Commission voted to allocate any marijuana tax revenues greater than $12 million each year to social programs, including immigration defense.
Port Hurton, Michigan voters approved a ballot measure to prioritize medical cannabis business licenses over adult-use ones. Meanwhile, Egelston Township and Nelson Township voters rejected proposals to allow recreational marijuana businesses.
The Yellowstone County, Montana Commission placed a question on the November ballot to set a local marijuana tax, but rejected another proposal to let voters decide on a separate measure about whether to allow sales at all.
The first legal Denver, Colorado recreational marijuana delivery services are close to launching.
Modesto, California officials launched a marijuana-themed tourism campaign.
The Ulster County, New York executive said a new Cresco Labs facility will be “one of the biggest economic opportunities we have had in Ellenville in decades.”
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study using a combination of THC and palmitoylethanolamide to treat Tourette’s syndrome found that “improvement in tic symptoms was statistically significant within 1 week of starting treatment compared with baseline” and that “treatment led to an average improvement in tic symptoms of more than 20%.”
A study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treating PTSD enrolled and treated its first participant.
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The U.S. Cannabis Council named Akerna’s CEO as board chair.
Decriminalize Nature issued another post about what it believes to be a conspiracy by monied interests to enact possession limits in a California psychedelics legalization bill.
The Brookings Institution published an essay arguing that marijuana penalties for athletes should be reconsidered.
The Association of Cannabinoid Specialists launched a training course for budtenders.
/ BUSINESS
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company’s cannabis-focused Hawthorne Gardening unit reported quarterly net sales of $422 million.
Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $48.9 million.
Planet 13 Holdings Inc. had a record $11.9 million in sales in July.
Fire & Flower Holdings Corp. is acquiring assets from subsidiaries of Wikileaf Technologies Inc.
Organigram Holdings Inc. has a new CEO.
Jushi Holdings Inc. appointed a new executive vice president of retail operations.
Simplifya has a new general counsel and chief banking officer.
Avicanna Inc. announced that the Ontario Securities Commission partially revoked a failure-to-file cease trade order against the company.
/ CULTURE
Seth Rogen spoke about the racism underlying marijuana prohibition.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson once told another wrestler they couldn’t travel together anymore because the smell of the other wrestler’s constant marijuana smoking made people falsely accuse him of using cannabis.
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