Feb 17 2025

New Mexico Committee Approves Bill to Restrict Workplace Cannabis Testing for Medical Marijuana Patients

A legislative committee in New Mexico has advanced a bill to prohibit employers from considering an employee impaired based solely on the presence of cannabis metabolites in their system.

House Bill 230, introduced today by Representatives Reena Szczepanski (D) and Elizabeth Thomson (D), has been given approval by the House Health & Human Services Committee by a vote of 6 to 2.

The proposed law would ban random drug testing for marijuana, allowing testing only in cases where an employer has reasonable suspicion of impairment while on the job or after an accident involving another person or significant property damage. Any positive test for marijuana would need to be reviewed by a medical review officer to determine if there is a legitimate medical explanation.
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Feb 17 2025

Russia Releases U.S. Citizen Kalob Byers After Marijuana Arrest on February 7

Russia has released Kalob Byers, a 28-year-old U.S. citizen who was detained earlier this month at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on drug smuggling charges related to marijuana.

Kalob Byers.

Byers was taken into custody on February 7 after Russian authorities allegedly found cannabis-laced marmalade in his baggage. He had arrived from Istanbul with his Russian fiancée, Naida Mambetova, who was also arrested. Russian officials accused him of attempting to smuggle a “significant amount” of drugs, a charge that carries a potential 10-year prison sentence.

Following his release, Byers is now at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and is awaiting a flight home, according to reports from Russian independent news outlet Meduza. A U.S. official confirmed his release to the Associated Press but did not provide further details. It remains unclear whether Mambetova has also been freed, as she was reportedly placed in pre-trial detention on the same charges.
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Feb 17 2025

U.S. Congress: GOP Lawmaker Files Bill to Allow VA Doctors to Discuss Medical Marijuana With Veterans

A new bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care providers to discuss medical marijuana with their patients.

H.R. 1384, filed on February 14 by Congressmember Brian Mast (R-Florida), would authorize VA doctors to provide information and opinions regarding state-legal marijuana programs. Currently, VA physicians are prohibited from offering guidance on the potential use of marijuana, even in states where it is legal for medical purposes.

The legislation aims to remove this restriction, ensuring that veterans can have open discussions with their doctors about whether marijuana could be a viable treatment option for conditions such as chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many veterans have advocated for medical marijuana access as an alternative to opioids and other pharmaceutical treatments.
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Feb 17 2025

Former Navy SEAL Who Took Down Osama bin Laden Launches New York Cannabis Brand

Robert O’Neill, the former Navy SEAL known for killing Osama bin Laden, has entered the cannabis industry with Operator Canna Co., a state-licensed marijuana brand set to be sold in New York City dispensaries.

“I wanted to get into the cannabis business through my experience in the military and watching vets suffer from things like post-traumatic stress disorder”, O’Neil told the New York Post. “It’s a good way to take the edge off. It helps to get rid of the noise”.

O’Neil says that a portion of the proceeds will be donated to support disabled veterans through a charitable organization.
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Feb 17 2025

New York Surpasses 300th Licensed Cannabis Store Opening

 The New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM)  announced that over 300 licensed adult-use cannabis dispensaries are open for business.

This milestone “highlights the agency’s continued dedication to building a thriving and equitable cannabis market”, according to a press release.

Since launching legal sales in December 2022, New York’s cannabis industry has generated over $1.06 billion in total retail sales, created more than 5,000 jobs statewide, and awarded  80% of retail licenses to Social and Economic Equity (SEE) applicants. One month into 2025, retail sales have exceeded $110 million, with dispensaries averaging $381,000 in monthly sales throughout 2024.
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Feb 16 2025

Washington Bill Would Ease Location Restrictions for Social Equity Marijuana Businesses, Hearing Set for February 18

Washington Senate Bill 5758, which would ease location restrictions for social equity marijuana businesses, is scheduled for a public hearing on February 18 in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce. A committee vote is set for February 21.

The bill, introduced by State Senator Rebecca Saldaña, would revise Washington’s existing marijuana zoning laws to allow social equity licensees to operate within 500 feet of schools, parks, and other restricted areas—half the current 1,000-foot buffer required for standard licensees.

The change is intended to remove barriers that have made it difficult for social equity applicants to secure viable locations. Social equity licenses are reserved for individuals from communities disproportionately affected by past marijuana prohibition enforcement.
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Feb 16 2025

Ontario Marijuana Sales Reach CA$166 Million in January, 6% Increase From Previous Year

Ontario’s legal marijuana market saw a strong start to 2025, with C$166.15 million in sales for January, according to data from the research firm Headset.

The total marks an increase from the CA$154 million recorded in January 2024. Canada’s next biggest market, Alberta, generated $74 million in sales in January.

The average price per gram of marijuana in Ontario now stands at $9.49, with an eighth-ounce averaging $24 and concentrates priced at $33 per gram. The data also indicates that GMO Cookies was the top-selling strain for the month.
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Feb 16 2025

Colorado Springs Church Has Been Offering Free Psilocybin Mushrooms to Members for a Year

For a full year, a church in Colorado Springs has been providing psilocybin mushrooms to its members at no cost, citing legal protections under a state law decriminalizing natural psychedelics.

The Psychedelic Church of Colorado Springs, operating from a residential property in El Paso County, has been active for a year and has attracted hundreds of members. Founder Benji Dezaval says the church distributes psilocybin in accordance with a 2023 Colorado law that allows gifting and personal use of natural psychedelic medicines.

Before opening in February 2024, Dezaval said he took precautions to ensure compliance with the law and to maintain good relations with the community.
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Feb 15 2025

Study Finds “Cannabinoids Hold Significant Potential for Preventing and Treating Brain Diseases”

According to a new study published in the journal Cellular Signalling, cannabinoids may play a crucial role in preventing and treating brain diseases by regulating key physiological processes in the central nervous system.

Conducted by researchers from Qingdao University, the study highlights the impact of cannabinoids on neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy, and neurogenesis.

According to the study, cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) mediate these functions through several inflammatory pathways, including nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), protein kinase B (Akt), and cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). A key focus of the research is microglia, the primary immune cells in the CNS responsible for mediating neuroinflammation. By influencing these pathways, cannabinoids may help regulate immune responses and cellular health in the brain.
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Feb 14 2025

Washington House Committee Schedules February 21 Public Hearing on Bill to Legalize Cannabis Consumption Sites

A public hearing has been scheduled for February 21 at 8 a.m. in the Washington State House Consumer Protection and Business Committee to discuss House Bill 1932, a proposal that would establish legal cannabis consumption venues in the state.

The bill, introduced by a bipartisan group of 11 lawmakers, seeks to create a regulatory framework for cannabis consumption spaces, allowing adults 21 and over to legally purchase and consume marijuana in designated areas.

Filed by State Representatives Morgan, Waters, Donaghy, Reeves, Walen, Hill, Reed, Fitzgibbon, Simmons, Ormsby, and Scott, the bill addresses a longstanding issue for consumers who may legally buy marijuana but lack legal spaces to use it outside their private residences. Supporters argue that many individuals live in housing situations where marijuana use is prohibited, making legal consumption sites an important step toward full implementation of the state’s marijuana laws.
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