Oct 26 2023

Ohio: Supporters of Marijuana Legalization Initiative Have Outraised Opponents 3.5 to 1

Those in support of an Ohio initiative to legalize recreational marijuana have drastically outraised opponents of the measure.

According to state filings, the coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol has raised nearly $1.2 million as of October 23. They have spent around $820,000 of that, leaving them with around $380,000 cash on hand.

Protect Ohio Workers and Families, the primary coalition opposing Issue 2, raised around $342,000 during the same period. They have spent $230,000 of that, giving them around $112,000 on hand.
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Oct 26 2023

Illinois Bill Filed to Allow Medical Marijuana Authorizations Via Telemedicine

Legislation allowing medical marijuana authorizations to be issued via telehealth has been filed in the Illinois Legislature.

House Bill 4201 was filed today by State Representative Bob Morgan (D). The proposed law would amend the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act to provide “that the physical examination required by the Act may (instead of may not) be performed by remote means, including telemedicine.”

HB 4201, which would take effect immediately upon being passed into law, has not yet been given a committee assignment.
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Oct 26 2023

Arkansas: $211 Million in Medical Marijuana Sold So Far This Year, $965 Million Since 2019

Medical marijuana patients have legally purchased over $200 million worth of medical marijuana so far in 2023.

According to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, there was $211.3 million worth of medical marijuana sold between January 1 and September 30 of this year. During that period there was 44,979 pounds of medical marijuana sold.

In September there was $23.2 million in medical marijuana sold, almost identical to the $23.3 million sold in August and the $23.2 million sold in July.
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Oct 26 2023

Study: Marijuana Reduces Anxiety and Prescription Drug Use Among Those With Anxiety and PTSD

According to a new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, those with anxiety and/or PTSD who use medical marijuana experience symptom improvements and many reduce their intake of prescription anti-anxiety medications.

Titled Anxiety severity and prescription medication utilization in first-time medical marijuana users, the study was conducted by researchers at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Public Health Management Corporation.

“Anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are qualifying psychiatric conditions for medical marijuana (MM) treatment in Pennsylvania”, states the study’s abstract. “This study examined baseline prevalence and changes in prescription anxiety medication use three months following MM treatment initiation among individuals with these qualifying conditions.”
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Oct 26 2023

Marijuana Companies Join Forces to Sue US Attorney General Over “Unconstitutional” Marijuana Ban

A group of marijuana businesses being represented by a renowned law firm has filed a lawsuit claiming that the federal criminalization “of safe, regulated intrastate cannabis legal in 38 states is unconstitutional—and unfair to small businesses”.

A coalition of U.S. cannabis operators and investors working in state-legal medical and adult-use cannabis markets today filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The coalition, represented by the law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, “seeks to enjoin the federal government from enforcing the Controlled Substances Act in a manner that interferes with the intrastate cultivation, manufacture, possession, and distribution of cannabis, pursuant to state law”, according to a press release. The lawsuit “asserts that the federal government has no basis for enforcing the Controlled Substances Act against intrastate, state-regulated cannabis operations.”
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Oct 26 2023

Survey: 18% of Americans Use Medical Marijuana Now, but 65% Would Use If Guided by a Clinician

According to new survey data released by EO Care, Inc., a strong majority of adults would use medical marijuana if guided by a clinician.

According to the survey of 1,027 Americans who were all employed at least part-time and were from states where cannabis is legal for medical and/or recreational use, 18% of respondents say they have used cannabis for health reasons in the past year, 19% have used cannabis for recreational reasons, and 14% have used it for both.

The top three reasons for their cannabis use are anxiety, pain and sleep, and 88% of medical cannabis users say it reduced their use of prescription drugs, alcohol, or both.
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Oct 26 2023

California Group Announces Initiative to Legalize Medical Psychedelics

A nonprofit political group has announced the Psychedelic Wellness and Healing Initiative of 2024, which will soon be filed with California officials in hopes of placing it on the 2024 general election ballot.

Earlier this month California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have legalized the possession, preparation and transportation of up to two grams of DMT, 15 grams of ibogaine, two grams of psilocybin (or up to four ounces of “a plant or fungi containing psilocybin”) and two grams of psilocyn (or up to four ounces of “a plant or fungi containing psilocybin”).

Now, proponents of legalizing psychedelics are taking matters into their own hands.
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Oct 26 2023

Marijuana Legalization Association With Decrease in Traffic Fatalities

According to a new study conducted by Quartz Advisors, states that legalized marijuana in 2016 experienced a noticeable decline in traffic fatalities in the years that followed.

“In California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada – four states that fully legalized marijuana in 2016 – traffic fatalities declined or remained the same in the three years that followed, compared to a slight increase in states where it remained illegal”, states the new study. In addition, a “comprehensive study of traffic data in the U.S. and Canada failed to find a statistically significant change in accidents and fatalities after legalization.”

Alcohol, on the other hands, “remains fully legal in all 50 states and D.C., is a factor in nearly a third of all automotive fatalities.”
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Oct 25 2023

Arizona Garnered $660 Million in Marijuana Taxes in First 30 Months of Legal Sales

In the 30 months that recreational marijuana has been legal in Arizona, the state has made well over half a billion dollars in new tax revenue.

In total Arizona made $660,668,140 in marijuana taxes between February, 2021 and August, 2023, according to data released by the Arizona Department of Revenue. In fiscal year 2023, ending June 30, Arizona made $283,179,058 in marijuana tax revenue, a roughly $30 million increase from the previous fiscal year.

The top month for marijuana tax revenue came in May of this year, with $28,423,424 garnered. This is well ahead of second place – January, 2023 – with $25,115,643 in revenue garnered from legal marijuana sales.
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Oct 25 2023

Massachusetts: Over $150 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in September, $1.24 Billion Year-to-Date

In Massachusetts there was over $150 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold by licensed retail outlets in September.

According to the state’s Cannabis Control Commission, those 21 and older purchased $152.8 million worth of marijuana in September. This marks a slight decrease from the record-breaking $158 million sold last month, but it’s more than any month prior. Sales numbers include dried marijuana flower and marijuana concentrates as well as products containing marijuana including edibles, tinctures and topicals.

In September recreational marijuana sales reached $135 million, with there being $17.8 million in medical marijuana purchased during the same period.
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