Jul 20 2024

Public Comment Period for Marijuana Rescheduling Ends Monday: Here’s What Comes Next

The public comment period for the DEA’s proposal to reschedule marijuana is set to end this Monday, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over federal marijuana policy.

As the deadline approaches, the proposal has garnered significant attention, with over 35,000 comments submitted by individuals and organizations. The vast majority (over 70%) call for marijuana to be descheduled, decriminalized, or legalized, with less than 10% in support of keeping marijuana a Schedule I drug. The DEA does have the option of extending the public comment period beyond July 22 via a public notice, but thus far there’s been no indication they will do so.

The DEA’s proposal would move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, which would not legalize marijuana but would significantly impact research and the prescribed use of marijuana medicines.
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Jul 20 2024

Here’s Every US Lawmaker Supporting Federal Legislation to Decriminalize and Deschedule Marijuana

Below is a list of all 111 lawmakers in the United States Congress who are currently sponsoring legislation to deschedule marijuana.

In the US House of Representatives, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, first introduced in April 2023, currently has 93 sponsors. In the Senate, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), filed in April of this year, has 18 sponsors.

Both measures would remove marijuana as a controlled substance (referred to as descheduling), effectively decriminalizing it nationwide. Both measures would also allow for the expungement of past marijuana convictions, and they would establish a federal excise tax on state-level licensed marijuana sales. The CAOA would go a step further by establishing federal guidelines for marijuana sales, including establishing a Center for Cannabis Products within the FDA to oversee “the production, labeling, distribution, sales and other manufacturing and retail elements of the cannabis industry.”
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Jul 19 2024

Ohio Issues First Recreational Marijuana Business Licenses, Sales to Begin Soon

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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Jul 19 2024

California Governor Signs Psychedelics and Marijuana Bill Into Law

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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Jul 19 2024

These 4 States Will Consider Whether or Not to Legalize Marijuana in November

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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Jul 19 2024

Study Finds CBD Cream Reduces UVA-Induced Skin Damage

A new study being published in the upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and online ahead of print by the National Library of Medicine suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) cream may significantly reduce skin damage caused by Ultraviolet-A (UVA) radiation.

The study was conducted by scientists George Washington University (DC), the Center for Clinical and Cosmetic Research (Florida), and Northwestern University (Illinois).

The study aimed to address the growing concern over UVA radiation’s role in photoaging and photocarcinogenesis. Researchers note that current photoprotective strategies are limited by the availability and utilization of effective UVA filters, creating a demand for new protective agents. Cannabidiol, known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, was tested for its potential to mitigate UVA-induced skin damage.
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Jul 19 2024

President Biden on the Verge of Stepping Down: Why Kamala Harris Replacing Him is Good for Marijuana Reform

According to multiple reports citing sources close to President Biden, he is considering stepping down following weeks of rejecting calls from within his own party to do so.

Despite not supporting legalization, President Biden has been the most consequential president in modern history for federal marijuana reform. His actions include pardoning thousands of federal marijuana offenders, initiating the review that led to the DEA’s decision to reschedule marijuana, and signing the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act into law in December—the first standalone marijuana bill signed by a president.

That said, if he steps aside, the Democrats would have a nominee that’s considerably more supportive of marijuana reform in current Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Jul 18 2024

US Senate Committee Schedules Vote on DOOBIE Act to Prevent Denial of Jobs and Security Clearances Over Marijuana Use

The U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will vote Wednesday on the DOOBIE Act, which would “limit the consideration of marijuana use when making an employment suitability or security clearance determination”

U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, recently introduced the Dismantling Outdated Obstacles and Barriers to Individual Employment (DOOBIE) Act (Senate Bill 4711), which would “ensure applicants for federal positions or security clearances are not being denied solely on the basis of past recreational and medical marijuana use.”

The committee has now scheduled a vote on the measure for Wednesday, July 24. Given that Peters is the chair of the committee, it is unlikely that a vote would be scheduled without sufficient support for its passage.
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Jul 18 2024

Top 10 Marijuana Studies Released So Far in 2024

We’re only in July, but 2024 has already been a solid year for marijuana research.

With marijuana on the verge of being reschedule to Schedule III, researching marijuana and its compounds could soon become drastically easier. Despite this change not yet taking place, 2024 has still been an important year for marijuana-related research.

With that in mind, below are the top 5 most important marijuana studies released in 2024.
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Jul 18 2024

Delaware Governor Signs Bill Allowing Recreational Marijuana Sales to Begin in December

Delaware Governor John Carney has signed into law legislation to allow medical marijuana dispensaries to begin selling recreational marijuana this year, months ahead of schedule.

Governor Carney signed House Bill 408 into law yesterday, weeks after it passed the House of Representatives, 29 to 11, and the Senate, 16 to 5.

Sponsored by State Representative Ed Osienski, the measure establishes a temporary conversion license for medical marijuana dispensaries, enabling them to sell recreational marijuana while maintaining their medical operations.
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