Sep 30 2024

California Governor Signs Bill Legalizing Marijuana Cafés

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law legislation that legalizes Amsterdam-stye marijuana cafés.

Today, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1775, nearly a year after he vetoed a similar bill by the same prime sponsor.

The proposal was approved overwhelmingly by the state’s legislature: 58 to 6 in the Assembly, and 30 to 7 in the Senate. The measure will “authorize a local jurisdiction, if specified conditions are met, to allow for the preparation or sale of noncannabis food or beverage products, as specified, by a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed, and to allow, and to sell tickets for, live musical or other performances on the premises of a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed.”
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Sep 30 2024

Kamala Harris Calls for Marijuana Legalization for First Time as Presidential Nominee

For the first time as the official Democratic nominee for president, Kamala Harris has expressed her support for legalizing marijuana.

Although Vice President and Democratic nominee for president Kamala Harris has supported legalizing marijuana since 2019, including cosponsoring a descheduling bill while in the Senate, she has (until now) not made any comments on the issue since becoming the official nominee.

In an interview with All the Smoke podcast , Harris said “I just feel strongly, people should not be going to jail for smoking weed. And we know historically what that has meant and who has gone to jail.”
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Sep 29 2024

Study: Single Dose of Psilocybin Shows Promise for Veterans with Treatment-Resistant Depression

A recent study by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital has revealed promising results for veterans battling severe treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders and online ahead of print by the National Library of Medicine, the study is the first to examine how a single dose of psilocybin could impact veterans with depression that has failed to respond to traditional treatments.

The study involved 15 veterans diagnosed with severe TRD, defined as a major depressive episode that either failed to respond to at least five previous treatments or persisted for more than two years. These individuals were given a single dose of 25 mg of psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms. To measure the effects of the treatment, researchers utilized the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), with response defined as a 50% or greater reduction in MADRS scores and remission as a score of 10 or less.
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Sep 28 2024

California Governor Signs Bill Allowing Marijuana Businesses to Combine Activities Under One License

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law legislation allowing marijuana businesses to conduct multiple activities under a single license.

Senate Bill 1064 was signed by Governor Newsom earlier today. The measure, introduced by Senator John Laird (D) in April, was approved by the Assembly (73 to 0) and Senate (37 to 1).

SB 1064 creates a “combined activities license,” enabling multiple cannabis-related operations to function under a single license at the same location, excluding laboratory testing. Currently, cannabis businesses must obtain separate licenses for each activity, such as retail, cultivation, or distribution. The bill aims to streamline the licensing process by consolidating certain activities, reducing administrative complexity for operators. Continue reading

Sep 28 2024

Iowa Democrats Make Marijuana Legalization a Top Agenda Item for 2025

Iowa Democrats are making marijuana legalization a top priority for the 2025 legislative session.

As they work to increase their presence in the Iowa House, where they currently hold 36 out of 100 seats, Democrats are focusing on issues that resonate with a wide range of Iowans. At the forefront of this agenda is the push to legalize recreational marijuana, which, according to House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, has the support of over 60% of Iowa’s population.

Konfrst emphasized that legalizing marijuana aligns with the desires of a majority of Iowans, not just Democrats. By advancing legislation to legalize marijuana for adult use, the party aims to address a reality where cannabis is already flowing into the state from neighboring Wisconsin and Illinois, where it is legal.
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Sep 27 2024

St. Louis Officials Vote to Extend Marijuana Store Hours as City Sees Surge in Marijuana Revenue

St. Louis officials have approved a plan to extend marijuana dispensary and retail outlet hours throughout the city. On Friday, the Board of Aldermen voted to allow such stores to remain open until 10 p.m., seven days a week.

The proposal was introduce by Alderman Rasheen Aldridge. Prior to the board’s vote, Aldridge noted the financial benefits since recreational marijuana became legal, with the city currently generating $2.4 million in annual revenue.

“Hopefully, extending hours to 10 p.m. will increase that amount, while also making St. Louis more competitive with the county,” Aldridge said.
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Sep 27 2024

Study: Cannabis Cream Reduces Chronic Kidney Disease-Related Itching in Hemodialysis Patients

A new double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in Kidney Medicine found that a cannabis-containing cream significantly reduced itching in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing hemodialysis.

The study, conducted by researchers from Thammasat University in Thailand, involved 60 participants, all experiencing moderate to severe CKD-associated pruritus.

The participants were divided into two groups: one received the cannabis cream, while the other received a placebo. After four weeks, those using the cannabis cream experienced a notable reduction in itching severity. The average worst itching intensity numerical rating scale (WI-NRS) score dropped from 6.7 at the start of the study to 2.6. In comparison, the placebo group’s score dropped to 3.6. After adjusting for baseline differences, the cannabis group showed a statistically significant improvement over the placebo group, with a mean difference of -1.1 (P = 0.02).
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Sep 27 2024

GOP Senator Introduces Federal HEMP Act to Triple Allowable THC in Hemp

U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced the Hemp Economic Mobilization Plan (HEMP) Act, in an attempt to to address hemp farmers’ concerns “with federal overreach and bring clarity, transparency, and certainty to regulation”.

Hemp plants.

The HEMP Act amends the definition of “hemp” from 0.3 percent THC to 1 percent THC. It also requires testing of hemp-derived products rather than the hemp flower or plant itself.  Additionally, to help prevent legal hemp from being seized during transport, the bill requires that hemp shipments be accompanied by one of two easily accessible types of documentation.

“For years, I’ve led the fight in Washington to restore one of Kentucky’s most historically vital crops by legalizing industrial hemp”, said Senator Paul. “We achieved a hard-won victory, but there is still work to do to prevent the federal government from weighing down our farmers with unnecessary bureaucratic micromanaging. My legislation will help this growing industry reach its full economic potential and bring transparency to government regulations”.
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Sep 26 2024

Report Finds Marijuana Seed Market to Grow From $1.3 Billion in 2021 to $6.5 Billion in 2031

The global cannabis seed market is projected to undergo remarkable growth, increasing from $1.3 billion in 2021 and $2.15 billion in 2024, to an estimated $6.5 billion by 2031, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.4%.

This forecast, highlighted in a recent report by Allied Market Research, underscores a shift in consumer behavior driven by evolving legal frameworks worldwide.

The rising demand for cannabis seeds can be attributed largely to the modernization of laws permitting their sale and cultivation, states the report. A notable example is Germany, which began allowing adults to cultivate up to three cannabis plants in their homes on April 1, 2024. A YouGov poll shows that 7% of respondents have already bought cannabis seeds or clones since legalization, while another 11% plan to do so in the future. The resulting surge in demand has significantly boosted sales at seed banks across Europe.
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Sep 26 2024

US Senator Introduces Legislation to Regulate Hemp Products Nationwide

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has introduced the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act (CSRA), a bill designed toto establish national standards to “protect public health and safety and keep cannabis products out of the hands of children”.

The CSRA would establish a national age restriction to prevent those under 21 from purchasing hemp-derived cannabis products, but it would not ban these products for those 21 and older.

The legislation would require that all hemp-derived products are tested for safety and are manufactured using clean and safe processes. The CSRA would require truth in labeling, and would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to recall or ban any cannabis products with dangerous chemicals or additives.
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