Newsletter
Sessions debates cannabis with DOJ intern (Newsletter: Dec. 8, 2017)
Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day.
NIH director on marijuana as opioid alternative; State lawmakers to vote on cannabis resolution; Congress avoids gov’t shutdown
Support from subscribers who value this daily dispatch enough to show their appreciation with a few dollars helps me keep doing this. Please chip in, if you can afford it.
http://patreon.com/marijuanamoment
TOP THINGS TO KNOW
A newly released video shows U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions explaining why he believes marijuana should be treated more restrictively than guns. In the clip, which was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, he also seems to mock the Justice Department intern who asked him about the issue.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/jeff-sessions-guns-good-marijuana-bad/
National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins testified before a Senate panel for the second time this week that research indicates legalizing marijuana is associated with reduced opioid overdose deaths.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/legal-marijuana-tied-opioid-death-reductions-federal-health-official-says/
The National Conference of State Legislatures will vote on a resolution next week recognizing cannabis as an alternative to opioids. Marijuana Majority has an action page where you can contact your state lawmakers in support.
http://MarijuanaMajority.com/resolution
FEDERAL
The U.S. House and Senate approved a short-term legislation extending federal funding levels, along with state medical cannabis protections, through December 22. The continuing resolution was necessary to avoid a government shutdown as lawmakers work to complete a full Fiscal Year 2018 spending package. It is unknown if the medical marijuana rider will be included in that.
https://mjbizdaily.com/key-federal-medical-cannabis-protections-get-stay-execution/
A bipartisan group of 20 House lawmakers sent a letter about marijuana’s potential to reduce opioid issues to Acting Health and Human Services Sen. Eric D. Hargan.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/lawmakers-press-trump-health-officials-marijuana-opioid-alternative/
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) says he’s trying to convince a House-Senate conference committee working on tax reform legislation to include language removing the 280E penalty on marijuana businesses even though neither chamber approved it.
https://mjbizdaily.com/senator-corey-gardner-says-280e-fix-still-possible-in-congress-with-tax-bill/
A Colorado marijuana business is fighting a case about the 280E provision in U.S. Tax Court.
http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/12/07/cannabis-business-tax-280e-lawsuit/92706/
Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) tweeted that “smart marijuana policy can generate billions of dollars in economic growth.”
https://twitter.com/RepRoKhanna/status/938936918179438592
STATES
The Nevada Supreme Court ruled that the state’s medical cannabis registry is not unconstitutional.
https://www.courthousenews.com/nevada-high-court-oks-states-medical-marijuana-registry/
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) spoke about recent confusion surrounding the legality of CBD medical cannabis and said he opposes further marijuana law reforms.
http://wane.com/2017/12/07/indiana-governor-talks-cbd-oil-medical-marijuana/
California regulators released applications for temporary marijuana business licenses.
http://bcc.ca.gov/clear/forms.html
Rhode Island’s marijuana legalization study commission took testimony from a former Colorado regulator.
http://ripr.org/post/lawmakers-look-colorado-lessons-marijuana
A New York senator prefiled a bill to close the loophole that allows police to arrest people for marijuana that is in public view despite decriminalization.
http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=S07013&term=2017&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Text=Y
A Missouri representative prefiled a medical cannabis bill.
http://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1554&year=2018&code=R
An Illinois representative says he will introduce legislation to ban civil asset forfeiture.
https://twitter.com/allenskillicorn/status/938586166579916800
Alaska regulators proposed changes to rules on marijuana establishment odor control, and other areas.
https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=188059
Here’s a profile of the Ohio medical cannabis business application scorer whose past felony drug conviction set off a firestorm this week.
http://www.pressherald.com/2017/12/08/old-drug-conviction-hinders-marijuana-experts-work/
LOCAL
The Honolulu, Hawaii police chief says her department was wrong to send letters requesting that medical cannabis patients turn in their guns.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/12/07/hawaii-news/hpd-in-error-over-cannabis-patients-with-guns-chief-says/
A Savannah, Georgia alderman will propose an ordinance to reduce marijuana arrests at the next City Council meeting.
http://www.tigersroar.com/news/article_37c5b484-db7d-11e7-adba-8f36430fffc5.html
Denver, Colorado regulators need to be more transparent about how they spend marijuana tax revenue, the city auditor says.
http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/12/07/denver-office-marijuana-policy-tax-spending-auditor-report/94187/
INTERNATIONAL
No one knows how long Canada’s Senate will take to consider the government’s marijuana legalization bill.
https://ipolitics.ca/2017/12/07/no-one-can-predict-cannabis-bill-will-clear-senate-anne-mclellan/
Meanwhile, Nova Scotia officials released proposed legal marijuana regulations.
https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20171207001
ADVOCACY
Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin tweeted that she disagrees with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions about marijuana.
https://twitter.com/michellemalkin/status/938879023517614080
Prohibitionist group Healthy and Productive Michigan revealed some of the arguments it plans to make to convince voters to reject a marijuana legalization ballot measure, also saying that it is open to taking donations from opioids manufacturers. http://michiganradio.org/post/opposition-marijuana-ballot-proposal-points-medical-concerns-inflated-revenue-estimates
SCIENCE & HEALTH
The New York Times looks at renewed debate on whether marijuana is a “gateway drug.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/07/well/live/a-comeback-for-the-gateway-drug-theory.html
A study examined tweets about marijuana edibles.
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0890117116686574
BUSINESS
Bloomberg looks at KannaSwiss, a company making legal, low-potency hashish in Switzerland.
https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/2017/12/08/a-swiss-startup-is-pumping-out-legal-hashish
Former basketball player Dennis Rodman is pitching his digital currency PotCoin in meetings with Guam officials.
https://twitter.com/dennisrodman/status/939101304084983808
CULTURE
Musician Noel Gallagher was filmed holding a bag of marijuana.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/5091307/noel-gallagher-backstage-teens-alleged-weed/