Author: News Room

Six former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) heads and five former White House drug czars have sent a letter to the attorney general and current DEA administrator, voicing opposition to the top federal health agency’s recommendation to reschedule marijuana. They also made a questionable claim about the relationship between drug schedules and criminal penalties in a way that may exaggerate the potential impact of the incremental reform. The letter, sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram on Thursday, says that moving cannabis to Schedule III, as advised by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),…

“The proposed rule would permit a expeditious, yet transparent, process for all applicants to address the issues that have been raised.” By Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) adopted new application and licensing rules Thursday after months of legal disputes and amid stalled settlement negotiations over the commission’s evaluation process. The rules adopted by the commission will allow the commission to keep scores it gave to prior applications but give applicants the chance to outline deficiencies. Applicants will have the opportunity to present their proposals to the commission in a public meeting. “The proposed rule would…

Rhode Island’s licensed marijuana retailers sold more adult-use cannabis than ever in September, according to newly released state numbers. Overall sales, however, fell just a hair short of a $9.67 million monthly record in August due to a drop in medical cannabis purchases. September sales of recreational cannabis products totaled $7,116,727.00, according to the latest numbers from the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation. That’s the greatest amount since legal sales to adults launched in December 2022. Medical marijuana receipts for last month came to $2,516,624.54, a record low since adult-use sales began. All told, Rhode Island’s reported total marijuana…

The lead GOP Senate cosponsor of a bipartisan marijuana banking bill says a planned floor vote is on pause until he can ensure the legislation will later pass the Republican-controlled House, according to a cannabis financing executive who spoke with the senator this week. While the House prospects of the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act have long factored into Senate leadership’s thinking, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) apparently made it clear in his conversation with Pelorus Capital Group President Rob Sechrist on Tuesday that until he’s assured there’s a pathway to passage in the opposite chamber, the bill…

Marianne Williamson, a 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, says the federal government should “fully legalize” certain psychedelics like psilocybin for therapeutic use and cover the costs for patients under a universal healthcare system. In a new plan focused on mental health, Williamson laid out 10 proposals that she said would help address the country’s “record levels of suicide, depression, anxiety, and toxic stress.” That includes legalizing psychedelic-assisted therapy with full insurance coverage. “For some of the most widespread mental health challenges we face—such as depression, addiction, anxiety, and PTSD—psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy using psilocybin and MDMA has shown incredible promise to completely revolutionize…

More than a year into marijuana legalization in New Jersey, people say they’re definitely noticing the smell of cannabis—but most aren’t bothered by it, according to a new poll. The survey also shows that far more people believe driving under the influence of alcohol to be “very dangerous” than say the same about getting behind the wheel after consuming marijuana. About half of adults in the state report having smelled marijuana from a neighboring house or apartment, according to the poll from Stockton University’s Hughes Center for Public Policy. But more respondents said they think the right to use legal…

Just outside the doors of Mike D’s coastal home, I’m greeted by Skylar Diamond, the Beastie Boy’s youngest son, and am instantly struck by his good manners. Kind, talkative and charismatic, Skylar looks like any other Malibu surf kid—except he’s a spitting image of his dad’s younger self. As we chat about soccer (I mean, fútbol), his brother Davis Diamond strolls up, sun-kissed with dirty blonde locks, and casually joins in the conversation as if he’s used to mingling with adults twice his age. There’s no doubt these boys have been raised right. They’re curious about the world, inquisitive about…

The GOP’s nominee to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) as Speaker of the House—one of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government—has opposed nearly every cannabis bill he’s encountered during the past 15 years in office. Scalise dropped out of the House speaker race Thursday evening. In a closed-door meeting to replace McCarthy as speaker Wednesday, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) was selected as the clear nominee. Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the next contender, lost the nomination in a vote 113 to 99. On Thursday however, Scalise appeared to be short on votes to become the next Speaker.…

Maryland officials say a judge’s ruling that allows the resumption of delta-8 THC sales by hemp vendors hurts the state’s efforts to guarantee consumer safety in the cannabis sector. Circuit Court Judge Brett R. Wilson yesterday temporarily suspended enforcement of a provision of the state’s cannabis law in a suit filed by hemp interests. The Maryland Hemp Coalition and a group of hemp businesses allege that restrictions in the law violate equal protection and anti-monopoly clauses in the Maryland Constitution. Delta-8 is a synthetic form of THC that mimics the “high” of the more common delta-9 THC present in marijuana plants.…

As early voting kicked off in Ohio on Wednesday, the state Senate passed a GOP-led resolution urging voters to reject a marijuana legalization measure that’s on the ballot. Introduced by Sens. Mark Romanchuk (R) and Terry Johnson (R), and cosponsored by 14 other Senate Republicans, SR 216 lists a parade of horribles that lawmakers say would befall the state if the cannabis ballot initiative known as Issue 2 becomes law. “The proposed statute authored by the commercial marijuana industry,” it says, “does not serve the best interests of the people of Ohio, will bring unacceptable threats and risks to the…