UN bans marijuana compound; SAFE Banking amendment; Swiss legalization experiment runs “smoothly”; Australia legalization; Psychedelics & meditation
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) told Marijuana Moment that leaders of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus have yet to even hold an initial meeting two months into the new Congress. Meanwhile, the separate Psychedelics Advancing Therapies Caucus has been holding productive bipartisan meetings, members said.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) unsuccessfully attempted to add provisions of a marijuana banking bill to broader debanking legislation at a hearing—though not ones that would actually help cannabis businesses get access to financial services.
The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted to ban the marijuana component hexahydrocannabinol under international treaties, with the United States choosing to abstain from the vote.
The Maryland Senate Finance Committee approved a bill to protect fire and rescue workers from being penalized for off-duty use of medical marijuana.
Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health published research showing that the country’s marijuana legalization pilot program is “running smoothly,” with “no indication of any disturbances to public order” as lawmakers consider legislation to more broadly end cannabis prohibition.
The Australian Parliamentary Budget Office is projecting that legalizing cannabis could generate $700 million in annual tax revenue.
A new study concluded that nearly three out of four people who meditate “found psychedelic use to have a positive influence on their quality of meditation.”
- “Both methods induce non-ordinary states of consciousness that may have significant therapeutic benefits.”
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read (D) withdrew a controversial audit of the state’s marijuana laws that was conducted while his predecessor did outside consulting for a cannabis company.
/ FEDERAL
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a sources sought notice for a contractor to help “identify at least three states with active oral fluid programs to document program implementation, practices, protocols, benefits, and challenges to assist other states with similar programs,” noting that “with the legalization of cannabis in many states and the opioid epidemic, law enforcement seeks on-site screening tools to aid in the detection of drug-impaired drivers.”
/ STATES
A Nebraska senator spoke about pending legislation to amend voter-approved medical cannabis laws.
A Georgia representative discussed his bill to expand access to medical cannabis.
Colorado regulators are being sued by a cannabis company over allegations they failed to uphold a statutory duty to protect consumers and prosecute bad actors.
Massachusetts regulators awarded a contract to Kaycha Labs to serve as an official testing laboratory for cannabis products and related devices across the state.
Rhode Island marijuana regulators said they are in the “final stages of reviewing public comments and finalizing our regulations.”
California officials announced that they seized more than $20 million worth of illicit cannabis plants in Oakland.
Minnesota regulators sent a newsletter with updates on various cannabis issues.
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Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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/ LOCAL
The Easton, Pennsylvania City Council rejected a marijuana decriminalization proposal.
The Santa Cruz County, California Board of Supervisors advanced proposed cannabis lounge rules.
/ INTERNATIONAL
The International Narcotics Control Board published its annual report.
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is in the custody of the International Criminal Court following his arrest for alleged crimes against humanity in the nation’s bloody “war on drugs,” said he will “will be responsible for all of this.”
South Africa’s health minister enacted rules banning the production and sale of cannabis- and hemp-derived foods.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “prevalence of delta-8-THC use was significantly lower in the West than the South and Midwest and lower in states with (vs. without) delta-8-THC regulations and in states with (vs. without) legal recreational cannabis use.”
A study found that “compared to usual care, CBD seems to be cost-effective in [Lennox-Gastaut syndrome] patients and sustainable.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The National Hip-Hop Museum is opening three medical cannabis dispensaries in Washington, D.C.
/ BUSINESS
The Cannabist Company Holdings Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $96.1 million and a net loss of $155.8 million.
Village Farms International, Inc. reported quarterly sales of $82.6 million and a consolidated net loss of $8.6 million.
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Photo by Aphiwat chuangchoem.
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