Mar 25 2024

House Republican Policy Committee Says Marijuana is “Dangerous” and Causes “Violence, Depression and Suicide”

An advisory committee for national Republicans says marijuana causes “violence, depression and suicide”, and they’re calling on Republican lawmakers to oppose legislation allowing banks to work with state-legal marijuana businesses.

The House Republican Policy Committee has released a report declaring their opposition to the SAFE/SAFER Banking Acts, which would allow marijuana banking, as well as legislation that would remove previous marijuana use as a barrier for federal employment and security clearances (the Cannabis Users’ Restoration of Eligibility – CURE – Act). The report is titled Guide to the Issues – The Victims of Marijuana Use.

“Marijuana is a dangerous, addictive drug with no mechanism to control rouge producers from increasing potency and causing more harm”, states the committee. “Rather than labeling marijuana as a recreational drug, it should be labeled for what it is, a gateway drug that increases schizophrenia and impairs cognitive ability.”
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Mar 25 2024

The 10 Most Popular Marijuana Strains Across the United States

In the United States there are hundreds of active marijuana strains (there’s over 600 in Massachusetts alone), but these 10 stand out among the crowd in terms of their popularity.

There are currently 24 states with legal recreational marijuana, and 38 with legal medical marijuana. The vast majority of these states have thriving legal marijuana markets, with licensed marijuana stores and dispensaries. Among these states, a handful of strains remain popular across the country, with some displaying some serious long-term interest.

With that in mind, using data compiled by Leafly and state regulatory agencies, below are the top 10 most popular marijuana strains across the US:
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Mar 25 2024

Utah Governor Lets Bill Allowing Hospitals to Administer Psilocybin and MDMA to Become Law

Legislation establishing a pilot program allowing hospitals to administer psilocybin and MDMA has become law without a signature from the governor.

Dried psilocybin (left) and MDMA (right).

Senate Bill 266, sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Kirk Cullimore (R) and House Speaker Pro Tempore James Dunnigan (R), was approved unanimously through both the House and Senate. Governor Spencer Cox (R) was given the option of signing it into law, vetoing it or allowing it to become law without a signature; he chose the latter. The measure will officially take effect on May 1.

Under the new law, psilocybin and MDMA could be administered by a privately owned and not-for-profit healthcare system that has 15 or more licensed hospitals, or is “closely affiliated with an institution of higher education”. Any healthcare system that decides to take part in the pilot program must inform the legislature by July 1, 2026.
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Mar 25 2024

Those 18+ in Germany Can Legally Possess and Grow Marijuana Starting April 1

Legislation allowing the personal possession and home cultivation of marijuana cleared its final parliamentary hurdle on Friday and will officially take effect next week.

Members of German Parliament’s upper house and lower chamber have both given approval to legislation legalizing recreational marijuana for residents who are at least a18 years old. The law allows for the possession of up to 25 grams of marijuana in public, while also allowing adults to grow up to three plants for personal use. The law takes effect on April 1.

As part of the new law, not-for-profit cannabis clubs will be allowed to grow and sell cannabis for their members beginning on July 1st. Each club will be authorized to have up to 500 members. Members can pay for marijuana and marijuana products, but the clubs can only charge enough to break even and not turn a profit.
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Mar 25 2024

American Bankers Association Poll Finds 63% of Adults Support Federal Marijuana Banking Legislation

According to new polling commissioned by the American Bankers Association (ABA), a large majority of American adults support passing federal marijuana banking legislation.

“The data released today also indicate that by greater than a 3-to-1 margin (63% support vs. 17% oppose) U.S. adults support Congress passing legislation that allows cannabis businesses to access banking services and financial products like checking accounts and business loans in states where cannabis is now legal”, states a press release for the poll, which was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Bankers Association.

“Americans have made it clear that Congress should resolve the ongoing conflict between state and federal law on cannabis banking issues by passing legislation that will enhance public safety, tax collection and transparency,” said Rob Nichols, ABA president and CEO.
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Mar 25 2024

$160 Million Worth of Marijuana Sold Legally in Illinois in February

February marijuana sales topped sales for January, despite the month being two days shorter.

According to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, there was $160 worth of marijuana sold legally in February. This includes dried marijuana flower as well as a variety of marijuana products including concentrates, edibles and topicals.

The roughly $160 million in marijuana sales in February is a slight increase over the $158.1 million sold in January, and it’s an increase of over $12 million from the total sales for February, 2023.
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Mar 25 2024

Marijuana Stock Index Up 24% From Start of Year

The Global Cannabis Stock Index is currently 24% higher now than it was on January 2.

At the time of publication the Global Cannabis Stock Index stands at 9.96. This is a 24% increase over the 8.03 value the market held on January 2, the first business day of the year.

The current value is a 16% increase over where the market stood a year ago, and a 7% increase from six months ago.
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Mar 24 2024

An Updated Timeline of the DEA’s Marijuana Rescheduling Review

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is currently conducting a review of marijuana’s Schedule I status. Here’s a timeline of how this review began, what’s happened since, and what comes next.

The DEA’s review of marijuana’s scheduling status was prompted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sending a letter to the agency in August, requesting marijuana be moved to Schedule III. This recommendation came after a nearly year-long review by HHS, which came at the request of President Biden via a late-2022 executive order. The decision is now entirely in the hands of the DEA, with no deadline for them to come to a decision.

Under current law, marijuana is a Schedule I drug, indicating it has no known medical value, it’s highly addictive and dangerous, and is illegal for all uses. Other Schedule I drugs include heroin and LSD. If moved to Schedule III, marijuana would be in the same class as substances like ketamine, testosterone and codeine, making it available for prescription use nationwide.
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Mar 24 2024

Vermont: Second Senate Committee Passes Bill to Decriminalize Psilocybin Mushrooms

Legislation to decriminalize the possession and distribution of psilocybin mushrooms has been given approval by a second Senate committee and will soon be considered by the full chamber.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

Senate Bill 114 has been given approval by the Senate Appropriations Committee, just days after it was passed by the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare. Filed by Senator Martine Gulick along with eight cosponsors, the measure would “remove criminal penalties for possessing, dispensing, or selling psilocybin”. while establishing a Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group.

According to its official legislative summary, this bill “proposes to make findings regarding the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, to remove criminal penalties for possession of psilocybin; and to establish the Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group to examine the use of psychedelics to improve physical and mental health and to make recommendations regarding the establishment of a State program similar to Connecticut, Colorado, or Oregon to permit health care providers to administer psychedelics in a therapeutic setting.”
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Mar 24 2024

Voters in These Two States Will Consider Legalizing Marijuana This November

Ballot initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana are likely to be considered in two states during this November’s presidential election.

24 different states have legalized recreational marijuana since 2012, with the majority doing so through the initiative process. This November, voters in two more states are set to decide whether or not they want to join the list and make marijuana legally available for everyone 21 and older.

Below are the two states that are highly likely to have ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana on the November ballot:
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