Newsletter Fed job training program’s cannabis testing change (Newsletter: February 23, 2024) Cops & veterans push marijuana rescheduling; Congressional psychedelics bill; NH legalization vote; OH sales push; NJ $2B sales & homegrow; VA sales Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Free to read (but not free to produce)! We’re proud of our newsletter and the reporting we publish at Marijuana Moment, and we’re happy to provide it for free. But it takes a lot of work and resources to make this happen. If you value Marijuana Moment, invest in our success on Patreon so we can expand our coverage and more readers can benefit: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW The U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Corps program is updating its cannabis testing rules to “no longer penalize students for past marijuana use prior to enrolling.” Coalitions of law enforcement leaders and military veterans organizations sent new letters urging the Biden administration to reschedule marijuana. The law enforcement group’s membership list includes Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram—though she didn’t sign the letter. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) filed a bill in Congress that would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to notify lawmakers if psychedelics are added to its formulary of covered drugs in the event of their federal approval by the Food and Drug Administration. The New Hampshire House of Representatives approved a bill to legalize marijuana. It remains to be seen if this is the year that the Senate finally allows the reform to advance to the governor’s desk. The Virginia House General Laws Committee approved a compromise bill to legalize marijuana sales that is meant to bridge the gap between competing measures that previously passed each chamber. Ohio’s Democratic Senate majority leader is joining with Gov. Mike DeWine (R) in criticizing House Republicans for stalling on legislation to expedite recreational marijuana sales, calling it a “disservice to the people.” The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s executive director announced at a hearing that the state has now surpassed $2 billion in legal marijuana sales since 2018—while also urging lawmakers to consider legalizing home cultivation. Maryland House committees held hearings on bills to create separate task forces to study psychedelics legalization and broad decriminalization of other drugs. The Utah Senate gave initial approval to a bill that would strip funding from agencies and municipalities that discriminate against medical cannabis patients in the hiring process or other employment matters. The South Dakota Senate passed a bill to require people on probation and parole to meet additional requirements to receive medical cannabis recommendations. New York officials have collected almost none of the $25 million in fines they’ve levied against unlicensed marijuana businesses. / FEDERAL A Department of Justice spokesperson said the Department of Health and Human Services’s marijuana rescheduling recommendation is still “under review.” A former Drug Enforcement Administration agent is being prosecuted for allegedly accepting more than $250,000 in bribes from the Mafia. / STATES The Florida Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services approved an amendment to give Black farmers more time to cure errors or omissions on medical cannabis business license applications. Pennsylvania senators discussed the prospects of marijuana legalization and decriminalization legislation. California regulators announced mandatory recalls of marijuana products due the presence of aspergillus. Alaska regulators adopted changes to rules on marijuana business security interest transfers. Mississippi regulators are moving to revoke a medical cannabis testing facility’s license over alleged violations. Delaware’s top marijuana regulator announced that a cannabis industry curriculum is being developed at Delaware Technical Community College. Missouri regulators will host cannabis microbusiness outreach events this month and next month. Tennessee regulators will host a webinar on taxation of hemp-based cannabinoids on Tuesday. —
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— / LOCAL The Casper, Wyoming City Council debated marijuana enforcement while considering whether to accept a federal grant from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Montgomery County, Maryland Council is considering a proposal to create a commission to determine how marijuana revenue will be allocated to communities harmed by prohibition. A St. Louis County, Missouri police officer authored an op-ed urging state lawmakers to pass legislation restricting intoxicating hemp products. / INTERNATIONAL Germany’s health minister pushed back against concerns that legalization would burden courts with having to clear past cases, tweeting, “Without amnesty, what would be our message to those convicted of cannabis? ‘As far as the legislature is concerned, you haven’t done anything wrong, but the punishment remains because the courts don’t want to do the work with you.’ Legalization will soon relieve the burden on the courts.” U.S. officials reportedly spent years investigating allegations that allies of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador met with and received millions of dollars from drug cartels after he took office. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada launched a Cannabis Industry Forum. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study using CBD to treat people with Alzheimer’s disease found that “patients who have completed this trial have exhibited reductions in anxiety symptoms.” A study of rats found that “CBD reduced [middle cerebral artery occlusion]-induced brain damage and improved motor performance.” / BUSINESS Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. signed an agreement to acquire a second cultivation license and associated operations in Massachusetts. Cookies is being sued by a retail partner over allegations it broke California’s franchise law, made misrepresentations and caused at least $100 million in damages. Amuse workers in Culver City, California joined Teamsters Local 630. Pure Jamaican and Seven 10 Pharmaceuticals said they executed the first-ever legal export of THC from Jamaica to the U.S. Canadian retailers sold C$441.2 million worth of legal cannabis products in December. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox.
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