Author: News Room

The Minnesota legislature has sent a large-scale health policy bill to the governor that contains provisions to create a psychedelics task force meant to prepare the state for possible legalization. About one month after the House initially passed the omnibus legislation including language similar to a standalone psychedelics measure sponsored by Rep. Andy Smith (D), both chambers passed a bicamerally negotiated conference report on Monday that retains the provisions. It first cleared the Senate in a 34-32 vote. The House followed suit later in the day, giving final approval in a 69-64 vote and sending it to the desk of…

The ancient use of mushrooms to improve physical and mental well-being is coming back full-swing. On Monday, Lucy Scientific Discovery Inc. unveiled Mindful, a functional Amanita mushroom-based product line that is now available at multiple retailers.  British Columbia, Canada-based Lucy Scientific Discovery is a psychedelics manufacturing company focused primarily on emerging psychotropics-based medicines, the latest being its new microdose product line.  Mindful by Lucy is designed to enhance well-being and promote a mindful approach through the power of microdoses. Each capsule is carefully crafted, incorporating quality natural ingredients. Mindful by Lucy comes in jars of 60 capsules containing a microdose…

Another Ohio city has approved a local ballot measure to decriminalize marijuana. The city of Helena, which has a population of just over 200 people, passed the reform measure in a 15-8 vote during the primary election earlier this month. More than three dozen Ohio localities have now enacted decriminalization through the local ballot in recent years. Last November, voters decided on decriminalization in five jurisdictions: Corning, Hemlock, Kent, Laurelville, Rushville and Shawnee. Activists said that they met the requirements to qualify a decriminalization measure in Helena that year too, but officials declined to officially certify it and it was…

The Connecticut House of Representatives has approved a bill to build on the state’s marijuana legalization and expungements law by requiring courts to reduce sentences or dismiss charges for a wider range of cannabis-related convictions and, accordingly, to release people who are currently incarcerated on those charges. After clearing the joint Judiciary Committee in late March, the legislation passed the full House in a 138-10 vote on Thursday. It’s now awaiting action in the Senate. As introduced, the bill would have mandated that prosecutors dismiss marijuana charges for activity that’s been made legal, but lawmakers approved an amendment removing that…

Nevada law enforcement regulators are proposing to revise the state’s employment policy so that prior marijuana possession convictions for amounts that are now legal would no longer be a disqualifying factor for police recruits. The Nevada Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission submitted the proposed change days after members voted to continue the rulemaking process for the potential reform earlier this month. As it stands, the state’s guidelines say that people cannot be employed as peace officers if they’ve been “convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude or the unlawful use, sale or possession of a controlled substance.” The…

The governor of Minnesota has reaffirmed that he will sign a marijuana legalization bill that lawmakers sent to his desk over the weekend, and the state has already launched a website providing information about the new law before it’s even been formally enacted. Gov. Tim Walz (D) made clear that he intended to sign the legislation prior to its passage in the legislature. After the final votes were taken, he discussed the reform in several interviews over the weekend—and signaled that he plans to sign it at a “big” ceremony just after next week’s Memorial Day holiday. When the bill…

As Maryland prepares for the implementation of adult-use marijuana legalization, the governor has allowed a bill to become law that prevents police from using the odor or possession of cannabis alone as the basis of a search. This comes about a month after the legislature passed the measure from Del. Charlotte Crutchfield (D) and sent it to the desk of Gov. Wes Moore (D). The legislation states that a law enforcement official “may not initiate a stop or a search of a person, a motor vehicle, or a vessel” based only on the smell of burnt or unburnt cannabis, the…

A Democratic senator, key federal officials and consumer advocacy groups are raising concerns about a specific provision of a bipartisan marijuana banking bill that they say could inadvertently limit the ability of regulators to take action against people exploiting banking services. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) first flagged his issues with Section 10 of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act during a Senate Banking Committee hearing focused on the legislation earlier this month. The senator said that its language “would make it more difficult for federal regulators to raise the alarm about relationships with any customer that presents significant…

You sound like many nepo-babies who’ve tried to get in the game in recent years. And you might be a partial inspiration for Audible’s new pot-focused dark comedy Blood Weed. In Blood Weed, Chase Stapp finds himself in that same position. That’s before things get thrown upside down thanks to the Russian mob, bad executive decisions, a torture site, and a couple of gallons of human blood.  That plot line might make it sound like Blood Weed is another out-there stoner journey, and it certainly is to some degree. But thanks to the on-the-job experience of co-creator Dan Abramson and…

A bipartisan pair of Pennsylvania senators announced on Friday that they will soon file a bill to legalize marijuana in the Commonwealth. Sens. Dan Laughlin (R) and Sharif Street (D), who’ve partnered on cannabis reform in previous sessions, shared some details about the forthcoming proposal, which would create a commercial marijuana market for adults 21 and older, in a co-sponsorship memo seeking support from colleagues as they prepare to introduce it. “Legalized adult use of marijuana is supported by an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians and this legislation accomplishes that while also ensuring safety and social equity,” Laughlin said in a…