Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) today sent a letter to Drug Enforcement Administrator Anne Milgram asking her to act expeditiously on a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommendation to reschedule marijuana to Schedule 3 under the Controlled Substances Act.

The letter follows a DEA oversight hearing in July in which Congressman Cohen questioned Administrator Milgram on this topic. At the time, Administrator Milgram said DEA could only act after it received a recommendation from HHS. The following month HHS sent a letter to the DEA officially recommending marijuana be moved to Schedule III, which would effectively legalize it for prescription use nationwide.

“I urge you, in the strongest possible way, to follow through on HHS’s recommendation”, says Representative Cohen in his letter. “It is critical that the DEA’s review is expeditious and that your agency quickly initiate the rulemaking process.”
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According to an analysis, federal legislation to allow marijuana banking has a more than two-thirds chance of being enacted into law.

The SAFER Banking Act (S.2860) would provide strong legal protections to banks and other financial institutions that provide services to state-legal marijuana businesses. The measure is sponsored by 35% of the entire US Senate, including having support from both Democrats and Republicans as well as all three senators who identify as independent. In September it received approval by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer saying November that the full Senate is “getting close” to a vote.

According to an analysis by GovTrack.us, the SAFER Banking Act now has a 68% chance of being passed in the Senate and House, and signed into law by President Biden.
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Montana marijuana stores sold $26.8 million in legal marijuana in December, bringing the yearly total to $319 million.

According to the Montana Cannabis Control Division, there was $26,886,443 worth of marijuana sold in December. This is around $1.7 million more than the total for November, and $1.2 million more than the previous December.

Year-to-date marijuana sales finished at $319.16 million, an over $15 million increase from the $303.56 million sold throughout 2022. The $319 million in sales resulted in around $55 million in tax revenue.
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Legislation filed today in Nebraska would make kratom a schedule 1 controlled substance, making it illegal for all uses.

Legislative Bill 972, filed by Senator Loren Lippincott, would explicitly prohibit the use, possession and distribution of kratom by placing it at the top of the state’s list of controlled substances. Under current law kratom is legally sold in outlets like smokes shops and gas stations.

Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. The crushed or powdered leaves are often brewed with tea, or placed into gel capsules. Kratom can produces both stimulant effects and sedative effects, depending on the strain and amount consumed. Many consumers report benefits in combatting pain and anxiety, among other ailments.
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A newly filed Missouri bill “Prohibits the odor of marijuana alone to give rise to probable cause to search a vehicle, home, or other private property”.

House Bill 2132 was prefiled by State Representative Ian Mackey (D) on December 28. Yesterday the measure was passed through its first reading in the House of Representatives, and today it was heard for a second time. It will need to be passed through a third reading by the full House before it can be sent to the state’s Senate.

The proposed law states that “Notwithstanding any provision of law, the odor of marijuana alone shall not provide a law enforcement officer with probable cause to conduct a warrantless search of a motor vehicle, home, or other private property.”
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Republican State Representative Kevin Payne has filed legislation that would facilitate the research of psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

House Bill 2105 was prefiled today by Representative Payne for the upcoming legislative session which begins January 8. The measure has not yet received a committee assignment.

Under the legislation the director of the Department of Health Services “shall provide from monies appropriated competitive research grants for whole mushroom psilocybin phase one, phase two and phase three clinical trials that are capable of being approved by the United States food and drug administration to evaluate the effects of whole mushroom psilocybin on treating any of the following:

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Legislation that would legalize marijuana for all uses has been filed in Kentucky.

House Bill 72 was filed yesterday by State Representative Nima Kulkarni (D), and it’s been assigned to the House Committee on Committees.

The proposed law states that a person 21 and older who “possesses, traffics, or cultivates a personal use quantity of cannabis shall not be subject to any penalty for that activity.” It states that “Possession, trafficking, or cultivation of a personal use quantity of cannabis under this section shall not be considered a criminal offense.”
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Rapper and marijuana enthusiast and entrepreneur Snoop Dogg has joined the team at NBCUniversal to provide coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 this July.

Snoop Dogg with Olympic athletes (beach volleyball) Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes.

According to an NBC press release, the “global megastar will be on site in Paris to provide regular reports for the Olympic Primetime Show beginning July 26, 2024, on NBC and Peacock.” The announcement was first made during halftime of Sunday Night Football’s coverage of the Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings on NBC and Peacock.

Throughout the Games, Snoop will “explore the city’s iconic landmarks, attend Olympic competitions and events, and visit with the athletes, their friends, and families”, while regularly speaking with NBC Olympics host Mike Tirico.
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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has sent a letter to congressional lawmakers informing them that their review of marijuana as a schedule I drug is currently underway, while noting that the agency has “the final authority” when it comes to any rescheduling effort.

In August the Department sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officially requesting marijuana be reclassified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, effectively legalizing it for prescription use across the United States. The letter came in response to a request by President Biden last year for the government to research and consider rescheduling marijuana.

Now, the DEA says they are reviewing the request, which is “ongoing”. In a letter sent to members of Congress, DEA Acting Chief of the Office of Congressional Affairs Michael Miller says that the DEA is “conducting its review” of marijuana’s scheduling status.
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