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Feds “consulting with law enforcement” on banking memo; Kampia out at NCIA; UT lawmakers could undermine MMj ballot measure

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) confirmed his office is preparing potential lawsuits against U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s anti-marijuana moves.

The Trump administration reiterated that it is considering revoking banking protections for marijuana businesses. The U.S. Treasury Department is “consulting with law enforcement” about the issue, a new letter to Congress says.

/ FEDERAL

The U.S. Department of Justice said in a court brief that the rescission of the Cole Memorandum does not increase a marijuana business’s risk of cooperating with an Internal Revenue Service tax audit.

Oregon’s U.S. attorney is hosting a marijuana enforcement summit on Friday.

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) praised San Francisco’s move to expunge old marijuana convictions.

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) also voiced support for the expungement move.

The Hill spoke to several members of the U.S. House about momentum for marijuana law reform:

• Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA): “I’m fairly optimistic that this year will be the year that we can make great progress on this… We had 68 Republicans vote with us last time, and I think it’ll probably be 75 or more next time around… Today’s constituency within the Republican Party has changed. I think that we will be able to have this and expand on this change among Republicans and that’s what’s going to give us the leverage to actually change the law.”
• Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL): “If anything, rescinding the Cole memo has lit a fire under more members of Congress and will likely help bond people together to ensure medical states are not targeted by the DOJ.”
• Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO): “I believe that if Republican leadership allowed a vote on either my amendment or my bill either would pass Congress.”

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) is pushing to treat drug addiction as a health issue (though he wants to incarcerate traffickers).

Congressman Tim Walz (D-MN) is continuing to press the Trump administration on researching medical cannabis for military veterans.

Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) tweeted, “Ending the War on Drugs means more than just legalizing marijuana, but also restoring the communities devastated by mass incarceration and over policing.”

/ STATES

Utah lawmakers are considering undermining a proposed medical cannabis ballot measure by preemptively adopting its language but delaying implementation until federal law changes.

Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill O’Neill said legalizing marijuana is one of his priorities.

Nevada Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Giunchigliani, currently a Clark County commissioner, said that the “Trump Administration needs to back off and let Nevada regulate its own [marijuana industry.”

Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidates debated how marijuana tax revenues should be spent if voters approve legalization in November.

The Virginia House of Delegates preliminarily approved a bill to expand the state’s CBD/THC-A medical cannabis oil law, and will take a final vote on Friday.

The Maine House of Representatives defeated a proposal to extend a moratorium on legal marijuana sales that ended on Thursday. However, there is no process by which businesses can obtain needed licenses in order to begin retail operations.

The Florida House of Representatives approved a measure to freeze $2.1 million in Health Department salaries and expenses over regulators’ delays in medical cannabis implementation.

The Indiana Senate defeated a proposal to establish a committee to study medical cannabis.

South Dakota lawmakers defeated a proposal to drug test legislators.

The Iowa Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill to reduce marijuana possession penalties.

The New Mexico Senate Rules Committee will hear a marijuana legalization bill on Friday.

North Dakota’s attorney general submitted proposed medical cannabis rules.

Nebraska’s attorney general corrected false testimony he delivered concerning the legality of CBD products.

Kansas’s attorney general said CBD products are illegal.

Texas’s first legal medical cannabis products were delivered to a six-year-old girl with epilepsy.

Massachusetts regulators are facing pressure to scale back proposed far-reaching marijuana legalization implementation rules.

An Alabama senator filed a marijuana decriminalization bill.An Alaska representative introduced legislation to seal previous marijuana convictions.

A Pennsylvania representative is introducing a bill to vacate previous marijuana convictions for medical cannabis patients.

A North Carolina Republican senator, the legislature’s only doctor, spoke about the association between legal marijuana access and reduced opioid issues.

/ LOCAL

The Jackson, Mississippi City Council will hold a public hearing this month on a proposed marijuana decriminalization ordinance.

/ INTERNATIONAL

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said decriminalizing drugs beyond marijuana is “not a step that Canada is looking at taking at this point.”

A Portuguese lawmaker is calling for marijuana legalization.

Philippine police are stepping up the nation’s bloody “drug war.”

/ ADVOCACY

The National Cannabis Industry Association removed Marijuana Policy Project founder and former executive director Rob Kampia from its board of directors. “The NCIA board removed Rob in accordance with our bylaws after an ethics committee review surfaced a pattern of behavior unbecoming of a board member,” NCIA’s Aaron Smith told Marijuana Moment.

Kevin Sabet of prohibitionist group Smart Approaches to Marijuana said legalizing cannabis will make opioid issues worse. He got called out by Media Matters for America over it.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

Patients in a study of medical cannabis use “reported improvements in clinical state and health-related measures as well as notable decreases in prescription medication use, particularly opioids and benzodiapezines after 3 months of treatment.”

A review concluded that “evidence appears to support the safety and efficacy of short-term, low-dose cannabis vaporization and oral mucosal delivery for the treatment of neuropathic pain,” suggesting that “medical cannabis may be as tolerable and effective as current neuropathic agents.”

/ OPINION & ANALYSIS

The San Francisco Chronicle editorial board supports a local move to expunge old marijuana convictions.

/ BUSINESS

Marijuana sales are expected to surge ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Aphria is considering selling its U.S.-based marijuana investments.

MassRoots is now based out of a coworking space after being evicted from its former headquarters. (Disclosure: I am a former employee and minority shareholder in the company.)

The Associated Press looks at businesses that are taking advantage of marijuana “gifting” loopholes in state laws.

Alaska collected $784,000 in marijuana tax revenue in December.

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