Newsletter
Trump talks cannabis and states’ rights (Newsletter: September 2, 2019)
Senator wants marijuana harms hearing before banking vote; Seth Rogen hosts cannabis-infused charity carnival; CDC warns about unregulated vapes
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…
By starting a $10 per month pledge on Patreon—or about 45 cents per issue of this newsletter—you can help us rely less on ads to cover our expenses, hire more journalists and bring you even more marijuana news.
- Mickey Reveneaugh: “I am actually working on a book about the social and cultural changes accompanying America’s move toward legalization, and your newsletter is full of exactly the kind of information I need. In fact, I’ve used the term ‘limning this marijuana moment in America’ as shorthand for my book’s focus, and now see I’m not the only one with that lens!”
https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment
/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
President Trump reiterated that his administration is “allowing states to make that decision” to legalize marijuana.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) acknowledged the “real threat” of blocking cannabis businesses from banking access but said he wants a separate hearing on the “consequences” of legalization before passing a financial services bill.
Actor Seth Rogen announced he’s hosting a marijuana-infused carnival this month to raise money for Alzheimer’s research. In 2014 he made a cannabis joke at the start of a Senate hearing about the disease, which his mother-in-law suffers from.
/ FEDERAL
The heads of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration sent an update on investigations into cases of severe lung injury that appear to be associated with with use of e-cigarette products containing THC and/or nicotine. The CDC also warned consumers that they “should not buy these products off the street.”
National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Nora Volkow said “there has to be some way of regulating” vaping devices, seeming to inadvertently acknowledge a major public health benefit of legalization.
Surgeon General Jerome Adams posted several tweets reacting to pro-legalization arguments from reform organizations. In an interview he acknowledged that “Reefer Madness was propaganda” but sought to distance his own anti-cannabis work from it. He also spoke at an event at which he appeared to try to make the case that marijuana is a gateway drug.
A Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in charge in Nebraska said the agency doesn’t plan to go after hemp and CBD products containing less than .3 percent THC.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), a presidential candidate, tweeted about the case of a man deported after serving a 17-year prison sentence for marijuana, saying, “Every American should be angered by this injustice. We need to legalize marijuana nationwide but that doesn’t go far enough—we also need to expunge records & reinvest in communities hardest hit by our failed drug war. We need justice for Karla, her dad & so many others.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a presidential candidate, tweeted, “We must legalize marijuana nationwide and expunge past convictions.”
The House comprehensive medical cannabis bill got two new cosponsors, for a total of 12.
/ STATES
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) pruned hemp plants with shears labelled “chief hemp inspector.”
Former Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) used medical cannabis to deal with pain related to ocular melanoma before she died last month.
California lawmakers sent Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) a bill to authorize school districts to let parents administer medical cannabis to students at schools. Meanwhile, the Assembly Appropriations Committee approved a bill to charter banks to serve the marijuana industry.
Michigan regulators issued a health and safety bulletin about the recall of medical cannabis products amid an investigation into the practices of a testing lab.
New Oklahoma medical cannabis regulations went into effect.
—
Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,000 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.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—
/ LOCAL
A Rolla, Missouri City Council member resigned ahead of a hearing on whether his past marijuana felony conviction made him ineligible for office.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Barbados’s agriculture and food security minister moved a medical cannabis bill for second reading in the House of Assembly. The government is also pledging to give members of the Rastafarian movement at least 60 acres of land to grow marijuana legally.
Luxembourg’s health minister said that recreational marijuana will be legal for residents only and not tourists.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “THC promoted periodontal cell wound healing by inducing [human periodontal fibroblast cell] adhesion and migration” and that “cannabinoids may contribute to developing new therapeutics for periodontal regeneration and wound healing.”
A review concluded that “although CBD and hemp oils remain an unproven therapeutic option, physicians should remain open to the possible future role these products may play in the management of a variety of difficult to treat diseases, in particular pain and addiction treatment in the context of the opioid crisis.”
Nature Outlook published an issued focusing on marijuana science.
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
A founder of the Extinction Rebellion environmental movement said she conceived the effort while on psychedelics.
/ BUSINESS
Harborside Inc. reported 19.8% quarterly revenue growth from a year ago but a $15.6 million net loss.
4Front Ventures Corp. reported quarterly revenue of just over $14 million and a loss of more than $4.4 million.
/ CULTURE
Soccer player Megan Rapinoe and her twin sister are launching a CBD company.
Magician Penn Jillette spoke with Joe Rogan about the fact that he’s never done drugs but is open to psychedelics.
Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox.
