Apr 24 2023

The American Pharmacists Association Endorses Decriminalizing All Drugs

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has passed a resolution endorsing the decriminalization of all drugs for personal use.

Founded in 1852, the APhA is the nation’s first professional society of pharmacists and currently consists of more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and others interested in the profession.

The group’s 2023 House of Delegates recently voted in favor an amendment to their existing policy that states “APhA supports decriminalization of the personal possession or personal use of illicit drug substances or paraphernalia.
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Apr 24 2023

North Carolina House May Soon Consider Senate-Approved Medical Marijuana Bill, Says House Speaker

In March North Carolina’s Senate voted 36 to 10 to pass a medical marijuana legalization bill, sending it to the House. The House could begin debate on the measure within the next month according to House Speaker Tim Moore.

Under Senate Bill 3 –  the “Compassionate Care Act” – those with a “debilitating medical condition” such as cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder would be allowed to possess and consume medical marijuana and marijuana products if they receive a recommendation from a licensed physician. Although the House in previous years has failed to act on medical marijuana legislation, Republican House Speaker Tim Moore thinks that could change this year.

“We have not voted on it yet in caucus”, Moore said in a recent interview. “I get the sense that there is a decent amount of support for medicinal use of cannabis. I don’t know that count but I suspect it will be a divided vote, much like the healthcare expansion legislation was”.
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Apr 24 2023

Four New Jersey Cops to File Lawsuit After Being Fired for Marijuana Use

Four police officers in Jersey City, New Jersey say they plan to sue the city after being fired for off-the-job marijuana use.

The four officers have already filed civil service complaints and plan to file lawsuits in the coming days. The officers were fired for legally purchasing and consuming marijuana while off work. A recent memo from Attorney General Matthew Platkin clarified that employees, including government positions like police officers, should not be fired or face disciplinary actions for testing positive for marijuana they use while not at work.

The officers are seeking to be fully reinstated to their position with back pay, according to their attorney Peter Paris, who also serves as legal counsel for the Jersey City Police Officer Benevolent Association. The officers have chose to thus far remain anonymous.
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Apr 24 2023

Two New Polls Show 64% of Americans Support Legalizing Marijuana

Two separate nationwide polls, released around the same time, have came to the same conclusion – a large majority of Americans want marijuana to be legal.

According to a CBS News poll released on April 20, 64% of Americans support the legalization of recreational marijuana. This includes a majority of Republicans at 53%, with support even higher among independents (66%) and Democrats (73%). Interestingly the CBS poll found that 53% of Americans believe that “using marijuana openly is socially acceptable.”

The poll found that at least 28% of Americans live near a recreational marijuana businesses, and 62% support having such a store in their neighborhood. The CBS poll was conducted between April 14 and April 18 with a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.
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Apr 23 2023

Study Finds Topical CBD Provides Significant Relief from Pain in Former Elite-Level Athletes

In what researchers call “the first study to assess CBD treatment in elite athletes”, topically applied CBD was was “tolerated well by this population and resulted in only minor adverse effects”.

Topical CBD

The study was published by the Journal of Cannabis Research, with the full text of the study also epublished by the US National Library of Medicine.

“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a potential therapeutic for pain management”, begins the study’s abstract. “Yet, there exists a dearth of studies of its tolerability and efficacy, especially in special populations. Former elite athletes are a special population both susceptible to chronic pain and also highly trained and attuned to assess medication tolerability concerns.”

With that in mind, “The purpose of the present open-label pilot study was to assess the tolerability of CBD in this population.”
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Apr 23 2023

Study Finds “CBD Inhibits Colorectal Cancer Progression”

The marijuana compound cannabidiol (CBD) “inhibits colorectal cancer progression” and “prevents tumor progression”, according to a new study published by the Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis.

As noted by the study, colorectal tumors often create an immunosuppressive microenvironment that prevents them from responding to immunotherapy. This study “aimed to elucidate the specific anticancer mechanism of CBD by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-cell ATAC sequencing (scATAC-seq) technologies.”

Researchers state that “Here, we report that CBD inhibits colorectal cancer progression by modulating the suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Our single-cell transcriptome and ATAC sequencing results showed that CBD suppressed M2-like macrophages and promoted M1-like macrophages in tumors both in strength and quantity.”
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Apr 23 2023

Washington Bill to Prohibit Marijuana Combined With Alcohol Passed by Legislature, Sent to Governor

Legislation to explicitly ban the production, distribution or sharing of any product that combines marijuana with alcohol has been passed by Washington State’s full legislature.

House Bill 1772 specifies that “it is unlawful under liquor statutes and the Uniform Controlled Substances Act to manufacture, import, offer, or sell a consumable product that contains cannabis or any form of tetrahydrocannabinol in combination with beer, wine, spirits, or any other type of liquor in the same product.” The proposal was filed by State Representative Kevin Waters along with a dozen cosponsors.

HB 1772 was passed by the House of Representatives in May in an overwhelming 94 to 3 vote. The Senate passed the measure on April 12 unanimously, 48 to 0.
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Apr 22 2023

Colorado: Over $14 Billion in Marijuana Sold, $2.4 Billion in Taxes Since 2014

Since the start of legal marijuana sales in 2014, Colorado has sold an eye-opening $14 billion in legal marijuana and marijuana products.

In total Colorado (the nation’s 21st most populated state) sold $14.3 billion in marijuana between January, 2014 and March, 2023. These sales have resulted in $2,414,242,457 in new tax revenue for the state. Marijuana tax revenue is used for health care, education, substance abuse prevention and treatment programs, and law enforcement.

In Colorado marijuana sales are taxed in a few different ways. There’s the standard 2.9% state sales tax, there’s a 15% retail marijuana sales tax and a 15% marijuana excise tax. This is on top of a potential local tax of up to 2.9%. Medical marijuana is exempt from the two 15% taxes, but not the 2.9% sales tax. In terms of marijuana
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Apr 22 2023

Hawaii House, Senate Committee, Pass Resolution Calling for Marijuana Clemency Program

A resolution urging the creation of a “clemency program for individuals who have been prosecuted for cannabis-related offenses” has been passed unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee, after having already made its way through the House of Representatives.

“BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, the Senate concurring, that the Governor is urged to initiate a clemency program for individuals who have been prosecuted for cannabis-related offenses”, states House Concurrent Resolution 51, “and that the Governor is urged to seek the assistance of The Last Prisoner Project and Hawaii Innocence Project in implementing a clemency program for individuals who have been prosecuted for cannabis-related offenses”.

The resolution was passed on 4/20 by the Senate Judiciary Committee in a unanimous 5 to 0 vote. It was passed through the House with just one “No” vote.
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Apr 22 2023

California Senate Committee Votes to Ban Employers From Inquiring About Applicant’s Prior Marijuana Use

California’s Senate Judiciary Committee has voted in favor of legislations that would provide legal protection to job hunters who have used marijuana.

Filed by Senator Steven Bradford, Senate Bill 700 “would make it unlawful for an employer to request information from an applicant for employment relating to the applicant’s prior use of cannabis”.

A stipulation in the measure states that this “does not apply to applicants or employees hired for positions that require a federal government background investigation or security clearance in accordance with regulations issued by the United States Department of Defense pursuant to Part 117 of Title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations, or equivalent regulations applicable to other agencies.”
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