AOC & GOP cannabis expungements bill in Congress (Newsletter: December 3, 2021) – Marijuana Moment
Ohio Marijuana Activists Submit Signatures To Force Legislature To Consider Legalization
Senator Calls For Federal Marijuana Standard To Measure Impaired Driving
AOC Calls On Biden To Use Executive Authority On Marijuana Policy As President’s Agenda Stalls In Congress
New York Senator Files Bill To Extend Marijuana Equity Benefits To Gay, Lesbian And Bisexual People
Malta Officially Legalizes Marijuana With President’s Signature, Becoming First In Europe To End Cannabis Prohibition
Smoking CBD-Rich Marijuana Has ‘No Significant Impact’ On Driving Ability, Study Finds
Youth Marijuana Use ‘Decreased Significantly’ In 2021 Despite State Reforms, Federally Funded Survey Finds
Allowing Legal Marijuana Dispensaries Boosts Employment Rates In Colorado Counties, Study Finds
Marijuana Helps Treat PTSD Symptoms But Federal Policy Impedes Science, VA Researcher Says
DEA Backs White House Plan To Streamline Research On Marijuana, Psychedelics And Other Schedule I Drugs
Berlin Public Transit Is Selling Edible, Hemp-Infused Tickets To Help Riders To Relax This Holiday
Seth Rogen And Sarah Silverman Partner With Marijuana Businesses To Press Senators For Legalization
Singer Melissa Etheridge And Activist Van Jones Promote Psychedelics Reform As Movement Grows
Sanjay Gupta Explains His Marijuana Reversal And Discusses ‘Very Biased’ U.S. Research With Joe Rogan
Farmers Switch From Raising Chickens For Slaughter To Growing Hemp With Help Of Animal Advocacy Group
Arizona Recreational Marijuana Sales Hit Record Monthly High, State Reports
Visa Warns Against Misuse Of ‘Cashless ATMs’ Used By Cannabis Retailers To Skirt Restrictions
IRS Official Gives Marijuana Businesses Advice On Tax Compliance
GW Pharma Scores Interim Victory In Cannabis Extraction Patent Infringement Fight With Canopy (Op-Ed)
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Partners With Marijuana Industry On Internship Program For Future Cannabis Leaders
Senator Calls For Federal Marijuana Standard To Measure Impaired Driving
Berlin Public Transit Is Selling Edible, Hemp-Infused Tickets To Help Riders To Relax This Holiday
Pro-Legalization Missouri GOP Lawmaker Addresses Marijuana Resistance In His Party
Ohio Senate Approves Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana For Any Patient Who Can ‘Reasonably Be Expected’ To Benefit
Illinois Announces $45 Million In Marijuana-Funded Grants To Support Community Reinvestment
Next steps for cannabis banking (Newsletter: December 20, 2021)
GOP lawmakers press Biden for cannabis action (Newsletter: December 17, 2021)
State cannabis czar takes over legalization org (Newsletter: December 16, 2021)
Fed scientists slam fed cannabis restrictions (Newsletter: December 15, 2021)
Malta set to legalize cannabis this week, a European first (Newsletter: December 14, 2021)
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NIDA head deterred from studying marijuana under Schedule 1; DEA psychedelics boost; USDA hemp insurance update; GW beats Canopy in patent ruling
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) filed a new bipartisan bill in Congress to fund state and local marijuana expungement programs.
National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Nora Vokow—the U.S.’s top drug science official— said she personally hesitates to study marijuana because its federal Schedule I status makes it “much more cumbersome” than studying other substances.
The Drug Enforcement Administration once again proposed a huge boost in the legal production of illegal psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA and DMT to be used in research. The agency initially wanted just 30 grams of psilocybin produced in 2021, and now that’s been boosted to 8,000 grams for 2022—a 26,567% increase, reflecting a massive level of interest in psychedelics research.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced new changes to “strengthen” crop insurance policies for hemp producers.
GW Pharmaceuticals won a preliminary victory over Canopy Growth Corporation in a patent infringement case the latter company filed over cannabis extraction methods, as IP lawyer Larry Sandell of Mei & Mark, LLP explains in an op-ed for Marijuana Moment.
/ FEDERAL
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service tweeted a reminder that responses to a federal hemp survey are due next week.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) tweeted, “The message across the country is clear: The vast majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana. @RonWyden, @SenBooker, and I are working to pass our Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act to end the federal prohibition and repair the harm done by the War on Drugs.”
