Jan 30 2024

12 US Senators Send Letter Urging Biden Administration to Fully Deschedule Marijuana

A coalition of 12 members of the United States Senate sent a letter yesterday to the DEA and Department of Justice urging them to fully deschedule marijuana.

The letter addressed to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram and Attorney General Merrick Garland was signed by 12 Senate Democrats, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

“We write to urge the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to swiftly deschedule marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)”, states the letter. “The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended rescheduling marijuana from the CSA’s strictest schedule, Schedule I, to Schedule III. Earlier this month, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, HHS for the first time disclosed its rationale for this recommendation, which made clear that cannabis does not meet the medical or scientific requirements for Schedule I.”
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Jan 30 2024

Missouri Committee Schedules Hearing on Psilocybin Bill

Missouri legislation that would facilitate research on the therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms is scheduled for a public hearing today in a key Senate committee.

Senate Bill 768 was prefiled by Senator Holly Thompson Rehder in December, with the measure referred to the Senate Emerging Issues Committee on January 9. Today, the committee is scheduled to conduct a public hearing on the bill.

The measure states that “any person who acquires, uses, produces, possesses, transfers, or administers psilocybin for the person’s own therapeutic use shall not be subject to state or local criminal or civil penalties if the person” is 21 years old, has a qualifying medical condition and “has enrolled or sought to be enrolled in a clinical trial to study psilocybin to treat such conditions”.
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Jan 30 2024

Utah Republican Files Legislation to Allow Standalone Medical Marijuana Delivery Companies

A bill to allow businesses that would exclusively deliver medical marijuana products to qualified patients has been filed in Utah.

State Representative Walt Brooks (R) has filed House Bill 389, with the measure assigned to the House Rules Committee.

Specifically, the bill would authorize “closed-door medical cannabis pharmacies”, described as “means a facility operated by a home delivery medical cannabis pharmacy for delivering cannabis or a medical cannabis product.”
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Jan 29 2024

Washington State Committee Amends Bill to Raise Age for Most Marijuana Concentrates to 25

A Washington State House committee has amended and then passed a bill that would have banned any marijuana concentrate (oil, wax, hash, etc.) that has over 35% THC for those under the age of 25.

Filed by State Representative Lauren Davis along with 11 cosponsors, House Bill 2320 was given approval today by the House Committee on Regulated Substances & Gaming in a 9 to 2 vote.

The measure initially would have prohibited “licensed cannabis retailers from selling cannabis concentrates with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration greater than 35 percent” to anyone who is under 25, even though the legal marijuana age is 21. An exception would in with a medical cannabis endorsement who may continue to sell these products to qualifying patients and designated providers who are entered in the Medical Cannabis Authorization Database.”
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Jan 29 2024

Washington Bill to Legalize Personal Marijuana Home Grows Approved by Committee

A Washington State bill to legalize personal marijuana cultivation for those 21 and older has been passed by its initial House committee.

Today the House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee voted 7 to 4 to pass House Bill 2194. The measure would legalize the personal cultivation of up to four marijuana plants for everyone 21 and older.

The measure clarifies that “no more than 10 plants may be produced at any one time on the premises of a single housing unit, regardless of the number of residents living on the premises of the housing unit.”
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Jan 29 2024

High Times Announces Winners of Oregon Cannabis Cup: People’s Choice Edition 2023

High Times has announced the results of the Cannabis Cup Oregon: People’s Choice Edition 2023.

“It’s been nearly two years since we’ve asked the good people of Oregon to meticulously rank some of their state’s best products”, says High Times. “Now check out the new generation of winners, from returning fan favorites to brand new competitors that seriously impressed our judges.”

Below is a list of the winners for each major category.
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Jan 29 2024

DEA to Rehire Agent Fired for Positive THC Test, Provide Years of Back Pay

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has agreed to rehire an agent fired in 2019 for testing positive for THC the agent says was due to his legal CBD use.

Anthony Armour joined the DEA in 2004. In 2019, after 15 years of service, Armour was fired after testing positive for a minute amount of THC during a random drug test.

Last year Armour filed a lawsuit against the agency with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Armour and his attorney claimed that the DEA had no legal standing to fire him given he was using a legal product (hemp, and hemp-derived CBD, was legalized nationwide in 2018, with products allowed to contain up to 0.3% THC).
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Jan 29 2024

US Congress: A Look at the Federal Marijuana Bills With the Most Sponsors

There’s a plethora of marijuana-related bills currently active in the United States House and Senate, but some have far more sponsors than others.

As the DEA continues to consider whether or not marijuana should be rescheduled, federal lawmakers continue to push a variety of bills designed to reform marijuana laws through the legislative branch.

Below is a look at the legislation in both the US Senate and House of Representatives with the most sponsors.
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Jan 29 2024

US Senator and Congressmember Join New York Leaders in Calling For DEA to Deschedule Marijuana

Yesterday, United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressmember Jerrold Nadler joined numerous New York lawmakers and marijuana reform activists to call on the Attorney General and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to deschedule marijuana.

Senator Gillibrand and Congressmember Nadler were joined in Harlem by Senator Cordell Cleare, New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam, New York State Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs, New York State Assemblymember Rev. Al Taylor, Executive Director of Empire State NORML David Holland, business leaders, and other marijuana reform advocates.

“The highly stigmatized substance is currently classified in the same category as heroin and a more dangerous category than fentanyl or cocaine — even though marijuana is not associated with the same acute health risks and potential for addiction and abuse”, says a press release from Senator Gillibrand’s office. “Additionally, people of color are more likely to have criminal records for marijuana possession and to face needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities as a result.”
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Jan 29 2024

South Dakota Bill Would Recognize Tribal Medical Marijuana Authorizations, Public Hearing Scheduled

Legislation filed last week in South Dakota’s Legislature would provide state protections to those issued tribal medical marijuana authorizations.

Filed by Senator Shawn Bordeaux (D), Senate Bill 141 was “first read in Senate and referred to Senate Health and Human Services” on January 24. It has been scheduled for a hearing in the committee for later today.

South Dakota legalized medical marijuana in 2021. The law legally recognizes “nonresident cardholders”, described as a person diagnosed “with a debilitating medical condition”, who is “not a resident of this state or who has been a resident of this state for fewer than forty-five days”, who was “issued a currently valid registry identification card or its equivalent by another state, district, territory, commonwealth, insular possession of the United States, or country recognized by the United States that allows the person to use cannabis for medical purposes in the jurisdiction of issuance”.
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