Sep 30 2024

California Governor Gavin Newsom Vetoes Legislation to Allow Direct Marijuana Sales at Farmers Markets

California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed legislation that would have allowed licensed marijuana growers to sell their products directly to consumers at farmers markets.

Assembly Bill 1111, sponsored by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D), would have authorized the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) to issue temporary event licenses, enabling on-site cannabis sales and consumption at designated venues within jurisdictions that permit such activities.

“While I appreciate the author’s intent to support small and equity cannabis cultivators, I am concerned that the bill’s broad eligibility, which extends to the vast majority of licensed cultivators, would undermine the existing retail licensing framework and place significant strain on the Department of Cannabis Control’s ability to regulate and enforce compliance”, said Governor Newsom in a veto letter.
Continue reading

Sep 30 2024

The Top Indica Marijuana Strains As of September 2024

As the legal marijuana industry continues to thrive across nearly half the country, certain indica strains are consistently leading the way in popularity due to their relaxing effects and widespread availability.

Grandaddy Purple.

Using data from state regulatory agencies as well as platforms like Leafly and Weedmaps, here are the top 10 indica marijuana strains as of September 2024.
Continue reading

Sep 30 2024

Arkansas Attorney General Says Medical Marijuana Expansion Initiative Will Not Appear on November Ballot

An Arkansas initiative to expand the state’s medical marijuana program, in addition to establishing a federal trigger for recreational marijuana legalization, has narrowly failed to make the November ballot.

Today, Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston announced that Arkansans for Patient Access (APA) did not gather enough valid signatures to qualify the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Amendment of 2024 for the November 5 ballot.

In July, APA submitted 111,402 signatures from 62 counties, surpassing the 90,704 signatures required across 50 counties to place the initiative on the ballot. However, the state found that a significant number of signatures were invalid. The group was given 30 days to collect the remaining signatures, but they were unable to meet the requirement.
Continue reading

Sep 30 2024

California Governor Signs Bill Legalizing Marijuana Cafés

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law legislation that legalizes Amsterdam-stye marijuana cafés.

Today, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1775, nearly a year after he vetoed a similar bill by the same prime sponsor.

The proposal was approved overwhelmingly by the state’s legislature: 58 to 6 in the Assembly, and 30 to 7 in the Senate. The measure will “authorize a local jurisdiction, if specified conditions are met, to allow for the preparation or sale of noncannabis food or beverage products, as specified, by a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed, and to allow, and to sell tickets for, live musical or other performances on the premises of a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed.”
Continue reading

Sep 30 2024

Kamala Harris Calls for Marijuana Legalization for First Time as Presidential Nominee

For the first time as the official Democratic nominee for president, Kamala Harris has expressed her support for legalizing marijuana.

Although Vice President and Democratic nominee for president Kamala Harris has supported legalizing marijuana since 2019, including cosponsoring a descheduling bill while in the Senate, she has (until now) not made any comments on the issue since becoming the official nominee.

In an interview with All the Smoke podcast , Harris said “I just feel strongly, people should not be going to jail for smoking weed. And we know historically what that has meant and who has gone to jail.”
Continue reading

Sep 29 2024

Study: Single Dose of Psilocybin Shows Promise for Veterans with Treatment-Resistant Depression

A recent study by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital has revealed promising results for veterans battling severe treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders and online ahead of print by the National Library of Medicine, the study is the first to examine how a single dose of psilocybin could impact veterans with depression that has failed to respond to traditional treatments.

The study involved 15 veterans diagnosed with severe TRD, defined as a major depressive episode that either failed to respond to at least five previous treatments or persisted for more than two years. These individuals were given a single dose of 25 mg of psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms. To measure the effects of the treatment, researchers utilized the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), with response defined as a 50% or greater reduction in MADRS scores and remission as a score of 10 or less.
Continue reading

Sep 28 2024

California Governor Signs Bill Allowing Marijuana Businesses to Combine Activities Under One License

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law legislation allowing marijuana businesses to conduct multiple activities under a single license.

Senate Bill 1064 was signed by Governor Newsom earlier today. The measure, introduced by Senator John Laird (D) in April, was approved by the Assembly (73 to 0) and Senate (37 to 1).

SB 1064 creates a “combined activities license,” enabling multiple cannabis-related operations to function under a single license at the same location, excluding laboratory testing. Currently, cannabis businesses must obtain separate licenses for each activity, such as retail, cultivation, or distribution. The bill aims to streamline the licensing process by consolidating certain activities, reducing administrative complexity for operators. Continue reading

Sep 28 2024

Iowa Democrats Make Marijuana Legalization a Top Agenda Item for 2025

Iowa Democrats are making marijuana legalization a top priority for the 2025 legislative session.

As they work to increase their presence in the Iowa House, where they currently hold 36 out of 100 seats, Democrats are focusing on issues that resonate with a wide range of Iowans. At the forefront of this agenda is the push to legalize recreational marijuana, which, according to House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, has the support of over 60% of Iowa’s population.

Konfrst emphasized that legalizing marijuana aligns with the desires of a majority of Iowans, not just Democrats. By advancing legislation to legalize marijuana for adult use, the party aims to address a reality where cannabis is already flowing into the state from neighboring Wisconsin and Illinois, where it is legal.
Continue reading

Sep 27 2024

St. Louis Officials Vote to Extend Marijuana Store Hours as City Sees Surge in Marijuana Revenue

St. Louis officials have approved a plan to extend marijuana dispensary and retail outlet hours throughout the city. On Friday, the Board of Aldermen voted to allow such stores to remain open until 10 p.m., seven days a week.

The proposal was introduce by Alderman Rasheen Aldridge. Prior to the board’s vote, Aldridge noted the financial benefits since recreational marijuana became legal, with the city currently generating $2.4 million in annual revenue.

“Hopefully, extending hours to 10 p.m. will increase that amount, while also making St. Louis more competitive with the county,” Aldridge said.
Continue reading

Sep 27 2024

Study: Cannabis Cream Reduces Chronic Kidney Disease-Related Itching in Hemodialysis Patients

A new double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in Kidney Medicine found that a cannabis-containing cream significantly reduced itching in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing hemodialysis.

The study, conducted by researchers from Thammasat University in Thailand, involved 60 participants, all experiencing moderate to severe CKD-associated pruritus.

The participants were divided into two groups: one received the cannabis cream, while the other received a placebo. After four weeks, those using the cannabis cream experienced a notable reduction in itching severity. The average worst itching intensity numerical rating scale (WI-NRS) score dropped from 6.7 at the start of the study to 2.6. In comparison, the placebo group’s score dropped to 3.6. After adjusting for baseline differences, the cannabis group showed a statistically significant improvement over the placebo group, with a mean difference of -1.1 (P = 0.02).
Continue reading