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With the support of state law enforcement, a Massachusetts Democratic state representative has filed a drug war bill that would send violators to prison for a mandatory minimum two years (five years for a second offense) and allow police to seize their vehicles—all without the presence of any actual drugs. Sponsored by Rep. Stephan Hay […]
Massachusetts Cops Want to Seize Your Car If It Has a Hidden Compartment | The Daily Chronic
]]>Proponents of a Michigan voter initiative effort to legalize and regulate the personal use and retail sale of cannabis statewide has gathered over 100,000 signatures in the past six weeks. Advocates must collect a total of 252,523 valid signatures from registered voters by mid-November in order to qualify the measure — the Michigan Regulation and […]
Michigan Marijuana Legalization Drive Reaches 100,000 Signatures | The Daily Chronic
]]>This Wednesday, July 12th, members of the Senate Appropriations Committee will convene to discuss the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. This legislative debate provides lawmakers with the opportunity to expand much needed medical marijuana access to our nation’s veterans. Presently, V.A. doctors in states where cannabis therapy is permitted are forbidden […]
Action Alert: Tell the Senate to Expand Veterans’ Access to Medical Cannabis | The Daily Chronic
]]>Yet another study has once again affirmed that the regulation of marijuana for medical or recreational purposes is not associated with increases in problematic cannabis use by young people. Writing in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, federal investigators from the US National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration evaluated […]
No, Legalizing Marijuana (Still) Doesn’t Lead to More Kids Smoking Pot | The Daily Chronic
]]>NEW YORK, NY — The Marijuana Arrest Research Project will release a major report Tuesday, commissioned by the Drug Policy Alliance. The report, Unjust and Unconstitutional: 60,000 Jim Crow Marijuana Arrests in Mayor de Blasio’s New York, shows that despite changing mayoral administrations and police commissioners, the NYPD continues to make large numbers of unjust and […]
Tale of Two New Yorks as NYPD Continues Discriminatory Marijuana Arrests | The Daily Chronic
]]>An unprecedented and wide-ranging coalition of powerful stakeholders is calling for an end to the widespread practice of arresting people solely for drug use or possession. The release of a new Drug Policy Alliance report, endorsed by over 30 organizations, that lays out a roadmap for how U.S. jurisdictions can move toward ending the criminalization of […]
It’s Time for the US to Decriminalize Drug Use and Possession | The Daily Chronic
]]>The US Drug Enforcement Administration has publicly reiterated its position that cannabidiol, a non-psychotropic cannabinoid, is properly categorized under federal law as a schedule I controlled substance — meaning that, by definition, it possesses “a high potential for abuse,” “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States,” and lacks “accepted safety … […]
DEA Reaffirms Stance That CBD Meets Schedule I Criteria; Reality Says Otherwise | The Daily Chronic
]]>Two of the states that legalized the adult use of marijuana in November have taken very different approaches to the opening of the retail marijuana marketplace. In Nevada, where lawmakers and state regulators pushed for an early start to retail marijuana sales six months before the voter-approved measure called for it, marijuana sales began just […]
Nevada Reaps $500k in Pot Taxes while Massachusetts Earns Nothing | The Daily Chronic
]]>SALEM, OR — Oregon’s state licensed cannabis industry has created over 12,500 new jobs and is generating over $300 million in annual wages, according to a preliminary economic report provided to the legislature’s House Committee on Economic Development and Trade. The report, authored by Whitney Economics, identified over 900 cannabis-related businesses (as of February 21, 2007), with another 1,225 businesses […]
Oregon’s Legal Marijuana Economy is Generating Millions, Report Says | The Daily Chronic
]]>BOULDER, CO — Alcohol consumption is associated with negative changes in gray matter volume and in white matter integrity, while cannabis use is not, according to data published online ahead of print in the journal Addiction. Investigators from the University of Colorado, Boulder and the Oregon Health & Science University evaluated neuroimaging data among adults (ages 18 to 55) […]
Alcohol Use, Not Cannabis, Associated With Changes in Brain Structure | The Daily Chronic
]]>NEW YORK, NY — Police are less likely to initiate searches for drugs or weapons during a traffic stop following the enactment of adult use marijuana laws, according to an analysis conducted by The Marshall Project and the Center for Investigative Reporting. Researchers analyzed the frequency of traffic stop-related searches conducted by Colorado and Washington state patrols before […]
Cops Less Likely to Search Drivers Following Marijuana Legalization | The Daily Chronic
]]>Representatives of Florida for Care filed litigation Thursday challenging a statewide ban on medical cannabis smoking. The suit was expected after lawmakers approved legislation (SB 8A) in June amending Amendment 2 — a voter initiated constitutional amendment permitting the use and distribution of medical cannabis. Seventy-one percent of voters approved the amendment in November. Senate […]
Lawsuit Challenges Florida’s Medical Marijuana Smoking Ban | The Daily Chronic
]]>SALEM, OR — In Oregon, if you’re an adult 21 years of age or older, you can legally purchase marijuana and alcohol. Soon, however, you may need to be 21 in order to buy cigarettes and other products containing tobacco or nicotine. In a move aimed at preventing younger adults from taking up smoking in […]
Oregon Legislature Raises Tobacco Sales Age to 21; Gov. Expected to Sign | The Daily Chronic
]]>DOVER, DE — Lawmakers have approved a concurrent resolution establishing a 23-member task force to study issues specific to the regulation of marijuana and to make recommendations to the legislature. The Adult Use Cannabis Task Force will begin meeting in September and will issue a report to the General Assembly by January 31, 2018. Legislation to regulate the adult use […]
Delaware Lawmakers Establish Marijuana Legalization Task Force | The Daily Chronic
]]>CONCORD, NH — New Hampshire’s Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has signed legislation, House Bill 160, to expand the pool of patients eligible to engage in cannabis therapy. The new law, which takes effect August 27, 2017, permits physicians to recommend medical marijuana to patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and/or moderate to severe post-traumatic stress. The Governor had previously signed legislation […]
New Hampshire Adds New Conditions to Medical Marijuana Program | The Daily Chronic
]]>The Orlando attorney behind Florida’s 2016 successful Amendment 2, which passed with over 70 percent of the vote, has filed a lawsuit that would give patients the right to smoke marijuana in their homes. John Morgan, who largely financed the medical marijuana campaign, filed the lawsuit in Leon County Circuit Court on Thursday, challenging a […]
Lawsuit Filed in Florida Challenging Medical Marijuana Smoking Ban | The Daily Chronic
]]>CHARLESTON, WV — West Virginia’s limited medical marijuana law officially took effect this week, although patients will not benefit from the new law for two more years. Passed earlier this year and signed into law by Governor Jim Justice in April, Senate Bill 386, also known as the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act, will allow seriously ill […]
West Virginia’s Medical Marijuana Law Takes Effect | The Daily Chronic
]]>The closure of medical marijuana dispensaries is associated with an increase in larceny, property crimes, and other criminal activities, according to data published in the Journal of Urban Economics. Researchers at the University of Southern California and the University of California, Irvine assessed the impact of dispensary closures on neighborhood crimes rates in the city […]
When LA Closed Medical Marijuana Dispensaries, Crime Went Up | The Daily Chronic
]]>It’s been less than four years since the first legal recreational sales in the United States took place in Colorado, but since then, the US marijuana industry has been creating jobs at rapid pace, and there are now more people employed in the pot industry than there are working in a number of common professions. […]
In Just Four Years, Legal Marijuana Has Become a Job Creation Engine | The Daily Chronic
]]>The prolonged daily administration of cannabinoids is associated with a reduction in migraine headache frequency, according to clinical trial data presented at the 3rd Congress of the European Academy of Neurology. Italian researchers compared the efficacy of oral cannabinoid treatments versus amitriptyline – a depressant commonly prescribed for migraines – in 79 chronic migraine patients […]
Study: Cannabinoids Reduce Migraine Headache Frequency | The Daily Chronic
]]>It’s been less than a week since recreational marijuana sales began in Nevada, and business is booming. With sales even higher than expected, combined with an ongoing legal battle with alcohol distributors, supply issues could soon cause a buzz kill. Early recreational marijuana sales began at several dozen medical marijuana dispensaries statewide on Saturday at […]
Can Nevada’s Recreational Marijuana Supply Keep Up With Demand? | The Daily Chronic
]]>The state of South Dakota is practicing a form of drug war excess tantamount to torture, according to a pair of federal lawsuits filed by the ACLU on June 28. One suit charges that law enforcement and medical personnel subject drug suspects to forcible catheterization if they refuse to submit to a drug test. The […]
Drug War Torture: South Dakota Forcibly Catheterizes Three-Year Old | The Daily Chronic
]]>DOVER, DE — The General Assembly passed a concurrent resolution Saturday morning to create a task force that will study regulating and taxing marijuana for adult use in Delaware. The Adult Use Cannabis Task Force “shall study adoption of a model for regulation and taxation of adult-use cannabis in Delaware, including local authority and control, […]
Delaware Creates Marijuana Legalization Task Force | The Daily Chronic
]]>Celebrate independence and save big all weekend long with these great discounts and coupons from today’s top head shops! 30% Off Vaporizers, Rosin Press & More @ RU Vaped Offer Ends: Jul. 05, 2017 Coupon Code: 070417 Visit Merchant Website Looking to pick up a new vaporizer, nectar collector or rosin press? Take 30% off […]
Independence Daze: 4th of July Savings & Discounts for Stoners | The Daily Chronic
]]>Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health awarded 27 permits for companies to operate the state’s first 52 medical marijuana dispensaries. Below is the list of dispensaries that should be operational by early 2018: Dispensary Name Address City County TerraVida Holistic Centers 1626 Old York Road Abington Montgomery Mission Pennsylvaia LLC 2733 W. Emmaus Ave […]
Where Will You Be Able to Buy Medical Marijuana in Pennsylvania? | The Daily Chronic
]]>As of 12:01 a.m Saturday, legal adult marijuana sales begin in Nevada. And they will commence immediately, with dispensaries on the Las Vegas Strip announcing plans to be open to usher in Sin City’s newest attraction. But don’t go lighting up on the Strip! Smoking in public is not allowed. Nevada now joins Alaska, Colorado, […]
Legal Marijuana Sales in Nevada: 8 Things You Need to Know | The Daily Chronic
]]>This week, the House Appropriations Committee released its 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill, which determines the funding levels for numerous federal agencies, including the Department of Justice. Predictably, the bill does not include language — known as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment — limiting the Justice Department from taking action against state-sanctioned medical cannabis producers, […]
Will Congress Let Jeff Sessions Shut Down Medical Marijuana? | The Daily Chronic
]]>HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania residents are one step closer to being able to access medical marijuana. The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Thursday granted the first 27 permits for medical marijuana dispensaries. Those who won the coveted permits now have six months to become operational, before they can begin dispensing medical marijuana. “This has been […]
Pennsylvania Awards 27 Medical Marijuana Dispensary Licenses | The Daily Chronic
]]>BALTIMORE, MD — Vaporizing cannabis mitigates subjects’ exposure to carbon monoxide and allows them to self-regulate their dose – making it preferable over smoking or oral administration, according to clinical trial data published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Investigators affiliated with the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) assessed the effects of smoked, vaporized, and […]
Study: Vaporization Offers “Attractive Alternative” to Smoking Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>CARSON CITY, NV — Starting this Saturday, July 1, specially licensed medical cannabis dispensaries will have the opportunity to engage in the retail sale of marijuana to adults. State tax regulators finalized temporary rules on Monday governing adult use sales. Regulators so far have issued over 80 licenses to business establishments seeking to engage in […]
Nevada Licensed Adult Use Marijuana Sales Set to Begin Saturday | The Daily Chronic
]]>HONOLULU, HI — Hawaii’s Democrat Governor David Ige has signed legislation into law expanding the state’s medical cannabis program. House Bill 1488 expands the pool of patients eligible for cannabis therapy to include those with epilepsy, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. The measure also explicitly permits patients to legally transport cannabis to a certified lab […]
Hawaii Governor Signs Medical Marijuana Expansion Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>BATON ROUGE, LA — Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has signed legislation, Senate Bill 35, providing explicit legal protections for those involved in activities related to the state’s nascent medical cannabis access program. Lawmakers passed legislation in 2016 establishing a framework for the program, which allows physicians to recommend non-smoked preparations of cannabis to patients […]
Louisiana Medical Marijuana Access Program Moves Forward | The Daily Chronic
]]>NEW YORK, NY — By a margin of more than six to one, Americans say that individual states should be autonomous with regard to laws governing the use and sale of marijuana, according to survey data compiled by Survey USA and commissioned by the advocacy group Marijuana Majority. Seventy-six percent of respondents – including supermajorities of Republicans (72 […]
Americans Want States, Not the Feds, to Have Final Say Regarding Marijuana Policies | The Daily Chronic
]]>LAS VEGAS, NV — Legal adult marijuana sales will begin in Nevada on Saturday, making it the fifth state in the nation to establish a regulated marijuana market for adults. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. PT, adults 21 and older with a valid ID will be able to purchase up to one ounce of marijuana or […]
Legal Adult Marijuana Sales to Begin in Nevada on Saturday | The Daily Chronic
]]>Pain patients report successfully substituting cannabis for opioids and other analgesics, according to data published online in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and Kent State University in Ohio assessed survey data from a cohort of 2,897 self-identified medical cannabis patients. Among those who acknowledged having used opioid-based […]
Patients Are Substituting Medical Marijuana for Opioids, Other Medications | The Daily Chronic
]]>The Minnesota cop who was acquitted last week of killing Philando Castile used the fact that he smelled marijuana in the car as part of his defense. Whether Officer Jeronimo Yanez really believed Castile’s presumed pot use made him more dangerous or whether the testimony influenced the jury’s decision to acquit remains unknown, but its […]
How Reefer Madness Helped Kill Philando Castile | The Daily Chronic
]]>In states where marijuana has been legalized, traffic stops resulting in searches by state police are down dramatically, according to a new analysis from the Marshall Project and the Center for Investigative Reporting. With marijuana possession being legal, police in legal states can no longer assume criminal activity merely because of the presence of pot, […]
Marijuana Legalization Dramatically Cuts Traffic Stop Searches | The Daily Chronic
]]>SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A February poll of 402 Utahns found that 73% of voters support a medical cannabis ballot initiative, with only 20% opposed and 7% undecided. “The poll results show overwhelming and broad support for medical cannabis in Utah,” said DJ Schanz, director of Utah Patients Coalition. “Voters believe that patients should […]
Poll: 73% of Voters Support 2018 Utah Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative | The Daily Chronic
]]>SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Utah Patients Coalition has launched its 2018 ballot initiative campaign to establish a medical cannabis program for patients in Utah. The proposed ballot initiative would allow patients to legally and safely access medical cannabis with the recommendation of their doctor. It represents a conservative approach to medical cannabis policy by […]
Campaign Launched to Place Medical Marijuana on Utah Ballot in 2018 | The Daily Chronic
]]>A new Survey USA poll commissioned by Marijuana Majority finds the strongest support yet for letting states legalize cannabis without federal interference. In the survey of 1,500 American adults, three out of four (76%) say that states should be able to implement their own marijuana laws regardless of federal prohibition. In the new poll, just […]
Poll: 3 of 4 Americans Want Trump to Respect State Marijuana Laws | The Daily Chronic
]]>MONTPELIER, VT: Members of the House voted Wednesday to block a marijuana legalization compromise bill, H. 511, from further consideration this legislative session. The vote came after Senate members approved the bill, which eliminated civil and criminal penalties for the private possession and cultivation of small quantities of marijuana. Republican Gov. Phil Scott — who […]
Vermont House Blocks Marijuana Legalization Compromise Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>MONTPELIER, VT — Another bill that would make marijuana legal for adults in Vermont was approved by the Senate on Wednesday, the first day of a two-day veto session. UPDATE: Vermont House Blocks Marijuana Legalization Compromise Bill House Bill 511 reflects a compromise between legislative leaders and Gov. Phil Scott, who vetoed a similar bill, […]
