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Teen cannabis use down since legalization, federal study finds (Newsletter: Dec. 18, 2018)

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NY’s Cuomo endorses legal marijuana in 2019; Full text of Gardner cannabis amendment for criminal justice bill; Putin worried about drug references in rap

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) explicitly endorsed legalizing marijuana for the first time in a speech about his 2019 legislative priorities.

The annual federal Monitoring the Future survey found that teen marijuana use is lower now than before states started legalizing cannabis. Students’ perceived ease of access to marijuana is also down.

Marijuana Moment obtained the full text of the cannabis amendment Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) wants to attach to the criminal justice bill this week. It is very similar to the standalone STATES Act, which he and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced earlier this year, with some minor changes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is worried about drug references in rap music, saying it will cause “the degradation of a nation,” and suggesting the government should take control of hip hop.

/ FEDERAL

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy redacted in full the documents it released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request for anti-marijuana memos it received from other federal agencies.

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) says he has the votes to pass far-reaching marijuana legislation “if we have an honest to goodness straight-up vote.”

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) tweeted about his efforts to legalize hemp.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) spoke about his successful efforts to advance marijuana reform and said that after he leaves Congress he wants to continue to help the cannabis industry.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) tweeted, “It’s illegal in all 50 states for medical marijuana users to own guns. Should we merge state medical marijuana card holder lists into the federal gun background check database? #fixNICS is all about that. Or should marijuana users be allowed to own guns?”

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said electing more young people to Congress will lead to marijuana reform.

Rep. James Comer (R-KY) tweeted about a local hemp company creating jobs.

/ STATES

The U.S. Virgin Islands Senate Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture approved a medical cannabis bill.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) tweeted about the Farm Bill’s legalization of hemp.

The commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services says regulators should not allow on-site marijuana consumption at dispensaries.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’s marijuana regulatory body is taking shape.

Ohio regulators announced that they have received 3,460 medical cannabis patient and caregiver applications within the first two weeks of the program.

New Jersey regulators selected six businesses to apply for permits to open new medical cannabis dispensaries.

A California judge is considering a lawsuit seeking to bar state police from turning over seized money and assets from marijuana businesses to federal authorities.

An Arkansas police captain has been appointed the newest member of the state’s medical cannabis regulatory body.

Washington State regulators are hosting a webinar on marijuana infused edible packaging and labeling on Tuesday.

Oregon regulators released guidance on marijuana packaging and labeling. Separately, senators will consider legislation barring employers from punishing workers’ for off-the-job marijuana use.

A South Carolina senator filed a resolution calling on the federal government to remove “statutory and regulatory barriers” to medical cannabis research.

A West Virginia senator said he expects that state to miss a July 1, 2019 for medical cannabis products to be available.

An Indiana senator is optimistic an industrial hemp bill can pass in the upcoming session.

Kentucky’s agriculture commissioner attended a meeting of the state’s Industrial Hemp Advisory Board.


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/ LOCAL

New York City’s City Council speaker is pushing Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to retroactively void past misdemeanor marijuana convictions.

Manhattan’s district attorney tweeted, “This year we took big steps to end the criminalization of marijuana smoking in Manhattan! We declined to prosecute new cases, dismissed 3,000 old cases, and published a report urging NY to legalize, regulate, and expunge.”

/ INTERNATIONAL

New Zealand’s justice minister said the country will hold a binding marijuana legalization referendum in 2020.

The administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he would sign any medical cannabis bill. The Senate president claimed that medical marijuana is already allowed in the country.

/ ADVOCACY

The Credit Union National Association is asking Congress to amend a criminal justice reform bill to allow marijuana businesses to access banks.

South Carolina medical cannabis advocates spent more than $95,000 lobbying lawmakers in the first half of this year.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study found that a THC-CBD spray “had a positive effect on spasticity symptoms in patients with motor neuron disease and had an acceptable safety and tolerability profile.”

A review found that “women who continued to use cannabis during pregnancy often perceived no general or pregnancy-specific risk compared to nonusers.”

A study found that “THC lowers [intraocular pressure] by activating two receptors—CB1 and GPR18—but in a sex-dependent manner” and that “CBD, contrary to expectation, has two opposing effects on IOP and can interfere with the effects of THC.”

/ BUSINESS

An investor is suing Terra Tech and its executives for alleged theft, stock manipulation, fraud and filing false tax returns.

/ CULTURE

Stephen Colbert tweeted, “If New York legalizes recreational marijuana, the Big Apple is gonna get hollowed out and turned in to a bong.”

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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

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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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