Mar 08 2023

Minnesota Marijuana Legalization Bill Passed by 12 of 14 House Committees

Minnesota’s House Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee has given approval to HF 100 to legalize marijuana, the 12th House Committee to do so.

HF 100 would allow those 21 and older to possess up to two ounces of marijuana and grow up to eight plants for personal use, in addition to establishing a regulatory framework for licensed retail marijuana outlets. The measure has now been passed by 12 House committees, out of the 14 necessary to put the measure to a vote by the full House of Representatives.

In addition to being passed by 12 House committees, a companion measure in the Senate (SF 73) has been passed by eight Senate Committees out of the 18 necessary to put it before the full Senate.
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Mar 08 2023

Missouri: $100 Million in Marijuana Sold in First Month of Legal Sales

In the first month of legal marijuana sales in Missouri, there was $100 million in marijuana and marijuana products purchased throughout the state.

According to data released by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, marijuana sales in February topped $102.9 million last month. Of this amount $72 million came from recreational marijuana sells, with the remainder being medical marijuana sales.

The $102.9 million sold would likely have been even higher if not for February being a short month and sales not starting until February 3rd.
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Mar 07 2023

Delaware General Assembly Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill

Legislation to make marijuana legal for everyone 21 and older has been passed by Delaware’s full General Assembly.

House Bill 1 was filed by State Representative Edward Osienski along with 28 cosponsors. Today it passed the Assembly by a vote of 28 to 13. The measure must now pass the Senate in order to be sent to Governor John Carney for consideration.

According to its official summary, this act “removes all penalties for use or possession of a personal use quantity of marijuana and marijuana accessories. It further specifies that the adult sharing of a personal use quantity or less of marijuana is legal activity for those 21 years of age or older and that those 21 or older may possess, use, display, purchase, or transport accessories and personal use quantities of marijuana without penalty.”
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Mar 07 2023

Hawaii Senate Passes Bill to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

A bill to make Hawaii the next state to legalize recreational marijuana has been passed by the state’s Senate.

Senate Bill 669 was passed today by the Hawaii Senate, sending it to the state’s House of Representatives for consideration. Passage in the House would send the measure to the desk of Governor Josh Green.

If passed into law, those 21 and older would be allowed to possess up to 30 grams of marijuana and cultivate up to six marijuana plants (three of which could be mature).  An independent Hawaii Cannabis Regulatory Authority would be established under the Department of Health to regulate the industry and licensed marijuana retail outlets.
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Mar 07 2023

Arizona Senate Votes to Add PTSD and Autism to State’s Medical Marijuana Program

A legislative proposal to expand Arizona’s medical marijuana program  has been passed by Arizona’s full Senate.

Senate Bill 1466, filed by Senator Thomas Shope, would add post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and autism spectrum disorder as conditions that qualify an individual to become a legal medical marijuana patient. The measure would also reduce the price of medicinal marijuana cards to just $50, which is a third of the current cost ($150), while making them entirely free for veterans.  The bill was passed recently by the Senate in an overwhelming 24 to 6 vote.

The measure has now been sent to the House of Representatives. Passage in the House would send the bill to Governor Katie Hobbs, who is expected to sign it into law if given the chance.
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Mar 07 2023

Cannabinoids May Protect Against Cancer Cachexia, Finds Study

Cannabinoids may protect against the negative effects of colorectal cancer cachexia, according to a new study published by the peer-reviewed journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.

Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial disorder characterized by weight loss and muscle wasting, and there are currently no FDA-approved medications. For this new study, conducted by researchers from National Taiwan University, “upregulation of six cytokines was observed in serum samples from patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and in mouse models.”

Researchers found that “pharmacological treatment with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), a selective CB2 agonist attenuated CRC-associated muscle atrophy.”
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Mar 06 2023

Study: Cannabinoids Can Reduce the Viability of Human Bladder Cancer Cells

The results of newly published research “indicate that cannabinoids can reduce human bladder transitional cell carcinoma cell viability”.

The research is published in the recent issue of the Journal of Cannabis Research, and it was epublished by the National Library of Medicine. Conducted by researchers at  Dalhousie University in Canada, the study is titled Anticancer properties of cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and synergistic effects with gemcitabine and cisplatin in bladder cancer cell lines.

The study notes that “Several studies have demonstrated anti-tumor effects of components present in cannabis in different models. Unfortunately, little is known about the potential anti-tumoral effects of cannabinoids in bladder cancer and how cannabinoids could potentially synergize with chemotherapeutic agents.” The current study aimed “to identify whether a combination of cannabinoids, like cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, with agents commonly used to treat bladder cancer, such as gemcitabine and cisplatin, can produce desirable synergistic effects. We also evaluated if co-treatment with different cannabinoids resulted in synergistic effects.”
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Mar 06 2023

Tomorrow Oklahoma Voters Decide the Fate of an Initiative to Legalize Marijuana

Tomorrow, March 7, voters in Oklahoma voters will decide the fate of an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana, potentially making their state the 22nd to do so.

State Question 820 is on the March 7 special election ballot, placed there by the state’s governor after the secretary of state missed the signature counting deadline that would have seen the measure voted on in November.

State Question 820 would allow those 21 and older to possess, consume, cultivate and purchase marijuana for any purpose, be it medical, recreational or therapeutical. The possession limit would be set at one ounce of marijuana, eight grams of marijuana concentrates and eight grams of marijuana-infused products. The cultivation limit would be set at six mature plants and six seedlings.
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Mar 04 2023

Legislation to Legalize Marijuana Filed in Florida

Florida State Senator Victor Torre has filed a legislative proposal that would legalize recreational marijuana for everyone 21 and older.

Senate Bill 1576 would make the personal possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana legal in Florida for everyone 21 and older, while also allowing them to grow up to six marijuana plants. The measure would also establish a “Division of Cannabis Management” in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that would be in charge of overseeing the legal marijuana market.

The law would not legalize the public consumption of marijuana, but as with many other legal marijuana states this would not be an arrestable offense but instead would be an $100 ticket.
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Mar 03 2023

Study Finds Marijuana Extracts With Equal Parts THC and CBD Could Potentially Treat Melanoma

The use of cannabis-derived extracts containing equal amounts of THC and CBD is a potential treatment option for those with melanoma, finds a study published by the journal Anticancer Research.

Malignant melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer, accounting for the majority of skin cancer deaths. The study notes that prognosis is often poor and finding effective treatment remains a challenge. In this study researchers “aimed to perform gene expression analysis of human melanoma A375 cells following stimulation with C. sativa extracts.”

For the study, which was conducted by researchers at Mae Fah Luang University, the Ministry of Public Health, the Government Pharmaceutical Organization, Mahidol University and the Institute of Medical Research and Technology Assessment, all in Thailand, “Gene expression profiles of A375 human melanoma and Vero (control) cell lines were evaluated by RNA sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR.”
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