Vermont Senate Passes Marijuana Legalization Compromise Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>The bipartisan proposal is headed to the governor’s desk after passing 50-13 in the Senate on Tuesday; it received overwhelming approval in the Assembly last month ALBANY, NY — A bipartisan proposal to add post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a qualifying condition for New York’s medical marijuana program has received final approval from state lawmakers […]
New York Legislature Approves Medical Marijuana for PTSD | The Daily Chronic
]]>Oral CBD administration is associated with reduced blood pressure in healthy volunteers, according to clinical trial data published online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Investigators from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom assessed the effects of a single oral dose of 600 mg of CBD extract versus placebo in nine male subjects. […]
A Single Dose of Cannabidiol (CBD) Reduces Blood Pressure, Study Finds | The Daily Chronic
]]>Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has signed into law a bill to make medical marijuana available in Mexico. The new law, which was approved by lawmakers earlier this year, will direct the Ministry of Health to draft and implement policies to regulate the use, importation, and production of pharmaceutical products derived from CBD-dominant/low-THC cannabis. Currently, CBD-infused products […]
Mexico President Signs Bill Authorizing Medical Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>Oklahoma voters will get the chance to legalize medical marijuana in 2018. While supporters had gathered enough signatures to place the measure before voters in 2016, advocates had filed a lawsuit against then-Attorney General E. Scott Pruit after he rewrote the initiative’s ballot title, delaying the vote. Advocates were successful in their lawsuit earlier this […]
Oklahoma Will Vote on Medical Marijuana in 2018 | The Daily Chronic
]]>PARMA, ITALY — Oral cannabis administration is safe and effective for the treatment of chronic pain conditions, according to clinical data published in the Journal of Pain Research. Italian researchers conducted a retrospective case series analysis assessing the use of cannabinoids for intractable pain in a cohort of over 600 patients. Study subjects were typically over […]
Marijuana Infused Tea is Effective in Treating Chronic Pain, Study Finds | The Daily Chronic
]]>Governor Phil Scott has signed legislation, Senate Bill 16, expanding the state’s thirteen-year-old medical marijuana program. The measure permits physicians to recommend cannabis therapy to patients with Crohn’s disease, post-traumatic stress, and Parkinson’s disease, and expedites access for patients with cancer or a terminal illness. The bill also expands the number of permissible dispensaries in […]
Vermont Governor Signs Medical Cannabis Expansion Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>TALLAHASSEE, FL — Members of the House and Senate have approved legislation to implement November’s successful Amendment 2 – a voter-initiated constitutional amendment regulating the use of medical cannabis. Republican Gov. Rick Scott has pledged to sign the bill into law. Lawmakers passed the measure on the final day of Florida’s special legislative session. The measure prohibits […]
Florida Lawmakers Pass Medical Marijuana Implementation Measure | The Daily Chronic
]]>DENVER, CO — Governor John Hickenlooper has signed legislation, Senate Bill 17, permitting physicians to recommend cannabis therapy to patients suffering from post-traumatic stress. PTSD is the first new qualifying condition to be added since the state legalized medical cannabis in 2001. Members of the Colorado Board of Health had previously rejected efforts to include PTSD […]
Colorado Governor Signs Law Allowing Medical Cannabis for PTSD | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — United States Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Corey Booker (D-NJ), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) reintroduced a bill Thursday that would end the federal prohibition of medical marijuana. Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) also signed on to the legislation as original co-sponsors. The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States (or […]
Bipartisan CARERS Act Medical Marijuana Bill Reintroduced in US Senate | The Daily Chronic
]]>In a recent letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf wrote a pointed letter regarding the Department of Justice and it’s posturing to implement a crackdown of lawful state medical marijuana programs. The full letter: Dear Attorney General Sessions: Last year, the Pennsylvania passed bipartisan legislation to legalize Medical Marijuana that I was […]
Pennsylvania Governor to US Attorney General: Back Off! | The Daily Chronic
]]>CARSON CITY, NV — Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has signed legislation, Senate Bill 396, expanding the state’s hemp law to permit broader commercial cultivation of the crop. The new law permits regulators to license growers to engage in hemp cultivation and to produce edible products derived from hemp. Under a 2015 law, hemp could only […]
Nevada Governor Signs Hemp Expansion Law | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators and representatives is introducing comprehensive medical marijuana legislation on Thursday. The move comes just days after the revelation that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent a letter to Congressional leaders requesting the deletion of a current budget rider preventing the Justice Department from interfering with state […]
Medical Marijuana Legislation to Be Filed in US House, Senate | The Daily Chronic
]]>HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has a message for Attorney General Jeff Sessions: Don’t get in the way of our medical marijuana program. The Keystone State’s Democratic governor sent a letter to Sessions on Thursday, following reports that the Attorney General has asked Congress to undo medical marijuana protections that have been in place […]
PA Governor to AG Sessions: Don’t Get in the Way of Medical Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>BOSTON, MA — The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy has voted to advance a bill to repeal and replace the marijuana legalization measure approved by voters in November, angering supporters who are calling the proposal an “insult to voters.” According to the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), who carefully crafted the language of the voter-approved Question […]
Proposed Changes to Massachusetts Marijuana Law “Insults Voters” | The Daily Chronic
]]>H 5551, which is scheduled for a vote on Wednesday, calls for a study commission that includes representatives of the NAACP, Direct Action for Rights and Equality, and Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, but those organizations are ‘not interested in helping lawmakers once again avoid a vote on legalization’ PROVIDENCE, RI — The Regulate Rhode Island […]
Advocates Slam Rhode Island Marijuana Study Bill, Won’t Participate in Commission | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was questioned about federal marijuana policy during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, and his responses were disconcerting to say the least. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) asked Rosenstein about the current tension between state and federal marijuana laws. “We do have a conflict between federal law and […]
Rod Rosenstein: Marijuana Is Federally Illegal and Has No Medical Use | The Daily Chronic
]]>The enactment of medical marijuana laws is not associated with increased rates of problematic cannabis use, according to data published online in the journal Addiction. Columbia University investigators assessed cannabis use trends in states in the years following the passage of medicalization. They reported “no significant change in the prevalence of past-month marijuana use among […]
Medical Marijuana Laws Don’t Lead to More People Smoking Weed | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — The first shots in the Trump Administration‘s War on Marijuana have been fired by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Sessions — who believes that marijuana is “only slightly less awful” than heroin and claims that “good people don’t smoke marijuana” — has reportedly asked congressional leaders to undo federal medical marijuana protections that have been […]
AG Jeff Sessions Wants to Prosecute Medical Marijuana Providers | The Daily Chronic
]]>MONTPELIER, VT — Vermont Governor Phil Scott has signed into law a bill to expand the state’s medical marijuana program. Senate Bill 16, which received overwhelming support in both chambers of the state legislature, was aimed at improving access to medical marijuana in Vermont. Among the changes made by the new law: Patients and caregivers […]
Vermont Governor Signs Medical Marijuana Expansion Bill Into Law | The Daily Chronic
]]>ALBANY, NY — A bill that would allow women suffering from severe menstrual cramps access to medical marijuana in New York has been given preliminary committee approval, sending the measure to the floor of the Assembly for consideration. The New York Assembly Health Committee approved Assembly Bill 582, which would add dysmenorrhea as a qualifying medical […]
‘Pot for Periods’ Bill Advances in New York | The Daily Chronic
]]>Marijuana is legal in eight states and the District of Columbia, and medical marijuana is legal in nearly 30 (although often under quite restrictive regulatory schemes). Between the two, legal weed is generating total annual sales of between $4 billion and $4.5 billion. But legal marijuana sales are dwarfed by sales in the black market, […]
US Marijuana Sales Are Higher Than These 10 Products and Services | The Daily Chronic
]]>CARSON CITY, NV — Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has signed legislation, Assembly Bill 135, amending the state’s traffic safety law so that it is no longer a per se offense for a driver to operate a motor vehicle with trace levels of carboxy-THC in his or her urine. Carboxy-THC is a non-psychoactive metabolite of THC that […]
Nevada Governor Signs Legislation Amending Carboxy-THC Per Se Law | The Daily Chronic
]]>HELENA, MT — Montana Governor Steve Bullock has signed legislation, Senate Bill 333, establishing new regulations for the state’s medical cannabis program and imposing first-ever taxes on gross cannabis sales. The new law, which takes effect on July 1, imposes a four percent tax on gross sales, payable by cannabis providers. The tax drops to […]
Montana Governor Signs Law Establishing Medical Marijuana Tax | The Daily Chronic
]]>LONDON — The administration of whole-plant cannabis extracts is associated with improvements in cognition and behavior in subjects with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to clinical trial data published online ahead of print in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology. British scientists conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of cannabis extracts in 30 adults with […]
Study: Cannabis Extracts Associated With Reduced ADHD Symptoms | The Daily Chronic
]]>PROVIDENCE, RI — Marijuana legalization advocates from Regulate Rhode Island and allied legislators are announcing a new proposal they call “incremental legalization.” Specifically, the compromise legislation would: legalize possession of an ounce or less for adults 21 and older on July 1, 2018 when marijuana retail stores are scheduled to open in Massachusetts; and establish a six-person advisory […]
Rhode Island Lawmakers Offer Marijuana Compromise | The Daily Chronic
]]>ALBANY, NY – Lawmakers in New York state will join with advocates next week to reintroduce a proposal to legalize marijuana in the Empire State. On Monday, June 12, a coalition of community advocates led by the Drug Policy Alliance will join Senator Liz Krueger (D-New York) and Assemblymember Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D-Buffalo) to announce reintroduction […]
New York State Lawmakers to Renew Push for Marijuana Legalization | The Daily Chronic
]]>ANNAPOLIS, MD — Legislation permitting certain marijuana offenders to petition for an expungement of their criminal convictions became law on May 27. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan took no action on the bill. Senate Bill 949 permits those previously convicted of a marijuana possession offense to petition to have their criminal record expunged. The law takes effect […]
Maryland Marijuana Expungement Bill Becomes Law Without Governor’s Signature | The Daily Chronic
]]>SAN DIEGO, CA — In the lovely beachside town of Encinitas, California, 150 professionals from the legal cannabis community dedicated time over Memorial Day weekend to helping the environment, cleaning up a local beach at an event sponsored by online medical marijuana marketplace BudTrader.com. During this 4-hour event, volunteers cleaned up approximately 400 to 500 […]
Marijuana Industry Volunteers Pitch in to Clean up California Beach | The Daily Chronic
]]>TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey’s next governor will be kinder on marijuana than the outgoing Chris Christie, who has been the state’s largest roadblock to marijuana reform, from slowing implementation of medical marijuana in the state to blocking any attempts to legalize or decriminalize the plant. Both major party candidates elected in Tuesday’s primaries, Democrat […]
New Jersey’s Next Governor Will Support Marijuana Reform | The Daily Chronic
]]>DENVER, CO — Colorado residents suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, will soon gain access to the state’s medical marijuana program. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed into law this week Senate Bill 17, adding the ailment to the list of conditions that qualify for medical marijuana in the state. Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that […]
Colorado Adds PTSD to Medical Marijuana Program | The Daily Chronic
]]>WICHITA, KS — The Wichita City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to give preliminary approval to an ordinance that aims to reduce penalties for some first-time marijuana offenses. Under the ordinance approved Tuesday, which still requires another vote at a later date, first time offenders would receive a $50 fine for possessing marijuana. Here are the […]
After Losing Court Fight, Wichita, Kansas Tries Again to Reduce Marijuana Penalties | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC – The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) and Vote Hemp launched the 8th annual Hemp History Week, to occur June 5-11, 2017, throughout the country. As event organizers advocate for full federal legalization of industrial hemp farming this Spring, Hemp History Week raises awareness about the environmental sustainability, health benefits, regenerative agriculture potential, and […]
Hemp History Week Launches Nationwide June 5-11, 2017 | The Daily Chronic
]]>After the 2016 elections saw four more states legalizing recreational marijuana for adults, a total of eight states, and the District of Columbia, now have removed criminal penalties for the possession of marijuana by those 21 or older. But with legal, regulated marijuana sales still a year or more away, access to “legal” marijuana can still […]
Which States Allow You to Grow Your Own Marijuana for Recreational Use? | The Daily Chronic
]]>Scientists have conducted over 140 controlled clinical trials since 1975 assessing the safety and efficacy of whole-plant cannabis or specific cannabinoids, according to a new literature review published in the journal Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences. A team of German researchers identified 140 clinical trials involving an estimated 8,000 participants. Of these, the largest body […]
Review Identifies 140 Controlled Clinical Trials Related to Cannabis | The Daily Chronic
]]>CARSON CITY, NV — Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has signed into law a bill that will expand the state’s industrial hemp program. Senate Bill 396 was among dozens of bills signed by the Governor late last week, and had received near-unanimous approval in the state legislature. The measure will expand Nevada’s current law, passed in 2015, that […]
Nevada Governor Signs Industrial Hemp Bill Into Law | The Daily Chronic
]]>The oral administration of CBD (cannabidiol) reduces seizure frequency in children with intractable epilepsy, according to placebo-controlled, randomized trial data published in The New England Journal of Medicine. A team of investigators from the United States and England evaluated the effects of pharmaceutically standardized cannabidiol extracts (aka Epidiolex) versus placebo in 120 children and young […]
Cannabidiol (CBD) Found to Reduce Seizure Frequency in Phase III Trial | The Daily Chronic
]]>CONCORD, NH — Getting busted for small amounts of marijuana in a state who’s motto is “Live Free or Die” will soon no longer result in the possibility of jail time. New Hampshire will finally become the final state in New England to decriminalize marijuana possession, as the House of Representatives voted Thursday to give final […]
New Hampshire Lawmakers (Finally) Pass Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>PHILADELPHIA, PA — There exists “minimal evidence” in support of an association between cannabis use by itself and the onset of psychotic symptoms in young people, according to data published online ahead of print in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Investigators from the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychiatry assessed the relationship between drug use and […]
Study: Marijuana Does Not Lead to an Increase in Psychotic Symptoms | The Daily Chronic
]]>PHOENIX, AZ — Arizona’s Republican Governor Doug Ducey has vetoed legislation, Senate Bill 1337, that sought to establish regulations for the creation of a regulated statewide hemp industry. The measure determined that “the development and use of industrial hemp can improve the [state’s] economy and agricultural vitality,” and sought to govern its “licensing, production, and management.” […]
Arizona Governor Vetoes Industrial Hemp Licensing Measure | The Daily Chronic
]]>SACRAMENTO, CA — The California State Assembly passed legislation Thursday night that would prohibit state and local agencies from using resources to assist federal law enforcement authorities with marijuana enforcement against people in compliance with California state law. The successful Assembly floor vote means the bill, Assembly Bill 1578, has cleared its first house, before today’s […]
California to Washington: Stay Out of Our Marijuana Policies and Laws | The Daily Chronic
]]>BALTIMORE, MD — Cannabis exposure in utero is not associated with any significant, long-lasting adverse outcomes in offspring, according to a scientific review published online ahead of print in the journal Preventive Medicine. A pair of researchers from the University of Maryland, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and the Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of […]
