Jul 18 2024

US Senate Committee Schedules Vote on DOOBIE Act to Prevent Denial of Jobs and Security Clearances Over Marijuana Use

The U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will vote Wednesday on the DOOBIE Act, which would “limit the consideration of marijuana use when making an employment suitability or security clearance determination”

U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, recently introduced the Dismantling Outdated Obstacles and Barriers to Individual Employment (DOOBIE) Act (Senate Bill 4711), which would “ensure applicants for federal positions or security clearances are not being denied solely on the basis of past recreational and medical marijuana use.”

The committee has now scheduled a vote on the measure for Wednesday, July 24. Given that Peters is the chair of the committee, it is unlikely that a vote would be scheduled without sufficient support for its passage.
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Jul 18 2024

Top 10 Marijuana Studies Released So Far in 2024

We’re only in July, but 2024 has already been a solid year for marijuana research.

With marijuana on the verge of being reschedule to Schedule III, researching marijuana and its compounds could soon become drastically easier. Despite this change not yet taking place, 2024 has still been an important year for marijuana-related research.

With that in mind, below are the top 5 most important marijuana studies released in 2024.
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Jul 18 2024

Delaware Governor Signs Bill Allowing Recreational Marijuana Sales to Begin in December

Delaware Governor John Carney has signed into law legislation to allow medical marijuana dispensaries to begin selling recreational marijuana this year, months ahead of schedule.

Governor Carney signed House Bill 408 into law yesterday, weeks after it passed the House of Representatives, 29 to 11, and the Senate, 16 to 5.

Sponsored by State Representative Ed Osienski, the measure establishes a temporary conversion license for medical marijuana dispensaries, enabling them to sell recreational marijuana while maintaining their medical operations.
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Jul 17 2024

Democratic National Committee Says “No One Should be in Jail” for Marijuana, Endorses Expungements

Today, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) released a draft of the 2024 Democratic Party Platform, featuring both the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration and a “bold, progressive agenda for the next four years for President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats to finish the job.”

The Platform focuses on priorities for Democrats up and down the ballot, from growing the economy to lowering costs for families; tackling the climate crisis and securing energy independence; closing the racial wealth gap and investing in small businesses; restoring Roe v. Wade as the law of the land; protecting communities from the scourge of gun violence and protecting freedoms for all Americans; and securing our border and strengthening American leadership worldwide.

Included in the platform is a section on marijuana, which states that “No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana”, while vowing to “take action to expunge federal marijuana-only convictions.”
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Jul 17 2024

Study Finds Marijuana May Reduce Gastrointestinal Symptoms

A new study has found that marijuana significantly reduces the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients.

The study, titled Relief in Gastrointestinal Symptoms with Medical Marijuana Over 1 Year, was published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids, and it was published online by the US National Library of Medicine. Researchers say this “is the first study to examine MMJ’s [medical marijuana’s] longitudinal effects on GI symptoms in patients with refractory GI and non-GI MMJ-certified conditions.”

Participants in the study completed surveys at four intervals: at the start of the study, after 30 days, at six months, and at 12 months. They rated the severity of their GI symptoms on a scale from 1 (mild) to 3 (severe).
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Jul 17 2024

Majority Want the DEA to Deschedule Rather than Reschedule Marijuana

There have been over 31,000 comments submitted on the DEA’s proposal to reschedule marijuana.

Since the DEA published their proposal in the Federal Register on May 21, there have been 31,400 comments submitted. The comment period ends on July 22.

Of the over 30,000 comments—all of which can be viewed by clicking here—a slight majority (51%) are calling on the DEA to go even further than their plan to move marijuana to Schedule III and instead deschedule it entirely. When including comments urging the government to decriminalize or legalize marijuana, the number rises to over 70%.
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Jul 17 2024

Kentucky Governor Sends Letter to DEA in Support of Marijuana Rescheduling

In a letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, Governor Andy Beshear endorsed the proposal to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.

“As governor, my job is to move our state forward,” said Beshear. “Rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III is a significant, common-sense step forward for all Kentuckians, especially those with significant medical conditions.”

The Governor wrote that the step would help patients have an alternative to deadly opioids and continued access to safe products and help communities further reduce crime and illicit drug use. “Rescheduling would also create fair markets by placing cannabis businesses on the same economic footing as any other business and provide real opportunities for research on marijuana”, states the letter.
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Jul 16 2024

President Joe Biden Tells NAACP He’s “Making Sure” People Aren’t Jailed for Marijuana, Calls for Charges to be Expunged

President Joe Biden told members of the NAACP today that he’s “making sure” that no one is jailed anymore for possessing or using marijuana.

“By the way, we’re making sure that no one goes to jail for the mere use or possession of marijuana,” said Biden at the115th NAACP National Convention . “Their records should be expunged – it holds them back.”

The comments come with less than a week remaining for the public comment period on the DEA’s proposal to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III, the first federal marijuana law change since the Controlled Substances Act was enacted in 1970. The move would not legalize recreational marijuana, but it would allow marijuana compounds and medicines made from them to be prescribed nationwide, if they receive regulatory approval.
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Jul 16 2024

Bipartisan and Bicameral Federal Legislation to Allow Marijuana Banking Now Has 165 Sponsors

The push for federal legislation to enable marijuana banking has gained substantial momentum, now boasting a combined total of 165 bipartisan sponsors across both chambers of Congress.

In the House of Representatives, the SAFE Banking Act (H.R. 2891) has 128 sponsors, comprising 101 Democrats and 27 Republicans, making it the most supported marijuana-related bill in Congress. The bill aims to provide explicit federal protections for banks and credit unions that offer financial services to state-legal marijuana businesses. These businesses include medical marijuana dispensaries in 38 states and recreational marijuana stores in 23 states.

On the Senate side, the SAFER Banking Act (S.2860) now has 37 sponsors following Senator Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) recent endorsement. Murkowski, the fifth Republican to back the bill, became the 37th sponsor. This measure similarly aims to shield financial institutions from federal penalties when servicing state-legal marijuana enterprises. The Senate Banking Committee approved the SAFER Banking Act with bipartisan support in September, shortly after it was introduced. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has committed to bringing the measure to a full Senate vote soon, though no specific date has been set.
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Jul 15 2024

Trump Selects Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as Vice Presidential Candidate: Where He Stands on Marijuana Reform

Former President Donald Trump has chosen Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his vice president running mate for the 2024 presidential election.

Trump announced the choice today at the Republican National Convention. J.D. Vance, a Republican known for his conservative values, has shown skepticism about fully legalizing marijuana at the federal level, citing concerns about potential societal impacts and the need for careful consideration to avoid unintended consequences. This aligns with his general conservative stance on drug policy in general.

On the matter of the SAFER Banking Act, which would allow banks to provide services to state-legal marijuana businesses, Vance has shown some openness to it, but voted against advancing the bill in the Senate Banking Committee in September, “due to several public safety-related concerns.” He has also indicated that the upsides of the SAFER Banking Act are “overstated”, and said “I am worried that this could open the door for other illicit activities, like the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamines, to access depository insurance.”
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