DeSantis says legal marijuana will be on the ballot in Florida; OH Gov wants legal sales; Congress report on cannabis & firearms; USDA hemp survey, German legalization and MO sales
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Top Things to Know
In a recent court filing, the Department of Justice confirmed that it would seek to dismiss a suit that marijuana businesses had filed in order to prevent federal authorities from enforcing prohibition of cannabis against their state-legal activities.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, (R), said that the voters of Florida will have the opportunity to decide in November whether to legalize marijuana. He predicted the Supreme Court would reject the efforts of the Attorney General to block the ballot measure.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, is calling on lawmakers to fix the “goofy” situation that the current state marijuana laws have created. The current law allows people to possess and use cannabis legally without being able to buy regulated products.
The Congressional Research Service released a report about the federal ban on gun ownership for marijuana users, noting that it is possible that the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the Department of Justice’s appeal of a ruling by a lower court that declared this policy unconstitutional.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has sent surveys to thousands of farmers in order to better understand how the hemp industry is doing. The survey asks about smokable, edible hemp, and the extraction of CBD, other cannabinoids, or terpenes, for use in oils and lotions.
Germany’s Health Minister said that he is optimistic about a vote on marijuana legalization next month. He also stated that the law would be implemented by April 1, despite concerns from lawmakers.
Texas activists are gathering signatures for local marijuana decriminalization ballot initiatives in Dallas and Lockhart.
Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation reports that retailers have sold legal marijuana products worth $1.3 billion in 2023. This was topped off by a record-breaking monthly sales for recreational marijuana in December.
Federal
Marianne Williamson, Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, tweeted: “It is time to end America’s War on Drugs.” Since 1971, the War on Drugs has cost us $1 trillion. It’s only made things worse. We should not treat drugs as a criminal problem but rather as a public health issue. (Like in Portugal.) We could fund a network of world-class recovery programs that help people to get sober for just a fraction the $100 billion a year we spend on the War on Drugs.
Rep. Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-TX, discussed the therapeutic potentials of psychedelics.
/ STATES
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, (D), tweeted: “For the third consecutive year, Illinois has had record-setting sales of adult-use marijuana.” We are building the most accessible and prosperous cannabis industry in the country – taking steps towards repairing the damage done by the past, and creating real opportunities for all Illinoisans.
The South Dakota Senate has passed a bill that gives law enforcement agencies and other state agencies greater latitude to inspect, search, and impose discipline against medical cannabis businesses.
The Alaska House Labor & Commerce Committee has approved a bill that will restructure the marijuana tax.
New York’s Assembly Majority Leader said that regulators needed more staff in order to launch the recreational cannabis market. Separately the senator who wrote the bill creating the legalization law claimed that the state’s tax policy on cannabis is “too complicated.” Another senator tweets, “The priority for NYS in the #cannabis space is to open more legal retail shops, along with enforcement efforts.” The top cannabis regulator said that the state must act with urgency.
A senator from Oklahoma plans to amend a bill to remove the provision that makes it a crime to expose children second-hand marijuana smoke.
Virginia legislators discussed the prospects of legislation to legalize recreational cannabis sales.
Oregon regulators have published a compliance bulletin to educate consumers on the tracking of hemp products. Separately, they viewed a demo of the new state cannabis business licensing system.
The Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission has published a list that prohibits public officials from working for or owning medical cannabis businesses.
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/ LOCAL
New York City’s top marijuana regulatory official discussed the ongoing efforts to launch a legal marijuana industry.
Manhattan’s District Attorney spoke on enforcement against unlicensed cannabis sales.
A member of the Commerce City Council in Georgia was arrested on suspicion of distributing marijuana.
/ INTERNATIONAL
The Canadian Free Trade Agreement has been expanded to include non-medical marijuana.
SCIENCE AND HEALTH
According to a review, “current clinical evidence suggests that CBD and CBD-rich marijuana extract may be effective in treating core and behavioral deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder.”
A review suggested that “psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy can be safe and well tolerated in older adults.”
/ ADVOCACY OPINION AND ANALYSIS
The Cannabis Regulators Association has elected new board and welcomes the Netherlands as an international non-voting members.
/ BUSINESS
The Cannabist Company Holdings Inc. has entered into a purchase agreement in order to reduce its leverage by as much as $25 million.
Indiva Limited has announced a private placing offering with proceeds ranging from C$2 to C$4 millions.
SGW FL Enterprises LLC has acquired the Florida medical cannabis license from Planet 13 Holdings Inc.
CULTURE
Blink-182’s Travis Barker, the drummer of the band, launched a cannabis company called Barker Canna Co.
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The post DOJ wants cannabis lawsuit dismissed (Newsletter for January 23, 2024:) appeared first on Marijuana Moment.
