Newsletter
VP Harris reaching out to cannabis pardon recipients (Newsletter: February 19, 2024)
FDA psychedelics; DE marijuana rules; NY homegrow; SD cannabis worker protections gutted; NJ $1B projection; NM psilocybin; FL potency cap
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Vice President Kamala Harris’s office is actively reaching out to cannabis clemency recipients, an activist who had a meeting with three staffers about his pardon certificate experience told Marijuana Moment.
Food and Drug Administration officials participated in a psychedelics research event, with the head of the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research calling it an opportunity to “expand our knowledge about psychedelic clinical trial design.”
The Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner posted an initial set of draft regulations for the adult-use cannabis market.
The New York Cannabis Control Board approved draft rules allowing home cultivation of recreational marijuana and signed off on more than 100 new business licenses as a top regulator acknowledged the “rocky start” for the legal market this year.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) signed a bill rolling back employment discrimination protections for medical cannabis patients who work in safety-sensitive jobs.
The executive director of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission is projecting the state’s legal marijuana market will see more than $1 billion in sales this year.
- “I’m confident that we’ll reach and surpass that milestone in calendar year 2024.”
The New Mexico Senate unanimously passed a resolution calling on state officials to research the therapeutic potential of psilocybin and explore the creation of a regulatory framework to provide access to the psychedelic.
The Florida House Health and Human Services Committee approved a bill to preemptively set potency caps on recreational marijuana ahead of a potential vote on a legalization initiative on the November ballot.
Minnesota Republican lawmakers are raising concerns that home cultivation of marijuana under the state’s legalization law will cause “blackouts and brownouts” due to energy use from grow lights.
- “We’re shutting down electric plants.”
A new study found that people prefer to allocate marijuana tax revenue for “investment in fundamental societal institutions, including education and public health” instead of “punitive enforcement mechanisms” like police and prisons.
Retiring cannabis lobbyist Justin Strekal authored a new Marijuana Moment op-ed laying out advice for the reform movement and industry on how to “fight for good policy which I was too afraid of or under-resourced to take on or win.”
Marijuana reform advocates and industry insiders say it could take months for Alabama patients to get access to medical cannabis, even after litigation over regulators’ business licensing process is resolved.
/ FEDERAL
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) tweeted, “Nevada has been successfully regulating marijuana for years & we’ve seen the economic benefits. But Congress has failed to keep up with the times – hurting small businesses. I’m committed to passing commonsense legislation that supports legal cannabis businesses nationwide.”
The House bill to protect people from being evicted from public housing for marijuana got one new cosponsor for a total of three.
The House bill to remove the 280E tax penalty from marijuana businesses got one new cosponsor for a total of 11.
The House bill to allow CBD as a food additive got one new cosponsor for a total of 12.
/ STATES
The Maine House and Senate accepted a committee’s recommendation to reject a bill to remove all marijuana-related provisions from the state’s criminal code and expunge prior convictions.
The South Dakota House Health and Human Services Committee approved legislation revising various medical cannabis rules.
The Iowa House Public Safety Committee approved a bill to restrict hemp products.
The Arizona House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee approved a hemp regulation bill.
The Connecticut legislature’s General Law Committee proposed a bill to ban marijuana business promotions and discounts.
A West Virginia delegate filed a bill to legalize medical cannabis edibles.
Nevada lawmakers issued a proclamation saying that people “greatly benefit” from conversation about how “psychedelics may be a core element of comprehensive treatment strategies” for mental health issues.
Pennsylvania lawmakers expressed skepticism about Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) plan to legalize marijuana.
California regulators announced a mandatory recall of cannabis inhalation devices. Separately, the Cannabis Advisory Committee’s Laboratory Subcommittee will meet on Wednesday.
Colorado regulators issued a health and safety advisory about potentially contaminated marijuana products.
Oregon regulators approved a temporary rule to not penalize marijuana businesses that face unforeseen complications getting a required certificate of tax compliance.
A New York regulator predicted that marijuana will one day be sold at Madison Square Garden.
New Jersey regulators approved additional marijuana business licenses.
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Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,000 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy 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.
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/ LOCAL
The North York, Pennsylvania Borough Council is considering a marijuana decriminalization proposal.
Denver, Colorado officials published a request for proposals to design, implement and administer a small business program to support marijuana social equity applicants.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health published rules on quantities of drugs that are considered to be for personal consumption and not dealing.
The UK National Institute for Health and Care Research said that no publicly-funded medical cannabis trials have yet produced an outcome.
A German lawmaker pushed back against opponents’ concerns about marijuana legalization.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study concluded that “cannabinoids are now frequently administered in pediatric palliative care” and “seem to be safe to use and should be considered an add-on therapy for other drug regimens.”
A study indicated “a real-life positive effect of CBD on [alternating hemiplegia of childhood] type spells.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The American National Standards Institute approved cannabis security standards.
A Tenth Amendment Center staffer authored a post on how states have “effectively nullified” federal marijuana prohibition by enacting legalization laws.
/ BUSINESS
Numinus Wellness Inc. closed a “bought deal” public offering for aggregate gross proceeds of C$6 million.
Connecticut retailers sold $25 million worth of legal marijuana products in January.
Montana retailers sold $319.2 million worth of legal marijuana products in 2023.
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Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.
