Author: News Room

The New Hampshire Senate has set aside another House-passed marijuana legalization bill, as the governor predicts that a separate plan to create a state-run cannabis market that he now supports will likely be considered by lawmakers “next year.” Meanwhile, however, House lawmakers are now discussing pursuing compromise legislation next week that could be attached to an unrelated Senate bill that would provide for a combination of state-operated and privately licensed cannabis shops while also allowing current medical cannabis dispensaries to serve the adult-use market. It’s not clear if the Senate would go along with the alternative proposal, which is slated…

Nebraska activists are reviving their effort to put medical marijuana legalization on the ballot. As a reform bill from Sen. Anna Wishart (D) stalls in committee, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) submitted a pair of petitions to the secretary of state’s office on Thursday to get the 2024 ballot process underway. This marks the campaign’s third attempt to have voters decided on medical cannabis legalization. Advocates collected enough signatures for ballot placement in 2020, but the measure was invalidated by the state Supreme Court following a single subject challenge. And they came up short on signatures for revised petitions amid…

As the federal government struggles to recruit young people, a recent survey found that 30 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 30 have either declined to apply or withdrawn applications for jobs because of strict marijuana policies required for security clearances. The poll, published last month on the unofficial marijuana holiday April 20 by ClearanceJobs and the Intelligence and National Security Foundation (INSF), interviewed young adults about federal employment policies, focusing on cannabis. Participants were first asked whether they’d consider working in a federal position that requires security clearance, and almost 80 percent said they either would…

“I am proud to appoint these three individuals to the commission to ensure Rhode Island’s cannabis industry is both fairly regulated and successful.” By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current The long-anticipated nominations are in for the three-member panel charged with overseeing regulation of the Rhode Island’s nascent recreational marijuana industry. Gov. Dan McKee (D) on Wednesday named his picks to the Cannabis Control Commission. McKee’s nominations come nearly a year after the state law legalizing recreational cannabis, and 10 months after the original July 4 deadline by which he was supposed to select members of the Cannabis Control Commission. The…

A top federal health agency is soliciting proposals for a series of research initiatives meant to explore how psychedelics could be used to treat drug addiction, with plans to provide $1.5 million in funding to support relevant studies. As public interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics continues to grow, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) this week published three notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) for research projects to better understand how drugs like psilocybin and ayahuasca could help people with substance use disorders (SUDs). Advancing Psychedelics Research for Treating Addiction (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required) https://t.co/kr3xqmsJGM — NIH Funding…

Developers are in the middle of a race to see how they can apply freeze dryer technology to dry and cure weed faster, taking a process that could have taken weeks into something that is pretty much instantaneous. Drying cannabis after it’s harvested removes the moisture from the flowers so they can be properly smoked or vaporized and typically takes anywhere from 10 to 14 days. After that, the flowers are cured, a week to month-long process which removes additional moisture and helps preserve the buds and retain their flavor and potency. With freeze drying technology, what once could take…

The Czech government has halted a planned ban and will further study regulations for CBD and other hemp-derived cannabinoids, reversing a policy announced late last month. “We have agreed that the upcoming measure regulating the sale of CBD will not come into force now,” according to Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who said a working group has now started a review intended to develop “clear and predictable rules” for the compound. Under the vacated ban, all cannabinoid-containing food and dietary supplements, and cosmetics containing hemp-derived cannabinoids, would have been ordered off the market. The Ministry had said it was following a…

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will soon be proposing new rules to clarify that synthetically manufactured cannabinoids like delta-8 THC are prohibited controlled substances. At the agency’s 2023 Supply Chain Conference earlier this month, Terrance Boos, chief of DEA’s Drug and Chemical Evaluation Section, said that officials have received “multiple petitions” on the issue and are “in the process of modifying our [regulations]” on cannabis constituents based on recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). One change, Boos said in the speech, which was first noted by the law firm Vicente LLP, would be to “decontrol…

Michigan officials are proposing to end pre-employment drug testing for marijuana for most government job applicants, while also giving people who’ve already been penalized over positive THC tests an opportunity to have the sanction retroactively rescinded. The Michigan Civil Service Commission released the proposed amendments to the government’s employment code on Friday, opening a public comment period on the two policies. “Michigan voters legalized marijuana’s medicinal use in 2008 and recreational use by adults in 2018,” John Gnodtke, the state personnel director, wrote in a memo. “In light of these changes, commissioners have requested circulation for public comment of potential…

“The federal government should look at the 90 years of successful alcohol regulation and apply similar rules to the cannabis market.” By Francis Creighton, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Ever worry about whether that bottle of wine you bought at your local shop is the genuine product? Or whether that bottle of 80-proof whisky your bartender just opened really is 80-proof? No? Me neither. In the 90 years since America’s experiment with prohibition ended, our beverage alcohol marketplace has evolved to become the safest, most vibrant, competitive and economically vibrant market in the world. As consumers, we don’t see…