Newsletter
Which industry’s workers consume the most cannabis? (Newsletter: Sep. 12, 2018)
MI poll shows legalization winning; Rep. Gabbard talks marijuana with Joe Rogan; CO GOP & Dem pols embrace hemp ahead of ballot vote
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Ahead of a little-noticed Colorado ballot vote on industrial hemp, the state’s Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates are touring hemp farms.
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) spoke with podcaster Joe Rogan about marijuana reform, psychedelic research and private prisons. (And no, she didn’t pull an Elon Musk and smoke a joint on the podcast.)
A study examined marijuana use rates across different industries, finding that food service workers, educators and retail employees are way more likely to consume cannabis than those in finance, agriculture or transportation.
/ FEDERAL
The U.S. Sentencing Commission launched a new podcast.
Florida Democratic congressional candidate Jennifer Zimmerman tweeted, “I believe in the decriminalization of cannabis so no one is disproportionately punished. However, I believe in regulating it like alcohol. DUI charges should also apply to drug intoxication, not just alcohol & opioids.”
/ STATES
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed a bill prohibiting the marketing of cannabis products on websites used by minors.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) is considering calling a special legislative session to address medical cannabis.
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) said he would sign a medical cannabis bill and relayed a story about how it might have helped his nephew, who died of cancer at age 14.
The man behind one of Missouri’s medical cannabis ballot initiatives is withdrawing a lawsuit he filed against a competing measure, while a separate suit against a third ballot question has already been dismissed by a judge.
Massachusetts’s top marijuana regulator said full recreational licenses will be granted “in the next few weeks to a month or so.” Meanwhile, cannabis growers are considering suing regulators over their decision not to review local host community agreements that some say require excessive payments that keep smaller businesses from winning licenses.
Michigan regulators are allowing some medical cannabis businesses to remain open until December 15 without licenses, but others will have to close.
Maine regulators are hiring a consultant to help set up rules for medical cannabis and recreational marijuana.
/ LOCAL
The Lancaster, Pennsylvania City Council amended a proposed marijuana penalty reduction ordinance, with a final vote expected later this month.
The Green Bay, Wisconsin Common Council is considering lowering fines for marijuana possession.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma’s City Council heard testimony on a proposed marijuana decriminalization ordinance.
Fresno, California officials released draft marijuana regulations.
Portland, Oregon’s mayor tweeted, “Cannabis prohibition has failed. It has failed to keep our children safe; it has failed law enforcement, and it has especially failed communities of color who have disproportionately targeted and prosecuted for low-level drug offenses. It is imperative that as a community we work to create economic opportunities for communities disproportionately impacted by prohibition, and also continue to seek atonement and retroactive justice for people who have had their lives disrupted due to cannabis prohibition.”
/ INTERNATIONAL
Georgia’s government plans to legalize the cultivation of marijuana for export.
Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo is urging West African countries to decriminalize drugs.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned citizens to consider what they say about their past marijuana use if asked by U.S. border agents. Meanwhile, the military is seeking to reassure international allies about its troops’ use of cannabis under legalization.
The Bahamian government is slowly forming a committee to study marijuana laws.
A Chilean senator is working to free a Chilean man jailed in Indonesia for possessing marijuana seeds.
French health officials created a committee to analyze how to create a medical cannabis market.
German regulators plan to issue medical cannabis cultivation licenses early next year.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that UK youth find it easier to access marijuana than alcohol.
A survey found “poor communication between patients and [primary care physicians] about medical marijuana use, which is being sanctioned by physicians other than patients’ PCPs.”
/ OPINION & ANALYSIS
A poll found that Michigan likely voters support the state’s marijuana legalization ballot measure, 56% – 31%.
A poll found that New Jersey residents support legalizing marijuana, 44% – 31%, and that support rises to 53% when told that legalization could help ease their local taxes.
/ BUSINESS
Slate looks at ongoing problems with marijuana track-and-trace software.
CNBC’s Jim Cramer is hosting a cannabis investment conference next month.
/ CULTURE
Charlo Greene, the former Alaska TV news anchor who quit on air and revealed her involvement in the marijuana industry, reached a plea deal on charges she illegally sold cannabis.
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