Jan 11 2024

US House Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana and Allow Expungements Gains Two New Sponsors, Now Has 82

A bill in the United States House of Representatives to fully decriminalize and deschedule marijuana gained two new sponsors yesterday.

Congressmembers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Valerie Foushee (D-NC) have officially signed on as cosponsors to the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act. The measure, filed in September by Representative Jerrold Nadler (D), now has 82 sponsors.

The MORE Act would remove marijuana as a federal controlled substance, effectively decriminalizing it nationwide. It would place a 5% federal excise tax on marijuana sales in states where its legal for the first two years, with it increasing to 8% by the fifth year.
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Jan 11 2024

Study: Ibogaine “Effectively Treats Traumatic Brain Injury in Special Ops Military Vets

Researchers at Stanford Medicine have found that ibogaine, a plant-based psychoactive compound, “safely led to improvements in depression, anxiety and functioning among veterans with traumatic brain injuries.”

According to a Stanford press release, “researchers have discovered that the plant-based psychoactive drug ibogaine, when combined with magnesium to protect the heart, safely and effectively reduces PTSD, anxiety and depression and improves functioning in veterans with TBI.”

Their new study, published online January 5 in Nature Medicine, includes detailed data on 30 veterans of U.S. special forces.
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Jan 11 2024

Study of Twins Finds Lifetime Marijuana Use Not Linked to Negative Mental Health or Psychosocial Outcomes

According to a new study published in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, the use of marijuana over several decades is not associated with a significantly elevated risk of either psychiatric disorders, cognitive decline, or other adverse psychosocial outcomes.

For the study researchers at the University of Minnesota and the University of Colorado examined the long-term impact of marijuana use on psychiatric and psychosocial outcomes in a sample of more than 4,000 adult twins assessed between 1994 to 2021.

“In a sample of 4,078 American adult twins first assessed decades ago, we used cotwin control mixed effects models to evaluate the effect of lifetime average frequency of cannabis consumption measured on substance use, psychiatric, and psychosocial outcomes”, states the study.
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Jan 11 2024

Indiana: Republican Lawmaker Files Bill to Legalize Marijuana for Everyone 18+

Legislation that would legalize marijuana for all uses for everyone 18 and older has been filed in the Indiana Legislature.

Republican State Representative Zach Payne (R) filed House Bill 1410 today in the House of Representatives. The measure was quickly assigned to the Committee on Courts and Criminal Code.

The proposed law, according to its legislative summary, “Legalizes the sale and use of cannabis by a person at least 18 years of age”, and “Requires the Indiana department of health to establish a program to issue a medical cannabis identification card to a patient whose physician has recommended cannabis to treat a medical condition.”
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Jan 10 2024

Colorado Garnered $274 Million in Marijuana Taxes in 2023

The legal marijuana industry in Colorado brought in well over a quarter of a billion dollars in tax revenue in 2023.

Colorado marijuana taxes

Data released by the Colorado Department of Revenue shows that the state made $19,089,159 in taxes from the legal distribution of marijuana in December. This brings the state’s yearly marijuana tax total to $274,121,043.

Since the start of legal recreational marijuana a decade ago, Colorado has garnered $2,618,157,732 worth of tax revenue from marijuana industry.
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Jan 10 2024

New Florida Bill Would Make Medical Marijuana Cards and Renewals Free for Veterans

Legislation to remove the financial burden of receiving and renewing medical marijuana authorization cards for veterans has been filed in the Florida Senate.

Senate Bill 1514 was filed Friday by Senator Victor Torres (D). Today the measure was assigned to the Senate Health Policy Committee, the Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services and the Fiscal Policy Committee.

“A qualified patient who is a veteran, as defined in s. 1.01(14), is not required to pay the fee for the issuance or renewal of a medical marijuana use registry identification card.”
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Jan 10 2024

Connecticut: $27 Million Worth of Marijuana Sold in December, $274 Million in 2023

December broke the monthly marijuana sales record in Connecticut.

There was $27.5 million worth of legal marijuana sold in December in Connecticut, breaking the previous monthly record by over $1 million. This is according to data released by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.

The majority of these sales were to recreational consumers at $17.1 million, while medical marijuana patients purchased $10.3 million.
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Jan 10 2024

Delaware Committee Approves Bill to Allow Physicians to Recommend Medical Marijuana for Any Condition

A key legislative committee in Delaware has given approval to legislation that would greatly expand the number of people eligible to become medical marijuana patients.

Delaware’s House Health & Human Development Committee passed House Bill 285 today. Filed by State Representative Edward Osienski along with a bipartisan group of eight cosponsors, the proposed law would amend the Delaware Medical Marijuana Act by removing the list of qualifying medical conditions. Instead, health-care providers would be authorized to recommend medical marijuana to anyone they feel could benefit from it, regardless of their particular condition.

In addition, the bill would “patients aged 65 and older to self-certify their qualification for a registry identification card without a written certification from a health-care provider.”
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Jan 10 2024

Rhode Island: $10.2 Million in Marijuana Sold in December, New Monthly Record, With Over $100 Million Sold in 2023

For the first time ever legal marijuana sales passed $10 million in a single month in Rhode Island.

There was exactly $10,216,190 worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in December, the most in any single month in Rhode Island history. This is according to data compiled and released by the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulations.

Of the $10.2 million in marijuana sold, $2,409,314 was purchased by medical marijuana patients, while $7,806,876 was purchased by recreational consumers.
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Jan 09 2024

Illinois: Record-Breaking $181 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in December, Almost $2 Billion in 2023

There was $181 million worth of marijuana sold in December, a monthly record for Illinois.

According to data just released by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, $153.9 million in recreational marijuana sold in December, in addition to $27.9 million in medical marijuana sold during the same period. The combined $181.8 million was around $17 million more than the previous month, and 7% more than the previous December.

Of the $153 million in recreational (“adult use”) marijuana sales for December,  $36 million was purchased by those visiting from outside the state, while $117.9 million was purchased by Illinois residents. Only patients who reside in Illinois can use medical marijuana dispensaries.
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