Author: News Room

“We see this as a resource not only to reduce harm, but to also bring in resources to help our people recover.” Buy Max Nesterak, Minnesota Reformer The Red Lake Nation’s tribal council voted on Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana and begin selling it—to both tribal and non-tribal members—on August 1. The move could make Red Lake Nation the first entity to operate a recreational dispensary in the state, and gives the tribe a significant head start in the green rush to claim a piece of the projected $1.5 billion market. While possessing recreational marijuana will become legal across Minnesota on…

The historical Boston Tea Party motto of “no taxation without representation” took on a new meaning on Wednesday when a major marijuana company marked the 250th anniversary of the act of civil disobedience by protesting federal code that prohibits the cannabis industry from making key tax deductions like other traditional businesses. Dressed in colonial garb, executives and employees of the multi-state cannabis operator MariMed took to the Boston Harbor to raise attention to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code known as 280E. The stunt was a play on the December 1773 protest by early Bostonians over England’s monarchy raising the…

The Berkeley, California City Council has approved a resolution to deprioritize the enforcement of laws prohibiting psychedelics. Members voted to adopt the measure on Tuesday evening as part of a consent calendar—just hours after a bill to legalize the possession and facilitated use of certain psychedelics like psilocybin and ayahuasca advanced through a state Assembly committee. The local resolution, sponsored by Councilmember Sophie Hahn, was previously approved by the Council’s Health, Life Enrichment, Equity & Community Committee. “Berkeley has long been a leader on progressive legislation when it comes to criminal justice and cannabis reform in particular,” Hahn said ahead…

A former acting White House drug czar says the U.S. has a lot to learn from Portugal’s move to decriminalize drugs and treat addiction as as a health issue through a harm reduction approach. Regina LaBelle, who held top positions in the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) under the Obama and Biden administrations, wrote an op-ed that was published in The Hill on Wednesday, touting the success of Portugal’s move to decriminalize drugs and arguing that the U.S. should take a lesson from the country. “Portugal took a pioneering approach to its drug crisis and implemented a comprehensive…

A bill to legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina is likely dead for the session, the top Republican House lawmaker says. House Speaker Tim Moore (R) said on Tuesday he will not break an internal rule that requires bills to have support from the majority of the Republican caucus in order to bring them to the floor. And while some GOP members back the cannabis bill, it doesn’t appear it will get that required majority this round. Doing so “would require a number of House members who’ve taken a position of ‘no’ to literally switch their position to want to…

Two key senators behind the push for a bipartisan marijuana banking bill seem to be at odds over what it’s going to take to get a committee vote to send the legislation to the floor. In interviews this week, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and lead GOP Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act sponsor Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) shared conflicting stories about the state of negotiations over the legislation. Brown told Politico that he’s entrusting Daines to shore up more Republican support and specifically get additional members of his caucus to sign onto the SAFE Banking Act…

Bipartisan lawmakers pushed for the adoption of marijuana and psychedelics amendments as part of a large-scale defense bill at a House committee meeting on Tuesday—but the proposals’ fate remains uncertain following complications over unrelated measures being pushed by conservative members. The House Rules Committee did clear 290 largely non-controversial amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for floor votes as the leadership negotiates with House Freedom Caucus members who are demanding adoption of contentious measures on issues like abortion, gender-affirming care for service members and pulling back support for Ukraine. So now the Rules Committee will need to revisit…

America’s millions of consumers of CBD and other hemp-derived drugs face a dizzying array of new products and rules this July across the US. Entrepreneurs work to cash in just as regulators have begun moving to protect public health. The Grateful Dead’s drummer has a new CBD line. The FDA is warning makers of delta-8 to knock it off with the copycat packaging.Will the feds regulate delta-8 THC? What do emerging studies say about CBD? What about Delta-10, THC-O, or other weirdness synthesized from CBD in hemp?The answer? Anything but simple or static. Novel cannabinoid news comes out daily, so…

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has a message for young people: Instead of doing drugs, you should focus on becoming an Instagram influencer. The federal agency is promoting tips on how to get a “natural high” as an alternative to drugs, sharing what it says are “7 Better Highs” such as becoming famous on Instagram, playing video games and going to a pet store to look at animals. Explore 7 activities to get a natural high that doesn’t involve drugs. From creative expression to outdoor adventures, these activities can give you a natural high that lasts. #TipTuesdayLearn more: https://t.co/7Un7WD0N0K pic.twitter.com/VoIimvaWfl…

A second California Assembly committee has approved a Senate-passed bill to legalize the possession and facilitated use of certain psychedelics, bringing it one step closer to the floor. The legislation from Sen. Scott Wiener (D) advanced through the Assembly Health Committee in a 9-2 vote on Tuesday. This comes about two weeks after it was approved by the Public Safety Committee and two months after it cleared the full Senate. The measure must now go to the Appropriations Committee before potentially moving to the floor. “Research shows that these substances can have significant benefits particularly for people experiencing mental health…