Mar 27 2024

Florida Supreme Court Has Until April 1 to Decide Fate of Marijuana Legalization Initiative

The Florida Supreme Court has until Monday, April 1 to decide the fate of Amendment 3, an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana.

Last year the nonprofit political group Smart & Safe Florida campaign submitted 967,528 valid signatures on their initiative to legalize recreational marijuana, more than the 891,523 signatures required to put the measure a on the November, 2024 presidential election ballot. This was confirmed by the Florida Division of Elections.

Following the signatures being validated, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a legal challenge with the state Supreme Court, asking them to remove the legalization initiative from the November ballot based on technicalities in the proposal’s text. The Supreme Court has until April 1 to come to a decision on this issue.
Continue reading

Mar 27 2024

Pew Poll Finds 88% of US Adults Support Legalizing Medical and/or Recreational Marijuana

An overwhelming share of U.S. adults say marijuana should be legal for medical and/or recreational use, according to a new nationwide Pew Research Center Poll.

Nearly six-in-ten Americans (57%) say that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational purposes, while roughly a third (32%) say that marijuana should be legal for medical use only. Just 11% of Americans say that the drug should not be legal at all, according to Pew.

While a majority of Americans continue to say marijuana should be legal, there are varying views about the impacts of recreational legalization. About half of Americans (52%) say that legalizing the recreational use of marijuana is good for local economies; just 17% think it is bad and 29% say it has no impact.
Continue reading

Mar 27 2024

US Lawmakers Send Letter to AG Expressing “Frustration” In Lack of New Guidance Protecting State Marijuana Laws

A pair of US Representatives have expressed “frustration” that the Department of Justice has not reissued enforcement guidance that discourages federal interference with state marijuana laws, saying the current situation has led to a “legal limbo.”

The letter was sent to US Attorney General Merrick Garland, and signed by Congressmembers Earl (D-OR) Blumenauer and Barbara Lee (D-CA).

“We write to share our frustration that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has not reissued overdue protections against federal interference in state-legal marijuana markets”, states the letter. “We urge you to correct this oversight and reissue a memo making clear DOJ’s limited resources will not be spent prosecuting those acting in accordance with state or Tribal law.”
Continue reading

Mar 27 2024

Republican Senators Led by Mitt Romney Urge DEA to Reject Rescheduling Marijuana

A group of Republican Senators sent a letter today to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) requesting they reject a request to reschedule marijuana.

US Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today led his Foreign Relations Committee colleagues, Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-ID) and Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), in a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram “highlighting concerns over HHS’s recommendation to reschedule marijuana from a schedule I to schedule III-controlled substance.” The DEA is currently conducting a review of whether or not marijuana should be moved to Schedule III.

Specifically, they argued that efforts to reschedule marijuana “should be driven by facts, not the administration’s favored policy, and questioned whether doing so would violate the Controlled Substances Act and U.S. treaty obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.”
Continue reading

Mar 27 2024

SAFE Banking Act Gains Two New Sponsors, Bringing Total to 109 (Representing 25% of the Entire US House)

Federal legislation to allow marijuana banking now has 109 sponsors in the US House of Representatives, representing 25% of the entire chamber.

The SAFE Banking Act now has 109 sponsors, with Congressmembers David Trone (D-MD) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) signing on yesterday as the measure’s newest cosponsors. In the Senate, the SAFER Banking Act, has 36 sponsors, representing 36% of the entire chamber.

Both the SAFE and SAFER Banking Acts would provide explicit federal protections to banks and other financial institutions that provide banking services to marijuana businesses that are legal under their state’s laws.
Continue reading

Mar 26 2024

Louisiana Senate Passes Bill to Extend Medical Marijuana Program to 2030

Legislation to extend the sunset period for Louisiana’s medical marijuana pilot program has been passed by the state’s full Senate.

Senate Bill 228, filed by Senator Patrick McMath earlier this month, was passed by the Senate today by a vote of 32 to 5. This sends the measure to the House of Representatives, with passage in the House Governor Jeff Landry.

Louisiana’s medical marijuana pilot program was passed in 2022, allowing Louisiana State University and Southern University as licensed producers of marijuana for therapeutic use. The production and distribution of medical marijuana is under the regulatory authority of the Louisiana Department of Health.
Continue reading

Mar 26 2024

Delaware Lawmakers Advance Bill to Allow Banks to Service Legal Marijuana Industry

Lawmakers in Delaware’s Legislature have advanced legislation to protect banks and other financial institutions that provide services to state-legal marijuana businesses.

Today the House of Representative’s Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee advanced House Bill 355, moving it towards a vote by the full House.

The measure, sponsored by Representative Ed Osienski and Senator Trey Paradee in partnership with State Treasurer Colleen Davis, clarifies under state law that those offering financial services to marijuana businesses are following state law and thus cannot be prosecuted.
Continue reading

Mar 26 2024

US Department of Agriculture Approves Hemp Strain Free of THC and CBD

The United Sates Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given regulatory approval to a genetically modified hemp strain that’s free of THC and CBD.

The strain, called “Badger G” and developed by the Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is unique due to its absence of THC and CBD. Those behind the strain say this could help hemp farmers reduce waste.

Although Badger G does not produce THC or CBD, it does produce higher levels of the cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG). This is accomplished by employing gene-editing technology that nullifies the CBDAS gene responsible for THC and CBD synthesis.
Continue reading

Mar 26 2024

Hawaii Set to Become 25th State to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

Legislation to legalize recreational marijuana is just a couple steps away from becoming law in Hawaii.

Senate Bill 3335 would legalize recreational marijuana for everyone 21 and older, including establishing a system of licensed, regulated and taxed marijuana retail outlets. Earlier this month the measure was given approval through the full Senate by a vote of 19 to 6. After being assed by three different committees in the House of Representatives, the measure received approval by the full House yesterday in a close 25 to 23 vote. This sends the measure to the Finance Committee.

Approval through the Finance Committee would set up one final vote in the House. If the vote remains 25 to 23, it would then be sent to Governor Josh Green for consideration. Governor Green is expected to sign the measure into law if given the opportunity.
Continue reading

Mar 26 2024

Large Majority in Missouri, Wyoming and Ohio Support Federal Legislation to Protect State Marijuana Laws

According to a new poll covering three different states, a large majority are in support of the federal government passing legislation that would protect states that legalize marijuana.

Commissioned by the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation (CPEAR), the poll covers Missouri, Wyoming and Ohio. Of these three states, only Wyoming has not legalized recreational marijuana.

The poll asked voters who are 21 and older their opinion on the STATES 2.0 Act. The measure, which recently gained its 10th bipartisan sponsor in the US House of Representatives, would amend the Controlled Substances so that those acting in compliance with state marijuana laws would no longer be committing a federal crime. The proposal would also allow commerce between legal marijuana states and tribes.
Continue reading