Mar 31 2023

Connecticut Joint Judiciary Committee Approves Bill to Decriminalize Psilocybin

Legislation that would decriminalize the personal possession of psilocybin (the hallucinogenic compound in magic mushrooms) has been passed by a legislative committee in Connecticut.

Psilocybin mushrooms.

Connecticut’s Joint Committee on the Judiciary voted 26 to 11 yesterday to pass House Bill 6734, which would remove the criminal penalties associated with possessing up to a half ounce of psilocybin or magic mushrooms.

Under the proposed law those caught possessing magic mushrooms could still face a fine of up to $150 with subsequent fines jumping to $200 and $500, but there would be no possibility of a criminal charge or jail time. Under current Connecticut law possessing even a single gram of psilocybin is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.
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Mar 31 2023

Kentucky Governor Signs Bill Legalizing Medical Marijuana

A day after it was approved by the state’s legislature, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshea signed into law legislation that legalizes medical marijuana.

Governor Beshea wasted no time in making his state the latest to legalize the medical use of marijuana. The bill’s signing came a day after the House of Representatives voted 66 to 33 to pass Senate Bill 47, which had already passed the Senate 26 to 11.

Senate Bill 47 legalizes the possession and use of medical marijuana for those with a qualifying medical condition who receive a recommendation from a physician or advanced practice registered nurse. Licensed dispensaries will be allowed to distribute marijuana and marijuana products. Although smoking marijuana isn’t allowed, dried flower is still permitted for vaping, and patients will be able to obtain marijuana through a variety of other products.
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Mar 30 2023

New Hampshire Committee Approves Marijuana Legalization Proposal

The New Hampshire House Ways and Means Committee has voted in favor of a bill to legalize recreational marijuana.

House Bill 639 would legalize the possession of up to four ounces of marijuana for everyone 21 and older while establishing a licensed and regulated system of marijuana retail outlets, supplied by licensed producers. The measure was passed last month through its first reading by the House of Representatives 234 to 127. This sent it to the House Ways and Means Committee, which voted 16 to 4 today to pass the measure with some minor amendments.

House Bill 639 will now move towards a second reading in the House. Passage would sent it to the state’s Senate.

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Mar 30 2023

Bill to Legalize Medical Marijuana Passed by Kentucky Legislature, Sent to Supportive Governor

Kentucky’s full legislature has now given approval to legislation that will make their state the 39th to legalize medical marijuana.

The House of Representatives voted 66 to 33 today to pass Senate Bill 47, which has already passed the Senate 26 to 11. It now heads to the desk of Governor Andy Beshea, who says he supports the measure and is expected to quickly sign it into law. The bill’s passage in the House came on the last day of the 2023 legislative session.

Senate Bill 47 allows someone with a recommendation from a physician or advanced practice registered nurse  to become an authorized medical marijuana patient. This will allow them to purchase marijuana and marijuana products from a licensed dispensary. Although smoking marijuana isn’t allowed, dried flower is still permitted for vaping, and patients will be able to obtain marijuana through a variety of other products such as pills and tinctures. The law would also recognize “valid out-of-state registry identification cards”.
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Mar 30 2023

Illinois Senate Votes to Prevent Smell of Marijuana From Being Used as Probable Cause for Searches

An Illinois bill that would explicitly prevent law enforcement from using the smell of burnt or unburnt marijuana from being used as probable cause to justify a police search has been passed by the state’s full Senate.

Under Senate Bill 125, the Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Section 11-502.15 to add the following statement: “The odor of burnt or raw cannabis in a motor vehicle by itself shall not constitute probable cause for the search of a motor vehicle or person.”

The bill, which would also remove the requirement that marijuana be stored in an odor-proof container, was passed today by the Senate 33 to 22. It now goes to the House of Representatives, with passage there sending it to Governor J. B. Pritzker for consideration. It will need to be passed in committee before it can be voted on by the full House.
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Mar 30 2023

Study: Sublingual Spray With THC and CBD Can Control Blood Sugar, Lowers Cholesterol in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

A sublingual spray that contains both CBD and THC “could be a new therapeutic agent for lipid and glycemic control in diabetic patients”, according to a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial published by the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, and epublished by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Conducted by researchers at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, both in Iran, the study “aimed to evaluate the safety profile and efficacy of a cannabis-based sublingual spray, CBDEX10 (containing 100 µg cannabidiol and 10 µg Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol per puff), in improving lipid profile and glycemic state of the diabetic patients.”

