Sep 20 2024

New Hampshire House Committee Schedules Executive Session for Bill to Legalize Psilocybin, LSD and Mescaline

Legislation that would legalize the therapeutic use of certain psychedelics for those 21 and older has been scheduled for a “full committee work session” and an executive session in a key committee in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms (left), mescaline (middle), and LSD (right).

The New Hampshire House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs has scheduled House Bill 1693 to a “full committee work session” at 9:30am on October 9 in Legislative Office Building 205-207. This will be followed by an “executive session” at 1pm. Executive session are typically when committees vote on proposals.

Filed in December by State Representative Kevin Verville (R), the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to create and administer a new program regulating the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes.  The bill models the proposed statute after the state’s law that established the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes.
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Sep 20 2024

Canada: $440 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in July, Most Since December

According to data compiled and released by Statistics Canada, there was over $440 million worth of marijuana sold legally in July.

In total, there was $440.7 million in worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold in July throughout Canada. This is the highest monthly total since the $448 million sold in December 2023.

Although July’s sales are the highest so far this year, they are around $18 million less than the total for July 2023.
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Sep 20 2024

SetSet Launches World’s First Clinician-Approved Psychedelics Community and Resource Platform for Women

SetSet, “the first platform to bridge the knowledge gap between consumers and medical providers for safe microdosing”, has officially launched.

Designed to help women navigate psychedelic experiences with community support, therapist-created curriculum, and access to trained practitioners, SetSet offers universal integration resources for both individuals and healthcare professionals.

“This launch comes at a crucial time: women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression as men, and many are turning to psychedelics like psilocybin and ketamine as alternatives to ineffective pharmaceutical treatments like SSRIs and benzodiazepines”, states a press release from SetSet.
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Sep 19 2024

Senator Warren Says Vote on Marijuana Banking Bill Could Happen This Year, Blames Republicans for Lack of Progress

In an interview with The Dales Report, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) stated that a vote on the SAFER Banking Act could occur during the lame duck session before the end of the year, while attributing the lack of progress to Republicans.

(Photo credit: Al Drago / Getty Images).

When asked by a reporter from The Dales Report “Do you think there’s any possibility that SAFE could happen during the lame duck session?”, Warren responded by saying “It could. And I very much would like to see that happen.”

She continued by saying “Look, we’ve got multiple paths for getting this done, and yet somehow we have never been able to stitch it together. Part of the problem has been that there still is significant Republican opposition, and the consequence of that is we have to have 60 or more votes in order to move forward.”
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Sep 19 2024

Fourth Circuit Court Rules Hemp-Derived Products Legal Nationwide, Contradicting DEA

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that all hemp-derived products, including those created through chemical synthesis, are legal under federal law.

Hemp gummies.

This ruling aligns with a 2022 decision from the Ninth Circuit but goes against more recent guidance from the DEA. In a letter from February 2023, the DEA stated that the 2018 Farm Bill was not intended to legalize synthetic cannabinoids, such as THC-O, even if their THC content is below the legal limit.

Despite acknowledging the disagreement, the Fourth Circuit sided with the Ninth Circuit’s interpretation, which held that the Farm Bill’s definition of hemp includes all cannabis plant derivatives as long as they contain less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC. The court stated that this interpretation is clear and that they did not need to defer to the DEA’s position.
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Sep 19 2024

Illinois Legal Marijuana Sales Top $170 Million in August

In Illinois, over $170 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products were sold through legal outlets.

According to data released by the Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer, a total of $170.9 million in marijuana was sold in August, with $147.4 million in recreational sales and $23.5 million in medical sales. This is around $3 million more than the previous month, and around $5 million more than the previous August.

Of the recreational marijuana sold in August, $33.1 million was purchased by out-of-state visitors, while Illinois residents accounted for $114.3 million in sales.
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Sep 19 2024

Georgia: Despite DEA Threats, Augusta Pharmacy Begins Selling State-Approved Medical Marijuana Products

A pharmacy in Augusta, Georgia, is now selling medical marijuana products to qualified patients.

Marijuana capsules.

Living Well Pharmacy, operated by pharmacist Vic Johnson, now offers a range of medical marijuana products to patients. Under Georgia’s medical marijuana law, individuals with a qualifying medical condition and a physician’s recommendation can legally purchase, possess, and use marijuana-derived products, including tinctures and capsules, which contain CBD and up to 5% THC. Georgia’s law stands out because it permits the sale of marijuana products through pharmacies—something no other state currently allows.

In October, Georgia became the first state in the U.S. to sell medical marijuana products through licensed pharmacies, with 130 pharmacies participating. However, in December, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) issued threats to these pharmacies, causing the program to be suspended.
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Sep 19 2024

Illinois Supreme Court Rules That Marijuana Odor Alone Cannot Justify Warrantless Searches

The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that the smell of marijuana alone, whether burnt or not, cannot justify a warrantless vehicle search by police.

In a decision published Thursday, the court addressed two consolidated cases where officers conducted vehicle searches based on the odor of burnt cannabis (People v. Redmond and People v. Molina). In both cases, small amounts of marijuana were found, and the defendants were charged with improper storage, as state law mandates that cannabis be transported in odor-proof containers.

The justices upheld lower court rulings that suppressed the cannabis as evidence, stating that “the odor of burnt cannabis, by itself, is not enough to establish probable cause for a warrantless vehicle search.”
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Sep 19 2024

Idaho Group Files Initiative to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession and Cultivation

The nonprofit political committee Kind Idaho has submitted a new initiative with the state aimed at decriminalizing the personal use and home cultivation of marijuana.

(Photo credit: KindIdaho.org).

“We are pursuing personal use and home cultivation decriminalization,” says Kind Idaho. Although the group has spent the last several years working to legalize medical marijuana, the new measure would not require a medical condition in order to possess or grow marijuana.

“You should not need permission from the state for basic self-care. You shouldn’t get in trouble over a plant”, says Kind Idaho.
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Sep 19 2024

West Virginia Governor’s Candidate Announces Support for Legalizing Marijuana

Steve Williams, the Democratic candidate for Governor of West Virginia, has officially expressed his support for legalizing recreational marijuana in the state.

Steve Williams, the Democratic nominee for West Virginia Governor.

“Adults in our state deserve the right to make their own choices about cannabis, just as they do with alcohol and tobacco,” Williams said in a statement. “One avenue to move forward is to put legalization on the ballot and let voters decide.”

Earlier this year a legislative proposal that would make recreational marijuana legal for everyone 21 and older was filed in the state’s House of Representatives. It remains alive, but thus far has failed to advance out of committee.
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