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) said he hasn’t spoken to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about the possible inclusion of marijuana banking provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) raised concerns about fentanyl-laced marijuana and other drugs in a Senate floor speech.
Re. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) tweeted about “illegal marijuana operations in California that are stealing our water, inserting harmful pesticides into our ecosystems, and wreaking havoc on our public lands.”
The House bill to allow CBD as a dietary supplement got one new cosponsor for a total of 35.
/ STATES
Texas’s attorney general appealed an injunction on regulators’ smokable hemp ban to the state Supreme Court, putting the policy back in place for now.
South Dakota’s attorney general issued a report finding that the state’s hemp program does not substantially affect police’s ability to go after illegal marijuana.
Arkansas activists believe they will raise enough money to fund a successful signature gathering effort to put a marijuana legalization measure on the 2022 ballot.
The New Mexico legislature’s Finance Authority Oversight Committee approved a $5 million loan program for cannabis microbusinesses.
Several Indian tribes located within New York are conducting retail marijuana sales.
An Illinois judge issued an order consolidating several lawsuits challenging regulators’ marijuana business license award processes.
Georgia regulators blocked media access to pre-hearing conferences about medical cannabis business license denial protests.
Pennsylvania regulators sent an alert to patients about an ongoing review of the safety of medical cannabis vaping products.
Vermont regulators sent a warning about a scam targeting marijuana businesses in which callers pretend to be from the Cannabis Control Board.
The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development is hiring grants analysts for a marijuana revenue-funded program to help communities impacted by the drug war.
Ohio regulators posted updated medical cannabis patient and caregiver numbers.
New Jersey marijuana regulators will hold a public meeting on Tuesday.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,200 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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DEA-HHS cannabis dispute brought to White House office (Newsletter: December 6, 2021)
Treasury secretary talks cannabis banking benefits (Newsletter: December 2, 2021)
Tom Angell is the editor of Marijuana Moment. A 20-year veteran in the cannabis law reform movement, he covers the policy and politics of marijuana. Separately, he founded the nonprofit Marijuana Majority. Previously he reported for Marijuana.com and MassRoots, and handled media relations and campaigns for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and Students for Sensible Drug Policy. (Organization citations are for identification only and do not constitute an endorsement or partnership.)
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Malta legal marijuana signed into law; CO psychedelics decrim ballot measures; Congressional psilocybin push; Study: CBD doesn’t impair driving
Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day.
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BREAKING: Journalism is often consumed for free, but costs money to produce! While this newsletter is proudly sent without cost to you, our ability to send it each day depends on the financial support of readers who can afford to give it. So if you’ve got a few dollars to spare each month and believe in the work we do, please consider joining us on Patreon today.
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Malta President George Vella signed the marijuana legalization bill into law that Parliament approved just days earlier. The country is now the first in Europe to legalize cannabis.
Reps. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Dave Joyce (R-OH) spoke to Marijuana Moment about the next steps for passing cannabis banking legislation after it got stripped from the National Defense Authorization Act.
Colorado activists filed proposed ballot measures to legalize possession and personal cultivation of psychedelics, and to create a system of licensed businesses to produce psilocybin, DMT, ibogaine and mescaline for supervised use at “healing centers.”
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) is leading a congressional effort to pressure the Drug Enforcement Administration to drop its opposition to letting terminally ill cancer patients receive psilocybin therapy. The agency is currently facing a lawsuit from a doctor who wants to provide the psychedelic.
A new study found that smoking CBD-rich marijuana has “no significant impact on driving ability.” Even though THC blood levels were above the legal limit, “no signs of impairment were found”—suggesting that CBD can negate THC’s intoxicating effects.
/ FEDERAL
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration hosted a two-day harm reduction summit.
Rep .Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) tweeted about the death of a marijuana dispensary security guard during a robbery, saying, “This is heartbreaking for the family of Dominique Ware. These businesses are forced to operate in cash which presents a huge public safety issue for the businesses & their employees. We need #SAFEBanking NOW to help prevent future tragedies & violence.”
/ STATES
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D) proposed budget included funding for the implementation of marijuana legalization.
Kansas House Democrats tweeted, “#ksleg-islators will be back in Topeka in less than a month. 📅 Let your legislators know you support: ✅Medical cannabis…”
A South Dakota senator spoke about the possibility of passing a marijuana legalization bill in 2022.
A Minnesota representative spoke about plans to continue pursuing marijuana legalization in 2022.
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, located within New York, issued its first conditional marijuana cultivation licenses.
