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Friday, Apr 19

23

New Mexico Governor Presses Biden Official About Spike In Federal Marijuana Seizures From Licensed Businesses

The governor of New Mexico spoke with the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week and expressed concern about a recent surge of Border Patrol seizures of marijuana from state-licensed businesses, Marijuana Moment…

22

Ahead Of 4/20 White House Says Biden Has Been ‘Very Clear’ In Supporting Marijuana Decriminalization, But Admin Is Awaiting DOJ Rescheduling Action

President Joe Biden has been “very, very clear” about his support for decriminalizing marijuana, the White House said on the eve of 4/20. But currently, the administration is waiting for the Justice Department to complete its review into…

Ahead Of 4/20, National Democratic Group Slams Virginia GOP Governor For Marijuana Vetoes

A national Democratic Party group is bashing Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) “harmful opposition to marijuana reform” ahead of the 4/20 cannabis holiday, calling out the GOP governor’s recent vetoes of bills to legalize retail sales and…

21

Marijuana Rescheduling Could ‘Ease Researcher Access’ For Studies, Federal Agency Says In Overdue Report To Congress

A federal traffic safety agency has published an overdue report to Congress identifying barriers to marijuana research toward developing impaired driving detection technology—pointing out that rescheduling “may ease researcher access to…

20

This Will Be The ‘Last 4/20 Celebration’ With Marijuana Still In Schedule I, Congressman Says, While Predicting House Action On Cannabis Banking Bill

This Saturday will be the “last 4/20 celebration that cannabis will be on Schedule I,” a Democratic congressman predicts, adding that he’s “quite confident” the GOP House will take up a bipartisan cannabis banking bill if lawmakers “break…

15

New Hampshire Lawmakers Weigh Medical Marijuana Expansion Bills Amid Recreational Legalization Debate

While uncertainty remains around how New Hampshire’s Senate will receive a House-passed measure to legalize adult-use cannabis, lawmakers separately took up a batch of bills this week that would make changes to the state’s existing medical…

14

Pennsylvania GOP Senator’s Bill Would Let Medical Marijuana Patients Get Gun Carry Permits

A Republican senator in Pennsylvania has formally introduced a bill meant to remove state barriers to medical marijuana patients carrying firearms after previewing the legislation and soliciting co-sponsors earlier this year. Sen. Dan…

Brands And Advocacy Groups—From ACLU To KFC—Launch 4/20 Promotions To Mark The Marijuana Holiday

The cannabis holiday 4/20 is upon us again, and that means a new series of marijuana-themed promotions and campaigns from mainstream corporations that seek to leverage the popularity of the expanding reform movement. As cannabis has become…

13

Senate cannabis expungements bill (Newsletter: April 19, 2024)

Russia pushed to free US medical marijuana patient; FL poll; Gallup cannabis use survey; SAFE Banking push; NIDA on rescheduling; CO & MO psychedelics Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning.…

Thursday, Apr 18

00

GOP Congressman Claims Top Federal Drug Official ‘Adamantly Opposes’ Marijuana Rescheduling, But Agency Endorsed FDA Recommendation

A GOP congressman is claiming that the head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) opposes marijuana rescheduling—despite the fact that her agency officially concurred with a recommendation to implement the reform as well as the…

23

Second Missouri House Panel Approves Bill To Legalize Psilocybin Therapy For Veterans

A second committee in Missouri’s House of Representatives has advanced legislation that would legalize the medical use of psilocybin by military veterans and fund future studies exploring the therapeutic potential of the psychedelic. The…

20

Florida Marijuana Legalization Initiative Lacks Support To Pass In Second Poll In Less Than A Week

Another new poll is showing signs of trouble for a Florida marijuana legalization initiative that will appear on the November ballot—this one showing that fewer than 50 percent of voters currently intend to support the measure. This is the…

19

Americans Use Marijuana At Nearly The Same Rate In Legal And Non-Legal States, Suggesting Criminalization Doesn’t ‘Curtail’ Consumption, Gallup Poll Finds

Rates of marijuana use are nearly the same in states that have legalized versus those that maintain prohibition, which suggests that “criminalization does little to curtail its use,” a new Gallup survey found. As advocates have long…

18

Senator Files Marijuana Expungements Bill That Schumer Has Discussed Including In Banking Reform Package

A Democratic senator has introduced a bill to create federal incentives for states, localities and Indian tribes that expunge low-level marijuana records—an equity-focused reform proposal that leadership has repeatedly discussed attaching…

17

National Conference Of State Legislatures Calls On Congress To Pass Marijuana Banking Bill As Part Of Unrelated Package As Lawmakers Have Discussed

