Author: News Room

A psilocybin research bill has now passed both chambers of Washington State’s legislature, although lawmakers will still need to reconcile the differences between versions passed by the House and Senate before sending the measure to Gov. Jay Inslee (D). House approval of the bill happened on Tuesday, with representatives voting 87–10 to send the measure back to the Senate. Prior to the vote, the body signed off on a committee amendment to create a limited clinical pilot program to study the use of therapeutic psilocybin to treat trauma, mood and substance use disorders in veterans and first responders. The Senate…

A Chicago-based drinks maker has signed a sponsorship agreement with the Chicago Cubs in a first-ever deal involving a producer of CBD-containing products and an individual American baseball team. Under the terms of the deal, the National League club will offer canned CBD beverages and display signs advertising Mynd Drinks at the Cubs’ home field, Wrigley Stadium. The Cubs also secured international marketing rights to Mynd products in the United Kingdom for the 2023 baseball regular season. The products, marketed as a wellness brand, are made by Mynd Drinks International, which started making the plant-based line of beverages in 2019.…

“I think the representative’s binder on how many amendments need to be put forth is a big indication about why this bill shouldn’t pass.” By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix Lawmakers in a House committee on Wednesday approved a bill related to regulations for hemp-derived products, but the sponsor acknowledged that the bill is still a work in progress, with a little over three weeks left in the spring legislative session. Of concern is that the hemp industry and hemp entrepreneurs believe they could go out of business. The legislation would dramatically reduce the amount of THC—the compound in the plant…

Michigan marijuana sales reached a record high in March, with nearly $250 million in combined recreational and medical cannabis purchases, according to state regulators. The lion’s share of those sales came from the adult-use market, which saw $239.8 million worth of marijuana products sold last month. Medical marijuana purchases reached $9.8 million during the same timespan, as New Cannabis Ventures first reported. Most of the cannabis purchases came from flower, followed by vape cartridges and infused edibles, the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) data shows. The state is seeing these record-setting sales even as the average cost of marijuana has…

Lawmakers in Washington State are on the cusp of passing legislation that would set the stage for licensed marijuana businesses to be able to engage in cross-border commerce with cannabis companies in other legal states. The state’s House of Representatives approved the bill, SB 5069, in a 71–26 vote on Wednesday. Members approved a minor amendment on the House floor to correct what was described as “a scrivener’s error” in a version passed by the Senate last montΩh. The fix means the legislation still needs one more final Senate nod before it can proceed to Gov. Jay Inslee (D) for…

A strong majority of South Carolina adults support legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational use, according to a new poll that’s being promoted by a Republican congresswoman from the state. The survey from Winthrop University—which comes as state lawmakers work to advance medical cannabis legalization—found that three in four adults (76 percent) back the reform, including 80 percent of Democrats and 72 percent of Republicans. Support for adult-use marijuana legalization stands at 56 percent, with 62 percent of Democrats in support. GOP South Carolina voters were evenly split on the issue, 45-45 percent. Overall support increased by two percentage…

The Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill to allow medical marijuana as an opioid alternative for people with chronic pain and also replace the state’s THC limit, sending the legislation to the Senate for consideration. The full chamber passed the measure from Rep. Stephanie Klick (R) in a 127-19 vote on third reading on Wednesday, one day after giving it initial approval on the floor. This latest vote also comes weeks after a separate House panel unanimously approved a bill to decriminalize cannabis possession in the state while providing a pathway for records expungement. The medical marijuana expansion legislation, which…

Top German health officials have unveiled a revised plan to legalize marijuana nationwide. German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir released the updated legalization framework on Wednesday, sharing details about the proposal during a press conference. “The previous cannabis policy has failed,” Lauterbach said. “Now we have to go new ways.” The new plan seeks to provide for “the controlled delivery of cannabis to adults within clear limits,” he said, adding that “we want to fight the black market [and] we want to push back drug-related crime.” Wir bringen Legalisierung von #Cannabis Konsum…

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R)—who previously served as the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a top Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official and in Congress—is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. At each stage of his career, Hutchinson has proudly and unyieldingly embraced the war on drugs and opposed marijuana legalization. Of particular concern for drug policy reformers is Hutchinson’s past record of enforcing federal prohibition in legal states and proactively campaigning against legalization. At a time when drug policy reform is becoming increasingly bipartisan, the candidate’s hardline positions on the issue make him stand…

The Hawaii Senate has approved a bill to create an advisory council to look into possible regulations to provide access to federal “breakthrough therapies” like psilocybin and MDMA. The legislation from Rep. Adrian Tam (D), which previously moved through the House and has since been amended by Senate committees, passed the full chamber without discussion as part of a package of measures on the consent calendar on Tuesday. It now goes back to the House for concurrence. Psychedelics reform has been a hot topic in the Aloha State this session, with numerous proposals being taken up in committee as lawmakers…