Sep 03 2024

Swing State Voters Strongly Favor Legalizing Marijuana, Finds Poll

According to new polling, a strong majority of voters in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin support legalizing recreational marijuana, and more than eight out of every 10 support medical marijuana legalization.

Conducted by Ragnar Research Partners, the poll states that “Voters in swing states overwhelmingly support responsible modernization of US marijuana policy. Over 4 in 5 support legalizing medical (84%) and over 3 in 5 support legalizing for anyone 21 years or older (62%). ”

These numbers “hold true among voters that both Trump and Harris need to win. Right now, over half of persuadable voters support legalizing marijuana for anyone 21 years or older, although they are firm that there should be an age limit (73% support).”
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Sep 03 2024

Colorado’s “First Psychedelic Church” Opens in Colorado Springs, Offering Free Psilocybin Mushrooms and DMT

Colorado’s first psychedelic church has officially opened its doors in Colorado Springs, offering a unique approach to spiritual and community gatherings centered around the use of psychedelics.

Founded by Benji Dezaval, the church seeks to provide a safe space for individuals to explore the therapeutic and spiritual benefits of substances like psilocybin mushrooms and DMT. The church offers “communal gifts” of two grams of dried psilocybin mushrooms, two weeks’ worth of microdoses or a light dose of dimethyltryptamine (DMT). All without a cost.

“Everything is provided for free as an act of wellness,” lead guide Dezaval said before offering the psychedelics he cultivated inside his northeastern Colorado Springs home to the group of faces, some familiar to him, some new.
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Sep 03 2024

Volkswagen to Use Hemp As Sustainable Leather

According to a recent press release, Volkswagen has entered into a cooperation with the German start-up Revoltech GmbH from Darmstadt in order to research and develop sustainable materials based on industrial hemp.

These could be used as a sustainable surface material in Volkswagen models from 2028. The material made from 100% bio-based hemp uses residues of the regional hemp industry, and can be produced on existing industrial plants and recycled or composted at the end of its service life in an automobile. The first presentations of the innovative material have already received a very positive response and feedback from customers.

Kai Grünitz, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Technical Development, said “In our search for new materials, we are very open to new ideas from many different industries. At Technical Development, we place a strong focus on innovative, creative and sustainable solutions for holistic, resource-saving vehicle development.”
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Sep 03 2024

Trump Says Medical Marijuana is “Absolutely Amazing”, Says Florida’s Legalization Initiative Will Be “Very Good”

In a recent interview, former President Donald Trump praised medical marijuana as “absolutely amazing” for patients and expressed optimism about Florida’s upcoming recreational cannabis initiative, stating that it will be “very good” for the state if it passes, which he anticipates it will.

(Photo credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images).

During a conversation on Lex Fridman’s podcast, released Tuesday, the Trump highlighted the benefits of medical marijuana, mentioning, “I’ve had friends and I’ve had others and doctors telling me that it’s been absolutely amazing, the medical marijuana.”

Trump also referred to a recent social media post where he subtly endorsed Florida’s Amendment 3 ballot initiative, which seeks to legalize recreational cannabis. “We can live with the marijuana,” he commented.
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Sep 02 2024

NORML Releases “Smoke the Vote” Voting Guide Covering All 50 States

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) has released a “Voting guide to legalize marijuana in your state” for the November 2024 election.

Founded in 1970, the nonprofit NORML is the nation’s oldest marijuana advocacy group focused on legalizing marijuana and reforming cannabis laws in the United States. NORML works to educate the public and influence legislation on behalf of responsible adult marijuana consumers, and the group provides legal assistance and support for those impacted by marijuana prohibition.

“Election 2024 is around the corner. Do you know the candidates’ positions on cannabis policy?”, asks NORML on their website. “We know this issue is important to you, so be sure to check out our Smoke the Vote voter guide. We’ve compiled detailed information and voting records highlighting where your state and federal candidates stand on marijuana policy. Want to be an informed cannabis voter this November? Then get the facts at NORML’s Smoke the Vote.”
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Sep 02 2024

Oklahoma Has the Highest Percentage of Medical Marijuana Patients in the Nation, Followed by Maine and Pennsylvania

By a considerably margin, Oklahoma has the highest percentage of medical marijuana patients in the nation, according to an analysis by The Marijuana Herald, using state regulatory data and data compiled by the Marijuana Policy Project.

