Jun 20 2024

Colorado: Teen Marijuana Use Drops 37% After a Decade of Marijuana Legalization

The legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado aligns with a decline in teen marijuana use, data from the Department of Public Health shows.

The latest Healthy Kids Colorado Survey reveals that the proportion of high school students who reported using marijuana in the past month dropped by 37% from 2013 to 2023. Additionally, the number of teens who found marijuana “easy” to obtain decreased by 27% during the same period.

In 2012, Colorado tied Washington as the first state to legalize recreational marijuana. The first licensed marijuana retail outlet opened in 2014.
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Jun 20 2024

Nine Former DEA Administrators Urge Agency to Hold Public Hearing on Marijuana Rescheduling

A group of former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) leaders has called on the agency to hold a public hearing on a proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

In a recent federal filing, the former officials described the move as “likely the most consequential rulemaking DEA has ever attempted.”

The group, which includes six former DEA administrators and three former acting administrators, emphasized the need for a hearing in light of the ongoing drug overdose crisis in the United States. “Given the magnitude of the impact of the proposed rule and considering we face an unprecedented drug overdose crisis in this country, we write to emphasize that a hearing on this rulemaking is in the public interest,” they stated.
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Jun 20 2024

President Biden Commends and Welcomes Maryland Marijuana Pardons

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says that President Biden commends and welcomes Maryland’s move to pardon over 170,000 marijuana-related charges.

On Monday, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed an executive order enacting one of the country’s most extensive clemency measures for marijuana-related offenses. The move is expected to impact 100,000 people and pardon 175,000 charges. It comes less than a year after the state legalized recreational marijuana.

“I’m ecstatic that we have a real opportunity with what I’m signing to right a lot of historical wrongs,” said Governor Moore. “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.” He described the pardons as “the most extensive and assertive” executive action nationwide in addressing criminal justice disparities as more states relax marijuana laws.
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Jun 20 2024

These 4 States Are On Track to Legalize Marijuana Within the Next 6 Months

As marijuana legalization continues to gain momentum across the United States, four states are poised to make significant strides in the next six months.

Legislative efforts and voter initiatives are advancing in Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Florida, and North Dakota, each working towards establishing legal frameworks for recreational marijuana use. Here’s a closer look at the current status and future prospects in these states.
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Jun 20 2024

North Carolina Senate Votes to Legalize Medical Marijuana

North Carolina’s full Senate has given initial approval to legislation that would make medical marijuana legal.

By a vote of 33 to 9, the Senate has passed House Bill 563 through its second reading. The measure will receive a third and final reading on Monday, with expected passage sending it to the House of Representatives.

Originally introduced to regulate the hemp industry and ban hemp products from school grounds, the Senate Judiciary Committee amended the bill to include medical marijuana provisions.
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Jun 19 2024

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Predict Marijuana Legalization Bill Reaching Governor This Year, Sales Starting July 2025

During a Twitter Spaces event on Wednesday, Pennsylvania Senators Dan Laughlin (R) and Sharif Street (D) expressed cautious optimism about the potential for marijuana reform in the current legislative session.

Senator Laughlin, who is cosponsoring bipartisan marijuana legalization legislation (House Bill 2500) that was recently announced, noted a shift in attitudes among Senate Republicans over the past three years. “The attitudes amongst the Senate Republicans have certainly softened,” he said. Laughlin said he believes there are enough votes to pass a cannabis bill if it were put to a floor vote.

Senator Street, who is also cosponsoring House Bill 2500, was more hopeful, predicting that a cannabis bill could reach the governor by the end of the session. “I think we can get it done,” he said, suggesting that sales could begin by July 2025.
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Jun 19 2024

The 10 Largest Recreational Marijuana Markets in the US

There are 23 states that have legalized the licensed distribution of recreational marijuana. Here’s a look at the 10 with the most lucrative markets.

Between 2012 and now, the US has gone from having no states with legal recreational marijuana markets to having nearly two dozen. Although a couple of the 23 states with legal marijuana sales do not yet have licensed stores open because they legalized too recently (Ohio and Minnesota, for example), most have flourishing marijuana markets.

With that said, here are the 10 states with the largest marijuana markets based on total sales for the first quarter of this year.
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Jun 19 2024

North Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Bill to Legalize Medical Marijuana

Legislation that would legalize medical marijuana has been passed by a key committee in North Carolina’s Senate.

North Carolinians suffering from cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and other debilitating illnesses would be able to legally purchase, possess and use medical marijuana, pending the adoption of House Bill 563 by state lawmakers.

The state Senate Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to advance the bill, originally introduced last year to regulate the hemp industry and ban hemp products from school grounds. In an unexpected move, the committee amended the bill to allow physicians to prescribe marijuana for various serious medical conditions.
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Jun 19 2024

Study: Reddit Became Key Platform for Cannabis Conversations Among Young People Amid Pandemic

A recent study published in the journal PLOS One highlights the significant role social media, particularly Reddit, played in facilitating conversations about cannabis use among young people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study focused on the subreddit r/saplings, a popular forum for cannabis-related discussions, to understand the nature of information sought and shared by its users and how these conversations evolved during the pandemic.

Researchers analyzed 213 randomly selected posts and 2,546 comments from four different time periods: before the pandemic, during the first wave, summer, and the following fall. The study revealed a substantial increase in the volume of posts and comments throughout these periods, indicating that Reddit became an increasingly important platform for youth socialization and information exchange about cannabis during the pandemic.
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Jun 19 2024

North Dakota, South Dakota and Florida: The Three Recreational Marijuana Initiatives Being Voted on This November

With the news that North Dakota has already reached their signature threshold in less than two months, it’s becoming clear which states will vote this November on recreational marijuana initiatives.

Twenty-four states have legalized recreational marijuana, and three more are aiming to join the list this November. Below is an overview of these three initiatives. Continue reading