Oct 17 2023

Legislation to Decriminalize Marijuana Filed in Florida Senate

Legislation to remove criminal penalties for the first three times someone is caught possessing marijuana for personal use has been filed in the Florida Legislature.

Senator Shevrin Jones, a Democrat serving Florida’s 35th district, filed Senate Bill 94 earlier this month. Today it was assigned to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.

Under current Florida law, the possession of even a miniscule amount of marijuana is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, with the penalty rising to a felony and up to five years in prison if there’s over 20 grams. Senate Bill 94 would change this so that the personal possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana would be a fine of $100 for a first violation, $250 for a second violation and $500 for a third. If a fourth violation is committed, it could be charged as a misdemeanor.
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Oct 16 2023

Missouri Marijuana Sales Reach $117 Million in September, $1 Billion Year-to-Date

Licensed marijuana retail outlets sold over $117 million in worth of products in September.

The $117.8 million in marijuana and marijuana products sold in September is a modest decrease from the $119 million sold in August. This is according to data released by the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services.

Although recreational marijuana sales were actually higher in September than August, $98.2 million compared to $97, medical marijuana sales decreased; $19.6 million from $22 million.
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Oct 16 2023

North Carolina Tribe Issues Hundreds of Medical Marijuana Cards, First in State History

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) in North Carolina have, for the first time, issued medical marijuana cards to qualifying patients.

The EBCI has approved 817 of the 1,005 applications it received for those wanting to become legal medical marijuana patients on tribal land. Having a medical card will allow patients to purchase marijuana and marijuana products at the tribe’s medical marijuana superstore, which cost over $50 million to establish and is expected to open in the coming weeks. Once open, it will be the only location in North Carolina where any form of marijuana can be legally purchased.

Last month members of the EBCI voted overwhelmingly in favor of a proposal that will lead to recreational marijuana becoming legal for everyone 21 and older regardless of whether or not they are a tribal member or have a qualifying medical marijuana condition.
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Oct 16 2023

Poll: By Greater Than 2-to-1 Margin, US Adults Support Federal Marijuana Banking Act

The results of new polling shows that a majority of adults in the US want the federal government to pass the SAFER Banking Act.

(Photo credit: GETTY Images).

The survey, unveiled today at the start of American Bankers Association’s (ABA) 2023 Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, gauged consumers’ views on access to banking services, overdraft protection and cannabis banking. The poll was conducted by Morning Consult and included 2,211 participants.

The survey found that “by greater than a 2-to-1 margin (55% support vs 23% oppose) U.S. adults support Congress passing legislation that allows cannabis businesses to access banking services.”
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Oct 16 2023

Wisconsin Bill to Legalize Recreational Marijuana Receives Senate Committee Assignment

A legislative proposal that would legalize marijuana throughout Wisconsin has received a committee assignment in the Senate.

Senate Bill 486 was filed last week with 36 cosponsors; 10 senators and 26 state representatives. The proposal has now been assigned to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

It must be passed through this and an additional committee before it can be considered by the full Senate, and if passed by the Senate then the full House of Representatives. Passage through both chambers would send the measure to Governor Tony Evers for final consideration.
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Oct 16 2023

Arbitration Panel Decides Alaska Airlines Must Reinstate Worker Fired for Marijuana

An arbitrational panel has ruled that Alaska Airlines erred in firing an employee because they tested positive for THC, and they must reinstate the individual.

In July, 2022 John Doe (their real name was redacted by the panel) was fired from Alaska Airlines after receiving and subsequently failing a drug test because they had THC in their system. The 46 year old lead aircraft maintenance technician, who had worked with the company for over two decades, tested above the minimum threshold for THC and was given no option to retain his position.

The individual denied using marijuana and “could not explain the positive drug result other than speculating he may have unwittingly ingested a marijuana edible at a block party/barbecue he had recently attended”.
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Oct 16 2023

Michigan: $274 Million in Legal Marijuana Purchased in September, Over $6 Billion Since 2020

There was over a quarter of a billion dollars worth of marijuana sold legally throughout Michigan in the month of September.

According to the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency, the state sold $274,728,595 worth of legal marijuana in September, a slight decrease from the $276.2 million sold in August and the record-breaking $276.7 million sold in July. However, marijuana sales for September saw a roughly 30% increase over the sales total for September, 2022.

The $274.7 million sold in September of this year was primarily recreational marijuana; $269,813,092. Medical marijuana patients purchased $4,915,502 worth of marijuana during the same period.
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Oct 16 2023

Study Finds CBD May Enhance Sleep Quality and Help Combat Cancer Cells

According to new research, eight weeks of using 50mg of CBD daily “may offer benefits in enhancing sleep quality in humans and improving immunosurveillance against cancer cells”.

Conducted by researchers at the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Utah, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Northern Colorado, the study is titled Eight Weeks of Daily Cannabidiol Supplementation Improves Sleep Quality and Immune Cell Cytotoxicity. It was published in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients.

Researchers for the study note that “Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating exogenous cannabinoid agonist derived from plants that, at high doses, has received FDA approval as an anticonvulsant for epileptic seizures, and at low doses is marketed as a food-grade supplement for improved mental health, sleep quality, and immunological function.”
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Oct 16 2023

Ohio: Early Voting Underway on Marijuana Legalization Initiative, Election in Three Weeks

Early voting is officially underway in Ohio for Issue 2, an initiative that would make marijuana legal for everyone 21 and older.

Early voting on Issue 2 began on October 11, with election day coming in just three weeks and a day, on November 7.

If passed into law, Issue 2 would legalize the personal possession of up to two and a half ounces of dried cannabis, purchasable at a licensed marijuana retail outlet. These outlets would also be allowed to see up to 15 grams per person of marijuana concentrates, and they could carry a variety of other marijuana products including edibles, tinctures and topicals.
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Oct 16 2023

THC “Inhibited the Proliferation of Colorectal Cancer Cells” In New Study

The marijuana compound THC may induce the death of colorectal cancer cells, according to a new study.

The study is being published in the journal Genes & Genomics, and it was published online ahead of print by the US National Library of Medicine. It was conducted by researchers at Kangwon National University, the Kangwon Center for System Imaging, Chuncheon Bioindustry Foundation, the Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute and the Kangwon Center for System Imaging, all in the Republic of Korea.

“Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is a principal psychoactive extract of Cannabis sativa and has been traditionally used as palliative medicine for neuropathic pain”, states the study’s abstract. “Cannabidiol (CBD), an extract of hemp species, has recently attracted increased attention as a cancer treatment, but Δ9-THC is also requiring explored pharmacological application.”
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