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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Jul 09 2024

Washington Initiative to Legalize Psychedelics Receives Approval for Signature Gathering

Washington State is advancing a new measure that seeks to legalize the personal use of several psychedelic substances, including psilocybin, psilocin, mescaline, and DMT.

Psilocybin (top left), mescaline (top right), DMT (bottom left), and psilocin (bottom right).

Spearheaded by the Responsible Entheogen Access and Community Healing Coalition (REACH WA), the initiative, now known as Initiative 2076, recently received its official ballot title and summary from the state’s secretary of state. This allows the campaign to begin collecting signatures. If they gather 324,516 signatures from registered Washington voters by July 2025, the initiative will be placed on the November 2025 ballot.

Under the proposed law, the noncommercial cultivation, possession, and transfer of psilocybin, psilocin, mescaline, DMT and  5-MeO-DMT would be legal for those 21 and older. Although these substances would not be sold through retail outlets, the measure does permit paid “supportive services,” enabling facilitators to be compensated for guiding psychedelic experiences. This model aligns with similar frameworks already established in Oregon and Colorado.
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Jul 09 2024

Legislation in U.S. Congress to Decriminalize Marijuana Gains 111 Sponsors, with President Biden Supporting Decriminalization

In the U.S. Congress, bicameral legislation to decriminalize marijuana now has 111 sponsors. Although President Biden has not given a position on these measures, his press secretary says it’s “very, very clear” he support the decriminalization of marijuana.

In May, a coalition of 18 United States senators filed the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) to deschedule marijuana and allow the expungement of past marijuana convictions. Filing of the bill came a little over a year after the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act was filed in the House with five sponsors. The MORE Act, which would also deschedule marijuana, now has 92 sponsors.

Combined, the two bills have 1110 sponsors, all Democrat. The SAFE and SAFER Banking Acts are the only other marijuana-related bills in US Congress with more support.
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Jul 09 2024

Study Finds CBD Significantly Reduces Pain in Veterans

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of North Dakota and the Veteran Health Administration has revealed promising results regarding the use of cannabidiol (CBD) among veterans experiencing chronic pain.

Published in the Journal of Addictive Diseases, the study highlights the potential benefits of CBD, despite federal restrictions and VA policies prohibiting its recommendation by medical staff.

The cross-sectional survey involved 218 veterans receiving care at the Fargo Veteran Health Administration Medical Center Pain Clinic. Among the participants, 81.2% were male and 52.3% were aged between 60 and 80 years. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of CBD use and its impact on self-reported pain levels.
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