Ohio Department of Commerce Director Sherry Maxfield announced today the appointment of James V. Canepa as the first Superintendent of the Division of Cannabis Control.

James V. Canepa.

The Division is “poised to ensure safety and regulation of both medical and non-medical cannabis, which is now legal for consumers to possess in Ohio”, according to a press release.

“Jim’s proven leadership and innovative approach make him the perfect choice to navigate this new area of retail and regulatory responsibility,” said Maxfield. “His diverse experience and impressive regulatory credentials will be instrumental in developing a non-medical cannabis program that aligns with the expectations of Ohioans.”
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The entire United States Congress has given approval to legislation that includes provisions to fund psychedelic studies.

Congress approved the psychedelic provisions as part of a larger defense bill (the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act). The provisions would put millions of dollars into funding the potential medical and therapeutic use of psychedelic substances including magic mushrooms (psilocybin) and MDMA (often referred to as ecstasy). The studies would be conducted on military service members, especially those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The psychedelic provisions, introduced by Representative Morgan Littrell (R), would require the Department of Defense to establish a process for military members who have PTSD or traumatic brain injury could take part in clinical psychedelic trials. In addition to psilocybin and MDMA, the trials could include ibogaine and/or DMT.
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The Veterans Equal Access Act (H.R. 2431) has gained its 29th sponsor.

(Photo credit: GETTY Images).

H.R. 2431 was filed in April by US Representatives Brian Mast (R-FL) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), along with a coalition of 15 bipartisan cosponsors. The proposal would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to authorize providers to discuss medical marijuana with veterans and complete forms reflecting their best recommendations.

Under current law, physicians at the VA are prohibited from discussing marijuana with their patients, and veterans who receive care from VA facilities cannot receive the forms required to participate in medical marijuana programs – regardless of whether the state they reside in has legalized it for medical use. H.R. 2431 would change this by providing federal protection to VA doctors who discuss and recommend medical cannabis.
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For the fifth straight month marijuana sales in Rhode Island were between $9 million and $9.7 million.

Licensed marijuana retail outlets sold $9,430,642 worth of product in October, according to data released by the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulations. $2,381,005  of this was purchased by medical marijuana patients, with the remaining $7,049,637 sold to recreational consumers.

The average sales receipt per marijuana-related transaction was $25.64, a $0.47 decrease from the $26.11 average in September.
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The leader of the Ohio House of Representatives says that any changes to the voter-approved law that legalized marijuana won’t come until next year.

Last week Ohio’s full Senate voted 28 to 2 to pass legislation that would make multiple changes to Issue 2, a law legalizing recreational marijuana that was passed by voters in last month’s election. The Senate approved the bill one day before the provisions of the law allowing marijuana possession and cultivation took effect, with proponents hoping the House would promptly take up the issue. Now, it appears clear that the House will not act on any marijuana bill this year, with the legislative session nearly over.

“I don’t think there will be anything about marijuana on the floor”, Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R) told reporters Tuesday morning. “I think we’ll continue the discussion”.  Continue reading

Pennsylvania’s full legislature has passed legislation to allow all licensed marijuana growers and processors to sell marijuana directly to patients.

According to a new federally funded study, teen marijuana use is considerably lower now than it was in the 1990s, well before any state legalized marijuana. Teen usage rates also remain below pre-pandemic levels, despite multiple states legalizing the plant over the past few years.

The 2023 Monitoring the Future survey is conducted by the University of Michigan and is funded by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The survey found that past-year marijuana use among teens remained stable for all three grades surveyed (8th, 10th and 12th).

“The percentage of youth who have used marijuana had not returned to pre-pandemic, 2020
levels by 2023,” states the survey. “In all grades, 2023 levels remained below those in 2020.”
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New York’s “Cannabis Crop Rescue Act” has been delivered to Governor Kathy Hochul.

Senate Bill 7295 was approved by the New York Senate earlier this year in a 53 to 8 vote, followed by approval in the Assembly 134 to 6. Yesterday the measure was officially delivered to Governor Hochul, giving her 10 days to decide whether or not to sign it into law, veto it or allow it to become law without a signature. If Governor Hochul was to veto the measure, the Legislature could override it with a two-thirds majority.

The proposed law would allow recreational marijuana cultivators and processors “to sell tested, packaged, and sealed cannabis products or biomass to a cannabis dispensing facility licensed or permitted by a tribal nation for retail sale.”
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Legislation that would facilitate the automatic review and expungement of charges related to marijuana possession and cultivation has been scheduled for a hearing. The bill would also allow those in jail for a marijuana offense that has since been decriminalized to “apply to the sentencing court for an order of discharge and release.”

House Bill 1790 was filed in February by State Representatives Chynah Tyler (D), Lindsay Sabadosa (D) and James Arena-DeRosa (D). Nearly 10 months later, the measure has been scheduled for a public hearing in the legislature’s Joint Committee on The Judiciary.

The hearing will take place on December 19 at 1PM EST.
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In October Georgia became the first state in the US to sell medical marijuana products through licensed pharmacies. The DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) is now threatening said pharmacies.

Medical marijuana capsules.

Under Georgia’s restrictive medical marijuana law, those with a qualifying medical condition who receive a recommendation from a physician are allowed to purchase, possess and use products (such as tinctures and capsules) containing marijuana-derived CBD and up to 5% THC. What makes Georgia’s law unique is that it allows marijuana products to be sold through pharmacies, something no other state has allowed.

Earlier this month the DEA sent a letter to pharmacies who are currently selling marijuana products, or who have been approved by the state to do so in the near future, telling them that what they’re doing remains federally illegal.
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