Newsletter
SF expunges 8,000 cannabis convictions with computer program (Newsletter: Feb. 26, 2019)
Warren talks marijuana on presidential campaign trail; Microdosing psychedelics boosts mental wellbeing; UN delays cannabis vote
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.
Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible…
There are now 750 cannabis-related bills moving through state legislatures and Congress for 2019 sessions.
Never let a marijuana bill catch you by surprise with exclusive access to Marijuana Moment’s custom-built cannabis legislation tracker for just $25/month.
- Tyler Schallau: “I wanted to keep up with the states legalizing marijuana because I’m a strong advocate and believe the saying that once the dominoes start falling it’s a matter of time.”
https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment
/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
San Francisco, California officials teamed up with Code For America to automatically expunge more than 8,000 marijuana convictions using a computer algorithm.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a presidential candidate, spoke about marijuana during a campaign stop in New Hampshire, saying that she voted for Massachusetts’s 2016 legalization ballot measure.
A study on microdosing psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin found that “depression and stress ratings both decreased significantly over the course of the study, consistent with reports that microdosing benefits general mental wellbeing.”
/ FEDERAL
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a presidential candidate, tweeted, “The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world and incarcerates African Americans at more than five times the rate of white people. Our job is to end the destructive ‘war on drugs,’ eliminate private prisons and cash bail and bring about major police department reform.”
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) said that it is “just a matter of time of time” until federal marijuana laws change.
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) said that he believes his marijuana banking bill would be approved by the Senate if given a vote. He also tweeted, “The genie is out of the bottle. It’s time to reduce the public safety risk and allow financial institutions to provide services to legitimate cannabis-related businesses. Stay tuned – the #SAFEBanking Act will be formally introduced soon!”
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) tweeted, “Fewer than 1% of all marijuana dispensaries are owned by African Americans, yet are on average three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana. As the marijuana industry continues to grow, we must ensure that people of color are not left out of the conversation.”
Former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) is reportedly considering entering the marijuana business after serving time in prison on a charge of transferring obscene material to a minor.
/ STATES
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) said he supports a hemp legalization bill approved by the state Senate.
Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor cut the ribbon at the opening of a new medical cannabis dispensary. Meanwhile, the Senate majority leader reiterated his opposition to legalizing marijuana.
Rhode Island’s attorney general is proposing to defelonize and lower penalties for drug possession.
Michigan’s attorney general is moving to dismiss some marijuana cases. Meanwhile, regulators are forming stakeholder work groups to generate input on cannabis legalization rules.
Florida’s agriculture commissioner spoke about her views on medical cannabis implementation. She also tweeted, “As our climate changes & trade wars continue, farmers are asking for alternative crops — #hemp has the potential to strengthen Florida’s agriculture industry, our state’s second largest economic driver. I’m committed to making Florida the gold standard for hemp production.” Separately, lawmakers are considering legislation to give reciprocity to out-of-state medical cannabis patients.
Oregon’s agriculture commissioner discussed hemp at a conference with other state agriculture officials.
A New Mexico judge denied regulators’ request to stay a ruling eliminating the limit of 450 medical cannabis plants per licensed producer.
California regulators say they are processing marijuana cultivation business licenses “as quickly as possible” to avoid product shortages. Separately, officials fined three cannabis growers for water violations.
Here’s a look at pending Montana medical cannabis reform legislation.
The vast majority of Ohio medical cannabis recommendations are being made by doctors at dedicated marijuana clinics rather than by primary care physicians.
—
Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 700 cannabis 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.
We followed more than 900 pieces of cannabis legislation in 2018. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—
/ LOCAL
The Denver, Colorado City Council voted 10-1 to remove the sunset provision of the city’s marijuana social use law, making it permanent. Meanwhile, the city’s second cannabis social use business has “temporarily closed” after only a few weeks of operations.
/ INTERNATIONAL
The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs is delaying a vote on cannabis rescheduling recommendations that were scheduled to take place next month.
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox joined the board of directors of marijuana infrastructure company Helix TCS, Inc.
/ ADVOCACY
The New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association launched a TV ad urging the state to legalize marijuana.
A Boys and Girls Clubs of America vice president said that marijuana legalization makes it more “difficult” to encourage young people not to consume cannabis.
The Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns included thoughts about marijuana legalization in its 2019 legislative priorities.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A survey of California pharmacists found that “a majority of providers believe that marijuana has medical efficacy” but that “most providers report that they neither have much information about medical marijuana nor do they know where to get such information.”
A study found that “application of hemp oil to hair resulted in the incorporation of one or more cannabis constituents in 89% of volunteers, and 33% of the group tested positive for the three major constituents, THC, CBN and CBD.”
/ BUSINESS
A PotNetwork News investigation concluded that a businessman’s claim of selling products with hops-derived CBD “is a fraudulent one, based on plagiarised research and outright deception.”
The American Kennel Club, which sanctions the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, tweeted a promotion for CBD products for dogs.
A report about Facebook’s content moderators says that many of them use marijuana and other drugs on the job to help cope with having to see so many disturbing posts.
The website of the CPA Consultants’ Alliance was hacked and several fake blog posts about cannabis-related products were uploaded and emailed to the organization’s mailing list.
Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox.
