Next month, four states will consider initiatives to legalize recreational or medical marijuana.
Below is a breakdown of these four measures, provided by the Marijuana Policy Project.
Continue reading
Oct 21 2024
2024 Statewide Cannabis Ballot Initiatives: A Overview by the Marijuana Policy Project
Oct 21 2024
Massachusetts: Senator Elizabeth Warren Endorses Initiative to Legalize Psychedelics
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has announced her support for Massachusetts’ Question 4, a ballot initiative that would legalize certain psychedelics.
During a debate with Republican challenger John Deaton, Warren expressed cautious support for the measure, highlighting the importance of taking time to implement thoughtful regulations. Deaton opposed the initiative, arguing that Massachusetts should prioritize addressing the opioid crisis, though he indicated support for allowing certain psychedelics for medical use under a doctor’s supervision.
Question 4, set for a November 5 vote, would allow adults 21 and older to possess, grow, and share small amounts of certain psychedelics. Backed by the Massachusetts for Mental Health Options (MMHO), the initiative includes a two-year development phase and provisions for ongoing data collection and regulation adjustments.
Continue reading
Oct 21 2024
Arkansas Supreme Court Blocks Votes on Medical Marijuana Initiative, Citing Misleading Language
The Arkansas Supreme Court has ruled that votes for a ballot measure seeking to expand the state’s medical marijuana program will not be counted due to concerns about the initiative’s wording.
The court found the language of the proposal misleading, citing that voters were not fully informed of its potential consequences.
In a narrow 4-3 decision, the court determined that the proposed amendment did not make clear that it would limit the state legislature’s authority to modify Arkansas’ 2016 medical marijuana law. The initiative also sought to expand the types of medical professionals who could certify patients, add more qualifying conditions, allow patients to grow their own marijuana, and extend the validity of medical cannabis cards to three years.
Continue reading
Oct 21 2024
Marijuana Rescheduling: DEA’s Public Hearing Takes Place in 6 Weeks, Final Ruling Expected to Come Soon After
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is set to hold a public hearing in six weeks on December 2 regarding its proposal to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.
The DEA announced the hearing in August, stating, “This is notice that the Drug Enforcement Administration will hold a hearing with respect to the proposed rescheduling of marijuana into schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.” The rescheduling proposal was initially published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2024.
The hearing is scheduled to take place at 700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA, starting at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. Participants interested in speaking at the event were required to submit a notice of participation by September 30. The DEA also noted that the hearing could be moved to a different location or continued on subsequent days without prior notice, depending on the presiding officer’s discretion.
Continue reading
Oct 20 2024
Willie Nelson to Host Rally in Support of Kamala Harris and Dallas Marijuana Initiative
Willie Nelson, a 15-time Grammy winner, is ramping up his advocacy for cannabis reform with a special event in support of Vice President Kamala Harris as Election Day nears.
On October 24, the country music legend will host a Zoom event from his Luck Ranch in Texas, focused on rallying support for Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota’s Democratic nominee Tim Walz, as well as a marijuana decriminalization initiative being considered in Dalas. The event will feature a notable guest list, including Whoopi Goldberg, Governor Jared Polis, and Representative Brittany Pettersen, all discussing the importance of cannabis reform in America.
Nelson has long been a vocal supporter of marijuana legalization. In his statement about the upcoming event, he emphasized that “cannabis is a path to healing, opportunity, and justice,” pointing out the need to end federal prohibition. Nelson has faced multiple arrests over the years for marijuana possession.
Continue reading
Oct 20 2024
University of California Seeks Hundreds of Participants for Five Marijuana Clinical Trials
The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is actively seeking participants for five ongoing clinical trials focused on marijuana’s medical applications.
These studies are part of UCSD’s continuing research into how marijuana can be used to help treat a variety of medical ailments.
The first trial looks into how marijuana relieves pain, often called a “silent epidemic” that impacts over 100 million Americans and costs society over $500 billion annually. This research seeks to map the brain’s response to vaporized marijuana, aiming to develop more targeted pain treatments.
Continue reading
Oct 18 2024
MDMA Purity Dropped to 15% in 2009, Rose to 74% in 2023, Study Finds
A new study from Georgia State University, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, shows that there continues to be issues with misrepresentation of MDMA in unregulated markets across the United States, although there has been improvements in recent years.
MDMA, often referred to as “ecstasy”.
The research analyzed 4,719 alleged MDMA samples submitted to the DrugsData drug-checking service, aiming to understand how often the drug is misrepresented and identify trends in its purity over time.
The findings reveal that 75% of the samples were expected to contain only MDMA, but only about 48% of them actually did. “MDMA-only prevalence declined from 1999–2009 (57.4% to 15.2%), recovered from 2009–2017 (15.2% to 56.0%), and increases more moderately from 2017–2023 (56.0% to 74.1%)”, states the study.
Oct 18 2024
Cannabidiol Found to Damage Cancer Cells and Halt Growth in Oral Cancer Study
A study set to be published in the journal Archives of Oral Biology in January 2025 explores the potential biological effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.
Conducted by researchers from the University of Perugia in Italy, the study examines CBD as a possible adjuvant therapy in cancer treatment. The study was published online ahead of print by ScienceDirect.
Using in vitro models, the research tested the effects of CBD on human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells (HSC-3). The study utilized various concentrations of CBD, ranging from 1 µM to 100 µM, to assess cytotoxicity, cell viability, morphology, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and DNA damage. The researchers selected two key concentrations for analysis: 25 µM, identified as a toxic dose, and 6.25 µM, as a non-toxic dose.
Continue reading
Oct 18 2024
Report: Marijuana Testing Services Market Valued at Over $2 Billion, to Grow in Value to $5.3 Billion by 2030
The global cannabis testing services market size is expected to reach $5.39 billion by 2030, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.21% from 2024 to 2030, according to a new report.
Conducted by Research and Markets, the report shows that the current value of the cannabis testing market is $2.1 billion, an increase of $300 million over the 2023 value.
“Several nations across the globe have legalized cannabis for medical and recreational purposes, which has led to the recognition of the medicinal benefits of cannabis and cannabis-infused products”, states the report. “For instance, in April 2024, Germany legalized cannabis for recreational purposes, and under this law, adults over 18 can possess 25 grams of dried cannabis and grow up to three marijuana plants at home. Moreover, research has revealed that cannabis can provide significant relief from adverse effects, such as chronic pain associated with multiple sclerosis and chemotherapy-induced nausea. Such factors boost market growth.”
Continue reading
Oct 18 2024
Study: Cannabidiol (CBD) Shows Potential to Inhibit Growth and Biofilm Formation of Candida albicans
A recent study published in the Canadian Journal of Microbiology demonstrates that the cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) may effectively inhibit the growth of Candida albicans, a yeast commonly associated with infections such as oral candidiasis.
Researchers treated C. albicans with varying concentrations of CBD, ranging from 0 to 20 µg/mL, and observed a significant reduction in yeast growth.
After one exposure to 20 µg/mL of CBD, the yeast cell count decreased from 5.1 × 10⁶ cell/mL in the control group to 1.8 × 10⁶ cell/mL. A second exposure further reduced the cell count to 1.1 × 10⁶ cell/mL. The study also noted a decrease in the yeast’s ability to transition from yeast to hyphae, a key factor in infection development, dropping from 20% in the control group to just 2% with CBD treatment.
Continue reading