The Texas Supreme Court agreed to hear regulators’ appeal of a lower court ruling that overturned their ban on smokable hemp.
A New Mexico judge upheld medical cannabis purchase limits.
Arkansas regulators proposed medical cannabis dispensary licensing rules changes.
Illinois regulators proposed rules changes exempting cannabis vaping products from electronic cigarette taxes and exempting cultivators and retailers from having to obtain additional licenses.
Utah regulators are expediting the implementation of rules to expand medical cannabis access.
Maine’s Medical Marijuana Workgroup rejected a proposal on using METRC to track products.
Colorado regulators published information about background check requirements for hemp license applicants.
Oregon regulators published a safety and health guide for cannabis growers, processors and retailers.
Vermont regulators will discuss marijuana issues on Tuesday.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,300 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.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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VA panel votes to speed up sales; Congressional marijuana memo; CA AG: seal cannabis records; Edible hemp-infused German bus tickets
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Virginia legislature’s Joint Commission on Cannabis Oversight voted to recommend speeding up recreational marijuana sales. If approved by the full House and Senate, existing medical cannabis dispensaries could sell to adults on January 1, 2023.
Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Don Young (R-AK) sent a letter demanding that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris “begin to seriously engage” on marijuana reform and remove it from Schedule I.
Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chairs Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Barbara Lee (D-CA) issued a new memo looking back at marijuana momentum in 2021 and ahead to priorities for 2022.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) issued a memo urging county prosecutors to stop delaying the required sealing and dismissal of past marijuana convictions under a law he authored as an assemblymember.
A Missouri Republican representative who is sponsoring a resolution to put marijuana legalization on the 2022 ballot says he’s not optimistic about overcoming resistance to reform from within his own party.
Berlin public transit agency BVG is selling hemp-infused tickets it says bus and subway riders can eat to stay calm during the holiday season. This comes as Germany’s new government has pledged to legalize marijuana nationwide.
/ FEDERAL
A federal judge granted compassionate release to a 90-year-old, seriously ill man serving life in prison for a nonviolent marijuana trafficking offense.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) tweeted. “I’m working with @SenBooker and @RonWyden to pass our Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. Because we must end the federal prohibition and make criminal justice reforms. And that’s exactly what our bill does.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) spoke in a Senate floor speech about his work on legislation to remove barriers to marijuana research, which he argued is necessary before it is legalized or decriminalized.
/ STATES
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) tweeted, “This year my administration legalized cannabis, fulfilling a promise to the people of New Mexico, who overwhelmingly supported the effort. Legalized cannabis will create thousands of NM jobs and bring in millions in revenue.”
Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried, currently the agriculture commissioner, tweeted about getting 420 donors to her campaign, saying, “And yes, it’s past time to legalize marijuana!! We have to win first!”
The Louisiana House Criminal Justice Impacts of Legalizing Cannabis Subcommittee held its first hearing.
A Tennessee representative tweeted, “Democrats have been working on this for years, a handful of GOP play like they are on board, yet never run the bills. It’s time for this to happen and time to listen to 81% of Tennesseans who want to see cannabis reform!”
A Massachusetts senator tweeted, “Let’s be honest: we need legal, public locations for adults to consume cannabis in communities that want them. I filed S.65 to address nuisance issues & promote public health by giving adults a space to consume cannabis after purchase from a dispensary.”
Texas regulators appealed a ruling overturning their ban on smokable hemp to the state Supreme Court, a move that reinstates the policy for now.
Michigan regulators asked a judge to reconsider a ruling that they say could allow the sale of moldy and contaminated marijuana.
New York regulators approved changes to cannabinoid hemp rules. Separately, the chair of the Cannabis Control Board said she hopes to have draft marijuana rules available for public comment sometime in the first quarter or next year.
Colorado regulators adopted new marijuana and hemp rules.
Arizona regulators received more than 1,500 applications for 26 marijuana social equity dispensary licenses.
Maine regulators submitted a report on the hemp program to lawmakers.
New Jersey regulators posted a FAQ about marijuana business license applications.
Washington State regulators sent an update about transitioning to a new marijuana tracking system.
Oregon regulators will hold a hearing on marijuana and hemp rules on Monday.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,300 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.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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Fed study: Youth use down as more states legalize; OH medical cannabis expansion; IL marijuana money for drug war repairs; NH 2022 legalization push
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Marijuana Policy Project has a new leader. Toi Hutchinson most recently served as the top cannabis advisor to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D), and before that as a state senator she sponsored the legalization bill he signed into law.
