Jan 21 2025

DEA Has New Acting Administrator

Derek S. Maltz is the new Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Anne Milgram is no longer the administrator of the DEA, a position she held for over three years. Given President Trump has not nominated a new administrator, Maltz has filled in the role as acting administrator, a position he will retain until removed by Trump or until Trump’s pick to lead the agency is confirmed by the Senate.

The mix-up at the DEA comes at a crucial time: Recently DEA Administrative Law Judge John Mulrooney cancelled a series of public hearings on marijuana rescheduling, which were scheduled to start today and run through March 6. In cancelling the hearings, Mulrooney left open the possibility that the DEA could continue the hearings at a later date. He has directed relevant parties to provide an update within 90 days.
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Jan 21 2025

Researchers Develop “Index of Cannabis Equivalence” to Standardize Doses Across Different Consumption Methods

A recent study by researchers from The University of British Columbia introduces the Index of Cannabis Equivalence (ICE), a user-centered approach aimed at standardizing cannabis doses across various modes of consumption.

The study, published by the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, involved 1,368 participants aged 18 to 93, with a mean age of 31.6 years, and included individuals with diverse cannabis use histories. Researchers sought to establish dose equivalencies that account for factors such as mode of use and tolerance, moving beyond the traditional focus on cannabinoid content alone.

Findings from the study revealed equivalencies for low doses of cannabis, as rated by users with lower tolerance levels. For example, two puffs on a joint, pipe, herbal vaporizer, or concentrate vaporizer were found to be equivalent to one bong hit, a 5 mg THC edible, or a quarter dab of a concentrate.
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Jan 21 2025

Study: CBD Protects Against Some of the Toxic Effects of Cadmium

A study conducted by researchers from Yozgat Bozok University Faculty of Medicine and Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine explored cannabidiol (CBD) as a possible treatment for cadmium-induced toxicity.

Current chelation therapies for cadmium poisoning are associated with severe side effects, prompting interest in safer alternatives. The research involved four groups of mice, with groups II and IV receiving 50 mg/L of cadmium in their drinking water. Groups III and IV were administered daily doses of cannabidiol (25 mg/kg) through intragastric gavage.

After 30 days, blood and tissue samples were collected for analysis of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, including glutathione, catalase, myeloperoxidase, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Histological evaluations of the liver, kidney, and testis were also performed.
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Jan 21 2025

Oklahoma Lawmaker Files Bill to Establish Employment Protections for Legal Cannabis Consumers

Legislation to establish employment protections for legal consumers of cannabis has been prefiled in the Oklahoma Legislature.

Oklahoma State Representative Forrest Bennett (D) has prefiled House Bill 1714 for the state’s 2025 legislative session, set to begin on February 3. The measure would provide employment protections for individuals who lawfully consume marijuana. Currently, that would apply to medical marijuana patients, but it would extend to recreational consumers if the state were to legalize it down the road.

House Bill 1714 prohibits employers from discriminating against job applicants based on their lawful off-the-job use of marijuana. Specifically, it addresses the results of drug tests that indicate nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites, ensuring such findings cannot be grounds for denying employment. The bill, however, includes several exemptions for safety-sensitive positions and those requiring federal government background checks or security clearances.
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Jan 20 2025

Six Marijuana Studies Remain Open for Participants at UCSD

The University of California San Diego (UCSD) continues to seek participants for six clinical trials focused on marijuana and its compounds.

Each study explores unique aspects of marijuana’s potential therapeutic effects. In one trial, researchers are examining the brain mechanisms behind cannabis-induced pain relief. This study seeks to identify how vaporized cannabis alleviates acute pain by focusing on neural activity and the pathways activated during pain relief. Insights from this research could enhance the development of targeted pain therapies.

Another trial investigates the effects of cannabis on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in people with HIV. This two-phase study involves assessing chronic cannabis use’s impact on ART drug levels, mood, and cognitive function in 120 participants, followed by a controlled phase where cannabis or a placebo is administered to evaluate its acute effects on ART metabolism and neurotoxicity.
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Jan 20 2025

Senator Warren Asks RFK Jr. to Clarify Positions on Marijuana Legalization, Rescheduling and Other Reforms

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, sent Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary-Nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a 34-page letter detailing her concerns with his nomination and asking him to reiterate his support for legalizing marijuana and other reforms.

In total, Warren asked RFK Jr. to answer 175 questions ahead of his committee nomination hearing before the Finance Committee, with several involving cannabis and cannabis law.

“As a presidential candidate, you said that if elected you would legalize marijuana and use the tax revenue to fund programs for people seeking treatment pertaining to use of controlled substances”, said Warren in the letter. “Section 6 of the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act has a provision that would require the Secretary of HHS to make grant money available for substance use disorder. In the Senate, I am a cosponsor of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), which would provide hundreds of millions of dollars for substance use disorder treatment programs. Do you support the MORE Act and the CAOA?”
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Jan 20 2025

Virginia Officials Push to Seal All Marijuana Possession Records Without Court Orders

Virginia officials are urging lawmakers to seal all criminal records related to simple marijuana possession and streamline the record-sealing process for cannabis paraphernalia offenses as the 2025 legislative session begins.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock.com).

The Virginia State Crime Commission (VSCC) recently approved several recommendations on record-sealing policies, including those focused on marijuana.

Colin Drabert, VSCC’s Deputy Director, says the proposals ensure “that all possession of marijuana offenses are sealed, regardless of whether they’re a conviction or not a conviction, without the entry of a court order.”
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Jan 20 2025

Here Are the Most Prominent Marijuana Strains in the United States Right Now

There are hundreds of marijuana strains available throughout the legal marijuana industry, but a handful stand out among the rest in terms of their popularity.

Sour Diesel (Photo credit: Leafly.com).

In Massachusetts alone, there is over 700 active marijuana strains being sold throughout the state, according to data from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission. When you account for the other 20 states that currently have an active recreational marijuana market (soon to be 22 with Delaware and Minnesota), there are well over 1,000.

Despite this incredible variety, several strains are clearly more prominent than most, include several who have retained their popularity for years or even decades.
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Jan 20 2025

WA: Bipartisan Coalition of 20 Lawmakers File House Bill to Legalize Psilocybin for Therapeutic Use, Senate Bill Already Filed

State Representative Nicole Macri, joined by 14 Democrats and 5 Republicans, has filed House Bill 1433 in the Washington House of Representatives to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic use.

The measure mirrors the language of Senate Bill 5201, introduced last week by Senator Jesse Salomon, establishing it as a companion bill.

If passed, the legislation would create a regulated system permitting licensed facilitators to administer psilocybin in supervised therapeutic settings. Inspired by Oregon’s psilocybin therapy law, the proposal seeks to address mental health conditions such as depression, PTSD, and anxiety through evidence-based treatments.
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Jan 19 2025

Marijuana Sales in Vermont Reach $10.86 Million in November, Bringing 2024 Total to Above $125 Million

There was $10.86 million in legal marijuana sold in Vermont in November, according to data released by the Vermont Department of Taxes. These sales brought the state $1.52 million in excise tax revenue.

For 2024, marijuana sales now stand at $127, with all-time sales surpassing $260 million.

Vermont legalized marijuana in 2018, becoming the first state to approve recreational marijuana through its legislature rather than a ballot initiative. The law allows adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to two mature and four immature marijuana plants for personal use.
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