May 23 2024

Top 5 States with Most Lawmakers Supporting Federal Bills to Deschedule Marijuana

There are 107 members of the United States Congress who have sponsored one of two bills to deschedule marijuana. Here’s a look at the five states with the most lawmakers supporting this move.

Earlier this month a coalition of 18 US Senators introduced the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA). The measure would fully deschedule marijuana, allow expungements of marijuana charges, and establish a federal marijuana excise tax. In April 2023 similar legislation was filed in the House, titled the MORE Act. The proposal currently has 89 sponsors, more than any marijuana-related bill other than the SAFE Banking Act, which has 120.

Between the two bills, there are 30 different states with representatives sponsoring legislation to completely remove marijuana as a substance on the Controlled Substances Act.
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May 23 2024

Delaware Committee Approves Bill That Would Allow Recreational Marijuana Sales to Begin This Year

A key committee in the Delaware House of Representatives has advanced a bill allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to quickly transition into the recreational market, potentially starting recreational sales months ahead of schedule.

Today, the House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee passed House Bill 408, sponsored by State Representative Ed Osienski, with a companion bill from Senator Trey Paradee. The bill proposes temporary conversion licenses for medical marijuana retailers, enabling them to sell recreational marijuana while maintaining their medical operations.

Rep. Osienski stated, “As we approach the launch of recreational marijuana sales in Delaware, it’s vital to implement policies that support both new and existing retailers. Our experienced centers can smoothly handle this transition, using the fees from conversion licenses to support social equity applicants.”
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May 23 2024

Marijuana Users Just as Active as Non-Users, Study Finds

Recent findings published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research suggest that consuming cannabis does not reduce the likelihood of engaging in daily physical activities among young and middle-aged adults compared to non-users.

The study, which was also published online by the US National Library of Medicine, involved 4,666 American adults aged between 18 and 59, who were monitored using portable accelerometers to track their daily activity levels for a minimum of four days. The data collected revealed that individuals who used cannabis were slightly more inclined to participate in light physical activities compared to non-users. No significant differences were observed in median daily sedentary time, the duration of vigorous physical exercises, or sleep between cannabis users and non-users.

The authors of the study noted, “Recent cannabis use among young to midlife adults does not correlate with sedentary or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels as measured by accelerometers. However, it is associated with a slight increase in light physical activity.” They further explained that these results counter the prevailing notion that cannabis use leads to decreased physical activity and increased sedentary behaviors.
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May 23 2024

US House: Amendment to Federal Farm Bill Would Ban Hemp With Any THC, Prohibit Delta-8 THC Nationwide

An amendment filed yesterday to a proposed 2024 Federal Farm Bill would place a sweeping prohibition on hemp or hemp products that contain any amount of THC. This would also effectively ban any products containing delta-8 THC.

Hemp plants.

The draft for the $1.5 trillion federal farm bill was published this week by Congressmember Glenn Thomas (R-PA), who serves as Chair of the House Agriculture Committee chairman. The measure would redefine “hemp” under federal law to include hemp grown for cannabinoid extraction. Under one of the proposed amendment, filed yesterday by Congressmember Mary Miller (R-IL), all ingestible hemp products with any level of THC would be federally prohibited.

The amendment would effectively prohibit nearly all products containing delta-8 and delta-9 THC, as well as all other novel cannabinoids.
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May 23 2024

Texas Poll Finds 60% of Voters Support Legalizing Marijuana, 73% Support Decriminalization

Recent polling indicates strong support among Texas voters for legalizing marijuana, with even greater backing for decriminalization.

According to the Texas Lyceum Poll, 60% of registered voters in Texas are in favor of legalizing marijuana, whereas 31% are opposed, and 9% remain undecided. Of those opposed to legalization, 42% support decriminalizing marijuana, and 47% favor maintaining current prohibition and criminalization policies.

