Feb 07 2024

US Congress: The Three Marijuana Bills Most Likely to Pass in 2024

There are numerous marijuana-related bills currently active in the US House and Senate, but only a few have even a remote possibility of being approved through either chamber this year.

To date there has only been one piece of standalone marijuana-related legislation ever passed through Congress and sent to the president; the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, signed into law by President Biden in December, 2022.

Since then, proponents of marijuana law reform have put forth multiple proposals seeking to bring further reforms, with many being far more consequential than the above-mentioned act.
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Feb 06 2024

Washington State Senate Votes 48 to 1 to Pass Marijuana Advertising Bill

Washington’s full Senate has approved legislation that restricts the Liquor and Cannabis Control Board (LCB) from regulating the size of signs and billboards put up by marijuana stores, while removing the 1600 square inch cap for retail signs.

Senate Bill 5363, filed by Senators Drew MacEwen (R) and Derek Standford (D), was passed by the Senate today in a 48 to 1 vote. The measure must now be passed through the House of Representatives before it can be sent to Governor Jay Inslee.

According to an official summary of the bill, the Liquor and Cannabis Control Board (LCB) “may not regulate the size of retail signs, whether indoor or outdoor, and billboards for licensed cannabis retailers.”
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Feb 06 2024

DEA Announcement on Marijuana Rescheduling or Descheduling Could Come This Week

Recent rumors indicate that the Drug Enforcement Administration may announce news on the potential rescheduling or even descheduling of marijuana within a matter of days.

In August the US Department of Health and Human Services sent a letter to the DEA officially requesting marijuana be reclassified as a Schedule III drug under the Federal Controlled Substances Act. Last month the DEA sent a letter to congressional lawmakers informing them that their review of marijuana as a Schedule I drug is currently underway, while noting that the agency has “the final authority” when it comes to any rescheduling effort.

Recently a DEA official said he believes marijuana will be rescheduled before the end of the summer, and now, attorney Adrian Snead, a partner at firm Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP who previous worked for Senator Jeff Merkley (D), says that an announcement regarding the DEA’s decision could come soon.
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Feb 06 2024

Florida Senate Committee Votes to Preemptively Limit Legal Marijuana to 30% THC, 60% for Concentrates

A Florida Senate committee has given approval to legislation that would place a cap on the amount of THC recreational marijuana is allowed to have, even though recreational marijuana is not yet legal in the state.

Senate Health Policy Committee voted 7 to 3 today, along party line (with Republicans in support), to pass Senate Bill 7050. The measure would preemptively establish a cap of 30% THC for any legal marijuana sales, and a 60% THC cap for marijuana concentrates. The measure was approved in anticipation of voters approving an initiative this November to legalize recreational marijuana for everyone 21 and older.

SB 7050 would prohibit marijuana edibles with more than 200 milligrams of THC for whole edibles and 10 milligrams of THC per serving.
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Feb 06 2024

Clinical Trial: CBD Reduced the Growth of Periodontal Pathogenic Bacteria

Cananbidiol (CBD) may be a useful tool for combatting periodontitis, according to a new placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial.

Published by the Journal of Periodontal Research, the study was conducted by researchers at Palacky University, the University Hospital Olomouc, Masaryk University and the Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the Czech Academy of Sciences, all in the Czech Republic.

The aim of this study “was to: (1) evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on primary cultures of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) and (2) to clinically monitor the effect of CBD in subjects with periodontitis.”
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Feb 06 2024

US House Bill to Allow Marijuana Banking Gains 100th Sponsor

The SAFE Banking Act just gained its 100th sponsor in the United States House of Representatives.

safe banking act

Yesterday Congressmember Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) joined 99 of her colleagues to serve as a cosponsor for the SAFE Banking Act. The measure would provide federal protections to banks and other financial services such as credit unions that provide services to marijuana businesses that are legal under their state’s law.

The SAFE Banking Act, which was filed in April with eight cosponsors, has strong bipartisan support, with 76 Democrat sponsors and 24 Republican sponsors.
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Feb 06 2024

National Gallup Poll Finds 50% of Americans Have Used Marijuana, 70% Support Legalization

Nearly one in five adults in America consume marijuana regularly, and 50% have tried it at least once, according to new nationwide polling data from Gallup.

cheyenne marijuana

17% of Americans in 2023 reported they smoke marijuana, according to Gallup, similar to the 16% found in 2022 but higher than the 11% to 13% range recorded from 2015 to 2021. Americans’ reported marijuana smoking has more than doubled since 2013, when Gallup first added the question in its annual Consumption Habits survey. That year, 7% said they did.

Age is a significant driver of the likelihood of smoking marijuana, the poll found. About a quarter of young adults, those aged 18 to 34, say they smoke marijuana (26%), with the number dropping to 18% among adults aged 35 to 54. Among adults aged 55 and older, 11% say they consume marijuana.
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Feb 06 2024

Kratom vs. Delta THC: Benefits, Similarities, and Differences

By Jacob Mitchel

Kratom and Delta THC products are two of the most popular legal psychoactive supplements that produce outstanding benefits. 

Kratom vs. Delta THC

Not only that, but they are often sold in the same stores, but that’s not where the similarities end. In fact, many people use these substances for the same reasons and benefits, but there are some distinct differences as well.

Keep reading to learn about the similarities, differences, and benefits of kratom and Delta-THC products. First, what are these two substances?
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Feb 06 2024

Indiana Senate Approves Psilocybin Bill 47 to 1

Indiana’s full Senate has given overwhelming approval to a bill to fund psilocybin research.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms. (Photo credit: Rich Townsend/Getty Images)

In an overwhelming 47 to 1 vote, the Indiana Senate has voted to pass a bill that would fund clinical trials on the potential benefits of consuming psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms.

“This bill provides hope to many individuals that are today in a hopeless situation,” Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R), the bill’s sponsor, said ahead of the floor vote. “I hope you feel the same and will vote for this bill.”
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Feb 06 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris Says Nobody Should be in Jail for Using Marijuana

In a recent interview Vice President Kamala Harris touted moves made by the Biden-Harris Administration to pardon marijuana offenders, while clarifying her believe that no one should be jailed for using the plant.

“[W]e have done to pardon tens of thousands of people for simple marijuana possession under the federal law”, said Kamala in an interview with Gray DC. “Because, frankly, nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed”.

Harris’ answer came in response to a question about how the administration is delivering policy promises to young and black voters.
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