Sep 16 2023

In Michigan, $276 Million in Legal Marijuana Purchased in August, Over $40 Million in Taxes Garnered

In Michigan, August marijuana sales fell barely short of July’s record-breaking numbers despite prices dropping.

In total there was $276,262,397.68 worth of legal marijuana sold in August, less than half a million dollars short of the $276,746,264.07 sold in July (the current monthly record). This is according to a report just released by the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency.

Although August marijuana sales didn’t quite beat July’s numbers, they are a noticeable increase over the $260 million sold in June and the $245 million sold in May. Sales numbers include the distribution of dried marijuana flower as well as other marijuana products including concentrates, edibles and topicals.
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Sep 15 2023

US Senate Committee Schedules Vote for Bill Allowing Banks to Service Marijuana Businesses

On September 27 the Senate Banking Committee will vote on legislation that would allow banks to provide services to marijuana businesses that are legal under their state’s law.

The SAFE Banking Act has received bipartisan support and has been listed as a top priority for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. After months of negotiations the measure will finally receive a vote in the Senate Banking Committee, with proponents of the measure confident that it has the 60 votes needed to be passed out of the Senate and sent to the US House of Representatives.

The measure would have a wide-reaching impact on the growing marijuana industry. Because marijuana is federally illegal, state-licensed marijuana stores are required to operate entirely cash-only, a clear security risk. The SAFE Banking Act would explicitly give these businesses access to banking and financial services, including bank loans.
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Sep 14 2023

Study Finds Marijuana Extracts Associated With Sustained Improvements in Those With Chronic Health Conditions

Marijuana extracts are associated with health-related quality of life improvements in patients suffering from chronic conditions such as pain, fatigue and anxiety, according to a study published in the journal PLOS One.

For the study researchers examined the efficacy of marijuana extracts in a cohort of over 2,300 patients (aged 18 to 97) who are authorized to use medical cannabis. Participants consumed marijuana extracts, containing various levels of CBD and THC, over the course of three months. he most commonly treated conditions were chronic pain (68.7%), insomnia (22.9%), generalized anxiety (21.5%), and mixed anxiety and depression (11%).

“This study found overall HRQL (health-related quality of life) improved over 3-months in patients accessing prescribed medical cannabis in Australia,” says researchers. “Results showed both statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in overall HRQL and fatigue for people with chronic health conditions.”
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Sep 14 2023

Study: CBD Inhibits the Proliferation and Invasiveness of Prostate Cancer Cells

According to a new study, “the ability of CBD to inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation and invasiveness suggests that CBD may have potential as a future chemotherapeutic agent.”

Conducted by researchers at the University College Dublin, the study is being published in the newest issue of the Journal of Natural Products, with it published online ahead of print by the US National Library of Medicine. The study is titled Cannabidiol Inhibits the Proliferation and Invasiveness of Prostate Cancer Cells.

“Prostate cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in men, responsible for over 375,000 deaths in 2020”, states the study. “Novel therapeutic strategies are needed to improve outcomes.”
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Sep 14 2023

US Congressional Researchers Say DEA “Likely” to Reschedule Marijuana

A report released Wednesday by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) states that it’s “likely” the DEA will reschedule marijuana to reschedule III, which will have “broad implications for federal policy”.

Recently the Department of Health sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officially requesting marijuana be reclassified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, which would effectively legalize it for prescription use. The letter came in response to a request by President Biden last year for the government to research and consider rescheduling marijuana.

“[I]f past is prologue it could be likely that DEA will reschedule marijuana according to HHS’s recommendation,” said the report. “If marijuana is rescheduled to Schedule III, it would have broad implications for federal policy… [and] this move would have significant implications for state medical marijuana programs and users of medical marijuana, but fewer implications for state recreational marijuana programs and those who use marijuana recreationally.”
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Sep 14 2023

California Assembly Passes Bill to Ban Employers From Asking About Marijuana Use

With an overhwleming majority the California Assembly passed Senate Bill 700, which has already been passed through the Senate.

The Assembly voted yesterday 59 to 8 to pass Senate Bill 700. The measure has already been approved by the Senate, but will need to go back for one final vote of concurrence before it can be sent to Governor Newsom.

Filed by Senator Steven Bradford, the proposal “would make it unlawful for an employer to request information from an applicant for employment relating to the applicant’s prior use of cannabis”.
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Sep 13 2023

Placebo-Controlled Trial Finds CBD Useful in Helping to Treat Chronic Gingivostomatitis in Cats

According to a newly published study, the oral administration of the cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) is a useful adjunct treatment for felines with chronic gingivostomatitis.

The study, titled Placebo-Controlled Trial of Daily Oral Cannabidiol as Adjunctive Treatment for Cats with Chronic Gingivostomatitis, was published in the recent issue of the journal Animals, and it was published online by the National Library of Medicine. It was conducted by researchers from four different universities and organizations in Portugal.

“A placebo-controlled study evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of a commercially available cannabidiol (CBD) oral formulation as an adjunctive treatment for pain management for feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS)”, states the study’s abstract. “CBD was included in a multimodal treatment routinely performed on client-owned cats with FCGS that were submitted to dental extractions.”
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Sep 13 2023

New York Bill Would Prohibit Marijuana Use Within 30 Feet of a Child or a Location Where a Child Resides

Legislation filed today in the New York Legislature would prohibit “the use of cannabis within thirty feet of a child or within thirty feet of any location in which children reside or attend for any recreational or educational purpose”.

Filed by Assemblymember Phillip Steck (D), Assembly Bill 8025 has been assigned to the Assembly Codes Committee.

Specifically, the measure would prohibit “smoke or vape cannabis within thirty feet of a child or within thirty feet of any location in which children reside or attend for any recreational or educational purpose, including areas separated by walls, closed doors or floors within a building.”
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Sep 13 2023

Minnesota Supreme Court Rules Marijuana Odor By Itself Does Not Justify Vehicle Search

In a landmark decision the Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that the smell of marijuana on its own is not probably cause to search a person’s motor vehicle.

The ruling is based on a case brought by Adam Torgerson, who was pulled over in 2021 in Meeker County. Although Torgerson was pulled over for having too many lights on the grill of his vehicle, an officer claimed he smelled marijuana.

After a second officer approached the vehicle and said he also smelt marijuana, police ordered Torgerson, his wife, and his child out of the car and conducted a search of the vehicle, subsequently finding a small amount of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
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Sep 13 2023

Massachusetts Committee Approves Bill to Add PTSD and Opioid Use Disorder to Medical Marijuana Program

Legislation in Massachusetts that would expand the state’s medical marijuana program and ease access for veterans has been passed through its initial committee.

House Bill 4087 has been “reported favorably” by the House Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy, and referred to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. The bipartisan measure is sponsored by State Representatives Michael Soter (R), Joseph McKenna (R), Brian Murray (D) and Marcus Vaughn (R).

Under current Massachusetts law, a person can become a medical marijuana patient if they have a ​“debilitating medical condition”, which is defined as someone who has cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. HB 4087 would expand this to include “post-traumatic stress disorder, opioid use disorder”.
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