Study: Marijuana Use While Pregnant Doesn’t Have Long Term Effects | The Daily Chronic
]]>CARSON CITY, NV — Nevada’s anticipated July 1 start to recreational marijuana sales could be delayed following a judge’s ruling earlier this week on a complaint from the alcohol industry. A district judge issued an order Tuesday banning the state’s Department of Taxation from enforcing a May 31 application deadline for medical marijuana dispensaries applying […]
Nevada Judge Halts Early Start to Recreational Marijuana Sales | The Daily Chronic
]]>South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley (R) thought he had the perfect case to help burnish his tough-on-pot prosecutorial credentials as he eyes the governorship in the socially conservative state. It didn’t work out that way, though. Eric Hagen, who was set to be sacrificed on the altar of Jackley’s ambitions, walked free last week […]
SD Attorney General Foiled in Bid to Prosecute Tribal Marijuana Consultant | The Daily Chronic
]]>In the euphoric aftermath of marijuana legalization victories in California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada last November, the marijuana blogosphere was alive with predictions about which states would be next to free the weed. But unlike the first eight states, which all legalized it via the initiative and referendum process, for legalization to win this year, […]
How Many States Will Legalize Marijuana This Year? | The Daily Chronic
]]>Due to the illegality of marijuana, growers and breeders of marijuana have been confused about how possible it is to get patents on their strains of marijuana. This has cast a lot of shadows about who owns the strains in the future. Will they be eligible for patent protection in the future? Are patents for […]
Some Thoughts on Marijuana Related Patents | The Daily Chronic
]]>PAX Vaporizers Memorial Day Sale Offer Ends: May. 29, 2017 Visit Merchant Website PAX vaporizers are not just offering veterans a 20% discount this holiday weekend — now through Memorial Day, PAX is donating all net profits to Veterans’ foundations. Offer valid at PAX Vaporizers from Friday, May 26, 2017 through Monday, May 29, 2017. × Visit […]
Memorial Day Sales, Savings & Discounts for Stoners | The Daily Chronic
]]>AUGUSTA, ME — The Maine Legislature has passed a bill to fund the implementation of the successful 2016 marijuana legalization initiative and change the agency that will regulate marijuana for adult use. The Senate on Thursday passed LD 243 unanimously “under the hammer,” without debate or a roll call vote, sending it to Gov. Paul […]
Maine Lawmakers Pass Bill to Implement Marijuana Legalization Initiative | The Daily Chronic
]]>FLANDREAU, SD — A marijuana consultant from a Colorado-based firm has been found not guilty of drug-related charges related to his work with a South Dakota tribe’s failed attempt to open a marijuana cultivation facility and smoking lounge in 2015. Eric Hagen, president of the Colorado-based cannabis consulting firm Monarch America was charged with possession […]
South Dakota: Jury Acquits Tribal Marijuana Consultant on All Charges | The Daily Chronic
]]>PARIS — The government of newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron announced intentions to soon replace marijuana arrests with fines nationwide. Police in France will soon issue a simple ticket for the use and possession of marijuana. Offenders will no longer face possible prison time or court convictions. France’s Minster of the Interior Gérard Collomb said Wednesday […]
France Will Soon Replace Marijuana Arrests With Fines Nationwide | The Daily Chronic
]]>MONTPELIER, VT — Vermont’s Republican governor on Wednesday rejected legislation, Senate Bill 22, that sought to eliminate criminal and civil penalties for the adult use and possession of marijuana. Governor Phil Scott said that he did not support the legislation as written, but remains open to working with lawmakers over the summer on ways to amend the state’s cannabis […]
Vermont Governor Rejects Marijuana Legalization Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>MONTPELIER, VT — Gov. Phil Scott announced Wednesday he is vetoing a bill that would have made marijuana legal for adults in Vermont, but offered a “path forward” for passing it later this year. He specified a handful of changes that would need to be made for him to support the measure and said he […]
Vermont Governor Vetoes Marijuana Legalization, Offers ‘Path Forward’ | The Daily Chronic
]]>MONTPELIER, VT — Vermont Governor Phil Scott has returned a bill that would legalize marijuana possession, but not regulate marijuana sales, to lawmakers, issuing a veto on Senate Bill 22. In a noon press conference on Wednesday, Gov. Scott provided “a path forward” to responsibly legalize marijuana in the Green Mountain State, inviting lawmakers to […]
Vermont Governor Phil Scott Vetoes Marijuana Legalization Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) has vetoed a marijuana legalization bill, ending for now an effort that would have seen the state become the first to legalize pot through the legislative process. But Scott left open a “path forward” for passing the bill later this year, saying that if a handful of changes were made […]
Vermont Governor Vetoes Marijuana Legalization (For Now) | The Daily Chronic
]]>Carnival Cruise Lines wants you to know that you can not smoke marijuana on their cruise ships, or even bring it on board. Replying to a tweet Monday, the cruise line said “You cannot smoke Marijuana [sic] or bring it on board.” @ayeeyoo_cfo You cannot smoke Marijuana or bring it on board. — Carnival Cruise Line […]
Carnival Cruise Line Just Says No to Marijuana Use On Board | The Daily Chronic
]]>ALBANY, NY — Lawmakers in New York will hold a hearing Tuesday on a bill to consider adding menstrual cramps as a qualification for medical marijuana in the state. The New York Assembly Health Committee is scheduled to hear several bills Tuesday afternoon, including Assembly Bill 582, which would add dysmenorrhea as a qualifying medical […]
New York to Consider Adding Menstrual Cramps to Medical Marijuana Conditions | The Daily Chronic
]]>PHOENIX, AZ — Arizona Governor Doug Ducey on Monday vetoed a bill that would have allowed the licensed cultivation and production of industrial hemp in the state. Senate Bill 1337 was overwhelmingly approved by both chambers of the legislature, who could easily override the veto. The Senate initially voted 26 to 4 to approve the bill, […]
Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Legalized Industrial Hemp | The Daily Chronic
]]>PULLMAN, WA — Are you 21 or older, live in Pullman, Washington, and want to get paid to smoke pot as part of a research study? Researchers at Washington State University are working to develop a breathalyzer to detect marijuana use, and are seeking paid volunteers to participate. Volunteers will earn $30 for their first […]
Washington State University Needs Paid Volunteers to Smoke Marijuana for Research Study | The Daily Chronic
]]>MONTPELIER, VT — Nearly two weeks after passing both chambers of the state legislature, Vermont’s marijuana legalization bill landed on the desk of Governor Phil Scott on Thursday, and the clock is now ticking for the Governor to take action. Under Vermont state law, the Governor has five legislative days to review the measure and […]
Vermont Governor has Until Wednesday to Sign Marijuana Legalization Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>One of the latest developments in the Montana Congressional special election is the news that Democratic candidate Rob Quist had previously consumed marijuana during the course of his life. Certain media outlets in the state have attempted to make a lot of hay out of this issue, hoping to shift a hotly contested election. I […]
Montana Special Election: Rob Quist’s Marijuana Use is NORML | The Daily Chronic
]]>CONCORD, NH — Legislation eliminating criminal penalties for minor marijuana possession offenses has been approved by members of the New Hampshire House and Senate and has the backing of Governor Chris Sununu. House Bill 640, as amended by the Senate, revises state law so that the possession of up to three-quarters of one ounce of cannabis […]
New Hampshire Marijuana Decriminalization Measure Moves Forward | The Daily Chronic
]]>Inhaled cannabis is effective and well-tolerated in patients with Tourette’s Syndrome, according to clinical data published online ahead of print in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. A team of researchers at the University of Toronto retrospectively assessed the safety and efficacy of inhaled cannabis in 19 TS patients. Researchers reported, “All study participants […]
Study: Inhaled Cannabis Controls Tics in Patients With Tourette’s Syndrome | The Daily Chronic
]]>SANTIAGO — Chilean pharmacies are now making medical cannabis products available to patients with a physician’s authorization. The nation legalized the use and distribution of medical cannabis in 2015, and just recently began importing medicinal cannabis products from the Canadian provider Tilray. Chileans are not permitted under the law to cultivate their own cannabis. In […]
Medical Marijuana Now Available at Pharmacies in Chile | The Daily Chronic
]]>DES MOINES, IA — Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed legislation late last week, House File 524, expanding the pool of patients eligible to possess cannabidiol oils. The act permits patients with HIV, Crohn’s disease, untreatable pain, and other serious conditions to possess CBD extracts. It also seeks to establish a small number of state-licensed producers […]
Iowa Governor Signs Legislation Expanding CBD Access | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — A bipartisan group of Senators led by Jeff Merkley (D-OR) have introduced legislation in the United States Senate that would ensure legal cannabis businesses can access banking services. Joining Sen. Merkley as co-sponsors of the measure are Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Rand Paul (R-KY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren […]
Bill Filed in US Senate to Give Cannabis Industry Access to Banks | The Daily Chronic
]]>OLYMPIA, WA — On Tuesday, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill that, among other things, will allow the state to soon certify organic marijuana products. According to the bill’s primary sponsor, Sen. Ann Rivers (R), marijuana that is state certified as organic is likely to be on dispensary shelves in about a year and a […]
Coming Soon to Washington: Certified Organic Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>African Americans in Virginia are arrested for violating marijuana possession laws at more than three times the rates of whites and this disparity is rising, according to an analysis of statewide arrest data by Virginia Commonwealth University’s Capital News Service. Researchers reviewed 160,000 state and local arrest records from the years 2010 through 2016. They […]
Study: Racial Disparity in Marijuana Arrest Rates Increasing | The Daily Chronic
]]>HARTFORD, CT — Democratic state lawmakers in Connecticut introduced a budget proposal Tuesday that includes regulating and taxing marijuana for use by adults 21 and older. In the first year under the proposed plan, adults would be able to purchase limited amounts of marijuana from existing medical marijuana dispensaries, and sales would be subject to a […]
Connecticut Democrats Consider Legalizing Marijuana to Help Balance Budget | The Daily Chronic
]]>CONCORD, NH — Shortly after lawmakers in the New Hampshire Senate voted to approve a bill to decriminalize marijuana in the Granite State, sending the measure back to the House to approve a few minor changes made in the Senate, Governor Chris Sununu said he would sign the measure into law. “I want to thank the […]
New Hampshire Governor Will Sign Marijuana Decriminalization Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — Attorney General Jeff Sessions, pushing back on bi-partisan momentum to reduce the amount of people behind bars, issued a memo to prosecutors, calling on them to push for the “most serious” charges against people, hoping to trigger mandatory minimum drug sentences. The memo is a direct reversal of the policy of his […]
Jeff Sessions Escalates Drug War: Tells Prosecutors to Seek “Most Serious” Charges, More Severe Sentences for Drugs | The Daily Chronic
]]>It is no secret that the legal framework concerning Cannabis in the Unites States of America is rapidly changing the last years. The cannabis industry is now the fastest growing industry in the United States. California seems to be the leader in Cannabis sales compared to the other States. There is far more legal marijuana […]
Dispensaries and the New Legal Niches of Marijuana in California | The Daily Chronic
]]>ATLANTA, GA — On Monday, May 15, 2017, the City Council of Atlanta, Georgia will vote on an ordinance that would decriminalize the possession of one ounce or less of marijuana within Atlanta’s City Limits. Under Georgia law, the possession of one ounce or less is an arrestable offense that could result in up to […]
GA: Atlanta City Council to Consider Marijuana Decriminalization | The Daily Chronic
]]>Never in the history of Delaware has a marijuana legalization bill passed out of committee – yet these days NORML chapters throughout the country are writing a new future. After organizing of heroic proportions, Delaware NORML has driven the phone calls, lead the meetings, organized the town halls, and created momentum so strong that yesterday, HB 110, to legalize […]
Delaware Legislature Advances Marijuana Legalization to Full House Vote | The Daily Chronic
]]>AUSTIN, TX — Texas lawmakers only meet every other year for 140 days, and two heavily watched pieces of legislation were not brought to a vote in the House before a midnight deadline Friday, effectively killing the bills until the next regular legislative session begins in January 2019. The language of the two bills — House […]
Time Runs Out on Medical Marijuana Fix, Decriminalization in Texas | The Daily Chronic
]]>Marijuana activists across Michigan are gearing up for a renewed effort to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and up. Last week the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol took the first steps to qualify their new proposal for the 2018 ballot by formally submitting language to the State of Michigan for review. If passed by […]
Michigan NORML Joins Fight to Legalize Marijuana in 2018 | The Daily Chronic
]]>TALLAHASSEE, FL — Lawmakers failed to enact legislation this legislative session establishing rules for the implementation of Amendment 2, a voter-initiated measure legalizing the use, production, and dispensing of medical cannabis. Over 70 percent of voters approved the constitutional amendment in November. Unless lawmakers convene a special legislative session to address the issue, Department of Health […]
Florida Lawmakers Fail to Reconcile Medical Marijuana Implementation Bills | The Daily Chronic
]]>MEXICO CITY — Mexican lawmakers have approved legislation to regulate the use of medical cannabis products. The legislation awaits action from President Enrique Peña Nieto, who has spoken in favor of the measure. It eliminates criminal prohibitions related to the cultivation of marijuana for therapeutic purposes and authorizes the Health Ministry to design regulations for the […]
Mexico Lawmakers Approve Legislation Permitting Medical Cannabis Access | The Daily Chronic
]]>CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire state Senate passed a bill Thursday (17-6) that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in New Hampshire. House Bill 640 will now head back to the House of Representatives, which overwhelmingly approved the original version in February (318-36) and is expected to concur with the Senate-approved version soon. […]
New Hampshire Senate Passes Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession | The Daily Chronic
]]>CONCORD, NH — New Hampshire is the only New England state that has not either decriminalized or legalized adult marijuana use but that is soon to change. On Thursday, the state Senate passed an amended version of House Bill 640, which eliminates the threat of jail time for a possession conviction of less than 3/4 of […]
New Hampshire Decriminalization Passes Senate, Soon Heads to Governor to Sign | The Daily Chronic
]]>TRENTON, NJ — On Thursday, the New Jersey Medicinal Marijuana Program Review Panel made initial recommendations to the Health Commissioner to approve chronic pain related to musculoskeletal disorders, migraines, anxiety, chronic fatigue related to ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome, Tourrette syndrome as qualifying conditions for the medical marijuana program. “We are glad to see that […]
New Jersey Panel Recommends Adding Chronic Pain, Other Conditions, to Medical Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>ATLANTA, GA — Governor Nathan Deal signed legislation on Tuesday expanding the state’s two-year-old cannabinol exemption law. The law took immediate effect. Senate Bill 16 for the first time permits reciprocity for qualifying patients from other states and expands the pool of patients eligible to possess CBD to include those with autism, epidermolysis bullosa, AIDS, Tourette’s […]
Georgia Governor Signs CBD Expansion Legislation Bill Into Law | The Daily Chronic
]]>House and Senate lawmakers have approved legislation, Senate Bill 22, to eliminate criminal and civil penalties specific to the adult use and possession of marijuana. The measure amends state law so that the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis and/or the cultivation of up to two mature plants (and up to four immature […]
Vermont Lawmakers Approve Eliminating Penalties for the Adult Use of Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>DOVER, DE — The Delaware House Revenue and Finance Committee approved a bill Wednesday (9-2) that would make marijuana legal for adults and regulate it similarly to alcohol. House Bill 110, also known as the Delaware Marijuana Control Act, will now be considered by the full House of Representatives. “There is strong public support for […]
Marijuana Legalization Bill Advances in Delaware House | The Daily Chronic
]]>On May 11, new ground will be broken in Texas politics and the marijuana movement. House Bill 81, to decriminalize marijuana from jail time to a simple ticket, will be heard by the full Texas House. This is unprecedented as sensible sentencing reform has not been debated from the house floor since 1973, , when Texas changed their laws […]
Marijuana Decriminalization is Scheduled to Be Heard on the Texas House Floor | The Daily Chronic
]]>MONTPELIER, VT — A bill that would make marijuana legal for adults in Vermont has received final approval from state legislators and is headed to the desk of Gov. Phil Scott. If Scott signs it or allows it to become law without his signature, Vermont would be the first state to make marijuana legal for […]
Vermont Lawmakers Pass Bill to Legalize Marijuana; Historic Measure Now Headed to the Governor’s Desk | The Daily Chronic
