South Dakota Governor Signs Bill Prohibiting Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women from Becoming Medical Marijuana Patients

South Dakota legislation that explicitly prohibits women who are pregnant or breastfeeding from joining the state’s medical marijuana program was signed into law today by Governor Kristi Noem.

House Bill 1053, “An Act to prohibit the issuance of a written certification to a pregnant woman or breastfeeding mother for purposes of medical cannabis use”, was filed by State Representative Fred Deutsh along with 15 cosponsors, all Republican.

The measure was passed by the state’s House of Representatives in January with 61 voting in favor and eight opposed. Earlier this month it passed the Senate unanimously, 31 to 0.
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Delaware Senate to Vote Tuesday on House-Approved Marijuana Legalization Bills

The Delaware Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday on two bills that would legalize marijuana and establish a legal marijuana industry.

House Bill 1 and House Bill 2, both filed by State Representative Ed Osienksi in the House and sponsored by Senator Trey Paradee in the Senate, are scheduled for votes in the Delaware Senate on Tuesday, March 28. House Bill 2 passed the full House earlier this month by a vote of 27 to 13, which was almost identical to the 28 to 13 vote on House Bill 1.

House Bill 1 would legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for everyone 21 and older. House Bill 2 would authorize marijuana to be sold to anyone 21 and older through licensed and regulated retail outlets which would be stocked by licensed producers. The Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement  would be charged with regulating the marijuana industry through a new Office of Marijuana Control Commissioner.
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Study: CBD Decreases Daytime Drowsiness and is Associated With a Lower Prevalence of Low Testosterone Levels in Men

In a new study the administration of the marijuana compound cannabidiol (CBD) “decreased daytime drowsiness and was associated with a lower prevalence of low testosterone levels in older men as compared to age-adjusted population norms.”

“Previous research indicated that cannabidiol (CBD) may result in low levels of male total testosterone (TT), elevations in liver tests (LTs), and daytime drowsiness (DD)”, states the study’s abstract. “We investigated the prevalences of TT and LT in a large adult sample self-administering CBD and determined the effect self-dosing of CBD has on the severity of DD.”

Published in the peer-reviewed journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids and epublished by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the study was conducted by researchers at Tarleton State University (Texas), the University of Chicago (Illinois), Syzygy Research Solutions (Florida) and the Midwest Allergy Sinus Asthma PC (Illinois).
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Cheech and Chong Launch Online Marijuana Community “Bowlmates”

Cheech and Chong has launched a new online community that connects like-minded cannabis enthusiasts from around the world “in a community where users can share and talk openly without fear of unnecessary suppression.”

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“With other social media platforms censoring cannabis posts and content, it was time to build our own community that is inclusive for all cannabis enthusiasts and content without the fear of unwanted and improper censorship,” says CEO Jonathan Black.

Visit bowlmates.com to gain immediate access to exclusive content, livestreams and interact with the legendary duo across a variety of online activities that award virtual tokens which can be exchanged on the platform for authorized merchandise, memorabilia, in-person and digital events connecting with Cheech and Chong.
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$148 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in Oregon in January and February

There was $75.6 million in legal marijuana sold in January in Oregon, and $72.7 sold in February.

Oregon sold a total of $148,366,891 million between January 1 and February 28 this year, with sales data not yet available for any part of March. This is according to data released by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. Based on the state’s 17% marijuana tax rate, the state garnered $25.2 million in marijuana taxes during this period.

There has now been $5.418 billion in legal marijuana sold between October, 2016 and February, 2023, bringing in roughly $920 million in tax revenue. The top month was April, 2021 with $110 million sold
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Nevada Garnered $649 Million in Marijuana Taxes Since Start of Legal Sales, $3.5 Billion Sold

Nevada has garnered just shy of $650 million in marijuana taxes since legal sales began in July of 2017.

In total Nevada made $649 million in taxes from the legal distribution of $3,595,065,939 worth of marijuana and marijuana products. This is according to data released by the Nevada Department of Taxation, and including sales information through the end of December.

55% of Nevada voters approved Question 2 in November 2016, legalizing the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana and up to 3.5 grams of marijuana concentrates. The initiative established a licensed and regulated system of marijuana retail outlets, allowed to sell marijuana to anyone 21 and older. The law took effect on January 1, 2017, with the first retail outlet opening on July 1 of the same year.
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Study Finds CBD May Help Combat Parkinson Disease

The cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) “acts as neuroprotector in dopaminergic neurons, reducing neurotoxicity and α-syn accumulation highlighting its potential in the treatment of PD”, according to a new study.

The study is being published in the recent issue of the journal Neurochemical Research, and it was epublished online ahead of print by the National Library of Medicine. The research was conducted by investigators from the Universidade Federal de São Paulo, the Brazil National Institute for Translational Medicine and the University of São Paulo.

“Progressive neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson Disease (PD) lack curative or long-term treatments”, states the study’s abstract. “At the same time, the increase of the worldwide elderly population and, consequently, the extension in the prevalence of age-related diseases have promoted research interest in neurodegenerative disorders.”
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North Dakota Governor Signs Bill Allowing Those in Hospice Care to Self-Certify as Medical Marijuana Patients

Legislation to allow those in hospice care to certify themselves as medical marijuana patients has been signed into law by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.

House Bill 1478, “relating to the self-certification of an individual admitted into the hospice program for the medical use of marijuana”, was signed into law Thursday by Governor Burgum. The measure passed the House by a vote of 86 to 6, and it passed the Senate unanimously, 45 to 0.

House Bill 1478 allows those 65 and older to “submit to the department a copy of the individual’s medical records identifying a designation of being admitted” into the program. The department “may use medical records in place of a written certification to approve or deny the application”. It was filed by State Representative Mary Schneider with a bipartisan group of 10 cosponsors.
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$395 Million in Legal Marijuana Purchased in Canada in January

There was CA$395 million ($287 million) in legal marijuana and marijuana products purchased in Canada in January, a 14% increase from January, 2022.

Although the total number of marijuana sales is up from last January, it’s down 7% from December. Sales in December reached a monthly record of CA$425.9 million. This is according to data released by Statistics Canada.

The province with the most marijuana sales in January was Alberta with CA$69.5 million, followed by British Columbia at $60.6 million and Quebec at $49.5 million.
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South Dakota Bill to Expand Medical Marijuana Program Signed Into Law by Governor

A bill that greatly expands the list of conditions that qualify an individual to become a medical marijuana patient in South Dakota has been signed into law by Governor Kristi Noem.

Senate Bill 1 was passed by the state’s Senate in January by a vote of 20 to 15 and was approved by the House of Representatives in a 36 to 32 vote earlier this month, with some minor amendments. The Senate then voted 19 to 15 to concur on amendments, sending it to Governor Noem.

The measure, filed by Senator Ernie Otten with cosponsors Senators Erin Tobin and Taylor Rehfeldt, was signed into law yesterday by Governor Kristi Noem, according to the official website for the South Dakota Legislature. The new law expands the number of eligible patients by explicitly allowing medical marijuana for those diagnosed with: Continue reading