Apr 24 2024

President Biden Announces More Pardons and Commutations for Non-Violent Drug Offenses

In an announcement made today, President Biden says he’s pardoned and commuted the sentences of numerous individuals, all for non-violent drug-related offenses.

“America is a Nation founded on the promise of second chances”, said President Biden in an official White House statement. ‘During Second Chance Month, we reaffirm our commitment to rehabilitation and reentry for people returning to their communities post incarceration. We also recommit to building a criminal justice system that lives up to those ideals and ensures that everyone receives equal justice under law.”

Biden says “That is why today I am announcing steps I am taking to make this promise a reality. I am using my clemency power to pardon 11 individuals and commute the sentences of 5 individuals who were convicted of non-violent drug offenses.”
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Apr 24 2024

Kentucky to Hold Medical Marijuana Lottery in October, 48 Dispensary Licenses to Be Awarded Across 11 Regions

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has announced that the state will use a lottery system to award an initial round of medical marijuana business licenses.

The lottery will take place in October, with Governor Beshear arguing that it should remove any temptation to lobby in an effort to “get a leg up in different ways that we don’t want to see”. Governor Beshear says that the medical marijuana industry is expected to be up and running by the first half of 2025.

“[The lottery] reduces or eliminates litigation, and it creates a more fair process, not one where people bid against each other and only then the big companies can be a part of it,” said the governor. “But one that provides at least a chance for everyone who can meet the criteria.”
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Apr 24 2024

US Senate Majority Leader Includes “SAFER Banking Act” and “Cannabis Reform” as Top Senate Goals

At a press conference today Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer committed to passing the SAFE Banking Act and other “cannabis reform” in “a bipartisan way”.

When asked “what are your major goals?”, Senator Schumer (D-NY) responded “We have a bunch of different bills, they’ll all have to work in a bipartisan way and we’ll do our best to get many of them done.”

Schumer says this “includes getting $35 insulin, they’re trying to get online child safety done, they’re trying to deal with rail safety, they’re trying to deal with the SAFER Act and Cannabis reform.”
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Apr 23 2024

Cannabis Oil Shows Promise in Treating PTSD Symptoms, Finds Study

A new study using an animal model demonstrates that medicinal cannabis oil may offer significant benefits in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.

The study, published in the journal Behavioural Brain Research and conducted by researchers at the Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Qinghai University, and the Beijing University of Technology, provides new insights into the potential mechanisms by which cannabis oil could alleviate PTSD.

In this study, the research team developed a PTSD model in mice by subjecting them to chronic complex stress (CCS) for four weeks, simulating long-term stress conditions.
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Apr 23 2024

Study Says “Psilocybin Showed Promise in Treating Depression and Anxiety”

The psychedelic compound psilocybin “showed promise in treating depression and anxiety, with notable safety profiles”, according to a new study.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

“The purpose of this review was to provide a narrative of published articles that investigated the effect of psilocybin, which has been designated as a “breakthrough therapy” by the FDA, in the treatment of depression”, states the study, published in the May, 2024 issue of the journal Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience. “FDA designated psilocybin as a “breakthrough therapy” for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in 2018. This paper provided a review of psilocybin’s potential role in treatment of depression by focusing on published clinical trials.”

The abstract of the study, which was also published online by the US National Institute of Health, states that numerous studies have shown that “psilocybin manifests antidepressant and anxiolytic effects by increasing glutamate transmission, reducing brain inflammation, decreasing default mode network activity.”
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Apr 23 2024

Second California Committee Votes in Favor of Legalizing Marijuana Cafés

Legislation to legalize marijuana cafés in California has been passed by a second committee in the state’s Assembly.

Assembly Bill 1775, filed by Rep. Matt Haney (D), was given approval yesterday by the Committee on Governmental Organization, with the vote being 13 to 2. The measure, which now heads to a third and final reading of the full Assembly, was passed through the Committee on Business and Professions earlier this month 14 to 2.

The proposed law would “authorize a local jurisdiction, if specified conditions are met, to allow for the preparation or sale of noncannabis food or beverage products, as specified, by a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed, and to allow, and to sell tickets for, live musical or other performances on the premises of a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed.”
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Apr 23 2024

US Congress: With 152, Marijuana Banking Act Has More Sponsors Than Any Marijuana Bill Ever

Bicameral and bipartisan legislation to allow marijuana banking now has over 150 sponsors, well more than any other marijuana-related bill filed in the US Congress.

In the United States House of Representatives, the SAFE Banking Act has 116 sponsors, 106 more than when it was filed in April, 2023. In the Senate, the Safer Banking Act – filed in September – has 36 sponsors, including having support of both Democrats, Republicans and all three independent senators.

The combined 152 sponsors is more than any other marijuana-related bill filed in either the House or Senate.
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Apr 23 2024

Louisiana Legislature Approves Legislation to Extend Medical Marijuana Program to 2030

Louisiana legislation that would extend the sunset period for Louisiana’s medical marijuana pilot program by five and a half years has been passed by the state’s full legislature.

Louisiana’s House of Representatives gave approval yesterday to Senate Bill 228, filed by Senator Patrick McMath. The measure was approved last month through the state’s Senate by an overwhelming 32 to 5 vote. Given the measure was amended in the House, it will need to go back for one final vote of concurrence in the Senate before it can be sent to Governor Jeff Landry for consideration.

Louisiana’s medical marijuana pilot program was established by lawmakers in 2022. The program allows Louisiana State University and Southern University to legally produce  marijuana for therapeutic use, with the production and distribution of medical marijuana is under the regulatory authority of the Louisiana Department of Health.
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Apr 23 2024

California Bill to Legalize Access to Multiple Psychedelics Approved by Second Senate Committee

A second committee in California’s Senate has given approval to a bill to legalize therapeutic access to a handful of psychedelic substances.

Mescaline (top left), DMT (top right), dried psilocybin mushrooms (bottom left), and MDMA (bottom right).

By a vote of 3 to 2, the Senate Health Committee has voted to pass Senate Bill 1012 Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee voted 7 to 4 today to pass Senate Bill 1012, The Regulated Psychedelic Facilitators Act and the Regulated Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Act.

The Senate Health Committee’s approval of the bill comes a week after the measure was passed through the  Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee by a vote of 7 to 4. The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee, with approval sending it to the full Senate.
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Apr 23 2024

South Dakota Marijuana Legalization Campaign Has Collected Over 70% of Signatures Required to Make November Ballot

South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws has collected more than 12,500 signatures for their marijuana legalization campaign.

In 2020 an initiative to legalize marijuana, also put forth by South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, was approved by voters during the general election ballot. Due to a technicality, it was subsequently thrown out by the courts. In 2022 a similar initiative was placed on the ballot but rejected by voters 47% to 53%.

Now, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws says it has collected over 12,500 signatures, 71% of their goal of 17,508, the required number to put the measure to a vote this November. The group has until May 7 to reach this number.
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