]]>DOVER, DE — The Delaware House Revenue and Finance Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET on a bill that would make marijuana legal for adults and regulate it similarly to alcohol. The committee will hear testimony before voting on HB 110, also known as the Delaware Marijuana Control Act. If approved, it […]
Delaware Lawmakers to Consider Marijuana Legalization Bill on Wednesday | The Daily Chronic
]]>ALBANY, NY — A bipartisan bill that would add post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a qualifying condition for New York’s medical marijuana program passed the New York Senate Health Committee 15-1 on Tuesday. Senate Bill 5629 is sponsored by Sen. Diane Savino (D-Staten Island) and co-sponsored by several senators, including Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn), who […]
Veterans, Others With PTSD Could Soon Access Medical Marijuana in New York | The Daily Chronic
]]>Nevada regulators have approved rules to allow for the expedited sales of cannabis to adults. Members of the Nevada Tax Commission voted 6 to 1 on Monday to license select medical dispensaries to engage in retail sales of non-medical cannabis. Dispensaries in good standing with the state will be able to apply for “early start” […]
Nevada Retail Marijuana Sales to Begin This July | The Daily Chronic
]]>Public support for marijuana legalization has surged in Washington state in the years following the enactment of legislation permitting the commercial production and retail sale of the plant, according to survey data published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Fifty-five percent of voters approved the voter-initiated measure in 2012. Investigators with the Public Health […]
Washington: Support for Marijuana Policy Reform Surges Post-Legalization | The Daily Chronic
]]>Congress moved to protect medical marijuana by including in its stop-gap federal spending bill a provision barring the Justice Department from using federal funds to go after the drug in states where medical marijuana is legal, but now, President Trump says that doesn’t matter. Even though Trump signed the spending bill into law last Friday, […]
Trump Threatens to Defy Congress to Go After Medical Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>AUSTIN, TX — A group of patients, caregivers, and advocates will gather at the Texas State Capitol today for an eleventh-hour push to keep critical medical marijuana legislation alive. The group, led by Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, will be urging members of the House Calendars Committee to schedule a vote on House Bill 2107, […]
Texas Advocates Make Last Minute Push for Medical Marijuana Fix | The Daily Chronic
]]>AUSTIN, TX — Lawmakers in the Texas house have advanced a bill that advocates are calling “critical” to the future of Texas’ currently unworkable medical marijuana program. House Bill 2107 was advanced Friday by the Public Health Committee by a vote of 7 to 2. The bill now heads to the Calendars Committee, the legislative committee […]
Texas Medical Marijuana Bill Wins Key Committee Approval | The Daily Chronic
]]>Senators amended a House-approved bill, S. 22, to include the language of H. 170, which the House approved earlier this week MONTPELIER, VT — The Vermont Senate passed a bill on Friday that would make personal possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana legal for adults 21 and older beginning in July 2018. The […]
Vermont Senate Approves New Proposal to Legalize Marijuana Possession; Home Cultivation | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — The Trump Administration plans to cut the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) budget by nearly 95%, according to a report today by CBS News. According to CBS, the cuts made to the ONDCP budget for fiscal year 2018 are being proposed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Among the proposed cuts, 33 […]
Trump Administration Plans to Slash Funding for Drug Czar’s Office | The Daily Chronic
]]>Spending legislation approved in the past 24 hours by members of the US House and Senate reauthorizes language protecting state-sanctioned medical marijuana and industrial hemp programs. The President is expected to sign the budget bill into law imminently. Specifically, Section 537 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017, states that no federal funds may be […]
Congress’ 2017 Budget Plan Reauthorizes Protections for State Medical Cannabis Programs | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — The Justice Department will continue to be prohibited from interfering in state medical marijuana laws under the federal spending bill passed Thursday in the Senate. The bill has already passed the House, and President Donald Trump has said he will sign it. The legislation includes a provision that is intended to prevent […]
Justice Department Still Prohibited From Interfering in State Medical Marijuana Laws Under New Spending Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>ARLINGTON, VA — The National District Attorneys Association is calling for the federal government to strictly enforce anti-cannabis laws in states that have regulated its production and distribution for either medical or recreational purposes. In a new white paper, the group recommends that the Trump administration set aside the 2013 Cole memorandum directing US Attorneys not […]
National District Attorneys Association Calls for Federal Anti-Marijuana Crackdown | The Daily Chronic
]]>INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has signed legislation, HB 1148, exempting qualified patients from criminal penalties for the physician-authorized use of cannabinol (CBD) extracts. The measure permits patients registered with the state to possess cannabidiol extract preparations that possess at least ten percent CBD and no more than 0.3 percent THC. The law […]
Indiana Governor Signs CBD Exemption Measure | The Daily Chronic
]]>VANCOUVER, BC — Cannabis consumption is positively associated with the decreased use of crack cocaine, according to longitudinal data published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. Canadian investigators assessed the use patterns of cannabis and crack cocaine in a cohort of 122 subjects over a three-year period. They reported that participants subsequently reduced their frequency of […]
Study: Cannabis Use Associated With Decreased Crack Cocaine Consumption | The Daily Chronic
]]>DENVER, CO — Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has signed legislation into law permitting registered patients to access medical cannabis while on bond in a criminal case. Senate Bill 178 states, “[T]he court shall not require as a condition of any bond that [a] person … with a valid registry identification card … abstain from the use of […]
Colorado Patients May Access Medical Cannabis While on Bond | The Daily Chronic
]]>LOWELL, MA — Subjects who consume cannabis are significantly less likely to suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as compared to those who do not, according to population-based case-control data published in the journal PLOS One. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most prevalent form of liver disease in humans, affecting an estimated 80 […]
Study: Marijuana Use Linked to Lower Prevalence of Fatty Liver Disease | The Daily Chronic
]]>FRANKFORT, KY — Industrial hemp legally grown in Kentucky is not considered marijuana. It has only a fraction of THC—or tetrahydrocannabinol, a psychoactive compound—found in marijuana. And state regulators aim to keep it that way. Around 100 pounds of industrial hemp grown under Kentucky’s three-year old Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program were destroyed just three […]
Kentucky Lawmakers Eye THC Content of State’s Industrial Hemp | The Daily Chronic
]]>The bipartisan congressional budget agreement to keep the federal government operating through September contains exactly no money for the Justice Department to wage war on medical marijuana in states where it is legal. The agreement reached Sunday instead explicitly bars the use of federal funds to go after medical marijuana. And it sends a strong […]
Congress Will Give the DOJ Exactly Zero Dollars to Go After Medical Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>Adults often substitute cannabis for the use of prescription medications, according to data published in the Journal of Pain Research. Investigators from the Bastyr University Research Institute assessed the frequency of drug substitution among a self-selected national sample of 2,774 self-identified marijuana consumers. Just under half of respondents (46 percent) reported using cannabis in place […]
Study: Cannabis Often Substituted for Prescription Medications | The Daily Chronic
]]>MONTPELIER, VT — The Vermont House of Representatives approved a bill 74-68 on its second reading Tuesday evening that would make personal possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana legal for adults 21 and older. If the bipartisan measure is approved at a third reading, which is expected later this week, it will advance […]
Vermont House Passes Marijuana Legalization Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee approved an amended version of House Bill 640 on Tuesday (3-2), bringing New Hampshire another step closer to becoming the final state in New England to decriminalize marijuana possession. The bill will now be considered by the full Senate and is expected to receive a vote on […]
Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Advances in New Hampshire Senate | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump invited President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines to the White House after having a “very friendly conversation with Mr. Duterte” on Saturday. According to a statement issued by the White House, the two “discussed the fact that the Philippines is fighting very hard to rid its country of drugs.” […]
Trump Calls Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, Supports His Murderous Drug War and Invites Him to White House | The Daily Chronic
]]>AUSTIN, TX — The Texas House Committee on Public Health will hold a hearing Tuesday on a bipartisan proposal to fix the state’s currently unworkable medical marijuana program and make the unnecessarily restrictive law more inclusive. House Bill 2107 would increase the number of medical conditions that qualify for the Texas Compassionate Use Program and allow […]
Texas House Hearing on Texas Medical Marijuana Bill Scheduled for Tuesday | The Daily Chronic
]]>ATHENS, GA — Patients use fewer prescription drugs in states where access to medical cannabis is legally regulated, according to data published in the journal Health Affairs. Investigators at the University of Georgia assessed the association between medical cannabis regulations and the average number of prescriptions filled by Medicaid beneficiaries between the years 2007 and […]
National Medical Marijuana Could Save Medicaid $1 Billion, Study Finds | The Daily Chronic
]]>A recently released white paper published by the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) is calling for the federal government to strictly enforce anti-cannabis laws in states that have regulated its production and distribution for either medical or recreational purposes. The working group, which consists of D.A.s and prosecutors from more than a dozen states (including representatives […]
The National District Attorneys Association is Lying About Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>NEW YORK, NY — More than six in ten Americans believe that the social use of marijuana should be legal for adults, according to nationwide polling data provided by CBS News. The percentage marks a significant increase since 2013 when CBS reported that only 45 percent of respondents endorsed legalization, and it is among the […]
Multiple Polls Find Support for Marijuana Legalization at All Time High | The Daily Chronic
]]>IRVINE, CA — Reducing criminal penalties for marijuana offenses is associated with greater overall employment and higher wages, according to data compiled by economists at the University of California. Researchers at the Economic Self-Sufficiency Research Policy Institute at the University of California at Irvine assessed the relationship between statewide marijuana decriminalization laws and labor outcomes. […]
Can Decriminalizing Marijuana Lead to Higher Wages? Study Says Yes. | The Daily Chronic
]]>CHARLESTON, WV — West Virginia Governor Jim Justin has signed legislation, SB 386, establishing a limited medical cannabis distribution program. West Virginia is the 30th state to authorize by statute the physicians-recommended use of cannabis or cannabis-infused products. The program, which will not be operational until at least July 1, 2019, establishes regulations permitting the […]
West Virginia Governor Signs Limited Medical Marijuana Measure Into Law | The Daily Chronic
]]>DENVER, CO — Lawmakers in the Colorado legislature have passed a measure to add post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, to the list of conditions that qualify for medical marijuana in the state. The measure, Senate Bill 17, will now be sent to the desk of Gov. John Hickenlooper for final approval. It was approved Previous […]
Colorado Lawmakers Pass Bill to Allow Medical Marijuana for PTSD | The Daily Chronic
]]>OLYMPIA, WA — Lawmakers in Washington state have sent a comprehensive marijuana reform bill to the desk of Governor Jay Inslee (D), making several changes to the state’s cannabis regulation policies. The bi-partisan Senate Bill 5131 was sponsored by Sens. Anna Rivers [R] Steven Conway [D], and received overwhelming support in both chambers of the legislature. […]
Washington Lawmakers Send Marijuana Reform Bill to Governor | The Daily Chronic
]]>AUSTIN, TX — A group of patients, caregivers, and medical professionals gathered at the Texas State Capitol on Tuesday to urge lawmakers to allow hearings on critical medical marijuana legislation. The group called on House Public Health Committee Chairman Four Price and Senate Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Charles Schwertner to schedule hearings on […]
Texas Medical Marijuana Supporters Push for Hearings on Critical Legislation | The Daily Chronic
]]>Since 2014, the Department of Justice has been prohibited from using taxpayers’ funds to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states that regulate its medical use. But that could all change this week as Congress decides how to fund the federal government for the remainder of this fiscal year. At issue is a provision known as […]
Just Say “No” to Taxpayer Funded Medical Marijuana Raids | The Daily Chronic
]]>ANNAPOLIS, MD — After lengthy delays, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission has opened up the patient and caregiver registry for the state supervised medical marijuana program. Starting Monday April 24, open enrollment for all patients and caregivers is available on the agency’s website. The registry was opened in a three-phase roll-out earlier this month. Previously, […]
Medical Marijuana Patient Registry Opens in Maryland | The Daily Chronic
]]>Patients use fewer prescription drugs in states where access to medical cannabis is legally regulated, according to data published in the journal Health Affairs. Investigators at the University of Georgia assessed the association between medical cannabis regulations and the average number of prescriptions filled by Medicaid beneficiaries between the years 2007 and 2014. Researchers reported, […]
Study: Medical Marijuana Legalization Linked to Lower Medicaid Costs | The Daily Chronic
]]>ANNAPOLIS, MD — After long and difficult negotiations and consultation with advocates, industry stakeholders, and the Attorney General, legislators agreed on a compromise bill, HB 1443, to address the lack of diversity in the Maryland medical cannabis industry without delaying the program. Unfortunately, the clock ran out on the last night of session and the final […]
Time Runs Out on Compromise to Fix Maryland Medical Cannabis Program | The Daily Chronic
]]>MONTPELIER, VT — The Vermont Senate approved a bill on Friday that would regulate the production and sale of marijuana and eliminate penalties for personal possession and cultivation by adults 21 and older. The Senate amended H. 167, an unrelated House-approved bill, to replace it with a revised version of a marijuana regulation bill that passed […]
Vermont Moves Closer to Legalizing Recreational Marijuana for Adults | The Daily Chronic
]]>More than six in ten Americans believe that the social use of marijuana should be legal for adults, according to nationwide polling data provided by CBS News. The percentage marks a significant increase since 2013, when only 45 percent of respondents endorsed legalization, and it is among the highest levels of public support ever reported […]
CBS Poll Finds Support for Legalizing Marijuana at Record High | The Daily Chronic
]]>In a speech Tuesday, United States Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly announced that the Trump Administration would use marijuana possession as a reason for deporting immigrants. “ICE will continue to use marijuana possession, distribution and convictions as essential elements as they build their deportation removal apprehension packages for targeted operations against illegal aliens living in […]
Homeland Security Chief: Marijuana Possession is Grounds for Deportation | The Daily Chronic
]]>CHARLESTON, WV. — Governor Jim Justice signed SB 386 into law on Wednesday, making West Virginia the 29th state in the nation to enact legislation allowing seriously ill patients to access medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it. Senate Bill 386, titled the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act, was introduced by Sen. Richard Ojeda (D-Logan) […]
Governor Signs Bill Making West Virginia the 29th Medical Marijuana State | The Daily Chronic
]]>BISMARK, ND — North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (R) signed legislation on Tuesday amending provisions of the North Dakota Compassionate Care Act – a voter-initiated measure approved by 65 percent of voters last November. Senate Bill 2344 makes several significant changes to the law. Specifically, it removes provisions permitting patients the option to home cultivate […]
North Dakota Governor Signs Bill Amending Voter-Approved Medical Marijuana Initiative | The Daily Chronic
]]>SALEM, OR — Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed legislation into law this week limiting the ability of government officials to obtain data identifying customers who purchase marijuana at state-licensed retail facilities. Voters legalized the commercial production and retail sales of cannabis in November 2014. Retail sales of cannabis to those age 21 or older began in […]
Oregon Governor Signs Legislation Protecting Cannabis Consumers’ Privacy | The Daily Chronic
]]>NASHVILLE, TN — Governor Bill Haslam signed legislation last week repealing municipal statutes in Memphis and Nashville that reduced local penalties for marijuana possession offenders. House Bill 173 nullifies both cities’ decriminalization ordinances and preempts any other city from enacting similar reforms. City council members in Nashville and Memphis both passed ordinances last fall providing local […]
