MO officials planning for legalization; DC medical marijuana patient count surges; Mormon bishop & former UT GOP rep touts psychedelic experience
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
A new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration draft handbook for medical examiners warns that commercial drivers who use CBD products do so “at their own risk” of testing positive for marijuana and losing their certifications.
Missouri regulators are taking steps to “begin planning” for possible voter approval of a marijuana legalization initiative on the ballot in November. They’re asking for public comment on “how the new law should be implemented.”
Washington, D.C. regulators reported that medical cannabis patient registrations surged last month after the mayor signed a bill allowing people to self-certify for the program without having to get doctors’ recommendations.
Former Utah Rep. Brad Daw (R)—who is an active Mormon bishop—spoke about how his personal experience with ayahuasca changed his perspective on psychedelics.
The Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota is embracing marijuana sales while continuing to ban alcohol.
/ FEDERAL
White House Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finer said, in response to the new Colombian president’s move to reform drug policies, that “the United States and the Biden administration is not a supporter of decriminalization.”
The White House Office of National Drug Policy announced $12.4 million in grants as part of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program.
Rhode Island’s U.S. attorney said “it’s up to Congress to decide what they criminalize or don’t criminalize at the federal level” and that the state’s new marijuana legalization law won’t have a big impact on his office’s workload while he plans to focus on opioids.
Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) tweeted, “The same systemic violence caging Brittney Griner as a political prisoner in Russia is resulting in the arrest, incarceration, & deportation of people in the US. No one should be criminalized for drug possession. End the global drug war & prioritize Brittney’s safe return home.”
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) tweeted, “As more voters continue to support legalizing cannabis, Congress should work to create an equitable, community-focused regulatory framework. Democrats and Republicans need to collaborate on legislation that would support veterans, patients, communities of color, and businesses.”
Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz criticized Democratic rival John Fetterman, currently the lieutenant governor, for his support of marijuana legalization and for hanging a cannabis flag in his office.
/ STATES
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) announced that regulators have issued the final lottery-selected first-round conditional marijuana dispensary licenses.
Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, a former congressman, tweeted, “We are going to legalize marijuana in Texas while generating nearly $1 billion a year in new revenue and savings.”
South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial candidate Joe Cunningham, a former congressman, tweeted, “It’s time to legalize marijuana in South Carolina.”
Tennessee Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jason Martin called out Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for not supporting legalizing marijuana.
Alabama’s treasurer and banking superintendent spoke about challenges associated with cannabis business banking.
A Nebraska senator tweeted, “I now fully understand the phrase ‘be on pins and needles’ as we wait on the outcome of our medical cannabis petition drive. It should be happening any day now. I will tell you when I know.”
A Maryland delegate tweeted, “QUESTION 4 WOULD LEGALIZE RECREATIONAL CANNABIS IN MARYLAND AND IT’S ON THE BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER SO GO TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO VOTE FOR IT SO WE AREN’T LOCKING PEOPLE UP FOR A DAMN PLANT.”
A top New York regulator spoke about the process of awarding marijuana dispensary licenses to people harmed by the drug war.
A New Jersey judge determined that testimony from drug recognition experts can be used as reliable evidence to determine impairment.
The Florida Department of Corrections is being sued by a former employee who says he was improperly fired for medical cannabis use.
Connecticut’s Social Equity Council gave preliminary approval for 12 cannabis delivery, product packaging and retailer licenses.
Oregon regulators voiced concerns about “badly behaving cannabis businesses.”
California regulators sent a reminder about health and safety training for cannabis businesses.
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/ LOCAL
The La Crosse County, Wisconsin Board of Supervisors again rejected putting a nonbinding marijuana legalization advisory referendum on the November ballot.
Jersey City, New Jersey’s City Council president said she regrets having voted to approve a marijuana dispensary owned by her daughter when she should have abstained due to the conflict of interest.
Denver, Colorado regulators sent a reminder about marijuana storage rules.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Colombia’s new drug czar said the country hopes to team up with Peru and Bolivia to decriminalize cocaine across the region and pressure the United Nations to renegotiate international drug conventions.
Thailand’s public health minister said a cannabis and hemp regulation bill will go before the House of Representatives this week.
Lawmakers in Chile will undergo the first round of mandated drug tests this week.
Hundreds of Canadian drug cases could be upended due to errors the federal government made when it updated drug laws and legalized cannabis.
The leader of the Bahamas opposition party criticized the government for not prioritizing marijuana reform.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review concluded that “self-reported studies link marijuana uses to positive mood, anxiety relief, sleep regulation, nausea and vomiting reduction, and appetite stimulation-all [postpartum depression] symptoms” but that “others opposed postpartum marijuana use.”
A study proposed the concept of a “dancer’s high” to portray “how stimulation by Cannabis may lead to a self-sustaining state of increased creativity for dancers.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The U.S. Cannabis Council has a new interim CEO, with the organization’s press release not giving details on why founding head Steve Hawkins is leaving or what his next steps are.
Save Arkansas from Epidemic is a new committee working to oppose the marijuana legalization initiative on the state’s November ballot, and it has been allowed by the state Supreme Court to intervene in ongoing litigation about the measure.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board criticized Missouri lawmakers for leaving it up to voters to pass marijuana expungement reform via a ballot initiative.
The Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group is pushing the UK government to reclassify psilocybin.
/ BUSINESS
Mars Canada Inc. won a lawsuit against three cannabis retailers that were found to infringe on the companies trademarks by selling THC-infused edibles with logos and packaging “almost identical” to Skittles products.
Maridose LLC received a Drug Enforcement Administration license for bulk manufacture of cannabis to supply researchers, the seventh such approval granted by the agency.
The Spectrum Health hospital system in Michigan no longer includes marijuana in pre-employment drug tests.
Cancard, which offers an informal registration in the UK that in some cases allows medical cannabis patients to avoid arrest, says its trademark has been ripped off by a competitor, leading to its social media accounts being shut down.
ACS Laboratory launched what is says is “the most comprehensive national hemp testing panel” that can test for “18 cannabinoids, 105 pesticides, 24 heavy metals, 55 potential residual solvents, 17 different microorganisms, and every required mycotoxin to detect parts per billion, as well as for moisture content, water activity and terpenes.”
Canadian retailers sold C$377.5 million worth of legal cannabis products in June.
/ CULTURE
A lawsuit from B-Real’s Dr. Greenthumb Inc. that sought to force a dispensary to keep carrying its products was rejected by a California judge.
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