Feb 01 2024

Legislation to Legalize Recreational Marijuana “Passed on First Consideration” in Tennessee House and Senate

In Tennessee, a bill to legalize recreational marijuana has been introduced in the House and Senate and passed through its first reading.

Senator Raumesh Akbari filed Senate Bill 2468 on Tuesday, the same day as State Representative Vincenrt Dixie filed House Bill 2413, a companion measure with identical language. On Wednesday the measures were “Passed on first consideration“. This procedural move allows the bills to advance to a second reading in each chamber, with a third reading required before the measure can be sent to Governor Bill Lee.

The legislation would legalize the personal possession of up to half an ounce of marijuana for those 21 and older. It would establish a system of licensed, regulated and taxed marijuana businesses that could sell marijuana and marijuana products.
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Feb 01 2024

Resolutions Urging Research On “High-Potency Marijuana” Filed in the US House and Senate

Congressmembers Pete Sessions (R-TX) and Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) have filed bicameral resolutions urging federal agencies and state and local governments to do more research on the potential dangers of high-THC marijuana.

House Concurrent Resolution 87, “Recognizing the need for research, education, and policy development regarding high-potency marijuana”, was filed yesterday in the House, with a Senate companion resolution forthcoming.

“The dangers of using high-potency THC products often goes unnoticed”, Rep Pete Sessions said in a recent post on the social media platform X. “That’s why @SenatorRicketts are introducing “Randy’s Resolution” to raise awareness for the likelihood of psychosis related to the frequent use of marijuana.”
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Jan 31 2024

Virginia Committee Approves Bill to Legalize Marijuana Sales

Legislation to legalize the distribution of marijuana to those 21 and older has been passed by a Virginia legislative committee.

Despite legalizing recreational marijuana in 2021, Virginia remains the only legal marijuana state to not allow sales in any capacity. Today, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee voted 7 to 5 to change this by allowing licensed marijuana sales through the passage of Senate Bill 448. The measure has already been approved through the Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services

The proposal, filed by Senator Aaron Rouse (D), would establish a system of licensed and regulated marijuana retail outlets, supplied by licensed growers and processors. Sales would begin sometime in 2025. Cities would be allowed to ban marijuana stores, but only through voter approval.
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Jan 31 2024

California Assembly Unanimously Approves Psychedelics Bill

California’s full Assembly has given approval to legislation establishing a psychedelics work group to prepare the state for legalization.

Mescaline (top left), ibogaine (top right), psilocyn mushrooms (bottom left), DMT (bottom right).

The Assembly voted 58 to 0 today to pass Assembly Bill 941, filed by Assemblymember Mari Waldron (R). Passage of the bill comes a little over three months after Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have legalized certain psychedelics including psilocybin, DMT and ibogaine.

This bill “would require the California Health and Human Services Agency to convene a workgroup to study and make recommendations on the establishment of a framework governing psychedelic-assisted therapy, as defined.”
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Jan 31 2024

Texas Attorney General Sues Five Cities That Voted to Decriminalize Marijuana

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched lawsuits against the cities of Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin, and Denton for adopting amnesty and non-prosecution policies for marijuana that he says “violate Texas laws concerning marijuana possession and distribution.”

The five municipalities have adopted ordinances or policies instructing police not to enforce Texas drug laws concerning possession of marijuana, which Paxton in a press release calls “an illicit substance that psychologists have increasingly linked to psychosis and other negative consequences.”

“I will not stand idly by as cities run by pro-crime extremists deliberately violate Texas law and promote the use of illicit drugs that harm our communities,” said Attorney General Paxton. “This unconstitutional action by municipalities demonstrates why Texas must have a law to ‘follow the law.’ It’s quite simple: the legislature passes every law after a full debate on the issues, and we don’t allow cities the ability to create anarchy by picking and choosing the laws they enforce.”
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Jan 30 2024

Federal Legislation to Allow Legal Marijuana Use at Public Housing Gains New Sponsor

Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) has signed on as a cosponsor for legislation that would allow those in public housing to use marijuana without fear of eviction if they are following state law.

The Marijuana in Federally Assisted Housing Parity Act was introduced last week in the United States House of Representatives and Senate by Congressmember Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ). Yesterday, Rep. Lee became the second member of the House to sponsor the bill.

The legislation would allow the use of marijuana in federally assisted housing, including public housing and Section 8 housing, in compliance with the marijuana laws of the state (including the District of Columbia) where the property is located.
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Jan 30 2024

12 US Senators Send Letter Urging Biden Administration to Fully Deschedule Marijuana

A coalition of 12 members of the United States Senate sent a letter yesterday to the DEA and Department of Justice urging them to fully deschedule marijuana.

The letter addressed to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram and Attorney General Merrick Garland was signed by 12 Senate Democrats, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

“We write to urge the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to swiftly deschedule marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)”, states the letter. “The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended rescheduling marijuana from the CSA’s strictest schedule, Schedule I, to Schedule III. Earlier this month, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, HHS for the first time disclosed its rationale for this recommendation, which made clear that cannabis does not meet the medical or scientific requirements for Schedule I.”
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Jan 30 2024

Missouri Committee Schedules Hearing on Psilocybin Bill

Missouri legislation that would facilitate research on the therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms is scheduled for a public hearing today in a key Senate committee.

Senate Bill 768 was prefiled by Senator Holly Thompson Rehder in December, with the measure referred to the Senate Emerging Issues Committee on January 9. Today, the committee is scheduled to conduct a public hearing on the bill.

The measure states that “any person who acquires, uses, produces, possesses, transfers, or administers psilocybin for the person’s own therapeutic use shall not be subject to state or local criminal or civil penalties if the person” is 21 years old, has a qualifying medical condition and “has enrolled or sought to be enrolled in a clinical trial to study psilocybin to treat such conditions”.
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Jan 30 2024

Utah Republican Files Legislation to Allow Standalone Medical Marijuana Delivery Companies

A bill to allow businesses that would exclusively deliver medical marijuana products to qualified patients has been filed in Utah.

State Representative Walt Brooks (R) has filed House Bill 389, with the measure assigned to the House Rules Committee.

Specifically, the bill would authorize “closed-door medical cannabis pharmacies”, described as “means a facility operated by a home delivery medical cannabis pharmacy for delivering cannabis or a medical cannabis product.”
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Jan 29 2024

Washington State Committee Amends Bill to Raise Age for Most Marijuana Concentrates to 25

A Washington State House committee has amended and then passed a bill that would have banned any marijuana concentrate (oil, wax, hash, etc.) that has over 35% THC for those under the age of 25.

Filed by State Representative Lauren Davis along with 11 cosponsors, House Bill 2320 was given approval today by the House Committee on Regulated Substances & Gaming in a 9 to 2 vote.

The measure initially would have prohibited “licensed cannabis retailers from selling cannabis concentrates with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration greater than 35 percent” to anyone who is under 25, even though the legal marijuana age is 21. An exception would in with a medical cannabis endorsement who may continue to sell these products to qualifying patients and designated providers who are entered in the Medical Cannabis Authorization Database.”
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