May 02 2023

Vermont Senate Committee Passes House-Approved Medical Marijuana Bill

A Vermont bill that would double the cap on THC for medical marijuana products, among other changes, has been passed by a key Senate committee.

House Bill 270 was passed today by the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs. It has already been passed through the full House of Representatives, and has been assigned to the Senate Finance Committee. Passage in the Finance Committee will allow the full Senate to take up the proposal.

House Bill 270 would increase the maximum amount of THC allowed in packaged marijuana products from 50 mg to 100 mg, and would alter the number of plants a medical marijuana patient can grow for personal use from a total of nine to a total of 18, six of which can be mature. The bill would also change the renewal period to once every five years for all patients except those who qualify for chronic pain, who would still have to renew every year.
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May 02 2023

Legislation to Legalize Marijuana Filed in Pennsylvania

Legislation that would make recreational marijuana legal has been filed in Pennsylvania.

State Representative David Delloso, along with 20 cosponsors (all Democrat), filed House Bill 1080 today in the state’s House of Representatives. The measure has been assigned to the House Health Committee.

HB 1080 would legalize the personal possession and private cultivation of marijuana for those 21 and older. It would also allow licensed marijuana retail outlets to sell marijuana and marijuana products, with the industry overseen by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
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May 02 2023

Michigan Committee Votes to Allow Marijuana Agreements With Indian Tribes, Exempt Them From Taxes

A Michigan Senate committee has voted to pass legislation that would allow the state to enter into agreements with Indian tribes while exempting them from the state’s marijuana excise tax.

Senate Bill 180 would “allow the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) to enter into an agreement with an Indian tribe pertaining to marijuana related business”, and would “specify that sales of marijuana by a tribal marijuana business on Indian lands would be exempt from the State’s 10% excise tax on marijuana.”

Today the proposal was passed through the Senate Committee On Regulatory Affairs, and sent to the Committee of the Whole. Passage in that committee would allow it to be considered by the full Senate.
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May 02 2023

Minnesota Legislature Establishes Conference Committee to Concur on Marijuana Legalization Bill

The Minnesota Senate has agreed to the House of Representative’s request to establish a conference committee to coalesce around one version of HF 100.

Both the Senate and House have given approval to HF 100, which would legalize the personal possession and cultivation of recreational marijuana for everyone 21 and older. However, the two version differ slightly, and the House has refused to agree to amendments approved in the Senate. In doing so, the House requested a conference committee be established that includes five members from the House and five from the Senate. The Senate has officially agreed to this request, and the House has named the five members they’ve appointed to the committee.

The House has approved the following members for the committee:
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May 02 2023

Study: Marijuana Spray Provides Symptom Improvements in Those With Multiple Sclerosis

According to new research published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, marijuana extracts can lead to improvements in multiple sclerosis symptoms that’s sustained over a multiweek period.

The study was conducted by researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, OhioHealth Multiple Sclerosis Center, Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Bridgend Clinic. The study found that an extract made from marijuana “leads to improvement in spasticity that was sustained over the 12-week treatment period as measured by average daily Spasticity NRS scores, daily spasm counts, and MAS scores for combinations of muscle groups, especially the combination of the 6 key muscle groups in the lower limbs in NRS responders to nabiximols treatment.”

The objective of the study was to “provide a comprehensive assessment of the treatment effects of nabiximols oromucosal spray on multiple sclerosis spasticity in two clinical trials”. Nabiximols is an extract made from the marijuana compounds THC and CBD, along with a small amount of other minor cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes.
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May 01 2023

Minnesota House Refuses to Concur to Senate Changes to Marijuana Legalization Bill, Conference Committee Requested

The Minnesota House of Representatives has refused to agree to changes the Senate made to a marijuana legalization bill that has now been passed through both chambers.

After refusing to concur with the Senate’s changes, the House officially requested a conference committee of five members from each chamber to be established to hash out the difference between the two versions of HF 100. It’s expected that the Senate will agree to this request, which will allow a committee to be promptly established. Once the committee comes to an agreement on what the specific language should be, each chamber would vote one final time, sending the proposal to Governor Tim Walz. Governor Walz is expected to sign the proposal into law once given the chance.

In the House, HF 100 was passed by a vote of 87 to 59. In the Senate, the margins were razor thin, with members voting 34 to 33. The two versions of the bill are very similar. Both would allow those 21 and older to possess up to two ounces of marijuana, purchasable at licensed marijuana retail outlets. The personal cultivation of up to eight plants would also be allowed.
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May 01 2023

Colorado Legislature Approves Bill to Establish Framework for Legal Psychedelics

Colorado’s full legislature has now passed a bill to establish a regulatory framework for legal psychedelics.

The Colorado House of Representatives voted 45 to 18 on Saturday to pass Senate Bill 23-290. The proposal has already been passed by the full Senate, 25 to 11, but will go back for one final vote to concur on House amendments before it can be sent to Governor Jared Polis. With the amendments being relatively minor, concurrence is seen essentially as a technicality at this point and the measure is expected to reach Governor Polis shortly.

The proposal is in response to a voter-approved initiative that legalized certain psychedelics while tasking the legislature with establishing a regulatory framework. SB 23-290 would place no possession limits on the personal use of psilocybin, ibogaine, mescaline, DMT and psilocyn, for those 21 and older. Consuming these substances in public would be a civil infraction but not a criminal offense, punishable by an $100 fine.
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May 01 2023

Montana Bill to Reappropriate Marijuana Tax Revenue Sent to Governor

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte will soon receive legislation that would reappropriate some of the revenue generated from marijuana taxes.

After both the Senate and House approved slightly amended versions of Senate Bill 442 earlier this month, the two chambers have now coalesced around the same language with the Senate voting today to send the proposal as amended by the House to Governor Gianforte for consideration. The final House vote was 82 to 17 with the final Senate vote being 48 to 1.

Although Governor Giantforte has the option of vetoing the measure rather than signing it into law or allowing it to become law without his signature, the proposal was passed with well more than the 2/3rds support required to override a veto.
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May 01 2023

Oklahoma Governor Signs Medical Marijuana Tax Bill Into Law

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has signed into law legislation that makes several changes to the state’s medical marijuana tax laws.

Filed by State Representatives John Pfeiffer and sponsored in the Senate by Senator Dave Rader, House Bill 2289 was signed into law today by Governor Stitt. It passed the Senate on April 20 by a vote of 44 to 2, and it passed the House a month prior, 92 to 1.

According to its official summary HB 2289 updates numerous provisions in the tax code by:
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May 01 2023

California Bill to Legalize Some Psychedelics Advances to Senate Floor

Legislation to legalize the personal possession of several psychedelic substances, including magic mushrooms (psilocybin), has advanced to the floor of the California Senate.

Senate Bill 58 would legalize the possession of up to two grams of DMT, 15 grams of ibogaine, two grams of psilocybin (or up to four ounces of “a plant or fungi containing psilocybin”) and two grams of psilocyn (or up to four ounces of “a plant or fungi containing psilocybin”). The proposal has advanced through the Appropriations Committee after Chair Anthony Portantino utilized a committee rule allowing the measure to be sent directly the Senate floor, according to a spokesperson for the senator.

SB 58 would legalize the “possession, preparation, obtaining, transfer, as specified, or transportation” of the above-mentioned substances” for personal or facilitated use”. It would also allow for “group counseling and community-based healing” and would legalize “any spores or mycelium capable of producing mushrooms or other material which contain psilocybin or psilocyn.”
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