Author: News Room

Big Pharma and the devastation it causes with opioids is the topic of a new film starring Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Andy Garcia, Catherine O’Hara, Jay Duplass, Brian d’Arcy James, and Chloe Coleman debuting Oct. 27 on Netflix. Pain Hustlers, a new film directed by BAFTA award winner David Yates, follows a mother who gets entangled with a failing pharmaceutical startup and the addiction it leads to.  Netflix reports that Liza Drake, played by Blunt (Oppenheimer, Edge of Tomorrow), is a humble single mom who just lost her job and is in a tight position with few options. She meets…

It’s alive—the soil, that is. Living soil is all the rage in cannabis cultivation. Think it’s just a marketing term? Think again: A new study conducted by Columbia University and a group of cannabis farmers compared indoor, hydroponically grown cannabis versus outdoor cannabis grown in living soil. The results are staggering. Cannabis grown outdoors boasted a significantly greater diversity of cannabinoids and a greater quantity of terpenes. Have we got your attention? Let’s dig in (pun very much intended).What *is* soil?(Jason Henry for Leafly)Most people confuse soil with dirt,” says Dr. Elaine Ingham, one of the world’s leading soil biologists. “But they’re different…

A California bill to legalize certain psychedelics for adults 21 and older is officially on its way to the governor’s desk. On Thursday, the Senate voted 21-14 to concur with Assembly amendments that were adopted after the originating chamber initially passed the bill from Sen. Scott Wiener (D) earlier this year. The finalized measure is now being transmitted to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who has not publicly said where he stands on the reform. The passage of the legislation is a significant win for advocates, military veterans and first responders who helped raise attention to the therapeutic potential of substances…

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) passed a referendum Thursday in favor of legalizing marijuana, becoming the first jurisdiction within the borders of North Carolina—or any of its surrounding states—to commit to the policy change. But it will be a while before would-be customers can make a purchase. According to unofficial results posted by the EBCI’s Board of Elections, members approved the measure by a margin of 70 percent to 30 percent. Although the referendum does not legalize cannabis automatically, tribal leaders have said they’ll follow voters’ lead when they ultimately take up the issue. The referendum asked the…

The chair of a New York Senate cannabis committee says his panel will hold its first public hearing next month to try and identify legislative solutions to the state’s ongoing marijuana legalization implementation problems by bringing regulators, lawmakers, stakeholders and advocates together for a “fair and productive” policy discussion. Sen. Jeremy Cooney (D), who was appointed to lead the Senate’s first-ever cannabis panel earlier this year, announced the October 30 hearing during a press conference on Thursday. He said that the purpose of the meeting is to “finally address the many challenges that we have seen with the rollout of…

“We’re very hopeful that we can arrive at a process that will be best for everybody involved, including the patients who need medical cannabis.” By Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) will meet with prospective producers and distributors next week to attempt to resolve litigation over the state’s licensing process. A Montgomery County Circuit Judge Wednesday extended a temporary restraining order to allow the negotiations to go forward. The AMCC faces several lawsuits over the licensing process. The lawsuits allege that the commission violated the state Open Meetings Act while issuing licenses on August 10, or…

Advocates have raised concerns that a state-run monopoly would force cannabis growers to accept the prices set by regulators. By Hadley Barndollar, New Hampshire Bulletin As a legislative commission probes the potential for a state-run cannabis sales model, an industry organization is surveying farmers and agricultural professionals to gauge interest in future cultivation opportunities. New Hampshire has not yet legalized marijuana, but this past legislative session saw more movement than years past. For the first time, Gov. Chris Sununu (R) said he would support a legalization model where the state controls sales and messaging. It would be the first retail…

Music fans heading to Mundelein, Illinois, this weekend will make history as part of the state’s first-ever concert to allow open marijuana consumption. Headliners, fittingly, include the cannabis-friendly artists Cypress Hill, Stephen Marley and Action Bronson. Kicking off Saturday afternoon, the two-day Miracle in Mundelein festival will feature complimentary rolling papers, lighters and grinders, as well as dab bars and rolling stations for use by attendees. Marijuana products themselves will be available for sale through a retailer located next door. Consuming cannabis will be allowed anywhere inside the 21+ event, while using marijuana outside the perimeter fence is strictly forbidden.…

Bipartisan talks over a marijuana banking bill were “very productive” over the August recess, the office of the lead GOP Senate sponsor tells Marijuana Moment, as a key Democratic chairman says an agreement on advancing the legislation is “imminent.” As the Senate reconvenes from its summer break, those most involved in negotiating the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act have been expressing tentative optimism that it could move to a vote soon. That includes Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), the top Republican sponsor. A spokesperson for his office told Marijuana Moment on Wednesday that the senator “had very productive talks…

Patients with chronic health conditions saw significant improvements in overall quality of life and reductions in fatigue during the first three months of medical marijuana use, according to a new study of more than 2,300 people. “Patients experiencing anxiety, depression, or chronic pain also improved in those outcomes over 3 months,” the study found. Published this week in the journal PLoS ONE, the report analyzed responses from Australian patients eligible for the QUEST Initiative, which researchers describe as a “large prospective multicenter study of patients with any chronic health condition newly prescribed medicinal cannabis between November 2020 and December 2021.”…