Nov 07 2023

US House Committee Rejects Amendments to Allow D.C. Marijuana Sales, Stop Federal Marijuana Testing

The House Rules Committee has effectively rejected two marijuana amendments.

Members of the House Rules Committee recently filed two marijuana-related amendments to the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill, one to prevent most federal applicants from being drug tested for marijuana, and one to allow D.C. to open retail marijuana stores nine years after the nation’s capital legalized marijuana.

Now, the committee has effectively killed the amendments – at least for now – by refusing to allow them to advance as part of the overall spending bill.
Continue reading

Nov 07 2023

Maine: $19 Million in Marijuana Sold Legally in October, Price Drops to All-Time Low

Revenue from legal marijuana sales in Maine saw a slight drop from September to October, but so did the average price of marijuana.

According to Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy, there was $18,998,932 in legal marijuana purchased in October. This is a decrease from the $20,347,890 sold in September.

There were 341,369 different marijuana transactions in October, around 16,000 less than in September. The average price per gram of dried marijuana in October reached an all-time low for the second straight month, dropping slightly from $7.71 a gram to $7.67.
Continue reading

Nov 06 2023

Missouri Initiative Would “Remove All Marijuana Government Oversight and Regulations”

An initiative to drastically reform Missouri’s marijuana laws was approved for circulation by the Missouri secretary of state, with signature gathering currently underway.

The Missouri Marijuana Consumption and Regulation Amendment would “remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances and consider it a food.”

The proposed law would also “remove all marijuana government oversight and regulations; remove special taxes and reporting on all marijuana consumption, purchases or sales; eliminate zoning requirements for marijuana farmers, processors, manufacturers, and distributers; allow for personal marijuana cultivation; eliminate any restriction on where marijuana can be consumed; and eliminate age requirements for marijuana usage.”
Continue reading

Nov 06 2023

US Congress: Bipartisan Amendment Filed That Would Protect State Marijuana Laws

An amendment has been filed to a House spending bill that would explicitly protect states that have legalized marijuana.

A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers have filed an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies spending bill, that will soon be considered by the House Rules Committee. The amendment was filed by Representatives Tom McClintock (R), Early Blumenauer (D), Barbara Lee (D) and Holmes Norton (D). The latter three recently filed a sperate amendment to allow legal marijuana sales in Washington DC.

The new amendment would explicitly prevent the Department of Justice from using federal funds to “prevent any State, Washington D.C., or any territory of the United States from implementing any law of that jurisdiction that authorizes the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of marijuana.”
Continue reading

Nov 06 2023

$165 Million Worth of Legal Marijuana Sold in Illinois in October, Prices Reach All-Time Lows

In October there was $164.9 million in legal marijuana purchased in Illinois.

According to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, recreational marijuana sales in October were $138.7 million, slightly less than the $139 million sold in September. Medical marijuana sales on the other hand saw a very small increase to $26.2 million, up from $26 million.

Of the $138.7 million in recreational (“adult use”) marijuana sold in October, $33.8 million was purchased by those visiting from outside the state.
Continue reading

Nov 04 2023

Federal Marijuana Banking Act Gains Three New Sponsors, Now Sponsored By 34% of Entire US Senate

The SAFER Banking Act is now sponsored by 34% of the entire United States Senate.

The SAFER Banking Act (S.2860) gained three new sponsors this week, joining the 31 already cosponsoring the bill. The new sponsors are Senators Alejandro Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Brian Schatz (D-HI). The primary sponsor of the legislation is Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR).

The proposed law, which recently passed the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs with bipartisan support, would explicitly allow banks and other financial institutions to provide services to marijuana businesses that are legal under their state’s law. This would allow marijuana retail outlets to move from a dangerous cash only model to a model that allows them to accept debit and credit cards like any other business.
Continue reading

Nov 04 2023

Indiana Legislative Committee Holds Nearly Seven Hour Marijuana Hearing

A legislative study committee recently held a hearing to discuss the potential of decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana in Indiana, with the meeting lasting nearly seven hours.

The Commerce and Economic Development Interim Study Committee, consisting of both senators and state representatives, held the meeting on Wednesday. Although members discussed a variety of potential approaches for reforming the state’s marijuana laws and also discussed its potential benefits and risks, no specific agreement was reached.

”We just couldn’t gain consensus on this, so there are no current recommendations on the table,” said Senator Scott Baldwin, Chair of the committee.
Continue reading

Nov 03 2023

Georgia Court Rules Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC Products Can Be Legally Sold

The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that products derived from hemp containing Delta-8 THC and/or Delta-10 THC are not controlled substances and thus can be legally sold in the state.

Delta-8 THC gummies (photo credit: FloraCBD).

The ruling also applies to all products containing other hemp-derived cannabinoids including CBD (cannabidiol), CBG (cannabigerol) and CBN (cannabinol).

The ruling stems from police raids that took part in 2022 of the hemp business Elements Distribution. The company supplied numerous businesses with a variety of hemp products containing Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC, including vape products and gummies.
Continue reading

Nov 03 2023

Florida Supreme Court to Hold Hearing on Marijuana Legalization Initiative on November 8

The Florida Supreme Court will hold a hearing Wednesday, November 8 to decide whether or not an initiative to legalize marijuana will be placed on next year’s general election ballot.

In June the Florida Division of Elections confirmed that the Smart & Safe Florida campaign submitted 967,528 validated signatures on their marijuana legalization initiative, well more than the 891,523 signatures required to put the measure to a vote of the people. However, the state’s attorney general is attempting to block the proposal from being considered, arguing that the ballot summary is “misleading”.

Now, the Florida Supreme Court will take up with the issue. Oral arguments are set to begin on November 8 for case number SC2023-0682, with the court set to decide whether or not voters can consider the measure during the 2024 election, or if the initiative language is invalid, requiring proponents to go back to the drawing board and recollect the necessary signatures.
Continue reading

Nov 03 2023

Study: Combining CBD and Caffeine Appears Safe and It Does Not Alter the Effects of Each Substance

The findings of a study published yesterday “suggest that combinations of the tested doses of caffeine and CBD do not alter subjective drug effects”, and “no negative effects emerged”.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock).

The study is being published in the upcoming issue of the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, and it’s been published online ahead of print by the US National Library of Medicine. It was conducted by researchers at the University of Arkansas, James Madison University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“Caffeine and cannabidiol (CBD) are commonly consumed by the general population, particularly among young adults; however, there is little research on the simultaneous effects of caffeine and CBD”, note sthe study’s abstract. “The present study aimed to examine the simultaneous self-reported effects of caffeine and CBD in young healthy adults.”
Continue reading