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Congress blocks another marijuana amendment; CT gov more open to legalization?; Delays floated in Canada

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

U.S. Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin implied in congressional testimony that he supports supports letting marijuana businesses use banks. “I assure you that we don’t want bags of cash,” he said.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a speech that marijuana isn’t good for you, and he blamed the media for drug problems.

The U.S. House Rules Committee blocked yet another marijuana amendment from reaching the full body.

Fifty years ago this week, former U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy criticized the hypocrisy underlying marijuana criminalization during a Tonight Show appearance. The remarks present a stark contrast from how his grandson, Congressman Joe Kennedy III (D-MA), views the issue.

/ FEDERAL

U.S. Acting Assistant Attorney General John Cronan was asked about marijuana enforcement policy during a White House press briefing.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and other officials have raised border concerns regarding Canada’s pending marijuana legalization in meetings with representatives of that country.

U.S Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is visiting Colombia to discuss drug eradication efforts.

A Trump administration plan to move an Office of National Drug Control Policy program to the Department of Justice is facing pushback from law enforcement.

U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner’s (R-CO) marijuana dispute with the Department of Justice has already blocked as many as 11 nominees from advancing.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) entered into the Congressional Record an essay from a high school junior calling for marijuana legalization. Separately, he tweeted that “despite Jeff Sessions’ war on marijuana, a growing majority of the American people understand that we should allow states the right to move toward the decriminalization of marijuana, not reverse progress that has been made.”

Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) tweeted, “San Francisco is retroactively applying marijuana legalization to prior convictions dating to 1975, which means that thousands of felonies and misdemeanors will be re-sentenced or dismissed. This is how we begin to end the failed ‘war on drugs.'”

Massachusetts Democratic congressional candidate Bill Cimbrelo spoke about how medical cannabis can help pain patients.

Massachusetts Democratic congressional candidate Keith St. John said he supports ending federal marijuana prohibition.

South Carolina’s former U.S. attorney is calling on the state to allow medical cannabis.

/ STATES

The office of Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D), who opposes legalizing marijuana, proactively suggested ending cannabis prohibition as an alternative budget fix.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) touted bipartisan cooperation on medical cannabis during his annual budget address.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) said he’s open to considering legal marijuana’s role in reducing opioid issues.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) defended his administration’s efforts to implement medical cannabis.

Maryland Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous is calling for marijuana legalization.

Oklahoma Republican gubernatorial candidate Gary Richardson said he supports medical cannabis but that the ballot measure going before voters in June is too far-reaching.

California treasurer candidate Fiona Ma (D) discussed her views on marijuana banking.

Massachusetts finance officials expressed a number of concerns about proposed marijuana legalization implementation regulations.

The Missouri House General Laws Committee held a hearing on a medical cannabis bill.

The Vermont House Judiciary Committee is considering legislation to fast-track the expungement process for misdemeanor marijuana convictions.

An Ohio representative filed a bill to create a “closed loop” cashless payment system for medical cannabis businesses.

Here’s a look at the prospects for marijuana law reform in New York.

Maine lawmakers are considering changes to the state’s medical cannabis program.

A recent Arkansas Supreme Court ruling could limit the ability of businesses that don’t receive medical cannabis licenses to sue the state.

Washington State regulators said the state’s marijuana track and trace system experienced an “application bug.”

The Conference of Chief Justices, which is comprised of the highest judicial officers from each U.S. state and territory, hosted a discussion about marijuana policy at its recent meeting.

/ LOCAL

A Los Angeles County, California supervisor filed a resolution calling on officials to develop a countywide plan to facilitate the resentencing of minor marijuana convictions.

San Francisco, California appears on track to open the nation’s first safe injection facilities for illegal drug consumers in July.

/ INTERNATIONAL

Canadian government officials, who appeared before the Senate to answer questions, seem to be lowering expectations on implementing marijuana legalization by their original July target. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under fire for selling helicopters to the Philippines, which is waging a bloody “drug war” in the face of human rights concerns.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended medical cannabis exports pending a review.

/ ADVOCACY

The Charles Koch Foundation is donating millions of dollars to colleges to support studies on marijuana and criminal justice reform.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch takes a look inside a secretive group called Missourians for Patient Care, which is one of three organizations pushing to place a medical cannabis measure on the state’s ballot.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study “characterized the aroma profile of eleven [marijuana] strains sold in the legal recreational market” and showed that “consumers perceive differences among strains, that the strains form distinct clusters based on odor similarity, and that strain aroma profiles are linked to perceptions of potency, price, and smoking interest.”

/ CULTURE     

Washington, D.C. police posted a marijuana-themed tweet in commemoration of Bob Marley’s birthday.

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