VA marijuana project; Hemp testimony in Congress; Federal psychedelics bill; FL medical cannabis for vets; NY marijuana industry worker training
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy omitted any mention of marijuana rescheduling or other cannabis reforms in a new report detailing the Trump administration’s top drug policy priorities.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking contractors who can analyze and explain scientific evidence on medical marijuana to clinicians and the public—including about potential benefits for conditions like PTSD as well as potential risks around cannabis use disorder.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will take testimony from the U.S. Hemp Roundtable as part of a hearing on how the Food and Drug Administration “failed to approve products and take necessary enforcement actions resulting in a flood of illicit and counterfeit products” on Wednesday.
Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI) filed a bill to provide $30 million to support psychedelics-focused “centers for excellence” operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs where veterans could receive treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine.
The Florida House Health Professions and Programs Subcommittee approved a bill to waive the state’s medical cannabis patient registration fee for military veterans, and to make it so patients only have to renew their cards every two years instead of annually.
Delaware lawmakers filed a marijuana bill to address a fingerprint background check dispute with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that has threatened to delay the launch of the state’s recreational cannabis market.
The Hawaii House Finance Committee unanimously approved a Senate-passed bill to support clinical research on psychedelic-assisted therapies using substances such as psilocybin and MDMA.
The New York Office of Cannabis Management launched a mandatory marijuana workforce training program to provide “comprehensive safety education” to industry employees.
The top-selling video game on Steam is an illegal drug-selling simulator called “Schedule I”—a reference to the federal classification of marijuana and other substances the government claims have “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”
The Nebraska legislature’s General Affairs Committee is debating which medical cannabis qualifying conditions to allow under voter-approved legalization initiatives.
A researcher who did a new study on marijuana use rates in Canada after legalization said that the answer to whether cannabis was consumed “more widely, more frequently and at younger ages as it became more accessible and affordable” is “mostly no.”
/ FEDERAL
The Government Accountability Office said the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has not fully addressed all of its prior recommendations to improve performance management, program monitoring and program evaluation.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) read a letter during a Senate floor speech from a Canadian woman who said an immigration officer “claimed I also couldn’t work for a company in the U.S. that made use of hemp.”
/ STATES
The Montana Senate gave initial approval to a bill to change how marijuana tax revenue is distributed.
The Indiana Senate Appropriations Committee removed a marijuana billboard advertising ban from a broader bill.
A Minnesota judge ordered regulators to hold a preapproval lottery for cannabis business licenses that was previously canceled.
California regulators announced a recall of marijuana products due to the presence of aspergillus.
Alabama regulators are facing another lawsuit over medical cannabis business licensing.
Washington, D.C. regulators approved changes to cannabis rules.
New York’s acting top marijuana regulator spoke about plans to launch on-site consumption permits.
New Jersey regulators discussed cannabis lab testing issues.
Minnesota regulators are accepting hemp cultivation and processing license applications until April 30.
U.S. Virgin Islands regulators will host information sessions about the cannabis business licensing process this week.
Colorado regulators will host a hemp symposium on April 15.
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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
San Francisco, California’s mayor is moving to restrict the distribution of free drug paraphernalia that has been used as a harm reduction measure.
Buchanan County, Missouri is asking the state Supreme Court to take up a case on whether municipal and county marijuana taxes can be stacked.
/ INTERNATIONAL
The Netherlands’s justice minister said coffee shop owners will not be punished for selling illegal hash during the last stage of an ongoing legal cannabis supply experiment.
South Africa’s health minister admitted that he didn’t consult other officials before issuing a now-reversed ban on cannabis edibles.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study on the benefits of legalizing marijuana in the Czech Republic found that “the estimated net social benefit of legalization is in the range of 34.4 to 107.6 million EUR per year (or between 3.2 and 10.1 EUR per capita), depending on the size of the cannabis market and the development of cannabis prices after legalization.”
A study concluded that “CBD demonstrates promise as a potential adjunctive treatment for” temporomandibular disorders.
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The American College of Physicians issued best practice advice for clinicians whose patients are considering or using cannabis or cannabinoids for management of chronic, noncancer pain.
/ BUSINESS
AYR Wellness Inc. has a new interim CEO.
Three 4Front Ventures Corp. board of directors members stepped down.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
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