As of September 2024, 38 states have legalized medical marijuana, with Nebraska voters potentially making it the 39th this November. Among these states, some have notably higher enrollment rates, with a few standing out.

Oklahoma leads the nation with the highest percentage of medical marijuana patients, with approximately 9.5% of the state’s population enrolled in the medical marijuana program. This high enrollment reflects the state’s relatively liberal medical marijuana laws, including the absence of a list of qualifying conditions, which simplifies the process of obtaining a medical marijuana card. Oklahoma also boasts more dispensaries per capita than any other state, despite having a moratorium on new marijuana stores in place since last year.
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Sep 02 2024

Oregon: $84 Million in Marijuana Sold in August, Most Since May 2022

In Oregon, there was around $84 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in August, bringing all-time sales to nearly $7 billion.

(Photo credit: Ed Andrieski/AP Photo)

According to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, licensed marijuana stores sold exactly $83,991,372 worth of product in August. This is the highest monthly total since the $84.8 million sold in May 2022. Monthly sales have remained above $75 million for 19 straight months.

All-time marijuana sales are now $6.87 billion, with the year-to-date total standing at around $645 million. The monthly high remains $110 million sold in April 2021.
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Sep 02 2024

Colorado: Legal Psilocybin Centers to Open By Summer 2025

Colorado’s Department of Revenue has officially set the stage for psychedelic-assisted therapy, finalizing regulations that will allow providers to offer this innovative form of mental health care beginning in 2025.

The newly established rules outline requirements for businesses entering the psilocybin industry as healing centers, cultivators, and manufacturers.

“These therapies will naturally be controversial because they represent a complete paradigm shift in the way mental health services are provided,” said Dr. Brooke Allen, a neurologist at Roaring Fork Neurology. “Using psychedelics as a catalyst to induce meaningful change that is patient-led by their own inner healing ability is very different from the current model of dampening symptoms, and with many fewer side effects and likely better efficacy.”
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Sep 02 2024

American Cancer Society Urges California Governor to Veto Bill to Legalize Marijuana Cafés

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is calling on California Governor Gavin Newsom to veto legislation that would legalize marijuana cafés, despite a lack of scientific evidence linking secondhand marijuana smoke to increased cancer risks.

Late last month, California’s Legislature approved Assembly Bill 1775, sending it to Governor Newsom. The proposed law would “authorize a local jurisdiction, if specified conditions are met, to allow for the preparation or sale of noncannabis food or beverage products, as specified, by a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed, and to allow, and to sell tickets for, live musical or other performances on the premises of a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed.”

In a press release sent this week, the ACS says “Cancer advocates across the state urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto the bill because it violates Proposition 64, which explicitly states that smoking marijuana is prohibited wherever smoking tobacco is prohibited. This bill would also undermine the state’s smoke-free restaurants law and compromise its enforcement, thus threatening to roll back decades of hard-won protections of everyone’s right to breathe clean, smoke-free air.”
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Sep 02 2024

Both Major Party Candidates for President Support Legalizing Marijuana: Why That’s So Unprecedented

In a historic shift for U.S. politics, both major party candidates in the upcoming presidential election have expressed support for legalizing marijuana.

This marks the first time in American history that candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties have aligned on this issue, signaling a significant change in the political landscape surrounding cannabis policy.

In past elections, support for marijuana reform was a rarity among major party candidates. While there were occasional advocates for decriminalization—such as Jimmy Carter in the 1970s and more recently, Joe Biden during his 2020 campaign—outright support for legalization has been non-existent. Even during the last few election cycles, where public support for legalization was growing, candidates were often cautious, if not outright opposed, to endorsing full legalization.
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