Jun 17 2024

Pennsylvania: New Bipartisan Bill Aims to Legalize Recreational Marijuana and Expunge Past Convictions

Bipartisan legislation that would make Pennsylvania the 25th state to legalize recreational marijuana will soon be unveiled.

Filed by State Representatives Emily Kinkead and Aaron Kaufer, House Bill 2500 would establish a legal framework for the recreational sale of marijuana, prioritizing licensing for disadvantaged groups. It also seeks to expunge past criminal charges related to marijuana distribution.

“We know across the board that having marijuana be illegal has done only harm in our communities,” Kinkead told WESA, a local NPR affiliate. “And we’re recognizing that it has medicinal properties, [and] the world has not ended in all the states that have legalized it recreationally.”
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Jun 16 2024

Maryland Governor to Issue 175,000 Marijuana Pardons

Maryland Governor Wes Moore plans to pardon over 175,000 convictions for the personal possession of marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia.

Governor Moore is set to enact one of the country’s most extensive clemency measures for marijuana-related offenses on Monday via an executive order. This action aims to address the social and economic injustices that disproportionately affect individuals of color.

“I’m ecstatic that we have a real opportunity with what I’m signing to right a lot of historical wrongs,” Governor Moore told the Washington Post. “If you want to be able to create inclusive economic growth, it means you have to start removing these barriers that continue to disproportionately sit on communities of color.”
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Jun 15 2024

Arizona Legislature Approves Bill to Legalize Psilocybin Therapy Centers, Sending it to Governor Hobbs

The Arizona Legislature has given approval to legislation legalizing access to psilocybin mushrooms, sending the bill to Governor Katie Hobbs.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

By a vote of 42 to 16, the Arizona House has passed Senate Bill 1570, approximately 3.5 months after it was passed by the Senate with a vote of 24 to 4. The measure, filed by Senator Jarrett Keohokalole (D), now heads to Governor Hobbs.

Once enacted, the measure will legalize psilocybin therapy centers where individuals can legally consume psilocybin in a medical, supervised setting with trained staff constantly available. Licensing for these centers will be handled by the Department of Human Services (DHS). Additionally, an Arizona Psilocybin Advisory Board will be established under the bill, tasked with overseeing training criteria for those working at service centers and recommending potential law changes to lawmakers.
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Jun 15 2024

Public Comment Period on DEA’s Marijuana Rescheduling Proposal Nears Halfway Point, Nearly 20,000 Comments Submitted

It’s been nearly a month since the DEA officially submitted their marijuana rescheduling proposal in the Federal Register, launching a 60-day public comment period.

With the halfway point just a week away, approximately 18,000 comments have been submitted on the DEA’s proposal to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This change would make marijuana’s compounds eligible for prescription nationwide once they receive regulatory approval.

Of the nearly 18,000 comments submitted, just over half advocate for the DEA to deschedule marijuana entirely, rather than simply rescheduling it. The roughly 51% in favor of descheduling has remained consistent since before the 10,000-comment mark.
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Jun 14 2024

North Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee Passes House-Backed Bill to Regulate Kratom and Hemp Products

North Carolina’s Senate Judiciary Committee has passed a bill that would establish a regulatory and licensing system for both kratom and products made from hemp.

Hemp (left) and kratom (right).

The House voted 110 to 0 yesterday to pass Approval of House Bill 563 through the Senate Judiciary Committee comes roughly eight months after the measure was passed by the House of Representatives in a unanimous 110 to 0 vote. Filed by State Representative Jeffrey McNeeley along with a bipartisan coalition of 10 other lawmakers, the measure will be sent to Governor Roy Cooper if it’s passed by the full Senate.

According to its official summary, House Bill 563 would:
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Jun 14 2024

New Hampshire Bill to Allow Medical Marijuana for Any Condition Sent to Governor Sununu

Legislation to allow medical marijuana for any condition a physician deems necessary has been given final approval by the New Hampshire Legislature, and will now be sent to Governor Chris Sununu.

House Bill 1278 has been passed by both the House and Senate after a conference committee concurred on amendments made in the Senate. The measure will now be sent to Governor Chris Sununu, who is expected to sign it into law.

Filed by State Representative Wendy Thomas, the proposal will repeal the state’s list of qualifying medical marijuana conditions and replace it with a provision allowing medical marijuana for “any debilitating or terminal medical condition or symptom for which the potential benefits of using therapeutic cannabis would, in the provider’s clinical opinion, likely outweigh the potential health risks for the patient.”
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Jun 14 2024

US House Committee Votes to Continue Blocking D.C. Marijuana Sales and Nationwide Marijuana Banking

The House Appropriations Committee has voted to remove provisions from a massive spending bill that would have allowed Washington, D.C. to open recreational marijuana stores and permitted banks to work with state-legal marijuana businesses.

Earlier this month, the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcommittee released its Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Services and General Government Bill. Included in the measure was a provision to remove a long-standing federal restriction preventing Washington, D.C. from allowing legal recreational marijuana sales, despite the district legalizing them in 2014. The bill also included a provision to allow nationwide marijuana banking.

Today, the House Appropriations Committee voted to remove both provisions from the FSGG Bill.
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Jun 14 2024

Maryland: Record-Breaking $96.8 Million in Legal Marijuana Sales in May

There was more legal marijuana sold in May in Maryland than in any previous month.

According to data released by the Maryland Cannabis Administration, $96,861,897 worth of legal marijuana and marijuana products were sold in May. This is $4.5 million more than the total sales for April.

Approximately $67 million of these sales came from recreational marijuana consumers, with the remaining $30 million purchased by medical marijuana patients. Year to date, Maryland’s legal marijuana market has generated $462.2 million in sales.
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Jun 14 2024

US House of Representatives Approves Bill to End Marijuana Tests for Military Recruits

Despite opposition from the White House, the full US House of Representatives has passed a federal defense bill that includes a provision to end marijuana testing for military recruits and prospective officers.

By a vote of 217 to 199 the House voted today to pass the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a massive defense bill necessary for funding national defense and military operations. Included in the NDAA is a provision that prohibits marijuana testing of military recruits and potential officers. The provision was passed by the House just days after the White House announced its opposition to the move.

Section 531 titled “PROHIBITION ON CANNABIS TESTING FOR ENLISTMENT OR COMMISSION IN CERTAIN ARMED FORCES” states:
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Jun 13 2024

57 Countries Have Legalized Medical Marijuana

57 countries have legalized the medical use of marijuana.

As confirmed by a recent study published by the US National Institute of Health, 57 countries have legalized medical marijuana. Canada was the first country to do so in 2001, five years after California became the first U.S. state to legalize the medicine.

The list below includes the 57 countries that have enacted some form of medical marijuana legalization law, arranged alphabetically, along with the year they legalized it. It’s important to note that the specific laws and regulations can vary significantly between countries. Continue reading