A group that represents state lawmakers across the U.S. is calling on Congress to “quickly” attach a bipartisan marijuana banking bill to unrelated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization legislation and pass the reform. In a…

16

Colorado Senate Passes Bill That Could Ban Social Media Users Who Post Positively About Drugs—Including Legal Psychedelics

Colorado’s Senate has approved a sweeping social media bill that, among other provisions, could force platforms to ban users for talking positively online about certain controlled substances, such as state-legal psychedelics, certain hemp…

15

Colorado Official Clears The Air On Cannabis Consumption And Driving Ahead Of 4/20 Festivities (Op-Ed)

“While cannabis has arguably gained mainstream acceptance, driving high has not, thankfully.” By Glenn Davis, Colorado Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office As the wave of legalization continues to roll across the U.S., more…

Senators Approve Resolution Condemning Russian Imprisonment Of American Who Used Medical Marijuana As Opioid Alternative

A Senate committee has approved a resolution calling for the release of a U.S. citizen incarcerated over marijuana in Russia, emphasizing that he was a lawful medical cannabis patient in Pennsylvania using state-legal products as an opioid…

13

Schumer & lawmakers talk cannabis as 4/20 approaches (Newsletter: April 18, 2024)

AG pressed on SAFE; OSHA marijuana worker safety; DeSantis slams legalization; DEA psychedelics suit; USDA hemp report; CBD for crack treatment Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s…

Wednesday, Apr 17

22

DeSantis Again Rips Into Marijuana Legalization, Warning November Ballot Measure Would Be ‘Not Good For Families’

With a legalization ballot measure set to appear on Florida’s ballot in November, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) again attacked the proposal on Wednesday, warning that the changes would be “not good for families” and “not good for [the] elderly.”…

Hemp Market Saw Growth In 2023 After Major Declines In 2022, USDA Report Shows

The hemp market started to rebound in 2023 after suffering significant losses the prior year, the latest annual industry report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found. USDA’s National Hemp Report for 2023—which is based on…

20

CBD Is A ‘Powerful And Promising’ Treatment For Crack Use Disorder—With Fewer Side Effects Than Conventional Therapies, Study Finds

A new study aiming to explore the efficacy of CBD as a treatment for crack use disorder found that people who took the cannabinoid had better health outcomes and fewer adverse health events compared to those who took more conventional…

Coalition Of Justice Groups Pushes Biden To Support Marijuana Legalization Instead Of Schedule III Move

In a new letter to the White House, a group of 20 justice and drug reform advocacy organizations are calling on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to publicly support the removal of marijuana from the federal Controlled…

19

Senator Presses Attorney General Garland On Marijuana Banking Bill’s Impact On Criminal Investigations

A Democratic senator on Wednesday pressed Attorney General Merrick Garland about a bipartisan marijuana banking bill, seeking his perspective on a controversial section concerning broader financial regulations. During a hearing before the…

18

Schumer And Other Democrats Amplify Calls For Marijuana Reform Ahead Of 4/20, Which Congressman Says Should Be Celebrated ‘Every Day’

Democratic senators, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), are “trying to recruit Republicans” to join them in the push for federal marijuana legalization, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) said at an…

16

Marijuana-Focused Political Party Pushes Back On Democrats’ Challenge To Its Major Party Status In Supreme Court Arguments

“The implications of your decision are very important, because the state Legislature is watching.” By Michelle Griffith, Minnesota Reformer The Legal Marijuana Now Party on Tuesday fought for its right to major party status before the…

15

Researchers Ask Federal Court To Block DEA From Banning Two Psychedelics Under ‘Unconstitutional’ Administrative Process

Researchers are asking a federal court to block the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from proceeding in its attempt to ban two psychedelics, arguing that the agency’s administrative approach to the proposed scheduling is…

14

Federal OSHA Officials Discuss Marijuana Industry Worker Safety

Two officials with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) spoke this week about the agency’s latest guidance and priorities for “protecting workers within the cannabis industry” in the growing number of state…

13

Congressional cannabis & psychedelics votes (Newsletter: April 17, 2024)

ND legalization; VA marijuana sales prediction; KS medical cannabis vote; CA psychedelics; FL ballot campaign veteran coalition Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to…

Tuesday, Apr 16

00

North Dakota Activists File Marijuana Legalization Initiative For November Ballot

North Dakota activists have filed an initiative to put marijuana legalization on the state’s 2024 ballot, pitching their reform proposal as a “conservative” alternative to the cannabis laws in surrounding states such as Minnesota and…