Apr 14 2023

Washington State Magic Mushrooms Bill Sent to Governor

Legislation to establish a psilocybin taskforce and pilot program has officially been sent to Washington State Governor Jay Inslee.

Washington’s House of Representatives voted earlier this week to pass Senate Bill 5263, with it having already passed the Senate. However, amendments made in the House created a need for the Senate to give the measure one final vote before it could be sent to Governor Inslee. That vote took place today, with the Senate voting 40 to 4 on final passage.

Governor Inslee now has the option of signing it into law, vetoing it or allowing it to become law without his signature. Worth noting is that the measure passed both chambers with well more than the 2/3rds required to override an executive veto.
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Apr 14 2023

Study: Marijuana Improves Pain Scores and Health-Related Quality of Life in Those With Chronic, Refractory Pain

Medical marijuana was observed to “improve pain intensity scores and HRQoL [health-related quality of life] outcomes in patients with chronic, refractory pain” in a new study published by the British Journal of Pain.

Conducted by researchers at the University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital (both in Australia), the objective of the study was to “examine the tolerability and effectiveness of medicinal cannabis prescribed to patients for chronic, refractory pain, with a subset analysis on arthritis.”

The study examined self-reported adverse events (AEs) and changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes over time after commencing medicinal cannabis in patients with chronic, refractory pain. Patients were prescribed medicinal cannabis by a medical practitioner, containing various ratios of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or cannabidiol (CBD).
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Apr 13 2023

Delaware Lawmakers “100% Confident” Enough Votes to Override Potential Marijuana Legalization Veto

Delaware House Bill 1 was delivered to Governor Carney on April 11, with House Bill 2 being delivered tomorrow. The governor has 10 days from the day they reach his desk to determine his approach.

Although there is fear the governor may veto the measures, Senator Trey Paradee, the bills’ prime sponsor in the Senate, tells us that “Rep. Osienski (the House sponsor) and I are 100% confident that we have the votes to override the Governor’s veto if it comes to that.”

Senator Paradee says they “are hopeful that the Governor will allow both bills to pass into law with or without his signature.”
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Apr 13 2023

Poll: 56% in South Carolina Want Recreational Marijuana Legalized

A strong majority of adults in South Carolina want marijuana to be legalized, and an even higher percentage support legalizing medical marijuana.

According to the newest Winthrop University Poll, 56% of adults in South Carolina support legalizing recreational marijuana, while 76% support legalizing the substance for medical use.

In terms of medical marijuana, 72% of Republicans and 80% of Democrats support legalizing it. When it comes to recreational marijuana, support from Democrats is at 62%, while Republican support is 45%.
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Apr 13 2023

Montana Lawmakers Pass Bill Allowing Police to Give Saliva Tests to Suspected Drugged Drivers

Montana’s full legislature has passed Senate Bill 13, amending the state’s implied consent law to give police the power to administer oral fluid tests to motorists suspected of being under the influence of drugs.

Senate Bill 13 has now been sent to Governor Greg Gianforte, who has not indicated whether or not he plans to sign it into law, allow it to become law without a signature or veto it.

The bill states that “A person who operates or is in actual physical control of a vehicle is considered to have given consent to a test or tests of the person’s blood or breath for the purpose of determining any measured amount or detected presence of alcohol, or blood or oral fluid for the purpose of determining any measured amount or detected presence of drugs in the person’s body.”
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Apr 13 2023

Study: Cannabis Consumers Use Fewer Prescription Opioids Following Wrist Surgery

Patients with a history of marijuana use consume fewer prescription opioids following surgery for distal radius fractures (bone wrist fractures).

This is according to a study published in the International Open Access Journal of the American Society for Plastic Surgeons. The purpose of this study “was to evaluate opioid demand after open reduction and internal fixation of distal radius fractures in patients with and without a diagnosis of cannabis use.”

Researchers from the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Center compared the demand for opioids among cannabis consumers (cases) and non-users (controls) following wrist surgery. They reported, “[T]here was a significant reduction in average MME [morphine milligram equivalents] for the case population’s initial opioid prescription compared with the control population.”
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Apr 12 2023

Montana Breaks Monthly Record With $27 Million in Legal Marijuana Sales in March

In Montana there was $27,098,679 in legal marijuana and marijuana products purchased in March, resulting in $4.5 million in taxes.

Of the just over $27 million in marijuana sales, $21,223,782 came from recreational marijuana, with the remaining $5,874,897 from the purchase of marijuana for medical use. The year-to-date total for 2023 is now $76,575,277.

The new sales numbers, released by the Montana Cannabis Control Division (a division of the Montana Department of Revenue), bring the January 2022-to-date total for marijuana sales to $380,139,157. Although medical marijuana was legalized in Montana in 2004, recreational marijuana wasn’t legalized until 2021, with the first store opening January the following year.
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Apr 12 2023

Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers in Maine File Measure for Automatic Marijuana Expungements

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Maine have filed legislation that would lead to the automatic expungement of thousands of past marijuana convictions and would allow for those in prison to be resentenced.

House Bill 1646 was filed today in the House of Representatives with 11 sponsors led by State Representative David Boyer. It was quickly assigned to the Judiciary Committee and “Sent for concurrence”.

Under the proposed law, “All arrests, convictions and adjudications for possession of cannabis are deemed vacated and the records of those arrests, convictions and adjudications must be expunged.” Those currently serving jailtime for marijuana-related offenses would be allowed to submit a resentencing petition.
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Apr 12 2023

Report: Legal Marijuana Industry Supports 417,493 Full-Time Jobs in the US

Despite marijuana remaining illegal in much of the country, the legal marijuana industry in the United States supports over 417k full-time equivalent jobs.

According to a new report by Vangst, a leading marijuana industry jobs platform, there are now 417,493 full-time equivalent jobs supported by the legal cannabis industry in the US. This is roughly on par with the number of full-time jobs in 2022.

Key findings from the 2023 Vangst Cannabis Jobs Report include:
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Apr 12 2023

Marijuana-Infused Spirit Launches in Over 35 States

Marijuana-infused spirit Nowadays is now available in more than 35 states.

Today Nowadays launches as “the first nationally available cannabis-infused spirit”, available in Low Dose and Micro Dose THC varieties.

According to a press release, “Nowadays delivers a light and buzzy experience in a familiar format 750ml Bottle.” The brand was developed to “bridge the gap between non-alcoholic and alcoholic products, creating the perfect middle ground to achieve a social buzz without negative after-effects.” Crafted in a bottle that fits in on any bar cart, Nowadays is intended for consumption in a similar fashion to alcohol.
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