Dec 22 2023

President Biden Signs Bill Funding Psychedelic Research

President Joe Biden has officially signed into law legislation that includes provisions to fund psychedelic studies.

Psilocybin (top left), MDMA (top right), ibogaine (bottom left) and DMT (bottom right).

Last week both the Senate and House of Representatives gave approval to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, including provisions that would put millions of dollars into funding the potential medical and therapeutic use of psychedelic substances including psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”) and MDMA (often referred to as ecstasy). President Biden today signed the bill into law.

The psychedelic provisions were introduced by Representative Morgan Littrell (R). Once in effect, they will require the Department of Defense to establish a process for military members who have post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury to take part in clinical psychedelic trials. In addition to psilocybin and MDMA, the trials could include ibogaine and/or DMT.
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Dec 22 2023

Coalition of 15 Bipartisan Lawmakers Ask Biden Administration to Help Free American Jailed in Russia for Medical Marijuana

A bipartisan coalition of 15 federal lawmakers have sent a letter to the Biden Administration requesting that they include an American jailed in Russia over medical marijuana in any future prisoner swaps.

Marc Fogel with his wife, Jane Fogel.

Today, United States Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), alongside Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA), as well as Representatives Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Susan Wild (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Summer Lee (D-PA) urged Secretary Antony Blinken to include Butler County native and Pittsburgh-area resident Marc Fogel in any prisoner swap made with Russia. Fogel has been detained in Russia since August 2021 and is currently serving a 14-year sentence for possession of medical marijuana used to treat his severe back injury, a charge very similar to that of WNBA player Brittney Griner.

In the bipartisan, bicameral letter, the lawmakers wrote:
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Dec 22 2023

$25 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in Montana in November, Almost $300 Million Year-to-Date

In Montana there was over $25 million in marijuana sold legally in November.

In total there was $25,186,590 worth of legal marijuana sold in November, resulting in nearly $5 million in taxes, according to the Montana Cannabis Control Division. This is a slight decrease from the $26.2 million in legal marijuana sold in October.

The vast majority of the sales – $20,802,357 – was sold to recreational consumers, while $4,384,233 was purchased by medical marijuana patients.
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Dec 22 2023

Arizona Officials Will No Longer Punish Medical Marijuana Patients for Prenatal Marijuana Exposure

Arizona officials have announced that the medical use of marijuana by a qualified patient while they’re pregnant will no longer automatically trigger a child abuse investigation.

The Arizona Department of Child Safety says that it will no longer investigate reports of marijuana exposure in newborns if the parent has a valid medical marijuana authorization.

The policy shift, taking effect next month, comes after a state Court of Appeals ruled that Arizona’s medical marijuana law protects marijuana use while pregnant because the patient is under a doctor’s care.
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Dec 22 2023

Scientists Conducted Over 4,000 Marijuana Studies in 2023, Over 32,000 in Past Decade

Researchers worldwide published over 4,000 scientific papers specific to marijuana in 2023, and they’ve conducted over 30,000 since 2013.

Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in scientific inquiries about marijuana, with researchers publishing more than 32,000 scientific papers about marijuana since January, 2013. Much of this uptick is seen as a a result of researchers’ newfound focus on marijuana’s therapeutic activities as well investigations into the real-world effects of legalization laws.

“Despite claims by some that marijuana has yet to be subject to adequate scientific scrutiny, scientists’ interest in studying cannabis has increased exponentially in recent years, as has our understanding of the plant, its active constituents, their mechanisms of action, and their effects on both the user and upon society,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “It is time for politicians and others to stop assessing cannabis through the lens of ‘what we don’t know’ and instead start engaging in evidence-based discussions about marijuana and marijuana reform policies that are indicative of all that we do know.”
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Dec 22 2023

President Biden Issues Proclamation Expanding Marijuana Pardons

President Biden issued a proclamation today expanding on the thousands of marijuana pardons he issued last year.

“America was founded on the principle of equal justice under law”, states a press release from The White House. “Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect this core value that makes our communities safer and stronger.”

Biden says “That is why today I am announcing additional steps I am taking to make the promise of equal justice a reality.”
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Dec 21 2023

US House Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana Nationwide and Allow Expungements Gains 80th Sponsor

Federal legislation that would decriminalize marijuana nationwide along with several other changes has gained its 80th sponsor in the House of Representatives.

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act now has 80 sponsors, 75 more than it did when it was filed in September by Representative Jerrold Nadler (D) along with four cosponsors.

The MORE Act would fully decriminalize marijuana by removing it entirely as a federal controlled substance. The measure would place a 5% excise tax on legal marijuana sales for the first two years, with it increasing to 8% by the fifth year.
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Dec 21 2023

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Says Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill Likely Coming in January

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says that he will likely be introducing a medical marijuana bill in January at the next of the upcoming legislative session.

Speaker Vos says Republicans will likely introduce a medical marijuana legalization bill next month. Vos says the bill would be similar to Minnesota’s medical marijuana program, which originally allowed those with certain medical conditions such as cancer, HIV, PTSD and chronic pain to purchase and possess marijuana products such as pills, oils and tinctures.

Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer said that although Democrats want more substantial marijuana law reform, they are open to discussing the Republican bill.
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Dec 21 2023

Ukraine Legislature Approves Bill to Legalize Medical Marijuana, Sending it to President Zelenskyy

Ukraine lawmakers have officially passed a bill to legalize medical marijuana, sending it to a supportive President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Today Ukraine’s unicameral legislature known as the Verkhovna Rada, passed the legislation with 248 of the body’s 450 members voting in favor.

Under the legislation, which President Zelenskyy is expected to sign into law quickly, those with a qualifying condition who receive a recommendation from a physician would be authorized to possess and use medical marijuana. Although the law at the time of passage only applies to severe illness like cancer as well as war-borne post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), proponents of the measure have said that the country can expand the list of qualifying conditions once it’s passed.
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Dec 20 2023

Connecticut Marijuana Sales Allowed During Christmas and New Year’s Day, Despite Alcohol Sales Being Prohibited

Despite alcohol sales being prohibited on Christmas and New Year’s Day in Connecticut, marijuana sales are allowed.

According to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, marijuana sales can continue unabated on both Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The Department says that not only can marijuana stores retain normal hours during the two federal holidays, but they can actually stay open an extra hour on New Year’s Eve, until 3am.
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