Dec 21 2023

Ukraine Legislature Approves Bill to Legalize Medical Marijuana, Sending it to President Zelenskyy

Ukraine lawmakers have officially passed a bill to legalize medical marijuana, sending it to a supportive President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Today Ukraine’s unicameral legislature known as the Verkhovna Rada, passed the legislation with 248 of the body’s 450 members voting in favor.

Under the legislation, which President Zelenskyy is expected to sign into law quickly, those with a qualifying condition who receive a recommendation from a physician would be authorized to possess and use medical marijuana. Although the law at the time of passage only applies to severe illness like cancer as well as war-borne post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), proponents of the measure have said that the country can expand the list of qualifying conditions once it’s passed.
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Dec 20 2023

Connecticut Marijuana Sales Allowed During Christmas and New Year’s Day, Despite Alcohol Sales Being Prohibited

Despite alcohol sales being prohibited on Christmas and New Year’s Day in Connecticut, marijuana sales are allowed.

According to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, marijuana sales can continue unabated on both Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The Department says that not only can marijuana stores retain normal hours during the two federal holidays, but they can actually stay open an extra hour on New Year’s Eve, until 3am.
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Dec 20 2023

US Senate Majority Leader Says Cannabis Reform a Top Priority for 2024

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says that a federal marijuana banking bill and other cannabis reform legislation is a top priority for the Senate as we head into 2024.

The SAFER Banking Act is sponsored by 34% of the entire US Senate, while also having the support of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), as well as a bipartisan group of 22 attorneys general. The legislation, which recently passed the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, would explicitly allow banks and other financial institutions such as credit unions to provide services to marijuana businesses that are legal under their state’s law.

Senate side Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed in September that the measure would be voted on by the full Senate “very soon”. He reiterated last month that the Senate is “getting close” to a vote.
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Dec 20 2023

CBD-Infused Tampons a “Promising Option for Managing Menstrual Pain”, Finds Study

Tampons infused with the marijuana compound cannabidiol (CBD) is “a promising option for managing menstrual pain”, finds a new placebo-controlled study.

“This study aimed to assess efficacy and usability of Cannabidiol (CBD) infused tampons for the relief of primary dysmenorrhea, a condition affecting 50–95% assigned female at birth”, states the study, published in the Journal of Endometriosis and Uterine Disorders.

“While primary dysmenorrhea affects a significant percentage of females, there remains a notable absence of specialized medications or devices to alleviate the intense pain that hinders daily activities. We have developed a CBD-infused tampon, lubricated for comfort and ease, recognising the potential benefits of cannabinoids in pain management.”
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Dec 19 2023

National Institute on Drug Abuse Gives Kratom Briefing to Congress

Recently the head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) gave a briefing to congress on kratom.

The briefing by NIDA Director Nora Volkow came a little over three months after companion bills that would regulate kratom nationwide while restricting government agencies from prohibiting it were filed in both the US Senate and House of Representatives.

“So what do we know [about kratom]?”, asked Volkow early in her speech. “We do know that kratom is a plant similar to the coffee plant. It is a traditional medicine used for centuries in South East Asia”.
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Dec 19 2023

Arizona Made Over $25 Million in Marijuana Taxes in November, $230 Million Year-to-Date

For just the fourth time marijuana tax revenue in Arizona passed $25 million.

In total licensed marijuana retail outlets made $25,169,783 in tax revenue from the legal distribution of marijuana in November, based on data released by the Arizona Department of Revenue. Tax revenue comes from the sale of dried marijuana flower and prerolls, as well as marijuana concentrates, edibles, tinctures and topicals.

Marijuana tax revenue was down from October, albeit only slightly ($239k). Although marijuana tax revenue has only reached $25 million four times since the start of recreational marijuana sales, November was the second straight month this number was reached.
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Dec 19 2023

Study Finds Marijuana Legalization Correlates With “Improved Basketball Recruiting Outcomes”

Marijuana legalization “appears to improve basketball recruiting outcomes for in-state colleges”, according to a new study.

(Photo credit: Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images).

Titled The Effects of Marijuana Legalization on NCAA Men’s Basketball Recruiting, the study was published in the recent issue of the Journal of Sports Economics and conducted by researchers at Georgia College & State University and Kennesaw State University.

“Over the past two decades, attitudes toward marijuana usage have softened”, states the study. “This shift in sentiment coincided with reduced punishments, decriminalization, and in some states, legalization. We find evidence of unexpected consequences of marijuana legalization.”
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Dec 19 2023

Florida Lawmaker Files Tax Relief Bill for Medical Marijuana Businesses

Legislation has been filed in the Florida Legislature that would allow licensed medical marijuana businesses to take tax deductions that they are currently prevented from taking due to federal law.

Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez (R) filed Senate Bill 974 on Friday. The measure is seen as at least a partial remedy to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code 280E, which prevents any business that distributes a federally illegal product from taking standard tax deductions, even if the business is legal under their state’s law.

Specifically, the measure would allow medical marijuana businesses to take tax deductions in an amount “equal to an expenditure that is eligible to be claimed as a federal income tax deduction but is disallowed because marijuana is a controlled substance under federal law”.
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Dec 18 2023

Colorado Cannabis Research Institute Announces Six New Marijuana Studies Funded With $800k

Colorado’s Institute of Cannabis Research (ICR) announced that they will be allocating $800,000 to fund six different cannabis studies.

The studies will be conducted at Colorado State University (CSU) and the University of Colorado (UC), with funding coming from the state’s Colorado Marijuana Tax Cash Fund. The ICR first opened in 2015, and has since conducted 40 completed studies.

According to Westword, who first reported on the new grants, the studies will cover a variety of topics, ranging from CBD and THC’s impact on children with autism spectrum disorder to an examination of interactions between cannabis and gut microbiota.
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Dec 18 2023

Federal Legislation to Protect Legal Marijuana States and Allow Interstate Commerce Gains New Sponsor

Bipartisan legislation titled the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act has gained its sixth sponsor.

The STATES Act was filed State Representative Dave Joyce (R) earlier this month, with Representatives Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R), Brian Mast (R), Troy Carter (D) and Earl Blumenauer (D) serving as cosponsors. On Friday, Representative Luis Correa (D-CA) joined the list, giving the measure six total sponsors at the time of publication.

The STATES Act would explicitly allow states to legalize marijuana without fear of federal persecution, while protecting those that already have. It would entirely prevent the federal government from enforcing federal drug laws in states where they’ve been legalized.
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