Jul 11 2024

U.S. Senate Committee Approves Bill Allowing VA Doctors to Recommend Medical Marijuana

The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved legislation that would allow Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors to recommend medical marijuana.

(Photo credit: GETTY Images).

Under current law, VA doctors are prohibited from recommending medical marijuana to their patients, even if those patients reside in states where medical marijuana is legal. A provision that would end this prohibition is included in the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies 2025 budget, approved today by the Senate Appropriations Committee in a unanimous voice vote.

Last month, the full House of Representatives voted 290 to 116 to pass their version of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies budget, which also included a provision allowing veterans access to medical marijuana.
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Jul 11 2024

New York Issues Over 100 Marijuana Business Licenses, Total Now Exceeds 700

Today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the New York State Cannabis Control Board (CCB) “took substantial steps to advance the state’s cannabis regulatory framework during this month’s board meeting, addressing several key topics: license approvals, market updates, and enforcement updates.”

“New York is building a robust and equitable legal market that is driving significant economic growth for our communities,” Governor Hochul said in a press release. “The issuance of 109 additional adult-use licenses is just one step in developing New York’s nation-leading cannabis industry.”

The CCB authorized the issuance of 109 adult-use cannabis licenses spanning the supply chain, encompassing microbusinesses, cultivators, processors, distributors, and retail dispensaries. This move paves the way for entrepreneurs and businesses to enter the budding adult-use cannabis market, driving economic growth and fostering innovation.
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Jul 11 2024

Report: Legal Marijuana Market Valued at $47 Billion, Expected to Grow to $194 Billion by 2034

The global legal marijuana market is set to experience substantial growth over the next decade, according to a recent report by Prophecy Market Insights.

Currently valued at $47 billion in 2024, the market is expected to surge to $194 billion by 2034, growing at an annual rate of 16.9%.

The “Legal Cannabis Market Report” breaks down the market into segments by source (flowers, seed oil, others), compound (THC, CBD, balanced THC & CBD), product (cannabis oil, beverages, chocolates & gummies, others), and application (medical, scientific, industrial, and horticultural). This comprehensive report underscores the rapid legalization and growing acceptance of cannabis worldwide, transforming it into a multi-billion-dollar industry with vast potential.
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Jul 11 2024

Initiative to Legalize Psychedelics Officially Placed on November Ballot in Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, an initiative to legalize certain psychedelics has been officially placed on the November 2024 presidential election ballot.

Mescaline (top left), ibogaine (top right), psilocybin mushrooms (bottom left), and DMT (bottom right).

Today, Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin announced that Massachusetts for Mental Health Options (MMHO) has submitted enough valid signatures for their initiative to be voted on this November.

The proposed law would legalize the possession and personal cultivation of up to one gram of DMT, 18 grams of non-peyote mescaline, 30 grams of Ibogaine, one gram of psilocybin, and one gram of psilocin. Possessing up to twice this amount would be punishable by a fine of up to $100.
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Jul 10 2024

California State Fair, July 12-28, Will Feature Onsite Marijuana Sales, 30,000 Square Feet Consumption Lounge

The California State Fair begins Friday, July 12, and runs until July 28. This year, for the first time, the fair will include onsite marijuana sales and consumption, along with expanded marijuana competitions.

In 2022, the California State Fair introduced an educational cannabis exhibit, as well as marijuana competitions similar to competitions the fair holds for other products like cheese and wine. This year, the fair includes a broadened cannabis competition and onsite sales and consumption.

“Hosting cannabis sales and consumption is a groundbreaking milestone in destigmatization by facilitating a deeper connection between consumers and the farmers who cultivate their products with such care,” says Lauren Carpenter, Co-Founder of Embarc, the fair’s partner in facilitating onsite marijuana sales and consumption. “Joining James Leitz, pioneer of the educational exhibit and competition for the past two years, on an expanded competition and experiential dispensary is a major step forward for responsible normalization.”
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Jul 10 2024

Connecticut: $24 Million Worth of Legal Marijuana Sold in June, $150 Million in First Half of 2024

In Connecticut, around $24 million worth of legal marijuana and marijuana products were sold in June, continuing strong sales trends.