Tennessee Governor Signs Law Repealing Citywide Decriminalization Statutes | The Daily Chronic
]]>OTTAWA, ON — Liberal Party members introduced legislation late last week to legalize and regulate the possession, use, and sale of cannabis by those age 18 and older. The legislation follows through on a 2015 campaign pledge by the Party, which has promised to regulate the marijuana market by mid-2018. The proposed measures establish a legal […]
Canada Lawmakers Introduce Marijuana Regulation Measures | The Daily Chronic
]]>MADISON, WI — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed legislation, Senate Bill 10, this week amending the state’s 2014 cannabidiol (CBD) exemption law. Under the new law, patients may possess non psychoactive CBD products for any medical condition as long as the use of such products is recommended by a physician. Under the previous law, the use […]
Wisconsin Governor Signs Measure Expanding CBD-Exemption Law | The Daily Chronic
]]>The Iowa Senate Appropriations Committee has introduced a bill to establish a comprehensive medical cannabis program in the state. The bill already received unanimous support by a subcommittee at a hearing last week, and may receive a full Senate vote as early as this week. The bill would allow patients suffering from cancer, PTSD, intractable pain, […]
Comprehensive Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced in Iowa | The Daily Chronic
]]>It’s almost 4/20, and many retailers are offering generous 4/20 sales, featuring some truly dank deals and awesome stoner savings. Here are some of the best 4/20 sales offered for 2017 from today’s top online head shops! 4/20 Sale: 30% Off Everything @ RUVaped Offer Ends: Apr. 24, 2017 Coupon Code: STAYLIFTED Visit Merchant Website Take […]
Stock up on Smokin’ Gear With the Best 4/20 Sales of 2017 | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump is expected to soon nominate Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA/10th) to be Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (colloquially referred to as the “drug czar”). Marino, a former prosecutor with no background in health or treatment, supports a punitive, 1980’s style approach to drugs, including mass incarceration and […]
Tom Marino, Trump’s Reported Drug Czar Pick, is Drug War Extremist; Linked to Scandal | The Daily Chronic
]]>The Trump Administration is widely expected to pick Representative Tom Marino for Drug Czar. Representative Marino is a longtime, rabid drug warrior who has a consistent record of voting against marijuana law reform legislation — a position that runs counter to that of the majority of voters and his own constituents. His appointment to this […]
Trump Should Abolish the Drug Czar’s Office | The Daily Chronic
]]>President Trump will name Pennsylvania Congressman Tom Marino (R) to head the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP — the drug czar’s office), CBS News reported Tuesday. The White House gave no official comment, but sources told CBS that an official announcement would come soon. Marino’s legacy of legislative achievements around drug policy offers […]
Trump Drug Czar Nominee: Tough on Colombian Peasants and US Marijuana Users | The Daily Chronic
]]>The federal Liberal government of Canada released a slate of proposed bills on Thursday that would legalize and regulate the commercial sale and adult use of marijuana in the country. The legislation would establish 18 as the minimum legal age to purchase marijuana and would create a legal framework for production, sale, and distribution. The […]
Marijuana Legalization Bills Introduced in Canada | The Daily Chronic
]]>PHOENIX, AZ — An Arizona appellate court has ruled that a 2012 law amending the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA) to prohibit the use of medical cannabis on college campuses is unconstitutional. “By enacting A.R.S. § 15-108(A), the Legislature modified the AMMA to re-criminalize cardholders’ marijuana possession on college and university campuses,” the Court opined. […]
Arizona Appellate Court Strikes Medical Marijuana Campus Ban | The Daily Chronic
]]>CHARLESTON, WV — Lawmakers in both chambers of the West Virginia legislature have approved a significantly amended version of Senate Bill 386, which seeks to establish a state-regulated medical cannabis program. The measure now awaits action from Democrat Gov. Jim Justice, who has previously expressed support for permitting qualified patients to access cannabis therapy. If […]
West Virginia Lawmakers Approve Amended Medical Marijuana Measure | The Daily Chronic
]]>MONTEVIDEO — Pharmacies will begin selling cannabis in July to those age 18 or older, according to public statements made last week by government officials. Sixteen pharmacies are already registered to participate in the forthcoming program, which will dispense cannabis provided by state-licensed producers. Retailers will sell cannabis to customers in five-gram increments. The initial […]
Uruguay Retail Cannabis Sales to Begin This July | The Daily Chronic
]]>JOHANNESBURG Federal provisions criminalizing the possession and use of cannabis in private have been determined to be unconstitutional in South Africa. The High Court decision determined that outlawing the private use of cannabis by adults is an unjustifiable infringement upon citizens’ right to privacy and dignity. The public use of cannabis, as well as any commercial […]
South Africa Court Ruling Upholds Private Use Of Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>SCRANTON, PA — Patients with legal access to medical cannabis decrease their use of opioids, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and other medications, according to self-report data published online ahead of print in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. A team of investigators from five states surveyed the medical history of over 1,500 patient-members of state-licensed dispensaries located throughout […]
Study: Medical Cannabis Patients Report Decreased Use of Opioids, Anti-Anxiety Medicines | The Daily Chronic
]]>The two octogenarian senior members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are up to one of their favorite pastimes again this year. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have reintroduced a perennial bill that would increase penalties for drug dealers who sell products designed to entice children. If the bill were to become law, […]
Senators’ False Claims Pave Way for Dangerous Drug Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>CHICAGO, IL — Sponsors of a proposal to regulate and tax marijuana for adult use in Illinois announced Wednesday that lawmakers will hold the first hearing on the bill next week in Chicago. The Senate and House Appropriations committees will hold a joint hearing on SB 316 and HB 2353 on Wednesday, April 19, in […]
Illinois Marijuana Legalization Hearings Coming to Chicago Next Week | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Tom Marino (R-PA) will be named the next director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), also known as the “drug czar,” according to multiple media reports. As a member of Congress, Marino has consistently voted against marijuana policy reform legislation. Robert Capecchi, director of federal policies for […]
Report: Congressman Tom Marino Will Be Named Next White House Drug Czar | The Daily Chronic
]]>PHOENIX, AZ — An Arizona appellate court has ruled that a 2012 state law prohibiting the use of medical cannabis on college campuses is unconstitutional. Arizona voters in 2010 narrowly approved a statewide initiative, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA), permitting qualified patients to possess and use medicinal cannabis. The Court determined that the legislature’s […]
Arizona Appellate Court Strikes Down Law Banning Medical Marijuana on Campus | The Daily Chronic
]]>SANTA FE, NM — New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez has vetoed House Bill 527, a measure that would have made improvements to the state’s medical cannabis program. The most significant provision in the legislation would have allowed New Mexicans diagnosed with opioid use disorder by a licensed practitioner to be eligible for the New Mexico Medical […]
New Mexico Governor Vetoes Medical Marijuana Changes | The Daily Chronic
]]>CHARLESTON, WV — A medical marijuana bill received final approval in the West Virginia Legislature on Thursday and is headed to the desk of Gov. Jim Justice. He has publicly expressed support for legal access to medical marijuana and is expected to sign the bill into law, making West Virginia the 29th state to adopt an […]
West Virginia to Become 29th Medical Marijuana State: Legislature Sends SB 386 to Governor | The Daily Chronic
]]>CHICAGO, IL — The percentage of Americans who “think the use of marijuana should be legal” has increased dramatically over the past ten years and now stands at a record high, according to polling data compiled by the University of Chicago’s General Social Survey. The survey has tracked adults’ opinions on legalizing marijuana since the early […]
Poll: Support for Marijuana Legalization Climbing | The Daily Chronic
]]>The use of marijuana alone does not place subjects at a higher risk of experiencing injuries requiring hospitalization, according to case-control data published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Investigators from the United States and Canada assessed the risk of injury in the hours immediately following subjects’ use of alcohol or other controlled substances. […]
Marijuana Use Not Implicated in Injuries Requiring Hospitalization | The Daily Chronic
]]>KANSAS CITY, MO — Kansas City voters approved a municipal ballot measure on Tuesday decriminalizing marijuana possession offenses within the city’s limits. Nearly 75 percent of citywide voters decided ‘yes’ on Question 5, which reduces penalties for the possession of up to 35 grams of cannabis from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil violation punishable […]
Kansas City Municipal Decriminalization Measure Passes | The Daily Chronic
]]>This week, Attorney General Jeff “Marijuana Consumers Aren’t Good People” Sessions issued a memo outlining a requested task force inquiry into a number of public safety issues, one of which being the enforcement of federal marijuana laws. The memo was sent to 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and Department of Justice component heads to provide “an […]
Sessions’ DOJ Reviewing Marijuana Enforcement, Governors Fight Back | The Daily Chronic
]]>OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The state Supreme Court of Oklahoma has ruled in favor of the proponents of a forthcoming statewide ballot measure to regulate medical cannabis access. In a 7 to 1 ruling, justices rejected the state attorney general’s rewording of the initiative’s ballot title and ordered that the measure’s initial language be restored. […]
Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Proponents Victorious in Ballot Fight | The Daily Chronic
]]>RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has signed legislation into law amending the state’s mandatory driver’s suspension law. Under existing law, defendants convicted of a marijuana violation lose their driving privileges for six months, even in instances where the offense was not driving related. Under the new legislation, SB 1091, the mandatory suspension will […]
Virginia: Marijuana Arrest No Longer Leads to Automatic Driver’s License Suspension | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) with Representatives Amash (R-MI), Jeffries (D-NY), Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Nadler (D-NY), and Love (R-UT) have introduced The Better Drive Act, legislation removing the federal mandate that demands states to suspend the driver’s license of individuals with a marijuana possession conviction. Under current law, any drug conviction, regardless of whether or […]
Federal Bill Would End Arbitrary License Suspensions for Minor Marijuana Possession | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke (D-TX-16) has introduced bipartisan legislation with Representatives Justin Amash (R-MI-3), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI-5), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10), and Mia Love (R-UT-4) that would repeal a 26-year-old federal law that mandates states to automatically suspend driver’s licenses for anyone convicted of a drug offense or risk losing […]
Bill to Repeal Federal Law Requiring States to Suspend Driver’s Licenses for Drug Offenses Introduced in Congress | The Daily Chronic
]]>SACRAMENTO, CA — Late Tuesday afternoon, Governor Jerry Brown released his proposal to align medical marijuana regulations passed by the Legislature in 2015 and the 2016 Adult Use of Marijuana Act, both of which call for commercial licensing and regulation to begin in January 2018. The Adult Use of Marijuana Act, Proposition 64, was passed by […]
California Gov. Moves to Align Medical and Recreational Marijuana Regulation | The Daily Chronic
]]>KANSAS CITY, MO — In a blowout victory for sensible criminal justice policy, the voters of Kansas City, Missouri have decided to approve Question 5 and decriminalize marijuana to direct their law enforcement officers to no longer target citizens for possession of the plant and would replace current criminal penalties with just a civil fine. The […]
Voters in Kansas City, MO Decriminalize Marijuana in Blowout Victory | The Daily Chronic
]]>CHARLESTON, WV — A bill that would allow patients with certain debilitating conditions to access medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it was approved by the West Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday. Senate Bill 386 passed 76-24 on third reading after being revised on second reading, and now returns to the Senate. “The Legislature has […]
West Virginia House Passes Watered Down Medical Marijuana Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>Argentina has legalized medical marijuana, after the Senate unanimously approved a bill Thursday that was already passed by the House of Representatives last November. The law establishes a new regulatory framework that enables scientific and medical marijuana research, while providing marijuana to qualifying patients free of charge. “It’s heartening to see Argentina prioritizing accessibility by providing […]
]]>AUSTIN, TX — A proposal to reduce penalties for marijuana possession in Texas received bipartisan approval from the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Monday and will soon be scheduled for a full vote in the House. The measure passed by a vote of 4-2, receiving support from two Democrats and two Republicans. House Bill 81, […]
Texas Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Advances to Floor Vote in House | The Daily Chronic
]]>Measures filed in the House and Senate on Thursday would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and create a federal regulatory process for states that choose to regulate the cultivation and sale of marijuana for adult use Additional bills filed in the House and Senate on Thursday would eliminate many of the collateral consequences […]
Federal Lawmakers Introduce Sweeping Marijuana Policy Legislation | The Daily Chronic
]]>CHARLESTON, WV — The state Senate approved legislation Wednesday evening (28-6) that would allow patients with certain debilitating conditions to access medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it. SB 386, the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act, is sponsored by Sen. Richard Ojeda (D-Logan). It would establish an independent 16-member West Virginia Medical Cannabis Commission, including medical […]
West Virginia Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Bill | The Daily Chronic
]]>The Congressional Cannabis Caucus flexed its muscles Thursday as members of Congress filed a package of bills aimed at creating a “path to marijuana reform” at the federal level and protecting and preserving marijuana laws in states where it is legal. Two Oregon politicians, Sen. Ron Wyden (D) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D) led the […]
Several Bills Filed in Congress to Create “Path to Marijuana Reform” | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Ron Wyden and Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Jared Polis have introduced legislation in the House and Senate — to permit states to establish their own marijuana regulatory policies free from federal interference. In addition to removing marijuana from the United States Controlled Substances Act, this legislation also removes enforcement power from […]
Joint Legislation: Federal Bills Would End Marijuana Prohibition in the United States | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — Officials from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have recommended that Syndros, a liquid form of synthetic THC, be classified as a Schedule II controlled substance under federal law. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials determined last year that the drug formulation is safe and effective for use by patients with cancer […]
DEA to Classify Liquid, Synthetic THC as a Schedule II Controlled Substance | The Daily Chronic
]]>KANSAS CITY, MO — After more than a year of negotiations with city officials, and countless hours cultivating support for a ballot measure aimed at decriminalizing certain amounts of marijuana, members of Kansas City NORML will finally have a chance to hear from voters on the issue. Next Tuesday, April 4, 2017, Kansas City voters […]
Kansas City Voters to Vote on Decriminalizing Marijuana on April 4 | The Daily Chronic
]]>HARRISBURG, PA — Minor marijuana possession offenders are no longer subject to arrest in the city of Harrisburg under a new local ordinance that took effect last week. The municipal measure, approved by members of the City Council in July, reduces local marijuana possession penalties for first-time and second-time offenders from a criminal misdemeanor to […]
Pennsylvania: Harrisburg Marijuana Decriminalization Measure Takes Effect | The Daily Chronic
]]>CARBONDALE, IL — Sixty-six percent of voters believe that the adult use and sale of marijuana ought to be treated like alcohol, according to statewide polling data compiled by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University. Support for legalization is strongest among voters under 35 years of age (83 percent) and among […]
Illinois Poll Finds Two-Thirds of Voters Support Legalizing Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>OTTAWA, ON — Legislation is anticipated from the Trudeau administration in early April to regulate the use, production, and sale of marijuana. In 2015, the Liberal Party pledged to “legalize and regulate” marijuana if Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister. The forthcoming legislation will likely be modeled after recommendations issued in 2016 by a federal task force. […]
Canada: Trudeau Administration Looks to Legalize Marijuana By July 2018 | The Daily Chronic
