Nov 03 2023

Study: Combining CBD and Caffeine Appears Safe and It Does Not Alter the Effects of Each Substance

The findings of a study published yesterday “suggest that combinations of the tested doses of caffeine and CBD do not alter subjective drug effects”, and “no negative effects emerged”.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock).

The study is being published in the upcoming issue of the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, and it’s been published online ahead of print by the US National Library of Medicine. It was conducted by researchers at the University of Arkansas, James Madison University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“Caffeine and cannabidiol (CBD) are commonly consumed by the general population, particularly among young adults; however, there is little research on the simultaneous effects of caffeine and CBD”, note sthe study’s abstract. “The present study aimed to examine the simultaneous self-reported effects of caffeine and CBD in young healthy adults.”
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Nov 02 2023

Wisconsin Marijuana Bill Would Garner $166 Million in Annual Tax Revenue, Says Government Analysis

Recently filed legislation to legalize marijuana in Wisconsin would result in over $165 million in annual tax revenue by the third year, according to an official fiscal note for the bill.

Senate Bill 486 was filed last month with a bipartisan coalition of 36 cosponsors, with a companion fill filed in the state’s Assembly the following week. Now, the legislation has received an official fiscal note, conducted by government analysts.

“Given that current law prohibits the manufacturing, distributing, possessing, or delivering marijuana in
Wisconsin there is no state-specific data available to construct an accurate estimate”, notes the report. “However, three midwestern states (MI, IL, MN) have legalized both recreational and medical marijuana [and all] three states generate revenues through a variety of permits/licensing fees and excise taxes on retail sales (medical exempted), in addition Illinois imposes an excise tax on sales by growers to retailers.”
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Nov 02 2023

US Senate Banking Chair Says He Voted in Favor of Legalizing Marijuana in Ohio

US Senator Sherrod Brown (D, Ohio), Chair of the powerful Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, has announced that he has voted in support of Issue 2 to legalize marijuana.

(Photo credit: Ting Shen/Bloomberg).

“Connie and I just voted early today at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections”, Brown said in a post on the social media platform X. “She’s given me permission to share how she voted.” After stating that he voted in favor of Issue 1 to protect reproductive rights for women, he stated that “We also both voted for Issue 2. We urge people to vote.”

Brown told local news outlet Spectrum News 1 that they “voted to legalize because we thought overall regulation—legalization and regulation of marijuana use—the public would be safer doing it that way.”
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Nov 02 2023

DEA Seeks to Over Double Amount of THC Produced in 2024, Double Production of Magic Mushrooms

Just days after the DEA announced that it’s seeking to drastically increase the amount of THC, ibogaine and magic mushrooms being produced this year for research purposes, the agency has announced that they are also seeking to substantially increase the amount of these products it hopes is manufactured in 2024.

“The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proposes to establish the 2024 aggregate production quotas (APQ) for controlled substances in schedules I and II of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the assessment of annual needs (AAN) for the list I chemicals ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine”, the DEA said in a notice published today on the Federal Register. “For the 2024 quota year, DEA intends to allocate procurement quotas to DEA-registered manufacturers of schedule II controlled substances on a quarterly basis.”

In order to address domestic drug shortages of controlled substances, “procurement quota allocations will be divided between quantities authorized for domestic sales and quantities authorized for export sales.”
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Nov 02 2023

Nevada: $70 Million in Marijuana Sold in August, $10.5 Million in Taxes Garnered

Nevada marijuana stores sold just shy of $70 million worth of legal marijuana and marijuana products in August.

There was exactly $69,503,165 in legal marijuana sold in August, according to the Nevada Department of Taxation. This is around $2 million less than the total sales for July, although tax revenue was actually  higher; $10,594,977 compared to $10,061,170.

The vast majority of the sales came from Clark County with $52,134,887 sold, followed by Washoe County  at $9,894,564. There was $7,473,714 sold among “all other counties”.
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Nov 02 2023

Oregon: Almost $80 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in October, Price Drops to $3.82 a Gram

Oregon marijuana sales saw a slight decrease from September to October, but there was still nearly $80 million sold.

According to data released by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, there was $78,623,246 worth of legal marijuana and marijuana products sold in October. This includes dried flower, concentrates, edibles, topicals and tinctures.

The $78.6 million sold in October is around $1.5 million less than the total for September, and around $3 million less than the sale’s totals for August and July. However, it is roughly on par with the $79 million sold in October, 2022.
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Nov 02 2023

Full US Senate Approves Bill to Allow Medical Marijuana for Veterans

The full United States Senate has approved a spending bill that includes an important medical marijuana provision.

By a vote of 82 to 15 the Senate has given approval to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies spending bill. Included in the bill is a provision, put forth by Senator Jeff Merkley (D), that would allow doctors at the US Department of Veterans Affairs to legally recommend marijuana to their patients, something that’s currently prohibited.

Specifically, the provision states that “None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Veterans Affairs in this Act may be used in a manner that would interfere with the ability of a veteran to participate in a medicinal marijuana program approved by a State”, or “deny any services from the Department to a veteran who is participating in such a program”, or “limit or interfere with the ability of a health care provider of the Department to make appropriate recommendations, fill out forms, or take steps to comply with such a program.”
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Nov 01 2023

New Mexico: In October, $46 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold, Over 1.1 Million Transactions

Although October marijuana sales didn’t top the monthly sales record set in September, they weren’t far off.

According to the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department, there was $46,682,243 worth of legal marijuana sold throughout October, roughly $1 million short of the record breaking $47.7 million sold in August.

In October medical marijuana patients purchased $12,051,505 worth of marijuana and marijuana products, with adult-use sales reaching $34.6 million.
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Nov 01 2023

Study: Home Values Are 41% Higher in States with Legal Recreational Cannabis

According to newly published research, home values in states with recreational cannabis have outpaced home values in other states by $48,983 over the past decade.

(Photo credit: Getty Images).

The study by Real Estate Witch and Leafly found that property values in the 23 states that have legalized recreational marijuana have risen by $185,075 since 2014, compared to $136,092 in states without recreational marijuana. Typical home values in a recreational state are $417,625, 41% higher than in non-recreational states ($295,338).

Of the 10 states with the largest increases in home values, seven have legalized recreational cannabis. Meanwhile, of the 10 states with the smallest increases in home values, nine have not legalized recreational cannabis.
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Nov 01 2023

U.S. Sentencing Commission: New Guidelines Advising Judges To Treat Past Marijuana Convictions More Leniently Takes Effect

In April the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted in favor of a proposal that updates sentencing guidelines to advise judges to treat past offenses related to marijuana in a more lenient manner. The guidelines are now officially in effect.

The commission in April voted unanimously to advise that marijuana possession warrants discretion in regards to sentencing especially given its non-violent nature. The proposed change went through a congressional review and public comment period before officially taking effect today, November 1.

The change clarifies that a downward departure from the defendant’s criminal history category may be warranted based on if “the defendant received criminal history points from a sentence for possession of marihuana for personal use, without an intent to sell or distribute it to another person.”
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