Judge slams DEA for psychedelic petition delay; Joe Rogan blasts hemp ban; Study: Cannabis reduces alcohol drinking; TX advances hemp rules
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
A judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit grilled a Drug Enforcement Administration lawyer over the agency’s delay in acting on a psychedelic church’s petition for an exemption to use ayahuasca in its religious ceremonies.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) told Marijuana Moment that lawmakers are preparing to push the Trump administration to scale back a recently enacted ban on hemp-derived THC by providing an exemption for states that want to regulate cannabinoid products.
- Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), however, said that “federal law supersedes state laws on scheduled substances” and pushed back on what he called “desperate mistruths from an industry that stands to lose billions of dollars.”
Joe Rogan said Congress needs to fix its “really bad” mistake of recriminalizing hemp products—warning that restricting access to cannabinoids like CBD will harm people who use them therapeutically, such as his mother-in-law, and blaming the alcohol lobby for pushing the prohibition.
- “It’s the same people that are trying to keep marijuana illegal in Texas. It’s the alcohol lobby. The fact is, when people start smoking weed, they drink less.”
A new federally funded study found that “participants consumed significantly less alcohol after smoking cannabis.”
- “Our findings support the substitution model of cannabis and alcohol co-use.”
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is moving forward with proposed age restriction rules for hemp product sales despite a bill signed by President Donald Trump that will broadly recriminalize hemp THC products under federal law.
Former North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D) appeared in an ad for her son’s hemp THC product company—with him saying, “my mom turns every errand into an adventure.”
West Virginia officials say they aren’t considering utilizing a law to institute medical cannabis price caps despite concerns from patients who are traveling to neighboring states where recreational marijuana is more affordable.
/ FEDERAL
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and other Democratic lawmakers filed a resolution to block the Trump administration’s military attacks on suspected drug boats without congressional authorization.
Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) said he thinks marijuana businesses should be taxed just like other businesses.
/ STATES
Minnesota lawmakers criticized a newly approved law federally recriminalizing hemp THC products.
The Vermont Supreme Court upheld the revocation of a cannabis cultivation license over alleged use of a prohibited pesticide.
New York regulators are facing a lawsuit from an organization representing medical cannabis businesses that seeks to force them to address illegal inversion of marijuana products from outside the state.
Hawaii regulators filed changes to medical cannabis rules.
California regulators sent updates on various cannabis issues.
Oregon regulators will consider changes to marijuana and hemp rules on Thursday.
Nebraska regulators will host a listening session on medical cannabis manufacturing rules on Tuesday.
New Jersey regulators will host town hall meetings on cannabis social equity revenue in January.
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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.
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/ LOCAL
The Topeka, Kansas City Council is considering adding medical cannabis legalization to its state legislative agenda.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Kenya’s High Court is giving the attorney general more time to file a response in a case seeking to overturn marijuana criminalization.
A German Bundestag petition calling on officials to withdraw proposed changes to medical cannabis laws has nearly 60.000 signatures.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review “emphasizes the potential of hempseed as a dietary intervention for [cardiovascular disease] prevention.”
A review concluded that “CBD holds promise as an adjunct in lung cancer therapy, addressing key cancer hallmarks such as tumor growth, metastasis, and treatment resistance.”
A study of rats suggested that “cannabinoid compounds may represent effective alternatives for the treatment of episodic and chronic migraine.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Consumer Choice Center, Doctors for Drug Policy Reform, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Taxpayers Protection Alliance and other groups sent a letter urging the House Judiciary Committee not to advance legislation to ban kratom-derived 7-OH products.
/ BUSINESS
Decibel Cannabis Company Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of C$32.9 million and a net loss and comprehensive loss of C$1.3 million.
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Photo courtesy of Max Jackson.
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