May 17 2024

US Congress: Defense Bill Includes Ending Marijuana Testing for Military Recruits

A federal defense bill expected to be passed by the US Congress in the coming weeks would end marijuana testing for military recruits and prospective officers.

(Photo credit: Bumble Dee/Shutterstock)

A defense bill released this week—which must be approved to continue funding the nation’s defenses and military operations—includes a provision prohibiting the military from requiring a cannabis test for enlisting or commissioning. This provision coincides with the federal government’s move to reschedule marijuana and comes at a time when 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana and 38 have legalized marijuana for medical use.

The provision aims to address dwindling military recruitment numbers. A Gallup poll released last month found that 12% of Americans aged 18-29, the prime demographic for military recruiting, reported using marijuana regularly (defined as at least 10 days per month).
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May 17 2024

New Jersey Bill Would Require Workers’ Comp and Health Insurance to Cover Medical Marijuana

Legislation that “Requires workers’ compensation, PIP, and health insurance coverage for the medical use of cannabis under certain circumstances” has been filed in the New Jersey Legislature.

Assembly Bill 4371 was filed yesterday by Representative Herbert Conaway (D). The measure has been assigned to the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurances Committee.

“Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a. of this section, an employer or workers’ compensation insurance carrier or private passenger automobile insurance carrier shall provide coverage for costs associated with the medical use of cannabis pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) except that an employer or carrier shall not be required to provide coverage for costs associated with the medical use of cannabis upon intervention by the federal government to enforce the “Controlled Substances Act”.
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May 17 2024

Nationwide Fox News Poll Finds 69% of Voters Support Legalizing Marijuana

According to a new Fox News Poll, roughly seven out of every 10 registered voters in the United States support legalizing marijuana.

The poll found majority support for marijuana legalization among all political affiliations, including 81% of Democrats, 65% of independents and 55% of Republicans.

The poll found that a majority supported legalization across all races, ages, income levels, education levels and geographic region. Those identified as “very conservative” were the only group to oppose the move.
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May 17 2024

Public Comment on Marijuana Rescheduling Begins Tuesday, May 21

Yesterday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published its proposed rules for rescheduling marijuana. These rules will be officially published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, initiating the legally required 60-day public comment period.

The notice published yesterday by the DEA states that the agency plans to reclassify marijuana from its current status as a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug. The notice’s publication coincided with a social media video announcement by President Biden and Vice President Harris.

The DEA now states that the notice will be officially published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, May 21. This will mark the start of the 60-day public comment period, during which anyone can 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 16 2024

New Hampshire Senate Approves Recreational Marijuana Bill

For the first time ever, the New Hampshire Senate has given approval to legislation that would legalize recreational marijuana.

House Bill 1633 passed the full Senate today through its second reading by a vote of 14 to 9. It will now go to the Senate Finance Committee and then to a third and final reading by the Senate, expected next week, before it can be sent back to the House of Representatives. The House passed the bill last month by a vote of 239 to 136. However, since it was amended in the Senate, the House will need to concur with the changes before the measure can be sent to Governor Chris Sununu.

If the House disagrees with the Senate’s changes, a conference committee consisting of members from both chambers will be established with the hopes of reaching a consensus.
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May 16 2024

Maryland Governor Signs Psychedelics Bill Into Law

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has signed into law legislation that establishes a psychedelics task force.

Psilocybin (top left), mescaline (top right), DMT (bottom left), and psilocin (bottom right), the four substances that will be covered by the new task force.

Senate Bill 1009 was passed unanimously through the full legislature, with the vote being 137 to 0 in the House of Representatives and 45 to 0 in the Senate.

The new law will establish a “Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances to study and make recommendations related to the use of natural psychedelic substances; and requiring the Task Force to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before July 31, 2025.”
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May 16 2024

The DEA Has Published Rules to Reschedule Marijuana: Here’s What Comes Next

Today, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officially published its proposed rules that would move marijuana to Schedule III. Here’s a look at the next steps to make the change final.

The 92-page notice published today by the DEA (a branch of the Department of Justice) states that the federal government plans to move marijuana from its current status as a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug, based on its currently accepted medical value. The notice’s publication coincided with a social media video announcement by President Biden.

The DEA publishing the proposed rules in the Federal Register indicates that they’ve received approval from the White House Office of Management and Budget. Now that the notice has been published, it initiates a 60-day public comment period, which is legally required for any changes to the Controlled Substances Act.
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May 16 2024

119th US Lawmaker Joins as Sponsor to SAFE Banking Act

119 members of the United States House of Representatives are now sponsoring the SAFE Banking Act to allow marijuana banking.

(Photo credit: GETTY Images).

Yesterday, Congressmember Chris Deluzio (D-PA) signed on as a cosponsor for the SAFE Banking Act, bringing the total number of sponsors to 119 (109 more than when it was filed last April). The proposed law would allow banks and credit unions to provide financial services to marijuana businesses that are licensed under state law. A Senate version of the measure —the SAFER Banking Act— currently has 36 sponsors and has been passed through the Senate Banking Committee.

The SAFE Banking Act would also remove an IRS rule that prohibits marijuana businesses from taking standard tax deductions even if they’re legal under their state’s laws.
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May 16 2024

US Justice Department Submits Proposed Regulation to Reschedule Marijuana to Schedule III

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has officially published a notice detailing its proposal to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III substance.

The Justice Department today announced that the Attorney General has submitted to the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking initiating a formal rulemaking process to consider moving marijuana from a schedule I to schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

“Marijuana has been classified as a schedule I drug since Congress enacted the CSA in 1970. On Oct. 6, 2022, President Biden asked the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to launch a scientific review of how marijuana is scheduled under federal law”, states a press release from the Department of Justice. “After receiving HHS’s recommendations last August, the Attorney General sought the legal advice of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) on questions relevant to this rulemaking. In light of HHS’ medical and scientific determinations, and OLC’s legal advice, the Attorney General exercised his authority under the law to initiate the rulemaking process to transfer marijuana to schedule III.”
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May 16 2024

Vice President Harris Publishes First Video on Marijuana Rescheduling, Thanks Advocates

Vice President Kamala Harris has released her first video on the marijuana rescheduling news.

“So currently, marijuana is classified on the same level as heroin and more dangerous than fentanyl”, Vice President Harris says in the video, published on the social media platform X.com. “We are finally changing that. I want to thank all of the advocates and everyone out there for helping to make this possible.”

Harris says “we are on the road to getting it done.”
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