Author: News Room

Another federal court has ruled that banning people who use marijuana from possessing firearms is unconstitutional—and it said that the same legal principle also applies to the sale and transfer of guns, too. The Justice Department has recently found itself in several courts attempting to defend the cannabis firearms ban, and its arguments have faced increased scrutiny in light of broader precedent-setting Second Amendment cases that generally make it more difficult to impose gun restrictions. Now the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas has weighed in, delivering a win to Paola Connelly, an El Paso resident who…

A drug policy think tank that is working to promote education about how lawmakers and advocates can effectively prevent the monopolization of the marijuana industry released a new toolkit to help guide reform efforts on Monday. The Parabola Center for Law and Policy, a nonprofit focused on advancing equity-centered reform, is rolling out the “Anti-Monopoly Toolkit,” which provides an overview of state and federal policy priorities to prevent corporatization and consolidation that could threaten small cannabis businesses in the industry. It also features practical advocacy advice on the issue, with tips on how to best communicate concerns with policymakers and…

In a lean but not very mean 40-minute special for HBO Max, Ian Lara not only scores laughs but tells great stories that are, really, contained romantic comedies. It’s just a smooth special. From beginning until the end, it’s consistent, not to mention gracefully crafted, thanks to director and comedian Aida Rodriguez. Sometimes when comedians step behind the camera for specials, like Rodriguez, they just know how to instinctually respond to the material and performer best.  I digress, but if you haven’t seen “Romantic Comedy” yet, check it out and consider seeing Lara on the road. He has several upcoming…

The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is calling on President Joe Biden to direct federal agencies to “expedite” an active marijuana scheduling review and reinstate guidance protecting state cannabis programs from federal interference. As part of the caucus’s 2023 “Executive Action Agenda,” members said that the president should use his authority to follow up on the scheduling directive that he ordered late last year. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are leading that effort, and officials at both agencies have said that they will carry out the review in a timely manner, though they’ve…

An Alabama CBD maker said it will go to court to try to quash an order by state health officials that called on the company to stop promoting and selling its products. The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) ordered Gadsen-based Boro Hemp “not to sell, offer to sell, give away, or remove” products from its premises under rules for food processing. An ADPH inspector visited the company’s operations in early January, afterward “admitting that our procedures met and exceeded requirements” of the health agency, said Eric Weaver, Boro Hemp’s marketing manager. Nonetheless, the ADPH ordered the company to destroy…

The Arkansas Senate has approved a bill to clarify that medical marijuana patients can obtain concealed carry licenses for firearms, sending it to the governor. The legislation from Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R) has moved quickly through the legislature, clearing the House on Tuesday and then moving through one Senate committee before passing the full chamber in 26-3 vote on Friday. “No other prescription medication, including opioids, disqualifies anyone from having a [concealed carry] license. Medical marijuana patients should not be an exception,” Sen. Clint Penzo (R) said on the floor. “This bill ensures otherwise qualified Arkansans have the right to…

We all know how important light is to the production of cannabis. In order to optimize the photosynthetic activity of cannabis plants, one must uderstand how the plant captures and uses light energy to create plant tissues and compounds, such as glucose (for food) and cannabinoids like THC (for us). Light intensity and light quality—i.e. wavelength—both play an extremely significant role in photosynthesis and cannabis growth. In this article, we will examine how this occurs and which components of light play the biggest parts. What is Light? Light has the characteristics of both a wave and a particle. Figure 1…

Maryland House and Senate lawmakers have resolved differences between a pair of bills to regulate marijuana sales that recently passed in their respective chambers, setting the stage for final votes on both floors within days. Legislators have worked quickly to get the cannabis regulatory legislation in place before the state’s voter-approved legalization law takes effect in July, and Friday’s committee actions have brought them one step closer to realizing that goal. The bills as introduced were identical, but they were amended in certain different ways throughout the committee process as they advanced. On Friday, the House Economic Matters Committee and…

Minnesota lawmakers have attached the provisions of a bill to create a psychedelics task force that would prepare the state for possible legalization to large-scale omnibus health legislation that could reach the House floor soon. The House Health Finance and Policy Committee last week adopted an author’s amendment to the broader bill that inserted a revised version of the psychedelics measure from Rep. Andy Smith (D). The Psychedelic Medicine Task Force, if approved, would be charged with advising lawmakers on “the legal, medical, and policy issues associated with the legalization of psychedelic medicine in the state,” the legislation says. It…

Missouri marijuana sales reached a record $126 million in marijuana sales in March, the second month since adult-use shops opened in the state after voters approved legalization at the ballot last November. The $126.2 million comes from combined medical cannabis purchases ($32.7 million) and recreational sales ($93.5 million) in March. That’s a 22.4 percent increase over February’s cannabis sales total of $103 million. Via Division of Cannabis Regulations. At this rate, Missouri is positioned to reach $1 billion in collective cannabis sales before the end of the year, according to a projection by Greenway Magazine. The cumulative sales total for…