Author: News Room

“Illegal marijuana grows are responsible for an alarming influx of organized crime into our communities, particularly from Mexican drug cartels and Chinese crime syndicates.” By Carmen Forman, Oklahoma Voice Oklahoma’s attorney general is asking citizens to report suspected illegal marijuana grow operations to a new anonymous tipline as part of efforts to crack down on illicit drug activity. The tipline goes hand-in-hand with a new task force Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R) created to combat illegal marijuana grows across the state. Drummond on Wednesday announced the formation of the Organized Crime Task Force, which will work with the Oklahoma Bureau…

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) might be working to advance a bipartisan cannabis banking bill in Congress—but he says he’s yet undecided on a marijuana legalization initiative that will appear on his own state’s ballot in November. As Brown’s panel officially scheduled a markup of the revised Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Act for next week, the chairman was asked how he intended to vote on the state Issue 2, which would legalize adult-use cannabis in Ohio. He didn’t say that he would oppose the ballot measure—despite holding a record on cannabis policy that’s long put him…

The Pennsylvania Senate has overwhelmingly approved a bill to allow all licensed medical marijuana grower-processors in the state to sell their cannabis products directly to patients—and there’s talk of potentially expanding the legislation in the House to allow for personal home cultivation as well. In a 44-3 vote on Wednesday, the Republican-controlled Senate advanced the measure from Sen. Chris Gebhard (R), who first previewed plans to file the reform bill late last year. Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law currently says that only 25 businesses can be licensed for marijuana growing and processing, and only five of those licensees can sell directly…

A new United Nations report highlights the many human rights concerns raised by the war on drugs, urging member states to shift from punitive drug-control policies to an approach rooted in public health. Dealing with drugs as a criminal problem, the report says, is causing further harm. “Laws, policies and practices deployed to address drug use must not end up exacerbating human suffering,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement Wednesday. “The drugs problem remains very concerning, but treating people who use drugs as criminals is not the solution.” “States should move away from the…

A new report from the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation (CPEAR) looking at the nation’s illicit cannabis market makes a number of policy suggestions aimed at reining in unlicensed marijuana sales. Among them, the group calls for a centralized, nationwide track-and-trace system as well as marijuana tax stamps to help “distinguish regulated cannabis products from illicit products.” “Eliminating the illicit market requires a multifaceted approach, one that leverages technology and data and relies on collaboration between law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and the regulated cannabis industry,” says a press release from the advocacy group, whose membership includes tobacco and…

Psilocybin use is associated with “persisting reductions” in depression, anxiety, alcohol misuse—as well as increases in emotional regulation, spiritual wellbeing and extraversion—according to a new study. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University, Ohio State University and Unlimited Sciences said their work represents the “largest prospective survey of naturalistic psilocybin use to date,” finding evidence that supports the “potential for psilocybin to produce lasting improvements in mental health symptoms and general wellbeing.” For the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry on Tuesday, the researchers recruited 2,833 adults and administered multiple surveys before and after they used the psychedelic outside of…

A top House Democrat has reintroduced a bill to federally legalize, tax and regulate marijuana, with provisions to expunge prior cannabis convictions. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, refiled the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act on Wednesday. There are 33 initial cosponsors—all Democrats. The comprehensive legalization legislation has passed the House twice in recent sessions—but this marks the first time it’s being introduced with Republicans in control of the chamber, raising serious questions about whether it will move. The Judiciary Committee, which is the primary panel of jurisdiction, is chaired by anti-cannabis Rep.…

“As with everything, we want to do what Massachusetts did and patch it up and make it better.” By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current As the state’s newly-formed Cannabis Control Commission starts drafting regulations on Rhode Island’s budding recreational marijuana industry, a group of cannabis workers and advocates is already working to advance some recommendations of their own. Still wet from rain, a group of around 30 met at Hopkinton-based Lovewell Farms on Monday evening to focus on an aspect commissioners have promised to prioritize: social equity measures for prospective business owners most likely to have been impacted by the war…

A key House committee has approved a bipartisan bill on Wednesday that would prevent the denial of federal employment or security clearances based on a candidate’s past marijuana use. The House Oversight and Accountability Committee passed the Cannabis Users’ Restoration of Eligibility (CURE) Act—sponsored by Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)—in a 30-14 vote. All Democrats backed the measure, along with ten Republicans. However, prior to passage, members first adopted an amendment from Chairman James Comer (R-KY) to scale back certain provisions. As introduced, the CURE Act would prevent security clearance and federal employment denials…

A revised bipartisan marijuana banking bill has officially been filed in the Senate, one week before a key committee is scheduled to vote on the legislation. But its prospects in the GOP-controlled House remain uncertain, with a key committee chairman declining to say whether he’d take up the legislation if it crosses over to his chamber. The renamed Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act, sponsored by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Steve Daines (R-MT), was introduced on Wednesday—one day after Marijuana Moment first reported on the finalized language. The amended bill is the product of months of negotiations…