Author: News Room

“It was mandated by the General Assembly, but this governor has a different philosophy of civil discourse.” By Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury After top Democrats and community leaders called for the firing of the state’s diversity chief last spring over his “DEI is dead” comments, the General Assembly included language in its budget to redirect funding from the Office of Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion to a loan program to help licensed cannabis sellers unless “equity” is put back into the state’s diversity office title by this summer. In January 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) renamed the Office of Diversity, Equity…

A panel of lawmakers in Vermont has advanced a measure that would establish a working group to study whether and how to allow therapeutic access to psychedelics in the state. If the bill is enacted, a report from the working group would be due to the legislature in November with recommendations on how to regulate the substances. The Senate Appropriations committee approved S. 114 on a 6–0 vote last week. The panel did not adopt any amendments, though members at one point floated the idea of reducing the working group’s number of planned meetings from eight down to five. The…

A Senate-passed marijuana legalization bill in Hawaii has survived a close vote on the House floor, with members narrowly advancing the proposal to its final legislative committee as some lawmakers who oppose the reform warned of dire threats to public safety and everyday life in the state. After nearly an hour and a half of discussion Friday, the chamber voted 25–23 to refer the bill in its current form to the House Finance Committee, where some lawmakers have indicated it could face a critical reception. Of those 25 yes votes, three members formally expressed reservations with the plan. Some of…

The bill “is an important step forward in addressing drug use as a health issue by linking people to lifesaving services and treatment and making sure people who possess residual amounts of illicit drugs are not saddled with criminal records.” By Christopher Ingraham, Minnesota Reformer A Minnesota Senate committee has advanced a bill that would eliminate criminal penalties for people found in possession of illicit drug residue. It would also require law enforcement to refer illicit drug users to treatment providers if they request it. The bill (SF3663/HF3952) builds on first-of-its-kind legislation passed last year that decriminalized drug paraphernalia, as…

A new study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has found that a citrusy-smelling terpene in marijuana could help ease anxiety and paranoia associated with THC. The findings, researchers say, could help unlock the maximum therapeutic benefit of THC and protect public health. Published in the latest issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the new paper says that subjects who vaporized the terpene D-limonene along with a dose of THC experienced less anxiety and paranoia compared to those who consumed THC alone. “Ratings of anxiety-like subjective effects qualitatively decreased as D-limonene dose increased,” the report…

A Republican House advisory committee is formally opposing marijuana banking legislation and a separate bill to remove past cannabis use as a disqualifying factor for federal employment and security clearances, while broadly criticizing the substance as a “gateway drug” that causes “violence, depression and suicide.” The House Republican Policy Committee’s new marijuana report also says that Vice President Kamala Harris was “mistaken” when she said cannabis brings people “joy” as a 2020 presidential candidate, instead arguing that it is a “hazardous drug with short and long-term impacts.” The guidance, which is meant to inform how the GOP caucus should approach marijuana…

A new poll from the American Bankers Association (ABA) shows that roughly three out of five Americans support allowing marijuana industry access to the banking system—a finding that comes amid a renewed push for reform among congressional leaders. On Thursday, ABA released the survey that found 63 percent of Americans back cannabis businesses banking access, compared to just 17 percent who are opposed. “Americans have made it clear that Congress should resolve the ongoing conflict between state and federal law on cannabis banking issues by passing legislation that will enhance public safety, tax collection and transparency,” ABA President Rob Nichols…

The Republican governor of Utah has allowed a bill to become law without his signature that authorizes a pilot program for hospitals to administer psilocybin and MDMA as an alternative treatment option. Gov. Spencer Cox (R) said in a letter to legislative leaders last week that he was letting the psychedelics legislation become enacted despite his reservations due to the “overwhelming support” it received, with both chambers unanimously approving the measure. “I am generally supportive of scientific efforts to discover the benefits of new substances that can relieve suffering,” Cox said. “However, we have a task force that was set…

Since the U.S. Census Bureau first launched a map detailing the proportion of state revenue made up by marijuana tax money last fall, the agency has continued tracking the data, allowing further comparisons to be made over time. In the fourth quarter of 2023, for example, New York recorded about $14.8 million in excise tax on marijuana sales, making up a comparatively slim 0.02 percent of the state’s total tax revenue for the quarter. That’s an increase, however, of 49 percent compared to the preceding quarter—an indication of the potentially massive New York market still slowly getting off the ground…

In the wake of mass media layoffs and dwindling marketing budgets, many cannabis journalists have turned to independent platforms, like Substack, to build their own audience for reporting on the plant.  Last week, career cannabis journalist and Managing Editor of San Diego Magazine Jackie Bryant joined the troves of ancillary writers being targeted by Stripe, Substack’s payment platform, for violating their terms of sale — despite merely reporting on the plant — while they continue to host many clients selling cannabis and “paraphernalia” directly. On Tuesday, March 19, Bryant got an email with the subject line: “[Important] Closure of your…