Author: News Room

Ohio’s Republican governor is asking lawmakers to take steps to revise the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law before key provisions take effect next month. Just two days after Ohio voters passed the cannabis initiative, Issue 2, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) says he’s talking to GOP leadership in the legislature about amending the statutory measure prior to adult possession and cultivation becoming legal on December 7. Specifically, he’s seeking changes to the law that would restrict advertising, mitigate the risk of impaired driving and limit public consumption. The governor didn’t provide details about what kind of language he hopes to be…

As the dust settles from Tuesday’s elections, Democrats in Virginia emerged with control of both chambers of the state legislature, an outcome that many see as crucial to further marijuana reform, including legalizing and regulating sales. For advocates, the question now becomes what cannabis legislation Democrats will rally around and ultimately send to the desk of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin—as well as whether Youngkin try to amend or block those changes. Led by Democrats, Virginia lawmakers in 2021 legalized the use, possession and limited personal cultivation of marijuana by adults. But Republicans later blocked the required reenactment of a regulatory…

The White House says “nothing has changed” with President Joe Biden’s stance on marijuana, declining to say if he supports Ohio’s vote to legalize this week or whether he backs further reform of federal cannabis laws. At a briefing on Wednesday, a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre whether the administration supports the decision by Ohio voters on Tuesday to legalize adult-use cannabis and if Biden feels “marijuana restrictions should be loosened on the federal level.” “The president put out his stance on marijuana about a year and a half ago. Nothing has changed there,” Jean-Pierre said. “I…

Ohio’s vote to legalize marijuana at the ballot on Tuesday is one of the latest examples of how Americans are rejecting “MAGA extremism,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says, adding that he’s committed to continuing to work on a bipartisan basis “to keep moving on bipartisan cannabis legislation as soon as we can.” In a floor speech on Wednesday, the majority leader reviewed Tuesday’s election results, which delivered a number of wins for Democrats. Ohio voters approved initiatives to legalize cannabis and codify abortion rights in the state Constitution, Democratic lawmakers secured majorities in both chambers of the Virginia…

The rule would have barred the use of “non-cannabis terpenes”—natural and synthetic aromatic chemicals used to flavor products—in all cannabis products except tinctures By John Hult, South Dakota Searchlight South Dakota lawmakers swatted back an attempt to ban flavoring in marijuana edibles and vape products on Tuesday in Pierre. They also shot down a rule that would have forced cannabis manufacturers to test the rolling papers used to make pre-rolls—also known as joints—in addition to testing the pot inside them. The rules were part of a 31-page set of proposed adjustments to South Dakota’s medical marijuana program considered by the…

Ohio officials have already released an FAQ guide to answer basic questions about the state’s new marijuana legalization law that voters approved on Tuesday. The state Department of Commerce (DOC) sent out a press release on Wednesday to announce the resource for residents interested in learning more about the rules and timeline for the legalization initiative’s rollout. Under the measure, a Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) will be established under DOC to regulate the adult-use market and issue marijuana business licenses. But as the department explained, the policies may be subject to change if the legislature moves to amend the…

Ohio voters on Tuesday passed a ballot initiative to legalize adult-use marijuana, but one resident who voted against the change was GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Although the 38-year-old pharmaceutical company founder has said he supports legal access to marijuana and psychedelics, he opposed legalization in his home state. “I voted no on that one,” Ramaswamy said on CNN Tuesday night, as the network projected that voters had passed the legalization measure, Issue 2. “I think it’s an abandonment of the rule of law when you have one set of rules at the federal level but state laws that contradict…

“It seems like they want to outright prohibit any hemp products while they allow the marijuana-producing companies to produce products that are exactly the same.” By James Brooks, Alaska Beacon A coalition of hemp growers and manufacturers has sued the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR), claiming that new limits on intoxicating hemp products are unconstitutional. The lawsuit, by the Alaska Industrial Hemp Association and four businesses, was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Anchorage. Attorney Christopher Hoke, representing the plaintiffs, said the rules mean that virtually every hemp-derived product made in the state and for sale here—drinks, gummies,…

Overall sales of legal marijuana fell slightly in Maryland in October compared to the prior month, but sales of adult-use products—which kicked off in July—were stronger than ever. All told, licensed retailers in the state sold nearly $90 million in combined medical and retail cannabis products during October. A little more than a third of that ($35 million, or 39 percent) came from medical marijuana sales, while sales of recreational products totaled $55 million. Sales of adult-use products have set records in every single month since the recreational marijuana market opened in July. Meanwhile October’s monthly medical cannabis sales were…

You really are what you eat, Leafly reader. We know that after you smoke weed, you will eat more in the moment—but as it turns out, you won’t necessarily gain weight in the long-run. Hey, the neuroscience of hunger and weed is complicated. Just in time for turkey day, Leafly’s Nick Jikomes, PhD, provides dietary tips for mind and body, as well as how cannabis fits in.‘Mind & Matter’ is a column by Nick Jikomes, PhD, Leafly’s Director of Science & Innovation and creator of the Mind & Matter podcast. Disclaimer: none of this content is medical advice.One of the most…