A new federally funded survey found that youth marijuana use declined dramatically in 2021 even as more states enacted and implemented legalization. While COVID social distancing likely contributed to the drop, the new data provides more evidence that prohibitionists’ fears about skyrocketing teen consumption are unfounded.
The Ohio Senate approved a bill to let doctors recommend medical cannabis for any condition they “reasonably” believe could benefit from it, and to otherwise expand the program with more dispensaries and bigger cultivation operations.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (D) announced a new $45 million round of marijuana revenue-funded grants aimed at helping communities that have been harmed by the war on drugs.
New Hampshire lawmakers are looking to nearby Maine and Vermont for marijuana lessons as they plan a 2022 legalization push—but they face resistance from the governor and legislative leaders.
/ FEDERAL
President Joe Biden signed executive orders imposing sanctions on foreign persons involved with the illegal drug trade and establishing a new U.S. Council on Transnational Organized Crime.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said licensed hemp businesses are eligible for its Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program.
The Senate passed a bill designating methamphetamine as an emerging threat and directing the Office of National Drug Control Policy to implement a plan to address its use.
Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) tweeted about St. Louis, Missouri’s mayor signing a marijuana decriminalization bill, saying, “Deep gratitude to you, Madam Mayor, and to the sponsors on the Board of Aldermen for your amazing leadership in delivering this legislation to repeal outdated marijuana laws in St. Louis. This will save lives and livelihoods.”
/ STATES
Pennsylvania Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro, currently the attorney general, tweeted, “The majority of Pennsylvanians want to see marijuana legalized. Me too — it’s time to get it done.”
Texas Democratic attorney general candidate Lee Merritt tweeted, “We can’t simply legalize cannabis in Texas without taking steps to undo 50 years of damage disproportionately directed at black and brown communities. As we move toward legalization in Texas we must rebuild communities devastated by the so-called ‘war on drugs.’”
Minnesota’s House majority leader tweeted, “Expunging convictions must be a non-negotiable part of any cannabis legalization bill. Without it, legalization is barely even a criminal justice reform.”
The Massachusetts legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee held a hearing on marijuana expungement bills.
A Florida representative tweeted about a bill she recently filed “to decriminalize the personal possession and use (not sale/production) of marijuana and other drugs to prioritize ‘treatment and safety in an effort to preserve lives rather than discard them through criminalization and incarceration.’”
An Oklahoma Supreme Court official held an initial hearing in a case in which one legalization activist is challenging other activists’ proposed marijuana ballot measures.
New Mexico regulators issued the state’s first recreational marijuana business licenses.
Colorado regulators issued an updated health and safety advisory about potentially unsafe marijuana products produced by Innovative Fusion LLC.
New Jersey regulators began accepting applications for recreational marijuana cultivation, manufacturing and testing business licenses.
New York marijuana regulators partnered with other state agencies on a new campaign urging people not to drive under the influence.
The Alaska Department of Law is pursuing felony charges against a marijuana cultivation business for failure to pay taxes.
Oregon regulators released a podcast about 2021 marijuana developments.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,300 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.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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/ LOCAL
Oakland, California’s mayor said in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) that she would like a California Highway Patrol task force to direct more attention to recent robberies of marijuana dispensaries and other businesses.
Some Green Bay, Wisconsin Common Council members are pushing to lower marijuana penalties.
The San Diego, California City Council is considering a proposal to increase the number of marijuana dispensaries and loosen zoning restrictions.
The Bernalillo County, New Mexico Commission approved a marijuana ordinance that bans outdoor consumption areas.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is open to working with provinces that want to decriminalize drugs.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Science and Technology shared more details about its hemp plan.
The UK Food Standards Agency said it will soon publish details on which CBD products will be allowed to remain on the market.
A South Korean judge spared two U.S. service members convicted of bringing cannabis products into the country from serving time in prison.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “among nurses and physicians, having an oncology specialty predicted more positive attitudes toward” medical cannabis and that “physicians had a less positive attitude toward MC compared to nurses.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Texas Medical Association published a white paper about medical cannabis.
/ BUSINESS
Canopy Growth Corporation is divesting subsidiary business C³ Cannabinoid Compound Company GmbH.
Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. closed on the acquisition of 27 properties leased for use as cannabis facilities in Colorado, Pennsylvania and North Dakota.
Puffco is temporarily shutting down its website to deal with a backlog of orders caused by the U.S. Postal Service’s ban on mailing vaping products.
Village Farms International, Inc. is delisting from the Toronto Stock Exchange and will remain on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
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