Author: News Room

“It is disheartening to see bad actors attempt to exploit the system for personal gain, undermining the very opportunities we sought to create.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent A St. Louis lawmaker is demanding that Missouri regulators investigate what she called an “egregious exploitation” of social cannabis equity licenses, following a report by The Independent last week about a company that recruited out-of-state license applicants on Craigslist. State Sen. Karla May, a St. Louis Democrat, sent a letter on Thursday to the state’s Division of Cannabis Regulation and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey demanding action. Voters approved the microbusiness program…

Rep. Dean Phillips (D) is challenging incumbent President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination—and the congressman’s drug policy record reflects a consistent commitment to reform at the state and federal level. Phillips officially entered the race on October 27, stating that while he thinks the president has done an effective job to date, Biden’s slumping poll numbers raise concerns about his viability in the election, and he’s hoping to offer an alternative pathway for Democrats. When it comes to drug policy issues, Phillips has supported federal marijuana legalization, pushed the Biden administration to provide relief to those who’ve…

A New York Senate marijuana committee is holding its first meeting on Monday, with members set to hear from witnesses and discuss potential legislative solutions to the state’s ongoing cannabis legalization implementation problems. The Senate Cannabis Subcommittee, which was established in April and is being chaired by Sen. Jeremy Cooney (D), invited members of the public to submit applications to testify at the hearing earlier this month. “The goal of this hearing is to solicit feedback from a diverse cohort of individuals involved in the adult-use space,” Cooney said at the time. “I believe the best way to ensure we…

“We get support from quite a few legislators, but the ones that are in power are not supportive for various reasons, and they don’t let it go forward.” By Dylan Lysen, KCUR A new poll again shows Kansans broadly support legalizing marijuana for medicinal or recreational use, but it seems as unlikely as ever that lawmakers will launch a new cannabis industry. Advocates and lawmakers who back medical marijuana point their fingers at the Republican leadership in the Kansas Senate. Republican Sen. Rob Olson, who held Statehouse committee hearings for a medical marijuana bill last year, said Senate President Ty…

A Massachusetts campaign believes it has collected enough valid signatures to force lawmakers to consider a psychedelics legalization initiative—the first option for the reform before activists move to put it on the state’s 2024 ballot. In just under two months since Massachusetts for Mental Health Options started petitioning, the campaign says it has internally verified more than 75,000 signatures from registered voters, which is just over the 74,574 threshold that’s required for this first phase of the effort. The signature milestone, first reported by The Boston Globe on Friday, comes weeks after activists made a decision to pursue one of…

Advocates in California filed a ballot initiative with state officials on Friday that would create a right “to obtain and use psychedelics for medical, therapeutic and spiritual purposes” with the recommendation of a doctor. It would also allow adults to possess and use the substances in their home as well as cultivate entheogenic plants and fungi on private property. Known as the Psychedelic Wellness and Healing Initiative of 2024, the measure is the third psychedelics-related prospective citizen-led measure attempting to qualify for next year’s ballot. Another would legalize psilocybin for adult and therapeutic use, while a third would commit $5…

By Chris Eudaley Surely, hand-blown glass pipes and tubes are the modern connoisseur’s weapon of choice. Their sleek, smooth feel and exquisite psychedelic swirls, marbles and designs are only outdone by the outstandingly pristine tokes each use delivers. It’s a genuine marriage of beauty and practicality. Of course, there are cheaper ways to smoke your stash, but with today’s high pot prices, most money-conscious smokers think twice before rolling up monster fatties with double-wide rolling papers. Glassblowing is an ancient trade, dating back before the time of Christ. Then, as now, it was taught via a system of apprenticeship wherein…

Less than two weeks ahead of Election Day, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is talking to local TV stations about his opposition to Issue 2, a ballot initiative that would legalize adult-use marijuana in the state. But newly released state data on campaign fundraising indicate that supporters have an edge, having raised nearly four times what opponents have collected. DeWine said voters are confused about both the cannabis measure and a separate initiative, Issue 1, which would protect access to contraception, fertility treatment and abortion. He downplayed polls showing popular support for both proposals. “These are gonna go right down…

Of all the cities in California, few get less credit for their contributions to our collective culture than the state’s capital, Sacramento. Long dubbed the “City of Trees,” while it has certainly become a major hub for the cannabis industry, there’s also an incredible art community growing through the cracks that’s quietly powering the more visual aspects of the business. A perfect example of one of these aesthetic wizards is the Yellow Brick Group (YBG) crew. Best known throughout the country for their work with Alien Labs, the reach of YBG actually spans far further than cannabis—especially in the city…

A federal appeals court has ruled against the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in a lawsuit over a Washington State doctor’s petition to reschedule psilocybin. The court said DEA failed to explain its reasoning when it denied the petition, and it ordered the agency to provide a more complete justification. The court did not, however, send the petition to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for review, as lawyers for the doctor had requested. The opinion, handed down Friday by panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, does not change the legal status of psilocybin…