According to data released by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, $16,267,583 in recreational marijuana was sold via licensed retail outlets in June. Additionally, $7,656,831 in medical marijuana was sold, combining for a total of $23,924,414, a slight decrease from the $24,713,887 sold in May.

Sales totals include dried marijuana flower and shake, as well as a variety of marijuana products such as edibles, tinctures, concentrates, capsules, and topicals.
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Jul 10 2024

Study: Psilocybin May Help Treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

A recent study has shown promising results for the use of psilocybin in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a highly prevalent disorder that causes serious disability, notes the study’s researchers. “Available treatments leave 40% or more of people with OCD significantly symptomatic”, leaving “an urgent need for novel therapeutic approaches.”

For this study, researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial on mice, which exhibit behaviors closely mirroring OCD symptoms in humans, such as excessive self-grooming and anxiety. The mice were divided into three groups: one receiving a single intraperitoneal injection of psilocybin, another receiving a psychedelic mushroom extract containing the same dose of psilocybin, and a control group receiving a vehicle injection.
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Jul 10 2024

Marijuana Shows Promise in Treating Tourette Syndrome, Study Finds

According to a recently published study, marijuana-based treatments could be beneficial for managing symptoms of Tourette syndrome.

The study, titled Efficacy of Cannabis-Based Medicine in the Treatment of Tourette Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, was published online in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and ahead of print by the US National Library of Medicine. The study was conducted by researchers from several institutions, including Mansoura University, Damanhour University, Alexandria Main University Hospital, Suez Canal University, South Valley University, Al-Quds University, Kafrelsheikh University, and the Poznan University of Medical Sciences. All by the Poznan University of Medical Sciences (Poland) are based in Egypt.

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by involuntary motor and vocal tics. It affects between 0.3% and 0.7% of children, with its pathophysiology remaining largely unknown. Although there are established treatment options, such as behavioral therapy and neuroleptics, they do not cure the condition. Researchers note that cannabis-based medicine has emerged as a potential new strategy, hypothesized to interact with the endogenous cannabinoid system, yet its efficacy and safety require further research.
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Jul 10 2024

US House: Republican-Led Committee Directs Biden Administration to Explain Marijuana Rescheduling Decision

The House Appropriations Committee has released a report directing the Department of Health and Human Services to explain their decision to recommend marijuana be moved to Schedule III.

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee approved the 2025 appropriations bill for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, which includes language that would block the Biden Administration’s effort to reschedule marijuana. Now, the committee has released a report for the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food, and Drug Administration appropriations bill, which states that the Committee “is concerned about deviations from established drug scheduling evaluation standards in the FDA 2023 marijuana scheduling review.”

The report says the Committee “directs the HHS Inspector General to complete a report on the 2023 marijuana scheduling review including but not limited to: deviations from the established five-factor currently accepted medical use test, justification for a new, two-factor currently accepted medical use test and whether this will be the standard for all future reviews, use of a limited number of hand-selected comparator substances, and inclusion of research results that are not statistically significant or inconclusive.”
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Jul 10 2024

Study: Legalizing Marijuana “Results in a Substantial Decrease in Rates of Intimate Partner Violence”

A recent study from Georgetown University has found that the legalization of recreational marijuana is associated with a significant decrease in intimate partner violence (IPV).

Published by a researcher at Georgetown University, the study titled The Impact of Recreational Marijuana Legalization on Intimate Partner Violence utilizes data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) covering the seven years after Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

The researcher analyzed the effect of state marijuana legalization on reported rates of IPV, finding a substantial decrease in IPV incidents following legalization. The study employed various statistical models to control for multiple factors, including median income, unemployment rate, median age, marriage rate, poverty rate, education level, and the prevalence of heavy drinking.
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