Mar 04 2024

Study: Beer Sales Declined Following Marijuana Legalization

According to a new study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, retail beer sales declined in Canada following the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2018.

“There is increasing interest in understanding the impact of non-medical cannabis legalization on use of other substances, especially alcohol”, states the study’s abstract “Evidence on whether cannabis is a substitute or complement for alcohol is both mixed and limited.” With that in mind, this study “provides the first quasi-experimental evidence on the impact of Canada’s legalization of non-medical cannabis on beer and spirits sales.”

Researchers used “the interrupted time series design and monthly data on beer sales between January 2012 and February 2020 and spirits sales between January 2016 and February 2020 across Canada to investigate changes in beer and spirits sales following Canada’s cannabis legalization in October 2018. We examined changes in total sales, nationally and in individual provinces, as well as changes in sales of bottled, canned and kegged beer.”
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Mar 04 2024

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Says There’s “Little Evidence” to Support Per Se THC Driving Limits

A report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) puts into doubt the evidence behind per se THC driving limits.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, there are five states with per se THC driving limits – Illinois, Montana, Nevada, Ohio and Washington. These type of limits mean that if someone has over a certain about of THC in their blood – often either 2 or 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood – they are automatically guilty of driving under the influence of drugs (DUID). This is a clear issue given that, especially for regular marijuana consumers, THC can remain in the blood for days and sometimes weeks after last use.

Now, a report released by NHTSA says; “Several states have determined legal per se definitions of cannabis impairment, but relatively little research supports their relationship to crash risk. Unlike the research consensus that establishes a clear correlation between [alcohol content in blood] and crash risk, drug concentration in blood does not correlate to driving impairment.”
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Mar 04 2024

Minnesota Bill Would Allow Marijuana to Be Restricted On Land Covered By Commissioner of Natural Resources

Legislation filed today in the Minnesota Senate would allow marijuana to be restricted on land administered by the state’s Commissioner of Natural Resources.

The Minnesota State Capitol.

Senate Bill 4538 was filed today by Senator John Hoffman (D), and assigned to the Senate Committee on Environment, Climate and Legacy. The bill states that “By written order published in the State Register, the commissioner of natural resources may establish restrictions on the use or display of cannabis flower, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, or hemp-derived consumer products in a public place on state lands administered by the commissioner of natural resources.”

For purposes of this subdivision, “public place” does not include “a private residence, including the curtilage or yard of a private residence, or a “private property not generally accessible to the public, unless the owner of the property explicitly prohibits consuming cannabis flower, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, or hemp-derived consumer products on the property”
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Mar 04 2024

Custom Cones USA Launches “The Ultimate Stoner Dream Job”, Paying Over $70k for Cannabis Content Creator

Custom Cones USA, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of pre rolled cones, today announced a campaign for the company’s new direct-to-consumer brand DaySavers, “the most compliant and tested rolling paper brand in the market.”

“Have you ever wanted to get paid to smoke weed? DaySavers is offering the Ultimate Stoner Dream Job – an opportunity to smoke test the latest cannabis products, be part of the best cannabis industry events, and share your experience with the world – all while getting paid”, states a press release sent by Custom Cones USA.

What exactly is the Ultimate Stoner Dream Job? “DaySavers is looking for passionate and hard-working content creators, writers, videographers, and social media gurus to earn money while doing something they are incredibly passionate about.”
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Mar 04 2024

US Congress: New Federal Spending Bills Include Multiple Marijuana and Hemp Provisions

Federal legislation introduced in US Congress meant to cover Fiscal Year 2024 includes multiple marijuana and hemp-related provisions.

Today leaders in both the Senate and House of Representatives introduced a massive package of six spending bill covering Fiscal Year 2024. U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the first bicameral, bipartisan package of six fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills alongside Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX-12) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03).

The section of the bill covering Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies includes a provision that makes it illegal for the federal government to interfere with state medical marijuana laws. The provision has been included in previous spending bills, but with a new House Speaker some advocates were concerned it could be stripped.
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Mar 03 2024

Oregon Marijuana Sales Pass $75 Million in February

In February, licensed marijuana stores in Oregon reported sales totaling $75,924,693, according to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission.

This figure is consistent with the $75.6 million in sales from the previous month, and it represents an increase of over $3 million compared to February 2023. Multnomah County led in marijuana sales for February with $16.9 million, followed by Malheur County with $8.1 million and Washington County with $8 million.

Since the first recreational marijuana store opened in October 2016, total marijuana sales in Oregon have reached $6.377 billion, resulting in over $1 billion in tax revenue.
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Mar 03 2024

New Mexico: $48 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in February, Total Sales Since 2022 Pass $1 Billion

Legal marijuana sales in New Mexico amounted to approximately $48 million in February.

The New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department data shows that there was $47,994,956 worth of marijuana sold through licensed retail outlets an dispensaries in February. This is an over $1.5 million increase from the previous month, and an increase of over $6 million from February, 2023. This marks the 12th straight month where legal marijuana sales have been over $45 million.

Out of the total sales of $46 million, recreational consumers bought $35,674,957 worth of marijuana, while medical marijuana patients purchased $12,319,998 worth.
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Mar 02 2024

Study Finds “Psilocybin Has Both Short-Term and Long-Term Antidepressant Effects”

Psilocybin has “both short-term and long-term antidepressant effects and holds promise as a potential complementary or alternative therapy for depression”, according to a new study.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

The study was published in the recent issue of the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, as well as published online by the US National Library of Medicine. It was conducted by researchers at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China. The full text fo the study can be found by clicking here.

“Psilocybin is a classic psychedelics, which has been shown to have antidepressant effects by many studies in recent years”, states the study’s abstract. “In this study, we aim to evaluate the efficacy, acceptability and tolerability of psilocybin in the treatment of primary (major depressive disorder) or secondary (experiencing distress related to life-threatening diagnoses and terminal illness) depression.”
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Mar 02 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris Says Her and President Biden “Changed Federal Marijuana Policy”, Advocates Remain Confused

Nearly a month after Vice President Kamala Harris said her and President Biden “changed federal marijuana policy”, marijuana reform advocates remain confused about what she meant, and why it hasn’t been addressed.

“We changed federal marijuana policy, because nobody should have to go to jail just for smoking weed”, Vice President Harris said in a February 9 campaign video, posted on the social media platform X. She follows this up by saying “elections matter, and we have more work to do.” The video currently has over 436,000 views.

Those in support of reforming federal marijuana law remain confused at what was meant by this statement. Initially many thought the video was simply posted prematurely, given the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is currently considering a request from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reschedule marijuana and an announcement could come any day. However, over three weeks have passed and the video remains live and unaltered, with no official statement made by VP Harris on what she meant and with no news regarding the DEA’s rescheduling plans.
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Mar 02 2024

Hawaii: Two More Senate Committees Vote to Legalize Marijuana

Two more Senate committee have now passed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, bringing the total to four.

In a 6 to 0 vote, the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee passed Senate Bill 3335 yesterday, moving it to the Ways and Means Committee. The same day, that committee approved the bill 7 to 5, sending it to a vote of the full Senate.

Filed last month by Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, SB 3335 would legalize the possession, personal cultivation and license distribution of recreational marijuana for those 21 and older. The Hawaii Cannabis Authority and Cannabis Control Board would be established within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and tasked with overseeing licensing and regulations for the legal marijuana industry.
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