ND marijuana decrim expansion; CT psilocybin; NJ cannabis training academy; DC marijuana activist push; Study: Legal dispensaries don’t sell to kids
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees took testimony from leading veterans service organizations about the need to expedite research on the medical value of marijuana and psychedelics—with the American Legion saying Schedule I status is a “major barrier” to access and a Disabled American Veterans official talking about his wife’s therapeutic use of psilocybin.
The North Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill to significantly expand the state’s existing marijuana decriminalization law by reducing the offense for possession to a civil citation punishable by a fine of $150.
The Connecticut legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee filed a bill to decriminalize psilocybin, making possession of up to one-half an ounce of the psychedelic punishable by a $150 fine, without the threat of jail time.
The Montana Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee held a hearing on bills to put a 15 percent THC cap on marijuana products and to reallocate legal sales revenue—while skipping a scheduled bill to require adults to register and pay $200 a year to legally use recreational cannabis.
The New Jersey Department of State’s Cannabis Training Academy has now enrolled more than 1,000 students who are learning about the process of applying for a marijuana business license, obtaining municipal approval, raising capital and navigating issues like zoning and day-to-day operations.
The Last Prisoner Project and other reform groups are announcing a Cannabis Unity Week of Action in Washington, D.C. this spring to pressure Congress and the White House to advance marijuana legalization and relief for people with prior convictions.
The American Academy of Pediatrics published a study showing that licensed marijuana retailers are “significantly more likely to require age verification before store entry and purchase” and that “unlicensed retailers displayed more cartoon signage and sold youth-appealing products.”
- “All licensed retailers verified age with photo ID before permitting store entry, but only 10% of unlicensed retailers required ID for entry.”
The Alabama Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee held a hearing on a bill to alter the medical cannabis business licensing process—with every witness testifying against the measure.
/ FEDERAL
The Trump administration’s plan to cut federal research funding threatens ongoing cannabis studies.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) objected to a unanimous consent request to pass a bill to permanently place fentanyl-related substances in Schedule I, saying, “the parents of dead children are calling for us to step up and do more than the same old thing we have been doing around the War on Drugs since I was a kid myself.”
/ STATES
Washington, D.C.’s attorney general touted enforcement efforts over the past six months that have led to the closure of 25 unlicensed cannabis retailers.
Florida’s House speaker formed a hemp workgroup.
New Jersey’s Senate president spoke about his bill to recriminalize buying marijuana from unlicensed sources.
South Dakota lawmakers rejected several bills to repeal or scale back medical cannabis protections.
Ohio Democratic senators sent press releases about their opposition to a Republican-led bill to significantly alter the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law.
The Montana Supreme Court declined to take up the case of a medical cannabis patient who is challenging the state’s possession limit.
Washington State regulators filed proposed rules on transfer of authority for accreditation of cannabis testing laboratories.
New York marijuana regulators testified at a budget hearing.
Massachusetts regulators published a memo on the benefits of participating in the state’s medical cannabis program.
Kentucky’s top medical cannabis regulator gave a presentation at a Kentucky Chiefs of Police board meeting.
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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 Wilmington, Delaware mayor’s office is evaluating marijuana business zoning proposals.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Hungary’s government is proposing putting a prohibition on drug use into the Constitution.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review of research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis found that “a few studies suggest that cannabis and CBD, in humans, provide benefits for both motor symptoms, including rigidity, cramps, and fasciculations, and non-motor symptoms including sleep quality, pain, emotional state, quality of life, and depression.”
A study of mice concluded that “Moroccan Cannabis sativa essential oil shows significant therapeutic potential for managing peripheral neuropathic pain.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies is urging people to contact the U.S. Sentencing Commission in support of reforms that could reduce sentences for federal drug offenses.
/ BUSINESS
Trulieve Cannabis Corp. reported quarterly revenue of $301.1 million and a net loss of $61.6 million. The company also has a new president.
Verano Holdings Corp. reported quarterly net revenue of $218.2 million and a net loss of $272.7 million.
Cronos Group Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of $30.3 million.
Cookies won an $18 million preliminary award in a legal dispute with investors.
Canopy Growth Corporation launched its Tweed brand in the German medical cannabis market.
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