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WH sends cops’ legal cannabis concerns to Congress (Newsletter: January 4, 2023)
WI gov pushes marijuana reform in inaugural speech; NY & NJ cannabis officials battle on Twitter; DOJ safe drug consumption site suit to mediation
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy sent a report to Congress highlighting law enforcement criticisms of state-level marijuana legalization laws—including concerns about high-potency edibles, trafficking into non-legal states and environmental pollution from cannabis grows.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) said during his inaugural address that Democrats and Republicans must join together in a “meaningful conversation about treating marijuana much like we do alcohol.”
New York and New Jersey cannabis regulators battled it out on Twitter about which state’s legalization rollout is better. New Jersey officials said New York’s small launch is “cute,” while the now-deleted Empire State tweet implied that the Garden State is prioritizing “corporate profits” over equity.
A federal lawsuit between the Department of Justice and a Philadelphia nonprofit that wants to open a safe consumption site for illegal drugs is being transferred to mediation. The move will “expedite a prompt resolution and begin saving lives,” Safehouse said.
/ FEDERAL
Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) tweeted, “Last week, the first legal cannabis dispensary opened in Manhattan, and it lives up to our commitment to prioritizing those harmed by the war on drugs. This is a big moment for cannabis small businesses — and for a more just New York!”
/ STATES
Arkansas’s incoming Senate president pro tempore said he opposes legalizing marijuana.
Wisconsin’s Senate minority leader spoke about the prospects for marijuana reform in the new session.
A New Mexico senator pushed back against court officials’ suggestion to change marijuana expungements laws, saying it would place the burden “on the folks who are least able to bear it, which is the victims of the war on drugs, whom we sought not to burden further while fixing the mistakes of the past.”
Minnesota lawmakers discussed the prospects for legalizing marijuana in 2023.
A Kansas representative said he thinks lawmakers will consider medical cannabis legislation this session.
Montana lawmakers will attend a training session on marijuana revenue on January 10.
Illinois regulators adopted changes to cannabis rules.
Virginia regulators are accepting public comments on draft guidance for home cultivation of marijuana.
New York regulators posted cards with safe cannabis use and storage tips that consumers can be given when making purchases at dispensaries.
The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission published a report on the Illegal Marijuana Market Enforcement Grant Program.
The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission will meet on Thursday.
Washington State regulators will host the first Cannabis Quality Control Standards Work Group meeting on Thursday.
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/ LOCAL
Several Missouri municipalities are considering placing measures on ballots to institute local marijuana taxes.
/ INTERNATIONAL
British Columbia, Canada’s federally sanctioned drug decriminalization experiment is set to begin at the end of this month.
A German federal lawmaker is criticizing Bavaria’s health minister for trying to impede marijuana legalization.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review concluded that “cannabinoids in combination with currently available drugs has the potential to introduce a radically new paradigm for treatment of Parkinson’s disease, making it immensely useful in the treatment of such a debilitating illness.”
A study found that “there has been a consistent increase in pediatric edible cannabis exposures over the past 5 years, with the potential for significant toxicity.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Kentucky Democratic Party tweeted, “Medical cannabis legalization and expanded sports gaming are big priorities for most Kentuckians. But with the 2023 session starting tomorrow, the Republican supermajority still refuses to listen.”
Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist tweeted a link to an op-ed that Marijuana Moment published from a cannabis lobbyist who criticized Democrats for allegedly blocking progress on achievable reform by focusing on social justice demands.
/ BUSINESS
The National Labor Relations Board found that Curaleaf “engaged in serious unfair labor practices” and “made illegal threats”—ordering the company to reinstate a worker who was unlawfully fired for assisting the United Food and Commercial Workers union with organizing.
Canopy Growth Corporation completed its divestiture from Canadian retail operations.
Bloom Medicinals workers in O’Fallon, Missouri went on strike.
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