“Overall, 60% of Texas adults say that they support legalizing the use of marijuana in Texas, a 14 point increase since the question was last asked in 2015, when a majority of voters (50%) expressed opposition”, the survey notes.
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May 23 2024

Over 3,000 Comments Submitted on DEA’s Marijuana Proposal, Over 2/3rds Support Descheduling

In just two days, over 3,000 comments have been submitted on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) plan to reschedule marijuana.

The DEA’s proposal in the Federal Register calls for marijuana to be reclassified from its current status as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to a Schedule III. This would mark the biggest change in federal marijuana policy since the CSA was established in 1970.

When the DEA published the proposal in the Federal Register on Tuesday, it officially began the 60-day public comment period, ending July 22. In the two days since publication, there have been 3,100 comments. A strong majority of these comments — over 2,000 in total — call on the DEA to not just reschedule marijuana, but to deschedule it altogether. Hundreds of additional comments don’t specifically mention descheduling but do call for marijuana to be legalized.
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May 23 2024

US House Committee Passes Bill That Would End Marijuana Testing for Military Recruits and Prospective Officers

A key House committee has approved a federal defense bill that includes a provision to end marijuana testing for military recruits and prospective officers.

(Photo credit: Getty Images Plus)

The House Armed Services Committee has given approval to the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a massive defense bill necessary for funding national defense and military operations. Included in the bill is a provision that prohibits marijuana testing of military recruits and potential officers.

Section 531 titled “PROHIBITION ON CANNABIS TESTING FOR ENLISTMENT OR COMMISSION IN CERTAIN ARMED FORCES” states:
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May 22 2024

The 10 States With the Most Legal Marijuana Sales in Q1 2024

In the first quarter of 2024, the legal marijuana market continued to thrive across the United States.

Currently, 23 states have legalized licensed marijuana sales, with most boasting thriving legal marijuana industries. Some states, such as Ohio and Minnesota, have passed legalization laws but don’t yet have licensed marijuana stores.

Using data compiled and released by state agencies, below are the top 10 states in terms of total marijuana sales for the first quarter of this year, covering January 1 to March 31.
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May 22 2024

Daily Marijuana Use Surpasses Daily Alcohol Consumption for the First Time in the US

Recent data reveals a significant trend in the U.S.: daily or near-daily marijuana use has surpassed the number of people who consume alcohol at the same frequency.

This milestone was highlighted in a recent study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University. For the first time in 2022, those frequently using marijuana outnumbered regular heavy drinkers.

Jonathan Caulkins, a cannabis policy researcher at the univeristy, pointed out that a substantial 40% of active marijuana users engage with the substance daily or almost daily. This usage pattern is more akin to that of tobacco rather than alcohol. The data, derived from the reputable National Survey on Drug Use and Health and published in the journal Addiction, suggests that 17.7 million individuals reported frequent marijuana use in 2022, in comparison to 14.7 million reporting similar rates of alcohol consumption.
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May 22 2024

Connecticut Appoints First Cannabis Ombudsperson in US History to Champion Patient Rights

Connecticut’s Acting Healthcare Advocate Sean King today announced that Erin Gorman Kirk will serve as the first Cannabis Ombudsperson of the state of Connecticut.

Erin Gorman Kirk, the first “Cannabis Ombudsperson” in the US.

According to a press release sent yesterday, “Erin is an accomplished lawyer, consumer advocate and entrepreneur.  As the founder of Cannabis Government Strategies and President of The Jamison Group, LLC, Erin has been influential in the development of cannabis and hemp policy in several states, including Connecticut.”

Her background includes “extensive professional experience advising and supporting individuals, businesses and government officials seeking to navigate the rapidly evolving cannabis industry. She has published and spoken extensively on regulation and other topics related to cannabis.  Most importantly, Erin has also demonstrated a deep empathy and compassion for the needs of medical cannabis patients, and particularly veterans and seniors, who have struggled to maintain access to their therapies since the rapid expansion of the recreational use industry.”
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