]]>Following a national trend, members of the Monona City Council passed an ordinance that removed all municipal fines for the private possession and consumption of marijuana. Under the new ordinance, adults 21-years and older will no longer be subjected to a fine for possessing marijuana in public or in private spaces. Marijuana use in a […]
Wisconsin City Removes Fines for Marijuana Possession and Consumption | The Daily Chronic
]]>Barrels of ink have been spilled over the prospect that the Trump administration could attempt to turn back the clock when it comes to legal marijuana, but for all the wailing and gnashing of teeth out there, marijuana industry insiders, advocates, and activists don’t seem all that worried. “I don’t think there’s any more reason […]
Legal Marijuana: The Sky is (Probably) Not Falling | The Daily Chronic
]]>PROVIDENCE, RI — Taxing and regulating the marijuana market in Rhode Island will generate nearly $50 million in new annual tax revenue, according to a report issued this week by the advocacy coalition Regulate Rhode Island. According to the report, commercial sales of cannabis are estimated to reach $161 million by 2020. Taxing this retail […]
Legalizing Marijuana in Rhode Island Would Yield Nearly $50 Million in New Annual Revenue | The Daily Chronic
]]>ALBANY, NY — Newly enacted regulatory changes to the state’s medical cannabis program are expected to result in increased patient access. As of this week, patients suffering from chronic pain conditions are now eligible to qualify for cannabis therapy. In January, a National Academies review of over 10,000 scientific abstracts acknowledged that “conclusive” evidence exists […]
New York: New Regulatory Changes To Expand Medical Marijuana Access | The Daily Chronic
]]>OLYMPIA, WA — The percentage of young people consuming marijuana has not been adversely impacted by changes in state law regulating its adult use and distribution, according to 2016 data compiled by Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Results from the 2016 Healthy Youth Survey, which surveys over 230,000 students in grades 6 […]
Washington: Marijuana Use By Young People Largely Unchanged Post-Legalization, Survey Says | The Daily Chronic
]]>PORTLAND, OR — Those subjects who consume cannabis more than five times per month possess, on average, lower body mass index (BMI) than do those who do not use the substance, according to data published online ahead of print in the journal Archives of Osteoporosis. Researchers at Oregon’s Health and Science University assessed the relationship […]
Study: Regular Cannabis Use Associated With Lower BMI, No Adverse Effect On Bone Density | The Daily Chronic
]]>MONTPELIER, VT — The Vermont House Judiciary Committee approved a bill 8-3 Wednesday that would make personal possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana legal for adults 21 and older. “Today’s vote shows just how far this issue has advanced in just this past year,” said Matt Simon, New England political director for the Marijuana Policy […]
Vermont Marijuana Legalization Bill Advances; New Poll Shows Strong Public Support | The Daily Chronic
]]>SPRINGFIELD, IL — State lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday that would end marijuana prohibition in Illinois and establish a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed for adult use. The Senate bill, SB 316, is sponsored by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Heather Steans (D-Chicago), while the House version, HB 2353, was presented by Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago). […]
Illinois General Assembly to Consider Ending Marijuana Prohibition, Regulating and Taxing Marijuana for Adult Use | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — The number of federal offenders sentenced for violating marijuana laws has fallen significantly since 2012, according to data provided by the United States Sentencing Commission. Just over 3,000 federal defendants were sentenced for marijuana violations in 2016, according to the Commission. That total is roughly half of the number of federal defendants that […]
Federal Marijuana Sentences Plummet: Report | The Daily Chronic
]]>ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Patients registered to use medical cannabis decrease their use of opioids, according to data compiled by researchers at the University of New Mexico. Investigators assessed the use of prescription opioids over an 18-month period among patients enrolled in the state’s medical marijuana program compared to similar patients who were not. They reported […]
Patients With Access to Medical Marijuana Reduce Their Use of Opioids, Study Finds | The Daily Chronic
]]>LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles city voters decided last week in favor of Measure M – a city council sponsored ballot measure to establish rules on how and where marijuana retailers may operate within the city limits. Passage of the new ordinance paves the way for the repeal of Proposition D, which voters approved in […]
Los Angeles Voters Approve Marijuana Licensing Measure M | The Daily Chronic
]]>SANTA FE, NM — New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez has vetoed a pair of measures that sought to establish a hemp research program through the state’s Department of Agriculture. The Governor gave no public explanation for the vetoes. The Governor has historically been an outspoken opponent of marijuana law reform efforts – receiving an ‘F’ […]
New Mexico Governor Vetoes Hemp Research Bills | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON DC — On Wednesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions made several statements regarding marijuana, claiming that marijuana is “only slightly less awful” than heroin and telling reporters that “medical marijuana has been hyped, maybe too much.” In a prepared statement, Sessions also said: “I reject the idea that America will be a better place if marijuana is sold in […]
Marijuana Reform Groups Respond to Attorney General’s Comments | The Daily Chronic
]]>US Attorney General Jeff Sessions once again displayed his ignorance about drugs Wednesday as he claimed that marijuana is “only slightly less awful” than heroin. In the same speech, he acknowledged rising heroin and prescription opioid overdose death levels, but failed to note that no one dies from overdosing on marijuana. Heroin produces physical addiction […]
Jeff Sessions Claims Marijuana Only “Slightly Less Awful” Than Heroin | The Daily Chronic
]]>AUSTIN, TX — A bill that would reduce penalties for marijuana possession in Texas is scheduled to receive a hearing Monday afternoon in the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. “I’m proud to present HB 81 to the committee and build on the bipartisan support it’s had from the very beginning,” said Criminal Jurisprudence Committee Chairman Joe Moody (D-El […]
Texas House to Hold Hearing on Reducing Marijuana Penalties Today | The Daily Chronic
]]>Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not rare. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, about eight million adults suffer from it in any given year, including tens of thousands of Afghanistan and Iraq veterans. Somewhere between 11% and 20% of those vets will suffer from it each year. PTSD isn’t limited to vets, though—trauma comes […]
Here Are the 23 States That Allow Medical Marijuana for PTSD | The Daily Chronic
]]>On conservative radio talker Hugh Hewitt’s program Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions continued to bad mouth marijuana and suggested he might use laws enacted to go after the Mafia against the legal marijuana industry. “I think it’s a more dangerous drug than a lot of people realize. I don’t think we’re going to be a […]
Jeff Sessions Won’t Rule Out Using Mafia Law to Go After Legal Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania’s auditor general on Monday publicly advocated for the legalization and taxation of retail marijuana sales, arguing that such a policy would bring new jobs and tax revenue to the state. Speaking at a news conference at the state capitol, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said: “The regulation and taxation of the marijuana train […]
Pennsylvania Auditor General Says State Lawmakers Should Regulate the Marijuana Market | The Daily Chronic
]]>FALMOUTH, ME — The administration of whole-plant cannabis extracts rich in the cannabinoid cannabidol (CBD) is associated with reduced seizure frequency in patients with refractory epilepsy, according to data published online ahead of print in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior. Researchers performed a retrospective chart review of the clinical records of 272 patients who were […]
Study: CBD-Dominant Cannabis Extracts Reduce Seizure Frequency | The Daily Chronic
]]>JERUSALEM — Israeli lawmakers have signed off on legislation decriminalizing offenses involving the possession of personal use quantities of marijuana. Under the new policy, first and second time possession offenders will face a fine, but no criminal penalties. “The Cabinet approval is an important step on the way to implementing the new policy that will […]
Israeli Cabinet Endorses Marijuana Decriminalization Plan | The Daily Chronic
]]>SAN DIEGO, CA — The enactment of statewide legislation permitting medical cannabis access by qualified patients is associated with a reduction in opioid-related hospitalization, according to data published online ahead of print in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. A researcher from the University of California at San Diego assessed the association between medical cannabis laws […]
Medical Marijuana Legalization Associated with Fewer Opioid-Related Hospitalizations | The Daily Chronic
]]>CONCORD, NH — The state House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to approve House Bill 640, bringing New Hampshire one step closer to becoming the final state in New England to decriminalize marijuana possession. The bill, which was approved by a vote of 318-36 by the House, will now be considered by the Senate. HB 640, […]
New Hampshire House Votes to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession | The Daily Chronic
]]>On Sunday, Israel took a big step toward decriminalizing adult marijuana use. The Israeli Cabinet approved a proposal that would replace criminal penalties with fines for people who are caught using marijuana in public. The proposal from the Ministries of Justice and Public Security has received support from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but still requires […]
Israeli Cabinet Approves Proposal to Decriminalize Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>SANTA FE, NM — The New Mexico State House voted 41-26 Saturday afternoon to pass House Bill 155, co-sponsored by Rep. D. Armstrong (D-Albuquerque) and Rep. McCamley (D-Las Cruces) to establish a fund in the state treasury for research related to the production, uses, effects, and efficacy of medical marijuana. The bill had bi-partisan support […]
Bipartisan Vote Carries Medical Marijuana Research Bill to Passage in New Mexico House | The Daily Chronic
]]>White House press secretary Sean Spicer‘s comment last week that we “will see greater enforcement” of federal marijuana prohibition has set off tremors in the pot industry, but it should be setting off warning bells at the White House itself. Any move against marijuana would be politically fraught, economically foolish, and counter to some of […]
Five Reasons Trump Needs to Think Twice Before Waging War on Weed | The Daily Chronic
]]>SANTA FE, NM — The New Mexico Senate on Thursday voted (33-9) to pass Senate Bill 258, sponsored by Senator Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, reducing penalties for adults who possess small amounts of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The final vote was bi-partisan with eight Republicans voting in support. The proposed legislation makes 1/2 ounce or […]
New Mexico Senate Passes Marijuana Decriminalization Bill By Wide, Bi-Partisan Margin | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — Speaking to a gathering of state Attorney Generals this week, newly sworn in US Attorney General Jeff Sessions blamed recreational drug use for an alleged increase in violent crime and urged officials to reject efforts to regulate the adult use of cannabis. Sessions disputed scientific evidence that legal cannabis access is associated with […]
US Attorney General: “We Do Not Need To Be Legalizing Marijuana” | The Daily Chronic
]]>DENVER, CO — The percentage of Coloradoans who report using cannabis has remained relatively unchanged following the regulation of the adult use market, according to data published online ahead of print in the journal Preventive Medicine. Researchers at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reviewed statewide marijuana use data from January 1, 2014. They […]
Study: Marijuana Use Stable In Colorado Post-Legalization | The Daily Chronic
]]>BERLIN — Qualifying patients in Germany will likely be able to obtain medical cannabis as early as next month, as a result of legislation recently approved by the German government. Under the new program, regulators will license cannabis cultivation for the purpose of providing it to select patients. Individual patients will not be permitted under the […]
Germany’s Medical Marijuana Access Program to Begin in March | The Daily Chronic
]]>CARSON CITY, NV — State officials in Nevada are holding firm on an expedited plan to begin adult use marijuana sales in July, despite comments from the Trump administration indicating a forthcoming crackdown in states that regulate its commercial production and sale. Nevada Department of Taxation spokeswoman Stephanie Klapstein told the Associated Press that the agency […]
Nevada Lawmakers Moving Forward With Expedited Plan For Adult Use Marijuana Sales | The Daily Chronic
]]>In his inaugural address to Congress Tuesday night, President Trump echoed the ghosts of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan—not to mention Miguel Cervantes—as he vowed to defeat drugs. If there is a silver lining, his ire appears directed at heroin and other hard drugs. The word “marijuana” did not appear once in his speech. “Our […]
Trump Vows to Win War on Drugs, But Doesn’t Mention Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>ALBANY, NY — Advocates and lawmakers came together for a press conference in Albany on Tuesday to demand reprieve for the harm that has been caused by arrests for low-level marijuana possession and mobilize for legislative solutions to keep New York families together. New York’s marijuana arrest crusade began more than 20 years ago. Since then, […]
New York: Advocates Push Crucial Legislation to Seal Past Marijuana Possession Convictions | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — Record numbers of voters support regulating the marijuana market and oppose federal efforts to interfere or undermine state laws permitting the plant’s use or sale, according to nationwide polling data released this week by Quinnipiac University. Ninety-three percent of voters — including 96 percent of Democrats and 85 percent of Republicans — support “allowing adults […]
Poll Finds Voters Support Marijuana Law Reform By Record Numbers | The Daily Chronic
]]>HOUSTON, TX — Houston County District Attorney Kim Ogg has announced plans to expand a countywide program shielding marijuana possession offenders from criminal records. The county is the third largest in the nation. Under current policy, first-time offenders found in the possession of two ounces or less of marijuana may participate in a pre-trial diversion […]
Houston District Attorney to Expand Policy Shielding Minor Marijuana Offenders From Jail, Criminal Records | The Daily Chronic
]]>BETHESDA, MD — Those who consume cannabis long-term suffer no greater likelihood of cardiovascular disease by middle age than do those with no history of use, according to longitudinal data published online ahead of print in the American Journal of Public Health. An international team of researchers from the United States and Switzerland assessed cumulative […]
Study: Long Term Marijuana Use Doesn’t Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease | The Daily Chronic
]]>WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND — The enactment of US laws regulating the sale and use of cannabis for medical purposes is not associated with any uptick in the rate of violent crime or property crime, according to data compiled by researchers at the University of Victoria and the Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Institute in […]
Medical Marijuana Legalization Does Not Lead to Crime Increase | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer suggested this week that the Trump administration will step up enforcement of federal laws against recreational marijuana. “I do believe that you’ll see greater enforcement,” Spicer said, and added that the exact policy is “a question for the Department of Justice.” The Department of Justice is lead by […]
NORML Responds to Possible Federal Crack Down on Legal Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>Marijuana legalization advocates and the legal marijuana industry have been on tenterhooks ever since Donald Trump won the White House last November, and increasingly so since he nominated pot reform foe Jeff Sessions as his attorney general, the highest law enforcement officer in the land. But for the three months since the election and the […]
White House Hints at Crackdown on Recreational Marijuana | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — Americans for Safe Access, a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring safe and legal access to medical cannabis for therapeutic use and research, has sent a memo to Congress informing members that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has removed false information about cannabis from its website after months of public pressure. The memo […]
Memo to Congress: DEA Dumped the “Gateway-Theory” Due to Science | The Daily Chronic
]]>WASHINGTON, DC — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Thursday said that the Trump administration may engage in “greater” efforts to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in jurisdictions that have legalized and regulated its adult use. In response to a question regarding how the administration intends to address statewide marijuana legalization laws, Spicer indicated that […]
White House Press Secretary Hints Federal Marijuana Crackdown May Be Forthcoming | The Daily Chronic
]]>HAMDEN, CT — Record numbers of voters support regulating the marijuana market and oppose federal efforts to interfere or undermine state laws permitting the plant’s use or sale, according to nationwide polling data released Thursday by Quinnipiac University. Ninety-three percent of voters — including 96 percent of Democrats and 85 percent of Republicans — support “allowing […]
Record Numbers of Voters Support Marijuana Law Reform | The Daily Chronic
]]>High Times Magazine (online)
This article was originally published on Benzinga, and adapted for HIGH TIMES.
