Newsletter
TX House approves medical cannabis expansion (Newsletter: April 12, 2023)
MD marijuana smell & searches bill passes; German legalization plans; Gun lawsuit filing; Safe consumption site case update
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Maryland lawmakers sent Gov. Wes Moore (D) a bill to prevent police from using the smell of marijuana as justification for searching people or vehicles.
The Texas House of Representatives approved a bill to allow doctors to recommend medical cannabis as an opioid alternative for chronic pain while also replacing the current THC potency cap.
Germany’s health minister announced he will unveil details of the government’s revised marijuana legalization plan on Wednesday.
Plaintiffs in a case challenging the federal government’s ban on gun rights for medical cannabis patients filed a new brief saying that the Department of Justice is relying on “startling and dangerous” arguments to support the policy.
A coalition of Philadelphia community groups is seeking to intervene in a federal lawsuit on safe consumption sites for illegal drugs—saying they fear the Department of Justice “may imminently abandon” its prior position that the facilities are illegal.
The Nevada Senate Commerce and Labor Committee held a hearing on a bill to more than double marijuana possession limits and to eliminate a blanket ban on employment in the cannabis industry for certain people with felony convictions.
/ FEDERAL
The U.S. Department of Agriculture published an article about a hemp business “success story.”
/ STATES
A spokesperson for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) dodged a question about whether the governor still owns stock in Green Thumb Industries, for which he previously served as a board member, as he prepares to sign a marijuana sales regulation bill into law.
A spokesperson for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) discussed his proposed amendment to a hemp product regulation bill.
Connecticut’s attorney general announced raids on more stores that were allegedly illegally delta-8 THC products.
The Texas House of Representatives gave initial approval to a bill to decriminalize fentanyl test strips.
Nevada’s Assembly speaker posted a photo of himself meeting with Chamber of Cannabis members at a lobby day.
The New York Senate minority leader and other elected officials criticized regulators’ apparent prioritization of awarding marijuana dispensary licenses to people with criminal records rather than to military veterans. Separately, a senator filed a bill to require that edible cannabis products be sold in child-resistant packaging.
Alabama’s Senate minority leader is sponsoring a marijuana decriminalization bill.
Wisconsin’s Senate minority leader posted a video about neighboring states’ marijuana revenue hauls.
The Colorado House Finance Committee will hold a hearing on a bill to allow online marijuana sales on Thursday.
Minnesota lawmakers spoke about the prospects of passing marijuana legalization legislation this session.
A Pennsylvania senator spoke about his support for legalizing marijuana.
A Georgia representative discussed his support for hemp product regulation legislation.
Arizona regulators announced that previously recalled marijuana products have been retested and shown to be free of contaminants.
Massachusetts regulators issued a bulletin about a recall of a test kit that can be used to measure microbial contaminants in cannabis products.
Rhode Island regulators sent a bulletin about termination of medical cannabis business employees’ registry cards.
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/ LOCAL
New York City Council members filed legislation to require officials to conduct a public education campaign on the dangers of purchasing marijuana from unlicensed retailers.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador claimed that in the final days of the administration of his predecessor Enrique Peña Nieto, regulators inappropriately issued 63 cannabis permits to family members of former President Vicente Fox Quesada. Fox responded by calling the claim a “lie.”
The German government is making changes to hemp regulations in response to new European Union rules.
Sergipe, Brazil enacted a local medical cannabis law.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “cannabidiol and cannabis extract protect cells against platinum-based chemotherapy via cellular uptake.”
A study suggested that “combination therapy with CBZ and CBD provides enhanced therapeutic efficacy against” hepatocellular carcinoma.
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Weldon Project launched the Mission [Green] Alliance, which encourages cannabis dispensary customers to round-up their purchase amounts to the nearest dollar to support federal reform efforts.
The New York Post editorial board is calling on state officials to address robberies at unlicensed marijuana stores.
Elon Musk tweeted, “I think we should legalize [fentanyl]. The probability of overdose or a bad batch is greatly reduced if there is actual QA & regulation. Also, crime flourishes when substances are made illegal. Alcohol is very much a “drug” – it’s just a legacy drug from olden times when we had no technology! Prohibition of alcohol in the United States caused the greatest increase in organized crime in our history. How many times do we have to learn this lesson!?”
/ BUSINESS
AYR Wellness Inc. closed its acquisition of Tahoe Hydroponics Company, LLC.
Organigram Holdings Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of C$39.5 million and a net loss of C$7.5 million.
Clearmind Medicine Inc. closed a public offering with gross proceeds of approximately $3.5 million.
Cookies closed a Series A funding round for an amount it did not disclose.
A report from Vangst concluded that there are now 417,493 full-time equivalent jobs supported by the legal cannabis industry in the U.S.—a 2 percent drop from last year.
A Twitter official spoke about marijuana ads at a conference.
Glass House Brands Inc. hired former federal marijuana prisoner Luke Scarmazzo as a brand ambassador.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
