Jul 22 2024

Today’s the Final Day to Comment on the DEA’s Marijuana Rescheduling Proposal

Today marks the final day for the public to submit comments on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) proposal to reschedule marijuana.

This comment period, a legally required 60-day window, was initiated on May 21 when the DEA published their proposal in the Federal Register. The comment period officially closes today, July 22, at 11:59 EDT. Comments can be submitted by clicking here.

Currently there are over 36,000 comments submitted. An analysis reveals that more than 50% of these comments advocate for the DEA to fully deschedule marijuana. When combined with those urging the DEA to legalize or decriminalize marijuana, the support rises to over 70%. In contrast, only 8% of comments oppose the proposal, arguing to maintain marijuana as a Schedule I drug.
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Jul 21 2024

Where Kamala Harris Stands on Marijuana Law Reform

President Biden announced he will not seek reelection and has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.

With Harris being the only candidate eligible to inherit the administration’s campaign funds, and with Biden endorsing her, it is unlikely any other candidate will gain enough support by the 2024 Democratic National Convention in August in order to replace Harris at the top of the ticket.

If Kamala Harris becomes the nominee and is elected president, she will be the first U.S. president to support legalizing marijuana. While she opposed California’s 2014 marijuana legalization initiative as Attorney General, her stance changed by 2019.
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Jul 21 2024

Oklahoma Court Rules Pregnant Women with Medical Marijuana Cards Not Guilty of Child Neglect

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has made a groundbreaking ruling, determining that women with state-issued medical marijuana cards cannot be prosecuted for child neglect if they use the medicine during pregnancy.

This decision clarifies that expectant mothers holding medical marijuana cards are not committing child neglect by using marijuana, as it does not qualify as exposing their unborn child to illegal drugs under state law.

The ruling establishes a new legal standard in Oklahoma, where numerous women have faced child neglect charges for using marijuana during pregnancy, despite having legal authorization. The court stressed that while it does not endorse marijuana use during pregnancy, it acknowledges its legality for medical cardholders.
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Jul 20 2024

Public Comment Period for Marijuana Rescheduling Ends Monday: Here’s What Comes Next

The public comment period for the DEA’s proposal to reschedule marijuana is set to end this Monday, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over federal marijuana policy.

As the deadline approaches, the proposal has garnered significant attention, with over 35,000 comments submitted by individuals and organizations. The vast majority (over 70%) call for marijuana to be descheduled, decriminalized, or legalized, with less than 10% in support of keeping marijuana a Schedule I drug. The DEA does have the option of extending the public comment period beyond July 22 via a public notice, but thus far there’s been no indication they will do so.

The DEA’s proposal would move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, which would not legalize marijuana but would significantly impact research and the prescribed use of marijuana medicines.
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Jul 20 2024

Here’s Every US Lawmaker Supporting Federal Legislation to Decriminalize and Deschedule Marijuana

Below is a list of all 111 lawmakers in the United States Congress who are currently sponsoring legislation to deschedule marijuana.

In the US House of Representatives, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, first introduced in April 2023, currently has 93 sponsors. In the Senate, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), filed in April of this year, has 18 sponsors.

Both measures would remove marijuana as a controlled substance (referred to as descheduling), effectively decriminalizing it nationwide. Both measures would also allow for the expungement of past marijuana convictions, and they would establish a federal excise tax on state-level licensed marijuana sales. The CAOA would go a step further by establishing federal guidelines for marijuana sales, including establishing a Center for Cannabis Products within the FDA to oversee “the production, labeling, distribution, sales and other manufacturing and retail elements of the cannabis industry.”
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Jul 19 2024

Ohio Issues First Recreational Marijuana Business Licenses, Sales to Begin Soon

Today, the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) issued the first batch of dual-use certificates to four marijuana cultivators and six processors.

The DCC granted the initial dual-use certificates this morning, allowing the recipients to operate in both the medical and adult-use markets. This move is the first step in what is expected to be a comprehensive rollout of Ohio’s recreational cannabis program, and it comes less than two weeks after the state issued nearly 200 provisional licenses.

The DCC’s issuance of the 10 finalized licenses is just the beginning. An additional 31 cultivators, 36 processors, seven testing laboratories, and 133 dispensaries are awaiting final approval. These businesses must meet specific requirements, such as implementing security systems, employee badging, and point-of-sale systems, before receiving their licenses.
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Jul 19 2024

California Governor Signs Psychedelics and Marijuana Bill Into Law

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2841 into law on Thursday, a measure that would streamline the application process for studying psychedelics and marijuana

A researcher working with psilocybin mushrooms (photo credit: Getty Images).

The new law allows the Research Advisory Panel to hold closed sessions to discuss sensitive and confidential information. The bill, which passed the Assembly earlier this month by a unanimous 72-0 vote and the Senate in June with a 40-0 vote, is designed to enhance the security of research projects involving cannabis and hallucinogenic drugs.

Authored by Assemblymember Marie Waldron, AB 2841 amends Section 11126 of the Government Code and adds Section 11480.5 to the Health and Safety Code. The bill permits the Research Advisory Panel to review and approve research projects containing trade secrets, intellectual property, or proprietary information without public disclosure. This move aligns the panel’s operations with the confidentiality provisions similar to those allowed under the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act for other state bodies.
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Jul 19 2024

These 4 States Will Consider Whether or Not to Legalize Marijuana in November

We are now just three and a half months away from the November presidential election, during which four states will vote on initiatives to legalize marijuana.

There are five statewide initiatives on the ballot this November. Four of the five either focus on recreational marijuana legalization or include a trigger for it. Nebraska is the only state whose initiative is focused exclusively on legalizing medical marijuana.

With that said here are the four states that are on track to legalize marijuana in November.
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Jul 19 2024

Study Finds CBD Cream Reduces UVA-Induced Skin Damage

A new study being published in the upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and online ahead of print by the National Library of Medicine suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) cream may significantly reduce skin damage caused by Ultraviolet-A (UVA) radiation.

The study was conducted by scientists George Washington University (DC), the Center for Clinical and Cosmetic Research (Florida), and Northwestern University (Illinois).

The study aimed to address the growing concern over UVA radiation’s role in photoaging and photocarcinogenesis. Researchers note that current photoprotective strategies are limited by the availability and utilization of effective UVA filters, creating a demand for new protective agents. Cannabidiol, known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, was tested for its potential to mitigate UVA-induced skin damage.
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Jul 19 2024

President Biden on the Verge of Stepping Down: Why Kamala Harris Replacing Him is Good for Marijuana Reform

According to multiple reports citing sources close to President Biden, he is considering stepping down following weeks of rejecting calls from within his own party to do so.

Despite not supporting legalization, President Biden has been the most consequential president in modern history for federal marijuana reform. His actions include pardoning thousands of federal marijuana offenders, initiating the review that led to the DEA’s decision to reschedule marijuana, and signing the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act into law in December—the first standalone marijuana bill signed by a president.

That said, if he steps aside, the Democrats would have a nominee that’s considerably more supportive of marijuana reform in current Vice President Kamala Harris.
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