The cannabis industry is creating rapid wealth among investors. However, few entrepreneurs have been as successful as Andy Williams, co-star of MSNBC’s The Pot Barons of Colorado and founder and CEO of Medicine Man Denver, Medicine Man Technologies and several other companies.
Recently, Williams gave a keynote address at Green Flower Media’s Cannabis Health Summit, after which he sat down with Benzinga’s Javier Hasse for an exclusive interview.
Let’s begin with the story of how Andy became the “Medicine Man” and ultimately a “Pot Baron.”
Andy and his brother Pete grew up in a family of “not even modest” means. Later in their lives, their mother married “a gentleman who was very successful,” Williams told Benzinga.
Fast-forward to 2009, when the Ogden Memo came out, stipulating that the U.S. federal government would not allocate resources to prosecute legal cannabis business in states with marijuana laws.
“I am a serial entrepreneur, and I had failed many businesses throughout my life,” Williams said. “When I saw the Ogden Memo, I immediately perceived it as an opportunity for a business that was new and exciting. I had the business side; I’m an industrial engineer and, between my failed businesses, I worked in the corporate world as an industrial engineer and then, in different leadership positions. I had project management skills, and I had my engineering skills that could get through the red tape and the government requirements.”
For his part, Pete owned a custom tile company at the time, while simultaneously working as a caregiver for people with physician recommendations for cannabis use.
“Pete is an inventor and invented a phenomenal system to grow marijuana,” Williams explained. “He was making quite a bit of money as a hobby out of his basement. So, I went to him and said, ‘We have a partnership made in heaven here. Let’s go into business together and do this big.’”
So, the siblings put a business plan together and took it to their mother and her affluent husband, who heard them out and agreed to invest—even though they had never used marijuana before. At first, they pitched in $150,000. This is how Medicine Man came to be.
The total investment, before the company became cash flow positive, was $630,000. But, as they say, it takes money to make money.
Now, to the spicy origins of Medicine Man.
The company started as a grow operation in Denver. After months looking for a property to establish in without success, in spite of the high vacancy rates the city boasted at the time, the Williams brothers came across a 40,000-square-foot building situated in an industrial area in Northeast Denver called Montbello.
Half of the property was leased by a spice company, so smells were strong, to say the least. As one can imagine, not many businesses would want to set up shop next to a olfactory-factory.
However, the Williams team had no problem with strong smells; they were planning on skunking up the space real quick. Ironically, in no time, it was the spice company that was complaining about the odors the weed grow next door was emanating.
About two years later, the owner of the building decided to run for statewide public office under the Republican Party. Again, quite unsurprisingly, he did not want to be linked to the marijuana industry. So, he helped the brothers get financing and sold them the building.
Once the spice company’s lease was over, Medicine Man took over the whole building.
“The state quickly forced us into being retail as well,” Williams said. “Since, we’ve grown to be a leader in Colorado, not only in volume but in terms of brand recognition and leadership; actually, not just in the state, but nationally as well.”
After half a decade of success with Medicine Man, the brothers decided to start another company in March 2014—Medicine Man Technologies.
“Medicine Man Technologies started as a company that did consulting for new licensees in states that either had new laws or new legislation that allowed for a legal cannabis industry at the state level,” Williams explained. “We helped people get licensed, design and build facilities, train their employees, get their systems up and running, and get their doors open.”
Over time, the offering expanded to include other services, like managing a production or manufacturing facility and helping existing, under-performing cultivators increase their yields or quality. In addition, Medicine Man Technologies offers a cannabis-focused nutrient line called Success Nutrients and has even published a book called Three a Light.
“Our product and service lines are continuing to expand. As a matter of fact, a press release came out very recently announcing a new acquisition: Denver Consulting Group,” Williams added.
On top of the Medicine Man companies, Andy Williams owns an IP holding company and a property holding company, a marijuana-infused products company that ultimately focuses on cannabis research, and a company called Breakwater MB that invests in other companies and helps them go public.
Check out Part 2 of this interview, where ‘Pot Baron’ Andy Williams Discusses Challenges Of Entering The Cannabis Industry And How To Overcome Them. It’s the dollar-dollar bill, yo.
More From Benzinga:
Marijuana Industry Insiders On Why The IRS Is Targeting Them — And How To Avoid Business Disruption
Montel Williams Talks About His Cannabis Company And Its Emphasis On Patients
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]]>Cancer is an umbrella term that essentially results in gross proliferation of certain cell types throughout the body and can form (metastasize) in many different ways. The result is always the same, hyper-growth of a certain group of cells, depriving our bodies’ natural cells from properly functioning and surviving.
One particular variety of cancer that is having a detrimental impact on sub-Saharan Africa is cervical cancer.
Currently, there are a quarter million African women who die of cervical cancer a year, demanding further research into inexpensive and effective treatments. It has been known for decades that cannabis use helps cancer patients, though the science behind cannabis’s effect is not well understood.
While there are many ways in which cancer can form, there seem to be some common features, and they revolve around a cellular function known as apoptosis. Apoptosis, otherwise described as “programmed cell-death,” is a last resort effort in preventing the spread of malfunctioning cells.
The cell is at a constant equilibrium of anti/pro apoptotic signals, when the pro-signals “outnumber” the anti-signals, the cell initiates a cascade of reactions resulting in cellular self-destruction.
One common way in which cancer manifests itself is in the hyper-expression of anti-apoptotic signals, preventing the cell from self-destructing, resulting in over-growth and tumor development. One of the prominent signals in the cell that is associated with cancer growth is a protein called Bcl-2. While there is not a mutation in the protein itself, there are a series of mutations that cause the cell to make too much Bcl-2.
Recently, a lab at North West University in South Africa did a series of experiments using extracts from cannabis sativa. The researchers used a “cancer model” to perform their experiments on. (One example of these “model cancer” cells are the HeLa cells, an immortalized cell line that is widely used in molecular biology.)
It was discovered that cannabis sativa extract could not only inhibit the growth of cancer cells, but in some cases outright kill the cells.
The compound in the extract that is believed to be active is cannabidiol, better known as CBD. Researchers believe that the mechanism of action is that CBD activates a Bcl-2 degradation pathway. If you recall, Bcl-2 is an anti-apoptotic signal (keeping the cell alive), so if it is degraded, then the cell will succeed in killing itself.
Further research needs to be conducted to better understand the mechanism in detail, as well as exploring potential off-target effects. It would not be a good idea to use a drug that killed all cells!
There is an increasing need for affordable medical care around the world, and this is a potential, inexpensive treatment with the promise of saving lives.
You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.
]]>JD Farms’ co-owners, Mark Justh and Dan Dolgin, bought 1,500 acres of land nearly a decade ago with the idea of growing organic veggies, until they learned that hemp was more than just a cover crop as protection against weeds.
“I’d been approached about growing medical marijuana. But I thought, what can I produce that has a competitive advantage?” Justh told Bloomberg News. “How do I compete with the Midwest, with Ukraine? I realized it was a question of government regulation. Then, Dan got involved, and we saw the possibility of hemp as a food product.”
When their land became the first private farm certified to grow hemp under a New York state pilot program, they planted 100 acres of it and were relieved when New York Governor Cuomo signed the bill last summer that made it legal for JD Farms to sell its harvest.
This week, Governor Cuomo signed another bill that aims to further boost hemp production. Cuomo also announced $10 million in state funds would be earmarked to boost industrial hemp research and development.
Now that hemp is becoming a culinary sensation, JD Farms is providing their products to some of New York City’s best chefs.
“We both knew that hemp was on its way to becoming a superfood, in that category of flax and chia seeds. We saw a sustainable long-term play in that market,” said Dolgin.
Hemp seeds are second only to soybeans in protein content and contain all 20 known amino acids, including the nine essential amino acids that our bodies cannot produce.
Among its reputed health benefits, according to Hemp Basics: immune-system booster, weight suppressant (because it’s high in fiber) and an ability to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It’s popular with vegetarians because it’s high in the fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6.
JD Farms’ hemp oil also has the advantage of being fresher than others because it’s being produced here in the U.S.
At this point, the majority of hemp oil and seeds sold in the U.S. come from plants grown in Canada. According to the Toronto Star, in the first quarter of 2015, Canada exported $34 million worth of hemp seeds and oil.
Today, barely one percent of Americans are farming hemp. Before it was prohibited in 1937, that number was 30 percent, and our hemp was considered among the best in the world.
Now, we are trying to catch up
Hemp began to make a comeback after President Obama signed a provision in the 2014 farm bill that removed hemp grown for research purposes from the Controlled Substances Act, even though the DEA continues to create problems for the hemp market.
One of the fastest growing and most versatile plants on earth, hemp has traditionally been used for making all manner of essential objects such as paper, textiles, cloth, biodegradable plastics, paint and biofuel… to name a few.
And it’s tasty, fresh and healthy.
“We believe the next iteration of the hemp market is to go into snack foods, to give it wider penetration into households,” said Dolgin. “We’re looking at products like ice cream and beer. We already have a pretty broad product portfolio, and we want to get even more innovative.”
RELATED: Why Hemp Could Be the Future of Plastics
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That’s the gist of the startling headline from the Hindustan Times on Tuesday.
Malana, a village high in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, is famous for its premium-quality hashish, but has traditionally been isolated from the outside world. Now, village elders fear the community’s unique culture is threatened by the swarms of tourists drawn by Malana’s storied bhang.
Hashish has traditionally been used to honor the community’s protective deity, Jamlu Devta. Perhaps put off by the less-than-reverential attitude of some visitors, Jamlu Devta has “spoken” to village elders, telling them to end the tourist trade—not, notably, the hashish production.
“The deity did not want any of the villagers to rent out their property for running guest-houses and restaurants. He has forbidden everyone from doing this, and those violating his orders will have to bear the brunt of his curse,” Malana panchayat pradhan (village elder) Bhagi Ram told the Hindustan Times by phone.
The god’s edict was ratified in a vote of the village parliament. A similar move was taken a few months back, when the village banned photography because residents felt that visitors were portraying Malana as a hub of what the Hindustan Times unappetizingly called “narco-tourism.”
The Culture Trip and Mysterious Himachal websites provide more background on the threatened culture and history of Malana. The village prides itself on being the “world’s oldest democracy,” with a local parliament dating back centuries. Villagers hold themselves to be descendants of the army of Alexander the Great, when he passed through India in the 4th century BCE.
The protective deity is said to have started out as a mortal man, who came to the site of the village seeking enlightenment in the ancient past. The seeker, Jamlu Rishi (rishi = sage), was so sucessful in his quest that he was granted immortality and become Jamlu Devta (devta = deity).
As in many places across India, traditional ritual use of bhang in the village is tolerated by the national government. However, the government had virtually no presence in Malana until very recently, when a road was built to accommodate construction of a hydro-electric project. This is also what brought the wave of tourists, and local fears of cultural erosion.
