Author: News Room

It ain’t just the summertime humidity: the air in Maryland is about to get extra sticky.Starting July 1, adults can start buying legal cannabis in the Old Line State. Nearly one hundred existing medical marijuana providers across Maryland may offer flower, edibles, vapes and more to anyone over the age of 21.While Maryland officials have put in the work to ensure that the shift to recreational cannabis goes as smoothly as possible, residents and visitors alike have plenty of questions. Rest assured, Leafly’s got what you need. Read on to learn more about possession limits in Maryland, the word on hot…

About three in five American voters say psychedelics should be legalized for regulated, therapeutic use—and nearly half believe possession should be decriminalized for personal use for any reason—according to a new national poll. UC Berkeley’s Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP) presented top-line findings from its first-ever survey at a psychedelics conference in Denver, where top advocates, researchers and Colorado’s governor were among those who spoke about the rapidly evolving policy landscape. The poll found that 61 percent of U.S. registered voters support “creating a regulated legal framework for the therapeutic use of psychedelics,” including 35 percent who strongly…

Maryland’s marijuana legalization law officially takes effect on Saturday, with simple possession and personal cultivation set to become legal as the majority of existing medical cannabis dispensaries prepare to open their doors to adult consumers for the first time. Meanwhile, ahead of the launch, the governor is reaffirming his commitment to fostering an industry that puts equity first. Nearly 100 dispensaries have been approved by state regulators to covert to dual licensees that will be able to serve patients and adult consumers over the age of 21 alike. They will be authorized to sell to both groups starting July 1,…

“This vote is a resounding testament that it’s time to stop bickering over the allocation of marijuana tax revenue and instead focus on the will of thousands of Montanans.” By Blair Miller, Daily Montanan Legislators overrode another veto issued by Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) last week, this time an appropriations bill that includes the mechanism to send marijuana tax money to a habitat improvement program through another vetoed bill that several groups have sued over. Representatives for the Montana Association of Counties, Wild Montana, and the Montana Wildlife Federation last week lauded legislators’ override of Gianforte’s veto of the appropriations…

A group of United Nations (UN) experts is calling for an end to the global war on drugs—and a separate drug policy commission comprised of presidents and prime ministers from around the world is advocating for legal and regulated access to currently illicit substances. UN’s coalition of “special rapporteurs” appointed by the Human Rights Council—as well as the independent Global Commission on Drug Policy—marked Monday’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking by pushing for comprehensive reform. “The ‘war on drugs’ may be understood to a significant extent as a war on people,” the UN experts said in a…

2024 Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took a swing at rival GOP contender Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Sunday over his opposition to marijuana decriminalization—and he pledged to enact federal cannabis reform if elected. He did, however, decline an offer to smoke a joint with comedian Bill Maher during an interview that was posted on the same day. The son of former Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy shared a link to a Marijuana Moment article about recent cannabis remarks by DeSantis and tweeted that the Republican presidential hopeful’s “opposition to marijuana…

Minnesota’s Supreme Court is looking for a designee to sit on a marijuana expungements board that is being created under the state’s new legalization law. In a public notice that was posted on Wednesday, the court described the composition and responsibilities of the Cannabis Expungement Board, which will facilitate record sealing for people with eligible marijuana convictions on their records. After the cases are identified by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the board will need to review them to determine if the offense would no longer be a crime (or be a lesser crime) and then decide “whether…

“The Legislature, in legalization, has done a lot to advance large, white, rich cannabis businesses and investors, and not enough for Black owners.” By Sophie Nieto-Muñoz, New Jersey Monitor Officials from the Cannabis Regulatory Committee faced more than two hours of grilling from lawmakers Friday during their first hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee in more than a year. Legislators weren’t shy with their criticism. They accused the agency of pulling strings to reinstate the license of a major cannabis operator, being slow to approve applications and holding the cannabis industry back with red tape. Dianna Houenou, the…

By Andy Rosenblatt John West Thatcher is not your average, run-of-the-mill, depraved, weird, long-haired, hippie drug smuggler. For starters, Thatcher doesn’t drink, curse or smoke. Not even cigarettes. He’s a God-fearing, born-again Christian who eats lunch at his unpretentious desk, wets his hair and combs it straight back, works six days a week and goes to church on the seventh. He’s also a Kiwanis Club member, Davidson College trustee, retired lieutenant colonel and chairman of the Miami chapter of Youth for Christ. With a cover like that, who would ever suspect that Thatcher is the number one cocaine importer in…

“We thought that if we just sat around and let the time continue to run, we would lose our rights, or have to file an immediate appeal.” By Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector Applicants denied a medical cannabis license will have to wait to appeal the decision by the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC). The Montgomery Circuit Court Friday issued a stay order on the appeals process for applicants denied a license by the AMCC after one of the companies, Alabama Always, filed a motion Thursday requesting the court enter a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on AMCC’s decision to…