The American Nurses Association (ANA) has sent a letter to the Biden Administration and made public comment to the DEA in support of rescheduling marijuana.

In a letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration, the ANA highlighted its long-standing support for evidence-based compassionate therapeutic use of cannabis, noting that “Since 1996, ANA has supported nurses caring for their patients with evidence-based compassionate therapeutic cannabis and advancement of research into this area.”

The ANA says that “In these comments ANA agrees with the analysis that cannabis has numerous therapeutic qualities and should be moved to Schedule III. Further, ANA urges the Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration to act expeditiously to have cannabis decontrolled under the CSA.”

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If marijuana is rescheduled, as proposed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), it could lead to the creation of 50,000 new jobs by 2030.

This is according to a report titled The Economic Impact of Cannabis Scheduling Reform on Small and Minority-Owned Businesses, commissioned by the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) and conducted by Whitney Economics. The report was posted as a public comment to the DEA today, the deadline for doing so.

The MCBA surveyed 206 marijuana licensees across 32 states, uncovering concerning trends within the industry. Only 27 percent of respondents reported profitability, while 41 percent were breaking even, and 36 percent were operating at a loss.
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Today marks the final day for the public to submit comments on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) proposal to reschedule marijuana.

This comment period, a legally required 60-day window, was initiated on May 21 when the DEA published their proposal in the Federal Register. The comment period officially closes today, July 22, at 11:59 EDT. Comments can be submitted by clicking here.

Currently there are over 36,000 comments submitted. An analysis reveals that more than 50% of these comments advocate for the DEA to fully deschedule marijuana. When combined with those urging the DEA to legalize or decriminalize marijuana, the support rises to over 70%. In contrast, only 8% of comments oppose the proposal, arguing to maintain marijuana as a Schedule I drug.
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The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has made a groundbreaking ruling, determining that women with state-issued medical marijuana cards cannot be prosecuted for child neglect if they use the medicine during pregnancy.

This decision clarifies that expectant mothers holding medical marijuana cards are not committing child neglect by using marijuana, as it does not qualify as exposing their unborn child to illegal drugs under state law.

The ruling establishes a new legal standard in Oklahoma, where numerous women have faced child neglect charges for using marijuana during pregnancy, despite having legal authorization. The court stressed that while it does not endorse marijuana use during pregnancy, it acknowledges its legality for medical cardholders.
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Today, the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) issued the first batch of dual-use certificates to four marijuana cultivators and six processors.

The DCC granted the initial dual-use certificates this morning, allowing the recipients to operate in both the medical and adult-use markets. This move is the first step in what is expected to be a comprehensive rollout of Ohio’s recreational cannabis program, and it comes less than two weeks after the state issued nearly 200 provisional licenses.

The DCC’s issuance of the 10 finalized licenses is just the beginning. An additional 31 cultivators, 36 processors, seven testing laboratories, and 133 dispensaries are awaiting final approval. These businesses must meet specific requirements, such as implementing security systems, employee badging, and point-of-sale systems, before receiving their licenses.
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Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2841 into law on Thursday, a measure that would streamline the application process for studying psychedelics and marijuana

A researcher working with psilocybin mushrooms (photo credit: Getty Images).

The new law allows the Research Advisory Panel to hold closed sessions to discuss sensitive and confidential information. The bill, which passed the Assembly earlier this month by a unanimous 72-0 vote and the Senate in June with a 40-0 vote, is designed to enhance the security of research projects involving cannabis and hallucinogenic drugs.

Authored by Assemblymember Marie Waldron, AB 2841 amends Section 11126 of the Government Code and adds Section 11480.5 to the Health and Safety Code. The bill permits the Research Advisory Panel to review and approve research projects containing trade secrets, intellectual property, or proprietary information without public disclosure. This move aligns the panel’s operations with the confidentiality provisions similar to those allowed under the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act for other state bodies.
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We are now just three and a half months away from the November presidential election, during which four states will vote on initiatives to legalize marijuana.

There are five statewide initiatives on the ballot this November. Four of the five either focus on recreational marijuana legalization or include a trigger for it. Nebraska is the only state whose initiative is focused exclusively on legalizing medical marijuana.

With that said here are the four states that are on track to legalize marijuana in November.
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