Aug 01 2024

Minnesota Preapproves Over 3,000 Marijuana Business Licenses

A little over a year after legalizing recreational marijuana, Minnesota has preapproved over 3,000 marijuana business licenses in hopes of getting the legal marijuana market up and running in early 2025.

According to Charlene Briner, the interim director of the Office of Cannabis Management, over 3,100 individuals have been pre-approved for a state license since the application window opened this summer.

After the application period concludes, eligible candidates will enter a lottery system to determine who will proceed. Briner says the state is “on track to have our regulations and rules in place by early 2025,” indicating that this will initiate the final stages of pre-opening inspections, necessary local approvals, and business readiness.
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Aug 01 2024

Florida Senator and Former Republican Party Chair Endorses Amendment 3 to Legalize Marijuana

Florida State Senator Joe Gruters (R), the former chair of the Republican Party of Florida, has announced his endorsement of a YES vote on Amendment 3.

“By legalizing recreational marijuana for adults, we can give Floridians access to safe products, generate significant revenue for critical public services and create new job opportunities for Floridians,” said Gruters, Chair of the Florida Senate’s Regulated Industries Committee. “I urge you to join me in voting ‘Yes’ on Amendment 3 this November. Together, we can build a safer, smarter future for the Free State of Florida.”

“Supporting Amendment 3 is a common-sense decision that prioritizes individual freedom, health, safety and economic growth”, said Gruters, Chair of the Florida Senate’s Regulated Industries Committee. “By legalizing recreational marijuana for adults, we can give Floridians access to safe products, generate significant revenue for critical public services and create new job opportunities for Floridians. I urge you to join me in voting ‘Yes’ on Amendment 3 this November. Together, we can build a safer, smarter future for the Free State of Florida.”
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Aug 01 2024

Federal Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana Nears 100 Sponsors in US House, With Kamala Harris in Support

Federal legislation to remove marijuana from the controlled substances list and allow the expungement of past convictions has nearly 100 sponsors in the US House of Representatives.

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act now has 94 sponsors, more than any other marijuana-related bill in the US Congress other than the SAFE Banking Act.

The MORE Act has passed the US House of Representatives twice (in 2020 and 2022), but both times it failed to advance in the then-evenly split Senate. The measure has gained renewed interest now that Vice President Kamala Harris is the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for president. Harris, a longtime supporter of the MORE Act, previously cosponsored the bill during her time in the Senate. Continue reading

Jul 31 2024

Nebraska Senate Judiciary Committee Schedules Public Hearing on Marijuana Legalization Bills

Two Nebraska marijuana legalization bills, Legislature Bill 71 and Legislature Bill 52, are set for a public hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on August 2 at 1:30PM.

This hearing represents a significant step in Nebraska’s legislative journey toward marijuana legalization, and it comes three months before voters will consider an initiative to legalize medical marijuana.

Introduced by Senator Terrell McKinney and Senator Justin Wayne, these bills propose to legalize and regulate marijuana use for adults aged 21 and older. While both bills share the common goal of legalizing marijuana including licensed stores, they offer different regulatory frameworks.
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Jul 31 2024

Study Finds Psilocybin Offers Significant Relief for Advanced Cancer Patients

A new study, published in the World Journal of Clinical Oncology, reveals that psilocybin may significantly improve the quality of life for patients with advanced cancer.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms. (Photo credit: Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite).

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of New Mexico and published online by the US National Library of Medicine, highlights the compound’s potential in alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression among this patient group.

The meta-analysis included seven studies with a total of 132 participants, assessing the effects of psilocybin-assisted therapy.
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Jul 31 2024

US Department of Health: Teen Marijuana Use Declines by Nearly 20% Since 2014

Survey data released today by the US Department of Health and Human Services shows that legalizing marijuana at the state level is not associated with an increase in teen marijuana use; instead, it correlates with a significant decrease in teen usage rates.

According to data provided by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health, teenagers are notably less likely to consume marijuana now than they were in 2014, the first year in which any state allowed licensed marijuana sales (that year Colorado and Washington became the first states with legal marijuana stores). In the decade since, 22 other states have legalized recreational marijuana.

The NSDUH data indicates that from 2014 to 2023, the percentage of individuals aged 12 to 17 who reported ever trying marijuana decreased by 18%. Additionally, the number of teens who reported using cannabis in the past year declined by 15%, and those currently using marijuana fell by 19%.
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Jul 31 2024

Get Paid to Smoke Free Joints for Science: It’s the Final Day to Sign Up

DaySavers and the Cannabis Research Coalition are wrapping up recruitment for their groundbreaking study, “The Science of Smokeability” (SOS).

Today marks the final day for participants to enroll in this unique research opportunity.

The study aims to explore how various cultivation and processing techniques affect the quality and experience of smoking cannabis, addressing a significant gap in existing research.
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Jul 31 2024

Nebraska Marijuana Legalization Bills Receive Committee Assignments

On Monday, Nebraska lawmakers introduced two bills to legalize and regulate marijuana. Now, these bills have been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee, marking a crucial step in the legislative process.

Senator Terrell McKinney’s Legislature Bill 71 and Senator Justin Wayne’s Legislature Bill 52 both aim to establish a regulated cannabis market for adults aged 21 and older, albeit with different frameworks. For example, LB 71 sets the possession limit at 2.5 ounces of dried marijuana and 15 grams for concentrates. LB 52, on the other hand allows for possess of just one ounce, and no concentrates. Both, however, allow for the personal cultivation of up to six plants.

Legislature Bill 71, named the Nebraska Cannabis Legalization and Revenue Allocation Act, proposes a comprehensive regulatory system, including establishing the Nebraska Cannabis Control Commission to manage its cultivation, processing, and sale. The bill includes social equity measures, mandating that a portion of licenses go to individuals from communities disproportionately affected by prior cannabis laws.
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Jul 31 2024

GOP US Senator Endorses Federal Marijuana Legalization

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) recently announced his support for a comprehensive regulatory framework for marijuana, similar to that of tobacco.

US Senator Tom Tillis (R-NC) (photo credit: Al Drago / Getty Images).

Senator Tillis emphasized the need for a federal approach to ensure safety and consistency in the burgeoning cannabis market in a recent interview with Green Market Report, saying “We have to understand that this is a market that is going to exist and it’s going to persist, so the federal government needs to figure out a safe way to allow this market to occur.”

In making his remarks, Tillis is now the first GOP member of the US Senate to endorse federal marijuana legalization, although there are a few that support their state’s marijuana law or other reforms such as the SAFER Banking Act to allow marijuana banking.
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Jul 30 2024

Philippine House Approves Bill to Legalize Medical Marijuana 177 to 9

The Philippines House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday that would legalize the medical use of marijuana, marking the third and final reading of the proposal.

House Bill 10439, known as the Access to Medical Cannabis Act and sponsored by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, was approved overwhelmingly, 177 to 9.

The legislation would legalize the possession and use of marijuana and marijuana products for those with a qualifying condition who receive a recommendation from a licensed physician. Licensed medical marijuana dispensaries would be allowed to distribute the medicine to patients.
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