Newsletter
Top GOP lawmaker wants cannabis hearing in Judiciary (Newsletter: April 5, 2019)
NH House approves marijuana legalization; Cannabis federalism bill refiled; FDA pressed on CBD policy
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
A bipartisan group of House and Senate members reintroduced the STATES Act, a bill that would exempt state-legal marijuana activity from the federal Controlled Substances Act.
Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter urging Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) to hold a hearing on the STATES Act—a big evolution for the GOP congressman, who has never before cosponsored marijuana legislation and has voted against most cannabis reform amendments.
The New Hampshire House of Representatives approved a marijuana legalization bill on a second vote, sending it to the Senate.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb faced another round of questions about the agency’s CBD enforcement policies during a House hearing.
/ FEDERAL
President Trump said that he will place tariffs on Mexican goods “if the drugs don’t stop.”
The U.S. attorney for Western Washington said “the voters have spoken” on marijuana and that he has no plans to intervene in the state’s legal market.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles office tweeted, ” #cannabis is a very dangerous Schedule 1 controlled substance that is illegal and will land you in prison!! Very bad!”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said he’s “not very excited about” a new bill to respect state marijuana laws.
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), a presidential candidate, talked about his support for letting states implement their own marijuana laws.
Former San Antonio, Texas Mayor Julian Castro (D), a presidential candidate, spoke about his support for legalizing marijuana.
The Senate bill to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to study medical cannabis got one new cosponsor, for a total of five.
/ STATES
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed a bill allowing medical cannabis at schools as well as legislation to more broadly expand the state’s medical marijuana program.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed a bill legalizing needle exchange programs.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) announced that the state now has more than 100,000 certified medical cannabis patients.
A plan from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) to significantly expand the state’s medical cannabis program if lawmakers don’t pass broader marijuana legalization isn’t being received well in the legislature.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) reiterated that he and lawmakers will continue to work on marijuana legalization through the end of the session.
The North Dakota Senate approved a marijuana decriminalization bill. Meanwhile, regulators selected additional medical cannabis dispensaries.
The Illinois Senate approved a marijuana banking bill. The state treasurer cheered the move.
The Montana Senate passed a bill to use medical cannabis revenue to fund peer support services for people with substance use disorders or mental illnesses.
The Missouri House of Representatives passed a hemp expansion bill. Separately, the House Special Committee on Criminal Justice held a hearing on marijuana decriminalization legislation.
The California Senate approved a bill to let regulators extend temporary marijuana licenses.
The Colorado House Judiciary Committee approved legislation to defelonize drug possession.
The Wisconsin legislature’s Joint Finance Committee held a hearing on Gov. Tony Evers’s (D) marijuana decriminalization proposal.
Guam’s new marijuana legalization law is being challenged in federal court.
Massachusetts regulators are moving to allow caregivers who don’t have state ID cards to enter medical cannabis dispensaries and to let patients purchase medicine as soon as they get doctors’ recommendations. They also discussed ways to increase oversight of compliance with marijuana business ownership rules.
An Arkansas representative withdrew his marijuana decriminalization bill so a key committee can study the issue more. Meanwhile, medical cannabis patient counts are increasing.
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/ LOCAL
A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania organization says it is moving forward with plans to open a safe consumption site for illegal drugs despite federal threats.
The Racine, Wisconsin Common Council set the fine for low-level marijuana possession at $75.
Poland, Maine voters will consider nine marijuana measures at a town meeting on Saturday.
/ INTERNATIONAL
German regulators awarded medical cannabis cultivation contracts.
/ ADVOCACY
The Republican Party of New York tweeted, “The driver of the awful limousine crash that killed 20 people had signficant levels of marijuana in his system. @NYGovCuomo wants to ram through legalization with no plan to deal with these issues. Do you think we should pump the brakes on legalizing pot?”
Kevin Sabet of prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana said he’s talking to people who sued tobacco companies about potential lawsuits against the cannabis industry.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “cannabis appears cost-effective when augmenting second-line treatment for painful neuropathy.”
/ OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Los Angeles Times editorial board wants Congress to pass legislation letting states set their own marijuana laws.
The Boston Globe editorial board is calling on the Massachusetts attorney general to investigate whether large marijuana companies are violating state rules on ownership limits.
/ BUSINESS
The Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists is hosting a conference about cannabis coverage on Saturday.
/ CULTURE
Former NFL player Tiki Barber is investing in the marijuana industry.
Former boxer Mike Tyson spoke about his involvement in the marijuana industry on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
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Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.
