Author: News Room

A powerful House committee has cleared two psychedelics research amendments and another measure on labeling pharmaceuticals with information about interactions with marijuana for floor consideration as part of large-scale spending bills. On Saturday, the House Rules Committee advanced four appropriations bills with numerous proposed amendments, setting the stage for floor votes as a government funding deadline at the end of this month quickly approaches. Two of the spending bills could see drug policy reform measures attached. The committee advanced two GOP-led amendments on psychedelics for a bill covering funding for the Department of Defense (DOD). One, sponsored by Reps. Morgan…

California’s governor says that while he understands the “profound” potential of psychedelics to treat certain mental health conditions, he’s still undecided on how he will approach a bill to legalize small amounts of certain entheogenic substances that’s on his desk—even as new polling shows a majority of likely voters in the state back the reform. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) position on psychedelics has been murky, with no clear indication of whether he’d sign the legislation from Sen. Scott Wiener (D). But in a recent interview with Politico, he shared mixed feelings about the proposal. On the one hand, he said…

A group of Pennsylvania lawmakers spoke Friday about the path ahead for marijuana legalization in the state, emphasizing their interest in building a legal industry that’s inclusive, accommodating of existing medical patients and respectful of local communities’ needs. During discussion at the 6th annual Cannabis Opportunities Conference—part of the Diasporic Alliance for Cannabis Opportunity’s (DACO) Black Cannabis Week—policymakers, most of whom are Black, emphasized the importance of building social equity into the legal market. “This is going to be a multibillion-dollar industry,” said Sen. Sharif Street (D), who hosted the event. “We need to make sure that we’re inclusive… We…

“Chemical conversion of CBD to produce THC can result in a product with harmful residual solvents, other harmful compounds, and even new compounds of unknown impact.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation is responding to questions about the effectiveness of the software it uses to track information about marijuana products, including the results of state-mandated testing. In a guidance document issued last week, the agency addressed questions regarding testing regulations that cannabis businesses rely on to ensure product is safe—defending its protocols by arguing that regulations can only do so much when “bad actors” intentionally…

Marijuana sales in Rhode Island set another record in August, with total retail receipts exceeding $9.67 million. It’s the fourth consecutive month of record-setting sales, according to data released by the state Department of Business Regulation. Adult-use cannabis sales, which launched in the state in December 2022, have consistently grown since the legal market opened. In August, nonmedical purchases totaled more than $7 million. Medical cannabis sales, however—which were $2.64 million last month—have generally declined over the same period, as has the state’s number of active medical marijuana patients. Unlike some other states, Rhode Island breaks down its sales data…

“We shouldn’t let the stigma from the 1960s and ’70s and the War on Drugs prevent us from exploring [something] that can truly help people achieve sustained relief.” By Alexander Lekhtman, Filter Pennsylvania state lawmakers are pushing for legislation that supports research on psilocybin mushrooms for mental health treatment. The bill comes amid a wave of psilocybin policy reform nationwide. Representative Jennifer O’Mara (D) and Senator Tracy Pennycuick (R) initially introduced House Bill 1959 in 2021. It was intended to support psilocybin clinical studies, regulated by the state health department under the authority of an institutional review board. It also…

By Victor Bockris I like to get what I need in the place I’m visiting, because scoring adds another dimension to the trip. I presumed it would be easy in L.A., but the first thing “Clarissa” said when I arrived at the airport was, “I hope you brought some of that good New York coke.” “No, as a matter of fact…” “Oh shit! It’s really expensive out here, and it’s usually been stepped on so much. Luckily I happen to have the best connection, but the cheapest is $125 a gram.” “Yeah. I’d like to get some grass too.” “There’s…

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is proposing a dramatic restructuring of the federal government’s workforce, in part by eliminating certain agencies like the FBI. But, at the same time, he wants to keep and significantly expand the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) despite having criticized the broader war on drugs. The 38-year-old presidential hopeful—who has voiced support for legalizing marijuana and decriminalizing certain psychedelics—detailed his plan to fire about 75 percent of federal workers and shutter key agencies during a recent domestic policy speech. Legal experts have already challenged the idea that a president holds such unilateral authority. But for drug…

Ohio’s secretary of state has ordered a county election board to certify a local marijuana decriminalization initiative for the November ballot—meaning that three Ohio localities will be deciding on the reform at the same time voters across the state will have the chance to pass a full legalization measure. Early voting for military and overseas voters began on Friday. And, on top of statewide legalization on the ballot, voters in the villages of Harbor View, Risingsun and Sugar Grove will also see local initiatives to decriminalize possession of up to 200 grams of cannabis for personal use. That’s a higher…

Few brands can say they breed, grow, process, package, and sell everything in-house—let alone with their own award-winning genetics and a team of people that could all fit in a studio apartment. Built on a history of 20 years of collecting, preserving, and developing unique cannabis genetics, Archive has gone from an idea to a company that’s grown to encompass every aspect of originator Fletcher Watson’s passion for cannabis. This vertically integrated company was the first seed vendor in the U.S. to have a retail location where you could visit and purchase clones or seeds. Since opening the Portland, Oregon…