Mar 24 2024

Vermont: Second Senate Committee Passes Bill to Decriminalize Psilocybin Mushrooms

Legislation to decriminalize the possession and distribution of psilocybin mushrooms has been given approval by a second Senate committee and will soon be considered by the full chamber.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

Senate Bill 114 has been given approval by the Senate Appropriations Committee, just days after it was passed by the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare. Filed by Senator Martine Gulick along with eight cosponsors, the measure would “remove criminal penalties for possessing, dispensing, or selling psilocybin”. while establishing a Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group.

According to its official legislative summary, this bill “proposes to make findings regarding the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, to remove criminal penalties for possession of psilocybin; and to establish the Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group to examine the use of psychedelics to improve physical and mental health and to make recommendations regarding the establishment of a State program similar to Connecticut, Colorado, or Oregon to permit health care providers to administer psychedelics in a therapeutic setting.”
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Mar 24 2024

Voters in These Two States Will Consider Legalizing Marijuana This November

Ballot initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana are likely to be considered in two states during this November’s presidential election.

24 different states have legalized recreational marijuana since 2012, with the majority doing so through the initiative process. This November, voters in two more states are set to decide whether or not they want to join the list and make marijuana legally available for everyone 21 and older.

Below are the two states that are highly likely to have ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana on the November ballot:
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Mar 23 2024

“Stop Pot Act” to Withhold Funds from Legal Marijuana States Has No New Sponsors in Almost 6 Months

The Stop Pot Act in the US House of Representatives has not garnered a single new sponsor since early October, despite being the most prominent piece of anti-marijuana legislation in Congress.

The Stop Pot Act was filed in September by North Carolina Congressmember Chuck Edwards. The measure would withhold federal funding from states and tribes that have legalized recreational marijuana. The measure was filed with just one cosponsor, which grew to five by the following month. However, the proposal has not gained a single new sponsor since Congressmember John Rose (R-TN) joined the list on October 2, almost six months ago.

By comparison, a measure to completely remove marijuana as a controlled substance has 87 sponsors. Legislation to allow marijuana banking has 107 sponsors.
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Mar 23 2024

South Dakota Governor Signs Legislation Banning Delta-8 THC

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has signed into law a measure banning the production, distribution and possession of delta-8 and delta-10 THC.

Gummies made with delta-8 THC.

Governor Kristi Noem has signed House Bill 1125 into law. The measure was approved recently through the full Senate, 31 to 1, and it passed the House unanimously, 69 to 0.

The legislation explicitly prohibits the production, distribution or possession of delta-8 and delta-10 THC, derived from legal hemp. The measure states that no person or entity may:
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Mar 22 2024

The 5 States Gearing Up to Legalize Marijuana in the Near Future

There are 24 legal marijuana states. Of the 26 without legal marijuana, five in particular are gearing up to make a change.

In 2023 and 2024 marijuana legalization legislation and/or ballot initiatives were filed in nearly all of the 26 states without legal marijuana. However, some of these efforts have far more of a chance of actually being enacted into law than others.

Based on our analysis of the current political landscape, here are the five states gearing up to legalize marijuana in the near future:
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Mar 22 2024

US Senate Majority Leader Circulates Petition in Support of Marijuana Banking Bill (SAFER Banking Act)

United States Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is circulating a petition requesting people “Sign On” to “Support the SAFER Banking Act!”

“Can you imagine running a business without being able to deposit your money anywhere?”, begins the petition. “That’s the reality for law-abiding marijuana businesses across the country. In states where marijuana is legal, these businesses have extremely limited access to basic banking services like deposits or lines of credit. They’re forced to keep massive amounts of cash on hand — a danger for everyone involved.”

The petition then says “That’s why Chuck is championing the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act. Sign your name in support.”
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Mar 22 2024

Montana Legal Marijuana Sales Top $25 Million in January

In January there was just over $25 million in marijuana sold legally throughout Montana.

According to data compiled and released by the Montana Cannabis Control Division, there was $25,110,065 in legal marijuana and marijuana products sold in January. This is a slight increase over the $24,946,537 sold last January.

$20,874,549 of the marijuana purchased in January was for recreational use, with the remaining $4,235,515 purchased by medical marijuana patients.
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Mar 21 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris Said “We’ve Changed Federal Marijuana Policy”, 40 Days Later Confusion Remains

 

In early February Vice President Kamala Harris said “We changed federal marijuana policy”. 41 days later, and no answers have been given as to what was meant by that statement.

(Photo credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images).

In the February 9 video posted on the social media platform X, VP Harris said “We changed federal marijuana policy, because nobody should have to go to jail just for smoking weed”. The video was meant to appeal to young voters, and included several other topics that the Biden / Harris Administration have focused on over the past several years.

Since the video was published, VP Harris has publicly stated that the rescheduling of marijuana should occur “as quickly as possible“, and she has said “we need to legalize marijuana“. However, she has not addressed what she meant in the video when she said “We changed federal marijuana policy”, which is a provable falsehood. The video remains live to this day, viewed over 437,000 times.
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Mar 21 2024

US Treasury Secretary Says It’s “Desirable” to Pass Federal Marijuana Banking Bill

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says that it would be “desirable” for the federal government to pass marijuana banking legislation, calling the current situation a “problem”.

(Photo credit: Eric Risberg / Associated Press).

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was questioned today during a House Appropriations Financial Services And General Government Subcommittee. During the meeting, Congressmember Dave Joyce (R-OH) questioned Yellen on the conflict between federal and state marijuana policies, in particular when it comes to banking regulations.

Joyce asked Yellen if she could tell him “what is presently this administration’s position on [the SAFER Banking Act]”?
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Mar 21 2024

Delaware Senate Committee Passes Bill to Allow Medical Marijuana for Any Condition, Allow Those 65+ to Self-Certify

A key Senate committee in Delaware has passed legislation that would enhance patient access to medical marijuana, including allowing physicians to recommend the medicine for any condition they deem appropriate.

House Bill 285 was given approval recently by the Senate Health & Social Services Committee, roughly two months after it was given approval by the full House of Representatives.

The proposed law would remove the state’s list of qualifying medical marijuana conditions, instead allowing physicians to recommend the medicine for any condition they deem appropriate. The measure would also allow those who are 65 years old and older to self-certify themselves as medical marijuana patients, meaning they would not need a signature or recommendation from a healthcare professional.
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