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Top Things to Know
After initiating a trial programme to be more lenient toward would-be service members who test positive for THC metabolites during initial drug screens, the U.S. Air Force is providing significantly more marijuana waivers to recruits than it planned.
Last week, the USDA started sending out its second annual hemp survey to tens of thousands of farmers. It covers topics such as acreage, price, and applications (such as smoked hemp, CBD extracts, and edible grain).
Two measures to legalise and regulate marijuana in Delaware have been introduced, with hearings set to begin this week. While cannabis legislation was vetoed by the governor last year, supporters are hopeful they will have enough electoral clout to override this year’s veto.
Some lawmakers in Hawaii have introduced legislation to legalise the recreational use of marijuana. Legislation is expected to be passed in the 2023 session under the state’s new pro-reform governor, who has received widespread support from advocates.
Last week, legislators in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma introduced new laws to reform the use of psychedelics in 2023.
An ex-Republican senator from Indiana has written an open letter to lawmakers, urging them to form a commission to study cannabis for two years and draught legislation to allow for its sale.
FEDERAL
As an example of “the wonderful two years of improvement we’ve witnessed,” White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain cited President Joe Biden’s mass marijuana pardons.
Morgan Griffith (R-VA) has introduced legislation that would remove some regulatory barriers to studying substances currently classified as Schedule I and would also permanently classify fentanyl and related chemicals as Schedule I.
South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace argued that the party needs to change its position on marijuana if it wants to win over moderate voters.
Doug Collins, a former representative from Georgia’s Republican party, has registered as a lobbyist in order to influence legislation on criminal justice reform topics, such as the end of the discrepancy in sentencing between crack and powder cocaine.
STATES
Democratic Governor Tony Evers of Wisconsin has stated that a medicinal cannabis law “sounds like” it could pass this session.
J.B. Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, tweeted, “My administration remains committed to building the most equitable and economically viable cannabis business in the nation as we continue to grow the almost 5,000 good-paying jobs that have been generated in the previous two years.”
“medical marijuana in the correct forms, meaning in medicinal forms, I can be in support of,” the speaker of the Tennessee House remarked, “but legalising cannabis for recreational use is a terrible idea.”
A bill to include medical cannabis in the state’s controlled substance monitoring database was approved by the House Committee on Health and Human Resources in West Virginia. A separate discussion involved a delegate who proposed legalising marijuana.
The senator in New York who spearheaded the effort to legalise marijuana in the state has revealed that she was surprised by the number of unlicensed businesses that sprung up in the weeks leading up to the start of legal sales. Separately, authorities held a web-based primer on cannabis legislation.
Legislators in the state of Washington are drafting legislation to address the issue of drug possession after a current statute that criminalises possession temporarily expires this year.
Some Louisiana legislators blame the legalisation of hemp for the rise in the availability of psychoactive cannabis products.
Several cannabis reform bills have been introduced in the Colorado legislature for the 2023 session.
Several cannabis-related proposals have been introduced in the Oklahoma legislature this year.
The Minnesota lawmaker who is leading the charge to legalise marijuana noted that there is support for such legislation from both the state’s Democratic and Republican legislatures.
A set of regulations for legal marijuana usage by adults was submitted by Missouri authorities. Additionally, since the state’s legalisation law went into force last month, over 3,500 people have had their cannabis records sealed.
The monthly report detailing disciplinary measures taken against marijuana businesses in Michigan was published.
Officials in the Garden State held a forum to hear people’s thoughts on how to allocate tax money from pot sales.
On Tuesday, Nevada’s government will discuss problems concerning the legal marijuana industry.
On Wednesday, Georgia’s regulators are scheduled to vote on proposed regulations for the state’s medicinal cannabis industry.
LOCAL
The city council of Eureka, California recently voted to write a letter to state legislators in support of a plan to decriminalise possession of psychedelics.
One member of the city council in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who also happens to be a medical cannabis producer, is advocating for the city to treat its employees’ use of medicinal marijuana the same as the use of any other prescribed substance.
An NYPD official was critical of the security measures taken by the city’s first legal marijuana shop.
INTERNATIONAL
Presidential candidate in Nigeria Omoyele Sowore has spoken out in favour of marijuana legalisation.
SCIENCE & HEALTH
“cannabis advertising restrictions vary widely and have little uniformity among U.S. states,” the authors of the report write.
“cannabidiol restores behavioural and cerebral abnormalities in a model of foetal alcohol spectrum disease,” reads the abstract of a study conducted on mice.
ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
“It’s past time @KYGOP took action on medical cannabis,” the Kentucky Democratic Party tweeted. Kentucky’s Governor Steve Beshear has done his bit. It’s up to the GOP to approve a bill and start things moving forward now.
The former head of the Orange County (California) Democrats has acknowledged bribing council members in Irvine to influence their votes on cannabis concerns.
MLK III attended a conference on the legalisation of marijuana and gave a speech.
Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin, tweeted, “Applaud US Virgin Island lawmakers and Governor Bryan for introducing comprehensive cannabis reform that will end the senseless criminalisation of so many.”
BUSINESS
In response to reports that Massachusetts regulators are investigating the company’s financial ties to a Russian oligarch, Curaleaf stated that it is “not aware” of any such investigation.
The HEXO Corporation stated that it has once again met the minimum bid price criterion set by Nasdaq.
employees of Sunnyside in Rockford, Illinois chose to join the Teamsters union.
In November, Canadian stores made C$373.3 million off the sale of legal cannabis.
