Jul 04 2023

Here Are Seven Founding Fathers Who Grew and Advocated for Hemp and/or Marijuana

By Benjamin M. Adams, High Times

On July 4, 1776 (247 years ago) the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain.

Many of them not only grew hemp but insisted how important the plant is to the foundation of American agriculture. Sorting through rumors about the Founding Fathers and hemp is another story, with invented quotes and misinformation.

The Declaration’s blanket assertion, “all Men are created equal,” should be taken with a grain of salt given that many Founding Fathers owned slaves, and Thomas Jefferson’s and Henry Clay’s slaves also grew hemp. It would take a lot longer for actual equal rights to materialize.
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Jul 03 2023

Study: Marijuana Has 566 Chemical Compounds, 125 Different Cannabinoids

Marijuana has over 550 various compounds and “has enormous potential for biological and industrial uses, as well as traditional and other medicinal uses”, according to a new study.

Conducted by researchers at the Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of Western Ontario, the study is titled Cannabis: a multifaceted plant with endless potentials. The study is published in the newest issue of the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, with the abstract epublished by the US National Library of Medicine.

This study “attempts to evaluate the available literature on the ecology, chemical composition, phytochemistry, pharmacology, traditional uses, industrial uses, and toxicology of Cannabis sativa.”
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Jul 03 2023

Nebraska: Signature Gathering Underway for Initiatives to Legalize Medical Marijuana

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana are now actively collecting signatures for a pair of initiatives that would legalize medical marijuana and provide protections for physicians who recommend it.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) filed the initiatives last month with plans to place the proposals on the November, 2024 ballot. This is the group’s third attempt to put a medical marijuana initiative before voters of the state, with advocates falling less than 1,000 signatures short last year.

The group has until next July to collect 125,000 signatures from registered Nebraska voters. Dozens of signature gatherers were seen gathering signatures over the weekend, including multiple at the Omaha Farmer’s Market on Sunday.
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Jul 03 2023

Oregon: Legal Marijuana Stores Sold Over $80 Million in Marijuana in June

Licensed marijuana retail outlets sold over $80 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products in June.

There was $80,347,877 in legal marijuana sold in June in Oregon, an increase from the $79 million sold in May and on par with the $80.7 million an d $81 million sold in April and March. This is according to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC).

Based on the state’s 17% marijuana tax rate, the state garnered $13.6 million in tax revenue from legal marijuana sales in June alone. This does not include tax revenue garnered via citywide marijuana taxes.
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Jul 03 2023

New Mexico Legal Marijuana Sales Reach $46 Million in June

In June there was $46 million in legal marijuana and marijuana products sold in New Mexico.

In total New Mexico marijuana stores sold $46,076,614.14 worth of marijuana in June, according to data released by the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department. The $46 million sold is a slight decrease from the $47.7 million sold in May, and is almost identical to the $46.07 million sold in April.

In June there was $14,839,835.55 worth of marijuana and marijuana products (including concentrates, edibles, topicals, etc.) were sold to medical marijuana patients. $31,236,778.58 was sold to those 21 and older who are not registered patients.
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Jul 02 2023

Study: Marijuana Legalization Significantly Decreases Admissions to Mental Health Treatment, Reduces Medicaid Spending

According to a new study the legalization of recreational marijuana is associated with a 37% decrease in mental treatment admissions.

The Indiana University study states that the results “are driven by those under 65, Black, and white individuals”, noting that there is also “a significant decrease in Medicaid-funded treatment admissions”.  The study is being published in the journal Health Economics, and it’s been epublished online by the National Institute of Health.

The study’s abstract notes that about half of all Americans will be diagnosed with a mental health disorder (MHD) at some point in their lives. This, coupled with a 35% increase in suicides since 1999, has led to the CDC declaring MHDs and suicides a “serious public health problem”. Despite some studies showing that medical and recreational marijuana laws reduce suicides and depression rates, research has been scarce.
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Jul 01 2023

Connecticut: Law Allowing Those 21+ to Grow Marijuana Now in Effect

As of today, July 1, a law allowing those 21 and older to grow recreational marijuana is in full effect.

Under the new law, the personal cultivation of up to six marijuana plants is allowed for anyone who’s at least 21 years old. Just three marijuana plants are allowed to be mature at any point (meaning three of the six must be immature plants or seedlings), and there’s a maximum of 12 per household.

Connecticut lawmakers first legalized marijuana in 2021, with the law taking effect July of that year. The law allowed those 21 and older to possess up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana in public and up to five ounces at a private residence. The law did not, however, fully legalize marijuana cultivation, instead making it a civil infraction.
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Jun 29 2023

North Carolina Indian Tribe Accepting Applications to Join Medical Marijuana Superstore

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) is now accepting applications from all North Carolina residents for their soon-to-open medical marijuana superstore, with no physician recommendation required.

The EBCI legalized medical marijuana on their tribal land in 2021, and soon they will open the first medical marijuana dispensary in North Carolina. The dispensary is a converted bingo hall that cost around $50 million to build. The store is a roughly three hour drive from Charlotte.

Outside of tribal land, medical marijuana remains illegal for all purposes in North Carolina. In March the North Carolina Senate voted 36 to 10 to legalize marijuana, but the measure has stalled in the House.
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Jun 29 2023

NBA and Player’s Association Sign Contract Removing Marijuana From Banned Substances List

The National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association have officially signed a collective bargaining agreement that not only removes marijuana from the league’s list of banned substances, it allows players to invest in marijuana companies.

The NBA and the NBPA both signed the 676-page document this past weekend, allowing the seven-year contract to take effect. For the first time in league history the agreement will see marijuana removed from the list of banned substances, meaning players will no longer be tested for marijuana or punished for its use.

The contract allows players to “hold a direct or indirect ownership interest (whether controlling or non-controlling) in an entity that produces or sells CBD Products”. Players will also be allowed to invest in marijuana companies that are legal under state law even if they’re federally illegal. However, the investment must be passive and players cannot have an ownership share of larger than 49%.
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Jun 28 2023

Luxembourg Parliament Approves Bill to Legalize Marijuana Possession and Culitvation

Luxembourg’s full Parliament has passed a bill that will make the country just the second in the European Union to legalize marijuana possession and cultivation.

The Chamber of Deputies voted 38 to 22 today to pass the legalization bill. The measure will allow adults to legally possess and grow marijuana, but it does not allow for marijuana retail outlets. In the EU only Malta has legalized recreational marijuana.

The law was first proposed by government officials in 2021. It has gone through an extensive debate and revision process over the past two years. Prime Minister Xavier Bettel is in support of the effort.
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