Feb 26 2024

US House Bill to Allow Marijuana Banking Gains 104th Sponsor

The SAFE Banking Act just gained its 104th sponsor in the United States House of Representatives.

On Friday Congressmember Susan Wild (D-PA) joined the list of 103 lawmakers currently sponsoring the SAFE Banking Act. The SAFER Banking Act, an updated Senate version of the bill, has 35 sponsors.

The SAFE and SAFER Banking Acts would allow banks and other financial institutions to provide banking services to state-legal marijuana businesses. This included debit and credit card services, access to business loans and so forth. The SAFE Banking Act was filed in April, while the SAFER Banking Act was filed in September.
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Feb 26 2024

Washington Legislature Passes Bill to Alter Possession Limit for Marijuana-Infused Liquids

Washington’s full legislature has approved a bill to alter the state’s possession limit for marijuana-infused liquids, sending it to Governor Jay Inslee for consideration.

Washington’s House of Representatives voted 88 to 9 earlier this month to pass House Bill 1249. On February 22 the measure was passed through the whole Senate 47 to 1.

Now, the measure will be sent to Governor Jay Inslee for consideration. Even if Inslee chooses to veto the measure, it has well more than the 2/3rds support required to override a veto.
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Feb 26 2024

Legislation to Decriminalize Psilocybin Filed in Connecticut

Legislation that would decriminalize the personal possession of psilocybin mushrooms has been filed in Connecticut.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms. (Photo credit: Rich Townsend/Getty Images).

House Bill 5297 was filed today in the Connecticut Legislature and assigned to the Joint Committee on Judiciary.

The measure states that “Any person who possesses or has under such person’s control less than one-half ounce of psilocybin, except as authorized in chapter 420b of the general statutes, shall:
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Feb 25 2024

US Receives First-Ever DEA-Sanctioned Marijuana Import from Jamaica

The US has received its first ever DEA-sanctioned marijuana import from Jamaica.

Pure Jamaican and its GMP-certified, licensed pharma manufacturer Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals have legally exported proprietary pharmaceutical products with cannabis-derived THC, as well as hemp-derived CBD and other cannabinoids, to the United States, Brazil and other major international markets, according to a press release.

The permissions to export Pure Jamaican pharmaceutical products containing THC to the US were granted by Jamaica’s Ministry of Health & Wellness (MOHW) to Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals pursuant to valid corresponding import permits received from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The products were shipped to a DEA-licensed facility in the US for successful analytical testing.
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Feb 25 2024

Marijuana Stock Index Up 10% From Start of Year

The Global Cannabis Stock Index has seen an over 10% increase in value since the start of the year.

At the time of publication the Global Cannabis Stock Index stands at 8.90. This marks a 10.8% increase over where the market stood on January 2, when it was at 8.03.

Despite seeing an increase from the start of the year, the market is actually down around 0.8% from the last time we reported its value roughly a month ago.
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Feb 25 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris Has “No Plans” to Remove Video Saying Biden Administration Has “Changed Federal Marijuana Policy”

A recent campaign video posted by Vice President Kamala Harris says the Biden Administration has “changed federal marijuana policy”. A campaign official says she has no plans to remove the video.

(Photo credit: Patrick Semansky/AP).

In the February 9 video meant to appeal to “young voters”, Vice President Harris said “We changed federal marijuana policy, because nobody should have to go to jail just for smoking weed.”

Despite the fact that the Biden Administration has not yet “changed federal marijuana policy”, the video has remained live for 16 days, accumulating over 435,000 views. Now, a campaign official says the Vice President has “no plans” to remove the video. The official refused to give further comments or to elaborate on the discrepancy between VP Harris’ statements and the facts.
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Feb 24 2024

South Dakota Measure to Ban Delta-8 THC Approved by Senate Committee, Already Passed House

A bill that would ban the production, distribution and possession of THC derived from hemp, including delta-8 and delta-10 THC, has been unanimously passed by its first Senate Committee.

(Photo credit: Zatural).

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted 7 to 0 to pass House Bill 1125, shortly after it was approved – also unanimously – through the full House of Representatives. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure next week, with passage sending it to Governor Kristi Noem for consideration.

The legislation states that no person or entity may:
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Feb 24 2024

Virginia Bill to Protect Public Employees Who Use Medical Marijuana Passed by Legislature, Sent to Governor

Legislation designed to protect public employees who legally use medical marijuana has been passed by Virginia’s full legislature.

Senate Bill 391, a companion measure to House Bill 149, was given approval yesterday by the House of Representatives in an overwhelming 80 to 18 vote. The measure has already been passed through the full Senate 30 to 10.

The legislation, which now heads to Governor Glenn Youngkin, extends a law protecting medical marijuana users from workplace discrimination to include public employees.
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Feb 23 2024

New Hampshire: Second Committee Votes to Allow Medical Marijuana for Any Condition

A second committee in the New Hampshire House of Representatives has unanimously passed a bill that would allow medical marijuana to be recommended for any condition a physician deems appropriate.

The House Ways and Means Committee voted 19 to 0 today to pass House Bill 1278, roughly a month after it passed the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee 20 to 0. Filed by State Representative Wendy Thomas, the measure now advances to the full House.

HB 1278 would repeal the state’s list of qualifying medical marijuana conditions and replace it with a provision stating that “For adults 21 years of age or older, any debilitating or terminal medical condition or symptom for which the potential benefits of using therapeutic cannabis would, in the provider’s clinical opinion, likely outweigh the potential health risks for the patient.”
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Feb 23 2024

Virginia: Second Senate Committee Approves Bill to Protect Public Employees Who Use Medical Marijuana

A second Senate committee in Virginia has voted to pass a House-approved bill that would protect public employees who legally use medical marijuana.

House Bill 149 extends a law protecting medical marijuana users from workplace discrimination to include public employees, while expanding the definition to include marijuana products and not just oil. The measure was passed today through the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services by a vote of 10 to 5. The vote comes four days after the measure passed the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor  14 to 0. On January 29 the proposal passed the full House of Representatives 78 to 20.

Under current law “No employer shall discharge, discipline, or discriminate against an employee for such employee’s lawful use of cannabis oil pursuant to a valid written certification issued by a practitioner for the treatment or to eliminate the symptoms of the employee’s diagnosed condition or disease”.
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