Jun 17 2024
House Bill 72 was approved by the Vermont House of Representatives in January with a vote of 96 to 35. On May 1, the measure passed the Senate 21 to 8, sending it to Governor Phil Scott, who vetoed the bill on May 30.
Today, both the House and Senate voted with the necessary two-thirds majority to override the veto, enacting the measure into law.
Jun 17 2024
The SOS is a series of scientific experiments focusing on analyzing cultivation and processing metrics to evaluate which variables produce the most pleasant and least harmful smoking experience. The study will take place over the course of at least two years, potentially longer. The study is being conducted through a collaboration with DaySavers, “the most compliant and tested pre-rolled cone and rolling paper brand on the market,” the Cannabis Research Coalition, and The Network of Applied Pharmacognosy (NAP).
In the week since announcing the study, hundreds have already signed up to participate. However, with the selection being done through a random lottery, anyone who enters now has just as much of a chance as someone who signed up on day one. Continue reading
Jun 17 2024
These legislative efforts span a range of issues from marijuana banking and veterans’ health care to housing and descheduling. All of these measures were filed since January 2023, and will expire if not enacted into law by the end of the year.
Below we will delve into the details of these prominent bills:
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Jun 17 2024
As more states adopt legalization, extensive data has become available, enabling a thorough analysis of its impact on crime rates nationwide and providing real-world evidence to inform the ongoing debate.
Colorado, one of the pioneers in legalizing recreational marijuana in 2012, has observed significant changes in crime rates. From 2012 to 2016, the state saw a decrease in property crimes from 2,364 to 2,034 per 100,000 residents. Additionally, the state experienced a decline in violent crime rates by 10% from 2012 to 2019, as reported by the Colorado Department of Public Safety.
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Jun 17 2024
The SAFE Banking Act (H.R. 2891) in the House of Representatives has 124 sponsors, the highest number for any marijuana-related measure in Congress. In the Senate, the updated SAFER Banking Act has 36 sponsors. Together, these 160 sponsors represent 30% of the entire Congress.
Both measures would provide federal protections for banks and credit unions that offer financial services to state-legal marijuana businesses. These businesses include medical marijuana dispensaries in the 38 states where they are legal, and recreational marijuana stores in the 23 states where they are authorized. Additionally, both measures would allow state-legal marijuana businesses to take standard IRS tax deductions, a practice currently forbidden. Continue reading
Jun 17 2024
Recreational marijuana is currently legal in 24 states, with medical marijuana legal in 38. Both of those numbers may climb higher following this November’s election, with three states voting to legalize recreational marijuana, one state set to vote on legalizing medical marijuana, and one set to vote on greatly expanding their medical marijuana law while establishing a federal trigger for recreational legalization.
Below is a look at these five states and their marijuana initiatives.
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Jun 17 2024
The Assembly Health Committee passed Assembly Bill 3852 today, moving it along in the legislative process. The move comes a little over a week after the Senate Heath Committee voted to approve a companion measure.
Initially devised as a way to legalize the personal use of psilocybin for everyone 21 and older, the measure was amended to apply exclusively to the medical/therapeutic use of the substance.
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Jun 17 2024
Filed by State Representatives Emily Kinkead and Aaron Kaufer, House Bill 2500 would establish a legal framework for the recreational sale of marijuana, prioritizing licensing for disadvantaged groups. It also seeks to expunge past criminal charges related to marijuana distribution.
“We know across the board that having marijuana be illegal has done only harm in our communities,” Kinkead told WESA, a local NPR affiliate. “And we’re recognizing that it has medicinal properties, [and] the world has not ended in all the states that have legalized it recreationally.”
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Jun 16 2024
Governor Moore is set to enact one of the country’s most extensive clemency measures for marijuana-related offenses on Monday via an executive order. This action aims to address the social and economic injustices that disproportionately affect individuals of color.
“I’m ecstatic that we have a real opportunity with what I’m signing to right a lot of historical wrongs,” Governor Moore told the Washington Post. “If you want to be able to create inclusive economic growth, it means you have to start removing these barriers that continue to disproportionately sit on communities of color.”
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Jun 15 2024
Dried psilocybin mushrooms.
By a vote of 42 to 16, the Arizona House has passed Senate Bill 1570, approximately 3.5 months after it was passed by the Senate with a vote of 24 to 4. The measure, filed by Senator Jarrett Keohokalole (D), now heads to Governor Hobbs.
Once enacted, the measure will legalize psilocybin therapy centers where individuals can legally consume psilocybin in a medical, supervised setting with trained staff constantly available. Licensing for these centers will be handled by the Department of Human Services (DHS). Additionally, an Arizona Psilocybin Advisory Board will be established under the bill, tasked with overseeing training criteria for those working at service centers and recommending potential law changes to lawmakers.
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