Aug 27 2024

Poll Finds President Biden’s Mass Marijuana Pardons Most Popular in U.S. History

According to a new YouGov poll, President Joe Biden’s mass pardons for federal marijuana possession charges are the most widely supported acts of presidential clemency in U.S. history.

The survey, released on Monday, gauged public opinion on more than a dozen significant pardons from various administrations. Biden’s decision to pardon those with federal cannabis possession offenses emerged as the clear favorite, with 69% of respondents in favor and only 18% opposed.

The poll found that only two other pardon events had majority support: Biden’s clemency for former service members penalized for their sexual orientation or gender identity (55%) and former President Jimmy Carter’s pardon of Vietnam War draft resisters (54%).
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Aug 26 2024

ACLU of Florida Officially Endorses Amendment 3 to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

Today, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida endorsed a YES vote on Amendment 3, which will appear on the November ballot.

“We join a growing coalition that agrees passing Amendment 3 is the best path for Florida”, states an ACLU press release. “ACLU’s endorsement follows SEIU Florida, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young, Republican State Sen. Joe Gruters, Democratic State Sen. Shev Jones, the Libertarian Party of Florida, and more local leaders from around the state illustrating the broad support for legalizing recreational adult use marijuana.”

Bacardi L. Jackson, Executive Director for ACLU of Florida, said the group “is proud to join many other organizations to endorse Amendment 3 on the November ballot. Amendment 3 is a significant step forward in respecting the personal freedom of Floridians and is crucial in addressing the disproportionate impact that the criminalization of marijuana possession and use has had on Florida’s Black community and other communities targeted by the criminal legal system. By approving Amendment 3, Florida voters can create a future that is both more equitable and more respectful of the freedom of the people of our state.”
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Aug 26 2024

Missouri’s New Marijuana Packaging Rules Set to Take Effect September 1

Missouri’s cannabis industry is racing against the clock to comply with the state’s new plain packaging requirements, set to go into effect on September 1.

(Photo credit: WeedMaps).

This mandate comes over a year after the rule was first introduced, reflecting a broader movement towards plain packaging that has long been advocated in the tobacco industry to reduce the appeal of products to younger consumers.

The push for plain packaging, characterized by minimal colors and designs, puts Missouri among the first states to implement similar requirements in the recreational marijuana market, following the approval of a constitutional amendment in 2022 that legalized adult-use cannabis. The amendment included a provision stipulating that marijuana-related packaging and labels “shall not be made to be attractive to children.”
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Aug 26 2024

DEA Schedules Public Hearing on Marijuana Rescheduling for December 2

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced a public hearing to address the agency’s proposal to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I, to Schedule III.

This hearing, set for December 2, will occur after the November elections.

“This is notice that the Drug Enforcement Administration will hold a hearing with respect to the proposed rescheduling of marijuana into schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act”, states the notice, which is currently unpublished in the Federal Register but will be officially published on Thursday. “The proposed rescheduling of marijuana was initially proposed in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2024.”
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Aug 26 2024

NFL-Funded Study Explores Marijuana’s Potential in Sports

An NFL-funded study published in the journal Sports Medicine reveals the growing role of marijuana as a therapeutic tool for athletes, highlighting its potential to address issues like pain, anxiety and brain injuries, while also acknowledging the complications and lack of knowledge caused by strict laws and regulations.

(Photo credit: Getty Images).

“The increasing legalization of Cannabis sativa plant products has sparked growing interest in their therapeutic applications”, states the study’s abstract, which was also published by the US National Library of Medicine. “Prohibition laws established in 1937 hindered formal research on cannabis, a plant with cultural and medicinal roots dating back to 2700 BC in Chinese history. Despite regulatory hurdles, published research on cannabis has emerged; yet elite athletes remain an underrepresented population in these studies.”

It continues “Athletes, known for exploring diverse substances to optimize performance, are drawn to the potential benefits of cannabinoid therapy, with anecdotal reports suggesting positive effects on issues ranging from anxiety to brain injuries.”
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Aug 26 2024

Republican Congressmember Predicts Marijuana Will be Rescheduled “Right Before the Election”

Congressmember Nancy Mace (R-SC) says she believes the Biden administration will finalize its marijuana rescheduling plan “right before the election”.

Congressmember Nancy Mace (R-SC).

Mace, who is the sponsor of the States Reform Act to protect state marijuana laws, discussed the political implications of cannabis and the likelihood of rescheduling during an interview with The Dales Report. Mace’s remarks are consistent with those of a DEA official who said that a final rescheduling order is likely to be issued before October.

When asked if she believes Trump will endorse marijuana reform following his recent comments that he’s beginning to “agree a lot more” that marijuana should be legalized, Mace expressed uncertainty. However, she pointed out his prior support for medical cannabis and emphasized her desire to hear him back rescheduling, noting the “statistically significant number of Republicans” who favor such policies.
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Aug 26 2024

Study: CBD May Protect Against Sepsis-Induced Renal Damage

The results of a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology “underscores CBD as a promising protective agent against sepsis-induced renal damage.”

The research, conducted by teams from Suleyman Demirel University and Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University in Turkey, explored how CBD could mitigate the harmful effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced kidney injury in Wistar Albino rats.

Sepsis, a severe and life-threatening condition, often leads to significant renal damage, posing a major challenge in clinical settings. The study investigated the protective effects of CBD, known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, in a controlled laboratory setting.
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Aug 26 2024

Study Finds THC Amplifies CBD’s Role in Improving Schizophrenia Symptoms

A new study published in the journal BMJ Mental Health reveals promising insights into the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on key biomarkers associated with schizophrenia.

Conducted by researchers from Germany’s Central Institute of Mental Health, Goethe University Frankfurt, the University of Goettingen, and Australia’s University of Sydney, the randomized clinical trial explored how varying doses of CBD—both alone and in combination with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC)—impact endocannabinoid levels in healthy volunteers.

“The mental health benefits of cannabidiol (CBD) are promising but can be inconsistent, in part due to challenges in defining an individual’s effective dosage,” states the study’s abstract. “In schizophrenia, alterations in anandamide (AEA) concentrations, an endocannabinoid (eCB) agonist of the eCB system, reflect positively on treatment with CBD. Here, we expanded this assessment to include eCBs alongside AEA congeners, comparing phytocannabinoids and dosage in a clinical setting.”
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Aug 26 2024

Arkansas: $22.9 Million in Medical Marijuana Sold in July, Over $150 Million Year-to-Date

Medical marijuana patients in Arkansas purchased nearly $23 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products in July.

According to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), there was $22.9 million in marijuana sold legally in July via 37 medical marijuana dispensaries. This is nearly identical to the $22.8 million sold in April and the $22.9 million sold in May, and an uptick from the $21.7 million sold in June.

The year-to-date total for medical marijuana sales in Arkansas is now $158 million, putting the stop on track to easily top a quarter of a billion dollars by the end of the year. In total, there are around 105,000 medical marijuana patients in the state.
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Aug 26 2024

New York Office of Cannabis Management Acting Director Says They Won’t Process 2023 Marijuana Applications Until 2025

The head of the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) says that they don’t plan to finish reviewing 2023 applications for those wanting to enter the recreational marijuana market until sometime in 2025.

Felicia Reid, acting director of the OCM, told Spectrum News 1 that there are still 600 applications pending for marijuana retailers and microbusiness that were filed in November 2023. Reid says the review of these applications will continue until “early next year”.

Reid says applicants from December’s marijuana cultivation queue will wait even longer. Reid says they will be reviewed “on a rolling basis” after completion of the November queue.
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