Forr the study fifty diabetic patients were randomly allocated to the treatment (25 receiving two puffs twice daily) or the control groups (25 receiving two puffs of placebo). The primary endpoint of the study was to “evaluate the efficacy of the CBDEX10® adjunctive therapy in improving the lipid profile and glycemic state of diabetic patients”, while “the secondary endpoint was to assess the safety profile and tolerability of the spray.”
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Mar 30 2023

Utah Governor Signs Measure Establishing Center for Medical Cannabis Research

Legislation to create a Center for Medical Cannabis Research within the University of Utah has been signed into law by Governor Spencer Cox.

Center for Medical Cannabis Research

Filed by State Representatives Jennifer Dailey-Provost and Evan Vickers House Bill 230 appropriates $650,000 in funding for the creation of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research,.

This board “shall facilitate and support funding for research related to the efficacy and potential health effects of various cannabis delivery methods, including vaporizing, ingesting, topical application, and combustion; shall support researchers in applying for and securing federal and private research grant funding for expanding medical cannabis research; shall review current and future cannabis research literature, clinical studies, and clinical trials; [and] shall educate medical providers, lawmakers, and the public about medical cannabis research advances.”
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Mar 30 2023

Kentucky House Committee Votes to Legalize Medical Marijuana Sending it to Full House

A legislative proposal to make Kentucky the 39th state to legalize medical marijuana was just passed by the House Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations Committee.

The committee approved Senate Bill 47 today 18 to 2, sending it to a vote of the full House of Representatives on the last day of the legislative session. Given it’s already been passed by the Senate 26 to 11, it will be sent to Governor Andy Beshea if it’s passed today by the full House. Governor Beshea supports legalizing medical marijuana and is expected to sign the measure into law if given the chance. If the House fails to act on the measure today, it will need to be pushed off until next year.

Under Senate Bill 47 those with a physician recommendation would be authorized to purchase, possess and consume marijuana products such as tinctures, pills and ointments. Smoking marijuana would not be allowed, but dried marijuana flower could be purchased for use in vaping. The law requires the state to license at least 25 medical marijuana dispensaries, 15 cultivators, five processors and three producers.
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Mar 30 2023

Report: Global Legal Marijuana Market Valued At $13 Billion, Expected to Grow to $66 Billion by 2030

The market for legal cannabis has a global value of over $13 billion, and is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, according to a new report.

The Global Cannabis Market Report, conducted by the research firm Contrive Datum Insights, found that as of the end of 2022 the global legal cannabis market is worth $13.43 billion. Given the rapid pace at which marijuana laws are being reformed throughout the United States and globally, the value is expected to almost quintuple to $66.35 billion by the end of 2030.

If the market did see this kind of growth, it would represent a shockingly high compound annual growth rate of 22.1% during the forecasted period (2023 to 2030).
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Mar 29 2023

Arkansas Legislation Would Codify Gun Rights for Medical Marijuana Users

Legislation filed today by Arkansas State Representative Aaron Pilkington would protect medical marijuana patients from being denied access to firearms or concealed carry licenses.

The proposal would amend the state’s concealed carry license law to clarify that the Director of the Division of Arkansas State Police “shall not consider a person’s status as a qualifying patient or designated caregiver under the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016, Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 98, § 2, in determining whether an applicant is eligible to be issued a license to carry a concealed handgun under this subchapter.”

The measure also states that “a person’s status as a qualifying patient or designated caregiver is confidential”, and that “The Department of Health shall not disclose the identity of a person who has been issued a registry identification card to the Division of the Arkansas State Police for the purpose of facilitating a criminal history record check or any other background check related to the issuance of a license to carry a concealed handgun”
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