While this affair affords the media the opportunity to gloat about “narco-tourism,” it’s important to keep things in perspective.
Cannabis tourism indeed does pose a threat to authentic cultures—especially in places like Malana that have only recently been opened to mass society. But it has this in common with all other forms of tourism—and, indeed, it poses less of a threat than some other kinds (luxury resorts, golf courses, sex tourism).
There is nothing about cannabis tourism per se that makes it any more of a threat.
It’s incumbent upon cannabis tourists—like all other tourists—to be respectful of local cultures, and to be good ambassadors both for their own countries and for the weed.
But the dilemma facing Malana is ultimately one of globalization—not of any inherent evil of cannabis. Which the villagers themselves seemingly recognized in just banning the tourism—not the ganja.
RELATED: Here’s Why Puerto Rico Is the Newest Hot Pot Travel Spot
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Psychedelics can have a bad name, even among dedicated recreational drug users.
LSD, psilocybin and other mind-rearranging substances require investments of time and mental energy many of us don’t have to spare on a weekday night after a long day of work. We just want something to take the edge off, strong enough to relieve pain or other symptoms of living holding us back, able to throw a warm-hued filter over our normal reality—not blow it apart entirely. We have stuff to do!
For most people, alcohol will do the trick. For others, a few hits of cannabis is the tonic.
But! As anyone who’s dabbed just a little too much can tell you, THC is absolutely powerful enough to seriously distort things. This means, according to some of the most respected experts in the field, that cannabis is absolutely a psychedelic substance—and that’s a good thing. It means marijuana has immense value for psychotherapy.
LSD pioneer Timothy Leary believed cannabis to be a psychedelic.
A psychedelic experience, Leary wrote in a landmark essay “On Programming Psychedelic Experiences,” is any “period of intensely heightened reactivity to sensory stimuli within and without.”
Marijuana is the “mildest” of the psychedelics, but it is nonetheless able to distort or enhance sensory perception (who among us hasn’t beheld a sunset or music differently… on weed), conjure visual effects and patterns behind closed eyelids and bring about “unrestrained, abstract and creative thought patterns.”
You may not behold your bedroom wall morphing into a technicolor tapestry and you may not be called before the Goddess for a royal audience—you may need to apply stronger tools, like peyote or ayahuasca, for such transcendence of your ego—but if using marijuana makes you more sensitive to touch from a lover, recall past memories with greater lucidity, or appreciate art or music more profoundly—then, you, friend, are having a cannabis trip.
Dr. Julie Holland is a New York-based psychiatrist who’s spent most of her career studying psychopharmacology—seeing what drugs can do to the mind.
She wrote a book on MDMA and another on cannabis, and is serving as the “medical monitor” for the research sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) studying whether marijuana can be a balm for military veterans struggling with PTSD.
Therapists are slowly rediscovering psychedelics’ value in solving mental illness.
For 20 years beginning in the 1950s, LSD was used to treat alcoholics, autistic children, people with depression, schizophrenics and many other conditions for which treatment today remains elusive. And before it too was added to the government’s list of banned substances in the mid-1980s, MDMA was praised by some therapists as a miracle drug.
As Michael Pollan wrote in 2015 for the New Yorker, therapists are rediscovering this knowledge and trying out psilocybin on PTSD sufferers and patients with terminal illnesses struggling with end-of-life anxiety—and, so far, results are positive.
Cannabis’s value for someone struggling with conditions like PTSD, Holland told Business Insider, derives from its ability to bring about “dehabituation,” the “process of looking at something with fresh eyes.” Much of therapy is focused on a change in perspective. Talk therapy hopes to bring about these insights with extended question-and-answer sessions.
But if something as simple as a few puffs on a joint could be a shortcut?
The potential seems to be there, although to date, it’s been unrealized.
“In psychiatry it seems that cannabis is grossly underused and understudied,” Holland told BI.
This isn’t going to improve anytime soon.
As has been widely reported, the government-mandated marijuana that American researchers are required to use in research studies is of laughably poor quality. This same bad weed is what has to be used in the study involving veterans and PTSD. There are ample anecdotal tales that cannabis helps calm the existential fears of someone scarred by combat, but whether it can be replicated in a clinical setting is still unclear.
Weed’s potential to bring about a mood-altering—and perhaps life-altering—experience is well-known, but for the time being, most users will have to be their own spirit guides.
You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.
]]>ASSOCIATED PRESS
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Following an overwhelming demand for recreational marijuana, Nevada regulators are set to vote Thursday on emergency rules that would expedite licensing for pot distributors.
Dozens of retailers started selling recreational marijuana on July 1 but a unique state law could quickly lead to empty shelves. The law dictates only alcohol wholesalers can transport pot from growers to store fronts for the next 18 months.
So far, fewer than 10 alcohol wholesalers have applied for pot distribution licenses and as of last week none had met the qualifications, the Nevada Department of Taxation said.
Most recreational retailers were previously licensed under a 2-year-old medical marijuana program and many were distributing to themselves. The medical marijuana dispensaries started stockpiling supplies months ago in an anticipation of high demand.
However, some of the 47 licensed retailers have reported twice as much business as they anticipated, said Nevada Tax Department spokeswoman Stephanie Klapstein.
“I have heard of some dispensaries running on fumes, if you will,” said Nevada Dispensary Association President Andrew Jolley.
The Nevada Tax Commission was scheduled to consider a new regulation Thursday in Carson City to license some pot retailers to serve as their own middleman if there aren’t enough alcohol distributors to do the job.
The proposed regulation would at least temporarily clear the way for sales as a legal battle over distribution continues.
A judge granted a temporary injunction, which the state is appealing to the Nevada Supreme Court, after the Independent Alcohol Distributors of Nevada persuaded him the state had arbitrarily concluded there was an insufficient number of liquor wholesalers to meet the demand.
Gov. Brian Sandoval has endorsed the proposal, which would specifically address what’s long been an elephant in the room for states with legalizrf recreational marijuana: the U.S. government still considers it illegal.
That was the biggest reason Deonne Contine, executive director of the state’s Department of Taxation, cited in March when she first expressed concern about “insufficient interest” among liquor wholesalers, especially in Nevada where many of their biggest customers are hotel-casinos also subject to numerous federal statutes.
Under the proposed regulation, the wholesaler must demonstrate it “has resolved to the best of its ability any potential conflicts with its federal liquor licensing and the distribution of a federally illegal product.”
Contine said in declaring the need for emergency action last week that marijuana retailers recorded more than 40,000 transactions in the first weekend.
“Without the ability to license marijuana distributors to continue the flow of product to the retail store, a high likelihood exists that consumers will revert to the black market,” Contine wrote. Unless the matter is resolved quickly, the distribution bottleneck will cost both the state and investors millions of dollars, thousands of jobs and “cause this nascent industry to grind to a halt.”
The new guidelines used to determine sufficiency to meet demand also would include:
— a sample of market demand for both medical and recreational pot the last three months
— industry growth expectations based on other states
— the need make a minimum of three to five deliveries a day to some dispensaries
— an understanding of a complicated “seed to sale” tracking system
You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.
]]>Dumanis retired from the position she held for more than 14 years on Friday, July 7.
The demonstration was held outside the county’s Hall of Justice in downtown San Diego, as the prosecutor exited the building among a phalanx of law enforcement personnel. The dozens of police officers, who said they were there on their own time, had assembled for a “ceremonial walkout” to a vintage San Diego police car that then drove Dumanis away.
As Dumanis appeared at the building entrance, the Euphoria Brass Band struck up a tune and activists, decked out in theme regalia, including top hats, parasols and green Mardi Gras beads, began to dance.
Many lofted signs with slogans such as “Bonnie the Buzzkill Bully” and “Goodbye Bonnie, Hello Justice.” The band then led a march winding the streets of downtown to the County Administration Building, along the San Diego Bay waterfront.
The group was celebrating the end of the Dumanis reign and her policies, which have been widely thought of as hostile to medical marijuana.
Terrie Best, the San Diego Chair of the MMJ rights group Americans for Safe Access, organized the send-off protest, dubbed the “Bonnie Bash.”
She made it clear that the funeral march was for what she sees as the misdeeds of the Dumanis reign, and that the protestors wished her no harm. The end of her tenure and policies toward medical marijuana were, however, worthy of celebration.
“She refuses to interpret the law in any way but an extremely punitive one for patients, and she’s had some very, very sympathetic patients in the courtroom that she’s prosecuted,” Best explained.
One of the marchers was retired Lt. Diane Goldstein, a 21-year veteran of the Redondo Beach, California Police Department. She is an executive board member of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), a group of current and former peace officers and other law enforcement professionals who advocate for, among other things, reform of marijuana laws and an end to the War on Drugs.
Goldstein said that she believes that Dumanis’ policies toward medical cannabis amounted to prosecutorial overreach and an attempt to deny the will of the people.
“Dumanis has tried to undermine Proposition 215 going back years,” Goldstein said, “and during the campaign for Proposition 64 was one of the main opponents trying to spread fear and rhetoric about what would happen if Proposition 64 passed.”
Many of the participants of the jazz funeral march had spent time before the demonstration at a pre-trial hearing for Jessica McElfresh, a San Diego attorney specializing in cannabis law.
McElfresh has been charged in the case against San Diego MMJ products company Med-West, which was raided by the San Diego Narcotics Task Force in January of 2016. She is accused of conspiring with Med-West staff to conceal evidence of illegal cannabis extraction from government inspectors.
Best, of Americans for Safe Access, believes the arrest and prosecution of McElfresh is another example of Dumanis’ hostility toward legal marijuana.
She characterized the charges as “…beyond the pale, because there is attorney-client privilege that comes into play, there’s the message that we, as a medical cannabis community, do not deserve legal representation, and there’s also a large bolt of fear that went through all of the community because Jessica McElfresh has been the attorney of record for several licensed dispensaries in the City of San Diego.”
Although she is no longer the District Attorney, the San Diego Medical Marijuana community may not have seen the last of Bonnie Dumanis.
She is reportedly considering a run for the county’s Board of Supervisors, a body that has already banned all commercial cannabis activity in the unincorporated areas of San Diego County. Deputy D.A. Summer Stephan has been appointed interim district attorney until the position is filled by election.
You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.
]]>According to a report from CNN, the FDA has expanded its training requirements beyond the makers of extended-release opioids to include those pharmaceutical companies in the businesses of manufacturing “short-acting” pain medications. The new rule will force these companies to train physicians, nurses and pharmacists on how to properly assess a patient’s need for a narcotic painkiller and even when to offer alternative treatments.
The agency said it was updating its policy since 90 percent of the 200 million opioids prescribed in this country are for short-acting medications, like oxycodone and hydrocodone.
The idea is to make the professionals involved in the prescription process better aware that these types of drugs come with just as many health risks as the extended forms.
“America is simply awash in immediate-release opioid products,” FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said during his recent announcement on the policy change. “Many people who become addicted to opioids will eventually move on to seek higher-dose formulations of these drugs or illicit street drugs, which are increasingly the low-cost alternatives.”
During a two-day meeting held this week by the FDA, a panel of experts gathered to discuss just how short-acting opioids, sometimes referred to as “abuse–deterrent” because they cannot be melted down for injection, might be contributing to the addiction and overdose problem.
In the end, the consensus was that the term “abuse-deterrent” might be giving medical personnel a false sense of security for the safety of the drugs.
“We don’t want to improperly convey a perception that a product that’s resistant to manipulation and abuse is somehow also less prone to fueling addiction when that’s simply not true,” Gottlieb said.
Some of the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 33,000 people died in 2015 as a result of an opioid overdose. The report indicates that more than half of these casualties were due to prescription painkillers.
Sadly, the mortality rate is expected to keep climbing, as there are now more than 2 million American citizens hooked on these medications.
Data released last week from the CDC shows that while prescriptions for opioids are showing signs of slowing down, doctors are still prescribing way too many of these drugs to even begin to get a grip on the problem.
Under the guidance of Gottlieb, the FDA has been exploring the possibility of strong-arming doctors into entering a mandatory training program before they can prescribe opioids. Groups like the American Medical Association have vehemently opposed this concept because they feel the method is too “one-size-fits-all” to do any good.
The FDA recently called for the elimination of a popular extended-release opioid called Opana ER. The drug has been connected to high rates of abuse in the Midwest.
This was the first time the agency has ever pleaded with a drug maker to pull one of its products from the market. Since then, the manufacturer (Endo Pharmaceuticals) has agreed to comply.
You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ news right here.
]]>Commissioners voted 4-1 on Tuesday to keep the dispensaries from opening in Collier until Dec. 31 to give the county a chance to lobby state lawmakers for more control over the number of dispensaries that could open.
The Naples Daily News reports commissioners want to wait for legislators to either get sued or change a law signed by Gov. Rick Scott in June before committing to allowing the dispensaries or voting for a longer-term ban.
If nothing changes by December, commissioners could lengthen the ban.
The state law gives counties two options: Ban dispensaries outright or to treat them like pharmacies.
You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.
]]>“D.A.R.E. is, I think, as I indicated, the best remembered anti-drug program today,” Sessions recently told the gathering at D.A.R.E.’s International Training Conference in Grapevine, Texas.
And when Jeff Session says he thinks he remembers something, that’s progress so I guess we should listen.
“In recent years, people have not paid much attention to that message, but they are ready to hear it again,” said Sessions.
They are?
According to D.A.R.E.’s website, the program is “making a comeback” in several communities such as Weymouth, Massachusetts and Lake County, Florida. Why that is classified as a comeback is anyone’s guess.
What has happened in recent year is that D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) has been classified as outdated and, at times, a laughing stock.
One recent example was last year when news stories reported that D.A.R.E. had removed cannabis from its list of gateway drugs.
But, this ended up being a mistake caused by the posting of an automatic news feed on their blog.
While it’s true that D.A.R.E, has strong name recognition—especially among anyone born after 1983 and who remembers representatives visiting their sixth grade classroom with charts, reports and generally frightening and usually erroneous information about drugs—the effectiveness of the program, founded by the late ex-LAPD chief Daryl Gates, has been challenged over the years.
A thorough study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information concluded that “D.A.R.E. is ineffective.”
But, hey, Mr. Sessions, if you say so.
“We know it worked before and we can make it work again,” gushed the attorney general in his remarks at D.A.R.E’s 30th Training Conference.
He assured participants that the Department of Justice would work together with state and local authorities, along with D.A.R.E., to stop drug pushers.
“We need you,” Sessions said. “We need D.A.R.E. to prevent them from finding new victims. We need your strong leadership to deny them new customers.”
We need some strong leadership to stop lying about marijuana. Are you game, Mr. Sessions? The truth shall set you free.
RELATED: How Jeff Sessions Made an Argument for Drug Legalization
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