May 21 2024

DEA Officially Publishes Marijuana Rescheduling Proposal in Federal Register, Public Comment Period Now Underway

The DEA has officially published their proposed plans to reschedule marijuana in the Federal Register, initiating the legally required 60-day public comment period.

“The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) proposes to transfer marijuana from schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) to schedule III of the CSA, consistent with the view of the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) that marijuana has a currently accepted medical use as well as HHS’s views about marijuana’s abuse potential and level of physical or psychological dependence”, states the official summary of the proposal, published in the Federal Register.

The summary continues by stating that the CSA “requires that such actions be made through formal rulemaking on the record after opportunity for a hearing. If the transfer to schedule III is finalized, the regulatory controls applicable to schedule III controlled substances would apply, as appropriate, along with existing marijuana-specific requirements and any additional controls that might be implemented, including those that might be implemented to meet U.S. treaty obligations.”
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May 21 2024

California Assembly Votes 58 to 6 to Legalize Marijuana Cafés

California’s full Assembly has passed legislation to legalize marijuana cafés.

Assembly Bill 1775, filed by State Representative Matt Haney (D), was approved yesterday by California’s Assembly with an overwhelming vote of 58 to 6. The measure will now be sent to the Senate and, if approved, to Governor Gavin Newsom. In October, Newsom vetoed a similar bill. Despite this, Rep. Haney says he’s been told by the governor that “there’s a path forward” for the new iteration of the measure being enacted into law.

Assembly Bill 1775 would “authorize a local jurisdiction, if specified conditions are met, to allow for the preparation or sale of noncannabis food or beverage products, as specified, by a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed, and to allow, and to sell tickets for, live musical or other performances on the premises of a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed.”
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May 20 2024

Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Public Access to May 22 Hearing in Case Challenging Federal Marijuana Prohibition

A federal judge has ruled that oral arguments scheduled for May 22 in a landmark case, where multiple marijuana companies are challenging the U.S. prohibition on marijuana, can be publicly accessible.

In the case of CANNA PROVISIONS, Gyasi Sellers, Wiseacre Farm, Verano Holdings v. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts’s Western Division has scheduled oral arguments for May 22. Judge Mark G. Mastroianni has ruled that the hearing can be attended by the public and streamed online.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs requested public access, citing the case’s “questions of public concern.” They noted that members of the press have requested remote access to the hearing due to their inability to attend in person.
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May 20 2024

Delaware: New Bipartisan Bill Would Allow Recreational Marijuana Sales to Begin This Year

Newly filed legislation in Delaware would allow existing medical marijuana dispensaries to quickly enter the recreational-use market, allowing recreational marijuana sales to begin months sooner than expected.

Sponsored by State Representative Ed Osienski and Senator Trey Paradee, House Bill 408 would create a pathway for medical marijuana retailers to obtain a temporary conversion license, enabling them to legally sell adult-use recreational marijuana while still maintaining their medical operations.

“As Delaware moves closer to the launch of recreational marijuana sales, it’s important that we continue exploring and implementing policies that will bolster the program’s success and support both new and existing retailers,” said Rep. Osienski. “Our experienced compassion centers are well-equipped to navigate this transition, and the funds generated from their conversion license fees will serve as a vital funding source for social equity applicants, empowering them to kickstart their ventures.”
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May 20 2024

These 5 States Are Set to Legalize Medical Marijuana Within the Next 12 Months

There are still 12 states that have not legalized medical marijuana, but that number could shrink substantially within the next year.

Recent nationwide polling shows that 88% of adults in the United States support legalizing medical marijuana, including a majority of all political and ideological affiliations. Despite such widespread support, and despite 38 states having legalized marijuana as a medicine, 12 states continue to holdout. Some of these states have active legislative or initiative efforts with a real chance of legalizing medical marijuana by next year.

With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the five states set to legalize medical marijuana within the next 12 months.
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May 20 2024

US Senate Banking Committee Chair Announces Support for Legalizing Recreational Marijuana

United States Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chair of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, has announced his support for legalizing marijuana.

“It’s time to legalize marijuana across the country,” Senator Brown stated in a post on the social media platform X. Although he didn’t elaborate further, this marks the first time Senator Brown has declared support for legalization. In previous years, the senator supported decriminalizing marijuana but hesitated to endorse full legalization.

Senator Brown’s support comes just weeks after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with 17 co-sponsors, filed legislation to deschedule marijuana and establish safety and regulatory standards, as well as a federal excise tax on legal marijuana sales. The bill would also allow for expungements of marijuana-related offenses.
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May 20 2024

DEA to Begin Collecting Public Comments on Marijuana Rescheduling Tomorrow, May 21

The DEA released its proposed rules for the rescheduling of marijuana last week. These rules will be officially published in the Federal Register tomorrow, initiating the legally required 60-day public comment period.

According to the notice published by the DEA, the agency plans to reschedule marijuana, moving it from its current Schedule I status to a Schedule III classification. This announcement coincided with a social media video from President Biden and Vice President Harris announcing and praising the move.

The DEA has confirmed that the notice will be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, May 21, 2024. This publication will kick off the legally required 60-day public comment period, allowing individuals and organizations to provide remarks and feedback on the proposed change. The proposed change is currently listed on the Federal Register’s website with the disclaimer, “This document is unpublished. It is scheduled to be published on 05/21/2024.”
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May 20 2024

Nebraska Campaign to Put Medical Marijuana Legalization on November Ballot Collects Over 60% of Required Signatures

A campaign aiming to place a medical marijuana initiative on the November ballot in Nebraska has collected over 60% of the required signatures.

alabama medical marijuana

Crista Eggers, campaign manager for the nonprofit group Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, says they’ve collected over 55,000 signatures on their initiative to legalize medical marijuana, as well as on their companion initiative that would protect physicians who recommend marijuana. This is 63% of the 87,000 signatures needed for the two proposals to be voted on this November.

Eggers says the group has also reached an important milestone by collecting the minimum required signatures across at least 38 of the state’s 93 counties for both of their initiatives.
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May 19 2024

These 3 States Are Set to Legalize Marijuana Within the Next 6 Months

2024 has already been a historic year for marijuana reform, and it’s shaping up to be even more significant with New Hampshire, Florida, and South Dakota all on track to legalize marijuana within the next six months.

(Photo credit: Getty Images).

While several other states could legalize marijuana this year, the three mentioned above not only have a real chance of doing so within the next six months, they seem increasingly likely to do so with each passing day.

That said, here’s a breakdown of the three states set to legalize marijuana this year.
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May 18 2024

Federal Bill to Deschedule Marijuana, Allow Expungements, Gains 89th Sponsor

Legislation in the United States House of Representatives that would deschedule marijuana and facilitate expungements has just gained its 89th sponsor.

Congressmember Bill Foster (D-IL) joined as a cosponsor to the MORE Act yesterday, a little over a year after it was filed. The measure now has 89 sponsors, more than any other marijuana-related bill in the US Congress, except for the SAFE Banking Act.

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act would deschedule marijuana, effectively decriminalizing it nationwide. The measure would also establish a federal excise tax of 5% on legal marijuana sales in the initial two years, rising to 8% in the fifth year. Furthermore, it provides for the expungement of previous marijuana convictions and ensures that marijuana users are not denied public benefits.
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