MN legalization bills clear more panels; USDA’s new weekly hemp report; NC medical marijuana bill refiled; Study: Legalization not tied to psychosis
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Food and Drug Administration announced that it will not be issuing regulations to allow CBD as a dietary supplement or food additive—and instead wants to work with Congress on a “new way forward.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture published the first issue of a new weekly report aimed at providing “unbiased, timely, and accurate data” on the hemp industry.
The Minnesota House Labor and Industry Finance and Policy Committee and Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee amended and approved companion marijuana legalization bills.
A key North Carolina senator refiled a new version of his medical cannabis bill that passed the chamber last session but later stalled in the House. The Senate president pro tem says enacting it this session is “the right thing for us to do.”
A new study published by the American Medical Association involving a population of more than 63 million people found that legal marijuana states see “no statistically significant increase in rates of psychosis-related diagnoses”—despite repeated prohibitionist claims to that effect.
/ FEDERAL
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Drug Testing Advisory Board will discuss the effects of cannabinoids including delta-8 THC on federal workplace drug testing programs in a closed-door meeting on March 7.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said moving marijuana banking legislation without addressing comprehensive reform would set a “terrible precedent.”
/ STATES
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) tweeted, “Let’s cut taxes for all Kansans with my #AxingYourTaxes plan, fully fund special education, secure clean water, legalize medical marijuana, finally expand Medicaid, and get communities resources to combat the opioid epidemic.”
An Ohio senator filed a bill to give people caught driving with marijuana metabolites in their systema chance to argue that they were not impaired.
Pennsylvania senators introduced a bill to allow doctors to recommend medical cannabis for any condition they see fit.
Florida lawmakers filed legislation to allow medical cannabis recommendations to be issued via telehealth.
A Missouri representative spoke about his bill to provide protections to people who use psilocybin therapeutically.
A Maryland appeals court upheld a decision to allow regulators to recall medical cannabis edibles.
Washington State regulators initiated rulemaking on allowing marijuana businesses to use cloud storage options for recordkeeping.
Oregon regulators recalled cannabis vaping products that tested positive for pesticides.
A former top Massachusetts marijuana regulator spoke about his new role at a company that makes an app for medical cannabis patients.
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/ LOCAL
New York City’s mayor spoke during his State of the City speech about a new loan fund to help people harmed by the drug war start new businesses, and about increased enforcement against unlicensed marijuana businesses.
Denver, Colorado officials sent a reminder about marijuana license renewals.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Italian lawmakers discussed marijuana legalization.
International Criminal Court judges cleared the way for an investigation into the bloody Philippine “war on drugs” to resume.
A European Parliament member from Malta tweeted, “A war on drugs will always fail. No country can arrest its way out of drugs – its much more complex. This matter is not for sensationalism & populist statements. We must attack trafficking, while at the same time work on addiction knowledge & wellbeing. Science not ideology.”
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A review concluded that “growing evidence of preclinical research demonstrates that THCs reduce tumor progression by stimulating apoptosis and autophagy and inhibiting two significant hallmarks of cancer pathogenesis: metastasis and angiogenesis.”
A study of horses found that “treatment with CBD reduced some inflammatory cytokine production with no negative side effects.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
A poll of Georgia residents found that 53 percent support legalizing marijuana for recreational and medical use, 23 percent want to allow medical use only, 15 percent back decriminalizing possession and 7 percent want to maintain criminalization across the board.
A South Carolina Chamber of Commerce survey shows that more than two-thirds of business leaders in the state support legalizing medical cannabis.
The U.S. Naval Institute published an op-ed arguing that the Navy should refocus on counternarcotics efforts.
/ BUSINESS
Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. is closing the majority of its operations in California, Colorado and Oregon; reducing payroll by 10 percent and consolidating cultivation and processing operations in Massachusetts.
Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. is acquiring the Maryland assets of Devi Holdings, Inc.
Organigram Holdings Inc. announced that it is not in compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement.
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