Legislation has been filed in the Ohio Legislature to significantly redirect tax revenue that will be garnered from the state’s recently approved marijuana legalization law, while allowing cities to place bans on marijuana use and cultivation.

Filed by State Representative Gary Click, House Bill 341 would make multiple adjustments to how marijuana tax revenue will be distributed, as defined by Issue 2 (passed by voters earlier this month).

Under Issue 2, those 21 and older will be allowed starting December 7 to possess and purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrates. The initiative gives the state nine months to begin issuing licenses for marijuana businesses. Once marijuana stores are open, marijuana will be taxed at 10%.
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The SAFER Banking Act appears to be just “one or two votes” short of having enough votes to pass the full United States Senate.

Congressional staffers for two senators who are sponsoring the SAFER Banking Act both say that the Senate needs just one or two more Republicans to support the measure for it to have the 60 votes needed to be passed through the full Senate. This is in line with comments Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made last week when he said the Senate is “getting close” to a vote.

Schumer vowed in September that the measure would be voted on by the full Senate “very soon”. That remark came after the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs gave approval to the bill.
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There was slightly over $28 million in legal marijuana sold in September in Montana.

According to the Montana Cannabis Control Division, there was $28,159,456 in marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in September, a modest decrease over the record-breaking $28,697,312 sold in August. This marks the third straight month where marijuana sales have surpassed $28 million, with July marking the first time the state passed the $28 million mark.

82% of the marijuana sold in September was purchased by recreational consumers, with sales reaching $23,356,918. The remaining $4,802,538 was purchased by those who are authorized medical marijuana patients.
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According to a new report the North America cannabis market showcased growth at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.20% during 2019 to 2022, and that growth is expected to continue in the coming years.

The report conducted by Research and Markets found that by the end of 2022, the legal marijuana market in North America was valued at $25.82 billion, which is anticipated to grow to over $30 billion by the end of this year. The market is expected to experience a CAGR of 11.49% during the forecasted period of 2024 to 2029 to reach a total valuation of $54.52 billion.

“The cultivation of cannabis has become more sophisticated, with the advent of modern growing techniques and technologies”, states the report. “This has led to increased product quality and diversity, ranging from traditional flower products to concentrates, edibles, topicals, and more.”
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A commission established by New Hampshire lawmakers has failed to come to an agreement on if and how the state should go about legalizing recreational marijuana.

In August Governor Sununu signed into law legislation creating a commission designed to prepare the state for the legalization of marijuana and give recommendations on how lawmakers can most effectively achieve that goal. The commission has now concluded its meetings without coming to any agreement, with members often sparring over specific details.

The chairman of the commission, Senator Tim Lang (R), put forth a framework that would see the state operating marijuana retail outlets, with products taxed at 15%.
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Minnesota’s marijuana legalization law, signed by Governor Time Walz in May, is on track to be in full effect come early 2025.

“We are on track to successfully launch the legal marijuana industry in early 2025″, says Charlene Briner, interim director for the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). “We are all putting in a lot of work to keep us on track.”

Briner was brought on recently to replace Erin Dupree, who resigned in September just days after being appointed director of the OCM by Governor Walz.
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Indiana’s Public Health, Behavioral Health and Human Services interim study committee has voted to recommend that the state approve a pilot program for psilocybin  (“magic mushrooms”) therapy.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms. (Photo credit: Rich Townsend/Getty Images)

According to a report released by the committee, the “prevailing view is that psilocybin should not be a Schedule I drug and has proven medical benefits.” With that in mind, the committee recommends “the Indiana General Assembly take an approach that strikes a balance between access, research, and prudence.”

To do this, they recommend the state “conduct a pilot clinical study utilizing established therapeutic protocols as a starting point to explore the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of psilocybin assisted therapy in Indiana.”
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According to a new meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, cannabinoids may help improve “eczema, acne, pruritus, psoriasis, hair growth, and skin cancer and have anti-aging effects on skin.”

“The therapeutic application of cannabinoids has gained traction in recent years”, notes the abstract of the study, published online by the National Institute of Health. “Cannabinoids interact with the human endocannabinoid system in the skin. A large body of research indicates that cannabinoids could hold promise for the treatment of eczema, psoriasis, acne, pruritus, hair disorders, and skin cancer.”

The study notes that “There are several clinical trials that show the potential benefits of cannabinoids in various dermatologic diseases. Clinical trials involving cannabinoids for pain, inflammation, and cancer “are actively ongoing, with a growing interest in their potential application in conditions that extend beyond skin concerns.”
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According to a new Washington State University study, published in the journal Exploration of Medicine, most people who report using marijuana to get a good night’s rest have quit using over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids all together.

“More than 80% of the 1,255 cannabis users surveyed for the analysis reported no longer using over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids such as melatonin and benzodiazepines”, according to a university press release. “Instead, they had a strong preference for inhaling high-THC cannabis by smoking joints or vaporizing flower, two fast-acting methods that previous research has shown can help with difficulty falling asleep.”

Interestingly, around half of the people in the study also specifically reported using cannabis strains containing CBD and the terpene myrcene, an aromatic plant compound found in hops, basil and other plants in addition to cannabis.
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