PA House passes legal cannabis bill on initial vote; VA’s marijuana proposal; FBI approves DE cannabis background check plan; CO psychedelics
Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day.
Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible…
Free to read (but not free to produce)! We’re proud of our newsletter and the reporting we publish at Marijuana Moment, and we’re happy to provide it for free. But it takes a lot of work and resources to make this happen.
If you value Marijuana Moment, invest in our success on Patreon so we can expand our coverage and more readers can benefit: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment
/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill to legalize marijuana sales through a system of state-owned stores on second reading. A separate vote on third reading, expected soon, would formally send the measure to the Senate.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is touting the cancellation of a federal contract for “potency monitoring of confiscated marijuana samples” worth $142,839 that the National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded to the University of Mississippi.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking price quotes from contractors who can help analyze and explain scientific evidence on medical marijuana to clinicians and the public—including potential benefits for conditions like PTSD as well as potential risks around cannabis use disorder.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation partially approved background check language in Delaware’s revised marijuana law, allowing the state’s recreational cannabis market to proceed toward launching—though lawmakers still need to fix one overly broad definition for full approval.
Colorado lawmakers sent Gov. Jared Polis (D) a bill to empower the governor to grant pardons to people who’ve been convicted of psychedelics-related offenses, and to revise rules for legal psychedelic products and healing centers.
Nevada lawmakers are considering a bill to stop automatically disqualifying people from becoming foster parents due to past marijuana convictions.
/ FEDERAL
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) tweeted, “As Co-Chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, @repdinatitus and I joined cannabis advocates in pushing for equity-focused cannabis laws that ensure folks across the country are given the second chance they deserve.”
The House bill to create psychedelics-focused innovative therapies centers of excellence got one new cosponsor for a total of seven.
/ STATES
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed legislation to add members to the Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council.
The Minnesota House of Representatives passed an omnibus cannabis policy bill.
The California Assembly Revenue & Taxation Committee approved a bill to halt a planned cannabis tax increase.
The Maine legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee held a hearing on nine bills to change various cannabis rules.
An Illinois representative spoke at a press conference about the need to reduce licensing fees and regulations faced by social equity marijuana businesses.
The nominee to be Delaware’s top marijuana regulator will have a confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
Michigan regulators banned a man from participating in the legal marijuana industry after he allegedly sold cannabis to an underage undercover police cadet.
Rhode Island regulators are conducting a survey of people who are interested in applying for a retail marijuana business license.
New York regulators are accepting proposals to speak at a medical cannabis symposium on November 7.
The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday.
Georgia regulators will consider medical cannabis production license contracts on Wednesday.
—
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.
—
/ LOCAL
Mendocino County, California and its sheriff are being sued by the Round Valley Indian Tribes over allegedly illegal raids on cannabis farms.
/ INTERNATIONAL
The German Federal Court of Justice overturned a lower court’s interpretation of what quantities of cannabis are considered serious enough to warrant searches of suspects’ online data.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review concluded that “CBD offers a promising therapeutic approach for breast cancer, especially for aggressive subtypes.”
A study found “evidence of a weak positive correlation between distance from cannabis dispensaries and favorable attitudes toward [medicinal cannabis], with gender and state legal status contributing to attitudes, while dispensary density did not significantly impact attitudes.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Heroic Hearts Project and Healing Breakthrough are merging.
Strategies 64 published a white paper on cannabis labeling issues.
/ BUSINESS
TerrAscend Corp. is acquiring Union Chill Cannabis Company LLC.
/ CULTURE
Tucker Carlson said the first time you smoke marijuana is “truly fun” but “that doesn’t ever happen again.”
Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox.
Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.
